Finally checked out The Fabulous Baker Boys at the foothills of Fort Canning. I've been meaning to pop by for a while but the lack of air conditioning was a put off and when i finally decided to go, they were closed for a long renovation! Well but guess what, The Fabulous Baker Boys are back, WITH AC! And DAILY BRUNCH! And they take reservations now too (we were chided for not making reservations when we went)! Is that FAB or what?

I'm obviously easily distracted by desserts. Zoomed in on that immediately before i could even pay attention to the menu. Ok let's attempt to start with brunch first.

TFBB Champion Breakfast is a massive plate of food for the hungry. 2 perfectly poached eggs served on a toasted brioche, roasted rosemary potatoes, garlicky mushrooms, swirly sage chicken sausage and a side of beef bacon. Honestly how do you finish this?! What i was more curious about was they perfect such nice egg spheres. The sauce was not explosive to be honest but the whole combination was very comforting. Nice starchy potato cubes that are crispy at the skin. The beef bacon taste like savory bak kwa.  

The Croque Monsieur ($12.50) came as a stack of toasted broiche, chicken ham and cheese and then topped with a baked cheesy béchamel. As usual, i made it a Madame with an added sunny side up for $3. A creamy cheesy dream that could do with a little more moisture i felt. The porous brioche drank up my egg yolk before i knew it.

The hot favorite was the 3 Cheese Pancake made using Cheddar, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. This was cheesy and mushy in an awesome way and even had a slightly crispy exterior. The combination with the sweet maple was a match made in heaven. Who knew.

Moving to the heartier dishes.

Chili Crab Mac & Cheese ($18) made with mini elbow macaroni tossed in a cheesy béchamel, with lumps of chilli crab meat and topped with herbed Panko (japanese breadcrumbs). The flavors were not spectacularly robust but anything more would have worked in its disadvantage. Great savory dish that was devoured within minutes. I would have preferred a bigger macaroni though.

Ju’s Prawn Pasta ($20) is a tiger prawn pappardelle cooked in a secret crustacean cream. I thought the sauce was heavy on cream but too light on the seasoning so there was an oily mouthful without the appropriate flavors.

Now back to the cakes! We were sufficiently stuffed but couldn't resist these sweet treats. Prices are $8 upwards.

We settled for the Apple Cider Cake which was deliciously moist and light tasting. The Red Velvet Cake with Valrhona chocolate frosting ($9) was just so so for me, so was the Iced Latte ($5.40).

We enjoyed the food at The Fabulous Baker Boy. Fab food BUT the service was no where near fab. Honestly what's with the attitude that we received the whole time we were there? They had problems  with our big group (we also had 2 kids with us), my additional side order of eggs (don't you dare roll your eyes at me) and even with the kids. I only discounted the bad service because i was too engrossed with my pancakes but honestly they really need to work on their service. The young girl (probably a part timer) was way more helpful to us than the men.

So yea, decent brunch spot but snotty service by the dudes. Head there if you can take that attitude.

The Fabulous Baker Boy
70 River Valley Road #01-15, The Foothills, Fort Canning

(Just opposite Liang Court)
Tel: +65 6694 8336
Tue - Thu: 11am - 10pm
Fri - Sat: 11am - 11pm

Sun: 9am - 5pm

Slowly checking items off my cafe list and this one is Drury Lane at Tanjong Pagar Road. 

Do not be deceived by the crowded 1st level, i was deterred once but decided head on back to check them out. The cafe spans 2 storeys so head on upstairs to escape the oily food smells as cooking and brewing are all done in that little space. Oh but do note that you gotta come down to place your orders still. 

It was a terribly hot day and we headed up to level 2 as W had already gotten us a reservation. I was hoping for a cool reprieve from the crazy heat but there was none. The AC was super weak and hardly cooled the heated 2nd storey of the shophouse. It was obvious that they have issues with the power rating as well because we had 2 blackouts in the short span of an hour.

and there i have a model (no i don't know him)

Well brunch was meant to be a birthday gathering for Cliff and i felt so bad for suggesting Drury at that point. It was also impossible to hear each other because the acoustics were terrible. Throw in 20 other people and it's just deafening. Not a good place for a date certainly.

