Brunch at Autobus, OUE Downtown

One fine Saturday morning, we headed to Autobus for lunch but to my epic  disappointment, they didn't serve their protein bowls on weekends! In place was modest all-day brunch menu peppered with dishes such as - you guess it - Breakfast and Eggs Ben. #groundbreaking

It was a little too late to change our plans (note: hungry totes) so we settled for all that was non-eggy. I do not believe in paying double digits for eggs, thank you very much. I know I being melodramatic, as the food was really more than decent. It's just hard to swallow the disappointment but we got to be objective.

Every dish we had was very competently done and yummy. The two burgers we had - wagyu beef and pulled pork - were perfectly juicy and fresh. We swooped one of the fries for sweet potato fried for a surcharge of $1 and it was worth the buck. The duck toastie was good too though a little on the bread-y side. And even the side dishes were pleasing,  their har cheong gai fresh from the dep fryer, bearing hints of prawn pasta flavour and the kale chips, our way of getting the kids to eat their greens. 

I wish they hold onto their protein bowls during the weekends and not give into the brunch hype.

Populus Coffee & Food, Neil Road

Contemporary gastro-cafe Populus Coffee & Food has evidently carved a name for themselves in an industry riddled with one too many eggs-benedict cafes. At 9:30am (their opening time), there was a steady queue of people hoping to grab a seat and a bite. Intense.

I met up with my girlfrieds for a belated birthday brunch for our friend and was pleased with the yummy heathlish food. Ok fine, maybe the fried chicken doesn't qualify as healthish but it's really good - I loved the seasonging of the chicken and the house special ranch dressing coated the crunchy fried chicken provided saucey comfort! I enjoyed the beef bulgogi salad and was very taken with the charred broccoli side dish. The only letdown was pulled pork grain bowl that was marred with dry stringy pulled pork. We wrapped up the meal and great conversation with a puckery key lime tart that had a buttery digestive base.

 

 Beef 'Bulgogi' & Quinoa Salad 

Pulled Pork Grain Bowl

slow cooked pulled pork, quinoa, bulgar wheat & pearl barley, furikake baby corn, red cabbage & apple slaw, roasted zucchini, toasted butternut squash, sauteed cherry tomatoes, L&P mixed mushrooms

 

Roasted Broccoli

Spring Pancake & Fried Chicken 

spring onion & corn pancake, crispy succulent fried chicken thigh fillet, hint of cumin, house special ranch dressing 

Key Lime Tart

Crumbly nutty goodness from Tiong Bahru Bakery

This almond croissant *mic drop*

The Bakery by Woodlands Sourdough, Serene Centre

Hole-in-a-hole. Gentle friendly vibes.

Yummish toasts - 

hummus + dukkah & almond butter + honey

Granola. Crunchy and healthiesh. 

Seconds at Kith, Marina Square

This time round with my folks and siblings.

 

Soup of the day - Celeriac soup with smoked salmon and spinach. Need to make a memo of how celerac tastes exactly like celery. Flinch.

 

Truffle Mushroom (Supersize Me) Sandwich. No nonsense, big on flavour.

Kith's Super salad this time round with smoked salmon 'cos me loves smoked salmon.

An awesome crab & avocada pizza with tomato salsa. Didn't think it would work but it did and I like being proven wrong on such accounts. 

Kith allows you to make half-and-half pizzas if you are feeling indecisive. Braised pork loin and smoked duck played partners this time round; the smoked duck is such a winner.

Although I did enjoy the rich bittersweetness of the matcha choclate cake, cakes are not a strong suit at Kith. Cookies, on the other hand, are a different story. That peanut butter cookie (like their chocolate cookies) was moreish.

Blueberry crumble muffin from Starbucks

For a coffee chain, Starbucks has really good muffins. While my favourite is still their carrot cake muffin but this blueberry-studded muffin is a good back-up plan when the nearby Starbucks runs out of my favourite (which unfortunately happens quite often).

kith cafe, Marina Square

Following the closure of Park Mall, Kith opens their newest outlet at Marina Square, a cookie's throw away from their Millenia Walk outlet.This outlet carries their signature sunny cheery decor, with an additional childrens' play area. Regulars would find their menu familiar, though this outlet specializes in thin-crusted pizza.

We didn't get too adventurous with our food choices - KW and I had their Super Salad with chicken and Beef Burger again. From the pizza menu, the duck pizza that we originally ordered for the kids and ate half of was really good.

My in-laws' sandwiches - Tuna Melt & Truffle Mushroom - were generous and satisfying. I didn't take any pictures of their food though I somewhat regret not capturing the grandeur of those stately sandwiches.

