Mon Chinese Beef Roti might have entered the Singaporean F&B scene for a while when they had first opened their Food Republic VivoCity location not too long ago; whilst they had just opened a second outlet at the Food Junction food court at Westgate not too long ago, it does seem that there are establishments that are jumping onto the bandwagon to serve something similar as well. Enter Krispi Chinese Roti • Dumplings; these folks had recently opened its doors at the newly-revamped Bagus Food Hall at Northpoint City which also sees other interesting tenants such as that of Cha Mulan X joining up the line-up of stalls that are operating there. Whilst the namesake of the stall does suggest that there are dumpling offerings, it seems that Krispi Chinese Roti • Dumplings is solely putting its efforts into their Chinese Roti items — they do claim that their Chinese Roti offerings are handmade daily by Chinese Muslims, promising authenticity and heritage with their Chinese Roti which has also garnered quite a fair bit of attention on social media as well.

Krispi Chinese Roti • Dumplings only offers their Chinese Roti in two (2) variants; the Beef and the Chicken Chinese Roti — we went for the latter during our visit made on a weekday dinner service. One can observe the chef preparing the Chinese Roti by hand behind the counter; the surge of demand caused by social media hype also meant that a waiting time of up to around an hour was required for our order as well. We collected our order slightly before the one-hour mark from the time that we made our order; whilst the stall does use electronic buzzers to page its patrons when the order is ready for collection, they had also ran out of electronic buzzers to issue on the day of our visit — as such, we are unable to ascertain the exact time our order was made and sitting at the counter for us to collect, though we did note that the Chicken Chinese Roti was still pretty hot when we collected our order. Sinking our teeth into the Chicken Roti, the pastry did feel crispy in some parts though it wasn’t quite light and flaky like it should have been — there are also some areas in which it did feel a little wet and also a little doughy as well. With that being said, the chicken filling within was patty-like and was tender and juicy; seasoned with a bit of pepper for a slight fragrance whilst coming with a level of spiciness that should do just fine for those whom are tolerable to lower than moderate levels of spiciness. There are also bits of red onions found within the Chicken Roti that helps to keep things refreshing whilst adding a dimension of crunch for a variance of textures as well.

If anything, it does seem like the folks patronising Hong Lim Food Centre does have quite some options for post-meal desserts or tea-time treats to go for when at the hawker centre — taking over the former premises of the now-defunct Sabah Sandakan UFO tart at the second level of Hong Lim Food Centre is the new Vic’s Mini Lava Cheesecake; for those whom are not familiar with the previous tenant of the space, the stall can be found beside the unit of Hiong Kee Dumplings at the second floor of the food centre which is also diagonally opposite the outlet of SLII Muffin there. As the namesake of the stall suggests, Vic’s Mini Lava Cheesecake focuses pretty much on their mini lava cheesecake offerings (more about it later), though they also do serve up Portuguese Egg Tarts as well for those whom prefer something a little warm and without the cheese for a tea-time treat.

Vic’s Mini Lava Cheesecake offers their mini lava cheesecake in four (4) different flavours — matcha, chocolate, taro and original; we found ourselves opting for the Taro Lava Cheesecake. One thing that are being told about is how the Lava Cheesecakes are intentionally served chilled; posters of the item that can be found at the store also mentions the lack of use of cake flour, as well as a molten lava texture for the mini cheesecake. The mini lava cheesecakes are also intentionally made less sweet to cater to the modern, health-conscious palate as well. Digging into the Taro Lava Cheesecake, it is undeniable that the texture of the cake here is molten to the point that it is incredibly runny; one thing we did note about the Taro Lava Cheesecake is how it does seem to carry a good balance of flavours — amidst the savouriness that one would expect out of a cheesecake, one can also feel the subtle notes of taro providing an added hint of earthiness that also concurrently runs at the back of the tongue. We also saw how the Taro Lava Cheesecake was kept with sweetness on the lower side just like how Vic’s Mini Lava Cheesecake promises their mini lava cheesecakes to be on the posters; a flavour that was pretty much clean and makes the cheesecake easy to have since it was not particularly overwhelming either.

