Loysel's Toy @ Kampong Bugis

It was like located in a building that sprouted out of nowhere. Totally not familiar with this location, but apparently its nearest MRT is Lavender, which supposedly is about 8 minutes away.

cafe front, with bikes for rent

Visited at about evening time, near 430pm, and the place was bustling. This joint seemed to be teeming with young people. Some snappy dressers, hip and happening. The service crew are also pretty young.

Got ourselves latte from the counter, and apparently no food left on the food counters. No croissants, sandwiches, tarts nor cakes available. Enquired from the cashier and she said, nope, nothing left.

Drinks was about $4.50 for a latte. Didn't see the menu. Just anyhow ordered. Pay first and they'll bring the drinks to your table later.

bill holder

see this cup, means we were waiting for something

latte

The latte was alright, and I'm no coffee connoiseur. The version here was quite thick and strong. But I was hungry. So, once more I asked the staff that happened to pass by whether there is seriously nothing to eat in the shop? She said maybe they've got quiche left.

Ok, quiche it is. Though I had no idea what kind of quiche I actually paid the $7 for.

quiche, huge!

That piece of quiche was HUGE! Hahaa, a hulk of a quiche! Felt like I was eating omelette pie. Think it was a sausage quiche, not quite sure. It got pretty 'jelak' after a while. Do share this, if you're having it.

The wind was howling, and it was raining cats and dogs, so we were pretty cold. Seemed right to get ourselves another cuppa of hot something.

hot chocolate, deconstructed

The hot chocolate was kinda interesting. It's practically a cup of warm milk plus a chocolate bar on a stick. Dump the bar into the milk and let the chocolate melt. Nice to play, nice to look at but didn't like the taste. The chocolate though melted, it didn't quite blend into the milk.

We got ourselves a cup of flat white, and it looks exactly the same as our first cup of latte.

deja vu?

After googling, turns out flat white is similar to latte just that the way these two are being served is different. Flat white usually served in ceramic cups while latte in taller glasses. So, essentially, both is the same thing.

Many who thronged this place would be able to tell you that it is a nice place to chill. Opens till 730pm during weekends.

7adam @ 7 Adam Park

Located at 7 Adam Park, this place was not difficult to find. If you're taking public transport, bus #855 will bring you to its nearest bus stop which is either before or after the Japanese Association, depending on which direction you're coming from. Otherwise, if travelling by car, you'll pass by Singapore Bible College and take the second Adam Park turning on the left, and voila, the restaurant cum art gallery is perched on a hilly slope.

Had made reservations, so we were led up towards the second floor, where the outdoor seats were. The evening was a little humid and warm, so had slight problem with tiny bugs in its natural surroundings. Had a nice view of grassy patch slope.

was here

outdoor seats

nice building

Happy Hour is till 8pm. 1-for-1 Sapporo draft (@13++), or a jug (@$28++), 1-for-1 housepour wines, mocktail and cocktail of the month. Had the housepour Chardonnay and it tasted light.

drinks menu

The prices here is akin to fine dining. A main course ranges between $27++ ~ $40++ per dish. The atmosphere was rather casual and relaxed, with the polite service crew within eye range but keeping a good distance away until you need their attention.

The bread basket was served upon completion of food order.

bread and butter

closer view

The bread was served warm. Has a hard crust, and while its inside was not exactly fluffy soft, it was still nice. Slather it with a generous amount of salted butter, it does makes a nice chewy snack.

Also enjoyed the amuse bouche, of raw chopped salmon with spring onions. Very very light tasting. If an amuse bouche is to act as a tingler for the taste bud and to preview the chef's approach to cooking, then I'd be inclined to think that the chef prefers simplicity.

amuse bouche

For my main, I chose the 7adam Trio, which in fact was an appetiser. Most compelling reason to choose this dish? Foie gras! Yup, it consist of crab cake, tuna loin and foie gras. First time trying foie gras that was still in one piece!

ta-dah! 7adam trio (@$27++)

That plump looking piece of foie gras was really calling out to be eaten. Its flesh quivered when sliced.

luxuriously oily

The taste was creamy and similar to tofu texture. Soft, and without any funky taste. Yummy. Next in line was the tuna loin. Quite thin slices and generously dripped with probably a thickened soy sauce. Definitely salty. But a sip of wine, balances it out again.

tuna loin

crab cake

Out of the trio, the least liked was the crab cake. Quite dry and its lasting taste? The taste of deep fried. Wasabi sauce was nice though.

The pace of dinner was a relaxed affair, and we enjoyed sips of wine and conversations amidst food intake.

housepour white wine

Let's take a look at what my dining companions had:

king prawns with mashed potatoes, in sake sauce

angel hair with dried baby shrimps

Angus tenderloin with foie gras sauce

medium rare

beef and bacon linguine?

cod fish with hollandaise sauce and pilaf rice

The pasta was kind of like aglio olio style. Tasty noodles done al-dente, but pricey for its minimalistic use of ingredients. The beef was tender and retained its natural jus, and had a simple clean taste. The king prawns, unfortunately, was overcooked. Had a nip of the cod fish, and it was good. Tender but doesn't crumble when picked up with a fork. The rice was soft, slightly compact and fragrant.

Somehow along the way, we went crazy (or drunk). How else could we explain on us ordering of almost every dessert (@$15++ each) on the menu?

chocolate fondant with caramel sauce

erupted

Profiteroles

Feuillete with caramelized apple

Mixed fruit tart, strawberry coulis

dessert of the day, sorbet

Liked the chocolate fondant, the feuillete and the refreshing sorbet. Didn't understand nor like any of the tart and profiteroles. Both the tart and profiteroles were hard.. like rock hard.. don't know how the rest finished them up because I only had like one bite out of each and the next time I turned, they were all gone. Devoured and done with. Gosh...

