Recently people have been talking about this brunch place in a hardware store…So I decided to try it out. Chye Seng Huat Hardware is a coffee and brunch cafe by the guys behind Papa Palheta, and located at 150 Tyrwhitt Road. It’s around the Kitchener Road and City Square Mall area, for those who can’t orientate themselves. I recommend driving, although parking may be rather problematic.

Enter CSHH and be greeted by a coffee bar, with patrons sitting around baristas experimenting with different ways of brewing different coffee. We sat by the coffee bar, and watched the brewing, although less than ten minutes into our meal we were rather put off by how extreme their actions and mannerisms were. Words simply can’t describe it. We decided to just concentrate on our conversation and food…although the food was, unfortunately, nothing to rave about.

Our ham omelette with extra cheese was overcooked for our liking. Thank god for the extra cheese, or else the omelette would have been rather dry.

Again, the scrambled eggs were overcooked, despite how at first glance we thought they looked pretty runny. We ordered extra mushrooms, for $2, if I recall correctly. We had but that miserable portion of poorly sauteed shrooms!

The pan-seared dory, on the other hand, was one of the the highlights of the day. It was perfectly seared, and the fish melted in our mouths. Mildly-seasoned with herbs and salt, this butter sauce was sinful and delightful.

Initially we were hesitant to order chicken patties, thinking they might be burger patties. To our surprise, it was delicious! This was the other highlight of the day. They were made of ground chicken, mixed with lemongrass and chili, and served with Thai sweet chili sauce. Extremely oily, but extremely addictive.

For dessert we ordered a French Toast (we can never resist French Toast!). I found it lacking in egg, and could have tasted better had they added some cinnamon for a twist.

If you like sweet and savory pastries, perhaps the walnut baklavas might interest you. Although they were rather pricey – two for $6.50 – they are bursting with the sweetness and the savoriness baklavas promise. I found them up to par with baklavas I’ve had in Europe, although I’ve yet to have baklavas from Turkey, arguably the land of the origin.

I was tempted by the almond croissant, since I have not had very great almond croissants since Mirabelle closed down. Unfortunately, it was just a normal almond croissant; nothing to rave about.

To close my meal, I ordered a signature blend, long black (aka Americano). It was extremely (overly) citrusy for my liking, although I was intrigued by the aftertaste of tofu.

I would consider this a no-frills brunch place (seen from the presentation of food, and no service charge), with little to choose from the menu. Beats me why they are always so crowded! Perhaps because it is not too expensive…for this meal we spent slightly over $70 for 5 dishes, 1 croissant, and 2 baklavas. Or perhaps because of the novelty of a hardware shop cafe.

My verdict: 1/5 spoonfuls. CCSH a detour? Skip it. In the area? No harm trying, if there’s a parking space nearby and a table available.

Cozy little place, isn’t it?

We were surprised with an amuse bouche of finely minced and pounded tuna on a bed of rockets. It was light and VERY juicy, leaving us lingering for more.

Salad with smoked duck and mango witch mustard and honey vinegar

I typically stay away from garden green salads, but this time, I couldn’t stop myself from ordering it, because of the smoked duck. Living up to my expectations, the duck was perfectly smoked, smelling of charcoal and not tasting too salty. The mango mustard and honey vinegar made boring garden greens that much more palatable. (I love my vegetables, but I can get picky.)

Traditional Polish sour rye soup with bacon, sausage, potatoes, and egg

This sour rye soup, aka zurek in the native language, is a must-order when in Poland. It has a distinctly sour taste which comes from the “sour leavening” of rye flour and bread crusts. It is typically served with sourdough bread, hard boiled eggs, and smoked meat, like sausages, bacon, or ham. This was THE dish that satisfied me after a long, cold day at the concentration camps.

Speaking of bread, we were served with a delicious bread basket, but surprise surprise, what had me was not the bread basket, but their homemade olive oils that were served with the breads. There was an onion-infused olive oil, and a sun-dried tomato-infused olive oil. The latter was the hero of the day. Whoever knew that adding sun-dried tomatoes and rosemary into a bottle of extra virgin olive oil could taste so delicious? When we got back, we decided to make our own sun-dried tomato-infused olive oil. Haven’t tasted it yet, though, but I’m hoping it tastes as great as Leonardo’s!

