Talking Evilbean

Food Review: 2016 NEW Food Trend at Babette - The Fruit Spray

Singapore Food Review - Babette Restaurant and Bar

2015 was the year of red velvet, charcoal, salted egg, and Gudetama.

2016 has just barely started, but there is already an emerging food trend that is sure to be popular very soon:

INTRODUCING 2016 FIRST FOOD TREND OF THE YEAR - THE FRUIT SPRAY, exclusively found in Babette Restaurant & Bar. Read more about it at the desserts section below.

Let us first start with the mains.

Steak & Foie Gras Donburi ($28)

Babette Singapore - Steak & Foie Gras Donburi

One of Babette's signature dish - Steak & Foie Gras Donburi. The steak was DELICIOUS. This is how I love my beef - tender and juicy on the inside with just the right amount of marbling to lock in all the flavours. And if you are a fan of foie gras, you would not be disappointed by Babette's creamy and not so salty foie gras.

Duck & Waffle ($25)

This is quite an interesting combination - pairing waffles with duck (instead of the usual chicken). However, I thought that the duck leg was just average. The sunny-side-up was a tad too well done; the egg yolk did not flow. The waffles was good though.

Braised Pork Belly Okonomiyaki ($20)

Babette Singapore - Braised Pork Belly Okonomiyaki

I like the way they do their Okonomiyaki here! In order not to make us feel so "gelat", the pancake batter is made extra thin and crispy, making it a treat to eat. Plus, who can resist those pork belly?

Sea Bass Truffle Risotto ($20)

[NEW!] Sea Bass Truffle Risotto - asparagus, pan-seared sea bass and get this: JAPANESE rice risotto! I have never been a fan of risotto because I have mostly eaten hard, uncooked rice that destroyed about 4 of my teeth . This one? This is a risotto even my grandma with no teeth can eat - soft, mushy texture with aromatic truffle dancing Happy New Year on your tongue. BEST RISOTTO EVERRRRRR . Babette is on the Entertainer app, so it's Buy 1 get 1 free! Quote "2016EVIL to get $10 off the app! #5evilbeans #BabetteSG #Truffle #Risotto

A photo posted by Joey Ching How (@evilbean) on Jan 1, 2016 at 10:20pm PST

Yeap, this Sea Bass Truffle Risotto is no doubt the BEST RISOTTO EVER. IT'S TRUFFLE YO.

And the risotto, damn. How did they make it so soft, mushy and addictive? We cleared this plate faster than the time Miss Columbia had her crown. It's that good.

Honey Yuzu Ice Blended ($7)

Babette Singapore - Honey Yuzu Ice Blended

This Honey Yuzu Ice Blended is exactly what it is - a honey yuzu ice blend. This was so refreshing I had 2 glasses! Those little chewy bits of yuzu were a very nice touch to the drink.

Babette ($16)

How can you not order the cocktail that is named after themselves, right? The Babette is a concoction of passion lemon mint gin. And as you have probably guessed it, this is yet another refreshing drink that whets your appetite for all the food!

Sake Asari ($10)

Babette's owner and former 987 DJ Darren told us that these clams are one of his favourite sides. He would usually order these clams to go along with his meal because they are just.. very good to eat. Unlike the usual, the clams here are simply simmered with Japanese rice wine. Yeap, no butter.

Because that's how he likes his clams and he is the boss.

Chilli Crab Sliders ($13)

Tempura soft shell crab served with homemade brioche bun and drizzled with classic Singaporean chilli crab sauce. The chilli crab sauce was on point, with just the right amount of spiciness and flavours. I felt that the soft shell crab could have been better though. But then again, I am not really a fan of soft shell crab. You might like it if you love soft shell crabs!

Veggie Market ($9)

Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from this dish. HOW CAN SOMETHING LIKE VEGGIE MARKET EXCITES ANYONE?

But maybe that was their tactic, because my expectations were lowered and then, BOOM, the Evilbean is blown away by the goodness of this grilled assortment of veggies in dashi butter topped with furikake. The furikake, which is a combination of sesame seeds, nori, and other seasonings, was really fragrant and awakened every single tastebuds on my tongue.

It's also one of the healthiest side I ever eaten.

Honey Miso Drum Trio ($12)

Babette Singapore - Honey Miso Drum Trio

Chicken drumsticks glazed with honey miso. So big. So much meat. So good.

And here's the 2016 new food trend I was talking about:

Chocolate Pot De Creme ($13.80)

Babette Singapore - Chocolate Pot De Creme

Be one of the very first in Singapore to try this very "Instagrammable" and comparatively healthy trend - The fresh fruit spray. This could become a thing if cafes and restaurants start offering a myriad of fruit spray for their dessert. Not only is it fun to play with, it also adds genuine, fresh fruit flavours to your dessert!

