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For more reviews, visit www.ms-skinnyfat.comSenso Ristorante & Bar, Club Street’s favorite Italian restaurant turns 14 this year and i must say it's a feat in our dynamic food scene! To celebrate this milestone, a Best of Senso’s Signatures menu is put together for this occasion. From 1 to 31 July only, sample popular dishes from over the years and also taste exclusive dishes from Senso’s international outlets.The Manzo ($32), Beef Tartare, Roquette & Parmesan, Olive Oil, Chervil and Roasted Potatoes, was a sell-out dish in Crans Montana when it was introduced in 2010. Love the tender and well flavored meat.The menu also features the Sogliola From Mediterranean, Dover Sole Meuniere with Orange Zest, Rucola and Ripened Tomatoes, a special dish from Senso’s outpost in Geneva. Only the Dover Sole is used, the preferred fish for an authentic Sole Meuniere and also the use of oranges from Sicily for that added authenticity.We also had a mini olive oil tasting during the meal and that wonderfully aged (12 years) Balsamic vinegar that tasted like honey. It was amazing with the freshly baked breads.The other dishes are from the Singapore menu. The Green Asparagus and Morels Soup (Singapore 2005) $24 was a light and refined soup, perhaps a little too delicate for my liking.The Risotto (Singapore, 2006) $36, was probably the favorite dish of the night. The salty and creamy risotto paired simply with sweet and succulent grilled tiger prawns. While fresh zucchini flowers from Italy were used in the dish, i found it doing little to complement the already perfect combination. In fact, the fried flowers tasted oily and a little stale.Premium NZ Lamb Rack (Singapore, 2011) $44. The lamb was cooked to perfection with a nice pink center and was good on its own. The olive crust came served as a disk by the side instead and was a little too dry and crumbly.We ended our meal with a deconstructed Tiramisu Revisito (Singapore, 2011) $22. This was specially created by Executive Chef Yves Schmid in 2011. So there's coffee mousse, homemade mascarpone ice-cream with Savoiardi biscotto and coffee milkshake. Good flavors but give me a traditional tiramisu with all that richness anytime.All dishes on the menu are available a la carte, but diners looking for a heartier meal can opt for the three, four or five course menus that start from $88. Wine pairing is also available.The Senso experience was lovely as usual and i really love the atrium section where you get to dine under the stars but in comfort. Great place for a romantic date with your significant other.…Read More

Do not be deceived by the crowded 1st level, i was deterred once but decided head on back to check them out. The cafe spans 2 storeys so head on upstairs to escape the oily food smells as cooking and brewing are all done in that little space. Oh but do note that you gotta come down to place your orders still.It was a terribly hot day and we headed up to level 2 as W had already gotten us a reservation. I was hoping for a cool reprieve from the crazy heat but there was none. The AC was super weak and hardly cooled the heated 2nd storey of the shophouse. It was obvious that they have issues with the power rating as well because we had 2 blackouts in the short span of an hour. It was also impossible to hear each other because the acoustics were terrible. Throw in 20 other people and it's just deafening. Not a good place for a date certainly.So i had the Iced Mocha because it was simply too hot to have a hot drink. The drink was pretty good imo with melted chocolate instead of bottled syrup and it didn't overpower the mellow coffee.We had one of the specials which is the Garlic toast with sausage patties, sauteed mushrooms, spinach and truffle scrambled eggs ($18). This was the best savory dish out of the lot due to the garlic spread i guess. Scrambled eggs were too runny in my opinion and that sausage patty was just a joke with its bland flavor and dry nature. Eeks. For $18, it's not quite worth it. I've just had the pulled duck with apricot croissant at Symmetry and it was way better than this at the same price.DO NOT EAT the Sausage Baked Eggs ($12) with spinach, homemade baked beans and cheese. We saw that familiar cardboardish sausage patty. Well this pot of food is terribly bland and pedestrian. I'm sure i make better stuff than this. I thought the baked beans were more canned than homemade though.Well, would I go back to Drury Lane? Not for the food certainly. But the desserts were quite divine. Not to sure about the 'Pay as you wish' muffins but the Banana Bread with Espresso Butter ($2.50) had W and i takeaway a portion each.The moist bread with chunks of banana was naturally sweetened and i'm glad they didn't add more sugar. The espresso butter wasn't that good because it was oily (not the good kinda butter way) and lacked espresso flavor.The Carrot cake was also one of the best I've had as well. It's of medium density but very well flavored with spice. We liked that there wasn't too much cream cheese because they didn't ice the sides but those between the layers were just sufficient for the added flavors and moisture.Verdict of Drury Lane- I may drop by again for the sweets and a quick drink but certainly not for the food.For more reviews, visit www.ms-skinnyfat.com…Read More

