La Ferrandaise

Stumbled upon La Ferrandaise by chance as we were walking down the streets and was excited when we saw the decal mentioning that La Ferrandaise is one of the Michelin recommended restaurants.

La Ferrandaise

In my opinion, Restaurants in Europe are kind of humble and inconspicuously located as most of the time maybe because of the weather, their dark glass doors were closed and its hard to tell if they were open for business or even there is a crowd. Looking through the menu pinned right next to the entrance, our eyes were fixed on the promotional menu.

Facade of La Ferrandaise

Environment is modernly designed with some of their specialties scribbled on the black board. The place is popular among the locals and have a lovely cozy ambiance adding a romantic touch by the lighting.

Interior 

Restaurant was rather crowded and tables were placed quite close to each other with narrow walking aisles in between.

Environment

We had the prefix lunch menu that combines the Entree, main and dessert at an attractive price which we felt that was a steal. A good thing is that their menu will be changed from time to time and you wont get the similar combination of food.

While waiting for our set menu, We were served with some warm breads.

Starters

Soup was served in a petite cup. Since menu was fix and we did not really communicate much with the servers, we did not get the names of every individual item served. It tasted sweet and yummy like pumpkin soup.

Soup

Though La Ferrandaise offers an extensive white list, we still prefer the juices as they were more on the budget side.

Apple Juice - € 4,00

Having 3 courses on a plate has not been common for me and I was kind of culture shock even though I was expecting its portion size. With such portion, I'm confident I will complete the meal but that was not so true later on.

Prefix Lunch Menu - €16 

Starting my meal from left to right and I have absolutely the least idea of what I am eating but it's kind of interesting to order something I don't know. What a sweet start to the meal! The entry was something grainy like cereals in milk (Puree form) topped with apricot and nuts.

Entry

Moving on to the 2nd dish which is also the Main on the plate, it threw a surprise to me as the mini pot was much heavier than my expectation looking at its size. This is the dish much more closer to my heart and had my vote among the rest. With delicious mashed potatoes served with tender beef slices, they had already filled half of my stomach.

Main

The last dish was not to my liking as I'm not very used to all kinds of cold cut meat and livers. In the end I only have a few mouthful of the meat and clearing off the vegetables and cherries.

Cold Meat

My dining partner is at advantage as he enjoys second portion of the cold meat from me. I dislike the after taste of liver meat thus I will give this a miss.

Cold Meat

Heading to the area near the toilet, you will see such interesting corner. Baby friendly place spotted with a baby chair.

Interesting Corner Near Toilet

It was a great find and we were very contented to have our lunch there. Food was wonderful and value for money as compared to other places dining in France. Even being the only Asians in the restaurant, I find that the level of service is commendable, professional and prompt. This is the best lunch I ever had in Paris during my trip.

La Ferrandaise
Location:  8 Rue de Vaugirard, 75006 Paris, France
Website

Bing Go Jung

With the amount of heat we had from the weather these days, its hard not to get ourselves stay out of non air-conditioned place, not mentioning cold desserts to cool ourselves from the horrible heat.

Buzzer

Bing Go Jung is located in Bukit Timah Plaza and this Bing Su place is in fact very obvious to the public if you pass by the perimeters of the shopping Centre as they are located out of the shopping building itself. I started noticing Bing Go Jung since last year every time when I drove pass Bukit Timah, heading into the entrance of their carpark.

Bing Go Jung

Surprisingly, the place was empty without any customers taking in consideration to the scorching hot weather. Interior was modern and I was amazed by how they are maximizing the storage place given a very small counter.

Counter

If you were to take a closer look at the wooden chair, you will notice that each and every one was labelled with a name indicating what is inside the storage chair. Items like straw, boxes and serviettes were all part of the storage.

Storage

Very Berry is one of the latest Bingsu in the menu and these berries were generously spreaded across the shaved ice and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Very Berry - $16

Enjoy an additional taste with condensed milk drenched on the bowl of yummy and filled with anti-oxidant fruity flavours. Black and red berries were naturally on the sour side, however the milky sweet taste of ice from the Bing Su had kind of neutralized the level. What I like best is the surprise that Very Berry gave with the little bites of sponge cake that hide among the ice.

