Pizz Please ~

For those whom have been following the happenings of the local F&B scene around social media, the mention of Whiskdom’s brand new outlet at Smith Street had been going around lately. Whiskdom is a brand that is probably best known for their cookies and brownies — the brand had first started out as a home-based business, though has already seen quite an expansion of its business over the last couple of years with the brand now operating at four other locations apart from its Smith Street location; the others being at One Raffles Place, Galaxis, Orchard Central and Jalan Pari Burong. Their Smith Street outlet is located along the same stretch of shophouses are as where one can find the outlet of Boon Tong Kee, Killiney Kopitiam and Starbucks which used to be part of the now-defunct Chinatown Food Street. Considering so, the facade of Whiskdom here does feature the Chinese namesake of the brand, while the facade and interior of the shop adopts the same shade of blue that Whiskdom had settled for when they had first started out their operations. For its Smith Street store, there is an entire retail section dedicated to selling merchandise related to the brand that is located at the entrance before one reaches the dining hall; the entire space features a mix of blue, wooden and white elements that creates a chic and modern, but fun appearance for the entire space. Tables at Whiskdom are mostly configured in a manner that would sit patrons visiting either in pairs or in groups of four (4) pax, though one can find a communal table that would sit a group of ten (10) pax. Being one of the few Whiskdom outlets to serve up hot food, the food menu at Whiskdom is split into sections such as Bagels, Sides, Rice Bowls and Pasta — various cookies, brownies and cakes that are available for the day are prominently displayed in the display shelf at the counter. For beverages, Whiskdom offers a variety that is split into Coffee, Milk Series, Matcha Series, Ice Shaken Tea and Ice Series.

Considering how this outlet of Whiskdom is located within quite a touristy neighbourhood in the heart of Chinatown, it is little wonder how the menu at Whiskdom does see quite a number of items that comes with locally-inspired elements into the cafe fare that they serve. One such item would be the Chilli Crab Mac & Cheese that is listed on the Pasta section of the menu here — Whiskdom’s menu does not describe the elements that are featured within the various dishes that they have to order; that being said, one can observe from our order that the Chilli Crab Mac & Cheese does come with nacho cheese sauce that has been infused with that of chili crab sauce, macaroni, panko breadcrumbs, Tobiko, spring onions and shredded crab meat. All elements come in a cast iron pan, and the menu does mention that the Chilli Crab Mac & Cheese is a dish that requires 20mins waiting time to be served. Digging into the dish, the macaroni comes laced with the nacho cheese sauce infused with chili crab sauce; we had initially expected that the dish would end up being a little bit on the savoury and cheesier side considering how nacho cheese sauce tends to overpower the flavours of most things. That being said, the chili crab sauce does provide the dish with quite that sweet and spicy note that one would usually associate with the Singapore-style chili crab dish; quite a tasty combination of flavours overall. The addition of Panko Crumbs does add an element of crispness to the dish that further provides a dimension of textures, whilst it does come with a good portion of shredded crab meat over the top to further replicate the likes of the classic local Chili crab dish. The addition of Tobiko not only adds a popping sensation to amp up the textures of the dish, but also serves as an element that adds colour to the Chilli Crab Mac & Cheese for an aesthetic appeal.

During the same visit, we had also went for the Mentaiko Bomb from the Sides section of the menu; this is essentially a dish that features popcorn chicken that is drizzled with a Mentaiko sauce that has been flame-torched — all of which being topped with shreds of Nori and Tobiko. Whilst an item that looks good on the illustration on the menu, the flame-torching of the Mentaiko sauce atop the fried popcorn chicken also does mean that the fried popcorn chicken pieces do get inadvertently charred as a result — it does come with a slight bitterness that can be noticeable for some, though doesn’t impact the dish too much. Perhaps being slightly more generous with the Mentaiko sauce would help resolve this. The fried popcorn chicken pieces were thankfully not greasy; the batter delivering a little bit of a crunch factor whilst the meat within is still reasonably easy to chew — the Mentaiko sauce that comes over the top adds that element of umami-ness and smokiness to the dish whilst also providing the fried popcorn chicken pieces with an element of creaminess similar to that of a dip.

Ending off the meal, we found ourselves opting for the Pulut Hitam With Gelato; yet another dish at Whiskdom’s outlet at Smith Street that involves the use of a locally-inspired element. It is worth nothing that the Pulut Hitam With Gelato is being offered with two (2) different types of Gelato; one being the Blue Pea Gelato and the other being the Coconut Gelato — we went with the former during our visit to Whiskdom at Smith Street. By far, the Pulut Hitam is actually pretty well-executed; the thick and rich black glutinous rice porridge also does come with a drizzle of coconut milk as what one would expect out of the standard Pulut Hitam that is being served elsewhere. The Pulut Hitam itself does come reasonably sweet; all that with that slight nuttiness, roasty-ness and earthiness inherent of black glutinous rice, while the addition of coconut milk helps to provide further fragrance and depth of flavours to the black glutinous rice pudding. The Blue Pea Gelato is made with blue pea flower that helps to give it this beautiful shade of pastel blue similar to that of blue pea flower-infused rice; the underlying flavours likely being that of either milk or vanilla that helps to further provide the Pulut Hitam With Gelato with another element of richness.

Not giving their famed Cookies a miss, we went with their Chunky Walnut Cookie; other flavours available would include that of the Chunky Chocolate Chip, Dark Chocolate Overload, Creme Brulee, Dark Cocoa Speculoos, Matcha Lava and Chocolate Smores amongst others. Slicing into the Chunky Walnut Cookie, the soft cookie reveals an interior that sees it being filled with smooth chocolate ganache and walnut chunks filled within; being a little bit on the sweeter side of things (though still not quite overly so) whilst providing a slightly crunch texture on the exterior before one reaches the soft cookie within. The combination of chocolate and nuts is one that is pretty classic that the masses should find being pretty easy to agree with. We went with the Brulee Einspänner to accompany with all of the food items that we had ordered. This is an espresso-based specialty coffee item that can be found in the Coffee section of the menu, and is described on the menu to come with elements such as Vanilla, Coffee and Condensed Milk — the “creme brulee”layer over the top that consists of the crystalised sugar does come pretty crisp and provides the element of sweetness that we are looking for, further enhancing the sweetness of the beverage from the condensed milk that was also being described to have been added to the item; all that whilst the cuppa was one that came with a light body and a nutty and earthy flavour profile.

Truth to be told, Whiskdom isn’t quite a brand that we had been paying attention in the past couple of years — we aren’t quite a cookies-cum-brownies sorta person and we have always thought that there are other establishments (i.e. Two Men Bagel House) that serve up more artisanal bagel creations around the island. That being said, we do find ourselves being fairly impressed with Whiskdom’s outlet at Smith Street — they do seem to be pull off cafe fare with an element of local-infusion fairly well as evidenced in the Chilli Crab Mac & Cheese and Pulut Hitam With Gelato that we have had. The service staff in this outlet also does seem to be warm and genuine in their service though also albeit quiet in person; their intents for the patrons to have a good experience does come through somewhat. Prices of the dishes listed under the Bagels, Rice Bowls and Pasta sections of the menu are priced from $9 to $26; the lowest priced item being the Almond Butter Jelly listed in the Bagels section of the menu, while the highest priced dish would be the Chilli Crab Mac & Cheese that we have had; most dishes hover around the price point of $17 to $22. A spot that is worth considering dining if looking around for some locally-inspired cafe fare whilst being in the Chinatown area.

