Strangers' Reunion

Strangers' Reunion has been around for a pretty long time, and there was such a huge hype over its waffles that has kept me excited for reallyyyy long. no idea why i procrastinated so long before visiting this place, but i'm so glad i did! decided to check out the place for dinner after reading about it on a couple of blogs - it seemed that their dinner menu was more interesting than brunch ;) they do serve all-day breakfast though! and dinner starts from 6pm.

actually, there were several items on their menu which were highly raved about, and the truffle fries ($12.90) didn't disappoint. in fact, i was really impressed, and i conclude that it's one of the BEST truffle fries you can get in singapore, after PS Cafe!! the aroma of the fries wafted towards us and we could barely get a proper shot of the dish before we enthusiastically dug into it. the bowl was emptied in 5 minutes :P hahaha. really loved the generous amount of parmesan shavings and truffle salt scattered on top of the fries, and the garlic aioli that came with it was an interesting twist that was the perfect complement to the fries.

i'd heard a lot about the crispy pork belly ($24.90), but i think it was the only dish that kinda disappointed :( not that it was bad, but it just wasn't...good. it was pretty normal, and slightly tough in fact! nowhere close to the 'melt in your mouth' experience which i'd heard about. oh wells. i really liked the ginger beer, apple & date chutney that was on the side though! the tinge of spiced sweetness went really well with the pork belly ^^ the truffled mash was very interesting as well!

in a rare showcase.... the truffled wagyu burger ($26.90) deserves TWO photos because it looked so orgasmically good!!!! don't you agree?! that thick patty looks absolutely delish! #foodporn. i was surprised that the truffle flavour developed most significantly in (guess where?) the burger bun! haha rather fascinating infusion, but it tasted pretty good! topped with a beautifully-fried sunny side up egg, the thick beef patty tasted as good as it looked and the tomato relish rounded up the flavours wonderfully. the sweet potato chips that came on the side made us feel slightly healthier, and tasted really yummy.

i really wanted to try the sous vide salmon which i'd heard so much about, but it was no longer on the menu! :( sadddd. instead, we ordered the halibut & chips ($27.90) and i highly recommend this as well!!! it was fried very delicately - seemed like tempura-style - and it was light and hardly oily which was great! the meat was really fluffy as well, and it was soooo tasty ^^ i just realised that they didn't serve us the kaffir lime mayo that was stated on the menu though!! :O BOO :( remember to ask them for it when you're there! it sounds good! 

and finally, for the star of the day - the buttermilk waffles with homemade mixed berry compote and vanilla ice cream ($14.90)!!!!! SO GOOD. i loved how they gave such a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream! ;) generosity goes a long way :D it was the perfect combination of flavours with the tart berries that were deliciously juicy, the crisp & fluffy waffle and sweet, (icy) ice cream. and Strangers' Reunion recently opened a waffle bar next door as well! how awesome is that ;) definitely gonna try out the wider selection next door one of these days! 

Strangers' Reunion

37 Kampong Bahru Road 

Tel.: +65 6222 4869

Sun, Mon, Wed-Thu 9am-10pm

Fri & Sat 9am-12mn

Wimbly Lu

Wimbly Lu is a quaint little shop nestled in a neighbourhood in one of the estates in Serangoon. we took forever to get to this place on foot, but it was worth it! :) not a bad idea to look at pretty houses as we walked through the neighbourhood :) ...and suddenly as we stumbled into the clearing, we saw a row of shophouses. haha it is such a random place to have eateries! but i wish there was such a place in my neighbourhood too ^^ 

it was almost 10pm at night, but the queue for a table stretched all the way to the door of the cafe! not surprising i guess, since there was quite little seating space in there. perhaps capacity for around 20-30pax, arranged in a mish-mash manner. i literally had to get through a maze to reach my seat, which was squashed all the way in a corner. not the most comfortable i've gotta admit, but i'd like to come again someday when it is hopefully less crowded :) it was a lovely place to be in, just out of a fairytale with the pretty fairy lights hung on the ceiling, quaint furniture and cute plates. 

i'd heard so much about the waffles with ice cream ($8.50 for one scoop of ice cream + $3 for an additional scoop) at Wimbly Lu and i was really excited to try it! though i can't really make a judgement on it because i haven't eaten waffles in quite awhile, so i don't really have anything to benchmark it against. the waffle was really fluffy which was nice though! (: but not that 'wow' imo. (my opinion might have been slightly clouded by the events of that day though. so it might have been better than i thought). the ice cream serving was really small! which is why i ordered another one. LOVED the salted caramel flavour which we polished off really speedily. the honey cinnamon on the other hand, is possibly an acquired taste. mind you, i love cinnamon, but i felt that it was a tad too strong in this ice cream flavour. 

