Tipsy Panda & O/T Bar

After a long week /months at work, we finally had a chance to meet up and unwind, sinking ourselves into some Happy Hours with Bar Food and some drinks.

O/T Bar

O/T Bar is part of Tipsy collective and is an office-themed cocktail bar that was inspired by the 1940s Manhattan office vibe and is currently the first cocktail bar in the North.

Interior of O/T Bar

For the non-alcoholic drinks, we have mocktails Litchi-Nade. It is made up of lychee juice, lychee syrup, lemon juice and mint leaves. It tastes refreshing.

Litchi Nade - $10

The R&R(Rest & Relax) cocktail releases a floral aroma of raisins and roses with a hint of lemongrass. It is a perfect balance of sweetness on floral notes, giving you the energy to get through any worries.

R & R Cocktail

Not a usual sight on the Bar's Menu I thought. I ordered the elevated rendition of the so-called local favourite dish. The White Version of carrot cake is packed with flavour from the XO sauce and topped with garlic crumbs as well as Sakura Ebi. The housemade chilli sauce is tucked at the side, enjoy dabbing some portion of the Carrot Cake onto it.

XO Carrot Cake - $14 

I'm in love with Beef Cubes therefore I was quite excited upon seeing this on the menu. This is a Tipsy's signature dish, noted for its juiciness and bite-sized beef cubes served with a dipping side of black pepper sauce. It was delectable and scorched to perfection. 

Wagyu Beef Cubes - $22

The slices of fried garlic elevated the taste and the use of spring onions had to liven up the presentation. 

Into Dipping Sauce 

While having the bar bites with any 2 at $22, we had the crispy Calamari and Lady Wu Warrior Spicy Wings.

It's not my usual Calamari as this breaded squid was deep-fried to golden brown perfection and served with a truffle-infused mayonnaise sauce as a side.

Crispy Calamari 

Prefer to have the spiciness segregated from the crispy wings and thus we asked for the sauce to be placed in a saucer. The wings alone was delicious and had soft crispiness on the outside. You can amp up the taste by dipping them in the spicy chilli.

Lady Wu Warrior Spicy Wings

Gentle notes of dried fruits, floral and aromatic sensation on the palate. The interesting part of the drink that it was served with an air bubble before it burst and I thought it was quite special.

Figgin' Just Drink - $24

The Forsty Lager is smooth and easy to drink. 100% premium malt with rich foam. By ordering this, one can drink for a cause. Every purchase of Frosty's Lager, it helps to contribute towards adopting Mr. Frosty’s friends, the African Penguins, at the Singapore Zoo!

Frosty Lager - $11

The Thai Quiri is one of O/T Bar's popular cocktails. It has a citrus flavour and was rather special with a little spiciness.

Thai Quiri - $20

The place is pretty cool and of good vibes. I will be back again!

Rating: 4 / 5

Tipsy Panda & O/T Bar
Location: Woods Square 6 Woodlands Square #01-01/02 Singapore 737737
Website

Joo Chiat Caphe

Have been passing up this Banh Mi place in Joo Chiat for quite some time and finally get to taste their Banh Mi. They offer a suite of fusion Banh Mi with freshly made ingredients. Joo Chiat Caphe is a Muslim-friendly eatery whereby no pork or lard is used in cooking and all food ingredients are sourced from halal-certified suppliers.

Joo Chiat Caphe

There are 6 different kinds of Banh Mi to choose from and it took us awhile before picking our sandwiches. Besides serving Banh Mi, be surprised that they are actually offering Otah too. 

Banh Mi Menu

Unlike the conventional Vietnamese place, this place serves Nasi Lemak, Half Boiled Egg as well as Otah. The Mackeral Otah was not too bad and was not too spicy.

Mackeral Otah - $1.50

Stuffing the chunks of Honey-Glazed Grilled Chicken Thigh into the freshly baked Vietnamese Baguette with cucumber, lettuce, coriander, Vietnamese Mayonnaise and their homemade chicken Pate. The Baguette was crusty and served warm.

Honey-Glazed Grilled Chicken Thigh with Homemade Chicken Pate - $7.50

Grilled Lemongrass Beef Patty with Hoisin Sauce stuffed together with Cucumber, lettuce, coriander, chilli, Vietnamese mayonnaise and homemade chicken pate in the freshly baked Vietnamese Baguette.

The overall taste was ok but not too savoury.

Grilled Lemongrass Beef Patty with Hoisin Sauce - $7

After tasting quite a number of Banh Mi in Singapore, Joo Chiat Caphe's spread is quite decent. I'm still in search for better ones, any recommendations?

Rating: 3 / 5

Joo Chiat Caphe
Location: 263 Joo Chiat Rd, Singapore 427517
Website

Mamma Mia Trattoria E Caffè

We have not been to Suntec City for quite some time and just recently we noticed this Italian-Fusion cafe located at the basement of the mall. The design and color of the cafe are rather catchy to the eyes. With an open concept dining and surrounded by some plants, it makes diner feel like dining in a garden.

