Feeling at home @Mi Casa

It is always heart warming to see young Singaporeans following their passion and setting up their own hawker stall and restaurant. Such is the case for Mi Casa. An aspiring chef who was trained in France and came back to set up a hawker stall in Bukit Timah Hawker Centre. After a year of hard work and huge following, Chef Micah Jarrod Lim decide to transform his operations into a full fledged restaurant to serve up his own take on Spanish grub.

Mi Casa is located just another 400m away from the Bukit Timah Hawker Centre and it sits along Jalan Jurong Kechil. Just look out for the Javanese Hut Traditional Massage, Mi Casa is just beside it. 

There are also daily specials!

Mi Casa is very very popular and my advice is to call ahead to reserve a table if you have more than 2 diners together with you.

The Lions took a counter seat to have a view of the open kitchen and to see
Chef Micah in action.

Simple yet lovely decor just like the grub here
- straightforward but packing a flavour punch.

The Lions decided to pick 3 dishes to try.

Mi Casa Salad. I call this salad, the 2 section salad.
Separately into 2 parts, there is the cool part consisting
of lettuce, shaved purple cabbage and cherry tomatoes.
The other part where vegetables such as asparagus,
mushrooms and cucumbers are lightly sauteed
constitutes the hot section. Very refreshing pairing.

Fishermen Stew. One of the recommended dishes of Mi Casa -
chockful of seafood like squid, fish, clams and prawns.

Mi Casa Paella. One of the highlight of Mi Casa.
Just go and eat it! So affordable, just under $10, portion
for two.

The Lions enjoyed the dining experience thoroughly. Unpretentious and casual. Plus Mama Lim's convivial engagement with guests is pretty endearing and gives us a glimpse of Team Mi Casa. A place worth supporting and going back for great affordable grub.

Mi Casa Kitchen And Bar

102C Jalan Jurong Kechil

Tel: 6463 0263

https://www.facebook.com/mi.casa.sg/

Quinoa Goreng at Red Baron @Gillman Barracks

Nothing prim, stilted nor regal here... ...the lions love the laidback, easy vibe at this little joint in the middle of almost nowhere (near mrt now lah)... ...will be back for their in-house bakes and coffee... ...
Oh and they're not affiliated to Artistry even though you might see a familiar face around... ...

Little cub lepark like a boss on rattan chair.

Red baron supposedly refers to the indigenous lalang in
the area .

Stand alone glass and brick structure.
Love the alfresco area facing a little garden patch but too humid in the
afternoons. Saturday afternoons are a little quiet for now, nice... ...

Look daddy, i don't need the gym to grow those muscles.. ..

Taking in the refreshing greenery and admiring the little edible garden patch.

The signature quinoa goreng ($16) inspired by the local dish,
nasi goreng, hits the right spot with a good dose of heat.
Comes with pieces of crunchy prawns and chicken, topped
with a cheerfully runny sunny side up. The lion washed this
down with a pint of hoppy Proper Job ($15) from the tap.

Beefy Ploughman ($14) comes with generous
slabs of striploin accompanied by caramalised onions and
melted cheese.

Another night without the cub saw the two cats chilling at Nekkid @Gillman Barracks (space formerly occupied by The Naked Finn) before a gathering... ...

Rattan chairs - the "in" choice of furniture right now

Premium ingredients like tiger prawns and
sakura ebi make up the homemade keropok ($5) that
have undergone drying for a week. The lioness' granny used
to make keropok at home and she can attest that they are
lip-smacking great here. Not so enamoured by the smoked
duck with pear sauce ($10) though.

Grilled baby squids ($8). Finger seafood bites are generally
good at this sister watering hole to The Naked Finn that has
since moved to a bigger and prettier space.
Damn, they ran out of the "orh jien" ($6) made out of squid
innards that day.

Air-fried winglets ($7) didn't sound so enticing till the staff
waxed lyrical about the dish and yeap, this has gotta be
one of the most tasty renditions they've tried. Enuff of
kfc (korean fried chicken) already, the winglets here
are marinated in a medley of local spices.

Deep fried batang fish roe served with sambal ($10),
another interesting bar snack. The sauces that accompany
the bites at Nekkid are also scene-stealers in their own
right.

Red Baron

45 Malan Road
Singapore 109455

Nekkid

41 Malan Road

Singapore 109454

Chateraise Cream Puff vs La Donatella Lemon Roll

Two take-away bakeries with pretty refined sweets touting the allure of "original", "premium", "fresh" and "air-flown". One of them hails from Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, and the other from the Venetian coast, Italy.

Somewhere near Alexandra Food Centre... ...

Rattan shop closing for the night.

Desserts were almost sold out for the day. Just a few
remaining Italian sweets looking eagerly out of the
dismally empty refrigerated shelf for interested patrons.

The divine Limone Rulle or Lemon Roll ($3+)

Meanwhile, somewhere in Jurong... ...

The signature cream puff with a sublime blend of fresh milk
and egg custard cream at $1.90.

Ingredients from both bakeries are air-flown directly into the Lion City from their respective country of origin to retain an element of "authenticity". However, Chateraise still manages to keep its sweets affordable with cakes rarely going above the five dollar mark. That explains the snaking queue during peak hours and its popularity among the value-seeking masses who sweep boxes of its signature puffs. La Donatella, on the other hand, carries rarely-seen Italian desserts like the cannolo siciliano on top of stellar mainstays like the tiramisu but prices hover at an eye-popping range of approximately nine dollars per slice. The lemon roll, a must try with its pillowy soft sponge and delicately perfumed cream, is one of the more affordable options at this nondescript shop.

