Just as the name suggests, it's definitely the place for you if you're a fan of garlic dishes. I have always been intrigued by the menu as to the number of dishes they can whip up based on garlic itself. On an impulse since none of us could decide on where to eat, we settled on this with some recommendations.

Entering at about 6ish in the evening, we were pretty surprised to find the place fully booked except for the open space area. It seemed pretty popular especially given that other dining areas along the Clarke Quay stretch was just empty at that time. A fanciful name, and I'd thought it came in loaves. Pretty ordinary garlic baguette but it was done quite well. Warm and soft flesh with a slight crisp to its skin, it was toasted just right and I liked that the crust wasn't too hard that left your jaws working too hard. The top was spread with an overly generous amount of garlic though, and it was a tad weird for us tasting such sweet garlic. The taste of garlic was a little too overwhelming for me, that it was a bit stinging on my my tongue. Perhaps a starter to kick-start our tastebuds on our garlic-y journey! Though well-toasted, I thought it was still quite pricey for a simple baguette garlic toast.I used to think that the white shreds were the garlic bits hence its name, but it was served without and only then I realised that those were the cheese shavings. The garlic portions were in fact, the golden fried slices sprinkled all over. I'm not a fan of garlic, but this tasted surprisingly good. The golden garlic flakes tasted like chips, and it was well complemented with a thin pizza crust that was moist enough to have a tad of a chewy texture, yet toasted to a slight crisp. The shrimps were the crunchy sort, which isn't my favourite type as it didn't have the sweetness of seafood, but it still made do with the dish. The pineapple dices then helped to round off the taste with the sweet juicy cubes, making the pizza well complemented.This seemed a bit odd to us, with too much sauce and the slight off-coloured pasta. It seemed a little like the Chinese E-fu noodles in my opinion. Nothing very fanciful about it, except for the generous amount of clams and squid that came with it. The sauce tasted nothing like white wine and it was a tad too watery that the pasta wasn't able to absorb much of its flavour. A pretty ordinary dish that I probably wouldn't pay that much for. Upon ordering this, the waiter kept asking us if we were sure of our order as it had a double chilli sign beside the dish on its menu. We were so game that we confirmed immediately. When it came, I was glad to see the garlic chips on top again and moist pearly rice grains. After a few mouthfuls of it, I came to understand why the waiter had to double confirm with us on our order. The spiciness set in after a while and it basically numbed my tastebuds that I couldn't really make out the other dishes anymore. Thankfully this came last so I could still enjoy my previous dishes. Overpowering on the spiciness level, chilli lovers would enjoy this and the shiok-ness it brought! I can't comment much though since it was too much for me.

I ain't a fan of garlic but i think this was pretty alright dining place. The pizza for one, sat well with me though I think most of the others were overpriced. Best to have the dishes shared like what we did, so you won't suffer from any 'jelat-ness' after eating. Also, keep a pack of mints handy after meal!

