Chilling Out at Harry's Bar @ Novena Square (Revisit)

238 Thomson Road #01-59 / 60 Novena Square, Singapore 307683

Tel: 6478 3011

Website: http://harrys.com.sg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harrysbar.sg

No stranger to Harry's Bar for sure, having visited their outlets from Dempsey to Harbourfront to Esplanade. They provide a really good, unpretentious ambience for chilling out and rather quality bar grub.

This time round, I returned to the branch at Novena Square, an outlet that has been around for as long as I could remember. Service has gone down a few notches it seems - no serviettes were issued even though my dish did not come with cutlery, they cleared my water glass when it was empty instead of refilling it, and they keyed in the wrong bill (it was afternoon time so hardly busy; merely about 3 tables in all).

A big portion of Amigos Nachos (SGD$18.00) kept us busy. Crackling corn chips drizzled with cheese sauce, sliced olives and green chili; served with diluted Chili Beef dip and Guacamole dip on the side. One can't really complain about a dish such as Nachos because it hardly goes wrong.

Missing their Frozen Daiquiri, I tried to request for the same but was informed they no longer serve it. So I settled for their Hemingway Daiquiri (SGD$16.00) - a rather lovely concoction of Rum, Aperol, Grapefruit and Lime.

Overall experience was pretty all right, really. Harry's Bar is still good old Harry's Bar after all - hate it or love it, I have a feeling I'll still be back somehow.

Dinner at Peach Garden Restaurant (桃苑) @ Thomson Plaza

301 Upper Thomson Road #01-88 Thomson Plaza, Singapore 574408

Tel: 6451 3233

Website: https://www.peachgarden.com.sg/thomson-plaza

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

We celebrated Mother's Day at Peach Gardens at Novena Ville (review here) a few years back. That outlet has since closed and moved to Thomson Plaza, spacious enough to house 220 guests, and some private dining rooms.  Service was pretty decent and efficient, and ambience was a simple cushy type of elegance.

The appetizers served were Braised Peanuts (SGD$2.00) and Deep-fried Prawn Crackers (better known as "Keropok"), also at SGD$2.00 per serving.

We started with 5 pieces of Longevity Buns (SGD$1.20 per piece) shaped like pink peaches, the centre filled lusciously with lotus paste. That was in celebration of The Mom's birthday, who had insisted on "no cakes, please". The Longevity Buns were quite good; tasty, but not cloyingly sweet.

We had the Peking Duck (SGD$68.00) - one of their signature dishes - roasted duck glazed for that glossy sheen on its skin. The crispy skin would be served wrapped in thin egg sheets, together with cucumber and leek pieces, as well as a dark sauce that I usually do without.

For the rest of the duck meat, one could request for it to be served on its own as a side dish, or to be cooked with vegetables or a staple. We had wanted to order a Seafood Hor Fun dish initially, but decided to have them use the duck meat for the Hor Fun instead, so we had a tasty plate of Duck Hor Fun (top up SGD$15.00) complete with eggs, vegetables and strong "wok hei" (smokey hints of "wok's breath").

Next up, Stir-fried Kai Lan Vegetables (SGD$33.00 for medium), leafy and crunchy. Interesting, on the side was a small portion of preserved vegetables ("giam chye") chopped up, serving to complement the flavour of the bland vegetables.

Finally, Coffee Spare Ribs (SGD$28.00) topped with generous, huge pieces of almond flakes. While the sweet coffee aroma was distinctive and utterly palatable, the meat was kind of tough, making it kind of hard to bite.

We were hoping to try some desserts but there was totally no stomach space, so we concluded the meal at a mere SGD$148.00. Overall dining experience was still very pleasant, enjoying quality food brought about by polite service crew right here at Peach Gardens.

Afternoon Tea at Lady M Confections @ Westgate [Takeout]

3 Gateway Drive #02-25 / 26, Westgate, Singapore 608532

Tel: 6250 8993

Website: https://www.ladym.com.sg

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

Lady M Confections hails from New York, serving up freshest and finest confectionery delights French and Japanese pastry precision and methodologies; its signature Mille Crepes Cake feature at least 20 layers of extremely thin handmade crepes layered with delicate pastry cream. I fell in love since my first bite (review here).

Since their flagship branch at Marina Square, Lady M Confections has since expanded to more outlets at Orchard Central, Scotts Square, South Beach and Westgate. I visited the latter outlet - beautifully decorated in white like its other outlets - and decided to get some desserts for one of the weekly family dinners.

The variety of delectable-looking cakes made it difficult to simply choose a couple slices of cakes! Everything looked equally tempting, if not more than the one beside it. There were Strawberry Shortcake, Checkers Cake, Signature Mille Crepe Cake, Marron Mille Crepe Cake, Chocolate Mille Crepe Cake, Chocolate Mille Crepe Cake, Gateau Au Chocolate, Chocolate Eclairs, etc.

In the end, I picked a slice of Signature Mille Crepe Cake (SGD$9.90) and a slice of Chocolate Mille Crepe Cake (SGD$9.90).

The paper-thin layers of crepes melted lusciously in the mouths, sweet but not cloying; the chocolate one was creamier, richer in texture and flavour. Everyone enjoyed the delights, and I hope I had gotten more - but I will be back for sure.

