Lobang Queen 💰

I wouldn’t have known about this tiny coffee shop if it weren’t for Burpple Beyond although I drive past the area almost every day. Olla Specialty Coffee doesn’t face the main road, it’s near Balmoral Bakery but faces the courtyard of the HDB estate.

Seating is limited, but it’s a very cozy little place. There are two tables and some seats against the wall with “armrest tables”, plus two tables directly outside. The outdoor tables were well sheltered from the rain so no worries even on a thundery day like today. The interior is lovely, and the baristas are friendly too. As we were seated outside, there was a slight accident with the first matcha soy latte drink that was made as it spilled while the barista was carrying it. However, instead of wincing in pain or cursing, the sweet barista was more apologetic that I had to wait longer for my drink! She immediately apologised and had a new drink prepared.

The matcha latte was really really good. It’s thick with a slight bitter matcha aftertaste. At $5.50 for two cups (or $5 if you opt for regular milk) with Burpple beyond, this is an absolute steal! I would totally return to Olla, perhaps to try their coffee and waffles this time!

Made a reservation on Chope and I’m glad I did because the restaurant was apparently full house for the night. When we ordered, we were told that food might take a while to be served, so at least they warned us. Thankfully, we had a lot to chat about so time passed pretty quickly while we were waiting.

The Cheeky Git is a cheeky name for a braised beef cheek dish served atop mashed potatoes. The beef was fork tender and my dining party was amazed at how soft it was. With Burpple Beyond 1 for 1 Main Dishes, this was very affordable and high quality. Would make a return visit for this dish!

First time visiting Sarnies for their dinner menu. Even on a weeknight, this place is pretty popular but there shouldn’t be much issues getting a seat indoors or outdoors.

King trumpet mushrooms:
This side was recommended by our server as we were choosing between this and the Arancini. The sliced mushrooms were sautéed in chopped garlic and served with fried garlic chips and sprinkled with coarse grains of rock salt. Overall, I really liked how flavourful and juicy the mushrooms were, and the garlic chips were awesome cause they were crisp but not burnt. I wouldn’t recommend eating the garlic bits sprinkled on the side as there’s lots of sea salt bits in them, they make for nice presentation and deco but too salty to eat on its own. One thing that could be improved on is how oily the dish is though. The top and middle layer were okay but a pool of oil ended up collecting at the bottom.

Chicken parmigiana ($19):
A breaded chicken breast with tomato paste, and melted cheese served with coleslaw and fries. This main sure takes me back to Aussie days. For $19, this is definitely very value for money especially considering the size of the chicken and the location of Sarnies. The chicken is perfectly breaded and fried to a golden brown, with just the right quantity of sauces. The breading doesn’t get soggy, and the chicken remains moist and soft on the inside. The coleslaw was not bad, I appreciate that it wasn’t too wet. The fries, while crispy and beautifully fried, tended to be a little too under seasoned. More salt or spices would’ve done the fries some good, but I ended up dipping them in the aioli that came with the barramundi main instead and loved it.

Pan seared barramundi ($25.50):
A tender piece of barramundi with crisp skin served atop pea purée with a decorative dollop of lemon aioli. I love how much thought went into the presentation of this dish, and while the portion of fish wasn’t that large, it was very affordable with Entertainer 1-for-1. The green crispy cracker didn’t have much taste, but food presentation is half the battle, and it sure did elevate this main to the next level. I love how soft and tender the barramundi was, along with the contrasting crisp skin that was so satisfying to cut and bite into. The pea purée was great too, considering I don’t like peas. It wasn’t bland, nor did it have an overly vegetal taste. Also, possibly a healthier alternative to mashed potatoes so I’m not complaining. The lemon aioli is rich and creamy, and pairs really well with the barramundi as well as fries.

