Surrey Hill Grocer @ Arena Country Club (Jurong) - Savours The Flavours of Australia At A Pet-friendly Cafe

Surrey Hill Grocer, located at Arena Country Club in Jurong, is a delightful local gem encompassing a lifestyle grocer and a cafe. This homegrown establishment proudly imports authentic Australian products and produces, offering Singaporeans a taste of the Down Under. During my recent weekend visit for lunch, the cafe was bustling with diners, including their furry friends, as Surrey Hill Grocer is a pet-friendly establishment.

Sweet Potato Fries 3.5/5

As we eagerly awaited our mains, we indulged in the chunky and satisfying Sweet Potato Fries. Crispy on the outside yet delightfully sweet and moist on the inside, these fries paired perfectly with the accompanying dipping sauce, creating a delectable combination.

Wagyu Bolognese 4.5/5

However, the star of the show for me was the Wagyu Bolognese. The spaghetti was flawlessly cooked to al dente, providing a delightful bite. Tossed in a sweet and tangy tomato sauce, it was further enhanced by generous parmesan shavings for an added savoury kick. With each slurp, the ample serving of minced wagyu was a mouthful of pure indulgence.

Melbourne Breakfast Avocado, Poached Egg 4.2/5

For those seeking a taste of Melbourne's vibrant cafe scene, the Melbourne Breakfast Avocado with Poached Egg will surely transport you back to those fond memories. A thick slice of sourdough bread is adorned with luscious Australian mashed avocado, whipped ricotta, vegemite emulsion, honey dukkha, micro herbs, and perfectly poached nuyolk eggs. This hearty breakfast platter will brighten up your day and leave you satisfied.

Hot Honey Fried Chicken Waffle 4.2/5

Another popular choice from the menu is the Hot Honey Fried Chicken Waffle. The crispy yet fluffy waffle is a delightful base for a juicy piece of twice-cooked fried chicken thigh, generously glazed with hot honey for a touch of natural sweetness. Balanced with torched cheddar and shaved parmesan, this dish is accompanied by maple syrup and butter on the side, adding a delightful contrast of flavours.

Strawberry Waffle 4.2/5

To complete our meal, we indulged in the Strawberry Waffle, a heavenly dessert that combines hot and cold contrasting sensations. The ice cream, drenched in a luscious strawberry sauce, alongside the burst of freshness from grapes, blueberries, and granola, culminated in a delightful and satisfying sweet ending to our dining experience at Surrey Hill Grocer.

Overall, Surrey Hill Grocer offers a unique and enjoyable dining experience. With its wide range of delectable dishes and pet-friendly environment, it's a place where food lovers and pet owners alike can come together to savour the flavours of Australia and create cherished memories.


Surrey Hill Grocer
Arena Country Club
511 Upper Jurong Road
#01-01
Singapore 638366
Tel: +65 80357497
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Nearest MRT: Joo Koon (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 10am - 9pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Joo Koon MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to Benoi Road. Turn left onto Benoi Road. Walk to Upper Jurong Road. Turn right onto Upper Jurong Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Joo Koon MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Joo Koo Bus Interchange (Stop ID 24009). Take bus number 99 or 974. Alight one stop later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes.[Map]

Estate @ Hilton Singapore Orchard - Unveils New Epicurean Buffet Offerings For Lunch And Dinner

Hilton Singapore Orchard's residential all-day buffet restaurant, Estate unveils a range of sumptuous new gourmet offerings on their spread for lunch and dinner from May 5, 2023 onwards. Diners can indulge in a tantalising variety of elevated local and regional dishes, each crafted with the finest and freshest ingredients to delight the taste buds and awaken the senses.

Guests looking to start their dinner light can first head to the Raw and Seafood Bar, where in addition to the succulent seafood available for lunch, diners can also enjoy freshly shucked seasonal oysters on ice and thick cuts of sashimi and sushi rolls.

Exclusively for dinner are the Premium Meats and Live Carvings of Estate Signature Black Truffle Roasted Duck with fried tofu and peanut crust, as well as the locally sourced Whole Barramundi with green pepper, chilli, potato, coriander and spring onion.

Another new highlight exclusive to dinner is a refreshed take on flavours for the Grilled Skewers, where carnivores will find a delectable range of meats well-marinated with homemade marinades created by Sri Lankan chef and butcher Bala from Estate's culinary team. Highlights include Chicken Shish Taouk, Fish Kebab, Beef Kofta, and Black Curry Pork Skewer.

The dinner buffet boasts a daily rotational menu of Western and modern Asian delights that will appeal to every palate. Diners who enjoy French specialities can indulge in the Baked Chicken with Dijon Creme Sauce and Grilled Angus Cube Roll with rich peppercorn brandy cream sauce.

The Carribean Coconut Mussel Curry is not to be missed, where perfectly cooked mussels are drenched in a rich and fragrant coconut curry sauce.

