Torte

Laid back setting within the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations at Bencoolen Street, near Fortune Centre. We were initially surprised that there were only 3 choices on the menu for the day, but realised that the menu changes day to day according to the Chef's inspiration. We love their food! It was wholesome, flavourful and generous. In addition - food prices are way more than reasonable at less than S$50 for 2 pax (2 main courses, 3 desserts, 1 non alcoholic drink).

We have also come to be a great fan of their desserts (so much so that we had 3!) As oppose to run-of-the-mill desserts by other cafes, Torte conscientiously plans and designs their desserts to perfection, and desserts may vary day to day depending on the Chef. We cannot say enough of their desserts - you need to try them! They will taste nothing like you had before.

We can't wait to be back!

For more pictures, do check out my blog post at http://melicacy.com/?p=3459

Torte is a hidden gem where Google Maps will come in handy to locate its obscure site –and if not for Six&Seven’s recommendation I wouldn’t have known of its existence.

The non-elaborate dining layout is entirely alfresco. The simple café makes a relaxing chill-out spot on balmy days outdoors and houses a cosy atmosphere within its sheltered perimeters; the whole vibe transforms into a romantic escapade once the moon emerges and candles lit.

Iced Tea

The Iced Tea is a popular choice for a thirst quencher; it is a healthier version of the Thai milk tea, made using Ceylon tea leaves –a black tea known for its golden colour and intense flavour. This palate-cleansing beverage is further revitalised with a squeeze of lemon. The level of sweetness can be adjusted according to your preferences; I ordered mine with an extra dose of syrup, but the refreshing drink is good on its own, unsweetened.

Ceylon tea is rich in antioxidants, therefore it helps in preventing high blood pressure and lowering the risk of heart attacks and cancer. In addition to the health benefits, also helps improve blood circulation.

Buffalo wings with blue cheese dip

The crimson coating on top of a crispy skin provided the necessary oomph that satiated my munchies cravings! This starter will whet your appetite for the joys to come.

Meatballs in tomato sauce, baked with Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese

Each tender meatball is well infused with the tomato-y flavour and packs a punch; it is a warm comforting dish that cheese lovers cannot resist. I’m almost salivating as I’m typing this.

Forget the standard, mundane and repetitive menu; at Torte, the menu is ever-changing –daily specials include a handful of old favourites along with new creations, whipped up by Executive Chef Jason Ong. This keeps the regular patrons coming back for more surprises!

About Chef Jason Ong

The talented Chef Jason is also known as the Pai Kia Chef for his mere candidness. Unlike the typical Pai Kia, under his lavishly tattooed skin is a well-learnt, approachable and friendly guy, proficient not only in the kitchen, but also in the garden, with vast knowledge in botanicals. 

Mains

Main courses are priced at an affordable $10 for lunch and $13 for dinner.





Basa Fish, sided with wedges and coleslaw

Basa fish is a fresh water fish. The well-executed dish looks and tastes the part; it is pristinely fresh with juicy flesh as white as snow. Tastefully seasoned and lightly herbed, the fish is palatable with crispy battered crust that isn’t greasy.

We ordered a second serving to share because it was simply irresistible!

Penne Beef Bolognaise

The Penne Beef Bolognaise is screaming for my fork to dive into it; the pasta is cooked perfectly al dente, drowned and well coated in a delectable homemade bolognaise sauce, followed by a generous topping of grated cheese –that, is the ultimate comfort food.

Usually salads served alongside such mains get neglected and overlooked, but the well-dressed emerald greens get thumbs up for its freshness and tangy dressing. Don’t forget to eat your greens!

Roast Chicken Leg

The unassuming Roast Chicken Leg, served with rice, will blow you away. The chicken leg is moist and tender and everything a cooked chicken should be. The recipe of the rice is fastidiously designed, with aromatics that will charm the senses. Using Italian short-grain rice, the plump grains of rice are cooked perfectly –moist without being mushy.

Mushroom Risotto in cream sauce with truffle oil

The Mushroom Risotto is cooked to an exemplary texture, in a luscious creamy sauce and finished off with a dash of truffle oil. The alluring fragrance of the mushrooms and truffle oil is supreme; it is intense without being overwhelming.

Monk Fish Risotto in cream sauce with truffle oil

The Monk Fish Risotto pales in comparison to the Mushroom Risotto; an additional sprinkle of seasoning will do wonders. The truffle oil is subtle in this dish, and almost evanescent.

