Showing posts with label Cafe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cafe. Show all posts

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Revolver Cafe, Seminyak, Bali

Coffee is my life. I think there are probably only a few days in my life since I've had memories that I did not drink coffee, with the longest period probably being the last yoga retreat. I make it a mission to always do some research on where to find good coffee wherever I travel to. After all, I could probably only drink at most 2 cups a day so I subscribe to the belief that I cannot waste my coffee intake on bad cuppas. 

My last trip to Bali more than 3 years ago did not leave any lasting impressions of any good coffee and in fact I remembered that I did not really like Bali coffee, kind of burnt and usually too sour for my palette. Fast forward to the present and my desktop research showed several cafes that boast good quality caffeine and glow with mostly positive reviews. Revolver is one of them. Many titles of reviews and blog posts crowned Revolver as the "Best Coffee in Bali". I cannot not try. 

Off I went after the yoga class at Prana Yoga. Looked at my google map directions and it says 2.4km away - I would assume to walk around half an hour for that. Double-checked directions from the Prana staff and they looked at me with surprise, checking again that I want to walk there. 2.4km did not seem far to me..Guess I did not factor in the power of the sun, at noon no less. I did not get lost but I walked for one hour. I reached the door, drenched in perspiration. I felt like I just finished hot yoga, with beads of sweat dribbling down the forehead and feeling utterly sticky. Euks. I sure hope the coffee is worth this really hot 1 hour. 
The cafe is rather small and thankfully I arrived at noon, before it fills up shortly after. It's slightly dark environment creates a cosy atmosphere but guess the lack of wifi and very quick clearing of plates do help empty the tables rather efficiently. My piccolo arrived and wow oh wow, it's worth the walk indeed. It smells really good, taste strong, the way I like it and has a smooth finish. Wishing for another one now already! 

I could not decide between the "Smith and Wesson" or the "Revolver" breakfast so the staff recommended me to take the first option and add a poached egg to it. Yay, solved my dilemma; got the smashed avocado and fresh tomatoes but also a gooey lava egg that's just the way I like, flowing but without it being too raw. The long strips of basil leaves gave a hint of herbs that matched well with the tomatoes and if I've any complaints at all, it would be that I need a sharper knife to cut through the crunchy crust of the yummy sourdough. I'm not a food critic in any way but this is just a hearty breakfast that had me, a person who read or watch TVwhenever I eat alone, put down the ebook I was reading and concentrated on the meal. That good. 

It's a little hard to find, but situated just off a small road at the main stretch of Jln Laksmana which is also called the Eat Street of Seminyak as many top-rated restaurants are situated along this road. It's near to Seminyak Square and if you enter Jl Raya Seminyak (the other famous street), it's quite a long walk, be prepared to walk around 10 to 15 minutes, past CornerHouse, Earth Cafe, Rumors, Ultimo and you will be nearing. Look out for Bali Clinic or ask where it is; it's on a side road just opposite Bali Clinic. There's a small signboard that says Revolver on the main street but so easily missed. Turn into the side road just next to the shop "Love Song"/"Home". Look out for below signs:



Menu:


Revolver Bali
No. 3 Jl Kayu Aya 
Gang 51
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Monday, May 19, 2014

Symmetry - yummy truffle fries


If you have read about Symmetry, you would have read that their potato fries $14 (which are truffle fries)  are good. And that their portion is big; seems like most are not able to finish that. #1 - Valid. Fries are great. #2 - NA. 3 of us didn't just finish the fries. We ordered a second tub! That IS good evidence that their fries are pretty addictive. They are crispy on the outside and gives a great bite. A fan of crispy or soggy fries? I'm for crispy anytime and 90% of this tub is crunchy good. A sprinkle of cheese on top complemented the truffle scent but like most of those truffle fries I've ever tried, it's mainly the top layer that taste best. Thankfully, the crisp makes up for it in the rest of them. One of the only few I would recommend and believe me, I've tried many, most of which I would not repeat. Symmetry fries, I would love to have it everyday if I can!


Can't remember the name of this dish but it's a tortilla packed with generous slices of pork, creamy avocado and melted cheese. This is a tasty meal, crispy tortilla meets juicy pork. Lovely to share amongst friends.


Pork Cheeks Pasta $28 was a dish recommended by many as well. This was a delightful dish too, with the meat tear-away soft and a suitably savoury touch to the creamy pasta. 

