The French are crazy fans of alfresco dining regardless of any weather condition. I've seen them all wrapped out, chilling out over coffee and cigarettes even in the dead winter cold. Well apparently they like it even better in the hot and humid weather on our sunny island. When i headed to O Batignolles for brunch some weekends back, i found the place packed with French diners seated along the corridors of their Gemmill Lane shophouse unit.

While it looks really charming and romantic to be dining at such a cute spot, the exposed design at O also meant that diners looking for respite from the heat would hardly be cooled even in the air-conditioned (sorta) interior. So yea, do pick a cool day to go. 

A revamped brunch menu now includes a decadent Champagne and Croissants brunch  (yes croissants) served only on weekends from 11am to 4pm. For $89, this includes free flow bubbly and croissants, along with coffee/tea, freshly squeezed orange juice (we saw them bring in oranges), a choice of bread (4 option) and a choice of eggs (4 options). If you're not up for that, there's also the $29 brunch set which excludes the free flow champagne and croissants. Sandwiches and other brunch items are also available on the a la carte menu. 

We started off with coffee, not a very European thing to do as they always have tea and coffee after their meal. But this skinnyfat girl needs her caffeine boost in the morning and is never one to stick to dining rules so to hell with that. Coffee was so so i.e. drinkable but not fantastic.

From the bread section, we had the blueberry pancakes and the bread basket. The pancakes were horrible and made us conclude that we should never order anything that isn't French at a French place. They were hard and dry and despite soaking them in the maple-ish syrup (i don't think it's real maple), it weren't enough to moisten the dough. MEH. Should have gone for the Brioche with Nutella or French Toast.

That said, the bread basket was fabulous. The croissant and the chocolate pain are deliciously buttery. Just look at the gloss on the pastry skin! Layers and layers of thin crisp goodness that peels and crackles away to reveal the moist, chewy and savory center. No additional butter required though butter is always lovely on croissants. One of the better croissants around Singapore. No kidding. Now i understand why they would have a Champagne and Croissant brunch. It was impossible to stop at just 1!

The croissants are available for takeaway. If i didn't remember wrongly, each small little baby costs $1.50. A little on the pricey side but they are too good to be missed. They certainly evoked deep wanderlust for France.

We had the Eggs Benedict and Eggs Pacifico, one with parma ham and the other with smoked salmon. I wasn't wowed by the eggs, they were adequate but again nothing mind blowing. A richer hollandaise sauce would have made the difference. The muffins used were quite good however.

Service here may be a little shoddy. Our cutlery were cleared before we finished our meal. My bread basket was served without the condiments and when they finally arrived, i noted that my bottle of jam has been opened and used. My dining partner walked to the counter to get me another bottle of jam because service was too slow. Boo boo.

I would make a trip back to O Batignolles for their out-of-this-world croissants but i'll never do their brunch sets again. Pick from their selection of sandwiches instead. The croque monsieur from the next table looked rather fab and their salads sounds really good too.

O Batignolles
2 Gemmill Lane, Singapore
Tel: +65 6438 3913
Weekdays: 12pm - 12am
Sat: 11am - 12am
Sun: 11am - 7pm

For any coffee addict, Melbourne is the mecca for the magic potion. Days blurred into nights into days in my caffeine induced stupor as a result of the insane craving to get more. This whirlwind affair was far too short in my opinion and there were a million other cafes that I was dying to try. Here are some convenient spots that you should check out if you are headed Down Under.

The Establishment- Seven Seeds

106-114 Berkeley St., Carlton 

Seven Seeds is THE iconic coffee hub of Melbourne. Ask any Melburnian about coffee and they would probably highlight Seven Seeds as the benchmark for specialty espresso. It has won The Age Food Cafe Guide's best coffee award in 2011 and 2012. The whole warehouse roastery vibe draws in the university crowd and hippies from far and wide. The brunch and lunch offerings smelled darn awesome and i was eyeing the eggs benny next table despite my exploding tummy.

The CBD Brother- Brother Baba Budan

350 Little Bourke Street

Expect the same quality coffee as Seven Seeds as this is the grab and go brother in the CBD. Light snacks like cakes and pastries are available to go with your coffee. Do not hang around. Make space, move out of the way and let these poor office people get their cup of life.

