eevon.sg

After a busy day at work, I just want to stone amidst lush greenary and enjoy a simple dinner. I’ve been visiting this place quite often these days. Ever been to a garden in a cafe somewhere in China Square Central? Gotta thank 24seven for the tasting session which brought me to Eden Sanctuary. You can find blog entries about our exclusive Rainbow Cuisine tasting over at Diana, Amanda, Calvin, Justin and Veron’s blog. I gotta miss that entry because Chuck screwed up again. Oh Chuck. Why.

Forget Chuck. Since I’m fast becoming a regular here, it is more appropriate for me to share on some of the staple dishes here which you can find on the menu! Unlike other conventional cafes, stepping into Eden Sanctuary really really feels like home. Everyone is well taken of at Chef Clement’s cosy dining room.

(:

Dinner last night started with the Tomato Basil Tartlet ($7.90). Though it looked like a typical canapé, it actually tasted better than what I had at Restaurant Week. Love the crispy savoury crust filled with a tomato based sauce on the inside. Magic of this finger delight is the fresh basil leave hidden beneath the layer of cheese.

These savoury tartlets are such delicate sweethearts. Complementary flavours of tomato, cheese, fennel, herbs and especially the refreshing tones of a lucky basil leave perked me up for what’s coming up!

Creamless Homestyle Pumpkin Soup ($4.00)

I wish mom was here. She always complains about cooking pumpkins. Well, I’ve tried creamy pumpkin soups and it wasn’t spectacular. So I’m particularly pleased with Eden Sanctuary’s clear broth version with herbs. I enjoyed every spoonful of pumpkin bumps, shreds or chucks. The texture is so inconsistently attractive, I’m hating how I am polishing off the bowl in just 5 minutes. Argh. It’s hard to flirt with a bowl of soup. They don’t last very long.

Fan of Shakespeare? I am especially when it come to his timeless tales of love and human fallacy. Remember Sir Andrew in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night who tried desperate to flirt with a maiden by the name of Maria and failed terrible? It is he who said “I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit”. Well, he’s a meathead if he has never tried Balsamic Strawberry Beef ($9.90). Look at that chuck of wonderment.

Oops Sir Andrew, pardon me. Nay you wouldn’t enjoy this if you don’t fancy an unconventional twist to your meat. I had mine at medium with a slight tarty. sourish pinch on the tongue. It was lovely. Accompanied with a drizzle of savoury sauce, the strawberries set off a fruity refinement to an otherwise typical piece of meat.

I’m sorry sweethearts. When I get started on literature, I can’t stop. So in Twelfth Night, Shakespeare takes a amusing approach to expose the ways humans fall prey to pride, vanity and self-deception. So we are all fools of our own deception. I felt like a simpleton fool just like Sir Andrew more often than not. Fools that are easily pleased, easily contented, easily amused. So tell me. Is that good or bad?

Nevertheless, perhaps there’s really nothing to hide especially after savouring the next dish at Eden Sanctuary. I could smell it as Chef Clement was on his way to my table. Ginger Leek Peanut Butter Fish ($6.90). Odd combination isn’t it? But trust me. You should really try this. There’s just something graceful and clever about this down-to-earth dish that screams simplicity.

Each mouthful is a blast of flavours from the distinct taste of ginger, leek and peanut butter. Yet surprisingly with such powerful elements, I could still taste the flaky fishy fish tucked under the brownish garb! No wonder Chef Clement said that a fish should taste like a fish no matter how it is prepared. You get that? Say bye bye to tasteless meat!

By the way, it’s a must to get a pot of floral tea to accompany these delicate creations. It goes perfectly well with the food here. All in all, Eden Sanctuary offers simple, natural and light on the tummy meals. A week ago I was here for lunch and the Creamless Carbonara Pasta was awesome! Yup CREAMLESS! I could successfully finish a slice of cheese cake after that! Ah ah ah, nothing to be guilty about because Chef Clement made sure that it’s a balanced, healthy meal. I’m just a simply fool at Eden Sanctuary waiting for the next serving of his witty creation.

(:

Eden Sanctuary Floral Cafe
18 Cross Street #01-16
China Square Central
Tel : 6224 2298
Remember to call for reservations!

No I’m not done with my Perth experience yet. How could it be over without a post on my visit to Cicerello’s, one of the most famous Fish n Chips restaurant in Perth and a mini-tour of Freemantle?

JS had a super bright idea that we get up super early for a mini tour around Freemantle before lunch at Cicerello’s. So yet another early, groggy morning for me. Thought that we were in some kind of odd dreamland as a gypsies and lots of random kids with painted faces crossed our path at Freemantle. The kids were adorable. Can’t wait for Winn to get me a blond nephew.

