Nowadays, Starbucks would offer more than just the regular selection of coffee, considering that in the recent years they incorporated more variations from the choice of milk to, now, the choice of coffee beans.

Lately, they rolled out the Blonde Espresso for their daily grind, in tandem with their regular coffee blend. Blonde Espresso essentially meant that the coffee beans were not as darkly-roasted, giving it a milder and subtly sweeter finish. And for those who liked their coffee sweet, they could really try the Blonde White Chocolate Mocha (S$8.00 for Venti size) to get added sweetness. When served iced, the beverage turned out to be like having some Ben & Jerry’s ice cream — smooth and sweet.

Since the drink would already be on the sweet side, I thought it would make sense to request for a low-fat milk option. Also, if the default 4 pumps of white chocolate syrup would sound outrageously sweet, you could always ask for less pumps for a sugar-tolerant cuppa.

Back in season once again was their Minion-themed specials at McDonald’s. Following their recent successes on dual-filling dessert pies, the Yuzu Cream Cheese Pie (S$1.80) seemed like a likable item for those who would enjoy yuzu-anything.

Served hot, the cream cheese would be in a slightly lava state, giving out a lightly-creamy texture to the fillings. Paired with it was the yuzu jam that was not overpowered with sweetness, so that overall experience was citrusy without an immediate risk of sugar rush. However, it might not really be considered as refreshing for me because of the cheese cream aftertaste, but if one would interpret this as a “cheesecake in a puff pastry” idea then this was actually considered quite successful.

Again, best consumed hot or very warm.

Back in season once again was their Minion-themed specials at McDonald’s. Following their recent successes on dual-filling dessert pies, the Yuzu Cream Cheese Pie (S$1.80) seemed like a likable item for those who would enjoy yuzu-anything.

Served hot, the cream cheese would be in a slightly lava state, giving out a lightly-creamy texture to the fillings. Paired with it was the yuzu jam that was not overpowered with sweetness, so that overall experience was citrusy without an immediate risk of sugar rush. However, it might not really be considered as refreshing for me because of the cheese cream aftertaste, but if one would interpret this as a “cheesecake in a puff pastry” idea then this was actually considered quite successful.

Again, best consumed hot or very warm.

Currently, Donburi King offered a 15% discount on all Donburi and Ramen, and that might just be the reason for me to dine there.

Given that the Aburi Salmon Belly Don (S$23.00) had a beautiful plating with the healthy fats and a generous scoop of roes over the hill, I thought it was quite a good deal to get this item. As I tried hard not to gobble the flame-torched slices so quickly, I also thought they could have upped the proportion of fatty meat to make the seafood more “melt in my mouth”, but this was not too bad either.

However, it was slightly confusing for me to get Furikake rice as I expected Sushi rice — a more conventional combination. Probably it was to add more levels of flavour into the already-delicious bowl, but the Furikake just didn’t work for me as this reminded me of Onigiri more than a seafood rice bowl. Guess I probably ain’t the kind of diner that liked this tweak.

It was no surprise that every layer of Lady M’s mille crepe cakes are so thin, even and nicely coated with buttercream. However, I tried their Salted Caramel Mille Crepe (S$10.00) and I found another new love here.

Because the salted caramel glaze at the top had this burnt bitterness to it, there was actually a different form of sweetness that made the cake so aromatic in the mouth. Whether one had it with water or a pot of tea (strongly recommended), the flavours were refreshing from the default sweetness that the other cakes in the menu would present.

I also enjoyed the service from the staff there. They were prompt and friendly despite operating at full capacity. Now that tops up the niceness to this experience altogether.

A bubble tea shop sprang from Marymount Community Club in early June, providing the new local favourite as well as some bar snacks to the visitors of the building and the students from the nearby schools.

Given such a grand name, I would definitely pay attention to their special-tea items, which included the Oolong Rice Latte and their new creation called the Imperial Autumn (S$4.90 for medium-size cup). Made with home-brew chrysanthemum tea, this tea latte was rich in natural flavours as though I was having those herbal tea from Chinese medical halls, so it really gave me a sense that I am taking time for self-care.

