Tea Break at Baba Chews Bar and Eatery @ East Coast

Address: 86 East Coast Road #01-01, Katong Square, Singapore 428788

Tel: 6723 2025

Website: https://babachews.com.sg/

Operation Hours

Daily 6.30am to 10.30pm

Baba Chews Bar & Eatery pay tribute to Mr. Chew Joo Chiat, in this beautiful heritage-rich neighbourhood. They serve up Peranakan, Malacca and Western dishes and drinks. The interior is intricately beautiful, and service is quite heartwarming.

I was here on a Sunday afternoon after a work event. To be frank, quite surprised by the lack of customers / diners here as most other cafes in the Katong / Joo Chiat stretch are crowded. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the quietness.

Started with a hot pot of Honey Lemon Tea (SGD$5.00); the cup was vintage-Asian style, almost transporting me back in time.

I also had a glass of Pinot Grigio (SGD$15.00). They have quite a good selection of wine, and also cocktails.

As I'd taken brunch and would be taking dinner soon, I settled for just a slice of cake. I had wanted to try the exotic sounding Butterfly Blue Pea Osmanthus Chocolate Cake (SGD$12.00) but to my disappointment,  it wasn't available. 

So I settled for the Ondeh Ondeh Cake (SGD$12.00) - soft layers of aromatic, pandan kaya cake with gula melaka, and topped with hardened coconut cream (so it was lovely, like icing on the cake literally) and coconut shavings.  While it made for a lovely sweet treat, I liked that it wasn't cloyingly so.

Enjoyed my chilling out experience here alot, and can foresee myself coming back for lunch and drinks someday soon again.

Now, moving on, if you like Baba Chews Bar & Eatery, and this gorgeous neighborhood filled with cafes, restaurants and close to the sea, let's see what NEW LAUNCHES / PROJECTS are here so you can make this your homegrounds:

• Amber Park - an iconic development with 592 units in total, currently left with last 8 units of 5-bedroom apartments. This is a freehold project by CDL. Expected T.O.P. in mid 2023 so you can move in soon.

• The Line @ Tanjong Rhu - another eye catching development you can spot from afar, offering sea views, bay views or greenery views. Also a freehold project, The Line has obtained T.O.P. so you can view actual units and move in soon.

• Liv @ MB --gorgeous project by Bukit Sembawang, at Mountbatten area surrounded by huge landed homes. Thoughtful designs and gorgeous landscaping made this project so popular; there's only 14% left so don't miss your chance to grab it. Expected T.O.P. in 2024.

• Meyer Mansion - needs no introduction! A luxurious condo by Guocoland with just 200 exclusive units and breathtaking landscaping. Whether you get the sea viewed units, the pool view units or the landed facing units- there's a good view for every unit. Freehold, and expected T.O.P. to be in mid-2024. Nicely coinciding with the opening up of Katong Park MRT near it.

• Tembusu Grand is a brand new condo with a total of 638 units, developed by CDL and MCL Land. It sits at a prime location near reputable schools, and is close to Tanjong Katong, for ease of finding food and lifestyle needs. Preview of this project starts on 26 March 2023 and you can secure a VVIP pass with me.

• The Continuum @ Thiam Siew - brand nnew condo with 816 units, is freehold, and developed by Hoi Hup & Sunway. Preview of this project starts on 30 March 2023 and you can secure a VVIP pass with me.

• Atlassia @ Joo Chiat area - enjoy freehold residences surrounded by conservation shophouses for maximum heritage charm. Joo Chiat area is vibrant for food, art and lifestyle enjoyment.

• K Suites @ Telok Kurau - tranquil and low density living, freehold, and within 1km to Tao Nan School. There are only 19 exclusive units for this project, with 3 to 5 bedroom types.

Lunch at O'Coffee Club @ Changi Airport Terminal 3 (Revisit)

65 Airport Boulevard, Level 2, Changi Airport Terminal 3, Singapore 819663

Tel: 6585 6369

Website: http://www.ocoffeeclub.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OCoffeeClub.Singapore/app/267091300008193

Recently I was part of the Neuro-Awareness Road show, so I was based at Changi Airport Terminal 3 for 2 days. Where else did I go for my lunch if not my favourite O'Coffee Club?  The decor has also changed - an open concept now with lots of plants, almost botanical-like. Menus have been revamped a little, you can check review here.

