And there is a place called Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland. A potion that makes you shrink. A cake that makes you grow. Vanishing cats. And the Mad Hatter. All these make for an interesting read (or movie) and transports you to fantasy-land. Would White Rabbit bring you all that…and more?

Stained glass windows of the old chapel

I’ve wanted to check out White Rabbit for the longest time despite the many dismal reviews on its food and service. I’m a sucker for ambiance and to me, a painstakingly restored old chapel nestled in lush greenery off Demps sounds perfect! The high ceilings and glass windows contributed to the fancy setting and I was thoroughly impressed by it.

Even the toilets had a whimsical touch to it (and yes I did bring my camera to the toilet)

Complimentary Onion Bread

Complimentary freeflow Bread was served and I chose the Onion Bread. This was served piping hot and was pretty good. Maybe it’s just me but I haven’t had onion bread before!

Gastronomic Galore

Degustation Menu

Pressed for choice with the numerous appealing dishes, I decided to go for the Degustataion Menu (88$) which had 6 courses. I figured this was the best way to try most of the dishes, so I would know what to try during subsequent visits.

Carpaccio with Sea Scallops and Salmon, Served with Petite Mesclun.

First up was the Carpaccio with Sea Scallops and Salmon, served with Petite Mesclun. At the risk of sounding like an ill-cultured ignorant fool, it tasted….normal. Thin slices of salmon surrounded the sea scallops and this was topped with rocket leaves. Pardon my lack of description but it was some time since that visit.

Chicken and Duck Liver Parfait, Pistachio Nut Tuile served with Marinated Prunes

Chicken and Duck Liver Parfait, Pistachio Nut Tuile served with Marinated Prunes was served next. The liver parfait tasted similar to foie gras and the richness of the parfait was somewhat neutralised with the toasted bread  and marinated prunes. I could feel the cholesterol in me increasing with every bite I took :( I’m not a fan of nuts so I left the pistachio untouched.

Confit of Salmon served with Braised Leeks, Tomato and Herb Fondue.

The next dish was the Confit of Salmon served with Braised Leeks, Tomato and Herb Fondue. I don’t particularly enjoy vegetables but the leeks was done perfectly and I finished every mouthful of it. In fact I enjoyed it more than the Salmon which was nothing spectacular.

Tourmedos Rossini. Medium Rare US Tenderloin topped with Pan Fried Foie Gras and Black Truffle Sauce.

I’ve heard much about White Rabbit’s Tourmedos Rossini and was pretty excited to try it. Medium Rare US Tenderloin topped with Pan Fried Foie Gras and Black Truffle Sauce sounds almost too good to be true, and boy did it surpass all expectations I had! The marbling of the beef added tremendous flavour to the steak and this went very well with the black truffle sauce. I’ve had very bad experiences with steaks because chefs seldom get the texture just right and it ends up being too tough. This however, was yummzzzz to the max. My only gripe is that the Foie Gras which accompanied it was too little! The richness of it was to die for, and every bite I took felt like heaven. TYPING THIS OUT IN WORDS IS MAKING ME SALIVATE X1000000.

Crispy Duck Leg Confit

I’ve also heard much about the Crispy Duck Confit but unfortunately I wasn’t too impressed with this dish. Perhaps I was too occupied with thoughts of the previous dish, and this just paled in comparison. I liked the sauteed onions that came together with it though.

Sweet and Raspberry Parfait Milk Chocolate Jelly and Spiced Biscuit

Smith Woodhouse Fine Ruby Port

The second last dish was dessert, and this came in the form of Sweet and Raspberry Parfait Milk Chocolate Jelly and Spiced Biscuit, served with a glass of Smith Woodhouse Fine Ruby Port. I didn’t quite enjoy the dessert cos it tasted a bit too much like jello. I’m no wine connoisseur (in fact I hardly drink it) and to me, the Port was a typical dessert wine; sweet and red.

