Cafe Natsu @ Joo Chiat - Offers Refreshed Flavours With A Stronger Japanese Influence

Following the opening of their second outlet at Clemenceau Citadines Connect Hotel just six months from the brand's debut in the heritage district of Joo Chiat, Cafe Natsu has launched a refreshed set of offerings for their Joo Chiat outlet as well. Approximately half the menu features brand-new dishes with a stronger Japanese influence.

Fried Ebi Croquette 4.2/5

We kickstarted the meal with the Fried Ebi Croquette ($12) appetiser. The deep-fried ebi croquette has a nice crispy exterior. Biting into it reveals a moist and creamy shrimp filling on the inside.

Wagyu Hamburg 4/5

The Wagyu Hamburg ($26) with Okonomiyaki was one of our favourites. The hamburg was tender and juicy, while the pan-fried base of batter and cabbage was executed perfectly as well. The combination of western wagyu hamburg and Japanese Okonomuyaki hit all the right notes with its savoury flavours. The downside is that it might get slightly cloying with such a highly-flavoured dish.

Cold Somen 3.8/5

The Cold Somen ($14) features a bowl of al dente somen with confit egg yolk, soy dashi, myiga, capers, cucumber and shiso. Break the yolk and mix all the ingredients for a creamy finish. The dish may be a tad mild in flavour, which might be more suitable for diners who prefer a lighter main.

Mochi Fried Doughnuts 4.2/5

We ended the meal on a sweet note with the Mochi Fried Doughnuts ($12). Whilst simple, the dessert is nothing short of amazing. The mochi doughnuts were superbly fluffy and chewy on the inside. It does not have many flavours on its own, so dipping into the salted Hokkaido milk ice cream lends a nice saltish-sweet creamy flavour to the doughnuts, which elevates the whole experience.

The evolving menu goes beyond traditional brunch standards to offer versatile, comforting dishes ideal for any time of day — a testament to the Café Natsu team's progressive interpretation of a cafe experience.

Words and photos by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Cafe Natsu
283 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427537
Tel: +65 88864497
Facebook
Instagram
Website
Nearest MRT: Dakota (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 830am - 530pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Dakota MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn right and walk to bus stop at block 99 (Stop ID 81181). Take bus number 33. Alight 4 stops later. Walk to Koon Seng Road. Turn right onto Koon Seng Road. Walk to Joo Chiat Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

Bearded Bella @ Hillcrest Road - Popular Brunch Spot Second Outlet At Bukit Timah Offers New Dinner Menu

Bearded Bella opened its second outlet in Bukit Timah last year. They recently launched a new dinner menu featuring homemade doughnut burgers and some of their favourite brunch dishes.

Cheesy Black Garlic Goodness 4.2/5

The Cheesy Black Garlic Goodness ($19) features 100% Australian beef patty burger, with added cheddar and black garlic mayo on doughnut, together with lettuce, crispy onions, and bacon. The beef patty is superbly tender and juicy, while the fluffy doughnuts are sweet, balancing the burger's savoury components.

Ahjumma's Corned Beef 4/5

The Ahjumma's Corned Beef ($20) features house-cured corned beef brisket with homemade gojuchang mayo on doughnut, along with bacon, baby cos lettuce, and crispy onions. Similar to the Cheesy Black Garlic Goodness doughnut burger but with a touch of Korean flair with the addition of gojuchang mayo.

Scallop & Cold Pasta 4.5/5

One of their signature items is the Scallop & Cold Pasta ($22), which consists of tender-seared Canadian Scallops atop capellini pasta and chuka wakame marinated with truffle and yuzu ponzu. The pasta was perfectly al dente and had a nice strong truffle flavour.

Charred Asparagus 3.5/5

The Charred Asparagus ($15) features spiced yuzu pepper hollandaise, topped with pomegranate and fried capers. While the asparagus was crunchy and juicy, the yuzu pepper hollandaise was a tad too bland and watery. Unfortunately, it did not add much flavour to the asparagus.

Pain Perdu (AKA Fancy French Toast) 4/5

The Pain Perdu (AKA Fancy French Toast) ($20) was incredibly soft and fluffy, with bits of pink guava and peach fruits embedded within that lend a citrusy touch to the french toast.

