Review: Urban Bites ("The Best Lebanese in Singapore")

Endorsements of "the best <insert cuisine here> in Singapore" are a dime a dozen, so I could have written off Urban Bites with a sceptical shrug, but I didn't and my taste buds are much better off because of it.

Firstly, the recommendation came from an Lebanese ex-Singapore resident.  A recommendation from someone who should know what they're talking about is always a good first step.  Secondly, the recommendation was prefaced with "it's not fancy but...".  This is always a green flag for me.  Too many restaurants try to distract from their good-but-not-great cooking with fancy surroundings.  Strip that away, and what do you have?  Great food will most probably taste fabulous whether it's eaten out out of a brown paper bag or off a bone china over-sized white plate.

We tried to get to Urban Bites without checking the opening hours (it's closed Sunday's) and biked on, disappointed.  I would not make the same mistake twice - our second attempt was confirmed in advance.

Walking through the doors I was struck by two things - the first being a solid cloud of garlic (yum!), and then the thought "oh no, I hope we can get a table" as almost every seat was full.  Luckily we spied a table near the counter and squeezed five chairs around it.

Mixed grill kebab

Deciding to go for full immersion, we toasted a few times with arak which is similar to pastis.  I love how the clear spirit becomes cloudy once you add water.  Having arrived slightly earlier than everyone else, I'd spent about ten minutes salivating over the menu and promptly decided I wanted to try almost everything.  A good way to start was always going to be the mezze platter with a selection of hommos, motabal baba ghanuj, and labne to scoop up with torn chucks of fresh warm pita bread.  Some tabbouleh, fattoush and plump falafel and tahini sauce.  I couldn't resist adding some grilled haloumi as well.  Delicious.  All of it.  And so nice to have moist falafel rather than the overly dried out version.

One bottle of (surprisingly decent) Lebanese wine down, our attention turned to mains.  Don't miss the kebab teen (minced lamb kebab with sweet fig) and the saffron-marinated fish kebab.  Both are served with Lebanese rice and mixed vegetables.

They also serve traditional swarma, pizza and pasta and a selection of salads, but we were far too full to attempt anything more.  That was until a small selection of bite-sized baklawa treats came out!  After a few deep breaths I found some more space in my little toe and satisfied that sweet treat craving with a cup of strong mint tea.

The shelves behind the cash register are groaning with ingredients for those who want to try to recreate their menu at home.  I was thrilled to see they have za'atar which I've found almost impossible to find anywhere else in Singapore.  Hopefully they have sumac as well.

So would I go back?  Absolutely, I can't wait!  You should too!  Just don't plan on a late dinner as they close by about 10/10.30pm.

Urban Bites
123 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore
P: +65 6327 9460

Review: Little Diner

The sign outside Little Dinner says Food Drink Hang - exactly the three things we were looking for on a mid-week public holiday.

I was inclined to like this place on the interior alone - Lower-East-Side-inspired, small cool space, textured concrete walls and a back wall dominated by a wine cellar - and I hadn't even seen the menu.  The punches kept rolling as we sat down and were promptly bought iced water served in funky jars with handles (I want some!), Toby's Estate coffee and menus.  Attentive service made up for a somewhat haphazard food arrival, and they were happy to accommodate Laura's inability to order anything off the menu just as it is, which we find a constant challenge in cafes around Singapore.

The food is very affordable, especially compared to the new Dean and Deluca (review here) in Orchard Central.  I paid $15.50 for my salmon eggs benedict.  I'll definitely go back to sample the dinner menu, and it's great to see an affordable selection of wine by the bottle (especially when they're from New Zealand!).  They also have weekend brunch specials where for $20 you can enjoy free flow cider from 12 - 2pm.

Eggs benedict (hold the hollandaise)

There was a constant flow of people in and out, so it might pay to book as this place becomes more popular, which I'm confident it will.

Little Diner
www.littlediner.sg
Menu here
789 Bukit Timah Road
Ph:  +65 6466 4088

They're open Monday evenings for drinks only, and Tuesday until Sunday for brunch, lunch and dinner.

