If there was one F&B establishment that I would name which has the best marketing and branding team, TWG Tea would certainly be one of the hot picks. The Wellness Group Tea Company, abbreviated to TWG Tea is a Singapore-based luxury tea company with salons across the world. While I first chanced upon this brand of premium tea-leaves in the UK and subsequently in HK, it was only later did I realize that it originated from Singapore!

Singapore's pivotal role in the tea trade was instrumental for the company to decide upon the lion city as the organisation's headquarters. Quite frankly, the tea salon which is characterised by its luxurious layout and presentation had more often than not been intimidating - well a meal there certainly does not look cheap. While it predominantly sells tea, in tea-bags like your usual 'Lipton' English tea, TWG Tea also retails hand made tea-infused food, including savoury items, pastries and desserts. They also prepare accessories such as hampers, tea scented candles and teacups made of gold and platinum which would most certainly impress gift-receivers.

We were in the vicinity of Marina Bay Sands and while we wanted to rest our feet after an afternoon of walk-around, TWG Tea came to mind and after some 15 minutes of queue time, we finally got ourselves a table.

The menu entailed a very comprehensive range of premium and flavoured tea-leaves and would almost certainly satisfy tea-lovers. The only shame was that I am a true coffee fanatic and it would be terribly difficult to have me converted with a cup of mild caffeine from the premium tea.

While we struggled to decide our orders, we eventually settled for the following:

1837 Crepe with Jasmine Ice Cream (S$14 + S$3/-)The freshly made crepe was served with handmade berry marmalade made of raspberry, blueberry, cherry and blackcurrant infused with 1837 Black Tea. The ice cream was surprisingly creamy and melted almost instantaneously upon being served as it comes into contact with the freshly baked crepe. While we enjoyed the soft and warm crepe that was baked to perfection with just a slight tan and a slight chewiness, we felt that the fragrant Jasmine flavoured ice cream complemented the dessert well. We also enjoyed the overall combination of the dessert, which had a beautiful tang from the fresh berries and you could taste the richness of the marmalade.

Financiers with Matcha Tea, 2 pcs (S$9/++)We felt that the matcha financiers were rather overpriced. While it was well baked, with a nice crust on the edges, the almond flavour did not come across strong enough. It was probably masked by the matcha powder used in the making. While it made a decent rendition of financier, it certainly did not come cheap.The financiers were served with TWG Tea jelly and whipped cream. These two complemented the matcha flavoured financiers perfectly and the jelly had a subtle sweetness that kept us scooping more! The whipped cream however was light yet rich and the combination with the jelly was simply sublime. We highly recommend to order the other pastries such as madeleines or scones just so you could pamper your palate with this homemade jelly and whipped cream.

Floral tea (S$11/++)Well, as mentioned earlier in this post, I am terrible when it comes to appreciating tea but at S$11/+ per pot for two small cups, I am not sure if it was worth it. On a secondary note, we always preferred traditional English tea rather than floral or scented tea, so I would reserve my comments on this particular signature that was recommended.I honestly think the branding of TWG Tea is brilliant if not, perfect. They have a Caucasian in each and every of their outlet, even in their outlet in Hong Kong at IFC. It exhibits a really 'classy' image especially with the cutlery and interior design of the outlets.

Was the service impeccable? Hardly. We ordered an extra serving of two scoops of ice cream but they were not served and it slipped our minds as well. It was however charged to the bill. If I may be completely honest, TWG Tea would resume to be the place that I turn to if I needed to get some quick gifts for overseas friends but for me to return for a high-tea or proper meal, there would certainly be some inertia.

While searching for a place to satisfy my friend’s tze char cravings and looking for a somewhat central location, we decided to settle here with their infamous Chao Ta Bee Hoon. Imagine my quizzical look when I was told that burnt food was actually famous, my first thought was that this was probably an accidental dish. A small coffee shop few streets down from Swee Choon, it’s easy to miss them especially with the many turns and road works happening in the area.

Chao Ta (Burnt) Beehoon ($18, Large)This is probably a staple on every table there, and the main star for our trip there. If you hate towgays like me, this would have been a good one as they’d separated the towgays from the beehoon, saving you the trouble of picking it out! Well, I wasn’t sure what to expect for chao ta beehoon (or burnt beehoon for direct translation), but it sure looked like the portion was too small to cost $xx.