It does seem that dining establishments with a focus on serving French cuisine have been getting rather trendy of the late — whilst we had written about the opening of Bouillon Gavroche at Mandarin Gallery, there is also a new establishment named Frenchy Deli that had Reddit opened its doors at the basement of The Sail. These folks had taken over the former premises of Al-Marche which had moved on and expanded to multiple outlets within the Central Business District; this also makes them neighbours with establishments like Salad Story there. Frenchy Deli does come decked with some true French vibes here with the use of a solid tone of blue for its facade; the use of several paintings hung on its walls also very especially apt with the vibe; all that with dining chairs and tables that helps to replicate at patio-esque dining vibe. Focusing on simple offerings, the food menu at Frenchy Deli is segmented into sections dedicated to Soup & Salads, Lettuce Wraps, Mama’s Pizzas, Sandwiches, Toasties and Paninis. Pastries that are available for the day are also prominently displayed in the display case at the entrance of the cafe.

The Frenchy Croque Toastie is one of the items that are being listed in the Toasties section of the menu. One thing that is worth noting about the offerings at Frenchy Deli is how the food items being served up here do seem to have been pre-prepared in advance — perhaps to better cope with the grab-and-go nature of the establishment considering the demographics of the diners in the area. Frenchy Deli does not describe the elements that are featured in the Frenchy Croque Toastie, though it can be observed from our order that the item does seem to come with cheese, sourdough toast and pork ham — we also noticed a mustard spread with mustard seeds on the inner sides of the sourdough as well. One thing that really bothered us about the Frenchy Croque Toastie was the thin layer of cheese over the sourdough which seemed to have been slightly overdone; this made the Frenchy Croque Toastie felt particularly dry, and coupled with the use of sourdough also meant that the bread Toastie felt especially tough to chew through. With that being said, the use of soft cheese within the Toastie does add a bit of a chewy texture and adds a savoury note to the tender pork ham which wasn’t overly salty; the use of the mustard spread also adds an earthy note that provides a contrast of flavours as well.

For those whom frequent East Coast Road at the side where Beach Road Prawn Noodle House is situated at, perhaps one would have noticed the new addition of Tiap Tiap along the same stretch of shophouses that houses establishments such as the outlet of Breakfast Grill and the outlet of Feng Sheng Kampong Chicken Rice & Steamboat there. Tiap Tiap might be a new establishment in the area; with that being said, these folks had been operating as an online-based business for six years prior to the opening of this brick-and-mortar store — the same folks also runs the private dining experience named The Butterfly Table that had also previously done collaborations with Cygnet by Sean Connolly at QT Singapore as part of the Singapore Food Festival. Tiap Tiap has also previously had pop-up stints at Takashimaya Food Hall — currently in its soft launch stage, Tiap Tiap does offer a curated line-up of their offerings in-store; there are limited dine-in seats here where patrons can enjoy sliced chiffon cakes and cream cakes and pair them up with beverages in store. Apart from cakes, Tiap Tiap also retails whole tarts, as well as bottles of Kaya and Sambal, Muah Chee and tubs of Keropok in the store currently as well.

One of Tiap Tiap’s most notable offerings would be that of their Ondeh Ondeh Cake — despite not being listed on the menu to be available in sliced format, one can check in with them at the counter to see if there are any slices of the Ondeh Ondeh Cake available. Though not being mentioned in the menu, the online ordering platform at Tiap Tiap’s website does mention that the Ondeh Ondeh Cake comes with whipped cream, grated coconut and Pandan — all that whilst replicating the Peranakan dessert in cake format. We did originally expect the cake to be a bit heavy to have considering our previous experiences with other iterations of Ondeh Ondeh Cake elsewhere; that being said, it does seem that the folks at Tiap Tiap uses their Pandan Chiffon Cake as the cake to form base of the Ondeh Ondeh Cake — the cake layer is light, fluffy and springy; all that whilst wafting of a Pandan fragrance that perfumes the taste bud. The fresh whipped cream also does carry a light texture which was consistent with that of the chiffon cake, making the cake especially easy to have whilst binding all of the elements of the cake together; the Gula Melaka-infused grated coconut adding a light hint of earthy sweetness that replicates the flavours of a typical Ondeh Ondeh without being overly sweet. Definitely a cake that would go well to be paired with a cup of coffee or tea on the side for a dainty afternoon tea break!

