Tino's Pizza Cafe @ Tiong Bahru Plaza - A Pizza Brand From Taiwan

Another pizza chain has come to our heartland area - Tino's Pizza Cafe, a brand from Taiwan, and has made Tiong Bahru Plaza their second home (first in RWS). In comparison, their set up is almost like a café rather than a restaurant, which is smaller and cosier, that make this place a good option for small gatherings.

Peanut Butter Fries 3/5

We started off with 2 dishes from their Tapas Menu - Peanut Butter Fries ($7.90) and Balsamic Mushroom ($9.90). Their fries were crispy and airy, and even without any sauce they were tasty on their own. The peanut butter sauce was oozy and sinfully delicious, but combing both can be rather lethal.

Balsamic Mushroom 4.2/5

Their Balsamic Mushroom really wins me over. Soft and juicy, these sautéed mushrooms were drizzled with a specially imported balsamic vinaigrette from Italy. Compared to the those in our local market which are rather thin and astringent, this vinaigrette is thicker and more balanced in taste. Hence, what we have is more of a rich and winey flavour without a too pronounced tartness. If not for the price, I could easily have two bowls of that.

For your pizzas, you can choose either Neapolitan (thick crust) or Roman (thin crust). The latter may look much bigger than the first, but both are actually made from the same amount of dough. We had their highly recommended Duck Caponata ($16.90) and the exotic Blue Formaggio ($22.90).

Duck Caponata 3/5

The broccoli brightened up the pizza, and its freshness worked well with the chunky smoked duck meats. The red bell peppers lent an additional smokey sweetness to the overall flavour. What Tino is proud of is their pizza's dough. Unlike the usual American dough which is often dense and greasy, theirs acquire a porous and chewy texture, like a ciabatta.

Blue Formaggio 3.8/5

Anything with blue cheese is tricky. It either works, or it doesn't. Made of blue cheese, padano and mozzarella, their Blue Formaggio is pretty impressive. The layer of honey glaze brought all the ingredients together - it mellowed out the astringent blue cheese, and refined the rest of them. The crushed walnuts lent a pleasant nuttiness to the now sweet-savoury cheeses.

Seafood Paella 3.8/5

If you ain't a pizza person, their paella will be a good option. Compared to those available in Spanish restaurants, theirs is quite affordable. We had Seafood Paella ($19.90), which is good for 3 to 4. Rice is specially imported from their central kitchen in Taiwan. The rice was fragrant with herbs, with a slightly charred bottom. A little less sticky would be perfect. Ingredients were fresh, with succulent prawns and firm, chewy squids. An element of their hometown was found - slices of king oyster mushrooms, which added a meaty texture to the rice.

Spica Crustar 3/5

You could also simply drop by for a less than usual dessert. We had Spica Crustar ($12.90), one of their most popular dessert pizza. It carried a comforting smell of cinnamon, like a warm apple pie being serve to me. To my pleasant surprise, there is really apple slices underneath the diced fruits. For their love of bubble tea, pearls is used as part of the toppings (which we all thought was blueberries). Drizzled with milk tea mousse, every bite was reminiscent of a cup of Taiwanese bubble tea.

Despite being a pizza chain restaurant, Tino's Pizza managed to standout by incorporating elements of their identity into the dishes. If you want a healthier version of pizzas, theirs may work for you.

Written and photograph 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.


Tino's Pizza Cafe
Tiong Bahru Plaza
302 Tiong Bahru Road
#01-160
Singapore 168732
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Tiong Bahru (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Tiong Bahru MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to destination. [Map]

Rokeby Bistro @ Jalan Riang - Launches A New Dinner Menu

If not for Rokeby, I wouldn't have the chance to get acquainted with this serene neighbourhood of Jalan Riang. The row of shophouses where it is located is pretty tucked away from the main traffic, however it is not difficult to spot this 4-year old bistro, when it has written its name right on the facade.

I love their steel and glass wall, which works well with the cracked concrete interiors to create that rustic look. As an Australian-inspired bistro, they offer hearty items such as Beef Ribs, Ox Cheeks Pasta, Ribeye Steak etc, which are wholesome enough for dinner.

Luncheon Nacho Cheese 2.8/5

To ease our hunger while waiting for our mains, we had Luncheon Nacho Cheese ($8.90) and Poached Egg Salad ($8.90). Strips of luncheon meat drizzled with nacho cheese and mayonnaise, this might get you wanting to reach out for some beer. However, I feel it might work better if the meat was stripped thinner for a crisper texture like fries, and a much bigger dollop of cheese than just a drizzle. After all, that's how we have our nachos with cheese right?

Poached Egg Salad 2.5/5

Perhaps I had my salad dressing at the side, my salad looked abit sad with just the baby spinach, sundried tomato strips and a poached egg. And the egg didn't even ooze.

Lobster Risotto 3/5

Our mains arrived shortly after we cleared our appertiser. The Lobster Risotto ($34.90), for half a lobster, this is certainly not cheap. Despite this being a fairly new item, I was quite surprised to see a few orders on the tables. Very luxurious looking indeed, and the smell of the burnt cheese and mornay sauce were enough to set us salivating. Perhaps it was being overcooked, the meat tend to stick onto the shell. It was still firm and bouncy but I would have enjoyed it more if the meat wasn't so coated with the creamy sauce. I'm not too sure if risotto, which is just as creamy, is an ideal pairing.

Duck Confit 3/5

The Duck Confit ($23.90) fares similarly to that. It had a crispy exterior which was quite enjoyable but some parts of the meat was slightly tough. The tart raspberry sauce, along with a couple of tangerines, cut the richness of the meat. For some reasons, the pineapple salsa was somehow missing in action.

Mud Slide 4/5

For desserts, we had their latest creation - Mud Slide ($10) which has currently surpassed the popularity of their Ghirardelli Molten Lava with Ice Cream ($9). Indeed, for climate like ours, this adult milkshake does its job in giving us the ice cold sensation, the satisfying creamy mouthfeel of a milkshake and the bitter-sweetness of a rum.

Ghirardelli Molten Lava 3.5/5

Molten Lava didn't pale in comparison. With a light tap on the tip, it erupted with warm dark chocolate lava. I appreciate the dense New Zealand vanilla ice cream which matched well with the consistency of the thick chocolate lava.

Rokeby is popular for their brunch items which you might want to consider when you just want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, especially on a lazy weekend.

Written and photograph 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.


Rokeby
15-9 Jalan Riang
Singapore 358987
Tel: +65 91060437
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Serangoon (CC Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 9am - 10pm
(closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Lorong Chuan MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Lorong Chuan MRT station (Stop ID 66391). Alight 1 stop later. Walk down Serangoon Ave 3 and cross the road onto Jalan Girang. Walk along Jalan Girang, take left of Jalan Girang at the intersection. Continue on Jalan Girang and turn right onto Jalan Riang. Journey time about 15 minutes.

2) Alight at Serangoon MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Serangoon MRT station (Stop ID 62139). Take bus number 107, 147, 153 or 853. Alight 1 stop later. Cross Upper Serangoon Road onto Wolskel Road. Walk along Wolskel Road and turn right onto Jalan Riang. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes.

3) Alight at Serangoon MRT station. Take Exit G. Walk to bus interchange (Stop ID 66009). Take bus number 105. Alight 2 stops later. Track back and turn right onto Jalan Girang. Walk along Jalan Girang, take left of Jalan Girang at the intersection. Continue on Jalan Girang and turn right onto Jalan Riang. Journey time about 18 minutes.