L'Atelier TiramiSu (Clarke Quay Central Mall)

L'Atelier TiramiSu (Aug-15)

L'Atelier TiramiSu (Oct-15)

L'Atelier TiramiSu (Dec-15)

L'Atelier TiramiSu (Apr-16)

L'Atelier TiramiSu (May-16)

L'Atelier TiramiSu (Oct-16)

Physical Address: The Central, Clarke Quay, #B1-09, 6 Eu Tong Sen Street

Web address: http://latelier-tiramisu.com/

Nearest MRT Station: Clarke Quay (North East Line)

This is located at one corner of the food court in Basement 1 of Central Mall.  You will find it on your way to the escalator down to Clarke Quay MRT station via the Yellow Zone.  If you are going up from Clarke Quay MRT station, it is a short escalator ride up from the dentist at Exit E.

I had a small cup of Piccolo Latte with my Dark Cherry Tiramisu (they have a few varieties.. Dark Cherry is one of the more exotic ones).  The slightly bitter coffee went well with the sweet tiramisu cake, which incidentally did not became soggy like some other tiramisu cakes I have tried.

The cake tastes so good you would probably want the whole thing to yourself.  So get a separate piece for your partner or friend.  :-)

I went back for a second round in Oct-15, this time trying out Pistachio Tiramisu with Cappuccino.  The taste was memorable and it did not disappoint.. so yummy I am planning another visit.

Was back again in early Dec-15, to try the Lychee Tiramisu.. yes, you can taste the lychee and it is quite refreshing !!  Back again in Apr-16 for another flavour, Brulee.  :-)  In May-16, I tried the Matcha Tiramisu, which was also refreshing with the taste of Matcha powder in the mouth.. it reminded me of the time I was in Kyoto Japan.  I bought the second last piece and the final Matcha piece was quickly sold out, even before I finished my Matcha Tiramisu cake!!  The latest creation was "Earl Grey Lavender", which I tried in Oct-16.

Great !  Every one of the tiramisu flavours exceeded my taste expectation.. they were simply superb !!  :-)

The Provision Shop at Everton Park

The Provision Shop at Everton

Nearest MRT Station: Outram Park (East-West Line and North-East Line interchange)
Physical address: 3 Everton Park, #01-79, Singapore 080003
Web address: https://www.facebook.com/TheProvisionShop

After a light lunch, I decided to pop by a café at Everton Park.  This Provision Shop does not sell the usual provisions.  Instead, you get hot food, cakes, pastries and beverages.  

I ordered the Cherry Almond Cake and hot latte.  The almond butter cake was warmed up, so it looked like it was freshly baked from the oven.  A generous 'ladle' of sweet cherry with syrup was then spread over the top of the cake.  Instead of fork, a spoon was provided to scoop the cherries and cut the cake.  I could still recall the nice fragrance and taste of the "freshly baked" almond butter cake.  The S$11.50 for the latte and Cherry Almond Cake was worth it.  There was no additional GST or Service Charge.

The food must be good, because a couple of ladies ordered seconds (ice cream) after their main course with drinks.  In this café, you order, eat and then pay.  Tips are much appreciated.

Just Want Coffee (JWC) Café

Cakes In Jar (Grin Affair @ 3 Everton Park)

Before I move on to JWC, if you fancy some cakes in a jar, do check this place out at Blk 3 Everton Park. Its web address is:  http://grinaffair.com/

Just Want Coffee @ 1 Everton Park

Nearest MRT Station: Outram Park (East-West Line and North-East Line interchange)
Physical address: 1 Everton Park, #01-27, Singapore 081001
Web address: https://www.facebook.com/JWCEverton

If you Just Want Food, they have waffles, cakes, sandwiches and other desserts.  If you Just Want Takeaway, they can cater to you too. :)

The café is a nice place to chill.  It is small, cozy, air-conditioned and they play soothing music.  As there are a few other similar such cafés nearby, the crowd is quite spread out.  On a lazy Tuesday afternoon, there were about six of us customers "chilling" there.

I had waffles with banana and dark chocolate ice-cream.  The ice-cream is the slow-melting type, which means the waffles did not get too soggy before I could finish it.  For coffee, I tried the syphon "Just Columbia".  Syphon (siphon) coffee is more flavourful, more fragrant, a dollar more than the "flannel or drip" version and you don't really need to add sugar or milk to drink it.  After a few sips, I still prefer mine "white" with a packet of sugar though.  Total damage to the wallet was S$17 (no GST or Service Charge in the bill).  Do note they accept Cash only.

Quarter to Three Café

Tiramisu in a Jar (from Quarter to Three Café)

Nearest MRT Stations: Tanjong Pagar (East-West Line), Chinatown (North-East Line)
Physical Address: 88 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088509
Web Address: https://www.facebook.com/quarterto3

I chanced upon this café while looking for another one.  It has a nice ambience and friendly staff.

