Graze, Laurent Bernard Chocolateir, FREE Frolick!, Marina Barrage

A recent fetish for breakfast food brought me to Graze (4 Rochester Park Tel: 6775 9000 ) with the girls on a Sunday morning.. Yes I am an early bird now I've finally kicked the nasty nocturnal habit and it feels great to kick start a day with a mighty big breakfast especially with the fantastic company of my closest friends.

Graze offers brunch only on Sundays and they serve modern Australian food. Their popular barbeque menu is also available during lunch on Sundays - although I hardly saw anyone eating that - everyone was tucking into the yummy brunch food.
I booked an indoor seat but we realised its much nicer to dine al fresco..there are no mosquitoes and we actually sat under a tree (which has low lying leaves - and we are all very tall). We were very scared throughout the whole meal that the leaves and branches will fall all over the food but luckily it didnt.

The ambience here is great for a Sunday breakfast ! Very relaxing sitting in the rattan chairs in the courtyard amongst the plants and water features. I feel like I am having breakfast in someone's house...overseas! Yes, the huge influx of expats is inevitable..

We were served complimentary toast with marmalade and butter.. It was thick toast and there was some variety in the bread- white and multigrain (although it wasnt very nutty). The marmalade was very good though, a very slight lemony taste.

The cast iron pan $18

Bratwurst sausage, Smoked bacon, mushroom, tomato, baked beans, country potato, plum chilli salsa

I didn't eat the meats, but this breakfast fry up is not as massive as it sounds.. very protein loaded and quite an oily feast - I especially liked the mushrooms.

Cinnamon raisin french toast $13

drizzled with maple syrup

simon johnson double cream

This was FANTASTIC! It was Eliza's and my favourite dish ! The french toast was crisp and the cinnamon taste was really permeating through the bread - divine with the slightly sweet double cream and the bits of raisins. You don't even need to add much maple syrup. I would return for this.

Banana pancakes $13

smothered in grilled bananas, walnuts and redcurrant syrup

with icecream

I thought the pancakes were rather floury and they crumble quite easily.. They are cinammon flavoured I think - certainly not banana flavoured. All these adjectives in front of pancakes are SO misleading! Like I thought the Coconut pancakes at Jones meant the coconut permeated the pancakes but it seems like in both cases they were not what they seemed! And all of us thought the redcurrant syrup was butterscotch and Jasmine and I drowned our pancakes in the syrup because it tasted so good. I prefer the fluffier pancakes at Rider's Cafe though.

Simply eggs benedict $16

with smoked salmon and spinach

There is a classic version and I figure that must be the version with the ham since Eggs Benedict always come with ham. But here, there is the option of smoked salmon and spinach instead. I always look forward to poached eggs (cos I cant seem to get it right at home) and I simply cant resist this whenever I have breakfast outside! This is good, it is like a combination of what I had at Rider's Cafe (spinach) and Choupinette (smoked salmon). I cant find any fault in this - everything is perfectly done from the egg to the smoked salmon, muffin and the Hollandaise sauce, although I still prefer the Eggs Royal at Choupinette if given a choice.
Ooh awesome runny egg yolk.
All our yummy food! (too bad about the half eaten cast iron pan!)
The mystery of the sweet tinge of strawberry-lime in your iced water solved.

For those nocturnals who don't believe in waking up for breakfast (I am reformed but I might not stay so for long =P), the last order is at 2.30pm. Reservations are recommended esp for al fresco seating.

And of cos desserts are a must with the girls and we went to Laurent's Cafe & Chocolate Bar (5B Portsdown Road #01-02 Wessex Village Square)

We were able to spy in the kitchen (and take all the photographs we want) because we sat at the common courtyard (shared with Pietrasanta) right inside and again it was another al fresco affair...

But it was worth the sweltering effort cos it is so interesting watching the chef at work! Eventually Mr Bernard (no this photograph is not of him the photophobic creature, of cos - he is not balding - yet) did appear and oh my the stuff he made were really droolicoius..

