I visited Clinton Street Baking Company New York version in Dec 2013 (full story) and has been pining for the best pancakes ever.

The problem: 15,323km (and likely a two hour queue of famished humans) stands in between me and the best pancakes ever.

I was back in Tokyo last December for a business meeting. And I had a couple of hours before my meeting at 10am on a Tuesday morning. Thanks to Google, I discovered that the famous Clinton St bakery cafe had a franchise in Tokyo. Problem solved. Without further ado, I embarked on my journey to the Tokyo edition located in pretty charming Omotesando neighborhood. People were cycling to work or school. I was the first customer to an empty shop at 8am.

Needless to say, I ordered the blueberry pancakes (¥1,500 or ~S$16). They were almost the same as NYC version. Fluffy and soft, it was like eating my pillow. The secret is they fold egg whites into the batter which made the pancakes light and tasty even on its own without the blueberries. The sweet blueberries elevated this dish to be the best pancakes I've ever eaten. 

A lovely brunch ended with me taking a super crowded subway back during peak hour. It's worst than Singapore because they really push you into the cabin. Like stacked pancakes. 

Address:  5-17-1 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo (nearest subway: Omotesando)

Tel: 03-6450-5944

I have been wanting to go to Penang for a long time but can't find the right time to do so. But for the time being, I can settle with a replacement for the two-hour flight: Penang Seafood Restaurant, a tze char place located next to Aljunied MRT, Singapore.

And as the name suggests, Penang Char Kway Teow is available. 

The restaurant is a typical coffee shop layout with alfresco tables as well as tables in the indoors which are air-conditioned. We were ushered to our alfresco table by a boisterous uncle who was busy taking orders in Hokkien,Chinese and English. 

Penang Char Kway Teow (CKT) ($5 for small). The must try item. The flat noodle in Penang CKT is usually thinner than normal CKT which I think helps to ensure that each strand is well coated with sweet soy sauce and tastes of wok hei. I also noted that there are less eggs and lards in Penang CKT but it's still an aromatic dish in the end. Tip: It's quite spicy by default so do ask for less spiciness if you have a low threshold for spicy food. 

Salted Egg Sotong ($13 for small). Another must try. The chewy Sotong was deep fried till crispy and coated in a sticky yellowish salted egg yolk. The basil leaves enhanced the taste and freshness of the squid. 

Baby spinach soup ($10 for small). To alleviate our guilt for ordering too much oily food, we got the baby spinach soup. The broth was well balanced with sweet and salty tones. The baby spinach was soft and easy to eat and I love the red goji dates. My eyes feel healthy already.

We washed down our food with refreshing iced lime juice ($2). Served as a great appetizer too.

Great food and great prices. And it's so conveniently located next to the MRT station. Highly likely that I'm going back soon. 

Address: 76 Geylang Lorong 25A S(388258)

Tel: 96889778 / 68413002 

Sawadee kha! It's long time no see kha! I found a lovely Thai restaurant in Bugis recently called Sawadee.. without the Kha. Thai food is one of my most favourite cuisines. And surprise surprise,  Sawadee has some awesome dishes.

The interior is elegant and exudes Thai charm. The prices are also very elegant. I would say a normal dish (small serving) costs around $12 to $18. Bigger servings typically cost more than $20. No GST but there is service charge. We didn't have much issues on what to order because everything on the menu sounds so nice! 

The duck curry ($15+) impressed me- a unique curry that was enhanced with real lychee and pineapple slices which gave a sweet fruity tone to the spicy thick curry. The creamy gravy was perfect with a bowl of rice. The only imperfection was the portion - too small!

We also ordered the otah ($15+) which was elegantly presented in seven portions in a clay plate that helped to keep the food warm. The fish paste was tasty, succulent, and well marinated with coconut milk and fish sauce. 

We only ordered two mains between the two of us.. as we wanted to try the desserts.. One dessert for each of us :)

Mango sticky rice ($6+) - The warm sticky rice was wondrously topped with coconut milk and tiny crispy soya beans. And the main star, golden yellow mangoes, were just like the ones from Bangkok.. Juicy and sweet. 

The red ruby ($4+) is a traditional Thai dessert that is made of crunchy water chestnuts and coconut milk. The icy dessert was a refreshing end to our meal.  

Service staff was elegant, courteous and  they seem to be real Thai. However I think their boss was less courteous. In fact, he was scolding them most of the time. So embarrassing. 

Overall, I would say this is some really good Thai cuisine, albeit a little pricy. No need to go Bangkok anymore. We can have authentic Thai food at Sawadee. Can't  wait to be back for another meal at Sawadee.

Address: 9 Tan Quee Lan St #01-01 TQL Suite S(188098)

Tel: 6238-6833

Update: Download the Holler Out app and enter promo code "weekendeatwhat" to enjoy 10% discount off spending more than $50.

Because yesterday was Peanut Butter and Jelly (PBJ) day, I thought it would be good to honour and commemorate this wonderful brunch item. 

And also to give a shout out to all the PBJ lovers on where to find a really good PBJ toast. That would be at Artistry. 

Wow at the fluffy PBJ French toast ($14) that is stuffed with raspberry jam, and topped with berries compote. And of course the vanilla icecream!! What's a good brunch if it doesn't end off  with icecream, right?

Looks small but it's actually quite big.

