Brotzeit @ East Coast Road

Ever since I've been to Brotzeit the other day, I've been craving to try their Brotzeitplatte which includes their famed pork knuckle. There has to be a reason that almost every other table orders the pork knuckle right? For those who don't know, the Brotzeitplatte features a pork knuckle, 2 pieces of pork schnitzel, and a selection of their sausages. The greens are more for presentation's sake, but they do come with whole pickles which help to break the monotony of the taste of the meat. As for the sauces, there is your staple ketchup, mustard and sweet mustard (I enjoyed this the most, especially with the schnitzel). There is also a sauce that is heated up specifically for the pork knuckle which makes it much more moist. The platter makes for a very good instagram picture, especially when it's served on a slab of polished wood. In addition, there is a choice of 2 sides from the extensive range of sides available in the menu to accompany the platter. Although they recommend it for 4-5 people, I would say that it would feed 4 comfortably, whereas for 5 people more definitely needs to be ordered.

Full view of the Brotzeitplatte

The Pork Schnitzel comes in a rather generous portion, but is rather underwhelming in my opinion. Not sure if this is meant to make the pork knuckle much tastier in comparison or... In any case, the pork is nicely battered but is way too dry and bland. There was nothing really special about the schnitzel. I would have to say that the saving grace of the schnitzel is when it is taken together with beer. On hindsight, I would probably order the Pork Knuckle ala carte the next round to avoid having to eat the schnitzel.

Close up of the Pork Knuckle and Sausages

The Pork Knuckle is easily the star of the platter, because it has the most distinctive taste. I would recommend scraping away the fats as it can get a bit nauseating to keep eating the fats with the pork. However, I would still eat the crispy skin together with the meat and perhaps abit of fat. That, in my opinion, is the optimal way to enjoy the pork knuckle. Of course, you need to dip into the sauce so that it becomes both warm and moist with every mouthful. 

The selection of sausages allows you to try a bit of each of their sausages. In a nutshell, all of the sausages are good, and it all boils down to the individual which one you like best. They include cheese, pork, and chicken sausages. Personally I found the larger sausages to be more juicy and the texture of these sausages was also better. The spicy sausages might be too spicy for some, but like I said, it's good to have a variant of flavours to avoid being sian of just eating a platterful of meat. 

Now, on to the sides that I chose.

Napkin Dumplings

The napkin dumplings are made of eggs, flour, milk and some other ingredients. They don't really have a distinctive flavour, but its a good alternative to having all the other potato-based sides to go with every main. Definitely worth a try, although I would probably order something else on my next visit.

Roast Potatoes

A staple that you can't go wrong with. The potatoes were well seasoned and roasted, and the roast onions were a welcome surprise. The potatoes were also not too salty which make them suitable to be eaten with the meat platter.

Winter Beer

Glad to see this is still around, but not sure for how long. A friend that frequents Brotzeit says that they usually will carry on with a particular brew as long as there is demand for it, and they'll slowly phase it out over time. I hope that this is still around on my next visit though!

The Brotzeitplatte is what I believe to be the most value-for-money dish on the Brotzeit menu when they are not having any other promotions. It's also a good and safe order for those visiting Brotzeit for the first time. However, I'll be sticking the to pork knuckle and sausages for future visits. 

View my other post on Brotzeit here!
http://eatwheresia.blogspot.sg/2013/12/brotzeit-313-somerset.html

Brotzeit German Bier Bar and Restaurant
126 East Coast Road

Barossa @ Esplanade Mall

Tired of always meeting up with your friends at yet another Orchard Road eatery or at City Hall? This restaurant is somewhat off the beaten track, and it's not somewhere that everyone will have been to. It's name is Barossa, and is situated in Esplanade Mall. As a general guide, it's near the performance area that looks like a sailboat and is facing the sea. I had the luck of stumbling upon this place due to Visa's aggressive 1-for-1 lunch promotion and hence everything here was both good and cheap. The ambiance here was awesome for 2 reasons. Firstly, the sea breeze. Although not as strong as the breeze you would expect at East Coast Parkway, it was certainly decent and a welcome change from our air-conditioned enclaves. It also boasts a view of Marina Bay Sands and the buildings surrounding the bay. The second reason? The reception here sucks. It's not an understatement - Your mobile data and phone reception just dies here. Want to get away from work? This is the place your boss can't contact you. Your partner will definitely appreciate it, as you can have a meaningful and engaging conversation uninterrupted by smartphones, which is the norm today.

