Carpenter and Cook

Our dear friend Hannah, wanted a tea party for her birthday, so we decided to bring her to Carpenter and Cook for an afternoon tea! Carpenter and Cook is a vintage (and may I add pretty) cafe as well as a furniture home store.

I guess everyone who steps into the cafe would first be attracted to the decor. The cafe is littered with gorgeous vintage pieces! From wall clocks to enamel mugs (my favorite) to vintage tiered cake stands.

I love the silhouette cut outs!

The desserts were all so tempting!

Passionfruit Meringue Tart - $6.50 (4.5/5)

This was a BURST OF FLAVOR. It was sweet and sour all at once. An immediate favorite and I wanted more.

Lemon Cream Tart - $6.50 (3.5/5)

Varsha liked that this was tangy and that the crust of the tart helps to create a balance among the acidic notes. Unfortunately, this was too sour for Hannah and I. Oh well, it may be because of that fact that Varsha does not have a sweet tooth like us! Haha.

Caramel Walnut Cheesecake - $7.50 (4.5/5)

This cheesecake has a velvet like texture and reminds us of Japanese cheesecake. It just simply melt in our mouths!

We ordered Lemonade, Pomegranate & Raspberry Fruit and English Apple fruit presse ($5.50 each) instead of tea.

The atmosphere of the cafe is quite laid back but because the place is rather small (full house on a weekday afternoon), we felt obliged to leave when we saw that other guests were waiting for a seat. Also, we felt that their pastries & desserts were on a pricier side. But I am sure one would not mind going back to such an interesting cafe!

Carpenter and Cook
19 Lorong Kilat, #01-06
Singapore 598120
Tuesdays to Fridays: 12pm to 10pm
Saturdays: 10am to 10pm
Sundays: 10am to 7pm
64633648

Quarter to Three

Most of the times, I decide places to go when I am meeting my friends. So I was pretty excited when Ma Xin suggested going to a cafe that I have never heard before, Quarter to Three.

The place is small but cosy. The owner of the cafe also told us that the crowd usually comes in after 8pm. 

Panna Cotta - $4.50 (4.5/5)

We chose chocolate sauce to go with our Panna Cotta and the dessert tasted simply divine. It has such a delicate custard texture and is like a lighter version of Creme Brulee.

Both of us have never tried this dessert before, so I did a Google search and found out that Panna Cotta is only made up of heavy cream, vanilla, sugar and gelatin. I was surprised to see that there were no need for eggs or milk or anything like that. So simple yet taste so good. 

Sweet Little Sixteen - $7.20 (4/5)

I am sure everyone loves a good Japanese sponge cake. Well, this one was no exception. We liked that it was not overly sweet and that it was moist, light and fluffy. Sometimes after a few mouths of the cake, you attempt to move on to another piece of dessert. Don't worry, this piece of cake will ensure you eat it all up before you start on another!

Good Day Sunshine - $7.20 (4.5/5)

Both the Sweet Little Sixteen and Good Day Sunshine are the same, just that one is strawberry while the other is mango. Even though the Sweet Little Sixteen is more popular, somehow the mango agreed with our taste buds more.

Want something unique apart from conventional birthday cakes? Let the baker know! A sketch is done on the spot to your satisfaction and other customization can be arranged too. I like that the owners give their recommendations to the customers. Also, if you do not have data plan, (or if you are a cheapo like me) the owner provides free wifi!

What we enjoyed most about this cafe was its homely ambiance that makes it a great place to hang out with friends at. All throughout the time we spent there, we did not feel obliged to leave, even though we were all done with our food. The owner continued refilling our cups and we were able to sit there comfortably the entire afternoon.

Quarter to Three
88 Tanjong Pagar Road
Singapore 088509
Mondays to Saturdays: 12 noon to 11pm
Closed on Sundays
62222214

Ma Maison

After doing some thrift shopping at New2U thrift shop with Vanessa and Eileen (and because we were in Bugis), I suggested having lunch at Ma Maison as a friend had strongly recommended this restaurant to me previously. Just to mention, Ma Maison serves Japanese food with a Western twist.

Stepping into the restaurant, Vanessa was quick to point out that the decor of the restaurant was cottage styled and exudes a homely atmosphere. Wooden furniture, floral tablecloth, curtains and knick knacks adorned the restaurant.

