Rider's Cafe

Tucked away inside the Bukit Timah Saddle Club off Eng Neo Ave, the main entrance of this whole place (which consists of Bukit Timah Saddle Club, Rider's Cafe, Mimolette, some hotpot restaurant and some other things) is pretty easy to miss if you do not look out for it carefully, as the one and only signboard at the main road is placed next to bushy trees and dusty driveways. Not advisable to come here without a car/taxi as it is a long long way uphill in order to reach any of the outlets in that place.

The lone ranger making his last rounds in the evening before he goes to bed.

Rider's cafe is supposedly famous for its breakfast items, which extends up to 3pm on weekends, but as we only got there around 7pm, we are only left with the dinner menu to choose from. The complimentary bread rolls are quite nice, warm and slightly chewy, although they came a little late(together with the mains).

Steak Frittes ($35)

Firstly, there wasn't much on the menu to choose from. Secondly, Steak Frittes was supposedly the special main of the day. So since i wanted something hearty coz i was starving, i decided to give this a try despite its hefty price tag. However, it was plain disappointing. Probably the saltiest and fattest steak i ever had (not to mention its supposed to be Angus beef?). Even the fries are nicer. Definitely not worth the price.

Riders burger ($17)

Nothing much to wow about also, with salty beef patties and normal store-bought burger buns, but for half the price, it was definitely more worth it than the Steak Frittes.

To conclude, Riders should only be visited for their breakfast. That will be the only reason why i will make the long journey there a 2nd time, and hope it doesnt let me down.

Riders Cafe

51 Fairways Drive

http://www.riderscafe.sg/

Special Post: Hinoki Japanese Restaurant

This special post is specially for a friend of mine, Chef Kenny, who has joined this new family at Hinoki few months back, and of course, also in support of the Japanese & their produce. For the ignorant few, as long you don't gobble down a whole raw salmon (or any other fish) from THAT province of Japan or its neighbouring provinces, you are definitely fine with a few slices of sushi/sashimi. At the very least, trust our AVA.

Chef Lawrence Chia - joint owner of Hinoki

Think he looks familiar? Yupz, he is the younger brother and former joint-owner of the famous Tatsuya Japanese Restaurant in Goodwood Park Hotel, now owned by Chef Ronnie Chia. After splitting with his brother to join his Master, and then leaving to set up another joint venture, before finally settling down here in Hinoki with a few other partners, Chef Lawrence, with 20+ years of experience under his belt, has charmed many of his loyal followers to support him where ever he goes, which also forms the basis of his "never-say-die" attitude, together with his passion for cooking and bringing quality Japanese food to his customers.

Chef Gary Ng & Chef Kenny Hew

Helming the sushi counter with Chef Lawrence, is Chef Gary Ng (his assistant & partner) with 20years of experience under his belt, and my friend, Chef Kenny, as their new protege-in-grooming. Despite his lack of experience in formal Japanese cuisine preparation, Chef Kenny's sincerity and determination to learn and willingness to take hardship are the 2 main qualities which convinced his mentors to selflessly teach him all they know, and groom him to be the next 板长.

Part of the "fish counter" which is going to be in our dinner!

And of course, fresh horseraddish (definitely not my cup of tea)

Chef Lawrence grating the horseraddish in front of us

Getting ready for dinner!

Complimentary Starter - Crispy salmon belly skin

I personally don't like fried skin because of its oozing oil, but for those who like pork lard, it is a good starter to have with beer.

Complimentary treat from Chef Kenny - half of a Japanese Fruits Tomato (U.P. $12 each)

When i saw the whole tomato, and heard the price, my jaws drop. I think only the Japanese are able to convince people to pay so high for such a small thing! That being said, it has a clean, sweet and fresh taste, imagine the sweetest variety of cherry tomatoes minus abit of the seeds.

Complimentary Salad - not my cup of tea too

Complimentary Starter no 2 - Century Egg Tofu

This was very interesting. Century egg sauce/puree smothered on a cube of silky soft tofu, topped with fish/tobiko roe, nice!

My dinner set - Sushi Bento ($32)

On a normal hungry day, this portion is just right for me to finish without feeling hungry after that, but last night was a not-so-hungry day, so cant help feeling that i kinda over-estimated my appetite (blame it on the very beautiful photo of this set in the Menu!). That aside, the seafood were fresh, portion of sushi rice to topping is just right (although Chef Gary claims that he purposely used less rice for me so i can eat more, lol), and the excitement of seeing your food prepared in front of you with concentration just gives you the determination to finish your food in appreciation of the chef(s) that prepared it. (PS: Tried as hard as i might, i still couldnt finish 1 and a half pieces of maki and 3 pieces of sushi rice, oops!). The chawanmushi that came with the set was different from those you get outside, there were no ingredients in it, just pure smooth steamed egg with a rich dashi stock.

Complimentary dessert - Matcha ice cream

Smooth and full of matcha flavour, definitely not the icy type you get in some supermarkets. Friend loved it so much, she wanted to order from the restaurant, but it only came in huge 2kg tubs, so too bad for her.

Complimentary Sake treat from Chef Lawrence

Sake Treat no 1- Unfiltered sake served cold

Smooth-tasting, and easy on the throat, this lightly alcoholic(13% i think?) sake tastes very subtlely of fermented rice, with 一点点的米香. Good for ladies who can drink.

Complimentary Sake from Chef Kenny

Complimentary Sake no 2 - Sparkling Sake

The Japanese's answer to a Moscato wine, this sparkling sake is much lighter and sweeter than all the other types of sake (7% i think), and is definitely a pleasant ladies' after-dinner drink. My favourite among all the sakes i have tasted so far, 1 bottle of it to myself is definitely no problem for me.