Our table had two bottles of wine to go around. All in all, the entire meal costs us close to $700 in total for 9 pax. Expect to spend between $50~$80 per pax for a 3-course meal with a glass (or two) of wine.

Service was polite and friendly, and unhurried. Although officially the restaurant closing time is 11pm, the staff didn't mind waiting a little more till the last customer trickled out.

Ochre @ Ochard Central

Located at Level 11 at the roof garden. Look out for the lifts that service the odd levels, otherwise the other lift will just bring you to Level 10. Made reservations to celebrate a friend's birthday. The place was quite relaxed on a weekday evening.

open kitchen and interior

Has read much about the food at Ochre and actually wanted to try the Doppio Carpaccio (Hokkaido scallop with parma prosciutto) and the Fegato Grasso (foie gras on brioche), both dishes found in the menu at its website. 

Imagine my surprise while browsing the restaurant's printed menu that not only both items are not available, most of the dishes in the menu is different from its online version! *gasps* The set dinner was stated as $68+ online but it's now priced at $75+.

Upon enquiry, the service staff said that Chef Kentaro Torii has left the establishment and is now replaced by a new chef from Milan, hence the menu revamp. He acknowledges that their website is outdated and many customers had expressed their surprise at that as well.

Was definitely disappointed but decided to give this place a try anyway, since we're already seated. Take note that Happy Hour (till 8pm) is only applicable at the bar lounge and not inside the restaurant. The revamped menu has a lot of items with beef in it but my friend doesn't take beef. It took us quite a while to decide on what to eat, so meanwhile, we munched on the bread.

complimentary bread basket

Decided to order the grilled octopus salad as appetiser, an Arborio risotto as our main, and a classic tiramisu for dessert. I had a glass of Rossini as well.

Rossini (prosecco with strawberry)

after stirring

The Rossini tasted quite light with slight bitterness. 

interesting looking charcoal stick but the brown stick was nicer

The soft bread was quite nice, especially the one with the onions at its crust.

char-grilled octopus salad

strange tasting octopus

The appetiser looked quite alright and it has avocado and rocket leaves, all lovingly drizzled with balsamic vinegar, but one bite of the octopus proved otherwise. It tasted quite funky, as though as it had been simmered in vinegar for far too long. Definitely doesn't taste fresh. Enquired with one of the service staff and he said that no one else had complained about the octopus. However, he offered to exchange it with another dish, and had this one sent back to the kitchen. Appreciate the flexibility.


We racked our brains and tried to choose a new item but failed. Can say that we were quite apprehensive about the food now, especially after experiencing the first dish. The service staff came by 10 minutes later and was utterly shocked when we told him that we couldn't find anything to eat from the menu since my friend doesn't take beef and quite a number of dishes in the menu is somewhat associated with beef... He suggested quail with risotto cake and we decided to trust him on that.

quail with risotto cake

closer view

first time trying a 'risotto cake'

The quail (wrapped with bacon) with risotto cake certainly had vibrant colours. It actually tasted quite nice. The charred bits of the risotto cake was extra flavourful. Thought the quail was a tad salty but that's probably due to the bacon.


The eating pace was very leisurely and after we had finished the appetiser, someone did come by to ask us if we're ready to fire the main dish.


The arborio risotto was quite interesting. Served with lots of escargot and some prawns, and it has a poached egg as well. The cheese that was sitting ontop of the poached egg was really nice. Salty, crunchy and cheesy. The risotto was done al-dente, and hence it gave an impression of slight undercook rice. Probably the rice was meant to be of this texture, soft but not overly and still with a bite.

Arborio Risotto with escargot (@$32+)

closer view

The risotto flavours were mild, pleasant and not too cheesy, and the escargot was rather nicely cooked. Soft and chewy but not rubbery.


The dessert was decidedly safe. Sweet and fluffy.

tiramisu

soft, wet and airy

The prices here are on the high side, but there's no service charge. Currently, there's a 20% discount (on ala-carte food items) if you're paying via DBS credit card.


Two of us ladies shared this 3-course meal and we went home feeling quite full.

Din Tai Fung @ Serangoon NEX

Located at Level B1, this expanse of an eatery was not difficult to locate. As usual, approach the counter for a number, and you'll get an order chit to tick off the items that you'd like to order. In this manner, they could process your order as soon as you get a table. Waiting time here was just 5 minutes during Sunday lunch hour.

chinese tea

As usual, ordered the vegetarian appetiser, xiao long bao's (minced pork and vegetable half a dozen each), chicken soup, fried rice and deep fried pork cutlet.

appetiser of beancurd strips, glass noodles and beansprouts

chicken soup and pork cutlet

Chicken soup was wholesome and light. I've heard so much about the pork cutlet of Din Tai Fung, but it was just alright. In fact, it tasted pretty mild. The meat was quite lean as well.

Must have orders for most tables? Likely the 小笼包 dumplings.

vegetable dumplings

waiting to be devoured

quite a pretty colour inside

The vegetable dumplings were quite tasty, and I did like those vibrant green colours too. But, give me the original, anytime. Minced pork dumplings, served hot and oozing with soup. Best eaten with ginger and vinegar.

pour this onto the ginger plate

minced pork dumpling, looking delicate

bursting with goodness

Our tea was topped up frequently, automatically. The service staff was alarmingly polite! She'd be informing us that she's here to top up the tea, and after she's done, she'd asked us to enjoy our meal. Never fails to repeat the same procedure everytime that she was at our table, which I'd say probably 5-6 times? Wow.