Had a good lunch on last Friday with my lady boss and colleague. We had Italian cuisine for lunch. It has been a hectic week with tender submissions and issues going on in works. I am so glad it’s over for the week.

My lady boss recommended us La Pizzaiola restaurant located at Jalan Riang. The restaurant is a homely Italian pizzeria that located in the Braddell Height Estates and an approximately 10-15minutes walk from NEX shopping mall. It is quite inconvenient for those who are taking public transport as it is not accessible.

Nevertheless, it does not stop people for coming in for dining. Based on some reviews from several blogs, the restaurant is owned by the same guys who run Pietrasanta at Portsdown Road (which I haven’t tried before). La Pizzaiola offers great foods and a great price for 12” pizzas for S$14 - 17, pastas for S$13 - 15 and house wine for just S$8 a glass. The price is quite decent and affordable too. No wonder, the night dinning was overflowing of customers.

This time round we went for lunch so the restaurant was quite empty. The staffs are friendly and knowledgeable as well. They are well-trained and know the dishes listed in the menu well. Risotto Allozafferano consists of the Italian Risotto with Saffron - $14.90. We have additional ingredients which is the prawn into the risotto which cost few additional dollars. The risotto was well prepared with generous topping of saffron which makes the whole meal taste delicious. Ham Mushroom & Cream with Green Spaghetti - $12.90. The spaghetti wasn’t too hard or soggy. It blends well with the sauce. The sauce is very rich and it taste creamy even by looking at it.We had Torta Pistocchi all the way from Italy. Florence Dark Chocolate Dessert - $8.90/slice: Thumbs up for this! Awesome taste of rich chocolate! The cake has the smooth taste and it just melts into your mouth.

The pizzas is a must-try list if you are dropping by. It serves the thin crusted slices of pizzas with different flavors. I would definitely visit the restaurant again for dining. However, if you are going down as a big group for dinners, I would suggest to make a reservation before dropping by to avoid disappointment as dinner time is quite crowded.

This dessert hideout at a secluded corner of Holland Village had been on my list since it was opened years ago. The chef-owner Janice had won numerous awards for her pastry creations. However, there seemed to be less positive reviews than negative ones.


Some felt that the quality/portions of the desserts did not justify the expensive price tag while some felt the service was lacking. Finally mustered the necessary courage to visit and well, our experience was not fantastic but not too bad.


The Red Miso Caramel ($15) with mustard crumble sparked my curiosity as saltish desserts often excelled well than purely sweet desserts. The miso lemon foam was robust enough to pair with the slightly tangy mustard yuzu meringue, though my partner found the match rather odd. This interesting dessert would not dull your taste buds, even though the mustard taste was faint.


This Southeast Asian style dessert is named Shades of Green ($14) had nothing to do with trees but 2Ps - Pistachio and Pandan. The pistachio sponge and coconut mousse were quite forgettable, but what I remembered was the sweet and aromatic pandan gula melaka custard. Overall not too dense nor overly sweet. If you like kaya toasts or nyonya kuehs like ondeh ondeh just like me, you might love this one.


There was a petite tasting menu, from which we ordered the Sticky Toffee Pudding ($10). But at $10 for a small slice, it was pricey and I should have stuck to the regular menu. With some wacky combinations of ingredients, I would not say that the desserts are extremely overpriced but more or less, on par with most western restaurants and even cafes here.

At least their dessert menu do not have boring renditions of molten lava cake, creme brulee or apple crumble. That said, don't be like me who wanted to save money by ordering the cheaper petite tasting creations. If you wish to go, do check out their website calendar as their opening days are irregular.



For full review and more photos, please visit: http://www.dairycream.blogspot.sg/2013/07/2am-dessert-bar.html

With that many roti prata stalls in Singapore, with plenty open 24/7 for businesses, I never really got to discover which mamuk has the best offering. With Sin Ming Roti Prata being one of the shortlisted 'Hawker Heroes', we thought it was worthwhile to pay them a visit to see how good was their dough! While many of the stalls out there use factory-made doughs, this was one of the few remaining stalls in Singapore that still prepare their own dough.We decided to order a mix of 2 plain roti pratas and a set of coin pratas (6 pieces). The latter is actually a scaled-down version of the former. An observation of the preparation process seemed to suggest that the dough reserved for 1 normal-sized roti prata was sliced into 3 portions to make 3 small coin pratas. The standard order was for 6 coin pratas so really the dough put into it worked out to be the same as 2 plain ones. During the folding process, I notice that a large slab of that clarified butter was placed in the middle of that spread dough, allowing it to melt and flow outwards from the middle. I was largely disappointed with my orders for the plain roti pratas for they were pre-made and the gentleman merely took 2 pieces of pre-cooked roti prata and tossed it over the heated iron skillet to pan-fry it further or rather to reheat it. I was expecting my roti prata to be made fresh since I was the only customer at that point in time. (I took the special effort to visit during non-peak period so that hopefully I could get the best tasting) The coin pratas, on the other hand, were freshly made, which later proved to have a huge discrepancy in tasting.