TWG's Creme Brulee Tea

To end it off, I had TWG’s Creme Brulee Tea and this was a nice end to the Degustation Menu :)

Curried Black Cod, Roasted with Spices and Served with Roasted Onion Soubise 29$

My friend also had the Curried Black Cod, Roasted with Spices and Served with Roasted Onion Soubise (while I was having the Degustation Menu. I’m horrible I know) I had my reservations about this dish initially because of the spices but this surprisingly went pretty well with the cod fish. Easily one of the best dishes that night!

TWR's signature Mac&Cheese.

We also shared a side order of the signature Mac&Cheese (9$) but this was too jelat for my liking. I’ve never been able to finish a portion of Mac&Cheese and this was no exception, despite rave reviews for this. I’ve no idea how people order this as a main when we couldn’t even finish it as a side dish.
Am looking forward to return soon one day, this time for brunch!

The White Rabbit
39C Harding Road

Not too much potato in one mouth

I’ve been meaning to check out Everything with Fries for the longest time but Joo Chiat is waaaaayyy too far for a Westerner like me. So I was pretty excited when they opened a new branch at Holland V, taking over the old Tapas near Breko. I’m usually not a fan of fries because I always feel that it’s too much potato in one mouth. Similarly, I don’t like mashed potato, whipped potato etc (Unless of course, it’s accompanied by Truffles. Then that’s a different story altogether. However, I was actually looking forward to having fries this time because I heard yummy stories about it!

The interior of Everything with Fries

Blackboard menu

I arrived late one Saturday night at about 8.30pm and was surprised to see the cafe packed to the brim. The first thing that caught my eye was the white-washed walls and the blackboard menu. It gives a really clean and minimalistic vibe! I don’t like the floors though. Minimalistic as it might be, some tiles would be good. Grey cement just looks….dirty and as though the company has a lack of funds. I don’t fancy the layout of the restaurant either, because it was way too crammed. I had to stand up numerous times to let people (who were squashed all the way inside, poor souls) pass by, and towards the end of the night I was seriously quite annoyed.

The 3 steps to a good meal

Okay now for the food! All mains come with a choice of Caesar Salad or Coleslaw, and a choice of shoestring fries (like those in Macs) or straight cut fries. The fries also comes sprinkled in 5 flavours; Original, Curry, Salt and Vinegar, Sour Cream and Onion or Garlic and Herbs.

Breaded NZ King Salmon 13.90$

Was eager to try the Lamb Burger but unfortunately it was out of stock! I asked the waitress for a recommendation and decided to go for the Breaded NZ King Salmon (13.90$). This was DEFINITELY not a wrong decision! I’m usually wary of Salmon dishes because it tends to be overcooked, but this was done to perfection. Soft and with just the right amount of fats (I know right, fatty salmon for 13.90$???), it practically melted in my mouth. This was complemented perfectly by the breaded layer. A divine combination of both crisp and soft. Perfect! I went for the coleslaw (only vegetable dish I’d willingly eat) and while this wasn’t fantastic, it sure beat the “Caesar Salad” that my friend chose. That had only a few pieces of lettuce and croûtons. I also decided to have the Sour Cream and Onion shoestring fries and this wasn’t too bad. Although I’d have preferred more seasoning on the fries (ooh the saltier the better!), I practically wiped my plate clean. And this is saying a lot for someone who eats a maximum of 2 crinkle fries in a meal.

Tandoori Chicken Sandwich 10.90$

My friend had the Tandoori Chicken Sandwich (10.90$) which wasn’t too bad! It came in 3 small portions, drenched in a tangy sauce (forgot to clarify what this was). The chicken portion was generous and definitely filled my friend up! The only odd thing about the sandwich was that the bread reminded me of French Toast :/ I’d have preferred it to be crisp and toasted, not soft and…eggy. Caesar Salad, as mentioned, was pathetic. The Garlic and Herb shoestring fries ordered was alright I suppose. I found it too bland while my friend thought it was too salty, but nonetheless addictive.