since we'd made such an arduous journey all the way to this place, we decided to make the travelling worth it by ordering another dessert! ^^ i was spoilt for choice (which is why i want to come back again), and finally decided on the nutella chocolate pie ($6) after changing my mind about 3 times :P this is rich, sinful goodness. just look at that layer of chocolate! :O luscious hazelnut chocolate packed densely into a pie. this was a punchy dessert which was absolutely delicious. 

there was an adorable beetle outside the shop which totally complemented my attire for the day!! haha too cute ^^ and i realised it was a permanent fixture there rather belatedly haha. take a picture with it for me when you go there! ;) 

Top: Bkk //

Shorts: H&M //

Shoes: H&M //

Bracelet: Thomas Sabo

Miam Miam

the first time i visited Miam Miam i was really excited when i saw their menu! everything on it looked soooo good, but unfortunately i was ill that day and couldn't stomach anything xP i really wanted to come back to order whatever that had attracted me though, and i'm glad i did! :)

Miam Miam is some sort of a Japanese-French fusion bistro. and you can see that in their super adorable menu with gorgeous typography. the food tastes great too! though the portions were incredibly disappointing, especially when the photographs on the menu were so deceiving. 

the single dish that kept nagging at me to return to the place was the Riz Noir ($16.50). a scrumptious looking pot of squid ink rice with assorted seafood (squid and scallops), topped with a fluffy omu egg. it looked like a deceptively huge portion in the menu, and my heart sank a little when the actual serving was significantly smaller. but it made up in terms of its punchy flavour, with each fluffy grain of rice smothered in a delicious aroma and rather generous serving of seafood. 

i quite liked the lobster bisque pasta ($18.80) as well, but it could have been much better if the sauce was a thicker broth, like the real lobster bisque. this was rather watery, although it was still quite tasty. the pasta was cooked al dente style! ^^ which i really liked, though some might find it undercooked. i love how pasta cooked this way seems lighter, and gives a more distinct texture that stands out from the rest of the dish.

i found the service here rather poor as well. we had to wait quite awhile for a seat, even though there was a whole seating area that was unoccupied, and the staff just kept telling us to wait, while brisk-walking past us. they also took forever to serve us our drink, and generally had rather unfriendly expressions on their face. we tried the matcha hot chocolate ($7.80) that sounded fascinating, but turned out to be nothing more than your normal matcha latte. and the funny thing is that they do serve matcha latte too! so i wonder what's the difference...?

i was super excited for dessert too! we ordered the chocolate molleaux ($9.80) which was a decadent, dark chocolate cake with soft serve ice cream on the side. we struck gold because they ran out of vanilla ice cream, and we were offered the matcha flavour as a replacement! (Y) wheee. haha cheap thrill ^^ the cake was beautifully moist, with just the right density, and a slightly molten centre (could have been better). warning: the portion was really tiny though, i think my photo might appear otherwise.

and FINALLY. building up to the finale......Miam Miam's FAMOUS FRENCH TOAST ($9.80)!!! ^^ there is a reason why it was named that, and it is a must-order. i'm not kidding. this was the saving grace of the entire meal. i only felt full after eating this. gosh! the french toast came in a stack, topped with a scoop of cream and honey on the side. i actually don't think the honey was necessary because we only drizzled a little on it, and it was quite sweet already! but more is good too ;) hehe. this was SOOOO DELICIOUS! there is no other way i can describe it - it's definitely one of the best french toasts i've ever eaten. perfectly sweet on its own, without being too cloying, the perfect balance between fluffy and dense, and oh-so-tasty, with/without the cream. 

i would definitely come back for the french toast one day. the others? i'll have to think about it. i don't really think the portions justify the price, but the fact that everything was pretty yums, does! (: 

Miam Miam

Bugis Junction #02-14

Tel.: +65 6837 0301

Daily 11.30am-10pm

Artistry

I realised there are many little cafes tucked along small streets near the bugis area. and so far, they're proven to be such gems :)) Symmetry is just nearby, and one of my most recent finds - Artistry - is a great place to dine as well! seating capacity indoors is really limited and you'll be sharing a huge table with probably 10 other people. but the food is simply YUMMS! i wish i came on a weekday actually, because all the recommendations i heard of were actually available only on weekdays -.- they have a different menu! so yup, just take note that the stuff i'm writing about are only available for Sat & Sun (:

despite the fact that i couldn't order based on my recommendations, we had such a tough time deciding what to get because everything sounded so good. i'm not kidding! haha.

