La Nonna @ Holland Village

Was seated at Level 2, so up the stairs I went. Was greeted by the staff stationed there and was quickly led to the reserved seats. 

table for two

There's a space at Level 2, with a more alfresco vibe and there felt a tad more spacious. 

Complimentary bread arrived after orders had been placed. Didn't snap any photos of the breads but there were two slices. 

menu

For the two of us, we shared a pizza, steak and a dessert. 

Nera @$25.50

The pizza had seafood toppings and squid ink as the base. Was expecting a heavier taste for the squid ink but it was surprisingly light. 

Pizza was enjoyable but the portion was a tad too much for two pax. Staff kindly helped to pack the leftover pizza to take home. 

Manzo @$38

The rib-eye was tasty on its own. Loved the fire-licked parts and the fatty bits. So tasty. The french beans and potatoes were only lightly salted. 

Tiramisu @$13

A nice place to share reasonably priced bottles, have a relaxing dinner with family/friends. 

La Nonna

Address: 26/26B Lor Mambong, Singapore 277685

Website: http://lanonna.sg/

Business Hours:

Mon - Fri: 11:30 am–2:30 pm, 5:30–10 pm

Sat - Sun: 11:30 am–10 pm

Goodbye, Alibi @ 53A Duxton Road

Came for the vibes and to chill chill with friends. Reservation was made, thanks to Tiara. Lighting and place were cosy, and once the music starts, things could get pretty loud!

The place is upstairs and I can see why it might be easy to just walk past, unless one is looking for the entrance. 

look and you shall find

Staff was friendly and my table was at the way back, nearer to the washrooms. Another patron had occupied the table (probably was waiting for her friends too) and scooted away when I came nearer. 

table for four

Happy Hour menu

are your sauciest secrets in here?

Yes, I did peek into the folded papers in the bowl. Were they saucy? Hmm, those that I peeked seemed rather mild, while there was one that had zero text and just drawings. 

lonely coaster, waiting for drinks

Place started to get busier and friends not arriving anytime soon, so had my first drink while waiting. 

Happy Endings? @$12 (HH)

fresh oysters @$2.50 per piece

Oysters were pretty good but do order up ahead to cut short on waiting time especially if the next batch needed time to thaw.  

Truffle Fries with chili sauce @$10

The group arrived and everyone were chatting, enjoying the drinks with the snacks and then I looked down and saw there's only 1 fries left...

paiseh piece

We looked at one another and shout-whispered, "Still hungry?" Quick nods and then we called the staff over. Ordered the regular fries since the earlier batch tasted so good with the drinks. 

 

truffle fries with parmigiano regianno @$18

Tried two drinks from their "Bold & Dangerous" menu. Was excited to try these spirit forward stuffs. 

Truth or Dare (ABV 34%) @$27

Truth or Dare tasted pretty plummy (sour plum) than orangey. This was CK's choice. 

Miso Broken (ABV 24%) @$25

Oh, I really enjoyed Miso Broken. Salty-savoury-sweet combination. Certainly caught my taste buds. 

Will return for more of their signature cocktails. Yums. 

Goodbye, Alibi

Address: 53A Duxton Rd, Singapore 089517

Website: http://www.goodbye-alibi.com/

Business Hours:

Closed: Sun - Mon

Tue - Thu: 4–11 pm

Fri - Sat: 4 pm–12 am

[Tasting] Ms DURIAN - For the Love of Durians

I must have been living under a rock, as it was only recently that I had discovered that durian coffee is a thing. Was definitely intrigued and thanks to Ms Durian (a homegrown brand established since 2019), I had the opportunity to try not just durian coffee, but also some of their signatures; cakes and desserts.

While I don't have any strong cravings for durians through out the years, Mao Shan Wang happens to be my favourite durian variety for its bitter-sweet ratio, aroma and flesh texture. Am not a desserts person but I do enjoy eating cakes, especially those soft fluffy ones. 

delivery pack

what's in my bag

Boxes were clearly marked with stickers to indicate the goodies inside. 

Cakes

Whisky MSW Durian Cake (front) and The Original MSW Durian Cake (back)

The Original MSW Durian Cake (Slice)

The Original MSW Durian Cake (slice) @$14

 thin coating of Madagascar vanilla chantilly cream

close-up view of the two layers of pure Mao Shan Wang in between vanilla sponge cake

Whisky MSW Durian Cake (Slice)

Whisky MSW Durian Cake @$16

close up view of the meringue top and durian layers in between chiffon sponge

Both slices were lovely with soft fluffy texture and pleasant aroma of the real Mao Shan Wang flesh. The Whisky version had a slightly more pronounced bitter-sweet profile in comparison to original. I thought the meringue top made the cake a tad prettier and added a fun texture to the cake. 

Appreciated that the chiffon cake was made with less sugar and in turn, made the cake enjoyable without being overly sweet.

MSW Durian Craquelin

MSW Durian Craquelin (box of 5) @$20

MSW Durian Craquelin

Okay, I did a Google search to find out what are craquelins. In summary, a cream puff with crunchy cookie disc on top. Does this means "I eat to learn and learn to eat."

inside, is what matters

When it was fully defrosted, it felt almost like having the actual durian flesh (albeit a more moist and creamier version) sandwiched in a small puff. But I was in a bit of a hurry the other day, and tried it before it managed to defrost properly. Hence, it became somewhat of a durian ice-cream sandwiched in a small puff. 

Durian Coffee

Durian Coffee @$15

Cheers to the first durian coffee in my life! Was in a mix of apprehension plus a whole lot of intrigue when deciding on this durian coffee. Curiosity won, and happy that I tried. I liked it. 

At first sip, I thought the durian flavour was rather soft. Then I realized that probably need to shake the bottle first? Did that and took a big sip after and that's when one could taste the bitter sweet of the durian flavour. Quite yummy with all the creaminess. And yes, still can taste the coffee. 

Durian Coconut Milk Pudding

Durian Coconut Milk Pudding @$7.10

top view

have a bite

It was cute and mild and shared the same durian intensity as the egg tart. Didn't detect any hint of coconut though. 

MSW Durian Egg Tart

MSW Durian Egg Tart @$8.50 (per piece)

looks pretty~

egg and durian layers

The egg tart and the pudding shared the milder durian intensity of only 2-stars. In comparison, if you prefer stronger durian taste, go for the MSW Durian Craquelin.

There's the convenience of island-wide delivery, or one could drop by the cafe to explore more. The online order menu and dine-in menu are available at Ms Durian website. 

Here's wishing Ms Durian, a Happy 7 Years Anniversary! 

Ms Durian | Speciality Bakery & Cafe

Address: 11 Kelantan Rd, Singapore 208604

Website: https://www.msdurian.com/

Contact: 69620057

Business Hours:

Daily 9 am–10 pm