Roasted sea perch fillet with shrimp ravioli

The sea perch fillet was fantastic. It was so fresh, so juicy, and so perfectly roasted. Shrimp ravioli seems to be Leonardo’s signature dish. It is served as a side on more than three dishes on the menu. Unfortunately, we failed to appreciate it, and thought it simply tasted like minced shrimp in cream sauce, wrapped in a ravioli skin.

Veal sirloin with vegetables in tarragon sauce

This dish was another winner. The chef so skillfully executed the delicate veal sirloin, such that it did not turn out tough, but instead, almost melted in our mouths like the amuse bouche did. I just kept eating, and eating, until the plate was clean.

Pear strudel with vanilla sauce and ice cream

During the entire Europe trip, I had more than my entire year’s quota of strudels. But this pear strudel definitely was the most memorable. Wonderfully crispy layers of filo encompassing the warm and juicy pear and cinnamon stuffing. The warm vanilla sauce was a plus, adding to the moistness and pairing ever so perfectly with the cinnamon flavors.

Chocolate souffle with raspberry sauce and ice cream

While we were expecting a souffle, we were instead presented with a lava cake. We were disappointed, because we wanted to see how the pastry chef executed the souffle alongside the strudel, given the need to serve a souffle within 30 seconds of it leaving the oven. However, upon digging into the lava cake, our disappointment evaporated. The dark chocolate was so rich, and the cake so moist. The acidic raspberry sauce so perfectly complemented the thickness of the chocolate, making the entire dish easier to gobble down – and gobble down we did.

What bugged us was the crazy silvery and sugary thing that was served on both dessert plates. True, it did make the plate look all so Christmasy, especially when it glistened under the warm yellow lights. But we found it a bit of an overkill, as it competed slightly too much with the delicious dessert the pastry chef made, making it slightly difficult to eat the strudel and the lava cake without getting silvery streamers all over our hands and mouths.

I must say I was thankful we took the less-travelled route from our hotel to the city center. If we had taken the main road, we would have completely bypassed the inner streets, as well as this magnificent restaurant. Definitely a favorite on my list, and I would make a detour just for a meal at Leonardo’s, should I be in Poland again, even if I were not in Krakow. Pricing-wise, it was very reasonable (although comparatively costlier than other Polish eateries) – a main course was priced at about 52 Polish Zlotys, which is roughly 10 GBP, and 20 SGD.

My verdict: 5/5 spoonfuls

When I was in London, M and I visited Restaurant Gordon Ramsay – his flagship restaurant at Royal Hospital Road, awarded 3 Michelin stars. I must say it was the most heavenly meal I’ve tasted, and I felt like I was in heaven, for that 1.5 hours of dining.

Upon stepping into the cozy restaurant of about 12 tables, we were welcomed by a battery of waitstaff, who ushered us to our reserved table, and asked us if we’d like a champagne.

On the front page of the menu was a painting of Gordon Ramsay himself, working in the kitchen. Boy, we’d kill to try HIS cooking, although Clare Smyth, his head chef (and first female chef to be awarded 3 Michelin stars), is amazing at what she does.

We weren’t served a break basket, but had a waiter who brought a large tray of 5 different types of ciabattas and focaccias for us to take our pick, every now and then. Among the most memorable were the onion, olive, and potato (my favorite).

Amuse Bouche – Pumpkin Soup with Ricotta Cheese

When this was served, I was intrigued by how it was merely a round of ricotta in the middle of a large round dish, and a long strip of crispy pastry on the side. I loved the presentation. Then, the waiter started pouring pumpkin soup into the bowl, and explaining the dish to us. I loved it even more.

The pumpkin soup was smooth and full of squashed pumpkin goodness, and blended perfectly with the ricotta. The crispy pastry was topped with bits of bacon, pistachio, onion, garlic, and other herbs I could not identify. I wished they had given me two strips of it!

Then came the smoked potato and poached hen’s egg ravioli with pak choi, roast chicken jus and leek velouté. Upon slicing open the large ravioli, the soft boiled egg yolk burst, running into the leek sauce, creating a thick, flavorful gravy for the entire dish. Just like the amuse bouche, the leek sauce was poured in at the table, while the waiter explained the concept of the dish.

The salt cod brandade tartine, noir de bigorre ham, piquillo peppers, olives, confit tomatoes and quail’s egg was a sight to behold. Look at the vibrant colors! The savory ingredients sat atop a piece of crispy thin and slightly sweet pastry – the savory and the sweet blended to create a wonderful experience for the taste buds.

