Date : August 18 2006
Venue : 11 Unity Street, #01-09 Robertson Walk
The first time I visited Canele, I fell in love with it. Not only were the cakes and hot chocolate scrumptious, the place was an excellent for having a great time chilling out with the peeps. It was really one of the few places you could hold a conversation without having to contend with loud music and people who seem to enjoy haveing microphones for breakfast.
But alas! Canele serves such good desserts that it has attracted a large following, thus making it almost impossible to hang out there and have quiet conversation. Fortunately, as David, Ben and I found out on Friday, Canele's cakes still never fail to impress.
While there was a new cake or two at the counter that evening, I decided to stick with my favorite - L'Amour.
Canele couldn't be more right when they described this sweetheart of a cake as a " A riot of pinkish flavours and textures". The firm kirsch soaked almond cake base, the melts-in-your-mouth rose macaron, crumbly rose meringue, soft Rose-flavored cream, sweet raspberry marmalade, and the tang of red fruits (raspberry, strawberry, redcurrant). How could any girl resist this gem? The best bit about this cake? The rose flavor is not overpowering. It's light and overall, not too sweet.
The second cake we ordered was Macha, which was essentially a green tea mousse and chest nut cream layered with green tea biscuit and almond crumble.
Initially, it took a bite or two to acquire a taste for this. Soon after, the nutty flavors of the tea and chestnut start to fill your mouth and you'll actually find yourself taking smaller bites to extend the eating experience. Like L'Amour, its flavors were not overpowering nor was it sweet.
Finally, we had a Tarte Citron. When we first saw it at the counter, what caught our eye was the pretty way the torched Italian meringue was styled, topped with tiny strips of candied lemon peel. But, as soon as I saw that it had lemon cream in it, I insisted that this was something we had to try.
While I suspected that Ben and David might have found the lemon cream a little too sour for their liking, I absolutely adored it. It was tangy and refreshing, the perfect compliment to the meringue. However, the almond tart was a little too hard and we had some problems cutting through it. It really seemed like something you'd want to throw at a cheating partner ;)
Total Bill : ??? Would Ben kindly fill this part in please?
In short, if you love cakes and are willing to try anythine else other than boring chocolate, Canele just might be the place for you. However, be prepared to wait or make a reservation if you are visiting during a weekend. This place is becoming hot!
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Date: August 18, 2006
Venue : 15/17 Smith Street ( Chinatown)
A loyal Ka Soh fan , I would have never thought of trying this much talked about restaurant had David not suggested we check the place out for dinner last night. While the dinner experience was nothing much to scream about, the food was reasonably good and there was a little to regret about.
One thing I'd like to highlight here is NEVER visit this establishment on a blistering hot day. We dined around 7 in the evening and it was still unpleasantly warm. It did not help that the place lacked air-conditioning ( they actually had it but refused to turn it on) and we had to make do with fans.
That aside, service was neither bad nor was it excellent. What I liked about the place was that our meal came quick. We barely waited 15 minutes after ordering our four dishes : their signature XO Fish Meat Bee Hun soup, Sum Lo Hor Fun (sliced fish Hor Fun stir fried with bean sprouts), stir friend chinese spinach, and Deep Fried Shrimp Paste Chicken.
The first dish to arrive was the Sum Lo Hor Fun. Unlike other restaurants, the fish did not smell fishy and had a very clean taste. At the same time, the bean sprouts were not overcooked and remained crunchy, while soaking up the flavor of the dish. Overall, I enjoyed it very much because it was light, although some might find it a little bland for their tastes.
The second dish which arrived was the chinese spinach (or po choy) which was obviously poached before being stir fried with garlic. A brilliantly green dish, you'll be pleased to know that the garlic was not overpowering at all. Although it was simple and tasty, the dish was a tad bit salty for me.
Next in line was the restaurant's signature dish. By the time it had arrived, I was already brimming with much anticipation. I wanted to know what the hype was all about. Unlike the one at Ka Soh, the addition of XO to the broth gave the soup an extremely pale coffee color and sort of left a slightly herbal after taste. While tasty, the soup was a little sweet and towards the bottom of the bowl, it had a somewhat powdery texture.
Personally, the highlight of the meal was the Deep Fried Shrimp Paste Chicken. Usually, I take my chicken skin-off but because this was so good, I ate it as it was. Unlike most places, the shrimp paste was not overpoweringly pungent and the lime juice did not much to enhance the flavor. Did I mention the meat was juicy too?
However, the biggest surprise came with the bill. For all that we ordered, we only paid $31.20 . It is extrememly cheap compared to Ka Soh and considering the quality of the food, it was real value for money.
At the end of the day, was the XO Fish Meat Bee Hun soup worth all they hype? Frankly , no. But is it worthy enough to render another visit from me? Yes.
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Apologies for not posting. Unfortunately, I have not received much opportunity to try much new food lately. However, we'll be goint to try out the famed Holland Village X.O. Fish Head Bee Hoon ( Rice Vermicelli) this Friday and hopefully, all will be good :)
Till then, here's a really lazy recipe. Simple but yummilicious.
Grilled Lemon Pepper Salmon with Honey Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients:
For Salmon:
- A Salmon Fillet
- Salt
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning ( I use Masterfoods')
For Potatoes
- Sliced or quartered potatoes with skin still on
- Sliced Onions
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- A pinch of Salt
- 2 tablespoons of melted butter
- A teaspoon of dry mustard (optional)
- A pinch of ground black pepper
Cooking:
Season your salmon fillet with the Lemon Pepper and salt before wrapping it in cling wrap. Store it in the refridgerator for an hour or two before grilling. If you don't have a grill, you could pan fry it too. Remember to be healthy and try not to use too much oil ;)
For the potatoes, mix the honey, salt, pepper, mustard, butter in a bowl. Grease your baking tin before placing the potatoes in a single layer and top it with the onions. Drizzle the honey-butter mixture over the potatoes and place the dish into a 190 degree oven for 35 minutes or until tender. At the fifteen or twenty minute mark, give the potatoes and onion a stir, making sure they are evenly coated with the mixture.
Once it's done, serve with broiled veggies and enjoy!
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