This is my 3rd time visitng Roy at Black & Ink, and he seems to have spiced things a little up since my last visit! Featuring cold brew coffee, tea, and more main course options.His ice cream counter is what keeps me going back, the very dark chocolate sorbet and mao shan wang sorbets are the two must try flavours! Instead of waffles, you can choose to have these delicious sorbest in a chocolate covered cookie cup!

1. Masala Chicken $8.80

 

A completely new item is this Masala Chicken croissant. The croissant itself is freshly baked and is so flaky with fresh goodness of fluffy textures. The cassava chips are my favourite! The masala chicken was tender and well seasoned with the masala.

 

When I ordered this, I was told it was the last portion of the day and it was a sunday at 2pm. WoW! Talk about a best seller! I highly recommend trying this as the croissant will not disappoint, neither with the juicy and tender chicken!

2. Wild Mushroom Pie $6.50 *highly recommended*This was my favourite, although it took a couple of trips back to the kitchen to get it to the right temperature, I think Roy is still experimenting in this area. But the mushrooms were varied and the sauces was mouthwatering! The pie texture was abit too soft for me, maybe because it wasn't baked on the spot, rather it was reheated in an oven? Nevertheless, the mushrooms were enough to satisfy my cravings!

3. Scottish Breakfast Tea $5Very aromatic but tasted normal, no wow factor here. But at least we were allowed a couple of refills! Thanks!

4. Earl Grey Lavender Cake $5 *highly recommended*I'm an earl grey cake lover and this was truly an eye opener for me. When the cake was served to us, I felt that it didn't look or smell very appetizing, but digging it. I was so wrong. The cake was dense, not dry and the flavour of the earl grey lavender was very sharp in every mouthful. Not to mention, the crumbs of this cake literally stick together!

5. Muffin Pandan Kaya $3.80I'm a pandan kaya lover and this was new to me! A muffin heated up in an oven the top layer was crispy and the inside of the muffin was soft and warm. In the center, you will find a dollop of kaya.My friends didn't really find this great, but as a kaya lover, I liked this quite alot! It's an interesting concept!

6. White LatteBeautiful latte art as Roy never disappoints!
7. White Cold Brew $6.50I don't have too many experiences with cold brew but this was a bit too bitter for my liking but the temperature was great, as I sat outside.
8. Mao Shang Wang Sorbet $5Yes! The most raved about mao shang wang sorbet! It is creamy, and sweet just like eating the real durian flesh! I must admit, the aroma wasn't as strong as when I last tried it. This cup was gone within seconds, and this was the only shot I got of it, before I had to fight for the last scoop!

9. Very Dark Chocolate Sorbet $4 *highly recommended*The favourite amongst my friends, this dark chocolate sorbet could even please non-chocoholics. It is not too sweet, with the right blend of sweetness and bitterness.Check out the texture of the very dark chocolate sorbet, it wasn't icy!

10. Tiramisu *highly recommended*Their Tiramisu cake was lovely, it  was very moisy and soft. It was also dense with flavours, and unlike the last time, the sweetness level seems to be more. But it paired well with my white cold brew, it was perfect. Do not let the size of the cakes fool you, it may be petite but huge in satisfaction value! Every bite is filled with Big Roy's huge passion for a happy tummy!I'm definitely coming back for more of this tiramisu!!

11.  The Tapping Tapir (Orange & Jasmine)A cool and refreshing drink for the late sunday afternoon! The citrusy taste of the orange was very strong in my mouth and the jasmine was more of a frargance when I twisted open the bottle!

12. Cold Brew Tea *highly recommended*A very interesting cup of tea. There were so many evident flavours that my brain was trying to determine what they were. The fruity and floral aroma coupled with the fact that Roy told me that was no added sugar, but yet I could still taste a tinge of sweetness. This cup of natural cold brew tea is a wonder!

13. Salted egg yolk Muffin $4.80 *highly recommended*You cannot leave black & ink without trying this salted egg yolk muffin. Singaporeans have a salted egg yolk weak spot and this is not only awesomely tasting, I've yet to find a better tasting salted egg yolk muffin! The top of the muffin is crispy like a toasted bread and on the inside, it's a sweet and fluffy muffin.Drenched with the salted egg yolk sauce, it was heavenly! Not to mention, instagrammable.

Overall :  A great place to chill out, even though it's quite a small and cosy place, do enjoy your coffee and tea with a conversation with Roy. Don't forget to get some ice cream to go too!!