Finally checked out The Fabulous Baker Boys at the foothills of Fort Canning. I've been meaning to pop by for a while but the lack of air conditioning was a put off and when i finally decided to go, they were closed for a long renovation! Well but guess what, The Fabulous Baker Boys are back, WITH AC! And DAILY BRUNCH! And they take reservations now too (we were chided for not making reservations when we went)! Is that FAB or what?TFBB Champion Breakfast is a massive plate of food for the hungry. 2 perfectly poached eggs served on a toasted brioche, roasted rosemary potatoes, garlicky mushrooms, swirly sage chicken sausage and a side of beef bacon. Honestly how do you finish this?! What i was more curious about was they perfect such nice egg spheres. The sauce was not explosive to be honest but the whole combination was very comforting. Nice starchy potato cubes that are crispy at the skin. The beef bacon taste like savory bak kwa.The hot favorite was the 3 Cheese Pancake made using Cheddar, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. This was cheesy and mushy in an awesome way and even had a slightly crispy exterior. The combination with the sweet maple was a match made in heaven. Who knew.Chili Crab Mac & Cheese ($18) made with mini elbow macaroni tossed in a cheesy béchamel, with lumps of chilli crab meat and topped with herbed Panko (japanese breadcrumbs). The flavors were not spectacularly robust but anything more would have worked in its disadvantage. Great savory dish that was devoured within minutes. I would have preferred a bigger macaroni though.Ju's Prawn Pasta ($20) is a tiger prawn pappardelle cooked in a secret crustacean cream. I thought the sauce was heavy on cream but too light on the seasoning so there was an oily mouthful without the appropriate flavors.Now back to the cakes! We were sufficiently stuffed but couldn't resist these sweet treats. Prices are $8 upwards.We settled for the Apple Cider Cake which was deliciously moist and light tasting. The Red Velvet Cake with Valrhona chocolate frosting ($9) was just so so for me, so was the Iced Latte ($5.40).We enjoyed the food at The Fabulous Baker Boy. Fab food but the service was no where near fab. They had problems with our big group (we also had 2 kids with us), my additional side order of eggs and even with the kids. I only discounted the bad service because i was too engrossed with my pancakes but honestly they really need to work on their service. The young girl (probably a part timer) was way more helpful to us than the men.So yea, decent brunch spot but snotty service by the dudes. Head there if you can take that attitude.For more reviews, visit www.ms-skinnyfat.com…Read More

Kimchi is a brand new Korean restaurant offering authentic flavors along with regional favourites from Busan and Andong. It's guaranteed authentic because Executive Chef Choi Minchul and his all-Korean team of chefs are behind the delicious creations.Do not expect free side dishes at Kimchi because the cute boss Hayden doesn't want to hide the cost in the price of your meal. The portions are also healthier sized and more affordable than the usual Korean restaurants.The Andong Jjimdak ($15) was a satisfying hot pot of braised boneless chicken thighs marinated in Korean light soy sauce. This dish is inspired by Chef Choi’s own family recipe. Be careful not to inhale any of the sauce! The fresh green chilli pepper called cheongyang gochu (청양고추) has a ghost chili kinda silent burn that will get to you if you're not careful. The dish also had a nice smoky sesame oil taste as well. Diners can also enjoy this unique dish in the form of a chicken dolsot bap or as a marinated option for Korean barbeque. Must order!I rather enjoyed the Pork Dolsot Bap ($12), which had a well balanced flavor as they did not add those cloying red sauce to the rice.The Kimchi Soup ($9.80) was prepared as a jigae instead of a guk which is a thicker broth with a rich, deep flavour. Stir-fried with pork, the kimchi is left to simmer