I have not really visited many cafes in Singapore as many of them are located quite far from where I am staying and are not very accessible. I am glad that recently, there are a few cafes making their way into the heartland of Singapore and being an Easterner, I will like to explore some of the cafes in Bedok and Changi area first. As it was the start of the holiday for me yesterday ie no need to report to work, I decided to make a trip to Bedok Reservoir on my own to have my brunch at Refuel Cafe. Refuel Cafe is located at this block. Located below the void deck. The cafe was not really very big and the seats were almost all filled up by lunch-time. I saw a few parents bringing their children who were dressed in school uniform (probably they just took their PSLE results) to have their meal here. All prices shown on the menu are the Nett prices. The cafe doesn't charge GST and Service Charge. I ordered a small cup of Latte ($4.50). Interesting design of the magazine rack. As the cafe has the theme of petrol station, you can find "props" like the barrels below, signages related to petrol kiosks here.The cafe served All-Day breakfast and I ordered their recommended "Full Tank" aka "Big Breakfast" which had bratwurst, bacon, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, toast, tomatoes, potatoes & salad all served on one plate. ($13.90) Of course, I loved the mushrooms best and followed by the lightly toasted bread which was soft. The scrambled eggs was too creamy for my like as I prefer it to have a bit more texture.After my meal, I spent some time walking around the neighbourhood. Near to the cafe, there is this birds shop that caught my eyes. Do check it out if you are around the area.

In the mood of craving Japanese cuisine, Marugoto Shokudou, a traditional Japanese restaurant settled on the path of Ang Mo Kio Boardway Plaza serving rare and quality authentic Japanese dining experience with a menu of 150 unique varieties.

To indulge the feel of classical Japanese culture ambiance with Sakura blossom design, it was my first visit to Marugoto Shokudou restaurant and I am in love with their cozy dining experience as well as their authentic cuisine and sushi. In sync with the comfortable surroundings, it’s always suitable to bring your friends, family and loves one for a casual dining in the neighbourhood environment.

Lucky Cat welcome you to the authentic dining

Marugoto Shokudou Restaurant Dining Menu

In the event of food tasting session, we started off an appetizer, the Ankimo (Angle Fish) pairing with a glass of traditional sake. The dish does not give a fishy aftertaste, thus it present a smooth bite texture compliment with the sauce to the consumer.

For people who like to a light starter dish, you are welcome to try out their Buta Shabu-Shabu Salad. It is one of my favourite salad dishes of the night, and the Shabu Shabu meat taste fresh and appetizing.

One of the highlight yet expensive dishes of the night! - The Assorted Sashimi consists of Kanpachi, Toro, salmon belly and uni sushi. The sashimi was well-prepared and it was an eye-opening to see this dish presenting in a distinctive style. Likewise, this series of sashimi simply tastes delectable and I really love eating the salmon belly. Awesome!

The recommended main course at Marugoto Shokudou - Kimchi Miso Ramen, Tokyo Shoyu Ramen and Beef Kushiyaki.

NEXT! The SPERM SOUP!!! First time in my life having a bowl of SPERM SOUP! OMG Wait… Is Cod Fish Sperm soup (Shirauo Osui)! And this authentic dish is origin from Japan. The “Brain Look” Sperm texture taste as soft as minced meat and the soup was light and refreshing. Hence, it was quite an energetic soup for both genders whereby it helps to keep your body warm. You guys can have a try! ^^

Everyone love ice cream! To conclude our last dish of the night, we had the warm-cold crispy Ice Cream sandwiches dessert. Thus, there are two ice cream flavours which are vanilla and chocolate for customers’ preference.
Read More:
http://hpility.blogspot.sg/2014/12/authentic-japanese-dining-experience-at.html