Had gotten to know about Bricolage whilst scrolling through social media not too long ago — these folks are located in The Arts House Annex Building along Old Parliament Lane; the entrance of the establishment CNA be found on the side of the building that faces both The Arts House and Victoria Theatre. Bricolage is a pretty interesting addition to the local F&B scene; these folks call themselves a cafe and a collaborative space — its concept fairly unique considering how they see themselves as an establishment that places itself in the middle of culture, collaboration and community. The space of which it occupies is decked in a way that centres itself around the community it serves — despite how the entire establishment is being decked in a way where the furniture and fittings do seem pretty coherent with a very warm and homely ambience, it is interesting to note that the furnishings are sourced from various places — quite a feat to pull off considering the tasteful set-up. To further drive the emphasis on creating a community, the dining furniture are arranged in a way that encourages communal dining as well — allows for conversations in between different groups of patrons. Another thing worth noting about Bricolage is how they use surplus ingredients for their menu offerings which changes on a weekly basis. Offering patrons with two (2) different sets on their menu, the menu which was served on the week where we had made our visit was one that featured Mixed Grain Rice & Miso Soup, Radish Mochi & Ssamjang, and Yellowfin Tartare, Burnt Citrus Emulsion / Cured & Preserved Vegetable Tartare, Burnt Citrus Emulsion. Bricolage goes by a pay-as-you-wish model, though they do indicate a recommended pricing for the Sets.

We opted for Set B which was the set that came with Mixed Grain Rice & Miso Soup, Radish Mochi & Ssamjang, and Yellowfin Tartare, Burnt Citrus Emulsion. As much as it is, the Set turned out to be quite a hearty affair considering how well-sized everything added up to be whilst also being pretty homely at the same time — there is just a little bit of everything that made it feel pretty balanced. For the Set B that was offered on the week that we had dropped by, the Set also does comprise of a small appetiser which wasn’t described / mentioned on the menu. That being said, we felt that the true star here was probably the Radish Mochi & Ssamjang — this seems to be their play on the Korean-style Pancake though this does seem to be made with a slight twist with the use of mochi rather than the typical corn / potato / tapioca starch; this still results in the crisp consistency over the top, while the Radish Mochi itself carries a texture a chewier texture than what we would have expected typically for a Kimchi Pancake. The Yellowfin Tartare, Burnt Citrus Emulsion came all fresh with the yellowfin being all diced up with to provide for a good bite; the Burnt Citrus Emulsion adding slightly dull zing and a smoky hint that provides a depth of flavours for the dish. Even the Mixed Grain Rice & Miso Soup did turn out to be pretty wholesome with the Mixed Grain Rice featuring broken grains, but well-flavoured with the use of Furikake while the Miso Soup does come with a distinct earthy and bean-y note; all accompanied with Konjac and chunks of carrots within.

Most dining establishments to seem to exist as a spot just to dine whilst also perhaps showcasing the skills of the chef and their approach to the food that they are serving up. Bricolage seems to be more than just that; it does feel like an establishment that is part of a wider movement to bring awareness on how ingredients can be further made use of; bringing food waste to the bare minimum whilst trying to also create a community within its means that are passionate for the same causes that they are into — the space being designed in a way that encourages conversations through their unique take of food whilst also doubling up as a space that is suitable for events as well. The pay-as-you-wish model also makes things pretty accessible for the masses for a concept that can be seen as abstract to some. Do expect some waiting time for the food to be prepared here considering how Bricolage does operate with a very lean team; that being said, this is certainly one dining concept that has a character unique to its own in the local F&B scene here — one that comes with a lot of vision from the passionate people that is behind it, and is one that is definitely deserving of support not for the sheer novelty in its ideas, but also for the quality food and the bigger cause that it is all about!

Bakery Brera has been slowly but surely expanding its footprint around the island — whilst these folks had been known to have started out in a space at the foot of a HDB block at Farrer Road, these folks had certainly started to reach out further in the last couple of years; this would include the Cafe Brera at Reunion that is situated within National Museum of Singapore and also through their collaboration with Blue Bottle Coffee where the Singapore outlets of Blue Bottle serves up bakes sourced from Bakery Brera. The newest outlet of Bakery Brera is one that is located within the grounds of a museum; much like that of their Cafe Brera at Reunion concept. Situated at the end of the City Hall wing of National Gallery Singapore just before one reaches the middle section that links up with the Supreme Court wing, Bakery Brera can be found around the area where Keppel Centre for Art Education can be found. Occupying a space that is alongside the walkways of the museum, Bakery Brera occupies quite a decently-sized space; the interior of the space being kept minimalistic without much clutter — all that whilst adopting a modern European flair with the use of wooden furniture and fittings to match against the grey walls and stone floors of the museum. Whilst tables are configured in a manner that would best seat patrons visiting the establishment in groups of two (2) to four (4) pax, the prettiest dining area within the establishment would be the booth seats around the windows that sees the use of sheer curtains and cushioned benches for a rather dreamy vibe. Patrons visiting this outlet of Bakery Brera alone can also find a number of high tables and high chairs that works well for individual diners. Bakery Brera had always been more known for their viennoiseries since their early days, and there is certainly a wide range of the same being prominently displayed at the counter at Bakery Brera’s National Gallery Singapore location. That being said, the National Gallery Singapore location also has a selection of chilled items that are stored in a display chiller at the counter; other hot food offerings available at this outlet will also include Sandwiches, Tartine Sandwiches, Salad, All Day Breakfast, and Soup of the Day. Beverages available at Bakery Brera will include a line-up of espresso-based specialty coffee, tea and non-coffee beverages.

It does seem that the Croque Madame in Croissant isn’t an entirely new item that is being offered by Bakery Brera; this is also an item that can be found on the menu of Cafe Brera at Reunion situated within National Museum of Singapore. Bakery Brera does not describe on the elements that they have included in their dishes on the menu; that being said, it can be observed that the Croque Madame in Croissant comes with a sunny side-up, croissant, melted cheese, ham and white sauce — typical components that one would be able to find in the standard Croque Madame dish. Digging into the Croque Madame in Croissant, the Croissant carries that light, flaky, crisp and buttery consistency that is usual of Bakery Brera’s usual danishes; the croissant retaining its overall structure despite having been sliced open on the top to hold the sunny side-up above. The sunny side-up comes with soft whites and a runny, molten egg yolk that is bound to the croissant with melted cheese that provides for the “cheese-pull” effect. There does seem to have been another layer of cheese somewhere in the middle; all that alongside a slice of ham that adds that savoury note typical to that of cured meat.

During our visit, we had also went for the Strawberry Mille Feuille. It is worth noting that Bakery Brera offers two (2) variations of the Mille Feuille here; the other one being the Chocolate Mille Feuille. Based on the Strawberry Mille Feuille that was served to us, one can observe that the Strawberry Mille Feuille does come with elements such as pastry cream, custard and strawberry within the different layers of puff pastry. Going straight for the pastry, the puff pastry layers does come across as a little bit firm though still flaky and crisp — a consistency that helps to keep the shape of the pastry especially considering the weight of the elements that come above it. The first layer on the top does feel reminiscent to that of a strawberry shortcake, coming with pastry cream and chunks of strawberry; the former binding the flavours of the tart strawberries and the puff pastry together with its neutral notes. As one goes further down, the custard cream beneath adds that element of sweetness that provides an additional depth of flavours to the pastry.

Noticing how they do carry a Canele on the menu here, it is needless to say that we found ourselves going for the Canele as well. The folks behind the counter had offered to warm up the Canele before serving it up to our table; something which we agreed on. The Canele here comes with a crisp and crusty exterior after being warmed up; all that whilst revealing a honeycomb-esque interior that bears a texture that is similar to that of the Indonesian Bika Ambon — a little sweet with a hint of fragrance coming from the use of vanilla within the pastry, as well as slight hint of rum that also matched the lightly bitter notes of the exterior. The consistency of the interior of the Canele does also seem to be slightly lighter and less dense than most other Canele offerings that we have had at other establishments as well — making it not quite as jelak as some others that we had come across. A pretty well-executed Canele in our opinion. We paired everything up with the Flat White; the Flat White here does seem to be pretty well-executed being all smooth and creamy with a proportionate amount of milk against the shots of espresso. The cuppa that is being served at Bakery Brera does come with a light body; very easy to drink, whilst coming with a nutty and earthy flavour profile and works well as a soothing mid-day cuppa.

