Brunch at Department of Caffeine (D.O.C)

Hello all! It has been a long hiatus! It's a period of busy house renovating (finally it's done!) and now to wedding preparation so this blog has really been neglected. We have sooooo many posts to share so just stay tune as we slowly tune back to blogging!

Chanced upon this cafe when we were researching for outdoor shoot, Picky Girlfriend really wanted one scene with cafe so was doing extensive research on which cafe is would be good for taking photos! And turns out Department of Caffeine (D.O.C) was one of the shortlisted cafes! We were extremely late in the schedule so Picky Girlfriend quickly called up the cafe and Andrew was really nice to keep the cafe open for us just for our shoot! Thanks Andrew! :)

Subsequently, we visited the cafe for the food and we fell in love with it! Always always crowded, so do remember to make reservations!

First up the menu! (Note that this was taken a while back, so menu may have changed!)




















Picky Girlfriend ordered a flat white and Fussy Boyfriend had a cup of cappucino!
 



















Loving the coffeeart!

We ordered 2 different sets of breakfast and what caught our attention is the DOC breakfast platter. REALLY GOOD!

This was what Picky Girlfriend ordered Sunny side up, sausages and mushrooms! Sausages were a tad too salty for our liking.



















And presenting the DOC breakfast platter! So so soooo gooood! Comes with a generous serving of scrambled eggs, thick bacon, a de-skined whole tomato and some fried cheese on toast (not sure if there is a proper name for it).


















 















 



The eggs were so runny and it's really the first time that we encountered such a thick bacon! (think the texture of thick luncheon meat!). The toast on the day was a little burnt, but seriously the rest of the ingredients already covered for it! One mouthful of egg plus bacon plus toast = heavenly!



That was how thick the bacon was! Yummmms.

It was also our first time trying a de-skined tomato and was rather skeptical about it as we would think that it would be easily overcooked and dry, but trust us, this tomato is SO GOOD, so juicy and fresh! Really gonna make the tomatoes haters think twice after trying this!

Initially we were thinking the 2 fried pieces at the side would be probably hash browns, so was pleasantly surprised that it was fried cheese. Totally blown about from the crispy exterior and the oozing cheese from within!



















We were too full and satisfied to try any desserts so there we went again on our 2nd visit for desserts and drinks!

Ordered the waffles after reading raves about it. Indeed one of the better waffles around with a mixture of crispy exterior and soft waffles with bananas and a scoop of vanillia ice cream... and more importantly topped with rum sauce. Totally worth the calories! ;)

And of course some drinks to go with it. Fussy Boyfriend ordered the hot chocolate and Picky Girlfriend was looking for something more refreshing so tried the yogurt drink! Both tasted good and worth trying especially for the hot chocolate! Thick enough and not too sweet!

Both Picky Girlfriend and Fussy Boyfriend rating for brunch 4.5/5 
(would really score full marks if crowd is lesser, but nevertheless everyone goes for good food, so it was really unavoidable!). Great place for brunch, definitely going back again for more!

Department of Caffeine (D.O.C)
15 Duxton Road
Website here - remember to make reservation!
(Note: Cafe accepts only cash payment, so please prepare enough cash for your meals!)

Porridge Buffet at The Rajah Inn

Another good recommendation from Picky Girlfriend's colleagues who brought her to a porridge buffet for one!  Picky Girlfriend is considered a fan of teochew porridge due to the variety of dishes available but sometimes did not go ahead with the purchase since it's quite limited how much 1 person can order in the usual stall. So a porridge buffet was definitely a welcome since there are lots of dishes available and you can get to try a bit of everything!

Futhermore we have not blogged about porridge buffet since the last one at Suntec, but it's already closed since the place has gone through major renovation.

And the most attractive thing about the buffet...... was the price! At only $6.90++ per adult, it's like a true gem found. So this time Picky Girlfriend brought Fussy Boyfriend along, who is an avid fan of teochew style porridge too. Rajah inn offers a indo-chinese style, porridge buffet which suits our tastebuds too!

Serving is based on self service, and dishes are served in buffet lines. Here are some of then items we tried!



















