KARA Cafe & Dessert Bar @ Bukit Timah Road - Cafe By Sogurt With Grain Bowls, Pastas, Grilled Toasties And Mochi Waffles With Froyo

Situated along Bukit Timah Road, KARA Cafe & Dessert Bar is the latest f&b concept under frozen yogurt chain Sogurt. Apart from serving frozen yogurt, the cafe has an extensive savoury menu of grain bowls, pastas, salads and grilled cheese toasties, as well as their signature homemade mochi waffles.

Pork Belly Miso 3.8/5

The hearty grain bowls are combined with unusual flavours for an explosion of taste. Diners can opt for the Garlic Japanese Rice or Quinoa Salad (+$3) as their choice of grain base.

The Pork Belly Miso ($16) is a ramen-inspired dish with kakuni braised pork belly, soft egg, ramen crisps, cucumber edamame salad, miso cream and nori. While the braised pork belly is tender with a good proportion of meat and fats, the complimenting ramen crisps add a nice crunch to the dish which we particularly enjoyed.

Beef Larb Fish Bowl 3.8/5

Taking inspiration from cuisines of Northern Thailand, the Beef Larb Rice Bowl ($18) features a bowl of minced beef cooked in a spicy lime and fish sauce marinate, and crowned with a luscious cured egg yolk.

Aburi Mentaiko Salmon 3.5/5

The Aburi Mentaiko Salmon ($16) comes with cooked salmon flakes, mentaiko, mayonnaise, mozzarella, furikake, and soft onsen egg. The dish was extremely creamy, with some bite from the cooked salmon embedded within the mayonnaise and mozzarella mix on a bed of Japanese rice.

Pepperoni Pizzazz 4/5

We opted for the Pepperoni Pizzazz ($11.50) from the Grilled Toasties selection. Spinning a unique twist on the grilled cheese toastie, the dish is a combination of both pizza and grilled cheese toasts - featuring a mouthwatering stack loaded with melty, ozzy cheese, savoury pepperoni salami slices to compliment the cheesiness. Together with marina herb sauce, garlic and basil sandwiched in between crispy toasted sourdough.

Okonomiyaki Truffe Tots 4/5

The Okomiyaki Truffle Tots ($12) comes in a generous portion of tater tots doused in an umami okonomiyaki sauce. These crispy deep fried pieces are extremely addictive.

Matcha Berry 4/5

The highlight is their homemade Mochi Waffles with Froyo. We opted for the Matcha Berry ($12.50) mochi waffles with dark chocolate softie swirl, caco nib sable, cookie crumble, and fresh fruits drizzled in matcha sauce. Different from the usual crispy waffles, the one here boasts a soft chewy texture, paired with a light, refreshing dark chocolate froyo.

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Kara Cafe & Dessert Bar By Sogurt
617 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 269718
Tel: +65 64688940
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Nearest MRT: Tan Kah Kee (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 11am - 10pm
Sat-Sun: 1030am - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Tan Kah Kee MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn right and walk down Bukit Timah Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Koon Signatures @ Bukit Timah - More Than Just Traditional Bak Kut Teh

Koon Bak Kut Teh at Bukit Timah opened its door in 2012, serving traditional Bak Kut Teh and other home-cooked dishes. As competition within the industry gets tougher, its founder Moses, decided to revamp the outlet by improving its interior and ambience, and most importantly, incorporating dishes that deviates from his usual classics. With the transformation, it has also renamed the restaurant as Koon Signatures.

Mushroom Buns 3/5

I thought these Handmade Mushrooms Buns gels pretty well with Bak Kut Teh concept. I was half expecting it to taste like our typical Chinese mushroom bun with custard filling but it turned out to be minced mushrooms filling which lean towards the flavour of a western mushroom soup. I like the filling but the texture of the bun was a little too soft.

Classic Bak Kut Teh 3/5, Braised Phoenix Claws 3.5/5

The Classic Bak Kut Teh ($6.50) was decent though it is supposed to be its core dish. The soup was peppery but slightly watered down. I like the Braised Phoenix Claws much more. They were fatty and not too highly flavoured with the braising sauce. The fried you tiao seemed to have an additional layer of crispiness to it, definitely one of the better ones I ever had.

