Pizz Please ~

Bao’s Pastry is already pretty much making waves in the Singapore F&B scene considering how the news about their very first outlet in Singapore is spreading like wildfire on social media. The opening of Scarlett Supermarket that takes over the former premises of the now-defunct Giant Supermarket in the basement of Paya Lebar Square has seen the inclusion of a food court-like space within its premises — pretty similar to that of Scarlett Supermarket’s location at Westgate. Food stalls located within the Scarlett Supermarket at Paya Lebar Square will include that of SteamedLiu’s 浏杨蒸菜, Dough Magic 扑面而来 and some other usual suspects that one can find at other Magic Scarlett Supermarket locations all across the island. That being said, there is a Nan Yang Jiang Kee 南洋蒋記 in the Scarlett Supermarket at Paya Lebar Square that does serve up noodles and freshly-made dumplings much like that of Yuen Kee Dumpling 袁记云饺 and ZHANGJIYUNJIAO / Zhang Kee Dumplings 张记云饺. Bao’s Pastry occupies quite a vast area within Scarlett Supermarket; the stall being within the side of Scarlett Supermarket that is closer towards Charcoal Grill & Salad Bar Keisuke as well as Kuan Zhai Wan Wan Xiang 寬窄碗碗香 there. All of what Bao’s Pastry has to offer is displayed within the various display cases and chillers; the queue spanning all the way around the stall and into the supermarket around the other food stalls there — the menu of Bao’s Pastry will include items such as a lineup of tarts, Xiao Bei cakes, mochis and buns, just to name a few.

There is always perpetually a queue at Bao’s Pastry but one thing to note is that the queue does seem to move pretty fast if the patrons are quick and decisive on what they are ordering once they reach the counter. The Xiao Bei Crispy Seaweed Floss Cake is one of the must-tries at Bao’s Pastry — a signature offering of Bao’s Pastry which is a hot-seller back in China where the brand originated from. Whilst most seaweed floss bakes in Singapore features bread buns, it is noted that Bao’s Pastry’s Xiao Bei Crispy Seaweed Floss Cake features a cake in place of the bun. The cake is soft and light; makes the Xiao Bei Crispy Seaweed Floss Cake really easy to eat considering how it does not feel jelak — the cake layer which encases the mayonnaise within is very light and fluffy. The consistency of the cake being much like a chiffon without being particularly sweet, the texture of the cake goes hand in hand with the smooth and creamy mayonnaise that gels both the cake and the crispy seaweed and pork floss altogether — the overall flavours being a little sweet and umami, and does remind us of BreadTalk’s signature Flosss bun in flavour though served in a different format. We liked how Bao’s Pastry does retail these in boxes of two (2) pieces and four (4) pieces; the former being pretty ideal for those looking for a quick snack.

Knowing that they do serve up egg tarts, it is interesting to note that Bao’s Pastry offers different variations of egg tarts not just by flavour, but also by tart base as well. Most of its offerings will come with their croissant-esque tart base; such offerings would be named “Croissant Egg Tart” on the menu, while the other variant which is being served up at Bao’s Pastry would be the Golden Portuguese Egg Tart. Bao’s Pastry does offer a larger variety of flavours for their Croissant Egg Tart series — we found ourselves opting for the Pistachio flavour variant. Whilst the croissant-esque tart base does turn out to be pretty crispy, flaky and light without being particularly greasy, we did find that the flavours of the egg curd did get mildly overshadowed by the white chocolate shavings atop; there is a sprinkle of what seems to be candied pistachio, though we did feel that the inherent nuttiness typical of pistachios didn’t really quite pull through here. Meanwhile, the Golden Portuguese Egg Tart has a physical aesthetic that is much more similar to a typical Portuguese Egg Tart; all coming with the slightly charred egg curd over the top gives it that nice, custardy look. Similar to Croissant Egg Tarts that they have to offer, the Golden Portuguese Egg Tart does come with a light and crisp pastry; not exactly buttery nor greasy, though there was definitely a little more bite if one compares these to their Croissant Egg Tarts. The egg curd here does seem a little more dense and a little bit on the sweeter side — there are definitely better egg tarts around.

There does seem to be no denying that the focus at Bao’s Pastry does seem to be on their Xiao Bei Crispy Floss Cake (Seaweed Flavour) — they seemed to have found the “secret sauce” to the ace the item and this is certainly an offering which they have nailed which also brings the crowd to them. That being said, it does seem that Bao’s Pastry isn’t quite as strong in some of its offerings as others — the flavoured Croissant Egg Tarts in comparison does feel that it had came a little short from what we had experienced with the Xiao Bei Crispy Floss Cake (Seaweed Flavour). There are still quite a number of items which some have raved about from Bao’s Pastry that we have still yet to try; there are also items like the Mochi Butter Bun that does seem to be fairly popular amongst patrons during our visit there. Notwithstanding what has been mentioned above, Bao’s Pastry is definitely worth making the visit for just for their Xiao Bei Crispy Floss Cake (Seaweed Flavour), and we do think that the queues wouldn’t be stopping any time soon!

It does seem that the opening of Yuen Kee Dumpling 袁记云饺 might have inspired the opening of other Chinese establishments with similar concepts across the island. While Clementi has seen the existence of ZHANGJIYUNJIAO / Zhang Kee Dumplings 张记云饺, it does seem like the East is also seemingly seeing the opening of such a concept within the space of Scarlett Supermarket that has just taken over the former premises of Giant Supermarket in Paya Lebar Square. Nan Yang Jiang Kee 南洋蒋記 takes up a stall unit within the food court-esque area within the Scarlett Supermarket located in the basement of Paya Lebar Square — these folks can be found within an area across from that of Bao’s Pastry which is best known for their Xiao Bei Crispy Floss Cake (Seaweed Flavour) that has also gone viral on social media ever since they had landed in Singapore; both stalls being located close by to both the Charcoal Grill & Salad Bar Keisuke as well as Kuan Zhai Wan Wan Xiang 寬窄碗碗香 there. Nan Yang Jiang Kee’s menu is somewhat close to that of Yuen Kee Dumpling’s in the way that they both offer various noodle dishes alongside their freshly-made dumplings that are prominently displayed behind the counter — even the way that the dumplings are stocked behind the counter does seem to be pretty similar to the way that Yuen Kee Dumpling does at their stalls here.

Whilst most of their noodle offerings does seem to surround around what more mainland Chinese-style establishments would be serving up, it is interesting to note that Nan Yang Jiang Kee does serve up a Wanton Noodles and Dumpling Noodles in both soup and dry mixed formats for those who wishes to pair their wantons / dumplings with noodles rather than have them alone. We went with the Wanton Noodles (Dry Mixed) considering our usual preferences for dry noodles. Whilst it is not being stated on the menu, it does seem that the Wanton Noodles (Dry Mixed) at Nanyang Jiang Kee does come with Corn and Pork Wontons — the only Wonton offering on its menu. The Wanton Noodles (Dry Mixed) served at Nan Yang Jiang Kee does seem to be served in a style similar to that of the Hong Kong-style wanton noodle with the noodles tossed in a light sauce — one thing we did note about the noodles here is how they are pretty springy. Unfortunately, the noodles does come with a slight hint of alkaline-y notes that would be quite typical of Hong Kong-style wanton noodles; we did find it a little difficult to finish. Meanwhile, we also note the inclusion of crispy bits of pork lard that attempts to provide a contrast of flavours in terms of savouriness — the wantons coming with a slurpy, slippery smooth skin and were well packed with meat, though the inclusion of corn nibs does add a slight hint of sweetness to the wantons.

