Pizz Please ~

Those whom have been walking around the Orchard neighbourhood recently might have noticed a new stall named Mangoo 大芒人 that had taken over the former premises of the stall selling 100% Punched Lemon Tea in the Food Republic food court in Shaw House recently. Located at a very prominent spot at the entrance of the food court right beside the entrance to Isetan, Mangoo might be a new player to the F&B scene here but it is a brand that seems to have started its operations in Malaysia with multiple outlets there at this current juncture. Whilst their menu in Malaysia offers a wider variety of food, the Singaporean outpost of the brand focuses only on their Mangoo Signature Series of beverages and Soft Serve offerings — one of the items from the Mangoo Signature Series that was recommended by the staff behind the counter would be the Mangoo Yogurt / Fresh Milk with Mango Pearl.

We are typically more interested in soft-serves more than beverages at such stalls — therefore, it was needless to say that we found ourselves going for the items listed under the Soft Serve section of the menu. It was a pity that the Bowl line-up wasn’t available during our visit to Mangoo; we had found ourselves going for the Mangoo Yogurt Soft Serve to be served in a cone — the Mangoo Yogurt Soft Serve being one out of two soft serve flavours offered at Mangoo with the other being the Vanilla soft serve. The Mangoo Yogurt Soft Serve does come with a slightly more yellow hue as compared to the Vanilla Soft Serve. Priced at $1.50, the Mangoo Yogurt Soft Serve isn’t one that is particularly life-changing but it does definitely deliver what it promises in the namesake; there is a prominent tang coming from the yogurt base of the soft-serve whilst it gets further enhanced by the zippiness and slight sweetness of the mango — the soft serve also does come with a texture that was not overly rich but also not icy which did not feel particularly “cheap” as well. The cone also did carry a good crunch without feeling particularly limp or aired out for too long despite us visiting Mangoo during the evening on a weekday.

Was going around Alexandra Central and got to notice a rather unfamiliar shop unit that is located right across the escalator landing at Level 3 of the mall. Situated beside another shop named Velvete there, this particular shop unit does bear a signage mentioning “Rogue Passage” above the entrance — turns out, this is also where one can find Yukkuri Kohi. Yukkuri Kohi is the latest F&B establishment to have moved into Alexandra Central — currently in its soft launch phase, the space does seem
a tad empty but it does seem that it is largely inspired from the Japanese Kissaten (i.e. old-school coffee shop) especially given how audio is being played through a vinyl player despite the modern furnishings used. We also do note quite a number of board games being stashed on the shelves — perhaps something in which they might integrate with their cafe experience once they go into full launch, especially given how their tables do seem to have been arranged in clusters to accommodate larger groups / communal seating. We were told that Yukkuri Kohi focuses on their pour over coffees though they also do offer espresso-based specialty coffee for those whom prefer it. Tea and Milo Latte are offered as the only non-coffee available at Yukkuri Kohi.

The folks at Yukkuri Kohi have mentioned to us that all of the coffee beans that they have sourced for their specialty coffee are roasted in Japan and air-flown into Singapore. Offering four (4) different types of beans during the day of our visit, we went for the Chorongi which is a single-origin roast featuring beans from Kenya. It is described to come with tasting notes such as cassis, dried tomato, bergamot, plum and violet. One can get to watch the barista brewing the pour over whilst seated at certain seats within the cafe despite the lack of high chairs at the counter — a pretty therapeutic process for us at the very least. Thought that the cuppa did come with very evident fruity notes with a medium body — one that carried a slightly more complex flavour profile which also came with a clean finish that rounds off everything nicely.

Was scrolling around social media and got to learn about the opening of a new Muslim-run bakery named Flour Artisanal that is situated at Space@Kovan. These folks can be found at the corner-most unit along the facade of the building that faces Yio Chu Kang Road; they had taken over the former premises of the unit that had once housed the now-defunct Little Ceylon (now known as The Ceylonese Affair at Mei Ling Food Centre) in the building — it is interesting to note that there are quite a number of bakeries operating within the building itself, with notable ones being the likes of LA VIE and Three Nuts Baker. Flour Artisanal can be described as a boulangerie; the selection of breads on the day of our visit includes French Viennoiseries, Shio Pans, Bagels and even Sourdough loaves. Primarily catered for takeaways, Flour Artisanal does have a high table set up against the wall that can accommodate three (3) pax should patrons decide to dine-in.

