Little Diner

This is one place I would have never known of, if I hadn't gotten a recommendation from Jiayee who lives in the neighbourhood ;) The bukit timah area does have many hidden gems which are almost impossible to uncover because the area is just too difficult to get to! Glad we ventured to this place though (: Haven't had a hearty brunch in awhile, and I liked how this place had items that stood out from the typical brunch selection. There were quite a number of chef's specials, and we ordered most of them to try :D

Jiayee was raving about the Delancey Red Velvet Pancakes ($13.50), and we were pretty excited about them!! Ended up being a tad let down though, because the portion was really tiny. The pancakes were rather flat and thin, rather unlike the fluffy version we like. The colour, while a beautiful velvet, didn't translate into much flavour, and couldn't stand alone without the maple syrup.

The Stuffed Super Cereal-Crusted French Toast ($16.50) was awesome though!!!! If I were to come back to this place for a dish, THIS would be it. I must have really grown out of eggs ben into french toast now, cos I'm absolutely in love with all versions of it ^^ Cranking up their average french toast by a few notches, this version was stuffed with nutella (could've had more!), topped with fried bananas and drizzled with chocolate sauce. Loved how fluffy the brioche toast was, and the fried bananas complemented it perfectly!

Because mummy wanted the french toast, I ordered the "Krusty Krab" Benedict ($19.50). It sounded really interesting - a twist on the ubiquitous eggs ben with the addition of a golden crabcake pillow. Loved the crab cake, couldn't find any fault with that! But it was kinda sad that there was only one egg!!!!! >:( I'm sorry, but I really think that eggs benedict that comes with only one egg deserves to be boycotted. Hmph. Just like Hatched (which I condemn for being overpriced and not very tasty). Okay, enough of that short bout of angst :P The flavour of the dish in general was good! Fluffy brioche (only half a slice whuttt...), perfectly flowy egg, crispy bacon, grilled asparagus, and the juice of a zesty lemon gave a zing to the dish which I liked.

Papa got the Steak & Eggs ($27), which was termed 'Breakfast of Champions'! We were impressed by the thick strip of chargrilled steak - a generous portion by most measures. It came with two eggs sunny side up, a really delish pile of potatoes, toast and baby green salad.

The last, but not least, was a really pleasant surprise to us! It was hilarious how papa was saying how he detested "deconstructed" dishes, and yet Zhen opted for the Croque Madame ($13.50) nonetheless. While deconstruction often seems to imply an inability of the chef to put the dish together properly, the description of this "gussied-up" ham and cheese sandwich was really apt in this case! An impressive tower of ham and cheese sat in a pool of truffle-scented béchamel sauce that absolutely irresistible!!! This is definitely one of the best truffle-flavoured dishes I've ever eaten, and I'm not sure whether it would be too rich after awhile, but I loved it. Topped with a beautiful fried egg, this was one hearty dish!

Special mention for the coffee although it was not made in-house. Toby's Estate hot chocolate ($4.90) was delightfully chocolate-y without being too rich. Yummy!!!

Little Diner

789 Bukit Timah Road

Tel.: +65 6466 4088

Lunch 11.30am-3pm (Tue-Fri)

Dinner 6pm-10pm (Tue-Thu, Sun)

6pm-10.30pm (Fri & Sat)

Brunch 11am-3pm (Sat, Sun & PH)

Dean & Deluca

I had a rather 'productive' foodie weekend a couple of weeks back, ticking off a bunch of items on my eating list which have been there for the longest time!! (: Always happy when I go around eating good food. Yay! 

Finally tried Dean & Deluca, which has been in Singapore since forever. I'd actually been wanting to come here since it first set foot on our sunny shores, and yet I didn't. There are just way to many restaurants/cafes in Singapore to keep up with. Thankful for my accommodating boyfriend & family who get dragged around by me to check out my new foodie craze ;) Wouldn't life be so boring without food? Hehe. Anyway, so excited about Dean & Deluca, which turned out really spectacular! The prices are pretty steep though :/ But I felt that the portions justified it. 

