It has only been fairly recently that Nasi Kandar Saddam has made their expansion into the Singapore F&B scene; with that being said, the Kuala Lumpur-based brand had since opened their second outlet here. Still located within a Al-Mubin Food Court coffeeshop, the newest outlet of Nasi Kandar Saddam in Singapore is located at the foot of Blk 418 Bedok North Avenue 2; these folks take up a corner stall unit within the coffeeshop. Serving up a authentic style of Nasi Kandar that one would expect to find in Penang (where the dish was said to have originated from), the dishes that are made available for one to choose from are pretty similar to what is already offered at their first location in Singapore along Changi Road — there are some suggested combinations as illustrated in the signages though patrons can simply pick and choose what they fancy from behind the display cases as well.

Having tried a similar combination previously at yet another Nasi Kandar concept that had just opened their doors in Singapore, we went for the Nasi Kandar + Ayam Madu + Sayur — it was also needless to say that we decided to go for Kuah Campur for our order; this essentially meant that we had a drizzle of all gravies that were available. We did find that the quality of the food is pretty much consistent to what we had experienced previously at their Changi Road location; the highlight would definitely be the mix of different gravies of which the inclusion of Masak Hitam would be our favourite — this helps add the hint of earthiness and smokiness to the Nasi Kandar that makes it taste pretty authentic aside from the richness of the other curry gravies included, making the Nasi Kandar carry a pretty complex dimension of punchy flavours that makes it so good. We definitely preferred the Ayam Madu that we had ordered here over the Ayam Goreng that we went for during our visit to the Changi Road location; the chicken does seem
a little more freshly-prepared and came slightly more tender and moist, while the sticky and gloopy red sauce would be the honey that provided a hint of sweetness to balance things out with the gravies for sweet-savoury note — all that without being overwhelmingly sweet. The Sayur came in the form of shredded cabbage cooked with turmeric and mustard seeds that came light savoury with a crunch that provides a more wholesome vibe to the meat and carbs here.

Managed to learn about the opening of the new Smear’d Coffee Bagels that had recently moved into a shop unit within the Onze mixed-use development along Kee Seng Street — this would be the same building that houses other F&B concepts such as the likes of Sugar And Tease Patisserie Cafe, K. Patisserie and Broth Bowl. These folks take up the shop space that was formerly taken up by Sugar And Tease Patisserie Cafe prior to their move to another shop unit within the same building — the shop space having a dual facade where the entrance is located within the building though there are full-length glass windows overlooking into the interior of the shop from the main thoroughfare outside of the building. As the namesake suggests, Smear’d Coffee Bagels is an establishment that focuses on its bagel offerings; the menu is split into categories dedicated to Bagel-Bao, Signatures, Fit Bowls, Fries, Pastas and Sides — beverages available are classified into Signatures, Basic B., Cold Brew and Hot Teas.

The Hot Honey Chicken Bagel-Bao at Smear’d Coffee Bagels is described in the menu to come with elements such as Kewpie mayonnaise, fried chicken thigh, Gochujang honey, romaine, cheddar and dill pickles. Smear’d Coffee Bagels also allows patrons to opt between four (4) different types of bagels for their line-up of Bagel-Bao; we found ourselves opting for the Nori Seaweed Bagel for our order of the Hot Honey Chicken Bagel-Bao. Coming with fried chicken thigh that has been coated with Gochujang honey, the exterior deep-fried batter of the fried chicken remains crisp whilst carrying a sweetness whilst ends with a fiery note that should be manageable for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness in its finish. The chicken flesh was also tender and juicy, while the addition of cheddar helps add a bit of a savouriness to the bagel without being particularly heavy. The inclusion of romaine lettuce adds a crispness and some balance to the meats and carbs, while the Nori Seaweed Bagel comes with a firm chew and a slight umami-ness from the seaweed.

Had came to know about the existence of Cafe Dough (not to be confused with Dough at CHIJMES) whilst scrolling around on the phone — these folks had just recently settled themselves within a shop unit situated at the mixed development named Alexis located along Alexandra Road. These folks had taken over the former premises of the now-defunct EG COFFEE — whilst Cafe Dough itself is pretty much a new name within the local F&B scene here, these folks are actually by the same people behind thatsmypizza.sg. Cafe Dough is their very first entry into running their very own individually-operated space; the tight shop space at Alexis does have its own dine-in space. The menu at Cafe Dough comprises of a line-up of 10-inch pizzas available only between 11am to 2pm and 5pm to 8pm on Thursdays to Sundays, while there are a line-up of pastries and bakes that are available all-day.

