Saw this cute little cart at Causeway Point Basement Level 1 (near the escalator) selling what looked like normal ice-cream, but really, these are gelato-on-a-stick. Pretty cute concept! It helped that the cart was manned by a cute guy who was also friendly and helpful with all our questions about the gelato!

There are currently 8 flavours to choose from:
- Dark Chocolate
- Yogurt
- Hazelnut
- Strawberry
- Vanilla
- Mango
- Coconut
- Pistachio

I opted for the Dark Chocolate ($4.00) for myself. Apparently, these gelato are handcrafted using traditional Italian recipes and premium ingredients. I do not know what gelato made using traditional Italian recipes originally tasted like, but the dark chocolate gelato I had was bittersweet and so rich that it was almost decadent. The gelato on the whole was super smooth, milky and creamy. So good that I regretted not buying more! My friend tried a bit of it too and was in agreement that this was really good. Plus it was pretty convenient to eat on the go!

It costs $4.00 for one stick although there was a promotion when we went where you can buy 5 and get 1 free. The gelato also come in a cute little box if you get it in a set of 5+1. At first glance, $4.00 for a stick may seem pricey but gelato elsewhere are typically selling between $4.00 to $6.00 per scoop in a cup, so this was still pretty reasonable. Of course, it is even more value for money if you get the set of 5 and get 1 free!

Highly recommend the gelato here at Gelato Roma! I know I'll definitely be back for the Dark Chocolate and to try the other flavours as well!

I just love it when shops selling Japanese snacks start popping up along the Woodlands Xchange strip at Woodlands MRT, especially when one of them is offering one of my favourite snacks, the Taiyaki, a Japanese fish-shaped pancake filled with various fillings on the inside. This is just a small, simple outlet with only three separate tables inside for customers to dine in, although we usually have no trouble finding a seat each time we've been there since most people usually just take away the food. Decorated in Singapore's colours of white and red, the outlet not only looked and felt chic but also patriotic. However, I felt that it can be a bit awkward to chit chat in there especially since the small shop size meant that everyone else can hear you! Still, it is a good place to have some quietness and enjoy a nice meal (or snack) in peace!For such a small outlet, they not only offer Taiyaki but also a small variety of other Japanese food such as the Japanese Curry Rice like Beef Hamburger Curry ($6.50) and Yakisoba like Ebi Fried Yakisoba ($6.50). When we went earlier in November, they were having an promotion for two sets of Chicken Katsu Curry and/or Omelette Yakisoba for only $9.90! This was a steal considering that both dishes alone costs $5.90 each! Even so, we found their prices to be pretty reasonable compared to similar dishes in Japanese restaurants. We ordered both dishes for $9.90 as well as a Taiyaki to go.Chicken Katsu Curry Rice (U.P. $5.90)
I usually don't like curry but somehow I always make an exception for Japanese curry. I love how Japanese curry is slightly sweeter and much milder and less spicy than its Indian counterpart. The stew is also thicker and less oily. The curry at Sinfish had a really nice aroma that whetted our appetite and and the curry was tasty too! There was a decent portion of gravy and ingredients like soft potato chunks in the curry which we liked. This also came with chicken katsu, which was very crispy!Omelette Yakisoba (U.P. $5.90)
This was fried on the spot and you can actually watch the staff through the window if you're bored while waiting! The yakisoba was served on a "hotplate" and came with a generous serving of fried noodles mixed with chicken chunks and beansprouts. It was then covered with an omelette on top and drizzled with sweet sauce and mayonnaise. This was the second time we ordered this yakisoba and we were glad to find it slightly less oily compared to the first time we had it. The noodle was evenly cooked, firm and chewy. It was also flavourful and the sweetness from the yakisoba sauce and mayonnaise helped to balance the saltiness from the noodles. This seemed to be a popular dish as we noticed that all three tables including ours were having the same yakisoba!Japanese Red Bean Taiyaki ($1.60)
No trip to Sinfish is complete without its taiyaki which comes in both sweet and savory flavours ranging from the original Japanese Red Bean ($1.60) to Tuna Mayonnaise ($1.80) to Turkey Ham & Egg ($2.00). They also have new flavours like Pandan Kaya ($1.60) and seasonal flavours like Durian ($2.00) to cater to local taste. We actually got the Turkey Ham and Potato Taiyaki during this visit although we have tried almost all of the other flavours previously. My personal favourites are the Turkey Ham and Potato ($2.00), Japanese Red Bean ($1.60), Chocolate ($1.60), and Custard ($1.60). The pancake skin was thin and crispy and the filling portion given was pretty generous! The Turkey Ham and Potato taiyaki had real slice (not chopped bits) of ham given and I actually saw them cracked a whole egg into the pancake when I ordered the Turkey Ham and Egg taiyaki previously! I'd recommend the Japanese Red Bean for those who prefer their taiyaki sweet or Turkey Ham and Potato if you want something savoury. There was this homely baked taste to their potato filling that I can't find the right words to describe. Try them for yourself! The friendly and polite staff usually make these pancakes upon ordering so these are best eaten straight off the hot iron when they are still at their crispiest! Be warned that they can be really scalding hot! For the photo above, you can see that the taiyaki has already begun losing a bit of their crispiness around the middle even though it was less than an hour after leaving the outlet. It is thus not recommended to keep them for too long or overnight as they will get soggy and somewhat mushy inside depending on the filling!

