Chic-A-Boo is apparently yet another brand that is set up by the same owners behind Aston’s; apparently a fact that I only recently learnt about after reading a Facebook post by ieatishootipost, which probably told us why it actually was located beside an Aston’s Express stall when it was in Ang Mo Kio. The menu at the HillV2 outlet did seem pretty similar to the Ang Mo Kio one, and while prices still remain rather affordable there seems to be a rough increase about a dollar for all the sets.Given that I had tried Set 1 ($7.90) previously at Ang Mo Kio, we decided to go for it again to see if they had made any improvements along with its move. The same deal goes; two sides, a corn muffin and two chicken parts with a soft drink. Chic-A-Boo does not allow their patrons to choose chicken parts, so you would have to do with a Drumstick and a Breast for Set 1. What’s good though is that you can mix flavours, which means you can actually order both Favourite and Hot ‘n’ Spicy in one set. Of the two, I preferred the Hot ‘n’ Spicy; its marination felt more thorough and the mild hotness did not kill that tangy flavour at the start. The Original was as tender, but felt less crisp, less thorough in marination and lacked a wow-factor to it. TCO Salad was an interesting side, but it was not the regular salad we were expecting; its zingy dressing is definitely refreshing especially after a fried meal as it felt like a Carpaccio instead. While the Sweet Potato Fries sounded enticing, it could have been better; more warm, more crisp and maybe slightly salty to tickle the taste buds. If anyone remembered my previous visit to the Ang Mo Kio outlet, you probably may have recalled that I was not too fond of the Corn Muffin. Glad to say they made major improvements to it now; its more crumbly and bread-like with the crusted top, and is no longer that greasy mushy mess that it was way back in the day!To try a wider variety of food, I decided to go for the Fish Fillet burger ($4.50). Buns were heated upon serving, and you get a bit of crustiness from it as well. I also loved the Fish Fillet, served hot and crispy and felt similar to Long John Silver’s fish fillets when they used to be way better. The other ingredients; the lettuce, the tomatoes and that slice of cheese that looks like it came off a Kraft pack are simply too pedestrian and made the whole package felt kinda cheap. And yes, even at $4.50 I felt really confused about it; it just felt like a burger that came off from a stall in any coffeeshop.For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/09/25/chic-a-boo-hillv2/

Lower East Side Tacqueria is brought by the same guys from Spathe. Specialising in Mexican fare, expect Tacos and Quesadilla offered here, with some plated dishes for mains. There are also a variety of alcoholic drinks available, which makes this spot a great place to head to for some drinks and snacks at night.We were in for lunch, but both of us came with our stomachs still relatively full from breakfast. Upon looking at the menu, we thought it would be wise for us to share a Quesadilla, which we chose The Campesinos ($10.00+). Described in the menu to contain Campesino Chorizo Sausages, Monterey Cheese and Tomato Salsa, we could not really detect the sausages as the filling seemed to be rather mashed up. There was also a interesting hint of curry spices within the filling, which went well with the cheesiness within. The dressing also complimented the Quesadilla well as it invoked a rather subtle touch of spiciness. It was not particularly up the mark, but its taste was very much decent for a light snack.I can’t get enough of Churros ($8.00+), so I knew I had to get those when I first saw the menu. The sticks may be short, and though it was on the dry side being crunchy and on the edge of being too hard, it was also satisfying at the same time as there was enough cinnamon sugar coated on each stick. Chocolate dip was watery, but had just the right amount of flavour. Dipping these sticks into the dip, the chocolate flavour goes nicely on top of the cinnamon sugar, rather than overwhelming it totally.Coffee ain’t exactly their forte actually. The Latte ($5.50+) was rather milky, though there are traces of its nutty-flavoured body around. Could have been better though.For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/10/11/lower-east-side-tacqueria-east-coast-road/

Guess the vicinity around Jalan Besar is starting to get infected with the many cafes opening in that area, even Farrer Park is not spared. Pek Kio had seen openings such as aBite and P. Bistro, and Rangoon had Woodshed. Now its Old Hen Coffee Bar.Ordered their Buttermilk Waffles ($9.00). It originally comes with Blueberry Compote but they were out of that so they replaced it with poached apples for mine. Buttermilk fragrance was evident, while the waffle itself was toasted just nice to be crisp yet soft, but retaining a cooked through texture as it was more bread-like inside. The overall result was brilliant; the sweetness from the soft poached apples matched well with the strawberries and the slight tartness of honey-infused yoghurt, and the chocolate sauce drizzled was yet another dimension of sweetness added.Cold Brews are also undeniably one of their specialties. On the day of my visit, only the White ones were available. Undeniably creamy, the White Cold Brews ($6.50) were really satisfying in hot weather. Their take involved a tinge of sweetness, creating a very malt-like sweetness at the end of each sip. For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/07/25/old-hen-coffee-bar-rangoon-road/

SIFU is a new dining concept that had been introduced at Bugis Junction which recently just had a revamp of tenants. Claimed to be the “Master Ribs”, Pork Ribs are the specialty here, and the restaurant serves largely Hong Kong fare, though with a bit of twist.For a side, I decided to have the chef recommended Prawn Toast Rectangles ($8.80++). This is rather addictive as a side, for the toast was fried till crispy and had a succulent prawn sitting atop. It even came with this chili which was mildly spicy yet inducing a sweet-sour flavour, which made it even more appealing.I wanted a light meal that day, so I went with the Pulled Pork Rib Chinese Style Slider ($4.80++). The dish seemed like a replica of Kong Bak Pau, with a soft, fluffy bun encasing cabbage leaves and meat pulled from SIFU’s signature Pork Ribs. Marinated with honey, the Pork Ribs were savoury yet sweet; something which I just cannot get enough of.One of my dining partners went for the SIFU Signature Baked Chicken with Shrimp Dumpling Soup Noodles ($10.80++). This dish came with a choice of either Vermicelli or Hor Fun, which he picked the former. Soup base seemed to be similar to our local fish soup, and the baked chicken was succulent despite doused in soup. Shrimp Dumplings were well packed, and the shrimp used were also fresh.The SIFU Signature Baked Chicken with Shrimp Dumplings Dry Noodles ($10.80++) were another story though; the same ingredients but tossed dry with Hong Kong Egg Noodles and soup served at the side, my dining partner commented that it was a replica of Wanton Noodles, but the egg noodles were extremely rubbery and seemed undercooked, and even carried a heavy alkaline taste with it.Another dining partner went with the rice option, opting for Omelette Rice with Pork Chop ($10.80++). Despite it being a Hong Kong restaurant, this dish felt really Japanese as it came with runny eggs cooked in broth; similar to the style of Oyako Don. Pork Chop was however seemed to carry shrimp paste marinade; something we found a tad interesting.For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/07/22/sifu-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/