[Holqa Cafe]Situated at 37 East Coast Road, together with a lot other f & b competitors along the same stretch, lies a tiny weenie cafe, The Holqa. "Holqa" actually means "link" in Maltese language. The cafe is quite small and space rather limited but could still cater up to 20 guests.My partner and I ordered coffee, eggs ben and redeemed a set of wings we won on Instagram contest.(1) Flat white coffee $5
- Coffee tastes smooth down my throat, presenting me with chocolatey nutty aftertaste. I didn't asked about their beans supplies though.(2) Bearnaise Eggs Benedict with Braised Asian Pulled Pork $15.90
- Two poached eggs were served on a toasted brioche, together with braised asian pull pork, sandwiched in between and greens on the side. Poached Eggs were nicely done, love it when the yolks flows. The bearnaise sauce was supposed to be spicy but I can't taste any spiciness. Braised asian pulled pork was tender but flavour not strong enough thus tasted a little bland. It will definitely taste better if meat were marinated longer. I also preferred my toast to be more buttery.(3) SnS Ji $9.90
- Six deep fried mid wings coated with in-house special sweet and spicy sauce. The sauce was like a combi of malt candy (麦芽糖) mixed in with thai sweet chilli sauce which sticks on your teeth like glue. The overall taste was much sweeter rather than spicy. The peanut bits scattered on top of the wings gave them the extra crunch and also leaves a nice peanut fragrance aftertaste in our mouth.
Verdict: Overall experience at Holqa was a pleasant one. The young lads on duty were very polite and friendly too. Although food tastes average but it's still a nice place to chill at. I didn't try out any desserts this time round so I might pop by again the next time.

[Envy Coffee]
1 Fusionpolis Link #01-04
Nexus @ One North
Mon-Fri 7.30am-6pm
Cafe was quite hidden away in a corner at Nexus, quite unnoticeably. Its around 5-8mins walk from One North mrt station. The whole unit was quite spacious, with an estimate of 25 seats available. I went with my younger brother during lunchtime and the cafe is almost full.We started off with ordering of our coffee. Followed by a Pesto Chicken sandwich, which we upgraded to set meal. I also redeemed a Sambal Prawn Paste chicken burger which I won in an Instagram contest and lastly, a slice of red velvet cake. The staff taking orders was rather slow and doesn't seems to know their menu well, probably a newly joined. By the way, all prices here are nett, no gst/service charge.(1) Flat White $5
- Envy uses beans from Liberty Coffee. My flat white tastes smooth, chocolatey nutty and it's just the way I like it to be.(2) Soup of the day $5.40
- Mushroom was Tuesday's soup of day choice. Warm, thick and creamy soup with loads of mushroom bits, it is a great starter to warm up my tummy.(3) Pesto Chicken Sandwich $8.90
- Sandwiched between a ciabatta bread, there are greens, boiled chicken slice and pesto spread. Ciabatta was abit tough and chewy. Chicken is tender but portion was thin and pathetic (as you can see from my picture). Pesto spread did perk up the overall taste of the sandwich but really, i think amount of filling can be more generous for $8.90. Chips that came as side are not crispy too (lao-hong!!).(4) Sambal Prawn Paste Chicken Burger $13.90
- Charcoal bun was used for this burger. Soft and fluffy describes the texture. Chicken thigh was tender but prawn paste taste wasn't really distinctive, can be heavier. And again, same as the previous sandwich, this stripe of meat was small enough to only occupy half the burger surface.
I did feedback to 1 of the owners and asked if he would consider increasing the portion of the meat as portion looks bad for a $13.90 but he brushed me off with answer like this "oh it's small? Oh ok...". And in order for myself to take a really nice photo of the burger for my Instagram, I even had to push the meat to the brim to get a great angle/view of it. Disappointed.
However, I noticed that Envy coffee don't have a proper kitchen doing the cooking. The hot food all comes out from microwave and toaster. That may also explains why the waffle fries they serve came out soft rather than crispy.(5) Red Velvet Cake $6.80
- All the cakes at Envy are supplied from Bakery chef, none made in house. This red velvet cake texture was slight dry. The center cream cheese part was hard, texture like white chocolate block which you have just taken out from your fridge. Even the cream on top is harden. I can't be bothered to ask why after the unpleasant experiences with the 2 previous buns.

