Rebecca LiewOne undeniable fact – Without our mothers, we wouldn’t be here. If yours is still around and on speaking terms with you, how about taking that very special woman in your life out to one of UrbanWire’s picks of eateries?
1. For breakfast or brunch: Wild Honey
You may not be willing to shell out for an air ticket, but that doesn’t mean mum can’t have a taste of breakfast overseas. Whichever country she wants the most important meal of the day from, Wild Honey, an all-day breakfast restaurant that serves a myriad of sets from around the globe, probably has it covered, and you can pick from either the Mandarin Gallery or Scott’s Square branch. Both have a warm, cosy ambience and are fashioned with vintage and country touches and furniture, but the Mandarin Gallery outlet offers more privacy and is a reprieve from the busy throngs of shoppers that infiltrate Orchard Road.
For something exotic with a lot of heart, there’s the Tunisian breakfast ($18), which is also Wild Honey’s signature dish.
Served up in a sizzling pan, this African specialty, known as Shakshouka, is made up of tomatoes, caramelised onions, red pepper and chilli, heaped portions of Chorizo sausage, and eggs that are neither too runny nor overcooked. With a piquant, spicy consistency, this is served with a simple salad: diced cucumbers and tomatoes in a mild, zingy dressing, and lightly toasted brioche on the side, as with every set. This is wild-ly satisfying, pun fully intended.
The English breakfast ($22) takes you to the heart of their countryside with a generous platter: bacon and Cumberland sausage, half a lightly grilled tomato with sautéed mushrooms, diced potatoes done to a golden-brown hue, and scrambled eggs so soft and creamy smooth you won’t want to share them.
Served with traditional English baked beans, this set is a dream if your mum grew up on Enid Blyton books.
Mothers who want something light may like to order the Mediterranean sandwich($16).
Photos courtesy of Elaine Huang
Wilted spinach is served with garlic, melted feta and mozzarella cheese, and finished with a squeeze of lemon juice and olive oil between slices of ciabatta that, when bitten into, crackle the way good crusty breads do.
Also try the Spinach Salad ($16). It’s a meal in itself with leafy English spinach, baked pumpkin and sweet potato, as well as plump cherry tomato halves which burst in your mouth at a bite, all tossed with a tangy honey mustard sauce and toasted pine nuts.
Address: 333A Orchard Road, #03-02 Mandarin Gallery
Telephone: 6235 3900
(No reservations)
Address: 6 Scott’s Road, #03-01/02 Scott’s Square
Telephone: 66361816
Click here for online reservations.
Opening hours:
- Monday to Sunday, 9am – 10pm
Rating: 4/5
Price Rating: $$-$$$
Note:
- No reservations at the Mandarin Gallery branch.
- For the full menu, click here.
2. For lunch or high tea: Marmalade Pantry
If mum grew up with visions of Audrey Hepburn in aristocratic finery at the Ascot races in My Fair Lady, nothing will suggest English elegance like having tea near some horses. So take her to Marmalade Pantry‘s newest outlet at Stables, located in Bukit Timah Saddle Club. Sit in the al fresco dining area and you’ll get views of green pastures and equestrian riders trotting along .
Settle for some sophistication with their Afternoon High Tea Set ($20 each, with a minimum of 2 persons), available daily from 3 pm to 6 pm.
Choose from a range of locally-founded Gryphon teas, the popular choices include Earl Grey Himalaya and Marrakesh Mint Tea–and then bite into a selection of tiered tea snacks.
Start with buttermilk scones that come laced with cranberry, raisin or fruit peel bits, and be unabashed with helpings of marmalade, jam and clotted cream. The scone’s crisp, biscuit-like exterior and warm fluffy insides are a delightful contradistinction to each other.
Then move on to the finger sandwiches. Very English fillings include egg and cress, lean beef and horseradish, and Greenland shrimp. Go in with a sense of adventure, though, as what you find stuffing your sandwich will vary slightly by the day. Creamy salmon sashimi over an equally creamy dash of butter has made the occasional appearance, among others, and the delightful combinations will most certainly gratify mums.
For something sinfully decadent, the chocolate tart-and-cookie is a chocoholic’s dream, with a crispy cup that oozes gooey and rich dark chocolate. It’s similar to a molten lava cake, except its high cocoa content is compressed into a bite-sized serving. In fact, it’s so rich that the dark chocolate cookie tastes almost bland when eaten with the tart.
Make the highlight of your mum’s afternoon a cupcake, which is also included in the set.
While your love for mummy isn’t the passionate shade of amour Red, Marmalade Pantry’s Red Velvet Cupcake, which comes with whispers of chocolate, coconut-flavoured cream cheese whisked to fluffy perfection, and fresh coconut shavings, is just the right touch.
Everything in the set is finger-friendly, so you’ll end the meal without being overstuffed. The feeling is undeniably satisfying, and we can vouch for it.
