40 Hands is a long-time player in the local cafe scene, located right in the heart of the bustling clave of cafes that is Tiong Bahru. You will find Forty Hands often busy because of its popularity, so it may not be the most conducive for chats. In our case, we found it quite
hard to hear each other over the surrounding bustle and overlapping
conversations. Still, the hustle and bustle of the cafe makes it a warm place to be if you enjoy the cosy atmosphere. 

The menu includes the standard brunch items such as the all-encompassing Big Breakfast and French Toast, as well as also cafe favourites like truffle fries. The full menu, revamped occasionally, can be found online.

FFT Dou Sar Pau40 Hands Red Bean Paste Bun Tau Sar Pau ($2)

For anybody who likes Tau Sar Pau (chinese red bean paste bun) even a little, this is a MUST.
The version at 40 Hands is about 1.5 times bigger than the usual size we see in other places, so it justifies slightly the more expensive price ($2). What really makes it amazing is the smoothness of the filling that isn't too sweet. At the same time, the
bun itself is fluffy soft to a right. I dare say this is one of the best red
bean paste buns in Singapore. A must for me whenever I visit 40 Hands.

40 Hands CubanosAnyone who has watched the movie Chef(like me) will
want to have a taste of the decadent Cuban sandwich that was featured prominently. 40 Hands' version comes with pork slices, ham, pickles and melted cheese sandwiched in
between two toasted panini slices slathered with mustard and mayonnaise. There
is a side salad served along. The portion was quite large for one.
I had to takeaway the other half of the sandwich. Overall, the combination was
pretty good and the bread toasted crisp, just the way I liked it. For a fan, this
definitely satisfied the craving to try.

Eggs CocotteHard to go wrong on this one. The eggs were up to
expectations with the yolk flowing out nicely and runny when cut. However, we felt that
the taste was a little flat - just poached eggs paired with
toast. Perhaps the eggs/greens could be seasoned more.

Coffee

You can almost always count on 40 Hands to deliver a good cup of coffee, as this is what they pride themselves on. The latte art was very well done for my cup of Flat White. However, note that the coffee here is more for those who prefer it acidic.

Complete review on http://herpenandfork.blogspot.sg/2015/12/forty-hands-review-tiong-bahru.html 

The newly renovated Capitol Building is building up to be one upscale eating destination, what with the likes of Dazzling Cafe, Angelina and Four Seasons sprouting up - all established names overseas. The Breadtalk Group brings in its own new '30s colonnial-themed open concept bistro here, 1933, specialising in local and western comfort food. The pretty space is compact and spans two levels, but comes with equally chi-chi menu prices to match.
Dishes for the night

DrinksMixed Berries Smoothie, Mango Smoothie, Guava Apple Smoothie ($10 each)

The drinks menu included some specialties such as smoothies and milkshakes. Of the 3 smoothies, we all agreed that the refreshing Mixed Berries was the best.Gula Melaka Coconut Milkshake ($12) Latte ($4.50)

While the flavours offered for the milkshakes sounded tantalising, the Gula Melaka Coconut Milkshake didn't exactly work out as it was far too much cream, to the extent of overshadowing the gula melaka and coconut taste.

Surprisingly though, their coffee was very, in fact more than decent. Apparently, it is brewed from Nanyang-based coffee beans, instead of the Arabica or Robusta we usually get in cafes. I enjoyed the smooth latte. which was not overly acidic, along with the cute '1933' coffee art.

1933 Power CarrotPower Carrot Bread Bowl ($9.60)

Our favourite starter though was the Power Carrot Soup Bread Bowl. The bread was crispy on the outside, yet chewy and slightly fluffy still, while the soup was full of carrot flavour. Approved.MainsNanyang Curry Chicken Bowl ($14.90)

Still the same addictive bread bowl, but in this Nanyang Curry Chicken rendition. It would be better if the chicken chunks came boneless. Nevertheless, the curry was a good consistency, and coupled with the bread, was pretty satisfying.Grilled Pork Loin ($28.90)Hainanese Kampong Chicken Rice ($16.80)

For the Hainanese Kampong Chicken Rice, the rice fared better than the chicken, which lacked flavour though tender. The price for this hits nearly the top tier for chicken rice in Singapore (the topmost being the famous Chatterbox Chicken Rice). For a bistro not specialising in the dish, it would be better if they lowered the price in order for customers to be willing to try it. Get your chicken rice fix from other places, unless you feel an extremely urgent must-satisfy craving.

DessertGula Melaka Pandan Chiffon ($8.90)

We were silently wishing this was some sort of lava cake. It wasn't. Still, this pandan chiffon cake was fluffy and full of pandan flavour, Paired with the gula melaka, it tasted like a chiffon version of ondeh ondeh.

The misses aside, some of the dishes here are definitely worth a try if you do not mind the slightly high price points. Skip the 'local signatures', since you can get far better at cheaper prices from our hawker centres. The serene ambience of the Capitol makes 1933 a good place to spend the afternoon over a cup of coffee, people-watching and soaking in some 'colonial' vibes.

