Kko Kko Nara Korean Restaurant is very prettily-decorated, with a lot of lovely trinkets and accessories such as chandeliers, a gramophone, peach blossoms and some exquisite paintings.  I especially loved the huge cushy booth we had, facing the faux fireplace with the giant clock that displayed inaccurate time. Service was professional and the service crew is Korean so I guess that took the affable element out for us because we don't speak Korean.We had the Mini O-Deng Bar (SGD$25.00), translated into Mini Fish Cake Soup - a tasty clear broth filled with various types of fishcakes, shitake mushroom slices, enoki mushroom and some veg etc. The soup bore the sweetness of the fishcake and seaweed, accentuated by the shrooms cooked with it - overall, a hearty, homely type of soup that easily warmed the soul.Following that, we finally got to tuck into the fried chicken! We had 2 orders of the Small Chicken Combo Set (SGD$20.00) - consisting of 3 pieces of crispy original, 3 pieces of yangnyeom sweet spicy and 3 pieces of soy garlic. My personal favorite was the original - which was tasty and the skin was chunky with crisp. Soy garlic had a distinctive taste of its own, and the garlic was not overwhelming so it was delicious to eat as well. As for the yangnyeom, I thought it was a little overly moistened for fried chicken, and too saccharine for my liking. Overall, this was perfect for sharing, or for anyone who wished to try the various different flavours available.Last but not least, the Watermelon Soju (SGD$38.00) made up of half a huge water-melon and its naturally luscious juice, as well as soju (Korean's distilled rice liquor) mixed together to form a cooling, tasty cocktail. I had been craving this for months and it has finally been satiated!

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/11/fried-chicken-dinner-at-kko-kko-nara.html

Yahava Koffeeworks is a 10-year old Australian brand hailed from Perth, founded by true coffee lovers who travelled the world on motorcycles to hunt for the best coffee. They brought their stories and beans home to work their magic into each and every cup of coffee the patrons enjoy; and they are in Singapore now - serving coffee as well as selling coffee stuffs (mugs, sieves, etc). The staff was very friendly.The Earl Grey Tea Cake (SGD$6.00) was an interesting creation - a dense, moist cake rich in earl grey's aroma with every bite, distinctive and sure. The additions of dried cranberries and walnuts added touches of flavour and crunch to the cake, and I deduced that I really liked this cake.Next, the Matcha Azuki Cake (SGD$7.50) was another amazing pastry - rich, creamy texture alternating between fluffy, soft, moistened layers. The sapid taste of green tea was evident and delicious; the red beans added bite and another level of sweetness to the cake. I could have ordered another of this.Now we move on to their specialities - coffee! We ordered an assortment to share, so we could maximise our trysts of different flavours. The colours were so lovely and tempting, and we did not know which cup to begin with.  Affogato (SGD$5.00) was sweet, creamy and made frothy by the scoop of vanilla ice-cream, cooling the hot coffee to a lovely temperature that was kind to the lips upon sipping. I enjoyable the aromatic coffee and ice-cream combination here.  Following that, the Rose Latte (SGD$5.00), became one of my favorites as well. It was redolent with bold hints of rose syrup aka bandung, in local context. The drink was pretty in pink with a frothy top layer giving way to sweet, aromatic, floral coffee concoction that was creamy and smooth all at once.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/11/afternoon-tea-at-yahava-kaffeeworks.html

