Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Urbana Rooftop Bar @ Courtyard by Marriott Singapore Novena - Launches New Chillax Weekend Breakfast With A Panoramic Scenery

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Nestled within level 33 of Courtyard by Marriott Singapore Novena is Urbana - one of the city's newest rooftop bar in an open-air setting framed by an infinity pool. Launching its new Chillax Weekend Breakfast menu available every Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4pm, diners can sit back, relax and enjoy lazy, lengthy breakfast fares at this highest rooftop bar in the Novena district which offers panoramic views of the cityscapes.

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Duck Confit & Waffle 4.2/5

All the breakfast specials on the new epicurean menu are prepared a la minute in the outlet's open kitchen. The first dish we had was the Duck Confit & Waffle ($18). Crispy, fluffy waffles, tender duck confit beneath crispy skin, and sealed off with white bean cassoulet and apple slaw which adds a nice crunch to the dish. Reintepreted from the classic Southern dish with duck confit, this rendition sees a perfect marriage of French elements to a traditional American dish.

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Pandan Nasi Lemak Omelet 3.8/5

The Pandan Nasi Lemak Omelet ($16) comes in a generous portion of pandan flavoured nasi lemak rice wrapped in a huge thin omelet, coated with chilli just below the omelet skin to give the dish a sharp kick of spice. The tender beef brisket rendang has a nice spice aroma to it, which provides a richer flavour to the nasi lemak rice. Paired with pickled cucumber and belinjo crackers on the side to give a crunchy texture to the dish.

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Urbana's Late Breakfast 4/5, Classic Egg Benedicts 4/5

The Urbana's Late Breakfast ($22) and the Classic Egg Benedict ($18) are classic breakfast dishes which is no stranger to the breakfast aficionados. The breakfast platter comes in hearty portions of pork/chicken/beef sausage, streaky bacon, homemade hash browns, herb tomatoes , waffles, sous vide egg and hollandaise sauce which is sure to satisfy all your breakfast cravings. As for the Classic Egg Benedict, no reinvention is needed and all the elements are well-executed - with poached eggs served atop ham slices on English muffins, complemented with a generous drizzle of Hollandaise sauce. Slice the eggs to reveal the oozy golden yolk, which just binds all the elements together.

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Truffle Grilled Cheese 4.2/5

The Truffle Grilled Cheese ($18) hits all the right spots with tomato, avocado, cheddar, emmental and truffle brie sandwiched in between grilled sourdough bread. The melty gooey cheese flaunts a perfect combination with the crispy toasted sourdough, and with its flavours further enhanced by the strong truffle fragrance from the truffle brie.

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Eggs Your Choice 4/5

The dish comes with an Eggs of your choice (we opted for scrambled eggs), on soft fluffy slabs of French toasts and crispy streaky bacon. Drizzle the maple syrup all over which adds a nice sweetness to the savoury dish.

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Pork Belly 4.2/5

A special seasonal item which was off the regular menu and only available from time to time, the Pork Belly features juicy tender meat with an enjoyable crackling crisp exterior.

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Complementing the Chillax Weekend Breakfast are gourmet dessert choices of liquor laced desserts of sliced cakes, jar cakes and slab cakes such as the Bailey Tiramisu, Black Forest, Pina Colada, Jar Cakes, Kirsch Cherry Brownie, Urbana Cognac Cheese Tart, Brandy Toffee Nuts Tart, Orchard Pick Normandine Tart, and more, priced from $7++ to $8++. As a special treat, for any main course ordered, all coffees are at $1 only.

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All the desserts are handmade from scratch by in-house chef. Some of my favourites are the Choc Fudge ($8++), and Bailey Tiramisu ($8++). The soft layers of coffee-dipped savoiardi biscuits, creamy filling and chocolate just come together seamlessly, with a strong bailey flavour infused within the tiramisu.

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Sip on cocktails from the beverage menu as you enjoy a lazy brunch afternoon at Urbana, such as the Tequila Sunrise, made of tequila, orange juice, and grenadine syrup and served unmixed in a tall glass.

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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.


Urbana Rooftop Bar
Courtyard by Marriott Singapore Novena
99 Irrawaddy Road
Level 33
Singapore 329568
Tel: +65 63782060
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Novena (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Sat-Sun: 11am - 4pm, 5pm - 1am

Direction: 
1) Alight at Novena MRT station. Take A or B. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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
Facebook
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]