When I saw the description of their Abseil, I was like oh ok interesting it sounds like their take on an einspanner. Well, it turned out beyond UHMAZING. Lightly sweetened cream, very smooth, super aerated, without any visible bubbles. It’s like, my favourite milk foam but silkier and sweet. The team was sharing with us how their espresso blend for the day was a touch more acidic, so the cream helps to tamper that a little if we’re not too into acidic brews. 10/10 recommendation; it’s weird cause we know the espresso’s acidic, but really when I take my first sip all I get is…brightness. Bright, fresh, like cold lemon-laced water that tastes like coffee. So good. I like how the cream slowly melded in with the coffee, so much that it’s really like coffee stained with dairy. The cream takes away the sharpness from the acidic brew, enhancing its brightness and adding just a touch of sweetness to tie in all the flavours

𝗜𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 ($𝟯.𝟵𝟬): there’s a good, rather intense boldness that hits you immediately, its edges taken off by a slight sweetness from the milk, finishing with chocolatey but fruity notes as well. Wonderful balance of boldness and acidity, and one of the few iced whites I’ve had that beautifully straddles the balance between boldness and acidity, showcasing both polarising flavour profiles. It dilutes really REALLY fast though haha so down this quick friends.

Their 𝗜𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 ($𝟮.𝟵𝟬) however was really acidic. Not the most acidic I’ve tasted for sure and there’s still a nice underlying boldness and bitterness, but the acidity is very prominent and clearly the dominating profile.

This palm-sized indulgence sees a chocolate tart shell filled with cherry curd and brownie, covered in a dark chocolate hazelnut namelaka (which literally translates to smooth/creamy), and finished with hazelnuts and caramel pearls. My first impression of the tart shell was meh cause it was a little tough to cut into and didn’t have that crunch; but eating it was a whole different experience. It’s actually got a nice subtle crisp when you bite in, not overly crunchy nor too limp, which pairs wonderfully with all the toppings. That ganache was smooth, velvety, and rich without being too intense, so it’s actually really light and easy to gobble down. What really stood this apart from any other chocolate tart though was the cherry curd. Holy shit, I loved it. I can really taste the cherry, it wasn’t overly tart, more akin to those black, superbly sweet variety, and had a nice slightly chunky texture too. Absolutely gorgeous and delicious.

When I last asked y’all lovely folks for kueh kosui recommendations, Chalk Farm came up so many times I’m like yo I have to get my hands on summa that. And my friends, thank you. Y’all are godsent. Cause this kueh kosui is THE MFKIN BOMB. That kueh itself OOOOOF it’s an absolute dream come true. Melts in your mouth omg like literally, so smooth, so silky, sooo soft I mean see how bendy that is, and I can taste the mellow earthiness of the gula melaka. I would’ve loved a more punchy hit of gula melaka, but this was acceptable for me. Unfortunately what I didn’t quite like was the shredded coconut. They’re very generous with it which I appreciate; but instead of the usual soft steamed grated coconut, Chalk Farm uses really really thick shavings of (I’m guessing) freshly toasted coconut flesh so it tastes like yknow old coconut flesh that’s really hard and tough and basically impossible to scrape off the husks? It wasn’t crunchy in a good way, overpowering the delicate kueh instead of complementing it. It was also more salty than sweet in a way that was rather jarring. That kueh though was so amazing, I’d forgo the coconut just to have it.

In all honesty this is easily among the best croissants I’ve tasted. Just by touch you can feel just how puffy and light it is, boasting a good height too, which is the first win in my books. Lamination on the exterior is on point, its beautiful golden and crackly layers literally shattering upon touch. You can see very clearly just how light and airy the crumb is, really easy to eat, not heavy or overly filling, and all the more addictive to me — sorry chewy croissant fans this prolly ain’t for you. It’s also got the lovely, mandatory buttery fragrance; though personally I’d prefer it to be even more buttery, with a touch more whiff of yeast. But yknow I guess that also helps keep it light. Big fan of that sticky/wet/soft sort of centre that’s very similar to the dough stuck on the hotdogs of your local bakeries’ hotdog buns, even though I know that means the croissant’s a tad under-baked ahahahhaha. I also see specks in the dough, not sure if that’s wholemeal flour or something but I can definitely taste a mild nuttiness which I do enjoy. Major thumbs up to them for baking their croissants in small batches too cause that means you’re always getting a fresh, hot, crisp one. I snagged a freshly baked one myself and it was dope af 👌🏻🤤

In general I found the rice surprisingly savoury and not like sushi rice with the slight tang and sweetness, which isn’t necessarily bad just unexpected. It also kinda reminded me of sprouted/multigrain rice actually, with a distinct sorta nuttiness. The hanjuku eggs were all tasty but rather inconsistent, just right for one and overcooked in the other. Would’ve liked if the seaweed could be separated like regular onigiris to keep its crunch, but it’s too much of a hassle so I understand that. I thought the chashu in their 𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗼 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗵𝘂 ($𝟭𝟮) was more savoury than the beef, and boasted a good bite while not being overly fatty. Their 𝗢𝗻𝗶-𝗚𝘆𝘂-𝗥𝗮𝘇𝘂 ($𝟭𝟰) turned out to be a surprise, with its solid and thick chunks of meat. I though it’d be thin slices of beef cause gyu dons right so I definitely didn’t see that coming. It’s tender, sweeter than the chashu, and very easy to eat; though oddly it lacked that beefy sorta bite and flavour so I felt like I was eating chicken lol. Really liked the fried egg for the texture it added, with those browned crinkled edges. I didn’t taste the 𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗼 𝟮.𝟬 ($𝟭𝟮) but my friend loved it. She found the rolled egg fluffy and soft, just the right amount of sweet too, and definitely way better than the average tamago we get in sg.