You’ll probably still have room after all that, so do try the Apple Cobbler Cupcake ($4.80 ++), which is only available during the month of May. The apple caramel is distinct, and is finished with caramel cream and compressed green apple pieces that resemble green grapes and are a delightful surprise when bitten into: tart and crisp.
Health-conscious mums who prefer a healthy and complete meal, may want to start with the Mexican Chicken Salad ($22). Heap the salad, a mix of chickpeas, kidney beans, lettuce, finely diced capsicum, and slivers of lean chicken in salsa sauce, onto a tortilla that’s mildly flaky and crackles when bitten into.
For a belated Mother’s Day celebration, try the Pan Roasted Red Snapper($28)., only available on weekdays.
Photos courtesy of Rebecca Liew
2 portions of the fish are coated with a parsley herb bread-crumb crust, which is a delightful combination with the red snapper. The ratatouille, to be eaten with the snapper, is a smooth blend of sweet tomatoes and stewed capsicums.
If your mum has a weakness for anything sweet, the sticky date and toffee pudding ($12) is an ideal end to the meal. The juxtaposition of hot and cold makes it a dream: hot, dense pudding that’s gooey but not cloying, and cold vanilla bean ice cream with melted toffee.
Promotion:
- Marmalade Pantry at the Stables is offering a complimentary main course for mothers when they dine with at least one other guest, and with an order of at least 1 other main course.
- Valid until May 13, 2012 and during dinner hours.
Starts from 6 pm onwards, with last orders at 10.30pm
Address: 55 Fairways Drive
Tel: 6467 9328
Opening hours:
- Tuesdays to Fridays 3 pm to 11 pm
- Saturdays and Sundays 10 am to 11 pm
- Closed on Mondays
Rating: 4/5
Price Rating: $$-$$$$
Note:
- Marmalade Pantry’s weekend menu differs slightly from its regular weekday menu.
- The Pan Roasted Red Snapper is only available on weekdays.
3. For dinner: Peperoni Pizzeria
Pizza’s one of the most commonly delivered food, but it’s more of a treat if you take her to Peperoni Pizzeria, where cheerily yellow walls are decorated with scribbles and artwork from customers who doodle with provided crayons on large, square sheets of paper that cover each table.
The 8-year old restaurant is owned by the Les Amis group and serves the Italian staple in its most genuine form: wood-fired. Unlike restaurants like California Pizza Kitchen and Casa Verde that also offer wood-fired pizzas, Peperoni knows that the secret to a good pizza isn’t to drown the crust with lots of ingredients (a sign of a lack of authenticity) so flavours are definitely more perceptible. Toppings are made the focal point of every pizza with a thin crust that’s crispy and slightly charred around the edges.
Pizzas are served in 3 sizes: Medium (9 inches, $19), Large (12 inches, $23) and Family/XXL (21 inches, $50). The latter is the most popular choice because, like its name, it can feed a family of up to 6 and comes with the most well spread out and generous amount of ingredients among the three sizes.
Those of us with slight lactose intolerance will appreciate that the mozzarella is less discernible on their best-selling Suprema.
The other thing that recommends it, are the sweet zing of onions and chilli and the salty contrast from the chicken sausage, which is well balanced by a generous heaping of shitake.
With the no frills Margherita, you can’t go wrong too: sweet cherry tomato halves with a sprinkle of basil and oregano over layers of stringy buffalo mozzarella (made from the milk of the water buffalo) that’s buttery, chewy and flavourful.
This is one pizza that holds its own beside its fancier counterparts.
For pastas, UrbanWire prefers the pesto-based recipe ($19).
The penne (although Peperoni offers a selection of pastas to choose from) is perfectly al dente, and cleaning a plate (which mum would probably insist on) takes little effort. The taste of pine nuts, coupled with hints of garlic and basil and a dash of olive oil, make for a winning combination.
Even if you’re full from your meal, a tiramisu ($11)has to be had to end off the dinner.
Mums will love the velvety layers of soft savoiardi biscuits combined with heavy accents of espresso coffee and mascarpone cheese—it’s airy and light, and adds a rich consistency to the dessert. Although slightly steep for a tiramisu, portions are generous and can be shared with mum, making every cent paid justifiable.
Promotion:To celebrate the launch of its website, Peperoni is offering 50% off every second Large(12″) pizza purchased. Coupons must be printed for redemption. Download yours here:http://peperoni.com.sg/1141/website-launch-special/
Offer valid through May 21, 2012.
Address:
6 Greenwood Avenue, Hillcrest Park
Telephone: 6465 6556
Address: 7 Binjai Park
Tel: 6463 7800
Address: 95 Frankel Avenue
Telephone: 6445 5661
Address: 56 Zion Road
Telephone: 6732 3253
Opening hours:
- Mondays to Saturdays, noon – 10.30pm
- Sundays, 11am – 10.30pm
- Closed on certain holidays. Call to enquire.
Rating: 4/5
Price Rating: $$-$$$$
Note:
- Requests for additional parma ham, seafood, beef, Pancetta and prawn cost between $6 to $13.
- Other toppings are charged at $3, $4 and $7 respectively.
