We interrupt your daily business to bring you an important message. We think we have found the best cheesecake of the year.

Yes. From LeTao. And I don't know why it is not repeated like a broken record in my social media feed. The only articles I came across mentioning LeTao were the Straits Times and Daniel Food Diary.  After seeing Daniel's Instagram video which included someone breaking down into touched moments of "Omg it's very nice..", I was left with no choice but to check out LeTao.

For the uninitiated, LeTao is a super famous cheesecake from the land of desserts a.k.a. Hokkaido. Finally, LeTao has found home in Singapore, in the form of a takeaway counter store in Ion Orchard, located at B1 level near the Moleskine store if you know where is it. 

The best thing is there are no queues. Initially I was trying to see if there was some hidden queue.. You know, like Bake Cheese Tart's queue at B4 level which had me grinning like a lottery winner when I first saw there was no queue at its store... only till I was informed that the queue begins a few hundred meters away so that traffic is unblocked for other shops. 

But nope, no confusing queue system for LeTao. No never-ending queue. I repeat, no queue at all. #NeverUnderestimateSocialMedia

Petit Chocolat Strawberry ($12 per 50 grams)

Before we get to the best cheesecake of the year, the very helpful salesgirl gave us some samples of their chocolates and biscuits to try. The petit chocolat strawberry is a whole freeze-dried strawberry encapsulated by sweet white chocolate and dusted with a layer of strawberry powder. It's neither overly sweet nor sour, and makes a perfect TV or reading snack for the freeze-dried strawberry lover.

Otaru Rue Ironai Fromage ($10/box of 9 pcs; $19/box of 18 pcs)

I noticed many people were buying the Otaru Rue Ironai Fromage, or cheese cookies in English. I can see why. In between the crispy biscuits was a smooth creamy layer of cheese, which is the same mascarpone cheese used in the famous cheesecake. The affordable price-point makes it a popular add-on item too.

Double fromage ($28)

Now, for the pièce de résistance, the double fromage. The beauty comes in two layers: a froth-like creamy no-bake cheesecake that's not overly rich, and a rich solid baked cheesecake. 

The joy is when I eat them in one mouthful together. That's when the light airy layer melts into the solid layer, resulting in a sensational out-of-the-world taste and texture.

The cheese used in the no-bake cheesecake is Italian mascarpone. And I tell you, the Italians make really good cheese. Mascarpone cheese is a buttery-rich double-cream to triple-cream cow's milk cheese. Instead of using rennet which is an enzyme from ruminant animals to coagulate the cheese, citric or tartaric acid is used instead. Hence, the taste is softer and more delicate than other cheeses, making it a perfect combination with the rich cream cheese used in the baked portion.

Mascarpone Creme Brulee ($25)

We wanted to get their chocolate double cheesecake but it was sold out. But it's ok, I found love in the creme brulee cake. It uses the same Mascarpone cheese, Hokkaido milk and Madagascar vanilla. There is no caramelized top but the joy is not affected as I tucked into the creamy, egg-fragrant smooth creamy custard. The crust is a thin layer of flaky pastry akin to mille-feuille. Very good!

Take note that the double fromage costs $28 for a 12cm cake. That's equivalent to 4 slices. Which is about $7 for a slice.. not that expensive if you can slice it. LeTao Singapore does not sell in slices as it is the brand directive from Japan HQ. They can only sell pre-packed cakes with no direct contact with the food. But they provide disposable forks and knives so you can share with a friend and cut the cake on the spot. But I personally think it will be unwise to share.. kekeke..

There is no "we" in food.

Ok quickly go and eat LeTao before you make your new year resolutions on dieting, clean-eating,  blah blah blah..

Address: Ion Orchard B1-K7, 2 Orchard Turn Singapore 238801

Tel: +65 8799 3551

This post just proves that I am the pro in procrastination. Actually Candlenut has been on my to-eat list since this blog was started back in 2013. And yet I must wait until it got a Michelin star in July 2016 before I visited. And yet I must wait until it shifted from Chinatown to Dempsey before I document my visit to its Chinatown outlet back in end July. So it's really an achievement that I managed to reach the end of this paragraph!

