Atmosphere: 8/10
Price: 8/10

Food: 9/10

Service: 8/10 Interior Seating Drinks Menu Food Menu

We had:Full Tank - $13.90

(Bratwurst sausage, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, toast, tomatoes, baked beans and sausage)

I haven't had such a fulfilling breakfast in a while, and the ones at Refuel Cafe definitely satisfied my cravings. I was in love with the buttery eggs and they had the right amount of seasoning. The sausage too, was flavorful and probably one of the betters ones I've had. The bacon was lightly salted, and the mushrooms were sauteed just right. Judging by the quantity and quality of the items served, the Full Tank is definitely value-for-money!Refuel Pancakes (With Smoked Salmon) - $11.90

(Stack of 3 pancakes with smoked salmon. Other options such as bacon / bratwurst sausage are also available)

The pancakes at Refuel's was similar to that of MacDonald's hotcakes, but much fluffier! I've always been a fan of Mac's hotcakes so this was a plus point to me. We opted for smoked salmon for this one, and it was really fresh! A pity that the the salmon serving was a little small Service:

The food was served promptly, and servers were friendly!

Atmosphere:
The place is rather cozy, but small. The last I check, it only sits around 35 people so you might make a reservation if you're going with a big group!

Toodles!

Over the recent weeks, I've been seeing pictures of By The Fire's Scotch Eggs taking my Instagram feed by storm, and I couldn't resist missing out on this glorious creation for another day. By The Fire is located at Alibabar Hawker Bar, a coffee shop by day and a bar by night. Its modernly furnished interior exudes the vibe of a new-fashioned Kopitiam, and By The Fire fits right into its facade.

Opened by the former chef of KeyStone (a mod European Restaurant) and his former colleague, the owners at By The Fire offers a delectable range of Western dishes through using Asian ingredients, which is a welcoming change. Unlike most coffee shops, the chef uses bintochan charcoal grills to retain the flavor of their meats better. From 12-3pm daily, there is also a lunch promo going on where you can order a range of pasta for only $7.90 each.

All prices here are in nett. Interior Food MenuScotch Eggs - $6.90

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw how affordably-priced the food was. It's rare to find dishes priced less than $10 these days and, what's more, something of this calibre. The chefs at By The Fare aced with their own rendition of Scotch eggs. Bounded by minced pork, a breaded crust and the slightly runny texture of the eggs, I must say that this dish came together perfectly. It sat on a bed of raisin coleslaw which I felt was a tad overpowering with its sweetness. Still, a double thumbs up for this one! I would gladly order this again.BBQ Pork Ribs - $14.90

The Pork Ribs here were served with their signature homemade BBQ sauce which comprised of ingredients such as Oyster Sauce and Chinese Wine. It came with hint of sweetness in its aftertaste that resembles a little to Ranch sauce. As aforementioned, By The Fire uses Bintochan Charcoal, also known as the best charcoal for grilling meat. This technique was first brought about in Japan and dates to a few centuries back. As a result, the pork was slightly charred and it added a nice crisp texture to its meat. A downside was that the meat clung on so hard to the ribs that I had to spend quite a bit of time slicing it off.

The Mac & Cheese was served with creamy cheese sauce and topped off with crispy bacon bits and spring onions which were a delight to my tastebuds. Squid Ink Pasta - $12.90

The Squid Ink pasta was served with 2 freshly grilled Hokkaido Scallops and creamy sea urchin sauce, topped off with Bonito (Shaved Fish) flakes for an extra crunch. The chef was rather generous with the portion of pasta. A pity that the sea urbin cream sauce tasted no different from that of a Carbonara sauce, and it got a little gelat for us after a while. By The Fire also serves other signature dishes such as their Grilled Pork Jowl and Grilled Hanger Steak which I heard are a must-try. Located opposite i12 Katong, you get the pleasure of having such lip-smacking delights in a casual environment without the need to pay a hefty sum, or having to wait more than 15 minutes for each dish to be served.

This humble restaurant should definitely be a place to visit on your check-list!

Chanced upon this hidden gem when I visited Sembawang yesterday and I knew HAD to review it. JJ Thai Cuisine opened its second outlet at Sembawang this year and it serves authentic Thai Cuisine along with Mookata that are available on weekdays and on certain weekends.
Menu

(More on their Facebook page HERE)We had: Thai Milk Tea - $3

I'm not really a fan of Thai milk tea because the ones I've had are always too sweet for my liking and lacking the flavor. This though, had a good balance of both tea and milk, definitely one of the better ones I've had. Stir-fried kang kong belachan - $6

Nothing too special about this, just the typical Kang kong belachan you get at Zi char stores but a little spicer! Stir-fried minced chicken with hot basil leaves - $9

Wasn't as spicy as I thought it would be, but definitely delicious! Clear Tom Yam Soup (Seafood) - $8

I had to post multiple photos of this to emphasize on the amount of ingredients that were in the soup. For just $8, this was definitely value for money! It came with 2 large fresh prawns, thick fish slides, plenty of squid and mushrooms. They say the clearer the soup, the spicier it would be.

This though, had the right amount of kick to it! Homemade Thai prawn cake - $10

Our favorite dish!

I would highly recommend this dish to anyone that visits JJ Thai. It might be the most expensive appetizer out of the lot, but this my friends, had PLENTY of prawn meat stuffed in it.

