K Ki, Ann Siang Hill

K Ki has been on my to-go list since about two years ago when I've read about their desserts online. We finally made our way there on a Saturday afternoon after a hearty brunch session.

 





 

The store was featuring adorable paintings of rabbits on the wall, an exhibition by Yusuke Shimura.

 



The Little Drom Store

I love the assortment of items displayed at The Little Drom Store, painting a psychedelic array of colours that livens the place up.

 

 

The store is shared between K ki and The Little Drom Store, and I was a little suprised at how small the store was. There was only a counter with about 11 types of sliced cakes and a drinks menu. Being our first time there, the staff was very helpful and explained the components in each cake so that we could decide on what we wanted.

 

The Little Red Riding Hood
$9

Our first pick was The Little Red Riding Hood, which comprises of 70% dark Valrhona chocolate mousse cake with a raspberry centre. I thought it was rich yet light and smooth at the same time. This would sit well with chocolate fans. 

Emily
$9

Our second pick was Emily, a champagne mousse cake with a strawberry centre. I was intrigued by its description but disappointed with the actual taste. I felt that the flavours did not really blend well together, leaving a slightly odd after taste on the palates. The mousse was overly soft, which was something I did not really enjoy as well as it felt like I was only having flavored whipped cream.

 



 

A nice place to chill out, but perhaps only once just for the experience. The items failed to impress, perhaps due to the high expectations that were pegged to the place.  

 

 

K Ki

7 Ann Siang Hill
#01-00
Tel: 62256650

 

 

Wrap & Roll, The Star Vista

The Star Vista has recently opened with a string of bustling new eateries, and Wrap & Roll is one of the restaurants on the list. Singapore has seen an increase in the number of Vietnamese eateries in recent years and I was excited to visit the place, being a fan of Vietnamese food. 





The placemat contains instructions that guides you on how to make your own wrap. The table contained a quadruple compartment condiment dish which was definitely under utilised with only two condiments set on every table.



Gỏi ngo sen
Lotus Shoot Salad with Prawns

We ordered a Gỏi ngo sen, Lotus Shoot Salad with Prawns to start our meal. The portion was dismally small, but the salad was wonderfully appetizing with its tangy sweet and sour sauce that gave the assortment of vegetables and prawns a boost in its flavours. You could stack the salad onto the prawn crackers and consume them like tapas, but we had them separately and it worked for us too.

Phở bò xào

The Phở bò xào, Stir Fried ‘Pho’ Noodles with Beef was delish. The rice noodles were large white sheets that were used to for some of the rice rolls, and the texture was a quite different from your usual kway tiao as they were softer and tended to clump together, which worked well when stif-fried with the beef sauce. I would have preferred the beef to be more thinly sliced as some pieces were a little touch, but I enjoyed the additional dose of vegetables thrown in.


Bò cuộn lá lốt

The Bò cuộn lá lốt, Gilled Beef in Vine Leaves is another dish that you must try. The minced beef is neatly wrapped in vine leaves and the dish is served with an assortment of mint leaves, cabbage, star fruit, vermicelli, sauce, and sheets of rice rolls. We had fun putting our own rolls together, although it got a little messy when we piled too much into a roll.


Rolls to wrap the beef



Sauce to dip the rolls

The beef roll was good on its own. The beef was juicy and nicely grilled to give a hearty robust flavour. Definitely something that I would order again.

The menu is rather limited and the portions are rather small, but it's a good place if you want to get a light bite, the food is pretty good.


Wrap & Roll
1 Vista Exchange Green
#B1-11 The Star Vista
Tel: 66944111

Chinois by SuSur Lee, Hotel Michael, RWS

 

A restaurant by a celebrity Chef, SuSur Lee, Chinois is the Chef's first restaurant outside North America. The restaurant had been awarded with a number of accolades and we had expectations on the restaurant.

 

We had a private room, but the room was very small and cramped and could barely fit ten people.  



The mid-range Triumph Menu features a six-course meal at $100 per person.

 

Service was incredibly slow, and the restaurant seemed understaffed. We had to wait for about half an hour before the first course arrived. The chef sent a complementary appetizer dish of cucumbers with sambal chili for the long wait.

 

Cucumbers with Chili

The dish was simple but hit the right notes. Then again, everything would have tasted like paradise for the famished souls.



