Everything with Fries, Joo Chiat

A bad knowledge of Singaporean Bus Routes brought us to Joo Chiat when we initially intended to go to Parkway Parade. Therefore, we (Significant Other and I) decided to give Everything with Fries a try (down the corner from Astons, Joo Chiat). Everything with Fries (such a catchy name) was created by the same connoisseurs that brought us Awfully Chocolate. They have two outlets, the first in Joo Chiat and another at Holland Village.

Being a Saturday Evening, the cafe was rather crowded when we entered. We were ushered in by a friendly waitress who took the time to explain the concept behind the name (with every main course, you get a side of fries that are seasoned with either one of five flavors - Curry, Herbs & Garlic, Salt & Vinegar, Sour Cream & Onion or Original). You could also opt for a choice of shoestring fries (skinny fries, like that you get at Burger King) or chunky cut fries. 

The drinks were first to arrive - we ordered an Iced Lemon Tea and Lemon Soda. The Ice Lemon Tea was sweet - very sweet. In contrast, the Lemon Soda had a nice kick to it.

The menu offered a choice of 11 main courses - which isn't much, but just nice if the food is good. Our food of choice that night was the Wild NZ King Salmon ($18.90) and the Lamb Burger ($11.90). Both of us picked Shoestring Fries to go with our meals - the herbs we chose were Herbs & Garlic and the Salt & Vinegar... I suggest you bring 3 friends along so that you get to try every single seasoning ;)

Herbs & Garlic: (pictured with the Lamb Burger) The first bite of fries produced a cheesy taste with a light garlic aftertaste. After consuming half the fries however, I felt the fries were too salty with the seasoning and the delightful bite provided by the garlic was now causing a light sting on my tongue... I'm pretty sure I left with garlic breath that night.

Salt & Vinegar: (pictured with the Salmon) Personally I felt that the vinegar taste was absent in this dish... but I wasn't the one who consumed most of it. Significant Other found it average.

The fries were hot, crispy & not soggy - lovely, in other words (:

The Wild NZ King Salmon was as described in the menu. Overlaid with breadcrumbs on one side, it was crispy on the outside. Inside, it was a dream. The salmon was cooked sashimi style, slightly pink and translucent - it literally melted in the mouth. For $18.90, the portion size was generous as well. 

The Lamb Burger was amazing. Their handmade bun was baked with a light coating of butter that produced a slightly sweet crust surrounding light, airy bread. I was reminded of buns you get at the local market bread shops first thing in the morning! The lamb patty was handmade, thick and well seasoned. In between the patty and the bun was tomato and cheese - but with a slight twist. I dislike tomatoes in burgers. More often than not, they're not fresh or they uh... soggify the bun. The Everything with Fries incarnation is made with tomato relish - a godsend to people like me who love tomato based sauces and salsa but dislike the actual tomato fruit. Instead of a cheese slice, the lamb burger is made with cream cheese. Together... heaven.

A few notes - we weren't offered a choice between the Baby Caesar Salad or Coleslaw with our dishes (maybe they ran out of coleslaw?).  I also felt that the staff was 'pushing' us to have dessert even after we had decided not to - we took the menus they thrust into our hands just to humor them, but shouldn't it be a personal preference if I want dessert or not? Although, the next time I'm here I think I shall give the Nutella Tart or the Mille Crêpe a go. 

Ambience wise, Everything with Fries definitely needs to rethink the cafe design. The cafe is rather spartan, simply consisting of wooden furniture placed in a shophouse with white floors and stone flooring. I admit that the shophouse itself isn't very large per se - but I believe that the staff has tried to squeeze a table and chairs into every single square inch of the place. Even with a tiny gap between us and our neighbors, I'm pretty sure that Significant Other could have seen the high score on the Nintendo DS that the kid seating next to him was playing on (if he wished, duh). The environment would be much more pleasant if they had more spaces in between each table - at the expense of a possible longer waiting time during peak hours, of course.