Dessert





Torte ($3 and $4.50 with ice cream)

Torte is their signature dessert, named after the café; it is a flourless chocolate cake that is moist and dense, with a rich chocolatey flavour. I’m not sure if it’s the best chocolate cake I’ve eaten, but I love chocolate too much to refuse.

Apple Pie ($4.50, picture on right)

The Apple Pie turns out to be nothing like I’d expected. Imagine a golden roll of classic pastry encompassing delicate apple fillings –so wrong. It is served in a glass, with layers of apples rendered differently for a mouthful of textures, topped with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of caramelised syrup. Nutmeg, cinnamon and brown sugar is infused within the layers, plus raisins and cranberries to surprise.

Crème Caramel with Gula Melaka ($4.50)

The Crème Caramel with Gula Melaka is a worthy of raves. Think: creamy, sweet, smooth and soothing cream beneath a layer of Gula Melaka syrup. This one-of-its-kind dessert is highly recommended, especially to those with a sweet tooth!

Overall, the desserts show great artistry in the kitchen and impresses.

Having heard that Torte started out as a dessert place, I am still in disbelief. The savoury dishes were so well executed! Torte pays great attention to the quality of food and it the quality shines through the dishes.

Rather than dining at the most illustrious restaurants in Singapore, breaking the bank, and having to go for a second round of supper an hour later, Torte satisfies your taste buds and stomachs with less damage to the wallet.

The friendly and welcoming hospitality blends casual and informal service with efficiency.

For more photos, please visit Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow.

Situated within Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO), Torte is the kind of cafe that only people who know of its existence will come. There is limited free parkingin the compounds but please say hi to Pai Kia Chef, Chef Jason, and inform him you’re parking there and eating at his cafe. Otherwise, he will kan you like siao, berate you like crazy.  That’s why he’s known as Pai Kia chef, he speaks what’s on his mind. Actually, I met Jason at the Sweet Charity Event and he issued an open invite but I procrastinated until now.

The area isn’t huge, all outdoor siting, either at a small yard-like garden or along the corridor of SCWO. It may get stuffy on warm days. The decor itself is makeshift. But the lack of design means that the investment goes into the quality and standard of the food.

Food

The menu isn’t extensive but it changes daily for lunch specials ($10) and dinner specials ($13).

Munchies

The meatball baked in tomato, parmesan and mozzarella cheese was not on the regular menu. It was ok but a little oily and the meat tasted a little powdery.

Buffalo Wings (8 pcs, $9) with blue cheese dip, made in-house, were nicely done. Weren’t too oily, very crispy skin and it wasn’t dry in the flesh. The wings could be just a tad spicier and the blue cheese to be smellier.

Mains

Basa Fish & wedges with salad ($10 for lunch, $13 for dinner). Although the wedges were run-of-the-mill supermarket sort, they were cooked with much skill with its edges crispy. The salad is worth a mention because although Melicacy and I don’t like vegetables much, we liked the coleslaw salad. It was fresh, crunchy and sourish with vinaigrette, making it appetizing. Basa fish, a catfish native to Vietnam and Thailand, was very fresh without the slightness bit of stench. The batter was thin, and the meat was fleshy. An accomplished dish.

Penne Beef Bolognaise ($10 for lunch, $13 for dinner) was done al dente so the pasta retained the bite. It was, however, a little watery. The salad again was excellent and different from the previous salad. It was a mixture of mesclun with rocket in a delicious vinaigrette dressing, topped with a little cheese.

The roasted chicken ($10 for lunch, $13 for dinner) was very tender and juicy and (I liked it that) the flavors didn’t come on too strongly. It was mild and despite its looks, it could be considered something light. But the side dish of arborio rice stole the limelight. A short-grained Italian rice used mostly for risotto, the rice was cooked in butter, caramelized onions and roasted garlic oil, and since rice is very absorbent in nature, it carried all the incredible flavors with a texture that was firm and creamy.

We tried two risottos: mushroom risotto in cream sauce with truffle oil andmonkfish risotto in cream sauce with truffle oil. Of the two, we preferred the former because it was more fragrant–the truffle scent really hits you–and the combination of flavors worked better. The monkfish appeared a little bland and needed a touch of salt. They both needed some tweaking, more flavors .

