I absolutely LOVE the coffee at Maxi. I’ve been here twice, the first time I tried the coffee shake (which was crazy good by the way, please try it) and the coffee tonic. This time I decided to try the cereal milk latte and the dirty latte (chai latte) and both were really good. I love the coffee at Maxi - it’s strong, robust and flavourful, exactly what I look for in any coffee place. Really nice vibes and service as well.

Ordered the meatball noodles only because hoe nam prawn noodles was closed (but then again this coffee shop in Potong Pasir is always crowded, so I’m sure it isn’t just a substitute for prawn mee when it’s closed). The noodles were really good and springy (I ordered their guo tiao) and the meatballs were huge (they gave me 6 or 7 which was a great portion). Will definitely come again for my BCM fix if I’m in the area.

Tiramisù: Mascarpone, espresso, fresh berries, chocolate dust - this was easily one of the best tiramisus I’ve ever had in Singapore (my other favorite is Amo’s tiramisu). The mascarpone cheese was so light and flavourful, and the espresso taste was strong enough to suit my palate.

Panna cotta: Pistachio, summer fruit coulis, raspberry sorbet, mint - I must probably sound like I’m going crazy over Bistecca but this pistachio panna cotta was one of the best panna cottas I’ve ever had. The pistachio flavour was authentic and strong, and the panna cotta texture was wonderfully light and smooth! Highly recommend both desserts. Simply amazing meal.

Manzo: 150g tasmanian grass-fed beef striploin, roasted garlic potato puree. We had this as the main course for the executive set lunch and it was amazing. We were completely mind-blown by the quality of the steak served and how tender the meat was; and there was a nice char right on the exterior that gave it a slight crisp. The steak itself without any accompanying sauces was already incredibly tasty, and they provided 4 different types of sauces on the side for us to try out, and all were delightful. I would definitely come back here again, and I have to add that the service here was really personal and attentive too.

One of the starters as part of the executive lunch set (2 courses for $38) - Crudo di Tonno: Yellow fin tuna tartare, black olive, red pepper puree, croutons. We really enjoyed this dish as it tasted so fresh that the tuna was almost sweet, and the red pepper purée lightly doused over the tuna pieces was immensely flavourful.

I’ve been wanting to try Bochinche’s lunch set and their steak for really long, and the lunch set was pretty satisfactory overall. Somehow the steak fell below my expectations, mostly because our medium rare steak was still pretty chewy at some parts and not the most tender. Some parts were pretty unevenly cooked, with some slices being more well done than others. Side ore: I really enjoyed the hand cut potatoes at the side tho, and the chimichurri was delightful.

We tried all 3 empanadas on the menu as part of the weekday lunch set. We had the empanada with hand cut beef, grilled peppers, onions & olives, another with braised pork belly, sweet potato, chorizo & sage, and the last with sweet corn, caramelized onions, basil & buffalo mozzarella. According to the servers, these empanadas are their signature - but I actually found them quite ordinary, tasting like upgraded curry puffs. Try them if you want, but don’t say I didn’t give you fair warning hmm.

Buta kakuni - pork collar, barley, peanut butter, corn. This was a great main course as well! The pork was soft and flavourful and reminded us of a giant chashu tbh. It went really well with the mix of barley, peanut butter and corn - who knew this combination would taste this good!

Beef cheek, potato, pear - this was the main course we had for the lunch set and it was extraordinary! It may have been one of the best beef cheek dishes I’ve had in awhile, and mind you I’ve tried a lot from different restaurants because... my favorite meat is beef oops. For the lunch set, it’s really great value for money!

Cold smoked hamachi, ponzu, dashi - this was part of the weekday lunch set (2 courses for $28). We really enjoyed this little starter and how fresh it tasted, with the mixture of hamachi and ponzu giving an extra refreshing and tangy flavour.

Burnt aubergine, white sesame, yoghurt. This was a really hearty and impressive starter. Loved the strong smoky flavour of the aubergine and the thick, rich sauce that accompanied it. This was part of the lunch set they offer on weekdays, and we had two courses for $28++. Definitely a gem in the CBD area, with its unique hole-in-the-wall ambience and tunnel? train?-like interior design. Service was really attentive as well.

Fourth (or fifth) time at Punch but my first time trying their earl grey pancakes I’ve heard so much about! It was pretty impressive, and the serving portion was huge, with a stack of three fluffy, freshly made pancakes. The batter was soft and slightly fluffy, though it bordered on the sticky side. The earl grey taste could be a little stronger as well, but then again I’m a huge earl grey and tea lover so I may be too much of a critic. Overall I really enjoyed this sweet brunch option and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a hearty dose of brunch pancakes.