SgCafeHopping

Soi Thai Soi Nice...

It’s been awhile since I had good and cheap Thai food in Singapore. The more affordable and more authentic Thai restaurant, which I know of, are mostly found in Golden Mile Complex – often known as Little Thailand. But if you are staying in the West, travelling all the way down to Golden Mile Complex to get your Thai cravings fixed would be quite a hassle.

Taking over the space by Atmosphere Bistro previously, Soi Thai Soi Nice is a new and very affordable Thai restaurant at Alexandra Central Shopping Mall. Their value-for-money set menu has indeed drawn in quite a fair bit of office crowd during lunch and also huge group of families during weekends evening despite being located in an unfamiliar shopping mall. I was particularly drawn by their mouth-watering Royal Thai Hot Pot which until now is still deeply ingrained in my mind.

I was really amazed by the food at Soi Thai Soi Nice. Even though all the chefs are from Thailand, they spent quite a fair bit of time tuning the food to suit the local taste buds without losing so much of the Thai flavour and essence. In frame, my favourite Royal Thai Hot Pot and some of their popular dishes - Yum Kai Dhao (Fried Egg Salad), Pla Kra Pong Phad Kun Chai (Sliced Fish with Celery), Kai Jiao Cha Om (Fried Omelette with Thai herb Cha Om), Ka Nar Moo Krob (Bangkok style Stir Fry Kai Lan with Roasted Pork in Oyster Sauce) and Kho Moo Yang (Grilled Pork Neck). Yes, my Thai cravings have absolutely been solved! I am a happy man now!

Royal Thai Hot Pot // $68 (4 Pax)

This was sensational and mind-blowing, both to the eyes and mouth! I still couldn’t get over on how delicious this was! Similar to the Korean Army Stew, this Thai rendition is more flavourful and more addictive. The Tom Yum Soup was so addictive that I lost count on the number of bowls I drank. It wasn’t very spicy but the kick comes right at the end, just like an adrenaline rush, forcing you to take another sip. The aroma alone can caused you to drool! Besides the astonishing soup, they were also very generous in the portion of ingredients they include in the Hot Pot. My favourite, hands down, goes to the super fresh crayfish and succulent pork belly. The noodles are definitely not enough because all of us were fighting for it. So, you can either add more noodles or order a few bowls of rice. But if I were you, I will order both. Also, the Tom Yum Soup is refillable! A must-order when you visit them! You won’t regret!

Other than the Royal Thai Hot Pot, Soi Thai Soi Nice also offers an extensive range of delectable side dishes as seen in the following:

Yum Kai Dhao (Fried Egg Salad) // $6.80

This was a great appetiser! The ingredients complemented with one another very well – sweet, sour, and a little bit of crunchiness (from the cashew nuts).

Ka Nar Moo Krob (Bangkok Style Stir Fry Kai Lan with Roasted Pork in Oyster Sauce) // $8.80

To my surprise, the sauce wasn’t as heavy as what it looks like. It paired very well with the Kai Lan (no bitter aftertaste) as well as the roasted pork. The only thing that I thought could me improved would be the crunchiness of the roasted pork.

Kai Jiao Cha Om (Fried Omelette with Thai Herb Cha Om) // $7.80

Some people may detest the smell and taste of Thai Herb Cha Orm but you know what, I liked it. It did not smell bad but I thought it added an extra fragrance to the seemingly simple egg dish. Let me know if you share the same sentiment as me.

Kho Moo Yang (Grilled Pock Neck) // $9.80

I was never a fan of neck meat because it was, to me, harder. This was surprisingly alright. The meat was firm but not too hard. It was also very flavourful.

Pla Kra Pong Phad Kun Chai (Sliced Fish with Celery) // $13.80

The sweet-sour sauce was well-balanced and the fish slices were crispy. Overall, a great combination!

Also, Soi Thai Soi Nice serves classic and popular Thai desserts!

Red Ruby

I Team (Coconut Ice Cream with Corn Flakes in Palm Sugar) // $3.80

This glass of goodness is only $3.80! Like their Facebook page and you'll get this for free!

Kao Niao Ma Muang (Mango Sticky Rice) // $5.80

Classic Thai Dessert which will never go wrong!

Thank you Soi Thai Soi Nice & PR Salon for having me as well as the superb hospitality!

