Singapore Christmas Trip Part 2: The Wonderful Finds

By Crivenica

Okay, the ranting is done! Let's move on to the wonderful finds. The next day on Boxing Day (I don’t really understand what Boxing Day is about, except that it’s the day after Christmas), we went to The White Rabbit on Harding rd. for brunch. I checked them out on the Internet first and found a lot of mixed reviews about their food and particularly about their brunch, but their Alice In The Wonderland (hence the name The White Rabbit) inspired website is fun and interesting. So, we decided to give it a try.

When we arrived, we had to look around to check whether the white austere church-like building was really the restaurant we were looking for. It was. It’s an old chapel that they refurbished into a contemporary chic looking dining area with gray half-moon booths lining the walls and wooden tables set along the middle of the room. The high ceiling also provided a very airy and light ambiance. I’d say it was a good setting for a brunch and I bet it’s not too shabby for dinner either.

Now, the reviews recommended dinner instead of the brunch, but we found the dishes we ordered were excellent. Have to note that the brunch here was not a buffet brunch abundant with crustaceans, roasted meats, and egg platters that the Fullerton is excellent at, but for a quiet daytime date and a small family Sunday breakfast, The White Rabbit brunch was wonderful. We shared the lobster omelette that came with a small mixed salad and french fries, The White Rabbit truffle macaroni and cheese, and the banana hazelnut spread french toast. All were so tasty that I forgot to take pictures of the dishes except for the french toast. All in all, it was a pleasurable brunch and you came out of it just pleasantly full and not bloated as you usually would when you came out from a three-hour buffet brunch. We would definitely do it again.

After the big brunch, we decided to walk to Orchard rd to help the digestion process. We walked along Harding rd to Napier rd, which would basically take us to Orchard rd. Good thing we walked because we stumbled on a precious spot in Singapore that a lot of tourists (especially Indonesians, who zeroed in on the shops on Orchard) miss. The Botanical Garden was just right there on Napier rd and it is beautiful. A huge ground full of tall shady trees with well paved tracks, it was a great place for a jog, leisure walk or even a picnic. We planned to jog there early the next morning, but alas we were both zonked out and didn’t wake up early enough. Next time.

Anyway, we didn’t plan this, but we ended up on Harding rd again the next day. David had been searching for a good gourmet store and we had walked all over to find a couple of stores that we found online without result. Until we found Jones The Grocer on Dempsey Hill, which is at the end of Harding rd. We went to Jones twice. The first time to check out the gourmet food items, but we made the mistake of having Jones' breakfast without checking the goods inside first. Don’t get me wrong, the breakfast at Jones was simple, but perfect for that late morning. We had perfectly poached eggs on sourdough toasts with a side of bacon and mixed fruits with natural yogurt. And when we were full, we walked inside and found displays of huge mouth watering muffins, scones and other wonderful bakery goods and we had instant regrets.

We passed the bakery goods with heavy hearts and continued checking out the display until we came to a closed glass room filled with cheese. Then our hearts stopped. Well, David’s at least. This was exactly what he had been looking for. Different types of cheese from the soft ones to the well-aged ones were available. Next to that room, there was a display of dried sausages and cured meat from France, Italy and Spain. We hit the jackpot. It sucked that we were full, but we couldn’t pass this so we made a point to come back the next day for an early lunch. We went crazy and ordered a mix of cheese and dried meat plate. It came with a selection of toasts, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. But we learned in Italy that honey is great with cheese, so we asked for a bowl of honey and they gave us this truffle honey that was to die for. Check out the picture and tell me if you don’t start salivating.

The last find that is worth mentioning was not a planned find at all. We were at Vivo City waiting for my cousin, Alex, and decided to look for a cafe or something. We walked and walked. Every cafe was full and it was a big mall. We started to get cranky until I decided to go back to the ground floor and checked out a cafe I saw down there from a distance. As we approached closer, the name of the establishment became clear and I jumped in joy. It was Max Brenner, the chocolate place that my very dear friend, Shilla - who just finished her Masters in Melbourne - has been telling me about. Man, if you like chocolate, you got to come to Max Brenner. They don’t just sell great looking chocolates you can bring home, they have a full menu offering you crazy chocolate awesomeness. David got crossed eyed just going through the menu. It was a very difficult feat to choose one thing from the numerous sweet chocolaty delectable items. Go to http://www.maxbrenner.com to see their menu and if they have a location near you. I just can’t believe that we didn’t stumble onto them sooner when they have a location on Broadway in New York city. Well, I am glad that we found it in Singapore. Next time I’m in New York, I’m going to drag my sister-in-law, Michelle, there and force her to break her strict healthy diet and indulge in her chocolate addiction.

All in all, it was a great short stay in Singapore. I tried to convince Lu to spend a couple of days in Singapore when she came home to Indonesia in November, but we didn’t do it. Now, I bet she wished she had come.