If there is one thing I can never resist, even when on a "diet", it would have to be deep fried food. Whether chicken wings or french fries, as long as its fried and crispy, I'm all over it. (unfortunately for my waistline and cholesterol level)

So when I'm in the mood for some deep fried comfort food, and also with some extra cash to spare, I like to enjoy Tonkatsu, which is fried breaded pork, and the best outlet in my opinion would have to be Tonkichi. After all, it specialises in Tonkatsu so it better be pretty damn good.

I went to the outlet at Shaw Tower, which is convenient if you plan to catch a movie at the newly renovated Shaw theatres beforehand. Upon the recommendation of the waiter, I tried a new set "Kasane Katsu Set" which was deep fried layered sliced pork loin with chef's special sauce and served with rice, chawanmushi, appetizer and miso soup. ($30) Of course, the highlight of the meal was the pork, which was fried to perfection, all crispy and hot. The best part would have to be the meat, which remained juicy and tender despite being deep fried. The fat within the meat also made the meat all the more sinful and delicious. The rest of the sides were average, typical of Japanese restaurants so the meat is always the thing that keeps me coming back for more! don't forget to dip the meat into the "special sauce" but it is still delicious on its own,

After Lauduree opened its first outlet in Singapore early this year, it seems like the island-craze for macarons has been reignited. As with every new food trend, Singaporeans seem to flock to get their hands on whatever the hot item of the moment is. At this moment, it seems to be the delicate french pastry, macarons!

A sweet meringue-based confection, macarons can usually be found in a multitude of flavours and colours, ranging from the traditional (chocolate) to the artisan (Yuzu Ginger, what?!). Made in eye-catching pastel colours, I find myself irresistibly drawn to macaron displays, even if I have no intention of getting any, to ogle at the pretty pastries.

So when my sister brought back a box of macarons from Canele, one of the more established pastry places in Singapore, I immediately got my greedy hands on it! All the pretty colors and delicious flavours! We had cookies and cream, hazelnut, strawberry, lemon and 2 chocolate ones because my sister is a chocoholic. Cookies and cream! This has to be hands-down the best flavour out of the bunch. Although its black (charred) appearance may be deceiving, this treat is definitely a must-try for all cookies and cream fans out there! The shell and filling complemented each other well and it was not too sweet also! While I did taste more cream than cookie, it was still delicious and I wish that they would bake them in bigger sizes because one is not enough! Hopefully they will come out with a giant sized one soon that's the size of a cheeseburger. That I would gladly sink my teeth into!

I would recommend Canele's macarons to all the sweet-tooths out there! However, priced at $2.30 each, it can be quite steep so purchase with care!

Food fads come and go, but the recent cupcake craze is one that I’m hoping will not just be a fad. With numerous cupcakes shops popping up here and there, one of the more established ones is “Twelve Cupcakes”, which was founded by local celebrity couple Daniel and Jaime Teo and has successfully expanded overseas to Indonesia, with more outlets in Malaysia and Taiwan in the works.

They carry a wide variety of cupcakes flavors, such as the usual fare of Peanut butter and Chocolate, Strawberry Vanilla and also more exotic flavors such as Salted caramel and Nutella. The flavor that I will be reviewing today is the “Red velvet” one which is both aesthetically pleasing with the adorable heart-shaped candy atop the cream cheese frosting and the deep red coloring of the cake. The cupcake base is moist yet light while the cream cheese frosting complements the cake as it is sweet enough to add more flavor but not too cloying as can be the case with some frostings. If only the market price was a little lower, I would be a much happier camper. But as of now, I’m satisfied with cupcakes from Twelvecupcakes and the fact that they are plenty of outlets around Singapore to fuel my cupcake craving. The hot pink box also helps to make happier carting them around.

The weather in Singapore has been unbearably hot recently and I have been pulling out all the stops in trying to beat the heat, from hiding out in air-conditioned areas to downing cold drinks by the dozen. Another trusty method would be enjoying iced desserts, from local delights such as Chendol and Ice Kacang, to more fancy options like Gelato ice cream. Thus, I decided to finally try Blackball, a taiwanese dessert chain that has landed on our shores.

They have an outlet at the relatively new Star Vista mall, which has a small seating area great to sit, eat and chill with friends. I tried the Blackball signature icy, which is featured as the "Best" on their website and retails for $4.90. It is easy to see why this is considered their signature treat since it's generously laden with various toppings such as golden sweet potato, yam balls, grass jelly and red bean just to name a few. It also comes with evaporated milk for you to pour over the dessert. While I loved the icy base which made the dessert such a treat to savour on a warm day, only the grass jelly and red beans impressed me as I felt that the rest of the toppings were much too starchy and I could hardly taste what they were supposed to be made from, such as the yam and sweet potato. The grass jelly though is a winner as it is probably the silkiest and smoothest grass jelly that I've ever eaten in my life! Thus, I doubt I will be repurchasing this treat as I did not like most of the toppings. That said, you can customize your own cup of blackball so I will definitely be back to try it out!

If you're in the mood for some delicious comfort food after catching a performance at the Esplanade, then My Humble House is the place for you. Under the Tung Lok group, My Humble House offers a variety of food, mainly typical asian fare such as Laksa and Zha Jiang Mian and some western dishes such as salad.

Although I usually order the Laksa, I decided to opt for the Claypot Beef Rice ($14) as I was feeling abit more peckish and also had some of the Rock and Roll salad ($14) to share.

While the Rock and Roll salad was delicious, especially the tangy Asian-style dressing which was light yet flavourful, the Beef rice failed to impress as it came in a much too small for its price portion and was nothing spectacular.

Menu:Ambiance: Cosy yet artistic feel of the place, in line with the concept of Esplanade as a place for the artsRock and roll salad ($14)The salad came with generous portions of chicken, caramelized walnuts, raisins and garden vegetables and drizzled with a tangy and light dressing that made it even more enjoyable. Highly recommend trying this although the price is pretty steep.

Claypot Beef Rice ($14)The rice set came with white rice topped with some coriander and fried shallots whilst the beef was braised in sauce. Although the toppings on the rice was a nice touch, the claypot beef came in a very small serving and did not impress in terms of flavor. Would not order this again.