For the full review and more photos, head over to http://toroamtheworld.blogspot.com/2015/12/food-review-clinton-street-baking.html

The all-famous Clinton Street Baking Company has arrived on our sunny shores! Originating from New York, this place is well-known for their fluffy pancakes, with many crowning it the best in New York City!

We knew there'd be a queue during lunch time (even on a weekday) so we arrived around 2pm. Luckily for us, we didn't have to wait for seats at all! The restaurant is a bit narrow but long, with a semi-open kitchen at the back. The design is simple, using the wood furniture to create a no-frills yet homely vibe. They serve all-day breakfast, including their specialty Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich and of course, their pancakes! They're also known for their buttermilk fried chicken, which is served from 11.30am.Crispy Potato Pancakes ($19++): There are two choices for this, either with caramelised applesauce and sour cream ($14++) or with house-smoked salmon, caviar and lemon creme fraiche ($19++). My friend picked the latter. On first sight, we were a bit shocked because the potato pancakes look so charred! Nevertheless, my friend proceeded to eat it. The salmon was a bit too salty, but it was a reasonable portion served. The potato pancakes is essentially rosti, but yes it was kinda oily and too charred. We should have requested for a new plate on hindsight...Pancakes with Warm Maple Butter ($18++): The star dish of this place! There are three options for your pancakes - wild blueberries, banana walnut or chocolate chunk. The choice was obvious for me because I love berries! The aroma of pancakes was so strong I was so excited to dig in! (But of course, my camera eats before I do...)Mmm, what a delicious stack of pancakes! As you can see in the photos, they are very thick and fluffy, and actually rather huge too! Finishing three was quite a challenge for me, as I was rather full after my second one haha. The pancakes were sufficiently moist and very flavourful! The wild blueberries weren't on the sweet side but I like that. I would have preferred if more blueberries were stuffed in the batter though.

I didn't drizzle the warm maple butter all over my pancakes like how you see photos/videos on social media, lol, because I don't like maple syrup. But, I know that it is very highly raved about, so I dipped my pancakes in a little bit of it. Haha. Hmm, to me it tasted like maple syrup with more butter? Hahaha y'don't say? It was very rich but unique I guess. Overall, this pancakes definitely wins my stamp of approval, and possibly lives up to the hype!

Although prices are quite steep here, I think the portions given justifies what you're paying. As an American diner, naturally their food is like the usual American serving - HUGE. So either you go with a big appetite or you share the food with friends hahaha. I would probably return to have their pancakes again!

For the full review and more photos, head over to http://toroamtheworld.blogspot.com/2015/12/food-review-lokal-revisit.html

The Lokal is a Melbourne-inspired cafe that does good coffee and serves quality food too. Located near Outram Park MRT (Exit G), it is a recommended place for a hearty brunch or catch up with friends.Toasted Banana Bread ($12++): I've heard so much about this banana bread that I decided to get it, despite me not being a fan of bananas. While I wasn't 100% convinced of its hype, it's still a good slice of banana bread, with it being moist and quite rich in flavour. What I love most is the yogurt! It's all made in house and it's got a little tinge of sourness. The caramelised bananas were quite nice too. And as usual, something crunchy to add to the whole dish is the toasted macademia nuts. Great combination overall and I swept the plate clean (especially of the yogurt)!Lokal Lobster Roll ($22++): My friend tried this Lobster Roll which is made up of slipper lobster tails, gherkin (pickled cucumber), coleslaw, lemon mayonnaise and served with twister fries. The lobster meat was fresh, but a bit overpowered by the coleslaw and mayo. That said, I think they should adjust the ratio of lobster meat to other ingredients, because it feels like you're eating much more salad than the meat itself. But it's priced reasonably so maybe that's why...?

If I come again I may try their sandwiches, which I heard are not bad too! They have a separate menu for dinner and weekend brunch.

