When we talk about local dessert shops in Singapore, Ah Chew Desserts, Mei Heong Yuen, Ji De Chi and Dessert First are some of the front-runners.

There are also other newcomers such as Jin Yu Man Tang Dessert Shop at East Coast Road and Chow Zan Dessert worth taking note of.

(Photo credit: @stormscape)

Chow Zan Dessert is newly opened at North Bridge Road, located near Heng Long Teochew Porridge and opposite Monarchs & Milkweed Gelato. The name “Chow Zan” is a colloquial term which means “extremely good”.

The humble-looking dessert shop brings about a selection of traditional hot and cold desserts – some with modern twists, ranging from White Chendol ($4.00), Mango Sago, ($4.20), Black Sesame Paste ($3.50), and Peach Gum with Milk ($4.50).

(Peach gum is the resin from peach and Chinese wild peach trees, branded to be “natural and healthy” and allows collagen to be quickly absorbed into the human body.)

Looking at their menu, some of the other recommended items include Red Bean Paste with Orange Peel ($3.50), Eight Treasure Cheng Tng ($4.50), Ginger Milk Pudding ($4.00), Red Green Ruby with Sago ($4.00), Mango Sticky Rice ($6.90), and Chilled Brownie ($5.00).

Seems to be a mix of local, Thai and even some Western desserts.

I was recommended the White Chendol ($4.00), also available in Red Bean and Durian versions ($4.50, $5.50). Fairly interesting with a differentiating factor.

What you get are these white coconut strips with a firmer bite instead of the usual pandan ones. But they would also mean there won’t be that particular pandan fragrance and may not photograph as striking as the typical Chendol.

The shaved ice was quite smooth, topped coconut cream fresh-tasting with mildly-sweet red bean. Even though there was some gula melaka added, the dessert was thankfully not too sweet.

(Photo credit: @stormscape)

Another interesting item would be their Yam Paste with Pumpkin Puree and Gingko ($4.50) aka Orh Nee. As there is no pork or lard used in their menu, they use shallot oil instead to mix with the yam to make it smoother.

Could tell that they put in some effort in the presentation with the topping of bright-orange Australian pureed pumpkin.

Since they are newly opened and have an extensive menu, Chow Zan Dessert has the potential but possibly need to fine-tune some of the more average-tasting desserts, and work on offering one or two more unique specialties that would be well-received.

Chow Zan Dessert
801 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198769
Opening Hours: 12pm – 11pm (Mon – Sun)

Other Related Entries
Jin Yu Man Tang Dessert Shop (East Coast Road)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Call this the ”Swee Choon” effect, but there are quite a number of dim sum restaurants that can be found along Jalan Besar Road – Dim Sum Haus, Johore Bahru Ye Zhi Mei Handmade Bao, and Sum Dim Sum. (Plus The Dim Sum Place at North Bridge Road is not too far away.)

Sum Dim Sim 心点心 is located right opposite Berseh Food Centre, of short walking distance from ‘competitor’ Swee Choon.

It is opened every day of the week till 1:30am, which is good news for those who want to find a dim sum alternative (especially on Tuesday when Swee Choon is closed.)

The restaurant takes on a more modern and pretty approach, with tiffany-blue accents with double-floors which can entertain quite a number of diners.

Its menu is extensive with steamed, pan-fried, deep-fried, baked items, noodles, porridge, rice and desserts.,

Most baskets and plates are priced ranging in the $4 – $6 region.

Slightly pricier than those in the vicinity, but the dining environment is more comfortable and cosy with friendly service (ie no fierce aunties).

The recommended items include Fresh Prawn Dumpling with Asparagus, Wolfberry with Mushroom Dumpling, Bamboo Roll with Oyster Sauce, Spare Ribs with Black Bean Sauce, Golden Custard Bun, Pan-Fried Carrot Cake, Signature Hot & Spicy Dumpling, and Deep Fried Yam Dumpling.

The very one item to get would be the Baked Crispy Pork Bun ($6) – that item which is probably Tim Ho Wan’s most iconic.

You would notice the slight green hue on Sum Dim Sum’s version, the reason being there is pandan added. Therefore, you may even smell that delicate sweet fragrance as you take small bites.

The crust was beautifully crisp and not overly flaky, with moist fillings. Probably one of the best versions I had in Singapore, but I did wish there were more meat fillings.

Another interesting feature would be the Hong Kong style noodles, such as Wanton Noodles ($6.50), Beef Noodles ($7.80), and Fresh Prawn Dumpling Noodles ($7.00).

I was surprised to receive soup versions of those, as I was half expected a dry-tossed plate (perhaps they could have indicated in the menu as it was not stated.)

Nevertheless, the Beef Brisket Noodles ($7.80) momentarily brought me back to Hong Kong with those tender and flavourful slices, springy noodles (though mildly alkaline tasting), and clear but tasty soup.

While I didn’t think that the dim sum in general were hotel quality yet (the likes of Wah Lok and Hai Tien Lo), they were certainly better than the average.

A place I do not mind returning again and again.

Expenditure per pax was about $20, more than what you may pay down the road, but in good comfort and faster waiting time – at least for now (before word gets around).

Sum Dim Sum 心点心
161 Jalan Besar Singapore 208876
Tel: +65 9005 9381
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 1:30am (Mon – Sun)

Other Related Entries
Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant (Jalan Besar)
The Dim Sum Place (North Bridge Road)
Tim Ho Wan (Great World City)
Paradise Dynasty (Suntec City)
East Bistro 東小馆 (myVillage)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Other than being known as ‘The Lee Hsien Loong constituency’ or ‘Westerner bridge’ area, I must say Ang Mo Kio is a rather colourful place with that kampong spirit – people are friendly and sincere, and cafes are mostly the down-to-earth types.

I have extended the previous Ang Mo Kio cafe guide to include many new entrants that are under-the-radar, such as Grillhood Café Acoustic Café.

Obsessive Chocolat Desire (OCD) Cafe
529 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, #01-2353, Singapore 560529
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Mon – Thu), 12pm – 1am (Fri – Sat), 2pm – 10pm (Sun)

OCD Cafe Opens Till 1AM Fri & Sat
Not Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, but Obsessive Chocolat Desire – for the love of both chocolates and ice cream.

The pricing is wallet-friendly, plus their ice creams are not categorised into normal and premium flavours like many other ice cream parlours.

Ice cream is priced at $3.60 for a single scoop, $7 for double scoops, additional $1 for cone and $4 for a normal or sesame waffle.

16 flavours are available at any one time ranging from their signature chocolate flavours (as their name implies) to classic ones such as Vanilla and Strawberry Cheesecake.

The highlight is definitely their five choices of chocolate ice cream from different origins: Madagascar 33% Milk, Ecuador 40% Milk, Belgium Dark 60%, Brazil 72% Dark, Africa 85% Dark.

The Sesame Waffle ($4) was an interesting find since it is not common to find one in Singapore.

Made with a crispy exterior contrasted with fluffy interior, the sesame waffle was fragrant on its own and complemented well with the richer ice cream flavours.

Galettes
529 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 #01-2365, Singapore 560529
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Sun – Thurs), 12pm – 11pm (Fri) 10am – 11pm (Sat), 10am – 10pm (Sun)

Unique Crepe Café Serving Crepe Suzette And Crepe Cakes
The creperie serves up a comprehensive menu resolving around the French crepe, with sweet and savoury creations, and crepe cakes.

They don’t just buy or source their crepes from elsewhere. You can see their service staff make their crepe cakes LAYER by LAYER – and that is likely to take hours.

I had the Crepe Cake instead ($6.50) with flavours of Crème Brulee, Dark Chocolate, Lemon and Strawberry.

The cake was on the lighter end and not too sweet, with beautiful thin layers. I am comparing this with the other familiar brand, and I wished that the cream could have been smoother and more delicate.

While the café serves up a small repertoire of bites such as Paprika Fries ($6.50), Spam Fries ($8) and Sweet Potato Fries ($7), I thought that the Har Cheong Kai Wings ($8 for 6 pieces) were note-worthy with that distinct prawn paste taste, and juicy, well-marinated meat. Galettes (Ang Mo Kio)

PocoLoco
408 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 #01-779 Singapore 560408
Opening Hours: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 12pm – 10pm (Sat – Sun)

Affordable Italian Food With Hearty Pastas
You might have just walked past this Italian restaurant at Block 408 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 with its unassuming exterior.

A quick glance of its menu, and I saw that its basic pasta dishes of Aglio Olio and Pesto were priced at $9, while the higher range of Manzo – pasta with beef in truffle cream sauce; Granchio – crabmeat in pink sauce; Zafferano – seafood pasta with saffron sauce; and Lasagna were all $12.

I had the Granchio ($12) and the pasta came al dente, with generous portion of sweet crab meat swimming within, all tossed in a cream sauce added with tomatoes.

PocoLoco managed to strike a balance for the sauce, otherwise it could have been too rich and heavy, or diluted.

For a sweet ending to the meal, the signature desserts here include Crème Brulee ($5), Tiramisu ($5), and Lava Cake ($6). PocoLoco (Ang Mo Kio)

The Workbench Bistro
Blk 332 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 #01-1881 Singapore 560332
Tel: +65 6452 0810
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Mon – Thurs), 12pm – 11pm (Fri), 10am – 11pm (Sat), 10am – 10pm (Sun)

Lava Burger and Salted Egg Pasta at Ang Mo Kio
The Workbench Bistro is one of Ang Mo Kio’s ‘longest’ standing hipster café, serving some interesting dishes from Egg Lava Beef Burger, Crab Cake Burger, Salted Egg Chicken Pasta, and S’moreffles (S’more + Waffles).

