Dazzling Cafe Sky 蜜糖土司專賣店 (Taiwan, Taichung)

Vanilla Ice Cream Waffle 200 TWD (S$8.70) 

Dazzling Cafe is a popular cafe chain in Taiwan known for their Shibuya Honey Toast. Did you know the Dazzling Group first started out as a clothing and jewelry boutique called Dazzling Fashion before embarking on the Food and Beverage journey.

We went to Dazzling Cafe Sky in Taichung which is located in Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store.

We visited on a weekday afternoon at around 2.30pm. We were surprised to learn that the cafe was fully booked (all the air conditioned seats). Yes, at 2.30pm! Ridiculous right? It is a weekday, don't people need to work!

This whole area (indoor) was booked. Even the empty tables..as they were reserved by customers for the sitting at 3pm. We understand that those dining indoors had a 90-minute time limit., even then it was still fully booked. That is how popular Dazzling Cafe is!

The only place left is alfresco dining outside. But that means dining under the sun. These groups of customers were like us, they did not make any reservations.

After weighing our options, we decided to dine under the sun as this cafe was so popular and back then there was no plans to open the cafe in Singapore. It was quite warm but we still went for it =D

This is the menu.

Part of the drinks menu.

Soup, salad and appetizer menu.

The honey toast and waffle menu.

Fresh Tropical Fruit Tea (Pot) (cold) 160 TWD (S$7)

Each person was required to order a drink regardless of how much food is ordered. We ordered the Fresh Tropical Fruit Tea (Pot) (cold) TWD (S$7).

Fresh Tropical Fruit Tea (Pot) 160 TWD (S$7)

Each individual cup was filled with sliced fruits (apple, orange, grape and strawberry) and ice.

Fresh Tropical Fruit Tea (Pot) 160 TWD (S$7)

We all loved the Fresh Tropical Fruit Tea. It was light and refreshing. It kept us cooled and sane despite having to sit under the sun.

Dazzling Cocoa (35% Cocoa) 140 TWD (S$6.10)

This is the Dazzling Cocoa (35% Cocoa) 140 TWD (S$6.10). I had expected it to be better, but it was just too thin for my liking.

Truffle French Fries 210 TWD (S$9.10)

The Truffle French Fries 210 TWD (S$9.10) was delicious. The fries were straight cut (thick fries). They were hot, crisp and  full of truffle aroma. We all loved this dish and polished it off quickly.

Vanilla Ice Cream Waffle 200 TWD (S$8.70) 

Although we were here mainly for the dessert; Shibuya Honey Toast, we decided to also try their Vanilla Ice Cream Waffle 200 TWD (S$8.70). The ice cream was served at the side. The shape of the waffle was unique and it was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Hazelnut Chocolate Honey Toast 290 TWD (S$12.60)

Now this is the what we really came for, all the way from Singapore! Tada~ Hazelnut Chocolate Honey Toast 290 TWD (S$12.60). The two pictures did this no justice. It taste way better than it looks. We were very weary that the ice cream was melting very quickly in the heat hence the hastily taken photos.

Hazelnut Chocolate Honey Toast 290 TWD (S$12.60)

The Hazelnut Chocolate Honey Toast consisted of thick honey toast, vanilla ice cream and hazelnut sauce. The bread was perfectly flavored and toast. If you thought that the exterior was delicious, wait till you get to the interior. The toast cubes in the interior had hazelnut bits in them. And when you pop one into your mouth, the hazelnut flavour just seems to explodes out. The taste is totally out of the world. It made the trip worth it especially sunning ourselves outside and sweating for a good one hour for this. This is a must try! 

You have got to visit Dazzling Cafe in Taiwan! One of our member in this group has tried the outlet in Singapore and was disappointed. It was different from what she had in Taiwan. 

Dazzling Cafe Sky 蜜糖土司專賣店 (Taiwan, Taichung)
Shin Kong Mitsukoshi 台中新光三越  
Tai Zhong Gang Rd. Sec.2, No.111 3F 台中港路二段111號3樓 
Tel: 04 2251 8036
Opening Hours: Sun to Thur 11am - 930pm
                           Fri & Sat 11am - 10pm
Website

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Creamier Ice Cream and Coffee (Toa Payoh Lorong 1)

Creamier Ice Cream and Coffee (Toa Payoh Lorong 1) is a cafe hidden in a corner of one of the oldest HDB estate in Singapore (i.e. Toa Payoh HDB estate)! Homemade (handcrafted) ice cream, coffee and waffles are sold in this cafe. This cafe is located in between Braddell, Toa Payoh and Caldecott MRT stations. The nearest MRT station is Braddell and it is around a 10 minutes walk away from the station.

