Strangers' Reunion

Strangers' Reunion has been around for a pretty long time, and there was such a huge hype over its waffles that has kept me excited for reallyyyy long. no idea why i procrastinated so long before visiting this place, but i'm so glad i did! decided to check out the place for dinner after reading about it on a couple of blogs - it seemed that their dinner menu was more interesting than brunch ;) they do serve all-day breakfast though! and dinner starts from 6pm.

actually, there were several items on their menu which were highly raved about, and the truffle fries ($12.90) didn't disappoint. in fact, i was really impressed, and i conclude that it's one of the BEST truffle fries you can get in singapore, after PS Cafe!! the aroma of the fries wafted towards us and we could barely get a proper shot of the dish before we enthusiastically dug into it. the bowl was emptied in 5 minutes :P hahaha. really loved the generous amount of parmesan shavings and truffle salt scattered on top of the fries, and the garlic aioli that came with it was an interesting twist that was the perfect complement to the fries.

i'd heard a lot about the crispy pork belly ($24.90), but i think it was the only dish that kinda disappointed :( not that it was bad, but it just wasn't...good. it was pretty normal, and slightly tough in fact! nowhere close to the 'melt in your mouth' experience which i'd heard about. oh wells. i really liked the ginger beer, apple & date chutney that was on the side though! the tinge of spiced sweetness went really well with the pork belly ^^ the truffled mash was very interesting as well!

in a rare showcase.... the truffled wagyu burger ($26.90) deserves TWO photos because it looked so orgasmically good!!!! don't you agree?! that thick patty looks absolutely delish! #foodporn. i was surprised that the truffle flavour developed most significantly in (guess where?) the burger bun! haha rather fascinating infusion, but it tasted pretty good! topped with a beautifully-fried sunny side up egg, the thick beef patty tasted as good as it looked and the tomato relish rounded up the flavours wonderfully. the sweet potato chips that came on the side made us feel slightly healthier, and tasted really yummy.

i really wanted to try the sous vide salmon which i'd heard so much about, but it was no longer on the menu! :( sadddd. instead, we ordered the halibut & chips ($27.90) and i highly recommend this as well!!! it was fried very delicately - seemed like tempura-style - and it was light and hardly oily which was great! the meat was really fluffy as well, and it was soooo tasty ^^ i just realised that they didn't serve us the kaffir lime mayo that was stated on the menu though!! :O BOO :( remember to ask them for it when you're there! it sounds good! 

and finally, for the star of the day - the buttermilk waffles with homemade mixed berry compote and vanilla ice cream ($14.90)!!!!! SO GOOD. i loved how they gave such a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream! ;) generosity goes a long way :D it was the perfect combination of flavours with the tart berries that were deliciously juicy, the crisp & fluffy waffle and sweet, (icy) ice cream. and Strangers' Reunion recently opened a waffle bar next door as well! how awesome is that ;) definitely gonna try out the wider selection next door one of these days! 

Strangers' Reunion

37 Kampong Bahru Road 

Tel.: +65 6222 4869

Sun, Mon, Wed-Thu 9am-10pm

Fri & Sat 9am-12mn

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

49 Seats

i suspect that 49 seats was named as such because of the exact seating space it has! though it could be smaller. well, i counted 38 seats in the indoor portion of the cafe :P it's a really cosy space, and fills up pretty fast, which is no surprise considering their specialties which they execute with flair.

i thoroughly enjoyed my tom yum seafood pasta ($14.90) which came highly recommended to me by Sam ;) it had a really satisfying tom yum kick, with just the right level of spiciness! at least for me haha. Sam felt that it was too spicy, but i think if you take out the chill padi inside it's actually quite manageable. there was a satisfying amount of prawns, and a huge mussel in it! also had bits of something which i couldn't identify - crab, perhaps? haha i've been tasting this "thing" for two days in a row but i can't figure out what seafood it could probably be! strange.... O.o anyway it's a good bet to order this! the only thing was that i felt it was a tad too creamy? i added a bit of water to dilute the sauce a little :P it'll help if you have a cold drink with it i think! just that they don't provide water here. hmm :/ 

Sam's seafood marinara ($13.90) was pretty yummy too! i guess if you don't like tom yum, this would be the alternative to go for! though i really recommend the tom yum over this one if you love the thai spice ;)

we didn't order anything else, since the pasta was surprisingly filling! the portion didn't look very impressive, but i was SO FULL after that. oh yeah and because we shared a coke float too haha. but i heard that their cheese fries and fish with alscampi sauce is really gooooood, so please try it and let me know!!!! i'll come back for those next time ^^ plus there is no service charge & GST! (double whoop!) 

