Farewell for now: Henry Congressional

One of Mky's favourite coffee joints of the year, Henry Congressional, has closed its doors on the 30th of December 2012. They are currently sourcing for a new venue in April and will update their Facebook page once new information is out.

This is a great place to pop by for a ristretto coffee or 2, savour some of their delectable bites and still walk away without feeling the pinch to your pocket. That is, unless you try some of their specially imported beers that can cost over $25 a pop.

We tried their amazing scones on this last visit there. It's a pity we didn't try them sooner! These tasty bites are put into the over upon your order, so they come out nice and toasty. They smell buttery and delicious. And being cut into 4 pieces before baking, they're crunchy on the outside. You get more crunch than the regular scones elsewhere. We can probably modify scones of our own in future after seeing this little innovation.

We wish the owners every success in looking for a new place and we look forward to visiting the next Congressional!

Read our earlier review here.

Home-made: Christmas Chestnut Melts



Every year, just before Christmas rolls around, Mky heads into the kitchen and bakes up a storm. She churns out a recipe of her choice and gift wraps them to give to her colleagues and friends as gifts. This year, she was fascinated with a Chestnut recipe and in keeping the theme of the season, decided to bake some French Chestnut Melts.

The 'Melts' part of the name comes from the fact that the cookie, which doesn't contain any eggs, is not baked as long so it is only hard on the outside. When bitten through, the cookie actually appears to melt in your mouth!

Check out the fancy labels she made too - with just Powerpoint! She's a Powerpoint whiz! =)

Magma - a German Wine Bistro Deli + Shop

 Steak Tartare ala minute

Please enjoy the visual feast.

Magma
2-4 Bukit Pasoh Road
Tel: 62210634

Strangers' Reunion

We finally got to visit this indie coffee joint owned by a friend of mine. It's quite a tiny space, filled with eclectic furniture that don't match. The coffee was great (Mky said it was better than what she had at Jewel Coffee), and we also tried the Red Velvet Cake which Mky really loved cos it was fluffy and not over-dark in colour. I liked the sweet icing. =9 Check out the latte artwork above, really lovely.
However, due to the small enclosed area (and perhaps we were just at a really crowded time), the sound control was horrible. Mky and I could hardly hear each other speak. I walked up to the counter to place my order (apparently you should just sit at your table and wait for someone to take your order), and got a really rude look from one of the staff who seemed to be quite affected by the maddening crowd. I don't blame her, but I can tell you, it turned me off immediately.

The coffee is recommended, but try to visit during less hectic periods.

Strangers' Reunion
37 Kampong Bahru

 Tel: 62224869

Perfect Afternoon "Tea"

 

Henry Congressional is a really interesting place. Stripped bare minimalist, eclectic, yet filled with personal touches that encourages one to sit back and relax - be at home. On approaching the cafe, the glass facade (as seen above), shrouded by a white semi-transparent sheet, gives an impression of an American diner.

Mky was lured to this cafe by the coffee, pandan cake and the flourless chocolate cake. Our friends also recommended trying their American imported beer from Hair of the Dog brewing company. What? Beer in a coffee, cake and tea place? Rare yes, and it turns out that this actually makes for a really great combo for an afternoon tea for Mky and me. What with her coffee and pandan cake, and me with my beer and chocolate cake. =D

All confections found in this little cafe are home-baked by a tattooed guy. Turns out he used to be a sea-faring sailor, and he has some skills at cake-making! Flourless chocolate cakes are perfect for chocolate lovers like me who don't care much for cake. THIS is the kind of cake I love. Thick, no airy-fairy cakey bits getting in the way of the good stuff. And they serve them on those old-school metal plates too. See eclectic above.

Mky thought the pandan cake was divine. Pfft.. Pandan cake? People who love flourless choco cakes don't understand how exquisite a simple pandan cake can be. I'll let her add her comments later. *rolls eyes* hehe

Is that a fixie by the wall? Yea, along with the vacuum tube audio amplifier, the decor of Henry Congressional lures in the cool cats, and the hip-without-trying-to-be crowd. Me and Mky? We're just there to eat and drink. =) And by drink, check out the Westvleteren beer crate! How many places can boast of having a Westvleteren beer crate?? We're talking about Belgium monks churning out one of the best rated beers in the world here.

One thing to note, in the cafe, there are only 2 large tables and 1 smaller one against the wall. That's it. So it's pretty much a communal sitting kinda thing. Don't bring a large group there, you'll have problems with seating. The staff had to request for the customers to bunch up a little to create space for us.

Oh yes, then there's coffee. Mmm coffee. I'll let Mky comment on the coffee.

