Despite only having opened in October, Forty Hands is already drawing a steady crowd of caffeine addicts. Located in an old shophouse in the serene realms of Tiong Bahru, the cafe is named after the mean number of people required in coffee production, from the plant to cup.

Drinks on the menu, brewed from certified Fair Trade coffee beans, range from $2.50 for a single shot of espresso to $8.50 for a large mocha. The iced latte ($7.50) certainly lived up to my expectations of a cuppa from a specialty coffee joint. Strong, rich and full-bodied, this definitely kept me buzzing for the rest of the day!

Aside from a variety of sandwiches, Forty Hands also offers a spread of croissants, ranging from pain du chocolat to almond croissants. Longing for a savory nibble at lunchtime, I opted for the ham and cheese croissant ($4.50). Sadly, the ham and cheese were simply sandwiched into the croissant, instead of being baked with the pastry. Better quality cheese could have also been used instead of processed slices. Nevertheless, the crisp-shelled croissant satisfied with its light and fluffy interiors, though it can't compare to its fabulously buttery counterpart at Mirabelle Patisserie.

Carrot cake, lemon ricotta cheesecake and scones (which looked more like rock cakes) were just some of the tempting sweet options. It wasn't an easy decision, but I eventually settled on the beautifully-assembled chocolate tart ($5) for dessert. Rich without being cloying, the lush-looking chocolate filling did not betray its appearance with its luxurious silky smoothness. If only the tart crust could have been more crunchy- or even better, replaced with a buttery pate sucree base!

As someone who is not a java devote, I am unlikely to return to Forty Hands soon, partially due to its not-quite-convenient location. However, this charming cafe definitely makes a good hangout for those who appreciate a good coffee. (Psst....there's WiFi!)

2am: dessert bar is such a popular hang-out spot in Holland Village that it’s quite impossible to get a seat without making prior reservations. We didn’t make any and were told to return the table by 2345. Just 45 minutes? No problem at all. Cuz the desserts were small enough to be polished off within 5 mins flat.

The interior looks good, very minimalist and chic but the reclining couches are uncomfortable, especially for girls wearing dresses or worse, mini skirts. This is also a place where one can get high on both sugar and alcohol cuz all the so-called designer desserts on the menu are paired with a selection of wines.

I thought of getting Araguani H2O but went for Purple ($14++) at the last minute cuz the latter sounds more exotic. A combination of purple potato puree, blackberry parfait, “leather”, and fruits of the forest sorbet. Though the interplay of textures is interesting, I couldn’t really discern the different flavours for what they are. Should have gone for good old chocolate instead, darn!

Another not-too-wise choice is Strawberries & Sweet Milk ($14++): macerated strawberries, panna cotta, sweet milk gelee, grapefruit marshmallow. Maybe this will be impressive to some but personally, I’m not into panna cotta or sweet milk. Translation: didn’t like this either.

Artfully messed up. Therein lies the “beauty” of deconstructed desserts.

If interested, you are welcome to drop by www.myfoodsirens.wordpress.com for more reviews/photos! =)

I love Singaporean food, I love laksa. My friend bring me here and introduce me this Michelin guide laksa.


The first question I ask is”where’s the chopsticks?” And the server said no, only spoon.


Is okay as they shorten cut the noodles. The soup is super coconut with little spicy. The clams meat which is the freshness I’ve tried so far .


Besides above, I don’t feel anything special for the Michelin title.

These chili crab steamed buns and Utah are soso.

Dining at Hong Kiat is a different feel from other Cze Char Place in Singapore as I find that the environment feels abit nostalgic and has less feel of being in Singapore. I had heard of this place quite sometimes back by my colleage and hasn't had the chance to visit till now.

Though place may seems abit old and run down, there are still many person patronizing for their dinner.

There was quite a fair bit of items on the menu and comparable to others. There was many kinds of pork ribs to be served but we got the salted egg version. Its a tad spicy however I quite enjoy eating it as the sauce was generous and it smelled good.

French Bean was cooked together with minced mean and a little of chilli. It was not too oily. Love the biting crunch from the beans.

This dish was highly recommended by the service staff and she mentioned that its not available in menu and in order to get it prepared this way, these baby Sotong has to be very fresh. This dish was served over a flame and soaked in light soy sauce. It was not spicy in the initial part however as you continue to get more, you will get a taste of its spiciness.

This is something that I have always been looking forward to. Nutritional Beancurd came in a square shape. Its wobbly and can be prepared in 3 different ways, with vegetables, preserved radish or in Thai Style. We had it topped with preserved Radish and the dish was delighting without having the toppings too salty.

With words of mouth, I find that the Cze Char here is not too back and it wont be my last time here visiting.

This stall has been here ever since i was born and is my favorite then and now . I cant find any other chicken rice stall in yishun that is better than this , so if anyone in the north havent tried this , i definitely recommend this stall.