and enrich the accompanying broth. The spicy concoction is very addictive and reminded me of the one i had in Korea.For a lighter and healthier option, i highly recommend the Ginseng Chicken Juk ($12). Chef Choi prepares chicken stock the day before and selects premium Korean ginseng and Chinese herbs such as dang gui, kamcho (Korean licorice), and red dates to simmer with Korean rice. I love how there is a light sweetness from the dates. S promised to buy this for me every time i fall sick. Yay! Super comfort food i must say.Kimchi also offers Korean barbeque where built-in electric grills allow diners to grill their food without smelling of smoke. Choose from a selection of premium meats which include the delicious Wagyu short ribs [$29 non-marinated; $29.50 marinated. I'm definitely coming back for this.From the dessert menu, Kimchi offers a native Busan street snack called Hodduk ($9), a light, fluffy and slightly crisp hotcake stuffed with red bean paste and topped with nuts and Korean black sugar syrup. I couldn't ask for a better end to the meal. Kimchi also serves an afternoon tea set ($16.80) daily from 2 to 5.30pm and it comes together with tea and handmade Korean ice cream.Kimchi Korean Restaurant is easily my favorite Korean restaurant in Singapore at this point. Yes it has overtaken Togi as my favorite now. Head on down for some really awesome Korean food now. :)For more reviews, visit www.ms-skinnyfat.com…Read More

OZ is a really (really) small outfit but it provides a wide variety of beans from Brazil, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Thailand etc. Pacamara Coffee Roaster beans are used here.You know they are serious about their coffee with the arsenal of brewing products on sale. Japanese Kalita home brewing products are available here and other commercial coffee equipment as well.I had the House Blend latte which had notes of milk chocolate, ripe fruits, roasted nuts with mild floral hints. It's mellow and smooth. Go for this if you want something strong.Light bites are also on offer, including waffles (from $7) and sandwiches (from $8.50). Their breakfast dishes look run-of-the-mill though. I spied on the next table's scrambled eggs, which seemed runny enough but everything else was just heated/pan friend and thrown in I guess.What you must definitely have is OZ's Belgium waffles! I swear it was actually a compressed croissant masquerading as a waffle. I died and went to waffle heaven when I bit into the dense buttery pastry (yes I can call it that!). The browned parts had a puff pastry exterior while the inside had the pull of a well made croissant. And that salted caramel was rich and thick without being cloying. Commercially produced New Zealand Natural vanilla ice cream was paired with it but even that didn't take its shine away. Ok NZ Natural isn't that bad I guess (there could be worse).So go forth and have the insanely delicious waffles with a cuppa. It's the best Belgian waffles I've had so far. :)For more reviews, visit www.ms-skinnyfat.com…Read More

This new cafe on Neil Road is the offspring of Sarnies, another crazy packed cafe that I've yet to try (ZOMG call myself a food blogger).Well The Lokal checked off all the boxes on the hipster cafe checklist and they even went as far as to throw in a $40k Slayer machine. Oh that sexy beast took me on an intense ride with his latte ($5.50) and I must say it was all very smooth. And a little nutty too. The beans are from Sarnies and they have their barista consultant, affectionately known as the K Man, who is overseeing the coffee making for now.Many would go for the signature Veal Schnitzel Burger ($28) served with a tangy grilled pineapple and red slaw but we skipped that because chunky chips weren't available that day! Instead, i opted for the Roast Beef on Rye ($17). The sandwich was a combination of perfectly caramelized onion and thinly sliced sautéed beef. The flavors were a little sweet and could be sharpened with a stronger mustard than the current grain mustard crème fraiche. It was a good roast beef sandwich nonetheless.The Roast Chicken Panini ($15) was good too. The filling included huge juicy slices of fresh tomato (not the cheapo Malaysian sort), copious amount of avocado mash, crispy pancetta and salty roast chicken meat. The bread was our favorite among the lot of sandwiches we had, partly because it's a little more pillowy and chewy.A healthier option is the Smashed Avocado with Ricotta Sourdough ($18). The ricotta is made in house, along with their yogurt as well. It was simply topped with some pomelo and almonds, drizzled with olive oil. I liked the separate components of the dish but it came together rather