like a boomerang

having pretty much exhausted my choices (and my wallet) at dempsey, i went back to google to search once again for brunch. but this time i got smart. you see i think the best place i have ever had brunch (well besides the cafes in paris... oohh i love paris)  was in australia.  serious. amazing brunch/breakfast places.  with get this - fresh vegetables and fruit served on the plate!  and vegetarian options. what are they thinking?  i know!  so there was this place i remember looking awesomely cool on the riverside near clarke quay.. i had seen it during one of my midnight romantic strolls with graham.. who am i?  i know!  you are thinking that my life sounds like a movie, am i right?  well.. um.. no.. you see, sad thing is i wish graham was half as cool as he is in my dreams.  and that he wasn't still recovering from a painful divorce (him being the one kicked out of his house and wishing he could get his wife, child and life back.)  damn.  ever notice the ones you want are hard to get and only want to use and abuse you... and the ones you get.. are the ones you don't want.. the needy, overly romantic, clingy type?  sigh...

anyways. brunch. on the river.  booyah!  or.. more to the point, boomerang. what a great place! and.. wait for it... i could order directly from the menu.. completely.. again wait.. vegan choice! i was so excited.  i know it won't seem awesome to you... but to me.. so exciting.  i ordered the avocado toast.. which essentially is two thick chunks of wheat toast with slices of avocado and grilled tomatoes on the side.  and what i did was order a side of beans and hash browns. and then i put the beans over the toast, then the avocado then the tomato.... and damn!  good!  fresh!  yum!  to add, i ordered a soy cappuccino   ok the others? they ordered equally awesome - non vegan meals - buttermilk pancakes, the 'bondi' (poached eggs and spinach on toast) and 'the ashes' (big fry up, sausage, bacon, eggs, toast...yada, yada)....AND ... all the meals were served at the same time.  after AFTER the drinks.  i actually had time to chat and sip my cappuccino till it was finished and then booyah!  there arrived my meal.  perfection.  damn aussies.  they have the sun, the surf and now impeccable timing. what next?

and the chatter.. um.. well.. it flowed just as smoothly as the aussie service.  maybe because the restaurant itself is this clever inside/outside type set up with a roof but with open walls overlooking the very posh area of robertson quay.  lovely to just sit and people watch.  so gossip.. well...claire is moving to dubai. what?  she just got here. yep.. and she's pregnant again.. with girl number two. lizzie is over the moon with a german businessman we met (she dragged home) at an internations event (our first.. sadly not our last).  i was bemoaning the very gorgeous eygptian man i met (but didn't drag home) at the same said internations event who was sporadically texting me.. and i was trying my best to play coy wishing he was even as slightly as interested and head over heels in love with me as graham... and then.. there is kathy who just got propositioned to take on a HOD position at a very posh school in Singapore for 3 times her now very VERY adequate salary..... apparently education is big business in singapore.

so boomerang.  awesome.  awesome. awe.some.  and to add to its already awesome status, the bill arrived. what?  reasonable.  i walked out of my new favourite place in singapore full, refreshed and relaxed with my wallet only $25.00 lighter.  and so like a true boomerang (which coincidentally  i actually own having bought one and been taught how to correctly throw it in maroubra (near sydney) by a genuine aboriginal boomerang craftsman.  yup. no biggie) i will definitely return.  4.5 stars.  seriously, in singapore i am not sure it can get better.... but a girl can still hope.

Boomerang Bar and Bistro
Robertson Quay at the Quayside 60 Robertson Quay
Tel: 6738 1077

ps. (cafe) i love you.

and back to ps cafe. cause it was an easy choice.

and.....this time it wasn't me and the brunch ladies... it was just me and a guy; the guy i'm seeing graham. and we sat outside, but in the shade and it was fantastic. i didn't want dumb salad and fries again, so i thought i would try to do what i got so used to doing in new york. (i just came back from 2 weeks in brooklyn. holla!!) you see what i could do in new york (brooklyn) was just tell the waiter that i was vegan and that i wanted a mash of potatoes and vegetables. they were so damn good in new york (brooklyn) that they let me even list the vegetables that i wanted to add.  actually, where i stayed (in my sister's guest room) there was a true blue.. or is it green vegan restaurant s'nice (that's the name.. but it's true.. it is nice..) right down the street.  can you say heaven?  seriously fantastic.  i am dreaming right now of their soy chai lattes and vegan brownies ... oh and their awesome urban vibe.. and non humid air.......... sigh....

but this waiter surprised me. "oh, you are vegan? well we can do a portobello burger for you?  or we have a pasta with tomato sauce."

