Choupinette

i decided to try Choupinette after reading rave reviews on HGW and hearing from friends.. So i decided to go on a weekday morning and the place was half full.

the deco was nice and i like the cutlery, reminds me of homely english and french cafes..

as for the food -
perhaps i had too high expectations as i was told that the eggs benedict were the best in SG, so i was disappointed with the very average and plain stuff that i had. we also had the macaroons (compliments of amex with a certain amt of purchase) - it was not bad but nothing to shout about. lastly i also had the millefeuille - the custard and raspberry combi was light and delicious but i wished that the pastry was flakier..

there was only 1 waitress when i was there, rather pleasant and service prompt. however as the morning went by and there were more customers she did start looking a bit more hassled.

nevertheless, it was a nice quiet morning and food was decent.

Went there late at around 945pm on a Saturday.. Last order is 10pm but very accomodative as we took forever to decide. Classic french dishes and very well executed. The unprententious and warm service that we got is a rare thing in Singapore. The menu variety is just right with all dishes executed with perfection and care. Sizes are reasonable and the prices are on the cheaper side of similar eateries along Bukit Timah.

Ordered a salad, asparagus, vegetable gratin and a roasted chicken followed by a choclate lava cake. All exceptional with special mention for the lava cake - 4" in diameter with a good quality vanilla ice-cream scoop on top. By far the best value-for-money lava cake in Singapore.

Nice cosy place with the interiors reminescent of a cafes in France. Its like a little Paris in Singapore - both food and service wise.

I had some time on a Saturday afternoon and decided to just have a coffee and hang out. Choupinette, with its beautiful tartines make this an ideal place to chill and just zone out for periods of time, especially for someone who needs something different from the usual coffee places. It is a simple setting but I somehow feel quite rejuvenated after a coffee here.

Up until 11pm the evening before, no plans were made. Out of the blue, just because of a light hearted persiflage exchange, my friend and I found ourselves contriving plans to meet for breakfast at 8am before our trek up Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

Burrowing into the back of my mind, I vaguely remembered reading about this place situated in Bukit Timah area which I didn’t mind going for brunch previously but hadn’t made any plans to. A simple search on HGW confirmed it as Choupinette.

I took an immediate liking to the quaint and cosy bistro with its matching curtain, cushion and even the apron of the waitress. I like that freshly made confectionaries were laid out in baskets against the wall for patrons to select their choices for the day. This place serves breakfast/brunch menu til 5pm.

Egg Benedict Set ($20+) came with a choice of cold drink and hot drink. The smooth and creamy hollandaise sauce had a sourish aftertaste. Although it was good, I must say I’ve had better elsewhere, like just last week. Egg yolk was not as runny as I’d like it to be. Toast was crusty and the overall palatableness was enjoyable. However, presentation wise, the eggs came bare without any sides, not even a shred/strand of veggie. It was quite sad actually. I had fresh orange juice and a hot chocolate for my drinks. Love the frothy hot cocoa that warmed my body and soul as the sky began to darken and air started to turn cold. My friend had a taste of the eggs Benedict and preferred mine to his eggs.

English Coq Set ($18+), also came with a hot and cold drink, arrived on a plate full of scrambled eggs, sautéed mushrooms, crusty toast with butter and a tomato. My friend complained of a slight odour from the scrambled eggs, which I assayed and found ok. The sautéed mushrooms tasted fantastic and crunchy. I found this more value for money than my 2 paltry poached eggs for the price paid.

Service wise, the attractive waitress is friendly and threw smiles our way whenever our gazes meet. From the way she interacted with other patrons, I conclude that the small cafe is frequented by denizens of the area, which mostly constituted of ang mohs. The other kitchen staff were affable as well.

Although food was less than perfect, I could see myself going back for brekkie again, and probably kick back and enjoy a cuppa while reading my day away. I wouldn’t mind revisiting and see if dinner is any good. Hm...maybe I should try the desserts one of these days too. Ooohh...yea, I shld be heading back la.

