Everton Park had seen its fair share of cafe invasions ever since the first one opened its doors; now it is also home to newly-opened ice-cream parlour, Seriously Ice Cream, which was recently featured in various channels such as 8 Days Eat app and recently got filmed for their ice-cream making process in Channel NewsAsia according to their Facebook Page. Being an ice-cream parlour, it serves ice-cream in cups or with waffles. Apart from ice-cream, there is also a savoury waffle on the menu, as well as coffee and a couple of bakes such as brownies and apple crumble.Malibu Pineapple ($4.30) was probably one of the more decent flavours that I have tried from the display freezer. The alcoholic-infusion made this flavour felt rather dreamy, and that the pineapple was able to induce a sweet-sour zest into the ice-cream. We were not really sure if it was made to be this way, but the ice-cream here seemed to be of a ice slush consistency that may not appeal to some.Honey Rosemary ($3.50) is one of those flavours that they serve that seemed a bit unconventional. Rosemary is often seen as a spice that is used in marination of meat to enhance the meat’s flavour. Its incorporation into an ice-cream flavour tricks the tastebuds, as it is a taste profile that is rarely detected in cold desserts. The honey used seemed pretty natural as it came without tasting too artificial, nor was there any cloying sweetness. Due to the fact that the ice-cream here had a ice slush consistency and that this flavour takes two unconventional ingredients that is often not associated together, it seems more of an acquired taste that not all would be able to appreciate.For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/08/06/seriously-ice-cream-blk-4-everton-park/

Shaw Lido had been coming alive in the F&B scene of the late, as the mall recently found itself revamped and Food Republic moving in with a number of notable names in the local F&B scene operating the stalls there, such as Sumire Yakitori House and Kimchi Express. Little Hanoi is right at the corner beside Sumire Yakitori House. As the name suggests, it serves Vietnamese fare, with several Pho and Bahn Mi dishes on the menu. Prices at Little Hanoi also seems slightly lower than at the neighbouring stalls as well, which makes it a rather attractive option for lunch.Fresh Spring Roll ($4.90) are a must for me at any Vietnamese stall. Little Hanoi’s rendition came wrapped with fresh prawns, vermicelli, carrots and some other vegetables. In terms of freshness, I found it of rather reasonable quality, though I have had better ones from individually-run Vietnamese eateries. I loved how the dipping sauce came default without peanuts; now I can finally add some sweet-sour spiciness to the simple tasting spring rolls!If anything, I found their Bahn Mi ($5.90) having a unnecessary amount of ketchup over the vegetables as it seemed to cover off the freshness of the ingredients. Despite so, the Pork Belly was tasty and savoury, with ample amount of fats to chew and the bread was toasty as it was crisp but not too hard. Their Bahn Mi are assembled and heated to order, which somehow explains the quality of it.Its rare to find food stalls in food courts also dealing with beverages, so I decided to give their Viet Coffee ($2.90) a go. Condensed Milk came with a surprise as it was not stated so in the menu, but the Viet Coffee was a tad uninspiring as it came without the usual flowery accents in Vietnamese Drip Coffee, and ended up feeling no different from a cup of Kopi except being freshly-brewed.For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/07/29/little-hanoi-food-opera-shaw-house/

One of the new openings in July, Bodacious Bar & Bistro gives the office workers of Biopolis yet another choice to dine at within the already eatery-filled region. Bodacious Bar & Bistro is a new dining concept that is being operated by the same guys behind Long Black Cafe that apparently is just situated right across the road. While Long Black Cafe serves rather simple fare, Bodacious Bar & Bistro attempts to be more upbeat with its menu, serving all-day brunch and popular desserts, as well as mains if one prefers something more savoury and filling.Apparently both my dining partner and I were not too hungry since we both coincidentally ate before we met, so we ordered the Stuffed French Toast ($13.80) in the all-day brunch menu as a sweet post-meal treat. A pan-fried toast soaked in egg batter, we felt that the savoury bread was not soaked with enough batter as the white bread got exposed halfway through, though the stewed apples were lightly sweet but enough to pull through. For those who prefer a sweeter touch, drizzle the toast with the maple syrup available at the side. The berries that came along were rather fresh as well.Spanish Fritters ($8.80) are Churros; a dish that I had already decided to order when I glanced through the menu. These were no-nonsense, coming in nothing but cinnamon sugar; no fancy dips or chocolate sauce. Generous in its serving, we got ourselves filled with the Churros, which were crispy sprinkled in lots of spiced sweetness; something I cannot get enough of!Tried asking for the blends they used here, but the service staff seemed clueless at the beginning and then replied that only the boss knows and never came back with an answer. Whatever it was, the Flat White ($4.20) was bright, cheery and acidic for its body, though it was also roasty as well. Would say its actually rather good.For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/07/11/bodacious-bar-bistro-biopolis-drive/