Review: Dean & Deluca

Dean and Deluca must have been one of the most anticipated cafe openings in Singapore.  The New York cafe was destined to be a Singaporean favourite - it's a big international brand and it serves all day brunch.  Having not yet made it to NYC (I know, I know...) I didn't have a strong basis of comparison, but my taste buds were pleased, although my wallet was slightly shocked.

First up, everything looks amazing.  There is a fantastic bread and sweet treat selection, much of which is supplied by Baker & Cook (review here) and the cabinet food is much more affordable than the brunch menu and has a wide variety which you can mix and match, including old favourites like mac and cheese.

I think the brunch menu is the star of the show and the Ladies Who Brunch sampled it vigorously.  The French toast received two thumbs up, the New Yorker (scrambled eggs and salmon on a bagel) was delicious but the clear winner was the jamon iberico poached eggs - perfect!

Expect to pick up your own coffee from the barista bar, but brunch will be brought to you.  Oddly, almost everything is served in takeaway coffee cups - even the water.  The gourmet store has a vast array of goodies - good luck not picking anything up on your way out.

I think the only downside (apart from the price) of our experience was one rude waiter who tried to usher us off our table.  After nine ladies had brunched, coffee'd and smoothie'd, you'd think we'd earned the right to enjoy a bit of chat - we ordered a second coffee and lingered as long as we could out of principal.

Oh, and one last tip - go early or expect to wait.

Dean and Deluca
Level 4, Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
Singapore

+65 6509 7708

Review: Kith - Just Redeemed

It's fair to say my first experience with Kith on Roberston Quay was a disaster (here) which put me right off the place for almost a year (I don't forgive a bad brunch easily).  When I saw they'd opened a new place in Park Mall on Penang Road I thought the time had come to give them a second chance and they just made it back... just.

The menu covers brunch, lunch and dinner, with an extensive drinks menu.  I had more trouble deciding what to drink that what to eat.  I decided on a ice blended latte which they obligingly left out the ice cream and swapped the milk for soy (my August dairy-free challenge).  Feeling virtuous, I ordered a grilled vegetable salad and Caro ordered a grilled chicken sandwich - both of which disappointed from the moment they were set on our table.  My salad fit the description to a tee - grilled eggplant, zucchini, tomato and green apple with balsamic dressing.  Two long strips of eggplant, three zucchini rounds, two halves of a grilled tomato with a quarter of a fresh tomato, two thin green apple slices, all very lightly drizzled with balsamic.  Each was spread around the plate to maximise coverage with absolutely no artistry.  What a disappointment!  I wouldn't put in this little effort if I was making this for myself at home, let alone pay $14 for it.

Caro's chicken sandwich was worse.  Four huge bits of bread covered the plate, two of which were clearly for decoration purposes only and were completely plain.  Riddle me this - what is with the excessive serving of bread in Singapore cafes?  The 'sandwich' was a thin layer of gherkin topped by grilled chicken cubes, completely unadorned.  No mayo or relish to stick it all together - completely dry.

This is where the redemption occurred.

When Caro politely enquired as to whether the chicken sandwich usually came like this the staff very quickly picked up she wasn't happy and offered to replace it with another item from the menu, which she did.  When her eggs arrived (very quickly) I was asked whether I was happy with my salad, to which I replied that I was a little disappointed with how plain they were.  After apologies all round, she returned with an offer of a drink, coffee or smoothie for each of us on the house, and an explanation that the chef was brand new chef.  We both decided to get a ginger, lime and mint cooler which was delicious.

So, would I go back?  I think I'll give them one more chance - the food coming out around us looked much better than our order, and the coffee needs a trial run.  It is just around the road from my house, and a peek at the wine list showed surprising value.  

Third time lucky perhaps?

Review: Lagnaa Barefoot Dining

Wandering around Little India on a Sunday evening is a fascinating activity in Singapore.  The small streets are packed shoulder to shoulder with people and make for excellent people watching.  A few weekends ago Caro and I wandered passed Lagnaa which was packed with people so we decided to come back and check it out.

At first impressions, this place has a sense of humour.  There is a small blackboard at the entrance saying “slave labour needed”, the walls are covered with messages and there is a spice-o-meter at the entrance.  We weren’t really after a feast (wow, what restraint!) so we shared a green-curry chicken tika and a prawn marsala – both delicious.  The service was great – not over the top like Singapore service so often is, and there was no problem with making our mango lassi’s with “less sweet” so we didn’t feel like we were having dessert before our dinner.