I chose to go for a cheap $9 St Bernardus 'wit' beer (actually, that was the most expensive thing we had there!), to cool me off from the warm afternoon heat. Nice and mellow. There's lots of craft beer choices, as mentioned, Hair of the Dog as well. Oh, the Westvleteren crate is just a show-off thing, I don't think they sell those. I wouldn't hand-cart those all the way from Belgium just to sell it either.

So since Mky skipped lunch, and I had mine pretty early on in the day, we decided to share one of their sandwiches. The rosemary chicken & watercress sandwich was pretty good. There's a huge chunk of grilled chicken in there, it was warm and it tasted great on the bed of watercress. I love the smell of the cheese, and the ciabatta that enveloped it was a perfectly crisp outer layer.

Seen on the wall of the cafe - "Henry Congressional: of or pertaining to the meeting of common folks for the appreciation of specialty coffee, tea & craft beer." This sort of spells out the intention of the place. Unfortunately, they'll only be around till Feb 2013, so head on over and check 'em out soon!

Henry Congressional

44 Holland Grove Road

9107 7547

Closed Mondays and Tuesdays,
Open till midnight on Fridays & Saturdays.

Aloha Ma Maison!

We are fans of Ma Maison. We love the homely, Hayao Miyazaki-inspired ambience, along with the fusion Japanese/Western food. Unfortunately, we don't go as often as we might like for two reasons. 1) the higher prices don't encourage recurring patronage, 2) the constant queues don't encourage walk-ins.

Fortunately, the Ma Maison group have spawned an offshoot called Aloha Ma Maison. They've adopted a Hawaiian theme and have a menu that is different, yet somewhat similar to the original. Enter the Loco Moco..

Loco moco is a traditional meal in Hawaiian cuisine. There are many variations, but the essential loco moco consists of white rice, topped with a hamburger patty, a fried egg, and brown gravy. - from Wiki.

Ok, we won't find Loco Moco at Ma Maison, but the hamburger patty that comes with this dish is a very similar one to what you will get at Ma Maison (ie. the hamburg steak)! And the good news is, it's cheaper! Furthermore, you can opt for either white rice or multi-grain rice at no extra charge, and a further choice of having a larger serving for a slightly higher price.

Take for example the Ma Maison Loco Moco in the picture above. This was the larger portion. Two sunny side ups cover a hamburg steak, stewed apples, macaroni pasta salad in a demi glace sauce with 2 servings of multi-grain rice. And of course, the mayonnaise! Can't recall the price at this moment, but for sub-$20, your Hamburg Steak at Ma Maison won't come with as many sides nor will it be as satisfying, I can assure you.

Ahipoke 

The salad Ahipoke dish has diced vegetables, and would have been perfect except it had some spice in it. We think it's Tabasco sauce, but we can't be certain. All I know is that it was a tad strong for a salad. When our mains came, having the rice with this dish made it more bearable.

Mky: Ahipoke flavours were not well balanced, the dressing overpowered the fresh flavour of the ingredients. The spicy element, which had a strange numbing effect on the tongue, did not add to enjoyability of the dish.

 

Tuna and Avocado Loco Moco 

A heavenly mix of fresh raw tuna and slices of avocado with a heavy dose of mayonnaise.Can't go wrong here. Mky says you can either eat it as presented, or give it a good toss (ala Pepper Lunch) and mix everything up. I chose the latter and enjoyed this dish perfectly.

Very interesting decor making use of the overhead space

Overall, we loved the rice dishes and the two variations we tried. As I understand it, they are also known for their pancakes, something Mky really loves. Unfortunately we were so stuffed by dinner that we couldn't make room for those delicacies. We'll definitely be back to try that next time.

Aloha Ma Maison

201 Victoria Street,
#01-12 Bugis+

+65 6884 4471

Home-made: Mky's Big Breakfast

What was initially supposed to be something that I was to cook for Mky, became something that she put together in the end! And using the much-talked-about Happy Call pan entirely too!

Hash brown with cheesy knackers and scrambled eggs with truffle oil. Topped off with a half slice of grapefruit, baby tomatoes, some cucumber slices and a drink, this could be the breakfast of champions =)

Thanks for the big breakfast dear!

$4 of Beef with Noodles

OMG, I will never eat another bowl of beef ball noodles dry ever!! Why eat mixed miscellaneous beef with flour when you can get pure unadulterated beef pieces in such excessive quantity within this $4 bowl of Beef Noodles Dry? We're not talking about overcooked pieces of cardboard here either, this meat is tender! Even the sauce tastes beefy, and the soup, with all those miscellaneous beef bits floating in it - heaven!

Initially I was looking at the order list and felt like having my usual of dry beef ball noodles dry, but it wasn't listed on the board. I know I could have just asked for it, but I decided to try their 招牌 dish anyway. What a lucky decision that was, cos I'm a convert, this is da bomb!

Sorry Heng Hwa, sorry Hock Lam (have yet to try!), but this takes the cake. If you like beef, this will rock your socks off!