We also had the braised beef pork cheeks $40+. No photos of that but it was a disappointing dish. With the hefty price tag, we were expecting more but a plate bearing 8 or so slices of thin beef pieces arrived. Sadly, the beef were also too tough. Not quite enjoyable. 

Symmetry
Jalan Kubor



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Saturday, May 10, 2014

Sarnies Re-visited

3rd time at my favourite sandwich place. Was looking forward to their salads but alas, weekend menu doesn't include that. Fell back to my first time order of mushroom and egg ciabatta. It came with 2 eggs still with slightly molten yolks, generous serve of meaty mushrooms and a thin layer of tomato relish on toasted ciabatta. I love that I can ask for mushrooms instead of bacon, each time I went there, I customise my orders slightly and the good guys of Sarnies happily obliged. The mushrooms here are succulent and juicy, a little sourish, perhaps from a good dose of balsamic vinaigrette, yet sweet to the palette, as good as that at Humble Loaf or maybe just a tad better, in my opinion. The tomato relish added a different layer, tantalising to the tastebuds, just wished that it's a thicker layer. Huge in the portion, I did my usual finish half and doggy-bagged half. So while the price may be higher, the portion size justifies it. Not gonna be my last time there!


Friends had the below dishes. This is a Huge platter! Bacon, curried beans, sour dough, eggs, mushrooms, and a large sausage hidden under all those mushrooms. The male consumer of this couldn't finish it! Apparently overall a tad too salty for his liking though. I like the curried beans, fat and sweet/spicy at the same time. 


Such a pretty dish! Smoked salmon on sour dough toast with eggs. My fellow diner asked for the eggs to be fried instead of scrambled, omg came with 3 eggs and apparently already lesser by 1 as scrambled eggs portion would be 4 eggs. 4 Eggs! We would have usually consumed all 4 eggs unknowingly. Friend's comment that it is also too salty for her, and that the sourdough is dry, which I agreed as well. 


Can't leave Sarnies without their coffee, my 2nd top favourite (after Yahava, of course!).


A delicious lunch on a late Sat (best time to go would be 2plus as the crowd thinned out by then). Chill to the max! =)
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Saturday, March 22, 2014

Sunday morning with OZ Specialty Coffee and Yahava Koffeeworks

 
Are you a coffee fiend and need a big cuppa every morning to start your day? I do. And I usually wish for a strong dose, none of those watered-down versions or mixture bags. My daily morning cup is a usual black. At the arrival of weekends, I like to indulge in a aromatic cappuccino. And with the very cliché but true "Recent proliferation of cafés", its easy to explore different cafes but definite hits and misses in accordance with individual preferences of their caffeine fix.
 
Last weekend, we went in search of a early café breakfast and arrived at OZ Specialty Coffee, opened since November 13. It's at Thomson V Two, a condo in a part of Sin Ming that's a stone throw away from the Upper Thomson foodie stretch. Opened daily from 9am, me and hub were there at 910am Sunday and through our 2-hour stay, there were about 4 other groups of people so it was a lovely quiet morning. The café is the usual small setup, with a row of bar seats inside and pretty white tables outside. We sat outside, watching the little traffic on the roads. While it is quiet, it's not a place we could really stay to enjoy a cup and a read due to the presence of mosies. Good for a lazy morning of available seats and good food, before you start the weekend ahead.  




Food wise, OZ serves a small but very well-done range of breakfast items and coffee from Pacarama, Thailand, which is described to be rich and nutty. I'm really not an expert in deciphering coffee blends and their nuances so all descriptions are based on my personal preferences.
 
The coffees arrived amidst our 10 minute wait for the food. It's pretty in it's white cups and milk swirls, however both hub and I felt that the ratio of milk was a tad high, overpowering the coffee. It also makes for a light cup by my standards and not sufficiently strong for me, a self-professed coffee addict. I'm sure it appeals to many others though, as could be read from the many fantastic reviews on their coffee!
 
We love the waffles, which was crisp on the outside and doughy on the inside. We wonder if it's yeasted; it is seemingly so when we looked at the slightly holey structure of the interior crumb. Slightly sweet, it was a good accompaniment to the scrambled eggs. I would return just for the waffles! We also had the smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on a toasted brioche with arugula. It was great as well, with a generous dose of salmon. I just wish the brioche was thicker or perhaps it was just weighed down by the filling. The portions are kind of small but at a very reasonable price, 2 coffees and 2 breakfast items only totaled $26. It was also sufficiently filling which means we did not over-eat as it sometimes happens with the larger portions that come with higher price tags anyway, at other places.
 
