It's almost Rice Dumpling a.k.a. Ba Zhang season (it's actually Dragon Boat Festival) and tcc - the connoisseur concerto is putting a new spin on the classic sticky rice dumpling, in the shape of a Japanese Onigiri!

Ok i'm not sure what the shape does for the rice dumpling but i must say that the glutinous rice was soft and well flavored. Three flavors are available- the Teriyaki Unagi ($7.90) and the Sambal Hotate ($7.90) dumplings and the brand new Spicy Chic ($6.50), which is a Kung Bao Chicken dumpling with crunchy cashews.

I immediately heated up the Sambal Hotate one upon receiving it and it was delicious! It's surprising how the scallops go with the well-balanced rempah! These dumplings are available for sale from 13 May to 12 June 2016 at all tcc outlets. 

Pretty unicorn hair comes at a cost, that means bleached, dry, and unmanageable hair. But i'm always well taken care of at Silkcut Salon. Wendy always prescribes a hair treatment (or 2) to go with any chemical coloring. And most recently, I tried the brand new Kerasilk Keratin treatment to smooth this mess! 

That's the after of course. Now let's take a look at the before! 

Actually my hair doesn't look this bad. This is the post-hot-yoga-pre-hairwash look, hence the maximum fuzziness. 

Healthy superfoods bowls served naked, for the naked super you. Tuck into hearty, value-for-money meals at the newest concept to hit the hip dining enclave of Duxton Road - Ninja Bowl. You lucky CBD folks now get carb-free/low-carb Japanese-inspired superfood meals, as well as delicious all day brunch items. 

Each of the 8 bowl starts out carb-free but you have the options of healthy fillers. I'd go for the super high protein White Quinoa ($3); Ninja Rice (blend of blend of vinegared Japanese pearl rice and brown rice with furikake); Garden greens for $2. 

Fans of Japanese chashu will love the Buta ($14). I thought their slices of homemade cured aburi pork belly were better than many ramen places in Singapore. That velvety blend of meat and fats with a smoky char, sweet balsamic tomatoes, sour-sweet ume-pickled apples, roasted pumpkin seasoned with seaweed flakes and sesame seeds, were gelled nicely with  a runny onsen egg. So much love for this one!

The Kabuki ($14) will make you love chicken again for the tender pieces of deboned chicken thigh are marinated in miso, soy sauce, garlic and honey. Sous-vide and then seared, expect juicy morsels accompanied by baby corn, homemade pickled beets, an onsen egg, snow peas, and a final sprinkling of fried shallots. 

The salmon poke ($16) pales in comparison after all that bursts of flavors in the other bowls. I couldn't quite taste the soy and ponzu sauce that the salmon chunks are supposedly marinated in. Each bowl comes with greens and a sprinkling of quinoa already, but I'd certainly recommend a carb base to help fill you up. Fish lovers could also tuck into bowls with pan-seared tuna tataki, or a saucey slice of unagi.

Head on over for a taste of the crisp and refreshing flavors of South Italy over at The Waterfall, Shangri-La Singapore. Chef de Cuisine Marco De Vincentis has curated a refreshed menu with 27 new a la carte creations and six new desserts including homemade pastas, fresh seafood and Southern Italian signatures.

Fresh and seasonal produce is the highlight at The Waterfall, using authentic cooking methods and heirloom recipes. We enjoyed the Manzo Black Angus Marinato salad which features marinated Black Angus beef with pine nuts, rocket and pecorino cheese, drizzled with a delectable honey balsamic.

Canestrato Pugliese e Pomelo was a refreshing mesclun salad with black olives, canestrato cheese, white balsamic dressing with fresh pomelo wedges for a citrusy tang; 

The pastas are made fresh at the restaurant and you can pick from one of the 18 different flavors; and there are also egg-, dairy- and gluten-free pastas as well! New highlights include Spaghetti Al Nero Di Seppia, Scampi E Datterini, homemade squid ink pasta flavoured with rich scampi sauce and cherry tomatoes with a hint of chili for added spice. I enjoyed the garlic seafood sauce but the pasta was a tad overcooked imo. 

When i'm in need of a comforting bowl of Vietnamese Pho, i'd naturally head to Long Phung in Joo Chiat for that warming noodles in beef broth. I've never been disappointed by their bowl, but it's always good to have a backup in case they are closed or when i'm not near the East. So here is another trusted alternative- Mrs Pho. 

Mrs Pho has been on my food list for a bit because it has been recommended by trusted foodie friends like Miss Tam Chiak and Superfinefeline. So after several half baked attempts to visit (despite being in the area), Jr and i finally dropped by for a taste test.   

Standard side order of Goi Cuon ($3.50 for 2). Thin and chewy rice paper rolls filled with rice vermicelli, slices of prawn and pork belly, paired with that 'chee cheong fun' sauce.

