Brunch spots are popping up everywhere these days. If you open a cafe and you don't at least offer weekend brunch, you're pretty much screwed. But if you only do an average one, you wouldn't survive long in this competition. #sadbuttrue Well the people at Ronin must have gotten it right i guess. These same folks behind The Plain and The Bravery have been operating at 17 Hong Kong Street for a while now and it's packed despite not having a sign.

I liked how dim and broody the industrial space is. The cemented floors, naked bulbs and cinema chairs contribute to the sulky hipster type.  Well you can brood if you're not seated at the communal tables, or you can continue brooding because that's what hipsters do.

Drinks first. Ronin uses the same Genovese blend as The Bravery and The Plain. Low acidity, super strong and aromatic. Love the crema. Latte goes for $4.20. 

For something refreshing and sweet, go with the Wicked Mocha ($5.50), a mint mocha that tastes like After Eights. Go for the hot version for a more intense flavor.

Do not miss out on the Matchatone ($5.50)! This is by far my favorite matcha drink. It is actually an intense matcha paste served with steamed milk. I love scrapping the green tea sludge and eating that instead of mixing it all in. Slurps.

Here comes the food. The non-existent menu (they really don't have a copy anywhere) only has a few items, a couple of sandwiches, eggs, french toast and some pastries on the counter. My advice is to search online for the available items instead of straining your memory trying to figure out what you wanna order when the waitstaff recites the menu. Anyway here's what we ordered.

We had the famed Dirty Ronin ($12). Hard sandwiches are so in these days. I enjoyed the crispy panini which has a nice crusty shell but it still maintained that fluffy porous texture inside. Servings are huge by the way. So this comes with a lightly spiced salty chorizo. How they get the meat so soft i have no idea but it is really more like spam (not the chinese Ma Ling sorta luncheon meat though). There's some miso mayo, fried egg and cheese in this. Taste wise it's not bad, though a different kinda lettuce would have been better.

The scrambled eggs ($9) have this amazing taste and texture. It's extremely milky but it's not the runny sort. However, it wasn't like the eggs were dry. Well.. it's like an egg pudding? Anyhoo, you gotta try it for yourself. It's perfect with the nicely buttered crunchy toast. Add on the freshly made sausage ($4.50) which comes in pork or lamb to satisfy your meat craving. Avocado and Portobello available as add ons too. 

If you, like me, enjoy a sweet and savory combination, have the French Toast ($14), a fluffy and eggy brioche topped with fried bacon and crunchy and tart Granny Smith apples. Absolutely adored the maple butter! I could do with more bacon though. Oink. 

We really enjoyed brunch at Ronin though it's really packed during brunch time. The waiting isn't too bad because the service is pretty good. The girls are really chirpy and friendly so it's great. 

Ronin
17 Hong Kong Street Singapore 059660
Tue – Sun: 8am - 8pm

Looking for a different outdoor activity to participate in other than the usual soccer, marathon and the likes? Well, check out Forest Adventure, the first tree top adventure course in Singapore. I was surprised that Forest Adventure has been opened since 2007 at Bedok Reservoir Park! This kinda shows that we hardly venture outdoors! Terrible terrible us.

The aerial course through the trees comprises ladders, bridges, swings, nets, trapezes and slides where participants move unaccompanied, from tree to tree, through 34 obstacles, 5 meters above ground. Don't worry, you'd be harnessed and hooked on to the line and will not fall off if you've performed all the safety checks. 

Before embarking on the Grand Course, we went through a 30 minutes safety briefing to operate our safety harness. We then started our 2 - 2.5 hour adventure through 4 sites. 

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I have a little issue with heights and was pretty nervous when i started up the first course. I felt a little more reassured with S around. Well.. at least till he pushed me off the first zip line and then some.. :/ 

The obstacles focus mainly on balance and some strength (when you lack the balance). It is also a lot about conquering fears (at least for me). Once i got the hang of the safety system, the height wasn't so much an issue. 

