Quiznos

We all know I'm not very much a sandwich eater, but when the time calls for it I would love mine plain and simple - lots of beef, melted cheese, and maybe some onions or mushrooms. It's not surprising then that I loved my belated but first bite of Quiznos' Zesty Steak sandwich, which had tender slices of beef, soft cheese and crunchy onions. And oh, let's not forget that delectable barbecue sauce and perfectly toasted buns. Amazin'! (*Move aside Subway*)

Place
Orchard Central, #03-31.

Picture taken with the Apple iPhone 4, with some help from Instagram.

Da Lat, Vietnam: La Sapinette Hotel

Some of my friends have wondered if I am eating in too much on my work trips, but I must assure you that this isn't the case. It just isn't appropriate to be snapping away at food during my working lunches and gala dinners, so what you see on this blog is just a small part of my meals overseas. Don't worry, I'm fed well, and for those who have seen me around recently, you may have already concluded that I've been fed too well haha. But no, I've not grown to the point that I need beds for three people (see picture above), it was just over-generosity on the part of the Vietnamese and Koreans.


I must admit that I've never heard of Da Lat till I was selected to go on this trip. A small town amidst the hills, Da Lat certainly has a serene charm of its own and it did feel like a good break from the work rush back in Singapore. If you like "out-of-nowhereness", maybe a place to just relax and (almost) do nothing at all, you might be happy to know that there will be direct flights from Singapore to Da Lat in the near future.

Onion Soup


I expected an airy puff on top, just the way the French do it, and so I was a little disappointed when I didn't see that on my soup. It came out alright, quite satisfying actually when dipped with toasted bread.

Steak Sandwich with Cheese


Da Lat is known for its fresh fruit and vegetable produce, but it didn't mean much to a red-blooded meat-eater like me. While the thin strips of beef tasted better than expected, it was still just wayyy too simple for me.

Fried Rice with Seafood


A safe bet in Asian hotels, inasmuch as most of them taste alike. Passable basic fare. What I liked more was the strong Vietnamese coffee, perks your day and night up like no other.

Price
VND 47,000 for the onion soup
VND 85,000 for the steak sandwich with cheese
VND 59,000 for the seafood fried rice

* Prices subject to 10% service charge.

Place
La Sapinette Hotel,
Da Lat, Vietnam.

Pictures taken with the Canon Ixus 80 IS and Apple iPhone 4.

Octa Hotel

I first heard about Octa Hotel from one of my favourite blogs, Singapura Makan Photo, and I thought its antique Parisian concept was quite interesting and definitely something worth a look. Coincidentally, I was looking for a dinner venue recently for a sweet, girly friend of mine and I realised this place seemed like a good fit.


Part café and part shop, Octa Hotel gives you the opportunity to do a little shopping for gifts whilst waiting for your food and drinks. The menu here isn't extensive but decent enough for a satisfying lunch or teatime break. Of course, we were here for dinner, and so convinced ourselves that sandwiches would be a healthy change for... a day haha. We were actually quite intent on ordering the delightful-looking parfaits but these turned out to be out by nine. Another time then!


For most of it, the interior decor of Octa Hotel is simple, with brief, quaint touches of old Paris (or rather, a Japanese take on it). The peaceful setting here is perfect for intimate conversations over a cup of tea. Or a sweet parfait of course.

Parisian Hot Dog


In terms of food, Octa Hotel did not seem to impress me as much, or at least as far as what I'd ordered. I had expected a larger hot dog, but I realised that it was made to look large and long when it was actually an empty bun in the middle. Hmmm...


The bread was overdone, so overdone it was difficult to slice it cleanly with a knife. A bit too crispy like a biscuit if you ask me.


The sausage and cheese were alright, so were the chips. But in its entirety it was not as good as I thought it would be.

Grilled Bacon Sandwich


Jasmine's sandwich on the other hand looked really healthy indeed. It's not the kind you would ever find me eating but she seemed to enjoy it and that's good enough for me.


