Beurre’s Oyster Happy Hour: Mon – Sat, 5-7PM. With a minimum order of 2 drinks, you can get these babies at $2++ a pop. Do read the fine print, though – with a minimum purchase of 6 oysters & maximum of 12 per bill, there isn’t much wiggle room IMHO. I reckon a table of 2 diners would optimize this perfectly…. Or a single solo yolo diner like myself 😂
My 6 Oysters & a Pinot Grigio
So these oysters… They are the bomb, man. While not the plumpest, they are juicy enough for my liking. Slightly creamy & with a tinge of brineyness – which is the flavour profile I enjoy. I ordered 6 oysters for myself & tbh as I sit here typing this, I’m tempted to order 6 more to finish on my own…
I enjoy my oysters best with a squeeze of lemon & a nice glass of wine. Pleased to find that Beurre’s drinks menu has some pretty affordable options. I chose the Delle Venezie Pinot Grigio. A light & fruity one, it has hints of pears & apples, which sounds easy to drink – & that it was. It also complemented the oysters nicely, warranting a double thumbs up from me 👍🏻👍🏻
💳 Accepts credit cards 🌬 Air-conditioned seats available ☀ Al fresco seats available 🖥 Accepts reservations – I used Chope 🍽 Burpple Beyond Partner (1-for-1 set course menu)
I was recently able to secure a slot to purchase some mochi muffins from Tiky Mochi Muffin, a hot home-based bakery which I’m sure needs no introduction. Snagged a CNY Bundle Box ($25.50 nett, PayNow payment only), which comprises of a mix of 3 CNY + 3 Original flavours of choice.
My selection – 🔸3 CNY Flavours: Honey Butter Cornflake, Red Velvet Cream Cheese, Ondeh Ondeh 🔹3 Original Flavours: Thai Milk Tea, Double Chocolate, Matcha Adzuki
Inside a box of 6 Tiky Mochi Muffins
After sinking my teeth into the first muffin, I regretted not buying more (limited to 3 boxes per order though 😂). The texture of the muffins is pleasantly chewy. For some reason, I expected the texture to be similar to the Pão de Queijo from Four Leaves. Using that as reference, it’s actually much denser, & makes for a solid, firmer (but still chewy) bite.
The good variety of flavours are appealing, too, with seasonal flavours rotating to keep things interesting. If I had to pick a favourite, it’d be the Red Velvet Cream Cheese (CNY flavour) & the Matcha Adzuki (original flavour). These can keep for a couple of days (details/instructions are provided), however I found that these were mfost satisfactory on the day I collected them.
Happy to support local businesses & even more so when it’s one run by a friend. Congratulations Tiky Mochi Muffin on your 1st anniversary! They’re running a crazy promotion for February where delivery is only $1, which is insane. I self-collected my stash, & while it was a fuss-free experience, I’d gladly opt for $1 delivery in a heartbeat.
Can’t decide what I love more about Lean Bento – that their food is delicious & healthy, or that they constantly innovate to keep things fresh & exciting. This festive season, check out their unique Lo Hei specialties, served from 14 Jan – 26 Feb 2021 (excluding Sun), in the various portion sizes that you need.
Plentiful Wealth Lo Hei Gift Box
Pictured above is the Plentiful Wealth Lo Hei Gift Box for 1 pax – yes, that’s right, I can lo my own hei by myself! Perfect for my solo dinner on a busy work day. This $29.88 deal comes with a set of cutlery & a bottle of water. TBH, I’m not hot about disposables, but I acknowledge the convenience if you want to eat this outside of home.
Bottled water for thirsty people like me
It’s presentable too, which makes it great as a gift. With an ingredient cheering label in Chinese on the inside of the cover, that gets plus points for convenience (but remember, don’t flout the rules this CNY). More importantly, it’s delicious & healthy 😄 My favourite ingredient is the freshwater unagi. A great substitute to the traditional sashimi that you’d usually find – a particularly meaningful replacement for me as I can’t eat raw fish.
Unagi in Lo Hei? It actually works.
