We're closing on 3/4 of a year since the Singapore-Hong Kong Air Travel Bubble Corridor has been announced. Well if i were to satisfy my dimsum fix in Hong Kong, i would have starved to death already. Thankfully Singapore has decent dimsum and we even have some really good bolo buns now. Champion Bolo Bun at Tanjong Pagar is a specialty bun store which pivoted from an online business to its current 3 storey shophouse space serving only bolo buns and Hong Kong style milk tea and coffee to go accompany the snack.  

Yes only these pineapple looking buns are sold here and basically they only have 2 variants of it, the regular type, and a filled one. Go on a weekend and be prepared to be faced with a snaking queue even though the Muji-esque space is huge for dining in. Why? Because Champion doesn't differentiate their dine-in customers from the takeaway ones. So yes, everyone gotta wait in line for the precious buns. The buns are baked fresh every 15 mins and it's recommended to eat within 20 mins. You could even replace your buns if you don't eat it within that time but WHY WOULD ANYONE DO THAT?

For the regular variant, you could have the Classic ($4.50), the Classic with Butter ($5) featuring an added slab of chilled New Zealand butter, or the Mini of 4 ($4.50) if you wish to split (over my dead body). For a sweet-savory one, there's also a curry potato filled bolo ($6). Unfortunately, it was one me so i can only stomach one bun and of course it had to be the one with butter. 

Firstly, the bun is gorgeous. A brown streusel crust tops the soft pillowy bun below and a butter tongue peeks from between the fluffy bread. As you take a bite into the huge square, you get the crunch of the cookie shell, which gives way to the pillowy soft bun and moist center. I loved the mix of sweetness and savoriness in each bite. And boy it is a big bun. 

The Champion Milk Tea ($5.50) is a perfect accompaniment to the bun. How could you not have the Hong Kong style milk tea with a bolo bun? That's the quintessential pairing. I went with the hot milk tea as the sweetness could be adjusted. While I typically have mine unsweetened, which could be a wild card depending on where you have it, I went with slightly sweetened this time and it was just the right mix. Rich smooth tea with a lovely fragrance with just a tinge of tannins. I'd probably go with unsweetened next time to lessen the guilt from the sweet bun. The cold drinks come sweetened so you don't really have an option. HK style coffee and lemon tea are available, and they also serve espresso-based drinks.

Champion Bolo Bun serves the best bolo bun i've eaten in Singapore, and also Hong Kong. The craving is kicking in as i'm writing the review. Damn i need to go now. 

Champion Bolo Bun

92 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088513

Tues- Sun: 11am - 5pm

2020 hasn't been quite kind to us but life goes on. Hope everyone is taking the safe distancing thing and work from home seriously! Well if you get a chance to take a breather, i'm sure working from a tea lounge works too. Regent Hotel Tea Lounge has a well spaced layout that allows you to privately enjoy your three-tiered tea set that's served to your table on weekdays from 12 - 5pm. Regent's signature scones are one of my favorites in Singapore and best sliced apart and slathered with a thick layer to lush Devonshire clotted cream and a smidgen of lemon curd.  

On weekends, the tea lounge takes on a semi buffet format. The current theme is English Garden and you will find counters stocked with English cheeses and dainty sandwiches filled with black truffle, egg mayonnaise and cucumber. 

I very much enjoyed making these bite-sized blini sandwiches, which i generously topped with the various caviar. Other English delights include mini pot pies with Angus beef ragout, classic roasted Wagyu beef rump with truffle, and Yorkshire Pudding.

In need of some fresh air this smoggy September! Short of going on a getaway (somewhere without the haze), i'm thinking of a mini afternoon break at InterContinental Hotel Singapore, nibbling on Chef Ben Goh's Classic Afternoon Tea. And no, you don't have to wait for the weekends to enjoy this because it's available daily at the Lobby Lounge.

This particular Classic Afternoon Tea set celebrates Chef Ben's recent win as Pastry Chef of The Year 2019, awarded by World Gourmet Summit. The sweet treats tell the story of Chef Ben's culinary journey- inspirations from his childhood (such as the buttercream cake and his grandmother's kueh lapis), and his milestone creations and award winning sweets. These are accompanied by some specially created light savory bites to balance the desserts. 

