from the horse's mouth

How time flies. I can still remember M's last birthday when I brought her to Wasabi Tei(which I've not even blogged about) for good and affordable Japanese. It's her birthday yet again. Although having a couple more lines isn't worth celebrating, I think every birthday girl(and boy, of course) deserves a good meal on their special day.

I was very excited to bring M to Riders Cafe for brunch when I first learnt about this secluded place. Firstly, she's a horse lover. Secondly, I promise to buy her Eggs Benedict. Thirdly, her birthday was round the corner. Perfect recipe.

Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of city life, Riders Cafe is surrounded by greenery and occasional trotting horses at Bukit Timah Sadde Club. It is in a historical black and white building with high ceiling, old tiles, everything rustic and it is not air-conditioned!

The café is pretty small and it’s may be a good idea to make reservation especially during weekend. Take the seats by the balcony for a nice view to go with your meal.

Nice detail.





We ordered Eggs Benedict($12.00) but they served us Eggs Florentine instead, which was a good thing because M later said she loves spinach and we found them delicious. I'm going to try the poached eggs with smoked salmon the next time.



I'm very glad to discover yet another place that serves Eggs Benedict(reasonably priced!) in Singapore.



The Roast Beef Sandwich($16.00) was served with wholewheat toasts and accompanied by steak fries. A very hearty meal.



I heard that the to-die-for desserts is a must-try especially Death By Chocolate. On my next visit!

nice ambience + good food + great company = happy (birthday)

Yes, I'm born in the year of the Horse. You do the maths. :P

开心点心

The dim sum at Hwa Nam Chinese Restaurant (华南菜馆) may not be the best around but the dining experience is certainly delightful.



Hwa Nam Chinese Restaurant sits along the same stretch of food stalls as the famous Roti Prata House along upper Thomson Road. Besides a variety of decent dim sum, they also serve Cantonese dishes. The place is not only filled with nostalgia and the fragrance of comfort food, love was in the air. Every dish was served with a smile. And it didn't stop there. As we were enjoying our food contentedly, the aunties and uncles were chatting and laughing away happily. It is heartwarming to know find such lighthearted working environment.



E also noticed a Chinese quotation that highlights the importance of happiness stuck on the retro tiled wall.







Anyway, here are some pictures of the nice food we had.



K loves the Lor Mai Kai(glutinous rice with chicken).



I thought the 纸包鸡(chicken wrapped in paper) was really good.







Sometimes it's really the overalll dining experience and not just the food itself that constitutes to a truly satisfying meal. Of course, having quality friends to share the food was just as important as the quality of the food.

Thank you, IL, E and K for the company!


Hwa Nam Chinese Restaurant (华南菜馆)
244F Upper Thomson Road, Thomson Garden Estate
64533645
7am-11.30pm

A Healthy Supper

Besides the 24Hr Prata shops, where do you usually go for supper? Swee Choon Tim Sum is not only a great alternative(fully air-conditioned) but a healthier choice for midnight snacks too. ;)

There's a wide variety of regular dim sum and other dishes like xiao long bao(dumplings) and la mian(handmade noodles). The unique Mee Sua Kueh(fried vermicelli cake) is a must-try! It's something I haven't tried anywhere else. Sorry I didn't have a closeup shot of it because everyone was starving.

Overall, food was good. Although it's not as fantastic as 搵到食, it offers better value. I'll definitely go back for supper and better pictures some day.

By the way, Swee Choon is also frequented by celebrities if you're interested in star-gazing in the middle of the night. :P






Swee Choon Tim-Sum Restaurant Pte Ltd
187 Jalan Besar
Tel: 6294 5292
Mon to Sat, 6pm to 10am
Sun, eve of PH and PH, 6pm to 12pm

Man Vs Machine

Handmade food has always received favorable reviews because of its authenticity. But it does not necessarily taste better. The programme Man VS Machine on Channel U furnished a very good comparison between handmade and machine made foods. So far, Machine is leading with 8 votes over 4.

Out of the many different kind of food, handmade bao(buns) won over machine made ones. Hua Ji Bao Dang is one place where you can have nice traditional handmade bao.



The friendly auntie told us the stall has been around for 10 over years. Not much variety to choose from, maybe because I was not an early bird. :P



The texture of the freshly made bao was not as soft and fluffy as machine made ones but it was firm and pillowy. The filling was fresh and not too fatty.



Besides handmade bao, lor mai kai(glutinous chicken rice) and siew mai(opened face dumplings) were pretty tasty too.



Overall, it was a simple and nostalgic breakfast which I really enjoyed. Go there early because most things will be sold out by noon.

By the way, has anyone tried D'Bun who claimed to be the best handmade bun specialist? Joo Chiat Road, M?

Don't miss the last episode of Man VS Machine on donuts this Friday at 8.30pm on Channel U!


Hua Ji Bao Dang
115 Bukit Merah View
#01-535 Bukit Merah View Market & Food Centre

breakfast in the park

What can be better than having breakfast in the lush greenery on a lazy Sunday. Canopy is set right in the heart of Bishan Park where you can sit back and savour a hearty breakfast or a relaxing brunch. Although Canopy is a stone's throw from my place, I can't afford to have breakfast there every weekend. The Eggs Benedict cost much more than Ya Kun's Soft-Boiled Egg. But then again, it's so much easier to prepare the latter. I've tried cooking poached egg but did not succeed. Then there's the Hollandaise sauce which is not simple to prepare either. Maybe I should get the ready-made Hollandaise Sauce Mix from McCormick. Still, for the sake of my pocket, I'm going to try making Egg Benedict, whether it's from scratch or not.

The first time I tasted Eggs Benedict was in Melbourne–The Fringe Cafe. It was unforgettable. And when I revisited Melbourne, C brought me to yet another fabulous restaurant, Georges, for brunch. The spread was even better. I don't think it was that affordable either but when you're abroad, somehow, price isn't the factor. For now, before I get to fly a thousand miles (early next year, I hope) to visit my precious nieces in Melbourne, here's a good enough substitute just a few steps away.



Eggs Florentine is a healthier version of Eggs Benedict as the bacon is replaced with spinach.



The BLT Sandwich served with fries and loads of greens.



What's breakfast without coffee to perk you up?



The Steak Sandwich which I had with M on a separate occasion was good too(sorry, I can't seem to find the picture).

Great ambience, good food but the service was a letdown. The waitresses and waiters were obviously more attentive towards the expat families.

L promised me a free cuppa at Jones The Grocer. I'm looking forward to that day because I can get to eat my favourite Eggs Benedict at a discount too!