Bar Bar Black Sheep, Boat Quay, Singapore



If you grew up in England, then the name of the bar sounds familiar.  For those who didn't, who don't know what I'm talking about ... it shares the same sounding name as a fairly old English nursery rhyme. 

Anyhow, back to the bar, this place serves up Western, Thai and Indian food.  It's located pretty much in the middle of Boat Quay, which is packed with restaurants and bars.  A popular area with the afterwork crowd and tourists alike.

I met with an old friend who recently moved to Singapore for a quick afterwork bite and a catchup.  Seeing as I was in the mood for a burger (and my friend Mr. A was too), we decided to try our luck at this place.

With the few tables outside all occupied, as well as the bar stools, there were only a handful or so tables inside and we managed to grab the last available table at the back.

The waitress eagerly came along with menus and took our drink orders.  There's a good choice of food, but like I said, I was really hankering after a burger.  So of course being in South-East Asia, I went for the Rendang beefburger.  The waitress asked how I wanted it done, to which I replied, "medium".

Without trying to sound funny here, I was a little surprised not to see any lamb burgers on the menu.  I actually prefer lamb burgers to the beef variety.  Perhaps lamb costs a lot more than beef over here as they have to import it from further away, or maybe they are just not popular in Singapore to warrant putting on the menu ... who knows ....

My verdict on the burger; the bun had been toasted, but the bread was really chewy.  I also found the burger meat a little chewy, and it was medium to well done.  The sauce had a bit of a kick which added a subtle spicyness to the burger. 

Chips were good though and the coleslaw (like any regular commercial coleslaw found in supermarkets all over the UK) was a little bit too creamy for my taste, but that's only because I have grown to love good old homemade coleslaw.

For around $14.50, I guess it's not the cheapest burger in town, nor the most expensive either. 

Bar Bar Black Sheep, not a bad place to come with friends after work or even at lunch time.  Location is right on the river, the place is buzzing in the evenings, the bar is really quite pleasant and there are lots of other bars if you wanted to do a bit of a crawl.

Bar Bar Black Sheep
55 Boat Quay, Singapore 049844

HOURS
Mon-Thu: 12pm-12am
Fri: 12pm-2am
Sat: 9am-2pm
Sun: 9pm-12am

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Spoons, Port Fairy

This cute little town certainly boasts a few good eateries in The Age 2010 Good Food Guide.  There's the Merrijig Inn, The Hub, Portofino's, and The Stag. 

We started at The Hub, who politely told us that they were full but to perhaps try our luck at the Merrijig Inn or Portofino's.  Following their instructions, we all walked towards the wharf and eventually found the Merrijig.  Again, they told us that they were full.  So we decided that it was onto The Stag.  Again, this proved a fruitless task - it was closed tonight (being their one night off in the week). 

From the evening's event of trying to get into a restaurant, it almost felt like being in a Nativity play; "sorry, no room at the restaurant tonight".

The four of us decided to wearily walk back into the main street and passed a little cafe style restaurant with white linen covered tables and a few diners inside.  All famished and hungry, I stepped inside to ask if they had a table available for four.  The waitress asked me to hold on whilst she had quick look around and pointed to a lovely table in the front room.  Hoorah!  We were going to get a meal tonight...

The table had already been set up with linen napkins, silver cutlery and wine glasses.  It was as though we were meant to have this table. 

The waitress wasted no time in presenting us all with a menu each.  The choices looked good and being extremely hungry tonight, my eyes went straight for the 'Eye fillet on pea and wine risotto with wilted spinach and a red wine jus'. 

Whilst our mains were being prepared, we decided to start off by sharing some warmed olives.  They were certainly yummy and we polished them all off pretty quickly. 

Unfortunately, our mains seemed to be taking rather long to come out.  So long in fact, my companions had polished off a bottle of wine and were onto their second.  However, seeing as we had been turned away from so many other restaurants beforehand, a long wait for our food didn't seem too much of a hardship considering.

Nevertheless, after a good forty-five minutes (just as our patience was being tested), our meals arrived.  OK, so they looked good, but boy, they could have hurried them up...

