Velveté Boutique Cafe & Nails - Cosy Cafe for Great Snacks, Nail Care and Self Care

I just found one of the coziest cafes, which is Velveté Boutique! This cafe is all about pampering oneself with specially crafted drinks, home-baked goodies, curated snacks, chill time in the cozy space, self care and yes, nail care. I immediately feel all cosy and relaxed the moment I step into this quaint place that radiates warmth from the soft warm light illuminating the space, cute florals and ornaments, spots of subtle elegance from the flowers and plants, plush sofas and photos pasted onto the wall.

The lovely owner, Lynn, who is so friendly and candid, is very passionate about creating a space for patrons to feel totally at ease, thus able to indulge in the drinks, food and services here.

Since I join the Ladies’ Networking Event here, where I get to just chill, relax, make a cute magnet and learn self-care techniques, I get to sample all the food items here. And they are so good that I go back for second helping.

Will I go back just for the food, ambience and maybe some nail care? Absolutely yes!

Crumbly, buttery scones are such hearty treats.

Taiwanese Tempura, at second tier of the tea set, is a savoury treat that features awesome slightly sticky, pillowy soft texture.

From the top of the tea set: Brownies, Scallion Lotus Bites, Spicy Otak Roll

The Brownies here, freshly homemade, are lava chocolate cakes, in solid form. This cake is so chocolatey good, rich and has the perfect texture of crumbly exterior with a viscous molten core. A must-try here.

Another must-try is the signature Banana Cake (no photo since I got distracted 😂). Made only with ripe bananas, this super fluffy cake is packed with the aroma of banana and lovely warm taste of baked goods.

I totally love Scallion Lotus Bites due to a medley of balanced robust flavours from the paprika seasoning, and the interesting texture of crunchy lotus root slice juxtaposing with the tempura batter coating.

Spicy Otak Roll has a balanced spiciness for the excitement in taste and complements the awesome buttery flaky puff pastry. A hearty treat. 

Almost 360 degrees view of the place.

Everything set up for the Ladies' Networking Night ❤️

The Rabbit Fridge Magnet is made by me from origami paper and stickers 😉 I actually took 15 minutes to find the materials that I felt is my style. The sakura origami paper speaks of Japanese whimsical that I love. I saw lots of pretty stickers, but most are of English style. When I finally saw the rabbits, I went, “Yes!” Then I get a butterfly sticker from the English stickers to add in design for variation and focus. I’m proud if this work 😊

Thoughts: Awesome Lovely Cafe to indulge in Great Snacks, Nail Care and Self Care

#03-24 Alexander Central Mall

Alexander Road

Ikkoten Omakase - Amazing and Varied Tastes of Summer

I'm so excited to enjoy the Tastes of Summer after an awesome gastronomic journey in Spring. And Ikkoten Omakase kickstarts my Summer adventure with new, unique, delicious creations that feature the refreshing, bright flavours of summer. Lots of moments of "Wow!" And I get to enjoy the best Winter Melon and Tako here. Summer is looking so good now!

Cold Hokkaido Sweet Corn Chawamushi immediately wows the palate because the custard is so smooth and creamy, featuring this amazing sweet buttery umami, completed with floral hints.

Summer Fruit Fig opens up the palates with its sweet and mild taste, elevated by the light, refreshing fig jelly has an iota of savoury goodness that elevates the taste so much.

The Tako sashimi is surprisingly tender, with a good bite. This is made possible by special preparation of partially boiled the octopus to retain the raw core. This tastes so refreshing when paired with finely shredded sweet Awamori apple brushed with specially sourced Japanese Apple Cinder. This refreshing dish develops a nice warmness when paired with the crispy soy sauce and Japanese snow peas. Pickle adds the zest for a hint of excitement. I never know Tako can taste so good, until I try it here.

Kinmedai sashimi, when paired with different types of refreshing tastes from the Japanese yam stem, watercress, tomatoes, pickled cucumber, holds so many well-balanced bright flavours. The torched surface of Kinmedai tenderises the skin of the fish and adds an amazing sweetness of char to the buttery sweetness of the fish. The briny sweetness of the dashi jelly gives a lovely contrast to the refreshing, buttery taste.

Goma saba is specially prepared as alternative to the Sea Bass, and this dish really showcases Chef Brandon's creativity and talent. The fish was deep fried and paired with Chef Brandon's specially created buerre blanc sauce that was made with dashi. Yes, French sauce prepared Japanese style! Goma saba, which is farmed mackerel that is suitable for sashimi, is specially chosen because it can maintain its firm flesh after deep frying. This has a good contrast to the texture of the crispy batter and panko. The briny sweetness of the fish is perfectly balanced by sweet refreshing seaweed.

Takiawase is packed with different kinds of light sweetness: briny sweetness of Snow Crab, milky savoury sweetness of Scallops, vegetal sweetness of Japanese Summer Vegetables, earthy sweetness of Sweet Potato, all soaked in the mild savoury thick broth for a refreshing yet comforting taste. The Hokkaido Scallops is super plump and juicy, so is the Delicious Snow Crab. Winter Melon, being specially steamed for 4 to 6 hours, is so amazingly juicy while retaining a firm texture. Best Winter Melon! I never know winter melon can taste so good until now. I love this so much. Yes, I know I just said it just now for the Tako.

A5 Wagyu Miyazaki Beef is thinly sliced and seared with binchotan to yield this amazing taste of meaty sweetness imbued with the earthy aroma of char. Yet is tastes light at the same time. The first bite immediately evokes a moment of wow. The murasaki uni, which is in season, adds a umami rich creaminess to the dish, nicely punctuated by a hint of spicy pungency of the pepper plant. All these goes perfectly well with the Yamaguchi Matcha soba, which is prepared al dente. This dish also has the taste that is full of the feelings of summer.