Though it was sweltering hot (the area is not as nicely ventilated as Graze's) - the music was really good - it is like those from a gramophone and again chilling here feels like being in someone else's home away from home. And no, the cafe didnt play that old English music - there was art exhibition going on and that was where the music was coming from. Again it was another interesting sight watching the patrons waltz in and out and a very curious group of children seemingly having an art lesson in the midst of it all..

Although the oil from the canvas was quite smelly, we were so zen that we hardly noticed.

Pleasure $9.80

Of cos good desserts played a big part in the zen-ness I finally got to try the Pleasure cake and oh my, it was really good! Layers of milk chocolate with the crisp hazelnut layer - easily collapsible but heck, the mess is so delicious. The top layer was really quite soft though - goes to show how hot the weather was to melt the chocolate layer so quick .

Chocolate tart, $6.50

I blogged about this before and would gladly blog about it again because thin as it is, the tart is awesome nonetheless - layers of chocolate and hazelnut chocolate on a flaky base - I was careful not to let the raspberry sauce contaminate the cocoa goodness though..

Iced Chocolate

Yi Qian ordered this and I stole a sip - it was rather powdery though and it is really very rich.

Don't waste your money (and calories) on their fruit drinks or fruit teas. Taste very syrupy according to those who ordered.

Porstdown Road is part of the Wessex estate where there are many colonial bungalows and there are many art gallery and eateries. We spent the lazy afternoon just strolling around the rustic area, and chanced upon this patch..We loved the tire hanging from the tree... Yes of cos the thought of who looped the rope through the impossible tree branch did pop up...

Then we wondered into one of the bungalows because we were lured by the fantastic unplugged music..It is amazing how good she is considering she only picked up the guitar 4 months back and she only sings her own music!

We entered through the doors and surprised by the gorgeous black and white films

Every piece is stunning..

The lady who owns these says that black and white film photography lasts forever (not colour) and she develops all these in a dark house within the same bungalow..she has an open house as and when she wishes and at other times she photographs others..

This is my favourite photograph..I love this couple-ish photo of innocence...

Alright..we shall go back to civilisation..we were back to town to get to the Harvey Norman sale..

So we landed at Millenia walk and of cos after changing locations we needed a snack so we landed here at Frolick (level one, Millenia walk)

Peach Flavoured Yoghurt, FREE!

I blogged about it before, but with the Zouk card, it is FREE! Free stuff taste the best sometimes!

Then we wandered into Chocolate Research Facility (Level One, Millenia Walk).. and had more free stuff! We sampled the Peanut butter chocolate and chocolate crunch chocolate..then he dished out more mystery samples and we totally couldnt guess the Mango flavour.

The many many mind boogling flavours - I even saw black sesame and tea flavoured chocolates. Chocolates are between 8-12 bucks per small bar. I'd rather invest in Laurent's, actually.

Again there is another Zouk offer - with every 5 bars there is a discount.

There is a bar here where you can order the brownies or the drinks..

For me, the vibe of this place doesnt make me feel like wolfing down chocolate(unlike Laurents, I could live on the chocolate scent of his cafe). When chocolate becomes as scientific as this, it loses its traditional home made feel don't you think? You lose the sense of who makes your chocolate or what goes into the chocolate.. I guess the contrast is especially obvious since we went to Laurents today and spent most of our time spying through the glass doored kitchen, watching the chef delicately hand make those delicate chocolates.

Went to Candy Empire (Level one, Millenia Walk) for some sweets and this Wonka sweet promised some tingling fun but NO THERE WASNT ANY! Friggin cheated of my $2.50 when I could have gotten Prez sweets at 1 buck instead.

But the colours are so pyschedelic and happyfying and the fruity taste was equally tasty.

Yi Qian had a fried food craving so of cos Jas and I koped some of her fried chicken from Shihlin Taiwan Snacks (Suntec City).. but I was feeling so heaty I needed a soya milk to wash it all down..

Rose Macaron, $1

Then we were on our way back to the Suntec carpark when we passed by the Bakerzin (Suntec City) and I couldnt resist their 1 buck promotion for their macarons! Bought the rose and chocolate ones...