Nutella tart with Vanilla Ice cream (6.70$0

To end the night off, we shared the famous Nutella Tart (4.90$) with an additional scoop of Vanilla Icecream (1.80$). Perhaps I’ve been spoilt for good food, but I was rather disappointed to see that there were no black specks of vanilla beans. The Nutella Tart however, was orgasmic! Initially I thought that it would be extremely jelat but hell no. It was bliss in my mouth with every bite I took. The Oreo crust and Nutella filling, together with the icecream went very well together and I was thoroughly satisfied!

Service wise was okay, even though they were pretty busy on a Saturday night. The food took a little long to come, but it might have just been me because I was famished at 8.30pm already. The wait staff there were friendly although they looked like they were just out of puberty in their pastel pink shirts and white shorts. Okay I exaggerate. Maybe fresh out of JC or something. I feel ancient beside them :/ Anw this i’s a great unpretentious place to visit, if you want to cheap and good fix! A must-go!

Everything with Fries
40 Lorong Mambong
Holland Village

Time to Spruce up our image

As an avid fan of brunch, I’m always on the lookout for new brunch venues so when my friend suggested to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon at Spruce, I jumped at the opportunity. Reading hgw reviews, however, made me slightly hesitant because of the dismal reviews on its service. Nonetheless, I wasn’t letting a few reviews ruin a perfect day with my girlfriends. It was after all, time to spruce up our image after having too many late nights together.

Welcome to Spruce

Old skool blackboards informing you of the Daily Specials

Located along Tanglin Road, Spruce is directly opposite the Brunei Darussalam. While it might seem tucked away and hidden from public view, it isn’t a terribly difficult place to locate because of the prominent landmark opposite it. Waiting time for a table is notoriously long, and because I absentmindedly forgot to make a reservation, we had to wait approximately half an hour for a table.

Filled with angmohs

Lush greenery

Spruce is popular with Caucasians and locals alike, presumably because of its good food and quaint surrounding. There is also a small playground behind the restaurant, perfect for kids to have fun while their parents have tea and scones. One of the reasons why I enjoy brunch (apart from eggs ben, ooh yum in my tum!) is because it is very often located in obscure places in lush greenery. It really takes you away from the hustle and bustle of life. Think Riders’ with horses trotting along, or Prive by the bay.

Travis Egg Benny 25$

After hearing so much about the Sweet Onion Crepe with White Truffle Fonduta and Spruce Burger, I was rather disappointed when these dishes were only available for Lunch. I decided to have the Travis Egg Benny (25$) because you can’t go wrong with wholesome goodness; prawns, poached eggs and a toasted bagel. And I was right! It was simply divine! The eggs were cooked to perfection and the spices of cajun prawn complimented the hollandaise sauce perfectly. My only gripe was that the bagel wasn’t exactly toasted nor hot, but hey. You can’t get everything in life.

British Brekkie 17$

My friend had the British Brekkie (17$) which comprised of Bacon, Cumberland Sausage, Baked Beans, Grilled Tomato, Roasted Mushrooms and a choice of Scrambled, Poached or Sunny Side Up Eggs with Toast and Butter. She decided to have Poached eggs after hearing me rave nonstop about Egg Bens. Apparently it was not bad and pretty worth the money but I didn’t find the poached eggs fantastic (probably coz my dish was far more appealing). Then again, I’m not a big fan of such breakfasts; eggs, beans, sausages and whatnots.

Spruce Big Brekkie 16$

Another friend had the Spruce Big Brekkie (17$) which was similar to the British Brekkie apart from having a German Sausage instead of a Cumberland Sausage. She also chose to have Scrambled Eggs.  Again I didn’t find this anything spectacular but that’s just me.

Service wise wasn’t anything to shout about but it wasn’t as bad as I had expected. Apart from the fact that the waiter brought the wrong bill to us twice, service was okay I guess.

Will definitely come back again for another visit! I can feel the prawns in my mouth now. True Story.