To me, this is the star of the show. Grilled lovingly & with a velvety smooth texture, it glides down your throat for that oomph shiok factor. Against a bed of fresh homemade ingredients – julienned carrot, white radish, dragonfruit cubes, golden egg crepe, citrus & melon strips, & so on. Topped off with a great miso dressing – there is no lingering saccharine taste from the sweet sauce in traditional lo heis. With such complementary flavours, I actually used up the whole sauce portion – which I normally don’t, but this was too good to pass up.
Might I add, also – the golden crackers, a hot crowd favourite? These are low-fat, tasty & guilt-free. I mean, I don’t count calories… But for what it’s worth, this dish in its entirety is under 650kcal a serving, with Protein 35g, Carbohydrate 62g, Fat 29g, Fibre 8g.
Thank you Charleswanmushi for sending over this Lean Bento gift box! A great start to the oxpicious new year 🤩
Chinese New Year may be different this year, but the puns are still the same – #happyniuyear, #oxpiciousnewyear, in my case #qige笼dongchiangdongchiang as seen below 🤪
Burpple’s 2021 CNY Media Kit
I’ve always loved Burpple‘s well-designed merch, feel like I might have collected them all – shirts, stickers, tote bags, tissue packs.. But hot off the press this year are their angbaos & cloth face mask. I must say, great quality stuff as usual!
The angbaos are sturdy & so adorable, definitely giving them to my nieces & nephew this CNY. Scan the QR code at the back of these angbaos to get a neat $30 off a new Burpple Beyond Premium plan 😍
& with masks being a necessity nowadays, I’m happy to receive reusable ones that I can use to stay safe. This one is soft & comfortable, & aptly proclaims my love for food. It’s also adjustable (which I value, as standard masks don’t fit my face well) & comes thoughtfully packed with a PM2.5 filter sheet.
Thanks Burpple for sending over this Chinese New Year media kit! If these caught your eye & you want in on this, head on to Burpple’s Instagram page to participate in their giveaway.. You might just be their next lucky winner:
My quietest Dining City Restaurant Week thus far – still playing it safe while COVID-19 is still out there. I’m only heading out for special occasions & this was one of them – & I’m glad it was with Monti; I enjoyed the experience & their lunch menu very much.
Monti’s Lunch Menu for DiningCity Restaurant Week 2020
This originally had been the last weekend of Restaurant Week in July 2020, but good news! This had been so successful for Monti that they decided to extend their menu into the month of August – both for lunch & dinner.
AMUSE BOUCHE
Starting off with the Amuse Bouche & Warm Bread
♦️ Chicken Liver Pâté Served in a Cone with Balsamic Pearl I am typically not a Pâté person, but I’ll eat it if presented in front of me. This was delightfully creamy & not too offensive on the tastebuds. A good start to the meal!
APPETIZERS
Appetizer: Burratina Ice Cream
♦️ Burratina Ice Cream & Eggplant Caponata with Parma Ham, in Artichoke Basil Scented Soup
Unfortunately I found this underwhelming, nothing much to rave about… I would’ve been much more satisfied with a hunk of burrata cheese tbh.
Appetizer: Grilled Asparagus with Egg
♦️ Grilled Asparagus with Sous Vide Free-Range Egg, Caramelised Red Onion, Cream of Parmesan, Veal Reduction & Toasted Almond Flakes
I still had my bread when this eggy goodness arrived. Broke the yolk, dipped it in & it’s like yakun on steroids. Getting my hopes up now are we…
MAIN COURSE
Main: Saddle of Lamb
♦️ Roasted Saddle of Lamb with a Pistachio Crust, on a bed of Braised Savory Cabbage with Pancetta; Token Caramelized Apple & Mustard Sauce Quite impressed with the tenderness of the meat. Pistachio crust adds great crunch & savoury cabbage gives a welcomed sourness that refreshes your palate in between bites.
