#8 Prego

Prego Level 1, Fairmont Singapore 80 Bras Basah Road Tel: 64316156 Lunch: 11.30AM – 2.30PM (Mon-Sat) ; Dinner: 6.30PM – 10.30PM (Daily)

PS: It’s winter truffles season@ Prego! From 1 November to 16 December 2012, Prego has actually launched a truffle menu for all truffle lovers.

Diners can choose a starter, main course and a dessert if they opt for the Prego’s Truffle Set Menu ($60). Otherwise, items are available in ala-carte as well. Prego has also an antipasti bar which serves freshly daily-made antipasti at $5 each.

The décor of Prego mainly consists of oak wood and gives the whole atmospheres a rustic countryside feel.

Wine trolleys are pushed to each table by a wine sommelier, recommending wines to diners to pair with their main courses. A rosemary and herbs-filled bagel is served to each diner before meal, accompanied by an olive and cheese spread.

The 2 out of 3 starters for the truffle set menu consist of Lobster Bruschetta and Crusted Scallops on Half Shell. The other starter which is not included here is the Veal Carpaccio. The lobster bruschetta has only a small piece of lobster tail meat on top of the racket salad and asparagus, drizzled with truffle vinaigrette. I can taste a tinge of truffle, not much though.

The crusted scallops on half shell have a truffle butter crust on it. The scallops are thick and moist. Same thing, not much truffle can be tasted from the crust.

The 2 out of 3 main courses consist of Truffle Risotto and Stuffed Agnolotti. The other main course which is not included is the Taglierini Pasta. The truffle risotto is decent and comforting. You can see the black truffle slices on top of the risotto. The portion is definitely filling. The forest mushrooms are fresh and the truffle taste is much stronger in this dish. I had a white Riesling to go along with my dish.

The stuffed agnolotti has roasted meat stuffings in it, accompanied by black truffle slices and an ample amount of truffle cream sauce. I do not really like the taste of the meat stuffings, just tasted a lil bit weird somewhere.

There are only two desserts on the menu which is the Housemade Tiramisu and the White Chocolate Hazelnut Cake. The housemade tiramisu is soft and airy but not moist. The taste of coffee is not very strong but it is nice to eat it with the sour berries served alongside. I did not taste any hints of truffle in the gold-colored truffle stones.

The white chocolate hazelnut cake is so nice! The cake is accompanied with chocolate truffle sauce and strawberry gelato. I can taste the rich truffle taste in the sauce and it went well with the cake. The white chocolate mousse is very light and sweet as it is white chocolate. The best part is the hazelnut cake, it is so dense and nutty! I love this dessert so much!

Overall, it was nice dining at Prego and the kitchen was not in haste to serve the dishes. The arrival and waiting time of the dishes was just aptly.

#7 Rich & Good Cake Shop

Rich & Good Cake Shop 24 Kandahar Street Tel: 62943324 Monday – Friday: 8.30AM – 5PM ; Saturday: 8.30AM – 4PM

PS: So far, I have only tried the Durian Swiss Roll, Pandan Kaya Swiss Roll and the Blueberry Swiss Roll. I have been spoilt by their swiss rolls after eating them for the first time few years back.

This is just part of the boxes the uncle has to fold every day. The swiss rolls are freshly made daily.

When you slice the swiss rolls, you can see the real stuffs in it! The pandan kaya swiss roll ($7.50).

Durian swiss roll ($7.50).

They also baked almond squares whole year round ($16/box). The almond squares are not that sweet. The baker puts some generous amount of almonds in it as you can see from the pictures. Fyi, the plastic container is re-usable.

#6 Ayam Penyet Ria

Ayam Penyet Ria Lucky Plaza, #01-45 Tel: 62356390 Daily: 11am – 9pm PS: Located at the back row of Lucky Plaza. It was not difficult finding this shop. You have to tick your orders on the order’s list before paying upfront at the cashier; only then the order will be processed. Ordered the Nasi Ayam Penyet, Fried Catfish Set, Tauhu-telor, Fried Enoki Mushrooms, Es Campur (Ice with mixed fruits) and an iced milo. In total, the bill was around $30. $15/pax is reasonable.

The meal in general tasted average, probably due to the fact that this is my first time trying Indonesian food and am not accustomed to the taste.

The Tauhu-telor was good. The peanut-filled gravy is very thick and fragrant.

Es campur is actually shaved ice with bandung syrup and evaporated milk. However, the Es Campur has only one pathetic longan with mixed chin-chow liked jelly in it. Shall try the Ice Chendol next time I visit this place again.

#5 Le Cuisson

French Inspired by La Cuisson 40 Holland Drive Tel: 83320302 Tuesday – Sunday: 11AM – 2PM (Lunch); 5.30PM – 9PM (Dinner) PS: Tucked away in a small stall at a coffeeshop, I have finally lay my tastebuds on Le Cuisson after two futile attempts earlier on in this year, first time being they have moved from Queen St, second time being they are not open on Mondays. However, it was quite a disappointment that their dishes get cold so quickly (or they weren’t very hot to begin with?). Waiting time: 10 – 15 mins.

Ordered the Foie Gras Salad ($10) and the Beef Ragout with Ravioli ($15). The Foie Gras Salad comprises of a small piece of foie gras, caramelized apples and greens including green and purple lettuces drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Sad to say, the greens were not fresh at all. The greens tasted like it has been wash and handled for a period of time.

The portion of the Beef Ragout with Ravioli is really generous. However, for late lunch, I could not finish all the ravioli, and I left half a plate untouched. The beef ragout is not flavorful at all. For the same amount of money, I would prefer to dine at Saveur.

#4 Haagen Dazs =)

Went with my aunt to J8 to catch a movie this evening. We stop by Haagen Dazs for some comforting moments. Belgian Waffle with Chocolate Ice-cream ($10.90)

Love in Belgium: Chocolate Lava Cake with Dark Chocolate Ice-cream ($19)