For those who work around the vicinity of Raffles Place would be familiar with Botan Japanese. Conveniently located at Peking Street or Far East Square, it was with some asking around that we eventually found the place, discreetly tucked away while being surrounded by the buzz during lunch time.

Upon reading some good reviews about the place, I decided to make an advance booking the evening before. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were warmly greeted by the servers who promptly showed us to our table which was neatly prepared with the menu laid before us.

We had barely five minutes to go through the menu before the enthusiastic waitress came over to take our orders and we had to send her away. While I understand that high turnaround of tables is desired especially during peak lunch time, it would actually be ideal if diners have the luxury of enjoying a slightly relaxed meal without being pressured to place their orders.

The menu consists of the usual lunch sets, sashimi platter, ala carte dishes such as karage and maki rolls. Spoilt for choice and not the best performer when it comes to making food decisions, we both decided to take the easy option of lunch sets.

Unagi set (S$25/++)Each of the lunch sets comes complete with an appetiser of marinated fish niblets, serving of sashimi, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), bowl of rice, miso soup, potato and chicken cutlet. Not forgetting two slices of orange, of course.The sashimi was almost melt-in-your-mouth quality with the tuna and salmon being the more impressive protein. We would have preferred it better if the serving portion for the sashimi was slightly more generous but the plus of having the lunch set was that you could have a taste of all the various types of culinary techniques that the chef has to offer.

The cutlet dishes were also above average in standard and the marinade had a good touch of salinity. Chawanmushi was also silky smooth and you could taste the shiitake mushroom in whole which was firm and complemented the texture well.

Moving on to my selected main of unagi (grilled eel), it was smooth, soft and had a beautiful coating of that unami sauce that would make you go oomph. Overall, the dishes suited my palate and the hot tea surely complemented my lunch.

My only complaint was I felt excessively thirsty after the meal when I returned to office. Not sure if it was the unagi or the miso soup but that certainly made me revise my verdict and it suffered some penalty points.

Tempura sashimi set (S$28/++)The only distinct difference with my dining companion's lunch set was his tempura in place of my unagi. It was crispy and the batter coating the prawns and vegetables was light, without giving an overly greasy touch.I would recommend making reservations in advance, especially if you are dining in group of four and above. Tables are rather limited and the restaurant seems to be popular with Japanese clientele. For the prices paid and the quality of food served, I would certainly consider it to be fair and reasonable.

Despite the queue for tables which extended to the outside of the restaurant, the servers did not pressure us to leave and we were left to dine in comfort. It is also a decent place to meet up with business associates over lunch as one can expect to converse at ease with dining companions without having to shout across table. P.S: It would probably be easier to spot Shin Kushiya, another Japanese restaurant that is located right beside Botan since the former has a large signboard on the outside of the restaurant.

For review in full, please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/11/sg-botan-japanese-quality-food-at.html

Fans of desserts and cakes should be familiar with the name Patisserie G, which opened in November last year at Millenia Walk. Helmed by chef Gwen Lim, whose passion and appetite for quality desserts are inspired around the world from various chefs, she aspires to share what she loves to eat with her customers.

We ordered several cakes and had them on the go since we did not want to wait for a table and all the cakes arrived safely intact as the staffs took the extra effort to tape the serving cardboard for the cakes firmly to the box.

The G Spot (S$9/-)Known for its signature controversially named dessert, "The G Spot", it seemed too good to pass. With an impeccably smooth and glossed surface, the dark chocolate mousse with chocolate meringue sits on a chocolate hazelnut praline crunch. Slicing through the cake reveals a rather messy picture but it definitely overwhelmed us in terms of taste, flavours and texture. The melt-in-your-mouth mousse was perfectly complemented by the crunch of the hazelnut pieces. The richness of the quality dark chocolate used also meant that it could be a little satiating on one's appetite so we would surely recommend pairing with some tea or coffee or have this to share.

