Weekends are for brunches and i finally checked out Maison Ikkoku's brunch offerings! I don't know why i took so long to visit but anyway i'm glad i finally did because it was purrrrrfect. Nothing makes me happier than brunch with perfectly done eggs, a strong and aromatic cuppa and of course great company. 

What sets Maison Ikkoku apart from the regular coffee shop is that it sells a lifestyle and not just a product. Think of it as a one stop shop for the chill out weekend; Maison Ikkoku is branded as a lifestyle boutique combining mid-high end international menswear retail, a café centered on quality coffee and the perfect semi-alfresco cocktail bar.

I was too occupied with brunch to check out the other levels but anyway.. Great Iced Mocha that wasn't too sweet. Bittersweet and intense melted chocolate was used with the strong coffee that had my head and tummy singing. 

Girls being girls, we each ordered a different dish so that we could try as many dishes as possible. The adventurous Yanni went for the Spicy Beef Rendang Fusion sandwich. Not my typical choice for brunch (i'm boring that way) but this was a surprisingly fiery and exciting option that i would consider in the future. It's easy on the coconut so you can taste the well flavored rempah but it's pretty spicy.

Mich had the Omelette which turned out waaayy larger than we expected. The style is kinda Mediterranean with the spices and diced peppers. Love the runny inside which was more buttery than creamy and it even had a slightly layered texture.

I struggled with my brunch choice and in the end i went for the Croque Madame instead of the Eggs Benedict. Great flavors from the honey glazed ham, gruyere and home-made béchamel but it just seemed a little dry with the toasted pain de campagne.

The benedict/florentine really takes the cake here at Maison Ikkoku. Full bodied and well balanced Hollandaise sauce is so hard to come by and this was da bomb. Loved the texture, loved the flavors, loved the overall moisture of every bite. The savory spinach in the Salmon Florentine gave the dish an interesting twist and made me crave for more.

While the brunch items were great, the desserts were meh. We had the Blueberry Cheesecake which was very light. I liked the graham crust but found it too crumbly! The blueberry sauce was a tad too sweet and require some tartness to balance it out. The Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake was really dense a la brownie texture but it tasted empty. I really wouldn't wanna be wasting my calories on this one.

Another delicious gathering with the WAGs club at Maison Ikkoku! Maison Ikkoku is definitely on my favorites list. Enjoy!

Maison Ikkoku
20 Kandahar Street, Singapore 198885
Tel: +65 6294 0078
Mon - Thu: 9am - 9pm
Fri, Sat & PH Eve: 9am - 11pm
Sun & PH: 9am - 7pm

I'm an Eastie and like any Eastie, I believe that the eastern part of Singapore has the best food. It's true! Sadly, when it comes to good coffee and cafes, we are severely handicapped. Penny University is probably the most popular of the limited number of cafes available but sadly it failed to impress me TWICE.

Penny University has nailed most of the elements of an indie cafe. The decor, the machines, the variety of beans etc. However, the most essential, which is the coffee was hard to swallow.

The coffee was very acidic on my 2 visits and that sour note was even more so apparent when the drink was cool. The milk hardly mellowed the acidity. Sweet it was not, at all. 

Brunch is served here as well but I didn't get a go at it. From their bake shelf, I had the scone (or was it rock cake) which was dry and tastely, absolutely lacking in the taste and texture department. Pies are from Windowsill Pies.

It was also at Penny University where i had my most expensive slice of pandan chiffon cake ($5.90) which tasted worse than those cheap ones from the neighborhood bakeries. MEH.

I honestly do not get why Penny draws in the crowd but it smells of desperation, desperation of us Easties for an indie cafe to hang out at. That could only explain how we would pay 6 bucks for a 7oz coffee. Oh there is also a 3oz size. Like seriously? 

Please give me something better in the East! In the meantime, I'll just stick to my other cafes.

Penny University
402 East Coast Road
Singapore 428997

Tel: 9021 3959
Tue - Thu: 8.30am to 6pm (Closed Mon)
Fri - Sat: 8.30am – 12am

Sun: 8.30am – 9pm 

I've recently hopped on to the Palate Card bandwagon thanks to the good people at Palate Singapore! I gotta say that this is certainly a card that any decent foodie should have if you wanna try out some good restaurants without breaking the bank. With their revised selection of restaurants and bars, and more merchants coming on board, you can be sure to enjoy a superior gastronomic experience. 