for savouries, we ordered two kinds of burgers (because we couldn't decide between the two) - the beef sliders ($18) were mini beef patties topped with bacon, lettuce, guacamole, gruyere and mustard mayo. i always loooove having gruyere in burgers because it just brings all the flavours of the burger together in one savoury, gooey combination. these were delicious, and the best way to eat it is to just pop them in your mouth and relish the explosion of different notes of the burger. (though you'd probably need a pretty big mouth for that haha)

the Artistry Crab burger ($20) came with a thick crab patty that was deep fried to a delightful crisp, crumbed texture, yet retained the its fluffiness and juicy texture within. it came with a lovely tomato relish that balanced out the deep-fried flavours of the crab patty, and came sandwiched between artisanal squid ink burger buns. welllll, probably a gimmick since i don't think squid ink has any taste, but it made for a great photo ;) we chose truffle fries to accompany both our dish (they have cajun fries as well), though we felt they were pretty unimpressive - could have done with more truffle flavour pleaseeee.

for sweets, we got the PB & J french toast ($14) which was WOW-WOW-WHEEEEEE! you know how much i love PB! :D this was so yummy!!! a fluffy brioche french toast (gosh i gotta buy some of this brioche sometime!), stuffed with swirls of peanut butter and raspberry jam, drizzled with maple syrup and topped with vanilla ice cream and raspberry compote. I NEED TO EAT THIS AGAIN. the combination was totally melt-in-your-mouth delicious! 

for fans of windowsill pies, you'd be glad to know that Artistry serves pies from there too! i've never had the chance to try their pies, so i jumped with excitement when i saw that they were served here! ^^ we ordered the vodka lime pie ($9 if i remember correctly. so expensive!!) and it was super refreshing :D love the tartness of the lime, and the tinge of alcohol within. i realised that i made something almost similar though. hahaha. the only thing missing was the vodka. lol! we also ordered a lychee martini cake (should be $9 too) which was a special edition of the day! i can't really remember how it tasted, but it was yummy too :)) *slurps* #iwannagoback

Artistry Cafe

17 Jalan Pinang

Tel.: +65 6298 2420

Tue-Sun 10am-7pm

Lady M

MILLE CREPES. LADY M. SO GOOD. i'm so glad i finally tried it! ^^ i've seen so many pictures on instagram since Lady M opened in Singapore and i always couldn't wait to dig my fork into one of its yummy-looking crepes! i actually didn't realise that Lady M sold quite a few varieties of cakes other than mille crepes! in fact, there were only two flavours. which made it easier for us ;) we ordered both of them! hehe. 

we ordered the signature mille crepe and green tea mille crepe, which i believe is a seasonal flavour. it has been around for awhile though. i'm glad i had the chance to try it!! ^^ both flavours were really yummy in different ways - it was incredible how each layer was so painstakingly stacked on top of each other. absolutely justifies the price (i think it was $9/slice). and it was so amazing how it was so wonderfully moist and oozing with just the right amount of cream! 

the signature mille crepe had a slightly milky flavour with a creme brûlée burnished top, whereas the top of the green tea version was sprinkled with matcha powder! soooo yummy, but if i had to pick a favourite, it'd be the green tea one (: 

finally met up with debbie after she got back from exchange!!! :) had such a lovely time catching up with her and i'm glad that we still have so many things to talk about even after so many years! <3 

Lady M

Marina Square #02-103

Tel.: +65 6822 2095

Daily 11am-9pm (ooh i realised we actually reached there after 9am! :O luckily they still let us in :'))

d'Good Cafe

finally, finally i had the opportunity to visit d'Good Cafe!! ^^ i'd been wanting to come here since last year, and it was always a potential study cafe for me because it is pretty easy to get here from where i stay and there is free wifi! but there was always some other place to go (zzz) and so we never came here - till now! and i've gotta say that it's not a very fantastic study location after all (haha) because it's so popular. BUT there is a good reason why it's so popular!! i'll definitely want to come back again for the good food, pretty cosy ambience and free wifi of course! (: i didn't take a picture of the swing, but it's soooo cute. permanently occupied, naturally. we were there on a weekday afternoon and almost all the tables were occupied all the time! the good thing is that they have quite a lot of seating space (hidden all over the place :p)

okay, enough blabbering - here's the food! ^^

two of the items i had at this cafe are MUST-TRIES, and this is one of them! :) i really didn't expect much from the chicken tikka masala ($12.50) but it turned out to be really awesome!! :D it was deliciously creamy with a tinge of butter, without being overly rich. in fact, it was super addictive and i mopped up every bit of the sauce eagerly. the jasmine rice that came with it was fluffy and subtly fragrant, and was the perfect complement to the curry.

