Butter rolls with ham & tomato

Ham and tomato — a classic pairing that never fails to satisfy.

This morning’s homemade breakfast was quick and easy to assemble, and very satisfying to eat!

1. Split butter roll (from Four Leaves Bakery).
2. Spread interior with butter.
3. Stuff with sliced tomato and shaved honey cured ham.

These mini ham & tomato rolls are also great for a packed lunch or picnic!

Tuna sandwich

We have tuna sandwich for breakfast once a week or fortnight, but I play around with different breads and canned tuna flavors for variations. Today’s main cast is Queen Bread from Sun Moulin Bakery at Isetan Scotts and Heinz Starkist Tuna (Thousand Island Dressing). Threw in a bunch of mixed salad greens as well, with cherry tomatoes on the side. This was a rather hearty breakfast, substantial enough for a light lunch.

Ham & cheese sandwich

Back to basics today. Simply slap a slice of leg ham and processed cheese between two slices of buttered white bread. Quick and easy to assemble, this also makes a convenient breakfast on the go.

Notice the bowl of berries in the background? Lately, I’ve been quietly trying to introduce hubby to fresh fruit at breakfast. During his formative years, fresh fruit wasn’t a regular thing in his household, much less for breakfast.

Now that fresh fruit is an after-dinner fixture, I’m slowly trying to make it part of breakfast as well. Met with some resistance at the beginning, but this morning, he finished his berries, yay! One small step for hubby, one giant leap towards healthy diet!

Scrambled egg, bacon & cheddar toasties (S$5.50) and long black coffee (S$3.80)

Today’s breakfast was at this quaint hidden cafe in Robertson Quay that’s garnered several rave reviews on local food blogs and magazines. The menu is small but down-to-earth. Think expresso-based beverages, gourmet Gryphon teas, simple sandwiches, and homemade cakes and muffins.

Toasties, cross-sectioned.

They also have an all-day Big Breakfast set, but we were in the mood for something light and wholesome today.

No surprises about the toasties. Pleasant to munch on, but no wow moment. The green apple chunks were a nice touch. Surprising, they were atypically sweet. Seems like they had been lightly macerated in sweetened orange juice.

Brioche with strawberries & yogurt (S$7.50), and a pot of Gryphon Earl Grey Lavender tea (S$4.50)

With raisin and orange peel embedded within thick, pillowy, and chewy bread, the rustic brioche proved to be more memorable. *Heart* the gorgeous butter that came with it, as well as the sweet plain yogurt with fresh strawberries.

In addition, I requested for some of their homemade strawberry jam, which is more like a watery, tangy compote rather than jam.

Front of cafe.

Seating is very limited, both indoors and outdoors. We highly recommend sitting al fresco, as the indoor ventilation is rather bad.

This is the view from the front of the cafe.

Even though it was a hot sunny day, it was still far more pleasant to sit outdoors facing the river as there was sufficient shade and breeze.

No complaints about the food and beverages. Though they weren’t anything fancy, they were made with quality ingredients.

Hubby’s only complaint was the limited number of seats, plus they weren’t too comfortable. But I guess that’s part of Kith Cafe’s laidback charm.

Kith Cafe
7 Rodyk Street
#01-33 Watermark@Robertson Quay
Singapore 238215
Tel: +65 6341 9407
URL: www.kith.com.sg

Open daily: 7am to 7pm

Luscious tomato + apple baked ham + herb focaccia = Simple but very nice sandwich!

What a wholesome start to a sunny weekend! This delicious breakfast sandwich was assembled in a flash. Here’s what I did:

1. Split focaccia into halves. Toast lightly on both sides using a non-stick frying pan (use a griddle if you want grill marks).
2. While waiting, slice tomato. If necessary, cut ham into appropriate size.
3. Spread butter on inner sides of focaccia. Layer on ham and tomato.
4. Enjoy with hot coffee or tea!

SmokeShack Roast of the Day, S$10.90

Ok, perhaps, that was an overly bold statement to make for a first visit. But the two subs we shared were really delish.

Smoke Shack is different from other sandwich shops in that they smoke their own meats. Here, you get freshly smoked ham, smoked bacon, smoked lamb, smoked duck…you get the idea.

What a gorgeous hunk!

Now, I’m not a big fan of beef, but the roast beef sandwich really blew my socks off! The star of this mega production was undoubtedly the gorgeously pink slices of tender, juicy bovine flesh, accompanied by a competent supporting cast of ciabatta, sauteed onion, herb butter, lettuce, and tomato.

If I remember correctly, the SmokeShack Roast of the Day is available only on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Smoked Duck, Blue Cheese & Apple, S$7.90

Sandwich Number 2 wasn’t quite as mind-blowing, but I just had to get it cos me loves smoked duck!

Initially, I was apprehensive of the blue cheese, cos I’m not a fan of pungent cheeses. Fortunately, the entire ensemble was a harmonious blend of textures and sweet, salty flavors. The caramelized apple could have been more caramelized, but that’s just a minor nit-pick.

Well, I’ll definitely be back to try the rest of Smoke Shack’s New York-style sandwiches, which are a rarity here in Singapore. They’ve got Big Apple classics like Reuben (rye bread, corned beef, sauerkraut) and New Yorker (rye bread, pastrami, cheese, coleslaw). The Montivideo (steak, ham, bacon, roasted peppers, mozzarella) looks enticing too.

Most customers pack their sandwiches to go, as it’s a really tiny shop with cramped seating, so come early if you wanna eat in.

Smoke Shack
146 Market Street
#01-33 Market Street Carpark
Singapore 048945
Tel: +65 6557 2214

Mon–Fri: 10.30am to 7.30pm
Delivery available within CBD
Click on this link for their menu

Today’s breakfast received a BIG thumbs-up from hubby!