Desserts

We started off with a deconstructed Apple Pie ($4.50). It came in a glass with three layers of apple: a crunchy uncooked layer, a softened cooked layer; and the thoroughly caramelized layer cooked with nutmeg, cinnamon and brown sugar. Raisins and cranberries were added. Topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Quite original and so tedious to make but a pity the effort didn’t translate into the taste. The apple was dull and didn’t come across strongly in the dessert named apple pie.

Creme caramel with gula melaka ($4.50) was irresistible. It was similar to but heavier than flan and creme brulee, very dense and very addictive.

Torte ($3, with ice cream $4.50), pronounced as “tort” or “tort-tay” or “tort-ta,” is what the cafe is named after and naturally it is the show-stopper. Torte is a flourless cake so this one was very dense, tasting almost like burnt dark chocolate, and was very very rich yet light at the same time. A must-order.

For drinks, the popular drink is iced tea ($2), which is a non-milk version of the Thai milk tea. It comes in sweetened or unsweetened. It was very refreshing. Another recommended drink is the Steward’s bottled sodas ($4). We tried the Key Lime–not too sourish and not too sweet–and was refreshing too. There are beers and wines that range from $8-$12 only.

The cafe won’t get any michelin stars soon but the food is simple, sincere and home-cooked. Everything we tasted ranged from satisfactory to fab. And the price is hard to beat.  The keyword for Torte is “unpretentious,” conducive to hang out with mates. Where in town can you get food at such prices? A pity it closes so early. Kitchen closes at 2pm and 8.30pm for lunch and dinner respectively. Jason is strict about these rules because he wants to let his employees go back on time.

I had read some great reviews of Torte here on Hungrygowhere and as it is 5 mins from home I decided to give it a try.

I ordered the dorade ($10) which came lightly battered and the fish inside cooked to perfection. The generous portion of fish lay upon wonderfully crunchy, golden wedges with a coleslaw salad and a decent dob of tartar sauce. 

The chef welcomed me and also made sure I was happy with my meal - simple thing to do to provide great service.

Torte is as it's name suggests also a destination for those with a sweet tooth. So I ordered a portion of baked lemon cheesecake ($4.50). I thought the portions were rather small but were actually perfect after the main course.

Torte is a hidden gem and whilst I would like to help keep it a secret I think the chef deserves great success. 

For photos, please visit Six&Seven.

The workweek can sometimes get extremely grueling for us. To tide ourselves through, many of us have a reflex response or a quick fix solution – some go for massages or engage in some online retail therapy. For me, it is a weekly patronage to Torte @ Waterloo Street.

Torte remains to be one of my favourite cafes to visit during during a school week. Located just a 5 minute walk from Singapore Management University, it is my little hidden oasis in the heart of a bustling city. Why anyone would subject themselves to the mad lunch rush and “tissue packet reservation” technique is beyond me; I am ensured of my peaceful, quiet and hassle-free lunches here.

The chef Jason, also known as the pai-kia chef for his notorious attitude, serves up a different main everyday. Given my regular visits to the café, it did not take long before I had enough dishes to write a review. Each daily main is priced at $10, and with all honesty I have paid more for less.

One of my favourite dishes is the Meatballs. It is cooked in a tomato broth and topped with some parmesan. The chef himself makes the meatballs – flavourful and juicy, that it makes Ikea think twice about serving their “signature” meatballs. Or even calling them meatballs for that matter.

The Roasted chicken leg is another crowd pleaser for me. The chicken thigh has been marinated until it is chockfull of flavour, and oven roasted to give you one of the most tender chicken thighs I have ever had. The dish is complemented with a side of Arborio rice, which in itself, is very fragrant and tasty.

Torte also serves up side dishes that are available every day. One of them is the Buffalo wings ($9 for 8 pieces). The wings are fried, topped with barbeque sauce and served with a side of blue cheese dip. Under much persuasion did I relent and try the wings with the dip; then I regretted not having dipped my first 3 wings in. Just a small touch of the dip would mellow the barbeque taste, which can get a little overpowering after the 3rd wing, and give the dish a more balanced perspective.

As the name suggests, the Chocolate torte ($4.50 with ice cream) is a definite must have for any diner. The chocolate torte is by far, the best chocolate torte I have ever had. Trust me, I am a food writer. I would go even further to assure you that every person I know that has tried it loved it; and that if you do not, do the world a favour and slap yourself.

