OZ Specialty Coffee (Now Known As "Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters" - 185 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574333)

Visited on 12 Oct 2014 (Sun) - The last day of OZ operating at Thomson V Two! This is a very small cafe that has only 5 seats for indoor and a few tables for outdoor. Due to their great coffee and food, they have more & more customers that this cafe can no longer take,.which is why they need to move to a much bigger place at 185 Upper Thomson Rd. (Just around 6 mins away from Thomson V Two) 

Note: The photos below are from their old location and the menu was totally different at their new store.

Interior with 5 wall-facing seats

Their outdoor seating with few tables

Their speciality is coffee and they used Pacamara Coffee Roaster beans that you must try.

Flat White (Large -$5.50)

Wow their coffee was mellow and aromatic that will definitely wake you up!

Mocha Waffles ($10.90)

Belgium Mocha Waffles paired with premium vanilla ice-cream & mini jug of espresso drizzled in African red chocolate sauce, cocoa powder, & toasted almond slices. The Belgium waffle was aromatic & buttery with a mini jug of espresso for you to pour onto the waffles to enhance the taste - Very innovative! Sad to know that they have removed the waffles from their menu at their new store.. :(

Salmon Platter ($18)

There were a total of 6 slices of smoked salmon + multi grained toast + buttered scrambled eggs + Tri-floral honey in a jar + salad. The smoked salmon was very nice with generous serving of well cooked scrambled egg! The whole platter was satisfactory.

This is their new place at 185 Upper Thomson Road

Afternoon Tea at The Lobby Lounge (Singapore Marriott Hotel - 320 Orchard Road Singapore 238865) Reservation: 6831 4605

Visited on 11 Oct 2014 (Sat). Traditional English High Tea Set at only $28++ per person! (Updated New Price: $30++ per person)

The food items are continuously replenished for your full enjoyment + coffee & tea selection are unlimited as well - You can switch from coffee to tea or vice versa whenever you like + High tea for 3 hours long! 

Sounds so great isn't it? If you're looking for hotel ambience and just want a cheaper decent high tea, this is the place for you! I think this is probably the "cheapest refillable high tea set" among Singapore hotels!

Available daily at The Lobby Lounge from 2-5pm! (Served by the staff from Java+)

Located in the lobby of the hotel and adjacent to Marriott Cafe, the lobby lounge boasts an open layout with natural lighting, textured stone floors, and wooden panels. By night, it transforms into an ideal spot to unwind over red wine and martinis with the melodies by the pianist.

I love their maroon colour carpet, makes the whole lobby lounge more attractive despite the simple settings of the hotel.. This will be the venue for afternoon tea!

You can have the afternoon tea at this hidden area too if you prefer more privacy..

Java+ is a premium retail deli outlet that offers a selection of premium cheese and charcuterie, pickles and dips, alongside delectable homemade cakes, freshly-baked breads, sandwiches, salads and quiches. You can order additional cakes from here if you're still not full. Prices are on the tag.

Between 7.30pm – 9.00pm daily - Two Premium Dessert Jars at only $15 Nett!

Tea selection from Lupicia

A premium Japanese Tea brand. Most hotels served TWG or Gryphon Tea so i'm delighted to try another brand of tea selection at Marriott! :)

Coffee selection from Italian Coffee - illy!

A Pot of Strawberry & Vanilla Tea + Caffe Latte

Strawberry & Vanilla Tea is a Japanese green tea lightly scented with strawberry & vanilla, then blended with matcha. This tea was light and elegant with 1 sugar cube added.. I enjoyed the strawberry with vanilla scent, very aromatic! Must-Order! My partner enjoyed the thick caffe latte from illy as well!

And Here Comes the 3-Tier Afternoon Tea Set

Note: Food items are subject to change so you might not get the same items as mine...

Bottom tray: Assortment of finger sandwiches, mushroom pie, quiche & sausage pie..

Middle tray: Macarons, cakes and some tarts...

Top tray: Raisin Scones and Madeleines

I like their scones as it was served warm, crisp and with light buttery taste!

Their madeleines has a very very crispy exterior with soft buttery cake inside - surprisingly very good!

The clotted cream provided was very fresh and nice - Dip more clotted cream onto the scones!

Prior to my visit to this place, i was expecting low quality food and beverages. But to my surprise, the quality of both food & beverages were not that bad for this very affordable price of $28++ per person with refillable food & beverages. 

We were mostly served by this guy "Benedict". I must say he's the only staff that has done a very good job! He will approach every table to check if we need to replenish any food once he noticed we have finished the food at 1 of the tier. Most of the time, he's the only staff to handle all the tables and he still put on a very warm smile to serve every table. This made us had a very delightful afternoon tea time! Kudos to Benedict!

*Recommended*

Website: http://www.singaporemarriott.com/restaurant/java/

Tim Ho Wan (添好運) @Aperia Lavender (12 Kallang Avenue #01-01/02/03 - Aperia, Singapore 339511) Walk-In Only

Visited on 4 Oct 2014 (Sat). 1 Michelin-Starred Hong Kong Dim Sum - Tim Ho Wan opens their 5th outlet at the new shopping mall, Aperia Lavender in Singapore! The queue here was shorter compared to other outlets! But i don't really like this outlet as the whole place was very cramped.. 

