the Fad gourmet

5 toasts to a happy birthday.

2008-05-04T15:24:00.022+08:00

just last fri, my mates and i were out to celebrate lyn's birthday. as we were at robertson walk, the star-of-the-night decided to go for italian fare, so we popped by at cugini.

the restaurant was quiet, apart from us, there's only one couple and another group. however, there were also 2 or 3 groups of people drinking outside the restaurant. just some pictos to fill you in how it looks like inside.

first up, the chef served us this pasta, which jac felt that it was floury-except this is with cheese as its filling. as for the mushroom, all of us couldnt appreciate it; xw was the only one who managed to finish it.

then the main courses came, i had some pasta with bacon

i thought it was pretty chinese, salty and all - too salty to our liking. as you chew, you realize there's this stinging effect on the tongue, and i cant quite figure whether it's the spice or the salt that's the cause of it.

xw also had some pasta.

her pasta was in the form of wontons. i cant quite remember what filling it has though, some kind of meat.

the rest had some tuna.

for someone like me who hates tuna to the core, this was really good stuff, especially since i find myself picking more from their plates.

how can birthdays be complete without cakes? so for deserts, we first had chocolate cake.

when the server told us that it would take 20min to bake the cake, all of us expected a bigger cake. but nonetheless, the cake was scrumptious! when you cut through the cake, you can see the hot chocolate oozing out, and as you put the cake into your mouth, it was almost heavenly.

not satisfied by that small little cake, lyn and i went to order tiramisu.

sad to say, it wasnt that great. especially after the delicious choc cake we had.

from the photos, it's easy to tell that the portions are very small. quoting jenny, "this is almost like exquisite food." the bill (4 mains plus 2 desserts) came up to almost $200 - citi and uob cardmembers would be entitled to 15% discount. as much as we enjoy the warm hospitality by the female hostess of cugini, i highly doubt that ill come by here, maybe my palettes for italian fare has been accustomed by the sillyporeans remake version.

cugini restaurant & lounge bar
11 unity street
#01-27/28 robertson walk
singapore 237995

opening hours:
(restaurant)
lunch: 11.30am to 2pm daily
dinner: 6pm - 1030pm daily

once again, happy bday lynette and may all your wishes come true!

*credits to lyn for some of the pictos!*

-tfc-

out from period dramas.

2008-05-01T03:51:00.029+08:00

on the eve of labour day, joy and jo suggested that we go back to the old chinese days and decided to head dian xiao er for dinner. according to joy, dian xiao er is famous for its duck.

being the first one to reach, joy called everyone up, just cos we missed our queue number!

the late(st)comer! (and jo looks really happy that bruce finally reached!)

the food looks really nice...

and bruce looks ready to attack, full force!

VERDICT!
we had the jia-chang-bian-fan set, that has about 8 dishes (including the white rice, dessert and soup) for 4 pax, and we ordered an extra plate of fried rice, just to try it out. the three of them love the food, but as for myself, i found it too salty to my liking. i guess it could also be a matter of preference, since im more into bland food lately. the portions were good, just nice for the 4 of us, as we managed to CLEAR the plates.

as for the service. i thought it's pretty good. hearing the accent of the servers, i would assume that most of them came from northern parts of china. after being in bj 3 months, i can safely assure you that the service we got were way better than those we recvd there. though it's kinda jarring to the ears to have the server apologising whenever she brings the dish to our table. oh boy, the speed at each dish was served was astoundingly fast!

the interior design of dian xiao er mimics those of ke zhan - those eating places you watch from the period dramas. it was interesting that even the concept of the menu follows through, since it was in the form of mi ji - the manuals that were supposedly the answer to the invincible swordplay. and in $$$ sense, the price was also alright since our bill came up to about 100bucks.

fyi, the dian xiao er that we went to was located at Marina Square #02-203/204.

opening hours:
11.30am-2.30pm daily
5.30pm-9.30pm daily

next up, the gluttons were just being greedy and decided to go for desserts, after joy started chanting for apple struddel - that woman claims that swensens serves the best apple struddel in sg. ha, but we settled for andersen's instead!

bruce got so engrossed into playing tourist and his iphone - anything but joy.

so that woman got bored...

and i played along with her.

till jo finally came into the picture.

before i get too carried away, check out our desserts!

jo and i demonstrate the steps to eating ice-cream!

so tell us, who's the better demonstrator?

okay, let's play it fair lest anyone gets intimidated by jo's stern expression!

now, who's the better demonstrator?

- tfc-
*credits to jo for some of the pictos!*

Gimme some lovin' - italiano style.

2008-04-26T16:56:00.016+08:00

We are bored, yet we are not. Lives of fresh grads consist of part slacking, part eagerly looking for jobs. Amidst all that action - or lack of, the Fad people met up to plan the next stage of Fad development (we are seeing some truly exciting times ahead), as well as to savour some good food.

My recent foodie-crush is Da Paolo. Ever since I visited the Da Paolo Gastronomia outlet at Paragon, I have not stopped raving about the food. So we hit Holland V in search for Da Paolo's Pizza Bar.

Business was good, so we gotta wait... which is always frustrating, especially when you're famished!

We hung out at the "waiting area", flipped the menu and fantasized about what we would order.

While waiting, the extensive wine collection caught my eyes. I must say the decor of the restaurant is quite cool.

Then the drinks arrived. A godsend on this hot hottttt night.

The Fad boy had his beer, which is probably water to him. I wanted to try the Prosecco. Prosecco is a sparkling wine. I had my first taste of this bubbly in Venice. It's quite like champagne.

Finally we were seated - al fresco. A big no-no if you can't stand the heat.

BUT WE WERE HUNGRY, so...

