Afternoon Tea at Skinny Cakes @ Boon Keng MRT

900 Serangoon Road #B1-02, Boon Keng MRT, Singappre 328260

Tel: 6291 6997

Website: http://skinnycakes.sg/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skinnycakes.sg/

Talk about hole in the wall cafes, Skinny Cakes Cafe literally fits the bill - a tiny little setup near Exit A of Boon Keng MRT, that may have gone unnoticed save for the wafting of aromas from its pastries. It's so small, it's more of a takeout bakery than a cafe, though there are 2 tables there, and coffee / tea are served.

They have a good selection of pastries from muffins to tarts, cakes and cookies.

The Yogurt Muffins (SGD$2.00 ++ each), are delicious, and contain yogurt so it sounds healthy. They have a slight crunch on the exterior top parts, and then crumbly, moist and soft on the other parts, giving a good mouthfeel with every bite.

The interesting flavours are Blueberry Chia Seed, Earl Grey Almonds, Raspberry, Double Chocolate Chips, and Sea Salt Caramel. Each muffin exudes enough flavour to be distinguished for its uniqueness but is not overpowering.

I love the Atas Blackforest Cake (SGD$7.50) for its quality.  It is undeniably delectable, as it takes 2 days to make! Comprises 64%  Cacao Barry Dark Chocolate mousse, cherry gelee, Kirsch cream, morello cherries, chocolate genoise and dark chocolate crunch, so imagine the punch of this many ingredients upon the palate.

The Japanese Tofu Cheesecake (SGD$5.50) is very light, with gently touch of cream, and a delicate thing of beauty. It is also not too sweet, so this makes it suitable for a wider group of eaters.

Finally, the Lemon Curd Tart (SGD$6.50), charming the palate with its buttery crunchy tart shell and zesty curd centre. This also stole our hearts and was addictive to eat again and again.

Overall, we enjoy the healthy and tasty desserts here at Skinny Cakes; service could be more consistent because sometimes we get the warm cheery greetings and other times, a passive poker face.

A Day at KidZania Singapore @ Sentosa [Revisit]

31 Beach View #01-01 / 02 Palawan Kids City, Sentosa, Singapore 098008

Tel: 6653 6888

Website: http://kidzania.com.sg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KidZaniaSingapore

The last time we went to KidZania Singapore (review here), it was to bring the Niece. KidZania had just opened in Singapore then. This June holidays, we brought the Nephew there (he is quite a few years younger than his sister) to enjoy this indoor children's theme park where they get to try out different career and job roles.

I don't think much has changed since our visit 2 years ago - ticket pricing is the same (thankfully), every child must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 and above, and everyone wears a wrist tag.  The games stations are still pretty much the same, and waiting time per station can range from 0 mins to 2 hours (the latter is more for the aviation roles such as Pilot and Cabin Crew).

Let's see. So the kids' first stop should ideally be Maybank, where they queue up and go to the counter and activate their "bank card", entitling them to 30 credits for use around the theme park. The children can use this "bank card" to pay for purchases, or their earnings can be credited into the cards. Kids keen on the financial sectors can also choose to "work" at Maybank or AIA Insurance booths.

For the kids that love food, there are the Pizza Hut, KFC, Ice Cream Factory and Sticky Candy stations for them to learn what's it like to prepare food and sweets for the customers. The Nephew absolutely enjoyed his chef time in  the Sticky Candy workshop, where he happily walked away with a small pack of candies.

Those aspiring to be in the Healthcare / Medical fields, there are Nanyang Optical, True Chiropractic Group, Sunstar Dental and Mt. Elizabeth Hospital stations to try your hands at - the Nephew had fun learning to be a doctor under Mt. Elizabeth Hospital station. The kids all donned the white doctor's coats, used stethoscopes, and got to ride in the ambulance.

For uniform groups, the role-play choices include being part of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) learning to put out fires, or the Singapore Police Force (SPF). It is not hard to imagine why the Pilot and Cabin Crew roles have the longest queues though - I would gladly try them out if I were a kid too.