The Egg Lava Beef Burger is popular for its juicy beef patty, grilled bacon and cheese. But the highlight is the lava egg in the middle of the patty.

The Workbench Bistro also offers MANY items which includes salted egg – Salted Egg Chicken Pasta ($15.90), Salted Egg Chicken Burger ($16.90), Salted Egg Wings and Salted Egg Potato Wedges.

The Salted Egg Chicken Pasta ($15.90) includes crispy chicken chop over linguine tossed in raw salted egg, curry leaves and chilli padi.

The cutlet complemented the pasta much better than the Ver 1.0 (where grilled chicken was used), and the pieces were crisp and juicy.

Grillhood
603 Ang Mo Kio Ave 5, #01-2661 Block 603, Singapore 560603
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Serving Mains & Pastas From $7.90 Onwards
Located at the heart of a matured estate, Grillhood Café is the place to visit if you are looking for a ‘chillout’ spot with home-recipe cafe dishes at affordable prices.

Some of the prices you are looking at: Veggie Pasta ($7.90), Classic Tuna Sandwich ($7.90), Spicy Chicken Burger ($8.90), Cajun Chicken ($9.90), and Pan-seared Barramundi ($12.90).

Maybe they are a dollar or two more expensive than the kopitiam Western food stall, but portions are good and this is an air-conditioned environment.

What was recommended included the Chicken Quesadilla ($8.90) with sautéed onions and capsicum; Pan-Seared Barramundi ($12.90) served with wedges, garden salad and salsa; and Spicy Chicken Burger ($8.90) with sides of side of tortilla chips.

In addition, you can top-up $5.90 to get a soup of the day or coffee with a single scoop of ice cream. Grillhood Café (Ang Mo Kio)

Acoustic Cafe
421 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 #01-1159 Singapore 560421
Opening Hours: 10am – 7pm (Mon, Wed – Sun), Closed Tues

Music-Centred Café At Ang Mo Kio Selling Brookie
Perhaps even residents of Ang Mo Kio may not know there is an Acoustic Café at Avenue 10. The name would suggest a café that is passionate about music as much as coffee.

At first glance, you might think the panelling on the wall in this 10-seater cozy café is merely part of the decoration.

Their recommended food and drinks include Brownie ($3.50), Brookie ($4.00, $1 more for Vanilla Ice Cream), Mocha ($4.70), Lavender Tea Latte ($4.50), and Acoustic Milk Latte ($3.00).

However, they are actually acoustic panels, manufactured from high density glass wool and coated with a special coating on the surface to absorb unnecessary noise and echoes.

The one item that caught my eye though was the Brookie ($4), a 2-in-1 combination of a classic Brownie and Cookie.

I was expecting the cookie to be crispy and hard, but it wasn’t. Slightly chewy in texture, this reminded me of the Subway cookies.

The brownie part was chocolatey and crispy on the outside, while soft on the inside. This could do with an ice-cream pairing for that extra oomph. Acoustic Café (Ang Mo Kio)

GRUB – Bishan Park
510 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 (Bishan Park 1) Singapore 569983
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 9am – 10pm (Sat – Sun)

Burger Bistro at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park
Although it seems for non-drivers, many families do not mind coming all the way here because the scenery is beautiful at this café-restaurant within Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park.

After crossing a bridge from the carpark, you see families taking slow strolls, children playing with balloons, happy dogs being walked, and just an almost entire view of lush green. Very refreshing and relaxing for a weekend visit.

Opened by Cookyn’s Mervyn Phan and team, Grub’s most popular items are burgers with local twist such as the Har Cheong Gai Burger ($15), Grilled Satay Burger ($15), and Grilled Chicken Burger with terikyaki-glaze chicken thigh and enoki fritter ($15).

Also look out for the Mala Xiang Guo Burger ($17) which we created for the Toggle programme “Foodie Makeover 美食大翻新” – it has become a permanent item on the burger menu.

Essentially, it includes many ‘essential’ ingredients of Mala Xiang Guo such as luncheon meat, sliced pork, lotus root slices, and spicy Szechuan pepper corn sauce. The purplish-red bun is due to the beetroot included in the burger. Mala Xiang Guo Burger (Grub Bishan)

Denzy
506 Bishan Street 11, #01-404, Singapore 570506 (Bishan MRT)
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10.30pm (Mon – Sun)

Gelato Cafe Found At Bishan Bus Interchange Offering Unique Flavours
Located in the Bishan heartland right beside the bus interchange, Denzy offers a cozy and fuss-free space with about 20 seats.

All gelato is churned in-house, with ingredients made from scratch.

For example, the almond and macadamia nut pastes are created by stone grinding for 10 hours; while the yoghurt is sous-vide to make yoghurt based gelato.

Similar to other ice cream and gelato bars, Gelato (Single $3.60/ Double $6.40/ Premium flavour additional $1), Waffles ($5), Cone (additional $0.50) and Coffee (Black $4, White $4.50) are offered on their menu.

What makes them different from other ice cream places is the variety of flavours here, some of which are quite less-commonly-seen and interesting.

Instead of classic flavours such as Vanilla, Thai Milk Tea and Rum & Raisin, signature flavours include Persian Prince made from almond and saffron; Blondie Beach using white chocolate, lime & salt; and Elderflower Mojito Sorbet which is actually non-alcoholic. Denzy (Bishan)

Shamrock Café
5 Clover Way, Clover Park Singapore 579079
Tel: +65 6352 5515
Opening Hours: 9am – 6pm (Mon – Fri), 9am – 6:30pm (Sat), Closed Sun

Under The Radar Cafe At Clover Way Near Bishan
The name “Shamrock” is perhaps inspired by the road the café is on, as “shamrock” is a young sprig of clover.

Clover Way? It is a secondary road at Bishan, somewhat near Marymount MRT.

Their “Eat and Treats” menu features a small selection of bakes such as Black Pepper Chicken Pie ($3.60), Curry Chicken Pie ($3.60), Cakes ($5.80 – $6.80), Gelato ($3.80 for a scoop), Cold Pressed Juice ($5.80 – $6.50) and Waffles ($5.50, $9.00 with gelato).

They have also included other mains such as Cold Tom Yam Pasta ($8.90 a la carte, set meal with $12.50).

Bober Tea – Bishan
200 Bishan Road, #01-01, Singapore 579827 (Located at Bishan MRT Station Exit C next to 7-11)
Tel: +65 6262 0407
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Popular Bubble Tea Shop At Bishan MRT
Artisanal bubble tea brand Bober Tea 御波坊, though a relatively new comer in the growing bubble tea industry in Singapore, has gained quite positive reputation and reviews.

Though they are loved for their Brown Sugar Crème Brûlée Milk with boba pearls, they have a plethora of other creative drinks.

Other must-try original creations are Brown Sugar Roasted Oolong Milk, Salted Caramel Milk Tea, Hokkaido Chizu Matcha to Black Sugar Konjac Jelly Milk Tea.

These chewy bobas are freshly made at their outlets. That QQ-texture chewiness is a result of cooking at 65°C for optimal chewiness and soaking for two hours to absorb all the brown sugar goodness.

If you enjoy pearls with a texture just in between, theirs are both soft and chewy. Bober Tea (Bishan)

Other Related Entries
10 NEW Cafes At Orchard Road
10 Minimalist White Cafes In Singapore
12 Best Soft Serve Ice Cream Shops In Singapore
10 Must-Try Burger Places In Singapore
10 Most Instagrammable Cafes In Singapore

Fans who were sad due to Stateland Café’s ‘closure’ need not be too disappointed, as the team has reopened with a “Brotherbird Coffeehouse” concept.

The location is the same at 32 Bali Lane, and this is an extension of the previous Brother Bird which was popular for its softserve, donuts, and hybrid mochi croissants.

The owners thought that as Stateland Cafe was established 7 years ago, it would be appropriate time for a revamp.

It is intended to branch out into two different concepts – a coffeehouse serving inexpensive coffee and croissants; and brunch and comfort food dining place.

In case you are wondering why is it call Brother Bird, one of the Stateland Café’s owners is nicknamed “bird” because he likes eating granola.

This is a two-storey space although the upper level is still under renovation. It is planned to open during late February.

The lower level contained an industrial-grey minimalist look (reminding me of Lucid at Hamilton Road) of two sections – the pastry counter and the coffee side, with a small seating area.

The display contained more than 10 different types of pastries.

There are basically four different groups you can expect – Twice-baked croissant, the regular croissants (some pumped with fillings), chocolate series, and Danish pastries.

Brother Bird continues to introduce seasonal bakes, such as the current Hae Bee Hiam & Cheese Danish ($5), “Tang Yuan” Pastry ($5) with coconut mochi and adzuki bean, “Nian Gao” & Yam ($5) with yam fillings, Mandarin Orange Meringue Croissant ($4), and Mango Sticky Rice ($5) with fresh mango fillings, coconut mochi in a croissant topped with coconut flakes.

If you are heading for the staples, available are Earl Grey Tea Croissant ($5), Churros Croissant ($4), and Double Chocolate Roll ($4) topped with cocoa powder.

The more adventurous should try the twice-baked croissant such as the “Nian Gao”, to experience the lightly-crisp exterior which contrasts with the slightly sticky and chewy mochi slab in the middle.

The inside is made with a glutinous rice flour mix, while the pastry takes a long process of 12 layer folding to create a more flaky texture.

I had the Matcha Chocolate Roll ($4.00) and felt it had a rather crunchy-crispy outer layer, while the inside was somewhat bread-like.

While the rich-chocolate flavour was appealing, I wished it was overall more fluffy in the middle for a better contrast.