It was like 95% prawn meat and 5% flour or smth. Service:

The service was impeccable, and our food was served to us within 10 minutes

(I'm still wondering how they managed to do that)

Atmosphere:

Looks like your typical Thai restaurant! The place is a little small, so you might have to come earlier on weekends! They also offer outdoor seating on the days when they serve Mookata.
Atmosphere: 7/10

Price: 8/10

Food: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Address:

20 Kandahar Street

Nearest MRT Station:

Bugis MRT Station

What they are famous for:

All day breakfast, Coffee

Opening hours:

Monday - Thursday: 9am - 7pm

Friday - Saturday: 9am - 10pm

Sunday: 9am - 6pm

Atmosphere: 7/10

Price: 7/10

Food: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Do note that they serve All Day Breakfasts ONLY on Weekends Interior seating Coffee counter Food menu Drinks menu

We had:Homemade Iced Lemon Tea - $5.50

Homemade iced lemon tea which really lived up to its name! Love how refreshing it was especially on the scorching Sunday I went.Break Of Dawn - $22

(Pork bratwurst + Pork bacon + Cherry Tomatoes + Breakfast Potatoes + Scrambled Eggs with Chives + Mesclun salad with almond + Lemon Vinaigrette + Double Orange Salad + Sourdough)

This, my friends, is definitely one of the most scrumptious breakfasts I've had. I mean, it's comparable to the one from AnthesisThis, my friends, is definitely one of the most scrumptious breakfasts I've had. I mean, it's comparable to the one from Anthesis, just that it's not as expensive. Variety and portion wise, it was abundant and I was so stuffed by the time I managed to scrape it all off my plate. However, taste-wise, I have my doubts. The pork bacon was waaaaaaay too salty and the scrambled eggs were a little dry. Thumbs up to the pork bratwurst though!Salmon Florentine - $20

(Norwegian smoked salmon + Sauteed baby spinach + Poached eggs + Homemade hollandaise sauce + Toasted brioche)

One of the top favorites! The eggs were perfectly poached while the hollandaise sauce was delicious with the perfect creaminess. Smoked salmon was great too. Paddle pop cake - $9

We were really intrigued by the looks of this cake and since we were craving for something sweet, we decided to go for this. The cakes at Maison Ikokku are sadly, not baked in-house. I really liked the cake batter though I couldn't taste much of the paddle pop flavoring. Service:

Service was rather slow that day, but okay it was pretty crowded when we went. Do make reservations before heading there because it can get really packed on weekends!

Atmosphere:

The cafe was rather small so it might feel a little claustrophobic if you're planning to go there in a big group. Other than that, I loved the vibe it exuded and it was perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

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I was supposed to post this post weeks back, but it has been sitting in my drafts since forever and I finally had time to edit it. I finally finished my midterms today (hehe my one and only) and presentation so I finally have time to take a little breather.

Met my dear tako for lunch on a fateful Sunday and as usual, we spent our day lazing around and chilling indoors because the sun was a killer.Till the next!

Toodles!

Opened by the same people behind Sarnies and located along the busy streets of Neil Road, The Lokal is a fairly new cafe which serves good food at an affordable price. It's focused on using the best raw ingredients to make the kind of food that everyone loves - a wholesome hearty fare that will not break the bank (As adapted from their FB page). Address:

136 Neil Road

Nearest MRT Station:

Outram Park MRT Station

What they are famous for:

Customizable breakfasts, sandwiches

Opening hours:

Monday - Friday: 8am - 6pm

Saturday - Sunday: 9am - 4pm

Atmosphere: 7/10

Price: 7/10

Food: 7/10

Service: 8/10 Interior Open Kitchen Concept Food Menu Drinks Menu

We had: Pimp my breakfast - $15.50

(Scrambled eggs, Smoked salmon, Toasted sourdough)

Here at The Lokal, customers are given the choice to pimp their own breakfast with the different sides available on the menu. I had the scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and toasted sourdough. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the smoked salmon, because unlike other cafes, this did not come in thin slices but in a thick piece, just like a normal salmon fillet. And yes, it was smoked perfectly with the right texture! The eggs were decent too and I must say that they were pretty good. I was also rather pleased w my sourdough as they were still fluffy and crispy by the time we ate it . Pimp my breakfast - $15.50

(Scrambled eggs, Grilled sausage, Toasted sourdough)

Almost the same like my breakfast, just that we subbed the smoked salmon for a grilled sausage.... Which was quite a disappointment for me. The sausage had a foul smell to it so personally, I wouldn't order this again. Not for $6 and definitely not in a million years.Roast chicken panini with crispy panchetta, tomato, avocado, cos and aioi - $15

Ahh I loved this! The chicken spread reminded me like that of chicken mayo and the other ingredients used were delicious! Toasted banana bread, home-made vanilla yogurt, toasted macadamias, caramelized banana - $12

One of their signature dishes! The banana bread was moist, and toasted well. The vanilla yoghurt wasn't too sweet or tart, and was the perfect topping to the bread. The caramelized banana and macadamias sealed the deal. Would definitely order this again!Service:

Double thumbs up for the service! It was prompt, and the staff were really friendly. They even gave us free butter and sugar (it's chargeable, btw) just because they didn't have enough change for us. Hahaha

Atmosphere:

Definitely loved the old-school concept with a spacious interior. It was also well-furbished with comfy sofa chairs, beautifully decorated bookshelves and wooden tables..

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Met up with the Cafe hoppers weeks back after Alex came back from his Summer trip and a rewarding brunch before school started. School has been good to me so far, and I'm starting to pace myself better in terms of school work so that I don't have to squeeze everything right till the very end. I only have two final exams this semester (YESSSSSSS) but that also means that I've more CA projects & papers to submit. But I'd rather have that than go through the dreadful preparations for Finals again. Will update this space soon with a proper post

Toodles!