With generous servings and a student-friendly environment, it was no surprise that Burger Shack is a magnet for students studying around the Bukit Timah area. Owned by the chain of Island Creamery that most are familiar with, Burger Shack exudes the same charm, attracting students and youths with its chill and cosy ambience.A rather dull dish as it had too much tomato content in its sauce, making it too sweet. The spaghetti was also a lil' overcooked, missing out on the chewy bouncy texture. The meatballs had a slightly stronger beef taste to it, and I personally didn't really like the sharp taste and smell of it.Fresh calamari that was fried to a perfect golden crispy brown! I like the fresh tender calamari used and there was a crunch to every bite. Perhaps it's just me being a super calamari fan, anything that's fresh appeals to me. A slightly better QC would help though, as there were some really huge pieces clumped together and had thick batter that covered the taste of squid rings.The serving of this shocked us as we'd expected it to serve as our sides, given that we were eating at around 3pm. It was a huge bowl, bigger than the spaghetti, but awesome for sharing! Just that we didn't expect such huge servings and over-ordered (again). The shoestring fries had special seasoning that brought out the savory bits and were fried just right, with no soggy fries at all! Coupled with the cheese sauce, it was a great blend of flavours. The beef bits, however, gave a slight 'mexican' taste to it, perhaps it was seasoned with jalepenos to give that twist of flavour.Same as the one you can find at Island Creamery, the secret to great brownies is probably serving it warm. I like how the brownie doesn't have overpowering chocolate taste (chocoholics might disagree with me) yet brought up the slight sweetness of chocolates and wasn't too sticky. The nuts added into the brownie also added to the varied texture of the brownie, giving it a homemade touch. The berry icecream, however, was quite disappointing as it had many icy bits to it, and wasn't smooth icecream. It felt like it had probably been placed in the fridge for a prolonged period of time.Overall, it was a good experience and I would love to re-visit and try their burgers! After all, they're supposed to be known for their burgers. The food isn't exactly spectacular, but taking into consideration its ambience, some hits, and the affordability (given the huge servings), it is worth a visit. It's a really nice place for chillin' out and I can imagine it as one of my favourite haunts if I were still a student!

Check out our review at http://makeyourcaloriescount.blogspot.sg/2012/04/sg-burger-shack.html

For full review and pictures, please visit http://makeyourcaloriescount.blogspot.sg/2013/02/sg-riders-cafe.html.

Hidden behind serene corner of Bukit Timah, this was quite the perfect place to chill over lazy weekend brunches and a relaxing conversation. An excellent spot especially for those who drive, it's a pretty long stretch in before you finally spot the cafe. Tea Scones ($9)
Apparently they have limited quantity of scones for each day, so be sure to order it fast should your cravings strike. It was served warm with a nice crumbly crust to it. I would have liked it more buttery and with the insides just as crumbly. It passed as an average scone to me, good to satisfy any urgent cravings but probably not the best I've tried so far.Pacific Benedict ($16)
with Swimmer crab, spinach and shrimp hollandaise

A seafood lover and eggs ben fan, this was an absolute must-try for me when I first saw it on the menu. It caught my eyes immediately with its description and it didn't disappoint me with the generous amount of fresh crab meat that came in chunks hidden underneath the hollandaise sauce. This definitely passed the eggs benny test, with perfect runny yolk that happened too fast for me to capture it on tape.

I felt that the shrimp taste in the hollandaise sauce was a tad overpowering though, masking the taste of the natural crab meat sweetness. It was too fishy in my opinion, when everything was combined together. Next time visiting, I would probably try asking for a change to the normal hollandaise sauce just to have a taste of the blend. Also, what would have added a more delightful touch to it would be a more toasted bread to add to that extra crunch amidst the runny eggs and sauce!

Nonetheless, this was a satisfying dish for me, with a very refreshing twist to the usual eggs benedict that I've tried. Death by Chocolate Cake ($12)

What an apt name for the dessert, we really felt the effects setting in by the time we finished about half the cake. With hot fudge drizzled generously over the slice of chocolate cake, topped with vanilla ice cream, it was heavenly at first bite. And soon, the chocolate got into our system and numbed our taste buds, giving the extremely 'jelat' feeling. By the time we gave up, we were probably getting into a food-a-tose, with a bloating belly and satisfied stomach.

The 3 of us found it a little difficult finishing (after an eggs meal each and a scone), so it might probably be perfect sharing item for 4 persons.

