天晴 Appare Udon & Tempura Japanese Restaurant @ Novena Square 2

Yup, am back at Appare again. This time round for dinner with an old friend, dear Flo. Sharing this place with her, since she stays nearby.

Walk near the store, and one will be greeted with "いらっしゃいませ!" 

shop's sign

tempura, made to order

Started with a small glass of cold draft beer. Nothing beats an ice cold beer after a day of work.

Kirin draft 300ml @$8++

As usual, made it a point to try something new at this place.

potato salad @$4.50++

Potato salad nicely seasoned and mixed with some cucumber for variety in taste.

Since one of Appare's specialty is tempura, suggested to Flo to try one. "So that we can eat it with the salt." I said.

pork ribs and prawn tempura (@$2++ and $3++, respectively)

flavoured salt

The tempura sauce here is abit different. Dark coloured, akin to soy sauce. Made with kelp and actually quite nice to eat with the deep fried meat. Pork ribs tempura was tender with a bite. Could've mistaken it for pork belly though.

deep fried chicken wings (@$8.50++)

Am lamenting the fact that nowadays, more and more shops are being less generous with the wings. Just 2 full wings for this price, well, pricey lor. Unless of course, if these chicks were flown from Japan then can understand. But maybe one can have the option of local wings so that we can have more of a good thing?

These little wings are actually tasty, marinated just nice and had a homely feel. Though it was deep fried, it doesn't felt too greasy. The pile of greens at the side, was good balance for the meat.

Definitely need some carbs by now.

seafood chirashi (@$16.50++)

Fresh seafood from Hokkaido. Thinly sliced salmon, scallops, tuna and cooked prawns topped with small mound of ikura. The amount of rice was just nice for one female. For guys, think you'll need to order something more.

Rudy, the friendly guy in the shop, divulged that his chef is from Osaka and the boss is from Tokyo. Recent addition to the menu included sashimi (not printed in menu) and chicken shabu-shabu. Chicken is imported from Japan, it seems.

Geen tea is complimentary. Service was always courteous.

ありがとございます、ごちそうさまでした!


ps: thanks Flo for the meal!

The Fat Cat @ Lorong Liput Holland Village

Was first acquainted with Fat Cat @ Jalan Riang, way back in 2011. Here is the evidence. Fast forward to 2014, it is now located at 17D Lorong Liput.

Getting there was easy. Hop onto Circle Line and alight at Holland Village station. Take Exit C, and head towards Holland Village Mall. Walk downslope, and look for the green sign with the cat backside.

da cat sign

Was invited to The Fat Cat Official Opening Party (thanks Sarah!), and since it is now nearer to where I stay, there wasn't any reason not to go.

Fat Cat's new premise is small and cosy. Much like going to a friend's place. Fat Cat @ Holland V has Thai Yai, Masala Mantra, the French Onion and Fat Cat Bar. Hence, one could get Thai, North Indian and western fare under one roof, plus plenty to drink.

Since it's a party, let's start with some alcohol. Would've gotten Long Island, just like good old times but it wasn't on the party menu that day. Never mind, Mojito Classic will do. Refreshing on a warm night.

Mojito Classic

Had an array of party food, which also acts as sampler on items found in their regular menu.

mango salad

fish tikka

Fish tikka was rather nice. Moist and chunky, and best eaten with all its accompaniments. Very mild herbs and spices.

still moist

Sampled a shot of mushroom soup. Strong mushroom flavour, creamy and with a hint of bitterness.

mushroom soup

How about some wings as bar snack? Mantra wings from Masala Mantra. Looks like prawn paste chicken but tasted of mild Indian spices. Served hot and juicy, and with crisp outerside. Yums.

Mantra wings

Santero Moscato

Wondering about the actual portion of food? Had the same thoughts and voila! Here are some that we tried. For starters, a plate of Hot Pot Clams. Slightly spicy, tiny clam meat had mild sweetness but unfortunately the white wine sauce was a tad too salty.

Hot Pot Clams @$12++

Taking the heat up a notch, was Thai Yai's Clear Tom Yum Soup. Tongue tingling and the heat lingered quite a bit. Ingredients include lemongrass, blue ginger, straw mushrooms, tomatoes, kafir lime leaves and one could choose a choice of meat (prawns, chicken, pork, beef, fish). Wonder if they could do all sorts of meat in one pot.

Clear Tom Yum @$14++

Done with starters, now moving along towards main dishes. North Indian food, anyone?

aloo gobi, chicken masala and garlic naan

Am used to the likes of Butter Chicken and Rogan Josh so perhaps that was why the Chicken Masala gravy felt a bit watery for me. However, it was a pleasant combination to eat. Garlic naan was fragrant and served hot. Chicken was tender and its gravy was non-spicy.

