Frieda Beer Garden & German Restaurant @ Capitol Singapore

Place was suggested by Jingwen, and it was picked as none of our group has tried this before. Plus, our colleague whom was leaving, do enjoy beer thus, Frieda seemed about right.

One thing about the clusters of restaurants at this place, is that it still felt pretty warm in here especially the 'outdoor' seats. Maybe it is just me? Hahaa!

Funny thing was that I had mistakenly stood at the La Scala entrance and the staff was looking bored (as though this probably happened often enough) and asked, are you visiting Frieda? Next door.

Happy Hour

Was too late for Happy Hour though, but nevertheless, still ordered our pints. Place seemed understaffed so, we had to wait for 15 more minutes after we had informed that we were ready to order.

for the thirsties

Mine was the Geisshugel Weiss. Refreshing with a bitter aftertaste. Colleagues ordered Signature Frieda Lager and Geisshugel IPA. Teetotalers went for the fermented drink; 1994 Bionade Lemon-Bergamot and San Pellegrino Limonata.

complimentary bread

The butter was already placed part of the table setting. Bread was nice but we also ordered their house baked pretzel to try.

Rinderragout Mit Wurzelgemuse (Beef Stew with root vegetables and Spatzle) @$29

KäseSpätzle Mit Lachs Creme Sauce Und Gouda Käse Uberbacken (Cheese Spatzle with Salmon) @$29

Coincidentally, two of my colleagues ordered dishes with Spatzle in them. Read more about spatzle here.

Is veal from cow or pork? As per my understanding as well as what is written in Wikipedia , veal is the meat of calves or young cows. We also asked the staff, and according to the staff, the veal sausage here is made of pork. Hmmm.

Anyway, to play safe as one of my colleague doesn't take beef, we ordered non-veal dishes. I suggested to her to get the Chicken Cordon Bleu and it was a good choice.

Cordon Bleu, Kartoffel-Gurkensalat Und Preiselbeeren (Chicken Cordon Bleu)  @$32

with cheese layer rolled within the chicken breast

Cranberry sauce that came with the dish was yummy as well. We used it as the dip for other things such as pretzel. Hahaa!

Hausgebackene Pretzel (freshly baked Pretzel) @$5

The pretzel was lovely with the coarse salt on it. Pair it with cranberry sauce or butter for extra oomph.

Gegrillte Wurst Platte, Hausgemachtes Sauerkraut, Kartoffelbrei, Bretzel Knodel, Dijon Senf @$49

The sharing platter (for 2 pax) consists of grilled sausages (4 types), a piece of ham, served with sauerkraut, mashed potato, pretzel dumplings and dijon mustard.

The mashed potato was a crowd favourite for it was buttery and flavourful on its own. The prerzel dumplings was unique as it tasted like bread but looked like a meatloaf. Hahaha! It was a mild flavourful bready savoury kind of taste, and no, it didn't taste like pretzel.

Pretzel Dumplings

The version of sauerkraut here tasted like the fillings of popiah (the cooked turnip fillings) with a slight tangy-ness, hence it was a rather familiar taste.

Enjoyed all of the sausages but can't remember which one was which but there was pork and chicken somewhere in there, and one that was spicy.

The above orders fed the five of us and everyone was stuffed.

Thank you to the staff who came by to top up our water. Payment at the counter.

Frieda Beer Garden & German Restaurant

Address: 13 Stamford Rd, Singapore 178905

Website: https://www.kempinski.com/en/the-capitol-singapore/restaurants-bars/frieda-beer-garden-german-restaurant

Contact: +65 6715 6873

Business Hours:

Sun-Wed: 11:30 am–10 pm

Thu-Sat: 11:30 am–12 am

Crown Bakery & Cafe @ Bukit Timah

Located at Crown Centre, this bakery cafe is painted in charming cerulean/tiffany blue. Looks striking from afar and had passed by this place once and yesterday was the first time trying it.

cafe's facade

let's eat some breads

The cafe welcomes walk-in customers and do not take in reservations for seats. Ample tables at the alfresco area and they are observing the safe distancing rules. Indoor dining is limited to 3 tables during this period.

indoor dining

Order at the counter and make payment first. Customers will be given a buzzer and to collect when food/drink is ready. Staff are young and friendly.

As with a bakery, was inclined to try their breads, hence ordered their B.L.T.C and Grilled Pork Sandwich. Customers can choose their bread for the sandwiches, so we had ciabata for the sandwich and croissant for the B.L.T.C.

For drinks, I tried the mocha and the "Sweet N Simple" juice.

B.L.T.C (front) @$14.90 and Grilled Pork Sandwich (back) @$15.90

I suppose B.L.T.C stands for bacon, lettuce, tomato and cheddar? Hahaa! All the yummy ingredients in the sandwich. Very tasty combo and slightly on the saltier side due to the bacon. Sinful, and satisfying. Loved the salad on the side. Fresh, crisp and tasty from the sprinkling of dressing.

thick cut bacon stack

But the star, ought to be the grilled pork sandwich. Well buttered crispy toast, thick cut juicy and flavourful pork belly that was grilled perfectly. Yums! Not forgetting them pickles in there. Lovely combo.

thick and juicy

Have it all with a glass of sweet healthy juice. I liked my green apple and celery juice. Sweet~

Sweet N Simple @$6

For hot drink, try the mocha. Loved the sweet thick cocoa taste, and I thought the drink temperature was just right. Enjoyed this quite a bit.