18 APR 2009

Wifey has been working too hard during her peak period. We decided that she has to pamper herself with a decent breakfast before going to work this Saturday… With that, we returned to Choupinette for brekkie…

Once seated in the cozy little cafe, we placed our orders: a Ken’s Set ($10.00) and an Egg Royal’s ($21.00). Both of these come with a small fruit juice and any hot drink on their menu. I grabbed their Cappuccino, which to me was nothing spectacular.

The Ken’s Set consisted of a choice of any of their freshly baked viennoiserie. Wifey chose their Croissant and it was still warm and very nice with the butter & strawberry jam…

The Eggs Royal’s - eggs on toast with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce… Everything was perfectly done: the poached eggs, the excellent smoked salmon, and the rich, creamy and buttery hollandaise sauce… What I don’t agree with is its serve size… I am pretty sure… if I open my mouth wide enough, everything will be gone in two mouthfuls!!

So obviously, we were not satisfied by the Croissant & the Eggs Royals… We topped up our orders with a Cheese Twist ($1.80) and a huge Praline Doughnut ($2.90) which were rather good…

The bill came up to $40.37 and I thought it was quite pricey considering the serve size was rather pathetic for that price. Don’t think we will be back for brekkie… but we will probably be back for their freshly baked viennoiserie.

If interested, all pictures and write-up of other reviews can be seen here...

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12 APR 2009

Was exploring the eateries in the vicinity of the junction of Farrer Road // Bukit Timah Road and came across Choupinette, a French Cafe... Apparently, "Choupinette" means "Sweetie pie" in French...

Initially, I didn't think much of it at first... but still went in to have a look what Choupinette had to offer...

Immediately, wifey was attracted by the variety of breads available... like moth to a flame... I can read the conflict on her face... "Oooo this MUST be nice... OHHH that seems nice TOO.... Ahhh I want all of theseeeeeeeee as well!! But... But... But... the price!!..."

Personally, I don't think the price is an issue for these dainty French pastries if they were authentic and nice... Eventually, we ended up getting a couple of take-away items for tomorrow's Breakfast and a Cheese Twist on the go... Came up to a little over $10.00...

The cheery French cashier...(owner?) stuffed a huge bag of Hot-Cross Bun with our order and told us - "here this is free!! Heat it up and its divine with butter!! Happy Easter!!"... What a nice surprise!! Deep down, the thought that it may be near its used-by date did surface (blame it on KS (kia-si) syndrome), but upon closer inspection at home, the Hot-Cross Buns looked fine. I heat one up and eat it with some butter... and it was indeed divine!!

This area is not one we come by often, but I'd most likely be back for their breakfast or cakes & coffee in time to come... Also, I think Choupinette to be a nice & cosy place to laze the afternoon away...

So, we went here for brunch about a week and a half ago. We got lucky on parking, of which there is very little. Getting your car to Choupinette is liable to be half the struggle for brunch.

First up, the setting – Choupinette feels very crowded. It’s not unpleasant but doesn’t manage to be wholly relaxing. The table wobbled like a crazy food-filled see saw as well.

Second, the food – I had croque madame, which was pretty basic. It’s nothing gourmet: just two slices of square white very lightly toasted with some cheese, some ham and a fried egg on top. Certainly nothing to worry the likes of Hediard but at the same time double what you’d pay for the same dish much better executed at Epicurious. The missus had eggs Benedict, which were apparently satisfactory. I suspect that grabbing some of the pastries and croissants would have been a better option.

No complaints about the service – if you pay with Amex, you get a little bag of macaroons (the nasty French-style ones made out of shaving foam and roof insulation) which I’d probably have deducted points for if they weren’t free.

So, overall, okay but not exceptional. If you were stuck on Bukit Timah Road and couldn’t be bothered to get further into town for brunch you could do worse.

There used to be four, but with the latest addition of the Canon to the Arsenal, the power balance was tipped back. The current score stands at Canon 2, Olympus 2, Nikon 1. With the figure at a perfect five, there’s a harder fight especially so when somebody countdown five seconds for the shots.