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner meal at Sarnies, perhaps even more than our breakfast. I think I’ll be utilising my remaining Entertainer offers for dinner rather than breakfast as is one of the few gems that Entertainer has 1 for 1 offers for which Burpple Beyond doesn’t, plus there was a deal with Mains & Dessert for use on Mon-Thur dinner which I intended to use (but received wrong information on how to redeem it so I ended up being served and paying for only one dessert). I should’ve checked more thoroughly since I ended up missing the chance to use the Mains & Dessert weeknight dinner deal :(

I visited TRR at 3pm on a Tuesday afternoon and managed to get 30% off food items via an Eatigo booking. Despite that, our bill with two appetisers, one pasta and one drink (not applicable for eatigo discount) came up to approx $50. The main culprit was the lobster pasta (U.P.$28.80). Although the appetisers were good, I can’t find any justifications to pay $50 for such substandard food in an area where renowned cafes with great food and coffee are a dime a dozen. Might be worth just visiting for the appetisers or a drink to get a feel of the ambience at TRR, but don’t get the lobster pasta.

Personal recommendations:
- TRR’s Signature Spicy Wings
- Portobello Fries

One of the signature drinks at Mellower Coffee, the Ondeh X Latte was actually specially crafted for the Singapore Bugis flagship store. It’s definitely pricey at $9.80, but its a gorgeous beverage.

The ondeh latte is already pre-mixed so you can’t opt for a change of milk, but it’s made with coconut milk so it’s dairy-free. It does take a while to prepare as the glass rims are lined with shaved coconut. Take a sip of the pretty pastel green ondeh latte on its own, which has a delicate pandan aroma. Whenever you’re ready for a shot, add the espresso-gula melaka mix into your drink. The espresso overpowers the sweet pandan ondeh latte, transforming it to a bitter bomb, but there’s a layer of gula melaka syrup at the bottom of the cup that balances out the sweetness level once again. The ondeh latte is a pretty good drink on its own if you’re not looking for a caffeine perk, but dump in the espresso and you’ve got some pretty strong stuff going for you.

* 10% off for NUS staff/students/alumni!

* Mellower Coffee is quieter on weekdays if you’re looking for a chill place to do work or have drinks after dinner.

I think this is one of the more expensive mains in the Plentyfull menu. It would be pricey at $27++ on its own, but with Entertainer’s 1 for 1 Main Dish offer, this was actually very affordable.

I’m always in awe of Beyond Meat patties, and Plentyfull managed to cook this to a lovely medium rare doneness with a lovely red center. The buns were great as well, and the combination of melted cheese with caramelised onions was perfect.

The fries at Plentyfull were also artfully done. They were crispy, yet not dripping in oil. A little on the pale yellow side, but don’t let their colour fool you. They’re seasoned with just enough salt. We actually polished off ALL the fries because they were so good. Definitely one of the mains I will be ordering time and again with Entertainer because it’s worth the money.

*Plentyfull is on Entertainer. The 1 for 1 Mains include the Brunch, Sandwiches and Mains sections!

*Try reserving a table in advance if you want a nicer seat! Plentyfull is on Chope!

For eco-aware individuals, Kipos Gourmet offers $0.50 off each bowl you bring. Sometimes the staff forget, so just remind them if they do. Save the planet and some money at the same time while having delicious and nutritious food at Kipos :)

If you’re visiting Mellower Coffee’s flagship outlet at Bugis and are an NUS affiliate, remember to flash your student/staff/alumnus card to get 10% off your drinks. If not, use GrabPay so you can get some points while paying.

For the National Day period, you can even enjoy 54% off your second coffee (only coffee items are eligible for this promo), or selected cakes for $5.40.

