Laurent Bernard Chocolatier. A common sight in many local shopping malls where the brand adorns kiosks hawking stunning arrays of everything chocolate. But what I only just recently discovered was how the same brand name would be whispered almost in reverence when it comes down to chocolate soufflés.The outlet at The Pier at Robertson if I'm not mistaken, is the only Laurent Bernard Chocolatier selling more than their standard chocolates and thus offer dine-in facilities , both indoors and alfresco seating. Chocolate lovers throng the cafe throughout the day, but it's only at night when it really becomes packed with dessert lovers and chocoholics alike.
P.S.: The name on the signboard actually says Laurent Cafe & Chocolate BarInside the cafe, it feels like a jaunt into a spruced up cafe from olden times - Victorian looking furniture and furnishings, a spick and span counter alongside a display fridge where you pick your ice creams from, lit overhead by a bunch of bare light bulbs.Guanaja Chocolate Soufflé - $18
Getting down to the core agenda of my visit - the legendary Guanaja Chocolate Soufflé. Prepared only on demand to ensure quality and freshness, each order takes approximately 15 minutes of waiting time. A paltry wait when the soufflé is finally served. All puffed up with a luscious looking chocolaty crown, the soufflé was served with a white chocolate sauce and a side of raspberry ice cream. Cutting into the soufflé and its soft yielding middle, wafts of aromatic chocolate hits you immediately. It was light, yet rich at the same time, and the centre was slightly gooey still, giving an interesting contrast to the dish as a whole.

One word: Delightful

I for one would not advocate the white chocolate sauce. When I tried it, it was a little too watered down for my taste. Views on the raspberry ice creams remain divided. It's super citrus-y and acidic and while it adds to the flavour profile, you've got to be a fruity person to enjoy it.

Some people might say, $18 for a soufflé, or any dessert at that is really overpaying it. But I still really enjoyed it as any chocoholic or dessert lover would. Laurent Bernard Chocolatier has just set the benchmark for chocolate soufflés for me, and I very much look forward to my next return visit.

Part of the Tung Lok Group of restaurants, and fronted by celebrity singer/songwriter Dick Lee, MAD: Modern Asian Diner is one of those restaurants you definitely would not want to miss out on. Cast in soft warm lighting, stepping into this restaurant at The Grandstand is like walking into an art gallery of sorts. Decked out in bold bright colours, the decor is definitely befitting of Dick Lee’s eclectic and flamboyant sense of style.

Marrying the best of both Asian and Western cuisine, MAD serves up a good variety of Chinese dim sum and also some Spanish tapas. And if you’re ever in need of a potent drink any time of the day just head on down to their bar counter, helmed by mixologist Kino Soh, for a cocktail or two. =DWell, I’m not exactly a teetotaler but I seldom drink alcoholic beverages in mid-day unless I’m on holiday lounging on the beaches of the Caribbean or something. So I decided to go for a kiddie mocktail instead – Pink Thyme Lemonade($4), which looks equally pretty but without the alcoholic kick. =P You can really taste the crushed up herbs in the drink and it makes for a refreshing beverage to chill down on a hot day.One of the interesting dim sum that caught my eye was the Black Angus Siew Mai 黑安格斯烧卖 ($6.20). Sadly, the novelty of putting black angus beef into a siew mai did not translate into a palate-pleasing dish. Its chewy and springy texture was quite an interesting take on a siew mai, but it was a little bit on the dry side.Is it just me being ignorant? But I seldom come across Deep-Fried Liu Sha Bao 炸流沙包 ($4.80). In fact, this was my first time trying a liu sha bao that has been deep fried instead of the usual steamed version. And I must say that it is OH-SO-GOOD! The fluffy insides encased in a crispy skin and oozing golden salted egg yolk lava was simply divine. Well, it was a little on the oily side, but there’s no harm in indulging in a sinful treat once in a while. =DEveryone has been raving about how good the Wagyu Beef Claypot Rice is, but I decided to try the Lobster Crispy Noodle 龙虾面 ($32) instead. The noodles were deep fried to a crisp and there is this distinct smokey and burnt flavour to it even though it doesn’t look burnt. Plus, the lobster meat was really fresh and prepared skillfully such that the meat is springy and just about right, not at all overcooked. My only gripe is that the gravy was way too salty and the noodles were a bit difficult to eat since it was displayed in a standing tower of sorts. They also threw in some seaweed on the side which adds a splendid “oceanic” tone to the dish.Overall my experience at MAD: Modern Asian Diner was a pretty good one. What’s not to like about a chic ambiance, fuss-free ordering via iPads and all that good booze? The service staff were also pretty friendly and showed us how to make our orders via the iPad step by step – he even brought over an additional iPad instead of having the 4 of us share just one single device. I would probably pop by again for happy hour if I get the chance!