Nestled behind a large man-made waterfall within the lush gardens of Shangri-La Orchard is The Waterfall Restaurant, now an Italian restaurant offering unique and authentic Southern Italian cuisine helmed by Chef Marco De Vincentis. This restaurant used to serve a more health-conscious menu but has since closed and is revamped to its fully-Italian state now.Within these walls of eclectic colonial interiors, Silician native Chef Marco introduces a salumeria menu of exclusive, imported cold cuts and cheeses, as well as 26 new a la carte heirloom creations, including 5 vegan dishes. The seafood are fresh and pastas are handmade as well, and they would all be included in the specially curated menu.We started with the Insalata di Granchio e Finocchi (SGD$23.00) basically translated into Crab Salad with Fennel, comprising of oranges, fennels, crab, mixed salad, black olives, cherry tomatoes and Tropea onions. It was a flavourful starter made up of a multitude of colours, sealing in the sweetness of the cold crab, the citrusy delight of oranges, the slight bitterness of fennel leaves and piquant spicy taste of the red Tropea onions. Definitely appetite-whetting and we were well-prepped for the next course.Next, it was to be Spigola all'Acqua Pazza (SGD$36.00) - a refreshing and light Neapolitan-style dish of sea bass with fresh cherry tomato, olives, asparagus, capers, wine and parsley. The sea bass was softly flakey, its milky flesh was luscious with freshness. The sauce was sweet, slightly zesty, lending an edge to the light dish perfectly.Following that, the Agnello Arrosto con Timo e Patate (SGD$36.00) - roasted lamb rack with potatoes, thyme and sautéed vegetables. A very good rack it was - tender lamb with slight crisp on the exterior, boosting of a light, smokey hint to its heavier flavour. the flesh was easy on the knife and the teeth, infusing the palate with heartily good flavours. The sautéed vegetables added refreshing tangy touch to it.The Ricotta Cheesecake (SGD$15.00) - rich, creamy and dense in texture, tasting a little like a yogurt cake because of its natural sweetness. This little piece of heaven is the perfect antidote after a heavier meal, sweetening the palate before another glass of white or sherry.Finally, Tiramisu (SGD$15.00), a very Italian dessert - I seldom go for an Italian meal without having one of these. A moistened slab of coffee-and-amaretto infused sponge cake, with a velvety texture and tasting sharply of its components, this one won my heart. I loved how it melted upon contact with my tongue but the flavour lingered long and smooth, like a fine piece of music.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/11/media-invite-dinner-at-ristorante.html

Benjamin Browns Cafe, according to a friend, has been around for years. Their food philosophy consists of serving only premium ingredients, such as grass-fed cows and stress-free chickens without antibiotics and hormones; and their bread is baked fresh daily. The recent and very constant photo-posts of their famous milkshakes on my friends' social media feeds have piqued my interest. So I decided to gather some foodie friends to try these gigantic shakes out.

The Nutella Banana Milkshake (SGD$16.00). The milkshake itself was of a light chocolate flavour infused with banana's aroma - luscious, but not too thick nor creamy; and smooth enough. The giant mug of milkshake was decorated interestingly with a thick coating of nutella chocolate on the rim of the mug, with tiny salted pretzels stuck to them. There were also chocolate wafer biscuits, a thick mound of cream, chocolate love letters and a small piece of cheesecake. These made the milkshake a dessert item on its own, with all the elements of sweetness, saltiness, creaminess and crunch. It was rather delicious.

The Old School Milkshake (SGD$16.00), made up of old-fashioned vanilla milkshake - a little too milky in flavour for some of us. It was decorated prettily with all the favorites from our childhood days - ice-cream cone topped with blue candy floss, pink disc-shaped cookie, mound of cream, a small piece of chocolate cake and the mini candied cookies. The chocolate cake was delightfully decadent; and there was a thick coating of chocolate sauce around the rim of the mug, plastered with tiny rainbow bubbles that exploded in the mouth.

For more detailed information and full review, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/11/afternoon-tea-at-benjamin-browns-cafe.html

Huggs Cafe is a small, casual cafe concept with its focus on coffee and tea selection, the food items comprised muffins, cakes as well as some burrito wraps. I debated a long while before placing an order - did not want something that was filling.So I settled for the delectable-looking Rich Chocolate Muffin (SGD$3.20), crumbly and fluffy, filling the palate with the rich lusciousness of dark chocolate, immaculately lovely despite its deceptively simple appearance.I also had a Hazelnut Latte (SGD$4.70)- redolent in hazelnut's creamy, nutty notes amidst the aroma of the rather silky hot coffee. Wish they'd used a ceramic cup or something instead of paper cups, since I was dining in - but I guess it doesn't matter so much.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/11/afternoon-tea-at-huggs-cafe-paya-lebar.html