Montana Singapore @ POMO Selegie

The walk from Plaza Singapura to POMO took about 8 minutes. At POMO, take the escalator up till you see The Clan restaurant. Montana is nearby The Clan and a dance studio. I think I had been here before but that space was occupied by another restaurant previously. The trip to Montana was for an invited tasting session with fellow bloggers.

interior

Liked the decor of the place. Dark colours with nice lightings. However, the space could get quite warm since the air from outside flows freely into the cafe and vice-versa. At such a times, a cold drink was very much needed. Montana's cold brew is served in a beaker, pretty much like those found in chemical lab.

On that night, we were privileged to be one of the first few to try their new yuzu infused coconut cold brew. This brew was created for those whom dislike the strong taste of coffee and prefers something that's lighter and more fruity.

Yuzu infused Coconut Cold Brew @$6.50+

let's have a shot at this

Would say that the taste was interesting. There was a strong presence of yuzu flavour, a sourish aftertaste and a light undertone of coffee. Three components that one could taste quite distinctly.

Flat White 7oz @$5+

On a hot night, my choice drink was the Cold Shaken Mocha. Satisfying.

Cold Shaken Mocha @$5+

For food, they do a variation of savoury waffles as well as sweet desserts waffles. You might have already seen/tasted/heard about their black velvet waffles. Was getting hungry, so savoury waffles were very much welcomed!

Jalapeno Mac & Cheese Waffle @$12+

The Jalapeno Mac & Cheese Waffle is the Montana original signature waffle. The jalapeno mac & cheese were embedded inside the waffle or what they termed as 'waffle-ised'. Soft waffle, slight pickled tang from the jalapeno and lovely tomato relish to dip. Yums.

the insides

Next, the one and only, Assam Crab Waffle. Sounded exotic, right? Definitely must be eaten with the thick sauce. Tasting the sauce alone, I thought it was quite close to the thousand island variant. Piled some of those crab meat, diced cucumber and pineapple onto the waffle, add a dollop of that sauce and indeed, the assam laksa flavour became more apparent. Thought it was Penang assam laksa, but this was revealed to be incorrect as the dish was inspired by the Kedah laksa. Aiya, same same but different.

Assam Crab Waffle @$18+

The Korean wave has been inflicted onto waffle as well. Ever tried Bulgogi Beef Waffle? It was pretty interesting as inside the waffle, there was gochujang rice as well. Carb on carb?! Beef was tender as it was done sous vide style. The menu stated bonito flakes, but I don't think there was any on the version that we had.

Bulgogi Beef Waffle @$16+

Then came the pastas. The Vodka Crab Penne and the Truffle Oil Spaghetti. The shredded crab meat in the penne was enjoyable but the penne was a tad too al-dente for me.

Vodka Crab Penne @$16+

Truffle Oil Spaghetti with mushrooms, sunny side up Egg @$16+

Personally, am more inclined towards the truffle oil spaghetti. The noodle strands were well coated with creaminess and perfumed with truffle oil. The mushroom flavour was just lovely.

After which, a sampling from South Bronx was brought up.

it's South Bronx, yo

Surprised? Well, Montana connects two other spaces; Fabulous + Dough (inner section of Montana, opening this weekend) and South Bronx Burgers located at Level 1. Fancy having doughnuts or burgers with your coffee? Well, soon you can.

South Bronx Burgers: Southern Chicken Wings with BBQ sauce @$8+, Mac Deli Burger @$16+ and Original Rump Shaker @$16+

The wings were fried to a deep brown and crispy skins. However, perhaps it had enjoyed a tad too long of its oil bath in the fryer, resulting in slightly tougher meat.

The burger patties were homemade with its own house ratio of meat and fats. The soft potato buns were baked in-house as well. The burgers were served with triple fries consisting of shoestring, crinkle and spiral.

homemade beef patty

How about drinks and you don't mean the coffee nor tea kind? Oh why, I thought you'd never ask! Actually, Montana has Australian beer in its menu.

Yenda IPA and Yenda Pale

Or, explore the variety of craft beers downstairs at South Bronx. Beer price ranges from $11+ to $13+.

Belgian, Spanish and Japanese

Opened two bottles to try. The Kinshachi Nagoya Red Miso Lager and the Pater Lieven Bruin Belgian Ale. Miso beer tasted similar to Kilkenny. Smooth and with that metallic tang, slightly bitter finish. The Belgian Ale looked dark like a stout but tasted light and malty. Personal preference to the Belgian beer.