Now on to the star, their Pho! Have the Pho Bo Tai ($7.90) Sliced Beef Noodle Soup or the Pho Dac Biet ($8.90)- Special Beef Combination Noodle Soup. The former is a no frills bowl that comes with thin and tender beef slices, while the latter has meatballs, brisket, beef, and a half cooked egg. I thought the beef balls were very authentic and indeed they are freshly shipped from Vietnam weekly! As compared to Long Phung, we think that Mrs Pho does a more delicate bowl of noodles with milder flavors. Of course, you can always spice it up with the accompanying fish sauce, lime, and chili. If you are not for beef, there's also Pho Ga ($7.90) Chicken Noodle Soup, and Bun Mam ($8.90) Assam Seafood Noodle Soup. and other vermicelli and rice dishes. 

Start or end your meal at Mrs Pho with the Iced Ca Phe Sua Da ($3). I thought it was rather smooth and not too sweet really! The Avocado Smoothie ($4.50) was decent too. Now i know where to head to for a perk me up in the Bugis area! A good Ca Phe Sua Da is so hard to come by in Singapore. And of course, the pho. 

Come here if you can't take Joo Chiat's grittiness, Mrs Pho is definitely more for the young hipsters.

Mrs Pho

349 Beach Rd, Singapore 199570 (opposite Concourse)

Tel: +65 6292 0018

Daily: 11am – 10pm

Have a taste of authentic contemporary Shanghainese cuisine at Avenue Joffre, especially with visiting legendary heavyweight Culinary Master Chef Zhou Yuan-Chang from Shanghai helming the kitchen till end May 2016. Chef Zhou's accolades run as longer than the extensive list of dishes that we sampled at this Resorts World Sentosa restaurant that features food from various Chinese cities like Szechuan, Guangdong, and Beijing.

We started with a mix of cold dishes. The sweet and sour spare ribs with dried mandarin peel ($19) was a delicate mix of flavors with a refreshing citrus flavor that was perfect with the meat. I liked how the dish wasn't too saucy/starchy, such that the crispiness of the meat could be enjoyed. 

It was our first time having the Shanghai Smoked fish ($16), a typical Shanghainese dish not often seen in Singapore. That crunchy fish was coated with a light smokey and spicy dark soy and we could certainly do with more of that sauce. 

I wished the Stir-fried prawns with wild garlic ($18) were bigger so that we could better enjoy the sweetness of the meat, along with the fragrant garlic-spring onion soy sauce. Eating the whole (mini) prawn isn't an option since it wasn't crispy enough and the shell is pretty hard in this one.

Baked Cheese Tarts are the new in thing people! Especially with the famous Japanese BAKE Inc. (BAKE) leading the trend come 29 Apr 2016 with their first S.E.A flagship in Singapore! Located at ION Orchard, the Singapore store will be BAKE CHEESE TART’s flagship store for Southeast Asia. YAY. 

For those not in the know yet, BAKE hails from Hokkaido, Japan, and that ensures the creamiest and smoothest cream cheese mousse in the snappiest shortcrust tart. The cheese mousse is created by blending three different types of cream cheese together - two from Hokkaido and one from France. The pastry goes through a two-step process which leaves it with a distinct crunchy yet fluffy texture. Absolutely gorgeous i tell you.  

To ensure the highest quality, the cheese tarts are actually produced in Hokkaido and flown over to Singapore! Baking is done here so that we can piping hot, creamy and flowy cheese tarts. Such dedication to excellence i say. We can certainly expect the same flavor and quality from BAKE and it's even fresher than if you beg a friend to bring it back for you.

For $3.50 a pop, you can dig into one of these rich creamy babies. I can't imagine why anyone would stop at 1 though! Get a box of 6 for $19.50 and share the love (WITH ME PLEASE)!

BAKE Cheese Tarts

ION Orchard #B4-33

2 Orchard Turn 238801 

Daily: 10am - 10pm

Drinking options are aplenty in the Telok Ayer-Ann Siang area, but how about brunch fare? Getting on the brunch wagon is Mr & Mrs Maxwell's with their new all day breakfast menu available from 7am to 7pm daily. But.. does it work? Or are they better remaining as a drinking type of restaurant bar at the hippy The Club Hotel? 

Tuck into comfort food such as Corned Beef Hash or an English Fry up here. But ascomfort food goes, you're eating it for sentimental reasons. Would I pay $16 for something I can make at home? I guess not. The Lobster Omelette ($16) on toasted sourdough only had a few pieces of crustacean and they did not add to any flavor to the omelette. It was.. just another average omelette on toast. 

I had my hopes up when i spotted Ricotta Hotcakes ($14) on the menu, only to have them dashed when i took the first bite.

The pancakes lacked the fluffiness and felt more like a dense eggless sponge. So nope. Just nope. Not even after i slathered on the truffle honey and ricotta cream cheese. They deserve a better vehicle into my mouth. 

