Showing posts with label arab street. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arab street. Show all posts
Alaturka Turkish and Mediterranean Restaurant: Faith in Middle Eastern restored
Labels:
affordable,
arab street,
desserts,
dips,
exotic,
grilled meats,
kanafe,
middleeastern,
must go,
restaurants,
shish tawook,
Turkish,
will return
·
A few years back, having returned from a short business-related stint in the Middle East and subsequently working under a throng of Lebanese bosses whilst living in Sydney, Australia; I've entertained thoughts that if in the case I weren't born Chinese, Middle eastern would be the next best thing. Reason being, the cuisine was gorgeous.
I had grown a furtive love for all things Middle Eastern, baba-ganoush, hummus, fattoush, baklava, halva - I wanted them all. Simple, satisfying and supposedly good for you.
NOX - Dine in the Dark: 3rd Anniversary Bash
Labels:
arab street,
bugis,
cocktails,
fusion,
haji lane,
special occasion
·
 |
| Photo Credits: NOX |
In our current Instagram-obsessed society where drool-worthy visuals of succulent food rules over taste, textures and smell, one singular restaurant in Singapore is leading the resistance against the food porn phenomenon. Nox may seem like a novelty to many, but its concept of dining in total darkness has raised many eyebrows in food circles. Declamatory in their mission to let food speak for itself, diners are urged to let their other senses to take over in a pitch-black room, guided by blind waiters and transported to another world.
As most fine dining goes, one is immediately ushered to a seat by the ground level at the cocktail bar for a welcome drink. Here, amidst the cool contours of low lights, Thomas Sobota, the head bartender works his Slovakian magic even before the food theatrics begin. Expectedly, the new cocktail menu is a treat. Testament to his roots, the "What's the Thyme" ($20) brings back halcyon days. With its ingredients of Tequila, Sherry and Maracatu Cachaca, thyme syrup and lime juice is admittedly worth half the price of admission alone. If you're looking for a stiff nightcap with an abundance of complex taste palette, this is the drink.
Quick Picks: Weekday eats that won't gnaw into your wallet.[Part 2] || The Ramen Stall, P.Bistro, Wolf
Labels:
affordable,
arab street,
burgers,
cafe,
cityhall,
comfortfoods,
halal,
japanese,
lists,
milkshakes,
must go,
orchard,
pasar bella,
ramen,
restaurants,
sashimi,
sunteccity,
will return
·
Second part of the quick picks features a medley of wallet friendly options, once more. Depicting some amicable halal certified establishments for group gatherings, and pish-posh settings in Palais Rennaisance for private meetings; then of course, there's no special occasion needed for breaking in the burgers - and Wolf tends to those unfussy cravings all too good.
Let's begin the tour with a trip down to North Bridge road, popular ramen stall located along Short Street in Rochor has recently expanded their territory to rope in the consumption efforts of the Muslim community. It's clever positioning in the Arab street precinct together with its recent granting of its halal certification, clearly a clever plot and not a mere coincidence. It is 10pm at night and the stall is flooded with throngs of hungry diners, the patchwork of ethnicity in the room a sure win sign that they've done something right.
Tolido's Espresso Nook: Potential hideout spot.
Labels:
all-day-breakfast,
arab street,
brunch,
cafe,
coffee,
family friendly,
hidden finds,
jalan sultan,
kampong glam,
pasta,
will return
·
Farm cosy, Miner's nightmare or Snow Cabin; I can't quite put my finger on the description for the decor at Tolido's Espresso Nook. But one thing's for sure, the sight of textured wood with its uneven shades makes me feel at ease. So, in calling it a nook, that's just genius.
Founded by Mr Douglas Tan who has roots stemming from his previous venture at the Omni Theatre, his experience is represented by an large the queues and crowds at his former outlet. By word of mouth (and evidently from its'flower stamped instagram feed), Tolido's has become a go-to venue for fancy latte art and a solid cup of coffee with beans hailing from Yahava. The latter fact, the cause of some innate impartiality prior to my visit.
My Latte ($5.50), though a tad expensive, was big on flavors, underscored by a rich woody earthy profile befitting of the snug surroundings.
My companion ordered the Bacon Mushroom Aglio Olio ($9.50) while I floated between a few options till settling for the Norwegian Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs ($15.90). The former was a predictable plate of pasta that fell short of expectations, appearing lacklustre when it reached the table; only to reveal a pool of olive oil residing at the bottom of the bowl later. A couple of seconds more in the pan with a gentle tossing motion would have created a more desirable coating of oil with gentle nuances of nuttiness from the browning on this simple dish. As for my dish, the eggs were perfectly cooked, not the best of course, but sided by a sweet, tang and cheesy tomato au gratin, ciabatta studded with grains and a salad, there was nothing to complain about. The generous serve of smoked salmon adds considerable layers of flavor complexity and eating variations with each and every bite.
