All posts tagged: Beer

bistrokai @ Purvis Street

Published by Beatrice

After a good breakfast at Cups N Canvas, we walked over to hunt for Kooka Cafe for coffee at Purvis Street only to realize it has closed! However, we chanced upon bistrokai, on Level 1 at Hotel kai, which was less than 1 month old. There was even a professional photoprapher taking shots of the beers, which I assume will be used for their website. bistrokai is housed in a shophouse, but its interior is deliberately modern, keeping only the original brick walls that reveals the age of the building. The tables and chairs are of gloss finishes. I must say this looks like a very good place for soccer matches, with 2 big TV screens to huddle around over drinks. The menu boasts of gourmet burgers, sandwiches, buffalo wings and cripsy pork belly and other delicious grub, but we already had our mains, so we settled for microbrewery beer (Brewerks Pilsner, $7.80 for half pint), pot of green tea ($4.50) and a cup of latte ($5.50) using arabica beans. There was also friendly service by a Sri …

Nabehide Japanese Hotpot Dining @ Alexandra Road

Published by Beatrice

Nabehide Japanese Hotpot, above established eatery Gyukaku, was a surprise find through Palate, where members can get 50% off if 2 of us dine. So, on a Friday night, we were glad to find a new healthy hotpot restaurant that was quiet and spacious for us to have a good chat. Nabehide Japanese Hotpot is a colonial building almost a century cold, right outside Anchorpoint (opposite Queensway and IKEA).  Because the building is so old, no fire is allowed, so the owner and management took effort to import all the heating equipment (cast iron pots using charcoal to heat) from Japan that allows for quick and clean heating without fire. This means the quality meats can heat slowly and be kept warm, rather than being overheated quickly. However, the heat spreads out quickly and evenly, which makes the heating rim on the table warm but not hot, so you don’t have to afraid of burning yourself on the sides while cooking. Nabehide is born out of a need to serve the folks who are looking for …

Wheeler’s Yard @ Lorong Ampas

Published by Beatrice

Wheeler’s Yard looks out of spacious Melbourne, but can be found in our backyard along Balestier Road. Wheeler’s Yard – The Bicycle Atelier, as its names suggest,  is a workshop space for urban bikes, with even handmade frames from talented mastercraftsmen. They also have a small but extremely cute selection of kid’s bikes. Wheeler’s Yard – Exterior Shots: Wheeler’s Yard – Interior Shots: The Flat White ($5) was decent, more on the milky side. And their cups are so prettily branded! They also serve some beers, and N had his usual Asahi ($8). The cafe is still new (<1 month old when we visited), so they are running on a manual ordering system e.g. they will call out your number and you run into their counter to collect the food. The menu is also fairly straightforward. Between 4 of us, we tried the most popular mains. Decent coffee and food – my personal favourite was the Steak sandwich, but such a pretty spacious place to hangout just next to the Park Connector. I would go back again just …

A for Arbite @ Aliwal Street

Published by Beatrice

I tried A for Arbite at Serangoon Gardens when they were very new before. And to be honest, it was quite forgettable other than its ambience. However, A for Arbite @ Aliwal Street truly surprised me. I ended up loving the pastas! They allowed for simple beer tasting of the 3 craft beers – palm beer, trippel, brown and N went for a pint of palm beer ($9) in the end, which was light yet flavourful. We had the Beef Tataki ($13) that was a tad small, but fresh and exquisite tasting meat. N tried the Squid Ink Pasta ($26) with Seafood, and the pasta was handmade cooked al dente. I had the Tri Pepper Spaghettini with Crab Meat ($27) and I loved the mix of peppers!! L had the “B for breakfast” ($20) which comprised spicy sausage, nice scrambled eggs and  beans. I would most definitely be back for their pastas. YUM! Well-done! Plus there is a collection of great coffee places nearby like espressoLab and Symmetry to pick up a good cuppa after. Tip: there is a …

Yakitori Enmaru @ Ion, Orchard

Published by Beatrice

Wanted a central, quiet restaurant to catch up with a secondary school friend so my friend obliged me to try Yakitori Enmaru at Level 4, Ion orchard. Yakitori Enmaru is know for robatayaki (炉端焼き) which is similar to barbeque but the food is slow grilled over hot charcoal rather than raw fire. I arrived slightly early and it was nice to be received by a customized reserved seat sign. This really gives the detailed Japanese touch. I was also promptly provided a hot towel, which I later realized is part of the cover charge of $5, which includes towel and appetizers. But the hot towel did help to make me feel welcomed! We decided to share all our dishes. So we shared the main – Kaisen Chirashi-don ($29.80). The fish was fresh, but still doesn’t match my favourite Chirashi-don at Chikuwatei. Because Yakitori Enmaru is known for its Robatayaki, we tried the chicken (Ibushi Yaki, $18.90). The smoking technique is supposed to infuse the chicken with a tender texture while having a charred flavour. While it …