The Fad chick had beef lasagne. It was delish, although I would complain about the petite serving if you compare that with our mammoth pizzas!

Both the Fad boy and I had pizzas. I was just suddenly craving it.
the Fad boy had seafood pizza with tomato sauce, and it was one of the best I've ever had. I would seriously recommend that.

The seafood (consisting of fish, smoked salmon, squid, mussels and prawns) was so fresh. I love the mussels, so fat and juicy!

I had a cheesy pizza. I think I was searching for an entirely italian experience. The pizza had both Mozzarella and Gorgonzola cheese topped with Parma ham, all medallions of classic Italian cuisine.

If you love cheese, that's the pie for you, although I was half dead half way through and had to force the Fad boy and the Fad chick to help me finish the huge pizza.

If you're going with friends, one pizza is more than enough for two persons. You can share that and order something else.

So it's another night of good food and good time, chatting, catching up and some business talk. The bill came up to under a hundred, which, for the food and drinks we had, was quite all right.

I wonder where we would head next, but I know Da Paolo is already in my "List".

da paolo pizza bar
44, Jalan Merah Saga,
#01-46, Chip Bee Gardens, Holland Village.
Tel: 6479 6059

- the Fad girl

theFadboy visits The Mussel Guys @ Vivo City

2008-04-10T01:56:00.004+08:00

Looks good.. Taste good???

Lets start this off without putting anyone hopes to high...

PLEASE dun go there... I can give u a few reasons not to...

1. The food.. (yes, the food!).. the servings were small, the sauce (for the pasta) was not thick and the seafood not fresh (or so i heard..)

2. The Service.. err what service???

- the waitress could not understand english very well, dun get me wrong, i am fine with hiring chinese nationals but at least hire one that can take our orders properly??? We had a difficult (frustrating, argonizing) time trying to describe a fresh potato and a mash potato...

The Tomato Pasta that tasted like it didnt have Tomato

- they were too eager to serve us our food... before we were done with soup, the main course came.. before we were done with the main, the coffee came...

- it was difficult to get anyones attention! HELLO!! ATTENTION pls MISS WAITRESS!! Not only when i wan to foot the BILL!!

3. There are much nicer places at Vivo... better view at a cheaper price.. (maybe not the cheaper price part) but still at least better food and service?

So what can i say, A nice, interesting and cheeky name does not mean anything at all! but if u really wan to give them a try..

Its not good, but dun kill me!!!

The Mussel Guys (not Muscle!) is located at

VivoCity 1 Harbourfront Walk
#02-123 Singapore 09858

Thefadboy visited and sacrificed his taste buds for this post!

KAZU

2008-03-24T16:56:00.007+08:00

Been lotsa coverage on jap food lately, and I'm just about to add one more to the Fad gourmet collection.

My sis and I went to KAZU SUMI-YAKI Restaurant for grilled japanese fare recently. You can jolly well say its the jap-ish satay haven for yaki lovers.

The food was superb and the restaurant setting was cosy (small and packed like a typical jap eating house). It was a surprise because being tucked away in an obscure corner of Cuppage Plaza, I almost ran off even before taking the escalator to level 4 where Kazu was found.

The reason being Cuppage Plaza seemed abandoned, cold and deserted with Japanese KTV lounges and restaurant weaving the corridors like a movie about to go wrong...

But I'm glad I forged on!

There were some rather interesting starters. Cold jelly containing crab meat, roe and egg - that's unique. And cabbage with a sweet sauce for all - that can get addictive.

I loved all the artery-clogging stuff:
the grilled duck, pork with apple - you gotta order that, foie gras, oyster wrapped in bacon and the top shell that is as big as one's face!

Apparently KAZU attracts not only locals, expats, jap-drama-serial-esque businessmen and tai-tais, it also garners a loyal celeb following. I saw Lim Kay Tong sitting three tables away from me - and that's not all. The cashier counter had all the photos of actors who have patronised this authentic jap restaurant.

While it might seem inexpensive to order stick after stick of these japanese grilled meats, the bill could amount to alot, so be careful there.

Also, eat your fill if you so want to, but do not waste your money on desserts there. I guess if you specialise in grilled meats, you can't possibly ace your tiramisu department as well.

All in all, KAZU is a can-go and must-go for treating yourselves to a sumptious Jap yaki meal! A word of advice, please call to rsvp or you risk not getting a table. Seriously.

KAZU SUMI-YAKI RESTAURANT
No. 5 Koek Road
#04-05 Cuppage Plaza
S228796

- the Fad girl

Nihon Mura (The Cathay)

2008-03-18T19:20:00.000+08:00

A few weeks ago, theFadpeople visited Nihon Mura (日本村) at The Cathay.

The restaurant has an interesting way of ordering the food.

First u go to the "food" section where there are many different ice cream sticks that represents the food available. You take the sticks you want, place it at the counter and go back to your seat and wait to be served. The only difference was that the sushi was on the rotating table. Sushi's were going for an amazing 99cents. Unfortunately, they didnt look very appetizing at all.

If you are looking for good and authentic japanese cruisine, than Nihon Mura is definitely not the place for you.

For the cheap price that was paid, the food can be considered to be of "acceptable" standards.

Personally I would only recommend having the Salmon Sashimi because nothing else that day tasted good to me.

TheFadchick had some Don (which i do not remember but i think it was Unagi) but I do not think she was impressed by it as well.

And the Cha Soba, pls... do not even order it... It was blend and hard... Must be the worst cold noodles i have ever tried.

TheFadgirl had salmon head soup. It looked impressive but didnt taste that good as well. U see 1 fish head but u only get half.. cos the other side of the fishhead is cut off and maybe being served on another table. Haha...

To sum things up, the 3 of us decided never to patronised the place again (unless we were really broke and craving for japanese).