Pan-fried to a golden crispy brown, it was hard on top, tasting like the burnt layer (锅巴) that you can usually find at the base of claypot rice. It was slightly chewy and tends to get stuck while chewing, so being the lazy me, this wasn’t exactly my preferred style of beehoon, and we thought it was just good without the burnt layer on top. I liked how it was very well cooked, soft and fine strands that weren’t too oily so that you wouldn’t get jelat of it. I’m not a fan of beehoon, but I loved how this had the homecooked flavor to it. Though not having the burnt layer would have been ideal for me, it’s probably preferred by some, and otherwise, why would you go all the way there for some ordinary beehoon? (;

Butter Squid ($12, Small)This was an addictive one for me! I usually shun away from butter but this was too fragrant to resist. Good for sharing just like calamari, it was deep fried before stir-frying in the butter sauce. Rich and fragrant, it basically goes with anything, though some might find it jelat after a while since it’s slightly stronger on its taste. I found the squid a little overcooked, hence it got too hard. Overall a decent one, making me crave for more butter dishes the next day!

Stir-Fried Kai Lan ($12, Large)Simple greens to satisfy my friend’s random odd cravings for kalian, I like the selection of young kalian here. Having the crunch to it, yet not too raw, it was cooked just nice for my liking, though the sauce was a little too heavy to go with the dish.

Seafood Beancurd ($14)Downing some piping hot and tender soft beancurd to warm our hungry stomachs, we're a little biased towards this. It came while we were extremely hungry and felt very satisfying with the soft tofu settling down in our stomachs. We had it again when we weren't so hungry and found it quite a normal piece, though silken soft and done well with the freshness of seafood coming through, adding flavour to the otherwise plain tofu. Simple pleasures in life, I guess?

Prawn Paste Chicken ($10, Small)Eating this is always a chore (though shiok!) with the crispy fried chicken. A thoughtful gesture of serving it in cubes, it was easy to eat glam-ly, without having the bones in the way. I thought it lacked the flavour of prawn paste, hence the aroma didn’t quite come through very strongly when it was first served. It tasted just like any other fried chicken, with a very subtle hint of prawn paste, and a tad too tough.

Though a decent tze char place with the dishes we’ve tried, it didn’t quite manage to impress me with its signature. With those dishes we’ve tried, we probably wouldn’t go down specially for it as you can get those at any other tze char stalls.

While on the search for the best tiramisu in Singapore, we've been told by many to try L'Atelier for a piece of that perfect concoction. Located at Central Clarke Quay, it was tucked in a quiet corner in the basement, spotting a quiet small space when we reached a tad too early for our desserts fix!Greeted by a strong coffee aroma, we were almost distracted from our mission to hunt down the perfect piece of tiramisu. While being spoilt for choice on the flavours of tiramisu variants available, we were glad to find a sampler version, a thoughtful gesture for those who're fickle like us, wanting a bit of everything!

Sampler ($15)With four flavours cautiously packed into small little containers, you get a taste of lychee, matcha, dark cherry and 2 classics. We thought this was good enough for sharing and if you'd just want a little to sample before deciding on which piece to order for the usual size!

Classico
Of course, we had to have an idea of how its 'usual' tasted like first. First mouthful, we thought there was a little overdose of cocoa powder sprinkled on the top layer, leaving it very dry and a tad overwhelming with the cream. Digging in deeper, however, we found the sponge fingers too moist , with the bottom layer soaked throughout. We loved the strong kick of espresso though, and thought the flavour was just right.

Lychee
We thought this sounded the lightest of all and was expecting a refreshing fruity touch amidst the sinful indulgent mascarpone cheese cream. First mouthful left us pretty shocked, with a strong cinnamon taste from the powder on top, then a subtle lychee taste coming through. It sounds as mismatched as what we'd tasted, and even after several mouthfuls, we still couldn't reconcile the both. Though there were lychee bits in the combination, the taste of lychee had a tinge of artificiality, like those you'd find in lychee essences. I'm typically a fan of lychee-based products but this was a disappointment.

Matcha
We loved the strong taste of matcha, and the good quality of matcha powder used. It was rich and flavorful but perhaps due to the overdose of powder on top as per the other samplers, it then got a little bitter with the aftertaste kicking in.

