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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fern & Kiwi originated from New Zealand, with the management behind opening their first cafe back in 1988. With 25 years of experience and 21 cafes under the brand name Lone Star Cafe, they decided to venture overseas with Singapore as the selected destination last year with its offering of food, wines, beers, music and live entertainment all served in a friendly and fun atmosphere.

Admittedly, I am not an expert when it comes to the authentic New Zealand cuisine. Some research pre-dinner led me to discover that it is largely similar to Australian and British food with influences from Mediterranean and the Pacific Rim. It is also driven by local ingredients and seasonal variations and interestingly, "dinner" (also know as "tea") is the main meal of the day where families typically gather and share their evenings. This inspired restaurants to generally provide a larger proportion of the diet!

So, should we be expecting big portions of food?! Mmmmm...Split into a bar and restaurant, we went for the latter which was located on the first floor. Upon reaching the entrance of the restaurant, we were given the option to take a manually-operated lift or the flight of stairs. Feeling lazy, we decided to try the lift which involved us holding on to a button to propel it upwards!

Upon being ushered to our table, we were prompted for a bottle of "Still" or "Sparkling" water and I naturally assumed that they do not serve tap iced water. It was after ordering a S$12 bottle of "Still" water did we realise that they actually serve iced water for free.

Sea salt & pepper squid (S$18.5/++)While the name suggested an Oriental touch since salt and pepper is quite a common method of preparing dishes, this came as a slight surprise to us. Instead of the usual deep-fried version sprinkled with salt and pepper, the underlying dressing was based on a sweetened soy sauce with hint of coriander, chilli and lemon. The squid was beautifully cooked, which retained a nice crunch without tasting too rubbery. This was complemented by the crispy batter coating which unfortunately was falling off the fresh seafood. The portion size was generous and what I particularly enjoyed were the large chunks of squid rather than petite portions.

Kumara mash (S$9.50/++)This is a traditional New Zealand sweet potato mash. In terms of texture, we felt that Brotzeit and Bistro Du Vin fared better by being smoother but this had a subtle natural sweetness from the sweet potato that kept us going! Surely a very delectable side to warm our stomachs.

Rustic hand cut potato fries with truffle oil (S$11/++)Using fresh potatoes to make their fries, it still has potato skin unpeeled! While these fries were perfectly done, golden-brown crispy delicious on the outside, moist and tender on the inside, the fragrance of the truffle oil were sparingly spread across the fries. The distribution was also rather uneven, so most of the time, I felt that I was enjoying a good basket of good french fries rather than truffle fries.

Braised beef cheek (S$38/++)The slow-braised beef cheek was quite a disappointment. Served on "Lady Claire" mash potatoes (which in fact is a pretty common type of potatoes) and root vegetables such as brussel sprouts and carrots, it gave an "earthy" touch to the dish. While the idea was good, the execution required improvements as the beef cheek tasted too stiff to our liking. In fact you would be able to taste the strands of it. While the jus impressed us with a savoury aftertaste, it was rich and strong.

Pure South New Zealand beef fillet (S$45/++)While the New Zealanders term it the "Eye Fillet", most people would be more familiar with the term "Tenderloin". Due to the cut being closer to the rear of the cow, the muscle actually does little work and explains why it is usually the most tender beef cut.

We requested it to be served medium-rare and it was perfectly cooked, just the way we wanted. These 225 grams of grain fed protein was nicely complemented with a side salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar and a pot of brown, mushroom-flavoured, creamy sauce which did not quite suit my palate for the evening. Overall, I liked that the slab of tenderloin was carefully handled in the hands of the chef who knew how to handle this protein well.

Pork spare ribs - A Lone Star Classic (S$38/++)This dish again spotted an element of Oriental cooking as the three tender ribs were slow baked with honey, hoisin and orange glaze. Personally, I felt that the overall taste weighed on the heavy side which did not quite match our palate. The flavours were strong and bold and I found it too sweet for my liking while the taste of hoisin sauce sharply cut through our palate. While it was an interesting twist, I figured that it has an acquired taste and on this occasion my taste buds were in disapproval mode.

No complaints on the thick-cut fries and the crunchy homemade coleslaw which tasted fresh and crisp.