As for the drinks menu, you get the usual coffee choices ($3.50 – $4.50), along with Uji Matcha Latte ($5), Tea ($5) and Cold Press Juices ($7).

Coffee beans are sourced from 2 Degree North, with raspberry and chocolaty notes.

One thing I noted that was coffee is considered comparatively affordable here, with a White priced at $4.50.

The new menu to be introduced end February would include brunch items, hearty stews, and “healthy food you can eat on a every day basis”. Looking forward.

Brotherbird Coffeehouse
32 Bali Lane Singapore 189868
Opening Hours: 12pm – 9:30pm (Wed – Mon), 6pm – 9:30pm (Tues)

Other Related Entries
Lucid (Hamilton Road)
Steeped Tea Bar (Tan Quee Lan Street)
Communal Coffee (Prinsep Street)
Monarchs & Milkweed Gelato (North Bridge Road)
PPP Coffee (Funan)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Bakery cafes are gaining traction in Singapore, evident with the many openings such as Starter Lab, Kamome Bakery, Micro Bakery & Kitchen, Woodlands Sourdough, Petit Pain and Brother Bird Coffeehouse in the last couple of months.

The latest addition is Baker’s Bench Bakery at Bukit Pasoh Road (well, kind of opposite Shake Shack Neil Road), positioned as a “neighbourhood bakery” with an open-concept bakery.

Its objective is to remove the barrier between staff and customers, and therefore you feel like you walking into a home kitchen and can make conversations easily.

I liked how the interior felt cozy with Scandinavian vibes, along with a mouth-watering display of bakes.

The café is called “Baker’s Bench” as the baker’s bench is the centre-piece of an artisanal bakery (similar to a huge magnificent chandelier when you walk into a mansion), playing an integral part of the baking process.

All breads and puff pastries naturally leavened by sourdough are baked freshly in the morning, and even many of the ingredients are made in-house such as kimchi, pickles, sauces, jams and butter.

I was naturally drawn to the display of pastries of loaf cakes, scones, muffins, brownies, cookies, and quiches.

They include sourdough breads: humble ($8), milk loaf ($8), fruit ($10), multi-seeds($10), 100% rye ($9) and pumpernickel ($8).

But what first caught my eye was the Sticky Bun ($5) which was majestic-looking compared to all the rest, with all that gloss from caramel and pecan.

It turned out to be better than I expected, with a delightful contrast of sticky, brown-sugary and walnutty toppings with soft and pillowy texture. Did feel slightly guilty for finishing it all, but heck…

I am always on the constant lookout for the most-delicious-almond-croissant-in-Singapore. This looked close, but was a Twice-Baked Hazelnut Croissant ($5.50).

This was a decent rendition was I enjoyed the crustiness of the outer layer, and was fragrant with hazelnuts, but I wondered if there could be more of that moist fillings (whether frangipane or even hazelnut cream) in between.

Also available are comfort sandwiches such as Cheeky Chicken ($14) with Koji-brined chicken thigh, Croque Monsieur ($12) with gruyere cheese, and Grilled Vegetables ($12) filled with zucchini, mushrooms, leeks and cured egg yolks. Available from 11am to 3:30pm.

Not the usual stuff. The baker used to work in a renown artisanal bakery in Singapore, before spending a year in Tasmania working in a bakery that specialises in Sourdough, while their in-house Chef has a farm-to-table working background in Maine.

I had the K.Pork Belly ($14) containing sous-vibe pork belly glazed with coffee (repurposed from the coffee grinds from Allpress Espresso) and kimchi mayo.

Overall a hearty, filling treat with a lot going on. However, the abundant garlic chips could be a double-edged sword – some would like that added ‘aroma’, while it overtook the tanginess and spiciness of the kimchi sauce.

I would say the bakes are quite strong here, loaded with ingredients and providing a number of less-commonly seen rustic options. You can feel a lot of heart and effort put into what they deliver as well.

Menus will change from time to time as bakers and chefs are encouraged to be adventurous. Looking forward to more.

Baker’s Bench Bakery
6 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore 089820
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 5pm (Wed – Mon, Closed Tues)

Other Related Entries
Starter Lab (Havelock Road)
Micro Bakery & Kitchen Red House (East Coast)
Woodlands Sourdough (Upper Thomson)
Petit Pain (Joo Chiat)
Brother Bird Coffeehouse (Bali Lane)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The mala trend is still going on strong as Chir Chir has introduced Mala Korean Fried Chicken that could leave some tongue-tingling and chimaek cravings satisfied.

The mala mania has hit Korea since early last year, starting with malatang and has diversified to other Korean dishes. (On that note, also check out Nipong Naepong’s Mala Pong in soup and dry versions if you are a mala fan.)

Korean fried chicken specialist Chir Chir currently has three outlets in Singapore – 313@somerset, Bugis Junction, and JEM.

Some of their favourites include the Signature Fried Chicken available in Crispy, Garlicky, Curry and Spicy; Nest Snow which features Cajun chicken tenders stacked with melted cheese and whipped cream; and Honey Butter Chicken made with boneless fried chicken mixed with Chir Chir’s proprietary honey butter seasoning and sauce.

To keep up with the trends, the chain has introduced four brand-new chicken dishes to tantalise your tongue-buds, including Mala Chicken, Nacho Chicken, Cream Onion Chicken, and Yu-Ling Chicken. Here’s more:

Mala Chicken ($25.90)
The dish contains chunky pieces of deep-fried chicken tenders wok-fried in a tongue-tingling mala sauce included with Szechuan peppercorn and dried chilli peppers.

Then served with sliced onions and creamy onion dipping sauce.

Perhaps the rendition could even remind you of the popular Szechuan dish of La Zi Ji, except that this comprises of bigger pieces of juicy chicken.

If you are the type who has ”wei la” (little spiciness) for your mala dishes, then this should be up your alley.

The house-made mala sauce has just that slight spiciness but would still create a delicate numbness as you slowly chew the pieces.

With that said, the fiery feeling only kicks in towards the end, so stand-by a glass drink like the cooling Blueberry Sparkling.

Nacho Chicken ($25.90)
This Chir Chir’s Tex-Mex fried chicken tenders and corn tortilla chips topped with chicken chilli cheese sauce, turned out the dish we swept clean.

The chicken pieces are coated with this special cheese powder that has an addictive-sweetish tinge. As you reach out to have more and more, it feels as though you are having ‘cinema food’ of Doritos. Unstoppable.

There was also this awesome crust on the outside, likely to be a kids’ favourite. (If only they had a chicken skin version.)

Cream Onion Chicken ($25.90)
Juicy fried chicken tenders marinated with Chir Chir’s secret seasoning, then topped with sweet slivers of onion and served with creamy onion dipping sauce.

Of all the new dishes introduced, this was the ‘safest’ choice and would please those who love the sour-cream type of seasoning loaded with a mountain of sweet onions.

Yu-Ling Chicken ($23.90)
Wait, what is Yu-Ling Chicken?

Apparently, this is derived from the dish of “You Lin Ji” (油淋鸡) which has a special way of deep-frying the chicken such that the meat retains both crisp and juicy at the same time.

The Chinese dish has gotten popular in Korea, typically topped with chopped scallions with a sweet-vinegary sauce.

The Chir Chir rendition of the Yu-Ling Chicken uses a onion salsa sauce that retains the essence of being sweet, sour and slightly spicy, poured over on tasty deep-fried chicken cutlet.

Served with sliced onions and salad further drizzled with Chir Chir’s hot bacon dressing.

With this as a background, this did remind me of sweet and sour chicken, except that the sauce was on the lighter side. And yes, the chicken retained its crispiness on the side, while the meat was both chunky and moist.

Other than Fried Chicken and Roast Chicken, Chir Chir also offers other side such as Spicy Topokki ($15.90), Spicy Seafood Soup ($26.90), Chir Cheese Fries ($9.90), Topokki & Cheese ($9.90) and Mac & Cheese ($9.90 for single portion, $16.90 for double portion).

Seafood Mac & Cheese ($11.90 for single portion, $18.90 for double portion)
An Asian twist on an American favourite, this ‘Korean’ Macaroni and Cheese is a hot pan containing crabstick, ham, mozzarella, cheddar and cheese sauce.

Not as heavy and rich, and pretty manageable for sharing.

Honey Grape Salad ($16.90)
If you feel like you indulged in too much fried chicken, cleanse your taste buds with the Mango Salad ($12.90), Cajun Chicken Salad ($13.90), or Honey Grape Salad ($16.90).

The Honey Grape Salad is a fruity mix of generous servings of seedless cut chilled grapes, mixed nuts, ricotta and honey. The combination of grapes and ricotta may sound unusual, but delicious and refreshing. Imagine you are having a cheese platter.

Chir Chir – Bugis Junction
#02-50 Bugis Junction, 200 Victoria Street Singapore 188021
Tel: +65 251 0598
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm Last orders 9.30pm (Sun – Thu)
11am – 11pm Last orders 10.30pm (Fri – Sat)
https://www.facebook.com/ChirChirSingapore

Chir Chir – 313@somerset
#B3-04/05/06 313@somerset, 313 Orchard Road Singapore 238895
Tel: +65 6509 8364
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm Last orders at 9.30pm (Sun – Thu)
11am – 11pm Last orders 10.30pm (Fri – Sat)

Chir Chir – JEM
#04-13/14 JEM, 50 Jurong Gateway Road Singapore 608549
Tel: +65 6262 6171
Opening Hours: 11am – 9:30pm Last orders at 9pm (Sun – Thu)
11am – 10pm Last orders 9.30pm (Fri – Sat)

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Chir Chir.