We went for the Japanese Chashu Kurobuta Pizza; all the pizzas here come in a default 10-inch size only with the pizza sliced into eight (8) slices — this rendition of their pizza is described as the favourite of one of its co-founders. The online POS system describes the pizza to come with elements such as Chashu Shoyu Sauce Base, Fior di latte, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Parmesan, and Kurobuta. Taking a bite into the pizza, we liked how the base of the pizza was pretty much similar to our previous experiences from the other pizzas at thatsmypizza.sg; the pizza base does come reasonably thin as compared to most pizzas that we had tried from other establishments — there is still this slight chewiness but we liked how it does feel pretty easy to have and not quite as heavy as most other pizzas we had previously have. The use of parmesan provides that usually cheesiness and savouriness one would expect from a pizza, while the Chashu Shoyu Sauce Base provides another dimension of savouriness that brings the meatiness of the braised Kurobuta together with the pizza base; the Kurobuta carrying a bit of a bite without carrying an undesirable porky stench at the same time.

CHAGEE’s presence in Singapore has definitely expanded quite a fair bit ever since they had made their return back to the local F&B scene; whilst its tea offerings are the ones that most folks would patronise the brand for, it is noted that the brand had introduced a line-up of cakes to go along with their beverage offerings in recent times. On top of the standard selection of cakes that is available at most locations, CHAGEE does another variety of four (4) different cakes that are introduced at selected CHAGEE outlets in collaboration with Nesuto — these would be the Da Hong Pao Orange Confit Cake, Peach Oolong Cake, Earl Grey Chocolate Cake and Jasmine Snow Mango Cake. These cakes are only available at CHAGEE outlets at orchardgateway, VivoCity and Waterway Point.

We went for the Da Hong Pao Orange Confit Cake during our visit to the Waterway Point outlet for this line-up of cakes — whilst CHAGEE does not mention the elements that is featured in all four (4) different eg flavours of the cake, we did note from our order that the Da Hong Pao Orange Confit Cake does feature elements such as a light pastry cream, orange marmalade, orange confit and a Da Hong Pao-infused cake batter. Going straight for the cake, we did note that there is definitely a noticeable hint of tea fragrance within the cake layer itself that carried the slightly smoky, bitter undertone that is often associated with Da Hong Pao; all that whilst coupled with a soft and light, neutral tasting pastry cream that brings all of the elements of the cake together. While the cubes of confit orange does provide a slight hint of sweetness amidst the citrus-y tang, the orange marmalade beneath does add a bit of a zing with a slight bitterness from the orange pips that seemingly goes well with the inherent notes of Da Hong Pao within the cake as well.

Got to learn about the existence of yet another new establishment serving up Myanmar cuisine around the island. Located within the coffeeshop at the foot of an industrial complex named iSpace that carries the address of 7 Soon Lee Street, these folks are relatively close to the outlet of Kay-Tu Myanmar Cuisine at Pioneer Point (i.e. 5 Soon Lee Street). Named Shwe Eainn Si, the stall is quite easy to locate considering how it takes up one of the stall spaces situated in the middle of the coffeeshop. Much like most Myanmar cuisine stalls of its type around the island, the stall does serve up economic mixed vegetable rice with Myanmar-style dishes, whilst also serving up a variety of rice and noodle dishes that are prominently listed on its menu.

One of our favourite dishes where it comes to Burmese cuisine would be the Nangyi Thoke. This would be a rice noodle salad dish that sees thick rice vermicelli being tossed with other elements such as chili oil, chicken curry, onions, hard-boiled egg and toasted chickpea flour. On first sight, the Nangyi Thoke at Shwe Eainn Si does come in a portion size that is a little smaller than what we are used to getting from other establishments elsewhere. Setting that aside, the Nangyi Thoke does taste pretty much like what we had expected it to be; the thick rice vermicelli is slurpy and chewy — having been tossed with chili oil and chickpea flour meant that it does carry this savoury and earthy note with a slight hint of spiciness that should be manageable to those whom have a lower tolerance to spiciness. The cubes of curry chicken here does come with chicken that is done to a slightly tougher texture that is a little streaky and fibrous; this does seem to be the case for such chicken that we have come across at most stalls serving up Myanmar cuisine. The onions does add a bit of a crunch with slight zing that cuts through the chili oil and the carbs that further adds dimension of flavours and textures to the dish.