Chinese sausage

 

















Braised peanuts


 

















Steamed egg

 

















Minced meat

And Picky Girlfriend's favourite are the following:

 

















Braised Pork belly! Super sinful but once popped, it melts in the mouth. Very very heavenly!


 

















Bean paste bittergourd, which is very very good too! We know that alot of people aren't fans of bittergourd, but this dish is so well cooked! A must to complement porridge, otherwise might seem a little salty to eat on its own. 

 

















And fried fish fillet! Seldom a dish to go with porridge, but this fried fish fillet taste good even on its own with light seasonings on the batter. Head towards the cashier counter to get yourself some mayonnaise to go with it!

And finally Picky Girlfriend presents.... The porridge collage! Realised too few photos were taken due to famished us who cleared the dishes before our camera were dished out. We definitely tried alot more different dishes! :)


























Very affordable porridge buffet with lots of variety and good service. Definitely one that is hard to come by. Will be back for lunch anytime soon and also perhaps to try out what they offer for steamboat too!


Both Picky Girlfriend and Fussy Boyfriend rating for Porridge buffet: 4.25/5 

The Rajah Inn
302 Tiong Bahru Road #02-13/14/15
Tiong Bahru Plaza
Opens daily: 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m (note porridge buffet is only for lunch hours 11.30am - 2.30pm)

Eng Kee Fried Chicken Wings 荣记炸鸡翅膀

Just a stone throw distance from the awesome green bean soup Picky Girlfriend has recommended,  now it's Fussy Boyfriend's turn to recommend yummy food.

Another prepared-to-queue store, this time round a stall which specialises on Fried Chicken Wings! With other similar items sold for economic bee hoon such as cabbage, sausages, fish fillet, otah etc etc.

Picky Girlfriend is a fan of economic bee hoon and since this place is well known for chicken wings so we definitely have to try it!



The queue took about 10 mins, customers were served fast and chicken wings get run out pretty fast too. So chances are that you may need to wait a little while for the wings.. but on the hindsight this also means freshly fried wings!

Our orders!

Picky girlfriend usually will order a mixture (noodles and bee hoon) whereas Fussy Boyfriend will go with bee hoon only? How do you like to order your economic bee hoon? :)

The bee hoon was nothing to rave about but the wings tasted awesome! If we have a choice and dont mind doing the extra walking (since both are located at Commonwealth area, we will: buy the wings from Eng Kee and the bee hoon from Piao Xiang Xiao Chi   which will make it a perfect combination! :D

A closer shot of the super crispy and well marinated wings!! The chilli sauce that came with it was a must try as well. Fogotten to take pic but do remember the chilli sauce which is like a sweet and sour chilli sauce. A good dip for the wings!


 























This was the 2nd occasion we bought the chicken wings to a friend's place. No proper photography gear but can't help but to take this picture with our phone (so apologies for the pixelised picture). But TEN chicken wings = Awesomeness! The store owner also had a way of arranging the wings, so all drumlets are placed as the base with the wings on top.

 

















Both Picky Girlfriend and Fussy Boyfriend rating for fried chicken wings: 4.25/5

Eng Kee Fried Chicken Wings 荣记炸鸡翅膀
117 Commonwealth Drive
#01-711
Mon to Sat 12pm to 10.30pm
Closed on Sundays

喜乐亭 Xi Le Ting Desserts

Picky Girlfriend and Fussy Boyfriend has been food hunting in the west area and now glad to add more yummy food to the West SG list and there are truly alot of hidden gems in the west area if you search hard enough!

This dessert was introduced to Picky Girlfriend by her colleague who told her that this dessert is a "must try" in the area. Not a fan of green bean soup, Picky Girlfriend was indeed quite skeptical in the beginning as green bean with coconut doesn't go well in her impression.

But once tried, Picky girlfriend was totally convinced and hooked! Good food must be shared so she brought Fussy Boyfriend along to try it.

At $0.80 per bowl, this dessert is definitely a steal (Take away containers at $1.10). Totally has the old school taste that transports you back to the past. Such desserts are really a rare find now as dessert stores are getting more commercialised / usually franchised and sell desserts at exorbitant prices.