Mocha @$6

thick and sweet

And of course, da-bao'ed (take-away) some of the breads. Can't buy too many because its prices are on the higher side.

Assorted Breads

Salted Butter Roll @$2

Almond Cream Brioche @$2.40

inside of the brioche

My favorite of the lot, was the Japanese Sweet Potato Mini Loaf. When its stated as mini, it really was!

Japanese Sweet Potato Mini Loaf @$5.20

I thought the sweet potato was just on top

but I was wrong, inside there's sweet potato~

plentiful of sweet potato~

Crown Bakery & Cafe

Address: 557 Bukit Timah Road #01-03 Crown Centre, 269694
Website: https://www.crownbakery.com.sg/
Online Shop: https://crownbakery.oddle.me/en_SG/
Contact: 6463 3066
Business Hours:
Daily 730am to 7pm

Wine and Chef @ Keong Saik Road

This was the third visit to Wine & Chef but realized that I have not posted on it before. Hmm. Well, there was that one time when all photos were lost. Nevertheless, this would be my go-to place for reasonably priced wine by the glass and tasty food with a local twist.

reservation is recommended

menu on board

First time there, the foie gras and beef cheeks were impressive. Until the price had gone up by quite a bit. Previous menu had curry pork knuckles and hokkien mee which all of us liked. Most recent visit was in Oct 2018, and ordered the recommended dish of Salmon Risotto. Also ordered the 'Bak Chor Mee' for a taste test. The rest were appetisers such as the Chicken Little, foie gras and a Charchuterie platter.

Chicken Little @$10

Was expecting a somewhat har-jeong gai flavoured (prawn paste chicken) for the Chicken Little but the flavour was too subtle. Was a good fried chicken and the soy glazed tasted a tad marmite-ish.

a bottle of red to start

The red wine was of the sangiovese varietal. Ruby red hues, ripe and tasted of cherries and spices. Soft tannin and paired well with stronger flavours. The hams were just alright but the cheeses we enjoyed quite a bit. Loved the truffle gouda and the aged comte. So good. This platter came with some olives (unpitted), pickled onions and tiny gherkins. Served with a side of crispy toast.

Coppa Ham, Speck, Truffle Gouda and Aged Comte @$39

Foie gras price had gone up. What used to be $14 per piece, is now $16. Did we order this for old times sake?

Seared Foie Gras @$16

We were rather hungry and the appetisers did not do much to alleviate that. So happy when the salmon risotto and bak chor mee were served. The salmon risotto dish was rather pretty. The mascarpone barley risotto was so good. Loved the poppings from the ikura and the scattered pomegranate. Best eaten when it is hot!

Salmon Risotto @$20

Next carb dish was the "Bak Chor Mee", an essentially linguine with minced spicy chicken, shitake mushrooms, stir-fried zucchini ribbons, and topped with crispy lard bits. Similar to the previous "Hokkien Mee" where spaghetti was used. The flavour was strong for this one and very tasty. Definitely needed some sips of wine.

"Bak Chor Mee" @$24

To end, we have our Happy Sweet but this time round, was recommended a sparkling white version. This was similar to Moscato. Lovely ending to our meal.

FIOR D’ARANCIO 

Wine and Chef

Address: 7 Keong Saik Rd, Singapore 089115
Website: http://sgwinecellar.com/wine-chef-2/
Contact: 6221 9279
Business Hours:
Mondays to Saturdays: 12PM to 11PM
Closed on Sundays

Ginett @ Hotel G Middle Road

This was our second visit to this restaurant. Read about our first visit here. Met for dinner and drinks and first noticeable thing, is that the service staff at pretty much occupied most of the time. It took quite a while for the staff to notice those who had queued at the entrance.

We made a reservation via Chope, so no issue in getting our table. The tables are set very near one another hence, intimate conversations are almost impossible.

Nevertheless, this place offers good selection of reasonably priced wine bottles, and tasty food.

tinkle tinkle wine glasses

To start, we had Domaine de la Seigneurie des Tourelles, Saumur Blanc (2014). Grape of the Chenin Blanc variant. Good to note that the 2014 vintage was awarded 1 Star from the Guide Hachette des Vins. The Guide Hachette des Vins is France's oldest and best selling wine guide.

Domaine de la Seigneurie des Tourelles, Saumur Blanc (2014)

The wine itself is light golden in colour, citrussy with a tad of mineral taste. To accompany this, we had the cheeseboard. Am actually expecting like, just cheeses on the cheeseboard but to my pleasant surprise, it did arrive with slices of ham, chorizo, dried fruits and pickles. Yes, I know I am suaku! Hahaha.

cheeseboard @$28++

For the cheeses, we requested for one each of the hard, medium and soft. It was like a surprise board and the staff would choose for us so that it could safely pair with the wine.