Main: Duck Leg
♦️ Slow Cooked Duck Leg slathered with Morello Cherry Sauce on a bed of Roasted Truffle Potato, alongside Porcini Crocchetta & Baby Carrot
Also quite tender & flavourful, I enjoyed this duck that was paired well with the fruity-sweet cherry sauce.
DESSERT
Dessert: Tiramisu
♦️ Tiramisu This needs no introduction, really. One of the better ones I’ve had here in Singapore. Very well balanced, & each bite left me wanting more.
Happy Birthday!
Last but certainly not least, a birthday surprise for my dear friend who took time out of her busy birthday weekend to dine with me! Thank you Monti for acceding to my request 😍 This sweet gesture, the top notch service throughout, in a classy yet cosy environment with a great view made our afternoon absolutely perfect.
Monti @ Fullerton Pavilion
💳 Accepts credit cards 🌬 Air-conditioned seats available ☀ Al fresco seats available 🖥 Accepts reservations on Chope, but for Restaurant Week please go to DiningCity’s website
I knew about Dirty Buns when circuit breaker was still in full swing, but hadn’t taken action ’til now. Besides delivery & self-collection, they now also accept walk-ins, though take note there is a daily limit of 80 burgers daily.
Dining in at City Sprouts, where Dirty Buns is located
At $11 nett for a double patty burger, & only $8 nett for a single patty one, these burgers are a steal. After hearing such rave reviews about them, I had to give them a shot. Filled out their easy peasy online Google form & paid via PayNow to confirm my order.
Collected my order at Okome, one of the food stalls at City Sprouts
The journey to City Sprouts to collect my burger was somewhat painful & I got lost several times on the road. Wondered several times if I should’ve just paid for the also-affordable delivery fee of $5 (lol). But eventually I got there, & collection was fuss free. Parking is also free. Just like America, with their freedom of speech & all.
Double Patty Beef Burger with Fries
Is it worth the hype? A resounding YES. The buns maintained good fluffyness despite being squished in the neatly bundled wrapping. The patties were seasoned well & remained moist. Some have said the patties are heavily seasoned but I beg to differ – maybe they tweaked the recipe?
Overall, this traveled well on the journey home. The fries were okay, I don’t think I should judge fries because I was 20 minutes late in collecting my order (read: it had been sitting there for a while 😭).
But 20 minutes late & I’d still order the burger again? Think that says a lot. My dad also enjoyed this burger, so that’s 2 thumbs up from our household!
Order online & skip the queue – you’ll thank me for it. When I waltzed in to Two Men Bagel House at Holland Village (this was just when circuit breaker measures were freshly introduced), all 15 people patiently waiting in line to order were bewildered.
I checked with them to make sure they were in the ordering (not picking up) queue, then waltzed right past them to the pickup counter to grab my bagel order & go.
My Biggie Smalls
The lady whom I asked stopped me (nicely) on my way out to ask how she can pre-order instead of having to wait in line… I told her it’s simple, just go to their website, pay for your order, & you can pick your order up in 30 – 60 mins.
Two Men’s bagels honestly sell themselves – their incredulously aesthetic bagels teeming with amazing, hearty ingredients. I just wanted to post this photo to highlight that yes, you can order online, & also doesn’t this look SO DELICIOUS!?
& before JB from FB comments to kaopeh about why I never say what bagel this is – this is the Biggie Smalls. It contains flank, caramelized onions, charred broccolini slaw, mint gremolata, aioli, & sells for $15.00 SGD.
But hor, their website is very simple to navigate. Just go there & play match-the-picture/ingredients & read a bit of English lor. Corright or not, JB from FB?
Sarnies’ coffee beans are going at an awesome 1-for-1 ’til 1st June 2020! Simply walk in to their store along Telok Ayer street to purchase, or order online with the promo code WENEEDCOFFEE.
Coffee beans & a nice note from Sarnies
I got the Meerkat blend, described as: whiffs of sweetness when freshly ground; a chocolate & nutty aroma, followed by a smooth lingering toasty aftertaste. Bought a bag for me, & a bag to give away (since I can’t finish 2 bags that quickly). You can opt for various grind sizes: Whole bean/espresso/filter/french press.
