At Block 463 of Jurong West St 41, walk past a minimart and a comic bookstore: You’ll find Kim Lotus Dessert and probably a long queue too thanks to its great desserts at reasonable prices.

While you’re in the shop, you’ll feel transported to the 1990s with that metal counter and television raised up near the ceiling, usually with Channel 8 on display. The self-service system ensures you don't have to wait impatiently to get the server's attention though the queue does stretch a little far especially on weekend nights.

Much to my dismay, they were out of Burbur Hitam and Mango Sago so we had ice cold servings of Cheng Tng and Burbur Chacha instead. Nonetheless, no disappointments there!Kim Lotus certainly doesn't stinge on the amount of sweet potato and yam in the Burbur Chacha ($2.20), or any other dessert for that matter. The ingredients were fresh and blended well with the coconut milk in the shaved ice, not to forget the tapioca pearls that add on to the colourful mix in the bowl. Light with just the right amount of sweetness, the Cheng Tng ($1.70) was refreshing and just perfect for a humid evening with such a generous amount of ingredients. It sure tasted as good as it looks.

Some other desserts available: Gingko Nut Barley, Mango Ice Kachang (tried and would recommend) , Durian Ice Kachang, Aloe Vera Peach, Soursop, Honeydew Sago, Mango Longan, Tau Suan, Red Bean Soup, Chendol, Grassjelly Drink.

InteriorIt’s not difficult to fall in love with the interior of Five & Dime Eatery if its minimalistic exterior didn’t impress you even a slightest bit. I love how their chairs carry that pop of mint on the sides, breaking that almost synonymous hue of brown throughout the shop. Apart from their robustly chalked up black board menus hung up against the brick wall, my favourite spot has to be the white pegboard holding pairs of totes and frames.

Menu/ Food & Drinks
Five & Dime offers quite an exquisite array of cocktails, which seem to be quite the catch. But it was just past morning and we were looking more for a couple of perk me ups for that lazy Sunday morning — Coffee! But for the young at heart, there's nothing like a frothy Banana Milkshake complete with rainbow sprinkles on top, which tasted really good with the right amount of consistency!I’d only been to Five & Dime once before, for dinner, more than a year back but I distinctly remember how amazing their Mentaiko Pasta ($18) was. Definitely a must-try whilst you’re there. We were also recommended the Eggs Benny ($16), which didn’t disappoint one bit. The pair of poached eggs looked and tasted just about perfect, with a good and proportionate coat of hollandaise sauce going on.It might have been the eggs and warm brioche taking centre stage on the plate but the breakfast potatoes and fruit salad did put up a fair supporting act. I certainly appreciated the latter for the two mouthfuls of freshness to ease the heavy combination of egg yolk and hollandaise.

On the whole, I adore the food and decor at Five and Dime in addition to its homey and wholesome atmosphere. My only qualm is its slight lack of convenience. Whilst there is a bus stop just opposite the building, the restaurant/cafe is a fair bit of a walk from the nearest MRT station, Somerset. Drivers needn’t worry about parking because the eatery has their very own car park just past the bright red gates on its left. It’s free too!

I’d only discovered the existence of dry ban mian about a year ago and I bum at the fact that it’s an uncommon find in most hawker centres and coffee shops. He Jia Huan Ban Mian sells a mean bowl with springy noodles, bagging chews that just hits the spot.The magical pool of gravy sits at the bottom of the bowl, so do remember to stir it up real good. Word of caution: Do not wear white whilst devouring this amazing load of ban mian. And if you do, be careful not to get any gravy splattered on your shirt like paint on a blank canvas. Also, the gravy can get a tad spicy so be warned!The gravy is quite the savoury delight, hitting salty, sweet and spicy notes all at the same time. Your tastebuds will be in for the ride and will probably thank you for that dinner.

A jewel to residents of Serangoon Garden and avid sportsmen of Burghley Squash & Tennis Centre, Bread King is masked by a deceptively simple and local shopfront and space, while producing some rather tasty breads baked with utmost quality. It seemed rather popular with several residents of the neighbourhood coming by to pick up bread for the home, some with bicycles and baskets ready to hold bags of freshly baked goods.

Instead of taking a long 20 minute walk from Lorong Chuan MRT Station, you might want to take bus 317 and drop 11 stops later after passing the Burghley Squash & Tennis Centre on your left.You can choose your breads from 2 displays:
1) A hot oven display at the counter where a friendly service crew awaits your order with recommendations of their own, 2) A red pigeon-hole one on the right housing 9 different types of take-home breads such as large loaves of baguettes at $4.50 each, Muesli bread at $8.50 and a pair of Ciabattas at $4 amongst others like Rye and Brioche. A chirpy handwritten sign reads "Please let us help you!" So please, let them!

Also available is freshly brewed coffee, of which I regrettably did not try. We had some freshly baked croissants and when I say freshly baked, I mean straight from the oven. At $3 a piece, it was pretty satisfactory, but my only qualm was that the insides were a tad too soft. A good croissant nonetheless! Flaky and buttery with soft tissue-like layers with every bite. Keep them in the paper bags provided though, or things might get messy.

It was my second time to Tiong Bahru Bakery at Eng Hoon Street and it was bustling as I would assume it to always be, so we settled for a table in the serenity of the empty corridor but later shifted in just so I could get pictures of the interior. Despite that, it wasn’t the best setting for me to point, focus and go clickity click because the tables were so cramped and it was always so crowded with customers queuing to make their orders.What we had: Chocolate Brioche, Plain Croissant, Kouign Amann & a Flat White. I believe the Croissant to be a must-try for anyone who hasn’t, but the Chocolate Brioche faded into the background for us, probably because of the star-studded Kouign Amann.I’d never heard of Kouign Amann prior to my visit to TBB. Yet, one bite was all it took for it to climb up my list of favourite pastries and is now hovering near the top where the lemon tart sits in its throne of glory. Do not belittle its seemingly plain exterior. Bite through the crusty layers and you’ll the discover happiness that is the whiff and taste of butter. Sugar is caramelised over the entire Breton cake and it gets a little messy when a thousand crumbs fall upon every bite. You will however, not have a care because you’re too busy savouring what seems to be one of the best things you’ve ever tasted.

It must either be a torture or a pleasure to be living in the Tiong Bahru neighbourhood with a bakery like this in the premises. Not forgetting other cafes in the area like The Orange Thimble, Drips, 40 Hands etc. We’ll be back, hopefully soon. And I will get another Kouign Amann.