Feeling like trying something unique, the dessert item "Tiramisu in a Jar" caught my eyes.  So I decided to go for it.  The content in the jar tasted just like tiramisu !!  The sweet sponge cake soaked in alcohol is unforgettable.  You can even drink the remains off the jar if you want.

The price of cake (S$7.90) already includes GST and Service Charge.  There are many recipes for "Tiramisu in a Jar" online, but why not go ahead and try one before you attempt to make it?

CRAFT Bakery Café

CRAFT Bakery Café

Nearest MRT Station: Holland Village (Circle Line)
Physical Address: 24A Lorong Mambong Singapore 277683
Web Address: https://www.facebook.com/CraftBakeryCafe

I read about this café in the papers and decided to give it a try during my day off.  I went for the lunch promo (Mon-Fri, 12noon-4pm), which is S$19 for a soup/salad, a sandwich and a drink.

Feeling adventurous, I decided to try their signature sandwich, The Craft, as well as coffee (which is not normal latte or cappuccino), ie: piccolo coffee.  Soup of the day was tomato soup (hot, thick and yummy).

"The Craft" is maple-candied bacon and green apple slaw on waffle grids.  The saltish-sweet bacon strips and sour-sweet green apple slaw blend well together with the plain waffle.

So what is "piccolo coffee"?  I did a google (using my Android phone) and found it was one of Australia's favourite coffee.  The site below also explained the small latte glass which the coffee came in - so they can have their coffee without feeling bloated!
http://www.cafeculture.com/general-interest/what-is-a-piccolo-latte

Other reviewers also recommend the 3-Inch-Sin Molten Cakes, available in hazelnut, peanut butter, mint, caramelized banana and baileys.
http://www.hungrygowhere.com/singapore/craft-bakery-and-cafe-ghim-moh-holland/

93 degrees C Café

93 degrees C Café 

Physical Address: 16 Morse Road, No. 207
Web Address: https://www.facebook.com/93degreesC

For those of you who still missed the local TV Chinese drama, 《96°C 咖啡》96°C Café (http://entertainment.xin.msn.com/zh/96-cafe/), there is actually a 93 degrees C Café in Singapore which also serves wonderful coffee.  Do check out their web address above and "like" it to receive updates via Facebook.

If you drive, enter by Wishart Road.  If you travel by bus, head east along Telok Blangah Road towards Harbourfront and alight after Henderson Road T-junction.  If you come by MRT, alight at Telok Blangah Circle Line station, and let Google Map guide you.

93 degrees C Café is just behind Grace Methodist Church and Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church.  Another building landmark is Fragrance Hotel, which you can't miss.

Oh, pretend you do not know the official opening hours (Fri to Sun).  If you happen to drop by on other days and they are opened (doing their other stuff, like grinding coffee), you will be served with whatever "exotic" food written on their board.  Above food item is "Sausage Roll and Yolky Egg".  :-)

Coffee drink price is reasonable.. cheaper than Starbucks.

Gurney Drive (Penang food restaurant in Singapore)

Physical address: Jubilee Square, 61 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8, #01-07 to 10
Web address (for more locations): http://www.gurneydrive.com.sg/locations.php

This is the place to go for authentic Penang food in Singapore.  The rojak (consisting of thick slices of mango, pineapple, kangkong, cuttlefish, etc, generously dipped in their special prawn paste), king of chendol (big scoop of durian paste, shaved ice, coconut milk, brown sugar syrup.. yummy!) and Hokkien Prawn Noodles (big shelled prawns, pork rib, prawn-based soup) are delicious and unforgettable.  I would go back for more, to try their other Penang dishes, like Penang Fried Kway Teow, Nasi Lemak, Grilled Stingray, Ice Kachang, etc.  Check out the mouth-watering menu below:
http://www.gurneydrive.com.sg/menu.php

Orgo Bar & Restaurant

Physical address: 1 Esplanade Drive, Roof Terrace, #04-01, The Esplanade

Web address: http://www.orgo.sg/

The view from the Esplanade Roof Terrace (take escalator to level 3, then climb stairs to roof terrace) is excellent enough to put you in a good mood. Just choose a non-rainy day. :-) If I had known of this place earlier, I would be here to catch the fireworks every Saturday night in the month of July, as Singapore rehearsed for the National Day Parade on 9 Aug.

Besides food (see website for preview of menu), this restaurant cum bar specialises in "mixology cocktail" made from fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs.

By virtue of its location on top of the Esplanade, with stunning view of firework displays (in past recent weeks), this restaurant has held special events, including a "YOG Closing Ceremony Party".

Some food reviews of this place can be found in below website:

http://www.hungrygowhere.com/singapore/orgo/

The Royals Café

Physical Address: 19 Crescendo Bldg, Upper East Coast Road (beside Jalan Tua Kong)

Web Address: http://www.royalcakes.com/index.html

If you happen to be at Siglap looking for a cosy place for ice cream, coffee and cake, or something more savoury like nonya mee siam and pies, the Royals Café is at the building near the bus-stop on the same side as the more well-known Coffee Club and Café Cartel.

