If you keep your attention to your right while walking down Ann Siang Hill leading up to Club Street (it proves to be a challenge, what with some many interesting cafes, restaurants and shops alongside the narrow roads), you will spot Kki Sweets (which means cakes in Japanese), peacefully tucked away in this aesthetically pleasing location. At some angles, you would feel like you’re abroad, carefreely strolling. That’s why this makes Ann Siang Hill, in the Tanjong Pagar precinct one of the best places to chill out.Not only does Kki Sweets sell cakes (& mousse), they sell knick-knacks too. Classic items, pretty cute objects and sometimes oddities. So while shopping for cakes, feel free to look around for intricate yet simple souvenirs for yourself. One thing to take note though, is that getting seats can be a chore. Only able to sit around 15 in the shop (and about 8 outside of it), you must be in luck to tuck yourself in the shop comfortably. Furthermore, when patrons come here, they have the intention of taking their time to sip tea and complete their tai-tai high tea routine. Thankfully, my dining partners and I were in luck this very Saturday afternoon.Though the staff can appear stern at the first look, she was surprisingly helpful. We were at the counter browsing at the sleekly decorated cakes when the staff offered to go through the cakes and mousse they offer. She went through each and single one, displaying top knowledge on the products. She rejected our order on a Chocolate Cake, saying that if it was our first time there, try the mousse, which is their specialties. Of course, we followed accordingly and ordered 3 mousse.Little Red Riding Hood (Dark Chocolate with Raspberry Mousse) ($9+) :: Best dessert of the day. The mousse you get here at Kki Sweets is not the usual. If you’re a mousse hater, you should try one here, because that will potentially change your take on them. It is the smoothest and softest, most delicate mousse I’ve had, not forgetting flavorful. This sparkling gem had our umpteen approval. The raspberry can turn some off, but its sour touch to the very thick dark chocolate package makes it easy to finish. A must try.Coconut with Passion Fruit ($8.50+) :: Again, don’t be fooled by it standing tall, I nearly melted together with its softness. Like its Dark Chocolate Mousse, its filling (this time, passion fruit) is slotted in the middle section of the cake. As compared to its above counterpart, this pale in comparison.White Chocolate with Mango Mousse ($8.50+) :: Similar, this piece of mousse doesn’t hold a finger to the winning dish of the day. But oh well, its texture was enough to make us go cloud nine and happy, for whatever reason.

Despite not having a clean sheet of good food, it’s still a definite go-back for me, thanks to its serenity and ambience it offers. I’ll be sure to head back and try their other selections. They offer Gryphon Tea to go along with the cakes and mousses too.

—> Note #1: 10% service charge will be charged. GST is waived.

—> Note #2: Orders for whole cakes are welcomed too (allow them 5 working days of notice).

Giving wine lovers a cheap way out (but still of quality) is their mission.
Merchants Wine Cellar & Store directly imports mostly unique wines from the vineyards themselves. Completely doing away with the middlemen makes the cost price cheaper. And you should be glad to hear that they’re ‘passing on the savings’. I’m nowhere near a beer / light alcohol person, let alone wine; if you are one, you should head down to their physical store either at Duxton or PasarBella. They have cartons of wines (from independent, boutique winemakers) it’s like you are going on wine-shopping, except to drink it on the spot (or not).

Wines brought in are largely from down under.
Sparkling Shiraz is one of their more unique ones; one they have gotten generally really good reviews on. And instead of the usual mass-produced ciders you get, you can expect real ciders (made with real apples and pears from Victoria).
Wines by glass can go from as low as $12.Truffle Fries ($10) :: Never mind the overpriced, mainstream Truffle Fries you’ve been hearing these days. Merchants’ rendition of Truffle Fries – thick cut of fries, deep-fried to crisp yellow, served piping hot, with a strong truffle aroma and truffle-infused mayonnaise. For a truffle addict, it was heaven to my ears, mouth and taste. And for $10, it was a reasonably huge bowl of fries, and absolutely anything but stingy with their truffle. I daresay it’s one of the most worthy Truffle Fries you’ll get in Singapore.Truffle Cream Pasta ($18) :: Though still generous on their truffle, it was a little mushy and cloying in taste. There was a lack of presence of mushrooms in it as well, in terms of taste and smell. Biggest pity though, is that you get very easily cloying with this.New Zealand Tenderloin with Truffle Fries ($31) :: If you are looking to indulge in a well-executed piece of beef meat in its nude form, you’re in the right place. We requested for a medium-rare doneness, and I was pleasantly surprised that they had daringly done it. It was spot on because when diners ask for medium-rare, they’re really actually asking for a bloody one. It’s served with béarnaise sauce and / or red wine sauce on the side. And a smaller bowl of orgasmic truffle fries.