Words and photos by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Bearded Bella
73 Hillcrest Rd
Singapore 288945
Tel: +65 82012312
Facebook
Instagram
Website
Nearest MRT: Tan Kah Kee (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Fri: 730am - 5pm
Sat-Sun: 730am - 6pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Tan Kah Kee MRT station. Take Exit A. Use the overhead bridge to Exit B. Walk straight to Hillcrest Road. Turn right onto Hillcrest Road. Walk down Hillcrest Road and make a left into Greenwood Avenue. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

Musette Cafe @ Thye Hong Centre - Brunch Classics With An Asian Flair And Sweets From Kōbō by Melissa

Musette, located at Thye Hong Centre, is a casual bistro that serves brunch classics with an Asian flair. Kōbō by Melissa also resides within Musette, providing diners with her signature creations of cakes and pastries using Japanese techniques.

Breakfast Sando 4.5/5

A more exciting brunch item on the menu, and is also one of Musette's signatures, is the Breakfast Sando ($19). Packing the breakfast essentials between 2 toasted fluffy white bread with evenly brown crusts, well-grilled smoked bacon, soft scrambled egg and slices of wholesome avocado bound together by oozy cheddar cheese and chipotle sauce. There were also some finely chopped pickles to lend some acidity to its richness. And what also made it such a delicious sando were the two fluffy slices of bread that come with evenly brown buttery crusts, lightly toasted with butter to enhance their toasty notes.

Shakshuka 3.5/5

Shakshuka ($18.00) is a new brunch item. While I love the bold and robust tomato sauce, which makes a good Shakshuka, it is more cohesive as a dish without the Chicken sausage by the side. It seems awkward to me.

Spicy Crab Rigatoni 3/5

Under Mains, we tried the Spicy Crab Rigatoni. This rendition will hit the right spot if you like yours with a good amount of heat. However, the saltish tobiko works better with mild flavours instead of layering such highly flavoured dish with even more savouriness.

Kale & Avocado Salad 3.5/5

Kale & Avocado Salad ($18) comes with a heap of Fried Kale which sits well even with non-greens lovers. The sweet and citrusy Honey Thyme dressing complimented the bitter greens and sharp feta cheese.

Kaya Butter Roll 5/5

Tiramisu 4/5

On your visit, you must give Kōbō cakes here a try! The Kaya Butter Roll ($8) is simply divine. Nothing was overpowering or overly sweet, which allowed the pandan flavour to come through. The pandan cake roll was light, soft and fluffy, and the aromatic kaya inside enhanced that pandan flavour, leaving a lingering pandan scent on my palette. In addition, the light French butter stick embedded within added a creamy mouthfeel to the cake, which elevated the overall experience.

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Musette x Kōbō by Melissa
Thye Hong Centre
2 Leng Kee Road
#01-06
Singapore 159086
Tel: +65 80310131
Facebook
Instagam 
Website 
Nearest MRT: Redhill (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon – Sun: 8.00am – 5.00pm
Monday: ONLY Pastry & Beverage

Direction:
1) Alight at Redhill MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn right and walk down Tiong Bahru Road. Continue onto Leng Kee Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Pang Zi Durian @ Jurong West - Neighbourhood Durian Specialty Cafe

Looking for durian treats but can't wait for the durian season to arrive? Pang Zi Durian is a neighbourhood durian speciality cafe aiming to offer a wide range of handcrafted durian desserts that contain no preservatives to satisfy your cravings. They've recently launched three new innovative durian creations.

Durian Milkshake 3.5/5

The first dessert we had was their Durian Milkshake ($6.50). It was creamy and smooth, with a thick consistency. Mix the shake thoroughly to enjoy the durian flesh on the bottom. The shake tastes more on the milky end, while the durian notes are much lighter. It can get quite heavy for some, hence would recommend sharing this with a friend.

Mao Shan Wang Spaghettieis 3.8/5

The unique Mao Shan Wang Spaghettieis ($11.90) has pasta-shaped mao shan wang gelato sitting on vanilla cream, with coconut cream and coconut flakes on top. The mao shan wang gelato was rich, while the vanilla cream gave a different dimension to the dessert. We also appreciated the crisp bits of coconut flakes. We recommend sharing this as the sweetness and creaminess can get quite heavy. It melts pretty fast, so digs into it quickly upon serving.

Durian Sticky Rice 4.2/5

Our favourite was the Durian Sticky Rice ($7.90). You have warm glutinous rice served with coconut cream and a generous portion of unadulterated durian flesh. The rice was lovely. It was soft, chewy and fragrant, everything you'd want your sticky rice to be. If you want something not too sweet, this is the one to go for among the three shared here.

Apart from these new creations, Pang Zi Durian also offers other items, like durian puffs, durian mousse, and a range of ice cream flavours such as white coconut, dark chocolate, lychee yuzu, salted caramel popcorn, ondeh ondeh and more.

