Love dim sum but bored of going to the ‘same old’ restaurant? Fret not, Avenue Joffre’s Master Chef Ge Xian’e, China’s “Queen of Dim Sum” (who also has numerous prestigious Dim Sum titles under her belt!), has introduced many new and creative Dim Sum items for the month of July!

Dig in to traditional Dim Sum items such as Steamed Crystal Prawn Dumpling 冬笋鲜虾饺 ($6), Steamed Minced Pork & Abalone Siew Mai 鲍鱼烧卖($6), Steamed Shanghai Pork Dumpling 上海小笼包 ($7) and Pan-fried Pork Bun filled with Soup 灌汤上海生煎包 ($7).

The traditional items are superb.. and Oh My Dumpling! The Steamed Shanghai Pork Dumpling is THE dream dumpling. Super thin skin yet holding its hearty contents. Check. Juicy pork. Check. Intense and flavourful stock. Check. LOTS of soup and pork. Check. My only thought: Can I have a bigger spoon please?

Are there another outstanding dishes? YES. Rolling off our tongues is the Steamed Preserved Turnip & Sesame Rice Roll 香麻菜脯肠粉 ($6). The delicate layers of rice roll coiled under the mildly spiced and crunchy preserved turnip. Drizzle the roll with savoury-sweet shallot-y sauce and I’m seduced. This must be the best plate of rice roll I have ever tasted—in both texture and taste.

Tuned to the trends, Avenue Joffre has also included Dim Sum varieties to excite the modern palettes.

Buffets be the death of waistline and 6 packs! Honestly I'm still recovering from the massive eating from the Weekender Food Mania Awards and we tried as much as we could from the buffet stations at Mezza9 (Grand Hyatt), Marriott Cafe (Marriott Singapore Tang Plaza), and AquaMarine (Mandarin Oriental). BTW results are out and congrats to Mezza9 for clinching the top spot in this judging! 

Mezza9 Sunday Champagne Brunch Grand Hyatt- 10 Scotts Road Singapore 228211

If you're looking for an indulgent and quality buffet, then you certainly ought to have Mezza9 on your list. Their Sunday Champagne brunch is one to behold with fresh and delicious treats from a variety of cuisines. Seafood is obviously fresh and they are also from a sustainable source. Talk about yummy responsible eating. 

I was superbly impressed with the Japanese section. The sushi and sashimi beats most mid range Japanese restaurants! Plus there's also a live yakitori station that serves up smoky morsels of goodness.

From The Grill, make sure you grab that delicious buttery short rib that falls off the bone! Loved that nice caramel flavor and char that is Cantonese charsiew-like! The lamb chops are one of the best I've tasted here and the pairing with the mint chutney was a match made in heaven. Chinese food was decent too but the chili crab was too starchy for our liking.

The European Category was certainly one of the highlights of the Weekender Food Mania Awards 2016. When i saw the nomination list that is! Of course i expected to check out hot favorites like Andre and Joel Robuchon during the judging BUT unfortunate things happen ALL THE TIME and food judges don't get to choose what they want to taste. So here is a quick highlight of the 3 restaurants that we judged- Bread Street Kitchen, Stellar at 1-Altitude, and Cafe Iguana.

Bread Street Kitchen- Bay Level, L1-81. The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Gordon Ramsay is one hated man by people in the food industry (jealousy perhaps) and given the flake that he has received for Bread Street Kitchen Singapore, I did not bother checking it out, which was a mistake thankfully corrected by the Weekender FMA judging! 

Bread Street Kitchen Singapore is modeled on the London original, and offers classic British European fare with a lovely waterfront view. The starters fared better than the mains and the refreshing slightly ginger spiced Sea bass fillet carpaccio ($21) with avocado puree; and tangy garden party that is the Tomato Tart ($24) tantalized our tastebuds. The Tamarind spiced chicken wings ($18) left us craving for some Korean Fried Chicken however. 

I also adored the crunchy cracker-like Flatbread ($28) with caramelized onion, ricotta cheese, San Daniele ham and green asparagus. It's a super thin cracker pizza wonderfully balanced with the sweet onion jam, creamy cheese, and that nutty asparagus. 

It’s hard to resist dim sum. There’s always the sweet and savory that bring happiness to the tummy. At Shang Palace, Head Dim Sum Chef Li Shou Tao has introduced 14 classic sweet and savory dim sum dishes that highlights this season’s produce.