Barossa has Archipelago beers on tap, which goes well with the food in general. However, I don't really fancy having beers in the day so I usually stick to their coffee, which is documented below. On with the food!

Seafood Bisque

On the day that I actually bothered to document the soup I was having, it just so happened that they replaced the usual mushroom soup with Seafood Bisque. This soup is definitely not for everyone, as the seafood taste is VERY strong, and it might leave an unpleasant aftertaste for some. Love the breadsticks though. They soak up the soup well and are tasty even on their own.

Beer Battered Fish and Chips, Gourmet Beef Burger

I lost my picture of the Gourmet Burger, so we'll have to make do with this shot of the Fish and Chips. The beer batter is extremely evident which I found very enjoyable. The portion of fish is also large, considering that they were running a 1-for-1 promotion. Their fries were also chunky and fried well. There was a good variety of greens in the side salad, and the dressing complemented both the fries and the battered fish well. 

The most outstanding part of the Gourmet Beef Burger is probably their patty. Their sesame seed bun tastes like your regular commercial bun you can get at McDonalds, but their beef patty is certainly a class above. Although I wouldn't say its the best beef patty I've had, the quality of the beef was good and the beef patty was well done, not too raw and neither was it overcooked. The same fries accompanied the burger, but there wasn't really a side salad to speak of.

I like how their dishes were served on wooden boards which made it extremely classy. Be warned though! The baking paper that accompanies it does catch the wind so sometimes it's annoying, but top marks for presentation.

Blue Mussel Aglo Olio

Simple Spaghetti tossed in olive oil and cheese, accompanied by mussels. I was pleasantly surprised as the dish was much tastier than it looked. I was worried it would be bland, but that was not the case. The cheese was a nice addition, as was the garlic bits which made the dish more fragrant. The mussels were fresh and to my liking.

Branded Coffee! Heh. It costs just a $2 top up for this cup of goodness. While it isn't the strongest coffee around, it's very smooth and tastes like filtered coffee although it's pressured. The sugar cubes were yet another classy touch that I liked, and hot milk is served at the side even without a prior request for it. Overall doesn't have a super strong coffee taste, but does provide a nice "kick" for those (like me) who need caffeine to function. Or not to be so grumpy. Either way, this coffee is a nice add on if you're not having a beer.

Barossa serves good quality food, and it's certainly a nice place for lunch and dinner. At night the ambiance is fantastic, but the prices are not so accommodating. The lunch promotion is definitely worth it, although I am not entirely sure if they're still running it. That being said, they're usually victimised by the Singapore F1 Road Closures so I expect to see promotions by then, if not earlier, as their lunch-time can be fairly quiet without people from the nearby workplaces. They also serve an all-you-can-eat beef buffet, so that might be of some interest to those meat-lovers. I would certainly drop by for a beer by the bay if I was in the area at night as the ambiance is nice and the sea breeze really relaxes you and makes you feel like a towkay, if only for the time that you're there.

#01-11
Esplanade Mall
8 Raffles Avenue

Group Therapy Cafe @ Katong V

Group Therapy Cafe Katong V is one of the newest additions to spring up in the east, making it much more accessible to fans without having to head down to their outlet at Duxton Road. Nestled in a relatively quiet corner of the mall, you would be forgiven for missing the cafe as the storefront doesn't really stand out. Then again, GTC believes in space AWAY from the daily grind, so it's nice that it's relatively quiet. However, I can't say that the cafe itself is relatively quiet as I have encountered quite a few families with young children which pretty much terrorise all the other patrons. That being said, it is no fault of theirs but do expect families here as it is strategically located to be near residential areas.