For more food reviews, check out my blog at www.jerjerjer.com!

This was my 2nd visit to dome.

Food
Onion Rings - S$5.90. Uniquely Dome's. Comes in special sizes and non-breaded outlook. Onion rings are thinly cut and found within the golden crisp batter. However I find that the saucer was too small for us to dip the entire ring into it. Soup of the day - Cheesy pumpkin! S$6.50. Hits me right on the spot! Comes with a small piece of garlic toast to pair with. Sprinkling of green parsley has lited up the bright orange yellow soup. Slurps!Black Pepper Chicken, S$15.90. Succulent flesh coated with abundance of black pepper sauce with crispy skin paired with cauliflower and crunchy peas.Lobster Thermido S$26.90. Lovely lobster gratin with cheese, garlic cream and mushroom. Served with caesar salad and spaghetti in tomato sauce.The side views of the halved lobster, looks thorny. Service
Service was better than average. They "catches" the timing well. Food comes in order, with sides and drinks as first and the main as last. Plates were cleared up promptly before any new serving.

Ambience
A "peaceful" environment for a Thursday night. Environment makes customer feels relax and away from the bustling town life.Price
Price is within the "ok" range considering I was dining in the orchard areas.

I have been wanting to patronise Fei Kee Claypot Chicken Rice for a long time. Have heard several reviews about this place which dishes out delicious Claypot Chicken Rice.Fei Kee Claypot Chicken Rice is located at Luk Luk Eating House which is an old coffee shop. Dirty walls, dirty flooring that was cracked and olden days shutters. With a very clean signboard! It is between Beach Road and Aliwal Street near Bugis and Lavendar. There are three MRT stations nearby namely; Bugis, Nicoll Highway and Lavendar.The signboard states clearly that there is at least a waiting time of 15minutes. On the signboard there is a telephone number on it (8222 6360) and if you notice in the above picture, the 'chef' has a ear piece to his ear. The reason for this is so that customers can order before hand.Wow, look at the number of claypot he is handling at any one time during peak hours. And to the bottom left of the picture, he has a big bowl of uncooked rice ready. It is comforting to know that the rice is cooked in the claypot itself and no short cut was taken.Since there was two of us, naturally, we ordered the Claypot Chicken Rice for 2 person. I can't remember how long we waited, but it should be close to 15 minutes. The Claypot Chicken Rice arrived covered in black sauce, cabbage and ikan bilis.After mixing it, it is ready to be scooped into smaller bowl. The cabbage was fresh and crunchy providing a fresh and sweet flavour. At the sides of the claypot, surprisingly there was virtually no charred rice which I somehow missed. The rice was not dry unlike other claypot rice, it was slightly moist. However, it was not as fragrance as there was no salted fish was added. The star is its 'Grade A' Boneless Chicken Thigh Meat. The chicken meat was juicy, tender and boneless which is a big plus.

Certainly, I will be back to try it again.

Detailed review: http://foodiefc.blogspot.sg/2011/10/fei-kee-claypot-chicken-rice.html

It was a nice place for brunch and hanging out with friends. I brought my friend to try on their all day breakfast. We ordered English breakfast and European breakfast and it was a huge portion for individual and we enjoyed the brunch. English breakfast which consists of scrambled eggs, back bacon, cumberland pork sausages, sauteed mushrooms,Dad's baked beans, breakfast potatoes, grilled wine ripened tomato & signature brioche. I love the taste of the tomato and the scrambled eggs are creamy smooth. The bread is soft and totally filling once you finish a slice of it.
As for the European breakfast, which consists of eggs Benedict with two perfectly poached eggs,sauteed mushrooms, imported Italian prosciutto and home made Hollandaise sauce on signature brioche. Well, the portion looks tiny, the set is actually quite filling. PH finished up the first portion and need to rest a while before can finish up the second one.

For more information, check out my blog post here
http://hazelnutlife.blogspot.sg/2012/04/wild-honey-scotts-square.html