For complete review and pictures, please visit: http://theyummyyak.wordpress.com/2013/11/11/maple-market/

There are some places that you really want to like. I'd been an occasional reader of Sarah's Loft for about a year prior to her setting up Maple & Market, and the cakes baked by Sarah always looked so pretty. Her style, like her blog layout, is incredibly minimalistic and very Japanese-influenced. I believe she went on trips to Japan to hone her baking skills as well.

Maple & Market isn't located in an extremely convenient location for me, but the opportunity to visit it arose when we happened to be having lunch at the nearby Old Airport Road hawker centre. Its chic exterior stood out in stark contrast against the surrounding heartland area, and throughout the couple hours we spent at the cafe we saw numerous passers-by eye the cafe curiously.

Let's start with the good: The interior of the cafe, though capable of handling a dine-in crowd of 12 at best, had a clean yet rustic and homely vibe to it. Staff were pleasant and well-informed, and didn't hesitate at all with their answers when we quizzed them on the key components of each cake. It's a perfect setting to fritter the afternoon away. If you can secure a seat, yes.Popcorn caramel cake, $6.50 per slice - I could barely mask my excitement at seeing the signature popcorn caramel cake on display. What a visually stunning piece of work. This was a vanilla cake covered with caramel cheese frosting, then topped with a drizzle of caramel and of course, caramel popcorn.

We attacked it with our forks and what followed was a period of prolonged silence where all of us tried to think of something polite to say. "I like the frosting!" chirped S, one of the nicest people I know. We nodded in agreement - the frosting was creamy, buttery and really quite delicious.

The cake, on the other hand, was unexpectedly dense. I'd thought it would have the airiness of Japanese cakes - y'know, all chiffony and stuff - but instead found myself eating what resembled a waterlogged, vanilla flavoured huat kueh. In terms of taste it wasn't bad, but texture-wise it was heavy and sticky. Also the popcorn was from Garrett's, and they were lao hong (soggy). I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't.Blossom, $5.50 per slice - We also had the Blossom, which was a rose cake frosted with raspberry cream cheese. In between the cake layers there are bits of raspberry and caramelised pistachios.

The rose water lent a wonderfully light floral scent to the cake, and the raspberry cream cheese frosting was excellent. However, the texture of the cake itself suffered from the same flaw as that of the popcorn caramel cake, save that this huat kueh was rose flavoured.

We had flavoured iced teas to go with our cakes, so no reviews on the coffee here. Their brews are from Nylon Coffee Roasters.

As I've said multiple times I really wanted to recommend this place, but in all honesty this was quite a disappointing experience. Other blog reviews on Maple & Market are largely positive though, which makes me hesitant to write off this place as a no-go. I'm such a wuss. Hopefully my next encounter with Maple & Market will be a better one.

This kooky little cafe tucked away in the Upper Bukit Timah neighbourhood of Lorong Kilat is certainly no stranger to being reviewed. When we got to Carpenter & Cook one Sunday afternoon, we were greeted simultaneously by the chatter of diners, the clinking of cutlery and the aroma of oven-baked goodies the moment we pushed through the wood-panelled door. As we waited in line for a seat, the couple next to us used a vintage display cabinet as a tabletop for filling in a form to have their pre-wedding shoot held here.

As with all wildly popular eateries, there's always a presumption that service will be brusque and impersonal. I'm happy to report that the servers we encountered at Carpenter & Cook were welcoming and chirpy. Furnished with rustic pieces acquired by one of its three co-owners from all over the world, the cafe exuded a homely and laid-back vibe in spite of the teatime crowd. Communal seating is practised here, which is fine by me since I've recently been trained not to attack openly affectionate couples.

Lavender Bundt Cake, $4.00 - Whilst surveying the pastries on display, we were a little taken aback by how steep the prices were. It took just four bites to finish this palm-sized bundt cake (we're talking preschooler hands here), which tasted quite uninspiring. It was my first encounter with lavender in cake form, though apart from some notes of cinnamon I frankly couldn't detect anything else in the cake. I also felt the honey glaze was superfluous since it added neither depth of flavor nor moisture to the cake, which was a little too dry.

Passionfruit Meringue Tart, $6.50 - Highly raved about in almost every review of Carpenter & Cook I've read, this tart had a crisp, buttery shell that broke off easily when you cut into it with a fork. The beautifully seared meringue peaks had a texture akin to toasted marshmallow innards... that's actually meant to be much more delicious than it reads. Found the passionfruit curd way too sweet, but supporters swear by it so if too much sugar's your thing, go right ahead and order this.

Smashing Savoury Brioche Bun (Veg.), $6.50 - A sprinkle of sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, olives and a couple sprigs of parsley on a fluffy brioche bun. I have to say the bun was moist, soft and wonderfully herby, but for six friggin' fifty? I wouldn't have ordered this if I were allowed to have things my own tyrannical way.

