Lunchtime at The Tiramisu Hero

After hearing so much excitement from the completion of The Tiramisu Hero cafe which was preceded by their best-selling tiramisu cakes in glass jars made by the famous blogger Peggy Chang and her partner, XL and I decided that we should pop by and look at the cafe! Bad news: we forgot to visit the washroom which was decorated so beautifully as shown by the owner's blog photos.

It took us 10 minutes to reach the cafe by foot from Farrer Park MRT station. As much as the facade of the cafe looks accessible and easy to spot, it is actually quite difficult to find if you are going by foot. I suggest you drive there because there is no closer bus stop to the cafe.

Upon arriving, we were greeted with green grass carpets and the front of the cashier was filled with other goodies that you could buy home, such as jewellery made from semi-precious stones, cute stationeries and even vintage lamps! The water station is self-service and free of charge, but only cold water is available. We were greeted by Peggy's mom (yes, I read her blog often enough to know how her mom looks like) and assigned to a seat near Sir Antonio's bobblehead that we took photos with later.

Bangers with mac and cheese

XL ordered bangers with mac and cheese ($17+), which is a combination of three sausages and mac and cheese at the bottom, and patsy mojito tea ($6+) which kind of tastes like some regular tea with a fancy name. The sausage on the right looks yummy but the other two looks like they have shrunk a lot... like how you get wrinkly fingertips after soaking your hands in the water for too long. I only tasted half of the sausage on the leftmost side and it wasn't smooth at all... the texture was like tearing apart tissue. It was dry and chewy and the appearance was the most unappealing amongst all sausages. For the mac and cheese, it tasted a tad strong for me and there was a slight sandy texture which could be the cheese powder. I didn't like it though because the cheese wasn't flowing at all! Maybe it appeals to different people in terms of texture and consistency but this dish was a no-no for me.

ChefChef curry baked rice

I got myself curry baked rice ($12+) which has sliced pepper roasted chicken, jasmine white rice and super thick and creamy and sweet and salty and full-bodied curry. Comparing this dish - which has Sir Antonio's logo next to it on the menu that indicates it is recommended item - to the bangers, I would choose curry baked rice over that. At least the sauce was smooth and texture was right, apart from the full-bodied flavour that left me kind of satiated after the fourth bite. I like the fact that rosemary and some oregano was added to the curry rice to make the dish fragrant besides letting the curry bringing out its own flavour. Though this dish appears big in the picture, trust me, a hungry girl can finish it with that glass of warm water.

We could not leave the cafe without trying their tiramisu; afterall it is called The Tiramisu Hero, right? So we got ourselves the NonnaHero ($7.50) in original tiramisu flavour which is a normal kaya glass jar size that is able to feed two girls whose tummies are full to 90%. The verdict is that apart from serving in a glass jar which is kind of the trend, I don't find the tiramisu any special at all. It tastes the same as the ones selling in neighbourhood bakery shops (sorry for being so mean but I just find it nothing exciting). I was expecting some flavour to "wow" me over but I guess I was being let down by Sir Antonio. I wanted to try their lava cake with ice cream ($12) but XL told me I shouldn't choose that because their specialty is tiramisu afterall; oh well, I would have made a good choice though.

So my thoughts on this cafe is just like the photo below...

My outfit matches Sir Antonio!

I presume it is the branding strategy that has attract flocks and flocks of curious customers and loyal readers of her blog to visit the cafe. Maybe it is the interior design and the simpilicity of the desserts that attracted passerbys too. I don't find this shop any special - other than the toilet and lighting on ladders and bedframe poles used as door handles - but I may come back again to try their lava cake and hopefully not being a super mean person by comparing it with my ultimate favourite lava cake from Wimbly Lu.

Directions to The Tiramisu Hero: 121 Tyrwhitt Road. From Farrer Park MRT station, come out from Exit H. Turn right and walk straight and pass by an indian temple until you see Petain Road. Turn right and walk along Petain Road all the way straight until you see a red building. Do not cross, but turn left and you will see The Tiramisu Hero.