Blu Kouzina has been a place that I've been wanting to try out for years. Situated in a plush residential area on Bukit Timah Road. It's white and blue colours gives a very comfortable and friendly vibe. I've always seen groups of friends sharing a hearty meal together spiced with Greek food.The first floor dining area is more of an open concept with a view of the kitchen and the main Bukit Timah road. The upstairs dining area is air conditioned and is more spacious, capable of seating dining groups of 10pax. The walls are painted blue and the chairs and tables are wooden painted in white. There's a lot of daylight that comes in through the main windows facing Bukit Timah Road.Looking at the menu, they have very interesting offerings, such as grilled seafood platters, with the *hint that the fresh fish are from greece. The prices were pretty reasonable too. Here at Blu Kouzina, they place high importance on their extra virgin olive oil as it is their family's signature recipe!For appetiziers, though I could barely pronounce the menu item names, the description were clear and it was pretty easy to make a decision. Check out the dessert menu on the right. Items like Baklava is always a must at a greek restaurant. Other items like Galaktoboureko and Bougatsa were new to me.

Every table gets complimentary bread and go crazy with the olive oil!!The bread itself was yeasty and had a nice salty flavour to it. The olive oil brought about a nice fruity flavour and aroma that leaves me mouth wanting for more!

1. Talagani Saganak $18.80++We decided to go out of our comfort zone and try something new. This is sheep milk cheese from Messinia topped with blu sauce. The portion may look seemingly small, but do not be fooled. The cheese is quite thick and dense. Two wedges of this and I was quite good!The edges of the cheese had a slight charring and was sometimes crispy, almost flaky. The cheese itself didn't smell too cheesey, which I was afraid of. Instead it had a mild sweet aroma and each bite was soft and chewy, almost like biting into a cheese stuffed bun. It was an interesting experience. Do give it a try!

2. Mousaka $27.80++ *Highly Recommended* 6 STARS!!! Can I give this item 6 stars? It's the best Mousaka I have ever tried hands down, and this is not my first time trying it! A mousaka consists of oven baked eggplant with potatoes, minced meat and bechamel sauce. It came in a piping hot bowl with a very flat and smooth surface, off the top of the potatoes. You could see the slightly burnt edges, which were my personal favourite as it was slightly crisp!Check out the eggplant~! They were generous with the ingredients. The eggplant were so soft and moist, it had all the flavour from the minced meat. The skin of the eggplant had a nice silky texture to it too. Eaten together with the extremely flavourful and almost cotton candy styled mash potatoes, I was in heaven! Or Greece! Or Greek Heaven?! The minced meat was very tender, and you could tell it was well seasoned, fresh and alot of effort was taken into preparing this dish. Not all mousakas I've tried had such soft and tender minced meat, most had clumped up meat, being that it is seated at the bottom of the bowl.

3. Kalamaki Souvlak $15.80++Beef kalamaki served with fresh onion, sliced tomato, in-house bread and lemon. After a very appetizing and excellent 6 star start of the lunch, this turned out to be just average and didn't quite WOW us like the other dishes. The beef had lots of juices, but the meat just tasted normal and I was contemplating not finishing this dish.I did like their in-house bread which was more like a toasted garlic bread that had a very biscuity texture. For the price, I think this is one of their cheapest main courses.

4. Xtapodi Sxaras $29.80++ *HIGHLY RECOMMENDED*You know that Blu Kouzina works with the freshest of ingredients, some especially flown from Greece when you try this grilled octopus. It's like no other octopus I've tried. It is so tender, almost like a juicy chicken breast! This was a huge octopus piece, this blew our mind as we did not envision this! We starteed to slice up the octopus tail and stunningly, we realized how tender the meat was as you could literally cut it all up with a butter knife! The octopus had a very subtle flavour and aroma, but you could distinctly taste and smell the grilled goodness.5. Desserts (Complimentary)Galaktoboureko - Filo pastry filled with semolina cream filing and topped with homemade syrup
Apple with Cinnamon & Green Thyme Honey - The apple slices were crunchy and the cinnamon gave a very sweet fragrance to the apple. The honey was sticky and a bit too sweet for my liking, but after trying the Baklava, this honey was just perfect!Baklava - Filo pastry filled with walnuts and topped with Blu Kouzina's homemade syrup. I usually shy away from Baklava as it's too sweet for my liking, but this wasn't the case here. The flaky pastry was so flaky, I had difficulty trying to fork it! But the pastry melted in my mouth in an instant, before my mind started to realized there were chunks of walnuts embedded inside this sweet and delicious Baklava!Bougatsa - Filo pastry filled with semolina cream filing, served hot with powered and icing sugar and cinnamon. This pastry was indeed hot, you could feel it as I held up this plate in the palm of my hand. The cream filing oozed out and literally dissolved in my mouth! It was perfect, a great bread of sweetness and warmth

Overall : Blu Kouzina will take you through a short, enjoyable and memorable trip to Greece. The food will not disappoint you! Be bold and try something Greek!! Service was excellent as the staff were very attentive and food came out in a timely manner

