Poulet (Bugis+) - Worth the wait and the bites

It really isn't difficult to find a French restaurant in Singapore, nor is it difficult to find good French fare. The only drawback? Your wallet may probably be bleeding by the end of the meal, which means you would probably be visiting them only on special occasions. But what if you are really craving for French fare but is tight on budget? Thankfully, there's a couple of good affordable French restaurants out there, one of which would be Poulet, set up by the company behind Thai Express.

I have read rave reviews on Poulet ever since their opening last year but never got the chance to try them out. So on a Monday night with PSI at around 62, I used the excuse of meeting up with a friend for dinner to try out the small establishment on the 4th floor of Bugis+ (formally Iluma). At 6.30pm, it was surprisingly packed with diners and took us about 10 minutes to be seated.

We ordered:

1) 1/2 Poulet Roti
($15.80++)

 2) Sauteed Mushrooms

($7.80++) 

Verdict: The mushroom (a mix of button mushrooms and oyster mushrooms) were sauteed with garlic, and were slightly on the salty side. The egg was probably there to serve as a balance in contrast to the saltiness, but other than that, it didn't make much of an impact. It would have been nice if some bread were served with it or have the saltiness reduced though.

Verdict: The Poulet Roti is Poulet's signature dish, and I could totally see why. The chicken was served piping hot, atop a semi-sweet sauce that goes very well with the chicken.. The chicken's skin was crispy and the insides tender which is really rare as majority of the time, roasted/grilled chickens tend to be overdone and dry inside. This however, was sweet and juicy every mouthful and ladies, you might like to consider sharing this.

3) Mediterranean Stewed Lamb Shank
($15.80++)

Verdict: The problem with lamb is always the strong smell that comes with it. This, however, was cooked to perfection because there was not much of a scent detected. The meat still retained it's juices and you could easily separate it off the bone. The root vegetables (2 onions and 1 small piece of carrot) helps to cleanse your tastebuds of the taste of meat. My only gripe with this dish was that the sauce was bland; it would be nice if it were a bit stronger in taste.

4) Tiramisu (Mousse)

($7.80++)

Verdict: Another signature of Poulet, this jar was good for 2 to share. The coffee-liquor-soaked sponge cake? (they didn't looked like ladyfingers) inside were moist and slightly bitter, and the mascapone cheese was light and creamy. Paired together, it really hits the spot after a meal.

5) Apple Tart
($7.80++)

Verdict: Light and fluffy, the puff pastry was not too thick, and the apple drizzled with cinnamon sauce was not overly sweet either. Served with the scoop of ice cream, it really wasn't too bad, except for it's size.

In all, we spent $76.05, inclusive of GST and service charge and 2 drinks (Iced Lemon Tea ($4.80) and Orangina ($4.80)). Word of caution though: They do not serve plain water, only bottled Evian (at $3.80 per bottle) so there's no choice but to get a drink really. 

==========

Poulet
201 Victoria Street
#04-12  Bugis+
Opening hours: 11.00 - 22.00
Tel: 6509 9411

Test drive: Nokia Lumia 920

The Nokia Lumia 920 isn't really a new phone in the market, considering that it was launched last year and was a winner of the Reader's Choice Smartphone of the Year in the Engadget Awards 2012. While I have heard rave reviews of the phone, I have personally never once tried a Windows phone as no one I know owns one, so when Nokia Singapore had a 3-days test-drive opened, I decided to give it a shot.

[For specifications:
http://www.nokia.com/sg-en/products/phone/lumia920/specifications/ ]

Getting the phone for test-drive was a hassle-free visit to the Nokia Koisk at Level 1 of Funan Digitalife Mall, although I was a little amused by how they handed me a key (to push the microSIM slot), a cable and a adapter and the phone itself without a bag or anything while going, "Do not lose the key ah,". Configuring the phone for first time usage took about 3mins or so, which was pretty slow but thankfully, subsequent start-up were much faster.

Front of the phone (in Cyan)

Back of the phone (with Carl Zeiss lenses)

The first thing that I realized about the Nokia Lumia 920 was that the phone was quite heavy in terms of weight. In comparison with the current phone that I am using (Samsung Note II), the Nokia Lumia 920 is slightly heavier although smaller in length. Battery life for this was pretty good too, considering it lasted me a good 2 full days of usage (on-off). My only gripe about it though was that after 5mins of constant usage playing games, the phone heats up really badly, a problem I don't really have with my Note II.

The Windows OS was pretty useful and easy to navigate around, although I didn't quite get used to it during 3 days. Calls made and received had good clarity even in crowded areas. However, what made me fall in love with the phone was really its camera functions. In low light conditions, it actually brightens the photo up with clarity and doesn't leave it grainy nor with strange colors. The anti-shake works really good too, because the problem I have with my Note II is that I am forever taking blurry pictures (even though Anti-shake is turned on). With the Lumia 920, I did not have such a problem. And to prove my point, this was a comparison photo that I made using the phones that my household currently own.