If you can't pop by their space, Pang Zi Durian also does island-wide delivery at $5 for a minimum spending of $40 and free for orders $80 and above. For Jurong and Bukit Batok residents, you can enjoy free delivery at a minimum of $40.

Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣), discovering hidden food gems and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Pang Zi Durian
Block 492 Jurong West Street 41
#01-18
Singapore 640492
Tel: +65 81939559
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Lakeside (EW Line)

Opening Hours
Daily: 12pm - 10pm

Directions:
1) Alight at Lake Side MRT station. Take Exit A. Cross the road. Walk to bus stop opposite Lakeside MRT station (Stop ID 28099). Take bus number 98 and 187. Alight 4 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Working Title Riverside @ Kampong Bugis - Halal Cafe Offering Delicious Gourmet Burgers, Brunch And Coffee

Nestled beside Singapore's longest river, Working Title Riverside is surrounded by luscious greeneries, natural lighting, bicycle-friendly al fresco seating, with child and pet-friendly amenities. It was opened earlier this year at Kallang Riverside Condominium and has already garnered quite a following for its quality food and lovely ambience. The place was packed in the late afternoon, even on the weekend.

Working Big Breakfast 4.2/5

From the brunch menu, we had the Working Big Breakfast ($24) consisting of toasted sourdough, scrambled eggs, baked beans, grilled sausage, mushroom ragu, roasted tomato and tater tots. Every ingredient on the plate was executed perfectly, and we absolutely loved the well-seasoned and fluffy scrambled eggs.

Jammy Chicken Waffle 4.2/5

One of their most popular items is the Jammy Chicken Waffle ($18) which features buttermilk waffles, fried chicken, jammy sunny side-up, and maple butter with hot sauce on the side. The fried chicken was perfectly crispy on the outside and tender and juicy within. The buttermilk waffle was superbly fluffy and paired well with the maple butter.

Banana French Toast 4/5

The Banana French Toast ($18) came served with mocha granola, caramelised banana, chocolate ganache, lemon mascarpone and caramel sauce. The french toast has a slightly caramelised and toasted exterior while retaining a soft and fluffy texture within that we thoroughly enjoyed. Customers can opt to top up a scoop of gelato at an additional $3.

Truffle Tater Tots 4/5

The Truffle Tater Tots ($13) is definitely a safe choice for the less adventurous. The mini hash browns are perfectly crispy and drizzled with truffle oil and shaved parmesan.

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Working Title Riverside
Kampong Riverside Condominium
51 Kampong Bugis
#01-03
Singapore 338986
Tel: +65 87213153
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Lavender (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 8am - 6pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Lavender MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Crawford Street. Turn right onto Crawford Street and walk down Crawford Street. Cross the bridge at Kallang Riverside Park West across the canal. Turn left at Kampong Bugis. Walk down Kampong Bugis to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

You Are My Sushine @ Ngee Ann City - Hair Salon And Cafe Concept Offering Korean-Western Fusion Food

You Are My Sunshine is the latest venture by the folks behind Walking on Sunshine with a similar hair salon and cafe concept. Located on the fifth floor of Ngee Ann City, the salon-cafe is adorned with lush greenery and offers its customers premium full-service beauty salon services and a wide variety of Korean-Western fusion dishes at the cafe.

Blue Lemonade 4/5, Coconut Smoothie Coffee 4.2/5

We kickstarted our meals with a refreshing and fizzy Blue Lemonade ($7.50) and a Coconut Smoothie Coffee ($8) with a pleasant coconut fragrance.

Salmon Truffle Angel Hair Pasta 4.2/5

First, we had the Salmon Truffle Angel Hair Pasta ($30). The angel hair pasta cooked to an al dente texture has a strong truffle aroma, paired with refreshing pops of ikura. My favourite part of the dish is the grilled salmon which is perfectly cooked. The meat is soft and fork-tender, with a thin crispy skin.

Pan-seared Ribeye Steak 4/5

The Pan-seared Ribeye Steak ($33) features New Zealand Rib-eye paired with mashed potato, asparagus, beef jus, cherry tomatoes and sea salt. The steak done medium-rare is well-seasoned, each slice rendering with tender juiciness.

Kroffle with Ice Cream 4/5

End your meal on a sweet note with their Kroffle with Ice Cream ($20). The Kroffle is a hybrid between the waffle and croissant - a fluffy and flaky croissant pressed into a waffle shape. The result is a delicious crispy waffle-shaped croissant, which we paired with a scoop of strawberry cheesecake ice cream.