Dark Cherry
My first association with dark cherry - Black Forest cake. We were expecting a tad more alcoholic
content with soaked cherries in it, but this was more of cherry compote used in giving the cherry taste to it. It was a little too sweet for my liking and somewhat like softer version of chocolate cake rather than tiramisu. An alcoholic version of it would have been better for us, though this was still a decent piece.

Classico ($6.80)If based simply on the samplers, we probably wouldn't order another piece since it all tasted pretty average to us. But we were glad we decided to try out the individual slices, getting a piece of our most preferred Classico from the verdict of our sampler version.

Very much different from the sampler, we thought this had a well-balanced level of moistness throughout. The cocoa powder and chocolate shavings on top weren't overwhelming and we loved the strong espresso coming through. The ladyfingers weren't, however, fully soaked so it didn't give the overly moist and 'nua' texture, yet packing a full flavour of strong coffee in it! We thought this was nicely executed with an impressionable flavour left on us. What would have been perfect would have been a stronger alcohol taste to it, to top off the perfect tiramisu experience!

Pandan ($7.20)This was one of the latest additions to their tiramisu selection, and there's even an ongoing promotion going on, bundling a coconut drink with this for $10. We were pretty full given that this was our pre-dinner desserts, hence ordering only ala carte to try it out.

It lives up to its name indeed, tasting just like pandan cake, with a strong fragrance of coconut coming from the shavings on top. The textures blended pretty well, with smooth cream cheese on top yet not overwhelming. Sandwiched in the middle, however, was the sponge layer that seemed artificially green with its bright rich colour. There was also brown crunchy surprises hidden beneath, tasting somewhat like hazelnuts, adding an interesting layer of texture to it! I found it a little too sweet for my liking, perhaps especially since I was craving for a strong dose of coffee just like that of the Classic version. Though we think it's probably not worth that price tag for a taste so similar to our homely pandan cakes, those looking for a creamier version of pandan cakes might want to give it a shot!A small cosy space accommodating only about 3 tables, it's best to visit before the usual desserts time or to have it for takeaway. This has indeed managed to meet our expectations of a good slice of tiramisu, and we'll probably be back for more soon! As for the other flavours, we weren't exactly impressed and would probably stick to our preferred classico piece.

Fans of oysters would probably have heard of Tanuki Raw before, with its value-for-money $2 huge oysters during happy hour with orders of their drinks. Spotting a plate of half dozen oysters on every table, we were probably the exception being there, as both of us don't eat raw stuffs.

Rockstar ($10)
Seared salmon draped over mozzarella and covered with mentaiko sauceThis was the highlight of our meal, and I was left captivated by this rock star. This has got to be the most amazing combination here, and I loved the slight burnt taste from the seared top, making it flavorful, pairing perfectly with the mentaiko sauce. The sauce was a nice complement, unlike the usual which would overwhelm the taste of it. In fact, it helped accentuated the seared portions and the otherwise dull mozzarella in the combination. This is the rockstar indeed. At the end of our meal, we regretted almost immediately as we walked out, for not ordering another plate of this!

Tanuki Balls ($12)
Truffled beef carpaccio draped over deep-fried cheese potato ballsLooking like a glorified Tako ball nicely presented, this probably wasn't very justified for its price tag of $4 per piece. Apart from the truffled beef slice lain on top for that tapas pretty presentation, the potato balls itself was just ordinary, pretty much just mashed potato with cheese. I liked how it was loose and not too heavy on the inside, with the cheese surprisingly complementing the beef slices well and not overpowering. The combination was good, yet the simplicity of it didn't seem to garner a $12 worth of dish served.

Shrimptastic ($10)
Ebi fry roll sprinkled with sakura ebi and drizzled with spicy sauce We thought this was quite your typical kind of ebi tempura, well complemented with the crunchy fried ebi bits sprinkled on top. The spicy sauce was a tad too overwhelming that it masked the taste of the roll itself. I didn't quite fancy the strong and creamy sauce, perhaps having it served on the side for dips would have been better without overwhelming the dish!

Trio of Fries ($8)
spam, lotus root and truffle friesHow can anyone resist fries? We loved this basket with abit of everything to try out more variety! The spam sticks were too thin that it was just like having those Indian sticks snacks with a distinct fried taste to it, making it quite jelat after a few sticks. It lacked the texture of spam I was looking for, and the fried/burnt taste of it didn't quite sit well with me.