Grab'n'Go- Patricia Coffee Brewers 

Little William Lane 

If you don't have time and you want to squeeze in as many cuppa as you possibly can during your short stay in Melbourne, i'd suggest you do a quick one at Patricia's. Pick from 3 options- Black, White and filter and trust that the coffee is sourced from the most popular coffee spots e.g. Proud Mary, Seven Seeds and Market Lane. Best way to sample the best beans in Melbourne i'd say. Tip: Patricia’s in a laneway next to the 500 Bourke St precinct in case you can't find the nondescript entrance. Btw, there are no tables here.

The Almost Coffee Chain- Market Lane Coffee
Prahran Market, Queen Victoria Market, Faraday Street.

Need some good and consistent coffee when out and about in Melbourne? Then you can't, shouldn't and wouldn't miss Market Lane Coffee. With 3 locations, 2 of which are at tourist hot spots Queen Vic Market and Prahran Market, you could certainly get your fix while checking out the rest of the farmers' produce. A small selection of coffee complements like cakes, pastries, muesli and bread are available for the munching. You can also take home a large range of single estate beans and brewing equipment for your home experiments. Free public cuppings are on at Prahran every Friday and Saturday, 10am - 11am.

Farm to Table Homemade Breakfast- Silo By Joost

123 Hardware Street

Silo by Joost is a great café that serves great homemade breakfasts. I couldn't stop raving about their Coddled Eggs, which is a simple dish with perfectly soft cooked eggs with baked oyster mushrooms and micro herbs. The winner is the unbelievably good bread made from flour from the Grampians (they make their own). All ingredients come directly from the farm to your table. Best breakfast in my life i swear!

The coffee takes on its unique flavor from the organic unhomogenized milk and is as great at their breakfast. Amazing place to have brunch at. I'll pick this over Hardware Societe just opposite their shop (their baked eggs are so so and more expensive!)

The Godfather - Pellegrini’s Expresso Bar

66 Bourke St Melbourne
Pellegrini’s is a classic Italian espresso bar in Melbourne and the vibe is certainly different from the regular indie third wave cafe. Expect strong coffee, quality banter and delicious home cooking. Do not go expecting eggs and bacon. Instead, tuck into Pelliegrini's idea of a simple breakfast, a salami and cheese toasted sandwich.

Communal Coffee- The League of Honest Coffee 

8 Exploration, CBD
Touted as one of the best coffee coffee houses in Melbourne, TLHC has earned itself a strong following with their Pour Over and Cold Drip options, on top of the regular espresso based drinks. Single origins are aplenty here and the beans are roasted by these guys themselves. Chill out with some quesadillas or tarts and pastries communal style in this airy space with a white, mint and wood theme.

The Venezuelan- Sonido
69 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

Sonido is a funky cafe that does a South American fare. The colorful and mismatched furniture and kitschy decor are bound to brighten up your day. Dig into their Arepas (corn bread) which come with fillings such as chorizo, eggs, beans and cheese. Single origin coffees are available here but their specialty is the Chocolate corona con queso, a traditional Colombian hot chocolate with cheese! Roll the wooden paddle to aerate the hot chocolate to give it that extra frothiness.

Best Barista- Cup of Truth

12 Campbell Arcade, Degraves Street Subway, CBD

By The Age The Good Cafe Guide 2013 has named Courtney Patterson, from Cup of Truth, Bonsoy's best barista. This cool dude has been pulling shots for the Flinders Street commuter crowd from this former ticket booth for the past four years. Grab a cuppa and go. Or hang around a bit and be in your zone before diving back into the madness.

I've barely scratched the surface of the coffee scene in Melbourne with the above list. The following are more cafes i would love to visit if they were more accessible/if i had more time.

Proud Mary
172 Oxford St, CollingwoodWith the accolade of Best Cafe in The Age Good Cafe Guide under their belt, Proud Mary sets the benchmark for roasters and coffee lovers in Melbourne.

Dead Man Espresso
35 Market Street, South Melbourne
This is one of the best looking cafes in town with very tasty coffee. A special Dead Man Espresso blend is made for them by Seven Seeds.