So we explored Freemantle, especially the area around Freo Market before heading over to Cicerello’s for lunch. I like markets. It’s so colourful and in Perth’s case. It’s spanking clean too. Totally different from the Ben Thanh Market at Ho Chi Minh. Hehe. I know I know. I’m going to talk about my trip to Saigon soon!

Freo Market is only open on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and there are lots of souvenirs, local products for sale which is pretty interesting. Stuff there ranges from boomerangs, postcards, super spicy homemade chili sauces to the didgeridoo, a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia. .

Best buy at Freo Market?

Tada! King crab leggies! JS bought some and made really good laksa to go with them. Ever heard of crab laksa? Sorry I meant delectable, home-cooked crab laksa. Well well my kindergarten bestie of 20-odd years whom I thought would mistook sugar for salt in the kitchen has morph into such a good cook! I’m so so proud of her!

Seafood is really fresh here since Perth is essentially a coastal city. And from what we saw that morning, Perth’s port, Fremantle, is truly a city in its own right. The bustling atmosphere of a city could be felt as we sipped coffee/hot chocolate at a quaint cafe to rest our feet and people-watched. Well, Freemantle or Freo is in fact, slightly older than Perth. It was fun wandering on the streets along preserved heritage buildings with my girls. Still, thank goodness we had iPhones and Google maps.

When you explore Freo, do make good use of the free public Fremantle buses to restaurants, Fremantle Art Gallery and fishing boat harbour near the Esplanade hotel. And as what I’ve mentioned earlier, no visit to Perth is complete with a simple fish & chip meal at Freemantle.

So here’s the Traditional Fish & Chips AUD$12.60 we got at Cicerello’s! Ah plain old fish & chips but one of the most authentic and freshest I’ve tasted. Nope not soggy. See how good it looks in the picture. It’s tasty even without chilli sauce!

Cicerello’s chips on the other hand was just average. I actually prefer Red Rooster’s chips! The taste of the chicken salt sprinkled so generously over the hot piping chips is unbeatable by far. You must try Red Rooster’s chips if you ever visit OZ!

We also had the Whole Grilled Flounder, AUD$24.00 which was served in an unusually cool manner. The fish laid really super flat on the chips. It was excellent especially with lemon squeezed on it. Was pleased with the mild sweet taste and flaky-firm texture of it’s pure white flesh.

Cicerello’s menu also offers freshly caught oysters, mussels, crabs and crayfish and either fried or grilled. Would had ordered more if not for our plans to grab some beer over at Little Creatures right after lunch. Yup Little Creatures! (:

Didn’t realised that flounders are so flat! Thought that flounders looked like chubby cute Flounder, the yellow and blue-colored fish in Disney’s Little Mermaid. Nah. Did a quick check and found that he is not a flounder, but a Juvenile Atlantic Blue Tang instead. Can’t believed I was ‘conned’ into believing that Flounder is a flounder.

Anyway, the pesky seagulls can be a nuisance sometimes so don’t feed them else they will really poop on you. I’m not joking! And never leave your food unattended because the seagulls are really quick to snap them off your plate.

Well, Cicerello’s is a good choice for a casual lunch with a noisy buzz. We sat at the al-fresco area which overlooked the fishing boat harbour. Perfect for family with kids. Just make sure they don’t fall over the deck.

The food was decent. Price was reasonable. Ambiance was too touristy for my liking. Then again, Cicerello’s is one of the most famous fish & chips restaurant in Perth. And that’s the bane of a popular eatery. Just got to live with it. I guess.

Cicerello’s
Fisherman’s Wharf 44 Mews Road Fremantle 6160
Tel: (08) 9335 1911
Opening times for Fremantle
10.00am to late, 7 Days A Week

Despite having a weekend road trip planned out for Dunsbrough which is just a stone’s throw away from the Margaret River Wine Region, we still made an impromptu trip to Swan Valley because it’s simply too near to resist! It was my second visit to one of Australia’s oldest wine regions and also the closest premium wine region to a capital city in the world. The drive to Swan Valley from from Perth city took only about 30 minutes. How cool is that. Imagine taking a drive from Boon Lay to Tampines for an afternoon at a vineyard! Nah. Perhaps the next best thing in Singapore would be a visit to Tiger Beer brewery. I digressed.

(:

This time, instead of winery-hopping which was what I did previously, darling baby bro Terry and I decided to spend the entire afternoon chilling out and picking our brains at Edgecombe Brothers.

