Lunch at Three Cups Cafe @ One Raffles Place

1 Raffles Place, #04-31 One Raffles Place, Singapore 048616

Tel: 6438 4108

Website: http://threecupscoffeeco.blogspot.sg/?m=1

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

It was time for catching with *April again, an almost yearly affair. The chosen venue was Three Cups Cafe - I was supposed to come by months back, but had been lured into JBM Coffee at the same building instead. This time, I managed to go 2 floors up to this cafe finally.

A very open concept it was, albeit being inside a mall's unit - one could easily see all their patrons dining or chilling out on the escalator itself, or passing by this cafe.

I was comforted by the fact that their menu and shelves consisted of more than just sandwiches, which was what I have heard of. We wanted a dessert definitely, and had a hard time choosing - so, we settled on the Valrhona Salted Caramel Tart (SGD$4.30) to start the meal with.

Perhaps it was Christmastime, the number stand came with these adorable little bells and a sweet "Have a nice day" message, a simple but thoughtful gesture.

The Valrhona Salted Caramel Tart came with a thick, rich and sticky dark chocolate ganache, blending surprisingly well with the salted caramel flavor. The crust was light and crumbly, gentle to the teeth and palate; the entire tart was well worth it.

We also shared the Salmon Scrambly (SGD$11.80) under the "All Day Breakfast" section of the menu - scrambled eggs with Norwegian salmon on toasted brioche with side salad. A fairly hearty dish with crispy toast, bouncy salmon and soft, creamy eggs. It wasnt the best I have tasted, but it wasn't the worst too - average overall.

For drinks, *April had the Hot Chocolate (SGD$5.50); she said the chocolate flavor was quite distinctive.

I had the Cafe Mocha (SGD$5.60) which was rather aromatic with nutty hints and the luscious sweetness of chocolate sauce.

Tea at Dr. Cafe @ Zhongshan Park

1 Jalan Rajah #01-01, Days Hotel @ Zhongshan Park (Balestier), Singapore 329133

Tel: 1800 556 1661

Website: http://www.dr-cafe.com.sg/dcsg/DCWebsite/Default.aspx   /  http://www.dr-cafe.com/DCWebsite/storeLocator2.aspx

Having been to several Dr. Cafe outlets before, I decided to pen about the one at Days Hotel, Balestier, because I visit there more often; and it is my most recent visit. When you step into a Dr. Cafe, the first things you would probably notice would be the comfortable settings as well as the friendly service by their crew, making one feel at ease immediately.

I tried several items here before - from hot green tea to coffee to hot chocolate, and a refreshing cocktail named Relax as well - the latter being citrusy and cooling. They serve their hot drinks in really pretty and classy mugs with their green-gold logo embossed on it.  Their drinks are affordable and tasty.

taken at MBFC outlet

The most recent visit yielded the enjoyment of a hot Mocha and a slice of their Dome cake, both amounting to only around SGD$12++

The chocolate cake was rich and delicious, every bite a chocolate heaven; the only drawback was that the cake was a little dry for my liking. The mocha was aromatic and smooth, hitting all the right notes.

Pity they no longer have the Kiwi Cheesecake - I should've given it a try last year when I spotted it.

Dinner at Bistro Gardenasia @ Nyee Phoe Gardens (revisit)

240 Neo Tiew Crescent, Nyee Phoe Garden, Singapore 718898

Tel: 6898 9111

Website: http://gardenasia.com/index.php/bistro

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

The Beau and I decided to revisit Bistro @ Gardenasia, at Nyee Phoe Gardens so we could dine in a beautiful setting and try other items that we did not, during our last visit here.

Note that the hut-like bistro restaurant itself is not by any way luxuriant on its own - but its simplicity is very much enhanced by its surroundings and the lightings, making the entire place almost enchanting.

It was a calm, serene and gorgeous night as usual, all the reflections of the waters and mist in the air. We placed orders and waited for food to be served - unfortunately it rained that night, killing some of the scenic beauty thereafter.

Our drinks came first. I had a glass of Red Wine (SGD$10.00), and ordered another one halfway throughout the meal.

The Beau had an Iced Mocha (SGD$4.00) which tasted rather all right - not too strong, and hold bittersweet tones.

We shared a Finger Food Platter (SGD$20.00)  which was alot more humongous than we had expected. We had chosen Calamari Rings, Deep Fried Prawns (ebi) and Popcorn Chicken from the list of nibbles. The calamari rings were chewy and nice in the sense that it sotong flesh was abundant without the thick flour crusting. The deep-fried prawns were crispy as well as the popcorn chicken - both items of which are my favorites.

Then we had the Mee Goreng Pasta (SGD$15.00) - that was an interesting fusion blend of mee goreng and pasta. It came with large prawns and more seafood on the site, looking really yummylicious. Well, while the sweetish flavor was delicious enough, we were a little disappointed that the dish was not more spicy. After all, it was mee goreng (spicy fried noodles).

Anyway, this is still a very lovely and affordable to return to, and we wouldn't mind hanging out at here again and trying the other dishes we had not yet managed to.

Dinner at Bali Thai Restaurant @ Novena Square

238 Thomson Road #03-61 / 64 Novena Square Velocity, Singapore 307683

Tel: 6256 0021

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

We are no strangers to Bali Thai Restaurant and its authentic Thai-ish settings as well as traditional Thai-esque dishes such as pineapple rice or Tomyum soup.