"what?" i was completely flummoxed, "but that's not on the menu."

"no, we write it on the board as vegetarian or vegan options."

"OMG! i love you!" no i didn't say that.  but i thought it.  alot.

so i ordered that; the mushroom burger and a cappuccino with soy milk......and it was fantastic! seriously.  fresh tomatoes and rocket salad with a thick slab of mushroom. yay! a party in my mouth.  i didn't eat it all, not because i didn't want to. but because i was also talking the whole time. cause when i'm happy i can't shut up. and finally in singapore at brunch i was happy.

and then my happiness doubled because this time we ordered dessert: carrot cake... and another cappuccino...
just cause it was a beautiful day sitting in the shade, chatting with a guy...

we split the bill. i know, he's supposed to pay. but he always pays. and why not? the bloody tab came to $126 and no one ordered any alcohol. what the?  but, as graham suggested, if we broke it down by hour, then we essentially paid about $20 an hour to sit there in the cool shade, surrounded by lush greenery and relax and chat and be.

ahh.. happiness. awesome today.  5 stars.....minus the cost, less would be better, but whatever, it was a splurge... ok fine 4.5 stars.  no less.

PS Cafe
28B Harding Rd  Singapore 249549
Tel: 9070 8782

canopy o' loveliness (and high prices)

i was so excited! it was my turn!  the girls were coming to my neck of the woods.  and i had just the place.  i was drooling with excitement. (or was that sweat?) either way, every time i jog through bishan park it calls to me. canopy. its just so pretty. a small gorgeous little bistro style restaurant with a huge lanaii area surrounded by lush greenery.  and on the weekend mornings, its always full of happy laughing families sipping tea and groups of friends relaxing and basking the the loveliness that is sunday morning brunch.  and AND to make this restaurant sound even cooler, is it apparently australian owned : so legitimate aussie tucker and AND they have a green room cafe  which serves only live and vegan food.  did i tell you i was excited!

i met our gang, laura, kathy and lizzie.  lizzie is laura's roommate and a very welcome addition!  claire double booked us with her kid's play date.  guess who won?

i always thought that canopy in the middle of bishan park was close.  but that was when i was by myself in my running shoes, jogging in the cool early morning hours or the cool evening hours.  i actually never made the walk at high noon with 3 non-locals.  it was long.  and hot.  and we all melted.  eventually we made it.  i think i apologized non-stop for the length.  i just never realized it was such a damn long walk. like half an hour, maybe more.

whatever.  we arrived.  i hadn't made reservations. i actually thought i would stop that morning during my sunday morning jog.  but i was either distracted by the multitudes of tai-chi groups exercising in my usually almost deserted park or the restaurant wasn't open.  i'm sticking with the later.  no worries.  there was a lovely table just for 4 in the air conditioning.  and sit. and relax.

so the menu is lovely.  i checked it online before i went so i knew what i was going to order.  i was excited (did i mention that?) because like a typical aussie restaurant it offered a plethra of sides, like baked beans, and hash browns, and roasted roma tomtatoes, and sauteed spinach.  my breakfast tea was served in a tea pot. we all ordered tea. and we all got our unmatched tea pots. i love it when restuarnts served tea in pots.  and i love the mismatched style. its seems more homey that way, quaint, yet cool at the same time.

the ladies ordered: buttermilk pancakes for laura (duh) eggs 'the way you like it' for kathy, and eggs florentine  for lizzie.

the food arrived a bit scattered, we had to wait for kathy's dish for a few minutes. i love that when everyone has their meal in front of them but one, and everyone desperately tries to keep the conversation going as if it doesn't bother them that their food is getting cold while the one who doesn't have food pretends she is interested in the conversation, when she is mortified everyone is waiting for her food and she can't stop thinking about when is the damn food going to arrive.

but it did and we all ate. and it was delicious.  except my hash brown. the menu actually just said hash brown.  i had assumed that they would be cut up potatoes fried, but it was in fact a deep fried hash brown patty, just like macdonald's. but half the size.  and i only got one.  odd.  and i didn't order toast.  actually come to think of it, i have yet to be offered a side of toast, at any of the places i have been yet.  and its not listed on the sides.  that is odd no?  usually a plate of toast is a given. a constant. huh.