It has been a while since we have last seen a new coffee stand having opened its doors at the lobby of an office building — Pillars is one such establishment that had recently opened its doors at Solaris at one-north. Occupying a previously empty space within the lobby of the building, Pillars is pretty much a kiosk that primarily operates as a takeaway establishment — the design of the kiosk is kept minimalist but with a slight Scandinavian touch with a hint of industrial flavour with the use of concrete-esque elements and wooden accents for its aesthetics; a very clean look and modern design that fits in quite well to the building that it is situated in. Whilst being a takeaway kiosk, Pillars does have three (3) countertop seats that allows patrons whom wish to enjoy their cuppa within the premises to do so. Espresso-based specialty coffee is the main focus of what Pillars is all about, though they do serve up other beverages such as drinking chocolate and matcha; they also carry a line-up of pastries for those looking for something light to pair up with their cuppa.

The Otah Cheese Pastry is one of the items that is being listed in the Pastries section of the menu at Pillars — all Pastries that are available for the day are also displayed prominently at the counter as well. It is noted that Pillars does warm up the pastries upon the order being made. Whilst this is a commendable move, our Otah Cheese Pastry did come a little burnt in one corner — we did wish that they were a little bit more careful and a little bit more service-oriented by not serving this piece to us. Notwithstanding so, the Otah Cheese Pastry does come light, flaky and crisp — the Danish does come with a slight buttery note like what one would expect out of a good croissant though the pastry itself is a little dry considering the way that it was being warmed up for our order. Inside, the pastry comes filled with a block of otah and melted cheese; the latter does add a hint of savouriness to the Otah that adds on to the note of spiciness that the Otah brings — the level of spiciness being pretty manageable for those whom are tolerable to lower levels of spiciness in general.

There does seem to have been a wave of new French dining establishments that had opened around the island in recent times — whilst Brasserie Gavroche is not a new name in the local F&B scene here, these folks had recently taken over the former premises of the now-defunct La D'Oro at Mandarin Gallery and had introduced their brand-new concept named Bouillon Gavroche there. For those whom are not aware, “Bouillon” translates from French to English as an establishment that serves “traditional French cuisine” intended to “serve good quality food quickly at an affordable price”. The entire space at Bouillon Gavroche is split into two zones with the main dining hall being located right after the entrance — there is also a more intimate dining room that is tucked towards one side of the establishment as well; the entire establishment carries a rustic but vibrant vibe with the use of wooden elements with splashes of red amidst the white tiled walls replicating the look of bricks. The food menu at Bouillon Gavroche is split into sections dedicated to Bread, Appetisers, Main Courses, Sides and Desserts.

The Ravioles de Royan aux Épinards et Ricotta is an item that is listed in the Main Courses section of the menu at Bouillon Gavroche — the online menu mentions that dish featured elements such as Cheese Ravioli, Creamy Spinach, Ricotta Cheese. Unlike the Italian raviolis out there, the French-style ones that are served at Bouillon Gavroche are sized way smaller — these do look like little pillows of pasta which come with cheese packed in the middle. Whilst a simple dish considering the composition of the ingredients coming with the dish, we found the combination of flavours here delicious and comforting — the Cheese Ravioli carrying a note of savouriness whilst the ricotta cheese adds a creamy consistency with a dairy-esque flavour; all that whilst the creamy spinach tries to provide a flavour contrast that makes the dish feel lighter and more wholesome. What is not being described in the online menu for the dish would be the inclusion of toasted pine nuts that adds a little bit of a nutty crunch that gave a variance of textures to the dish.