We (a group of three) visited Creamier Ice Cream and Coffee on a weekday (Friday) at around 215pm. Although I was aware that this cafe was popular and that it was small, I did not expect it to be full house even on a weekday! 

Interesting lights

We tried waiting for a table, but after 15 minutes of wait, we only managed to get a counter table. Well, what to do.... I can't imagine what the crowd would be like on a weekend. 

After securing our seats, we proceeded and place our order. 

After making payment, we were given this paper cup with the number "09" on it. Any guess what it is?

The answer was hidden in the cup. It was the key to our orders. A waiting number!

Belgian waffle with Earl Grey Lavendar and Orange Cranberry Vodka Ice Cream $11.80

After around 10 minutes, we received our food! Needless to say we ordered their signature Belgian waffle with ice cream! From observation, this was the most popular order, every table had at least one of this! 

Belgian waffle with Earl Grey Lavendar and Orange Cranberry Vodka Ice Cream $11.80

We ordered our Belgian Waffle with Earl Grey Lavendar and Orange Cranberry Vodka Ice Cream $11.80. They had a wide variety of ice cream such Sea Salt Gula Melaka, Roasted Pistachio, Banana Chocolate Chip Crumbles and Banana Roasted Pecan. We sampled several of them before settling for the two ice creams.  

The Earl Grey Lavendar ice cream which had a unique lavendar after taste, was fragrant and creamy. The Orange Cranberry Vodka ice cream was a premium ice cream. The combination of orange and cranberry was a perfect match as both flavours complemented each other well and did not overwhelm each other.

For information on the cost/prices: A waffle with ice cream cost $8.50. Extra scoop of ice cream cost $2.50 each. As the Orange Cranberry Vodka was a premium ice cream, there was an extra cost of $0.80 per scoop. 

Belgian waffle with Earl Grey Lavendar and Orange Cranberry Vodka Ice Cream $11.80

The freshly made Belgian Waffles were well executed! They were incredibly crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. The slightly hard (outside), soft (inside) texture, warmth of the waffle couple with the cold ice cream were such a perfect combination.  The addition of the maple syrup and chocolate sauce went very well with this too! 

After trying this, I understand the raves about the dessert served here. The Belgian Waffles with Ice Cream is a must try! But I will not advise coming on a weekend unless you are prepared to wait and squeeze with the crowd. 

Creamier Ice Cream and Coffee (Toa Payoh Lorong 1)

Blk 128 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 

#01-835

Singapore 310128

Tel: 6250 1476

Opening Hours: Fri to Sat 12pm - 11pm

                          Sun to Thur 12pm - 10pm

Website

Facebook

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Strangers' Reunion at Kampong Bahru Road (Outram)

Strangers' Reunion is a cafe located at Kampong Bahru Road, opposite Singapore General Hospital. There has been alot of hype about this cafe online as it was opened by Singapore National Barista Championship winner Ryan Tan.

When we arrived at around 1145 am on a weekday, the brightly lite cafe was already filled to the brim. We had to share a table with another group - strangers (the name of the cafe =P). The cafe was not what I imagined it to be; cozy, quiet.

Instead, it was crowded, noisy and squeezy especially if you are seated at the row of table with sofa and cushion (right part of above photo). Those who were seated there had to move their tables to allow their friends to access the sofa area and also for their friends to leave.

Menu (a)

Menu (b)

The menu.

Left to right: Cafe Mocha $5.50 and Cappuccino $4.90

My partner ordered a Cafe Mocha $5.50 while I ordered a Cappuccino $4.90. Both beverages were disappointing. The Cappuccino (which i ordered) was too milky and the distinct richness and taste of espresso was missing.

Truffle Fries $12.90

The Truffles Fries $12.90 came with grated truffle, truffled aioli and parmesan. It was a pity consistency was lacking (some fries were hard while some were soggy), if not this would have been a great side dish.