Condense Milk

Berry Goodness!

Rating: 3 / 5

Bing Go Jung
Location: Bukit Timah Plaza, 1 Jalan Anak Bukit L1-CA2 Singapore 588996

Dessert Bowl 一碗甜品

We chanced upon dessert bowl at a inconspicuous location along Serangoon Garden Way when we drove pass the row of shop houses. The name "Dessert Bowl" kind of ring the bell and we took the opportunity and headed for the 2nd Floor.

Dessert Bowl 一碗甜品

Dessert Items and photos were pasted along the stairways up to Dessert Bowl and you can sense the intermittent strong durian and mango fragrance once you swing open the glass doors.

Photos 

 As soon as you reached the 2nd level, you will be greeted by the sunflowers and the sudden splash of greyish black environment.

Dessert Bowl

Seating places were spacious with 4 sofa seating by the side by side to the glass windows looking out to the roads. Furnishings were simple with movable tables and stools on the cement screed flooring.

Dining Environment

Noted as their topped recommendation will be Durian Mousse. I must admit I'm not really a die hard fan of durian but the amount of flesh given in the middle was great. Mousse tasted good and even having the whole bowl of it, you just would not feel cloying.

Durian Mousse 榴莲慕丝 - $5

Colors of Aiyu Mango comes in 2, Orange and white. Aiyu was wobby with mango cubes. Coconut milk is added into the dessert bowl. On this hot weather, the bowl of chilled desserts really help us to battle with the heat. On a side note, this dish is classified as their 2nd popular dishes after Durian Mousse.

Aiyu Mango 爱玉芒果 - $4.20

 The miniatures display of typical Hong Kong Stalls had captured my attention.

Miniature

 Display from Bakery to Roasted Meat and Cha Chan Ting were a good introduction to what you can see in Hong Kong.

Miniatures of Roasted Stall 

 Since I had visited Hong Kong 2 months back, these miniature stuffs were a reminiscent of my trip.

Miniatures of Cha Chan Ting

With limited stomach space, we didnt get a chance to try their Mango Pomelo which is the 3rd recommended and popular dessert. When will I be back again?

Rating: 3.25 / 5

Dessert Bowl
Location: 80A Serangoon Garden Way Singapore 555976

Osteria Art

Visiting Osteria Art for Restaurant Week dining was a last minute arrangement from my pal. I have not heard of her name till last week when I was introduced to this elegant Italian restaurant and bar by Beppe De Vito.

Osteria Art

It threw me a surprise as I did not expect the environment being upscale and immediately I felt as though I'm in a foreign country with most of their staff being Caucasians. The outer part of the dining place is a Alfresco area installed with ceiling fans and laid with beautiful furnishings and Italian Marble. And since its located in a strategic location among the CBD offices, do check out their exquisite bar lounge right next to its entrance.

Before Entering Osteria Art

As you walked deeper into the restaurant,  feel the ambiance while you enjoy a good passion for Italian Cuisine with quality and freshness of ingredients. The 80 Seater Osteria environment lays a comfortable European feel with dining table neatly spread with white table cloth and bright red leather chairs.

Dining Environment

Let's start off the Italian gastronomic heritage with our Restaurant Week Dinner Menu at $58++ per pax...

Starters

Besides dipping the warm buns into balsamic vinegar oil, what I like best was these 2 soft sponge starters that contains cheese in them!

Cheese Balls

Plain water for the teetotalers...

Quench Your Thirst

The overlapping of scallops was topped with fava beans and elegantly decorated with flowers and the halves of Quail Egg. Paring the starter with raspberry balsmico gave a different taste to the plain sweet scallop. If you love sashimi, you will love the texture of this dish!

Scallop Carpaccio with Fava Beans, Quail Egg and Raspberry Balsamico

Pappardelle was our additional order on top of the restaurant week menu. These large, board flat pasta noodles were perfectly cooked and was really delicious in its red wine sauce and shredded cheese topping. I enjoyed their softness of pork cheek which literally melts in your mouth. Crispy pork lards / belly meats had not only added another texture to the dish but also gave a good aroma to it.