sam ordered the eggs benedict ($13.50) and it was pretty standard i guess. the egg yolk didn't flow as nicely as he wanted it too, so it wasn't that fantastic. 

but hey, we were sure satisfied with our dessert!!!!! ***drumrolls***

the Maple Sea Salt Cheesecake ($9, if i remember correctly) was SO SO SO good!!! Sam was absolutely blown away, and it was pretty amazing to see ;) it had a wonderful combination of maple syrup, with just a smidgen of sea salt to balance out the sweetness. luscious, but not cloyingly so, and the texture was just right - it was pretty light, but totally satisfying. such a perfectly balanced cheesecake! (: and plus i had the most epic experience trying to get hold of this cheesecake. you can check out my instagram for the full story if you're interested. haha.

i can't wait to come back to try their chilli crab pie and different types of pastas! everything here just sounds SO GOOD. and how about another cheesecake? ;) yep, i would definitely love to have one.

d'Good Cafe

273 Holland Avenue #02-01

Tel.: +65 6219 9807

Sun-Thu 10am-10pm

Fri-Sat 10am-11pm

Toby's Estate & Swirls Bake Shop

this place has been around for quite some time and i keep hearing of people going there for brunch! but it took awhile before i finally set foot in this place, because of its location at robertson quay, which is really quite inaccessible by public transport. i realised though, that this is exactly the charm of this place! (: being relatively hard-to-get-to, it is a quieter part of our bustling Singapore where there are less people, more space to chillax, and a higher possibility of spotting some eyecandy (read: cute angmohs :p). i used to think of robertson quay as a night-life kind of place, with a more laid-back bar/pub feel compared to its neighbour across the river, clarke quay. but i've come to realise that it's a lovely place to be at in the daytime as well! i really enjoyed the peace and quiet in this area, and the out-of-singapore vibe i get when i'm here. 

toby's estate is a lovely warehouse-inspired cafe that is spacious (there is an outdoor dining area as well) with a huge common table in the middle and also smaller tables along the sides. the brunch menu had dishes other than the common breakfast items found everywhere, which i really appreciated! time to eat things other than eggs benny :p haha. 

 as expected, sam went in for the kill when he saw the toby's breakfast ($18). and it didn't disappoint! look at that pile of food!!!! i have to say that this full breakfast is one of the best i've seen so far! there was a generous portion of everything - eggs (scrambled/poached), espresso maple bacon, cherry tomato confit, sauteed mixed mushrooms and brioche toast. i loved how they put effort into the little touches that made items on this dish stand out! for example, the bacon had a lovely tinge of sweetness thanks to the maple syrup, and the mushrooms were simply orgasmic!!!!!! :O:O:O they were the BEST mushrooms i've ever eaten, not kidding at all. they had a delicious perfume of truffles that bathed our senses. it was so good, better than most truffle fries that you can find in other places. a.m.a.z.i.n.g!! the cherry tomatoes were delicious too! surprisingly sweet for singapore standards, and they were roasted to perfection.

i really enjoyed my breakfast taco ($12) for its unique-ness. although the portion looked so much sadder when placed next to sam's big breakfast, it definitely made up in terms of taste! and this is one dish that you wouldn't typically find in brunch places, so thumbs up for that! ^^ the taco shell was lightly toasted such that it was nice and crisp, and it was filled with a generous portion of chili con carne (beef) and scrambled eggs that went wonderfully together! this sat atop a bed of greens drizzled with balsamic, and it was a very nicely balanced dish (:

Toby's Estate

8 Rodyk Street #01-03/04

Tel.: +65 6636 7629

Mon-Wed, Sun 7.30am-6pm

Thu-Sat 7.30am-10pm

and special mention for this adorable cupcake shop just around the corner from toby's estate! ^^ it is soooo adorable! i was so excited to see it, and their flavours sound so interesting (: besides their typical flavours available daily, they also have specials that change on a daily basis i think. and i absolutely love how they have super-mini cupcake sizes!!!! they are little bite sized ones, which just seem much less sinful hehe :P i tried the lavendar mini cupcake ($2.80) and i loooved the light floral aroma that it had. the icing was light and fluffy, which was nice.