Anyway I had their 3-Egg Omelet (SGD$8.90) with Ham & Cheese. One could choose that, or Mushroom & Chicken. The Omelet came with a plain salad and tasted pretty good - the only issue was that I wish they had written there that the Omelet contains onions, as not everyone takes it.

I paired the above with a hot Peppermint Tea (SGD$4.80), with was a pretty good pairing actually, and the minty flavour helped to take away some of the onion taste in my mouth.

The next day, I had one of my favourites all these years - Classic Caesar Salad in Cheese Basket (SGD$14.90), with Smoked Salmon. One could choose Chicken if they don't like Salmon. Ingredients were fresh and the crispy cheese cheese basket was just so good! I could eat this type of salad every day!

I paired this with a glass of Red Wine (SGD$11.00), the only choice available here was the Shiraz Cabernet. I'm not sure why they scrapped my favourite Blackforest Blend from the menu if they could still serve alcoholic drinks.

Anyway overall, not bad dining experience here again. The afternoon crew were really nice - coming around to top up water and asked if everything was good.

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 Stuttgart Blackforest S Cafe [Takeout]

9 Bras Basah Road #01-01 Rendezvous Hotel Gallery, Singapore 189559

Tel: 6335 8675

Website: https://www.scafe.com.sg

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

Stuttgart Blackforest S Cafe is my favorite German restaurant, and it's no secret. Over the years, I have visited countless times, enjoying their various cuisine and celebrating special occasions here, bringing friends to try this lovely place. Check out past reviews here on more food items.

Recently, due to the Circuit Breaker (Covid-19), I was only too delighted to order their food for my Mother's Day dinner and for a special friend's Mother's Day dinner, too. Dining in was great, but their food remain good when eaten at home, too.

Their Speciality Sausage (SGD$19.80) - choose from chicken, beef or pork, is served with delicious mashed potato.

I love their Pork Knuckle - comes in whole (SGD$48.00), or single portion (SGD$22.80). Crackling exterior leading the teeth the way into tender flesh; served with sauerkraut and a sauce that tastes like mashed potato gravy.

The Schnitzel (SGD$19.80) - choose from chicken or pork, is a breaded meat dish,  deep-fried till golden brown. Enjoyable to eat, definitely, and is served with mashed potato and salad on the side.

Just last Christmas, I was there for my favorite Maultschen Meat Pocket (a Swabian dumplings dish), Truffle Fries and signature Blackforest Cake over wine, with some girlfriends.

Looking forward to returning to their beautiful settings and dining in, enjoying the good service and palatable fare, soon again.

Dinner at Wine & Chef @ Tanjong Pagar [Revisit]

7 Keong Saik Street, Singapore 089115

Tel: 6221 9279

Website: http://sgwinecellar.com

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

We decided to revisit Wine and Chef for our monthly wine gathering. To share a little about Wine and Chef, it is an unpretentious, laid- back bistro serving a wide array of interesting Italian Wine, as well as palatable Italian-inspired, "Hokkien" Chinese dishes. So yes, you may call them fusionized.  You may also check out previous review here, to get an idea of what they served.

We started with a bottle of red wine, the Piceno Rosso Fillelu Montepulciano (SGD$45.00). Lovely cherry fruit notes tinged with mild spicy hints.

My all-time favourite starter is a good Chacuterie and Cheese Board, and we had it here. An assortment of Cured Ham and Cheese with condiments. Cured Ham selection includes Prosciutto di Parma, Truffle Salami, Coopa Ham and Speck (SGD$10.00 per ham or SGD$32.00 for assorted platter). I appreciated that their Cured Ham was not very salty; taste was really just nice.

For Cheese, there are Brillat Savarin, Truffle Gouda, Aged Comte and Gorgonzola (SGD$9.00 per cheese or SGD$30.00 for assorted platter). The Truffle Gouza stole the show with its earthly aroma.

There were also Shrimp Paste Chicken Drumlets (SGD$10.00) with honey and soy glaze, deep-fried to a lovely golden hue with a crispy exterior.

Next, Seared Foie Gras (SGD$16.00) with sea salt, pistachio, served on toasted ciabatta with a side of Apple & thyme brandy compote. One of those butter-textured, flavorsome items I could easily eat 10 of.

For mains, we tried the Salmon Risotto (SGD$20.00) - soy and coriander cured salmon fillet and fish roe on a bed of mascarpone barley risotto. It was simply tasty; the barley grains adding texturized bite to the dish.