A small casual dining area behind Func Deko at Far East Plaza, this is another one of those hidden finds. I was quite surprised to spot queues at this 'ulu' corner and thankfully for reservations, we managed to get our seats right upon reaching.Sirloin Steak ($14.90, 100gm)

Thinly sliced and cooked to medium rare just as how I typically like my steak to be, this was quite an appetising dish. The steak was tender enough and it actually went very well with the fish roe and the sauces they gave. It was however, a little too chewy for my liking, and I thought it was quite pricey for such a small dish!
Nom Factor: 7.0/10Ebi Fry Temaki ($3.90)

An above average dish of ebi maki that has got a crunchy ebi breaded in a thin layer, wrapped in a maki together with fish roe. I loved the textures presented and that the ebi was of a pretty decent freshness. It retained the natural sweetness of prawns and had a slight bounce to it. The seaweed wrap was a little too sticky though, and I would have preferred it with less rice to it.
Nom Factor: 7.5/10Soft Shell Crab Salmon Aburi Roll ($15.90)

This was an uncanny resemblance to the Crappy Maki I've tried at Koh Grill & Sushi Bar. I'm not a fan of raw sashimi, but I must say this aburi (partly grilled and partly raw) salmon was done really well! The salmon was sliced to the right thickness such that after grilling, it was just a thin layer of raw portion and I liked the balance of it. The one at Koh was slightly too raw for my liking due to the thicker slab of swordfish belly used.

As for the maki itself, I like the textures of soft avocado with the crispy soft shell crab combined. However, I felt that the portion of soft shell crab was too small and it didn't feel like the star of the dish. There was slightly too much rice as well, and well having tried the Crappy Maki, I was pretty sold on having fish roe to go along with the dish.
Nom Factor: 7.5/10Wafu Spaghetti ($10.90)

It definitely didn't look appetising with the lacklustre colour, and seeing how creamy it was kinda turned me off initially as I thought it'd be a 'jelat' dish. Much to my surprise as I took on the first mouthful, it was a rich and smooth base with angel hair pasta and a slight crunch after mixing in the fish roe. It was quite an interesting combination but I probably wouldn't be able to enjoy it on my own with such strong flavours. I reckon that it probably wouldn't taste as good if it were to be used with the usual spaghetti or linguine pasta. Great choice of angel hair so it won't get too 'jelat' and of course, best to be a shared dish!
Nom Factor: 7.0/10

It was kinda hard for me not to compare it with Koh Grill & Sushi Bar after having tried it recently and some similar dishes. Overall, I felt that this was just an alright place and probably not worth it given the pretty steep prices. There wasn't really a signature must-try dish that was worth the queue and most of it was just average. Service, though, was excellent and the service crew was extremely attentive which helped make our dining experience a whole lot better. Not a place to go specially for sushi, but probably good for satisfying some cravings.
Overall Nom Factor: 7.0/10

After trying the Michelin 1* dim sum specialist, Tim Ho Wan at their flagship eatery at Mongkok, it was hard to find an outlet that could match the standards. Even the outlet at Hong Kong's central, IFC, had some hits and misses. It was with great scepticism that we decided to evoke that Singaporean spirit of queuing up for gourmet food. Having read reviews of customers queuing up to 3 hours to try Tim Ho Wan's dim sum at their first outlet located at the Plaza Singapura Extension was somewhat too ridiculous so we decided to visit during off-peak dining at around 4pm in the afternoon on a weekday.

Was there a queue? Well, it seemed like many others were thinking on the same wavelength because we waited for about 40 minutes before a table became available. There was a receptionist who would walk down the queue to take note of the number of diners for each queuing person and like the outlets in Hong Kong, all diners had to be present before you could be offered a table. Nonetheless, the service and attitude of the receptionist and waiting staff was pleasant and polite, certainly a far cry from the flagship eatery at Mongkok.

It was especially difficult for us to not to draw comparisons when it comes to judging considering the fact that we tried, in our humble opinion, one of the best dim sum, at the flagship eatery. Anyhow, let the taste buds do the tasting and judging!

BBQ Pork (Char Siew) Buns- (S$4.50/-)Splitting open the bun left us disappointed almost immediately. The bun had a thin crisp surface but it was rather 'stiff'. (Think those classic Japanese 'rock melon pan' buns) Comparatively, the rendition tried in Hong Kong was crisp but crumbly upon each bite. It was also smaller in size and at S$1.50 per bun, the next question to ask would be, how was the filling?