There are nice lounge chairs and a sofa inside the cafe as well to relax in if you're just there for your daily cuppa. If not, there is a free-seating concept and you can head on over to order and pay at the counter when you are done browsing the menu. There are numerous all-day breakfast items on offer, as well as sandwiches and some mains. The food and drinks here are decent, but definitely not the best around. 

Big Plate

Naming a dish does not get simpler. What you see is what you get, with multi-grain toast, back bacon, sauteed mushrooms, sausage and a side salad. Eggs can be poached or scrambled, and are usually served on the side. I didn't really agree with the eggs being served on the side as it kind of makes the main plate look a little empty. The multi-grain toast is decent and fresh, while the sausage is well-done. The mushrooms are average, and the bacon is salty in general. I do like the salad here mostly due to the sesame and garlic dressing which I find tasty, even if it might be from a bottle (hmm, sometimes it's better not to know and just enjoy the food).

The same dish served with brioche toast. I was disappointed, to be honest, at the thickness of the brioche toast. Tasted more like your regular white bread to me, and as you can see below, the picture doesn't do much to support the alternative to my statement. That being said, the toast was crisp enough for most people to enjoy. 

Poached eggs with salmon and gruyere on toast

For those who do not know, gruyere is a type of cheese, which I feel is a good and viable alternative to Hollandaise sauce that is so often seen with breakfast and toast dishes. The poached eggs are drenched with this sauce, and it goes well with the toast. The serving of smoked salmon is fairly generous in my opinion, but isn't of an exceptional quality. I believe you can get better quality and stronger-tasting smoked salmon from your local Cold Storage store. However, it was good enough to make me satisfied with this dish and I will definitely be choosing this over the Big Plate or their other breakfast offerings for the time being.

Their buttermilk pancakes come in a generally small serving size, and hence I did not order seeing it after seeing the people at the table next to me looking victimised by the small serving. However since it costs $12, I would say that is reasonable, bordering upon expensive, for the thin pancakes. Their drinks fare better though, and are served in cups and saucers of contrasting colours. This means that your cuppa looks sprightly when served to you, and it does brighten your day. Their drinks come in iced or hot versions, but since I personally prefer hot drinks, I only have photographs of the hot ones. I've seen quite a few people order this Iced Green Tea Latte, but it looks rather dilute based on its colour and consistency. It looks a bit too pale to satisfy the average Green Tea lover, and I would definitely stick to having my Green Tea Lattes as Starbucks.

Triple Shot Latte

From what I learned from the barista, their lattes are served with 2 shots of coffee. Personally, I like to add an additional shot to make it 3. The third shot greatly enhances the flavour and aroma of the coffee in my opinion. While the latte art isn't great, at least there is a show of some effort which I find to be satisfactory. After all, who really cares what is on the top of your drink when you're going to stir it in anyway. However, their drinks come in one size only, with the height of the cup being around 10cm if I remember correctly, or about the portion of a tall cup.

Mint Mocha

I tried this drink as I was feeling Christmasy at the time. Not sure whether it was a latte art gone wrong here, but as I mentioned before, it doesn't matter. The combination of mint and chocolate is one that has been tried-and-tested by many, so it's definitely safe to drink. If you have enjoyed drinks such as the Peppermint Mocha served at Starbucks, you'll find this comparable, but not markedly better. The chocolate used in this drink doesn't taste extraordinary, and the mint taste is slightly on a mild side, probably because the barista doesn't want to push the limits of this drink as not everyone appreciates a strong peppermint taste. This is a good alternative to the latte if you don't really want to taste your coffee.

GTC charges GST although there is no service charge, and hence the prices can vary a little from what you see on the menu. It's definitely a good place to meet up with friends as the seating space is adequate and the overall ambiance is very relaxed. The cakes and pastries look rather underwhelming and as such I haven't tried them yet. The location is also decent with cheap parking in the vicinity. It's also a good getaway from the crowds that throng Parkway Parade and its coffee branches, so I believe to be worth the walk across the overhead bridge and across the car park of Katong V. The food I would say is better than average, so I would come back for the food, just maybe not too often. The drink size may not suffice for a long conversation, but is a good size for your regular pick-me-up. Also a good place for families to stake out while the other members shop for groceries at the nearby Fairprice Finest. Do give it a try if you're in the East Coast Area.