i recommend that you make reservations though, because almost every table was reserved when i went there, plus a long queue to boot. enjoy ^^

49 Seats

49 Kreta Ayer Road (oh maybe it's because of their address so they're called 49 Seats...haha oops!)

Tel.: +65 6225 4332 

Mon-Thu 6pm-2am

Fri & Sat 6pm-4.30am

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

Miam Miam

the first time i visited Miam Miam i was really excited when i saw their menu! everything on it looked soooo good, but unfortunately i was ill that day and couldn't stomach anything xP i really wanted to come back to order whatever that had attracted me though, and i'm glad i did! :)

Miam Miam is some sort of a Japanese-French fusion bistro. and you can see that in their super adorable menu with gorgeous typography. the food tastes great too! though the portions were incredibly disappointing, especially when the photographs on the menu were so deceiving. 

the single dish that kept nagging at me to return to the place was the Riz Noir ($16.50). a scrumptious looking pot of squid ink rice with assorted seafood (squid and scallops), topped with a fluffy omu egg. it looked like a deceptively huge portion in the menu, and my heart sank a little when the actual serving was significantly smaller. but it made up in terms of its punchy flavour, with each fluffy grain of rice smothered in a delicious aroma and rather generous serving of seafood. 

i quite liked the lobster bisque pasta ($18.80) as well, but it could have been much better if the sauce was a thicker broth, like the real lobster bisque. this was rather watery, although it was still quite tasty. the pasta was cooked al dente style! ^^ which i really liked, though some might find it undercooked. i love how pasta cooked this way seems lighter, and gives a more distinct texture that stands out from the rest of the dish.

i found the service here rather poor as well. we had to wait quite awhile for a seat, even though there was a whole seating area that was unoccupied, and the staff just kept telling us to wait, while brisk-walking past us. they also took forever to serve us our drink, and generally had rather unfriendly expressions on their face. we tried the matcha hot chocolate ($7.80) that sounded fascinating, but turned out to be nothing more than your normal matcha latte. and the funny thing is that they do serve matcha latte too! so i wonder what's the difference...?

i was super excited for dessert too! we ordered the chocolate molleaux ($9.80) which was a decadent, dark chocolate cake with soft serve ice cream on the side. we struck gold because they ran out of vanilla ice cream, and we were offered the matcha flavour as a replacement! (Y) wheee. haha cheap thrill ^^ the cake was beautifully moist, with just the right density, and a slightly molten centre (could have been better). warning: the portion was really tiny though, i think my photo might appear otherwise.

and FINALLY. building up to the finale......Miam Miam's FAMOUS FRENCH TOAST ($9.80)!!! ^^ there is a reason why it was named that, and it is a must-order. i'm not kidding. this was the saving grace of the entire meal. i only felt full after eating this. gosh! the french toast came in a stack, topped with a scoop of cream and honey on the side. i actually don't think the honey was necessary because we only drizzled a little on it, and it was quite sweet already! but more is good too ;) hehe. this was SOOOO DELICIOUS! there is no other way i can describe it - it's definitely one of the best french toasts i've ever eaten. perfectly sweet on its own, without being too cloying, the perfect balance between fluffy and dense, and oh-so-tasty, with/without the cream. 

i would definitely come back for the french toast one day. the others? i'll have to think about it. i don't really think the portions justify the price, but the fact that everything was pretty yums, does! (: 

Miam Miam

Bugis Junction #02-14

Tel.: +65 6837 0301

Daily 11.30am-10pm

Artistry

I realised there are many little cafes tucked along small streets near the bugis area. and so far, they're proven to be such gems :)) Symmetry is just nearby, and one of my most recent finds - Artistry - is a great place to dine as well! seating capacity indoors is really limited and you'll be sharing a huge table with probably 10 other people. but the food is simply YUMMS! i wish i came on a weekday actually, because all the recommendations i heard of were actually available only on weekdays -.- they have a different menu! so yup, just take note that the stuff i'm writing about are only available for Sat & Sun (:

despite the fact that i couldn't order based on my recommendations, we had such a tough time deciding what to get because everything sounded so good. i'm not kidding! haha.

