A small hole in the wall south Indian eatery in Tanjong Katong.
If you are unfamiliar with South Indian cuisine this is a quick primer on South Indian Food. While the link is to Tamil food, the dishes described are also common to Andhra, Kerala and Karnataka cuisine.
First impressions
- Small with lots of tables
- Usually quite crowded
The Food
Simple south Indian food with a good range of dishes spanning idlis, dosas, vada, pongal and bisibela bath.
Their north Indian dishes are okay but nothing great. The south Indian dishes are very good. If you have not been here before you should try the bisibela bath and the pongal. Their south Indian meals are also good.
For coffee lovers the filter coffee is worth a try.
Is this place worth a visit
Yes. Simple yet good food.
Address
Udipi Ganesh Vilas
10 Ceylon Road, Singapore 429606 (MAP)
Tel: +65 63487708
Monday, December 27, 2010
Caffe Beviamo - Tanglin Mall
This place seems to inspire all sorts of reviews on the net going from terrible to out of the world. In my experience this is a nice cafe for breakfast / brunch on the weekends.
They also have another outlet at Paragon on Orchard road, where the food is similar but the service is a little tired.
First impressions
- Lovely ambience and good service
- Bustling cafe environment
- Come early, there may be a line nearing lunch (which seems to be true for any eatery at Orchard)
The Food
Go for the simple stuff:
1) The scrambled eggs and toast is good. The simple toast with butter and jam is also quite good.
2) Their Margarita pizza is small but tasty
3) Their coffees are good. You may want to ask them to make it hotter than usual. The hot Mocha is very good.
4) If you have a sweet tooth their collection of cakes and pastries is attractive. My favourite is their hummingbird cake with pineapples and topped with coconut flakes.
5) Lastly, their house pour wines are relatively inexpensive and quite okay
Is this place worth a visit
Yes. Good place for a weekend morning/ afternoon meal.
The fancy stuff like apple risotto (or is it vanilla risotto, I can't quite remember) sounds good, but is rather plain.
Address
Caffe Beviamo
163 Tanglin Road #02-K1 Tanglin Mall Singapore 247933 (MAP)
Tel: +65 6738 7906
They also have another outlet at Paragon on Orchard road, where the food is similar but the service is a little tired.
First impressions
- Lovely ambience and good service
- Bustling cafe environment
- Come early, there may be a line nearing lunch (which seems to be true for any eatery at Orchard)
The Food
Go for the simple stuff:
1) The scrambled eggs and toast is good. The simple toast with butter and jam is also quite good.
2) Their Margarita pizza is small but tasty
3) Their coffees are good. You may want to ask them to make it hotter than usual. The hot Mocha is very good.
4) If you have a sweet tooth their collection of cakes and pastries is attractive. My favourite is their hummingbird cake with pineapples and topped with coconut flakes.
5) Lastly, their house pour wines are relatively inexpensive and quite okay
Is this place worth a visit
Yes. Good place for a weekend morning/ afternoon meal.
The fancy stuff like apple risotto (or is it vanilla risotto, I can't quite remember) sounds good, but is rather plain.
Address
Caffe Beviamo
163 Tanglin Road #02-K1 Tanglin Mall Singapore 247933 (MAP)
Tel: +65 6738 7906
Alley Bar - Somerset
The Alley Bar is exactly what it sounds like, a small bar and restaurant tucked in an alley just off Orchard Road (sandwiched between Orchard Emerald and The Centrepoint, opposite 313 @ Somerset, Somerset MRT)
First impressions
- Laid back cafe feel
- Nice for a lazy Saturday afternoon tipple
The Drinks
They do have a decent menu, but we were more interested in drinks and some finger food (fries). The fries were fine (as fries almost always are).
The drinks were good. The mojito was particularly good, made with a good dose of rum and brown sugar. Unlike a lot of places serving cocktails in Singapore they had not been stingy with the alcohol.
Is this place worth a visit
Yes. Nice place to hang out and read a book or spend time with friends.
They have a good happy hour promotion until 4 or 5 pm on Saturdays.