Expect to pay: $15-25

#01-11
Katong V
30 East Coast Road

PS Cafe @ Palais Renaissance

PS Cafe is one of the other so-called "controversial" cafes in Singapore, because the big question is, is it worth to try the food there? I will attempt to give an answer to the best of my ability below. I have visited their outlets at Palais Renaissance and Paragon, and even then the experiences between the 2 locations vary greatly. The pictures below are mainly from their PR outlet, whilst the desserts are from their paragon outlet.

At first glance, you have to admit that PS Cafe is extremely posh and classy. Looking in from the outside, one would probably hesitate to enter if he was wearing casual wear like bermudas and slippers. Furthermore, it is set in the pretty "atas" location of Palais Renaissance. That being said, the patrons here are not necessarily well-dressed, as I found out when I entered. The decor of the cafe in PR is reminiscent of a hotel lounge, as you can see with the extensive use of wood and marble tiling. Inside, however, it is constructed to resemble a barn or farmhouse, with reflective mirror panes replacing the standard glass panes. 

PS Cafe still has a pretty strict no-photograph policy which I find annoying. I would understand totally if I was invading the privacy of someone else, but why can't I take pictures of the interior or the food? That being said, #YOLO so the pictures below are for your viewing pleasure.

PS Big Bacon and Eggs 

2 poached eggs, grilled asparagus, portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, bacon, salami sausage and toast. That's what I remember was in my dish anyway heh. I have a policy of usually trying what the cafe touts as their "big breakfast" when I visit them for the first time, and I ended up satisfied with the Big Bacon and Eggs. It was fairly filling, but not to the point that one would feel bloated. The poached eggs are excellent, and the spiced sausage is a refreshing change from what you would normally get from other brunch places. The toast is definitely not in the league of that served in Wild Honey, and I expected more from the tomatoes and mushrooms. They didn't taste exceptional to me. The "atas" touch? The asparagus, which was grilled well and added flavour to the dish.

Chicken in a Basket

I was surprised at my friend's decision to have this - after all, we came all the way to PS - but it was a good solid meal of fried chicken. As you can see, the basket is filled to the brim with lightly-battered chicken which was well seasoned. and wasn't too oily. The fries were pretty normal, although PS Cafe's truffle fries are good. Be warned though, a serving of truffle fries would probably require like 4 people to finish it comfortably, and leave enough room for dessert. This dish comes with ketchup and lemon sauce on my last trip. The greens are just average, but the carrot sticks are decent I suppose.

The pictures below are from my trip to PS. Paragon. There are 2 areas open for seating, one being the normal one within the mall, which I feel is too open and lacks privacy. Nothing special about the outdoor seating area. The rest of the cafe shares its space with a retail store called Projectshop BloodBros. The tables here are fairly small and the area is dimly lit. As you can see, the main source of lighting is supplied by tealights, which is really romantic in my opinion. GOOD FOR DATES *cough cough*. However, I would rather have my main meals over at PS's other outlets, as it's brighter, and I would probably only come to Paragon for dessert. That being said, the desserts at PS are reason enough to go back, even if their prices are on the high side.

Banana cake with Butterscotch Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream

This is my personal favourite dessert at PS. The banana flavour is prominent in the cake, and it makes it extremely fragrant. The butterscotch sauce is not overbearing, and it isn't sickeningly sweet. The vanilla ice cream goes well with either the cake, the sauce or both at once. Although overall the dessert on a whole is on the sweet side, it's still extremely enjoyable and it goes well with the coffee they serve (especially if you take their drinks without sugar).

Double Chocolate Blackout Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream

PS's signature dessert. As the name of the dessert suggests, it's just CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE AND MORE CHOCOLATE. Chocolate fudge cake with chocolate mousse in between and drizzled with chocolate sauce and its paired with vanilla ice cream. Guaranteed sore throat after eating this but it's well worth it if you're a chocolate lover. The cake is extremely moist on its own, and even it acts as a sponge of sorts to soak up the chocolate sauce for even more chocolate flavour. 

