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Butler’s Steakbar is the newest kid on the block here at Keong Saik, co-sharing the space with The Bao Makers which had recently made their move to Jiak Chuan Road from their former premises at Horne Road at Jalan Besar. Sharing the space with The Bao Makers, The Bao Makers operates in the day, while Butler’s Steakbar takes over its operations at night. The Bao Makers and Butler’s Steakbar takes over the former premises of Phat Cat Laundry at Jiak Chuan Road; a rather spacious unit that had been totally renovated to suit the new tenant. The interior of The Bao Makers/Butler’s Steakbar is clean, minimalistic and chic; generally white with cemented flooring and gold touches for the fixtures.The Butler Steak ($25++) is a Black Angus Flat Iron Steak that is served in limited portions daily. The Black Angus Flat Iron Steak also comes with a side of a salad. We specified for our the Butler Steak to be done medium-rare; it arrived with a pinkish centre. While the beef is relatively tender, there were a few veiny bits that caused the beef to be chewy. It also lacked crustiness on the exterior. We did appreciate the fact that salt was being served on the side to enhance the flavours of the beef.Going for one of the burgers available on the menu, we picked the Roasted Sriracha Pork ($17++); slow-roasted sriracha pork with char-grilled fresh pineapple, bacon, lettuce in between brioche buns. The entire burger comes in a rather generous portion, with thick slabs of pork stuffed in between with a thick slice of pineapple as well. The slow-roasted sriracha pork is not particularly porky with the meat being on the leaner side while coming with a tinge of spiciness that comes rather unexpected for how it creeps up unnoticeable until pretty much halfway with its fiery kick. The bacon strips were also pretty crisp and savoury, while the buns were light and fluffy. We were however not too big a fan of the slice of pineapple that came between the buns; the char-grilled pineapple was juicy, perhaps a little too thick and juicy that it injects too much liquid into the burger if eaten together. The Roasted Sriracha Pork burger also comes with the same salad on the side that came with the Butler Steak as well.Read the full story about Butler's Steakbar on jiaksimipng here:  https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2017/11/27/butlers-steak-jiak-chuan-road/…Read More

Originating from Germany, HANS IM GLÜCK German Burgergrill had recently opened its first outpost in Singapore along Orchard Road beside the Royal Thai Embassy. HANS IM GLÜCK German Burgergrill is strategically located closer to Tanglin instead of the stretch towards Somerset; perhaps a move to be a little bit away from the crowd and also to target the expats in the area. The menu here seems to cater to everyone; there are several options for vegetarians and vegans, while there is an extensive selection of beef burgers on the menu with a few chicken options as well. For those who are into something lighter, HANS IM GLÜCK German Burgergrill also offers salad options too. They do also have attractive set lunch/dinner deals available; the set lunch comes at a $5++ top up where one is entitled to a side, a selected cold drink and coffee/tea as part of the set with their choice of burger, while the set dinner comes at a $15++ top up where the choice of burger comes with a choice of side and a cocktail.All burgers come with a standard set of toppings such as fresh lettuce, red onions, sun-ripened tomatoes and their signature HANS IM GLÜCK sauce; one can also opt for the burger to come with Sourdough Buns, Wholemeal Buns or Naked (no buns). We were initially spoilt for choice, but ended up with the Alsdann ($17++ ala-carte, $22++ set lunch) in the “Juicy Beef Burgers” section of the menu opting for the Sourdough bun option; our choice of side was the Sweet Potato Fries which came in a pretty generous portion by the side. Being sourdough lovers, we thought that the bun wasn’t quite as sour from the fermentation as we thought it would be, while the bun was also more light and fluffy than the typical sourdough — not that we are complaining however; the sourdough buns here seemingly complimented the fact that it was meant to be a burger bun instead of one that was made for a sandwich. The Alsdann came with other condiments such as Grilled Pear, Mild Blue Cheese Sauce and Walnuts — a combination that seemingly felt unconventional. All the elements worked well though; the nutty crunch acted as a neutral flavour that balances out the sweet and juicy, soft pears and the distinct yet light flavours of the blue cheese, while the red onions add a tinge of numbness to the entire burger along with a mustard-like flavour within the sauce. The beef patty was a little bit on the dry side, though wasn’t particularly gamey, though seemingly still worked very well with all the condiments otherwise. Sweet Potato Fries were crisp with the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes being pretty evident; while good on their own, they were pretty addictive with their Tomato Barbecue sauce that is made available at every table — a must try!We also had a go on their chicken burgers, opting for the Vogelwild ($14++ ala-carte, $19++ set lunch) — grilled chicken breast is used for the burger patties for all their chicken burgers, which makes them a healthier option to go for here. The Vogelwild comes with sour cream chive sauce and fried onions, while we opted for the Sourdough bun and the Krautnolle. Grilled chicken breast is actually pretty well crusted on the outside, though the flesh, admittedly, could have been a little bit moister. That being said, the Vogelwild was a safe option; the sour cream just provided some creaminess and a light tanginess to offset the fried onions within, whilst coming with the same standard condiments such as fresh lettuce, red onions, sun-ripened tomatoes and their signature HANS IM GLÜCK sauce. The Krautnolle is somewhat similar to sauerkraut, considering how the Krautnolle is a traditional German white cabbage salad with potato dressing; not too wet with a very light tangy flavour that helps to refresh the tastebuds in between bites of the burger.Read the full post about HANS IM GLÜCK German Burgergrill on jiaksimipng here: https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2017/12/14/hans-im-gluck-german-burgergrill-orchard-road/…Read More