Nearest Mrt Station: Redhill

Location: 321 Alexandra Road #02-01 @ Alexandra Central (Next to Ikea) Singapore 159971

What To Order: Royal Thai Hot Pot

Restaurant Rating: 4/5

Food Ratings: 8/10

Written by: Yong Wei Kai (Follow me on Instagram @yongweikai or @sgcafehopping)

Ice Cream Skool...

Somehow, Ice Cream Skool reminded me of my Junior College days where I would hog the ice cream shop outside my school with my friends. This exact scene was repeated at Ice Cream Skool but with primary level kids streaming into the café after school and crowding around the place to get their ice cream cravings fixed.

Nestled in the Tampines neighbourhood, Ice Cream Skool is a cosy and unpretentious café that serves mainly home-made ice cream & waffles, as well as some other light bites at a very affordable price. Maybe affordable isn’t really the right word to describe the pricing at Ice Cream Skool, student-friendly would probably be a better word choice to portray the pricing at the café. So, if your school is located near Tampines, you should really pay Ice Cream Skool a visit.

Even though Ice Cream Skool might seem to be a café only for students, it is also a great place for family to hang out over some ice cream & waffles. I would, for sure, if I am staying in the East.

Still craving for the Matcha waffle from Ice Cream Skool! Definitely will visit them again if I'm in the Tampines vicinity!

Iced Matcha & Iced Chocolate // $5.90 each

Such a big cup only costs you like $5.90! Each of them also comes with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. Personally, I preferred the Iced Chocolate than the Iced Matcha. The Iced Matcha tasted too powdery for my liking. Also, you can choose the sugar level of your drinks. Just inform the staff if you want more or lesser sugar. Overall, it’s a good fix on a hot day, plus it is super value-for-money!

Soup & Bread // $3.20

The mushroom soup was not too bad! It was not too watery or creamy, just right. The breadstick was delicious! It was aromatic and flavourful, and I can’t stop myself from finishing every single one of it. The way to eat it: Dip the breadstick into the mushroom soup. A comfort food that I really missed!

Spicy Tom Yum Pasta // $10.90

I could smell the aroma of Tom Yum from a distance. The pasta was extremely flavourful with a tint of spiciness that kicks in at the end. Fret not, the spiciness of the pasta becomes more tolerable once you have a few mouthful of it. It later becomes more addictive. Overall, it was an appetising dish!

Creamy Mushroom Pasta // $9.90

The mushroom pasta was creamy but it would have been better if the flavour was stronger.

Chicken-In-A-Waffle // $4.90

This has to be one of my favourite at Ice Cream Skool. Priced at only $4.90, I can foresee that this will definitely be a hot favourite among students. The chicken is stuffed inside the crispy waffle (you rarely can find this elsewhere) and the combination works. Sorry, I didn't get to snap a picture of the chicken inside the waffle! It was fragrant and very easy to eat. How to watch diet when this is so good? The maple syrup also added an extra sweetness to the savoury chicken! You definitely need to try this!

Their flavoured waffles and home-made ice cream was pretty stellar. For a small ice cream shop, I was also really impressed with the richness and texture of their ice cream. They have quite a selection of ice cream. My favourites have to be the Mango Yoghurt, Mao Shan Wan (super addictive), Double Chocolate & Cookies & Cream. Like what I mentioned earlier, the ice cream texture and consistency was good. Not too soft, not too hard and not too chunky. I love it! Add one scoop of ice cream into your waffle at $3 and two scoop for $5.80! It is really damn cheap! Plus they give you a generous scoop of ice cream!

Butter Chip Waffle // $3.80

If you like crispy waffle, then you should really go for the butter chip flavoured one. It was also very aromatic!

Double Chocolate Waffle // $4.20

Chocolate lovers will definitely fall for this! The chocolate flavour was very rich and distinct. The outer layer was crispy while the inner layer was fluffy (texture of a muffin). There is also melted chocolate inside the waffle. Pure bliss! You have to order this, I couldn’t emphasize more! Before I forget, drizzle more chocolate sauce for maximum experience!

Matcha Waffle // $3.80

I fell in love with this instantly because as a long time Matcha lover, this definitely exceeded my expectation. Matcha flavour was distinct and it doesn’t tastes artificial. Complements very well with the ice cream. I am satisfied!

Thank you Ice Cream Skool for inviting me over! It was definitely a very comforting meal!

Nearest Mrt Station: Tampines

Location: Blk 445, Tampines, St 42, #01-10 Singapore 520445

What To Order: Tom Yum Pasta, Waffles & Ice Cream

Café Ratings: 3/5

Food Ratings: 7.5/10

Written by: Yong Wei Kai (Follow me on Instagram @yongweikai or @sgcafehopping)

Platform 1094....