We also wanted to give their various Dumplings a go and the best way to try a number of the Dumplings that Nan Yang Jiang Kee has to offer would be through their Five Flavours of Dumplings. Whilst Nan Yang Jiang Kee does serve up a variety of seven (7) different flavours of dumplings on its menu, the Five Flavours of Dumplings only showcases a fixed set of five (5) different flavours in a serving size of 10 pieces — the five flavours of Dumplings being the Corn and Meat Dumplings, Chives and Meat Dumplings, Celery and Meat Dumplings, Cabbage & Meat Dumplings and Fungus & Meat Dumplings. Considering how all five dumplings in the Five Flavours of Dumplings does come with pork fillings much of the difference between each flavour variation was within the element that accompanied the meat. The one flavour variant that tasted a little more different from the rest would probably be the Corn and Meat Dumplings — itself being the dumpling variant of the Corn and Pork Wontons that was being served up with the Wanton Noodles (Dry Mixed); the nibs of corn similarly adding a note of sweetness to the meat fillings with the meat fillings carrying a firm bite. The remaining flavours within the Five Flavours of Dumplings does seem to be a little more centred around the meat fillings in retrospect.

Overall, Nan Yang Jiang Kee does provide its patrons with the experience of what one would somewhat expect from an establishment that is noted to be serving up freshly-made dumplings and wantons; that being said, we do feel that its offerings aren’t quite up to par to what Yuen Kee Dumpling — the main underlying difference with Yuen Kee Dumpling is how they have offered sauces to go along with their wanton and dumpling offerings that seemingly help to add a pop of flavour that other establishments replicating them are unable to provide. That being said, we do find Nan Yang Jiang Kee’s offerings to be pretty decent overall, while the prices of their dishes (wanton, dumplings and noodles all inclusive) are all in the range of $6 to $10.50 (the only exception being the Sichuan Old Style XiaoLongBao priced at $3.80 for three (3) pieces) — rather wallet-friendly to be considered as a daily meal option for those working or staying around the Paya Lebar neighbourhood.

Got to learn that Sarah’s Pancake had recently opened a second outlet in town; for those whom have been following us for a while, the mention of Sarah’s Pancake might ring some bells — these are the very same folks whom we had visited some time back at Clementi within the FoodHub coffeeshop at Blk 449 Clementi Avenue 3. There has been an uprising of Min Jiang Kueh places around the island with Munchi Pancakes expanding its footprint to almost all neighbourhoods, while a new contender named Ottie Pancakes had also been aggressively opening around the island. Sarah’s Pancake’s new stall is situated within the S11 coffeeshop at the foot of Blk 34 Upper Cross Street — this is also the very same coffeeshop that houses Zhou Zhen Zhen Vermicelli & Noodles 周真真南昌粉面; Sarah’s Pancake replacing the operator that was also serving up Min Jiang Kueh. Sarah’s Pancake is probably best known for serving up modern-style Min Jiang Kueh pretty much like what one would find at other establishments like Munchi Pancakes and Ottie Pancakes, though they only do offer the classic style of Min Jiang Kueh with different batter and different fillings.

We are quite a sucker for Black Sesame pancakes and the black-on-black aesthetic of the Charcoal-infused batter and the black sesame filling of the Charcoal
Black Sesame is something that always catches our eyes when we visit Sarah’s Pancake. One thing to note about Sarah’s Pancake is how their pancakes are actually slightly thinner than that of what Munchi Pancakes and Ottie Pancakes would typically serve up — this does make Sarah’s Pancake’s Min Jiang Kueh items less filling as compared to the same from Munchi Pancakes and Ottie Pancakes where having one almost equates to having an entire meal. The pancake itself is soft and easy to chew apart; the slices coming with the edges coming with a slight crisp as one sinks their teeth into it. The black sesame filling that came with the Charcoal
Black Sesame does seem to also come with a mix of white sesame within; the entire filling being one that is more gritty / sandy with a focus on the earthy and roasty notes of black sesame rather than that of being a smooth spread with a hint of sweetness — something that we very much prefer as well.

Of course, we also could not give the Matcha Redbean Pancake a miss; this one does come with an obvious green hue in the batter though the surface does still come browned from coming off the pan. We liked how the Matcha pancake itself isn’t carrying only a visual impact to the pancake, but also does carry a hint of the bitter undertones of the Japanese tea at the back of the tongue. Considering the flavour that the batter of the pancake brings, it is needless to say that the red bean filling was a pretty complimenting choice to go with the Matcha pancake — the Matcha Redbean Pancake featuring a flavour combination that is pretty much a classic one to have. The red bean filling is suitably dense in a form that is pretty much like a paste with an evidently earthy note without being overly sweet. The consistency of the Matcha pancake is also similar to the likes of the Charcoal pancake that came with the Charcoal Black Sesame — soft and easy to chew through. Quite glad to see Sarah’s Pancake opening a new outlet that is slightly more accessible to most as compared to their Clementi location; perhaps a move that would provide more exposure to the brand’s existence at large. With this being said, perhaps those whom are used to the tenant whom have operated the previous stall might find the Min Jiang Kueh at Sarah’s Pancake to be a little bit pricey — the range of Min Jiang Kueh at Sarah’s Pancake ranges from $1.80 to $2.50. That being said, this would be yet another establishment to hit for those craving for some modern-style Min Jiang Kueh whilst in the Chinatown area.

Got to learn about the opening of the new Tombok Tombok at Kaki Bukit Community Club — these folks does seem to have found a spot that is rather obscure within the Bedok neighbourhood, considering how they are somewhat of a short bus ride away from Bedok North MRT Station along the Downtown Line. Tombok Tombok occupies a spot within the community club that features a dual frontage; the space does have glass windows that faces out to the main road whilst also having is entrances being within the compounds of the community centre itself. These folks describe themselves as an establishment that serves up modern Peranakan fare; Tombok Tombok actually occupies quite a well-sized space within the community club — the space being well-used as a dining hall that seats a good number of patrons with tables that are configured to suit groups of four (4) pax and above. It’s noted that all seats are also spaced a good distance apart from each other — provides different groups of patrons with some form of privacy. Considering how these folks are an establishment specialising in Peranakan fare, the space has been decked out in a way where one can find various Peranakan-style wares and tiles being hung around its walls; the booth seats and dining chairs coming with a tinge a green and yellow hue that provides a modern look with a colour contrast against the wooden floors and fittings and the white walls within the establishment. It is interesting to note that Tombok Tombok is an establishment by the same folks behind South Union Park and Eleven Strands; other now-defunct establishments by them would include Tok Tok Beef Soup, as well as Restaurant Mia — Tombok Tombok is an establishment where its founder is returning to his Peranakan roots especially considering how his previous concepts are primarily centred around Italian / French cuisine. The food menu at Tombok Tombok is pretty diverse, with the menu being segmented into sections dedicated to Nasi Lemak, Toasts, Chee Cheong Fun, Porridge, Snacks & Starters, Sambal & Pickles, Vegetables, Mains, Seafood, Rice & Noodles and Dessert. Some of these items are only available during different timings of the day, and not throughout the entirety of Tombok Tombok’s operating hours. There is also the Tombok Tombok Set Meal that is available from 11am to 4pm, while a range of Peranakan Kueh available for the day can also be found prominently displayed at the counter. Beverage options includes the usual Nanyang-style Kopi and Teh, as well as some other options that includes the Buah Long Long — just to name a few.

It is noted that one of the dishes that isn’t available to be paired as part of the Tombok Tombok Set Meal would be that of the Sambal Serai Prawn — this does seem to be a dish that is fairly difficult to find in Singapore considering how we didn’t seem to recall having seen the availability of the dish around other Peranakan establishments within the island. The menu at Tombok Tombok does introduce the Sambal Serai Prawn as Creamy Lemongrass Sambal Prawns — having researched a little bit on the item, it does seem that the Sambal Serai Prawn is a dish that doesn’t actually come spicy as what one would typically expect “Sambal” to entail; one can also observe from our order of the Sambal Serai Prawn to come with elements such as that of cashew nuts, prawns, fried shallots and coriander all coming in a rich gravy with lettuce being served on the side. Digging into the gravy, one can actually detect notes of Chinchalok (i.e shrimp paste) — a note that is distinctly savoury with a pleasant pungency made rich with the addition of coconut milk. There is a slight lingering hint of lemongrass somewhere that helps to uplift the savouriness of the dish a bit, but we absolutely enjoyed the nuttiness from the cashew nuts that complimented the gravy so well for a contrast of flavours. The prawns here do come with a bouncy bite; all that whilst carrying an inherent sweetness typical to that of crustaceans as well.

