Afternoon Tea at That CD Shop Cafe @ Vivocity

1 Harbourfront Walk, #01-43, Vivo City, Singapore 098585

Tel: 6259 3280

Website: http://www.highsociety.com.sg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/thatcdshop/about

That CD Shop houses a good assortment of records, audiophiles , and music from jazz to classical to rock and pop, etc. With it, attaches a classy restaurant cafe with elegant Parisian vibes, complete with monochrome tiled floors and stunning chandelier lamps. It is also no surprise that it is tied to the High Society Cafes that I adored (review here).

Currently they have 2 outlets - Vivo City and Wisma Atria.

I love their cafes because of the glamorous vibes and best of all, classy music drifting to my ears from the players. One is prepared to feel as though they are lost in another world, or at least another continent, when they take a seat upon one of these cushy armchairs.

In line with the beautiful settings would be beautiful pastries that look almost too good to be devoured.  I was torn between that shell-like pastry with the blueberries, slices of cakes, or Houjicha Cake; I succumbed to the latter.

Aromatic tea hints in a mochi-like pastry, perfect for an afternoon tea. None of those toothache-inducing sweetness or "trendy" flavours; this one touched on quality and lingering notes that satisfies the palate and makes one feel good eating it.

I want to make this place my favorite hangout,  truly.

Dinner at London Fat Duck Restaurant @ City Hall [Takeaway]

252 North Bridge Road, #B1-76 Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore 179103

Tel: 6333 5580

Website: http://www.londonfatduck.com.sg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/londonfatduck

I've heard a lot about London Fat Duck and how its described as "the Wagyu of duck", superbly delicious, but the long queues during the restaurant's initial opening kept me from visiting. But I am definitely a fan of Roast Duck.

The long queues have since ceased, so I decided to buy a half portion of the London Fat Duck (SGD$26.00 for half / SGD$48.80 for whole) to try, when I attended a Pot-Luck Yacht Event.

The skin was still somewhat crispy, and the flesh was so tender and juicy, I was hooked. The duck tasted good on it's own, but if you douse their signature house-made dark sauce over it, the flavour becomes nearly divine. Plus point, I like how the sauce comes with a cap so we could keep it for future use!

Since then I have bought from them 3 more times, taking away to let various family groups try. Everyone agreed that the duck is different, and very delectable.

I also tried their Roast Pork Belly (SGD$12.00) -  a little softer than I expected, but that's perhaps because I got take-aways for it too.

Their Salted Egg Fish Skin (SGD$8.00) is to die for as well, richly coated with salted egg sauce and spicy enough to give a kick.

I will still be buying more duck soon, and their Duck Bak Kwa (roast meat) seems tempting as well.

Dinner at English House by Marco Pierre White @ Mohd Sultan

28 Mohammed Sultan, Singapore 238972

Tel: 6545 4055

Website: https://www.theenglishhouse.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theenglishhousesg/

Inspired by colonial Singaporean heritage, the English House is perfect for people who appreciate an antiquated era of classical food and drink, presented simply as nature intended; orchestrated and conducted by England’s greatest chef Marco Pierre White.

The artistic interior makes the place almost gallery-like. Its like the golden age revived, touched by elegance and eccentricity. Stilted, symmetrical lines of light lead you into the evening; glimmering candles, intimate shadows, walls embellished with the iconic English greats, immortalized through the eyes of Terry O’Neill.

We came on the fourth of July for our independence day dinner cum Wine Night. Within the long and spacious restaurant is a private dining room that you can book with mininum SGD$1,000 spending. The room is adorned by Rolls Royce table and chairs.

Service was excellent and polite, exactly the way we expected it to be.

We started with Parfait of Foie Gras au Raisin Sec, on Toasted Sourdough (SGD$35.00), a decadent delicacy I could probably eat 10 servings of. Very refreshing coupling of foie gras with sweet, crunchy raisins.

Then there was the scrumptious Potted Scottish Salmon with Fennel on Toasted Sourdough (SGD$36.00); a hearty starter that tugs at heartstrings.

Moving onto the mains, we had the Roast Rack of Lambs, a la Dijonnaise (SGD$55.00). It was tender and tasty, without the strong gamey notes. Sides comprise of Chantenay carrots, petit pois a la Francaise, Gratin Dauphinois and rosemary roasting juices.

Followed by another palatable creation- Braised Ox Cheeks in Red Wine a la Bourguignon (SGD$48.00), where the teeth tore through melty meat so fine, its coat of fine fats gently wobbly on the tongue. Other accompaniments were mashed potatoes  fumet of red wine, pork back bacon, button mushrooms and pearl onions. Luscious!

Another memorable delight was the Prime Fillet of Beef Wellington (SGD$145.00), beef slab so rich, moist and tender against the texturized puff pastry that wrapped around it. Gratin Dauphinois, fumet of ceps, beech mushrooms and butterleaf spinach were great accompaniments.

Final mains was the Wheelers Classic Fish Pie (SGD$55.00), served with mashed potato. The pie itself was composed of salmon, halibut fish, diced carrots, peas, diced potatoes and cream. Despite the distinct tastiness of the fish, we thought that the pie was too creamy, and had a strong sour hint to it. The latter itself was disappointing.

Desserts were up next. Traditional Apple Crumble (SGD$22.00) hit all the right notes - fragments of well textured crumbs paired with caramelized sweet juicy apple cubes. It was topped by a single scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

Then we had the Sherry Trifle Wally Ladd (SGD$22.00), a dessert that paid tribute to a London chef named Wally Ladd. A rich and bold concoction made of black cherry jam, Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry, sponge fingers dipped in Sherry, creamy smooth whipped custard, and topped with Chantilly Cream, almond flakes and roasted pistachio. A beautiful balance of fluffy cream dream and nutty flavours.