The unique thing about this place is that once you have dined there you are invited to place your name and phone number on the blackboard and once a month a group text message goes out for a free 10-dish tasting for the first five people to correctly answer the question (you can bring a friend).  What a great idea!  I’m usually loathe to hand over my details because of the excessive mobile advertising which spams you in Singapore, but I was totally willing to in this situation – it’s all about the incentive.

I must remember to check out whether this place is recommended in Lonely Planet because it was pretty full of tourists (not always a plus in my book).  Pricing-wise it was middle of the road at $25 each for two mains a mango lassi and water each.  I’m not convinced it was better than the Banana Leaf (review here) but if you’re looking to try somewhere new in Little India it’s worth a shot.

Lagnaa

No. 6, Upper Dickson Road (the Serengoon Road end)

Singapore 207466

+65 6296 1215

Review: Esquina

For me, Esquina has all the ingredients for a fabulous evening - small venue, no reservations, tapas, open kitchen, great vibe, and of course, fabulous food.  Turn up, get lucky, get eating.  And lucky I was!  - lucky enough to be taken there for our eight year anniversary!

I first read about Esquina a month or two before I actually made it through the door.  It's surprising that I made it at all, given the detractors: some terrible on line reviews about the food and comments such as "you'll never get a table", "don't bother for dinner unless you want to wait two hours", "make sure you go before 7pm or after 8.30pm".

I ignored all the food comments (I prefer to make my own mind up on that score, thank you), but did heed the advice on arrival time.  Despite battling my way through every red traffic light along Victoria/New Bridge (a battle, even on my bike), we made it there just before 7pm, and I'm glad we did.  Not only did we have the best seats in the house right in front of the plating area, but by 7.15pm there wasn't a spare stool in sight.

Proof that at least one person reads my blog
- previous hints about flowers were noted - 

The atmosphere at Esquina is very cool.  Almost everyone sits bar-side, along the length of the open kitchen.  And when I say open, I mean open.  None of this glass-fronted business you find elsewhere - Esquina allows you to truly be in the kitchen.  You can hear the chef directing (and occasionally berating) his troops, you can smell the precisely weighed basil being ripped up for the sorbet, you can see your own dishes created right in front of you, and  you might even chat to Andrew Walsh (executive chef), if you're really lucky and the kitchen is temporarily quiet.

View to the left, view to the right

Best seats in the house - slap bang in the middle of the bar (above) and right in front of the plating station (below)

Plating begins with squid ink aioli

So what did we have?  We started with an aperitif (beer for Sander, bubbles for me) with marinated olives - surprisingly sweet, but not overly so.  The grilled asparagus with slow cooked egg special was delicious - rich, with a touch of smoke from the bacon and lentil dressing.  The seafood mixed grill special was fantastic, and I'm going to have to experiment with creating my own romesco sauce aioli (dangerously good).  I don't usually pick the pork belly, but how can you turn down a description that reads "confit pork belly, chorizo, white beans, paprika skin"?  

My only slight disappointment was that our ham croquetas came half way through the rest of our meal when we would have preferred them at the beginning with the olives.  Honestly, this was probably our fault for being over eager and ordering too much in one go, instead of dish by dish.

Despite being superbly full, as we finished our wine watching dish after dish of delicious desserts coming out, our will power was beginning to waver.  We were finally pushed over the 'sweet treat' edge when two tiny cones of berry (?) sorbet were passed to us, and with our best intentions in tatters, we ordered the pistachio cake to share - absolutely no regrets.

Asparagus special

The end asparagus result

Seafood mixed grill for two - squid, prawns, scallop, snapper and stingray

So, the verdict?   Dinner for two - yes! For three - if you can get the corner?  For more - probably not, if you want to have a conversation.  Oh, and skip afternoon tea - you're going to need all the tummy capacity you can manage.  Enjoy!


Details:

16 Jiak Chuan Road
Singapore 089267
info@esquina.com.sg
Tel: +65 222 1616

Mondays to Fridays:
12 Noon to 3 pm, 6pm to 11pm

Saturdays:
6pm to 11pm

Closed on Sundays

Savour - Save Your 'Savour Dollars' for Something Better

The Savour Singapore 2012 festival was a mixed affair for me.  I loved the wine and whisky tastings, but I was constantly nagged by the vague feeling I was being ripped off.

