Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters is a sleek cafe done in a slate of white - clean cut lines, cheery ambience because of the friendly staff, and provides a great ambience for weekend brunch, afternoon hangouts, chilling out or meals.Their hot white coffee comes in 3 different sizes, SGD$4.50 for 3oz, SGD$5.00 for 5oz and SGD$5.50 for 7oz. Smooth, aromatic coffee beneath pretty latte art, with a long finish filled with nutty hints - one could see why Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters stand out from the many cafes along the same Upper Thomson stretch.We started with the Breakfast Platter (SGD$22.00) from the Day Menu - consisting of multi-grained toast, fresh avocado, smoked salmon, back bacon, baked mushrooms, potato hash, and choice of eggs. In this case, we had them done sunny-sideup. This large platter was perfect because it comprised of everything under the "breakfast must-have" list, all done to good texture - crispy bacon and hash browns, soft eggs with yielding yolks, umami mushrooms and smoke salmon, buttery avocado etc all paired beautifully with wheat toast for balance. A happy breakfast makes for a happy day, so I guess this must have been a good start for us.Next, Lemongrass Ricotta Hotcakes (SGD$17.50) - triple-stacked fluffy ricotta pancakes infusesd faintly with lemongrass' exotic flavour, topped with zesty berry compote giving it an extra boost of taste and lots of colours. The pancakes were so velvety soft, they melted upon contact with the tongue, becoming a luscious mush with the delicious berries. This scores high points for aesthetics, taste and texture for sure!

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/11/brunch-at-pacamara-boutique-coffee.html

In recent months, I was surprised to note that the flagship outlet has morphed into a hipster joint, complete with decorative lights, mirrors, stylish wood furniture etc with a modern-Oriental and rustic vibe in the dim settings. So I told myself I must revisit again soon.Their signature dried version of yong tau foo arrived next, with most items deep-fried. I ordered for two to share the following items - beancurd, tau pok, dumpling, seaweed chicken, vegetables, bittergourd, lady's fingers, red chilli, eggplant, spring roll, beancurd skin and shitake mushroom. Infused with the thick, delicious sauce, some of the items soaked up the deliciousness and were extra tasty. Other items such as fried beancurd skin and fried tau pok melted beautifully in the mouths. It was enjoyable to eat this yong tau foo dish, forget about being health-conscious for a day. Though, don't linger over the food for too long because once they turn soggy from the sticky dark sauce, it would not be tasty anymore.The Noodles were served, in their signature minced meat gravy - dark, sticky and reminding me of the sauce used in "zar jiang mian". The noodles are thick white noodles - similar to your laksa strands or beef noodles, but the first time I'd eaten it, it just kept making me think of spaghetti. Anyway, the sauce was delicious, even hinted at the tiniest bit of shitake mushrooms in its flavour.

For more detailed information and full review, please refer to:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/11/lunch-at-fu-lin-bar-kitchen-yong-tau-foo_9.html

Guzman Y Gomez (GYG) was named to honour old friends and created to introduce Mexican food and Latin culture to the world. The items on the menu are traditional Mexican cuisine made with highest quality ingredients. It was introduced to me by a longtime friend and gourmet, *Jalpeth.We both had the Hard Shell Tacos (SGD$8.50 for 2 / SGD$11.50 for 3), and we had fish for the fillings - sautéed fish in GYG's guerrero marinade with pico de gallo and roasted tomato salsa. In short, the hard corn tortilla shells were crispy and really lovely to bite on; the fish was springy and scrumptious in flakey slices. The marinade and salsa gave it a slight zesty boost; the combination was utter bliss. It was also the first time I'd had a fish taco.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/11/lunch-at-guzman-y-gomez-gyg-mexican.html

