Palate Pleasers N Tummy Teasers

Makan Post-it (10) - Udderly good ice-cream!

I’ve been wanting to share this gem of an ice-cream parlour with all you dear readers for the longest time, but every trip I made was coincidentally in the absence of our photographer-boy X. Not until one hot and sticky morning of activity after, where a trip to Udders was warranted

This has got to be the best use of mall space! Setting up a seating area ‘alfresco’ style, in an open space that would otherwise be a (too) wide pathway for shoppers. Sure beats having everyone holed up in a tiny shop. Hey, a mass congregation of human bodies = a rise in surrounding temperature = ice-cream melting faster

I’ve had people asking me, “After reviewing so many ice-cream places, aren’t you guys sick of the stuff already??” Not when it’s ice-cream of such quality and intensity! Freshly made of course, so even their comparably less exciting variety don’t bother me as much. At least they’re Masters of the flavours they do

As someone who’s neither a fan of caramel nor sea salt, I must say their medley of both is quite Kick-S For an elaboration on their alcoholic concoctions, please read on…

Down an entire scoop of Orange Choc Bitters, or any of their liqueur flavours for that matter, and you may possibly fail the breathalyzer. DRIVERS’ ALERT: Not to be consumed at night! Don’t say papilles didn’t warn you if you can’t get past the next roadblock (Yes. They are that generous with the booze.)

Fans of local fruits - their Mao Shan Wang Durian ice-cream is to-die-for! A seedless durian. That’s how I’d describe it. Any better and you’ll have to open the thorny husk yourself! (Also available in D24). Other Singaporean-familiar flavours include Cempedak, Kopi-C and Gula Melaka+Attap Chee. Their full list of flavours can be found here.

Udders

#02-10 West Mall

1 Bukit Batok Central Link

Milking hours: 11am to 10.30pm daily

*Alternative outlets include Goldhill Centre (Thomson Rd) and 17 Lorong Kilat (near Beauty World Plaza).

Makan Post-it (9) - Time to get Tarty!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock all this while, you’d have known/noticed two spanking new malls in town (which, going by papilles definition, equates to that stretch of road from Palais Renaissance to Prego’s). Sure, new shops excite me, but what mattered most were the eateries these malls hosted; new foodie ventures are always welcome

Papilles have been wanting to give this cafe a try since it hit our shores in the early part of the year, but were deterred by its location (i.e. at a far corner of our island, where there’s nothing much else to entice). Good thing the people behind this cafe had the business sense to plonk an outlet smack in the heart of town (though the same can’t be said of its location in the mall ).

Enough with the mystery, here’s what I’m talking about: 

Possibly the priciest fruit tarts ($7.80 per slice) papilles ever had:

As you can tell, these are bad stuff for weight watchers (I’ll dare say whipped cream makes up a good 70% of their tarts ) Definitely yummy, loved the tart base and how their tarts weren’t cloyingly sweet; they could be a bit more generous with the fruits though. Afterall, they’re supposed to be the Fruit Paradise

P.S. Do try their range of Gryphon Teas ($3 a pot with every tart purchased)! Light, floral or fruity (depending on your choice of tea), the subtle waft of fragrance every time you lift the cup to your lips, is reason enough to pop by

Fruit Paradise

#05-51/52 Orchard Central

Call 6509 9920 for reservation of whole tarts.

Have your cheesecake and eat it too!

Finally got around to satisfying yet another of my random cravings (this time, for cheesecake) after what seemed like the longest time Credit goes to X for being ever patient and sweetly pandering to my food whims and fancies, which I have to admit occur more often than not Guess that’s what makes each foodie experience that much more enjoyable.

The venue of choice (and aptly named too):

What better way to enjoy a cheesecake than with a nice cup of tea Preferably iced, given the current heatwave that has hit our shores.

(Iced Camomile Honey - $6.90; Iced Mango Tea - $6.50)

What got Papilles interested to drop by this cafe was their flavours of cheesecakes, many of which were ‘not-your-average’ cafe next-door varieties - think Peach Jelly Cheesecake, Walnut Cheesecake, Peanut Butter Cheesecake and even Creme Brulee Cheesecake (which unfortunately wasn’t available during our visit ).