The Garlic Potatoes French Bread was one of the breads that had caught our attention whilst skimming through the selection of breads that they have to offer — the Garlic Potatoes French Bread looked pretty rustic with an aesthetic that looked similar to a baguette that is topped with a bit of cheese, baby potato slices and garlic. Giving the Garlic Potatoes French Bread a bite, we did like the consistency of the bread where the bread gives a sufficiently firm bite without being difficult to chew — there is definitely a good tension coming from the bread as one chews it off, whilst the bread itself also carries a good fragrance from the flour used for the making of the bread as well. Topped off with slices of baby potatoes in the top, the baby potatoes did come with a soft texture which was easy to bite that went along with the bread quite well, while the sprinkle of herbs also added another dimension of flavours and aroma to the garlicky notes that gels both the bread and the potatoes together. The slight sprinkle of cheese here does seem to be a careful move to provide an extra hint of savouriness to the garlicky flavours; all that without trying to overpower everything else that is going on in here.

It does seem that Blk 216 Bedok Food Centre and Market have a couple of interesting food stalls moving into its premises every now and then — the hawker centre is known for stalls such as Generation Coffee, What The Puff!, and Prawn & Mee which are pretty much regarded as stalls that are run by a new-generation of hawkerpreneurs in the local F&B scene. It has most recently seen yet another new hawkerpreneur move into its grounds — enter Omma Chicken Soup; these folks take up the corner-most stall unit situated within Blk 216 Bedok Food Centre that faces the Food Loft coffeeshop at Blk 217 Bedok North Street 1. Its unique stall signage is one that differentiates itself from the older stalls within the same food centre; one would also note how it claims that the stall serves up Pure Chicken Soup slow-simmered for eight (8) hours, and without the use of MSG, pork and lard. Specialising in chicken soup, the menu at Omma Chicken Soup is split into sections dedicated to Signature Omma Chicken Soup, Noodles and Porridge. There is also a small list of side dishes that one can opt for at Omma Chicken Soup as well.

Omma Chicken Soup serves up three different variants of their soups across all menu categories; the Ginseng, Collagen and Spicy Collagen. We went for the Spicy Collagen Omma from the Signature Omma Chicken Soup section of the menu, and have opted to add Mee Sua as the choice of carbs to the spicy collagen soup — whilst Omma Chicken Soup does not describe the ingredients that goes into the making of their dishes, it can be observed that elements such as chicken, sesame oil, Chinese Red Dates, Lotus Seeds and wolfberries are added to the soup. Each serving of soup also comes with kimchi, pepper and soy sauce on the side. Going straight for the spicy collagen soup itself, we note that the soup comes only with a very faint hint of spiciness — something that those whom have low tolerance to spiciness should be able to handle; this is perhaps intentionally made so to allow one to be able to experience their chicken soup. Whilst not as rich as Tori Paitan broth that one would come across from a Japanese dining establishment, we did like how the chicken soup wasn’t particularly overwhelming; light and somewhat nourishing with a hint of sesame oil fragrance that lingers at the back of the tongue. The chicken meat does come juicy and tender; falls off the bone very easily and was very easy to eat, while we liked how the inclusion of wolfberries added a hint of sweetness to the dish when it is being chewed upon.

Top Quali Tea was one of those establishments that we had previously visited when they had first made their appearance in the local F&B scene here — these folks have recently expanded their operations, adding on another outlet that is situated within Kallang Leisure Park apart from their first outlet that is at Oxley Tower in the Central Business District. Top Quali Tea takes over the former premises of the now-defunct outlet of Presotea; Top Quali Tea has kept some of the furnishings and fittings of the former tenant intact. Still keeping pretty much to their niche (being a tea wholesaler that is operating “under the supervision of a certified Japanese tea instructor”) by offering Matcha and Hojicha beverages as a highlight, they do serve up a larger selection of said beverages with some interesting options such as the flexibility of adding different flavoured foams to the beverage that keep things fun and fresh for the patrons. Apart from their beverage offerings, Top Quali Tea also serves up a variety of dessert such as Matcha / Hojicha Jelly and Ice Cream to complement their beverage offerings as well.

