Get your grubby paws off my Grub

Well, that would be what you would say to your cat or dog who is attempting to touch your food. But this time, an exception was made for Cute Cute and Cuchi when they used their paws to tuck into their lovely meal at Grub. Cute Cute got to know about Grub when he was chatting with his colleagues. Without wasting any time, he grabbed Cuchi by the paw and flew down to Grub.

 

Ah... there it is!

Grub is located in Bishan Park and it is not that hard to find. Rather quaint as Grub stands alone by itself among the lush greenery.

Grub is opened by the guys from Cookyn Inc and they pride themselves for serving food that they serve their own families. Using natural ingredients for their food, Grub believes in eating responsibly and does not use MSG, artificial preservatives, additives and flavoring in their cooking.

Grub Cheese Burger together with a Long Black. Verdict? Yummy!

Beef and Guinness Pie

 

The Lions had a wonderful brunch over at Grub. The cheese burger was juicy. The Guinness pie was filled with chunky pieces of beef together with a slightly stronger taste of Guinness in its gravy. As for the coffee, it was not bad. Cute Cute later found out that the coffee beans comes from Liberty coffee.

Nothing like getting my paws on the green green grass

If you fancy somewhere different and out in a park surrounded by greenery (like the kitty above), give Grub a try. Like the Lions, you will not be disappointed.

Here is our review for Grub:

Coffee Quality: 7.5 pawprints out of 10

Food Quality: 8.0 pawprints out of 10

Ambience: 8.0 pawprints out of 10

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

Grub

510 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1

Singapore 569983

Tel No : 6459 5743

https://www.facebook.com/grub.com.sg

    

Getting all jittery at Department of Caffeine

Cute Cute and Cuchi recalled reading about Department of Caffeine (DOC) in magazines and of course coffee always interests the Lions. Not very conspicuous, it took Cuchi sometime to find DOC as it was situated at one of Duxton corners.

It was so crowded when the Lions stepped in. Outside, Duxton was rather quiet, but when the Lions stepped into DOC, the level of buzz was so strong. Coffee machines spewing out steam, grinders grinding and people laughing and talking under the influence of coffee

Cute Cute wasted no time in ordering. For weekend brunch mains, DOC has only a few selection but they looked so wholesome that Cute Cute ordered without even batting an eyelid.

Long Black
The long black had a spicy tinge to it kinda of peppery in nature. A bit acidic but smooth. A good cuppa to lounge around.

Apple Ginger Mint Fruit Juice

Roast Chicken with Chili and Basil
The chicken had a tangy taste and it was delightful. Meat was also tender. Cute Cute loves his greens so he took up all the salad in the display counter. The char grilled broccoli salad was neutral but with the added fried shallots, the combination came out rather tasty. The Moroccan carrot salad really tasted Moroccan. The spice and flavoring reminded Cute Cute of his Arabian Nights days. Carrots were also sweet too. The roasted beetroot with sunflower seeds, arugala and maple syrup was Cute Cute's fav. Cuchi did not really like it because she was turned off by the natural colour of beetroot. However, if you are not fearful of the deep red colour, go for the beetroot. It tasted neutral and it went really well with the chicken.

Churros with Chocolate Sauce
A Mother's day special..... so good, we asked if the chef could make it into a permanent item

Feeling wild eye after seeing the photos?

Department of Caffeine had an unassuming front entrance. But once you step in, it will remind you of a hole in a wall concept that is prevalent in other countries. A decent place to chill out and enjoy your coffee after you get your books from the local bookstore, Littered with Books, which is just a few doors away.

Here is our review for Department of Caffeine:

Coffee Quality: 8.5 pawprints out of 10

Food Quality: 7.5 pawprints out of 10

Ambience: 7.0 pawprints out of 10

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

Department of Caffeine

15 Duxton Road

Singapore 089481

Tel No : 6223 3426

https://www.facebook.com/deptofcaffeine

Expressonists at La Ristrettos

Cute Cute still remembered when Cuchi asked him whether is there a cafe at Novena Medical Centre. And his reply was 'How can there be a cafe at the medical centre? Novena square you mean?' Fast forward another week and Cute Cute realised that Cuchi's hunch was true. Still feeling a bit skeptical, Cute Cute flew Cuchi down to check it out.

A pretty odd position for a kitty. Could be an itch.

Ah... Now at rest....

Surprisingly, La Ristrettos is located on the 8th floor of Novena Medical Centre. When you come out of the lift, you will be greeted by metal sculptures and renovations befitting a medical centre. So just imagine Cute Cute's surprised look when he saw La Ristrettos after walking past a surgery centre.

That was the Lions' first visit to La Ristrettos and the buzz in La Ristrettos made the Lions feel that they were not in a medical centre. La Ristrettos is also connected to a back garden which has bamboo plants and a small pond. 