When you head to a Zi Char restaurant in Singapore, the Cantonese dish of Sweet and Sour Pork aka “Go Lo Yok 咕嚕肉 is always one of the most frequently ordered.

So I went around many Chinese restaurants and Zi Char places particularly known for this dish and picked out the most note-worthy ones.

There are more Chinese restaurants listed here, only because those I had in the Zhi Char stalls were good, but didn’t have a strong differentiating factor. Let me know if there are any more which are out of this world.

Jiang-Nan Chun
Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, 190 Orchard Blvd, Singapore 248646
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun)

I had quite a number of Sweet and Sour Pork dishes before, but 1-Michelin Star Jiang-Nan Chun’s rendition has a edge over the rest.

Chef Tim Lam’s Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple ($28) uses succulent Iberico pork cubes, fried with a tangy sauce, and topped with homemade candied ginger for a hint of spice.

When you take a bite of the bite, you would note that there is this extra thin crispy layer on the outside, enveloping juicy meat within.

The crust elevates the entire dish, and makes each piece so precious to savour slowly.

East Bistro 东小馆
1 Maju Ave, #02-01, myVillage @ Serangoon Gardens, Singapore 556679
Tel: +65 6634 2998
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm

It looks like Sweet and Sour Pork on Ice is slowly becoming a thing in Singapore, but East Bistro has actually introduced their version ($18, $27, $36) a number of years back.

After frying in high heat, the pork pieces are quickly placed on a bed of ice which results in a thin, candied layer around each surface of the pork. (Don’t wait too long or the meat may turn soggy.)

If you eat it soon enough, the outside may be slightly cold, but the inside remains warm. The sugared-layer gives the soft tender pork a light crunch on the exterior.

Sik Bao Sin (Desmond’s Creation)
592 Geylang Road, Singapore 389531 (Between Lor 34 & 36)
Tel: +65 6744 3757
Opening Hours: Lunch 11:45am – 2:30pm, Dinner 5:45pm – 9:30pm (Tue – Sun), Closed Mon

You would notice Sik Bao Sin (Desmond’s Creation) at Geylang is very different from other zi char (cooked food) places.

There are only 13 items on the menu, dishes are either wok-fried or steamed. All menu items (except 1, find out below which one) are originally from Sik Wai Sin – which should be a familiar one to zhi char lovers. Plus, no prices on the menu.

Try the classic Sweet and Sour Pork, one of the crowd-favourite. Take note that it only comes in one side, and probably good for 4 diners to share.

This version uses lean pork pieces, so those who prefer more fat in their meat may find this TOO lean to their liking. But I enjoyed the different take, as well as the light batter and tangy-sweet sauce.

Putien
127 Kitchener Road, Singapore 208514
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 3pm, 5:30pm – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Rooted to its namesake city of Putian (a Fujian coastal suburb), PUTIEN’s menu reflects the city’s heritage – fresh, light, and invigorating. One of its must-order dishes is definitely the Sweet & Sour Pork with Lychees.

You know how you always get sweet and sour pork which is more flour and fat than meat elsewhere?

PUTIEN’s Sweet & Sour Pork with Lychees offer pieces which are deep-fried to golden brown and succulently tender, finished with the sweet taste of lychee.

The lychees add a fruity-sweetness to the sauce, while the pork is usually soft

Jade Palace Restaurant
Forum The Shopping Mall, 583 Orchard Road #B1-13 Singapore 238884
Tel: +65 6732 6628
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm (Mon – Sun)

Jade Palace Seafood Restaurant established since 1998 specialises in Cantonese cuisine, and seems to be a popular venue among Chinese businessmen for corporate treats.

It took me a long while to decide to order this Sweet & Sour Pork dish due to its price – $36 for a small portion, $54 for the medium.

While this is a more expensive plate of meat, I must say that you could taste the quality of the meat and the skills of the chef. The meat was tender with a thin layer of crispiness, evenly coated with appetising sauce with pineapple-fruitiness.

Even though each piece seemed rather large and chunky, the bite was succulently-soft.

Social Place Singapore
Forum The Shopping Mall, #01-22, 583 Orchard Road, Singapore 238884
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Founded in Hong Kong, Social Place is a retro-chic contemporary tea house imbued with nostalgic touches from olden Hong Kong days, which serves an innovative spread of Chinese fares and Dim Sum offerings.

The Sweet & Sour Pork on Ice ($24.80) was an eye-catching dish served with fuming dry ice smoke.

I think it was a relatively decent plate of sweet and sour pork with each piece of fried pork pieces lavishly coated with tangy dressing, and yet I could still taste some slight crispiness embedded within.

However, the sending time may affect the heat of the dish, and diners may feel like it is a cold fish of Gu Lou Yok.

Chef Kang’s
25 Mackenzie Road Singapore 228681
Tel: +65 6238 6263
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2pm, 5:45pm – 10pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Chef Ang Song Kang, better known as Chef Kang, shot into further fame and limelight when he was awarded one star in the Singapore Michelin Guide.

It is almost a one-man show in the kitchen, with Chef Ang cooking up every dish that is served, with his apprentice behind busy with ingredient preparation such as chopping of the vegetables.

The Sweet & Sour Pork may be a much overlooked dish to order due to its ‘simplicity’, but it is anything about that.

Cooked during kurobuta pork (said to be the ‘wagyu’ of pork), this dish has a richer taste and soft fatty meat that may just melt in your pork. It is not as crispy as the usual, and sauce has a heavier, sweet take.

Paradise Dynasty – Paya Lebar Quarter
10 Paya Lebar, Paya Lebar Quarter Mall #03-08, Singapore 409057
Tel: +65 6971 6575
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm Last Order 9:30pm (Mon – Fri), 10:30am – 10:00pm Last Order 9:30pm (Sat, Sun & PH)

Paradise Dynasty’s Crispy Sweet and Sour Pork 菠萝咕噜肉($13.50) contains deep-fried pork pieces, stir-fried with chunks of red and green bell peppers, carrots, onions, and sliced pineapples.

Together they are slathered in sweet and sour, well-balanced mix of sugar and rice vinegar.

Chef Foong
1080 Lower Delta Rd, Singapore 169311
Tel: +65 8300 2200
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 3pm, 5pm – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun)

Hidden in a coffeeshop within industrial area near Bukit Merah (near Chuan Kee Seafood), Chef Foong serves up a fairly interesting spread in its Zi Char menu.

You may come expecting average Zi Char fare, but some of its dishes are of Chinese restaurant quality. Most dishes are priced about $10, served in a good portion.

Instead of pineapples, the Sweet and Sour Pork is served with mango which provides a different sweetness. While I would say that the crispiness is nothing to shout about, the presentation and overall flavours is a notch about the rest.

Soup Restaurant
Jewel Changi Airport, 78 Airport Boulevard, #03-201, Singapore 819666
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Perhaps you may not know that the home-grown Soup Restaurant has a slightly different “Samsui” concept at Jewel Changi Airport.

Located on the third floor, dinners get a stunning view of the 40-metre Rain Vortex surrounded by the lush Forest Valley.

This is a modern Chinese restaurant concept, showcasing new renditions of heirloom Cantonese dishes that have stood the test of time.

Get the pretty-looking Sweet & Sour Pork, decorated with edible flowers sourced from local farmers.

Other Related Entries
12 Best Zi Char In Singapore
10 Best Beef Horfun In Singapore
12 Must-Try Hokkien Mee In Singapore
10 Must-Try Char Kway Teow Singapore
9 Tantalising Dim Sum Restaurants In Singapore

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

A doughnut and sandwich takeaway shop located in the CBD has slowly gained traction among the officer workers around.

Husband and wife team Myron and Shaz realised there was a lack of artisanal doughnuts in Singapore, and wanted to create something for the local market after trying many delicious doughnuts in New York.

After many, many rounds of “fanatical recipe testing”, they came up with Korio at Far East Square.

To cater to the CBD breakfast and lunch crowd, they have also included hearty sandwiches on the menu for convenient takeaways.

The inspiration for the sandwiches came from all their favourite foods they would eat growing up.

(Photo credit: @__sy_g)

Some of their signature sandwiches are the Grill Cheese ($8), Breakfast Sammy ($9), Tuna Melt ($10), Grilled Halloumi ($13), Peking Duck Sammy ($14) and Pulled Porkless ($12) – which is included with king oyster mushrooms instead.

Take note that while the Grilled Cheese ($8) is available every day (except Sun), some of the others are made only on specific days such as the Tuna Melt Sammy (Mondays) and Peking Duck Sammy (Wednesdays).

As for the doughnuts, the bakes go through an 18-hour long process, and are handmade, fried, glazed daily. Worthy to take note that glazes are also made in house.

Take note that donuts are only available after 11am on weekdays and 11:30am on Saturdays.

Be enticed with the Plain Glazed ($3.80), White Chocolate & Coconut Doughnut with Hazelnuts ($4.50), Peanut Butter & Jelly ($4.20), White Chocolate ($4.20), Mango Passionfruit ($4.20) and Caramelised Biscuit ($4.20).

In a chocolaty mood, I had the Peanut Butter & Dark Chocolate Doughnut ($4.20) topped with crunchy peanuts folded into a peanut butter glaze, topped with house made chocolate sauce.

Considering I am generally not a donuts type of person, I found this particularly delicious.

The glaze was rich, but had just the right amount and balance of both chocolate and nuttiness.

But what really impressed me was the texture of the donut itself, pillowy-soft, fluffy and not too sweet at all.

Generally, I find donuts cloying and greasy, but this tasted ‘healthier’ yet tasty at the same time. Good stuff.

