Dinner at Springleaf Prata @ Bukit Timah [Revisit]

396 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 678048

Tel: 6493 2404 / 9711 6159

Website: http://www.springleafprataplace.com

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

Time to revisit Springleaf Prata Place (review here) for some good roti prata and Indian cuisine, before we make the move all the way to the other end of Singapore. The restaurant was quite empty during late afternoon, and nothing has changed much since our last visit, which we tried some of their specialty pratas.

This time round, we tried their new Coin Prata Set (SGD$7.50), comprising 5 pieces of crispy coin prata (diameter is the size of a Milo tin lid), Masala Chicken and Teh Tarik.  If you do not want the set, you can just order the Coin Prata at SGD$3.00 for 5 pieces. They were crispy, and tasted good even if eaten on their own.

The Masala Chicken was utterly succulent, sitting in a rich, fiery pool of gravy of ground spices. This paired very well with the Prata, and I believe would also go well with Bryani dish.

The Hubs also had a Plain Prata, with its crispy edges and fluffy interior. He enjoyed it very much with the restaurant's Chicken Curry.

I chose an Egg Prata - a huge prata that was somehow crispy (the egg pratas I ate were usually softer). This prata bore the a faint eggy aroma that invoked hunger, and I enjoyed this very much with the restaurant's Fish Curry.

To complete my meal and ward off that spiciness from the curries, I always order a Mango Lassi when I am at the Indian restaurants. These mango-flavored yogurt drinks work wonders for countering spiciness, and aids digestion!

Dinner at Springleaf Prata @ The Rail Mall

396 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 678048

Tel: 6493 2404 / 9062 6849

Website: http://www.springleafprataplace.com

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

Having visited Springleaf Prata @ Thomson before (review here), I knew I must bring The Beau to try their prata, because he loves roti pratas. So here we were, at the lovely Rail Mall @ Bukit Timah, choosing what we wanted to eat in spacious, nicely decorated prata house.

The walls were faux bricks and the signboards were digital; beyond the ordering counter we could actually see the open kitchen via glass panels. We thought that the images moved too fast on the digital menu - before we could read the words properly they have been replaced by other images / pages.

Anyway, we managed to place our orders for a few dishes to share, and were happy to see the free-flow Chicken Curry and Fish Curry where customers could help themselves to.  They were placed over fire to be kept warm, and pretty spicy so we enjoyed them a lot.

We started with 2 Plain Pratas - they were crispy on the outside and flakey; very nice to eat, even on their own. With the curries mentioned above, the taste was enhanced of course.

Plaster Blaster was an interesting creation I wanted him to try - made up of plain pratas, Hillandaise sauce, ham slices, Eggs Benedict and spring onions. Sounds like your favourite American brunch ingredients? You got it.

Butter Chicken was smooth and tender; with creamy gravy that was very delightful upon the palate.  We put the gravy over our pratas and maggi goreng.

Next up, Maggi Goreng fried with eggs, tofu dices and beansprouts. I would have preferred this to be richer and spicier like some versions I have tried at other Indian restaurants; nonetheless it was still satisfying, me being a lover of instant noodles.

Overall, we enjoyed our fiery dinner, and would be likely to return since Rail Mall is near our residence.

Vacation on a Cruise Ship - Star Cruise to Kuala Lumpur

So we were thinking up ways to celebrate our first wedding anniversary and my birthday together, since they are just a day apart. A short trip to Hong Kong? A resort trip? Fine dining plus staycation? BBQ for family and close friends? In the end, The Beau came up with the brilliant idea of a cruise trip, knowing my deep love for the oceans and seas.

We booked the SuperStar Gemini because it bore the closest date to our anniversary, and decided to sail for Port Klang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was to be a 3-days 2 nights cruise trip, and we did not know what the expect because my last trip was ages back, while he never liked cruises (having served the Navy for a decade!).

Not a very huge ship, but there were 12 decks, made up of 5-6 restaurants, 3-4 lounges, 3 swimming pools, a karaoke lounge, casinos, spa and shops, etc. It was enough for us! The ship was set to sail at 9.00pm at night, but we could start boarding as early as 5.00pm to enjoy the facilities onboard. As there was no gala dinner, dressing could be anything from long flowy dresses to casual tanks and shorts. 

For room types, one could choose interior (no views at all; most economical, of course), ocean view through pot holes, ocean view on lower deck (corridor where crew would pass), superior ocean view stateroom and the rooms with balcony. Ours was superior ocean view - unblocked ceiling to floor views of the glistening ocean once we parted the curtains, and I loved it to bits and pieces.

Pork Parmigiano @ Belle Vista Restaurant

Miso Cod with Soba Noodles @ Belle Vista Restaurant

Array of seafood and lamb chops @ the open-deck Ocean Restaurant

Dimsum and other quality Chinese fare @ Dynasty Restaurant

Breakfast and dining-by-the-sea experience @ Mariners Restaurant

For dining, one could choose the inclusive restaurants or pay for more unique meals (2 of the restaurants were not inclusive). Food comprised Western set meals, Western / Continental Buffet, Indian Buffet and Chinese cuisine. I enjoyed the set meal at Belle Vista Restaurant (the miso cod with soba was awesome), seafood galore at Oceana Restaurant, dimsum at Dynasty Restaurant and the by-the-sea dining experience at Mariners Restaurant.

Performances were enjoyed at Stardust Lounge for 2 nights - over cocktails. We had a magic show on one night and circus performance on the second night. There were adult shows at other lounges and some shows for children as well.

