Camaca - Taiwanese Dessert Cafe staking roots in Singapore

With the growing number of foreign establishments setting up shop in Singapore, Camaca is one of the latest additions. Originally from Taiwan, some of the highlights of Camaca is some of its sugar free desserts as well as its capsule gelatos. In my case, making the trip to Camaca was a case of making up for initial disappointment. My initial plans to assuage my craving for the popular Kaki Fuyong at Ngee Ann Polytechnic was derailed when the stall so happened was closed that day. Given that I've already driven all the way down, I was determined to make my petrol's worth.

The unique highlight of Camaca's gelato is that it comes in a frozen capsule. You pick the capsule you want and they put it through a machine and it comes out as gelato. This form of gelato is both creamy and with sufficient solidness that I like. The Musang King Durian Gelato won plentiful of praises from my dining companion. She was raving non-stop about how much she is enjoying her durian ice cream. For durian lovers, this will be a rather satisfying choice considering the richness in flavour and the creaminess.

I was recommended the Black Sesame Banana Gelato which is really an acquired taste. My willingness to be adventurous with this ice cream started from the very good experience I had at Sadaharu Aoki in Paris where I had black sesame ice cream. It was awesome. While the flavour here isn't as robust, the mixture with bananas is rather unique. As a banana lover, I'm not oppose to this and pretty much enjoyed my gelato too!

Given the good experience, I was motivated to try their other creations. So I ordered the Hazelnut Dacquoise and Rose Dacquoise after my companion graciously agreed to share the calories with me. The Dacquoise pronounced as - 'Duck Coils' is basically a french dessert that is similar to a macaron but taste like a soft nougat. This dessert at Camaca is sugar-free. It's best to serve it cold. For a sugar free dessert, it carries the natural flavours very distinctly and even a person who has a sweet tooth like me have nothing to complain about. Sweetness is just right!

The overall ambiance of Camaca is designed cozy and poised. I would definitely love to come back here with a book, some desserts and coffee simply to chill. It's an awesome place to bring someone here to get to them better too. Looks like they just got a new raving fan in me.

Camaca 
9 King Albert Park, #01-11/01-12, S598332 

BistrOne36 - Cozy Beers and Western Neighbourhood Dining

The residents of Boon Keng have one more popular establishment added to their selection of awesome dining. This establishment occupies the spot previously housing Oh My Tian, the other project founded by the founders of Hatterstreet. It has proven to be hitting the right notes with the Boon Keng faithful.

I was pretty much there with an objective to chill and have some good food. A chillout night would never be complete without beers. On a Tuesday (the day I'm there), they have 2 for 1 Oranjeboom ($20) on offer so it's perfect!

The Torched Tuna Sashimi Salad ($10.90) ordered by my dining companion should rightfully be my dish. She's the regular at the gym and well.. I'm the one trying to slim down. It's tossed well and the seasoning was good. The torched tuna sashimi is also an excellent way to whet your appetite so it's awesome as an appetizer.

My choice of Seafood Aglio Olio ($16.90) is far more ordinary than the salad. Having said that, the flavours were on point. It's those kinda dish that you cannot find fault with but nothing to shout about as well. I guess I was expecting more given that it's a chef's recommendation.

We topped our night off with truffle fries ($8.90) to accompany our meal and beers. I've got to say I might just order this again if I come by to chill and have beers. Taste wise, it met expectations.

For a neighbourhood cafe, this is definitely satisfactory. While the food doesn't have any spectacular 'wow' effect, I left as a happy customer feeling sated by the food and beer. BistrOne36 feels cozy for a 2 to 3 person catch up location and I even overheard some office executives appraising the food on my way to the washroom. There's a good chance I'll be back!

BistrOne36
34 Whampoa West, #01-79, S330034
(Be warned that the GPS might be a little misleading but I have no idea how to help you with this!)

Belle Ville - Popular Wobbly Pancakes from Osaka

The excessive growth in overseas establishments taking root in Singapore has frankly dampened my enthusiasm rather than have me looking forward for more. In a way, I'm considered late in checking out Belle Ville considering they set up shop here mid last year. Hailing from Osaka, the pancakes gained a reputation in Singapore for its wobbly nature.

The Matcha with Rice Ball and Red Bean pancake ($12.20) has a rich matcha azuki taste to it. It's rather overwhelming for my taste buds but it can be due to me not being a matcha fan to begin with. Apart from that, the matcha pancake is rather dry which resulted in my dining companion feeling rather 'jelat' and couldn't finish the pancake despite her best effort trying.