Cupcakes by Goobycakes

For those who haven't heard about Goobycakes, you have to follow 'missgoob' on Instagram. Not only her creations are adorable, the cupcakes are tasty too! I havent tried Twelve Cupcakes or Plain Vanilla Bakery cupcakes so I can't compare. Rather, I feel.that cupcakes baked by the baker herself is much more sincere and moist and tasty than the cupcake franchises.

I have been following her updates since the beginning of the year, from having no shop to owning a little space at Bukit Timah Shopping Centre selling her lovely creations.

Few days ago, she updated on Instagram that she would be having a bake sale at SIM. I just had to get Angel and Liyin to quickly help me preorder it! Voila~ I got chocolate banana, cookies and cream, and red velvet cake flavours.

The chocolate banana flavour didn't have much of banana taste, but all three cupcakes had moist and soft chocolate cake bases which lended well with the frosting on top. My favourite one was the red velvet cake. I would have red velvet cupcake anytime over Coffee Bean's red velvet cake anytime! Of course, the cookies and cream flavour was equally tasty as well with the oreo flavour.

Maybe I should have gotten another boz of Berry Yoghurt, Horlicks and some other flavour.

Directions to Goobycakes: Bukit Timah Shopping Centre #04-19

Eatout at 49 Seats

My buddy of 10 years introduced this up-and-coming restaurant to me which is located at Kreta Ayer; a walkable distance from Outram Park MRT station from Exit H. It appears that the restaurant is called 49 Seats because it has exactly 49 seats in-house and if you had popped by when it's full house, well, too bad, you gotta sit outside and it's no longer like a real experience in 49 Seats!

Picture credits: hungrygowhere.com

It took us less than a minute to locate the signs and we made reservations beforehand, surprised that we could push forward reservations from 8pm to 7.15pm without any obligations from the staff. I'm not sure if the staff who served us is the boss or a normal staff because he is so fluent in talking and his accent sounded like some (okay I'm being very mean here) fashion stylist or, according to XL, her GP teacher. But you get what I mean? It's rare to find F&B crew with such fluency and professionalism like him and he does not have the Singaporean accent at all.

I researched beforehand that the tom yum seafood pasta ($14.90) and smoked duck pasta ($13.90)are the MUST-TRY foods. Without hesitation, I decided on the smoked duck pasta while XL got her tom yum seafood pasta so we could share. Her friend recommended cheese fries ($7.90)so she ordered it while I got one set of calamari rings ($9.90 for 10 pieces). To top it all off, we had apple ciders as the fruit beers ran out.

 As you can see that the lighting is not the best over there so I had overexposed the photos during editing - I can't tell apart my eyes and my eyeliner from the picture above. The atmosphere was rather lively because there is a family or two sitting behind us and a group of glamorously dressed young working adults sitting beside us. The staff were very attentive and foods were served in less than 20 minutes. In case you were wondering what brand of apple cider we had, it is called Somersby. XL said NTUC had offer on three bottles of apple cider but aiya... we pay for the atmosphere and not to come here and be aunties mah.

Sinful dinner after a tough week

Even for two starving girls, the calamari rings were below average and the cheese fries weren't as legendary as her friend had worshipped it to be - it tastes like KFC fries (crap I must stop making fast-food references). For my next visit, I would just order the pasta and try the dessert.

The tom yum seafood pasta was a tad spicy - maybe she added half a bottle of tabasco sauce when I ate it - and I don't think I can finish a plate. Thank goodness. It had a unique blend of tom yum and creaminess, much like a thick version of laksa soup base. The pasta wasn't as al dente but the sauce had compensated for it. Maybe when I'm on a spicy food binge I might try it.

My smoked duck pasta was daaaaaaaaa best! The consistency and cheesiness and milky flavour was just right and it didn't leave me satiated at all - well up to the last bite because I was rather bloated with the carbonation from apple cider. Although I would say I can prepare this dish as home with a cream base, spaghetti and frozen smoked duck from grocery store, I would come here because of the unique cream base they have. Therefore my conclusion is...

And a mandatory photo that XL requested so that she can let her friends know that she had visited 49 Seats.

Good place, good food worth the money and I'm hoping for a quieter ambience next time.