Bakery Brera had definitely come quite far in the local F&B scene; these folks came from humble beginnings when they had just opened at the foot of the HDB block at Farrer Road — famed for their well-executed pastries since then, Bakery Brera’s offerings can now be found in a number of cafes that they supply to. This is aside from the expansion of the Bakery Brera brand itself to the various museums in Singapore — namely National Museum of Singapore and now, National Gallery Singapore as well. For those whom have yet to experience Bakery Brera’s stellar danishes, their National Gallery Singapore location seems to be the one to head to — a more centralised location with a more conducive dining space to experience their bakes and other offerings to its fullest; all that whilst matched with welcoming staff that ensures that the guests are well taken care of that is pretty rare in a cafe setting these days!

Learnt about the opening of the new Ryokudo at Far East Square — these folks are a fairly new addition to the neighbourhood that had moved into the premises around the same time as their more famous neighbours (i.e. Gwanghwamun Mijin); some may associate this spot of Far East Square being once occupied by HENRI which had since moved into a shophouse space along Kreta Ayer Road. Turns out, Ryokudo is a brand that hails from Jarkata, Indonesia — these folks did start out as a home-based business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their location at Far East Square is actually the brand’s very first international outlet — these folks had actually did quite a fair bit to the space to make the shop space carry a character of its own; there is the large use of wooden furniture and fittings from the facade of the space all the way to its interior. The blue colour theme that Ryukudo adopts for its brand does give the space a little bit of a colour contrast, whilst murals found around the walls in some corners helps add a slightly youthful and fun-loving ambience to the dining environment. Dining tables within the establishment are configured to accommodate those whom are visiting the establishment in pairs or in groups of four (4) pax; there is also a number of wall-facing tables situated within the establishment that would work best for those whom are dining individually at Ryokudo. Being a Japanese dining establishment, Ryokudo does seems to be an eatery that focuses a lot on Japanese-style Donburi — the food menu consisting of mostly rice bowl dishes with a few sides to share around the tables, though Ramen lovers can also spot a Tori Ramen that is being listed on the menu of Ryokudo here as well.

Dropping by Ryokudo during weekday lunch hours, we went for the Lunch Set which enables patrons to pair up their choice of Donburi and also opt for the type of rice that they would like to go for with the said Donburi and the Eggs of Choice — patrons also get to choose the Chawanmushi of Choice, while the set also consists of an appetiser and a bowl of Miso Soup. For our order of the Gyudon, we went for the Ryokudo Rice for our choice of rice, while we opted for the Tamagoyaki (i.e. Japanese Rolled Omelette) for the Eggs of Choice to go with it; the other choice for rice and eggs being available on the menu would be the Plain White Rice and Onsen Egg respectively. The Gyudon can be observed to come with elements like sliced beef, garlic chips, spring onion, Shimeiji Mushrooms. Digging into the Gyudon, we did enjoy how the Ryokudo Rice was; the Japanese short-grain rice being drenched in the sweet-savoury sauce that the beef slices were stir-fried in. While the description of the Ryokudo Rice mentions the inclusion of crab, we did not manage to taste any difference between this and what we would have expected from the Plain White Rice; perhaps the flavours have been covered by the said sauce that was more prominent. We liked how the beef slices were all pretty tender and juicy whilst having soaked up all of the flavours of the sauce; nothing gamey nor did it come with any fatty / veiny parts. Stir-fried together with the Shimeiji Mushrooms, the mushrooms provided a bit of a bouncy bite, whilst its inherent earthiness does come with a slight buttery note that gives a flavour contrast — all that while the garlic chips add a garlicky note and a crisp texture to further enhance everything that is going on in the bowl. The Tamagoyaki is well-executed with its layers tightly packed together; also came with an underlying sweetness that one would typically expect for a Japanese rolled omelette though notably missing would be the hot iron stamping of Ryokudo’s logo on the omelette itself that is shown on the illustration of the item on the menu. Overall, quite a bowl of Gyudon that satisfies.

For the Chawanmushi of Choice that comes as part of the Lunch Set that we had opted for with our order of the Gyudon, we went with the Ikura Chawanmushi over the Kani Chawanmushi; both of these does come with a top-up price of $2 and $1 respectively on top of the original price of the set — the default Chawanmushi of Choice that comes as part of the Lunch Set would be the Plain Chawanmushi. The Ikura Chawanmushi does literally come with only Ikura atop the Japanese-styled steamed egg pudding; the steamed egg pudding being especially smooth and custard-y in its texture — all that while there is mirin and Japanese Dashi stock that adds a slight sweetness and umami-ness to the steamed egg pudding. The addition of Ikura (i.e. Japanese salmon roe) adds a popping sensation as it bursts of umami-ness within as one chews into it. The appetiser that came along with the Lunch Set option was a marinated tomato — this does comes with a firm, fleshy bite that is almost plum-like int the sweetness that it carries; the way that we like our tomatoes to be served and is something similar to the Marinated Cherry Tomatoes that establishments like Milkfish serves. The accompanying bowl of miso soup does come with shreds of kelp and cubes of tofu; they are pretty generous with the serving of miso added that gives the soup ample flavour as well. Patrons do also get a choice of beverage between the Hot Houjicha, Iced Houjicha and Plain Water when opting for the Lunch Set option to go with their choice of Donburi; opting for the Hot Houjicha, the Houjicha comes with a roasty note that one would typically associate with the roasted Japanese green tea.

Overall, our experience at Ryokudo can be described as a pretty positive one; their staff do seem to be able to address the queries of curious potential patrons whilst being welcoming at the same time — this is despite the establishment having opened its doors officially for just a couple of days, being busy and hit with the usual office-hour lunch crowd when we dropped by on a weekday afternoon. The staff are also seen actively gathering constructive feedback in terms of the quality of the food as well. We were definitely most satisfied with the Gyudon we have had — prices of their Donburi ala-carte are also pretty reasonable considering how they are listed from $14.90 to $23.90; the lowest-priced being the Teriyaki Chicken Don / Chicken Katsu Don / Chicken Katsu Toji Don, while the priciest would be their signature Koma Don which is available only during dinner hours. We most certainly look forward to revisiting Ryokudo again some day; definitely wanting to give their other Donburi offerings such as the Koma Don, Steak Don and Tempura Don a go soon!

Yuen Kee Dumpling 袁记云饺 shouldn’t need much of an introduction these days especially for those whom have been following us for a while now — whilst having opened their very first location at Fortune Centre not long ago, these folks have massively expanded in the last few months to include themselves as a stall within various food courts around the island including the ones at NEX, VivoCity and 313@Somerset. Their latest outlet is the one that is situated within the Food Junction food court at Lot One Shoppers’ Mall at Choa Chu Kang — this would be their second outlet situated within a Food Junction food court. The Yuen Kee Dumpling outlet at Lot One Shoppers’ Mall is pretty reminiscent to that of their location at NEX; the stall taking up a corner unit right at the entrance of the food court as well. As with all other Yuen Kee Dumpling locations, the dumplings and wantons that they offer are all wrapped on the spot with patrons getting a full glimpse of the entire process through the display panels, while a display case showcases the variety of wantons and dumplings that they have to offer. The Yuen Kee Dumpling outlet in the Food Junction food court at Lot One Shoppers’ Mall at Choa Chu Kang carries the same menu as what is being offered at their other food court locations — the food menu being segmented into categories dedicated to Dumplings, Wantons, Noodles (Dry / Soup), Dumplings Noodle Set Meal, Wanton Noodles Set Meal and Sides.

We have been to Yuen Kee Dumpling on multiple occasions but it was only during our last visit to their 313@Somerset outlet that we had noticed that they do offer two (2) different types of fried dumplings — one being the Chives & Pork Fried Dumplings and the other being the Corn & Pork Fried Dumplings; these two variants of dumplings being part of the line-up of Dumplings that Yuen Kee Dumpling has to offer, though are the only two that are available fried as an item on the Sides section of the menu and only limited to a portion size of six (6) pieces a serving. Turns out, the Chives & Pork Fried Dumplings aren’t exactly fried but are pan-fried; this can be deduced from the slightly browned appearance of the dumplings on the underside. Taking a bite into the Chives & Pork Fried Dumplings, one can find that the texture of the dumpling wrapper does come slightly chewier than that as compared to the ones that are served with sauce / soup which are listed in the Dumplings section of the menu. The Chives & Pork Fried Dumplings does come with quite a good serving of chives within that provides that distinct note of chives that brings it close to the local Teochew-style Soon Kueh; all that with the pork filling binding everything together within the dumpling wrapper. Quite a decent item that we would not mind having again if not wanting to go for their Dumplings / Wanton offerings with their Viral Mixed Sauce with Chili Oil that we tend to order.

