Walking down the Streets of London

London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down.... Well that's why the Lions were at Streets of London. When the lions decided to go to Bukit Merah Library, they chanced upon Streets of London which looked really interesting. Piqued by their curiosity, they returned to check out what Streets of London has to offer.

When they entered, the lions were greeted warmly by Chef Thomas, the owner of Streets of London. Specialising in English food, Streets of London aim to provide quality food at very decent prices and decent are they! Fish and Chips, Grilled Chicken Chop and the list goes on.

Cute Cute decided to try the IPA Grilled Chicken and Cuchi, the Roasted Rack of Lamb. Of course, Cuchi had to ordered her mushroom soup as she suddenly felt like an English Lioness and requires a full course.

Roasted Rack of Lamb
One of Chef Thomas's specialty. Cute Cute still recalled that Chef Thomas was very humble about his Rack of Lamb saying that lamb was not his specialty. However, lion was very impressed by the Rack of Lamb. There was no gamey taste and the lamb was very tender. Marinated very well that a slight sweetness could be tasted along with the char grilled sensation. Another surprise was that the side dishes was done very well too. Looking plain, the vegetables were in fact not plain at all. Nice and juicy with a tinge saltiness. 

Can I have some.....pleeeese..?

IPA Grilled Chicken
Another classic of Chef Thomas. Soaked and marinated for a period of time in IPA (Indian Pale Ale), the chicken chop was so fragrant and juicy that even Singa wanted a piece of it. Not too sure how Chef Thomas does it, but he managed to lock in the IPA taste in the chicken. Every bite was flavorful. 

Mushroom Soup
When the mushroom soup came, Cuchi was quite surprised by the size. It was quite large and good for 2 people. Although nice and creamy, it was a bit bland.

Cute Cute and Cuchi has more reviews on Streets of London's dishes. However Lion was so engross on his food that he forgot to take photos of the following dishes. Nevertheless here are the reviews.


House Burger
Another recommendation by Chef Thomas. The house burger was large and the bacon add wonders to the burger. Burger fans should go for this.

Sirloin Steak
When asked about his Sirloin Steak, Chef Thomas was very enthusiastic about it. This Sirloin Steak really came as a surprise to Cute Cute. Something simple like the raw Sirloin Steak can be transformed into something out of this world. Of course, it is not like wagyu but Streets of London's Sirloin steak stood out on its own. Really recommended to try.

Here is our review for Streets of London

Food quality: 8.5 pawprints out of 10

Ambience: 6.5 pawprints out of 10

Specials that you should try: Roasted Rack of Lamb, Sirloin Steak, IPA Grilled Chicken,

For those who are interested in going there, here is the address:

Streets of London

Blk 161 Bukit Merah Central, #01-3725 

Singapore 150161

Tel: 6377 0850

 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Streets-of-London/305385316190806

Checkered at Othello's

Ring Ring..... Cute Cute answered his phone and to his delight, it was an old friend of his, Tweed Coat Doc. Pleasantries were exchanged and a lunch get together was settled. After pondering on where to bring his friend, Cute Cute decided to fly to Greenwood to have their lunch there. Had been a long time since he visit there too. Lion and Doc did notice the changes and went exploring around before they settled for Othello's.

Othello's outer decor was rather interesting, the interior has a minimalistic feel, the checkered tiles are also very prominent. And lo and behold, they serve Old Speckled Hen draught here!

After gawking for a while at the furnishings, Cute Cute and Doc made their orders. Of course, Cute Cute did order a pint of Old Speckled Hen to quench his thirst.

Carrot Soup (Soup of the Day)
First up was Doc's carrot soup. Somewhat of a rarity, the soup was thick and creamy with added carrot strips.

Caesar Salad (Plain)
The Salad portion was actually quite big and the shaved Parmesan cheese serving was generous. Not too bad for a plain Caesar Salad, the only qualm lion had was that there was not enough dressing. But for those who like your Caesar Salad "naked", Othello's is the choice.

Poached Salmon with lemon coconut cream sauce (Chef special of the day) 
This dish was selected by Doc and although the presentation looked very ordinary, Cute Cute was surprised by the poached salmon. Nicely cooked on the outside but the inside still retains the slightly raw component that emits the salmon oil. Not heavy and very light, the poached salmon is worth a try.