Starting with the traditional stuff, the nostalgic old school buttercream cake. I NEVER liked this style of cake because the colors look radioactive and it always has this oily Planta mouthfeel to it. Well Chef Ben's version was totally NOT that. I loved the light saltiness of the buttercream and the light sponge layers. Chef also took a leaf out of his grandmother's book for the kueh lapis and created a springy and eggy cake that wasn't too sweet. The secret ingredient is DOM Benedictine. 

My heart melted at the Peach Melba Cheesecake with the loveliest shade of pink. I mistook the exterior for a tart shell and was surprised that it was a chiffon sponge instead. It's a perfect harmony of sugar and acid in this one. 

The best thing about Chef Ben's desserts is that they are always delicate and nuanced, even with the seemingly rich stuff like chocolate. The award winning Chocolate Lemongrass Pineapple cake may look intimidating but the filling is an airy mousse that is a chocolate cloud, further lifted by the notes of lemongrass. If that doesn't lift your mood, head over to the ice cream counter and help yourself to the free flow of a creamy smooth yogurt yuzu ice cream!  

Afternoon Tea, my long-lost love. How i've missed you. Is it me or has this idyllic event fallen out of favor? Whatever the case, InterContinental Singapore's new Afternoon Tea: Checkmate will make you fall in love again. From now to 31 January 2019, the Lobby Lounge at the hotel will showcase Pastry Chef Ben Goh's collaboration with world-renowned premium chocolate manufacturer Valrhona’s Master Pastry Chef Brice Konan- Ferrand's chess-inspired chocolate-based desserts, alongside some savory bites.

The set is priced at $88 for two persons, inclusive of a fine selection of loose-leaf teas and coffee. You can indulge with a half-bottle Taittinger Brut Champagne (375ml), along with everything else at $138/set.

I'm a traditionalist when it comes to tea and was surprised that we were served sweets first as Chef Ben wanted to focus on the sweets in the afternoon tea set. However, you can always request for a change in order of presentation, or to have both served at the same time (which i recommend). 

3 of the chess desserts are created by Chef Ben- The King, Pawn, and Bishop, while Chef Brice created the Queen, Rook, and Knight.

Afternoon Tea is a guilty pleasure of mine. They have me at scones and clotted cream. Plus all the dainty sweets accompanied by specially brewed tea and there goes the weekend and the diet plan. I'm sure you've had that guilt creep up on you after one of those indulgent sessions, plus that lethargy after the sugar rush! Well, now you can have your cake and eat it sinlessly. Capella Singapore's designer kitchen, Chef's Table has added a healthier option to its Capella Tea Experience – Wellness Tea Time, which is available every Friday afternoon from 3 to 5pm.

The menu is conceptualised by Chef Sandra Lim of Live Fruitfully, a certified raw food chef, and Chef David Senia, the Culinary Director of Capella Singapore, and together they have produced a unique five-course menu of gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free sweets. 

Savories before sweets. The Tempeh portobello slider with green goddess cream is full of 'meaty' flavors and textures. This tempeh was certainly more enjoyable than the Nasi Padang stereotype and we love the herby coconut yogurt cream and onion chutney that were layered in the mini burger.

Not into OTT Chinese New Year reunion meals? Then head to Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant for their Reunion Imperial High Tea (新春团圆宫廷下午茶) instead! I've always been a fan of their high tea because they're portioned just perfectly for a lady (though guys may complain of the portion). The 9-course dim sum and tea pairing set menu comprises yusheng customised for the party size (even for one), handcrafted dim sum, as well as Chinese New Year desserts. 

We started with the Prosperity Salmon Yusheng, which takes on a western style with salad vegetables but the orange dressing with candied orange peel gives the dish a Chinese spin. 

Long Jing is served for the dimsum course. But over at the TOP of UOB Plaza, as they have a spanking new cocktail bar Chuān @ The Sixtieth, they have added on a cocktail to their dimsum-tea menu. For the reunion menu, Jubilant Gathering (欢菊一堂) is served. It is a specially concocted craft cocktail made of vodka and chrysanthemum tea, and a lemon ice ball that melts into the drink slowly. We loved the fragrance of the tea in this delicate cocktail! 