plainly. A touch of honey could make this a better dish in my opinion but that's just my preference.I was looking forward to the Banana bread with Hokey Pokey ice cream ($12) but was sorely disappointed when I bit into the soggy bread cloyingly soaked by the citrusy syrup. We wondered where the ice cream went to as well (i swear i didn't take forever to grab a shot). Instead we had a sour cream sorta mixture on our dish. I couldn't bear more than a full bite of this one but K had no issue finishing it for us.Overall, The Lokal is a decent place for a hearty sandwich and it's probably going to be really packed on the weekends. A little bird told me that the Sarnies people are gonna be opening another cafe soon so do watch out for them!For more reviews, visit www.ms-skinnyfat.com…Read More

Miam Miam is a French-Japanese cafe and they serve the usual Fusion Japanese cafe stuff e.g. pasta, baked rice, soufflé, matcha latte and of course french toast. Knowing that they do not take reservations, we made it down early to the Bugis Junction outlet on a Friday evening and an empty restaurant welcomed us (but not for long).Drinks first, the Iced Matcha Latte with Softee ($8.80) was actually pretty decent. Great green tea flavor with a milky flavor, though I still prefer the intensity of Nana's Green Tea.Iced Earl Grey with Softtee ($6.80) was bleah. The tea was too weak and the softee lacked in the cream department. Take note that water is charged at 50 cents a cup.Gave the other savory dishes a try as well. The Riz Noir ($15.80) is a Squid Ink Black Rice and Scrambled Omu Egg. The portion was surprisingly small though. A rather disappointing dish that lacked in smokiness. The rice while moist was also on the salty end. Eggs were nicely done though.The Miam Miam Spaghetti ($15.80) was typically Japanese with a light savory sauce made from French butter, shoyu and some secret sauce. Well, looking at the ingredients (processed sausage, bacon, some vegetables and mushrooms and a soft boiled egg), it seemed like a randomly thrown together plate of home cooked noodles and indeed it tasted kinda like that as well. Not to say that it's not nice but i would expect better ingredients.If you are a fan of saucy food, then the Riz Au Curry ($15.50) would be for you. Sweetish rich Japanese curry with soft rice, minced meat (almost non-existent) pork sausages, broccoli cheese and egg. Everything kinda drowned in the curry. The flavor of the curry was alright but maybe just go easy on the sauce?Now the redeeming grace of Miam Miam would be their desserts and there are pancakes, souffles and parfaits. Honestly, there's one thing that you definitely should order and that's the French Toast.Disappointing mains aside, the French Toast ($9.80) was every bit as good as everyone promised. Soft fluffy brioche cubes that had the texture of clouds. They're paired with the thoroughly whipped heavy cream, it is close to clotted cream but lighter in taste (but sweeter) and texture. Absolutely delicious with the smoky maple syrup. I would have drenched the toast with it but there wasn't enough. Have this as a main course instead!Matcha Souffle ($10.80) was undercooked and very wet inside. The texture is that of whipped raw egg whites that are pandan flavored. I could hardly taste any matcha.The Chocolate Molleaux Dessert ($9.80) fared better with the rich chocolate taste though i found it on the cakey end. The softee was too icy and lacked in vanilla. That said, i wouldn't mind having this again.Conclusion, Miam Miam is better for its sweets. The mains will fill you up but you wouldn't be quite satisfied. Maybe the pasta is alright. I don't know. But as for me, i'll stick with the French Toast and Matcha Latte for now.For more reviews, visit www.ms-skinnyfat.com…Read More

Sip on the Melbournian Axil Coffee Roaster beans pulled by Sarah Jane (formerly from Immigrants) or E-gene (who pulled his way around MEL). Coffee is little acidic with medium finish. My latte wasn't quite full bodied or milky though. While it's not quite my style, it was sufficient in packing a punch to last me through my afternoon meeting. Coffee is priced between $3 to $6.50.OMC also stocks B.A.O's pastries. I simply love Christophe's croissants, well the French makes the best croissants! The Chocolate pain is also amazing. Get them to heat it up for that crispy flakiness. Better still, have them with honey ham and melted cheese ($6). Cakes are also available and I was seduced by a Salted Caramel Banana Cake.For something a little more than sweets, OMC does all-day-breakfast with a lean but mean menu, all of which come out of a pizza oven! Talk about easy to make but delicious