Singapore Food Hunt – The Gastronomic Experience A La Galbiati Gourmet Deli

How about authentic Italian restaurant with a take-away service?

See, this is what makes Galbiati Gourmet Deli unique from all other restaurants in Singapore. There quite a number of Italian restaurants here in the metro, but only a few offer exceptional services such as this one.

A friend of mine suggested this place to me. She’s also a foodie like me but her taste is quite limited to pasta dishes only. It’s her craft – cooking and loving pasta dishes. Like me, she’s also into Singapore food hunt spree and she practically knows every restaurants in Singapore better than I do.

So anyway. She told me that Galbiati Gourmet Deli is one of her fave restaurants, and she frequently visits this place for one particular reason – she gets to enjoy great-tasting, authentic Italian cuisines right in the comfort of her home.

You see, dining in fancy restaurants has one major drawback – it’s a bit costly compared to other second-tier restos and hawker centers. But I guess that fact is pretty obvious. Aside from the quality of food served, you’ll be paying for the location (the coziness and all), plus the service charges.

And if you are one of those who are up for some good value for hard-earned money, then Galbiati Gourmet Deli is the place to be. Chef Roberto (the owner) takes pride in his signature dishes such as freshly baked bread, salads, mouth-watering pasta and main dishes, as well as pizza and cup desserts. This place is perfect for different occasions in the home or in the office. plus the take-away service makes everything convenient.

I will definitely try this place soon. J

Singapore Food Hunt – The Botak Jones Experience

I was a bit surprised seeing their tagline:

Damn good food at a damn good price©. With the copyright logo. 

See, one of the things that make a good restaurant is their being honest and true. Like this one. Botak Jones. Authentic American Food. That explains the straightforwardness. This is going to be one heck of a Singapore food hunt!

I love being straightforward as well. And it’s good to know that there is a burger chain that goes along this line of honesty.

Let’s check out their Burger menu:

Hamburgers (Beef)

· Mini Me Botak Burger

· Botak Burger

· Double Botak Burger

· U-Crazy-What?!

· Thai Burger Beef



The Massive Series

· The Massive

· The Massive Cheese

· The Massive Sunrise

· The Massive Cheese/Whoopass/Egg



Other Burgers

· Mini Me Cajun Chicken Burger

· Thai Chicken Burger

· “The” Fish Burger

· The Veggie Burger

You can try these selections either solo (burger only) or with two side dishes (double baked cheese potato, coleslaw, spicy/non-spicy fries, or butter boiled sweet corn). But mind you, this is just their burger menu. Other delis include soups, finger food/starters, salads, chicken sets, fries, fish, lamb, steaks, hotdogs, sausages, and wieners, and of course, desserts. So what more could you ask for?

My Singapore food hunt is pretty much challenging, but the process of finding real tasty food is one of the best things I love to do. Self-confessed foodie here!

Check out one of Botak Jones’ branch at this address:

Block 181 Ang Mo Kio Ave 5 #01-2922
Singapore 560181
Phone / Fax: 67551225
Everyday 11:30 am till 10:00 pm (last orders)

Singapore Food Hunt – Starbucks Coffee

Coffee in one of the best drinks discovered by mankind. It has been around since 15th century, or maybe even earlier. Coffee is one of the most-traded commodity next to petroleum, and one of the most-consumed beverages in the world.

See, coffee is really famous. No wonder there are lots of coffee shops here in metro Singapore. And besides, coffee shops are customer-magnets on its own. These restaurants can get customers, even patrons, for that matter, without even trying.

In my recent Singapore food hunt via online, I stumbled across Starbucks Coffee at One Fullerton. With a location this strategic, (it’s overlooking the Marina May), anybody can be easily attracted to this café.

Let’s talk about the coffee.

Espresso roast is the heart and soul of Starbucks, so they say. This coffee gave birth to many different variants of coffee, all equally mouth filling. Starbucks’ menu is not limited to coffee, however. They also serve chocolate beverages, Frappucino blended beverages, Starbucks on ice, full leaf tea, breakfasts, sandwiches, and to-go sets. To make it even for enticing, customers can also make their own coffee of their choice at Make it Your Drink – a “customizable” coffee menu.

Did I mention that Starbucks already have their own version of instant coffee? Oh well, they do now. I guess that suffices the need to have good quality coffee whenever and wherever you want to. I bought some for myself, keeping it handy whenever there’s a need for caffeine boost.

