For full review, please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/09/sg-lady-m-confections-overrated-maybe.html

Lady M Confections is one of the highly anticipated openings in Singapore considering its success over in the US. Priding itself on creating fresh and fine cakes, Lady M's cakes are handmade following recipes that had been refined over the years.

As soon as we learnt about its official opening at Marina Square, there was no way we could resist these sweet temptations! Their signature crepe cake reminds us fondly of the version tried at Nadeje in Malacca. How does this American version fare? About time to leave the judging to our taste buds!Quite frankly, if I had not heard of Lady M before, I would struggle to find out what this place is about. The decorations were simple and clean filled with white-based tables and chairs. On the outside, however, it did not really come across to me as a patisserie and you would however need to walk through to the inside of the cafe before you can even find out what food Lady M has to offer.We were shown to a table promptly and while we were shown a menu of drinks and beverages consisting of coffee, soft drinks, juices and champagne, I could not help but wonder how would cakes go with champagne? Admittedly, the pairing just seemed rather out of place for me since there were no other savoury food on the menu.Ordering of the cakes would have to be done in person as one would expect to queue behind the glass partition separating the server and the cakes. I was rather disappointed when I saw what was available behind the glass partition as seemingly the cakes did not looked appetizing nor enticing enough. Personally, I prefer my cakes to come individually portioned rather than sliced out which gives it that extra touch of exclusivity and also for the premium factored in the bill. Do note that prices are not indicated on the cake labels so you only know how much they cost when the bill comes. Hmmm...I believe Singaporeans, or at least I speak for myself that we can be rather price conscious creatures so having the prices available would be a good addition.

Signature Lady M Mille Crepe Slice (S$7.50/+)Since this was not the first time we had crepe cake, there was a benchmark when it came to expectations. The top had a crystallized layer of caramel which added a beautiful texture of crunchiness to the soft and moist crepe slice. With 20 layers of crepe sandwiched between layers of cream, it was certainly not for those who watch their calories intake! When compared to other patisserie places such as our recently blogged Flor Patisserie , I found the cream a touch too strong, dense and thick for our liking. It also had a rather strong milky taste to it which subjectively did not suit my palate.

The crepes were really fine and thin so essentially you could not taste much of the crepe but more of the cream. For a person who is not quite a fan of cream, I found it hard to finish the slice even as it was shared among three of us.

It would surely appeal to those who have a liking for whipped cream and what drew me to it was that crunchy crystallized caramel that gave the cake a beautiful layer of texture. Arguably, it was slightly too sweet but its desserts after all!

Tarte aux Fruits Slice (S$10/+)I could not help but cringe when I realized that this slice of a financier fruit tart cost S$10++. The presentation failed horribly and while financier sounded like an interesting try, it disappointed massively in terms of flavours and tastes. Supposedly baked with almond butter cream, the element of almond tasted superficial or at best of almond essence. The financier base which formed the tart was coarse and you could literally taste the gritty bits and grains.

I was unsure about what the orange sliced fruit in the picture shown above was, probably papaya or persimmon? Though it gave a crunchy texture, I was divided whether it was a deliberate attempt to add a layer of texture or simply the case of unripe fruits being used.

We went for this for along the way to the cashier, we saw quite a few tables of diners tucking in to this tart and seemingly had a smile on their faces. Oh well, like they say, taste is subjective. This quality and this price, surely a big no-no for us.

Banana Mille Feuille (S$7/+)Like I said, Mille Feuille or Napoleon usually has three components to nail, the puff pastry, cream and layer of sponge. I felt that the cream was in excess in this rendition of Mille Feuille and it somewhat overwhelmed the layer of sponge cake which I was quite unable to distinctly taste. The puff pastry was okay but not impressive and I found the elements rather disconnected. The puff pastry, cream, sponge and banana were seemingly elements on their own and failed to find harmony in unison. The banana pieces seemed to be introduced into the cake for the purpose of doing so and did not quite complement any flavours nor did it wow standalone.

It was overall an 'okay' version of Mille Feuille and nothing too impressive to rave about.

In general, we felt that the while the service crew attempted to be friendly and be at their best, it felt disorganized right from the start with the ordering process. The servers came to us on two separate occasions to verify our orders and out of frustration, I cancelled my cheesecake order.

While all tables around us had water served, we had to request for ours and while I usually have a cup of coffee to go along with my cakes, the servers seemed to be way overwhelmed to even ask to take our orders. I was pretty annoyed when I saw a server constantly on his/her phone (I am not going to be specific for I do not want to cause someone to lose his/her job). It is not a case of being prissy but when you know that expectations are high, especially with a name and reputation to match, you should get the basics right.