Initally we just wanted to try some ala carte dishes but I didn't know they don't serve ala carte during dinner. They only have a set menu at $68++ for dinner. Before you think it's too expensive for Peranakan dishes, I need to correct that it is Peranakan-inspired and they use premium ingredients e.g. Wagyu beef, NZ lamb, and quite a bit of seafood.

(Clockwise) Charred octopus with chincalok and achar, Blue swimmer crab kueh pie tee in yellow curry, Buah keluak pork dumpling, Wagyu beef satay

The appetizers started off well. My most favourite was the Wagyu beef satay which was well-marinated with spices, fork tender and grilled to perfection. The blue swimmer crab kueh pie tie, an interesting twist to the traditional kueh pie tie, was excellent and addictive. 

On to the mains..

Charcoal grilled John snapper fillet with black mango sambal, ginger flower and Japanese cucumber kerabu

Pardon my ignorance but this is the first time I've come across black mango sambal. I think it is mainly mango mixed with sambal and hence it is both sweet yet spicy at the same time. Excellent pairing with the soft tender snapper fillet. The ginger flower and Japanese cucumber kerubu improve the visual presentation of the dish while giving the overall taste of the dish a refreshing perspective too.

Pork meatballs in rich chicken and seafood broth

Another favourite dish are the meatballs. The broth is full of sweet and umami flavours. It is perfect to diffuse some of the spiciness from the spicy dishes.

Wok fried sambal, wild caught baby squid, petai beans, tamarind

This spicy squid is not for those who has low tolerance for spicy food. I left the petai beans alone.

Sayur lodeh kang kong with crispy whitebait and baby sweet potato leaves

The sayur lodeh kang kong is cooked in well-balanced coconut milk and spices. But what makes the dish outstanding was the salty crispy whitebait which gives the dish an interesting twist in flavours, textures and overall presentation.

NZ Maori Lakes lamb shoulder rendang, green banana, kaffir lime leaf, serunding

Last but not least, we enjoyed the lamb rendang which was classic rendang at its best. 

Durian soup, Mao Shan Wang ice-cream, D24 durian puree, feuilletine (left), Chendol (right) 

We got to choose our desserts from a list. Without much thought, we went for the durian and chendol respectively. No regrets. The durian dessert was as if I was eating real durian and the feuilletine tasted very local, similar to the wafer egg rolls I ate when I was young. As for the chendol, it's typical chendol that's done well. No complaints.

Service was super attentive. I was there when Candlenut was still celebrating their Michelin win and I got complimentary wine. Candlenut is probably the only Peranakan restaurant in the world that has a Michelin star and I really think they deserved it because they totally brought Peranakan cuisine to greater heights by incorporating creative ideas. The only pity for me is that they have shifted to Dempsey which is really a hassle to get to without four wheels. Till then, this will stay in my favourite dining memories of 2016. 

A few years ago, I made a public love declaration (click here) for Chocolate Origin's Cuppa Lava Cake. 

Some said it smelled like an awkward teenage love story. But really, it changed my life. 

Recently, I was invited by Chocolate Origin to try their new dark chocolate gelato and latte art session, together with the other existing cakes. 

One does not get invited to a chocolate feast party every other day. Especially when it's from Chocolate Origin. Unless one is certifiably insane, one does not reject it. So off I went with great anticipation.

I was given a moment with my old love - the Cuppa Lava Cake. The airy moist chocolate sponge and luscious chocolatey intense lava goodness still had me swooned over. Yes.. yes and yes! It's still that warm fuzzy ecstatic feeling. As I dug deeper, however, the vanilla ice-cream that I used to be familiar with seemed to have grown colder (pun intended) - Cold and hard, literally. Likened to a lover who was warm on the outside but cold and stranger on the inside.

I'm going to ignore that slight sign of trouble for the moment and turn to the Original Chocolate Cake. For the love of food, it is the best-chocolate-cake-ever. That ratio of mousse vs sponge, and that ratio of chocolatey bitterness vs sweetness... golden, perfect, mind boggling and amazing. Washed down with its liquid equivalent - Iced Chocolate Shake.

It's chocolate at its best.



Apart from the rich cakes and gelato that you can indulge in, Chocolate Origin also offers coffee made from the finest Arabica coffee beans from Latin America. The Arabica beans, known for their distinctive aroma and exquisitely smooth texture, form a perfect marriage with Chocolate Origin’s cakes and gelato. They are looking into organising latte art sessions where you can show off your inner barista.

