Dian Xiao Er is one of our favourite Chinese restaurants when it comes to casual dining. Like the olden days, Dian Xiao Er (which literally translates to servers at inns or taverns) symbolizes a pit-stop for travellers to rest and replenish their energy before setting off to continue hectic journeys. In the modern context, I guess we all need to take a pit-stop to load up on calories before jetting off on a hectic journey of shopping!

When we first arrived at Dian Xiao Er, we were warmly greeted by the receptionist with smiles. It warmed our hearts immediately and the vibe we received was friendly and homely. Sometimes, I feel that it is that extra effort taken by the staffs which made all the difference to a meal, be it a simple sincere greeting or a hearty smile.

Apart from the customer service which touched us, can the food at Dian Xiao Er impress us?The interior decorations received mixed feedback as my dining companion found it to be oriented towards a Chinese wedding theme while I actually basked in the environment as I found myself returning to the olden days. (well not that I would know how it is like but I am sure most people out there, myself inclusive, had watched enough Chinese movies and series to recognize such a backdrop)

Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng - 风生水起（三文鱼鱼生）- starting from S$22.80/++ for small portionLike most Yu Shengs served at Chinese restaurants during the Lunar New Year season, the server would recite and bless the diners at the table with a series of good wishes, such as prosperity and good health.

Admittedly, the Yu Sheng was not a dish that impressed. On a fairer note, it tasted pedestrian but adjusted to the liking of most Singaporeans whereby it uses sweet plum sauce as the main condiment over the sliced radish and array of other accompaniment sides.What made this "Lo Hei" unique and heart-warming was the auntie in the picture. She might not have given the best recital speech when it came to serving the Yu Sheng but the smiles and blessing coming from an affectionate mother-like figure was simply priceless.

Fish Maw Soup with Crab Meat & Conpoy - 四喜临门 （蟹肉干贝花胶鱼鳔羹）- starting from S$16.90/++ without crabmeatIf you are a fan of viscous soups, this would certainly draw you in. Expect a generous serving of fish maw and shredded crab meat in each bowl of goodness. The crab meat has been specially added to the soup only for the Chinese New Year menu. Personally, I found it to be quite heavy on our palate as it was flavourful and every spoonful seemed to be filled with plenty of ingredients.

Herbal Roast Duck （药材烤鸭）- S$12.90 onwardsThis dish needs no introduction as people familiar with Dian Xiao Er would be well acquainted with the flavours and taste. The skin was thin and crisp with just a fine layer of fat underneath to add to that juiciness. The tender duck meat was beautifully complemented by the crispness and ogling at the dish was sufficient to make us salivate. We were privileged enough to have a tasting of all three sauces; angelica herb (当归), ten wonder (十全) and wild ginseng (泡参).

The angelica herb (当归) bore a slight tinge of sweetness while ten wonder (十全) is the preferred safe choice for many and is what Dian Xiao Er is famous for. It would surely appeal to those with a more savoury appetite. Conversely, the wild ginseng (泡参) would suit those with an inclination for a stronger herbal taste and opting for this sauce would come at a slight premium, in terms of pricing.

Silver Cod Fish in Superior Soy Sauce - 年年有余 （豉油皇银鳕鱼）- S$25.90/++This was my favourite dish for the entire meal with the presentation scoring points as soon as it was served to the table. The delicate cod fish was well-handled, being sliced uniformly and deep-fried to a beautiful golden brown colour. We loved the complementing textures with a nice friable and crumbly coating on the outside matched by a tender and soft fresh cod fish on the inside. For those who desire an extra crunch and do not mind the calories, you would relish in delight (a sinful one) as you munch through that crispy skin attached to the white protein.

The clever use of superior soy sauce subtly enhanced the flavours and allowed the natural freshness of the cod to be delivered across to the diners' palate.

Savoury Pork Roll "Firecrackers" - 鸿运当头（爆竹升升）- only available as part of CNY set menuI found this to be an ingenious new dish on the menu. Aesthetically presented to resemble firecrackers, the thinly sliced pork wrapping sausage and Chinese coriander was carefully rolled and deep-fried before being coated with the classic sweet and sour sauce. While I appreciated the work involved in creating this dish, I was left slightly disappointed after the first bite as it gave a "hollowed-out" effect whereby the inside of the pork-roll felt "empty". I would have preferred it more if the filling was denser with added texture.