Nihon Mura is located at

The Cathay
2 Handy Road
#B1-K2 to B1-07

Once again, theFadboy says hi with his post!

Shokudo - Pasta with a Japanese Twist...

2008-03-05T19:57:00.002+08:00

There seems to be a sudden craze over japanese pasta and theFadboy decided to check out Shokudo @ Citylink... where they serve both Japanese Pasta and Pizza.

The decor of the place was not anything to shout about but the waiter and waitresses are very friendly and helpful. Our waitress seems like she jumped out of a Japanese comic, so eager to please and so willing to recommend.

I ordered the salmon/salmon roe pasta, I felt that it was too dry. Although the salmon was big and tasty, i just didnt feel the "japanese" in this pasta...

With a japanese style deep-fried calamari (that came with a wasabi mayo sauce), well, this was a disaster... the calamari felt like rubber and was difficult to chew... and for a few miserable pieces it was like 8bucks.. definitely not worth the money...

and my date had a bacon japanese pasta... as for the this, it really tasted like any carbonara that from pasta mania. There was nothing special about it, except for its name..

I must say that it was a really disappointing trip. Apart from the excellent service that was provided, there is nothing left to praise about the place. Perhaps the next time I should try Waraku Pasta instead.

In case i was being bias, this is another review that i got from Yum.sg.

I might sound really mean but i felt that the $55 that i paid would have been better donated to NKF. I do not recommend that anyone visits this place, unless you wish to be proven wrong..

This not recommended place was visited by theFadboy (don't sue me!)

dolphins' tavern

2008-03-05T14:14:00.000+08:00

i was reading lifestyle on sunday, and i realised that for mother's day, dolphins' tavern is having a promotion for citibank cardmembers where moms get to dine for free. since ive been there before, thought i could share my experience there and some pictos!

i went with corina and doreen, 2 of my best mates from the sixsomes. rina went there for her cousin's bday and decided to share the joy and brought the 2 of us there!

we ordered a set dinner and 2 mains, as it would be more value for money that way.

for the set dinner, the starters...

we had some bread, salad and mushroom soup. the girls speculated that the soup came freshly out of campbell cans.

and reenie looks ready to dig in.

following shortly, the mains came along.

rina and i ordered the ribeye steak. the steak was delicious, and the meat was tender. the portion was pretty decent too!

reenie ordered seafood pasta - with prawns and mussels. likewise, the portion was so huge that reenie couldnt finish it.

after we finished the mains, the dessert was served as the third-parter of the set dinner, which was vanilla ice-cream - which i didnt take any picto, since everyone knows what vanilla ice-cream is.

the place is quiet, it's prolly cos we went there on a weekday night. however, i guess one reason could also be its location - jalan selaseh? i havent heard of that before. its pretty inaccessible if you dont have a car and its pretty well-hidden in the estates. who would have imagined that there would be a western restaurant inside the estate? but i must say the interior is pretty cosy and also, the servers are helpful.

the price is pretty reasonable - with 1set dinner and 2 mains - the bill came up to 95bucks. hope this helps some of you to consider where to bring your lovely moms for mother's day!

dolphins' tavern
22 jalan selaseh
opening hours: 11am to 11pm daily

-tfc-

Shokudo

2008-03-02T15:32:00.005+08:00

Facing the rest of the world at the end of the newly added wing of Raffles City basement is Shokudo.

Shokudo. The name itself vaguely sounds like "Shiok-udo", hence from the first moment, might have already appealed to the palettes of many jap-food-aficionados here in Singapore.

Think Marché, think Vila'ge, then think about the glorious world of fresh Japanese sushis and sashimis we often see portrayed on blogs and tvs. "No artificial flawourin. All fresh-o," screamed the intimidating chef in the typical wooden hut restaurant, with a towel tied around his head, single-mindedly moulding his sea urchin rice ball.

This, ladies and gentlemen, might be a sin to many orthodox Jap-food-connoisseurs, but to the avid Katsu curry and Yakitori fans, this has to be marriage made in fast food heaven! You queue for your food, they swipe your card, and you will wait for the chefs to whip up your dinner right there and then. And the waiters will swoop down on you the moment you finish your meal - and clean the table.

Design of the eatery is just like the many types of food being offered - the word is "Assortment". Like a funfair with many stations for one to play games and sit on rides, this is your playground. There are many sitting areas with various themes from modern chic to traditional wooden hut setting.

What should we eat?

Well the Fad boy will tell you that $5 for 5 gyozas is too expensive. And there's nothing spectacular about it anymore than you going to Cold Storage and buying a pre-packed frozen version.

My katsu curry was just so-so, but it was hearty and the sweet curry sauce is not too salty. The crepe was more like pancake and it was too thin. The banana-chocolate (What chocolate??) toppings totally overwhelmed the crepe.

What a small world!
It was a day of serendipity. Not only did I bump into an old time buddy, Peiyong, I'd also met a bunch of sec school/JC mates who were all in the school Judo team, Mingli, Caroline, Hui xian and one of my good friends, Xinyi. We are actually all connected, from Peiyong to Xinyi and I'd leave you to wonder what the connection is :)

We asked the girls if they like Shokudo, and they did. The concept was good for gatherings, and they like the food.

As usual the Fad people had our own fun while munching away, either sneaking a shot at one another, or self-posing in front of the cam. (But we were working hard, okay!)

At the end of the day, I was glad there's a Marche concept, express Jap food eating house where I can add to my potential gathering list. But the thought of paying some exorbitant price (relatively speaking) for not so supreme quality Jap fare might take a little coaxing of my wallet and the sceptical mind for me to make Shokudo a frequent hang out.

