For full reivew: http://molly-mia.blogspot.sg/2014/11/mias-review-cake-spade.html

I first stumbled onto Cake Spade after a google search of "cake cafes near tanjong pagar" due to a pretty sudden cake craving while waiting for T at the mrt station. And subsequently, I returned with A recently for a quick cake fix. Located around Orchid Hotel, I have to be honest to say that Cake Spade is a cafe so small and humble looking, with just 6 seatings in the interior and a couple more humbly plain looking tables and chairs laid out on the outside, that you probably will just walk right past it without a second look or the slightly recognition that that's a friggin awesome cake cafe right there. Chinese Apple Pomegranate Green Tea

I first saw this selling at Cedele and instantly got attracted to the pretty bottles! But due to the price (it was about $4.50 or so), I didn't want to buy it then for I tend to spend less on a pick-and-go as compared to a cafe-hopping trip. So yup, tried it at Cake Spade instead.

But frankly speaking, judging from the fact that you probably will not be keeping the bottle after consuming the beverage, the price tag does not justify the purchase at all.Nutella Fudge Crumble - $4.50

A layer of fudge and nutella sandwiched between a buttery short crust pastry and a layer of crumbs! Sounds yummy, eh?And to show how runny the fudge-nutella layer is.

First bite, heavenly! The bottom crust tasted like an exceptionally short (buttery and crumbly) shortbread and the top layer of crumbs added just the right amount of crunchiness oomph up the overall texture of this decadent treat!

But as you slowly polish the entire bar off the plate, things might get a little difficult as the taste is way too rich, both the chocolate-nutty richness of the filling and the buttery fragrance of the bottom and top layers just made it too jerlat (strong, overpowering) for me.

Best to visit with a friend (or two) and share a few other choices of goodies together so as to not experience a sweet-richness overkill.Oreo Cookie Brownie - $3.20

Come on, oreo cookies, brownie, and a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. What more can you ask for?

The brownie was rich, chocolatey and very dense. I remembered it was a little too dry and dense for my liking and the oreo cookie were somehow, too soft and soggy. Would have been a perfect match made in heaven, but oh well, it somehow fell short of my expectation, which I have to admit that I might have unknowingly set them a little too high?Red Velvet Cake - $5.90

Of course, with T around how can we not have red velvet cake? Look at the moist layer of red sponge cake and pretty swirls of cream cheese icing on top!

But I didn't really try out the taste, for I'm really not a fan of red velvet (mostly due to the cream cheese icing).And on my 2nd visit with A, I got myself a cup of Iced Latte due to the hot weather.

The coffee was just so-so, and quickly got washed down when the ice started to melt.Chocolate Blackout Cake - $5.90

A classic chocolate cake with moist chocolate sponge cake and iced with rich and smooth chocolate ganache.

This cake is truly decadent and is a must try for all chocolate-addicts out there. The sponge layer is (obviously) moist and soft, and the ganache velvety smooth and rich. But once again, the taste can be pretty jerlat even for a chocolate-lover like me, so sharing with fellow chocoholic friends is highly recommended.Lastly, Strawberry Tofu Cheesecake - $5.90

Yeah of course, how can we miss out their signature cake?

And with just one bite, both A and I nodded our heads and said, "Yummy!" Worthy of the signature tag indeed! The cheesecake was truly of an almost tofu-like consistency, super smooth and finely textured, which literally melts away in your mouth. Topped with quite a generous chunk of fresh strawberries encased in sweetened jelly, this is a remarkably light and refreshing cheesecake. A pleasant surprise indeed, for I've always feel that cheesecakes are the most jerlat cake of all.

For full review: http://molly-mia.blogspot.sg/2014/11/mias-review-smiths-authentic-british.html

I remember walking by this humble looking eatery and peering sideways at the patrons' open packages of fish and chips lying on the tables. And I thought to myself, "The fish and chips I've eaten at Ballarat!"

And so, some time later, I dropped by alone on a weekend evening to have some alone time and also, dinner! Love all the comic strips and drawings hung up on the wall, some are actually pretty hilarious. And yes, there's HP sauce for all of you HP lovers out there! I'm not one though. Never a fan of root beer in general except for the scoop of ice cream on it as a float. But somehow I just decided to pick one up while I was there. Haddock Standard & Chips - $19.50

And yes, be it dine in or takeaway, you'll get your fish and chips in a paper wrapped up packet like so. And yes, this is the servings of a standard fish and chips. And no, that pair of plastic utensils aren't mini sized. A word of advice, unless you're a huge eater, go for small!

