It's Only A Cafe, Don't Take It So Seriously...

With A Pinch of Salt by Kyra

We had an early celebration of Father's Day yesterday. It was double celebration because our little girl also turned 33 months old as well. 

After swimming, we headed to East Coast area to have lunch at With a Pinch of Salt. It took us almost an hour to get to Tanjong Katong road from Tampines Sports Stadium. Whew! Good thing the place wasn't hard to find. 

When you get to their door, you could browse their menu and see the offer below from UOB.

The husband said the place reminds him of Mom & Tina's in Manila. It was homey and quaint.  Feels cozy and kid-friendly, too.

Free internet connection!

While I was finishing my meal, my little girl played and read the books with her dad. It was a wonderful idea that they have this in the cafe, to keep little kids busy before or after eating.  They also have magazines!

Books and magazine to keep you entertained

The husband got the Seafood Black Lips pasta. It was spaghetti cooked in squid ink with fish, shrimps, squid and clams.  The taste was unique! Reminds me of paella negra but with a twist. Imagine eating it with pasta instead of rice. Cool, right? :)

Black Lips $15.90

I was in the mood for some sausages so I got the Bangers and Mash.  It's refreshing to have a taste of the English Bratwurst and Chorizo sausages again. I loved the mashed potatoes, it was smooth and lightly seasoned. I believe the brown sauce they're referring in their menu is the gravy that I'm accustomed to, which made me really happy with this dish! :)

Bangers & Mash $10.90

The little tot had the soup of the day, cream of chicken soup.  It was tasty but I found the serving a bit small.  I was hoping we'll get a big portion since it was priced at almost $5 but it was a small bowl and the little girl finished it in no time. 

Soup of the day - Chicken Soup $4.90

We ordered an additional dish, just to let the little girl have something to munch on.  True enough, the soup didn't make her full. She was still hungry and ate some of her dad's Black Lips pasta and these potato wedges.  No wonder she's very heavy to carry!!

Potato Wedges $7.90

Our total bill was almost $40, including GST. Not sure though about the service charge. It was the husband who paid the bill.  They accept NETS and credit card (Visa/Mastercard, no Amex) with a minimum purchase of $20.

We enjoyed our food and as much as we would want to go back again, I guess we won't be doing it anytime soon as the trip is very long from our place! But it was definitely worth our time. Food and service were great, the place was also clean. It's a departure from the typical big chain restaurant. Our preference has always been the hole-in-the-wall, cozy type of place.

With A Pinch Of Salt
297 Tanjong Katong Road
Singapore 437080
Contact: 6348 2297
Email: eat@withapinchofsalt.com.sg
Website: With A Pinch of Salt
Menu (menu is kinda outdated)

Date Night at Nando's

Two weeks ago, the husband and I were able to sneak in a date night because the little girl slept early. So we had dinner at a nearby restaurant, Nando's. If I remember it correctly, it's been over a year since we had an all-adult dinner. :)

The sauces they use - Hot, Extra Hot, Mild and Lemon & Herb

According to their website, these are the:

• Extra Hot Peri-Peri - Evoke tears of joy with our flavour for serious chili lovers
• Hot Peri-Peri - If you really want to spice things up
• Mild Peri-Peri - A little warmer - perfect for those looking for more adventure
• Lemon & Herb - For beginner or those who like lots of flavour, but not too much heat

Interiors

The husband's choice was the Cataplana Originale in Hot Peri-Peri. We thought it looked like an alien or a war weapon used in the olden times. 

The husband's choice, Cataplana Originale S$19.90 -- looks like an alien weapon

True enough, it was like a bomb. The chicken, that is. The husband usually likes very spicy food. He eats a dried chili straight up. But this was one really spicy. I also tried it and unfortunately, it didn't impress me much. Maybe because the sauce was too overpowering and it took away the beauty of the dish. :(

And the insides were lethal!