Garlic Naan @$3++

Still feeling peckish? Pineapple rice from Thai Yai would cure the hunger pangs. Purist may frown but I quite enjoyed this plate of rice. Yes, it was pretty sweet (was it the raisins and pineapples?) but the good sized prawns were nicely translucent with firm flesh. Cooked just right. The sprinkle of pork/chicken floss was good too, providing that bit of crunchiness.

Pineapple Rice @$12++

Sweet pineapple rice with slightly tart and cold Coldstream Apple Cider. Perfect.

Apple Cider @$10++ during Puuurfect Hour

First time tasting Panang Curry. Ingredients stated yellow pumpkin and coriander, giving it a mellow sweetness. Totally non-spicy and strangely, found it to be leaning more towards the taste of very light peanut sauce.

Panang Beef Curry @$14++

Final two dishes were the Chef's Specials from The French Onion.

Lamb Shank @$24++

Sea Bass @$19++

Would say that the pricing for the Chef's Specials was good for the portion that one gets. Lamb shank was quite a huge chunk. Tender enough but the ome that we got that night, was perhaps too gamey for some.

For a safe, clean healthy taste, the Sea Bass dish would fit into that category. This was a plate of moderation.

Puuurfect Hour happens from 12-2pm and 530 to 9pm. 2 pints of draft beer (Stella/Hoegaarden) for $22? Nice.

Special thanks to Gina. Great to see you again after that many years!

It's 端午节, 粽子 time!

It's 5th day of the 5th month. So, happy 端午节 (Duan Wu Jie) everyone. Have you eaten bak zhang (肉粽) yet?

Bro brought some back from home. He made some too.

wrapped with love

left-side made either by sis or bro, and right-side was from aunt

yummy with chestnuts, pork and mushrooms

RamenPlay @ Novena Square

Located at Novena Square Level 1. Visited on a weekday lunch hour. Got a table within minutes. The place was busy.

menu

Not in the mood for ramen, so donburi it was. Tried the Chashu Donburi @$12.80++ lunch set. Came with salad and miso soup.

salad, miso soup and chashu donburi

Such happiness to see the rice bowl topped with soft poached egg. Runny yolk mixed well into the sticky rice. Nice and comforting. The chashu was cut in such small cubes that perhaps, it would be easy to eat for kids as well.

well-mixed

The salad was worth mentioning too. Crisp leaves and good portioned, served with thousand island.

Service was friendly, though tea-refills need to be requested for.

Halo Rooftop Lounge @ Wangz Hotel Outram Road

Last visit was some years back, for a friend's birthday celebration. Was pleasantly surprised to receive an invite for a cocktail and tapas tasting session recently. Hence, the date was set and went after work on a Friday evening.

Wangz Hotel is located at 231 Outram Road. Nearest MRT station would be Tiong Bahru, and very near to Link Hotel too.

Wangz is a cosy boutique hotel that has been in existance since 2009. The entrance led straight to Nectar, its on-premise restaurant.

entrance

Nectar

The lift to the rooftop is a bit secluded, hence do look out for the signage that leads towards the right direction.

hello Halo

The draw at Halo, or any rooftop bar/lounges, would be the view from the top. At Halo, it offers a scenic panoramic view of the Tiong Bahru's skyline and its curved aluminium frame made the rooftop area, pretty interesting.

Was there early, so roamed around the area and snapped a few pictures.

aluminium frame and covered roof

alfresco with a view

Tapas seems to be the buzz these days. Small plates sounds perfect for small eaters, and I'll gladly accept a drink (or two) on a Friday evening. Let the night begin!

First up, Singapore Sling.

Quickly, what did you first think of? An image of tall glass, maraschino cherry and tropical? Was pleasantly surprised to see Halo's version, served in a coconut shell. No kidding!

Singapore Sling - No.3 London Dry, cherry liqueur and bitters

"A classic with a twist." - As quoted by Halo's resident mixologist, the talented As'Ad. He focuses on using fresh fruits and juices, as well as premium liqueur in his creations.

The Singapore Sling here looked good, and tasted good. Pleasant, mildly fruity and of cherries, and thankfully, none of that articificial syrupy aftertaste.

For the next drink, I had to ask as I thought I heard wrongly. "What was the name again?" Bye Bye Mai Tai?

