Showing posts with label bakery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bakery. Show all posts
Asanoya Bakery will have you tossing up between new savoury and sweet specials
Labels:
afternoon tea,
all-day-breakfast,
Asanoya,
baked goods,
bakery,
Bread,
breads,
bugis,
cafe,
croissant,
family friendly,
large groups,
must go,
orchard,
queen street,
will go
·
Having recently been caught in the crossfires of a conversation that revolved around breads at a dinner table has really made me evaluate my favourite picks. When asked which my favourite bread shop was, the answer - Asanoya. And with their recent downsizing of breads to paw sized awesomeness to abet eating on-the-go, it's easy to see why I'm so besotted.
It's Cake Time!
Labels:
bakery,
cakes,
cakes. affordable,
desserts,
limited period,
tea,
tea-infused
·
Anchor Food Professionals (AFP) and nine local bakeries preset It's Cake Time, a campaign comprising nine specially created, tea-inspired cakes. All speciality cakes featured in the collection are delicately made with premium, New Zealand-made Anchor butter and cream.
More wicked cake action after the jump.
Asanoya Bakery: [Limited Ed.] Sakura Range bakes
Labels:
bakery,
boulangerie. bakery,
bras basah,
Bread,
breads,
croissant,
hidden finds,
japanese,
must go,
rocher,
salted egg,
will return
·
Can't get enough of the Sakura season in Japan? Asanoya Bakery celebrates the romanticism of the pink blossoms with a whole range of baked goods ranging from the Sakura Swiss Roll ($15.80 for a whole and $3.50 per slice) to their traditional Karuizawa loaf in Sakura style with Cured peaches ($3.50/100g).
My favourite of the lot being the Bonjour Sakura ($2.80) buns filled with red bean paste and salt-cured sakura leaves. Cured between kombu and sea salt, these leaves have a gelatinous slimy sort of texture with hints of preserved plums in its wake. A lovely addition to the thick and sweet sakura infused red bean paste that fills the flat buns. The buns have a peculiar structure, a tad distinct from the usual pillowy fluffy soft textures of Japanese bread, instead, these are slightly dense and chewy even; quite possibly to serve as a better foil to its rich fillings.
Dolcetto by Basilico: Delizioso
Labels:
affordable,
bakery,
boulangerie. bakery,
cakes,
chocolate,
desserts,
Gourmet Chocolate,
italian,
must go,
orchard,
regent hotel,
salads,
sandwich,
tart
·
To say that this post is overdue is an understatement as the memories of Christmas fade into the background, and a heavy stream of red takes to the street. Yes, Chinese New Year is around the corner, hinting the procession of lo hei and festive goodies. Still, what's good is always worth sharing and my trip to Dolcetto at the Regent Hotel Singapore sure does justify a post, even if it might be a very tardy one.
Not a desserts fan, get a load of the sandwiches, daily soup and salads at Dolcetto. Being a take-away extension of the famous Basilico upstairs, you'll be guaranteed similar standards of food in tidier portions. Having visited Basilico before on a business lunch; an affair that resulted in me feasting flagrantly with wild abandon in front of my Chairman, grunting as I tugged on the cheesy strings of the white truffle infused calzone and getting carried away helping myself to one too many smoked buffalo mozzarella balls, I swore I almost choked when he asked me asked me if I was enjoying the food! ; As I perused the display at Dolcetto, I was thrilled to see that congruent offerings were carried downstairs. Take for example the Buffalo Mozzarella Salad, served with a simple balsamic vinegar dressing and the sweetest tomatoes ever. Perfect if you are allowing yourself to go big on the indulgent stuff without inheriting too much guilt.
Nassim Hill: Where I go to for my Reubens
I shall expound the truth.
The story I tell people is that the only place where I've had a decent reuben sandwich here in Singapore is at Nassim Hill. Truth is, I've only had one locally, this one, and my heart was sold on the subject matter. Period.
