Housed in a little wooden shack at the junction of Jalan Queen and Jalan Sultan in Pasir Pinji is a stall selling Fried “Nian Gao” (literal translation: “Year Cake”). From what I saw, their version of the traditional glutinous rice cake resembles a medium-soft block of toffee. It is cut into pieces, then individually sandwiched between a thin slice of yam and another of sweet potato. These are clamped firmly together before being dipped into a batter and dropped into boiling hot oil. The result is a crunchy ball, about the size of a child’s fist. It looks impressive enough but wait till you take a bite. That’s when it hits mind-blowing status.
The “nian gao” as you know it, has melted into a caramel-like lava. What’s remarkable is you can eat the whole thing without too much of a mess because the thick liquid is shored up by the double tubers, and thick but very light tempura-like coating.
One last thing - I love that although this snack looks like it could be teeth-achingly sweet, it isn’t at all.
Oh, for the love of crossaints. Pre-ordered a box of these delicious bakes, and boy was I torn amongst the innovative yet exquisite flavors on display. The pastries at Brotherbird are fun, visually attractive and generous in size. They also deliver in the taste department, made flaky and crusty, but slightly less buttery than a traditional crossaint- allowing the custard fillings to claim centre stage.
Of my box of 6, the banana cream pie cruffin shone as it was generously pipped to the brim with a lucious creamy banana cream ganache, which I must applaud for its balance of fruity and milky notes. The flaky pasty was the perfect medium for the subtle-tasting cream, every bite was satisfying without being overwhelmingly rich.
Another of notable mention is the Ferrero Crossaint- a timeless combination of chocolate coated crossaint filled with a viscous hazelnut rocher ganache. Biting through the crispy rocher ganache dusted with gold-colored flakes, layered sweet pastry and finally the flowy-middle- these were reminisent of good-old Krispy Kreme's nutella-filled donut, turned up a notch.
Pork in an Indonesian restaurant? Yes please. Solo diners should definitely order this signature dish, which features a tasting of the different types of pork that Kota88 offers. The glaze for the sate and char siew is sweeter than our local roast meat (I like the sweet taste but not everyone may feel the same), but the deliciously charred taste/smell is something you seldom find in sg. Roast pork I find average, the crunchy pig ears are an awesome addition! Ngoh hiang, siew mai and half an egg complete this bowl. If you come in a group, they also have a full menu of sharing style dishes, similar to any Chinese restaurant. I see quite a few Indonesian (speaking) customers here - always a good sign.
💡 : you can change the white rice to chicken rice without extra charge. Served with a rather tasteless dipping sauce so be sure to ask for the spicy sambal instead if you are a chilli lover like me.
🚗 : limited ERP parking available at springvale building where this restaurant is (parallel parking skills required), or neighboring block where KFC is. Otherwise, there is a bigger URA carpark (unsheltered) next to Shell petrol station (3 min walk).
Chimichangas are deep-fried burritos. That should seal the deal. Don't be fooled by the liberal salsa verde and crema though, they didn't add much. The main problem is the slightly small size.
Baked goods galore at newly opened Micro Bakery at the iconic Red House(formerly occupied by Wang Cafe) and everything we tried so far has been scrumptious. The standout was the Raspberry Blondie($5) – rich, indulgent, and studded with raspberries, macadamia nuts and white chocolate, this cake had the perfect balance of sweetness, tartness and a pleasing hint of saltiness.
As for the Chocolate Zucchini Cake($5), the flavour was good but I found it slightly dry and the little bits of zucchini in it did not add anything. The Brown Butter Pecan Cookie ($3) though, was faultless.
Waffles were slightly burnt but the maple butter was v good, loved that it had a great balance of salty-sweet richness! Pour it into the crevices of the waffle n eat it tgt w the fried chicken! Salted egg yolk sauce was alright :-) Fried chicken was crunchy
Junk food day with this Mini Double Bypass Fried Rice ($22.80) - 200g of considerably tender and juicy New York strips, half spring chicken and heart attack fried rice (simple but flavourful with black sauce), served with a garlicky sweet homemade chili sauce that went well with the different components of the dish.
Treat a booze-lovin' buddy to a superb brunch at one of Asia's top 50 bars — this one's 11th on the list! First, line your tummies with freshly made bagels, cream cheese schmears, American cheese, as well as the PB&J Waffle that's a delightful combination of cornbread, foie gras, peanut, raspberry jam. Then, feast on Saint Jacque scallops, ponzu pork belly, or Maine lobsters. Wash it all down with craft cocktails, wines and beers.
Buffet Prices: Available on Sundays,12-3pm only (from $150, $195 for free flow champagne)
Photo by Burppler Shawn Loh
The menu at this place gives us a hint that this place is authentic. We just can’t wait to take a bite when we are served with this pork roll. The other fillings like carrot & coriander are well covered with heap of sliced pork. 🤩 The sandwich filling is so juicy and go well with crunchy baguette . We haven’t manage to trace down Pate but we know we are in good hands as their ingredients are prepared fresh daily with no msg & preservative. 🤟 So glad to find this healthy Vietnamese food in Novena
Tiramisu cake bread $6
Lemon cream cheese bread 🍋 $4.80
Triangle cheese bread 🧀 $3.30
Bought a sardine puff ($1.40) from J2 Famous Crispy Curry Puff and I love it! The crust is soft and flaky and the sardine filling is super moist and tasty. Looks like this will be my go-to curry puff fix from now on🤩!
The savory waffles with fried chicken. This is a real huge piece of fried chicken. Pair it with their bourbon maple syrup. Nice!