Chef Lup Roasted is probably a name those that are familiar with the local F&B scene had been hearing about for a while — these folks had first established the brand at Golden Mile Food Centre; the stall is notably helmed by Chef Darren Lup whom is said to be formerly from Kam’s Roast. Whilst these folks have since garnered a following and quite a crowd at their Golden Mile Food Centre outlet following social media features, they had recently expanded their operations and opened a second outlet this time in the heart of the Central Business District at Lau Pa Sat — they can be found within the vicinity of the outlet of Butter & Cream there. Chef Lup Roasted occupies quite a large stall unit at Lau Pa Sat; interestingly, the stall operates 24 hours here in contrast to the limited hours that they are open at Golden Mile Food Centre. Much like their Golden Mile Food Centre outlet, the establishment focuses on their Hong Kong-style roast meat offerings which includes their Signature Roast Duck, Crystal Char Siew and their Crispy Roast Pork that can be served as-is, or with rice / noodles.

Nothing that they do offer Wanton Mee on the menu, we went with the said dish when we visited them on a weekend dinner service. One interesting quirk about the Wanton Mee at Chef Lup Roasted is how their Wanton Mee does not come with Char Siew by default (it does however come with five (5) pieces of wantons — more than the typical bowl of Wanton Mee that comes with Char Siew as standard) — the Crystal Char Siew and Crispy Roast Pork is therefore considered as a chargeable add-on of meat to the Wanton Mee. The egg noodles here are done to the right consistency; springy and tossed in soy sauce for a deep, savoury note, the highlight to use here was the Crystal Char Siew that was immensely well-executed. The Crystal Char Siew comes glistening; the cut use here being of a gelatinous consistency that was fatty and melt-in-the-mouth — all that whilst coming with a slight crisp, caramelised crust which brings a hint of sweetness as well. We also love how the wantons are plump and well packed with minced pork and came with shrimp for a savoury note and a hint of crustacean sweetness without any undesirable porky stench; the bowl of soup that the wantons came in being similar to that of Hong Kong-style wanton noodle soup that is savoury with a sweet yet clean finish with a slight hint of pepper for some flavoural contrast.

Whisk & Paddle is probably a name that should be fairly familiar to those whom have been following around the happenings of the local F&B scene for years — these folks are located in fairly interesting places such as that of Bukit Gombak Park and Tebing Lane. With that being said, these folks seemed to have recently opened a third outlet — this time round at Piccadilly Circus in the Jalan Kayu area. The address might be unfamiliar to some, but they are located around the Jalan Kayu Guardhouse — some might also refer to the guardhouse as the former RAF Seletar Camp Gate. This would be Whisk & Paddle’s smallest location, though it features both an indoor and outdoor dining area with some part of the outdoor dining area completely exposed to the elements. Known best as a cafe that serves up brunch offerings and western fare with a slight Asian touch for some dishes — the food menu for their Piccadilly Circus outlet is split into sections dedicated to Starters, Kids Menu, Breakfast, Bar Bites, 10 Inches Pizza, Mains, Pasta and Desserts.

The Seafood Risotto is an item that is listed under the Pasta section of the menu; the online POS system described the dish to come with elements such as squid, mussels, Rosé sauce and their very own risotto grain mix. Digging into the Seafood Risotto, we did find that the risotto comes with enough moisture with the grains coming from the Rosé sauce — the mix of grains does provide some texture for some bite and chew, while there is the use of cheese that gives an added hint of savouriness to the Rosé sauce. The typical Rosé sauce sees the use of a tomato-based sauce that is mixed with cream or cheese to achieve a richer, tangy note than the usual tomato-based sauce — this also provides a bit more depth of flavours for the dish as well. There are also a some bits of red onions that can be found within the risotto that adds a bit of element of crunch to provide for a variance of textures. Thought that the squid used for the dish was rather decent, though the mussels did feel that it could come a little fresher for a better experience overall.

It has been some time since we had visited Tsukiji Kaisen Don at Holland Village Shopping Centre — these folks had recently opened their second Tsukiji Kaisen Don location at Fortune Centre. Located at Level 4 of the building, these folks can be found right beside HAO LAI WEI 好来味 (a store specialising in fish soup) — for those whom are not aware, Tsukiji Kaisen Don is a concept by the same folks whom run Chirashizushi Shou; they also run Takumi Sakabar also at Holland Village Shopping Centre; those whom have been following the happenings of the local F&B scene for a longer duration of time would probably also recall how the Chirashizushi Shou was by the same folks behind the now-defunct Sumo-Ya previously at Nankin Row. It does seem that there are some slight differences in the menu offered at Tsukiji Kaisen Don’s Fortune Centre outlet as compared to what was being offered at their Holland Village Shopping Centre when they had first launched — the menu consists of categories dedicated to Kaisen Don, Chirashj Don, Makimono, Sashimi, Ramen & Don and Appetisers.

