RaRa and Reddy Goes To Coastes @ Sentosa

There are times when I crave for that quintessential "beach holiday" feel, I find myself back at this little island away from THE main island. Well, not so away lah, it's just a cable car ride/monorail ride/short car ride across the water/bridge. Sentosa, despite it being overridden by selfie-stick-armed-tourists, still have a few hidden gems for those of us eager to escape from our hectic, perpetual rush-hour life. Step in Coastes (on Siloso Beach), and you will find yourself transported to a make-believe faraway land (for me it's probably Bali lah, but that's good enough).

Best seats in the house - try to get on the daybeds, they have the perfect spot for sunset watching

Tea Time @ Arteastiq Mandarin Gallery

I believe Arteastiq had it's humble beginnings sometime in 2010-ish, when it once shared the current space in Mandarin Gallery with a furniture store called MARXX. And from what I gathered from reading some past online reviews, the Arteastiq as we now come to know (art jamming with F&B) came out on it's own in 2011-ish, and has now grown to 2 outlets (one in the original Mandarin Gallery location and another in Plaza Singapura). They are known to be the place to go to for a quiet respite in chaotic downtown Orchard, somewhat tai-tai-ish, if I may say so. Arteastiq serves quite a good range of teas, beautiful food in a serene space, and for those with a penchant for art, you can unleash your inner Da Vinci in their art studio section of each outlet. We've done art jamming twice, will do a write-up on that soon enough! But for now, let's talk food. Haha

Afternoon Tea set @ $48++, enough for 2 not-so-hungry people

The Prettiest One Of Them All - PS Cafe Dempsey

Cafes come and go,but one has remained a crowd favourite for the longest time (well, we're talking about the average lifespan of a cafe which typically does not last beyond a year or two), yes, there is none other than PS Cafe. Opened 17 years ago as part of the Projectshop clothing store, they have withstood the test of time and has over the years, grown to a chain of 8 outlets islandwide. Having visited a few outlets, PS Cafe have never failed to impress me with the upkeep of their unblemished standard of food consistency. The only difference would have to be how each outlet is styled, but of course they stay true to the laidback, dark, sexy and chic vibe. And by far, hands down, PS Cafe Dempsey has won a place in my heart with the lush green surroundings and beautifully romantic interiors.

RaRa and Reddy Goes To Wheeler's Yard

Like finally, RaRa and Reddy visits one of the most Instagrammed place in our Little Red Dot - Wheeler's Yard. We were there just about 5-ish and waited out the few minutes till 6.00pm for dinner menu to kick in (just cause we wanted burger, again...) We wandered around the grounds to kill time, and for cycling enthusiasts, this place is Godsent - many bicycles and cycling related items to suit every budget, there is even a "waiting lounge" of retro proportions that is just next to the entrance to the cafe, probably for patrons to wait should it get too busy at the cafe, or perhaps simply just a chill out corner. We can see why Wheeler's Yard rate high on cafe junkies to-go-list, the place exudes a super chill and eclectic vibe, with great food to rave about. That's a winning combination folks. :)

RaRa and Reddy's Day Out @ Potato Head Folk

Those familiar with Bali will definitely be well versed with the mere mention of "Potato Head". Singapore has for the past 2 years hosted this acclaimed brand name from the sunny shores of Bali. Potato Head Folk is housed in a restored pre-war art deco shophouse, occupying all 4 levels of the corner lot funky shophouse. First level holds the take-out counter of Three Buns, second holds the dining area of Three Buns, third and fourth are both bars, with the rooftop bar being at fourth. Us being burger fans were here to try out what Three Buns is known for - BURGERS!

Christmas Eve with FYR - Reddy's Solo Adventure

Not content with spending Christmas Eve on solo mode, armed with a rumbling tummy and grit determination with each step in the rain (snow we have not, so rain it shall be then), Reddy headed off to FYR for a feel-good-makan. Probably one of the very few places that did not implement the compulsory Christmas dinner menu (with an equally compulsory burn-a-hole-in-the-pocket-pricing), FYR charge the usual $25.00 ($29.42 with taxes) for their monthly changing set lunch menu. Food was good, just as Reddy's first visit was. And it certainly lent some much needed warmth to the otherwise very dreary and depressing wet and grey Christmas Eve.