Shokudo Japanese Food Bazaar

Raffles City Shopping Centre
252 North Bridge Road #B1-44E
Ring-ring: (65) 6837 3793

- the Fad girl

crepe it up!

2008-02-25T00:24:00.019+08:00

last fri, finally got down to check out the creperie restaurant, creperie des arts, as recommended by my french teacher who proclaimed the authenticity of french crepes. the food was amazing, the service was outstanding and the ambience - i love it! quaint little stores always work for me. so everything was simply too good to be true.

it happened that i managed to be on time, but my 2 other mates were late, and i was getting annoyed. to my great surprise, she suddenly got me a cup of apple cider, and told me "this is on the house, you can drink it while waiting for your friends." when that cup of cider is selling at 7bucks! i thought it was a very friendly gesture, but thefadboy was telling me over the phone that i should check my bill later. pfft.

the shop has 2 sitting areas, i chose to sit indoor as i thought it was going to rain. inside the restaurant, it's rather small, i guess the shop could only house at most 3 groups of people dining inside. the interior was decorated in such a way that almost mimics the interior of a ship, or even the home of a seaman, or fisherman. on one side of the walls, there are nets sprawling over the wall, with paintings and fake crabs, and the other side, you could see there is one painting with a ship and a ship model on a drawer.

the chef went around talking to the customers, and asking how's the food. this is totally random, if you had seen the kit kat ad by jwt france, "take a break to outer space", the chef would be the life size version of the pixar-like animated lead. it's not difficult to tell that the chef is french, given his heavy accented english.

my friends finally arrived after a long wait that seem like a century had past. we ordered 3 crepes, aiguebelette, yvette and polvem. the filling for aiguebelette includes cheese and bacon, yvette's - mushroom and prawns, whereas polvem's - smokedsalmon. when the crepes were served, our 5 senses were almost immediately captivated by the smell of the piping hot crepes and the presentation was rather unique to me- it was rather different from the crepes at vilage or marche. as we were just chatting away after devouring our food, to our pleasant surprise, the chef actually came out with keroch - a crepe dessert with caramel on it, and spoke with us. this again was on the house!

aiguebelette

the 3 crepes

keroch

all in all, our bill of 3 crepes, one coke and one orange juice came to $86. (yes, they did not charge the apple cider and the keroch.) with reasonable servings, great service attitude, great food and plenty of surprises, what's there not to love!

get down to creperie des arts and check out for yourself!

creperie des arts is located at 44 prinsep street.

opening hours:
weekdays: 5-11pm
weekends: 12-2pm; 5-11pm
/Closed Mondays

lunches upon reservation
tel: 6333 5330

-tfc

Wine-ing about Fish&Co.

2008-02-23T21:41:00.005+08:00

It's been quite quiet here at FAD. Since the three Fad people are nearing our graduation, job search and interviews are in place, so we've not been eating or playing as much :(

While we're at that, any interesting job positions anyone's gotta offer any of us?

I had dinner at Fish and Co recently and I thought I would talk a little about that. Since it was a spontaneous outing, I did not snap pictures. So if you absolutely cannot read, then you are free to move your mouse to the x-button now. Ciao!

So Fish&Co...

Apart from all the fish you can eat, their quirky staff tees with witty fishy-lines, I shall not bore you (or myself) with the mundane.

My gang and I had Seafood Platter for Two - always a good deal for three or four people to share. And a pasta dish of Prawns Fettuccini with Chili Cream.

The platter was not bad but I'd advise you to look out for foreign sea creatures because I once forked out a worm: fried crispy worm I almost puked when I saw it. But the restaurant compensated my nausea with a new platter and dessert (Could we finish that?)

The pasta was baaaaad because the fettuccini was not done al dente, so it was hard and plasticky.

The people who celebrated their birthdays at Fish&Co always receive a half hearted cheer from the crew. I don't know why people would do that - celebrate birthday there - and endure the humiliation. As the other diners, we were pretty embarrassed and amused by the awkward cheering. Thanks for the 10% off total bill birthday treat, Fish&Co, and why not keep it at that....

Or throw in a glass of wine...

What made me very happy was how cheap its cocktail and wine is! Being the wine lover, I ordered a house white thinking it's gonna be either
a) distilled water charged at $6.90 posing as wine
Or
b) good wine in tiny espresso cup bc it's too cheap to be true.

$6.90 for a glass or house white (Chardonnay) or red (Sauvignon) - Can anyone tell me where else there's a better deal?

When the wine arrived, it was *phew* a decent glass of glistening champagne gold. I took a sip, half expecting to be choked by horror but the wine turned out delicious!

Sweet, fruity and very palatable. I WAS SURPRISED!

So that's trialed and tested, and for all wine-buffs who love a good glass of fermented grape like all Europeans do (here goes my Euro-daydream) with your meal, feel free to get one (or two!)when you visit Fish&Co!

Cheers!

-the Fad girl

TheFadpeople goes to: Singho chicken rice

2008-02-18T09:16:00.014+08:00

Every fri, theFadpeople meet to discuss about the week that comes ahead, so why not use this time to discover new eating places and introduce them to you, our dear Fadreaders!

So watch out for "TheFadpeople goes to" next week too!

Located opposite Paradiz Center, Singho Chicken Rice is quite famous in the area and we were drawn to it by the white chicken that were hanging from the stall.

So 3 hungry people rushed for a table at the side of the road(do not seat inside, it was soooooooooooooo WARM!).

However, if u are afraid of cats (like theFadgirl), perhaps its better if you sit inside and not be terrorize by the cute pussy that kept pacing up and down our table.

I was quite impressed by the chicken (juicy, soft and tasty) but the kangkong was too spicy.. as for the wanton soup, i
was not impressed. (not that it was bad, it was just... normal.. haha).