Momma Kong’s (Crab Shack) @ Mosque Street

Published by Beatrice

Momma Kong’s (Crab Shack) was founded by the Kong brothers – Edmund and Terence – together with their cousin, who is also my old time friend, JL. Momma Kong’s concept originated from wanting to create food similar to their mom’s great cooking – great local crab delicacies made with fresh ingredients, and no flavour enhancers added! Momma Kong’s décor is also simple, modern and relaxing, great for catching up with friends and family or as a pre-party destination, or watch football as well! They also have Asahi Super Dry on tab now compared to when I first visited, plus they even serve and premium Nikka Whisky, and they have happy hour 1-for-1 if you can go early before 730pm! Crabs wise, they have all the classic favourites – Black Pepper Crab, Red Chilli Crab, Fresh Steamed Crab and Momma Kong’s Signature Crab Bee Hoon Soup. Between 5 of us, we tried the 3 crabs for $110 promotion (2 Pepper Crabs and 1 Chilli Crab) and 1 Crab Bee Hoon Soup. This amazing Momma Kong’s Signature Crab Bee …

LOWERCASE @ Lasalle College of the Arts

Published by Beatrice

I had to give LOWERCASE 3 tries before I finally tried the food. The first time, we assumed the cafe would be open for coffee on a Sunday and we headed down and it was closed. The second time, on a Friday night, we headed down at 830pm since their Facebook said they were open till 1030pm but was told it was closed already!! I wrote to them to feedback on the opening hours, and one of their partners, Mr J, was nice enough to explain the situation and we decided to try LOWERCASE again with a group of friends on a Saturday evening. LOWERCASE is nestled in Lasalle College of the Arts and has a huge 5000 square feet space compared to the regular hipster cafes.  Their mission statement – “Lowercase is a melting pot where food, art and community come together” – is a good summary of what they are starting to look like, where random art pieces are displayed among tables of people eating. LOWERCASE seeks to promote talent by setting the stage for budding …

The Provision Shop @ Everton

Published by Beatrice

The Provision Shop is a 2-week-old addition to the Everton Trail, and it was already crowded when we reached! The Provision Shop positions themselves as a gourmet deli with a focus on salads, sandwiches and light meals. Anthony Yeoh, executive chef of Cocotte at the Wanderlust hotel, is the culinary director of The Provision Shop and bring his vision of gourmet takeaway food to discerning clients. Hence, the dishes can be a full meal in itself or conveniently complement a meal at home.

Bellwethers Bistro Bar @ Desker Road

Published by Beatrice

The reviews of Bellwethers on HGW have been amazing, so we tried this bistro that opened in Jan13, for a gathering of 4 on a Friday chillout night, to further my Jalan Besar Trail. Nestled in a corner of Singapore’s oldest red light district, Bellwethers Bistro Bar definitely looks like a modern oddball at the corner of the historic shophouses. The design of Bellwethers Bistro Bar is modern, simple and unpretentious, juxtaposed against the quaint shophouses and edgy characters in the neighbourhood. Edgy enough to see police patrolling around :P. Bellwethers’ goal is to “create a quirky and offbeat watering hole away from the humdrum of Singapore’s concrete jungle and bring cool to this charming hidden gem” and they have definitely succeeded. And I am not sure what is with bicycles recently, but Bellwethers also have one in their bathroom to add to their charm. Personally feel that Bellwethers has an Aussie/NZ feel.

Oxwell & Co @ Ann Siang

Published by Beatrice

Despite reading quite a lot of horrid reviews on Oxwell’s service, I couldn’t help but try this 3 month old Oxwell & Co restaurant because the chef used to work with Gordon Ramsay! And I had one of the most mind blowing experience with Gordon Ramsay in the UK, I was willing to risk the bad service. Oxwell’s executive chef, Mark Sargeant, spent 13 years with Gordon Ramsay Holdings, including 7 years as head chef at Michelin-starred Claridge’s. Sargeant is known for his simple, honest food that is easy on the palate. I must say, firstly, the restaurant must have taken the service feedback quite seriously; I had a pleasant experience with the staff. When I called, they were initially full but gave me the option of going slightly earlier at 630pm so they can still seat me, so long as I could return the table by 8pm. When we arrived, the service crew did seem a little disorganized in that they weren’t sure about my reservation and took a while to check, but they were warm …