Full review on http://herpenandfork.blogspot.sg/2015/06/1933-cafe-at-capitol-building-brand-new.html

Full review on http://herpenandfork.blogspot.sg/2015/06/old-hen-coffee-bar.html 

Set along the somewhat sleepy streets of Rangoon Road, Old Hen Coffee Bar is an accessible 5 minutes walk from Farrer Park MRT(exit B). This simple coffee and food venture is set up by three brothers. It is a quaint little space that seats about 20, including 5 by the raised counter overlooking the window.

Given the space constraints, it is more conducive for meetups with small numbers.On the weekday afternoon we visited, the cafe was quiet with ony a few other customers around, making it perfect for an afternoon escape away from the hustle and bustle. There aren't many items on the menu. Brunch choices include a burrito, sandwiches and toast.The cold-brew is a touted specialty here, brewed using Oriole coffee beans. They used to have the black cold brew on the menu, but it was cancelled out, leaving only the white available. $6.50 for a glass bottle.The verdict? Impressive. A well-balanced aromatic brew that wasn't acidic and just the right milkiness. Pure coffee-licious. Just this is worth the trip, especially for coffee enthusiasts.Old Hen White Cold Brew ($6.50)

Homemade WafflesHomemade Waffles ($9) with apple compote, salted caramel sauce and greek yogurt.

Old Hen's Homemade Waffles are for those who like their waffles airy light. Eating it down felt almost like I only had the surface of it, because that was how airy the inside was. 

Affordable nett prices here, compared to most other cafes and coupled with a nice ambience. It'd be worth a visit, even just for the coffee. There's free wifi as well. Did I mention that the other table's mains looked and smelled pretty good too?

Full review on http://herpenandfork.blogspot.sg/2015/05/fyr-cycene-ond-drinc-review-media.html 

Just off Telok Ayer Street, FYR Cycene Ond Drinc is a fairly new establishment run by a first-time F&B owner. Despite so, they have been almost always fully booked since their opening. Never mind the slightly mind-boggling hard-to-read name (pronounced Fire, Kitchen and Drink in Medieval English). .The menu surprises as it is different from the usual with its Josper oven-grilled meats being the specialty.

The restaurant's atmosphere has a medieval. almost back-to-primitive-age vibe, with a bar counter in place for those who just want to wind down with drinks only. The 'grill' theme even has a presence in their drinks menu. They have a Grilled Fresh Fruit Juice - choice between orange or pineapple. The Grilled Orange Juice is so very evident and brought the drink one level up. It was really interesting to have it. The pineapple juice was also refreshing, but it didn't have much of the smokiness of the Orange.Lime Mint ($4.50) and Hibiscus Mint ($4.50)Homemade Rice Crispies

As a starter before the starters, we were served their homemade rice crispies with a sauce that had a tom yum zing to it. These can totally replace the bag of nachos for a movie because it is so addictively good. Would be even better if they could have held back a little on the salt on each crisp. Still, we are off to a good start.

AppetisersBaked Freshly Shucked Oysters ($15)

The star of the starters was the baked, freshly shucked oysters. Instead of serving it with the classic lemon juice and salt, this version is served in a lightly seasoned juice that included paprika and garlic. Really fresh, and the seasoned juice didn't mask the natural seafood taste of the oyster.Baked Aubergine & Chickpea Ragout ($10)Baked Half Bone Marrow ($15)

We also sampled the aubergine and grilled Half Bone Marrow. If you aren't squeamish about bone marrows, this version is worth a try. The marrow is blobby in texture and tasteless on its own, though there was a faint hint of beefiness to it. Good to smear on the bread.Half Marrow spread on bread

MainsSpiced Deboned Red Snapper ($25)

For the mains, go for the Spiced Deboned Red Snapper. I love that you can easily eat up the whole fish - it really is completely deboned and served whole. That aside, the grilling technique was spot on. Moist fish meat, with a smoky exterior and just the right sprinkling of salt for taste. The housemade sambal belacan also delivers a good kick, if you feel that the natural sweetness retained in the grilled fish meat isnt' enough. This was the best main for the night.U.S Holstein Cow Ribeye ($32)

But, their grilled meats do not pale much in comparison. The U.S Holstein Cow Ribeye 365 Days with java curry dressing was juicy, tender, and again, chockful of smoky flavour. Of course you can choose the done-ness of the meat you prefer, but here you can leave it to the chef to grill it to the best cooked-ness to have it.Five-spice Half Chicken, Striploin, Asian-spiced Tiger Prawn

If you feel like having everything, the sharing plate of Five-spice Half Chicken, Striploin & Asian-spiced Tiger Prawns will more than do to satisfy. Everything is grilled of course. The striploin was as good as the ribeye, but a less fatty and a slightly thinner cut. The prawns were baked to a just-right level of suppleness. Chicken was a tad dry at some parts though.Whole Maine Lobster ($35)

We also had the Whole Maine Lobster, Seafood Linguine and Seafood Risotto (for 2 to share), The Lobster was overcooked, resulting in tough and rubbery meat. The linguine and risotto shared the same base flavour, perhaps from the same lobster broth used. These were just alright. making the other mains are more worth it. Saffron Seafood Risotto - made with lobster broth ($48) Seafood Linguine ($18) made with lobster bisque

The sides here are no afterthought too. Apart from the choices like baked cassava, mashed potato, baked potato, the salad dressed in a 'jawa' spices blend dressing was delicious and exquisite. I can just have it as a main and still enjoy it very much.