Recommended for: Large Groups, Gatherings, Family, Yuppies

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Everything with Fries
458 Joo Chiat Road
S (427671)
Tel: 6345 5034

Opening Hours
Closed on Mondays
Tue - Sun: 12 PM - 10PM

The Tastings Room, Marina Square

The Tastings Room is a new establishment that opened on the 2nd of July 2011. Seeing that they were offering a 1-for-1 Pasta Deal, the boyfriend and I decided to have dinner here 2 weeks after it opened. The interior of this restaurant is more cafe-like than anything, with wooden chairs and tables. However, it gives off a classy vibe without being intimidating - I especially love the lights and the modern bar. The waitress that served us looked really young, but she was rather patient in explaining the numerous deals to us & service was definitely not an issue here.  

Describing themselves as a restaurant that specializes in gourmet food and wine, one would expect prices to be exorbitant. As of this post, every single main course on their menu is under SGD $30. On their website at the moment is a promotional wine retailing for $9.99 a bottle... need I say more? GO AND TRY THIS PLACE, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Fine, fine, I'll get on with the review.

I got the Truffle Wild Mushroom Spaghetti ($17.90) which featured spaghetti in a cream-based sauce with herbs, surrounded by mushrooms and crowned with truffle infused foam. Mix them together and voila!, a sinful hint of earthy smoky taste is incorporated into the pasta.

I liked this dish - I adore anything that has truffle in it. My only beef with it was that it was so rich and filling that I had to get the boyfriend to finish off most of it for me. Spaghetti always seems to be more filling than fettucini, penne, fusilli or other forms of pasta. Maybe it's a personal thing.

The boyfriend picked the Tomato Seafood Linguine which was a lighter and more refreshing choice. The tomato pesto that coated the linguine was lovely on the palate, and the seafood was fresh. 

  

Another thing about this place - I love the menus! They're adorable, colorful and filled with lovely quotes that make you want to order lots of wine, haha. If we had set aside more time for dinner I might have been tempted by the wines. Or the Chocolate Durian Cake. Or Aglio Olio. Or the Tiramisu. 

Somehow, I think a second visit (or three) are in the books. P.S. Eggs Benedict for $13.90! I <3.

Recommended for: Large Groups, Intimate Gatherings, First Dates (i.e. Everyone)

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The Tastings Room

6 Raffles Boulevard
Marina Square 
#01-08 (It's outside Marina Square Shopping Centre) 
S(039594)
Tel: 6338 1829

Opening Hours
Sun - Thu: 10 AM - 10 PM
Fri - Sat: 10 AM - 12 MN

White Dog Cafe, Vivocity

My friend Guitarboy and I chanced upon this quaint sounding cafe while looking for a lunch place at Vivocity. The White Dog Cafe boasts spectacular views over the waterfront. We were lucky enough to secure seats that directly face Sentosa (at the expense of being distracted by staff walking in and out of the door to the balcony). I ordered the Classic Beef Burger with an Iced Chocolate; Guitarboy decided on the Aglio Olio with bacon and extra mushrooms.

The Classic Beef Burger (a White Dog Signature Dish) was a 'The Works' style burger. I couldn't fit it into my mouth! Definitely a burger that requires cutting up. Or if you're the barbarian type, both your little pinkies need to be extended a full 90 degrees in order to successfully perform the Burger Hold.   

The beef patty was the BEST PART of the burger. Succulent, handmade, tender - all the things a proper beef patty should be. The bun was definitely fresh as well. Unfortunately, the vegetables in the beef burger didn't seem to be fresh. This problem was easily solved though! Also - I'm a fan of oozy eggs. Poached, Sunny side up, Oozy scrambled eggs - <3. This egg didn't ooze. At All. :(

Fries: Normal chunky cut potato goodness. However, they were slightly cool when the dish arrived. Dislike! The fries also lacked seasoning of any sort (although some might take this as a plus since they can salt & pepper the fries as they wish). 

Salad was served with a dollop of Thousand Island - nothing special although the vegetables were definitely fresher than the veggies in the burger. 

The Iced Chocolate was frothy... and sweet. REAL sweet. And it's not a rich sort of sweet that you get at Max Brenner's. My blood sugar definitely hiked even higher than normal because of this ... not worth it! 

All in all, I would think that there are many other establishments to visit and eat at if you're at Vivocity. As it is, I doubt I will be paying White Dog Cafe a second visit. 

Recommended for: Large Groups, Chill Out

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White Dog Cafe
1 Harbourfront Walk
#02-131/132 VivoCity
S(098585)
Tel: 6376 9970

Opening Hours
Daily: 11.30 AM - 9.45 PM