Admittedly, it was one of the better char siew buns found in Singapore but we found it lacking in taste, flavour and quality when compared to the one tried in Hong Kong. The seasoning for the filling was different, with this being sweeter and even appearance wise, too 'artificially red', in our humble opinion. We preferred it the way it was dressed in the Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong where the seasoning was of a rich savoury sauce that had a beautiful roast flavour. We also enjoyed the fact that the bbq pork (char siew) used in Hong Kong came in sizeable chunks rather than shreds, which to us, delivered a solid savoury punch better.

Glutinous Rice ($5/-)This had always been a 'must-try' on our dim sum checklist but this was disappointing to say the least. There was a beautiful fragrance upon the unwrapping of the lotus leaf but slicing into the glutinous rice was our worst nightmare came true. The glutinous rice was overcooked and while retaining the moisture trapped underneath the lotus leaf, it was soft and mushy. There was a fine line separating soft moist glutinous rice and mushy and this unfortunately came not-so-desirable by our palate's standards.

That being said, the flavours and fillings of the glutinous rice worked harmoniously for an enticing savoury taste. The fillings were also generously packed with chicken portions and Chinese mushroom in big chunks. It was slightly different from the one in Hong Kong with the lack of soybeans (or at least not present in our glutinous rice) but this would have definitely tasted better if the glutinous rice was not overly mushy.

Steamed Egg Cake (Ma Lai Gao) (S$3.80/-)I was rather surprised that this steamed egg cake came the way it was served. The top layer was actually peeled off and this usually spelt some problems with the technique or preparation work. Nonetheless, with the usage of muscovado sugar, it gave a darker shade of brown, coarser and stickier from the normal brown sugar. This gave the steamed cake a much richer flavour and taste and left us with a tantalizingly sweet after-taste. While we thought that the presentation could do with some touch up, the taste and flavour was spot-on.

Carrot Cake (S$4.50/-)The pan-fried carrot cake was nothing too special on its own despite the nice crisp on the surface. The filling was rather bland and dull in terms of flavour and texture. It tasted soft but not there was no real flavour which we could associate it with. It was when we were struggling to finish the food that I decided to put on some chilli sauce (provided at each table) that saved the dish.The chilli sauce was one of the best concoctions tried, with an interesting addition of soft peanuts. It was mildly sweet and spicy and the balance in flavours was brilliant. This chilli sauce did justice to the carrot cake, making it a whole lot more palatable.

Pork congee (S$4.20/-)This was a classic stomach warmer on any given day. With eggs beautifully blending with the porridge, it was simple and nutritiously good. The century eggs and lean pork were served in small portions, making it easy to go down every spoonful. The lean pork was not overly cooked to make it stiff to the bite. The savoury porridge was smooth and basically we just drank it!

There was apparently a takeaway counter on its opening day, but due to excessive demand, Tim Ho Wan had to close it. The ambiance of the eatery was a lot better than the flagship one tried at Mongkok and the service of the waiting staffs was good and attentive to our needs. They were prompt in refilling our Chinese tea (S$1.20/person) and repeatedly too. Despite the long wait for a table, the dishes were actually brought to our table surprisingly quick, with the wait for food no more than 10 minutes long. This could also be because the dishes we ordered were the popular few. We had wanted to try the signature dishes before thinking about adding on to try other dishes but we were left rather disappointed after the above dishes and stopped there. In all fairness, Tim Ho Wan in Singapore serves good dim sum but not as good compared to Hong Kong and of course in Singapore, you pay a premium of 17% more (10% service charge + 7% GST). The menu was also slightly different between both places but for about the same price, we certainly tasted and tried a lot more dishes in Hong Kong.

Due to limitations in photo uploads, do visit us at our blog at http://bit.ly/13Tj1GB or http://bit.ly/10sF6ej for review on HK Tim Ho Wan.