The secret to a delicious otah sandwich is to use good quality ingredients.

1. Start with premium bread. Here, I used Queen Bread (S$4.00 per loaf) from Sun Moulin Bakery at B1 of Isetan Scotts.
2. Get good otah. These were from Lee Wee & Brothers at B1 of TANGS Orchard. I prefer banana leaf otah (S$1.10 each) cos it’s more shiok!
3. Instead of butter, I smeared the bread with mayo and added romaine lettuce for a refreshing touch.
4. Trim off the crust, slice sandwich in half, and voila! A yummy otah sandwich is ready! So easy to make, right?

3-tier afternoon tea set, S$38

Anyway, prior to that, we both had a somewhat trying time (work + family issues). So we said, hey, why not splurge a bit and reward ourselves? And what’s more indulgent than leisurely afternoon tea at the glitzy Ritz?

On weekdays, Chihuly Lounge at the Ritz Carlton serves traditional afternoon tea (S$36.00++ per set). It’s presented in an elegant, gilded 3-tiered tray stand. Each set has 12 pieces of dainty savouries and pastries (the tray above holds 2 sets of afternoon tea).

What's afternoon tea without tea?

You get to choose from a variety of gourmet teas. Tea is free-flow, and you can opt for another blend after finishing a pot. Alternatively, there’s coffee. Camemberu and I tried three different kinds of tea: vanilla, Earl Grey, and jasmine.

Condiments for tea: lemon wedge, heart-shaped sugars, cream

Look at the elegant table setting! It’s a bit hard to see, but the sugar (white and raw) cubes are heart-shaped. They are, literally, little sweethearts!

Mini pots of Hediard honey and jams

More luxury, in the form of Hediard honey and jams (strawberry, apricot, marmalade). The jams were delicious!

Top tier

We couldn’t wait to start on the food! The selection is probably rotated day-to-day. The top tier was sandwiches. From foreground:

1. Egg mayo on herbed roll — Egg mayo sounds plebeian, but a sprinkle of caviar gave it a touch of aristocracy. The soft, aromatic bread roll was also lovely.
2. Pastrami with tomato on tomato bun — We weren’t expecting an explosion of intense flavors from the tomato! It was possibly marinated or roasted tomato. Immensely juicy, and went very well with the pastrami. My fav of the three!
3. Smoked salmon & roe on brioche — Can’t go wrong with smoked salmon. Loved how the roe “popped” and released their briny sweetness in the mouth.

Smoked salmon & roe on brioche

These mini sandwiches were rather ordinary. But they tasted extra good with the use of premium quality ingredients. The fresh, artisan breads made a big difference as well.

Middle tier

Second tier wasn’t as impressive. From left: raisin scones (would have tasted better if warm), crab croquette (rich with crabmeat, but didn’t quite like the mushy interior), chicken wrap with cream cheese & fresh fig (ok), and potato truffle tart (also ok).

Bottom tier

The mini pastries (from foreground): coffee mille feuille, lemon custard tart, chocolate cake, and cheesecake.

When we tasted the lemon custard tart, both Camemberu and I wondered out loud, “Eh, it smells like salted egg yolk!” How strange!

Actually, the tart was my favorite item cos of the tangy custard and buttery crust. But that salted egg yolk scent was still surreal!

Mini cheesecake

Perhaps we were expecting to be blown away, but the sweets were just alright. Definitely more than decent, but not wow.

We thought the dainty morsels wouldn’t fill us up, but surprising, they did. Guess three pots of tea helped too.

It was indeed a very relaxing and indulgent afternoon. Chihuly Lounge is spacious and airy, with tall windows and lush greenery outside. The decor is classy, but feels cozy. I especially enjoyed the soft sunlight streaming in through the glass roof.

Service was excellent as well. The wait staff refilled our tea cups frequently, always attentive but never intrusive.

This was certainly a very extravagant outing. If you consider just the food, it might seem overpriced. But if you take into account all the details that make up the whole experience, it was absolutely worth it. Well, at least it was for us. We had a fabulous time!

Any suggestions where should we go for our next tai-tai outing?

Chihuly Lounge
The Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore
7 Raffles Avenue
Singapore 039799
Tel: (65) 6434 5288, 6337 8888 (main line)
URL: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Singapore/Default.htm

Daily: 9.30am – 1.30am
Traditional afternoon tea is served Mon to Fri: 2.30pm – 5pm
Weekend afternoon tea buffet is served on Sat & Sun: 2.30pm – 5pm

Crunchy peanut butter + golden honey = yummy!

“Can we have a simple breakfast tomorrow, say plain bread with some kind of spread?” requested hubby yesterday. Heh, I think he’s getting a bit scared of my breakfast experiments.

Actually, Rick can happily eat bread for breakfast everyday. But not me! I prefer Asian breakfasts. How shall I convince him that porridge/congee is a delicious breakfast option? Hmm……

Crispy pork floss sandwiched between two slices of Gardenia white bread.

This is a quick and tasty breakfast sandwich. Just butter two slices of white sandwich bread, spread crispy pork floss generously over one slice, and cover with the other.

In case you’re wondering, I bought the pork floss from Bee Cheng Hiang (S$5.00 for a 100g pack).

They have several variations. I prefer the mildly crispy kind, which is in-between the traditional non-crispy pork floss and a super crispy one. I think the non-crispy type has a boring texture, whereas the super crispy one is too hard, hence more suitable for snacking.

Isn't Frostee an ice cream?

BTW, I’m still scratching my head over this weird product name. Krispee Frostee?? What has Frostee got to do with pork floss?