SG Cafe Series: Charlie Brown Cafe

There aren't many cartoon-themed café in Singapore.  In fact, I think Charlie Brown Café might be the one and only one.  Located in 313 Somerset, it is easily accessible by public transport, food is reasonably-priced and is a pretty good place to chill out.  Good thing is - there is no service charge but GST is still applicable though.

That's a Charlie human-sized figurine that welcomes all guests into the café.  If you're a Peanuts comic strip fan, this is a place to check out.  Other than food and beverages, character souvenirs are be purchased here.

The café adopts a open concept, which means that it may get a little warm and humid especially during the warmer months.

Besides coffee, tea, baked pastries, they also serve all-day breakfast, soup, salad, sandwich, finger food and ala carte meal items.

Tried the fried chicken wings.  It was quite delicious.  The colour may appear a little dark but it was in fact, flavourful.

The café runs a membership programme and members are entitled to 15% discount.  Do make good use of the discount ^^

Charlie Brown Café
313 Orchard Road #01-25/25A (Discover Walk; facing open carpark)
Singapore 238895
Tel: 68365344
Website: http://www.charliebrowncafe.com.sg/

Getting there: Take the MRT and alight at Somerset Station.  At Exit B, turn left and walk in the direction towards Marche, until the outdoor section.  The café is on the right side.


Like my post?  Follow me at Instagram (@joslovesfood), Facebook (Joslovesfood) and Twitter (@Joslovesfood)! ^^

[Singapore Restaurant] Korean Food: Wang Dae Bak Korean BBQ Restaurant

Wang Dae Bak - this is a restaurant that I had wanted to visit since some time back but only get to do so now.  Friends, who are fans of Korean food, have been raving about this restaurant and after trying, there's no doubt that this is possibly one of the few Korean restaurants that serve pretty decent BBQ!

The restaurant isn't very big and the size of table is good for 4 pax.  The deco of the restaurant ie. the BBQ chimney, seats with round metal chairs, cylinder tank beneath the table top, resembles what you see in BBQ restaurants in Korea!

Side dishes - a total of 5 and all were really delicious.  We asked for refill and the service staff topped it rather speedily.

 

Each person is also given individual portions of condiments comprising salt, ssamjang for the BBQ meat and sesame oil. 

For the BBQ, we order a portion of pork belly and marinated chicken.  It came with tteokbokki and a bunch of enoki mushroom.

For lunch, the BBQ isn't cooked over charcoal.  Instead, it was cooked over the Korean-style hotplate.  Notice that the side of the hotplate is used the scrambled egg?  This is the first Korean restaurant, amongst the many that I have visited that uses such hotplate. 

Between the pork belly and the marinated chicken, it was unanimous amongst me and my friends that the BBQ chicken was really delicious!  And just to clarify, it is not the case that the BBQ pork wasn't delicious.   It was!  Just that the chicken BBQ was better!

And none of us would object that the seafood deonjang jjigae (bean paste soup) was delicious!  But note, for those who have not tried Korean bean paste soup before, the taste of this dish may take a while for one to used to.  Deonjang jjigae is made from fermented soy bean and hence, the fermented taste may be a little overpowering for some people.  Otherwise, for seasoned Korean food eaters, this is one place that I will recommend for deonjang jjigae.  

Andong Chicken is one dish that is quite subjective.  For people who haven't tried this dish and likes spicy food as well as stewed chicken, it is actually quite delicious.  But for those who have tried Andong Chicken in Korea, this would not be able to match up to the standard.  But overall, it is not a bad dish though.

The haemul pajeon (seafood pancake) is uniquely served on a bamboo-woven plate.  The portion was bigger than what we expected.  The pancake was quite nice too... thin and crispy at the edge.

We had also ordered the gamjatang (potato and pork ribs soup) and the dish was not impressive.  There wasn't any distinctive taste from both the potato and the pork ribs.  So... this is one which I will give it a miss.

Good news is that diners are entitled to 15% discount during lunch except for BBQ meat dishes.  You may also wish to try out the new dishes on their lunch menu.

Overall, the food, ambiance and value of food at Wang Dae Bak is good!  I will be back for more next time!

Wang Dae Bak
98 Amoy Street, Singapore 069918
Tel: 62260450
Opening Hours: Mon to Sat, 11.30am to 2.30pm and 5.30pm to 10.30pm
Website: www.wangdaebak.com.sg
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wangdaebak

Getting there: Walk from Raffles Place MRT station, Exit F.  It is approximately a 7 to 10 mins walk, depending on your individual speed.  With the opening of Downtown Line, it is in fact nearer to walk from Telok Ayer MRT station to the restaurant.



View Larger Map


Like my post?  Follow me at Instagram (@joslovesfood), Facebook (Joslovesfood) and Twitter (@Joslovesfood)! ^^

[Singapore Restaurant] Dim Sum @ Bosses Restaurant (黑社会), Vivocity

What's your favourite dim sum?  For me, it has to be liushabao (流沙饱 aka Lava Bun or salted egg yolk custard bun).  And we typically can judge the standard of the restaurant's dim sum from the quality of liushabao because this is one difficult recipe to master - in order to achieve the right consistency and flow of the filling.  The liushabao has certainly created a deep impression on me.  It is far better than those from other renown chinese restaurants serving dim sum.

