Specializing in Thai cuisine, Folks Collective is located along Nankin Row at China Square Central. I have a particular liking for this area for despite the renovations and modern touches, it managed to retain the heritage aspect of the vicinity and rather than outshining Chinatown, which is a stone's throw away, this area of eateries plays a complementing effect.Folks Collective is a place which allows all the good folks to gather over shared meals and shared memories. Stepping in for the first time, we were not quite sure what to expect with a bar at the front and heritage memorabilia and decorations lining the walls and the most part of the restaurant.When we were shown to our table and finally presented with the menu did I realize that this is a Thai restaurant. You might have noticed that the setting had a mix of vintage touch yet jazzed up with strokes of contemporary fashion which resulted in a fusion cross-over.

They have a happy hour till 9pm where selected beers (Heineken and Tiger) were offered at one-for-one but moving on, the food was crucial for we were starving by now! We were divided on what to choose so we figured the best bet was to leave it to the experts to advise us and we based our orders on their recommendations.

Tom Yam Poteak (Seafood, Kaffir Lime, Sweet Basil and Lemon Grass) (S$8.90/++)You usually do not leave a Thai restaurant without trying their tom yum soup and on this occasion, it was a no brainer appetizer to tease our tastebuds. Innocent looking it might seem, but the soup packed a great deal of flavours, albeit strong too. The last bowl of good tom yam tried was at Ah Loy Thai and while this rendition was not as spicy, it sure was savoury. While the flavours were bold, it was also subdued in a pleasant fashion, making it enjoyable as a whole.

Do not be fooled by this petite bowl for it packed a great deal of seafood in there, with prawns, fish fillet and squid, topped with sliced red onions, dried chilli and coriander to enhance its flavours. The amount of seafood in there sure was generous and while we waited for our mains, this tom yam did its trick in titillating our senses!Before you mistaken these cups to be some Royalty decorations, these were actually cups for our plain iced water. Instead of serving them in the usual glasses, we were given these petite cups and the iced water was refillable too.

Grilled Pork Neck (with dried chili dip) (S$7.90/++)With limited stomach space, we had to strike out one of the recommended dishes and between the two, the lady recommended the grilled pork neck. While we loved the marinade of the protein, it however seemed to have spent a little too much time on the grill, leaving it slightly over-cooked. The meat was unfortunately considerably stiff.

That being said, the dried chilli dip was a winner and coupled with the marinade of the pork, it won us over easily. We would have enjoyed the dish a lot better if the protein was cooked perfectly. The dip was spicy yet not to the extent of having you scurrying for water to wash it down.

While we enjoyed a more value-for-money dish and did not mind the generous serving portion, the elongated plate seemed unable to keep the sliced pork neck on the plate and had pieces of it protruding outwards and almost touching the table. Perhaps an improvement to the cutlery would do the trick?

Overall, I thought that it was a good dish in terms of flavours and taste but let down by the technique and to a certain extent, the presentation.

Pad Thai Goong (flat noodle, banana prawns and tamarind dressing) (S$8.90/++)Surprisingly, the best plate of pad thai tried so far was in UK in a humble little city at Leicestershire. Unfortunately it closed down a few years ago and since then, I had been on the search for a good enough pad thai for me to return to consistently.

I loved everything about this rendition. The various ingredients and elements were checked, top down from the crushed roasted peanuts, dried chilli flakes, crunchy fresh bean sprouts, stir-fried noodles and that wedge of lime to sum it up neatly with a subtle touch of acidity.

The flavours were spot-on and there were elements of sweetness, sourness, savouriness and a hint of spiciness and the soft noodles were complemented with the crunchy bean sprouts and gritty crushed nuts. It was good enough for me to consider ordering another plate!

Ice Cream Kati (coconut ice cream, traditional toppings and glutinous rice) (S$4.90/++)If there is one reason I need to return to Folks Collective, it would have to be for this. The dessert menu looked simple but any foodies would know this undying need and desire to end off a savoury meal with a sweet offering, so we asked for recommendations for just one MUST-TRY dessert.

This was a homemade ice cream and no, it is nowhere close to your commercial ones. The coconut ice cream had a strong scent and taste and it was fresh and gave a clean and refreshing slate. There was a harmonious balance in terms of textures with the sticky glutinous rice as the base, then the smooth ice cream and all the crunchy toppings. The sweetness was enough to please one's palate and not overly done and overall the combination with the slushy coconut ice cream won both us over completely.Different parts of the restaurant had different themes and sets of furniture so throughout our dinner, we seemed to always keep finding some new aspects and elements to learn about. There was the vintage perspective, the modern takeaway and even an old-school gramophone to give the setting a spiced up shuffle.