Verdict: Dining experience at Envy's was rather a disappointing one. Nice ambience but lacking in food quality. For the amount of food portions vs the price, I might not come visiting again. Thank god their coffee still works for me.

[ G House ]
The previous time I visited 10 Dempsey Hill, it was a different restaurant but now G House took over this unit. No changes was made, still the same black and white themed cushion chairs with marble table top.
Vongole Linguine $19.90
-Pasta was al dente and amount of clams given were generous. Broth was sweet, although covered by lotsa garlic and still bears some hints of wine in it.
Grilled Cajun Chicken $18.90
- Meat was grilled to perfection, keeping the tenderness of the flesh & juices still locked in. Marinated with various spices and probably herbs like thyme, as there's a lemon aftertaste. Radicchio-slaw wasn't my thing but I sup all the crispy potato wedges.
Asian Slow-cooked Pork Belly $26.90
- Had high expectations on this dish but was surprised when the meat was quite tough despite the "slow-cook". Pork belly was lightly marinated, flavour not strong but the Asian spice sauce drizzled on top was good. I still prefer those crackling skin ones.
Big Breakfast Platter $23.90
- A hearty plate of breakfast full of ingredients. Brioche toast, sausage, scrambled eggs, candied back bacon, hashbrown, sauteed mushrooms & stir fried spinach. Love how the ingredients were lightly buttered and not oily. Decent and satisfying.
Iced Peach Tea $7
- Just iced tea with peach slices in it. Nothing to brag about.

Flatwhite Coffee $6
- Normal machine made coffee.
Verdict: Overall food experience was good. Prices here are on the high side therefore I won't be coming too often. Service is bad and staff here ignore you even though they see you waving vigorously at them. They simply looked at each other waiting to see who wants to entertain the customers and just take their own sweet time to walk to you. Both visits of mine experienced the same treatment.

