shoogar's Profile

I love this place for being such a serene and peaceful hideout. I love it even more for it's Hei ice cream and original All Chocolate cake. At $11.80 per pint and $25.80 for a 6 inch cake repectively, I'd say prices are pretty reasonable.Their ice cream is not too sweet and you can tell that it is made using quality Belgian dark chocolate. It is very rich and dense, but perhaps a bit too dense for my liking. Chocolate fanatics, on the other hand, would probably down these by the dozens.Hei ice creamThey also serve a small range of cupcakes and specialty dessert that are worth a try.…Read More

I am not an ardent fan of dim sum and such, but since my friends picked out this place as a belated birthday celebration for some of us, I went along. There, social marketing worked its magic and we ended up ordering the much-hyped-about Xiao Long Bao (Steamed Pork Dumplings) and Fried Shrimp Cake, along with a basket of Shrimp Siew Mai and Wanton in Spicy Sauce. Ok, Xiao Long Bao fans are gonna hate me but i must say, I never really understood all that fanfare over those steamed pork dumplings. I've tried the ones at Crystal Jade and some other places I dont remember (says a lot) and unfortunately, they all taste the same to my undiscerning tastebuds. Or maybe i just haven't eaten enough of them to know the difference. In any case, the Xiao Long Baos here tasted like...just that - Xiao Long Baos. Yummy if you're hungry, but not crave-worthy.Xiao Long Bao (Basket of 10)My favourite of the lot was probably the Fried Shrimp Cake. It was like crispy prawn paste that had been deep fried till golden brown and chock full of crunchy pieces of shrimp. It works, and is good eaten just as it is. Dipping it in any sauce would just taint it. Word of advice: This goes fast, so if you have more than 4pax, you might want to consider ordering double.Fried Shrimp CakeLike the shrimp, hate the thick dumpling skin. And don't be fooled, under the shrimp is minced pork.Shrimp Siew MaiApologies for the less than appetizing photo below. Chopsticks got to it faster than my lens could. The sauce for this dish was okay, not too spicy if you're not one for spicy food. It does kinda look better than it tastes though. Anyway, by this time, they were all starting to taste the same alr. Which brings me back to the reason why I don't particularly fancy dim sum. They all start to taste the same after a while. Wanton in Spicy SauceMy friend also ordered a Noodle with Minced Pork in Bean Sauce. I didn't try that so i can't comment much, but he seemed to have enjoyed it well enough.…Read More

Used to pass by this shop on my way to work and would salivate but never got around to try the cakes here. Fianally decided to get a whole cake from them for my dad's birthday. Was told that the Passionfruit Meringue was their specialty, and so I placed a order for that. Apparently you are supposed to eat it on the day itself, otherwise the texture would not be the same anymore. Slightly crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and with a layer of sponge. We kept some leftovers till the next day, but it still tasted just as awesome to me. I just wish the cake was taller.For those making a trip to get their single slices, it is advisable to go earlier in the day. Most of their cakes are usually sold out by late afternoon.…Read More

There had been so much hype about Tip Top's curry puff on the internet, many claiming that it surpasses the well established OCK's, that I had to try it for myself. Biting in, I was rewarded with large, chunky pieces of chicken and a quarter of an egg. While i liked that it was not so spicy, the filling and the pastry very much lacked the aroma of OCK's. And because a good pastry makes all the difference, my allegience remains with the latter.…Read More

Bought these home for the family. They have your regular assortment of colourful flavours, though none really stood out for me. My family did like that the dough was soft, light, and not oily. I, on the other hand, prefer more cake-like (than bread-like) donuts, but that's just a personal preference. Also, their flattened spherical donuts are not filled, unlike at other stalls.…Read More

The novelty of this place is that it has an electronic menu that you order from with a talking pen. They claim that it is to increase efficiency, but honestly i think that it's just a marketing ploy to pique customers' interest. Afterall, what is the point of having an electronic ordering system if you still need a waitress to guide and help you enter your order because of unclear instructions and a silly system that has trouble registering out inputs. Even the waitresses were struggling with the menu themselves, and the restaurant didn't have the right mind to arm them with a pen and paper as backup. Efficiency you sayThat aside, food was average. I had the Mushroom Hot Pot while my friends had Soba and Ramen (can't remember the exact names). We also ordered Fried Chicken among ourselves. Dessert was pretty substandard. The small piece of cake and macaroon that came on top of my Sundae was trash, but I did appreciate the crunchy cornflakes in between.Place was nice and quiet on a weekday evening.…Read More

The first time I visited this place, I had their Vanilla Pistachio and Rum & Raisin. It was pretty disappointing. Vanilla Pistachio was basically Vanilla ice cream with Pistachios mixed inside, and the ice cream was hard and not smooth at all.Then, the other day, I decided to give it another try since I was in the area and craving some homemade ice cream. I had the Chendol and Lychee this time. It turned out to be much more memorable than before. The Lychee had just the right hint of creaminess that I like.I also like that their disposable cup are deep enough to contain two scoops without one threatening to fall over, unlike at some places. The place is quite out of the way for those not staying in the area though, so I wouldn't recommend it unless you happen to be in the vicinity.…Read More