The chocolate torte is dense, yet not as rich as eating chocolate itself. Firm in shape, the dessert melts in your mouth with every bite. If you ever wondered what heaven felt like, this would be a close proxy.

The Apple ($4.50) dessert was short of spectacular. After having the torte, it would be hard to find another comparable dessert. That being said, the apples were cooked into 3 different consistencies; it did not add much difference to the taste of the dish other than engaging you in a guessing game which apple is which.

The crème caramel ($4.50) is another good dessert, but not a torte substitute. The crème caramel has a soft texture to it, and is topped with gula melaka (palm sugar). The gula melaka may be a tad concentrated for some, but personally I liked how well the two contrasting textures blended together. The crème caramel itself is not too sweet, which gave room for the unique taste of the palm sugar to shine through.

With all that good food, I was curious as to how the Sunday brunch would turn out. As Torte was holding a dog adoption drive last Sunday, Six&Seven decided to head down to lend our support (and to try the brunch menu).

The dog adoption drive, jointly hosted by SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), was aimed to raise awareness on abandoned animals and to help find a home for them. Six&Seven is always in search for supporting a good cause, so we took the opportunity to head down.

Most of the puppies are of a tender age less than a year. The dogs are immensely cute and lovable, which begs the question why people would pay thousands of dollars to get one from puppy mills. The adoption process is fairly simple: the dog itself is free, and you would only need to pay for the vaccinations and medical checks on the dogs. If all checks go through, you could even bring the dog home immediately.

Apart from supporting a good cause, we finally had a taste of the Sunday brunch menu. The American breakfast ($9.50) came with sausages, a side of salad, scrambled eggs with parmesan and truffle oil and 2 rosti-es. The scramble eggs were divine, and to get a portion of them with truffle oil for just $9.50 is really a steal. The rosti, which was interesting to have them fried to a hash brown crisp, was too oily.

Torte also serves up Pancakes for its Sunday brunch menu. It comes with 4 flavours – blueberry, banana, apricot and strawberry. I liked the pancakes, and the apricot was certainly the most interesting topping of the four; but after having the American breakfast, I cannot help but feel the latter is a much better option for both your palate and wallet.

Besides the convenience and quiet space that Torte offers on a lunch peak hour, I cannot emphasize enough how far a $10 note has gone. Food wise has been nothing short of impressive so far, and the chocolate torte serves as my weekly reprieve. The set meals changes from day to day; but so far, be it a penne with meatballs or risotto with spicy sausages, I am guaranteed a hearty meal that never fails to deliver.

Torte is not exactly the easiest place to find and you will not notice it unless you were intentionally looking for it. With that said, it was situated in a really cosy corner at the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations Centre. I have heard that Torte changes its main course menu almost everyday so it is exciting to come down and try anything new that they have to offer. Main courses are usually $10 each.

Mushrooms, Risotto, Cream Sauce, Truffle Oil

The first thing you smell when this dish is served is the distinct truffle oil. Amazing blend of cream sauce, truffle oil, risotto and mushrooms, every mouthful was so delightful. Though despite its small serving, it was definitely very filling towards the end.

Lightly battered Basa Fish, Hot Wedges, Coleslaw and Tartar sauce

Using Basa fish instead of Dory fish, this dish brought a slight twist to your popular Fish N Chips. Very refreshing and very light to the palate. Did not really fancy the coleslaw much though!

The kitchen seemed a little shorthanded though as the food took quite a while to be served but overall, I thought the quality was definitely worth the price and the food was worth the wait

for photos and more reviews, visit http://littlemomentsofmylife.wordpress.com/ :)

perhaps i should start off with the dessert first and explain what 'torte' is. haha i thought it was just some classy name, but apparently it is a kind of dessert! a torte is a (SUPER) rich flourless cake, and is really really dense and chocolate-y. a few mouthfuls of the Signature Torte ($3.50), and you'll start to feel the weight of it already. top it off with a cold creamy ice-cream (+$1), and it balances out the taste beautifully. i would still advise you to share it though. trying to finish one yourself will probably ruin the whole experience because you might just get a little sick of the taste after awhile.

