Nestled within the premises of downtown Orchard, TheBigIdea Group's Marmalade Pantry integrates well into Ion's concept with its beautiful open-dining atrium - an enticing haven for diners, filled with chic furnitures and luxury comfort food, such as their legendary cupcakes, weekend brunches and dinner mains such as favourites Truffle Field Mushroom Risotto and Oriental Grilled King Salmon (S$26).The latter was an innovating fusion of Japanese and Western with a slab of good ol grilled salmon and cucumber-paired soba noodles. For non-soba eaters like myself (partially because of the heavy wheat taste), fret not, for the "wheaty" flavour was toned down heavily in this smooth and crunchy delight.One year has passed since my previous birthday, and lo and behold, I am back once again at Marmalade and had ordered the same dish - coincidentally. Seemingly fated to Seared Scallop Linguini (S$24), this tantalising signature was my first choice for the two occasions. The pasta was cooked slightly less than al dente this time round, but the succulent seafood and robust flavour of the dried shrimps were definitely a thumbs-up.

Pork and Fennel Seed Sausage Lasagna (S$24) was another favourite of myself (and "Dad-in-law" who literally wolfed it down in minutes), with all the parmesan goodness which is complemented by a good load of minced pork and mushroom slices. It comes complete with refreshing garden salad.Out of the four, Classic Snapper Pie ($26.00) did not hit the mark. Hidden beneath the crispy crust was quite a miserable amount of snapper, piled together with fennel and mash. The snapper flesh was too dry and flaky for my liking, which gave me another reason not to order this in the future.All in all, Marmalade Pantry is an ideal place to have a weekend brunch/dinner, or perhaps a relaxing afternoon high tea after a day of strolling in the world-class shopping district.

*Marmalade Pantry is having a 1 to 1 promotion for all mains (Mon-Fri, up to 2 mains) for all NTUC cardholders till 30 June 2013*
^^Oh well. Another reason to visit.

At the outskirts of Orchard Road lay Five & Dime, where drivers and passer-by find it hard to be missed with its one of a kind vintage-chic facade. Stepping into the restaurant was like entering a space of nostalgia - soft sunlight streaming through their ceiling-high glass panels, rustic wooden furniture arranged neatly on their tessellated mosaic flooring of white and black tiles, and my favourite childhood snacks (chocolate waffles and sweets, ooh~) placed inside several glass containers.Five & Dime serves one of the best brunches in Singapore with dishes, such as their highly acclaimed Eggs Benny (S$17) - an orchestra of hollandaise-drenched poached eggs set upon slices of smoked ham and toasted brioche, alongside with the complementation of breakfast potatoes, vinaigrette-tossed mesclun greens and fruit salad in a cute orange ramekin.Take comfort in their sandwiches as well, like how their classic Egg Mayo & Bacon Panini (S$12) sent oohs-and-ahhs to my buddy who devoured this in minutes. Savoury, flavourful and a burst of textures within slices of perfectly toasted panini. Oh, and it comes complete with a potato salad.One's meal is never complete without desserts. A friendly staff recommended a towering dessert of strawberries and cream set upon some crisps (can't remember name) which is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. To be honest, not very "wow-inducing" for the hefty price though..In a nutshell, Five & Dime Eatery definitely makes it up to one of my favourite brunch places with its extensive variety of brunch and dinner dishes. Although slightly overpriced, why worry about spending a few extra bucks on an occasional splurge?

Embracing the motto "eat well, be well", Cedele advocates positive eating and attitute with healthy food crafted by artisans who uses only the finest ingredients. They also boast that no trans fats are involved in the making of their food and that all food are made from scratch. For myself, I have frequented Cedele more than a few times for their tantalizing tea time snacks (they have one of the best red velvet cakes) and as a matter of fact, I have only eaten their mains merely once before.

A quick browse through the menu, and I had decided on Beef Balsamic Mushrooms (S$24.50), which was a larger version of their Beef and Mushroom salad. The supposedly "medium" Sirloin beef stripes were slightly overcooked, and were served together with pan-glazed mushroom, potato patty and garden greens. Succulent and juicy? Yes, but it would be so much better if it was doned medium. On a side note, the crusted potato patty was pretty awesome though.Another of their signature mains, Citrus Lemon Salmon (S$22.90) - a combination of grilled salmon garnished with a splash of lemon juice, potato patty and garden greens. The salmon was a tad overcook as well, resulting in the flaky texture on the meat. Well, I still prefer my salmon with a touch of pink in the center. This dish kinda made it, but there was nothing much to rave about.All in all, Cedele is a great restaurant to sit back and watch the world passed by, with a good ol slice of velvet cake and cuppucinno. I wouldn't say that their mains are that awesome, but do give their pastries a try someday. You'll be in for a surprise.