Thinly sliced lotus root, it tasted just like chips, though we found it just wayyyy too salty and lacked the fresh crisp crunch to it. This wasn't exactly an impressive one and we still loved our classic truffle fries. Subtly infused with the truffle taste, it was surprisingly good for such thick version. As the truffle taste was subtle and smooth, it got quite addictive without the jelat/overwhelming taste. The truffle still won the battle at the end!

Tanuki Aburi ($11)
Trio of the following:Yuzu SalmonMentaiko ScallopSpicy crab meat torched on a scallop shellOut of the trio, we found the spicy crab meat the most disappointing of all. Expecting real crabmeat in the dish, it tasted simply like the surimi sticks cut up into cubes then drizzled with spicy sauce to mask partially the fishy taste.

I loved the yuzu sauce accompanying the salmon aburi, though I'm never a fan of raw food so I was just dipping into the sauce! With a sweet base, there was a slight refreshing citrus touch to it, making the cream base taste light and addictive.

The scallop was our favorite of the trio, with slightly torched surface and mentaiko sauce. I guess you can't really go wrong with mentaiko! The fresh scallop cubes with a bounce went perfect with the creamy sauce and got us addicted!

Bacon Shishamo Wrap ($10)
Pregnant smelt fish, streaky bacon, shredded radish and wasabi mayo served burrito-styleThis was quite a major disappointment. A combination of ingredients that sounded sinfully good, it failed to bring out the best in both, and drew our attention instead to the heaps of lettuce, vermicelli and thick burrito skin. The proportion of the main highlights were simply too little, and it took us quite a while before being able to taste the shishamo. The wasabi mayo didn't quite go with the bacon and shishamo too, and we thought it tasted better on its own, without the sauce.

ASC ($10)
Rich asparagus with raw norwegian salmon and melted cheeseThis didn't seemed like its description and we had to verify with them before digging in. Topped with perhaps their universal sauces used in almost all the dishes, the asparagus was hidden inside, wrapped with salmon and a dap of the cheese on the inside. I found the salmon a little too dry for my liking, while the asparagus was too soft and mushy. It lacked the varying textures and it was all too mushy for my liking.

Little Pig ($10)
Juicy bacon and sake-poached green apple in a reverse roll with pomodoro sauceThis sounded great from the description, and perhaps with high expectations come high disappointments. We couldn't really taste much of the sake apple and the bacon was a tad too tough, with an aftertaste that didn't sit well with me. I loved the different textures you can find in a mouthful with chewy seaweed and the crunchy fried exterior. A pretty decent one if you weren't having such high expectations!

Alice in Wonderland ($18) and Brothers Toffee Apple Cider ($14)Under their signature cocktails list, Alice sounded like an adventure to take on, on a whimsical night. I loved the smoothness of it, and what seemed like mango to us as the base. Refreshing and light, it was perfect for some light alcohol night. Take note that these two aren't covered in the list of happy hour happy prices though!

A rather small space and cramped sitting area, it isn't exactly the place to go for chilling nor for spending long dinners. The food was decent, though slightly pricey and some not exactly worth the price tag. They do have some lunch specials which we thought were pretty worthwhile, with a don rendition of rockstar at just slightly more than $10. Good to visit if you're working around the area! Oh, they do have a live band performance too, on every Tuesday and Friday nights, though we couldn't see it when we visited, and it sounded like just some background music they'd played. Probably good for those who're planning to head for alfresco dining to enjoy it! They don't take it reservations, probably due to the popular demand of their happy hour oysters, hence be there early to get seats!

For full review, please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/10/sg-tanuki-raw-great-for-oyster-lovers.html

Oktoberfest is the world's largest fair held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. A 16-day festival which runs from late September to the first weekend in October, it is estimated that 6 million people attend the event yearly and celebrations include the excessive consumption of beer, Hendl (chicken), Schweinebraten (roast pork), Schweinshaxe (grilled ham hock), Wurstl (sausages) and Brezen (pretzel).

So...how did the event come about? It was said that Crown Prince Ludwig, which later became King Ludwig I was married to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen on 12 October 1810. The joyous royal event was therefore marked for celebrations even till today but the festivities were advanced to September to allow for celebrations in better weather conditions.

