Eat, Play, Love

I rarely ever write food reviews on this blog - which is a great irony really considering that we are a foodie family.  I suppose it has got alot to do with the fact that since Jules came along, I really don't get to enjoy the food and place as much since I'm usually busy feeding her and by the time it's my turn to eat, the food would have turned cold and any review about it probably won't do it justice.  

Now that Jules is older, I usually try to let her eat whatever we're having when we're out for meals.  That why, we don't have to specially cook for her at home and lug the food around with us.  It's also a chance for me to introduce her to new dishes and types of food.  I've been on the look out of kid-friendly places to bring her and have read many a good review on a little unpretentious cafe in the heart of Arab Street - Eat, Play, Love Cafe. 

So on a rare Friday that both of us managed to be off from work, we brought Jules there with the littlest aunt after a late morning swim at the pool - and what a delightful lunch did we have! Housed within the Aliwa Arts Centre, the cafe prides itself on serving wholesome food at affordable prices as well as allowing both kids and adults the opportunity to get creative and crafty at their well equipped craft corner.  For $5/2 hours (on weekdays) kids get to pack of craft filled with glitter glue, glue, assorted embellishments, pre-cut animal-shaped craft paper and a construction paper - good enough to keep little hands busy.  On top of that, there is a selection of craft materials - crepe paper streamers, pipe cleaners, ribbons and even coloured pasta! - all very thoughtfully put together which kids can help themselves too!  

The menu is mainly Thai-Western inspired and tasty enough by my standards.  The chicken chop I had was well seasoned and went perfect with those crispy fries (which Jules sheepishly stole).  The hubs had pasta bolognaise while the sister's plate of Thai chicken-basil with rice was pretty authentic!  Dessert was a lovely plate of mango sticky rice which was really yummy - granted the mango could have been sweeter but that rice - Jules was asking for seconds and thirds!  Our nutella banana waffle didn't fail us either!! We polished up every.single.dish!  And the best part - they had chicken macaroni soup on their kids menu - much to Jules delight!  Restaurant owners really need to know that child's menu doesn't also have to spell fish and chips and chicken nuggets!  She polished up the ENTIRE bowl!! (Got to be a first with resturant food for her!)  

Another big plus point about the cafe that I like is that it takes reservations.  We were told weekend bookings typically fill up fast.  The place is also often booked for private functions so call ahead before you head down.  

We'll be back for sure! 

Eat, Play, Love Cafe

28 Aliwal Street

#01-07

Singapore 199918

6444 6400

12pm - 10pm daily except Tuesday (kitchen closes 3pm-6pm except on weekends & PH)  

Picnic - Our Style

Tuesday was a public holiday and we had grand plans for a family picnic at the Botanical Gardens.  The kids were all very excited - Jules even woke up in the middle of the night saying "Juju, go playground (with), Che Che".  So when that torrential rain hit us in the wee hours of the morning, my heart sank a little.  Hearing how the thunder was clapping - there was no way we were going to make it to the Gardens that morning.  By the time I got up, the rain had subsided somewhat and I was still stubbornly harbouring hopes of our family picnic until the sky turned all dark on us once again.  

Determined not to let the weather spoil our picnic plans, we made do decided that a picnic on the car porch wouldn't be to shabby either.  The kids could still run around, we had the little garden next to us and we even had stereo music coming from the hall.  Not too bad! 

So excited, she wanted to brush her teeth on the picnic mats

In the end, the rain got too heavy so we brought the picnic indoors.  I made an board of antipasto - perfect with freshly baked crusty bread,  

while our daughter decided since it was a holiday, she'll indulge her Dada in some silly shots.  

Part of the buffet table

In the end, we had fun.  The kids got their treat of Ni-Hao-Kan-Lan and even got to wear mitchy matchy clothes out!  

Kai-Lan's biggest fans

Singing in the rain

It was a cold, wet morning, warmed up with the company of family and good food! 

Hope everyone had a good break too!! 

Cupcakes

Magnolia Bakery - Cupcakes redefined!

Mission Kueh Bangkit

Our Sunday saw me go into a frenzy over finding Mr Harry's Nonya Kueh shop. If I could only have one Chinese New Year cookie, then it has to be kueh bangkit. Not any kueh bangkit, only Harry's! Kueh bangkit is a light coconut cookie made from tapioca flour. Its hard to the bite but the good ones should melt in your mouth. I remember how when we were kids, my sister and I use to help my mum make rooster-shaped kueh bangkit and we'll dot each cookie with a little red dot to represent the rooster's eyes!

So back to my story. We headed to Joo Chiat on Saturday evening intending to get our yearly supply of kueh bangkit from Uncle Harry's Nonya shop only to find that an Everything With Fries cafe had taken over! Sigh, another victim of the cafe culture! Disappointment was an understatement. I considered making do with the ones from a competitor - Glory - but theirs were hard and bland, I couldn't bring myself to waste $10 on a bottle.

I spent a good part of Sunday searching for leads on where Mr Harry may have moved to only to find a cyber geek's post on Hardware Zone asking if anyone knew where Harry had gone. Convinced by mid afternoon that Mr Harry has called it a day altogether, I reluctantly picked up a bottle of kueh bangkit while visiting Chinatown only because (a) the lady boss promised me it was melt-in-your-mouth material and (b) it was a reputable shop in Chinatown so how bad could it be! We put it to the test immediately on the car ride home - everyone agreed it was OK, it did melt in our mouths but something was just not the same.

Still undeterred by the fact I already had a bottle of kueh bangkit at home, I continued on my cyber search. God must have known how much I wanted my bottle of Harry's kueh bangkit cos I eventually stumbled onto a post in Juicy & Delicious reminiscing about the closure of Mr Harry's shop. While reading, it appeared clear that Uncle Harry had decided to call it a day . To my absolute delight, she provided a contact at the end of her post! The rest, they say is history. By 8pm, after more than 24 hours of searching, I was reunited with my kueh bangkit - now there's meaning to my Chinese New Year again!

Aging Gracefully

We celebrated Mummy's birthday last weekend over a delightful Robatayaki meal. Food was extremely fresh - that grilled ginko nut and purple sweet potato - out of this world! Don't even ask about that $35/skewer kobe wagyu beef that literally silence the hubs and Sam. Definitely one of the best meals we've had in a while. We left imagining going back again when my sister comes back for Christmas and with little Sophie in tow!

My mum doesn't look the least bit her age. Young genes runs in the family - thankfully. Come that time, I hope I'll grow old gracefully too - just like her.

Happy Birthday Mummy!!

Akanoya Robatayaki
1 Tanglin Road
Orchard Parade Hotel
Reviews here