The Coffee Daily

don't rainbow cakes make you feel so happy? ^^ 

it was my first time trying a rainbow cake ($10) and i gotta say that the sole reason for visiting The Coffee Daily was really for this :p heard that it's really popular and gets wiped out in the afternoon so you have to reserve it! but we went right when lunch hour started so we managed to get a slice of this yummy cake ^^ i actually have absolutely no clue what the flavour of the cake was supposed to be :P but the cake was decently moist and pretty tasty! quite good imo for the first time :)

i ordered the roast chicken sandwich ($9) which came in a choice of croissant/ciabatta/something else . the chicken was quite well seasoned and the croissant was nice and flaky. the chips that came with it were addictive!!

aline ordered a really interesting dish - laksa lagsane ($8.90). it had quite a distinct aroma of the laksa and was quite unique! the portion was really tiny though, which was a bit of a letdown. 

overall a cosy cafe, and i had a good experience with my first rainbow cake ^^ any other nice rainbow cakes around? i would love to try them!!

The Coffee Daily
75 Brighton Crescent
Tel.: +65 6284 8894
Mon-Thu 12pm-10.30pm
Fri 12pm-11.30pm
Sat 9.30am-11.30pm
Sun 9.30am-10.30pm

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

The Book Cafe

this is one hidden find which has been around for the longest time, and i'm sharing this secret with you all now. gosh, this is the perfect place for dates! haha i was kinda torn about whether to write this post or not :P but good things should be shared to double the joy :)) yes, i'm trying very hard this year to stick to my new year resolution. always really bad at following through with them, yikes! but this year's one is pretty meaningful to me, and i'd like to do a good job of fulfilling it (: 

what i love about this place is how cosy it is. i didn't take a picture of the ambience, but you can see the sofas in the background. there is a whole section of the cafe dedicated to the sofa area, and it's really perfect for weekday afternoons with the boy when we have the luxury to just chill ~ well, this was before the school semester started haha. 

we ordered a pot of the Honey Yuzu tea ($8) and it was really interesting! can't resist anything with yuzu in it ;) it's a green tea, with citrusy notes from the sweet-tart yuzu. somehow the combination made it taste somewhat like chai tea to me. but i liked how it was very light on the palate and quite refreshing.

if you're choosing from the brunch menu (they have all-day breakfast!), the eggs Blackstone ($16.95) is a MUST. doesn't it look soooo good?! in sam's words, "the egg was perfectly poached"! and it flowed out beautifully when broken. the maple-bacon was absolutely divine as well! i'm really not a fan of bacon, but i couldn't help but like the sweet flavour of this one. 

unfortunately that wasn't my dish, and i was a tad disappointed with mine :( as you can see, it looks much less outstanding than the other one. though it wasn't bad really. but it was just a lil sad. i ordered the smoked turkey, avocado and egg white sandwich ($14.95). it was quite a let down to find out that the "smoked turkey breast" was actually ham -.- i had no clue! i guess the fact that it was smoked might have warned me but still..... -.- i just have a phobia of cold cuts after eating them for 5months in italy (they barely had any real meat!!!) together, the sandwich was still pretty yummy though. plus points for the ciabatta which was perfectly toasted and had a lovely crusty flavour.

probably i would try the other dishes the next time i'm back. and yes i would come back, even if only for the cosy sofa area (: 

The Book Cafe 

20 Martin Road

Tel.: +65 6887 5430

Sun-Thu 8.30am-10.30pm

Fri & Sat 8.30am-12.30am

Cups N Canvas

sometime last year i blogged about my 21st birthday party and how my gorgeous dessert table was created by the lovely people from Super Desserts Market. since then, they have stopped that business (unfortunately >.<) but have gone on to bigger things like having a cafe! (: and one year later, i've finally tried out Cups N Canvas ^^ i didn't try the desserts though, which was a terrible pity since i loved their so much! but it's a really lovely cafe to chill-out in, and is located conveniently near school :) 

i would say that their menu honestly isn't fantastic in any way. their breakfast is limited to two simple dishes - of which Sam chose the eggs ben-addict ($14.90), which consisted of the usual suspects. poached egg perched atop honey baked ham and a burger toast. the burger toast was a real disappointment because it simply didn't seem to go well with the poached eggs at all (one of which didn't have a runny yolk) and was a tad tough. 

i'd say their saving grace would be their lunch sets though! for every pasta/main purchased, you get a drink free! and that's what really enticed me. i was fascinated to see a sweet potato latte (usual price $4.80) on the menu and i ordered it in a heartbeat. it was really unique and interesting! (: it's basically a milky sweet potato blended drink, and i loved how there were little bits of sweet potato in it. wish there was a spoon to scoop up all the goodness!