Priced at SGD $779, the phone now comes with a free wireless charging pad and for test-drive users, if you purchase it after 3 days of usage, you get a free pair of Monsters earphones too. Unfortunately, I just got my Note II earlier this year and don't see myself as wanting a new phone any time soon, so I'll pass on this offer.

In short:

Pros: Good camera, clarity in calls, and vibrancy
Cons: Heavy, heats up easily, Windows OS (?)

(PS: Please note that the above are just my thoughts on the phone after 3 days of usage. I am not endorsed by Nokia in any way.)

==========

Peramakan - Innovation on traditional food

I love Peranakan food. But the problem with them is, they are always quite a hassle to make so the only times I can get to eat them (pray with a little luck!), are during festivals or celebrations. So it was to my surprise to find this one day while walking down Katong: Pastries filled with Peranakan dishes!

1) Ayam Kleo

($2.20)

Verdict: A little hit and miss on this. I bought 2, one was charred at the bottom and overly salty, while the other was just right. The chicken shreds were nicely marinated, and you can taste all the spices nicely. The pastry was light and flaky and goes really well with the filling!

2) Babi Pongteh

($1.90)

Verdict: I like the tart shell; it was light and buttery and slightly sweet. Sadly, the Babi Ponteh didn't live up to my expectations. While the fillings were nice and moist, the taste was pretty forgettable.

3) Ayam Buah Keluak

($1.50)

Verdict: Out of all 3, this, is my absolute favorite! The amount of spiciness is just right, and it goes really well with the bun! This is clearly one of the best sellers because they were only left with 3 when I was there at 1pm on a Sunday! (Apparently they are out from the oven at 12pm)

So far, I've been there twice, and making plans to go back for more. The only downside to it is that there are no direct buses that I can take to there and thus...I'll probably burn some calories just getting to their shop. 

==========

PeraMakan Delicatessen
209 East Coast Road S(428908)
Tel: 6346 6869
Closed on Mondays except on eve of public holidays and public holidays.

Charly T's (I12 Katong) - No. Just no.

For those who frequent The Cathay, walking past NOMU to get there, Charly T's would definitely not be a unfamiliar sight as the flagship store has been there since 2009. Then again, even if you don't frequent there but take the public transports, the hangars for beer promotions are not to be missed either because I have seen them all around every now and then.

Firstly, to be honest, despite the fact that I have walked past them quite a number of times, I have never quite walked in to have a meal. With regards to Rotisserie chickens, my mind was deeply entrenched with Kenny Rogers, so I would never have thought of trying something else. However, noticing that the reviews given by food bloggers on Charly T's looked glowingly good, I decided to give it a try on a weekday.

Walking in, the restaurant doesn't have a menu per table, so one has got to place their order at the counter (and reading off the menu off the board behind the cashier). I would have quite liked it better if there was a menu on the table at the cashier instead because it was quite a strain to read all those words off the board...

Anyway, for that day, since there were 3 of us, I ordered:

1) 1/4 Black Pepper Chicken with 2 sides (Butter Garlic Rice & Potato Salad)

$15.00++

Verdict: There were 2 different sauces available for you to dip with, one spicy, one ??. I have no idea what the sauces were really, because there wasn't a choice or details given on what they were. The spicy sauce was just spicy, no zest to it and pretty blah and the other, slightly salty, but nothing wow about it either. For the chicken, it was dry, probably slightly over done (and oily too). The sides? Forgettable, as they were both bland and tasteless.

2) Kalua Pork

$18.00++

Verdict: This came with a bowl of assorted blanched vegetables, which thankfully, retained their sweetness and not mushy and tasteless. The pork was nice and juicy and does melt in your mouth, although...I was left wondering if it had been sitting out for quite some time as they were served to me lukewarm.

3) Pork Ribs

$20.00++

Verdict: This, is one dish I don't quite understand to be honest. The sauce was sickeningly sweet, but it didn't blend with the meat. The ribs tasted like they were boiled and then brushed with the sauce, because they were tasteless on the portions that wasn't soaked with the sauce. The additional dip didn't help either, nor did the spicy dips from the other 2 dishes. 

All in all, it was a pretty forgettable meal. Inclusive of all 7% GST, my total bill came up to $56.70, which wasn't really a cheap meal. Would I be going back there again? Let's just say once is enough really....

==========

Charly T's

112 East Coast Road #03-15, I12 Katong Tel: 6636 4701 Email: 112katong@charlyts.com