Privé CHIJMES

This is one café that I've been wanting to visit for a long time, they started out at Keppel Bay but it was quite inaccessible. Apparently, after a few years, they became more popular and decided to open a few more outlets!

I recently got reminded about Privé when I was walking along Orchard Road, I saw their newest outlet beside Wheelock and thought that their layout was quite interesting. The seats nearer to the streets were placed so that they were facing the street so if you sit there, you can basically eat and 'people watch' at the same time. I think its quite a new concept in Singapore because we normally don't want people to look at us eat but I know that in Paris, this is how cafés normally are. Also do note, those seats facing the street are for one/two pax, so it's quite a good experience! Do give it a try if you visit that outlet.

The one I visited this time was the outlet at Chijmes! Privé at Chijmes is really pretty because you're surrounded by grass patches, trees and beautiful infrastructures! But do note, if you are someone that NEEDS air-con, do not come here. They only have two choices of seats, 'indoor' - sheltered with fan or alfresco!

Let's take a look at the food! 

Click on the picture below to look at their menu!

 Do-It-Yourself Hot Chocolate $9 - Melt the rich Valrhona chocolate bar in your hot milk, top with whipped cream and a marshmallow for a comforting cup of hot cocoa

I love ordering interesting things when I visit new places and this was one that caught my eye! It's a deconstructed hot chocolate so you have to construct it yourself. It's really delicious, I'm not a huge fan of chocolate that are too sweet so this was perfect. It has that rich chocolate oomph, sweetness of chocolate yet a tinge of bitterness which balances out the whole drink.

 Eggs Royale $16 - English muffin, smoked Norwegian salmon, poached eggs, Hollandaise sauce

THIS WAS DELISH. I only managed to eat this after taking a ton of photos so by the time I ate it, it was cold. When I took a bite of it, I was like wow. The eggs are cooked perfectly. It's so creamy and you know how some places have a runny yolk but the whites are kinda hard, you won't find that here. Because even the whites are so good! They are generous with the smoked salmon so yay us! Definitely give this a try but do take note because the same restaurant/cafe does not mean a same chef so I heard from some of my friends that the eggs benny from some other outlet doesn't taste as good.

Bad Ass BBQ Burger $25 - Wagyu beef patty, housemade BBQ sauce, button mushrooms, dried bonito flakes, gherkins, garlic mayo. Served with fries & mesclun

THIS WAS BAD ASS. Okay, my friend ordered this so I took a bite of it, it's so good and juicy and flavourful! It's wagyu beef patty so try not to order well-done and ruin the beef okay. HAHA. This also comes with salad and crispy fries!

Ice Cream Sandwich $14 - Toasted caramelised brioche, balsamic-macerated strawberries, vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate sauce

This is huge, we were all saying that this can be a main course by itself but ohwells. The toasted brioche is super crispy with a hint of charred flavour which kind of compliments the sweet vanilla ice cream. How can one leave a café without desserts right? So do give their desserts a try even if you're quite full from what you've ate before because like my friends always tells me: "Desserts don't go to the stomach, they go to your heart" ♥

I finally visited Privé and I enjoyed every moment of it. The ambience was good, calm and relaxing, staffs were very polite and the food was great! Some might find it a little pricey but I think the price is just right for the quality they are providing! Do visit Privé and try it out for yourself but do take note that the menu of every outlet differs slightly.




Address: #01-33, 30 Victoria Street, S(187996)

Opening Hours

Mondays to Thursdays: 11.30am - 12am

Eve of Public Holidays & Fridays 11.30am - 1am

Public Holidays & Saturdays 10am - 1am

Sundays 10am - 12am

xo.

Krave - Malay Western Café

I wanted to blog about this place really long ago but since I didn't get the chance to, I am going to blog about it now!

I'm sure most of you would have encountered this issue, you are deciding where to go with your Malay friends but most cafes are not halal so your choices are very limited and end up eating Ayam Penyet from Lucky Plaza. That was why my friends and I were very excited when we got to know of Krave Cafe, a Malay Western Cafe located at Bali Lane.

For fellow instagramers, if you are going to Krave at night, the interior lighting is very warm so your photos are going to be more orangey!

Click image to enlarge

 There were four of us so we got three kinds of pasta & a dessert. Let's look at the food!

Sambal Marinara $16 - Crowd's favourite seafood pasta with sambal sauce, spicy!