I will leave theFadgirl and theFadchick to comment about their experience in the comment box!

Collage from theFadchick and words from theFadboy.

Carnivore - For the Meat Eater in You...

2008-02-12T21:32:00.000+08:00

Stepping onto the grounds of Chijmes, one could forget that one is still in Singapore. The setting is one of calm and tranquility. But today, I am not here to promote Chijmes but more specifically Carnivore @ Chijmes.

Carnivore, as the name suggest is mainly about meat meat and more meat! It is one of the more popular places in Singapore that you can get Brazillian Churrascaria (which is like BBQ meat!).

It is rather on the pricey side, if you enter between the times of 6 -7pm, it is $36++. Any time after is a whooping $42++. But I would say, go try it once.. or you will regret!

A bottle of house wine is $70 and above and a glass is $12 and above.

With a huge choice of meat, one would be filled by the time you tried every single meat that is served at your table. (The Chef would bring the meat to you and cut a slice onto your place directly.. )

The meal starts like this, a plate of condiments are placed on your table and the waiter starts explaining that the plate on the left helps to reduce saltiness of the meat and the right plate (tapioca powder) helps to reduce the oiliness of the meat.

While the cheese buns are just to accompany the meal.

He goes on to explain (actually, i would have guessed), that the circular disk on the table is to indicate to the Chef if you wan more meat. Green for "GO Ahead" and Red for "Stop, I cant take Anymore"

Just in case the meat eater in you is rather small, Carnivore also provides a huge selection of salad and sides to accompany the meat. So its more den just meat... its meat and much more!

Yes, you get to eat meat. I personally love the Beef. But I HIGHLY recommend that you try the Chicken Heart. I am usually not a brave heart but do not be a chicken! Do try it and you will not regret!

And if you really wan a 2nd helping, you will have to peel your eyes out for the Chef!

Even if you can't eat much, you can sit around and enjoy the wonderful laidback experience. Get a bottle of wine, put your circular disk to red and just sit back and enjoy... for the next 3hrs!

And when u feel like it, u can always start again!

This meaty meal was brought to you by theFadboy, very luckily paid for by theFadboy's Dad and happily shared with theFadboy's family!

Cicada at Portsdown Road

2008-02-06T01:05:00.000+08:00

Nestled in the bosom of foliage and a sea of green, is a gem called Cicada.

Drenched in full golden glory, this sun-kissed bungalow converted into restaurant is the perfect chill-out spot after a hard day’s work.

I first chose to sit inside the restaurant because of the cozy ambience but decided it a waste to miss the sunset, hence I shifted outdoor instead.

The al fresco area was a great place to watch the coming of night, with the cricking of cicadas, an overture to a starry evening. Not many places in Singapore could dish out such an intimate experience with the nature nowadays.

I began the night with The Perfect Mojito. Perfect it was. Sweet and strong, a minty, refreshing kick right out of the Caribbean, I daresay. And it made me happy.

That was shortly followed by the Slipper Lobster Capellini. It was an explosion of flavors from the very first mouthful. I was very intrigued by the layers of flavor in the sauce - a tomato base cream with a hint of white wine quite pronounced. A hearty dish, best eaten whilst it’s warm.

Watch out for the big bites of fresh lobster!

Next up I had the Infamous Cicada Burger. I had expected to find the beef patty à la those served in fast food joints but was pretty astonished to see chunky silvers of beef hand-molded into a patty. Alongside the beef were caramelized onions, fresh mushrooms and two cheeses: Gorgonzola (the Italian blue cheese) and Gruyère (a sort of hard, yellow cheese from Switzerland).

I loved how the burger buns soaked up all the beef juices and the details that had gone into the side dishes. Uniquely seasoned fries and fresh salad marinated with special sauce – I’d say, eat the tomatoes individually to taste the marinate. Here was a brilliant case of Finesse meets Fast Food Nation.

I always maintain that one can’t have too many desserts. Succumbing to temptation, my sister and I shared three different desserts between us to satisfy the inner dessert goddesses: Caramelised Apple Crumble with Honey & Fig Ice Cream, Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownie Crunch Cake with Bourbon Vanilla Ice Cream and Pavlova with Whipped Cream, Passion Fruit Curd and Fresh Seasonal Fruits. What sweet galore!

PAVLOVA, an immaculate mountain of ivory meringue baked to a crisp exterior. You’ll find a light candy-floss texture upon cracking the shell. I was so enthused by the discovery of it (‘cos we don’t see much of pavlova in Singapore), that I took the liberty to speak with the head chef, Norman, and he spontaneously entertained all my queries.

According to Norman, a French-trained chef, the desserts were all hand-made in the Cicada kitchen. No outsourcing, not outsiders. Just the ingenuity and skills from the maestro himself. How impressive?

I was also let in on an inside scoop that Cicada would start a ferry service. A chartered 11-seater would drive all customers from Buona Vista MRT to Cicada during lunch hour. That's quite cool I reckon.

My evening at Cicada was quite an experience I would say, in terms of being a gastronomic eye opener as well as a feast of five senses. Glorious food in a garden-like setting. For those who seek quality and exclusivity at a place you could feel like home, it’s time to start owning this piece of haven.

Address: Cicada 7 Portsdown Road Singapore 139298
Tel: 64722100
Website: http://www.thecicada.com.sg/

- the Fad girl

Eat your hearts out!

2008-01-22T23:15:00.000+08:00

Dinner In The Sky

Just when you think the best gastronomical experiences are limited to restaurants, Dinner In The Sky catapults you into the league of clouds (maybe even birds and planes)!

Based in Brussels and extending its flying vessel to other European cities, diners hang 50m above ground, sampling cuisines from specialised gourmet menu.