The Angus beef Club Burger ($24) with Cheddar, Emmental, caramelized onions, and candied bacon, salvaged brunch a little. I can't resist a fat juicy patty! Do it the meatless way, for the buns aren't worth the calories, even when buttered and toasted.

While the Crêpe Suzette ($16) wasn't the best that I've tasted, the intense sweetness and tartness excited my palate at the very least. If you're a sucker for theatrics and unwilling to pay more for the same live experience of crepe making at Henri Charpentier, then this will do. The crepes could be thinner and the flavor more nuanced, but the generous amount of orange liquor helped make everything better. 

About the Baked Alaska ($16), well, I don't get this dessert still and MMM's flambéd version with cotton candy didn't change my mind on this dessert. Isn't it just ice cream with the melty marshmallow sorta meringue? #notimpressed 

The drinks were a tad more interesting than the food. Fresh juices and smoothies such as Citrus Beauty ($9), Greek Goddess ($9, pick this!) or Banana Cheesecake ($12). The Truffle Martini ($18) didn't do it for me (tasted of burnt coffee) but my dining companions seemed to enjoy it. Must be the alcohol talking. 

Verdict? The Club is a chic hotel and it has other F&B offerings worth checking out, like The Disgruntled Chef or the exotic Peruvian bar Tiger's Milk. As for brunch, you're better off taking your calories elsewhere e.g. Gaest, Sarnies, or My Awesome Cafe.

Mr & Mrs Maxwell's
28 Ann Siang Rd Singapore 069708
Tel: +65 6808 2181
Sun - Thu: 7am - 11pm
Fri - Sat: 7am - 12am

999.99 or Five Nines is a new addition to the changing Keong Saik food scene. Discounting the reason for its name (i will not even go into it), this Modern European restaurant really does a good job in serving affordable and delicious fare in a chic and hip environment. 

Business has been brisk at this new restaurant since its opening in Dec 2015. Where else can you get a 5-course meal for $59 in Singapore? Plus their a la carte pricing is very attractive as well. We started our meal with a creamy Burrata and Tomato Salad ($14) and the umami Tuna and Peach salad ($14), both refreshing appetizers. 

Next, add a tad of crunch and cream with this King Crab Croquettes ($13) filled with cheesy bechamel and chunks of crab meat. Do not have this on your own or you'd be too full to try anything else (a quarter was sufficient for me though i could certainly have more)!

The Lobster Gratin ($19/29) is also a delectable creamy option. A whole lobster is mixed with the creamy bechamel with a lightly crisp melted cheese topping. The early birds catch the worms and the first 20 orders of the day will get this for only $19! Subsequently, you'd still get to enjoy this at $29. What's awesome is that the lobster is also featured on the restaurant's 2 and 4 course lunch menu priced at $19 and $29 respectively. Such a steal!

I cannot imagine anyone heading over to Gillman Barracks for no good reason at all, other than to visit a pop up gallery; you lost your way around; or possibly if you're dating and the boy is trying to impress you with his hipster cafe repertoire (lol). Well, in the last scenario, the said cafe that we visited was the artsy Red Baron, a bakery cafe opened by the same people behind Artistry. 

The small-ish woodshed set up serves an all day breakfast, snacks, coffee, craft beer, sodas, tarts and cakes. Dress for the weather as the indoor seating is very limited, that or come back at night for a super chill drink.

I was all set to have the highly raved about Gula Melaka French toast ($7) but i was informed that they have stopped selling it due to the crowd that the toast attracted? I wondered what that meant. Perhaps too many accidents have happened with fools placing their food on the road for that perfect IG shot. So instead of that gorgeous carb and sugar breakfast, i settled for the DC Breakfast ($16) because eggs are always the best/next best thing. This Mediterranean plate is a step up from the usual eggs ben- smoky roasted vegetables and mushrooms, with hummus and avocado, Such a wholesome meal with eggs and that fluffy multigrain. 

The Beefy Ploughman ($14) sounded tastier than IRL. The striploin was too thin and dry, and we felt that it was lacking in cheese to bind the ingredients together. In this case, more of everything would definitely have been better (juicy meat please). Skip this, and go for the inventive Quinoa Goreng perhaps. Or simply start and end with desserts pronto. 

The cakes at Red Baron looked amazing- think dense, moist, and rich cakes sitting around looking pretty in the glass display. As stuffed as we were, we had to get a slice of that Purple Carrot Cake ($8). Love those tender chunks of carrot in the cake. It's not as rich as Cedele (LURVE their carrot cake) but this has a light sweetness to it. 

The coffee wasn't as acidic as the Artistry ones so it was still palatable. So fret not if you're stuck at Gillman. You should be well fed by The Naked Finn, and the Red Baron Cafe.

Red Baron Cafe & Bar

Gillman Barracks, 45 Malan Road, Singapore 109455 

Tel: +65 6334 6734 

Tues - Sun: 11am - 6pm 

(Closed on PH)