For the full review and more photos, please visit http://makanarts.com/2014/07/02/sin-lee-foods-block-4-jalan-bukit-ho-swee/

Sin Lee Hup Kee used to be a coffeeshop here that is famous for their lor mee and prawn mee. Unable to find a successor to their business, the ex-owner sold the coffeeshop to the current owner. The current owner, Sin Lee Foods, also runs Batter, a small crepe joint at National University Hospital, that sells sweet & savoury crepes. Since we’re around the area, why not visit Sin Lee Foods on their first day?They have reused the outdoor seatings left from the former owner to provide alfresco seatings.There is definitely a variety of items to choose from the menu!Papa Palheta’s Throwback blend is used for their coffee here. The Flat White ($5.50) is chocolatey, high on acidity and left a slightly bitter aftertaste.The Big B ($18.90) is the typical big breakfast that comes with scrambled hen’s eggs, streaky bacon, mushroom ragout, thick sausage, roasted russet potatoes, vine tomatoes relish, parmesan arugula salad and thick cut French country toast spreaded with mayonnaise. These were executed nicely, with the mushroom ragout being a personal favourite for being creamy, and the streaky bacon being the least favourite because it was too dry for my liking despite being crispy and savoury.The Iron Grill Waffles of the Day ($13.90) are waffles topped with a Hokkaido Milk ice cream, fruits & berries. The ice cream is milky and flavourful, the fruits & berries are fresh and the waffles is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with a distinct buttermilk taste.The service and environment here is warming as well. A great attempt at preserving a part of the former’s memory still as the outdoor seatings and the signage of the former has been kept despite most of the fixtures of the former coffeeshop being gone. Although it is slightly more expensive than other places of its type and location, why not give this place a visit if you are around the Tiong Bahru / Bukit Ho Swee / Havelock area?

The Upper Thomson area has enjoyed popularity for offering different F&B choices. Ice cream parlours are no strangers here, with Salted Caramel, Udders, NeLi and Scoopz within the shophouses. One of the earliest tenants of the area, Brownice, is located further inwards, within Sin Ming Centre, which specializes in ice cream made from all natural, egg-free and non-dairy products.
Satisfying my waffle cravings, I ordered the Waffles with Peanut Butter Chocolate ($7.30; $3.80 for waffles, $3.50 for 1 scoop). The waffles is crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. The Peanut Butter Chocolate accompanying it, while trying to strike a balance between both flavours, tasted more chocolatey than the peanut butter taste.Anyone can enjoy the ice cream here without feeling guilty due to the nature of the contents. If you are around the Sin Ming / Upper Thomson area, this is one spot that should not be missed.

For the full review and more photos, please visit http://makanarts.com/2014/04/28/brownice-sin-ming-centre/

PoMo has had numerous change of tenants for the past few years. With Kaplan recently occupying the higher levels of PoMo, the latter has also went through another round of tenant changes. It now offers more F&B choices instead. The BelGaufre is one of the food stalls that resulted from this change.There are different type of waffles to choose from, from the savoury wafflewiches to the sweet and fruity waffles, from liege waffles to brussels waffles.The Signature Custard & Roasted Almond ($3.80) waffles came in the liege variant. The custard was rather soft and goes really well with the roasted almond. The liege waffle here is similar to the original methods; it tasted rather similar to bread, is filling and chewy.The Banana Rumba ($4.50) is one of the chef recommendation. This waffle, made Brussels style, came with lots of sliced bananas and roasted almond and covered with chocolate sauce is a must have. The Brussels waffle is soft and light, allowing the bananas and almond to unleash its full taste. The downside about the Brussels waffle here is that it is less crisp. I would have chose the Liege variant instead as the Brussels waffles, because of its light taste, is not to my preference.With the unique type of waffles that they are serving, and its proximity to the Dhoby Ghaut / Bencoolen area, this place has a great potential for more customers to drop by as visitor flow to PoMo increases.

For the full review and more photos, please visit http://makanarts.com/2014/05/21/the-belgaufre-pomo/

Craftsmen Specialty Coffee is now open!Yes! After a temporary closure due to staff training, Craftsmen Specialty Coffee, which specializes in coffee and cakes, had a reopening just few days ago.Besides from the food options, they also have appliances for sale here.Dutch Colony Coffee Co.’s blends are used here. The Flat White ($4.50) tasted strong and firm, yet has a low acidity that everyone can enjoy.The bakes and pastries here are supplied by online bakery Fathiscakes and Bonheur Pattiserie. The Salted Caramel Popcorn ($8.90), one of the cakes baked by Fathiscakes, is firm and satisfying. The caramel taste is just right; flavourful and not too sweet. Add a pinch of salt with popcorns on every mouthful and this will became a delightful cake to have.The location also meant that it is a quiet respite for people to relax with a cup of coffee or to study in during the day. With its reopening, the Siglap / East Coast area has now yet another cafe to be added to its list.

For the full review and more photos, please visit http://makanarts.com/2014/05/25/craftsmen-specialty-coffee-siglap-v/

For the full review and more photos, please visit http://makanarts.com/2014/05/18/dutch-colony-coffee-co-the-grandstand/

It has been since some time ago that I had wanted to go to Dutch Colony Coffee Co. because it serves as a roaster, a supplier and a coffee stall at the same time. Than to wait and visit a place that serves its blends, why not visit the source of the coffee?Besides selling coffee drinks, they also sell different coffee beans and blends, as well as pies and cakes supplied from Windowsill Pies.The Latte ($4.50) tasted strong and firm and is definitely pleasing to those who prefers coffee with low acidity.Located within PasarBella of the Grandstand, this may be a inaccessible place to come to so if you are around the Bukit Timah area, this place is just nearby!