I would also suggest to have the add-on of their home-made golden pearls at only S$0.80, because they were boiled in brown sugar and was very chewy, adding that dimension as though I was having some gummies along with the drinks.

It seemed that the crowds were constantly streaming in despite being a Saturday evening. However, as I was having my me-time at the seating area within the shop, I witnessed how the staff were still getting their footing right, so the waiting time could be a bit long during peak periods.

I was curious with how they served their hot teas, as I saw bowls that went along with teapots. I would think it could be an interesting experience to try the next time I visit this place.

One thing that was really cool about Kajiken’s concept was that they offered a free upsize of the noodles, which meant that one could have a more filling meal without burning a hole in their pocket (but of course their hard-boiled eggs would be the low-carb option).

Apart from that, the Hokkaido Mazesoba (S$17.30) also included minced salmon, cod roe, and a small slice of butter to enhance the savoury aspect of the dish. Sadly, today’s turn-off was the overly-pungent bamboo shoots that reminded me of a less-than fresh sea urchin, making it somewhat agonising to eat on every time I chewed on some.

Neglecting the unsatisfactory parts of this meal, it was still a pretty filling meal, just that I was determined to get a dessert or drink (read: bubble tea) to cleanse my palate.

Peanut butter and jelly might be more commonly found with bread, but I would surely not mind if it came in the form of a cake.

As with this Peanut Butter & Jam Cake (S$9.00) the spreads were layered between alternating butter and chocolate sponges. Although the jam was incredibly sweet, the peanut butter maintained some balance of flavours with that subtle savoury finish.

The funny part about this cake was that halfway through the enjoyment, it suddenly dawned on me that the cake tasted like a Hiro Chocolate Cake (go Google it if you had never come across this snack before). It might not be a flattering association, but that moment of nostalgia was quite an amazing experience.

We would all be familiar with the traditional coffee, where local-style roasted coffee was served with a slab of butter to increase the smoothness of the daily cuppa.

And while the beans used by The Coffee Academics was roasted much differently from the local roast, they created Bulletproof (S$6.40) which presumably was their take of this local staple. Made with espresso, water, butter, medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil and coconut oil, the coffee promised a nice aroma and a smooth slurp.

In fact, the drink tasted best when consumed immediately, with a cube of brown sugar. So it would make a lot of sense to finish it quickly after a meal or to drink up upon serving, before the coffee could turn sour.

Rich & Good Swiss Rolls impressed upon me as affordable and quality. With fluffy cake sponge and flavourful Kaya cream, the petite cake would be the perfect snack or breakfast when paired with a cup of coffee or tea.

Very often, the Kaya and Durian flavours would be sold out fast, so if they were still available I would usually pick up a box or two every time I visit Jewel Changi Airport.

One Canton came across as somewhat close to a Hong Kong Café, but I was a tad confused when they also had things like Teochew Porridge.

Anyway, I was pleased with the richness of the soup in this Shrimp & Pork Dumplings Tomato Soup Noodles. By using rice noodles, the pairing went well with the overall flavours. Did I also mention that their dumplings were quite plump too?

So at S$9.80 for a bowl of noodles, it was not too bad a meal, except that I probably would not slurp down too much of that soup, as compared to a pork broth for instance.

A new burger joint that was opened in Suntec City Mall just before the Circuit Breaker kicked in, SIMPLEburger Inc. was a sister brand of iSTEAKS Diner that served burgers, milkshakes and bottled beer. One could choose to order from either restaurant as all diners were given the option to order online via the QR codes found on the table.

Naturally, I would be interested in selecting their Natural Beef Burger (S$9.00), which could be pimped up with up to 10 free garnishes, paid add-on ingredients or extra patties. Personally, I would highly recommend paying an extra dollar for the Crispy Fried Onions for the golden crunches that went really well with the burger.

In terms of the satisfaction, this burger would probably not match up with the steaks from “next door”, but there would be days when you wanted some burgers, fries and milkshake as comfort food, and this could just fit the bill.