There are some “extreme” sections made of extremely physically challenging obstacles which require some jumping from log to log and hanging around. Not to worry, there are escape routes available for those not yet ready for such challenge. D doing his Tarzan thing over here.

Jumping through hoops!

Just hanging around with friends. D doubled as our photographer and also instructor for other people in the group and here's V, S and i on the trees. :)

At the end of each section, participants descend from the trees, over the waters, to the forest floor. The longest zip for the Grand Course is 200m and it's really relaxing! Take time to enjoy the views of the waterfront and the park as you zip around. 

Of all the courses, the greatest challenge for me was the 12m Tarzan swing where participants jump from a 8m high platform and swing into a rope net 2 m below! I was all ready to chicken out but the instructor on the ground was goading me. There were many WTF moments before i climbed that platform. So here's me and my terrified face and cheeky S waiting to push me off again.

Took the plunge before S could do anything stupid. Yes i screamed like a girl all the way. AHHHHH!

And I DID IT! And the entire Bedok Reservoir heard it. Weet weet! It was exhilarating but no way in hell am i gonna do it again. Yes i'm a chicken but WEV. Interested in experiencing it for yourself? The Grand Course that we attempted is $44/pax. I would highly recommend it for couples or groups.

There is also a 16-stages Kids Course priced at $32 for 1st hour and $10 for subsequent rounds. The children are connected to a continuous safety line at the start of the course and will not be disconnected till the end. Family packages and annual passes are also available.

So yea! Time to have fun under the sun! Here's the location map.

Thank you Forest Adventure for the invitation!

Forest Adventure

Bedok Reservoir Park 

Grand Course- Daily 10am - 6pm (last departure at 4.30pm)
Kids Course- Weekends, Sch Holidays and PH 10am - 6pm (last departure at 5pm)
Closed on Mondays except PH.

I always wondered why the 2 most awesome meals like brunch and tea are mostly only available on weekends. Shouldn't we get options for these awesome meals like everyday? Well well, the folks at Pan Pacific Singapore certainly has gotten it right with their Weekday Dim Sum Lunch Buffet at Hai Tien Lo!

The special weekday a la carte dim sum lunch menu is created by new Dim Sum Chef Lee Siaw Cheen and diners get to feast on an extensive selection of 35 soups, signature dishes, dim sum and desserts at $48.

There are 4 new enhanced signature dim sum creations which include Deep-fried Yam Puff with Foie Gras, Baked Egg Tart with Imperial Swiflet’s Nest and White Fungus, Steamed Berkshire Pork “Char Siu” Buns and Crispy Carrot Cake with Hai Tien Lo’s Signature XO Sauce. These are limited to one serving each per guest.

Of the lot, the Berkshire Pork “Char Siu” Buns was absolutely heavenly. Juicy and succulent meat in a delicious barbecue sauce lovingly wrapped by a fluffy sweet bun. But why only 1 serving?? :( I also liked the carrot cake which has nice chunks of radish and chinese sausage. This is best paired with the spicy XO sauce.

Diners also get unlimited servings of the classic dim sum. The Wok-seared Spinach Dumplings may look really green on the outside but it's also packed with juicy minced pork inside. Delicious!

There's also the giant version of a xiao long bao but this is the steamed bun version, and it also has a baby abalone hidden in it.

First time trying the Deep-fried Pork Dumpling “Ham Shui Gok”. It's really crispy on the outside and it remained so after 5 minutes of photo taking. It looks really plain but once you bite into it, you'd be surprised by the flavors.

The skin has a mochi-like texture and it is filled with juicy pork with mushrooms. When eaten all at once, it tastes like a Hakka Abacus Seed  算盘子.

Another delicious pork filled dish but flavored with five spices and wrapped in bean gluten. This is like a baby ngoh hiang but crispier and juicier.

If dimsum alone doesn't fill you up, there are also 9 Hai Tien Lo Signatures to pick from which includes hearty dishes like Szechuan Spicy chicken, Grouper fish fillet and Cantonese Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs.. Each table is limited to one serving of any three items.

