she paints the kitchen red

melvados – the original brownie cafe

today, the boy had a couple of hours to spare before his production meeting so we thought it’d be a good idea to chill at a cafe. i immediately thought of a particular one at bukit timah, one which a friend and i passed by exactly a week ago.

since we already had breakfast, we decided to share a meal. for starters, we had the fresh salad, which comprised shredded lettuce, raisins, sliced olives, baby tomatoes and capsicums. ($5.90+)

we didn’t really like this dish because the taste of the olive came through too strongly, and we discovered there were actually slivers of onions in it. the dressing was nice, but that wasn’t enough to salvage this dish. (in our opinion at least)

after that, we had the mushroom cream sauce spaghetti ($7.90+). this was very good – the cream sauce was substantial (not the campbell’s mushroom soup base kind) and there were a lot of mushrooms, to our delight. the cream sauce was not cloying, and neither it was too “heavy.”

we shared a passion twister ($7.00+), a gem from their gourmet pot tea selection. i have to admit, i was sold by the line on the menu that said “all pot teas are served with a plate of assorted cookies.” 🙂 the tea was good – green tea with a hint of rose hips and the fruity taste of passion fruit. by the way, their pot teas serve 2; we had a total of 2 cups each if i remember correctly.

we ended our gastronomic indulgence with a plate of black and white kisses ($5.90+), an absolutely moist brownie studded with white and dark chocolate chips, served with a dollop of good vanilla ice cream and drizzle with strawberry sauce. this sent us to chocolate heaven. i liked the fact that the brownie wasn’t overly dense and rich, so we didn’t have problems licking the plate clean.

i’d definitely come back again. the ambience of the cafe is pleasant and soothing, a perfect place to chill and catch up with friends. i’d love to try their hotplate brownie and their wide array of both hot and cold beverages!

Melvados – The Original Brownie Cafe
559, Bukit Timah Road, King’s Arcade Center
#01-01 Singapore 269695
Tel: 6469 3101
Fax: 6469 3102

Opening Hours

Monday – Sunday (Unless Otherwise Specified)

11:00am – 10:30pm

(Last Order 9:30pm)

Cafe y Te

when i was holidaying in phuket with the family last week, we came across a very charming cafe while scouring the streets of the old town. we had just arrived in the morning and were in need of refreshments because the weather was pretty hot and any place that had air-conditioning was very appealing.

this italian-themed cafe was the brainchild of miss giorgi, a very friendly lady who filled us in about her life and how she decided to dabble in the baking business. she was terribly amused when she saw my father’s (very detailed) itinerary-checklist on where to go and what to do in phuket, claiming that more men should be like him. 😀

we actually went there twice, upon arrival and before our flight back to singapore. the chocolate banana custard cake was to die for – a filling of very ripe bananas and custard was sandwiched between moist and fluffy layers of chocolate sponge cake. it was served with a generous spray of whipped cream and chocolate sauce. this sent me straight to chocolate heaven.

the creme caramel flan which my father ordered was equally mouthwatering. the custard was silky smooth and the nutty sweetness of the caramel was just right.

although the filling of the lemon meringue tart was a bit clumpy, it tasted good. the tartness of the filling complemented the sweet base and meringue topping well.

she said that the chocolate fudge cake is the bestseller, and we weren’t disappointed. two layers of chocolate sponge are filled with sweetened whipped cream, then smothered with a decadent chocolate glaze.

miss giorgi bakes all the cakes and desserts herself, which means you’ll get the freshest every day. she said she only bakes what she herself would eat, and she assures that only the best ingredients go into her creations. and because they are made with love, everything in that cake display exudes character.

the drinks were good too. i had the iced mint latte (i never came across this in singapore) and my mother had a green apple and ginger smoothie, which she loved. my father and i also had the triestino, which is a blend of ice, espresso, milk and sweetened condensed milk. the iced chocolate which my sister had was rich and satisfying, unlike some chocolate drinks which taste exactly like chocolate milk.

you shouldn’t miss this gem if you are in phuket. granted it’s out of the way from the touristy places like patong beach, you wouldn’t regret paying a visit to this charming cafe. take my word for it.

Cafe Y Te
92/1 Phangnga Road,
Talat Yai, Muang,
Phuket 83000, Thailand.

paddington house of pancakes

when i was in kl last week, i had the opportunity to taste one of the best pancakes i have ever had. (thank you kak huda for the recommendation!) the name of the place itself just beckons you to enter – paddington house of pancakes.

it’s a specialty shop that serves a whole range of pancakes, from savoury to sweet, your usual pancake to variations such as crepes and rolls, dollar pancakes… the list goes on.

my dad had the usual pancakes with strawberries, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, with a scattering of ground peanuts.

my mum had what they called “dollar pancakes”, which are actually small rounds, buried in a chockful of fruit and nuts. i think it was called the treasure trove. very apt.

my sister had these chocolate rolls, which was stuffed with peanuts and peanut butter. i thought it was nice, but they overloaded on the peanuts a little. peanut butter alone should’ve hit the mark.

and i had this gem – one whole big crepe topped with strawberries, bananas, ice cream and cream. this sent me straight to crepe heaven. i seriously recommend this place to those who are planning to head to kl. 🙂

of course we ate a LOT throughout the three days (believe me when i say a LOT) because practically everything is halal there, so we had marche, chili’s, bakerzin and subway. and more. 🙂