This Duxton outlet has only been opened for less than 6 months, but I already see potential. Service is good. But menu is disappointingly small. It has a number of sandwiches, but limited in mains; you can count them with one hand. I hope that they’ll expand on that soon. Then, there would be more reasons to return.

—> Note #1: Prices stated are nett. No GST and service charge.

Yantra sits peacefully and undisturbed in a corner of Tanglin Mall; a perfect, central location for hanging out without being constantly scrutinized by passer-by every other second.Though a modern fine-dining restaurant, Yantra offers an opportunity for the otherwise uptight dinner to be interactive and fun with their open kitchen concept.Now you can (quietly) play a game of truth-or-dare with your dining companions. And when one chooses dare, dare them to volunteer making their own naan at the tandoor. While it might seem easy with the Chef doing it day in day out, the cylindrical clay oven can actually go up to 480 degree celsius. To think they can get their naked hand in and out of it, each time lasting a few seconds, is amazing. Making your own naan is at no extra charges.

The Private Dining Room is available for booking for both lunch and dinner. Minimum spending applies, at $500 for lunch and $1,000 for dinner. It can take 8 – 10 people in the room.

It’s a hidden cave, the restaurant itself. It is 650 square metres big (about 5 times your normal size of 5-room HDB flat), for its indoor area, and another about 350 square metres reserved for its alfresco area. If you want to hold a big party, here is it.

If you are working in the Tanglin area, you are in for a treat. For only $19 before taxes, you get to enjoy a lunch buffet from 12pm – 3pm, Monday – Thursday. I mean, dining anywhere else in the Orchard area already burns a hole in your pocket anyway. It’s $25 on Friday and Saturday.Broccoli Cheddar Tikki ($29++) :: Thankful that it doesn’t have a strong raw broccoli taste, not exactly a fan of vegetables here. The pineapple dip made the otherwise dull starter more appetizing. It’s fused with cheese and bell peppers; some sweetness and spiciness to open up your palate. Soft and easy to slide in your main course after this.Cottage Cheese stuffed with Crunchy Walnut ($29++) :: As with other Indian food, especially this Cottage Cheese, is to be consumed piping hot. When it’s cooled, the layers of puffs and cheese would dry off, harden and ruin the taste. It is coated with cardamom and mace flavored creamy marinade.Chicken Marinated with Coriander, Chilies and Cumin ($34++) :: My favorite appetizer of the night. It’s chicken meat skewered with chili bottoms. Distinct flavors of the marination – citrusy, peppery, spicy and nutty.Mutton Pepper Fry ($29++) :: Save for its excessive salt, the dish was perfect. What I like about Indian Restaurants is when they say it’s pepper fry, they mean it and don’t give no mercy. The flavors were bursting with every bite of the tender meat. It’s stir-fried with onion rings and cumin as well.Grilled Halibut with Coriander and Spinach Gravy ($42++) :: I was very skeptical when I first saw spinach gravy. But I can count on an Indian Restaurant to make the vegetables taste right. The gravy can be easily swept aside to taste the freshness of halibut, and picking it back for the added fragrance. The seafood was perfectly executed – soft, moist and not flaky.Biriyani with Marinated Lamb ($39++) :: Being cooked with extra long grain basmati rice, the Biriyani is especially fragrant with hints of pandan-like aroma. It also seems to be tougher in nature, harder to break down, and thus giving a reasonable bite to the course. The lamb thrown in did not mix too much with rice, thus still keeping its original flavors. I like how the meat was so soft it eased in with the rice without effort. It is also available with Chicken ($37++) and Vegetables ($31++).Oysters with Chili Ice Cream & Cress ($49++) :: The most intriguing style of oysters yet. Think slightly peppery, tangy and ice cold spiciness with oysters. Encouraged to pair it with crackers. I love the refreshing taste.Naan ($8 – $15++) :: An Indian meal wouldn’t be complete without naan. Not too oily, and generously flavored, Naans can be found from ordinary flavors like Garlic to the more exotic ones like Blue Cheese and Sundried Tomato. I say they’ve hit this on a home run.Masala Chaas ($9++) :: If you’re not a wine person like me, Yantra has some pretty kick ass non-alcoholic beverage list. Crash course. While Lassi is water blended with yoghurt, a Chaas is the liquid left after extracting the butter. I loved the Mango Lassi ($10++), used with extraordinary India-acquired Mango flavors; rich and thick. The Masala Chaas was too much for me though. If you are a Masala person, you should go for this because it’s really strong.

The restaurant was quite packed the entire night. If you see Indians going in and out of the restaurant, you know you can expect authentic tastes. I must confess – I don’t usually like Indian cuisines because of its loud spices and flavors, but I quite enjoyed this one here.

—> Note #1: Though it’s not Halal-certified due to its alcohol service, all food served are halal.