The Homemade Bean Curd with Crab Meat and Eggplant in Supreme Stock comes highly recommended. Absolutely silky and fragrant tofu in a carrot, radish and chicken supreme stock. Slurps!

If you like something fried (who doesn't), the Deep-fried Soft Shell Crab with Pepper Sauce is rather delightful. Just work it off later really.

What is a Cantonese meal without soup right? Pick from either the Traditional Double-Boiled Soup or the Lobster with Shredded Abalone and Vegetables in Thick Broth (one serving of any one item per person). The little green puffs are made of vegetables. Now you can drink your greens too!

For desserts, i went with the Double-boiled Osmanthus Tea with Pear and White Fungus which is light and refreshing. I liked that it's not too sweet.

The Mango Sago with Pomelo was a hot favorite. This drinks like a mango smoothie and is surprisingly light as well. If there's more space in your dessert tummy, you could go with the Black Sesame Paste with Glutinous Rice Dumpling.

So here you go, Hai Tien Lo's Weekday Dim Sum Buffet. It's perfect for business lunches and definitely for times when you simply just need to treat yourself.

Hai Tien Lo 
Pan Pacific Singapore
Level 3, 7 Raffles Boulevard, Singapore 039595
Tel: +65 6826 8240
Weekday Dimsum Buffet (except PH): 11.30am - 2.30pm
Price: $48 per adult or $28 per child (five to 11 years old)

The latest rave on the cafe scene has got to be My Awesome Café 真棒堂. Housed in the old Chung Hwa Free Clinic, My Awesome Cafe not only has a much talked/Instagrammed about entrance, the interior is another designer playground with vintage, restored and remade furniture carefully curated by its owners and i had the pleasure of chatting with Franck, the uber friendly owner, when i visited them for lunch.

If you found the tables and fans a little familiar, well, you probably have seen them in school. I love how the industrious space is lit by natural light and christmas trees in bulbs (because everyday should be Christmas).

According to Franck, the menu has expanded 3 times in their 1st month of opening, thanks to suggestions by their loyal regulars. The famed My Awesome Salad ($15) was suggested by the fitness instructors from the nearby gyms and you can be guaranteed a protein packed and healthy meal.

And it was really Awesome. Generous portion of mesclun with smoked salmon, tender herbed chicken breast, oh-so-decadent duck rillettes, avocado and tomatoes. The duck rillettes come from a small farm in France and it has that perfect buttery texture with the right touch of saltiness. The crusty bread was irresistible with freshly ground basil pesto.

The secret to such awesomeness is fresh produce. The leaves are flown in 3 times a week from Australia, and other produce like tomatoes and avocados are hand picked from Tiong Bahru market by Franck! Most of their ingredients are all carefully sourced from small producers so it's not just fresh but also really exclusive.

I had a Latte ($4.50) to go with my meal. The coffee is made from a blend of Colombian, Brazilian and Ethiopian (or is it Sumatran) beans and are roasted in Singapore by a small time roaster (secret is still in the bag). The robust flavors were complemented by the New Zealand grass fed cow milk. 

If you want something more substantial, well there are sandwich options ($12-$15) with fillings like Spicy Beef, Duck Rillettes (a must eat), Grilled Eggplant Hummus Dip & Tomato and more. The breads and pastries are baked fresh daily so you can be guaranteed of its freshness. I love their breads! If you are for something smaller, there are breakfast croissants (with runny scrambled eggs) along with other toppings.

As we were chatting, the fresh-out-of-the-oven desserts were making their way around the cafe and Franck offered me a taste of 2 of them, the Bread & Butter Pudding and Upside Down Pineapple Cake ($4.50 each).

I was surprised by how light and refreshing the Pineapple Cake was (only because i had this impression that it would be really cloying). Love the buttery cake base with the naturally sweet juicy pineapples.

