Friday, March 8, 2013

(CLOSED) One Kampong Bahru

Bakery by day, bar and bistro by night.

One Kampong Bahru has been making waves with its delicious and highly affordable baked goods, and now, its tapas are in the limelight.
Relatively new to the food scene, the 3-month old bar and bistro has been fully packed and reserved for private events since its opening.

The two-level bistro is not that easy to locate, especially since 3 of the boys(including X haha) were lost when driving there. They specifically requested that I include this in this post so that nobody gets lost like them hahaha. Do check the directions on your computers before you make your way to One Kampong Bahru because the maps on your phones will lead you to a dead end on Spooner Road!

Parking is available right beside the bistro, and around it. It is also easily accessible by public transport, with a bus stop just about 50 metres away. 

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Level 2 which was closed for a private event.
Isn't this space perfect for a nice and cozy gathering?

While waiting for the lost kids to arrive, I had a cuppycake
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Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcake - $3
Delicious? Yes.

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Mini Cranberry Cream Scones - $2.50
I was a little surprised that the scones do not come with any cream but well, after eating it, I realised that there isn't a need for cream. The scones were nicely moist, fluffy and soft!

OKB's wine selection will leave you slightly irritated because you just can't decide which wine to have! Their selection is pretty huge and what's most irritating is the price of each glass of wine. At $7 or $8 per glass, you just want to have a glass of every single wine available! Well, we say... don't drive there, and just drink to your heart's content!

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Baronnie De Coussergues - $7

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Mohua Estate - $8

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Domaine Coussergues Chardonnay - $8

The co-owner of OKB, Kenneth, taught us the correct steps to really taste and appreciate the wine and we were all looking at him in amazement and admiration only to not follow any of the steps that he taught us hahaha

Asian-fusion tapas that are created by OKB's Peranakan chef!
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Seared Scallops - $10
U.S Sea Scallops, Buak Keluak Oil

Fresh, juicy scallops which were slightly sour

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Hot Wings - $8
Midjoints, Belachan Butter Marinade

Crispy and fragrant wings!

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Pork - $16
Baby Back Ribs, Mustard sauce, Ginger Mustard Greens

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The ribs are to be eaten together with the strongly flavoured greens. The ribs are a little dry but the moist greens will make up for that.

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Fish - $14
Turmeric and Dill Catfish, Vietnamese Pesto, Rice Vermicelli

The catfish was fresh and soft and I liked it! The rest of the dish was pretty simple and average.

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Chicken - $14
Seared Breast, Laksa Leaf Beurre Blanc, Starfruit Pickle

We all know that chicken breast meat is hard and dry, but certainly not the one at OKB. The two big pieces of chicken are really tender and juicy! This dish is also refreshingly sour and its the first chicken-based dish that I've liked in a long time!

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Beef - $18
U.S Angus Roast, Gula Melaka Glaze, Herb Garnish

This was definitely the highlight for everyone. The tough chuck cuts are soaked in a water-bath for 25 hours before they are cooked. And the end result? Unbelievably tender and succulent beef.

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The gula melaka glaze was sweet and tasty and it won my heart instantly. And for one of our friends who doesn't like beef to actually like it, can you imagine how good it was? Divine.

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Passionfruit Macarons - $2/piece

Fat and full macarons with tangy passionfruit curd!

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Salted Caramel Macarons - $2/piece

Want a taste of heaven? Try these.
Every bite screams immense gratification! Too good.

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Lemon Cream Tart - $3.50

A thick and hard crust filled with lemon cream that has gotten the delicate balance of sweet and sour right. Possibly the best lemon tart I've ever had! So good that X and I each bought another haha

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74% Dark Chocolate Brownie - $2.50

A rich and heavy brownie with a thin crispy top layer. Its texture is quite different from the average floury brownies. Yum.

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Red Velvet, Chocolate Chocolate, Strawberry Chocolate - $3 each

The red velvet was our favourite of the lot!

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Salted Caramel Macarons, again 
Because they were so good, we bought ALL of them HAHA

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Cinnamon Sticky Roll - $2

Forget the sticky bun at B Bakery or Simply Bread. Here's the best cinnamon sticky roll ever! It is amazingly soft and its cinnamon sugar coat does not harden! And it is only $2?!

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Raspberry Jam Scone - $2

The prices of the baked goodies are really crazy affordable, don't you think! And they're so delicious!

Do make a reservation at OKB before you head down because they're almost always fully booked!


OKB is currently understaffed so service isn't exactly up to mark but I'm sure they're working on it.

Do let us know what you think of OKB!