I hit the pools a fair bit, really. Especially during the period when they docked at Port Klang for 8 hours and most people went down or out to explore. We had one of the pools to ourselves for a good 1 hour, before we hit the Jacuzzi. Drinks were not expensive - you could get bottles of wine starting from SGD$22.00 or one-for-one cocktails at a mere SGD$10.00!

Other than that, we spent a little time hitting the jackpot at the casinos, singing a few tunes at the KTV lounge, chilling out in our lovely by-the-sea room, and getting up on the decks. Whether we were standing by the berths overlooking the waves and vastness of the oceans, enjoying the strong breezes kissing our cheeks, or lying down to read on deck chairs, the feeling was tranquil and bliss. Imagine a totally relaxing vacation with everything onboard, and one does nothing but eat and laze around. 

There was very little turbulence or rocky motions so we did not feel sea sick at any point in time. It was an enjoyable trip and we would love to take more cruise trips in future, maybe explore the other vessels such as Royal Caribbean, or even cruises in Alaksa! 

[Invited Tasting] Dinner at Burp Kitchen @ Katong

259 Tanjong Katong Road, Singapore 437047

Tel: 8428 1134

Website: http://burpsg.com

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

If you have been to Burp Kitchen & Bar at Bedok Reservoir, you would be happy to know that BURP now has a new branch along Tanjong Pagar Road. If you haven't, don't fret - you would be just as delighted to learn that you can now enjoy good American street food (with Asian twists on certain items in the menu) as well as delicious cocktails in your 'hood.

A dimly-lit, rustic concept defines the interior of this restaurant cum bar, complete with a huge TV screen and almost-romantic window seats (I am a sucker for window seats) to add variety to the relaxing settings. Service is efficient and friendly enough; the owners and crew are always happy to make recommendations when asked.

Because it's nearing Christmas, we started off with some festive cocktails. The most eye-catching and festive one of all was the The Grinch (SGD$10.00) - composed of Bourbon, peppermint and orange, stirred with a candy cane. The first sip was " medicinal", but this pretty drink grew on us the more we sipped it, and gradually enjoyed it.

Next up, White Christmas (SGD$10.00) - a decidedly delicate looking beauty made of Rum, Egg White and Orange Lemon - the concoction reminded me of eggnog with a zest. This was easy on the palate from start to finish; smooth.

The last Christmas cocktail would be the Christmas Punch (SGD$10.00) - a medley of Rum, Pineapple, Orange and Grenadine. A sweet cocktail with citrusy notes and fruity goodness - easy to down a few of these delicious mixers.

Food was served next!

We kickstarted the tasting session with Beef Chilli Totchos (SGD$12.00) - deep-fried grated potato cubes (tots), Beef Chilli, melted cheese and jalapenos. This dish is supposed to simulate nachos, except made with more substantial ingredients - making it delicious, unique and unstoppable to munch on. If you do not take / like beef, there are options of BBQ Pulled Pork or Pulled Pork Brisket available.

Spam Fries (SGD$12.00) needed no introduction - deep fried fingers of luncheon meat (pork), bold in flavours but not too salty - it was too easy to plow through this addictive starter. The sprinkle of tiny sugar cubes added a refreshing contrast to the heavier flavour, but not all would welcome the sweetness. Lime mayo dip was served on the side for those who want to cream up the crispy fries.

We also had Honey Lime Paprika Chicken Wings (SGD$12.00) - juicy, tender, fleshy, and glazed with sweet and citrusy sauce.

Grilled Shrimp Tacos (SGD$12.00) - comprising soft flour tortilla shells filled with smokey shrimps, apple slaw, salsa fresca and garlic cilantro lime mayo, served with nacho chips on the side. We enjoyed the springy texture of the dish and smokey notes of the shrimp, citing it as one of the favorites of the evening.

Next up, Pork Carnitas Tacos (SGD$12.00) - made up of soft flour tortilla shells filled with slow-cooked BBQ pulled pork, apple slaw and salsa fresca, served with nacho chips on the side. The harmony of sweetness and umami in this dish was good but not outstanding; though some might prefer the tender chewy-ness of the pork to that of the shrimps (earlier dish).

Moving on to the burgers - there's an entire list of interesting flavours we wanted to try, such as Tom Yum Chicken, Chicken Rendang, Curried Pork, Soft Shell Crab Burger, etc, interesting East-West fusionized burgers waiting to surprise. However, we decided to try the American flavours, such as The Hog Burger (SGD$14.00) - toasted brioche buns, fresh baby romaine, succulent pork patty, cheese, caramelized onions, crispy bacon and tarty berry jam - all stacked into a burger bursting with flavours and texture; a very satisfying pork burger dish.

The other  burger as tried was Triple Cheese Burger (SGD$15.00) - made up of toasted charcoal buns, baby romaine, juicy beef patty, trio of cheese (cheddar, American cheese and mozzarella), bacon, caramelized onions and BBQ sauce - another burger that exploded with flavours and texture, the perfect choice for lovers of good cheese burgers.

Then we had Tomyum Chicken Mushroom Linguine (SGD$14.00) - a creamy pasta dish with an interesting Thai conversion. The tomyum flavour was robust and freckles of bacon bits added crunch to the otherwise limp noodles. I would order this for the delicious flavour and ask for the pasta to be done more al-dente in texture.

Overall, the dining experience here was lovely - relaxed dinner with good varieties of flavours and choice of burgers, tacos, pastas etc. I also enjoyed the modernized concept of blending Eastern flavours into their burgers and tacos, letting us have the best of both worlds. This is definitely the choice place for dinner and drinks with friends or colleagues, a spot to unwind.

Thank you Burp Kitchen for hosting us, and Hence for extending the invite.