stargirl

I've never had a good impression of Bakerzin's macarons, and my recent experience with them proved my suspicions. While they're are cheaper than most at $1.50 each, I wouldn't even buy them if they were going for $0.10. The shells were disappointingly dry and crumbly; and most of the macarons were so saccharine sweet, the flavors couldn't be discerned. The least atrocious of the lot would be the rose and the chocolate, but they still fared far below my expectation of a decent macaron.

My still ongoing search for the best pancakes in Singapore would be incomplete without trying those at Wild Honey, an all-day breakfast joint located in the chi-chi Mandarin Gallery. With breakfast sets starting at $18++, dining at Wild Honey does not come cheap. Unfortunately, Wild Honey's pancakes proved to be both the priciest and the least inspiring ones I've had so far.

I've always favored thick pancakes, but nothing prepared me for the mighty filling, six-centimeter-tall stack that came along with the Canadian breakfast ($18++). Though soft and fluffy, the pancakes proved to be too heavy for my liking. There was nothing spectacular about the wild berry and hibiscus compote, and I was disappointed with the tough bacon as well.

Though the cozy vibe of Wild Honey is ideal for chilling out with friends, the layout of the cafe renders it difficult for some customers to catch the attention of the service staff. If you're actually still thinking of checking out the Canadian breakfast, do request for butter and a top-up to the meagre portion of maple syrup served when your food arrives.

Nevertheless, I hope to be back at Wild Honey sometime for the popular Sweet Morning and Tunisan breakfast sets.

SGD 21.2(Breakfast)

Cedele's Classic Hot Cross Buns are available all year round, but when Easter is around the corner, several other flavors come on offer. I liked the Classic Hot Cross Bun for its firm bite and for the dried fruits embedded in it. Chocolate addicts might prefer the chocolate version, which is studded with dark chocolate chips and walnut bits!I don't particularly fancy their D24 durian ice cream though. I like my durian ice cream to be punchy in flavor and this was somewhat too mild for me.

I'm a sucker for alcoholic ice creams, so I just had to try the made-in-house Chocolate Whisky and Pineapple Malibu ice cream at Barracks. Unfortunately, the ice cream was icy in texture and were mediocre flavor-wise. The chocolate whiskey ice cream tasted rather unrefined reminded me of cheap chocolate-flavored ice cream. Pineapple malibu (a mix of malibu rum, coconut and pineapple) fared slightly better and was somewhat refreshing.Thankfully, the red latte (rooibos tea latte) ($6++) was light and soothing. A pleasant drink.

One gripe that I had was that while I ordered a double scoop ($7.50), the two scoops of ice cream were served in separate cups and charged likewise at $4.20 a scoop. We were, however, bade warm goodbyes when we left the cafe.

While Selegie's soya beancurd is one of the better ones around, it isn't nearly as smooth and soft as Rochor Beancurd and GoGo Beanz. Unfortunately, the ah balling were a different story altogether. While the yam filling was pleasantly smooth, the glutinous rice skin was thick and stiff.

Following the likes of Lao Ban, Selegie has also diversified into the soya pudding market. Their version was, however, rather tasteless. Stick to the old favorites, I say.

I'm not one who usually patronizes Chinese restaurants, but Crystal Jade seemed to be the best located for dinner before sending a friend off at the airport.The meal started off with crispy cuttlefish with salt & pepper ($13.95++). This was one of the better dishes at the table.The pork chops with crispy garlic ($27++) were tender and none too greasy.The Claypot Eggplant with Minced Pork and Salted Fish was decent ($20.70++) but pricey. I find it difficult to justify paying so much for this dish when mixed rice stalls dish up comparable renditions of this dish...
I felt that the homemade beancurd with abalone mushrooms ($25.20++) was even more overpriced. Thankfully, it passed the taste test.The Yang Zhou fried rice ($12.80++) had nice wok hei and was something I wouldn't mind ordering again,I've never been a fan of E-fu noodles so I'll reserve my comments on the dish. A medium portion of this was priced at $18.80++ and was served with assorted mushrooms and some pieces of roast pork which could have been more crisp.The almond jelly could have been more springy.

