L’Espresso @ Goodwood Park Hotel - Afternoon Tea Buffet with English Classics and European Delights

From now until the end of April, L'Espresso at Goodwood Park Hotel presents an Afternoon Tea Buffet featuring English Classics and European Delights. You can indulge in a delectable array of European-themed sweets and savouries alongside traditional English Classics, which include quintessential sandwiches, a live Carving Station, and more. L'Espresso also introduces its latest Scone Bar, offering a delightful selection of freshly baked scones in assorted flavours.

Seafood Croquettes

Prawn Twister

Golden Crispy Battered Fish Fillet

The Hot Delights section is where you will find all the scrumptious fried morsels, such as Golden Crispy Battered Fish Fillet, Seafood Croquettes, and Prawn Twister. Each item is served with its respective pairing sauce — Tartar Sauce & Malt Vinegar for the English touch, Rémoulade for a French flair, and Roasted Garlic Aioli for a taste of Spain.

Spanish-style Chicken Drumettes

Pork Schnitzel

Grilled Bratwurst with Sauerkraut

For some meatier delicacies, there are Spanish-style Chicken Drumettes, Swiss-style Pork Schnitzel with Cheese, and Grilled Bratwurst with Sauerkraut. The Pork Schnitzel, reminiscent of the one I enjoyed in Vienna, was a delightful surprise. It was well executed - perfectly flat as it should be, with a tender texture that made each bite pleasurable.

Sourdough Pizza Margherita

Not forgetting the Italian touch, you can savour the Sourdough Pizza Margherita, where the simplicity of the ingredients accentuates the sourdough crust's airy texture.

Beef Bourguignon

One of the standout offerings was this French Beef Bourguignon. It was hearty and flavoursome, featuring tender beef cubes alongside chunks of moreish courgettes and soft, sweet carrots.

Croffle Herb-roasted NZ Beef Tenderloin

The Chef Action Station is also a key highlight of this buffet, offering freshly made Croffle topped with Herb-roasted NZ Beef Tenderloin. While the tenderloin was commendable, some inconsistencies were noted. My first plate was delighting with thin slices of beef tenderloin, yet the second serving was disappointing with an overdone tenderloin and a thicker cut.

Prawn Cocktail with Fresh Mango

Under the Sandwiches section, selections include Finger Sandwiches, Open-Faced Sandwiches and Croissant Sandwiches. Similar to hot delights, you get both a touch of English and European flavours — Prawn Cocktail with Fresh Mango & Lime Zest (English), Ham & Swiss Cheese (Swiss), Bocadillo de Atún (Tuna & Egg) (Spanish) and Basil Pesto Caprese (Italian).

Herb & Garlic Cheese Tartlet with Cranberry Compote, Smoked Salmon Bruschetta with Mascarpone

The Open Sandwiches offers dainty Herb & Garlic Cheese Tartlet with Cranberry Compote and Smoked Salmon Bruschetta with Mascarpone. I like how each small bite was so packed with mouthfeel and flavours.

Salmon Gravlax

Charcuterie

I visited this section the most for the luscious slices of Salmon Gravlax. The chilled section also offers a selection of Charcuterie with Pickles & Mustard.

Plain, Raisin, Coffee, Apricot, Pistachio & Maple Pecan Scone

As mentioned, a brand new Scone Bar has been added to the buffet menu, presenting an assortment of scones with new flavours such as Coffee, Apricot, Pistachio, and Maple Pecan alongside classics like Plain and Raisin. The Plain remained my top choice, followed by Maple Pecan for the additional nuttiness, which worked well with the wide selection of condiments, which even includes Lemon Curd and Caramel Banana, among others.

Tarta De Manzana

Desserts

I enjoyed the wide variety of desserts from various parts of Europe. The German Donauwellen (Marble Cake) was yummy with tart cherries embedded. The Spanish Tarta De Manzana (Apple Tart) is a must-try, boasting a layer of beautiful custard base topped with apples. Equally satisfying was the Swiss Apricot Cake, which highlighted the flavours of the summer fruit.

Limited-time Chef Specials will be available only twice during Monday to Thursday seatings and once during each seating from Friday to Sunday and Public Holidays. What was served during my visit was Creamy Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry and Peppermint & Strawberry Lollipop.

Afternoon Tea Buffet with English Classics and European Delights
8 March – 30 April 2024
Mon-Thu: 2pm - 5:30pm ($65 per adult/ $39 per child)
Fri-Sun & PH: 12pm - 2:30pm, 3pm - 5:30pm ($68 per adult/ $40.80 per child)

Photograph and written 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.