The skin of the dumplings reveals the skills of a master dim sum Chef and Head Chef Li is certainly worthy of the title. You know how we'd rather save our calories for the fillings by stripping these bite sizes naked, but these.. we ate them whole.

Take my word and order the new items: Steamed seafood and egg white dumpling 赛螃蟹海鲜饺 ($7/3pcs); Steamed sakura shrimp and chicken dumpling 樱花虾蒸粉果 ($7/3 pcs); Steamed assorted fungus and carrot dumpling 双耳金笋饺 ($7/3pcs); and Steamed scallop dumpling with water chestnut and chinese celery 带子马蹄香芹饺 ($7/3 pcs). Fresh succulent seafood such as sakura shrimps are used. What is unique is the thinly sliced vegetables that give the dumplings an added crunch.

Find me a Singaporean who doesn't love Japanese food for i believe it's quite impossible. Sushi, dons, ramen, sashimi, yakiniku, yakitori, shabu shabu... all these delicious Japanese food are so readily accessible to us and it's practically part of our diet! No doubt we had many contestants for the Japanese cuisine category for the Weekender Food Mania Awards 2016 but somehow all our favorites failed to make the list :/ We are left to judge 3 very surprising finds, each of a different style! Headache.. Oh well.

Tenkaichi- Yakiniku

6 Raffles Boulevard #03-129 Marina Square Shopping Mall

I have my regular yakiniku haunt and that is Gyu Kaku and fellow judge Tim also has his own fav Tajimaya. Well Tenkaichi exceeded my first impression of this place (it looked like a cheap bbq place despite being in Marina Square). We were tantalized with some premium Wagyu Beef (HELLO A5 Miyazaki Wagyu) and some other glorious cuts of beef (no special treatment for us really). Tenkaichi's Premium Wagyu Buffet only costs $98/pax; the regular yakiniku buffet which includes the Australian beef (all pretty decent) alongside pork, and some seafood goes for $78. There is an ongoing promotion that takes 35% off the stated price! Do check their FB page for promotional updates.

A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Tokujo Karubi ($45.90) also available a la carte.

Coffee coffee coffee. Did i tell you that i've been completely won over by Oriole Coffee + Bar? I mean, i've been loving their coffee since like THE DEATH CREAM but i recently also realized that the Taisho White is pretty delicious when one cannot afford the crazy calories in TDC. Plus plus plus.. the new weekend brunch menu is a winner too. 

Available on weekends and public holidays from 10am to 2pm, Oriole's new brunch menu is packed with hearty and comforting breakfast-inspired dishes that pair perfectly with freshly brewed coffee. Just look at this massive brunch #onthetable!  

Starting with something healthy but super wholesome is the Wild Berries Oatmeal ($10). Yes it sounds too healthy and unappealing but it's a hidden gem! Plus didn't you read that article about the importance of a low GI breakfast? This delicious bowl of organic rolled oats is cooked with Oriole’s M.A.D. Milk, goji berries and brown sugar for sweetness, mixed in with an assortment of fresh strawberries, raspberries, blue berries and gooseberries. LOVE! 

Ok i tried. If you're not sold, there's still the Smoked Salmon Rosti ($16) with capers, fresh spring onions and homemade crème fraîche. Loved the thin potato strands here because it's more crispy and crunchy. Let me remind you again that this is mostly CARBS, and CARBS make you _ _ _ (fill in the blanks). 

Something i wouldn't mind working out harder for is the Crab Cake Benedict ($22), featuring 2 succulent Maryland-style crab cake patties, each topped with a slightly papery poached egg. and coated with a tangy lemon dill hollandaise.

Looking for comfort food? How about a Grilled Truffle Cheese Sandwich ($14)? While i enjoyed the savory flavors of the truffle cheese, Emmental cheese and oak smoked cheddar, sandwiched in a buttery broiche, it disappoints as a classical grilled cheese sandwich (where's the ooze and golden crust??). Oh but that creamy tomato cheddar soup on the side is superb with this combination though. just give me a proper CHEESUS?? 

In case you fail to make it down for weekend brunch, there's always All Day Breakfast to look forward to at Oriole which includes the Bircher ($11); Hot Cakes ($12); Avocado & Toast ($14); Jumbo Breakfast Burrito ($16) and my favorite supersize-me Humble Baked Egg Skillet ($16).