Directions to 49 Seats: Alight at Outram Park MRT station, head out of Exit H. Walk straight once you come up from the escalator, pass by Capitol Restaurant and Jean Yip Loft until you see Kreta Ayer Rd sign. Walk to the building opposite the indian temple and go to the left side of the building for 49 Seats.

Birthday at Hoshino Coffee

There was a mini celebration for Monica's birthday last Friday at Hoshino Coffee at Plaza Singapura over dinner. We gathered at about 6.15pm and afterwards, the queue was neverending! This is my second visit to Hoshino Coffee and I succumbed to the temptation of the tomato sauce omelette rice, just like what I ordered when I first visited with 大肥.

I'm gonna make a snappy review of the foods ordered but note that none of these pictures were taken by me but sourced from the internet:

Fuwa-fuwa

Fuwa-fuwa actually means bubbles bubbles in Japanese according to my friends. One of my friend ordered this and it jiggles like a fat cartoon character that I find it so adorable! Okay, cool it, it's just a food. So the top layer is made out of whipped egg or some egg custard and lightly baked. The bottom is filled with rice and ham and bacon and some mushrooms. I guess this dish is pretty light and good for someone who wants to leave some tummy space for the pancake souffle. My friend said she was hungry like three hours after dinner... so I guess it IS pretty light.

Lobster bisque

The freshness (as well as saltiness) of the bisque is absolutely tasty! Some people find it a tad salty - well lobster is caught from the sea so it should be salty since it is SEAfood isn't it? okay bad joke and moving along - but I find it alright. The portion is generous and the pasta is just right. Still, I couldn't quite bring myself to like this dish entirely because mark the rating of this food a little down due to the saltiness. So I'd say it is a 3 out of 5.

Tomato sauce omelette rice

My go-to food when I'm lazy to choose anything and it never fails me (maybe my tummy). This dish isn't suitable for strict Buddhists though, i.e. cannot eat anything that has beef in it, because the sauce contains beef gelatin. Don't worry, the staff always informs the customer beforehand so it's a plus point. Maybe I was too happy during my first visit that I didn't notice the measly amount of prawns and broccoli given, but I did notice it bright and clear this time: two pieces each, few cubes of cheese drowning in tomato sauce while omelette tops the rice. My omelette didn't fully cover the rice this time though, but who cares, it tastes so yummy. Hmm... I might say the omelette has a texture like the omelette in McDonald's big breakfast but a bit more cooked. The tomato sauce won't leave you jelak because it's the right mix of thickness and tomato-ishness.

Pancake souffle served with softee

You MUST try this... it's so fluffy and light! It comes with a dollop of whipped cream on the top and served with a cutesy little metal jug of maple syrup. We ordered it with softee - soft serve ice cream somewhat like McDonald's ice cream- and the combination of souffle with maple syrup or ice cream is anything but heavenly. Some say this is a crossover between a light cake and a pancake, and it definitely cannot be compared to McDonald's hot cakes - no no no! This is a light dessert, provided you don't order with the ice cream, that leaves me wanting for more. 

Oh my god, I'm so sorry for comparing this delectable dessert continuously to McDonald's food.

Matcha parfait

Am I the only one who feels that the green tea ice cream sold outside has more milky flavour than green tea flavour? This might be the one that has a perfect balance between both flavours and my avid-dessert-fan friend gave the chops and thumbs up to this. the matcha parfait comes in a tall sundae glass with cornflakes at the bottom, chestnuts, azuki (red bean) paste at the top, matcha jelly cubes, a salty/sweet cracker for topping and some slices of bananas. For someone who isn't an ice-cream fan, I would have to share this dessert with the girls after finishing a plate of tomato sauce omelette rice. I might just come back another time for the desserts only!

Last but not least, the hand-drip Hoshino coffee. It tasted a little bitter and sour but just like a normal long black coffee to me. How is it hand-dripped? I don't know. But what gets people go crazy over this 200 ml cup of coffee really boggles my mind. I'd rather drink something else.

