Passing Of Singapore's Founder

The Prime Minister's Office of Singapore (PMO) released a statement in the early morning of 23 March 2015, to announce the passing of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. The 1st Prime Minister of Singapore passed away peacefully at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) at 3:18am. Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, who is widely considered the founder of modern Singapore, was 91 years of age.

The actual statement may be viewed on the PMO website, here: http://www.pmo.gov.sg/mediacentre/passing-mr-lee-kuan-yew-founding-prime-minister-singapore.

Screenshot of the Official Statement from the PMO Website

Members of the public who wish to express their condolences and share their memories of the late Mr. Lee may do so at the official website, here: http://www.rememberingleekuanyew.sg/.


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Disclaimer: The following photos are owned by their respective copyright owners. None of them belong to me. Credits to the original owners.



























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Penny University
402 East Coast Road

http://www.pennyuni.com/


Decent But Forgettable Cafe

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 6
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 6
Service: 6
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $15 per person.





Since opening its doors in November 2012, Penny University has established itself as a hip, vibrant coffee joint in East Singapore. Founder Mustafah Kamal styled Penny University after the 18th century English coffeehouses of old, a place where good, affordable coffee was served, along with the latest news and gossip of the town. While other coffee joints have since sprouted in the area, Penny University has held its own all these years, and is still going strong.

Ambience at Penny University has a rustic, eclectic charm. Heavy wooden furniture lines the small floor space, while the decor is decidely retro industrial chic. Items from years past stacked upon shelves, dim designer light bulbs cast a warming glow. Seats are sturdy but hard. True to form, the place is vibrant and buzzing. I had the unfortunate experience of sitting at the bar, which is poorly designed, with little leg room, and rather cramped space, blocking the main passageway.

Service at Penny University is semi self-service, where ordering and payment is done over the counter. This causes queues to form at the cashier, which also blocks the main passageway in the cramped floor space. Orders are served to your table, but staff don't seem too friendly. They do however, try to accomodate requests, and are able to make recommendations on pastries and desserts.

Food at Penny University is a mix of Western and Middle Eastern influence. You're assured of getting pretty good pastries, cakes, desserts, and coffee at Penny University, as these are outsourced items, made by reputable brands. Food in the form of mains are another matter though, decent, not terrible, but not outstanding either, and ultimately, rather forgettable. Portions are nicely sized for 1, and prices are affordable, on the lower range for a cafe, budget about SGD $15 per person for a meal here. Overall, my experience here was semi-decent, but I doubt that I'll return.





The bright red & white facade stands out, as does it's large signboard. The small outdoor al-fresco dining area is close to the road, and thus rather noisy, plus it's subject to weather.

Penny University Signage

The portion of Avocado Cheesecake (SGD $7.50) is large, and the texture of the cheesecake itself is dense and creamy, with a slight floral hint of the avocado. The crumbly biscuit base is a little thick though. Although the pastries, cakes, desserts, and coffee here are good, they're also outsourced, and I'll rather get it from the original shops instead.

Avocado Cheesecake

Loved their Spiked Muddy (SGD $6.50) which features their excellent muddy espresso with cold milk and gula melaka / palm sugar, served in a jar. You'll need to spin it around to mix it before drinking. The coffee is suitably strong and smooth, with a slight sweetness that isn't overpowering.

Spiked Muddy 01

Spiked Muddy 02

The Turkish Eggs (SGD $8.60) are 2 poached eggs served in a bowl, topped with lightly whipped greek yoghurt, home made spicy Moroccan harissa sauce, and oregano leaves. It's served alongside several pieces of toasted sourdough bread. I find this poor value for money, as the bread portion is too little, and of the 2 poached eggs, I got one that was perfect, while the other was semi-solid. Overall, a very light dish, decent enough, but I wish there was more bread to go with this.

Turkish Eggs 01

Turkish Eggs 02

Badoque Cafe
298 Bedok Road

246 Upper Thomson Road

https://www.facebook.com/badoquecafeSG


American & Modern Malay Cuisine With Excellent Service

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 10
Value for Money: 9
Spent about SGD $36 per person.


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Badoque Cafe is almost a food institution of sorts, and needs little introduction. Since opening their doors in Simpang Bedok in 2008, the halal certified Badoque Cafe has gained a loyal following, amongst both Muslim and non-Muslim diners, for their gargantuan portions of tasty food, and excellent service. The long queues at Badoque Cafe still persist to this day, even with the opening of their 2nd outlet at Upper Thomson in 2014, and they regularly make the lists of 'Best Halal Cafes In Singapore'.

