Frigidarium

Frigidarium has a 9.1 food and beverage rating on Hungrygowhere, and has consistenly garnered excellent (and credible) reviews. Naturally, stargirl the gelato fanatic had to make her way down to Market Street to try out their creams!

As usual, outfitted in my school uniform, I felt out of place mingling with the suit-wearing executives while making my way to the shop at Market Street Car Park (near Lau Pa Sat). I could feel the eyes on me as I stepped into the cozy shop... but after walking up to the counter, I soon found myself at ease. Nothing beats friendly, smiley staff who're willing to let you try many flavors as you like! In fact, while handing me the samples of the flavors I had requested to try, the lady at the counter actually gave me samples of several other recommended flavors as well.

Nut Chocolate + Yogurt ($5.20)

I sampled many flavors before eventually settling on nut chocolate and yogurt. It was a tough deicison cos all the flavors were so fabulous, delivering an intense and robust sensation to the tastebuds! Nut chocolate was aromatic of hazelnuts, complemented by a gentle chocolate flavor. Yogurt was equally good, and had a creamier mouthfeel. I liked the strawberry flavor that I sampled a lot too, which packed a punch of the characteristic flavor of the summery vine fruit.

The consistency of Frigidarium's gelato really hit the spot. As you may be able to see from the picture above, it's silky smooth and soft, with a light, velvet-like mouthfeel! Lovely stuff. Perhaps it's also due to the fact that the gelati here is made fresh daily. You also be able to see that the gelato here has little air incorporated into it, giving rise to a dense and creamy texture.

Frigidarium is unmistaketably a great place to check out for very good authentic gelato. Being the supplier of gelato to Ristorante da Valentino and Capricci, you are bound to be satisfied with the delicious creams at Frigidarium! That being said, I still like the richer and somewhat ice-cream-like texture from the gelato(?) at Galta very much.

Fabulous flavors + excellent texture (+great service) makes a fantastic pair. I'll surely drop by Frigidarium again! Boy, I'm sure jealous of the people who work in the vicinity of the this marvelous find..

Frigidarium
146 Market Street
#01-40 Market Street Car Park
Mon-Thu: 11am-7.30pm
Fri: 11am-8pm

15 Minutes (CLOSED)

Knowing that I had an appetite for contemporary arts, a long time friend of mine invited me to her graduation exhibition at LASALLE College of the Arts last week.

Just in case if you are not aware, LASALLE which moved into its current facilty in June 2007, has bagged several awards including the President's Design Award by the Urban Redevelopment Authority in 2008 and Building of the Year Award at the Singapore Institute of Architect’s Design Awards the same year.



We reached 15 minutes at lunch time and it was packed with hungry students and teaching staff. There were a live band stage, a bar counter and a notably high ceiling with tall glass on the sides in the dining area, making it so well lit that it would make any food blogger smile. Order your food at the counter and you will be given a wireless device which will light up, when your food is ready for collection.


Shake Well Salad (Waldorf) - $6.90

Presenting to you Salad In a Jar (and my friend's shiny bracelet). Instruction: shake well before serving.



My apologies for this unsightly tasty mess. Its smoked salmon cousin would make a more delightful treat but it's only available on the dinner menu.


Oriental Duck - $9.90

A classic example of 'west meets east'. This matchmaking didn't turn out quite well as the duck meat was too dry and it didn't leave a pleasant after-taste. Perhaps I wasn't just in the mood for pizza.


Mushroom Arrabiatta - $7.90

While the tangy tomato sauce was appetizing, the manicotti was slightly undercooked.

While the taste of the food here is just mediocre in my opinions, it does offer a cosy and relaxing for one to kick back with a cup of houseblend coffee made from 100% Arabica Beans.


15 Minutes
1 McNally Street
Blk D, #01-01 LASALLE College of The Arts
Mon-Sat, 10am - 10pm, closed on Sunday
6333 5915

Marmalade Pantry @ ION Orchard

Once again, back at Marmalade Pantry. It's been a long time since our return to the bistro / cafe.



Had a very quick and fast dinner here. Kudos to their policy of free flow ice water, even though they are a cafe bistro which sells coffee and drinks.



Spicy Tomato & Pinto Bean Soup with Jalapeno (S$9.00) - Soup is hearty but a bit spicy due to the chillis.



Truffled Field Mushroom Risotto (S$22) - Risotto is perfumed with black truffle bits, grains are al dente and cooked in a flavourful stock. Lot's of cheese and mushrooms accompanying the risotto.

In and out within 45 minutes. Fast service and of course, a hungry appetite.