Mini Shopping Haul - Scape

A happy girl is a pretty girl! And yes, I am much happier after going on an impromptu shopping spree at Scape and Cineleisure when my original intention was to get a handphone case for Mom and one more for my friend. I ended up buying three more cases for my S3 because my favourite bumblebee yellow Mercury case had turned black on the sides whereas my turquoise Mercury case didn't... how odd. But still, who could resist $2 jelly cases with 10 colours?! I'm not a fan of hard cases because my belief is:

Once you drop your phone, your phone and your case buang (are gone case) together

Sunnies that I had wanted for so long

Bought this bug-eye sunnies with gold details at flea market stall set up by Statement Muse for ten bucks. I have wanted these bug-eye sunnies since I saw them at Bugis St but my dearest said I looked like a pedo when I wear the mirror-finish sunnies. It's a good thing he doesn't know who is Elton John, given his limited knowledge of famous musicians, thank goodness... if not I would be facing a sarcasm debate with my twin.

Can't believe there is a flea market stall selling flats

Buying shoes was the third on my list - I wanted sandals actually - but it moved up to second place when I saw a stall beside Statement Muse and there was a great variety of moccassin-like flats. Too bad that the seller didn't have my size for the design I liked, so I got this brown one inside. A good (temporary) buy for someone with wide foot!

Cheap cheap flats!

Being the ultimate "mountain turtle" I was at market rates of cupcakes, I realized how extravagant it was to spend $17 on half a dozen of cupcakes and over $30 on a dozen of cupcakes. As I was contemplating to buy cupcakes for snacks without realizing the price, my friend convinced me that getting donuts is better in terms of the amount of fats and sugar he perceived required to burn off and in terms of price. Good thinking! I was turned off immediately and kekanan pusing (made a right turn) to BreadTalk to get Hello Kitty donuts! Okay... both are equally unhealthy but my guilt is cut down by a whole lot from the absence of cream in the pastry. Hmm... except for the amount of trans fat present in baked products. Too much of nutrition knowledge from the previous paper is stopping me from eating many foods... *gasp*

Not a fan of HK but I'm a sucker for cute things like these

And not to forget my phone cases in beige, pink and yellow! The LINE camera seems to always take pictures that makes my complexion look ultra smooth, or is it that true that happy girls are pretty girls?

More phone covers!

Atas Steamboat Lunch

Today is the day that I get to fully enjoy family day out after so many assignments and exams that made me miss out on family outings. Today is also my first weekend without 大肥 as he is enjoying two weeks of vacation at Taiwan before his school exchange semester begins at a local university over there (good life!). I miss all the yummy food like braised pork rice, pork dumpling, pepper bun and grilled scallops!

He has to buy a ticket soon!

Back to topic: we all headed to JPot at Vivocity - opposite Crystal Jade - for lunch and it was a atas version of steamboat. To order foods, iPads were placed at each table and you can decide if you want a whole pot or "split" the pot so that you can enjoy two broths in one pot. We had tom yum, JPot superior broth, silky porridge and herbal chicken soup. The tom yum broth tastes like what you will get in an instant tom yum noodle soup (well it isn't that bad) and the awesome thing is that I get to see chilies in the pot! The chilies make the broth look more authentic than just seasoning. Dipping kuay tiao - it is referred as pho in the iPad menu - in tom yum sauce is the best decision I ever made. Maybe I could do product development on tom yum kuay tiao?!

You definitely have to order the scallops, prawn balls, fried beancurd skin and thinly sliced pork to go with your soup. The scallops are so fresh and the prawn balls are handmade. For cooked foods, the seaweed tofu is good but not fantastic until you add with your own mix of chili sauce. At the sides, there are sauce stations where you can mix your own sauce and you can help yourself to the drinks at the drink station.

My little train announcer

Oops... I didn't take any photo of the food cos I was busy eating and the table was a mess. Here is a picture with Jay being full and wants to run all over the place. At this time, we were 95% full and couldn't carry on except to finish up the remaining foods.

Spastic little Jay and his brother

Jay pulled me towards this red knight from King Louis Restaurant and wanted me to take a photo of him and the knight... then his older brother joined in the fun.

Directions to JPot (Vivocity): Level 1, at the corner where Marks and Spencer is. The whole lot of us, seven adults and two children, spent about $200. It was worth the money if you are looking for kids-friendly environment and their staff are very helpful and attentive. I would go back... if I have saved up enough! Remember to go in big groups!

