Vietnamese Cafes – Authentic Vietnamese Food in Singapore #7, #8 & #9

Posted on May 20, 2012 by K

[LEFT] Trung Nguyen Coffee – Authentic Vietnamese Food in Singapore #7
[RIGHT] The cafe was empty on a Saturday evening.

I wanted to order my favourite Legendee coffee but it costs more than $12 which i’m not ready to pay :P. I took the cashier’s suggestion and ordered a traditional Vietnamese coffee – Creative 4: Creation ($6).


[LEFT] Traditional Vietnamese Drip Coffee – Strong and aromatic.  It took awhile for the hot water to drip through the filter.  Trung Nygyen is probably not the right place if you just want a quick fix of caffaine.
[RIGHT] LIKE the cute coffeebean prints on the saucer.

Trung Nguyen provides a pleasant ambience to chill out with its spacious sofa seats (and not fight the weekend crowds in Starbucks) but I wonder how the cafe survives in the competitive F&B world given that it is always quite empty.

[LEFT] G7 Express Cafe – Authentic Vietnamese Food in Singapore #8
[RIGHT] Ice Vietnamese Coffee – You can choose between mild or strong coffee. The former contains 70% less caffeine.

G7 Express Cafe is owned by the Trung Nguyen group. G7 offers an instant coffee option (vs. the traditional drip coffee) and a wide variety of banh mi (Vietnamese baguette). I read in 8 Days that the name originated from Trung Nguyen’s desire to enable Vietnam to reach first world nation status and join the G7 nations by popularising its coffee worldwide.


[LEFT] Grilled Chicken Banh Mi – The baguette was nicely toasted.
[RIGHT] Generous serving of grilled chicken, pickled carrots, chilli, cucumber & parsley.

Do note that both Trung Nguyen and G7 also sell their products in-store at reasonable prices (i.e. $5 for the coffee filer and $4.80 for the instant coffee).


[LEFT] Baguette – Authentic Vietnamese Food in Singapore #9
[RIGHT] Signature Saigon Baguette
Both images from Baguette’s website

Baguette is one of the first few cafes to offer banh mi in Singapore. They have a few branches in Singapore now. I like the 3 inches banh mi option which make a great snack! I recall they serve a good curry rice dish too.

Both Vietnamese sandwich shops offer a value worth promotion (Do you smell a potential price war?)–


[LEFT] Baguette – Get a baguette of the day + soft drink @ $4.50. Daily promotion.
[RIGHT] G7 Express Cafe – Any baguette choice (except beef) + coffee @ 4.80. Daily promotion

The consumers are eventually the real winners. 🙂

BANH MI (Vietnamese Baguette) – Bought from a street vendor in Saigon.

Overall, the above 3 cafes offer Singaporeans a good alternative to the likes of Starbucks & Subway etc. However, I’m not sure whether the banh mi in Singapore would be considered as “authentic” by a Vietnamese. I tried banh mi in Saigon several times and found it to be radically different from the ones we have in Singapore. The bread is less crusty and the cold cuts have a strong (Read: weird) taste. I definitely prefer the “localized” banh mi we have in Singapore.

This market was previously dominated by Baguette but the influx of new players like G7 and Sandwich Saigon seem to indicate that there is huge untapped potential here.

Is Banh Mi the next big thing in Singapore? 🙂

Trung Nguyen Coffee
Tel:+65 6837 3314
Opening Hours: 9am – 11pm
Add: 177 River Valley Road, #02-34/36 Liang Court Shopping Centre, Singapore

G7 Express Cafe
Tel: +65 6636 4318
Opening Hours: 10am – 9.30pm
Add: 5 Changi Business Park Central 1, #B1-51 Changi City Point, Singapore

Baguette 
Tel: Multiple locations. Please check website.
Opening Hours: Multiple locations. Please check website.
Add: Multiple locations. Please check website.

Read Saigon Sandwich – Authentic Vietnamese Food in Singapore #10
Read Caphe East Vietnamese Cuisine – Authentic Vietnamese Food in Singapore #6 (Includes: Exclusive interview with Owner)
Read Casual Vietnamese Eateries – Authentic Vietnamese Food in Singapore #3, #4 and #5
Read A Stroll along Joo Chiat Road – The Little Vietnam in Singapore
Read Le Viet Café and Restaurant – Authentic Vietnamese food in Singapore #2
Read Long Phung Vietnamese Restaurant – A little piece of Saigon in Singapore

Posted in Café, Good Lunch Deal, Take-Away, Vietnamese | 9 Comments

[LCB] p = mV

Posted on May 16, 2012 by P

Getting back into the routine of school has proven harder than I imagined. Since the term commenced 2 weeks back, I have been struggling to get back the momentum…and as I sit down to figure out what went wrong, all I can think of is p=mV I figure I probably played too hard and became less disciplined/lazier during the holidays.