but... here's the good part.. well besides the conversation.. since its an aussie restaurant.. its got aussie desserts.  and oh yes.. we did partake. me and laura split the toffee pudding, cause how can you not? indeed.  one bit was all i needed. i know, i know its not vegan.      `

lizzie had creme brulee. she wanted creme caramel but they didn't have any. she was not impressed, with no creme caramel and her bland creme brulee.  kathy had apple crumble.

and the conversation part, i know, you're dying to ask. what ever did we talk about this time.  well, what else?  men.  it is quite an interesting topic, no?  and it would seem that all four of us, 5 if you count cathy are all in different places at different ages.  lizzie is convinced that men are ruled by one thing only, and we all know what that is. which is why we shall never understand them. true, right?  sometimes i think i do.. i think i've got it than bam.. shot out of left field.  but then, what do i know?

i know that canopy has a fantastic view. a lovely ambience.  ok but slightly, no greatly over priced food.  sort of slow service. lovely tea pots.  small portions (which in my book are actually good. i'm not a fan of the big american style pig out).  and patience.  we sat there for at least 3 hours ordering again.. and again.. and again!

and so... i'm giving canopy 4 stars.  well, i want to for the decor alone.  in the middle of a tropical forest.  and the toffee pudding.  yum.  but one hashbrown?  for $30? (the hashbrown alone wasn't $30, just my bill with 4 sides, pot of tea and 1/2 toffee pudding came to about that)  and they wouldn't refill my pot of tea with water, i'd have to order a whole new pot for $10? ok.  you're right. 3 1/2 stars.

Canopy Garden Dining & Bar
Bishan Park 2  1382 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1
Tel: 6556 1533

huh. brunch 2.

our second brunch outing found us in laura's neck of the woods.  we met at ajlunied MRT and walked a bit (ok a fairways) down sims road then turned onto still road. we were a bit wary of finding a place for brunch as the street was one of those busy, high traffic roads, but then we saw this place with a large covered lanaii area full of retro sofas and chairs and a big BRUNCH sign in the window. the place was empty, it was still early (if 11:00 am is early, of course it is on a sunday morning) and the staff were waiting for us at the door.  they recommended we sit inside as it was air conditioned.  and they recommended we sit on the sofas, as they only had two tables, both fairly uncomfortable looking.  the decor was sparse, modern retro chic, i guess is what you call it. the menu was interesting.  actually fantastic choices, but we couldn't understand the link between the odd large chinese face paintings (two, maybe chinese demons, abstract-ive-ish) and the lyrics to monkees songs all over the menu, and the retro steel american outdoor patio chairs (circa 1950) painted in bright colours.  odd.  no. 'electic'.

some of us ordered coffee, some water, i ordered english breakfast tea, as we chatted.  we are all pretty new to singapore and are just getting our footings, so we had the regular, where do you find this, how do you like that.   but here is the cool part; while we were discussing nothing in particular, the chef himself came out to welcome us to his restaurant.  i think it might be new.  and he took our orders.  and.. AND.. i told him i was vegan and he didn't even flinch! we went through the menu of which there were no options and i asked if he could do a dish with potatoes and vegetables and he suggested a potato flan.  YAY!

the food was quick.  and good.  mine lacked a bit of taste. could have used ketchup.  there were about 3 servers but no one came over to see if we were ok.  the chef came out though to ask if everything was ok, but i wasn't about to ask the chef, who just cooked a special meal for me, for ketchup.  suck it up buttercup.

we all enjoyed our meals.  claire did get her eggs benedict and liked it.  laura had pancakes and said they were good.  and our new bruncher kathy had eggs over easy; which really weren't over easy, more like fried.  she tried to explain the difference to our server, but eventually gave up. whatever, eggs are eggs, i guess.

kathy has been busy for the past weeks and so wasn't able to come to our first brunch meeting, but as the conversation progressed the truth came out.  she wasn't busy.. she was hung over.  ha!  ok, you'll have to understand the context. we are (now) four middle aged women.  some are over 30.  some over 40. so our nights (and there were alot and they were good) of clubbing and our days (again way too many to have to remember) of hang overs are pretty much over.  sometimes i think cathy wakes up too early with her toddler to a throbbing headache from too many glasses of chardonnay the night before, but that's about it.  so katy told us that she had found a group on singaporeexpats.com for over 40 people to meet up and she finally went and met up with a crazy bunch of expats at the fullerton hotel roof top.  where francois (the host) proceeded to ply them all with way too much wine and champagne and when the lantern became too dull they headed down into the belly of singapore and danced the rest of the night away at a gay bar.  too funny.  if you met katy you would understand our shocked (and highly amused) faces.  it's not that she's not cool. she is. tremendously. just in a kinda more straight laced cute kinda way.