Chocolate Macaron $1

The centre was really dense and chewy but the exterior was not that crispy. I liked the chocolate one much more - the dark chocolate cream was really good! I think it was a rather chocolatey day.

We had enough of civilisation and decided we needed another road trip to nowhere so we tried to go to the Marina Barrage again (our first try was a fail) - this time round, we were luckier cos we spotted the blue signs that led us there - but it was a real merry go round.

The curvaceous walkway up..

It feels like a science centre of sorts esp the exhibits..

Heh Kelly this is the splish-splash pool that the lady was talking about..for your info =)

There are many piers around..

See what I mean by being Science-centre-ish, the curvaceous walkway leads to this field and there was a big Solar panel here..

If you look carefully both signs say keep off the grass but one says newly laid and the other still maturing...looked pretty much the same to us laymen (no pun intended)

Best to come in the evening, its wonderful watching the city lights come on and the transition to darkness.

Dark. And tired... it was fun getting lost with the right company (and a petrol-loaded car). Thanks mountains I never have enough of you all! =)

Ivins, Riders' Cafe, Brewerkz (Bukit Timah)

It was a very lazy Sunday afternoon and despite the night up playing mahjong at Marcus, I was up for Sunday lunch! We were all over Bukit Timah today... First up, Ivins Peranakan Restaurant (19 Binjai Park)..

Ivins has been around for many years now, and is quite far inside Binjai Park..I never saw it despite passing by that Caltex station opposite Maplewoods all the time in the past. Ivins is known for Peranakan cuisine on a budget - each dish varies from the 5-10 bucks range and it is possible to overorder since its inexpensive - but each dish is actually small. We each ordered a bowl of white rice (at 80 cents each) to eat with the dishes. I don't suggest you try a low-carb and avoid the rice because the dishes are quite rich and salty and the rice will be good to eat with the gravies.

Stuffed Chilly Selar $8

IVINS' sambal belachan stuffed in two deep fried gold-banded scad

The fish came first. I thought the fish was kind of dry - fried not to a crisp but fried to death. I liked the sambal that was inside the fish though, it made the hard flesh more palatable.

Terong Goreng Chilli $3
fried eggplant served with chilli

This was our favourite dish because the eggplant remained taut and slightly crunchy and the chilli gave it that spicy kick. Very good with rice.

Sambal Kangkong $4.50

It is supposed to be a crowd favourite but I didn't think the sambal provided enough kick - the sambal was not strong enough! Somehow the kangkong was too garlicky for me.

Lady's Fingers Sambal $3

I don't know how these people fry their lady's fingers till there's no sap at the cut surfaces - when my grandma does this at home, there's alot of those gooey stuff at the cut areas. I thought this was clean tasting, not too oily. The lady's fingers were crunchy too!

Ayam Buah Keluak $5.90

Chicken braised in thick spicy tamarind gravy with buah keluak nuts

This was our favourite meat dish, if not the favourite dish of the day. The gravy was really quite spicy and Kheng and I almost choked on the gravy cos it was really quite hot. But I loved the gravy! It was very thick, and the meat on the 2 drumsticks were tender and the gravy suffused the meat thoroughly. I was moping up the gravy towards the end..

Beef Rendang $4.90

Authentic Indonesia dish done peranakan style

I'm not sure how beef rendang is supposed to taste peranakan style..but this makes me miss my grandma's beef rendang (she only whips it up on Hari Rayas and Chinese new year during those family gatherings). This wasn't very rich, and the beef was slightly tough- I prefer my beef rendang to be more tender and spicier.

Itek Tim $5.50

This is duck and salted vegetables soup... it is really very salty and garlicky! I think it is quite an acquired taste. The duck meat was quite little though..some ribs and a chunk of breast meat. You should have the soup with rice cos otherwise its really too salty.

We were then thinking of having icecream but all I could think of was the Death by chocolate cake over at Riders' Cafe (51 Fairways Drive) so of cos the guys could only follow..haha...

Today being a Sunday afternoon, we saw more horses than my sister and I did on a weekday morning - spot the houses amongst the pesky leaves..

and we saw a black stallion! My sister and I were complaining the last time we had breakfast here that we didnt see any black horses, only spotty brown ones...