 

 

We shared a modest Caramel Pecan Bar that was quite bang for buck if you consider how much a pack of pecans costs in the supermarkets. It did feel like something was missing - a scoop of ice cream would have been perfect.

A winning factor was the childrens' play area, which kept the munckins entertained. Kid-friendly and hearty portions mean we will be back.

Starbucks Carrot Cake Muffin

When eating a  carrot cake in the morning feels wayyy toooo indulgent, this carrot cake muffin does the trick with a lot less judgement. A tight little bundle filled with shredded carrots, walnuts and cream cheese, there is a lovely whiff of cinnamon and spice that reminds of fall. 

Oriole Cafe, 313 Somerset

Oriole Cafe at 313 Somerset is probably one of our favourite cafes. The vibe is relaxing and unique without the feel of a mall haunt. The food is pretty good and arguably reasonably priced for a Orchard Road cafe. The fish tacos and Cubano are right up there, but this time round, we tried different dishes. 

Without a doubt, one of the better Caesar Salads out there. I might have preferred a heavier crackling of black pepper but other than that, it was pretty much perfect. 

Yup, and this happened. Country fried steak, or more commonly known as Chicken Fried Steak. A slab of sirloin deep-fried, served on a heap of garlic roasted mashed potatoes, bacon, sunny side-up egg and truffle béchamel sauce. Hearty heavy stuff. Schedule a nap after this. 

Creamy and comforting, the Pukka pie is a not-so-humble chicken pie. Size makes for a good adult snack or kid's main dish. We ordered this for the kids but adults had fun with it too. 

kith, Millenia Walk

kith at Millenia Walk is the group's latest baby and we popped by one Sunday lunch. Its is a warm, sunny and happy placethe service is great, and the food is above average. I have pretty low expectations for cafe food so I am just glad what they serve here is a lot better than the outlet at Sentosa Cove (ugh, hard to forget that chicken breast). The family ordered a bunch of stuff but I only took pictures of food I ate/shared (side note: I really don't get why people take pictures of food they don't eat).

I had a super hearty Super Salad with quinoa, greens, sun-dried tomatoes, cucumbers and a hunk of chicken leg. I loved how healthy and satisfying it was. 

Never one to pass up on a good burger, KW ordered the Wagyu Beef Burger that had good meat on them buns. I only noticed later on that didn't come with fries, and that is also one of the reasons why PS Cafe's Brunch Burger still tops it.

The Carbonara that we ordered for the kids was excellent. The adults partook in it with great enthusiasm. Nom Nom. We were tempted to get another plate but desserts warranted some space in our stomachs. 

These chunky Sea Salt Chocolate Cookie went straight for my heart. Dark and decadent, the bastard child of cookies and chocolate truffles (sorry, still riding on the latest season of Game of Thrones). 

Despite my love for all things coffee, the Kith Espresso Jelly is not something I would typically order. Perhaps the consistency of jelly is not something I can get on board with. This dessert was quite special though; the intermingle of gula melaka, coconut cream and espresso jelly made for a unique blend. 

My sister was quite pleased that she managed to reserve a slice of Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake - apparently it is one of their signature cakes. Well, I thought it was was quite disappointing.The brownies were dry and the buttercream was mono-uno-dimensional. 

The matcha chocolate cake on the other hand was spot on. Ever since our Japan trip, I feel like I have re-gained my love for all things matcha. The bittersweet sheets of matcha sponge, mousse and chocolate ganache made for a deeply layered slice. 

kith at Millennia Walk is a pretty cool place to swing by. There's lots of seating, lots of warmth, just bring an empty stomach and order that Carbonara pronto. 

Breakfast sandwich from The Providore

The egg & bacon sandwich to rule them all... 

Cedele's Berry Punch Yogurt Cup

It is kind of sad when all one blogs these days are the food she scarfs down in between client meetings. Oh well, First World problems. I picked up this Berry Punch Yogurt Cup from Cedele in a bid to cheer myself up from an early morning meeting. It was a wholesome hearty pick-me-up, filled with crunchy granola, blueberries and strawberries, chia seeds, honey and thick tangy Greek-style yogurt. 

PS Cafe, Palais Renaissance

OMG, it's April!

Diana, Zee and I recently met up at PS Cafe for Diana's belated birthday meal. It's not as easy to meet up with friends these days. I have kids that soak up my energy and my close friends have atypical careers that soak up their weekends. However, we definitely still make it a point to catch each other whenever our birthdays roll by. A simple catch-up, free of shebang and confetti, filled with soul-cleansing conversations.