Honestly, it was a random pick. Lovebirds Gabby-Winn conveniently dropped us there since it was the only winery we managed to spot before they whizzed off to the Caversham Wildlife Park. Thanks guys. Thank goodness the Edgecombe Brothers cafe was perfect for a teen laden with assignments and a blogger who had lots of backlogged posts to complete. I’m happy that we’ve chanced upon a pleasant place to unwind and pore over stuff which requires significant amount of brain juice.

How about a bit of background on this beautiful land where brothers Don & Frank Edgecombe founded the family vineyard in the 1920s? From where we sat, a natural wetland called Lake Yakine (Nyungah for Tortoise Dreaming Lake) could be spotted. Apparently it is home to Long Neck Tortoises which can be seen sunning themselves or moving numbly through the water.

Too bad we were too lazy to budge from the comfy al-fresco set-up. The wine-tasting menu was more interesting at that point and I’m not Miley Cyrus in The Last Song.

Our wine list:
N/V Sparkling Chardonnay
2009 Chardonnay
2009 Semillon
2009 Chenin Blanc Late Harvest
Muscat

Wanted to try the Fortified Shiraz but it was unavailable. So anyway, Aki, the Marketing Manager at Edgecombe Brothers introduced each glass of wine and placed them respectively on a paper labelled with the name of the wine. But we were too absorbed in exchanging the glasses, commenting and trying to decide which bottle to purchase that we forgot to place the glasses back according to the labeling on the paper.

Shucks.

Didn’t took us long to realised that we had no idea which is which. Best thing was we had 4 whites on the table. rofl

Like most wineries, the small fee for wine tasting is redeemable upon purchase so we had planned to buy a bottle. And since we couldn’t make out which is which, we decided to just go with a bottle of Muscat because nothing could go wrong with a luscious dessert wine.

Indeed, not a single drop was wasted.

This richly colored wine by Edgecombe Brothers was made from very sweet Muscat grapes picked at semi raisin stage and matured in oak casks. Sounds good right? It was very aromatic and sweet! Lovely! Very different taste and texture from the sparkling lavender wine I got from Cape Lavender. I shall say that both are equally were fabulous.

While we enjoyed the Muscat, a special guest popped by for a dip.

A big fat fly!!! OMG I was told that Perth has serious fly problems in summer! But autumn? Then again, this fly died drowning in a glass filled with nectarious muscat. Such a sweet death.

Well the Edgecombe family still grows much of the fresh produce used in the cafe menu. They even pickle their own olives! We wanted some light bites to go with the wine. So here’s our small tasting plate!

I loved the olives because it wasn’t too salty unlike some other places but Terry thought that olives are weird. He preferred the chewy,well-textured bread which went well with olive oil, chutney and dukkah. To our pleasant surprise, we also received a complimentary plate of freshly-plucked table grapes that had a good flavor to it!

Then, I had a sudden craving for some subtle flavoured and textured cheese to accompanied the wine. So the camembert cheese joined our mini wine-party.

Though it was smooth and easy on the taste buds, this pretty wedge of cheese was a little bit too delicate for my liking. I recalled savoring a stronger version of the camembert at Pierside. Terry on the other hand, was pleased with the creamy texture and fresh grassy tones.

All in all, prices here are very reasonable, not only for the meals but the other produce for sale. We spent AUD38 for the wine, tasting plate and Camembert cheese. For a casual, enjoyable experience at a rustic winery cafe n with baby bro?

Priceless.

The serene view over the vineyard from the vine covered alfresco dining area was fabulous. It’s not often we get to enjoy bottle with panoramic views of the sun setting over acres of vines. A perfect finish to my decadent day out with sweetie pie Terry. We were glad that we choose to swish, swill and swallow instead of hugging a wombat.

My only regret was that we did not order the home grown asparagus and famous Muscat ice cream. Only found that Edgecombe Brothers is renowned for their home grown asparagus and ice cream after the trip.

Aki! Why you didn’t you tell me!

Edgecombe Brothers Winery and Cafe
Cnr Gnangara & West Swan Road
Henleybrook WA6055
Open 10 am – 5pm 7days a week

Tried hotpot on a conveyor belt yet?

I did just that over the hotpot bar at Kichi Kichi.

(:

Thank you Sixth Sense and Kichi Kichi for the invitation. I had fun sitting on a high chair, customising my individual hotpot! It was a fuss-free hotpot experience.