This is like the Vietnamese version of char kway tiao or pad thai. It’s the first time we’ve ordered this out of our numerous visits because I’m a creature of habit. Hahaha. Anyway, this dish didn’t disappoint. The noodles were slick and nicely cooked, not too soft, hard or oily. They even have a slight hint of wok hei that we were not expecting. There’s quite a bit of ingredients tossed in, so you have a mix of prawns, crabstick, mushrooms, tau pok and eggs. While none of these are particularly unique, they work together to make this dish delicious. We also enjoyed the chilli served together with these noodles, which were actually spicier than I expected. They’re really good when eaten together with the noodles! While I have other favourites on the menu that I always turn to, this is one dish that I might consider from time to time!

*The Orange Lantern (AND Harbourfront Centre) is FavePay-friendly! Remember to use FavePay, especially after 6pm, to get upsized 10% cashback!

Another one for one promotion from 3-5pm this week at Jewel Coffee. Unfortunately they were out of skim milk, so I topped up $1 for soy. I went with the Brazil roast, and felt that this was actually the best drink I’ve had at Jewel so far.

With the Brazil roast, my cappuccino had a chocolatey flavour with a nutty finish. Hmm. Bit expensive for 8oz, but not too bad if you have a coffee kaki during the 1-for-1 promo.

A few different deals available on Burpple Beyond at Tom’s Palette including 1-for-1 4oz cup, waffles and double scoop and a takeaway tub (750ml). We originally wanted the waffles and double scoop deal but we arrived just when they opened at 1pm on Sunday and were informed that the waffles weren’t ready yet, so we settled for the 4oz cup instead.

We were excited by how many interesting and unique flavours Tom’s Palette had to offer like salted egg, lei cha, Parmesan cheese cracker. They do have the regular ‘safe’ flavours, as well as dairy-free flavours so you’re covered no matter how you like your ice cream. Thankfully, they do allow tastings and you’re also allowed to have two flavours in each cup (this is awesome!!!). We settled on the Lei Cha/Dark Chocolate sorbet for the first cup (front) and White Chocolate Miso Nori/Croc (or some chocolate name) for the second cup and loved all of them!

The lei cha was surprisingly very good. It tasted somewhat like matcha, with a grassy taste and some herbal afternotes. The dark chocolate sorbet was amazing from start to end, and never got jelak. It’s rich and slightly bitter, but not so creamy that it overwhelms your tastebuds. I think my absolute fav was the white chocolate miso nori which comes with chunks of white chocolate glazed almonds and has a sweet yet complementary savoury taste. The almonds add a lovely crunch to the ice cream too, and you can see the little bits of seaweed in the ice cream. Whoever came up with this flavour is a mad genius, but this flavour combination works like a dream! I really can’t remember the name of the last flavour but it’s named after a wafer chocolate bar and it’s a chocolate-based ice cream with chunks of the chocolate bar inside. This was the sweetest out of the flavours, but it wasn’t overly sweet and these four flavours were a great combination overall.

At $5 for a 4oz cup with two choices of flavours, Tom’s Palette is already very affordable. With Burpple Beyond’s 1-for-1 deal, it’s a steal! Even if you don’t have Burpple Beyond, present a valid student card for 10% off your orders! I’ll definitely be back for more awesome ice cream with or without the deal!

PS. Cafe offers 50% off their desserts (note that this only applies to cakes and tarts on display) after 9pm. Note that different outlets have different offer starting times but the one at Paragon begins from 9pm.

There were only the coconut tart and lemon tart left on the menu that were available for this offer and the waitress suggested getting the coconut tart so we tried it. After 50% off the original price of $13, we paid $6.50 for a coconut tart served in condensed milk/coconut milk (?). This tart was pretty good, I didn’t really taste the coconut flavour in the tart though. The tart filling is quite crumbly, and it’s topped with almond florentines. Eating the almond florentines on their own was too sweet for my liking, but they were good with the tart. I didn’t think the milk below added much flavour but it might’ve been to make the tart less dry.

This wasn’t a dish on the menu that would’ve caught my eye under normal circumstances and I probably wouldn’t order it at regular price but it’s worth it at $6.50 as it’s really large and not too bad.