In summary, PS is undoubtedly a good place for meeting friends or bringing your special someone out on a date because the ambiance is generally better than other restaurants in the area. The food is of a good standard, but it's definitely not something that is out of this world. Furthermore, the prices aren't exactly wallet-friendly either so you wouldn't be really heading down there every week. My verdict? Above average food, Good desserts, but both at high prices. Make sure your pay is in before heading down.

Expect to pay: $30-35 for food
                      $15 for desserts

Outlets visited
#02-09A
Palais Renaissance
390 Orchard Road

#03-41/44
Paragon Shopping Centre
290 Orchard Road

Penny University @ East Coast Road

Penny University is one of the cafes that has been in my neighbourhood for quite some time, but I haven't visited them until a few months ago when I decided to meet up with a friend there. In brief, it's a quaint cafe that serves fairly affordable mains and drinks, and I suppose the ambiance is decent too. More on this as we go along.

When you enter the cafe, you are greeted by a friendly group of staff that really makes you feel welcome. The decor in the cafe is nondescript - an assortment of old tables and chairs, and the usualsmatterings of couches, but I found their shelves and cue balls classy and gave the place a very homely touch. On certain days, you can choose the type of espresso beans you want in your coffee-related drinks, which was great for me because I always like to shake things up and try new flavours.

As you can see above, their table placards have changed over 2 visits. My first visit was on 30 November 2012 and that was when they still had the wooden numbers, and individual sugar containers per table. On 18 June 2013, they were replaced with quaint looking hand-made placards and the sugar containers are now on a common table.

PennyU is reputed for their Muddy Espresso in Cold Milk, which I found to be one of the best for cold coffee drinks in Singapore. The milk brought out the flavour of the coffee rather than suppressing it. The hot version, Espresso with 5 oz milk also reflected a similar, but somehow slightly differing flavour from its cold counterpart. Both are pictured below, with the Muddy Espresso on top.

Turkish Eggs with Sourdough Toast.

The picture on top is from my visit last year and the one below is the one from this year.

This is my personal favourite for a main as there is greek yogurt in the dish as well which tastes awesome when you dip the sourdough bread into the spices, eggs and yogurt. Slightly spicy, although not so much on my subsequent trip here. As you can see, the amount of chili oil varies from time to time.

Pictured below are 2 variants from my 2 trips to PennyU. The one on the left is marmite toast with tomatoes, but it is no longer on the menu. In its place is its successor - Eggs on toast (Maasdam Cheese and Marmite). Both are really good (which is why I posted the picture of the old marmite toast), but it was certainly a step in the right direction by pairing it with poached eggs and maasdam cheese. That being said, the cheese made the dish pretty salty overall, but it works out well when consumed with the eggs and salad.

Salmon and Cream Cheese on Sourdough Bread. 

This tasted good, although I was definitely disappointed that I did not get it with the bagel (they ran out of bagel so sourdough bread was the substitute bread). The bread was toasted to perfection and the bread was not too salty overall, despite the fact that both salmon and cheese can make a dish too salty.

Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon.

This was quite similar to my modified choice of salmon and cream cheese on sourdough bread, except that the hollandaise sauce replaced capers and black pepper. Also, this dish came with 2 poached eggs. It actually boils down to personal preference, as you could have easily ordered poached eggs at the side to enjoy with the salmon and cream cheese bagel (sourdough bread). I like the hollandaise sauce here more than some others due to the fact that the lemon taste is stronger.

Savoury

Pictured here is another dish that was given the axe. It's basically brioche toast accompanied with butter and maple syrup, and a side of strawberries and blueberries. As you can see, the portion of fruits and syrup is much less than desired, so it's probably one of the reasons that it got taken out of the menu. However, while it was in the menu I saw quite a few people ordering it. Personally, I would prefer pancakes to brioche toast as that's something still lacking in PennyU's present menu.

Hot Chocolate

A staple anywhere you go, good old-fashioned hot chocolate. I wouldn't go so far as to say that this hot chocolate was exceptional, but i would give it a 7 out of 10. I would have preferred the hot chocolate to be thicker and more bitter. Definitely this falls behind compared to the Wild Mocha Dolce served at Wild Honey, when comparing the price.