Sauteéd Shimeji Mushrooms with Truffle Oil, Salted Beurre Blanc

RaRa and Reddy Goes To The Village - Chock Full of Beans @ Changi Village

Chock Full Of Beans have garnered quite a following from what we managed to read online. They are known for their creative 2D and 3D latte art, but unfortunately, we don't drink coffee. Armed with an expectation and growling tummies, RaRa and Reddy paid them a visit one evening. Kiasu-rism ensured that we made prior reservation (just in case we had to wait! First world problem I know), but truth be told, unless you are planning a trip down here over the weekend, there is no need for kiasu-rism for dinner. They didn't seem too packed when we came by. Chock Full Of Beans is located right at the end of Block 4, one of the few old school blocks fronting the main road, they have both indoor and outdoor seating options, outdoor can be quite pretty during the day, but of course, only if you are heatproof and can live without airconditioning. Nonetheless, back to the food, they serve the usual cafe fare - pasta, cakes, pizza (pizza is handmade though). We had our usual Carbonara and customized our own pizza (yay!)

Spaghetti Carbonara with Poached Egg @ $17.00

Mad About Sucre - Reddy On Sucre High

Pastries have always been Reddy's Achilles Heel. Being in a pastry shop is akin to a child being in a candy store - eyes are all wide with curious bewilderment, the mind soaks in the multi sensory treat, and the taste buds tingles with excitement on the thought of devouring each and every piece of those painstakingly handcrafted works of art. Enter Mad About Sucre, one of the newest pattiserie in town with pastry chef Lena Chan at it's helm, armed with a prestigious Le Cordon Bleu qualification, and her brother fashionable brother Eric who is in charge of marketing and daily operations. Their small cakes menu change seasonally, the menu is not extensive, you get only a few flavours for each season, but there will be a few signature ones which are usually on the menu on a daily basis - the chocolate dome dessert of "Black San Domingue" and their Hummingbird cake. The service is impeccable - not the stuffy fine dining kind of impeccable, but more that with feel-good warmth and genuine enthusiasm.

RaRa and Reddy's Movie Time - Ultimate Treat @ Platinum Suites Cathay

When RaRa's been a good lion, he gets a treat. What better than to the movie, to be pampered on plush leather RECLINING and extending leg rest seats (aka First Class airline seats), with fluffy duvet to cover those legs from the cold, with food and drinks just a press of a button away, to dine on fine bone china (or ceramic, most probably ceramic, haha) with ACTUAL cutleries (instead of disposable plastic ones). At $28.00 per pop, it better be THAT good.

Looks more like a club than an actual cinema

Lazy Day Meal - Spizza

When RaRa and Reddy feel lazy, they pick up the phone and order a delivery. For us, we have designated Saturday as our Dial-A-Pizza-Lazy-Day. It used to be just Pizza Hut and Canadian Pizza who were the the more popular ones, but nowadays, we have become such a pampered society with more choices of food at just the touch of a few buttons. Spizza we have recently discovered (but they have been around for more than 10 years now), haha. Very slow aren't we. Spizza, as the name implies, does pizza, not just an ordinary pizza, but hand stretched ones and baked in wood-fired oven. For an average of $25 per pizza, it is pretty costly as compared to the rest of the big players. But, the taste of that earthy char and the chewy thin dough sets them a notch higher than the rest.

Tara this is called, RaRa's favourite ($24.00), must be the bacon, RaRa loves bacon! The Tara is a tomato based pizza, with Mozarella, Egg (done runny, yummy!), Bacon, and Button Mushrooms.

Two Blur Guys

Walked past them for a year on the way to lunch 5 days a week . And I keep telling myself, "Gotta try 'em burgers, Gota try 'em burgers". And, like, finally, Reddy has RaRa along on our maiden visit to this 3 year old hole-in-the-wall burger joint. The place is simple, unpretentious. The kind where you almost know that the food speaks for itself. Especially when all they do are burgers. And a small selection of cakes. RaRa was sceptical (can read from his weary hungry face) but Reddy was confident Two Blur Guys can deliver to their reputation of having one of the best burger in town.
The verdict? Not disappointed. At All.

