Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe @ JEM, Jurong East Singapore

This place serves a wonderful array of different cuisines, ranging from Hong Kong to Western, to Baked Portugese rice, Chinese and the list goes on. Be it porridge, noodles, rice, bread, steak, fries, Bee Hoon, you name it, it's there on the menu.

My friends and I decided YOLO s0 we had desserts as appetizers. =) Presenting, the mighty tall Ying Yong Snow Ice.

Ying Yong Snow Ice (SGD 6.50)

It was so tall that we didn't know how to dig in! Do we start from the bottom where all the sweetness and goodness is and destroy the foundation of this mighty tower?? Or do we start from the top where it was nothing but ice and a bit of corn and risk toppling the whole structure over? Some BIG decisions to make over dinner. First world problems =p.

Anyway, we decided there is no right way to eat it, but to just EAT IT. It had coffee flavour, cin cau/grass jelly, sweet corn, red bean, and other sweet goodies. It was my kind of dessert. Definitely a dessert to share, unless you want a brain freeze!

We had Mango Pomelo to share as well. Everything was pretty fresh, creamy and sweet. Nothing to fault here.

Mango Pomelo (SGD 6.50)

For main meals, we had Papaya soup with Chicken chop (SGD 10.90).

Chicken  chop with Papaya Soup (SGD 10.90)

Yes yes, I know it doesn't look like much, but I quite like it! The soup is not the least bit oily, the chicken chop was tender and of decent size. The corn was however, a tad dry and tasteless. Overall, a pleasant dish. My only remark I have is that they should have served the chicken chop on the side, so it retains its crispyness!

Next up, Black Pepper Chicken Chop with Fries. This just seemed sad. The fries didn't have a single bit of life to it! If only it were those chunky ones, served piping hot! MMM.... the chicken chop was good though, great flavour!

Black Pepper Chicken Chop with Fries (SGD 10.90)

Rib Eye Steak with Fries (SGD 10.90).. Overall, a great piece of meat for the price.

Ribeye Steak with Fries (SGD 10.90)

XW Signature Fried noodles (SGD 10.90).. Loved those small little anchovies as toppings, giving this noodle dish an extra umph (for all you non - Malaysians/Singaporeans, that's colloquial talk for an extra kick!) Well seasoned, tasty, not too oily on the palette. A great dish.

XW Signature Fried Noodles (SGD 10.90)

Ratings: 

Ambience: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Food: 7.5/10

Overall ratings: 7.5/10

Verdict: Overall, food was palatable. Only slight comment -  they could seriously  improve the overall appearance of the main dishes! Sometimes, we just can't help but eat with the eyes too! Nice cosy restaurant. Would definitely head back!

Address: 50 Jurong Gateway Road, #04-25 Singapore 608549. Located in JEM shopping complex.

Contact Number: 6684 0613

Tiong Bahru Bakery by Gontran Cherrier @ Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore

I absolutely love sinking my teeth into golden, buttery, crisp brown pastries and to indulge in beautifully hand crafted cakes. All of this accompanied with a caffeine/sugar fix. Life certainly doesn't get any better than this.

Now, you ask, where can I get some bliss? Well, none other than at the famous Tiong Bahru Bakery!

Check out their wonderful array of pastries available. I mean, REALLY take a moment and stare at those buttery, well defined layers of goodness and imagine those sugary pieces of goodies straight out of heaven and into your mouth and stomach. I'm absolutely in love. Seriously, can't help but DROOL!

Fret not, for all you health freaks (or more politically correctly, health enthusiasts HAHA) Tiong Bahru Bakery does have healthier choices available as well..

Now, look at my loot for the day. Made me feel like Richie Rich, with all those valuables with me.

First up, Chocolate Almond Croissant (SGD 4.00) .. I loved this. I mean, anything with chocolate works right?

Chocolate Almond Croissant (SGD 4.00)

Something simpler. Less sweet but equally as buttery and fulfilling.

Almond Croissant (SGD 3.80)

Kouign Aman (SGD 4.00). This was a pleasant surprise. It looked simple, but the flavours were just impeccable. The thousand layers of the pastry complimented with a fine dose of sweetness just kept me going for more and more.

Kouign Aman (SGD 4.00)

Broiche Apple (SGD 4.20). I didn't fancy this at all. Compared to the rest, this was just like bread with apple and custard. Nothing extraordinary.

Broiche Apple (SGD 4.20)

Finished with a glass of Ice mocha. A cool drink to end a high calorific meal.

Ice Mocha (SGD 8.00)

Despite a slight guilty pang after the high fat consumption, I thought to myself, "Sometimes, it's just better to enjoy the wonderful delicacies available, and work hard after". We only get to live once right? So cherish every second of it and EAT UP!

Verdict: This isn't a restaurant, so you don't get a waiter serving you etc. So, don't just sit around and wait, go get your own cutleries. Overall, it was a fine lunch/tea break of whatever you feel like calling it. Not much of an ambiance though since it's located in the food court area. Perfect for a short break after a busy day out shopping at Raffles City!