As i was going through the list of participating outlets, i spotted a couple of my favorites and some other establishments that i have been meaning to try! Elegant modern European The Clan does a great set meal at really affordable prices (read my Clan review here). Adjourn for drinks at the cozy bar area, or head out to the alfresco area (when better weather returns) at Skyve. You should definitely do dinner there even though it doesn't have the same benefits (read my Skyve review here). With over 50 dining establishments and 11  bars, you can surely find a place suitable to your requirements, from fine dining at il Lido or fun music at Wala Wala. 

The Palate programme offers an attractive discount structure of up to 50%, letting you discover new restaurants or revisit favorites without feeling the pinch. I'm definitely checking out Violet Oon's Kitchen (yes i'm really slow), Fandango Tapas Bar and a few more! Some exciting reviews will be shared with you soon and you'll see how much you can save with the Palate card!

Now here is the discount structure.

Discount	15%	20%	25%	35%	50%
No. of Persons Dining	1	5-20	4	3	2

Boys, you can see how the card works in your favor right? It's 50% off the bill when you order a min of 2 a la carte dishes so no complaining that date nights are expensive. Treat your lady to something nice!

Palate members are also entitled to a 15% discount on drinks at any of the bars in the Palate collection. Additional perks such as exclusive dinners, special menus or personal cooking classes with chefs, all of which would otherwise be unavailable to the public, would seal the deal for any foodies. Whee!

Annual Palate memberships can be broken down into two categories: Basic and Premier. The Basic membership costs S$428+ while Palate Premier costs S$598+. For more information on Palate, the ultimate dining privileges programme, please visit www.palate.sg.

I will be giving away 2 Basic Palate Cards soon so watch this space for my food reviews sponsored by the Palate Card. :)

XOXO,
C.

My first experience with Tsubaki Shampoo was in Hokkaido, Japan. After a grueling day of snowboarding on the slopes of Niseko, we headed back to our charming onsen hotel to soak away the lethargy and aches in the outdoor hot spring with powder snow that melts upon contact with the flushed skin. After a relaxing soak, I was even more so delighted by the excellent bath products that were provided at the communal bath and one of which was the Shiseido range of hair care products.
I The shampoo not only smelled delicious, I was even more amazed at how smooth my hair was after my bath. It definitely wasn't the hot spring and it certainly wasn't just me who felt that. S was absolutely in love with it too! Because of that, we lugged several bottles of shampoo and conditioner home because Tsubaki was not available in Singapore then. His favorite is the Tsubaki Damange Care series and these work quite well on chemically treated hair.

Since 2006, Tsubaki by Shiseido has been leading the hair care market in Japan. That's only because they know the Asian hair very well. Our dark hair has more melanin than other shades and thus is more easily damaged when exposed to UV. Tsubaki uses Argenine, a type of natural amino acid to repair the damaged hair melanin and hence improves the shine and silky texture after a wash.

Tsubaki has recently updated their range of hair products and i was invited to their launch party where i was introduced to the improved products. The new series now contain camellia oil, which repairs the cuticle, smooths and softens the hair fibre and allows the hair to be shinier and more elastic. I especially love the relaxing natural aroma with floral notes in the Head Spa series. You can smell the flowers, leaves and even the dew. What's more, it also gives you additional volume in your hair.

Who wants to hire me as a hair model? Heh.

Want hair that is hair model worthy? Try Tsubaki. I do wish that they have something made  for colored hair. My red highlights are fading already! :( Anyway, the full range will be available come 4 July. Remember to go get some. :)

Dining in Orchard Road is a pain in the ass. As if the queues are not long enough, the deafening surround sound chatter kills my post-yoga zen-ness and brings out the raging monster in me. Thankfully, there're some places i know i can count on for some peace and quiet and one of them is La Brezza, a serene and tranquil Italian trattoria in St. Regis Singapore. 

La Brezza is a little piece of oasis that makes you forget that you are in the heart of all the action. This is where i would chill with a bottle of wine and watch the sun set over our concrete jungle. The natural lighting was perfect though it did appear pretty dim when we started our dinner. And i must say i'm really proud of this set of pictures. :)) Disclaimer: The zen master whom you see in the photographs was a pure coincidence. Just a dude enjoying his evening stroll and perhaps a little harassed by this lady here.

Our dinner tasting was a selection of dishes from the brand new a la carte menu developed by Chef de Cuisine, Stefano Arrigoni. Authentic specialties, perennial favorites to contemporary interpretations of the Italiano cuisine can be expected here.

Fresh Pomodoro Zuppe ($18), a Toscany style Tomato soup with King Crab and Vincotto Wine sauce. A stimulating start to our meal with the tangy notes. 

