Selfish Gene Cafe

I met up with the best friend the weekend after getting back from Bali and we decided to have a lazy Sunday brunch at Selfish Gene Cafe. It is located along Craig Road which is easily accessible from Tanjong Pagar Mrt Station. Take the left exit after going through the gantry, cross the road towards Orchid Hotel, continue walking past Orchid Hotel and Keisuke Ramen, cross the road to the row of shop houses on the other side and continue walking down the road. You will pass The Plain Cafe and eventually reach Selfish Gene Cafe.

I was mighty pleased that the cafe was relatively empty and did not have a queue outside the door. The cafe was cozy with small tables lining both walls and a counter at the back. It felt precisely like the kind of place I would want to laze around for an entire Sunday morning, catch up with a good friend and filling my stomach with yummy breakfast. I got to enjoy the last bit (eating my breakfast), much of the second (catching up with Stef), but none of the lazing around for an entire Sunday morning because I received an sms which beckoned me to settle certain stuff.

The menu was decent. It was not extensive but it was definitely sufficient. I pounced on the breakfast menu like a predator because I was not going to spend my Sunday morning eating sandwiches when I eat that often enough from Monday to Friday.

I was sitting inside and I was lazy so I delegated the wonderful responsibility of getting us food to Stef. She came back with a paper cup with a number on it and a receipt stuck inside the cup. That is how they identify the orders with the tables. We ordered the Breakfast plate and BoB to share (the two items with hearts beside them on the weekend menu). I am of the general proposition that if you are unaware of what is good and you are clueless as to what you are dying to eat, then just order the chef's recommendations. If the cafe is recommending them, you can hardly go wrong. That proposition has usually served me well. 

We have also grown somewhat smarter and realised that we could actually order two different items to share instead of having an internal debate about two chef's recommendations and run the risk of both ordering the same item (which happened at Symmetry). 

The B.o.b. I love the poached egg! A semi-solid egg white with ultra-runny egg yolk. It was heaven. I love really good poached eggs and this was definitely one of the better ones I've tried so far. They were really generous with the smoked salmon and we had many thick juicy slices of smoked salmon beneath the poached eggs. The greens were fresh and crunchy.

The Breakfast Plate. For some reason, I was really in love with the bread. It was so sweet and fluffy. I was impressed with the scrambled egg too as it was soft and delicious. The rest of the Breakfast plate was pretty predictable with the usual sausage, ham, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.

It was a very relaxed Sunday brunch and I love the laid-back atmosphere at Selfish Gene Cafe. Most importantly, the cafe was not crowded so you could really sit back and enjoy each other's company without worrying about the queue outside or trying to get yourself heard above everyone else. I'm not sure how long this serenity would last since the crowd will be drawn here once it gets more popular and frankly, that would diminish the most attractive factor in this place.

40 Craig Road 

Bali Day 1, Seminyak, Bali Island Villa and Spa, Potato Head Beach Club

I began my 7D6N Bali trip in the early morning on a Saturday. My flight was at 7:30am so I found myself waking up 3 hours after falling asleep to get dressed, throw some last minute stuff into my luggage and get my awesome dad to drive me to the airport by 5:30am. I was really sleep deprived by then but totally excited about the prospect of spending one week in Bali for a much needed break. 

We took Garuda and reached Denpasar around 11am. The free and easy package that we bought from Chan Brothers at the NATAS Fair included airport transfer so we circled around the arrival gate trying to find someone holding a card with either of our names. Found the person who was a really friendly guy and he took us to Bali Island Villa and Spa. It was a 30 minutes drive and we reached pretty quickly. We were brought to our villa immediately and the check in procedure was done in the comfort of our villa. By the way, our villa was AMAZING and service was terrific. All guests at the 10 private villas enjoy complimentary one way drop-off in Seminyak so we could just stroll up to the reception desk and ask for the driver to take us anywhere within Seminyak if we wish. Our package also included room service breakfast so we combed through the breakfast menu every morning and dialed for room service once we had decided. 

The kitchenette is right beside the door, after which we have a small dining table and the living room area. Our bedroom is separated by a sliding door to the right. Both the living room and bedroom have clear glass doors that lead out into the garden and pool. 

The day beds are on the second floor though, frankly speaking, we did not spend much time lounging on the day beds there because we spent most of our spare time lazing around at beach clubs. The only time we went up there was to enjoy the spectacular fireworks from Potato Head which was right next door.

We took a nice dip in the pool because it was hot and sunny. We tried to swim a little but we kind of reached the end with roughly 4 strokes for me and 3 for him so there really wasn't a point to swim. After that it was POTATO HEAD!!!!