The Premium Matcha Jelly does come with elements such as Dango (i.e. Japanese Sweet Dumplings) and Azuki Red Bean paste — for those whom prefer Hojicha, Top Quali Tea also does serve up a Premium Hojicha Jelly featuring the same elements except with the matcha jelly being swapped out with the hojicha jelly; there are also beverages like the Matcha / Hojicha Latte with Jelly, Hojichacano / Matchacano with Jelly, White Cloud Matcha with Jelly and the Matcha / Hojicha Sparkling with Jelly that features the same jelly as what is served with the Premium Matcha / Hojicha Jelly. One thing we liked about the Premium Matcha Jelly is how it is being served unsweetened; this allows the patrons to have a clean taste of the notes of the matcha used in the making of the matcha jelly in its truest, unadulterated form. The flavours of the matcha jelly is subtle; not thing too heavy on the tastebuds, yet one can detect the bitter undertones of the Japanese tea linger at the back of the tongue. We personally would have preferred the Dango to have come with a little bit of Kuromitsu (i.e. Japanese Black Sugar syrup) that would add a slight contrast of sweetness to the neutral-tasting dumplings — these were however pretty chewy; a consistency that we liked them to be. The scoop of Azuki Red Bean paste that came on the side also seemed to be focused on the earthiness of red beans rather than to add any sweetness to the dessert and gave it another dimension of flavours.

Had been passing by Henly Huat Drinks Food Court for quite a while whenever we are around the Outram Park neighbourhood — this will be the coffeeshop located at 120 Neil Road that is at the cross junction between Keong Saik Road, Neil Road and Craig Road that is just diagonally opposite from Shake Shack’s location there. It does seem that the coffeeshop has seen a recent change of tenants in some of the stalls operating there — located deep within the coffeeshop right beside the outlet of Chai Chee Minced Meat Noodle there is 角头GataoSG. An establishment that serves up Taiwanese cuisine, 角头 GataoSG was a brand that had first started out in Johor Bahru, Malaysia at Austin Heights — they had since ceased operations there. Being a dining establishment situated within a coffeeshop, the offerings at 角头GataoSG is less varied than what it used to serve up in Malaysia; the menu at their Neil Road location consists of their signature fried chicken cutlets, bento sets and side dishes — their braised pork rice dish being pretty affordably priced at $3.90.

Priced at $9.50, the impression of the Crispy Chicken Popcorn Bento with Braised Meat on first sight is how generously-sized the bento is — the plate definitely comes with a bit of heft considering the generous load of rice, braised meat, chicken popcorn, pickled cucumbers, preserved vegetables, lava eggs, and Taiwanese sausage that came along with it. All of the elements served up with the dish were pretty well-executed; our favourite was undeniably the chicken popcorn which are chunks of fried chicken that came with a crisp, golden brown batter on the outside, while the meat within comes juicy and tender. Seasoned with paprika, it does come with a slight kick of spiciness that should be manageable for those whom are tolerable to lighter levels of spiciness. The braised meat itself came with ample braising liquid to flavour up the portion of rice beneath it; the minced pork carrying a savoury note while the consistency of the meat was on the leaner side to provide a good bite — does not come with any undesirable porky stench considering how it has absorbed the flavours of the braising liquid. Other elements like the pickled cucumbers and preserved vegetables adds an element of tang or crunch that resets the tastebuds from all the meat and carbs; the Taiwanese sausage was a little bit on the drier side but props should be given to them on how there is an attempt to style it to make it looks slightly more unique; the lava egg comes with soft whites and a runny egg yolk that is all jammy which is a crowd pleaser on its own.

Had been hearing quite a fair bit about Famiglia Panizza via social media recently; these folks were previously a online-based business that had its operations based within a hole-in-the-wall space within Promenade @ Pelikat previously — they had recently opened a stall in the Kopitiam food court situated at the second level of Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 3 which allows patrons to have a place to walk-in and enjoy their offerings. They had taken over the former premises of a stall named Vero Gusto Pizzeria that had since moved to another location in Balestier; the stall was also occupied by DanLao 蛋佬 previously when the Kopitiam food court had first opened its doors after its rebranding and renovation from being a NTUC Foodfare food court. Famiglia Panizza offers patrons its lineup of pizzas and paninis at its Marina Bay Financial Centre location; all of which available in varying sizes. Patrons also do get to opt for a salad or soup to make their pizza or panini orders into a meal as well.