195 Pearl's Hill Terrace used to housed the former Police Operational Headquarters. With the move to Police Cantonment Complex not far from here, this place become vacant but got occupied for office usage few years back. With a small amount of snack shops and takeaway kiosks available there, it's no wonder a retro-looking cafe that pays tribute to the past will be opened there - The Mama Shop, which is opened by MediaCorp actresses Felicia Chin, Sora Ma and 2 other friends.The menu. Currently at its soft launch, it only features waffles, burgers, certain pastries and a small selection of drinks but come the official launch next week, do expect them to introduce more items into their menu!For a start, complimentary wheel snacks and iced gem biscuits are served!The Peanut Prince ($4.50) is probably The Mama Shop's take on peanut smoothie. It is full both on flavour and taste, but could do with a bit more sweetness.For Takoyaki lovers, the Okaasan Waffles ($4.90) is a must order. The waffles are crispy and the mix of the savoury seaweed chicken with the takoyaki sauce and bonito flakes, makes this an slightly less filling alternative to the octopus balls while achieving the same taste.The Messy Messy Nice Nice Mama Burger ($10.90) consist of a New Zealand beef patty with melted gouda cheese and caramelized onion mushrooms, topped with grilled buns and served with tofu sticks. The tofu sticks are great and crispy. The bun, on the other hand, is too hard to cut into. The beef patty tasted not too bad and is briefly enhanced by the gouda cheese and the mushrooms.Located at a more secluded corner of town, this place may be hard to access via the main road, though there is a back gate from People's Park Complex that leads to 195 Pearl Hill Terrace. If you are around the Outram Park / Chinatown area, why not visit this place for a quiet respite?

For the full review and more photos, please visit http://makanarts.com/2014/10/01/the-mama-shop-195-pearls-hill-terrace/

For full review and more photos, please visit http://thumbsforfood.blogspot.sg/2014/07/sin-lee-foods-thumbsforfood.html
Sin Lee Foods opened its doors in the Bukit Ho Swee neighbourhood. The cafe's exterior was eye-catching with its traditional old-school signboard coupled with modern black framed entrance. It really stood out in contrast with its surroundings.
We tried the Flat White which was very aromatic and smooth. The latte art looked kind of abstract though. The prices of the drinks were quite standard cafe prices ranging from about $5.50 onwards. They have iced versions for those who prefer something cold.
Boneless Fried Chicken with Cheddar Waffle was our choice for the afternoon. As it was for our tea break, we decided to share the main course. The chicken was really juicy and tender. The batter was not too thick and went well with the chicken. We loved the texture of the waffle, which we hypothesised was due to the addition of cheddar.
We felt the price was a little steep though, priced at $21.90. I personally preferred the waffles on its own rather than eating it with the melted butter maple syrup.
As we were there on a weekday afternoon, there weren't many patrons. However, we would expect there to be a crowd on weekends. They have alfresco outdoor seating area that could accommodate more people. I guess on these days when the weather is so sweltering hot, I would prefer to sit indoors.
Overall, we feel that the price of food in Sin Lee is quite steep. The food quality is good but, we are still undecided whether it is worth the price.

The recent trend of using old shop areas significant to a historic estate seems to be on a high with cafes lately. Sin Lee used to be a coffeeshop that seemed to be around as long as the estate itself, and also used to house a rather famous Prawn Noodle stall with it. The coffeeshop was recently sold off, with the noodle stall having no heir to transfer the business to. Recently converted into a cafe, much of the original fittings are no longer around, much of it converted to a rather hipster setup less the signage being retained.The menu generally revolves around western fare, serving dishes much akin to all-day brunch and desserts. Beverages such as coffee, tea and sodas are available, with the coffee blend being Papa Pahelta’s Throwback blendBig B ($18.90) is the big breakfast item at Sin Lee Foods. Coming with bacon, sauteed mushrooms, toast, tomato relish, roasted potatoes, sausage, eggs and salad, this was essentially the package fit for brunch. We loved the crustiness of the toast, crispiness of the skin of the potatoes, creaminess of the cream sauce used for the sauteed mushrooms, crispiness of the bacon fried dry without much oiliness and the runny scrambled eggs, but the real deal for me was the salad. They came in a tangy dressing with shavings of parmesan over the top; a slight combination of sour and saltiness that made it so delectable.Recently after many attempts of trying waffles at new cafes, I hesitated before I decided to order this one as I originally wanted something different. Eventually, we still ordered the Iron Grill Waffles of the Day ($14.90), which comes with fresh fruits and a scoop of Vanilla ice-cream. First bite through came with the “oomph” factor; crispy exterior with a moist interior that really melted in the mouth. Then the next bite comes filled with the fragrance of Buttermilk; and it was really rich and evident throughout. Even the fresh fruits were impressive; they were missing of the usual sourness and were really really sweet especially the mango chunks. The scoop of Vanilla ice-cream was also decently rich, but the texture was a tad rough though still somewhat acceptable.Flat White ($4.50) as mentioned uses Papa Pahelta’s Throwback blend. It’s chocolatey and nutty tones were light, which makes it a relaxing cuppa to soothe the senses.For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/07/02/sin-lee-foods-jalan-bukit-ho-swee/