My main course was a spiced free range Devon duck with Swiss chard, beetroot and grilled onions. Fascinating name and wonderfully executed (perfectly seared on the outside and pink on the inside), but this might have been the most “disappointing” course. Technically, it was not at all disappointing, but the other dishes simply stood out more than this one did. This one simply tasted like a Chinese-style spiced duck, because the amongst the spices used by the chef was the Chinese 5-spice.

I absolutely loved the roasted rabbit loin with Bayonne ham, spinach, marjoram, basil, coco bean cassoulet and pickled mustard seed. I thought it was absolutely ingenious to wrap the rabbit in chorizo, blending in the meaty game with the juicy Spanish sausage. The coco bean cassoulet was a wonderful starch-alternative, which I couldn’t stop eating until it was all gone. The most amazing part was the presentation of the pickled mustard seed and herbs as grapes. Too beautiful!

We had a full-bodied red wine which the sommelier recommended to go with our mains, and I must say they complemented each other really well! Pity I forgot the name of the wine.

Before we were served with our desserts, the waitstaff surprised us with a flute of mango-jasmine smoothie, to cleanse our palettes. To date, I can still taste the freshness of the sweet and slightly sour mango, and the scent of the jasmine, blending together to create the most delicious smoothie I’ve ever had.

After the smoothie, the excitement continued – we were served both the tiniest and largest desserts ever served to us in the history of our lives.

Blackcurrant Fennel and Yoghurt Génoise with Violet Sorbet

This was the tiniest dessert I’ve had (the photo is misleading!). At the same time, it was the most refreshing and unique dessert I’ve tasted. It was not technically a genoise, because it was made of layers of jelly and mousse in addition to sponge, but the various usages of the blackcurrant in the cake was mind blowing. The violet sorbet was so light, so thirst-quenching. Who would’ve thought of making violet sorbet? I was dying for more by the time I finished my dessert. Thank God M had a HUGE dessert that required some assistance.

Banoffee Pie Souffle Banana & Salted Caramel Crumble

Seriously, I’ve never seen anything quite so large as this! It was a souffle as wide as a cappuccino mug, standing at about 5 or 6 inches tall! It was a wonderful mix of banana and chocolate and salted caramel, especially at the bottom, where the salted caramel was. On the side we had a vanilla bean ice cream, which was refreshing – perhaps to help us digest the souffle? But yet, the souffle was so large the both of us struggled to finish it!

And after they cleared our dessert plates, we had a smoking cold bowl placed on our table.

It was strawberry ice cream in white chocolate coating. My guess is it was created using nitrous oxide (laughing gas) – it’s the in thing nowadays! You simply drop anything into a pool of laughing gas, and it solidifies in a matter of seconds. I once watched a video where a man dropped an eraser into laughing gas, took it out, and broke it in half!

Anyway, back to the petite four – for the first time in my life, I loved the strawberry ice cream. The white chocolate was too sweet for my liking, though.

The most awesome was of course, this dish of dark chocolate ganache and lychee flavored Turkish delights. If I wasn’t too full by this time, I’d have ordered another dish of this!

To go with the desserts, we ordered, again on the sommelier’s recommendation, a mildly sweet moscato. I loved it so much I remembered the name: Moscato D’Asti 2011. It was so fragrant I couldn’t stop sniffing at it. And it was mildly sweet, with hints of grapefruit. A shout out to dessert wine lovers out there!

After this meal, I seriously question the possibility of having another meal that would ever make me this satisfied and happy.

To conclude, 3 stars from Michelin, 100 spoonfuls from guiltygoodness!

I was introduced to Saveur by a good friend, who told me once about two Singaporean guys who graduated from culinary school, and decided to open a no-frills French eatery in a coffee shop in eastern Singapore – in Ali Baba Coffeeshop. The two chefs have since expanded and moved to Purvis Street, where they still continue to whip up no-frills French fare in quaint little shop houses.

Angel Hair Pasta with Minced Pork – s$3.90++

I love angel hair pasta when it’s not overcooked and tastes like mee sua. It is springy, and not a dish overladen with carbs. At Saveur, it was done perfectly. I was pretty shocked when the dish arrived, with twenty-something little dried shrimps sitting on top of my angel hair pasta. But it turned out wonderful, and nowhere near what I expected dried shrimp to taste like! What I could use was more of that minced pork white sauce, which was absolutely delicious. And hey, such good pasta for just $3.90?