My favourite cakes are the Mocha Walnut (S$1.70) and Dark Chocolate Truffle (S$2.20). If you add 2 cups of fresh coffee (S$2.50 each) to go with the cakes, the total cost is only S$8.90 for 2 delicious cakes and 2 coffees (at the date of this posting). The nonya mee siam has a good review from the Sunday Times in Jan 2010, found here: http://www.soshiok.com/critic/article/10087

Customers' testimonials at the Royal Café's own website is below:

http://www.royalcakes.com/testi.html

There is no GST or Service Charge. Do feel free to leave a good tip if you enjoy your meal. :-)

Straits Chinese (Nonya) Restaurant

Physical Address: (Straits Chinese Nonya) 15 Queen Street, #01-03, Tan Chong Tower
Reservations: (65) 6339 3683 - for above branch
Branch 1: (Straits Chinese Seafood) 5 Shenton Way, #B1-16/17, UIC Building;
Branch 2: (Guan Hoe Soon Restaurant) 214 Joo Chiat Road
Web Address: http://www.straitschinese.com/

With the popularity of the Singapore TV Mandarin drama serial, "The Little Nonya" (小娘惹) [web address: http://littlenyonya.mediacorptv.sg/], we decided to try some Peranakan (nonya) food. This restaurant was recommended to us and we went in late Dec 08. We went for the ala-carte nonya buffet. The menu items were listed in Malay, although the waiters and waitresses were more than happy to explain the variety of authentic dishes to us in other languages.

There were 4 of us and at S$18.88++ per person, the bill added up to around S$90+. Unfortunately, the buffet promotion ended on 16 Jan 09, but do check out the website for other dining promotions and pictures/write-ups of authentic nonya dishes.

Dim Joy Dim-Sum

Physical Address: 80 Neil Road
Reservation: (65) 6220 6986
Web Address: http://www.dimjoy.com/

Do look out for the small red signboard that leads into a courtyard of the restaurant. It is one of the few places where you can have piping hot dim-sum for dinner, on a week-night. The delicious dim-sum we ordered were served one at a time, so they were steaming-hot when we ate them. We ordered 2 desserts which were served last, after a change in plates and utensils. Service was attentive.

Do check out the website for pictures of the dishes and try their chef's recommendations if you go.

We ordered 6 dim-sum dishes (S$3 to S$4.50 each), 2 dessert items (S$3.50 to S$5.50 each) and 2 x Chinese Tea (S$1.50 each). The total price we paid was S$38.25 (inclusive of 7% GST and 10% service charge).

Original Sin (By Michelangelo's)

Physical Address: Blk 43, #01-62, Jalan Merah Saga, Holland Village, Chip Bee Gardens
Reservations: +65 6475 5605
Web Address: http://www.originalsin.com.sg/index.htm

This is a Mediterranean vegetarian restaurant and a sister restaurant of the Michelangelo's Group of Restaurants. The cuisines are "divine, exciting and healthy" and do leave some tummy room for desserts.

We shared a "Japanese Eggplant" for Starter. For main course, we ordered "Absolut" pasta and a "Sicilian Pizza". Both were excellent choices. The high point of our dinner is always the dessert. We had a wonderful "Tiramisu" (served the traditional way that we like - soaked in liqueurs) and a heavenly "Dark Cherry Truffle" (S$10 each). We rounded off the evening with "Macchiato" and "Capuccino" (only S$5 each).

Total "damage" to the wallet: S$109.46 (inclusive of 7% GST and 10% Service Charge).

They have set-lunch too, if you happened to be in the neighbourhood during lunch time.

PS Café

Physical Addresses: 28B Harding Road; Level 3 Paragon Shopping Centre, Orchard Road; Level 2 Palais Shopping Centre, Orchard Road
Web Address: http://www.pscafe.sg/

Also known as "Project Shop Café", after the first PS Café opening in Paragon's "Project Shop". We went to the one at Harding Road on Sat afternoon for the weekend brunch (Sat and Sun, 9:30am to 5pm). The surrounding was very peaceful. It is a nice place to spend a lazy weekend afternoon, away from the shopping crowd.

Do check it out!

Otori Japanese Restaurant (closed?)

Physical Address: Blk 5, Lock Road, Gillman Village (closed on Sundays)
Tel: 6472 0282

Having just been to Japan 6 months ago in Oct 2007 (see my other blog: http://www.exotictravelnotes.blogspot.com/ ), I have been looking for Japanese food here that comes close to the authentic ones I have tried in Japan. I believe I have found it!

The sashimi (Japanese: 刺身) must not only be very fresh, it must be served at a certain temperature to get that refreshing taste. The maguro (tuna, Japanese: まぐろ) sashimi we had (S$18 (before GST) for a plate of about 6 slices) refreshed my memory, as it brought my memory back to Tokyo when I first tried it.

Thank you, Otori. Arigato gozaimasu. :-)