Located in Punggol, Ah Dong Teh House is pretty hidden considering it cannot be seen from the main road. Ah Dong Teh House might be a Hong Kong Tea Room, but apart from Hong Kong Tea Room usuals like Gong Zai Meen, they also offer local delights such as Laksa and Hor Fun as well.Lately I had been on an adventure to find good Kaya Toasts in Singapore, so I thought it would be good for me to give the Butter Kaya Toast from Ah Dong Teh House a try. Its pretty decent, and ranks up pretty near or even better than Ya Kun. The toast was thick, and Kaya was fresh. Thick slabs of butter was sandwiched in the middle, which makes this simple breakfast treat somewhat sinful. Its somewhat pricey though, given that its $3.90++ ala-carte, and adding coffee and eggs would set you back another $2 more.My dining partner settled for the Sheng Mian ($12.90++). Crispy fried egg noodles served in a thick gravy that was savoury with loads of egg inside, the portion was really generous. Their variant seemed a tad light; something that I liked though my dining partner would have preferred some dark sauce added for a deeper flavour. Most of the seafood were also fresh as well. Not really the best we have tried, but better than average at the very least.I decided to go on the western menu though, since the Cheezy Pork Cutlet ($14.90++) reminded me of Chicken Corden Bleu. Marinated in Cajun spices, it’s savoury flavour and crispy fried batter seemed to remind me of a certain brand of Fried Chicken. Cut open the tender pork cutlet, and the melted cheese oozes out of the cutlet. Its a pity how the spectacular pork cutlet got served with pretty pedestrian fries and salad at the side, which dragged down the quality of the dish a fair bit.We also ordered Kopi ($3.00++), and its pretty decent as well, with sweetness from the evaporated milk which sweetened the coffee adequately. Makes a good couple with the Kaya Butter Toast!For more photos and the full review, please visit: https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/ah-dong-teh-house-tebing-lane/

Dutch Colony Coffee had been expanding its operations of the late, having recently moved its roastery to an industrial district out of its stall at Pasarbella and now, its second outlet at Frankel Avenue. I am hardly one who get moved by decor, but this place was just impressive. On the outside, it quite replicated how a cafe in Australia would have looked like, and it continues into the interior. The chandelier and communal table in the middle, the mockup alfresco seating that is covered by the glass roof to shelter patrons away from Singapore’s gruesome heat and the wide aisle in front of the counter all reminds me of interiors of cafes overseas I have seen on Instagram; its as though this place was modeled from Instagram, for Instagram. Food menu features a range of sandwiches and cakes, as well as some plated desserts, and then a variety of coffee that’s pretty much why you would visit this place for.Visiting Dutch Colony Coffee Co with an empty stomach, I decided to go for something light, which made the Portobello Road ($9.00) seemed pretty apt for me. It’s basically a Portobello open-faced sandwich (a fact that I liked even though I failed to read this when I was ordering) with feta cheese, rocket and tomatoes. This took quite a while to arrive though, but I was surprised by how big it actually is when it came; it looked more like a open-faced burger than a sandwich. Took a bite of the toasted bread; crisp, light and fragrant, as though the sourdough bread was just freshly-baked. Then comes the two fat and juicy Portobello patties which were soft yet full-on earthy, with that small touch of savoury from the Feta scattered all over the mushrooms. Tomatoes were zesty and refreshing especially when the juices burst with every cut with the knife. And then comes the rocket that’s drizzled in a flavourful balsamic dressing. If this ain’t food porn, I don’t know what would be.I was also very intrigued by the Banana Bread with Espresso Butter ($4.80), so I ended up getting one after finishing the sandwich. The Banana Bread was not what I expected, but the soft, sweet and fragrant bread with banana bits was still very satisfying, and made more addictive with the crunchy crust on the top after its being heated up. Only thing that needed improvement was the Espresso Butter, which was claimed to be spread atop before serving but did not taste of anything somehow. Maybe I was still thinking of the one I had at Drury Lane a while back …And how could you ever hit Dutch Colony Coffee without trying their coffee? Their Flat White ($4.50) was on the smooth and creamy side, but you could actually taste that nutty and sweet chocolate tones from their Dutch blend as well.For more photos and the full review, please visit: https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/09/09/dutch-colony-coffee-co-frankel-avenue/