I'll start with my Brioche French Toast ($18) first because it took the cake for me! At $18, it's probably one of the pricier french toasts around, but when you see the size of it, it's definitely WORTH IT. Two people could share it comfortably and have enough to eat. I certainly couldn't finish it myself. Cue three thick, fluffy slices of brioche, lightly toasted to produce crisp edges, drowned (literally) in a gooey, sweet salted caramel sauce, topped with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, salted caramel bananas and an assortment of berries. This was a food coma, sugar rush-inducing, recipe-for-diabetes concoction that killed me afterwards, but it was so so good. I recommend sharing like I did though, because the sweetness can get overwhelming.

The American Country Breakfast ($22) was a hearty spread of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, greens, grilled cherry tomatoes, hash brown and a slice of multigrain toast. I really liked how the scrambled eggs were done, or perhaps I've just missed eating it.

The Eggs Iberico ($22) were a tad disappointing appearance-wise, since there was a really appetising photograph of it on the menu. The taste was fab, nevertheless - I guess it couldn't go too wrong with the smooth jamon iberico which was the perfect complement to the poached eggs and sautéed mushrooms.

Mummy ordered the Portobello Cheese burger ($20) which surprisingly turned out to be rather meaty, with a thick beef patty. It was juicy and delicious, and we especially loved the perfectly crisp fries which came laced with a generous truffle flavour.

The Marinated Salmon & Mozzarella Quiche ($12) was possibly the only let-down we had. It was a small slice and we wished they could have heated it up more as the mildly warm temperature did little to bring out the flavours of the quiche. Also felt the veggie taste was a tad too strong, which over-shadowed the salmon. 

The cakes on display looked totally drool-worthy!! We were completely stuffed that day, but we'll definitely be back to try them! 

Dean & Deluca 

Orchard Central #04-23/24

Mon-Fri 11am-10pm

Sat & Sun 10am-10pm

The Providore

Hello! :) I'm back again with one of my wayyyy overdue posts. It's embarrassing to mention how long ago my visit to The Providore was, but I think it's a place worth sharing anyway, so I shall just write about it :)

Nestled on the 2nd floor of Mandarin Gallery (simply go up the escalator on the outside of Mandarin Gallery's entrance), The Providore could give Wild Honey a run for its money. Truthfully, I do prefer it over Wild Honey, which I find is overhyped and overpriced. The Providore, while still on the slightly pricey side of brunches, serves up a selection of items which I feel are of better quality.

The Spanish Baked Eggs ($18.50) was a dish of two free range eggs served atop grilled chorizo in a spicy tomato sauce. A very tasty dish, thanks to the chorizo and smoked paprika spices.

The Open-faced Breakfast BLT ($16.50) could be considered a little gimmicky, but I loved the ingredients that went into it. The thick chewy bacon was a hearty change to the usual fried bacon, and went well with the provolone cheese and roasted tomato.

We loved the ricotta pancakes ($17.50) for their delightful fluffiness!! I'm sure you can see that for yourself from this photo ;) The pancakes were so yummy, a couple of additions (candied walnuts and caramelised banana) sufficed to complete the dish.

The English Breakfast ($19.50) was pretty standard and probably a tad too pricey! I would most definitely go for the other dishes if I had to choose :)

The Providore

Mandarin Gallery #02-05

Tel.: +65 6732 1565

Daily 9am-11pm

Rokeby

hiya! (: if you saw my previous post on Wimbly Lu, you'll have heard of this really ulu little street called Jalan Riang in a neighbourhood in Serangoon. well, guess what, i went there again! haha, but this time by car so it was way more convenient. and i'm so glad that we checked out this brunch gem, Rokeby! i read about the dinner served here previously, but not much about brunch, and we were all really impressed at what we found! (: this Australian diner takes pride in their breakfast as evident from thoughtful touches in each dish on the menu, and we enjoyed every single item we ordered.

there is always someone in need of a big breakfast - and the Rokeby Full Monty Brekkie ($18.90) would immediately quash any morning hunger pangs. a sumptuous spread which you see above, that was well balanced with eggs (done according to your choice!), meat, bread & hash and veggies.

everyone was drooling over my dish. hehe. see that thick slab on top? it's FOIE GRAS. two thumbs up for their extremely generous serving of the prized goose liver. my Foie Gras Benedict ($21.90) came at a comparatively hefty price tag, but with such ingredients in it, it's absolutely worth it, if you compare it to other places where even a normal eggs benny would cost you the same price. the foie gras was a delicious melt-in-your-mouth goodness, and whoever thought of this combination is a genius. 

