Le Parisien Bistro (2nd review)

Foie Gras

Second Review

This restaurant has introduced foie gras to its menu.  Naturally, I had to try it.  The foie gras was well cooked on the inside, smooth and buttery.  The apricots that came with it was lovely to cut the richness flavour from the foie gras.  Personally, I would like the foie gras to be more seared on the outside but it was fine.

Veal

The veal came in a generous portion.  It was tender and cooked very well.  The gravy was rich and tasty though the veal should be seasoned just a little more.  Though it's better to be slightly under than over salty. 

Creme brulee

I tried the creme brulee and definitely has improved on the texture since I was there the last time.  It is soft but firm, just the right texture.  It's tasty, creamy and what I like most is that I could see the tiny vanilla pods in it, delicious...

Ratings:
Foie gras 8/10
Veal: 8/10
Creme Brulee: 9/10

10 Haji Lane

Tel: 6396-6383

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun 11am-11pm

Tang Tea House Hong Kong Cafe

For some reason, I like having dim sum on Sundays. It's light and you can take your time. So, I decided to go to Tang Tea House in Bedok Road. According to their posters, they are the first halal dim sum in Singapore. They are in a coffee shop and they shared a shop lot with Botak Jones and another shop selling seafood, chicken rice etc.

Of course, one must try the basic dim sum like Har Kow and Siew Mai. The Har Kow was pretty good. Prawn was fresh, slightly crunchy and the filling was generous. The Siew Mai was a little salty but it was acceptable. One of my fave is chicken feet, I know some people are squeamish about this but I like it. The sauce was a bit different, it was a bit sweet and slightly spicy but I suspect they are trying to cater to the Malay clientele. The Carrot Cake was not too oily and it was nice. The Deep Fried Shrimp Dumplings were not bad. BBQ Chicken Pau filling was slightly sweet for me. I also ordered You Tiao from the other shop as I try almost every place that sells You Tiao. It was crispy though I wished it had a little more cuttlefish paste.

On the whole, I think the meal was ok, but not "wow"....

*Halal

Ratings:

Har Kow 7.5/10
Siew Mai 6.5/10
Chicken Feet 5/10
BBQ Chicken Pau 6/10
Pan Fried Carrot Cake 7.5/10
Deep Fried Shrimp Dumpling 7/10
You Tiao 6/10

No. 357/359 Bedok Road
Singapore 469545
Tel: 6445 9100

Fika Swedish Cafe & Bistro

This pretty cafe caught my attention as I was walking around Arab Street after lunch one day. So I put it in my mental note to try it next time. When my friend and I decided to catch up for lunch after having not seen each other for two years and he suggested Fika Cafe, I immediately said yes.

When we got there around 12.30pm on a Saturday, some of the tables were already occupied. We sat at a table and was immediately attended by the staff. Since the Swedish are known for their meatballs, I decided to give it a try. My friend decided to have the grilled salmon. It didn't take long for our food to arrive and that was appreciated as my friend got to rush off to work after lunch.

When my dish arrived, I thought the meatballs itself looked a bit dry. It was served with salad , potatoes, brown gravy and lingon berry sauce on the side. Although it looked dry, it was tasty and when eaten together with the gravy, it was very nice. The lingon berry sauce was also just right, not too sweet or too tart. The salad had a light dressing on it and the boiled potatoes were decent. My friend's grilled salmon looked nice. Although, he mentioned that it could do with more sides. I will come back next time and try the other dishes and I will definitely update you.

By the time we left, most of the tables were occupied so I think this is a good sign. Personally, I think there should be more halal cafe or restaurants like this and better, serving western food in a decent set up. They have their menu on their website, so have a look...

*Halal

Rating:
Swedish meatballs: 8/10

No. 257 Beach Road / Arab Street, Singapore
(on the corner of Beach Road and Arab Street)
Tel: +65 6396 9096
www.fikacafe.com