For complete review and pictures, please visit: http://theyummyyak.wordpress.com/2013/10/18/cakes-literally/

Inadvertently noticed Cakes Literally as I walked down Dorset Road last Sunday evening, intending to head to L'etoile Cafe for a cup of tea as I do every week. Please trust me when I say I'm really not as old as I sound. Cakes Literally, located further down Owen Road, caught my eye with its immaculately white exterior and cursive typefont. I switched gears and decided to give this cafe a shot instead.

I was the only customer at the cafe when I arrived, but the lady boss of the cafe came out from the kitchen to greet me as soon as I'd entered. A Ms Carissa Choh, to be precise. She was very polite and helpful when I asked her for recommendations on cakes, providing a running commentary on the ingredients of each of the cakes on display.

Valrhona flourless cake, $7.50 per slice. 9-inch cake available at $72 - To be honest, this cake wasn't much of a looker. From a side view it kind of looks as if the base has collapsed. But what it lacks in the looks department it makes up for in terms of taste. This was a gluten-free cake made of premium quality Valrhona chocolate, topped with mousse. I thought the cake could be a little more moist, but the mousse was faultless. Atop each slice of cake sits a cute Belcolade shell containing little pieces of Venchi chocolate caviar. You're free to sprinkle the chocolate caviar on your cake for added texture, but I ate them together with the shell and it was pretty damn good.

Orange almond cake, $5.50 per slice. 9-inch cake available at $52 - Egged on (ooh a pun) by the success of the Valrhona cake I decided to take out a couple of cakes. My first choice was the orange almond cake because it looked so shiny and I'm a magpie. Like the chocolate cake, the orange almond cake here at Cakes Literally is also flourless and gluten-free. It's baked with slow poached oranges and contains no butter or oil. Although I did think this cake struck a balance between sweet and zesty, I couldn't get past how... wet it was. Also didn't really appreciate the coarse and grainy texture that the ground almonds lent to a soggy cake. It does seem like a relatively healthier treat though.

Avocado pound cake, $4 per slice - This non-flourless, gluten-ful avocado pound cake turned out to be my favourite of the lot. So much for clean eating eh. Rich and moist, with the flavour of blended avocadoes in every mouthful of cake. It's quite a firm pound cake, so Ms Choh suggests toasting it for a couple minutes before consumption, possibly to soften it up. I didn't follow her instructions because I took one testing bite and couldn't stop myself from finishing the entire slice. I loved, loved, loved this. Why doesn't anyone else bake avocado cakes???

Latte, $4.50 - Cakes Literally gets its supply of coffee beans from Papa Palheta (namely the Terra Firma blend), so you're assured of quality coffee. Price-wise their coffees are on the lower end of the spectrum, which is great. My latte was smooth and nutty, although a little too milky. Ya I know, that's like ordering ice-cream and complaining that it's cold.

Cakes Literally is a cafe that hasn't opened to great fanfare, but a lot of heart goes into what they do. It's evident from the smiles on the faces of those behind the counter (i.e. lady boss and her mom, who was super sweet as well) and the home-baked quality possessed by their cakes. I feel obliged to continue supporting this cafe for this reason alone, but I'm also glad that their avocado pound cake provides me with a great excuse to make a return visit this weekend.

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.

For complete review and pictures, please visit: http://theyummyyak.wordpress.com/2013/10/10/spathe-public-house-2/

Spathe Public House first made its blip in my food radar with its "Mammoth Signatures" concept. Who doesn't love ordering plates of food twice the size of your head? Can't deny that the idea is to share la, but it's always open to you to knock your friends out.

Spathe Garlic Fries, $8++ - The garlic fries were served first, and right off the bat we knew this place was going to be a keeper. Freshly fried strips of potato infused with the smokey aroma of roasted garlic, and lightly dusted with paprika powder... mmm. These were ridiculously moreish, and I actually prefer them to the (usually poorly cooked) truffle fries that have suddenly become a thing in hipster restaurants these days.

Sous Vide Spanish Octopus Salad, $42++ for mammoth portion (feeds 4 to 6) - The salad here at Spathe was nothing short of amazing. The octopus was perfectly grilled and pleasantly chewy. Citrusy notes from orange slices went well together with the tangy mustard vinaigrette dressing used, and both lifted the overall flavour of the salad without being overpowering. $42++ gives you a mammoth portion, which fed the 4 hungry girls in my party very well. Individual servings available at $22++.

Mohammed Sultan Meter Dog, $18++ for an individual portion - If the individual portion's anything to go by, I can say for sure that I'll be back for the metre long version. The veal and chicken wurst encased in the buttered bun was incredibly juicy, fulfilling the basic requirement for any self-respecting dog. Drizzled with wasabi mayonnaise and specked with what appeared to be paprika powder as well (which is what I call any orange colored powder, by default), the lightly curried wurst was just a little spicy. I would have liked for the sweetness of the caramelized onions to be tamped down a little, though.

Spathe Australian Angus Burger, $22++ - Spathe also does a great burger. The handmade beef patty tasted fresh, tender and juicy. Together with a fried egg, red pepper chutney and a brioche bun, it was an exquisite combination. Cajun spiced fries served on the side were decent, but definitely paled in comparison with the addictive garlic fries we'd polished off at the start of the meal.