South Bronx is located on the ground floor of POMO, facing the main road. It is owned by the same people behind Montana and Fabulous Dough.  Hence, you can order food from Montana and fabulous dough and enjoy them along with burgers from South Bronx! Looking at their menu, they have kept it pretty simple with about 7 savoury burgers, 4 dessert burgers, a couple of side options and drinks. Their burgers aren't your typical fast food burgers. They have home made patties with their freshly baked potato buns. Fries are also sold seperately. Interesting items that stood out, were Umami burger with a beef patty with miso mushroom and bonito flakes, The Mac Daddy with jalapeno and mac and cheese (sounds like a burger version of Montana's wafflelized version of Mac and Cheese) and Lemongrass Prawn with green curry mayo!Their ice cream burgers are truly interesting and definitely a "project" to try them all! Red velvet with hazelnut rocher icecream, coconut nutella sauce. Black sesame with green tea ice cream and azuki beans with white chocolate sauce and the one I came here for, Thai Iced Tea! It sure looks like South Bronx is utilizing the same key and signature ice cream flavours from Montana, since everything comes from the same centralized kitchen! Not a bad choice if you ask me!The interior of South Bronx is pretty laid back and really made for the young hipster crowd. Vibrant and colour graffiti all over the walls and the stools are in a bright green colour that helps cheer up the whole location. The high ceiling rises up towards Fabulous Dough.

1. Lemongrass Prawn $10.90+ add $4+ for a drink and triple friesThe faintly toasted bun was sweet and spongy mainly due to the green curry mayo. The sweetness of the bun paired with the lack of beefy and savory notes led to a sweet burger that was filled with a familiar lemongrass flavour. You could midly taste the prawns in the patty, the green curry mayo was more distinct. The bun would have worked with a thicker and well seasoned  prawn patty.I could definitely foresee alot of customer thinking of the MOS burger's Ebi rice burger, but this patty isn't as floury and crisp as MOS. Think of a McChicken with prawns all mashed up together, that's what you get. I did like the bun and the sauces together with the prawn patty. A truly unique and fusion burger!

2. Southern fried chicken wings $6.80+I had their southern fried chicken wings back in december prior to South Bronx's offiial opening and since then, their wing recipe seems to have improved. The skin of the chicken is still crispy and non-oily, but the digging in, the chicken meat seems to be juicier and tender.I liked the dip for the chicken wings, it was slightly tangy and sweet all at the same time. They did a great job preventing the chicken wings from being too dry!

3. Fried Mac and Cheese Fritters $8+I always recall my time in the US, where I had fried mac n cheese bites from a local petrol station on a weekly basis and I'm glad that South Bronx has their own rendition of fried mac and cheese fritters. Rolled up into a ball and served with the familiar Tomato relish dip (the same dip served at Montana with the Mac n Cheese Waffles)Be generous be the sauce as it adds necessary the saltiness to the fritter. These fritters definitely hit the spot for me, but on another note, when you poke open the fritter, everything falls out. One would've expected the cheese to gel all the macaroni together, but I think there's a lack of cheese in each fritter, to give it the "cheesey texture"The batter on the outside of the fritter stayed crispy while the inside stayed moist! This is probably my recommended side at South Bronx! Or if you prefer a wafflelized version, top up $4.50 more to get the Mac and Cheese waffle from Montana

4. Thai Iced Tea Ice Cream Burger $5.90+ *Highly Recommended*I loved Thai Iced Tea, and even more so, in an ice cream form. This was an interesting creation, ice cream sandwiches but using South Bronx's burger buns instead! The ice cream scoop was pretty big and the buns were slightly smaller than their savoury burger buns. The buns seemed to be frozen or rather, slightly too hard for my liking.The butter buns with layered with mango white chocolate sauce  before the thai iced tea ice cream was sandwiched in between. It's a rather instagrammable dish. Definitely a dish that would be a hit with young girls with a sweet tooth!

5. The Bronx $9.90+The burger was juicy, and this was re-enforced by the moist, dense, potato bun that is made freshly at South Bronx. The burger patty was just firm enough to linger on the palate and hold its own! It didn't really squish and flatten out when held up. The sauces were pretty juicy, but the patty didn't have a strong beefy taste as I would've expected.The bun was exactly what I hoped it would be...dense, moist, chewy, savory, slightly sweet...you know, like a puck of satisfying soft bun goodness.I would definitely head back to South Bronx for more ice cream burgers and since I can order food from Montana, these ice cream burgers go superbly well with the Cold Brew Coffee from Montana! You're basically spoilt for choice at South Bronx when it comes to burgers, there's something for everyone, even if you're not a beef eater!

