I’ve never been that crazy over cakes previously but now they are like my ultimate comfort food. When I’m feeling blue, all I need is just a lovely slice of cake and that’d be enough to turn my day around. Like what the husband said to me, I am so easily satisfied.

Four Leaves bakery is probably as old as me. One that I grew up with and often regarded as ‘one of those local bakeries’ that I’d buy breakfast buns from. One day, after doing my grocery shopping at NTUC Fairprice at AMK Hub, I walked past the Four Leaves outlet outside the supermarket and was captivated by the cakes on display. Without hesitation, I ordered 4 slices to go so the husband and I could have a dessert party after dinner that night. Cake euphoria.

I didn’t expect Four Leaves to come up with cakes of patisserie standard but I was truly wrong. Never judge a cake by its brand, appearance or price.Besides Patisserie Glace, this Strawberry Shortcake is definitely on my top spot. In fact, it is better than the one from my all-time favourite patisserie, Rive Gauche which is really unexpected.

Perfectly moist vanilla sponge layered with fresh cream and sliced strawberries. I love how light the sponge and cream are, definitely not cloying at all. The strawberries are neither mushy nor hard and taste more sweet than sour. I could easily finish the entire slice as overall it isn’t too saccharine. Between these 4 cakes I have tried, I rank this my Number One.Sharing the same top spot is this vanilla sponge cake with fresh cream, peach slices, mixed fruits and almond slices. I got this cake for my mum’s birthday last year and we totally enjoyed it. There is a generous serving of peaches between the sponges that don’t taste of heavy syrup (thank goodness). The fruits on top are a mix of sweet and sour flavours that really complemented one another and the sliced toasted almonds give it a lovely nutty flavour and crunch. This is similar to the Strawberry Shortcake except that assorted fruits are used instead of just strawberries.Chocolate sponge coated with rich chocolate ganache, enough to tantalise the taste buds of any chocolate lover. The husband prefers this to the fruity cakes since he likes anything chocolate. As for me, I am biased towards Chef Icon’s Chocolate Trovana which is the most amazing chocolate cake I have ever had (read my review on Chef Icon here) so no other chocolate cakes have quite made it for me (unfortunately). Not that this Chocolate Classico is bad in any way, it’s just not as good as Chef Icon’s. In my husband’s opinion, this is smooth and velvety and the chocolate ganache isn’t too sweet.I’d prefer the Coco Exotic (to the Chocolate Classico) which is also the husband’s Number One favourite among these 4 cakes. Chocolate sponges filled with light chocolate mousse and crunchy hazelnut flakes. The latter is totally kick-ass! That crunchiness amidst soft layers of sponges and mousse really brings this cake to another level.

For full review and pictures, please go to http://www.springtomorrow.com/2014/02/06/delectable-cakes-from-four-leaves/

This satay bee hoon stall in Ang Mo Kio Central Food Market has been around for at least 25 years. I first had this when I was in primary school in the 1980s as my Granny was a big fan of it and she’d always bring me here then. I continued patronising this stall over the years not just because it evokes childhood memories but because it is still one of the better satay bee hoons in Singapore after I’ve tried many others elsewhere.The winning formula has got to be the satay sauce that is thick, rich and flavourful despite being oily too. I don’t like cockles so I’d always request for them to be omitted and the stall owner would just give me extras of the other ingredients. I love the crunch of the fresh prawns and kang kong (water spinach). The sliced pork, cuttlefish and tau pok (fried tofu puffs) are tender. The bee hoon is nicely blanched so it’s never soft and soggy. Drenched with a generous helping of the satay sauce, this is a volcano of flavours and textures. What’s not to like?

For full review and pictures, please go to http://www.springtomorrow.com/2014/02/18/centre-satay-bee-hoon-ang-mo-kio-central-food-centre/

The husband and I were at City Square Mall over the weekend when we were attracted by this ‘row of shophouses’ on the 4th level of the mall that was filled with nostalgic charm.

Indeed, this was a new concept by Food Republic to recreate the New World’s good old days when street hawkers on mobile stalls were common then. All the stalls at this food atrium were replicas of vibrant Peranakan shophouses.We explored the food court to seek out new lunch options but ended up at my favourite ban mian stall instead. A light and soupy meal was exactly what I needed.