Noting that the Panini uses the very same dough that they use for their Pizza offerings, we went for the Salamy Panini (Quarter) during our visit made to Famiglia Panizza at Marina Bay Financial Centre. There is a lack of description of the elements that goes into each of their menu items here, though the Salamy Panini is described on its online menu to consist of elements such as salami, pork ham, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and rocket. Giving the panini a bite, the standout for us here would be how the bread here does carry a light, airy crunch that was pretty toasty — the bread not being particularly dense and this makes the Panini pretty much easy and very much a joy to have. The mix of salami and pork ham provides a contrast of meatiness and savouriness; the former providing an extra hint of spiciness that tickles the tastebuds and should be manageable for those whom are tolerable to lower levels of spiciness. Coming with tomatoes that is of a substantial size, the tomato compliments the tomato-based sauce that provides a zesty and tangy note; the tomato giving a firm, juicy and fleshy bite for a good texture, while the soft mozzarella gave another dimension of savouriness that was pretty light tasting — all that whilst the rocket provides a balance with the other elements with its slightly bitter notes that resets the tastebuds.

The Marine Parade / East Coast Road / Tanjong Katong neighbourhood has definitely seen quite a fair bit of activity when it comes to the opening of new F&B establishments of the late; a new addition right beside the outlet of Plain Vanilla along East Coast Road would be that of an establishment named Sta Western. Some might find the name of the establishment rather familiar; these folks are actually related to the Star Western stall that is located in the The Coffee Shop By Yaowarat Thai Kway Chap situated near Kovan MRT Station — this is the first time that these folks are independently operating its space by itself. Just like Star Western at Kovan, Sta Western focuses its offerings on local-style Western food; the items on the menu at Sta Western features western plates that features different types of meats (think chicken, fish, beef and lamb) that mostly comes with hotdog, baked beans, garlic bread, sunny side-up, fries and coleslaw — Sta Western also serves up a small variety of side dishes as well.

The Chicken Chop at Sta Western does come in a few variants; being paired with rice or fries, while the sauce options accompanying the chicken chop includes that of Mushroom Sauce, Black Pepper Sauce and Hainanese Sauce. For our order of the Chicken Chop, we went with the version that came with fries and mushroom sauce; it also came accompanied with hotdog, baked beans, garlic bread, sunny side-up and coleslaw as mentioned earlier. Going for the chicken chop itself, the chicken chop does come juicy and tender; the mushroom sauce does add an element of savouriness typical of the brown sauces that comes with the same that is being served up at other similar stalls, though the version here does come a little richer and punchier than most — also accompanied with bite of mushroom for a bouncy and earthy bite. The choice of fries that Sta Western has went for to accompany their various dishes would be shoestring fries; these are seasoned with Cajun spices for a slightly spicy kick that tickles the tastebuds for those whom are tolerable to lower levels of spiciness. There is nothing much to mention about the hotdog and baked beans, though the garlic bread does come toasty, garlicky and crisp — best to be enjoyed immediately to experience it at its best consistency, while the sunny side-up was free from any unpleasant odour of overused oil and came with a runny egg yolk. The coleslaw comes suitably creamy with greens that had been chopped to small bits; refreshes the tastebuds from the carbs, meat and starches that came along with the dish.

Uncle Lim’s Diner might be a name that could be quite familiar to some especially for those whom have been following on the happenings of the local F&B scene for quite a while; these folks had first made their existence in the local F&B scene some time in 2025 — their original location is within the Meet@55 coffeeshop at Blk 55 Lengkok Bahru. They have since made their shift to another coffeeshop stall — this time at 227 River Valley Road. Uncle Lim’s Diner takes up the first stall that one would chance upon immediately when stepping into the coffeeshop; one can look out for the red signages as well as the featured articles from local media outlets about the stall that takes a place in the signages of the stall as well. Being a coffeeshop stall serving up western fare, Uncle Lim’s Diner’s menu revolves around the offerings of Starters, Salad, Fish & Chips, Burger, Salmon, Chicken Cutlets / Chops and Sides.