Thumbs up for the great breakfast but I would look elsewhere for my much-needed caffeine fix, which we did rectify rightaway by going to
 
Yahava KoffeeWorks
 
It was on my to-go list for the longest time but it's kind of hard to reach without a car as it's nestled deep within upper Thomson, at Jalan Gelenggang. We were super glad to have made the trip there, which was actually just another 5 minutes drive from where we were in Sin Ming. This is a huge place by the usual café standards, and is 1 serious coffee-brewer. You have to visit, to check out their full range of coffee beans, their vast array of equipment, both big and small and you could really take your pick. They have 1 corner for coffee-tasting and appreciation classes and their baristas are very friendly and willing to share their knowledge and tips with us.
 
We ordered 2 mid-sized cups, which is only $5.50 each and huge and so pretty when they arrived. I love these colorful mugs, and love their coffees as well. It has a strong aroma and slides very smoothly down the throat. They have a small selection of toasted sandwiches and pies as well as cakes, not a big bunch of food but the focus is on coffee. It's also generally pretty quiet and we spent a good 2 hours there with our coffee and books. It's probably going to be our frequently-visit list from now on!

 
OZ Specialty Coffee
11 Sin Ming road
#01-13 Thomson V Two 
Weekdays 12noon to 12midnight
Weekends 9am to 12midnight
 
Yahava KoffeeWorks
4 Jalan Gelenggang
Opened daily 9am to 6pm

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Thursday, January 23, 2014

Espressolab - superb service!

I love going to cafes. It's not just the good coffees and mostly artisan bread but it's also for personable service staff and a cosy comfortable environment. Expressolab is one that fits all the criteria for me. The cosy arm chairs in various colours and magazines for browsing sets the scene, the coffee is pretty good by my standards and I love the sundried tomato bread that wraps my juicy roasted chicken with a lemon mayo sauce. Above all things, what appeals to me most from my experience at Expressolab is the superb service of the staff. Though it was a weekday, the staff offered me a choice of the weekend brunch if I wanted it since the cafe was not crowded at that time and they can do it for me. That was nice! I still chose a sandwich as I really wanted to try the sundried tomato bread. Since I don't eat bacon, they also offered me a choice from any of their meats available in replacement. That was nice again! When my friend came later, the cafe staff also offered the same choices and took the initiative to let her know that I've made changes in my choice of main and she can do so too. Nice!!

 




Though I must say my favourite sandwiches are still Sarnies and The Humble Loaf, I would visit Expressolab again for the cosy cafe feel and great friendliness. My only wish is that they could increase their selection of desserts. 

Expressolab
13 Bali Lane

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Thursday, January 2, 2014

The Plain - Cafe at Craig Road


On the first morning of 2014, tab on your FB app and there appears posting of various friends all about their first meal of the year. So, I jumped on the bandwagon and took lots of pictures on my first breakfast of the year too!

Hubb and I started the morning at The Plain cafe, right on the dot of 1030am when they opened. There was already 2 other even earlier birds sipping on their great-looking coffees. Love the decor of the place, simple, cosy, and not so packed with tables that you can hear your left and right clearly. We were especially taken with the huge wooden table and the 1 simple tree centrepiece. 


The menus are written on chalkboards placed around the walls; just as we are perusing the items, the friendly crew approaches and ask if we would like to start with any coffees. Start we did indeed, with a latte ($4) and a generra ($5), which is mocha with a good hint of orange from the peel in it. The latte was good, the generra was fantastic. It was thick, creamy and fragrant with a fruity scent, almost like a dessert drink. My only wish was that they have it in a larger size option. I finished the cup in a jiffy.


And..ordered another coffee, a cappuccino ($5) this time, in the larger size. Really much bigger, very satisfying. 


Woohoo, the food arrived, mine was the Darling Egg ($7.50), single serve (pic right on top). The poached egg was round and fat, oozing a yellow goodness onto the sweet roma tomatoes and crusty sourdough. The hubb had the beef pastrami ciabatta ($9.50), toasted to a crisp, filled with a generous dose of rocket leaves, well-complemented by sweet semi dry tomatoes. Very good. I already know I'm going for a turkey ciabatta on my next trip.


Total bill was only $31 for our 3 drinks and 2 breakfasts, very reasonable. The cafe has been in business for 3 years and I guess it will stay around for very long! Yummy!