Opting for a plate of Coconut Rice to go along, this would be one out of the four different Rice & Noodle options that Tombok Tombok carries on their menu; the remaining options being White Rice, Fried Mee Siam and a Buah Keluak Fried Rice. It does seem that the Coconut Rice would be the very same one that comes along with their Nasi Lemak offerings that are only available between 11am to 4pm. We did find that the Coconut Rice here does come with rice that is sufficiently moist and distinguishable to the grain without having turned too mushy — all that whilst carrying a lingering aroma of coconut milk that perfumes throughout each spoonful as one digs into the rice. This surprisingly paired very well with the Sambal Serai Prawn, further enhancing the fragrance of the dish considering the use of a common component that would that of the coconut milk — making both dishes really easy to finish when had together.

We also made a subsequent visit for their Tombok Tombok Set Meal which is only available on weekdays between 11am to 5pm — this would be the best way to give a number of the items that Tombok Tombok has to offer a go in one seating. The Tombok Tombok Set Meal comes with a Main of the patron’s choice, two (2) Starters / Sides of the patron’s choice and Steamed Rice / Coconut Rice / Fried Mee Siam. The choices that we had made for our order of the Tombok Tombok Set Meal would be the Gulai Tumis for the Main, Prawn & Mushroom Ball Soup and Jiu Hu Char for the two Starters / Sides and the Fried Mee Siam. The Gulai Tumis can be translated as Tamarind Fish Curry — whilst Tombok Tombok does not describe on the elements that come with the dish, it can be noted that the Gulai Tumis does come with a slab of fish that comes with bones, whilst it also does feature other vegetables such as that of eggplant, tomatoes and lady fingers. The gravy that came with the Gulai Tumis does come tangy from the tamarind; the gravy being sufficiently thick but not too greasy and would do well if paired with white rice on the side that serves as a vehicle to the gravy. The fish does features soft flesh with the bones coming off easily if care is taken to consume the dish; the vegetables also stewed to a soft consistency whilst at it. It is also noted that the Gulai Tumis gravy is of a level of spiciness that is suitable for those whom are tolerable to slightly lesser than moderate levels of spiciness — quite an easy item to have.

Meanwhile, the Jiu Hu Char came along with the same plate as the Fried Mee Siam which also comes with a sambal on the side. The Fried Mee Siam here seems to be heavier on the savoury notes of Belachan and dried shrimp here; the springy rice vermicelli here does seem to lack the slight tang from the tamarind juice that is usually absorbed during the wok-frying process of the dry variant of Mee Siam. For those whom have not heard of Jiu Hu Char before, this can be translated to Stir Fry Jicama with Cuttlefish. Whilst a dish that seem to be more commonly found in Peranakan dining establishments in Malaysia more than the same in Singapore, this can be described to be a dish that is fairly similar to the fillings that one can find in Kueh Pie Tee or in Popiah with similar ingredients and flavour. One thing notable about Jiu Hu Char is how it is still sufficient moist but not as wet as the filling that one would find within Kueh Pie Tee or in Popiah; it also does seem to come with a note of dried shrimp amidst the savouriness — all whilst coming with a soft crunch. Meanwhile, the Prawn & Mushroom Ball Soup was pretty hearty; featuring prawn paste and a mushroom-infused meatball whilst also coming with other elements like cabbage and carrots that have been boiled to a soft texture — also offered in a bigger portion as an ala-carte item, we do feel that the ala-carte Prawn & Mushroom Ball Soup would work great as an item to share around the table especially for families dining at Tombok Tombok.

During the first visit, we had also give the Nonya Chendol a go — there are actually two variants of the Chendol being listed in the Desserts section of Tombok Tombok; the other one being a Durian Chendol. Going for the Nonya Chendol which is essentially the more basic offering of the two, it can be observed from our order that the Nonya Chendol does come with the standard elements one would expect out of a typical bowl of Chendol — coconut milk, Gula Melaka, red bean, Chendol jelly and shaved ice. The shaved ice does come shaved to a consistent texture where it isn’t too icy; all of it drenched in coconut milk that gives it a depth of flavours. We like how the Gula Melaka here comes all rich and thick — the earthy sweetness that it carries being almost sinful but surprisingly well-balanced so as to not dominate the flavours of the entire bowl. We usually aren’t a fan of the red beans but these were cooked to a soft consistency without much of a need to bite, yet not too mushy — all that whilst being suitably sweet with an earthy note that hangs around at the back of the tongue. One can also observe from the dull green hue of the Pandan jelly that these seem to be made in-house; the Pandan jelly being suitably soft to chew whilst coming with a slightly saltish note with a hint of Pandan fragrance that lingers at the back of the tongue.

We had also went with the Buah Long Long; otherwise known as the Ambarella Juice — the variant of the Buah Long Long at Tombok Tombok does come with sour plum and sugar syrup added. With that being said, it can still be said that the Buah Long Long still comes pretty refreshing with its zingy notes — all that whilst the sour plum does help add a bit of depth of flavours to the juice while the addition of sugar syrup does make it a pretty easy beverage to have despite the inherent sourness of the ambarella fruit itself. The Kopi itself here is also pretty satisfactory; this came with sufficiently strong notes of local Nanyang-style coffee brewed using Robusta beans — all that whilst coming sufficiently sweet from the condensed milk to provide a good balance.

Overall, Tombok Tombok does present itself as quite an interesting dining establishment within the heartlands; the focus on Peranakan cuisine in such a neighbourhood-ly setting does certainly bring a whole set of challenges for them as well — the offering of Nasi Lemak, Toasts, Chee Cheong Fun and Porridge being rather obviously dishes that are introduced to cater to those staying around the area that makes Tombok Tombok more accessible to the masses, but less aligned with its Peranakan theme. We do feel that there are some tweaks that Tombok Tombok can make to its fare that may help with the overall dining experience a little — this would include the deboning of the fish with the Gulai Tumis to facilitate for easier eating (though likely lesser of an authentic dining experience), while perhaps making the Tombok Tombok Set Meals for dinner or at least for lunch on weekends; this gives patrons a larger window of opportunity to give their main offerings a go especially for those whom have a thing for Peranakan fare, but usually are unable to do so if they tend to be individual diners. Prices of the Tombok Tombok Set Meal ranges between $11.50 to $15.50 at its base price depending on the Mains that one opts for, while its Nasi Lemak offerings are priced from $5.50 to $8.90; dishes in the Snacks & Starters, Vegetables, Mains, Seafood, Rice & Noodles sections are priced around $12.50 to $16. For those looking for a spot serving up communal fare unlike the usual Zichar-style fare found in coffeeshops / jewel centres / coffeeshops within the Kaki Bukit neighbourhood whilst not wanting to head toward the direction of Katong for Peranakan fare, Tombok Tombok is an establishment worth considering to try.