A Sunday Dinner and Monday Date

Lesson and assignment discussion ended at 12pm and off I go to meeting 大肥 for an unusual Monday date! We planned to eat ice cream, drop by Kooka cafe and play arcade games like little kids. I even suggested Victor's Kitchen for lunch but I presume 70% the menu would be gone by the time we got seats... so we settled for Astons at Bugis+ (previously known as Illuma).

We were starving from the train delays so we picked the yummiest item and the one he had been craving for since last weekend - pork ribs. I ordered the pork chops and it was so tasty and it had just the right juiciness and chewiness. But of course it couldn't be compared to the one we had at Marche Vivocity where the thickness of one pork chop is equivalent to two of Aston's. The thought of it still makes me salivate! Both of us got mac n cheese and garden salad for side dishes and it seemed like everything on Monday fell perfectly in place and chased away my Monday blues. It was the best way to unwind and relax with him before I start mugging for exams.

His pork ribs

My pork chops

I was excited for the Steve Jobs movie, even he was rather excited too... until we finished the movie with a crappy ending. The whole movie is about how he is an - sorry to Steve Jobs up above - asshole for betraying his friends and firing employees just to make sure his company succeeds. Worst of all, the ending felt like as if his story couldn't be told finish by 1.5 hours. Like, someone just ejected your DVD out of the player without you realizing. Yeah, that's how horrible the movie was. Kudos to the casting crew who managed to get actors that resemble 90% like the original characters. I would say Ashton Kutcher's portrayal of Jobs is like watching Kristen Stewart's one-and-only pained expression in "Twilight". Sorry for being brutally honest.

The "Jobs" movie is definitely a movie... wait for it... worth to watch as TV movie premiere on Channel 5 or HBO. Trust me, don't waste your money.

Oh yeah, I dropped by Chef's Hat at Hougang Green for dinner on Sunday with family and I would recommend this place for no-frills and yummy western food! It is a cozy restaurant that caters to about 30 people at most at one time and the chef cooks all the food by himself. It is an open kitchen so you can look over the cashier to peek at what he's doing. My dinner was grilled chicken and prawn aglio olio along with top up of pumpkin soup and calamansi drink. The aglio olio was a tad spicy from the chili padi and a little oilier than I expected, but it didn't leave me jelak or anything... rather I get hungry after eating the food. What's wrong?!

Grilled chicken and prawn aglio olio

Sis wanted to try the chocolate lava cake - and so do I - but the moment I told the cashier I wanted to order desserts, she told me it was sold out. WHAT?! Okay, fine, I shall sulk and head to Wimbly Lu once again to get my chocolate lava cake fix. We settled for Belgian (hmm not really) waffles with cookies and cream and walnut ice cream from New Zealand. The walnut ice cream definitely taste bad... real bad... because the walnuts were rancid and there is this unpleasant "plastic" taste lingering. 

Victor's Kitchen & Kooka Cafe

After learning our lesson from last time (greeted by 10% of the total menu when we visited Victor's Kitchen at 3.30pm on a weekday), we decided to reach there as early as we can. We reached at 11am which was quite a close shave before the lunch crowd comes in at 11.45am. I didn't take any photos cos I was busy eating from the giddy bus ride and an empty stomach - I cannot take long bus rides without proper breakfast. 

By the time we got there, 40% of the full menu was cancelled out so it was better than last time. We ordered minced meat porridge with dried vegetables, siew mai, har gao, deep fried prawn dumpling, fried beancurd skin wrapped with prawns, hot chrysanthemun tea and HK iced tea. The names which are bolded are the yummy ones. 

The porridge was a little more watery than I had expected for a Cantonese chok... something like a crossover between Teochew porridge and Cantonese chok. It is good in a way that I still have space for other foods served later. As compared to a Cantonese chok, the one opposite my house, it has a clean aftertaste and doesn't stick onto the mouth like a sticky porridge would. A sticky porridge tends to make me thirsty - maybe the MSG? - and I'll end up full by water. Overall, the porridge is a good "base" to go along with the heavy dimsums. 

