Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The Line Buffet

We went to The Line at Shangri-La for X's birthday lunch. He was supposed to blog about The Line but well.. 3 months on and here I am, typing this long overdue post.

It was a Saturday and I'd made reservations online 2 weeks before. I decided to bring him to The Line because he loves oysters and having heard much about their oysters, I had to bring him here haha. There's a 15% discount if you reserve seats online! And apparently they have a 40% promotion too. Didn't manage to get that one though. But 15% is good enough! So it was $55++ for each of us [:
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The orange lights were a little too dark

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SASHIMI.
I LOVE SWORDFISH AND SALMON SASHIMI.
Can't remember how many pieces we ate.. But we sure ate alot haha. The sashimi was fresh, and nicely cut. The swordfish was so juicy.. Swordfish sashimi is the best!

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FRESHEST OYSTERS EVER.
The oysters are opened right on the spot and if this is not fresh, I don't know what is. the oysters were really good and very very fresh. They aren't like the ones that are left on the ice waiting for someone to pick them up. They serve a few sauces to go with the oysters and they were delicious! We mixed 2 sauces together and the oysters went extremely well with the sweet and sour mix! If you're a fan of oysters, you have to visit The Line. We ate like at least 20 oysters..? Haha I only ate 4 I think.

The cold prawns were juicy and we ate quite a few of them.

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Iced Teh tarik!
Their teh tarik is made on the spot and it is light and smooth. The tea taste is not too overwhelming. Pretty perfect cup of tehtarik that we each had 2 cups of. Haha

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Pizza, which was quite good! Yum yum I love pizzas
Roasted pork belly with caramelised onions. Tender pork belly with a hint of sweetness hmm
Salmon quiche which I abandoned after 2 mouthfuls because it was pretty tasteless.

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The mushroom ravioli with truffle sauce was tasty and I loved its texture
The breadstix was crispy and fragrant.
The ham was just alright. A little too tough
I think the one on the right is roasted potatoes with rosemary. Didn't really leave an impression on us

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Indian corner. Naan with fish curry.
I'm not really a fan of Indian food so I didn't take much of the available selection.

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THE DUCK WAS SOOO GOOD.
It is soft, and extremely tasty. It was really good.
Can't remember whats that in the middle, sorry!

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Satay! The satays were awesome. They were soft and flavourful and ain't quite like those normal satays you get at the coffeeshops. Well cooked and lovely

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Yorkshire pudding
The yorkshire pudding drizzled in apple sauce didn't quite suit my tastebuds.

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More sashimi and prawns

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And more sashimi

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And more oysters

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And more sashimi HAHAHA

Finally, desserts!
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I have to say that I was disappointed in their desserts. They LOOKED really impressive and appetizing. But they really weren't as great as they looked. I think the creme brulee was probably the best one on this plate

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Banana and caramel crepe.
This was alright. They have really few toppings for their crepes

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The cheesecake was too sour and the tiramisu was too dry

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They have an icecream corner with quite a number of flavours. Here's my chocolate icecream with oreo. Nothing impressive. And again, very few toppings.

Overall, The Line is a good place to visit if you're a fan of sashimi, oysters and duck. But not so good if you're targeting the desserts. They have a Chinese corner that serves noodles and a salad station too. We didn't take any of the chinese food like prawn paste chicken and all. I don't know why too. Haha but all in all, the variety's quite wide! And service was good! The waitress at our section was super attentive, friendly and efficient. Her name's Maria I think! Wanted to write a feedback form for her, but The Line doesn't have feedback forms apparently? Haha. Let us know what you think of The Line!