There seems to be quite a number of modern-style teahouses that have been opening up around Singapore of the late — LANTINE 蘭亭一盞 at Rangoon Road being one of the first establishments of such a style that bucked this trend. Have been scrolling around social media and got to learn about the new Tea Story that is located at the foot of Blk 76 Circuit Road. Occupying the space of a single shophouse unit, Tea Story is decked to be quite a quaint, almost cottage-like tea house with the extensive use of wooden elements within the interior — the space featuring oriental elements with the use of arches, wicker elements and also greenery to help to spruce up the entire space. Tea Story isn’t the sort of traditional tea house that one would be able to find in Chinatown; its offerings are can be described as somewhat more trendy with a focus on items such as that of Classic Milk Tea, Oriental Original Leaf Milk Tea, Hand-hammered Fresh Lemon Tea, Fruity Milk Tea Ice — somewhat similar to that of stores serving up bubble tea that one can find at shopping centres around. That being said, the tea offering that Tea Story heavily emphasis on would be that of the Healthy Baked Milk that is served in a pot. Despite being hyper-focused on its tea offerings, Tea Story does also served up a limited variety of Handmade Desserts for those looking for something sweet to pair with their teas; they also do offer Bone Soup Rice Noodles which would appeal to those looking for something savoury to have as a simple meal option.

Amongst the various Handmade Desserts that Tea Story has to offer, the Osmanthus Jasmine Cheese was the one that stood out to us — the item is described to come with “Jasmine Cheese”; essentially comprises of fresh milk that has been soaked with jasmine flowers, and also does come with handmade Osmanthus jelly. This would be a dessert item that comes with pudding, jelly and white pearl elements that we found to be pretty easy to have — thought there was a slight hint of milkiness that seems to blend into the floral notes of the dessert particularly well. There isn’t a particularly strong cheesy note within the dessert that one would typically expect from elements like cheese foam, though it does seem to enrich the milky elements within the dessert. There was also a variance of textures going on within the Osmanthus Jasmine Cheese, with the soft pudding and slurpy handmade Osmanthus jelly matching up against the chewy pearl-like elements that gave a contrasting mouthfeel to the dessert.

Meanwhile, the Rose Milk Tea from the Healthy Baked Milk featured red tea, red dates and Goji berries with rose petals — this does turn out to be quite similar to that of the usual milk tea where one is able to detect the underlying notes of the tea leaves brewed within; there is an accompanying roasty note that comes along at the start, though the tea also gets a little sweeter as one reaches near the bottom of it. We did feel that there wasn’t much floral aroma that was infused in the Rose Milk Tea however. Tea Story does seem like a fairly interesting establishment that can be found within the heartlands — one of those that just seem to be satisfying the needs of what the average bubble tea shop would within the residential neighbourhoods of MacPherson, yet being a trendier establishment that is also social media-worthy with interesting offerings to boast. Prices of all of its offerings are well below $10 be it for their tea and beverage items; pretty wallet-friendly for an establishment situated in the heartlands they might be worth checking out if around the area.

Got to learn about Takara House located at Haji Lane; these folks houses M.Patisserie within its premises — these folks should be fairly easy to find, considering how they are located towards the side of Haji Lane closer to North Bridge Road right opposite HYGGE. Both Takara House and M.Patisserie are located on the second level of the shophouse, with Takara House being a retail concept specialising in vintage fashion accessories and clothing. The entire space of Takara House is decked in a vintage setting; some elements being quaint, while others being antique — some part being retro almost to that of the cowboy-era in American history. There is also a slight Japanese flair that one can feel from the decor — the entire vibes of the space befitting to the items that they retail. M.Patisserie operates from the tiny kitchen area behind the counter of the store; the cafe also does have a small dine-in space that is located nearer to the windows facing out towards North Bridge Road which mostly comprises of low stools and coffee tables that sits two (2) pax each. There is also a couch seat that is set against the window closer towards the counter; the dining table being of a slightly taller height as compared to the coffee tables that one can find at the main dining area. A patisserie at heart, M.Patisserie serves up a rotating menu of cakes, tarts and financiers — these folks do post on Instagram the bakes that they are serving up for the day. Apart from the various bakes, M.Patisserie also does have a couple of beverages on its menu; this does involve espresso-based specialty coffee and a limited range of teas and other beverages.

Amongst the few tarts that they have to offer during the day of our visit, the Lemon Meringue Tart was the one that caught our attention — perhaps so considering our slightly preferences for sour-ish dessert tarts. M.Patisserie does not describe on the various elements that are included in their bakes on the description cards or on the menu, that being said, it can be observed that the Lemon Meringue Tart comes with the standard elements such as the meringue as well as lemon curd that sits atop a tart base. Slicing through the tart base of the Lemon Meringue Tart, we felt that the tart base does hold up the weight of all of the elements atop very well; the tart base does not feel soggy nor have absorbed all of the wet elements above it — all that whilst still being firm and disintegrating neatly wherever we had sliced down being cookie-like and without crumbling into a mess. The lemon curd itself does come smooth and also pretty tart with a fair bit of zing; not too sugary and does come with a bit of contrast from the use of lime leaves and lime zest. To compensate for the level of tartness from the various lemon and lime components, it does seem that the meringue comes in a proportion larger than that of the typical lemon meringue tart served elsewhere — the meringue being light and fluffy with a very lightly sweet note that neutralises that balances out with the lemon curd.

During the same visit, we had also given their Pistachio Matcha Cake a go. The cake can be observed to have come in three distinct layers with the top layer being the one coming with the lightest hue of green and also being of a mousse layer, while the the bottom-most layer bears the darkest shade of green within the cake. There is definitely some level of thought placed into the design of the cake in terms of both flavour and texture — one can definitely still detect the light whiff of pistachio nuttiness in the top two layers of the cake; the layer with the lightest hue being one that carries a smooth texture without being gelatinous like how some mousse cakes from other establishments tend to be like. As one moves further down, the second layer does seem to come with an element similar to that of Feuilletine where one can detect a bit of a light crunch amidst the mousse. The heavier notes come from the bottommost layer; the bitter undertones of matcha of this layer adds a contrasted finish to the light nuttiness from the layers above, while the firmness of the cake which is similar to that of a flourless chocolate cake also helps to make for a firm base for the wetter layers that comes above it.

We also managed to give their Citrus Blossom a go — this would be a tea-based beverage which sees the use of elements such as grapefruit, strawberry, lemon and lime. It is also served as an iced beverage. We did feel that the brew or the tea wasn’t as strong as we would have liked, while the flavours of the fruits weren’t really infused into the tea either. Takara House and M.Patisserie are pretty complimenting concepts that seems to provide a wholesome experience for a retail-cum-cafe concept where the themes of both concept does not come across as clashing — there is a whole zen vibe going on with the entire space while one sips on tea and soak into the vintage / retro vibe that they intend to create. That being said, we do feel worried that there might be a time where the cafe aspect of the concept may overshadow its retail operations — after all, the space of Takara House isn’t exactly made for queues to form like how a cafe would typically be like. Those whom are concerned with prices might also wish to note that the bakes from M.Patisserie does come at a steeper price point than usual — most of its offerings being priced beyond $10; may be a little exorbitant for some but the quality does make up for the price point as per how some other patisseries do. There really aren’t many establishments that carries the vibe and character that Takara House / M.Patisserie does — a creation of a lot of heart, soul and attention placed into the finer details that brought the concept to life. Definitely a spot to be added to the to-go list to check out what they are all about!

CRAVE is a brand that probably doesn’t need much introduction by now — these folks are pretty much the commercialised cousins of Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak at Adam Road Food Centre. Whilst their outlets are typically found within the heartlands, the brand had recently opened a new outlet within the Central Business District. Occupying a space within Marina Bay Link Mall, CRAVE shares its space with KOPIFELLAS there, with both concepts fronting different sides of the space which is located along the aisles of the shopping galleria. CRAVE and KOPIFELLAS takes over the space that was previously occupied by the now-defunct WOLF; both having their own dedicated counters and dining space with the dining space of CRAVE being significantly larger than that of KOPIFELLAS’. The dining area of CRAVE is actually rather spacious; the dining furniture being of a mix of green, yellow, white and wooden accents that gives a visual pop as opposed to the other CRAVE outlets across the island that seems to replicate some sort of a Kampung-like vibe. It does seem that the menu at the outlet of CRAVE in Marina Bay Link Mall does differ from that of the typical CRAVE outlets elsewhere — the menu is being segmented into Breakfast and Lunch, with the Breakfast menu comprising of Mee Series and Bee Hoon series available from 7am to 11am. For Lunch, CRAVE offers their standard Nasi Series, Sambal Seafood Series, Mee Series and Satay and Otah — CRAVE also offers the same lineup of beverages that they typically serve up at their other outlets at Marina Bay Link Mall outlet as well.