The Caramelised Salmon Maki is an item that is listed in the Makimono section of the menu at Tsukiji Kaisen Don. Though the menu does not describe the elements included in the dish, it can be observed that the Caramelised Salmon Maki does feature elements such as sushi rice, salmon sashimi, Tamagoyaki, Nori, cucumber and surimi — it also does come with a drizzle of mayonnaise over the top as well. Picking up a piece of the Caramelised Salmon Maki, we did find that the Maki here was packed a little loosely — it does seem to feel like it would fall apart rather easily if one applied slightly more pressure on the chopsticks to pick them up. The elements of cucumber, surimi and Tamagoyaki featured within the Caramelised Salmon Maki does give a little bit of a crunch, springy bite and a slight hint of eggy sweetness within, while the sushi rice does come with a subtle hint of sweetness whilst the consistency of it was sufficiently sticky — the salmon sashimi over the top was also pretty fresh as well. What was more notable for us was the sugary crust that was flame-torched over the salmon sashimi — this does carry a hint of caramel-like sweetness and a crisp crunch that provided a variance of texture that kept the item rather unique to its own.

There has been quite a number of new tenants that had recently moved into Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre of the late — whilst we had recently mentioned about Heritage Yong Tau Foo which had appeared in the yellow zone of the food centre, another stall that had moved in a couple of months back in the green zone of the food centre would be Santan & Spice. These folks can be found occupied a stall unit in the row right next to where the now-defunct Zhu Zhu Zai 猪猪仔 used to be located. A stall that is Muslim-run, Santan & Spice serves up Nasi Lemak as its primary offering — this would include four (4) variants where one can opt for either the Nasi Lemak Ayam or Nasi Lemak Ikan, and whether to pair it with their Sambal Sotong. Another item which Santan & Spice offer would be their Tahu Begedil — so keep in tabs with their Instagram page for the availability of the item.

The Nasi Lemak Ayam comes without much surprises in terms of the elements it features — think Ayam Goreng Berempah (Wing), anchovies, peanuts, sambal chili and an omelette, and is priced affordably at $4.50. What we found rather interesting with the Nasi Lemak at Santan & Spice is seemingly the use of glutinous rice for its coconut milk-infused rice — the rice does come with a sticky texture that is quite unlike most Nasi Lemak that we have come across, all that while the rice does carrying a very light saltish note that tickles the tastebuds. The highlight of the Nasi Lemak Ayam for us would be the Ayam Goreng Berempah (Wing); these does come warm when we made our visit slightly before lunch peak hours — the exterior does come with a crisp whilst the meat within is still tender and juicy. The Ayam Goreng Berempah (Wing) was also very well marinated with very distinct notes of turmeric and lemongrass as well. The omelette that came alongside was pretty run-of-the-mill but decent, while the anchovies still carried a crunch for a variance of textures for the Nasi Lemak Ayam. The sambal that came alongside with the Nasi Lemak Ayam came more saltish than sweet without the grease; complimented the Nasi Lemak itself pretty well whilst carrying a suitable note of spiciness which would be pretty manageable for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness.

Wasshoi Ramen was one of the stalls that we came across when going around Timbre+ one-north; whilst there has been many tenants that have left the hawker centre since our last visit there, Wasshoi Ramen is one out of a handful of new tenants that had recently moved into Timbre+ one-north. For those whom are familiar with the hawker centre, these folks are located diagonally across from the outlet of Iskina Cebu there. It is said that the stall is run by a chef from Tokyo, Japan; his image does seem to portray some underground vibes which runs deep into the branding and DNA of the stall as well in the way that the logo, signboards and menu boards are being designed. Focusing on their Tonkotsu Ramen, patrons do have a choice to opt between the Ajitama Tonkotsu Ramen, Tonkotsu Ramen, Premium Pork Cheek Ramen with Ajitama and the Mentaiko Tonkotsu Ramen; those preferring dry ramen also can go for the Mazesoba as well.