By now, The Star Vista should be no stranger to all, especially for like-minded foodies out there - this notable, award-winning architectural landmark houses more restaurants and cafes than its size could hold. For myself, I have been making frequent trips to this particular mall trying out different eateries (it's nearby my apartment, so why not?), such as Watami, Itacho, Boston Seafood Shack and my favourite so far - District 10. Hence, when my colleagues suggested The Star Vista for boss's farewell lunch, I immediately recommended Morganfield's, and oh well, the reason is none other than I wanted to give them a try.

Situated comfortably at the edge of the mall's second storey, Morganfield's serves a wide array of American -style fare in both indoor and al-fresco dining concepts. Their signature Sticky Bones - authentic old-fashioned barbequed pork ribs have made quite a name for itself, so here we go!Chicken BLT Sandwich (S$19.90) caught my attention the moment I set eyes on the menu. A filling combination of fried chicken thigh topped with melted cheddar, honey mustard, together with BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) served between gigantic burger buns, makes it nothing less than a worthy burger.And the most brainless thing to do in Morganfield's is not to order their Sticky Bones. These signature prime spareribs have a sweet and tangy barbeque taste infused in their soft, succulent meat which were slow cooked over hickory wood with a hint of cider. I actually had an impacted wisdom tooth removed a few days before, and the ribs has posed little trouble, that's how tender it was. Highly recommended. It comes complete with coleslaw and french fries.For those who prefer a lighter meal (which was such a waste when their ribs were so good), Pan Fried Sea Bass or Beer-battered Fish Fillets (S$14.90) are good choices to have. Personally, I had the latter - two large slabs of dory fillets, coupled with coleslaw and fries. Soft fish meat that melts in your mouth (literally) was a plus, whereas the limp, overly-greased skin was quite a thumbs down.All in all, Morganfield's has proved itself worthy with their good food and big portions, topped with greater service. Definitely will be visiting them again, I mean, who could ever have enough of such addictive spare ribs at your doorsteps.

"Sorry, we are closed" are the four words that hit me hard when the service staff at Taste Paradise told us. To be honest, we did went all the way to town to try their highly acclaimed Custard Bun and Baked BBQ Pork Pastry. My insatiable craving for good dim sum was growing gradually, I whipped out my iPhone immediately, punched in "best dim sum in Orchard Road", and lo-and-behold! Imperial Treasure came out next.

Establishing their first restaurants of Imperial Treasure in 2004, it has since garnered numerous ravings and media interviews, and has opened more than 10 eateries and bakeries under Imperial Treasure's trademark, serving authentic Chinese cuisine with great passion.

Looking at their extensive lists of Shanghai/Hong Kong dim sum, Xiao Long Bao (S$4.80 for 4) struck my eyes like a pretty girl across the street (okay, this makes no sense). I mean, who wouldn't love these delicately crafted steamed pork dumplings? Their version has a smooth bouncy texture to the dumpling skin, which is thin, yet strong enough to hold the succulent fillings in. And as with all the good food - One is never enough.Egg Tarts (S$3.30 for 3), Fried Carrot Cake (S$4.20 for 3) with radish chunks and Siew Mai (S$4.80 for 4) are good, especially the former which presented my kind of flaky crust with soft, pudding-like egg custard. As for the latter, the ones at 126 Eating House still reigns in my best Siew Mai list (well, if there is).Beside Siew Mai, Shrimp Dumplings or better known as Har Gau (S$5 for 4) are a necessity when it comes to Dim Sum. A good Har Gau's wrapping must be thin and translucent, yet be sturdy enough not to break when picked up nor stick to the paper. Wrapped together with the right amount of fillings, this dish clearly demonstrates the chef's skills. It is official, this is the best Har Gau I have ever had.Happiness is defined when you tear gently into the Custard Bun (S$4.20 for 3) and beautiful, luscious yellow custard flows out slowly. You caught a whiff of custard and decided to sink your teeth in one. Or do you bite into it straight away, leaving a delicious mess of custard? But in any way, Imperial Treasure definitely know how to make your day with a custard bun!All in all, Imperial Treasure is definitely a keeper and has no doubt, secured one of the spots in Best Dim Sum in Singapore. Fuss-free, accessible and affordable dim sum fix? This is it.