Ding Dong

Bought myself a DRANK
Bought myself a DRANK… and some food.

What: Very hip, modern, Southeast Asian restaurant that boasts a very impressive cocktail menu at the edge of Club Street.

Pros: The cocktails are inventive, extensive and very yummy. The Golden Mile was my first drink of the night and I probably could have drunk that baby ALLNIGHTLONG. Also the staff are really helpful.

Cons: The food was so meh – I legitimately don’t even want to talk about it. It’s like, think about whatever Southeast Asian specialties you know and love and then take out THEIR SOUL. That’s the food they serve.

Verdict: Forget the food and forget the desserts (SGD15 for cendol – wtf?!) – but do visit for the fantastic drinks and the fact that it’s a prime spot for people-watching.

Details:
Ding Dong
23 Ann Siang Road
65570189

P.S. Cafe at Harding Road

P.S. Cafe is one of those places that you’re supposed to hate.

It’s pretentious, it’s expensive, it’s full of expatriates and you always feel slightly uncool when you’re there.

But the thing is – I don’t hate it.

In fact I kinda love it.

Why? Because the food is good, you always feel like it’s a special experience when you’re there and the cakes.

P.S. Cafe at Harding Road is arguable the P.S. Cafe. Forget Ann Siang, forget the teeny-tiny Paragon branch and puhlease, those P.S. Petit branches seriously don’t count. Harding Road is where it’s at.

This is because this branch sits in the cocooned enclave of Dempsey chi-chi/atas restaurants. Where wearing billowy chic caftans and acting super casual about paying SGD8 for a coffee is necessary to fit in.

So obviously when I visited I was totally at home in my New Look distressed jeans and flea market black t-shirt. TOTES.

I visited P.S. Cafe on a bustling Wednesday for lunch. It was PACKED. Don’t people have jobs?

Onto the food.

The first thing they tell you to order at P.S. Cafe are the truffle fries. So of course my table ordered truffle fries.

Famed truffle fries
Famed truffle fries

I don’t even like thin fries but these are great. The truffle scent was aromatic and yummy and the parmesan shavings just amp the whole experience up. Definitely order the truffle fries.

Spicy King Prawn Aglio Olio
Spicy King Prawn Aglio Olio

For the main course my boss and I shared the Spicy King Prawn Aglio Olio and the Chargrilled Portobello Salad (not pictured). The salad was dense and interesting, a sweeter dressing than I usually like but it worked. The Pasta was classic fusion – mamak mee/pad thai pretending to be fancy – but who cares when it’s actually good?

Chocolate blackout cake and carrot cake
Chocolate blackout cake (can’t actually remember the name) and carrot cake

And then the cakes… oh the cakes. Please excuse how hideous the picture is above. But that cake, oh god that blackout cake. You eat it and it hits you and then you just keep going. It’s intense. The carrot cake and key lime pie (not pictured) were good but that chocolate cake was something else. It’s like a high class version of the Celine from Nickels (Canada shoutout, skip if you’ve never been there).

Sticky date pudding with ice-cream
Sticky date pudding with ice-cream

But, but, but the best was the pudding we ordered right at the very end. The sticky date pudding was ooey, gooey and three shades shy of being an Indian dessert. It was basically perfect. Mmm.

The seven of us paid SGD470. Like I said, it’s expensive but we ate well and I’m pretty sure all of us loved it.

Stop hating and embrace the atas-ness. It’s delicious.

P.S. Cafe at Harding Road
28b Harding Road
Singapore 249549
+65 9070 8782

Le Halo

Otak Toast Set (SGD8.50)
Otak Toast Set (SGD8.50)

What: Whimsical cafe that serves toast. REALLY thick toast.

Pros: Great service (earnest and helpful), cute/colorful decor and reasonable prices.

Cons: The food is okay – despite trying to be innovative (Otak toast, Toast set – that you get to actually toast at your table, in toasters you personally choose) I just felt that taste-wise it was a little underwhelming.

Verdict: I can’t recommend it because it just wasn’t that good. Maybe if the  toast wasn’t as thick? Haha.

Details:
Le Halo
Blk 4 Jalan Bukit Ho Swee
#01-162
Singapore 162004