Unlike the conventional hotpot elsewhere where everyone shares one large pot, everyone gets an individually controllable stove at Kichi Kichi. But similar to those hotpot outlets at Bugis, Kichi Kichi offers the all-you-can-eat concept. Big difference is, you don’t have to walk at all! Perfect for lazy folks like me. No time was wasted. I just gotta grab a good seat and be on stand-by mode while the conveyer belt conveniently dishes out a constant stream of fresh ingredients.

And guess what, the air-conditioning at Kichi Kichi also works perfectly.

I shall not associate perspiration with hotpot anymore.
I shall not associate perspiration with hotpot anymore.
I shall not associate perspiration with hotpot anymore.

(: Hotpot is no longer a hot, stuffy affair.

Wanted something light, so I had the signature mushroom soup. It was delicious with all the interesting and fresh ingredients that I grabbed from the conveyor belt.

My favourite ingredient was the Sliced Wagyu Beef, $5 from the Premium Items section! Was greedy and took too many plate of beef. Thanks goodness Hungry Cow was there to help chow down his fellow mates. Nope this cow is not feeling even a tiny tinge of guilt for munching on his own kind. Thanks moo moo for your pleasant company!

Beef! Before! Look at the lean cut and marble fat. I think the whiteness of the fat which contrasts with the red meat and forms a marble-like pattern is so pretty. What you think? Is there anyone here who don’t love beef??

Beef! After! Swished and swirled this fine piece of meat over the hotpot and it was cooked in seconds! I took extra care to make sure I don’t overcook this baby! I love my beef medium. Ah look it’s so tender! MMm it went really well with the sightly nutty Kichi Kichi sesame sauce!

Speaking of sauces, it’s heartening that Kichi Kichi recognizes the importance of dipping sauces in the Asian culture! They have actually have a variety of eight sauces to suit all tastes:Kichi Kichi Chilli Sauce, Chilli Padi with Vinegar, Japanese Soya Sauce, Kichi Kichi Sesame Sauce, Vinegar and Ginger, Chilli Padi & Soya Sauce, Hoi Sin and Chilli Chin Chalok.

Me personal favourite would be the Kichi Kichi Sesame Sauce! It was savory But Hungry Cow thought that it’s too watered down! I think he’s a bigger fan of the Kichi Kichi Chili Sauce which was a perkier dip. Hehe.

Oops. Took a tiny dip into the sauce before I snapped this pic.

Well, homemade sauces are not the only special offerings at Kichi Kichi. A selection of a la carte items is also available at additional costs. They include premium dishes like Salmon Belly, Salmon Fillet, Fish Head, Oysters, Scallops, Cockles, Sliced Venison, Sliced Wagyu Beef, and tempting desserts like a Chocolate hotpot with assorted fruits, to a comprehensive list of non-alcoholic beverages, wine, sake and beer. I had a glass of white. Pretty smooth and it went perfectly with the Chocolate Hotpot with Cut Fruits ($5)!

To perk up the entire hotpot experience, there was a number of ‘Secret Recipes’ cruising the conveyor belt. Not bad. My girlfriend who can’t cook for nuts would find these recipes useful. Haha. Anyway ‘Secret Recipes’ definitely inject another level of fun while dining at Kichi Kichi. Totally appreciate how these simple instructions is so helpful in guiding me on the use of different ingredients in my pot to create a unique twist to some of familiar Asian dishes.

Food was decent. Service was good. Efficient staff cleared the empty plates regularly and were prompt to refill the soup. I really liked how I could customise my individual hotpot experience by selecting from a wide range of over 60 ingredients, 6 quality soup stocks and 8 homemade sauces!

Quality ingredients. Checked.
Efficient service. Checked.
Trendy ambience. Checked.
Comfort. Checked.

Omigosh. Steamboat will never be the same again! You won’t catch me fixing any steamboat cravings in those al-fresco bugis outlets anymore. Now I wish I have more time for lunch.

Weekday lunch at Kichi Kichi is pretty affordable. Between 11am to 5pm: Adults S$19.90++ | Students S$14.90++ | Kids 3-9 years: S$7.90++ | Kids below 3 years: Free.

Not bad, right? Ok rephrase. Now I wish I’m still a student.

By the way, I’m actually quite pleased that Kichi Kichi management is one of those that listens to feedbacks. I think they handled an unhappy diner tactfully after some constructive criticism were posted on Hungrygowhere.

Let’s see. Now we have hotpot and sushi on conveyor belts. Someone should start a dimsum conveyor belt restaurant! Yum yum.