Spruce
320 Tanglin Road
Phoenix Park

Better off as a memory

The birthday girl (TBG) decided to have her dinner at Prego so who are we lowly minions to disagree with anything she says? I was pretty excited because it had been some time since I visited Prego. From what I remembered, the food was pretty good! Clean and Simplistic Flip open the menu for a supposed gastronomic galore My friend and I reached Prego early to get TBG a slice of cake and the staff were more than happy to serve it to us FOC. So a good start to the evening we thought? While waiting for TBG to arrive, we were served complimentary bread. It was nicely toasted, but a little too tough for my liking. Zuppa di Funghi 15$ First up was the Zuppa di Funghi (Mushroom Soup) which was nothing short of fantastic. The portion was again quite big and worth the price tag of 15$. Creamy, and full of bits of mushrooms, it was pure bliss in heaven. We finished it in an instant! Calamari 23$ The Calamari (23$) came next, and again the portion was huge. The calamaris were big, juicy and chewy. Batter that came along with it wasn’t flaky either. It came with a tangy tartar sauce dip which was perfect when paired with the calamari. We also dipped the calamari in the tomato salsa sauce originally meant for the bread. Not bad a decision either! Caesar Salad 19$ Caesar Salad (19$) up next. Fresh lettuce tossed with mozzarella cheese, bacon and crackers, it was average. Definitely not worth the hefty price tag. I rather have Coffeebean’s or Coffee Club’s Caesar Salad anyday! Ravioli Faro Rosso 35$ The mains started arriving. And first on the table was the Ravioli Faro Rosso (35$). In simple English, this is Ravioli with crab meat topped with sauce that tastes like crab bisque. It only comes in 3 pillow shaped pasta but it’s filling enough. The filling in the ravioli was too mushy for my liking. Nobody liked this dish and the best thing about it was the sauce. It tasted as mediocre as the picture depicts it to be. Angel Hair Aglio Olio 22$ TBG changed the Aglio Olio (22$) from Linguine to Angel Hair Pasta and this was easily the best main of the night. I would never order this on my own because I won’t spend 22$ on a dish with no “proper” ingredients. But the small bits of garlic and herbs here might make me change my mind after all. Good choice to change the pasta to Angel Hair. Tasted so much better! Risotto of the day (34$) Risotto of the day (34$) was apparently lobster risotto in cheese. We couldn’t quite catch what the waiter was saying but lobster, risotto and cheese can’t possibly go wrong right? Wrong. It was far too jelat and the cheese was too overpowering. We each took a few mouthfuls and decided that it was not worth the calories.  And yes, it looks and tastes pretty much like expensive baby food. The amount of lobster that they gave us was pretty generous though. Prego Pizza 27$ Lastly the Prego Pizza (27$) came. This was a Prego favourite, and came with parma ham, rocket leaves and mozzarella. I guess this was alright but at that point in time we were too fun to make discerning judgement on the food already. 4 mains, 3 starters for 3 people. What on earth were we thinking?! Ambiance wise was a little too noisy for my liking, especially when we were in a rather posh restaurant. For the price that we were paying, we expected top notch service. Sadly this was not the case. Service was slow, perhaps because they were understaffed. We had to prompt them to refill our waters throughout the night, and even then they were slow in reacting. When it came to paying for the bill, this waiter handed us the bill and walked off, without even waiting for us to give him the Credit Card. Shouldn’t they wait for us to hand it back to them before attending to other customers? It took us another 5 minutes to get the attention of another waiter to hand it back to them. Absolutely ridiculous.That said, they readily sang TBG a hearty rendition of the birthday song and took many pictures for us. I had fond memories of the place from previous visits, but I doubt I’ll come back again. With average food and poor service, my money can be better spent at other restaurants. Prego 80 Bras Basah Road 1F Fairmont Singapore

In the future, everybody will be world famous

Friends, Food and Fame. The 3Fs required to make it big in life. While it requires a lot of effort to find that elusive 15minutes of fame, this cafe in Lasalle gives you the easy way out. You probably think it’s impossible to find good yet affordable food in campuses in Singapore (think Munchie Monkeys). But at 15minutes, all your doubts are cleared.