We found ourselves gravitating towards their Chicken Chop with Pasta offering which is being listed in the Chicken Chops section of the menu. It is worth noting that Uncle Lim’s Diner provides patrons with the choice of Aglio Olio Pasta or Tomato Pasta to come with the dish — we went for the former for our order. The menu also describes the Chicken Chop with Pasta to come with elements such as marinated chicken chop, home-made coleslaw and chicken jus. Going for the marinated chicken chop, we like how it does come brined and seemingly marinated with cayenne pepper that gave an extra tinge of spiciness amidst the savouriness — the spiciness being at a pretty comfortable level that tickles the tastebuds for those whom are tolerable to lower levels of spiciness. The inclusion of chicken jus does help to enhance the savoury notes of the dish even further. Whilst we typically do not expect much from the Aglio Olio Pasta at such stalls usually, it does seem that Uncle Lim’s Diner does place quite a big emphasis here considering how different their Aglio Olio Pasta is. Whilst coming with a richer and creamier consistency than the usual Aglio Olio Pasta served elsewhere, we loved how garlicky this was without feeling particularly greasy — all that whilst coming with a peppery kick that should be manageable for those whom are tolerable to lower than moderate levels of spiciness.

Locals in Singapore should be fairly familiar with the Han’s Cafe & Cake House / Hanis Cafe & Bakery brands — these folks can be considered as a heritage brand in the local F&B scene with the founders planting the seeds for the brand in the late 1970s before the opening of the first Han’s Cafe at The Arcade in 1980. Hanis Cafe & Bakery is the halal arm of the Han’s Cafe & Cake House brand, which has made its first appearance in the local F&B scene in 2006. A brand that is recognisable and even one that many Singaporeans had grown up with, it does seem that these folks had decided to provide patrons with a fresh dining experience from what Han’s Cafe & Cake House / Hanis Cafe & Bakery provides. Enter Cookboys; a new concept by these folks that is situated in the basement of i12 Katong — they had taken over the former premises of the now-defunct outlet of Typhoon Cafe there. As opposed to Han’s Cafe & Cake House / Hanis Cafe & Bakery, Cookboys is a full-service dining establishment focusing on British-Hainanese cuisine that brings a sense of nostalgia back to Singapore colonial past — the menu is split into sections dedicated to All-Day Breakfast, Toast & Sandwiches, Western Mains, Hainanese Classics, Wok Delights, Spaghetti, Baked Pasta, Soups, Sides, and Savoury Pies & Salads. It is worth noting that some items off Cookboys menu does seem rather familiar to what is being offered at Han’s Cafe & Cake House / Hanis Cafe & Bakery, while Cookboys also offers a variety of cakes and pies that are often seen around Han’s Cafe & Cake House / Hanis Cafe & Bakery locations as well.

One of the dishes that we do not recall seeing being served up at Han’s Cafe & Cake House / Hanis Cafe & Bakery but is being offered at Cookboys would be the Mussels in White Wine and Garlic Butter. The menu describes the dish to come with Chilean mussels cooked in a white wine and garlic butter-infused broth; it also does come with two (2) slices of sourdough bread on the side as well; the dish is being listed under the Western Mains section of the menu. We were not expecting much out of this dish initially considering the price point and the type of establishment that Cookboys is — with that being said, Cookboys did leave us pretty impressed with the Mussels in White Wine and Garlic Butter. Going for the mussels itself, we did find that the mussels served up at Cookboys were pretty fresh; the flesh being plump and bouncy whilst still coming with quite a fair bit of moisture locked within. The mussels were also cleaned well with no gritty / sandy bits; no doubt that there were a few mussels with shells remained tightly shut that came with the dish, but there was no unpleasant odour or fishiness that came with it. The White Wine and Garlic Butter broth does come zippy, briny, and zingy with a slight garlicky note and savouriness from the garlic butter; all that with bits of chili padi and red onions for an element of crunch and a slight tinge of spiciness that tickles the tastebuds for those whom are tolerable to lighter levels of spiciness. Wasn’t a fan of the sourdough that came along with it though; the sourdough toast felt a little dry and limp compared to the same that are served at artisanal bakeries which we are more exposed to at specialty cafes around.