Spathe Public House serves delicious food at reasonable - well, as reasonable as hipster food prices get - prices, which makes it a winner in my book. Great venue for some catching up too. Service was excellent the evening we visited as well as the following day when we contacted them about a wrong item we had been billed for. I'm already planning to return for brunch.

For complete review and pictures, please visit: http://theyummyyak.wordpress.com/2013/10/04/xin-mei-xiang-zheng-zong-lor-mee

Xin Mei Xiang serves one of the best lor mee I've tried. Not too fond of yellow egg noodles because of their alkaline taste, but the noodles here are just faintly alkaline and nicely al dente. The lor bak is tender, and the ngoh hiang aromatic and firm to the bite. Generous chunks of fresh fried angkoli or red snapper top the dish and make for a splendid sight. One thing to note is that fish is only served with medium ($4.00) and large ($5.00) portions of the dish.

The make-or-break factor of a bowl of lor mee lies in its starchy gravy. Although the idea of starch upon starch may send a nutritionist into convulsions, the gravy at Xin Mei Xiang successfully achieves an optimum viscosity of being just thick enough to coat every strand of noodle. Under the hands of a less skilled chef, the gravy would be gooey and too heavy to drink on its own. No such complaints from us - we slurped up every last bit of the gravy in her bowl, as though it were a soup. The black vinegar added a pleasant zing to the gravy which derived umami from the prawn-based stock, and the whole experience was made just a little spicy by the red, green and storemade chillies.

The queue at Xin Mei Xiang one Sunday afternoon stretched for metres, and didn't show any sign of letting up as closing time approached. This despite the torrential downpour that drenched me completely as I ran from the MRT station to Old Airport Road Hawker Centre, making my Sunday a very gloomy one indeed. The things we do for food. If anything, I've learnt that there's nothing like a piping hot bowl of lor mee in cold weather.

For complete review and pictures, please visit: http://theyummyyak.wordpress.com/2013/09/30/nakhon-kitchen/

This trusty gem of a neighborhood eatery is what most of us Hougang peeps turn to when we're looking for a quick Thai fix. That the restaurant is staffed entirely by Thais should be an obvious sign of authenticity.

At dinnertime, there's almost always a 30 minute wait to be seated at Nakhon Kitchen, even on weekday evenings. I wouldn't dream of coming here for dinner on weekends, so I don't know how crazy a Saturday or Sunday queue can get. Once you're seated, however, service is prompt and your dishes are served in no time.

Pineapple Fried Rice, $6.00 - One of the few non-spicy dishes on the menu, the pineapple fried rice here at Nakhon Kitchen is lightly curried, sweet, and nicely complemented by raisins and a light sprinkle of pork floss. Pretty average, but nevertheless useful to have this on hand if you're ordering the tom yam soup.

Black olive fried rice with minced chicken, $6.00 - If you're not a believer of fruits in your rice, you've got another carb option in the form of olive fried rice. I actually prefer it to the pineapple rice, as the salty fragrance of olives and siew dam (a dark, syrupy Thai soy sauce) pervades every grain of rice in on that plate. The accompanying chopped raw onions and cashew nuts add a welcome crunch to each spoonful of rice as well.

Tom Yam Soup, $6.00 - Ah, the tom yam soup. Where do I even begin? If you're one of those people who have no problem at all with spice, by which I mean you're capable of eating baby red chillies without breaking into a sweat, then you'll enjoy this. Objectively speaking, this is very good soup - it's filled with the distinctive aroma of lemongrass and has a satisfyingly tangy taste due to the addition of tomatoes. Generous serving of fresh seafood within as well.

Thai vermicelli salad with seafood, $6.00 - Don't be fooled by the deceptively mild appearance of the yam talay here. I used to find this salad incredibly spicy, but after drinking the tom yam soup this yam talay seems to possess the spice level of a Happy Meal. That metaphor doesn't even make sense, but I trust you understand what I mean. Sour, fiery and refreshing, this vermicelli salad functions as an excellent palate cleanser and whets your appetite for the dishes to follow.

Kang Kong Belachan, $6.00 - When my conscience is niggling from all that pigging (wa I'm a poet), this stir-fried veggie dish is something I always order to try and make myself feel better. Like oily vegetables will negate the effects of the other dishes from hell that I'm eating. The kangkong served at Nakhon Kitchen is crunchy and nicely infused with the fragrance of fried garlic as well as the shrimpy flavour of belachan. Only gripe is that it could be a little less oily.

Stir-fried minced pork with basil leaves, $6.00 - This dish is a must-order for me every time I visit. Basil leaves are an acquired taste for most, and to me they taste wretched when consumed in isolation. They remind me of liquorice, which I happen to be terrified of. I do, however, think they're excellent when they lend their flavour to stir-fried meats. Nakhon Kitchen's rendition of pork and basil is one of the best there is.

The more observant among you would probably have noticed that the dishes reviewed in this article all cost $6.00. Split between three, it works out to a reasonably priced dinner. Plus the food's great, which makes this place is one of my favourite Thai eateries in Singapore. Just a gentle heads up, in case you haven't realised what I've been repeatedly driving across - the spice level here isn't for the faint-hearted. This is value-for-money Thai food that packs a lethal punch, and I'd advise you to come prepared for your stomach lining to bear the consequences of your meal.