Eggs ‘n Things is just one of the many new F&B tenants which had recently found their home at Plaza Singapura, such as Typhoon Cafe, SAMA Curry & Cafe and Sen Sushi/Burosu Honten.  Hailing from Hawaii, the Plaza Singapura branch is the first store under the brand that had opened outside of Japan and Hawaii; the store at Plaza Singapura takes over the space that was formerly taken up by now-defunct Skinny Salad/Pizza at Level 3 of the new wing. The space had seen quite a revamp, with bright interiors with green and yellow accents as well as wood furnishings that looks warm and welcoming. As what most would have expected from the name, Eggs ‘n Things is known for their egg dishes which includes a variety of Eggs Benedicts, Omelets and a section on the menu named “Meats & Eggs”, though the all-day dining menu also includes other items such as Pancakes and Waffles.Listed on both the all-day dining menu as well as the Hawaiian Loco Foods dinner menu is the Ahi Poke Bowl ($16.90++); essentially a tuna poke bowl that comes with diced onions and cucumbers served atop rice with a raw egg yolk that sits on the top. One of the healthier options on the menu, the diced raw tuna is being marinated in soy sauce for a hint of savoury flavour; the marination does not completely overwhelm the natural flavours of the fish, while the diced cucumbers do help to add a crunch to the entire dish to provide a textural contrast. The egg yolk does help to make the entire mix of ingredients a little silkier when broken and mixed into the entire bowl, though we were not quite a fan of how the rice was served warm; the temperature of the rice caused the diced cubes of raw fish to be slightly warmed up after a while which was rather odd to us somehow.We figured out that we could not leave Eggs ‘n Things without trying their signature pancakes that most have been raving about of the late, so we decided to go for the Fresh Strawberry, Whipped Cream and Macadamia Nuts ($19.90++). Each portion comes with five pancakes that are sized slightly smaller than the usual; the portion works great for sharing considering the size. We did enjoy the buttermilk pancakes; light and fluffy, they were a delight to have on their own without feeling particularly heavy; three types of syrups (i.e. Grava, Coconut or Maple) are provided at each table for patrons to enjoy with the waffles and pancakes. Of all the three syrups, our favourite was the coconut which came slightly sweet though with a hint of the coconut aroma at the end similar to desiccated coconut; the Grava felt a tad sour for our tastebuds in comparison. The accompanying chunks of strawberry gave a tart contrast to the sweet syrup when eaten together with the pancake, while the whipped cream was amazingly light and smooth with just a light hint of sweetness. That being said, we felt the serving of whipped cream was unnecessary huge for we had difficulty wiping out the portion of whipped cream on our plate; we also noticed diners from other tables scraping off a substantial portion of the whipped cream to set aside on the sharing plate on the side as well.Read the full story about Eggs 'n Things on jiaksimipng: https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2017/12/30/eggs-n-things-plaza-singapura/…Read More

There are quite a number of eateries situated in the East, especially near the Kembangan area where Changi Road runs. South Union Park, however, is hidden at the opposite end of where the known eateries of Kembangan are found within the private housing estate. Decked out with white walls and wood furniture; some with black leather upholstery, South Union Park gives off a rather relaxed vibe that seemed to be a little Scandinavian-inspired with an open kitchen concept tucked at the right side of the bistro. The interior fittings are minimalistic with a good amount of natural lighting shining in, but not seemingly cliche compared to one of a hipster cafe; instead, feeling modern, chic and homely at the same time. Serving up mainly western fare, South Union Park serves a couple of pasta dishes and two mains for those who are looking for something more substantial, while there is also an extensive dessert menu for the sweet-tooth. On the drinks menu, they do serve coffee, tea, sodas and a small selection of alcohol, which makes for a good pairing with their menu of sides and snacks.I am usually one who rarely orders Pasta, and especially more for the case for Agnolotti for they are usually very filling for me. Their Butternut Agnolotti ($17) was, however, a delight to have, so much so that I completely enjoyed the dish and found no difficulty at all to finish the entire plate clean. According to what I was told, the Agnolotti here is made in-house. The chef here roasts the Butternut Squash before mashing it into a puree and stuff them into the pasta sheets. The result is an Agnolotti which came in the right thickness; not too thin that it breaks easily, but also not too thick to the extent that it feels too doughy. A single bite, and you would find the Butternut