Pappardelle with Pork Cheek & Red Wine - $28

The miniature size of ravioli had immediately caught my attention with its green foam and brown lobster bisque that was generously spread on top of the pasta. These Ravioli contained shredded crabs meat in its bag. As a whole, its a dish proportionately spread out and their sauce left my lips wanting for more.

Crab Ravioli with Lobster Bisque and Basil Foam

Colors of the dish is interestingly match among 3 colours here and ravioli within a size of a table spoon.

The Size of Ravioli on a Table Spoon

Here comes the main with a large cube of Atlantic Cod sitting on Sea Urchin Zabaglione with Sunchoke paste underneath and Romanesco Broccoli as sides. Other than the Cod on this main dish, all the rest was my very first try out. Initially, I'm not very use to the taste of Zabaglione and sea urchin but after a few mouthful of it, I got addicted. Though I'm someone who enjoys the freshness of consuming cod fish, the style of its preparation was not to my liking

Atlantic Cod with Sea Urchin Zabaglione, Sunchoke and Romanesco

 Amazing ending to the meal with a good dessert that kind of act as a palate cleanser to the seafood dish earlier on. A mixture of black, rasp and strawberry fruits on its top layer with some matcha sponge cake while in the second layer it was well done with white chocolate that was not too sweet. What I like about the middle layer was the little crunchy chocolate balls surprises in between the bites.

Amalfi Lemon & White Chocolate Lingotto with Red Berries

 And finally, a good closing up to the meal with our tea and coffee in place accompanied by some sugar coated peanuts.

Tea / Coffee

To be frank, it was a great opportunity to have visited Osteria Art. I love how my dining was without any hurry to rush us off even after we completed our meals. Waiters will still continue to top up our glasses of plain water. Praises to their service and not only that, waiter that served us was well trained , knowledgeable and knows the menu well.

Osteria Art

Bearing the mind of its ambiance and budget, it is best recommended for special occasion.

Rating: 3.25 / 5

Osteria Art
Location: 55 Market Street Singapore 048941
Website

Le Deauville

Charmed by long street of Champs-Élysées, this is the consecutive night walking along the up scale and tourists area where you get to see luxuries brands around. While we were done grabbing a feel of its atmosphere, we ended ourselves hungry in Le Deauville.

Le Deauville

We linger around the premises for a while before the server came to us and finally we dined in the alfresco area with heating elements to shield us away from the coldness.The area was under a warm purplish lighting and till now, I was still amazed by the kind of light I'm dining under.

Serviette

We wanted to have a quick fix and order something easy. Chicken was poached and was covered with savory sauce. Mashed potatoes was the main filler that keeps a stomach warm and full. No doubt chicken was tender, they have a gamey taste leaving clues of a frozen meat.

Supreme de poulet 270g - 18,90 €

Having so much meat throughout our trip in Europe, pasta had kind of enlightened us. Spaghetti was not too dry nor soggy, cooked with cream sauce and fresh mushrooms. Both dishes has a vine-ripen tomato that gave the burst feeling when you bite on it.

Spaghetti a la Forestiere -16,50 €

Comparing the 2nd night dinner in George V Cafe to this, I would say Le Deauville atmosphere is much more touristy but it is still a good place to watch and enjoy the kind of ambiance in the streets of Champs-Élysées.

Le Deauville

Location: Le Deauville 75 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris, France

KEK (Keng Eng Kee) Pandan Gardens [Closed]

The name KEK could have been quite familiar for some to those who knows a fair bit about Cze Char in Singapore. Just recently, the siblings of KEK Seafood had been interviewed and aired on one of the local Television programs.

Having been to their Flagship Cze Char place in Bukit Merah, I can't deny they are classified as one of the popular and recommendable Cze Char in Singapore suitable for families. However, the unit in Pandan is of a smaller scale and serves modern Cze Char to its patrons even though their menu items are of slight differences.

KEK Seafood

The sitting capacity of KEK in Pandan are limited with not much major changes from the last tenant, Sedap! Chairs and tables are simple and portable with not much designs or decorations in house.

Entrance of KEK

Just a start, we had already had our eyes all fixed on the Salted Egg Squid! Each ring was evenly coated with thin layer of sinful Salted Egg Sauce exuding the savoury flavour with cut bird eye chilli and curry leaves spicing up the dish. Simply irresistible and worth all calories!

