Tanjong Pagar - Outram Park - Chinatown Food Trail

Lunchtime in the CBD area can be real headache. Even fast food chains are swarmed with office workers with growling stomachs. The closure of Tanjong Pagar Market & Food Centre for upgrading has also made lunch choices even more limited.

Want a quick bite? The relatively new mall, 100AM, located on Tras Street has many eateries to offer. I discovered this bakery right smack in the middle of the mall, it's impossible to miss it.

They have everything from Hong Kong delights to western cakes to at least 30 varieties of bread. I heard that their best seller is the Crispy Cream Cheese Bread! What i like about it is that the shell is really light and crispy. It could be improved with more cream cheese if not the hollow in the bread will make the customers like me feel cheated :(

Have an acquired taste? Try the Black Sesame Bun. It is loaded with choppy black sesame paste, not too sweet for the sugar-conscious. I love pastes that are not too smooth because that is when they used the most sugar and least natural ingredients.

The Bacon & Cheese Bread was average although they are very generous with the amount of bacon which a rare sight. Breads at The Imperial Treasure Bakery & Cafe are priced between $1.30- $2.00. But generally, they are value for money given the size and quality of the breads sold here. You can even pay and eat on the spot at the sitting area while sipping on coffee/tea.

From left: Crispy Cream Bun, Black Sesame Bun, Bacon & Cheese Bun

The Audacious Cakery is hidden in the midst of Everton Park. It is within walking distance from 100AM mall, you might not have expected to find these little cosy cafes in the housing estate. On our way to 3 Everton Park in search of Grin Affair ( initial destination) which was sadly closed on a Monday, R and i came across The Provision Shop - A deli and cafe.

Below is the menu we saw right beside the door when we entered this lovely cafe. We were greeted by a young man and the friendly boss whom is a friend of R. All the cakes look so decadent. Each of us chose one which we thought could best give us an idea of the cafe's standard.

Menu @ The Audacious Cakery

Indeed, the cakes do not only look pretty, every bite was filled with happiness and passion put into baking the cakes. The Strawberry Shortcake ( $6.8 )may be an average dessert, you will be surprised that it can also be a divine experience. I did not used to like strawberry shortcake and was a bit skeptical about it before i took my first mouth. But when i did, it was a revelation because i actually liked it! The cream was not overly heavy and the strawberries were fresh and chilled. Eating them together with the crumbly biscuit base makes this dessert truly fantastic!

My second dose of black sesame goes to this cafe's Black Sesame Cupcake ( $3.5). I saw it on their website earlier and decided immediately that i must try it. There was no regret, only another scrumptious surprise. The cream was made with real black sesame seeds which gave it a chalky texture. You can also taste black sesame in the sponge cake itself. It is soft and crumbly with sufficient moisture. It is like a fusion of East Meets West type of dessert. Whether you have the cream first, or the sponge cake first, alternate or together, you are bound to fall in love with it even deeper after every mouth...

We ordered the Lemon Meringue tart after we finished the first two. The lemon curd was pretty solid and had a strong lemony taste unlike some other lemon desserts i have tried elsewhere. I looked forward to the crust most because it is my favourite part of tarts. Their crusty base was hard and buttery, just nice for me. There was only half the cream as compared to normal meringues which i think was a smart move as not many people especially girls would want too much of it. 

You really can have the cake and eat it too! For a reasonable price, you get to enjoy a delectable feast of sweet treats here at The Audacious Cakery @ 2 Everton Park. R said the coffee can be improved and we both agreed that as a complement with cakes, it should be at least satisfying.

From top right in clockwise direction: Strawberry Shortcake, Black Sesame Cupcake, Lemon Meringue tart

Finally, for a proper meal, head down to Chinatown's People's Park Complex for some roast meat. A friend recently asked me about where to have a good meaty meal, this was the one of the few places i recommended to him. And i was tempted to eat it too! Brought R along for her virgin taste of this corner shop at this perpetually crowded hawker centre.

Pearl Centre's Hong Kong Roast Meats

The uncles were very friendly and when i asked for more cucumber, they told me they have ran out of it and gave me some stir fried cabbage instead. The skin of the roast pork was crispy and crunchy while the meat was just-nice fatty and a little salty. The roast duck was was lip-smacking. You can eat the skin if you like as it is well-seasoned and tastty, while roasted evenly to give it its appealing look. The chilli was superb and went well with our meaty meal. Our meal cost us $14 but i must say the portion of meat was quite generous. The soup was almost tasteless but we drank it anyway. We asked for a separate bowl of the gravy to drizzle over our rice as how it should be done, as always :)