If you're a fan of soggy chips (yes, as weird as that sounds, some do love soggy chips), especially FAT soggy chips then Smith's is the place for you. These chips doesn't taste processed at all, and totally looked like pieces chipped off a potato and fried as it is. The only disappointing thing was that Smith's do not have the yummy chicken salt I've had at Ballarat. It'll be good if they bring in flavoured salt to go with the chips.

As for the fish, I didn't quite like it as it was a little too moist and bland for my liking. On my second visit, I went for Cod small and it tasted way better in terms of the fish texture and taste of freshness.

And if you're the kind of person who cannot eat fried stuff without some dips and gravy, I highly recommend that you get their curry sauce at $2. It's a little pricey for a pretty small tub, but it tasted so good, even just on its own. The savoury fragrance of curry actually goes pretty well with both the soggy chips and mildly flavoured fish.

All in all, soggy fat chips with mildly flavoured fish. But somehow, Smith's is still a fish and chips place I will keep on visiting (I've visited thrice so far) because it really tasted (and felt) like the affordable, takeaway fish and chips I've tasted in Ballarat and fell in love with.

So on a Sunday, I was back at Velocity @ Novena Square for my 2nd facial appointment and T accompanied me down so we can have dinner here at Velocity/Novena Square/Square 2/United Square!

And look what T has found!One of my favourite food, Ramen!

And this is the Tonkkotsu Kazan Ramen located at Square 2. It was pretty crowded when we got there at about 8 plus, and the small ramen-ya remained pretty packed up until we left at almost 9pm. Pretty popular huh! You'll find out why. And this is how small the entire place is. Erm, sorry uncle, I didn't mean to snap a picture of you slurping the hot ramen... So T chose a pretty 'usual' Karamiso Kazan while I decided to try something new and went for their Hinomaru Tomato Kazan. And then we were first served these jugs of soup....Then this intimidating "volcano" ramen is served, dry in the super hot stone pot. The server will then pour in about half of the soup in the jug and close the red lid back on. Then you wait for 1 minute (there's a cute little timer on your table), until you see smoke rising from the top opening of the lid and, and remove the lid, pour the rest of the soup in and viola, you get your kazan ramen done!

I'll definitely advise that you get the staff to help with removing the lid for it'll be VERY hot.Tadaa~ My Hinomaru Tomato Kazan Ramen,

I think this ramen will be the best choice for ladies, filled to the brim with a huge tomato, tons of cabbage shreds, beansprouts and red capsicums. The pork bone based broth is further 'spiced up' with a tangy flavour from the tomatoes, giving it a lighter and refreshing taste to the usual heavily flavourful ramen tonkotsu broth.

Seriously, I think that all the cabbage and beansprouts combined is twice as much as the noodles inside. Having a ton of beansprouts seemed to be how they do their ramen, so if you dislike beansprouts, please make a special order request to not add them in! It'll be a painfully infinite process if you have to pick them out one by one.T's Karamiso Kazan Ramen.

The broth was strongly flavourful, yet not spicy at all. So we're both a little disappointed. The charsiu, however, was heavenly! So thoroughly braised, and has the right amount of fattiness to make it tender and soft. I took a bite and it literally like melt apart in my mouth.Their flavoured egg was pretty disappointing too.

Yes, the yolk was almost perfect with the outside moist and just cooked through while the innermost is glistening gooey, but... where's the braised flavour?! It was pure white throughout on the insides and the surface was only so ever slightly tanned that on first look I thought it was just a soft boiled egg. Taste wise, same thing.

This is just a soft boiled egg sold as a flavoured egg. Period.Yaki Gyoza.

My first impression when I saw these burnt gyoza was also another mental thumbs-down. But hey, I was surprised when I took a bite! The slightly charred flavour actually added more taste to the gyoza, while the meat filling remains tender and moist.

Failed on the presentation, but passed with flying colours on the actual taste.

repost from: http://molly-mia.blogspot.sg/2014/12/mias-review-tonkotsu-kazan-ramen.html

If you didn't know, I'm a serial Katong hang-outer and Le Petit Paradis caught my eye one of those days as I was walking aimlessly along the street houses, while they're still under going their very final stages of pre-opening preparations.

"Hey, isn't this the French food stall from the Ali Babar kopitiam?"

And yes, it is. And apparently, this kopitiam really has some awesome fengshui, for its previous tenants include Aston's (after which they started 20 over franchises) and then Saveur. Le Petit Paradis has obviously, followed their footsteps and expanded just a few shops down the street. The restaurant is actually pretty small, yet not crowded on a Sunday evening when we visited. Interior decor is also kept simple and chic.Just showing off my pot of tea. xpSous-vide Lamb Leg - $21

62 degree Celsius slow-cooked lamb leg, served on top of creamy basmati rice and topped (or in a literal sense, surrounded) herb vinaigrette.