The hospitality offered by the waiting staffs was immaculate and they were attentive to our requests though at times it seemed a little hard to catch their attention with the briskness of their business. We were greeted upon arrival and thanked with wide smiles on our departure. I also noticed that when a table of diners had left, they would clean the table almost immediately with antiseptic spray and cleaning fluid.

It was in general an enjoyable dinner with a nice ambiance for a reunion with friends matched by good customer service and quality Thai food. If anything, I would surely return one of these days for their Pad Thai and the memorable coconut ice cream dessert!

For full review and more photos, please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/09/sg-folks-collective-let-all-good-folks.html

Have you ever had one of those nights where you just wanted to have a simple and good dinner without burning a hole in your wallet? Nothing fanciful nor a meal to impress the lady but just a calories-worthy satisfactory meal. Then again, it does not seem quite that easy to churn out a list of such restaurants at the back of my head without having to do some Googling work.

Strolling along Scotts Road, it suddenly occurred to me that we had not try the secondary outlet of Saveur that is located at Far East Plaza! It is one of those names that I associate French dining with affordable pricing and that seemed like a rarity in any developed world's context, not to mention Singapore.

Walking up to the entrance, we were told that the wait would be around 15-20 minutes and lugging a full size cake around, we were not quite keen to hunt around for another eatery and settled for the wait with a seat at one of the stone benches outside. Our names and contact number was taken and the wait began...

'Ring ring, ring ring!', my phone finally rang after some 15-20 minutes and a table was ready! Right... it was not all that dramatic but moving on, we gingerly walked down some narrow steps to a basement flooring decorated with wooden furnishings and mirror panels. I requested for the server to store our cake in the fridge and they were more than willing to do so. There was also a partially open-kitchen concept at the end of the restaurant where you could catch a glimpse of the culinary action going on.Quite frankly, the seating arrangement was not perfect. Expect to sit really close to your neighbours and if you are nosey enough, perhaps eavesdrop on them gossiping about their colleagues. While it might not fit the setting for the 'Exclusive French Dining' experience, you are equally not paying the kind of prices at an atas French restaurant.

With the setting introduced, let us share with you our table of food!

Prawn Torchon (S$8.90/-) Flipping through the pages of the menu, this appetizer certainly caught my attention with it categorized under the 'Specials' offering. Tossed in herb soil, drizzled with mango salsa, citrus cream and mango vinaigrette, the King Tiger prawns were uniformly sliced at a titled angle taking particular care to cover each bite-size portion with the finely diced herbs.

The presentation was beautiful and certainly draw diners' attention, with our neighbours across throwing some salivating glances before asking for the name of the dish. What I particularly enjoyed about this simple appetizer was the complementation in textures with the soft cherry tomato, crunchy prawns and paper-thin bread toasts that cut through sharply with a crisp.

On the flavours, we were highly drawn as we personally have a preference for zesty flavours yet not overdoing with the levels of acidity. While the overall taste was a inclined towards a pleasantly sourish aftertaste, the balance was struck well with just the right amounts of sweetness in the citrus cream and mango vinaigrette.

To top it off, you could add a glass of Rose wine (Rutherford Round Hill White Zinfandel) at an additional S$10 with every order of this appetizer.

Saveur's Pasta (S$4.90/++)This is one of Saveur's signature dishes and served as a starter. It was simple pasta tossed with chilli oil, fine-chopped Japanese konbu and sakura ebi with minced pork sauce. One of the most enjoyable elements was non-other than the layer of texture created with the crispy sakura ebi (cherry shrimp). The pasta was cooked al dente and sprinkled with finely diced spring onions for that extra punch of fragrance.

The portion of the minced pork sauce could surely be improved upon to give a stronger contribution to the overall flavours to enhance the offering to one's palate.

Duck leg confit (S$10.90/++)Served alongside homemade mashed potato, sauteed Shitake mushroom, orange segments and orange infused natural jus, this main was one of the signatures and must-try. Quite simply, just look around the restaurant and you would find that most of the diners at the tables would have this as a staple at Saveur.

We enjoyed the crispy skin coating the tender red meat on the inside. It was cooked just nice which allowed the flesh on the inside to retain moisture. While the portion size was not the most generous, you definitely would get your buck's worth. The homemade mashed potato was creamy, refined in texture and really smooth. While the mash and the protein was a more savoury touch, it was beautifully spiced with the tang from the elements of orange introduced which added a hint of sweetness to complement.

The Shitake mushrooms were also cooked perfectly, retaining the firmness within. Overall, the dish would be proud enough to be the restaurant's signature.

