Although most of the food we had that night was rather average, the charming old-school ambience of the restaurant, complete with waiters docked in maroon vests bringing food around on wooden trolleys, is good enough a reason to visit Shashlik in my opinion. Food-wise, stick to the Borsch, Oxtail Stew, Shashlik of Beef, Spring Chicken, Baked Alaska and Cherries Jubilee to avoid disappointment.

As usual, I loved the soft and fluffy bread rolls here, served warm with a pat of SCS butter. As I had a late lunch that day, I regrettably skipped the lovely Borsch soup in order to save space for desserts (which I unfortunately had to pass on)

My order of Chicken A La Kiev "Imperial" ($19++) comprised lightly breaded chicken served with a piece of toast, crisp fries and boiled mixed vegetables. The chicken breast meat was satisfying tender, and was, interestingly, stuffed with butter. However, the toast was too stiff for my liking, though it was deep-fried to a golden crisp.


Harris's Pepper Steak ($26++) was done to a medium as requested, but it was a pity that the pepper overwhelmed the flavor of the meat. Contrary to its name, Frances' Chicken A La King ($19++) would probably fail to satisfy the palate of royalty. This comprised chicken stewed in an overly thick sauce reminiscent of canned mushroom soup, accompanied by rice and mixed vegetables.

We've all heard of raisin or cranberry cream cheese buns. Delijoy, however, sells rose cream cheese buns. Sounds delicious, no?

I always eat the raisin cream cheese buns from Barcook Bakery within minutes of them coming out of the oven 'cos they wonderfully soft when so. Gee I really wonder how these buns will taste when they're freshly baked!

What makes these buns special is how well the flavor of the cream cheese complemented the mild rose fragrance of the bread. Although the amount of cream cheese in this bun was considerably less than that from Barcook's, having too much of it would overwhelm the delicate rose flavor of the bun. I would have liked it even more if the rose fragrance was stronger. The texture of the bun can't beat its pillowy soft cousin at Barcook's, but nevertheless, it was still soft and fluffy, and remained so even the day after.

More bakeries should seriously consider making rose cream cheese buns instead of churning out substandard raisin cream cheese buns.

Coffee Red Bean Bun (i.e. the red bean filling is coffee-flavored). Not too bad but I'll readily swap these for another Rose Cream Cheese Bun.

Despite only having opened in October, Forty Hands is already drawing a steady crowd of caffeine addicts. Located in an old shophouse in the serene realms of Tiong Bahru, the cafe is named after the mean number of people required in coffee production, from the plant to cup.

Drinks on the menu, brewed from certified Fair Trade coffee beans, range from $2.50 for a single shot of espresso to $8.50 for a large mocha. The iced latte ($7.50) certainly lived up to my expectations of a cuppa from a specialty coffee joint. Strong, rich and full-bodied, this definitely kept me buzzing for the rest of the day!

Aside from a variety of sandwiches, Forty Hands also offers a spread of croissants, ranging from pain du chocolat to almond croissants. Longing for a savory nibble at lunchtime, I opted for the ham and cheese croissant ($4.50). Sadly, the ham and cheese were simply sandwiched into the croissant, instead of being baked with the pastry. Better quality cheese could have also been used instead of processed slices. Nevertheless, the crisp-shelled croissant satisfied with its light and fluffy interiors, though it can't compare to its fabulously buttery counterpart at Mirabelle Patisserie.

Carrot cake, lemon ricotta cheesecake and scones (which looked more like rock cakes) were just some of the tempting sweet options. It wasn't an easy decision, but I eventually settled on the beautifully-assembled chocolate tart ($5) for dessert. Rich without being cloying, the lush-looking chocolate filling did not betray its appearance with its luxurious silky smoothness. If only the tart crust could have been more crunchy- or even better, replaced with a buttery pate sucree base!

As someone who is not a java devote, I am unlikely to return to Forty Hands soon, partially due to its not-quite-convenient location. However, this charming cafe definitely makes a good hangout for those who appreciate a good coffee. (Psst....there's WiFi!)

Most will conjure of glorious images of salted caramel in their minds when sweet-salty flavor pairings are mentioned. Salted egg yolk in mooncakes and even macarons are some other such combinations I’ve tried. But salted egg yolk ice cream is something that I've never heard of, at least until lately.