Modern Braised Meat Rice 4/5

I would say its Modern Braised Meat Rice ($8.90) outshines its classic. Wholesome with sauteed cherry tomatoes and mushrooms, the melt-in-your-mouth braised pork didn't seem to leave any trace of fats in my mouth, and no lingering porky flavour. The crunchy pickled cucumber slices added to the pleasure. In CBD area, this would have been a hit.

Char Siew Chicken 3/5 and Deep Fried Pork Belly 3.5/5

Koon's signatures include Char Siew Chicken ($8.90) and Deep Fried Pork Belly ($8.90). Ordering the Signature Platter ($16.90) will get you both. The Char Siew Chicken was quite successful in getting the char siew flavours right, especially those desirable burnt ends. But I find the glaze too much on the meat which made it a little too sweet. The pork belly was like KFC's original chicken, which has a thin layer of crisp crust that stays even after a while.

Superior Chicken Stew 3/5

The Superior Chicken Stew ($8.90) with fish maw serves as a very comforting meal for one. It looked promising but the soup didn't taste as rich as expected, nor it has the consistency of a nourishing fish maw soup.

Kale 4/5

I love its Braised Kale with Superior Stock ($11.90)! So much that I could finish the entire plate. The kale was pretty much being left alone, only lightly flavoured with garlic and pork belly to mellow out its rawness.

Black Sesame Lava Cake 3/5

One of its latest creations is this Black Sesame Lava Cake with Glutinous Rice & Gelato ($11.90), which has a slight Japanese feel to it. The black sesame was rich but the sweetness level was way over the limits, especially after a meaty meal. I love the unsweetened glutinous rice which combines well with the gelato. Still, with such comprehensive spread that caters to different crowd, Koon Signatures is a great option for a casual family gathering.

Words and photos by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Koon Signatures
10 Cheong Chin Nam Rd
Singapore 599735
Tel: +65 64630111
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Website
Nearest MRT: Beauty World (DT Line)bak

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 2am

Direction:
1) Alight at Beauty World MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Royal Thai Boat Noodles & Bar @ King Albert Park - Authentic Thai Food In Bukit Timah Area

I used to hang out at King Albert Park McDonald during my study at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. In fact there was some sentiment when the building which the Mcdonald was located was tore down for the now KAP residences. The new building has retail and F&B establishments on the first and second floor while the upper levels are for residential.

Mango Salad 4/5

For starter, we tried the Mango Salad ($7) which I though the portion was slightly small for the price. Putting that aside, the flavours are spot on where I can taste the characteristic of sweet, spicy and sour in Thai cuisine. Moreover, the crunchy mango and nutty peanut provided the additional textures for the salad.

Boat Noodles Pork/Beef 4.5/5

A common street food in Thailand is the Thai Boat Noodles ($3.90/$6.90). Diners have the choice of either pork of beef as well as the type of noodles here. The bowl of beef boat noodles comes in a rich and robust soup that is packed with flavours. I like it spicy so I added some chilli flakes into it for the heat and shiokness. The beef slices were tender and the beef meatballs were bouncy too. This is indeed a bowl of slurping goodness, worth me breaking out in sweat.

Hot Basil Rice with Pork $7.50

The other item we ordered is the Hot Basil Rice with Pork ($7.50). I add an addition fried egg for a dollar. Diners can also choose for chicken or beef too. For beef it is a dollar more. While the flavour again meets the mark, I think the portion needs to be fine tuned. Unless I am a rice bucket, I would appreciate the rice to be lesser which I think it probably took up 70% of the plate while the basil pork makes up the rest.

Overall I have enjoyed the food at Royal Thai Boat Noodles & Bar. The dishes I tried are really very authentic. The restaurant itself is also cozy and spacious. Service can be a little bit slow but I can't blame them, they are probably short of manpower. Last but not least, I hope they can look into their portioning, to make it more value for money to their customers.


