Cranberry Rum Brownie and White Choco Strawberry

there’s always a sense of warm and happy feeling when u celebrate your birthday with your close friends and family..

i’m really glad and happy that fang never forgets my b’day. even tho the celebration is not on the actual day itself, we never fail to meet up before each other’s birthday. fang loves baking. she baked me a cherry butter pound cake last year. this year…it’s one of her masterpieces too :) cranberry rum brownie and white choco strawberries!!

white choco strawberry

the white choco strawberries were one of fang’s recent innovations. the white choco can be a bit sweet but when it compliments the sourness of the strawberry, they become a perfect combination :D

cranberry rum brownie

the cranberry rum brownie was moist and not those dry and clumpy type. not so sweet with a crispy top, and with the fragrance of rum that can fill up the whole room, this was one of the few good brownies i had eaten so far…

really appreciate your cakes every year, making my birthday sooo special…

THANK YOU, FANG!

Café Oliv

café oliv has always been on my mind. i don’t mind to travel all~~ the way from sengkang to east coast to give it a try… the desire of eating at café oliv was the strong force behind it…

Café Oliv

it was a petite and cosy café restaurant along east coast road. not as crowded as expected but we prefer lesser people to crowded and noisy ones.

we reached there about 8pm and was totally famished after a hot and long day ‘strolling’ in the north-east part of singapore. without further ado, we jumped straight to the menu. no second thoughts, the oliv 4 course set dinner ($16.90 nett) must be the one. it consists of a drink, soup, entrée and desserts. believe it or not, i think this is the most ‘wu-hua’ set dinner in town!! read on and you’ll know why…

mushroom soup

soup of the day was mushroom soup, a generous portion that comes with two pieces of garlic bread, rather creamy and with some mushroom bits. it was quite filling but i was eagerly anticipating the entrée!

beer battered fish

there were so many raves on the oliv beer battered fish but i think this must be a dish for beer lovers. was the chef drunk?! well, the beer was a bit too much and that’s why it was quite bitter. in fact, i used the chilli and tomato sauce to cover the beer taste. but overall it was still good. again, this was another generous portion with a big piece of beer battered fried dory fish with some potato wedges and salad. not to forget to mention the freshness of the fish. it was fresh and juicy and the batter really well-done! thumbs up!

parmesan cheese chicken cutlet

the parmesan cheese chicken cutlet coriander dill cream was even better. i wonder if it was because of the parmesan cheese, but the chicken was really really soft and juicy… i hardly eat chicken cutlet but i must say, this was the best so far. thumbs up and feet up :D

crème brulee

 i was already very full after the soup and entrée but i won’t ever give up on the dessert. the crème brulee was a bit of a disappointment. was expecting something of a fullerton hotel standard (creamy!) but this one was a bit too eggy in taste and reminded me of the chinese dessert dun dan :

mudpie

mudpie was the better of the two. really grateful as it was a big piece that actually can be shared by two persons. the presentation was commendable with choco sauce and choco powder. yummy!!!

i’ll definitely be back for more and will recommend more friends to this little gem in singapore.

café oliv @ 220 east coast road, singapore 428917

The Stock Pot

had been walking for quite a while, and since i had a heavy lunch, didn’t really feel hungry though it was oredi 8pm. at the time when we were deciding between marina sq or suntec city foodcourt, we came across this little bistro at the entrance of esplanade. something caught my eye…mushroom soup! yea, just give it a try la~

they called it the mushroom ‘ragout’ ($6.90)..sounded rather sophisticated right?!?..but how about the taste?

mushroom 'ragout'

well, some mushroom bits, thick and creamy where the extra sour cream on top made it creamier.

we ordered the set meal which comes with a mushroom ragout, sandwich-of-your-choice and a drink ($11.90). the roasted chicken and grilled vegetables sandwich ($7.90 ala carte) was rather special as this was the 1st time i tried a sandwich with grilled zucchini! however, it only comes in half size so felt somehow cheated lo (not written on the menu!)…

roasted chicken and grilled vegetables sandwich

if you are wanna rest your heels after a tired day and eat something light at the esplanade, this is the place.

the stock pot @ esplanade mall, 8 raffles avenue #01-01