I was rather intrigued by the instagram-worthy wobbly Chocolate and Grilled Banana Pancake ($12.20). It was sufficiently fluffy however the wobbliness seems to be a result of semi-cooking the pancake batter. While the entire pancake was light and very easy to finish, there seems to be a missing satisfaction at the end of the entire meal.

As a whole, I didn't feel very impressed with my overall experience. While I was decently satisfied with my chocolate banana pancake, I have a feeling that this overseas branch is a watered down version of the real deal. I guess, for its price point, we can be more forgiving.

Belle Ville
230 Victoria Street, #01-01B, Bugis Junction, S188024

Ministry of Burgers - Popular Pasar Malam Food Available All Year Round

Whenever I pass by a pasar malam, my first inclination is to contemplate if I wish to purchase a Ramly burger. Afterall you don't get to indulge in this craving all the time except when you chance upon a night market. Most of the time though, I get put off by the price tag and the fact that it is takeaway. So I jumped at the chance when my friend told me there's a dine in burger joint in Singapore serving this popular pasar malam indulgence.

Ministry of Burgers lets every Ramly burger fan have their cravings satisfied throughout the year without the hassle of hunting down the latest pasar malam and you get to enjoy your burger in air-con! Granted that their dine-in area is small and they probably cater to a wider takeaway crowd, I'm still glad this option is available.

The MoB burger comes in beef, chicken or fish patty ($3.90 single patty). You also can choose the double patty option. Each burger comes with sauce and an egg wrapped around it. Cheese and veggie are add ons at $0.80 each. As a whole, the bread feels rather dry unlike other buns from the more recognizable fast food chains. Perhaps this is to stay true to the spirit of your pasar malam treat. While the dish feels authentic, I haven't indulged in sufficient Ramly burgers to rate the burger. I'm pretty certain our mainstream fast food joints needn't view them as competition though.

Just like other fast food, you can order a combo (w/fries and drinks @$6.10 inclusive of burger). As there's customization, I paid an additional $0.60 for my briyani fries and $4.60 for my lightning drink. What you see in the photo is the briyani fries on the right and the cheese fries on the left. I'd say that while the fries are sufficiently tasty, be sure to drink lots of water.

This lightning drink ($5.90) comes in a number of colours with flavours ranging from tropical, mango, rose and vanilla. The blue one I tried is basically frizzy rose syrup with LED lights flashing. My friend thinks this is overpriced while I personally enjoyed the drink.

I'd like to credit the staff and team for their passionate approach to their business. I felt very welcomed and they were really hospitable. I also felt their sincerity in wanting the business to be successful. Simply for this reason, I urge everyone who is around White Sands to give these entrepreneurs a chance. As a business, I hope to try an improved version of their Ramly burger the next time I visit their joint. Because they are a restaurant, I think it'll be ingenuity if they succeed in retaining the spirit of the Ramly burger while improving the quality, like a juicier bun to start with.

Ministry of Burgers
1 Pasir Ris Central Street 3, #01-30, White Sands Shopping Centre

Toby's The Dessert Asylum - Jurong's Hidden Gem

Famous for its sinful dessert indulgences, Toby's The Dessert Asylum caught my attention because of the plethora of dessert selection that seems to be imploring my tummy to try them all. To be fair, this cafe caught my attention about 2 years back but I never got round to try it because of its out of the way location. It's also a saving grace for people residing in the extreme west of Singapore because I really couldn't find an equivalent alternative despite my best googling efforts.

BBQ Baby Ribs has been one of my favourite dishes for the longest time. So perhaps I am a little bias when I saw this on their menu. The BBQ Baby Ribs ($19.90) at Toby's The Dessert Asylum definitely met my expectations. I found the BBQ sauce on point and the meat is very tender. A good pork rib has meat that falls off the bones easily and this one makes the grade. The potato salad on the side is also prepared in my favourite style, potato tossed with mayonnaise and chopped onions.

We also tried the Prawns and Mussels Tagliatelle ($15.90) that is cooked with white wine sauce. This dish reminds me a lot about my stay in Rome. The taste would appeal more to people with a lighter palette preference however the eventual white wine and seafood flavour will grow on you making you crave for the dish more as you eat. The pasta texture also met my palette preference and I would love to come back to have this dish again.

This meal was done prior to a badminton session so I was pretty careful about the quantity of my food intake. The mains experience was so good, we decided to fill our stomachs with desserts anyway and settled for Seek Asylum ($15.90). It is made of macademia and mocha almond ice cream cake with cookie crumbs sprinkled on top and bailey's Irish cream sauce. For its price, I was kinda disappointed with the size. It is however a sinful second stomach indulgence and the bailey's sauce really brought the ice cream to life. Okay la... it's nice but a little too premium for a dessert in my opinion.