Squash puree eagerly bursting out of the Agnolotti, revealing a roasty sweetness that was pretty intriguing. The Agnolotti went well with the bouncy mushrooms which gave the pasta an earthy flavour to balance things out and the savoury flavours of cheese and garlicky herb crumbs sprinkled over the top. Towards the bottom, the dish felt a little bit on the oily side, but given how awesome it tasted, I would say that this is just a small issue that is not really much of a problem anyway.Towards the end of the meal, I was presented with the Apple Crumble ($10) with compliments from the chef. This is one of the desserts available on their Plated Desserts section of the menu. Unlike other Apple Crumbles out there, this variant is unique for how they have decided to not serve the Apple Crumble as a pie, but more in the form that is closer to a plated dessert. Coming with Vanilla Ice-Cream drizzled with Salted Caramel sauce, Crumbles, Greek Yogurt and an entire stewed apple, this was surprisingly not overwhelmingly sweet for the stewed apple was not cooked in caramel, thus tasting of its own natural sweetness and carried a rather soft texture similar to a poached pear. Greek Yogurt is rarely found in an Apple Crumble, but in this variant it seemed to have worked and integrated well with the entire dish, especially when combined with the crumbles for it seemed to replicate the textures and flavours of Muesli subtly. Vanilla Ice-Cream was speckled with vanilla beans all over and was incredibly aromatic and creamy. Combine all the ingredients into one spoonful, and it does replicate the flavours of a classic Apple Crumble Pie without that unnecessary sugar rush for how balanced it felt.Throughout these couple of months, I have visited quite a number of newly-opened places but there is not quite one that left me such a deep impression in the bistro scene as much as South Union Park does. During the course of the entire meal, I was pretty impressed with how every single dish came; not only they were a hit, but they just had that flavour and quality that strikes on your taste buds and gives that gleam in your eyes, and sure I did leave the place a happy man with a really satiated stomach. Service was more than decent, with attentive staff who seemed to be quite automatic in giving recommendations once you have seated and promptly coming over to check if everything is alright and clearing plates when you are done (though there were just two tables occupied at the time I have visited, you could feel the sincerity behind). Definitely did not regret my decision on heading straight over after school from the west side of the island to the east when I spotted them over on Instagram; this is one place I would do another revisit soon for I am pretty sure that I would develop cravings for their food, and also to try out the other items on the menu such as the Souffle as well!For more photos and the full review, head to jiaksimipng by clicking on the link below:https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2016/03/25/south-union-park-jalan-kembangan/…Read More

Opened in a quiet corner within the myriad of small roads in Jalan Besar is a hole-in-the-wall cafe named Ollella. Given the small size of the unit, the cafe features a single communal table and two counter seats facing the window. Ollella is a collaboration by Choquette and The Pourover Bar, the former offering a range of Choux puffs while the latter offers a wide range of handbrewed filter coffee from various origins as well as tea to compliment the Choux puffs.While there was a Mini Choux Puff tasting platter ($21) that you can try all seven Choux puffs, I was alone and decided to go for the individual and larger Choux Puffs instead. Both the Apple Cinnamon and Lemon Meringue ($4) were done well; the Choux pastry was of the right moistness, not being too wet nor too dry. Lemon Meringue was a filled Choux puff with lemon curd filling and topped with Italian meringue. The Choux puff was well filled, and a single bite into the puff is all it needs for the lemon curd to eagerly burst out of the puff which reveals a pleasantly tart flavour. Italian meringue gives it a subtly sweet touch, adequately balancing out the entire flavour of the puff.Apple Cinnamon Choux ($4) puff somehow surprisingly reminded me of an Apple Crumble Pie. Coming with caramalised apples slices with a light hint of cinnamon, the sugary bits and crunchy nuts helped to provide a texture similar to crumble, while the Vanilla Streusel replicated the flavours of Vanilla ice-cream well. A pretty thoughtful creation indeed.Being a fan of Matcha, the Matcha Azuki Choux puff ($4.50) was one that I found hard to resist ordering. This certainly would hit matcha fans well with the subtly aromatic cream and loads of Azuki red beans hiding within the crusty Choux puff.To compliment the Choux puffs, I had also ordered an Ethopia Tchembe N2 Mixed Heirloom handbrewed filter coffee ($8), which was medium-bodied with chocolatey flavour and light notes of fruit. Each cup of coffee comes with a mini Chouqette, which is pretty identic to the one from the Apple Cinnamon.For more photos and the full review, head to jiaksimipng in the link below:https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2016/04/01/ollella-residencessomme/…Read More