this came with my choice of pasta - the Red Hot Chick ($15.90), which i guess was a fancy name for an arrabiata pasta? chicken, garlic, chill, cherry tomatoes tossed with linguine. i liked how there was a generous portion of chicken and cherry tomatoes, but other than that i found it pretty normal. if not for the drink, i wouldn't think it was worth the price. 

overall, food wasn't impressive but i would come back for the desserts (+drinks?) and ambience. it was a lovely cosy hideout, that was pretty quiet save for the lunch crowd. with wifi, it's perfect for an afternoon of studying, and there were even sofas for us to chill on. great for a date! (: also, the reason why it's called Cups N Canvas is because there is a whole section of the cafe dedicated to art! whether it's classes for beginners, or just for artists to dabble with some paints, you've got it covered at this place. it was really interesting to watch, and though i'm no artist (sadly, no creativity at all), i enjoyed watching the painting sessions of other patrons (: 

happy with my sweet potato latte! xx 

Cups N Canvas

139 Selegie Road 

Tel.: +65 6884 6855

Tue-Thu 10.30am-10pm

Fri & Sat 10.30am-11pm

Sun 10am-8pm

Closed on Monday

Drury Lane

Drury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, and this cafe just totally reminded me of my favourite city in Europe :') just the vibe of the cafe made me miss London so so much! this is very quaint cafe, tucked in the row of shophouses along Tanjong Pagar road. the menu is pretty simple, with not many items to choose from, but for the items they have, they do it great. we were thoroughly surprised by the quality of each dish served to us!

my top recommendation is to try the pancakes. i'm not a fan of these carbs-y items, but i totally regretted not ordering Drury Lane's pancakes after trying a bit of them from the sisters! i daresay these are one of the BEST pancakes i've ever eaten. the one on top is Cloud 9 ($10), which are pancakes with fruit compote and poached pear. i really loved the fluffy pancakes for their delish flavour, even when eaten alone! they aren't the prettiest pancakes, but they sure packed a punch in terms of taste. the sweet complements were great accompaniments to the pancakes. if you're there, i urge you to try the Cloud 9.4 ($12) though! it was the perfect combination of sweet and savoury - bacon infused pancakes (and there were literally bacon bits inside) topped with more strips of bacon and a pot of honey on the side. absolutely delicious. it was amazing how the flavours went so well together!

with all my praises of the pancakes, that's not to say that the other dishes paled in comparison. in fact, they all stood out in their own special way. i would say my salmon baked eggs ($12) was the most special dish of the day :p hehe. i mean it's something interesting that we don't usually order! it came in a casserole of baked eggs (can't see it here) with cheese, baked beans, spinach and smoked salmon atop it. oh and there were capers too! kind of reminds me of italy :') i had so much fun digging into the casserole and spreading the runny goodness onto slices of toast.

we also ordered sandwiches ($8), and boy, they were really good! i was surprised that such a simple dish was prepared so well, albeit being a little disappointed initially at the choice of the dish. personally, i preferred the steak and cheese, which exploded with flavour in my mouth, releasing all the juices from the tender meat. the classic steak and cheese combo was executed to a tee.

if you're looking for something healthy, definitely try out the chicken avocado sandwich, which had a really interesting yogurt mint sauce that jazzed up the simple dish. the fact that Drury Lane is able to spice up its unpretentious in little ways like this really makes me like this place a lot! also, they have pay-as-you-wish muffins in a variety of flavours which was pretty cool!! ^^ although we didn't try them, because we were pretty stuffed already. but the concept is good ;)

i'll definitely come back if i'm in the area, especially since they have free wifi which is perfect for that outside-of-school study date :)

Drury Lane
94 Tanjong Pagar Road
Tel.: +6222 6698
Mon, Wed-Fri 9am-10pm
Sat & Sun 10am-6pm
Closed on Tue

Toby's Estate & Swirls Bake Shop

this place has been around for quite some time and i keep hearing of people going there for brunch! but it took awhile before i finally set foot in this place, because of its location at robertson quay, which is really quite inaccessible by public transport. i realised though, that this is exactly the charm of this place! (: being relatively hard-to-get-to, it is a quieter part of our bustling Singapore where there are less people, more space to chillax, and a higher possibility of spotting some eyecandy (read: cute angmohs :p). i used to think of robertson quay as a night-life kind of place, with a more laid-back bar/pub feel compared to its neighbour across the river, clarke quay. but i've come to realise that it's a lovely place to be at in the daytime as well! i really enjoyed the peace and quiet in this area, and the out-of-singapore vibe i get when i'm here. 

toby's estate is a lovely warehouse-inspired cafe that is spacious (there is an outdoor dining area as well) with a huge common table in the middle and also smaller tables along the sides. the brunch menu had dishes other than the common breakfast items found everywhere, which i really appreciated! time to eat things other than eggs benny :p haha. 