Fried Duck Leg Confit
Presentation of the dish was unique, lion had never seen duck confit served with fennel. The duck skin was very savory and the meat inside was soft. However, there was only a slight hint of marination of the duck confit. The outside was full of flavor but the inside was not marinated long enough for the flavors to seep in. But still, it was a good dish. The baby potatoes that were supporting the duck confit were soft and tasty, a good combination with the duck.

Cappuccino and Americano
Of course, what else but coffee to end off a good lunch. The Americano was ordinary. The cappucino looked nice and frothy though...

Othello's a nice place to chill out and have a good meal. The beers are rather reasonable and the food though not remarkable, it's still good.

Here is our review for Othello's

Food quality: 7 pawprints out of 10

Ambience: 7.5 pawprints out of 10

Specials that you should try: Poached Salmon, Duck Confit, Old Speckled Hen Draught

For those who are interested in going there, here is the address:

Othello's

12 Greenwood Avenue

Singapore 289204

Tel: 6468 0939

http://www.othellos.sg

Yesterdae.... All my troubles seem so far away

This is another part of the exciting adventure that the Lions have while exploring Macpherson Area. Cute Cute heard from a little birdie that there is a hidden little cafe, Yesterdae, deep within the estates of Circuit Road. Using his lion instinct, he brought Cuchi along and attempt to find this hidden cafe.

Indeed, Yesterdae was a bit hard to find. Cute Cute looked high and low before he spotted it in a corner of the HDB flat. No doubt it was hard to find but it can be easily accessed once you been there. Having a very laid back feel and decor, Yesterdae is definitely a place for you to sit back, relax, read a book or simply daydream. Of course, the Lions were also curious what were served there. Ice cream, waffles, cake and coffee are the main items there.

Cute Cute ordered the tea break set which comprised of coffee/tea with any choice of cakes and he took a chocolate truffle cake. Cuchi being a dessert lioness, settled for a lemon basil ice cream. The latte was not the best and not the worst that Cute Cute had tried but the chocolate truffle cake was not too bad. Cuchi's lemon basil ice cream was unique as it had a sour herbal taste which was rather refreshing. However, the main draw of Yesterdae is the isolated and secluded feel. Although still in a HDB neighbourhood, Yesterdae managed to let their customers step out of their hectic lives and feel relaxed while sipping their coffee or eating their ice cream. Ambience is definitely a main draw here.

Here is our review for Yesterdae

Coffee quality: 6 pawprints out of 10

Food Quality: 6.5 pawprints out of 10 (The lions only tried the ice cream there)

Ambience: 7.5 pawprints out of 10 

Specials that you should try: Lemon Basil ice cream

For those who are interested in going there, here is the address:

Yesterdae

  86 Circuit Road

#01-1003

Singapore 370086

Tel: 6747 3839

Alfero Gelato: Look out for Godfathers in your neighbourhood!

That's pretty close to Alfero Gelato's tag line ''Even the Godfathers love it" so do look out for Godfathers roaming around your neighbourhood as Alfero Gelato opened up a branch near Circuit Road / Macpherson area. It was one of the days when Cuchi wanted to explore new areas again and Cute Cute recalled that Cuchi used to go hunting at Circuit Road area. Been sometime since they last been there so off they flew and what many changes they saw....

The Lions remembered that they saw Alfero Gelato at Marina Square and it did not really occur to them to try it. But since they saw it this time round and Cuchi was curious about the gelato, they decided to give them a try. The first thing you would see is that the gelato are covered with a metal lid unlike other places. Reason given below later on....

Like most other lioness / kitties, Cuchi tried a number of flavors before settling for the durian gelato. Other flavors worth trying are Bacio (Ferraro Roche), Pistachio and Hazelnut. Cuchi has been to Italy and she commented that the Alfero's Gelato is the closest to the ones in Italy. The durian gelato tasted so smooth and it was bursting with the durian flavor. Seems like eating a very smooth and cool durian panggut.  

Overall, Cuchi was impressed with Alfero Gelato that she and Cute Cute decided to do a special on this. Plus one branch is situated in a secluded part of Singapore which adds to the intrigue.