22 Orange Grove Road
Shangri-La Hotel
Breakfast: 6am – 10.30am (Weekends to 11 am)
Lunch: 12noon – 2.30pm (Weekends and Public Holidays to 3 pm)
Dinner: 6.30pm – 10.30pm (Weekends and Public Holidays start at 6pm)
Supper: 10.30 pm – 6 am

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Love, K

K's rating of The Line : 7/10

Monday, March 19, 2012

Bronte

Greenwood has gained much popularity over the years as they're house to some really popular restaurants such at Greenwood Fish Market and Peperoni. Hence, parking can be a little bit of a problem as the lots right by Greenwood are always taken. If that's the case, you can park just round the corner near the park.

We decided to head to Greenwood for Brunch one Sunday afternoon and was choosing between Baker and Cook and Bronte. We decided on Bronte and we were certainly glad we did!

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Cement floor and white walls.

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We sat outdoors as we brought the little furball with us

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The happy furball!They provided a water bowl for Waffles!

Bronte has quite an extensive brunch menu, offering a wide range of really tempting items. I took a really long time to choose.. Haha I couldn't decide if I want the pancakes, or the prime beef burger, or the dish similar to Eggs Benedict. Took me at least 10 minutes hahaha.
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Hot chocolate - $4.50
My hot chocolate was pretty average. No marshmallows? ):


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Iced Mocha
X said that it was quite good!

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Poached eggs and hollandaise on rye toast (with smoked salmon) -$17
The poached eggs were so perfectly cooked. When I pressed the knife right into the yolk, it burst and the yolk starting flowing out so smoothly. Oh perfect poached eggs are to die for. The rye toast was a little hard though. The hollandaise was buttery and tasty but I felt that there was too little hollandaise sauce. But overall, I thought this dish was pretty good!

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Bronte Brekkie Plate: Eggs (poached), bacon, pork sausage, garlic portobello, potato hash, home-baked beans and rye toast - $22
The portion was huge! The home made baked beans in tomato puree was delicious! X liked the bacon particularly haha. the poached eggs came without hollandaise sauce and hence, were plain and X said that he should have ordered scrambled eggs instead. Perhaps they could add some hollandaise on the poached eggs!


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Waffles' new friend. A Spitz!

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Marbled chocolate tart with bananas and mascarpone $12
This was soooo good. The staff replaced the mascarpone with cream as they were out of it. The chocolate was smooth and it melted in our mouths! Together with the cookie base, this dessert really won our hearts. We found it a little too sweet as we were halfway through the tart but thats when the cream worked its magic. The cold cream managed to even the sweetness out and provided a tint of freshness. You've to order this if you're at Bronte! X was a little skeptical about ordering this at first but he couldn't stop praising it after he cleaned the plate up. Hahaha

Anyway, we really liked the atmosphere at Bronte. Firstly, the staff are really friendly. Secondly, it's super super chill. It started to rain quite heavily and we were unable to leave. So we spent a really long time at Bronte but we felt so comfortable and relaxed. It was a perfect afternoon spent just chatting, watching the rain, having the cutest pup with us and just relaxing. We loved it.

8 Greenwood Avenue
Daily : 9am for coffee and pastries.
Lunch: 11:30am to 2:30pm Weekdays
Dinner: 6pm to 10:30pm Daily
Brunch 9:30am to 2:30pm Weekends and Public Holidays

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Love. K

K's rating of Bronte : 7.5/10

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Marutama Ra-men

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This is a long over due post on Marutama. We have been there twice now and their ramen comes in among the top few on our list. According to the staff, the owner of marutama is very fond of basketball and thats where their basketball-esque logo came about.

Marutama has 3 outlets, 1 at The Central (Clarke quay) , 1 at Liang court and the newest one at Suntec City. Pictures shown here are taken at The Central outlet. The concept of the store is very simple - traditional japanese decor that is. The restaurant is not huge, roughly about 35-seater which feels rather cosy. During meal time, do expect the place to be packed.

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Rather than having an extensive menu, Marutama chooses to excel in the selected few on the menu. This is ideal for K, as she always has trouble deciding on her food. Order the original chicken soup ramen SGD$12 , add an Ajitsuke tamago (egg) SGD$1 and Kakuni (stewed pork belly) SGD$5, you're in for a treat!