[ 1 Tyrwhitt Bistro . Bar . Cafe ]
A partnership of 04 started this food venture along Jalan besar area around 3 months ago. Comprises of a married couple, Paul & Karen, whom specializes in providing domestic help/ maid services for the past 12 years and their 2 other friends.
The whole unit was big and spacious. Area was divided into 02 sections, bar counter with tall tables and chairs occupies half the unit and dining takes up the other half. Bosses may want to create a cosy feel for all patrons by using yellow bulbs throughout the whole bistro, but resulted in causing the whole place to be quite dim at night.
(A) Crispy mid wings $10
Snacks before the dinner starts. These wings are so crispy smacking good even after more than 10mins of photography. Great choice to go with beer.
(B) Black truffle egg pizza $23.80
The appearance of this pizza already wins my heart when landed on the table, so pretty! Very instagrammable too. Taste? Very truffle. No need much description as truffle covers any taste. If you're a truffle person, loves truffle on any of your dishes, then this is your jackpot.
(C) Aglio e olio pasta $16.80
A common pasta dish found at most Italian restaurants but chefs at 1 Tyrwhitt bistro did a great job in their own version. Toss the al dente spaghetti with the broth, garlic and wild mushrooms all together, take a big mouthful of it and it's fireworks! Prawns are fresh and crunchy too.
(D) Meat lovers pizza $19.80
To all non-beef takers out there, a piece of good news. This meat lovers pizza consist of 0% beef whereas those sold elsewhere usually consist of beef pepperoni. Ingredients used here are American pork pepperoni, ham, chicken, pork sausages and topped with mozzarella cheese. A very hearty piece of hand crafted pizza filled with generous meat portions & oozing cheese. Great choice for meat lovers indeed!
(E) Seafood Marinara pasta $17.80
A bowl filled with generous servings of seafood such as squids, mussels, prawns, scallops and fish. Base was homemade tomato sauce but the overwhelming sourness of the sauce eventually covers all the natural sweetness of the seafood. What a pity. Linguine texture was soft too.
(F) Grilled salmon $20.80
I'm not a fan of cooked salmon but this dish tastes decent to me. The lemon butter sauce highlighted the smell and taste of this grilled salmon with a little zest.
(G) Chicken chop $16.80
Accompanied by sauteed mushrooms, whipped potato and savoury brown sauce that has hints of ginger. Meat was well marinated and tender. No wow factor but a decent choice for dinner.
(H) Pork chop $16.80
Meat portion served was very thick and it was slightly undercooked in the center. Slow cooked with herbs and drizzled over with brown sauce. I only wish the meat could be least tough and done well.
(I) Cheese Lover Pizza $19.80
A tasty hand tossed pizza . This Pizza consist of 05 types of cheese: Feta, Gorgonzola Blue Cheese, Scarmoza, Mozerrella & Taleggio. Pizza crust was so thin and blue cheese taste was very prominent. It's either you love it or hate it and I choose to LOVE IT.
(J) Carbonara Bacon Pasta $16.80
This is my first time trying out carbonara with egg already blended in the sauce rather than exposing on top, didn't work out for me. The dish was too heavily creamed, I can only swallow half mouthful of it. As for the Bacon slices, they should have been done more crispy to enhance the flavour.
(K) Tiramisu $8.80
Heavenly match of Espresso & rum. Heavily soaked in coffee ladyfingers were so soft and moist, presenting us the "melts in the mouth" texture. The baker who made this dessert sure is generous in the alcohol content, it nearly got me drunk.
(L) Panna Cotta $8.80
Panna cotta was really jelly and smooth. Mixed Berries & rasberries coulis pairs well with the silky pudding, leaving the fruity aftertaste lingering in my mouth.
Verdict: Staff are very polite and attentive. Prices here are reasonable too. Strengths are in their pizzas. I will come back again to try out other pizza choices.

[Tiann's Bakery 甜]
A 2 weeks old "take-away" bakery along Seng Poh road. The lady boss, Tse Tiann, her concept for this bakery is healthy. Food products are all gluten free. Cakes are free from refine sugar and savoury waffles infused with chia seeds in their batter mix. Some might find their items over-priced but think of those organic, no msg nor chemical ingredients Tiann's using, it's totally worth. Suitable for people controlling their diets or with certain food allergies. Menu are yet to be fixed but will be up soonest once the gourmet head chef from London is in.
What I tried:
(1) Roasted Squash Feta Savoury Waffle $9.60 (Half)- Texture was Soft, fluffy and best of all, it's Gluten-free! Packed with Protein, definitely a Healthier choice for us! The pumpkin brings out the sweetness of the overall dish, the chia seeds & pine nuts gave it the extra crunch. Rocket amount was good, Feta cheese was too little which I wished there were more. I'm in love with this but If you love heavy stuff, then this is not for you.
(2) Mango Maple Cake $8.80- Freshly made in-house everyday. Its gluten free & refine sugar free too. This fresh cream cake tastes light, fluffy and not overly sweet. Pastry chef is also generous in the amount of fresh mango cubes added in it. If you are a Japanese pastries person, this bakery suits you.
(3) White Coffee 5oz $5- The blend is smooth, chocolatey nutty and not acidic. Tiann's bakery are using beans from The Nylon and another supplier (which I forgotten the name.. Oops). My coffee is from the latter though and I love the blend The barista, Fahmi, was really friendly too. He was working with Yahava previously.
Verdict: Overall experience was really good. The place was big & cosy. It was a waste though because Tiann's only do take-aways. Tse Tiann & her parents were really friendly & polite to all their customers. You'll get that "feel like home" feelings. I will come back to try other savoury waffle choices and cakes. Good news that they're also selling their homemade gelato soon! Hooray!