Crispy Duck Confit with Orange Segments and Shittake – $9.90++

My friend was raving about the confit of duck at Saveur, so I thought I should give it a shot. Turns out, he was right. The portion was just right – a size I could finish after an entire portion of pasta. The duck was crispy on the outside and absolutely moist on the inside. It is a signature dish of Saveur, and yes, it absolutely lives up to its name, despite the slightly disappointing mash. I must say, this was the first duck confit I’ve ever finished on my own.

Initially, I had ordered a foie gras starter, because I was longing for that oily and creamy texture that stays in your mouth even after you’ve finished the dish. All too unfortunately, I was served a pathetic looking dish, of what they actually had the guts to call foie gras, and charge $9.90++. It was a deep brown, two inches long, one cm thick, looking all too sad that it had to come out of the body of a duck.  Thankfully, the waitstaff at Saveur were generous enough to retract the order.

Towards the end of my meal, I saw seared salmon being served to another customer, who happily tucked into the dish, and seemingly enjoyed it. Definitely a must try the next time! Oh,did I mention I was coming back?

My verdict: 5/5 spoonfuls

Chef D’ Table used to serve the best focaccia breads around – warm, moist, fragrant, and slightly salty. Today, they screwed up so badly and served me hard focaccia. I could hear thud thud when I knocked my fingertips against the toasted bread.

Cold Salmon Roulade with Asoorted Olive Salsa and Port Wine Rasins Compote

Next came the award-winning dish of cold salmon. Not too sure how this managed to win awards, given that the salmon was on the bland side (coming from a person who doesn’t take salty food), and the fish wasn’t fresh – it reeked. In the chef’s defense, the salsa and compote was intriguing and rather delicious.

Roasted Orange Duck Leg With Sauteed Wild Mushroom and Asparagus

I don’t know what to make of this duck. It was stiff, and tasteless, except for the  orange cream sauce, which I found overwhelmingly sweet. The sauteed mushrooms and asparagus were great, but hey, that’s just a side.

Grilled Beef Loin Fillet with White Bean Puree and Parma Ham Chip

I believe beef loin fillets are a speciality of the chef. Beef loin fillets have never left the menu since the first time I came here a few years back. Over the years, the beef loin has evolved, started looking better and better, and came with more and more delicious sides. Although this isn’t one of the nicest looking beef loins Chef D’ Table has ever produced, the sides were delicious.

Disappointment number one: Ordered the beef to be done medium, but it came well. Ridiculous. The wait staff took it away unapologetically, and said matter-of-factly that the wait will be 7-10 minutes. In about 3 minutes, he came back and said that he gave us another table’s order, since it was already in the oven. Still no apology.

I guess the oven was the reason why the beef came overcooked. If the oven’s hot, how do you not overcook the beef? Anyway, this second dish came medium-well. I wasn’t allowed to kick up a fuss.

Anyway, about the white bean puree – so called – I’m pretty sure it wasn’t white bean puree. It tasted like potatoes. Mashed potatoes. But delicious.

Passion Fruit Panna Cotta

I found the panna cotta on the dense side, and lacking tastes of passion (fruit). The raspberry coulis and mango coulis were nice, as typical of Chef D’ Table.

Homemade Baked Cheesecake with Raspberry Coulis

Smooth and light, and a real delight to the friend. But being the picky cheesecake eater and baker I am, I didn’t like how the dessert chef decided to cut down on cheese cost by adding in flour.

I was actually hoping for a mille-feuille on the menu. The last time I came, that was really amazing. None for me this time

My verdict: 1/5 spoonfuls. Disappointing meal with barely mediocre food, and terrible service. Used to be so much better, and worthy of high praise. No more, unfortunately.

Click here for the previous entry on my delightful visits to Chef D’ Table.

Yesterday I celebrated my 21st with M at Gordon Grill at Goodwoodpark Hotel. Food was amazing, service was impeccable, but I’m still conflicted as to how much I like that place.

We both settled for the Degustation Dinner Menu, at S$108++ per pax.

Bread Basket

The warm bread basket came with olive focaccia, rye bread, and onion rolls. I loved the foccacia and rye, but couldn’t quite stand the onions in the rolls. M loved them, though. Surprising, given that he typically hates onions.

Despite ordering a six-course dinner, we still ordered an extra appetizer, just because.