My eye fillet looked so good.  Like a pig on steroids, I grabbed my cutlery and literally started wolfing it down.  The steak was beautifully cooked to medium, the risotto was velvety smooth and creamy, and the combination of spinach and red wine jus made it oh so delectable.  I've never had steak and risotto together before, but I think I will have to try it when I get back to my kitchen at home.

One of my companions had the belly pork with potato and balsamic reduction.  Again, it was very well presented and very well received. 

The waitresses are polite, friendly and attentive.  Spoons is a great little cosy cafe which turns out excellently presented evening meals that are truly good enough to rival the more established restaurants. 

Despite the long wait for our food, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this place - with warning of course.  We even went back for breakfast and fortunately we didn't have to wait long for our scrambled eggs and coffee. 

Thus, I can safely say that this was a great stumble-upon find.  A simply gorgeous little gem in Port Fairy.

Spoons Cafe
42 Sackville Street, Port Fairy, VIC
Tel: +61 (0)3 5568 3452

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Mrs Parma's, CBD, Melbourne

Before I begin, I must confess that before tonight, I was a parma virgin. 

I have however had eggplant (a.k.a. aubergine) 'bake' which is in effect, eggplant parmigiana.  That is, my homemade version of Delia Smith's receipe.  Except I sometimes substitute the parmesan for cheddar, which some may view as bit of a travesty.  Personally, I think I have it down to a 'T'!

My knowledge of 'Parmigiana' comes not from Italy, but from my travels in the US.  In the Star-Spangled Bannered country, 'Chicken Parmigiana' pops up everywhere.  I believe it is one of America's most popular dishes, and they affectionately call it 'Chicken Parm'.  It's Italian inspired rather than Italian descended. 

So, I was astonished to find this dish everywhere in Melbourne.  Here, it is known as 'Parma'.  And tonight at Mrs Parma's, I was to find several different variations of 'Parma'.

Mrs Parma's is located near the Spring Street end of Little Bourke Street.  On the outside it doesn't look like a typical pub per se .  But as I stepped inside, it reminded me of the family style pub stroke restaurants that are dotted all over the UK.  The kind that usually serve early bird meal deals which look better than they actually taste. 

The clientele tonight was that of a more mature crowd.  It wasn't rowdy and was surprising serene for a pub which made a nice change. 

Around the bar area are stools where punters can enjoy their drinks whilst taking in a game on the flat screen hung up high above the entrance doorway.  There is a designated dining area set up on a platform in the back corner which has to be reserved.  Dotted around are a few other tables lined up against the side wall and also by the front window.  

Looking around, it seemed that the other tables were either taken or reserved.  Luckily for us though, the friendly waitress sorted us out with a table in no time at all.  A couple were just paying up as we were waiting.  The last available table in the house!

If you're into beer, this place serves a good selection of local Victorian brews.  The list includes Carlton Draught on tap, some very thirst quenching hand-crafted beers and a good selection of beers by the bottle. 

The food menu included 'Bistro Classics' such including cheesy garlic & herb bread and of course, good old battered fish and chips.  As one would expect at Mrs Parma's, the menu is dominated with their famous 'Parma's' from which you can choose between chicken ($23), Wiener schnitzel ($24.50) and eggplant ($18.50).  The toppings include their Original - ham, napoli and cheese, Mexican and so on.

In the lead up to Christmas, Mrs Parma's were offering a Christmas special - a turkey parma with cranberry sauce, ham, cheese and gravy.  Hmm, it sounded interesting and rather tasty.

Oh and before I forget, for the gluten intolerant, there is a gluten-free alternative menu.  How accommodating is that!

Seeing as I like to get my daily five portions of veggies a day, I was in need of vegetables tonight.  So I opted for eggplant with the 'Salami' topping - calabrese salami, roasted peppers and cheese.  My dining companion was feeling festive and chose the Christmas turkey parma without the cranberry sauce. 

My eggplant with salami topping arrived with sprinkles of chopped basil on top.  The cheese had lovingly bubbled and turned golden.  The eggplant didn't taste bitter and was lovingly soft.  The cheesy topping was delicious as was the salami.  All in all, a very good eggplant parma. 