Most people would have already heard about the new wizard-themed café located near Boon Keng Mrt. Indeed, Platform 1094 has been appearing on several social media platform for quite a while now since its opening and many people have since flocked to the café to soak themselves in the magical world of Harry Potter. You can really tell from the jam-packed crowd, both within and outside of the café. After numerous calls, we finally secured seats in the café.

The café was definitely designed to suit the Harry Potter theme, but it was not as big as what I have expected it to be. They also dedicated a small section of the cafe which was filled with all sorts of Harry Potter-related props (wizard hats and spectacles) for guests to take picture with. Their menu is relatively simple and affordable, with some really interesting food and drink items. So, is it really worth the hype? Read on to decide for yourself!

As simple as it may looks, the food did exceed my expectations. The pastas stood out the most for me as compared to their brunch menu. They were flavourful and addictive. The brunch items were not too bad but I thought it would probably be better if they could twit it a little bit by incorporating the theme into the menu because it seems like the regular breakfast menu you can find elsewhere. This magical #flatlay consists of Giant's Breakfast, Plaited Brioche with Smoked Salmon, Lebanese Grilled Chicken Pasta & Crabmeat Aglio Olio. A pity I didn't get to try their desserts but I will definitely head back again for their raved desserts! (probably when the hype is a little bit down)

Potion of Leech // $8

Interesting name but the drink turns out to be pretty normal. It is just a smoothie made up of orange, peach and banana. The drink was refreshing but the banana flavour was a little too overpowering.

Goblet of Fire // $15

This is the highly-raved about Instagram-worthy drink that everyone is talking about. I was really excited when the drink was served onto our table. The drink is bright blue (consists of Blue Curacao Liqueur, Lemonade & Bacardi Rum) and the server will lit the drink. So get your camera ready for some boomerang! You just have to sprinkle the cinnamon on the drink to create sparkles of flames.

The drink was more tuned to the sweeter side and has a really strong cinnamon flavour. If you are a fan of cinnamon, then this will be your cup of tea. For me, I’ll probably just take a photo and video of it!

Giant's Breakfast // $15

This was relatively simple, nothing out of the world. My favourite has to be the roasted pumpkin which was very flavourful and soft. I love the subtle saltiness at the end. The sausages and scrambled eggs were not too bad but I didn’t quite like the bread (similar to the ones you can find in Mcdonald) because it was a little too soggy for me.

Plaited Brioche with Smoked Salmon // $15

This was pretty good. The running egg was delicious. The salmon was fresh and tender. Overall, a good job.

Lebanese Grilled Chicken Pasta // $16

Like what I said earlier, the pastas outshined the brunch menu. I was quite sceptical when they served the pastas onto our table because I expected it to be more aesthetically-pleasing. But you know what, never judge a book by its cover because this turns out to be surprisingly delicious and addictive. In no seconds, we finished the pasta. The pasta was rich and creamy but it was not jelat. The chicken was juicy and tender! A must-try!

Crabmeat Aglio Olio // $17

Again, this exceeded my expectation. The pasta was not very spicy but addictive. You are trapped once you landed one mouthful into your mouth. It was aromatic and very flavourful!

Overall, I had a great dining experience at Platform 1094 but because I had high expectations of the café, it turns out to be a little disappointing for me. The menu would have been a little more attractive if it was more unique. But it is still worth visiting, at least for once! If I were you, I would wait for the hype to die down a little before I visit the café!

Nearest Mrt Station: Boon Keng

Location: 1094 Serangoon Road Singapore 328192

What To Order: Pastas

Café Rating: 3.5/5

Food Ratings: 7.5/10

Written by: Yong Wei Kai (Follow me on Instagram @yongweikai or @sgcafehopping)

CHEERS...

Listen up all hardcore drinkers! You can now enjoy as many alcoholic beverages as you want with the CHEERS App without burning a hole in your pocket! Yes, the CHEERS App, which is a sister product of the Entertainer Singapore, entitles you to a Buy One Get One Free Offers on drinks in your favourite drinking spots in Singapore. In other words, you can now drink more and also save more at the same time. Furthermore, click on my link: https://www.theentertainerme.com/cart/addproduct?id=1958&coupon_code=yongweikai2017 to get the ENTERTAINER Singapore 2017 App at 98 SGD (normal price 125 SGD) and it comes with a FREE Cheers Singapore 2017 App (normal price 125 SGD). This Flash February Offer is only available from 1st February 2017 till 31st February 2017. Hurry and get it before the promotion ends!

