Noir Art Specialty Coffee may look small with 4 tables inside and 2 tables outside, but they have their own micro-roastery with which they roast their own coffee beans. It is located right beside Madame Patisserie and a short distance away from Little India MRT (Exit A).Besides the coffees, they do serve a good variety of sandwiches, desserts and pastries (some from All Things Delicious).Very milky and extremely chocolatey, the Hot Belgian Dark Chocolate will be for the ones who love the richness of chocolate. This felt somewhat like drinking melted chocolate and was a little too sweet - on the verge of cloying for me. There was a strong milkiness to the drink too. Order only if you need a chocolate fix/are a true lover of chocolate.There's a strong zesty lemon flavour to this cheesecake, which was refreshing. The cheesecake was creamy smooth in texture but I would have liked it even more if the biscuit base was crumbly instead of smooth. Still overall, this would be a good pick to go with.Another specialty here, the Bottled Cold Brew is made without coming into contact with hot water. Apparently, the coffee used is ground steeped for 12 hours. This resembled a cold latte and was again, very milky. It was almost like drinking milk with a slight coffee flavour. Not on my list of favourite coffees.This cafe doesn't stand out in its coffee, at least going by the two too-milky ones we had. Still, it is an alright choice to spend your afternoon at, given the general laidback vibe of the area. If possible, I will be back to try the more substantial food.

The entrance is in the alleyway behind and it took us a little bit of rounding. As luck had it, we went down the right direction and turned into the correct alley. Pretty cool address too at 48¾, just like platform 9¾ in Harry Potter.There are about 20 seats available and the setting is very much communal. The staff are friendly and easy to talk to and we learnt that the place was set up by 3 friends.There are only 2 kinds of coffee available on the menu - black/white. These are espresso coffees made using coffee beans acquired from the owners' overseas travels. The coffee beans for this week were from the Blue Bottle Coffee Co of California, USA. Place your order with any of the staff.

My white coffee was pretty decent, but I would have liked it thicker. Each cup comes with a small complementary cup of the old-school colourful gems biscuits.My white coffee was pretty decent, but I would have liked it thicker. Each cup comes with a small complementary cup of the old-school colourful gems biscuits.We were lucky enough too to get the 2nd last slice of carrot cake available. This is a must-try because the smooth icing isn't overly sweet and the cake was moist. This was baked by one of the owners, who wasn't there that day.If you plan to visit, be prepared to queue to enter. A combination of coffee+cake is $12. Overall, an interesting option to explore with a friend with its hidden location and cosy concept. Do avoid coming in large groups (>4) though because of the limited seating space.

For the complete review, visit http://herpenandfork.blogspot.sg/2014/08/whale-cloud-hidden-cafe.html

At the first sound of it, I thought the products of extensive experimentation by the head chef and the results are meat-free options with a Western slant. This is unique and rarely, if not never, seen before in Singapore.It is recommended for diners to get the full 8-course set at $25++ (drinks are considered 1 course). However, if you like, you can order the mains ($12.80 each), soup/starter ($5.80 each), and salads ($7.80 each) on an ala-carte basis, but really, the full course is more value-for-money. Two can always share one full course set if it might be too much.They served a course of rosemary breadsticks, which came toasty warm with a mustard/blueberry dip. I liked the texture of the breadsticks and the combination, though simple, worked.For this dish, the correct way to eat it is to start from the poached Japanese Yuca Root to the jelly (right to left in this case) as the flavours are arranged in ascending strength. The Yuca Root was interestingly slippery and crunchy in texture, with the tart berry sauce. Light on the palate.This salad has an oriental flavor to it, because of the fried garlic topped upon the soy-sauced flavored mushrooms, along with a light vinegar dressing. Definitely for the ones who love mushrooms (me).It is definitely an 'acquired taste' because it tasted like a cross between seafood and pea flavors. Acceptable to me, but I heard some didn't like it. Order this, at your risk, but I would say it's interesting enough to warrant a try. Our other pick of cream of pumpkin was safer, it was executed reasonably.The presentation reminded me of the Mediterranean Shakshuka and tasted similar to it too. Paired with the pita bread which provided a nice bland contrast to the rich savory tomato flavor, every bite was moreish with the “meatiness” of the filling. I wasn't missing the meat at all for this.The amazing thing about this dish is how the mushroom looked so much like rings of squid. This reminded me of Chinese style fried noodles 炒面 because of the strong garlic-sauteed-in-soy-sauce flavor to it. The pasta was a little overcooked though, so it was a little mushy. Pity. Otherwise, it could really be as great as my colleague who tried it, described.