Whilst the folks behind Dona Manis had recently opened their very own dine-in location at East Coast Road, we did notice for a while that one can also get to experience Auntie Peng’s Banana Pie in a dine-in setting as well. No doubt that none of Auntie Peng’s Banana Pie’s outlets are dine-in locations; that being said, it does seem that Yuan 原 within 18 Cross (formerly known as Cross Street Exchange) does serve up Auntie Peng’s Banana Pie’s banana pie in single slices that allows one to actually get to try Auntie Peng’s Banana Pie’s banana pie in a dine-in environment. There is also even a promotion where one could even pair up the banana pie with Kopi / Teh with an additional top-up of $1 atop the price of the slice of banana pie itself.

Auntie Peng’s Banana Pie’s banana pie does come with elements such as crushed almonds, grated coconut and hand-mashed bananas alongside the crust — this would be as per the illustration on the poster about the banana pie that could be found at Yuan 原. There is definitely some layers of complexity when it comes to the flavours of the entire banana pie; the first thing that strikes us would be the buttery notes within the crust of the pie that makes it especially fragrant, while the crushed almonds over the top provides and extra element of crunch. The inclusion of grated coconuts does help to further enhance the flavours of the crushed almonds by providing another dimension of fragrance to the nuttiness of the almonds — all that whilst not feeling particularly overwhelming and definitely did not steal the thunder away from the hand-mashed bananas that comes with a bit of a bite and a hint of natural sweetness. Overall, a banana pie that feels pretty well-rounded from the various elements that have been included within.

It does seem that there has been an influx of stores specialising in serving Middle Eastern fare that had opened in recent times around the Jurong East neighbourhood — one of such establishments would be that of Streets of Cairo that is situated within the BK Eating House coffeeshop within the Blk 134 Jurong Gateway Road. Streets of Cairo should be a stall that is relatively easy to spot; these folks are located next to the tray return area of the coffeeshop and sport a black signboard that also doubles up as a menu board that lists all of the items that are available to be ordered at the stall. Just like most other stalls within coffeeshops specialising in Middle Eastern fare around the island, Streets of Cairo serves up mainly chicken and beef kebabs alongside multiple options of carbs / starches that includes the likes of baked rice, Sharwarma, Fries, Pide, Rice — just to mention a few. There is also Mandi Rice being served at Streets of Cairo, while there is Kunafa and boxes of desserts available for those whom are looking for desserts.

We went with the Fries Chicken which would be typically the Fries with Chicken Kebab that is served at other similar stalls elsewhere. The Fries Chicken at Streets of Cairo comes with the usual suspects that includes fries and chicken kebab alongside red onions, purple cabbage and leafy greens with a drizzling of mayonnaise and chili. Digging straight into the dish, we did find that the chicken kebab is being done pretty well here; the chicken kebab definitely came with meat that is tender and sufficiently moist — what we found to be most enjoyable here was the skin of the chicken that seems to be roasted and carrying a slight hint of smokiness alongside with it. The fries were also executed pretty well here being all crisp without being heavily seasoned; the addition of the sauces being sufficient to provide ample flavours to the entire dish — we also liked how the fries aren’t particularly greasy and did not reek of any undesirable hint of overused oil as well. The inclusion of the various greens do add a refreshing crunch with the zing from the red onions helping to reset the tastebuds as well.

Auntie Ashley is a pretty new addition to The Centrepoint — these folks are located in the far end of the mall that is around the same area as where one would find other dining establishments such as the outlet of Gyushi, Dapur Penyet, as well as 49 Seats there; these folks are actually situated right beside Fire Ramen & Izakaya by Menbaka. The dining establishment is pretty much themed after a Malaysian-style shophouse; the interior evoking a sense of nostalgia of the colonial era. Considering so, it goes without saying that Auntie Ashley is one of those Nanyang Kopitiam-themed establishments that had been sprouting up all across the island; whilst we visited the establishment during its soft launch phase, the menu at Auntie Ashley is split into categories such as Hotplate, Claypot, Sides, Rice and Noodles.

