Showing posts with label no GST. Show all posts
Showing posts with label no GST. Show all posts
On The Table: Cafe on the Circle
It was a dime in a dozen. The dim light-bulbs straddling the wires knotted over the ceilings, representing the slight glimmer of hope in the eyes of an owner anticipating raging queues and long coffee ticket orders on a weekend morning. Despite it's lack of individualism, it was instant infatuation for me.
Reasons being its space, unclustered tables with roomy spaces for manevuering around (without the awkward shifting and kicking of chair legs involved); simplicity - a stripped down garage look is adopted here with grey walls and concrete floors which prove condusive for a bit of the weekend wind-down.
On The Table comes by way of the successful folks of Lola's cafe in Kovan who have decided to spread their feathers out just a little further to the sleepy neighborhood of Pasir Panjang. With little, or rather no direct competitors within a 1km radius, the cafe sets out to create a storm (evident from the larger than life space indented) and pack in the crowds who are itching for that hit of caffeine.
Things are kept simple here. Coffee from Dutch Colony is supported by a short and sweet cafe menu with your usual suspects and few surprising finds here and there. The more substantial mains like the Swimmer Crab Linguine ($16) and the Confit of Duck Leg ($18) catches my attention but my Aussie depraved soul cried out for a bit of brunch fare.
But first, coffee for the soul. My Latte ($5) arrives at the table with picture perfect intention. Finally an outstanding female barista who didn't have to resort to putting heart lattes in my cup to win my favor. *giggles*. However, the coffee recieved lukewarm responses around the table, everyone claiming to lean towards the nuttier, robust roasts over the higher acidity content normally found in Dutch Colony's stash. It's all subjective of course.
The food can't be faulted though. The Big One ($16.00) pulling its weight in quantity yet not compromising on quality as well. Pork sausage, honey glazed bacon, ham, baked portabello, mixed salad and scrambled eggs and toasted brioche. It might sound like a bit of work to get though, but the melange of fresh textures and excellent produce ensures that it all gets polished down rather easily. All in sync with the melodic croonings in the background and the lively chatter of good weekend companionship.
My Ultimte Croissant ($13.00) was yet again a usual calorie suspect done right and was highly culpable this time without signs of cloying richness in the overall composition.. Below its crispy half croissant cap grilled with some sort of herb butter spread, sits honey glazed bacon, ham, mayo, honey, scrambled eggs and melted cheddar cheese.... they don't call it "ultimate' for nothing... Laced with a dash of furikake for the slight savoury crunch, this was a thorough joy to work though and I took to it like a fat kid to cake.
And then, there were waffles. Deftly executed with a not so dainty scoop of Salted Caramel Ice Cream over the top ($8.00), the crisp honeycombed indented pastry flaunts a texture that is neither cloyingly thick and gummy nor too brittle and crisp and has the right level of egginess. The homemade ice cream building a flutter of anticipation with its smoky note of caramelization, yet beckons to be pushed a little more in the savoury spectrum. Still, a reasonably priced waffle combination with approachable portion sizes that doesn't make one feel piggish prior to placing the orders.
Feeling up for a little game of origami? (or amazing engineering feat as my cousin claims it to be), try folding their paper napkins into heart shapes.
Lesson of the day: "Start what you love"
Nothing quite like a bit of inspiration for the weekends.
On the table is a cafe that offers up a treat of hidden gems. Definitely my new go-to cafe in the region.
[Note: OTT doesn't charge service charge nor GST so do go generous on your tips!]
On the Table
118 Pasir Panjang Road
Singapore 118541
Opening Hours:
Tues - Fri: 11am - 10pm
Sat - Sun: 10am -10pm
(last orders for kitchen is at 9pm, and for bar (drinks and waffles) will be 9 30pm)
Mon: Closed
Khun Mee Thai Noodle Bar: Bedok Trippin'
Labels:
bedok,
bedok point,
beer,
braised pork,
desserts,
durian,
family friendly,
food tasting,
no frills,
no GST,
no service charge,
thai food,
upper changi
·
'Are we there yet?', those words kept ringing in my head as we made our way to Bedok on the crowded train from the west. Located on the second floor of Bedok Point, it's impossible to miss the signage as you look up upon entering the building.
Khun Mee Thai is a new Thai noodle bar and casual dining concept serving high quality and authentic Thai-Chinese street food. Khum Aum (or just Ahm as she prefers) is the founder and is proud of the fact that all Thai ingredients used are sourced directly from Thailand.