There may also be a few other reasons why I found it harder this term –

1) Am loading on a 5-day school week (Basic Pastry on top of Intermediate Cuisine) with average of 10 hours in school daily
2) Working as a cuisine trainee in the commercial kitchen on my 2 free days (Looking forward to ending work soon as this crazy schedule is not sustainable physically)
3) Class size is much bigger as they combined Mon-Wed group with Thu-Sat group this semester – with a total of 56 students. Large class size means less interaction in class, equipment cat-fights and pathetic kitchen bench space. DISLIKE!
4) Intermediate level is significantly faster paced (3 course meal within 1.5-2 hours) and there’s less hand-holding and the chefs expect alot more from us

I certainly miss my days in Basic cuisine where I have formed firm friendship with many of my classmates. But I guess it is time to break out of comfort zone once again and strive hard to gain back my momentum for this part of the journey.

To end off, this is one of the rare pictures I took of my creation this term (I have given up taking photo of all my dishes due to time constraint).

EGGS BENEDICT presented my way

Stay tuned on my adventures in Basic Pastry class!

Posted in Le Cordon Bleu Sydney - Australia | 2 Comments

[Malacca] Ole Sayang – Survival 101 Guide

Posted on May 9, 2012 by K

Ole Sayang is one of the most established nyonya restaurants in Malacca.

It is our “must-go” eatery whenever we visit the Malaysian state. However, the restaurant is always grossly overcrowded during meal hours and the service is really poor. After countless times to Ole Sayang – we finally found out how to have a peaceful meal there which i will share below.

First things first. Yes, the food in Ole Sayang is heavenly good!



[From Top Left, Clockwise] Otak Otak, Assam Jenak, Sambal Sotong & Itik Tim (Salted Vegetable and Duck Soup) – These are our all-time favourites in Ole Sayang. All of them tasted fresh, simple & home-cooked.


[LEFT] Kang Kong Goreng Cili (Sambal Kang Kong) – Nothing special.
[RIGHT] Beef Goreng Lada (Black Pepper Beef) – The beef was very oily and over-tenderized. A big NO-NO.

We will avoid all meat dishes in Ole Sayang next time. We tried the chicken dishes in previous visits and they tasted mediocre at best. Please do not waste your calories on them.

Chendol Kachang – Sweet ending to a great meal.

Now, let me share the necessary information you need to ‘survive’ dining in Ole Sayang–


1) Ordering (Menu above) – This is probably the most stressful part. The restaurant allows you to order only ONCE at the start of the meal. According to the staff there, you will mess up the orders in the kitchen if you make a re-order. We tested the system several times and no, there was no exception to this rule so far. TIP: Always order more

Do note that the tasty keropok they served right at the start of the meal (sometimes they might forget to serve as well :)) is available in takeaway packaging ($4 each).


2) Time to Visit – This is a photo of the crowd taken at 6.05pm and the opening time is….. 6pm. Do go either very early (1130am for lunch, 6pm for dinner) or very late (2pm for lunch, 830pm for dinner) to avoid the queues. It is very common to share tables with others during peak hours especially if you have a small group of 2-3 people.

3) Service – Non-existent. Might be better during non-peak hours.

In conclusion, go during non-peak hours, order everything possible right at the start and have zero expectations abt the service. This is the formula to an enjoyable meal in Ole Sayang! 🙂

Ole Sayang
Tel: 016-642 7413
Opening Hours: Lunch 11.30am-2.30pm, Dinner 6.00pm-9.30pm (Closed on Wednesday)
Add: 198 & 199 Taman Melaka Raya, 75000 Melaka
Spend: $15 per pax

Posted in Malacca - Malaysia, Peranakan, Restaurant | 3 Comments

[Sydney] Circa Espresso

Posted on May 5, 2012 by P

During my friend X’s recent visit to Sydney, we decided to check out one of the breakfast place that I have been wanting to try for awhile now – having read/heard raving reviews on it.

Located in Paramatta and surrounded by skyscrappers (Parramatta is a satellite CBD area in Syd), this quirky corner cafe is sitting on what used to be a garage – which explains its long and narrow floorplan.
It is tough not to be attracted to the bold graffiti both inside and outside of the cafe, coupled with decoration/ornaments that shouts out character. I LIKE.


[LEFT] MENU – printed on brown paper held together by a clipboard. Options wise, it would be nice to have a few more choices but they do change their menu now and then – smart move as it will keep the customers returning!
[RIGHT] Coffee-brewing area pressed against the wall at the right of the entrance – a common sight here in Sydney. Quite a cool and space-saving concept as customers benefit from the sight and smell of fresh coffee brewing….however, the noise (can be quite loud with the grinding and squeaking of the beans and dispenser) may annoy some. Note to those with more sensitive eardrums or who would like to enjoy an uninterrupted conversation: Do NOT sit next to the Coffee-brewing Area.


