Seriously, just look at the richness of that cream coming out of that gigantic puff. We actually came here 2 times and both times, the cream puffs were sold out. Utterly disappointed, we decided to come during their opening hour one day and was almost disappointed again but fortunately, the chef said they were preparing it and we could have it if we were willing to wait. After buying it, we could not wait to sink our teeth into it. The coolness of the cream, crispiness of the outer layer and mild softness of the puff made it a complete package.

We did visit this place again another day with friends for some coffee and the coffee was just as great as the puff. What I feel this place is lacking is the friendliness of the staff. Usually at cafes, a lasting impression is created by exceptional staff who are either really professional or very friendly. Over here, we were just greeted with a hello and no smiles; all 3 times that we visited. So it kind of a put off I might say. Hopefully they do improve in their level of service because OMG, this cream puff.

Overall, great coffee, great puffs; yet to try the food.

Baristart @ Tanjong Pagar
Address: 65 Tras Street, Singapore 079004
Contact: 6904 3168

Opening hours:
Daily: 10am to 10pm daily

Personal rating: 4/5 (pleasant, tasty, relaxing ambiance)

Not too sure how Cass got to know about this place but since it was quite close by, we decided to give it a try one day.

The shop itself is well-lit and has a good number of seats. The ambiance is very chill and relaxing but I personally had an issue finding a nearby parking lot for my bike. Staff were relatively friendly and receptive to queries.

The menu is quite extensive and choosing to have one dessert was kind of difficult. While flipping through, you would naturally want to try a mouth of everything!

Fortunately, we decided on these 2, mango being her favourite and taro balls being mine. The mango dessert had a very natural taste to it; I hope you understand what I mean. Usually, mango desserts have a very strong, artificial smell and flavour to it and this had a more natural scent to sweet. The taro balls were soft and chewy and the milk was not too sweet as well.

Overall, if you are nearby and it is after dinner, this is a perfect place for some simple desserts.

Jin Yu Man Tang @ Katong
Address: 66 East Coast Rd, #01-03, The Flow@East Coast, Singapore 428778
Contact: 6214 3380

Opening hours:
Daily: 11.30am to 10.30pm, closed on Mondays

Personal rating: 4/5 (pleasant and tasty)

 

Mala Xiang Guo has been in Singapore for quite a number of years now and I was never drawn to it for 2 reasons; it was usually very crowded or the fridge was atrociously filthy. Seriously, I’ve even seen baby cockroaches walking across at one outlet. Some of them do not maintain the quality of ingredients and it can be really disgusting.

Since I moved into Kovan, I always walked around looking for food and when this store popped up, I was drawn to the brand new, squeaky-clean chiller! It was huge, clean and well-packed with fresh ingredients which didn’t look wilted. I tried it for the first time ever and it was love at first try.

One mistake I made was assuming I could handle the extra spicy level of heat due to my heritage. Boy was I wrong. Basically, these shops work just like how Youg Tau Fu shops work but they calculate based on weight instead of the number of pieces. You choose what you want, they weigh, you choose the level of spiciness and then pay and wait.

Ever since this first attempt, I have tried various other outlets and none of them, even some famous ones, can live up to the taste and fragrance you get from this stall! After you finish your meal here, you will NOT be left with an oil-filled bowl like other outlets. The ingredients are fast fried in high heat and do not feel overly greasy.

Overall, I have patronised this stall for maybe 4 to 5 years now and the standard is still always the same! Try it and share with me any other outlets you feel serve better Mala Xiang Guo as well.

La Mei Spicy Hotpot @ Kovan
Address: 210 Hougang St 21, Singapore 530210
Contact: 9761 8957

Opening hours:
Daily: 11am to 10pm, closed on some Wednesdays

Personal rating: 5/5 (clean, fresh, fragrant, tasty, spicy!)