Dear Alv's birthday falls in the month of August and of course, we had to celebrate it by trying out one of the hottest restaurant in town. I am a fan of Oriole, where I love their food - their mouth-watering desserts, coffee and their oh-so-hip-it-hurts decor. We'll leave the gushing of Oriole to another post since my focus is not on it today. Anyway, it’s no surprise that I turned to its upmarket sister restaurant, Bedrock for this special occasion.

The interior looks nothing like a caveman's abode but a classy NY steakhouse. Lightly dim and cozy but in a non-intimating way, it is versatile for a quiet dinner for two or a friendly group gathering. We decided on a lunch instead of dinner, since it offers a highly economical set lunch at SGD 35++ per pax, with a good selection to choose from.We started off with their nicely warmed flat bread that is accompanied with a fragrant garlic clove and butter. It is like garlic bread but in a deconstructed way. Kudos to them for deviating from the regular olive oil and balsamic vinegar combi. The bread is a worthy mention by itself - soft and fluffy, it is easy on the jaw. I can eat this everyday for breakfast. Next, we warmed our tummies with the Bedrock Smoked Tomato Soup. Made with Roma tomatoes, it definitely lives up to its name with that smoky and tangy flavour, that whets your appetite for more to come. Basically, comfort food at its best. The Panko Caesar comes with a nicely poached egg, bacon strips and large flakes of Parmesan cheese. It could get slightly salty after one too many bites though.

Alv chose the Steak Frites, which was a tender portion of striploin that comes with a thin rim of fat for added texture and done to our medium-rare liking. Love the fries, which have this truffle tinge to it.

I went with the Crispy Skin Seabass. Crackling on the outside and sweet on the insides, it was coupled nicely with the tomatoes chunks and olives underneath it. The waiter recommended Red Wine Pear and Bedrock Ice Cream Sandwich for desserts and they definitely rocked! The former was an interesting dessert with flavours that fully compliment each other. The latter was salted caramel ice cream sandwiched between macadamia nut biscuit, which was a truly beautiful combination. I am a fan of salted caramel to begin with, so I’m sold on it. The staffs there are extremely professional and possess good knowledge of their dishes, which aid in offering recommendations or when introducing their menu. Their friendliness and warmth provides this personalized touch, which at times may be lacking at good restaurants. I am amazed with Keith Loh’s offerings, where so far none of them disappoint. Alv and I want to try out Whitebait and Kale one of these days.

A lovely meal with lovely company and I'm just glad Alv enjoyed this as much as I did.

The coffee culture in our little red dot has grown from strength to strength, and has matured considerably. No longer being contended with just any cuppa, tastebuds have since evolved to those with an increasing quest for improved quality, enhanced knowledge of the origins of beans and blends, and the comfort that they are harvested from fair and sustainable sources. To the joy of coffee lovers here, Toby's Estate is an Aussie heavyweight that joined the growing stable of serious gourmet coffee providers here.Toby's Estate that is one part warehouse, one part production and one part coffee joint played up the industrial look well - with its high loft, brick walls and cement surroundings (I heart!). Bar seats filled the sides, but do prop yourself up at the long wooden communal table that takes pride in the center of the cafe, to enjoy a sense of community with visiting patrons and where you can prick your ears up to the interesting conversations floating around.

It is evident that Toby's Estate doesn't take its subject and business lightly. Not when there is an in-house coffee roasting machine, which was hard at work when we were there, filling the air with the sound of heavy machinery.In need for something chilled, we had an Iced Latte and Iced Mocha, which provided a severe caffeine kick right in our face and jostled us awake from the dull afternoon's sun. I am no coffee connoisseur but we can attest to the power of its caffeine, which is of no joke - we couldn't sleep until 3:00 am the next day.

Though blurry-eyed on the following day, I'm determined to go back for their tasty-sounding breakfast set, that is best washed down with a robust cuppa and to absorb more engrossing topics at the table.

I just have to make a mental note to do so early in the morning, so as to allow me an entire day to exhaust the caffeine.

For our dinner catch-up with XY, who returned from Osaka for a short visit, we were kind enough to spare her the agony of another Sushi or Udon. Instead, we opted for Loola's, a casual dining spot that is the latest addition to the Awfully Chocolate umbrella of cafes/ eateries.

Staying true to the clean and no-frills aesthetics of the brand, the pristine whites of the chairs seemed to be accented against the surrounding cemented, raw look. Having taken up a large space, the ample seating that comfortably stretches out, will do good to serve a pre or post show crowd at the Esplanade. S and me were the first two to arrive, and we were so famished that we didn't take long to wipe out majority of the bread platter, which we smeared excessively with their delicious Pesto and Tomato Chutney. It did got us really hyped up about our upcoming bread making lesson!We pried ourselves off the bread tray, with the arrival of the rest and the starter - Portobello Benedict. The Poached Egg when knifed, oozes bright yellow cheer over the ham and fleshy mushroom. Did I also mention that the Hollandaise sauce was yum?