Cha chaan teng (tea rooms) are popular in Hong Kong for their tasty and inexpensive food. The food at Xin Wang is however not inexpensive, costing about at least $10 per head for a meal.

The pork chop baked rice came with a thick layer of cheese, but the tomato sauce (tasting predominantly of ketchup) smeared on the rice got sickening after a while and I struggled to finish my portion. I wouldn't mind trying the black pepper baked rice on my next visit to Xin Wang though. Thankfully, the iced milk tea was decent (by Singapore's standards), as I would expect of a cha chaan teng.

I love my waffles cakey, so I didn't really fancy the light and fluffy version served at the Daily Scoop. Crisper edges would have been welcome too. On the other hand, I have no complains about the brownie-studded Salted Mister Brown ice cream that crowned the creation- though I wouldn't have minded if the brown sugar-based concoction was a little saltier.

Prices here are reasonable at $2 for a junior scoop, $3 for a single scoop and $5.60 for a double scoop. What's more, dine in customers get to enjoy their ice cream in chilled bowls!

While I enjoyed the rich and creamy texture of the Mango Cheesecake, I found the biscuit base a tad soggy. Nevertheless, at $5 for two slices, Swissbake's cheesecakes are a rather good deal and I wouldn't mind having them again. They're better than the cheesecakes at some coffee chains, at least!The Lemon Passionfruit Cake, which comprised layers of passionfruit cream and sponge topped with lemon curd, was pretty alright. While I liked the flavor profile of the cake, the sponge layers were a tad dry.

While I enjoyed the slurpy kuay tiao noodles and generous portions of tender beef brisket, bouncy beef balls, half-cooked beef slices that came with the Long Phung Special Beef Pho, I wasn't too impressed with the broth. Yes, it was sweet and flavorful, but it wasn't hearty enough and was laden with MSG. The soup was also lukewarm and was too cold to cook the raw egg which came with the dish.The Chả Giò (fried spring rolls) were crisp and meaty though. Thumbs up!

Having never visited Vietnam, I'm not sure Vietnamese iced tea is supposed to taste like. Though light and refreshing, the tea had a bittersweet aftertaste which didn't go down well with me.

I picked up some macarons ($2 each) from TWG's booth at Takashimaya Food Hall for tea. While credit has to be given to TWG for giving a spin to the ubiquitous macaron by infusing them with tea, the shells were too soft and sweet for my liking. With the exception of Bain de Rose (pink), which featured beguiling floral notes, the tea flavor in the other macarons was too muted. That being said, I adored the sticky caramel filling in the Napolean tea & Caramel macaron (black) and found Grand Wedding tea, Passionfruit & Coconut (purple) and 1837 Black tea & Blackcurrant (dark pink) pleasantly fruity.

aving heard that it would be closing its physical store at the end of this month, I headed to A Curious Teepee to check out the offerings at its café. The food menu was very limited: there was a choice between two savory items, waffles and four desserts. I had been looking forward to trying their lemon berry tart and ATCP sandwich, but it seems that they are only during brunch hours on Sunday...a pity.

Papa Palheta coffee is available here for those who need a caffeine perk-up.The quiche ($9.50) took a long time to be served, despite us being the only customers around. I had no complaints about its taste though. Flaky, buttery crust- check. Creamy filling packed with bacon and leeks- check. We polished off this pastry in less than the amount of time that it took to arrive at the table.The Vegetable Tart ($8.50) was pleasingly cheesy, but I liked the meaty quiche more. Grilled peppers versus bacon, you take your pick.I couldn't go without dessert- not only because of my sweet tooth, but also because my tummy was only half-filled from the savories. The Flourless Orange Almond Cake ($8.50) was dense and moist with a refreshing citrus flavor, nice but not particularly memorable.The friend's crunchy waffles with maple syrup ($10.80) went down well with us as well. I am partial to dense and cakey waffles; those who prefer fluffy interiors will probably like A Curious Teepee's rendition of this dish more than I did.

Will I miss the food at A Curious Teepee? Judging from this experience, not really. Though all the items I tried were decent, they were not impactful enough to warrant a return visit.