While we searched for the best Oktoberfest parties in Singapore, we settled for Brotzeit which had over the years developed to be brand where common folks like us could easily associate with German cuisine and the bier (beer) of course. Serving freshly brewed draught beer from Paulaner, it is no wonder this F&B chain had been so successful since its inception to the local scene in 2006 with regional footprints in Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China (Shanghai and Shenzhen), Philippines and Thailand.

Let us start the evening to a toast with our 1-litre tall mugs! Prost!We were largely tempted to go for the Oktoberfest platter which came to S$168++ for a feast fit for a King! Designed for party-goers of 4 - 6 pax, we had to give it a miss due to the sheer amount of food served, such as ribs, pork knuckle, grilled sausages, etc. Considered lightweight by the standards of the Germans, we went for individual portions of our preferred choices!

Schweinshaxn (Pork Knuckle) - S$36/++With limited portions served each day, there was surely no missing this crispy hind shank of grain fed pork served with potato salad, sauerkraut and homemade sauce on the side. There was simply nothing to fault about this pork knuckle with its tender soft meat on the inside complemented by the crispy skin coating it. Expect to hear the crackling as we gorged ourselves silly with the pork and the beer!While the homemade sauce was supposed to enhance the flavours of the pork knuckle, we felt that it was rather pedestrian and nothing too impressive. The viscous brown sauce enriched the juiciness of the meat underneath that crispy skin but standalone, the flavours were rather muted and dull.The ladies loved the potato salad! The potatoes were cut to bite-sized portions and generously coated with its own house dressing which was based on mayonnaise and similar to the US counterpart rather than the classic 'Kartoffelsalat', which is a popular variation prepared with vinegar and oil. There was a good balance of sweetness and just a touch of tang in the dressing which made it surprisingly addictive!

Nurnberger (Grilled pork sausages) - S$16/++A German meal can never be complete without sausages so these pork bratwurst sausages were a must-try. It was served with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut but the highlight was none other than the savoury sausages oozing with juices as one takes the first bite.The sauerkraut translates to sour cabbage, which is essentially finely cut cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. Apart from having a long shelf-life, it has a distinctive sour flavour which is a result of the lactic acid that forms when the bacteria ferment the sugars in the cabbage. Did that gross you out yet? If not, then stay with me - because this was surprisingly good and helps neutralize the flavours and tastes from the sausages and the pork knuckle. While it could not be regarded as a healthier side dish, it enhanced the sausages and pork knuckle and I soon found myself drawing the last strings of the finely cut cabbage!

Mashed potato - S$5/++The mashed potato was impeccably smooth and had a rich creaminess to it that the ladies could not resist and had to order a separate serving to satisfy their craving. Served with finely sliced, deep fried shallots, it added an additional layer of crispy texture to the fine mash.

Fladen Speck (Bacon Pizza) - S$16/++Served on a squarish plate, every inch of this looked just like a normal pizza and we unanimously concluded that we ordered a bacon pizza. While it sounded boring and nothing too fanciful, it was pleasant to the palate and definitely went very well with the beer. Some might find the chilli a touch too spicy but hey, that is what the beer is for! Generous amounts of mozzarella cheese, bacon, onions, vine ripened tomatoes and tomato sauce, this bacon pizza was well received. We especially loved the rye bread base that was considerably thick of about 3mm which I felt gave enough 'dough' to each bite.We managed to be seated by 8pm and the draught beers were considerably cheaper where the 1-litre came at S$21/++. It would have been S$26.5/++ after 8pm, which make a considerable amount of savings! We had the Hefe - Weissbier, which is the typical beer from Munich; top fermented, unfiltered and made with wheat malt. It is naturally cloudy with vitamins and hints of banana.

While there was the usual manly bitter after taste in the beer and especially German lager, it was smooth and suited even the ladies. My only complaint was that while it was naturally frothy, the beer came rather short of its full 1-litre serving.

It was cash on delivery for the drinks and meals, so have your cash or cards handy to pick the tab as soon as the orders were served. The ladies serving our table were friendly and approachable though the loud music and partying in the background made talking quite a chore and at times we were shouting our orders across!

Good beer, gorgeous food, lovely ambiance and great customer service, it certainly left us trio impressed! Looking forward to the next German meal already!