My partner relished in the Nassim Hill Double Decker burger ($21), one that sought special attention with a gargantuan poster beckoning from the walls but mellowed in size in reality. With a swish of house made special sauce, 2 beef patties with grilled balsamic onions, lettuce and tomatoes squished between two lightly toasted buns; this was a lukewarm attempt at a burger. Save for the bread, the entire affair was at best, homely - pedestrian.
My Hot Reuben ($18) on the other hand, satisfied all of my wildest dreams. Corned beef made even sexier with a draping of melted emmental cheese, sauerkraut galore, onions and creamy Russian dressing on the signature Asahi Kuronama beef bread. I attacked the sandwich with a vengeance so hard, unhindered by lingering negative thoughts of carbohydrate control. We'll leave that to some other day, the beer bread is just too hard to pass up. *cheeky grin*
On a side note, check out their happy hour deal which run from 8am-8pm daily. Don't say I didn't let you in on this!
Nassim Hill Bakery.Bistro.Bar
56 Tanglin Road
Tanglin Post Office #01-03
t: 6835 1128
Opening Hours:
Tues-Sun: 8am - 11pm
Carpenter and Cook: sweet treats for the afternoon
Labels:
bakery,
bukit timah,
cafe,
hidden finds,
patisserie
·
Carpenter and Cook has been on my radar for the longest time. Funnily, having live so close by, I've not found the chance to stop by despite my incessant visits to other similar cafes on the opposite corners of the island.
Finally on a quiet placid off day, I scooted over to the cafe patisserie. Dressed to the nines in vintage pieces and mismatched prints, we instantly hit it off.
Cocooned within its cool, softly lit interiors with warm friendly staff, there was no lingering signs of interruption from the bustle of the city outside. Just a delightfully warm resonating vibe afloat despite my unaccompanied visit. Lunch there was a treat of hidden gems. Starting with the Bacon and Egg Quiche ($7), this treat of warmed eggy custard between two delicate walls of pastry, comes stuffed with all manner of good things. Perfect touch of seasoning, with the bacon bits providing hints of quintessential savouriness throughout, I devoured this one like a hungry ghost along with accompanying mixed salad on the side.
For dessert, I stuck to the comforts of the Apple Cobbler Loaf Cake ($5), personally, I feel that the cake itself could have been a little moister, perhaps the use of applesauce could have enhanced the mix; however, I loved how the crumble toppings were so beautifully crisp. The thin slices of apple interspersed within the cake doing nothing for the overall flavor.
rounding off the experience with a Cappuccino ($5) which was decent, if not one of the better cups that you can find in the west. Only for the lack of better choice.
At 3pm in the afternoon on a Thursday, a modest trade was running in a lazy Sunday kind of way. And I'm thinking to myself, 'don't these people need to work?'
In it's defense, Carpenter and Cook pretty much sells a lifestyle, a quaint joint filled with hand-picked vintage furniture which you could use to set your arse on during your stay there; an advocate of a state of happy-go-lucky that is so evident from it's ever-changing menu and home styled bakes. Most, would feel at home here, hence the tight following. Don't believe me, go check it out yourself!
19 Lorong Kilat #01-06
Tel: 64633648
Nassim Hill Bakery Bistro Bar: Weekend treats
It's late into the evening. Perhaps you're scouring the net for a suitable brunch/lunch place for the weekend, maybe it's by order of the merciless girlfriend or just a plain treat u want to reward yourself with after a long weeks' worth of work. Who knows? In any case, I might have a solution to your aimless search.
Nassim Hill Bakery Bistro Bar
With a large number of establishments yielding to this concept in a bid to extend operational hours and hence profits (or so I would imagine), not many succeed in making the transition from a casual inviting bistro in the day to a swanky bar by night. One thing is for sure, Nassim Hill Bakery takes the cake when it comes to creating a cozy bistro offering brunch delights come weekend.
