Dutch Colony

First visit to Dutch Colony was an impromptu one. Had dinner at Pepperoni Pizzeria which is just a few shops beside it and decided to drop by Dutch Colony for some desserts.

Of course as a Thai milk tea lover, I had my eyes set on the Thai milk tea loaf the moment I saw it!

Thai milk tea loaf ($5)

The taste of the milk tea was very apparent with every bite I took and the texture of the cake was just right. Super good! Every bite got me craving for more!

Since I only had the Thai milk tea loaf on my first visit, of course I wasn't satisfied and had to return to try their other food and drinks!

So I returned 2 days later in the afternoon...

Reached around 12pm and there were very few people initially (but more and more started to fill the cafe as time passed)

The place looked much prettier in the afternoon due to the sunlight shining in from the glass ceilings (though it may have been a bit glaring as seen from the girl wearing her shades). I love the layout of the cafe and how spacious it is. 

Some pictures of the interior...

And now for the food...

Banana peanut butter loaf ($5)

Like the Thai milk tea loaf, the texture was just right. The banana taste was strong which is what I hoped it'd be. The peanut butter was only at the top as you can see so don't expect any peanut butter taste from the rest of the loaf.

Earl grey citrus loaf ($5)

The texture of this wasn't as moist as the banana peanut butter loaf but it was still good! The earl grey taste was distinct but thankfully not overpowering. The citrus icing really complemented the earl grey well. Definitely worth a try just like the others.

Iced chai latte

First time trying chai latte so I'm not exactly sure how it's supposed to taste like. Nevertheless, it had a unique taste which I did enjoy but I think I would still stick to my matcha latte :P (sadly Dutch Colony doesn't serve that)

Malabar Baked Eggs (can't rmb the price)

Baked eggs on spicy Indian-inspired tomato based sauce topped with cheddar cheese, served with rockets and multigrain

Wonderful dish! The eggs were baked to perfection and the sauce was wonderful! Although it would have been much better if more bread was given because there was not enough bread to dip into the eggs :(

Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich ($14)

The chicken was well marinated with the teriyaki sauce and the bread was nicely toasted. Not a fan of sweet potatoes so the fries didn't really appeal to me.

This might be my new favorite cafe due to its convenient location (for me hehe), yummy food and fantastic ambience! I highly recommend this to the rest of you as well! Even if you don't stay in the east, this place is worth the distance.

**Opening hours**

Sun-Thurs: 8am to 8pm

Fri & Sat: 8am to 10pm

(The kitchen closes at an earlier time though, I think about 3pm? So they only serve desserts and drinks after that time)

Location: 113 Frankel Avenue

Singapore 458230

 How to get here?

Bus 32 (alight at bus stop 93109 "Bef Frankel Pl")

Alternatively,

You can also take buses 10,12,14,40,155 and alight along East Coast Road then walk all the way in (<5 mins walk)

Sin Lee Foods

Visited Sin Lee Foods in December last year but only tried their truffle fries at that time so headed down again to try their mains with 2 of my friends. 

Located at Jalan Bukit Ho Swee, it's about an 8 minute walk from Tiong Bahru MRT Station.

The shop consists of both indoor and outdoor seating and it was much more crowded when I went down this time as compared to the previous time which was a weekday. In fact, this time it was actually full and tables were even reserved.

Exterior of Sin Lee Foods:

Malted Pie Crust Shake ($9)

Although pricey, I think this was worth both the money and the calories. Loved the thick texture and the crunch given from the crust. Taste is somewhat similar to that of Horlicks except in a much more creamier texture. So if you like Horlicks, you must definitely try this!

Truffle chips ($10)

Felt like this was really a waste of money. Tasted like chips you could buy at the supermarket with cheese sprinkled on top....

Smoke Salmon Hash ($19)

Nothing special about this dish, the portion of salmon was quite small and although I do like potatoes, I felt they didn't go well with each other..

Mentaiko Crab Mantou ($21)

Interesting dish, liked the idea of introducing mantou into it. However, the crab was really pathetic in my opinion. Hardly any meat in the crab and I felt like I was just biting into batter. Moreover, the serving was very small, not worth the price which my friends agreed on as well.

Though the dishes served here are unique and not what you can find in the other cafes, it wasn't to my liking and definitely not worth it's high prices.

**Opening hours**

Tues- Fri: 11am to 9pm

Sat: 9.30am to 9pm

Sun: 9.30am to 6pm

Closed on Mondays (except public holidays: 11am to 9pm)

Location: 4 Jalan Bukit Ho Swee

#01-164

Singapore 162004

Nearest MRT station: Tiong Bahru

Rookery

Headed down to Rookery with a few of my friends 2 weeks back. Alighted at Raffles Place MRT station and took about 7 mins to walk to the place (Thanks to Google maps!!) It was rather crowded when we reached, I guess due to the office lunch crowd? 

Exterior of Rookery:

Benedict's Eggs ($15)

Sous vide eggs, crispy bacon, grilled sourdough, hollandaise, rocket leaves & smoked salmon

Didn't get to try this dish but my friend had no complaints about it and finished everything up!

