Vintage everywhere on Rangoon Road.Vintage must be Brunches Cafe's middle name, with every corner of this roomy hideout having a touch of vintage, including their serving plates and feature shelf. Despite the weekend afternoon's crowd having their brunch (heh heh, what else here?), there are plenty of seats available. As we were there as part of the Sugar Rush event, we probably didn't exactly had an experience of a walk-in customer as they already prepared a menu set for us to try.The service crew at Brunches is very efficient and kindly allowed us in, even though the rest of our team hasn't reached yet. So we had a bit of time to roam around to explore the cafe, and discovered this Halloween-sque shelf with lots of dolls and that the prominent vintage car near the entrance is actually part of a booth. No way, that's too cute. Undoubtedly, another big plus factor is Brunches Cafe's size which made me feel so comfortable. The most photogenic and afternoon sweet treat was the Mixed berries waffles with vanilla ice-cream (SGD13.50) that was quite delicious, but there was some technicalities that didn't meet the mark.. the waffles weren't adequately warm or crispy, and the ice-cream didn't taste the premium sort. If your priority is to take an awesome Instagram photo, this will be your best prop but when it comes to taste, I guess Brunches Cafe can afford to improve the quality of the ice-cream and increase the price accordingly.Their Juicy Beef Burger (SGD19.50) was decent, the grilled beef patty erred on the side of being slightly dry, contrary to its name, but the rest of it was alright. I would personally try something else again if I had the chance. Their BBQ Chicken Wings (SGD11) was more disappointing as it was simply too salty, I think they over-marinated it. It was impossible to eat without downing glasses of water, which the service crew did refill promptly.Brunches Cafe is a lovely place to hang out, perhaps for desserts and coffee (which I haven't tried so by all means I'm not recommending from my own experience) but their mains and sides need a bit more of a boost.

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CATO Singapore just launched in cultural mecca with delicious bites and laidback vibes.Double-storeyed restaurant and bar inspired by Modern Asian cuisine, CATO Singapore packs a punch when it comes to giving you an awesome night out. This jazzy, fun affair is lined with fancy cold brews, coffee stouts, craft beers, and more - whichever is your chosen poison, they will have it. Groove to the beats from their live DJs spinning 90's retro remixes, and then, hang out with friends over interesting fusion creations from CATO's talented chefs.Image credits: CATO Singapore

The first floor seemed a little muted and has a slow, lulling effect for a quiet date night, but the second floor is truly made for memorable nights with its cozy setting, and a large arching window that oversees the grand glowing Sri Mariamman Temple in blue.Prawn bisque with home-made cod, fishball and coriander leaf (SGD12) is a velvety product of simmered prawn shells for a more full-bodied flavour, typically served in an espresso cup for you to down in one shot... ideally. In reality, it was so full of goodness from the seas and I would really prefer to sip at it slowly and dip in bread to enjoy it in entirety. Portion is likely to be small as this is a 'quality over quantity' sort of tapas selection.The super savoury Garlic fries (SGD8) would be good to share among a crowd. It is tasty with strong garlic-crusted flavour, but probably not the sort of fries to binge on as it can be quite overpowering after a while.Chicken Noodle Salad (SGD16) is the spiciest thing I've ever tasted, meant to be both smoky, savoury, and sour with vinegar vinaigrette... but numb was the only feeling I had after the 'ghost chili' (bhut jolokia) which the noodles were seasoned with! It was pretty crazy, but people who love to push their limits... here it is.Fashioning one of man's greatest discoveries - the salmon - in a very different way, the Acai cured salmon (SGD18) has cured the Tasmanian Salmon Rounds with superfood of acai berries, which is intended to accentuate the fattiness and juiciness of the salmon. Oh my, if the chef hasn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have known why this salmon tasted especially plump and delicious. Pair it with the marinated starfruit ceviche with light and refreshing calamansi creme fraiche and the maroon-coloured sweet acai jelly squares on the side. Photo credits: CATO Singapore

