The Populus Coffee & Food Co. has to be one of the most popular (heh heh, excellent divination in its name) around the town area these days. From the team behind Department of Caffeine, this cafe adopts a more bright, airy and clean look.
The moment we stepped into The Populus, we were told we had to wait for a table.. and subsequently, they put our names on a waiting list. Well, this was to be expected – it’s a Sunday afternoon after all, and the last weekend before most folks head back to work and school. Ten minutes were all they needed before they shuffled us into the homely, cozy interior. We ordered their coffees (mocha for me, the usual, at SGD6) and their famous Buckwheat Pancakes (SGD20).
The mocha feels like a strangely thin version of DOC’s, which didn’t really hit the spot as much as I would like it to be, though it’s still good. Because come ‘on, I like DOC very very much.
Their Buckwheat Pancakes were quite expensive given its size. The texture of the pancakes felt more like cake than pancake, soft and more dense than fluffy. The rest of it can’t really go wrong – the berry compote, passionfruit curd, cornflakes, and maple syrup. Even though it was satisfying, I can’t help but feel it wasn’t that value-for-money.
Note: They have revised their menu since their soft launch and upped the prices of most items.

We were attracted to La Marelle cafe for its pink exterior, and off we went, up the stairs to its cozy 2nd and 3rd floor interior space. There was shelves of vintage and quirky doll figurines, card games (Sushi Go, Cards Against Humanity, etc) to play with, which was wonderful to kill time with a group of friends.

I wasn't too hungry so my friend and I shared a bolognese pasta which was served oddly on a brown paper in a basket - smart way to save manpower and water. The bolognese sauce feels rather diluted, sour and without much herbs or salt to taste. For a cafe, it was lacklustre. We didn't try the other mains so perhaps this is a bad choice to order. The salvaging point is that it was a huge portion, and the cafe staff were really nice and patient people.

I remembered Atmosphere Cafe & Bistro as the. The entire cafe is going for the atas ‘atmosphere’ with tall plush sofas and heavy luxe curtains, as opposed to their other outlet at East Coast which was more of a open-concept bar.
The baristas would vie for starry eyes with unique 3d latte art for everyone on our dining table. Each cup took 10 minutes to arrive, but that’s only sufficient time for us to ogle at it, and take a round of photos.Their extensive menu is made simpler with an iPad ordering system.For appetizers, I would say the Battered Mushrooms (SGD6.80) and Signature Atmosphere Fries (SGD7.80) are good for sharing, while you can safely skip the pastas without missing out much.
Overall, the appetizers and mains that we tried were neither impressive nor memorable, which fell short of expectations because their interior design was done very beautifully.Their desserts were significantly better, and something that I would recommend to enjoy at Atmosphere for sure. Molten lava cakes (SGD12.80) are available in classic chocolate or white chocolate with molten cheese core. The Fluffy Snowfall has got to be the most photogenic of all, with soft pancakes stuffed with banana, chocolate or strawberry, though the topping it off with macarons may not be the most pleasing taste-wise.
Atmosphere is best for having a cuppa (3d latte art!) and a molten lava cake, soaking in the elegant interior. And a good hideout place just right next to IKEA.

Thai Boat Noodles (kuai-tiao-ruea) became really popular in Singapore during the third quarter of 2015. I haven’t tried any around the island yet despite at least ten different locations sprouting up. During our noodle trail around Little India and Lavender, Roy introduced Loylum Thai Boat Noodles to me.It is an interesting concept in which you can order many small bowls of noodles with a choice of beef, pork, chicken or vegetarian. I appreciated a lot because it means lesser food wastage and there are a variety of flavours to enjoy in one seating. What’s more, is it just me or food simply taste better in small portions?
Their noodle broth is very rich with the meaty and herbal taste, which makes the bowl very appetizing even though I was already pretty full from our previous noodle stops ;)You can add on a Thai Egg for a dollar.I cannot deny it – I love Thai Milk Teas (yes, even though it nearly killed me in Bangkok – more on that /soon/). It is not the best here (I love the ones at Aroy Dee and Ah Loy Thai), but I would say it’s quite good.They have Durian Chendol here as well. Are you grimacing at the thought of it or are your eyes lit up with excitement? Advice: Chomp through it fast while the concoction is still icy cold.. otherwise it won’t be enjoyable anymore.
There is a TV playing some pretty rad Thai songs, one of which was Timethai. I couldn’t get rid of the tune from my head for days.

Bejewelled Christmas by the bayAre you ready for a merry feasting time? Yes, the countdown is on for Christmas and if you haven't made plans yet to stuff yourselves silly, you can check out the line-up of seafood and festive staples made by Street 50 Restaurant & Bar for this Christmas season from 24 December 2015 to 2 January 2016.

Entering Street 50 Restaurant & Bar, the first impression was its quiet elegance decked in dark tones and wood accents, with corners and booths for intimate gatherings for friends and family. A long table is available for larger groups. The buffet spread locates itself prominently in the centre, making it easy to reach and refill your plates to your hearts' content.We kicked off the feast with the Salmon Carpacio with Coriander and Pinenut Vinaigrette, delightful pops that packs a flavourful punch, a refreshing and tasty appetizer that preps you for more.The showstopper of the night were these Smoked Oyster and Crab Cake, tantalizingly golden pieces that were generous with oyster and crab meat, topped with tangy papaya salsa! Advice: Grab as many of these, because it is SO popular.Will you dig into this Black Pepper Alaskan Crab Claw with Gingko Nut for some succulent crab meat? It is bursting with crab meat, so it is easy to enjoy crab here without an arms workout! The black pepper sauce really got me reaching for it again and again. Its peppery spiciness lingers as an aftertaste, which I paired up with the Seafood Paella which erred on the side of being dry and tasteless.These Canadian Bay Scallops with Tomato Essence were the most photogenic of the lot, a juicy pop of scallop accompanied with carrots, radish and pickles. These are fuss-free to eat, so I'd imagine reaching for it endlessly on buffets ;) Stack those shells up!The Turkey Breast is a must-have for Christmas parties, so Street 50 Bar & Restaurant has ensured that you won't miss this integral part of the festive season of course! The Turkey Breast was on the drier side, but it is harder to maintain moisture on turkey as opposed to other types of meats, so I guess it can be pardoned with its two innovative sauces - the coriander cucumber and the pineapple salsa! Both are extremely interesting on the senses, with the coriander cucumber being surprisingly delicious and good with the turkey breast. I would think something so green wouldn't be that appealing, but it is the complete opposite of what I thought it would be. The pineapple salsa is slightly spicy and tingly, fruity with sweet and sour notes.If you're looking for your sweet ending to a buffet, grab an Iced Chocolate and the Crepe Suzette. The Crepe Suzette had its crepe soaked in a sauce full with tangs of mandarin orange zest, which proved to be a love-it-or-hate-it sort of dessert. The Iced Chocolate, on the other hand, would probably hit the right notes with most people around, resembling the local favourite drink Milo but with a stronger chocolate taste.