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In my honest opinion, pasta is just, pasta. For a quick, satisfying yet inexpensive pasta fix, I always look to Pastamania. I've been to the outlets at Lot 1 and at Causeway Point as well, but the standard varies, and I think the ones at West Mall are done most suited to my preference.

My favourite order is the Chicken Sausage, with pasta choice of fusilli and linguine, and I always ask to replace the green peas with Ham. Don't you just hate restaurants that do not allow such slight customizations of dishes? That said, I guess I'm just that little over picky with my pasta - my boyfriend always has trouble getting my order right, heh.The pasta is always cooked just nice - not tough and undercooked, nor limpy and overcooked. I'm no fan of tomato-based pasta, but I thought the addition of tomato in the sauce actually complemented the dish, lightening the cream sauce slightly so you don't get sick from too much of it. The tomato flavour itself was not at all overwhelming, and gave the dish a very appealing blush.

The replacement of green peas with ham gave the dish a salty edge and is at an additional $1, but we have been charged more than $2 on several occasions. We always upgrade our pasta with a drink and soup, which is accompanied by toasted garlic bread. Though kind of watered down, the soup retains its flavor, and always arrives warm - a good time filler while we wait for the mains to be served up.

The banana chocolate dessert pizza at Pastamania is also fantastic. Melted chocolate and warm banana slices lends a sweet touch to the slightly salty thin and crispy doughy crust.

After finishing my food, I stared at my boyfriend for 10 straight minutes while he tries intently to finish his. At his last mouthful, he quietly said "Miaow!", which was really funny and appropriate because he's had this dish for lunch the past three days:Just one whole piece of fish paired with a bowl of rice. Yup, 3 consecutive days. My big-meat-eater boyfriend, who rarely touches boned fishes.

Soon Fatt does not scrimp on the portion. The huge piece of fish lying on a bed of shredded cabbage on one side has been left fleshy and untouched, while its other side had a thin layer of crunchy fish meat. Lying alongside its body is the 'extra' flesh taken from the side facing down.

We first took note of the dish when a fellow colleague mentioned about it once. The sheer size of the fish ensures a filling meal, and hiding beneath the crisp surface is very moist and fresh flesh. The bowl of rice served with the fish had fluffy rice grains and was always served steamy hot.

I've tried their bimbimbab and spicy chicken rice as well. Their bimbimbab is nothing to shout about, served in a normal plastic bowl instead of the hotplate bowl. The spicy chicken rice dish was good, with very tender and flavoursome meat, and just moderately spicy. Food served hot, leaves you full and at a price point of average $5? Always a winner.

Le Chocolat is one of those cafes that is attractive but do not leave much of an impression. I've passed by Le Chocolat many a times but did not ever felt compelled to enter. Monday evening found me sitting in Le Chocolat because I was at Ann Siang Hill to run an errand and the shop owners were out for dinner and I was starving, dinner was waiting at home, and K Ki closes at 7pm. Boyfriend also needs the loo urgently and round the corner sits nonchalantly, Le Chocolat.

As per the couple of reviews that is dotted around the World Wide Web, Le Chocolat is great for "chillaxing" but good for little else. I walked in thinking the place will be cloaked in all-things chocolatey but I didn't catch a whiff of cocoa. Peering into the glass display of cakes, I saw some variety of cheesecakes and chocolate cakes, but they looked... unpolished and thus visually unappetizing.

There was little variety in the very plain menu - some sandwiches, a few drinks. I wanted a quick bite, nothing too filling and a board placed on the floor told us there is a September promotion for pizzas going on at $10 so we ordered a meat lovers.

I was running on short circuit because it has been a long day. Also, a ravenous young lady is a crazy sword-wielding woman. The 2 staff were nervously checking on the pizza every few minutes but it was taking forever to get cooked. We were too hungry so we went back and ordered a blueberry cheesecake, and even that, took a while to come.To their credit, the cheesecake arrived well-presented and tasted like.. cheesecake.
The pizza was their saving grace. There was a generous amount of chicken chunks, bacon and cheese in there - how can anything with bacon in them be any less than good?! Though a little greasy, the pizza had a chewy texture, which when paired with the satisfying crunch of the thin, crisp base, and salty bacon made for a really savoury pizza that we approve of.

The food at Le Chocolat Cafe may not be fantastic, but it is located in a very quiet neighbourhood with very nice atmosphere, so it is still very recommended for an unhurried, relaxing, and private catch-up with a girlfriend over a cuppa, although much is left to be desired when it comes to waiting time, the food variety, and the slightly bruised cakes sitting in the display.