Comes with green beans, sago and a creamy texture of soup infused with coconut milk! Very awesome and it's really the first time both of us have tried any forms of green bean soup that is cooked with coconut milk. Very fragrant with the coconut yet wont feel sick of it easily. Green bean has been cooked very well so you won't get to find uncooked beans that are hard! Fussy Boyfriend a fan of most traditional desserts was immediately a new convert to this store :)
 

 

















The stall opens from noon till about evening time (or while stock lasts). Other desserts include red bean soup, cheng tng and 大麦(not sure what it's called in English). Limited varieties but be sure to find one you will enjoy! We are so gonna be back again for more :)

Both Picky Girlfriend and Fussy Boyfriend's overall rating for green bean soup: 4.75/5
(Yes! It is really THAT awesome! try it and you will know! :))

Stay tune to our next post of a yummy fried chicken wings (be prepared to queue too!) just within walking distance of the dessert store!
 
喜乐亭 Xi Le Ting Desserts

Commonwealth Crescent Food Centre
118 Commonwealth Crescent
#02-70

Jai Thai Restaurant

Woohoo! If you are able to see this post, this means you are already viewing our blog with a new look!
Picky girlfriend is quite sick of how the old blog looks, so decided to change the colour theme as well as our collage header updated with yummy photos! :) Hope you like the change as much as we do! Meanwhile bear with us as our photos may appear bigger in some post and smaller in others, still trying to decide what photo size works best. So please feel free to give us feedback!

We managed to find another affordable and yummy Thai food! Headed for dinner for Picky Girlfriend's birthday since both of us had Thai food craving.

If you have been following our blog, we ordered the usuals (as usual!) - Green curry, tom yam and Phad thai! The basic items that determine Thai food will be a good gauge of the food :)

 

 

Thai Ice tea for Picky Girlfriend and Iced lemon tea for Fussy Boyfriend!

The top view of the Thai Iced tea, very "tarik!" and love the fact that it is not overly sweet unlike the others we have tried before. Tea taste is strong with the right amount of milk.

The dishes were served pretty quickly despite the huge crowd.

  

 Green curry! $5, $7 and $10 option. We ordered the smallest portion.

Comes with generous servings of ingredients which Picky Girlfriend loves aka brinjal! Chicken thigh was also used so the meat is definitely tender :)

It's always a dilemma for us when we ordered green curry (that will go well with white rice) vs the wish to try other staples such as pineapple or olive rice! So we ended up ordering pineapple rice this time round.

The pineapple rice didn't fare as well as we thought it will be, was a little too soft for our liking. 

 

But the kangkong really saved the day!  One of the few occasions where it's not the sambal version and yet we totally loved it! Was cooked with bean paste taste and you can taste that it was cooked over high fire (the cze char kind of 火候味). Yummy! So the kangkang sauce was a saver to go with the rice. Fussy boyfriend was really wiping the sauce off the plates! The only thing that thought was a pity was there was too much stalks instead of the leafy portion of the vegetables.

 

The phad thai on the other hand, was awesome! Q enough and our advice will always be to eat with lots of peanuts, chilli flakes and more importantly sugar! Yes, sugar! It actually gives the dish an additional level of crunch, which we were first introduced when dining at Bangkok. Not too sure why it's not common in the Thai restaurants here in Singapore

The last dish was the tom yam seafood soup. Usually we preferred the clear version (less sinful and yet deadly at the same time). And this soup proves us right. Normal looking yet sour and spicy at the same time. Can really feel the heat down the throat after drinking it! Great choice on a rainy day :)

Overall, good quality food at very affordable prices. We spent less than $30 for 2 pax! Very worth it. If you are interested in what other items they serve, you can refer to the website.

Both Picky Girlfriend and Fussy Boyfriend's overall rating for Thai Food: 4.25/5

Jai Thai Restaurant (Several outlets)

205 East Coast Road

Other outlets include Dhoby Ghaut exchange, Purvis Street and Jalan Pemimpin

*CLOSED* Shanghai Delights

It's already March?!!?! Wow time seems to pass extremely fast this year!

Picky Girlfriend and Fussy Boyfriend were randomly shopping at Sim Lim Square and decided to pop by a store which was recommended by Fussy Boyfriend. Quite a surprising find cos Picky Girlfriend will have never thought to be able to find yummy food in such places! Store uncle was also nice to serve us the food at our table instead of having to wait at the store, rare sight at a food court where it's usually self service.