zhen got the Portobello Benedict ($13.90) - the number of egg items on their menu is mind-blowing - and it was great too! the brioche toast by the way, is absolutely lovely. just lightly crisp and super fluffy inside, it goes so well with the oozy goodness from the egg.

and for some sweets, we had a tough time choosing between the Fruits & Nutella ($11.90) vs Peanut Butter & Banana ($11.90). we opted for the former, though the latter sounds SO GOOD (and sinful too) that i might just come back for it next time. except that i'm not a big fan of bananas. argh. anyway, the waffle was wonderfully done, with a great texture.

besides the first two items, the rest of the brunch items are actually really affordable! i'll definitely come by again next time....when someone drives again ;)

Rokeby Bistro Cafe

15 Jalan Riang

Tel.: +65 9106 0437

Tue-Sun 9am-10pm

Wimbly Lu

Wimbly Lu is a quaint little shop nestled in a neighbourhood in one of the estates in Serangoon. we took forever to get to this place on foot, but it was worth it! :) not a bad idea to look at pretty houses as we walked through the neighbourhood :) ...and suddenly as we stumbled into the clearing, we saw a row of shophouses. haha it is such a random place to have eateries! but i wish there was such a place in my neighbourhood too ^^ 

it was almost 10pm at night, but the queue for a table stretched all the way to the door of the cafe! not surprising i guess, since there was quite little seating space in there. perhaps capacity for around 20-30pax, arranged in a mish-mash manner. i literally had to get through a maze to reach my seat, which was squashed all the way in a corner. not the most comfortable i've gotta admit, but i'd like to come again someday when it is hopefully less crowded :) it was a lovely place to be in, just out of a fairytale with the pretty fairy lights hung on the ceiling, quaint furniture and cute plates. 

i'd heard so much about the waffles with ice cream ($8.50 for one scoop of ice cream + $3 for an additional scoop) at Wimbly Lu and i was really excited to try it! though i can't really make a judgement on it because i haven't eaten waffles in quite awhile, so i don't really have anything to benchmark it against. the waffle was really fluffy which was nice though! (: but not that 'wow' imo. (my opinion might have been slightly clouded by the events of that day though. so it might have been better than i thought). the ice cream serving was really small! which is why i ordered another one. LOVED the salted caramel flavour which we polished off really speedily. the honey cinnamon on the other hand, is possibly an acquired taste. mind you, i love cinnamon, but i felt that it was a tad too strong in this ice cream flavour. 

since we'd made such an arduous journey all the way to this place, we decided to make the travelling worth it by ordering another dessert! ^^ i was spoilt for choice (which is why i want to come back again), and finally decided on the nutella chocolate pie ($6) after changing my mind about 3 times :P this is rich, sinful goodness. just look at that layer of chocolate! :O luscious hazelnut chocolate packed densely into a pie. this was a punchy dessert which was absolutely delicious. 

there was an adorable beetle outside the shop which totally complemented my attire for the day!! haha too cute ^^ and i realised it was a permanent fixture there rather belatedly haha. take a picture with it for me when you go there! ;) 

Top: Bkk //

Shorts: H&M //

Shoes: H&M //

Bracelet: Thomas Sabo

Cafe-hopping with my love

my cafe-hopping partner-in-crime <3<3<3

so happy to have found this darling who loves food as much as i do! (: always have such an abundance of yummy food and good times whenever we're together. studying for exams was so much less of a chore when we could go check out new places to do work at. there are not that many places with wifi though! so we usually had to do quite a fair bit of research before venturing out. (and also because i have this thing about always wanting to try out new places :P haha so we don't usually repeat places). just FYI, besides the two i'm gonna talk about here, Toby's Estate and The Loft have wifi as well, and are great places for sitting for long hours (: 

checked out Craft Bakery & Cafe during the study week, and i've gotta say i really love it!!! definitely will be back again sometime to try out more of their lunch dishes ^^ they always have some sort of promotion going on, which makes the food really worth it :) the lunch for example, is priced at $20 for 2 items from 12pm-2pm (if i rmb correctly), which is really affordable for a cafe! we didn't go for this deal (thanks to Sam's uncooperative stomach that day ahem. hahaha) but i'll definitely come again while it's around ^^ i ordered The Craft ($11.50) which was a really interesting take on waffles - a savoury version, with crisp waffles sandwiching a delicious maple-candied bacon and green apple slaw. the bacon was one of the best i've tasted, and it went perfectly with the sweet/sour slaw. 