My Korean friend brought a group of friends to Chang Korean BBQ Restaurant at Dempsey to introduce us to authentic Korean cuisine. I'm not sure about the tables outside, but the good ventilation inside the private rooms will ensure that you will not walk out of the eatery reeking of grease.You can put aside your fears about overcooking barbequed items at Chang, for the trained staff will do the cooking for you here. The well-marbled Galbi prime ribs (왕양념갈비 Wang Yangnyeom) ($34++) were terrific: sweet, tender and mouthwateringly flavorful. I would gladly go for seconds!I'm not a fan of grilled pork belly, but my friend declared the 삼겹살 Samgyeobsal ($20++) his favorite dish of the meal though.Chang's 돌판알비빔밥 Dolpan-Al-Bibimbap ($20++) adds a modern touch to this ubiquitous Korean dish by featuring flying fish roe in addition to the usual suspects of soybean sprouts, julienned carrots and mushrooms. The pop-in-the-mouth tobiko added a welcome textural contrast to the mix of fresh-tasting sautéed and seasoned vegetables, fragrant rice and crunchy burnt bits from the bottom of the bowl.The bean curd soup (비지찌개 Biji-Chigae) ($16++) and bean paste soup (된장찌개| Denjang-Chigae) ($16++) were passable, while the ginseng chicken soup (삼계탕 Samgyetang) ($25++) could have definitely done with more punch.We also ordered two bowls of buckwheat cold noodles- one in beef broth (물냉면 Mul Naengmyeon) ($16++), as pictured above, and the other in spicy sauce (비빔냉면 Bibim Naengmyeon) ($16++). While the former was tangy and refreshing, I liked the Bibim Naengmyeon better for the addictive sweet and slightly tart chogochujang that doused the noodles. (My Korean friend commented that the chogochujang was slightly too sweet though.) I also preferred the chewier bite of the vermicelli in the spicy cold noodles to that of the Mul Naengmyeon.

A complimentary cup of 식혜 sikhye, a traditional Korean rice drink prepared from malt water and cooked rice, was served at the end of the meal to aid digestion. It's an acquired taste, I say.

I don't understand the fuss over Arnold's Fried Chicken. The chicken was satisfying crispy on the outside and tender and moist on the inside, but was lacking in the flavor department. KFC does better fried chicken in my opinion (P.S. they use fresh chicken now), though I'll rather visit Popeye's for my fix. The coleslaw, fries and whipped potato were run-of-the-mill ordinary, and the gravy that came with the latter wasn't as tasty as Colonel Harland Sanders'.

Having heard many positive reviews about Don Quijote (say 'Don kwee-ho-tay'), I headed there for my primero experience with Spanish food.Warm, chewy bread rolls served alongside a tasty garlic butter dip did a decent job of quelling our appetites while waiting for our mains. While the menu warns that paellas and fidueàs take about 25 to 35 minutes to be prepared, our food arrived in about 15 to 20 minutes on a low-traffic day.I wasn't as wowed by the Paella Valenciana ($30++ for a small portion that will feed one to two persons) as I had hoped. It wasn't poorly executed- the creamy short-grain rice was thoroughly infused with the saffron stock, and the mussels and clams were pleasantly fresh and succulent. But as I dug into the bottom of the pan, I was disappointed by the absence of socarrat- the crispy burnt crust that is considered to be the hallmark of an excellent paella by many. I also found the rice too wet for my liking.We all preferred the Fideuà Negra ($30++ for a small portion, starring bite-sized strands of angel hair pasta cooked in a jet-black squid-ink sauce bursting with flavors of the sea. As with the paella, we indicated that we wanted the noodles to be cooked al dente and they turned out perfectly done.We rounded off the meal with Pudin de Pan y Manteqilla ($7++) and Pastel de Naranja y Queso ($7++). The bread and butter pudding fan in me wasn't particularly thrilled with the former; the orange cheesecake was satisfyingly rich and creamy but was, again, nothing out the ordinary. Perhaps, we should have opted for the friendly waitress' recommendation for the ubiquitous Bomba de Chocolate (molten chocolate cake).