Bye Bye Mai Tai - grapefruit hibiscus liqueur, finished up with rose water

Found that the Mai Tai at Halo, matches closely with the tropical theme. Its usage of edible flowers was much similar to Singapore Sling. It was abit hard to discern the taste in this one. Usually, Mai Tai is made predominantly with rum. Here, it uses grapefruit hibiscus liqueuer. Slightly more grapefruity than hibiscus-y.

The cocktails are quite balanced but in any case, the stomach needed food! Let's bring out the tapas.

Yellow Fin Tuna Ceviche on Crispy Corn Chip - tasting portion

Was trying to decipher what those strips were. If not wrong, should be candied orange peel/ginger. Liked the combination of chopped cucumber, tomato salsa and tuna ceviche. A refreshing taste. A little bit salty, but gone in one bite or two. Wished that the corn chips can be more curled up at its side like a mini taco. Easier to stuff 'em into the mouth!

Well, corn chips with chopped raw fish were fine but needed something more substantial. How about some mini burgers? Lucky me, next up was beef sliders.

Chimay Rouge with Angus Beef Slider

"Try the slider with the beer." Yup, why not. But first, a sip of that cold beer. This was my first, in trying a Chimay, Trappist beer. Beer that was brewed in a monastery for monks. It was easy to drink, smooth with medium carbonation and not that bitter. Enjoyable in big sips.

Angus Slider, I see you

The Angus Beef Slider was made out of two fluffy buns (housemade, nonetheless) that held together some purple cabbage slaw, a slice of tomato and of course, the handmade angus beef patty. No sauce required. This was simplicity. The pickled onion was pretty good too. Full portion @$18++ consists of 3 sliders.

Next up, meaty pork ribs!

US Kurobuta Baby Pork Ribs with Pineapple BBQ Sauce - tasting portion

The ribs were meaty, with a firm bite. As expected, the sauce was a little bit on the sweet side. Wished that the ribs were a bit more charred, with caramelization. These ribs paired well with beer too.

grill masters hard at work

If beer, and Slings are not your thing, then how about an elegant glass of Green Apple & Pineapple Martini? Ingredients included premium liqueur Thoquino cachaca, malibu coconut rum and one can taste real fruits bits of green apple and pineapple.

Green Apple + Pineapple Martini

If you ever wanted to know more about the cocktails, please go right up to the bar area.

bar area - mixologist in the house yo!

Did you know that Halo Rooftop Lounge also has live music on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays? Now you do.

Jazz on Thursdays, and 'Accoustic Live' contemporary hits on Fridays and Saturdays.

Idah and Yazid, performing at Halo on Fridays

Drinks, music and food. What more do we need? Well...how about more food!

Chicken Lollipops with Blue Cheese Dip and Crudites - tasting portion

The batter was crispy but slightly bland. Blue cheese dip is an acquired taste. This one is not for me.

If you can only have one cocktail for the night, then may I recommend you the Botanist Bowl (@$18++). It had me at first sip. Yes, this was my kind of drink!

Botanist Bowl

Perhaps, it was the Botanist Gin, which is a small-batch, artisanal Islay (Scotland) gin. Perhaps, it was the Elderflower Liqueuer, or was it the fresh strawberries or home-made lemon foam? Or was it the molecular process of making it that brought out the flavours?

According to wiki, molecular mixology sees the creation of cocktails using equipment and techniques of molecular gastronomy. Err....in layman's term, it involves changing the appearance/texture of the original item, enhancing flavours by using gels, foam, sprays etc.

All I know, is that I liked it very much, so thanks for having this on the menu. As'Ad revealed that this is actually their bestseller cocktail, followed by Singapore Sling.

To end the night on a sweeter note, a small plate of honey BBQ wings.

Honey BBQ Wings

Served piping hot, sweet and slightly crispy at its edges. But, abit too skinny these wings!

In general, the tapas price ranges from $15++ to $18++ and most cocktails are priced at $18++.

Special thanks to Ms Prue Chin, Marketing Manager of Wangz Hotel for the invitation. Glad to be re-acquainted with Halo Rooftop Lounge. Not forgetting As'Ad, whom expertly concocted those drinks. Saw another rather interestingly named cocktail such as the 'Rhubarb Pie'. If you try it, let me know how it taste like!

Happy Hour happens daily from 4pm to 8pm, and all night long on Sundays. Look out for selected 1-for-1 offers during Happy Hour. Do note that the closing hour for Halo is on 11pm (Sunday to Thursday) and 12am (Fri, Sat, eve and on public holidays).

promo

Halo Rooftop Lounge @ Wangz Hotel

Address: 231 Outram Road, Singapore 169040
Tel: (65) 6595 1388
Fax: (65) 6595 1399
Email: inquiry@wangzhotel.com
Website: http://www.wangzhotel.com