Lady M® Confections is believed to be one of the pioneers of the well-beloved Mille Crepe cakes. It is also one of the favourite afternoon tea spots for both ladies and men. 

I had overseas friends who went gaga over this cake boutique. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to try the artisan cakes. Recently, I  had the opportunity to have a nice and relaxed afternoon at Lady M® Confections, Westgate, Singapore. Together with my bestie, we tried a few cakes and enjoyed the nice ambience and pastries. When you are at Lady M® Confections, it is imperative that you order a Signature Lady M® Millie Crepes, which features no less than twenty paper-thin handmade crepes layered with ethereal light pastry cream, gently caramelised on top until golden.

Sakura Berry Mille Crepe, $9.50, was made of Sakura-flavoured white chocolate ganache and dehydrated strawberries atop handmade handmade creps layered with strawberry-infused pastry cream. 

I have to say that this crepe not only delights your scent but also your sense of taste. The sweet flower taste of the cake was delicious though it was a little too sweet to my liking. The sheets of crepes were delicately placed painstakingly atop one another, one by one. (Food rating: 4/5)

Strawberry Shortcake was highly recommended at the boutique. Lady M® Confections' version was created with superfine flour imported from Japan, which produces a vanilla sponge cake unlike any other. Coupled with strawberries precisely studded among clouds of whipped cream, the cake was pure in flavour. Compared with Glacé's Strawberry Souffle, this strawberry shortcake is short of the lightness. The whipped cream was a little dense to my liking. (Food rating: 2.5/5)

Gateau Aux Marrons, a two-layered almond flour cake hugged a soft whipped cream centre. The crosshatch pipings of chestnut-infused cream, lush and true to flavour, graces the entire surface of the gateau, giving an elegant finish. Though the gateau (or a rich cake with layers of fruits or cream) had a nice chestnut fragrance, the cream was too much to my liking. (Food rating: 3/5)

Checkers Cake, a striking black and white cake, is the one of the boutique's popular cakes. It weaves together a precise and tender checkerboard of vanilla and chocolate sponge cake. The lightest fresh whipped cream comes tucked between the squares, all outfitted in a silky dark chocolate ganache.

As a dark chocolate lover, I may sound bias but this is one of the nicer cakes I have tried at the boutique. I loved the bittersweet chocolate aftertaste and the cream used was just nice. However, when compared to Othello from Glacé, this cake still have a long way to go. This cake lacked the softness of the sponge cake and cream was extremely light. Let me know what you think. (Food rating: 4/5)

Address: 3 Gateway Drive, #02-25/26 Westgate, Singapore 608532

Price: $

Rating: 3.5/5

Stuffness Level (how full you are): 5/5

Ambience: Nice place to have afternoon tea with girlfriends.

One of the problems with Stingray is that it emits a urine stench if it is not fresh. That is why the fish is often marinated with tamarind before it is cooked. The tamarind, which is acidic, reacts with ammonia and neuralises it, thus removing the urine stench. The sambal chilli masks any residual traces of ammonia or urea in the fish. 

Despite all these, the sambal chilli mix by Star Yong Kwang BBQ Seafood was marvelous. It has many textures that make the meal enjoyable. The sambal chilli is like an onion that has many layers of taste - spicy at first, then a little tangy, and then sweet. The fish was moist and beautiful grilled to perfection. It requires years of experience to grill something like that. 

I will definitely return for more. (Food rating: 4.5/5)

Sambal Kang Kong with shrimps was another mind-blowing dish. The vegetables were beautiful and crunchy. The paste was superbly delicious. The portion was also generous. (Food rating: 4.5/5)

Fu Yong Omelette is an omelette dish popular with Chinese Indonesian, British and Chinese American cuisines. In this Fu Yong omelette, it consists of crab sticks and shredded onions. The shredded onions were sweet, making the egg dish so enjoyable. The fluffy egg dish was beautiful and fried in golden brown colour. (Food rating: 4/5)

Opens as early as 7am in the morning, Ng Ah Sio Pork Rib Soup Eating House (黄亚细肉骨茶) is one of the renowned authentic Singaporean culinary brands, alongside Founder's Bak Kut Teh, Old Hill Street Bak Kut Teh, and Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh.

I brought a friend from overseas for early breakfast. At 8am, there were already a lot of people having their breakfast especially the locals.

