Madame Ooze - Cosy, Homely with a Flair

When I find myself at Chinatown, wondering where to have my lunch, I see a eye-catching shade with the words "Madame Ooze" printed on it, I decide to take a plunge and just pop into the place to have my lunch here.

Upon entering this quaint space, which is actually reception area for Alder Hostel, I am welcomed by the sight of a cosy place decked with florid drapes, hanged drawings of lush greenery, Peranakan antique furniture, ornate lamps, stacks of books and plush comfy sofa and chairs. There are hostel guests lounging around and patrons who are there for the food and drinks. The mood here is casual, relaxed and homely, Singapore style.

And the staff at the counter immediately greeted me with zest and offers me the menu for me to slowly decide on what I want. And he suggests some awesome recommendations, such as coconut ice-cream on panna cotta, which works like wonder.

Madame Ooze provides interesting dessert options, where I can choose the type of vessel, such as croissant, cake, cone, panna cotta, to put my choice of ice-cream on. For a filling meal, there are savoury items to fulfill that, thank goodness, since I come in here for lunch instead of tea break. And my choice of Mushroom Cheese Melt Croissant is really good.

A really lovely, unique place to chill and enjoy good food while soaking in the Peranakan vibe.

Lychee Oolong is so refreshing and light, made even better with the pronounced sweet floral aroma of lychee pefectly complementing the the mild astringent flavour of oolong. Perfect for summer weather of Singapore.

Mushroom Cheese Melt tastes so good and satisfying. The earthy flavour of the mushrooms is perfect match with the creamy savoury goodness of mozzarella cheese, with the pan-fried onion adding a subtle pungent kick to the taste. The croissant is so flaky and crispy, yielding that satisfying bite.

Coconut works wonderfully with panna cotta. The milky nutty flavour of coconut layers so well with the handmade sweet creamy vanilla ice-cream. The ice-cream adds a lightness to the heavy panna cotta thus balancing the taste and texture. Surprise of the day and a must-try.

Thoughts: Awesome choice to chill and enjoy good food and drinks

259 South Bridge Road

The Coffee Code - Lovely cafe with Unique, Awesome Food and Drink Choices

It is so fun to just walk around the heritage area of Outram Park and see which hidden gems I can uncover along the way by just popping into the cafe or restaurant based on gut instincts. This time, I found The Coffee Code, a quaint little cafe that offers a lot more than what I expected from a cafe!

The vibe of the the place is cosy and comfy, with a scattering of plush chairs and a touch of idyllic feel due to the plants that look like mini coconut trees, which is pretty standard cafe style: nice for gathering and relaxing.

It is the food and drinks that truly impresses me. The menu features a variety of unique artisan cheesecakes that cannot be found anywhere else, and they are delicious. The same goes for the drinks. And there are good and unique savoury food options to satisfy the my palates.

The service is very good, for a cafe. The staff always serves up a glass of plain water to each patron when we settle into our seats. They are friendly and polite. The best part is they actually allow us to stay slightly longer than the opening hours, which is sweet of them.

All in all, one of my top choices for lounging and enjoying good food and drinks when in Outram Area.

Pistachio Burnt Cheesecake is like THE CHEESECAKE. One of the best and most unique. The texture is so smooth and creamy. The best part is that it has a slightly molten core making for awesome, moist texture. The nutty, earthy, herbaceous aroma of pistachio is very pronounced, coupled with sweet taste of burnt baked goods, for that complexity in taste of the cheesecake.

Non-coffee drink of refreshing coconut water perked up with sweet aroma of osmanthus and made exciting by the savoury cheese foam is oh-so-good. It is so unique and so refreshingly awesome. This is worth a special trip here.

La La Udon is bursting with the sweetness of the sea due to the generous amount of la la added. And the texture of the udon is so good: smooth, thick, has good bite at its core. Paprika is added for a hint of spiciness to make teh taste even more bombastic.

Saltiness of caramel is perfect match with the aromatic slightly bitter Earl Grey in Salted Caramel Earl Grey cheesecake. The taste is also vey unique and delicious, inciting this "eye opening wide"  reaction at first bite. And it also features this molten core that makes the texture so perfect.

Another unique drink is Tea with Cheese Foam. The bitterness of tea contrasts so well with the savoury cheese.