for savouries, we ordered two kinds of burgers (because we couldn't decide between the two) - the beef sliders ($18) were mini beef patties topped with bacon, lettuce, guacamole, gruyere and mustard mayo. i always loooove having gruyere in burgers because it just brings all the flavours of the burger together in one savoury, gooey combination. these were delicious, and the best way to eat it is to just pop them in your mouth and relish the explosion of different notes of the burger. (though you'd probably need a pretty big mouth for that haha)

the Artistry Crab burger ($20) came with a thick crab patty that was deep fried to a delightful crisp, crumbed texture, yet retained the its fluffiness and juicy texture within. it came with a lovely tomato relish that balanced out the deep-fried flavours of the crab patty, and came sandwiched between artisanal squid ink burger buns. welllll, probably a gimmick since i don't think squid ink has any taste, but it made for a great photo ;) we chose truffle fries to accompany both our dish (they have cajun fries as well), though we felt they were pretty unimpressive - could have done with more truffle flavour pleaseeee.

for sweets, we got the PB & J french toast ($14) which was WOW-WOW-WHEEEEEE! you know how much i love PB! :D this was so yummy!!! a fluffy brioche french toast (gosh i gotta buy some of this brioche sometime!), stuffed with swirls of peanut butter and raspberry jam, drizzled with maple syrup and topped with vanilla ice cream and raspberry compote. I NEED TO EAT THIS AGAIN. the combination was totally melt-in-your-mouth delicious! 

for fans of windowsill pies, you'd be glad to know that Artistry serves pies from there too! i've never had the chance to try their pies, so i jumped with excitement when i saw that they were served here! ^^ we ordered the vodka lime pie ($9 if i remember correctly. so expensive!!) and it was super refreshing :D love the tartness of the lime, and the tinge of alcohol within. i realised that i made something almost similar though. hahaha. the only thing missing was the vodka. lol! we also ordered a lychee martini cake (should be $9 too) which was a special edition of the day! i can't really remember how it tasted, but it was yummy too :)) *slurps* #iwannagoback

Artistry Cafe

17 Jalan Pinang

Tel.: +65 6298 2420

Tue-Sun 10am-7pm

The Tuckshop

hi!! (:

this post should have come right after exams, but...I'M OFFICIALLY DONE WITH SCHOOL! :D hehe this dinner at The Tuckshop was my celebratory dinner after my last paper ^^ and ironically it took me right back to primary/secondary school with their super retro old-school decor. the tables were literally the kind that i used in pri/sec school! and the whole place has a decidedly unpolished, industrial-chic feel to it. great for winding down after a week at work, or...on a monday after exams ;) it was perfect that day, being the start of the week because it was pretty quiet and we lazed there for almost three hours just chatting away ^^ 

so anyway, it seems like The Tuckshop has been around for awhile, but they recently launched a new menu (in April i think!) which looked absolutely scrumptious if you've seen it on their Facebook page. and it fared pretty well in meeting our expectations with those mouth-watering photos ;)

to indulge after exams, we ordered truffle fries!!! quite reasonably priced at $8, it was topped not just with the ubiquitous parmesan, but also chives. kind of reminded me of my favourite pringles flavour - sour cream and onion ;) the fries were delightfully crispy, but sadly the truffle flavour was rather non-existent. otherwise, it was masked by the chives. either way it was quite disappointing. the so-called wasabi mayo dip also lacked the pungent kick of the wasabi.

thankfully, the main dishes made up for it! Sam's order of the Hey You, Hey Mee ($16) was our favourite out of all. this light creamy pasta has got to be one of my favourite cream pasta finds! i usually dislike cream pastas because of the jerlat feel you get after awhile. but The Tuckshop's version was uplifted with the energising tangy flavour of jalepenos in it. the pickled green chillis added just the right amount of spiciness and sourness into the light sauce, that made us keep craving for more. the prawns were big and juicy too! 

My Chop Chop Sausage Orzo ($15) paled in terms of flavour, but made up for it in the 'interesting' factor ;) it was a totally confusing dish in fact :p looks exactly like rice doesn't it?! nope, it's actually pasta. plus, it was a western/italian dish infused with asian flavours of air-dried chinese sausage. i loved it. haha. 

the portions are quite small here, but they satisfied us just nicely, especially with the truffle fries on the side. definitely a place to visit, and if you like beer, happy hour is on all night long (at least that was the case when we were there). enjoy!