Oriole Coffee + Bar

96 Somerset Road, #01-01, Pan Pacific Serviced Suites, Singapore 238163 

Tel: +65 6238 8348 

Grab and Go Counter: Daily, 8am to 5pm 

Sun - Thu, PH: 8am - 11pm 

Fri, Sat, Eve of PH: 8am - 12am 

13 Stamford Road #02-20/21, Capitol Piazza Neue, Singapore 178905 

Tel: +65 6384 6495 

Daily: 10.30am - 10.30pm 

I’ve been having a yearning for fine pastries and cakes lately. The gloomy afternoons might have played a role in my craving, but don’t you agree that a little sugar and colors are needed to brighten the day? So i wished and I got more than just that at Patisserie Platine, the latest patisserie by the award-winning restaurant Waku Ghin. 

Designed by Chef Yasushi Ishino, Executive Pastry Chef of Waku Ghin, and created by Waku Ghin’s pastry team, expect exquisite masterpieces of pastries and cakes made using premium ingredients and fresh seasonal fruits from Japan and Europe.

The Ghin Cheese Cake ($12), a Waku Ghin signature, will change your mind on cheesecakes (even if you're not a fan)! True to Japanese cakes, this white dome features a lemon cheese mousse and a lemon curd in the center that is refreshing and light. Just like the intricate white chocolate feather lying elegantly on top.

There’s also the Strawberry Cheesecake ($10) if you just got to have strawberries in everything. The surprise in this lovely cake is the unique combination of strawberry mousse and orange cheese mousse layers. Too pretty!

Coconut Mousse with Mango & Passionfruit ($10) is a delight to the tropical at heart. Under the vibrant orange is coconut mousse and layers of mango and passionfruit. Expect bursts of flavors in this pretty little thing!

In need of a hearty meal? Then you gotta go Italian, Jamie's Italian. Yes there have been hits and misses (i kinda hate that they keep updating their menu with the new items and removing old ones) but sticking to the long standing faves will satisfy your need for comfort food.

If you don't know, Jamie Oliver focuses on using the best ingredients, which are meticulously sourced from producers, both in Italy and around the UK. All their staff are very knowledgeable on the dishes they serve and they are more than happy to share with you the origin of each dish, or how they are prepared and all. Meal time entertainment FTW.

On the Cured Meat Plank ($16.50/pax), there's the 18 month aged San Daniele Prosciutto; hot soppressata (Southern Italian dry salami); Mortadella & bresaola; Pecorino & chilli jam on the crunchy music bread; a beautiful selection of Puglia pickles; olives & crunchy salad. 

All meats are sliced to order ensuring maximum freshness and flavor. 

If i have to eat pasta, then they better be hand made and fresh! Of course that's expected at Jamie's Italian.

Gonna be kept awake all weekend because it's the first Singapore Coffee Festival (SCF) 2016! From today till 12 June at the F1 Pit Building, coffee lovers and industry movers and shakers can look forward to the exciting activities at SCF with over 100 exhibitors from the coffee and café industry sharing insights over many cuppa of joe. 

Experience the vibrant local coffee scene at the SCF with names like Chye Seng Huat Hardware, Common Man Coffee Roasters, Smitten Specialty Coffee, Royz Et Vous, Knockhouse Supply Co, Dapper Coffee, Killiney Kopitiam, Oriole Coffee + Bar and many more

DRINK

Of course what is a coffee festival without lots of coffee and food right? CSHH and their Kopi C ice cream; Dapper Coffee and their experimental drinks like Earl Grey Yuan-Yang; Slayer Coffee and their rare Sweet Potato Latte; KUVO and their caffeine martinis; Oriole Cafe and their Taisho Cold Brew plus that DEATH CREAM!

Don't want coffee? There's also beer. ;)

I could live and breathe matcha #alldayerrday and upon hearing that Chef Pang of Antoinette has created a Fetish Matcha series, i promptly sprinted over. With 22 matcha creations, expect a full-sensorial sweet green tea experience from now till end July 2016.

The selection is insane with hot items, cakes, pastry, confectionery and drinks. I was amazed at how the lovely tea (from Nishio Japan) was showcased in each of the items: some flavors bold and expressive, others subtle and unexpected. 

My my all that green! 

Starting with the hot items, the one and only savory green tea item is the Matcha Pasta ($26). The hand-cut pasta is made with a matcha and flour dough, then garnished with marinated konbu and sakura ebi with matcha powder on the side. The morel mushrooms and black truffle paste give a deliciously earthy hint to the dish. Umami flavors in this one with a light green tea scent. Lovely.