Please refer to http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2014/02/sg-tobys-estate-charmed-by-true-cafe.html for review complete with more pictures.

It is no trade secret that the cafe scene is extremely vibrant in Singapore but quite frankly, after trying quite a handful of popular places, we have yet to discover 'THE' cafe that is able to deliver a relaxing experience complete with calories-worthy coffee and food. What exactly does one look for when it comes to seeking a cafe experience?

Personally, we feel that the slightly better cafes in Singapore tend to be overcrowded and that kinda defeats the purpose of unwinding down after a hard week at work. Why would I want to face further pressure from waiting diners to free up my table when it was supposedly the place to go to chill? Apart from the crowd, I have always been sceptical about paying some good S$20 for a plate of all-day breakfast which you could pretty much cook it yourself at less than half the price. Does it really make sense?

Toby's Estate was named after the owner, Toby Smith. Driven by passion, Toby accumulated his knowledge and skills from his coffee trail around the world including working on farms in Brazil learning to nurture the coffee plant from seed to harvest, as well as the varying processing methods. Toby also worked with a coffee trading company which enabled him to hone his cupping and grading skills, not forgetting his work as a roaster and barista.

Flat White | S$5/nettWith a classic latte art, this flat white was a stellar when it comes to taste. Developed by the Australians and New Zealanders in the 80s, flat white is prepared by pouring microfoam (steamed milk with small, fine bubbles) over a single/double shot espresso. It generally has a higher proportion of coffee to milk and typically offered in a smaller serving as compared to cappuccino or latte for instance.

This was perfectly done and easily one of the best we have tried among the various cafes tried! The foam had a consistent velvety texture which overlaid a balanced shot of espresso that had the right levels of acidity and roast.

Iced Mocha Chai | S$7/nettThe lady was in an adventurous mood and went for the iced mocha chai. The scent of the cardamom certainly titillated our senses and upon the first sip, the flavours beautifully imploded within. It was quite a bold drink and despite the various elements introduced to the drink, it was well-balanced. The flavours of the coffee and chai came across stronger than the chocolate though but overall, it was an enjoyable drink!

V60 coffee | S$6/nettElegantly served in a wine glass, this was one of the five special coffee on the 'Slowbar' section of the menu whereby each drink is manually prepared rather than via the espresso machine. Different brewing methods would bring out varying levels of intensity for the light roast coffee beans and being a caffeine addict, I naturally went for the highest intensity, which involved the V60 brew.

How does this ceramic dripper with a gaping hole in the bottom make good coffee? It is all about the right pouring technique which involves coaxing the extraction of solids from the grounds and this calls for a good steady pace of pouring and pattern.

I generally prefer a dark roast as I enjoy my coffee bold but the flavours of this light roast were intricately extracted in that glass. Depending on individual, this rendition would suit the palate of those who crave for a higher level of acidity. It was sharp but not excessive which made it enjoyable.

Toby's Breakfast | S$18.50/nettThe barn-laid eggs were offered in either scrambled or poached form and we went for the former. Served with espresso maple bacon, cherry tomatoes, sautéed mixed mushrooms and brioche toast, there was no denial that this brought a smile to everyone's faces!

The scrambled eggs were velvety and carried a subtle scent of buttery fragrance though we would have preferred a slightly more intense flavour of the eggs itself. The brioche was perfectly toasted with beautiful grill-lines that imprinted the soft and fluffy bread. The diced mushrooms had a slight truffle scent which was a pleasant surprise. While we appreciated the generous portion of crisp bacon slices, we struggled to find resemblance in flavours to its espresso maple label. There was an interesting twist of sweetness to the savoury bacon with the maple syrup after taste but the punch of espresso was barely evident.