For those who are interested in going to the 2 retail branches of Alfero Gelato, here are the address:

Alfero Gelato

81 MacPherson Lane
#01-37
Singapore 360081
Tel: 6848 4269

6 Raffles Boulevard
02-226A/B Marina Square
Singapore 039594
Tel: 6338 5828 

Chockful of Coffee Beans!

Far away in the east side of Singapore lies a little enclave of eateries, pubs and chill out areas, thus Cute Cute was wondering whether is there any coffee joint there to rest his little paws in. And behold, there is one! Opened early this year, Chockful of Beans is a gourmet coffee joint that serves fabulous coffee and it is located at Changi Village, one of Singapore chill out spots.

Chilling out at Changi Village

Actually the Lions have visited Chockful of Beans several times and were really impressed by the coffee quality as well as their latte art. Even Mr Business Times and his wife, Madam Salad gave thumbs up for their coffee.

Chockful of Beans has a nice relaxing feel to it and they also have alfresco seating so that you can watching the world goes by. The staff are always very warm to the customers thus the lions always felt comfortable whenever they are there.

Dark Chocolate Cake: Nice, sweet and heavy, goes very well with your long black.

Long Black: Full bodies, strong but very smooth. Not sure which beans they use but to Cute Cute, it is a very good cup of Long Black

Flat White: The flat white is good but not one of the best. But still you have to admit that their latte art is very unique.

 

Roary: "Help me to my long black!"

Chockful of Beans does have a menu for food and that gives the lions a good reason to be back again to try their food.

Here is our review for Chockful of Beans

Coffee quality: 8 pawprints out of 10

Ambience: 7.5 pawprints out of 10

Specials that you should try: Long Black

For those who are interested in going there, here is the address:

Chockful of Beans

4 Changi Village Road

#01-2090

Singapore 500004

Tel: 6214 8839

Literally 49 seats!

The day began when Cute Cute wanted to have Italian and Cuchi wanted Asian food for dinner. Hard to find a combination of both cuisines but of course the lions always have something up their sleeves. Cuchi recalled reading about a new eatery named 49 seats, which literally has 49 seats only and located at 49 Kreta Ayer Road. They serve pasta with an Asian twist. So along with Ms Saab, the lions went to have a look.

Old fashion grills that add to the charm

 

Located near the corner of Kreta Ayer Road and Keong Saik Street, 49 Seats can be easily written off as another eatery as there are many eateries around, but upon looking deeper, 49 Seats does emit a rustic charm. Something that Cuchi loved. In addition, when Cute Cute looked at the menu, he found that 49 Seats food are lenient on his fur pockets.

Being hungry lions, the order was made quickly. Tom Yam seafood laksa, smoked duck carbonara, chicken chop and deep fried escargots (The lions' first)

Smoked Duck Carbonara: The pasta is creamy and slightly to the bland side which compliments very well with the smoked duck. A nice combination of savoury, creaminess and most importantly, it is not too heavy like other carbonara.

Tom Yam Seafood Pasta: A gem of 49 Seats. Not your usual laksa or Tom Yam. Seafood portion is plentiful. The taste of the pasta is simply unique. Savoury, spicy and tangy are the characteristics of this dish. A must try.

Chicken Chop: Although looks normal, Ms Saab was impressed by its juiciness. Most of the flavors are still locked in the chicken. Also recommended by 49 Seats servers.

Deep fried Escargot (with martini): The escargot came as a surprise as the lions always had their escargot stewed. But there's always a first right? The escargot tasted different but nice. Crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. The flavoring on the outside does wonders to the bland soft meat of the escargot. 

The lions had a wonderful time there, the ambience was good and the food great. If you are in the Kreta Ayer area, do give this joint a try. You will enjoy it as much as the lions.

Here is our review for 49 Seats

Food quality: 8.5 pawprints out of 10 (additional points are given for their reasonable price)

Ambience: 7.5 pawprints out of 10

Specials that you should try: Smoked Duck Carbonara, Tom Yam Seafood Pasta, Escargot, Chicken Chop

For those who are interested in going there, here is the address:

49 Seats

49 Kreta Ayer Road

Singapore 089007

Tel: 6225 4332

http://www.facebook.com/49Seats