The Crispy Squid in Thai Style Glaze (SGD12) is known to be a regular-favourite and also quickly swept off the table by fellow hungry dinner companions. Strangely, I didn't find that I like it as much, it wasn't crispy but instead, feels chewy, with a sweet and sour sauce that stays true to Thai cuisine.Steam Baked Pork Cheek (SGD28) is wrapped in a Fata cooking foil in a rather aloof way, as if it doesn't care much for being photogenic in this era of Instagram... unwrapping it, an inviting aroma wafts over, revealing tender strips of sous vide pork cheek and steam-baked in a port wine mustard sauce. The pork cheeks were super tender, I didn't even feel like I had to bite it (not literally) but it sure doesn't feel like any other regular pork cheeks. My impression of it just went on an exponential curve after getting to know it.My favourite amongst the mains, appetizers and sides goes to this ingenious Aunty Jasmine's Fish Curry (SGD25), made from a family secret recipe. The New Zealand Ling fish is used, doused in an in-house Indian curry made by CATO's culinary team. It is really good, my eyes watered with tears as I ate it because finally, a curry that is perfect in a way I liked it... generous and full of coconut milk, spices and spicy enough too. Honestly, the fish and curry took centrestage, and everything else was promptly ignored. If you're wondering, the little yellow blobs of caviar is olive oil.What took my breath away was the Papaya Nougat Glace (SGD14) which I thought was really special... the homemade nougat had a soft texture almost like tofu, the juicy papaya chunks and caramelized almonds lies in a pool of papaya and sweet wine reduction, all in all such heaven on earth! Desserts should all be like this, a little mysterious and hundred-percent starry-eyes inducing. I didn't exactly know what I was eating before the chef came over to explain, I just knew this was glorious dessert in the making.In comparison, the typically good Valrhona Warm Pistachio Chocolate Cake (SGD14) wasn't as spectacular in the creativity department, but scores brownie points in how classic and well-done it is. The ice-cream on the side is in a strong premium almond flavour.For more food reviews: www.amiehu.com

Have I gone mad? Quirky, funky, happy and sweet times at Hatter Street.I fell right through the rabbit hole and straight into dessert world, a-k-a Hatter Street Bakehouse & Cafe. This cute cafe is right at the foot of a housing block in Kovan, curiously sparkling and pink amidst the humdrum of a regular neighbourhood. It was bustling with an enthusiastic post-lunch crowd, all gathering around for ice-cream, cakes, and waffles. Opening everyday at 1pm, Hatter Street's main draw is their sweet offerings on the menu, scratched on chalkboard features on the wall. If you're spoilt for choice - you will - here's a handy quick list of their signatures: Smoked sawdust pudding (SGD5), Whoaffles (Pandan/ Vanilla/ Chocolate - SGD8.90), and Choco-tella (SGD6.80). You are forewarned, everything here is made to give you a no holds barred sugar rush and whirls of happiness.

Their whoaffles were surprisingly good... heh, I know, I have very low expectations when they are priced as such, which makes it doubly worth it. They were really crispy on the outside and eggy buttery soft goodness on the inside! I have a soft spot for pandan ice-cream, and it matches the waffles nicely.