Potato Head Beach Club is set in an arc enclosing a grass patch with the day beds and pool nearer to the beach. We took a seat right along the grass patch which was an awesome spot for having our lunch, enjoying the sun, and people watching.

Over the next few days, we became very well acquainted with the menu at Potato Head. For lunch on the first day we ordered Smoked Salmon and a Roasted Chicken Club Sandwich.

The Smoked Salmon was awesome. Thick juicy slices of smoked salmon which were incredibly yummy.

I love the Roasted Chicken Club Sandwich! In fact, I love it so much that I ate it again on the last day I was in Bali before heading to the airport.  The croissant was soft and they were so generous with the bacon, tomatoes, omelette and chicken in the sandwich.

Of course, you can't forget about the booze when you are relaxing at a beach club by the beach right? A beach holiday has to have the essential ingredients of sun, sand, sea, fun and.... yes you guessed it right, BOOZE.

We stayed there for the whole afternoon just surfing the net on our phones, reading The Great Gatsby, relaxing on the comfy couch, sipping our beers, and watching the hot bikini babes and hunky dudes parade around. We left the place in the late afternoon to take a short stroll along the beach, feel the sand beneath our feet, and enjoy the warmth of the sun on our face.

We came back to Potato Head for dinner as we had made a reservation for Tapping Shoes earlier in the afternoon. We were told that Tapping Shoes, which was located on the second level facing the sea, served French Food. However, when we approached the front desk to ask them to lead us to our table at Tapping Shoes, we were told that Tapping Shoes has a dress code and we were obviously not fit for entry in our beach entire. It was quite disappointing since the earlier waiter did not mention anything about a dress code. Anyway we decided that we were too lazy to venture anywhere else so we settled for Southeast Asian food at Li Lin which was on the other side of the beach club.

We ordered some innocuous typical Asian food like Stir fried Kang Kong, Grilled Chicken and Fried Rice to share. The food was average and we were full but it wasn't anything spectacular. The pricing was cheap though, if you compare it with the food served at the international cuisine area or Tapping Shoes.

We took the short walk back to our villa and retired for the night!

Read about Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5 and Day 6.

Skyloft at iFly Sentosa

The boyfriend finished his final exams early this month and in celebration of finally completing four years of undergraduate life, I brought him to Skyloft at Sentosa. We head to Sentosa pretty often because we love the beach and the sea breeze and I have always pointed out Skyloft as we went by. It seems like such an awesome venue for dinner. Perfect view of the sea and a cool night breeze blowing gently in your face. Would love to try it out so that was where we went.

I called Skyloft to make a reservation on the day itself and asked for a seat in the outdoor seating area. However, the sky looked threatening so I was quite wary about asking for a seat without shelter. The good thing about Skyloft is that you could choose to sit outdoor and still have a shelter above your head if you wish. Alternatively, you could sit near the edge without a shelter but enjoy the wonderful view of the sea. I chose the former in view of the grey clouds in the distance.

We reached just in time for the sunset and as I expected, the view was perfect. I've always felt that the view of the sea from the beaches in Singapore tends to be marred by the large number of ships that dot the waters as compared to the vast expanse of blue waters that you see from beaches elsewhere. But still, I really liked the sunset that day and it made me just want to take a couple of deep breaths, stay there, and never move away.

I ordered a King Prawn Linguine whilst the boyfriend ordered In Cod We Trust. We eventually decided to share both dishes even though I definitely took a bigger portion since the boyfriend is allergic to prawns and refused to run the risk that day. 

The King Prawn Linguine was all right. For someone who loves her pasta done aglio olio style, I have to say that the linguine here was definitely too oily. The prawns were not very fresh either and the only saving grace of the dish was the al dente linguine. 

In Cod We Trust was average. The cod fish was not very tasty and tasted kind of bland. It was not very fresh either as the sweetness of fresh fish was definitely lacking. The fries were good, but that was hardly anything fascinating since I can get good fries in McDonalds too.

Night fell and it got much cooler outdoors with a steady breeze coming in from the sea. We ordered some drinks and I had a mojito. The mojito was pretty decent so I guess Skyloft might be more appropriate as a drinks place as compared to a place for meals.

Skyloft is a nice place to head to for the nice view, good ambience, and some drinks. But I would strongly advise against having your meals here since the price hardly justifies the quality of food served. They do have a live band at night if I am not wrong but I left for the beach before the band arrived. 

Oh and there are some fireworks from Songs of the Sea at about 8pm!

43 Siloso Beach Walk

Hua Yu Wee

I've been missing in action for a couple of weeks. I was really busy the week before I left for Bali, then I packed and went off for a week-long break in Bali, after which I came back to another crazy week! Finally found time to sit down and switch on my own laptop. It is, however, around 1am now and you might spot some typos below which my weary eyes are too tired to identify. 

