Tiong Bahru Bakery Diner

In our crazy fast paced nation, a slow food trend is burgeoning. At Tiong Bahru Bakery Diner, they've taken slow food and made it fast and casual. Almost every element of each dish is is made from scratch, using locally sourced ingredients and minimising food waste. Of course, the result is new flavors and food that is good for your gut and soul. The two diners are located at Raffles City and Funan Mall and provides diners with convenient all-day breakfast options with a whole lot of vegetarian and vegans dishes. 

At the helm of the bistro is the sweet and enthusiastic Chef Paul Albert, who cut his teeth at several Michelin starred restaurants in France and Rio. Paul brings along his experience in sourdough baking, after his experience with The Slow Bakery in Rio where he learnt a great deal about wild fermentation. 

A look at the menu and one may be surprised at the number of vegetarian and vegan options. It's a concerted effort to do so in fact. Trust me, it'd change your mind on going green if you're a serious meat eater. 

For starters, reach for the Chayote Kimchi & Mung Bean Salad ($18) which features a toss-up of slow-cooked mung beans, blanched local snake beans and an old-style Korean kimchi made using local chayote and turnip that has been fermented in-house for several months. The kimchi was definitely on par with those that i've had in Seoul and it's riper than usual. Crispy buckwheat and toasted peanuts give the dish an additional crunch. 

The Hot Chicken Salad & Caramelised Pumpkin ($20) is a generous salad that will satisfy your protein craving. The chicken is first marinated with various local spices and then sous vide. Unfortunately the breast was a tad dry and salty for me. The highlights for me were the Kabocha pumpkin that has a lovely brown butter flavor and a caramelized sugar-like crust that is au natural; and also the zesty pomelo salad with a Greek yogurt wasabi dressing and parsley oil.

Artichoke

It's a feat to have survived the past nine years in the Singapore F&B scene and Artichoke has done it, despite being the "least authentic Middle Eastern restaurant in Singapore" (so they say). They're here to remind you that they're still alive and kicking and why you should head back or check them out if you haven't.  My my, the last time i visited was before i started blogging! Oops.

If you haven't been to Artichoke, do not go there expecting anything traditional or standard (you can go to Arab Street/ Kampong Glam for your run-of-the-mill tagine). Instead, head there for a casual night with hearty shared plates and un-ME music (the playlist is all chef-owner Bjorn's own favorites). The food uses ME ingredients as a start, but Bjorn adds on his own brand of creativity and likes to un-ME his dishes. 

The right way to start is the meal is with some mezzes and fluffy Turkish bread ($4.50). Definitely go with the Hummus with Iraqi spiced mushrooms ($14). What special about this hummus is that miso is added for that extra umami, along with the usual chickpeas, whipped creamed tahini, lemon juice and garlic. The mushrooms were seasoned in Baharat (a leavened thyme spice mixed, containing 7 spices) and sauteed with olive oil and garlic. 

I also do love the jammy Turkish eggplant ($12). The eggplant is halved and stuffed with onions and tomatoes, then confit and deep fried to turn the regular eggplant into an umami bomb. I also could not stop dipping the bread into the Beetroot Borani ($12), a sweetish beetroot cream cheese mix. If you enjoy the spicy pungent kick of garlic, the Israeli Sea asparagus ($12) is for you. The naturally salty veg is tossed in shallot oil and served with labneh (a yogurt-like cheese) and pickled garlic. It's not quite date-food material i must warn. 

Now now, i would not share the Crab Toast ($16/2pc), which is inspired by tzatziki (there's a bit of it in the mix but the crab takes center stage). I could not deal with the explosion of textures and flavors in this one- the sweetness of the Blue Swimmer crab, briny pops of Ikura, flavorful fried chicken skin and buttery pillowy brioche. Such deliciousness.