 as expected, sam went in for the kill when he saw the toby's breakfast ($18). and it didn't disappoint! look at that pile of food!!!! i have to say that this full breakfast is one of the best i've seen so far! there was a generous portion of everything - eggs (scrambled/poached), espresso maple bacon, cherry tomato confit, sauteed mixed mushrooms and brioche toast. i loved how they put effort into the little touches that made items on this dish stand out! for example, the bacon had a lovely tinge of sweetness thanks to the maple syrup, and the mushrooms were simply orgasmic!!!!!! :O:O:O they were the BEST mushrooms i've ever eaten, not kidding at all. they had a delicious perfume of truffles that bathed our senses. it was so good, better than most truffle fries that you can find in other places. a.m.a.z.i.n.g!! the cherry tomatoes were delicious too! surprisingly sweet for singapore standards, and they were roasted to perfection.

i really enjoyed my breakfast taco ($12) for its unique-ness. although the portion looked so much sadder when placed next to sam's big breakfast, it definitely made up in terms of taste! and this is one dish that you wouldn't typically find in brunch places, so thumbs up for that! ^^ the taco shell was lightly toasted such that it was nice and crisp, and it was filled with a generous portion of chili con carne (beef) and scrambled eggs that went wonderfully together! this sat atop a bed of greens drizzled with balsamic, and it was a very nicely balanced dish (:

Toby's Estate

8 Rodyk Street #01-03/04

Tel.: +65 6636 7629

Mon-Wed, Sun 7.30am-6pm

Thu-Sat 7.30am-10pm

and special mention for this adorable cupcake shop just around the corner from toby's estate! ^^ it is soooo adorable! i was so excited to see it, and their flavours sound so interesting (: besides their typical flavours available daily, they also have specials that change on a daily basis i think. and i absolutely love how they have super-mini cupcake sizes!!!! they are little bite sized ones, which just seem much less sinful hehe :P i tried the lavendar mini cupcake ($2.80) and i loooved the light floral aroma that it had. the icing was light and fluffy, which was nice.

Swirls Bake Shop
8 Rodyk Street #01-08
Tel.: +65 6634 4765
Daily 11am-7pm

La Ristrettos

omg guess what!!!! :D i found my cioccolata calda in singaporeeeee ~ haha so happy! thought i'll never get to drink it again after leaving italy :( now i know where to get my cioccolata fix ;) hehe. la ristrettos is a really nice hidden find, tucked away amidst the maze of medical suites in novena medical centre. if not for the small lunch crowd, i would think that place is normally really really quiet and peaceful (: just look out the window and you'll see nothing but greenery, and more people just chillin'. nice ;) the perfect place for some me-time which i'd really needed during that period. 

i think this is an italian-inspired cafe, not just because of the chocolate, but because lots of things on the menu are in their italian names :) quite nostalgic actually. haha. 'ristretto' actually means 'restrained' or something like that, which means that you get an even more POWERFUL espresso shot, as it has less water in it. i'm not a coffee person, so i didn't try their espresso. but i wonder whether it could be anything like the super gao italian espresso sam enjoyed so much.

i would say that their cioccolata calda ($6.50) was pretty well done! ^^ definitely has the thickness and creaminess similar to the italian version ;) the only thing was that it was rather erm..lumpy? haha not that it diminished my experience of drinking it. it was actually quite nice to melt the chocolate lumps in my mouth :p just wondering whether it was because they didn't stir it properly or what. #kaopeh haha :P

i really like their options for all-day breakfast here! definitely one of the most original i've seen so far. getting a teeny bit bored of the normal full breakfasts and eggs benny (even though i still love it!!) that i'm seeing in every single brunch menu around. the menu here though, has none of those, and therefore appeals to me much more at this time ;) it's the kind of menu you'd probably find in italy (though this would probably be more like a lunch menu in italy, rather than breakfast), consisting mostly of sandwiches. BUT way better than italy ;) why? because there is real meat in it!!!!! score :D i loved my tostino e arrosto ($10) which was a toasted sourdough spread with garlic olive oil (which made the bread superrr tasty!), spinach, roast chicken breast, cherry tomatoes and ricotta cheese. the flavours of the spinach and cherry tomatoes were lovely, and they enhanced the mild taste of the chicken breast significantly when eaten together. the texture of the chicken was not too shabby, at least it wasn't overly dry, despite being roasted. wish there was more ricotta because it was merely a tiny dollop and i couldn't really taste it :/ sadly, a blooper came in the form of the salad! it was...sad to say, disgusting. ironically one of my friends said it was one of the best she'd ever eaten. maybe they didn't wash it for me :( it tasted really strongly of pesticide. which is awful. but i didn't touch it after a few mouths and thoroughly enjoyed the rest of my sandwich (: 

overall, a very nice place to chill, with a very calm, zen-like feel. and i would come back for my italian hot chocolate ;) 

La Ristrettos

10 Sinaran Drive, Novena Medical Centre #08-37

Tel.: +65 6397 7165

Mon-Fri 8am-6pm

Sat 8am-1pm