Being one of the ten restaurants that had made it to Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants of 2016, Wild Rocket sits at the 38th position on the list amongst other restaurants in various parts of Asia. Wild Rocket is started by Chef Willin Low, who used to practice law before his foray into the F&B industry in 2005. Nestled in the tranquil environment of Hangout Hotel, Wild Rocket is within walking distance from Little India MRT, though it is a steep climb up a hill. In 2014, the space was renovated to what it looks like today, exuding a clean, Japanese-inspired vibe that is classy, comfortable yet without being pretentious or over the top. For lunch hours on weekdays (which was the time we had made our visit), diners can choose from the ala-carte menu, the 3-course set lunch menu ($38++) or the Omakase menu (between $120++ to $160++), while the 3-course set lunch menu would be replaced with a 4-course set dinner menu ($75++) in the evening.First to arrive at the table would be the bread service, where we were served house-made Brioche with an accompanying olive oil to dip in. Baked in-house, the Brioche may seem just a tad dry initially, but it turns out to be fluffy afterwards as the bread simply disintegrates into smaller pieces instead of clumping up so there is pretty much close to zero effort to chew. The consistency of the bread might be done intentionally so that it does not turn too mushy if dipped into the olive oil, which is pretty fragrant and flavourful. For those who prefer their bread to go with butter, they do also offer salted butter on request.For my starter, I have decided to go for the Giam Chye Mustard Leaf Duck Consommé with Duck Confit Cubes, which is Wild Rocket’s take on the Chinese Salted Vegetable Soup that is served with daikon, tomatoes and duck confit cubes. I am one who does not really fancy Chinese soups, but this was one that got me going for more. While seemingly light to drink, the soup was immensely flavourful especially for how clear it was; never a moment too oily. Duck Confit cubes were spectacular; felt pretty smoky and savoury at the same time and definitely gave a good flavour contrast to the soup. Indeed, a great starter to the meal ahead.My dining partner picked the Barramundi Carpaccio with Orange Shallot Oil. A harmonious marriage of the Chinese Yu Sheng into Carpaccio, the fish was amazingly fresh and drizzled with orange shallot oil for a little tanginess going hand-in-hand with the shallot was fragrant of its roasty flavour; that flavour you would have expected from the same shallots you add into a piping hot bowl of Porridge. It’s really that comforting.Picking from the selection of mains, my choice was the Iberico Pork Char Siew with Shanghai Kao Cai & Quinoa (supplement $8++). The instructions to enjoy this dish was as follows; peel off the rice paper over the bowl, then squeeze the Calamansi to release the juices over the dish. Digging into the Iberico Pork Char Siew first, the tenderness of the slab of pork was mind-blowing; a really soft, tender, juicy slab of pork where you can pull the streaks of flesh effortlessly with a fork. Coated with a layer of sauce that exudes a smoky sweetness, the pork itself really stood to the occasion basking in the limelight for how stellar the execution was, making every bite an ironic moment because it’s just so good to have, but every bite that was taken would mean one bite less afterwards. The Quinoa was decent, but the Kao Cai was umami which helped to lift the flavours of the Quinoa while the lone Shiitake mushroom at the side also deserves a little mention for that subtle sweetness that sets it apart from the usual Chinese dried mushrooms that we are used to having. It is told to us that this dish is their take on the “Tau Yu Bak”, and the rice paper served alongside is intended to be the replacement of the bread that usually comes along as a carb; the wait staff however advice patrons against eating the rice paper as the texture of a half-steamed rice paper is not something everybody might fancy, but it is known that some patrons still do eat it.Unlike the Iberico Pork Char Siew, the Baked Halibut with Curry Hollandaise (supplement $6++) would really hit those who prefer softer flavours. Twice-baked; once just by itself and the second time with the Curry Hollandaise on, the Halibut achieved flakiness without losing moisture within. Since the Curry Hollandaise is baked along with the fish rather than being simply drizzled over the top, the Curry Hollandaise actually “sticks” on the fish instead, which definitely helped to lock in the flavours of the sauce above the fish. The Curry Hollandaise helps add a hint of curry fragrance into the dish, and alongside with the root vegetables did seem like Wild Rocket’s twist on Fish Curry. While the root vegetables on the side seemed to be devoid of excessive seasoning, they were still flavourful from their natural flavours; possibly an intended move to bring out the unadulterated, natural flavours and sweetness of the root vegetables with no distractions.With four desserts on the menu to choose from, we have decided to go for the Trio of Flowers and Strawberry Cheesecake (supplement $2++). Between the two, the Trio of Flowers would fit well for those who prefer lighter desserts; coming with Osmantnus & Chrysanthemum Granita, the flowery flavours work as a good palate cleanser for a flavour-intensive main. Together with the Elderflower Jelly sitting beneath the granita, it adds a tasteful sourness that provides for a flavour contrast with the granita, making the dessert a truly refreshing after-meal treat. For those who crave for something more conventional-sounding, the Strawberry Cheesecake is actually Wild Rocket’s signature dessert. Served deconstructed with layers of cream cheese, digestive biscuits and macerated strawberries, they were bound together with a Maple Walnut ice cream that introduces a mildly sweet, yet nutty flavour to the dessert. Despite how normal it might sound, this is probably one of the best renditions of a cheesecake out there; Wild Rocket had made their own twists to the elements that make up the dish, hence the flavours are really balanced and uplifting that one will never get sick of. Truly living up to the name of signature indeed.For more photos and the full review, head over to jiaksimipng in the link below:https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2016/06/03/wild-rocket-upper-wilkie-road/…Read More

