Orgo Bar & Restaurant

Physical address: 1 Esplanade Drive, Roof Terrace, #04-01, The Esplanade

Web address: http://www.orgo.sg/

The view from the Esplanade Roof Terrace (take escalator to level 3, then climb stairs to roof terrace) is excellent enough to put you in a good mood. Just choose a non-rainy day. :-) If I had known of this place earlier, I would be here to catch the fireworks every Saturday night in the month of July, as Singapore rehearsed for the National Day Parade on 9 Aug.

Besides food (see website for preview of menu), this restaurant cum bar specialises in "mixology cocktail" made from fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs.

By virtue of its location on top of the Esplanade, with stunning view of firework displays (in past recent weeks), this restaurant has held special events, including a "YOG Closing Ceremony Party".

Some food reviews of this place can be found in below website:

http://www.hungrygowhere.com/singapore/orgo/

The Royals Café

Physical Address: 19 Crescendo Bldg, Upper East Coast Road (beside Jalan Tua Kong)

Web Address: http://www.royalcakes.com/index.html

If you happen to be at Siglap looking for a cosy place for ice cream, coffee and cake, or something more savoury like nonya mee siam and pies, the Royals Café is at the building near the bus-stop on the same side as the more well-known Coffee Club and Café Cartel.

My favourite cakes are the Mocha Walnut (S$1.70) and Dark Chocolate Truffle (S$2.20). If you add 2 cups of fresh coffee (S$2.50 each) to go with the cakes, the total cost is only S$8.90 for 2 delicious cakes and 2 coffees (at the date of this posting). The nonya mee siam has a good review from the Sunday Times in Jan 2010, found here: http://www.soshiok.com/critic/article/10087

Customers' testimonials at the Royal Café's own website is below:

http://www.royalcakes.com/testi.html

There is no GST or Service Charge. Do feel free to leave a good tip if you enjoy your meal. :-)

Straits Chinese (Nonya) Restaurant

Physical Address: (Straits Chinese Nonya) 15 Queen Street, #01-03, Tan Chong Tower
Reservations: (65) 6339 3683 - for above branch
Branch 1: (Straits Chinese Seafood) 5 Shenton Way, #B1-16/17, UIC Building;
Branch 2: (Guan Hoe Soon Restaurant) 214 Joo Chiat Road
Web Address: http://www.straitschinese.com/

With the popularity of the Singapore TV Mandarin drama serial, "The Little Nonya" (小娘惹) [web address: http://littlenyonya.mediacorptv.sg/], we decided to try some Peranakan (nonya) food. This restaurant was recommended to us and we went in late Dec 08. We went for the ala-carte nonya buffet. The menu items were listed in Malay, although the waiters and waitresses were more than happy to explain the variety of authentic dishes to us in other languages.

There were 4 of us and at S$18.88++ per person, the bill added up to around S$90+. Unfortunately, the buffet promotion ended on 16 Jan 09, but do check out the website for other dining promotions and pictures/write-ups of authentic nonya dishes.

Dim Joy Dim-Sum

Physical Address: 80 Neil Road
Reservation: (65) 6220 6986
Web Address: http://www.dimjoy.com/

Do look out for the small red signboard that leads into a courtyard of the restaurant. It is one of the few places where you can have piping hot dim-sum for dinner, on a week-night. The delicious dim-sum we ordered were served one at a time, so they were steaming-hot when we ate them. We ordered 2 desserts which were served last, after a change in plates and utensils. Service was attentive.

Do check out the website for pictures of the dishes and try their chef's recommendations if you go.

We ordered 6 dim-sum dishes (S$3 to S$4.50 each), 2 dessert items (S$3.50 to S$5.50 each) and 2 x Chinese Tea (S$1.50 each). The total price we paid was S$38.25 (inclusive of 7% GST and 10% service charge).

Original Sin (By Michelangelo's)

Physical Address: Blk 43, #01-62, Jalan Merah Saga, Holland Village, Chip Bee Gardens
Reservations: +65 6475 5605
Web Address: http://www.originalsin.com.sg/index.htm

This is a Mediterranean vegetarian restaurant and a sister restaurant of the Michelangelo's Group of Restaurants. The cuisines are "divine, exciting and healthy" and do leave some tummy room for desserts.

We shared a "Japanese Eggplant" for Starter. For main course, we ordered "Absolut" pasta and a "Sicilian Pizza". Both were excellent choices. The high point of our dinner is always the dessert. We had a wonderful "Tiramisu" (served the traditional way that we like - soaked in liqueurs) and a heavenly "Dark Cherry Truffle" (S$10 each). We rounded off the evening with "Macchiato" and "Capuccino" (only S$5 each).

Total "damage" to the wallet: S$109.46 (inclusive of 7% GST and 10% Service Charge).

They have set-lunch too, if you happened to be in the neighbourhood during lunch time.

PS Café

Physical Addresses: 28B Harding Road; Level 3 Paragon Shopping Centre, Orchard Road; Level 2 Palais Shopping Centre, Orchard Road
Web Address: http://www.pscafe.sg/

Also known as "Project Shop Café", after the first PS Café opening in Paragon's "Project Shop". We went to the one at Harding Road on Sat afternoon for the weekend brunch (Sat and Sun, 9:30am to 5pm). The surrounding was very peaceful. It is a nice place to spend a lazy weekend afternoon, away from the shopping crowd.