The bill took a while to come even though by the time we left, Lady M was less than half-filled. It was surely not a trip where we made our calories count.

Easties would most likely be familiar with this Tze Char place along Kembangan, Changi Road. A place to go to for supper or late night dinners, they’re known for their Herbal Mee Sua which you can spot at almost every table. With its name as Herbal Chicken, I was half expecting herbal chicken soup served in pots, only to realise that it’s used as the base for their yo ji mee sua (or pig’s liver vermicelli).

Perhaps they’re bustling with business every day, you don’t exactly get to see service in place and we had to go over to the counter to place our orders with a pretty unresponsive lady who doesn’t bother recommending dishes to first-timers.

Tofu with Chicken Floss ($9)
This seemed pretty normal on the menu but we were looking for something simple and comforting, which we found quite easily in this dish. Crisp on the outside after it’s been lightly fried, the pork floss was a delightful addition for that extra dash of sweetness. Well complemented with the typical starchy sauce for tofu, it was all simplicity at its very best.

Salted Egg Yolk in Sotong Paste ($11)
Attracted to its looks on the menu, the adventurous side in us came out again and decided to give it a shot. The combination gave rise to interesting textures and we loved the crispy ‘claws’ sticking out. It was fried till golden brown, yet no signs of it being too oily (or at least for us). The yolk, though, got a little too overwhelming for us even when it when we tried to combine each mouthful with the sotong paste, and it was quite jelat - feeling as though we were eating the insides of mooncakes. We enjoyed the dish thoroughly though, after removing the egg yolk but that’s our preference so perhaps some yolk lovers would beg to differ!

Pork Ribs ($10)
A classic that I suddenly craved for, this is one that’s hard to go wrong generally, only a matter of good or great. The sauce was thick enough though we thought it was a little too sweet, probably good to have it with some steamed rice with it being so flavourful. The meat itself wasn’t done so well, with the skin fusing with its sauce without being fried briefly for that crisp touch to it. Average dish that could have been better!

Herbal Mee Sua (Vermicelli)
What they were famous for and what got us feeling a tad disappointed. There wasn't a strong herbal taste like what I'd expected and the subtle herbal side to it surfaced only after further mouthfuls. I'd have preferred either a stronger herbal taste or the type with a light broth, while this happened to fall in between. Some would like it for the subtleness though, especially if you're not so much a fan of herbal soups. The vermicelli was done well though, it wasn't the overly sticky starchy kind that gets you feeling jelat easily.

We'd ordered the mix of pig's liver and kidney to go with the mee-sua, while I liked the right thickness of the cuts, it wasn't too fresh and had a strong porky taste to it. Overall a decent bowl of mee-sua but not spectacular enough to travel all the way there for it!

It was almost packed when we went there on a weekday night and we were glad to find that the whole row of seats outside belonged to them, as they've gotten 3 stall spaces along that row. It may look slightly different in terms of the signboard colours that we got confused initially. Not sure whether it was just the day we went or just their normal that there wasn't any service to speak of, where their staff simply ignored us that eventually we went to the counter to place our orders and our request for additional plates never came despite asking for 4-5 times.

Generally a good place for group hangouts and decent food that was pretty worth it, as you could see we were both stuffed after ordering so much (probably good for 3 pax) and the total bill came up to about $47.

Brunch has been more popular than ever and it’s almost a weekly ritual for some to go cafe-hopping during the weekends! Chancing upon this hidden spot along ulu Kovan, thankfully we found it conveniently located just across the street from Kovan MRT Station, probably about a 5-minute walk away.

It was full when we reached at about 12.30pm, but the staff there was kind enough to ask us to take a seat by the side table first while waiting for the bigger spaces to be cleared and move us over when other brunch-ers are done.Not knowing what to order, we decided to ask for recommendations and ended up getting these that they said was ‘really really good’.

Farmer’s Bratwurst Roll ($8)

Making it to their recommended list, we weren’t quite impressed with this slightly ‘atas’ hotdog bun. In fact the fragrance of the spiced fries greeted us first and got us digging in soon after! Settling down in our stomachs were piping hot crispy fat fries well complemented with the spiced seasoning. It tasted familiar, a simple yet satisfying side to go.

