It was my break after work. I was feeling a bit hungry and tired, so I was looking for something sweet to eat to perk me up. Then, I was thinking that there are shops in Chinatown that sell Chinese pastries. Hence, I made a tour to Chinatown and visit this Chinese bakery.There, I saw many different pastries on display. All of them look appealing to me. I had no idea what to choose considering the cost and my taste preferences. After much thought, I picked on the wife pastry and the lotus seed pastry with egg yolk. The wife pastry appears glossy and golden brown. The skin is flaky. The filling is clear white, sweet and chewy. It looks and tastes like mochi. The lotus seed pastry with egg yolk is a bit glossy and likewise golden brown. It looks to me like something I've had before but I can't remember... Ah yes, it is a mini Shanghai mooncake, just that it has sesame seeds on the top of it instead of pine nuts or almonds to make it more appealing. Like the wife pastry, the skin is flaky too. The lotus paste is sweet and as sandy as red bean paste. The salted egg yolk is bright orange. It is crumbly and not so salty. The salted egg yolk complements with the lotus paste as the saltiness of the egg yolk balances the sweetness of the lotus paste.

These pastries not only look good, they taste good too. There are other pastries the shop sells such as egg tarts and sponge cakes. Well, I do not mind going there another time.

It was lively that night at Boat Quay because St. Patrick's Day Festival has begun. A lot of people are there drinking while making merry. I chose to move away from the crowd as I did not want to get into trouble with anybody there. It was dinner time. I happened to find this quiet dining place that offers nasi padang. I doubt that the food there tastes good at first. However, after seeing the reviews inside about the eatery, I decided to have a plate of nasi padang. I had rice with beef lungs, sayur lodeh, kentang belado and some sambal. Often, I had nasi padang served on plates that resemble banana leaves. This nasi padang is served on a round piece of banana leaf on a plate. It was hard to find rice served on banana leaves these days. The appearance of the dish reminds me of South Indian banana leaf rice. The rice is soft and chewy. It tastes good when served on the banana leaf as the leaf gives the rice its own fragrance. The strips of beef lungs are soft and chewy. They are like chewing gum because they are hard to be torn apart in the mouth. The chillies help to make the beef lungs taste spicy hot. About the sayur lodeh, it tastes mildly spicy. The gravy is soupy. While other vegetables such as carrots and long beans come in small pieces, others such as cabbages and cauliflowers come in big chunks. That is fine because that makes the vegetables more crunchy. As for the kentang belado, the potato wedges appeared to be deep fried before stir-frying. The potatoes are soft and pulpy, with the outer layer being soft and firm. Likewise, they also taste mildly spicy. The anchovies add to the potatoes its salty fishy flavour. The sambal tastes very spicy, salty and a bit sweet. It also has a fishy taste maybe because it has a hint of anchovies in it. The rice can complement with the sambal and the dishes as it can relieve any spiciness.

The whole nasi padang is very tasty. Eating within the shophouses by the river makes me feel that I was going back to the days when traders and coolies work and eat by the river. This is an amazing dining experience and I hope to come there for another plate of nasi padang.

I was having lunch at Maxwell Food Centre. I happened to pass by this stall. It sells a delicacy I bet it cannot be found anywhere else in Singapore, deep fried sweet potato balls. I believe that makes the stall so special so many people came for the delicacy and that is why there are good reviews about the sweet potato balls the stall sells. The last time I came to the stall, it was closed. Today, I just have the chance to try the sweet potato balls. When I came to buy the balls, the ones containing pandan coconut and red bean fillings are sold out. Guess they are popular among the people. I ordered one pure sweet potato ball and one with split mung bean filling. The balls appear crispy and golden brown. Both are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The interior of the pure sweet potato ball looks orange is doughy and chewy. The whole ball tastes a bit like deep fried New Year cake with sweet potato. The sweet potato ball with split mung bean filling is puffy. It is split mung bean filling wrapped in skin made from sweet potatoes. The skin is thin, crispy and a bit chewy. The split mung bean filling is sweet and a bit salty. It looks and tastes like the one in ang ku kueh. The split peanut on the ball improves the appearance and gives the ball a bit of its crunchy texture.

The sweet potato balls look and taste good. There are other flavours available - peanut and vegetarian. Every ball is sold at low prices. I do not mind coming there for the sweet potato balls another time.

I have finally went through all my final year exams. I decided to find a place to have a good lunch and relax. It led me to Strictly Pancakes at Prinsep Place. On stepping into the cafe, I was immediately immersed in the cool and calm environment with soothing music played. I was served a glass of water right away while looking at the menu. Often, I had pancakes with honey or maple syrup. This time, I had pancakes in a different manner. I had Strawberries & Co., pancakes served with strawberries and blueberries. The pancakes are drenched in cream and garnished with icing sugar. The number of pancakes are just enough for lunch. The berries are put on the side of the pancakes drenched in strawberry coulis. Furthermore, a scoop of vanilla ice cream is served beside the pancakes and the berries. The pancakes are soft, fluffy and a bit salty. They are a bit thicker than McDonald's Hotcakes. The cream is runny and tastes milky and sugary. The berries are fresh and a bit sweet. The coulis seems to be thick and makes the dish taste fruitier, sweeter and sourer. The ice cream appears to have small black bits on the surface. It has not only the fragrance of vanilla but also the taste of spices.

This dish of pancakes with berries is hearty and healthy. I can come there next time for other dishes. The cafe also provides wireless service. Maybe I can bring a laptop to surf the Net or chat with friends online before dining the next time I make a tour to the cafe.

I had passed this cafe before. It is not like any other HK cafe in the sense that the décor inside and outside the cafe is very retro. That makes one think that this cafe can serve the very traditional HK dishes. I find the cafe special, so I decided to go in. I ordered the French toast, one of the chef recommended dishes the cafe offers. The toast is thick and golden brown with a slice of butter on top. It is crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. The butter adds a salty milky taste to the toast. Inside the toast, there is a layer of egg between the crisp and the bread. The egg is bouncy but can be thicker to give the toast a more eggy flavour. A bottle of syrup is provided for the toast. The syrup makes the toast sugary.

Well, this is one dish served by the cafe that I had. I find it acceptable. I can come there for other dishes next time.