One of the new openings in July, Bodacious Bar & Bistro gives the office workers of Biopolis yet another choice to dine at within the already eatery-filled region. Bodacious Bar & Bistro is a new dining concept that is being operated by the same guys behind Long Black Cafe that apparently is just situated right across the road. While Long Black Cafe serves rather simple fare, Bodacious Bar & Bistro attempts to be more upbeat with its menu, serving all-day brunch and popular desserts, as well as mains if one prefers something more savoury and filling.Apparently both my dining partner and I were not too hungry since we both coincidentally ate before we met, so we ordered the Stuffed French Toast ($13.80) in the all-day brunch menu as a sweet post-meal treat. A pan-fried toast soaked in egg batter, we felt that the savoury bread was not soaked with enough batter as the white bread got exposed halfway through, though the stewed apples were lightly sweet but enough to pull through. For those who prefer a sweeter touch, drizzle the toast with the maple syrup available at the side. The berries that came along were rather fresh as well.Spanish Fritters ($8.80) are Churros; a dish that I had already decided to order when I glanced through the menu. These were no-nonsense, coming in nothing but cinnamon sugar; no fancy dips or chocolate sauce. Generous in its serving, we got ourselves filled with the Churros, which were crispy sprinkled in lots of spiced sweetness; something I cannot get enough of!Tried asking for the blends they used here, but the service staff seemed clueless at the beginning and then replied that only the boss knows and never came back with an answer. Whatever it was, the Flat White ($4.20) was bright, cheery and acidic for its body, though it was also roasty as well. Would say its actually rather good.For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/07/11/bodacious-bar-bistro-biopolis-drive/

One of the cafes that opened to much hype surrounding it is Tian Kee & Co; a conversion of a 54 year-old provision shop situated in an iconic neighbourhood built in 1958 by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) into a cafe.Stepping into the neighbourhood, it’s not hard to understand why Tian Kee & Co had been gaining all that attention even before its opening. Being one of the rare cafes that is being situated in such a historic estate, it not only exudes a old-school charm, but its largely quiet and barren surroundings provides a real escape from the hustle and bustle away at the main road. The nostalgia runs all the way deep into its facade and interior; that 54 year-old signboard, the old-school tables and the kiddie ride outside the cafe all brings back memories of the yesteryear. The menu offerings however differs; despite having some simple fare thats somewhat nostalgic such as muffins and cream puffs, they have also incorporated modern items such as flavoured cheesecake and artisan coffee into their menu as well.Being a cheesecake junkie, I have had many variants of cheesecake from the humble New York ones to Matcha ones, but this is the first time I had came across a Yuan Yang Cheesecake ($6.50). Tian Kee & Co has their cheesecakes supplied from online bakery Cat And The Fiddle. Yuan Yang is a beverage that contains a mixture of both coffee and tea. To incorporate Yuan Yang into their cheesecake, the top layer was a coffee flavoured jello which was light in its aroma that it was enough to taste but not too intrusive to the cheesecake. The cheese layer sits in thr middle, smooth and velvety while the bottom lies the Milk Tea layer, a mousse that tasted quite the part. While the cheese layer still took most of the taste, the light flavours of the Yuan Yang made this cheesecake a rather interesting combination.Being a huge fan of nostalgia, we also ordered a few cream puffs ($1.50 each) to pair up with their coffee. The spongey puffs were well-filled with cream, which bursts through witht the first bite. Cream was fresh, and carried a slight taste of butter that might seem a bit weak at first, but definitely less sickening to finish off after a few bites.Coffee came in these white cups and saucers with gold lining arounds them, all of which just screams old-school, but its not good ol’ Nanyang Coffee that is served here, but a three-origin blend from Dutch Colony Coffee. The Flat White ($5) was fruity and moderately acidic; a great Saturday perk-me-up.For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/06/24/tian-kee-co-blk-12-dakota-crescent/