Buttermilk Waffles with Artisan Greek Yogurt & Fresh Fruits $12.90

Since we had heard so much about the buttermilk waffles, we had to order one to try for ourselves. We ordered the Buttermilk Waffles with Artisan Greek Yogurt & Fresh Fruits $12.90. So beautiful and enticing in appearance! However, the thick, fluffy waffle did not match up to our expectations as it lacked flavour and fragrance. 

Needless to say, I was not impressed with the food and drinks we had at Strangers' Reunion. I do not understand the hype. As we left, we noticed that there was a long queue outside, waiting for their turn fora table in the cafe (on a weekday)!! There must be something worth going back for, I wonder what was it. Well, everyone has differing taste; as the saying goes one man's poison is another man's meat. 

Strangers' Reunion at Kampong Bahru Road (Outram)

33/35/37 Kampong Bahru Road (shop-house along the road, opposite Singapore General Hospital)

Singapore 169355

Tel: 6222 4869

Opening Hours: Wed to Mon 9am to 10pm

                          Closed on Tue

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A&W Restaurant at Pantip Plaza (Thailand, Bangkok)

I know how some Singaporeans would make it a point to visit A&W whenever they are in Bangkok, Batam or Kuala Lumpur. I am no exception. Here's the good news for A&W fanatics who need their A&W fix. There are several A&W restaurants in Bangkok and one of the restaurant is located 5 minutes walk away from Platinum Fashion Mall!

This A&W restaurant is located at Level 1 of Pantip Plaza (also known as The Computer City). All you have to do is walk out of Platinum Mall and then walk along the main road; Petchaburi Road (follow the flow of the traffic). There is no need to cross the main road. Instead you would just need to cross 3 small alley roads and you would have reached Pantip Plaza. You would be able to spot the A&W signage once you are outside the plaza. 

As this was for our tea break, we ordered the Super Waffle Combo Set 135 Baht (S$5.62) which consisted of a Root Beer Float (which we up-sized), Curly Fries (Small) and Super Waffle (Chocolate). In addition, we also ordered another Curly Fries (large) 55 Baht (S$2.29) and Half Waffle (Strawberry) 55 Baht (S$2.29). We did not order any fried chicken as we were just too full.

Root Beer Float

You may wish to note know that it has been sometime since the writer had A&W. So this post is definitely biased. =P

The signature A&W's Root Beer Float which most of us are familiar with is served in a A&W mug with a scoop of vanilla ice cream added into the Root Beer. Just like how I always remember it (when A&W still existed in Ang Mo Kio), there was a layer of foam on top. Shiok!

Curly Fries

Another favourite of mine is the Curly Fries! It is me? But it's not as curly as before. Nevertheless, this tasted so good (kfc new solgan)! I have not had this for a long long time.

Half Waffle (Strawberry)

Super Waffle (Chocolate)

Waffle with ice cream, another A&W signature dish! The waffles whether Super Waffle or Half Waffle are both served with 2 scoops of ice cream! The waffle was great as it was freshly made and was crispy on the outside. The warm and cold combination of waffle and ice cream was a perfect combination that's hard to go wrong (even with ordinary ice cream)! Maple syrup are available too for those who wish to enhance the taste further.

Glad to have my A&W craving satisfied! I wonder when will A&W make a come back to Singapore. 

A&W Restaurant at Pantip Plaza (Thailand, Bangkok)

Level 1 Pantip Plaza, The Computer City

604/3 Petchaburi Rd, Thanon Phetchaburi

Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand

Tel: 02-250-1190

Opening Hours: Daily 8am to 9pm
Website (other outlet locations)

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Bliss Restaurant (Ang Mo Kio)

Bliss Restaurant used to be located at Punggol Park. One and a half years ago, they relocated to Chengsan Community Centre which is just a stone throw away from Ang Mo Kio MRT station. Less than 10 minutes walk away from the station, most of which was through a sheltered walk way.

Air-conditioned  - indoor (left), Alfresco area - outdoor  (right) 

Bliss Restaurant offers customers with both indoor - air conditioned and outdoor - alfresco dining areas with a seating capacity of 300! On the day of visit, I noticed that more than half of the customers were seated at the alfresco dining area. Maybe it was because it was a cold day as it was raining an hour earlier.