The Plain Cafe
50 Craig Road


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Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Artisan Boulangerie Co Great World City

Woohoo, the bread lover in me rejoices once again as another lovely French style bakery opens in town. First, there was Maison Keyser, then there was Tiong Bahru Bakery and Sophie Bakery, and now there is Artisan Boulangerie Co. Founder baker Chef Eran Mayer left Paris and arrived in Singapore with a dream to have each Singaporean household have a daily loaf of freshly-baked, preservative-free bread in their house. With many good reviews under its belt within a few weeks of opening, I can't wait to try this new kid on the block!

Arrived at the Great World City branch today with much anticipation and indeed found myself in front of a large array of baked goodies. There were tarts, croissants, brioches, chocolate bakes, many varieties of breads and even pretzels! There were a few samples of bread available and of course, the greedy me tried everything so I could then order something totally different. Ha Ha! The challah ($5.50) was mildly sweet but not as dense as I would like. The muesli bread was really good and while it's not a fluffy bread, the bite and crunch in the bread with all the good-for-your-body seeds and nuts were really addictive. Slightly expensive at $10 for a small loaf though. The olive bread was generously studded with whole olives however, I prefer Sophie's even chewier version. The raisin sourdough was really yummy too, with a good chewy to the crumb and a crunchy crust.

I wanted to order the cheese pretzel as memories of yummy pretzels in Germany still lingers in my mind (& mouth) but alas they ran out of it already. Went for my 2nd choice, their Raisin Vanilla Swirl bread. I think it's a laminated dough, with buttery, flaky turns,  studded with loads of moist raisins. It was served a teeny weeny bit warm; would have been much better if it could be more warmed up more as it was cold by the time I took the 2nd bite. Still, it was a delightful snack and the coffee from Toby Estate totally satisfied my yearning for a good coffee just the day before. Full-bodied, strong aroma and well-roasted comes to mind as I sipped in satisfaction.
In terms of the cafe ambiance, it is a modern, fuss free setting. Clean lines, comfy chairs and a few sofa seats filled the cafe. Service at the counter is fast and polite though not exceedingly warm. (I really like Sophie's staff who are smiling happily and chats with me about their breads all the time). Cleaning of the tables was a tad slow as well with 15 minutes gone and tables still not cleared despite the staff outnumbering the number of patrons on a Tues mid afternoon. Otherwise, nothing to complain about and definitely a place I would repeat if I'm in the area. (My vote still goes to Sophie for their bread though)


On a last note, the plain sourdough was my eventual choice for my take-home purchase as I love the texture of the bread and a plain one would be perfect to soak up a runny poached egg with a home-made lemon honey garlic sauce. Perfect dinner at home!

Artisan Boulangerie Co
#01-01, 118 Killiney Road 
Singapore 239555 
Ph: +65 6444 8130 
Open Daily from 8 am to 10 pm 

#01-23, Great World City 
Singapore 237994 
Ph: +65 6887 4062 
Open Daily from 10 am to 10 pm
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Sunday, October 6, 2013

A brief peep into Sarnies, The Muffinry and Group Therapy

My list of to-go cafe list seems to be never ending, such that I don't even really update that list anymore. Cafes are sprouting out much faster than I can visit. It is with much delight then that I managed to pop into 3 of those on my list yesterday. THREE! My friends and I were indeed cafe hopping.

First was to Sarnies at 136 Telok Ayer Street. I've read many rave reviews about their sandwiches. Wow, it indeed did not disappoint. There were 3 of us, the 2 guys ordered the Smoked Salmon ($25.90) and Bacon and Egg ($15.90). Since I don't take bacon but wanted the sourdough and fried eggs of the bacon sandwich, the staff kindly changed the bacon to mushrooms. Double wow! The mushrooms were plump and juicy, seasoned perfectly. The eggs white were cooked through and the yolk slightly molten, coating the sandwich with a layer of creaminess as I sliced through the yolk. There is also a thin layer of a sweet and salty sauce beneath the mushrooms, complementing the whole sandwich as you bite into each crunchy mouthful!




The coffee were uber good too! I think it has just overtaken Habitat as my favourite cappuccino now. The aroma of the coffee was strong and dark, shining through the layers of creamy milk foam. At $5 a cup, I was really gonna order another one if not for the fact that we are going to another cafe afterwards. 