Marmalade Pantry
2 Orchard Turn
#03-22
ION Orchard

Finally back at K Ki!

After two more visits to K Ki, Stargirl has yet to stumble across their Strawberry Tart and Pumpkin Pudding . Still on the search...

Antoinette ($8)

Light, smooth white chocolate mousse sitting on a thin layer of sponge, enveloping a heart of mango puree for a mildly refreshing twist.

A peep of the inside

I've always associated white chocolate with "overly sweet" and "rich". But this cake has given me new perspective; the cloudlike white chocolate mousse here is sweetened to just the right degree.

LRRH ($8.50)

My, what a flawless complexion you have! As with all of K Ki's cakes, this LRRH has been perfectly assembled. Look at how even the sheen of chocolate is! Stunning, isn't she?

And of course, nothing but Valrhona dark chocolate would do. There's some raspberry puree hidden within the smooth mousse which lightens the richness of all that chocolate. Good for people like me who don't quite fancy chocolate mousses for that reason!

Kinabaru ($8)

I love passionfruit. No wonder I'm especially enamored with this layered creation of etherally light coconut mousse and sunshine-yellow passionfruit creme. While the well-balanced flavors were mild on the tastebuds, this creation deeply impressed.
Kinabaru, you're clearly my favorite thus far... I'll be having you again! I think Mom will take a fancy to you too. Maybe I'll get her a large version of you on her birthday!

See how precisely the Kinabaru has been sliced? And how the different layers are perfectly parallel to each other? (:
K Ki comes up with simply refined creations. One thing that I like about the cakes is how they're sweetened to just the right degree, another is how beautifully presented they always are. One's gotta love the warm and friendly service too!

Italiannies Pasta, Pizza & Vino @ TripleOne Somerset (Singapore Power Building)

When I heard that TGI Friday is the "sister" restaurant of Italiannies, a new Italian chain restaurant from Malaysia, my expectations of the food went down the hill. I have read enough bad reviews about TGI Friday to totally avoid the place even though long queues form outside the restaurant every night.

However, we learn from school that we should not judge a book by its cover, or rather not judge a restaurant by which restaurant it is related to. So here I am at Italiannies to give a try at its food.



The staff was very polite and courteous. A great start for our dinner. Once we were ushered to our seats, they immediately poured their olive oil and balsamic vinegar on a plate.



The whole restaurant has a rustic Italian feel to it. Unknown to many, this Italiannies originated in Malaysia and is a popular Italian chain across the Causeway.



Before coming here, I read reviews of how they actually rolled and baked their breads in house. Well, we saw it with our eyes. The chefs kneaded and baked the breads directly infront of us. Though there was nothing spectacular about the bread, I will give it 5 stars for their effort to actually bake the bread fresh.



There is a small counter next to the restaurant which sells just their freshly baked bread for takeaway customers. I am not sure how popular it was because nobody was there to buy their bread.



We had the appetizer of Fried Calamari - Hand-battered calamari fried till tender and served with marinara sauce. Wow, it was really really good. Unlike ordinary fried calamari whichi had either too thick batter or rubbery calamari meat, the calamari was tender and fresh, while the coating was crispy and not too thick. Some spices and cheese were also added to add extra ommph.

This is super addictive, and portion is big too. Highly recommended.



Marsala Mushroom Soup with button mushroom and Marsala wine. Find this quite ordinary la. Nothing special. Can taste the Marsala wine though.




Ordered the 12 inch Napoli Bianco Pizza - Meatballs, pepperoni and diced chicken on Alfredo sauce with melted Mozzarella cheese. It was big. Really big. Too much for 2 diners, and I think is just right for 3. If there is only 2 diner, it is better to share the 9 inch.



The crust is those thin crispy crust yet there is some chewey bite to the pastry. As you can see, they are very very generous with their ingredients. I don't really like pizzas with tomato base sauce, so this was a pleasant surprise with the creamy Alfredo sauce. And their cheese is of good quality.

I have nothing but praises for Italiannies. In fact, I was so impressed I returned 2 days later for another dinner. This time, shared the Carbonara pasta (dinner size). It was equally good too, but I prefer the pizza more. Will definitely make this my regular eating place. Price for 2 is less than S$50, including GST and service charge.

Something to note: Italiannies only serve free iced water when the restaurant is not full or too busy. This is because they have limited manpower and cannot go around refilling your water. So you may need to order a drink if they are too busy.


Italiannies Pasta, Pizza & Vino
#01-02,
TripleOne Somerset (Singapore Power Building)
111 Somerset Road

Sweet Spot @ Marina Bay Sands Hotel

Food lovers all over the island have been busy checking out the new restaurants over at Marina Bay Sands and also at Resorts World Sentosa.