I was actually quite envious of her soft bread, as compared to my crusty over-toasted bun ha! I guess we were both disappointed that we couldn't try the parfaits, both the chocolate and strawberry ones. While we sure did enjoy our MOF desserts thereafter, there's still that lingering yearning for those pretty parfaits from Octa Hotel... Next time, next time...

Service
Very good.

Price
$12.90 for the Parisian Hot Dog
$13.90 for the Grilled Bacon Sandwich

* Prices subject to the usual 7% GST and 10% service charge.

Place
Parco Marina Bay, #P1-39,
Connected to Millenia Walk.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Naples, Italy: Hotel Palazzo Caracciolo

The Palazzo Caracciolo Hotel is one of the best hotels that Naples has to offer, and if you need a bit more persuasion, well, it's a refurbished palace that was not only home to the ancient Caracciolo dynasty, but also to Gioacchino Murat, a King of Naples. Of course, don't expect gold furnitures all around, since the new hotel prides itself on its contemporary and elegant touch.


Still, you must be wondering why I'm introducing this hotel, since this is after all a food blog. And a food blog it still is, because I'm going to talk about the only time that we ordered room service during our entire trip in Italy. My travel buddy was still trying to overcome his jetlag from his long-haul flight and I had suggested that we stay-in for a little while longer. Thinking about it now, it was a good decision because I got to taste Palazzo Caracciolo's awesome burger ;)

Cheeseburger


For just €5, this was really quite a steal. The Cheeseburger is simple but one of the best that I've tasted. I can't decide if the patty was minced or hand-pounded (or even, both) but I what I do know is that it was really fresh, tender and delicious. The buns were well-toasted and the fries arrived piping hot. Ah, yummy.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich


My friend thought his Ham and Cheese Sandwich, Caracciolo-style, was just about alright without being anything impressive. I think he prefers his American-style Ham and Cheese, even if it looks more boring aesthetically.

Price
€5 each, but a room surcharge of €5 is imposed. Make the most of it and order drinks.

Place
Hotel Palazzo Caracciolo, via Carbonara,
Naples, Italy.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

The Garden Slug

It's another one of those days when I'm eating out alone again, but at least there's still that element of adventure to the day as I sought out a hidden gem in the eastern side of Singapore. This is The Garden Slug, a modest but admirable eatery that has been around in the Telok Kurau area for quite some time now. If "comfortable food", reasonable prices, excellent service and a peaceful setting is what you are looking out for, this is one place that you may be interested in.


The warm, humble and cheery feel to The Garden Slug would probably remind you of other cafes like Food for Thought, Kith Cafe, Kichn and Vanilla Bar, and for good reason too. I really like how unpretentious and sincere The Garden Slug appears to me and it's definitely my kind of place for a simple and hearty meal. Thank goodness I was in the vicinity today and it was a perfect reason to give it a visit.

Roast Beef Sandwich
Ciabatta bread topped with mozzarella and mushrooms


Truth be told, I was not in the bestest of moods so a cheer-me-up was called for. Naturally, I was well prepared for something deliciously sweet (read on...) but I realised I should have something warm and savoury too. The Roast Beef Sandwich looked like a simple and safe enough choice, inasmuch as part of me was eyeing the seafood pizza and pasta but there was only a certain amount of space that my jeans and belt could hold for the afternoon.


And delightfully, it was simple and safe enough to satiate my lunchtime hunger. Hearty slices of beef that went very well with the cheese, bits of mushrooms and most importantly of all, well-toasted ciabatta bread. It was typical of me to push aside the side salad (because I'm sooo on a diet) and in its place I got a small pack of Doritos nacho cheese chips. Neat.

Apple Cranberry Streusel


What reallyyy got me all the way here in the first place, was the dessert of the month: the Apple Cranberry Streusel. This looked so good on The Garden Slug's blog that I knew I had to brave the scorching heat and additional bus ride just for a taste of this little heaven. Thankfully, it did not disappoint at all.