Swirls Bake Shop
8 Rodyk Street #01-08
Tel.: +65 6634 4765
Daily 11am-7pm

Happy birthday mummy! ♥

hi thereeee! ^^ it's the second half of the sem now and i'm absolutely swamped. i've completely forgotten how smu life used to be so insane (this is totally an understatement to describe this semester x.x) especially during the supposed "break" that just passed. it's an absolute misnomer! #nokidding. anyway, enough ranting :p 

mummy's birthday fell in one of the craziest weeks of the school semester, but i was of course, really happy to be able to plan all our family's foodie adventures for this celebration :') special occasions like these are always the best opportunities for us to try out new places that we wouldn't go otherwise. can't wait to blog about these places soon! anyway, i feel really lucky this year to be able to work with The Cupcakery by Athena for mummy's cake! 

doesn't it look so gorgeous?? :D 

i wanted to get a rosette cake specifically for her birthday, because i've been seeing pictures of such cakes everywhere and they all look so pretty :) i would say these cakes don't come cheap though, because of all the effort needed to design the cake. but what i really liked about working with the cupcakery was how Athena was so meticulous in helping me conceptualize the cake! i didn't have much of an idea of what i wanted for the cake, except for the design, and i didn't even know what about all the thought-processes that went into creating it! but thanks to Athena, we went through every single detail to make sure that we came up with a cake that i was sure mummy would love ^^ the initial flavour was actually supposed to be something else, but in the end due to a mini problem, we decided on Athena's signature red velvet cake instead with vanilla cream cheese frosting with a dusting of coconut shavings.

beautiful double-layered interior that was super dense and yummy! it was really rich and flavourful, without being overly sweet, which we really appreciated. we were so full after dinner that we only managed to eat a quarter of the cake on that day, but subsequently the rest of the cake disappeared pretty quickly :p the coconut shavings also lent a subtle additional flavour which was very interesting.

all the happy ladies with the cake! ^^

i loved working with the cupcakery because i knew that the cake would be made with so much love and that is ALWAYS a secret ingredient which makes food yummy (: and i really liked how Athena personalized the entire experience for me, which is really great, especially for special occasions like this! even her after-sales service is amazing! look at the cutest message she sent me regarding the cake collection:

Athena bakes both cakes and cupcakes, and a range of other desserts as well! prices will depend on what you order of course, and is based on the cost of ingredients. a cake like mine would cost around $55, but here's the deal! the cupcakery is giving my readers 10% off! just quote "KELLY10" in your order (: this is valid till 31st Jan 2014!

hope you enjoy her bakes as much as i do :) and please like & share the cupcakery's facebook page!!

the cupcakery

athena.chew@gmail.com

83668108

Max Brenner Chocolate Bar

happy mid-week everyone! (: It's also the middle of the semester and i'm completely drowned by school. don't ask me why i can be writing a post at this time. even though it's the midterm break, but that is just a complete misnomer! i just need some chocolate to release some endorphins into my system, and i hope this makes you salivate ;) 

i've been wanting to visit Max Brenner for the longest time, and i'm sure all you like-minded chocolate fans out there would want to too! it's quite pricey though, which was why i was so excited to know that it was one of the participating restaurants in Esplanade's Visa one-for-one lunch promotions. unfortunately the promotion is over already, but i'm really glad i had the chance to try it. I've seen and heard so much about Max Brenner's chocolate fondue, and i just had to order it! the Classic European Chocolate Fondue for two people ($25.90) gives you a choice of two chocolate sauces - pure milk, dark or white - with toffee sauce, and is served with bananas, strawberries, chocolate chunk cookies, marshmallows and fluffy chocolate sponge cake for dipping. naturally, i went for the dark chocolate, and i decided to go with the milk chocolate for my second choice since i'm not such a fan of white chocolate anymore. in fact, i found the toffee too sweet. i wonder whether they would allow three pots of dark chocolate instead of one pot of each variety? :p i loved it. the dark chocolate was the perfect blend of bitter-sweetness, and it complemented the sweet condiments just right. i was a fan of the chocolate chip cookies and sponge cake especially. but while i had gone to Max Brenner with the sole purpose of trying their chocolate fondue, i found that i liked their waffles way more! not that there was anything wrong with the fondue, i just found the portion a little small (it's a tasting portion) and not all the condiments were to my liking.

since it was 1-for-1, we ordered two waffles ($18.90 each). my absolute favourite was the Tutti Frutti Waffle, whose name didn't appeal to me much initially, and therefore turned out to be a really pleasant surprise. the waffles at Max Brenner are really good! thick, fluffy waffles topped with a mountain of goodies that looked like a mouth-watering piece of art. the Tutti Frutti came with a generous amount of strawberries (what an overdose of strawberries that day! not that i'm complaining), blueberries and milk chocolate ganache. i loved the little bits of crumbles which lent additional texture to the dessert, and this all went together seamlessly with the smooth vanilla ice cream on the side.

the apple pie cinnamon waffle was delicious as well! though not as much as the former, because i felt it was a tad too sweet. chunks of white chocolate, apple slices, candied pecans (love!!), more crumbles and drizzled with a generous dollop of cinnamon-y sauce and with more vanilla ice cream. another classic combination that cannot go wrong!