One thing that is noted about the outlet of CRAVE at Marina Bay Link Mall against their other existing outlets will be the presentation of the food — gone would be the usage of disposable ware even for dine-in orders; all dine-in orders come in proper dining ware. It does seem that the line-up of their Sambal Seafood Series at Marina Bay Link Mall is newly-introduced — this would comprise of the Sambal Seabass Nasi Lemak, Sambal Squid Nasi Lemak and the Sambal Stingray Nasi Lemak. Our choice was for the Sambal Stingray Nasi Lemak; the Sambal Stingray being served on its own plate by the side and wrapped with banana leaf and aluminium foil where patrons unwrap the packaging by themselves. The plate of coconut-infused rice comes with the sunny side-up, sambal, slices of cucumbers, anchovies and peanuts on the side. CRAVE is probably most notable for its coconut-infused rice which is sufficiently moist and comes with a strong fragrance of coconut milk; the texture of the ride still being sufficiently fluffy without being overly wet. We did feel that it would be lovely if they could do the sunny side-up more neatly however with a flowy egg yolk just like how it is being depicted in the illustrations in the menu. The accompanying sambal that came with the rice does carry that sweet note which is characteristic of Singaporean-style Nasi Lemak, though the sambal chili could be a little less runny in its consistency. The anchovies served up with the Nasi Lemak does come with a crunch; not soft and limp as though they were left outside exposed to the air for too long. The Sambal Stingray that came along for the Sambal Stingray Nasi Lemak does come in quite a thick slab; we did wish that the sambal was a little wetter and the fish could have come a little more moist — the entire composition does feel a little bit on the drier side for those whom would nitpick about sambal stingray in general. With that being said, the sambal used for the sambal stingray does come with a slight different note form that of what accompanied the Nasi Lemak — one that exudes a slight hint of lemongrass that provides for a slight twist of flavours to the sweet sambal. The sambal does carry its kick of spiciness, though this should do just about right for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness.

We actually very much enjoyed the Kopi Tarik that we had ordered during our visit to CRAVE at Marina Bay Link Mall — despite being one of the sweeter Kopi offering around the area, we liked how this was sufficiently rich and frothy; quite a “thick” cuppa that came sufficiently caffeinated for the sweetness to turn out pretty balanced overall. CRAVE does seem to be in an era of change; this is after how the establishment seems to have been stagnant for quite a while — whilst that does make the brand seem stable with their offerings generally catering to those whom already know what they are looking for with the brand, there also feels like a lack of creativity and innovation over the years with their fare usually being seemingly “safe”. With the expansion of their menu at their newer outlets such as Marina Bay Link Mall and Changi City Point, it does seem that CRAVE have found a focus in providing halal-certified local Muslim fare to the working class in office areas — increasing the number of halal-certified dining options to provide office workers in these areas to dine at whilst at their workplaces. Prices of their Nasi Series, Sambal Seafood Series and Mee Series dishes ranges from $5.90 to $11.90 — pretty wallet-friendly and in-line with what one would expect to pay for a meal in the Central Business District. Yet another familiar eat that one can go for on those days that ideas on where to dine at aren’t aplenty whilst in the Central Business District.

The folks at 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist are definitely venturing into unexplored territories with the opening of 88 Cafe in the basement off Marina One — aside from serving up their stellar Hong Kong-style roast meats, the coffeeshop-style space also sees 88 Cafe allocating one of the stall units to a concept named 88 Specialty Pork Noodle 88特质猪肉面；88 Specialty Pork Noodle taking up the stall unit that is situated in between the stall dedicated to 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist and the beverage stall that also serves up Hainanese-style breakfast toast and sandwiches as well. 88 Specialty Pork Noodle primarily serves up local-style minced meat / fishball noodles, offering both dry and soup variants of the noodles. Apart from serving up local-style minced meat / fishball noodles, patrons can also opt for soups that features the same elements as their noodle offerings without the noodles, while there are a number of Side Dishes that it offers — pretty much the same that is offered by the 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist stall within 88 Cafe.

We found ourselves going for the Handmade Meatball Noodle (Dry) — one thing that 88 Specialty Pork Noodle does seem to be noted for doing is how they serve up quite a number of handmade elements that other minced meat noodles stall around the island would usually opt for commercially-made elements instead. The menu at 88 Specialty Pork Noodle does mention that their various noodle dishes do come with handmade meatballs, fishball, handmade fish cake, pork liver and minced pork — there is also an emphasis on their Mee Pok being made in-house too, with the In House Made Mee Pok being the only choice of noodles that are being offered at 88 Specialty Pork Noodle for their noodle offerings. As with our standard order at 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist, we have decided to add on the Lava Egg for our order. Giving the noodles a bit of a toss, the Mee Pok here does come coated with the sauce base that comes at the bottom; one thing about the sauce base of the noodles at 88 Specialty Pork Noodle is how it gravitates towards being savoury — in fact, the sauce base isn’t quite as vinegary as one would expect in the standard bowl of minced meat / fishball noodles that one would find at a typical stall in a neighbourhood coffeeshop / food court / hawker centre, but still comes with sufficient flavour that makes finishing the noodles really easy. The sauce base also sees a cluster of crispy pork lard sitting at the bottom of the bowl; whilst the crispy pork lard comes in pieces smaller than most stalls would serve them up, they are pretty generous with the portion of crispy pork lard served with their noodle offerings and these do provide a crunch amidst the noodles.

The house-made Mee Pok isn’t as thick as commercially-made ones that one would typically find at a stall in a neighbourhood coffeeshop / food court / hawker centre; this do really come across as springy and not too heavy to have. Sharing the real estate space within the same bowl as the noodles would be their handmade meatballs and handmade fishballs; the handmade meatballs seemingly hand-formed without much use of fillers within. Served deep-fried, we did wish that they could be served warm; these came with a temperature that was a little off compared to all of the elements in the same bowl – we would also reckon that the handmade meatballs would be especially enjoyable if they could carry a bit of crispness on the exterior. The handmade fishcake does carry a good bouncy texture without carrying any undesirable fishy notes. Found in the soup would be the minced meat and beancurd skin that features fish paste wrapped within — it also does come with shallots and spring onions sprinkled atop. The soup here is pretty clean-tasting and fairly refreshing — a decent flavour considering how the noodles are coated with a savoury sauce; provides a bit of a balance, while the minced pork doesn’t carry any undesirable porky stench. One can also find vegetables that carried a soft crunch which makes for a good break from all of the pork within the dish.

ARTEA is one of those brands that seems to appear and then disappear quietly into the local F&B scene after a while, only to repeat the same cycle all over again — making its debut in the local F&B scene several years ago taking up a space at VivoCity, ARTEA was previously known for their fruit tea and other beverages which are freshly canned upon ordering; these folks had also been noted to serve up soufflé pancakes in the past as well. Whilst the brand did previously have had locations at Ang Mo Kio and Bedok Reservoir for a period of time, they had been absent in the local F&B scene for a while — they had since made their reappearance with a new space now at the basement of Raffles City Shopping Centre. One can find ARTEA around the same area as the outlet of Cinnabon and Tiong Bahru Bakery there. The brand has still stuck to using blue as their theme colour here; the shop coming with a pastel blue interior whilst matched with darker shades of blue and wooden accents with some elements coming in a shade of white for some form of contrast. The entire look of ARTEA does still look modern, fun and playful, with tables configured in a manner that caters to those coming in pairs of visiting the establishment in groups of four (4) pax. It seems that ARTEA has done away with serving up soufflé pancakes these time round in their return to the local F&B scene; instead, ARTEA’s current range of desserts will include a line-up of egg tarts in various flavours as well as a range of Mein Mein Ice offerings — think shaved ice offerings similar to that of Bingsu. Its range of beverages is now categorised into Recommended, Milk Tea, Fruit Tea, Cheese, Yogurt and Coffee as well.

