Menu items comprised of breakfast classics ranging from sausages to French toasts. My wallet might have tried to run away when it first saw the prices (breakfast items ranged from $13 to $20). But the good thing was there was no GST or service charge so it seemed the prices have taken that into account.

The latte ($5), which was smooth and the perfect art that decorated it warmed the heart. Although I found it slightly over bitter and sourish, it was acceptable. The cappuccino ($5) was also similar. Based on Department of Caffeine's Facebook, they take sustainably-sourced specialty coffee beans from Five Senses Coffee, Australia, and then apply serious technical know-how to craft caffeinated perfection. Sounds like they are serious about their coffee.The French toast ($16) which was two loaves of brioche stuffed with maple syrup and bananas, soaked in vanilla yoghurt, and sprinkled with almonds and blueberries sent a sugar rush. Not sure if it was because my tummy had not grinded for the last 12 hours, but I felt sweetly blissful when I tucked into the French toast. The only pity was the bananas seemed to be overly soaked with maple syrup, making it soggy.
There was no way for me not to order waffles when I see one on the menu. Especially when it comes with ice-cream and peanut butter ($12.5) - these waffles were crispy on the outside (though not super crispy), fluffy and airy on the inside. The generous peanut butter sauce that drenched the waffles balanced the sweetness of the ice-cream and jam. A little pity that it can be crispier. Overall, certainly one of the better places for a brunch. Food quality - checked. Attentive service - checked. Ambience - checked. Takes reservations - checked.

Tip 1: If you have Pickat app, it's 15% off (excluding drinks) with min spending of $20 till 29 Jan 2014, excluding Wed, weekends and public holidays. Download Pickat for free.

Tip 2: They have taken their reservation system online now. Reserve before you head down. Queuing is a waste of life.

For full review, please visit http://weekendeatwhatsg.blogspot.sg/2014/01/department-of-caffeine.html

Have you ever eaten a bowl of perfect prawn mee? I found the perfect prawn mee at Blanco Court Prawn Mee.

Choose from a hearty bowl of jumbo prawn noodles ($8/$10) which had bigger tiger prawns, or the smaller prawns (with or without ribs) version that cost half the price ($4.50/$5.50). For those who are repulsive towards peeling the prawns with bare hands, Blanco Court is considerate enough to half the prawns so that it is easier to extract that fresh sweet meat from the shell. Without using the hands of course.We could not stop hankering for the broth, the most important component of any prawn soup. The broth packed a robust punch with bursting umami-packed flavors and the briny sweetness of the crustaceans. The fried shallots in the soup were infused to entice the taste buds. The best part? Free refills.

Somehow, it has become a non-obligatory yet mandatory thing to order some Ngoh hiang from the neighboring stall. Can't help it because the deep fried Ngoh Hiang was a savory and addictive appetizer to the prawn mee feast. The prawn crackers and fritters didn't leave much impression though.

Penny University is the Eastie's best kept secret. The only problem is that everyone and their grandma knows about it. I have been wanting to go there for the longest time, to see for myself if the online raves were justified. And I was surprised to see throngs of early-risers occupying the little cafe on a Saturday morning.

I got a little cute mango cupcake ($4). Quite expensive for this size. Luckily it tasted good. In fact, it was one of the better cupcakes I've had. Sweet mango jam filled the core of the fluffy and moist pastry. Vanilla cream atop the cupcake and decorated with stripes of mango jam. I like how it wasn't overly sweet and how light it was. A simple cupcake yet it was satisfying.I am no coffee expert but the iced mocha ($6.50) that I ordered tasted excellent in my opinion. The mocha was smooth and balanced. Talk about that perfect ratio between the bitterness of the coffee beans and the sweetness of the chocolate. Makes me wanna shout, "Penny University, you've got a very good barista!"I could see why the Marmite toast with poached eggs and cheese ($4.50) was a crowd pleaser. The toast was spread with marmite and cheese, making it very salty and savory. Looked at that poached egg! Doesn't it look heavily pregnant? Golden orange runny egg yolk flows out when the knife cuts through it. Only one word could describe when I soak the toasted bread in the egg yolk and the melted cheese - Blissful! The accompany refreshing greens gave a healthy side to the dish. Although the portion looks little, it was sufficient enough for my brunch. While I adore the rustic wooden theme - wooden chairs & tables, wooden cupboard, I wished the ambience was quieter. In fact, it was too noisy until I couldn't make out the music playing in the background. A planned morning of solitude was shortened by the incoming flux of customers queuing up which made me feel too guilty to linger around any longer.

However, I observed that the queue at 10 or 11am was much shorter. Hence try to come at those times else you might have to join the insane queue which was trying to get in at 12pm.

In conclusion, a lovely cafe that's worth every penny (pun intended) except it was too overcrowded.

I think everyone should have a Friday night hideout...You know, like a place which we hang out at after a hard and difficult work week. Personally, I think Overeasy fits the bill easily. After all, their marketing line says it, "When the going gets tough, the tough goes Overeasy."

Comfort food such as fries, burgers, snacks make up the pretty comprehensive menu. There is also an all-day breakfast section and a few pasta dishes. The alcoholics are sure to find something in their wide range of drinks.

