Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Tea Cosy @ Plaza Singapura

Came to this tea place twice in the month of December, once with Miss MB and once with the sister. Have always passed by this place at P.S. with nary a glance (as I do with most shops in P.S.) until Miss Doraemon recommended this place to us for a gathering. It was a pity she couldn't join us that day though. 

Anyway, if you like angels, like to have tea (though they serve main courses as well), like a central location like Dhoby Ghaut, this is the place for you. Tea Cosy is made up of the cafe, a furniture shop as well as selling ornaments of angels. I like the ambience here, it's not too noisy even when it's filled with people, and the service staff are polite.



Ordered their Flower Power ($6.90 for a pot), a caffeine-free tea that claims to "relax the mind and bring comfort to the stomach". I wondered if it was a placebo effect, but my tummy did feel more settled down after drinking the tea. Miss MB ordered Sakura ($6.90), and we both agreed that Flower Power was the better choice.



Tea Cosy Decadent salad $16.95 -  A really decadent salad judging by its hefty price tag. Besides the herbivorous food there were also grilled prawns, and foie gras cubes. Of course, the foie gras cubes were minute but it was good to satisfy the palate. After all, we don't get to foie gras very often, do we?


English Scones ($6.95 for 3), with a choice of blueberry, strawberry jam or maple syrup. Blueberry jam is their recommendation. I loved the scones! Perhaps I was still longing for it after my Cameron Highlands trip where we had the loveliest strawberry scones, these tasted really good as well.




Lychee Breeze ($5.95) -  An average lychee drink, tasted like what you could make at home with canned lychees or get it at coffee shops.


Turkish Apple  $4.50 - Caffeine-free as well, tastes like apple tea. The flavour ran out after the first pour, whereas for Flower Power, it lasted quite a few rounds of refill. Perhaps that's also one of the differences between premium and non-premium teas; the premium ones are stronger to taste, and thicker.


Ebony & Ivory ($8.95) - Such pretty names, though some would say it's gimmicky, and I don't deny, but girls/ladies usually fall for this, isn't it? Chocolate fudge brownies with vanilla ice cream. Their vanilla ice cream tastes different from the usual ones we eat, I don't know what exactly is the taste, but it was good.



A nice place to chill and chit-chat with your friends, spend a quiet afternoon in town. They offer a fair selection of appetizers, salads, soups, main courses, teas, desserts and other drinks. I'll be back next time to try their mains!

How much was spent per pax: On average $20 per pax each time
Would I go back again? Yes!


Address: 68 Orchard Road #05-10 Plaza Singapura
Tel: +65 6341 9318

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Hacienda Cafe @ Dempsey


Brunch is all the rage these days, and my friend and I were looking for a new brunch place besides the well-known Jones the Grocer, Wild Honey, and Riders Cafe to name just a few. All credit goes to her for recommending this awesome brunch place called Hacienda Cafe, which is tucked at an inconspicuous corner (they all are, aren't they?) at Dempsey Road.

So what is it that makes this place different from the rest? In a phrase, affordable, delicious brunch in a quiet, intimate ambience. You almost feel like you're visiting somebody's home when you step into the premises.


Even the table cloth is a whimsical pink polka-dot pattern, which was very charming indeed! 
 


Have you ever wondered to yourself as you stare at the bacon and eggs on your plate if it's really worth its price? I have, so I was pleasantly surprised with the reasonable prices that Hacienda Cafe had to offer. I ordered an Eggs Benedict, $13.50 , apparently a must-try dish from their kitchen. I kid you not when I say that this is one of the best Eggs Benedict I've ever tasted. The hollandaise sauce was just right, not too overpowering on the taste buds but providing sufficient flavour to the dish. The eggs were very skillfully poached, with the egg yolk oozing out at a mere touch from the fork, and the bacon and ham, too, was of good quality; not too salty, and giving the dish an additional boost.



I ordered a Cafe Latte too to accompany the dish. It was sufficient to fulfill my coffee craving, but truth be told, the quality of the coffee was average and there was nothing much that stood out about it.

Service staff were just all-right, not as friendly as I would have expected, but they were responsive and accommodating enough to our requests.

All in all, Cafe Hacienda offers a nice, intimate setting in which you can unwind while having delicious brunch at reasonable prices. If the latte is anything to go by, the beverages are not as fantastic as its food, but overall this place is worth every penny, and is a nice place to hang out in with your friends for a lazy Sunday (or off-day, for that matter).

How much was spent: Approximately $20 per pax (inclusive of GST)
Would I come back again?: Yes!

Address: 13A Dempsey Rd, (S)249674
Tel: +65 6476 2922