Pricing was within the reasonable range for the taiyaki although the savoury ones can go up to $2 each. But I find them to be worth every cent. I'd highly recommend a visit to this outlet for the food, especially the Taiyaki, if you are in the area!

The fishies at SinFish you say? Gotta eat 'em all!

nydc's motto begins with "Celebrate Life". There are certainly many ways to celebrate life, but for someone with a sweet tooth like me, one way to celebrate it is with desserts. So I jumped at the chance to vote for nydc for lunch when we were in the area. Although it wasn't my first time eating at nydc, it was my first time dining at the Wheelock branch. The first thing that struck me was their distinctive New York style decor with funky pop arts and fixtures like bright red subway beams, giving the entire place an air of vibrancy. One surely can't miss nydc even from a distance away! There were not many people there on a weekday afternoon, which suited me just fine.They had also began to put up Christmas decorations. Unfortunately, despite the decorations, we did not see any Christmas menu nor did they made any mention of it. I was too engrossed obsessing over their desserts selection and promptly forgot to ask about it. The oversight was regrettable, but never mind, we were fortunate enough to be on time for their value-for-money Lunch Special instead.

The Lunch Special set consisted of a main dish, which was Ham & M'S when we went, and came with soup and a drink. For $9.80, it was really a steal for money especially since the Ham & M'S dish alone costs $12.80! Lunch Special: Ham & M'S + Soup + Spite ($9.80)

We opted to have this with rice, so it was basically ham and mushroom baked rice. The portion was bigger than expected and there was a generous amount of mushroom and ham inside. It was topped with an equally generous amount of cheese on top! I love this dish especially the melted cheese topping which was cheesy and chewy. The dish had a slight hint of garlic and the smoked ham wasn't too salty for me; however, I found a few mushrooms slightly dry and overcooked. Nevertheless, this was a pretty decent dish in my book. The soup was quite decent too. It was rich and creamy although we agreed that the portion was a tad meager. Cajun Chirpy Chips ($5.80)

We also got a side of the Cajun Chirpy Chips which came with Aioli dip. The fries were thick and I love that many were still quite soft and "fluffy" on the inside. Contrary to expectations, this wasn't spicy at all although the seasoning added a dash of extra flavour to the fries. The dip though, tasted more like mayonnaise; I didn't really detect garlic in it, or maybe it was just overshadowed by the spices on the fries.

Of course, one doesn't simply go to NYDC and not order dessert! Like its name suggests, the main highlights of nydc are their desserts: chocolate cakes, mudpies, cheesecakes... Just the wide array alone is enough to make them one of my favorite restaurants around. Even their desserts are listed first before the sides and mains in their menu! For myself, it was a fierce competition between the New York Cheesecake ($6.80), Jedi Mudster ($11.80) and Bring Me To The Dark Side ($11.80). It took me a lot of hemming and hawing, but since I have tried Bring Me To The Dark Side in another branch before and had also ate a Cheesecake elsewhere not too long ago, I eventually decided to go with the Mudpie Extravaganza ($11.80). Afterall, it's a combination of three other mudpies on their menu: Jedi Mudster ($11.80), Cookie Monster ($11.80) and Grandma Goes Nuts, Seriously! ($11.80) and I didn't think I'd go wrong with it! Mudpie Extravaganza ($11.80)

To be honest, I don't even know how to begin describing this! It's both chocolatey and nutty and the nougat/marshmallows in the middle was quite chewy. The crust at the base was made of whole cookie chunks which was a tad hard to break apart with a fork (ended up eating the cookies whole), so I'd have preferred it to be made of cookie crumbs instead. The size of the mudpie was bigger than a standard cake and it took me quite a while to lick the entire plate clean. I was super bloated by the end of it, but hey, there's always space for dessert. Personally though, I prefer Bring Me To The Dark Side just for the less complicated, but richer chocolate taste. It's probably better to opt for either one of the mudpies to fully enjoy each taste, but if you can't make up your mind and don't mind a taste bud overload, then go for the Mudpie Extravaganza!