However, tonight we managed to try something different here - their promotional sets, at $11.80++ that comprises of a main course and a drink.

My drink was a Sparkling Dracula, a tall glass of pinkish, fizzy drink that reminded me of cherryade or strawberry 7-Up. It was refreshing, nonetheless.

For my mains, it was the Seafood Phad Thai Noodle - generously tossed with lots of juicy shrimps and tender squid as well as some mussels. The noodles were springy and tasty; moistened but not greasy, rich with the sweetness of seafood and egg. It was a pretty good dish at that price.

The Beau's set came with a Salty Plum Drink, even more refreshing with the slight hints of sour and saltiness in that tall glass - we swopped drinks as we preferred each other's beverages anyway.

His main was the Thai Shrimp Paste Fried Rice, something that I wanted to try as well. Remember that I don't take rice..... right? But this one was so scrumptious from first bite - rich in the aroma of shrimp paste - that I kept stealing bites from the Beau.  I did not really fancy the sweetish chicken by the side though the Beau enjoyed it.

For desserts, we shared the Thai Tapioca with Coconut Cream (U.P. $4.80) but only only topped up SGD$2.00 as part of the set meal. The tapioca was quite soft, though retaining its solid texture. Its natural, soft sweetness was complemented nicely with light coconut cream, adding a touch of smoothness to it.

Overall, it was a nice casual Saturday evening meal, truly value for money, with good service from the sincere auntie service crew.

Valentine's Dinner at Ristorante Amarone (2015)

168 Robinson Road #01-08 / 09 / 10 Capital Tower, Singapore 068912

Tel: 6423 0464

Website: http://www.amarone.sg/index.html

This year, we decided to try out Ristorante Amarone for our Valentine's Day dinner, since I pass by this elegant Italian restaurant pretty often, and have heard good things about it.

Set in a charming, contemporary setting complete with high ceilings, subtle lightings, wide glass windows and a wine bottles lined pillar and red flooring, and sitting in plain view of the busy CBD area, this restaurant is not to be missed.

The moment we stepped in, the crew all greeted us warmly and this impeccable service remained throughout the rest of our meal, which was rather impressive. Chef Domenico and Director Wilson came over personally to ensure that everything was lovely for us - a very nice gesture that brought smiles to the patrons' faces instantly.

This is the Valentine's Day menu (SGD$98++ each), specially created for this romantic occasion this year. Since there were two choices, The Beau and I ordered one set each to try out.

A glass of welcome drink (Prosecco) was served when we sat down.

We started with bread rolls, dipped in their subtly-flavored olive oil. I liked the flavor of the sweet roll but we both thought the texture was a little hard.

They brought us a small starter of heart-shaped puff pastries, to sweeten the palate before we began our small feast.

For his appetizer, The Beau had a Zucchini and Potato Cream soup- a soup with a smooth, gentle flavor. The starchy texture of the potato was a nice contrast to the creaminess of the soup, making it an appetite whetter as we looked forward to the other courses.

Mine was the Eggplant Medallion with Quail Egg & Black Truffle - a combination of al my favorite items. The lovely swish when one bites into the juicy eggplant was present, before the teeth made further contact with the bouncy but soft mushroom. The quail egg provided a beautiful balance to the heavier flavor of the truffle, and adds a dash of brightness to the dark dish.

The Beau's first course was the Orecchiette Pasta with Artichoke and Pancetta - the latter of which was quite chewy, perhaps because its pork belly. He enjoyed the ear-shaped pasta as well; it was of a taut texture that was springy and not too hard nor soft.

For my set, the first course was the Radicchio and Fontina Cheese Crepes - basically a meltingly soft crepe filled with Italian leaf chicory and bursting deliciously with luxurious serving of cheese.

For main course, The Beau had the Pork Tenderloin with Porcini Cream Sauce. The pork fillets were served in 3 neat slices. The pork was not exceedingly succulent, but do count on a good crunch to the solid slabs of meat. The creamy mushroom sauce gave the pork steak a tasty sweetness.

My main course was the Duck Breast with Balsamic Vinegar and Fig Marmalade Sauce. The duck breast slices were incredibly tender in this case, giving way to the knife easily, and melting in the mouth in a scrumptious heap of saltiness, sourness and sweet assortment of flavors.

For desserts, The Beau had the Mango Gelato - a very refreshing dessert with the right amount of tartness to it, but mango's strong aroma was intact definitely. Paired with lovely berries,  this dessert was definitely a cool welcome to the savoury dishes we had for dinner.

My dessert was the Chocolate Mousse Sponge Cake with Crushed Biscuits. The cake was moist and soft, filling the palate generously with dark cocoa's lovely taste. The crumbly base further enhanced the texture of the fluffy cake, completing our meal beautifully.

Besides that, there was a Polaroid shot taken of us being made into a Valentine's card as well as some macarons for us.

Everything was lovely and perfect - from the service to the food to the ambience. Thank you Ristorante Amarone for making our Valentine's Day a wonderful night.


For Valentine's Dinner 2014 at Plate @ Carlton City, click here
For Valentine's Dinner 2013 at Mosaic Cafe @ Carlton, click here
For Valentine's Dinner 2012 at Basserie Wolf @ Robertson Quay, click here
For Valentine's Dinner 2011 at One Rochester, click here