Il Piccolo Pizzeria had been one of those places that we had actually been to a decade ago — an establishment that is well-known around the Toa Payoh neighbourhood, Il Piccolo Pizzeria was actually once featured on Our Makan Places: Lost and Found Season 5 previously on MediaCorp’s Channel 5 in 2014. Having been located in the coffeeshop at Blk 78C Toa Payoh Central for quite a long period of time, the stall had recently made its move to the Chang Cheng Mee Wah coffeeshop at Blk 126 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh due to the change of coffeeshop operator at its previous location. Whilst the Il Piccolo branding was founded by a Romanian chef named Peter Bontoi some number of decades ago whom is also affiliated with quite a number of F&B establishments in his heydays before he left Singapore, the Il Piccolo Pizzeria stall is run by a Chinese-born chef named Zhou Zong Qing since then whom was an assistant to Peter Bontoi back then. The menu at Il Piccolo Pizzeria’s location at Blk 126 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh is similar to that of its time at Blk 78C Toa Payoh Central; it features categories such as Pizza, Pasta, Dessert and Baked Rice.

It is noted that Il Piccolo Pizzeria does not describe the elements that are included in the various dishes that they serve up; that being said, it can be observed that the Baked Salmon & Mushroom Rice does come with the same elements such as salmon and mushroom that is mentioned in the namesake of the dish — it is also an item that is being listed in the Baked Rice section of the menu as well. One thing we liked about the Baked Salmon & Mushroom Rice at Il Piccolo Pizzeria is how it came with the correct dining ware that one would expect at a more formal dining establishment despite how they are just an establishment within a coffeeshop. We also liked how it came with a layer of melted cheese that was sufficient to cover the mound of rice beneath. The melted cheese comes all soft, gooey and stretchy — great for those wanting to capture the cheese pull shots; all that whilst adding a light savouriness to the rice beneath that seems to be infused with butter for a subtle hint of fragrance that wasn’t too overwhelmingly savoury with the cheese. The addition of salmon provides a bit of a contrast to the cheese and rice; all that without being too heavy with the salmon carrying a distinct note signature to the fish itself, while the mushroom adds a bouncy bite with an earthiness to further add on another dimension of flavours to the dish itself.

Got to learn about the existence of the new Cold Cut Trio Sandwich Shop at Odeon Katong — this would be the same building that houses other notable F&B establishments such as that of Beastly Girls Sandwich Bar and Wan Mei Dessert 碗美. Cold Cut Trio Sandwich Shop takes over the former premises of the now-defunct Pebbles Kitchen — they do offer both an indoor seating space as well as an outdoor seating space along the corridors around the perimeters of the building for patrons to dine-in at. Being a sandwich shop, Cold Cut Trio Sandwich Shop serves up a menu that places an emphasis on their sandwich offerings — with that being said, other categories in the menu includes that or Sides, Sauces, Cuppa Sauce and Desserts. For beverages, Cold Cut Trio Sandwich Shop serves up specialty coffee, drinking chocolate, tea and Kombucha.

Considering how the Cold Cut Trio is a sandwich that bears the namesake of the shop, we thought that it would be good to go for the said item during our visit. The Cold Cut Trio is an item listed on the Sandwich section of the menu and is described to come with elements such as seasonal cold cuts, Brie, hot honey and arugula — the seasonal cold cuts available for the day was indicated as Mortadella, Culatello and Spicy Salami, while the type of bread that is observed to come with the sandwich was that of Focaccia. There is also an option to add fries as a side to the sandwich — this would be a smaller portion of the Thundercrunch Fries (coming with Yuzu Kosho Mayo) that is listed under the Sides section of the menu. Whilst most sandwiches that we have scone across of the late tend to be on the heavier side, the Cold Cut Trio does seem to be kept on the lighter side when it comes to portion size — it is big in flavour however especially considering how it features a mix of three different types of cold cuts which gave a dimension of savouriness from one another. The inclusion of Brie does give a hint of saltishness and a creamy texture that gels the cold cuts with the arugula and the focaccia, while the hot honey adds a hint of sweetness for some variance of flavours — not particularly spicy here. Arugula gives the sandwich a balance between the carbs and the cold cuts, while the focaccia here does come chewy but light — makes the sandwich one that was pretty easy and delightful to have.