The Centrepoint had been struggling to reinvent its identity since its previous anchor tenant, Robinsons, moved out in mid 2014 after 31 years. Fortunately, it has realised that Singaporeans are willing to travel (and queue!) for good food and recently drew in new tenants, notably the iconic Mak's Noodles and Honolulu Cafe from Hong Kong - and they are finally helping to bring in the much-needed crowd.

We were pretty sure that long queues would form at Honolulu Cafe today - on its first day of official opening - and decided to join in the festivities too.

Recap: First visit at Honolulu Cafe (Hong Kong, April 2016)

We had just tried Honolulu Cafe's signature coffee and egg tarts during our visit to Hong Kong last month, and arrived with great anticipation. 

Honolulu Cafe (Singapore, 10 May 2016)

Waiting Time/ Crowd Management

Business was expectedly brisk but the crowd was overall contained. The queue was manageable, with waiting time hovering at about 10 to 15 minutes.

Although it was said that the shifu from Hong Kong would be present these few weeks to ensure quality control, the coffee seemed to taste lacklustre. It didn't have that same rich milky taste that we enjoyed in the coffees we drank in the cha chaan tengs in Hong Kong.

Btw, if you are waiting for your cutlery after the food is served, please just pull open the shelf on the sides of your tables!

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Prego offers diners authentic Italian food over a family-styled setting. Of course, the ongoing 1-for-1 Chef's Special Set Lunch (hence, $49++ for 2) with OCBC cards this month (April 2016) also gave us a compelling reason to head down for a cozy Satur-date.

The Chef's Special Set Lunch included: Appetiser, Pasta/ Risotto and Dessert, and we were to choose amongst the dishes with a Chef's Hat. Not difficult as we usually choose the chef's recommendations anyway :)

He loved his 2 scoops, especially the rich vanilla gelato. Remember I had once said that the test of good vanilla ice cream is the presence of the black dots which come from the vanilla pods? See below for the answer. Tada!

Nonetheless, we both agree that overall, Prego serves good ice cream - not the icey type laden with artificial favourings which you sometimes get from supermarket tubs.

Service

Service was prompt and the service staff were knowledgeable - something expected from a food establishment like Prego. 

Overall

The Chef's Set Lunch was a really value-for-money deal. The 6 dishes would have set us back by $154++ if we had ordered them ala-carte, but cost us just $49++ (or $98++ without the OCBC 1-for1 promotion). 

Whilst there were some hits and misses (maybe it was a wrong choice of main course for me), it was a lovely lunch date over a quiet relaxed casual setting. Worth recommending!

Quality: 7.5/10

Ambience: 8/10

Value for money: 9.5/10 (based on the 1-for-1 promo)*

Overall: 8/10

*Note: OCBC 1-for-1 promotion ends on 30 April 2016. Don't miss it!

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We enjoyed the pork belly and fish & chips at Bread Street Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay a few months back (see review here) and were really excited to learn that it had recently launched its weekday set lunch. We finally found time to try it earlier this week and have to say that we really wowed by their desserts. Read on to find out what to expect! 

Choose between a 2-course set at $40++ or 3-course set at $48++. We ordered two 3-course sets... coz we love desserts! And well, it's also definitely more value-for-money for sure. :)

Starters

1) Hamachi tartar. cucumber, mouli, ginger dressing

The Hamachi was fresh and its texture was moist, soft and supple with a subtle tinge of sourish flavours.

2) Ham mock terrine with piccalilli, grilled sourdough

The pork terrine was wonderful too and went well with the crispy sourdough and the yellow sourish achar-tasting vegetables which provided a nice contrast to the heavier and meatier-tasting pork terrine.

Main courses

1) Smoked haddock and salmon fish cake, herb mayo, mixed leaf salad

The fish cake tasted similar to the fish and chips we had earlier tried in their ala carte menu. Even the sauce tasted too familiar to that of the fish and chips and I can't help feeling that sense of déjà vu. Nevertheless, it was still worth a try. I much prefer the crab cakes from Lawry's and Morton's though.

2) Veal and mushroom pie with wholegrain mustard, tarragon sauce

The veal and mushroom pie had a very strong taste and wasn't very outstanding. Nevertheless. it may still appeal to individuals who like veal.