Royal Thai Boat Noodles & Bar
9 King Albert Park
#01-01/02
Singapore 598332
Tel: +65 86989258
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: King Albert Park (DT line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 11am - 3pm, 5pm - 10pm
Sat-Sun: 11am - 11pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at King Albert Park MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk down Bukit Timah Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Joo Seng Teochew Porridge @ Upper Bukit Timah - Popular Teochew Porridge At Upper Bukit Timah

If I am looking for comfort food or supper near my home, Joo Seng Teochew Porridge at Bukit Timah will always come to my mind. I actually have not been back there for a while due to the construction of the Downtown line. With the completion of the Downtown line, traffic flow are smoother now and it is also easily accessible by the MRT.

Braised Duck 4/5

Braised Pork Belly 4/5

It was an impromptu meet up with my friends for dinner since they were near my neighbourhood. We ordered quite a number of dishes to go with our porridge. We could not resist ordering their braised items such as the Braised Duck, Pork Belly, Tau Pok and Pig Intestines. I always find that the rich flavour of the braised ingredients go well with the comforting bowl of plain porridge.

I enjoy Teochew porridge for the fact that I can still bite into the rice grains. Most Toechew porridge places also allow you to have it with more or less rice water, up to individual's preference.

Steamed Sotong

The Steamed Sotong was fresh and not overcooked (chewy). It has an enjoyable firm but yet bouncy texture.

Chap Chye 3/5

The Chap Chye may not be the best but it has been cooked to a nice soft texture. It also comes with crunchy black fungus.

Chye Poh Egg

Salty on its own but the Chy Poh Egg goes very well with the porridge. Somewhat crunchy from the preserved turnips, held together by the fluffy egg omelette.

After so many years, Joo Seng Teochew Porridge is still standing tall. The restaurant is always packed with customers whenever I visit the place in the evening. This is the go to place for Teochew porridge for many people staying in the West, even for night owls as the restaurant is opened until 4 in the morning.


Joo Seng Teochew Porridge
14 Cheong Chin Nam Road
Singapore 599738
Tel: +65 64630768
Nearest MRT: Beauty World (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 930am - 4am

Direction: 
1) Alight at Beauty World MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk straight to Cheong Chin Nam Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Fat Belly x Sugarhaus @ Serene Centre – Casual Speakeasy Steakhouse For Quality Steak And Delectable Desserts

A hidden gem situated within Serene Centre is Fat Belly, the new casual speakeasy steakhouse that opened months ago, co-sharing the same space with its sister brand and ice cream parlour, Sugarhaus. Helmed by banker-turned-food entrepreneur Stanley Seow, Sugarhaus runs the daytime business with its extensive brunch and desserts menu, while Fat Belly takes over for dinner from 6 to 10pm every night with its 10-seater countertop dining area at the back of Sugarhaus.

Although both eateries possess separate menu, we had the opportunity to try the dishes from both Fat Belly and Sugarhaus that night. The former focuses on specialty rather than variety with its straightforward and simple menu that offers only three alternative cuts of steak - Flat Iron, Short Rib and Denver Steak that boast stronger and more robust flavours, as well as a few sides and plated desserts to choose from.

Wagyu Marble Score 7-9 Denver Steak 4.5/5

The latest menu addition at Fat Belly – The Wagyu Marble Score 7-9 Denver Steak ($48) features a lesser-known premium cut from underneath the shoulder blade bone. Done medium rare, the slices are slightly charred on the outside while the meat is tender, juicy, well-marbled and packed full of rich, beefy goodness. Served with a house salad, chimichurri sauce and Himalayan pink salt to further enhance its flavours, yet the well-seasoned denver steak has already sufficed as an enjoyment on its own.

Creamed Kale 4/5

Add on an additional $5 for a side dish to complement your steak. Of the four available, we went for the Creamed Kale ($5) which comes in a bowl of vegetables doused in a pool of rich and luscious white cream and shredded cheese atop. Despite the generous amount of cream used, the dish is non-cloying and the kale retains a nice crunch, while the cream elevated its flavour and makes the vegetable rather satisfying to chew on.

Sauteed Thyme Mushroom 4/5

Another side dish available - the Sauteed Thyme Mushroom ($5) features a bowl of creamy and juicy mushrooms, slightly salted with a subtle thyme fragrance.