The Fern (gin, triple sec, cucumber juice, lime juice and mint) & The Kiwi (42 below kiwi, midori, kiwi puree, lime juice, vanilla and basil) - S$19/++ eachThe two ladies at the table had the house's signature cocktails. It actually went well with the dishes tried since both "The Fern" and "The Kiwi" had a refreshing twist to the savoury mains. Not quite a connoisseur when it comes to wine, I went for their wine on tap, the "Revolution Pinot Noir". There was also a "Happy Hour" promotion which ends at 8pm and all house pours, beer inclusive, were priced at S$10/nett. The red wine tasted light, clean and crisp which suited my palate for that evening. If you are after a full-bodied or fragrant type of wine, you would be better off seeking other recommendations.

Lemon 7 Yuzu (S$15/++)This was a rather interesting dessert with a lemon yuzu bar being the main highlight, which had a rather firm texture to it. Paired with passion fruit caramel, crushed candy meringue, freeze dried pineapple, raspberry and coconut soil, expect to be overwhelmed in terms of the different elements offered. We love the acidity and tang from the passion fruit and raspberry which cut through the sweet flavours from the candied meringue and caramel. Served on a stone slab, it was also beautifully dusted and surely won us over in terms of presentation and tastes.

Warm coffee floating island (S$14/++)While the Lemon Yuzu impressed us, this dessert honestly lacked any aesthetic elements. The espresso float was paired with walnut caramel, chocolate crumble and coffee kahlua sponge crouton topped with vanilla ice cream. There was an interesting blend of textures from soft brownie-alike texture to a crystallized crunch, the flavours were also rather intense but I felt that the overall presentation could be improved to make it more appetising.

Overall, while Fern & Kiwi offers a good ambience perfect for dates and a more intimate level of dining with its carefully decorated interior, it surely does not come cheap. The overall bill came to about S$300 which worked out to be around S$100/pax. The service was tip-top and they would be more than willing to share some of the restaurant's signatures and make worthy recommendations.It could be a case of mismatched expectations for the main courses at least so while the desserts and appetisers fared above average in terms of quality, we certainly had better mains elsewhere. The ground floor of the restaurant has a bar setting with live DJ providing live entertainment. While it might be a while before I return to the restaurant, the bar looks more attractive!

For full review, please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/12/sg-fern-kiwi-bar-and-eatery-at-clarke.html

Currently ranked 49th in Asia, we decided to revisit Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck as we realised it was more than a year ago since our last dining there. Named after their signature dish, the Peking Duck, can this superlative Chinese specialist continue to wow us?

Peking Duck (S$68/++)It is highly advised to make reservations when visiting the restaurant on the weekends, especially if you are after their dim sum during lunch. As we called to make reservation, the lady politely asked if we wanted the Peking Duck for our meal as advance order of the bird is required if you want to guarantee its spot on the dining table.

We enjoyed the crispy thin layer of roasted duck skin that complemented the tender, juicy duck meat. All diners at the table were individually portioned a slice of the roasted duck skin which was supposed to be dabbed with sugar and you could literally hear the crunch of that crisp skin being munched!

My complaint was that the steamed pancakes was served at room temperature and was curled up on the sides which had hardened. It was also slightly too thick for our liking but apart from that, we felt that the roasted Peking Duck was cooked to perfection.

Braised ee-fu noodles with remnants of the roast duck - S$10/++During our last visit, we requested for the remnants of the duck to be served to the table and on this occasion, we requested for it to be used for another dish to share. While the noodles was cooked to al dente and beautifully braised, we surely were not served the full remnants of the roast duck.

Egg tarts - plate of three (S$3.30/++)The puff pastry to the egg tart was rich in butter and had a beautiful fragrance to it. It was not overly satiating despite the buttery and flaky pastry base and was surely one of the better egg tarts tried. Arguably, we thought that the taste of the custard egg filling could be stronger.

BBQ pork bun - plate of three (S$4.20/++)Coated with a mildly sweet layer of crust, it lacked the crispness found in Tim Ho Wan as it was slightly limp. We enjoyed the beautifully roasted char siew on the inside which carried a tinge of fragrance from Chinese rose wine. It brought back fond memories of our visit at Dim Sum Square in Hong Kong.

BBQ pork pastry - plate of three (S$4.20/++)This was surely one of the top BBQ pork pastries tried. Every element of it was executed well, from the fragrant and buttery puff pastry to the roasted char siew on the inside (which was the same filling as that of the BBQ pork bun).

BBQ pork rice roll (S$5.50/++)It was hard for this dish to be a miss when the core ingredient, the BBQ pork (char siew) was such a hit in the two dishes above. The rice roll was thin, not overly starchy and the savoury soy sauce nicely complemented it to suit our palate. Another classic dim sum dish well prepared.