So i had the Iced Mocha because it was simply too hot to have a hot drink. The drink was pretty good imo with melted chocolate instead of bottled syrup and it didn't overpower the mellow coffee. 

We had one of the specials which is the Garlic toast with sausage patties, sauteed mushrooms, spinach and truffle scrambled eggs ($18). This was the best savory dish out of the lot due to the garlic spread i guess. Scrambled eggs were too runny in my opinion and that sausage patty was just a joke with its bland flavor and dry nature. Eeks. For $18, it's not quite worth it. I've just had the pulled duck with apricot croissant at Symmetry and it was way better than this at the same price.

The sandwiches are at least decently priced at about $8 ish. The Steak and Cheese Sandwich was supposed to be awesome but they didn't have that when we visited. The Smoked Salmon and Mushroom alternative were just alright.

DO NOT EAT the Sausage Baked Eggs ($12) with spinach, homemade baked beans and cheese. We saw that familiar cardboardish sausage patty. Well this pot of food is terribly bland and pedestrian. I'm sure i make better stuff than this. I thought the baked beans were more canned than homemade though.  

Maybe try the Cloud 9.4 which is bacon infused pancakes with honey if you please.

Well, would i go back to Drury Lane? Not for the food certainly. But the desserts were quite divine. Not to sure about the 'Pay as you wish' muffins but the Banana Bread with Espresso Butter ($2.50) had W and i takeaway a portion each.

The moist bread with chunks of banana was naturally sweetened and i'm glad they didn't add more sugar. The espresso butter wasn't that good because it was oily (not the good kinda butter way) and lacked espresso flavor.
The Carrot cake was also one of the best i've had as well. It's of medium density but very well flavored with spice. We liked that there wasn't too much cream cheese because they didn't ice the sides but those between the layers were just sufficient for the added flavors and moisture.

Verdict of Drury Lane- I may drop by again for the sweets and a quick drink but certainly not for the food.

Drury Lane
94 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088515
+65 62226698
Weekdays: 8.30am - 9pm
Weekends: 10am - 6pm

Edge at Pan Pacific Hotel Singapore has introduced A Long Long Lunch, a new four-hour massive buffet that brings you from lunch to afternoon tea in 1 sitting. As i stepped into the brightly lit restaurant on Saturday, i wondered how many of the diners can actually last the whole 4h. Well, apparently a lot of them. As for me, i gave myself a 1.5h limit so that i could make it to my next yoga class. 

The emphasis at the A Long Long Lunch is more on well-known hawker favorites and features many local favorites such as Homemade Laksa, Bak Kut Teh, Nasi Lemak, Fried Carrot Cake and Satay.

I was impressed with the Prawn noodle broth (apparently Penang style) which was rich and savory with garlic, spice and crustacean. The prawns were huge (sorry they took a dive) and crunchy. Yums! The Penang kway teow was sadly dry and nowhere as good as the ones i had in Penang. 

Grab a few sticks of satay that are grilled on the spot. This was smoky and flavorful. The style is more chinese and they even have pineapple puree to go with the lighter peanut sauce. The Nasi Lemak was also very fragrant and the grains were perfectly fluffy.

The popiah was also a favorite at our table. The garlic chili really packs a punch.

I also loved the homemade Dim Sum which you can grab at the counter. It's made fresh as well and is as tasty as the ones offered at Hai Tien Lo (read review here)! The roast duck was tasty too!

International cuisines are available as well and you shouldn't miss the Italian section.

The freshly made thin crust pizzas were amazing and certainly comparable to the pizza specialty stores in Singapore.

Great quiches with a good filling to puff ratio. The creamy lamb bolognese was good on its own but even better in the layered puff pastry. Grab a fried salmon croquette from the western section too!

Other cuisines include Japanese, Thai, Indian etc. There's even a Thai deep fried banana station where you can get fresh pisangs!

The desserts selection was extensive in the local department. 

Kaya Toast, Portuguese Egg Tarts (yums!), Ice Kachang, Mango Pomelo Short Cake and a selection of Durian-based desserts. I'm not much of a fan though because the durian puffs filling was more pudding than durian puree. The Durian Pengat was also rather diluted and lack in flavors. Durian fudge cake and Mango Pomelo Short cake were just so so.

If anything, i'd save my space for all the Kueh Lapis. It's dense and fragrant and certainly calories packed but it's worth every bite.

Made to order waffles are also available and i had it with the creamy vanila ice cream. Of course i added a ton of other spreads like peanut butter, nutella and some berries. 

Wash it all down with some sweeeeet teh terik or some sugar cane or fruit juice if you fancy.

Got a little distracted with the set up for the Sunday Champagne Brunch at Edge. That would be truly decadent!

A Long Long Lunch is available at Edge from 12 - 4pm every Saturday and costs $50nett per adult, inclusive of unlimited local beverage, coffee and tea; $25nett per child (below 12 years old) inclusive of unlimited local beverages.

Edge 

Level 3, Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel 

7 Raffles Boulevard, Singapore 039595
Tel: +65 6826 8240

Say hello to the sexy Volvo S60 1.6L D2, my weekend ride. Well i had fun last year driving V40 T4 R (read review here) and the sweet Volvo folks got me back in to test the diesel version of the S60. S and i (ok just S) have driven diesel cars on our travels and it's really more fuel efficient than petrol.

I think there's a misconception that diesel creates more pollution but with technological advancement, it could be cleaner than petrol. The S60 D2 engine has a CO2 emission of 114 g/km, enjoying the Carbon Emission Vehicle Scheme (CEVS) rebate of $15,000, the highest in its class. As a result, there is also better fuel consumption at 4.3litres/100km.

The Volvo S60 is sculpted and it could be modified for a sportier design (as compared to our boring black). The engine produces 115 bhp and 270 Nm of torque and is turbo-charged.

So how does it drive? Well the engine rumbles a fair bit at lower speeds and felt sluggish too. The gear changes are also not that smooth. However when the turbo kicks in at the higher speeds, the drive becomes a lot better. The stability at past 100km/h felt more like a 2000cc car. Well i guess it's made for speed. ;)

I always feel safe in the Volvo because of its attention to safety features. They've included the groundbreaking Pedestrian Detection system and also the city safety system. New systems such as Road Sign Information, Active High Beam and Tunnel Detection can also be added on. We tested the brakes on wet road and it didn't lock on e-brake.

The interior is lavish in terms of its driver-oriented details, but it is still a five-seater offering comfortable space for all its occupants. I tested out the seats at the back and they cocoon the passengers in a good way.

All information such as the trip statistics display is presented on a seven-inch colour screen in the upper part of the centre stack. The screen is positioned high up to make it easy for the driver to keep his or hers eyes on the road. All the functions can be also controlled via buttons built into the steering wheel or via touch buttons located just below the colour screen. Like with the V40, there's also the hands-free bluetooth function.

So yea, yet another fun ride with Volvo. Thanks for inviting me to test the car! The D2 engine is also available in the Volvo S80, V40 Cross Country and V60.

Head on down to their showroom for a test drive this weekend. :)

Here's another unassuming petite cafe that I'm in love with and it's tucked in a corner of the Old Badminton Hall near Old Airport Road. Introducing hipster yogi hangout, Brawn &Brains! This hole in the wall is just around the corner for the super mod Yoga Inc. and right next to some rock climbing gym. They're so cool they don't know why they're even cool and that's totally cool, geddit?

It's a really small spot that seats probably only about 15 pax so be prepared to wait for a bit for a seat.

I was immediately drawn to the colorful display of cakes and drinks on the counter. My heart was racing as i tried to decide on what i wanted to savor after a terribly disappointing brunch at another cafe somewhere in Little India (thou shalt not be named but actually i can't remember the name anymore). 

Nothing is more mood lifting that a good cup of latte. Brawn and Brains uses single origin Brazilian beans but they also have other beans. There were plans to do their own roasting but i'm not sure how that panned out. 

I had the Costa Rica Tarrazu coffee. Tarrazu supposedly produces the most desirable coffee bean in Costa Rica. Tasting notes were chocolatey and nutty with a mild acidity smooth. Great coffee for only $3.50 a shot? Yes you have my heart and tummy!

Earl grey tea cake was a little on the dry side. I'm not sure if tea cakes are meant to be like that but it released a light perfume when toasted/heated.

The carrot cake and chocolate cake looked damn amazeballs. Certainly moist and rich tasting. Couple next to us were going on about the chocolate cake. Prices are reasonable too, i don't think they're more than $5.50?

On another occasion, i had the Orange Vanila and Flaxseeds Tea Cake ($3.50) which was a lot more moist than the Earl Grey and the vanila perfume with the light citrus was simply amazing. The chocolate croissant was also very buttery and flaky and the rich chocolate coat was melt in my mouth deliciousness.

Brawn & Brains also does sandwiches in their really small/ non existent kitchen by the counter. Make sure you get your hands on one of those (be prepared to wait for 15-20mins). Sandwiches are about $7 which imo is really cheap even though it's on the petite size. I'd certainly go for the Grilled Bacon open-faced sandwich which is served with a single molten egg. You can never go wrong with that option! 

S had the pressed Panini with pepperoni and cheese and had some spice in it (maybe paprika). It may look really simple but the flavors were robust from the thin spread of tangy tomato puree, cured meat and melty cheese. Essentially, it's a pizza panini. :) Met fellow yogi friend Ruth at the cafe and she highly recommended the Mushroom and Cheese panini. Next time!

So yea, Brawn & Brains is added to my favorites list for a quick bite. They're practically faultless. Well maybe just feed me faster? :)

Brawn and Brains
100 Guillemard Road #01-07 Singapore 399718.
Tel: +65 6348 8892.
Weekdays: 9am - 7.30pm
Weekends: 9.30am - 7.30pm
Closed Mon

It's been a month since i started on my Invisalign teeth straightening treatment (read my first post here). So far so good. I only experienced some aches in my gum for the first 2 days of wearing my first set of aligners and that went away after a bit. When i changed to my new aligners 2 weeks later, i was surprised that my gums did not ache at all. Not bad hur!

Well here's a little Q&A on Invisalign for those who may be interested in seeking teeth straightening treatment.

What do you think of Invisalign before u started treatment?
I was quite prepared for it since i've worn braces before and am quite used to the idea of wearing plastic retainers to keep my teeth aligned. Since the aligners are quite similar to the plastic retainers, it was rather easy to adapt to wearing them all day. However i did find that i spoke a little funny in the first month due to the extra plastic in my mouth.

What's your favorite part of Invisalign consultation?
A typical fear is that there would be pain involved with each visit to the dentist but it wasn't like that. My dentist, Dr Cheng Eng Wah from i.Dental Surgeons would always distract me with trivial and jokes but mostly he would be explaining the steps to me so that i know what i'd be in for during the consultation.

What do you like about Invisalign after you started wearing them?
It sort of prevented me from snacking too frequently! I snack a lot, especially when i'm bored! With the aligners, i'd have to remove them before i eat and then brush my teeth before i put them back on. So yes! Away with the unnecessary calories!

How do you adapt to the new lifestyle after wearing aligners?
Other than snacking less, i'm a lot more aware of oral hygiene. I'm terribly lazy when it comes to flossing but these days i'd floss my teeth every night. I've also taken to brushing my teeth after meals! So yea, i have a set of toothbrush and toothpaste in office. When i went to Penang for a food trip, i carried my toothbrush around and i'd brush my teeth in between all the little meals we had! Lame but absolutely necessary.

I have been drinking my coffee/tea with straws to prevent staining of my teeth so nothing new even after my treatment. Do remember to take off the aligners whenever you have a sweet drink and especially with drinks that are colored. 

What advice would you give to friends if they are considering Invisalign?

Well be prepared to brush your teeth more frequently and also to cut down on the snacking. Not necessary a bad thing! Other than that, it has been quite an easy peasy experience.

More updates on my Invisalign treatment next time!