For the full review and more photos, head over to http://toroamtheworld.blogspot.com/2015/12/where-to-find-hotcakes-in.html

Paddy Hills opened in the first quarter of the year to much fanfare as there were a lot of positive reviews about it - from the food, the interior design, to the service. I do remember that they had an initial problem of long waiting times, but I believe it should be ironed out by now.They have two different menus (day and night), but here's the day one for your reference. As you can see there're a lot of Asian-Western fusion food, and they offer interesting items rather than the common Eggs Benedict, e.g. Squid Ink Tagliatelle and Kimchi Fried Rice.Squid Ink Tagliatelle ($23++): My friend had this and I tried a mouth. The squid ink flavour was just right, not too overpowering. The scallops were very fresh!Berry Ricotta Hotcake (now $23++): A pretty-looking hotcake adorned with berries, pine nuts and mascarpone. The texture was light and fluffy, and a bit cake-like. The insides are stuffed with ricotta cheese, which was a delight as my fork and knife sliced through the thick pancake. The pine nuts added a contrasting crunch to the dish. However because of the cakey texture/taste, after a while it may get cloying for some people. Advised to share this, unless you really love pancakes like I do!

This place is generally expensive and I don't think I'll come back again. But I heard other dishes are worth a try too.

To find out where else serves such aesthetically pleasing and yummy hotcakes, visit my blog at the link above!

This is a relatively new cafe, having been opened early last month. But they've gotten off to a good start, with a full house on a weekday lunch! The cafe has a geometric theme-cum-industrial chic design. It gives a very clean yet welcoming feel that makes one feel good upon stepping in. One can tell that they focus a lot on quality, because the service crew's uniform are the long-sleeved, white-collared kind, and it does make them look smart and professional (service is good too). Even their napkins are the thick and super high quality ones!Buckwheat Pancakes ($18): This is the reason why I visited this cafe. The pancake is very, very visually appealing! As per the description, this is really a soft, fluffy pancakes made of buckwheat flour, topped with berry compote, passionfruit curd, crunchy cornflakes and a slab of butter. Thyme-infused maple syrup is served at the side.As you can see here, the pancake still has pockets of air in them, hence its lightness and fluffiness! It was a little unusual on my first mouth, because I've not tried anything made of buckwheat flour before. On its own the pancake will taste plain, but with the assortment of toppings, the whole dish came together very well. I love the berry compote and passionfruit curd! Both weren't too sour, just a slight tang to balance the sweet berries. For a pancake lover I could finish this, but I suggest to you guys to share it haha! The price tag is also high for a dish like this, but it's worth a try! (:

I will return to try other items, like the highly raved scrambled eggs croissant and their sundaes! Do come early though, as it gets very crowded especially weekends.

To find out where else to get these pretty pancakes/hotcakes in Singapore, do visit my blog: For the full review and more photos, head over to http://toroamtheworld.blogspot.com/2015/12/where-to-find-hotcakes-in.html

For the full review and more photos, head over to http://toroamtheworld.blogspot.com/2015/12/food-review-where-to-find-hotcakes-in.html

I came here to try the Berry Ricotta Hotcakes because I'm a sucker for hotcakes like these (plus the berries toppings) and I've heard quite a lot about it.Berry Ricotta Hotcake ($14.90++): Undoubtedly very pretty and visualling appealing, the hotcake is light and fluffy, with the outer edges still quite crisp despite my minutes of phototaking (haha). Instead of a scoop of cheese on top like other places, here, a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream is served. There was also a generous serving of berries, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. I don't take maple syrup but even so, it wasn't too dry. As usual, I never fail to finish a hotcake on my own because it's usually too good to leave it half-eaten LOL. My only gripe is that I couldn't really taste much ricotta in the hotcakes.While I've only tried one dish out of their entire menu and cannot comment much, I feel this place is rather expensive. Interior design is sleek and chic, with the skylight at the back area for natural lighting. They recently started the #SaveAStranger campaign, which is to raise funds for their young chef's cancer treatment cost. Perhaps that gives one a better reason to visit them?

To find out where else you can eat these pretty hotcakes in Singapore, visit my blog at the link above!