A Roulade of Chicken Thigh staffed with Foie Gras-infused Chicken Farce (S$9.90/++)The roulade comprised of wrapped chicken thigh filled with foie-gras infused chicken stuffing which was then sliced uniformly and spread across creamy basmati rice and parmesan sauce. This would appeal strongly to those with a preference for creamy and cheesy food. The creamy basmati rice had a taste resembling that of risotto in terms of texture and was cooked with a slight hardness remaining in the rice.

Personally, I found it could be a bit satiating on the appetite due to the cheese and cream but my lady enjoyed it a lot more than me. The stuffing and protein was well-cooked in general, remaining moist and tender.

Textures of Citrus (S$6.90/++)Expect to be overwhelmed with lots of flavours with this dessert. From presentation to taste, there was a lot going on in each spoonful that goes into my mouth. With a blood orange jelly with orange granite, freeze-dried pineapple, feuilletine, citrus segments and lime zest, this is a must-order for those with a citrus-zesty palate.

The blood orange jelly complemented the melt-in-your-mouth freeze-dried pineapple and feuilletine gave that crisp flake like texture to make the different ingredients harmoniously synchronized. On the whole, while the flavours were citrus and on the sourish end, the natural sweetness from the orange made it very refreshing and tantalizing indeed. It might however be too intense for those with a milder palate.As you can see from the pictures, space between the tables may not be as comforting and while there are no tall and suave French men nor classy ladies to bring you glasses of red wine, the waiting staffs were polite, friendly and we had no problems trying to capture their attention at any point in time.

Plain refillable ice water is available for free and overall, the quality of food was good and above average. The chefs had put a conscious effort in terms of plating and pairing of ingredients to make each dish presentable and calories-worthy. I would however barely recommend this to be the dating spot to bring your other half if you are after a romantic French dinner for it could get quite boisterous though not to an extreme effect.

For full review and more photos, please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/09/sg-revisiting-saveur-as-good-as-last.html

When it came to liquid nitrogen ice cream, 'Just like it!' was our fourth try, with our first in London at The Chin Chin Laboratorists , then Lab Made in Hong Kong, third in Singapore at 320 Degrees Below and now this.

Having recently read that there was a new ice cream parlour opening, it would be a crime for dessert lovers like us to give it a miss!

I believe the laboratory setting and appealing combination of colours would draw passer-bys, but this theme is indifferent to that of The Chin Chin Laboratorists and Lab Made and having seen it for the third time, the 'wow-factor' just somewhat did not exist for us. We deliberated for a few moments since we just finished dinner and quite frankly, the staffs were not exactly approachable. Since we had our camera with us, we decided to give it a shot nonetheless.

So...how is this liquid nitrogen ice cream being made?

Essentially, you have your prepared solution stored chilled and you pour it into the blender. Then you release some of the compressed nitrogen gas and expose it to the solution, instantly transforming the solution into solid state by freezing it and there you go, 'freshly made' ice cream.First the blender...Then here comes the compressed nitrogen gas!Watch the effervescence take place!You know you are almost there when they start scooping, just hang in there.

Mandarin Curacao (S$4.90/- for regular serving but we had a free up-size!)There we go! Finally after some three minutes of a somewhat reminiscent Chemistry lesson, we were eventually furnished with our free up-sized cup of Mandarin Curacao ice cream. It was not on the menu but I spotted the bottle in one of the bottom-ranked shelves and requested if it was available. We had a free up-size and thought that was a really nice gesture!

The texture was spot-on with its smoothness yet preserving the level of richness. We love anything that bites, in a pleasant fashion of course, with a tang and the mandarin orange element in this nailed it for me. The zest was there and the liquor was considerably strong. Please do not expect to get a cheap 'high' out of enjoying alcoholic ice cream though coupled with sugar high, it might do some considerable damage. I am just kidding, seriously.

Anyway, the liquor content could be a touch too strong for those with a mild palate so do consider yourself warned. There were some bits of the mandarin orange fruit which I enjoyed but could do with a slightly more generous portion!

So we thought that we got smitten by the first take, let us return to try a second flavour!

Hazelnut cheese cracker (S$5.90/- for regular serving)I was secretly hoping for another free up-size but hopes and wishes do not always come true so back to reality with a regular serving. This was one of the recommended flavours and indeed it pleased our palate well.

Just as I was lamenting about the lack of texture after trying the Mandarin Curacao, I had it coming back at me like a boomerang! The flavours were rich and the taste reminded me fondly of Kinder Bueno (imagine that blended into ice cream) with cheese cracker bits to give that gritty texture so this won us over, completely. Flavour, taste, texture all checked.It is a takeaway booth and there are no seats for customers. While we had our ice cream 'created' before us and achieved the desired effect of drawing passer-bys' attention as many stopped to take a second look, just short of taking that extra step to try it.