I went for a seafood dinner with my secondary school friends at Hua Yu Wee before I went to Bali. One of my friends wanted to have crabs and someone suggested Hua Yu Wee so that was where we went! I have to confess that I honestly did not know Hua Yu Wee existed even though I live in the east and apparently Hua Yu Wee is an "eastie" thing. It took me awhile to find my way from Tanah Merah MRT to Hua Yu Wee on Bus 48 but somehow Google Maps got me there and I was quite stunned when I saw the restaurant.

I did not know what I expected but I certainly did not expect Hua Yu Wee to be housed in a sprawling compound with a large mansion at the back and an equally impressive parking area in front.

I was the third last person to arrive, having left the office pretty late. But I arrived in time to watch the others order the dishes. We had a thai-style tofu, drunken prawns, something called the Fang Sha Chicken, and two crabs (one chilli and the other black pepper).

The thai-style tofu was all right. The tofu was crispy on the outside and very smooth and soft within.

I was super amused when the waitress told us that the drunken prawns will be cooked in the kitchen and there will not be any "performance". By "performance" she meant the cooking of live prawns right in front of you on the table. I could not help but find that really funny. How is that a performance? But I suppose it is since there is no other reason why anybody would want to witness live prawns being cooked other than for the sake of entertainment.

The drunken prawns were really fresh. Do you know how to tell fresh prawns from the really horrible frozen types? Just see if the shell can be peeled off the body easily. These prawns were definitely very fresh and sweet.

Now the Fang Sha Chicken. I swear we had a very amusing waitress taking our orders because when she recommended this dish, she described the cooking process as "we marinate the boneless chicken, fry it and then hang it up to dry". This dish was really unique! It reminds me of Ayam Peynet because it was really flat and the choicest bits of the chicken were the thin crispy parts.

Finally, THE CRABS! Only managed to take a picture of the chili crab because my fingers were all covered with awesome chili sauce when the black pepper crab arrived. I love the crabs! It was so fresh, so soft, so sweet, and so yummy with the respective sauces! I am always a chili crab person so I obviously thought the chili crab was better than the black pepper crab but I am certain people will refute that. 

It's so cute to eat crabs with your friends! Everybody likes a different part of the crab. Some like the pincers, some have a soft spot for the legs. As for me, I enjoy a very particular part of the crab, namely this small joint area between the pincers and the body. I find that part very soft and juicy. It's not as hard and muscular as the pincers, but definitely tougher than the legs. 

I went home all happy in the belly but oh my goodness, I was so sleepy after the meal. Major food coma. I vaguely remembered taking a quick bath and jumping right into bed.

462 Upper East Coast R

Gerry's Grill at Cuppage

Out with the girls for dinner one Friday night and we wanted to try Eighteen Chefs but the waiting list was just too long. It was around dinner time and we were right smack in the heart of the Orchard area on a Friday night which basically means that every single dining establishment will be crowded. I did a quick search online and suggested that we venture to the Cuppage area for Gerry's Grill since the reviews were rather positive.

From my minimal research whilst walking from Cineleisure to 313, I gathered that Gerry's Grill serve Filipino food and has quite a presence in Manila. I've never really tried Filipino food before so I thought this might be a good opportunity. Gerry's Grill is situated in Starhub Centre, located at the back of the Cuppage area. We were ushered into a bustling crowded restaurant and settled down quickly.

We ordered some deep fried chicken, some grilled squid, the sizzling kangkong and shredded pork. I have to say, it really requires an acquired taste to truly enjoy the food here. Perhaps it's the way the food is cooked or the spices used, but everything tastes kind of sour. As I've never tried Filipino food before, I'm really curious as to whether the usual Filipino food has this interesting sour tangy taste to it as well!

Anyway, the deep fried chicken was average. The batter tasted kind of sour and the meat was slightly tough, and was completely not juicy at all. What a bummer. 

The grilled squid was also slightly sour. It tasted like any normal grilled squid, nothing much to scream about.

The sizzling kangkong was the only dish that was not sour, but I don't think it was done very well either. The vegetables were kind of limp and overcooked, not crunchy as one would expect fresh greens to be. 

Deep fried shredded pork which was tasty for the first few bites but just felt very oily after that. We didn't finish this dish because it did not taste like anything much after awhile and the oily taste was too persistent.

I doubt I would return but I concede that maybe it's truly an acquired taste that I have yet to acquire (and possibly will never acquire).