Taking over the former grounds of 7th Manna Cake Boutique, Toothsome Cafe had done some renovations to the space, making it seemingly more chic somehow. Despite how the cafe looks, the food menu is pretty different from expectations; cooked food includes Fried Chicken Wing Rice while there are also small bites such as puffs and pies.To whet our appetites, we went for the Baked Chicken Puff ($1.60). Resembling a Char Siew Pastry, the light, flaky pastry was shaped like a pau while the Chicken chunks inside was well-marinated with sweet, sticky honey which makes every bite so addictive with savoury-sweetness.I decided to go for the Fragrant Fried Chicken Wing Rice ($5.90); pretty unconventional for a cafe. Presentation was simply; not even a single bit gimmicky. Just rice with two fried chicken wings with tomatoes at the side. Chicken Wings were juicy; a single pull and you could literally hear the juicy wings spurting its juices, and that crisp fried skin and light peppery flavour in the meat makes it pretty delightful. Rice seemed to hint of garlic flavour, and seemed like a more premium version that is lighter and less oilier than Tenderfresh’s rendition. A simple dish it might be, but it does not stop being just pleasant; it is also pretty affordable somehow. We only had one gripe; perhaps it could have come with a few lettuce leaves, or even a slaw as it feels a tad meaty and the tomatoes just seemed a tad lonely in a corner by themselves.My dining partner went for the Carbonara ($7.90). Pretty much unlike those thick, creamy and sometimes cheesy Carbonara out there, Toothsome’s rendition is much much lighter, which eradicates that sickening feel one might have after just finishing half the bowl. The cream-based sauce seemed a tad watery, but it had hints of garlic that perfumed the pasta which absorbed the flavours well. Pasta was also cooked al-dente, and the chicken and bacon though cooked rather simply were delectable. My dining partner loved it, and even said this raised his bar for his standards for Carbonara.For a sweet, we had the Original Cheesecake ($5.00). Much like the Carbonara, this was also seemingly lighter-tasting than the ones served elsewhere. Still, it was smooth and rich, but less cheesiness with quite a toned down zesty flavour. It was subtly refreshing, and the cheesecake also felt a tad stiffer to cut than the usual though it does not feel so while you are actually eating it.For more photos and the full review, please visit: https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2015/01/02/toothsome-cafe-tanjong-katong-road/

New to NEX is Tai Lei Loi Kei, replacing the hardware store that sits in between the mall and the bus interchange previously. Originating from Macau since 1968, Tai Lei Loi Kei specialises in its famed Macau-styled Pork Chop Bun. Other items on the menu include Noodles and Rice with both Pork Chop or Chicken Wings, or Breakfast sets. There is also Sawdust Pudding available; the only dessert that is sold here.My dining partner wanted something light, so she went for the Pork Chop Bun ($4.90). The Pork Chop Bun was pretty no-nonsense, coming with just two slices of bread and quite a huge slab of pork chop in between just like how it would have been served in Macau. The Pork Chop was savoury and was not too dry, grilled and well-marinated, though some might find the marination a bit too salty. It tasted pretty similar to Vietnamese Pork Chops, while the buns were quite similar to a crustier and lighter baguette. While the portion seemed fine for one, I am not sure if its exactly filling or because my dining partner was not too hungry, but she eventually did not finish the bun.I ordered the Pork Chop Rice Set ($7.90), which comes with that similar Pork Chop alongside Rice with egg and curry at the side. Rice was pretty fluffy, and the curry at the side was somewhat similar to Japanese Curry but with a more spicier and sweeter note which was pretty flavourful. Pork Chop was very much the same as the one from the Pork Chop Bun, while the egg was well-executed, with yolk oozing out when burst.When I noticed they sold Sawdust Pudding, it got my mind thinking of Hatter’s Street variant. Thankfully the one from Tai Lei Loi Kei came without the “Smoked” part, but it was generally quite a different dessert. Instead of eggy custards, it was replaced with a thick cream that hinted of light sweetness amidst layers of fine biscuit crumbs. While it was not what I actually expected, it was actually pretty delicious and my dining partner loved it as well.

For more photos and the full review, please visit: https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2015/01/12/tai-lei-loi-kei-%E6%BE%B3%E9%97%A8%E5%A4%A7%E5%88%A9%E6%9D%A5%E8%AE%B0-nex/

Hyde & Co is the latest addition to the ever-growing cafe scene in the Kampong Glam neighbourhood.Crumpets, which they claim are an English-inspired sponge cake and muffin hybrid, are their specialty, so expect Crumpets served in many ways. One can opt for something more brunch-like, such as having them served with butter and maple syrup, or go for a dessert-like approach like the Apple and Cinnamon. There are also a variety of all-day breakfast items available. For beverages, Hyde & Co has a wide array of teas available, though they also serve coffee as well.We went straight for the Lady Hyde ($12.90), which is Hyde & Co’s take on Croque Madame. They have added their own take to it, where they have added ingredients such as Haebee Hiam for a local fusion. Overall, this dish was pretty light; most of the ingredients had flavours played down, such as the cheese, ham, haebeehiam and pineapple bits so its quite refreshing and not overpowering. We love how the zesty pineapples were able to cleanse the palate after it gets a bit tiring; definitely worked well with the other ingredients.Gula Gula ($12.90) is part of the sweet selection. Its a simple dish; Crumpets drizzled in Gula Melaka and sprinkled with dessicated coconut. It seemed to resemble a crossbreed between a pancake and Malay Kueh, though honestly it was seemingly pricey for its portion size.For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/11/10/hyde-co-north-bridge-road/