Desserts

Baked Pistachio Melt & Pandan Ice creamBaked Pistachio Melt & Pandan Ice Cream ($10)

It is rare that I have a really satisfying dessert where the lava cake and ice cream are both done right and the entire dish together isn't too sweet. First it was watching the pandan lava flow. Then it was tasting the pandan ice cream that was every bit full of pandan fragrance and flavour, which is unprecedented for me. Plus the warm lava cake and the molten sauce that flowed. This is a must-try over here. Too good.The menu only offers three desserts, and we managed to sample the Banana Parfait. It consisted of a chocolate-crusted vanilla ice cream atop grilled bananas and gula melaka. However, the ice cream seemed more like a mousse-like in texture and totally unlike ice cream. We also detected a hint of ginger in this. The combination sounded tantalising, but the experience itself was lacking, perhaps because of the weird ice cream.Banana Parfait ($10)The sincerity of the staff showed through, even if it was a media tasting and it made the dining experience all the more enjoyable. The diners that went that night got to leave with a box of housemade chocolate truffle, courtesy of FYR.

If you are one for smoky-flavoured dishes or want something that is unconventional yet still reliably good, FYR would fit right in. Most of the dishes tasted as good as they sounded and surprised. Prices for mains may be a tad pricey, but the quality more than makes up for it. There do have a lunch promo starting from $25 for two courses and $29 onwards for 3 courses, which is good value-for-money if you want to try.

Full review on http://herpenandfork.blogspot.sg/2015/05/hyde-and-co-brunch-and-tea-in-prettiness.htmlSet amongst the cafes in the Bugis area, Hyde & Co is one pristine cafe that shouts out dainty, prim and English with its charming mostly-white vintage interior. Perfect for those looking to experience English afternoon tea, which I believe quite a few of us are enamoured with after Downton Abbey. It is a 5-10 minutes walk from Bugis Station to reach.'You can't buy happiness but you can buy tea, And that's kind of the same thing'. A quote that's so true, particularly for foodies.A great place for girls to titter over tea served in white porcelain pots and plates.
I was excited to find that the lonngggg tea list had Devonshire Cream tea.Sadly though, I didn't try it due to majority votes. They also do scones as well. What's nice, apart from the brunch menu items, is the option of adding on other food items to your ordered brunch platter according to what you want.

We had a pot of the Sencha Granny's Apple tea, which had a hint of apple fragrance behind every sip of tea.Gula Gula Crumpets

The cafe is known for serving crumpets, which is a British griddle cake not dissimilar to muffins, just that crumpets are cooked on one side and muffins are flipped to cook on both sides. Apparently, they are the first (and only?) cafe in Singapore to serve it in Singapore. So, despite the staff's not-so-encouraging words of it still being "in experimentation stage", I went ahead and picked the Gula Gula. The 3 crumpets looked like quarts of a cross between pancakes and crepes, and the texture was a cross of the two as well - slightly rubbery soft, but at the same time a bit too flat to claim fluffiness. The gula melaka and coconut cream combination was reminiscent of ondeh ondeh. This dish does have the potential as a strong differentiating one given further kitchen-testing and I hope to come back to an improved version in future. Gula Gula ($10.80) - Stack of 3 crumpets doused in Gula Melaka Sauce and topped with grated coconut.

Truffle FriesTruffle Fries ($10)

The thick-cut fries were fluffy inside and crispy, with enough oomph of truffle scent. A fairly decent attempt.

Buffalo WingsBuffalo Wings ($8) - Glazed in Thai Sauce

The Buffalo Wings were glazed in a sticky Thai sauce, and delivered enough spiciness along with crunch. The inside was juicy as well. This may not be the standard flavour of buffalo wings, but it is a good side to order.

Lady HydeLady Hyde ($12.90) - Honey baked ham and sunny-side up with pineapple on brioche

The Lady Hyde tasted as classic as its ingredients. Hard to go wrong, but not impressionable.

The Full WorksThe Full Works ($17.90) - Baked cheese Portobello Mushroom, bacon, ham, sausage, baby potatoes, creamy scrambled eggs and sourdough rye.

The creamy scrambled eggs here in the Full Works, which I had also added on to my order crumpets, were just the right creaminess I like. The kind that is wet enough to be smeared on toast, but not too soggy. The baked cheese portobello mushroom also stood out in this platter, on the merit of that differentiating baked cheese.What I like about Hyde and Co is its apparent drive in offering unique menu items, even if not all are hits. The 'English' teashop ambience and interior decor make it very ideal as a place to relax over afternoon tea - the English way of course. They were about to revamp their menu in January this year when I visited. I will like to return to try their new menu, particularly the tantalising cakes on display, scones. While pretending I am in a British teashop.