Overall : Interesting burger projects, both savoury and sweet. Reasonable prices and convenient central location.
 

After watching streams of people queue up for I'm Kim Korean BBQ for years at SOTA. I finally decided to give it a try. It's main target audience are youngsters or students who want some korean bbq at a reasonable price. The prices range from $19.90++ to $24.90++ for weekend lunches. Check out therir facebook page as they randomly have facebook promotions just like the one they had on the day I visited, at just $19.90++ per pax for a group of 6 and more!They have a rather huge dining area, that can fit pretty much any party size. The minute you walk in, you will realize the drinks are on the right, cooked food is displayed against the wall at the back of the restaurant and all the tables are in a horizontal layout, parallel to the main street. You will also notice that it doesn't have a strong bbq smell, that most girls are afraid of smelling like, after the meal! Do not fret as they have vents to suck up the BBQ smells, there's even ocsilating fans to keep the air fresh.At the cooked food station, there's some sushi, soup, korean pancakes, noodles and steamed rice. I highly recommend trying their fried chicken wings. They are HUGE! Not to mention, these chicken wings put 4 Fingers to shame! The skin is so crispy, the meat is tender and the sauce has a tangy sweetness to it. Pick your vegetables and seafood too! The prawns were fresh looking and rather sizeable. The variety of vegetables should be sufficient for most. They were replenished frequently too! Lots of vegetables to go along with the meat. Lettuce is fresh and crazily crunchy and it is a MUST HAVE for me at Korean BBQs because I always use them to wrap up my meat.Moving onto the actual bbq, the bbq surface area was decent enough for 4, you could seperate your meats, ie (beef, non-beef or spicy and non-spicy) The hot plate itself got hot pretty quickly and you can control the temperature on the side of the hot plate. I would usually cook the beef atop the vegetables, such as onion or mushroom, so that the vegetables would absorb all the juices from the meat and at the same time, the meat would be good in a reasonable amount of time.After cooking, the meats were tender and juicy. Definitely better than I had expected. Grab a plate or two and stack them up with meats and also get ready to stack up another plate of cooked food! Also, to my pleasant surprise, the staff were extremely friendly and taught us how to cook and eat the meats with the vegetables. I had no problems getting the staff attention whenever I needed help or assistance.They had a varienty of meats, such as marinated ribeye, beef roll, pork belly, chicken and for those who love spicy. Go for their volcano style seasoned meats, you will not be disappointed.Check out the colours of the beef and also the mountain fo raw meats, eying for an empty spot on the BBQ hot plate! The Beef Rolls cook fast and I cut them up into even pieces. These fine slices of beef are delectable and easy to eat. They are savoury but not overwhelming, and make for the perfect start to my Korean BBQ feast.The bacon strips were my favourite. Probably the most unhealthy, but it was salty and juicy, overflowing with fatty goodness. The meat also so very soft and fresh. Bacon lovers will probably love the unlimited amounts of bacon available here.

There's also free flow of non-alcholic drinks such as iced water, lime juice, mango juice, rice punch and korean barley tea. All the drinks tasted rather diluted to me but the sweetest drink for me which I liked was the rice punch. They also sell alcoholic drinks for those who want a complete Korean bbq meal!

Conclusion : I'm Kim delivered great value meats and cooked food buffet with excellent staff service and atmosphere.

Head here for a fuss free korean BBQ that is gentle on your wallet!

Located in the busy bukit Merah hawker centre is this fried fish noodles stall that seems to have garnered its share of loyal customers. It was my first time here and I couldn't help notice the long queues at this stall despite them selling a bowl of  fish noodles at $3.70 compared to other competitors around the hawker centre who sell the same bowl for $3.
They also sell seafood noodles, porridge and you have a choice of fried or sliced fish. Most customers seemed to had takeaway orders. Some ordering up to 5 bowls to go!

Check out the amount of fried fish! It's a mountain of fried fish to be honest!

I like my fried fish to separate from the soup so that it doesn't turn soggy. They have about 6 pieces of fried fish. 
On top of the noodles they were generous with the fried omelette. Using pure oil at high temperatures and egg white you get this crispy brown, light and fluffy texture! 

Next up the fish. I was so disappointed as the fish wasn't crispy or hot. It was soggy despite being dry! I should've realized when I saw that mountain of fried fish that the pieces must've been sitting outside for a long while before being served to customers. I've eaten a lot of fried fish noodles and this was literally a sad bowl of fried fish noodles.

The Ee mian tasted okay and since there's the omelette on top as garnishing, they didn't bother to provide you with an egg in the soup.

All in all, a rather disappointing meal in a hawker centre. I am confused as to why this stall had such a long queue.