The Tuckshop

403 Guillemard Road

Tel.: +65 8511 8102

Mon-Fri 5pm-12mn

Sat-Sun 3pm-12mn

The Black Swan

the movie? nopeeee. rather this dining establishment is the newest in the offerings from the Lo & Behold Group which manages other restaurants such as The White Rabbit and Extra Virgin Pizza, among others. this is actually the first time i've dined at any of their restaurants, and i've gotta say that i'm impressed! ;) 

starting with the ambience - tucked away in a white colonial building at the edge of Cecil Street, its entrance is unassuming, and you might just drive past the building without realising that the interior had been revamped into a restaurant. this exudes a feeling of exclusivity, and once you step through the doors, a hushed buzz invites you in. there is an energy within this place, but it's subtle, almost imperceptible. and that's the beauty of it. it's pretty dim inside (hence pardon the poor picture quality), but the bar looks outstanding amidst the darkness. service is faultless.

we started off with the char grilled beef tartare ($26) and pan-seared foie gras ($28). oh, how i've missed foie gras! :P makes me throwback to 2012 again, when i had so much foie gras (thanks to my numerous food tastings) that it could probably last a lifetime. (well, i could always have more...to last  two lifetimes maybe? :p just kidding)

the foie gras was perfect :') beautifully seared and melting smooth inside, i savoured every bite of it as i rolled it on my tongue. it came with a deliciously fluffy toasted brioche and a fascinating yuzu marmalade (gosh i didn't taste the yuzu, but it was a refreshing accompaniment to the creamy goose liver).

it was my first time trying beef tartare and i absolutely loved it!! USDA 365 days grained fed beef combined with nashi pear and toasted sesame made for a smorgasbord of flavours, and i completely could not taste a hint of any rawness :D great for noobies like me! it came with slices of grilled bread which were awesome as well. (how to they make it so crisp, yet fluffy?!)

for mains, we started with the chilean seabass ($36), which was very light on the palate and came with a bright roasted beetroot, bacon velouté. i loved the combination of beetroot + bacon, which masked the woody flavour of beetroot which i typically detest.

The Black Swan burger ($26) was delicious to say the least. a well-balanced and flavourful piece of art that included a seasoned, oh-so-juicy patty, mature cheddar, a sunny side up egg, streaky bacon, bibb lettuce sandwiched between two lovely fluffy (again!) buns. the thick cut fries that came with it were good too (though i'm not a fan of thick cut fries so i've got not much to comment on it).

and guess what! that ain't all. we ordered drinks as well, and i have to say that i loved loved LOVED my Escape to Amalfi cocktail (all cocktails at $19). just the name itself sounded sexy enough and brought me back to Italy ~ ahhh (: it was a wonderfully refreshing drink with fine bubbled prosecco excited with vodka and topped with a zesty sorbet of organic lemons from Italy's Amalfi Coast (says the menu. wow!) it was sooooo good! mummy & papa ordered Moral Hazard and Cecil Sour, which were both whiskey drinks. and i don't quite fancy whiskey so i've got no comment on that haha. they were pretty generous with the liquor though, which is a plus!

no doubt, this place is pricey. but it's really worth the splurge if you want to treat yourself to a good meal (:

The Black Swan
19 Cecil Street
Tel.: +65 8181 3305
Lunch (Mon-Fri) 11.30am-2.30pm
Dinner (Mon-Sat) 5pm-10.30pm
Supper (Mon-Thu) 10.30pm-1am
(Fri-Sat) 10.30pm-2am

PeraMakan

i always love peranakan food for it's numerous spices and rich flavours (: gosh, i wish i could cook like that! i'm sure it's quite a tough job to cook this though. 

the #1 must-order dish at PeraMakan is their fried mee siam ($10)!!!!! it was so good.

i don't really know how to describe it, because i don't know what spices went into it, but trust me on this. it was really really delicious!!!! just look at those fat juicy prawns and you'll know what i mean when i tell you that they've put A LOT of effort into making this dish. it was superb!

i think we over-ordered because everything sounded so delicious and we were starving :P hahaha. we had the usuals such as babi pongtay ($14) and ayam rendang ($14) which were well done (: i especially liked the babi pongtay, with its melt-in-your-mouth texture. it literally fell to pieces when we tried to poke it with our forks!

we ordered the oxtail stew ($16), but i wasn't a big of this as it had a rather gamey taste, although it was extremely tender as well. 

i loved how interesting the jantung pisang kerabu ($12) sounded and tasted! it's a nyonya salad made of the heart of a banana bud, shredded mango and cucumber served with a generous topping of dried-shrimp sambal and coconut sauce. it was refreshing, light and gave a spicy kick all at the same time!