Service was prompt and food were served very quickly. My only peeve was that the weekend menu is different from the weekday menu and choices of sandwiches were limited and prices also seem to be on the high side as I read that their weekday sandwiches were mainly below $15. However, it was still very crowded for a quiet CBD corner in the weekends, surrounding shops were pretty empty if not altogether closed. The people of Singapore sure knows where to get a good sandwich! 

Next stop was The Muffinry on the same street. I've also read many rave reviews of their muffins from various bloggers. Oops, no pictures as we only each bought a muffin for take-away. I had the blueberry muffin with a sweet crumble topping. Their muffins are all priced at $2.80 and I see a selection of brownies and pies as well. There are also ready and wrapped sandwiches available in the chiller, not a very appetizing way of display; however guess the low prices (below $10) made up for the lack of display. 

With regards to the taste... well, it was filled with many plump blueberries and the crumble was a good accompaniment to the otherwise slightly bland and rather heavy cake. Guess I will remain a loyal ShunFu Road Market Choc & Spice muffin fan!

We then went in search of a 3rd cafe for another cuppa coffee. Proceeded to Duxton Hill where we first attempted but not able to get seated at Department of Caffeine (DOC). There was a queue waiting in line at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. Singaporeans sure know where to get a good cuppa too! We walked down the row of shophouses and went into Group Therapy which occupies a fairly large shop space on the 2nd floor. 

Ordered a round of Roasted Almond Latte. Hmm..after our fantastic coffee at Sarnies, this was sadly below par. Too sweet to start with , the coffee was also not well-detected, kind of lost in the almond flavor or perhaps that was the way it was meant to be. Both my companion and I did not like it too much. 


In terms of atmosphere, it was cosy and well-decorated. Friendly staff were also very considerate, and closed the window near us when the sun shone in, onto our table as the sun sets into the evening. However, the noise level was at all-time high, not a place to really chill out. You probably have to talk really loudly to make yourself heard to your meal companions. The food (spotted on other tables) look really yummy though! Probably have to repeat a trip to try their food! 
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Sunday, August 11, 2013

The Humble Loaf - Simple and Tasty, one of the best!


The title kind of says it all. Simple & tasty, with very good bread which are chewy and crunchy. I like how they use few but generous doses of ingredients for each of their sandwiches. This means that you can fully taste the goodness of the main filling with the rest as complements to a fulfilling wholesome meal.

The humble loaf is situated in Katong Shopping Center, which as many bloggers have already described, a rather old building with many maid agencies. The shop is at basement 1, near the foodcourt stretch. There are many corners in the building, just look for the foodcourt and from there walk straight (back facing the foodcourt), along the left stretch of shops. Soon, you will smell a buttery freshly baked fragrance and just follow along. (BTW, the buttery smell is coming from the old-school bakery next door)

 
The shop is rather small, with 3 tables and a row of bar seats. We were lucky to get a table, with already 4 patrons in the house, ard 1pm. By 130pm, the shop was pretty full with another group of 4 and some single customers at the high seats. Menu is on a chalkboard on the wall with a good selection of sandwiches and drinks. There are some pretty interesting choices; my friend had the Shoyu coffee which the shop lady described as almost like a salted caramel coffee taste. It was indeed salty; kind of an acquired taste. Interesting but not something I would order again. My cappuccino was fine though, pretty normal.

As for the sandwiches which we came for, my friends had the Ham and Peach & Beef Pastrami. I order the herbed Mushroom. The portion is huge and very well worth their prices. Huge slabs of crunchy walnut bread enclosed the thick filling; mine had the mushrooms well roasted in what I think is a vinaigrette and herbs dressing, with the gruyere cheese melted nicely.

 

My friends finished off their sandwiches rather quickly too so I guess they must be good as well. They had only good comments for the sandwiches too! The not-so-humble eggs in the top picture was well-reviewed by many other bloggers. It's 2 eggs baked in a ramekin, topped with ham, olives and green onion. The overall taste was good; but it's kind of expensive at $6 for this portion size. You will probably still have to order something else to complete the meal.

We packed back a loaf of sundried tomato bread too. The fragrance that emits upon cutting into it was delightful and the crumb is chewy with a soft crust. It's $6.50 for a very large loaf, do buy home a loaf or 2; they are yummy.

Before you head home, drop by the old-school bakery next door where the buttery smell is from. They have really good apple and banana tarts. The uncle told us that they were rated as the top banana pie by Today just recently. It's $2.20 per slice. They are good but all 3 of us prefer the apple pie which as a melt in the mouth butter crust that complemented the apple & raisin filling very well.

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