For starters, we had Belgian Grimbergen Beer to rake in the weekend feasting. We sampled the Blonde and Ambree options, both of which proved it's premium branding with smooth finishing and robust flavors.
that brings me to my Hot Reuben sandwich ($18) - sliced corned beef with melted emmental cheese, saurkraut,
onions and Russian dressing on their in-house signature Grimbergen Ambrée beer bread. Till now, my taste buds are excited by the mere thought of this dish. Generous in portions and extremely satisfying in terms of flavor profile; this brunch item delivers a real punch with a right combination of ingredients. What I loved best was the crazily beautiful Ambree beer bread that blew my mind. Guess the malt and hops in that beer really boosted the characteristics of it. At the end of it all (yeh, my gluttony surprises me sometimes), I emerged gratified; almost lost for words even.
I promise to be back for revisits solely for the reuben sandwich. Till we lock lips again, I propose that you guys swing by this weekend for a visit.
56 Tanglin Road
Tanglin Post Office #01-03
Tel: 6835-1128
website: http://www.nassimhill.com.sg
Baker and Cook: Asian Persuasion
Labels:
bakery,
brunch,
bukit timah,
cafe,
coffee,
hidden finds,
pastry
·
When tucking into the mild discontent of what is my dry slice of toast in the morning, I wish I had Baker and Cook at my doorstep.
Here you are treated to a rainbow of baked goods. Pastries of all sizes, types and textures. Hot Cross buns, quiches, tangy lemon tarts, rustic pain au levain; you name it and they've got it.
What founder, Chef Dean Brettschneider does so beautifully in this scenario is his willingness to reconsider design and menu options in order to cater to different neighborhoods. Evidence clearly observed from his Shanghai outlets where his global baker approach has seen the sales of unique offerings such as Red Bean & Sesame Fougasse. Here in the quiet neighborhood of Hillcrest (took a walk down memory lane as we turned the corner past the back entrance of National Junior College, my alumni), Baker and Cook offers a peaceful respite for residents. Surveying the shop front whilst sipping on my coffee in the morning, the bakery, a beehive of activity, I realised how effectively it has stolen the hearts of many.
We started off the morning trying to fix our sweet urges with a Custard Bombolini ($3.30) and the Chocolate Almond Croissant ($3.50). My mother polished off the former, stopping halfway thru to comment that the bread like texture was a refreshing change to the pillowy soft versions stowed away from neighbourhood bakeries. The chocolate almond croissant was disappointing, a stodgy affair breaking into the center, the measly coating of almond creme on top, baked to a hard and chewy texture; my jaws working extra hard on the waning corners of the pastry. I turned my focus elsewhere.
The Spanish Omelette ($16.00) filled with peppers, cheese and chorizo was mediocre, if not forgettable. It's texture, not fluffy enough, lacked seasoning and more importantly, lacklustre in comparison to the delicious spread of pastries we were immersed in. We rescued the accompanying bread slices with some divine homemade raspberry jam found on the communal tables for sharing. My other choice of Moroccan Lamb Roll ($9.00 with side salad) proved a huger success, well executed with delicious puff pastry and savoury minced lamb thick with the aroma of the exotic middle east, it's appearance at the table managing to calm my irritation derived from the slow crawl of my cappuccino ($4.50) to the table.
Coffee from New Zealand’s Allpress Expresso was disappointing by the way. Bring your coffee cravings over to somewhere else should you be a puritan.
That being said and done, Baker and Cook is definitely a gem of a bakery, a position further highlighted by it's quaint location. Service standards at the counters was exemplary, however, table service leave much to be desired. No smiles, I wish I could give the poor lads a tickle or two. And please... I suppose bending down to pick up the loaf of bread that had taken a plunge from the counter top is much better an act then just stopping in your tracks to comment to the next service staff that "I think the bread drop on the floor."
"Yup, I think the bread dropped on the floor.", replied his young colleague.
Doh.
77 Hillcrest Road
Singapore 288951
T: 6469 8834
Sun-Th: 7am-8pm
F-Sat: 7am-10pm
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