Hence, the board has Livarot, Camembert and Brillat Savarin. Super loved the Brillat, so soft and creamy. Drizzle with a bit of honey and lay it ontop of that bread. Brilliant!

closer look at the parma and gherkins

Enjoyed the selection, the easy to drink wine and the light conversations. This was just at mid-week, so it was time for a breather. With a glass wine in hand, taking small sips and light bites with charcuterie, cheeses and bread, and just catching up on the latest on-goings with each other. Lovely.

just chillin'

But of course, we were actually pretty hungry. Ordered a couple of mains to share. Black truffle is in season, so ordered a dish with that to try. Our order were mostly meat-centric. Well, there aren't many vegetables for us in the menu. Oh, actually, there was Jerusalem Artichoke Veloute. Does it count as vegetable when it is in its soup form?

let's eat some truffle

For starters, we had escargot. The snails seemed to have shrunk. First time trying it here. It had been like a few years since I last ate an escargot but they do not seem to be this tiny now. Maybe a different breed?

escargot

For main course, there was beef cheek. Lovely piece of fork-tender meat. The sauce that had seeped right into its core. Came with a bowl of lovely creamy mash.

beef cheek in red wine reduction

mashed potato

For the beef cheek, we had red wine.From Saumur as well and priced at $45++ per bottle. It was much lighter than expected though. Lovely ruby coloured, light and fresh tasting, with flavours of berries.

Domaine des Hautes Troglodytes, Saumur Champigny (2016)

For food, the best dish that night was the Roasted Bresse Chicken (from the Truffle Showcase menu). The chicken was tender, easy to cut and lovely panfried skin. Yums.

Roasted Bresse Chicken @$42++

Thank you Elle, Ivan and Hoong An for the wine times. Let's suss out the next wine spot! See you soon.

Ginett

Address: 200 Middle Road, 188980
Website: https://www.hotelgsingapore.com/dining/ginett
Contact: +65 6809 7989

[Media Invite] Vineyard @ Hort Park

Vineyard is a restaurant nestled amist the lush greeneries of HortPark and is a beautiful venue for romantic or quiet dinners. Garden parties, solemnization are also often held at Vineyard. One could escape from the hustle bustle of city life and enjoy the tranquil surroundings with good food.

Cucumber Tea & Tonic @$8

Cool down with the refreshing Cucumber Tea & Tonic, a beverage well suited to our humid climate. Was given an amuse bouche of Duck Rillete Bruschetta. Regular olive bread is available as well. The duck rillete was tasty and it got us anticipating for more.

Duck Rilette Bruschetta

For starters, the Garlic Parsley Frog Leg and Warm Truffle Shoyu Mushroom Spinach Salad were both excellent. I liked both. The flavours from the spinach salad were bold and good with a glass of bubbly. The meaty frog leg cooked in parsley garlic butter served with mesclun salad was love at first bite. So good.

Warm Truffle Shoyu Mushroom Spinach Salad @$17

Garlic Parsley Frog Leg @$18

For brunch, one could opt for the strong flavours of Moroccan Lamb Baked Egg, or the lighter Prosciutto Ham Croque Madame. For the carb lovers, the Big Breakfast Aglio Olio Pasta came with a large amount of the noodles!

Moroccan Lamb Baked Eggs

The Moroccan Lamb Baked Eggs had plenty of spiced tomato braised lamb in it, and topped with melty mozarella cheese. The yolk was perfectly running and bread was used to soak up the golden lava. The spice was not overpowering and there's enough sauce for two. Best to be shared.

each bite loaded with lamb

The Big Breakfast Aglio Olio Pasta is sure to satiate any ravenous appetite. It tasted healthy and loved the omelette. For me, I'd prefer the Prosciutto Ham Croque Madame.

Big Breakfast Aglio Olio Pasta

This croque madame had aged prosciutto ham, spinach cream sauce, duo of cheese hidden underneath the wholemeal bread, topped with two gorgeous sunny side up eggs, served with mixed salad. Mmm, my kind of breakfast.

Prosciutto Ham Croque Madame

How about the dessert? Tried two and found my favourite from Vineyard. For a little bit of unconventionality, opt for the Vanilla Panna Cotta. Its flavour was not something that one might expect out of a panna cotta, so it was rather interesting with the apricot jam and mango gel. The pudding itself was lovely and not overly sweetened.

Vanilla Panna Cotta @$12

For the old-fashioned (I meant myself of course!), the Signature Italian Tiramisu had me scraping the bottoms for more. Kahlua expresso soaked sponge with Bailey Mascarpone Cream. That's double dose of goodness!

Signature Italian Tiramisu @$14

The calm surroundings made the tasty food even more enjoyable. Thank you Jennifer (@jellymagically) for the invite and Vineyard for the tasting.