Plain Roti PrataIn all honesty, I was dismayed by the lack of freshness of my roti prata. Seriously, God knows how long they had been sitting in that metallic container since that last customer. I was particularly irked by the fact that the customers behind me who placed the orders for plain roti prata got to taste freshly pan-fried ones while I had to help clear the excess. All these happened right before my own eyes and I was half-expecting that they might take the onus to pile some fresh ones on my plate, but apparently quality was compromised for the sake of business.

A disgruntled customer I was but I believed that I had the rights to be so. I was tasting a mediocre dough, fluffy on the inside but limp and greased on the surface. It would have been a miraculous effort if a reheated roti prata could taste as good as a freshly pan-fried version. The flavours were pretty flat and lacked appeal in appearance as it was served luke-warm.

Coin PrataIf only the plain roti pratas tasted this good. The freshly made coin pratas were everything I had in mind prior to visiting, a crisp crust surface encasing a moist and fluffy soft insides. The variance in texture was sublime and there was no better testament than to hear the crisp! While it was greasy on the inside, there was a beautiful burst of flavour enhanced by the clarified butter. There was a subtle salinity if you consumed the coin prata on its own but with the lentil curry, it was a divine combination. Watching the chef at work, he took efforts to create the contours of the coin prata in an encircling fashion, starting from the middle of the prata and wrapped up around the sides.

Looking at the discrepancy in our food verdict for the roti prata and coin prata, your can expect the compromise in quality in the former. I cannot say for a fact if a freshly made roti prata would taste as good as the coin prata tried for unfortunately, we did not get to taste the best rendition this time round.

Chicken CurryThe chicken curry was certainly one of the best tried in town! Personally, I have a penchant for curries that packed boldness and heat. The innocent-looking curry was smooth yet rich in flavour. The level of creaminess was subtle which suited my palate, with a focus on the spiciness that cut through the taste buds sharply. I could not help but indulged myself silly with the curry, almost soaking my prata in it! Before long, I found myself breaking out in perspiration - brilliant. I was taking in calories and torching them at the same time!

Moving on, the chicken portions were tender and moist. The herbs and spices in the curry were well-infused into the chicken yet leaving a tinge of natural sweetness owed to the fresh chicken used. The coin prata and the curry simply worked harmoniously to give the desired 'prata experience'. It was the exact gourmet experience which we had in mind - freshly made warm, crisp prata with a fluffy dough coupled with a spicy-hot curry sauce, sedap!I would almost certainly regard the friendly chefs behind Sin Ming Roti Prata as our local prata hawker heroes. The only disappointment was that we were not served freshly made roti prata which I believed would have made our planned visit a worth while one. Nonetheless, we had an enjoyable late lunch compensated by the surprisingly good coin prata and chicken curry. Without a proper signboard that detailed the prices, I was unable to quote individual food item prices, but the meal came to $8.20 which we thought was reasonably priced and affordable.

I am adamant to try their fresh prata and more of that chicken curry anytime. Looking forward to the next visit already!

For the review in full with food titbits included, please drop by our blog at http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/07/sg-sin-ming-roti-prata-our-prata-hawker.html

A hidden gem in the estates of Ang Mo Kio, this is a family-run store coupled with the famous chain of Hong Kong Street Chun Kee (香港街珍记) in an ordinary coffee shop. By a friend's recommendation that this place has one of the best 流沙包 (flowy custard egg yolk bun), it was definitely a place to check out. Don't belittle it because of its location, I was surprised to find snaking queues and every table occupied twice that I visited. Even at supposed off-peak hours of 8plus in the night, it was still as packed.

Cheong Fun with Char Siew ($2.80)An absolutely disappointing plate of Cheong Fun, despite me starving by the time this first dish arrived. The 'fun' was too thick and it seemed as though we were eating kuehs instead. There was too much 'fun' surrounding the dish, such that the Char Siew bits were like a side dish sprinkled onto it. The sauce was also too salty, a tad too strong for my liking. Last but not least, I thought the presentation of the dish was quite bad, making it look like a pile of leftover 'fun' put together for our serving.