Auction Rooms
103-107 Errol St, North Melbourne
Best Cafe in The Age Good Cafe Guide 2013.They're said to be one of the coolest fitouts in town, with excellent coffee, a tight brunch menu and smart service.

St Ali Coffee Roasters

12-18 Yarra Pl, South Melbourne
Head on there for creative cafe food to go with the coffee.

Two thumbs up to the city that i wonder how the people ever sleep. Hope you enjoy my recommendations on Melbourne cafes. 

I dislike going to public gyms, those with membership included. There is something terribly disturbing with all these bulky sweaty shirtless men pumping weights and showing off. It is also intimidating because hello, i can't lift peanuts and i do not enjoy being gawked at while i work out. Well, Virgin Active changed my impression of gyms when i checked out their Asia flagship at One Raffles Place. 

The focus at Virgin Active is to provide a fun, friendly and encouraging environment to promote health and fitness. Find exercising a chore? Virgin Active has made working out a hassle-free activity by providing you with cool workout gear, you only need to bring yourself and your shoes. An RFID membership card/bracelet takes care of the lockers and cashless payments at the delicious snack bar (food supplied by Salad Stop). Their mobile site allows you to book classes on the go as well.

Starting with level 3, the high energy area. Here is where you get pumped up with the machines. Virgin uses the ARTIS line of Android powered fitness equipment from Technogym.

Each piece of ARTIS equipment is designed for connectivity, allowing members access to his or her own world: training programmes, training data track record, web bookmarks, apps, and social networks. In addition, it employs cloud technology, so members can track their workouts wherever they are in the world.

One of the special workouts at Virgin is the THIRTY TRYHIT, a new small-group training zone based on the principles of high intensity interval training. Fresh new workout every week, it is guaranteed to keep things exciting and fun and very very sweaty.

Another high intensity workout is Zuu, and it increases joint mobility, promotes fat burning and building lean muscles. I call this the animal workout as it is based on movements of animals.

On level 2, there's the spin studio with a digital landscape that changes to the beat of the music. Nothing as intensive as SoulCycle, which i tried in NYC but certainly one of the cooler ones in Singers. 

There's also the PowerPlate workouts to strengthen your core musics and to help with toning. 

Level 1 is what I'd call the OM zone. Of course i signed up for the Anti Gravity yoga class!  

Let me set your expectations right. For a beginner class, do not expect to get a workout from this. Or maybe i'm too hardcore. It was extremely relaxing for me and the hammocks made inversions so easy. It's perfect for those who wants to experience inversions but do not have adequate core strength, balance or confidence to get into a headstand or handstand. 

Looking forward to the tougher classes! 

After a sweaty workout (or not), enjoy a luxurious shower with rain shower in every cubicle and complimentary Molton Brown amenities provided for members’ use.

Virgin Active also offers a Relax and Recovery Zone which will soothe your nerves. There are steam rooms, ice rooms, experience showers and foot baths with complimentary use of bathrobes. I love the peppermint infused ice room and showers.

There is also a salt room with ionised salts that aid in skin rejuvenation and purify one’s respiratory system. Great place to nap if you don't mind lying next to strangers.

If you need a private power nap, do not miss out on the sleep pods on level 2. These are the Google beds! I'm definitely gonna try these sometime.

Are you wowed yet? For a frequent traveler and foodie like me, working out when i'm traipsing around the world is a necessity. With access to 170 clubs spread across UK, Italy, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, Australia and now Singapore, i can certainly stay my skinnyfat self while holidaying. They certainly need to open one in the States!

Virgin Active Raffles Place’s flexible membership consists of a one-time activation fee of $199 and a weekly fee of $42.50. It goes by blocks of 2 weeks so you could terminate or put it on hold. Membership includes access to Virgin Active’s worldwide clubs and facilities.

It's time to get Active!

Virgin Active
One Raffles Place, Tower 2, Level 5-7, Singapore

Tel: +65 6908 7878

I love Tiramisu because.. i love cream cheese and coffee (and alcohol)! It has been my favorite dessert since young and i can never resist ordering it at any restaurant. Nothing beats digging into a wicked tub of creamy sweet with a tinge of bitterness. I finally checked out L'atelier Tiramisu after hearing all the great reviews about the place.

