Relish by lawyer-turned-chef Willin Low @ Cluny Court

Charsiew burger. Slow cooked till the pork is fall-off-the-bone tender.

My favourite: the beef burger with peanut butter sauce, blue cheese and poached pear. A*STAR combination.

Kim Dae Mun, Orchard Road

Hidden find: Good value and delicious Korean food at the basement of the old Concorde Hotel 

Potato Pancake

Spicy chicken soup with potato starch noodles

The hotplate meats here are cooked using a special hot water technique that uses no oil at all. Guilt-free dining!

I love that savoury anchovy side dish sprinkled over my rice.

Ippudo, Mandarin Gallery

Baker and Cook, Holland Village

Sausage roll in Singapore!

Fosters English Rose Cafe, Holland Village

I had the joy of having a good conversation over scones and tea recently. 

We were dressed simply, we chatted interestedly, we ate heartily.

When she spoke, I listened;

When I spoke, she did the same.

The conversations that took place, 

transcended what was in the self's interest.

Such afternoons leave me amazed,

at the peace that can be the case.

But I leaned back deep into the armchair,

sipped my earl grey tea, 

and stayed unfazed,

determined to enjoy the gentle sun's rays.

It was a laidback afternoon, 

such days are rare, 

once in a blue moon.

The cream tea set at Fosters Cafe is probably one of the worst kept secrets in Singapore. At about $12 for a person's portion of cream tea (comprising 2 scones, 1 slice of cake, 2 finger sandwiches and a cup of tea), it's hard to see why. What made the cherry on top of the icing for me was how fresh the produce was. My scones were very evidently fresh out of the oven, and stayed warm throughout my leisurely afternoon tea. Extra points too for how quintessentially British the cream tea was. Forget the fancy three-tiered sets of pompous afternoon tea that seems to be the trend around here; afternoon tea in the UK is at its best when done in the most homely fashion possible. It is inviting; it is comforting. 

Fosters has done a great job in bringing a slice of the UK to Singapore. I sure hope someone can do the same with Sunday roasts as what Fosters has done with their cream tea. Fingers crossed.

Fosters English Rose Cafe/ Fosters Steakhouse

277 Holland Ave

Holland Village

Contact: 6466-8939

(cream tea available from 3pm to 6pm)

Necessary Provisions, Bukit Timah / Eng Kong

What attracted me to check out this cafe, was its relatively secluded location. Nestled amongst the private estates at the Eng Kong and Toh Tuck area of the West, I was hoping for a place where I could enjoy some quiet cafe time, take leisurely sips of my latte or flat white while engaging in some reading or writing. Alas, like most other cafes, Necessary Provisions gives no such provision. 

Coffee here is sold by the amount of milk you want to go in your cup with that shot of espresso (or two). I got a nice blend that didn't leave an acidic aftertaste. Pity though, the turnover rate was high, and it was made pretty clear to me that I couldn't stay for long. 

The food selection also left much to be desired. Breakfast options seem limited, and dealt with with a somewhat arbitrary approach - I saw homecooked bee hoon (rice vermicelli) being offered off the menu, and a scant display of baked items. The former seemed to me as a weak attempt to elevate our local breakfast, and the latter, a token effort to provide baked items.

Necessary Provisions

21 Eng Kong Terrace

Contact: 9231 7920

Opening hours:

Tues to Thurs: 10am to 10pm

Fri & Sat: 10am to Midnight

Sun: 10am to 6pm