When I visited Singapore as a tourist right before COVID, the aesthetic vibes and mouthwatering aroma wafting out of @bopgelato at @jewelchangiairport already had me intrigued. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough time back then to give it a try, but now I’ve made it a point to take everyone I pick up/send off at the airport to taste one of the BEST ice creams I’ve ever had here
One thing that makes their gelatos stand out are the artisanal locally-inspired flavours, in which the botanical ingredients are gently infused. My favourite so far is definitely the 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻, as the natural grassiness was distinctive yet subtle enough that it wasn’t too overwhelming to finish the entire scoop. Another one I really loved was the 𝗰𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗲𝘁 that was light and refreshing on the palate.
Another pull factor is definitely the freshly handmade cones (you can watch them make it from the glass window) that attracted me in the first place. The crispy cones have hints of thyme, making that extra dollar super worth it. 

Quick notes on the other flavours that I tried: 
𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗼: very smooth, earthy and rich - yums!
𝗹𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆: tangy sweetness with fruity and floral drops - above average
𝘀𝗲𝗮-𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗷𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮: too roasted and bitter for my liking - would skip
𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗷𝗮: reminded me of Nutella - a bit too rich for me 

The only downside is that there is a constant queue and you can’t try the flavour before making up your mind 

We were genuinely amazed by the wide selection of quality food  - here's a highlight of our favourite stations:

1. Live Prawn Station 
Ok, so I originally thought this was just for display and didn't realize that you can actually use the tongs to catch the prawns in the water tank. It's definitely not as easy as it looks though, as some cunning prawns pretended to be dead or nimbly scurried away. Once you do manage to get one though, remember to dump it in the nearby ice bucket for it to faint. These were obviously the freshest possible and had an excellent chewy texture.
2. Meat Grocer/ Skewer Bar
Highly recommend the wagyu beef cubes which were just so heavenly tender and lustrous. Tip: add cheese and garlic butter from the skewer bar to elevate the taste. Would also suggesting trying out the different cuts of Korean marinated beef!
3. Appetizer
There were plenty of options for sashimi and sushi, which were quite delicious and make sure to eat them first or else they will get too hot. 

4. Desserts
To end your meal on a sweet note,  the cookie and cream/pandan cake bites are a nice choice (the swiss rolls are less sugary though) or check out the ice cream freezer near the beverage area. 

The three-storey cafe in Tanjong Pagar oozes contemporary style and I would recommend going up to the 2/F for a more comfortable environment. The 1/F seating areas lack air con while the 3/F attic is cosy yet a little too dim for your insta photoshoot. The HK-inspired menu is quite limited as they pride themselves in being the ‘World's First Bolo Bun Concept Store’. We waited around 10 minutes before the buzzer rang for us to self-collect the foods and drinks near the cashier.
𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫
I don’t usually dig bolo buns (btw bolo means ‘pineapple’ in Canto, but just refers to the resemblance instead of actually containing any fruit), but this has got to be hands down THE BEST ever compared to the ones I’ve had in HK. The warm bun itself was a textural delight with the outer crust being ultra crispy while the inner was soft and pillowy. The huge cold slab of butter in the middle was such an indulgence, but really elevated the entire taste 

𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐨
The Singaporean samosa twist was actually way better than I expected, but sadly it was a little too spicy for me to eat more than two bites. The aromatic curry scent was soooo tempting though 

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐤 𝐓𝐞𝐚
They managed to make this drink very authentic and silky that I kind of felt that I was in HK for a second. However, I have to admit that HK-style milk tea is an acquired taste for me and I don’t normally prefer the bitter aftertaste

This was one of the first cafes that I visited when I first arrived in Singapore a month ago. I was in the buzzing Orchard area searching for a quiet place to work and randomly came across a nearby branch of @alchemist.sg on Google Maps

Tucked away on the rooftop garden of @shopdesignorchard where you can watch the world go by, the botanical cafe offers a limited menu of coffee and pastries. There were quite a lot of people popping in and out when I came on a weekday afternoon, but the minimalist space did not feel packed with each table placed quite far apart. In terms of work-friendliness, there is no limited dining time and the easy-going employees even proactively poured me a cup of water every now and then. The only snag was that there was no free Wi-Fi in the cafe or nearby

I got myself a cup of iced chocolate, the only non-caffeine drink on the menu, and enjoyed the milky sweetness that covered the natural cocoa bitterness that I dread. 

Named after one of the mandopop star’s albums, @8degreesatsg is the perfect place to prepare for the show by listening to his catchy songs while gobbling up authentic Taiwanese dishes at affordable prices

We visited the Jalan Besar branch for late lunch on the weekend - the place was buzzing with lots of takeaway orders. Luckily we got a table immediately and food was served quite promptly.
[Mains]
My go-to Taiwanese comfort food is always good old lu rou fan (pork belly rice) and this signature dish certainly did not disappoint. The portion size was just right while the savoury braised meat bursted with flavour. 

The chewy noodles topped with cucumber slices were slurp-worthy too despite the garlic flavour being a tad bit overwhelming. 

[Drinks]
Both beverages were above average, but we would recommend choosing 0% sweetness as the boba itself is quite sweet already.