L'Espresso
Goodwood Park Hotel
22 Scotts Road
Singapore 228221
Tel: +65 67301746
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Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line, TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 2pm - 5:30pm 
Fri-Sun & PH: 12pm - 2:30pm, 3pm - 5:30pm (

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit 1. Walk down Scotts Road to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

Park Backerei @ ICON Village - Singapore's First Traditional and Authentic German Brezel Bakery

Park Backerei, Singapore's first German pretzel bakery, has established its abode at ICON Village in Tanjong Pagar. Founded by Dennis von Berlepsch and his wife, Jane Lee Richard, the bakery showcases an artisanal array of freshly handcrafted German pretzels, lye-dipped bread, and pastries, encapsulating the authentic flavours of Germany.

The star of the show undoubtedly is the hand-shaped Swabian-style Pretzels ($3.90), originating from Southwest Germany. Distinguished by its slender ends and plump midsection, these pretzels offer a unique twist on the classic. Unlike the denser versions I've encountered previously, Park Backerei's iteration presents a moist and fluffy texture that doesn't weigh you down. Each bite beckons another, making it hard to resist. For those seeking a lighter indulgence, the Mini Pretzel ($2.50) offers a petite option for a satisfying afternoon snack.

Venturing into savoury territory, the Cheese Pretzel ($4.50) and Mini Cheese Pretzel ($2.80) offer a delightful twist - infusing Park Backerei's exceptional pretzel with cheddar cheese results in a delectable interplay of textures. The exterior achieves a lovely golden-brown crunch while maintaining a soft interior.

However, the bakery's prowess doesn't stop at pretzels. The Karamel Igel ($4.40) stands as a testament to their creativity, featuring a pretzel bun adorably shaped like a hedgehog, complete with a sumptuous homemade caramel spread. Expanding their horizons, Park Backerei introduces a range of tantalising stuffed bagels and sandwiches, all crafted from their proprietary pretzel dough recipe.

For savoury bagel enthusiasts, the Jalapeño Cheddar ($7.90) and Caprese Pesto ($7.90) present captivating options. The latter entwines aromatic basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses for a lively flavour palette. On the sweet side, the Speculoos Apple ($7.50) bagel shines with its indulgent combination of caramelised apples, diced apples for texture, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Diverse sandwiches further enrich the bakery's offerings. Inspired by German flavours, the Sausage Kraut ($15.90) brings forth smoked bratwurst and crispy fried onions, complemented by a tangy apple-caraway sauerkraut and piquant mustard aioli.

A vegetarian delight, the Brie ($14.90) is a blend of brie, caramelised onions, thinly sliced apples, and salted caramel pecans, creating a captivating fusion of textures.

Adding to the excitement, Park Backerei embraces the Oktoberfest spirit with an exclusive Oktoberfest Package ($88). Available for delivery and takeaway from 15 September to 29 October 2023, this package includes six Plain Pretzels and an assortment of sausages, such as Thuringer Snail Sausage, Nürnberger Sausage, and Smoked Bratwursts, alongside a side of tart apple sauerkraut. This celebration of flavours and traditions is a fitting homage to Germany's world-renowned beer festival.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Park Backerei
ICON Village
12 Gopeng Street
#01-41/42/52/53
Singapore 078877
Tel: +65 87562029
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Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 8am - 7pm
Sat-Sun: 8am - 2pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk down Peck Seah Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Common Man Coffee Roasters @ Alexandra - New Outlet Housed In A Heritage Building

Common Man Coffee Roasters has recently opened its outlet at Alexandra, located in a beautiful heritage building outside Anchorpoint. In the evening, Common Man Night Shift takes over to provide after-hours sessions with food and wine.

Turkish Common Man Breakfast 4.5/5

Its menu has been updated with a few dishes. Under Breakfast, we had Turkish Common Man Breakfast ($29). Presented in a rather unusual way but equally tasty. We had a phyllo-wrapped soft-boiled egg on the plate accompanied by 2 crispy feta balls on a bed of green hummus, served with grilled pita bread. The egg was gorgeous with a jammy centre, and the green hummus was well seasoned with a good amount of spice that gave this dish its characteristic flavour profile. The toasted pita bread had a nutty taste, making it a good base for the dish's bold flavours.

Kouign Amann Toast 4/5

For a sweet breakfast item, Kouign Amann Toast ($25) is an excellent alternative to waffles or pancakes, featuring the popular Kouign Amann from TBB crowned with Vanilla ice cream, complete with a classic cherry-chocolaty combination of cherries, plume compote and chocolate sauce. The sprinkle of chocolate granola nuts and almonds gave the dish a delectable crunch and nuttiness.