Crown Bakery and Cafe is yet another cafe that had recently opened in the area, though it is located a distance away from where most are situated. Being a bakery, there is an emphasis on breads; Crown Bakery offers a variety of flavoured loaves such as the Hainanese Chicken Bread; bread flavoured with chicken soup boiled from chicken bones and skinless thigh, garlic, ginger, shallots and lemongrass which tastes really identical to chicken rice. Apart from the loaves that are baked in-house, they also do serve a small selection of brunch grub, as well as desserts too.One of my dining partners wanted to try their Brioche, which we settled for the Shizouka Matcha Brioche. Light and fluffy, the Brioche was perfumed with a strong green tea aroma which gave it a fragrant bitter flavour that is signature of green tea. Makes for a good light bite for the tea-time treat, and would definitely be a hit amongst Matcha lovers.Crown Breakfast is a big breakfast platter that consists of bacon, cheese sausage, sauteed mushrooms, mesculun salad, braised oxtail, tomato and a Crown Puff Pastry that features an egg in the middle. Most of them were pretty decent, but the more impressive items would be the tomato; juicy and bursting with tanginess, the sauteed mushrooms which was flavourful yet juicy, braised oxtail that was really tender and came off from the bone and did not taste too gamey and not forgetting the Crown Puff Pastry where the egg was flowy and the puff pastry was flaky and crisp.A rather innovative dish, the Earl Grey Pear Bread Pudding could be however rather controversial to some. Earl Grey fans would definitely love it for it is thoroughly soaked in earl grey aroma, with the bread pudding soft and custardy and a crusty top. In between lies the poached pear; soft yet retained its crunch. The first few mouthfuls can be rather awkward tasting, but this is one dessert that takes a while to get used to. Eventually my shameless self got the better of me as I ended up taking almost the entire portion of it that belongs to my dining partner.For more photos and the full review, please visit: https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2015/05/03/crown-bakery-cafe-crown-centre/…Read More

Replacing Lim Seng Lee Duck Rice, Paddy Hills opened to much hype bringing cafehoppers in the west yet another option to dine at. Cafe by day and restaurant bar at night, Paddy Hills serves brunch fare as well as a variety of mains in the afternoon, whereas the kitchen would churn out sharing plates and tapas-style offerings at night. Taking inspiration from Australian cafés, the interior takes the industrial approach, but at the same time also pretty homely and relaxing and food items are also plated in a way that’s rarely seen in the local cafe scene.For a side, we decided to go for the Cauliflower Fritters ($12); air-fried Cauliflower florets sprinkled with paprika salt and masala yogurt at the side. A dish that sounds relatively similar to the Aburi Broccoli Salad served at Sin Lee Foods, this is yet another dish that is bound to convert veggie haters to veggie lovers. Fried cauliflower was crisp and well-seasoned in paprika salt for the right amount of saltiness. Dip each floret into the masala yogurt and it gives a sweet tang to the vegetable. Really addictive because I was having it non-stop, while one of my dining partners instantly got converted to a cauliflower fan being one who does not touch cauliflower at all. Despite being a side, this was the last dish to arrive before the Berry Ricotta Hotcake; ain't sides suppose to arrive the table first?I went with two other dining partners, and two of us decided to share a serving of Hash Hash ($24); a baked egg dish served with chorizo, sautéed mushrooms, baby potatoes, beef shank, polenta chips and shaved fennel with two slices of toast at the side. While it looked pretty manageable at first look, we realized there was so many ingredients loaded in it that we eventually found it overwhelming and ditched a few pieces of beef because we could not finish it. Think of it as beef stew, with tender beef that comes with beef which is not too gamey, loaded with an egg yolk to burst, sautéed halved baby potatoes with mushrooms and tiny cubes of chorizo. It gets overwhelming because of the dip gets more savoury over time, but the whole dish feels really well put together with a bit of everything; earthy flavours of mushrooms, the excitement of burst eggs and savouriness from chorizo and beef coming as one. Perhaps mixing the Hash Hash would help as the different condiments felt as though they were on their own respective side of the dish. Toast was also pretty impressive; crusty with enough tension to pull, speckled with walnuts for a crunch.My dining partner ordered the Squid Ink Tagliatelle ($23). While the Squid Ink was really thick and creamy; strong in its savoury flavour, it feels a tad heavy after a while and he had difficulty trying to finish the remaining half off. Seared Scallops were fresh, while the Ikura helped in keeping the dish refreshing by injecting a umami flavour with each bite when it bursts.While we were hanging around the comfortable seats after our meal, one of our friend coincidentally came by to try out the Berry Ricotta Hotcake ($19) which was served only after 45mins after he ordered. Served with blueberry sugar, mascarpone, pine nuts and a myriad of berries, the presentation sort of reminded us of a similar dish served at