A place that keeps popping up when I speak of crossiants and pastries, I've heard quite alot of great reviews from this new establishment hidden in the well-known Tiong Bahru district. Chancing upon this in such a central location was a big plus for us and we decided to give it a shot, hoping that they maintained strict quality control since this was our first encounter. I must first applaud the service staff for being extremely attentive and patient, as I was a rather indecisive customer and had quite alot of questions for them. First panel, plenty of pastries to choose from. Second panel had the different types of sandwiches and third was the various cakes/tarts. Interesting representation of their drinks menu, though there should perhaps be a legend if the colours or patterns were to make some sense to a noob like me.

Plain crossiant ($2.80)I've heard that this is the best in Singapore, which made me rather critical. First bite left me a tad impressed as it was still crispy after leaving it out for at least 5 hours. It had a buttery aroma to it and I liked the complement of its soft interior and the crispy flakes outside. However, I thought it was abit too rich in flavour and too oily for my liking, perhaps an overdose of butter used. First few bites were good, until the strong taste became a little overwhelming for me. Perhaps this is better than most croissants you can get off chain bakeries, but it's definitely not the best to me.

Kouign Aman ($3.50)Pronounced as kween-ahmon, this is a french pastry with layers of butter and sugar. (okay, I didn't know it was so fattening until I google-d it) It didn't occur to me when I was told that this was a caramel pastry. I liked the outer layers where the golden crust was crispy and sweet, and you could taste the different layers of dough folded together. It was just the right amount of sweetness for us and we thought it was quite nicely done for a seemingly simple pastry. The insides, however, was a little disappointing as the whit-ish parts tasted like sweetened thin layers of roti prata folded together. Overpriced for a pastry of just dough and melted sugar, I feel.

Almond Chocolate Crossiant ($3.50)Perhaps it's just me, I don't usually fancy soft crossiants. I didn't like how the entire piece seems to be falling apart as I held it up and it didn't have the crispy flaky parts of a crossiant. Taste-wise, the almond fillings over-shadowed the chocolate and it was too sweet for my liking. It would have been better if there was a balance of chocolate and just moderately sweet almond cream.

Lemon Tart ($6)The crust was too thick and so hard that I found it difficult to eat without making a mess from several attempts of cutting it. It wasn't the crumbly type and its texture was quite like butter shortbread, less the buttery taste of it. Some recipes recommend that, but this wasn't quite to my liking. The lemon cream filling had a nice refreshing taste of lime in it and wasn't too sour that it made your nose cringe. It would have been perfect if the tart was made of crumbly biscuits, but that's just my preference.

Pandan Flan ($6)This was my very first taste of flan, not an expert in it so I shall just base it on what my taste buds think of it. There are various interpretations of flan, but mostly involving custard as its main ingredient. Honestly, before doing a google search, I thought it was supposed to taste like Kaya Kueh. (My mum actually compared it to the Malay Kueh stall at the market that sells it for just 40cents ) It has a very slight chewy texture to it, not at all the soft custard that I've read about online. It didn't have the pandan aroma to it, probably substituted by the Kaya used in its mix. The crust was quite disappointing too, as it was all soft and lacked the crisp to complement the soft texture of the flan.

I haven't been to the original store and I'm just basing my review on the Raffles City branch I've tried. According to them, the same dough has been prepared over at Eng Hoon Street and then brought over to be baked and sculpted by their chefs over here. I presume there should be a minimum level of standard maintained.

I thought this was a rather overrated bakery. Some of their pastries might taste better than your normal bakery finds, but it definitely doesn't deserve the title of being the best. (I still swear by Maison Kayser for being the best I've tried so far) It was quite an average bakery store, over-hyped and overpriced. I thought it was quite disappointing actually. Some of the pastries at Raffles City also cost abit more than the same items at their original store. Not worth making a special trip down for their bakes, but quite a decent bakery if you're craving for some around Raffles City area.

Tucked away in a hidden quiet corner at Tiong Bahru, which was one of the first public housing estates in Singapore, 40 Hands certainly stood out among the old buildings being a modern and trendy looking cafe, which would appeal to students and young professionals alike.

The name was inspired from the fact that an average of 40 hands are required in the production of coffee, from the initial process of planting coffee seeds to the end product of a delicious and aromatic fresh brew. What many failed to recognize when enjoying their shot of Espresso or Latte was that the history of coffee was one filled with stories of poverty and exploitation. At 40 Hands, they aimed to promote a sustainable coffee economy whereby certified 'Fair Trade' coffee beans were used, i.e. purchasing directly from growers allowing them to earn a higher profit margin. With the abundance of budding cafes, I must say that I was impressed with what 40 Hands endeavour to achieve and their business ethics.