Good food, great wine and spectacular view money can't buy. A great MasterCard campaign for "Priceless" experience.

http://www.dinnerinthesky.com/

Dans Le Noir?

French for "In The Dark", Dans Le Noir came from Paris. I personally visited this very unique branch in London for a mind-blowing, "eye-closing" experience.

Diners ate in complete darkness, mimicking the world of the blind. I found the concept intriguing and very meaningful. I was not allowed to take pictures though, so I'm really curious as to how the dining area looks like.

There was an obvious challenge trying to eat in pitch black, relying so much - and solely - on your other senses. I kinda freaked out when the monkfish I had tasted queer. Also, being unable to see in the dark, I took forever to get the attention of my personal server, who is visually-handicapped. That lil' exercise kinda got me realising how hard it is to cope if I were to lose my sight.

I was in awe of the waiters at Dans Le Noir?. They did brilliantly despite problems with their eyesights and this experience let us walk in the shoes of the blind, even for just a while, and at the same time, these folk could be employed and earn their own living.

Definitely a one of a kind dining experience not to be missed!

http://www.danslenoir.com/london/

El Bulli

El Bulli and its chef, Ferran Adrià have got to be the names-en-vogue. This self-proclaimed food deconstructivist is here to stay and his vision will change the culinary world if it has not already. El Bulli, named "Best restaurant in the world" thrice, is located just outside Barcelona, in a town called Girona. An average meal would set you back 250euros at El Bulli. It is always fully booked and without advance booking, don't even dream of setting foot in the restaurant!

From asparagus foam to polenta of frozen powdered Parmesan cheese. Ferran Adrià is the Willy Wonka of haute cuisine sphere, always innovating and turning food fantasies into reality. Dine once at El Bulli and you'd never view food the same way ever again! For more gastro-galore, I found Loremipsum with a great album of cuisines from El Bulli.

http://www.elbulli.com/

- the Fad girl

A Tale Of Two Timbres

2008-01-20T17:01:00.000+08:00

Over the weekend, my girl friends celebrated my birthday for me at the quite-new Timbre @ the Arts House.

From a quiet murmur at nine, the crowd poured in by ten-ish. This water front experience is slightly different from its rustic predecessor cozily tucked away behind Substation, just along Armenian street.

Timbre @ Substation is probably a cocoon for those who know its location and love it for its festive, inviting ambience. Like a niche, we return week after week on fridays, making it a regular hang out where friends would gather to chill. Singing along to infectious live music, yelling in between the hard beats thumping through the speakers, hopping from table to table bc you'd most probably bump into one familiar face or another. It felt like the whole world was there. We were in a league of our own, somewhat.

Timbre 2 @ the Arts House is like a subdued, big brother of its Substation sibling. We know it looks polished. We know it's more for the working crowd. Adorned with sexy red couches, boasting a laid back, kick-off-your-shoes-and-chill kinda chic vibe.

The identity is obvious but it has not established for itself a character. I find myself missing the al fresco, noisy and unpretentious setting at the back alley of Armenian street.

Sitting under a tent-like roof of hanging lights, the view of Boat Quay and its mesmerizing skyline sparkled quietly like diamonds in the night.

Occasionally there's a slight breeze and you feel the pulse of the city. A steady, low decibel you can't hear, but it's always there. Beating....

Drums. Bass. Guitar.
Even the music is toned down to suit the quieter setting. We wanted "Fly Me To The Moon" and thanks to the bassist, Clement, for taking the dedication, we could hear Timmy's beautiful rendition of this classic.

I wonder if all Timmy fans miss the good old days at Substation? I know I do.

Apparently even the menu is altered. We can't order certain drinks by jugs, the food selection is limited. The cocktails we had were more syrup than booze, the servers mixed up our bills, it took us quite some effort to get the attention of a somewhat busy, short-handed crew.

We can't compare the two Timbres bc they are obviously targetting different crowds and set at different places. While the scenery by the river is refreshing, and we have one more spot to visit, as a Timbre fan (could I still call myself that?), I'm less than thrilled at the cocktails served and the service it provided.

Seems like growing up is not such a fun thing after all.

- the Fad girl

Easy ways to taste a good glass of wine...

2008-01-14T22:41:00.000+08:00

Anyone can drink wine, you just pour and gulp.. but to fully appreciate the taste of wine, that requires some knowledge...

We all know the simple rules: There is the all known "Red with red meat and white with white meat." How about "start with the lighter ones and move upwards gradually"? Or maybe you know that the wine "releases" its full flavour as you expose it to air?

If you didnt know this, know you do! Here at theFadpeople, we try to bring it alittle further up the knowledge chain.

Color

It needs to be pure, lovely red (no sediments! obviously no insects!) Its the basics, the wine has to be pure, clear and clean... If your glass of wine doesnt appear to be so, please.. change it

Swirling

Now, why do we swirl the wine? Because we wanna look like we are experts at appreciating wine. But to help you be a tad more "expert" on the subject, you should know that you are setting up the smell of the wine. When you swirl, you are allowing air to enter the wine, thus releasing the bouquet of the wine.

Another point to note (to impress), is to notice the legs of the wine (residue that are left on the sides of the glass). If it is strong legs, you can conclude that the alcohol content is considerable and it is a glass of heavy bodied wine.

Smelling (The Bouquet of the Wine)

Don't be shy when you smell a glass of wine. Stick your nose into the glass and take sharp shot breaths. Take in the full aroma of the wine, let the smell enter your sinuses, your mouth and you lungs. This is to prepare yourself for the main event (tasting)!

It is said that some people may smell flowers, minerals, the earth or the oak. But if you just happen to smell wine.. thats good too! (at least, thats wat i usually smell.)