Visit them in this address:

Starbucks Coffee One Fullerton

#01-04 One Fullerton
1 Fullerton Road
Singapore 049213
Tel: 6327 9245

Singapore Food Hunt – DaPaolo Bistro Bar

One of colleague recommended DaPaolo Bistro Bar to me, a place he’s been on in one of his Singapore trips. He commended the serenity of the place, the quality of the food, and the friendly service. With such nice words, I added DaPaolo Bistro Bar to my list of to-research for in my Singapore food hunt.

When I got home, I quickly searched on my Tab for some bits-and-pieces of information about this resto.Here’s what I got.

DaPaolo Bisto Bar

DaPaolo Bistro Bar is strategically located at the Rochester Park, where some of the most elegant and lovely bistros are situated. The place is known for its serene and tranquil environment, thus ideal for intimate gatherings with loved ones. This Italian restaurant takes pride in its extensive and rather impressive menu. What’s more, you can even watch their chef at work in their open kitchen, or you can simply sit back and enjoy the moment in their luxurious lounges.

What actually interests me was their Set Lunch Menu.

Here’s the list (official, since it’s from their site), which costs $32++ per person.

MAIN

·         Spaghetti with Dijon cream sauce, Italian pork sausage and fresh parsley

·         Linguine with smoked salmon, pencil asparagus and a light tomato cream sauce

·         Homemade tagliatelle with fresh clams, sweet garlic puree and parsley sauce

·         Spinach tagliolini with roasted eggplant, capsicum, fresh tomatoes and basil

·         Pasta salad of raw beef carpaccio, pesto, crushed cherry tomatoes, garlic, balsamico

and pecorino cheese

·         Fish of the day

·         Meat of the day

SIDE

·    Rocket salad, deep fried bocconcini mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil and mushroom dressing

·         Baby spinach salad, poached egg, pork bacon, rosemary crouton and balsamic dressing

·         Mesculin salad, smoked salmon, cherry tomatoes and chiodini mushrooms

·         Sword fish belly carpaccio, citrus fruit, shaved fennel, lentils and dill

DESSERT

Crème brulèe

COFFEE OR TEA

Interested? You can visit them at:

3 Rochester Park

Telephone: +65 6774 5537

Opening Hours:

Mondays - Sundays

Lunch 11.30am to 2.30pm

Dinner 6.30pm to 10.30pm

The Savoir Faire of Bacchus Boathouse

After being swept away by the noble cause of Joan Bowen Café, I would like to look for something more on the chill side. What could be the best way to chill out but to enjoy a glass of sparkling wine under the canopy of the star-lit sky? (so that’s me, daydreaming…)

Oh, lovely.

Then again I researched on the internet for the best food in Singapore, the best place to hang out, and what to look for, as I continue my Singapore food hunt. One of the places that intrigue me is One Fullerton.

This area of the city is actually one of the loveliest there is, and there are lots of reviews that can back that claim up. I’ve read a lot from different food and travel bloggers, and the things they say were all pretty convincing.

Anyways. I’ve stumbled upon this Bacchus Boathouse, the one with the catchy tagline that goes like this: Savoir Faire.

So what exactly is Savoir Faire?

Savoir faire is a French noun phrase that translates as “being adaptable and knowing what to do in every situation.” This phrase literally spells flexibility.

Backed by this principle, Bacchus Boathouse takes pride in serving the best wine, good food and world-class services, whatever the occasion may be. In a nutshell, this place is a wine house although it serves different cuisines, usually dishes that goes perfectly well with wines and spirits.

Did I mention the sky-lit canopy thing? Yes, they have this kind of romantic and tranquil ambience. Perfect for dinner dates with your special someone.

But I’m thinking of taking my dad here, one of this days. I’m pretty sure he would love the view of the Merlion nearby. He’s a big fan Singapore.

Singapore Food Hunt – Joan Bowen Café

In my continuing quest for the best restaurants in Singapore, the Web has become my best ally. It provided me tons and tons of food blogs and reviews that really help me in my Singapore food hunt. Being a “web-worm” (that’s how I call all those people who are internet savvy just like bookworms are with their books) has lots of advantages.

Anyways.

A friend of mine told me about this little café called Joan Bowen Café, along Jalan Wangi. She’s been to this place quite recently and she said their Oreo Cheesecake is great.