For dessert, the creamy, smooth fragrant-with-black-sesame panna cotta was a hit. The banana cheesecake was somewhat disappointing because there was only a hint of the banana. The cheesecake wasn't creamy enough and the biscuit base wasn't as moreish as it usually is. Skip this.This is a concept that takes vegetarian dining to a new level. Dining here, you don't feel like you have been shortchanged in your meal because the flavors are all present and delectable. Hits and misses, but this is a good place to try at least once and see/taste for yourself the creativity that makes these dishes stand out.

The menu runs the range from entrees, pastas and mains such as risotto and wood-fired pizzas. We ordered the potato wedges as appetisers and they came piping hot and done the way wedges should be. A good start.All pizzas served here are thin-crust, but the Family size 21-inch pizzas are the ones truly worth going for. These pizzas - the width of the pizzeria's table and the length of 2 people, are visually stunning when served up in front of your eyes. If you happen to come with a large group (>4),do not think about ordering multiple small pizzas for the different flavors. Just order this Family sized pizza even if only 2 kinds of pizzas are allowed to be mixed because it isn't everyday that you get to see and eat from a ginormous pizza like this, which is actually quite fun.The cheese on the pizza isn't as stringy as Pizza Hut's (their pizzas' cheese are the stringiest I have had by far) but it is still pretty good. The thin crust was crispy and the texture resembled that of a cracker. I enjoyed the pizzas, though perhaps the anchovies and olives combination in the Napoletana were a little too salty for our taste. The Parma ham and rocket made a very good combination - salty but balanced by the peppery and pungent flavour from the rocket.
Peperoni Pizzeria is a safe and pretty good alternative to your usual pizza joint. The thin crust is also a plus point for those who don't fancy carb-heavy meals. It is pretty ideal for big groups and the novelty of eating from the family size pizza (which might just be the largest pizza you can find available in Singapore commercially) just adds to the fun experience. Prices are on par with usual pizza places, so why not?

Shinkansen is 'bullet train' in Japanese and this 'lunch on the fast track' concept caters for the office lunch crowd here at this United Square joint. By the folks behind Standing Sushi Bar and Tanuki Raw, they do have another outlet too at Ocean Financial Centre (Raffles Place). Make-your-own salad bowls in the sizes of transit (the basic bowl with a base and 5 toppings), station (transit with 2 add-ons) and terminal (station bowl plus the choice of a meat) are available here.If you can allow a little leeway in your diet/aren't restricting yourself, go for the refreshing soba noodle base. Soba noodles are made of buckwheat flour - known to decrease blood pressure and cholesterol levels. These noodles are a healthier alternative to rice with more fibre and definitely less carb-heavy than pasta. The soba here is light with a nice bite. Pair with any of the light dressings in store and you have got a winner.
The shop is more for takeaways, though there is a counter and 2 small tables for people who want to dine in. We arrived at 8pm on a weeknight, only to learn that they were closing. However, the owners were obliging and offered to still put together our salad bowls for us. They even went a step further to delay their closing so that we could dine in. Truly customer service at its best.My choice of Terminal bowl was Tuna Tataki with a mixed greens base, broccoli, tamago, mushroom, pickled seaweed and kidney beans with the add-ons of feta cheese and sundried tomatoes. The ingredients were all fresh, but it is the sundried tomatoes that sealed the deal for me - every piece was a burst of savory, flavor-filled goodness in the mouth. It is a must-pick for the add-on. The tuna tataki was slightly disappointing, as it was pretty flat on taste and sliced a little too thin. I preferred my aunt's choice of smoked salmon more, which was more on par in taste. Her bowl of soba noodles with sesame plum dressing was delectable, and the cashew nuts she chose provided a nice crunch in every mouthful.You can also help yourself to the wasabi and soy sauce at the side counters. The wasabi here packs a punch. The pungent spiciness of it shot up my nose immediately when I took a slightly more generous amount in my mouthful at first try. I nearly teared from it, but somehow because of it, I like their wasabi even more now. First-timers to this wasabi, take only a little bit to test your tolerance.
Shinkansen may be a little bit on the pricey side for a salad bowl, but the quality of ingredients here do justify it, as does the taste. The waiting time for your food is also very short (~5 minutes at most) so it definitely is a good choice for 'lunch on the go', especially for the health-conscious class.

For the complete review, please go to http://herpenandfork.blogspot.sg/2014/06/shinkansen-healthy-tasty-lunch-on-go.html