Starbucks is a delightful chain, filled with the most passionate and friendly baristas I've seen so far! But my favourite outlet of them all has got to be the NTU Starbucks.

First of all, it's spanking new, and directly connected to the Global Lounge. The Global Lounge in NTU is where you can choose between sipping your coffee in the comfort of the normal seating (tables and chairs) or opt to plug in your earphones and enjoy the programs playing on the split screen tv in front of many vibrantly plush red chairs. Now, tell me which other Starbucks have amenities like this?

Also, the baristas at NTU Starbucks are always so cheery and ready to meet your requests with a happy smile! I've always went to them in the mornings to get my breakfast wrap - and each time their good service manages to lift me from my tired funk. Kudos to the awesome team.

They also make killer frappucinos! Pictured is the salted caramel frappe from NTU Starbucks, one of the drinks I'm missing the most! Notice how the ice is blended well with the coffee (unlike the ION outlet, which serves frappes slightly too warm for my liking)

Had BKT craving for dinner again! This time my pilgrimmage led me to the famous Founder BKT.

The spare ribs soup is white based and peppery - my favourite! Spare ribs were tender and I coaxed the meat off its bones with a soft tug of my teeth, super awesome! Also ordered the Kidney soup, another of my favourites, and it didn't disappoint in terms of serving size and quality.

Companions and I spammed the side dishes too - apart from the essential youtiao and preserved veg, we got ourselves some pig skin, pig's intestines (braised to perfection), braised peanuts and tang-oh *(i loved the soupy tang-oh!!). Try their herbal drinks and longan (i think), they are pretty good according to my dinner companions.

Service was brisk and pretty efficient after you survive the initial queue. Oh, the place is airconditioned too.

Yes, there are still girls who eat like a trucker - I'm one of them.

And my inner trucker has finally found the perfect pit-stop diner in Toby's Estate. True to Australian fashion, this coffee joint (along the same stretch of Singapore River as BBBS and Pirates) serves up brunch favorites daily in their no-nonsense, unpretentiously generous portions. The prices are reasonable, affording patrons the freedom to knock ourselves out and go wild in our quest for the perfect brunch combination, without having to break the bank. Or rob one, for that matter. My brioche with scrambled egg ($8), with sauteed mushrooms ($3) and smoked salmon (generous for $3), only came up to $14.

Another distinguishing feature of Toby's is that they actually have good coffee. Tried the Latte on my last visit, which was delightfully swirled and tastes as potent as it is pretty. Coupled with Toby's Estate nett-price policy, it is needless to reiterate that the likes of Wild Honey pale significantly in comparison.Check out the awesome latte! The salmon with croissant that my bf ordered was good too $12, iirc.

I'd come back to Toby's any day.

just got my weekly fix of the delicious raisin cream cheese buns! for barcook virgins, I seriously recommend lurking around the area and coming back when a new batch arrives (it may seem like quite a wait, but really, even the freshly made buns usually get wiped out in 30 minutes, tops. much less the ones out in the open). nothing comes close to feeling the HOT (let this be my warning to you) and rich cream cheese oozing from the bun once you take a bite - it's the perfect combination of sweet and salty flavours, that can rival any salted caramel creation.

however, it's with no pleasure that i say the rest of the offerings aren't all that spectacular. of course, it's still better than the generic BREAD-droids that can TALK, if you get what i mean.

Read my title. It's so true, that I'm almost ashamed of myself.

Was greeted by these boxes of beauties upon reaching home last night.When I saw the humble pink packaging, I immediately thought of those heartland bakeries I loved so much when I was young - before they all got "Swee Heng"-ized. That's why I was surprised to see that MY DAD bought them from Raffles Place! He's such a young hipster, really. Haha.

He had two of the plum swiss rolls ($1), which was really soft and fluffy. Worth a try!

But the highlight has got to be this!Topped with almonds, this cakey strawberry tart is chock full of jam and absolutely yummy! Alright, it's not the refined macaron/meringue/ganache dessert types, but it tastes of sweet, sweet childhood. Lovely.

*reviews based on my dad's experience.