Welcome to Lavender.

oatside really beings out the fruity notes of the single origin blend!! one of my fav oat whites now

My favourite tang yuan stall in Singapore - Ah Balling Tangyuan! They also have a stall at One Punggol Hawker Centre!

I love that the tangyuan flavours can be picked ball by ball! Got 2 yam, 2 peanut and 1 matcha tangyuan with peanut ball soup!

Like a comforting yet elevated home dinner prepared by self-taught chef Jeffrey, Ovenbird was everything I expected and more. The casual one-man restaurant was like a gem hidden in the quiet basement of City Gate. As the sole solo dinner there that evening (I secured the slot very last minute as I chanced upon it just days before; truly a very spontaneous dinner plan for me), chef Jeffrey was a very gracious and attentive host, making sure I left rolling and was bursting at the seams from the Autumn menu ($165).

🐟[Hokkaido Herring (Nishin) vinegared for 2 days & Steamed Monkfish Liver (Ankimo)]

-A great starter to whet one’s appetite; the distinctive, mild salty, oily fish flavour of the herring was superbly balanced. The Chinese monkfish liver steamed with sake broth was also wonderfully done as its meaty texture was two thumbs up! And I love that the mild sweetness came without a trace of fishiness.

🐟[Fried Hokkaido Monkfish Fillets (Anko Karaage)]

-Pretty greasy but the sliced Hiroshima Sudachi helped cut the richness. It was my first-time having monkfish fillets, so the firm, plump, muscular texture was a nice surprise.

🐟[Hokkaido Prowfish (Bouzo Ginnpo) aged 9 days, marinated in Sakekasu & Saikyomiso | Ceps/French Porcini and Girolles Mushrooms]

-Brilliant combination, the little East-meets-West number was so tangy and delicious. Similar to cod, the Prowfish was tender, moist and a fantastic blend of firm-flakey. And oh wow, the crisp crunchy fish skin was so good. Slightly boozy, the alcohol-infused cream sauce was stellar too with the bits of earthy fresh French mushrooms.

🐟[Salted Grilled Kanagawa Beltfish aged 8 days (Tachiuou Shioyaki)]

-Spritzed with sake, the grilled beltfish was a simple and satisfying dish. Not grilled all the way through, the seasoned slice was charmingly fatty and soft.

🐟[Grilled Tsushima Mackerel (Ma Saba) vinegared for 3 days wrapped in nori]

-With the slightly pungent yet bright floral taste of the fresh-grated wasabi to tie all the elements together, the wrap really highlighted the delicate briny flavours of the mackerel.

🐟[Hokkaido Japanese Amberjack Loin (Buri) aged 5 days & Ibaraki Radish (Daikon)]

-Whilst braised radish will always have a special place in my heart, the buri was marvellous, aged amberjack at its finest - melty, fatty, perfectly seasoned thick slices with beautiful crisp seared skin. Though flavours were prominently the very familiar, umami soy-sauce dashi base.

🐟[Prawn Shaped Taro (Ebi Imo), Sakuna Pumpkins (Kabu) and Black Hen of the Woods Mushrooms (Kuro Maitake) simmered in Summer Unagi Eel Sauce, Coho Salmon]

-At this point, I was ready to call it a day but I pushed on. The ebi-imo with its intriguing texture was rather firm, not all that fibrous and none too sweet. A hearty autumn dish with sweet pumpkin and salmon bathing in a slight herbaceous sauce.

🐟[Miyagi Shiogama Blue Fin Tuna (Hon Maguro), Grilled Shimonita Leeks (Negi), Marinated Salmon Roe Sacs (Sujiko), Ibaraki Smoked Daikon Pickles (Iburi-gakko) with Sushi Rice (shari)]

-Going over the top with his idea of a ‘cai peng’ - calling it ‘2 meat 1 veg’; the exquisite bowl was a treat. Apart from the boozy Sujiko which was a bit too much for me, the elements were great. The roughly cut Maguro was amazing - high-quality buttery texture. In place of wasabi, the charred leeks were insanely sharp and kinda spicy yet moreish. And wah, the crunchy, smokey daikon pickles that came in mid-way during the meal was the best part. The unique smoky aroma was so shiok - full-bodied, savoury with a hint of sweetness.

🍐[Seasonal Fruits - Le Lectier & Le France Pears]

Once you reach this stall, you would find lots of people waiting around it. Unlike the traditional ordering system, you don’t rush to join any visible queue here. Because you have to collect the number plate hanging at the side of the stall first.

Then wait for your number to be called, only you make your order with them. Which they will prepare your food immediately after payment.

All their sets are standard come with Ajitsuke Tamago, Pressed Tofu, Tofu Puff, Shiitake Mushroom, Black Fungus, Vegetables and rice. Add-on is available as well.

I can see why they are so popular here, considering the portion and taste. Really enjoy the overload dark sauce with the meat.

