The Fabulous Baker Boy: Fundamentally Fabulous

Have your cake at breakfast and eat it too! Together with the onslaught of flying pancakes and cheesy sandwiches washed down with a comforting cup of coffee for those much needed morning perks.

Walking into the grounds of The Fabulous Baker Boy situated at the foothills of Fort Canning Hill, just a stones' throw across the road from Liang Court; for the first time, assimilation was instant. Its obscure location is a surefire asset in drawing in the crowds; the soothing waves of greenery present in the surroundings making me feel at ease.

Then, there is that cake display. (inserts jaw-dropped emoticon). A true nightmare for the indecisive and a pure dessert playground for the voyeurs. Right from the moment we stepped into the cafe, our eyes were fixated on the range of 12 cakes on the stand; ahhh..it wouldn't be so hard to make a choice, or so we thought, till we realise there were another 8 cakes in the chiller. Gosh, now that looks real intimidating.

Cafe Iguana: More than just Margaritas

Cafe Iguana, like its big brother company, Brewerkz, just down the road; has always been an institution along these tourist busted lane ways of Clarke Quay. With mismatched walls in crazy block colors, hanging lamps and trailing fairy lights, the decor is as kooky Mexican as it can get. 

Since, my covert love for a good Mexican meal has always been unrequited in Singapore, unlike in Sydney where I had my fair stash of regular haunts; I was very much open to the idea of a tasting session over at Cafe Iguana; which if my memory serves me well, saw me getting sloshed at a tender age of 18 on a flight of very potent margaritas. So, the reputation for dishing out some solid margaritas stuck. But, how does Cafe Iguana deal on the food foray? Let's suss it out!

Ginza Lion Beer Hall: New location @ Suntec City Mall

I wiped my beer moustache with gusto after mustering a heavy weight lifting motion from table to mouth, as I lavished in my first sip of ice cold Sapporo beer from a boot ($18 for 600ml or $16 at Happy Hour, 11am - 8pm daily). Hell yeh... what a treat to escape from the sweltering afternoon heat.

Ginza Lion Beer Hall, owned by the Sapporo Lion Group, is a spacious beer hall with lofty ceilings and plush sofas complete with lacquered dark wooden tables to complete that German Beer hall look. Serving a wide variety of pub themed foods, big on flavor with similarly portioned mugs of beer to grace the tables, a trip to Ginza Beer Hall with friends and family will be a thoroughly enjoyable experience for sure.

World Gourmet Summit 2015: Sunset Celebration @ Tamarind Hill

Decked out in a little LBD, glass of champange in one hand and the Sunset Limonata from Tippling Club in the other (yes, I do admit to being quite the alcohol hoarder), I surveyed the sprawling grounds of Tamarind Hill, devising a plan in my head as to how to approach the debauchery with certain order, yet still retaining some sanity afterwards, enough,  to attend a wedding without tipping over at least.  

Last week, I had the fortune of attending the cocktail evening at Tamarind Hill, featuring a astonishing spread of high cuisine and tasty tipples from a multitude of WGS's 2015 partners. Some of the restaurants which I was highly anticipating included Burlamacco, ALBA 1836, Wooloomooloo, Level 33 and Punjab Grill; not to mention cocktails wringed out by the talented folks of Tippling Club. Honestly, the sight of the bustling action and the excitement evoked was a little hard to handle. However, after calming the tingling nerves with a couple of drinks, I strike out, and trust me when I say this; I went hard.

Todai Restaurant: Birthday Dishes from around the world.

Reading up on my last visit to Todai Restaurant in 2013 (you can read about it here), it stirred up a somewhat nonchalant vibe in me; the food doing little to excite my wearied taste buds apart from the initial burst of excitement mustered with the bewildering sight of assortment and dazzling array of variety... that, eventually came to pass after nipping my way through the buffet line only to be disenchanted by the quality of the food. 

2 year later, I get called back in lieu of TODAI's 4th anniversary promotions, a clear sign that the buffet had successfully received a massive audience through the years. My lacklustre review imparting zilch effect on the booming business obviously (who cares about the small fry anyway). This time, TODAI's presents some of the best birthday delicacies from around the world to add a global touch to the festive celebrations. To be honest, I was charmed by the notion of having signature dishes representative of different countries on the buffet table. What better way to revel than to indulge in birthday dishes umpteen times? (Go shorty, it's your birthday, We're goin party, like its your birthday)

O'Coffee Club: Afternoon Tea Set

Sometimes I reckon I can be a little selfish, but here's a deal I would love to share with you guys before the ticking of the clocks rule the end of it. Running till the end of this month, O'Coffee Club will be dishing out their mid-day offering from 3-5pm daily until the 30th April.

If you're like me, and living it up like a tai-tai isn't quite your traditional practise, do allow me to persuade you to let your guards down just this once.., mainly because in contrary to popular belief, indulging in high tea does not have to be an expensive experience. 

O'Coffee Club three-tiered high tea spread is priced at a wallet friendly $28++ each, comprising a mouthwatering lineup of sweets and savouries with a choice of premium and gourmet beverages.

Breaking it down, the top tier features a pair of gargantuan Raisin Scones with browned crust and pillowy soft insides. Delicious when eaten on its own, the homemade orange peel mascarpone does give it an edge.

Following which, the other highlights of the second tier include the Chocolate eclairs, Carrot Cake and Mango Diva amidst the jaw-dropping stash of goodies. Unlike the usual run-of-the-mill renditions, these do carry an air of finesse with the moist carrot cake stealing the limelight.

