Full Aria (Cafe) review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/06/aria-cafe.html

Opening its doors in May 2015, within the brand new Singapore University Of Technology And Design (SUTD) campus next to the Singapore Expo, Aria (Cafe), named after the Italian term for an expressive melody, is posed to be at the center of a creative pool of talent. Positioned as a place where art, music, a cheerful atmosphere, and affordable cafe food meet, Aria (Cafe) is a great place for relaxing.Ambience at Aria (Cafe) is eclectic. Vibrant, eye catching murals / paintings by Singaporean graffiti artist Ceno2 adorn the walls and floor. A mix of furniture abounds, wide functional wooden benches, colourful modern plastic chairs, plush comfortable easy chairs, and reclining sofas. Natural lighting mixes with ambient decorative lighting fixtures. A foosballs table / table soccer stands at the play area, along with a large screen television, and colourful bean bags. A live band stage has space for performances. Overall, a fantastic ambience, perfect for relaxing.Service at Aria (Cafe) is outstanding. The primarily Malay and Chinese (all Singaporean) staff here are friendly and chill, and will go around and speak to diners, as well as enquire for feedback on your experience here. You can even engage the pastry chef or baristas in conversation! Rather efficient, staff will also clear / turnover empty / dirty tables quickly. Food is also served quite fast, within less than 10 minutes. Staff are knowledgable enough to make recommendations, and are quite clear about ingredients that comprise the food or desserts. Overall pleasant, engaging service here, the kind that makes you want to come back.Food at Aria (Cafe) is modern Western, with Southeast Asian influences. A fusion of American, Italian, Thai, and Malay cuisine, the menu here is extensive enough for repeat visits. All ingredients used to make the food and desserts here are halal, and the kitchen is staffed by Malay / Muslim staff, however, Aria (Cafe) is not halal certified, because the owners want to serve beer and wine on the premises. Dishes are designed for students, meaning large, substantial portions, at very affordable prices. Budget about SGD $19 per person for a 2-course meal (main course, drink, appetizer or dessert) here.Loved the Bonfire Hot Chocolate (SGD $5)! Italian dark chocolate is used, and while the texture is a little thinner than I like, the flavour is pretty good. What causes this to stand out are the torched marshmallows and chocolate powder garnish, the gooey marshmallows are comforting yet decadent, like a big warm hug! Highly recommended!The coffee here, including the Cappucino (SGD $3.50) and Latte (SGD $3.50), is strong and robust, with good flavour. I understand the coffee beans used here are sourced from a Singaporean roaster! Portion is typical cafe size mugs, but the price is almost half of what you'll pay elsewhere! In fact, this is probably among the cheapest gourmet coffee you'll get in Singapore! Highly recommended!The Coconut Cake (SGD $5.90) is very good! A soft, moist vanilla sponge cake encases tender coconut meat, with a fragrant, light pandan / screwpine leaf cream on top. Coated with coconut flakes which lend texture, the cake has a nice sweetness, with the floral, nutty essence of coconut taking the center stage. Highly recommended!

Full JWHotdog review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/06/jwhotdog.html

JWHotdog is a small kiosk in the basement of 313@Somerset mall, selling grilled to order, American style hot dogs and sausages. Opened in October 2014, the menu at JWHotdog may be limited, but at least you're assured of getting a decent snack / takeaway meal!As a mostly takeaway kiosk, JWHotdog does not have any dine-in seats. They do offer a counter for standing to consume food, and there are shared seats nearby. The big red and yellow truck facade is visually striking, and allows JWHotdog to attract attention from afar. I also like that you can watch staff grill your order with their open kitchen concept.

I find staff to be friendly and proactive, greeting you when you approach the JWHotdog counter. They're able to offer recommendations and advice on customising your hotdog or meal, and are quick are fulfilling orders. There is usually a short waiting time of about 7 - 10 minutes for your order, as JWHotdog prepares each order fresh, totally worth waiting!

As befits its name, JWHotdog specialises in American style hotdogs, and grilled sausages. Their hotdog bun has a soft texture, not too thick and tears off easily, yet still able to hold the sausage, toppings, and condiments well. They offer a choice of 3 good quality sausages; spicy chicken, cheesy pork, or roast beef; and a choice of up to 11 different toppings. Portions are nicely sized for 1 person, and will make you full. The hotdogs / sausages are large, meaty, and juicy, with snappy casings. Prices are comparable to elsewhere, budget about SGD $7 per person.

Full Yogiyo Chicken review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/05/yogiyo-chicken.html

Yogiyo Chicken, located at the basement of MyVillage mall in Serangoon Gardens, opened for business in November 2014. Run by a Korean lady boss, Yogiyo Chicken naturally specialises in Korean sauced fried chicken, along with offering a small selection of Korean noodle and rice dishes. Yogiyo Chicken is actually a popular franchise from the Hongdae district, in Seoul, South Korea, and the owner actually trained there before opening her 1st outlet in Singapore.