Thoughts: Worth a special trip to here just for the unique drinks and food

37 Neil Road

Rainbow Lapis - Delightful Nonya Desserts

Hidden at a quiet corner of old school Heartland Mall is a treasure trove of nonya cakes. And this place is called Rainbow Lapis, where you can find all the possible nonya sweets, from Ondeh Ondeh, Pandan Kaya Cake, Kueh Salat, Ubi Talam to, of course, Kueh Lapias.

Being a fan of all things coconut, I naturally want to try out the cakes here, most of which are made with coconut. The cakes are so full of the rich, creamy, nutty flavours that definitely satisfy my cravings for local desserts. In fact, I have been popping in to buy some cakes whenever I pass by Heartland Mall since it is hard to resist the temptation of savouring these cakes. The service here is also very friendly and helpful, cementing this quaint little shop as my go-to shop for some sweet delights.

Kueh Talam, Kueh Lapis, Seri Kaya, and the kuehs here all feature this nice juxtapose of two strong flavours that work together to yield creamy good treats.

I like the cute designs of the Chinese New Year goodies here. And they taste good!

I also love the special Chinese New Year cookies like Coconut Suji Cookies, which have a bit of saltiness to make it more exciting.

Cookies in cute Chinese New Year Good Bag

Soft, fluffy Pandan Kaya Cake is packed with the sweet vegetal aroma of pandan and nutty aroma of coconut. 

Basil Seed Pudding surprises me by how good it is. This agar agar dessert is very refreshing while slightly creamy at the same time.

Lopez is like the glutinous rice dumpling sprinkled with shredded coconut and to be dipped with gula melaka, aka Southeast Asian brown sugar. I do miss eating this special kind of lye water dumplings, so I'm real happy to find this dessert.

The odeh odeh here has soft bouncy glutinous rice dough holding a ganache of gula meleka sauce. It is so enjoyable to bite through the dough to taste a rush of caramel sweet juice.

Black Pepper Prawn Cracker is so crispy and soufflé. And the black pepper adds a kick to the taste, making it even better.

Thoughts: Lovely Yummy Nonya Delights

205 Hougang St 21

Heartland Mall #02-48

Conrad Centennial Lobby Lounge - Beautiful Flowers, Lovely Pastries and Luxurious Lifestyle

Actually I’d never tried high tea before since I prefer the full dining experience from appetisers to mains and ending with desserts. But Language of Flowers Afternoon Tea special at Conrad Centennial Lobby lounge is too pretty to resist. In addition, there are savoury treats with beef, smoked salmon, crab, thus I'm totally sold on it and quickly made a reservation.

When the impressive tree-like curate decked with oh-so-beautiful cakes is served, I quietly squeaked in delight at how beautiful it looks. Instagram worthy? A definite YES! I love it that all the cakes of Language of Flowers each features totally different taste profiles to make the experience exciting. Each dainty, pretty creation showcases distinctive, well-balanced flavours that please the palates. After the lovely experience here, I'm eager to go for more sessions of Afternoon Tea because it can be exciting and full of surprises.

Incredibly high 24-carat gold leaf ceiling, towering classic wooden pillars, pots of elegant orchids and old world plush chairs, the furnishings of the place speaks volumes of opulence and class. And the live piano playing adds on to the luxurious, classy feel.

Conrad Centennial is truly an impressive hotel with incredibly impeccable service provided right upon arrival at the hotel. There are Doormen at the entrance to open the cab's door for me and also the door to the lobby. And friendly greetings ensured all the way. Then the usher in the lobby asks me on how he can help me and then guides to me to the Lobby Lounge. The service crew in the Lobby Lounge is so friendly and professional. I really feel like a queen here.

Beautiful display of treats, where I start with the good old traditional scones with creamy clotted cream and homemade wild strawberry jam.

Candy Star is actually a savoury treat of barbeque beef shabu shabu stacked with cream cheese, spring onions and sandwiched within the pretty beetroot eclair adorned with gold flakes. I am so surprised by how good a savoury treat can be. The wholesome meaty flavour is perfect match with the cream cheese.

Mini Aster features tangy, buttery and briny goodness with goodies such as avocado feta mousse on charcoal mussel.

Alyssum is an intense yet refreshing treat full of essence of the ocean: smoked salmon tempered with  refreshing cucumber. The cream cheese, tangy sweet cranberry and trout caviar on hazelnut bread add depth to the taste.

Yellow Daisy is one of my favourite with creamy briny sweet crab rillette, made even more exciting with bits of crunchy celeriac, creamy smooth crème fraiche, intense ikura, coriander cress on brioche.