We found ourselves gravitating towards the Claypot Ee Mee (Ipoh Curry) which is the only Claypot item listed in its soft launch menu. Auntie Ashley does not describe the elements that are included within the Claypot Ee Mee (Ipoh Curry), though it can be observed that it consists of Ee Mee, fish cakes, Curry Tau Pok, prawns and a sous-vide egg — all of which coming with Ipoh curry gravy. One thing noteworthy about the Ee Mee here is how it is being deep-fried before being plated in the claypot; this also meant that the noodles does carry quite a fair bit of texture where one can feel the crispness of the noodles from the parts left exposed above the curry gravy, while the Ee Mee that is soaked within the curry gravy still comes with a noodle-like texture with a bite. The curry gravy here does come piping hot with the use of the claypot preserving the temperature of the curry gravy over time; the curry being especially rich and flavourful — fragrant from the curry spices being used whilst delivering a spiciness that those tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness will be able to manage. Other elements included were mostly good to have and nothing much to shout about except for the sous-vide egg that provided the dish with a silkier touch overall.

Burnt Cones had been on a roll opening up various locations within the West for the past couple of years — that being said, these folks had recently opened their newest outlet right at the heart of the Central Business District. Located at IOI Central Boulevard Towers, the new outlet of Burnt Cones is just a store unit away from the outlet of Kwaasong Bakehouse there — the store facade facing Lau Pa Sat which makes it relatively easy to locate. Offering its more basic menu items when we made our visit to the said outlet, Burnt Cones offers its usual line-up of gelato as well as its typical selection of French Buttermilk Waffles at the IOI Central Boulevard Towers location, whilst also serving up espresso-based specialty coffee roasted by Sudden Coffee Roasters, non-coffee beverages, tea, hot specialty drinks and iced sodas.

The Anytime is Twiggies Time is an official collaboration with Gardenia that is made available only for a limited time only which is retailed at all Burnt Cones outlets islandwide — the description card placed in front of the flavour in the display chiller describes the flavour to come with elements such as banana gelato and chocolate-flavoured Twiggies. Considering how the gelato flavour is designed, we did feel that this was Burnt Cones’ attempt to create something that leverages on the classic combination of chocolate and bananas; that being said, the Anytime is Twiggies Time flavour does see to leverage a lot more on the banana element with the base of the gelato providing much of the flavours of the entire scoop of gelato overall. Chunks of chocolate-flavoured Twiggies are churned into the banana gelato; seemingly included more for the textural contrast with the chilled Twiggies giving some sort of bite, though some might find the chocolate-y elements a little lacking for the balance for such a flavour.

Was actually around Beauty World Centre for Berempah Bros when we got to know about the existence of Xiang Xiang Ji 香香鸡 that is located within the hawker centre on the highest level of the mall — Xiang Xiang Ji is yet another new addition to the food centre, taking up a stall space along the same stretch of stalls where Pink Candy Korean Restaurant is located; the stall was previously home to The Three Elephants that is noted to serve up Thai-style braised pork trotter rice. Xiang Xiang Ji should be fairly easy to locate considering how the stall features a bright orange aesthetic used throughout the entire facade. The stall describes itself as one that serves up Singapore-style fried chicken; the menu is being split into sections dedicated to Ala Carte, Sides, XXJ Chicken Rice Set, XXJ Value Choice and XXJ Ultimate Combo.

The XXJ Chicken Rice Combi is described in the menu to come with elements such as 1 piece Chicken Drumstick, 1 piece Chicken Wing, and a choice of canned drink — patrons also get to opt between the side of XXJ Chicken Rice or XXJ Gourmet Fries for this item, with the latter option requiring a top-up of $1 extra on top of the base price of the XXJ Chicken Rice Combi. Not mentioned in the description of the menu but also included with the XXJ Chicken Rice Combi would be the side of the XXJ Ah Ma's Achar, while we also opted for the sambal option for the choice of sauce that is not listed in the Sauces category of the menu. One thing that is pretty obvious about the fried chicken here is how the batter seems to be made in-house; the batter does probably come a little bit of the thicker side for some but it also definitely gave a good crunch to the fried chicken nonetheless — there was also a slight hint of aromatics such as that of lemongrass that we could detect within the fried chicken itself. There is no undesirable stench of overused oil that comes with the fried chicken, while the flesh within was still juicy, tender and came off the bone very easily. Pairing it with the sambal option does give it a little bit of that local touch; the sambal coming with a piquant spiciness that tickles the tastebuds and is rather similar to that of Hainanese-style chicken rice chili without the overwhelming note of calamansi. Portion sizes for the sets does seem pretty generous overall; a stall to check out for those whom are into fried chicken!