While just like how the different brands have their own strengths; with Canon producing the crisp sharp shots, Nikon edging out with the vibrant colours display, Olympus providing the balance in between, there isn’t a perfect combination. And of course, there are pros and cons of Choupinette. The small capacity of the restaurant made it a great place for a lazy pig-out, but it also meant that the place was packed to the crowd on a busy weekend.

I like how my Nikon produced the perfect blend of colour, to bring out the best in the settings of the restaurant. And surely, the Canon and Olympus camp would protest against that.

Walking by the array of bread, the three of us were attracted by the Pain au chocolat ($2.90). From the memories, warm melting chocolate filled within the crispy bread. But it was not to be, the bread was cold even though the staff helped us warm it up. Chocolate fillings, or rather, the lack of it was the main downfall.

The same problem goes for the Almond Danish ($2.90), the bread wasn’t warm, while we couldn’t expect freshly baked bread to be coming out just for us, it would be a lot better if only the bread was warm.

The chouchou’s set ($22+) from the lunch menu had choices of either one of grilled hot sandwich, lasagna or smoked salmon sandwich, together with a drink and dessert. This was La Moussaka. The fanciful name brought home the impact, otherwise you wouldn’t be seeing this dish here. But, it was a very ordinary one, nothing to shoot about.

The generous slices of smoked salmon from the Le Noé’s sandwich ($22+ from chouchou’s set) was definitely worth the price. Coming in two huge slabs of bread, it could easily filled up two person.

Choupinette’s interpretation of the Madame and Monsieur was an egg, with the latter coming without. Grilled sandwich with a choice of ham, chicken or eggplants with emmenthal cheese & béchamel sauce. Le Croque-Monsieur ($15). Apparently, our Madame was so engrossed with the sandwich that she couldn’t give her comment.

I always wondered what exactly is a quiche ($6 per slice), well i got my answer today, in not one, but two quiche! The lorraine quiche (top picture) is perhaps the most common quiche there is. While I didn’t exactly fancy the spinach quiche, I still prefer my spinach eaten like a vegetable.

Eggs on toast with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce served all day long. This is for all the lazy bums out there! The Egg Royal’s ($21+) ought to be presented with the most-expensive-eggs-you-ever-eaten honour. I kind of wanted to kick myself for not ordering this, the poached eggs were done perfectly, and the looks alone would give much pleasure.

Another dish which you can’t left out of any brunch menu, Eggs Benedict’s ($20+). Eggs on toast with ham and hollandaise sauce. Well if your stomach isn’t feeling right having smoked salmon for breakfast, eggs with ham are always a safer choice.

It’s kind of heavy eating a burger for breakfast, but hey we are having brunch! For all the carnivores, Le Burger ($18) is just, well a hamburger. The beef patty was slightly overcooked, but it was served with a generous servings of salad, and the fries even came on a separate bowl. But for $18, i thought it was rather on the high side, you can have a gourmet burger at Relish, or maybe a cheaper burger from Hotshots or Smoking frog kitchen might do the job.

On first impression, the Tarte au citron ($5.60) or lemon meringue tart would definitely made a statement with the beautiful burnt and thick layer of meringue. While others took one bite of the tart and refused to touch it any more, i was slowly sampling it since this was my first time trying meringue. The layer of meringue on top was supposed to form a stiff peak but the one here was too thick, and there was also hint of coarse sugar within which was probably due to the improper dissolve of the sugar.

We were contemplating between chocolate or coffee éclair since there was too much desserts with chocolate. But we decided against it since coffee is an acquired taste, and had the Éclair au chocolat ($5). There was a salty after-taste in the éclair which came across as rather weird.

I was eagerly anticipating the Palais Royal ($6.90), for the dark chocolate and crunchy praline. But there wasn’t any crunchy praline to be found. Nonetheless, i still enjoyed the dessert even though some didn’t really like it as they were disappointed by the lack of the crunchy praline.

A very simple custard & raspberry, the Millefeuille framboise ($7). The several layers of puff pastry brought back fond childhood memories of the cake which i had before when i was a kid. It was difficult not to make a mess of it as the cake crumbled easily.