Blancheur (S$9/-)This was my personal favourite as I felt that the flavours were bold and checked all the respective boxes in terms of visual appeal and texture. The white chocolate mousse with raspberry coulis was the core of the dessert and was nicely tucked on a crumble base with a white chocolate almond coat.

We loved the tang especially from the raspberry sauce which impressed us with its natural taste, made from fresh raspberries. This was beautifully complemented and enhanced by the creamy and mildly sweet white chocolate. You could also taste the richness in the butter which went into making the crumble base.

Miromel (S$8.50/-)This milk chocolate mousse with creamy caramel and chocolate sponge on an Oreo cookie base, with a touch of peanut butter was insanely sinful and calories-laden BUT if you looked beyond that, you would be in for a sweet treat! Slicing through the cake reveals a nicely partitioned and layered interior and much praise could be given to the delicacy in crafting this dessert.

The flavours were again bold and intense like the other desserts tried. We struggled to taste the peanut butter but moving forward, we liked the quality ingredients that went into making the cake. Like the G Spot, it might be too much to finish the cake on its own due to the richness of the cake. Anyway, sharing is loving!

The G-Crunch (S$3.50/-)Labelled "Special of the Day", the G-Crunch brought back fond memories of those sweetened toasts that one can expect to find in bakeries. The thick toasts were baked to golden brown perfection with a nice crust and icing. There was a subtle hint of honey and a strong fragrance of butter with each tasteful bite.

While we were highly intrigued by the cakes tried, what impressed us was the dedication and commitment by the serving staffs in taking the time and effort to understand what we wanted before making the relevant recommendations. Despite other customers behind us trying to push forth and ask for recommendations, they were told, politely, to wait for their turn. Exclusivity and attentiveness coupled with the premium quality desserts won us over.

For review in full, please refer to http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/11/sg-patisserie-g-quality-desserts-at.html

As we walked past the shop, we could not help but be smitten by this French-inspired concept store which offers both a retail and dining experience. Like how it was intended to be, one could not help it but felt like he or she had returned to one of those imaginary magical worlds of childhood days. We last visited Au Chocolate quite a while ago and decided to have it another go!

There are three sections to Au Chocolate which is tucked quietly away at a corner of Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. The first shop front to greet would be the confiserie, which is a confectionery and chocolate atelier filled with candies, chocolates and all sorts of imaginable goodies! Then we also have a small takeaway counter which is located between the confiserie and the bistro. You would expect to find a wider range of cakes, macarons and pastries at the takeaway counter but if you fancy a dine-in at the bistro, do not be shy to request for your orders to be sent to your table!

Truffle Fries (S$15/++)What I particularly enjoyed about the truffle fries were that they were carved out of fresh potatoes where you could still see the potato skin attached to some of the crispy strips. It was drizzled with fragrant white truffle oil and seasoned with truffle sea salt. On the sides were mayonnaise and BBQ sauce to go along. Quite frankly, while we enjoyed the crisp texture of the freshly fried fries, I felt that the truffle fragrance lacked depth and intensity. The mayonnaise and BBQ sauce were nothing too great to rave about. Overall, it was good but not impressive.As we closely examined the 'newspaper' wrapping the truffle fries, you would notice that it is actually Au Chocolate Times! Mushroom Bites (S$15/++)The mushrooms came simmered in red wine sauce, paired with freshly baked bread and served with tasty tomato and olive jam. While we liked that the mushrooms retained the firm texture, giving it a slight chewiness and bounce, the flavours of the expected red wine sauce was slightly disappointing. Probably owed to the strong natural fragrance inherited from most mushrooms, the sauce failed to shine and tasted more like a good gravy. Coupled with the freshly baked bread which had a beautiful crisp crust to it, we enjoyed the complement in textures. The tasty tomato and olive jam tasted more like a variance to a tomato-based mayonnaise and while it did come appeal on my palate, it was well received by the ladies.