Address: 252 North Bridge Road #B1-11/12 Singapore 179103

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

Slappy Cakes @ Turf Club Road, Singapore

My friends and I were walking around, undecided on a place to eat. Our group of friends always face this problem- WHAT to eat? In Singapore where we basically can have any cuisine we want, surprisingly, the variety of choices makes it harder to come to a decision. Do you face this type of problem too?

Anyway, while walking, two friends spotted Slappy Cakes and they couldn't contain themselves. I guess I have friends who are pancake fanatics. Immediately they wanted to go in despite others saying its weird to have pancakes for lunch. Since savoury is the way to go. Anyway, I was proven wrong. Who says we can't have sweets for lunch?

Look at that crowd! So many fans out there. Anyway, while reading the menu, I realised that one can have other things besides pancakes like their big breakfast or something. But well, since the place is called slappy cakes, I guess we should stick to what they do best!

This is how you do it. First select the type of batter you want.

Then, choose from a variety of fixings (as they put it), from savoury to sweet.

And pick your topping..

After a lot of deliberation, we finally settled for blueberries, hazelnuts, mango jam, white chocolate chips and mushrooms with three different batters - wholegrain, buttermilk and chocolate!

Now, let the cooking begin, unleash your inner most creative spirit and make any type/kind of pancake you wish!

Ready set GO!

All the  pictures below were the extent of our creativity. Below I give you, the sneak peak into the mind of a mid twenty year old.

It got better..

On the top left hand corner, its a double chocolate pancake. Chocolate batter with chocolate chips. Tasted like soft chocolate chip cookies .. mm. =)

Below is a mixture of batters (buttermilk and wholemeal) topped with blueberries.. This was yummy too and please the eye.

By the way, for the savoury pancakes, after adding the mushrooms, remember to add in tiny bit of salt and pepper! Brings out the flavour better.

Overall, the batter was great, fluffy and not 'cakey' at all. The only critique I had was that the hazelnuts were not properly toasted, it was a bit 'lao hong' (for those that understand chinese).

It was a FUN FUN experience. Even those bad at cooking can make great pancakes at slappy cakes! Its a great place to bring your kids out and let them be mini chefs for the day!

Check out their facebook page. Just google slappy cakes and the link will pop out!

It costs around 8 bucks per person between a group of 5. A side note - definitely won't be craving pancakes anytime soon. Had an overdose of it in a day! Around 10? Now I understand why I'm round, round like a pancake. =)

Ratings: 

Ambience: 7/10

Service: 6/10

Food: 8/10

Overall ratings: 7.5/10

Verdict: Great place to hang out. Batter was great. However, the service could do with a major improvement. Had to ask for water 4 times before it finally came! Anyway, those who enjoy pancakes, what are you waiting for?! Go and have a cakey time! =))

Address: 200 Turf Club Road, #01-20/21 Singapore 287994

Contact No: 6465 1814

House @ Elizabeth Street, Sydney

As promised, the much anticipated BTS (Better than Sex) dessert at House.. a short distance away from Chat Thai.

Totally loved the very open concept over here..

I could even have a peep and observe what the chefs were up to!

The BTS can be located at the dessert section.. While it does seem quite pricey for a piece of bread and ice cream, it is, and i can totally vouch for this, totally worth it!

Presenting the long awaited BTS.

Words truly don't do justice to this glorious piece of processed flour but I'll give it a go! Honestly, the photo and its appearance are a poor reflection of a truly sensational dish. The buttery-ness of the toasted broiche, contrasting the saltiness and nutiness of the black/white toasted sesame seeds.. perfectly matched with the sweetness of the caramel sauce accompanied with a smooth and well balanced pandan Thai gelato.

What can I say, this dish blew me away, never knew bread could taste this good. The expressions on the guys' faces were priceless, let's just say they had the look of satisfaction. haha. =)

My new (8/12) year old resolution - I am going to recreate this dish at home. As the saying goes - the way to a guy's heart is via the stomach right? Wish me luck!

Note: House usually serves the Pandan gelato on the broiche itself. I requested it to be served separately, they were kind enough to comply!

Ratings: 

Ambience: 7/10

Price: 6/10

Service: 7/10

Food: 7/10

Overall ratings: 7/10

Verdict: I can only rate the BTS dessert, and it's a 99.99 out of 100! Actually, I shouldn't get your hopes up too high. Probably a score of 80 is safer. Anyway, just my humble opinion! Taste it and let me know what you think!

Address: 202 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills, NSW

Contact Number: 02 9280 0364

Opening Hours: Daily 12 pm - 2 am

Church St Enoteca @ Richmond, Melbourne

Despite the rather old rustic appearance outside, inside, is a different story... Beautifully decorated with very interesting vintage posters..