Mee Sua (面线) $3.50
I ordered myself a bowl of mee sua or rice vermicelli with rich peppery pork rib broth and green vegetables. I loved the texture of the noodles and they were not sloggy. With the soup, the noodles tasted heavenly. (Food rating: 4/5)

Premium Bak Kut Teh (上等肉骨茶) $10.50
The ribs were fleshly and tender. The meat was easily peeled out and we did not need to pull or anything. (Food rating: 4/5)

Braised Large Intestines (卤大肠) $7.50
When eating innards, it is extremely important that they are washed thoroughly. The braised large intestines were thoroughly cleaned and very chewy. Cooked in the rich broth, the intestines had a nice around. (Food rating: 4/5)

Braised Pig Trotter (卤猪脚) $10.00
The braised pig trotters were extremely tender. The meat was also thoroughly cooked in the rich broth. (Food rating: 4/5)

Preserved Vegetables (菜尾) $3.50

Braised Peanuts (卤水花生) $2.80

Braised Tau Kua Pok (豆干) $2.80



Address: 208 Rangoon Road, Hong Building, Singapore 218453

Rating: 4/5

Price: $

Stuffness Level (How full you are): 5/5

Ambience: A simple restaurant serving old school Bak Kut Teh (Herbal Pork Rib Soup)

For two consecutive years (2016-17), Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles won a Michelin Start in Singapore. Although I am very happy about it, I am also sad because I have longer queuing time before I can eat my favourite bowl of noodles.

Loving it since it was situated at the old Marina Square Food Centre, Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles have never-ending queue lines even now. 

Deemed as one of the cheapest Michelin-starred food in Singapore, Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle's consistency in quality remains despite the longer queue lines since it received this respective accolade.

We usually order the flat egg noodles because the noodles absorb the sauce better. The springy texture makes the noodles more enjoyable. The spicy vinaigrette sauce was tangy and addictive. Before you know it, your bowl is already empty and you will be begging for me.


 
Beside the noodles, we also order the dumpling soup. Both noodles and dumplings were added with a secret recipe - the aromatic fried Sole Fish (鯿魚).

The same old owner who prepares the food since the Marina Square Food Centre days.

Address: Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles 大华猪肉粿条面, 466 Crawford Lane, Tai Hwa Eating House #01-12 Singapore 190465 (Lavender MRT)

(Behind Immigration and Checkpoint Authority Building)

Opening Hours: 9:30am – 9:00pm (Closed on 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month)
Price: $
Rating: 5/5
Stuffness Level (How full you are): 4.8/5

Grilled fish using the traditional method such as charcoal is very rare nowadays. Charcoal grill may cause environmental concerns due to the barbeque.

One of the grilled fish joints in Beijing, Riverside Grilled Fish (江边城外), was very popular amongst the locals. As early as noon, the restaurant was already full and people had to wait at least 30 minutes before their turn.

This restaurant had an overseas joint in Singapore in 2016. Compared to the Beijing outlet, the Singapore outlet was less popular, and the taste was less delicious. I definitely will go back to the Beijing outlet without hesitation.

There are various different cooking styles or sauces you can choose from. We chose their Signature Fragrant Spicy Sauce. (香辣烤全鱼)

豆沙小饼 Bean Paste Pastry was delicious. Every layer of the pastry was distinct and vivid. The pastry was crispy and fragrant. The paste was just nice, not too sweet. Came with three pieces of pastry, the fragrance was alluding and the taste was absolutely good. (Food rating: 4/5)

炸香蕉 Fried "Bananas" 

These are not made of real bananas but some custard deep fried in a crust. There was barely any banana taste. Definitely, not a Goreng Pisang. (Food rating: 3/5)

蛋煎糍粑 Pan-fried Rice Cake with Soya Powder is one of the more popular snacks. The chewy rice cakes were pan-fried with a layer of crispy egg. Fine sweet Soya Powder was then sprinkled onto the rice cakes. The rice cakes were extremely chewy and enjoyable. (Food rating: 4/5)

Whilst I was visiting Wangfujing, Beijing's fifth avenue, we had lunch at Pizza Marzano, apm shopping centre. It was late morning and shops just started operating. There were many food places to choose from. However, we chose Pizza Marzano (玛尚诺). 

Chicken Wings (香烤鸡翅) were delicious and tender. The dish also came with baked baby potatoes which were fabulous. Unforgettable! (Food rating: 4/5)


Baked Mushrooms consist of Portobello mushrooms topped with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. The mushrooms were extremely juicy. Unforgettable. (Food rating: 4.5/5)

The American (美国辣肉肠披萨) and La Reine (人气皇太后披萨). The American consists of Pepperoni, Mozzarella and tomatoes, whereas the La Reine consists of Chicken Ham, Olives and Mushrooms. I loved both varieties as they are both unique and tasted great. The pizza dough was thin and crispy and were not too filling. (Food rating: 4/5)

Tiramisu (提拉米苏) was delicious.