Since April this year, SweetSpot, a hotel bakery from Marina Bay Sands, has received quite good reviews from dessert and pastry lovers. So it's about time we went down to check out the standards.



If this is your first time to Marina Bay Sands, Sweet Spot is situated on the Lobby level of the hotel portion of Marina Bay Sands. You will have to walk all the way from Tower 1 to Tower 3 as it is situated right at Tower 3.



The sweets and pastry items are all displayed neatly on the shelves.



The macarons here are said to be one of the best in Singapore. I still don't know whom they employed to make the macarons, but my taste buds tell me they are on par with those from France.

(EDIT: Read from this week's 8 Days that the pastry chef here is from Venezuela and has been making pastry items there for 20 years)



These tiny and cute Financiers displayed on the display as they are out of space.



A beautiful Strawberry tart.



And more cakes. To be fair, we didn't try their cake items on that day. But judging from the standards of their other items, we believe the cakes should be good.



Blueberry pastry with butter crossaint.



So Sparkling or Still had a sparkling mineral water and 2 freshly brewed coffee.



We had these Macarons: (Clockwise from top left) Rasberry with Dark Chocolate, Green Tea, Strawberry, Lemon, Hazelnut, Pistachio. All of them were good. Not overly sweet, and the macaron shells were crispy yet a bit chewy. My fav are the Hazelnut and Rasberry with Dark Chocolate. Find the Lemon one a bit too artificial in taste. At S$2.00 per macaron, they are also one of the more expensive macaron in Singapore.

The 3 Financiers we had (left to right) are the almond, rasberry and pistachio. They are tiny yet very delicate and tasty. Out of the 3, I love the one with the rasberry. (S$1.80 each)



Aren't these gorgeous? Juicy ripe blueberry pastry and in the background, an Apple. Even though the blueberry looks better, the apple was the one which tasted better. But both are actually quite good.



Do note they have NO seats, so expect to stand and lean on these designer stands inside the cafe.

If you are trying to hunt down some of the best pastry items, do come here and try their macarons. Oh yes, they also sell their in-house chocolates too.


Sweet Spot
10 Bayfront Avenue
Lobby Level,
Tower 3
Marina Bay Sands Hotel

L'Espresso

What are the first few things that come to your mind when talking about Goodwood Park Hotel?

To me, their famous durian pastries definitely top my list.

There are two way to enjoy these heavenly creations - to take home, or as I often prefer, make my order at their coffee lounge, L'Espresso at the same time listen to the live perfromance by their very own band.


Durian Crêpe - $13



One of my personal favourites among all the durian delights. Two crêpe filled to the plump with D24 durian pulp, topped with fresh cut fruits and durian ice cream.

Their new additions to the family this year include Durian Eclair and Durianmisu.



All UOB credit cardmembers are entitled to 15% off total bill, on both take-away and dine-in.

From June 1 to July 27, one gets to enjoy their selection of durian pastries in addition to the regular dessert buffet, available at $24.80++ per person. Do find out more from their website.


L'Espresso
GF Goodwood Park Hotel
Daily, 12pm - 10.30pm
6730 1743

Wah Lok Cantonese Restaurant @ Carlton Hotel

Met up The Baker in Me ~ Bake, Baking, Baked and another common friend for a Dim Sum lunch at Wah Lok Cantonese Restaurant.



While The Baker in Me ~ Bake, Baking, Baked has been here before, this is my first visit to Wah Lok for their Dim Sum. According to him, the Dim Sum here is pretty good. Being a Dim Sum lover, we decided on this restaurant for our lunch.




This is the Char Siew Polo Buns, a staple among many Dim Sum restaurants in Hong Kong and now in Singapore. If my memory serves me well, Crystal Jade was the one which popularises this Dim Sum here in Singapore. Here at Wah Lok, their version is crusty and buttery (crust). They were generous with the Char Siew fillings. A must order at Wah Lok.




Boring Steam Carrot Cake. This was really boring, as I have taste better versions before.




I totally detest coriander leaves. So having coriander inside our Chee Cheong Fun is a no no. The skin was soft, but too bad they had coriander inside.




Lor Mai Gai - Quite okay for me. Something I will usually order at Dim Sum restaurants. The usual ingredients inside like chicken, salted egg yolk, mushrooms and I think Lup Cheong.




A test of how good a Cantonese restaurant is will be their Roast Pork. Wah Lok's version is crackingly sinful. Judging from the roast pork, we are assuming that their other HK roast items are just as good.