One thing to note about ARTEA’s range of egg tart offerings is how they do serve up quite an extensive line-up that features a variety of flavours — the French Caramel Tart can be considered as the “Original” flavour here, though there is one flavour option here that seems to be that of a savoury egg tart compared to the rest which does feel a bit more dessert-y. ARTEA does not describe the elements that are being featured in their items on the menu; that being said, one can observe that the Wasabi Egg Tart features a charcoal-infused egg tart pastry whilst coming with a wasabi fish roe topping over the egg tart itself. Taking a bite into the Wasabi Fish Roe Egg Tart, one can observe that the charcoal-infused egg tart pastry seems to be one that follows closely to the croissant-like egg tart pastry that is pretty trendy of the late — the pastry here is light, crisp and flaky, but does not come too greasy or overly buttery. The mention of wasabi, fish roe and egg tart does sound relatively odd on paper; that being said this does seem to be pretty much a sweet-savoury combination of flavours that one would either grow to love or just simply hate — pretty much an equivalent to that of the combination of French fries and ice-cream. The wasabi element here does seem to be that of wasabi mayo that carried similar mustard-y notes to horseradish whilst also introducing a numbing note to the tastebuds — this is made especially intriguing with the addition of fish roe that gives it a briny note that is saltish that provides a contrast to the eggy and slightly sweet notes of the custardy egg curd that is held in the middle of the entire tart. A combination that is pretty much worth a try for those who are open to more adventurous flavours in general.

In retrospect, the Mango Pomelo Sago Egg Tart is a safer option being a pretty dessert-y option — it can be observed being topped off with elements like pomelo, lychee popping balls, mango, and desiccated coconut all above the standard French Caramel Tart. The Mango Pomelo Sago Egg Tart comes similarly with a croissant-esque egg tart pastry, though this one lacks the infusion of charcoal — the consistency and texture still remaining largely similar to the egg tart pastry featured in the Wasabi Fish Roe Egg Tart. We did feel that it did replicate the flavours of the classic Mango Pomelo Sago quite well; that tangy and slight bitter finish of the pomelo matched against the sweetness of the mango, though we weren’t quite into the lychee popping balls that mimicked sago since these are two elements that come with a very different texture — that being said, the lychee popping balls do inject a burst of sweetness to the egg Mango Pomelo Sago Egg Tart nonetheless. Considering the various sweet elements that came above it, the notes of the egg custard here is less obvious when compared to that of the same in the Wasabi Fish Roe Egg Tart — not sure if the egg curd was intentionally tuned down to accommodate for the sweet elements above it. We also managed to give the Bubbly Lychee Americano a try during our visit. This does come in the form of a carbonated beverage that is served with a shot of espresso whilst also coming with a hint of lychee — presumably from syrup. The overall combination is a pretty fruity tasting cuppa that is more beverage than coffee, though the item does feel a little bit similar to Espresso Tonic in spirit.

There has been quite a number of overseas brands that had been setting up shop all across the island in recent times; one of the more prominent names in recent times does seem to be that of Ke Ming 克茗冰室 that had been in the works at Plaza Singapura. These folks had just opened their doors in late May 2025 to the public; for those whom aren’t able to locate it, Ke Ming is located within the basement of the mall pretty near to the entrance / exit towards Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station in its North East Line ticket concourse area — Ke Ming being situated within close vicinity to the outlet of Pawa Bakery, the outlet of Killiney Kopitiam and the outlet of Old Chang Kee in Plaza Singapura. Despite being an establishment themed after the Hong Kong-style tea rooms, Ke Ming does have a bigger presence in Mainland China than it does in Hong Kong — Ke Ming only operates from a single location in Hong Kong though it does have a presence speeding past more than a hundred outlets in Mainland China. Their space at Plaza Singapura isn’t exactly the largest, and some might even find their space a tad claustrophobic — that being said, the entire space seems to be decked in a way that is similar to that of a Nanyang Kopitiam-themed establishment; the similarities probably stemming from the fact that such dining establishments existed during the colonial era where Hong Kong was still under British administration. The use of green and orange elements amidst the wooden furniture and fittings provides a bit of colour contrast to the dining establishment, while the table tops came in a marble-esque surface that really carried the old-school vibes well. Most of its tables featured booth seating that are a little tight for four (4) pax, though there are some dining tables paired with dining chairs that seats groups of two (2) pax as well. The menu is segmented across various categories such as that of Steak, Curry, Simple, Noodles and Snacks. Drinks available at Ke Ming will include the usual line-up of Hong Kong-style Milk Tea and Coffee, as well as other interesting concoctions such as the 7 Up with Salty Lemon and Iced Lemon Coke — just to name a few.

One of the highlights of Ke Ming as mentioned by themselves on their menu would be that of the Char Siew Rice — this is a dish which they have proclaimed to be their no. 1 top selling dish in China. The Char Siew Rice that Ke Ming serves up is the typical ”Sorrowful Rice” that was popularised by Stephen Chow in his comedy film, “The God of Cookery” that was released in 1996 — a dish that is now pretty commonly found in other Hong Kong-style Char Chaan Teng establishments as well. The version of the Char Siew Rice at Ke Ming comes with very familiar elements such as that of Char Siew, fried egg and some stalks of vegetables all atop a bed of rice — the rice being drenched with a bit of the char siew sauce as well. The folks at Ke Ming had mentioned to us that the best way to enjoy the dish is to mix all of the elements together so that the white rice gets to absorb all of the char siew sauce along with the runny egg yolks that come with the fried egg. In doing so, the white rice does come with sufficient moisture and flavour; mostly coming with a silkier texture from the egg yolk while the Char Siew sauce does come with a sweet-savoury note. The Char Siew that came with the Char Siew were thick cut but tender without being difficult to chew — we also liked that the Char Siew did carry a bit of a bite without being too gelatinous, while it was sufficiently sweet and meaty without any undesirable porky stench. The stalk of vegetables does come with a bit of a crunch and was a respite from the carbs and meats that came with the dish.

We also managed to give the Stephen Chow’s Favourite Noodles a go — this does seem to be pretty much Ke Ming’s interpretation of the Hong Kong-style Gong Zai Mein; whilst Ke Ming does not describe on the elements that comes with their dishes, it can be observed that the Stephen Chow’s Favourite Noodles does come with other elements such as fried egg, chicken mid-wing and luncheon meat. This was pretty much within expectation where the broth does come suitably savoury; the strands of noodles being chewy and bouncy as it springs back with every bite. The beef brisket is actually pretty tender whilst not being too gamey, while elements like the luncheon and chicken wing are nice inclusions which does add up to the entire bowl being a hearty offering. Meanwhile, the best items to go for for those whom are looking to try a variety of Snacks that Ke Ming has to offer will be the Signature Snacks Platter — the item features sampling portions of their Curry Fish Balls, Signature Chee Cheong Fun in Mixed Sauce, Garlic Chicken Wing Tips and Thai Style Shrimp Rolls all in one serving. The items that really left a little bit more impression for us within the platter would be the Signature Chee Cheong Fun in Mixed Sauce and the Curry Fish Balls; both are really what one would expect to be with the Curry Fish Balls hinting of a strong fragrance of curry spices in its gravy whilst coming with bouncy fish balls, while the Signature Chee Cheong Fun in Mixed Sauce featured rice vermicelli rolls that have been drenched with sweet sauce, soy sauce and peanut sauce for a creamy, nutty, sweet and savoury flavours with the slippery rice vermicelli rolls.

