Full review on http://herpenandfork.blogspot.sg/2015/04/montana-brew-bar-waffles-and-coffee.html

Their food was quite the rage on Instagram a while back, and for a good reason too. Like most cafes, Montana Brew Bar offers the hip food of waffles, but even their savoury mains are waffles-centric, on top of interesting flavours for their dessert waffles. Plus, the presentation is Instagram-genic.

Located in Pomo, they do not have a closed interior to call their own, unlike most other cafes, since theirs is a partially open concept occupying a small space. It isn't very ideal for big groups, given the limited space. Adjacent two-seaters also seem to be slightly cramped.

On the menu together with waffles are also salads and burgers. Since they are a brew bar, their coffees are claimed specialties too.After an initial test-menu period, they have come up with the option of letting customers choose the preferred kind of waffles. If you like crispy waffles, choose 'The Big Crunch'. Otherwise, 'The Fluffy Souffle' is for those who want the usual dense waffles

Breakfast Waffles BLTBreakfast Waffle BLT ($8)

The first time I went, they were out of their signature Southern Fried Chicken Waffles. The dish was showing up all over Instagram, but too bad for me. I went for the Breakfast Waffles BLT instead upon the staff's recommendation. The waffles were supposed to be crispy, but I think it was more crusty. Not sure if that's their definition of crispy. Overall, an okay and pretty standard dish that can't go wrong for brunch, It would be even better if their sunny side ups contained a flowy egg yolk though.Southern Fried Chicken Wafflewich Southern Fried Chicken Wafflewich ($9.50)

I was looking forward to trying this as it looked and sounded sooo tantalising. The chicken turned out too dry, even though the taste from the chicken coating was not bad. Dry chicken, coupled with the crusty waffle, the entire thing didn't really meet our expectations, even though flavours were still ok. If you want to try Southern Fried Chicken, just go ahead and order, but don't expect too much. .

Matcha Strawberry Field WafflesMatcha Strawberry Field Waffles ($9.50)

Stunning on photograph, the Matcha Strawberry Field Waffles is love at first sight. You can really taste the strong bitter matcha taste in the dense waffles, which can be either good or bad. Non-fans may find the matcha taste really too much. I was alright with it. Others may also find fault with the slightly too-dense-to-the-point-of-cakey waffle texture.

The other components; the vanilla bean ice cream was of quality and the passionfruit that came with it added a nice sour tinge to the mouthfuls.Cinnamon Apple Pie WafflesCinnamon Apple Pie Waffles ($10)

The apple compote reminded me of the filling in apple pie. Same cakey texture as the matcha one, but I realised the waffles distinctly lacked the fragrance of buttermilk, which is disappointing. The brown circles at the side of the plate is caramel, but it was a tad bitter for our liking.

I didn't have the coffee, but a friend's order of their cappuccino showed that the coffee was pretty acidic(sour). On another note, you should separate the sweet and savoury items to try on different days. Our tastebuds ended up a little confused after such a sweet-savoury mix. Even though they fare a little poorly in texture and taste for the waffles, the presentation of dishes, in particularly the waffles, was done very well. Good for those who need instafeed fodder.

Last thing, only coffee/tea is available from 8am-10am. The food menu will kick in after 10am.

Full review on http://herpenandfork.blogspot.sg/2015/05/ippin-cafe-and-bar-review-media-invite.htmlIppin Café and Bar is one of the eateries among the mini enclave mix of Japanese and
Chinese food spots, a little hidden from the main road behind UE Square. Set up by a Japanese father-daughter team, they do also devote a good section to selling imported
Japanese foodstuffs and drinks apart from the cafe menu. Think along the lines of Japanese sakes, different kinds of miso in tubs and dressing condiments. The daughter is the chef behind the food items. The place also offers free wifi.The store has a shelf selling flavoured nuts called Rattsu. These were crunchy and pretty addictive. We liked the strawberry one best.

Their new oyster-themed menu feature set menu items, of which oysters imported from Hiroshima prefecture are the main stars. You can get oysters in a few variations: fried, grilled or with udon noodles. Prices on the menu are nett.

Deep Fried Oysters Set ($24)The Deep Fried oysters set ($24) contains succulent, juicy oysters encased within a thin soft
batter. The oysters still retained its juiciness despite it being deep fried. It was my favoured oyster variation among the sets. Grilled Oyster & Veggies in Ponzu Butter Sauce Set ($20)The grilled oysters and veggies in ponzu butter seemed a bit too dry
though. The ponzu butter barely seemed to make a presence apart from
imparting a slight tinge of sourness to the oysters. Both sets include a nikujuga pork stew as a side. The comforting stew contains potatoes,
carrots and slices of thinly sliced pork shabu. It is tasty enough to stand on
its own as a dish. Oyakudon

Ippin’s take on the classic dish of Oyakudon fares ok here. It came piping hot and was
a nice combination of chicken and egg on rice. The soup stock used was just
alright, but overall, it is good enough to satisfy any craving for a decent
Oyakudon.Ippin also does have a good selection of sakes and beers, which are rather good judging from the few we tasted. The yuzu pudding we were served at the end was very refreshing and delightful in its wobbly consistency too. Yuzu Pudding

Overall, the flavours presented here seem to be reminiscent of Japanese home cooked meals. The food items offered are more like the classic everyday fare of the Japanese than the restaurant bentos and dons we are more accustomed to from Japanese chains here. For those who drink, the drinks would be more of a draw.