The first impression at the outset was that it was rather cramped, well explicitly, expect to brush some shoulders trying to make your way through. What I particularly favoured though was the clever use of the setting and location of the cafe at a quiet hideout at Tiong Bahru (an old public housing estate) with modern touches to its interior design, display exhibits and arguably the food served. Not forgetting of course provocative billboard posters as such.Long Black (S$4/-)

(+) High roast, slight bittersweet tang with less acidity.
(+) Strong delicious aroma, certainly titillating to one's sense of smell.

(-) Regrettably, the initial taste was offset by the sour aftertaste.
(-) The tart flavour, such as unripe fruit persisted and lingered and had to be washed down with plain water, which was a real letdown.
(-) With the fan blowing at full blast, it was not too long before my coffee dropped to almost room temperature and the sour taste was the dominant flavour.Latte (S$5/-)

(+) Best among the 3 beverages, richly fragrant and well balanced in terms of sweetness. I am however a Long Black/Americano and Espresso shots person and detest any sugar or milk being added to my drink, so..

Iced Mocha in the background of the above picture (S$8/-)
(-) Overly sweet and certainly overpriced for the serving size and quality.
(-) The coffee taste was barely discernible, with chocolate taste overwhelmingly strong.
(-) Tasted pretty much like a sweetened chocolate beverage.Tau Sar Pau (S$2.50/pc)

(+) The bun was very light (in terms of density), fluffy and smooth in texture.
(+) The skin of the bun was good in the sense it did not stick to our teeth.
(+) Red bean paste inside was rich in ingredients and only mildly sweet, just to our liking.
(+) Despite the smoothness of the paste, it was not too 'liquefied' nor fluid.
(+) Unique shape of the bun contrary to the conventional round shape.

(-) Way Overpriced. Could easily have bought 2-3 tau sar paus at S$2.50.
(-) Did not seem freshly made as it was served straight from the pau electric steamer.Big Boy Breakfast with scrambled eggs (S$18/-)

(+) The ingredients used in this all day breakfast were fresh and of a good quality.
(+) Scrambled eggs were done perfectly with a soft curd texture, just the way it should be.
(+) Interesting presentation of western breakfast served on an 'old school' metal plate.

(-) The portion size was evidently sparing to say the least for the price.

The portion size was evidently sparing for the price though. 2 sausages, some sauteed mushrooms, minced meat (think spaghetti bolognese), 1pan fried tomato sliced in 2, some iceberg letture, 2 slices of naan bread and some scrambled eggs for S$18 certainly seemed too expensive to us since we were used to having English breakfast here in UK at pubs and they were about half the price at 40 Hands with similar quality and larger portions.

The ambiance at 40 Hands was good in general (with seating at the ground floor) not the lower ground level where our table was. Apparently GST and service charge was not levied onto the bill, so prices listed above were nett. Even so, we felt that it was overpriced at current standing, considering the quality and quantity of food. Do not be mistaken though, the quality was certainly above average for the food, though I would beg to differ when it came to the coffee beverages. Being a caffeine addict, I expect nothing but the best especially when it is the first cup of the day.Selling themselves as a socially responsible cafe, I was impressed more by their business ethos rather than, regrettably, their brew. Despite not being charged for customer service, one could certainly expect better attention at 40 Hands. Drawing comparison with a recent dining experience at QQ Noodle House, which similarly did not charge for service had a much better approach and attitude towards their diners. It is not just about the price, it is about professionalism in the service industry. Many cafes and restaurants tend to attribute this aspect of the dining experience to the shortage of manpower and busy orders, but personally I felt that is but an 'excusatory' element conveniently relied upon. It should be regarded as an integral part of one's dining experience and paying no heed to your customers is certainly a taboo in my books.

Normally not a fan of queuing up for food, but when I was on a recce to check at this basement foodcourt, Gourmet Paradise, I cannot help but notice a zigzag queue for this stall's rojak and the billboard of gourmet awards. Not giving in (for I always thought such accreditation were just commercial advertising) , I went on the food hunt and thought I would drop by and have a look. To my dismay, the queue was still as bad even at almost 9pm! Oh well..'there must be something about this Rojak' I guess..definitely not impressed with the queue which stretched past this photograph.(+) Very generous amount of crushed roasted peanuts, added crunch always a plus!
(+) Thick rich shrimp paste, coating all ingredients in entirety.
(+) Unusual to have fresh chewy cuttlefish and kangkong amidst the rojak mix.
(+) Generous with fried fritter (you tiao) pieces.