Customers will be spoil for choice as Bliss Restaurant offers an extensive choice of dishes ranging from Starters, Appetizers, Sides, Pasta, Meat, Ocean,  Dessert, Waffle, Sundae and Drinks (Coffee, Tea, Hot & Cold Beverages, Float, Cocktail, Beer, Liquor).  As I had a hard time deciding what to order, I decided to seek recommendations from the staff. Click here to view their menu.

Ham & Cheese Stick $6.90

The Ham & Cheese Stick has been a Bliss Specialty Since 2001. It consisted of breaded chicken ham rolled with cheddar cheese. It was topped with fried curry leaves.

Ham & Cheese Stick $6.90

I was quite impressed with the Ham & Cheese Stick. Cutting it into half and stuffing a piece of curry leaf into it heightened the aroma to a whole new different level. The only issue I have is that the cheese seems to 'solidify' pretty fast. Maybe we took too long taking photos of it.

Mussel In White Wine (1 Dozen) $13.90

The Mussel In White Wine, a dozen of half shell mussels cooked with white wine, garlic and parsley. The mussels were big, fat, juicy and fresh.

Aglio Olio Smoked Pepper Duck with Squid Ink Tagliatelle $12.90

The Aglio Olio Smoked Pepper Duck was strongly recommended by the staff. I decided to order that but decided to order another type of pasta, which was the Aglio Olio Smoked Pepper Duck with Squid Ink Tagliatelle.

Aglio Olio Smoked Pepper Duck with Squid Ink Tagliatelle $12.90

Duck meat is normally tough. However, in this case, Bliss Restaurant's Smoked Pepper Duck was soft and tender (I wonder how they cooked it). As a whole, I thought that this dish was well-executed. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise the squid ink pasta did not taste have a very strong squid ink taste which could have overwhelmed the flavours from the Aglio Olio!

Gratin RibEye Steak $18.90

The Gratin RibEye Steak accompanied by baby potatoes and greens, was served with mushroom sauce  on sizzling a sotplate. Normally, it is served with cheddar cheese, however, we decided to switch it to mushroom sauce as the starter we had earlier already had cheddar cheese in it.

Gratin RibEye Steak $18.90 - Baby Potatoes

Gratin RibEye Steak $18.90 - greens

Was pleasantly surprised by the generosity of the ingredients given. Lots of greens, baby potatoes, onions (at the bottom of the steak) and a big piece of steak!

The mushroom sauce was heavenly. It had the right blend of sweetness, fragrant and seems to be accompanied by a slight herbal taste. A perfect complement for the steak, potatoes and onions. I polished off this whole plate!  The only 'glitch' was that the carrots were a tad too hard; could have been cooked a little longer.

Traditional Italian Tiramisu $6.90

Traditional Italian Tiramisu $6.90

The Traditional Italian Tiramisu, another Bliss Specialty Since 2001 was decent. Soft, moist and creamy with the right balance in taste.

Sea Salt Caramel Banana $7.90

Sea Salt Caramel Banana $7.90

The Sea Salt Caramel Banana consisted of sliced banana tossed with salty caramel sauce topped over freshly made waffle. Unlike most waffles I have eaten so far, Bliss Restaurant's version was was thick and fluffy. The whole waffle was topped with slices of bananas and sea salt caramel sauce. How I wish I could add a scope of ice cream over it!

Deadly K Meet Mr. Dark (Alcoholic Sundae) $7.90

Leaving the best for the last, the Deadly K Meet Mr. Dark; an alcoholic sundae was essentially dark chocolate ice cream swimming in kahlua bath accompanied with wholesome chunky rich brownies cubes and drizzled with chocolate fudge. I have never try / seen / hear of something like this before (mountain tortoise) and I am not a fan of alcoholic stuff. But yet the Deadly K Meet Mr. Dark stole the show! The more you dig into it, the more you will love it. Outstanding!

Overall, I was impressed with the dining experience at Bliss Restaurant. The food was good and the prices are reasonable too. Good news for those staying in the North., there's another place to visit! I am so glad that they have relocated to Ang Mo Kio!

Thanks Pamela for invite and hosting us. 

Bliss Restaurant (Ang Mo Kio)

6 Ang Mo Kio Street 53 

#01-01 Chengsan Community Centre 

Tel: 6280 3389

Opening Hours: Sun to Thur 3pm -12am
                         Fri to Sat 3pm - 2am                     

Website
Location

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