XL Breakfast Set at Hediard's

I do like to go to Hediard's when I feel like having a leisurely simple breakfast. Being French, it is continental style with bread, rolls or danishes with hot chocolate, tea or coffee. It is nothing like the big breakfast we are used to, either the American style or the British fry-up with its bacon and sausages and scrambled eggs and baked beans.

Instead I get 2 slices of toast with butter, as well as honey and jam served in individual mini pots. You can also bring back the jam and honey if you do not finish them. Then you get a choice of pastry (pain au chocolat for me) and beverage (I chose hot chocolate) which came with a madeleine. You can add the smoked salmon if you get the other breakfast set. Personally I think it is a bit too much of smoked salmon so it would be good to just share it with someone else.

The requisite egg came in the form of a soft-boiled egg sitting in its own egg cup. There is something quite quaint about it. Maybe because it is hardly seen or served now.

Ahhhh.....there is something to be said about having a simple and delicious satisfying meal.

L'Entrepot Bistrot

We decided to go French and went to L'Entrepot Bistrot over at Clarke Quay for dinner. We sat inside and the decor was simple but tasteful. The service was very slow though. They were not prompt in giving us the menus or serving us drinks. Fortunately the food came out at the same time and were pretty decent. I was beginning to worry it would be awful food too. The bread rolls with butter. The bread was a bit on the sour side, yet it was not really sourdough bread. The butter made it much more palatable, and I used it to mop up the gravy from my main.

The duck confit which was quite nice. I still would not order it as I am just not a duck person. But everyone else were raving about it as not being as fatty as other places.

The french onion soup. I do love the emmental cheese which covered the bowl and stuck onto a think slice of crispy toast. It was very nice.

The broth was a bit on the thin side and could be better. It was not the best french onion soup I ever had. Hediard had a better broth and onions texture though L'Entrepot Bistrot had better cheese and toast.

The tiger prawn salad which was pretty tasty. The prawns were huge and the dressing was nice too.

The boeuf bourguignon (beef burgundy) which I ordered. The chunky beef pieces were tender and had a beefy taste. The gravy reminded me of bovril. The mushrooms were also infused with the heady beefy juices.

The cod which was quite nice too. Crispy skin and soft meat, not overly done at all.

The lamb shank which was a bit too gamey for me even though it was also tender and not dry or tough at all.

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Would I go back again? Maybe, but it is not a place I would rave about. For French food, I still prefer Au Petit Salut (though the head chef has left and I do not know if the standard has changed). Then again, I am not usually a big fan of French food :p

Hediard Lunch Set

It was more than half a year since I last went to Hediard for a meal and I was surprised to see the differences. It was not packed with diners like usual and the clientele seemed to have changed.

They messed up my reservations. I had requested for the table by the window (only 1 window in the entire place) and they gave that table away. I was left thinking why bother making reservations or requests if they would not be adhering to that. The staff was apologetic and said she thought they would be done with their food when I got there. But...my reservations was for 12:15pm and their breakfast ended at 11:30pm, so how could you expect the people to finish their food by 12:15pm? Also when I got there, they seemed to just get started on their dishes.

That pretty much left a sour taste and it continued to get worse in there. The diner was oblivious to her surroundings and how her bag and the menu she placed next to the bag actually encroached onto my seat. So I had to kinda sit in the middle of the 2 tables I was given. I could not be bothered to ask the lady to move her things since I had no wish to sit so close to her anyway. But seriously, basic courtesy, anyone?

It got worse. At the table next to mine sat another lady who actually had her feet up. She was sitting cross-legged in a public restaurant! Hello?! You could get comfortable, but to sit cross-legged? With these kind of diners, it was not too much to wonder why it was no longer as popular. My gf who made her first visit to Hediard the weekend before for lunch commented that it was equally empty then and she was the first customer for lunch on a weekend at 1pm. That was totally unheard of when I went there for brunch last year.

I decided to have the same set lunch (available only on weekdays) as my last visit - French Onion Soup and Croque Ferdinand with a glass of rose.

The rose was horrible, not as good as previously. The french onion soup did not taste as good as I remembered. Then again, maybe my mood has destroyed my sense of taste too. The onions did not seemed a caramelized or soft. It was still nice, but just not as good as I remembered it to be.

The croque Ferdinand was still good. It was served warm and the crust of the bread was toasted to a crisp.

I loved the gruyere cheese and mornay sauce. Somehow the 2 dishes were able to sustain me for the entire day. This was my first meal of the day and I was still feeling full after 6 to 7 hours. Amazing. The hot chocolate which I ordered was still rich but again, not as great as memory.

I am not sure if I would want to go back to Hediard so soon with such service and clientele around. The standards seemed to have dropped totally.

Bistro Petit Salut @ Holland Village

Pink and blue girls. This seemed to be our colors :p Or green. But yes, ladies who lunched again. This time 4 of us, and at Bistro Petit Salut over at Chip Bee Gardens. This was more casual and relaxed. A homely place filled with warmth.