One of the cafes that opened to much hype surrounding it is Tian Kee & Co; a conversion of a 54 year-old provision shop situated in an iconic neighbourhood built in 1958 by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) into a cafe.Stepping into the neighbourhood, it’s not hard to understand why Tian Kee & Co had been gaining all that attention even before its opening. Being one of the rare cafes that is being situated in such a historic estate, it not only exudes a old-school charm, but its largely quiet and barren surroundings provides a real escape from the hustle and bustle away at the main road. The nostalgia runs all the way deep into its facade and interior; that 54 year-old signboard, the old-school tables and the kiddie ride outside the cafe all brings back memories of the yesteryear. The menu offerings however differs; despite having some simple fare thats somewhat nostalgic such as muffins and cream puffs, they have also incorporated modern items such as flavoured cheesecake and artisan coffee into their menu as well.Being a cheesecake junkie, I have had many variants of cheesecake from the humble New York ones to Matcha ones, but this is the first time I had came across a Yuan Yang Cheesecake ($6.50). Tian Kee & Co has their cheesecakes supplied from online bakery Cat And The Fiddle. Yuan Yang is a beverage that contains a mixture of both coffee and tea. To incorporate Yuan Yang into their cheesecake, the top layer was a coffee flavoured jello which was light in its aroma that it was enough to taste but not too intrusive to the cheesecake. The cheese layer sits in thr middle, smooth and velvety while the bottom lies the Milk Tea layer, a mousse that tasted quite the part. While the cheese layer still took most of the taste, the light flavours of the Yuan Yang made this cheesecake a rather interesting combination.Being a huge fan of nostalgia, we also ordered a few cream puffs ($1.50 each) to pair up with their coffee. The spongey puffs were well-filled with cream, which bursts through witht the first bite. Cream was fresh, and carried a slight taste of butter that might seem a bit weak at first, but definitely less sickening to finish off after a few bites.Coffee came in these white cups and saucers with gold lining arounds them, all of which just screams old-school, but its not good ol’ Nanyang Coffee that is served here, but a three-origin blend from Dutch Colony Coffee. The Flat White ($5) was fruity and moderately acidic; a great Saturday perk-me-up.For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/06/24/tian-kee-co-blk-12-dakota-crescent/

Belonging to the sudden boom of cafes that started to open at Bukit Merah Central in late 2013, it is also within walking distance from Butterscotch and Pan Delights. The menu here is pretty much dessert-centric, focusing more on cakes and other forms of sweet treats though also offers sandwiches for something savoury as well.Their Rainbow Cake ($5.80) had been a popular item of theirs, which sparked the non-rainbow cake lover in me to give it a go. Having heard of how Rainbow Cake are usually sweet and sugary, the one here gave me a slight different impression. Each layer carries a different flavour, which had several layers creating a light sweet flavour while some giving a rather tart flavour. The cake also has a moist consistency which was delightful to have as it came off the fork easily.Apple Caramel Pancake ($12.80) is one of their plated dessert offerings. We loved how the caramel for this dish was drizzled atop instead of being all over the pan; this ensured that the dish was not overwhelmingly sweet. The soft apples were fresh, and the Vanilla ice-cream was smooth though slightly flat in flavour. Sitting atop that cake-like pancake, it was a warm desert comforting for a rainy day.For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/07/08/the-bakery-chef-blk-161-bukit-merah-central/