Add this: thankfully too that I only had a sandwich before this, because the portion of this streusel was huge and it would definitely be better shared. It's pretty, no doubt about it, and the "scoop" of vanilla ice-cream (with notable specks of the all revered vanilla beans) was more like a packed snowball worth at least two standard-size ice-cream scoops. Generosity: check. Admittedly, it was a tad "icy" but this also meant that it managed to stay harder longer as I went through the dessert slowly. The hot streusel (very much a crumble to me) had fresh slices of apples and was uniquely good because of the pleasant hint of spices, which is more than just cinnamon. Sugar rush: check. Satisfaction: check that as well!

From what I gather from its blog, The Garden Slug is also offering photography courses for DSLR users. A pity that I live all the way in the west. I was a little "stressed" as well while posting this blog entry because I know my amateurish pictures can't possibly match up to their photography skills! Nevertheless, all that aside, it was a decent lunch indeed and I'm definitely looking at my calendar to plan a return visit here. The seafood pizza beckons.

Service
Excellent. Polite and friendly. All for no service charge as well!

Price
$9.50 for the roast beef sandwich
$9.50 for the apple cranberry streusel

* Note: The Apple Cranberry Streusel is only available till the end of the month!

Place
55 Lorong L Telok Kurau,
#01-59/61 Bright Centre.
Take Bus 155 from Eunos MRT, and get off at the fourth stop. Bright Centre is across the road, to your left.

Additional Comments
1. GST and service charge are both waived.
2. Opening Hours:
Mon - Tues 6pm-10pm
Wed - Thur 10am-10pm
Fri - Sun 9am-10pm or late
Public Hol 9am-10pm or late

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Vanilla Bar & Café

Vanilla Bar & Cafe along Boon Tat Street is one of those charming little places that offers you a brief but much welcomed respite from not only the hustle and bustle of working life but also from the tormenting elements of the weather, be it the scorching sun or the pouring rain. This is also the perfect place if you want your little corner for a cosy lunch, even more so if you have the company of a wonderful companion like I did.

Vanilla Smoothie


Let's just call my companion Ms Val, since we're after all at Vanilla Bar & Cafe, and also since vanilla is no longer "just plain vanilla" but is all hip and sexy again what with all the fawning over vanilla bean ice-creams and vanilla custard puddings. Here, the both of us naturally chose the Vanilla Smoothie, which to me didn't quite qualify as a smoothie per se because I've always associated it with fruity ice-blends instead. Not that either of us was complaining about our vanilla milkshakes, no, in fact it was so rich and creamy that it was a pleasant accompaniment to the meal.

Pumpkin Croquette


Ask me what you should pair creamy milkshakes with and I'd tell you, add more sin and decadence to that and let's go for something deep-fried baby. The Pumpkin Croquettes were nicely battered and fried to a lovely golden-brown, and was all crisp on the outside and soft and smooth on the inside.

Pan-Fried Udon with Chicken


If you like simplicity, the Pan-Fried Udon with Chicken would do well with you. Shreds of lightly fried chicken cutlets line the top of a sizeable portion of thick and chewy pan-fried udon, with tasty teriyaki sauce for added flavour.

Norwegian Smoked Salmon & Egg Mayo Sandwich


Ms Val enjoyed her simple but well-prepared Norwegian Smoked Salmon & Egg Mayo Sandwich as well, though there were definitely more ingredients put together for her sandwich as compared to my udon dish. A hearty enough portion for lunch.

Molten Chocolate Cake with French Vanilla Ice-Cream


Even with the fuss over vanilla beans, the cool and smooth French Vanilla Ice-Cream still fared decently when matched with the hot and rich Molten Chocolate Cake. The disappointment came when the cake was pried open, as the chocolate sauce refused to spill out in flowing beauty and instead stuck out slowly in a semi-coagulated... slush. Nevertheless, it was good enough chocolate to wrap up a lovely lunch in a sweet way.


Service
Very good.

Price
$5.90 for the vanilla smoothie
$4.90 for the pumpkin croquette
$9.90 for the pan-fried udon with chicken
$7.90 for the norwegian smoked almon & egg mayo sandwich
$10.90 for the molten chocolate cake with french vanilla ice-cream

* Prices subject to the usual 7% GST and 10% service charge.

Place
3 Boon Tat Street #01-01.