Being a dessert junkie myself, I decided to look for them on the internet. And as expected, I never had any trouble finding them.

Joan Bowen Café was established in August 2009 by the couple Khong Yoon Kay and Jeanne Seah. This is not your usual café though, because this is unique arts themed, and is also a culinary school of some sort. What is really interesting about this place is the fact that this center teaches culinary lessons to young adults with special needs. Their aim is to give these individuals the necessary culinary skills to help them get a culinary career later on, just like Joan Bo Wen, the owners’ daughter, who is now working as a trainee in the café.

Check out their menu:

Starters

• · Soup of the Day
• · Oriental Chicken Salad
• · Caesar Salad
• · Aubergine Salad
• · Dip Plate
• · Baked Escargot
• · Calamari Rings
• · Garlic Mussels
• · Tuna Tataki

Mains

• · Chicken Schnitzel
• · Fish & Chips
• · Rosemary & Lemon Chicken
• · Pan Fried Dory
• · Bangers & Mash
• · Catch of the Day
• · Belly Dancer (Pork Belly Confit)
• · Ribeye Steak

Pasta

• · Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Mushrooms
• · Spaghetti with Mussels
• · Seafood Aglio Olio
• · Chilli Crab Pasta
• · Alfredo Squid Ink Linguine with Prawns

Sandwiches

• · Chicken Schnitzel
• · Grilled Portobello
• · Minute Steak

Desserts

• · Banana Walnut Cake
• · Brownie
• · Oreo Cheesecake
• · Tiramisu
• · Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake
• · Apple Crumble

Drinks

· Soft Drinks (330ml)
Coke, Coke Lite, Green Tea, Sprite

· Juices
Calamansi, Pink Guava, Fruit Punch

· Appletiser (275ml)
100% Pure Sparkling Apple Juice

· Grapetiser (275ml)
100% Pure Sparkling Grape Juice

· Snapple (473ml)
Lemonade, Mango Madness, Cranberry Raspberry

· Perrier Water (330ml)
Sparkling Mineral Water of France

· Italian Mixed Sodas

· Beers
Suntory Malt / Japan (500ml)
Leffe / Belgium (330ml)

· Wine
 

· Tea (from Twinings of London)

• · English Breakfast Tea
• · Camomile Tea
• · Lemon & Ginger Tea
• · Camomile Honey & Vanilla Tea
• · Jasmine Green Tea

Nespresso

• · Ristretto (Black)
• · Expresso Forte (Green)
• · Lungo Forte (Brown)
• · Lungo Decaffeinato (Red)
• · Coffee Regular (Black, White) Lungo Forte
• · Latte (Hot or Cold) Ristretto
• · Cappucino (Hot or Cold) Ristretto
• · Expresso (Single Shot) Expresso Forte
• · Expresso (Double Shot)
• · Ice Mocha
• · Affogato

Quite an impressive menu, isn’t it? That is what I call nobility served with a cup of coffee. J

Singapore Food Hunt - The little Diversion Called “Bontá”

I assume you guys are wondering, “why diversion?”

You see, on my last entry I told everyone that I will be writing about hawker centers, which is actually what I planned. But on one of my web browsing sprees, checking out for places to eat in Singapore, I stumbled across a review that says something about the awesomeness of Italian food in this restaurant called Bontá. The fellow sounded really convincing, so I checked the resto’s website.

Let’s take a quick look at Bontá, shall we?

From what I’ve read, Bontá (which means delicacy in Italian), started out in Mohammed Sultan Road in 2007. This restaurant specializes in Northern Italian Cuisine, headed by Chef Luca Pezzera. Co-owned by the food enthusiast Serena Lim, Bontá was hailed as one of the premiere Italian restaurant in the metro, despite its tender age.

This place offers both al fresco and privacy-oriented ambience. And take note, they have a dress code for the diners. No shorts. No slippers. Just smart casual. I’ll surely keep those in mind.

The menu was quite extensive, and I must admit the food looks great! What made it more appealing was most of their pasta was home-made! Oh my, just like mom used to cook!

Overall, Bontá Italian Restaurant and Bar landed on the top three must-see places on my Singapore food-hunting-spree list. 

You see, having a little detour from what was initially planned endeavor can sometimes bring amazing results. I guess that’s what life is all about after all. And food hunting, of course. Adventure. 

Oh, so that goes to show that I’m tune with the world!