One of our favourites is the cooked-to-order Cantonese-style Wagyu Beef Handmade Noodles with tender beef tendon, white radish and a rich, soothing beef broth at the Noodles Kitchen.

Other Asian specialities include Szechuan-style Spicy and Soup with tofu, black fungus, mushrooms, sea cucumber and shredded chicken to start, and stop by the porridge station for a comforting bowl of Hong Kong-style Chicken Ball Congee with minced chicken ball, braised peanuts, century and salted eggs.

The dessert selection for dinner offers guests an even more comprehensive choice of toothsome treats like Rose Velvet Cake, Mixed Nuts Fudge Brownie, Bread and Butter Pudding. Diners can also head over to the Charcoal Waffle Ice Cream corner to enjoy freshly made charcoal waffles with creamy vanilla and chocolate gelatos.

Estate offers a range of sweet treats served in the restaurant’s iconic glass jars. Highlights include the Black Sesame Taro, Lychee Sakura Velveteen, and Coconut Pineapple Panna Cotta.

Estate Dinner Buffet
• Mondays to Sundays | 6:30 pm to 10 pm
• $88++ per adult (Sundays to Wednesdays)
• $108++ per adult (Fridays, Saturdays, Public Holidays & Eves of Public Holidays)
• Children aged between 6 and 12 years old dine at 50 percent off adult price. Children aged 5 years and below dine for free.
• Estate’s Lobster, Crab and Seafood Dinner Buffet (Every Thursday), priced at $158++ per adult

Estate Lunch Buffet
• Mondays to Saturdays | 12 pm to 2:30 pm
• $72++ per adult (Mondays to Thursdays)
• $78++ per adult (Fridays, Saturdays, Public Holidays & Eves of Public Holidays)
• Children aged between 6 and 12 years old dine at 50 percent off adult price. Children aged 5 years and below dine for free.
• Estate Grand Champagne Brunch (Every Sunday), priced from $158++ per adult

Prices include chilled juices, soft drinks, homemade iced tea, coffee and tea.

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.


Estate
Hilton Singapore Orchard
333 Orchard Road
Singapore 238867
Tel: +65 67374411
Website
Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 630am - 10pm
Breakfast: 630am – 1030am
Lunch: 12pm – 230pm
Dinner: 630pm – 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Somerset MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to ground level. Turn left onto Orchard Road. Walk down Orchard Road. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

The Hainan Story Coffee House @ Nex - Opens First Coffee House Concept In Serangoon

The Hainan Story has launched its fourth location in the heartlands of Serangoon at NEX Shopping Mall. It is also their first-ever coffeehouse concept - The Hainan Story Coffee House that will serve a selection of new exclusive dishes alongside classic favourites.

Hainanese Ah Mai’s Chee Cheong Fun 4/5

The Hainanese Ah Mai's Chee Cheong Fun ($7.80) features smooth rice rolls drenched in a spicy, savoury blend of four sauces: chee cheong fun, rojak, green chilli as well as light soya sauce. It also comes with fishballs and crispy wanton.

Hainanese Pig’s Trotter Assam Curry Noodle 4/5

The Hainanese Pig's Trotter Assam Curry Noodle ($9.80) consists of tender pork trotter, fish cake, hard-boiled egg, and yellow noodles in a sour-spicy assam curry gravy. It has a tangy, full-bodied flavour with subtle spicy notes.

Childhood Fried Chicken Wing 3.8/5

The Childhood Fried Chicken Wing ($2.80/pc) boosts tender and juicy meat. They were pretty standard, though I wished the wings could be meatier.

Hae Bee Hiam Spaghetti 4.2/5

Another must-try dish is the Hae Bee Hiam Spaghetti with Hainanese Fried Pork Cutlet ($12.80). A fusion pasta for those who are a fan of the Hae Bee Hiam (Dried Shrimps Spicy Sambal), the flavour was pronounced and aromatic. The spice level was also intense enough to give that fiery kick.

Classic Pandan Waffles 4.2/5

Dessert options include the Classic Pandan Waffles (from $2.20), which can be paired with sweet toppings like gula melaka kaya, nutella, honey butter, and even savoury flavours like avocado egg mayo. We opted to go with the gula melaka kaya, which was not too sweet and had a delicious gula melaka fragrance. The waffle itself also has the perfect fluffiness with subtle pandan notes.

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.


The Hainan Story Coffee House
Nex
23 Serangoon Central
#02-17
Singapore 556083
Tel: +65 97835757
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Nearest MRT: Serangoon (CC, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 8am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Serangoon MRT station. Take Exit B, E, G & H. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Firangi Superstar @ Craig Road - New Modern-Indian Champagne Brunch

Firangi Superstar at Craig Road has launched the Champagne Superstar experience, a new modern-Indian weekend champagne brunch. In the two and half hour long brunch, diners get to enjoy free-flow champagne together with a delicious selection of modern Indian dishes.