Red Miso Lager

Belgian Ale

Ended with some doughnuts. Presented hot from the ovens of Fabulous + Dough. Fairly large sized doughnuts that are roughly the size of a man's fist. Tried the Dark Chocolate with Apple Cider Salted Caramel, Green Tea Yuzu and Apple Berry with Cream Cheese. The Green Tea doughnut was the sweetest of the lot. Preferred the Dark Chocolate doughnut for its just-nice sweetness.

Dark Chocolate Caramel @$5.50+

Apple Berry with Cream Cheese @$5.50+

sweets

Thank you Montana for having us, the friendly crew for taking care of us and Jen for the invite.

Montana Singapore

Location: #01-04, POMO, 1 Selegie Rd, 188306

Contact: +65 98331790

Badoque Cafe @ 298 Bedok Road

We had a mission to accomplish. That particular mission was a quest to sample the Tomahawk at Badoque that's located near Simpang Bedok. Heard many good things about this cafe from Ivan and it sure piqued our interest! Getting to Badoque is not difficult, just that it was really far for a westie. Took the train to Tanah Merah and then head towards the bus stop across the station and take bus #9. Stop at opposite of Bedok Marketplace and walk for about 5 minutes to reach the cafe.

inside the cafe

Badoque has both indoor and outdoor seats. It was kinda windy and hot on our day of visit, so we opted for the cooler but darker (in terms of lighting) indoor dining. Unfortunately for us, the Tomahawk remained elusive as it is only available after 3pm.

For lunch, there are still quite a number of selections to choose from, so we ordered two ribs, a fish & chips and some fiery chicken wings to try. Was warned that the wings are so spicy that the Chef, himself had difficulty in handling. Ok, bring it on!

But, in any case, we still ordered plenty of ice blended drinks in preparation to douse the 'fire' on our tongues when necessary.

(from left to right) ice lemon tea ($5.50+), frangipani ($8.50+), mojito ($8.50+) and salted caramel ($8.50+)

Liked the Frangipani the most. Made of soda, blood orange and lemonade. Such a pretty shade of reddish pink. Sweet and refreshing. The Salted Caramel tasted like milk, mostly.

One could already smell the 'kepak bing bing' before it actually reached the table! The aromatically pungent and enticing smell of belachan, plus look at the amount of chili seeds... No joke.

Kepak Bing Bing @$12.50+

do you dare?

The spices hit fast and lingered for quite a bit. Taking sips of the ice blended frangipani was actually, not a good idea because it felt even spicier after that. Keke! But pretty shioks though.

When the beef ribs arrived, it most certainly elicited some "oohs" and "aahs". A humongous and thick slab of ribs. It was really my first time in seeing such a big portion of any ribs.

Badoque Ribs @$36++

The Badoque Ribs were indeed tender and fall-off-the-bones type and served with BBQ sauce. Tangy and appetising. Liked the green beans and potatoes.

We also tried the Iga Bakar, which was the Indonesian styled beef ribs. More ribs? Yeah! It was as if we were on a meatatarian rampage. Similarly, the serving was huge and meant to be shared amongst two pax. Loved the savoury sweet sauce and the rice was so good. And that achar too. All tasted good. Yummy!

Iga Bakar @$36++

really lovely achar, so it deserved a shot on its own

If you're not into beef, no worries. The Flounder Fish and Chippies is worth ordering. Two large slabs of thinly battered and expertly fried till crisp and golden. The fish flesh was soft and tasty. It was good.

Flounder Fish & Chippies @$24++

Two guys and three ladies shared the above meal and drinks. I think the food could feed another person easily and all of us would still ended up feeling quite full.

Paid about $29 per pax each. Thank you fellow foodies for sharing the calories and Ivan for organizing!

Service staff were friendly, price was reasonable and food portion was generous. Recommended and value for money.

WANNA CUPPA @ 15 New Bridge Road

A new cafe located right across the road, opposite of The Central Clarke Quay. Officially opened for business since December 2015. Easily accessible via bus or mrt. Exit Clarke Quay MRT station and head towards the overhead bridge (near BK and the bus stop) to get you across the road safely. Wanna Cuppa is right next to Song Fa Bak Kut Teh. Pretty easy to spot.

Was invited for a tasting there with blogger kakis, so read on to know more about the experience and the food that we tried.

door front

cakes and pastries counter, with drinks menu at the board

tiramisu, lemon merringe and chocolate dome

Was distracted by the glass cabinet showcasing the cakes and pastries. The concept at the shop is semi self-serve, so one could browse through the menu, order and make payment at the counter. Receive a tag and drinks are dispensed right after. Proceed to your table and the staff will bring your food to you. And, this place do not charge for service.