We were asked for our feedback as the chefs behind the scenes look to improve this new dish recently introduced to the menu. I liked that the chefs were receptive to diners' feedback and moving forward, I felt that constantly changing and adapting to the customers preference is key to success within the competitive F&B scene.

Overall, it was a good dish but requires some improvement to make it a more palatable dish.

Luxurious Seafood in Claypot - 富贵荣华（江南一品锅) - only available as part of CNY set menuLike what the name suggested, it was a luxurious bowl of delicacies such as sea cucumber, Chinese mushroom, fish maw coupled with some greens like sweet peas and carrots. Expect a pot of savouriness though it is another dish which weighs on tastes and flavours.

Osmanthus Jelly Dessert - 桂花糕 (S$3.60/++)This was one of the better Osmanthus Jelly Desserts tried with a subtle sweetness that pleased our palate. It was a very light dessert that helped to balance out the savoury dishes tried.

Dishes are generally served very quickly (even when we visit on a normal occasion, i.e. not tasting session) For those new to their dishes, the mains tend to be on the savoury side and incline towards heavier flavours and tastes (重口味). It would however be suitable to enjoy the dishes with white rice.

My takeaway from visiting Dian Xiao Er over the past years had always been consistent, that warm and friendly feeling which resonates a homely meal. Customer service have always been meticulous and surely lives up to the restaurant's name of Dian Xiao Er!

P.S: The Chinese New Year set is only available from 18 January 2014 onwards till 14 February 2014. Prices of the set menu range from S$108 for 3 pax to S$598 for 10 pax.

We’ve been avoiding this place since we’re usually free only on weekends and it’s unusually crowded here thanks to all the raving reviews. Finally on a day we’re on leave, we decided to drop by and managed to snag a table for ourselves. It was surprisingly crowded for a weekday, considering it was a rainy one and at odd timings like 3+.A place where vintage, pastries and coffee comes together, it’s a perfect setting for your high tea sessions. Cosy and dimly lit, the setting is great, just a tad too noisy and crowded for our liking.One thing that I was pretty relieved about, its service was in no way compromised despite its popularity and besides being warmly greeted by their crew, they were also patient enough to slowly intro us their desserts and took the effort to understand what kind of flavours we were looking for.

This signature was what brought us here, reminding me of the really good one I’ve had at Sydney’s Bourke Street Bakery.Passion Fruit Meringue Tart - S$6.50/-

I’m a fan of passion fruit and this certainly managed to make the cut! Slightly tangy for that refreshing touch, it’s well-balanced by the sweetness soft beaten meringue. We loved how it was neither too sweet nor nose-cringing sour, managing to hit the fine balance. Coupled with a decent tart base, it certainly managed to satisfy our palates!Banoffee Tart- S$6.50/-

Recommended by their friendly staff, this is a combination of banana and chocolate, topped with espresso powder. This was quite an acquired taste for me, with a slight bitterness from the banana and very subtle chocolate. I would have preferred a sweeter one, perhaps with caramelized banana though this might probably appeal to those with not-so-sweet tooth.Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake - S$5/-

Another one on the recommended list, we loved slightly sweet icing with a refreshing lemon taste to go with the butter cake. It tasted like those pound cakes that were on the denser side, yet light enough to not feel jelat. Best finishing touch was that it was heated up right before serving so that the layer of icing was slightly melted yet having a top crust after a while of cooling.Apple Cobbler Loaf Cake - S$5/-
This seemed pretty appetizing though we thought it was the only disappointing piece. Stronger flavour of butter cake with just a subtle hint of apple in it, we found it too dry and dense for our liking.Perfect for some high-tea, we loved how the desserts were nicely done and managed to satisfy our palates. Cosy ambience decorated with a compilation of vintage items, it reminded us the likes of Dong Po Colonial Cafe and Folks Collective, bringing back the touch of nostalgia.