The Christmas turkey parma looked equally as good, although we were astounded at how large it was.  Again, it had sprinkles of basil and it wasn't smothered in gravy so as to drown the whole thing.  I tried a little piece and it was really very good.  The turkey wasn't tough, the ham was a good cut of proper ham and the cheesy topping was delicious. 

My companion enjoys a good parma.  Tonight, she said that her turkey parma was one of the better parma's that she has had in Melbourne.  Well done Mrs Parma's!

The parma's came with a side of salad and a side of chips for us to share.  The salad was fresh and lightly dressed.  The chips were like good old fashioned fat English chip shop style chips, except that they were sprinkled with chicken salt.  They both tasted too good to leave anything behind. 

We both enjoyed our parma's and seeing as I was never into the idea of them before, I have definitely been converted.  The food was fresh and tasty.  Service was friendly, polite and attentive.  I think one meat parma is definitely enough for two people, leaving just enough room for dessert. 

Unfortunately we were both too stuffed to even entertain the idea.  If you're after an exceptionally tasty parma dinner with no pretensions, then Mrs Parma's parma is definitely a winner dinner. 

Mrs Parma's
25 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000
Tel: +61 (0)3 9639 2269

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Young & Jackson's Cafe, CBD, Melbourne

Young & Jackson's cafe sits on the ground floor of this huge Young & Jackson corner location.  Upstairs there is 'Chloe's Lounge & Restaurant' and there is even a rooftop bar above that.  Next door is the long bar which leads into the main bar.

The cafe wasn't too busy when we arrived and we managed to get a table for two by the window.  With comfy red leather dining chairs, we slumped into our seats, out of the wet rain.  A waitress came with a couple of menus.  The menu is fronted with an image of the infamous 'Chloe' herself, laid bare in a slightly sultry pose.

There is the usual pub fare of fish and chips, steak and Guinness pie alongside salads, lamb cutlets, Australian dahl and more. 

Having not eaten any breakfast this morning (very bad I know!), I was after something more substantial than a salad from the 'Something Light' section of the menu.  So, it was a toss up between the fish and chips, and the steak and Guiness pie from the 'Not So Light' section.

Since I concluded that both dishes probably contain equal amounts of calories, I decided against the deep fried fare and went for the steak and Guiness pie served with creamy mash and buttered winter veg.  My companion ordered the fish and chips.  Hoorah, I would get to try them both!

The steak and Guiness pie was an individually cooked pie with a lovely puff pastry crust on top.  As I cut into the gorgeously flaky pastry, I was presented with succulent pieces of beef that had started to break up due to it being so tender.  As I spooned out the filling, there were also pieces of celery and carrot.  The Guiness gravy was so delicious, that I felt it a sin not to tip over the dish in order to pour it all over my mash.

The creamy mash was indeed, exceedingly creamy - it was, heaven!  The vegetables were steamed just right, still crunchy and beautifully mixed with slightly wilted fresh spinach leaves.  They tasted buttery, but not too much so.

The fish and chips came with a side of fresh salad lightly dressed with olive oil.  The fish was moist pieces of whiting covered in crispy beer batter.  The chips were like chips that you get back in England.  With the tartare sauce and wedge of lemon, it took me back to being in Brighton (England) eating fish and chips by the sea.  

The fish was fresh and the batter was crispy without being greasy.  My companion certainly enjoyed it as well.    

Having meticulously polished off our mains, we decided against dessert.  Even though the sticky date pudding with ice-cream that I saw looked utterly inviting.  It would have to be sampled at a later date. 

The setting in one of Melbourne's oldest pubs is that of relaxed, informal and unpretentious, pub stroke cafe style dining.  With a good selection of staple pub grub as well as light snacks and even hot breakfasts available at the weekends, Young & Jackson's cafe downstairs is certainly a good place to eat.