Conti Sandwich 3/5

Under Lunch offerings, Conti Sandwich ($29) features Foccacia from TBB spread with sundried tomato, and shaved ham and rocket leaves are sandwiched in between. The Foccacia was excellent, with a fluffy and chewy texture and a pronounced rosemary flavour. Though Strataciatella and Pecorino cream were listed on the menu, there was little of it. Overall, it is still a decent sandwich.

Grilled Veggie Salad 3.8/5

Grilled Veggie Salad ($27) was vibrant with savoury and citrusy orange miso dressing and appetizing with a salty punch boosted by an addition of Anchovy cream. It was hearty with charred courgette, burnt cherry tomatoes, creamy avocado and a soft-boiled egg. The salad is topped with pieces of morish parmesan crisp for a textural crunch.

Chilli Chicken 4/5

Chilli Chicken ($32) features a Supreme cut chicken breast, a dish that celebrates warm flavours and that of spices. Despite its lean nature, the chicken breast was exceptionally succulent, enriched with a serving of creamy avocado salsa and starchy smashed sweet potato. The accompanying harissa sauce elevated the bold flavour profile, with peppery rocket leaves and pickle onions to cut through the savoury intensity.

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.


Common Man Coffee Roasters
368 Alexandra Road
#01-01
Singapore 159952
Tel: +65 6877 4872
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Nearest MRT: Queenstown (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon: 730am – 5pm
Tue–Thu, Sun: 730am – 10pm
Fri–Sat: 730am – 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Queenstown MRT station. Take Exit B or C. Walk to bus stop at Queenstown MRT station (Stop ID 11149). Take bus number 195. Alight 3 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Bar Intermezzo @ Orchard Hotel Singapore - High-Tea Semi Buffet With Free-Flow Dessert Bar

Bar Intermezzo at Orchard Hotel Singapore presents a High Tea Semi-Buffet with a free-flow dessert bar and a complimentary glass of Prosecco per person.

What I like about this semi-buffet is that there are three tiers of cold and hot savouries instead of the usual 1 or 2 tiers, which are enough to fill me up before I move on to the dessert bar. Freshly baked scones are also served with free-flow of coffee and tea.

Crab Cake with Saffron Aioli, Unagi Kabayaki Quiche

Prawn Vol-au-Vents, Gammon Ham and Truffle Cheese, Hokkaido Scallop Crudo

The variety of savouries offered is wholesome and hearty, even though they may be dainty in size. In particular, I enjoyed the Crab Cake with Saffron Aioli and Gammon Ham and Truffle Cheese from the hot selection. The latter was delectable, with a rich and creamy mouthfeel from the melted cheese, a classic combination done right. Both were perfect with my glass of prosecco.

Truffle Egg Sandwich, Black Angus Beef Tartar, Gravlax Salmon Sandwich

From the cold selection, Black Angus Beef Tartar stood out with an interesting combination of chocolate tart and beef, enlivened with a slice of gooseberry. The bitter-sweet notes from the chocolate tart went really well with the meat. Gravlax Salmon Sandwich was equally scrumptious with a luscious slice of Gravlax salmon.

Durian Chocolates

Jivara Tart

Praline Chocolate (with Alcohol)

The dessert bar offers a variety of small sweet bites, and my favourites are the chocolate items such as Praline Chocolate (with Alcohol) that literally bursts with alcohol and Jivara Tart. The Durian Chocolate made with creamy durian mouse with dark chocolate was also surprisingly delightful.

There's also a Valrhona Chocolate Fondue. Not as rich as I would like it to be, but decent enough.

Yuzu Tart

Macarons

Other sweet selections include tangy Yuzu Tarts and a variety of Macarons.

Bar Intermezzo's High Tea Semi-Buffet is available on Saturdays and Sundays, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM at $50 per pax (min. 2 pax to serve). For reservations: Tel 6739 6668 or Email intermezzobar.ohs@millenniumhotels.com

Photos and words 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.


Bar Intermezzo
Lobby
442 Orchard Road
Singapore 238879
Tel: +65 67396668
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Nearest MRT: Orchard MRT (NS, TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 10am - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit 4. Walk to Wheelock Place. Walk to traffic junction of Orchard Road and Angullia Park. Cross the road to Royal Thai Embassy. Turn left and continue down Orchard Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Angelina @ Marina Bay Sands Singapore - New Menu From The Iconic Parisian Tearoom And Patisserie

Iconic Parisian tearoom and patisserie, Angelina sits right above the Canal at The Shoppes in Marina Bay Sands. It offers diners a quaint dining atmosphere and a menu of savoury and sweets alongside its signature and world-famous L'Africain Hot Chocolate.