The Little Bear Iced Hong Kong Milk Tea in the meanwhile is also one of Ke Ming’s signature offerings — Ke Ming does serve up a few variants of Hong Kong-style Milk Tea with the others being the Ke Ming Signature Iced Milk Tea that comes with ice cubes made from frozen milk tea, while there is also the more usual Hong Kong Style Milk Tea as well. The Little Bear Iced Hong Kong Milk Tea does come served in a similar fashion as the Ke Ming Signature Iced Milk Tea; not only features ice cubes made from frozen milk tea, but also does come with one ice cube shaped like a bear which is also made from frozen milk tea. Thought the milk tea was inherently fragrant yet silky smooths with a good balance of both elements — a beverages to go for whilst at Ke Ming. The Hot Coffee in the meanwhile is less than spectacular — in part because of how it is tuned towards that of the Hong Kong-style coffee that isn’t necessarily preferred by locals being heavier on milk and really weak in coffee as opposed to our Nanyang-style brews commonly found in Singapore and Malaysia. Hong Kong-style Char Chaan Teng establishments do exist around Singapore and there has been quite a number of them opening across the island in recent years — Ke Ming is one that does seem to be a little different considering how they are an overseas brand; after all, most Hong Kong-style Char Chaan Teng establishments in Singapore are local individually-run eateries. To a certain degree, Ke Ming does provide an authentic flavour of what one would typically expect from a Hong Kong-style Char Chaan Teng establishment; there aren’t many who seemingly do so here and this seems to be a strength of theirs — that being said, queues had already started to form with the social media hype created from its official opening, though queues do seem to be fast-moving even during meal peak hours on weekends. With prices of their main dishes mostly ranging between $7.90 to $13.90 with their Steak offerings priced a bit higher up to $22.80, we would think that their prices are pretty reasonable for those looking to treat themselves to something different within the shopping mall. Looking forward to be back to give their western dishes a go — the Cheese Baked Tomato Pork Chop Fried Rice being something we are especially keen to try out.

One of the places that had recently been making its rounds around social media these days would be that of Richman Dim Sum 大富豪港式点心茶楼. For those whom have yet to hear about Richman Dim Sum before, these folks are located within the coffeeshop named HOKI Gourmet Dining that is situated within Excalibur Centre in Ubi. The same coffeeshop is also home to an outlet of Yang Ming Seafood 扬名海鲜 as well. Considering how the coffeeshop only houses two food stalls and one beverage stall, Richman Dim Sum is quite easy to find — these folks take up the space of three shop units within the coffeeshop and sports a brightly-lit white signboard which we found to be pretty attention-grabbing. Being an establishment that is focused on serving up Hong Kong-style Dim Sum and Hong Kong-style roast meats, the food menu at Richman Dim Sum can be described as pretty extensive — the menu featuring sections such as Four Treasures, Limited Time Specials, Steamed Delights, Main Dish, Fried Delights, Desserts, Herbal Dang Gui Duck, Roasted / Steamed Chicken, Char Siew, Roasted Pork, Roasted Delight Platter, Rice and Noodles. Whilst not offered by Richman Dim Sum, it is interesting to note that HOKI Gourmet Dining’s drink stall does serve up does serve up a small variety of tea in pots presumably to compliment the Dim Sum dining experience.

Tried a number of items at Richman Dim Sum and the Beetroot & Rice Crisps Rice Rolls was one of the items that can be found in the Limited Time Specials section of the menu. Richman Dim Sum does not describe the elements that come with their various offerings, though one can observe that the Beetroot & Rice Crisps Rice Rolls is essentially rice vermicelli rolls that comes with a purplish-red hue that; presumably coloured by the use of beetroot, while coming with deep-fried spring rolls that is filled with what seems to be prawn paste within. The dish is also doused with light soya sauce that can be seen puddling within the plate as well. The rice rolls here are slurpy, silken and slippery smooth — absorbed the flavours of the light soy sauce which gives it a savoury note; we did find that the flavours of the light soy sauce to be slightly on the heavier side, though it gels well with our preferences nonetheless. With how the spring rolls come with a somewhat netted texture similar to that of Vietnamese-style, the spring rolls rolled within the rice rolls are crisp with a subtle sweetness coming through from shrimp paste within that also carried a bit of a bite.

An item that we had tried from the Four Treasures section of the menu would be the Baked Roasted Duck & Yuzu Bun. These appear to be pretty similar to that of the Baked Buns with BBQ Pork that Tim Ho Wan serves up, though Richman Dim Sum had definitely did their very own twist to it. Coming in a portion size of three (3) buns per serving, the bun of the Baked Roasted Duck & Yuzu Bun here was crusty without feeling too greasy — hints of a buttery note whilst being crusty. The fillings of roasted duck and Yuzu was more like a Char Siew filling; the use of duck rather than pork did see the meat coming with a consistently leaner texture than most typical Char Siew Buns out there — also does not come with any gaminess considering how it is coated in a thick layer of honey barbecue sauce that comes sweet with a savoury note that gives the sweetness a little bit of a depth. That being said, the yuzu was an element that we failed to detect within the Baked Roasted Duck & Yuzu Bun.

Yet another item that we had tried from the Limited Time Specials section of the menu would be the Mentaiko Shrimp Dumplings. These do look a little bit like a twisty to the standard Shrimp Dumplings (also otherwise known as Har Gow) that one can find being served up at other Hong Kong-style Dim Sum establishments with a little bit of a difference in the presentation as well. The dumplings come served in a way where the shrimp paste is being exposed as one would observe the meat filling would also be like within a typical Siew Mai whilst the dumpling wrapper wraps around the shrimp paste; all that whilst coming with a dollop of Mentaiko mayonnaise coming over the shrimp paste. These do come pretty much like what one would expect it to be; the clear dumpling wrappers do seem to come slightly thicker than how we would like our shrimp dumplings to be like. The note of the shrimp paste does seem to have been enhanced with the addition of the Mentaiko mayonnaise — adds a factor of umami to the Shrimp Dumplings for a twist.

Again an item from the Limited Time Specials section of the menu was the Mango Lava Balls. Essentially an item that is more suited as a dessert to end off the meal with, this was one of the more well-rounded dishes that really impressed us during our visit to Richman Dim Sum. These are similar to that of glutinous rice balls that typically come with red bean filling — Richman Dim Sum did seem to have made these a little larger in size, all that whilst using Rice Krispies for the exterior rather than that of sesame seeds. Chewing into the Mango Lava Balls, these were not particularly greasy whilst they were especially crisp yet chewy, whilst one can find a dense and sweet mango sauce within that helps to refresh the tastebuds.

An item from the Fried Delights section of the menu that impressed us was the Crispy Taro & Snow Pear Dumplings — these do come with a pretty crispy deep-fried exterior similar to the likes of what one would expect for Crispy Taro Dumplings that other dim sum establishments serves up. As with most of their other fried items, the Crispy Taro & Snow Pear Dumplings weren’t greasy and does come with a layer of taro and minced meat coming within. Our guess is that the minced meat filling does come with a snow pear-infused sauce considering how the minced meat filling does come with an element of sweetness amidst a little bit of a savouriness from the meat; all that whilst also coming with an earthiness from the taro within as well.