There was a bit of communication breakdown regarding what I wanted – I walked in asking for a coarse grind, & they kindly ground the beans on the spot for me 👍🏻 But I realized when I reached home that they’d given me an espresso grind.
It’s not easy to communicate & confirm details through a mask, I guess.. So next time I think I’ll write my order down or place it online for self collection. The benefit of walking in-store is that you get Shopback GO cashback, so that’s my preference 😁
Besides selling coffee beans, Sarnies also sells breakfast/brunch/lunch grub! With the promo code HELLO10, you get a nice 10% off your online order. I placed mine a day in advance & paid up using PayPal after details were WhatsApped to me. Other payment options: iBanking/PayNow. Whatever method you use, payment must be done before your order is confirmed.
Yummy Quinoa Salad
Their Quinoa Salad ($15.50 nett) looks like health, tastes like DELICIOUS health. You’ve got feta, olives, pomegranate, pistachios – tossed in a bed of spinach & fluffy quinoa with cumin dressing. My mum & I enjoyed this, & we would order this again.
Sarnies’ Brunch Wrap Set – so good
My favourite item from Sarnies’ menu was the Brunch Wrap Set ($13.50 nett) – only available online on weekends & public holidays for brunch. My wrap of choice was the Breakfast Wrap (U.P. $9.50 nett), which is stuffed with eggs, roasted tomatoes & mushrooms.
The description alone reads like a deliciously good idea; biting into it convinced me this was a GREAT idea. Despite a 20-minute drive home, it was still warm, yet not soggy. The eggs were fluffy, mushrooms juicy & earthy, & acidity & slight char of the tomatoes gave life to this wrap. I shared it with my parents, & they were impressed.
The set comes with a drink of choice – any coffee/tea/kombucha. I had a Flat White (U.P. $5 nett), & I honestly don’t need to say anything about their coffee ‘cos I’ve gushed about it so much already. Consistently tasty, strong, & this is why I keep coming back.
Sarnies stash, mm mm yeahhh
💳 Accepts credit cards 🌬 Air-conditioned seats only 🍽 ShopBack GO partner 🙋🏻♀ No service charge 🚫 No GST
Strangers’ Reunion has free delivery for orders >$50, which honestly isn’t too difficult to hit with a couple of dishes. I ordered some of these items while they were on sale, & ended up spending more than double required for free delivery… LOL.
Strangers’ Reunion delivered a feast
Their delivery time slots are in 2-hour brackets; I chose 10AM – 12PM but indicated that I’d prefer as late as possible (“closer to 12PM”) & they actually took note of it.. Very appreciated!
Thanks for taking note of my note
Their Grain Bowl with Seasonal Vegetables caught my eye – with several options available, I went for the Hanger Steak with Chimichurri on a base of Quinoa ($16.00+).
The steak survived the delivery journey well. Even though it wasn’t warm anymore, when I bit into it & decided I didn’t need to heat this up to enjoy it. The hunky pieces of beef were still moist & tender; I wasn’t fighting tooth & nail to bite it into manageable pieces.
Grain Bowl with Seasonal Vegetables – I choose the Hanger Steak with Chimichurri on Quinoa
There was a nice variety of vegetables in the bowl too – various textures & flavours to keep things interesting. The onsen egg being kept separately such that you Add it in just before you eat? Brilliant idea. Mixed it in with the bed of fluffy quinoa & barley tucked right in. Quantity-wise, there were enough grains to pair with all the ingredients; glad they’re not stingy with that.
100% would order this dish again! Undecided if I should stick to this steaky goodie, or choose from their other options:
Grilled Chicken with Citrus Soy
Pan-seared Salmon with Spicy Shoyu
Charred Pork with Hoisin BBQ
Tofu & Tempeh with Ponzu (Vegan; No Egg)
Ps: If quinoa/barley isn’t quite your thing, you can opt for brown rice.