This was rated with three chilli symbols on the menu so if you love spicy food, do give it a try! I love spicy food and to me, this was spicy enough but still tolerable. 

Aglio Olio Pesto Smoked Salmon $16 - Smoked salmon with homemade basil pesto

It's quite unique to pair smoked salmon with pasta. Also, for all pasta order, you have a choice of either Penne or Spaghetti.

Cremoso $12 - Beef bacon and cream with egg yolk

This is the classic cabonara, so it has the same issue with all cream based pasta, its good but please eat it before it gets cold if not it can get very gelat.

Vanilla French Toast $10 - Vanilla infused brioche with homemade berry compote, topped with vanilla ice cream

I absolutely love french toasts but I felt that this wasn't sweet enough. and I am someone that doesn't like desserts that are too sweet. Definitely not the best french toast I've had so if you visit, you can give this a miss and maybe try out their unique Chempedak Creme Brûlée!

It's definitely a good place to go to if you are looking for a halal cafe, prices are similar to most cafes out there & you get to try out unique fusion pastas! My review is just my own perspective so do head down and try it for yourself :)

Contact

28 Bali Lane

Singapore

Tel: 9856 4249

Monday Closed
Tues - Thurs & Sun
11.30am to 10.00pm
Fri & Sat
11.30am - 11.00pm
Kitchen is closed from 5pm - 6pm 

Look forward to more food reviews!

xo

I AM BACK

HI GUYS! I can't believe the last time I blogged was almost a year ago! A few days back, I was really bored so I started clicking around and happen to click on blogspot. What shocked me was the statistic of viewers because for an entire year, I have not been posting any new post but the views were crazy! I can't believe how many people have been viewing my blog!

So I've decided that I should start making time and start blogging again. It's really nice to be able to write reviews for all of you and I'm glad you guys like it, and even if you don't, I'm glad you even tried to read it! 

For the past year, I have been really busy and unmotivated for school. If you guys didn't know, I am currently in college and it's not the most enjoyable thing on earth. While trying to not flunk my classes, I have to balance other things like work, internships and my life in general so sometimes, I really can't find the time or effort to edit photos and blog.

BUT now I'm back. In case you didn't know, I've also changed my blog url!

I just want to thank all of my readers for reading my blog, commenting on my posts and supporting me! I love you guys and do look forward to more posts in the future!

adele xo

Bottura @ Suntec City Review

Hey awesome people, it's been crazy in school, projects and assignments everywhere but here I am! Instead of rushing my assignment, I am here, blogging. All for you guys, so I hope you enjoy reading this review! 

Decided to be adventurous so my friends and I decided to try out this Italian restaurant called Bottura. Luca Bottura is the man behind the restaurant and his family has been in the culinary business for five generations! He wanted to create a space with where people could have high quality, authentic Italian cuisine and voila, Bottura was born. What's amazing about them is that all ingredients, except perishables, are imported from the Bottura family's supplier in Italy. Not just that, all of their pastas and gelato are made fresh every day!

The restaurant is very spacious and quiet, a good place to just relax and chill. The wait staffs there has impeccable service, they were so attentive and friendly! I appreciate good service, it makes the whole dining experience a million times better.

 Now, let's get on to the food!

(Click on the photo for downloadable menu)

Pancetta e uovo

Tomato, mozzarella, bacon and egg

$22

All pizzas served are 12" (except the extra large pizzas). Decided to order a pizza to share despite us having a main each. Pizza crust is crispy and thin, every flavour from the different ingredients pairs so well with each other. The runny egg in the middle is just SO GOOD, because of the pancetta, the pizza might be a little salty but the egg neutralises the flavour and creates a good balance.

Pollo ai funghi

Chicken breast in light cream sauce with mushrooms

$20

This seems like a normal dish with nothing special to mention about but it's really not. The cream sauce is creamy but not too gelat (heavy) but what really should be complimented about this dish is the chicken. Let me remind you, it is chicken breast - & we all know chicken breasts are famous for being tough and dry. This dish will change your perception of chicken breast! The meat is tender, juicy and full of umami.

Risotto ai frutti di mare

Risotto with shrimps, calamari, salmon, seabass

$26

Behold, the ang moh version of muifan. haha okay, jokes aside. This came in a nice portion but if you're super hungry this might not fill you up. The rice wasn't too hard or al dente - might be to suit the local tastebuds. Risotto had a nice sweetness of it that came from the seafood, seasoned to perfection.