I had the 1/4 Chicken in Hot Peri-Peri as well. It was too spicy and I didn't finish my meal :( The rice went well with the chicken but I guess choosing the fries was just too much of carbo loading. 

My plate, 1/4 chicken with 2 sidelines S$14.90

I liked my drink, Madeira Red. Until I realized it was soda. Urk. I don't usually drink soda so does the husband. I wish they had bottomless iced tea instead of this fancy shmancy soda drink!

Madeira Red - S$4.90

The husband and I would like to go back to Nando's to give it another try. This time, we have to choose Mild Peri-Peri! :)

Nando's Peri-Peri
Outlets in Singapore:
Bugis Junction Victoria Street - 6448 6555
Tanglin Mall Tanglin Road - 6235 3555
Plaza Singapura Orchard Road - 6337 2555
Tampines Mall Tampines Central - 6789 5052
Katong Mall East Coast Road - 6636 3165
JCube Jurong East - 6684 5387
Menu
Website: Nando's

Bao Today

Over the weekend, we thought of using the voucher we purchased last month. I was excited to eat dimsum again! :)

We got to Marina Square past 1pm and we were really hungry already.  Good thing the place wasn't packed so we got ourselves a table right away and the staff offered a high chair for the little tot. Service is good and they started serving our orders after 10 minutes! :)

I was a bit disappointed because a lot of the items we chose were not available - like the Xiao Long Bao and the Baked Egg Tarts. Boo.

Mango Pudding

Our drinks - Pineapple Ice Blended and Milo Dinosaur

The Shrimp and Spinach Dumplings were really tasty! I loved that it has a generous amount of shrimps in it.

Shrimp and Spinach Dumpling

Chee Cheong Fun with Scallops were soft and yummy on the inside. The sauce perfectly complimented the excellent texture of the noodle and the scallops inside.

Chee Cheong Fun with Scallops

This was supposed to be my meal but the tot finished all the noodles! This dish also came with a soup with 2 dumplings in it. I liked the char siew and the fried dumplings!

Char Siew and Golden Dumpling

The prawn dumpling was such a delight, I forgot I was disappointed that they didn't have Xiao Long Bao anymore!

Scallop Prawn Dumpling

The spare ribs was a bit of a letdown because there were too much fat and bones, not much meat. :(

Spare Ribs

Instead of having the Siew Mai, I don't know why I chose the Chicken Bao. I guess I just wanted to try it since it was something different. It was made of chicken and chives, and I liked how it was a bit of savory and sweet at the same time.

Chicken Sesame Bao

I forgot to take a photo of the Salmon that the husband had. I was too busy feeding the little girl. :D

Overall, I was pleased with the food. Everything we had were good! Well, I guess except for the Mango Pudding which I think tasted like it was really made with artificial mango flavoring. I guess I was happy we only paid about $21.50 for everything we had but technically it was $41.50, thanks to our voucher!

Bao Today

6 Raffles Boulevard,

#02-234 Marina Square, Singapore

Tel: +65 6336 2237 | Website

SOL Tasca

My Sangria Blanca - 1 for 1 S$14

Salteado de setas - sauteed wild mushrooms, sherry and grated manchego cheese S$7

Bistec Coca - Flank steak a la plancha, tomatoes, rucola, cheese S$16

Croquetas de bacalao - salted cod croquettes S$8

Pollo al ajillo - Roasted chicken leg with garlic and smoked paprika S$10

Lubina con ensalada agria - Slow roasted bass fillet on citrus fruit salad S$10

Paella Negra - squid ink, octopus, shrimps, mussels, clams, chorizo S$26

Churros - Spanish donuts served with hazelnut chocolate S$6

SOL Tasca
3 Fullerton Road #01-04
The Fullerton Waterboat House
Singapore 049215

Tel: (65) 6533 8913
Email: enquiries@sol-group.com.sg

Sol Tasca's Menu (not updated)

SOL Tasca (Facebook)

Website