Handmade dimsum is served next. Every item is hand made and they are so delicate! We hear that the items on the high tea menu are specially created but sometimes they'd include 1 or 2 items from the regular dimsum menu inside. We particularly enjoyed the steamed juicy seafood wrapped in seaweed (pictured left). The broth from the seafood was so delicious we literally drank it all. The pink mushroom dumpling had filling that is encased in this amazing thin mochi skin. Oh, special mention goes to the crispy yam puff in curry paste, which was super crispy (and not oily at all).

Seafood and bubbly for tea? We cannot disagree. The Lobby Lounge at Westin Singapore has recently refreshed their afternoon tea menu to bring you seafood and champagne for a decadent afternoon with a picturesque view of the South China Sea and Marina Bay.

The Seafood and Champagne Afternoon Tea set (for two) could be loosely called a three-course set. You get a tiered platter of savories, followed by a main course, and the event ends with an assortment of cakes and tarts. Of course, each set comes with 2 glasses of champagne. 

Well each person gets a platted platter of 5 nibbles plus 2 of my favorite Crab Salad Sandwiches. 

These are quite salty and juicy and goes well with the crusty multigrain. 

As for the other items, the lobster and mushroom torchoon was like a lobster version of a cold crab cake which sat well with me. My gf liked the mussels with salsa. The rest of the items were meh, especially the sashimi which was sitting in cold water. I can't even.. 

Each person gets one oyster, possibly of the French origin because they were so... thin. The oysters are served with a choice of three sauces – champagne dressing, lychee bourbon and lime and shallot vinaigrette. 

Then the main course. A half Lobster Thermidor each. Expect to be filled by the rich cheese and cream, not so much by the amount of the crawler.  

If you were not filled (i didn't use satisfy), maybe the sweets will do the job. Of this lot, the freshly baked soft chocolate cranberry cookie, chocolate dipped strawberries, and the blueberry lime-scented mango tart were a-ok. The rest were again meh. The truffle cupcake (scented with truffle oil) weirdly attracted me to take a second bite. 

The Seafood and Champagne Afternoon Tea is priced at $85 (for 2 pax) and is inclusive of 2 glasses of champagne. This is not inclusive of other beverages. For this price point, i may closed an eye to the quality of the food.  

The Westin Singapore

Level 32 Lobby Lounge

12 Marina View, Asia Square Tower 2, Singapore 018961

Tel: +65 6922 6988

Weekdays: 2.30 - 5pm

Weekends: 2 - 4pm, 4.30 - 6.30pm

Ask me where to get the best scones and Regent Singapore will be rattled off the top of my head. There may be a lot of other great scones but my goldfish memory only retains the most memorable ones, and I can never forget the light fluffy texture of their scone paired with buttery clotted cream and lemon curd. Thankfully the renovation at Tea Lounge at Regent Singapore did not take too long and you can now enjoy their lovely afternoon tea in a more contemporary colonial garden setting. 

Interactive and theatrical elements have also been added to Tea Lounge's repertoire of delightful bites for their Weekday Three-tier Afternoon Tea. A table-side trolley service provides hand-brewed coffee and special tea blends, brewed to perfection at their optimum timing and temperature; while award-winning Pastry Chef Alex Chong and his team conjure some sweet dreams for the dessert course you pick from the menu. 

First things first, the scones! I knew something was different when i bit into them and i confirmed that the recipe had been tweaked to produce a slightly denser scone that doesn't break apart so easily. I can't tell it i liked it better than the previous version, but i did enjoy it very much. The scone has a nice crunchy crust all around but still retained a moist center. Of course, it was perfect with the Devonshire clotted cream and smooth-like-butter and not-too-sweet lemon curd. There's also a house-made strawberry preserve that's served but i'm simply not a jam person. 

We were also huge fans of the seasonal quiches, which were the best savory items on the tiers. That amazing snappy buttery shortcrust held the moist egg custard with heirloom summer tomato and cherry wood-smoked ham. 