Additional Comment
1-for-1 house pours and draft beers from 4-8pm.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Everything with Fries

Many of my blogger peers have talked about the first Everything with Fries outlet at Joo Chiat Road but few have made a visit to the newer branch at Holland Village. Situated next to Breko Cafe and opposite Wala Wala Cafe Bar, this modest eatery has been my favourite lunch hangout in the past couple of weeks, largely because of the peaceful atmosphere, decent food and cheery service. And no, it doesn't come with any massage services like the pictures you see above the signboard, those belong to the spa on the floor above.

Lamb Burger


As always, I do my "homework" online before venturing to some place new, and many of the online reviews haven't been the most encouraging towards EWF's beef Cheese Burger. Since I happened to have a meat craving that afternoon (as I do ever so often), I put my money on the Lamb Burger instead. Good news, the burger was good! :)


A thick and juicy lamb patty that has been marinated with herbs and spices. It may not look large on some angles, but it will fill you up enough. I did away with the salad (what a surprise) and asked for a double serving of fries - this is after all Everything with Fries right? I didn't like the artificial-tasting "garlic and herbs" flavour but the Curry Fries hit the spot nicely.

Tandoori Chicken Sandwich


So as a testament to my approval of the Curry Fries, I went for a double serving of it on my next lunch visit. I think the manager recognised me well enough, especially since I'd always promised to try the desserts only to end up too full to order anything at all. My point is, the mount of fries developed quite a peak on my second visit here, and being the greedy potato-lovin' person that I am you can say I was quite pleased indeed.


I especially liked the juicy chunks of tandoori chicken in the sandwich, and they tasted quite good with the slices of onions inside as well as with the curry fries. I can't say the same for the tangy (mustard-based?) sauce though, it was a bit sour and I couldn't put a name to it. Thank goodness for the well-prepared chicken, it saved the sandwich.

Nutella Shake


The highlight of it all, however, is not actually the fries, but this lovely Nutella Shake. Now, I've had many milkshakes claiming to be the true "Nutella" milkshake, but I think this blend from EWF has set the standard of complete Nutella-inspired sin and indulgence.


Thick milkshake with the full Nutella flavour. This is heavenly.

Service
Excellent. Cheery, bright and friendly service.

Price
$9.90 for the lamb burger
$8.90 for the tandoori chicken sandwich
$4.90 for the nutella shake

* Prices subject to the usual 7% GST and 10% service charge.

Place
40 Lorong Mambong, Holland Village.
Next to Breko Cafe, opposite Wala Wala Cafe Bar.

Pictures taken with the Canon Ixus 80 IS.

Boulangerie @ Resorts World Sentosa

It's probably too early to say this, but just thirty minutes of walking around Resorts World Sentosa was enough to make me not like it at all. Sans the upcoming Universal Studios theme park which might be a refreshing draw for families after all these years of aimless "shopping mall weekends", the "integrated" in Integrated Resort is really just a cover for expensive dining, luxurious shopping and high-roller gambling. I don't see any value-addedness to Singapore with a place like this, with its pretense grandeur and air of elitism that would cater best to wannabes and people desperate to flaunt their wealth, no matter how tiny or huge. It just feels so boring and completely uninspiring to me.


While still in its soft opening phase, there are at least five eateries that are currently open - Patio (Italian), The Dining Room (Chinese), Fiesta (breakfast and dinner buffet), Starz Restaurant (buffet) and Boulangerie (tea and cakes lounge). Boulangerie is very much a misnomer in itself because there's nothing much of a bakery here at Resorts World, with only six varieties of cakes, four choices of sandwiches and three selections of pastries (two danish, one croissant). I wish people would use their heads sometimes before jumping into French names and words.

Sandwiches


I've chosen not to give ratings for this post because they're all going to be sub-par anyway. We were surprised that they need a chef to prepare sandwiches like these, with almost zilch effort in presentation as well. In Singapore, students around the age of thirteen (if not even younger!) are already taught sandwich preparation in "home economics" lessons. The Mayo Tuna Sandwich tasted as though it was out of a can while the chicken meat from the Roasted Chicken Foccacia was very bland.

