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Almost every sunday morning Dad and i would drive down to Parkway Parade; he hits the gym whilst i catch up on my schoolwork outside Planet Fitness. Then after an hour or so, we head down for breakfast together.Somehow we ended up at Bistro Delifrance, taking a short break from Dome. The truth was, i have never been confident of delifrance's quality because none have proved to be up to mark. My first morning meal here only brought back oily, disastrous memories.
Le Scrambled Egg Croissant ($4.90) 
I've always thought it was a miracle that this locally-based chain can survive, expand and even introduce outlet banding (bakery, cafe & bistro) to practise price discrimination- especially when their food and service lingered around average and mediocre most of the time.Or maybe i am just being too fussy, because dad seemed to take delight in their croissant. Okay yes this fluffly thing did look pretty promising, at least of size and containing a fair share of scramble. They bothered to bake the tomato with some cheese too.
Le Waffles Deluxe ($5) 
I decided to steer clear from those ham/sausage/bacon stuffs here after my greas-laden experience. Picked the waffles with strawberry and a sunny-side up, which disappointed again with two tough and dry cakes. These were obviously convenience food, those found in supermarkets.Sad to say, our upgrades to cappuccino & a hot green tea only cost us more with the refilling privilege removed. Arrgh.Bistro Delifrance80 Marine Parade Road#B1-51/55 Parkway Parade
To be very frank, i was totally thrilled about having my first proper meal here. The reason was clearly not Daniel Tay, but more of the entire ambience and charming menu that have long grabbed my heart. I liked the bright and clean concept, tapping on colours and quirky lights to bring out a youthful vibe. The menu boasted immense variety from their classic french desserts, pastas, sandwiches and even a page of local-flavours, plus those tantalising array of cakes and pastries at the front counter... simply smile-incurring! (:
Pumpkin Soup ($6.80) 
We intended to hit on dinner special but unfortunately it happened to be unavailable for the eve of public holidays. Dad suggested ordering the items individually.We started off with a bowl of orange pumpkin soup and toasted breadsticks stacked above. A tad watery, but i reckon pure pumpkin essence since i couldn't sense any presence of starchy potatoes or heavy cream (except for the garnish).
Seafood Pasta ($15.80) 
Spaghetti, unshelled prawns, squid rings and large mussels plonked into a deep puddle of red tomato sauce. Unconsistently mixed, this pool of basil-dominated sauce offered lasting sweetness and a strong presence of white wine. The freshness of the seafood stood on the average scale.
Spaghetti Vongole ($14.80) Many many clams steeped in an abundance of white wine sauce, peppery and rather cleansing. Pasta portion was just right too.
Walnut Cheesecake ($6.20) Dad sensibly reserved this last slice before the meal. Their version of walnut cheesecake was certainly not made to look lavish but with a standard exceededing my expectations. Dry, easily crumbly with a touch of maple kept in optimal moderation.
Raspberry Souffle ($9.80) 
I simply loved the assuring freshness of such made ala-order desserts. Upon ordering i could literally hear the whisking of egg whites and observe how the dessert chef monitored its baking process.15 minutes later my souffle came heightened over the ramekin, piping hot and airy-fairy on the insides. Lovely! The forest fruits icecream shone with a rich burst of berries and fancy crispy granola toppings. So divine, i was practically licking every drip off that plate.In total- a soup, 2 pastas and 2 desserts imposed a $60+ damage. I am not complaining becasue the desserts were truly worthy, but i have to admit the no-free-water rule largely crippled the experience. They should seriously rethink about that.Bakerzin9 Raffles Boulevard#01-23/24/25 Millenia Walk
This japanese restaurant, currently standing as one of my favourites, outshines many in terms of their innovative creativity, presentation and ambience. The seasonal menu also ensures something new to try every time.Prices may range on the higher scale but the quality was worth paying for. Dad starts off with his favourite egg custard, followed by teriyaki steak on a usual basis and an agedashi tofu.
Buri Aburi Sashimi with Black Pepper ($12) 
But nothing could beat this seasonal delicacy. Undoubtedly crowned the star of the meal, this half-broiled yellowtail sashimi selects only the best from the coldest season. Firm yet tender, masterfully aburi-ed and flavoured with a black pepper coating without an hint of fishy taste.
Ikura Chawanmushi ($7)A costly indulge of plain steamed egg highlighted with some salmon roe.
Agedashi Tofu ($4)
Garlic Teriyaki Steak ($12)
Sashimi Salad ($8)
This was pretty good. A variety of fresh salmon, tuna, yellowtail, octopus, cuttlefish and a sort of shellfish with citrus wafu dressing.
Saba Shio ($8) 
Nice tender flesh well-seasoned, one of the better ones i've had except without that crisp skin surface.There is more to try.
"we must try eating there one day."Dad would always say that when we peer down at the alfresco tables through the glass panels of Cedele. After all the mentionaing, we finally took action plan to sit in for dinner one night.Borders Bistro is one of those places; popular not through any magazine articles or gastronomical miracles but due to its ambience and decent food. You can choose to take up the spacious outdoor tables or sink into the clean, cosy and comfortable indoors with a feel of fine-dining.
Yes it was nice and quiet inside, certainly not packed with hordes of din-creating people... but the open concept kitchen posed a major problem. It was seriously an anti-climax to have chefs cooking (completely in the open) at such close proximity, making you smell like what you ate.
Gamberoni Aglio E Olio ($16.50) They too, offer a range of pasta types such as linguine, spaghetti, fettuccine, penne & fusilli to choose from. I usually find it safer to stick with spaghetti, especially after that lesson learnt at Pasta Fresca.The eight sizeable prawns came as a pleasant surprise, so did the pasta. This huge mound of "chopped-up" spaghetti came so fancifully spiced and full of wok hei that it largely resembled the local hokkien noodles.
Spaghetti Vongole ($14.50) No sight of clam shells. Funnier thing was, i could barely taste any difference between dad's vongole (in white wine sauce) and my aglio olio. Same large portion, same style, same flavour... and the same hokkien mee characteristics.I could tell dad's slight dissatisfaction with dinner but when all other food haunts at Wheelock Place have incredibly long queues , this is one good alternative to consider. And i am still dying to try their Walnut Cheesecake.Borders Bistro501 Orchard Road#01-00 Wheelock Place
The utilisation of Dad's Feed at Raffles voucher brought us back for a second round of Swiss sandwiches. You could call this a complete made-to-order, where total flexibilty is granted for the DIY Sandwich selection. Choices were plentiful and you get to pick your preferred bread, filling, cheese, veggie and sauce.
Walnut Bread with Smoked Salmon ($17) Smoked Salmon, Tomatoes, Cucumbers & Dijon Mustard. My choice of bread was clearly not a mistake- it tasted fresh and nothing out of stale flour. A bowl of corn tortillas and creamed new potatoes also added to substantiate the meal.
Rye Croissant with Tuna Mayo ($17)Tuna mayo, cheddar cheese, tomatoes & wasabi mayo were his choices. Every component looked enticing and the rye croissant a delightful healthier intake.We faced some issues with dessert-ordering but still got our sugar-fix eventually. The entire confusion between the irresponsible captain, the dessert chef and that indian waiter sure managed to amuse me.
Engadine Walnut Tart with Mocca Crisp Icecream ($11) 
After all the trouble to get a taste of this, we realised how worthless it was. Except for that vanilla nougatine, the other two components (mocca icecream and walnut tart) were simply unrewarding. Way too sticky to please.