Ambience at Yogiyo Chicken is totally open concept. The open nature of the store makes the layout seem much more spacious than it really is, though seating is limited. But at least the tables are large and spacious, and thumbs up for the idea to plaster the tabletops with their menu! Chairs are functional, but not very comfortable, but the bright lighting around Yogiyo Chicken adds to the welcoming atmosphere.Service at Yogiyo Chicken is completely self-service. Ordering, payment, and collection of orders is done over the counter, but at least the staff and owner, are friendly. They're able to make recommendations, and advise on the food. As they prepared each order from scratch, there is normally a 5 - 10 minute waiting time, but at least the food is piping hot. But due to the limited manpower, dirty tables normally aren't cleared quickly, I recommend clearing your own tables for the convenience of others.

Food at Yogiyo Chicken is all about Korean fried chicken, with some rice and noodle options. The menu is limited and small, but at least they offer 5 different styles / sauces for their chicken; crispy, sweet, sweet soy, hot soy, and fire hot. While portions are rather small, I like that the food is freshly prepared and hot. The chicken batter is light, not too greasy, and wonderfully crisp, even after being glazed with sauce! Prices at Yogiyo Chicken are the equivalent of fast food prices, budget about SGD $10 per person for a meal here.

Full PoTeaTo review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/04/poteato.html

Surrounded as it is by much more famous cafes, I'm actually rather surprised that PoTeaTo has lasted till now. First opened in August 2012, PoTeaTo is a privately run cafe, not operated under a group like the other cafes nearby, and as it's name suggests, specialises in potatoes and tea.

Ambience at PoTeaTo is rustic urban, with red brick and concrete walls flanking the interior, small tight spaces where wooden tables are laid out, and minimal decor. Yet, the place exudes a cozy, relaxing vibe, as evident by diners who linger over conversation and cups of tea here.

Service at PoTeaTo is largely self-service, with ordering and payment over the counter, though staff will serve orders to your table. I do commend them for being rather quick and efficient at clearing away tables, as well as being able to offer recommendations from the menu. However, there is very little other interaction with staff here.

Food at PoTeaTo is mainly Western style, with a focus on sandwiches, potatoes, and tea. I generally find the taste of dishes here to be hit or miss, mostly ranging from below average, to average at best. Sadly, there's nothing terribly exciting about the food options. Portion sizes are decent, and prices are comparable to most other cafes, budget about SGD $18 per person for a meal here.

The Sweet Potato Fries (SGD $7) here are very good! Thick cut and warm, you can taste the natural sweetness in the orange strips of sweet potato, with a lightness to the texture. Sprinkle a little salt and cracked black pepper, and it's good enough to eat on its own!The Party Platter (SGD $18) is a decadent plate of fried stuff, but a combination of hit and miss. Of the items here, the Popcorn Chicken stood out for its crisp yet meaty chunks, with a nice savoury flavour. The Home Made Fish Balls were quite good, you can see it's tightly packed, and the flavour is akin to a Thai fish cake, some slight heat and good use of spices. The Potato Wedges were average, simply deep fried using the frozen version you can get in a supermarket, and the Spicy Mid-Wings were overseasoned and salty.

Full Penny University review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/03/penny-university.html

Since opening its doors in November 2012, Penny University has established itself as a hip, vibrant coffee joint in East Singapore. Founder Mustafah Kamal styled Penny University after the 18th century English coffeehouses of old, a place where good, affordable coffee was served, along with the latest news and gossip of the town. While other coffee joints have since sprouted in the area, Penny University has held its own all these years, and is still going strong.Ambience at Penny University has a rustic, eclectic charm. Heavy wooden furniture lines the small floor space, while the decor is decidely retro industrial chic. Items from years past stacked upon shelves, dim designer light bulbs cast a warming glow. Seats are sturdy but hard. True to form, the place is vibrant and buzzing. I had the unfortunate experience of sitting at the bar, which is poorly designed, with little leg room, and rather cramped space, blocking the main passageway.

Service at Penny University is semi self-service, where ordering and payment is done over the counter. This causes queues to form at the cashier, which also blocks the main passageway in the cramped floor space. Orders are served to your table, but staff don't seem too friendly. They do however, try to accomodate requests, and are able to make recommendations on pastries and desserts.

Food at Penny University is a mix of Western and Middle Eastern influence. You're assured of getting pretty good pastries, cakes, desserts, and coffee at Penny University, as these are outsourced items, made by reputable brands. Food in the form of mains are another matter though, decent, not terrible, but not outstanding either, and ultimately, rather forgettable. Portions are nicely sized for 1, and prices are affordable, on the lower range for a cafe, budget about SGD $15 per person for a meal here. Overall, my experience here was semi-decent, but I doubt that I'll return.

Loved their Spiked Muddy (SGD $6.50) which features their excellent muddy espresso with cold milk and gula melaka / palm sugar, served in a jar. You'll need to spin it around to mix it before drinking. The coffee is suitably strong and smooth, with a slight sweetness that isn't overpowering.The Turkish Eggs (SGD $8.60) are 2 poached eggs served in a bowl, topped with lightly whipped greek yoghurt, home made spicy Moroccan harissa sauce, and oregano leaves. It's served alongside several pieces of toasted sourdough bread. I find this poor value for money, as the bread portion is too little, and of the 2 poached eggs, I got one that was perfect, while the other was semi-solid. Overall, a very light dish, decent enough, but I wish there was more bread to go with this.