Chargrilled wagyu chuck patty topped with a fried egg, bacon, onion ring and melted gruyere, the Brunch Burger is a heavyweight, packing both heft and depth. You pretty much need to face-dive into this burger to get it all in a bite, but paper napkins were created for a reason. I like the usual chunky steak fries that come with the burger, but swooping them for truffle fries is what a birthday meal calls for.

The Spicy Shashuka is admittedly unlike any shashuka I've eaten or made. It's more paste than stew, which honestly makes me wonder if that was intentional. Served with grilled turkish bread, it was a tasty enough mash-up of chorizo, bacon, spinach, chickpeas and egg, but I probably would not order it order.

If you haven't guessed by now, I love a good Caesar and I will order it whenever I get the chance. I finally understand how this salad has thrived - and not just survived - the decades. Did you know this salad was named after its creator, and not Julius Caesar? Yup, it's just about as Italian as romaine lettuce.

The PS Caesar was sufficiently complete with a poached egg, crispy smoked bacon, chopped baby cos, croutons and freshly shaved parmesan. However, I found their chef's dressing lacking the usual salty brines of anchovies. The chunky skewer of honey dijon rosemary chicken skewer was kind of odd too, but didn't prevent us from polishing off the salad.

A once-regular on this blog, the Chocolate Crunch Doorstop needs little introduction - a triple decker of rich chocolate mousse, pecans and brownie. Tall, dark, rich and nutty - it deserves its own match.com profile. The cakes here are ridiculously overpriced*. This modest slice now costs $16. Thankfully, it was still as decadent as I remembered.

* I realize I do say these things now that I've two kids, and $16 cake slices could be regarded as financial imprudence.

Happy birthday, my dear friend. May this year kickstart our eventful journey into our 30s!

Bircher Muesli, SwissBake One Raffles Place

I normally have the same thing everyday for breakfast - not terribly exciting items worth mentioning - but one fine day, I picked up a bircher muesli from Swissbake. I only ever eat bircher muesli when I am on vacations - it is something I target at every breakfast buffet. It was an extremely substantial mug of muesli, oats, raspberries, blueberries and diced apples soaked in low-fat yogurt. For someone who loves texture in her food, the muesli and oats provided some chewiness, while the diced green apple cubes provided much-needed crunch. A creamy yet tangy treat that tastes rather indulgent. Love it!

A return to Group Therapy Cafe, Duxton Road

When my younger sister suggested Group Therapy Cafe for family lunch, the first thought that came to my mind was "I don't want to eat Eggs Benedict..." It's not you, it's me. The Eggs Benedict at Group Therapy Cafe is pretty good but I am just not into brunch food. I am one of those weirdos who voluntarily wake up at 6am on weekends just to have some quiet me-time before the chaos (a total of 55 months worth of life) descends; by the time 11:30am rolls by, I am more than ready for proper lunch. Anything but eggs and pancakes please. 

But I knew better than to suggest somewhere else because, well that's another story altogether. Thankfully, I didn't have to eat eggs - or pancakes. Group Therapy Cafe has expanded their weekend brunch menu and it includes more than just variations of eggs and pancakes. Hallelujah!

I ordered the Grilled Chicken Salad, which came with a huge honking piece of boneless chicken thigh. If truth be told, I did only order this because I had seen pictures and was expecting a huge honking piece of boneless chicken thigh. Satisfying much. And healthy too, I think.

Instead of his default burger, KW chose to have the Rendang Taco Bowl. Fusion-confusion? Personally I thought it was pretty alright. The rendang was very tender and the spice levels definitely manageable; the cous cous salad on the side was pleasant too. I was surprised KW did not like it since he is usually the more forgiving and open-minded between the two of us. 

We ordered ravioli for the kids, and it was pretty good. Housemade ravioli with roasted mushroom filling, blankets by a shower of parmesan cheese, tomato sauce and truffle oil. Since I am not the biggest fan of tomato sauce (reminds me too much of the lousy bolognese I had as a kid), I might just order this again without the tomato sauce because everything else on the plate is delicious.

I haven't had a Sticky Date Pudding in a while, and it was great meeting its acquaintance. Lovely caramelised crust, indulgent toffee sauce, topped off with a creamy vanilla bean ice cream. Lap it up... just lap it up.

To jazz things up a little, I ordered a scope of bacon ice cream to go with their 4-layered carrot cake. You could hardly taste the bacon in the ice cream and the cake was rather dense, but I have very high tolerance for carrot cakes so it wasn't exactly apocalyptic.

This is my fourth visit to Group Therapy Cafe, and while they wont win any awards for their tasty-but-predictable food, I do appreciate their great service and relaxing till-non-pretentious atmosphere.