Desserts

1) Blueberry bakewell tart with creme fraiche ice-cream

This blueberry tart really deserves a special mention. It is certainly one of the best I have ever eaten. The crust was crunchy and chewy, baked to perfection and the blueberries just made the tart a whole lot more appealing. The pastry chef deserves a raise!

2) Pistachio creme brûlée, dark chocolate sorbet

The creme brûlée was awesome as well. Together with the chocolate sorbet, it was just pure orgasmic bliss. 

3. Chocolate fondant with salted caramel and mint chocolate chip ice cream ($20++)

This was an extra from the ala carte menu. The chocolate fondant was dense and warm on the inside and decadent without being too sweet. The mint ice cream certainly provides a nice accompaniment too!

Gordon Ramsay, a Scottish-born British chef and restaurateur, is well-known for his highly-acclaimed restaurants and cookbooks. His claim to fame is as presenter and judge of various food/ cooking-related TV programmes and competitions, and most of us in Singapore would also remember him in Singtel's Hawker Heros Challenge 2 years back.

With many Michelin stars under his belt, we waited in much anticipation as we learnt that this celebrity chef was going to open Bread Street Kitchen at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) offering "British European menu with fresh seasonal produce". 

We visited the restaurant at lunch time in end-July and end-August 2015, so this review will reflect our experiences on both days. Overall, the first experience was a disappointment (probably due to teething issues as it was newly-opened), but we were glad that it redeemed itself during our second visit.

Ambience

This black-and-white-tiled restaurant offers a casual dining experience with its "lively warehouse design combining vintage and modern decoration" and is styled mirroring its London edition.

It was crowded during both our visits, so I would certainly advise you to make a reservation beforehand. Otherwise, just like what the service staff advise, you can also walk in during the off-peak hours.

Starters

Bread Street Kitchen is aptly named as we were welcomed with a complimentary basket of freshly-baked bread to start off our lunch.  The bread, both in terms of quality and variety, provided a delectable start to our lunch and we particularly loved the breadstick and focaccia bread.

The Garden Pea Soup ($18++), with its lobster bits, was unpretentious and hearty. It was quite a small bowl though (note the height of the bowl vs our resident hedgehog).

Main Courses

2. Black Angus Sirloin Steak ($60++), topped up with Half Lobster (extra $25++)

This dish was similarly mediocre and nothing to shout about. For the price, we expected much more. If you want good steak in Singapore, try CUT, Prive Grill or even Bistro du Vin.

Second visit - This time round, we played safe and ordered the signature dishes. We were glad we did, and would certainly recommend that you do too.

1. Slow-roasted Dingley Dell pork belly, spiced apple purée (S$28++)

We loved how crispy the pork belly skin was. The purée while rich, was not overwhelming and went well with this meaty dish. It was too bad that the portion was quite small, but no regrets choosing this!

2. Traditional fish & chips, crushed peas, tartar sauce (S$26++)

Unlike most fish & chips with little fish meat and thick skin batter, this dish was almost perfect. We loved the chunky fish fillet meat and of course the plus point was that it was served very hot. The crushed pea sauce was similar to the one we had in London - refreshingly sweet and minty, and simply a refreshing accompaniment! The fries, while chunky and fat to our liking, were pretty standard.

3. Bread Street Kitchen Beef Burger (S$26++) 

Perhaps we are not "burger" people, but we expected more from this $30 burger. While it was a signature dish and no doubt the beef patty didn't taste like processed beef, we thought we could give this a miss.

Dessert

The pineapple carpaccio, passion fruit and coconut sorbet (S$15++) provided a refreshing end to our otherwise meat-heavy lunch. Despite it also being a chef's recommendation, it was nothing to WOW about - to be honest. Maybe we expected something more memorable, given that this was a celebrity restaurant?

Overall

As this restaurant was pretty casual and usually crowded and noisy, it is more suitable as a family restaurant. 

Overall, there was some hits and misses, but let's just say that we were more critical as Bread Street Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay (yeah the chef's name had to be included) prides itself to be a celebrity restaurant and we paid good money. Nevertheless, we were glad that we gave the restaurant a second chance to redeem itself. We highly recommend that you order the pork belly and fish & chips! :)

Taste: 7/10

Ambience: 8/10

Value for money: 6/10

Overall: 7/10