Apparently, the Pan Seared Braised Pork Belly is a must-try here. The meat was indeed tender but I didn't exactly fell head over heels with it. However it is not everyday that your dish come with two rare sights - Lotus Root Chips and Bubble and Squeak. The latter with a cute ring to its name is actually a traditional English dish of leftover vegetables and potato pancake, though I hope we aren't really eating leftover greens here! The crunch and sweetness of the Lotus Root Chips had me looking at this humble vegetable with new lens.

Grilled Barramundi was called to the table to balance off the earlier red meat. The soup base was a light, sweet stock that took on an appetizing tone and came with a mass of fried egg. No faults with the fish, which was grilled well. For desserts, we had their Omelette. Yes, you heard me right. This crazy group decided to ditch chocolate for egg. But this Souffle Omelette was a revelation - it was the lightest, fluffiest Omelette we ever had, and got us guessing how many eggs were cracked for this giant mass. The insides were so light that it reminded us of Meringue. Loola's effort to inject creativity to its menu, by incorporating fusion and elements of surprise to its dishes, helps to distinguish itself from its competitors out there and is probably the best amongst all its eateries. I am intrigued by their Marrow and Toast and Salted Veg Duck Soup, and I suppose that calls for a subsequent visit.

Ever since TWG opened its grand doors at Ion Orchard, both myself and my tea-loving friend, K have been dying to check it out to enjoy the splendour of sipping tea on a leisurely and carefree Saturday afternoon. So that was what we did this weekend, a date that materialized after a few months later due to our other on-going commitments. We wanted to make sure that we were going to enjoy our "debut" trip there under perfectly relaxing conditions.It is truly a tea-lover's paradise there, with its plethora of flavours that smelled heavenly; just one whiff could evoke pleasant and flighty thoughts. The staff recommended Sweet France, which drew us in with its perfumed, flowery fragrance that truly reminds us of summer. We needed a complete opposite type to balanced the floral notes of our first choice and they recommended Weekend in Shanghai, a strong and heady oriental tea. Both when brewed were lovely, but my vote goes to Weekend in Shanghai because I love its deeper, lingering scent after each sip. K's love for it is apparent as well, as she bought a pack of it to slowly savour it at home/office! The thoughtfulness of this tea house only goes to show its passion towards tea drinking, where each pot of tea is encased in a metal casing to keep the tea at the right temperature for consumption.

We couldn't just have tea without any accompaniments. Not if this place offered tea infused desserts, that will compliment the entire tea-drinking experience. The TWG Chocolate fondant was this luscious and decadent slice of chocolate cake that was infused with vanilla bourbon tea and had a generous dollop of ice-cream smack right on top of it. The taste was this sweet blend of caramel, chocolate and tea that was a pleasant change from another warm chocolate molten cake.The pastry trolley held several other types of cakes and tarts, where all of them looked delectable and screamed "pick me!". The raspberry tart was topped with the lightly-sugared fruit, which tartness helped cut the sweetness of the pastry. It was unfortunately a bit too soft and dense for my liking. In addition, I couldn't really identified the tea infused in this dessert. Or maybe it was just my confused palate after all that tea tasting.It was nevertheless a lovely way to spend an afternoon with a good friend and in the most chi-chi style ever. The old style grandeur and class of this place does transport you to another world altogether, making you feel as if you were teleported back to that particular era. Now I just have to slowly (but surely!) conquer and try the rest of the dizzying array of tea there.

We were out running some errands around our neighborhood and in the blistering afternoon heat, I was in desperate need for a pit stop. I was just about to settle for my usual bubble tea until Alv brought up, "didn't you mention there was a cafe around here that you wanted to check out?". Yes, I have trained him well.

Thanks to his ingenuity and a few quick checks on the iPhone, we found ourselves at Dominic Khoo's 28th Fevrier. Located amidst warehouses and light industries within the matured estate of Bukit Merah, the shop enjoys the absolute luxury of wide, open space. The owner, Dominic Khoo, who is a celebrity/ lifestyle photographer by profession, adorns the white walls with his photos as you advance within the space. It is a combination of a cafe cum photo gallery cum a bespoke tailor cum leather shoes boutique corner. Don't expect much from the cafe - it is limited to just drinks and an even more unimpressive selection of pastries. We were however just thankful to quench our thirst and for a tranquil, undisturbed spot to indulge in some reading. Oh and yes, they have a good playlist on as well.Believe it or not, these lounge chairs, which we rested our bums on are actually made of recycled paper! Though it is considered to be highly durable given that it has to withstand humans' weight, but it is already showing signs of wear and tear. Maybe bum fatigue. With this place located off the beaten track, you can probably expect little walk-in. We spotted only two to three customers at any one time but then again, we were there on a weekday afternoon. It was however, a welcoming respite from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind within our densely populated city. Feels good to not have another person infringing on your comfort zone, doesn't it? Without any distractions, it really forces you to slow down and focus on whatever you are doing there and then, whether it is to read, chat or work.

Just that my bum probably can't take sitting on recycled paper for too long.