I didn't like the siew mai and fried beancurd skin wrapped with prawns because there is this "pork taste" that leaves me jelak and turned off after a while. I love the har gao and deep fried prawn dumpling (or wanton) cos it is so full with prawns and filled with a lot less pork than the two dishes I mentioned earlier. Don't expect the fried dumplings to be half of your palm size because less is more and you savour it... not gobble it! Chrysanthemun tea is alright and I haven't got to drink HK iced tea cos I was busy eating.

Directions to Victor's Kitchen: Take 147 (leaving Hougang Bus Interchange) and sit and relax until you see Hotel Ibis Bencoolen, alight at the stop when the bus turns to the right to alight at Sunshine Plaza. If you are reaching there by foot, locate Hotel Ibis and you will see Sunshine Plaza. 

From Victor's Kitchen, my trusty Google Map led me to Kooka Cafe along Purvis Street. It took us a 15 minute walk to locate it and to digest our oily brunch. Kooka cafe is a relaxing, dim-litted cafe that serves light brunch, pastries and coffee. The cutleries and iced water are self-service and they sell art pieces that are hung on the walls. 

I ordered Pear & Almond Tart and Long Black while Xiaoli ordered Blueberry Cheesecake (MUST TRY) and Homemade Iced Tea.

Blueberry Cheesecake and Homemade Iced Tea. Credits to Xiao Li

Blueberry Cheesecake was light and its accompaniment of blueberries just pop in your mouth! Have it with some fresh cream and it tastes so amazing. I could have this all by myself and not feel sick at all.

Pear & Almond Tart

For your coming visit to Kooka Cafe, if you had a heavy lunch or not, you must try the Pear & Almond Tart. It is light and not diabetically-sweet. Just remember to eat with the fresh cream SPARINGLY otherwise you will start missing them :(

Long Black on top right corner with delicious Lemon Biscuit

I have never loved fresh cream so much before.

Fika and Ah Chew

It has been almost a year since I last blogged! Many thanks to the busy semester in school and thank goodness for completing junior year. These two weeks was given for us to fully relax, rejuvenate and recharge for the upcoming senior year... then I'll graduate at the end of next year!

Let's get onto food review(s) shall we?

The usual group, a.k.a. Julie & Co., 10 of us went to Fika to celebrate Elijah's 21st birthday over dinner.

Happy birthday Elijah!

Julie said that everyone would have to dress fancy since we are eating at a fancy place but I guess everyone dressed as smart casual except for her. Here's my take on fancy NAILS. No outfit photos 'cos I'm not an OOTD (Outfit Of The Day) person.

As usual, everyone was running late and we're thankful, yet very embarrassed, that Fika opened the second storey seats just for us 'cos we are a big group and first floor was rather crammed. At first impression I thought Fika would be decorated with a lot of messy paisley prints like a cottage wooden house in Sweden but I had totally forgotten that IKEA is from Sweden too and it turned out that the restaurant was washed in white, simple designs yet looked very cosy and homely to be at. It is definitely a place to chill out and have good (and big portions) of Swedish food.

Five of us arrived first so we went ahead to order food. Everyone, except me, are able to eat beef so they ordered Swedish Homemade Meatballs ($19.50) and Swedish Pasta Bake ($17.90) to share. I can only drool at the generous amount of cheese in the baked pasta (no photo! :( )but I was turned off immediately when the oil dripped onto my napkin and turned into a light yellow colour (GASP! THE OIL!).

Swedish Homemade Meatballs. Credits to Fika Cafe

They serve large portions, usually meant to be shared if a group of girls are dining for the first time; quality is food is superb; and the ambience is calming. Most of us ordered crepes as recommended by Ziana and the food was so yummy that money was well spent! I ordered Skagen Crepe ($17.90) and its filling is a mix of Swedish fresh water shrimps, smoked salmon, fresh dill, mayonnaise and topped with fish roe. Don't be fooled by the word "shrimps" into thinking that they are hei bi (dried shrimps) 'cos they are very succulent!