Having tried liquid nitrogen ice cream for the fourth time, I would say that this is comparable to Lab Made from, but just shy of the creations and innovations of The Chin Chin Lab. Could we possibly expect more interesting flavours to be introduced? It also did not have any toppings unlike the other two establishments and while it is not the most ethical to draw comparisons, this is after all not a new initiative.

I tried to understand a little more from the gentleman serving me (not the one preparing the ice cream) but responses were mostly flat and non-engaging. I think it is imperative to understand that customer service forms a large part of the dining or in this case, takeaway experience. While your ice cream may taste great as a product, there is surely no lack of good home-grown ice cream parlours in Singapore with the likes of Daily Scoop, Island Creamery and Tom's Palette just to name a few, who can offer quality ice cream at affordable prices with a much more pleasant service.

To give some credit, one of the two ladies who concurrently took our orders was slightly more approachable and at least bothered to thank us for our patronage. Overall, the ice cream was good and surely one of the better ones in Singapore but I am sure that with improved service, it would be a much better experience.

Please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/09/sg-ramen-bar-suzuki-search-for-best.html for full review.

Having returned to Singapore, I learnt from my colleagues that we have a similar ramen craze like that in Hong Kong. With my last bowl of calories worthy ramen from Ichiran, I had since been struggling to find the next best challenger.

Receiving strong recommendations from several colleagues, we thought that Ramen Bar Suzuki would be a close contender. Can they survive the ramen test?

Let us find out!Arriving just after 12pm, a queue was already in sight. It seemed like the customers who obediently formed the queue are regular patrons since they were busy scribbling their choice of ramen and toppings on the order chit located at the front of the restaurant.Unlike Ichiran which only served one type of Tonkotsu ramen with choice over the types of toppings, the menu here had a wider range of offerings. There was the Pure White Tonkotsu Ramen (S$12.90/-), Jet Black Pig Bone Ramen (S$13.90/-), Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen (S$15.90/-) and various others.

The choice of toppings were similar ranging from flavoured boiled egg (S$1.50/-), black fungus (S$1/-), Yaki Nori Seaweed (S$1/-) to having extra protein with pork belly char siew (S$3/-).We took our seats at the counter as they conveniently became available when our turn was up.By 12.30pm, the eatery was packed busy and full of customers with the main bulk of its clientèle from the offices around the Raffles Place area.

After seeking permission from the serving staff, I got myself shutter busy, oblivious of the ongoing buzz within the restaurant.Many argue that it is hard to find value for money yet calories worthy food around the Raffles Place area. With free flow of sides such as bean sprouts, sliced lettuce, hard boiled eggs and even white rice, could this just be it?It was rather disappointing though that despite waiting for some 10-15 minutes, the empty jar of bean sprouts remained the state it was. I was half expecting it to be filled having heard about how crunchy and addictive it can be.

On a fairer note, I succumbed to picking up the few miserable strands left in the glass jar. Given that it was free and offered free-flow, I should not be asking for more, but on this occasion, I actually wanted to ask for more, literally. It was crunchy and fresh, despite being soaked in a sesame based gravy.For that extra kick of fragrance, you could get it from the range of little plastic containers readily available on the tables, which even have garlic flakes for that added oomph! Just mind the burp, excuse me. Do not forget your free flow of iced tea to soothe that heat.

There is a mantra here at Ramen Bar Suzuki that details how best to enjoy your bowl of ramen.

1) Taste one spoon of the soup.
2) Eat the noodles fast before it becomes soggy.
3) Grind the sesame into the ramen for extra fragrance.
4) Want intensity and added richness? Sprinkle some garlic chips into the broth.
5) Toss in some petite pieces of fried pork if you ain't a weight watcher.
6) If the noodles ain't enough, get an extra serving! (traditionally known as kaedama)

Pure White Tonkotsu Ramen (S$12.90/++)I usually like my noodles a little on the hard side for that al dente touch and texture and this was served just to my liking. The char siew was tender and uniformly sliced to a fine thickness. Serving size was decent even for a guy and the takeaway was that beautiful broth. It was rich and certainly brought out the essence out of that pork bone. While it might not be the easiest task to draw comparison when it comes to broths, I found the one at Ichiran just a notch superior in terms of depth of flavours.

Do not be mistaken. The broth was brilliant but having tried one of the best ramens in Hong Kong and arguably Japan since it was a franchise from Japan, my benchmark of a good rendition is certainly at a high level. This somewhat lacked just that extra bit of oomph to make me swoon all over.