The main star, however, got overshadowed. Cutting open, it seemed like just a plain old sausage, with a tinge of cheese, covered with lots of tomato sauce and nacho cheese sauce to add flavour yet doesn't overpower the taste of the sausage itself. I loved the cheesy taste of it and thought it went well, tasting just like those oozing cheese sausages but better! An ordinary bun, though I'd have preferred it to be toasted slightly to give a crisp bun skin and warm insides before serving.

Lola’s Full Monty Breakfast ($15)

Somehow the big breakfast always seems like a combination of simple things put together but often not in the best form to do justice to the meal, which was the same case for this as well. With overly creamy scrambled eggs, there was just a very slight tinge of the natural egg taste and fragrance. There was also what seemed like hollandaise sauce that came with the egg, making it even creamier and masked the taste of simple scrambled eggs that I was looking for. I'm not a creamy eggs person so this didn't really manage to satisfy my cravings.

Another huge sausage on our plates, we thought this was going to be the same as what we’ve had in the bratwurst roll, but was surprised with a slight savory one that was bouncy enough and tasted good on its own without any sauces.

Top on my list is of course the bacon which has disappointed me in most cafes with its excessive salt and over-cooking to give that hard texture. After a taste of this, I couldn’t stop and this is probably the my favourite out of all I’ve tried so far! Not just the plain bacon you’d usually get, there seems to be some honey coating and it was nicely pan-fried to the right texture, and tasted a tad like bak kwa as aptly put by my companion, though the softer kind which I actually prefer. Besides the bacon, they also mixed the selection with honey baked ham, done in the same way as their bacon. An addictive side that got me popping non-stop!

Truffle Fries ($12)

This was a killer as we realised how much fries we've had for 2 pax, on top of the fat fries which we swept clean earlier. The portion is probably good for 4 pax sharing and we struggled to finish half the basket of fries. A little over-fried, it had a distinct oil taste to it, while the truffle taste took a backseat. First 'fry-ful' and we decided that the fat fries from the Bratwurst Roll set was a better one and we regretted not choosing the Honey Paprika Wings.

Rich Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Tart with Kahlua Coffee Cream ($5)

We were deciding between this and the Caramelised Banana Earl Grey Tart with Pistachio Topping since these were the 2 that sounded different and interesting with the combination of flavours. Eventually with their recommendation, we settled with this and was gladly satisfied! With the dark chocolate used, it wasn't overly sweet nor gives the jelat feeling, and had a thin crumbly crust that complemented the chocolate well.

I was personally bought over by the Kahlua Coffee Cream on top. Typically not a cream person, this managed to get me back for a second mouthful, and third and....finishing it. The coffee kahlua flavour was very subtle and matched the chocolate well, being slightly on the sweeter side, and the cream was done so lightly that it didn't feel like you were tasting cream.

Topped with the sea salt, I thought it was quite an odd pairing initially as I had a taste of the sweetness then suddenly greeted by the salt bits but after a few mouthfuls, I realised it was quite a smart combination to have the contrast of flavours so you don't feel jelat so easily and it's an exploration of taste each time with different levels of sweet and savory combined. Nicely executed dessert!

Spoilt for choice with brunch spots, I wouldn't say this is a must-try (so please lower your expectations!) and I was quite surprised to find most people going there for beer rather than brunch itself. They have quite a selection of beer and ciders, and the quieter ambience there is probably perfect for a good chill-out session with some great friends!

A cosy space, we loved the comfy seats and tables made out of those old-school sewing machines with a lever to place your feet on and swivel, great for those with itchy restless legs like ours! Oh and one thing good about them, the prices listed are all nett prices, hence no need to worry about how much it'll end up eventually, easy for splitting bills too!

With a Taiwan origin, crystal dumplings are not a regular item on most dim sum restaurants' menus. Contrary to what the name suggests, it is not made of crystal (duh!) but rather has a translucent delicate skin wrapping the burst of sweetness. After 3 failed visits to this particular stall at Alexandra Village Food Centre, I was determined this time round and went down just before the lunch rush hour peak. (Whew, dint sell out this time!)Yam paste crystal dumpling

(+) Very refined, smooth and well graded yam paste.
(+) Unique soft skin texture, slightly chewy. Requires a slight tug with your teeth unlike those xiao long bao.
(+) Fair tinge of sweetness which enhances the pureness of the yam paste. Perfect for light bite post-main course.

(-) The skin is not as elastic as expected and some might find it rather 'rubbery'.
(-) Does not look very appetizing as we bought an assortment of yam paste, red bean and turnip fillings and the soft dumplings were just piled on each other rather distastefully.