Death by Chocolate cake $12

with vanilla bean icecream

This is what I came here for!! I love the breakfast here so I was back to try their desserts (and eventually I'd be back to try their entrees)

Okay it looks too exposed here and metallic looking - well it certainly looks alot more chocolatey than it really is..

It gets really messy.... I guess we are really chocoholics cos eventually the chocolate sauce ran out and the cake became really dry to eat after that...the cake itself is not very fudgey or chocolatey so it was basically a mild chocolate sponge cake drowned in the chocolate sauce... Enjoyable as long as the vanilla bean icecream (very yummy with the chocolate sauce) and chocolate sauce lasts..


Then we remembered that the Australian Open finals was on...it was already 5pm (time flies when you indulge in greed and sloth) and the match started at 4 pm !! We scurried over to Ba Ba Black Sheep (failed again, the bar doesnt screen tennis matches!!!!!) so for 2 days in a row I was at Brewerkz (903 Bukit Timah Road) !!

Everyone is glued to the tv....

The match was quite exciting and lasted all the way till 9 pm...such a heart wrencher for Federer..

Oh I must say that this place is really interesting to people watch..families come to have meals, guys for their mugs of beer, and the passerbys along Bukit Timah.. its not too crowded, its breezy, and the service impeccable - they refill your iced water all the time if you just order the food and not the beer.

Nachos $14.99

This is the first time I am eating it in the daylight... I've eaten this COUNTLESS TIMES (and todays makes it twice in a row this weekend) tbut I never grow sick of it.. Though I really cant wait for the Cafe Iguana at Greenwood to open - it is supposed to open this month...so i can scurry there for my nachos fix! The nachos there are soooo much better!

Homemade icecream and Supper at Brewerkz

It was supposed to be an ice cream thing but as usual being the fickle spontaenous greedy folks we were it didn't turn out quite.

Green tea icecream

Instead, we had yummylicious homemade icecream courtesy of Marcus! He said the green tea version was much healthier because he used skim milk..well anything healthy tends to compromise on taste so this wasn't very sweet, but it is really creamier than the ones you get outside where the green tea taste is really way strong.

Oh I realise after posting up this, that the icecream colour blends into my blog background...no wonder I found the colour familiar..

Strawberry Cheesecake

This was our favourite because it was really like a cheesecake but really creamy and cold! And there were many digestive biscuit bits inside the icecream - reminds me of the deconstructed dessert at Relish

After dillydallying at Marcus' and taking a long time to choose between truffle fries at Barrack (no thanks to the sloppy t-shirt shorts flip flops combo), Twister fries, chocolate tart at Laurent's, we zipped down to Ba Ba Black Sheep only to find it stop serving food at 10pm!! No!!

So we ended up at Brewerkz at Bukit Timah.. I've had countless suppers at Brewerkz at Riverside Point and this is my second visit to the Bukit Timah branch..

Chilli Cheese Fries $13.99

Topped with Beer Chilli and Cheese

But there are many dishes I havent tried before and this is one of them..I love the beer chilli and cheese combination..the piping hot fries are really good too. This is definitely many notches better than the chilli fries at Carl's Junior which has a queer Indian curry taste to it.. I shall quick go and try the chilli cheese fries at Superdog..

Nachos $14.99

And this is a must order for me everytime I'm at Brewerkz.. everything here is really good but must hurry eat it before it turns cold and all the cheese becomes coagulated and the nachos soggy.. Still it is fantastic carbo goodness!! I love all the cheese and sauces and guacomole and beans and chilli laden on the crunchy salty nachos..

After that zipped back to Marcus' house, not before Yiks and I saw a gorgeous house with 3 freakin Ferraris!! - we actually paused for awhile - and to listen to Rous on the phone screeching about how Marcus was Porscheing her car - and off we were for a night of mahjong. Coffee sustained Yiks, dried mangoes and Lays chips for the rest of us. Mahjong requires loads and loads of stamina man, must train up this hols.