Max Brenner Chocolate Bar
Esplanade Mall #01-06
Tel.: +65 6235 9556
Sun-Thu 11am-11pm
Fri-Sat 11am-12am

Kki

Kki has been around for quite awhile, and i've long wanted to try this place! it's located in the ann siang hill area together with The Little Drom Store, which is a shop selling quirky little knick-knacks that are pretty cute! (: i have to say that this space is really small though! i was beyond surprised when i saw it actually. hahaha. i thought it would be some upstairs-downstairs kind of concept, but it's all really in one space. and i think the seating capacity is less than 20? so you might have to be prepared to wait if you plan to go there. 

honestly, i was a tad disappointed when i was there. although it was a lovely space and the cakes were quite yummy! (: i'll tell you why along the way.

tiramisu: a very light mousse-like cake. dig deeper for the alcohol!! :D 

souffle milk tea cake: a very unexpected flavour (: it possessed a slight hint of a tea aroma and was very light. 

strawberry cake: the sweetest of the three. even though the texture was mousse-like, similar to the other two, the strawberry flavour was infused into every bit of the cake (: 

i was surprised that the cakes were SO tiny. and for an exorbitant price of around $8-$10 if i remember correctly. and when we reached there at 4pm, they told us to order asap because it was their last round of cakes...but they're supposed to open till 7pm? O.o i wonder what they're gonna do if they sell out before then! the service was also a little iffy. i mean, in general it was pretty good because the staff helped us to get an extra table and chair because of our large group, but at times i felt that they were just a teeny bit rude.

also one thing to remember is that these japanese cakes are really light! because of their mousse texture, they're very airy and aren't substantial at all. i guess for a lady-like tea they'll do ;) but the staff actually recommended us to get 3 cakes for 2 people. i'm not telling you not to visit this place, because their cakes were undoubtedly tasty. but just keep these things in mind, and manage your expectations, and be prepared to spend. 

Kki

7 Ann Siang Hill

Tel.: +65 6225 6650

Tue-Sat 12pm-7pm

Sun 1pm-7pm

Mon Closed

Vienna - Part II

as promised, part II on vienna - food! (: perhaps you've heard me mention this a couple of times already, but one thing i loved about vienna was its cuisine. MEAT!!!! in italy, i had such an overdose of carbs, that i was simply feeling terribly unhealthy and fat, yet rather unsatisfied because there was this gnawing feeling that something was missing. i didn't quite realise what it was till i stepped into our first dinner restaurant in vienna. and *eureka!* i found my love. meat :D 

there is no doubt that Schone Perle (the first restaurant we went to) was probably the best out of all the meals we had there (: not because i had been so deprived previously (although that probably constituted part of the reason), but because of the quality of their food, and also the most-delicious-chocolate-cake-ever that we had at the end. *swoooooons* it's been so long ago that i can't remember exactly how it tasted, but i was completely melting in my seat as i automatically reached for the next forkful of cake, unable to resist it, and not wanting to anyway ;) 

(lousy photo quality because the place was so dark >.<)

we started with the vienna potato soup with mushrooms (€4.50) which was a lovely thick, warm broth that was perfect for the cold outside.

then came the meats! HEHE :D this was the home made sarma (cabbage rolls filled with meat) served with sour cream and boiled potatoes (€6.50) and it was absolutely delicious!!! the meat was super tasty, and it was nice to have the cabbage to balance out its flavour so that it wouldn't be too overwhelming.

 haha i'm so terrible, i can't remember what i ordered already bcos it was so long ago :P but i think this was the organic "tafelspitz" (boiled beef) with viennese potatoes, chive sauce and apple horseradish (€11). absolutely loved the huge slab of meat, and the apple horseradish was a delicious accompaniment to it! Tafelspitz is one of the specialties of vienna, so be sure to try it! ^^

another specialty of vienna which we weren't a huge fan of, was the "Wiener Schnitzel" (heehee got inspiration for my doggie's name from here :)). we ordered the small one for €7.50. it's basically a deep fried pork cutlet, and since i'm not a huge fan of too oily food, i wasn't impressed with it. we just ate it because it's one of Vienna's signature dishes. if you want to try it, i'd recommend that you do not order it here, but at the next restaurant below though! i didn't try the version there, but almost every single table ordered it, and they were all locals! so i'd place my bets that you can find a better version there ;) 

aaaaaaand for the star of the meal!!!!! the "SUISITORTE" chocolate cake with mousse au chocolat topping (€4.50). this was literally the BEST cake that i ate during my entire exchange. it was so rich and chocolatey, smooth and creamy, yet not overly heavy because it was largely a mousse cake. it was so so so good. we wanted to go back another day for a second round of it, but couldn't because of time constraints. wish jiayee could have brought some of it back!!!! haha LOVED IT ^^