food here!Love the description of the Gashouse Egg aka Toad in hole aka Egg-in-the-bread-with-the-hole-in-the-middle ($10). It's more of a snack I feel. I really do have a monster appetite for breakfast food. The dish is really simple, they really do just make a hole in the fluffy brioche, crack an egg in, top with cheese and into the oven it goes. Almost a croque madame.Really there's no need to be fancy for brekkie when the ingredients are good (hello ooooozy yolk). What's special is that bacon jam which is smoky, meaty and sweet. I could do with a thick layer of that in the toast anytime. Satisfying flavors, a little dry on the edges, not so satisfying portion but that helps save space for other food.The Broiche French Toast ($10) is another popular item and it looked freaking amazing with the homemade berry compote, candied walnuts and fresh cream. Of course the dust of sugary white completes the instagram worthy picture.OMC is a great alternative to the super packed Habitat Coffee which I failed to visit TWICE! Well I guess I'll just have to explore the rest of the Thomson cafés until Habitat becomes less crowded. Anyhoo, great vibe at One Man Coffee but do go early or be prepared to wait as well due to the extremely small space.For more reviews, visit www.ms-skinnyfat.com…Read More

For more reviews, visit www.ms-skinnyfat.comIndian Fine Dining is a rarity in Singapore and one of the famous one is no other than Rang Mahal at the swanky Pan Pacific Hotel. Well, there's no need to break the bank though as Rang Mahal has opened a younger and more contemporary sister restaurant at Naumi Hotel. Table by Rang Mahal is a relaxed bistro-style dining concept from the award winning group.V and i started with a clear asparagus soup (a little salty for our liking) and the Chilli Cheese Kulzza. The fresh fluffy bread packed with mild yellow cheddar, piquant chili and fresh coriander was extremely addictive and tasted way better than it looked.We then sampled the Executive Set Lunch which is available in both non-vegetarian and vegetarian options. The dishes were elegantly presented on a wooden tray and i liked that the portions weren't huge and there is a variety of items. Each set is served with a choice of naan and comes with some sides. From left to right): Dal Tadkewali- yellow lentils tempered with onion, tomato and cumin; Brown and red rice pilaf with cumin and Gobi Matter- cauliflower tossed with peas, ginger and coriander. The rice was the most boring of the lot.Here is the Tandoori Mushroom and Tandoori Paneer Tikka (foreground). I loved the fresh button mushroom in herbed spice yogurt (very creamy) but the paneer (Indian cottage cheese) was rather plain imo. I would have preferred it cooked with creamy spinach (call me boring but wev).The non veg version: Murg Angar and Tandoori prawn. Tender cubes of chicken in a yogurt and red chili marinade. The tiger prawn is a little on the dry side but kinda expected as it had undergone the tandoori treatment.I must say that Table does really good breads. The naans were also irresistible and i keep mopping the lentils up with them. I wished there were other gravy though. A wholesome five grain flour is used to prepare the naan (quinoa, soya, ragi, sorghum and gram).We ended the meal with some Table’s Pop, a sugar-free popsicle made with fresh raspberry and coconut infused with chia seeds. I never quite enjoyed the iciness of popsicles as it kinda compromises on the robustness of the flavors.The Masala tea rounded up the meal nicely. Rich, thick and flavorful but there could always be more spice.As Table by Rang Mahal is the resident restaurant of Naumi Hotel, it does everything from breakfast to supper and drinks and includes international fare as well. The buffet breakfast is priced at $22/pax, while the executive set lunch is priced at only $15/pax. Do check them out if you're looking for a different Indian cuisine dining experience from the usual greasy hawker spots.…Read More

Original: Watch out Tiong Bahru, Jalan Besar is the up and coming cafe area with its current mix of Chye Seng Huat Hardware, Windowsill by the Woods and also The Bravery Cafe. Brunch called for a trip to The Bravery at Horne Road and i was hopeful that it'd be as good as The Plain and Ronin as it's opened by the same folks.Typical sign-less cafe but this time I even had a hard time finding the door! As for the decor, well it's one thing to be minimalist, another to be 'can't be bothered' and this seems to fall into the latter category.Unfinished wooden planks on DIY metal frames and concrete slabs make uncomfortable tables and chairs that are also potentially hazardous and the electrician obviously