51 Cuppage Road
Starhub Centre

Taratata Bistrot at Keong Saik

Keong Saik used to be known as a red-light district in this area but recently I have been hearing about the new restaurants and cafes springing up along this street. We were thinking about places to check out one day after work and decided to settle for Keong Saik. I was mighty pleased that I managed to squeeze in a gym session before catching the train down to Tanjong Pagar to meet Stef for a late dinner.

Was obviously the wrong choice to meet at Tanjong Pagar Mrt because it was a horribly long walk to Keong Saik. Completely my bad as I thought Tanjong Pagar Mrt was the closest mrt station to Keong Saik. It was not. Outram Park mrt station proved to be much nearer. Alight at Outram Park, exit at the Cantonment Police Station, cross the road and walk towards the shop houses. Keong Saik is this little street nestled among the shop houses.

We walked up and down the street a couple of times, trying to decide which restaurant to pop into. We were initially keen on trying Keong Saik Snacks but the restaurant was crowded and the waiting list was long. So we contemplated going for Retrospective or Taratata Bistrot since both received rave reviews. We eventually decided on Taratata Bistrot because I wanted to try something special.

The restaurant has a very nice laid back atmosphere and warm cozy ambience. However, we realized that it might not have been the best choice after stepping in. There was a table of really rowdy (and extremely drunk) customers sitting at the front of the restaurant, screaming, shouting and basically behaving like drunk adolescents despite a combined age exceeding 400 years old. Frankly, if you are intending to get drunk and disgrace yourselves in public, be more considerate and do it in a KTV lounge, pub or club. Try not to do it in a nice French restaurant because you are just spoiling the experience for everybody else. Plus, I can never figure out why would anyone want to get drunk on red. It's red wine! You are supposed to savour it, and not down glasses like there is no tomorrow. 

The food was awesome though. We ordered the Duck Confit and Chicken Simmered in Red Wine to share. The Duck Confit was great, crispy on the outside and extremely soft and tender on the inside. I'm usually quite wary of duck as I always find the texture of duck meat too tough for me. However, the Duck Confit here was so soft and tender, and so completely unlike duck meat! The Duck Confit came with White Beans Ragout which was really tasty. The mix of white beans, mushrooms and bacon was great.

The Chicken Simmered in Red Wine was a large chicken thigh braised with mushrooms, potatoes, bacon and lots of garlic. The chicken itself was very fresh and soft, completely absorbing the essence of the red wine sauce. The dish was really very fragrant. The potatoes were soft and tasty and I love the mushrooms!

The rowdy bunch retired for the night (boy was I glad) and the restaurant resumed its peace and quiet. We decided to have dessert here as well so we ordered a Pear and Chocolate Cake. It was really unique! Imagine a layer of rich chocolate on a bed of soft pear slices with a pear sorbet on top. Marvelous!

Service was attentive although they did forget about my red wine. The experience at Taratata Bistrot would have been amazing if not for the rowdy bunch of adults guilty of inappropriate behaviour. The food is really good and I would definitely recommend it to my friends. However, I would pop my head in and look out for drunks in the restaurant before settling down in future. 

35A Keong Saik Street

Fabulous Baker Boy

Met up with a friend for lunch the other day and she suggested Fabulous Baker Boy. Fabulous Baker Boy is situated opposite Liang Court, at the foot of Fort Canning Park. It was a pretty short walk from our office and the cafe was still empty when we reached. Most of the seats at Fabulous Baker Boy are situated outside  the cafe itself, which was fine since that afternoon was kind of rainy and the weather was cool and crisp.

The cafe itself was small and cozy with whimsical little decorations lining the wall. The menu was pinned to the cashier counter and we had to place our orders at the cashier before settling into our seats outside.

As Fabulous Baker Boy was well-known for their cakes, my friend was all excited about having one for lunch. She chose the Red Velvet which I stole a bite from. The cake was rich, moist and full of flavors. Definitely a good Red Velvet.

I knew I wouldn't be full with just a cake so I was wise enough to pick something more substantial. Was trying to decide between a sandwich or Eggs Benedict and couldn't make up my mind. Eventually I asked the waiter for recommendations and he told me to try the Eggs Benedict, so I did.

I would have to say that the Eggs Benedict was pretty average and I have definitely tried better Eggs Benedict elsewhere. The roasted potatoes were quite hard and I felt that the eggs were really bland. I like the layer of sauteed spinach but it was a really miniscule portion. Lastly the hollandaise sauce was really poor. It was too thick and creamy without the usual savory flavors. 

I doubt I would return to Fabulous Baker Boy for brunch because there are just too many places with way better brunch. I might drop by for the cakes if I am in the area but frankly, I don't see myself doing that in the near future.

70 River Valley Road
#01-05 The Foothills