Nestled around the area where Cheng San Cooked Food Centre and Wet Market is located, Next Door Deli is a neighbourhood cafe run by the same guys by Pine Garden's Cake right beside the cake shop. It's pretty nicely named as it's indeed the deli located next door from the cake shop, and while the cake shop looks more traditional with wooden furnishings, Next Door Deli adopted a modern yet nostalgic look on both it's exterior and interior which is rather chic for a cafe located in the heartlands.It wasn't long before i decided to have the Grilled Chicken Steak. It was well complimented with garlic bread, sauteed vegetables and a mashed potato. The chicken steak had a very crispy skin which I liked, and the meat was soft, juicy and tender, though the downsides were it can be slightly greasy for some. The garlic bread seemed ok, being slightly toasted on the top while retaining it's fluffy texture at the bottom. The mashed potatoes here is rather unique; rather than a fully whipped-up potato that provides a smooth texture on the tongue, the mashed potato here had bits of potatoes that are not fully mashed up in them. The texture was rather interesting; while it was solid enough to chew, it was not that hard to ruin the entire texture of the mash.

For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2013/05/03/next-door-deli…-mo-kio-ave-10/

Saveur should not be an unfamiliar name to local foodies who are into French fare; they had been around Purvis Street for quite a while now serving french food to the masses. Their new outlet which opened at Far East Plaza seems to be way bigger, classier and accessible, and yet keeping their prices affordable.The Saveur Pasta is a starter that nearly every table ordered during our visit there. A pasta tossed with chili oil with Sakura Ebi with minced pork sauce, the pasta might seem plain on first sight, but the chili oil made it quite savoury with a dash of saltiness and spiciness, which gives the dish a kick in flavour.Chicken Roulade was impressive. The chicken thigh was stuffed with foie gras infused chicken farce, but I couldn't really detect foie gras in it, which is a good thing for a person whom doesn't dare to try foie gras. The chicken thigh doesn't really taste much either, but the creamy Basmati rice was fragrant and tasted really similar to the white sauce that is used in some baked rice dishes. The Parmesan sauce also added a cheesy flavour to the chicken and the rice, creating a somewhat baked rice taste in the dish

For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2013/04/26/saveur-far-east-plaza/

Streets of London is hard to miss with its distinctive decor on the exterior featuring the Union Jack and it's location right in front of a zebra crossing right across Blk 164.The chicken from the Grilled IPA Chicken was nicely grilled and the slightly charred bits gave it some crisp in its skin. It also was rather juicy and rather fragrant. The mashed potato was fluffy and the sauteed vegetables had a tint of butter and was delectable.

For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/streets-of-london-blk-161-bukit-merah-central/

Opened in a quiet corner within the myriad of small roads in Jalan Besar is a hole-in-the-wall cafe named Ollella. Given the small size of the unit, the cafe features a single communal table and two counter seats facing the window. Ollella is a collaboration by Choquette and The Pourover Bar, the former offering a range of Choux puffs while the latter offers a wide range of handbrewed filter coffee from various origins as well as tea to compliment the Choux puffs.While there was a Mini Choux Puff tasting platter ($21) that you can try all seven Choux puffs, I was alone and decided to go for the individual and larger Choux Puffs instead. Both the Apple Cinnamon and Lemon Meringue ($4) were done well; the Choux pastry was of the right moistness, not being too wet nor too dry. Lemon Meringue was a filled Choux puff with lemon curd filling and topped with Italian meringue. The Choux puff was well filled, and a single bite into the puff is all it needs for the lemon curd to eagerly burst out of the puff which reveals a pleasantly tart flavour. Italian meringue gives it a subtly sweet touch, adequately balancing out the entire flavour of the puff.Apple Cinnamon Choux ($4) puff somehow surprisingly reminded me of an Apple Crumble Pie. Coming with caramalised apples slices with a light hint of cinnamon, the sugary bits and crunchy nuts helped to provide a texture similar to crumble, while the Vanilla Streusel replicated the flavours of Vanilla ice-cream well. A pretty thoughtful creation indeed.Being a fan of Matcha, the Matcha Azuki Choux puff ($4.50) was one that I found hard to resist ordering. This certainly would hit matcha fans well with the subtly aromatic cream and loads of Azuki red beans hiding within the crusty Choux puff.To compliment the Choux puffs, I had also ordered an Ethopia Tchembe N2 Mixed Heirloom handbrewed filter coffee ($8), which was medium-bodied with chocolatey flavour and light notes of fruit. Each cup of coffee comes with a mini Chouqette, which is pretty identic to the one from the Apple Cinnamon.

For more photos and the full review, head to jiaksimipng in the link below:
https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2016/04/01/ollella-residencessomme/

Recently opened a few months back, Beans & Cream bears a pretty much unique address in the west of Singapore. Located in the quiet neighbourhood of Bukit Gombak, it definitely does not come across as an address that would come up to mind for a cafe. Much like the neighbourhood itself, the interior is simple without much elaborate decorations. Seatings are very much limited here, with only three four-seaters inside and two more four-seaters on the outside.Since it is a place that sells ice-cream and waffles primarily, we had to give the two a try. We coupled Earl Grey and topped up for an additional Rum & Raisin scoop for our waffles ($9.80). The waffles strangely resembled the ones served at Creamier with a variance in their presentation. The Earl Grey was rather aromatic and uplifting, with the fragrance of tea distinct and soothing. Rum & Raisin was deep with the alcoholic touch; a indulging flavour for those who love this flavour. Waffles were decent, and we loved the crispy exterior which was in perfect match with the airy and fluffy interior. The batter was something we thought they could have did better; it was tasty, but it would fared much better if it carried much more fragrance in it.Not missing out the “Bean” in the name, I also ordered a Flat White ($4.00); something which was out of the menu but the staff gladly made when I enquired. Although much of this cafe’s focus is not really on the coffee, its pretty aromatic with earthy notes detected, and was also pretty creamy.For more photos and the full review, please visit: https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/07/14/beans-cream-blk-347-bukit-batok-street-34/