Diners can now expect a new menu of brunch (available from 11am to 2.30pm), starters, hot mains and desserts specially crafted in France. We sampled a number of their new dishes across the menu.

Oven-Baked Camembert 4/5

The Oven-Baked Camembert ($36.90) is well portioned to feed 2-3 pax. A whole camembert is oven-baked for 10 minutes to attain an oozy and molten texture. On the side, you will find a garden salad tossed with sliced apples, dried figs and roasted nuts, and toasted sourdough drizzled with balsamic dressing.

Oven-Baked Escargot 4/5

Another new starter that diners can look out for is the Oven-Baked Escargot ($23.50). A portion has six escargots, each coated with cream spinach, before being braided in parmesan garlic crumbs and baked to a golden brown top.

Club Sandwich 3.8/5

We enjoyed the fluffy and crisp toast used in the Club Sandwich ($27.80), which had a centre of chicken mayo and hard-boiled egg, topped with bacon and sun-dried tomato paste. You can opt for french fries or baby romaine lettuce salad as your side here. Our only gripe was that the chicken mayo portion could be much more substantial.

Fantasy of Grilled Seafood Aglio Olio 4.2/5

First of our mains was the Fantasy of Grilled Seafood Aglio Olio ($36.50). The al dente spaghetti is tossed in garlic, bird's eye chilli, parsley and extra virgin olive oil before being served with juicy Hokkaido scallops, a king prawn and mussel. The refreshing lemon cream foam adds a zesty touch and tempers the spice from the bird's eye chilli.

Smokey Atlantic Salmon Fillet 3.5/5

While it was beautifully presented by being unveiled from a glass dome of smoke, we found the Smokey Atlantic Salmon Fillet ($38.80) average tasting. The smokiness was nicely infused in the salmon, but considering the price tag, the overall dish with the accompanying shimeiji mushrooms, green pea puree, and raspberry coulis didn't surprise us as much.

French Duck Confit 4/5

On the other hand, the French Duck Confit ($32.90) impressed me. After being cured in fat and roasted for 5 hours in the oven at a low temperature, it resulted in flavourful fork-tender meat. The duck sat on mashed potato with caramelised onions and a bright honey orange reduction on the side.

Black Angus Sirloin Steak

My dining companions tried the Black Angus Sirloin Steak ($43.90), which uses 190g of US sirloin steak with sides of ratatouille, charcoal mashed potato and black pepper sauce. They found it decently flavourful and tender.

Passion Ananas 3/5

One of Angelina's new seasonal desserts is the Passion Ananas ($17). It has coconut, pineapple-passionfruit compote layered with coconut-pineapple-lime mousse on a soft lime biscuit. It was sweet with a distinct tangy kick of passionfruit notes.

Trocadero Pistachio 3/5

The second of its seasonal desserts, flown in directly from France, is the Trocadero Pistachio ($17). This piece features everything pistachio, with pistachio dacquoise and pistachio cream, solidified in pistachio paste and further coated with chopped pistachio. We appreciated how the elements were put together, but there was an almond-like aftertaste that I was not a fan of.

Paris Brest 3.5/5

The Paris Brest ($17) was our favourite dessert, though we still found it a tad pricey. If you are a fan of Ferrero Rocher, this may be up your alley. I prefer a crispier choux pastry for texture contrast, but otherwise, there's nothing to dislike about the nutty combination of praline mousseline cream, hazelnut crunch, caramelised hazelnut and hazelnut paste. It's rich without being cloying.

Mont Blanc 3/5

We ended our dinner with Angelina's signature dessert, the Mont Blanc ($18). It has a centre of meringue, chestnut puree and souffle whipped cream and a piped exterior of chestnut cream vermicelli. Unfortunately, my dining companions and I agreed that this was too sweet for our liking.

Overall, the ambience here at Angelina was lovely, but the prices were definitely steep. We enjoyed their savoury dishes significantly more than the sweets.

Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣), discovering hidden food gems and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Angelina
Marina Bay Sands The Shoppes
Canal Level
#B2-89A
2 Bayfront Avenue
Singapore 018972
Tel: +65 66887236
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Nearest MRT: Bayfront MRT (CC Line, DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 1030am to 11pm
Fri, Sat, PH Eve and PH: 1030am to 1130pm

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