Korio
135 Amoy Street, Far East Square #01-03, Singapore 049964 (Telok Ayer MRT Station DT18)
Tel +65 9771 6491
Opening Hours: 8am – 4pm (Mon – Fri), 9am – 3pm (Sat), Closed Sun

Other Related Entries
Brother Bird Coffeehouse (Bali Lane)
Alchemist Design Orchard (Orchard Road)
Lucid (Hamilton Road)
Steeped Tea Bar (Tan Quee Lan Street)
Woodlands Sourdough (Upper Thomson)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

When we generally talk about Bak Chor Mee soup in Singapore, the front-runners will typically be the usual suspects at Bedok 85 aka Fengshan Food Centre, such as Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian and Seng Hiang Bak Chor Mee

If you have been hooked on the famous Bedok 85 Minced Pork Noodle, you must try 58 Minced Meat Mee. No, that’s not a typo. And do not confuse this with 58 Minced Meat Noodle at Suntec City.

Here’s a mean contender for the best minced meat mee in Bedok.

Drop by The marketplace@58 to taste its version of this well-loved noodle dish. In fact, not a few are boldly swearing this is possibly the best Bak Chor Mee soup version in Singapore.

With just one item in the menu (BCM Soup), they cook their specialty one bowl at a time. That means, be ready for a long wait especially during breakfast and lunch peak times. Weekends are just as queue-ful.

The Minced Pork Mee Soup ($3.00) includes 4 tasty dumplings and generous servings of minced meat and thin, springy egg noodles.

Those large dumplings have tender skin and a delicious filling, made from a secret recipe. Like in other stalls, they have a dedicated area where they churn out these delicious dumplings in perfect execution. You can even buy them by the piece.

Dissecting the bowl, you’ll find the pork stock with a thick, almost gelatinous texture and a garlicky taste.

Aside from the minced meat, it has pork lard crisps, preserved radish, and dried flounder.

The soup may be hearty, but some customers may find this on the saltier side with a strong alkaline taste of noodles.

As this stall only operates for breakfast, lunch and in-between, try to come early. You won’t find any if you’re craving for minced meat mee at night.

Also note that they only operate for 4 days a week – Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

58 Minced Meat Mee (New Upper Changi Road)
Block 58 New Upper Changi Rd, #01-151, New Upper Changi Road Hawker Centre, Singapore 461058
Tel: +65 8289 6826
Opening Hours: 6am – 2pm (Tue, Thurs, Sat, Sun), Closed Mon, Wed, Fri

Other Related Entries
10 Must-Try Bak Chor Mee Soup In Singapore
10 Must Try Stalls At Bedok 85 (Fengshan Food Centre)
Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian 兴记肉脞面 (Bedok 85)
58 Minced Meat Noodle (Suntec City)
High Street Tai Wah Pork Noodle (Hong Lim Food Centre)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

[Seoul] It wasn’t that easy finding these Chinese-style dumplings shop at 214 Apgujeong-ro, a discrete eatery hidden among different shophouses.

Sandong Gyojakwan 山東餃子館 a simple shop with seats limited to four to give tables is also an entry to Michelin Guide with a “Bib Gourmand”, under the category “Chinese cuisine”.

Helmed by Chinese-Korean Chef Dan Byeong-ho, Sandong Gyojakwan specialises in Chinese-style dumplings – both boiled and steamed.

At early as age 10, he learned from his parents the art of making dumplings. To this day, he makes his dumplings fresh from scratch daily, from the filling up to the wrapper.

Take note that there isn’t an English menu, only a board with Korean words. Even though I spoke Mandarin, I had some difficulty understanding Chef Dan’s accent when he came to help with the orders.

Dumpling fans can order from one of the three styles – pan-fried, steamed and boiled, all with varying thickness of the skin. (For reference, 煎 refers to pan-fried, 蒸 steamed, and 水 boiled.)

Each basket is priced from 7,000 to 8,000 Won (SGD8.20 to SGD9.30). Some of the Koreans found it slightly on the expensive side, especially when prices were raised due to increase popularity.

Under the Chef’s recommendation, I ordered the Steamed Dumplings (as he also didn’t allow me to order the Pan-Fried, which I didn’t quite understand why.)

The dumplings were considered quite tasty, with thin skin and fresh meat and vegetables fillings that still reminded moist.

An additional bonus was the vinegary chilli-oil that you could dip the dumplings into.

Too hungry for just dumplings? Add a refreshing Chinese Fried Rice, Five-Spice Beef Salad or the XO Shrimp if you enjoy your seafood spicy.

They also have assorted stir-fried delicacies and other Korean-Chinese staples. Food was slightly on the saltier side, but considered manageable when compared to the average Chinese eatery.

Estimate dent to your wallet starts at 7000 up to 12,000 Won per dish.

Sandong Gyojakwan 산동교자관
214 Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 2 514 2608
Opening Hours: 12pm – 2:30pm; 5:30pm – 9pm (Mon – Sat), Sun

Other Related Entries
Chanyang-jip 찬양집 (Donui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul)
Nampo Myeonok 남포면옥 (Da-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul
Chang Hwa Dang 창화당 (Ikseon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul)
Hadongkwan (Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul)
Gaeseong Mandu Koong (Gwanhun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul)

Click HERE for other SEOUL Food Entries

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Lucky uni students. There seems to be a number of new cafés and kiosks opening up at SMU Boyle’s Coffee x Love Bites, Onalu which focuses on Acai bowls, and Canteen Bistro.

On the west side of things, NTU has Connect 71; while NUS has SG Maxx Coffee which also opened up within their campuses.

Canteen Bistro is a casual western styled restaurant right in the heart of the university.

Besides a simple lunch menu, the restaurant is also a pub at night which opens until 1am.

Great for students who looking for a place to chill and need a break from all those projects and tutorials.

I visited Canteen Bistro during lunch where they had a limited lunch menu.

The dinner menu has more variety featuring items such as the Pulled Pork Burger ($16), Fish & Chips ($13) and Creamy Salmon Linguine ($15).

The Lunch Menu is basically an Omurice as a base, with a choice of main such as crispy chicken, crispy fish, meatball, mushroom or beef stroganoff. Also offered is a soup of the day.

You can also choose from either cream, marinara or demi-glace sauce to be drizzled over your Omurice.

To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised to see the Crispy Chicken Omurice ($8) served with a generous portion of chicken.

While the chicken was juicy and lightly battered (and decent-tasting), it didn’t have that “wow” effect. But I can’t complain for this price.

I preferred the Crispy Fish Omurice ($8) but immediately regretted pairing it with the cream sauce.

The demi-glace sauce was a better choice as the cream sauce got on the heavy side towards the end of the meal.

I was expecting normal white rice beneath the layer of egg, but to my surprise it was fried rice.

There was a faint tomato fragrance, though I felt that tangy-sweetness could have been more pronounced.

Canteen Bistro is a great place for SMU students to organize gatherings over lunch or dinner, maybe even have a drink or two at night.

The lunch sets aren’t too expensive and with the amount of food you’re getting, it is not too bad of a deal.

In addition, SMU students/staff can get a $1 discount off the daily lunch sets, while alumni can get a discount $1.50 off the daily lunch sets.

Canteen Bistro
80 Stamford Road, #B1-61, Singapore 178902
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm Last orders 2:30pm, 5pm – 1am Last Order 10pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun
https://www.facebook.com/anteenbistrosg

Other Related Entries
Boyle’s Coffee x Love Bites (SMU)
Connect 71 (NTU)
Korio (Far East Square)
Brother Bird Coffeehouse (Bali Lane)
Lucid (Hamilton Road)

* Written by DFD’s Café Correspondent @__sy_g. Songyu is a food and travel blogger whose hobby is uncovering hidden hipster cafes. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Local brand PS.Cafe has launched its latest addition at River Valley’s newly refurbished Great World (previously known as Great World City).

Spanning over 4,300 sq ft, the space can accommodate up to 125 guests, offering a comfortable space in the prime spot of the revamped shopping centre – loads of NEW F&B outlets there.

Despite current ‘circumstances’, the cafe was relatively packed when I visited during a weekday night.

Most diners head over to PS.Cafe for Truffle Shoestring Fries ($16) – almost every table had a plate. Of course, it does get boring after while.

If you are a regular, you can look forward to a “Spice Route” menu special, with dishes added with house-blended Indian spices and herbs.

Exclusive items to this PS.Cafe at Great World include the Spiced Biryani Salad ($26), Masala Roast Chicken ($33), Lamb Pilaf Pie ($36), and Impossible Bombay Koftas ($28) featuring the Impossible plant-based meat.

Not the cheapest items, so do be prepared to foot a heftier bill.

I was recommended the Flame Grilled Tandoori Chicken Sandwich ($26), comprising of a toasted Turkish bread, eggplant and tomato chutney, ‘gunpowder’ mayo, cabbage and mustard slaw, with crisp green salad.

Okay, a $26 sandwich.

At least it was hearty and satisfying. The bread worked well with the ingredients with pita-like texture and a lovely crisp.

I also enjoyed the tinge of spice that made a typically-boring sandwich more exciting to the bite. The salad had a bright, tangy dressing which helped balance out the richness.

Located at the heart of the cafe is a dessert showcase offering fresh bakes and sweet treats for grab-and-go.

Latest additions include the Normandy Pie of the Day ($9) – a French-inspired shortcrust pastry open-faced pie available in apple or apricot and Cinnamon Dipping Fingers ($7) with warm homemade chocolate dip.

PS.Cafe has also brought back its Burnt Rum & Raisin Cheesecake ($12), comprising of the quintessential burnt cheesecake recipe topped with macerated raisins, drizzled with burnt rum sauce.