The rest of the petite savory bites sounded fancy with their extravagant ingredients but failed to deliver. The best of the lot was the sweet Alaskan king crab wrapped in watercress crepe, and the smoked Norwegian salmon with caviar on beetroot loaf. The open-faced Wagyu Beef and Lancashire cheese with Périgord black truffle sandwich was dry and bland; and the Duck Breast and Lavender infused Foie Gras Terrine on tart had a slight gamey flavor to it. Needless to say, i could not be bothered with an egg sandwich as it affords no satisfaction at all.

Trust me, we all need that well-deserved break from weekend retail therapy and there's no better place to rest your legs and pockets at Hilton Singapore! They have just launched their new Endless Saturday High Tea at D9 Cakery. 

High tea at a cakery? Sounds like sweet stuff. Well there are sufficient savory bites IMO. Though the selection is not wide, i must say they are quality stuff that will satisfy. 

I love the buns here. Definitely the Pulled Pork Sliders (love the good balance of sweetness and tartness of the meat, sandwiched between fluffy buns) and Pork Floss Curry Pork Bun (remember to add on more of chef's house-made curry and more floss).

Hilton does the best hotel satays in Singapore I SWEAR. They are even better than Pan Pacific Edge's. I say it's among the best i've tasted in Singapore too. 

Super chunky, juicy, tender and well flavored!

The Laksa is quite lemak too! The surprise was the Liu Sha Bao (the skin is so fluffy and the tasty salted egg lava flows). Something special from the savory section is the Swiss Raclette that goes on top of your potatoes or focaccia. Honestly i don't get the hype because the cheese coagulates quickly. I'd rather have a selection of cheeses. 

Fall into a sweet coma with the six-meter showcase brimming with a selection of desserts highlighting artisanal cake creations all made using premium imported ingredients. Here, you get the bite size portions of the typical slices sold at D9. I say it's definitely a great way to help you find your favorite bakes! The chocolate fudge was a hit, i enjoyed the banana walnut loaf, and the pralines are great too. Plus there are the famous Hilton cheesecakes in pop size! They also have pretty desserts in jars too. 

Whatever you do, make sure you pop a few more of their macarons. THESE ARE DAMN GOOD. Nice crust (breaks a tad too easily) with dense flavorful ganache fillimg. Absolutely love the salted caramel one, and coffee, and chocolate, and lemon... Sorry no photos because they are all in my tummy!

Afternoon tea is incomplete without freshly baked Vanilla and Raisin scones with clotted cream. I love these perfect bite sized scones that have a nice crust on the outside and sticky density on the inside. Plus that clotted cream is yums!! Definitely one of the better scones around town.

The afternoon tea experience is complete with over ten handpicked selections of TWG tea blends. This Saturdate experience can be enjoyed at $41/pax with free flow coffee and TWG tea. Top up an additional $35 for bottomless rounds of sparkling wine, selected beer, white and red wines.

Hilton Endless Saturday High Tea at D9 Cakery

Lobby Level, Hilton Singapore

581 Orchard Road Singapore 238883

Tel: +65 6730 3392

Sat: 12 - 2.30pm, 3 - 5pm 

A life of leisure requires a spot of tea every now and then and Colony at The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore proved to be quite satisfactory. If you're looking for a full on buffet, you should head over to the Sister restaurant that is Chihuly Lounge. The Colony is for people who wanna exercise a little more self control because it offers a small tea set with 5 pieces of savory items, small free flow sweets section, and 2 coffee/tea, plus a glass of Moet Chandon champagne. 

The Afternoon Tea starts with a wooden case of savory items, all of which exquisitely crafted. 

I'm an English Tea girl and sandwiches are a must. Colony's Iberico ham sandwich was gorgeous with a fluffy and slightly cakey sundried tomato focaccia. The light tangy sweetness of the bread goes perfectly with the salty nutty Iberico. 

There's also the giant bite luxe version of the regular chili crab in the form of a Chili Lobster on a fried mantou. The lightly battered chunk of meat was coated with one of the most well balanced Chili crab sauce that I've tasted- tart, sweet, and spicy. Someone needs to bottle this and sell it. And that crisp morsel of fried bun.. Can we have this as a burger already?

