Good ol’ steaming goodness

found in Ting Heng Seafood Restaurant but not before popping in to Tiong Bahru Bakery to pick up some croissants for breakie.  Hehe..

Been there a few times with friends a couple of years back but hardly been back since it could get crazy crowded during dinner time as I recalled.  But this evening, I had a sudden craving for some fish steamboat and since we were in the ‘hood, I suggested we head there for an early dinner.

Was it as yummy as I remembered it to be?  Perhaps.. the memory of the fish steamboat was hazy but it was still heartwarming.  Really comfort food for the soul.  And the deep-fried beancurd skin?  A must-order!  Crisp and crunchy with every bite.. simply love it!

It’s good to know that the swanky cafes/eateries can co-exist with good ol’ Asian cuisine. There sure is a little something to satisfy any sort of craving you may have at Tiong Bahru.

Ting Heng Seafood Restaurant

Address: Blk 82, Tiong Poh Road, #01-03, Singapore

Telephone: +65 6323 6093

Opening Hours: Daily from 5pm to 4am

Checked out Donq & Maison Kayser

Fresh from my bun craze at Tiong Bahru Bakery, I went all out to check out these two other bakeries that have been making headlines.  As you can imagine, I went a little ga-ga at the bakeries and had to stop myself from putting everything I see on the tray to be carted home.  I don’t even love carbs that much but all these pretty bakes with interesting flavours really piqued my taste-buds!

Donq (pronounced as ‘donk’ and not ‘don Q’) which has over 100 years of history and more than 180 outlets in Japan has reached our sunny shores.  See, I didn’t even knew this bakery existed when we were living in Tokyo, I must be living under a rock! *face palms*

Located at Basement 2 of Takashimaya Shopping Centre, this takeaway store offers a variety of yummy baked treats.  The Spinach and Bacon bun was something I was really tempted to try and like a little child that went wild in a candy store, I walked round this small little store giddy with excitement but not quite sure what to pick out for the home.

[Cue drumroll] Very anti-climax, but I went home with only four simple buns from the family – the Dutch Cheese Bun, the Edamame Bun, the Corn Bun and the Choco Bun.

The Man had the Dutch Cheese bun which he thought was very plain and not that fantastic. I thought the Edamame bun was quite yummy as the Edamame beans were sweetly flavoured.  And this morning, I toasted the Corn bun and enjoyed it with a steaming bowl of left-over curry sauce. 

Next up, tea with the gorgeous mummy yAnn and her lil’ A at Maison Kayser at Scotts Square.  The pillowy croissants are said to rival that of those at Tiong Bahru Bakery but I didn’t end up ordering that.  Instead, I went with the tart of the day- a Hazelnut and Peach Tart which was sweet and crumbly.  I had a look at yAnn’s croissant though and it did look flaky, but next time?  I probably just buy the bread and enjoy them at home with my own brew.  Not impressed with the coffee available at the sit-down cafe.

Oh and top of the list as to what I will be getting the next time I make a trip here?  This Yuzu bread!  I saw this available in the menu and hope that it’s a staple at the bakery.

Have you tried any of the bakes from either of the bakeries mentioned above?  What would you recommend?  Lemme know so I can make a discerning choice the next time round.    Thanks!

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• Tiong Bahru Bakery (j0annesim.wordpress.com)

Tiong Bahru Bakery

Been hearing/ reading a lot about Tiong Bahru Bakery, so decided to make a trip and see what the hype over chocolate croissants/ croissants were all about.

The latest brainchild from the Spa Esprit Group, Tiong Bahru Bakery boasts French celeb baker Gontran Cherrier who not only has a popular boulangerie in Paris, is the host of two baking shows on TV and author of baking books as the consultant chef.  Set in Tiong Bahru where sister outlets, 40 Hands and Open Door Policy also reside, this area is fast becoming one of my fave places here in Singapore.  Other delish bakes to try include the superb Almond & Chocolate Croissant and the squishy Green Bun with ground rocket leaves.  Oh and I hear that there’s another branch opening soon at Raffles City come August, so yay to that! 

Now back to bread-talk, I guess one of the advantages of not having a job is having the time to check out these places which may be way too crowded to go to over the weekend or during rush hour. I’m glad I have a couple of like-minded friends who are just as adventurous and willing to go suss out these places with me as well.

I arrived at Tiong Bahru Bakery a little after 1.30pm. Think we managed to miss the lunch-time crowds but having said that, the bakery was pretty busy with people coming in and out just to get their hands on the buns.

Famished, I made by way and queued patiently for the bread. Don’t be ‘put off’ by the long queues, it does move pretty fast.

The ‘must-have’ at Tiong Bahru Bakery is apparently the crisp and flaky croissant. There were only four of the chocolate ones and two of the plain ones left. I should have just grabbed everything and pack some of them home as the kitchen stopped baking pretty early and closed at 3pm for a company function on the day that we were there. Arh well, gotta come back here again then!

Other items that looked really good included these yummy focaccia topped with bacon/ tuna and hearty serving of rocket greens.

They also had a good mix of sweet tarts if you fancy something to go along with a good brew.

The lunch spread of buns and tart! We shared all of these of course! Verdict? The tomato bun with bacon and cheese felt like a hearty way to kick-start the raging appetite. I read somewhere that the squid ink bun was a must-order as well. I liked it for it was a little salty but the pal thought was a novelty gimmick for you couldn’t really taste the squid ink except for the black coloring.

Now the chocolate croissant! Was it really as good as what it proclaimed? I thought it was flaky, buttery and just enough choc chips for my taste-buds. The friend, on the other hand, thought the choc croissants from Maison Kayser were much better. I wouldn’t know but guess where I will be heading soon? And to end the meal, we shared the lemon tart which I thought was just passable because of it’s ‘cakey’ texture. The creamy lemon tart would have been a better choice.

And since we were there, I couldn’t resist packing some of the buns and sweets home for the rest of the family to try. Was shocked by the bill – S$40 for five pastries and three desserts – but I guess this was a ‘once in a blue moon’ type of treat.

Would I come back? Probably, to bag more of those croissants that I failed to bag this trip. ;p Are the crowds really that bad? I guess we were lucky but for the 2 odd hours that we were there, people just came in waves so it really depends if you wanna pack those bakes or sit around for a cuppa.

Tiong Bahru Bakery

Address: #01-70 Eng Hoon Street, Singapore

Closed on Tuesdays