There are many small eateries along Purvis Street that have earned a name for themselves, but Saveur is probably one of the more unique restaurants in that area. I was pleasantly surprised by its minimalist shop exterior and the interior was also very unique in its own way.As you enter the restaurant, the first thing you will probably notice is the high ceiling and black-white color scheme. Taking a closer look at their menu brings up a passage from the Bible and there is even a large heart-shaped art piece on the wall with a verse from the Bible. I immediately recognized the version from John 3:16 as it was a verse that was widely used at the secondary school I used to attend - Fairfield Methodist. I guess the restaurant owners are Christian as there were many Christian elements in the restaurant's design.

I particularly liked the sign near the rear of the restaurant which had arrows pointing to "Heaven" (their kitchen) and "No.5 Purvis Street" (the other unit next door that is also occupied by the same restaurant).

THE FOODWe were there for lunch (it was also a treat from our boss) and I decided to order the "Fish". Saveur's menu is also very minimalistic in its design, with their mains categorized according to the meat: ie. Chicken, Duck, Fish, Beef, Pork. This made it super easy to decide on what you want to eat!

The "Fish" I ordered was a chunk of Barramundi ($13.90) sitting on top grilled potato cubes that had a small amount of crab meat on it. I enjoyed the potato cubes as they were crispy on the outside and just nice on the inside. They also plated it with small slices of blood oranges and grapefruit which added a unique fruity to the savory dish. However the actual meat itself, the fish, was very average - it wasn't that tender and in fact, I found it to be a little on the dry side. As a main dish, the meat should have been the main "star" but it was rather disappointing as the condiments really out-shined the main ingredient.

The portion of the mains are just right for me, but a few of my colleagues felt that it was too little. The portion is definitely lesser than a plate of $3 chicken rice, but I think the whole idea of French cuisine is that their meals are designed for multi-course: appetizer, main, dessert (at least). Which is why the portions are smaller so that you can try a wider variety of dishes. I also managed to sample a little bit of the Duck Confit from my colleague and it was delicious! Definitely a star dish that I would like to try on my next visit there.I was very glad that we ordered some desserts to share because I was pleasantly surprised by the novelty of the desserts that they had. First came a big plate of Chocolate & Hazelnut ($7.90) with a generous sprinkle of nuts and sour raspberries. The taste was very unique and there were a mixture of different flavours and textures that you don't expect to have in a dessert. We also shared a Pistachio Panna Cotta ($6.90) which was one of my favourites. The Panna Cotta was really milky and creamy with a smooth texture, dusted in chunks of pistachio nuts on top.

The last dessert item to arrived took us all by surprise. The menu simply read "milk and cookies" and it was printed on an extra sheet of paper that was stuck onto the last page of the menu - I guess they probably added in this new dish recently. The dessert was simply a plate of foam (milk foam, I think) with a chunk of cookie hidden within it. The foam also had a sparkly texture to it, similar to those "pop-in-your-mouth" candy powder that you used to eat as a kid. This is an unforgettable dessert that you definitely must try!

Well, the service however was just average. The staff were just very curt and did not converse much with their customers. The crowd there was mainly made up of young working adults and a few expats. And do you know that "Saveur" means "flavour" in French? One thing for sure, this restaurant is definitely filled with lots of interesting flavours. Overall, it is a pleasant place to have an affordable French meal at!

One of the more unique features of this establishment is that you can shop, eat and cook all at the same time! ToTT consists of a huge store that stocks kitchen appliances and accessories from all over the world, a Bistro that showcases both Asian and Western cuisine, and there is also a fully equipped cooking studio. It's no wonder that people call it a kitchen wonderland!

My second visit to ToTT was during a weekday at lunchtime. The crowd at that time consisted mainly of working adults, expats and also a table of mothers with kids. There was also a cooking class going on in the studio when I was there.

THE FOODI decided to go for their special-of-the-day; the Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli in Pesto Sauce. While it was a little on the salty side for me, the ravioli was cooked rather well. The portion was also just nice for me and since it was loaded with ricotta cheese, it was actually rather filling.