Who can resist little transparent nuggets of crunchy crystal prawns? The skin here was not the best, a bit chewy for me. But coming to a Dim Sum restaurant and not ordering Har Kow is like going to Paris and not visiting the Eiffel Tower.



A rather ordinary Deep Fried Prawn Dumpling. At least the fillings were made of quality minced prawns and not a mash of flour + sotong paste.




Siew Mai, another must order in all Dim Sum restaurant. Version here not as good as the ones at Asia Grand and Cassia.



Egg Tarts - Quite ordinary.



Some beancurd wrap thing which is quite forgettable.



Had Mango Pomelo Sago (Cold) and Warm Almond Soup as dessert.

Overall, one of the better ones in town. But frankly, I prefer Asia Grand if in that area.


Wah Lok Cantonese Restaurant
76 Bras Basah Road
2F
Carlton Hotel

Favorites @ Mr Bean

I always have trouble deciding what I want to get at the soya bean chain, Mr Bean. Outlets have been popping up everywhere recently, especially at MRT stations (they're two outlets at Raffles Xchange oO), and I'm ever often tempted to go inside and grab a snack.

As I have mentioned many times before, I love pancakes. And it's great that they come in so many forms, from hotcakes, min jiang kueh to okonomiyaki.

Mr Bean sells yet another pancake I love:

A tip: Prey hard that you get these Japanese pancakes fresh off the stove, and make sure you gobble them up right away. It's worth the time to patronize stalls with long queues (eg. SMU) and hence a high turnover to ensure that you get warm ones!

Red Bean Pancake ($1)

Out of their seven (now eight) pancake flavors, the red bean one's my favorite. This springy pancake, encasing a not-overly-sweet azuki bean filling, is easily one of my favorite snacks. The cheese and blueberry ones are good too- the former has a triangle of soft Cowhead cream cheese inside while the latter is filled with blueberry jam (yay!).

Don't bother trying the peanut and chocolate ones though. The peanut one is stuffed with dry chopped peanuts while the "chocolate" filling is made from *gasp* melted chocolate rice. Wouldn't it be nice if they sold a pancake filled with Jollibean's addictively creamy peanut spread? Haha that'll surely reduce Jollibean's (round) ban jian kueh sales.

Egg mayo pancake

Till the end of this month, Mr Bean will be retailing an egg mayo pancake too. I didn't think too much of it at first but decided to give it a try yesterday anyway. And it was surprisingly good! The egg to mayo ratio was just right and a generous dash of pepper provided a nice kick to round it off. How I wish this could stay on Mr Bean's menu permanently! Note that the egg mayo flavor is only available up to 11am and is unavailable at their Century Square, Tampines 1 and People's Park outlets (why?!?). (Update: The egg mayo pancake is now a permanent flavor! Hooray~)

Soya chocolate

The egg mayo pancake can be purchased with a cup of soya chocolate or coffee as a discounted set at $2.80 (U.P. $3.30). I didn't expect much from the soya chocolate as I doubt that good-quality chocolate was used. But this turned not out be a chocolate drink with the milk portion replaced by soya milk, but a steaming hot cup of soya milk with chocolate undertones (i.e. chocolate-flavored soya milk). Just the perfect thing to start the day! I liked this even more than my usual drink (next up).

Pearly Bandung Soya Milk ($2)

Isoflavone-packed soya milk livened up by the addition of rose syrup, coupled with bouncy, chewy pearls. My usual drink at Mr Bean (:

This year, Mr Bean has been launching seasonal drinks monthly. The previous few, like the Icy Chocolate, Icy Mango and Strawberry Banana were fine. In my opinion, one should stay away from the Icy Rum and Raisin though (no alcohol for obvious reasons, contains Da Vinci Gourmet syrup instead which is used for coffee drinks). It's expensive at $3.80 a cup, and tastes just average. I hate the shriveled-up raisins inside too.

And not to forget...

Soya ice-cream (: I'm always hoping for a super tall cone of it! ($1.30 for cone, $1.50 for cup but you get more ice-cream)

Haven't tried it before? You might not take to the distinctive, uh, soya milk taste of this ice-cream at first. But give it another chance, and you'll find yourself getting accustomed to the flavor. By your third try, you should have become a convert :D (Not to worry, I still like normal ice-cream made from cow's milk though!)

Despite being low-fat, Mr Beans's soy ice-cream is still creamy like normal soft-serve. For those who count calories, a 100g serving contains 136 calories. There's also green tea flavored soy ice-cream available at certain outlets like Tampines 1. The matcha flavor is rather mild but I still like it anyway, more than the original flavor.

Actually, I like it a lot.

Mr Bean's adorable mascot!

Mr Bean
Outlets