I must admit that I was rather intrigued by The Ship's concept and was keen to pay it a visit. The interior is designed to imitate the inside of the ship and and is decorated with nautical themed stuff all over. The place is dimly lit but the ambiance is cozy enough; I thought it would be a romantic place for a couple's date.We went during lunch on a Monday and while they have a Lunch Special promotion, I chose to go with the Chicken Ala Ship dish instead, which is grilled chicken topped with mushroom, cheese and cream sauce, with a side of yummy roasted potatoes and vegetables. I actually requested them to remove the pork ham in the dish, which they willingly accommodated. So thumbs up for that! The food were also served pretty quickly despite our large group and the place being nearly full.I love that the chicken was cooked just the way I like it! I just couldn't get enough of eating it with the cheese and cream sauce, although it was also delicious enough to eat on its own. This is a must try dish in my book!

Their dessert of the day, which comes with the Lunch Special, was Apple Cake and I managed to give it a try. It was quite soft and sweet, although a friend didn't really like it while the others thought it was quite okay. As for me, I am neutral about it as I normally go for the more sinful options like chocolate when it comes to my cakes.

Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience and I wouldn't discount a return trip to The Ship in future, if only to try the Chicken Ala Ship again!

'The King of Gyoza in Osaka' - that's what the name "Osaka Ohsho" translates to. With such a title, one is naturally tempted to check it out and find out if it lives up to its name as a "gyoza specialist".The exterior of the outlet is dressed in a classic display of black, with two display counters outside showcasing colourful models of the food. Upon closer peek into the interior, we were glad to find that it didn't look as intimidating as we had expected of a "king". The environment and ambience are casual enough for anyone and everyone from all walks of life to enjoy a nice meal in.We went on a weekend at lunch time and the place was crowded. Fortunately, a seat was available so we were seated pretty much quickly.

There is a tablet on the table where you can key in and submit your order to the kitchen for processing. Quite an easy and fuss-free way to order especially during peak hours. But even with the crowd, the service is prompt and the staff are courteous and attentive. We had a few queries about some of the dishes on their menu and the guy who attended to us was patient and responsive, so much that we kind of felt bad for 'bothering' him. Gotta give the guy a cooki... er, gyoza for service!Fried Chicken with Tartar Sauce Set ($13.90)
The set comes with a main plate of fried chicken with tartar sauce, a bowl of rice as well as 3 of their signature gyoza and a bowl of soothing egg soup. Not too bad a value for the price of $13.90. The fried chicken is not as crispy as we would have liked, but the chicken pieces are well-marinated and very succulent. The tasty pieces are simply a total delight to eat with the generous portion of creamy, sweet and tangy tartar sauce, which is so good that I even used it to dip a few of the gyoza with! It was a sad day for us to find the portion of the chicken given to be a tad too little to share between us, heh. Fuwatoro Chicken Tenshin Han Set ($13.90)
This perfect combination of sticky and fluffy Koshihikari rice generously doused with a velvety smooth and lightly savoury gravy, and then blanketed with a thick, soft and fluffy omelette is one dish not to be missed if you are at Osaka Ohsho. Despite being drenched in the gravy, the rice remained firm and not soggy. The chopped fried chicken bits inside add a bit of texture to the rice, but frankly I'd have preferred to get it without the chicken just to savour the smooth, velvety texture of rice, gravy and egg! I was initially intimidated by the generous portion of rice at first glance, but I simply couldn't stop popping in mouthful after mouthful of this addictive dish that simply hits the spot on every bite. The amazing, heartwarming Fuwatoro Tenshin Han is a definite must-try! Gyoza ($3.90 for 6, $7.80 for 12)
Surely the highlight of the meal! It'd be a sin to visit the "King of Gyoza in Osaka" and not try their gyoza which they are renowned for. Although the sets also come with gyoza, you simply can't get enough of these handmade dumplings that are skilfully grilled to golden brown perfection with a delicious crisp on the outside and a moist, tender inside. The skin, made of their own special wonton wrapper, is delicate but sturdy enough to hold the filling without breaking apart too easily upon picking up with the chopsticks, while the filling, with a combination of cabbage, ginger, garlic and finely minced pork, is juicy, flavourful and succulent. Highly recommended!Houji Cha (Hot & Cold) ($1.00 each)
There's nothing like a cup of steaming hot tea after a filling meal. Light and mild with a very slight roasted flavour, the Houji tea complements the flavourful meals well. I like the hot tea better over the cold version, as the ice will dilute the flavour of the already mild tasting tea. Plus there is no better way to end a heartwarming meal, like the Tenshin Han, with a warming cup of tea!

Overall, there is not a dish we ordered here that we didn't like (although some might find the Houji Cha a tad bland) and we find their other dishes like the Fried Chicken with Tartar sauce to be quite tasty as well. But the ones that stand out the most are the Fuwatoro Tenshin Han and Gyoza. The Fuwatoro Tenshin Han, in particular, is the most memorable for me and I can't wait for the next time to savour it again, with the gyoza of course!