Belonging to the sudden boom of cafes that started to open at Bukit Merah Central in late 2013, it is also within walking distance from Butterscotch and Pan Delights. The menu here is pretty much dessert-centric, focusing more on cakes and other forms of sweet treats though also offers sandwiches for something savoury as well.Their Rainbow Cake ($5.80) had been a popular item of theirs, which sparked the non-rainbow cake lover in me to give it a go. Having heard of how Rainbow Cake are usually sweet and sugary, the one here gave me a slight different impression. Each layer carries a different flavour, which had several layers creating a light sweet flavour while some giving a rather tart flavour. The cake also has a moist consistency which was delightful to have as it came off the fork easily.Apple Caramel Pancake ($12.80) is one of their plated dessert offerings. We loved how the caramel for this dish was drizzled atop instead of being all over the pan; this ensured that the dish was not overwhelmingly sweet. The soft apples were fresh, and the Vanilla ice-cream was smooth though slightly flat in flavour. Sitting atop that cake-like pancake, it was a warm desert comforting for a rainy day.For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/07/08/the-bakery-chef-blk-161-bukit-merah-central/

New to the Singapore food scene is Tai Parfait, which also opened in the revamped basement of Bugis Junction. A Japanese concept, it combines the iconic Taiyaki (fish-shaped pancake) with different sort of fillings. Other items sold here includes the usual Taiyaki, as well as Frappucino and Milkshakes.Their Taiyaki comes in four flavours; Azuki, Matcha, Custard Cream and Chocolate. There are also a number of fillings to choose from, from soft serve, fruits and cream flavours. I picked the Banana Caramel flavour with Custard Cream filling ($4.20). Fillings are being stuffed in the mouth of an open-mouthed fish, which can seem cute to some. The fresh bananas are just of the right ripeness; not overly soft and mushy but has no traces of being too ripe, and the minimal amount of caramel adds a wee bit of sweetness that does not cover off the rest of its ingredients. Pancake was served hot; a sticky batter that gives a chew yet soft as well and was filled with Custard Cream at the top and the tail; smooth and enough sweetness to taste, but not to overwhelm.For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/07/03/tai-parfait-bugis-junction/

The recent trend of using old shop areas significant to a historic estate seems to be on a high with cafes lately. Sin Lee used to be a coffeeshop that seemed to be around as long as the estate itself, and also used to house a rather famous Prawn Noodle stall with it. The coffeeshop was recently sold off, with the noodle stall having no heir to transfer the business to. Recently converted into a cafe, much of the original fittings are no longer around, much of it converted to a rather hipster setup less the signage being retained.The menu generally revolves around western fare, serving dishes much akin to all-day brunch and desserts. Beverages such as coffee, tea and sodas are available, with the coffee blend being Papa Pahelta’s Throwback blendBig B ($18.90) is the big breakfast item at Sin Lee Foods. Coming with bacon, sauteed mushrooms, toast, tomato relish, roasted potatoes, sausage, eggs and salad, this was essentially the package fit for brunch. We loved the crustiness of the toast, crispiness of the skin of the potatoes, creaminess of the cream sauce used for the sauteed mushrooms, crispiness of the bacon fried dry without much oiliness and the runny scrambled eggs, but the real deal for me was the salad. They came in a tangy dressing with shavings of parmesan over the top; a slight combination of sour and saltiness that made it so delectable.Recently after many attempts of trying waffles at new cafes, I hesitated before I decided to order this one as I originally wanted something different. Eventually, we still ordered the Iron Grill Waffles of the Day ($14.90), which comes with fresh fruits and a scoop of Vanilla ice-cream. First bite through came with the “oomph” factor; crispy exterior with a moist interior that really melted in the mouth. Then the next bite comes filled with the fragrance of Buttermilk; and it was really rich and evident throughout. Even the fresh fruits were impressive; they were missing of the usual sourness and were really really sweet especially the mango chunks. The scoop of Vanilla ice-cream was also decently rich, but the texture was a tad rough though still somewhat acceptable.Flat White ($4.50) as mentioned uses Papa Pahelta’s Throwback blend. It’s chocolatey and nutty tones were light, which makes it a relaxing cuppa to soothe the senses.For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/07/02/sin-lee-foods-jalan-bukit-ho-swee/