salt tapas and bar, raffles city

immensely satisfying – and one would say incredibly surprising – brunch at this tapas bar under the luke mangan group at raffles city.

truth be told, I’ve walked past this place a million times, but it just looked too tourist-y to bother (I may have been easily misled by its location right outside a hotel and the scores of Caucasians who enjoy dining al fresco) – and that’s stupid, because the food here is well-thought out, well-balanced, and well, very good.

egg berentine with bonito flakes

spanish omelette with spicy sauce

scrambled egg with ratatouille, sauteed zucchini and toast

if you’ve been here – the brunch menu is new – and if you haven’t, there’s plenty to eat and drink. it’s an excellent selection that covers both Spanish classics and otherwise reimagined versions of classic brunch-type dishes – which makes it acceptable even to persnickety parents like mine.

you can almost smell the rustic Spanish town of your dreams – the place is classy but not at all fussy, the sunlight streams over you like you’re a yummy mummy with nought but champagne in hand, and the rather seamless transition from patio to dining room could only be designed for/ by Europeans.

chilli salt and pepper squid, yuzu mayo

taco of tempura soft shell crab, pineapple salsa, wasabi mayo

grilled sirloin with mash, watercress salad, poached egg and madeira dressing

what with the multitude of dishes we had – I’ve resorted to using captions (incidentally, do you like this format?). but can I say how excellent the whole meal was? the flavours were all Mediterranean-style clean and simple, the seasoning was just so, and it was just that balance of rich and not-so-rich that truly hit the spot (I mean, you want to feel/ fill like you’ve indulged, but you’re not getting any younger are you?).

my favorite dishes are (in no particular order): 1) the tortilla of tender potatoes encased in egg, with a pool of tomato sauce that I could have used more of; 2) the very beefy beef, seared till pink and juicy; and 3) the pork ribs, which were omgawd-good, doused in a piquant, savory sauce and served atop a smooth mash that my sister couldn’t stop eating.

oysters served au naturel, nam jim dressing

pork belly sliders, bbq pulled pork, pickled cucumber & chilli

did I think anything could be better executed? yes, of course, but I did eat plenty of the dishes in their already above-average state. for example, the soft-shell crab and ikura tortilla was quite a spectacular mix of Japanese flavours, but its wrap was a little too floury and brittle – can I suggest further toasting and a softer tortilla?

the salt and chilli squid were a rift off the classic Chinese salt-and-pepper flavours, and the strips were very moreish, but the batter could have been much crisper.

halloumi, eggplant, chickpea, dried tomatoes, herbs, tahini dressing

sumac-spiced veal & pork meatballs, mash fontina

BBQ pork ribs, mash, pickled onion, sautéed pea, edamame

and of course one must finish with dessert – here, a single slice of excellent French toast. this was quite mindblowingly excellent, with a crisp exterior and soft, custardy insides. excellent.

french toast, Okinawa ice cream, clotted cream, jam

I think, one of the best brunch places I’ve had recently – and there has been a long drought of these. the proof is in the fantastic pudding – and if you too, suffer from what I’d like to call middle-ageness and require more than a cup of hipster jo’ (there’s a good drink selection, too!) and paltry dishes to get along, then this is the place for you.

truly praiseworthy.

Salt Tapas & Bar
#01-22A, Raffles City Shopping Centre
252 North Bridge Road
Singapore 179103
tel +65 6837 0995
$$.5: 25-40 per person (depending on gluttony)

the halia, raffles hotel

still very good food at the halia – a little expensive, a little exclusive, just the right spot of uppity for a dressed-up weekend lunch. it’s been a while since I last came here, and I’m impressed: they still know how to strike the right balance of intrigue and classic, and prices are just high enough to keep the atmosphere classy.

there’s just something about the way they blend their dishes and flavors that feels interesting, but at the same time hits all the right (comforting) spots.

I’m not too impressed with the photos I took this round, so unfortunately what isn’t displayed is the halibut en papillote, of delicious, tender white fish cooked under parchment in this CRAZY delicious soup of incredible savoriness.

served with sushi rice, you’ll need to grab a smear of the truffle aioli (which imparts yet another savory, umami note) and a mouthful of fish and soup to truly get the experience.

then and only then, do you truly get the experience.

what is pictured here is off their weekend brunch menu, three fluffy pancakes topped with bacon, maple butter, strawberries and what seems like crispy iberico. that last component makes a lot of difference to the dish, bringing quite a bit of sweet pork goodness to already properly-fluffy, well-cooked pancakes.

good food, but definitely on the pricey side – although I can’t help but feel that if I had to spend money, this is a good place to do so.