so yeah. so the restaurant was ok. better than brekko. the chef's attitude was fantastic.  the company, as always, awesome.  the price, a bit steep, but then, hello? customized vegan dish. the bathrooms were clean.. and not too far away.  yes, that is an issue. sometimes restaurants are located in a mall and have only the mall's toilet which forces one to actually leave the restaurant and walk for possibly miles in search of the public vestibules.  however, this is singapore and even the public toilets are usually immaculate.  but yes.. where was i? the bathrooms were connected to the restaurant.  the only real draw back besides kinda bland food was that the restaurant is located on a rather busy street. although the lanaii is huge, lovely and just begs for someone to veg out on its numerous couches and arm chairs, no one really wants to sit listening to the sound of traffic without air conditioning.

and so i am giving this brunch 31/2 stars.  it was a delightful find.  especially the chef.  and fantastic conversation.  waaay better than brekko, more open, cleaner, upscaler, quieter, relaxing-er.....and an ok price. and next time, i'll bring ketchup. 

NAME**
near aljunied MRT


** i have no idea what the hell this restaurant was called.  it was on street with a large brunch sign in the window. and lots of weird references to mickey dolenz of the monkees. if i ever return i will pay closer attention.  in the meantime, if anyone can tell me the name, i'll send you... something. :)

** update:  laura lives down the street from this place.  sadly, like davy jones the cutest monkey of the monkees, this restaurant is no more. :(

breko...blah-ko

our very first meeting of the 'brunch club'.  me, claire and laura met up at the new holland village mrt station and wandered into holland village looking for breko cafe.  and we walked right past it.  it's name was on the awning that we were walking under.  no worries.  we turned around and found it, eventually.

we hadn't made a reservation, being new at this brunch thing.  and it was pretty busy on a sunday morning at 11 am.  especially a sunday morning before a big aussie rugby game.  but we scored one of the tables upstairs with the couches with strict orders that we be out by 1:00. fair enough.

so the ambiance was cool.  aussie-wannabe, with odd little non-aussie touches.  the fans kept the place from sweltering.  i overheard a man complaining to one of the wait staff upon entering of the lack of real breakfast choices. he merely wanted yogurt and muesli.  and at the time, i wasn't fussed.  because i wanted a real brunch.  not just yogurt and muesli.


but when the menu came, i understood his frustration.  it was a weird menu.  with somethings that were close to what i was craving, but not really.  claire is a massive eggs benedict connoisseur, but there was no eggs benedict because there were no english muffins.  however, the wait staff suggested she could have it on toast.

laura ordered pancakes.  can't go wrong there.

and i ordered....  damn.  what the hell was i going to order? it was all eggs and meat or really nothing.  i can usually get the chef to combine an order of hash browns with the vegetables from an omelette.  but there were no vegetable omelettes on the menu.  really no vegetables.  serious.  not even in the sides.

so i eventually ordered a side of mushrooms and a side of home fries.  yep.  and english breakfast tea and a mango ice.

huh.  the food was rather fast.  and somewhat together.  although laura's pancakes had a fried egg on top.  and clarie's eggs were cold.  and my sides were bizarre.  yep. i had a basket of fries and a massive bowl of fried mushrooms.  and the mango ice was essentially a mango popsicle in soda water, so i guess when it melts the flavour accentuates the soda water.  huh.

yeah. it was... um.. ok.  the conversation was excellent.  even though there was a giant t.v over my head that turned on around 12:30 for pre-match coverage and a group of aussie blokes converged, rather loudly around our small little couched haven.

and the funniest thing was the bill.  both laura and claire's meals came as sets.  so their tea or coffee and juice was included.  mine however was not a set.  so i had basically a crap meal. and while their meal came out to just under $7.00 each, i had to pay separately for home fries, mushrooms, mango ice thing, and tea.  two cups of tea.  my meal came to just under $30.00.  awesome.

so............. i am giving breko cafe 3 stars.  its an ok place for ok food.  a cool place i think to hang out.  its relaxed and comfortable. and a good location. but come on.. would a few vegetables kill ya?

breko cafe  
38 lorong mambong, holland village
http://www.brekocafe.com