Triple chocolate chip muffin, $3.50 - This was a flat out disaster. The muffin was so dry that every poke of the fork triggered an avalanche of crumbs. Also, the chocolate used was sickeningly sweet and of exceedingly poor quality - I say this as someone who has no qualms about eating Van Houten chocolates by the boxful.

Flat White, $5.00 - Like any Singaporean cafe worth their salt, Carpenter & Cook utilises the Speakeasy blend from Liberty Coffee. Sadly, premium beans alone do not a good cup of coffee make. My flat white was served lukewarm, left a slightly acrid aftertaste, and came with zero art boohoohoo. Maybe it was because the cafe was crowded when we visited, but they could definitely pay a little more attention to detail for drink prep.

By the end of our visit we were left scratching our heads about the hype surrounding Carpenter & Cook. It's obvious that they have the leisurely come-burn-your-weekend-­afternoon-with-us ambiance bit down pat, but food and price wise there's so much room for improvement you could fit Mariah Carey and her entourage in there. I'd like to think that we visited on an off-day. I guess I wouldn't mind coming back if I happen to be in the area, though it'll be an uphill task convincing me to go out of my way to visit Carpenter & Cook a second time.

For complete review and pictures, please visit: http://theyummyyak.wordpress.com/2013/09/20/carpenter-cook/

It goes without saying that what drew me (along with many other Singaporeans before me) to &Made was the fact that its owner is three Michelin-starred celebrity chef, Bruno Menard. Its price point, averaging around the low-20s, seemed too reasonable to be true. Besides, having made numerous "Best Burgers in Singapore" lists, it looked like a foolproof bet for dinner on a Friday evening.

I really wanted to like it.

Osmanthus Sancha Iced Tea, $6.00 - Things didn't get off to a great start. Waiting in line for 15 minutes at a crowded restaurant in town for dinner on Fridays is perfectly understandable. Waiting 30 minutes for your food to arrive after placing your order, however, isn't. I was so hungry I finished every last drop of my tea before my burger even arrived. At least the tea wasn't diluted, thanks to the smart move of replacing ice cubes with cubes of frozen tea.

Throughout the half-hour wait for our food, my dining companion repeatedly said "The food had better be damn delicious", each time in an increasingly menacing tone.

The Lamb, $25.00 - Comprising a lamb patty spiced with mint and coriander, then topped with a lime pickle mayonnaise and curried raisin onion compote, all sandwiched between two halves of a buttered brioche bun, there's no denying that The Lamb smelt fantastic. I took a bite of the patty, which resembled a giant meatball, and rather liked how the spices toned down the usually gamey taste of lamb. Texture-wise it was a little tough though.

There's a distinctly Indian influence to this dish, and a Google search reveals that mint and coriander are spices used in a minced lamb curry dish called kheema, which originates from Hyderabad. My friend found it difficult to finish the burger because it was too rich, but I suppose that's a happy problem for some.

The 'B' Burger, $19.00 - The rather unappetizing descriptor used for the beef patties served at &Made is "dry-aged", which led me to imagine a wrinkly piece of cardboard. The actual process of "dry-aging" doesn't actually sound much better, given that it involves eeky stuff like enzymes and fungi. Sorry, biology was a fail for me so you can read 'bout this shizz yerself on Wiki. The beef commonly available in supermarkets undergoes the process of wet-aging, which is much faster and more cost-effective than having the beef undergo dry-aging. What eventually results from dry-aging, though, is beef that's much more tender and flavorful than wet-aged beef. Moreover, according to Wikipedia, " only the higher grades of meat can be dry aged, as the process requires meat with a large, evenly distributed fat content".

Served with caramelized onions, Comté cheese and, to quote the menu, "amazingly delicious" caper and garlic mayonnaise, this burger was a letdown. The beef patty, purportedly the pièce de résistance, was so dry that I literally thumped my chest a couple times so it could go down easier. It's a reflex action la, don't question its effectiveness. As for the rest of the components - it may be hard to go wrong with cheese and onions on beef, but the brioche bun, though soft, was over-buttered. This was at best a mediocre burger.

Truffle Fries, additional $3 with any house burger - While waiting for our food to be served, the adjacent table's order for truffle fries arrived and I caught a whiff of the familiar gasoline smell as it passed me by. Naturally this fanned my anticipation (NOT TO MENTION HUNGER) for my own order of fries. Unfortunately the fries I was served contained no discernible trace of truffle. When I stopped a waiter and gestured at the fries, he confirmed that they were truffle-flavoured. By then I was so ravenous I wasn't sure if my taste buds were playing tricks on me, so I left it at that. In the event that no mistake had been made with my order, this would be the blandest truffle fries that I've ever tasted.

I guess it's obvious from my review that I won't be returning to &Made anytime in the near future. Though the maître-d's attentiveness and prompt service merits a mention, the long wait for food at much hyped-about eateries is justifiable only if the food manages to live up to its hype. If I'm looking to spend my money on food that's lacklustre, I'm going to go somewhere that serves it fast.