Of the lot, the Chicken Satay Uttapum looked and sounded the most blah. Well it's a brown disc with more brown sauce.. But the flavors are perfectly blended and we loved the nutty and savory sauce with a hint of spice. There were bites of meat in the potato disc and on the whole it felt like a deconstructed satay! Lovely.

The Shepard's pie was decent but nothing to shout about. The luxurious looking steamed charcoal Xiao long bao turned out to be the worst performing dish only because the thick and soggy dough was a disappointment, BUT the Bao was bursting with well marinated meat, we simply had to remove the dough and discount it. 

Our only complain for the savory set? Couldn't we have more?! We can easily do at least another serving of each piece. :(

Now on to the sweets, which I actually started on while waiting for the savory bites to arrive. The scones, like what I remembered of Chihuly Lounge, have much to be improved on. Texture wise, they are a little dry and dense. Thankfully that was semi resolved by the variety of jams (but there was no clotted cream in sight). The small selection of Nyonya Kuehs were pretty and decent. I couldn't stop snacking on the kueh lapis which imo is one of the best ones around. 

The semi buffet of unlimited sweets, with various panna cotta (silky milky and wobbly goodness); rich velvety chocolate bites in the form of brownies, cakes and tarts; and mango mousse cake and cheesecake. 

There was also a live Crepe Suzette section! The mandatory flaming looked cool but didn't add much flavor to the flavor (more alcohol needed surely). That said, the toppings of brûlée banana, apple cinnamon, and tart berry jam were well enjoyed by us.

We managed to get through almost every item between the 3 of us. Not bad hur!

The tarts were pretty good despite using central kitchen made tart shells (think well balanced lemon meringue and chocolate opera). The creme brûlée was superb with a silky rich vanilla bean cream . There wasn't that crusty burnt top but we pardoned them because it was replaced with a smoky toffee sauce. I'm not a panna cotta fan but the milky raspberry panna cotta won me over. Oh don't miss the mango pudding! It sure beats many Chinese restarants'! 

Save some space for the house made ice cream! They are on the icy side, but the flavors were intense and not too sweet. Favorites included the milk tea and sesame flavors. Make sure you grab one of those cones. :)

Colony’s Champagne Afternoon Tea are served from Mondays to Saturdays with and comes with a glass of Moet Chandon champagne (priced at $49), and 2 coffee/tea. If this doesn't suit you, there's over at the Chihuly Lounge, there's also the eight-course Weekday Afternoon Tea from 2.30 - 5pm; or 

Weekend Afternoon Tea Buffet from 2.30 - 5pm.

Colony

The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, 7 Raffles Ave, Singapore 039799

Tel: 6434-5288

Mon - Sat: 3.30pm – 5.30pm 

Fancy English Afternoon tea with dainty finger sandwiches and bites in a colonial setting? YES PLEASE. While we were on our staycation at Goodwood Park Hotel, we couldn't help but be tantalized by the sight and smell of these gorgeous savory and sweet delights at L'Espresso.

Say goodbye to the plain 'ol cucumber sandwiches and hello to a whole range of interesting sandwiches. How about Meatloaf & Zucchini Piccata; Turkey Ham with Granny Smith Apple & Cheddar; Smoked Pork with Emmental Cheese & Orange Marmalade; Peppery Beef pastrami with Gruyere Cheese & Sauerkraut? 

If that sounded interesting, wait till you see the little open-face sandwiches. Here we have the Duo of Smoked Salmon with Avruga Caviar; Croissant with bacon and avocado apple; Blue cheese with Fig & Quince Jelly; Spiced Chicken Roll with Potato Crumble and Sour Cream. 

In particular, the Crabmeat salad with avocado & tomato salsa in Vol-au-vent (a light pastry puff), and the salami & truffle mille-feuille should not be missed. Other than the regular cold cuts, there's also the creamy spreads like the sweet-ish Emmental with Cranberry & Walnut, and the earthy and fragrant Truffle Mushroom. The Duck Rillette didn't fare that well due to the lack in flavor.