As a coffee lover, I had always enjoyed having different blends of coffee within cafes. Most cafes usually rely on blends being supplied by other vendors, however there are also a few that does their own blends. Dutch Colony Coffee Co is a stall within Pasarbella at The Grandstand brew their own blends and sell them within the small area.The Dutch blend was the only blend available that day, which was described as robust and strong. It was indeed strong as each sip just adds on to each other. The blend itself is mildly acidic, however it is somewhat acceptable for people who enjoy nuttier blends as well.

Personally, Itacho Sushi is one of my more preferred options when it comes to chain Japanese restaurants that serve sushi within shopping centres. While we were just walking around Bugis Junction, we walked past an Itacho Sushi outlet and since I had not really visited them in a while, why not make a visit now?The Crab Meat Salad ($4.80) may be disappointing to some by substituting Surimi for Crab meat, however the cucumbers were refreshing and the fish roe would just burst with every bite. The light salad sauce also does not overpower the various flavours within the dish, and with a price tag of below $5, you can’t really expect anything more than this with its freshness.The Grilled Salmon with Spicy Miso ($8.00) was nicely grilled with a crispy skin but retained its succulent texture on the inside. The fish was lightly marinated with Miso which gives it some flavour, but not so much that it would cover off the signature taste of salmon. Japanese-style chili powder is sprinkled on top, giving the fish a moderately spicy sensation.Illustrations on the menu showed a full cup of rice with Eel Mini Rice ($4.00) presented over the rice, but when it came to the table, it was more than just minuscule. With only a pinch of rice served, this definitely looks smaller than any kids meal. However, it is definitely a good size for those who just wants have a try of different items as it is barely filling. The Unagi was well marinated with a sauce that really brought out its flavour, though some pieces were a tad scaly.

For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2013/10/06/itacho-sushi-bugis-junction/

Poulet is a restaurant under the Thai Express group, the same guys who brought to you brands like Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe, New York New York, Buffet Town, Shokudo Concepts, Kiseki, Pin Le and Heng Heng Curry. It’s already been a year since the first Poulet outlet had opened at Bugis+ after the mall’s renovations to transform itself from the former Iluma to its current identity. Now , five outlets operate all over the island, with its latest outlet located in Vivocity.The Saute Wild Mushrooms ($7.80) contains three types of mushrooms; Button Mushrooms, Shumeiji Mushrooms and King Oyster Mushrooms. The deep earthy flavour just simply bursts in your mouth and along with the runny poached egg with an egg yolk eager to burst once poked, it is a definite must to order if your favourite brunch items include mushrooms and poached eggs.The “Roti” from Poulet Roti ($15.80) actually means Rotisserie. While there are quite a substantial amount of mains offered in the menu, the Poulet Roti is definitely something one should never miss when they visit Poulet. One cannot deny it’s popularity amongst the patrons; every single table occupied had a plate of Poulet Roti ordered. The Poulet Roti can be ordered as a half chicken or a whole chicken dish. What is so good about it is the marvelous combination of the honey-glazed chicken with the creamy Mushroom Chardonnay Sauce which made is so delectable. Along with the tender roasted chicken with such flavour that came off from the bones so easily, it was a dish that was simply hard to forget. Strongly recommended for anyone who had never visited Poulet before.The Tiramisu ($7.80) is one of the stars of Poulet as well, with most people whom had visited them ordering it. The airy but creamy Mascarpone Cheese brings a light taste to the Tiramisu, while the cocoa powder adds a sweet chocolate-y goodness over the cream cheese. The cake was also nicely doused in rum and coffee, with the cake oozing out coffee with every bite yet not becoming too soft or crumbly despite absorbing all the liquid. It was one of the better Tiramisus I had ever had for now.The Banana Bread Pudding ($6.80) was nice but not outstanding. We loved the fact it was served extremely hot, and the bread pudding was immediately able to soak up the melting Vanilla Ice-Cream served on top of the bread pudding. The taste of banana was evident, but the bread pudding was a bit too dense and stiff for out liking.The Long Black ($3.90) certainly had a very pretty presentation as compared to other places. A much appreciated detail was that the milk that accompanied the Long Black was warmed, therefore would not decrease the temperature of the coffee if added.

For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2013/10/12/poulet-vivocity/

Lately I had have a liking with having cakes or bread. Bakeries that strictly serve bread, cakes or pastries along with coffee seemed to excite me so much I was just dying to visit them. So when I realised how near Brawn & Brains was to Maple & Market, I decided to check them out on the way as well.The Tofu Cheesecake was pretty rich and creamy with a distinctive cheesecake taste yet being light at it, which made it seemed pretty outstanding from other Tofu Cheesecakes that I had that tasted a tad fake and artificial. I loved the crushed biscuit crust on the bottom which gave it a crunchy bite at the bottom as well. Definitely a viable healthy option compared to the usual cheesecake as it would be less health-damaging.I love bacon so much I cannot resist not having the Maple & Bacon, which is like an egg cake with butter, roasted almond and caramalised bacon sitting on top. The caramalised bacon tasted much like bak kwa, but otherwise it looked like a pretty good breakfast-inspired item, like pancakes with butter and bacon served all together in compact form. Pretty decent!

For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2013/08/31/maple-market-cassia-crescent/

Katong Shopping Centre is often listed as one of the veteran shopping centres in Singapore that have lost their appeal over time. Most of the shops located there are usually employment agencies, ladies fashion stores (not for the younger generations though), but who would expect to find a bakery that makes their own bread daily fresh within the stores that serve both sandwiches and cakes?I have heard many people raved about their Not-So-Humble Eggs ($6.00) on Instagram, so I decided to check out probably the least humble menu item served here. The runny eggs are being served with Jamon Serrano which is a sort of ham, celery pickles and dehydrated olives. It seems pretty decent for breakfast, but I was just as impressed while having it as my lunch even though it is just a side. Taking almost every Singaporean’s favourite breakfast of half-boiled eggs but throwing in western elements such as ham and other vegetables, it provided a different feel to a familiar dish. The Jamon Serrano gave the eggs a savoury flavour while the celery pickles and olives supplemented the simple taste of eggs by adding a dash of freshness. Seasoned with pepper for a bit of spice, this one of the dishes that one should definitely not miss while visiting The Humble Loaf.Since the main selling point of this place are the bread and bakes, I also went for the Financier ($1.50). I do not usually like anything with lemon in it, but the zing in the Financiers which was so light yet fragrant just got me hooked. It also held on pretty well without being crumbly and it was of the right density.Financier is a cake, so I decided to try another item. Meringue Croquants ($1.50) had nuts in it, which provided some chew and a different flavour from the sweetness of the meringue. It was a bit chewy, and did not turn into powder with each bite.

For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2013/08/29/the-humble-loaf-katong-shopping-centre/