Mamma Mia Trattoria E Cafe

The caesar salad was served in a crispy parmesan bowl. Fresh romaine lettuce were crunchy, packing with tasty caesar salad dressing. There were not much taste from the bowl, however it seemed quite fun breaking the bowl and pairing it with the vegetables, croutons and hard boiled eggs. The salad was topped with turkey bacon & crushed almonds. 

Mama Mia Caesar Salad - $9.50

The cauliflowers and tortilla strips were deep fried and the color seemed overdone. Nonetheless, pairing these bites with tartar sauce makes this dish something good for sharing,

Cauliflower Fritto & Tortilla Strips - $7

When our mains were served, we were quite disappointed as the portion seems to be below our expectations. The texture of the spaghetti was Al Dente with tasty chicken pieces and some turkey strips.

Spaghetti with Turkey Strip & Chicken Carbonara - $13.50

The Seabass Fillet tasted a tad on the dry side  and topped with crushed almonds. The Risotto is lacking in flavor and it will be better with a more robust taste thus nothing special about this dish.

Seabass Fillet Lemon Risotto - $16.50

The Braised Oxtail is fork tender and of good taste with tomato and cheese. A pet peeved is perhaps the portion of the plate of pasta looked similar to a kid's meal.

Tortiglionmi Rustic Beef Oxtail Bolognese - $18.50

The food is not totally Italian and overall it was standard fare.

Rating: 3 / 5

Mamma Mia Trattoria E Caffè
Location:  Suntec City, 3 Temasek Boulevard, West Wing B1-126A,  Singapore 038983

Heart Break Melts

A recent viral video online had kind of introduced us to Heart Break Melts. This Cozy Ice Cream and Dessert Cafe is located in Ang Mo Kio, not only that, they are vegan-friendly, Allium-Free and 100% Plant Based.

Before entering the Cafe, we saw a bear being tied up with duct tape sitting on a chair right in front of the cafe's grass patch. 

What's with the punishment, I wondered.

Kidnapped

The facade looks pretty with Neon Lights and square glass panels looking through into the place. Let's have a heartbreaking and melting session in there! 

Heartbreak Melts

They have interesting unloved stories that come with heartbreaking scenarios. For their Menu, its rather interesting and playful with their title. Do enjoy the rest of the Memes in the cafe. 

Menu

The place looks sad with empty tables with big plush occupying the table, as though waiting forever for people to turn up. It sounds so right when the wording at the back of the cafe indicated "It's amazing how STUPID you can be" with the hidden word below saying "when you are in love".

Waiting forever

It supposes to be interesting how the decorations are in the cafe but this one looks sad to me too. The plush has to face the wall and ponder about one's misdeeds to stand in the corner (as explained by the Chinese characters). 

The wall is made up of the Owner's picture and some humour.

What's the word?

Love Really Hurts

After noticing the above, I realised the rest of the plushes which were hanging up at the entrance followed suits too, facing the wall. If you notice, you can spot a similar bear hanging from the ceiling too.

Can you spot what's hanging from the ceiling?

We had the "I Am Basic" which comes with a Waffle and 2 Scoops of Ice Cream. We added another scoop to share among ourselves. We had Tauhuay Gula Melaka 椰糖豆花,  Hojicha Cacao Nibs and Corny Cornflake 玉米片. The Ice-Cream texture was on the chewy side and sweet side. 

The waffle is not of any conventional taste. In fact, it is made up of ingredients like Enriched bleached flour, Sugar, Leavening, Maltodextrin, salt, dextrose, Soybean Oil, Soy Protein, Soy Milk and Soy Lecithin. There was almost no sweetness in it and this totally compliment the sweet Scoops we had. 

I am Basic - Waffle with 3 Scoops - $18

No doubt that plant-based ice cream is of benefit to the body, suitable for vegetarians and people with lactose intolerance, I still find that the taste and texture of the ice cream were not to our liking.

With ice cream aside, it's really heartbreaking indeed visiting the cafe. 

 

Rating: 3 / 5

Heart Break Melts
Location: 421 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, #01-1163 Singapore 560421
Website

Your Deli Bite

The Vietnamese-owned takeaway kiosk of Banh Mi is located about 10 minutes from Jurong East MRT station.  Located just right opposite the bustling coffee shop, Happy Hawkers where the popular Braised Duck Stall is. 

Your Deli Bite

There were not must choices left when I visited the cafe. I ordered the Special Great Banh Mi out of the few choices given by the Vietnamese lady. 

Menu of Banh Mi

Every takeaway Banh Mi is placed in a printed paper bag.

Paper Bag

After stuffing the ingredients in the Baguette, my order was placed in the toaster to heat up for some time. For Banh Mi, it is the most basic to have a crispy toasted Baguette with the ingredients sandwiched.

Special Great Banh Mi - $6.90

Special Great Banh Mi comes with 4 types of ham, pork, Char Siu, Pork Floss, Pate, Butter and vegetables. No doubt that this is the best seller, I find that the ingredients were not filling enough and the taste is lacking.