As a whole, I totally enjoyed my visit to Toby's The Dessert Asylum. I'm certain I'd like to come back if I ever end up at the extreme end of the west Singapore again. The mains impressed me more than the dessert unexpectedly. Given that the dessert and main selection is so wide, I'm already looking forward to having another go at the food!

Toby's The Dessert Asylum 
Tradehub 21 #01-35, Boon Lay Way, S609964

Froth - Asian Fusion Dining in CBD

What do you do if you love Chinese food but end up in a western restaurant because of work? Froth is an Asian Fusion Dining concept located at Ascott Raffles Place. It was introduced to me by a colleague who doesn't enjoy noodles or western food but he mentioned that the food at Froth resonated with him.

This Sio Bak Aglio ($24.90) was his recommendation. It's legitimately good! The sio bak has a very crispy skin with fat, juicy and tender meat. Its flavour was literally oozing out of every bite. To top it off, another friend who also doesn't appreciate these 'atas' dishes actually praised the sio bak. If this isn't valid testimony of the dish, I don't know what is.

The Chilli Crab Pasta ($24.90) is another noteworthy dish. For a start, the fried till crispy shellcrab is loud and distinct. The chef also included a fried mantou at the side which is pretty ingenious. The pasta sauce was slanting towards a tomato sweet flavour which kinda appeals however not spicy enough! As a whole though, the dish stands out for good execution and generosity.

I enjoyed my Prawn Aglio ($24.90) dish. At first glance, it looks kinda ordinary and the prawns used look like something my mom can prepare. Dishing into the linguine, my entire perspective change. For a start, the noodles were oozing with wok-hei flavour. I strongly believe that good pastas are fully immersive in both the initial taste and the subsequent after taste. This one left a lingering after taste which leaves you craving for more. It's western yet chinese which reminds you of char mee yet it's linguine and aglio olio.

I reserve special praise for the linguine. You notice that all 3 dishes were using the same noodles but they all carry their own distinctive taste. The fact that they are all supposed to be aglio olio but yet stand out in such a differentiated manner highlights the ingenuity of the chef's skill. I guess with the hotel price tag, it's a given. That said, good food is good food and my meal at Froth is definitely memorable.

Froth
2 Finlayson Green, Ascott Raffles Place
Singapore Level 2, Singapore 049247

Tarte by Cheryl Koh - Delectable pastries at the heart of Orchard

Tarte by Cheryl Koh is a patisserie based on the 2nd story of Shaw Centre. The concept originated as a takeaway kiosk selling pastries by Les Amis Pastry Chef, Cheryl Koh. Chef Koh won the 'Asia's Best Pastry Chef' in the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards in 2016.

I've long heard about this patisserie and it's been sitting on my shortlist for the longest of time. I'm really glad to have finally made this trip with a friend and try out some of the much acclaimed pastries.

I'm totally not a fruits person so all the fruity selections are by my dining companion. Sometimes it's great to dine with different people because it brings out the adventurous side in me. Being a sport, I agreed to share. This is the Fresh Passionfruit Curd ($10) which is really creamy in texture and carries a zesty fruity flavour. Our general consensus is that it is too sour for our liking however I feel it's a matter of preference and not so much of bad execution.

I went for the Pistachio Tart ($10) which greeted us with a challenging hard-rock appearance when I couldn't knife through the pastry with my fork. Despite the not so impressive first impression, we unanimously agreed that it is good. We like it that the tart isn't too sweet and the flavour is not overpowering. The balance is just right.

The Earl Grey tart ($10) is another winner. It is a creme bulee infused with artisanal crafted ceylon teas with bergamot and citrus. The flavours are all very distinct and on point. I enjoyed the tart a lot especially when it isn't excessively flavoured. Judging from my limited experience trying out tarts, I know that these are the best I've eaten so far. In fact, my bad experience with lousy tarts are partially a reason why I tried so little.

My friend was very drawn to the Fraisier ($10). That was her first choice when we made our selection. The cake is made of light sponge with creme mousseline and French strawberry. It is very good! As someone who doesn't like fruits in my food, this is something I am willing to take a couple more bites. The sponge is really light and you don't get tired eating it at all. The strawberries are not the least sour and they are sliced with the absolute right proportions that goes exceedingly well with my fork full of sponge cake.

The entire dining experience was wonderful and I'm very impressed. So this is what it is like to eat tarts from an award winning pastry chef! If you are looking for a coffee place to rest and chit chat in Orchard Road, this is The Place for you.

Tarte By Cheryl Koh
1 Scotts Road, #02-12 Shaw Centre, S228208