It was a saturday and very crowded at La Ristrettos. Fortunately, the Lions managed to grab a seat by the glass wall before they proceeded with the ordering. 

The after math of a meal.

Unique way of serving pastries... on wood!

Of course, those photos of food were not eaten by Cute Cute but he stole a few shots of it when he got the chance. Seems like pastries there move very fast, before the Lions could order a few, they were all gone. But fret not, La Ristrettos did have their mains to entertain the Lions' stomach. 

Long Black
An excellent cuppa. The long black was strong and fully bodied. Using Cafe Agust Beans, an organic fair trade brand of beans, La Ristretto's long black is a good coffee to perk you up.

Garden Salad
As you can see from Cute Cute's face, it seems like he did not really enjoy the salad because he is a carnivore. But looks can be deceiving. Cute Cute did enjoy the garden salad. A vinaigrette salad with poached egg on top, the salad was very fresh and very easy to eat.

Flat White
Cuchi enjoyed her cup of flat white. Surprisingly, the blend that La Ristrettos use, tasted well in both milk base and non milk base coffee.

Seafood Angelhair Pasta

The pasta was so tasty! The amount of seafood given in the pasta was very generous. Cuchi loved every morsel of it. The pasta was soft and the tomato base sauce that went with it was tangy and not too sweet. 

Words of wisdom at La Ristrettos

La Ristrettos is indeed a hidden joint in Novena. If you are in the area and would like to have real coffee, just head up to Novena Medical Centre 8th floor for two shots of coffee from their expressonists.

Here is our review for La Ristrettos:

Coffee Quality: 8.0 pawprints out of 10

Food Quality: 7.5 pawprints out of 10

Ambience: 8.0 pawprints out of 10

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

La Ristrettos

10 Sinaran Drive, #08-37

Novena Medical Centre

Singapore 307506

Tel No : 6397 7165

https://www.facebook.com/LaRistrettos/info

 

Bakes, Bacon and more at Benjamin Browns

Once again the weekend cometh! Cute Cute and Cuchi had a dinner appointment with several of their friends at Orchard Hotel Shopping Arcade. Being an early lion always, Cute Cute arrived early and found that he had some time to do a little exploration.

The sun is setting. It's time to do a bit of twist and shout!

Looked like Cute Cute's curiosity paid off. He discovered Benjamin Browns in Forum!

Benjamin Browns has a country decor that emits a homely feel. The open concept also makes the cafe look bigger from the outside. In addition, the cakes and pastries that were displayed made good eye candy as well.

Benjamin Browns does serve main courses for those who want something more filling. Cute Cute and Cuchi did in fact went down to Benjamin Browns twice before they start on this blog. (First time for the cakes and second time for the mains)

Granny Smith Tea and Strawberry Tea
First up was the tea that the Lions ordered when they were first there. The strawberry tea was a delight. Not too overpowering in its taste and you could taste the tea and strawberry flavoring. The granny smith was a bit slightly bland and one could not really taste the apple taste. Cuchi preferred the Strawberry Tea though.

Greedy eyes once again looking at you

 

Spaghetti Carbonara
Looked very plain but it was good. The sauce was sufficiently creamy and not too thick. Not too heavy as well and could be easily eaten. Instead of chopped up ham, Cuchi was given thin slices of ham for her spaghetti. That was something different.

Slow Cooked 8 Hour Pork Belly
Something from Chinese cuisine that was adapted into sandwiches. Did not seem much but try not to let the photo mislead you. The pork belly was thick and the two slices were just enough for Cute Cute. Very tender and has a slight sweet tinge to its savory taste, the pork belly is one of Benjamin Browns more popular dishes. The crispy ciabatta bread that enveloped the pork belly complement the meat with its crispiness and neutral taste. On top of that, the fries that came with it, was very crispy too.  

Oreo Cheese Cake and Chocolate Praline Cake

Lemon Butter Cream Cake

The cakes that were tried that day were very good and everything was mopped up. The Lions later found out that Benjamin Browns' cakes are different every time, because when they came by the second time, they found that all the cakes they had last time were all gone. New varieties of cakes were available instead.

Benjamin Brown did impress the Lions and friends with their cakes and food. Should you find yourself unwilling to enter the ERP orchard zone due to ERP and the crowd, just drop by Benjamin Browns at Forum to enjoy yourself there.

Here is our review for Benjamin Browns:

Food Quality: 7.5 pawprints out of 10

Ambience: 7.5 pawprints out of 10

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

Benjamin Browns

583 Orchard Road #01-21/20

Singapore 238884

Tel No : 68874117

https://www.facebook.com/BistroBenjaminBrowns