In summary, I would still go to PennyU if I happen to be in the area, especially if prices remain as they are. They have good food and decent strong coffee. If you are a fan of pressured coffee and espressos, this is definitely one of the places to go. Their menu could use a little more diversity, but given that its just a humble coffee joint, I feel that they're doing just enough at the moment. Will be coming back here for sure!

Expect to pay: $15-20 per person

402 East Coast Road

Tue - Thu: 08:30 - 18:00

Fri - Sat: 08:30 - 00:00

Sun: 08:30 - 21:00

Closed: Mon

Joe & Dough @ Milennia Walk

Run out of places to meet up in town but don't want to burn a hole in your wallet? One of the good places to go to is Joe & Dough. The last time I checked, they have a lunch tea set where you can get any sliced cake or pastry paired with any drink for $8. It used to be $6.80 but prices have gone up since then. I used to patronize the outlet outside Carrefour in Suntec City, but the area is now closed and undergoing renovations. Instead I now go to their outlet on the 2nd floor of Milennia Walk. Love the ambiance there due to it being quiet and you can really have a good conversation here. Even if you come at hours where you are unable to enjoy the promotion, their drinks and pastries are still reasonably priced. Furthermore, their coffee is much nicer than other commericalised cafes such as Starbucks and Coffee Bean.

Their Signature Valrhona Chocolate Cake. Goes well with anything (since I love chocolate anyway), although it might be a tad bit dry, depending on when you actually go there and how fresh the stock is. 

Prune Cheesecake. Moist cheesecake that does not feel too rich or heavy, and the prunes accentuate the flavour of the cake.  

Cafe Latte. Your daily cuppa, made from coffee beans that are ground upon order. You don't have to wait long for this, as the barista usually does a swift yet good job when making your order. 

Didn't get any pictures of their cold drinks here, but their iced coffees are generally good, with my personal favourite being the iced mocha. Do note the opening hours of the various outlets before you pay them a visit as they do close quite early for some outlets. 

Exepct to pay: $5-10 a person, depending on how much you order.

#02-31
Milennia Walk
9 Raffles Boulevard

Brotzeit @ 313 Somerset

To celebrate a birthday of a friend of mine, the group of us decided to head over to Brotzeit @ 313 for a meal. We decided to try the Christmas offering of  Weihnachtspfandl, or the  Festive Christmas Pan (for 4 to 5 people). According to the menu, it boasts honey glazed roast duck, roast turkey breast stuffed with baby spinach and napkin dumpling served with duck confit, brezn sticks, sauteed parsnip, beetroot, pumpkin and slow cooked baby potatoes ($98++). We had a hard time deciding on this over the Brotzeitplatte ($88++), but in the end the food did not disappoint. I found the brezn sticks to be abit too tough for my liking, but it was complemented well with the duck confit which was delicious. The roast turkey breast wasn't much to shout about either, which made the star of the dish the honey glazed roast duck. 

My friend Beng Teong (pictured below)'s recommendation was the Fladen Speck, or the Bacon Pizza. Although it does not seem exceptional, the bacon slices paired with the cheese made this one of my favourite pizzas that I have eaten to date. 

To end the meal, we decided to try out 2 of Brotzeit's beers, the Weissbier (malt beer, with hint of banana, 5.5% Alcohol) as well as the Christmas offering, the Weihnachtsbier (winter beer, fruity note). Personally I liked that Winter beer much more as it was much stronger than its counterpart. Also, its fruity flavour was more noticable than that of the Weissbier.

I'll definitely be coming back to Brotzeit to try their Schweinshaxn (Pork Knuckle) when time permits. Definitely a good place for meeting up with friends as it has both good food and drinks. 

Expect to pay: $30-50 per pax, depending on drinks.

#01-27
313@Somerset
313 Orchard Road

View my updated post on Brotzeit here!
http://eatwheresia.blogspot.sg/2014/01/brotzeit-east-coast-road.html