First stop was lunch at Candlenut Kitchen, a Peranakan restaurant I've been meaning to try for a while. There is a set lunch available, and that includes tempura egg, chap chye (stewed mixed vegetables), one meat dish (we chose stewed pork belly with Chinese mushrooms) and rice. We opted for that, and added a few dollars for dessert and drinks.
I thought the food was homely, seasoned adequately, and generally well-cooked. I particularly liked the chap chye because the cabbage was soft,but not mushy, and I could taste layers of flavour in each bite. But Fuzzy begged to differ. He thought everything was too bland, and did not taste as home-cooked as some of the other Nonya restaurants out there. He was unimpressed.
However, there was one thing we agreed on. The sambal and desserts are to-die-for. We would go back just to have a huge dollop of sambal with rice, and pig out on the artery-clogging desserts. We order sago gula melaka almost every chance we get, and this time was no exception. It was the best version of it we've ever had. The sago was cooked perfectly, the gula melaka was fragrant, sweet and not cloying, and they used pure coconut cream. Not coconut milk, but cream. And there was no ice to dilute the whole thing. Heaven. I ordered a scoop of home-made vanilla ice-cream, just because I knew Chubbs would want a taste. It was chock-full of vanilla beans, and the most aromatic scoop I've tasted. Sadly, I only got to have one small teaspoon of it, because Chubbs hijacked the rest.
Posing with Mommy before the food.
Smiling his default smile for Daddy.
The feast.
O.M.G.
Chubbs inhaled the entire scoop.
After the two boys napped, we headed out to town for dinner. Our pick was the value-for-money sumiyaki place at 313, and we both ordered the Wagyu beef skewer set. The food was all good, but the best part about the meal was the perfectly cooked rice. We could see each individual fluffy grain of rice, unlike the mushy mess we get at most other Jap places. We could eat it on its own and be happy. It's the simple things that make us return to restaurants over and over again.
Slurping up long strands of noodles like a pro.
He finished the entire bowl of noodles in the foreground.
Our last stop before home was dessert at Wild Honey at Mandarin Gallery. We love Mandarin because it is always empty (thanks to the atas shops), and there's plenty of room for Chubbs to run off the food in his bulging tummy. I instantly fell in love with Wild Honey for their mis-matched chairs, Aussie vibe, menus scribbled on black-boards, and polite, eloquent wait-staff. Take that, Jones! Best of all, the food was decent, and the coffee, sublime. Take that again, Jones!
Rubbing noses with Mommy.
Decadent lemon and dark chocolate tarts.
We have to stop off at the shop everytime we visit Mandarin. Chubbs is eternally intrigued by the anatomical figures on display. He labels their sizes, "Big, medium, small, baby!"
Smiling his default smile for Daddy.
The feast.
O.M.G.
Chubbs inhaled the entire scoop.
After the two boys napped, we headed out to town for dinner. Our pick was the value-for-money sumiyaki place at 313, and we both ordered the Wagyu beef skewer set. The food was all good, but the best part about the meal was the perfectly cooked rice. We could see each individual fluffy grain of rice, unlike the mushy mess we get at most other Jap places. We could eat it on its own and be happy. It's the simple things that make us return to restaurants over and over again.
Slurping up long strands of noodles like a pro.
He finished the entire bowl of noodles in the foreground.
Our last stop before home was dessert at Wild Honey at Mandarin Gallery. We love Mandarin because it is always empty (thanks to the atas shops), and there's plenty of room for Chubbs to run off the food in his bulging tummy. I instantly fell in love with Wild Honey for their mis-matched chairs, Aussie vibe, menus scribbled on black-boards, and polite, eloquent wait-staff. Take that, Jones! Best of all, the food was decent, and the coffee, sublime. Take that again, Jones!
Rubbing noses with Mommy.
Decadent lemon and dark chocolate tarts.
We have to stop off at the shop everytime we visit Mandarin. Chubbs is eternally intrigued by the anatomical figures on display. He labels their sizes, "Big, medium, small, baby!"
