(CLOSED) Onion Restaurant & Bar

Onion is a new restaurant that sits comfortably and conveniently along Bukit Timah Road. It is within walking distance from Guthrie House. Parking is available right outside the restaurant but there are limited lots. So, we decided to park at Guthrie to save ourselves the hassle of getting a lot here.

And so here we were!
 




The tiffany blue walls got me excited hahaha. I love tiffany blue

The restaurant has 2 levels so we chose to dine on the second level! There was nobody around so we had the entire level to ourselves. There seemed to be some event or food tasting session going on on level 1 so it was pretty noisy. We were glad that the second level was empty and quiet.






Oooooh Tiffany Blue


Low ceiling and simple colours.


View of level 1 from upstairs.


Pierre Henri Chardonnay 2010

We got the tasting menu - $23.80
-We could choose 3 items from Tapas menu (in tasting portion)
-A glass of house red/white wine


Complimentary starter.
The squid might have been cooked sometime ago as it was no longer crispy and a little soft and soggy. We liked the sauce though! Sour and refreshing



Tasting menu - 3 tapas

Duck confit on Mushroom Stew (original price for full portion is $14.80)


Served with pita bread

The duck confit was pretty average. It went well with the pita bread but it tasted pretty similar to the Chinese style braised duck.


Oyster with cava (original price for 2 oysters is $12.80)
Seasonal oyster in sparkling wine served in oyster shells with red onion dressing

This was really good! The red onion dressing was delicious and not to mention, the oyster was extremely fresh!


Cold steamed king prawn with mango salsa (original price for full portion is $12.80)
Served with spring salad and balsamic vinaigrette

The prawn was really fresh and the mango salsa was packed with sharp flavours that leave a tingling aftertaste. We really liked it!


Creamy fettuccine with seafood and lumpfish caviar - $17.80
Greenland shrimp, flower squid, salmon slice, silverfish, fresh herb, black and green olive and parmesan cheese

The 2 pieces of fried onion were sweet and yummy! This dish had quite alot of seafood and they were all really fresh and delectable. The cream sauce was not too overwhelming and you wouldn't feel sick of it. The fettuccine was nicely cooked, springy and just the right texture. The portion might be a little small for some but after the tasting menu, this portion was just right for me!




Spicy crabmeat spaghetti with caviar - $16.80
Sweet and spicy tomato sauce with egg white topped with crab meat and black caviar.

The sauce was both sweet and spicy and it was quite a good combination of flavours. The sauce was too spicy for me so X had to finish this haha.


After tasting for ourselves that their strength lies in seafood and oysters, we decided to get half a dozen of oysters. However, the one we wanted was sold out so we took a pair of these instead.




Fin De Claire No. 3- $13.20
If you get half a dozen of oysters, you'll receive a complimentary glass of house white wine.
SO OBVIOUSLY, X wanted half a dozen. Hahaha. But we decided to be thrifty and order, just a pair.

The Fin De Claire oysters were amazing. They were SUPER fresh and really gratifying. The sauce that comes with the oysters was distinctly sour and leaves an aftertaste that lingers for a really long time. The oyster left a deep impression on us and it really left us craving for more.
So good.

The place's simple but charming. The second level can get extremely noisy as the sounds kinda echo through the level. A large group arrived when we were almost done with dinner and we could hardly hear ourselves as their conversations swallowed us up so we left shortly after. However, when it was just us, the place was quiet and pleasant.

The service was pretty efficient and the staff were courteous. And the most important thing is, the food's pretty awesome.

If you're a fan of seafood, and especially oysters, you've gotta visit Onion.


791 Bukit Timah Road
#01-01

Sun–Thu: 5.30pm – 10pm
Fri–Sat: 5.30pm – 10.30pm
(Closed on Mon)

---

Love, K

K's rating of Onion: 8/10

Baker & Cook

We first saw Baker & Cook after our brunch at Bronte. It was really new back then so it was not that crowded.  But it was a pretty bakery with the bread aroma serenading the entire place. We knew we would come back some day.




For a rather small shop space, they have quite a number of seating available. Several long marble tables to accommodate huge crowds.






Everybody wants a piece of Baker & Cook's bread


Many many types of breads that I have no clue about. But i do know they smell really good.


Huge array of tarts 


And pastries 




Iced Latte

The iced latte was a tad too strong for K.


Iced Mochaccino

I loved this drink. Sweet chocolate flavour with a lingering coffee aftertaste. Exactly what i was looking for. A great start to brunch!


Salmon Tartine - $13
Salmon with cream cheese, spring onion and fresh dill

If any food has the power to describe the phrase " looks can be deceiving ",  this is it. Simple looking with just a huge piece of salmon lying on top of a slice of bread, this was certainly deceiving as it packs some power punch flavours. The saltiness of the fresh salmon combined with the buttery taste of the cream cheese is quite a taste to behold. Also, there is a slight tinge of sourness that made it refreshing and all the more, delicious.


Eggs Benedict ( Salmon) - $19
2 poached eggs on toasted Baker & Cook bread, topped with hollandaise sauce



I think eggs benedict needs no introduction. But see the chilli oil by the side? Thats the surprise of this eggs ben. I like the intriguing taste of the hollandaise with a slight hint of spice. The black sauce which tasted like balsamic vinegar added more flavour to the dish. In addition, the poached eggs were perfect. Definitely worth a try.