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Marutama Ramen with tamagos- $14

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Marutama Ramen with tamagos and Kakuni - $19

The texture of the noodles is very smooth. There is this tenderness about it,  which is different from the tougher ramen you find outside. The chicken broth is also very tasty and best still, it doesn't make you thirsty after you polish off the entire bowl. I highly recommend, anyone who goes to try it, to get 2 eggs. I love their runny eggs and 1 is just not enough for me. Another must try add-ons is the pork bellies which have been stewed until the meat literally melts in your mouth. Combine them together, and you have yourself a very satisfying meal. The price of around SGD$20 might be a tad on the high side for a bowl of ramen, but for the pleasure it provides, I say its definitely worth it.

Marutama ( The Central)
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#03-90/91
The Central @ Clarke Quay

Daily: 11am - 10 pm




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Love,
X

X's rating of Marutama : 7.5/10

Monday, March 5, 2012

The Coastal Settlement

In the last post I mentioned that X said we would celebrate Valentines' day on that coming Saturday. So this was where he brought me after we watched Wicked!

The Coastal Settlement.
I fell in love with this place.

It's a long drive away, especially when we stay in the West. But it was definitely worth travelling for.
Pretty in the day, and prettier at night.

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Parking lots are available in the compound.

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This is the only path that leads into the restaurant. It allows you to see the beautiful exterior of the restaurant!

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Cute menus

The Coastal Settlement is extremely carefully designed with great efforts. Every corner is filled with vintage items and pieces that will wow you. From vintage motorbikes to a bmw, chairs and chains hanging on the ceiling, wooden furniture and telephones from the past, this place is AMAZING.

I'll let the photos do the talking!
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Eiffel beer tower! Order a tower of beer and your beverage will be presented in this cute iconic tower!

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Functional drawers used to keep cutlery

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Incredible.
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Wild Mushroom soup - $14
Soup was thick and the taste of mushroom is strong but not overwhelming
There are a few types of mushrooms in the soup.
The truffle drops were a perfect addition to the soup, making you drool even before you taste the soup as it's sooo fragrant.

We really liked it

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Truffle mushroom fettuccine - $21
Sauteed wild mushrooms, Enoki mushrooms, creamy truffle sauce, white wine reduction, shaved parmesan, fresh chives.

After the mushroom soup, this dish was a mushroom overload for me. Haha
It's fragrant and the fettuccine was well-cooked.
The mushrooms were juicy and full of flavour.
However, I felt that the dish was lacking a little in its taste.
Although its a cream-based dish, you won't really get sick of it!

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Cheese burger - $26
Wagyu beef patty, melted smoke cheddar cheese, sliced mushrooms, bacon strips, mesclun salad, fries

Just look at that, doesn't it make you hungry!

As usual, X ordered the burger... Haha but I must agree that he made the right choice this time round. The patty was juicy and tasty! I really liked it. Also, the burger had everything! Bacon, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes. The taste of everything together was really good according to him. Haha the burger is pretty huge and posed quite a challenge hahaha but X enjoyed his burger and the fat fries

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When night falls,
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Entrance

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Gorgeous.

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CUTE CARRR

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Really really amazing, and breathtaking.
Remind me again why I should shift to the east?

So happy that X brought me here! I love vintagey things and I had fun exploring the whole place and looking at everything. I can't think of any reason why anyone wouldnt love it here. On top of its beauty, service is excellent. The staff were very attentive and they asked us how our food was. I like their warm attitude and the effort they took to make sure our time there was enjoyable and pleasant.

Looking for a place to impress your date? This is certainly the place. This is definitely one of the prettiest restaurants in Singapore.


200 Netheravon Road
Daily : 1030am- Midnight
Last order for food : 9.45pm

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Love, K

K's rating of TCS: 9/10