Spathe (pronounced as ‘Spey-th’) Public House has already garnered a reasonable bit of attention on the general public. With the social media as a channel, advertisement reaches a new height. Taking up a space in the River Valley neighborhood, the eatery strives to preserve what is its original aesthetic values. The homely ambience digger-diners would be attracted to its historic brick-and-timber interior design, even when it isn’t so much a convenient location to dine in.The restaurant is managed by Joel Low and helmed by Chef Claudio Sandri, previously from Brasserie Wolf, one can hold their expectations safely high, like I did. The Swiss native started doing what he was made to do at the young age of 16, and has since chalked up a remarkable background, having worked at Nobu and Putney Bridge Restaurant (both a 1 Michelin Star rated restaurant). So be assured, you are at good hands. What more, at a more than reasonable price.Being a Brunch addict, I was right there at Spathe for their Weekend Brunch (9am – 5pm on a Saturday, and 9am – 3pm on a Sunday).Garlic Fries ($6+): Though it can be a little overly salty for some health-conscious diners, this completely hit all the right spots for me. Sufficiently salted and adequately flavored with garlic, this warmly served piece of share-plate won me over twice, thrice and over again. It got so addictive we got another bowl of it. Not exactly perfect for sharing. More for personal consumption. Because it is that good.Garlic Baguette ($6+): I thought it was brilliant using baguette for this dish. It almost makes crispy a given. Very tactically toasted, the Garlic Baguette was garlicky enough for me (though I wouldn’t mind more, /garlicforever) and appropriately flavored.Bacon Rosti ($15+): Such a beauty, I thought. It looks like no other rosti, and it tastes like none other too. It’s not my favorite dish of the morning; it came to my palate as a little confusing as a portion was chopped up and tasted. Notwithstanding that, it doesn’t fall below average.Spathe Platter ($24+): All things aside, the type of scrambled eggs prepared at Spathe was spot on for me. And you have no idea how hard it is to find one out there. Relatively creamy and runny, the smooth texture – those are usually hard enough to come by. And when it does, it usually doesn’t come with the last – being evenly and modestly salted. Set complete with grilled honey tomato, mushrooms, toasted bread, sausage and bacon (it would have been perfect if it was the soft and flimsy ones).Eggs Royale ($13+): Poached eggs were perfect. They are runny. And somehow I have confidence that such a renowned Chef would never serve an imperfect rendition of everyone’s favorite type of eggs.

I have no doubt that I will be back there for another meal. Maybe to try their mains. That is if I am able to pull myself away from the Best Brunch I’ve had in this new year. Service was cool too, they had no problem with us staying there for a prolonged period. Reservations are welcomed as well.

—> Note #1: GST is waived. 10% service charge applies.

Traditional flavors coated with contemporary packaging. That is what you can expect from Thye Moh Chan‘s Mid-Autumn Festival collection. This iconic Teochew confectionery shop has been around longer than possibly your parents – 70 years. With their decades-old experience, they know just which part of your palate to tickle.While these are more of the Tau Sar Piar rendition of mooncakes rather than your usual suspects of brown smooth skin mooncakes, they still carry the flavors you can find from the latter. They are all handcrafted, with light flaky pastry skin but heavy in flavors.Unlike the ones you always have, these mooncakes are more vulnerable than ever. With every cut, the fully-packed fillings, together with its pastry skin would fall like it’s free. It can be a disaster separating them, but the fun comes when you try to savor every bit of it after you’ve had your portion. Well, you can also argue that it is thus, not ideal for sharing and have the whole piece for yourself.It’s a love-hate relationship with yolks in mooncakes. If you’re a lover, you would further be put in a difficult position with a choice of Sweet / Salty Tau Sar with Single Salted Yolk. The savory one is my favorite amongst the selection. It’s just like being a fan of salted caramel – you’d get what I mean by having the best of both worlds – sweet and savory. It is so well-balanced you can almost taste both of them on an equal portion. The sweet rendition is topped with white sesame, while the savory one is blended with fried shallots and white sesame, seasoned with white pepper.Its Double Delight is made with red bean paste + (winter melon + melon seeds + dried orange peel + white sesame + spring onions + glutinous rice flour) (note the mathematical way of using brackets). With the rojak flavors involved, I have to say it possesses the most acquired taste. But I like it because it’s unique and it’s more than just sweet or salted here. The Yuan Yang on the other hand, was more of a mooncake-next-door, bearing a safe option of savory mung bean paste with salted yolks and spicy pork floss.

Each box of 4 costs $24..80, and I’m glad it’s going an such an affordable price. You can have a game of mix-and-match, but I’d high suggest you have at least one Salty Tau Sar! A large, 1 piece of mooncake is also available at $22.80. Besides these flavors, Thye Moh Chan also offers Durian (D24 durian-infused bean paste) at $35.20 for 4 and Traditional Teochew Mooncake (maltose, white sesame, dried kumquat and five-spice powder) at $18 per pop.