Update: went back for more, at Scotts Square outlet. Paired with Milk Oolong Tea.

My mom and I also visited the Orchard Central outlet, enjoying afternoon tea of Classic Mille Crepe Cake and a rich, decadent Chocolate Tart.

Afternoon Tea at Geláre @ Suntec City

3 Temasek Boulevard #B1-175 / 176 Suntec City Mall, Temasek Boulevard, Singapore 038986

Tel: 6341 9132

Website: http://www.gelare.com.sg

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

Geláre has been a childhood favourite since the school days, us looking forward to every Tuesday when waffles went for 1/2 price.

The good news is that they are still around and going strong after so many years. Better yet, their 1/2 -price waffles promotion has not wavered at all. So, instead of SGD$24.00, each waffle goes for a mere SGD$12.00 with 2 scoops of Gelato and a topping.

The Suntec City Geláre outlet is situated around the fountain, lending a gorgeous view and open-concept. Service was friendly enough, but we felt that the "scan phone to order" then pay at cashier counter scheme was pretty cumbersome. What if I don't own a smartphone?

Anyway we shared a Waffle with rich chocolate sauce on the side. Gelato flavours were White Chocolate Raspberry (lovely, gently tart with chunky chocolate chips) and Blueberry Cheesecake (sweeter, creamier).

Waffle was still crispy on the outside and fluffy within, maintaining its standards all these years. Besides desserts, they also serve savoury mains such as pasta now - so drop by and indulge yourselves today!

Dinner at Teahouse by Soup Restaurant @ Tampines

2 Tampines Central, #01-20, Century Square, Singapore 529509

Tel: 6260 0030

Website: http://www.souprestaurant.com.sg/teahouse.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teahouse-by-Soup-Restaurant/2084158468490974

Being dim sum lovers, my family and I were thrilled that Tea House by Soup Restaurant serves dim sum items for dinner as well, therefore here we were!

They have 3 Teahouse outlets - IMM Jurong East, Changi Airport Terminal 1, and Century Square, Tampines. We went to the latter as it was the closest to our places of residence.

Simple settings done with a Chinese retro feel; service was excellent. Especially one elderly lady whose name eluded me; she was very meticulous and warm. We also had the private room because there were 10 of us.

Started with their Crispy Fish Skin appetiser, always an enjoyable snack that I could munch non-stop on.

Then we had the Soup Restaurant's signature Samsui Ginger Chicken (SGD$15.90); utterly tender steamed chicken paired with ginger and cucumber slices. The specialty is the ginger with sesame oil, very aromatic and tasty.

Another one of their popular items was this adorable Dim Sum dish, Happy Animal Farm. It is made up of Chick-a-boo Buns (corn paste), Panda Buns (red bean paste) and Hedgehog Buns (lotus paste). Very cute, tasty and fun to eat.

We also had the Steamed Char Siew Buns (BBQ pork) (SGD$4.90); velvety bun skins comprising saccharine honey BBQ pork bits.

Following that, the Prawn Dumplings (Har Gow), with its fine crystal skin and springy fresh shrimps.

Then the Crispy Prawn Chee Cheong Fun and BBQ Pork Chee Cheong Fun (rice rolls).

Other dishes included the Beef Stir-fried with Spring Onions - tender pieces of beef tasting delicious with the infusion of spring onion's flavour.

Finally, the Sweet and Sour Pork - deep fried to a golden crispy texture and tasted very palatable with the zesty gravy.

Overall, enjoyed ourselves dining here very much, and I can foresee myself coming back for more dim sum and other dishes.

Tea Break at Tarte by Cheryl Koh @ Shaw Centre [Revisit]

1 Scotts Road #02-12 Shaw Centre, Singapore 228208

Tel: 6235 3225

Website: http://www.tarte.com.sg

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

Being a lover of fruit tarts and Tarte's Cherry Tart (review here), I was glad to revisit again, to enjoy some pastries in the afternoon. Tarte by Cheryl Koh has their own shop now, located on level 2 of Shaw Centre.

Location is pretty tricky to find (walk all the way to the end); settings was pretty with fresh flowers, minimalistic with lovely window views. The tarts this afternoon included Dark Chocolate Tart, Passion Fruit Tart, Mango Tart, Lemon Meringue Tart, etc. Each one looked more tempting than the last. There were also some cakes, such as Dark Chocolate Cake, Fraisier and Gateau Opera.

There are also rows of Fruit Jam on sale, sporting an assortment of different flavours. These are not creations by Cheryl Koh, just a disclaimer.

Strawberries Tart (SGD$10.00) had a softer crust, buttery in taste. Fresh and sweet strawberries were sliced and lined the top of the cream-filled tart beautifully.

Mixed Berries Tart (SGD$10.00) had a harder crust, still buttery and lovely, filled with fluffy cream topped with a mound of fresh raspberries and blueberries.

Overall, another delightful teatime experience here, and my friend enjoyed them too. Congratulations Chef Koh on the shop and being named "Best Pastry Chef in Asia". I shall definitely be back for more tarts, checking out new seasonal flavours.