(-) The shrimp paste was too sweet for my liking and needed some plain water to wash it down.
(-) Tasted some sugar bits, which resulted from uneven dissolving of the sugar.
(-) Would have preferred more sliced turnip which typically was key to a rojak dish.
(-) Long queue.
(-) The fried fritter was placed in oven to make it crispy, but it seemed overly done and was rather hard and brittle instead, not a hit for me.

Verdict: 6.5/10

A place that has been much raved about whenever I speak of dimsum, known for its affordability and some say its 流沙包 (molten custard bun with egg yolk). Being a 流沙包 fan, my friend brought me through the narrow alleys to finally arrive at a brightly lit family-styled restaurant. Though the place opens at 6pm, there was already a snaking queue outside with easily 20-30 people at about 5.45pm!How can any dimsum meal not have eggtarts! Piping hot, I love the pastry flaky texture of the crust and the tender egg portion. Handle with care!Char Siew Shou - no comments on this as I hardly eat char siew shous. According to my friend's review, it was pretty good though!红油抄手 - Wontons in spicy chilli sauce. This was definitely a kick with very tender wonton skin packed with fresh minced meat. The sauce could be spicier though to really have the full taste of authentic 红油抄手.Hargao - It wasn't very impressive, the skin was a tad too sticky though they had fresh ingredients. I didn't really like the type of prawns used though, the usual processed prawns or 玻璃虾, as it failed to bring out the natural sweetness of seafood. 小龙包 Xiaolongbao - This was quite a good one, or perhaps it was because I was craving for it. Plenty of soup inside which made eating it abit tough but worth it. There was abit too much skin though, in terms of proportion with the meat and soup inside.Banana Prawn Fritters - Tasted alot like goreng pisang, except that prawns are added inside. Same as hargao, I didn't really like the type of prawns used. It was abit too oily though, gave the rather jelat feeling after eating it. 流沙包 Molten Custard Bun with Egg YolkThis was the base right after peeling, call me anal or perfectionist, I somehow prefer my food to look untouched and the molten contents contained within the skin. Taste-wise, it wasn't too bad, with the flowy texture and served piping hot. It could have been less oily, perhaps with lesser egg yolk used as I couldn't really taste the sweetness of the custard in it.Pork Floss Pancake - Quite an interesting dish, it has egg omelette, a crispy sesame crust topped with pork floss that created a surprisingly good blend of flavours.Yam Paste served in a tubLove the presentation of it, but the taste wasn't up to standards. Not the authentic teochew style of yam paste, it has generous servings of coconut milk. That aside, the paste itself wasn't fresh and had a tinge of stale oil, commonly known as 臭油味, infused in it. The pumpkin has also lost its sweetness that's supposed to add flavour to the yam paste and the rare gingko nuts inside were boiled beyond recognition. I might be abit harsh on the review though, since I'm an absolute yam paste fan and it hasn't been easy finding good yam paste around. (That's why I love going for wedding dinners!)

Overall, it's a pretty alright place, with several hits. Not exactly very affordable though as we paid about $20 each. It probably isn't worth making a special trip down to try, but would suffice if you're in the area looking for some decent dimsum around the vicinity.

Kuih tutu is made by steaming rice flour in a special mould. First the mould is filled with finely pounded flour. Then a portion of the filling is taken out to make space for the filling. This could be grated coconut or ground peanuts or a combination of both. The grated coconut would have been fried on low heat over several hours and sweetened with gula Melaka (palm sugar). Another layer of rice flour is added to seal the filling and the cake tipped over onto a muslin cloth placed on the steamer. The cakes take on the flower-like shape of the mould. Placed on a cut pandanus leaf before serving, they acquire a sweet flavour and scent. The flour is slightly sweetened so the cakes tastes just as good even without filling and are sometimes sold thus.

(+) Both the peanuts and coconut fillings are prepared to perfection, not overly sweet.
(+) The fresh coconut ingredient being used is 'makan-friendly' for those with sensitive stomach.
(+) Thin layer of flour and generous serving of filling.

(-) Possibly due to the waiting time before consumption, the surface of the kueh was slightly hardened.
(-) A snack that has to preferably be consumed immediately. (Will return to give it another try)

Verdict: 6.5/10