Let's start with the positives.  There was a plethora of master classes to attend - choosing 30 minute slots of wine tasting, chocolate making, artisan bread, whisky tasting... it was so tough that I was forced to make a spreadsheet (yes, I'm that much of a dork) timetabling the classes to help me choose between them.  These master classes by and large free as well, which was excellent.

We were running rather late by the time we arrived (negating the need for half my timetable), but I hustled off to the wine tasting which turned out to be New Zealand sauvignon blanc - excellent!  Contrary to most New Zealanders, I'm more of a chardonnay fan, but slowly over the last two years I've found myself drinking more and more of New Zealand's most famous grape.  A perfect opportunity to learn more!

I joined up with the rest of our group in the wine tasting area briefly before whisking (ahem, excuse the pun) myself away to the whisky tasting (hmmm... I'm noticing a theme here).  Again, excellent.  Did you know that whisky drinkers are actually encouraged to add a drop or two of water to their whisky to release the volatiles and unleash the full aroma?  I had always thought 'proper' whisky drinkers disdained water. 

Single malt and single cask whisky

The other excellent drop from Savour was Somersby Cider (sigh, yes, definitely a theme).  Cider is definitely a Singapore-friendly drink, best served with lots of ice but are often overly sweet.  Somersby Cider was certainly on the lower end of the sweetness scale, with a good amount of 'tart', avoiding tasting like lolly water.

So now for my gripes.

Billed as an affordable event ("At Savour customers get to eat high quality food at affordable prices"), I found this to be blatantly untrue. Paying $60 for my ticket, I was given $30 Savour dollars on entry. This was enough to buy one drink and a small mouthful of food. This wagu beef pastry was delicious, but at $18 a pop, dinner becomes very expensive.

$18 for this?!

I was baffled by the wine tasting area - you couldn't purchase a glass of wine, let alone a bottle, for consumption. This meant that people were constantly popping back and forth between the seating areas and the stalls for a 'tasting' - not very good for carrying on a conversation. Yes, there were other areas in the festival where you could buy a bottle of wine, but no glasses or corkscrews meant that immediate consumption was distinctly discouraged.

So would I go again?  Probably not.  I had a good time, but it certainly didn't live up to the standard set by other food festivals I have been to.  Friends who went to the day time session seemed to enjoy it though.

Did you go?  Did you enjoy it?

Other Scenes from Savour

Ah, the Verve Cliquot tent.  If only I could be a permanent resident.

Not a sign you see every day...

I hope she didn't pay $18 for her egg

Apparently delicious, but the queue was about 20 minutes long!

Review: Open Door Policy - What's Your Policy?

Excitement built steadily all week once I'd made our reservation at Open Door Policy.  The buzz was funky interiors, cool location, great food... all a recipe for a great dinner.  ODP is a collaboration from the team at the Tippling Club and 40 Hands.  Current and ex expats will understand the potential of a child born from parents of that standard.

First impressions lived up to the hype completely.  A long narrow room (apparently an old church hall) with exposed brick, thick aged wooden beams (custom, I'm sure) and large silver panels on the ceiling - lots and lots of contrast.  At the entrance is a bar area lined with brightly coloured chairs where you can keep an eye on the kitchen walled behind glass.  The clusters of tables and chairs were distinctly metal-and-wood industrial; our table was half way down.

The menu (click here to check it out) is reasonably short and varied.  We weren't starving so we decided to share the halloumi cheese, white anchovies and crusty bread appetizer, followed by the confit duck leg for Sander and the pan fried sea bass for me.  I was having enormous difficulty deciding between the duck and the sea bass, so I'm lucky that Sander didn't mind sharing a bite or two.  

The halloumi appetizer was deliciously salty with the tomatoes and green olives giving just enough sweetness to balance the halloumi and anchovies.  I was expecting it to be served bruchetta-style given the 'crusty bread' descriptor, but the bite sized cubes were very much a part of the mix (and more brioche texture than crusty).