While I would have preferred it to be more molten, the cheesecake was still soft and moreish, and the topping of rum-soaked raisins offered a subtle alcoholic flavour and textural component.

PS.Cafe’s bakery also features dessert and pastry items such as Caramelised Cinnamon Croissant Scroll ($6), Nutty Sticky Honey Bun ($6), a fluffy roll topped with honey caramel, pecans, almonds and walnuts and Giant Eclairs ($9) that come in three different flavours: lemon and passionfruit, dark chocolate & nougat, and espresso.

Open daily from 8am to 10pm, PS.Cafe serves up breakfast from 8am to 11am, with a brunch menu served from 9.30am to 4pm on weekends and public holidays.

PS.Cafe at Great World
1 Kim Seng Promenade, #01-155, Singapore 237994
Tel: +65 6708 9288
Opening Hours: 8am – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 9:30am – 10pm (Sat, Sun, PH), Last Order 9:30pm

Other Related Entries
Brother Bird Coffeehouse (Bali Lane)
Lucid (Hamilton Road)
Alchemist Design Orchard (Orchard Road)
Apollo Coffee Bar (Serangoon Garden)
Kong Café (Bukit Timah)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Talking about Peranakan food in Singapore – which is quite a form of culinary art, the popular Blue Ginger has always been considered one of the well-known restaurants in the local dining scene.

It can be an ideal intro to foreign guests to Peranakan cuisine, a unique fusion of Chinese and Malay influences known for its spicy and sour flavours.

It attracted even more attention when it earned the Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction, and continue to retain it.

The restaurant was conceived by a group of friends who wanted to create an inviting and intimate restaurant where customers can partake in a convivial dining experience over quality Peranakan fare – which at the time, was mostly prepared at home and enjoyed among family.

The main outlet is a narrow yet elegant three-storey restaurant in the CBD area, located near MRT Tanjong Pagar station.

It offers cosy and spacious dining rooms for private events and gatherings, decorated with works of local artists. Ideal for a business lunch or dinner with friends in the Tanjong Pagar area.

Its second outlet – 25 years after its flagship opened in Tanjong Pagar, is located at the recently-revamped Great World.

A note that Peranakan food is generally on the pricier side in Singapore, as preparation for most of the dishes is a time-consuming affair.

For starters, highly recommended is Ngoh Hiang ($14), a Blue Ginger signature which is stuffed with minced pork and prawns.

It was moist and juicy, and fried just right, not too crispy.

The Kueh Pie Tee ($8), crisp-fried pie tee cups filled with shredded stewed bamboo shoots, turnips, half a shrimp and sambal, are another recommended.

They are juicy but not soggy, and generously stuffed.

Moving on to the mains, the Beef Rendang ($20) presents tender chunks of shin meat in a thick curry redolent with aromatics such as ginger, lemongrass, lime leaves, coriander and cumin.

Another house specialty, Ayam Panggang “Blue Ginger” ($16), is deboned chicken thigh grilled to a smoky sweet finish.

While I was expecting the usual grilled chicken closer to the Indonesian style, it arrived with thick coconut milk paste spiced with ginger and lemongrass and basted on the chicken while grilling.

A creamy tasty sauce with balance of spicy, sour, sweet and salty flavours. But I can imagine not all diners would enjoy this dish.

The Blue Ginger also serves the Peranakan staple Ayam Buah Keluak, a chicken dish with a special thick, fermented black nut paste, and Nyonya Fish Head Curry ($32, available during weekends and PH), served steaming hot in a clay pot. If you like pork, try Babi Pong Tay ($16), a gelatinous pork belly stewed in a preserved bean paste.

If you choose to dine at Great World, new on the menu are starters of Kerabu Kacang Botol ($11.50) and Kerabu Timun ($8.50).

The former showcases winged beans blanched and tossed with dried shrimps, shallots, fragrant toasted grated coconut and a zingy dressing comprising ground fresh chillies and lime juice; while the latter pairs chicken gizzards with cucumbers and tomatoes in an equally refreshing belachan chilli paste.

What I liked about the Great World outlet is the offering of lunchtime dishes – Kerabu Laksa ($15), Nonya Noodles ($15), and Buah Keluak Fried Rice ($15), making it more accessible for individual or small group diners.

The Nonya Noodles, a treat normally reserved for birthdays and special occasions, consists of springy yellow noodles cooked in a rich prawn and pork stock with bean sprouts, kang kong and garnished with omelette and cucumber julienne.

I enjoyed the Buah Keluak Fried Rice ($15) imbued with wok hei which was fragrant with earthy buah keluak rempah (paste made from Indonesian black nuts). A little surprise as it even came with a fried chicken wing.

The main weak link I thought was the Chendol ($5), the classic Peranakan dessert made with pandan-flavoured jelly and red beans in coconut milk sweetened with gula melaka. The ice could have been smoother, and green jelly more fresh-tasting and moist.

The Blue Ginger – Tanjong Pagar
97 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088518
Tel: +65 6222 3928
Opening Hours: 12pm – 3pm, 6:30pm – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun)

The Blue Ginger – Great World
Great World, #01-106, 1 Kim Seng Promenade, Singapore 237994
Tel: +65 6235 7042
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm, 6pm – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 11am – 10pm (Sat, Sun, PH)

Other Related Entries
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Tingkat PeraMakan (Owen Road)
True Blue Cuisine (Armenian Street)
Indigo Blue Kitchen (Shaw Centre)
Baba Chews (East Coast Road)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

It is of no coincidence that three coffee places with minimalist-industrial vibes have opened within two weeks from one another – Lucid, Brother Bird Coffeehouse, and Double Up Coffee.

And they are not considered too far in terms of distance, all located in the Bugis-Lavender stretch.

(Photo credit: @stormscape)

You may just walk past Double Up Coffee at Jalan Klapa, considered quite a hole-in-the-wall. It is located right opposite Kumoya known for its character cafes. Both cafes are the opposite ends in styles anyway – one known for cutesy cartoon-themed food; the other coffee focused.

There are two halves of Double Up Coffee. Outside, you would spot three chairs of solid colours of red, yellow and blue, along with a table repurposed from a skateboard. It suggests funkiness and young vibes.

Walking in, the mood changes with light grey cement coffee counter, light wooden chairs, but most customers were sitting back facing the wall on a row of concrete seats.

It almost feels there is no little between barista and customer. Maybe that is what they are trying to achieve.

The menu is lean, divided into “business” (coffee drinks), “pleasure” (non-coffee drinks), and “chow” (rotational pastry).

You sense that element of playfulness when coffee drinks are not named the conventional latte or flat white, but Spro with Milk ($5) and Double Up ($7).

“Spro” is actually a slang term for an “espresso”. (You can use it like, ”Bro, let’s grab a Spro”); while a Double Up is a piccolo with espresso.

Beans are sourced from Bearded Bella which they call the “Kuku Bududa” with milk-chocolaty notes.

(Photo credit: @juicyfingers)

The bake here is rotational, and what is offered had included Peach & Pear Crust ($5.00) or Blueberry Crust ($5.50).

What you get is a crusty pie-like pastry with softer layered texture in the middle, topped with caramelised fruits.

I think what people would like about Double Up Coffee is that it is unpretentious and doesn’t need to try too hard.

Double Up Coffee
7 Jalan Klapa, Singapore 199319
Opening Hours: 9am – 5:30pm (Mon, Wed – Sun), Closed Tues

Lucid (Hamilton Road)
Brother Bird Coffeehouse (Bali Lane)
Bearded Bella (Craig Road)
Narrative Coffee Stand (Bras Basah Complex)
Starter Lab (Havelock Road)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

From the folks behind the Over-The-Top Milkshakes at Benjamin Browns and Flying Noodles at Hana restaurant, one would expect their newest venture would be another Instagram hit.

True enough, the entire space at Brown Butter is full of Instagram spots; from a wall full of pink roses to an entire pink shelf, pink fridge and a dual tone wall decked in pink and teal for the perfect #OOTD shot.

Apart from the layout in pink and teal, the food and drinks menu also consisted of pink and green food, mainly beetroot for the pink hue and avocado for the green, ensuring that healthy food looks as Instagram-worthy.

A wide selection of Toasties (15 in total), are available on the menu, such as Beet Toastie ($15) and Shine Toastie ($15) topped with hummus and a beautiful avocado “flower” on a sourdough. The difference is that red beetroot is added to the former and turmeric is added to the latter.

Drawing their Japanese influence from Hana Restaurant next door, Curry-On Toastie ($16.90) comes with 3 deep-fried ebi coated with Mentaiko mayo on top of Japanese Scrambled Egg and a slice of toast.

Even though the entire combination is well balanced with a slightly spicy and savoury punch, my friends commented that it is a little pricey for the portion.

For the pink-fanatics, the Salmon Mentaiko Cheese Toastie ($18) comes in a bright pink hue with a generous layer of Mentaiko Mayo.

Guys would probably prepare a more protein-rich option, the Avo Burger ($23) which caught me by surprise with a real avocado fruit shaped into the burger buns.

Instead of avocado flavoured buns, the buns split into 2 slices upon slicing, and comes with 105g of beef patty, tomatoes, onions and cheese.

Tortilla chips with salsa sauce were served by the side but it could do with more sauce for dipping.

Interestingly, the “Tuna”-Melon Poke Bowl ($14) is meatless, with generous amount of toppings such as avocado, watermelon instead of tuna cubes, mango, edamame, corn and sushi rice.

Drizzled with a choice of homemade shoyu, Wafu dressing aka Japanese vinegar or sesame sauce, the rice was soft and fluffy.