Ambience at Badoque Cafe is modern casual, with elements of industrial chic. The bare concrete walls are livened through quirky posters, while decorative lights hang from the ceiling. The showpiece 'bar' displays bottles of cordial used in their creative mocktails, while the black marble top tables and colourful metal chairs are solid, and can be shifted around to create seating for large groups. Offering both indoor and outdoor al-fresco dining, Badoque Cafe can get noisy during peak periods.

Service at Badoque Cafe is excellent, a true highlight here, surpassing the service standards of some high-end fine dining restaurants! Staff are friendly and welcoming, able to hold conversations, creating an casual, comfortable atmosphere, almost like visiting a close Malay friend's house. They're observant and attentive, acknowledging you when you call, and actually stoop / kneel down to take orders (when you're seated, and there is space). Staff here are knowledgable on the current menu, able to make recommendations and provide basic information on dishes. Furthermore, they come around mid-way during your meal to check on how it's going, and get feedback.

I was also impressed that on my 2nd visit, the staff at Badoque Cafe recognised me, and actually addressed me by name! Order fulfillment can take awhile though, as you'll have to wait about 10 minutes or so during non-peak periods, and about 30 minutes or so during peak periods. Service recovery at Badoque Cafe is also executed with Finesse. On 1 instance, I had to quite long after asking for my bill, as the cashier was held up by other customers, so I walked over to make payment instead. Though it wasn't their fault, the cashier was extremely apologetic and courteous, and even offered a slight discount on the meal, which I didn't expect. I will return to Badoque Cafe on the basis of the great service alone!

Food at Badoque Cafe is primarily American, Italian, and Modern Malay cuisine. I understand the menu changes every 3 - 4 months, though signature dishes are permanently offered, making repeat visits worthwhile. Taste of their food ranges from average, to very good. Badoque Cafe is known for their portion sizes, which are huge / giant sized, 1 dish is usually enough for 2 small eaters to share, or satisfy 1 large eater for the rest of the day. Most people cannot even finish 1 dish by themselves! Prices are very reasonable as well, comparable to most other mid-range cafes, budget about SGD $36 per person for a meal here.


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The place is nearly always packed during meal times, due to the longer than usual waiting time for food, and the lengthy amount of time it takes people to finish their enormous portions. Around dusk, staff will start to place small lights on the outdoor al-fresco dining tables.

Badoque Cafe Layout

Table Evening Light

The colouful, vibrant menu has clear descriptions of the food, though only selected items have pictures. As the menu at Badoque Cafe changes every 3 - 4 months, it makes repeat visits worthwhile. Also, the dessert menu here may change daily, check with the staff for the desserts of the day.

Badoque Cafe March 2015 Menu 01

Badoque Cafe March 2015 Menu 02

The Pink Frangipani (SGD $8.50) is a creative mocktail ice blended, served in a glass jam jar. A mixture of blood oranges and lemonade, the taste profile is tangy, sour, and sweet, very cooling and refreshing! A sprig of mint adds a cooling lightness, while a scoop of vanilla ice cream tops off this pretty pink beverage. I find the actual quality of the ice cream to be rather average, but when stirred into the drink, it creates a milky texture that pairs very well.

Pink Frangipani 01

Pink Frangipani 02

The Badoque Mojito (SGD $8.50) is a refreshing, zesty mocktail of lime juice and mint, with a nice balance of sweet, sour, and tangy. But I was disappointed with this towards the end, as there is a lot of inedible sendiment and large chunks of seeds within, making it unpleasant to finish. Would be better if it was properly strained first.

Badoque Mojito 01

Badoque Mojito 02

Badoque Cafe has among the better versions of Hot Chocolate (SGD $7.50) I've had in Singapore. Their Hot Chocolate itself is rich and thick, with a deep chocolate flavour, and isn't overly sweet. Very warming and comforting, the large mug is topped off with chocolate fudge and chewy marshmallows, lending a layer of sweetness and texture. Highly recommended!

Hot Chocolate 01

Hot Chocolate 02

The signature Badoque Ribs (SGD $36) are a huge cut of beef ribs, on the bone, served on a bed of fresh vegetables such as carrots, long beans, and baby potatoes. The beef ribs are incredibly tender and moist, having been slow cooked overnight. It has a thick layer of fat, almost gelatinous in nature, which is easily removed if you don't like it. Presented in an American style, their home made barbecue sauce is tangy and savoury with a slight sweetness, complementing the beef ribs very well. So good I actually managed to finish everything, which surpised the staff! I honestly feel this might be the best beef ribs in Singapore! Highly, highly recommended!