Tasting

The entire process of enjoying (tasting) a good glass of wine is a combination of all the 4 steps above. Each dependent on each other to get the full flavor of the wine.

Remember its tasting (not gulping, not swallowing!), so take a sip.. let it sit in your mouth for a few seconds... Let each bud enjoy the taste of the wine before you finally swallow. A good glass of wine will leave a wonderful finish in the mouth.. Maybe 10sec or 15sec or maybe even a min if you are lucky.

IF all else fails, visit specialty shops that a famous for selling good wines. Talk to the dealers, bartenders, waiters or even other patrons of the place. Be humble, allow them to walk you through the selection and learn.

Most Importantly

Do not restrict yourself to any rules (even red for red meat) as this will remove the joy of choosing wine. It’s better to trust your own inner sense when it comes to choosing wine.

After 4 glasses of red wine, theFadboy is still trying to be an expert on wine tasting.. Enjoys!

Bungalow - Tapas Bar & Grill

2008-01-02T16:56:00.000+08:00

Tapa : n. pl. ta·pas (-päs, -päz) Any of various small, savory Spanish dishes, often served as a snack or with other tapas as a meal.

Bungalow : Bringing a touch of casual elegance to United Square, Bungalow's aim is to offer a taste of Spanish style in the suburbs!

Judging from the website, it looks like Bungalow not only brings the taste but also the ambience as well. Don't just trust me, do check out the official website.

The food looks appealing and the decor unique. Perhaps if someone offers to be my next date, I will bring her there? Any takers?

Furthermore, Bungalow appears to be quite conveniently located in United Square. Just drop off at Novena MRT and you are within walking distance.

There is more, Bangalow is currently offering a SPECIAL WEDNESDAY.

Special Wednesday : Savour our chef's sampler of tapas, on the house, daily from 5pm to 10pm and toast to your favourite Martinis, Sangria, Wine or Beer.

Nice place, nice food (free) and nice drinks... Will there be a nicer offer?

Bungalow Tapas Bar & Grill is located @ 101 Thomson Road, #01-14/15, United Square, Singapore 307591
For Reservations: (65) 6258 9442 or email : enquiries@bungalowtapas.com

This wonderful news was searched/found/typed/prepared for you by theFadboy! ;)

Bourdain Wisdom

2008-01-01T21:55:00.000+08:00

Trust me, you'd benefit from reading this, if you'd not known already...

From the Guardian, Anthony Bourdain once wrote:

I saw a sign the other day outside one of those Chinese-Japanese hybrids that are beginning to pop up around town, advertising 'Discount Sushi'. I can't imagine a better example of Things To Be Wary Of in the food department than bargain sushi. I never order fish on Monday, unless I'm eating at a four-star restaurant where I know they are buying their fish directly from the source. I know how old most seafood is on Monday - about four to five days old!

I don't eat mussels in restaurants unless I know the chef, or have seen, with my own eyes, how they store and hold their mussels for service. I love mussels. But, in my experience, most cooks are less than scrupulous in their handling of them. It takes only a single bad mussel, one treacherous little guy hidden among an otherwise impeccable group... If I'm hungry for mussels, I'll pick the good-looking ones out of your order.

Brunch menus are an open invitation to the cost-conscious chef, a dumping ground for the odd bits left over from Friday and Saturday nights. How about hollandaise sauce? Not for me. Bacteria love hollandaise. And nobody I know has ever made hollandaise to order. And how long has that Canadian bacon been festering in the walk-in? Remember, brunch is only served once a week - on the weekends. Cooks hate brunch. Brunch is punishment block for the B-Team cooks, or where the farm team of recent dishwashers learn their chops.

Beef Parmentier? Shepherd's pie? Chilli special? Sounds like leftovers to me. How about swordfish? I like it fine. But my seafood purveyor, when he goes out to dinner, won't eat it. He's seen too many of those 3ft-long parasitic worms that riddle the fish's flesh. You see a few of these babies - and we all do - and you won't be tucking into swordfish anytime soon.

Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter-faction, the vegans, are a persistent irritant to any chef worth a damn. To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living. Vegetarians are an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food. Oh, I'll accommodate them, I'll rummage around for something to feed them. Fourteen dollars for a few slices of grilled eggplant (aubergine) and zucchini (courgette) suits my food cost fine.

This was an extract from Kitchen Confidential: Adventures In The Culinary Underbelly, by Anthony Bourdain. Now that makes me wanna go get this book. Hmm...

-the Fad girl

That was a bird...

2007-12-26T11:13:00.000+08:00

Now that the Xmas dinner is over, everyone is filled up, the drinks are almost done... But the 6kg turkey didnt seem to have lost much weight.. The dreaded Turkey Leftovers!

For as far back as i can remember, i have had weeks of turkey sandwhiches after each and every Xmas.

Only thing was that mine, never looked as good as the one above. Shredded turkey, sliced tomato, lettuce and mayo... Simple, delicious but not for more than 3 days in a row...

Of course there are many different variations like including cucumbers, ham or substituting mayo with other kinds of sauces. But the turkey remains (thats the main pt, getting rid of the leftover!)

This year, there is no difference. My fridge has 2 containers filled up with shredded turkey from last nite's dinner. But instead of forcing down 2 weeks of sandwiches, i decided to search for other receipes...

Like this Tex- Mex Turkey Soup

As the comments goes

"Not only is this soup yummy, it sure beats leftover turkey sandwiches for days on end following a holiday!"

Spoken like a true leftover fan! Although the steps are more complicated than the turkey sandwich (3 step process: spread, lay, eat). I am tempted to at least give it a try!

Searching online actually yield alots of results... just to share some: the Curried Turkey Salad, the Turkey Pasta Toss and a simple to make Leftover Turkey Pot Pie.

