My friends know PS Café in Dempsey is my default restaurant.

What’s not to love?

The PS trio were the first to recognise the Dempsey ambience, and to make the most of the lush green surrounds.  Taking a long barrack-like building, and glassing the walls so when inside you get to appreciate the very pretty outside of green and jungley zen.  Keeping the interior stylish yet simple so it doesn’t compete.

It’s stylish, but not dressy, casual but not slouchy.  The interior veers towards retro, with lots of lush green and wood floors to bring the jungle inside.

Then there’s the food.  A clever menu with the intended clientele in mind:  nice salads (try the Sticky Prawn Salad), hearty mains (my faves- the Miso Cod or Chicken Parmigiano) and AMAZING desserts…the PS-style enormous slabs of cake, or ginger puddings, or pies.  With a big drinks menu (from herbal infusions, to home-made lemonades, to cocktails), and decent prices, it’s the ideal place hang out over food.

the cake counter, just waiting for your hips

You wouldn’t come here just for the food, or just for the venue, or just for the design – it’s a happy culmination of all three that makes it my personal favourite.

Be warned though, it can get noisy when busy; portions for most of the dishes are large; and you need to book (but no reservations for the very popular brunch).

The Crisp and Dip - $18 and enough for 3 or 4

PS.CAFE at HARDING

28B HARDING ROAD

SINGAPORE

T: 6479 3343

When I was a little girl, Holland Village was just the strip of shophouses currently being beseiged by MRT buildings.  Joo Ann Foh, which I remember as photo developers, are still there, but all else has gone, replaced by Starbucks, banks, Crystal Jade – chains of chains, the independents are few and far between.

One of the stalwarts of the early days in the shophouses was the Balmoral Bakery.  Happy memories of cakey treats (yes, cake love started a long time ago), birthday tea parties.

Happily, while they are no longer at HV, they decamped 5 minutes up the road to Sunset Way in 1985.

Uncle and Auntie make the cakes and pastries just as they always have since 1965, and the family business continues.

In a time of over-rich chocolate-ganache-truffle-mousse praline, it’s great to have the old simple cakes.

My favourite is the Butterfly cake – a simple, light sponge cup cake with butter cream and sponge ‘wings’.  The cream horns – solid pastry with buttercream filling, and a new invention – mini cupcakes.  50 cents each, and you can stretch it out to 3 mouthfuls as a little manageable calorie treat.  (works for me)

The sausage rolls, chicken pies, beef pies and sausage rolls are really yum too. With actual meat, and not just potato with a sliver of meat.  And hearty, flaky pastry.

In the era of mass-produced everything, the difference here is tangible.  And when I asked Auntie if they love what they do, (since they’ve been doing it so long), it was no surprise when she said yes.

Of course Uncle still makes the fabulous old-style buttercream cake slices and Swiss roll slices.  And he does some great birthday cakes too.

Long live Balmoral Bakery!

courtesy of The Regent

Oh dear, looking back it seems that I’ve been on a mission to spoil myself.  Forgive me groovettes, a girl has to find ways to make herself happy, and I’ve had a tough couple of weeks.

The same week that I enveloped myself in Jurlique love, friend Jeanie and I met at The Regent Hotel for High Tea.

I haven’t had High Tea in ages, and I hadn’t been to the Regent since the last time I had High Tea!

$38 gets you a High Tea set: sandwiches, scones, pies, cakes, plus a choice of different teas.

What’s nice about the Regent is sitting in the comfy armchairs, it’s a library-ish kind of feel.

Sadly, there were no egg mayo sandwiches (they used to be really good), and the cream for the scones was a bit heavy.

One set was really enough for both of us, and we had skipped lunch to have tea.

Still, it’s a lovely thing to do, a natter and catch up over tea, savouries and sweets.  A very civilised afternoon.  We are resolved to test more High Teas to find the best High Tea experience in our city!