Ice Cream Frenzy @ West Coast

Ice-cream cafes are getting very popular in recent years. There is Island Creamery, Cold Rock Creamery, Once Upon A Milkshake, The Ice Cream Gallery, The Daily Scoop, and the more recent ones like UDDERS.

Today we went to a newly-opened ice cream cafe called Ice Cream Frenzy. Tucked away under a housing block in a little western corner, this new ice cream cafe is opened by a retired civil servant and all the ice cream is home-made. There is a variety of flavours like Tiger Beer, Avocado with Attap Chee to name a few.

There is also waffles with ice cream, with maple syrup. The ice cream is soft, gelato-like, with low sugar and fat, so one can eat it without a worry of putting on more ounces. The ice cream melts in the mouth, with just the right consistency, yet it is not too rich.

In short, it is one of the most perfect ice-cream I have ever partaken! The owner of the shop made it a point to come mingle with us, his customers. He even said they do delivery and children's parties. He says we can buy our food and eat in his shop, stay as long as we like. How nice!

If distance is not a problem, I will sure love to go there again!

Black Coffee Dessert Bar @ Caltex House

He loves coffee. But I am not that much a coffee person. So whenever we go to a cafe, he will always drink coffee and I will always drink hot chocolate or tea. In any case, it is hard to find good coffee here. The coffee overseas is another story altogether. The aroma is so strong that I can never resist it. Hence I always drink coffee whenever I am overseas, but not here.

Whenever my Aussie relatives come, they will look for nice coffee. But I have no place to recommend them. I do not mean the coffee from coffee shops, I mean gourmet coffee. So when I came across the Black Coffee Dessert Bar in Caltex House, I was intrigued. With reviews that the coffee there is up to standard, I decided to bring the dear along.

The interior decoration is pretty cosy. When we were there last evening, the staff was in the midst of decorating for Halloween. It is just a small space that can cater to fifteen people, no more than that. What I like is the menu - the menu is written on a black board with different coloured chalk. Somehow I have always liked this concept!

The menu

The interior decoration - does it not reek of nostalgia?

I wanted to order coffee, but the variety is about the same as any other cafe - normal coffee, espresso, mocha, cappuccino, au lait. Where is Blue Mountain? Hence I decided to get molten chocolate, which is stated as their specialty.

And molten chocolate it is. It is thick chocolate that is melted down, put into a small cup with a marshmallow on top. One taste and it is heavenly! Kudos to the molten chocolate!

My molten chocolate with marshmallow

His mocha espresso (I like the leaf shape on top!)

We also shared a Shepherd's Pie between us. But frankly speaking, the pie is not that fantastic. I have tasted the best Shepherd's Pie in England, that somehow the local ones here do not cut it.

Our Shepherd's Pie

I do not mind going back there again though. I saw a variety of cakes on display which look really yummy. Perhaps next time I shall order the oreo chocolate cheesecake, and a cup of coffee!

Food : 2.5 (for food), 3.5 (for coffee) out of 5

Ambience : 3 out of 5

Price : 3.5 out of 5

Once Upon A Milkshake @ Tanjong Pagar

There is a new milkshake place near Tanjong Pagar. Yesterday when my colleague and I were out for lunch, there were fliers being distributed. I was fascinated by the creativity of the name and the menu, so we decided to go there to check out the place after lunch. The place is situated in quite a nice location, directly in front of a carpark, so people going there will be able to see it.

It is called Once Upon A Milkshake, with flavours like Vainilla Pot (vanilla milkshake), Cerious Maple (maple syrup), Agent Strawberry, Grumbling Raisins (rum and raisin), Spooky Mocha, Nutty Peanut Butler, Sir Cookies and Cream and Chocolate Truffle Castle to name a few. As I said, the names are pretty innovative indeed!

There is the mini size and regular size. We ordered a regular size each, he the rum and raisin flavour and mine the vanilla flavour. It is really heavenly! The milkshake is so thick and sweet! Thank goodness it is just the vanilla flavour, imagine if I had taken the chocolate flavour I would have a sweet overdose (if that is even possible)!

I will highly recommend this place for desserts. Even if anything, the interior decoration itself is nice and cosy. I really salute the owner of this place for being innovative and creative, and I think the business may just start to boom!

Food : (desserts) 4 out of 5
Ambience : 3.5 out of 5
Price : 3.5 out of 5

The Cheesecake Cafe @ Siglap

There is this cafe somewhere in Siglap area that specialises in cheesecake. It is called "The Cheesecake Cafe". I passed by it a lot of times without actually going in to take a look. Last night a friend and I went there for dessert after dinner.

The interior decoration is really quaint! There are portraits of paintings of female figures, including the Mona Lisa, and mini statues of famous sculptures. There are sofas where one can sit in comfort, chatting in a cosy environment. The place is decorated in an old-fashioned, classy way. Even the telephone looks like those found during pre-war times!

I ordered an American Cheesecake with a Hot Chocolate, and my friend ordered a peach cheesecake with Hot Chocolate, although the cake tastes more cheese than peach. The cheesecake is absolutely delicious! Just the right texture and taste, not too sweet, not too soft. Perfect!

Since that place is quite convenient to me, I can go there as often as I like! Yahoo!

Food : 4 out of 5
Ambience : 4.5 out of 5
Price : 3.5 out of 5

The Daily Scoop @ Clementi Arcade

I have heard of this homemade ice-cream parlour quite some time ago, but never did try it out because it was rather out of the way, situated at Clementi Arcade. Last Friday, I drove out with some colleagues for lunch there and then ice-cream after that.

It is a rather small place, tucked almost in a corner. There are about twenty flavours, pretty exotic as well. Some of the flavours are Mango Wasabi (I can hardly imagine what that tastes like!), Lychee Martini (which I was so tempted to take but for the fact that I might get drunk) and Kookie Monster (my final choice - chocolate with oreo bits).

I had the ice-cream in one scoop in a chocolate-coated waffle cone. The ice-cream is soft and creamy, although it is still not as good as Ben and Jerry's or Anderson's of Denmark. My colleague was remarking that the one at the Island Creamery is better, which is another place I have always wanted to try! Do drop by The Daily Scoop if you are ever in that area!

Food : (or rather, ice-cream) 4.5 out of 5
Ambience : 4 out of 5
Price : 4 out of 5

Max Brenner Chocolate Bar

I have heard about this place for a long time, ever since I first passed by when I went to watch a musical at the Esplanade. What really intrigues me is the many variety of chocolate drinks and dessert like Italiano and Americano.

The most interesting thing on the menu is the Sacao, which is melted hot chocolate placed on a small jar above a fire, with chocolate bits around it. You can either put all the chocolate bits into the melted chocolate to melt it all, and then use the small spoon to eat it up bit by bit. It comes in choices of dark, white and milk chocolate.

I ordered a Chocolate Lick, which is essentially chocolate bits placed around a round bowl of chocolate.

How do you eat this? Dip the ice-cream stick into the milk chocolate, then roll it over the chocolate bits and let the bits stick to the liquid. Heavenly! Unfortunately, I never did manage to stick more than one bit at a time, so in the end I gave up and just put the bits into the milk chocolate and dipped it up a few at a time.

If you ever want to have dessert after a play, Max Brenner is a good place for a chocolate indulgence. Take note of the opening hours though, think it closes at half past eleven the latest.

Food : (what food?) 4.5 out of 5

Ambience : 4 out of 5

Price : 2.5 out of 5 (it is a tad pricey for just a chocolate meal)