Sam got the usual - The Whole Nine Yards ($17.50) as they call it here ;) it was alright, felt it was a bit pricey for the quality of the dish. definitely not one of the best, and it was pretty expensive! the good thing was that they were having a promo for the month where it came with a free coffee/tea, so that was good! :) and the huge pile of scrambled eggs was a plus point too ^^ i love scrambled eggs! had fun coping his. haha.

Sam also ordered the Basil Pesto Chicken pasta ($15.50) which was really interesting. their pastas sound delish btw! this linguine bathed in a basil pesto cream sauce was super tasty, but it was a bit jerlat after awhile because we were kinda full. it was a generous portion which is really good! 

we got greedy and decided to order a dessert as well :P but i really wouldn't recommend ordering the hazelnut buttercream cake though :( it was such a disappointment and cost $7.50!!! bleah. should have known that it was bad when no one ordered it... -.- haha. the molten chocolate cake sounds awesome though!!

really love this cafe for its affordable lunch deals, and the ambience as well! i just enjoyed the quiet simplicity of this place, and it didn't get too crowded during lunch (their peak hour seems to be around tea-time), which was perfect for a whole day of studying. 

Craft Bakery & Cafe

24A Lorong Mambong

Tel.: +65 6467 7710

Mon-Sun 9am-11pm

another place we checked out was The Bravery! (: located at the jalan besar area, this is one indie cafe that fits in perfectly with the hipster vibe in this region. and it was an absolutely pain for me to get here. #nokidding. i changed FOUR buses, and it was raining. hence, please pardon the not-so-nice photos because it was kinda dark there. on a rainy day, i wouldn't really recommend studying here, because the lighting is pretty dim. and the seats aren't good for sitting too long. but if you're looking for a hole-in-a-wall cafe to chill, this is the place to be. i walked past the place twice because i couldn't spot the entrance :P haha #2 obscure entrance after chye seng huat lol.

anyway, about the food. i was hoping Sam would order the ricotta pancakes because they were quite highly recommended! (haha i don't like bananas so i wouldn't order them myself :P) but he decided to go for something savoury instead - the Brave Begedil ($17) and it turned out to be quite good! quite surprised at the rather smallish portion for the price, but it was still filling for Sam, which is what matters ^^ a really interesting twist on the Begedil (malay traditional potato patties - i learned something new!), which was mashed with corned beef and topped with bacon and two perfectly poached eggs. the breaking of the eggs was a SHIOK foodporn moment ;) 

i ordered the Beef Steak Ciabatta ($13.50) which was not bad as well! i suppose their food here isn't fantastic or anything, but it's decent++! the rump steak was wonderfully tender, and was complemented by the onion jam, melted mozzarella and tomato salsa, sandwiched between the delicious ciabatta. okay, i take back my previous statement, it was really quite yummy! :) the only thing is they seem to prepare it before hand (i saw a whole row of them at the counter). would have been better if it was fresh i guess?

aaaand we also tried the famous lavender latte ($5.50) that we heard so much about! sorry for the awful pic, i only remembered to take a photo after we nearly finished the whole drink. whoops :P it was so good though!! (: the lavender taste was quite subtle, but the smell...mmmmmm :) i felt relaxed instantly once i breathed in the aroma from the cup. haha seems like quite a contradiction eh? coffee x soothing lavender? it was a beautiful combination though. 

the menu here is quite bare-bones (no dessert! >.<) but all rather un-traditional stuff. do check it out if you're in the area!