Apple Danish Pastry


It's smaller than it looks, about a combination of two of those mini pastries from the Four Leaves bakery. Tastes just like it too.

Cocoa Passion


This was horrible, and for someone with simple and forgiving tastebuds like mine, I still couldn't go more than four forkfuls of this. The dark chocolate coating was overdone so much so that Tyler thought it had a dark soy sauce kind of aftertaste (!!!) while I felt the passionfruit crème brûlée inside was so sour and awful that it completely couldn't pair with the chocolate mousse.

Summer Fruits Cheesecake


Perhaps the only thing that was passable for the afternoon, but it still couldn't impress. Cheesecake and jelly layer in the middle of dry pastry.

Choco-Nut Tarte


It's difficult to go wrong with this, and true this could pass as well, but I've had so much better ones that this is just plain basic. The chocolate was not as smooth as the one from Coffee Club (which has a caramel layer as well), and neither was it of a good quality as the chocolate from Laurent Bernard.

Any saving grace? Well, the Chocolate Cookies Iced Latte was pretty good. That's about it.

Service
Very good.

Price
$6.50 for the roasted chicken sandwich
$6.50 for the tuna mayo sandwich
$3.00 for the apple danish pastry
$5.60 for the cocoa passion
$6.40 for the summer fruits cheesecake
$4.80 for the choco-nut tarte
$6.00 for a chocolate cookies iced latte

* Prices subject to the usual 7% GST and 10% service charge.

Place
Boulangerie, Festive Hotel. Resorts World Sentosa.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

The Atrium Deli @ Pan Pacific Hotel

If you're in need of a quiet and peaceful teatime snack, there's The Atrium Deli at Pan Pacific Hotel. With the "Summerlicious Specials" promotion on till the end of the month, the teatime set is going for just $28++ "featuring petite sandwiches, pastries and freshly-brewed tea".

I have to admit though that there were as many misses as there were hits in this teatime set. Me and the bestie enjoyed the scones, apple crumble, sandwiches and oh, the delightful cream cheese spread (to the point we tried spreading it on almost everything) but we weren't too impressed with the cakes.

It's a very comfortable setting with dim lights and light jazz music in the background, and at times you could just drift off to sleep amidst the serenity. Service was commendable as well, the waitresses were very polite and always there to refill your tea or coffee. Still, I doubt I would be back for the teatime set, much less so without the promotion, but there's a chance I might try out some of their other cakes or famous éclairs the next time round.

The Stock Pot

Going on a diet? Maybe The Stock Pot could help you:

"Stock Pot soups are not just ordinary soups but outrageously delicious soups that are served up with an attitude for pleasing the palate and the waistline."

Or so we would like to believe (about the waistline part). With an enticing top-up of a half-sandwich and a glass of ice lemon tea at just $5, would we really stick to just our soups and stick to our plans to be well... stick thin? And oh, the accompanying bun is free too. I was asking how much more would it cost if I add another bun and the girl replied sweetly, "Don't worry, just go ahead and take one more", and added another bun on my plate. Diet anyone?

Mushroom Ragout: 4/5
Creamy Lobster and Crabmeat Bisque: 3.5/5









Daphne prefers this mushroom soup to the one at The Soup Spoon because it's not too thick or creamy. I guess it's really a matter of preference because I'm sure there would be others who like their soups really thick and almost gravy-like. My lobster and crab bisque on the other hand was more like a stew, with relatively adequate portions of lobster and crab-meat. I would have preferred a tad more ingredients in the soup though, and it would be a good if it was a wee bit less salty. Somehow or another, this soup just didn't live up to my expectations, especially after that hyped-up review on the newspapers some time ago. The accompanying buns were delicious by the way.

Peppery Beef Sandwich: 2.5/5


I'm afraid this didn't leave much of an impression because somehow or another the ingredients just didn't come together. While I like the way the bread was toasted with the hint of butter, everything else was lacking in taste.

Service
Friendly.

Price
$6.90 for the mushroom ragout
$7.90 for the creamy lobster and crabmeat bisque
$5.00 for an additional drink and sandwich

* Prices inclusive of GST. No service charge.

Place
Esplanade, #01-01/03.