Qiu Lian Ban Mian was set up in 1988 by Madam Ong Qiu Lian who inherited the family recipe from her grandmother. Every bowl of their noodles is homemade-style, straightforward and unpretentious. That’s why I’ve been patronising them (outlets are located island-wide) for years whenever I crave for ban mian.Noodles are freshly made everydaySo what exactly do I like about this? The soup is rich but not overly salty. It is not oily either and overall it’s pretty healthy. The ikan bilis (anchovies) and shallots are fried to crisp, making the soup more flavourful with a nice crunch. There are lots of crunchy chye sim – love it! The noodles are chewy and springy, exactly the way I like my noodles. The little clumps of minced pork are well marinated with a lot of flavour. Seriously, what’s not to like?

For full review and pictures, please go to http://www.springtomorrow.com/2014/02/14/qiu-lian-ban-mian-food-republic-city-square-mall/

After our morning outing to the River Safari on my birthday, the husband and I headed home to get changed and left for the Fullerton Bay Hotel where we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon, indulging in an elegant high tea in full view of the waterfront panorama of the Marina Bay.“Built in 1933, Clifford Pier was a landing point for immigrants and other sea passengers. The Landing Point derives its name as it signifies the long passage way the early settlers took upon setting foot at the pier.” – Fullerton Bay Hotel

We love the breathtaking architecture and ambience of the hotel (in fact, there were a couple of times when hubby and I just stopped by the lobby area to rest our feet) that exudes this refined elegance and luxurious grandeur.While waiting for our high tea set to arrive, we were first served a plain scone and a raisin scone each. Not the best scones I’d eaten but at least they were warm and fresh.The unique part about the high tea here was that food would be served on this three-tier stand instead of a buffet line so we could just sit back, relax and indulge without the need of walking around to grab bites or catching the attention of a service staff to place our orders.This mini lobster cone was filled with succulent pieces of lobster meat in a crispy outer covering. The cone itself had a lovely aromatic flavour of black sesame that was a little overpowering in flavour.The duck rillette crepe was my favourite among all savouries. I can never resist soft, moist, rich and creamy duck rillette! This was beautifully rich and flavoursome that would leave behind a salty after-taste just like luncheon meat.Another winner if you like prosciutto. The bagel was a little soft for me (I prefer mine firmer) but I loved the combination of the ham, with cheese, tomato and lettuce in between. Salty and sweet.These tarts were kick-ass! The creme brulee with a nice caramelised top was just delicious! I could eat more of these creme brulee (without the crust) anytime! The chocolate crusts weren’t too bad, crumbly enough but could be slightly more moist.I couldn’t resist taking a picture of the cross-section of the salted caramel tart because it just looked delish. Bottom was a layer of gooey sweet caramel, followed by the dark chocolate custard and then sprinkled with some sea salt on top. Every bite was a burst of flavours in the mouth.

For full review and pictures, please go to http://www.springtomorrow.com/2014/02/09/exquisite-afternoon-high-tea-the-landing-point-fullerton-bay-hotel/

I remember when I was little, Granny would sometimes buy orh luak (oyster omelette in Teochew) home for supper (only when she won at the mahjong table so supper was always a rare treat!) and it was one of the few foods that I didn’t know how to appreciate because I just didn’t like the texture of the sticky and gooey potato starch. I’d then pick out the egg bits and eat that instead. Over the years, orh luak still hasn’t made it to my list of preferred hawker fare.Last week, the husband and I were at Whampoa for dinner and he wanted to eat oyster omelette so I recommended him this popular stall which many have recommended. I told him to only order one plate because I would only try one mouthful as I wasn’t a big fan of it.It really wasn’t a pretty sight when this was served to our table. And despite the humble portion, we were really surprised that there was a generous serving of oysters (at least 5-6 pieces) in it that tasted fresh, soft and juicy, definitely not overcooked.

What really stood out was the sweet potato starch that was fried in pork lard. It had a good crisp to it with a slightly chewy, springy texture in the middle and every bite gave a crunching sound in the mouth that was unparalleled plus it had really fragrant wok hei too. The chilli sauce was a good balance of spicy and sour. It wasn’t spectacular but we didn’t really need the chilli anyway because the omelette itself had a lot of flavour to it. Anyway I was wrong. I didn’t just have one mouthful. One plate wasn’t even enough for us! Too addictive!

For full review and pictures, please go to http://www.springtomorrow.com/2014/02/20/ah-hock-fried-oyster-hougang/