Baked Bun with BBQ Pork ($4.50++)

This was the BEST and the most popular dim sum that everyone will order at Tim Ho Wan! This is also the reason why the queue is always so long.... Really love the slight crispy exterior but soft inside that kind of feeling, with delicious char siew...This was baked to perfection! Eat it immediately after served for the best taste. Yummy!

Pork Dumpling with Shrimp ($5.00++)

So far this is the nicest Siew Mai that beat most places in Singapore! Simply love the tender juicy meat that was melted in my mouth! Must-Order!!!

Spring Roll with Egg White ($4.20++)

This spring roll surprisingly caught my attention! The overall combination was very tasty, i enjoyed the egg white filling inside the spring roll very much!

Steamed Egg Cake ($3.80++)

The steamed egg cake aka "Malay Cake". It was soft, light and fluffly with slightly sweet taste and some gula melaka fragrance.. Yummy!

Only at Aperia Lavender - Fried Sweet Potato Flour with Apple and Diced Chicken ($5.00++) 

These egg-shaped towers were very adorable! The crispy exterior is made of sweet potato flour and bread sugar and it houses apple dippers, mushrooms and chicken. (See Photo below) The whole dish was in mild savoury with more sweet taste. This dish is now available at Tim Ho Wan Aperia Lavender.

Only at Aperia Lavender - Crispy Seafood Rice Hor Fun ($6.80++)

This is a new and unique dish! Prawn roe, fresh squid and fish meat sit on a bed of crispy dried noodles! You can either dip the noodles into the bowl of gravy, or pour the gravy onto the noodles (You can hear a cracking sound) or eat the noodles by itself. I still preferred the taste of the classic hor fun than this new creation as the gravy did not impress me.. This brand new dish is available at Tim Ho Wan Aperia Lavender.

Tonic Medlar & Osmanthus Cake (Cold) ($3.50++)

We ended our meal with this chilled dessert that had osmanthus flowers and wolfberries inside. It's like eating jelly cubes with flowery fragrance + a little sweetness. A very refreshing dessert that will make you satisfied! 

To be honest, the standard of their food is quite good but not that mind-blowing so not really worth queuing for more than 30mins. And the restaurant is always very noisy that my ears feel like they're going to burst. Will only visit again if i have cravings for their baked char siew bun!

(CLOSED DOWN) Lunch at Table @ Pip's (181 Orchard Rd, Orchard Central, #B2-11/22, Singapore 238896) Reservation: 6467 6867

Visited on 5 Oct 2014 (Sun). Table @ Pip's is a casual wine & dine serving quality unpretentious food with emphasis on the use of fresh ingredients. They were previously at Lorong Kilat and gained many regular customers from there who followed them to this new outlet. If you're looking for quality food but don't feel comfortable at fine-dining restaurants, this is the right place for you. Casual dining restaurant with quality food at an affordable price!

You can enjoy the "waterfall" ambience at the seating area behind with white chairs! (Photo below)

Creative chef at work in the open kitchen!

It was really enjoyable to dine at a radiant place with these colourful paintings! These rainbow colours can brighten up your day! Love 'em!

Private Function Room 

They also have a private dining room that can accommodate 16-20 people. It can be used for private dining functions or close-door affairs. The only condition for reservation is the minimum spending of $800. 

Private Function Room (Interior)

Cafe Latte and Cappuccino ($5.90++ each)

Ice Water, served in a wine bottle!

Mushroom Cream Soup ($7.90++)

Fresh Blended Mushroom garnished with chopped Walnuts served with sliced walnut bread. Taste was good but felt a little watered-down. Could have been "creamier".

Duck Leg Confit ($19.90++)

Crispy-outside-moist-inside Duck Leg served with sauteed seasonal Vegetable, Orange demi glace and Mashed Potato. The exterior was cripsy and really well done, but the meat could have been a little more tender. 

Chive Salmon Steak ($20.90++)

Salmon steak topped with Chive Puree served with sauteed Leek, Chive Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar Reduction. The whole dish worked very well, with the grilled veges flavours complimenting the salmon. Even for a "non-vege" person like me could enjoy this!

Dressed-Up Scallops ($13.90++)

This was the best thing we tasted that day!! Super succulent scallops, savoury bacon, and a sliced of zucchini, all grilled to perfection, AND topped with caviar! Simply sublime! I'm salivating even as I'm writing this.. :þ

Flowerpot Milo Tiramisu ($11.90++)

A pot of mint leaves, with Milo topped "soil" 

Beneath the Milo "soil"... Tiramisu! 

Using Milo is something different from the usual crushed Oreo cookies you find elsewhere, very innovative! Love this dessert so much! ;)

We were served by the manager "Billy", who was very warm and always with a smile. Food quality was between average-slightly above average. This place is definitely worth a revisit as there are more items we wanted to try. The price is reasonable for the quality of food. And we liked their clean and comfortable ambience. You don't have to go to fancy restaurant to enjoy good food + you can wear in casual.. ;) 

*Recommended*

Opening Hours : 

Mon-Fri 11am-3pm, 6pm -10.30pm
Sat, Sun, Eve PH & PH: 11:00am - 10:30pm