wasn't paid to do his job with the lights. Tables are wooden planks on top of simple metal frames and concrete slabs. The general environment felt make-shift and the noise level was deafening despite the 60% capacity when i visited. Not quite a place to hang around for long.Coffee is made using the same Genovese blend from Brazil, which is robust but not acidic. The Lavender latte ($5.50) had a fragrant aroma and was lightly sweetened but there's a light bitter aftertaste that wasn't present in the flat white. Perhaps that came from the dried lavender.Great Flat White ($4.50) with superb crema. Drinks like a dream.The food menu is rather limited, as with the usual The Plain and Ronin style but the regular eggs on toast, pancakes and some savory mains and sandwiches were available.The Brave Begedil ($17) was a Bravery recommendation. Poached eggs with Turkey Bacon (wert no real bacon?!!) and Avocado on Corned Beef Begedil Hash. If you don't know what Begedil is, it's a Malay potato patty with onions and coriander. I was looking forward to digging in and that was when I noticed my missing avocado. And it was only after i asked about it was i told that they ran out of avocado and the replaced it randomly with another slice of turkey bacon. I was really frustrated that did not ask me before they did that. Oh the same thing happened to the customer next table too.It was a further slap in the face with the overdone poached eggs and papery whites. Nothing in this dish stood out and the bacon was terribly dry and sweet. I should have ordered the Beef Steak Ciabatta ($13.50) which had good reviews on the juicy rump steak silvers or that Ricotta Cheese Pancakes.Spotty service was yet again displayed with our second order. We ordered the Crostini ($7.50) shortly after the Begedil and it was only served when we were way done with the first dish. I think I spent a good 10 mins playing with the leftovers and the crostini still didn't come.Well at least it was a huge portion when it finally came. Well sauteed Aubergine (aka Eggplant aka Brinjal aka that mushy plant) cooked with Chickpeas, served on on Sourdough Toast with Mint Leaves and Crumbled Feta Cheese. This Vegetarian Greek breakfast is a departure from my regular brunch items but I found it rather refreshing with the sharp kick from the feta.For full reviews, visit my blog at www.ms-skinnyfat.com…Read More

For more reviews, visit www.ms-skinnyfat.comD'Good Cafe is a whimsical spot to swing your worries away, right smack in the heart of Holland Village. It sits in a funky shop house unit that has 2 entrances and the layout reminded me of that children story about a house in a boot with many children (uh huh i really don't have much of a childhood).D'Good Cafe specializes in single-origin coffee beans, which are roasted in-house. The owner is some crazy coffee fanatic and you can get your Ethiopian, Guatemalan, Jamaican beans done the siphon, drip, pour-over or espresso way. You wouldn't be able to miss the Elektra espresso machine at the counter! If you're up for something more exotic, there's the famous Kopi Luwak (civet coffee) from the Wahana Estate in Sumatra for $38 a pop. You can also make your own blend here at D'Good Cafe too.I liked the Bacon Carbonara ($15) more than the previous pasta. It's creamy (more on the milky side) and certainly more satisfying (only if you like cream). Generous portions of bacon too. It would be perfect with some fried bacon bit and an egg.The Eggs Benedict ($13.50) was a sad sad portion. I was terribly disappointed by it in fact. The brioche was nice but was too thinly sliced. As a result, it was soaked through by the eggs. Too much vinegar was used in poaching the eggs and that contributed to the papery texture of the whites and that acidic taste. Holladaise sauce was weak too. Certainly not something i'd recommend ordering. Add on $3 to the breakfast sets for a Latte that is well balanced with a nice crema.I must say we were all happy with our choice of caffeine. The Earl Grey Lavender Latte ($7) was aromatic without being overpowering. I'm fearful of lavender because it just smells and tastes a little like air freshener but this was just right. The Caramel Hot Chocolate ($7.50) will satisfy your sweet tooth because it's on the sweet side but i found the chocolate a tad artificial. The foam had somewhat of a brulee texture which was interesting. And if you like latte art, they do a lot of cute animal prints.We concluded that the best part of the meal was the maple sea salt cheesecake ($9). You cannot miss this smokey sweet and creamy cheesecake. The cheese was rich but not too heavy and it went perfectly with the crunchy and compact graham crust. I suspect a lot of butter went into it but it's awesome. Repeat after me: Butter is awesome (especially salted ones).D'Good Cafe also has a rooftop area for alfresco dining. This would be perfect at night or on an extremely cool day. I'd certainly be back for more cheesecake. Tried the Strawberry Cheesecake and it just didn't cut it after the mindblowingly good maple sea salt one. Enjoy this one!…Read More

