Monday, August 20, 2012

Melbourne feel at Societe Canteen

The Lions had their coffee craving again and this time they were around the vicinity of Botanical Gardens... Their olfactory senses led them to a coffee joint at Cluny Court called Societe Canteen. Seems like this joint here pride themselves as a Melbourne style coffee place.

Bah! This kitty took the meaning of going down under wrongly!
Cute Cute and Cuchi were greeted by a simplistic and no nonsense kind of decor in Societe Canteen. The joint seemed to run on a skeletal team of just 2 persons: the barista is manning the cashier and the coffee machine and another person was working the open concept kitchen.




Cute Cute looked through the menu and found that there were mainly coffee-based drinks on the menu and yet there's a kitchen! The food menu was actually written on the mirror that hung on the wall... bah.... Of course for the taste test.... Long black and flat white.

Long Black
Nice and complex. Societe Canteen uses Papa's beans, Terra Firma blend for their coffee. However, it tasted different from the other joints that used the Terra Firma beans. Cute Cute was expecting another run-of-the-mill coffee place but the barista here was good.

Flat White
Cuchi loved her flat white. Surprisingly when the beans used for long black are good, they do not normally fare so well in the milk department. The flat white was well-balanced and not overtly milky. You can actually discern the flavours of the coffee.

The lions would love to try their brunch and food menu next time when they head here although the prices are a bit on the high side....

Here is our review for Societe Canteen
Coffee quality: 7.5 pawprints out of 10
Ambience: 7.0 pawprints out of 10

Specials that you should try: Long Black, Flat White

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

Societe Canteen
501 Bukit Timah Road
#01-05B, Cluny Court
Singapore 259760
Tel: 6762 5600
http://www.facebook.com/societecanteen


Saturday, August 18, 2012

Jogging to Jologs

The Lions were cruising around Orchard city area when it suddenly it dawned to Cute Cute that his friends had asked him whether there are any nice eateries around that area and he answered the usual places.... Ayam Penyet Ria, Far East eateries on the top floor..... But the lions senses told them that there are still some hidden finds around so the lions got to work...
Enough talk! Let's go!!
The lions got to Lucky Plaza to have a look and on one of the higher floors, there was a small filipino joint called Jologs. Hmm.... since the lions wanted something exotic, they decided to go in.
 
Jologs serves very authentic filipino food and the lions realised that there are not only just filipinos here but there are also some locals here who appreciate something different. The prices in Jologs are also reasonable as the meals include free flow of drinks. The lions got a few items: a pork dish, milk fish and a popiah-like pancake.
Stewed Pork Belly Dish
The lions cannot remember the names of the dishes so let's make do with the description shall we..... The stewed pork belly is slightly sweet and sour due to the addition of vinegar. However, it is tender and the tasty. The java rice has a slight savory taste compared to plain rice and the sunny side up egg and soup completes the meal.

Fried milk fish dish
The milk fish is deep fried to make it extremely crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. Also another value-for-money meal.
Popiah like pancake
This one will taste familiar to all. It's a pancake wrapped with popiah filling (turnip) and drenched in rojak prawn sauce. The overall taste is sweet with crunchy lettuce inside.

Here is our review for Jologs
Food quality: 7.0 pawprints out of 10
Ambience: 6.5 pawprints out of 10

Specials that you should try: Milk fish, Stewed Pork

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

Jologs
304 Orchard Road
#04-03, Lucky Plaza
Singapore 238863
http://www.cafecallereal.com/

Reclusive hideout at Nassim Hill

Nassim Hill, a place that is not synonymous for any good food joints there. However, using their sensitive noses, the lions managed to sniff out something at Nassim Hill while exploring that area.... Hmm it must be the smell of bread that led them there....


Nassim Hill Bakery Bistro Bar is a hidden place on the outskirts of Orchard Road and one might just drive pass it without even giving it a second glance. Situated and hiding behind the Swiss butchery and post office, Nassim Hill BBB is a cosy place to watch time fly by.




Once the lions stepped in, they were greeted by rows of bread and a white marble counter. The whole place looked very posh but was decidedly casual and the servers were warm and friendly. The cafe was also very spacious and the high ceiling gave it a bright and inviting feel. Cute Cute read the menu and decided to have a little tickle of alcohol.... Nassim Hill has a unique beer on tap, Grimbergen.


Grimbergen Ambree Beer
This beer made both Cute Cute and Cuchi smile.... a good beer that even both genders will enjoy. Enough said.

