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/

With so many new openings in the cafe scenes lately, it is really interesting to see new entrants such as LJJ Cafe stepping into the competition with a old-school concept while trying to serve a hipster crowd. Probably it’s location spurred such a move, since Circuit Road is an aging estate with an elderly population which makes it necessary to attract the crowd. Menu items revolved around old-school favourites; Kaya Toast, Soup Noodles, Mee Siam and even Ice-Cream in Bread are some of the items that would transport one back to the old days. And while cafés serve Flat White and Long Black these days, expect your familiar cup of Kopi O here.One of the more modern items on the breakfast menu would be the Scrambled Eggs set ($4.80 with Kopi/Teh), where there is a choice of either sausages or ham served alongside Butter Toast with scrambled eggs. The scrambled eggs are runny enough, but could do with a bit of seasoning, while the sausages are tender but a wee bit too salty. We appreciated that the bread used for the toast were actual slices of bread, not the biscuit-like ones we usually get from commercial joints now, which is why its still soft and pillowy despite crusted on the surface. A breakfast that could be replicated at home, but it’s pretty comforting somehow.Cream Cake Set ($3.20 with Kopi/Teh) comes with a choice of two cream cakes and a drink; a decent option when it comes to a tea time treat. The Cream Cakes are somewhat small in size; about half of what you usually would get in neighbourhood bakeries. Both flavours suffered the same issues; tasted a tad artificial, usage of fresh cream instead of buttercream hence lacking on nostalgic flavour and felt quite dry especially at the edges.Coffee is acceptable; both the Kopi and Kopi O were thick enough with adequate sweetness.For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/12/15/ljj-cafe-%E6%A2%81%E4%BD%B3%E5%90%89-blk-77-circuit-road/

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/

Awfully Chocolate had recently given Sinpopo Brand a revamp. From the 1950s theme, they had decided to take on a contemporary approach, serving modern-local cuisine. Much of the previous menu is no longer served, and replaced with new items. Certain items such as the Har Jeong Kai Chicken/Burger are existing items in the menu of their other dining concepts (e.g EwF by Everything with Fries). Prices have gone up by quite a fair bit though; familiar items are about twice the old price now.For a side, we decided to get the Ma Ling Luncheon Crisps ($6). Initially we almost ordered another side, since it sounded very much like typical luncheon meat fries. Wrong; they seemed to be crushed and mashed before deep-frying, thus crispy even though it retains the salty flavour of cured meat.My obsession of Kong Bak Pau eventually led to us ordering the Crispy Pork Belly Sandwich ($16). Deep-fried buns with crispy pork belly strips, wasabi mayonnaise and salsa, every bite comes crisp with the fried pork belly slices and golden-brown fried bun, as well as the refreshing crunch of salsa and a tinge of numbness of the wasabi mayo. This also came with a side of Rojak; pretty decent with its savoury-sweet flavours.We were initially intrigued with the Orange Kaya Pisang Creme Brûlée, but ended up with the Chilled Pandan Soufflé ($9) which seemed a tad more exciting. Glad to have ordered it though; according to the menu it was Pandan set in a “cottony soufflé served with almond streusel and sesame dentelle”. In all honesty, the Pandan soufflé had a consistency pretty near to a chewy ice-cream, and tasted very coconut-y. It also went very well with the salted crumbles, which added a crunch. For me, I loved the Pandan Soufflé, but the sesame dentelle caught more of my attention as it tasted really nostalgic, especially with the fragrance of sesame running through, replicating sesame cookies. The almond streusel did not work well for me though; it was a bit bland and did not seem to go with the other items on the plate.For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/10/21/sinpopo-brand-joo-chiat-road-2/