ARTSYFACT

The Chinatown/Outram Park area is full of surprises these days. After my discovery of that hole-in-the-wall place on Keong Saik Road not long ago, this week saw me stumbling upon yet another hidden treasure in the Everton Park neighbourhood.



Going by the motto 'one man's junk is another's treasure', the team of 'Karung guni' behind this shop give a new lease of life to the things they collect by turning them into something functional, often with a unique/artsy touch of their own. While surveying their collection, I spotted a few table tops which were once household doors, then there was this bench made from wooden planks of an old kampong which gave way to urbanization. You get the picture?







It was love at first sight for me of this bean sack couch. Complete with classy Scandinavian wood, it was great to hear that the sack material has been treated so you won't start feeling itchy once you sit on it.



It certainly has the right foot rest to match.



A visit to the shop is never complete without having a cup of coffee pulled by Axil-trained barista Leon.

No menu here, no price therefore. You tip as you wish, very Papa Palheta-stlye. (Man, I miss that place.)

Leon pulled me a cup of 'Magic', by Nylon's house blend. The med-bodied cup I had was surprisingly sweet and carried an unusual minty note. Though I would love the micro foams to be smoother, it was nevertheless a decent cup.

What followed was a pleasant coffee conversation, in which the young chap shared much about his coffee ambition and passion for the beans. And he thinks Nylon is the best local coffee roaster. (Are you reading this, Dennis and Jia Min?)























So next time when you need some fresh ideas for your new home renovation, Artsyfact might be able to offer just that. They also host coffee appreciation weekends from time to time, so check out their facebook for event updates.


ARTSYFACT (Facebook)
2 Everton Park #01-47
Daily, 11am - 8pm


A random shot at road junction while waiting for the green man.

Things to eat in Montreal: Poutine at Resto La Banquise

One does not visit Montreal without trying poutine, a messy dish of patates frites, hot gravy and cheese curds. While poutine is traditionally sold from food trucks and local greasy spoons, it has become such an iconic staple of Quebecois culture that restaurant chefs have come up with haute variants complete with foie gras and lobster!

At the popular 24/7 poutine joint La Banquise, you can complete your order with a smorgasbord of toppings, ranging from onions to bacon and smoked meat. Yup, more calories to go with the already atherogenic pile of fries.

 Fluffy twice-fried chips doused with tasty gravy, squeaky cheese curds, chicken and...peas? As strange as the combination may sound, the peas were comfortingly delicious with the sauce. In fact, the Galvaude reminded me of hot chicken sandwiches!

While I enjoyed my meal at La Banquise,  I'm not too sure if it lives up to its hype as the best poutine in Montreal. For one, the ratio of cheese curds and gravy to fries was on the skimpy side, and the cheese curds could have been chunkier. Nevertheless, it does serve up reliable poutine that will never get boring, and around the clock too. Stick with a small serving unless you have a huge appetite!

Resto La Banquise
994 Rue Rachel Est
Montréal, QC H2J 2J3
Tel: (514) 525  2415

Opening hours: 24/7!

The Knolls @ Capella

Recently, we are on an Afternoon Tea spree, and decided to try out the afternoon tea here at The Knolls in Capella. It is located on Sentosa island, and the hotel is located some distance away from the ever crowded IR.



The Knolls is located next to the swimming pool, so do take some time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.



The beautiful "walkway" in The Knolls.



All diners seated along the windows will be treated to this calm and peaceful view. This is a great place to be if you want some peace and quiet during the weekend afternoon, away from all the crowds and traffic jam.



We ordered the Queens Tea Set (S$36) & Japanese Tea Set (S$36). All sets come with one choice of tea, and only one serving of sandwiches and cakes (non-refillable). Do take some time to read the "Tea Time" menu as there is quite a long introduction on all the teas being offered here.



We selected 2 teas. First is the Marco Polo black tea which is a scented tea with lychee and rose from China and Tibet. The 2nd tea we had was the Russian Early Grey black tea with bergamot.



On the left is the Japanese Tea Set, which one the right is the Queens Tea Set.



For the Queens Tea set, the top tier consists of the Traditional English Pound Cake, and this Berries Tartlet with Vanilla Custard.



On the 2nd tier of the Queens, we have the Watercress and Cucumber sandwich, Smoked Salmon on Rye Bread, and the Chive and Egg sandwich. The bottom tier is exactly the same as the Japanese Tea set, which we will introduce next.



This is the Japanese Tea set. On the top tier we have the Red bean roll, Matcha Green Tea and Raspberry Pastry, and the Mochi, and they form the sweet pastry items on the top tier. In the middle tier is the sandwiches, which consists of the Ginger Carrot Sandwiches, Unagi-Tamago Roll and Cucumber-Wasabi Sandwiches. At the bottom are the Lemon Ginger Scone and Madeleine.



