My Awesome Cafe Telok Ayer Street

When passing by My Awesome Cafe at Telok Ayer Street countless times, it didn’t stand out to me as a cafe, especially with the huge wording ‘Chung Hwa Free Clinic’ plastered on top. In fact, I was figuring out the name of this cafe and realised it only after a friend posted pictures on Facebook one day. My BFF so happened to be in town, and in the desire to try something new each time, I decided on My Awesome Cafe for lunch and coffee. This place is always busy during lunch, and hence since time permitted, we went in just before lunch.

It was the pre-lunch lull when the crew was relaxing a bit before the craze of the lunch crowd wanting their food fast and faster. We had all the space to walk around and take pictures like a tourist. And this is one place that is filled with artsy stuff that makes every picture perfect. It’s retro Singapore all the way, first being located in a free Chinese clinic of Singapore founding years, right down to the furnishings and plating. We even spotted a Chinese medicinal cabinet; it was so tempting to pull open the drawers!

Food was a happy fare; we took the suggestion from the waiter to look for the description ‘My Awesome’ and chose My Awesome Salad. It is one of the better salads I have had in a long time, a huge portion suitable for sharing, loaded with chicken and smoke salmon slices, tuna, and avocado. We each had coffee which was pretty good, and one of the highlights was the dessert of the day, an apple turnover cake, which tasted like pineapple cake, and it was soft, moist and yummy. Think eating pineapple tart in a cake.  What made this experience pleasant was also the fact every waiter had a smile on their face, and they totally understood that you needed to take many pictures.

Would I come back again? A definite yes, perhaps after I have completed my exploration of this historically quaint Telok Ayer Street area.

My Awesome Cafe

202 Telok Ayer Street

Singapore 068639

Tel: 8428 0102

Email: franck@myawesomecafe.com

MRT: Telok Ayer

Opening Hours:

Monday and Tuesday: 7:45am till 9:00pm

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 7:45am till 12:00am

Weekend: 10:00am till 3:00pm

Food For Thought at Singapore Botanical Gardens

I love cafes when they design their layout with thought of the environment they are located in, and that's what Food For Thought at Singapore Botanical Gardens has done perfectly. I literally had to walk the entire gardens just to find this place, and finally realised it was actually quite near to my original starting point. One could easily hop on a bus from Orchard Road and take to the Botanical Gardens bus stop. Food For Thought is located at the basement of the Botany Center along Cluny Road beside Gleneagles. You don't actually walk into the main garden gate, rather by the side road past the big Botanical Gardens sign and up a slight slope to Botany Center then down the stairs... Tips for this treasure hunt!

This outlet is certainly larger than the one at Queen Street and at first glance it looks like a school canteen. I love the clean industrial look of cement, interesting tin lamps, white walls, geometric prints and potted plants all around. Food For Thought is a perfect place to bring kids and have parties because of the open concept.

The food menu remains mostly the same as the one at Queen Street. Over at Food For Thought it pays to come early before 5.30pm to enjoy the all day breakfast dining and really delicious pancakes that worth every single calorie.

This time I had the salad with chicken. I loved the way the chicken was marinated. The chicken breast came in sizeable strips which was also tender; sitting on a bed of fresh greens that for a moment you wondered it was from the backyard. In addition I ordered a set of classic hamburger that came with a side of fries and bottled drink. Though the portion was not too large, it was good enough to fill the tummy and I would say the burger was good enough that it probably gives the designer burger joint at MBS a good competition at a third the price. I paid less that $20 for the burger set and enjoyed every single bite of it.

Having Food For Thought now located at Singapore Botanical Gardens is the perfect answer to a casual outing with friends, teaming it with a walk before a meal. What more can you ask for?

Kenny Rogers one of the first roasted chicken in Singapore

When one thinks of having roasted chicken in Singapore, the first to come to mind is usually Kenny Rogers.
Probably one of the first to start out in Singapore it has grown its network of outlets in Singapore over the years. These days there are many of options of food choices that it could probably be forgotten.

Through the years I have see the price increase for a quarter of a chicken with two sides and the size shrink. It's sad the extent which they try to make more money by cutting out where they can and assume regulars don't notice.

What I like about Kenny Rogers is the lovely selection of sides. One could go health and eat all the greens or simply shoot for the potatoes and cheese macaroni. And it is good enough for those with a small tummy to have a meal just with sides. All meals come with a corn biscuit which is a favourite snack post dinner.

This time I had my Kenny Rogers meal at Novena Square. What I like about it is that it's located on the top floor and has a big airy feeling without being enclosed in four walls.

It would be some time before come here next as there are so many places to check out in this area.

(closed) Souperlicious serving up a hearty bowl of soup and salad

I continue my hunt for healthy and cheap food options in Singapore. When I first tried Souperlicious last year, I was not really that impressed with the soups as compared to the likes of Soup Spoon or Cedele, which are still my favourite soup places, however because it is easily located near my choir sessions, it warranted another try this year. It's located just outside Carrefour and almost could be missed, apart from the white and red layout.

What's great about Souperlicious is surely the set - you have the option of making your soup, salad or wrap as your main and all for $8 - which is certainly a great deal for a meal. The flexibility is a great plus - there are times you want to drink more soup and other times, more salad. Though I must say choosing the soup as a main is definitely the better choice. I have tried both the Pumpkin soup and the Broccoli soup and I prefer the Broccoli soup. As for salads, I think the potato salad fared pretty well as a side, sondd the Waldorf salad.

A small cozy outlet amidst the people walking around; yet because it's easily missed, you would not likely be looked at while eating, hence a strange kind of privacy. Yes, I have found yet another healthy place for a filling yet healthy meal in sunny Singapore!

This restaurant has since closed.

Pumpkin Soup at Souperlicious

Salad Stop! for refreshing salad in Singapore

If you are like me, understanding the perils of just too much carbohydrates when eating at the food courts in Singapore; to be able to have a good bowl of salad is indeed a refreshing change.

Rewind just a couple years back, having a good bowl of salad as a main meal was not only difficult to find in Singapore, but also very expensive and without much variety.

However with Salad Stop! bursting into the Singapore food scene, having a big bowl of salad with many options to choose from, and being certain of the freshness of the ingredients is a huge plus. Though most of the outlets are tiny, they allow you to enjoy your salad or salad wrap in a cheerful environment. My favorite outlet is located at Novena Square - where I would usually have a quick meal before heading to gym classes or music lessons.

At Salad Stop, you have the option of creating your own salad or picking one of the pre-designed ones. And if you are really hungry, simply top the salad or wrap with a bowl of soup.

A bowl of salad does not really come cheap with prices ranging from $8 to $11, especially when you compare with the bowl of noodles you can get at half the price at the regular food courts. Then again, I value a good bowl of salad more due to the nutrients found in it as compared to just a bowl of noodles. I also love the concept of having your salad wrapped, something new to the scene in Singapore.

Hopefully with time, we will get to see even more salad bars sprouting around Singapore, giving us more options to choose from.

Salad Stop
Novena Square

238 Thomson Road, #02-24
MRT: Novena

Opening Hours:

Mon - Fri: 9.00 am - 9.00 pm

Saturday:  11:00 am - 9.00 pm

Sunday:    11:00 am - 9.00 pm

Salad Stop at Novena Square

Wholesome goodness in a salad wrap