(:

Kichi Kichi
180 Kitchener Road
#02-23/24 City Square Mall
Tel: +65 9170 1146
11am – 10pm

If you’re planning a day in the heart of the Perth City and is looking for an unusual place to dine, this may be the place for you. Well, I managed to crawl out of bed one morning and grabbed brunch at Greenhouse with sweethearts working in Perth’s CBD area. I know how it is to wake up in time for breakfast especially when you’re on an overseas vacation. I just never knew slumber nights with girlfriends could be such taxing affairs.

OK so as the name suggests, Greenhouse is an eco-friendly bar/restaurant and I like this concept. The exterior of Greenhouse is clad with galvanized planter frame and holds about 4000 terracotta pots. You can’t missed this attractive architecture. Looks like an installation art doesn’t it?

Inside, warm lighting sets the interior mood into a cosy and friendly informal dining space. It’s interesting how fixtures of appropriate design further emphasize the character of the restaurant.

It is really splendid how this entire place was built from recycled or recyclable materials. There are straw bales for insulation, raw plywood and recycled plastics all around me. Check out Greenhouse’s unusual furnitures.

Designed by Joost Bakker, Greenhouse features tables made from the plywood, chairs made from old road signs, bar stools/tables made from wafer board recycled from old wooden palettes, and light shades made from reclaimed fencing wire. How interesting?

I’m a fan of the bird-nest-looking light shades.

Before we could breathe in the unique set up, the distinct look and smell of wood fired pizza drew us in. So we ordered a pizza ($14) to share.

It’s amazing how Winn, my charming girlfriend with killer-large eyes loves pizzas so much she can eat them everyday for every meals. When it arrived, I was secretly pleased that Greenhouse’s pizza was so small!!! Yay my lovely friends shall have the lion’s share. I’ve had enough of pizzas after 3 days in Perth. Boo boo.

Oh the pizza was alright. Well you can’t go too wrong with gourmet crisp crust pizza. But after stealing a small tiny bite, I think it was just average. The base was decent and ingredients were very fresh but all in all, I think the pizza just lacked depth in flavour. Definitely not as good as Ciao Italia’s (will talk about this awesome restaurant soon).

Our dear friend Gabby, a lovable IT consultant with a lame sense of humour was feeling porkish so he got a cameralised porky dish which I thought was the best order of the day.

Sticky pork, green papaya, roasted rice & fragrant herb salad ($23). A pretty and sophisticated dish with well-contrasted flavours. The papaya infused this dish with a little Thai zest. Oh I loved the pork. It has a fabulous crunch with slight crisp on the outside. Tasty.

Dangz. Lousy picture but that’s all I have of this dish. Trust me. It tasted way better than how it looks here. And nope this wasn’t Pete’s fault. He was sleeping in the bag. We took this in a hurry with a point-and-shoot. Were all too hungry to bother about the pictures at that point. Yikes.

Apparently Perth’s CBD area is so small, everyone’s office is walking distance away from Greenhouse. EJ, a macho accountant with might arms popped by and joined us for an afternoon coffee fix. Heard that Greenhouse has raving reviews for coffee and drinks. Not a coffee connoisseur, I opted for hot chocolate instead. And as a hot chocolate expert, I shall say I’ve tasted better.

But there’s this dish that was pretty special. Another girlfriend of mine, sexy-siren JS who is also an accountant recommended “Bits and Pieces” ($25). It was a share plate served on a wooden bock consisting of caramelised sausages which looked alot like Chinese sausages but were much more saltier, cashew nuts, bread, cold meats, cheese and small salad side.

Great presentation.

Too bad the smoked ham was a tad salty and not too smoky! I still remember the ham I had at Esmirada’s 15th Anniversary Party. No fight at all.

Winn and I popped by the bar upstairs to take a peek and we were amused by the fine woody-looking little rooftop bar with simple furniture made from packing cases.

I felt like a farm girl in this organic surrounding. Too bad we had no time to come back later in the evening because this roof-top bar looked great for after-work cocktails.

In general, I love the venue. As for the food, it failed to live up to my expectations. Although the food are essentially simple meals with quality ingredients and prepared fresh just the way I like my meals, the price tag simply does not justify the average musings of my taste buds. Obviously, this place was designed for style, not comfort.

(:

Nevertheless, it was lovely to see how environmentalism has created such a unique atmosphere for Greenhouse. Wouldn’t it be great if we have similar dining concept in Singapore/Malaysia? It’s a pity that the eco-friendly wave was not caught on in Asia. Perhaps in the next decade?

Perhaps.

Greenhouse
100 St Georges Terrace,
Perth WA 6000
Tel : +61 8 9481 8333
Mon & Tues 7am -late
Wed to Sat 7am -12am