The picture lie do not. They are as good as they look.

Did you say FYR?

FYR Cycene and Drink. It's pronounced "Fire Kitchen and Drink". I believe this is a pretty new establishment who recently rooted itself early this year in the up-and-coming hip area of Boon Tat/Telok Ayer/Amoy. As they described on their Facebook page, "Modern European cuisine by spices and herbs of South East Asia. All our menu are prepared using our Josper charcoal oven." You may ask what on earth is a Josper oven. I did too. After a quick read-up on Google, I learnt that a Josper oven, to the culinary world, is akin to a Himalayan Crocodile Hermes in the world of tai-tais. Well, not quite, the you can buy many Jospers with that ONE Himalayan Crocodile Hermes, but ya, you get the idea. FYR prides themselves with cooking up their very Instagram-worthy dishes with Lychee Wood fired up in Josper ovens. The result? The grilled meat that fed me achieved that "grit" and earthiness that only wood fire can give. One word - sublime.
Reddy will be back. RaRa you should come along too, ok?

Main of DeRazza Iberico Pork Collar (top up $13.00 on top of the $25++ or $29++ pricing)

Set Lunch is served Monday - Friday 11.30am - 2.30pm. They offer options of 2 course ($25++) and 3 course ($29++) meals. The Set Lunch menu changes on a monthly basis, just so you know :)

RaRa and Reddy's Day out - Riders Cafe @ Fairways Drive

A little piece of heaven tucked away in a I-Don't -Know-Where-Corner of LittleRedDot. Best seats are by the balcony (do try to put a request in when you made your reservation, and yes, please reserve ahead for Brunch, they are usually full), but be prepared to be one with the smell of "nature". If you can look past that, then you are in utopia unbeknownst to city folks.
*Tried and Tested and Adored*

#Rehashed from Facebook post. More pictures can be viewed at our Facebook page :)

A constant staple of mine..
Brioche French Toast with Berries Compote and Hazelnut Chocolate Mascarpone (codename Nutella haha)

Let's Experiment - The Lab SG @ Jalan Pisang **Closed as of 19 January 2018**

T'was to be a girls-catch-up session, but alas, unforseen circumstances decreased the party to just 2 BFFs. Was tasked with "Any place as long as it is halal" request, me trawled my favourite go-to reads from Danielfooddiary and Miss Tam Chiak for some reliable intel. And... I pitched the a few suggestions to the BFF and we concluded that The Lab SG shall be it for the evening. BFF have also heard good stuff about them from word of mouth and that kinda built the standard to expect. Located at the very hip, very IN location of Arab Street enclave (well actually a bit off the epicentre at Jalan Pisang), The Lab SG has joined the ever growing list exciting halal eateries who have made this area home.

Heisenberger, so this is called. So Instagram worthy! Going at only $12.90 a portion, this is value for money indeed. Constructed of a 6oz homemade Beef patty, Bacon strip, Grilled onion, Tomato salsa, Mesclun salad and blanketed with Melted Bleu Cheese (yes, Blue Cheese, and no, it did not stink). Anddd.. there is even the company of Sweet Potato Fries. They are definitely giving 'em big boys a run for their money with this. 

RaRa and Reddy's (Early) Dinner - Smokey's @ Joo Chiat

If our memory does not fail us, we quite distinctly remember Smokey's advertisement playing over Starhub's cable tv. This is not my first visit here, been here previously and was quite disappointed with the Grilled Salmon (it was dry and just very bland). Second visit, fingers crossed all will be well. Smokey's seem pretty much THE neighbourhood hangout joint for the expat community. Perhaps it is comfort food away from home? Were told that the tables are all reserved (!), sans the one barrel-cum-table with high chairs. We settled down and glanced through the menu with growling tummies. Our orders came not too long after, and boy, it was actually good! Way better than the first visit! Must have been just a one-off days then.

Grilled Salmon Fillet with sides of in-house made Coleslaw and greens. The salmon was moist, juicy and had the distinct "sweetness" of fresh seafood. Yumms.