The Tarte aux Pommes ($5.90 a slice, $7.90 for an additional scoop of ice cream) was quintessentially an apple tart with a scoop of normal ice cream. The additional of 2 bucks for the scoop of ice cream was totally not worth the money, but the apple tart was decent. The thin slice of dessert was fulsome with the apple taste.

Vendôme ($6.90) also caught our attention with the three layers of dark, milk and white chocolate. The dessert was more like eating three layers of chocolate mousse, some didn’t like it, but i did.

The macarons ($1.80 each) were a disaster. We had eight of them, four from each chouchou’s set. Choupinette has about 13 flavours of macarons available, we chose chocolate, raspberry, strawberry, peach, passion fruit, orange, pear and hazelnut. Almost all the macarons had chocolate gauche for fillings, i wouldn’t mind small macarons if they were good, but the one here had an artificial taste to it. Something was definitely missing but we couldn’t quite make out what. The very artificial colouring of the macarons didn’t appeal to us too. The shells of the macaron crumbled easily and didn’t have the chewy texture a good macaron should have.

Total bill was $193 for 9 of us. Some paid more for their expensive egg brunch, while some paid less for just bread and desserts. But generally, if you are looking to try their brunch or lunch menu, you will probably looking at 20+ per person, and that’s probably excluding desserts. Choupinette has a great base of Caucasians customers, and it isn’t difficult to see why for the cosy and homely decorations of the place. The name of the restaurant, and the French names of the food screams chic. It will probably be better to go on a weekday where there’s less customers if you want to try this place out.

Well, just like how there will never be a perfect DSLR for either Canon, Olympus or Nikon users. Some of you might like Nikon for the design, Canon for its brand, Olympus for its nimbleness, all of us have different preferences. Similarly for Choupinette, while we were disappointed by the desserts, but the eggs on the brunch were exceptional, and you might just like the food there. No matter what, all of us love our DSLR, and the common passion for food. Another dessert enthusiast outing, until the next one!

You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!

A little corner shop along Bukit timah Road. Within a stone throw of my primary school/ Junior college vicinity. Yet I was always quick to dismiss its colorful sign board and green tinged glassed walls. So when the gang chose this location as our next food tasting session. I was very much excited, especially since I had read up that they do serve the classic brunch dishes such a croque monsieur and eggs benedict. These 2 dishes for me were like heavenly treats on a lazy morning during my 1 month stay in Australia last year. Hence I was looking forward to a little revisit. Nonetheless, i had my qualms as here in Singapore, we never got to handling the dish right. Whether it is the brilliantly poached eggs or the perfect hollandaise sauce. Something was always missing or tarnished.

Visible from the title of my post, the entire experience was hugely disappointing. The croque monsieur that i ordered was alright, though the version from the now defunct Corduroy and Finch was much better with the addition of melted gruyere cheese within the bechamel sauce laden toasts. The eggs benedict on the other hand, recieved negative comments from my fellow diners who claimed that it was too stiff a price to pay for 2 poached eggs on toast and smoked salmon. Priced at $21, I definitely do agree with the conflict between the meagre portions and the huge price tag.

The desserts that my companions ordered were a flops as well. Apart from the apple tartin with vanilla icecream, others including the lemon meringue tart, millefeuille framboise, palais royale, chocolate eclair, vendome as well as the assorted macarons were a major failure. With a large 'F' tag attached to their names. Not that I'm being to critical, as it is evident from the reviews of the other bloggers as well. The millefeuille framboise was a mess consuming, and not to mention the puff pastry layers were all terribly soft. The palais royale was plain.. and definitely no crunchy praline layer at all! the vendome fared a little better than the rest with a contrasting layer of white chocolate and dark chocolate mousse over a milk chocolate cake. However, with absolutely no contrast in textures, this cake left little room for imagination.

Overall, I wouldn't visit the cafe again. With gimmicky brunch sets and mediocre desserts, its a wonder that so many caucasians patronise the stall.. hmph..

Had dinner here with 2 other family members, and so we had...