Schoene Perle

1020 Wien

Grosse Pfarrgasse 2

Tel.: +43 664 243 35 93

the other place we dined at for dinner was a very traditional viennese pub, which was a great experience because we were surrounded by mostly locals and could completely soak in the viennese pub atmosphere ;) tried to order some traditional viennese dishes again, but i think we had little mix ups haha. but the food was still pretty good anyways! 

we accidentally ordered the fried egg dumplings (€8.70) when i think what was recommended was actually the fried dumplings with egg :P lol. so it turned out to be this dish that looks uncannily like our singapore carrot cake! :P 

we had the beef goulash (small, €8.90) which sam was absolutely drooling over hehe ^^ it was hearty, tasty, and meaty. everything you could ask for in a goulash ;)

also, the beef bouillon soup with noodles (€3.90), seemingly boring, was a hit amongst us! (: probably because we've missed the light, clear chinese soups we have grown up with - this was exactly what we needed! food for the soul ^^ it was simple, but delicious, and we were so happy drinking it! 

Gastwirtschaft Schilling

Burggasse 103, Wien 1070

Tel.: +43 01 524 1775

when in vienna, you've GOT to try the pork knuckle ;) it's hugeeee! and one of the best you can get is at the Naschmarkt - look out for the store called Radatz. it was so shiok to just tear this apart and devour it :D 

two famous desserts in Vienna are the "sachertorte" and "apfelstrudel". we got them both at Cafe Griensteidl at €4.10 and €3.40 respectively. honestly, i wouldn't really recommend having these two desserts at this place though. the sachertorte is a chocolate cake, but from all the reviews from friends i've heard so far, no one seems to like it much. definitely not as much as the AWESOME suisitorte above ;) the apfelstrudel here was just a bit 'blah' because it was kinda soggy. i think they have better versions elsewhere though! so it's probably a better idea to check out some other cafe. 

and who says only italy has gelato? ;) we found a super yummy gelato store with tonnes of flavours in vienna!!! i can't remember what flavours we ordered, but they were all soooo awesome ;) it's super crowded there though!! so don't expect to be able to test the flavours. be sure of what you want to order and just go! ;)

Eissalon Am Schwedenplatz

Franz-Josefs-Kai 17, 1010 Vienna

Xin Cuisine Mid-Autumn Festival 2013

it's just about a month away from the mooncake festival, and i'm all in the mood for mooncakes already! ^^ especially since i've been seeing photos of mooncakes appearing all over instagram since one month ago already :O can you believe it?! the celebratory mood is starting earlier every year! not that i'm complaining ;) i love my mooncakes, both the traditional and snow skin versions :D and i feel super lucky to have the opportunity to indulge in the widest variety of mooncakes i've ever had, at the OpenRice Mooncake Tasting at Xin Cuisine! (:

to prep our tastebuds for the sweets ahead, we were served delicious bite-sized entrees that are actually the signature dishes of Xin Cuisine! I was delighted, first by their intricate presentation, and of course, by the flavours that exploded in my mouth from these miniature versions of the original dishes. 

i loved the deep-fried whitebait fish with salt and pepper which is the dish in the top picture in the kueh pie ti container! the taste was completely unexpected, with the crisp textures of the deep-fried fish enhanced by the savoury-peppery notes from the seasoning. 

the baked scallop with Japanese Miso Sauce and eggplant was a hit amongst all the guests at the event! the rate at which it was snapped up was evidence of its popularity ;) the scallop was succulent and tasted naturally juicy, and was complemented by the appetizing eggplant soaked in miso sauce. the homestyle roast duck with tea leaves was very simply presented, and yet, perfect in its simplicity. the skin of the duck held such a wonderful aroma that seeped into the meat as well. finally, Xin's crispy roast pork is a favourite as well, with just the right amount of fat and crisp skin. 

the entrees could have been enough to satisfy my appetite, but next came the highlight of the night! and i was completely unprepared (but very pleasantly surprised) by the onslaught of mooncakes that followed. i've never tried such a wide variety of mooncakes before, and never imagined the sort of flavours that were concocted by Xin Cuisine's chef.

i started off on a safe note with the most traditional of all mooncakes - the Single Yolk White Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake ($52) was delicious in an understated manner - the sweetness of the lotus paste has been reduced, and this definitely makes health-conscious mooncake lovers (like myself) feel a little better about our indulgence :) those who aren't fans of egg yolks, or who are extra big fans of egg yolks will be pleased to know that there are the White Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake ($48) and Double Yolk White Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake ($56) respectively.

