Carre Package

If you have ever been turned off by the untidy warehouse look of the Carrefour hypermarket in Suntec City, it’s time to revisit the place. The $2-million renovation to the French chain’s flagship 13,000 sq m store has made it a friendlier place to shop. One of the best things here is the Wiener Kaffeehaus stand, where you can have a cup of Austrian-style coffee before shopping or pick up a bag of beans, roasted daily on site.

The grocery section also features a prominent section for the hypermarket’s Reflets de France products – jams, salt, pasta and other products which showcase the regional specialities of France.

Elsewhere, load up on the house brand chocolates, brought in specially for Christmas. And don’t sniff at these supermarket chocolates, they are good. The best ones are Tranches d’Oranges Confites ($10.95 for a 250g box) and Orangettes ($8.50 for a 200g box), variations of candied orange napped in not-too-sweet dark chocolate. For chocolate with a more boozy punch, there’s Chocolats Aux Liqueurs ($11.95 for a 235g box).

Chocolate bonbons (and they are so very bon) are filled with Armagnac, Pear William liqueur, raspberry liqueur, Calvadoes or Kirsch. It’s a case of very little chocolate, a lot of booze. This is not necessarily a bad thing.

I also grabbed a bottle of Minerva Kalamata Extra Virgin olive Oil ($13.30 for a 500ml bottle) from Greece. It has a light, mild, easy-to-like flavour that is in such contrast to the actual olive, which tastes delightfully salty and meaty when cured.

Minerva’s Kalamata Olive Spread ($4.99 for a 100g jar) and Green Chalkidiki Olive Spread ($3.99 for a 100g jar) are set to become staples in my pantry. The green olive spread is tangy and bright, being flavoured with red and green peppers. Spread on crackers or serve alongside grilled fish.

I’m spreading the Kalamata olive tapenade on toasted focaccia and topping with grilled zucchini and peppers for an umami-filled vegetarian sandwich. It goes very well with warm chunks of baguette too.

FOUR BETTER: Have a cuppa at the Wiener Kaffeehaus stand (main picture), indulge in some Chocolats Aux Liqueurs (far left), Minerva’s Kalamata Olive and Green Chalkidiki Olive spreads (left), and Tranches d’Oranges Confites and Orangettes (below).

Carrefour, Suntec City Mall, 3 Temasek Boulevard, tel: 6333-6868. Opening hours: 10am to 10,30pm (Sundays to Thursdays), 10am to 11pm (Fridays and Saturdays).