Foie Gras Chocolate Bar 3.8/5

Fat Belly also features a small selection of plated desserts. We had the Foie Gras Chocolate Bar ($12). Upon breaking the thin chocolate shell, the foie gras filling within comes in the form of ice cream. Taste-wise it reminds me more of a caramel-chocolate dessert, due to the lacking foie gras flavour which is too mild to detect.

Corn & Zucchini Fritters 4/5

From the Sugarhaus menu, we had the Corn & Zucchini Fritters ($15) which comes in golden brown fritters, crispy on the outside with a soft and mushy filling, sunny side up egg, bacon, a generous drizzle of okonomiyaki sauce, kewpie mayo and garnished with bonito flakes. Similar to a Japanese okonomiyaki but this rendition fares notches higher with its medley of ingredients contributing to a pleasant interplay of flavours and textures.

Melted Cheese Toastie 4/5

The Melted Cheese Toastie ($12) features a sandwich perfectly toasted and crisp on the outside, and stuffed full with Gruyere, cheddar and mozzarella cheese in between. Dip into the accompanying bowl of tomato soup for guaranteed satisfaction as it further accentuates the flavour of the melted cheese toastie.

Crab Linguine 4.5/5

The Crab Linguine ($22) features al dente linguine noodles with a subtle sweetness due to the generous amounts of soft shredded blue swimmer crab claw meat embedded within. It is further tossed in their house blended spices, supplementing a strong spice fragrance to the crab linguine that just elevated the entire taste of the dish.

The Galaxy 4.2/5

Round off the meal with desserts from the Sugarhaus's menu, such as The Galaxy ($8) which comes in a gorgeous galaxy-glazed dome. Breaking it apart reveals a rich chocolate mousse tart with crunchy bits within the ganache and a raspberry jelly center. The pastry boasts a rich, sweet chocolatey flavour with a hint of sourness from the raspberry that I really enjoyed.

Lemon Popsicle Tart 4.2/5

The Lemon Popsicle Tart ($8) comes beautifully plated with a lemon sable, parfait and meringue. Tastewise, it is not overwhelmingly sourish and boasts a subtle lemon fragrance. A truly unique dessert that fares well in terms of visual and taste.

Waffle with ice cream 4/5

The classic waffle-ice cream pairing never goes wrong, and the ones at Sugarhaus hold out its own even against the uniquely plated desserts. Waffle with single scoop ($9.50) and extra scoop at $2.50 each. We had the waffles with Dutch Chocolate, Strawberry Cheesecake and Sea Salt Toffee. The waffle boasts an airy light crispiness on the outside with a fluffy interior, while the ice cream is rich and creamy, with each faring strong in its distinct flavour profile.

Strategically housed within the same space, Fat Belly x Sugarhaus provide for a convenient one-stop to satisfy both your steak and desserts cravings. With such indulgent quality and affordable steak, we recommend coming in between 6 to 10pm to taste the menu from both eateries and get the best of both worlds while you're there.

Words and photos by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Fat Belly x Sugarhaus
Serene Centre
10 Jalan Serene
#01-03A/04
Singapore 258748
Tel: +65 63142247
Facebook
Nearest MRT:

Opening Hours:
Fat Belly
Sun-Thu: 6pm - 10pm
Fri-Sat: 6pm - 11pm

Sugarhaus
Sun-Thu: 11am - 10pm
Fri-Sat: 11am - 11pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Botanic Gardens MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Bukit Timah Road. Turn left and walk down Bukit Timah Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Botanico @ The Garage (Singapore Botanic Gardens) - New Dinner Menu With Grilled/Smoked Highlights

Botanico at The Garage (Singapore Botanic Gardens) has introduced a new dinner menu that is more casual and communal. The seasonality driven cuisine focuses more on grilled and smoked items from the wood-fired Inka oven for its new menu.

Cauliflower 4.5/5

Our dinner started with the Cauliflower ($10) which was very addictive. We could not stop going back for more of it. The cauliflower is deep fried and smoked in the Inka wood-fried oven and then tossed in a canarejal cheese cream mixture. Almonds which have been sauteed with butter and cumin is sprinkled on top of the dish and finished with kaffir lime zest.