Goma sashimi, a special and complimentary dish, is dressed with herbs to cut through the fish's strong briny sweetness, tastes sweeter with each subsequent bites.

Braised meat and crunchy sweet corn are such perfect match when paired with each other in the Donabe. The braised meat, made from specially chosen ribeye, really changes my mind about braised meat being soft and gamey. This braised meat has the tenderness while still having the slight firmness for a good bite. And it is incredibly meaty sweet, which is elevated by the refreshing, floral buttery sweetness of the corn. Paired with the rice, it is pure awesome comfort food.

Wasabon Pudding, made with a blend of brown and white sugar, showcases super silky smooth pudding juxtaposing perfectly with the caramel goodness of the burnt liquid sugar. This is very difficult to make, and the results is totally worth it because it is so good.

Long Island Iced Tea specially made by Chef Brandon. So smooth and so good.

Thoughts: Wonderful Refreshing Tastes of Summer!

86 Telok Ayer Street

Province 2.0 - Refined Amazing Local Flavours

Whenever I want to enjoy meticulously crafted, refined local flavours, Province is definitely one of the restaurants that come to mind. And so here I am again to experience Province 2.0, a new dining concept with revamps on flavours, plus additional unexpected surprises. The food is as good as ever, featuring familiar local flavours presented in unique, awesome ways that makes me go, “This is so different from the usual taste!”

This is one memorable meal filled with lots of gastronomic surprises. And Chef Jia-Jun and his team make sure we feel right at home with their great hospitality.

First appetiser reminds me of my favourite CNY flower-shaped cookie. And this old-school beloved CNY goodie is given an elevation and twist by pairing with luxurious goodies such as Chutoto, caviar and sakura ebi. The taste is so nostalgic and exciting at the same time due to the briny sweetness of caviar and creaminess of chutoro punctuated by the herbal zest of laksa emulsion. The crispiness of the cracker adds texture to the paste-like chutoro.

The next appetiser looks simple but is surprisingly full of subtle harmonised flavours, from earthy mild sweetness of potato, intense refreshing savoury goodness of ikura to the richness of the organic eggs.

Our familiar Bao is given an awesome makeover with uni and Japanese white corn to yield a bao that tastes so unique and good. This is full of creamy umami savoury goodness, balanced by the mild buttery sweetness of corn and the mild nutty sweetness of the fluffy bao. This is like lava bao, lux umami version. So decadent, so good!

A surprise not in the menu comes in the form of Prawn Toast! It’s amazingly and surprisingly, wow, so good. It taste distinctively prawn, yes, but at the same time unlike any prawn dish I had tasted.  I love this new exploration of the taste of prawn. The sago cake has light crispiness and a bit of stickiness to have that "revealing the core" kind of surprise on the palates. The savoury taste of prawn is layered with the sweetness of prawn, made even more distinctive when topped with prawn caramel.

When I first see Province's interpretation of the Rojak, I thought this dish will be super zesty and refreshing. Imagine my surprise to find that yes, it has the zesty, refreshing elements, it is also incredibly naturally sweet, elevated by the earthy Southeast Asian taste of jambu stuffed into the tomato, belacan sauce, the accompanying vegetables and cashew nuts. Rich and refreshing at the same time. Brilliant 

The old school favoutite Wanton gets the star treatment, where the stuffing is made up of shrimps, dried flounder and Sarawak pork for marriage of the sweetness from the sea and land, completed with the earthy taste of airy light Shitake foam. The pork is specially chosen for its milder taste. This dish tastes so comforting and sweet, with lots of flavours dancing on the palates, like the sea, the earth and the garden coming together.

Soon Hock is interestingly prepared like Amadai to yield a great contrast in texture, with a more earthy and unique taste profile that totally goes so well with the sour-spicy umami-rich smoked mussel curry. Different from usual Soon Hock, this one tastes more refined where the smooth pliable flesh is highlighted by the deep fried crispy scales. The mild zesty spicy curry balances the taste of the fish and add excitement to it. The zest from the confit fennel lifts up the spiciness to make it even better. 

Savoury palate cleanser exploring the entire taste spectrum, with a Southeast Asian flair. And it works!

Aged for 10 days with lemongrass, then roasted before resting for 2 days, the Braised herbal duck, packed with star anise, coriander seeds, Thai makwan pepper, galangal, tastes nourishing and is so flavourful, while light and balanced in taste. The hint of zest brightens up the taste. The meat is so tender and succulent yet has a good firm bite to it. Best braised duck, of course!

Second part of the duck dish has fluffy Sarawak Highland long-grained rice served with duck consomme that has a lovely hint of herbal bitterness. Cognac is added for the extra lux. I totally love the amazingly slightly fluffy duck sausage that has the local flair. This dish tastes so satisfying and comforting like Chinese sausage rice, but elevated and more elegant in taste and texture.

Mango and Glutinous Rice is like mango fantasy with textures. Mango sorbet, mango cubes, cute bouncy glutinous rice balls and crispy deep fried mung beans seasoned with chilli and salt, comes together for an exciting dessert.

Kaya toast is oh so good due to the fluffy brioche soaked with coconut milk, brushed with butter and coconut flower sugar. It has a hint of savoury goodness and refreshing element, compledted with the earthy taste of sourdough ice cream, richness of egg yolk jam and kick of the maldon sea salt. This is so good and satisfying to enjoy. 

Unique Petite Fours is in the form of Black Pepper Financier and Pink Guava Candy. I titally savouring them so much too.

The glorious display of the ingredients used for the dishes of the night.

Thoughts: Awesome Fine Local Delights

153 Joo Chiat Road