The decor in the cafe is quite interesting. Bold colours, and there are trees in there. Yup, trees! Fancy dining underneath a tree? Well, you can do that at Wanna Cuppa cafe. Those sofa seats looked so comfy.

interior

Breakfast is served from 830am till 11am, and there are a few items that you could choose from including veggie/bacon cup, pancakes, brioche french toast and a variation of poached eggs served on focaccia. Most are priced below $10 except for eggs royale and french toast.

Eggs Benedict @$9.90

The eggs were well poached and hollandaise sauce was flavourful. The ham were pan-fried and tasted like the ones that mom makes at home.

here it comes!

mop it up with the bread

After work, sometimes just felt like having a cold drink to chill and some snacks to bite on while relaxing with friends. Happy Hour is currently from 5pm to 8pm from Mondays to Saturdays.

Yona Yona Japanese Ale ABV5.5% 350ml @ $9 (HH) / $11

This calls for some beer snack, so we had some deep fried items to go along with the drinks. Have you tried deep fried enoki mushrooms? I think this was my first time having it, in a cafe. Interesting texture and pretty addictive. Crispy but could get a tad oily as well. Do not attempt to eat this alone. Share it with at least 2-3 other friends.

Enoki Mushroom Fries @$7.90

Deep fried Onion Rings

Mini Fish & Chips @$8.90

Dory fish is used here and it worked as a non-vegetarian nibble. The tartar sauce was a good accompaniment to this, and of course, a cider will come in handy too.

Alska (Swedish Cider) Strawberry and Lime ABV 4%  500ml @ $10 (HH) / $12

Am more than happy with this new found cider. Attractive colour with those lovely bubbles, neither too sweet nor too sharp, can't go wrong with strawberry and lime flavour plus, its a pint for $10. Refreshing.

Not to worry if you don't do alcoholic drinks. There are iced flavoured teas to choose from. Personally, I like the Elderflower Strawberry the most. Eh, seemed like that is a consistent flavour that I'd go for at the moment. =P

(left to right) Iced Flavoured Teas: Elderflower Strawberry, Lychee Cucumber, Peach Passionfruit @ $5.90 each

The iced flavoured teas would be the perfect thirst quencher on a hot humid weather. The taste for all were pretty subtle though. The lychee cucumber tasted more of cucumber than lychee.

The only main dish that we tried for the night, was the no-frills Pesto Aglio Olio.

Pesto Aglio Olio @ $10.90 (+$3 to add prawns)

To tell you the truth, a simple unadorned pasta (read: without meat or 料) would not be something that I'd order at a restaurant or cafe. At the very least, the carbonara would also come with pancetta.

But my perspective was changed, as soon as I bit into a mouthful of these noodles. Wow. Very good flavours of savoury, some herbs and spice. Highly recommended. I will re-order this the next time and add some prawns to it. [Ed: Wonder how many prawns would $3 fetch these days]

twirl it up, and savour

All satiated from the array of dishes, yet we ought to try some desserts before calling it a night. Saw some colourful macarons on the way in, so had a bit of those. For baked goods, we tried the apple crumble and homemade brownies.

macarons  @$2.50 each (front to back) apricot-fig and hazelnut

eclairons @ $2.50 each (left to right) mango & chocolate, pistachio & morello cherry, speculos & caramel, toffee & banana and blackcurrant & coconut

The eclairons are actually macarons shaped liked an eclair. Haha! Cutesy, colourful and attractive. Interesting flavours too. The apricot-fig flavour stood out for its fillings was tangy, sharp and sweet. Thought the shells were light enough and overall not overwhelmingly sweet. Probably because of its smallish size as well, plus we shared with friends.

The apple crumble was served warm and oh so soft! Really liked the brownie. Though it was not served warm and without ice-cream, the texture was dense and smooth at the same time. Likeable sweetness. Recommended.

apple crumble @ $6.90

chocolate brownie

For hot drinks, we sampled a few. Interesting to see white chocolate mocha, and so we ordered one. So white! My friend said it was very milky. The coffee tasted pretty strong and with a bitter finish. Surely, a drink that will perk you up.

latte @$5.50

Mocha and White Mocha @$6 each

A big thank you to Jeannette for having us in your cafe, and Kris for arranging. Thank you to the friendly and smiley service staff at Wanna Cuppa.