Au Chocolate frozen hot chocolate (S$12/++)This was a rather confusing and misleading drink to begin with. I struggled to find any element of 'hot chocolate' within the drink to give it any qualitative value. It was described as 'an all-time favourite' on the menu and since it resonated with the bistro's signature, we felt that it should be a 'MUST-TRY'. We were left hugely disappointed as it tasted plain pedestrian. With a generous amount of whipped cream crowning the frozen cold chocolate icy bits, the amount of calories in this drink would blow your mind off. The taste of the chocolate tasted mild and lacked intensity. We felt that the quality could have been better to warrant a simple iced cold chocolate drink at S$12++.

This drink took an awful long time before it finally reached our table. I submitted my request on two separate occasions after the order and on each occasion, I was assured that it was on the way. When I finally decided that I had enough and wanted to cancel the order, they seemed to expedite my request and had it before me within two minutes.

Au Chocolate Benedict (S$18/++)You could see that while it passed the classic eggs benedict test, it was not perfect. The poached egg did not look neat and I somewhat felt that the egg looked slightly clumsy and out of place compared to the one we had previously. I did not like the fact that there were 'lumps' of egg white and egg yolk.While the overall presentation with the muffin and bacon looked good, I was expecting a stronger punch in flavours and tastes from the homemade hollandaise sauce infused with red wine and dark chocolate. Again, the red wine element was sorely lacking and when enjoyed as a whole with the other elements on the plate, the dark chocolate failed to shine through. To give it credit, when we tasted the hollandaise sauce on its own, you could taste the chocolate taste cutting through, albeit mildly.

I might have set my expectations too high with the homemade hollandaise sauce but everything else on the plate was spot on. Crisp bacon and well toasted muffin with a nice portion of salad on the side.

Smoked salmon savoury crepe (S$20/++)While browsing through the beautifully illustrated menu, I was drawn to the savoury crepes which seemed unique as compared to its sweet counterpart. One would normally crepe to come with a sweet offering so this took me by surprise and the adventurous side of me decided to go for the smoked salmon.

The smoked Norwegian salmon came with finely-sliced crunchy Granny Smith apples covered in a rich cream sauce. When given the choice of a plain crepe or a chocolate rendition, we went for the latter. The crepe was freshly baked and there was a nice fragrance to it. It felt elastic and I found the thickness of the crepe to be ideal without too much flour to make it look like a pancake.

I thought that the combination was well thought out and sublime. The sweet and mildly sour tang from the green apples also gave a refreshing twist to the savoury smoked salmon while the textures were also well complemented with the crunchiness of the green apples.

The salad on the side was surprisingly addictive as it was topped with Au Chocolate's unique chocolate balsamic vinaigrette. While the salad was fresh, the dressing made all the difference with a perfect balance in acidity. Overall, this dish made my day and sealed it for me.I think that Au Chocolate has a beautiful setting and the intended 'magical world' decor that it was trying to achieve was certainly spot on. It seemed to transcend away from the affluence of the Marina Bay Sands into a corner reserved for the young and innocent. While the prices of the dishes certainly did not come cheap, it was affordable and well worth the experience.On the customer service aspect, I felt that some of the staffs were trying a little too hard to be nice when they failed to address the basics, such as making sure that orders were taken and making sure that they get served to the customers in a timely fashion. They were polite and humble in their conversations and was well appreciated. Overall, I felt that Au Chocolate is a decent bistro which has that relaxed ambiance for the diners but I would be more selective on my next visit.

Due to limitations in photo uploads, please refer to http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/10/sg-memorable-revisit-to-au-chocolate.html for more pictures.

Apart from the Tiong Bahru café enclave, Tanjong Pagar has been another one lately with so many cafés around! Just down the lane opposite Cake Spade, Drury Lane is yet another of those hipster places in a shophouse.

We were just full from our high tea snacks over at SPR.MKT, but decided to pop by after checking out their Facebook and got tempted by their candy bar pie.

Candy Bar Pie ($5)Looking at this and think of peanut butter nougat, salted caramel and chocolate tart base, how can anyone with a sweet tooth resist this sinful indulgence? Rich with a strong taste of peanut butter, it was a sticky chewy sweetness with caramel, paired with a moist chocolate crust, perfect for the sweet tooth cravings.