 

Despite my familiarity with The Central at Clarke Quay, i spent a good 15 minutes walking round and round the basement maze searching for this little store. You'd pass by it if you take the train underpass into the shopping mall and it has taken over the dance studio for wannabe hipsters (yay to that). The other landmark is Rupini, which is a great place to get your brows threaded for cheap.

The shoebox cafe only serves tiramisu, along with coffee from Liberty Roasters and tea. Four flavors are available– classic, lychee, dark cherry and matcha and they are made from a French family recipe of the owner's in laws.

A slice of cake would set you back by $6.80 but it was a rather generous slice with Liberty espresso soaked ladies' fingers and liqueur with Marsala wine. Here is a close up of the Classic.

The sponge was like a spongy chiffon that soaked up all that delicious elixir. I would prefer for it to be entirely soaked though as i thought the center was a little dry. I guess soggy ladies' fingers wouldn't be as appetizing or structurally sound but who cares!

The mascarpone cheese with dusted cocoa was simply irresistible, so much that i practically inhaled it. The cream was light and fluffy instead of rich and heavy as per my usual preference but it allowed me to easily devour the entire slice on my own.

The tiramisu was yummy enough for me to get another slice for S. I didn't think that the 5 mini cup samplers ($15) were sufficient for a good taste of the tiramisu so just stick with a slice (or two). The Dark Cherry was kinda like a blackforest cake with plump sweet (not artificial) cherries in the mix. It's nice as a cake, but it's not really a tiramisu to me. Yes i'm conventional that way. 

Will certainly head back to sample the Matcha cake since we love matcha so darn much. I so deserve a HUGE tiramisu cake ($48) for providing you guys with 2 years of droolicious posts don't you agree? Ok maybe 2 cakes. :P Enjoy!

L’Atelier’s Tiramisu
6 Eu Tong Sen Street #B1-09, The Central, Singapore 059817

Tel: +65 9389 8582
Weekdays: 12 - 9.30pm

Saturday: 1 - 8pm
Sunday: 1 - 7pm

I was invited to FIJIWater Signature Creations food expedition some time back in September and had a blast traveling around Singapore to sample some delicious degustation plates endorsed by leading food critics in Singapore. It was a full 6 hour of eating, drinking and having fun with friends (old and new). So here is what we sampled at the various restaurants and you could do the same food itinerary if you wish!

First stop was Absinthe. We started off with some bubbly and a lot of FIJIWater!  

Our first dish was the Foie Gras Terrine with Warm Brioche by Chef Francois Mermilliod. 

The brioche was fluffy and buttery and i had to repeatedly remind myself that this is only the first dish and i shouldn't be gorging myself! The brioche was great on its own but even better with the smooth Foie Gras. In fact, there was more than enough to spread on the brioche. Slices of cured meat layered the terrine, giving it some additional flavors. This dish was paired with Konrad Gewurztraminer 2010. 

2nd Stop was Hashi.

We had the Fresh Live Prawn, Hokkaido Scallop and Mixed Vegetable with Japanese Jelly by Chef Tadashi Takahashi. Paired with Evolucion Chardonnay 2011.

Refreshing dish it was, with interesting textures and savory taste. The cold jelly is made of dashi stock which surprised our palates. The dish on the whole was a little on the bland side and i didn't think the prawn was particularly fresh. Perhaps you could try something else on their extensive menu. The lunch sets and omakase menu are rather affordably priced.

In between eating and drinking, we took time to camwhore a little. Here's fellow food blogger friends, Alexis and LeRoy. Making use of the cute backdrop made of patterned bales of cloth at Hashi.
We headed down to Dempsey to check out Tippling Club next. The Pigeon, Celery, Quinoa, Goats Curd is Chef Ryan Clift's signature style. Great texture with well balanced flavors. I'm fearful of pigeon ever since i had the bloody disaster at London's Hibiscus but this was well cooked, crispy golden brown exterior with a pink center that was tender and juicy. Pair this with Mount Fishtail Pinot Noir 2008.

The fourth stop was The Pelican at Fullerton where we had The Pelican Lobster Thermidor by Chef Issac Tan.