Desserts


Lemon Tart - $5

One of the best lemon tarts I've had. Sweet yet not over-powering. Refreshing and not overly sour. And the crust was great. Everything about it was pretty perfect.


Bombolini donut(custard) - $3.30

An ordinary donut that was a bit disappointing in the company of other brillant desserts. But we certainly liked the look of all of them sitting in a tray of sugar haha


Classic cheesecake - $4.50

I'm really liking the Hillcrest area. So calm and serene. Perfect place for a quiet weekend brunch. Service is great, efficient and there is no service charge. Baker & Cook is highly recommended. Try it and let us know what you think! 

77 Hillcrest Road
Sunday to Thursday - 7am to 8pm
Friday to Saturday - 7am to 10pm

---
Love, X

X's rating of B & C: 8.5/10

Outpost No 903 Gastrobar

Outpost No 903 is located along Bukit Timah and is sitting at a spot which is familiar to many. It is situated at where Brewerks and Tavern used to be. Parking is available at Cherry Avenue which is just a short walk away.










We could tell that much effort was put into the design of this pretty place. It was a fusion of vintage and modernity. We had the privilege of speaking to the owner of the gastrobar and we found out that their furniture are carefully sought !





This wooden beam in this picture, was actually part of a railway track in Vietnam. Pretty cool isn't it!




See the vintage camera and sewing machine?














Kopparberg pear cider
Alcohol content : 4.5%
This cider had a strong pear taste and a light aftertaste of alcohol.

Happy hour : $8

Glass of white wine : $10
This tasted especially light but was pretty strong.
X felt that the portion given was a tad too little, as compared to other restaurants.


Outpost Olio - $20
Pan seared tiger prawns with thin noodles, pan fried in red chilli, lemon grass, garlic and lime juice.


The pasta was unfortunately, bland. There was a slight taste of herbs but the pasta on the whole was pretty tasteless. Also, the portion was a bit too small. 


Picatta of Pork - $18
Pan grilled tender pork loin with parmesan cheese batter, served with pomodoro sauce and butter spaghetti.


There were 3 pieces of pork loin and I felt that was pretty generous. I'd expected the pork to be slightly crispy but it was a little soggy. The cheese and pomodoro sauce went well together but there was not enough to go around for the 3 pieces of meat. On top of that the butter spaghetti was tasteless too. This dish would have been better if there was enough sauce for the pork loin and spaghetti


Grilled squid - $12
Grilled squid drizzled with tangy coriander and lime sauce.
This was really good! It was sour and spicy and the flavour, even though strong, was not overwhelming but was excellent! It might be too spicy for some though!


Meatballs - $10
Home made beef/chicken meat balls infused with yellow raisins soaked in marsala wine, drizzled with marsala wine reduction.

This was a new definition of meatballs for me. Meatballs are always a little hard on the outside and they crumble when you bite into them. This was extremely different from the normal meatballs you get out there. It was very soft and remarkably tasty. We really loved it! MUST TRY


Kopparberg Elderflower and lime
This was unique and refreshing! If you're looking for something not too fruity but refreshing, here's a recommendation for you!


Souffle - $10
The souffle took quite awhile to arrive so do order beforehand if you don't want to wait too long for it! The warm souffle was moist and not bad but we thought it would have been better if it was served with a small scoop of vanilla icecream.

Service at Outpost 903 is really good. The staff are very attentive and efficient. Alfred, the boss, also took effort to ask us how the food was and to explain to us the decor of the place. They are also in collaboration with certain brands in the fashion industry to bring you exclusive events. Really quite a cool place! They also have an all-day breakfast selection. Do check them out and let us know what you think!

903 Bukit Timah Road

Tue - Thu:	15:00	-	00:00
Fri - Sat:	15:00	-	03:00
Sun:	10:00	-	14:00
	15:00	-	00:00

---
Love, K

K's rating of Outpost 903 : 7.5/10

Ikoi Japanese Restaurant

This is probably my 5th time at Ikoi but I love this place because they have the best sashimi buffet in Singapore! You can find Japanese buffets ranging from $20-$30 out there but these buffets might not have sashimi or their sashimi is not of too great a quality or they only have the more common sashimi like salmon and tuna.

Over at Ikoi, you get SWORDFISH(my favourite), salmon, tuna, yellowtail, snapper, cuttlefish and octopus. Free flow of swordfish sashimi. That is more than enough to make your $35++ worth it.

Eng Kee Chicken Wing

The first time I tried Eng Kee chicken wings was many years back, when my uncle brought me there to eat the "best chicken wings in Singapore" I didn't have high hopes. I mean, come on, its just chicken wings. How good can they actually be?

Well, you'll have to try it to know how good it really is.

 
Located just a block away from the famous Two Chefs. Eng Kee chicken wings have been my dessert after a meal at Two Chefs a couple of times now. No matter what time I'm there, there's always a queue. They dont only sell chicken wings and have bee hoon and other dishes too.

This was one of the nights where Eng Kee chicken wings were our desserts haha. Despite being really full from dinner, we just had to have the wings



Crispy, juicy and really tasty.

Definitely one of, if not, the best chicken wing in Singapore! The chicken wings are priced at $1.20 per piece. However, don't just get one. You'll regret it. You need at least 2! Haha. Do try the wings and let us know what you think!

117 Commonwealth Drive, #01-711
Mon–Sat: 12pm – 10.30pm 

---
Love, K

K's rating of EK's chicken wings : 8/10
*rating based solely on food.