And where else but Tom’s Palette could we expect to find such a novel concoction? While this flavour may not suit everyone’s tastebuds, I personally felt that the salted egg yolk was pretty well-incorporated into the ice cream, making for a cheesy and
intriguing taste experience.

It’s a pity that there aren’t any A&W outlets in Singapore anymore, but why not try the Sarsi float ice cream at Tom’s instead? Fizzy yet creamy, this refreshing flavour was like an ice cream float in reverse. I'd have Sarsi float ice cream over the actual drink anytime!

There's been an explosion of ice cream parlors in town, and while the flavors they offer may be just as numerous and well-executed, the key reason why I've been going back to Tom's Palette is because few manage to hit the spot in terms of texture like they do. Quality ingredients (read: NO stabilizers are added) are key to good ice cream, and at $2.80/$3.60/$4.50 for a small/medium/large cup, you get a really good deal for the price you pay. Go on and be envious (as if it actually helps?!), but I'll readily declare that Tom's Palette is one of the few ice cream outlets in my book which truly deserve a revisit.

I've also sampled Black Sesame, which I found to be too intense for my liking. I’m sure those who like 芝麻糊 will love it though! Fans of the malted milk drink should give Horlicks a try, and the refreshing sabayon- marsala wine ice cream with berries- is bound to please too.

Tom's Durian ice cream is available only twice a year, in Tom’s anniversary month of September. That's such a pity, 'cos their durian ice cream was really good- I simply had to have more after devoring a medium cup of it! Non-durian fans need not worry about the aroma of the pungent fruit possibly affecting the taste of the other ice cream flavors as the tub of durian ice cream is thoughtfully covered up. Hazelnut is decent too, and really reminded me of Ferrero Rocher!

With a generous amount of roasted pecans embedded in an especially smooth and creamy ice cream, Buttered Pecan and Banana Honey Roasted Nuts will definitely please those who love nuts. Fans of cinammon should go for the Apple Pie, studded with apple chunks and bites of speculoos.

What was, however, more memorable for me was the Melt ‘n’ Sizzle, brown sugar ice cream mixed with berries and chocolate chunks. I had a blast enjoying how the popping candy embedded in the chocolate fizzled away in my mouth- you've got to try it for yourself!

I like my cheng tng, so it was no surprise that I loved Tom’s Longan Red Date, a silky cold creation concentrated with the natural goodnesss of dried longans. And their Pistachio ice cream will always remain a perennial favorite of mine, ‘nuff said (:

Patrons of Restaurant Chako will probably remember it as a place not to visit with a growling stomach or when pressed for time, as much as for the delicious and authentic Japanese homestyle food it serves.

All the cooking in this restaurant is done solely by the Japanese proprietress, who will only prepare your order when you arrive at the restaurant, even if you pre-order your meal. Having been warned about the long wait-ranging from 45 minutes to as long as 3 hours- I brought something along to read while waiting for my food to arrive. It's also best to visit Chako during a weekday, when it is less crowded- the only other customers at the small 22-seater resturant during my visit at 7pm on a Tuesday night was a family of five.

Fragrant and smoky roasted barley tea to feed your thirst during the wait.
My Unatamaju ($22+) arrived only 40 minutes after I had placed my order, but it was certainly worth the wait. Save for those who dislike fatty fish, it'll be difficult to find someone who wouldn't love the delectably tender broiled eel! Matched with a bed of soft and sweet egg, as well as fluffy rice ladled with just the right amount of tasty (and not overly sweet) kabayaki sauce, the Unatamaju was so comforting, I mopped up every last grain of rice.

The cold tofu, cockle-laden miso soup and pickles which were part of the set were decent but not outstanding.

Thankfully, dessert only took five minutes to arrive. While it was a tad icy, I enjoyed how the low cream and sugar content of Chako's homemade Green Tea ice cream ($6.50 per scoop) allowed its intense matcha flavor to shine through. Other flavors include black sesame, blueberry, mango yogurt and vanilla soya bean.

A return visit for their Katsudon, Salmon Zosui, and of course- the Unatamaju- is a must!