Serving some creative concoctions of coffee and refreshing fresca, @tomocafesg , a Japanese style cafe, with outlets in Joo Chiat and Neil Road is definitely worth checking out.

Some popular choices of coffee from the ToMo Cloud Coffee series include the iced kuro goma coffee featuring black sesame dairy-free cream, or the matcha/houjicha selection that includes the iced matcha strawberry cloud latte. I decided to go for the iced honeycomb latte from the ToMo signature, which I enjoyed extremely. It might, though, come across slightly sweet with hints of brown, buttery, caramelic notes, somewhat akin to toffee. Served with a shot of espresso, it was a perfect blend for people like me who doesn’t enjoy strong coffee shots, as the generous honeycomb chunks balanced the robust coffee really well.

It was indeed art coming alive and edible with Chef Cédric Grolet’s creations. Inspired by fruits and made so extraordinarily realistic, it was not hard to understand the hype even with the hefty prices.

The intricacies of this lemon created using lemon gel, candied lemon segments, lemon confit, mint infused and zest mousse, fingerlime, yuzu ganache was simply out of the world, down to the extent of the exterior’s uneven texture and the different colour shades. While I felt that the overall flavour was refreshing, zesty and enjoyed the pink, pulpy fingerlime thoroughly, some others felt that it was too sour to handle.

Definitely one of my favourite!

We also had the Fiona Calamari; calamari served in a thick, sweet and sour sauce coupled with a hint of distinctive Tepus taste. Tepus belongs to the ginger family, and especially with the addition of ginger flower, it was no longer just an ordinary seafood dish, but one that was simply aromatic yet unique.

Highly recommended to make reservations before heading down because they are usually fully booked.

Midin Belacan, a local favourite wild jungle fern, served with Lepau’s home made belacan. The crunchiness of Midin was complemented so well by the slightly spicy, shrimpy belacan which elevated the mild taste of the fern. I could eat this again and again because it is indeed addictive.

Tempoyak, or fermented durian, has probably an acquired taste even for a durian lover like myself. We had the Tempoyak Anchovies, made using the creamy gooey fermented durian topped with crispy fried anchovies. Although the sulfurous taste of durian was subtle due to fermentation, and the dish was actually sweet and tangy, it reminded me of the Lempok Durian which I never enjoyed. I’d still recommend to try the dish, for the experience.

A trip to Kuching wouldn’t be complete if you haven’t had a taste of the traditional Sarawakian cuisine. Priding itself on an authentic Orang Ulu and Dayak cuisine, @lepaurestaurant is definitely one restaurant not to be missed for a true indigenous cuisine experience, in a rural Kayan hut setting.

A Lepau signature, the Pansuh chicken is a Dayak-style chicken cooked in bamboo stalk with some herbs that include ginger, garlic, lemongrass. While it sounds like a dish of strong flavours, the chicken was succulent amidst a light, aromatic gravy that was quite comforting. It is also a popular dish served during celebrations and festivals of the the Iban and Bidayuh tribes.

1-for-1 with #burpplebeyond!

This was one unique cold dish that we had and enjoyed surprisingly. It felt like there was a lot going on; cold, chewy octopus chunks paired with some spiciness from the sambal, saltiness and umami punch from the cincalok and a sweet element from the strawberry sitting on top. Just as we thought the strawberry was firm but it was actually soft and as we broke it apart, it appeared somewhat like a purée instead.

Thanks to #burpplebeyond, we enjoyed 2 mains at the price of 1!

Tucked away in the newly opened Kim San Leng Coffeeshop at 130 Jurong Gateway Road, Ipoh Home Cuisine Tai Pai Tong is not your typical zi char stall. What sets this zi char stall apart is its offerings of specialty dishes such as Street Fried Carrot Cake, Ipoh salt baked kampong chicken, Ipoh Pasir Pinji mixed yong tofu etc that are synonymous with the city while embodying the Ipoh identity.

One of my favourite dishes of the night had to be their old street fried shrimp cake. Served piping hot, these shrimp cakes were a harmonious blend of savory, umami-rich, and slightly sweet flavors with a satisfying crispy texture. Fried till golden brown, the crispy exterior provides a delightful contrast to the soft and flavorful interior. Each shrimp cake was generously loaded with at least 2 shrimps, which introduced a pleasant touch of seafood sweetness and a strong umami flavor to the dish. The clean, fresh seafood flavor was a hallmark of the well-prepared dish, and the reason why it got addictive, especially when the accompanying tangy chili sauce cuts through the grease. Haven’t had such an impressive shrimp cake in a while.

While we enjoyed the freshly made shrimp cakes, the waiting time for this dish could take a while as they are made upon order.

1-for-1 with #burpplebeyond!

We also had a recommended starter, the grilled sourdough with pistachio butter. I don’t usually prefer sourdough bread due to its sharp tanginess, but I didn’t mind this grilled version at all. Exuding a nice smokiness from the slightly charred edges with some degree of chewiness, it was perfect to pair the rich creamy, nutty pistachio butter with. Such decadence, but could come across slightly sweet.

Thanks to #burpplebeyond, we enjoyed 2 mains at the price of 1!

1-for-1 with #burpplebeyond!

Celebrated my dear friend’s birthday this year at @eatat.baste where the dining concept revolves around Modern Asian-tapas, marrying Asian and Western flavours.

Started off dinner with a cold dish, the truffle capellini served with olive vegetable, chives, and a familiar Japanese umami touch of ikura. What was tantalising was the addition of Goji berry, famous for its health benefits and used widely in Asian cuisine. Although it served more as a topping, the Goji berries were essential to deliver sweetness amidst the umaminess. The capellini was al dente, coated deliciously with the earthy truffle, and complemented by the deeply savoury, earthy olive vegetable. Never imagined the olive vegetable could be paired this way, since it is a specialty of Teochew cuisine.

Thanks to #burpplebeyond, we enjoyed 2 mains at the price of 1!

It was almost impossible to miss this shop on the same street because you would notice a never ending queue. Although they had different curry puff fillings, we decided to go for one of the more traditional ones, sardine. The size of the curry puff was comparatively massive to the usual ones, and the puff itself was hot and crispy as new batches were constantly made on the spot. Despite its size, the puff was packed with chunks of sardine. Definitely value for money.

Millennial being a millenial, I was extremely curious about this viral apple-shaped bun when the pop-up of Bakery 1946 (@Suhyeongdang) and St. Geundae Bakery (@Geundae Golmok Danpatppang) at @marketblue was announced. Since long queues could be expected, I was really thankful to @jurong for hosting this groupbuy so I could get my hands on at least one, fuss free!

Also known as DaeguNeunggeumbang, it was not difficult to understand why this apple-shaped bun was a crowd pleaser. In addition to its exceptionally realistic and detailed appearance, the bun was soft, fluffy and stuffed with cream cheese and diced apples in apple jam. The use of red rice flour was probably the reason attributed to the slight chewy texture. Pairing cream cheese helped to balance the sweetness from the apple jam while adding a hint of savouriness. I would still, however, recommend this to be shared.

The last pop-up will take place from 14 to 21 sept, where all kinds of bread will be up for grabs including a new item, the viral potato bread!