Seabass Ceviche 4.2/5

The Seabass Ceviche ($18) is an unique dish with an Asian interpretation inspired from assam laksa. The diced seabass is dressed in the characteristic spicy sweet and sour relish of a classic ceviche. What elevated the dish is the addition of tamarind laksa sauce and shrimp paste ice cream. It excites my palate because it somewhat tastes familiar but yet foreign.

Charred Sucrine Lettuce 3/5

If you like something like and crunchy, then you will enjoy the Charred Sucrine Lettuce ($14). The Spanish sucrine lettuce is grilled in the Inka wood-fired oven and drizzled with arbequina olive oil and salt. It is paired with sunchoke puree, Kyoho grapes and pine nuts.

Foie Gras "Latte" 3/5

Why am I having a cup of latte in the middle of my meal? Well it is actually a Foei Gras "Latte" Soup ($15). Foie gras is blended together with chicken stock and cream to make the delicious broth. It is then topped with milk foam and finished with some black pepper. It is a comforting and flavourful soup but I could not really detect the foie gras in te rendition. Saying that I like the idea of the accompanying churro to dip into the soup, to soak up the delicious broth. It reminds me on how I would have my coffee with youtiao.

Pork Belly 4.5/5

Moving to the meats, we started with the Pork Belly ($12). The succulent Spanish pork belly is brined, sous vide and then grilled. The flavour is enhanced with the sherry glaze and this is complemented by the charred Sarawak pineapple. Lastly the dish is garnished with red vein sorrel for some acidity.

Iberico Char Siew 4.2/5

The Iberico Char Siew ($35) is what I called the premium bak kwa. The Spanish top loin marinated with housemade char siu sauce is smoked and chargrilled to perfection. Something barbecue pork can come across too sweet but this is well balanced. It is paired with carrot noodles and roasted carrot puree. While it is a very good dish, I find it not substantial for a meal, more like a bar snack.

Wagyu Beef Cheek 4.5/5

The Wagyu Beef Cheek ($32) literally melted by heart with its melted in the mouth texture. It is braised in red wine for 4.5 hours and paired with delectable picada. Parsnip crisp provided the extra texture to the whole enjoyment.

Beef Tongue 4/5

The Beef Tongue ($20) may sounds rather exotic but it is actually not as bad as what you may imagine. Putting aside the barrier, it is actually a very enjoyable dish with different textures and flavours at play. The thinly sliced beef tongue is dressed with chipotle mayonnaise and topped with mustard caviar and thinly sliced pickled celeriac.

Lamb T-Bone 4.5/5

Not many people enjoy the gamey taste of lamb but you will not find it with the Lamb T-Bone ($32) here. Rendered until tender, the meat is then marinated with hatcho miso for 48 hours before grilling in the Inka wood-fried oven. It is paired with smoked eggplant puree and complemented by the soy pickled tomatoes for acidity.

Jalapeno Ice Cream 4.2/5

Jalapeno Ice Cream ($14). This is really interesting. You get both savour and sweet which is inspired from the local rojak. Every scoop is a playful composition of flavours from the charred pineapple, dehydrated bacon financier crumble, fresh micro coriander and Jalapeno cream cheese ice cream.

Malt Ice Cream 4.2/5

The other dessert, Malt Ice Cream ($16) has a richer and bolder flavours. Guinness Stout is incorporated into 70% dark chocolate cake and gel with a scoop of horlicks ice cream. The dessert is then sprinkled with dehydrated sugar coated thyme and bits of chocolate meringue

Overall I have enjoyed the new menu at Botanico which is more casual and has incorporated a lot of Asian influence into the dishes. There is also a 5-course set dinner menu ($72) to celebrate a special occasion. Saying that I kind of missed the more refined menu when it first opened.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Botanico 
The Garage (Singapore Botanic Gardens)
via Cluny Park Gate
50 Cluny Park Road
Singapore 257488
Tel: +65 98311106
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Botanic Gardens (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Wed-Sun: 6pm - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Botanic Gardens MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk to Cluny Park Road. Turn left onto Cluny Park Road and continue walking down the road. At Cluny Park Gate, walk in and walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. {Map]