Keong Saik Road has recently seen the addition of a new cafe yet again — Chapter One by Fables Specialty Coffee had opened in the same spot that was once previously occupied by an establishment named Black Olive Cafe that had a short-lived run in be local F&B scene. Chapter One by Fables Specialty Coffee is situated closer to the side of Keong Saik Road leading towards Neil Road; other notable dining establishments near it would include The Coach Bar within the Coach Play Singapore Shophouse. Whilst their brick-and-mortar shop is a new project that is undertaken by the brand, Fables Specialty Coffee has been retailing specialty coffee capsules that are blended and roasted in Melbourne which are sold online and also in some supermarkets locally. The food menu at Chapter One by Fables Specialty Coffee is split into sections dedicated to All Day Brunch, Sides and Add Ons, while the beverages section of the menu features categories such as Coffee, Non-Coffee and Alcohol.

One of the dishes that is being offered at Chapter One by Fables Specialty Coffee in the All Day Brunch section of the menu would be the Jewels of the Ocean — this is an item that features smoked salmon, Onsen egg, Ikura, Hollandaise, Potato Hash, Crispy Kale and Focaccia. The Jewels of the Ocean does feel like a spruced up version of an Eggs Benedict that features elements that made in feel more like a contemporary brunch dish with an Australian touch — this is so considering how the dish does get a little predictable (not in a bad way) with the use of smoked salmon, Onsen Egg and Hollandaise; a very classic combination of elements in the typical Eggs Benedict dish. The use of Focaccia over English Muffins makes the Jewels of the Ocean feel a little more substantially-sized; whilst the Focaccia here does come a little stiff and could do better being more moist and spongy, mopping the Focaccia up with Hollandaise sauce and the molten egg yolk does help with the texture of the bread nonetheless. Other elements like the Ikura and the Crispy Kale were good to have; both adds a touch of their own umami-ness to the dish — the former providing a popping sensation while the latter carrying a crispness, while the potato hash comes in the former of diced potatoes that comes soft with crisp edges that are savoury and sautéed with capsicums. Not mentioned in the description would be the Arugula dressed with vinaigrette and tomatoes on vine that comes on the side to refresh the tastebuds for a more balanced feel for the dish overall.

Was passing through Upper Serangoon Road just slightly further down towards the direction of Potong Pasir and noticed a fairly unfamiliar sight within the area. EK Creamery does seem like a fairy new addition to the neighborhood — these folks are located in the corner shophouse that is located at 997 Upper Serangoon Road; the previous tenant of the space before EK Creamery being a Ms Black Bean 黑豆浆小姐 that used to serve up Black Soya Bean beancurd. EK Creamery does seem to have enclosed the shophouse unit with walls and glass doors; the interior of the shophouse now being air-conditioned though the only dine-in area would be the high table with high stools located outside the shophouse along the five foot way. As its namesake suggests, EK Creamery is an ice-cream parlour; the establishment offers a decent variety of ice-cream flavours which patrons can opt to enjoy in cups, cones or with a waffle — there is also a limited variety of toppings available as well.

Skimming through the display chiller for the various flavours that they have to offer, we found ourselves ending up with a Double Scoop — one scoop of the Macadamia Ice-Cream and one scoop of the Peach Oolong Ice-Cream; we initially did specify our order to come with Camellia Oolong Ice-Cream rather than Peach Oolong Ice-Cream, though the folks behind the counter had served us the wrong flavour and we decided to just go along with it anyway. Both flavours do seem to be pretty on-point — this is especially so since we weren’t really expecting much with the ice-cream sold at EK Creamery; the ice-creams here seem to carry a stickier texture that somehow brings them closer to being a gelato. The Macadamia would definitely appeal to those preferring nuttier notes; this one carried that signature nuttiness that one would find with Macadamia whilst carrying an adequate level of sweetness — definitely something a little different from the usual Hazelnut / Pistachio flavours that are more commonly found outside. The Peach Oolong definitely came tasting very close to the commercially-made bottled Peach Oolong teas with a prominent fragrance of Oolong tea in its finishing notes; also being suitably sweet. Its location does seem a little challenging given the lack of indoor seating and being a little out of the way, though probably a spot to be appreciated by residents around it in time to come.