For full reviews, visit my blog at www.ms-skinnyfat.comThere is no trick to staying skinny, it's a lot of exercise and watching your diet. Well with my hectic food blogging schedule and essentially my love for food, i make it a point to eat healthy on weekdays and i turn to salads for lunch! I love them because they are healthy and fresh and I also love preparing them myself. But if you don't have time to make your own, then check out The Lawn, the only Specialty Grill & Salad Café in SingaporeThe grills are what make The Lawn different from the other salad spots. If you are a salad virgin, The Lawn helps with that veggie anxiety with their selection of savory and delicious grilled meats and seafood. Eating green doesn't mean that you gotta sacrifice on taste! So go Meat your Greens!You could go with a salad base or have your grills with olive rice (comes with a side salad and dressings). Grills are at an additional price of between $3 to $5. Teriyaki Chicken is good, so are the seared Pacific Dory and Mushrooms but the best is the Garlic Prawns!With 12 sauces to choose from, you're probably gonna have a hard time but i've done a sauce review on the blog so you just need to ref that. Top 3 would be, Red Island, Maple Peanut and Manly Mango. Wasahonie is really good too!Now check out my creations!Grilled Garlic Prawn Salad. With Tofu, Granola, Cheddar, Chestnut and Cous Cous. I loved the spicy garlic prawns a la aglio olio style. If you pick granola, make sure you choose a saucy sauce so that the granola wouldn't be too dry. The chestnuts are absolutely yummeh.Grilled Black Pepper Duck Breast Salad. With Pasta (Fusilli), Corn, Alfafa Sprouts, Parmesan and Cashew Nuts. Love the umami of the parmesan. The pairing the duck with mango sauce is simply heavenly but the duck could be more pink. Make sure you remove the skin!Ben's Beef Rub with Olive Rice. I love the preserved olive vegetables with rice! It may not be the healthiest considering that it's preserved in oil and there's plenty of carbs but this would be great for friends who are just not that into vegetables. Would love a brown rice option though! The beef cubes were a little tough too.The Lawn previously operated out of the Biopolis outlet but they have added another store at AXA Tower in Shenton Way. If you are in a rush for time and are too lazy to create your own salad, there are a couple of planned salads for $12.90-$13.90. My advice? Grab a few of their order forms and keep them in office and you can plan your salad before lunch. :)…Read More

For full reviews, visit www.ms-skinnyfat.comRonin uses the same Genovese blend as The Bravery and The Plain. Low acidity, super strong and aromatic. Love the crema. Latte goes for $4.20.Do not miss out on the Matchatone ($5.50)! This is by far my favorite matcha drink. It is actually an intense matcha paste served with steamed milk. I love scrapping the green tea sludge and eating that instead of mixing it all in. Slurps.We had the famed Dirty Ronin ($12). Hard sandwiches are so in these days. I enjoyed the crispy panini which has a nice crusty shell but it still maintained that fluffy porous texture inside. Servings are huge by the way. So this comes with a lightly spiced salty chorizo. How they get the meat so soft i have no idea but it is really more like spam (not the chinese Ma Ling sorta luncheon meat though). There's some miso mayo, fried egg and cheese in this. Taste wise it's not bad, though a different kinda lettuce would have been better.The scrambled eggs ($9) have this amazing taste and texture. It's extremely milky but it's not the runny sort. However, it wasn't like the eggs were dry. Well.. it's like an egg pudding? Anyhoo, you gotta try it for yourself. It's perfect with the nicely buttered crunchy toast. Add on the freshly made sausage ($4.50) which comes in pork or lamb to satisfy your meat craving. Avocado and Portobello available as add ons too.If you, like me, enjoy a sweet and savory combination, have the French Toast ($14), a fluffy and eggy brioche topped with fried bacon and crunchy and tart Granny Smith apples. Absolutely adored the maple butter! I could do with more bacon though. Oink.We really enjoyed brunch at Ronin though it's really packed during brunch time. The waiting isn't too bad because the service is pretty good. The girls are really chirpy and friendly so it's great.…Read More