Maximum flavor was teased out of this dish. The succulent lobster meat was baked with double cream and Parmesan cheese.

The highlight of the dish however , was the bomba rice cooked in a rich and savory brandy and lobster stock. The rice wasn't done al dente as promised, instead it had a mui fan texture ie. soggy, but it was better this way imho. 

This is the degustation portion. The regular size comes with a full sized lobster. Dayums! Pair this with Konrad Gruner Veltliner 2011.

Fat Cow was next. I've heard great things about Chef Dan Segall's Wagyu No Kakuni and was looking forward to it the entire expedition. I wasn't disappointed. The Japanese wagyu rib meat was simmered in a sweet ginger soy with fresh Yuzu.

Tender beef but not soft till it completely melts. I loved the stewed vegetables in this one. Now where is my rice! Pair this with Chateau Timberlay Rouge 2008.

Our last stop was Prive Grill and we had the Hokkaido Corn and Shrimp Fritter with Lime Aioli by Chef Robin Ho. There was an attempt to do a tempura style fritter but it was too floury and doughy for my liking. However, you can hardly go wrong with a crunchy sweet Hokkaido corn. The grilled shrimp was a little tough for my liking as well. Pair this with Konrad Riesling 2009.

Overall it was a great event. Kudos to FoodNews for the enjoyable event. Thank you FIJIWater for hosting me. Looking forward to the next one! But please remember to add desserts to the list! Alexis, S and i added a concluding stop at Nana's Green Tea (here's an old review) to round off the food tour. 

Do share with us what you'd plan for a food tour in Singapore!  

Pop up stores are fast becoming a feature in Singapore, like in many great cities in the world (NYC duh). The 'limited time offer' concept confers exclusivity to the event, pulling in the crowd who doesn't want to miss out on something that could be great. And Temporium is one great pop up that you shouldn't be missing out on.  

Located in the flavorful Little India district, Temporium houses a store, diner and gallery within two conservation houses on Dunlop Street. Unique pairings and cross collaborations of several homegrown brands, including Papa Palheta, Wild Rocket and BooksActually will be showcased at the spot till 8 Feb 2014. 

W and I visited the concept diner, Compl(e)ments Of, a 20-seater which sees the works of 3 Singaporean craftsmen who complement each other come together; Artisanal coffee by Papa Palheta, Ceremics by Weekend Worker, and cuisine by Wild Rocket.  

The main changes every month. Notice that it is singular, for there is only 1 option for lunch and dinner and another option for breakfast. We heard great things about Sep's Salmon red rice donburi with jicama salad which we missed as we just crossed into Oct. The main costs $16, though i'm not too sure if the price changes each month as well. But do go for the set, of course, because the items are supposed to complement each other. For $26, you'll get a coffee, the main and a dessert or cake.

The October menu is a Chili Crab Burger, which is a tempura soft shell crab in chili crab sauce sandwiched in a charcoal squid ink sesame bun. The sambal chili packed a punch and had me downing ice water in an attempt to put out the flames. I would gladly go through hell to taste that piquant jam again.

While the squid ink bun was lacking in the smoky flavor (I have yet to taste any that resembles squid ink), the pillowy bun had a light sweetness that complemented the fiery burn from the crunchy crustacean. And beware that chili kaffir papadums, i choked on the spiciness of the powder due to my carelessness. My my, i'm turning out to be the clumsy diner. 

We expected nothing less of Papa Palheta's coffee, after all it's the founding father of the third wave movement in Singapore. It had to be iced though due to the terribly humid weather that day. 

For desserts, we had the sugee cake with coconut ice cream and a double peanut fudge ice cream. Both scoops of  ice cream were intensely flavored and delicious. The coconut ice cream reminded me of the awesome one that i had in Bangkok Chatuchak Market. It paired very well with the nutty and buttery sugee cake.

Head on down quickly before you miss out on Oct. We heard a rumor that the Salmon donburi may be brought back by popular demand. Yay! Anyhow, with the changing menu, there's great reason to visit Compl(e)ments of every month.

Temporium/ Compl(e)ments of
72 - 74 Dunlop Street, Singapore 209400
7 Sept 2013 - 8 Feb 2014
Tue to Sun: 10am - 8pm (Diner opens at 9am)