We started out with Thai Style Garden Roll (Guey Teow Lui Suan) [$5.80]. Rice paper rolls filled with Thai sausage, pan roasted peanuts, Thai sweet basil and Thai long-leafed coriander. Definitely a good dish to start with as our table all nodded in agreement on how the contrast of tastes and textures went down well. The chilli sauce on the side wasn't needed but added a nice tangy kick.
After what felt like eternity, the second dish finally arrived. The Egg noodles with dumpling, charshu and lava egg (Ba Mee Kiao, Moo Dang & Tai Tom) [ $5.80 - $8.80] is their signature dish. It comes with a variety of toppings and can be ordered as a soup or dry dish. We were served the dry version which was tossed with charshu sauce and oil that was infused with lard and garlic. The noodles were nice and springy bit was a tad dry. The dumplings were plump and juicy and you could tell they were definitely made in-house. With all parts combined, this dish actually went down really well. If you do find it a bit too bland or dry, there are condiments on the tables and a side serving of soup as well.
The Ba Mee Tom Yam with Milk ($8.80) was probably the most disappointing of all the dishes being served. It was spicy, but it lacked the sourness and was way too sweet. I would avoid this.
Ba Mee Kang Keaw Wan Gai ( Ba Mee with Thai Green curry and chicken) [ $9.80] - Aum told us the spices used in this dish was blended instead of suing those quick mixes readily available. I found her version way too sweet and lacking depth and felt like this dish was added to the menu as an afterthought. At least the vegetables were cooked well...
The Braised Pork leg in traditional Thai-Chinese Style (Kha Moo) [$7.80] is Aum's grandmother's traditional recipe. The pork leg is marinated for at least 2 hours before being braised for 4-6hours. You would be disappointed if you're looking for a total melt-in-your-mouth experience as the meat does still have some bite, which I really enjoyed. This dish really packs a punch in terms of flavor and richness and the blanched Thai Kai-Lan helped cut through it all. A clear winner of a dish as our table ordered seconds.
The Moo Yor Salad ($5.80) is a mix of Thai sausages with glass noodles in spicy dressing. The pork sausage is specked with crushed black peppercorns which helped lift the fragrance of the dish. Also in the mix were Thai celery, carrot and cucumber strips, sliced onion, shallots, mint, crushed chilli and pan roasted peanuts. Caution, the chilli and lime dressing really is spicy but addictive.
A popular bar snack in Bangkok, the Fried Chicken Joints (Khor Kai Tod) [ $4.80] or cartilages are deep fried to a crisp and lightly seasoned, and boy are they amazing. That crunch you get first from the batter, then the cartilage, shows they ain't mucking about. Best paired with beer. Thankfully they're having a July promotion of 4 bottles of Singha for $20, so get on it!
The Fried Rice with Shrimp Paste (Khao Clook Ga-Pi)[$8.80] is served with Thai sweet pork stew, sliced green mango, omelet strips, Chinese sausage, sliced cucumber, shallots and chilli padi. Aum came by as the dish was being served and told us to just mix everything up before eating. The sweet pork stew came in really small chunks hence they do fall apart pretty easily which made mixing things up easier. I felt my taste buds were getting a sensory overload from this simple yet stellar dish.
It was past 9pm as we reached out last dish for the day. The restaurant was still buzzing with a crowd and we were feeling a bit lethargic from all that eating. Out came the Durian with Sticky Rice (Khao Neow Tu-Rean) [ $5.80] and holy smokes, this one blew us away. Granted the pandan sticky rice wasn't too good, the durian puree was so light and airy, it wouldn't be out of place if you served it at Goodwood Park's Durian fiesta. The sweet yet supple chunks of durian helped give an extra burst of flavor and variance in textures as well. Enough said, just get it already.
Fundamentally flawed and S. dined as guests of Khun Mee Thai, but opinions are purely personal. Thank you Velda from Komars Management for the invite.
Khun Mee Thai Noodle Bar
799 New Upper Changi Road
Bedok Point #02-32/34
Singapore 467351
Tel: 6445 9932
Website: www.khunmeethai.com
This article is written by S (my better half). S is currently taking creative writing lessons to tackle his horrendous lack of verbal diarrhea. Also, S likes hats.
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