The Tastemaker Store - A Simple Cafe Elegance, Something Old and Something New

Beo Crescent along Havelock Road is known in the 70s and 80s for having a number of old school hawker and coffeeshop delights, and some of these eateries are still there.

But it has not been spared the current trend of having old shophouses remodeled into cooler hipster cafes as well. Like it or not, hipster cafes are making their way into more heartland areas.

Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee - A Different Yet Familiar Kind of Wanton Noodles

This was the first time that I have heard of Thai styled wanton noodles, and it is said that this dish is quite the rage in Pratunum, Bangkok.

Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee is located in a remote corner of Ang Mo Kio, and has no actual relation to the Soi 19 eatery in Thailand. Nevertheless, the dish they serve up here does bear more than a passing resemblance to the one in Pratunum.

Ply Baked Goods - An Intimate Cafe in Upper Thomson

Upper Thomson is filled with cafes and eateries, and most of them are found on the shophouses lining the main road. It is not surprising then, to discover that there are also far more discreet cafes situated behind the main road.

Ply Baked Goods is one such place. In fact, it started out as a bakery, and has only recently converted some of its shop space into a little cafe area.

Penang Char Kway Teow at Perling, Johor Bahru - Kim Leng Coffeeshop, The Legacy Continues

I was brought to this very humble looking coffeeshop in Taman Perling one morning to savor one of the best char kway teow in Johor. It was originally manned by the husband, who has sadly passed away.

These days, the wife is still running the stall and frying the noodles, with her son helping out and learning the ropes at the same time.

The Bakery Chef - A Most Beautiful Rainbow Cake

I remember hanging out at Bukit Merah Central during my schooldays. That was 20 years ago, where we used to go to watch the latest movies and spend an afternoon in the A&W fast food restaurant, gulping down our root beer floats and eating our coney dogs.

Since then, little has changed. The cinema and A&W may have closed and the emporium is gone, but most of the structures are still the same.

Singapore Food Festival 2014 - A Walk Down Memory Lane

This year's Singapore Food Festival promises to be a sumptuous trip back to some of our culinary roots, and also features some of our own best local talent taking a modernistic approach to some our classic dishes.

The festival is a week long affair, from 11 July 2014 to 20 July. It will not only be featured at various locations throughout the island, but there will also be a mobile food truck going to various places during this period.

Bistro Du Vin - A Taste of Parisian Bistro Fare

The thought of finding a decent French eatery in Singapore has always been a daunting one for me. I tend to shy away from the central district and the premium names, and long for something simple yet rustic.

It was a surprise when I visited Bistro Du Vin, which is under the Les Amis group, to find that this has become my favorite place for simple, classic French cuisine in Singapore.

Two Wings - Where One Chicken Wing is Twice as Delicious

Deep fried chicken is the ultimate southern American comfort food, and when done right, it is just an utter gastronomic delight. Conversely, when done badly, it can be ghastly.

For years, we have been brought up on KFC, and many families still patronize the numerous KFC outlets here. But for decades, there has been another name that has been synonymous with deep fried chicken in Singapore, and that name is Carona.

Hatter Street Bakehouse and Cafe - Through the Cooking Glass in Kovan, Hougang

When you think of Alice in Wonderland, one normally do not associate it with food, except maybe for the tea party held by the Mad Hatter in the story.

For Yvette Chua, a chef and baker trained in CIA (that's Culinary Institute of America, not the spy agency), she has turned Lewis Carroll's famous classic into a delightful cafe of whimsical proportions.

The Redemption Broth - Sherman Soh

I remembered it vividly, it was the same morning that the news of MH370 going missing was just coming down the grapevine. I was waiting with Jabez and a group of Sherman's friends, awaiting his release from prison.

There were many of us, more than any other congregation that day. Some knew Sherman intimately, some not as much. Whichever the case, everyone was there to give him a rousing welcome, back to civilian life.

Shrove Tuesday - Another Whimsical Cafe in the Heartlands of Toa Payoh

Toa Payoh is not known to be a hip area to find the latest cafes in, but recently, this has slowly started to change. Taking the cue from places like Everton Park, there are more and more shophouses being converted to modern dining fare.

Shrove Tuesday is just one of these new places that has sprouted on the fringe of Toa Payoh, where it is away from the central hub and nestled nicely among the heartlanders living there.

Sawadee Thai Cuisine - An Elegance of Thai Flavors

Thai food in Singapore tends to straddle between the low end and premium options, and rarely do you find something in the middle which will really satisfy both your desire for Thai delicacies and not burning a hole in your wallet.

Sawadee Thai Cuisine, which was formerly located in Sembawang and now situated near Bugis Junction, is one such Thai eatery that tries to find a balance between quality and pricing.

Cooking with Sitong and Johor Kaki - Pizza Making with Chef Jason Lim at The Eureka Cooking Lab

Learn how to make a classic cheese and tomato pizza with singer/songwriter Lin Sitong and Tony of Johor Kaki fame.

Chef Jason Lim shows how to make this simple and delicious dish from scratch, using ingredients that can be easily found at home.

Watch as the threesome goes through each step of the pizza making process, and having a bit of good natured fun along the way.

Filmed on location at The Eureka Cooking Lab.
Shot and edited entirely on the iPhone 5S.
No yeast was injured during the filming of this video.
Mostly in English with a little bit of Mandarin thrown in the mix.

Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles - Size Does Not Matter

OK, I take it back. On a previous post, I lamented that Wah Kee was probably over-hyped with its expensive range of prawn noodles. And in a way, that is still true.

But I am man enough to admit that I was wrong not to give it a try. And I have Kumes to thank for that. He messaged me that I should at least give it a fair shake before making a judgement.

The Perfect Bowl of Ramen - Chef Jason Lim of Eureka Cooking Lab

It is easy for us to take a bowl of ramen for granted. On the surface, it is just another bowl of noodles, not unlike something you will find in hawker stalls.

A bowl of broth, with noodles, pork slices, egg and some vegetable garnish may not sound complex, but to the Japanese, there is an absolute science to making the perfect bowl of ramen.

Artisan Boulangerie Co. - A Slice of Class, But at a Price ...

Parisian styled cafe bakeries are fast growing here, and one of the most popular ones is this one found right in the heart of Killiney Road.

Housed in very elegant and classy wooden furnishings, this is not your typical neighborhood cafe. And judging from the breakfast crowd here on a holiday morning, business is more than brisk.