If you're looking for a place for afternoon tea / dim sum, consider going to Bosses.  There are close to 50 items on their menu and they offer 30% off for their dim for orders between 2.30pm and 5pm.  Here's a list of what I like in order of my preference.

 

Signature Custard Lava Bun - soft bun skin filling with warm salted egg yolk custard

 

Fish Skin - Fresh and Crispy (Highly Recommended)

 

Ace Durian Mochi -  Filled with D24 durian.  It is beat eaten when chilled (Highly Recommended)

 

Famous Chilli Crab Tart - Bite-size crab meat that's fresh and springy.

 

Har Gow (Prawn Dumpling) - Fresh prawn dumpling in 3 different coloured skin.

 

Pan-fried Carrot Cake with XO Sauce - Not bad, not bad.

 Crispy Sesame Mango Prawn Salad Roll

 Shanghai Xiao Long Bao - Minced pork steamed bun.  There are better ones than these.

 

Premium Fish Maw steamed dumpling - I am not a fan of fish maw, that explains why it is on my low priority list.

Here's the full menu for the dim sum.  Prices range from $4.50 to $9.50 before taxes.  I will be back for more!

Bosses Restaurant
1 HarbourFront Walk, Vivocity #02-156/157, Singapore 098585
Tel: 6376 9740
Website: www.bosses.sg
Operating Hours:  11am to 9.30pm

Getting there:  Walk to Vivocity from HarbourFront Station



View Larger Map


Like my post?  Follow me at Instagram (@joslovesfood), Facebook (Joslovesfood) and Twitter (@Joslovesfood)! ^^

Korea Grand Sale 2014

The Korea Grand Sale is here again!  This is an annual shopping event held in Jan / Feb every year!  There are over 118 participating companies and 27,300 venues listed on the Korea Grand Sale 2014 participation list.  The participating companies range from shopping, accommodation, fashion, health & beauty, convenience stores, dining, entertainment etc. 

Get discount shopping coupons from the link below! 

Online Event - Korea Grand Sale 2014

Shopping in Korea is really good.  For a purchase amount as little as 30,000 won, you will be eligible to apply for tax refund.  But of course, you first have to ensure that the shop / brand offers tax refund for foreigners ^^  The process to get tax refund is easy.  Check out further details here and here.

SG Cafe Series: Korean Cafe Tom N Toms Cafe in Singapore

Missing the relaxing ambience of a Korean cafe?  I am sharing my favourite hide-out away from the hustle and bustle of shopping mall cafe - Tom N Toms cafe.  Located at a not-so-prominent Icon Village at Tanjong Pagar, the cafe plays the best of non-stop K-pop and most of the service crew are also Koreans.  The cafe may be full-house even during off-office hours but it is a quiet place to chill out.

There are 2 sections to the cafe.  The main cafe has piped-in music while the side section is quiet.  Students and office workers use the cafe for discussions and it is quiet a common sight.

 

(Main Cafe)

 

(Side Cafe)

Just like what is commonly seen in cafes in Korea, a pretty wall mural can be found at Tom N Toms.

 
The drinks selection is much more interesting than what we normally get from CBTL or Starbucks eg. cinnamon mocha, green mint mocha etc.  Food-wise, pretzel is a signature bakery at Tom N Toms.  But for the Singapore outlet, they do not serve pretzel.  Instead , they serve thicktoast bread with flavoured whipped cream as well as tortilla pizza.

 

(

Good news for those who needs to get online often.  The cafe provides free wifi!!  This cafe has been around for a few years, and I hoping to see more Tom N Toms in Singapore in the future!


Tom N Toms
12 Gopeng Street #01-12 ICON Village, Singapore 078877
 Tel: 62256313
Opening Hours: 7am to 1am

Getting there: The cafe is 2-minutes walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT station.  Use Exit A, walk along Choon Guan Street, turn left at Peck Seah Street.  Walk ahead and cross the junction at Gopeng Street.



View Larger Map

Like my post?  Follow me at Instagram (@joslovesfood), Facebook (Joslovesfood) and Twitter (@Joslovesfood)! ^^

Related Posts:
- Paris Baguette (click) 
- Little Prince Cafe (click)
- Kith Cafe (click)

[Singapore Restaurant] Bibigo: Hangover Soup, Feast Noodles and Grilled dishes in Korean Sauces

Trying out new Korean dishes is something I always enjoy doing!  These 4 new dishes on the Bibigo menu were delicious in their own way.  

Haejangguk, or squid and beansprout soup is popular among the working class in Korea since more than 100 years ago.  This is a quick and simple nutritious dish that has rejuvenating effect, since the drinking culture in Korea is really strong.  It is also known as the Hangover soup. It is essentially rice with soup, with squid and beansprouts as the main ingredients.  The squid was fresh and wasn't too tough to chew while the soup was light and refreshing.