Of course next up would be food! As the lions ate something before exploring (bad choice), they decided to have a bowl of soup and a sandwich. Scanning the menu, they ordered the Reuben Sandwich and a bowl of pumpkin soup. While waiting for their orders, Cuchi noticed that the staff wore shirts with different designations on their backs.....
The status on Monk, Abbot were on the back of the staff.... Monk for a lady???
Reuben Sandwich
One of the items that was recommended by the staff. The reuben sandwich, although a bit more expensive than other joints, made up for its generous portion, big enough for two. Well worth the price. The beer bread, that Nassim baked themselves, complements the corned beef. The corned beef is unlike those you buy off the shelf - it comes in fresh chunky pieces. The dressing inside the sandwich also gave it a creamy sweet and sour kick.

Pumpkin Soup
This was the soup of the day. Don't let the size of the bowl fool you, it's actually quite a large portion. The surprising part was that instead of a piece of bread, a piece of biscotti was given! The soup was naturally sweet and wholesome and the little surprise (biscotti) was more like a little dessert after your appetiser.

The sandwich and the congenial service of Nassim Hill BBB really made the lions long to try the place again for more of their bakes and entrees. In addition, the hidden place in the heart of the city area also makes it a good spot to catch up with friends. Ambience is wonderful.

Here is our review for Nassim Hill Bakery Bar Bistro
Food quality: 8.0 pawprints out of 10
Ambience: 8.5 pawprints out of 10

Specials that you should try: Draft Grimbergen, Reuben Sandwich, Beer Bread

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

Nassim Hill
56 Tanglin Road
#01-03
Singapore 247964
https://www.facebook.com/nassimhill

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Savoring the sights and sounds of Malacca

It was one of those long weekends and the lions decided to fly up for a little getaway to Malacca. Well known for its historical town and Jonker street, the lions wondered what they could find over there....

As it was a hot day, the lions first stop was the Gula Melaka Chendol stall along Jonker Street.
A quaint little shophouse interior converted into a dining area
Roary enjoying a cool bowl of Chendol
After cooling off a little bit, the lions were still eager for more. A roadside stall selling water chestnut drinks attracted their attention and it was another round of cold drinks before more adventures.
Really brings one back to the 60s eh?
First coffee stop! Mods Cafe located in Jonker street area. A retro looking cafe with a VW bus in the cafe.




Mmmm chocolate.....
Cute Cute had the flat white, while Cuchi took the ice chocolate along with bruschetta. The flat white, although lack latte art, was very well done. The coffee was smooth and the milk proportion was just enough for Cute Cute to taste the coffee. A very retro place, the whole place was full of vibe and life.

Here is our review for Mods Cafe
Coffee quality: 7.5 pawprints out of 10
Food: 7.5 pawprints out of 10 (Cuchi just loved their bruschetta)
Ambience: 7.5 pawprints out of 10

Specials that you should try: Bruschetta and Coffee

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

Mods Cafe
14 Jalan Tokong
75200 Malacca, Malaysia

The coffee and cuisine adventures did not stop there for the lions as they review more places in their short span of time. Next stop... Limau Limau cafe.

Watch your step....







Flying cats!
Help! We are trapped in the wall!


Limau Limau cafe had a rustic feel and the squeaky wooden floors help enhanced that more! Being mostly a drinks cafe more than a coffee joint, limau limau's coffee was rather mediocre but their juices were better.

Night falls.... and Jonker street turned alive....

Something that you will never find in Singapore again...
Before retiring for the night, the lions had some fun with the inn cats, Romnick and Wan Wan....
Excuse me guys.... I am taking a bath
 


Ok I am done, let me give you a ride on my back ok?
Can I play with you? Please.....

Morning dawns and the lions got to work! Their first stop for morning coffee was Malaysia 13 States Coffee.




Oooofffff... help me...
 
 



Something unique about this cafe was that you can choose the different coffee styles according to their states. Overall, the coffee was not too bad and worth a go. Last stop before the lions head home.






The croquette burger looked so yummy....

The Lions last stop, Cafe Orang Belanda, a cafe having dutch, finnish and other european influence. Having a variety of crepes and western cuisine on their dishes, Cafe Orang Belanda, is a nice pit stop for your sore legs. Coffee served there are special too! They have french and dutch coffee! Cute Cute wondered what was that and ordered that. It was a French press coffee! They served rather good crepes too. Orange crepes, chocolate crepes and croquette burgers were some of the food that the lions tried before they flew back to Singapore.

The Malacca trip was an eye opener for the Lions as they went around savoring some of the coffee around Jonker street. Looks like they will be back again to explore more of Malacca.