Swedish Homemade Meatballs. Credits to Fika Cafe

Since it's my first time trying Swedish food and the crepe I ordered looked very similar to a food that can be found commonly in sushi shops, I would automatically compare to it right? The filling tastes similar to the crabstick or lobster salad/mayo sushi you get for $1.60 outside but the mayonnaise used in the crepe isn't thick and the shrimps give a firm bite - succulent - that doesn't make me feel jelak after finishing one portion of the crepe.

Skagen crepe

See that bunch of red roes on top of the crepe? It tastes so much better than the fish roe you get at sushi shop... I mean isn't it obvious? You get the food quality for the price you pay. I would say the roe is a little saltier as compared to the orange fish/shrimp roe used in sushi and it has to be savoured bit by bit.

If you are a beef-lover - and this advice is coming from a person who doesn't eat beef - you must try the Roast Beef Crepe than the Pytt i Panna (diced beef with potatoes, onions, egg and beetroot slices) cos they were all raving about it. Downside is that the salad dressing was a tad oily for me and I would prefer if they had replaced it with vinaigrette to make it more appetizing. Their desserts looked yummy but I haven't had the chance to try them and might as well save up since the birthday boy is treating us to dessert!

Overall, I would recommend friends to try this place and I would come back for the good service and savoury crepes and definitely the dessert! Money is well-spent :)

Directions to Fika (Beach Road): From Bugis MRT station, exit until you see BHG. Walk along Victoria St, walk through Golden Landmark, cross the road to Arab St and walk all the way to the end. You should see Fika at the shophouses on your left.

Next, we headed to Ah Chew's dessert at Liang Seah St and gossiped away.

Deciding what's nice

Most of us ordered Grass Jelly with Watermelon/Longan/Lychee 'cos we were rather full to our throat from Fika. It was a refreshing dessert with the grass jelly not-so sweet and has a firm bite and instead the sweetness was contributed by the syrup and watermelon. I can't remember the price exactly but I do remember that prices start from $2.80 and can go as high as $8.80 for Hashima.

Grass jelly with watermelon

Directions to Ah Chew's dessert: From Mos Burger at Bugis Junction, jaywalk (whoops but be very careful) to Liang Seah St until you see Yu Kee Duck Rice. Walk along the shophouses on the right side until you see the signboard.

Fabulous Red Velvet Cake

I finally got the chance to visit Fabulous Baker Boy for their famous red velvet cake! *does a little happy dance* Today was filled with great food and great company with Charlotte, my pretty and sweet friend from Changi Youth Ambassadors back in poly days. Ah... I miss the times spent at airport so much though it felt more like an 3.5 hour torture by being a mobile information counter. 

Apple Cider Cake, Ab Fab Red Velvet Cake & Garlic Fries

Cakes were going at $7.50 per slice and there are snack foods to order. We arrived at about 12.30pm - the glaring sun was unbearable but the open space concept made great ventilation - and ordered Apple Cider Cake, Garlic Fries ($9.50) and Red Velvet Cake. Charlotte wanted to try the Nutty Monkey but we wanted to try more flavours and the staff said the Nutty Monkey cake is a tad heavy.

The drinks and garlic fries were served first, followed by the cakes. The garlic fries were normal fries garnished with garlic bits and salt and pepper and I would say it taste okay... not something I would order the next time I go there because it doesn't seem to be worth the money. Apple cider cake was rather light and refreshing after I had so many bites of the red velvet cake.

Oh my goodness... you CANNOT COMPARE the red velvet cake to the one I eat at Coffee Bean. The cake is so fluffy and soft and as much as I thought that a layer of chocolate would add immense sweetness and chocolate overload to the already sweet cake, it was balanced out nicely! Coffee Bean red velvet cakes have crumbly texture that leaves quite a mess after eating. 

We sat there and chat over a few hours. Overall it is a quiet - not so quiet when a bunch of aunties sat next to our table - and relaxing place to be. You can pick the sofa seats too but I wouldn't recommend that during lunch hours cos those seats are close to the sun.

Directions to Fabulous Baker Boy: From Clarke Quay MRT station, walk to the mrt exit where you will see Cheers. Walk across the bridge, cross road to MCYS building, walk along the path until you see "The Foothills" entrance. Enter from there and walk further up to find Fabulous Baker Boy.

