Things to do on a Sunday morning

Although there are countless breakfast joints around the city, my favorite morning spot for freshly baked, mouthwatering breads and pastries has to be Tartine Bakery in the Mission. Both locals and tourists alike stand in lines that stretch around the block for a chance to savor their world famous croissants and pastries.

Staying round the corner from Tartine has its advantages, of course. So there I was at 8:15am on a cold drizzly morning getting in line to buy some breakfast. My usual is a plain croissant and soy latte, and one of their daily sweet creations. Today was going to be an almond tart. By 8:30am, the line had stretched out the door, and the cafe was completely packed. I decided to walk back to the apartment to enjoy my breakfast in peace.

The Not-So-Quite-Spring-Yet tasting menu at Nami Nami

Been a while (like 4 months) since I had dinner at Nami Nami, so I decided tonight would be time to revisit and old friend and get reacquainted again. There were a few new items on the menu, so we decided to try them all!

The sesame tofu appetizer has changed somewhat, now it's presented in a plate of fours. Still tasty as always. The marinated bamboo shoots were new too, but wasn't exceptional. I liked the baby clams in sake a lot, and the grilled tofu on a yuba leaf. We rounded off the meal with some sesame ice cream with taro chips. Can't wait to come back in Spring again.

Taking a walk on the wild side

I'd never tried Okinawan cuisine before, but I was told pork was a central part of the meal. Not just pork meat, but every part and organ of the pig would be used to cook up something delicious. And if this was an indication of things to come, then Mimigar fits the bill like a fist in a glove. In fact, the name Mimigar means "pig's ears" in the local Okinawan dialect.

Some say Okinawan cuisine is a hybrid of Chinese and Japanese cooking, more cooked food than raw, and yet not as spicy or savory as a typical Chinese meal. I was about to find out as I stepped into the restaurant.

It would appear that we were the only non Japanese in the restaurant tonight, which was a good sign. I guess it doesn't get any more authentic than this. We ordered a variety of dishes, starting with baby fish on tofu as an appetizer.

The chilled baby fish and tofu wasn't the most delectable appetizer I've eaten lately, but it was visually a sight I wouldn't forget soon after. Next was the dried fugu with a side of mayo dipping sauce, some stir-fried egg and bitter gourd (a very typical Okinawan staple), a beef curry with rice, and finally seafood seaweed soup. All in all, a very interesting and unusual meal for an evening.

Fridays are for the beaches

I love hanging out at Tanjong Beach Club on Sentosa Island. Lately, it's been a regular Friday activity for me, when weather permits. Not only do they have good cocktails, the food is actually very decent for a beach haunt.

I was famished this afternoon, arriving shortly past noon. Brought a couple of friends along to chill as well, and we started to order food to share. We ordered the sliders and the pork belly skewers with watermelon. The pork belly skewers were the clear favorite, juicy meat seared till perfection while the cool watermelon cubes provided a soft, sweet contrast. Within minutes, the skewers were gone, and I had to order another round.

Cocotte at the Wanderlust

Unlike most of the newer French restaurants in Singapore, Cocotte tries to be less trendy and old-fashioned, cooking up home style French bistro style meals that are hearty and welcoming. Since this was the eve of the Chinese New Year, I was expecting an empty restaurant, but I was surprised by the number of people who decided to do French for their reunion dinner.

We started with escargots in puff pastry, which reminded me a lot of the mini sliders they serve at Barracks at Dempsey Hill. For my main, I picked the beef bourguignon, which was a house favorite. I had to agree, it was very well done.

Cocotte is located in the Wanderlust hotel, in a very vibrant part of Singapore near Little India.
Address: 2 Dickson Rd, Singapore 209494
Tel: +65-6396-3322