Their desserts menu is short and concise with avocado incorporated within it, namely Avocado Pancakes ($18), The Works ($21) served with bacon and sunny side up, Avo Waffles ($16) and Torched Avocado Cheesecake ($12).

The Avocado Pancakes ($18) came with 2 stacks of avocado pancakes with avocado slices sandwiched in between, and topped with blueberries and banana.

Even though maple syrup is served on its side, it can be a little dry as it has a denser texture instead of the common soft and fluffy pancakes.

The highlight of the meal is the Beet Smoothie topped with Avocado Ice Cream ($10.90) and Avocado Smoothie topped with Pink Avocado Ice Cream ($10.90).

True enough, the folks behind the OOT-milkshakes craze at Benjamin Browns continue to produce Instagram worthy drinks, but are healthier this time round.

The smoothie is smooth and rich, without being too “jelak”.

For an extra indulgence, dig into the creamy ice cream in the Avocado shell to satisfy your craving.

If cheesecakes are too mainstream as a dessert, check out their version which is literals shaped like a “Cheese”!

Comes in 3 different flavours: Lemon, Beetroot and Avocado at $8.90 each, each cheesecake is beautifully crafted to create the exact shape.

Apart from the space being decked in a pretty shade of pink, Brown Butter has created a healthy menu that is colouring-free and preservative-free and yet, instagrammable.

Brown Butter
583 Orchard Road, #01-18-19, Forum The Shopping Mall, Singapore 238884
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 8:30pm (Mon – Sun)

Other Related Entries
Korio (Far East Square)
Brother Bird Coffeehouse (Bali Lane)
Lucid (Hamilton Road)
Alchemist Design Orchard (Orchard Road)
Monarchs & Milkweed Gelato (North Bridge Road)

* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

[Osaka] There are many famous and popular Takoyaki shops at found at Dotonbori, from Kukuru くくる, Wanaka たこ焼道楽　わなか, Otako 大たこ, Hanadako はなだこ, to Kogaryu 甲賀流.

What makes Takoyaki Juhachiban たこ焼十八番 worth trying is how they combine materials and technology to create a soulful takoyaki.

Takoyaki たこ焼きthe ball-shaped Japanese street food is considered one of Osaka’s “must-eats”, made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special molded pan.

The flour dough is typically filled diced octopus (or prawns, bacon and other ingredients), tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and green onion; and watching the street food vendors do their craft can be a great joy.

Each takoyaki ball starts with the best ingredients, blending the dough with milk and sprinkling it with octopus, red ginger and shrimp.

The batter is poured to a copper plate mould that allows good thermal conductivity for even, controlled grilling.

Ten minutes is all it takes to transform the batter, one by one, into a crisp exterior ball that encases a creamy texture inside with chewy bits of octopus.

“One ball, one soul” (Ikkou ikkon)

Order 8 pieces for ¥650 (SGD8.20), or get 12 pieces for ¥1000 (SGD12.70) via the vending machine. Prices have gotten higher since the ‘good old days’ though.

Enjoy them with an okonomiyaki sauce, or mayonnaise with aonori (green dried seaweed) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). It is possible to order all 3 types at ¥1000 for 12 pieces as well.

If you are used to Takoyaki with a crispy outer layer, Juhachiban’s version is slightly chewy and softer, but what makes it pleasurable are the tenkatsu or crunchy tempura batter bits which make every bite a delightful mouthfeel.

Also, sakura shrimp powder and red pickled ginger are added with burst of umami flavours in each takoyaki – a heavenly Japanese masterpiece.

Find this takoyaki joint just a 5-minute walk away from the municipal subway line Namba Station.

Be ready to squeeze yourself in as the place is small with just a few seats available. Or better yet, make it to-go.

Takoyaki Juhachiban たこ焼十八番
3-17-17 Nishinakajima, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Tel: +81 6 6211 3118
Opening Hours: 11am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)

Other Related Entries
Ichiran Porkless Ramen (Chuo-ku, Osaka)
Machi Machi Osaka (Kita, Osaka)
Naruto Taiyaki Honpo 鳴門鯛焼本舗 (Kita Ward, Osaka)
World’s Second Best Freshly Baked Melonpan Ice-Cream (Osaka)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

It can be quite ambitious to name a café “Singapore Coffee”, with the objective of being the “purveyors of Asia’s finest coffee”.

But after knowing its background, then you realise there is a reason.

Singapore Coffee is helmed by Group MMM which is also behind investing in two well-known homegrown brands – Violet Oon Singapore and Janice Wong.

Founder Manoj Murjani is also co-founder and former CEO of luxury tea brand TWG Tea, and it is perhaps of no coincidence you get similar vibes.

Set within Singapore’s iconic Raffles Hotel (right next to new French crepe shop Gather), the interior of Singapore Coffee is likely leave an impression – blending between the classic colonial history, yet with local elements incorporated.

From the mechanical straw fans on the ceiling, ‘rattan’ chairs with modern design to the tiles, loads of details are placed on design.

The coffee place specialises in the finest selection of coffee beans sourced from selected plantations across Asia.

It offers ways in which customers can experience Singapore’s Kopi and seasonal Asian coffees by way of Siphon, Pour-over and Espresso extractions.

Signature coffee drinks to get include the Singapore Coffee Kopi ($7), Kopi Shake ($9), Iced Chico – cold brew with chicory ($12), and Grand Asia Collection by Siphon.

Be prepared to pay more here, with an Iced Long Black at $9 and Iced Latte priced at $10.

Customers may also question the price of the local coffee and tea, such as the Iced Kopi O at $6 and Iced Teh Tarik at $7.

Some may find paying that much for Iced Kopi ($7) not that worthwhile, and may choose an ‘upgrade’ with its Kopi Shake ($9) which is more foamy, served in a cocktail, and has rich-chocolaty aftertaste.

Fancy stuff, worth a try amongst other things in the menu.

To compliment the beverages, there are hand-baked pastries on offer which foodies may find familiar. (A full menu will commence from Summer 2020.)

I spotted the Kaya Swiss roll from Rich and Good Cake Shop as it was all rolled up in those familiar plastic sheets, with a piece sold at $6.

It is of no surprise that you would find regular bakes from Violet Oon here, since both are under the same group.

Other than the Pineapple Tarts with Portuguese-inspired pastry and Peranakan-style jam, the star dessert should be the Gula Melaka Cake with Cashew Crumble. But they also gave it a twist here.

The Gula Melaka Cake is a rich butter cake infused with gula melaka, coconut milk and rum, then topped with cashew nuts.

The dessert is also served with a creamy scoop of ice cream, which you can drizzle espresso over.

Singapore Coffee may soon be known to be a place to have ‘atas’ coffee, and likely to appeal to visitors to Raffles Hotel.

While the OTT décor may remind some of Bacha Coffee, there are distinct differences as this has a more local slant in both drinks and pastries.

Singapore Coffee
Raffles Hotel #01-13, 328 North Bridge Road Singapore 188719 (City Hall MRT)
Tel: +65 8878 7093
Opening Hours: 9am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)

Other Related Entries
Bacha Coffee (ION Orchard)
Gather (Raffles Hotel)
FLOR Capitol (Capitol Piazza)
Narrative Coffee Stand (Bras Basah Complex)
Merci Marcel (Orchard)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

[Osaka] If you are looking for the best kushikatsu in Dotonbori, look no further than Daruma located north of Namba station.

Considered an Osaka specialty, kushikatsu 串カツ (also known as also known as kushiage 串揚げ) are deep-fried breaded food such as meat and vegetables on skewers. (“Kushi” refers to the skewers used, while “katsu” means a deep-fried cutlet of meat.

Kushikatsu Daruma has a history since 1929, and you would see shops peppered around Osaka. The other prominent place to find this is at Shinsekai near Tennoji Zoo.

To spot the restaurant, look out for the mascot of an angry-looking man holding kushikatsu skewers in the shape of an “X”. That refers to strict rule “no double-dipping” of the skewer into the sauce.

This non-smoking restaurant can accommodate up to 96 persons, ie 24 seats at the counter, 50 seats at the tables, and 20 seats at the floor. Prepare to spend around ¥1,500 – ¥2,500 for a meal. Credit cards are accepted.

Batter, their original sauce, and fresh-tasting good oil form the trinity of taste at Kushikatsu Daruma.

What makes their kushikatsu special is their use of oils from prawn heads to make their skewers flavourful.

For convenience (as a tourist), there are three combinations you can choose from – the Combo Shinsekai (¥1,400 for 9 pieces), Combo Dotonbori (¥1,800 for 15 pieces), and Shinosaka (¥2,200 for 14 pieces).

 
I ordered the Dotonbori Set (¥1,800, SGD22.80) which includes Ganso Kushikatsu, Pork Cutlet, Tsukune, Mochi, Shrimp, Asparagus, Quail Eggs, Weiner, Cheese Chikuwa, and a choice of Dodeyaki, Green Soybeans or special Kimchi. You can also top up pieces ala carte.

What really drew me was the contrast between that light, crispy batter with a touch of fluffiness, with the juicy meat or fresh-tasting vegetables inside.

Slight warning though, they come out piping hot, so be careful of your tongue throat as you take that first bite.

 
In terms of sequence, you may want to start with the plainer tasting items first, then moving on to the meats and stronger-flavoured ones.

There were a few pieces I had without the sauce, and allowed me to savour the natural flavours, such as the sweet tomato.

Back to the sauce – no double dipping.

When you take a bite of your kushikatsu, NEVER dip it into the sauce again. That is because it is provided in a steel container meant for communal sharing.

If you need to get more sauce, slices of cabbage are provided so that you can scoop it up.

Daruma is probably one of those iconic kushikatsu restaurants you got to try in Osaka.