With more than 800 participating restaurants in the CHEERS App, it’s hard to pick my favourite and so, I’ll be sharing two of them – Caffe B & Museo.

Caffe B

Caffe B at Marina Bay Sands is one of the merchants on the Cheers Singapore 2017 app and offers a range of interesting and carefully-curated cocktails. Each cocktail is created through hours of experimentation by their talented mixologist. The cocktails at Caffe B are definitely well-mixed, in the sense that the alcoholic taste aren't that overwhelming. They were smooth and very enjoyable. But that doesn't mean they aren't strong. The kick comes at the end. Also, the cocktails paired very well with the food at Caffe B. Overall, I had a great experience at Caffe B.

Yuzu Mojito // $19

This was refreshing. The yuzu added an extra sweetness and aroma to the mojito. A drink like this really throws all the stress aside.

Ume Gin // $19

This was my favourite cocktail at Caffe B. Not that I’m a fan of Gin, but I thought the cocktail was well-mixed in such a way that it becomes extremely addictive. One sip and you are trapped. I couldn’t stop myself from having another one. This might be a little strong for the ladies.

Berrytini // $16

Tuned more towards to the sweeter side, this drink is definitely for the ladies. The alcohol hits right at the end but no worries, it’s subtle and that means you can drink more!

Other than the drinks being in the CHEERS app, Caffe B is also on the Entertainer App where you get to enjoy a 1-1 on their mains. The above are pictures of the mains that you can order at Caffe B if you have the Entertainer App. These paired very well with their cocktails.

Museo

Away from the hustle and bustle, Museo is another beautiful drinking spot that can be found in the CHEERS Singapore 2017. Located at Sentosa Cove, Museo is the perfect place to chill and drink after a long day of work. The modernistic restaurant is very cosy and they offers no calories cocktails. Yes, their cocktails have no calories which means you can drink more without having to watch your weight!

Museo offers three Cheers vouchers which will give you:

- 1 for 1 on bottle of house wine

- 2 for 2 on glasses of cocktails

- 1 for 1 on glasses of house beverage

Museo By The Bay // $22

This is made with freshly squeezed lemon juice, Apricot liqueur shaken with premium bourbon, egg white, fresh blackberries and topped with a splash of red wine. It was served with Deep Fried Camembert Cheese ($13). Surprisingly, both complemented one another very well.

Cucumber Mojito // $16

This is a dietary cocktail made with white rum, cucumber, mint, and citrus. I thought the cucumber was going to overpower everything but I was wrong. It turns out to be very refreshing. The combination works just fine.

Floral Melon Cooler // $18

This is another dietary cocktail made with watermelon flesh, French elderflower liqueur, fresh citrus, and vodka. It was served with Lavender Prawns ($14). This was legit amazing. I could drown myself with 4 glasses of this goodness. So fresh, sweet and damn addictive!

Cold Pasta // $11

This should be paired with Casa Silva Sauvignon Blanc ($16/glass; $38.80/carafe; $60/bottle), a fresh, clean white wine with star-bright straw tones with honey hues. It boasts an aroma of fresh apricots and mangoes, and a palate of crunchy white fruits with a subtle honey backbone.

BBQ Beef Short Ribs // $18

This should be paired with Casa Silva Sauvignon Reserva ($16/glass; $38.80/carafe; $60/bottle), an expressive red wine with notes of ripe fruits, cherry, strawberry, and chocolate, well-balanced with French oak. It is described as a harmoniously balanced, elegant wine with soft tannins and a long finish.

Museo is also available on the Entertainer App. It offers three Entertainer vouchers which will give you:

- 2 for 2 Dine-in-a-Cup items x 2

- 1 for 1 main course

So remember to click on my link to purchase the app! Here's the link:

https://www.theentertainerme.com/cart/addproduct?id=1958&coupon_code=yongweikai2017

Thank you Entertainer, Alvinology, Caffe B & Museo for having me!

SgCafeHopping

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Ice Cream Skool: New & Price-Friendly Ice Cream Café in the Tampines Neighbourhood

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Platform 1094: Harry Potter Themed Cafe - Is It Really Worth The Hype?

Platform 1094....

CHEERS: Buy One Get One Free Offers On Alcoholic Beverages

CHEERS...

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