Two Decades Old

Often I've been part of the crowd that does surprises and love to see the reaction of birthday guy or girl when we pop out of the blue and shout "Happy birthday!". Yesterday it was my turn to be the birthday girl and boy, I almost though the surprise and the big group of people seated together were the friends of a couple walking ahead of us up the staircase.

So my day started out by meeting 大肥 at White Sands as I was lugging a big bag of clothes to change for staying over. Something tells me it isn't normal to see him hiding his right hand behind his back... I thought, hmm maybe another gold wire bookmark or a birthday card? But nope, he fished out a small bouquet of yellow and orange tinted tulips and smiled from ear to ear.

I believe my reaction was rather underwhelming cos I choked out "Wow... okay" as I took over the bouquet. I mean, don't blame me, I'm not a fan of receiving flowers everyday like how guys believe girls would like. Yes, receiving flowers are very sweet because not many people does this nowadays and can you believe the price of a small bouquet these days? I'd rather my boy spend his money on something more practical (like feeding my tummy... muahahaha!) but the thought of him spending a little fortune to get a classic bouquet is heart-warming. I had to comfort him repeatedly due to my underwhelmed response.

He told me that when he asked the florist for tulips to be given to me, the florist replied,

"Boy, buy rose la! Cheaper and romantic. Tulips (are) expensive you know."

But he went ahead with my favourite tulips. Don't hate on me but I feel roses are over-rated - I rather get something like tulips or sunflowers (those singular ones with a big stalk). We had Pepper Lunch for brunch (yes... despite my cough) and I was reminded by him to carry this bouquet wherever I go. Then we went back to settle down at his house and lazed around to watch TV until it was time to wash up and get ready to celebrate my birthday by having dinner at The Loft!

Gigantic phone which has all of his attention

Yes! Unglam/fatty shot!

Fattest period of our lives

Honestly I wasn't expecting much for my birthday every year because it feels like passing another day and I don't feel like there is a spotlight shining on me wherever I go. Birthdays are special days whereby I could treat myself by retail therapy and indulge in sinful foods despite my weak immune system. So I thought, hey, my boyfriend had made plans to eat at this posh-looking place and spending my special day with him at his house cuddling and being cosy doesn't seem so bad afterall.

I asked if he had made reservations and he said the place isn't packed so there is no need for reservations, then again I thought "hmm why wouldn't a restaurant be packed on a Saturday and considering it is located at an atas area?". Anyway, my suspicions were quickly erased once I walked up the stairs and heard a loud

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU~

I got shocked for a moment and thought it was for the couple walking in front of us... until I saw Cheryl's wide grin. And~ as usual I teared up a little and was so glad that all of them are here. We quickly placed our orders and halfway through the dinner, Sophia and Cheryl felt their food was undercooked... it was either too mushy or the pasta wasn't as al dente was expected. In overall I'd say the pork rack, fish & chips and mushroom tarts were the better ones in the menu.

Pork Rack

Grilled Chicken

Bitchy eye-roll

As we finished the dinner, Soph and Cheryl said they had to go to the toilet and left the table. After I went to the toilet I realize "Eh... didn't they say they went to the toilet but it seems like there's only one cubicle here?" I gave them the benefit of doubt that there were more toilets downstairs...

And they came up the stairs with mixed berries tart from Fruit Paradise as my birthday "cake"!

Love you guys! :*

Thank you guys for the amazing surprise and company! I treasure our friendship from the past 7 years and I know you all will be my lifelong and crazy and hyper friends :) Additionally I'm glad that Adin was roped into this birthday dinner.

To my dear who had been tolerating my nonsensical temper and always-starving tummy, 辛苦你了！You would never expect a girl at my size to have such a big appetite and you've spoiled me for good. I like that we are approaching the end of the year because the next event we are celebrating is our anniversary and your birthday. Also, you are so good as keeping my suspicions at bay while you carry out the surprise with them (you even told them I like Fruit Paradise!). Or am I just too blur to notice? Well... at least I am not paranoid!

Directions to The Loft @ Katong: It is located behind Roxy Square and next to 328 Katong Laksa