The pricing of the food here is quite reasonable for a Japanese restaurant and the set meals, which usually come with gyoza as well, are quite worth it, though you may find yourself wanting more, in which case, the gyoza are at a rather affordable price of just $3.90 for 6 or $7.80 for 12!

It'd be a pity not to check out this king at least once if you are a fan of Japanese food and gyoza. Osaka Ohsho is certainly deserving of its title!

I am especially fond of Japanese bakeries. So when I heard of Yamazaki Boulangerie Chaude, and that their most of their ingredients and recipes are from Japan, I knew I had to check it out!The exterior of the bakery looks quite spacious from the outside, but the interior, with its somewhat rustic-looking decor, is smaller than expected. Despite this, they have a decent variety of bread available, many of which I was actually keen to try. But I couldn't finish so many and I didn't want to keep them for too many days so I mulled around for a bit trying to decide on a few to try.

Walking around the bakery, I was glad to see that there is a small counter at the back containing a few baskets of bread samples to try out. The Hawaiian bread was among one of those samples and I was totally sold on my first bite of this bread! Hawaiian Bread ($1.5​0)
Superbly soft and fluffy, even the outer crust layer is thin and soft as well. This is also mildly sweet in taste. I love bread that are good to eat on its own and the Hawaiian bread here definitely falls into this category. Although you can eat it with jam or other fillings, its subtle flavour is really best appreciated by eating it plain, or with just a dash of butter. Highly recommended!Snow Chocolate ($1.20)
This special Hokkaido soft bun is kind of a cross between a cake and a bread, based on the description for its Snow Custard counterpart. The ​bread itself is quite soft but the top of the bread is slightly crusty and a little crumbly. I like the smooth chocolate custard filling which is quite chocolatey but not too sweet. Chocolate Cream Puff ($1.80)
This scores just by looks alone. Just look at the generous, whooping amount of smooth and fresh chocolate cream sandwiched between the puff pastry! It may seem a bit daunting eating all that cream, but this cream puff is unexpectedly light, fluffy and not cloyingly sweet. Best of all, it's only $1.80. Certainly worth a try, but recommend not to store it for too long before eating.Chocolate Chip Waffle ($1.50)
The waffle is very crispy on the outside but somewhat crumbly inside; it kind of feels like biting into an oversized cookie. But taste-wise, it is surprisingly good. The addition of the chocolate chips is also a nice touch to the waffle for that extra bit of sweetness.Chocolate Fudge Slice ($4.00)
The selection of cakes here is quite limited, but I wanted to try the cakes from Yamazaki so I just rolled with this. The sponge cake layer is ...spongy but a little dry although this is redeemed by the smooth and rich chocolate fudge layer. A pretty decent cake overall, but I didn't find it particularly memorable.

On the whole, I am quite pleased with my first purchase at Yamazaki, especially the bread and pastries. My favourite from this trip is the Hawaiian Bread, which is worth a try and definitely worth buying again! I also enjoy the Chocolate Puff and Snow Custard as well. The prices for most of their bread are very reasonable and affordable, and service, while not spectacular, is decent. I’m already planning a return trip to try out their other bread. But do note that the selection of bread may be somewhat limited if you go early in the morning when they are just opened (around 10am). I went around 11am and quite a number of bread slots were still empty, so you might want to consider going just slightly later when most of the bread, which are freshly baked daily, will be fresh out of the oven!