Char-grilled Japanese Pork Tenderloin with homemade Pita bread in Sesame Peanut Sauce

We were all rather impressed when the first dish, the Char-grilled Japanese Pork Tenderloin with homemade Pita bread in Sesame Peanut Sauce, arrived at the table. The presentation was interesting and visually wonderful. The pita bread was sesame black and a fatty piece of Japanese Pork Tenderloin was placed at the centre with a colourful array of condiments. After the oohs and aahs, we rolled the wrap and consumed it like a roll.

The char-grilled pork tenderloin was a fatty slab of juicey meat decorated with an assortment of colourful condiments. I thought the composition was lovely, however the pita bread was too thick and cold and I felt like I was chewing rubber. The dish would have been a hit if the wrap had been further refined.




Double-boiled Abalone and Superior Shark's Fin with Conpoy Soup

Double-boiled Abalone and Superior Shark's Fin with Conpoy Soup was decent, but I am not advocate of Shark's Fin so we'd leave it as that.



Baked Marinated Cod in Homemade Spicy Sauce

The Baked Marinated Cod in Homemade Spicy Sauce was heavily seasoned and complemented the deep fried aubergine stack that it was resting on. My only grouse was that the portions were too small.



Sauteed Tiger Prawn with Egg White and Dark Vinegar reduction

We were disappointed when the dish arrived. The Sauteed Tiger Prawn with Egg White and Dark Vinegar reduction was as average as it looks. There was nothing outstanding or interesting about the dish, and it elements of the dish were clumsily put together to create the dish.

 



Crabmeat Fried Rice with Silver Fish X.O. sauce and Crispy rice

The Crabmeat Fried Rice with Silver Fish X.O. sauce and Crispy rice was excellent. We loved how the crispy rice added an extra crunch to the grainy beads of rice.



Chinois Delight

The Chinois Delight comprises of Chilled cream of Mango Sago with Pomelo, Chilled Mango Custard with Lime Caramel, Fresh Mango Sorbet. We were very put off with the below average trio of desserts. It was evident that not much thought was put into the dish and I could not finish the dish, despite being a huge dessert lover.

The menus were sloppily planned with little finesse and poor execution. Service was slow and we had to chase the staff for each course. If you are looking for top-grade food by well-known chefs, you'd be better some place else.


Chinois by SuSur Lee
26 Sentosa Gateway
Hotel Michael, Resorts World Sentosa
#02-142/143
Singapore

Latteria Mozzarella, Duxton Hill

Latteria Mozzarella is an Italian restaurant that specialises in cheese, particularly the many variations of Mozzarella, such as Bufala, Bocconcini, and Burrata. But to be honest, I was purely intrigued by their Mac & Cheese, being an avid pumpkin lover.

We almost changed our minds when we were outside the restaurant as L'Entrecote, a French restaurant just a few doors down was packed with diners whereas Latteria Mozzarella was still relatively quiet on a Saturday night at 7pm.

The restuarant's interior revealed a cosy romantic ambience in its dim setting brightened by lighted candles on each table. They had indoor and outdoor seatings, and there were only about three groups seated indoors.



Interior

We were served with complementary bread after our orders. The baguette was crisp on the outside while maintaining a soft and chewy centre.



Complementary bread

I was delighted when my Mac & Cheese arrived. The pasta was served snugly in the middle of a nicely baked pumpkin.



Latteria Mac & Cheese
$25

I loved it. The pumpkin was baked till soft and the pasta was nicely al dente with cheese that was not overpowering. The cheese was subtle and just about right to create a fragrant savoury and sweet combination of pumpkin and cheese.

The Linguine Crab and Mascarpone was quite a disappointment in comparison. I was a little disappointed that the Crab & Mascarpone was referring to the sauce and not actual accompaniments to the pasta. The dish was passable but very forgettable.



Linguine Crab & Mascarpone
$25

Service was rather good, they filled our glasses periodically and the staff was attentive. By the time we left at around 8 plus, the restaurant was about 90% filled.

A nice cosy place for the quiet dinner, we'd try the mozzerella if we ever drop by again.

Latteria Mozzarella
40 Duxton Hill, Singapore

Tel: +65 6866 1988

Togi Korean Restaurant, Mosque Street

One of my favourite places for Korean food, Togi is a authentic Korean restaurant that serves good Korean food at affordable prices.