This Chocolate Pot De Creme by Babette is nothing short of genius. Consisting of French chocolate custard topped with crumble, candied bacon and the orange spray, this dessert hits all the right notes of sweet and savoury, with a tinge of tang from the orange. Love the addition of the candied bacon!

This is a MUST-TRY!

Matcha Lava Cake ($12.80)

Green tea infused white chocolate fondant, vanilla ice-cream and premium azuki red bean make up this Matcha Lava Cake. As a food blogger, it can be dangerous to call something the BEST, because then you open up yourself to attacks on your statement.

But because I really loved this matcha cake, I am going to expose myself...

NO, NOT THIS KIND OF EXPOSE.

I meant exposing myself to the attacks for claiming that this Matcha Lava Cake is one of the best in Singapore. The cake was soft and not so crumbly that it feels like sand disintegrating in your mouth. The chocolate fondant was smooth and paired really well with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. And the beans were just a great palette cleanser. Another awesome dessert by Babette!

Tip: How to spend only ~$35/person for 2 at Babette

2x Honey Yuzu Ice Blended ($7)

1x appetiser: Sake Asari ($10)

2x desserts: Chocolate Pot De Creme ($13.80) + Matcha Lava Cake ($12.80)

2x mains: 2x Sea Bass Truffle Risotto ($40)

Total: $90.60

Use the Entertainer App for 1-for-1 Mains offer: $90.60 - $20 (Sea Bass Truffle Risotto)

Grand total after Entertainer App discount: $70.60! Split by 2 = ~$35 per person!

HOW AWESOME IS THAT? Dining out is so much cheaper with the Entertainer!

Babette's Rating (out of 5 Evilbeans):

(4)

Babette Restaurant & Bar

165 Tyrwhitt Road #01-03 Parc Sovereign Hotel,
Singapore 207569
Nearest MRT Station: Lavender/Farrer Park
Tel: +65 6341 7727

Opening Hours:

Daily: 11:30 AM - 11:00 PM

No comments

, by Evilbean

Food Reviews

Nan Hwa Fishboat - NEW Outlet at Owen Road!

Why are fishes smarter than "bee hoon"?

Because 鱼“骗”米粉...

Nan Hwa Fishboat, which is one of the oldest fish head steamboat restaurant in Singapore, has recently unveiled its second outlet along Owen Road. After 88 years of long queues at its flagship branch at North Bridge Road, the second outlet is finally opened! More places for fishes to con the bee hoon.

If you have been an old-time customer of Nan Hwa at its flagship outlet and thought that you have "tried it all", well, they have just made it harder for you to claim that title.

Opened in November 2015, this spanking new place offers a few new creations that are exclusive to this outlet.

Premium Dragon Grouper Fish Head Steamboat (S: $39 M: $48 L: $68)

Nan Hwa Fishboat (Owen Road) - Premium Dragon Grouper Fish Head Steamboat

Unlike other contemporary gas-stove steamboats, Nan Hwa insists on using charcoal for their steamboat, which results in the pleasant, smoky flavour of the soup. Also, for the first time ever, you can enjoy premium Dragon Grouper as the fish for your soup, which has a firmer texture and thicker skin than its counterparts. Nan Hwa also uses fishes that are free from parasitic attack and antibiotic-free - a huge assurance for this increasingly unsafe world.

Each pot of fish head steamboat takes over five hours to cook, prepared with the essence of fish bones and other secret ingredients.

For me, I found the soup to be quite light in taste, which can be perfect for those days when you are feeling under the weather, or just want something that is comforting and not so strong in flavours.

[NEW] Claypot Drunken Rice Wine Clam (S: $11.80 M: $20.80)

Nan Hwa Fishboat (Owen Road) - Claypot Drunken Rice Wine Clam

Wine clam is a dish that is more suited for old people like me, because I believe that not many young people would like the taste of alcohol in their food. The wine taste is not that strong in this one, but I loved that they added "gojis" into the broth, lending its sweet, herb-y taste to the clams.

[NEW] Champagne Pork Ribs (S: $12:80 M: $18.80)

Nan Hwa Fishboat (Owen Road) - Champagne Pork Ribs

You know this is delicious just by looking at the photo. With sesame seeds, almond flakes and citrus throwing themselves at the tender pork ribs, we couldn't help but to throw pieces of these into our bellies.

San Lao Hor Fun (S: $6.80 M: $12.80)

Nan Hwa Fishboat (Owen Road) - San Lao Hor Fun

This was largely a miss that day. When we had it, the sauce and seasoning were unevenly spread in the hor fun, so some of the parts were quite bland. The parts that had the flavours were pretty nice though!