Poulet is a modern French-themed bistro and apparently, the open dining area at Poulet is inspired by the modern alfresco setting in France. The French are considered by many to be a romantic lot and the decor and ambience at Poulet certainly keep up with this impression. The charming decor simply ooze class and the additional fixtures like "street lamps" circling the seating area help to add to the romantic feel of the place. Better yet, the tables are comfortably spaced to give a little more privacy for conversations around the table. I came here with a group of (noisy) people, so with everyone yakking away at the same time it can get a bit hard to bask in the environment. This is definitely a place that would be enjoyed and appreciated more on a date or with a close friend or two (think girl to girl talk!)! Poulet mean "chicken" in French, so when a restaurant simply named itself after the poultry then you know you just got to try their star dish featuring it! Most of us certainly did not hesitate to choose to order the Poulet Roti to try.Poulet Roti ($15.80 for Half Chicken)
This dish came looking quite appetizing with half a chicken slow roasted to a lovely shade of brown sitting in a pool of homemade Mushroom Chardonnay sauce. It tasted as good as it looked and the chicken meat was amazingly tender while the sauce was quite creamy and tasty. All of us ate the chicken down to the bone except for a friend who left it unfinished as she found the sauce a tad too overpowering after a while.Chicken and Fig Marmalade Sandwich ($8.80)
Another visually appetizing dish with a baked crispy and flakey croissant generously stuffed with tender and finely shredded chicken meat dressed with aioli sauce, crispy lettuce and tomato slices. I simply adore the sweet fig marmalade which was especially tasty and went very well with the chicken and croissant. Pity there wasn't more of it for someone greedy like me! This sandwich also came with a side of thick fries and dip for a more filling meal. I liked that the fries were not so salty. Tiramisu ($7.80)
This lovely looking dessert in a jar was another winner in my book. The chilled mascarpone cheese was rich and creamy while the light and soft sponge fingers soaked in espresso and rum syrup was not overpowering. I found the entire dessert to be the right amount of sweetness and moistness in terms of taste and texture (at least to my liking). Everyone else also gave this the thumb up although one thought that the flavour of the espresso didn't come through strongly enough (but still liked it irregardless). The portion was pretty generous which made this dessert great for sharing, but a few of us couldn't get enough of it and were tempted to hoard this for ourselves. Definitely a must try! Banana Bread Pudding ($6.80)
This was another dessert worth trying, especially if you prefer a warm, comforting dessert to complete your meal. It also came with a scoop of milky vanilla ice cream which went nicely with the warm bread pudding, although it melted a little too fast. The warm bread pudding was quite smooth and "spongy" and there were real chunks of banana in it which added to the overall sweetness of the dessert. This can feel a tad too "gooey" or "mushy" to some, especially when the ice cream melted, but I personally found it to be moist and spongy, and rather soothing on the throat. The portion was also quite decent for the price.Creme Brulee ($8.80)
This was a new item on the menu so we also got it to try. The egg custard was very silky smooth with a faint tinge of vanilla while the thin layer of caramelized sugar crust on top was quite crispy and sweet. While I agreed with the rest that this was nice, I wasn't really too impressed with the serving size as the custard layer was pretty thin, especially considering that this cost more than the Tiramisu which was quite generous in portion.

Overall, based on group feedback, I would highly recommend the Tiramisu, Poulet Roti and Chicken and Fig Marmalade Sandwich. I actually personally preferred the sandwich over the Poulet Roti, but with the Poulet Roti being the star dish, you won't go wrong with it. I also liked the Banana Bread Pudding but it didn't go down too well with a few others, so if you don't like the wet and slightly "mushy" kind of dessert you might want to stay clear. As for the Creme Brulee, the taste was decent but I thought it was a tad lacking in portion size for the price.

Service was also pretty good and efficient, and our orders were promptly served not long after ordering. The prices were also quite affordable and we thought that the quality and taste of the food here in general were worth the money spent. I'd definitely love to come back again for another round, especially with a date or a close friend to relax and soak in the ambience here while savouring the food! A leisurely paced meal is surely the way to truly enjoy the dining experience here at Poulet. Bon appétit!

Flor Patisserie is Japanese-styled patisserie that serves authentic Japanese-inspired French pastries by an experienced Japanese chef.

I have read rave reviews about their cakes which are very light and fluffy. I was also impressed to read that they also have very strict standards and quality control for their cakes and each piece is freshly made everyday. With that in mind, I decided to check out the branch at Takashimaya when I made a trip to Kinokuniya last month. I actually had my mind set on trying the Mont Blanc and getting the Langue Du Chat cookies but unfortunately the selection was pretty much limited when I went. According to the salesgirl, it was the Christmas season so they were mostly selling their Christmas range of products. I was disappointed but the salesgirl was very friendly and helpful with my questions which made up for my disappointment. That, and also the fact that I managed to get the last piece of Earl Grey Choco... whew.Earl Grey Choco ($6.95)
I have to agree, the cake roll at the base was really very soft and just so fluffy! The slightly crusty edges added a bit of crunchiness to the cake which I liked. The chocolate and Earl Grey taste was delicate but they worked well together. In addition, there was fresh banana in it which added a little extra to the flavour. I was also delighted to find crunchy chocolate bits in it for the added crunch! Despite the variety of ingredients that went into this cake alone, it felt surprisingly light, fresh, and even healthier compared to conventional cakes! Marron Pie ($4.50)
At first, I thought the Marron Pie looked a tad greasy in its plastic packaging. But despite this, the pie was just so lovely! There was a buttery fragrance upon opening and the crust was very flakey and buttery as well. The inside was very soft with texture like a muffin and there were real chestnut pieces which I enjoyed! This pie was pretty sweet but not so cloyingly so, at least for me. Totally worth every cent and calories!

I'm definitely a coverted fan of Flor Patissierie and I'd recommend giving their cakes and pastries like the Marron Pie a try. Apparently their confections and pastries are made entirely from natural ingredients without any artificial stabilizers, agents or preservatives such as baking powder. It's amazing how their cakes turn out so fresh and delicious! To ensure that you enjoy the high level of freshness and quality of each piece that the chef and outlets painstakingly strive to maintain everyday, it is recommended that you eat the cake on the same day of purchase. I was really disappointed at not being able to try their other items but I'll definitely go back again to try their other range of cakes and pastries!