Wagyu Beef Carpaccio

Thinly carved slices of raw wagyu beef with salad vegetables, parmesan cheese, and truffles. It simply melts in your mouth, just like that. Interesting how the truffle and the beef flavors complemented each other so wonderfully, despite each having such strong distinct flavors.

Cold Angel Hair Pasta with Crab and Caviar

The star of this dish for me was the crab and caviar, as I have never been a great fan of angel hair pasta. Absolutely loved how the wedge of lime added so much complexity to the cold, juicy crab and caviar.

Confit of Salmon with Lime Puree and Caviar

Next came the confit of salmon, which was absolutely well executed. The outsides of the salmon were cooked only to an extent that leaves the inside still rare. Because fish fat is not as thick and oily as compared to other types of fat (think duck), this confit was a joy to eat, without being overpowered by fatty juices.

Pan-Seared Goose Foie Gras

Next came the biggest foie gras I’ve ever seen in my life. I’ve had good foie gras at many different top restaurants like Forlino, il Lido, and Chef d’ Table, but this one was just different in every aspect. This was so thick, so large, so juicy. It was almost 1.5 inches thick, and 4 inches long. Makes me wonder how much the goose was tortured, to get such a large piece of liver out, but that’s besides the point. It was perfectly seared, with the outside slightly crisp, and the inside soft and moist.

After eating 3/4 of the foie gras, we were saturated. But we didn’t feel like wasting such a good piece of liver, so we kept going. I think this was a bad move, and it killed the rest of our amazing meal, despite having a raspberry sorbet to cleanse our palette.

Poached Eggs with Beef and Truffle

This was the most impressive dish of the night. Something so simple like eggs, yet tasting so elegant. I absolutely loved how the yolk went with the beef, and how the froth went with the egg whites and beef jus and truffle sauce. Again, a wonderful chemistry was going on between the beef and the truffle.

By this time, I was struggling to finish my eggs, and had to ask for my post-dinner tea to be served immediately, to cleanse my digestive system before moving on.

Lamb Shanks

The lamb was cooked to a medium, which I appreciated, surprisingly. I typically go for medium rares, but I guess it would have been too bloody to down at this point. Juicy and gamey, this was a delight, despite how saturated I was by then.

Braised Wagyu Beef atop Mashed Potatoes

Somehow I didn’t find this this dish extremely spectacular, because I expected the beef to melt more in my mouth, rather than require me to chew on it, before it started melting. Maybe I’m just lazy. M loved the beef and the mash, though.

Mango Creme Brulee

Finally it was dessert time. This mango creme brulee was a star to M, though I would have preferred it to be served chilled. The mango was refreshing, to which we both appreciated. On top of the brulee sat a vanilla rum ice cream, which I absolutely, absolutely adored.

Dark Chocolate Mille-Feuile

Oh what a joy this was! It isn’t your typical mille-feuille, which is cream in layers of filo pastry. This was chocolate balls sandwiched between three slices of dark chocolate. So decadent, so heavenly.

It’s funny how I couldn’t finish my main course, but was wishing I had an extra portion of this heavenly dessert!

Overall, an amazing dinner, great ambience, impeccable service, but the foie gras made me too full to enjoy the rest of my courses.

My verdict: 5/5 spoonfuls

As alluded to above, we both had the Chef’s Degustation Menu – S$158++ per pax.

The bread basket with 2 dinner rolls, a multigrain roll, and a ciabatta was amazing. Nothing in the world beats warm, homemade bread. As expected, it was refilled without us having to ask for it.

Cantaloupe Soup

Chef’s first compliments. I loved the pureed cantaloupe. The flower, on the other hand, was pretty to look at, but not wonderful to taste, because it was made of onions, which I am not partial towards.

Fried Risotto Balls

Second compliments from the chef. This was the most amazing little thing I’ve ever popped into my mouth. Pretty sure the outside was a potato ball. M disagrees, but to which he had no solution to. So potato ball it is. The inside was the best creamy and cheesy mushroom risotto we’ve ever had, and mind you, we are picky with our risottos! It was so good we contemplated ordering a dozen more.

Crab Salad with Peach and Tomato Salsa

This was simply amazing. The crab was so juicy, juicer than any crab I’ve ever tasted. It was so fresh I could almost taste the sea. You might think I’m exaggerating, but honestly, as I chewed the crab and salmon roe, it felt like I was eating it by the seashore. The salad on the side was intriguing too. There was this fragrance attaching to the salad, but neither of us could pinpoint what herb it was. There was no green vegetable taste of any sort, just this wonderful and beautiful taste and smell. Lavender, perhaps?