The pork belly has really fatty texture in every pieces, but they does get a bit overwhelming at the end.

The cheesecake really lives up to their name. It tastes amazing. One of the best cheesecake I have ever had. I also had their burpple 1-for-1 ribeye. It was a great deal and the ribeye had a unique Chao Ta taste

I tried their Briyani on a Sunday. Did not had to wait for too long as there was a small queue around 11.30am. The cost was around $8 each for the mutton and chicken briyani. Their food was not as tasty as what the reviews have been saying. The mutton was not fantastic and the curry did not blend into the rice well. The briyani lacked masala which is the most critical element that makes the dish exceptional.

To give them some credit, their briyani rice was cooked to perfection with a nice aroma but that alone is not enough for a briyani. The meat and curries have to be excellent as well and they do not fare well in those areas.

I was appalled by their service. One of the worker gave preference to some of the customers who were standing behind me. He picked and chose who he wanted to serve even though there was a queue. I found it very unprofessional and left a bad impression on their service.

Overall it’s not worth the hype and I have eaten way better briyani in S’pore at other lesser known places. You can try here once, but definitely not a place I would come back again.

Generous size of chickens withe super yummy authentic Colombia gravy. U can choose to add vegetables for $1 to $6.50. Not spicy at all, great value for all ages.

Set meal comes with a side of Taiwanese popcorn chicken.

The Mee sua here can eat with just the spoon, and taste as good as Ay Chung, which is also served with pig Intestine.

Pop corn chicken also damn good, crispy and well seasoned. Those that once u start eating, cannot stop.

Finally trying the HAPPY BOX ($62) from Elijah Pies!

A Happy Box Dessert Pies Tart as my birthday cake! (Yes, I am more of a TART person than cake person!)

8 different signature flavours all in one box so you can enjoy the best of all world with your family and friends! My family actually separated out each tart into equal portions so that we can try all 8 flavours!

So here, I present to you my order ranking of the dessert pies according to my taste preference:

-Honey Chrysanthemum: This was my TOP favourite! It was so so good! Had it as the first piece, and up until the last piece, I still cant get over how good this tart was! Fragrant chrysanthemum, naturally sweet with honey undertones.

-Yuzu Meringue: My second favourite! Zesty curd with yuzu juice infused, and topped with lightly torched meringue kisses.

-Wild Berry Lavender: This was the pie which attracted me to elijah pies years ago (yes, i have been eyeing elijah pies for a few years now before I finally tried it this year, twice somemore HAHA)! I was initially afraid that the lavender taste will be too strong, hence I did not dare to buy one whole pie itself! Having eaten just one slice, it was the right balance! As it has real berries in it with yoghurt, there was a fruity taste, which balanced out the very subtle lavender hint. So this is actually quite good!

-Speculoos Hojicha: Two of my favourite ingredients all in one!

-Lime Thyme: This was slightly too sour for my liking!

-Nutella: This was unlike the typical sweet nutella, as this was mixed with dark chocolate! Hence, if you are not a dark chocolate fan, this is not for you too!

-Matcha Latte: When I got my box of elijah pies earlier, I spent a long time deciding between Matcha Latte and Speculoos Hojicha (but eventually went for speculoos hojicha)! So happy to finally try this now! Hehe, and luckily for me, the verdict that was out was that I didnt fancy this matcha latte pie! Didnt fancy the meringue pearls layer, and I thought the matcha custard didnt have a strong enough matcha taste

-Raspberry Ripple: I am sorry but this was my least liked tart of all (surprisingly)! While it was the top favourite of some of my family members. This consists of cream cheese with raspberry compote and topped with pistachio. For me, the cream cheese layer was way too thick to my liking, and I dont really fancy creamy tart/cake!

If I will to buy Elijah Pies again, it will be one whole honey chrysanthemum pie!!

Wanted to get this happy box a few months ago, but it was a seasonal item that was not sold all the time, hence when we saw it a few days ago, we immediately carted it out! It is still available now, so act fast!

Cafe Lilac started out as an online business selling taro tarts. Now it's a cafe selling plenty of taro desserts.

Both the Taro Tiramisu & Taro Cheesecake were good. Tiramisu was creamy. And the taro filling in both tasted rather good, like those orh née desserts from those Chinese restaurant.

Cafe Lilac started out as an online business selling taro tarts. Now it's a cafe selling plenty of taro desserts.

Both the Taro Tiramisu & Taro Cheesecake were good. Tiramisu was creamy. And the taro filling in both tasted rather good, like those orh née desserts from those Chinese restaurant.

Refreshing, especially for a hot day, which is starting to become more common recently.

The Lilac Lemonade is an interesting concotion by the cafe, the drink changes color from blue to Lilac Purple, after pouring the lemon juice into the butterfly blue Pea beverage.