Those whom know us pretty well will know how a bust to Yuen Kee Dumplings for us isn’t complete if we skip on their Dumplings / Wanton offerings that is served with their Viral Mixed Sauce with Chili Oil — a must-have for any trip made to Yuen Kee Dumpling for us. For those whom are unaware, Yuen Kee Dumpling does serve up their wantons and dumplings in six different sauce / soup variations — the Cantonese Style Soup, Viral Mixed Sauce with Chili Oil, Fiery Spicy & Tangy Soup, Peanut Sauce, Garlic Sauce and Hot Boiled. During our visit to Yuen Kee Dumpling’s outlet in the Food Junction food court at Lot One Shoppers’ Mall at Choa Chu Kang, we went with the Family Feast Assorted Pork Wantons with their Viral Mixed Sauce with Chili Oil; the Family Feast Assorted Pork Wantons comprising of an assortment of wantons out of the variety of three (3) variants that Yuen Kee Dumpling offers. The wantons come in a plate that is drenched with their peanut sauce and chili oil; topped off with Lao Gan Ma-esque chili and beansprouts. What gets us all the time about the Dumplings / Wanton offerings paired with Viral Mixed Sauce with Chili Oil is the balance of nuttiness and spiciness that lacquers the wantons; all that whilst coming with a crispy crunch from the Lao Gan Ma-esque chili that also adds a smokiness to the dish. The wantons are decently-filled; the wrappers being silky smooth and makes them easy to pop into the mouth one-by-one, with us demolishing the entire plate in no time — the portion of beansprouts at their Lot One Shoppers’ Mall outlet being the least when compared against that of their other outlets which we have already been to.

Yuen Kee Dumpling does seem to be holding up pretty strong to the hype that is created around their freshly-made dumpling / wanton offerings ever since the opening of their very first store at Fortune Centre here — their Fortune Centre and NEX outlet is still seeing queues till this day, while their Lot One Shoppers’ Mall was already seeing a crowd during meal hours as well considering we made our visit several weeks into their opening there. Quality of the food does seem to be largely consistent at their Lot One Shoppers’ Mall outlet when compared to our more positive experiences at their 313@Somerset, VivoCity and Fortune Centre locations; hopefully they will be able to do so in the long run while we wonder what is the next location that they will be popping up in time to come!

Caught wind about Ipoh Buntong Tea House’s very recent move from Ci Yuan Hawker Centre to National Design Centre — quite an unexpected move considering how the brand has started off from being a hawker stall, and also their choice of a rather obscure location for their shift as they scale up their operations. They are located within the ground floor of National Design Centre, occupying a space that is easily accessible from the back access from the building via Middle Road; its existence being marked by an electronic signage that showcases the various food items that they have to offer — some might also associate the space being tenanted by Tanuki Raw at some point of time. The entire space does look somewhat like a canteen with simple tables and chairs that take up the space, arranged in neat rows that provides symmetry to the layout of the space; the decor being more for function than for form, whilst the dining tables are configured in a manner that would be best suited for patrons visiting in groups of four (4) pax. Whilst being an establishment well-known for their Ipoh-style Curry Yong Tau Foo, Ipoh Buntong Tea House had expanded their menu further with the opening of their cafe-style concept within National Design Centre where they also do offer Ipoh Curry Noodle, rice dishes and even Hainanese-style breakfast toasts — beverages available will include Nanyang-style Kopi & Teh, Honey Lemon Juice and canned drinks; just to name a few.

Not giving their signature dish a miss, we did find ourselves opting for the Yong Tau Foo 6 Pieces + Noodles during our visit made to Ipoh Buntong Tea House at their National Design Centre location; patrons do get the option to choose between six different types of noodles — the one to opt for here would be the Hakka Noodles, which we also went with the spicy variant, whilst we also went for the top-up for our Yong Tau Foo to come with their Ipoh Curry Soup that has been highly recommended by their patrons. The Hakka Noodles comes dry like how we expected it to be; tossed in a brown sauce that seemed to carried a hint of mushrooms that is somewhat similar to that of the mushroom minced meat noodles that we are more familiar with locally. The noodles itself are a little bit of a crossover between the standard Mee Pok in the way that they seemed to be a bit wavy but with a texture similar to that of Ee-Fu Noodles that also come with a softer bite. The addition of minced pork and beansprouts also added a meaty bite and a crunch that further added on to the textures of the dish. The items that we had went for for our choice of Yong Tau Foo items were mostly deep-fried items; something worth noting that Ipoh Buntong Tea House carries for their selection of Yong Tau Foo would be the Sha Kok (i.e. Yam Bean fritters) that is not typically found here. All of the fried Yong Tau Foo fritters came without feeling particularly greasy, whilst the oil used to fry the items were also fresh and didn’t leave any undesirable aftertaste — items coming with fish paste also carrying a good, bouncy texture. The Ipoh curry soup that we opted for was also pretty flavourful but not being overly rich; very easy to have whilst being very fragrant of curry spices that was a delightful to have and lived up to the raving reviews about it both from their old space at Ci Yuan Hawker Centre and at their current National Design Centre location.

We also managed to give their Fried Ayam Berempah with Nasi Lemak a go during our visit to Ipoh Buntong Tea House; this would be one of the new dishes that they are offering with the opening of this brand new space. Ipoh Buntong Tea House does not describe the elements that come with their, though it can be noted that their Fried Ayam Berempah with Nasi Lemak does feature elements such as the fried chicken leg, sunny side-up, Nyonya Achar, coconut-infused rice, sambal chili, anchovies and peanuts. Digging into the coconut-infused rice, the rice does come light and fluffy though this variant of the Nasi Lemak that Ipoh Buntong Tea House serves up seems to be one that comes with a slightly more prominent fragrance of ginger. The Fried Ayam Berempah that accompanies the dish comes at a rather generous portion size; whilst missing of the Serunding that usually gets sprinkled atop the rice / chicken at some locations, the Fried Ayam Berempah does come with a dark, crisp batter that does carry a slight whiff of fragrance from galangal and lemongrass — the flesh of the Fried Ayam Berempah being all juicy and tender whilst also evidently marinated with turmeric as well. The sunny side-up does come with a runny egg yolk and soft whites with crisped brown edges; the anchovies carrying a good salted crunch at the same time. The sambal chili that accompanies the dish comes with a slightly sweetened and an underlying earthy note; all that whilst coming with a mildly spicy kick that should do well for those whom aren’t too tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness — the Nonya Achar providing a slightly zippy and tangy note whilst delivering a crunch that helps to refresh the tastebuds from the meaty, carb-y and savoury elements in the dish.

We also went for the Kaya Butter Toast during our visit to Ipoh Buntong Tea House — Ipoh Buntong Tea House offers the Kaya Butter Toast as a set that comes with soft boiled egg and Kopi / Teh and as an ala-carte item on its own. It is noted that Ipoh Buntong Tea House uses Nonya-style Kaya that comes in a green hue and white toast that comes with a browned surface from the toasting process for its Kaya Butter Toast here. The Kaya Butter Toast does come with two rather large slabs of salted butter in between which is pretty sufficient to provide the long slice of Kaya Toast with a good balance of sweet-savouriness; the Nonya-style Kaya providing the usual sweetness that one would expect out of the well-loved coconut jam that comes with a slight whiff of Pandan fragrance — all that whilst the toast comes with a crisp, toasted surface. Going for the Ho Ka Sai (Iced) to pair with everything else that we had ordered, the Ho Ka Sai at Ipoh Buntong Tea House can be described as a concoction that features a mix of Milo and Kopi in a single cup. The Ho Ka Sai is one of the most balanced renditions of the beverage that we had come across at establishments that are themed after Malaysian / Nanyang-style Kopitiams; one can still note that caffeinated punch from the Kopi underlying within whilst there is a chocolate-y and malty hint from the Milo that hits the tastebuds as one goes for the very first sip.

