Food for Thought: Cupcakes and Sugar Rolls

Nowadays we are spoilt with choices when it comes to cakes and pastries. There's Brunetti, The Pattisier, TWG and the list goes on and on.  Not to be forgotten are the great old dames like Chin Mee Chin, Sembawang Confectionary, LE Cafe and Balmoral Bakery.  And then there is Dino Cake House & Cafe, a newer player which offers some old-school recipes including cupcakes.

Yes, cupcakes and sugar rolls!  In spite of the proliferation of modern cake shops offering a much wider spread including some with fanciful Continental names, I still find great delight in the good old cupcake and sugar roll.

While many grand old cakes shops are no longer around, Chin Mee Chin along East Coast Road still makes some the best cakes on the island.  One of the most popular items here is the Sugee Cake. They are also famous for the kaya as well as their buns with butter kaya. However, to me, it is their sugar roll that reigns supreme.  The roll falls under the 'die die must eat' category.  The pastry is springy albeit a little dry and the rolls are generously coated in sugar (not the fine type though) which gives it the extra crunch.

Sugar Rolls from Chin Mee Chin

Another one of my childhood favourites is the cherry cupcake. And the best can be found at Dino Cake House & Cafe along Upper Thomson Road.  The ones sold here are more spongy and buttery than the ones from Chin Mee Chin.  Besides cherry, they come in several other flavours but only the cherry ones do the trick for me.

Dino's cherry cupcake

Chin Mee Chin
204 East Coast Road
Open Tue-Sun 8.30am-4.00pm
Recommendation: Sugar roll (Rating - 9.5/10)

Dino Cake House & Cafe
257 Upper Thomson Road
Open daily 9.00am-9.00pm
Recommendation: Cherry cupcake (Rating - 9/10)

Food for Thought - Fat Cow A Japanese Inspired Steakhouse

On its website, Fat Cow claims to be a Japanese Inspired Steakhouse and it certainly lives up to that claim.

Located in an inconspicuous corner of Camden Medical Centre, off the tail-end of Orchard Boulevard, Fat Cow serves up some of the best set lunches at affordable prices below S$60.  For dinner, select from their menu of well marbled beef from Australia, USA and of course, Japan.  Although they are big on beef, their very selective menu also has other offerings like tuna, bream and cod.

The decor is simple yet exudes an air of sophistication.  Lighting in the restaurant is dim but this only added to our enjoyment as our senses became heightened.

It was a Saturday afternoon when we visited.  The shabu shabu counter quickly filled up within minutes of our arrival.  It was quite a challenge deciding on our order.  After much consideration, wifey ordered the Fat Cow donburi while I had the Bara chirashi.

The Fat Cow donburi is a simple meal consisting of slices of charcoal grilled wagyu beef and an onsen egg on rice.  The beef was tender and juicy with a slight hint of garlic.  Shiro negi was added, enhancing the dish to new heights of sensation.  We were not expecting the best grade of wagyu for the donburi but were pleasantly surprised that the slivers of beef melted in our mouths effortlessly.  I would have guessed that it was at least of A3 grade.

Fat Cow donburi

My Bara chirashi paled in comparison, however, it still made for a very satisfying meal.  The dish was colourful with cubes of different shades of sashimi atop fragrant sushi rice.

Bara chirashi

The lunch set came complete with miso soup, salad, chawanmushi and dessert - all of which were of amazing quality.

Salad

Chawanmunshi

For sides, we ordered zucchini flower in batter.  It was deep-fried to a light shade of gold and had a very crispy texture on the outside.  Inside, the flower retained its crunchiness and freshness.

Zucchini flower

We walked away feeling completely sated and satisfied.  How would I rate my experience at Fat Cow?  I would say it was not just good; it was memorable!


Fat Cow
1 Orchard Boulevard
#01-01/02 Camden Medical Centre
Singapore

Ambience:  7.5/10
Service:       8/10
Food:           8.5/10
Pricing:       $$$