The Spicy Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing ($18 for 6 wings, below) caught my attention. There were 4 spiciness levels to choose from: Wimp, Average Joe, Hot Stuff, Crazy Mofo. Not wanting to be called wimp, average or crazy, we proudly declared we wanted Hot Stuff to the server. Not for the faint-hearted as it was rather spicy in my opinion. Dip the chunky smoky wings in the accompany blue cheese dressing and it delivered an unique sour and spicy taste. But too spicy for my liking. Since they were unabashed enough to declare that their cheese steak sliders ($16 for 6, below) are famous in their menu, we just had to get it.. These ultra mini burgers look so cute! I could just pop one entirely into my mouth. Fork-tender steak coupled with savory melted cheese - an addictive mix. Do they really handcut the handcut haystack fries ($12, below) with Parmesan cheese and rosemary? I don't know the answer but they were crisp and not oily. Pretty normal. Servers were attentive and refilled our ice water promptly. However, we witnessed the ruining of a Chanel bag that belonged to a customer. One of the servers accidentally poured beer on it. R.I.P. Chanel bag.While there is an indoor dining area which would be perfect for a hot and humid night, my preference would be the al-fresco area by the river. Don't you love the view? It's like I was in a energy-filled place with groovy pop blasting in the background, and yet at the same time, feeling serene and chilled looking at the calm river and MBS that was opposite the river. I wouldn't mind sitting all night and staring at this view.

I say, easy way to start the weekend.

When I first heard that Nox Dine in the Dark was launched in Singapore, I wanted to try it immediately but the cost of $78 per pax threw me off the chair. Recently, I had the luck to save some buck to dine at Nox after I won an Openrice contest for two! Thanks Openrice!!

In a gist, the concept is dine in the dark. The menu is unknown to us. The server asked if we had any dietary restrictions or allergies. After the dinner has ended, we were brought back to a lit room where we make a guess on what we have eaten. The menu was then revealed to us. That’s when bragging rights belong to the most acute taste buds #ChallengeAccepted

Before our dinner and while waiting for our guide, we were served the Amuse-Bouche - salmon cod fish with roe (below). This is the only food picture I have as the rest of my dinner was held in the dark. For the Instagram addicts, I am sorry but you have to try to curb your Instagram withdrawal symptoms for this dinner. It was a while before we were informed that our guide Halimi is ready. I was absolutely thrilled! The feeling was just like the moment before I boarded on an aeroplane for the first time. I knew it was going to be an adventure and finally the moment has arrived. The dining room was a total pitch-black. We ordered a glass bottle of still water. The challenge was to make sure the table (and the floor) was not wet after the dinner. Nevertheless it was less stressful when we sensed that the cups were made of plastic instead of glass.

Dinner was a 3 course prix fixe menu - Appetizer, Main Course, Dessert. Each course had 4 smaller different bowls of food, which were placed on a tray.

It's bizarre how our other senses (hear, taste, touch, smell) were heightened when we can't see. I thought my taste buds were more sensitive in the dark as everything I ate tasted very strong. For example, saltier, sweeter, more sour. I could also smell my food before it came, especially the truffles.

And it’s a rare occasion where you aren’t distracted by Whatsapp or busy catching up on Candy Crush. I can’t remember when the last time I gave full attention to my dining companions. And girls, this is also probably the only restaurant where your BFs can't look at other girls.

We weren't sure how Halimi was going to know when we had finished eating. I joked, "Maybe let's just raise our hands." OK I know that's lame and I was quite sure my friend rolled her eyes even though I can't see that. We waited quite some time after our last desserts before Halimi returned.

After we finished, we were brought to the reception area on first floor where we then filled up a questionnaire on what we think was the food we ate. When the server revealed the menu and photos of the food that we ate, we were really caught by surprise by some of the ingredients. We couldn't take pictures of the menu/photos as the restaurant only changes the menu every four weeks and it won't be fun for the rest if we revealed.

Be prepared to pay top dollar (S$78++ without drinks), but be rest assured that you will be served high quality food. The ingredients are worthy of the price you will be paying. There is so much emphasis on food presentation nowadays and sometimes I am guilty of letting it confuse the taste buds. This is a chance where you can focus on just the taste. I must highlight that the food served was enjoyable and I loved all of them, except for one of the main courses which was due to a personal preference.

Not to mention that the service you will get is top-notch. Our guide Halimi is not just a waiter, but an inspiring character. He was formerly a Singapore Airlines crew member but had to undergo an operation to remove his brain tumour. Although he became visually-impaired after the operation, he was never despaired and continued to live life to the fullest and continue to do what he loves - customer service. To many, he might be physically handicapped but actually I think he is no less handicapped in terms of his personality.

Overall, if I could only describe my experience in five words, that would be: "eye-opening", once-in-a-lifetime, amazing, unique, touched. In fact, I am thinking of going back there again after the menu changes.

Some tips :
1) Use the toilet before the adventure as it would be difficult if you need to use the toilet in the middle of the dinner. Don't worry, the toilets are lit.
2) Wear clothes with pockets so that you can keep the locker key. That’s because we also had to keep our bags, mobile phones, cameras, and anything that can gives off light in the lockers.
3) For the klutz, wear dark coloured clothes to prevent food stains.
4) Wear flats/low heels as you would need to climb the stairs to the dining area on 2nd floor.