1 Kampong Bahru Road
Mon - Sat: 18:00 - 23:30
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Love, K
K's rating of OKB : 8/10

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Lobby Lounge @ Pan Pacific Orchard

Media Invite

The newly renovated Lobby Lounge at Pan Pacific Orchard has recently launched a spanking new Gourmet High Tea Buffet which features uniquely crafted tapas, desserts and most notably, three classic and signature dishes.

First of all, if you're wondering where Pan Pacific Orchard is, wonder no more!
Pan Pacific Orchard sits just a short distance behind Lido and Pacific Plaza. It is also a short walk from Palais Renaissance and Delfi Orchard. It is alot more accessible than you think! Its location gives a sense of exclusivity and serenity, away from the hustle and bustle of the city but it is in fact, very conveniently situated.
 
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When X and I first took our seats, we couldn't help but soak up the atmosphere. With a slow and soothing tune playing in the background, the slightly warm lighting, and comfortable chairs, we knew we were in for a great afternoon. We met Abigail who told us more about the buffet and off we go to fill our rumbling tummies!

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Smoked Duck with Plum Dressing

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Scallop with Mango Salsa

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Smoked Salmon Crostini

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Chicken Mayo Sandwich

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Cranberry Cream Cheese

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Banana Strudel and Coconut Tarts

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Raisin scones with sweetened cream and kaya
Abigail was telling us how a few Japanese tourists were skeptical about the green jam but fell in love with it and even asked where they could purchase it!

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Iced Latte

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Fairly decent tapas. I plucked up courage to try the hummus and egg and it was surprisingly sweet and yummy! My favourite has got to be the smoked duck with plum dressing!

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Spanish-Bred Iberian-Cured Ham (available during weekend)
This was so so good. Thin savory pieces of ham, topped with pepper and accompanied with sweet melon. It just doesn't get better than this. Secretly wished I could have more of it!

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Swiss Cottage Melting Raclette (available during weekend)

Abigail told us that the thin crackers are really awesome, and she was spot on! The crackers are paper thin and super crisp. They are also extremely fragrant and X loved it!

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Gooey melting cheese that is not too overwhelmingly cheesy and it goes really well with the crackers


Now, introducing the Plates of Pleasure
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We had the honour of meeting Executive Chef Andy who is one of the six chefs who had recently won an award at the Omni Hotels and Resorts' Simply Street Food Competition. Chef Andy is from Penang and when we asked him why he chose these three dishes to be on the menu, he told us that when Singaporeans go to Penang, they always eat Char Kway Teow, Prawn Noodles or Penang Laksa. Hence, he decided to bring a little piece of Penang to Singapore. This is probably the only place where you can taste these three really delectable Penang dishes. And the best part? You can have as much as you want!

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"Peddler's" Char Kway Teow
with Pacific Blue Crab Meat and Canton Air-dried Sausage

This is Chef Andy's signature dish and it is also the dish that won him an award at the competition. Unlike the Char Kway Teow that we usually have, this carefully crafted dish is lighter in colour, drier and is perfectly charred. The cockles are smaller and do not carry the taste of "rust". This is definitely the nicest char kway teow I've ever had!

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Penang Aromatic Spicy Prawn Noodle Broth
with Chinese Roasted Pork and Vietnamese Tiger Prawn

An appetizing and rich bowl of broth with a variety of ingredients that will tug at your heartstrings. The taste of the soup is enriched by the roasted pork which takes the place of our usual pork ribs. This dish is comforting, albeit a little too spicy for me, and delightfully satisfying.

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Penang Famous Assam Laksa
Rich Tamarind Fish Stock and Farmed Sea Bass

This is definitely not your regular laksa. There isn't coconut or prawns or cockles and neither is it spicy. The soup is incredibly tasty, unconventionally sour, and above all, remarkably delicious. The single piece of sea bass is extremely tender and fresh. If I were to choose my utmost favourite dish of the three, this would be it! X loved every single of the three dishes too but this was undoubtedly his number one too! Mouthwateringly good!


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The banana strudel is a must try! Loved the sweet burst of banana when I bit into the strudel!

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The desserts were pretty average.


The buffet comes with free flow Pacific Blend Coffee($10-$16) and Tea from TWG($12). I tried the butterscotch coffee and I really liked it! The chefs are currently still fine-tuning the buffet spread and the selection will be changed quite frequently so don't you worry about having the same goodies when you pop by again! Furthermore, we really liked how everything in the buffet spread is individually portioned!

The Gourmet High Tea Buffet is priced at $28++ on Weekdays and $38++ on weekends. Although the selection of tapas and desserts is not very huge, I still feel its pretty value for money!

We'll like to thank Abigail for inviting us and for a really wonderful afternoon and, of course, Chef Andy for telling us more about the buffet!


10 Claymore Road
Gourmet High Tea Buffet : 2pm - 5pm

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Love, K