Hatched celebrated their 2nd Anniversary with a special Anniversary menu on their Anniversary weekend. I couldn't not feel excited after looking at the mouthwatering preview pictures of what lays ahead at Hatched on the 17th and 18th of Sep. I made a reservation for Sunday brunch and waited in anticipation for the excruciatingly-slow work week to tick pass.We were quickly shown to our table, food arrived quickly, and service was good. Both my boyfriend and I ordered poach egg dishes. My dish rocked! As always, the eggs were perfectly runny, and I loved the saltiness on my plate. One poached egg sat atop ham and bacon whilst the other sat atop minced beef, both cradled in soft english muffins. When poked apart, the yolk oozed out to drench whatever sits beneath in its goodness. Boyfriend loved his poached eggs with smoked salmon as well, complimenting its savory saltiness as I did with my dish. However, I didn't quite like the sauteed potatoes which they replaced the usual side of homemade mash with.

There were hits and then there were misses. Minimal decorations were placed up for this 'celebration'. All they had that I could see was a silver foil balloon shaped in a numerical 2. The atmosphere was too 'busy' for my liking - for the special occasion, they have placed tables in the lobby area outside the cafe itself to expand seating capacity, which looked kind of disoriented. The couples were all placed at one side, with our tables so close to each other our elbows were knocking with the couple's at the next table.The egg-shaped pancakes with cream cheese, bacon bits and walnuts which I was looking forward to most were a letdown. The bacon bits looked and tasted more like char siew and the thick slab of cream cheese was concentrated in the middle. They served this dish together with the 2 mains, so perhaps it had been left to cool a little whilst on our table, resulting in a lacklustre dish as pancakes have to be eaten whilst piping hot.

Nestled in between one whole stretch of all sorts of eateries quietly sits Big Bad Wolf, where the Wolf hides slyly in the different corners of the establishment.The menu at Big Bad Wolf isn't the extensive sort, which I prefer, because you can always be sure that the food will all be up to standard. A big, comprehensive menu just gives me a headache from having to play the guessing game.

I had perused the reviews online, and walked in knowing just what I was going to order - their signature Big Bad Wolf burger and Cottage Pie, of course!I had meant to order The Works, which was Big Bad Wolf with an addition of fried egg, bacon and cheese(!!), (and I just realized) what arrived on our table was just the Big Bad Wolf

The medium done burger I had at Relish was just nice, while the medium-well done burger my boyfriend had was a little too dry for my liking. Using that as a gauge, we opted for just medium for our burger at Big Bad Wolf. Alas, the patty came a little raw but nonetheless still very tasty. The patty was really thick and was just that tiny bit of nicely charred on the outside. The buns were also lightly toasted and went hand-in-hand with the other toppings.

The fries and sauce that came on the side was also another winner. They were not at all oily, came piping hot, crisp on the outside and mushy on the inside. I would say they tasted very similar to those at Swensen's.The Cottage Pie arrived at our table in a most adorable little piggy bowl. I didn't think the dish was exceptional, but it was good as well, with a layer of mashed potato hugging the chunky minced beef below.The root beer floats at BBW had a tiny twist to it, giving patrons a choice of vanilla, cookies & cream and chocolate ice cream flavours. It didn't taste too different from those traditional ones from A&W, and finished off the meal very well.

The customer service here was excellent. When I accidentally pushed my huge scoop of ice cream downwards which caused the root beer to overflow, one of the staff immediately rushed forward with a dish towel and lots of serviettes. All of them were really friendly and smiley and were always happy to offer us more sauces, or stop for a chat.

I also liked that the food came really quickly, and I loved how the theme was injected all over the restaurant - even the toilet sign, which reads 'Restroooom....' had a really cute wolf and red riding hood motifs on it. Big Bad Wolf is indeed real Badass. Thumbs up!

SGD 20(Dinner)

i never had much interest in these little swirl buns that i see at many bakeries. i usually just give them a cursory glance and that's it. but then one day my boss went around giving out these little swirl buns, so i couldn't say no. there were 3 colour choices - white, black, and green. i choosed the green. i wrapped it up in tissue paper, stuffed it into my bag, and only remembered its weeny existence when i got really hungry while waiting in the car for my boyfriend to run an errand.

i was surprised. the tiny, innocent and inferior looking bun turned out to be really good! the bun with green swirls was kaya, and the ones with white or black swirls were custard and chocolate respectively.