Do. is french for dough and main is french for hands. This pretty much sums up the idea of this french bakery opened by former At-Sunrice instructor Chef Deshayes. The handmade French pastries and breads here are the real stars, though there are some other kitchen dishes on the limited menu.

Located along the Tanjong Katong stretch (of foodie paradise), Do.Main looks every bit the artisan bakery-cafe that it is. You can see the chef and kitchen crew working their dough through a glass partition at the end of the bakery.

Apart from the bakes, they offer a small ala-carte menu of hot dishes as well.

Charcuterie Platter

Charcuterie Platter ($20)

On the charcuterie platter are thin slices of cold cut Kurobuta ham, pork rillette and the duck and pistachio pate. Charcuterie Platter with Sourdough ($20)

The pork rillette was a delight to have spread on the bread. Salty, tender and in shreds. It's almost like the kind of deliciousness of luncheon meat, but shredded and cold. If there's a savory meat version to Nutella, this is it. My companion praised the duck pate too, but that was less to my preferences.

Cassolette Oven Baked Escargots Cassolette Oven Baked Escargots ($16) and Tartiflette 'Reblochon' ($16)

You can smell the oven baked escargots before it arrives. The peeled escargots are enveloped in housemade garlic herb butter. So garlicky fragrant and delectable that it is almost sinful.

Tartiflette 'Reblochon'







One of my favourites of the night, the tartiflette 'reblochon' was a gooey comfort dish of soft potatoes, bacon and melted cheese. Hard to go wrong, and splendid spread on the accompanying sourdough bread. This was so so indulgent.



Mouilettes and Baked Eggs Mouilettes and Baked Eggs ($12)

Available
in 3 variations, plain, with tomato or with bacon and chives, the baked eggs
and mouilettes were fun to have because of its special eating method. The mouilettes turned out to be bread sticks with
crispy edges. The bread was like the sourdough/baguette composition, but
toasted. To enjoy, use your bread stick,
dip and scramble the eggs to make it a runny mixture of egg yolk and white. It
reminded me of our local soft-boiled runny eggs with toast. The tomato version
was said to be the best. But uh, apart from the delicious mouilettes and
novelty in how you eat it, I think runny soft-boiled eggs from the kopitiam
will do.

DessertRoyal Chocolate Tart, Paris-Brest, Lemon Tart.

For
dessert, the paris brest stood out as the best. A slightly crisp tart shell
enclosing light cream, the bite-sized pastry was superb in texture and taste. I could have seconds. Dark Plum Tart

A close second for my favourite was the plum tart. Their fruit tarts changes with whichever fruit is in season. Explains the juiciness and natural sweetness of the dark plum. On the plain semolina tart base, the whole thing is just the right sweetness without being cloying. Pithivier ($7), Apricot Danish ($3.50).

I also did a takeaway of the pithivier and Apricot Danish. Both stayed in their original condition even till the next morning. They do a
very good pithivier, which is a traditional French cake of golden pastry and
almond filling. Note that this cake is quite heavy and more recommended for tea
time than breakfast.

At the end of the tasting, the hospitable chef sent us along with his childhood snack of Chouquettes. These little pastries were simply sprinkled with icing sugar, but still satisfying. 

If you are looking for an authentically French bakery, this place will more than meet the mark. Prices here are on the high
side for the pastries and mains, so I ain’t so sure about its
value-for-money. But one thing’s for sure, the quality is there. You can always share
the pastries with a few friends while relaxing over coffee to diffuse the cost
per pax.

So do or don’t?

Do (If your wallet is up for it.)

Thanks Openrice and Food Cult PR for the tasting!

The owners of The Clueless Goat used to work at Penny University, but the cafe isn't directly affiliated to it. The interior is furnished with a communal table near the entrance, while little squarish tables that seats 2 or 4 pepper the rest of the space. We enjoyed the cosy ambience, especially when the cafe emptied out at a later point in our meal. Their menu had a sufficient variety that included all-day breakfasts, sandwiches and waffles. Coffee

The coffee here, made from common man coffee roasters' beans, is light, nutty, and not very bitter. The mocha could do with lesser chocolate though, as there was a distinct hot chocolate aftertaste to it which overshadowed the coffee. Truffle Tater Tots

Everyone has thought about truffle fries, so why not truffle hashbrowns. The truffle tater tots smelled wonderfully of truffle, with small pieces of shaved parmesan cheese sprinkled. Hard to go wrong, and an interesting variation from the usual truffle items we see in cafes.

Ranchers' EggsRanchers' Eggs ($8)The ranchers' eggs had beautifully poached eggs and smooth avocado spread with some salsa. One of the eggs could do with slightly lesser cooking time though, for more yolk flow. The multigrain toast lent a crunchy texture. This is perfect for those who are looking for a healthier option. My companion noted that it 'tasted healthy' but this does make the mark on taste for me. At $8, the portion was generous (2 pieces of toast) too and filling enough.