Lavender took my breath away with how lavender cream and cassis gel can actually works so wonderfully together here to create pure earthy sweetness. It is actually difficult to balance powdery floral aroma of lavender with the sharp tang of cassis. I had tried disastrous cakes with either or both of these 2 ingredients, so I know. And this creampuff manages to feature the distinctive aroma of lavender while maintaining it at a level that is not overpowering. The crispy biscuit top of the puff makes it even better.

Osmanthus is absolute creamy, custardy, sweet floral delight due to the osmanthus jelly and smooth osmanthus cream within. Jaconde sponge and sable dough further highlight the sweet floral aroma of osmanthus. I totally love this.

Chamomile is a light, smooth, lovely confectionery with calming chamomile cream, sweet vanilla cream mousseline, almond pate de gene and sable dough.

The pretty Sakura has the most exciting taste due to an exciting good mix of flavours from earthy sakura mousse, tangy raspberry jam, sweet red velvet sponge to toasty, nutty almond sable.

Chrysanthemum Rise, a lovely, refreshing mocktail full of flora aromas.

I love the British crockery here, white floral patterns across the sky blue strip on them are so pretty.

Awesome live piano performance at the Lobby

Thoughts: A Lovely, Luxurious, Beautiful Experience

Conrad Centennial

2 Temasek Boulevard

Tigerlily Patisserie - Amazing, Beautiful Creations

This patisserie is no longer in operation.

Actually, I had been wanting to go to Tigerlily Patisserie, since The Bee Hive cake looks so cute, but due to my busy schedule and its location at Joo Chiat, the plan to do so had been put on the back burner. So when I read the latest news about this quaint little patisserie, I immediately made an online order. And I'm glad I did, since the patisserie soon after got so many orders that they are no longer taking in more. So if you want to savour the treats there, have to go down to the cafe for them. I can say it will be totally worth the trip.

And after trying their signatures, I feel a sense of regret that I didn't visit this patisserie sooner. Really, it is moment of "The cakes taste so amazingly good and unique! I should have visit this patisserie earlier!" Better late than never, I guess. The bakes here feature complex taste profiles that totally surprise and delight the palates. Yes, they are must-try for foodies. One of the best patisseries.

Inspired by Terrazzo, Pink Guava and Pear is definitely one of my favourites. The taste is as beautiful and soft as its looks. The mildly tart pink guava cream, refreshing jelly with cubed pears, elderflower liqueur and light pear mouse yield a well-balanced, multi-faceted, creamy taste full of floral sweetness.

The Bee Hive presents a more simulating taste with lemon, thyme, lychee honey jelly, light lemon sponge, honey parfait and yuzu mousse casing. Yes, this cake also packs lots of harmonised strong flavours: zest, slight bitterness, sweetness, richness, creaminess, which refreshes the palates. I also love the honeycomb cookie that features such lovely crunchiness and an iota of savoury component. 

Pistachio Marimo is most probably the best pistachio bakes I ever have. This is like ode to the pistaschio, fully demonstrating the beauty of the vegetal nutty goodness of this nut.  On the base of jaconde sponge, there are homemade pistachio praline, crispy feuilletine and pistachio mousse ball, to create a varied texture of crispiness, fluffiness and creaminess. The taste of pistachio is so good and pronounced here, especially with the molten lava consistency of the pistachio praline. Fans of lava cakes must not miss this.

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart with Nocciola del Piedmonte Hazelnut praline, rich Valrhona dark chocolate ganache, milk chocolate cream and cocao nib tuille is such an intense and opulent treat.

I also got the Sweet and Savoury Box to make the delivery fee worthwhile lol And within this box is a delightful quadrate of Macha Flan, Chocolate Hazelnut Croissant, Kimchi Cheese Croissant and Otah Sampan. Yes, they are so unique that I knew I must get my greedy hands on them.

Matcha Flan features flaky puff pastry cup filled with smooth custard packed with the lovely floral grassy aroma of matcha. The texture is slightly more molten than the usual custard in flans, and I love it.

Kimchi Cheese Croissant has a rich and hearty taste due to the richness of comté cheese and the umami of gochujang béchamel. This is so unique and so good.

Chocolate Hazelnut Croissant is pain au choclate with piedmont hazelnut frangpani, hazelnut praline and crushed hazelnuts. Very lovely treat.