Lastly, "Bak Chor Mee" Linguine (SGD$24.00), an "atas-ication" of a favourite local hawker dish. Springy strands of linguine pasta tossed in bean paste sauce, with spicy minced chicken meat, Iberico pork lard and truffle-infused wantons (deep-fried meat dumplings). Delightful dish that connected with the palate perfectly.

Another bottle of Sweet Sparkling Wine aka "Happy Drinks", to complete the evening, and we concluded the meal, relishing in yet another happy dining experience at Wine And Chef.

Dinner at La Cala Restaurant @ Duo Galleries (Revisit)

7 Fraser Street #01-40 / 43 Duo Galleries, Singapore 189356

Tel: 6282 9200

Website: None supplied

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

After the first visit to La Cala Restaurant (review here), I decided to go back with another group of friends. Service was still personable, and we still liked the settings even though we were seated at the other end of the restaurant now (the last time we sat near the back door; tonight we sat near the front door).

We started with a 1-liter Pitcher of Red Wine Sangria (SGD$65.00), relishing the sweet fruity flavours of this cocktail drink.

Hot crispy Housemade Baguette came fresh out from the oven, and had a lovely grainy mouthfeel. I finished mine mostly without the without the need to dip into the olive oil (it was that good). Pickled Olives were lovely as well; I enjoyed the purplish ones over the green ones.

One of the items from the Tapas list that we ordered was the Foie Gras on Terrine Biscuit (SGD$18.00). It was interesting.... definitely not the usual terrine I was expecting - this one did a standing ovation for us, and reminded me of ice-cream sandwiches. Flavour was light and fluffy, biscuit was crispy and melted in the mouth; the only slight drawback was the inclusion of the Apple compote that kind of clashed with the overall flavours.

Then we had the Jamon Iberico Croquette, which was a specials for the night. The Croquette was soft, slightly mushy and not crusty like how Croquettes typically are. The cured ham was good though.

Super loved these addictive Tsarskaya Oysters (SGD$18.00 for 2 pieces); fresh and juicy!

Moving on the mains - we had the Roasted Octopus (SGD$32.00), served on a bed of creamy mashed potato and romesco. This was delectable for sure.

Crispy Suckling Pig with Melon (SGD$35.00) featured 3 pieces of crackling skin and succulent, melty flesh that left us all yearning for more.

Finally, the Pigeon Paella (SGD$38.00); every bite of the grainy rice and tender pigeon was bursting with flavours. As mentioned during my first review, we thought this paella dish could be drier, so that the rice would be kind of crispy. But the taste definitely scored high points.

Overall dining experience at La Cala Restaurant was lovely once again, with palatable food and delicious drinks to start off the weekend superbly.

Dinner at Kyoaji (京味) Dining Japanese Restaurant [Revisit]

176 Orchard Road #04-17 / 18 The Centrepoint, Singapore 238844

Tel: 6694 4068 / 6694 3058

Website: http://kyoaji.com.sg

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

Loving their food and service for years since they were under another name (review here and here), I decided to revisit because cravings tugged. I really love how they keep their prices reasonable all these years - in fact, some items still have the same price as a few years back.

Started with the Sashimi and Tempura Set Dinner (SGD$30.00), giving me the best both worlds with my favourite raw seafood items (salmon, tuna and shrimp) as well as crispy-textured battered prawns and vegetables. On top of that, the set also came with a bowl of Japanese rice (I did not want it), a tasty fresh Salad with corn and lettuce, as well as Miso Soup.

In lieu of rice, I ordered their Hot Fish Noodles (SGD$13.00) - bouncy, tasty noodles made of fish paste, served in a flavourful dark-colored broth, perfect for the cold evening weather.

Not enough! I also ordered their Cold Fish Noodles (SGD$13.00) served on a bed of ice - bouncy too, its naturally sweet flavour was more prominent here, not obliterated by broth or anything like the one above, and still every bit as delicious.

I really love their Fish Noodles, and could probably indulge in nothing but servings and servings of them!

Also had some interesting Marina Espumante Rosado Spanish Sparkling Red Wine (SGD$20.00) to pair the meal with - a lady's drink for sure, for it was sweet, smooth and easy on the palate.

Overall, I enjoyed my meal here at Kyoaji Dining very much once again - ambience was still subtly elegant and cosy as I remembered, and service crew so hospitable and friendly. Thank you!