Pan Roasted Goose Liver with Butternut Cake and Marsala

This was an insane dish of foie gras. Loved how it was fatty, yet not too fatty, and meaty, yet not too meaty. Even M, who does not typically enjoy foie gras, loved it. The butternut cake that the foie gras sat atop was good too. Just butternut and a bit of flour to hold the squash together.

Seared Scallops on a Pea Bed

This is the alternative to the foie gras, for those who do not eat foie gras for ethical reasons or otherwise. Although we had a tiny little qualm about the scallop being slightly overcooked, it was amazing. Taste-wise, perfectly marinated, without losing its natural taste. The pea puree was decent, but the big and thick bed of green substance was an overkill. But it looks good for presentation, I must say.

Tagliolini with Lobster and Moscato Rosé

Another dish that threw me back to the sea. The lobster was bursting with such freshness and juiciness I couldn’t stop chewing on it although I’m terribly allergic to it. The tagliolini was perfectly al dente, but we hardly tasted any sweetness of the rosé.

Prime Beef Tenderlion with White Asparagus and Truffle Jus

By this time, I must say I was immensely stuffed. But I couldn’t stop eating this dish until the plate was clean. Ordered it medium rare, and the way the chef did it, it was the rarest medium rare I’ve ever had. It looks and tastes more rare than medium rare, does it not? But no complaints, because I like my beef bloody. Loved how it was subtly marinated with herbs, such that the herbs were present, but did not fight with the beef to shine on the dish.

Molten Lava Chocolate Cake with Strawberries and Balsamic

Bursting of chocolate goodness, this one was. But perhaps a tad too much for our liking. Not that we don’t love chocolate – we love it. But it was slightly too much for our palette. Perhaps our stomachs were already bursting by then. One cut into the cake, and warm chocolate simply oozed everywhere. Definitely loved the bed of strawberries and balsamic. The acidity complemented the acid undertones of the chocolate, and at the same time, contrasted with the sweetness of the chocolate. Ingenious.

Traditional Tiramisu

Loved the mascarpone cheese and coffee liquer, but didn’t quite like the sponge, which was a tad too heavy for my liking (M was fine with it). But still, a wonderful tiramisu, one of the best I’ve tasted in Singapore.

My verdict: 6/5 spoonfuls. It was truly an out-of-the-world dining experience, and the best meal I’ve ever had in my life.

High tea is served between 3 to 5pm everyday, so M and I headed down after school. Called to make a reservation, so they had already set out the table in a nice and cozy corner for us.

Upon ordering, we were presented with the coffee and tea menu, which we stared at for a good five minutes, contemplating which tea out of the 20 teas we should have. Ordered one Esprit de Noel, which was a black tea flavored with mild christmas spices, orange zest, and vanilla. Tastes better with some rock sugar. The a L’Opera was a green tea with subtle fragrance of red berreis and precious spices. Loved it pure, with no added milk or sugar.

We’re huge fans of 3 tier tea sets. For one, they’re pretty. And we don’t exactly like buffets, so tiered sets are perfect for us.

Bottom-most tier of finger sandwiches consisting of:

• ham and cheese sandwich
• cucumber and cream cheese sandwich
• pita read stuffed with roast beef and  brie cheese
• pita bread stuffed with egg tartar, creme fraiche, and chives
• smoked salmon on pumpernickel bread
• spiced tuna and onions on breadcrumbs

Served in a bowl were 4 savories:

• feta cheese and sun-dried tomato puff
• zucchini and goat cheese puff
• potato, bacon and red onion quiche
• spinach quiche

Everything was really amazing here, full-flavors, and fresh ingredients. Especially memorable were the quiches. I don’t typically like quiches because I hardly find them with not-too-thick crusts, and with not too much butter and cheese. This one was perfect. Light, slightly salty, delicious.

Sweet and savory second tier consisting of:

• traditional English scones with clotted cream and preserves
• English fruit cake
• Valrhona chocolate and green tea cake
• mango kaffir lime cremeux
• cauliflower panna cotta.

Scones were not to my liking, much to my disappointment. I’ve been craving scones for the longest time – crisp on the outside, and moist on the inside. This was was rather crisp both inside and outside. But it’s a matter of preference!