Address
Alley Bar
Emerald Hill, 180 Orchard Road , Singapore (MAP)
Telephone: +65 6732 6966
Useful website with bar reviews
http://www.worldsbestbars.com/city/singapore/index.htm
First impressions
- Laid back cafe feel
- Nice for a lazy Saturday afternoon tipple
The Drinks
They do have a decent menu, but we were more interested in drinks and some finger food (fries). The fries were fine (as fries almost always are).
The drinks were good. The mojito was particularly good, made with a good dose of rum and brown sugar. Unlike a lot of places serving cocktails in Singapore they had not been stingy with the alcohol.
Is this place worth a visit
Yes. Nice place to hang out and read a book or spend time with friends.
They have a good happy hour promotion until 4 or 5 pm on Saturdays.
Address
Alley Bar
Emerald Hill, 180 Orchard Road , Singapore (MAP)
Telephone: +65 6732 6966
Useful website with bar reviews
http://www.worldsbestbars.com/city/singapore/index.htm
Usman - Little India
Usman is one of those places along Serangoon road which I had seen for almost a decade but never went in. It looked like a hawker center stall and seemed crowded and grimy from the outside.
Then one of my friends maddyks dragged me in for lunch on a weekend and the rest as they say is history.
First impressions
- Hawker center feel, partially open to the elements
- Crowds and waits on weekends
- Very friendly staff
The food
The food is Pakistani and is nice and spicy. The meat dishes look great but I don't know how they taste. The food here is mostly satisfactory, but on some days can be exceptionally good.
Their naan is very good (for the uninitiated, naan is an Indian flat bread cooked in a Tandoor). If you are watching the calories go for their tandoori roti instead. If you can afford to put on some weight, their butter naan is a tasty way of doing so.
Good vegetarian Dishes:
1) Palak Paneer (Spinach and Cottage Cheese) - my favourite here
2) Chole / Channa (Chick peas gravy)
3) Dhal (Lentils)
4) Alu Palak (Potatoes and spinach)
Their salted lassi and masala tea are also quite good.
Is this place worth a visit
Yes. Good food. Not a restaurant so don't expect an ambiance. Nice place to visit on Saturday afternoon for lunch if the weather is not too hot (come early as the vegetables and gravies tend to be fresher).
They are also open till about 3am and are a good venue for a late night supper. Very affordable. A vegetarian supper for 4 recently came to about SGD 25.
Address
Usman Restaurant
238 Serangoon Road Singapore 218085 (MAP)
They are located at the junction of Serangoon Road and Desker Road (the road just before Mustafa if you are walking down Serangoon road in the direction of traffic).
Then one of my friends maddyks dragged me in for lunch on a weekend and the rest as they say is history.
First impressions
- Hawker center feel, partially open to the elements
- Crowds and waits on weekends
- Very friendly staff
The food
The food is Pakistani and is nice and spicy. The meat dishes look great but I don't know how they taste. The food here is mostly satisfactory, but on some days can be exceptionally good.
Their naan is very good (for the uninitiated, naan is an Indian flat bread cooked in a Tandoor). If you are watching the calories go for their tandoori roti instead. If you can afford to put on some weight, their butter naan is a tasty way of doing so.
Good vegetarian Dishes:
1) Palak Paneer (Spinach and Cottage Cheese) - my favourite here
2) Chole / Channa (Chick peas gravy)
3) Dhal (Lentils)
4) Alu Palak (Potatoes and spinach)
Their salted lassi and masala tea are also quite good.
Is this place worth a visit
Yes. Good food. Not a restaurant so don't expect an ambiance. Nice place to visit on Saturday afternoon for lunch if the weather is not too hot (come early as the vegetables and gravies tend to be fresher).
They are also open till about 3am and are a good venue for a late night supper. Very affordable. A vegetarian supper for 4 recently came to about SGD 25.
Address
Usman Restaurant
238 Serangoon Road Singapore 218085 (MAP)
They are located at the junction of Serangoon Road and Desker Road (the road just before Mustafa if you are walking down Serangoon road in the direction of traffic).