The Bravery Cafe

66 Horne Road

Tel.: +65 6225 4387

Daily (except tues) 8am-8pm

Wheeler's Yard

our long awaited date after two whole weeks finally arrived! (: gosh, school has been taking such a toll on our lives (or at least Sam's life. haha this sem was pretty much the best deal i could ever get in my four years in uni ^^) and guess what! it's the last week of school. i'm graduating soon!!! :O omgosh. it's still too surreal to believe >.< and i'm not really looking forward to it very much i have to say. and gosh, i still cannot believe i agreed to go to NEPAL. what the heck was i thinking??!!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?? it's not just out of my comfort zone. it is not even in my zone at all :( sigh. please let me survive this.

so happy to be on a date ^^ decided to check out Wheeler's Yard - and it turned out to be quite an experience! :) i was initially skeptical because i read about how the food wasn't that great, but the ambience definitely made up for it! it had a really cool industrial-chic vibe, which Sam loved. just check out all those vintage bicycles at the back! and the cafe was located in a really ulu location in balestier, in a warehouse! thank goodness Sam drove that day.

the interior was surprisingly spacious - there was this massive communal table right in the middle of the cafe, with lots of seats scattered around it and if you want to ogle at the bikes while having your meal, you can take your pick from the seats outside. the whole place screamed RETRO! with the mish-mash of vintage furniture, and exuded a ruggedness that was unexpectedly comforting. 

the food, as established, was nothing fantastic. but at least they don't have service charge/GST which make up for the lack of splendour. i kinda felt that my beef pie ($8.90) was more value-for-money than the Big Breakfast ($16.90) since the latter was nothing special. it was decent, no doubt, with all the de rigeur big breakfast items. but they just seemed to be placed on a plate together without much effort, much like the chapalang feel of the whole cafe - which works well for the ambience, but not so for the food. the beef pie too, was alright, but not great. it was tasty! but seemed pretty much like any frozen pie that was heated up, and it wasn't very crispy. plus points for providing tortilla chips though ;) hehe. 

the good thing about this place is that because of its rather inaccessible location, it seems pretty quiet, making it great for hanging out as a couple. i would say, come here for the experience, but manage your expectations with regard to the food.

Wheeler's Yard

28 Lorong Ampas

Tel.: +65 6254 9128

Mon, Wed-Sat 11am-8pm

Sun 9am-8pm

d'Good Cafe

finally, finally i had the opportunity to visit d'Good Cafe!! ^^ i'd been wanting to come here since last year, and it was always a potential study cafe for me because it is pretty easy to get here from where i stay and there is free wifi! but there was always some other place to go (zzz) and so we never came here - till now! and i've gotta say that it's not a very fantastic study location after all (haha) because it's so popular. BUT there is a good reason why it's so popular!! i'll definitely want to come back again for the good food, pretty cosy ambience and free wifi of course! (: i didn't take a picture of the swing, but it's soooo cute. permanently occupied, naturally. we were there on a weekday afternoon and almost all the tables were occupied all the time! the good thing is that they have quite a lot of seating space (hidden all over the place :p)

okay, enough blabbering - here's the food! ^^

two of the items i had at this cafe are MUST-TRIES, and this is one of them! :) i really didn't expect much from the chicken tikka masala ($12.50) but it turned out to be really awesome!! :D it was deliciously creamy with a tinge of butter, without being overly rich. in fact, it was super addictive and i mopped up every bit of the sauce eagerly. the jasmine rice that came with it was fluffy and subtly fragrant, and was the perfect complement to the curry.

sam ordered the eggs benedict ($13.50) and it was pretty standard i guess. the egg yolk didn't flow as nicely as he wanted it too, so it wasn't that fantastic. 

but hey, we were sure satisfied with our dessert!!!!! ***drumrolls***

the Maple Sea Salt Cheesecake ($9, if i remember correctly) was SO SO SO good!!! Sam was absolutely blown away, and it was pretty amazing to see ;) it had a wonderful combination of maple syrup, with just a smidgen of sea salt to balance out the sweetness. luscious, but not cloyingly so, and the texture was just right - it was pretty light, but totally satisfying. such a perfectly balanced cheesecake! (: and plus i had the most epic experience trying to get hold of this cheesecake. you can check out my instagram for the full story if you're interested. haha.

i can't wait to come back to try their chilli crab pie and different types of pastas! everything here just sounds SO GOOD. and how about another cheesecake? ;) yep, i would definitely love to have one.

d'Good Cafe

273 Holland Avenue #02-01

Tel.: +65 6219 9807

Sun-Thu 10am-10pm

Fri-Sat 10am-11pm

The Brunch Edition

hi everyone! (: so you've probably noticed that i'm a hugeee fan of brunch, and why not! singapore's full of these places popping up ALL the time and sunday mornings are simply perfect for this in-between meal that allows for late risers to get some good grub ;) since i've been doing so many posts on brunch since i started blogging (58 and counting!!), i decided to compile a list of my favourites and i hope it's useful for you! i will try to keep it updated, so do check back! (p.s. sorry for some of them i think the pictures got deleted :( i hope the food descriptions help anyway!)