Arteastiq Boutique Tea House @ Mandarin Gallery

Wanted to have a quiet dinner in town, and happened to see Arteastiq listed in The Entertainer App. Reservation is recommended, especially during Friday and Saturday evenings. Moreover, am quite curious to taste what Chef Benson had crafted for Arteastiq together with Chefs Jason Vito and Jack Tan.

menu

shopfront

next door Arteastiq Art Jam

nice lighting

The place was rather dark, and not as chi-chi as anticipated. On the night of visit, there seemed to be only 2 service staff around. 

Started with a snack of sweet potato fries. Pretty well fried and rather addictive.

Sweet Potato Fries @$12++

The Lychee Tea looked good, and we ordered both hot and cold versions of it. Quite interesting. The hot version had a lighter taste as compared to the slightly sweeter cold version.  Liked the cold lychee tea better for an instant refreshing taste.

Hot Lychee Tea @$11++

Cold Lychee Tea @$11++

close up view

 For food, we ordered plenty to share. From the "Ladies Affair" section of the menu, we had the crabcake egg benny and Louisiana Love-Chicken and Waffles. From the "Gentlemans Dinner" section, we ordered The French Connection - Striploin.

To be honest, was quite disappointed when the crabcake eggs benedict arrived. The maryland crabcake itself was rather thin, and unusual as it was not browned to a crisp exterior. The paprika hollandaise sauce was thick, creamy and savoury but slightly reminiscent of curry? But the poached egg had some translucent parts still, and was reminded of the yakun-type softboiled eggs instead.

Aphrodite-Crabcake Benedict @$25++

Louisiana Love-Chicken Waffles @$22++

The Louisiana Love-Chicken Waffles was decent, and the waffle was interesting to eat with the maple butter. Loved the tangy slaw.

The French Connection-Striploin @$30++

The striploin was served with a poached egg with hollandaise sauce, and sweet potato fries. Actually, didn't quite know what to do with the poached egg.

Do we pour the egg over the steak?
Do we dip the fries into the egg?
Do we dip the meat into the egg?

Asked one of the service staff, and he mentioned that it can be used as a dip for the sweet potato fries. Dug into the depth of the poached egg bowl and discovered similar hollandaise sauce as the crabcake benny.

dip the sweet potato fries into the egg

striploin - medium rare

Expect to spend about $27 to $45 per pax.

Arteastiq Boutique Tea House

Location: Mandarin Gallery, #04-14/15 333 and Plaza Singapura #03-70/72 Singapore
Website: http://www.arteastiq.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArteastiqSingapore

KPO Cafe Bar @ 1 Kiliney Road

Been there a couple of times, mostly for drinks and light bites. Was wracking the brain for a place to have dinner on a Saturday evening, and KPO came to mind. "Let's go there and eat hokkien mee!" I suggested. Hehe, this was said to a fellow blogger friend, only because I have confidence in KPO's rendition of the noodles.

The place was relaxed on that evening, possibly because it was just right after the rain. Previous visits on weekday evenings always saw this place packed. Live music was playing upstairs, and the volume must've been set to probably about level 4 out of 5, and hence, conversations inside the airconditioned place would be almost impossible unless you were either shouting or whispering right into the ear of the other person! Choosing to do neither of those, we ventured to its al-fresco area at ground level. Only contention was the humid weather and one or two flying insects.

It was still during Happy Hour, so got myself a bottle of Asahi Super "Dry" Black for $10+. I think I have a certain fondness for Japanese beer.

Cheers かんぱい

Satay and KPO Hokkien Mee

The chicken satay was well marinated and tender to the bite. Sauce was flavourful but lacked the spicy kick. But the ketupat (rice cake) was strangely charred on its exterior and was too dense for liking. Yet, am still recommending the satay for as it is. Very nice snack or light bites to have with the drinks.

Chicken Satay (12 sticks) @$18+

KPO Hokkien Mee @$16+

The noodles were well cooked with the flavourful stock coating the strands that was of a soft delightful chew. Nice to slurped it up! Each bite was accompanied by the strips of 'sio-bak' or roasted pork meat (minus crackling). Deep fried lard is a welcomed sight on the plate. But the two pieces of prawns were very overcooked though.

Thus far, the service from the service staff of KPO had been good. That night, it was the same. Thank you and kudos to KPO service crew. Much appreciative.

KPO is listed in The Entertainer App Singapore, hence, do take advantage of the app and get one main free with every 2 orders of mains. Saved $16 that night using the app.

KPO Cafe Bar

Location: 1 Kiliney Road, Kiliney Post Office, Singapore 239518
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KPO.sg/
Website: http://www.imaginings.com.sg/
Reservation: Through Hungrygowhere link or 6733 3648