Young & Jackson's Cafe

Corner of Swanston Street & Flinders Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000

Tel: +61 (0)3 9650 3884

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Salon de L'Oriental, Bangkok

As a Mandarin Oriental cafe, this place should without a doubt, be excellent.  Having only been here for tea and coffee before, my friend and I decided to venture into this place for lunch  today.  They offer a selection of enticing Thai and Western delights. 

You have to pass the cake display as you approach the entrance which all look beautifully made.  However, with my past experience of eating cakes in Thailand before, they don't taste like they should do.  So I was a little dubious as to how good they would taste...maybe I will try them one day...but not today...

There are several tables with comfy seating under huge canvas umbrellas.  There is also a soothing waterfall feature with tropical plants which makes for a relaxing and serene haven in this city shopping complex.   

On the menu, there are appetizers, soups, salad, sandwiches and Thai food.  We opt for the Thai food as we wanted to see how it was.  Feeling like a salad, we decided to share a papaya salad (which is traditionally eaten with fried chicken and sticky rice) followed by Khao Pad (Thai style fried rice) and a Chicken Green curry.

Whilst waiting for our food to be prepared, a bread basket was brought to us.  It included sesame seeded wafers, wholemeal raisin bagette, mini country roll, mini wholemeal roll and brioche.  I tried a little of each one; the seeded wafer wasn't anything special.  I loved the brioche which was light and buttery, but not too much so.  The raisin bread was delicious, but a little heavy for me.  Seeing as we had an appetizer to share with a main each, we felt it wise to eat only a little of the bread. 

When our papaya salad arrived, I was a little surprised at how small it was.  However, seeing as was an appetizer and not a main, I think it was a good portion for just that.  As expected, it was well presented and wonderfully dressed.  The salad was a mix of peanuts, green beans, sliced green papaya and carrot.  It was lovingly well balanced with a sweet and slightly spicy dressing.  A truly wonderful and refreshing starter indeed...

The Khao Pad (Fried rice) came with the usual fried egg on top.  Thais love having a fried egg on top of their fried rice and I must admit, it is a great addition to the dish.  There were three grilled sticks - chicken satay, pork satay and king prawn which comes with satay sauce on the side with mini Thai style prawn crackers.  Thai style prawn crackers differ from Chinese prawn crackers in that they are more dense, slightly pink in colour (from the prawns), are smaller and obviously taste different. 

Again, this plate was beautifully presented.  The rice had fried chicken, pork, dried shrimp, tomato, spring onions and more.  It was absolutely stunningly wonderful and there was plenty of it.  I enjoyed it so much that I have made a mental note to come back for this dish alone!

The chicken green curry was a substantial portion, came with a plate of plain jasmine rice and a plate of condiments (see picture below the green curry). 

It had lots of basil and wasn't too spicy (as I requested it to be), but I was dissappointed to find only a few segments of Thai aubergine (eggplant) and no baby Thai aubergine at all!!  The chicken meat wasn't fatty, but it came from the thigh.  Personally I prefer sliced chicken breast in my green curry.  The sauce was really very tasty though.  But with the significant lack of aubergine and the chicken meat, it was only mediocre.  I don't think I will be rushing back for this one.

The plate of condiments included a sweet plum chutney, roasted cashews, mini Thai prawn crackers, dried grated fish and what I can only describe as crispy thin backbone of little fish as I don't the proper name.  

All in all, I really enjoyed the bread, the papaya salad and the fried rice.  However, I've had much better chicken green curry elsewhere.  This won't stop me from coming back to try some of the other delectable sounding things on the menu.  Eyeing up the plates served to a couple of well dressed 'ladies who lunch', their toasted sandwiches looked utterly delicious with a generous serving of salad on the side - another thing to try...

The waiters were polite enough and friendly to a point, but not overly so.  I won't call this place excellent, but it is pretty good.  And as a Mandarin Oriental cafe, it already has high standards to adhere to. 

There is also a sister cafe on the M floor of the Paragon Shopping Complex.  I think I will be trying that one next time.

Salon de L'Oriental
Ground floor, Emporium Shopping Complex, 622 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110
Tel:  +66 (0)2 664 8000 
Nearest BTS: Phrom Phong

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