We also shared some Mushroom Medley Spring Rolls which is made from 3 different types of mushrooms, I am told. Crispy on the outside, moist and soggy on the inside and has a rather interesting taste. The other item we shared was the Chicken Wings which were surprisingly good and probably my favourite dish out of the 3. Sweet, savoury and crispy.I also ordered a Summer Delight which is a fruity and icy blend of pineapple, lemon and apple - a very refreshing thirst quencher on a hot and humid afternoon. It reminds me a little of the Apple Katsuri at Secret Recipe, but the Summer Delight is more on the sweet side which is great for people who can't take overly sour stuff.

THE ENVIRONMENTThe store occupies quite a spacious area and even has a play pen area for children which they call the Lil' ToTTs section. Mothers can gossip over a snack at the Bistro while they leave their kids to jump around at the play pen area. There is also a nursery for the younger toddlers.

One of the more interesting things that I didn't get to try out was their Bake & Go section where you can pick a tin of Cookie dough from around $10 (price varies), bake some fresh cookies on the spot and bring them home! The kids will definitely love this and it's also kind of a cheap thrill for adults (like myself). If I get the chance to drop by ToTT again, I will definitely want to try it out! =D

Overall, the ambiance at ToTT was very peaceful and casual, while the staff there were also very friendly. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has kids and also any aspiring chefs!

Drips Bakery is a quaint little cafe tucked away in the affluent Tiong Bahru district. As you enter the cafe, you'll be immediately greeted by a strong aroma of freshly brewed coffee and a row of the most enticing looking desserts (tarts, cakes and other sweet treats).

While the desserts really looked very tempting, I decided to go for one of their Breakfast sets instead. The set includes a large serving of turkey ham, baked beans, scrambled eggs and 2 slices of bread. The last time I was here, I tried another one of their breakfast sets which had really yummy mushrooms in it.The Food (10/10)

What I liked about the food here is its simplicity. The eggs are cooked just nice and not overly seasoned. And the bread is also rather special. I'm not sure if they bake it fresh at the cafe (most likely they do). It's like a whole wheat cinnamon bread with nuts and raisins, plus they spread a load of butter on it just before serving. i think they do sell it in a loaf if you want to buy it home too.

I also ordered an ice latte which was just average. A tad too milky for my liking. But I guess it depends on the barista who makes the coffee because I remember it being a lot better the last time I had brunch there.

The Environment

Tiong Bahru area has a lot of those quaint little shophouses and Drips Bakery is just one of the many hidden gems in that area. The cafe is very spacious. High ceiling. Clean white colored walls. Everything feels very homely and casual. Each couch area has its own unique style and there is even an area with a glass ceiling to light up the place with natural daylight. Even their salt and pepper shakers seem to be souvenirs that the owner brought back from Barcelona.One of the new installments since I last visited the cafe were these huge Terrariums! I saw that they had 2 of these huge jars - one at each of the couch areas. I'm not much of a plants person, but I thought it was quite a nice addition that made the cafe feel more homely.

The Desserts

Although the breakfast set was really filling, we couldn't resist the temptation to order their desserts so we had a Chocolate Banana tart and a Strawberry tart to share. Chocolate lovers (like myself) will probably like the Chocolate Banana tart. It's very rich, thick and comes in a huge slice full of chocolatey goodness. The Strawberry tart in comparison was much lighter but equally good.I definitely look forward to the next brunch outing to Drips Bakery Cafe and would recommend this joint to anyone who likes a little peace and quiet on a lazy Sunday morning.

We were walking past this place on our way to Forum Shopping mall and decided to try something different for a change. This burger joint is right in the middle of nowhere but serves up pretty decent burgers. I tried the Fish Burger which came with a gigantic slab of fried fish, smothered in tar tar sauce. While the bread bun wasn't that great, I thought the fish was pretty fresh; although slightly oily. The chunky fries were also a nice addition to the meal.

My sis decided to bring us out for a Christmas lunch and we ended up at Roadhouse on Dempsey Road. I've heard people talking about their burgers and so we decided to give a try.Their menu is quite extensive, with choices for vegetarian diets, kids meals, non-beef and mains (other than burgers). They even had a breakfast menu which serves salmon and eggs.I ordered myself the "High on Shrooms" burger ($26) which came on a nice wooden plank and fries in a can. But don't let the pretty plating deceive you, the burger itself is pretty dry. Even though it was slathered in moist mushrooms (you can see them oozing out in the photo above), the beefy patty was not juicy at all. This was the case for all the other burgers we ordered for our table - everyone thought that the patties were just way too dry. The fries are probably the only thing I enjoyed here.