L.E.N.A.S reminds me of a more atas version of Astons. It offers a choice of main with 2 other sides.
First, let's start off with their sides. I enjo yed their crispy parma fries with that lovely crunch that will leave you craving for more.
Coleslaw, whipped potato and sweet corn were all pretty average to me.
The pilaf rice was underwhelmingly plain. A straight no go for me.
Their mozzarella grilled-cheese chicken was the ultimate fusion of pizza and grilled chicken. Recommended for cheese lovers (and fickle-minded ones who can't decide btwn pizza or chicken.)
Medium rare grilled prime ribeye had a pleasant chewy tender texture to it. The black pepper sauce was an additional bonus :)
I suppose it was a decent meal. Just choose the right sides when you're there and you'll be fine.
What a place oozing with hippie vibes! A pair of creepy-looking plushies greeted us at their doorstep, and upon walking in, symmetry's interior felt like some country tavern. I found it quite a cool place.
For their Super Brunch, the quinoa was pretty decent. The sauteed shrooms, fried eggs and chicken cheese sausage were satisfactory.
Their Duck Leg Confit Croissant was flakey, crisp and buttery. Coupled with the fluffy scrambled eggs, caramelised onions, lettuce and duck confit, it was a nice combination.
Their crab pesto was the definite highlight of the day. Linguine pasta cooked in extra olive oil, topped with hazelnut basil pesto, parmesan cheese and shreds of crab claw had the umami crab flavour infused into the pasta. Yumz.
Taste-wise, it was decent but the price might be slightly too steep for unemployed students. Haha
A chill cafe tucked in a nice little corner of Holland V, baker & cook is the perfect spot to hang out at for friend gatherings.
The crust of their salmon quiche was sufficiently crumbly and delightful. They were generous with their tasty salmon bits. Capsicum slices tucked within the quiche gave it a refreshing crunch with every bite. The couscous salad was fine and grainy, with apricot chunks. I found the sweet ajd salty taste of the salad slightly strange though. It was a nice experience there overall :)
Pleasant brunch experience at La Nonna's. Their 1-for-1 lunch deal is an absolute steal. Besides a main/pizza/pasta, you will be presented with their unique italian breadsticks/bread buns as appetizers. Loved the piping hot soft bread dipped in their balsamic vinegar and olive oil mix. :) Their La Nonna pizza had the perfect crust topped with a generous amount of truffle, cheese and asparagus. Being a cheese lover, I requested to add on more buffulo mozzarella and the melted cheese totally bumped up the taste of the thin-crusted pizza. The golden yolk that oozed out of the egg added more flavour to the pizza and it was an interesting twist to our original perception of pizzas. Would definitely recommend this place 👍
Bread yard is a hidden gem offering delicious brunch at affordable prices. My Bettino Full Platter ($10), bottom right, had nicely grilled back bacon. Mmmm that crispness. My favourite part of the entire dish would be their poached eggs with hollandaise sauce atop the honey baked ham and Hokkaido bread. The thick bread had an amazingly crusty edge and fluffy soft centre. I could even taste the faintest hint of milkiness that added on to the bread's overall yum-factor. The poached eggs were done to perfection too! Imagine my exuberance the moment the golden runny yolk oozed out :) Their desserts are pretty awesome too, especially their apple raisin bread pudding ($6). The hot-cold combination of the pudding and vanilla ice-cream made the dessert quite the highlight of the meal
Pacamara's Truffle Benedict with brioche, smoked ham, spinach, truffle hollandaise and free range poached eggs ($18) was photogenic, but tasted off-the-mark. It would be a crime to call eggs benny poached if their yolk aren't runny in the first place. One had an almost-solid lump of yolk (ugh disappointing) and the other simply had a teeny bit that oozed. The truffle flavour was also barely discernible. Where is the unique earthy rich taste? :(
Thank goodness the brioche was decent and its crisp-edge-fluffy-inside combination cheered me up a little. Their smoked ham and spinach redeemed the dish a little, but still insufficient to erase my memory of the lacklustre poached eggs. Their mocha was decent though ($6). Guess I wouldn't visit them again for they're overrated.
The GRUB cheeseburger and fries delivered on a tray is so photogenic! The pickle perched atop the bun is such a cute idea. Taste-wise, the burger was decent, though not exceptionally impressive. Based on the description on the menu, the beef patty was from 100% grass-fed and free-range beef. The beef was slightly bland, a little underseasoned. I had to add mentaiko sauce to bump up the taste. Crispy hot fries dipped in savoury fishy mentaiko is the best thing ever!
I added on an Earl Grey Lemon Tea, and loved the way the malty flavour of the tea blended smoothly together with the tangy taste of lemon.
We also ordered churros, paired with dark chocolate sauce and tangy creme anglaise. They were deep fried to a wonderful crisp and generously coated with sugar. I could taste the tinge of cinnamon and the fluffy inside of the churros was heavenly!
I enjoyed my overall dining experience at Grub and would return to give its other burgers a shot.
Phad Thai, Thai iced milk tea and two pieces of pandan chicken all for $7.90 - It must be the most price-worthy Thai lunch set ever. The sprinkle of crunchy peanut bits complemented the light texture of the phad thai noodles perfectly. It tasted slightly bland but there's nothing a little sweet and sour chilli can't fix. Their pandan chicken was crisp on the outside, but a little tough on the inside. The pandan flavour wasn't infused sufficiently into the chicken too. I would say Nakhon did a better job for their Pandan Chicken. As for the Thai Iced Milk Tea, it wasn't as richly flavoured as expected. Despite the misses with their tea and side dish, I would still say that the food quality was acceptable for the price charged to it.