The crusty bread and butter. We were starving so we attacked the bread once we ordered. It seemed to be a baguette.
All of us ordered the same starter - seared baby bay scallops with cocktail potatoes and shallot vinaigrette. The scallops were sweet and went very well with the potatoes and shallots.
My and T main - Seared onglet beef “Café de Paris” with French fries - It was not as tender as the beef cheeks over at Dempsey outlet but it was not too bad. The portion seemed smaller too.
D's main - Seafood spaghetti, tomato fondue, parsley and olive oil - it was not too bad. Quite nice.
A main - Oven-roasted chicken leg confit with wild mushroom cream sauce and gratin potato - this was actually really nice. The meat was so juicy and tender.

A & D dessert - Homemade baked cheesecake with a scoop of sorbet - the sorbet was tangy and refreshing on the palate. The cheesecake was nice too.
T dessert - Nougat glacé with pistachio and mixed fruits - not exactly my favorite but something different.Guess I am not a huge fan of nougat.
My dessert - Crème Brulée - I love this. I simply like to crack the burnt sugar on top and dig through to the soft creamy custard.
I was so excited to find these black specks. Real vanilla beans were used to make the Crème Brulée.
Finally, a picture of my coffee. Guess it is from illy. Robust and not too bitter after I added milk and sugar.

I still prefer Au Petit Salut over at Dempsey just for the ambience and food selection even though Bistro is slightly cheaper.

Au Petit Salut - Ladies Who Lunch

It was a lovely lazy afternoon and I absolutely loved it! My new favorite restaurant for a slow leisurely lunch. Excellent food, nice ambience and good service. The sound of water trickling down the rocky slope created a soothing relaxing mood and the al fresco dining just brought to mind being on vacation. The indoor dining section was already full when I called to make reservations 2 days in advance. I guess I would need to make reservations 1 week before the scheduled date to get the indoor area. Personally I quite like the outdoor area too as it was much more casual and relaxed.
Just being there made me less stressed and I thoroughly liked it. We stayed there for a solid 2 hours. T said the lady behind me at the next table looked effortlessly put together - elegant and gorgeous and I do agree with her.

The other side had more plants. I am not sure which side I would prefer. Plants and greenery or water? One subtle way the restaurant did to inform diners of the last order was to turn off the water. That was the trick we typically used when we want to end any event - turn on the lights (not that it worked all the time since there would always be guests who were obtuse :p).

The complimentary bread and butter. The weather was so warm (though it was not as bad as in Thailand where I would perspire non stop) that the butter melted after 20mins or so. The bread was crusty and warm, typical of French bread. I still prefer Aria Bistro's bread though.

The service was really good. I was prepared for average service as I read some reviews that it was not great at all, plus they were rankled by the fact that strollers were not allowed indoors. I could understand that as the indoor area was really tiny and screaming babies indoors? Not a good mix at all. Be thankful they don't ban babies at all ;p It is the kind of place where you want to be away from noises and just enjoy your meal with nature, good conversations and friends.
I was asked if I wanted a drink (juice or anything) while waiting for my friend to arrive since I was early. Then the waiter asked if I would like to reserve the oysters (not in the menu at all) first as there were limited platters and the oysters were just in at 1145am or so. The oysters were really fresh and good. I liked the chopped onions with vinagrette that went very well with the oysters. We loved it so much we ordered another platter (there was one available).
T ordered the escagots - Baked Burgundy snails with tomato and garlic butter.
I tried one of them. It was nice. Not too rubbery like those I tried in Canada.
I topped up my set menu with the change to the lobster bisque served with lobster ravioli and terragon.

This was not too bad, with a pretty strong lobster flavor and it was not too rich and creamy that you would feel a bit sick afterwards.
Both of us had the red wine braised beef cheeks which came with mushrooms, carrots and potators. The beef was just so tender that you could cut through it with a fork. The carrot was soft and infused with wine. Totally yummy!
We shared desserts - Passionfruit souffle. Airy light soft mixed foiled with the tangy passionfruit. Nice. Not too sweet at all.
This was the highlight for both of us - a moment of silence once we had our first mouthful. Savoring the lightness and slight bittersweet of the chocolate. This was the "petit pot" dark chocolate ganache 70% with whipped cream and chocolate balls and crushed pistachio. This was heaven on tongue. Absolutely amazing.
Our happy expressions with the desserts :) I had coffee while T had tea. The coffee was equally good and strong. Didn't take pic of that. See our bags? I had requested for an extra chair to put my bag and the waiter initially said they do not have extra chairs. He said to sling it on the back of the chair. I just went but it's leather and left it at that. Usually I am not so fussy but wicker chairs with leather just do not mix. You might snag it on a stray fibre or something. Even Au Jardin would provide a bag chair for its guests, so you would expect it from Au Petit Salut.

But later, he just put the chair there. We had a bit of laugh earlier when he said this was where men would never understand women and their bags :p I was pleasantly surprised by his (and his colleagues) service and initiatives. They did top up the water glass frequently without us asking though T had to ask for ice as it was such a warm day. They would ask you if you prefer still or sparkling water but they do serve tap if you request for it.

