Being the latest of the lot to open in Biopolis, it is also one with the most hipster vibe; industrial designs and even an iPod on top of speakers. This is pretty unusual as cafes in this district usually carries a more mature and classy vibe to attract the office crowds. Even though running in its test kitchen state, the menu generally has quite a variety that spreads from brunch to dinner. A pity sides like Truffle Fries are not available in the afternoon though …Having stayed away from brunch items for quite some time, I went for the only one on the menu; Eggs on Toast ($9.00) with an additional side of Smoked Salmon (+$5.00). This comes with an option of eggs coming in scrambled, overeasy or sunny (no poached though) and sourdough or ciabatta, and sides such as mesculun salad and bacon. We opted for scrambled eggs, and it was creamy and runny with a hint of pepper sprinkled above it. The strips of bacon were slightly stiff and hard to chew, and it reminded us of bak kwa a fair bit. The ciabatta toast were smothered with unsalted butter, and works rather well with a dab of scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, though could work better toasted. The mesculun salad was interesting; while it tasted similar to Vinegarette dressing initially, it turns slightly sweeter after each time and catches on our tastebuds after time.On the contrary, the Cod Fish & Chips ($18.00) were slightly disappointing. Small granules of salt can be seen all over the fries and surprisingly, the fried fish and that seemed to be the only item flavouring the dish. Fries were great; crispy and fluffy with enough salt. The problem came from the cod fillet used; rubbery, stiff and bland. Kudos to the coleslaw however, fresh and cold just the way I preferred.Three types of coffee are served here; Black (Long Black), White (Flat White) and Chocolate-based (Mocha). They use blends from Yahava Koffeeworks, which ensured that earthiness coupling with the creaminess in the White ($4.50). We were also glad that someone finally bothered to serve us a latte art that was something apart from the Tulip, Heart and Rosetta that we were getting one time too many.

Being in its test kitchen phase, there are bound for things to be improved on in their food, which can be further polished. We were quite glad that the service was prompt, and the owner was rather apologetic about the Cod Fish & Chips when feedback upon. They did offer to waive it off the bill or replace it with another item but we were feeling so bad about it so we insisted to pay for it; another great service recovery. With such positive attitude and the willingness to improve, Curbside Coffee & Wine Bar is somewhere we would see shining in the future!

For the full review and more photos, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/04/19/curbside-cafe-wine-bar-nucleos-biopolis/

The name "Brew Maison" seemed to drop hints that it is in fact Japanese-themed, but one of the staff said that the owner wanted it to be a more Korean-inspired joint. It is also interesting to note that despite it looking very much commercial with the likes of Costa Coffee or St Marc’s, it is actually an independently-owned cafe. The white faux-bricked interior and nature-inspired theme easily puts one into a sanctuary-like environment; definitely soothing for a cafe.Since I had a dinner coming up, I thought it would be good if I stuck to a single cake. The Brownie had walnuts in them, and while it is definitely chocolatey, it fell into the pitfall of being a wee bit too dry. It was also crumbly, with bits of it disintegrated as soon as it was served.To go along with the Brownie, I went with the Latte. It was aromatic with a medium body and was milky and creamy. Quite a decent cuppa for a place that is not of much western influence.For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/brew-maison-alocassia-apartments/

Opened in the quiet neighbourhood of Telok Blangah Drive at the block right beside The Marshmallow Tree is The Cereal Pantry, a new cereal bar which is a concept that is rather new in Singapore. The menu here contains Cereals, Dry Toppings, Fresh Fruits and Milk/Yoghurt, which one can choose from to mix-and-match for their cereal. Coffee, Sodas and Ronnefield Teas are available to pair up with the cereal.For our cereal bowl ($6.65), we chose the Honey Crunch Corn Flakes and Cinnamon Toast Crunch with Honey Drizzle as a dry topping, Banana and Yoghurt. It felt like a classic combination that could never go wrong; light cinnamon flavours with that unforgettable taste of cornflakes with a hint of sweetness from the honey, ending off with a sour touch by the Aloe Vera Yoghurt they have. Honestly, something that one could easily prepare at home if they have all the ingredients, but I must say that the glass bowl definitely made everything look gorgeous.Coffee is not their strongest point, as demonstrated by the Latte Macchiato ($3.80) which smelt great but felt short on taste being rather flat. Best to go elsewhere for their cuppa.

For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/03/29/the-cereal-pantry-blk-45-telok-blangah-drive/

While walking around Hougang Mall, we noticed a new Chinese restaurant that was situated in between Pizza Hut and Ichiban Sushi that sells both dim sum and tze char, so we decided to give it a try.While most Chinese restaurants serve peanuts as appetisers, Fried Yam Sticks ($2.00++) are served here. It was a refreshing change from the usual peanuts we get as starters. We loved the crispy batter, which seems to be lightly salted. A pity this was served rather cold, suggesting that it was set aside for quite a while being served or it would have been an addicting savoury treat.The Deep Fried Prawn Balls in Salted Egg Yolk ($20.00++) smelt pretty fragrant as it arrived, and while it was savoury from the salted egg yolk, the prawns felt soggy with the liquid-soaked batter which affected the quality even though they were fresh.While we were expecting a spicy kick with the Sambal Kangkong ($8.80++), it started off tame with oyster sauce. There were small chili hidden near the bottom of the kangkong, which made it seemed a bit imbalanced in taste as it was missing of spiciness on the top, yet overwhelmingly spicy at the bottom.
Stewed Tofu in Claypot ($12.80++) contained much goodies, including yam sticks and even roasted pork. Despite being so, the stew even though adequately thick was lacking in flavour. The result was a boring and forgettable taste that was barely memorable, although still pretty decent to eat.

For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/02/22/yu-zhen-xiao-chu-%E7%8E%89%E7%8F%8D%E5%B0%8F%E5%8E%A8-hougang-mall/

Happy3 Bites Cafe is the newest kid on the block in the heavily gen-trified Everton Park area, which is already occupied by several cafes such as Batterworks, Just Want Coffee and Audacious Cakery just to name a few. Unlike the other cafes within the neighbourhood, Happy3 Bites Cafe takes a different approach to their business; by being an NEA-approved pet cafe. That means that pet owners are allowed to bring their pets and spend quality time together; a smart move as the cafe is just located a few spaces away from a veterinary.We were filling full when we visited, so we decided to skip the mains and order the appetizers. The Portobello with Asparagus ($5.90) came with three sautéed Portobellos, asparagus and garden salad. The Portobellos had a hint of garlic amongst other condiments, which was bursting with flavour and juicy. The asparagus was a good compliment to the mushrooms which were light and refreshing, and the cherry tomatoes were soft and not too sour.There were two choices of waffles available; we got the Chocolate Chip Banana Waffles ($8.90). A standard waffle with a pandan batter, it reminded us of a waffle from neighbourhood bakeries, though the chocolate chips and chocolate ice-cream were a bit too overpowering for the batter. It would also help if the bananas were caramalised to enhance the flavour of the dish.Coffee here is by Nescafe Milano. I had the Americano ($3.00) which was aromatic but felt somewhat watered down.

For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/02/09/happy3-bites-cafe-everton-park/