The confit duck leg with puy lentils, sage and smoked bacon had almost completely disappeared before I could snatch a fork full for tasting.  The verdict as 'delicious' from both of us, although Sander did say he wished the portion size was a little bigger - probably because it was so delicious.

The sea bass with artichoke, potatoes and rocket salad let me down a little, I have to say.  The citrus bite on the seared skin was just strong enough, and the fish was perfectly cooked.  Most mouthful combinations were delicious (fish+artichoke, fish+potato, fish+rocket) but any combination including skin+artichoke was incredibly salty.  Near the end of my meal my mouth was starting to feel a little pickled, and my water consumption rate was increasing.  Sander and I wondered whether the artichokes had come from brine rather than fresh, or perhaps someone had been a little too liberal with the pre-seared seasoning. 

As I was in the midst of the March sugar-free challenge, I could only watch enviously as Sander enjoyed his affogato.

The service was almost too attentive however.  In typical Singapore style, our dishes were whipped away almost the moment we placed our cutlery together.  Perhaps it was because we were at an earlier sitting, but with three different wait staff attending to us there was clearly no communication between them.  It felt like we were constantly being asked if we wanted to order a drink, or place our orders, or try some dessert, or coffee... and like we were being rushed out the door.


Disclaimer:
A friend who went a week later, with a larger group and a later sitting didn't have the same problem.  Nor was her pan-fried sea bass overly salted.  Maybe I was just unlucky.

Review: Rice Magician - Magic for a Quick Snack

Out for a mid-afternoon juice break, I was hit by a sudden craving for carbs.  Being sugar-free for March, an easy solution wasn't easy to come by, but then I saw the Rice Magician!

Rice Magician, where have you been for the past two years I've been in Singapore?  Why have I never noticed your bright green shop front?

So what's so special about Rice Magician?  According to the website, the focus is on healthy rice snacks, of which the rice roll is their most popular product.  After studying over 300 different strains of rice, they use biotechnology (wow, fancy for rice!) to to bring the best combination of enzymes to reduce flatulence.  Your rice selection is flattened and stuffed with a your choice of healthy (and a few not so healthy) fillings.

The rice selection itself is a minor exercise in self-diagnosis.

• Brown Rice to manage weight/cholesterol, prevent heart disease and cancer
• Purple Rice for nutrients essential for women or the elderly, improving immune systems or easing joint problems
• Red Rice which is is excellent for those with anaemia or constipation
• Wheat Germ Brown Rice to promote blood circulation, or overcome physical and mental aging
• Mixed Grain Rice, with a combination of twelve different grains for maximum nutrition and health benefits
• Wheat Five Rice to combine the health benefits of cereal, oat, wheat, buckwheat grain and barley

Then you decide on fillings - a whole host of European and Taiwanese meat (chicken, tuna, sausage etc) and veggie options (corn, cucumber, mushrooms, broccoli, beans etc).

For $4.40, you get enough for a light lunch, or a hefty healthy snack to see you through until a late dinner.

Which rice would you choose?

Ladies Who Brunch: Living Cafe

Living Cafe came with a glowing recommendation - fresh flavours, whole food, good portions - I couldn't wait to try it out!

First impressions?  It certainly looks like a cafe in a holistic health business.  The walls are lined with bottles of potions, powders and capsules of every kind of super food you can imagine, the interior is clean and simple and tables are spaced out, not the cheek by jowl that you see so often around Singapore.

The menu is extensive, really, I'm talking about eight pages, and all of it looks fantastic (see for yourself here).  I was originally eyeing up the chia porridge, but when I picked up the lunch menu I was forced to abandon that plan.  Temptation beckoned in the form of raw zucchini hummus, brown rice sushi, living salad, quinoa salad, brown rice bowls, wholemeal pizza, baked aubergine... and that was before I got to the juices, smoothies and desserts.

Disappointed to find out that the wholemeal pizza was unavailable for the rest of the month(!), we opted for the zucchini hummus and sesame crackers, and living salad to share, and a brown rice bowl each (one Mexican and one more Greek).  Delicious!

The zucchini hummus was smooth and fresh.  I'm not sure how the sesame crackers were held together, but I suspect it was something soy sauce based as it had a salty tang.  