Badoque Ribs 01

Badoque Ribs 02

Badoque Ribs 03

Badoque Ribs 04

The Ayam Rantau Abang (SGD $21), more commonly known in Malaysia as Ayam Percik, is a dish of grilled chicken, marinated in a spiced coconut milk dry gravy paste. Originating from Kelantan, Malaysia, Ayam Percik is usually made with chicken, tamarind juice, coconut milk, sugar, salt, powdered coriander, powdered cumin, turmeric, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, shallots, and chili. The chicken is marinated overnight in the dry gravy paste, then grilled. Here, their version is served with a fresh salad of crunchy cucumber, raw onions, and juicy cherry tomatoes, on a base of fragrant basmati yellow rice. The portion of half chicken is very tasty, with a earthy, nutty taste from the marinade, flavourful from the spices without being spicy hot, and still somewhat moist. The texture could be slightly better though, it was more firm then tender. Overall, an above average dish worth ordering.

Ayam Rantau Abang 01

Ayam Rantau Abang 02

Ayam Rantau Abang 03

The Iga Bakar (SGD $36) is dish popular throughout Indonesia, especially in Jakarta and Surabaya. Their version here features their signature, giant sized, oh so tender beef ribs, marinated in a sweet, savoury sauce. Served with the same fragrant yellow basmati rice and fresh side salad, the rice absorbs some of that delicious gravy, making it a delight to eat. The dipping sauce of sambal however, isn't as spicy or fragrant as I like, and can easily be skipped, as the sauce marinade is tasty enough on its own. A very good dish overall, I would order this again!

Iga Bakar 01

Iga Bakar 02

Iga Bakar 03

Update Sep-2015: The I Is Sicilian (SGD $24) features a large slab of fresh salmon, grilled perfectly, with slightly crisp skin, and tender, moist pink flesh that flakes off easily. The lovely fish is accompanied by roasted baby potatoes, string beans, carrot chunks, and a quarter pumpkin! Topped with a tangy sun-dried tomato pesto, the flavours work well together. Only drawback is the tomato pesto is slightly oily. Overall, still a very tasty dish worth ordering!

I Is Sicilian 01

I Is Sicilian 02

I Is Sicilian 03

Update Sep-2015: The Banana Chocolate Cherry Mousse Cake (SGD $12.50) is a decent dessert. The cake slice is huge, and I like the rich chocolate flavour it has, cut through with some sharp sourness from the cherries studded within. I also like the lashings of caramel on the vanilla ice cream, but the banana flavour is very faint, I couldn't quite taste it through the other much stronger flavours. Good for sharing!

Banana Chocolate Cherry Mousse Cake 01

Banana Chocolate Cherry Mousse Cake 02

Update Dec-2015: Got a few fellow bloggers together to try out Badoque Cafe. Am happy to report the ambience, service, and food is consistently good. We wanted to try the Tomahawk Steak, but unfortunately, it was unavailable during our visit.

Beverages

Badoque Ribs 05

Iga Bakar 04

Update Dec-2015: The Iced Salted Caramel (SGD $8.50) may look plain and unassuming, but looks are deceiving. This delicious beverage is like a milkshake, thick and rich, good salted caramel flavour, yet isn't too sweet or cloying. It can be consumed without feeling too heavy in the stomach. Excellent!

Iced Salted Caramel 01

Iced Salted Caramel 02

Update Dec-2015: The Flounder Fish And Chippies (SGD $24) arrive in a large portion, and is well executed. The white flesh of the flounder fish is easy to flake off, and the batter is crisp with a satisfiying crunch, yet not oily. The huge amount of fries are well cooked, with a fluffy interior and a slightly crisp exterior, dusted with salt and pepper. The gherkins / pickles lend a juicy, slightly sour twist, while the spiced mayonnaise lends a depth of flavour. Really straight forward, above average dish. Despite the slight fishy taste in the fish, I still like it!

Flounder Fish And Chippies 01

Flounder Fish And Chippies 02

Flounder Fish And Chippies 03

Update Dec-2015: The first warning that the Kepak Bing Bing (SGD $12.50) is spicy comes from the menu... the caption for these juicy, crisp chicken wings marinated in Asian spices and chili translates to, "You'll have to ask forgiveness for 2 years of Hari Raya". The second warning comes from the staff, when placing the order, staff will ask if you're sure, as these are really spicy. It's the truth... these chicken wings are among the spiciest I've eaten! There is a distinct flavour of kecap manis / sweet soy sauce, mixed with a Singapore style prawn paste rojak dressing. Chef says this allows diners to still taste the flavours despite the spicy heat, which is controlled enough to burn, yet not overwhelm the palate. Highly recommended for chili lovers!

Kepak Bing Bing 01

Kepak Bing Bing 02

Kepak Bing Bing 03

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