Stranger’s Reunion and Top Paddock in Australia. It was pretty luxurious; the hotcake was supposedly more cake-like, fluffy in between but surprisingly crisp on the outside; pretty interesting. The batter is also pre-mixed with maple syrup as it seems, so it has its own tinge of sweetness without having to drown it in any syrup. Mascarpone added a dimension of tartness and small hint of saltiness to it, which matched the sweetness well. Again though it gets overwhelming halfway through; perhaps the sweetness was a bit overkill, and the berries were somewhat warmed up by the hotcake so it gave the dish a weird temperature contrast.Paddy Hills uses coffee blends that are specially roasted for them from Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee; a 99-1 blend which has chocolate and caramel notes and Spark which has berry-like notes. I ordered a 2oz White ($4) which I had initially expected to be really strong but despite its fruity body, did not turn out acidic nor leave an aftertaste.For more photos and the full review, please visit: https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2015/03/06/paddy-hills-south-buona-vista-road/…Read More

Replacing Lim Seng Lee Duck Rice, Paddy Hills opened to much hype bringing cafehoppers in the west yet another option to dine at. Cafe by day and restaurant bar at night, Paddy Hills serves brunch fare as well as a variety of mains in the afternoon, whereas the kitchen would churn out sharing plates and tapas-style offerings at night. Taking inspiration from Australian cafés, the interior takes the industrial approach, but at the same time also pretty homely and relaxing and food items are also plated in a way that’s rarely seen in the local cafe scene.For a side, we decided to go for the Cauliflower Fritters ($12); air-fried Cauliflower florets sprinkled with paprika salt and masala yogurt at the side. A dish that sounds relatively similar to the Aburi Broccoli Salad served at Sin Lee Foods, this is yet another dish that is bound to convert veggie haters to veggie lovers. Fried cauliflower was crisp and well-seasoned in paprika salt for the right amount of saltiness. Dip each floret into the masala yogurt and it gives a sweet tang to the vegetable. Really addictive because I was having it non-stop, while one of my dining partners instantly got converted to a cauliflower fan being one who does not touch cauliflower at all. Despite being a side, this was the last dish to arrive before the Berry Ricotta Hotcake; ain't sides suppose to arrive the table first?I went with two other dining partners, and two of us decided to share a serving of Hash Hash ($24); a baked egg dish served with chorizo, sautéed mushrooms, baby potatoes, beef shank, polenta chips and shaved fennel with two slices of toast at the side. While it looked pretty manageable at first look, we realized there was so many ingredients loaded in it that we eventually found it overwhelming and ditched a few pieces of beef because we could not finish it. Think of it as beef stew, with tender beef that comes with beef which is not too gamey, loaded with an egg yolk to burst, sautéed halved baby potatoes with mushrooms and tiny cubes of chorizo. It gets overwhelming because of the dip gets more savoury over time, but the whole dish feels really well put together with a bit of everything; earthy flavours of mushrooms, the excitement of burst eggs and savouriness from chorizo and beef coming as one. Perhaps mixing the Hash Hash would help as the different condiments felt as though they were on their own respective side of the dish. Toast was also pretty impressive; crusty with enough tension to pull, speckled with walnuts for a crunch.My dining partner ordered the Squid Ink Tagliatelle ($23). While the Squid Ink was really thick and creamy; strong in its savoury flavour, it feels a tad heavy after a while and he had difficulty trying to finish the remaining half off. Seared Scallops were fresh, while the Ikura helped in keeping the dish refreshing by injecting a umami flavour with each bite when it bursts.While we were hanging around the comfortable seats after our meal, one of our friend coincidentally came by to try out the Berry Ricotta Hotcake ($19) which was served only after 45mins after he ordered. Served with blueberry sugar, mascarpone, pine nuts and a myriad of berries, the presentation sort of reminded us of a similar dish served at Stranger’s Reunion and Top Paddock in Australia. It was pretty luxurious; the hotcake was supposedly more cake-like, fluffy in between but surprisingly crisp on the outside; pretty interesting. The batter is also pre-mixed with maple syrup as it seems, so it has its own tinge of sweetness without having to drown it in any syrup. Mascarpone added a dimension of tartness and small hint of saltiness to it, which matched the sweetness well. Again though it gets overwhelming halfway through; perhaps the sweetness was a bit overkill, and the berries were somewhat warmed up by the hotcake so it gave the dish a weird temperature contrast.Paddy Hills uses coffee blends that are specially roasted for them from Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee; a 99-1 blend which has chocolate and caramel notes and Spark which has berry-like notes. I ordered a 2oz White ($4) which I had initially expected to be really strong but despite its fruity body, did not turn out acidic nor leave an aftertaste.For more photos and the full review, please visit: https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2015/03/06/paddy-hills-south-buona-vista-road/…Read More

