Necessary Provisions, Bukit Timah / Eng Kong

What attracted me to check out this cafe, was its relatively secluded location. Nestled amongst the private estates at the Eng Kong and Toh Tuck area of the West, I was hoping for a place where I could enjoy some quiet cafe time, take leisurely sips of my latte or flat white while engaging in some reading or writing. Alas, like most other cafes, Necessary Provisions gives no such provision. 

Coffee here is sold by the amount of milk you want to go in your cup with that shot of espresso (or two). I got a nice blend that didn't leave an acidic aftertaste. Pity though, the turnover rate was high, and it was made pretty clear to me that I couldn't stay for long. 

The food selection also left much to be desired. Breakfast options seem limited, and dealt with with a somewhat arbitrary approach - I saw homecooked bee hoon (rice vermicelli) being offered off the menu, and a scant display of baked items. The former seemed to me as a weak attempt to elevate our local breakfast, and the latter, a token effort to provide baked items.

Necessary Provisions

21 Eng Kong Terrace

Contact: 9231 7920

Opening hours:

Tues to Thurs: 10am to 10pm

Fri & Sat: 10am to Midnight

Sun: 10am to 6pm

Chums @ Bukit Timah [Closed]

Standing unabashedly for it knows it is good.

The beer chicken was out of this world. Roasted upon order, you have something like a 40-minute wait before you get your food, but the result is worth every minute of that wait. The fats under the skin is all rendered off by the high temperatures, and drizzles down to the roasting plate to be mixed with the chicken juices. The chicken is also moist and flavoured with just the slightest hint of alcohol.

The kitchen staff helped to carve the chicken, and laid it atop the fragrant roast vegetables. N

othing was to be left behind! Every bit of the juices left in the roasting tray was poured over the roast chicken and vegetables. 

A hearty dish that had me leaving the restaurant very, very content.

Royal Ville #01-06

833 Bukit Timah Road

(Mon/Tues: 9am-5pm; 

Wed-Sun: 9am-10pm)

Simply Bread @ Cluny Court

I am a fan of some of the buns that Simply Bread serves (eg Sticky bun), but this ham and cheese sandwich left much to be desired. I found it somewhat lacklustre, and a tad overpriced for what it was. The only saving grace was, perhaps, the generous serving of cheddar. 

Cluny Court

501 Bukit Timah Road

#02-07

Cheesecake Paradise @ Chezcake Bistro

A relaxing afternoon spent people-watching while eating cake is hard to come by these days.

Hence when such an opportunity arose I could not let it slip me by.

Mango Cheesecake from Chezcake Bistro

The bistro was not equipped with wireless internet, but there was beauty in that. I enjoyed every bite of the fruity-flavoured creamy cheescake, unperturbed by the usual throngs of people that frequent cafes these days. There was a wide variety of cheesecake flavours available too; I can't wait to be back to try them out!

328 Joo Chiat Road

#01-05, Singapore 427585

(Open 1pm-10pm; 

Closed on Mondays)

Pontini - Italian dining @ Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel

This was my second visit to Pontini. Both times I found the service to be wonderful, with staff being attentive, yet not overly intrusive. 

The crabmeat ravioli in the lobster consomme was generously stuffed with real crabmeat. However, the 'lobster' in the lobster consomme was slightly less outstanding and left me desiring for more. 

Crabmeat ravioli in lobster consomme

The saltiness of the parma ham was nicely balanced by the mushrooms and I found this to be a pleasant combination for a pizza.

stonebaked thin crust pizza with parma ham and mushrooms

The star of the night was this juicy piece of steak, char-grilled to perfection. There was a slight smoky flavour on the exterior, and the juices were well retained in the meat, resulting in a flavourful and beautiful dish.

Pontini often has set specials and credit card promotions going on, so do ask about it!

Level 2, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel

392 Havelock Road

(12-2.30pm; 6.30-10.30pm)

Le Gramont, Paris / Poilane Bread

Visited in September 2012.

Chicken and Cheese-topped Poilane bread

Croque madame for the madame. :)

Parisians are serious about their breads and baguettes. While researching on their breads prior to my trip, I came across 'Poilane bread' one too many times that I just had to find out what it is. Pronounced pwa-lahn, it is the produce of a Lionel Poilane and is world-famous to say the least, being exported to the shores of Singapore and the USA (and costing a bomb, of course). 

The Poilane certainly lived up to its reputation. The sourdough I had was of a unique texture, well-aerated yet with the slightest hint of elasticity, and a touch of saltiness. Upon more research it turns out that sea salt is listed as one of the ingredients in the Poilane sourdough, along with other good quality ingredients. Best of all, the Poilane is produced in a wood-fired oven, thus explaining the rather solid (but crisp) crust with an earthy aftertaste.

I had my Poilane at the Le Gramont restaurant, which I found to serve excellent breakfasts alongside the mains that have been much-raved about. The topping on my Poilane was chicken, made deliciously creamy by the melted cheese on top of it. 

The croque madame is a French classic - a must try on any tourist's bucketlist definitely. A ham and cheese sandwich, grilled with more cheese on top and served with a sunny-side up. A breakfast I wouldn't mind having again and again!

Writing about this at midnight now is making me very hungry...

 Le Gramont
15 Boulevard Des Italiens,
75002 Paris, France
Tel: 01 42 97 58 50