I wish I could go there every week for lunch or something. It was just so fantastic. I prefer Au Petit Salut when compared to Au Jardin and I usually am not big on French food at all.

Lunch @ Hediard

We went to Hediard again to try the set lunch which is only available on weekdays. This time I managed to get a picture of the storefront. The red and black is just such classic color combination.
The menu which is simple and filled with extremely delicious fare.

The restaurant dining area. The other side is the gourmet fine food and gift section.

Another view of the interior with its wooden furniture and red and black color theme.
I ordered the savory set lunch which includes a soup, sandwich and drink. I chose to have a glass of rose. That was good. There is something quite decadent about drinking during the day?
The day's soup was French Onion soup and it was simply the best French Onion soup I ever had. It was not extremely salty like other places and I love how the piece of bread was covered with cheese. The soup was flavorful and filled with pieces of soft, almost caramelized onions. Simply lip-smacking delicious.

My friends ordered the tartine of the day which was grilled chicken over a piece of bread topped with tomatoes. It was pretty good too.
I decided to go traditional and ordered the Croque' Ferdinand which was grilled bread with Parma ham and Gruyere cheese and mornay sauce. I love it! The salad was also crisp and refreshing.
Another friend ordered the sweet and savory set which gives a choice of dessert instead of the soup or salad starter. She ordered the moelleux chocolate with vanilla anglaise. That is the lava chocolate cake with vanilla custard sauce. I tried a bit and while it was good, I think there are other places which also serve a pretty mean molten chocolate cake.
We decided to order the Hediard blend coffee and these were served to us. Squares of chocolates, sugar sachets and madeleines. The madeleine was not very nice. I felt it was too tough, not soft at all.
The Hediard blend coffee was really robust and good. Instant caffeine jolt to the system.

Brunch @ Hediard

I had breakfast or rather brunch since it was already 12+ when we really got down to eating last Saturday at Hediard. A small cozy eatery and store specializing in fine French food and luxury gifts, tucked away along Tanglin Road where the row of Tudor Court is.
We managed to get the table by the window (only table by the window as the place is so tiny you can only place 3 tables along 1 side of the wall - window, wall, door) and looking out of the window and sipping your cafe au lait, you could almost imagine yourself in Paris or somewhere :p

The cafe area with around 10 tables or so. Dark wood furniture with red walls. It was pretty crowded with most people streaming in around 1pm or so. Almost full house, I would say. There were many children that day too though it was not a totally kids-friendly place. It is quite a perfect place for a tête à tête, just watching the world goes by.

JK's choice of breakfast - Eggs Norwegian: poached eggs on toast with Norwegian smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce. It sure does look good. I miss the eggs benedicte from Marmalade Pantry. I was torn between having the eggs benedicte or the breakfast set. In the end, I chose the breakfast set.
I had a choice of coffee, tea and hot chocolate and hot chocolate it was, upon the recommendation of the server. Fantastic chocolate. It was so rich I felt I was drinking a block of melted chocolate bar, very fine chocolate bar that is. It was so smooth and not overly sugary sweet at all. It was a total chocolate meltdown. I added the milk towards the end, and it didn't dilute the thick chocolate at all. The very best hot chocolate I ever had.
My breakfast set in its full glory. The egg and juice came later. So what was in the set? Well, besides the choice of hot beverage, there was the orange juice, a 30gm pot of jam and a 30gm pot of honey with butter to go with the 2 slices of toast. I also got a choice of broiche, croissant and pain au chocolat. Half-boiled egg served in a cup and a saucer of salt to sprinkle for taste.
The pain au chocolat was really really good. Flaky crust with fine chocolate inside. Heaven. The toast was a bit too hard for my liking. It was so hard to bite through and chew, then again I prefer soft food :p

Half-boiled egg. I have not had a half boiled egg sitting in a cup for so long. The egg was cooked to perfection. The yolk was not runny but it was not too hard either. It was just right. Very nicely done.
I couldn't resist and ordered a large macaroon of the day. There were 2 choices - chocolate mint or something caramel. I decided on the chocolate mint. I thought it would be green with chocolate in the center. But pretty presentation nonetheless.
The Hediard is a chocolate. See the "hairy" raspberry. Somehow, chocolate always goes very well with raspberry.
Yummy macaroon. Crispy shell melted into nothing and left with a chewy softness. It was very nice. A bit too much though after the hot chocolate and pain au chocolat but would definitely go well with a pot of tea or coffee.
We decided not to waste the little pots of jam and honey and asked for them to go. They kindly packed them for us. It seemed to be the norm to do that as almost every table has this little red bag on the table to go :p You can also request for a choice of jam. I was initially given apricot but I preferred strawberry and asked for that. My bag was crumpled as it was sitting in my purse for a couple of days being squished.

I would love to go back to Hediard for the set lunch which is available on weekdays only. There are so many other things I want to try - soup, salad, sandwich (3 Ss).

Location:

Hediard Café-Boutique
123-125 Tanglin Road
Phone Booking: +65 6333 6683
Everyday:9am-8pm

www.hediard.com.sg