Finally, finishing off the beautiful night with another classic English dessert, the Box Tree Eton Mess (SGD$22.00). Beautiful in red and white, made of hand whipped cream, meringue studs, cranberry compote, strawberry slices and scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Mint leaves adorned the tasty dessert with aromatic hints.

Overall dining experience at the English House by Marco Pierre White was very enjoyable and delightful; definitely looking forward to being back for more English goodness.

Peranakan Buffet Lunch @ Indocafe the White House at Newton

35 Scotts Road, Singapore 228227

Tel: 6733 2656

Website: http://thehouseofindocafe.com/restaurant.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitehouse.indocafe

For years I have been passing by this beautiful, cultural Colonial-style white bungalow located off Scotts Road, and have been wanting to check it out. The day has finally dawned, and thanks for buddy *Zachery for the company. So here we are, immersed in cultural richness and exquisite settings while pondering between a la carte orders or their signature Peranakan buffet.

Anyway, to share a little about this charming two-storied building, it is home to Peranakan fine dining, fine coffee appreciation as well as cultural arts performances. Service crew members are all dressed immaculately, unfailingly polite and the restaurant has a quiet elegance about it that we enjoyed.

We settled on the A La Carte Peranakan Buffet (SGD$29.00 on weekdays / SGD$33.00 on weekends) excluding prevailing charges. There is a list of 20 dishes to choose from, including savoury dishes as well as desserts.

Sotong Panggang (marinated and grilled squid with sambal sauce) graced the table first - rather huge pieces, succulent and mildly spicy with sambal, a dish that pleased our palates immensely.

Stingray Panggang (marinated and grilled stingray with sambal sauce) was served with crunchy string beans - we actually preferred these over the fish ironically. Flavour of stingray was rather good, but we are more accustomed to saucier stingray dishes.

Next, Kueh Pie Tee - tiny crispy pastry cups served separately from bowl of turnips, crabmeat, cuttlefish and shrimps. We inserted the bowl of shredded goodies into the pastry cups with a tiny scoop of garlic chili, and happily bit into the bursts of flavours and textures.

The Hokkien Hae Mee (prawn soup noodle) was a bowl of clear dark broth with yellow noodles, prawns, water spinach, eggs and beansprouts. I thought the broth was a little too sweet for my liking.

Belachan Kay (a type of chili mixture with chicken, "kay" is chicken in Hokkien) marinated with shrimp paste, served with chilli sauce on the side. Rather enjoyed the crackling skin and juicy, tender flesh, but totally loved the taste - it's prawn paste chicken with a different name.

Pasembur was served next, a dish made up of sweet turnips, eggs and crispy deep-fried beancurd cubes served with sweet and sour potato dressing. A light, simple and refreshing dish it was!

Then Otak Klasik -  steamed egg custard a la chawanmushi, with Barramundi fish fillet - the entire dish was flavorful and smooth, filling the palate pleasingly.

Next, Lor Bak, made up of deep-fried beancurd, yam, century egg, Ngoh Hiang, fish cake and sausages, served with chili dip on the side. I quite enjoyed this dish as well, for the assortment of snack-like items.

Following that, Tu Boh Sui - blanched baby octopus served with chili peanut dip. The baby octopus were succulent, even juicy; they were bland in flavour but made tasty by the dip.

Jiu Hu Eng Chye - blanched cuttlefish with water spinach and peanut dip - immersed in a light and tasty gravy. Cuttlefish was chewy, crunchy and vegetables were crisp, making for a lovely dish.

Finally, Iced Chendol being our choice of dessert - coconut milk over crushed ice, rice flour jelly, palm sugar and red beans. The coconut milk was sweet and creamy, a cooling relieve from the heavier dishes we had before. There's less ingredients than the normal Chendol that we are accustomed to, but we enjoyed the taste overall.

Enjoyed our experience here at Indocafe the White House, from the settings to service to food, we were pleased with everything. I shall love to come back soon, maybe for ther a la carte items this time.

Lunch at M&S Cafe @ Wheelock Place

501 Orchard Road #01-01 Wheelock Place, Singapore 238880

Tel: 6733 8122 / 6235 2471

Website: None provided

Facebook: None provided

Being a Marks and Spencer fan since the high school days, familiarizing myself with their merchandise such as clothes (under the "Autograph" label), food and sometimes shower products, I was thrilled when the M&S Cafe opened recently.

Located right beside the huge Marks and Spencer store at Wheelock Place, the cafe has a very clean-cut, minimalistic decor and an open concept. I like how the ball lamps tastefully illuminated the stark whiteness of the cafe, casting some decorative shadows, almost mysterious.

Menu consists of mainly Western / English dishes (surprise!) such as Fish & Chips, salads, sandwiches, pastas, cakes and some tea sets. Service was pretty personable and cheery.

The Jacket Potato with Cheese (SGD$6.90) consists of a huge potato sectioned diagonally and baked till its exterior was crispy and interior, very fluffy. The cheese looked promising but was too light in taste (in my humble opinion); alternatively one could choose jacket potato with other fillings / condiments such as salmon with cream cheese or scrambled eggs etc. A simple salad on the side brought about a refreshing touch. I thought that some bacon bits would've been perfect.

Coffee Walnut Cake (SGD$6.90) had the texture of cotton but walnut bits added a delicious crunch. The entire cake was so aromatic with coffee and walnut's flavours accentuating each other very well, we couldn't help stuffing our faces.

I also had a pot of hot Ginger Lemon Tea (SGD$4.50) to accompany the meal. Light and citrusy - I definitely recognize an M&S tea when I taste one.

Overall, I quite enjoyed the dining experience here. It is a good place for chilling out, inexpensive meals with gentle flavors, people watching and there's complimentary wi-fi for the hardworking patrons.