Brunch/Cafe

Was looking for a dessert joint in the area and chanced upon this cosy-looking restaurant. Saw that they had a Yuzu Lavender Cake ($7.80) so could not resist. The sponge itself was the standard kind, with the yuzu and lavender infused into the cream/frosting. Citrusy flavour of the yuzu was quite prominent in certain parts, but only hints of lavender from the cream. Would have preferred the chocolate glaze to have stronger notes of lavender.

Cosy cafe located at the 4th floor of Orchard Central, away from the hustle and bustle of the 1st floor. Ample seating but the CHUMS camping tables and chairs were a little uncomfortable, good for leaning back and relaxing but not so for eating.

We got the Seafood Tom Yum Goong Pasta ($22) which came with a slightly suspicious pinkish hue to the sauce, but don't judge a book by its cover as my partner and I really loved this dish. Al dente spaghetti in a decent creamy tom yum sauce complete with scallop and shrimps and topped with an onsen egg, everything came together really well and both of us slurped it all up!

On the other hand, the Truffle Chick Bagel ($16) wasn't really to my partner's liking. Personally, I was personally quite impressed with the thickness and juiciness with the chicken thigh (huge and meaty!) that went well with the truffle aioli, but I guess my partner did not appreciate the skin and fats that were left on. Also, I thought they were a little too skimpy with the lettuce (only 5 small leafs) and the bagel itself felt more like a regular hamburger bun, not even crunchy on the outside.

Hit-and-misses, but overall we liked the laidback vibes. Pricewise, this was a steal with the 1-for-1 mains/drinks Fuzzie deal and we only paid $24 in total for the entire meal! here with the Fuzzie membership!

Friends used to frequent this cafe so we decided to drop by. Had the Duck Confit Rosti ($22), Truffle Fries ($13), and Kombucha ($8). Rosti was pretty thin but I give it a thumbs up for being crisp at the edges and also quite delicious. Nothing to complain about for the eggs but I thought the "duck Confit" was more like shredded leftover duck. Fries came in a huge portion but I could barely taste the truffle. And the volume of kombucha I got for 8 bucks was pathetic. Service-wise, it was passable but bordering on unfriendly.

Finally dropped by the much-raved-about trendy Taiwanese establishment. The Gua Bao ($7.90) was oft mentioned in others' reviews so I had to try it for myself - while not mind-blowing, it was a good rendition of the taiwanese classic with thick cuts of pork belly heaped with preserved veges and peanuts nestled between a soft, sweet bun.

The Prawn Toast ($6 for 2 pcs), while small, had a thick layer of savoury prawn paste. However, the star of the show was the accompanying dip which I initially thought was a standard garlic aioli but actually packed a strong kick of curry leaves (?). Seriously addictive, and I wished I asked what exactly it was.

Finally, tried the Golden Chicken Mee Sua ($13.90) which was hearty and comforting, with an aromatic touch from the sesame oil and shaoxing wine.

Came by at about 11.45am on Sunday and there were just tables filled. 15min later the whole place was packed with a short line outside. My only complaint would be that the tables are a little bit packed too close together which doesn't make for a good date ambience.

There's a whole range of 1-for1s for CSHH on Burpple, and this time round we decided to try out the teacakes selection. Got the Lemon Tart ($8.50) which came in a pretty decent portion and was a nice balance of sweetness and tartness. We also chose the Summer Lychee Rose which was a soft muffin with hints of lychee adorned with real lychee atop. Loved both of them. Had the Black cold brew ($7.50) to wash everything down. With Burpple, total came up to $19.18. Would have been perfect if not for the slightly uncomfortable high chairs we were seated at by the counter. Nice to people watch though!

My partner, on the other hand, tried the Bacon & Egg Rosti ($18). This time round, the rosti came slathered with Tomato Jam, almost like a sweetened bolognaise sauce, which threw her off a little. While I didn't mind it, she quickly asked to switch with my leftover plain rosti so I guess it's not to everyone's tastes. The house-cured bacon though, was delicious. Two whole slabs of thick, crisp, sweet-savoury bacon. I don't know what they glazed them with but I wish I could have more.

Overall, their rostis deserve all the hype and more, though do try their plain ones first! Can be a little pricey but I think it's worth a visit or two.

Nestled within the cosy Old Hen Kitchen was Poonsti, our brunch choice for the weekend. Heard lots of good things about their rosti, so this was what we zeroed in on when we made our orders.

I went with the Sour Cream & Chives Rosti ($12) so I could taste the OG rosti quality. Boy, was this good. Decently thick with crisp edges, the potato shreds were seasoned well and still with a firm bite - none of that mushy business. I almost wolfed everything down before I realised there was still the sour cream. Spreading a dollop atop the rosti, the tangy creaminess lent a fresh taste to the potatoes and the enjoyment factor went up even more. This quickly became my favourite rosti in Singapore, no kidding.

Tried the Garlic Salmon Bagel which had smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, cheddar, and slathered with garlic aioli. Pretty decent overall, but didn't really like the garlic aioli as it became pretty surfeiting after awhile. Scrambled eggs could also be creamier, or the flavour of the eggs were lost to the heaviness of both the smoked salmon and garlic aioli. Also, didn't like how they wrapped their bagel - a pretty weird thing to comment on, but some bagel shops wrap theirs in such a way that it stays tucked in the wrapper nicely and sauce doesn't get everywhere. Overall, pretty worth it for $12 with Burpple and might try another option if I'm in the area.

A traditional English breakfast packed into the goodness of a cheese bagel. Bacon and cheese bagel were slightly salty and on the heavier side but it was balanced out perfectly by the maple aioli. Perfect to share between 2. Also got the Iced Sweet Tangerine ($5) to wash it down but it's not worth it just drink water.

Went at about 11am on a Sunday and it was surprisingly pretty empty. We were greeted by rows upon rows of their visually appealing bakes at the counter, which really whet out appetites. Decided on the Kouign Amann ($7.50) and the Fermented Mushroom Quiche ($12) for a pre-lunch appetiser.

The Kouign Amann came as a nice muffin shape instead of the usual flat spiral, and it was sufficiently crisp and flakey with caramelised bits at the edges. More filling than I thought. The Mushroom Quiche was full of umami from the dashi custard and fermented procini mushrooms, but also had a slight sourness from the fermentation. Was still nice, but didn't enjoy this as much.

Loved this! Tater tots were so crisp and when paired with the torched uni Mayo and bonito flakes, was simply delicious and rich with umami. Portion was also well worth the prize. A must order!

Always a long queue whenever I pass by and it was a full house even on a Friday morning. As it was our first time visiting, we went with what everybody else seemed to be ordering. The Rose Udon, while aesthetic and yummy at first glance and bite, gradually turned jelat and pretty meh at the end. The pickled shallots were a no from me, but the enoki mushroom tempura was the best part. On the other hand, the black sesame latte was delicious, creamy with a strong sesame taste. Would return to try the Signatures.