I will leave you to decide what to do with your leftovers because I will stop here and try some of these receipes!

As for you, our dearest Fadreaders, enjoy these receipes and tell us if you have something else to share!

Please sir, I want more!

2007-12-20T03:33:00.000+08:00

Continues with Main Course:

Want to cook a turkey but don't know how? Watch this instructional clip for direction.

For those who are sick of turkey and want a no-nonsense, snap-finger, fast and clean approach to preparing a Christmas dinner, try Gordon Ramsay's Christmas Spiced Goose.

Ok ok so you want turkey? Roast Turkey with Truffled Butter and Citrus.

The Fad Chef is gonna use this recipe for her dinner party, Rib Eye of Beef with Grilled Artichokes.

How about Roast Leg of Lamb with Goat's Cheese in place of turkey?

Sick of the usual red meat? Try Duck instead: Honey-roasted Duck with a Green Bean Salad.

The Fad Chef's Recommendations: Substitute green beans with sprigs of holly if you find that not Christmasey enough ;)

Want something real exotic? Venison if your choice for some posh Christmas feast. Try Ramsay's Venison with Sweet and Sour Peppers.

For the seafood lovers, Crispy Salmon with Crushed Potatoes.

Desserts:

Who does not love chocolates? For a Christmas feast, chocolates are the best conclusion you'll get at a dinner. So go! Fudge yourselves silly with Nigella's recipes:

Grown-Up Hot Choc (For those who are not so good with baking and making...)

The Fad Chef's Recommendation: Dust in more Cinnamon and Nutmeg powder for that extra festive feel.

Chocolate Mousse (For the sensual delight that goes "Oomph!")

ChocoPots (Warm your hearts and smiles in breezy cool Decemeber)

Chocolate Cheesecake (Marriage of the best!)

Chocolate Brownies (If you wanna leave some for guests to take away)

Old Fashion Chocolate Cake (For the Martha Stewarts out there that craves a challenge)

The Fad Chef's recommendation: You can also throw in cranberry sauce toppings, orange peel glaze or Cherry ice creams for that jingle in the bell.

If you are still not satisfied, on to find more inspiration on youtube . Just a note of reminder when you go grocery-shopping. Bring your own bags or risk paying extra for those plastics!

Merry Feasting everyone!

Keeping you well FAD this Christmas!

2007-12-17T05:54:00.000+08:00

What's a SNACK (Savvy New Age CooK) gotta do come this Christmas? Do you...

(a) Order in (Dial 62353535) or cater?

(b) Fine-dine-wine at hotels and restaurants (and pay atrociously three times the usual price for a leg of ham that has been decorated with some holly?)

(c) Wish you could whip up a feast worthy of The Three Kings.... and realise you could only wish???

If you (a) or (b) during Christmas, then bless ya, child! You can skip this post right away and we wish you all the merry Christmas when you over-pay, wait forever for your orders to arrive, or worse, spend Christmas eve queueing for a table.

If you wanna (c), then the Fad people shall attempt to keep you well-FAD. We will turn you into Nigella, Jamie or Gordon - whichever you fancy, bc a New Age CooK like you deserve some New Age treatment, (and by New Age we meant never been tried before, hence it's NEW... ) So this year! We throw away wordy recipes on magazines - They only write, they forgot you or your mom, or maid has to cook it at the end of the day. We snub fastfood bc no one deserves trash on Christmas; and we utilise fully all resources on hand (literally) by directing you to nicely done, trialed-and-tested, drools-worthy clips of food preparation and recipe ideas which you could choose from, improvise and replay as you cook. So that in this way, you can (pretend to) be as Nigella, Jamie and/or Gordon or make-believe that they are just by your side, guiding you along, as you strive to put together a lovely Christmas feast.

STARTERS

Showcasing Gordon Ramsay's Christmas Specials: Truffled Cream Cheese

Aubergine Caviar

Swede and Cardamon Soup

Other Gordon Ramsay's recipes: Ricotta Stuffed Courgette Rolls

Marinated Mushrooms

Want something special? Stuffed Bacon-wrapped Chicken Legs.

The Fad Chef recommends Steamed Mussels in a White Wine Sauce but doubts the hilarious french accent and humour...

Jamie Oliver's very easy and delicious recipe great for Christmas hampers (and as starters too!)

The next post, we will feature main course and yummy desserts! For now, if you want more, go to youtube in search of ideas and inspiration!

Credit: YouTube.

Xu Liu Shan (Hong Kong) - Dessert

2007-12-07T20:33:00.000+08:00

Just by looking at the signboard before entering the shop, I knew I was into something special! The whole oriental look made me feel like an emperor having the No. 1 dessert in the world!

The choices provided was extensive, mangos, watermelon, sago... and Harsmar! and Birds Nest!!

Whao, seems like i didnt make a wrong choice to walk into this place.

So we decided to try the 2 most Expensive dessert in the shop...

For HK$55/SGD$11 (thats EXPENSIVE!!!), we can get a bowl of Harsmar and Bird's Nest with House Special Ice-Cream.

If the name sounded impressive, the look of it was amazing!

and it tasted... absolutely heavenly! SGD$11? It was ALL worth it, every single cent!

This is the Bird's Next on Mango Sago with Pamelo and Fruits. The 2nd most pricy item on the menu (HK $45/ SGD $9).

Its alittle like this dessert you can get in restaurants (I can't remember what is it called) but this is with Bird's Nest! I would love to get another bowl of this!

And so, Xu Liu Shan, from now on its will be known to me as the No. 1 Dessert Store. Absolutely amazing, do try if you ever have the chance! (They said it came to Singapore but it closed down in awhile due to the lack of biz, I wish they try again!)

theFadBoy gives it 4 Fadstars out of 5!