We also given the “Kam Heong” Shrimp Toast from the Fried Delights section of the menu a go; this was perhaps one of the weakest item that we had tried from Richman Dim Sum. Whilst trying to replicate that of the Shrimp Toast, these come in three (3) small squares that are presumably deep-fried bread with shrimp and salted egg within; all that with a sauce that comes at the bottom seemingly to “fix” the Shrimp Toast in place on the plate. There wasn’t much of that “Kam Heong” flavour with the Shrimp, while the “Kam Heong” Shrimp Toast itself were a little too small-sized to allow one to savour the elements coming within as well.

It is interesting to note how Richman Dim Sum also does serve up a range of Desserts — the Signature Richman’s Chocolate Yogurt Bear in Avocado Sauce is one that is likely to capture the attention of most whom would be dropping by Richman Dim Sum due to its slightly cutesy aesthetic that seems to target the likes of both hipsters and children visiting the establishment as a family alike. We did feel that the entire combination of elements coming with the Signature Richman’s Chocolate Yogurt Bear in Avocado Sauce don’t necessarily gel well together — the Avocado Sauce is similar to that of the Avocado Milkshake that one would find at stalls located in Alexandra Village Food Centre and Golden Mile Food Centre; very buttery and creamy, though there was a failure to bridge the Chocolate Yogurt Bear with the Avocado Milkshake via the use of other elements; the cocoa-esque note of the Chocolate Yogurt Bear seemingly felt like a standalone element that didn’t gel with the avocado sauce and the cubes of watermelon that came along with the dessert.

Overall, Richman Dim Sum does feel like a bunch of hits and misses with the items that they are serving up; our favourite items that we have enjoyed during the visit would probably be the Beetroot & Rice Crisps Rice Rolls, Mango Lava Balls, Crispy Taro & Snow Pear Dumplings and the Baked Roasted Duck & Yuzu Bun to a certain extent. Service was largely decent, though it is worth noting that food does take a long while to serve up with the first few dishes coming in within a rather acceptable time frame, though things slow down to a trickle after that with some dishes taking a little bit above an hour to be served up — perhaps things may get a little better once they have sorted out their operations after some time has passed. Richman Dim Sum’s Dim Sum offerings are priced between $4.80 to $8.80, with the serving size of each item usually comprising of three (3) pieces — rather reasonably priced considering the slightly more spruced-up nature of their fare, though might be a little high-priced for some considering it being a stall within a coffeeshop setting. A spot that might be worth giving a try just to see what they have to offer for those curious about what they are serving up.

The folks behind Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe 大南洋 might have just been celebrating about the recent opening of their outlet at Geneo that is located above Kent Ridge MRT Station — that being said, it does seem that the brand is currently in a phase of expansion. Whilst it isn’t been too long ago that social media posts of its Geneo location had started to float around online, Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe had since opened their fourth outlet following their Craig Road, 111 Somerset and Geneo locations — the latest outlet being at Changi City Point which is currently also seeing a bit of a revamp happening within the mall as well. Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe takes up a space at the basement of the mall — one can find Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe around the same area where the outlet of ANDES by ASTONS and the outlet of En Yeoh's Bak Kut Teh 宴杨肉骨茶 are being located within Changi City Point itself. The facade of Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe at its Changi City Point location is probably less extensive as what it is a their Geneo outlet possibly due to the limitation of space here; that being said, the establishment is still filled with a sense of nostalgia with old-school elements of the good ol’ days being found all over the dining establishment — this ranges from the various signboards and decor, all the way to the choices of its mix of stone and concrete-esque flooring and the wallpapers that replicates that of old zinc-roof houses. The details also goes as deep into its dining furniture with the use of tables featuring a marble table top and chairs of wooden accents; the tables seemingly configured in a way that would best suit diners visiting in groups of four (4) pax and above. The food menu at Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe at its Changi City Point largely remains the same as that of the Geneo outlet — the menu being segmented into sections such as Fruit Rojak, Steam Buns, Traditional Toast, Nasi Lemak Kukus, Dry Mee Siam, Nanyang All Time Favourites, Hometown Zi Char, Local Snack, Ah Ma Traditional, Nanyang Style Vegetable and Traditional Popsicles. The line-up of beverages also remains the same as the outlet at Geneo, with the menu featuring Nanyang-style Kopi / Teh, as well as Milo, Specialty Ice Drink and Homemade Drink.

There have been quite a number of items that we had tried from Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe so far especially since we have already visited their Craig Road, 111 Somerset and Geneo locations when they had first opened their doors. That being said, given the extensive number of dishes that Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe has to offer, there are still a number of items that we have yet to give a go thus far. Skimming through the menu, one of the dishes that we had yet to try from Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe would be that of the Penang Assam Laksa. Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe does not describe the elements that come featured with their dishes; that being said, it can be observed from our order of the Penang Assam Laksa that it comes with onions, diced cucumbers, prawn paste, lettuce, mackerel etc. — all that with a Assam (tamarind)-based broth whilst coming with thick Bee Hoon. The Penang Assam Laksa is quite the classic bowl of Penang-style Assam Laksa which we found to be pretty authentic — we did feel that the Assam broth here comes a little bit on the thicker side where there was a balance between the savoury and slightly pungent notes of both the mackerel and the prawn paste against that of the tangy Assam broth. One thing we did note is how the variant of the Penang Assam Laksa at Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe was how it does seem to be pretty generous with the chunks of mackerel that comes served with the Penang Assam Laksa; all that whilst the addition of onions and cucumbers gives it a refreshing crunch — the lettuce further adding on a crisp and leafy texture that also helps to reset the tastebuds. The thick Bee Hoon comes with a slight chewiness which is pretty much expected of the same that typically comes with Penang Assam Laksa — more so than that of our thick Bee Hoon that comes with Singaporean-style Laksa and also being a little more dense. The only qualm about the Penang Assam Laksa here would be how it lacks mint leaves that seemingly would have given the entire bowl a bit of a better balance — though we also do reckon that locals here may not be to into that anyway.

A trip to a spot that is themed after the Nanyang Kopitiam-styled concepts that had been trending in both Singapore and Malaysia would not be complete if one does not order their Traditional Kaya Butter Toast. Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe serves up their Traditional Kaya Butter Toast with three (3) different variations of bread — this would include the Traditional Toast, Thick Toast and the Wholemeal. The variant that is most recommended would be the Traditional Toast which we have also ordered during our visit to Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe at Changi City Point. As it would be at their other locations, the Traditional Kaya Butter Toast from Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe at Changi City Point comes with Hainanese-style Kaya — the one that comes with a brown hue that comes with a slight sweetness of caramel and a hint of coconut. The thick slab of butter is provides some bite which works well with the traditional toast that has been toasted to a beautiful shade of brown — the toast being all crisp, while the butter adds a saltishness to the sweetness of the Hainanese-style Kaya. A beverage that we have been ordering during our visits to Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe would be the Kopi (Iced); the Kopi (Iced) at Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe does come with the overflow aesthetic that is commonly seen at dining establishments that are Nanyang Kopitiam-themed cafes. Have always felt that the Kopi (Iced) at Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe could be done thicker but this was probably the richest that we have had so far from them opting for it to come at the Normal level of sweetness — though still best to be had when it arrives the table as the ice does end up diluting the drink with the passing of time.

To be truthful, we aren’t really fans of Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe on what they have to offer especially during the times when they had just opened for business at Craig Road and at 111 Somerset; that being said, it does seem that we have realised that these folks do seem to do much better in their Nanyang All Time Favourites offerings as compared to items listed in the other sections of the menu that we have tried thus far. We were equally impressed with the Penang Assam Laksa that we have had during our visit to the Changi City Point outlet as we were with the Penang White Curry Nodole which we had during our visit to their outlet at Geneo. We also found the quality of other dishes that we have had to be fairly consistent or evenly slightly better than before — that would be the case for both the Traditional Kaya Butter Toast and Kopi (Iced). With prices of its food being pretty reasonable for Malaysian-style Kopitiam fare that is being served up in an air-conditioned environment, Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe is likely to become a favourite haunt of those working around the Changi City Point / Expo area in time to come.