we opted for the slightly different chap chye masak titek ($14) which is a twist on the normal chap chye - taking it to a new level with spiciness. we didn't feel that it tasted significantly different though. 

and of course, nyonya desserts are not to be missed! even though i was full to bursting by that time >.< we had the chendol ($5), which was well done with its sweetness from the gula melaka ^^ (some portions were a little over-sweetened though). and i always loveeee the chendol strips ;) 

PeraMakan

10 Bukit Chermin Road, Keppel Club Level 3

Tel.: +65 6377 2829

Daily 11.30am-3pm, 6pm-10pm 

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

Restaurant Week II: The Glass House

helloooo! i know i'm super laggy with my post but here's my second Restaurant Week experience :)) it was my second day in a row, but really glad that we could make it for this as a family! we booked super last minute, and i was expecting that there would be no available seats at all. but *surprise surprise*, there were! and i guess this wasn't one of the best, i preferred Taratata Bistro, but it was a good experience nonetheless! and course, the company is the most important ^^ haha next Restaurant Week must book earlier already, so that we can get a nicer restaurant ;)

Roasted Pumpkin Salad

Delicious with a smattering of ingredients including spiced pumpkin, couscous, goat cheese, candied walnuts, cherry tomato confit on a bed of romaine lettuce. thank goodness the taste of goat cheese wasn't too strong! in fact, i liked how it added a kick to the flavour of the salad. 

Chili Prawn Bisque

This had a robust flavour, kind of like lobster bisque. but it would have been better if it was creamier/thicker.

Maryland-style Crab Cake
My favourite appetiser out of the three! if only it wasn't so tiny though >.< but i loved the fluffy crab meat within, which was delightfully paired with a refreshing apple salad and remoulade sauce.

Tamarind Braised Pork Belly

Super loved this!!!! In fact, i really liked both the mains :) the braised pork belly was really tasty (though it could definitely have been much more tender!) and the sweet potato touches were simply WOW. beautiful sweet potato mash that was delectably creamy with a natural sweetness, and this contrasted with the crisp sweet potato chips on the side. who knew there were so many uses for sweet potato! (gonna try to re-create this in my kitchen sometime!!) it also came with a yummy apple chill tamarind chutney which was paired really well with the pork :) 

Roasted Garlic Sea Bass
Fragrant with the aroma of garlic, i really liked how all the flavours of this dish came together really well from the fish curry seasoned couscous to the braised sea bass and the orange & shallot salad :)

Tiramisu 

This was pretty normal!

Sticky Toffee Date Cake
Believe it or not, this is my first time trying sticky date cake!! haha xP so sua ku right. but because i've never really liked dates (gosh those in chinese soups are just...ew) so i've never ordered this dessert. ever. but there's always a first - and i've changed my mind! it tastes nothing like the red dates i dislike :P of course, being my first time trying it, i can't really compare it to anything else. but i really liked how this cake was super moist, and sinful, really, but absolutely delicious.

The Glass House
Hotel Fort Canning
Tel.: +65 6559 6760

Lady M

MILLE CREPES. LADY M. SO GOOD. i'm so glad i finally tried it! ^^ i've seen so many pictures on instagram since Lady M opened in Singapore and i always couldn't wait to dig my fork into one of its yummy-looking crepes! i actually didn't realise that Lady M sold quite a few varieties of cakes other than mille crepes! in fact, there were only two flavours. which made it easier for us ;) we ordered both of them! hehe. 

we ordered the signature mille crepe and green tea mille crepe, which i believe is a seasonal flavour. it has been around for awhile though. i'm glad i had the chance to try it!! ^^ both flavours were really yummy in different ways - it was incredible how each layer was so painstakingly stacked on top of each other. absolutely justifies the price (i think it was $9/slice). and it was so amazing how it was so wonderfully moist and oozing with just the right amount of cream! 

the signature mille crepe had a slightly milky flavour with a creme brûlée burnished top, whereas the top of the green tea version was sprinkled with matcha powder! soooo yummy, but if i had to pick a favourite, it'd be the green tea one (: 

finally met up with debbie after she got back from exchange!!! :) had such a lovely time catching up with her and i'm glad that we still have so many things to talk about even after so many years! <3 

Lady M

Marina Square #02-103

Tel.: +65 6822 2095

Daily 11am-9pm (ooh i realised we actually reached there after 9am! :O luckily they still let us in :'))