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Ricciotti - Riverwalk
Ricciotti is a set of Italian pasta and pizza restaurants. One of their better locations is Riverwalk (the stretch of river bank between Clark Quay and Boat Quay).
First impressions
- Standard restaurant design
- Nice outside dining by the river
- Good service
The food
I was meeting my friend Ms. L^2 for lunch and given their amex offer this place was affordable. L^2 ordered an arrabiata and I ordered something on the menu with eggplant in it.
The pastas were nice, but not spectacular. The al dente feel of the pasta at this place is something I like.
After main course we ordered DESSERT (As TK pointed out - not "desert" like the Sahara) on a bit of an impulse (calorie consciousness and all). We ordered the SOFFIATO - a warm chocolate cake with chocolate chip ice cream, which L^2 had deemed a "must try".
The mains may have been par for the course but the Soffiato was excellent. The warm chocolate just melted in your mouth and the ice cream was lovely. I would not change a things about this desert.
Is this place worth a visit
Yes, especially if you are looking for a nice place by the river and for their great deserts. Their menu and prices are available on their website.
For lunch they seem to have a 2 for 1 American Express pasta offer which makes them more affordable.
Address
Ricciotti Pizza Pasta & Deli
#B1-49/50 The Riverwalk, 20 Upper Circular Rd. (MAP)
Tel: +65 6533 9060
www.ricciotti.com.sg
First impressions
- Standard restaurant design
- Nice outside dining by the river
- Good service
The food
I was meeting my friend Ms. L^2 for lunch and given their amex offer this place was affordable. L^2 ordered an arrabiata and I ordered something on the menu with eggplant in it.
The pastas were nice, but not spectacular. The al dente feel of the pasta at this place is something I like.
After main course we ordered DESSERT (As TK pointed out - not "desert" like the Sahara) on a bit of an impulse (calorie consciousness and all). We ordered the SOFFIATO - a warm chocolate cake with chocolate chip ice cream, which L^2 had deemed a "must try".
The mains may have been par for the course but the Soffiato was excellent. The warm chocolate just melted in your mouth and the ice cream was lovely. I would not change a things about this desert.
Is this place worth a visit
Yes, especially if you are looking for a nice place by the river and for their great deserts. Their menu and prices are available on their website.
For lunch they seem to have a 2 for 1 American Express pasta offer which makes them more affordable.
Address
Ricciotti Pizza Pasta & Deli
#B1-49/50 The Riverwalk, 20 Upper Circular Rd. (MAP)
Tel: +65 6533 9060
www.ricciotti.com.sg
Al Tazzag - Arab Street
First impressions
- Street side cafe type dining
- They had a dining room upstairs which we did not try
The food
Hummus, Baba ghanoush and bread. Mr. P ordered a chicken shwarma.
Food was so so. Nothing outstanding, portions were small and the bread was non descript. The chicken shwarma was apparently quite decent and is supposed to be quite good in this place.
Is this place worth a visit
For a vegatarian, NO. Even if you are not a vegetarian there are a million places in Arab Street with better food, service and atmosphere.
Dont have my bill to hand, but this place seemed more expensive than most.
Address
Altazzag Egyptian Restaurant
24 Haji Lane, Singapore 189217 (MAP)
- Street side cafe type dining
- They had a dining room upstairs which we did not try
The food
Hummus, Baba ghanoush and bread. Mr. P ordered a chicken shwarma.
Food was so so. Nothing outstanding, portions were small and the bread was non descript. The chicken shwarma was apparently quite decent and is supposed to be quite good in this place.
Is this place worth a visit
For a vegatarian, NO. Even if you are not a vegetarian there are a million places in Arab Street with better food, service and atmosphere.
Dont have my bill to hand, but this place seemed more expensive than most.
Address
Altazzag Egyptian Restaurant
24 Haji Lane, Singapore 189217 (MAP)
Beirut Grill - Arab Street
I love middle eastern food (naturally given that they have a spectacular array of tasty vegetarian dishes and most of the middle eastern restaurants in Singapore also serve sheesha).