Overall, service was quite decent and the food were served decently fast enough and still piping hot. The waiter was also patient with me when I took my time deliberating over my dessert choice. Their lunch special was definitely value for money, although I thought that the prices for a few items, like the mudpies, was a little on the high side. However, the upbeat ambience and the big portion of the food took away the sting a little. Even so, having a decadent dessert is already sinful enough but having it in a bigger than usual portion is going to be very bad news for those on diets. But it's okay. Once in a while, it's fine to appreciate and celebrate the sweeter side of life.

When I learnt that Petit Provence is a Japanese bakery, I knew that I'd just have to check it out. The chance came when I went to Jem to check out the Kinokuniya branch there. It took me a while to find the Petit Provence outlet, and when I did, I was surprised to find it to be a really small shop carrying an even smaller range of products than most other bakeries would carry; some of the shelf space was even bare, although I wasn't sure if the breads were sold out or if that's all the range they sold in this particular branch. However, looking at the breads displayed in a warmly lit counter, I supposed quality matters more than quantity, and the limited selections also helped to make the decision process easier.Firstly, I got the Cream Wassant ($0.70) and Chocolate Wassant ($0.70) as I've heard some good reviews of Petit Provence's wassants. They are shaped like a croissant but the texture was more like bread. The bread was very, very soft and 'fluffy', and the taste wasn't overpowering. I love how simple and light it was and felt like I could eat more of them without feeling guilty!I also got the Chocolate Chocolate ($0.80) which was more like a mini croissant and was harder in texture and slightly stronger in taste than the wassants. There was also chocolate sauce in it, which added to the chocolate-y taste, but I thought it was more toned down compared to other chocolate breads I've tried before. The last item I got was their Milk Pan ($1.70). Just got to try it! The bread was very soft as well and there was a slight savoury taste to it. The milk filling, which was like custard, was milky and smooth and went really well with the slightly salty bread!Service at the Jem store was also decent and prompt and the salesgirl was quick in processing orders so there wasn't a need to wait long. The prices were also quite reasonable for their range of breads like the wassants ($0.70), although there was no discount if you buy them in bulk of 5 ($3.50). I do wish they would expand their range of breads at the outlet though! Nevertheless, Petit Provence now has a newly converted fan on their side; I just love the simple taste and softness of their breads!

You can say that Mos Burger is one of my favourite fast food outlet; I can never get enough of it! We decided to eat at Mos Burger for dinner as I was craving for their nuggets. The branch at Jem is tucked away at a corner on the 5th floor; not only that, it is also quite small and we nearly missed it!

Despite its small size, the outlet was quite tastefully decorated. Surprisingly enough, the outlet was almost empty even though it was about 6pm plus when we went. It felt a little weird stepping into the quiet store when everywhere else outside was bustling with activity, but it did provide a welcome respite from all the noise and crowd! We got the Chicken Burger ($3.45) with the French Fries Set ($3.70) as well as the 5 pieces Chicken Nuggets ($3.40) with Hokkaido Croquette ($2.05).

Among all their burgers, the Chicken Burger has consistently ranked as one of my favourites. It may be just a simple, non-fancy burger but I like that the chicken was crispy on the outside and meaty inside, and is not as "fatty" as some fast food chicken burgers out there. The other burger I like on their menu is the Tsukune Rice Burger ($3.90), which is rather flavourful too. Coupled with the French Fries, which are thick and not too salty, they'd make for a really nice meal! As with the Chicken Burger, the Chicken Nuggets from Mos Burger is also quite meaty too; they are my favorite among some of the more popular fast food nuggets out there! They are equally tasty eaten on its own or dipped in the sauces. I usually ask for both BBQ and Mustard sauce to go with the nuggets, but I'm just weird that way! I also like to complete my meal with the Hokkaido Croquette if I am having Chicken Nuggets. I like that the Hokkaido Croquette is fried until crispy outside and yet still manage to retain the softness of the potato on the inside. It is delicious when eaten while it is still hot!

Sadly, the branch at Jem did not have the Hokkaido Milk Ice Cream when we went, which was quite a pity as I would love to give it a try!