these swirl buns, or warrants, from Provence had a milky, buttery taste that wasn't heavy - it was very light and airy, very soft, very moist. you literally go NomNomNom while chewing on it. the different flavourings were also absorbed well by the bun, making the different taste pretty distinct. they are really, if i dare say, the most perfect tasting little buns ever. and they smell so delicious.the other day i suddenly remembered this little wonder bun(ha!) so we made the trip to the nearest Provence which was at West Coast Plaza (thank god they are not all clustered in town area), waited in the car while my boyfriend quickly grabbed them warrants, and off we go. unfortunately, the outlet at West Coast Plaza do not carry the kaya flavoured ones - a disappointment.

priced at 10 mini pieces for $7, they are indeed an indulgence. but i reckon they are worthy of an occasional, fancy treat. i'm going to save them for this weekend when i'm going to sit by the window in my pajamas at 2pm munching on one of these warrants with a steamy cup of tea in one hand and the other - a piece of novel: Bliss=)

the array of dishes sitting behind the glass display may look appetizing, but they have in fact been there a while, which explains why most of the dishes never arrive warm.

that's the problem with having food "chap chye" style - they give us such a huge variety to choose from that they can't possibly keep replenishing everything, so i guess the fact that the porridge always come warm, with the rice grains just cooked right, and perfectly watery, make up for it. for an "economic rice" sort of place though, i do think the food they offer are way too pricey. the first time i was here with my boyfriend's family, the bill for 5 of us came up to almost $50. this time round, it was just slightly more than $16 for the 2 of us, which means it costs about $8 to $10 per head to have a simple meal here, which is almost triple of what you would pay for a (warm) packet of economic rice at a food court.

so why are we back a second time?
the fact that their food gives us a cosy feeling in our stomach, because they are just the kind of dishes that your grandma would cook, and the way she would cook it, not just because they are tasty, but because it evokes a homecoming feel, think: chai-poh egg and spicy porky bits.
i guess that explains why almost all the tables at the 3/4-filled restaurant were occupied by families on both visits, since most mums never cook anymore - in fact, *my* mum cook only once a year, if i'm lucky. but perhaps it's just a "chinese thing".
it is also relatively more comfortable to eat at as compared to the noisy and crowded food court or coffee shop.

however, if we were to come at a time when the dishes are just freshly-cooked, i have a feeling it'll be an entirely different, and very tasty, fulfilling meal. so i'm throwing in a benefit of the doubt - i'm coming back for "that feel", well, UNTIL i learn to hold my own in the kitchen that is!

SGD 10(Dinner)

pandan coconut waffles are, i guess, a signature of neighbourhood bakeries in singapore. i can never resist the aroma that comes out of those machines every time i walk by. i've tried them at numerous such bakeries, but none beats those you can find here at Bread Garden, bukit batok! unlike those from other bakeries which are thin and sometimes, limpy, the ones here are really fluffy!of course, preference vary from person to person. i love my waffles soft as opposed to the crunchy, over crispy kinds. the waffles from here are really tender and chewy, and so friendly to the wallet too at only $1.

they are good already on their own, but if you must, they taste best with peanut butter spread. i've tried chocolate, and kaya, but i thought they were too sweet and overwhelms the taste of the pancake. the cheese didn't go too well with the waffle either.

i have them at least a few times per week, even my boyfriend's curious mum are now addicted to them after finally relenting and giving it a try after seeing me munching away happily at them so often. teehee!

SGD 1(Other)

i had an awesome first dining experience at fridays early this year.my favourite was the fried mac & cheese. it was really creamy and the macaroni was cooked just right - not too soft/soggy or anything like that. though cheesy, it didn't get to be too overwhelming i guess because it's in bite-sizes and deep frying probably helped. on my first visit it came piping hot and crispy. steam rose up when you sliced through the middle. sadly, on my return visit recently, it came lukewarm and though not horrible, it wasn't as good. i can't seem to find this on the menu anymore. but the batter used to fry the prawns with were light yet flavourful and the prawns were really fresh. the fries were really good too with crispy exterior and soft insides. they had a strong potato flavour which i really liked. thankfully this trip round the fries were just as yummy so i happily attacked all of it

i left it to boyfriend with my order because he's the one who always chooses the winning dishes.i have never been crazy about ribs but i thought this was okay. however, the gravy was a tad too sweet for my liking.boyfriend really liked the roasted pork. the meat was really tender and falls apart easily. the mashed potatoes were really soft and melts into the sauce to create a rather light paste to dip the meat in.

though not out-of-this-world, the grills should suit a meat-lover pretty well. be prepared for a huge tear in your pocket though - 2 mains & an appetiser came up to about $100 for the 2 of us. next time i'm here, i'm going to keep my eyes away from those big, bad meats - they prove to be too much for a lady!