A peek at the selection in their display counter and we each made our choice almost instantly

X’s weakness for vanilla revealed

(Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cheesecake - $7.50)

“Always veering toward the unconventional” - a personality reflected in my choice of cheesecake…

(Strawberry Oreo Cheesecake - $6.90)

Both cheesecakes were pleasantly yummy, though I felt the Strawberry Oreo stood out with its slight tartness which nicely complemented the cocoa, creamy oreo bits

Foodwise, Papilles was definitely satisfied and the ambience held a calming, serene aura from the eclectic collection of Victorian frames, miniature statues and chandeliers. My only grouse lies with their house-rule which insists that all customers order at least one item each; just make sure your dining companion(s) loves cheesecake as much as you do

It’s Recess(ion) Time and no one’s rushing to The Canteen

And understandably so too. Given that a bowl of Bak Kut Teh can set you back by close to $14 and a bowl of Mee Pok by $16.50, it’s no wonder The Canteen isn’t the venue of choice for most people in the current economic climate Who would pay such ‘exorbitant’ prices for local fare that is easily available for at least half the price in hawker centres, you ask. Lest you think that this is another one of those eateries targeted at tourists, the people behind this mid-market cafe/restaurant of the famed Les Amis group pride themselves on the eatery’s use of quality ingredients and serving local fare with a twist; Factors, they are confident, would be the selling point in attracting local patrons.

What do typical foodies do when they hear of such proclaimations? Head down to check out what the hype is all about, of course

Inrtoducing their duo-of-bestsellers:

(Canteen’s Crab Mee Pok - $16.50)

Innovative pairing of soft shell crab, boiled crabmeat shreds and “homemade crab oil” with the humble mee pok. A pity the noodles were a tad soggy and overcooked Being a huge fan of mee pok, their version of it failed to impress the foodie in me.

 (X.O. Sauce Lo Shi Fun - $16.50)

This dish of Lo Shi Fun (aka Bee Tai Mak), though simple in presentation and ingredients, fared much better in taste than their Mee Pok. The amalgam of flavours from the green beans, century egg and minced pork complemented each other quite nicely Comfort food this is, though I believe the price tagged to it wouldn’t go down comfortably with most.

Don’t expect much variety at The Canteen; their menu is split into 4 main sections - Nibbles, Rice, Noodles and Dessert/Sweet Bites, with just a handful of (mostly local) offerings under each section. Access their menu here.

1 Scotts Road, Shaw Centre

#01-01 A1/A2

Seoul Yummy indeed!

If you’re looking for Korean fare at wallet-friendly prices, keep the phrase “Seoul Yummy” in mind. A no-frills cafe tucked in an inconspicuous corner of Square 2 @ Novena, the food here is surprisingly yum! Its relatively obscure location in the mall just means you won’t have to wrestle a lunch/dinner crowd to get a seat And with a sizeable variety of everything from cold noodles/pasta to rice cake and bibimbap, this is the place to be for homely, comfort food Korean style.

Lest you start wondering if I’ve got a stake in this eatery, I shall leave the pictures to do the promoting

(Platter of cold side dishes that came with our meal)

If you’re familiar with Korean cuisine, you’ll know that no meal is complete without an entire platter of side dishes - sometimes of such a variety that they’ll qualify as a buffet in its own right I particularly favoured the cold tofu, kimchi and potato salad; the former for it’s refreshingly spicy kick and the latter for a nice blend of diced potatoes and egg mayo, which masked the earthy flavours of the cold spuds: just the way I like it

(Grilled Eel Hotpot Rice - $13.80)

Essentially Unagi Bibimbap served in a stone pot - a slight Jap twist on the classic Korean rice dish. Plus points for their generous serving of the well marinated, plump unagi slice

(Pork Cutlet Spicy Ramen with Rice Cakes - $13.80)

Another Jap/Korean fusion dish - this time in the form of combining ramen and rice cakes. The accompanying kimchi sauce turned out more salty than spicy, but X enjoyed the chewy texture of the rice cakes which would give one’s jaw a bit of a workout.

What better way to wash all that spiciness/saltiness down than with a nice, warm glass of Barley Tea ($1.20):

Interesting malt taste that strangely reminded papilles of coffee, but which has since grown to become one of our favoured teas

Seoul Yummy

#03-68 Square 2 (beside Novena Sq)