Mini-vegetarian ravioli with wild mushroom sauce ($19+): The serving is smallish, in a crescent-shaped bowl that'd fit a large banana. The ravioli isn't the stuffed pasta that one would expect; they little whorls of very soft pasta, covered with a mild cheese, oil and the sauce which is very similar to proper homemade mushroom soups in expensive restaurants. The latter is the overwhelming flavour.

Quiche set ($22+): Sister picked the spinach and the bacon slices to go with the salad. It's all very filling. The pastry was crunchy but strangely the spinach quiche had a stronger ham taste than the bacon quiche, although there was none physically present!

Sandwich set ($20-something-I-can't-remember +): Croque Madame was picked and it was tasty with the sauce. The bread was crisp and the ham...similar to the spinach quiche.

Chocolate mousse ($?): The sets came with either drinks or dessert. Plenty of dark chocolate that was on the sweet side and it was smooth.

Plaisir double ($6.90+): The label says it's chocolate cake and creme brulee. The chocolate below is basically the mousse mentioned above within a thin crust. The creme brulee though wasn't custard-like...it was closer to cheesecake in texture and consistency although it was vanilla-flavoured and caramelised.

Dad had the coffee with his croque and it was mocha with lots of chocolate. It kept him awake for ages.

There is not much room to move about here. The warm lighting, the surrounding shelves of bread and the mixed selection of chairs created this odd homely feel, and the staff are always accessible. Warm bread and salted butter are served as appetisers, although they were placed on our table rather late (I had time to broswe the shop next door before it was served - 5 minutes).

Some things like the desserts and the ravioli are steep on their own. I might be back just to pick up some pastries and maybe try that tempting lemon meringue tart.

Dropped by this pastry shop for lunch today, and the first thing I was greeted by was the eye catching multi-coloured signboard. The colour scheme brought Paul Smith to mind!

The interior of the shop was quite cramped, with a distinct lack of room to maneuver between tables. Some might call this cosy I suppose. We were fairly hungry, so my lunch companions ordered a beef moussaka set and a beef lasagna(oh the irony) set respectively, and I ordered the eggs benedict, which whilst not your typical lunch offering, was nonetheless an appealing choice.

The coffee I ordered were supposedly locally roasted or something like that, and was supposed to be very good according to the helpful waiter. Unfortunately, the coffee was rather bitter, probably a result of over extraction. I rescued it with two sachets of raw sugar, however.

The two beef dishes arrived first, and both looked identical. I kid you not. However, one is beef bolognaise baked with pasta and the other is beef bolognaise baked with rice. Both were hearty baked dishes which might be rather heavy if one isn't sufficiently hungry. Satisfactory in all aspects, nothing outstanding.

The eggs benedict, however, were done exceptionally well. Cooked to the perfect state, and served on nicely toasted bread with ham, the interplay of flavors with the hollandaise sauce produced the usual delicious result of eggs benedict done right, comfort food at its finest! Perhaps the hollandaise sauce could have done with a tad less lemon, for it tasted slightly sour. Still, this dish is highly recommended!

For dessert, the macaroons were delightful as macaroons usually tend to be. Sweet and sinful, the serving of 4 as part of a set lunch is probably the right number. Any more and the taste might get cloying, although this might be hard to imagine while chowing down on these delightful morsels. The chocolate mousse was also done reasonably well, smooth and creamy with a consistent taste and texture. The tiramisu, however, was quite abysmal. Devoid of moisture, the generous lashings of mascarpone cheese and sponge cake failed to overshadow the glaring omission of coffee and liqueur from this dessert. It was just wrong, and when I have tiramisu that is wrong, I feel my world crumbling to pieces. I know that no one told me my tiramisu had coffee and liqueur in it, but having seen a price tag of $7, I had a certain minimum benchmark for it.

Overall, the ambience is quaint to a certain extent, but I could foresee it getting cramped on a weekend(Tuesday post lunch is hardly peak hour I would suspect), which would upset me. The food is of a decent quality, and while the price might be slightly steep for some casual chow, I think you do get your money's worth from Choupinette. Just keep away from the tiramisu.