Otah Sampan is an unique creation consisting of homemade coconut frangpani, spicy mackerel otah from Joo Chiat Caphe, coconut mayo and bonito flakes. This wins me over at first bite with its intense spicy briny sweetness and distinctive Southeast Asian taste.

Thoughts: Sweet Beautiful Delights that Amaze my Palates

Ami Patisserie - Beautiful Desserts with Beautiful, Unique Taste and Texture

It has been quite a while since I get excited about any patisserie, especially after my resurgence, where I focus more on the entire experience from starters, mains to desserts instead of just on the sweets themselves. And this is where Ami Patisserie comes in, enticing me with delicate, beautiful desserts that explore the whole spectrum of tastes. Caviar, Uni and Tomato on desserts? I'm on it!

The desserts featured in the Dessert Omakase here are of another level, having the variation in texture, the complexity in taste, the feel of lux, and the uniqueness of incorporation of savoury ingredients. In fact, this feels like complete course of meal. And I like that feeling of anticipation as I watch the chefs carefully preparing the desserts right in rigth of me. This is a must-try for foodies.

Located in one of the extensions of a bungalow house at Scotts Road, surrounded by towering trees and lush greenery, this place feels so exclusive. And venturing through a small gate on the right side of the bungalow to get to Ami Patisserie feels like entering into a secret garden of luxurious treats. Decked in cherry wood panels and frames, the place feels like a cosy, quaint, upmarket cottage, layered with hints of modern Japanese Zen. The full length windows lining the entirety of one side of the patisserie shows the beautiful, scenic view of the huge lawn beside it.

With the awesome, friendly service, this is definitely an awesome place to chill and enjoy the good things in life.

Signature Choux is a signature for a good reason. Packed with chopped Japanese Organic Egg and topped with créme fraiche and Caviar, this is the seamless marriage of the flavours  of the land and sea. The earthy, savoury taste of egg stays on the top layer with the briny sweetness of caviar serving as undertones is complex and oh-so-good. Definitely my favourite.

Piedmont Hazelnut Financier here redefines my impression of this seemingly plain confectionery. Yes, I had always regarded financier as that plain small cake. But the mild bitterness and rich butty aroma of Roasted Hazelnut and the caramel sweetness of Brown Butter adds complexity to the taste, develops into a lovely sweetness and thus makes the financier here the best one I ever have.

Nice warm bread sourdough and super buttery, flaky Iwa Nori Escargot bun, with creamy smooth smoked butter is a joy to enjoy.

Shizuoka Tomato Tartelette showcases the beauty of the garden. This is like the most refreshing dessert without the tart taste as top notes. The mildly sweet and refreshing juices of Amalea Tomato yields a exciting, well-rounded taste with the creaminess of Fromage Blanc, pungency of basil and nutty goodness of 24 months aged Parmigiano Cheese.

Japanese Uni Brioche stretches the limits of what lovely snack can be created with the uni. The amazing creamy umami of Uni, the light zest of Lime Cream and the richness of Butter Brioche makes for a luxurious dessert with multifaceted flavours.

Nasu Brulee has grilled sweet eggplant paired with savoury Miso Ice Cream and smooth pudding encased in a thin layer of caramelised sugar. An interesting and nice dessert.

Setoka shakes things up with some citrus goodness. Pieces of Ehime Citrus, also known as jelly orange, have Gin added, gelee and granita piled on top to showcase a refreshing, juicy dessert with great texture.

I'm not really a chocolate lover, but Marble Dark Chocolate totally impresses me. Crispy Tuiles gives this nice crunch to smooth, creamy 72% Dark Chocolate Ganache, Coffee Cream Cognac and Amaretto Ice Cream. The taste is amazing, being pleasing on the palates and complex. It actually develops a floral smoothness as I savour it, which is amazing.

Ichigo Milk features sweetened Strawberry cubes with mint jelly, strawberry granita and Hokkaido Milk ice-cream. I like it that the strawberry is the main star of the dessert, while the mild creaminess of hokkaido milk ice-cream adds a layer of creaminess to soothe the tart taste of the strawberry.

Oyatsu of the night is Warabi Mochi handmade based on recipe of Chef Makoto's grandpa. Coated with soya powder and drizzled with brown sugar sauce, this flavourful treat has the perfect texture of being slightly chewy and still easy to bite.

Champagne for the night

Thoughts: Desserts that can rival mains in taste and uniqueness

27 Scotts Road

Nearest MRT: Orchard