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Understatements of cafes, undertable cakes. When I returned to Singapore from land of coffee snobs, I steered clear of cafes knowing that it'll be hard for me to feel wow-ed again. Especially coffees - I'm not adept at tasting notes of coffee but I do know a good one from a bad. I came to BLACK&INK by a Sugarrush event (read: #welovesugar #sugarapp) and we were treated to an array of BLACK&INK's specialties. From the outlook, they look ordinary, but they are one of a kind mindblowing. If you self-professed to place more importance on taste than looks, this is the place to go. Note: BLACK&INK's menu does not include pork or lard, but they are not officially certified Halal. One of the cafe's founders is Muslim, so one of the motivations is to create a cafe that serves food that our Muslim friends can enjoy as well. I can't wait to be back for more this weekend, but here's what BLACK&INK has to offer:I have no idea what good coffee is made of, but Big Roy from BLACK&INK knows. A friendly coffee-loving giant of a barista who really knows how to charm his customers with the many cuppas, Roy made a really neat mocha (SGD5.50) for me with sweet berry acidity and dark chocolate finish. Whatever that means, it is definitely one of the best on this sunny island. Spoil yourself silly and have a cup here.Muffins can really be fun, as you will see two carefully curated flavours that are bound to be extremely popular - the Salted Egg Yolk Muffins and Thai Milk Tea Muffins. While you can't see the flavours through these pictures, they are thoroughly infused throughout the muffin. It is not overwhelming, not too sweet but well-balanced. The flavours are taste very natural which makes them very enjoyable.If you're looking for mains, BLACK&INK serves their unique cafe creations, the Hot Chick Burger (SGD8.80) and Brown Cow Burger (SGD10.80). I really can't decide which one I like better, because the Hot Chick Burger is really piquant and fragrant, with hints of spiciness that is quite manageable. The Brown Cow Burger is like the comforting and classic good ol' burger sort. Both patties are quite juicy and on top of that, sauces help to make it better.I'm two minds about sharing this limited edition Under Table Cake (I mean in limited quantities, while stocks last) because what if I don't have access to this when I need it right?! How I was initiated to this cake was pretty strange - I settled into my seat and overheard one of BLACK&INK's returning customers comment, "This is really, really very good." Of course, I am always curious when a certain food gets such high praise, and then I sneak a look over... the platter was polished clean. Damn. What is it?! Later, I got my own share and was blown away by how delicious this tiny little cake can be. I can go on forever eating it. It feels so dreamy, luscious and moist, not heavy at all (as opposed to what it looks) and really good.Their Tiramisu is rum-free, but with BLACK&INK's own tweaking of the recipe, it turns out to be even better than the usual rum versions that I've had. It's very down-to-earth, moist and delicious. I love alternating between the Under Table Cake and the Tiramisu, because... let me have my cakes and eat them all!They make their own Signature Gelato (SGD4/scoop, SGD5/premium scoop; additional scoop at SGD3/4 respectively) as well, definitely more expensive than most gelato places but I would say their gelato is of premium quality, smooth and rich. It is surely more value-for-money than say, if you were to order a dessert at a restaurant for around 10 bucks. BLACK&INK have some pretty unique flavours that you can't find elsewhere including Honey Lemon Sorbet (new flavour which I haven't tried), Dark Chocolate Sorbet (my favourite) and a more localized Kaya Pandan Gelato which is really lovely to have!

Follow them on their Facebook (fb.com/blackandink) and instagram @blackandink to find out the latest flavours and coffee bean sources!

The agenda that night was simple: a date with myself, and pho. Oh, my favourite kind of night. I has my eyes set on Mrs Pho,.. and then I went headlong into Vietnamese food paradise. I rarely feel this amount of ecstasy when I eat - I must have looked slightly deranged smiling to myself while slurping down this bowl of pho. Moving on: Mrs Pho is set on Beach Road. Quite, quite a walk from Bugis MRT station. I was honestly about to give up and sneak into one of the cafés along the way. But I am so glad I didn't because otherwise I wouldn't have found this gem of a place which looked really hipster in the industrial way... Mrs Pho is actually very similar to many modern pho places in Ho Chi Minh (yes, yes I'm working on those posts / soon /).Fuzzy pictures for all the fuzzy feels I have for this bowl of Pho Bo Tai (SGD7.90). I mean, look at that silky smooth pho noodles and the best part? The soup was properly rich with its sweet meaty goodness, yet clear and so aromatic. Honestly, the taste alone brings me back to the ranks of Melbourne's bests. The beef wasn't as good though. It wasn't tough but it wasn't satisfying tender either. I guess the source of the beef matters a lot as compared to the abundance of good beef meat available in Australia. Still... I think it's really way better as compared to a certain popular pho-chain restaurant (here is the link of my one and only visit in 2013 which made me swear off Vietnamese cuisine for two entire years). I also ordered some Cha Gio (SGD3) - fried spring rolls at a dollar per pop - at first I thought it might be too expensive but I changed my mind after I tasted it. It is wonderfully tasty and legit - I might go far enough to say it tasted very similar than the ones in Ho Chi Minh. This is a compliment.I left feeling really fuzzily warm and happy, I even left a tip for them - not my usual practice but hey, this is a rare occasion. The whole place was actually very packed, there was even a (short) queue outside - it's not hard to understand why. So I'm saying it again - 100% will recommend and 100% will come back again when that pho craving hits. Ngon on, Mrs Pho.