Diners can indulge in limitless Moet & Chandon Brut or Rose, or if it tickles your fancy, step up to Veuve Clicquot La Grand Dame.

The Champagne Superstar has three pricing categories:
- Marvelous: $88++ (Food only)
- Magnificent: $158++ (Food and free flow of selected beverages including Moet & Chandon Brut or Rose)
- Massmajestica: $328 (Food and free flow of selected beverages including Veuve Clicquot La Grand Dame)

To kick start the brunch, you need to choose to find either a Vegetarian or Non-Vegetarian Box. We decided to go for the Non-Vegetarian treasure box. Present in a wooden box, opening it unveils a collection of bite-sized morsels with a gentle Indian touch that is designed to excite.

Look forward to a selection of delicious morsels such as caviar puri, truffle puri, Mangalore banana buns, Seekh sausage roll, Semolina cake, Mushroom tart, Masala donut and Pepper fry croissant.

Served alongside the wooden box of bite size morsels are Avocado Kulcha and Kale Kachumber. 

If you think that is all, you are wrong! The treasure box of bite-size morsels is just only the starters. Next is the Mains, whereby you are given four options - Akuri, Prata Waffle, Fish & Chips and Baked Eggs.

The Akuri is a hearty breakfast platter of masala scrambled eggs, tomatoes and pav. The Prata Waffle is a modern take on the chicken waffle with Madras Fried Chicken and prata. Lastly, the Fish & Chips comes with Amritsari snapper with gunpowder fries.

Complete your brunch with a sweet ending with an array of desserts. Among the spread are several cake selections such as Carrot Cake, Red Velvet Peanut Cake, Oreo Cheese Cake, Honey Rum Chocolate Cake and Swiss Roll.

For something lighter, you can go for the Cinnamon Ginger Cookie or Masala Chai Eclair.

Overall, I enjoyed the Champagne Superstar experience a lot. It brings a new and unique modern Indian champagne brunch experience which sets it apart from the rest.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Firangi Superstar
20 Craig Road
#01-03
Singapore 089692
Tel: +65 63043022
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Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line), Maxwell (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 12pm - 230pm, 530pm - 1030pm
Sat: 530pm - 103pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Walk to Tanjong Pagar Road. Cross the road. Walk to Craig Road. Turn left and walk down Craig Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Maxwell MRT station. Take Exit 3. Turn righ and walk to Neil Road. Cross Neil Road. Walk to Duxton Road. Turn right onto Duxton Hill. Walk to Craig Place. Cut through Craig Place to Craig Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Working Title Riverside @ Kampong Bugis - Halal Cafe Offering Delicious Gourmet Burgers, Brunch And Coffee

Nestled beside Singapore's longest river, Working Title Riverside is surrounded by luscious greeneries, natural lighting, bicycle-friendly al fresco seating, with child and pet-friendly amenities. It was opened earlier this year at Kallang Riverside Condominium and has already garnered quite a following for its quality food and lovely ambience. The place was packed in the late afternoon, even on the weekend.

Working Big Breakfast 4.2/5

From the brunch menu, we had the Working Big Breakfast ($24) consisting of toasted sourdough, scrambled eggs, baked beans, grilled sausage, mushroom ragu, roasted tomato and tater tots. Every ingredient on the plate was executed perfectly, and we absolutely loved the well-seasoned and fluffy scrambled eggs.

Jammy Chicken Waffle 4.2/5

One of their most popular items is the Jammy Chicken Waffle ($18) which features buttermilk waffles, fried chicken, jammy sunny side-up, and maple butter with hot sauce on the side. The fried chicken was perfectly crispy on the outside and tender and juicy within. The buttermilk waffle was superbly fluffy and paired well with the maple butter.

Banana French Toast 4/5

The Banana French Toast ($18) came served with mocha granola, caramelised banana, chocolate ganache, lemon mascarpone and caramel sauce. The french toast has a slightly caramelised and toasted exterior while retaining a soft and fluffy texture within that we thoroughly enjoyed. Customers can opt to top up a scoop of gelato at an additional $3.

Truffle Tater Tots 4/5

The Truffle Tater Tots ($13) is definitely a safe choice for the less adventurous. The mini hash browns are perfectly crispy and drizzled with truffle oil and shaved parmesan.

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.


Working Title Riverside
Kampong Riverside Condominium
51 Kampong Bugis
#01-03
Singapore 338986
Tel: +65 87213153
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Nearest MRT: Lavender (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 8am - 6pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Lavender MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Crawford Street. Turn right onto Crawford Street and walk down Crawford Street. Cross the bridge at Kallang Riverside Park West across the canal. Turn left at Kampong Bugis. Walk down Kampong Bugis to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]