all the desserts are SUPER RICH, SUPER CREAMY, SUPER SWEET. haha take the challenge and try them! (:

torte produces its own gourmet chips ($3.50) - yam & sweet potato if i remember correctly! these are painstakingly shaved by the assistant chef everyday and deep-fried freshly for consumption. the result is crisply thin slices of chips with an interesting sprinkle of seasoning, and are positively addictive, yet they feel somewhat less sinful than your average potato chips.

i thoroughly enjoyed the shrimp dumplings ($7.50 for 10pcs). all the dishes here are made in-house from scratch, so there is none of that packaged nonsense you grab from the supermarket shelf. the shrimps are uber fresh, and encased in a crisp crackly casing. the soy sauce that comes as a complement simply brings the flavours together nicely.

 absolutely LOVED the buffalo wings ($7.50) here!!! for once, chicken wings which are generously drenched with the sauce. how many times have i tolerated a skimpy amount of sauce which is barely enough to cover the meat. at torte, every single inch of the chicken is covered in a thick layer slightly sweet barbeque sauce. it is accompanied with a dollop of blue cheese which was surprisingly not bad! the addition of savouriness to the dish further enhanced the flavour of the chicken.

we tried the sliders - which are mini burgers that are super cute!!! haha. the beef with bleu cheese ( $9.50) had a rather strong flavour of blue cheese, which i still couldnt really appreciate, but i loved the soft onions inside which lent a sweet dimension to the burger.

i enjoyed the beef with guacamole ($11) sliders! it seemed like such a healthy dish haha. oh yeah, it came with a generous serving of fresh salad as well!

For photos and more reviews, visit us at http://foodphd.wordpress.com!

Torte is situated in a nondescript corner of the Singapore Council of Women’s Organizations Centre, along Waterloo Street. It is a pretty no-frills place, with minimal decorations.  There were 2 main courses offered that evening – Roasted Whole Chicken Leg and Oven-baked Basa Fish. We went ahead with the latter and ordered 2 desserts as well.

The oven baked Basa fish was served in a lemon, butter and dill sauce accompanied with steamed broccoli and Arborio rice. Basa fish is a type of catfish, native to Vietnam and Thailand. The fish was succulent, juicy and fresh, with absolutely no tinge of fishiness. The fish wasn’t too tough and kind of just slowly disintegrates in our mouths. The texture resembled that of snapper fish. The sauce looked oily, but it turned out otherwise. It was fragrant, the freshly squeezed lemon slice added a tinge of sourness, the dill atop the fish added a mild herb taste and together with the onion puree, the entire fish fillet was an absolute delight! The accompanying broccoli was pretty bland, a healthy side dish. The Arborio rice is an Italian short-grained rice, typically used in Risottos. The rice was chewy and more firm compared to our home cooked Thai rice. There wasn’t much taste to it too. Presentation and side dishes wise, this seemed to be a higher class cafeteria/food court dish. But at $13, the quality would definitely be slightly better.

Our first cake was the Blueberry Cheesecake ($5.50). The cheesecake was pretty small, to our dismay. Taste and texture wise, it was one of the better ones we’ve tried. The cake was sticky and rather dense, with a rich cheese flavour. The blueberries, however, added little value to the cake as firstly. There weren’t many blueberries to begin with and it did not help that the blueberries themselves tasted rather bland. The crusty base had an oat-like taste, but with little sugar bits inside which we did not like as much. It was a decent cheesecake, but somehow, given the price and setting of the eatery, we were expecting something to blow us away, or perhaps just a larger slice.

And finally, the only reason why this place is named Torte! It took after the name of the signature dessert which was perfected by executive Chef Jason Ong. The Torte ($3.50) contains no flour. It was absolutely rich, dense, smooth and decadent! It was something like a softer and more moist version of the chocolate fudge layer in the Double Chocolate Blackout from PS. Cafe, only that this time we literally had an entire block of the chocolate fudge! Whenever we ate a piece of Torte, we allowed it to slowly melt in our mouths and enjoy the simple bliss as it slid down our throats. We were totally besotted with it and it was hard to resist a second order.

Don’t expect fanciful tables/chairs or even cutlery. The serving ware, forks/spoons, cups were all disposable ones. The entire place was simple and minimalistic. The executive chef (in the first picture) was very friendly and hospitable. He explained to us that it would take 15 minutes for the fish to be served as it was cooked only upon order, to ensure the freshness of the dish.