For a chill brunch by the river

Toby's Estate

With a generous serving of its big breakfast set, this will satisfy anyone's hungry tummy.

For a unique Middle Eastern brunch

Artichoke

As far as I know, you can only find a fully middle-eastern brunch at two places in Singapore, and Artichoke is one of them. Plus they have awesome desserts! What's not to love? 

Common Man Coffee Roasters

Delicious-sounding menu and hearty brunch dishes. And a collaboration with Harry Grover, the barista of Forty Hands to boot. 

For simple, but well-executed fare

Drury Lane

With little choice on the menu, this place looked set to disappoint. But I was wrong. Here, I discovered simplicity in perfection. (psst, and they have pay-as-you-wish cupcakes too!)

For the best hot chocolate 

SPRMRKT

Not just their hot chocolate, most of the food on the menu was great as well! 

For the most extensive menu

Open Door Policy

Okay, i cheated. Their interesting menu is actually the lunch menu, but it's served during brunch too! So many things to order, and the desserts are wonderful too!

For an alfresco brunch in the park

Canopy

Enjoy the fresh morning breeze amongst lush greenery with this brunch place set in Bishan Park!

For the prettiest cakes

Antoinette

Don't tell me you aren't tempted! Love the Victorian-ambience as well.

 Fabulous Baker Boy

Huge slices of moist cakes, oh-so-divineeee.

For some dim-sum!

Taste Paradise

One of the best places for dim sum in Singapore ;)

Red Star

Old is gold. There's a reason why this place has been around forever.

For some cosy couple time

The Book Cafe
Littered with shelves of books and an entire sofa area, this is the perfect place for you to cuddle with your other half or a group of friends and immerse yourself in a sanctuary of stories.

No reason, just one of my favourites

The Missing Pan
For artisan breads and modern cuisine with a spark of imagination.

Five & Dime

For an out-of-singapore experience (: 

PS Cafe 

Two words: Truffle Fries.

Arbite 

For some cosy time in the Serangoon Gardens enclave!

Symmetry
for not-so-typical brunch dishes. and their lunch/dinner menu looks great too!

If you're looking for any other brunch places, you can check them out here. I'm always on the lookout for new places for brunch, so if you have any suggestions, please do share them with me! (: 

The Loft Cafe

this is a beautifully cosy cafe tucked along a row of shophouses at Chinatown. claimed to have 'The Best WiFi in Chinatown', i've got no idea whether that's true (haha) but it's really a perfect place for studying and dates (: recently been checking out these cafes with sofas (the Book Cafe is another one!) and i really love how they're perfect for chilling ~ 

we were lucky to have the chance to speak to the owner of the cafe (that's what happens when you're the only customers around) and he told us that he just took over this place from the previous owner and they had just revamped the menu! well, good news for us because the food looked much better than when i came by last time ;) Sam was super impressed with The Loft Breakfast ($17.50), though i've gotta add a disclaimer that he tends to be biased when he already has a good impression of the place beforehand ;) hehe. but i agree that it was pretty good! with everything you'd expect for a full breakfast plate - mushrooms, roasted tomato, bacon, sausage, ham, your choice of eggs, toast and a salad - this was a really comprehensive dish!

one thing that impressed me at The Loft Cafe was its portions! i ordered a very normal-sounding chicken avocado salad ($13.50) and it was huge!! plus it came with a delicious japanese sauce (i think, can't really remember) that was soooo good! huge pieces of chicken meat and really LOTS of salad. i was actually quite full from eating this! 

their strawberry and fresh cream waffles ($9.80) were surprisingly good as well! i really didn't expect much from this place, but i was impressed by the crispy, fluffy waffles that were tasty and topped with quite a lot of strawberries.

i would come back again for the quiet ambience, and also to try more items on the menu which will hopefully continue to impress me! ;)

The Loft Cafe

268A South Bridge Road

Tel.: +65 6221 2103

Tues-Sat 9am-10pm

Sun 9am-9pm

Closed on Monday