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

Blackbird Cafe @ Bright, Victoria

My family and I took a trip to Bright having heard many things about this place. Indeed, the place didn't disappoint. The surroundings were so serene, the scenery a beautiful landscape. We stopped at various lookout points to just savour the glorious scenes.

After driving for hours to get to this place (from Melbourne), our tummies were rumbling. We stopped by the city center to grab a bite and we found this place - Blackbird.

Upon walking in, we were greeted by a friendly waitress who proceeded to guide us to the table and sat us down at a corner that allowed us to enjoy the picture perfect display it has to offer.

Absolutely love the 3D art shown above and the lone bicycle depicted below.

For drinks, we had an iced chocolate (extremely sinful), hot lemon water (great for detox) and a cappuccino. The coffee was good (according to my dad who loves coffee). I on the other hand, can't tell between a good cuppa and a bad one.

We ordered the specialty of the day - some sort of lamb pastry (do forgive me as I totally forgot the name of the dish), but trust me, the dish taste better than it sounds/looks.  The pastry was flaky and buttery, accompanied with the minty sour cream and hot salsa on the side, its definitely a WOW-er.

Absolutely love the salad on the side as well, fresh and plenty. Well balanced with seasoning, and coated with just the right amount of olive oil. Delish.

Lamb Pastry

Next up, fluffy pancakes with berry coulis and vanilla ice cream. Giant serves. Great for carb loading and to share among 2 - 3 people. Completely stuffed after finishing it!

Pancakes

Overall, a lovely place to just relax and have a quick simple bite.

Ratings: 

Ambience: 7/10

Price: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Food: 7/10

Overall ratings: 7.5/10

Verdict: I won't say it's the best cafe around. Nonetheless, the food was satisfying and definitely worth a try! I couldn't take note of the individual prices this time, but total bill was approximately AUD 37.

Address: 95 Gavan Street, Bright VIC 3741

Contact No: (03) 5750 1838