Strange Breakfast
There are many parts to the Strange Breakfast ($20.00+). You can choose eggs done 1 of 3 ways: Scrambled/poached/sunny side up. I chose the former. It had good texture, creamy & not watery or hard despite having roughed out the delivery ride.
However, the taste was WAY off. It was salty beyond belief, & this was unanimous feedback from everyone at the table. I would hope that was a one-off incident & the eggs don’t taste like this for everyone who orders this.
Thankfully, this wasn’t my main dish – if it were, I wouldn’t have eaten any more of the scrambled eggs past the first bite. It was just that salty. It was disappointing especially because it was the most expensive item of the order.
The rest of the brunch was okay – grilled tomato on vine, smashed potatoes, spiced beans, bacon, butcher’s choice sausage, toasted brioche & seasonal salad. The eggs really had potential to be the star of this dish, but I’m a bit afraid to re-order this again.
White Magic coffee is LOVE!
I’ve heard great reviews of White Magic ($6.90+), but even that wasn’t enough to prepare myself for my first sip. Guys, this is freaking amazing. Few other milky coffees can compare to this.
Don’t think that just because it’s “white”, thus it’s gonna be more milky than anything else (although, yes, it has a touch of cream in it)… Um, no.
I took a sip of this before an early morning meeting & this PERKED ME RIGHT UP. The caffeine boost slapped me right in the face. It lifted my mood so amazingly. It is pretty potent & robust. I would order this again in a heartbeat… I think I’m in love. 😍
Unfortunately, this cup of coffee was barely warm when it reached me
In comparison, I’d advise against getting their regular coffee delivered. I had a Coffee: White – Magic/Skinny ($5.50+) delivered, & it was okay… I drank it all, but didn’t impress me as much as the White Magic did. It didn’t have that robustness that I was hoping for in the caffeine department. Perhaps also because it was only lukewarm by the time it reached me.
I mean, it wasn’t terrible, but I’d pay a little bit more & get the White Magic.. Trust me.
It sucks to not be able to chill at a cafe over the weekend to relax & unwind… But during this circuit breaker period, I’ve discovered some pretty delicious food & beverages to keep my tummy happy. &, for some of these, I would like to visit these establishments to dine in, the next time I can. Kins’ Cafe is one of them.
Picking up my order from Kins’ Cafe
They have delivery options, but there was a self pick-up promotion back when I ordered so I went for that. I placed my order via WhatsApp & paid using PayNow. Drove to Bijou Condo where they are located – parking is open to the public. The carpark grace period is 10 mins, which was enough time for me to walk & navigate the elevator to reach the cafe.
Free parking!
When I collected my food, I got a sneak peak of the premises & it looks like a nice space to while my weekend away. I’d probably take the train here – Pasir Panjang MRT is a very short walk away.
Kins’ Cafe looks like a very nice space to chill in
The coffee was full-bodied & impressive; part of the reason why I’d return. I picked the largest size – a 7oz White Coffee ($6). Double shot coffee for the win! (The smaller sizes are, by default, single-shot)
A feast from Kins’ Cafe
The other reason why I’d return: I enjoyed the food that I had. The Tom Yum Pasta ($18) had plenty of fresh seafood ingredients, & the flavours were the right balance of slightly spicy, a little bit sour, & not too salty. I did not try the others – Wagyu Beef Yakiniku Rice Bowl ($20) & Lobster Mac & Cheese ($15) – but received positive feedback about them.
Also, their desserts were bomb. The Kins’ Burnt Cheesecake ($8) was actually the original reason why I placed an order with them. If you’re bringing this home to eat, I suggest putting it in the fridge for a little while to cool down before consuming, for a firmer texture.
This is the first burnt cheesecake I’ve ever tried, so I can’t say it’s the best as I don’t have a basis of comparison. However, I will say this – I enjoyed its light texture, unique (but not offensive, as it is only pleasantly not pungently cheesy) flavour so much that I would want to try other burnt cheesecakes as well.
Oh, & the Carrot Cake with Salted Cream Cheese Frosting ($7.50)? Also pretty good.
Bui Bui Eats 