#Cafehopping

Be transported back to the yesteryears at Great Nanyang and have a taste of nostalgia with signature dishes such as the Hainanese Chicken Cutlet that comes with a sauce made from premium butter and infused with the fragrance of pandan leaves. Wake up with a breakfast dish of Nasi Lemak Kukus with a side of chicken berempah, curry chicken, sambal petai prawn or rendang mutton. For diners who prefer the noods, there is the Dry Mee Siam cooked with a secret sauce of 13 herbs and spices.

What truly stood out is their Hand Made Kaya Toast in a choice of traditional, thick or wholemeal, best paired with Soft-boiled Kampung Eggs and a cup of kopi that comes with a frothy foam cap.

First time to Hello Arigato and instead of ordering their popular Tamago Sando, we went for the Joo Chiat outlet exclusive HCG Sando and oh boy, this was amazing from every bite. You will first be hit by the savoury notes from the 48-hour marinated shrimp paste chicken before the creamy mayo and crunchy cucumbers help to cut through the richness. Everything in this sando works harmoniously, down to the sweetness from the Japanese milk bread.

Onné Cafe is one of the newest kids along the Kampong Bahru stretch, and we went there specially for their Warabi Mochi. The version here is softer and jelly-like, a bite that is different from other versions out there which has a firmer and chewier texture. Dusted with kinako and served with a side of kuromitsu, we thoroughly enjoyed this dessert.

Bag Me Up Bagel House has some interesting bagel combinations including the Bag Me Up Signature which contains unagi and katsuobushi egg salad and We Will Wagyu made with a 100% wagyu beef patty. With quirky names such as Can Trust Chic which comes with grilled teriyaki chicken thigh, sautéed mushroom, truffle schmear and mozzarella cheese, you can enjoy a different bagel experience here. To cool down the afternoon, get the refreshing White Peach Fresh Milk Tea which has that nice floral fragrance with a creamy mouthfeel.

People working or staying around the Buona Vista vicinity can drop by Long Black Cafe to try the newly revamped no pork, no lard fusion menu of Japanese-Italian cuisine. Freshly handmade pasta is the signature of the cafe and diners can look forward to dishes such as Seafood Bisque Pasta which has a deep umami flavour or value-for-money mains such as Reuben Sandwich that contains homemade corn beef, cheese, pickled cucumber and mustard sandwiched between rye bread.

While you are enjoying the mains, order a few sides of Roasted Cauliflower that has been oven baked with parmesan cheese and Grilled Halloumi Salad with mixed greens drizzled with a berry vinaigrette.

This collaboration between both brands will be available for a limited time only from 7 July to 30 September, and you can look forward to creations such as the eggstraordinary Chilli Crab & Scrambled Egg Brioche Sandwich and Chilli Crab Slut, just in time to celebrate the upcoming National Day. No mantous were harmed for these creations. 😏

Available from 1 July to 30 August, The Lobby Lounge, InterContinental Singapore, presents a bite of the Land of the Rising Sun with the Flavours of Japan Afternoon Tea. Celebrating the flavours of Japanese cuisine, the set is inspired by the summer flavours and floral colours of Japan. The three-tier gold stand includes sweets such as the Mame of soya panna cotta with muscat grapes and, Warabimochi with kinako powder and kuromitsu syrup. The savouries include the Grilled Unagi with Tamago and a comforting Warm Hokkaido Scallop and Crab Chawanmushi. Other than the regular English Buttermilk scones, you can look forward to the Ichida Hoshigaki Scones made with dried persimmon and paired with a Sakura peach jam.

Helmed by Chef Matin, Le Matin in ION Orchard offers a range of sweet and savoury pastries to hot mains. Brunch is available from Wednesdays to Sundays, and you can look forward to items such as the Summer Truffle Scrambled Eggs Croissant that is both decadent and delish. Imagine fluffy and buttery scrambled eggs with homemade truffle paste infused with preserved truffle and black truffle aioli with a round croissant burger. To elevate the dish further, it is topped with 8g of sliced summer truffles for the trufflicious experience. We had the Octopus and Sea Urchin Feuilletée which has tastes of the ocean with the sea urchin butter and the flavours balanced with the tangy pickled red onions. Lastly, the Fried Chicken Croissant has a huge piece of buttermilk fried chicken thigh and a touch of heat from the red hot morita chilli oil.

The perfect after-meal treat is the After 8 Entremet which takes inspiration from the peppermint chocolate thins layered with minty crémeux and ganache. Before you end your meal, leave stomach space for the Cashew Tart and most importantly, the cheese of your dreams in the form of the Fromage de vos Reves, a tribute of Chef Matin’s to his mentor, Chef Andre. This is a heavenly blend of comte sponge reblochon creameux, and brillat savarin mousse encased in a milk crumble glaze and complemented with a crème fraiche ice cream. This dessert brought us to fantasy land.

The cheesecake from Olivia Restaurant is so good and popular that they have opened Queic by Olivia just down the road. One thing that you cannot miss out on is the Olivia’s Signature Cheesecake for the ultimate oozing experience of cream and blue cheese filling with almond sable. The magical marriage of the cheese and buttery tart texture is just a match made in heaven.

Sweet highlights include the Ispahan of fresh raspberries and rose crème between a delightful macaron and the Canelé with its caramelised crisp crust and a custardy center. Do not skip on the savouries such as the Roquefort Creme Brûlée that pairs the sweetness from caramelised sugar crust with the richness of the blue cheese.

If not the weather recently can be more forgiving and it would be a better drinking experience. Fortunately, the wait for your drinks can be quite fast and you can just grab and zip your way into an air-conditioned location.
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🍽️ Kurasu Singapore “The Stand”
📍 1 Grange Road, Orchard Building, Unit 01-03, Singapore 239693

By right, this traditional pastry shouldn’t be that good as the ones I have tried from other brands are either too dry or no flavour at all. However, they managed to find the right formula here and this truly is something that you’ve got to eat.
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🍽️ Old Seng Choong
📍 290 Orchard Road, Paragon, Unit B1-14, Singapore 228859