A new brunch spot just a few doors down from Choupinette, we were pretty mesmerised by their website initially and seeing how they’ve got eggs ben as their signature, we thought we just had to give it a shot!

With two level seating, it was surprisingly full on a Friday afternoon. We loved the cosy ambience and comfortable seating that was pretty spacious unlike most cafés these days.The eggs ben was certainly a must-order for us, and thankfully we’d ordered one portion to share first before ordering more as we saw how big the mains’ portions were for other diners!

62-Degree Eggs Benedict with Ham (S$19/++)
Honey grilled gammon ham, sauteed spinach and mushroom, buttered corn, in-house hollandaiseThe first thing that came to our mind – this seems more like soft-boiled eggs than poached eggs! Needless to say, this was perfectly flowy yolks we’ve got. We were quite delighted with the generous servings though, with thick slabs of ham, spinach and our favourite buttered corn! The combination was great, with the corn adding that buttery touch to the eggs, the alternative to hollandaise sauce, and natural sweetness of the spinach that turned an anti-veg person like me eating up all my greens!One major drawback for this – there just wasn’t enough hollandaise sauce! In fact, it was so little that we could hardly taste it. Not having hollandaise sauce was just missing the essence of eggs ben and through the little that we’ve managed to taste, it was more sour-y than buttery creamy like what it should be. If there could be more of the sauce with the sour edge to complement the whole combination of buttered corn, spinach and eggs, I think it would have been a much better one to balance the whole dish. A decent one nonetheless, and certainly generous with their servings!

Mela Con Formaggi (S$14/++)
Granny smith, banana caramel sauce, chocolate soil, citrus mascarpone, parmigiano reggiano chips, homemade honeycombThis looked the most exciting out of the few in the menu and I was half expecting fireworks just like what the deconstructed black forest was like at Petite Menu. With cheese, granny’s smith, and homemade honeycomb, it tasted like an odd combination forced to come together. The cheese didn’t quite sit well with us, though we loved the honeycomb that was just slightly sweet and crumbly yet not sticky. A bold choice of flavours, try it if you’re feeling adventurous.

Flat White (S$5.5/++)Its latte art sure didn't impress, but the coffee taste managed to shine. I'd enjoyed the robust-ness of it, and it wasn't too acidic. Quite a satisfying cup of coffee to go with our brunch!

For more photos, please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/12/sg-missing-pan-generous-portions-with.html

Please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/12/sg-what-to-expect-at-malaysian-food.html for review in full about our experience down Malaysian Food Street.

This brother-run business has achieved much fame in Penang for the past decade since younger brother, Mr Lim Lak Tee joined elder brother, Mr Lim Chye Gin, at his Char Koay Teow stall. Both had more than 50 years of experience cooking up the tasty and well-loved dish.

Penang Lim Brothers' Char Koay Teow (槟城林兄弟炒粿條)- S$5.50/-The serving was generous as you would expect three to four large prawns coupled with slices of Chinese sausage to match. The beautiful fragrance from the wok hei, spring onions and the texture from the bean sprouts made it a very delectable dish but while it was lightly stir-fried with soy sauce, we found that the depth of the flavours and taste could be improved as it tasted on the bland side.

Penang Hai Beng Hainan Lor Mee with Pork Belly (槟城海明海南卤面) - S$6/-

I always thought that lor mee has an acquired taste so you either end up being a huge fan or not quite so. Apparently the broth had been cooked for nine hours before being served to customers and unlike the Singapore's rendition of lor mee, this did not have the typical strong garlic and vinegar taste but rather more of a herbal fragrance. It was not overly viscous and suitable for the mass. Singaporeans who have a palate for our local lor mee might not be used to it but upon secondary serving, the taste and flavours seemed to grow and while I accepted it eventually, I still prefer my lor mee done the Singapore-style.

We went for the more luxurious version with added pork belly! The extra protein however was not as tender soft and had a rather distasteful 'pork' smell which did not go well for me. The clever use of yellow noodles, rice vermicelli, bean sprouts and pork skin (very sedap!) gave a good complementing texture. Overall, the serving was also generous for the price paid.