Tagliolini zebrati con gamberetti e zucchini

Egg and squid ink tagliolini with shrimp and zucchini

$26

Perfect dish for people who can't decide between egg or squid ink pasta because you get both. The pasta is a little soft, would have preferred it to be al dente but the owner said that he had to alter the texture because the locals feedback that they wanted their pasta to be soft. My friends and I were trying to describe the taste of it but all we could come up with was 'It tastes like home cooked food' so I guess you should try it out for yourself. It can be a little too gelat after awhile so I didn't finish it.

However, the awesome waiter, I forgot but I think it was Charles or Jayson - kept coming to ask if everything was okay because he thought I didn't like the food. They were so attentive and polite.

Another awesome staff is Paolo, he's so friendly and helpful, we were wondering what desserts to get so he recommended some and explained some of it to us. In the end, we ordered both the chef's recommended desserts!

I Dolci Secondo Bottura: La Degustazione

Degustation of 4 desserts

$20

From left to right: Berry panna cotta, orange chocolate, pistachio creme, crem caramel

I love the panna cotta and the creme caramel, it was so sweet and light and just delicious! The cream caramel came with roasted coffee beans to neutralise the sweetness of it. I didn't really enjoy the pistachio because it wasn't very sweet but my friends were quite fond of it.

 Bomba Al Cioccolato

Melting dark and white chocolate with Chantilly cream

$18

This might not be the prettiest melted sphere but it tastes good. The cream is so light and it wasn't too sweet. The fruits paired perfectly with the chocolate because it has a little tang to it. 

Freshly made gelato - the bright blue one has an awesome name. It's called 'Prince Charming' & its cotton candy flavoured.

So,
Overall, the ambience, service and food are all above average. Prices are reasonable too. I will definitely go back again for their pizza or to try out some of their other stuff or to just get some gelato. Nice place to have a simple lunch or dinner! This review is solely based on my tastebuds so do visit them and try it for yourself! :)


Address
Bottura Group Pte Ltd
3 Temasek Boulevard
Suntec City Mall (North wing between tower 1 & 2)
#02-472/473/474, Singapore 038983

Tel: +65 6238 7527
Opening hours: Everyday 11AM to 10PM

Crystal Jade Jiang Nan @ Vivo City

Hey guys! I have not been blogging for quite some time and I am sorry! I have been really busy with university and life in general.. BUT here's another food review for you!

Crystal Jade Jiang Nan is one of the brands under Crystal Jade. Serving delicacy inspired by the JiangNan region and they also serve the much loved La Mian and Xiao Long Bao. They currently have two outlets located at Vivo City and Toa Payoh.

I first stumbled upon Jiang Nan because I was craving for Dan Dan Noodles 担担面. If you know me personally, you will know that I am a sucker for La Mian, especially Dan Dan Noodles which is a kind of noodles with a sesame paste soup base so I go around restaurants trying it to see which has the best. Jiang Nan was one of the restaurant that serves Dan Dan Noodles & its ranked one of the better ones in my opinion.

Okay, let's get on to the food!

口水鸡 - Spicy Chicken

This is my new favourite dish, its a combination of flavours! First you get the tang from the vinegar, then the sweetness then the spice hit you at the back. The one in this picture is chicken breast, its not too dry because of the sauce so its okay. I went back for this again and got chicken thigh and honestly I like breast more cause there's more meat and less bone.

小笼包 - Steamed Pork Dumplings

This is the all time favourite, everyone knows this. The skin is not too thick, filling is flavourful and has a nice amount of soup in it.

凤爪 - Braised Chicken Feet

 担担面 - Dan Dan Noodles

This is just awesome. They used to offer the noodles in two sizes but they stopped doing that. There used to be taupok and bamboo shoots in them but they took that out too. But I still love the noodles, however, flavour wise, Paradise Dynasty wins.

扣肉 - Braised Pork Belly

You can eat it on its on, or wrap it up! The meat is braised through, flavourful. Meat is not too tough but still has a bite to it. The fats and skin are nice and melts in your mouth.

Stir-fried Beef with Assorted Fungi

This is good, a little salty but pair it with rice and it will be okay. Love the succulent mushrooms!

Conclusion
I will always go back to Jiang Nan for my lamian fix and you should too! Do go and try out their new menu items featuring salted egg and chili crab xiao long bao!

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Address
Vivo City #01-52

Mon - Fri: 11.30am to 10pm
Sat, Sun & PH: 11am to 10pm