Salted Egg Squid 咸蛋苏东 - $12 /24

Loving home style cooking? Try these bite size pieces of Marmite chicken and reminisce the flavours of home cook food. Chicken was deliciously marinated and deep fried with evenly coated Marmite paste!

Marmite Chicken  妈味鸡 - $10 / 20 

Signature Moon Light Hor Fun came in two sizes and we order the bigger portion to share among ourselves. Noodles were wok fried to its aroma and coated with sweet dark sauce topping up with 2 raw eggs, resembling Moon Light. Other ingredients includes, sotong, vegetables, beansprouts, fish slices and chinese sausages. Mix them up with the raw eggs to obtain a silky smooth serving of  Horfun.

Moonlight Horfun 月光河粉 - $6 /12

Since KEK proclaims its Mod "C" (Modern Cze Char), its time we should give their Wok-fried Spaghetti a try! Spaghetti was tossed in the creamy and grainy salted egg yolk sauce given the silky pasta a textural touch. Adding on the pasta with delectable deep fried soft shell crab, the pot looked dangerously addictive!

Salted Egg Yolk Crab Spaghetti 咸蛋软壳意大利面 - $15

We were all cracking our heads on what could be the dragon beard that the menu was referring to when we were reading it. Well, it was actually none other than fried cod fish strips that we often had as tidbits during childhood. The greens were great with minced garlic and gravy of subtle sweetness. Kai Lan was succulent and crunchy.

Kai Lan with Dragon Beard 龙丝芥兰 - $8 / 16

Though sinful, KEK in Pandan Garden has definitely satisfies the criteria of market requirements with salted egg yolk style of food in the trend. It's glad to know how traditional Cze Char is willing to open up new ideas and incorporate fusion dishes into their menu.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

KEK
Location: 200 Pandan Gardens #01-12 Singapore 609336

Ladurée Champs Elysées

Ladurée, the popular name that you may hear somewhere for their macarons. Though we have this located in Singapore's Takashimaya, I never get the chance to go there thus I took this opportunity to visit the shop in Paris. Laduree is a chain stores in Paris and I had visited one of their store in Paris's famous shopping Street, Champs Elysées.

Ladurée Champs Elysées

I was kind of surprise that it is actually housed in a big building and there was a very long queue. Fortunately the long queue for those who wants to dine in and for those who are taking away may join the queue inside next to the counter. Likewise, before entering, we have to pass through a stringent security check by the officers.

Add caption

Items were all spread out on the Marble table top and with patrons lining up in the snaky queues waiting to be served. While waiting, I was sweating due to the amount of heat generated in Laduree as I have my winter clothes on. Nevertheless, I was more excited over the items and it did not really bother me much.

Lining up for an order

Food items like the pastries looked elegantly designed and stunning while the croissants, muffins were just simply tempting.

Do you want some bakery stuff?

The way how pastries were packaged looked classy however, this also means that the price paid for the pastries had perhaps factored in the price of the packaging. Maybe this is what up-scale pastries is all about?

Packaging

Eclair was yummy! The choux dough was about 20cm in length and with a semi-bitter chocolate that coats the top part. That's was kind of surprising as I expected it to be more on a sweet side.

Eclair Chocolat - 5,00 €

Having the Carre Chocolat was indeed a therapeutic one. The luscious amount of chocolate with alternate layers of chocolate cake as well as crispy and crunchy bites of chocolate was simply irresistible. Felt very happy having it.

Carre Chocolat - 6,10 €

There were alot of flavours of Macarons to select from and we had picked 12 different kinds. Shells of the Macarons are soft, sandwiching the delicious flavoured ganache filling. I was expecting Macarons was more for the sweet tooth but surprisingly it was not that diabetic sweet as I would have thought.

Mini Macarons - 2,00 € x 12

Although I'm not someone with sweet tooth, having visited and tasted Ladurée was a total new experience to me. I was quite lucky watching tourists rushing out to the nearest bench right in front of the store sharing the joy of Macarons purhcase with their group of friends and each biting off one part of it, screaming for joy that they have actually tasted it!  

Ladurée Champs Elysées

Location: 75 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris, France

Nearest Metro: Line 1 - Georges V

Website