Artistry signature crab burger ($20) is one of a kind with its squid ink buns. The crab meat patty was topped with onion-tomato relish, and served with truffle fries. It was quite salty for me so I preferred my PBJ. 

Artistry serves as an art gallery too and you can actually purchased the paintings that are hanged on the walls. 

If only art can be eaten.

Address: 17 Jalan Pinang S(199149)

"Whoever governs Singapore must have that iron in him. Or give it up. This is not a game of cards. This is your life and mine. I've spent a whole lifetime building this and as long as I'm in charge, nobody is going to knock it down" - Lee Kuan Yew 

Dear Mr Lee

Words can’t express how blessed I feel to be born in a generation that is enjoying the fruits of your labour.

Without you, my life certainly would not be the same today.

My home is where my parents can sleep well even if I had to come home late. 

My home is a meritocratic society where I know I am rewarded for my hard work and capabilities.

My home is a community which people care for and trust each other. 

My home is a first class nation that is top in many aspects in the world.

And that is because you set high benchmarks and values for us to follow. 

We will miss your will, wit and wisdom.

Thank you. RIP.

Pic source: Straits Times

 

So glad that I have more time to blog recently. The problem with my job is that when it gets busy, it's really busy. And when it's less busy, there's still stuff to do but at least I don't have to think about it 24/7. I usually blog during my commute to work. But on busy days, I will be thinking about my job on the commute. When the project's done, it's back to blogging on the commute.

Everyone has obsessions. What is your obsession? For me, that would be fried chicken. It's a dish which is easy to cook but requires some creativity to differentiate one from another. 

I visited The Beast on a Sunday morning. The Beast is actually a bourbon bar and serves Southern American style chicken which the chicken is usually marinated in buttermilk. Think Popeyes. 

They have bar tables on the first floor which was pretty cool and more seats on the second floor. 

If I cannot eat fried chicken in heaven, then I shall not go.

We ordered The Big Breakfast ($22+) to share. It comes with boneless fried chicken drizzled with speciality sauce, candied bacon, sunny side up on a buttermilk biscuit. Bad idea because on hind sight, I would want the whole thing myself. The fried chicken was crispy and juicy. It was enveloped in a sauce which was cheese sausage. The sauce tasted like a combination of melted cheese and chicken stock. Overall it was a really good piece of chicken. 

However, the accompanying buttermilk biscuit did not meet my expectations. It was hard and I wish it tasted more buttery.

No Makers Mark or Moonshine in the morning for us. We got ourselves the southern sweet tea. Despite having a huge lemon, the tea was sweet not sour. Tasted a little syrupy. 

We didn't see the legendary Beast on Sunday morning. Guess it was either sleeping in or eaten up the night before.

The Beast currently serves brunch only on Sunday mornings. If you are looking for some sinful food on a weekend where it isn't crowded, The Beast would be a good choice provided you have not max out your calories limit for the weekend.

Note: The Beast has a 1 for 1 main course promotion on The Entertainer 2015 app. I regretted that I forgot to check my app. It's really quite worth it with The Entertainer app.

Address: 17 Jalan Kappla S(199329)

Tel: 62950017

The Hangar is quite a weird name for a cafe. At first, I misread it as hanger. A hanger is a structure which is used to hang clothes etc. A hangar is a place from which aeroplanes take off /land.

The Hangar is one of those hipster cafes that has landed (pun not intended) in the Kampong Glam neighbourhood - home to many other hipster cafes. While many kids call me auntie (or rather their parents insisted they call me auntie although I am often mistaken as a student), I am proud to inform that I know what is the meaning of hipster.

The Hangar is a hipster cafe because:

1. It has a sexy attitude. See the big sign “sexy coffee” at the shopfront? And the explicit use of the word “sh*t” in the shopfront is probably not approved by non-hipsters. Only hipsters would approve its attitude.
2. It has industrial-like interior that screams metal and rock, like all other hipster cafes. The counter is a bar and when day turns to dusk, this place serves alcohol. Or liquid diet as they call it.
3. The people who hang out there are ang mohs and youngsters.
4. They serve usual grub that hipsters eat, for e.g. big breakfast, toasties, waffles. For those who have a bigger appetite for brunch, The Hangar serves meat sandwiches. Try the lemongrass-fed steak sandwich ($12) which my friend endorsed. In between two slices of toasted sourdough bread was tender and flavourful steak garnished with caramelized onions, shimeiji mushrooms and homemade steak sauce. I am not a big fan of beef because I find it raw and metallic in most cases. But this version doesn't taste anything like that and it was actually quite nice. The End of the Rainbow ($12) which is actually a jar of granola with Greek yoghurt, strawberries, blueberries was a healthy alternative to the red meat. But it was overly sour for my liking.
5. Like all hipster cafes, The Hangar serves pretty good coffee. We got the iced latte ($6) and Freeze the Marbles ($7). Freeze the marbles is actually an iced blended latte and I like how it’s not overly bitter and acidic. Why is it called Freeze the marbles? Because "iced blended latte" is too mainstream for hipsters.

We managed to get a deal off Deal.com.sg which we paid $12 for $25 worth of food. Prices are nett without service charge. So it turns out about $12 for each person. Cheap for a hipster brunch. This place is kinda small and does not fit in a lot of people. They do take reservations so do call them first especially on weekends when it can get kinda crowded.

Address: 25 Arab Street, 199724
Tel: 6291 0127