Fabulous Baker Boy @ River Valley Road, Singapore

My cousin came to Singapore for a short weekend visit, and she wanted to try brunch food. So, off we go to Fabulous Baker Boy! Even the name sounds good already! I was expecting some BOYs though. =) But couldn't see any boyish bakers. =(

However, the selection of cakes available was just so impressive! It's pretty, well decorated and what not.

Check out the fridge! I was absolutely in love with everything.

One thing different about this place is the focus on outdoor, openness and sceneries. There is no indoor seating. But don't worry, when I say outdoor, I mean shaded, cosy, comfortable and occasionally windy seats.

My group settled for the 'Champion breakfast' consisting of poached eggs, broiche toast, sausages, caramelised onions, garlicky mushrooms and rosemary potatoes. The only comment I have is 'where are the greens?' and 'wow, look at them eggs (perfectly round, topped with black pepper)'. Overall, a crowd pleaser.

Champion breakfast

The eggs were rounder than the pancakes! Can you imagine that! The two big servings of pancakes got a bit overwhelming half way. A bit too 'cakey' and dense to my liking. I was wishing for some ice cream to go along with it! My guy friends liked it though! I guess its up to personal preference!

Blueberry pancakes

Another thing I love is the sign pictured below! It's deep. True to the core. When in doubt/misery/anxiousness or for whatsoever occasion at all, remember to always be calm and have some cake!

Scientifically proven to help you feel better (nah, I'm joking). It's just another reason to have some cake and feel privilege to enjoy such deliciousness! =)

Ratings: 

Ambience: 7/10

Service: 6/10

Food: 7.5/10

Overall ratings: 7.5/10

Verdict: Great place to hang out and just sit and chill. Couldn't try the cakes this time so I can't comment on it!

Address: 70 River Valley Rd  Singapore 179037

Contact Number: +65 6694 8336

Opening hours: Tue to Thurs : 11am to 6 pm

Fri : 11 am to 11pm

Sat : 10 am to 11 pm
Sun : 10 am to 5pm

CLOSED ON MONDAYS

Tim Ho Wan @ Plaza Singapura, Orchard Road

Finally, I am HERE!

And I owe it to my friends. I have always wanted to try this place, but EACH and EVERY time I walk past, the queue spans 100 m long. Ok, I exaggerate but you get the picture! I'm hungry all the time (ok I exaggerate again) so queuing up an hour for food is not ideal! However, my guy friends so kindly offered to queue while I shopped! hehe. =). I took pictures of them lining up! heh. Note: this is during dinner time, we avoided the lunch and afternoon tea peak hour queue!

Honestly the menu wasn't very vast. I am the type of person that prefers tons of selections.

However, one thing good about having less variety is the fact that their SPECIAL dishes are indeed delicious. Check out their Baked BBQ pork bun! Between 5 of us, we had 3 plates of it and trust me, it wasn't enough! When it was placed on the table, we were filled with awe. The aroma was just so captivating, I wanted to instantly dig into it. And believe me, I would have, but... ASIAN MODE ON, so pictures first!

Baked BBQ Pork Bun

The inside. The sweet, buttery outer crust wonderfully complimented the inner savoury, juicy porky goodness. Wow, I am in love. Eat when HOT!

A dim sum must have, siu mai! Nothing to fault here. Filled with big juicy pieces of shrimp topped with a nice touch, chinese Goji berries (great for eyes)! Just your typical siu mai!

Siu Mai

Moving on to Har Gou aka prawn dumplings. Pleasant to taste as well. The translucence and texture of the pastry was great.

Prawn Dumplings

Next up, pork spare ribs with black bean sauce. Certainly lacking in colour and taste. Having stayed in Melbourne for a good part of my life and being spoiled with some excellent pork spare ribs, this certainly fell short of the 'required' standard.  However, still Ok!

Black Bean Pork Spare Ribs

These dumplings were just odd to me. The filling had some sort of herbs that didn't sit well with my taste buds. The bad thing was we had three serves of it, and NO ONE WANTED SECONDS. I volunteered to finish it. A big waste of stomach space if you ask me.

We had glutinous rice as well! Quite liked it actually, perfectly cooked, well seasoned rice, nothing gooey about it.

Pan Fried turnip cake - a dim sum must have too! Would have loved it if it had more dried prawns and lap cheong! heh. =)

Pan Fried Turnip Cake

This dumplings with spicy sauce dish is definitely a pleasant surprise. Different to the usual dim sum dishes which actually comes with a broth. However, the broth could do with a bit more sour pang to it just to give it some OOMPH. But wow, be warned, see those small chilli pieces in this dish, they are extremely SPICY!! Keep your eyes peeled open for those little killers if you don't fancy spiciness!

Dumplings with Spicy Sauce

However, you can cool down with their barley drink. Not too sweet. A great accompaniment to a rather meaty and oily dinner.

Barley Drink

Finally, end the night with a refreshingly cold and soft dessert - Osmanthus jelly. Healthy too (I think)!

Osmanthus Jelly

To sum it up,

Ratings: 

Ambience: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Food: 7.5/10

Overall ratings: 7.5/10

Verdict: Loved the BBQ pork bun, would definitely head back for more. However, the long queue might be a deterrent. The seating are honestly pretty tight but with Singapore congested as it is, you can't really expect that much space to yourself! The price is affordable, leaning towards the high side though (approx 25 bucks per person). However, just splurge and enjoy! 

Address: Plaza Singapura - 68 Orchard Road #01-29A Plaza Singapura Singapore 238839

Opening hours: 

10 am to 10 pm (Mon -Fri)

9 am to 10 pm (Saturday, Sunday and Public Holiday)