For that very pocket-friendly price, you get a decently sized duck leg, some mash, coleslaw, and a cob of corn. The star of the show was undoubtedly the duck confit: very tender and well-seasoned, boasting a beautifully crisp exterior that actually has an audible crunch when you slide the knife into it. I can’t stress just how important that is, cause not even the more established restaurants can claim to render the the fat off that well and get a such an amazing crazy crunch on the skin. Meat wasn’t gamely at all so points for that, and I actually liked how their slaw wasn’t too creamy or sweet (understand this is coming from someone who really doesn’t like coleslaw). I also like Med how their brown sauce has a sort of mild acidity we usually expect of hawker brown sauces, but with a welcomed peppery hit. It’s not an in-your-face sorta peppery sauce, but it’s there lingering in the back. The mash is I mean instant mash so nothing to yell home about there, but it’s a generous portion and decent enough. And I’m not about to bitch when they’ve got a solid duck confit at such a steal.

I’ve always loved the fast casual Tok Tok Soup House concept, especially when they were conveniently located just around the corner at Ann Siang Hill. So when I heard they were opening a more refined, full-fledged restaurant, I was soooo stoked — and for good reason too. Besides the familiar rendang and ayam penyet we so loved, I was super impressed by their menu of meats and seafood. Take this massive Ikan Goreng: it’s definitely not the cheapest around at $33.80, but let me tell y’all it’s well worth the price. For one, it’s massive. Easily feeding 3-4, the fried red snapper was beautifully golden and crisp on the outside, tender, meaty and juicy on the inside. Certainly not greasy, and exceedingly shiok to wolf down alongside a plate of their nasi uduk.

Typical of Sarnies’ brews, this was a very bold number with wonderful chocolate notes and roastiness evident from the get go. The nuttiness of the oat beautifully complements that and comes through prominently especially towards the end. There’s also that lovely, dairy sorta lingering sweetness and creaminess you’d expect of a white cold brew, but light on the palate. I’m a big fan of how the bitterness from the coffee lingers, which I understand might be a touch overpowering for some but I myself love — y’all know I like it really strong and black 😉

Now, when I think coconut shake, I have in mind a rich, milkshake (not thickshake) sorta drink that both screams coconut and sin. Bear in mind I haven’t tried Mr Coconut too for the same reasons so I don’t quite have any benchmark for CocoBoss’ drinks. But I’d tell you I was hella impressed. The chunky Salted Caramel Shake I had was 🤯🤯🤯 First off, it’s so damn refreshing, easy to drink, and natural. No creamy artificial ice cream, just a slightly thicker-than-coconut-water kinda flavour — which also meant it really wasn’t too sweet. It’s really like a shioker, tszujed up coconut water drink. Had me downing the whole large cup in barely 5 minutes 🥲 it’s an absolute thirst quencher, and one that doesn’t leave me craving for water to wash it down after. And might I add that the chunky coconut bits were to die for?? Nutty, toasty, earthy soft slivers of coconut flesh that both enhances the drink while…allowing it to last a couple minutes longer in my hand 🙃 I loved every sip of this. Only thing is I did find the salted caramel rather light, but I do understand that it’s intentional so as to let that fresh and naturally sweet goodness of the coconut shine. If you’ve got an aggressive heavy palate like I do, they’ve got a “flavour up” option too 😉

I’m not gonna hide this from y’all: when I walked into Tigerlily that day and saw only croissants and this pretty-looking tomato tart left in their display, I was rather crestfallen. Regretful even, cause I was like no way in hell am I gonna be satisfied with just those. Where are the gorgeous sweet treats? Is that tomato tart gonna be hella acidic? Well friends, let’s just say the naysayer in me was picked up and thrown outta the door. That Heirloom Tomato Tart was worth a 20/10. If not for how delish it was, but how it completely overturned my expectations. Underneath the rainbow wedges of tomatoes was a sauce that tasted like an amazing garlicky marinara sauce. Nice mellow sort of sweetness, good kick of garlic, and a commendable umaminess. Those chonky wedges of heirloom tomatoes were also not overly acidic and had a very good meatiness and bite to them. And that pastry ooooof: super light and flaky, like a really thin puff pastry + short crust hybrid.

Now, I’m not a fan of putting alcohol into anything — like, really anything. Not my desserts, not my juices (when I do have whiskey I like mine neat or on the rocks), and certainly not in my coffee. So when Fangkoasked me to try their bottled whiskey coffee drinks, I was more than a little apprehensive. I admit to flinching even before the drinks hit my tongue…only to suddenly widen my eyes in surprise. And if you know me and how small my eyes are, trust me they went 👀 These, were bloody fantastic. The Mr Haku (latte with hakushu) was insanely creamy, with the whiskey fragrance kicking in right at the start but melding into a very mellow sort of sweetness that’s distinctive of Japanese whiskeys. The alcohol’s discernible for sure, but it’s not overwhelming and was super easy to drink. The Lady Val, made with Kavalan classic, was a lot stronger, sweeter, and also nuttier. I love my Kavalan and I’ll tell y’all its sweet, smooth yet smoky profile truly shines in this drink. One sip and I was like “oh this is DEFINITELY Kavalan”. I’d say their Mr Haku’s like a very neat spiked cold brew, while Lady Val’s for the alcoholics who gotta pretend they drink coffee too 🙃