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


You Are My Sunshine
Ngee Ann City
391B Orchard Road
#05/05A
Singapore 238874
Tel: +65 88878805
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line), Somerset (NS Line, TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit 3. Follow the walkway through Wisma Atria to Takashimaya. Continue walking straight at Ngee Ann City until destination. Journey about 8 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Somerset MRT station. Take Exit B to Orchard Road. Head west or turn left onto Orchard Road against the flow of traffic. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Le Matin Patisserie @ Robinson Road - Expanded With Two New Outlets

Fans of Le Matin will be great that they have opened two more outlets at Paragon and Robinson Road. I visited their new outlet at Robinson Road. Now Le Matin has a bigger space and more importantly a proper dine-in space.

With the dine-in space, now we can enjoy the pastries in comfort over a cup of coffee. We tried a few of their pastries that was available during our visit.

Avo On Toast - grilled pecan financier "toast" stacked with avocado mousse and sourdough creameux finished with a shaving of brown cheese and vegemite dust.

Granola Bowl - granola tart bowl filled with a yogurt and elderflower panna cotta, topped with cloudberry jam and a green strawberry tartar.

Cashew Tart - crisp pate sucree filled with a cashew and saffron frangipane and orange blossom scented mulberries. It is topped with a touch of cashew custard, cashew nougatine and caramelised cashew nut.

Escargot - traditional croissant pastry shaped like a snail and stuffed with juicy escargots from France, and a mushroom ricotta custard. It’s then coated with a garlic crumb and doused with garlic butter, then finished with a swirl of parsley chimichurri.

Ox Tongue & Cheese Croissant Panini - classic croissant layered with beef tongue and wagyu bresaola, a mix of 4 different cheeses, as well as pickled rose petals, butternut and horseradish. It is then flattened in a grill like a panini sando.

Of the pastries I tried, I prefer the savouries over the sweets. One of my all time favourites is the Ox Tongue & Cheese Croissant Panini. Saying that, the Avo on Toast is an interesting take of the traditional avocado toast.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Le Matin Patisserie
77 Robinson Road
#01-03
Singapore 068896
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Wed-Sun: 9am - 5pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit F. Walk to Robinson Road and Maxwell Road traffic junction. Cross the road and turn left onto Robinson Road. Walk down Robinsion Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Baker X @ Orchard Central - A Platform For Budding Home-baking Entrepreneurs To Experience A Full-fledged Retail Business

Baker X is a new baking studio and cafe at Orchard Central mall by Far East Organization in Orchard Road. Baker X is unlike any other cafe. It features a line-up of home-based bakers who will take up two to six weeks of residency. It aims to support bakers who wish to explore opening their own full-fledged outlets. Besides savouring the delicious bakes by the different resident home bakers, customers can also have a cup of aromatic coffee by Foreword Coffee Roasters to go with the bakes.

Kicking off the project, the baking studio and cafe welcome White's Bakery as the first resident baker, operating from 20 December 2021 to 9 January 2022. Customers can look forward to having a taste of their signature creamy Basque Cheesecake (large slice from $10 / 6-inch 1kg whole cake from $38) and Korean Fat Macarons (any 6 for $30).

The basque cheesecakes by White's Bakery are rich in flavour yet light in sweetness. There are seven flavours - Original, Matcha, Hojicha, Earl Grey, Taro, Lotus Biscoff Cookie Butter. and Cookies & Cream. We tried a couple of them. The Hojicha is packed with intensive, and the Taro is a unique take of the traditional orh nee. However, my personal favourite is the Cookies & Cream, which is well balanced.

As for the Korean Fat Macarons, they come in a delicate crispy shell. We had the Pistachio, Taro and Cheese. My favourite is the cheese Korean fat macarons as I prefer savoury over sweet. During this festive season, the Korean fat macarons are available in special Christmas flavours, including Peppermint Mocha, Toffee Nut, and Hot Chocolate, inspired by the ever-popular festive drinks created by a famous coffee chain.

Complementing the different bakes from the various resident home bakers are coffee from Foreword Coffee Roasters. This social enterprise aims to provide an inclusive work environment for neurodiverse individuals.

The unique concept allows budding home-baking entrepreneurs a chance to run their operations at a physical outlet at no cost and to scale their production. On the other hand, Far East Organization aims to encourage the entry of new brands to the mall by providing customers with more choices, promoting greater diversity, and enhancing Singapore's retail ecosystem.


Baker X
Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
#04-29
Singapore 238896
Tel: +65 62381051
Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Somerset MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map].