"Pettine" ($32) Pan seared Hokkaido Scallops wrapped in Pancetta, with truffled Angel Hair pasta and Caviar Sauce. This dish was quite delicate with texture of the Angel hair and the non smoky cured pork belly. The use of pancetta brought out the taste of the caviar sauce much better than if bacon were used. 

Another tomato based dish, this time a Boston Lobster Tagliolini ($48) served with sun-dried tomatoes and Italian basil in a white wine and tomato sauce. Love the vibrant colors that are so pop. I thought the tagliolini was a little overdone though. 

If you like rice then the risotto would be an interesting choice. I like that the risotto was light tasting yet buttery risotto. No stock was used in the cooking of this dish. Instead, Barolo Wine, Pecorino and a reduced sweet Saba (an unfermented grape juice) were used and I could taste and smell that lingering perfume of the wine with each mouth. Served with Sous Vide Oxtail ($38). 

Pappardelle is my new favorite pasta. I love how it mops up all that meaty sauce and meat. And this homemade whole grain pasta took away all that carbo guilt i felt. It's whole grain after all :P I had to stop myself from devouring the flat pasta with flavorful pulled venison with truffle oil and pecorino ($40).

The slow cooked Australian Lamb Rack crusted with Kalamata Olives was an interesting combination though i enjoyed the vegetables caponata more than my very raw lamb. When done medium rare, the meat was tender and juicy but i guess i was scarred by the really raw meat which made me feel like a cave woman.

We tried a 2 pizzas and a Calzone but my favorite was the Proscuitto ($38). Savory Parma ham with creamy Stracciatella and stringy Mozzarella cheese and that sweet sun-dried tomato chunks on top of a crispy tin crust. Yummeh. The Calzone is good for vegetarians and if you like olives. 

Doesn't the Tiramisu look too pretty to be eaten? This is my favorite dessert since young and La Brezza does it good with the strong coffee, liqueur and light mascarpone cheese. I left none on the plate even though i was stuffed. 

Under the stars.. This is why La Brezza is my ideal chill out spot in town. :)

La Brezza also does a Prosecco Brunch every weekend from 12 to 3pm and it's only $98++ per person with free flow of Prosecco D.O.C.G Adami. The way i see it, this is a perfect legit way to get high with the girls over gossip and good food. 

Thank you St. Regis Singapore and the painfully shy Chef Stefano Arrigoni for hosting the dinner.

La Brezza
St. Regis Singapore
29 Tanglin Road,  Singapore 247911

Tel: +65 6506 6884

Daily: 12 - 10pm

First Singaporean review on Dominique Ansel Bakery's Cronut fever! By S, the Mr. Cupcake

Summer is in the air, and the city seems to have caught a fever. A ‘Cronut’ fever that is. Created by pastry chef Dominique Ansel, this deep fried donut-croissant hybrid perfection has hordes of New Yorkers dragging themselves up at the crack of dawn to get their hands on these buns since its debut on 10 May. 

In a craze last seen with Magnolia Bakery’s cupcakes a decade ago, the obsession seems to grow daily as the queues in SoHo snake along Spring street and wraps around the corner onto Thompson street as early as 7 am.

To cope with the demand, Mr Ansel has limited the number of Cronuts each person in line could buy from 6, to 3, to only just 2 now. This would ensure that the first 100 crazy people in the queue would get their hands on the much sought after confections.

After hearing so much about it and procrastinating for a month, i decided to check out the hype myself. When i got there at 5.50am, i was already #10 in line. The first guy at the head of the queue had started queuing at 4.30am, and within the next half an hour, another 50 people materialized behind me.

Next came the reporters, who have picked up on this craze. They hail from countries as diverse as Denmark, Sweden, Hong Kong, India and even Australia, all wanting to write a story about the latest fad that has gripped New York City. Even Hugh Jackman himself, who lives right up the road in the West Village, was seen queuing up for these babies a few weeks ago.

It is worthwhile to note that a shady parallel industry of Cronut-scalping has sprung up, and people have reportedly been offering $150 per Cronut, or a 3000% mark up on the selling price. This is Manhattan after all.
At 8am sharp, with the crowd getting restless, the doors to the bakery were flung opened and everyone cheered, as if they had won the lottery. The baristas did a fantastic job in moving the queue along, and in 45 minutes, all 200 Cronuts packed in pretty gold boxes were gone.