 

They have recently expanded to the second storey so we were fortunate to be seated on the second floor which was much quieter, although it was soon filled up later on in the night.

 

We got ourselves the Ginseng Soju which was interestingly served in a bowl, it was good!

A staple to all Koreans, our array of complementary sides include Kimchi, stewed potatoes, egg/tofu strands, ikan bilis, marinated cucumbers and vegetables. Awesome way to start the meal when you are famished.


Kimchi



Stewed Potatoes



Egg/Tofu strands



Ikan Bilis



Marinated spicy cucumbers



Vegetables



Beef Bibimbap
$11

An assortment of vegetables, mushroons, egg and a choice of beef/pork/chicken over steamed rice, the Bibinbap was sizzling in its bowl when we arrived. We opted for the chicken and beef versions and they were both equally good.



Ginseng Chicken Soup
$21

Another dish not to be missed, the Ginseng Chicken soup is a clear soup boiled long enough to bring out the rich flavors of the dish. The chicken is soft and tender and we wished the portion was bigger.



Stir-fried Beef
$17.50

The stif-fried beef was lovely. Each slice of succulent meat was well marinated to produce a sweet and juicy piece. You could eat with with the lettuce provided and both worked equally well for me.

 

Spicy Rice Cake
$12

 

Another must-order on the list. The spicy rice cake was served with an array of other items like fishcake and the spicy sauce coupled with the slightly chewy spicy rice cakes made it a wonderful mouthwatering dish. We mopped up every bit of the sauce with the vegetables.

 

Seafood steamboat
Small- $35/Large- $40

Available in spicy and non-spicy versions, the seafood steamboat comprised of a delightful list of ingredientsincluding prawns, squid, fish, vegetables, noodles, mushrooms and the list goes on. We had the spicy version and it was not overly spicy. The spicy version would definitely go better with the instant noodles in the steamboat too! Do note that the difference in small and large is only $5, so you may be more worthwhile to go for the large version, unless you are having it alone.

 

Definitely a place to go if you are looking for good Korean food!

 

Togi Korean Restaurant

11 Mosque Street, Singapore

Tel: +65 6221 0830



Arbite, Serangoon Gardens

A cosy cafe located at Serangoon Gardens, Arbite was filled with noisy chatter when we arrived on a Friday night. 

Japanese Curry Pulled Pork Wrap
$14.90

Japanese Curry Pulled Pork Wrap was stuffed with shredded pork collar, caramelised apple, leeks and Japanese curry sauce, and accompanied with homemade potato croquettes. The shredded pork collar was delectable with the Japanese curry sauce.





Potato croquettes

 The potato croquettes were fried to a beautiful golden and provided the carbohydrate boost for the meal.



Smoked Salmon Smorgasbord
$12.90

An all-day breakfast selection, the Smoked Salmon Smorgasbord consists of smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, capers on afoccacia base and served with a side salad.

Tofu and Lentil Stack

$16.90

The Tofu and Lentil Stack stands with smoked paprika marinated tofu, grilled and stacked with lentil, eggplant, zucchini, tomato and mushroom ragout, white truffle oil, and topped with feta cheese and rocket. I was a little disappointed as the actual dish underscored its hearty dish description. There was at best two cubes of feta cheese and a few mouthfuls of vegetables. Portions aside, the dish was simple and decent.



Grilled Morrocan Chicken
$15.90

Grilled Morrocan Chicken was served with Chicken thigh marinated in Moroccan spices, and accompanied with pilaf rice, a side salad and tomato olive salsa. The chicken was well marinated and went well with the fragrant pilaf rice.



Truffle Beef Burger
$18.90
With Foie Gras $28.9 

 

Truffle Beef Burger contains white truffle infused grilled beef served with mushrooms, grilled tomato and mozzarella cheese. The dish comes with mixed greens and seasoned wedges.



Tagliatelle with Prawn Aglio Olio

$18.90

 

Tagliatelle with Prawn Aglio Olio contains prawns, chilli, garlic, and spring onions with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. The dish resembles the Chinese mee-pok and was tasty although a little oily.

 

With good service in a cosy ambience, Arbite stands as an ideal place for gatherings, although the food is rather average. 

 

Arbite

66A Serangoon Garden Way

Singapore 555962

Tel: 62870430