Have been wanting to give Ipoh Buntong Tea House a try for quite a long time after hearing about it since their days at Ci Yuan Hawker Centre — they do definitely seem to have taken quite the journey in the local F&B scene; their National Design Centre location does seem like an attempt to expand their operations whilst also coining on the ongoing trend of Nanyang Kopitiam-style eateries that have started to creep into many corners of the island. The star at Ipoh Buntong Tea House is undoubtedly their Yong Tau Foo; best to be enjoyed with Hakka Noodles and Ipoh Curry Soup — especially tasty and entirely the reason behind their success at Ci Yuan Hawker Centre that led up to the opening of this new National Design Centre location now. We also did find that their Fried Ayam Berempah with Nasi Lemak to be pretty decent despite not being the best rendition around; their Ipoh White Coffee, Ho Ka Sai and Kaya Butter Toast also each providing an experience that is authentic to that of the Nanyang Kopitiam-style experience that such establishments aim to bring to their patrons. The folks behind the counter do also seem to be a pretty earnest bunch, and also are pretty helpful in making recommendations and explaining on how their menu works. With their individually-sized main dishes featuring rice / noodles priced within the range of $7 to $9.90 ala-carte, Ipoh Buntong Tea House does stand out as a rather unique eatery that serves up reasonably-priced fare that is all familiar and hearty in a setting that one would typically expect to find a cafe serving slightly higher-priced fare; definitely looking forward to give them a return visit to try out their Ipoh Char Siew and Roast Pork Curry Noodle some other time!

Have been noticing Cafe Nesuto being under renovations during our recent trips to ION Orchard — these folks had finally managed to open their doors before the month of August ended in 2025. For those whom find the name “Nesuto” familiar; yes, Cafe Nesuto is an establishment that is opened by the same folks behind Nesuto that operates at both Tras Street and Jewel Changi Airport. Cafe Nesuto takes over the former space occupied by The Marmalade Pantry’s dine-in space located along the shopping aisles of ION Orchard at level four — the space being decked in furniture and fittings that features a mix of contemporary with a slightly quaint touch that melds together fairly well; strong contrast of colours helps to create a bold but welcoming look that is still pretty easy to the eyes as well. Dining tables at Cafe Nesuto are configured in a manner that is suited for groups visiting the establishment in pairs or in groups of four (4) pax. Nesuto has always been a brand more associated for its sliced cakes and Cafe Nesuto seems to be an expansion of what Nesuto is all about — Cafe Nesuto does serves up hot food that is sectioned into categories comprising of Mains, Brunch, Small Plates and Soups; they also do offer an entire line-up of Dessert + Bakes which includes the range of sliced cakes that Nesuto serves up. For beverages, Cafe Nesuto serves up espresso-based specialty coffee, tea and chilled drinks — also available will be a selection of wines / sparkling wines as well.

One of the items that seems to be newly-introduced at Cafe Nesuto and is also labelled as an item that is an ION Orchard exclusive dish would be that of the Chicken Open-Face Pie. This is an item which is listed on the Small Plates section of the menu, and the item is described to come with elements such as braised chicken, Genmai, rich potato cream sauce and a homemade flaky pie crust. Considering how this is categorised under the Small Plates section of the menu, the Chicken Open-Face Pie is sized in a way that is smaller than that of a usual chicken pot pie; works well for those looking for a savoury light bite in general Digging into the Chicken Open-Face Pie, the braised chicken here does seem to have been shredded and piled atop the rich potato cream sauce for easy eating. It does help that the open-face pie does come filled with a good amount of rich potato cream sauce beneath; this adds the moisture that the chicken chunks needed — adds a creamy and somewhat earthy note that helps to bring the braised chicken to the crusty and buttery homemade flaky pie crust that surprisingly held up the entire pie very well without soaking up all of the moisture of the elements that comes over the top. The addition of Genmai is akin to including Rice Krispies that gives the dish a little bit of a crispy crunch; the Genmai carrying an even more evident grainy note that cuts through the creaminess and buttery notes of the Chicken Open-Face Pie.

We also managed to go for the Cauliflower Noisette Risotto; an item that is listed on the Mains section of the menu. The menu describes the dish to feature elements such as roasted cauliflower, brown butter hazelnuts and Parmesan cheese. This was a pretty well-executed Risotto dish in a way that Risotto was executed in a way that it isn’t overly wet; all that whilst still being sufficiently moist while the grains still carried a bit of bite. The roasted cauliflower adds an additional crunch factor to the dish, though it was the addition of the brown butter hazelnuts that provided not just an element of crunch, but also a depth of nuttiness and savouriness that further enhances the flavours of the Cauliflower Noisette Risotto that would otherwise be a little bit more on the creamier side of things. The addition of Parmesan cheese that is shaved over the top adds another dimension of savouriness to the dish, bringing out the flavours of the Cauliflower Noisette Risotto even further.

We ended off our meal at Cafe Nesuto with the Banana Cream Pie Soft Serve Parfait from the Dessert & Bakes section of the menu — Cafe Nesuto describes the item to feature elements such as fresh bananas, Miso caramel, chocolate streusel, pie sticks and “Narita Dream Farm” soft serve; the Banana Cream Pie Soft Serve Parfait is also served in a tall cup. A rather simple parfait, we did feel that the Banana Cream Pie Soft Serve Parfait was a bit of a missed opportunity to use elements such as that of banana pudding which had recently become quite viral recently especially with its use within beverage items. Otherwise, the “Narita Dream Farm” soft serve is essentially a milk-flavoured soft serve that wasn’t too sweet, while the chocolate streusel was akin to that of dehydrated brownies that carried quite a prominent hint of chocolate to the dessert; the use of Miso Caramel over Salted Caramel does provide for a flavour typical of Salted Caramel but with an added note of bean-y earthiness that one would typically find in Miso that gave more depth of flavours — the pie sticks providing a light crunch whilst dusted in sugar crystals that further adds on to its textures while the stick itself replicated that of pie pastry in the usual banana cream pie that this deconstructed dessert is being based on. The Bananas do come fresh and ripe; delivered a good sweetness, though we are not sure if it could be Brulee-d for a more enhanced impact for the dessert in general.

We paired everything up with the usual cuppa; the Flat White. The Flat White here does come very well-pulled; the cuppa being smooth and creamy whilst was one that came with a medium body and an earthy and nutty flavour profile — one that would do well as a perk-me-up in general. It sure has been a long time coming for the folks at Nesuto. These folks had certainly come a long way since their days as the now-defunct KOKI Tamagoyaki within the basement of Raffles City Shopping Centre; there is also that period of time that they had ventured into serving up handmade pasta through their now-defunct ChiChi concept at Amoy Street. The opening of Cafe Nesuto does feel like the return of these folks to the cafehopping scene where they serve up hot food; Nesuto being their most successful venture thus far but also one that is operated more of a patisserie specialising in their various cake offerings. Prices of their hot food items from the Mains and Brunch section of the menu range from $12 to $38; the lower-priced items generally from the Brunch section of the menu with the priciest dish being the 24hrs Braised Beef Short Ribs from the Mains section of the menu. Yet another choice to consider dining at when around ION Orchard.