Those looking to fill in on something a little more substantial can jump to the bottom tier with an array of 3 different sandwiches,. The Smoked Salmon Sandwich being my favourite of the lot with the fluffy focaccia as a base and a generous serve of smoked salmon and honey mustard dressing adrift. 

To be perfectly honest, I cannot find a reason to deny this treat, especially if you're caught in the predicament of whether to have lunch or indulge in a bit of tea time, in that case, the afternoon tea set at Coffee Club will fit you perfectly. Nothing like a quiet cozy space to chill the dreary afternoon away.

Note that this will be available at O'Coffee Club Milennia Walk, Paragon, Raffles City, Wheelock Place, Wisma Atria and Changi Airport Terminal 3 only until the 30th April. 

O'Coffee Club @ Raffles City

252 North Bridge Road 

#03-30/30A

S(719103)

t: 6336 8208

Opening Hours:

Daily: 0900 - 2200

Paddy Hills: A welcome addition

Driving up to Paddy Hills, I felt a certain sense of loss as I witnessed the misplacement of tradition. The old shop front which use to house a darn good duck rice stall, now replaced by something bright, something gleaming and undeniably sexy in a rebellious sort of way. Paddy Hills, clocking in just a few months of business, is new to the game of pleasing the finicky taste buds of Singaporeans. It's recent misfortune with the press regarding its lengthy waiting times hitting a sour note with many potential customers looking to visit the new joint.

It was my fortune perhaps to have been invited on a night nosh session which seemingly is less popular in contrast to the posh cafe fare churned out in the daytime. Perhaps its the hefty prices or the lack of lighting that would discourage the crowds; but the cool vibes discharged were succinct, engaging the inner-Aussie in me, the flawless transition from cafe to savvy tapas bar at night hitting it straight home on a personal level.

d'Good Cafe: do your stomach a favor and eat here!

A sight for sore eyes. Surely. Since the lawn-inspired settings transcribes to a heavy amount of soothing vert colors to feed the senses. 

Obviously, this plays to its advantage as the welcome contrast of the warm palates of food definitely look tons more appetizing. 

My first trip to d'Good cafe wasn't exactly a largely gratifying experience, mostly stemming from the fact that I was there to accompany friends and only managed enough appetite to dig into a forkful of Maple Sea Salt cheesecake; which incidentally remains my favourite up till this day. This time round, with a bounty of treasures on the table, conclusions had to be drawn. Will d'Good Cafe be in? Or out?

Ippudo @ Shaw Centre: Look beyond the Ramen

Opening its 5th outlet in Singapore, it is clearly evident that despite the saturation of ramen options on local grounds, Ippudo has succeeded in breaking into the hearts of many. Just sitting there alone and observing the incessant flow of large groups through the grounds, trying to figure out the various group dynamics, nationalities and age groups certainly made for a mind boggling experience. 

But first, we put the food to the test.

The BetterField: In search of greener pastures

WE WANT SUGAR!

Slogan sounds familiar? That's because it's the ringing jingle for The SUGAR App. Being roped in to join the brand ambassador program recently, it has kept me on a tight ship of endless scrolling through various merchants in the wee hours of the morning. Reason being that the vouchers refresh at around 7am every morning with only an availability of 1 per day. In this case, the early bird catches the worm and since the window of opportunity is so small, it compels its users to act on a whim, grabbing chances at plain sight; that my friends, is the key success to the app's advocating of discovery and spontaneity.

That's SUGAR in a nutshell. And my first attempt at being reckless led me to the frosty facade of this cafe located in a non-descript alley along waterloo street.

Meat Smith: All that Jazz

Meat Smiths on Telok Ayer road is one of a rare breed of diners dedicated to smoking their own meats in Singapore. Opened in February 2015, it is the newest wing of the expansion plan by hotelier-restaurateur Loh Lik Peng, whom together with his investors have a serious heavyweight league of hotels such as Wanderlust, Hotel 1929; and restaurants, Majestic, Ember, Cocotte and the ever trendy, Esquina under his Unlisted Collection. In fact, stationed in plain sight of the diner is his other restaurant, The Market Grill, situated directly across the road.

So, you would think that with so much roaming credentials and experience under his belt, that a meal at the casual joint Meat Smiths would be flawless. Truth be told, my meal was highly delectable and I would gladly endorse a trip here for anyone looking for a fun-filled dinner.

Miss Mollys: Not just about the Rainbow Cake

  

Miss Molly's joins the infectious slew of cafes in the area. With a menu spawning many fusion dishes,  (sometimes I feel as if to pass off as an excuse to being unable to execute the classics right), Miss Molly's prides itself on being the newest hangout place in Tanjong Pagar, inspired by good food and ice cold beverages. And despite the depressing state of a Tuesday night, the cafe was packed to the brim with diners, all hawking into their food, the perturbing aroma of truffle oil staining the air. A situation I find unfathomable given the saturation of similarly priced food joints within walking distance.

So, I zero-ed in on my food in hope of understanding the dynamics of the cafe.

Bochinche Weekend Brunch: Boozy Boosts

Looking to treat yourself this long weekend? Then Bochinche would be a highly recommended choice from me. 

Featuring an all-new brunch menu, only available on weekends from 11am - 3pm. Other reasons to warrant a visit include the $25 free flow booze-ster promotions on Saturdays from 11am -1pm. Think about it, continuous tipples of the best Signature Chimichurri Bloody Marys (aka the best hangover cure, ever), as well as wine and mojitos. There's no better reason than that, to hop on over!