The Adventures Of A Singaporean Bon Vivant

MARMALADE PANTRY:

Welcome to the ever-popular Marmalade Pantry located at the posh ION Orchard. If you don’t make prior lunch/dinner/high tea reservations, you’d be hard-pressed to get a table here, especially on weekends!

This upmarket restaurant is packed with the hip, trendy and socialite crowd. You’d be hobnobbing with the rich tai-tais (read: socialites) as they exchange juicy details of their lives over high-tea. We were here for lunch and let’s just say I was not very impressed with the service AND food.

First of all, this is an open-concept type of restaurant - smacked right in the middle of busy ION Orchard mall. Can you imagine having curious onlookers peering at you as you try not to slurp on your pasta? It was just a tad too uncomfortable for me. So guys, please take note of my “likes” and “dislikes”. I prefer a nice, quiet place for a meal without having onlookers gawking or peering at you with jealous eyes while you eat, ya know?

The service here is below-average. It takes FOREVER for the servers to notice our frantic waves! Maybe next time I should throw darts at them in order to get noticed? Just thinking aloud here. Or maybe - to be fair to the servers - this eaterie is inadequately-staffed. Hire more servers then, Marmalade Pantry Group Management team! On a scale of 1 to 5, I’d rate the service here a 1.5/5. It’s bad. Nothing to be proud of. Seriously.

Let’s start with the food now: For starters, we had Field Mushroom Soup with Truffled Croutons (S$10.00). It was interesting. But I have tasted better Cream of Mushroom Soup before so….

For salad, we tried their Pan Seared Haloumi - with Roma Tomatoes and Watercress Herb Salad (S$21.00). Unless you have the appetite of a bird, this dish would not fill you up ;-)

Then, my friend raved about their Crabmeat Linguini with Pine Nuts, Tomatoes and Chillis (S$24.00). My verdict? On a scale of 1 to 5, I’d rate this dish 2.5. I don’t see what’s the big deal about this dish. It was not the usual delicious type of Italian pasta that I’ve grown accustomed to.

I had the Seared Scallop Linguini with Tiger Prawn Bisque (S$24.00). It was a mistake to order this dish! It taste like a local dish ie it tastes like “hey bee hiam” on Mee Pok! To translate what I’ve just written in Singlish to English - this dish has a strong shrimp smell/taste. Too much! My taste bud was not used to eating such pasta. I really wanted to send this dish back to the kitchen! And the servers told me it was their speciality dish which many diners order. Seriously, people?! On a scale of 1 to 5, I’d rate this dish a 1/5. I am sure the restaurant was lying about this dish being a hit with the diners. Singaporeans, you see, have exquisite taste in food. They certainly would not pay S$24.00 for such a pasta. I know I won’t.

I heard that the Marmalade Pantry serves some really cool desserts. However, we did not check them out because seriously - after the bad service we encountered and the type of food served, we totally lost our appetite for desserts.

So who said this eaterie deserves high praises? We need to talk!

General Food Rating (incl Service Level, Ambience of Restaurant & Food): 2.5/5

Note: Expect to spend approximately S$60.00 per pax for a 3-course meal (excluding wine/drinks).

The Marmalade Pantry
2 Orchard Turn #03-22
ION Orchard Singapore
Tel: +65 6734 2700

URL: http://themarmaladepantry.com.sg/city

Opening Hours
Mon–Fri: 11.30am – 9.30pm
Sat: 10am – 9.30pm
Sun: 10am – 4pm

CANELE PATTISERIE (SINGAPORE):

My socialite BFF kept raving about Canelé Pattiserie. So naturally I thought the food here must have been like - Wow, right? I was so wrong.

It is an upmarket eaterie for sure. Expect to pay premium prices. An average meal (soup or salad, main dish and dessert) can set you back by S$50.00 (minimum) per pax. Wine/drinks not inclusive. Don’t get me wrong. I really don’t mind paying IF the food is good and the service is par excellence. But for sub-standard service and average food - No Way, Jose!

Let’s start with the service here. We visited the outlet at Raffles City Shopping Center and the servers looked clueless, glum…and, really hopeless in general. If I am paying alot to dine here, I do expect some attentive and great service! So on a scale of 1-5, I’d rate the service level here: 0 (yes, 0 as in ZERO!).

Food-wise, it is nothing great. I have tasted better food at other eateries if you are comparing apples to apples with regards to prices.

So, for starters, we had the Cream of Mushroom Soup. It was nice. But not great. Then we had the Salad Canelé (with Smoked Salmon). This was lovely. It could be because I am a huge lover of salmon! Smoked or Raw - I just love Salmon! ;-) My main course was the Provencal Chicken Stew with Pasta (see pic). On a scale of 1-5, I’d rate this dish: 2.5/5. It could be better. Really.

My BFF had their house speciality - Crepes (see pic). She was really raving about their crepes! Hm… Seriously, I think this BFF of mine loves this place because it is….well, you know… a little bourgeois. Not because the food is THAT great and will bowl you over! ;-) If she reads this review, I am a dead duck ;-)

There is however ONE saving grace about this eaterie: their mouthwatering sumptuous dessert!! On a scale of 1-5, I’d give their desserts here a 5/5! Yes, full marks, baby! Oh my, just take a look at the photo of the desserts we ate. It was decadent but FABULOUS! Incidentally, the desserts here at not cheap either. But it’s worth it.

Now, if only they can improve on the service level here….

For now, I don’t think I’d be in a hurry to return. Unless of course my dear socialite BFF, the Langster drags me here! Due to our busy schedules (hers and mine), we only get to meet up once a month on a Friday for lunch. Yeah, I have too many friends and BFFs whom I have to keep in contact with :-( Sigh. Life of a busy bee ain’t easy huh?

Canelé Patisserie

Address:
(The Raffles City Outlet)
252 North Bridge Road, #B1-46/47 
Raffles City Shopping Centre
Singapore
Tel: +65 6334 7377
URL: http://www.canele.com.sg

(The Paragon Outlet)
290 Orchard Road, #B1-K8
Paragon Shopping Mall
Orchard Road
Singapore

Opening Hours:
Mon.-Sun. 11:30-23:00

Lovely weather this evening calls for a lovely French meal at Le Petit Paradis. A new French eaterie along East Coast Road.

This newly-opened eaterie serves delectable French-Fusion cuisine at inexpensive prices. My favorite dish at this place is definitely their Cream of Mushroom with Cognac! Cost only S$3.50!

Equally delicious is their Grilled Salmon. A MUST-TRY! Cost: S$9.90. Their Giant Chicken Sausage with Rosti is just so-so. Nothing fantastic. Cost: S$7.70 per dish.

Food Rating: 3.5/5

Le Petit Paradis
125, East Coast Road
Singapore
@ Ali Baba Eating House
(opposite 112 Katong Mall and Awfully Chocolate)

Opening Hours:
11.30am to 3pm (Lunch)
6pm -10pm (Dinner)