Janchi Guksu, literally means 'Feast Noodles', which is a Korean noodle dish made of wheat flour noodles with a light anchovy-flavored broth.  This dish is served during special events such as during birthday parties and wedding feasts for centuries throughout Korea as this noodles symbolises longevity.  The texture of the noodles was really smooth like "mee sua".  Other than the slices of egg and vegetables, there was a piece of beancurd.  The soy chilli sauce, meant to be the tipping sauce for the beancurd was really tasty. 

Bibigo Spicy Chicken, the signature char-grilled chicken marinated in gochujang, red pepper sauce, served with seasonal vegetables.  Korean condiment, gochujang, is the most famous and most commonly used sauce in preparing Korean cuisine.  The primary ingredients for gochujang include red chilli powder, glutinous rice powder, fermented soy bean and salt.  This is a very tasty condiment when used for meat dishes.

The Spicy Chicken dish is really really quite spicy.  Despite the spiciness, it was really tasty.  The chicken pieces were well marinated and the meat was nice and tender.

 

Grilled Ssamjang Pork, was also very impressive.  Ssamjang is another type of Korean sauce which comprises gochujang, doenjang (crushed, dried and fermented soybeans), sesame oil, onion and garlic.  This sauce is typically used when eating BBQ dishes wrapped in lettuce.  For this dish, ssamjang was used as a marinating sauce instead and it was delicious!  The slightly charred pork brought out another delicious dimension to this dish.

Bibigo Hot Stone
Suntec City Mall Tower 3 #B1-107
Tel: 63385809
Opening Hours: 11am to 10pm
Website: http://english.bibigo.co.kr/global/globalSG.asp
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/bibigo.Singapore


Like my post?  Follow me at Instagram (@joslovesfood), Facebook (Joslovesfood) and Twitter (@Joslovesfood)! ^^

[Korean Food] First Specialty Store in Kimbap and Tteokbokki : Rolling Rice

Are you a fan of Korean Street Food such as mini kimbap (rice rolls), tteokbokki (rice cakes) and summer dessert patbingsu (shaved ice)?  Most Korean restaurants in Singapore serve main course dishes such as jjigae (stew), rice or noodles dishes and Rolling Rice is probably first to specialise in serving Korean street food in Singapore.  They are perfect for a light meal or something easy to take out, including their patbingsu.

Rolling Rice has more than 10 outlets in Korea and a few store globally including in Japan and Philippines.  I am really glad that they had chosen Singapore as part of their global expansion.

 

The outlet is conveniently located at the basement level of The Central.  It is the first stall that you see when you take the escalator from the street level.

Check out the menu!  There is a great variety of mini kimbap as well as tteokbokki in addition to popular Korean rice or noodle selection.  What I really like is that there is a selection of tteokbokki cooked using the Korean-traditional gochujang or the western-type cream sauce.  For those of us who have tried School Food (in Korea), Rolling Rice's concept is very similar to School Food's!

 

On my first visit to Rolling Rice, I was on vegetarian diet, and the silken tofu salad was perfect for me!

A wide selection of Korean drinks is available to go with your meal... The can on the left is Orange, center can is sujeonggwa, a traditional fruit punch made from dried persimmon, cinnamon and ginger, and the can on the right is shikhye, a traditional Korean sweeten rice punch.

Main course 1: Cream sauce tteokbokki.  This is similar to having pasta, just that tteokbokki replaces pasta as the staple ingredient.  The cream sauce is pretty light.

Main course 2: Spam (or luncheon meat in our local terms) kimbap.  It is basically rice roll with spam and pickled radish.  It comes with soy sauce to dip the kimbap, if you prefer a little savoury taste.

Main Course 3: Rice cake and dumpling ramyeon.  This is cooked using Korean instant noodles with pork or kimchi dumpling and sliced rice cakes.

Dessert: That's the main reason I was there for dinner - the patbingsu.  It is quite difficult to get patbingsu in Singapore.  Other than Paris Baguette (PB) and Seoul Yummy (SY), I do not know if any other restaurants that serve patbingsu.  Personally, I find the patbingsu to be the most authentic compare to PB or SY, even though it does not taste exactly like what you can get in Korea itself.  Good thing about the patbingsu at RR is the choice of regular ones with red bean or milk-flavoured / nut-flavoured patbingsu.

Take-away is also available for patbingsu.  The dessert will be packed in a container as well as in chiller bag!  The service stall are very friendly and easy going.  Do check it out!

Rolling Rice
The Central, Eu Tong Sen Street, #B1-49
Tel: 6222 0801
Opening Hour: Monday to Sunday 10am to 10pm.  Last Order is 8.30pm.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RollingRiceSingapore
Website: http://www.rollingrice.co.kr/

Getting there: Take MRT to Clarke Quay Station and take the connected exit to basement 1.  It is located near Crystal Jade Bakery. 



View Larger Map


Like my post?  Follow me at Instagram (@joslovesfood), Facebook (Joslovesfood) and Twitter (@Joslovesfood)! ^^