Managed to hear about the new Brewth that seemed to have just sprouted up at the foot of Skysuites @ Anson not too long ago; these folks occupy a shop unit that is located along the exterior of the building facing Enggor Street where one can also find establishments like Heaven’s Lotus (serving up Thai food) and The Public Izakaya 2. For those whom are familiar with the area, Brewth takes over the former premises of Nanami Izakaya which has since shifted to Craig Road. The entire establishment does seem to have been spruced up by Brewth with several modifications made that is more suited for its operations as a cafe — the interior now features a cosy dining environment with the use of white, grey and wooden elements that attempts to create a pretty homely vibe; the space being brightly-lit by natural light and artificial light where the former seeps in through the windows along its shop facade. The dining space within the premises are pretty tight; comprising of a mix of proper dining chairs and stools alongside tables with a marble-esque finish, the tables are being configured in a manner that would work for those visiting the establishment in pairs, though can be shifted around to accommodate larger groups as well. Aside from another group of tables leaning against the counter that can seat three (3) pax in total, one can also find a number of dining tables situated outside of the store as well. Whilst being primarily a cafe at heart, the operations of Brewth does remind us a little bit of some commercialised establishments such as the likes of Huggs Coffee where they do offer cakes, wraps, sandwiches and pies that are stocked in the display case at the counter. In a move to provide patrons with more substantially-sized food options for lunch, Brewth also does serve up a few Sarawak Kolo Mee offerings as well. Its beverages menu is split into categories dedicated to Espresso Corner, Non-Coffee Specialties, English Tea Series, Heritage Favourites and Cold Brew Creations.

Dropping by Brewth for lunch, we thought it would be good to go for one of their Sarawak Kolo Mee offerings that they are serving up. We found ourselves going for the Crispy Chicken Kolo Mee — Brewth offers two (2) different types of noodles for their Kolo Mee; one being the typical Sarawak-style Kolo Mee while the other would be Dao Xiao Mian. It is also worth nothing that Brewth also allows patrons to opt for either the Black, White or Hae Bee Hiam for the sauce base; for our order of the Crispy Chicken Kolo Mee, we went with the Sarawak Kolo Mee for our choice of noodles, whilst opting for the white sauce base. Whilst Brewth does not describe the elements that comes with their various dishes on the menu, it can be observed from our order that the Crispy Chicken Kolo Mee comes with crispy chicken tenders, lettuce, minced chicken, garlic chips and half of a ramen egg. Brewth mentions that they are a no pork, no lard establishment; it is interesting to note that they do not used any pork lard for their white sauce base for the Kolo Mee as a result of this — with this being said, we noticed that the noodles are tossed in a white sauce base that is pretty fragrant from fried shallots that is also less jelak than that of pork lard. The shallot oil clings onto the springy noodles pretty well; all that alongside the bits of minced chicken and garlic chips that further add a bite and a garlicky note to enhance the flavours and textures further. The ramen egg comes chilled with soft whites and a creamy, molten egg yolk — the slightly savoury flavours of the egg yolk seemingly suggesting that the egg has been marinated in soy sauce. Meanwhile, the crispy chicken does seem to be that of two (2) pieces of fried chicken tenders; these were pretty pedestrian (but good to have) with the batter carrying an inherently garlicky note as well.

During our visit, we had also managed to give the Carrot Cake a go; it is being said that the bakes at Brewth are sourced from external vendors. The Carrot Cake does come with familiar elements such as that of walnuts that are embedded within the cake itself, whilst also coming with chunks of walnuts. The cake is also topped with a cream cheese frosting like what one would expect, while we also found shreds of carrots within the batter of the cake as well. The cake is sufficiently moist whilst being somewhat firm; all that whilst coming with a slight hint of cinnamon and that light zinginess and sweetness from the cream cheese frosting over the top. The only qualm with the cake would be how the cream cheese frosting does seem to come a little bit gritty seemingly from the sugar that hasn’t been fully whisked into the frosting — otherwise, a fairly decent cake offering to pair up with a cup of coffee here. Brewth does offer patrons with the option to go for traditionally-brewed Kopi and Teh but we found ourselves opting for the Flat White instead — served in takeaway cups despite being a dine-in establishment; the Flat White does seemed to have been well-pulled here achieving a good balance between milk and coffee, while the cuppa does come with a medium body and a floral and earthy flavour profile. Despite its slightly claustrophobic set-up, Brewth does seem to be quite an earnest dining establishment that attempts to be inclusive in being an option for those working in the Central Business District for lunch. We liked how fuss-free the menu is, while their noodle offerings are simple yet hearty; comfort food for the busy office folks here. Prices of its Sarawak Kolo Mee offerings are also pretty affordable, being $7.90 for the Classic Kolo Mee and $8.90 for the Crispy Chicken Kolo Mee. Looking forward to make our return to give their Kopi a try as well some time soon!

One establishment that we had been going past a number of times would be that of Nanyang Recipe 南洋风味; these folks are located along Keong Saik Road with the establishment taking over the former premises of the now-defunct outlet of Killiney Kopitiam there. The establishment does stand out quite a fair bit from the other F&B establishments that are located on the same street; whilst most of the dining establishments situated along Keong Saik Road do seem to be a little bit more upscale, Nanyang Recipe does carry a rather raw mom-and-pop charm for its space — the signboard being one that seems to carry a bit of nostalgia in the way that it is being designed despite being seemingly just a vinyl wrap, while the interior of the establishment is fairly basic with white walls and concrete floors; the walls adorned with large posters of the various food items they have to offer. The dining furniture comprises of mostly simple foldable tables and plastic stools; the tables being configured in a manner to suit patrons visiting the establishment in pairs or in groups of four (4) pax. The food menu at Nanyang Recipe does feature dim sum, rice / noodle dishes, sandwich and soup; this is aside from the Hainanese Toast offerings that they have to offer — for beverages, these folks had also split its menu into Local / Traditional Beverages, Specialty Beverages and Others.

Visiting Nanyang Recipe during weekday lunch hours, we had decided to give a slightly more substantial item a go — the Hainanese Curry Rice was an item that caught our attention; perhaps so for our love of all things curry and also likely since it really has been quite a while since the last time that we have had true-blue Hainanese Curry Rice as well. The menu at Nanyang Recipe does not describe the elements that would come with their various dishes; that being said, it can be observed that the Hainanese Curry Rice comes with white rice that is doused in curry gravy, a sunny side-up, and fried chicken cutlet. One thing about the Hainanese Curry Rice at Nanyang Recipe is how it isn’t exactly the most classic rendition of the dish; the Hainanese Curry Rice from Nanyang Recipe coming with fried chicken cutlet rather than one that comes with pork, while there is also a lack of braised gravy that comes along with the curry gravy drenched atop the rice. Also missing would be the inclusion of braised vegetables as well. To their credit, there was sufficient curry gravy that was drenched atop the entire portion of rice; the curry here does come with a good hint of the spices whilst one can also spot traces of dried shrimp that gave the curry a slight umami-ness — it does come with an adequate kick of spiciness which should do just about right for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness, all that while also not being too jelak. The fried chicken cutlet does come crisp and tender though we did feel that the fried batter was a little bit tougher than we expected, though was not overly greasy. The sunny side-up does come in a fairly neat aesthetic that reminds us more of such eggs that comes with western breakfast than the ones typically served up at Hainanese curry rice specialty stores, though the egg yolk does come fully-cooked here. Also included with the Hainanese Curry Rice would be chunks of curry potato which we thought could do better being cooked slightly longer in the curry for a softer consistency.

We had also decided to give the Taro Butter Toast a go during the same visit to Nanyang Recipe — this is especially so considering how we are intrigued with versions of Hainanese Toast that comes spread with Yam Paste / Orh Nee; us being fans of Yam Paste / Orh Nee that first made its appearance in the local F&B scene being introduced by SuuKee Coffee. Using the same brown sugar toast that one can typically find being served up at commercialised establishments that offers Hainanese breakfast toast, the toast does come expectedly crisp; all that whilst coming with taro paste and a slab of butter in between. The taro paste here comes with a paste-y consistency with a slightly purple hue; all of that coming with that familiar earthiness without being overly sweet — the salted butter adding a saltish note to everything else. We also went for the Kopi (Iced) during our visit to Nanyang Recipe; the Kopi (Iced) does come with a good kick of caffeine whilst being sufficiently so without being overly so; quite decent for an establishment of its type. One thing about Nanyang Recipe is how the concept does feel like one that lacked a bit of direction — whilst serving a large variety of dishes to cater to a wider audience, Nanyang Recipe felt like an establishment that lacked a theme despite its Nanyang Kopitiam-style sort of operations that leaves passers by more confused than interested with the establishment. Prices of its fare is also considered rather exorbitant for the same that one would be able to find in a hawker centre / food court / coffeeshop setting; the prices of their rice / noodle dishes, sandwich and soup offerings ranging from $7.30 to $10.90 — the lowest-priced being the Roti Prata and the highest-priced being the Chicken Drumlet with Fried Egg and Fries. Our order of the Hainanese Curry Rice is priced at $9.30; this is also not forgetting how Nanyang Recipe isn’t an air-conditioned eatery. Whilst there are some attempt to serve up an innovative menu especially with its Hainanese Toast offerings in an effort to draw some attention from potential patrons, the way in which the food items at Nanyang Recipe are priced coupled with its non air conditioned nature, the lack of a theme and the lack of social media presence does present a challenge for Nanyang Recipe in the long run.