15 Minutes by day

15 minutes by night

Glass windows cover the entire restaurant, and this is a perfect place to people watch. Perhaps it was vacation period and we didn’t get to see many quirky people dressing up (I mean this in a good way), but I’m pretty sure come school term, it’ll be perfect for people watching! The interior of the cafe is modeled after a school canteen, with rows of long benches on the upper level. Totally brings back fond memories of my school days :) There are also sofa seats on the lower levels, and high tables (no idea what those are called) which are comfy enough!

Glass windows make it perfect for people watching

15minutes also has no service charge (but has GST) and Laselle students get a 15% discount. You get a buzzer which prompts you to collect your food at the counter. A pretty cool gadget, I would say! Water is also served, but you have to ask for it from the counter itself. After 6.30pm, it becomes a “real” restaurant, and food is served to you etc. But of course there’s an additional 10% for service charge.

Mushroom Soup 3.90$

Both my friend and I had the Wild Mushroom Soup (3.90$) which is pretty forgettable. Not only was it not warm and watery, it was too salty for my liking. We also ordered the Southern Fried Chicken (3$) which was raved about in hgw. It comes in a basket with 5 small drumlets/wings. However I didn’t really like it coz it was too dry but my friend wiped it clean. He also ordered an Italian Lychee Soda (3.80$) which was small and didn’t have much taste. No pictures for these as I wasn’t too impressed by either.

Fish & Chips 9.90$

My friend had the Fish&Chips (9.90$) because he enjoyed it thoroughly the previous time he had it. The fish was like no other I had tried before. It’s crisp, brown and looked somewhat liked chicken cutlets. The fish practically melted in my mouth and I must say that I was thoroughly impressed! However, my friend said that it was much better the previous time he had it. Not sure why. Straight cut fries that came with it were thick and sprinkled with salt and chilli flakes. It also came with coleslaw, and this is probably the best coleslaw I’ve ever tasted. Rarely do you get coleslaw with onions and raisins, but this had both! It was so good that my friend ordered the fries (3$) and coleslaw (2$) on the ala carte menu after his meal. (He eats too much for his own good I know)

Asian Duck Pizza 7.80$

I had the Asian Duck Pizza(7.80$) and I was given a very generous portion. Initially I was hoping that it would taste like the Timbre one (without the popiah crackers which is obviously a trademark there) and I’m glad to say I like it as much! There are differences of course. The pizza crust is not as thin (and thus really filling). It’s also a little tough to use the knife to cut it, so I ended up eating it with my hands the good old-fashioned way. Duck slices are also pretty big and therefore not well “spread out”, but it’s fine with me. There were also sesame seeds, cashew nuts and tiny slices of mandarin oranges on the pizza which I would say is an interesting combination with the duck and the sauce. Definitely a must try!

In conclusion, 15minutes is a wonderful place to go to for quality food at such affordable prices. The starters and drinks are forgettable, but the mains are really really worth the money, so do drop by!
15 Minutes
1 McNally Street
Blk D, #01-01 LASALLE College of  The Arts

Like a virgin

Reciprocity, baby.

So here I am, attempting to do a Food Review blog as part of my NM requirements. I’m absolutely lazy when it comes to updating usually, so PLEASE PLEASE note the amount of effort that I’m putting in now ok! (Also because I need to pull up my CAP but that’s hardly the point) Please comment on the entries okay! I need to take screenshots and whatnots to prove that people actually read this blog and that I have FRIENDS. So I’m saying thanks in advance and I will LOVE YOU LONG TIME plus send lots of virtual kisses your way if you leave nice lengthy c0mments! Real life kisses also can, provided you are smart, rich, tall, dark, handsome, witty and have piercing eyes.

LOVE YOUUUUUUUU <3