[LEFT] Long and narrow front of the cafe – as you can see, this cafe is not big and can likely sit just 30 people or less at a go. Expect to have to wait if you are popping by over the weekend.
[RIGHT] Cosy corner at the back of the cafe after the kitchen area – this area boasts deco of a different era compared to the cafe front. Renaissance-style sofa and book shelves (filled with books to read over a cuppa, yayy!) complete with dark colored walls and dim lightings – NICE.


MOCHA – Sadly I am not a big fan of coffee as I am caffeine intolerant. However, I have started on some coffee since I arrived in Syd as there are some simply irresistably good ones around – this one at Circa Espresso DEFINITELY qualifies as one of them good ones.


BANANA BREAD – A Singaporean friend has insisted I try out Banana Bread while I am here. I took the opportunity when I saw it on the menu – and did not regret it. Circa’s version of banana bread is finished off with passion fruit jam which worked quite well with the bananas.


BREAKFAST WRAP – My breakfast wrap was overflowing with fresh ingredients – except for the fresh tomatoes which I would have preferred to be of finer dice….everything was perfect. I also appreciate that skin of the wrap was toasted to the right level of crispiness.


BREAKFAST PAN with BACON – Unable to recall the actual name of this dish that X ordered but basically you get to choose the way you want your eggs. This breakfast served on the pan is yummy! However, I have to admit that I was  alittle shocked that they served it on a non-stick pan versus a more beautiful/presentable cast iron or copper pan typically used. Nevertheless, a tasty dish that I will order the next time I am there!

Overall, Circa is an awesome find and an establishment which has brought much joy to the folks in a vicinity that is lacking such cafes. It is a place I can imagine visiting any time of the day (Well, but they close at 4pm) to have my breakfast fix or simply to lounge on their gorgeous sofa with a cuppa on my left and my favorite book on my right.

Circa Espresso
Spend: Approx $15 per pax
Add: 21 Wentworth Street, Parramatta 0414 477 812
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 7am-4pm
Sat-Sun: 8am-4pm

Posted in All-Day Breakfast, Australian, Café, Sydney - Australia | Leave a comment

Eggs & Berries – Quantity vs. Quality 1-0

Posted on May 4, 2012 by K

Eggs & Berries is Food Junction’s latest F&B venture. I guess they caught up with the current “All day breakfast” craze in Singapore!

Bright, chirpy decorations – Very apt for a “breakfast place”. The restaurant was fairly crowded around 2pm.


Menu and Alcohol List – Offers a wide variety of Western food & drinks. There’s something available for everyone.


[LEFT] Pan-Seared Smoked Chicken & Eggs Set [RIGHT] Runny Poached Egg
(Top Left, Anti-Clockwise) –
Pan-Seared Smoked Chicken – Dry & tough. NEXT.
Rosti – Tasty but soggy.
Baked Beans – I take the canned version anyday.
Salad – Fresh & crisp greens.
Tomato – Topped with garlic and cheese bits. Unappetising and underbaked.
Poached Egg – You can choose the way you like your eggs (Overeasy/poached/scambled/sunny side up). I made the right choice – The poached egg was very well executed. THUMBS UP.

The restaurant should probably focus more on what they are good at (i.e. eggs). It’s such an irony for a dish named “Seared Smoked Chicken & Eggs” to have only ONE egg!


[LEFT] Butter Milk Pancakes – This is part of the pan-seared smoked chicken & eggs set. You can choose between pancakes or rice as the side. The pancakes came with 3 sauces (Chocolate, Maple and Raspberry).
[RIGHT] Latte – Cost more than Starbucks’ and barely half as good.

Overall – Eggs & Berries serves very value-worth meals (I can’t say the same for drinks, the latte costed $6.50++). Two small eaters can probably shared the “Seared Smoked Chicken & Eggs set” and that will just cost $5.10++ each. Eggs & Berries offers an “all day breakfast” option in the East and I may return (Since it’s near home) if i have a serious poached egg craving.

Can someone please bring  Yolk, First Watch, NY Bagel or Fairwood into Singapore?

In the meantime, my clear choice would be to head back to the pricey and snobbish Wild Honey for my all day breakfast fix. 😛

Read Some like it Haute’s open letter to Wild Honey. I can’t agree more with her on Wild Honey’s service.

Eggs & Berries
Tel: +65 6636 4212
Opening Hours: 8am – 10pm
Add:  5 Changi Business Park Central 1, #B1-37/38, Changi City Point
Spend: $19.50 (Note: There is a 10% off promotion for Citibank cards)

Posted in All-Day Breakfast, Expo, Restaurant | Leave a comment