Other jobs available for the kids are Radio Deejaying, Newspaper Journalist, Renovation (Tiles), Scientist, Tour Guide, Video Editor, , Acting, Sports, Courier Service and learning driving at the range etc. There are a few restaurants here for meals, and a department store for the kids to shop in (using KidZania credits).

The average queue time per station is 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the dates and times you choose to visit. So that means if you spend an entire day here, you get to try maybe 6-7 activities with meal times in between. Rumours have it that during the school holidays- it it wiser to visit on weekends because everyone believed it would be crowded, hence choose to come on weekdays instead.

We enjoyed ourselves nearly as much as the Nephew, totally encouraging this educational and fun attraction to parents to let their kids try.

Lunch at Ichiban Boshi @ Suntec City

3 Temasek Boulevard, #B1-111, Suntec City Fountain area, Singapore 038983

Tel: 6238 7088

Website: https://www.ichibanboshi.com.sg/en/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IchibanBoshiNovenaSquare/

Been a huge fan of Ichiban Boshi Japanese Restaurant for over a decade, always enjoying their delectable Japanese dishes that are wallet-friendly. From sashimi to rice bowls (don) to Japanese Curry and Lobster Salad Sushi etc- they never failed to be my comfort food.

Ichiban Boshi is a Japanese chain restaurant with 13 outlets in Singapore, and I daresay I have tried most of them over the years.  Happy to review that standard is consistent across the restaurants, and consistent over the years. You can read a couple of previous reviews here and here.

Recently they had a promotion where different outlets served a different specialty menu; and I love the Buckwheat Soba one at Suntec City. One dish in particular had me returning time and again - the cold Natto Buckwheat Soba dish.

Now natto means fermented soy beans so there's a saltish taste that you either love or hate. The rest of the ingredients include cut ladies' fingers, shredded seaweed, poached egg, canned enoki mushrooms and spring onions. Toss everything together and enjoy the flavoursome dish with different textures of crunchy ladies' fingers, smooth buckwheat, texturized natto, etc - very addictive to eat; and healthy to enjoy.

Other enjoyable dishes for me here are also their Sashimi Platter (one may choose the types of fish or seafood you like), the Chawanmushi aka steamed egg custard, and conveyor belt sushi.

I look forward to dining at their restaurants soon again.

Lunch at Sun with Moon Japanese Dining & Cafe at Orchard

501 Orchard Road, #03-15, Wheelock Place, Singapore 238880

Tel: 6733 6636

Website: https://www.sunwithmoon.com.sg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunwithmoondining

Sun with Moon Japanese Dining and Cafe is another favorite restaurant of mine, whenever I have craving for contemporary Japanese cuisine. I am glad they are still around after so many years, so I can still enjoy the delectable food as well as excellent thoughtful service here.

Combining the natural elements of sun and the moon, this cafe restaurant is the epitome of Japanese savoir faire, and its concept hails straight from Tokyo. You can read my past review here.

Being heavily pregnant then, the staff were very concerned when I tried to order items containing raw stuff (i.e. sashimi, or even torched items); in fact they managed to talk me out of it. So I started with Agadeshi Tofu (SGD$6.80) - four silken pieces of crisp-skinned beancurd in tasty Dashi (Japanese soya) sauce, topped with bonito flakes, grated radish and spring onions.

Next, some nutritious Kaisen Chawan Mushi (SGD$12.80) - came with prawn, gingko nut and mushrooms hidden in big bowl of palatable steamed egg custard,  and served with sweet crab ankake sauce.

Following that, Foie Gras Millefeuille (SGD$15.80) - incredibly melty grilled Foie Gras with sweet soy sauce served on flaky millefeuille pastry and a bed of lettuce. Love the texturized dish that was ever so addictive.

Finally, Avocado Soft Shell Crab Roll (SGD$9.90 for 4 pieces / SGD$18.80 for 8 pieces) with crunchy cucumber, crispy soft shell Crab, buttery avocado slices and topped with flying fish roe for that explosive deliciousness. Needless to say, a dish that came highly recommended.

Love Sun with Moon Japanese Dining and Cafe; and will be back soon again for more meals.