And finally, a group shot!

Many thanks to the 3 musketeers behind the sushi counter, Chefs Lawrence, Gary and Kenny for their hospitality and generosity with all the complimentary courses (both food courses and lesson courses). Do support them at this new place if you like Japanese cuisine, and like interacting with chefs. If you do not like crowds, its advisable to come for dinner instead, because lunch time will be pretty packed with the office crowd coming for a quick bento fix.

Hinoki Japanese Restaurant

22 Cross Street

#01-50/53 China Square Central, South Bridge Court

For reservations: 6536 7746

Special Post - Nostalgia: Singapore Food Trail

Another pictures-dominant post on the much hyped about (but kinda died down now) Food court in Singapore Flyer, touted to be a competitor of Food Republic.

Tried to get a picture of all the stalls below(i think i missed out the poh piah stall somewhere):

Old-school bottled drinks <3

Ice treats of yester-years

remember this stall in pasar malam?

Sin Ming Road Rong Chen Bak Kut Teh ($5)

The peppery-type of bak kut teh. Toughness of meat is acceptable. Abit expensive for the portion.

Newton Lim Kee Hokkien Noodles ($4)

Acceptable, but lacking of that "oomph" flavour. Probably the stock used to flavour the noodles is not flavourful enough, and not enough "wok hei". More adequately-priced than the bak kut teh.

Katong Keah Kee Fried Oysters ($5)

A little oily (duh), but at least the oysters don't stink. It is fried with chilli by default, so if you cant take spicy/chilli, please ask the owner to omit it before he starts frying. Goes well with the not-so-spicy chilli sauce provided.

Traditional Kopi

Cheng Tng ($2.80 i think)

Quite nice, clean flavours, not too sweet, quite alot of ingredients.

Overall, its just another high-priced food court like Food Republic, probably because of its location. But definitely cheaper than the other restaurants in the Flyer.

Singapore Food Trail

1st level, Singapore Flyer

Quentin's Eurasian Restaurant

Main entrance of Quentin's

Ceramic Mural at the reception of the Eurasian Community House

Iced black coffee & iced lime juice

Starter - Meat Cutlets (minced beef, potatoes, onions & spices fried together in a croquette-like patty) ($9)

Nothing very interesting to me, but friend thinks its not bad.

One of Quentin's signature dishes - Chicken Curry Debal aka Devil's curry (approx $16.80 i think)

Devil's curry is a dish that most Eurasian matriachs know how to cook, and usually served at traditional family dinners. Despite its fiery appearance (look at the chilli padis and chilli oil on the surface), its actually pretty acceptable for me (with rice of course) to go for a few rounds of this. The chicken is pretty tender (even the breast meat), and not too overcooked. A good portion for  about 4 people to share, if ordering other dishes.

And did i mention rice is free flow at only $1.50 per pax? And they are nice enough to let 2 small eaters like us share 1 portion of rice.

Sambal long beans (approx $12.80 i think)

This dish, on the hand, looks normal, but packs a very big punch! The minute it goes into your mouth, you don't feel much of it yet. But once it goes down your throat, wham! It hits you, and the heat will be there to stay no matter how much water i drink. Shiok for chilli-eaters!

Overall, you need to be able to take spicy food if you wanna dine here, because 70% of their dishes either have chillis, sambal or curry in them. Other than that, its not too bad, not too expensive, and a nice ambience for a small group dinner.

Quentin's Eurasian Restaurant

139 Ceylon Road

Eurasian Community House (free parking at small basement carpark)

http://www.quentins.com.sg/home.html

Pepes Indonesian Restaurant

Started by the wife of the ex-owner of Sanur Indonesian Restaurant, it aims to provide authentic Indonesian cuisine to Singaporeans and migrant Indonesians living here. 

Compulsory keropok & sambal @ $3

Well, crispy keropok? tick. spicy sambal? tick. "forced" compulsory addition to the bill? cross.

Tauhu Telor ($12.50)

I don't like eating heaps of fried tauhu (not even a small heap for that matter), so i didnt touch this dish. However, as it is one of the restaurant's specialty, my friend ordered it for herself to try. Verdict? So-so only, she prefers the one from Pagi Sore Restaurant, especially considering the not-so-cheap price.

Sayur Lodeh Vegetables ($8.95)

Deciding between this and the Sambal Kangkong, i went for this as it is one of the less spicy dishes. Overall, vegetables are as soft as i liked it to be, but the gravy is just not "lemak" enough.

Beef Rendang ($14.95 i think)

There were alot of raves about this dish online, so i had high expectations of it. But i was slightly disappointed when i realised that the beef wasn't as tender as i wanted it to be (but its not so tough that you have to use ur "bull's strength" to cut through it). Spiciness-wise, it was ok for me, providing just enough kick without burning my tongue. But for serious, hardcore chilli eaters, i think it won't have much impact on you.

Cumin Bakar aka Grilled Sotong ($15.95 i think)

The sotong was relatively tender and not rubbery, and had a little juice to it (or could that be the sauce?). But i wasn't expecting the sauce to be sweet, i guess i prefer seafood with salty sauce. Overall, it was ok.

Generally, Pepes is an ok place to bring Indonesian friends for a comfortable meal with aircon and all (the service i had was pretty good, probably because the place was only half full at that time), but personally i will not purposely make another trip there again. I believe there are better restaurants around.

Pepes Indonesian Restaurant

Lev 4, Takashimaya Ngee Ann City

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