Its a long story as to how I ended up at at Beirut Grill on 24 Dec 2010 (see bottom of blog for story).
First impressions
- Relatively standard restaurant design
- Nice ambience
The food
I love hummus and we ordered some, along with a lentil soup and given that the friend I was with already had lunch he (Mr. R) ordered a fresh cream, almonds and pistachios based desert called Oum Ali.
The hummus was okay (the version I ordered was with parsley). The texture was fine, the portions generous and the pita bread that came with the hummus was nice and warm (don't order extra bread unless you have company, the bread portion accompanying the hummus is more than adequate).
The lentil soup again per expectations though it could have done with more salt.
The Oum Ali was nice, but not really noteworthy.
Is this place worth a visit
Yes, especially if you are with company that is picky about being in a good looking joint (or with colleagues etc).
Hummus Beirut = SGD 8.00
Lentil Soup = SGD 5.00
Oum Ali = SGD 12.00
They have a 10% service charge but seem to be absorbing GST for now. Decent service. The owner actually seems to be middle eastern as does the chef (they were sitting and having coffee at a nearby table).
Address
Beirut Grill
72 Bussorah Street, Singapore 199485 (MAP)
Tel: +65 6341 7728
www.beirut.com.sg
The Long Story
- Decided to go to Malaysia by train. Spur of the moment. Closing Tanjong Pagar train station down in the middle of 2011.
- No tickets. Decided to go to Golden Mile, find tickets to KL to connect on train to north
- Went there. No tickets to pretty much anywhere in Malaysia. Going to Larkin in JB would have taken too long (wont have gotten to KL in time to catch trains going north)
- Decided to have lunch and sheesha at Arab Street (which is right next to Golden Mile Complex).
- Had lunch at Beirut Grill and headed to Brewerkz at Clark Quay for beers.
Its a long story as to how I ended up at at Beirut Grill on 24 Dec 2010 (see bottom of blog for story).
First impressions
- Relatively standard restaurant design
- Nice ambience
The food
I love hummus and we ordered some, along with a lentil soup and given that the friend I was with already had lunch he (Mr. R) ordered a fresh cream, almonds and pistachios based desert called Oum Ali.
The hummus was okay (the version I ordered was with parsley). The texture was fine, the portions generous and the pita bread that came with the hummus was nice and warm (don't order extra bread unless you have company, the bread portion accompanying the hummus is more than adequate).
The lentil soup again per expectations though it could have done with more salt.
The Oum Ali was nice, but not really noteworthy.
Is this place worth a visit
Yes, especially if you are with company that is picky about being in a good looking joint (or with colleagues etc).
Hummus Beirut = SGD 8.00
Lentil Soup = SGD 5.00
Oum Ali = SGD 12.00
They have a 10% service charge but seem to be absorbing GST for now. Decent service. The owner actually seems to be middle eastern as does the chef (they were sitting and having coffee at a nearby table).
Address
Beirut Grill
72 Bussorah Street, Singapore 199485 (MAP)
Tel: +65 6341 7728
www.beirut.com.sg
The Long Story
- Decided to go to Malaysia by train. Spur of the moment. Closing Tanjong Pagar train station down in the middle of 2011.
- No tickets. Decided to go to Golden Mile, find tickets to KL to connect on train to north
- Went there. No tickets to pretty much anywhere in Malaysia. Going to Larkin in JB would have taken too long (wont have gotten to KL in time to catch trains going north)
- Decided to have lunch and sheesha at Arab Street (which is right next to Golden Mile Complex).
- Had lunch at Beirut Grill and headed to Brewerkz at Clark Quay for beers.
What is this blog about
I am a twenty something foodie. I also happen to be a vegetarian (due to my South Indian Hindu upbringing). This blog is a catalog of my experiences in vegetarian dining in Singapore.
I am also a enthusiastic cook (which my flat mates have had to suffer as my lab rats) and shall try and put together some articles on cooking in Singapore, and resources available.
nmk
I am also a enthusiastic cook (which my flat mates have had to suffer as my lab rats) and shall try and put together some articles on cooking in Singapore, and resources available.
nmk
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