I was a little restless as the star, Dark Chocolate Gelato, hasn't made its appearance as the night goes by. After all, we all know the law of anticipation which increases invariably as time ticks on. They do know how to play this game.

Finally.



It was love at first bite.

For a moment, it felt like a guilty betrayal towards Cuppa Lava Cake. My mind and heart were pretty much out of control. They were right about this one. It's richly divine, intense and effortlessly smooth. Made with Belgian chocolate, it's not overly sweet and tastes how chocolate should be - bittersweet. According to Chocolate Origin, it was a five year work-in-progress, from curating the perfect Belgian premium chocolate, the right gelato-making machine (from Italy, the birthplace of gelatos), tweaking, testing, tweaking, testing.

$4.50 a scoop, and $12.50 a pint which is cheaper than Haagen. Give me the pint.

In conclusion, this place is dangerous and a slippery slope to diabetics and heart problems. Chocolate Origin does what it sets out to do - steal my heart at the first bite. There is no stopping. It never will.

I can't believe that I haven't talked about Tambuah Mas. It's easily in my top most favourite and my to-go whenever I need my fix of comfort food. Recently I went there and over-ordered and almost died from over-eating. I thought it would be a good opportunity to introduce most of the dishes in this post.

Tahu Telor, Beef rendang ($9.50), Chicken satay ($9) - I never leave this place without ordering the Tahu Telor. This is fried tofu with fragrant egg floss. It's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, a can't-go-wrong texture. But the key was the generous sweet soy dark sauce which is an Indonesian special. The Beef rendang and chicken satay are also not too bad but there's no X-factor.

Ikan Pepes ($7.50), Udang Belado ($11.50) - Another dish that I always order is Ikan Pepes which is actually otah. But the otah is made of sea bass not the usual mackerel. I can't tell the difference between sea bass and mackerel but it doesn't matter. Because Tambuah Mas' otah is like heaven - aromatic and melts in the mouth. The prawns were ok but not fantastic.

Es Chendol Kacang, Es Delima - 

And the chendol is like the most amazing ever. As a Singaporean with unbiased judgement, I declare the Indonesians make better chendol than the Malaysians. A good chendol is one which is well balanced with coconut milk and Gula Melaka (palm sugar) and the perfect ratio is found at Tambuah Mas. On the other hand, the Es Delima which is water chestnuts is too sweet for me.

Address: Paragon #B1-44

I woke up 5 months ago and suffered a serious case of writer's block which was beyond the capability of any prescription. While the blog took a break, my stomach never relented during the 5 months... The passion for eating never ceases. With the festive feasting came the mood to write again. I hope this bout of inspiration will last a while.

The Black Swan would be apt to mark the occurrence of this post. It's not as if the Art Deco style of the place was not enough to impress me, I had the Black Swan burger  which was one of the best that I've eaten so far. The patty was well seasoned and so soft that it melts in the mouth with the cheddar cheese and runny egg. Even the lightly buttered toasted buns which were crisped on one side and pillowy on the other were heaven on their own. I would have gobbled the burger as a whole if not for my petite mouth. The candied bacon was well caramelized and crispy. Everything was perfect at the Black Swan, from the food to the service. 

Gastrosmiths stated on its website that it serves globally inspired comfort food. I believe that is equivalent to fusion. Fusion means caution for me as it can either turn out superb or absurd. 

Luckily for Gastrosmiths, it's fusion without confusion. 

The menu is made of European comfort fare with Asian influences. Some out of the box creations include an Atlantic cod fried mee sua, a Shio koji seafood linguine. 

Truffled chopped eggs ($12++, above) were delightfully topped with smoked caviar. The truffle oil was overpowering. The crispy toasted bread topped with  eggs complemented each other well. Overall a decent dish.

We also got another eggs dish - the Sea-ly eggs ($9.50++, above) which includes two 63 degree eggs and toast, garnished with scottish smoked salmon, marinated nori and chili oil. This was slurpy good and sweet and it went well with the nice toast. 