The Bread and Butter pudding is certainly different from the usual rich moist and spongy suspect. This came served with a liquid whipping cream which is the more milky version of evaporated milk. The top layer is actually a croissant, which tended on the dry side from the baking but i enjoyed the bread bottom.

Come night time, My Awesome Cafe transforms into a bar serving happy drinks with their Happy Hour. There are some special beers too. Have them with the Cold Cuts Platter with home-made spreads for only $20/pax and comes with free flow of bread. I'd be damned if i don't finish them all. Vegetarians can feast on some really delicious vegetarian cold cuts too. Franck will also be introducing a Goats Cheese platter starting next week so look out for that!

So yes, My Awesome Cafe is really awesome. Great food, great vibe, great service. Kudos to Mr Awesome here for bringing us such good stuff. 

My Awesome Café 真棒堂
202 Telok Ayer, Singapore 068630
Weekdays: 7am – 7pm 

Weekends: 10am – 3pm

A good love story always begins with fresh, rustic bread. That's how The Missing Pan was started by by artisan bakers and husband-and-wife team Bernard Toh and Grace Chia in November 2013. I couldn't help but fall in love with this all-day bakery/brasserie that serves up freshly baked organic breads in their little shophouse along Bukit Timah Road.  

The first level is the bakery that spills out to the small alfresco area along the sidewalk. But hidden on the upper floor is a cosy brasserie where diners get to enjoy more elaborate meals. 

We started with the Bircher Muesli ($10), my go to when I want something healthier. TMP's version is smoother but you could still get the great taste of Granny Smith, muesli, puffed brown rice, oats, maple syrup, nuts, cinnamon in a yogurt mix. I love how tangy the dish was and it's a great starter to share but it certainly will fill you up if you have it as a main.

The French Toast Salpicon ($19) is a delightful plate with the many colorful fruits. It may look like an ordinary sweet french toast but it hides a huge secret within it.

Cut through that fluffy brioche and out spills a savory combination of chicken, spinach and mushrooms. Weird it is not, in fact I thought the gravy could be more creamy and savory. It's really a go-bold-or-go-home dish. The strawberry-smoked maple syrup was delightful with the toast though.

The 62 Degree Eggs Benedict with Smoked salmon ($22) is another favorite with diners. TMP got all the ingredients right; perfect salmon, creamy avocado, seaweed crumbs on crunchy sourdough but the somewhat weak in-house hollandaise sauce didn't managed to lift the dish. The overall taste was a lil blah.

I would love to have the Beetroot and Quinoa Salad ($12) but they ran out of the ingredients sadly. 

The Guinness Pot Pie ($24) got most of the things right. Hearty beef stew with Guinness topped with a buttery flaky puffed pastry. This is the perfect cold weather dish!

If you remember Uppercrust, well TMP's owners were behind that. They kept some of their best sellers such as the Pulled Pork Burger ($19).

There is quite a selection of desserts from the bakery and great with the coffee.

For desserts, the Mela Con Formaggi ($14) is a sweet-savoury combination of granny smith, banana caramel sauce, chocolate soil, citrus mascarpone, homemade honeycomb and parmigiano reggiano chips. I couldn't stop eating this one.

The Chewy Brownie Coffee Cheesecake ($7.20) will satisfy your coffee addiction. I loves the creamy cheesecake on top and the chewy chocolate brownie base. Delicious!

My mean cup of coffee complemented the sweets well. TMP uses a special blend customised by a local coffee roaster. The coffee is smooth with slight chocolatey undertones. If coffee is not your thang, there are milkshakes, ciders and a good selection of craft beers from Belgium and the United Kingdom.

The Missing Pan also offers hearty dinners such as Pan-Fried Red Snapper ($24) and roasted chicken. Or if you're like me, you can always have toast for dinner!

The Missing Pan

619D Bukit Timah Road, #01/02-01 Singapore 269724

Tel: +65 6466 4377 

Tue - Fri: 9am - 2.30pm, 6pm – 9pm 

Weekends: 9am – 4pm, 6pm – 9pm