Oh boy, my 2 guilty pleasures, chocolate and red bean paste rolled into one.

Chicken is usually what I avoid ordering at restaurants as I find it boring compared to other more "glamorous" items like steak or seafood. So this wasn't my dish but I tried some of it and was very surprised at how good it tasted. In fact, the other two main courses of Crab Ravioli and the Mackeral Ala Plancha paled in comparison.

There are three things to note about this. Firstly, it's fancier than what its price point suggests and secondly, you must like mushrooms because there's a lot of it here. It is used as a stuffing in the rolled-up chicken breast, which happens to be tender and very moist. More of the delectable fungi, this time of the trumpet variety, is scattered all over, heralding a heady aroma. The creamy sauce that works with every element on the plate, is also full of mushroom. Thirdly, the big pieces of leek can (almost) give Burnt Ends' a run for its money, such is their astonishing sweetness.

Much hype has surrounded this new cafe player and it sure has lived up to mounting expectations. For those who've had enough of pricey, run-of-the-mill brunch fare, Populus might just be the solution to your weary palate.

The menu here is peppered with familiar brunch favourites given an interesting spin; take this French toast-inspired dish for example. Served in the form of a brioche bread pudding, the cloud-like milky pillows cranked it up a notch on the comfort food quotient. Thoroughly enjoyed this dish; each bite introduced a new dimension from its complex flavour profile -- a delightful zing (lemon curd and yuzu mascarpone), textural contrast (cornflakes crust and pistachio crumbs), and lingering headiness (red wine poached pears, and thyme-infused pure maple syrup).