Sounds yummy? Yes it is! I love the lamb leg! It's not exactly moist-slimy kind of tenderness you find in chicken or duck, but it's definitely tender yet with a chewy bite. The meat still remain much of the natural sweetness and juices, brought out and complemented with a strong flavour of spices that I reckon, help to mask out the distinctive 'lamb smell' commonly feared by many.

As for the creamy basmati rice, it's pretty average and taste just like a mediocre risotto. The rice remains hard and generously covered in creamy cheesey sauce, albeit not as flavourful as I will like it to be.

And lastly, the herb vinaigrette didn't go too well with my tastebuds. Too.... herbal?Steak and Fries - $23

150 days grains-fed Angus Sirloin with thick crispy fries and caramalised onions.

T commented that the steak is too thin to be deemed nice, but later on changed his mind in relation to its affordable price. It would be a decent choice for a cheap steak & fries fix.

Just recently, during yet another team's dinner with D, YN and A, we very last minute headed down to J's Restaurant (discussion was all on Straits Cafe vs Badoque) for a pre-planned 'impromptu' dinner. I wanted to take a picture of the restaurant, but it was full house! Didn't want to snap pictures of innocent diners, so that's all I have of the restaurant interior. The restaurant is not exactly very small, yet not exactly very spacious so reservation in advance is really recommended. With a strong Latin-American influence, there's also an addition of a more refined modern European cuisine. J's menu not only caters for Vegetarians and also removed pork/lard and alcohol for Muslims. A great choice for gatherings with individuals of different dietary requirement!

And now, let's get on with the food, shall we?Poppers - $17

Breaded jalapeno peppers stuffed with mozzarella, fried till golden brown. Served with salsa sauce and guacamole sauce.

I was hoping that I can get some spicy kick from this appetizer, but it was more of a sour shock instead. A little way too vinegary sour for my liking, though generously stuffed with cheese that was melted till molten in the process of frying till crispy golden brown.

I didn't eat with much sauce, because out of the two I'll prefer the salsa sauce and I really need no more sourish tangy taste added to this poppers.

Caution: The molten cheese are scalding hot. Bite into these poppers with care!Chipotle Meatballs - $17

Brasied beef meatballs in spicy chipotle and tomato sauce, served with crispy corn tortilla chips.

I can't comment on this, for I do not take beef. It did look delicious, though.Paella - $39 (for 2 servings)

A traditional Saffron rice dish, with marinated chicken, salmon and tilapia.

One of my favourite food, 'Spanish fried rice'. The rice was cooked till pretty hard, yet drenched in flavourful savoury moistness, and topped up with generous amount of chicken, salmon and tilapia. At just $39 for 2 pax, as compared to $28 for 1 pax, this is a definite steal!Fatijas (Chicken) - $29

Grilled chicken breast with sauteed onions, capsicums, cabbage and mushroom, served with warm tortillas and an array of sauces.

Of course, you don't expect grilled chicken breast to be juicy and tender. But they're still nothing short of being flavourful and tasty. Mushrooms seemed a little sparse as I hardly ate any, but they're obviously (as you can see from the picture) very generous with not just the chicken but also the onions and capsicums. I guess the correct way is to wrap the dish in the tortilla and eat it as a self made wrap with your preferred sauce(s), and so I did. I find that the meat itself is flavourful enough and there's really no need to add on any sauces to further complicate the taste.

However, D was literally piling her serving plate with both the salsa and guacamole sauces. So I guess, to each it's own? Churros with Bananas & Mangoes - $12

Churros, served with salted caramel bananas, fresh mangoes and coconut infused mascarpone sabayon.

The churros are pretty well done, served piping hot right out of the fryer. The outside, dusted in icing sugar and drizzled with yummy chocolate, was crispy and the insides were soft, fluffy and slightly moist.

However, I'm not feeling much for the jar of bananas, mangoes, coconut mascarpone cream though. It was way too creamy and heavy on the tastebuds, and I got pretty sick of it even before I could dig out the salted caramel bananas. Gave up on it after mouthful and mouthful of coconut mascarpone cream with bits of mangoes inside.

Other than D, who tends to like richer, creamy and more flavourful food, none of us really like the jar of mascarpone sabayon.

Would have enjoyed this dessert a lot more if it's served with a pot of rich chocolate dip instead!