Chateraise Patisserie

Isetan Singapore

Jurong East Store B2 Basement

3 Gateway Drive, Westgate

Singapore 608532

La Donatella

370 Alexandra Road 

#B1-54 

Anchor Point 

Singapore 159953

Giant Burritos at Belmonte Latin Foods

In these days of homogenous hypermarts, those rare mom-and-pop retailers are such a charm on the island. The lions have been regular tabao-ers of the crisp corn chips and homemade salsa at Belmonte Latin Foods during those days when they just wanna snuggle up in the coach catching up on late-night TV with baby cub sleeping in the next room. 

A purveyor of all things Latin American and purportedly a Mexican food specialist with cupboards and fridges stocked with freshly made tortillas, chiles, salsas, tamales, enchiladas, jalapenos, guacamole or any other condiment you can think of, this tiny shop is a treasure trove of stuff you probably can't find anywhere else in the Lion City. Patrons are mostly regulars including condo dwellers in the vicinity.  

The lions can't vouch for the authenticity of the burrito (truly Mexican?) but some consider having rice in a Mexican burrito a travesty. It was a humongous burrito ($15) that had to be halved and shared between the two cats. Very yummy burrito with moist beef and nicely marinated al dente rice. Hmmm... ...they might want to go easy on the portions though and reduce the price for a more friendly neighbourhood range.

The two cats craved coffee but decided to doggy bag a Tres Leches Cake ($5?) to go along with it. At The Tiny Roaster's new locale at Sunset Way, they ordered a reliable Cold White Brew and dug into the Tres Leches Cake (kinda not allowed but they did it discreetly). The Tres Leches Cake was a straightforward rendition of a sponge cake soaked in three types of milk. A sweet end to their date night without the kiddo in tow.

They also walked past a Chinese restaurant at Sunset Way that was touting the benefits of its "Flaming Chicken": an ingenious closed system of cooking whereby charcoal smokes a whole chicken on an upright spit and the resulting juices flow into a steamboat of soup also warmed by the heat from the charcoal. One wait staff was eager to demonstrate the process, here it is:

Belmonte Latin Foods

5 Ridgewood Close

#G5 Ridgewood Condo Retail Wing
Singapore 276696

The Tiny Roaster 

(Sunset Way)

106 Clementi Street 12
#01-62
Singapore 120106

Asian Fusion Sushi Rolls @Rollie Olie

This joint epitomises what the lions deem "simple things done fabulously well". The humble sushi roll is elevated to pure epicurean pleasure here. What an explosion of flavours in a bite! There is some understated ingenuity going on at Rollie Olie. 

The lions went for the Heat Wave: a sublime marriage of spicy tuna, avocado and pepper grass. And the Dos Amigos: a balanced interplay of grilled eel, cream cheese, tempura crunch and red roe. Portions are generous, so a dish to 2 is possible with prices ranging from $12.95 to $16.95 per roll. The best part: the delectable range of homemade sauces available as accompaniments to the rolls. The lioness simply loved the Yuzu Mustard. 

Rollie Olie

The Star Vista

1 Vista Exchange Gree

#02-05

Singapore 138617

Turkish Warmth at Arkadas Cafe

Ever returned from traveling to a country and missing the cuisine there? Happens to almost all of us right? The challenge is to find an eatery that is able to bring their original culture and taste from their country. Thankfully for those of you who went to Turkey, the Lions managed to find a place to whet your appetite for Turkish cuisine.

One of the many eateries that are located inside Fusionopolis, Arkadas Cafe is situated on the 3rd floor, beside a dentist. Apparently, the owner, Chef Mustafa Gungor, had a long history with Turkish cuisine and Singapore. Chef Mustafa worked in the Turkish Embassy as a chef for 22 years before coming out and set up Arkadas Cafe. The Lion was heartened to hear that the pitas, bread, hummus, etc are all freshly made in house. As they were chatting, a fresh batch of hummus and baklava were made.....Mmmmm...

Just out of the oven Baklava... awaiting the last glistening of syrup to give it a nice shiny coat.

Home made fresh Hummus

Turkish tea cups

The server is kind enough to open up the teapot to let Lion catch a glimpse of what's inside..... Turkish tea.

Original way of serving beverages

Turkish expresso!! Don't be fooled by the flowery designs on the cup and saucer. The coffee packs a punch.

Pide with Lamb and Cheese. Thin and crispy, surprisingly the cheese did not make it chewy or soggy. The amount of lamb scattered all over the pide was generous as well.

A class of its own, the hummus was one of the best that the Lions had tried. Not lumpy but smooth. The freshness and clean taste of the chickpeas was a delight to the taste buds. The homemade bread was crispy on the outside and tender soft on the inside. Good thing that Arkadas Cafe does takeaway too. These 2 are perfect to start your mornings.

Musakka, a dish comprised of minced beef, green peppers and brinjal, comes with a choice of butter rice or bread. The Lions give this dish a paws up as it is a dish that brings out another part of Turkey. The butter rice comprises of ordinary rice and brown wheat, taste familiar like a variant of Singapore's chicken rice. The musakka was loaded with cheese, minced beef and brinjal and not at all heavy.

Baklava, Tulumba, Baklava.... Both sweet Turkish desserts. Filling for the Baklava is walnut. Now Lion always thought Baklava is filled with pistachio and Chef Mustafa explained that the original Baklava's filling is walnut not pistachio. Turkey has lots of baklava filled with pistachio because pistachios are abundant over there. The baklava at Arkadas Cafe is wonderful. Not too sweet and doesn't crumble at all. You can easily have a few of those. The tulumba was a bit sweet for the Lions' taste but if you are a sweet tooth, go for the tulumba as well.

Cream caramel for those who are more comfortable with non Turkish desserts.

Arkadas Cafe

1 Fusionopolis way
Connexis Tower #03-02

Singapore 138632

Tel: 64669918