At the end of August, I officially graduated from my master's degree at the University of Minnesota. I couldn't describe my happiness after finally finishing my thesis. At the same time, I am saddened by the fact that I have to leave Minneapolis - St. Paul - temporarily, I hope. Nevertheless, I am welcoming a whole new experience that I am going to have in Singapore - the country where I spent four wonderful years of undergraduate.
For the past one month, I have found a place to settle, catching up with some friends, taking a break, and trying out new dining places. I wish I could try most dining places after one year but I guess it will be almost impossible. They say Singapore is a culinary heaven, and truly, I believe there isn't a single thing you couldn't find here in this island.
While I am excited to try out new food, I am disappointed as I will be completely away from kitchen! The general crowds in Singapore do not really cook at home due to the smaller house (thus kitchen) size. As a side information, families in Singapore live in public apartments with 1 to 4 bedrooms. Due to the limited size of land, the size of the apartments are comparatively small. Therefore, in the apartment that I am staying in, no real cooking is allowed.
So, most of my posts will be on food I tried out, and some recipes of food I prepared while I was still in MN. To start off, I would like to write about a very impressive brunch I had last Sunday - Five and Dime Eatery.
Five and Dime Eatery is located at River Valley Road, just adjacent to the busy and popular Orchard Road. I picked the location out of convenience for a meeting place with my childhood best friend. It is a small building painted in black and white from the outside, which delivers a message of simplicity yet edgy. Upon entering, there are some tables at the front, then a huge bar is located on the left.
I did not have a reservation, which was a terrible idea. So, be sure to make a prior reservation. Luckily, the bar seating is available and we took the bar seats. From the bar seats, I can get a clear view of what the baristi are doing. From latte, milkshakes (malts), to cocktails - oh so yummy!
The restaurant has different sets of menu for lunch, dinner, supper, and brunch. On Sunday morning-noon, the brunch menu is served.
I ordered the Five and Dime Hot Chocolate ($6) to start off, and a cup of hot chocolate with a cute bear drawn on top came to amuse me. My friend ordered the OMG Nutella Milkshake ($12), which was so rich in nutella but definitely not a wise pick for you calorie-conscious folks.
 |
| Five and Dime Hot Chocolate with a cute bear latte art on top |
 |
| OMG Nutella Milkshake and Five and Dime Hot Chocolate |
For the entree, I ordered the Spinach Tamago ($16). It is a Japanese spin-off for the Egg Florentine created by Five and Dime. I rated the dish 10/10 for creativity. The dish consists of a slice of thick white toast, a huge tamago (Japanese omelet) with spinach filling and hollandaise on top, and a side of mesclun greens, bacon-potato hash, and fruit salad. The toast was so fluffy and yummy, unlike ordinary toasts served during breakfasts elsewhere. I personally am a huge fan of tamago, and for me the tamago was perfectly cooked and seasoned. What surprised me was the taste of the bacon-potato hash. It was intense with a unique hint of miso flavor that blends everything together so harmoniously. Needless to say, the greens and fruit salads were fantastic too!
 |
| Spinach Tamago - thick white toast, tamago with spinach filling, hollandaise, mesclun greens, fruit salad, bacon-potato hash |
My friend ordered the Eggs Benny ($16). It consists of the same thick white toast, topped with wagyu beef slice, poached eggs, and hollandaise. The same sides of bacon-potato hash, mesclun greens, and fruit salads were served. I had a bite of the benedict and thought it was superb too. I mean, beef in benedict? Where can you find that combo!
 |
| Eggs Benny - thick white toast, wagyu beef slice, poached eggs, hollandaise, mesclun greens, fruit salad, bacon-potato hash |
We were so full we didn't order dessert. In the end I helped my friend to finish almost a half glass of her nutella milkshake. If you do want to order the milkshake, which costs a whooping $12, it would be best to share it with somebody.
Overall, our experience at Five and Dime Eatery was beyond expectation. We were excited to return next Sunday to try out the other items in the menu!
0 comments:
Post a Comment