Eggs Royale | S$16.50/nettThe eggs royale was a recommended dish and while we enjoyed the thick slabs of beautiful smoked salmon atop freshly toasted thick brioche, the poached eggs failed to impress. It was not a far cry from perfection but one of the two eggs served was slightly overcooked on the inside. With a wedge of lemon on the side, it allows diners to adjust the desired level of acidity and tang in that classic Hollandaise sauce. Topping off the dish was that aromatic fresh dill which enhanced the flavours of the smoked salmon.Offering both indoor and outdoor seating, Toby's Estate also provide complimentary Wi-Fi access to customers. It was common sight to spot expats working on their laptops and sipping their cup of fresh brew. All prices quoted on the menu were nett, inclusive of GST and no additional 10% service charge was levied either though tipping is encouraged! Upon settling at our table, we were immediately served two bottles of water which were complimentary as well and we weren't at any point in time pressured to place our orders.There was even a section on the side of the cafe that retails various merchandise such as brew apparatus and even a classic book written by the owner himself, complete with pictures and narration about his exploration journey in the name of coffee.I am by no means a fan of cafes for I find that in most cases, the prices are not appropriately matched by the quality of food, coffee and ambience. A visit to Toby's Estate surely changed my opinion as it was a relaxing experience where I basked in the glory of the Sun through the windows, sipped my coffee and browsed through lifestyle magazines (provided at the counter) catching up to the nearest trend in town.

Our first visit no doubt but surely not our last. Looking forward to my next visit already!

This was my second time trying at wild honey, but at mandarin gallery's outlet due to an unsuccessful attempt trip to canopy dining and bar.

We were lucky enough on that day because we didn't have to wait as there wasn't any queue despite it was a saturday.

My craving for all day breakfast was satisfied with such a huge portion of scrambled eggs (you can choose poached, sunny-side as well, up to own preference), bacon, mushroom, sausage, tomato, baked beans and toast! Whereas my boyfriend ordered european breakfast which consists of two eggs benedict with parma ham, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce on brioche toast. However he finds their parma ham was quite mediocre.

Though it may not be the best brunch restaurant but it's good enough for people who have breakfast cravings during the night time!

Iscream is the newest addition to the Fengshan neighbourhood which is under the Arteastiq umbrela. Located within walking distance from the famous Bedok 85 Food Centre, it is a good location for desserts after a meal at the hawker centre.One of the signature items sold here would be the Social Media plate, which was unfortunately available as they had not obtained their liquor license yet. We got the other signature item instead which was the Soogle ($11.90), which was four scoops of ice-cream flavours of your choice sandwiched between macaron shells. We got ourselves the Red Date Tea, Durian, Pulot Hitam and Nuts over Bananas flavours for our ice-cream.Nuts over Bananas was sweet as it tasted of caramalised bananas with a hint of walnuts. Bits of walnuts could also be detected to provide another form of texture to the ice-cream. We quite liked the flavour, as well as the macaron shells that were very chewy after soaking up the melted ice-cream.We could not really tell which type of durian was used for their Durian flavour, but it tasted really natural and distinct. Durian junkies will definitely love this for the distinct flavour of the king of fruits!Red Date Tea was my favourite, probably due to heavy aroma of tea in it. Fans of matcha-flavoured or other tea-flavoured ice-creams will find this flavour appealing.Pulot Hitam was the least exciting flavour of the lot. It was barely sweet, and the coconut milk flavour was also too light on the palate. We did enjoy the grains of Pulot Hitam which not only gave a nice bite, but also a slight flavour boost as well.

Apart from the Soogle and Social Plate, Iscream also sells ice-cream with waffles and Korean-styled ice-creams. For regular scoops, they charge by weight, and various condiments such as nuts are available to buy in packs situated in front of the counter. Beverages include coffee, and teas from Arteastique are also available. For those who wants to experience a fresh concept, Iscream is a place that you should never miss!

For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/01/17/iscream-blk-89-bedok-north-ave-3/

"The Simple Cravings in life", well said from their business tagline. It did really match how I felt after craving for days since I last went there on Monday and they were closed. The shop was relatively new in the area and only accept cash or EZ Link payment. For patrons who are looking for ATM, the nearest will be at Bukit Gombak MRT Station. The shop was compact and space was rather limited. Manned by a humble couple, their service were generous.

All Flavours from Beans&Creams were home-made. Be most welcome to request for any Ice Cream Flavour try out before purchasing them.

The couple were polite with service above average. Price of the Ice Cream were clearing indicated in the price list plastered on the wall. Besides helping ourselves with the free flow of ice water by the side of the counters, these flower biscuits are complimentary for the dine in customers but it is limited to 1 scoop per dine in customer, remember A moment of insanity, we had kept their waffles machine from going hot with 4 plates of waffles. Ice Cream to me is just insatiable especially when it comes to pairing with these waffles.