Be brave for the ultimate dish - the Shio Koji Seafood Marinara ($22.50, above). If you can only eat one dish, this is it. Shio Koji is a Japanese seasoning that brings out the umami taste. It is made with rice koji (a mixture of rice with strains of Aspergillus Oryzae, a beneficial mold), salt and water. When matched with the sweet tomato based linguine with the fresh seafood, it was like having both essences of Italian and Japanese cooking. A must try. 

Service was very warm and attentive. The place is really small but it comes across as cozy and sincere restaurant that has its own charm. Easily my favourite of the year. 

P.S: They have some 40% discount Groupon deals but those get sold out quickly. 

Address: 103 Beach Road, Tan Quee Lan Street, Singapore 189704

Tel: 6336 3680

Stepping into Dong Po Colonial Cafe felt like a blast from the past. It's located in a colonial shophouse ventilated by fans that hung from tall ceilings. Chinese oldies sung by Chinese songstresses played softly in the background. 

My immediate thought : This is totally my kind of place. You see, I am a huge fan of heritage, vintage, but not my age. 

Dong Po serves cream cakes and pastries that look like what mother fed me back in 80s and 90s. These cakes actually go all the way back in the colonial days when some Chinese pastry chefs learn western baking from the ang mohs. Hence such western cakes were popularized back then. I do realize that such cakes are now a rare sight in big shopping malls. But they can still be found in the neighborhood bakeries. 

I got a set meal which comprise of a bostock toast and teh for $3.50. While waiting for my bostock, I got a butterfly cake for $2. 

The butterfly cake looks like something I learnt to make during my home econs class back in the 90s. It's a sponge cake which has cream. I like that it's airy and light.  The icing in the middle of the "wings" might be a little hard but I like it that way.  I would say this is quite value for money. If I compare to what I charged for the one I created back then. 

After a good 10 minutes, my bostock arrived. The bostock is actually a buttered toast with almonds on top. The crunchy almonds and crispy toast make an interesting combo of different textures. My recommendation is to eat it best when it's hot.

The Teh was nothing to shout about. Tastes like the normal type you find from normal kopitiam. 

The cafe has a SG50 campaign where you can purchase a drink for our Pioneer Generation and the cafe will match it with another drink. You can also leave a note of appreciation. Kudos to the cafe for this meaningful initiative. 

It would be interesting to bring your ah gong or ah ma here. For an afternoon of story telling. Bet they would have lots of stories from good old days to tell you.  

Old is gold. 

Address: 56 Kandahar Street Singapore 198904

Tel: 6288 1318

Sawadee kha! It's long time no see kha! I found a lovely Thai restaurant in Bugis recently called Sawadee.. without the Kha. Thai food is one of my most favourite cuisines. And surprise surprise,  Sawadee has some awesome dishes.

The interior is elegant and exudes Thai charm. The prices are also very elegant. I would say a normal dish (small serving) costs around $12 to $18. Bigger servings typically cost more than $20. No GST but there is service charge. We didn't have much issues on what to order because everything on the menu sounds so nice! 

The duck curry ($15+) impressed me- a unique curry that was enhanced with real lychee and pineapple slices which gave a sweet fruity tone to the spicy thick curry. The creamy gravy was perfect with a bowl of rice. The only imperfection was the portion - too small!

We also ordered the otah ($15+) which was elegantly presented in seven portions in a clay plate that helped to keep the food warm. The fish paste was tasty, succulent, and well marinated with coconut milk and fish sauce. 

We only ordered two mains between the two of us.. as we wanted to try the desserts.. One dessert for each of us :)

Mango sticky rice ($6+) - The warm sticky rice was wondrously topped with coconut milk and tiny crispy soya beans. And the main star, golden yellow mangoes, were just like the ones from Bangkok.. Juicy and sweet. 

The red ruby ($4+) is a traditional Thai dessert that is made of crunchy water chestnuts and coconut milk. The icy dessert was a refreshing end to our meal.  

Service staff was elegant, courteous and  they seem to be real Thai. However I think their boss was less courteous. In fact, he was scolding them most of the time. So embarrassing. 

Overall, I would say this is some really good Thai cuisine, albeit a little pricy. No need to go Bangkok anymore. We can have authentic Thai food at Sawadee. Can't  wait to be back for another meal at Sawadee.

Address: 9 Tan Quee Lan St #01-01 TQL Suite S(188098)

Tel: 6238-6833