Do check it out!

Otori Japanese Restaurant (closed?)

Physical Address: Blk 5, Lock Road, Gillman Village (closed on Sundays)
Tel: 6472 0282

Having just been to Japan 6 months ago in Oct 2007 (see my other blog: http://www.exotictravelnotes.blogspot.com/ ), I have been looking for Japanese food here that comes close to the authentic ones I have tried in Japan. I believe I have found it!

The sashimi (Japanese: 刺身) must not only be very fresh, it must be served at a certain temperature to get that refreshing taste. The maguro (tuna, Japanese: まぐろ) sashimi we had (S$18 (before GST) for a plate of about 6 slices) refreshed my memory, as it brought my memory back to Tokyo when I first tried it.

Thank you, Otori. Arigato gozaimasu. :-)

Equinox @ Swissotel the Stamford

Physical Address: 2 Stamford Road, Level 70 Swissotel the Stamford, Tel: 6837 3322
Web Address: http://www.equinoxcomplex.com/main.html

This is one of the best observatory tower cum restaurant in Singapore for tourists and locals, where you can have excellent view of the city while enjoying sumptous food or just having a drink. They are opened for lunch, hi-tea and dinner, but do call to make reservation if possible.

You can visualise the Singapore GP (Grand Prix) Formula One (Formula 1) route (official site: http://www.singaporegp.sg/), check out the construction progress of Marina Bay Sands Casino Resort, or even marvel at the Singapore Flyer (official site: http://www.singaporeflyer.com.sg/ ) while enjoying the buffet.

25 Degrees Celsius Café/Bar/Cookbooks/Test Kitchen

Physical Address: 25 Keong Saik Road #01-01, Tel: +65 6327 8389.
Web Address: http://www.25degreec.com/

This café cum restaurant also displayed and sold a wide variety of food-related books (cookbooks or other types of books on food). The café is located on Keong Saik Road (nearer Neil Road). The warm chocolate cakes and chicken wings were well-liked. They also served gourmet coffee/tea, sandwiches, wines, other types of tapas/desserts and provided a weekly dish using the recipé from one of the cookbooks they sell. The complementary ice-water was flavoured with strawberry.

For a coffee-break of cappuccino, hazelnut latté, coffee pudding and chicken wings, we paid only S$28.25 (after 7% GST and 10% Service Charge).

House - Barracks at Dempsey

Physical Address: Blk 8D, Dempsey Road, Dempsey Hill
Web Address: http://www.dempseyhill.com/tenants_house.htm

We dropped by the Barracks restaurant at Dempsey Hill on a lazy Saturday afternoon for coffee and cakes. If you are in Dempsey hill area, you may like to check out this restaurant. The utensils and cakes are served in army-style mess tins. There are a few private rooms which you can reserve for a cosier gathering of friends. Oh, see if you can guess the ladies and gents toilets (cat or rooster?) without looking for the answer on the map. :-)

We had the Cappucino Pudding, Strawberry Shortcake and 2 premium coffees for S$34.72 (inclusive of 7% GST and 10% service charge)

Bistro Petit Salut

Physical address: 44 Jalan Merah Saga (opposite Holland Village), #01-54
Web address: http://www.aupetitsalut.com/content/view/78/79/index.html

French dining needs not be expensive! We tried the set lunch (available daily, including Saturdays) which costed only S$22 per set. We upgraded the coffee to café latté (S$2 top up per person) and the total (S$24 x 2 = S$48++) was S$56.50 for 2 sets, inclusive of 7% GST and 10% service charge.

We had escargot, organic egg with salad, "Forty Garlic" chicken leg, Catch of the Day, créme brulée and chocolate ganache with whipped cream.

静思书轩. Jing-Si Books & Café

Physical address: 25 Trengganu Street, #01-12
Chinese web-site: http://www.tzuchi.org.sg/culture/intro1.html
English web-site: http://www.tzuchi.org.sg/en/Humanity/index1.html

Amidst the hustle and bustle of Chinatown, Jing Si (meaning "Still thoughts") Books & Café offers a quiet and meditative place for you to rest your feet and soul. You can read a good book, browse their publications or have a quiet chat with friends, while sipping hot beverages. They do not serve food.

Do check out the above website for more information.

[Advertisement: If you want to know some recommended self-discovery books, you can visit my other blog at http://www.lifelearningbooks.blogspot.com/ :-)]

Miss Clarity Café

Physical Address: 5 Purvis Street (opposite the National Library)

If you have not been to this place, do check out its website at http://missclaritycafé.com. We did say these are "exotic" dining spots in Singapore. :-)

Well, the food is not bad and affordable. The Purvis Street café (closed on Sundays) IS popular on Fri and Sat evenings, so be prepared to queue for a table.

IL LIDO (Italian Dining + Lounge bar)

IL LIDO (http://www.il-lido.com/) is located at Sentosa Golf Club. There are indoor(air-con) as well as outdoor (sunset-view) seatings.

We took a credit card's "1-for-1 promotion set dinner" in May 2006, so it will not be accurate to list our spendings for that night here. I am quite sure we had the Duck Breast, Atlantic Cod and Molten Lava Dark Chocolate Cake. The last dessert item could be Tiramisu, which is no longer in the menu.

You can check out the menu at the website. Phone reservation is highly recommended.