SGD 50(Dinner)

my third visit here, and every time, i fall in love all over again harder. every trip back, boyfriend and i will spend the meal reminiscing about our first date here, which was in all senses of the word, Perfect.there are not that many all day breakfast places in Singapore, much less one that scores hits all round. i love the rustic cosiness of the establishment, and hope to one day be able to mimic the feel that Hatched has created in their very simple, yet super effective interior design to my own dining room-kitchen decorations. i love the quiet calmness the restaurant lends to the people seated in there. but most of all, i love how they love the food they serve.

the thing about Hatched is how they pay such close attention to the details on the plates they serve. from the presentation of how the food is stacked or displayed, to how they add little decorations here and there, to the way they make sure that their buns are all nicely seasoned and toasted, and how every individual items, especially their eggs are SO perfectly cooked, like Perfectly Cooked. i've tried their pancakes party, sir benedict, cowboy burger, sleepover, philly and croque madame and not once have something been out of place. although all of them were so very delish, i will always, always come back for their poached eggs, namely sir benedict.

this trip round, to celebrate another monthsary, we dropped by Hatched again for yet another Perfect little date.kudos to their hot chocolate for not tasting like 'just milo'.

everything on their menu's just so flawless there's really not much i can say, but i do selfishly hope Hatched will remain this way, for a long time coming

SGD 22(Dinner)

it was a complete coincidence that we found ourselves at Smiths.

unlike tons of people who got to know about Smiths from excited bloggers singing praises about it when it first opened last year, we just happened to drive pass balmoral plaza one day and "authentic fish and chips" caught our eye so that very weekend when once again we found ourselves growing impatient over where to eat, Smiths popped into mind.the fish and chips came multi-wrapped in parchment paper, which was probably what helped to keep the fish so piping hot! the parchment paper also took away some of the excess oil, which i liked. what would hit you when you unwrap it would be the huge portion of it. the batter was light and crispy, and just nicely fried with very fresh, steamy hot meat inside. i got the haddock while boyfriend got the cod. the cod, when sliced, falls easily apart. if you like your fish to be a bit firmer, go for the haddock.

the chips were thick and soft, and most importantly, not the oily sort that many places serve. the condiments, besides chili sauce and tomato sauce, include vinegar and salt. although i didn't touch the vinegar, i loved this touch as i do love my chips to be just a tad on the saltier side

although i still hope to one day have fish and chips the 'traditional english way', that is, wrapped up in a newspaper cone with no cutleries and sitting by the sea, for now i would just have to settle with next best - Smiths, the best fish & chips i've tried so far

SGD 17(Lunch)

with more than 30 TCC outlets(according to their website) dotted all over the island you would think having been in Singapore all my life i would have eaten here at least once but nooo... yesterday was my very first visit, and all because the outlet at Anchorpoint’s so impossibly dreamy - think huge faux white framed casement windows, sweet little garden railings and sheer lace curtains!the instant you step into the restaurant you can literally feel the air around you mellow. we were shown to a corner table which was great because we love our privacy and the chairs were huge and cushiony – perfect to sit back, relax, and have a nice long quiet chat. unfortunately we had some difficulty catching the attention of the staff when we were ready to order and again when we wanted the bill. i was feeling pasta and i prefer creamy based to tomato based ones so with fingers crossed i decided to go for the Smoked Halibut Tagliatelle. sadly, i didn’t like it, probably because I never take raw food (no sashimi and no escargot for me please) and the Halibut in my dish came cold and uncooked. i also felt that the sauce had a fishy taste. the ever-safe boyfriend choosed the seafood aglio olio and he Loved it! the pasta was garlicky and had the right amount of spicy in it and the scallops and prawns were just lightly pan-fried so there's a very slight crisp outside and very soft and fresh meat insidethe peppermint-choc frappe i had was more peppermint than chocolate whilst i like it more chocolaty with a minty after-taste so i didn't quite like my choice of drink which had a tinge of bitter in it.

despite some bad choices made in my less than awesome first visit at TCC, i'm sure you'll catch me back again for this:pancakes with a name like castle in the clouds!? yes, please!