Verdict: 6.5/10Red bean crystal dumpling

(+) Subtly sweet which was just enough to titillate your tastebuds and not overwhelm.
(+) Texture wise is same as above.

(-) Good food should arouse all senses, and I was largely appalled by the 'stale oil' smell. Not sure what contributed to that, perhaps the preparation methods? It was only for the red bean crystal dumpling though.

Verdict: 5.5/10

Sadly, before we managed to photograph the other turnip filled crystal dumpling, it was yummy gummy no more. I blame it on fast fingers and growling stomachs, another day then! However of the 3 crystal dumplings offered and tested, we actually liked the turnip dumpling most. The turnip was sufficiently moist to bring out the succulence and savoriness of the crystal dumpling. It was a different offering altogether from the above 2 sweet dumplings. The light crunch from the turnips complements the soft skin perfectly, which makes it an edge over the typical vegetable-filled dumplings. Would definitely return for it. Despite my love for red bean delicacies, might take me a while to overcome that pungent overwhelming smell before I attempt a second shot.

Turnip crystal dumpling - Verdict: 8.0/10

Friends from the States would probably be familiar with Dean & Deluca, an up-market grocery, artisan bakery and cafe, a household name in New York.

Stepping into its stores for the very first time, I was impressed by the selection of gourmet food and ingredients. It made grocery-shopping a much more complicated affair than just going in and finding what you need. With its wide selection, you can probably spend at least 45 minutes deciding on what ingredients to buy for your bolognaise pasta dinner. Those who love cooking would definitely fall in love with this new-found gem! That said, be prepared to have deep pockets as the freshest and best ingredients definitely come at a premium.

Not knowing the hype and how popular it was, I stepped in as a perfectly objective customer and I must say I wasn't very impressed by their service crew. Expecting a cosy cafe that allows me to sip my coffee slowly, it was the exact opposite. Right when I stand up to change seat as I was missing a chair at my table of two, someone swerves in from my side and started cleaning the table (when it has just been cleaned before I sat down) and plonking the 'Reserved' sign onto it. It didn't just happen to me, but a few other tables as well and I thought that was quite a 'chop chop' experience. A very clean and sleek interior, a bit too white for my liking though. I'd prefer cafes with orange lighting to give a cosier feel, but perhaps this is the New Yorker style. Selection of food, somehow it doesn't really appeal to me that much. The sandwiches on the top row are exorbitantly priced! $22 for a meatball sandwich, I guess I'll make do with subway. Expecting all day breakfast to be served, I was extremely disappointed to find that they'd ran out of it (yes, everything!) by 6.45pm. Not too sure if it's due to the recent opening hence unstable supply or the influx of customers on that day itself. Spotting my extremely disappointed look and almost wanting to leave already, the chef recommended us the Chicken and Apricot Pie which I thought was worth giving it a shot after hearing how there were cranberries and apricot inside!

Chicken and Apricot Pie ($10)Perhaps after trying some of the best bakeries in Sydney, I thought this was such a letdown! The pie crust was too thick and did not gel well with the filling. There wasn't much chicken chunks nor berries either. I'd definitely expected alot more, not just because of the price tag, but the name of Dean & Deluca which I thought was supposed to cater to the busy pace of New Yorkers who usually take and go, hence providing good on-the-go food. It would have been much better if the crust wasn't that hard and thick, and had abit more butter-y taste to it. I'd also prefer a flakier version of pie and of course a more generous serving of fillings at least. That said, I thought the combination of berries and chicken was good, with savory and sweetness well complemented. Perhaps a stronger taste of apricot would be good too, since it's called Chicken and Apricot Pie?

Red Velvet Cake ($8.50)With high expectations especially after we've snagged the last piece, this has managed to keep us satisfied for the meal at least. Not exactly impressive, it was a humble piece of red velvet cake with awesome cream cheese frosting. With a rather generous serving of cream cheese, the smooth texture complemented well with the finely made cake. A finishing touch of chocolate flakes at the side sticking to the cream cheese would have made it perfect though!Rows of nuts, with different combinations and selection. I haven't got the chance to try their all-day breakfasts though friends' reviews have mentioned that they weren't fantastic either. Shall go back to give it a shot when they're more settled in their new place!

Perhaps it's just me, I don't really get all the hype behind Dean & Deluca. If you're looking for a gastronomic food experience, this is probably not the right place. They don't serve up fantastic food fare, and I thought they were all very much overpriced. A good place to fulfill your grocery needs if you're planning on a special cook-out session though!