I loved the fruit cake. Moist, and not too sweet.

The mango cremeux tipped over too much on the sweetness scale for my liking.

The cauliflower panna cotta was amazing. Not for the celery-hater, I must qualify.

And finally, the most anticipated tier – the sweet top tier consisting of:

• dark chocolate and orange tart
• fresh fruit tart with creme d’amande
• Mango kaffir lime cremeux
• batonette of coffee and pinenut
• choux puff with raspberry cream
• earl grey and sarawak pineapple crumble tart
• almond friandise with kiwi jam
• salted caramel macaron.

For a long while, I felt like I was in dessert heaven. Nothing further, your honor.

Tea is served daily from 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm, and 12.00 pm to 2.30 pm (Saturday and Sunday and Public Holidays only). $38++ for one person, and $65++ for two persons.

My verdict: 5/5 spoonfuls.

The atmosphere is homey and cozy, with a dimly lit interior, Vietnamese-French music softly playing in the background, and the faint smell of cigarettes adds to the Hanoian feel.

Cong has an interior reminiscent of the old days, with brick walls, wooden furnishings, posters of the communist ideology, and the list goes on.

The cafe feels like it was designed to feel like a house, a home. The first floor as the living room, and the second floor as a place to relax in greater peace, to sit on the floor on cushions and work/eat/drink on low tables.

This place is perfect to get some work done on your laptop, read a book, catch up with friends, or just to chill.

Cong’s coffees are wonderful – thick, rich, and perfectly mixed. Their signature is an iced milk coffee, which has hints of cocoa and rum. So delicious and addictive I couldn’t stop drinking. Remember to ask for less condensed milk though – it is really sweet!

I also had a very freshly squeeze pineapple juice one day when I thought I had overdosed on caffeine and milk.

Their smoothies are amazing. I had a passionfruit yoghurt smoothie, which blew my mind away. There was a perfect balance between the yoghurt and the passionfruit, with additional spices I can’t quite put my tongue to.

Out of my five days in Hanoi, I visited Cong four times, and on one day, I visited twice. I love it that much!

My local friends who introduced me to this cafe are just as addicted as I am to this place. Unfortunately for me, I don’t get to visit everyday and sit in there doing work, or just to chill, for hours, unlike them.

I wish I could be studying in Cong right now…

My verdict: 5/5 spoonfuls

Unlike most Italian restaurants, Amici does not serve a complimentary bread basket. Just as most people would say an Italian dinner is not complete without at least a glass of wine, I would go further to say that you can’t quite start an Italian dinner without having some bread! So we ordered a bruschetta to share.

Bruschetta al pomodoro

This dish was sitting on the countertop for a good five minutes, waiting to be served. Beats me why it was sitting on the counter top rather than on my table. I must say I was thoroughly disappointed by this bruschetta. Somehow, this was drenched in oil – I could feel oil oozing out of the bread as I bit into it, and the tomatoes were hardly tossed with sufficient herbs. How difficult is it to make a brushetta? Toss the tomatoes in herbs, spread butter and garlic on the baguette slices if you must, and tada, it’s good to go, and it’s almost fail and foolproof! But apparently the chef doesn’t quite think so.

Eggplant parmigiana

This comes in two forms – starter and main. I had it as a starter. Perhaps this was the only saving dish Amici served. The eggplants were perfectly baked (not mushy and slimy from being overcooked), and the mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and basil did not compete with each other for flavor. Could taste the distinct creaminess, acidity, and slight herbiness with each bite I took. As a starter, this was a pretty large portion!

Fettucini al porcini , gamberi e pettine in salsa al vino rosso

This was a fettucini with porcini mushroom, prawn, and scallops in tomato and red wine brown sauce. They were pretty generous with the scallops – six or seven – but possibly because I told them to lose the prawn on my pasta.The fettucini was cooked al dente, but verging on the undercooked side. The scallops were whole and fresh (but only to a mere passable level). The sauce was nothing to rave about. Would have expected more flavor from a sauce with red wine as an ingredient.

Despite being there at such a late hour, the place was pretty crowded, with insufficient wait staff to go around. But for the manager, the wait staff were not properly trained and could hardly comprehend my inquiry regarding the pasta, and when I asked for a new set of cutlery.

Disappointed, to say the least.

My verdict: 1/5 spoonfuls