Tolido's Espresso Nook
462 Crawford Lane
t: 6648 0178
Opening Hours:
Tues - Thurs: 9.30am - 7pm
Fri - Sat: 9.30am - 10pm
Sun: 9.30am - 6.30pm
Wordless Wednesdays: Burgers @ The Beast
Labels:
american,
arab street,
bugis,
burgers,
hidden finds,
jalan sultan,
kampong glam,
pubfood,
wordless wednesdays
·
The Farm Boy Burger ($22) at The Beast. 8oz patty, lettuce, tomato, pickle, pimento cheese,
tomato relish, candied bacon and side of paprika dusted fries. Imagine that.
The Pimento cheese, a relish of sorts made from sharp cheddar cheese, mayonnise, pimentos and seasoning was a delight to eat on its own, and better still when slathered onto toasted sesame buns. The patty, however , cried out for a bit more love and attention. Not the best but definitely not the worse. Order their #OutofThisWorld Fried Chicken and Waffles instead and you're guaranteed many future craving-led meetings with your new drug dealer. The Beast.
The Beast
17 Jalan Klapa
S(199329)
t: 6295 0017
w: www.thebeast.sg/
Opening Hours:
Mon-Thurs 5pm-midnight
Fri - Sat: 5pm-1am
Sun: 10am - 5pm
Opening H
Cicheti: and then there were Italian small plates
Labels:
arab street,
calamari,
italian,
kampong glam,
overrated,
pizza,
salad
·
Before stepping through the rustic black wooden doors, a thought crossed my mind; I was sure the Italians would be equally bewildered and perhaps outraged by the notion of Italian cuisine served in small plates format. Slowly taking my time to adjust to the sheer darkness of the interiors, after just having wandered around the bright-light, touristy outskirts of Kampong Glam, I let the oddity of the situation slide. Ordering a glass of house white to soothe my nerves.
Cicheti is Kampong Glam's newest addition. A narrow shopfront reveals a massive monster of an oven right in the middle of the service floor; the pizza maker revelling (or not) in the rousing heat of its hell-like hearth, the balls of dough proofing ever so slightly from the heat of the atmosphere. Gleaming in through the glass doors meant to separate this inferno and the slightly cooler interiors, we watched as spectators, as the maestro does a pronounced counter spinning motion followed by a swift arrangement of assorted ingredients.
Our meal began with my mandatory order of Calamari Mollica Di Pane ($11). Crisp fried calamari in homemade breading served with garlic aioli dip. My feathers were left unruffled. The word 'homemade' making excuses for its crumbing which was under seasoned and slightly too stodgy. Aside from the fact that the calamari could have used a good 20 seconds out of the deep fryer; the self professed garlic aioli lacked any resounding trace of garlic (not that my companion was complaining since he's very much a hater.)
Next.
We were told the Duo Caprese was not available and pointed in the direction of a house special salad ($15) instead which turned out to be an exact replica of the former, sans the fried mozzarella and with a ton more rocket piled over the top. A decent medley of boccocini, cherry tomatoes, balsamic and rocket. There was just no 'umph' in there.
And as the oven-obsessed owner would trumpet, the heart and soul of Cicheti lies in its pizzas. I was eager to get that in my belly.
A couple more glasses of wine and a Peroni later, our beautiful bubble crusted pizza stood in full glory before us. The Bismark ($19), had ham, bacon, mushrooms lying on a bed of homemade tomato sauce, before being sprinkled with a liberal dosage of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. To further feed the illusion, an egg is cracked right in the middle, tossed in the oven for a couple more seconds before being plated. The result, an imperfect, blistered edged pizza with delicious dark patches of burn marks and a delicate spot of sunshine in the middle. Chef Lim might have misjudged the cooking time of the dough while juggling the finesse of the perfect runny egg that led to a severely under-cooked bottom. Raw dough... outrageous. Nonetheless, we polished our plates in respect of alcohol laden stomachs.
Cicheti falls short of expectations on so many levels. Yet the tight spaces within the establishment allows for a lot of food ogling situations especially with thy neighbours. Perhaps I'll be back for the pastas.
Cicheti
52 Kandahar Street
Singapore 198901
Tel: 6292 5012
Website: http://www.cicheti.com/
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