Pure White Tonkotsu Ramen with additional egg and seaweed (S$15.40/++)My dining companion had about the same with the additional toppings. I was disappointed with the egg which was supposed to at least have a semi-runny egg yolk but it seemed not too different from the hard-boiled eggs.

The sliced lettuce and remnants of beansprouts actually complemented the ramen beautifully adding an extra layer of crunchy texture to it. Oh well, do I hear five-a-day?Apparently a few of my colleagues are regular patrons and provided an interesting feedback which I would love to put to a test one day. The noodles provided during lunch time is typically less than that served for dinner for they believe that one should consume less in the day and a relatively larger serving in the evening. This might somewhat make carb sense because they do not serve the free flow rice during dinners.

For those working around the area, you would be familiar with the queue at Ramen Bar Suzuki by now, so if you fancy your bowl of ramen, do try to head there by 12pm to beat the queue and the overbearing afternoon Sun of course.

Quite frankly, I do not think there is much ambiance to speak of. Expect to share tables with strangers (or at least sit awfully close) if you are dining solo or as a couple and I would not really desire to stay long after my meal (at least in the afternoon).

On the service, I thought that the waiting staffs were polite and attentive. Please note that they only accept CASH, so remember to head down to the nearest ATM machine before joining the queue for your bowl of Tonkotsu ramen! Also, the standard practice is to submit your order chit to the receptionist, make your payment then get your table and last your ramen, in that order too.

Personally, I consider the price affordable and matched by a quality broth and ramen. I have my reserves on the toppings and free sides but that was partly due to the fact that they were either not quite up to standard or were not available. Having learnt that titbit on the varied portion size for dinners, I am now quite tempted to bring my lady next to give it a round two test.

Have we found the best ramen in town? Hmm..let us come back to this after trying a few other top picks! Stay tuned for our reviews!

For full review, please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/09/sg-cake-spade-sweet-respite-from.html

While on our recent hunt for good cheesecakes around in Singapore, we came across online reviews of Cake Spade (careful, you might want to slow down on the pronounciation), speaking of their tofu cheesecakes. Single-handedly opened by Zenn with her hobby in baking which grew to a store front, it was a cosy space conveniently located at Orchid Hotel, a few doors down from Two Blur Guys. For first-timers like us, not to worry, simply ask for recommendations and you'll be greeted with an enthusiastic owner proudly recommending her craft for our pre-dinner cake cravings.

On her list of recommendations were of course the tofu cheesecake, with no real tofu but silken soft cheese likened to the texture of tofu, the Hummingbird Cake, Chocolate Blackout Cake, Chocolate Banana Cake, its daily special of Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcake and Salted Caramel Tart.Peach Tofu Cheesecake ($5.50)

Settling down with a Peach Tofu Cheesecake, we were pretty fascinated by how the cake bounces and clearly shown in the jelly portion. Similar to that of jelly hearts which some might be familiar with baking yourself, this indeed came with silken smooth cheese in the middle and a crumbly biscuit base rich in butter fragrance. The jelly portion came with very q jelly that made it slightly hard for cutting with that 'doiing doiing' touch to it.

We loved the base but would have preferred the cake with a stronger taste of cheese. It was overshadowed by the strong peach flavour and sweetness from the peach cubes that it tasted more like a peach cake than cheesecake. Ideal for those who tend to shy away from the strong taste of cheese!Hummingbird Cake ($5.90)

We were caught in a dilemma with the variety of indulgent choices on display. Deciding to get this for its interesting tropical combination of banana cake with coconut and pineapple, it got us curious for a second bite dissecting the tastes within. There was a nice fragrance of coconut, matched with a tinge of pineapple which reminded me somewhat of the taste you find in those kinda fruit cakes you buy off-the-shelf. We couldn't really find the banana in it, until we were nearing the end and eating it on its own without the cream cheese.

It seemed to me like a hybrid between carrot cake and fruit cake, though it was surprisingly moist as we'd typically expect such cakes to be on the dryer side. It was a tad too rough, and you could feel the cake bits lingering after every mouthful. Well, not sure if it's to give an added texture, I would have preferred a softer and smoother cake to go along. A nice attempt combining these tropical flavours nonetheless!Articles featuring the young entrepreneur and her love for cakesA simple display of the cakes available, what you see, is what you getMenu and their price tagsA small, cosy space that you might easily miss if you're not on the lookout!

A good place to chill especially if you're working around the area, a pity that my office has shifted, else I'd probably visit more often to try out other flavours they have! It may not have the cakes to impress, but it's a good place to have some downtime while digging into some decent sweet treats.