Now down to the actual thing. The Cronut tastes exactly like what it sounds. Covered in a deep fried outer skin, the rich flaky layers of dough broke apart easily like a croissant, yet had the yummy sweetness of a freshly fried doughnut.

The closest comparison i can think of would be a mix between a 油条 and a churro, except that it is not that chewy. Beard Papa-esque cream can be found inside the filling, but the lemon-maple sugar coating whilst giving a nice zing to the whole creation, was a tad too sweet in my opinion.

Why the craze over this new invention? As one writer aptly put it across, “The Cronut has turned into the ultimate grand gesture, appropriate for any occasion, and a burgeoning form of social currency — an object proffered in a bid to ingratiate oneself with a potential business partner, perhaps, or in atonement.”

Overall, the Cronut is close to perfection. However, it will be extremely unlikely for you to find me queuing for a pastry on the streets of SoHo at 6am again.

S, Mr Cupcake

I recently celebrated my super belated birthday with the Stupidgirl (yes it was 4 months too late). The final dinner destination was Pollen, at Gardens by the Bay. Long story short, it was another one of the Stupidgirl's booboo but we were lucky to find an alternative table at Pollen on a Sunday night.

Not that i minded the change in restaurants. Pollen is Michelin star Chef Jason Atherton's second venture in Singapore, following Esquina (read review here). It also is the second outlet of his London flagship restaurant, Pollen Street Social. The food here is supposed to be Mediterranean-inspired modern European cuisine but really, i don't see or taste the Mediterranean at all.

Dinner started with 3 little amuse bouche, all of which distracted us from the important task of creating our menu for the night.

Choux bun filled with cheese and truffle.

Cracklings served with an apple puree and arancini (breaded rice ball with cheese) served with hummus. Adored the arancini with the creamy risotto style rice.

White for the night. Chardonnay and Malagousia. 

The greedy girl insisted on ordering 3 starters because she wanted to try them all. Over ordering and over eating are typical features in our meal dates. The Mosaic of foie gras and confit duck with cherries and tangy apple puree ($40) was quite different from the usual that is served with berries compote. Very yummy.

I highly recommend the Trip to Japan 2012 ($38). Stellar succulent and sweet scallop sashimi were served atop marinated daikon in a lemony and saltish broth of sake and mirin. The sea urchin didn't make a difference to the overall dish. Kinda seemed like it was thrown in just to glorify the dish. More snow in this one (horseradish) but it melted when we were happily snapping away. 

The Scottish lobster ($55) was an elaborate dish. When it was served, we were wondering if we accidentally ordered extra food. This was a 3 course dish and it consisted of an intense lobster bisque, a lobster 'burger' and chilled lobster with fennel cream and sea urchin.

Our favorite was the bisque which was served in a wine glass. Exactly the way it should be savored. Next was the burger was done a la atas lobster roll style but with a buttery brioche bun. These were way better than the tasteless rubbery lobster chunks that were served with fennel cream and sea urchin. Again, the sea urchin was purposeless. 

Our mains- Kurobuta pork belly, braised cheek, charred spring onions, butternut squash, Sudachi lime ($67). There was a great balance of fat and meat though i still removed the obvious squishy bits. Take away all the sides and you have pork belly done Asian way. This is really good roast pork with kong ba essentially. The caramelized and smokey leek with sweet pumpkin puree were great accompaniments. The overall dish was delightful with the various textures and flavors. 

I would do beef anytime but the Halibut ($70) was recommended. Decided to be nice and ordered fish since the SG doesn't do beef. This is a lightly flavored dish and i'm more a fan of strong flavors. Despite that, the simply pan fried fish held up on its own. Again, the sea urchin cream was irrelevant though you could taste a little sweetness as compared to the bland sea urchin complement for all the other dishes.

We were stuffed but we had to have desserts to conclude our Pollen experience. We had the Pollen "Tatin" which was made of Verjusm creme fraiche, caramel jelly, red and green apples ($20). This is a really small dessert and i thought the caramel jelly was an interesting touch. Anyway, i'd much rather a pot of tea with their stellar petit fours. For that i had the moist matcha cake, perfect lime macaron, smooth coffee chocolate and a piece of candy to end the meal. 

Overall, the Pollen experience was great. Lovely ambience that was comfortable and cosy. Great service as well though they could be a little more attentive. Plus the food was pretty good too. Certainly would recommend Pollen for a special occasion. 

Pollen
18 Marina Gardens Drive
#01-09 Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay
Tel: +65 6604 9988
Daily: 12 - 2.30pm; 6 - 10pm