CATO is a modern Asian Fusion restaurant located at the ex-OCBC Bank along South Bridge Road, occupying a second-storey unit in the conservation building, giving it all the element of historic cultural allure along with old world charm. Comfort is the name of the game, from the modernistic, rustic decor of the first storey restaurant to the dimly-lit, industrial chic interior of the second floor bar area. Mains are served on the restaurant level and one may have light bites / tapas to go along with drinks on the upper level.The Prawn Bisque with Home Made Cod Fish Ball and Coriander Leaf (SGD$12.00) - thick, smooth and creamy broth has a delicious flavour, slightly saccharine and distinct with lobster goodness; lingering in the palate long after every drop is savoured. The cod fish ball had a class of its own - firm but soft in texture, the taste is lighter than those of the typical fishball, but very pleasant for sure. Wish I had more of those balls.The Chicken Noodle Salad (SGD$16.00) - Chinese tea-smoked chicken salad with fresh greens and Ghost Chili seasoned noodles. The tea-smoked chicken was tender, juicy and proudly infused with the aroma of Chinese-tea and hunger-inducing smokey hints that made it a joy to chew unto. Do not be deceived by the seemingly innocuous name or appearance of the murky-coloured noodles - one bite was all it took to feel the spiciness reverberating in the ears and inferno in the mouth. I enjoyed it immensely, and had a few more bites since the rest pretty much left it alone after the first try - but bear in mind that I eat chilli padi as well (though this exceeded the prowess of chilli padi greatly). Suggestion is that you can order it for sharing, or ask the restaurant to let you have the milder or non-spicy version.The Açaí Cured Salmon (SGD$18.00), açaí -cured salmon rounds served on starfruit ceviche with a light and refreshing calamansi Crème Fraîche & Açai jelly. Another dish that left a deep impression on me, and I am sure I needn't emphasize that a dish with health benefits definitely scores points in today's context, where people eat healthier. Springy salmon rounds were sweetly-justifiable of the salmon's luscious, mildly-fishy taste, like eating fresh sashimi. Açai jelly were tiny caviar-like rounds by the side; fun to bite on; and calamansi Crème Fraîche with starfruit ceviche added a refreshing touch of zest.Crispy Squid in Thai-style Glaze (SGD$12.00) were baby squids with a light flour and spices batter, crackling scrumptiously with each bite, melting readily away in the charmed jaws. I could eat a few plates of this easily, especially over drinks.The Steam Baked Pork Cheek (SGD$28.00) - tender strips of slow-cooked pork cheek sealed in "Fata" cooking foil and steam-baked in a Port Wine Mustard sauce along with seasonal vegetables. So we eagerly unwrapped the anticipated dish like a precious present, and slowly doused the yellow sauce over it before attacking the dish. Such soft, succulent pork cheeks were a bliss to behold in between the teeth, slowly slicing through its springy texture and letting the strength of the port-wine mustard sauce come through - rather intoxicating and very palatable. I also loved the sweet vine tomatoes served with the pork cheeks.The Papaya Nougat Glacé (SGD$14.00)- homemade nougat speckled with fresh papaya chunks and studded with almonds was soft, chewy, sweet and crunchy. Drizzled with a papaya and sweet wine reduction pooling it slowly, this decadent dessert was further enhanced in taste and flavour. Loved the berries by the side too.

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

I stumbled Molly Roffey's on Halloween's eve, and have been back twice in a week. Ambience was totally chill, with elaborate lighting and great service from the crew. They had a great live band belting out fabulous tunes into the night too.For mains, *Micaela had the Half Spring Chicken (SGD$13.00) - half day Whiskey marinated spring chicken with grain mustard and fresh herbs, served with sweet potato fries and mseclun salad. I didn't really like the fries because they were too sweet for my liking. The spring chicken, however, boosted of a slightly crispy, paper-thin skin bursting under the pressure of the knife to unravel succulent and juicy flesh, infused tastily with Whiskey's distinctive flavour.I chose the Irish Lamb Stew (SGD$17.00) - succulent casserole stewed lamb, summer vegetables and boiled potato. The gravy was rather thick and mildly sweet in flavour; pooling very soft and powdery potatoes, carrots and peas. The lamb was firm but not hard, but not the most tender I've tried; a little chewy. There was no gamey taste; it was a classic red meat flavour that was pleasant enough but wouldn't sweep you off your feet.Then we shared a Chocolate Guinness Cake (SGD$10.00) - decadent Guinness infused rich chocolate cake that had a firm, sticky texture and a hard base. There was no lava centre, either that, or it didn't flow. The taste was a rich, dark chocolate in nature, with a subtle bitterer hint of Guinness; the harder base was even richer in chocolate-and-stout combination. It was pretty good a dessert actually.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/11/halloween-chilling-out-at-molly-roffeys.html