Managed to notice a new stall that is hiding in the coffeeshop at the foot of Blk 467 North Bridge Road; for those not familiar with the address, this would be the neighbourhood at Crawford Lane which houses notable F&B establishments such as Cafe Lilac by Whisking Bakes, RUSTICA, Tolido’s Espresso Nook and Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle — the coffeeshop at Blk 467 North Bridge Road is one that is most recently renovated, and houses other stalls such as that of Eighty Eight 88 Western Cuisine. CurryCraft 良品咖哩 is one of the few new tenants which had opened its doors there; these folks occupy a stall unit that is situated in the middle of the entire coffeeshop — considering how the modern the signage looks and the way that they illustrate some of the items that they have to offer, the stall should be quite an easy one to identify when at the coffeeshop. CurryCraft is said to be founded by a former employee of DoDo Seafood Treats that is best known for their fishball and crabsticks, and CurryCraft is noted for being an establishment that serves up Yong Tau Foo dishes with its signature curry broth; the menu is being split into sections dedicated to the Main Menu featuring their Yong Tau Foo offerings in different combinations to be served with rice / noodles, and the Specially Crafted section that features their various Yong Tau Foo items served per piece that can be added on to the items listed in the Main Menu.

To get the most of what CurryCraft has to offer, the Our Signature would probably be the best item of the lot to go for — this is considering how it features a decent selection of the Yong Tau Foo items listed in the Specially Crafted section of the menu such as their Hand Made Fish Ball, Fish Paste Long Beans and Fried Beancurd. It is worth noting that CurryCraft offers its patrons four different types of sauces to choose from — the Curry, Soup, Dry (Spicy) and Dry, while the options for carbs includes noodles such as that of the Thick Bee Hoon, Noodle, Bee Hoon and Noodle, Bee Hoon, Mee Tai Mak and Rice. For our order of the Our Signature, we went with the Curry Soup Base and paired it up with their Thick Bee Hoon; we had also added the Fish Paste Eggplant and the Fish Paste Bittergourd from the Specially Crafted section of the menu for our order.

Going for the curry soup base first, we liked how the curry gravy here is one that was actually fairly easy to have; it is sufficiently flavourful from the curry spices used, but is also one that is not overly rich — much akin to that of Malaysian-style curry where one wouldn’t really detect much of a hint of coconut milk within. The level of spiciness of the curry soup base itself is also at a level where it would suit those whom are able to tolerate slightly milder levels of spiciness as well. The default type of noodles that curry noodle dishes typically come in will be the Bee Hoon and Noodle, though we ended up with the Thick Bee Hoon since we aren’t much on a fan of yellow noodles — the Thick Bee Hoon comes smooth and slurpy; fairly easy to have especially given how the curry soup base is like here. One of the more unique Yong Tau Foo pieces here would undoubtedly be their Fish Paste Long Beans; this sees sliced long beans bound together with fish paste on the top; the long beans providing a crunch with the smooth fish paste atop carrying a soft bite. That being said, the most impressive item here would probably be their Hand Made Fish Ball; absolutely soft in a way that is quite melt-in-the-mouth — not quite like any fishball that we have had thus far and certainly left an impact for us especially since we aren’t ones whom typically love fishballs in general. The other fried items that we had went for such as the Fish Paste Eggplant and the Fish Paste Bittergourd also came with soft fish paste and the root vegetables coming with a similar soft consistency that was easy to chew.

Despite its namesake, CurryCraft does feel like an establishment with more of a focus on their Yong Tau Foo offerings than one that specialises in serving up Malaysian-style curry noodles; this isn’t surprising considering the background of the folks running this space. The Yong Tau Foo items do feel well-made, and we were definitely impressed with the Hand Made Fish Ball; there are also attempts on being creative with their offerings to distinguish themselves from the crowd such as the likes of the Fish Paste Long Beans that we hadn’t quite seen elsewhere. Prices of their Yong Tau Foo that is served with rice or noodles start from $5.80 for their Our Signature (Small) and Fish (Small); all the way to $13.80 for their Ocean Pot (Small — 1 Pax) — a spot worth checking out to see what they are all about!

Was scrolling around the phone when we got to know about the fairly new The Joy Kopi 鼎悦茶室 that is situated at the foot of Blk 152 Serangoon North Avenue 1; these folks are situated in the same neighbourhood as Xiao Di Fried Prawn Noodle, Indulge and Kreme. For those whom are somewhat familiar with the neighbourhood, these folks take over the former premises of the now-defunct XingYe Dessert 星爷甜品 there. Occupying the space that is half the size of the typical HDB shophouse unit, the space within The Joy Kopi is fairly tight. The folks at The Joy Kopi had done some renovations that attempt to maximise the space of the shop unit after taking over the unit from the former tenants; the interior of the establishment now feels as though it is decked for function than for form — the dine-in furnishings being pretty reminiscent to the dining furniture in which Ya Kun Kaya Toast uses for their locations. With that being said, the interior does see the large use of green especially for its counter which does help them distinguish themselves with their very own look nonetheless. Whilst the tables are configured in a way that best suit diners whom are visiting the establishment in groups of four (4) pax, seating space especially within the shop unit is fairly claustrophobic; one can also find a dine-in space that is located outside as well. Despite having opened for a while, the folks at The Joy Kopi are slowly pacing out their operations — a limited hot food menu such as the likes of Nasi Lemak and Curry Chicken are available, whilst also available would be the full range of Toasts and Yum-wich; the latter being fairly similar to the Toastwich that Ya Kun Kaya Toast carries. Beverages available at The Joy Kopi includes the usual Nanyang-style Kopi & Teh that one would typically expect such establishments to serve up; there is also Milo, Beancurd Barley, Lemon Tea, canned beverages and a series of Ice Lava beverages that they are offering as well.

It does seem that The Joy Kopi do fare pretty well when it comes to the Kaya Butter Toast that they serve up; offering their toasts dishes with a number of different spreads, The Joy Kopi also does serve up their toasts in variants such as Kaya Peanut, Butter Sugar and in the format of French Toasts as well. It can be observed from our order of the Kaya Butter Toast that the Kaya Butter Toast at The Joy Kopi uses commercially-made bread loaves rather than that of the brown sugar loaves that most commercialised establishments serving up local Hainanese-style breakfast toasts tend to use; the toast here also does come with a beautiful shade of brown from being toasted — all that whilst featuring Nonya-style Kaya that comes in a shade of green and slices of salted butter in between. Sinking our teeth into the Kaya Butter Toast, the toast is light and crisp as we expect it to be; quite an easy eat despite the seemingly more generous portion size of the Kaya Butter Toast here. Whilst the Nonya-style Kaya carried that familiar whiff of Pandan fragrance that one would usually associate with the coconut jam, the sweetness is well-balanced while the slabs of salted butter came chilled, carrying a good temperature contrast whilst also adding that flavour contrast that achieves the sweet-savoury combination of flavours that one would associate with Kaya Butter Toast.