12hr Pulled Pork Wrap ($15)

12hr pulled pork and signature BBQ sauce, greens and a wholemeal wrap

Amazing dish! Pork was tender and the BBQ sauce went well with it, not too overwhelming.

Grilled cheese sandwich ($11) with grilled ham as an add on ($4)

3 types of melted cheese between crispy buttered bread done the Rookery way!

Simple yet such a great dish! Loved the cheese and how the sandwich was grilled perfectly :)

Rookery Wagyu Burger ($26)

Thick wagyu patty, melted cheese, sliced tomatoes, pickles, greens (20mins waiting time)

Like the Eggs Benedict, I didn't get to try this dish but my friend had no complaints about it. He seemed to enjoy the burger.

In my opinion, this is one of the better cafes out there. Really loved the atmosphere and of course, the food! The grilled cheese sandwich and pulled pork wrap is definitely something I would go back for. Highly recommend this place! However, it is advised to avoid the lunch hour (12-2pm) so you wouldn't have to wait too long for your food.

Location: 

ROOKERY

16 Raffles Quay, #01-02A

Hong Leong Building

Singapore 048581

Nearest MRT station: Raffles place (5-7mins walk)

**Opening hours**

Mon-Fri: 8am to 10pm

Saturday: 9am to 3pm

Rider's Cafe

Been wanting to try Rider's Cafe since 2 years back but never got a chance to because it was too far and I had no idea how to get there. However, few weeks back my mum asked me to suggest a place for lunch and I decided to choose Rider's (since she's paying why not hahaha) (ps: she doesn't drive so we still had to get there by public transport)

Took a train to Botanic Gardens MRT and then bus 151 (directions given by the very friendly staff at Rider's Cafe when we called up). Alighted at "Sixth Ave Ctr" wanting to take the shuttle bus in but we couldn't find the pick up point so we just took a cab in (which was a really good idea because the journey in is quite long or should I say very long)

Some pictures of the exterior + interior

Pacific Benedict ($18)

Two poached eggs, crab cake, smoked salmon, hollandaise 

I'm a big fan of eggs benedict but for some reason I only found this dish average..... Not sure what's missing or perhaps I just couldn't appreciate the pairing with the crab cake? :( Was quite disappointed :(

Riders Burger ($18)

200gm Angus Beef, Smokey cheddar, Branston pickle, House sauce and Fries.

This was not bad, beef was tender and I really liked the smokey cheddar. However, I feel that a much better burger can be found for the same price or even lower...

Death by chocolate cake (with vanilla ice cream) ($13) 

And this right here, was the BIGGEST disappointment of the day :'(

After looking at all the pictures on Instagram, reading all the great reviews and craving for this at ungodly hours, this was really a let down. 

The cake didn't have the chewy texture and even though I'm a chocolate lover perhaps this was just too rich for me :( Personal preference though, I wouldn't recommend it but since it has so many good reviews I guess I just couldn't appreciate it..

My only consolation from the disappointment I had was seeing these horses on our way out :)

We decided not to cab out and took a super long walk...

In my opinion, I don't think it was worth the travel unless you have a car or perhaps are willing to walk all the way in. But even so, I feel that there are many other better cafes to visit before this. 

**Opening Hours**

Sun-Thurs: 8am to 9pm

Fri & Sat: 8am to 10pm

Closed on Mondays.

Location: 51 Fairways Drive.

Singapore 286965

Bukit Timah Saddle Club

Fresh Fruits Lab (2)

Didn't manage to find time to update this space over the past few weeks because of work and training so the few upcoming posts are all overdued ones..

A few weeks back, visited Fresh Fruits Lab with one of my friend and because the other foodhopper recommended the Club Burger, I couldn't give it a miss!

Once we took our seat, we were given these 2 test tubes of juice to try. We concluded that the reddish-orange one is apple orange and the yellow one is three to tango (pineapple, apple & orange)?? Honestly have no idea if our conclusions are right though...

Creamy Alfredo Pasta ($18)

Sautéed mushrooms and sliced turkey ham cooked in white wine cream sauce, garnished with crispy enoki mushrooms and shaved parmesan cheese

Took a few mouths of the pasta and it was really good. Furthermore, the sauce wasn't OVERLY creamy so you don't get sick of it! Highly recommended if you prefer cream based pasta over tomato based.

The Club ($19)

Roasted chicken, crispy bacon, romaine lettuce, avocado, egg, melted colby cheese and cornichon mustard.

All my favorites in one! The meat was tender and all the ingredients went really well with each other! Portion was just nice as well, really recommended this.

**Opening Hours**

Tues-Thurs: 11am to 10pm

Friday: 11am to 11pm

Saturday: 10am to 11pm

Sunday: 10am to 10pm

Closed on Mondays.

Kitchen last order at 9.30pm daily.

Location: 351 Changi Road, Lor Marzuki

Singapore 419818

Nearest MRT station: Kembangan (about 5 mins walk)

Buses available: 2,7,24,25,26,28,30,33,67,854