Not many might have heard of The Punggol Settlement, which is situated at Punggol Point Road not too far away from Punggol Road End. Being part of the Punggol Promenade district, it is a place for F&B and recreational activities at the Punggol Beach area. Amongst the few F&B places opened for business at The Punggol Settlement is Wayne’s Chill-Out, an ice-cream parlour situated at the second level with an al-fresco dining area facing the sea. Apart from ice-cream, they also serve hot food such as Lasagne and Pizza.We were here for an after-meal dessert, so we decided to order a waffle with two scoops of ice-cream ($12.50), which we went for Coconut and Cookies & Cream. Crisp with a moist interior, the waffles were made with a classic batter involving eggs and butter, which was savoury and fragrant. Coconut Ice-Cream was mild, cooling and refreshing; good to have on a hot and humid afternoon, especially with small chunks of coconut flesh within while the Cookies and Cream was chunky with lots of cookie bits to chew on.For more photos and the full review, please visit: https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/10/15/waynes-chill-out-the-punggol-settlement/…Read More

Sandwiched between old-school hardware shops and grocery shops, Ciel Patisserie seems like as if it was a shop that got transported back to the future. Being a patisserie, items such as cakes, tarts and puffs are offered here, with a lone quiche on the menu. Beverages includes coffee and tea.Fuji ($5.20) is a triangular-shaped cake that is made out of green tea mousse and sponge cake, with what seems like a grape compote encased within. The matcha flavour was light and refreshing, from the jelly-like mousse layer all the way down to the airy sponge cake base. The sourish sweetness from the compote inside was also luxurious, adding yet another dimension of taste to the cake.Choux ($3.20) is pretty much self-explanatory; essentially a Choux puff pastry, it looked firm, but was spongy, airy and light. Despite so, the pastry had flavour, which was somewhat salty and bitter. This was great with the subtly sweet vanilla custard, as it created different dimensions of flavour which made it felt similar to a very mild-tasting salted caramel taste. A simple pastry made different that felt rather intriguing, classy and delicious.For more photos and the full review, please visit: https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/12/11/ciel-patisserie-blk-124-hougang-ave-1/…Read More

Recently opened a few months back, Beans & Cream bears a pretty much unique address in the west of Singapore. Located in the quiet neighbourhood of Bukit Gombak, it definitely does not come across as an address that would come up to mind for a cafe. Much like the neighbourhood itself, the interior is simple without much elaborate decorations. Seatings are very much limited here, with only three four-seaters inside and two more four-seaters on the outside.Since it is a place that sells ice-cream and waffles primarily, we had to give the two a try. We coupled Earl Grey and topped up for an additional Rum & Raisin scoop for our waffles ($9.80). The waffles strangely resembled the ones served at Creamier with a variance in their presentation. The Earl Grey was rather aromatic and uplifting, with the fragrance of tea distinct and soothing. Rum & Raisin was deep with the alcoholic touch; a indulging flavour for those who love this flavour. Waffles were decent, and we loved the crispy exterior which was in perfect match with the airy and fluffy interior. The batter was something we thought they could have did better; it was tasty, but it would fared much better if it carried much more fragrance in it.Not missing out the “Bean” in the name, I also ordered a Flat White ($4.00); something which was out of the menu but the staff gladly made when I enquired. Although much of this cafe’s focus is not really on the coffee, its pretty aromatic with earthy notes detected, and was also pretty creamy.For more photos and the full review, please visit: https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/07/14/beans-cream-blk-347-bukit-batok-street-34/…Read More

Located in Punggol, Ah Dong Teh House is pretty hidden considering it cannot be seen from the main road. Ah Dong Teh House might be a Hong Kong Tea Room, but apart from Hong Kong Tea Room usuals like Gong Zai Meen, they also offer local delights such as Laksa and Hor Fun as well.Lately I had been on an adventure to find good Kaya Toasts in Singapore, so I thought it would be good for me to give the Butter Kaya Toast from Ah Dong Teh House a try. Its pretty decent, and ranks up pretty near or even better than Ya Kun. The toast was thick, and Kaya was fresh. Thick slabs of butter was sandwiched in the middle, which makes this simple breakfast treat somewhat sinful. Its somewhat pricey though, given that its $3.90++ ala-carte, and adding coffee and eggs would set you back another $2 more.My dining partner settled for the Sheng Mian ($12.90++). Crispy fried egg noodles served in a thick gravy that was savoury with loads of egg inside, the portion was really generous. Their variant seemed a tad light; something that I liked though my dining partner would have preferred some dark sauce added for a deeper flavour. Most of the seafood were also fresh as well. Not really the best we have tried, but better than average at the very least.I decided to go on the western menu though, since the Cheezy Pork Cutlet ($14.90++) reminded me of Chicken Corden Bleu. Marinated in Cajun spices, it’s savoury flavour and crispy fried batter seemed to remind me of a certain brand of Fried Chicken. Cut open the tender pork cutlet, and the melted cheese oozes out of the cutlet. Its a pity how the spectacular pork cutlet got served with pretty pedestrian fries and salad at the side, which dragged down the quality of the dish a fair bit.We also ordered Kopi ($3.00++), and its pretty decent as well, with sweetness from the evaporated milk which sweetened the coffee adequately. Makes a good couple with the Kaya Butter Toast!For more photos and the full review, please visit: https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/ah-dong-teh-house-tebing-lane/…Read More