Breakfast WafflesLeft: Breakfast Waffles ($9)

At first sight, the waffles with chorizo seemed quite small in portion (4 triangular pieces) as they looked pretty thin. These ain't your usual round/squarish Belgian waffles; they were thin, crispy with a light buttermilk fragrance. It proved addictive for my friend. The chorizo sausage is slightly spicy, but flavourful. A good change over the other more mainstream choice of bacon.

The Clue-less Goat is thankfully, the opposite when it comes to food and its coffee. At a price point lower than most cafes (please stay like that!), items are of great value with quality. Add the warm service in an accessible location that still does not have many cafes yet, this is one cafe to look out for, and hopefully, will stay for time to come.

Full review on http://herpenandfork.blogspot.sg/2015/02/the-clue-less-goat-cafe-novena-review.html

Full review on http://herpenandfork.blogspot.sg/2015/01/sakura-international-buffet-literally.htmlSakura International Buffet has been around for as long as I remember, and I cannot remember when was the last time I went (or if I ever have gone). Well, whether it was good or bad, they have revamped their buffet spread.The place is very spacious and there are sections to seat large groups.

Local

It is literally 'international' here. Starting from the 'local' zone, you have the Singaporean favorites. The added special highlight here, is the Boston Lobster and Argentina Prawn Hokkien Mee. It is dished up piping hot by the chefs at the live station, but you have to wait for about 10 minutes in the queue, especially if there's a crowd, for them to cook up a new batch. The premium seafood is a plus. The noodles were very flavourful, presumably from the rich, prawn soup stock used in the stir frying. This is must-try, no matter how carb-avoiding you are trying to be as part of your buffet strategy.Boston Lobster and Argentine Prawn Hokkien Mee, Hiroshima Oyster Omelette

Not the same can be said for the Hiroshima oyster omelette though, which is also part of the live station. It was on the mushy side.

The local cooked food section featured Hainanese chicken rice. The chicken was pretty tender, while the chilli sauce and ginger helped to lift it. There is also a DIY laksa station. The laksa broth was a little too concentrated and hence salty. Skip the otah, which was powdery and weird in taste but go for the satay. They also had a modest spread of Thai food, which included pineapple fried rice, green curry chicken, kambing soup (lamb soup) and shark's fin soup. The shark's fin soup was quite starchy and we were hard pressed to find any ingredients of substance in it.DIY Laksa

Shabu-Shabu




At each table, there is a pot of shabu-shabu with collagen chicken soup stock. Take your pick of ingredients, which includes chicken, beef and fish slices together with mushrooms and vegetables.

The soup was a little bland initially, but the light fragrance grew on us. Ingredients were fresh too.Chinese and Dim Sum

At the Hong Kong-themed area, there was a small selection of dim sum. What stood out was their version of molten salted egg lava bun aka Liu Sha Bao. Other than the fact that I haven't come across many buffets that offer it, the lava inside flowed out generously and the bun was sufficiently soft. The savoury custard flavour was also sufficient, though it would be even better with a oomph of buttery fragrance present. Tip: Have it hot, otherwise you will find in underwhelming. The rest of the dim sum were average so you can save the space for other things if you are not a dim sum fan.Molten Salted Egg Lava Bun

Another star of the buffet: the freshly baked Bird's Nest Egg Tart. The crust is the flaky kind and I enjoyed the wobbly egg custard. This was great, if you don't mind the fact that you can see the bird's nest but barely taste it. Just right beside the egg tarts were grilled prawns. The cross section of these prawns have been sliced open for easy eating. The smoky flavour was there and yes, it's worth a try too. Desserts

Lastly, the desserts section. The variety was stunning. 3 shelves chilled and waiting, with each shelf containing 5-6 cakes/tarts/dessert cups/mochi/puffs. This is excluding the live station of Haagen Daaz Chocolate Lava Cake and the fruit section, with assorted jellies. At the end, we simply didn't have space for the enticing mochis.Dessert galoreAssorted jellies and fruitsRainbow Kueh Lapis

Well, to help you maximise your stomach space, these are the desserts (we tried nearly everything) which are worth the space --> Rainbow Kueh Lapis, Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate dessert cup, chocolate cake, mango mousse and of course, the Haagen Daaz Ice Cream with Chocolate Molten Lava Cake. The molten lava cake was served in a warm plate and every mouthful of hot-and-cold was so comforting. Unfortunately, the lava didn't really flow as gloriously as we wanted it to.Haagen Daaz Ice Cream and Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

The verdict? At $30.90+(Mon-Thurs)/$33.90+ (Fri-Sun) for dinner, this buffet exceeded my expectations, even though there were some misses. The variety is wide, while food quality for some of the items were really good, and most were at least average otherwise. The quality definitely is better than some hotels' buffets at a similar price range, what more with shabu-shabu thrown in too. Even more value-for-money would be lunch ($17.90+ - Weekdays, $18.90+ - Weekends). However, note that they do not serve the Boston Lobster and Argentine Prawn Mee at lunch, replacing it with Hokkien Prawn Mee.