Do be prepared with a glass of water by the side though, as a few mouthfuls can get you jelat easily, with the overwhelming rich flavours involved. It would have been perfect if the saltish part of the salted caramel came through stronger to strike a balance, as it got a tad toooo sweet for us after a while. Great for the peanut butter lover, a richer rendition of the snickers bar for that quick sugar rush over coffee session!

Banana Bread with Espresso Butter ($2.50)A look at the dark crusts and a whiff of the espresso was half a battle won. Moist and soft slice of banana bread, it went perfectly well with the espresso butter. We loved the strong yet not overpowering espresso taste in it, and just a subtle banana flavour in the bread. Have a taste of the crust that’s slightly charred, perfecto! A good combination, don’t expect a strong banana taste in the bread (though I would personally prefer that), and it would have been better if the bread was warmer for serving!Distinctive red door to recognise!Pretty no-fuss menuSelection of dessertsSandwiches and pay-as-you-wish-muffinsFirst floor seating areaSecond floor seating areaWe almost missed out on these bottles of water, so remember to help yourselves before getting seated, especially if you're getting desserts!

Few of those cafes that got us thinking that we’ll be back, we’re already missing the banana bread and would want a shot at their baked eggs that sounds like the perfect start to any day! Oh, and for those looking to find a quiet space to work/study, they've got free wifi for you to tap on! More reasons to visit them I guess!

Craving for some high tea treats before heading to town, we decided to explore the Tanjong Pagar cafes that have been long overdue on our list.

Off we went to this rather odd sounding café near Amoy Street Food Centre, for those who’re wondering, it’s simply Supermarket, less the vowels and jazzed up with a lil’ of that cool factor. It’s pretty easy to have missed it without a very visible signboard at its entrance. In fact, I’d continued walking upon seeing it from opposite, thinking it was some travel-related business in it, until tmcy stopped us to take a closer look.

A chic and arty layout with some daily utensils, cooking crockeries for sale and art installation pieces, it was very much a lifestyle café, perfect for the slow afternoon or lazy weekends.

Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce ($6)This looked too tempting on the display that we had to give it a shot. Served slightly warm with the vanilla sauce on the side, it helped to keep it crisp on the top as you drizzle the sauce yourself. We loved the surprise mini chocolate crossiants on top, leaving us with flaky crispy pastry flakes for the contrast with soft pudding on the inside. We like how it wasn’t too sweet, and bonus was when you ate it with the chocolate crossiants in one mouthful! We would have preferred it warmer though everything else managed to satisfy our palate pretty well!

Truffle Fries with Kelp & Parmesan ($12)Just as I’ve been searching for good truffle fries, I’ve just been introduced to one of the best in town (though pretty pricey!) It looked promising when we were greeted with a strong fragrance of truffle, and served with shoestring fries, instead of fat fries where it tends to be harder to absorb the flavour.

You know how some truffle fries are simply lightly sprinkled with truffle oil on top that it just tastes like normal fries beyond the first layer? And some that are just too overwhelming that it gets jelat after a while? (which my friend calls it the ‘petroleum taste’) Well, this had neither of those. Every single fry was doused with truffle that was subtle yet addictive, and we loved how there were real truffle bits served in it. It wasn’t overpowering, and it remained crisp right down to the last fry standing! Forget the super big pile at P.S Café, forget the popular one at Au Chocolat, this is the one to come to when you’re unwilling to settle for just any truffle fries. A satisfying one, at least for me, this is my top choice so far! (but if you’ve come across any other good ones, please share with us!)Exterior of SPR.MKT, with several seats outside for alfresco diningDaily menuOn the inside!We loved the blackboard school-ish feeling to this!We haven’t tried the mains to determine the overall standards, though the sides selection were good enough to bring us back for a second time. Be sure to try the truffle fries on your visit!