This jaw-dropping reaction applies to only the Chinatown Food Complex branch. We've tried the franchise at People's Park Complex and, sad to say, it doesn't come close despite sharing the name. And if the original is still at Joo Chiat, I've not been there to comment on it.

Joo Chiat Beef King
335 Smith Street
Chinatown Food Centre
#02-107

Home-made: Japanese Pasta Salad

Home-made Japanese Pasta Salad. Ikea pasta with frozen vegetables, apples, peaches and shredded chicken thigh. Sauce is made up of mayo, mustard, condensed milk, apple juice, salt, black pepper, garlic, a small amount of tumeric for colour, and oregano. This isn't one of Mky's healthy dishes cos of the mayo and condensed milk, but it sure is tasty!

Served cold, it's the perfect cool dish for the hot summer, or warm tropical climes.

Breakfast that might just last all day

HUGE all-day breakfast - The Full Works

Set in a below-ground-level setting, under the main entrance of the Singapore Botanical Gardens, the unique setting was convenient, opening up from the underground parking. There is an industrial canteen feel to the decor cos of the spaciousness of the setting. Yet, along with the natural light, the orange and concrete feature wall nicely frames the kitchen on the far side of the entrance, lending an artistic visual that is complemented by foliage peaking out from the middle of the large group tables.

Once you've picked your seating, just 'chope' your table, grab a menu and queue up to place your order at the counter (waiting time of 15 mins that day). You can expect your food after a quick 5 mins wait.

The Full Works ($18, pictured above), from their new All-Day Breakfast menu, is the largest portion of breakfast we've ever seen! It very well could just last all day.. Mky took about 1 hour to finish it, even after apportioning a 1/3 of it to me. She noted that the breakfast menu structure has since changed from a review we came across dated just 2 weeks earlier. Previously, you could pick any 3 of their offerings for $8. Now you get to add additional stuff to a basic set, with the garlic mushrooms and chicken sausage being the premium items in the full works set. That aside, this is perfect for sharing.

Beef burger with fries, observe the sad patty, almost hidden by the toppings.

My burger order came with fries even though I didn't pay the extra cash for it. Initially I thought 'what a wonderfully nice touch it was', adding some fries to a woefully lonely-looking burger. Just as I was done taking a photo of it, a serving staff came with another burger (without fries), and took our previous plate away (sans one missing fry that Mky managed to steal!). I was a sad panda.. Incidentally, the burger with fries was then re-served to another customer, unaltered!

I wouldn't recommend their Beef Burger. The too-small patty was good and meaty but cos it was over-done, it just didn't satisfy. The bun was also a tad dry. Ample veggie slathered with sauce made the dish overall tasty enough yes, but for $8, there are better burgers out there, or other choices you can have from Food For Thought's menu.

Lonely Beef burger without fries

Vegetable Ratatouille, looks like curry right?

I loved the vegetable ratatouille though. Filled with thick slices of zucchini, carrots and onions, it made for a heavy side dish with its thick stew. It looked and tasted oily though, despite its vegetarian standing. One only hopes that it was olive oil and not vegetable oil we were eating happily.

Group tables with inset plants

Cool concrete decor

There is outdoor seating, and we did see some patrons with dogs on leash. We will be back again for the all-day breakfast for sure, and next time, it might be with pet in tow ;)

*Update*
Mky finally ate the two pastries (Banana Cake & Cinnamon Roll) that she bought from there. And the verdict is... 2 Thumbs Down! The pastries at FFT really suck. That's some strong negative views coming from her. Woops.


Food For Thought
1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens,
Tanglin Gate, #B1-00, S259569
Tel: +65 6338 4848

Jewel Coffee - a real gem in the CBD

 

If you've taken a stroll along Shenton Way, you'd probably already have seen this striking cafe opposite the SGX Building. "Jewel Coffee" in bold red words is framed by naked light bulbs that are reminiscent of a Hollywood starlet's dressing mirror. Seats are mostly outdoor al fresco with a few bar stools within the confines of the air-conditioned serving area.

We ordered the skinny cappuccino, El Carmen Estate blend from El Salvador. Strong chocolatey coco notes, dark and smooth. Rich and velvety mouth feel, when taken with skinny milk. If compared with beer, it would be akin to Stone Brewery's Russian Imperial Stout. $5.50.

The boss served us the Pork Cubes and asked about our thoughts on the coffee. He then suggested we try his other blend to find out the difference. He immediately went and brewed us a complimentary cup!

The Fried Pork Cubes were actually meaty pieces of pork collar, one of the tastiest cuts of pork available. If compared with Santouka's divine pork cheek dish, this would be a less tender version but just as flavorful. Do note that this dish, visually, fails to look appetizing. When it came, I just thought it looked like meat that was over-soaked in end-of-day oil. however, this is one of those dishes that warrants a try in order to really appreciate it. The marinade used with the fatty pork tastes quite Asian: vinegary, hints of dark/black sauce, possibly five spice powder. This results in a darned tasty and meaty bite! Only $10!