Pan-fried carrot cake (S$4.20/++)Yet another classic dim sum that is a must-have on each dining table. The pan-fried carrot cake nailed all the basics, good seasoning of the radish and a nice layer of crispness on the surface which complemented the soft radish.

Coconut tart (S$3.30/++)Personally, I always find that coconut tarts belong to a special category of food where it has an acquired taste among foodies. I never thought of trying it till my days of living in Hong Kong led me to try it one day and since then, I fell in love with it and is in search for the best one in Singapore since it is not a common pastry even among the Chinese dim sum restaurants. This coconut tart easily won me over with that crispy puff pastry and the freshness of the coconut which had a natural sweetness and fragrance to match. It was good enough for me to request a second serving but it was sold out by then!

Ha Kau - Prawn dumpling - (S$5/++)We enjoyed that the skin of the prawn dumpling was thin and not excessively starchy but serving dumplings with torn skin was hardly acceptable. The prawns used were fresh with a natural sweetness and had a nice crunch and it was really a shame that the wrapping workmanship let the dish down. Apart from that, in all fairness, it won us over in terms of its savoury taste and flavours.

Siew Mai - Pork dumplings - (S$4.80/++)A classic dim sum cooked well. Expect to enjoy the savouriness from the juicy pork dumpling carefully sized to suit a mouthful.

Steamed custard bun (S$4.20)No prizes for guessing this to be the most popular dish since we ordered three servings of it! The skin of the bun wrapping the filling was soft but too thick for our liking. However, the sweetness of the salted egg yolk custard bun suited our palate perfectly and what we enjoyed was that while it was runny, it maintained viscosity and it was more of a case of generous filling. No complaints and another round, please.

Glutinous rice with chicken (S$4/++)We enjoyed the soft glutinous rice that was sticky and fragrant. Unwrapping the lotus leaf that imparts the fragrance to the rice, expect to dig into the savouriness of the diced chicken and Chinese mushrooms!

Coconut cake (S$3.30/++)

Just when we were expecting the desserts to be as good as the dim sum mains, we were left largely disappointed with this coconut cake. Served chill, it was too 'curdy' and while it had a strong coconut fragrance, it lacked the refreshing taste and freshness, and tasted artificial.

Sago cream with mango (S$5/++)

This traditional Chinese dessert is usually on my must-try list and undoubtedly so on this occasion despite our exploding stomach by now. Depending on individual, this had a rich, creamy and strong taste of mango being blended together with drapes of pomelo sparingly in each bowl. I personally prefer to have more texture so I would enjoy tasting the mango fruit itself rather than being blended. That being said, this was a good and refreshing rendition but of the two bowls ordered, the ingredients served in each bowl had a large discrepancy as one of the bowls barely had strands of the pomelo while the other had large chunks of it.

Glutinous ball with sesame (S$1++/each)

Just when we thought that we were about to conclude our meal with a disappointing offer of desserts, this surprised us pleasantly! Coated with roasted crushed nuts, the soft and thin layer of glutinous ball packed a generous amount of sesame filling that had the desired level of sweetness (even our mum agreed that it was good!). The nice complementing layers of textures surely sealed the dessert for us, not to mention that it was sized perfectly for a mouthful pop!

The restaurant has a few types of seating to suit the respective occasions. There are the usual private rooms for a more exclusive and intimate dining or even the partitioned rooms which individually boasts of a different theme and style. There is also the casual and more traditional open space dining like you would expect in a Chinese restaurant. Lastly, there is even a champagne lounge with comfortable sofa seats at the front of the restaurant, along the corridors of Paragon Shopping Mall for a more relaxed setting.

Apart from being a suitable venue to bring your family out for a satisfying lunch on a Sunday, it is surely a presentable restaurant to invite your business associates and partners over with its range of premium wines on offer.

We also received very dedicated customer service and if you are after a no-frills, calories-worthy meal of traditional dim sum, this is surely one of our top recommendations in Singapore so far! My only complaint was that the dishes were served almost simultaneously and really quick. I would have preferred it better if the service was staggered to allow diners to enjoy each dish as they arrive. Nonetheless, it was a very enjoyable dining experience and if you are planning to visit, do note that reservations are highly recommended!

Due to limitations in photo uploads, please visit us at http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/12/sg-imperial-treasure-super-peking-duck.html for complete review.