Plain Vanilla at The Plain

There was a cake shop- Plain Vanilla that was putting up a showcase of cakes at The Plain today.

I could not stay long enough to sample them but did they look good.

Don't tell me you are not drooling.

Location: 34A Lorong Mambong Holland Village
Website: http://www.plainvanillabakery.com/

Some updates in the area 31/3/12

Some news I read on Business times today:

News 1: Le Petit Cancale
Le Petit Cancale which is part of the the Deliciae group behind L' Entrecote, 83 and Sabio is finally opening next week in Duxton Hill. All their restaurants so far have been in the Tanjong Pagar Area. They are over running this area but fortunately, their food is alright. This place looks like seafood will be the focus.

News 2: Absinthe
Absinthe is relocating to Boat Quay end of April. I'm not terribly upset by this. The food there is good but not really unique. With so many places in Singapore popping up, I will say it's not really the place to go anymore compared to 3 years ago.
Apparently, taking over the Absinthe spot will be a restaurant called Hashi, helmed by former head chef of Nobu Melbourne, Tadashi Takahashi,

News 3: Le Nicholas
This is sad news to me. One of my favourite restaurants in the area Le Nicholas is moving on after 5 years in the Keong Saik Road Spot. It will reopen in a different area in Jul or August.

News 4: Fifty Three
Fifty Three will be moving to 42 Tras Street. I haven't had the chance to try this place and finally will.

Purple Mustard

Finally, a hotdog place and it's not bad!

I had the chorizo with beans, guacamole and sour cream. The bread was pretty decent. It was not the cheap hotdog bread in Ikea. It held the sausage and ingredients properly. The chorizo had some heat which was good but I didn't think the sausage was juicy or savoury enough. I wanted the juices to spurt out. The toppings were generous but it overwhelmed the taste of the sausage to the point that the sausage was no longer the star.
My opinion is that toppings should only complement the sausage not overwhelm it.

As for sides, chips are pretty good. I'm not sure about the coleslaw (needs to be creamer) or drinks. We had the Jamaican for our drink and I  think it's a bit too exotic for me. I rather have iced tea.

Location: 12 Gopeng Street, Icon Village 01-31/32
Website: http://www.facebook.com/purplemustardhotdogs

Group Therapy

I went to this place when it first started but haven't really been back since because they only had a limited menu when they started. 

However, it looks like they have expanded their menu to serve proper lunch.

Turmeric and Squid Ink ravioli with stuffed roasted mushrooms topped with tomato basil sauce

The above sounds fancy and looks good. It doesn't taste bad but I would say it looks better than it tasted. I would have preferred a simple ravioli with more stuffing as I could not taste much from the squid ink or turmeric. It was too mild to add any value. The tomatoes tasted a wee bit too tart without much juicy sweetness. There was truffle oil. While the aroma was in the dish, the taste was not evident. It would be better to use simple and fresh ingredients. Serving was also quite small for $20

Waffles with fruit, chocolate and maple sauce and almonds

The waffles weren't bad. But in my opinion, they pale in comparison with what you get in L'entrecote and Restore. I think warm waffles should always come with contrasting cold ice cream which this plate didn't have. Also the chocolate sauce was way too sweet and tasted like it came from cheap bottled stuff. For $12, I won't go back.

Group Therapy is a nice space and venue, but I find it too expensive for the quality of food. Service is a bit slow. But given I was not in a rush, that wasn't a big issue. 

Location: 49 Duxton Road 02-01

Website: http://www.gtcoffee.com/

Prices: I spent about $40 for a drink, main and dessert

NTUC Finest at the Amara

I heard that NTUC Finest is opening at the Amara.

I'm over the moon. I can get all my herbs, cheese, bread and cold meats at this new place.

http://hypermarketsandsupermarkets.retail-business-review.com/news/ntuc-fairprice-to-open-seven-outlets-in-vetnam-270112

Poster at NTUC in Tanjong Pagar

Bonheur Patisserie

This place has been opened for a while but I have only been there 3 times.

Cakes aren't bad but the reason for my infrequent visits is really because there are so many good choices for dessert in the TP area. Also I find the cakes quite expensive.

Opera cake

I went for a opera cake this time. It is layers of almond sponge soaked in coffee syrup layered with cream and chocolate ganache. It wasn't bad but wasn't spectacular which is pretty sad as the small slice was $7.50. I found the coffee cream too buttery and it didn't meld well with the other layers.

What I like there are actually the hot drinks- yuzu tea and hot chocolate. The hot chocolate was thicker than I would have liked it but at least it was rich and luscious.

Location: 70 Duxton Hill
Website: http://www.bonheurpatisserie.com.sg/
Opening Hours: Mon- Thu: 10am- 8pm; Fri- Sat: 10am- 10pm
Contact number: 62211148

Loola at Esplanade- City Hall

This is a restaurant by Awfully Chocolate.

Didn't think it was great for the price.

Lobster with pasta sheets

Lobster didn't have much taste and seems a bit rubbery. Pasta had too much salt for my taste.

Chocolate profiteroles

As you can see, this has a different texture from the normal profiteroles. More crunch. It was quite good.

I would say, have your mains somewhere else and come here for dessert.

Website: http://www.loolas.sg/

Location: Esplanade, 8 Raffles Avenue #02-14 

Prices: Main and Dessert about $60

Opening Hours: Sun- Thu 12pm- 10am; Fri - Sat 12pm - 12am

Contact Number: 63369563