We initially wanted to go for the Laksa but we were told that they have yet to launch the item — considering so, went with the Nasi Lemak after a bit deliberation between having the Nasi Lemak or the Curry Chicken. The folks at The Joy Kopi does not describe the elements that comes with their Nasi Lemak; that being said, it can be observed from our order of the Nasi Lemak that it comes with the usual suspects such as the likes of anchovies, peanuts, cucumbers, sunny side-up, coconut-infused rice and the fried chicken drumstick. We did feel that their Nasi Lemak wasn’t their strongest suit; whilst their rice was not too bad considering how it does carry a slight hint of coconut-y fragrance and was reasonably moist despite tasting more strongly of ginger, we did feel that the other elements fell a bit short. The fried chicken drumstick despite being crisp, does feel a little bit dry within; not quite as juicy and tender as what we would have expect it to be, though it does sort of work that it wasn’t particularly greasy as well. The anchovies also does come slightly more crunchy than they are crisp; it also does seem that they have been seasoned with a bit of sugar that brings a slight sweetness to the anchovies. The accompanying sambal comes in a shade that is slightly darker than what one would usually expect from establishments that make their very own Nasi Lemak sambal – something more similar to that of those that we typically find accompanied in commercially-made Singapore-style Nasi Lemak that is wrapped in banana leaves that comes with a slight sweetness from Kecap Manis.

While The Joy Kopi does served up a regular Iced Kopi on its menu, we found ourselves going for the Lava Iced Kopi instead — this would be the item to go for if one is to be looking for a cup of Nanyang-style Kopi that comes with a frothy aesthetic with a little bit of overflow as what one would expect when visiting a Nanyang Kopitiam-themed establishment such as the likes of Nan Yang Dao 南洋岛, Oriental Kopi 华阳, Great Nanyang 大南洋 etc.; we did find that the Lava Iced Kopi does come suitably rich with a corresponding hint of sweetness that balances things pretty adequately. Quite a decent rendition of the Lava Iced Kopi that has become quite the trendy drink to have whenever visiting a Nanyang Kopitiam-themed establishment. There is something about The Joy Kopi that seems to carry a bit of Ya Kun Kaya Toast’s shadow — be it in its dining environment or in its menu, there are definitely elements at The Joy Kopi that seems to be reminiscent of the iconic local brand, though The Joy Kopi does inherently also fuses them with the use of Nanyang Kopitiam-themed dining establishment elements that makes them a little more unique whilst trying to also keep things on trend to hopefully capture the attention of those whom are more keen on visiting such establishments. It does seem that The Joy Kopi does better in the execution of their toasts than their hot food; as evidenced by our experience with their Kaya Butter Toast and their Nasi Lemak. Considering so, we do think that The Joy Kopi is an establishment that would likely be a breakfast hangout for those staying around the neighbourhood before they make their trip to the supermarket for their groceries — and one that the same residents would be appreciative of having to their convenience.

It does seem that Benjamin Barker has been re-looking into its various F&B operations in recent times; whilst they have included a cafe element within their Benjamin Barker Outlet store located in IMM, it seems that the brand has also revamped their The Assembly Ground concept after the closure of its ION Orchard outlet — the outlet of The Assembly Ground that is located in Cineleisure. Now known as Benjamin Barker Recreational Club, the entire space has been renovated to adopt a style similar to its cafe element in the IMM outlet store. The interior now sees a slightly more Scandinavian / European-style look; the space seeing much of the use of white and wooden elements in its dining hall while the area around the counter sees the use of some elements like vinyls and speakers for a more music-themed approach that seamlessly blends together with the entire aesthetic going on in the dining hall. The entire dining hall is also well lit from the windows from the facade of the shop that faces out of the mall and into the mall. Dining tables at Benjamin Barker Recreational Club are arranged in a manner that would best seat patrons that are visiting the establishment in groups of four (4) pax. The food menu at Benjamin Barker Recreational Club is being split into sections dedicated to Appetisers and Mains, while the beverage menu is split into categories such as Coffee, Chocolate, Matcha, Cloud Series, Soft Drinks, Signature Fizz and Tea.

Skimming through the menu at Benjamin Barker Recreational Club, one of the items that really caught our attention whilst doing so would be the You Polognese Mian; also one of the few dishes available at Benjamin Barker Recreational Club that sees an Asian-Western fusion element. The menu describes the You Polognese Mian to come with elements such as Dao Xiao Mian, Spicy Bolognese, Sesame and Grana Panado; the dish is presented in a way where the spicy bolognese is shaped into a sphere and placed as a scoop atop the Dao Xiao Mian — the Grana Panado being shaved on top of the Dao Xiao Mian as well. Mixing everything up, there was enough Spicy Bolognese to go around the entire portion of Dao Xiao Mian; to be fair, the You Polognese Mian does fall a little short on its description of being inspired from the You Po Mian from the execution of the noodles — the knife-shaven noodles are undoubtedly tossed in chili oil, though perhaps not hot oil as how it would be in the standard mainland Chinese-style You Po Mian since the texture of the noodles still felt considerably soft; the way of it being executed being more similar to pasta. The Spicy Bolognese does come with minced beef with the bolognese carrying a note more akin to Sichuan-style chili peppers; carried a spicy kick that would tickle the tastebuds for those whom are able tolerate moderate levels of spiciness without numbing out the tastebuds.

During our visit, we had also tried the Steak & Frites; this would be the classic dish featuring beef steak that is served with shoestring fries — the menu at Benjamin Barker Recreational Club describes the Steak & Frites to come with elements such as 200gm Australian Sirloin Steak, Shoestring Fries, Charred Broccolini, and Porcini Mushroom Sauce. The Steak & Frites did come with a medium-rare consistency with a pinkish centre which is what was expected at that level of done-ness; very well-executed. The steak also did not come with fatty / veiny parts which could have been difficult to chew, while the meat itself also does not come tasting particularly gamey — we did like how there is that slight hint of smokiness and visual char from the grilling process while the steak is still adequately savoury and flavourful on its own; it also paired well with the Porcini Mushroom Sauce which was creamy with an adequately earthy note that further enhances the flavours of the steak. The shoestring fries were decent; sufficiently crisp and seasoned with salt for flavour – nothing too greasy, while the charred broccolini provided a crunch with a slight smokiness from the charred florets that we typically love about charred vegetables. Skipping coffee and instead going for one of the items that is listed in their Signature Fizz section that had caught our attention fairly early whilst skimming through the menu — the Tom Yam. Benjamin Barker Recreational Club‘s menu mentions the item to come with elements such as Lemongrass, Kaffir Lime, Chili and Tonic Water; a little bit of a mocktail of sorts. Given the elements included, the Tom Yam does replicate the flavours of the Thai Clear Tom Yam Soup in more ways than one — the aromatics, the zippiness and even the spiciness; not chokingly spicy, but still tickles the tastebuds. The only thing that marred the experience for the Tom Yam a little would be the slight lingering bitterness of the Tonic Water that comes after everything else.

It isn’t the first time that Benjamin Barker is giving their F&B concepts a bit of a refresh; in fact, the brand had been fairly involved in their F&B concepts from time to time — The Assembly Ground’s location at Cineleisure was also once home to Benjamin Barker Cafe; the concept that was eventually folded into their The Assembly Ground brand considering how The Assembly Ground was the more notable concept during its heydays at The Cathay between the two cafes that Benjamin Barker runs. There was also a brief period of time where Benjamin Barker operated B Burger; also within this very same grounds. Benjamin Barker Recreational Club does seem to be an attempt provide some sort of rejuvenation to what The Assembly Ground was about — integrating their F&B operations into their main business and simultaneously offering patrons with a renewed experience with some old favourites being served up with fusion / contemporary touch that is more aligned with the palates of cafe-hoppers these days. Prices of the dishes on their Mains section are start from $15 to $32; the lowest-priced being the Granola and the highest being the Steak & Frites; most other dishes hovers around the $22 to $25 price tag. Much like The Assembly Ground and even Benjamin Barker Cafe that came before it, Benjamin Barker Recreational Club definitely does speak to the cafe-hopping crowd; an option that works as well as being a spot for dates as it would be for gatherings / catch-ups over pasta, pizza, burgers and brunch fare that is typically found in a cafe whilst being situated in the slightly quieter corner of Orchard Road that is still pretty convenient to get to — with an evolved dining experience from their previous setups in the same space that keeps that relevant in current times.