Jewel Coffee

1 Shenton Way

#01-07

 Tel: 66369452

Eating with the Garden Slug

We went to try out The Garden Slug on a Friday evening. It's an eclectic little restaurant that comes off very laid back. Their unique list of appetizers, mains, desserts and even a small cider selection, has a substantial vegetarian slant. Their motto is an interesting "Eat Drink Don't Think". Cute! We received some surprisingly professional service from the young staffers there.

I went with the strange choice of a Sloppy Portobello Veggie Burger - it was a vegetarian choice. When the plate was laid down in front of me, I was aghast cos the only sides to my burger were huge raw celery and carrot sticks! I confess, I didn't expect vegetable sticks for sides, expecting some fries to come along if at all (it wasn't specified in the menu). However, with some encouragement from Mky, I dipped the veggie stick into the thousand island sauce and found that I actually didn't mind it at all. Quite refreshing really. It also helped that Mky's dish came with 2 other sauces.

The burger itself was composed of a large portobello mushroom and a "curry patty" (basically potato spiced with curry powder) sitting on romaine lettuce and a slice of tomato. For some reason I was instantly reminded of Cedele's excellent Chicken Chermoula Burger. Must be the curry. Well, being as how the Chicken Chermoula is one of my favourites, the Sloppy Portobello was immediately judged on a higher scale. I thought it was delicious, I just didn't think the burger bun was anything to shout home about - it just served its purpose I guess.

Mky had heard that the fried calamari rings at the Garden Slug was heavenly, but we didn't think we could finish an entire serving of it between us, so she went with the Battered Seafood Sandwich, which came with the aforementioned calamari rings, some potato wedges and more veggie sticks. The calamari rings were quite perfectly done - crispy batter covering the still soft and juicy squid ring. The potato wedges were as standard as potato wedges could be. The platter came with 2 sauces though, Ranch and Honey Mustard! All the better to dip those healthy veggie sticks into!

Her Seafood Sandwich was almost like a less sinful version of traditional Fish & Chips - with the battered hake fish in question served between toasted multi-grain bread with romaine lettuce and tomato. She liked her order well enough (well it was mostly friend stuff, who does not like fry-ups? =P )

Overall, the Garden Slug has some interesting offerings on their menu that we would like next and gets our "We'll be back!" vote!


The Garden Slug
55 Lorong L Telok Kurau, #01-59/61
Bright Centre,
Singapore 42550
6346 0504
justask@thegardenslug.com

Eat it, Don't Tweet It!

Read about this new Instagram App for iOS specifically for food pictures called Burrple on Cnet. They had a link to this parody on the new movement of food photography, tweeting etc.. Kind of funny if you can laugh at yourself.

Labour Day Repast for the Family!

Dinner for the family, prepared by Mky on Labour Day.

We had:

Chicken drumsticks marinated in herbs, wholegrain mustard, lemon and butter, hot from the oven!  Baked 'en papillote' with mini plum tomatoes, carrots, lemon slices and capsicums.  For a random no-recipe "anyhow" dish, the chicken turned out surprisingly succulent and tasty... must have partly been due to the judicious use of salted butter to flavour the dish...

The finished product, ready for the dinner table!  Plated with steamed fresh french beans (tasted really good when drizzled with the sauce from the grilled chicken), and a side of wholegrain penne pasta, tossed in browned butter, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, chopped baby carrots as well as broccoli florets.

A hearty meal to celebrate Labour Day!  Hope everybody had a pleasant day of rest away from work =)

Home-made: Berry Good Muffins

Again for the Informa Charity drive, Mky made this batch of Berry Good Strawberry & Blueberry muffins for one of our colleagues who offered to donate a sum of money for it.

We used 2 punnets of glossy plump blueberries and 1 & 1/2 boxes of super sweet Korean strawberries in order to make a batch of about 26 cups. Unfortunately due to the berry-to-dough ratio (tried to stuff in too many juicy fruits!), the muffin did not rise as much as anticipated. However, that aside, the taste of this one is outstandingly awesome! Rich, fruity, tangy and berry berry moist. Yummy!  The natural goodness of 100% pure and fresh fruit, versus industrial jams/flavourings/fruit pastes!

Mky: Special thanks to Dky for being a helpful kitchen assistant on this charity project!

Home-made: Hot Cross Buns

In the time it took for 1 Good Friday service, Mky whipped up some Hot Cross Buns so that we could bring over to our friend's house. She went for a dark chocolate to complement the sweetness of the fruits within the buns. The appearance would probably have been improved had the dough been better knocked out after the first proofing, so says Mky.