For more reviews, visit my blog at www.ms-skinnyfat.comThe special weekday a la carte dim sum lunch menu is created by new Dim Sum Chef Lee Siaw Cheen and diners get to feast on an extensive selection of 35 soups, signature dishes, dim sum and desserts at $48.There are 4 new enhanced signature dim sum creations which include Deep-fried Yam Puff with Foie Gras, Baked Egg Tart with Imperial Swiflet’s Nest and White Fungus, Steamed Berkshire Pork “Char Siu” Buns and Crispy Carrot Cake with Hai Tien Lo’s Signature XO Sauce. These are limited to one serving each per guest.Of the lot, the Berkshire Pork “Char Siu” Buns was absolutely heavenly. Juicy and succulent meat in a delicious barbecue sauce lovingly wrapped by a fluffy sweet bun. But why only 1 serving?? :( I also liked the carrot cake which has nice chunks of radish and chinese sausage. This is best paired with the spicy XO sauce.Diners also get unlimited servings of the classic dim sum. The Wok-seared Spinach Dumplings may look really green on the outside but it's also packed with juicy minced pork inside. Delicious!The Deep-fried Pork Dumpling “Ham Shui Gok”. It's really crispy on the outside but has a mochi-like texture inside and it is filled with juicy pork with mushrooms. When eaten all at once, it tastes like a Hakka Abacus Seed 算盘子.If dimsum alone doesn't fill you up, there are also 9 Hai Tien Lo Signatures to pick from which includes hearty dishes like Szechuan Spicy chicken, Grouper fish fillet and Cantonese Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs.. Each table is limited to one serving of any three items.The Homemade Bean Curd with Crab Meat and Eggplant in Supreme Stock comes highly recommended. Absolutely silky and fragrant tofu in a carrot, radish and chicken supreme stock. Slurps!If you like something fried (who doesn't), the Deep-fried Soft Shell Crab with Pepper Sauce is rather delightful. Just work it off later really.What is a Cantonese meal without soup right? Pick from either the Traditional Double-Boiled Soup or the Lobster with Shredded Abalone and Vegetables in Thick Broth (one serving of any one item per person). The little green puffs are made of vegetables. Now you can drink your greens too!For desserts, i went with the Double-boiled Osmanthus Tea with Pear and White Fungus which is light and refreshing. I liked that it's not too sweet.The Mango Sago with Pomelo was a hot favorite. This drinks like a mango smoothie and is surprisingly light as well. If there's more space in your dessert tummy, you could go with the Black Sesame Paste with Glutinous Rice Dumpling.So here you go, Hai Tien Lo's Weekday Dim Sum Buffet. It's perfect for business lunches and definitely for times when you simply just need to treat yourself.…Read More

For full reviews, visit my blog at www.ms-skinnyfat.comA good love story always begins with fresh, rustic bread. I couldn't help but fall in love with this all-day bakery/brasserie that serves up freshly baked organic breads in their little shophouse along Bukit Timah Road.We started with the Bircher Muesli ($10), my go to when I want something healthier. TMP's version is smoother but you could still get the great taste of Granny Smith, muesli, puffed brown rice, oats, maple syrup, nuts, cinnamon in a yogurt mix. I love how tangy the dish was and it's a great starter to share but it certainly will fill you up if you have it as a main.The French Toast Salpicon ($19) is a delightful plate with the many colorful fruits. It may look like an ordinary sweet french toast but it hides a huge secret within it.Cut through that fluffy brioche and out spills a savory combination of chicken, spinach and mushrooms. Weird it is not, in fact I thought the gravy could be more creamy and savory. It's really a go-bold-or-go-home dish. The strawberry-smoked maple syrup was delightful with the toast though.The 62 Degree Eggs Benedict with Smoked salmon ($22) is another favorite with diners. TMP got all the ingredients right; perfect salmon, creamy avocado, seaweed crumbs on crunchy sourdough but the somewhat weak in-house hollandaise sauce didn't managed to lift the dish. The overall taste was a lil blah.The Guinness Pot Pie ($24) got most of the things right. Hearty beef stew with Guinness topped with a buttery flaky puffed pastry. This is the perfect cold weather dish!For desserts, the Mela Con Formaggi ($14) is a sweet-savoury combination of granny smith, banana caramel sauce, chocolate soil, citrus mascarpone, homemade honeycomb and parmigiano reggiano chips. I couldn't stop eating this one... …Read More