Ingredients of Banh Mi

Rating: 3 / 5 

Your Deli Bite
Location: 132 Jurong Gateway Rd, #01-277,  Singapore 600132

Oriental Chinese Restaurant 东方美食

Walking along the row of shophouses on New Bridge Road, you can never miss out on Oriental Chinese Restaurant for their signboard is not only striking red in colour but also takes up a few units of shop spaces consecutively in the row. Every time when I pass by the place in the evening, the restaurant never fails to be packed with people and is always as bustling as it seems.

Oriental Chinese Restaurant 东方美食

My trip to Oriental Chinese Restaurant can never be completed without Chinese beer. This is the best pairing especially when we are having the skewers.

Tsing Tao Beer - $8.80

Flipping through the menu, there are a few styles of Shredded Potato and I'm glad that I had chosen the chilli & sour potato as the taste was close to what I have been looking for. The sour taste was addictive and shredded potatoes were stirred fried with chilli, green pepper and shredded carrot.

Chilli & Sour Potato 酸辣土豆丝 - $7

Another staple dish we like is none other than the French beans, It was stirred and fried with garlic and chilli.

Dry Fried French Beans 干煸四季豆 - $7.80

The Pan Fried Onion Pancake is another version of "Roti Prata". 

Pan Fried Onion Pancake - $3.50

The fried dumplings were tasty and not too greasy. 

Fried Dumpling - $5.50

Someone has been craving Baby Lobsters for a while and her wish was granted. The taste was not too bad and fragrant. Gloves were given to diners so that we can deshell these Baby Lobsters without dirtying our hands.

Shi San Xiang Baby Lobster - $22 (Small)

Taiwan Pork Sausage ($1.80), Chicken ($1.20), Chicken Wing ($2.50), and Mushroom ($1) come together on a plate. Like many places, the seasonings on their skewers were similar to each other. 

Assorted Skewers

Shredded Pork in the hot sauce was sweet and addictive. It was stirred and fried with green pepper, shredded carrot and black fungus. Perfect if you have a bowl of white rice to pair with it.

Saute Shredded Pork in Hot Sauce 鱼香肉丝 - $9.80

You might want to give these XLB a miss for the skins were too thick and totally not nice at all.

Small Steamed Bun with Soup - $4.50

With an extensive menu, there are a lot of items to choose from and making a return trip is necessary. 

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Oriental Chinese Restaurant 东方美食
Location: 193, 195, 197 New Bridge Rd, Singapore 059425

Culture Spoon 匙尚·厨坊

Culture Spoon is a multi-concept kitchen that offers different kinds of cuisine like Dim Sum, Western, Thai etc with ex-chefs of MICHELIN-starred restaurants. 

Shop Front of Culture Spoon

Near the cashier counter, Culture Spoon has a corner indicating the partners that shared the co-working kitchen. 

Co-Working Kitchen Sharing

Besides the few high tables at the entrance of Culture Spoon, they also have an internal dining area. The Interior was neat and clean featuring a minimalistic decor. 

Dining Area

Alpine Oolong, with lime, whole juice lychee and mint leaves is refreshing while I Love You BERRY Much contains Mulberry, Raspberry and Blueberry Puree with Jasmine Green Tea, Lime and Mint Leaves. 

Oo Longs for Litchee, I Love you BERRY Much - $6, $5.50

The Dim Sum that looks most presentable on our table. These vermicelli rolls with shrimp were deep-fried to golden perfection. It is crispy and eye-pleasing. 

Golden Seafood Roll (4pcs) - $6

Steamed Pork Dumplings with Shrimp tasted like those that you get from the coffee shop.

Steamed Siew Mai (4 Pcs) - $5.80

Steamed Prawn Dumplings on the other hand are also a standard fare. Overall the Steamed dim sum we ordered is nothing to shout about. 

Har Gaw (4pcs) - $6.20

If you are game for some Japanese Stir Fried Udon, you can opt for their Teriyaki Chicken Chop or Sukiyaki Beef Udon. Udon was tasty and coated evenly with the sweet & savoury sauce. The slab of chicken chop was well marinated and topped with seaweed strips and roasted sesame seed. To make the meal complete, a sunny side egg is included too.

Stir-Fried Udon with Teriyaki Chicken Chop - $9.90

We had Egg Benedict from the All Day Breakfast Menu. There are 3 varieties to choose from, Baby Spinach, Parma Ham and Smoke Salmon. 

Smoke Salmon was placed on top of the Buttermilk English Muffin with poached egg and hollandaise sauce. The Egg Benedict was served with Mesclun Salad with vinaigrette. 

Egg Benedict with Smoke Salmon - $19

The poached egg's texture was good. However, it tasted a bit on the sour side perhaps with a tad too much vinegar used.

Oozing Egg Yolk with Hollandaise Sauce

The place is easily located with Thomson East Coast MRT Line nearby. If you are driving, it might be a little challenging to park nearby. Alternatively, you can park at Great World City which is opposite Culture Spoon.

Culture Spoon 匙尚·厨坊
Location: 409 River Valley Road Singapore 248307
Nearest Station: Great World (TE15)