Cheong Fun with You Tiao ($3.00)The youtiao version was alot better. There was alot more fillings inside, with better proportion as opposed to the charsiew one. The youtiao went better with the sauce but could have been better if it was toasted and crispy before wrapping, so that it could have been slightly crispy upon serving. Just like the previous dish, it was too salty and the 'fun' was too thick for my liking.

Carrot Cake ($3.00)I usually don't fancy carrot cake but this one caught the attention of my taste buds. It wasn't too sticky and I like the pan-fried surface. There was an added crisp to every bite, adding to the texture of the otherwise soft and boring carrot cake. It was well-blended inside, making it softer than usual. A little too oily, but the crisp sure made up for it.

Special Dairy Salted Bun/ Flowy Custard Egg Bun ($3.50)The reason for me visiting in the very first place, well, it did satisfy my cravings. A super major fan of 流沙包, I often have random cravings and am always on the lookout for good ones around. So if you know of any, do let me know! Anyway, this was a decent one recommended by my friend. I like the fillings, it had a good blend of sweet and savory and had right balance of milkiness. Call me picky, I thought it was just a little too sweet. As you can see, there are still some parts that aren't flowy too. Perhaps there was a bit more custard used in the blend. I thought the bun could have been finer too, it was a little too airy for my liking. Nonetheless, that is just me on the search of the best bun. I thought this was quite a good one, worth making a trip there if you happen to be around the area.

Steamed Pork Ribs ($2.50)Seeing how it was soaked in oil, I was put off initially but decided to give it a shot for review purpose. Very tender pork ribs, it was well marinated. A little too bland for my liking though. It was quite a large portion considering the price, but don't expect anything fancy.

Special of the Day (Seaweed)A special concoction, it was a complimentary dish as my friend knew the boss' daughter. As someone who's anti-vegetable, seeing this was my nightmare coming alive. Different types of seaweed marinated and out together in a dish, the curious and adventurous side of me decided to give it a shot anyway. It was an acquired taste, a mix between jellyfish and raw vegetables. It had the texture of jellyfish, except this is harder and more chewy. There was also an odd twist to its taste, with a full shot of raw vegetables essence and an added flavour that I couldn't quite identify. According to the boss, this dish is full of nutritional value as it helps lower blood pressure and in detoxification. It wasn't to my liking, but definitely recommended for those who are adventurous and well, you'll probably have to like vegetables in order to enjoy it.

Steamed Shrimp Dumpling/ Har Gao ($3.00)Impressed by this, I thought this was one of the rare places that managed to do hargao well. With its ordinary looks, it surprised us by how good it simply was. Fresh prawns used, you can taste the natural sweetness of the seafood, complemented well with its seasoning. The skin was of the right thickness, it was chewy enough to add to the texture of the dumpling, yet it managed to hold the piece together well and it didn't feel like you were just chewing on thick bland skin.

Minced Pork & Shrimp Dumpling/ Siew Mai ($2.50)An apparent lack of QC where you can see one siewmai lacking the toppings. This was a rather decent dish, it had fresh shrimps and succulent meat, retaining its natural sweet juices within each dumpling. There was just a little too much skin and it could have been better if the meat used were minced together better. Some pieces seemed to be dislodged from the dumpling upon biting, making it seem like a mixture of meat used over different batches.

Sesame Mango Prawn Roll (not listed on the menu)Be sure to hunt for this dish or ask the service staff there. It is a very addictive one in my opinion. Combination of fresh succulent prawns and juicy sweet mango, wrapped in thin crispy sesame skin, the different layers of texture never fails to surprise with every bite. Perhaps it was the season of mangoes when I visited, they chose the right type where it was very sweet and complemented the savory prawn and skin well. Don't belittle the sesame skin, it gave that extra oomph to the dish with its distinct flavour. It's definitely a dish that I will return for!

With its very affordable prices and rather decent food, it is quite a good find that I will return. Despite several misses in the list, I think it's still worth a visit given how the family-run stall exudes a friendly and warm feel. There might be a little miss in its QC efforts, as some of the dishes tasted slightly different for both visits. They are rather open to feedback and the boss is extremely friendly and it's interesting to hear more about the special concoctions he has.

For the full review complete with some personal comments, please drop by http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/07/sg-328-katong-laksa-gordons-nemesis.html

All the years, I had struggled to find out which hawker is the real 'Katong Laksa'. I did my research and while some effortlessly named 328 Katong Laksa, there were plenty who thought it was the Original Katong Laksa, who initiated the 'Janggut Laksa' trend where all you need was a spoon to scoop up all the goodness!