SGD 25(Lunch)

... having your pancakes arrive fluffy and piping hot and getting to wash it all down with a tall glass of delicious chocolate peanut butter milkshake!i had the medium stack (that's 3 pancakes) with bacon. hands down, the best pancakes i have ever tasted, even better (in my opinion) than the ones at Hatched, and that is saying a lot. i think their secret is serving the pancakes literally piping hot so it remains so fluffy, and such a short wait too! the previous time i was here, i had the sweet strawberries set. i still love the original stacks best. i imagine their pancakes have gotten even fluffier with every visit, but that's probably just me!

it was too bad i had dinner beforehand, if not i imagine piling on the scrambled eggs, the sausages and sauteed mushrooms would be heaven on earth, seeing as how the bacon was handled so well too!

how could we forget their milkshakes? pancakes and milkshakes go hand-in-hand for optimum satisfaction, or so i say. their milkshakes are really thick and so good. how could you ever make the choice between chocolate peanut butter and nutella though? wished i could ask for half a glass of both

if not for their absolutely delish offerings and my crazy love for pancakes though, i wouldn't have liked coming back here at all. parking is horrendous and i didn't like having girls scream with laughter so close in my ears and listening in on every single word of the conversation next door. i accept though. because this is love. hehe.

SGD 10(Lunch)

Dropped by Pizza Memoirs with some colleagues after work one day. The Foundry's corner black building is pretty hard to miss.

It's surprisingly how The Foundry could house all of Pizza Memoirs, The Better Burger, Tiffin North Indian, Baan Khun Nai Authentic Thai Cuisine and The Foundry Bar in one building yet still make the area feel so spacious and airy.

There were fans planted strategically around the open concept cafe. The wooden table and slanted back wooden chairs gave the cafe a very laid-back feel, and little strings of lights were strewn overhead in the bar area, setting the mood for a timeless night of good conversations, pizza and beer.

Apart from the 'iced water' they served which were barely chilled (i like mine very icy cold), and the huge TV screen that were blaring at max volume, i really liked the ambience and the pizzas we tried at Pizza Memoirs.

We had the 3 special gourmet pizzas that were indeed very special and very aptly named at that. I honestly did not think such weird combinations could produce such yummy results. Thumbs up on the creativity here.

The crust of the pizzas were also very chewy and nicely cooked with no burnt (bitter) parts. There were Caramelized Onions, Miso Mayo Sauce, Mozzarella, Pineapples and Fish Bak Kwa in there. The Fish Bak Kwa tasted like otak-otak and could be smelt and tasted in the entire slice. I could also taste every of the ingredients in there. This was the favourite amongst my colleagues. Squid Ink and Pizza? Who would have thought? The black pepper and chili gave the pizza a very pleasant spicy aftertaste and the squid rings were good-sized and fresh.The Taboo was very flavorful, as it should be, with Marsala curry sauce, chili and generous chunks of curry chicken cubes on it.

SGD 10(Supper)

i love the al fresco mood Kichn has created for their cafe. it is situated in a quiet area, tucked away from the bustling streets outside, and is opened only after 5.30PM, when the air is cool and windy. the minimalistic white and pale wood decorations gave the cafe a very carefree vibe, and the smallness of the cafe made the dining experience very exclusive and private.

also, food eaten out of a box always seem much tastier, doesn't it?

i was here once a year ago and liked it very much but never found the opportunity to revisit until now. i wasn't very impressed with the food back then, i thought it was good, but not fantastic, but this time round, i loved everything i ordered! these were out of this world! the batter was light, and the squid fresh and just nicely cooked inside and out. the seasoning also gave the calamari a slight, not too overwhelming herby, salty taste. it's perfect eaten just on its own. i had the chicken roll with ham and cheese on my first visit, but still couldn't resist it this time round. the imagery from reading "chicken roll with ham and cheese" is too delicious and thankfully, it did not disappoint. the ham and chicken was just very slightly almost uncooked, just the way i like it, and the cheese was melty and oozy.

the pasta was cooked just right, and the cream sauce not too heavy, yet flavorful, unlike the 'campbell mushroom soup' kind of sauce that many restaurants serve. this combination was Lethal though, i was *so* stuffed.boyfriend had the portobello mushrooms with japanese rice and chili crab sauce. he thought it was pretty good, except that the mushrooms might be slightly over-grilled, and the japanese rice seemed to just be normal rice.

i'm really picky and unadventurous with my drinks so we went for the oreo blend, which was surprisingly really good. our bill came up to only $29, which i thought was very reasonable and value for money.

i remembered there used to be really bright, cheery little potted plants on each table though, which freshened up the entire cafe. they were a no-show this trip round. the ordering system has also turned entirely "self-service" with no clear indications what you should do once seated. however, the Kichn staff remains very sweet and compromising

SGD 15(Dinner)