Kushikatsu Daruma Dotonbori 元祖串かつ だるま
542-0071 Osaka‎ Chuo-Ku, Osaka Dotonbori 1-6-3 Japan
Tel: +81 6 6213 8101
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun)

Kushikatsu Daruma Shinsekai Sohonten
2 Chome-3-9 Ebisuhigashi, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0002, Japan
Tel: +81 6 6645 7056
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Other Related Entries
Ichiran Porkless Ramen (Chuo-ku, Osaka)
Machi Machi Osaka (Kita, Osaka)
Naruto Taiyaki Honpo 鳴門鯛焼本舗 (Kita Ward, Osaka)
World’s Second Best Freshly Baked Melonpan Ice-Cream (Osaka)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

There is something about this fish soup stall. Even if you go during an ‘off-peak’ time at 11am, there would already be a long queue sometimes forming a L-shape around the corner of the coffeeshop.

First Street Teochew Fish Soup is a family stall hugely popular for their deliciously sweet fish soup.

It was founded by the father William Lim during the 1980s, but now largely run by his two sons Desmond and Aaron Lim.

The sons have also been described as “hot hawker”, “eye candy”, though both brothers have different styles (and reported to be “taken”). Okay, that’s beside the point.

As the focus of Teochew fish soup is on the freshness and flavours of the fish, they are dedicated and hardworking, getting their fish fresh and preparing for the soup as early as 3 to 4am every day (except Monday which is their off-day).

It is a tough commitment to keep up with, but it greatly pays off as the stall is packings with customers throughout their opening hours.

My advice is to go as early as possible, say early morning, to avoid waiting too long. I queued for about 50 to 55 minutes (and this is despite the COVID-19 scare).

The varieties of fish soup offered include Batang Sliced Fish Soup ($6, $8, $10), Red Garoupa ($9, $11), Pomfret ($11, $15), and Mixed Soup with Seafood ($5, $7, $10).

Do not overlook on the additional ingredients you can add on, such as minced meat ($0.50), bitter gourd ($0.50), fish cake ($0.50) to even fish maw ($1.50) and fish row ($1.50).

When I had the first sip of the Batang (Spanish Mackeral) Fish Soup, there was a beautiful clear sweetness to it, with hints of ginger in a light but flavourful soup.

Comparing to some of the other usual Teochew fish soup which is typically more bland-tasting, the soup is on the slightly saltier side, but that is what some people would love about the broth.

There was something warm and comforting about it, and I have the feeling this would not work as much if you tabao back home.

As for the fish slices, they were succulent and fresh, with none of that fishy aftertaste. Lovely.

I also had the Pomfret Sliced Fish Soup ($11) which was a generous portion of its price, though be careful as this would inevitably have more bones on the sides.

Would recommend adding the minced pork for just 50 cents, which gives an overall boost to the flavours.

One of the best Teochew sliced fish soups you can find in Singapore.

First Street Teochew Fish Soup
1014 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534752
Tel: +65 8161 9552
Opening Hours: 8:15am – 3pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Other Related Entries
Beach Road Fish Head Bee Hoon (Whampoa Food Centre)
Han Kee (Amoy Street Food Centre)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Dark Chocolate Soufflé, Signature Dark Chocolate Cake, Very Dark Chocolate Milkshake, and how about some High Tea with chocolates?

The Dark Gallery has pioneered crafting artisanal dark chocolate desserts, becoming Singapore’s first dark choco-centric café and boutique concept.

It has launched its first triple concept at the revamped Great World, which is worth a visit.

Salon by The Dark Gallery is an expansion on the brand’s philosophy, and the new concept combines dedicated dine-in salon, café, retail.

What’s welcomed is that there is spacious dining space for a relaxing day out, a takeaway counter and sit-down cafe area for a quick coffee or ice cream, and retail section for Ice Cream Cakes, Single Origin Chocolate Tablets, Bonbons and Macarons.

Also included is a new dine-in menu crafted by Brand Chef Kimberly Tan, with exclusive plated desserts and savoury dishes – after customers have requested for more brunch food. Here’s more on their offerings for you to “discover the dark”:

All Day High Tea Set for 2 ($65)
Experience the rhapsody of High Tea anytime of the day with the All Day High Tea Set for 2, complete with an individual assorted sweets and savouries stand for each diner.

The high tea set is considered quite value for its money, as it includes assorted mini chocolate pastries and savouries, plus a Classic Ice Cream Waffle plate freshly made-to-order, and a choice of beverage (pick any drink below $9) for you and your partner.

For the beverage choice, I would recommend the rich Signature 66% Blend using Valrhona chocolate (if you are still in the chocolate mood), or bright and uplifting tea using quality loose tea leaves from premium tea brand JING.

Dessert Dégustation Set ($39)
If you are the sort that could have desserts for a full meal, the highlight of the Salon is the Dessert Dégustation Set ($39), a 3-course menu that showcases an interplay of gourmet dark chocolate textures.

This set comes with a dessert for first course (but of course) and I had a light ‘Choco-misu’.

For the mid-course, you can select from either The Chocolate Soufflé, made with 66% dark chocolate and baked a la minute, or The French Toast.

The Chocolate Soufflé (also available for ala carte order at $18) was intense but not too sweet in flavour.

With a light and custardy texture, the individual-serving chocolate soufflé is the perfect dessert to wind down the afternoon.

Complete the ‘dessert meal’ with a Omakase Dessert Box, their interpretation of the flavours and colours of the finest chocolates and ingredients, into a balanced palette of mini desserts.

The set also comes with a beverage of your choice (any below $9).

The French Toast ($18 for ala carte order, $39 as part of Dessert Dégustation Set)
This second mid-course option for the Dessert Dégustation Set features a French-style toast served a la mode with a scoop of sea salt butterscotch-flavoured ice cream.

The freshly baked brioche is fluffy and slightly custardy, paired with a medley of fresh fruits to balance out the richness.

Single Origin Chocolate Tart ($9)
Dig in to this tart’s crust filled with 70% Cuba dark chocolate ganache. If you don’t want your desserts too sweet, this is a good option.

Consider pairing the intense chocolate dessert with coffee done pourover style which will accentuate the intricate flavours of the single origin beans.

Ice Cream S’mores ($14)
This plated rendition of a camping fave is constructed with a base of graham crumble with a smooth and velvety chocolate ganache.

It is topped with the must-be-there marshmallow (then torched) and finished off with a scoop of its Signature 80% Dark Chocolate Ice Cream.

Do have the S’mores warm so that you can better appreciate the perfect amount of chocolate ooey-gooeyness and softness of the marshmallows.

Then experience the alluring hot-cold contrast by scooping just some ice cream over and take that single bite.

Toasted Egg Brioche ($15)
If you are seeking more savoury options, the Toasted Egg Brioche served with a side salad is highly recommended.

This French-style bread is washed with egg for a glossy appearance, and bathed with rich, golden butter to give it that distinct fragrance.

Then it is stuffed with creamy scrambled eggs, sliced ham and of course cheddar cheese for that satisfying brunch meal.

Other savoury plates to try are the Avocado Toast with Sunny-side Egg ($15) and Mushroom & Bacon Quiche ($15), which also comes with a side salad.

Want a full meal? Order the Savoury Course Set ($30), a more indulgent luncheon that already includes an Ice Cream Sundae for dessert, your choice of beverage (any below $9) and complimentary Petit Fours.

Single Origin Hot Chocolate ($7 – $9.50 for hot, $8 – $10.50 for iced)
You cannot miss The Dark Gallery’s specialty dark chocolate drinks made from its range of single origin and blend chocolates.

Try the fan-favourite 88% Sur Del Lago featuring powerful notes of cacao and oak. Or taste rare cacao from Original Beans with the 70% East Congo.

Drinks range from $8.50-$10.50 for the single origin chocolates and $7.00-$8.00 for the signature 66% blend.

Artisanal Bonbons ($3.50 per piece)
Discover the art of taste behind these jewel-shaped bonbons in 8 exciting flavours. Each 15g piece is a ganache-filled shell made from 66% dark chocolate.

For chocoholics, the Single Origin Chocolate Mocha (Brown) is a must-try with its signature 70% Dominican Republic dark chocolate and espresso ganache.

The popular Earl Grey, with its black tea base, is mixed with peppermint to create the ganache for Earl Grey Peppermint (Blue).

For a smoky, nutty flavour, try the Toasted Almond (Black) with toasted almond bits in a black and gold shell.

As for white chocolate lovers, the Matcha Strawberry (Green) melds the flavours of white chocolate and green tea powder with strawberry ganache. Similarly, Rose Tea (Pink) has white chocolate but paired up with rose tea-infused ganache in a pink and gold shell.

For chocolate lovers, Salon by The Dark Gallery is a welcoming space to experience top grade single origin chocolates from around the world.

Not only will you find a wide variety of decadent dark chocolate treats, but also discover and learn about the origin of the chocolates used.

The team is constantly expanding their savoury and afternoon tea options, so keep a lookout at what this new Great World outlet has to offer.

The Dark Gallery – Great World
Great World #01-117/118, 1 Kim Seng Promenade, Singapore 237994
Tel: +65 6235 4582
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/discoverthedark/

The Dark Gallery – Millenia Walk
Millenia Walk #01-K5 9 Raffles Boulevard Singapore 039596
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/discoverthedark/

The Dark Gallery – Takashimaya Shopping Centre
Ngee Ann City #B2-29, 391 Orchard Road, Singapore 238873
Tel: +65 6935 2603
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

The Dark Gallery – Funan
Funan #01-14 107 North Bridge Road Singapore 179105
Tel: +65 6908 4086
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with The Dark Gallery.