The Premium Pork Cheek Ramen with Ajitama is the priciest ramen on the menu at $13.80; this item is described in the menu to come with elements such as braised pork cheek alongside a savoury broth; all that with noodles and a soy-marinated soft-boiled egg. Other elements included that is not being described would be the black fungus and the dollop of chili that comes in the middle of the bowl of ramen. It is noted that the type of ramen noodles being used here are that of the Hakata-style thin straight ramen noodles; the noodles here are done to a soft texture that is easy to chew apart. The ramen broth does come fairly easy to drink; unlike some Tonkotsu broth which can come a little too heavy or creamy, the broth here does come lightly savoury and a little umami — the inclusion of chili adds a little more depth of flavours to the broth without making it particularly rich. We were also pretty surprised with the level of spiciness of the chili which was rather atypical for a Japanese dish; the piquant spiciness was almost akin to that of fresh chili padi, coming at a level that should be manageable for those whom are tolerable to slightly lower than moderate levels of spiciness. The braised pork cheek was the MVP here of the lot; tender and easy to chew without carrying any undesirable porky stench — torched lightly with the flame-torch for a light smokiness as well. The soy-marinated soft-boiled egg did come with a deep savoury note though the yolk wasn’t as runny as we expected, while the black fungus did provide a chewy texture for a contrast with everything else in the bowl.

It has been some time since Omega 猪肉粉 Pork Noodle has made its entry into the Singapore F&B scene with the opening of their very first outpost here at Jewel Changi Airport — the brand is one that originated from Kuala Lumpr, Malaysia. It does seem that the brand has quite a plan to expand its Singapore operations further — this includes this new outlet at Northpoint City (taking over the former premises of the now-defunct The Hainan Story Coffee House) while another location at Lau Pa Sat is slated to open some-time in May 2026. The Northpoint City outlet of Omega 猪肉粉 Pork Noodle is their largest location thus far in Singapore — seating space can be described as a little cramped for some seats though the dining environment is more pleasant than that of the Jewel Changi Airport location. There seems to be a Breakfast Special menu that is listed in the online POS system though this is not reflected in the hard copy menu — the menu comprises of sections dedicated to Omega Signature Pork Noodle, Omega Secret Recipe, Omega Handmade Fish Ball Noodles and Signature Side Dish.

We had given the Omega Signature Pork Noodle Dry and the Omega Nanyang White Curry a go previously during our visit to their Jewel Changi Airport location when they had first opened its doors; considering so, we decided to go for something a little different this time during our visit to their outlet at Northpoint City. The Fresh Herbs Spicy & Sour Noodle is an item that is listed under the Omega Signature Recipe section of the menu — we had opted for our choice of noodle to come with the dish as the Mee Pok. Omega Pork Noodle does not describe the elements that is included with their various menu items; with that being said, the Fresh Herbs Spicy & Sour Noodle does come with a broth that came with a green hue; all that whilst coming with condiments like surimi crab sticks, fish balls, prawn, pork meatballs, fish cake and tomatoes. A wedge of lime also comes with the item on the side for patrons to squeeze the zest into the broth. The broth of the Fresh Herbs Spicy & Sour Noodle can be described as something that is similar to that of a fusion of Thai Green Curry and Tom Yum; whilst the item comes described with “Spicy & Sour” in its namesake, there is definitely a hint of sweetness from sweet basil that one could detect amidst the zippy and zingy notes in the dish — the level of spiciness is one in which should be pretty manageable even for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness. The choice of Mee Pok does seemingly make the dish come quite close to feeling like some fusion form of Khao Soi that is still rather easy to have, though the portion of noodles is pretty generous for the dish. Other elements that come with the Fresh Herbs Spicy & Sour Noodle are pretty much processed fare that is made commercially available — most of which being nothing to shout about, though we are glad that this turned out to be a unique take of things especially considering how it pretty much sounded more like a dish inspired by mainland Chinese flavours in its namesake.