Xin Cuisine's Special Egg Custard with Egg Yolk Mooncake ($52) is one of its specialties, and celebrates its Silver Jubilee this year. this was definitely one of my favourites with its soft custard interior that that was rich and creamy, but not cloying.

the last mooncake in the tiered stand was the X.O. Sauce with Assorted Nuts Mooncake ($56). i'm honestly not a big fan of mooncake with nuts but this was quite interesting with a mild X.O. flavour in it!

I would think of mooncakes to be paired with chinese tea, but Xin Cuisine came up with a creative twist on this! they came together with two wine suppliers to pair their 2013 mid autumn festival mooncakes with both red wine and prosecco (sparkling white wine)! it was sooo fascinating, and i was especially interested since prosecco comes from italy! ^^ we were encouraged to try out each of the mooncakes with both the red and white wines to see what we preferred. it was recommended that red wines go better with the traditional lotus paste mooncakes, while white wines are better paired with snowskin mooncakes. but really, it's up to your personal preference! my favourite was the extra dry prosecco which was very crisp, without being too bubbly (i decided from italy that i don't like very effervescent wines) and it helped to cleanse my palate in between the various mooncakes, so that i had a fresh start with every slice ^^

 for the red wines, we had a Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. the Shiraz was slightly spicy, while the Cabernet Sauvignon was wonderfully full-bodied and was a great accompaniment to the mooncakes, by enhancing their flavour. so what i learnt from talking to the experts was that the type of wine you prefer to pair with the mooncakes is really a very personal decision! putting it simply, whether you prefer the wine or mooncake more ;) if you prefer the wine, choose something like the prosecco which freshens and refreshes; whereas if you like the lingering taste of mooncakes in your mouth, pick the Cabernet Sauvignon to preserve that lovely flavour.

then we had the snowskin mooncakes to try! :D on the far left was the Green Tea Lotus Paste with Chivas Chocolate ($50). i've always heard of the green tea-chivas combination as a drink, and since Xin Cuisine is located in such a close proximity to Zouk, it's no secret where they got their inspiration from! ;) i'm just kidding. but this was one of my favourite mooncakes! gotta admit, this combination cannot go wrong ;)

the pretty pink mooncake was the Soursop and Chocolate Crunch ($50), which was one of the most interesting flavours! what was especially fascinating was that the texture of the mooncake's interior was exactly like that of the soursop pulp! and the chocolate bits within it helped to balance our the acetic taste of the soursop.

the Passion Fruit Paste Snowskin Mooncake ($50) was very refreshing and was complemented with fresh mango! 

for fans of Reeses Peanut Butter chocolate cups, you would LOVE the Black Sesame Paste with Peanut and Chocolate Snowskin Mooncake ($50)!!! that ball inside the mooncake tastes exactly like peanut butter cups!! ^^ i'm definitely a fan ;) and the black sesame had a robust flavour that was absolutely delicious.

the Champagne Chocolate and Pandan Lotus Paste ($50) subtly lures you in with its gentle aroma, while having a burst of alcohol when you bite into the centre. yummy! :)

Xin Cuisine really has mooncake flavours for everyone!!! Durian-lovers, you cannot miss Xin's Mini Snowskin Peranakan Mooncake with Durian Paste ($50). i stayed far away from this :p but according to my sister who is a durian-lover, this tasted really authentic! ;)

finally, the star of the night - the Teochew Yam Paste with Single Egg Yolk ($52) was specially prepared by the chef on demand! apparently this mooncake is only made-to-order and is quite tedious to create, making it really special! this is one of my FAVOURITE types of mooncakes and i was super honoured to be able to try it! :)) tbh, i like peony jade's version much better though. there is just something lacking in this, which i can't identify. but it was definitely good nevertheless! :) 

always excited to meet the chef!!! (: and hence the unglam fringe problem :p Chef Cheung Kin Nam is the man behind all the lovely mooncakes we ate that day! ^^ 

brought yi along for the tasting and took a pic with one of the openricers! :) thanks for the invitation Openrice! 

**Xin Cuisine is having an exclusive 30% off their mooncakes when you quote “OpenRice Mooncake Promotion” (valid for the first 100 boxes until 30 Aug only). Just one week to go! Get your mooncakes now ^^