The last time I was here with a friend, I had a simple Hot Chocolate (comes with two mini cookies) and my friend had a Toffee Choc Frappe. Hot Chocolate could have done with a bit more chocolatey taste. From what I had, it tasted just like cocoa powder with milk, lots and lots of milk.I visit tcc quite often with my family. Their Caramel Ginger Crumble Crush is a winner for me, on days I don't mind the caffeine. I just wish they would up their glass sizes a bit, afterall $8 for a drink is pretty hefty. If you're here for a bite, you've got to try their Shrooms Bite. Honestly, it's flaky, buttery pastry oozing with creamy mushroom filling will take you to heaven and back. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of these with me, but you could visit their website and take a look.…Read More

Love this place because it is a slightly quieter place to chill out in the area, as compared to the mall across the road that is always teeming with people. Used to com here for breakfast with my family, and have had fond memories of their Smoked Salmon Sandwich. This time, I was here to catch up with a friend over drinks. I had a Hot Chocolate and hers an Iced Chocolate. It came with a nice yummy scoop of chocolate gelato, but after scooping in, she found that underneath was mostly ice and less gelato or drink for that matter. Menu also says that its comes with cookies, but they didn't give us any. Nontheless, their food and drinks are still pretty decent on taste.…Read More

Came here for after dinner coffee and desserts. As a passer-by, I always thought it was some pretentious Western cafe. However, after dropping in for a visit and reading up a bit about it, i found out that it was spawned from a very humble and meaningful beginning. You can read more about them here: http://www.professorbrawn.com/index.phpsect=aboutAnw, we tried their Carrot Cake here, which was actually quite good. A light layer of cream cheese and chock full of walnuts, carrot strips and some other white-ish chunks which I can only conclude are pineapple cubes. Iced chocolate and coffee was pretty ordinary. Other than that, can't comment much about their food. Would like to go down again someday to try their other dishes though.…Read More

Just like how all the other cafes were making use of the festivities to come up with their own Christmas drink, Spinelli had its Macadamia Magic. All that hype got us into a Christmasy mood so we decided to give it a shot. We got a Spin each, rather than a flat white. Not bad, but it was kinda too sweet and filling for my liking, even without the whipped cream. That aside, I really liked the ambience at this OC outlet. It's one of the few quiet hideouts in the middle of town. Plus they have free mags and newspapers for browsing too. Good for chilling and hot dates. …Read More

Another one of those premium bubble tea shops that have sprouted up. I had the Green Milk Tea while my friend tried the Roselle Ice Tea. Milk tea was just ordinary, but the Roselle Ice Tea was slightly tangy and quite refreshing. The Roselle pearls was something different too. But, hm, its gonna take more than pink pearls to beat the over-saturated market..P.S: Please go for Medium, their Small size is tiny.…Read More

Was craving for some piping hot, cheesy goodness one night and stumbled upon Rite Pizza after a quick search on the net. I discovered that not only do they have 1-for-1, but they do free deliveries as well! Not to mention, their menu is extensive and they offer (my favourite) thin crusts too! With all these plus points, we decided to give them a shot.After much deliberation, we settled on Pepperoni Plus and Summer Choice. Unfortunately, when I asked for thin-crust, the girl on the other line went, “No more thin-crust.” I guess their thin crusts must be pre-made after all. (Minus points.) To their benefit, our order arrived within half an hour, which is pretty quick. They threw in a free loaf of garlic bread too.Toppings were generous and yummy, but the mom and bro felt that the crust was not as good as a certain other S brand that we usually order from. Would like to try their thin crust some time though.Note: Last order 10.15pm.…Read More

Back in the days before certain competiting stores opened just up the street, this used to be where i got my artisinal ice cream fix. They offer up a good range on local flavours like Milo Dino, Teh Tarik and Chempedak, but I find some of their flavours a bit too heavy. My regular here is the Blueberry Cheesecake. Unfortunately for them, they've probably suffered a bit from the emergence of two other more prominently situated competitors, who offer equally good (if not better) ice cream at equally competitive prices. To their benefit, though, they offer a quiet, cosy hideout for those who are seeking to avoid the rowdy supper crowd.…Read More

Met here for a short project meeting with my group mates, and since they had called for a meeting on my birthday () they felt guilty and got me a mini Lemon Flan. I must say, it tasted pretty good, but maybe that's because i like the tart taste of lemon in general. The texture of the meringue, on the other hand, was a bit softer than I would have preferred. That aside, I thought that it was pretty nice of the staff to throw in a candle too. …Read More