Dutch Colony Coffee had been expanding its operations of the late, having recently moved its roastery to an industrial district out of its stall at Pasarbella and now, its second outlet at Frankel Avenue. I am hardly one who get moved by decor, but this place was just impressive. On the outside, it quite replicated how a cafe in Australia would have looked like, and it continues into the interior. The chandelier and communal table in the middle, the mockup alfresco seating that is covered by the glass roof to shelter patrons away from Singapore’s gruesome heat and the wide aisle in front of the counter all reminds me of interiors of cafes overseas I have seen on Instagram; its as though this place was modeled from Instagram, for Instagram. Food menu features a range of sandwiches and cakes, as well as some plated desserts, and then a variety of coffee that’s pretty much why you would visit this place for.Visiting Dutch Colony Coffee Co with an empty stomach, I decided to go for something light, which made the Portobello Road ($9.00) seemed pretty apt for me. It’s basically a Portobello open-faced sandwich (a fact that I liked even though I failed to read this when I was ordering) with feta cheese, rocket and tomatoes. This took quite a while to arrive though, but I was surprised by how big it actually is when it came; it looked more like a open-faced burger than a sandwich. Took a bite of the toasted bread; crisp, light and fragrant, as though the sourdough bread was just freshly-baked. Then comes the two fat and juicy Portobello patties which were soft yet full-on earthy, with that small touch of savoury from the Feta scattered all over the mushrooms. Tomatoes were zesty and refreshing especially when the juices burst with every cut with the knife. And then comes the rocket that’s drizzled in a flavourful balsamic dressing. If this ain’t food porn, I don’t know what would be.I was also very intrigued by the Banana Bread with Espresso Butter ($4.80), so I ended up getting one after finishing the sandwich. The Banana Bread was not what I expected, but the soft, sweet and fragrant bread with banana bits was still very satisfying, and made more addictive with the crunchy crust on the top after its being heated up. Only thing that needed improvement was the Espresso Butter, which was claimed to be spread atop before serving but did not taste of anything somehow. Maybe I was still thinking of the one I had at Drury Lane a while back …And how could you ever hit Dutch Colony Coffee without trying their coffee? Their Flat White ($4.50) was on the smooth and creamy side, but you could actually taste that nutty and sweet chocolate tones from their Dutch blend as well.For more photos and the full review, please visit: https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/09/09/dutch-colony-coffee-co-frankel-avenue/…Read More

Taking over the former grounds of 7th Manna Cake Boutique, Toothsome Cafe had done some renovations to the space, making it seemingly more chic somehow. Despite how the cafe looks, the food menu is pretty different from expectations; cooked food includes Fried Chicken Wing Rice while there are also small bites such as puffs and pies.To whet our appetites, we went for the Baked Chicken Puff ($1.60). Resembling a Char Siew Pastry, the light, flaky pastry was shaped like a pau while the Chicken chunks inside was well-marinated with sweet, sticky honey which makes every bite so addictive with savoury-sweetness.I decided to go for the Fragrant Fried Chicken Wing Rice ($5.90); pretty unconventional for a cafe. Presentation was simply; not even a single bit gimmicky. Just rice with two fried chicken wings with tomatoes at the side. Chicken Wings were juicy; a single pull and you could literally hear the juicy wings spurting its juices, and that crisp fried skin and light peppery flavour in the meat makes it pretty delightful. Rice seemed to hint of garlic flavour, and seemed like a more premium version that is lighter and less oilier than Tenderfresh’s rendition. A simple dish it might be, but it does not stop being just pleasant; it is also pretty affordable somehow. We only had one gripe; perhaps it could have come with a few lettuce leaves, or even a slaw as it feels a tad meaty and the tomatoes just seemed a tad lonely in a corner by themselves.My dining partner went for the Carbonara ($7.90). Pretty much unlike those thick, creamy and sometimes cheesy Carbonara out there, Toothsome’s rendition is much much lighter, which eradicates that sickening feel one might have after just finishing half the bowl. The cream-based sauce seemed a tad watery, but it had hints of garlic that perfumed the pasta which absorbed the flavours well. Pasta was also cooked al-dente, and the chicken and bacon though cooked rather simply were delectable. My dining partner loved it, and even said this raised his bar for his standards for Carbonara.For a sweet, we had the Original Cheesecake ($5.00). Much like the Carbonara, this was also seemingly lighter-tasting than the ones served elsewhere. Still, it was smooth and rich, but less cheesiness with quite a toned down zesty flavour. It was subtly refreshing, and the cheesecake also felt a tad stiffer to cut than the usual though it does not feel so while you are actually eating it.For more photos and the full review, please visit: https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2015/01/02/toothsome-cafe-tanjong-katong-road/…Read More