Food Attack

Strawberry Matcha Cloud Latte ($9) - The initial sips with the frothy matcha cream were yummy (earthy and thick) though after stirring in the strawberry milk and jam/puree, it got a tad too sweet for me. The taste of strawberries also kinda overpowers the matcha but it's a nice cup nonetheless as the elements blend well together.

Honey Pear Chrysanthemum ($9.20) - Another Rise Bakehouse Heritage special, this pretty slice was delicate and fairly refreshing. Stacked with sweet pear bits, the soft honeyed sponge was mildly floral too - a nice, balanced and light teatime/ after-meal snack.

Singapore Chicken Satay ($15.90) - Don’t sleep on this! It may not be the best I have ever eaten but the skewers were more than decent. Very succulent, nicely seasoned and has lovely charred edges. The peanut sauce was delish too, not overly sweet and of a nice consistency. Love the moreish crackers on the side as well, great for finishing the sauce.

Scallop Rose Rigatoni ($23.90) - As I had a very yummy Rose Rigatoni at another cafe, I was expecting quite a bit from this plate. However, it was simply too cloying for me, even after sharing it. The rich, spiced gochujang cream sauce was too heavy in my opinion. I love the juicy seared plump scallops though.

Rise Bakehouse Heritage

Kaya Pistachio Cake ($9.20) - My favourite of the lot, this store-exclusive slice was fragrant and moreish. Think soft, airy pandan cake layered with house-made kaya and nutty pistachio paste. However, the flavours came off more as a moist pistachio cake with smooth sweet kaya spread on the very top, which I don’t mind at all. There were also bits of nuts studded in the center that added a light crunch.

I love a good bowl of samgyetang so I knew I had to tick MODU at Mandarin Gallery off my lengthy to-visit list! To avoid the notorious wait time, I had walked in for an early weekday dinner at around 5pm.

Presented with 6 unique flavours, I still prefer a more classic broth hence I got the Beauty SamGyeTang ($37) which is suppose to be cooked with added herbs. Comforting, light but not bland, the lip-smacking soup was soothing on the stomach (made use of the free soup refills), slightly herbaceous and had a balanced ginseng taste. However, the chicken was the best part for me as it was wonderfully tender and fell off easily from the bones. Every order comes on a tray with a small minari salad, a small cup of liquor, sauces, glutinous rice and radish kimchi. Very hearty and substantial portion. And you’ll find even more sticky rice stuffed inside the whole chicken.

Oh, this premium samgyetang specialty restaurant also serves up yummy Potato Pancake ($18/ 3pcs). A crowd-pleasing number, the crisp-crunchy snack was not too dry, greasy or cloying. Well-seasoned, the batter was moreish on its own but the added savoury parmesan cheese really gave it that oomph and pairing it with the umami truffle mayonnaise dip was simply perfect.

Honestly, I was expecting a pricier range of bakes from the newest @thetestkitchen.sg @thelimskitchen! But with their TTK Egg Tart costing $2.90, it really felt like a steal, especially with the prices these days and with the general quality of the pastries. Think sweet, soft egg custard with a super flaky and buttery crust—similar to those viral HK egg tarts. I love how light and thin the layered pastry was and the caramelised edges of the tart.

I also got the Truffle Tamago Cronigiri ($4.50) for a slightly more savoury hit. The pastry was crisp-flaky and had a decent amount of egg filling in the center. The whiff of truffle was distinctive enough, though I certainly would enjoy a stronger earthy punch. I love the sesame seed studded exterior as it really added that fragrance. However, I would have preferred the pastry to be lighter or thinner (not sure if it is such to hold its shape as it is my first time having the triangle-shaped hybrid croissant).

A surprising favourite, the unassuming Lemon Mascarpone ($17.50) was a refreshing hit. With an almost lip-puckering but more lip-smacking lemon sauce, the bowl was amazing balanced with the airy espuma Mascarpone, rich cocoa powder and smooth mascarpone cheese sauce. The crunchy-crisp meringue cookie studded in the middle of the heap was a yummy textural find too. So very moreish with the fluffy ice.

Got my kakigori fix at the Sakanoue Café last month and wah the fuwa fuwa ice still slaps. Now, with its permanent location on our little island, the famed Tokyo shaved ice is housed in Drips Bakery Café’s Tiong Bahru outlet and is available from 1pm daily.

Having tried a few flavours in their previous pop-ups, I knew I had to get the Signature Blackforest ($19.8) which is exclusive to Singapore. The hefty-looking number was loaded with luscious chocolate sauce, cream cheese, brandied cherries, tea caramel sauces and cinnamon crumble cookies. On the side was also cherry brandy liqueur to be added for a more boozy kick. Not too rich with the ice but the toppings packed a delicious punch. There is a nice sourness to the cherries and pleasant bittersweetness with the chocolate sauce that wonderfully replicates the familiar blackforest-esque flavours.

📍Pretty Good Muffins
531 Upper Cross St, #02-57B, Singapore 050531

[Banana Pudding Matcha ($5.90)]
The more affordable option around is a little bland for me, as I personally like mine a little sweeter. The matcha flavour is decent, though. Note that it is available from 3.30 pm.

📍Haus Coffee
6001 Beach Rd, #01-57 Golden Mile Tower, Singapore 199589

[Banana Pudding Matcha ($9.50)]
There was a pretty generous amount of banana chunks, which added a nice textural contrast. The sponge became soggy at the end, which is a no-go for me, but it was my favourite of the lot because I like the use of whipped cream, the banana flavour is distinct and not completely overpowered by the matcha. The matcha latte itself was also delicious.

Setting me back by $58, their Fremantle Octopus Zanzibar, Pumpkin, Fresh Tandoor Bread was a sizeable plate. Though it wouldn’t be my first choice for mains, the octopus was pretty well executed - plump, decently succulent and delightfully smoky as each bite seemed to be kissed by smoke. The pumpkin and tomatoes were gloriously sweet but while the Tandoor Bread was perfect to mop up all the savoury gravy, the dough came off as a tad too dry for me.