Raw zucchini hummus and sesame crackers

The brown rice bowl came next and didn't disappoint.  The flavours were light and fresh, and the portion size perfect.  The living salad was tasty but completely over dressed and soggy.

Brown rice bowl - Greek-style

We were seated by the deli counter and spent the whole hour and a half eyeing up the raw sweet treats on offer - key lime pie, apple and cinnamon slice, spirulina and mint balls, and many more.  Despite being pretty full, we decided to share the black forest bar with our coffee - excellent choice.

So far so good right?  Well, I guess people who are into raw/whole food aren't into coffee, because it was quite a disappointment.  Try a juice, tea or smoothie instead.  If you're blessed with a car in Singapore, lucky you, because getting a taxi was also quite difficult.

Still, the food speaks for itself and I'll be going back to try a few of the other menu items which caught my eye.

The Living Cafe is a part of Balanced Living which is a mecca for health/whole food and living holistically.  They have yoga classes, nutritionists, raw food cooking classes, books... in short, everything you could need if you're interested in health and wellness.

The Living Cafe

779 Bukit Timah Rd (just before 6th Avenue)

P:  +65 6762-8029     

Open:  Mon - Sun / 9am – 10pm

Review: Tambuah Mas - Cheap & Cheerful Indonesian

I don't eat a lot of Indonesian food in Singapore, but that might change now that I've been to Tambuah Mas.  If you're looking for a quick and tasty bite to eat that won't break the bank, head to Tanglin Shopping Center and give it a shot.  "Tanglin Shopping Center?", I hear Singapore-based people say.  "There's food there?"  I would have said the same thing, but get down there and check it out.

The Udang Petai Belado (prawns, chilli, petai beans) are a must try, as is the Sayur Lodeh (cabbage, green beans and bean curd in spicy coconut milk).  We also had chicken satay and rendang lembu (beef) which lived up to their 'classic' reputations.

Udang Petai Belado (prawns, chilli, petai beans)

Sayur Lodeh

One thing I don't go for is the typical Indonesian desserts.  Kathy tried the Es Gula Melaka (sago chunks, coconut and palm sugar - she said it was very sweet, but delicious).  I was curious as to what atap seeds were, so I tried the Es Buah Atap.  Atap seeds are rather like the inside of a giant jelly bean, but the rosewater and milk was just like strawberry-flavoured milk that you buy in the supermarket - not great.  Order some fresh mango instead.

Tanglin Shopping Center, 19 Tanglin Road, #04-10/13
P: +65 6733 3333
Open: 11am - 10pm daily

Paragon, 290 Orchard Road, #B1-44
P: +65 6733 2220
Open: 11am - 10pm daily

Review: Five & Dime

A 'five and dime' is a cheap variety store, similar to the $2 Shop back home.  Based on that, I wonder why anyone would give that moniker to an eatery.  Five & Dime looks anything but cheap - the interior of this old shop house is fabulous:  tiles, exposed concrete, and a pared back aesthetic.

A couple of cute details - mini cookies served with coffee in bright red retro espresso cups, canisters and cake stands on the counter.  The coffee is ok, certainly not amazing enough for a $5++ double macciato (the #1 Ladies Who Brunch coffee is found at Baker & Cook), but the food prices are reasonable for Singapore - around $20.

The brunch menu is heavily Japanese-influenced which is slightly unusual - the omelet (tamago), the eggs benedict (with seared beef), gyu pasta.  For those craving a simpler breakfast (scrambled eggs, muesli, poached eggs on toast), best go elsewhere unless you want to opt for a small fruit salad, toast or pancakes.  I opted for the eggs and corned beef hash.  The presentation wasn't anything special, but it tasted great!

Unfortunately, the same could not be said for my companions dishes - the omelet and the pancakes scored an 'ok' rating - and my two friends who ordered the fruit salad had to pay an extra $1 for a small additional portion of yoghurt.  It infuriates me when cafes do this - it's completely unnecessary and is something which should never happen.

So, Five & Dime?  It's ok, but I wouldn't rave about it.  Perhaps it's better for dinner?  Most of the reviews I've read say the cocktails are pretty good.

Five & Dime
297 River Valley Road, Singapore
+65 9236 5002
Open:  12 - 12 weekdays, 10 - 12 Saturdays, 10 - 10 Sundays