For complete review and pictures, please visit: http://theyummyyak.wordpress.com/2013/09/01/made/

I'd known before making my way down to Lavender that Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles was a popular bak chor mee stall, with some food bloggers going so far as to claim that it was the best bak chor mee stall in Singapore. I was all ready to give it the benefit of the doubt, seeing as how it was a family-run stall dating back to 1932. Despite the knowledge of all these facts its snaking queue on a Wednesday evening managed to surprise me anyway, and contributed to the already high expectations that I'd had of the noodles here.

Um sadly. Wasn't impressed.

For complete review and pictures, please visit: http://theyummyyak.wordpress.com/2013/10/14/hill-street-tai-hwa-pork-noodles/

I kind of get why Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles has its loyal following. The gravy here has a much higher ratio of vinegar than most bak chor mees do, which I suppose goes down well with those who like their noodles with an acidic kick. The fragrant and crisp pieces of ti por or fried solefish provided a nice crunch that provided a pleasant contrast with the springy mee kia (thin noodles), and the pork used here in all its forms - minced, sliced, livers and balls - is fresh, chewy and of good quality. Oh, the one thing that I liked about the bak chor mee here was the broth that came with it. I could literally see a meat cloud in it, which was a precursor to how intensely meaty and flavorful it tasted.

I'm going to go all out blasphemous and say that I don't get the hype about the bak chor mee here. At all. This was okay bak chor mee, yes - but to call it the best bak chor mee in Singapore when I can't even decide if I prefer it to the ones sold by the hawkers in my neighbourhood? Nahhh, I'll take convenience any day.

Just a note of caution if you're thinking of heading here for bak chor mee: They're supposed to close at 9 pm, but their actual closing time is when they run out of ingredients for the day, which, on the day I visited, was 7.30 pm.

Dempsey, an area obviously developed without any consideration for the needs of those without cars, has an uppity vibe that I'm not fond of. Which is why the interior of Samy's - well ventilated and unpretentious - came as a surprise. A quick scan of the menu revealed that prices were reasonable, so that gave us free rein to do that overordering thing. The two of us opted for briyani over white rice (duh), one fish head curry turned into three protein-based dishes, and of course we had to get a coconut each to quell the spicy.

Briyani Rice, $3.60 - The chickpea-laden basmati rice, tinted yellow and orange with saffron, was fluffy and smelt of star anise and lemongrass. It was good, especially with the creamy dal and lightly spiced fried potatoes, but just shy of brilliant. Still, I was glad I had it on hand to combat the eye-watering spiciness of the fish head curry.

Fish Head Curry, $20.00 for a small portion - A concoction of chilli powder, tamarind, mustard seeds and other spices, the spiciness of this powdery curry was of the eye-watering, airway-clogging variety. Tomatoes were used for thickening the consistency of the gravy and gave it a slight tang. The curry also contained hints of the sweetness of angkoli (the colloquial term in this region for red snapper) used.

As the dish was served steaming hot and the curry had numbed my tongue, I wasn't sure how the fish actually tasted at first. Having been cooked together with the curry, the fish head here was less tender than what one would find in a typical Chinese fish head curry, where the fish head is steamed first before ladling the curry on top. It was only when the curry had cooled down to near-room temperature that we detected a slightly fishy odour when eating the flesh, which indicated that the angkoli used here wasn't all that fresh.

Mysore Mutton (dry), $10 for small portion - Although it shouldn't be a good thing, we were quite relieved when the serving of Mysore mutton turned out to be tiny. Our opinions on this dish were divided. My friend complained that the mutton was dry and tough. I have to agree that the meat could be more tender, but I really enjoyed the aromatic dry curry paste that the mutton had been cloaked in. Consisting of mutton stock fried with (what else but) a whole load of spices and herbs, including powdered turmeric, coriander, fenugreek seeds, cardamom and chilli, the marinade was intense and permeated the mutton thoroughly, and the meat bore no trace of its signature gamey smell. Now I'm curious to try the wet version of this dish - perhaps that would solve the dryness problem?

Masala Chicken, $5.00 a piece - What we could agree on was that the masala chicken here was outstanding. Marinated with - you guessed it - too many spices to list, the chicken here was moist and flavourful. There were notes of paprika, garlic, ginger, tomato, cumin, and curry leaves. Flavourful might be putting it lightly; this was a flavour-bomb and an absolute marvel. We threw caution (along with our distended bellies) to the wind and scraped all the meat off the bones.

Judging from the numerous tourists we saw in the restaurant, Samy's Curry is the place to go if you're looking to give your foreign friends a 101 on Indian cuisine. Service is quick without being brusque, and the food's above average. You can pop by one of the neighbouring establishments for after-meal drinks as well.

For pictures and complete review, please visit: http://theyummyyak.wordpress.com/2013/09/25/samys-curry/