Vanessa and Eileen chose the Japanese Western Set Lunch ($12.90) that came with a salad, soup, choice of bread/rice and a drink. 5 items for only $12.90! Definitely worth the money. This was Vanessa's and she pointed out that the chicken was not oily, however, the aglio olio turned a bit cold which might be because she was busy taking photos to upload on Instagram. #whatsnew

Mentaiko Spaghetti - $15.90 (4.5/5)

Ever since I read about how much love blogger Cheesie has for mentaiko, I just had to order their Mentaiko Spaghetti to try for myself. Do not be too quick to judge the ordinary looking spaghetti! The mentaiko adds on a slightly salty yet savory taste. It has such a unique and addictive flavor that I find difficult to describe. Make it a point to try any mentaiko pasta next time you see one on a menu!

You know how sometimes you are at a restaurant and it is just so hard to get the attention of the staff? Well, you will probably never face that problem at Ma Maison! The staff paid close attention to our needs at the dining table, always ready to provide us with assistance. We felt really pampered! They were very enthusiastic and passionate about serving what they had best for the customers.

Ma Maison Restaurant
200 Victoria Street
#02-51 Bugis Junction
Mondays to Fridays: 11.30am to 3pm / 6pm to 9.30pm
Saturdays and Sundays: 11.30am to 9.30pm
66816729

The Loft Cafe

Decided to pop by The Loft Cafe after accompanying Hannah to collect her films at Lomography.

Which cafe other than The Loft Cafe provides an iMac for its patrons?

I was immediately attracted to the light and space and all. The kind of place that people would want to linger. 

The Loft Cafe is located on the 2nd level and on the 3rd level they have a function room called Mo.Xa.Ic Room which can host up to 70 people. It is also fully equipped with audio visual equipment! 

Nutty Banana Waffle - $8.00 (3/5)

It was mid day when we reached the cafe. Nothing better than some desserts to perk us up! Bananas taste good with anything, but the waffles on the other hand was nothing to shout about, and it was not as warm as we expected.

Shibuya Toast - $8.50 (3/5)

Came to know that their Shibuya Toast is one of their signature dishes so we just had to order it! The presentation of the Shibuya Toast was so visually appealing that the both of us did not bear to eat it. Ah, but the taste was so-so. 

Hannah and I spent almost 4 hours there without ordering anything else and the waitress was kind enough to constantly refill our water. The ambiance of the cafe more than makes up for its average food. It is a great place to sit and catch up with friends for hours without being pressured to leave.

The Loft Cafe

268A South Bridge Road

(directly opposite Lomography)

Singapore 058817

Mondays: 9am to 3pm

Tuesdays to Sundays: 9am to 10pm

62212203

Kith Cafe x Haato & Co.

Exams are over and the holidays are finally here! Met up with Hui Yin and Celine for brunch at Kith Cafe on a Monday morning. Yes, a Monday morning! The luxury of waking up on a weekday for brunch simply spells awesome.

 Looking at the handwritten menu on their chalkboard wall and deciding what to eat.

Toast with poached eggs - $7.50

Despite knowing that their Big Breakfast is highly raved, we decided to just have toast with poached eggs because we have never tried poached eggs (or simply because we wanted to leave room for desserts) before!

Took this picture before we added a dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper to our poached eggs. Look at that golden goodness flow and those grill lines on the toasts! And then when you dab the toast with the runny egg yolk, oh goodness gracious me, that morsel just taste so good. Not to mention, the toasts went very well with the cold butter. 

The cafe was rather empty when we reached at about 11am. We soon found ourselves to be surrounded by Caucasians and their kids when it hit noon. Kith Cafe seems to be a favorite with the expats. Great location to chill out with friends, food are served at affordable prices and without GST and service charge, who wouldn't like the place?

Kith Cafe
7 Rodyk Street
#01-28
Watermark at Robertson Quay
Singapore 238215
Daily 7am to 7pm
63419407
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

We settled for desserts at Haato & Co since it was within walking distance and I was craving for waffles! 

It was not easy to decide what to order because there were so many yummy options! Eventually, we ordered a Chocolate Fudge with Marshmallows ($8.50) to share. The presentation of the waffle look so attractive we could not wait to dig in!

It is alfresco seating at Haato & Co and the wind kept the chocolate sauce that we were supposed to drizzle on the waffle flying. Nevertheless, we managed to devour this divine waffle without making a mess. The waffle was crusted on the outside and soft on the inside, making a perfect combination with the vanilla gelato. However, we felt that the gelato melted too quickly.

We only left the place after a good solid 3 hours and that was probably the longest time I have ever sat down with friends by the riverside with some good waffles.

Haato & Co.
The Central @ Clarke Quay
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#01-74
Singapore 059817
Sundays to Thursdays: 11am to 11pm
Fridays and Saturdays: 11am to 1am
62256956