Waffles with Ice Cream costs $6.50 but with premium Ice Cream ordered, an additional of 80cents is required. Vanilla is one of the premium flavours, their ice cream was creamy with visible Vanilla Bean Specks which consists a pleasant faint vanilla scent.



The presentation looks yummy with the scoop of vanilla ice cream topped the stacking waffles with chocolate and maple syrup over the plate. They were sweet but not cloying. The drizzle of flour powder over the waffle was used sparingly giving a perfect final touch to the savoury dessert. Scattered among the classic flavors, Rum and Rasins were more towards the unique tastes with alcohol filled. It looks pretty divine with its rum soaked raisins diffused through the creamy, smooth ice cream but still a little sweet for me. Well, I guess the local ice cream chains has a challenger here.Bitter sweet tasting ice-cream, dark chocolate, it is! As creamy as it was taken, are you shaken by these two yummy-licious scoops of sweet flavours? For the sweet tooth, Cookies and Creams is a good bet. Enjoy the roughness over the smooth creamy white cream from the crushed cookies. While waffles do taste delicious plain, these sweet nibbles were perfect with Pistachio and Earl Grey. Its thickened size was cripsy and soft at the same time. Yums! Pistachio and Earl Grey fans, this cant be missed. Each mouthful of pistachio was burst full of nutty flavour, driving me nuts. While the Earl Grey was light, infused with sweet scent nature from the tea.I'm please after trying out a number of their flavours, satisfying my crave. Overall, I find that their ice cream were decent but not to die for. But frankly speaking, I love their instant production of waffles. they were outstanding.

Thai cuisine is so popular in Singapore that recently many popular restaurants from Thailand has opened overseas outlets here.

Nara Thai Cuisine was voted as Thailand's best restaurants from 2007 till 2013. There were many features on Nara Thai too. Not too long ago, I had seen a magazine write-up on the 50 must-eat food in Singapore (whut), one of which was Nara Thai's yellow curry soft shell crab. As an avid lover of Thai food and after reading that article, I decided to waste no more time to try out Nara Thai.At first glance, this looks like a posh restaurant relative to the other restaurants on that level. However, we were seated near the kitchen area where there was a section dedicated to collector cart trolleys which was not very sightly and did not quite fit in with the classy look that the restaurant was going for.

The food that Nara Thai has to offer is not very extensive, but enough to capture the focus of authentic Thai cuisine. Thai Iced Tea $5+?
This was really good! Most thai iced tea that I have tried are quite sweet but the level of sweetness for this was just right for me. It was also distinctly Thai in taste, making me want to have more with every sip.Deep fried chicken in traditional thai shrimp paste $9.90
They could have done a better job at cleaning the plate before serving this to us. There were only a few small pieces of chicken that barely filled up half of the plate. The taste of the chicken was good though. They were well marinated in the thai shrimp paste and chicken was quite tender. The powdery condiment (not sure what it was) served separately at the side did not go well with the chicken and had a really weird taste. Stir-fried Soft Shell Crab with Yellow Curry $18.90
Here's the dish that we were looking forward to because it was (claimed) to be the top 50 food items you must try in Singapore as mentioned above. The yellow curry was barely warm and it was not very nice to eat after it turned cold halfway through our meal. There was nothing fanciful about the soft shell crab but I am guessing that the yellow curry would have tasted really good if it was served hot. The taste of the curry was rich and sweet and could easily go well with white rice ($2). Tom Yum Kung $19.90
There were only 2 big prawns and 1 mushroom in it. I don't think I will be willing to pay for a small pot of tom yum soup with only 2 king prawns and a small mushroom for such a price. The spiciness was there but there was nothing fantastic about the taste. It was too milky for my liking. The best part of the soup was that the prawns were really big and fresh and the superb freshness of the prawns lingered in the soup. They certainly can do better by offering more (at least 2 mushrooms hah) at such a price.

Overall, the portions were too stingy and the taste of the food did not quite justify for the hefty price. I understand that they are located in a prime location like Ion and they certainly have to mark up the prices to cover for rental costs and other expenses. I am willing to pay a premium for good food but I don't think Nara Thai is worth the money.

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