It had been years since I last travelled to the vicinity of the Katong/East Coast/Joo Chiat area for a proper food trail so on this occasion, I paid a special visit on foot and in the meantime giving appreciation to this part of Singapore which had a deeply rooted Peranakan influence.Locals and foreigners which travel to Katong area in search for laksa will almost certainly notice this flagship stall and a secondary outlet further down East Coast Road. With both outlets possessing a prime location along the main road, one would naturally assume that 328 Katong Laksa is the original stall. There was an adjacent stall located beside this main outlet which had indoor air-conditioned seating. Upon placing the orders at the counter or with one of the staffs who would come to your table, the dishes would then be served to you.

Small Laksa (S$4.50/-)There were 3 sizes to choose from for the laksa with the smallest bowl priced at S$4.50, the medium for S$5.50 and the large at S$6.50. We thought it was relatively expensive compared to its competitor, the Original Katong Laksa which had their smallest offering starting from S$3.

'Slurp slurp!', the first tasting of that coconut-based brought a smile to our faces immediately as we knew we were in for a good treat! There was a slightly gritty texture to that broth owed to the grounded dried prawns and spices. We particularly liked the densely rich flavours packed in that mildly sweet and spicy coconut curry soup base which delivered that much desired oomph. The balance in flavours was spot-on, with an initial creaminess, then a hint of the heat from the spices before a soothing richness from that coconut milk to round up a delectable spoonful.

The thick vermicelli was served classic Janggut-style, where it had been thoughtfully cut so that all you need is a spoon to feed yourself to all the goodness contained in that bowl. The beautiful broth stirred our appetite and made us crave for more, only to build up a great disappointment. It is no rocket science that fresh ingredients make or break a dish and on this occasion, the prawns and cockles in this bowl was sub-standard. The cockles had a distasteful fishy smell and a gritty texture due to the presence of sand. The de-shelled and de-veined prawns tasted limp and lacked firmness. As an essential ingredient for the laksa stock came from the prawn heads, I was surprised that the prawns served were not fresh as expected. Quite frankly, we were divided in our verdict because we were blown away by that beautiful broth yet left disgruntled over the freshness of ingredients.

Just some food titbits to takeaway with this, the pile of finely chopped laksa leaves, also known as Vietnamese coriander is an important ingredient contributing to the flavour of the broth. Apparently, it has the ability to repress sexual desires so many Buddhist monks grow this plant in their private gardens and eat it regularly as a helpful measure in their celibate life. Gentlemen, watch out.

Fish Otah (S$1.20/-)Unwrapping the banana leaves left a beautiful fragrance and revealed the fish otah, which is essentially a mixture of spices and fish meat. Typically, it is sliced thinly as shown in the picture, wrapped using a large banana leaf and slow-grilled over charcoal fire. It seemed like the perfect accompaniment for laksa or perhaps it was just a classic case of following my parents footsteps of enjoying laksa with otah. The otah retained moisture in the meat and tasted tender, succulent and most importantly fresh.

Nasi Lemak (S$1.60/-)This version came across as mediocre. There was the typical deep-fried kuning fish but it was not crispy enough to consume it in entirety. The offering of peanuts and ikan bilis mixed in that sambal chilli was meagre and while the sambal chilli had a good kick, it failed to salvage the rice dish. There was a slight coconut fragrance in that rice but it was not strong enough for our preference.Photographs of visiting celebrities were plastered on both sides of the wall within the eatery.I know that 328 Katong Laksa is famous as it is, way before the Singtel Hawker Heroes Challenge but there was no need for their staffs to exude arrogance to customers. While waiting for my rojak order as it was self-service, there was a middle-aged lady who came for some takeaway orders. The gentleman serving her was impatient and quick to cut short her requests in packaging. While I did not fall victim as a Food Nazi on this instance, such customer service remained unacceptable by anyone's standards.

Within the coffee shop itself, there was another chicken rice and rojak stall. Since we had our mains, we decided to try the rojak, partly enticed by the billboard of its stall which read 'Since 1975'. In addition, I later learnt from the servers that the rojak stall is not related to 328 Katong Laksa but rather a separate establishment within the same coffee shop.

Seng Kee Famous Katong Rojak (S$4/-)There were two sizes for the rojak and we settled for the smaller portion at S$4 while the upsized version came at S$5. I wish I could give a half-decent review but sadly my verdict was simple - do not waste your calories. The fried fritters (you tiao) was limp and soft while the shrimp paste was diluted, runny and lacked any strong unami flavours. When the key element of a dish turns out a disaster (the shrimp paste in this case), you know the dish is a mess. This was easily the worst plate of rojak tried in my life.