 We ordered the deep fried dumpling (better known as Guo Tie, 锅贴).






































$5.50 for 8 pieces!

The Guo tie was really very different from the others we have tried before! The skin is super crispy yet easy to munch. You know how sometimes the skin can be too crispy for biting? This one is perfectly done with a little floury feel! The skin is not too thick with generous meat and chives filling. Super worth the money and totally fell in love with it. Dip it with some vinegar and ginger for enhanced taste :)

This was the version of their Braised Ee-fu noodles. Too hungry so mixed the noodles up before any proper pictures can be taken (oops!). This version is also different from the usual ones we ate during wedding banquet. We love the texture of the noodles (very springy!) and that the sweet chilli really mixes the noodles well.

And since we were quite pleased with what we have tried and feeling more space in the stomach, time for dessert! From the same store ... and Picky Girlfriend's favourite - Red Bean Pancake!

 Red Bean pancake - $4



















Though it was a little oily, it was yummy! Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. We love the red bean paste (not too sweet), and secretly hope there are more paste in it! Seasame seeds definitely made it more fragrant as well.

Heard the Xiao long bao and other noodles are worth trying too! Definitely going to revisit the place again! Affordable Shanghainese food!



















(PS, not us in the pic) :P

Both Picky Girlfriend and Fussy Boyfriend's overall rating for Shanghai Delights: 4.25/5

Shanghai Delights
Sim Lim Square Food Court
1 Rochor Canal Road , #B1-14

*Post note: The blog entry was post dated. We visited the store in March 2013 and realised it was already closed! Do let us know if you know where it has been shifted, we totally missed the 锅贴 and red bean pancake!

Piao Xiang Xiao Chi 飘香小吃

 A little late but still, Happy 2013 to all food collagers! Picky Girlfriend and Fussy Boyfriend managed to catch the awesome fireworks at Marina Bay area. The view was worth it despite the packed like sardine crowds.

And apologies for the long hiatus in our food blog, our camera was also giving us some problems so the pictures quality of some of the food pictures may be affected. Below pictures purely shot by our new digital camera! (Hopefully the food still looks as good as it tasted!)

Picky girlfriend is a fan of economic bee hoon stores where you get to choose your main staple plus a variety of add-on ingredients. Always a choice for breakfast when everything fails and it's Picky Girlfriend's comfort food.

So when we chanced upon this store while finding dinner options nearby our office area and boy! the queue was loooong! And to our surprise it was an evening store selling economic bee hoon! The idea of an evening store selling economic bee hoon was quite new to us, as the perception is either for breakfast or the franchise stores which open for the whole day.




And yes you've guessed it right! We joined in the queue :)







Fussy boyfriend ordered the following dishes: Egg, cabbage and chicken wings!

We love how the egg is done as the yolk is still runny and cabbage is really soft! Picky girlfriend will usually burst the yolk and spread around the bee hoon, while Fussy Boyfriend will eat the egg whites and leave the yolk to the last and savour them in a mouthful! Interesting observation: How do you eat your egg? :)

The chicken wings was well marinated and very very crispy! Believe chicken wings was one of the popular items so the supply get refilled pretty much fast. No worries about eating cold chicken wings, as each of them will be piping hot!

The highlight of the whole dish was surprisingly the bee hoon itself!  Simple looking, no additional ingredients yet the bee hoon tasted so fragrant and yummy! Usually economic bee hoon will have to be accompanied by lots of chilli sauce, but this bee hoon is a winner. SO tasty even on its own! this explains the queue and definitely worth queuing for it.

Other items which are sold included traditional desserts as green/red bean soup, porridge and also glutinous rice. We tried the green bean soup on a separate occasion and it tasted great too! Very homely and traditional bowl of dessert :)

Both Picky Girlfriend and Fussy Boyfriend rating for economic bee hoon: 4.5/5

Worth trying, worth queuing! One of the best economic bee hoon we have tried so far. Open from evening onwards only!

飘香小吃
Tanglin Halt Market
Blk 48A Tanglin Halt Road