The clotted cream, jam and fresh strawberries are meant to go with the scones.



Our verdict is that this is an exceptional beautiful anad quiet place for your weekend afternoon tea. One drawback is that the items cannot be refilled, and those with bigger appetities may find the servings a little small. One tip: Do call and reserve an indoor window seat, and remind the service staff again for your window seat when you arrive.


The Knolls
1 The Knolls,
Sentosa
Capella Singapore

Bay Sushi @ Marina Bay Sands

Bay Sushi, which is part of the Todai restaurant in Marina Bay Sands, is located at one end of Marina Bay Sands. One can easily miss the restaurant as it is located just next to its sister restaurant Todai, a very popular buffet outlet.



We ordered the Cold Green Tea (S$3.80) to go along our sushi.



They have quite a huge sushi counter, and the sushi placed on this movable sushi belt are for display only.



Bay Sushi is quite the place for unique sushi offerings. And this can be seen in the Angry Salmon Level 17 Roll (S$15). Reviews to this sushi named after the "Angry Bird" game were mixed. But we pretty much enjoyed their unique sushi offerings which cannot be found elsewhere. This one here had flame torched salmon chunks wrapping the rice, and topped with chilli sauce and salmon roe.



Another of their own creation is the Eel House Roll (S$15), consisting of rice, the yellow egg omelette and the unagi.



Premium Jumbo Aburi Beef Sushi (S$7.80 per piece) and Premium Jumbo Unagi Sushi (S$7.80 for 2)



Hamachi Sushi (S$4.80 for 2), Boiled Hotate Sushi (S$3.20 for 2), Anago Sushi (S$5.60 for 1), Avocado Sushi (S$3.20 for 2). We find that the "traditional" sushis offered here are not as good as their innovative ones, so it is best to stick to those special creations.



Kani and Kani Miso Sushi (S$4.80 for 2). We find that this sushi is overprices, because it is made with just imitation crab sticks.



Uni Sushi (S$7.50 for 1) and Tobiko Sushi (S$4 for 2). The Tobiko is too dry for our liking.


Bay Sushi
10 Bayfront Avenue
#B2 - 01B
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

Penny University

With the arrival of Penny University last week, coffee geeks in the east who have been long yearning for a decent coffee place in their backyard can finally get their pick-me-up at the convenience of Joo Chiat/Katong.



Coffee here is from Oriole's Raven Blend (Brazil and India) and Nylon's el Primero seasonal espresso blend (60% Brazil 40% Nicaragua), on a FB80. Over at the counter display, there are Windowsill pies and decent cupcakes for the sweet-tooth. For something more filling, you have the all-day breakfast and sandwich menu.














Penny University (Facebook)
402 East Coast Road
Tue - Fri, 0830 - 2130
Sat - Sun, 0830 - 2230
Closed on Mondays

Au Chocolat @ Marina Bay Sands

Who would have thought that such a cute and fun restaurant is located in the Marina Bay Sands? Au Chocolat, a chocolate shop plus restaurant, opened in the middle of this year. It's located at the corner where the skating ring is.



They must have poured in quite a lot to design the restaurant.



The French restaurants sticks to the design of a tradtional European restaurant, but with a twist.



The twist is that in both the shop and restaurant, there is a toy train railway hanging from the ceiling, and trains can be seen traveling round and round the restaurant. I am sure kids and the young at heart will be fascinated by this.



Started off our dinner with a glass of Louis Roederer Champagne (S$23 per glass)



This was followed by the Mushroom Soup (S$11) - Soup of the day. It's chokeful of finely chopped mushrooms.



Classic French Onion Soup (S$14) - Sweet caramelized onions cooked in rich veal broth and topped with grated parmesan. However, I didn't find the onion soup as good as those from other French restaurants in Singapore.



Mushroom Bites (S$14) - Mushrooms simmered in red wine sauce, paired with freshly baked bread, tomato and olive jam. As this is labelled as "snacks", we didn't have high hopes for it. And I guess that explains why it could be described as average but quite forgettable.



One of the most popular dish here is the Duck Confit (S$27) - Pan roasted duck thigh served with potato mash, white wine poached pear and topped off with tangy chocolate orange sauce. Frankly, I could not taste any chocolate in this dish. But I would commend the chef for making the duck meat really tender and juicy.



Our favourite item was actually this Au Chocolate Fudge Freeze (S$12) - Rich and creamy chocolate fudge topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. It is actually a full dessert disguised as a chocolate drink. The chocolate used was of good quality.


Au Chocolat
2 Bayfront Avenue
#01-03
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands