I used to hang out around Thomson when I was in sec school. Its lovely laid back charm is quite like Siglap, Serangoon Gardens and Holland V. Not forgetting to mention, it's another food enclave which now offers more cafe and brunch options like One Man Coffee, Habitat Coffee. Joining them is OZ Specialty Coffee, an independent coffee boutique located just slightly off the main Upper Thomson Road, in the haphazardly organized Thomson V Two.

OZ is a really (really) small outfit but it provides a wide variety of beans from Brazil, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Thailand etc. Pacamara Coffee Roaster beans are used here.

You know they are serious about their coffee with the arsenal of brewing products on sale. Japanese Kalita home brewing products are available here and other commercial coffee equipment as well.

I had the House Blend latte which had notes of milk chocolate, ripe fruits, roasted nuts with mild floral hints. It's mellow and smooth. Go for this if you want something strong.

Light bites are also on offer, including waffles (from $7) and sandwiches (from $8.50). Their breakfast dishes look run-of-the-mill though. I spied on the next table's scrambled eggs, which seemed runny enough but everything else was just heated/pan friend and thrown in I guess.
What you must definitely have is OZ's Belgium waffles! I swear it was actually a compressed croissant masquerading as a waffle. I died and went to waffle heaven when I bit into the dense buttery pastry (yes I can call it that!). The browned parts had a puff pastry exterior while the inside had the pull of a well made croissant. And that salted caramel was rich and thick without being cloying. Commercially produced New Zealand Natural vanilla ice cream was paired with it but even that didn't take its shine away. Ok NZ Natural isn't that bad I guess (there could be worse).
I really dig their waffles but the hole in the wall is too small a spot even for the little me. An indoor bar top against the wall seats 5 uncomfortably (it's a squeeze). There're about 6 tables for bigger groups along the sheltered corridor but do go prepared with your own mini fans or other cooling devices you may fashion out of paper napkins. Guess it's good that OZ opens till late at night.

So go forth and have the insanely delicious waffles with a cuppa. It's the best Belgian waffles I've had so far. :)

OZ Specialty Coffee
#01-13 11 Sin Ming Road
Thomson V Two, Singapore 595629
Weekdays: 12pm - 12am
Weekends: 9am - 12am

It's been a while since i visited Suntec City, mainly because i really hate the space and how far everything is from each tower and i often get lost (yes i'm hopeless). I would avoid Suntec at all cost but now there's a reason to visit and that is Kimchi Korean Restaurant. Kimchi is a brand new Korean restaurant offering authentic flavors along with regional favourites from Busan and Andong. It's guaranteed authentic because Executive Chef Choi Minchul and his all-Korean team of chefs are behind the delicious creations. 

Do not expect free side dishes at Kimchi because the cute boss Hayden doesn't want to hide the cost in the price of your meal. The portions are also healthier sized and more affordable than the usual Korean restaurants.

Bean Curd Kimchi ($8.90) is like a minced meat croquette served on top on a piquant and flavorful kimchi salsa. This snack is certainly a great way to whet our appetites!

The Andong Jjimdak ($15) was a satisfying hot pot of braised boneless chicken thighs marinated in Korean light soy sauce. This dish is inspired by Chef Choi’s own family recipe. Be careful not to inhale any of the sauce! The fresh green chilli pepper called cheongyang gochu (청양고추) has a ghost chili kinda silent burn that will get to you if you're not careful. The dish also had a nice smoky sesame oil taste as well. Diners can also enjoy this unique dish in the form of a chicken dolsot bap or as a marinated option for Korean barbeque. Must order!
I rather enjoyed the Pork Dolsot Bap ($12), which had a well balanced flavor as they did not add those cloying red sauce to the rice.

The Kimchi Soup ($9.80) was prepared as a jigae instead of a guk which is a thicker broth with a rich, deep flavour. Stir-fried with pork, the kimchi is left to simmer and enrich the accompanying broth. The spicy concoction is very addictive and reminded me of the one i had in Korea.
For a lighter and healthier option, i highly recommend the Ginseng Chicken Juk ($12). Chef Choi prepares chicken stock the day before and selects premium Korean ginseng and Chinese herbs such as dang gui, kamcho (Korean licorice), and red dates to simmer with Korean rice. I love how there is a light sweetness from the dates. S promised to buy this for me every time i fall sick. Yay! Super comfort food i must say.

Kimchi also offers Korean barbeque where built-in electric grills allow diners to grill their food without smelling of smoke. Choose from a selection of premium meats which include the delicious Wagyu short ribs [$29 non-marinated; $29.50 marinated. I'm definitely coming back for this.

From the dessert menu, Kimchi offers a native Busan street snack called Hodduk ($9), a light, fluffy and slightly crisp hotcake stuffed with red bean paste and topped with nuts and Korean black sugar syrup. I couldn't ask for a better end to the meal. Kimchi also serves an afternoon tea set ($16.80) daily from 2 to 5.30pm and it comes together with tea and handmade Korean ice cream.
Kimchi Korean Restaurant is easily my favorite Korean restaurant in Singapore at this point. Yes it has overtaken Togi as my favorite now. Head on down for some really awesome Korean food now. :)

Kimchi Korean Restaurant 

Suntec City Mall Convention Tower 

#02-387, 3 Temasek Boulevard 

Singapore 038983 

Tel: +65 6337 7811
Daily: 10am - 10pm

Taratata Bistrot is a charming little French restaurant along Keong Saik Road which I've been meaning to try for sometime. I finally made time for it when i saw that it was on the Restaurant Week listing (yes i'm slow in updating) and it was only $25 for a 3 course meal. The prices are very reasonable even if you didn't make the RW bookings though.
We were served starters from their regular menu, which is a good thing i feel. I hate it when restaurants serve a completely different (usually substandard) menu for RW. That kinda deters repeat visits especially if the food sucks.

The Half Dozen of Snails Baked in Herbed Garlic Butter ($25). I found the escargots to be succulent and well flavored with garlic herbs. 

The Baked Eggs Casserole with Duck Gizzard Confit and Mushrooms ($24) had nice runny eggs that are best soaked up with the delicious baguette Taratata serves. Generous pieces of foie gras were swimming in the eggs but i thought they would be better seared first before thrown into the ramekin.

Even though the mains were not from the regular menu, we were very happy with our dishes. The Salmon Coulibiac with Watercress Butter Sauce was lovely! The puff pastry was buttery and flaky and the salmon was cooked to a nice pink. 

The Pan Roasted Kurobuta Pork Tenderloin with Mustard sauce was done simply to allow diners a taste of the tender and non fatty meat. It's the first time i thought that pork could taste so clean and healthy. K thought it was a little too bland though.

Dessert was the highlight of the meal! The Baked Chocolate Tart with Crisp, Caramel sauce and Ginger bread ice cream was out of this world. The crunchy tart held the intense chocolate lava and the pastry skin twirl made us twirly whirly in our seats as we devoured the dish without speaking (but we did make a lot of oooohs and aaaahhhhs. God they need to put this on their menu.

Service was attentive and quick, maybe because they wanted us out fast for their second lunch service. If you're up for some quick lunch, Taratata Bistrot does a 40 minutes Lunch Express at $25 which includes a soup and a main course. 

For a more leisurely lunch, there's the $30 2-course set lunch and they also serve a 3 course set meal for $38. I'd recommend Taratata Bistrot for a charming and affordable French meal.

Taratata Bistrot

35A Keong Saik Road Singapore 089142

Tel: +65 6221 4506

Wed-Fri, Sun Lunch: 11.30am - 2.30pm
Tue- Sun Dinner: 5.30pm - 11pm
Closed Mon

I rather enjoyed my meal at Jamie's Italian the last time despite all that noise about how their food isn't good. Trust me that's not true (read my review here). This time I headed back to sample more from the updated menu and they added another 14 items.
Starters first. The Cauliflower and Parmesan fritters ($12.50) were simply amazing. I swear cauliflowers are the best replacement for potatoes in mash! These creamy and cheesy cauliflower croquettes were fried to a golden crisp, garnished with crispy sage and finished with a fiery Arabiatta sauce. I had to finish this one! The Italian Spiced Chicken Wings ($12.50) didn't do too well though. The char grilled spicy wings were piquant but bland and a little dry. (Sorry the lighting was way too dim so no pics!)

It was a lasagne dreaming for me since I tasted the fabulous Jamie's lasagne with squash (I've a weakness for pumpkin!). Well... The Pumpkin Tortilini ($13/ $22) wasn't quite exciting enough. The pasta skin was too thick and that overshadowed the pumpkin-ricotta filling. The sauce had an oily mouthfeel as well. I'd say stick with the lasagne while it's still around.

Thankfully, the pasta portion of the meal was salvaged by the beautiful Truffle Tagliatelle ($15/ $23). The sheets were cooked to perfection and emulsified with a lovely sauce of truffle cream, vegetable stock and butter, finished with grated Parmesan, truffle oil, grated nutmeg and shaved black truffles. Simple but perfectly luxurious. The dish was served a little cold though (hmmm) but we still enjoyed it tremendously.

For mains, we had the Baked Salmon ($23.50), a Norwegian Salmon coated with a semolina crust, pan fried in olive oil and finished in the oven. The whipped ricotta mixed with horseradish, lemon and mint was simply amazing with the fish and the spring greens.

The delicious memory of the Prime Rib caused me to order the Rump Steak ($28.50) just to see if it would be better. Well, i concluded that i don't like this cut because it's tougher. Well fatty wagyu is still my favorite i guess. Skinny fries are served on the side with rosemary salt.

If you're a porky fan, try the Jamie's Italian Signature Porchetta which is a slow cooked pork belly filled with herbs, garlic and spices with fennel crackling. Regretted not ordering this. :(

For desserts, skip the Chocolate and Espresso Profiteroles ($9.50) which was a boring and grainy choux puff stuffed with Chantilly cream. The ice cream was icy as well. I took some obligatory bites because the chocolate sauce was rather decent. 
An interesting dessert is the Rippled Pavolova ($11.50) which had a crispy light exterior and a slight chewy center. Jamie's version is topped with macerated berries, smashed hazelnut praline and finished with honey cress and lemon zest. Great contrast with the sweet meringue. However, I found parts with sugar clumps. Meh. I swear i will order the Brownie and Tiramisu next time!

For drinks, remember to skip the Ginger Beer. L didn't wanna listen to me and she regretted. The Amalfi Lemon and Basil Iced Tea ($5.50/$15) and Homemade Italian Lemonade (same price) are better options. Not that much faith in their cocktails. 

With regular changes to the menu and extensive options, it's hard not to find something you like at Jamie's Italian. So head on down for a decent and hearty meal. Thank you Jamie's Italian for having me! 

Jamie's Italian
1 Harbourfront Walk #01 165-167, VivoCity
Tel: +65 6733 5500
Sun - Thu: 12pm - 10pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm - 11pm

The best time to visit the hairstylist is during the earlier part of the week because everyone is feeling the depression from the weekends (i wonder why). So off i headed to Silkcut Salon to update my hair color after the previous water rebonding session (read about it here).

The supposedly ash hair that wasn't done properly by another salon. Doreen was in charge of making sure that i get a fresh and even coat.

The plan was to bleach my hair but only the top section so that i'll get a nice contrast. It's been some time since i last bleached my hair. I'm not a fan because it's kinda damaging for the hair but the Silkcut team reassured me that it'd be fine, especially after my water rebonding treatment.

Bleaching in progress.

You can get a glimpse of my super blonde hair here. We went with ash for the entire head. The bleaching would allow the ash color to show better.

The final product!

Love how my hair is still silky and soft. The good thing about the bleaching is that my fringe is not so flat anymore! You can also see the darker ash peeking from the bottom.

Better contrast in this one. Absolutely loving the color. Ash fades rather easily but the contrast is greater now. You'd know if you follow me on Instagram (check it out here). The bleaching is about $108 and it's another $108 for coloring (director price).

Silkcut Salon

22 Havelock Road #01-693, Singapore 160022

Tel: +65 6275 6108

Weekdays: 11am - 8pm

Weekends and PH: 11am - 7pm

Spring is here! Ok i'm a little late but you know it's still spring somewhere because of global warming. Anyhow, it's just an excuse to celebrate and where better to do so but at Brasserie Les Saveurs, St. Regis Singapore. Chef Fabrice Passicos has handcrafted some seasonal spring creations which is available till mid June 2014 which i really enjoyed. Here's a look at the dinner degustation menu!

We started with the Amuse Bouche of Yellowfin Tuna Tataki served with a ripe mango and green pea pate, star anise-red wine honey and Shiso Cress. Refreshing flavors in this one. I like the tangy red wine honey.

The fish went well with the delicious Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve Champagne, NV.

We moved on to a Light Morel Veloute and Foie Gras Custard, Herb Brioche Toast and Morel Dumpling. The foie gras custard at the bottom is really rich and tasty and the creamy and intense mushroom sauce was simply amazing. Well Cheryl had to work so she couldn't drink but i imagine this would be perfect with the French, Viognier, Domaine Gerard Bertrand 2012.

Love this dish but one may be overwhelmed with the robust flavors in this one. No issues for me of course.

This the season for White Asparagus and we had these European ones with poached sweet shrimps simply done with dill oil. Served with a cheesy hollandaise sauce that was a little weak for me but this hit all the classic spring flavors easily.

Something light and equally refreshing was the Oven Baked Pacific Cod with warm leek and cauliflower vichyssoise picked parsley, shimeiji mushrooms and fresh salmon roe. I liked how the pickled mushrooms added a little zing to the light tasting dish. Paired with the French Sancerre Pascal Jolivet 2011.

The plat de résistance, a heavenly Grilled Medium Spring Lamb Cutlets, served with sauteed potatoes, sweet rhubard compote, with spring vegs and garden herbs. The lamb was amazingly tender and juicy and the sweet and sour compote was a perfect complement to the red meat.

Lastly, the Fresh Strawberries Crepes Romanov. These berries are flambeed with fresh black pepper and fine vodka and aromatised with 100 years old Grand Manier (which is locked in the safe at all times). It doesn't look pretty but it tasted pretty fine! Served with a homemade pistachio ice cream and of course, concluded with a Chilean Concha y Toro Late Harvest 2011.

The full degustation menu also includes the cheese trolley (love) and coffee/tea.

The spring creations at Brasserie Les Saveurs are offered as special a la carte selections daily for lunch (12-3pm) and dinner (7-10pm). The degustation menu is only available for dinner and you could choose from a 5 course ($148) or 7 Course ($168) and add another $60 for wine pairing. Celebrate spring at BLS today!

Brasserie Les Saveurs

The St. Regis Singapore

29 Tanglin Road Singapore 247911

Tel: +65 6506 6860