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

Krispy Kreme in Singapore

Wow. I knew Krispy Kreme was famous but I didn't think it would fetch such a crowd since I figured the health food craze wins it all. But, I guess not.

Having lived in Melbourne for quite awhile, I had Krispy Kreme whenever I want it (slightly exaggerating here). However, in Singapore, it's a total different story. For those who love doughnuts and are unaware of this, well, be excited as the first Krispy Kreme chain store just opened on the 12th of October 2013 right here in Orchard road, Singapore.

On the opening day, there's a sign right outside Tangs as shown below which says - LINE STARTS HERE.

And on the inside, it says.

Unbelievable! The queue was so long that it had to be continued outside. Honestly, I have never seen such a long queue before unless those queuing up for a concert or something, but not for fast food.

Seriously impressed having come from a small Kuching city where Baskin Robbins just opened and even then, the queue wasn't as long as this.

Guess what time the queue started forming?

Answer: On Friday morning at approximately 11.42 am. Please bear in mind that the store was only due to open the next day at 9 am.

The queue inside..

Behold, the various selection of doughnuts. I personally prefer the original ones. I couldn't get close up shots as that means I will have to queue up! And boy, I was not prepared to do so since I have had them before =P.

Anyway, look at those boxes! Hopefully, for those that queued that day, they left satisfied.

What's my opinion on Krispy Kreme? Well, as I am indeed getting older in age, I find it quite overwhelmingly sweet some times. But they are good doughnuts, denser than the rest but tasty at the same time with LOADS of different flavours to choose from.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Next on the list, pancakes time!

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