Stir-fried Sambal Sotong (S: $11.80 M: $17.80)

Nan Hwa Fishboat (Owen Road) - Stir-fried Sambal Sotong

Sometimes, I blame myself for being such a spicy-lover ever since young. Having built up my tolerance for spicy food over the years, there are times when I wish I can get that 'chili kick' from dishes like this. Despite that huge slather of sauce on the sotong, the sambal did not even tickle my tastebuds. The sotong were tender and had a nice chewy bite to them though!

Although there were some misses when we went there that day, with 88 years of history, I am pretty sure that they will jump to fix any dishes that is below their standard to maintain their good reputation. Besides, there aren't many restaurants in Singapore that dare to claim that their fishes are antibiotic-free. If you want to be assured of the fish quality, Nan Hwa is the place for you.

Nan Hwa Fishboat @ Owen Road

93/95 Owen Road,
Singapore 218907
Nearest MRT Station: Farrer Park (Exit D)

Opening Hours:

Daily: 5:00 PM - 11:30 PM (Last order at 11:00 PM)

Thank you Nan Hwa Fishboat for hosting us and Brand Cellar for the invite!

No comments

, by Evilbean

3evilbeans

Food Review: Populus Cafe at 146 Neil Road. Why So Popular?

Singapore - Populus Cafe at 146 Neil Road

If there is anything cafe owners should know, it is to never underestimate the power of Instagram, especially in this era.

Hyped up by a number of instagrammers and bloggers, I decided to pop by Populus to understand exactly why they are so popz. (Pun level: Over 9000)

Like almost 75% of the cafes in Singapore, Populus adopts an industrial-themed decor with warm lights to make the cafe feel cosy. However, the space is quite cramped, which can make you feel a little bit claustrophobic.

I would usually expect a lot out of their coffees when cafes have "coffee" in their name. With a name like "The Populus Coffee & Food Co", I JUST HAD TO order their beans to try.

Iced Mocha ($7)

And sadly, this disappoints. The aroma of the coffee was muted and the chocolate wasn't rich enough to make you think this was an Iced Chocolate. The chocolate tasted more like the Milo our secondary school canteen auntie made - diluted to cheat poor students of their money, but this time, she accidentally spilled some coffee into it.

The Iced Mocha was not that bad, but it definitely failed to meet my expectation.

The Populus Scramble ($17)

Consisting of scrambled eggs, fresh herb melange, marinated feta, streaky bacon and toasted croissant, this Populus Scramble is probably what made the place so popular. The eggs were smooth, soft and creamy, as if they had never worked a day in their life. Just like Gudetama:

The croissant crumbles into a million pieces in your mouth with each bite, giving you a sense of satisfaction as the crispy layers dissipate on your tongue.

The bacons exist purely as a blanket for the Gudeta.. eggs. I mean eggs.

'Ginger Beer' Pork Collar ($23)

'Ginger Beer' Pork Collar - Charred ginger beer marinated pork collar, roasted butternut squash with spicy yogurt, honey coriander salsa verde and apple slaw. Yeap, we are in an era where we are drawn to food with soda (think root beer, Coke) because interesting food whets our appetite . The pork was tender, well marinated, and sweet (probably because of the ginger beer) but the spicy yogurt didn't stand out enough. The butternut felt out of place; I would have preferred mangoes. At $23, I expected more from this dish. At the very least, you could have given me a can of ginger beer. 🌚 #3evilbeans #PopulusCafe #pork

A photo posted by Joey Ching How (@evilbean) on Dec 28, 2015 at 3:22am PST

Populus Cafe - 'Ginger Beer' Pork Collar

Charred ginger beer marinated pork collar, roasted butternut squash with spicy yogurt, honey coriander salsa verde and apple slaw. Yeap, we are in an era where we are drawn to food with soda (think root beer, Coke) because interesting food whets our appetite.

The pork was tender, well marinated, and sweet (probably because of the ginger beer) but the spicy yogurt didn't stand out enough. The butternut felt out of place; I would have preferred mangoes. At $23, I expected more from this dish. At the very least, Populus could have given me a can of ginger beer.

We totally skipped the dessert when we saw the price of a sundae - $14 WHOPPING DOLLARS. And guess what? They charge an additional $5 FOR WAFFLES. Really guys? Are you going to charge such exorbitant prices for ice-cream? I can go to Sunday Folks and get a really good ice-cream+waffles at only $8.80.

All in all, I felt that this cafe is overhyped. The ambience wasn't that great, the space was cramped and their coffee was average. Besides, with their mains at the ~$20 range and ice-cream at $14, Populus cafe can make you go "pok" (bankrupt) very soon.

Click here to download their full menu.

Cafe Rating (out of 5 Evilbeans):

(3)