Halia at the Raffles Hotel
1 Beach Road, #01-22/23
Singapore 189673
tel +65 9639 1148
$$.5: 20-40 per person

rabbit carrot gun, katong

to follow on the brunch theme (does one post a theme make?), I’ve finally made my way to rabbit carrot gun – which is as strange and awkward (and can I say, unuseful) a name as an eatery could have – doesn’t really tell you anything apart from the fact that their owners are are probably modern types having an inside joke.

it’s a corner cafe in katong serving up fancified british, at prices the people of that fair isle would likely balk at – dominated by katong-type yuppies and expatriates all sitting al fresco in the heat (no one else but the too-cool and foreign would brave it – generalisation, yes, but stereotypes exist for a reason).

my bowl of homemade muesli served with yogurt and berry compote was decent, if small and unfilling. it was the french toast that really surprised us – thick bread that held its structure despite soaking enough egg-and-milk for a custardy inside, served with proper maple syrup and berry compote – it was delicious, and well-worth an order.

if you’re in the area for brunch, the food is pretty decent. which is to say I might come back again (although not travel specifically for) – but the prices are somewhat prohibitive (even for what is supposed to be an overpriced meal), and I like air-conditioning with my food.

Rabbit Carrot Gun
47 – 49 East Coast Road
Singapore 428768
tel +65 6348 8568
$$.5: 30 per person

las vegas, and some eating (part one)

nothing says las vegas like bright neon lights advertising a bit of harmless (or not quite so harmless) gambling.

I’ve got to admit, it’s not my favorite city. I associate las vegas with stale smoke, seedy joints (even the hotel lobbies feel seedy in nice places), and loud, aggressive people. the last time I visited this place, I was young enough that only the sphinx made an impression, and this time – I can add exorbitantly cut-throat expensive dining to that list of why-I’m-not-so-impressed.

I was there for work, which meant limited time to enjoy their many food options, although I did have the chance to try out what the land-of-blue-and-red is really known for: their not-quite-fast-food-(but-almost) diner-eateries.

hill street coffee shop, chinatown point

back-to-basics eggs and toast at this small cafe at the basement of chinatown point. it gets surprisingly crowded, considering its rather obscure location and rather basic decor – but there’s nothing like a traditional breakfast.

it’s a deceptively simple meal hinged at two points: the soft, oozy, just-nice doneness of your bouncy, still-slightly-translucent eggs, and the traditionally-styled crustless bread (none of that new-fangled gardenia or sunshine, thank you very much) that’s crisp but not biscuit-like. this place does it decently – my eggs were jiggly, and the two peanut butter sandwiches were crusty without being crumbling (and the PB was generous, too).

we’re losing our traditional kopitiams and breakfast places, and in their place, new, sanitised (some may say clinical) places like this are popping up – and I’m not complaining. eat your two eggs and toast – and go with the tide.

Hill Street Coffee Shop
#B1-52 Chinatown Point
133 New Bridge Road
Singapore 059413
tel +65 6702 0192
$: 4-6 a person

p.s. hope you’re easing all good into the work day after all that new year feasting!

artistry cafe, bugis

great tiny little cafe just on the edge of the trendy haji lane vicinity – guys, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to come here. out of the slew of cafes that popped up in the initial mushrooming (now it’s like a never-ending landslide of such spaces), this one caught my eye with all the positive reviews.

but I had to wait until the hype ended (and then some) before I managed to swing by, and it, well, is decent. the food is decent, the portions are decent, and there’s a chocolate peanut butter cake. definitely visit-able.

the missing pan, bukit timah

one of the better brunch places in the new morass of food establishments – how do they keep popping up?! – with generous portions, good cooking, and a beautiful space (and bad ventilation, though that depends on where you’re sitting). I’m very pleased with this place – I haven’t left so full and satisfied after brunch for a long time, service is mostly prompt and food comes quickly, and prices aren’t crazy.

very good, and well worth a visit.

roosevelt’s diner & bar, outram park

pretty good brunch place – with enough classics and twists to be interesting in its class – and rather conveniently located next to the mrt, which is a lovely characteristic that must not be overlooked (in a market full of eating establishments that pride themselves on inaccessibility).

so I came here when there were barely any reviews out there on this place (not that that matters, as by the time I publish this – there are bound to be many, many more) – and in singapore, that in itself is a feat – on a leap of faith, really; so it was rather a pleasant surprise that we enjoyed our meal.

ronin, clarke quay

the cool, grown-up hipsteresque ronin is hidden away in a small street near clarke quay – it has the same architectural elements as symmetry, but take away the bright sunshine, take away the perky waitstaff; and add quite a bit of shadows and dark colours, plus older, intimidatingly-cool hipsters, and you have it.

it’s gorgeous, of course, but that’s requisite for cafes these days. more importantly, it’s not so noisy you can’t hear your friends across the table, the food is decent and complements its environs, and it helps you appreciate being adult enough to appreciate someplace quiet (but slightly buzzy) to sit down.

I just wish the place had better ventilation though – I’m also adult enough to mind terribly the smell of food lingering.

symmetry, jalan kubor

good, delicious brunch, in a very cool hipster hangout in the still-cool neighborhood of kampong glam. so this place, it’s eminently likable. is it weird that I think that someplace this cool ought to be rather irritating? it’s done up in concrete, the hostesses are young trendy females, the baristas wear baseball hats and graphic tees, and the menus are all done up illustration-style. but the food is delicious, the wait isn’t long – and there’s a good, orderly queue system.

very, very likable.