Dinner at Ambush and Desserts from Rive Gauche Patisserie @PS

Back at Ambush again for dinner for the 3rd time. Past two visits has left me craving for more European cuisine at reasonable prices.

I ordered a pasta main course and an appetizer dish for my dinner.

Funghi Alla Gamberi $9.20++, sauteed shitake and shimeiji mushrooms with prawns. 4 pieces of mid size prawns were found in this dish, the mushrooms and prawns used were very fresh...a simple yet satisfying dish.

Vongole Linguine w/ Norwegian shrimps in White wine sauce $$12.80++. The pasta was done al dente, white wine sauce was light yet flavorful and brings out the natural sweetness from the fresh clams and tiny Norwegian shrimps hiding beneath the pasta. This was pretty delish.

For drinks, I had the Ice Lemon Tea $3++, predictable taste with no surprises.

Service and food was good as expected, I will be back to try their paella!


Bought a pair of giant Custard Puffs $3 at Rive Gauche during my after dinner stroll at PS. They were really huge, like the size of a guava. The puffs were filled to the brim with lotsa sweet and yummy custard cream. Must try!

Ambush
68 Orchard Road #04-64/66 (The Atrium), S238839
Tel: 6338 9368

Opening Hours:
Mon to Sun: 1100h - 2230h


Rive Gauche
68 Orchard Road #B2-57 s238839
Tel: 6341 9936

Opening Hours:
Mon to Sun: 1000h - 2200h

New Dim Sum Menu at Crystal Jade Kitchen

The last time I visited Crystal Jade was like eons ago. I've since taken a liking to their competitions such as Paradise group and Imperial Treasures group and the likes. We chanced upon the new All Day Dim Sum menu on display at their Suntec branch and decided to give it a try.

They have the regular Ala Carte menu on top of the All Day dim sum menu. The dim sum choices weren't too extensive (about 30 items) but there are some unique items that attracted my attention. Items not commonly found in SG includes the Pork Liver siew mai and Shrimp paste fried rice rolls.

We ordered one pot of porridge and several dim sum items for sharing.

First up, Claypot Fish Shrimp & Pork slices Congee 鱼虾肉片大煲粥 $9.80++. At less than 10 bucks per pot, this claypot dish portion is large enough for 2-3pax to share. 

Huge chunks of fish and pork slices as well as deshelled prawns were found in the porridge. The ingredients used were extremely fresh and cooked just right, retaining the juiciness of the meats and their natural flavors. I highly recommend this dish!

Pan-fried rice rolls w/ Spicy shrimp paste 虾米酱煎肠粉 $5.20++. This dish is very HK style, the chee cheong fun were well coated with shrimp paste sauce and has good wok hei aroma. It was not the best I've eaten (the best is only found in HK) but was still very decently done.

Pan-fried Carrot cake w/ dried shrimp & Lup cheong 香煎萝卜糕 $4.20++, another yummy dish with ample shreds of radish and fragrant lup cheong bits enveloped within.

Old school Pork Liver siew mai 怀旧猪润烧卖 $4.20++, a dish that is unique to HK region and first time seen in SG (at least for me). The pork liver was marinated for long enough period before steaming, contributing to its soft and succulent texture which was well complimented by the pork and shrimp meat beneath it...very delish!

The usual suspects, Shrimp dumpling 水晶鲜虾饺 $4.60++ and Crab roe siew mai 蟹皇蒸烧卖 $4.20++ were pretty decent as well, fresh and flavorful.

Pork & chive dumpling 家乡韭菜饺 $3.60++, this was one of my fave. The chive used was good quality ones with robust aroma, and the chef was careful to not overcooked it preserving its crunchiness as well. Thumbs up!

Beancurd rolls in thick soup 浓汤鲜竹卷 $4.80++, it is uncommon to find this cooked in soup. Crystal Jade's version was rather tasty but not outstanding though.

We ordered one dessert each and I had the Aloe vera & osmanthus w/ honey soup 芦荟桂花蜜 $3.80++, a nice and refreshing end to a scrumptious dim sum meal!

Crystal Jade has done well with their new dim sum menu, giving us little surprises here and there with their uniquely HK style dishes. Best of all, the prices are very affordable! They have now renewed my interest in them and I will definitely return for more delicious food.

Crystal Jade Kitchen

3 Temasek Boulevard, Suntec City Mall #B1-113/114 S038983

Tel: 68845172

Opening Hours

Mon to Sun: 1100 - 2200hrs

Lunch at Privé Bakery Cafe at Keppel Bay

Met up with some FB friends who have been playing the Mousehunt game with me for many years now. The venue of choice was Privé Cafe located on the man-made Keppel island.

The waterfront view of this restaurant resembles the Sentosa Cove's Quayside Isle. Tucked away on the private island with view of luxury yachts berthed over turquoise waters, this place offers a laid back leisurely mood for diners looking to unwind on a lazy weekend afternoon.

Getting to the Cafe by public transport is a bit of a hassle though. The nearest MRT is Harbourfront station, you may choose to walk 20mins on foot, or take a bus for 2 bus stops and get off to walk for 10mins, or simply grab a cab at Vivocity for a short 5mins ride.

The Cafe has simple decor with blue color walls and wavy details matching its seaside location.

For weekends and Public Holidays, they offer All Day Breakfast menu from 9.30am to 5pm, and Lunch menu from 11.30am to 5pm.

One thing to note here is that this cafe is extremely busy on weekends and service can be slow at times and waiting time for food will be lengthy. Do place your order as soon as you can to cut down on waiting time.

The drinks came pretty fast and I am very happy with my choice. Chocolate Crunch Milkshake $11++, a thick, creamy and super chocolaty drink topped with crunchy chocolate pearls and served with a stick of Kitkat. The whip cream added in the drink gave it a smooth ice cream like texture, it is a chocolate drink lover's heaven!

My friend who had the alcoholic Bailey’s Irish Cream Milkshake $15++ was very pleased with her drink as well. A nice indulgence on a warm sunny day.

A selection of TWG teas are also available for the less adventurous diners, Moroccan Mint tea $5++. This is served with a cookie by the cup.

After a long 20mins wait, my Sticky Finger Baby Back Ribs $26++ finally arrived. The ribs were well marinated and tender. The sweet pomegranate molasses sauce compliments the meat pretty well. The Cajun-maple glazed Hokkaido corn on the cob was not well executed. It was too peppery for my liking.

My friends had their popular Eggs Benedict $16++, two pieces of traditional English muffins topped with smoked leg ham, streaky bacon and poached eggs with creamy Hollandaise sauce. The poached eggs were perfectly done with runny yolk.

We managed to save some space for dessert at the end of our meal. We shared a huge slice of Japanese Purple Sweet Potato & Miso Chiffon Cake $6++, served with Miso caramel & Chantilly cream.

The cake has a visually appealing shade of purple color coming from the Jap sweet potato used. The chiffon cake was super fluffy and light as air. We could taste bits of sweet potato in the cake, and the sweet caramel sauce and whip cream adds a nice balance to the already yummy cake. Highly recommended!

We had a pleasant dining experience at the Privé Cafe, food and drinks served here were pretty good and affordably priced. Service may be a bit slow during busy hours but was decent enough. I don't mind coming back here to try other items on the menu.


Privé Cafe
2 Keppel Bay Vista, Singapore 098382
Tel: 6776 0777

Mon - Sun & PH
9am - 12am (last order 10.30pm)