Located at International Plaza, DOCO—short for ‘Donburi Coconut’—is the new kid on the CBD circuit where you can now look to for hearty protein-packed rice bowls and refreshing coconut soft serve.

This speciality food kiosk was set up as part of a joint venture between brands, Soi Coco and Fish Sh-nack, of which are known for their coconut and fried fish skin products respectively. Being relatively new, their only offerings thus far comprise two speciality donburi rice bowls next to the vegan-friendly and dairy-free Coconut Shake and Coconut Soft Serve.

For all of you health nuts who are ‘in love with the coco’, this is perhaps one of the most promising health-centric eateries along the bustling Tanjong Pagar area. From now till the end of the year, lunch sets—which consists of one rice bowl and one coconut dessert—are going at S$11.90 instead of the usual S$13.90.

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The interior itself is pretty small. It includes the main kitchen area, a small order counter and bar seats at the side.

With lunchtime in the CBD often being a chaotic affair, the good folks at DOCO keep it simple. Simply, choose one of the two available donburi options, decide if you would like any add-ons and lastly, choose between either the coconut shake or the coconut soft serve.

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The Sh-nack Don (S$8.90—essentially a beef rice bowl—came with a generous portion of peppery beef, an onsen egg and a copious sprinkling of crispy cajun-spiced fish skin.

The grilled beef was jam-packed with flavour with a subtle sweetness that went excellently well with the Japanese rice. The onsen egg provided an added richness but the real money-maker was the cajun-spiced fish skin.

Crumbled nicely over the rice, it gave the modest rich bowl a wonderful smoky aroma as well as a much-needed hit of umami.

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The other alternative donburi option is the Sh-ken Don (S$8.90) which comprises honey miso chicken instead of beef. It, too, comes with an onsen egg as well as a generous ‘sh-prinkling’ of that glorious cajun-spiced fish skin.

Compared to the beef option, the chicken was tasty but a tad too dry for our liking. Be sure to pair it with the Coconut Shake, which is made purely from fresh blended Thai coconut water and coconut flesh.

A refreshing treat to have is their decadent Coconut Soft Serve (S$4.90) that comes as part of your main meal. This dairy and nut-free dessert is drizzled with gula melaka sauce and powdered gula melaka for that extra sweetness and oomph.

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The subtle roasted flavours of the gula melaka really elevate the rich and creamy coconut flavour making it pretty similar tasting to chendol (minus the little green slug-like jellies).

Overall, the soft serve is refreshing and light, and we would recommend trying it whether or not you decide to have your lunch there.

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DOCO
10 Anson Road
#01-16 International Plaza
Singapore 079903
Tel: +65 9049 9926
(Closed on Saturdays & Sundays)
Mon to Thu: 11am – 8pm
Fri: 11am – 7pm
Nearest Station: Tanjong Pagar

LeTAO—a dessert chain from Hokkaido known for its two-layered fromage cheesecake—is opening in Singapore.

It will be setting up a takeaway kiosk at ION Orchard’s Basement 1 on 08 December 2016. Aren’t you already excited? These Japanese cheesecakes are taking over the world and we cannot be happier!

LeTAO’s signature double Fromage (S$28 for 12cm cake) comes with a layer of baked cheesecake and unbaked cheesecake. It is made with mascarpone from Italian cheese producer Ambrosi—from the Lombardy region in northern Italy—as well as fresh cream, wheat and eggs from Hokkaido.

Besides the Double Fromage Cheesecake, you can also look forward to the Chocolat Double Cake (S$28 for 12cm cake)—a combination of chocolate cake and Fromage cheese.

Other goodies from LeTAO include Royale Montagne, Premier Maalu and Biscuit au Fromage.

LeTAO’s Fromage Cheesecake is actually not new to Singapore. Those of you who frequent Isetan’s Food Fairs might remember that LeTAO’s cheesecakes were available in Singapore back in 2013.

Guys, get ready to queue!

LeTAO
ION Orchard
Basement 1, 2 Orchard Turn
Singapore 238801
Daily: 11am – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Orchard

Sometimes all we need is a cup of ice cold drink to cool us down, especially with Singapore’s humidity. Ciao! Tea is a newly opened shop at Westgate that specialises in fresh fruit juice, tea drinks with fresh fruits and Hong Kong Milk Tea.

And best of all, Ciao! Tea’s Pantone-coloured juices are made with real fruits – they are completely natural and not made with artificial ingredients.

We were absolutely floored by the enticing cups of Pantone-coloured fruit juice which appears to be in a gradient of two different colours. The signature Coconut’s Special will definitely get the ladies’ attention, for the pretty drink is a mixture of pink and white colours with red dragon fruit. Another drink comes in bright orange and pink colours!

Not only are the drinks healthy, they look totally picture-perfect for your Instagram feed too!

All the fruit beverages in Ciao! Tea are made with real fruits. Order an orange tea and you get an entire orange blended into your drink. The same goes for the apple tea, where the staff at Ciao! Tea will put in one whole apple into your drink.

Other items on Ciao! Tea’s menu include classic items such as the Ice Lemon Tea and Fruit Tea; yoghurt drinks that come with all kinds of fresh fruits; and the award-winning authentic Hong Kong Milk Tea. Ciao! Tea will remind you of your love for the popular Hong Kong-style beverage.

This is one drinks stall in Westgate we will frequent. See you there!

Ciao! Tea
3 Gateway Dr
#02-K3 Westgate
Singapore 608532
Nearest Station: Jurong East

This post is brought to you by Ciao! Tea.

BAKE Cheese Tart is opening its second outlet in Singapore at Westgate on 17 October 2016!

Singapore is still going gaga over these famous Hokkaido baked cheese tarts. Its first outlet in Singapore is a kiosk at the basement food hall of Ion Orchard, and it has seen long queues since its first day.

This is definitely fantastic news for Westies – we are adding this to our list of things to do in the West of Singapore! You no longer need to travel to town for BAKE!

Originated from Kinotoya confectionery store in Hokkaido, BAKE Cheese Tart is founded by Shintaro Naganuma, the eldest son of Akio Naganuma – the president of Kinotoya confectionery store in Hokkaido.

What makes BAKE so popular is the freshly baked tarts. Batches after batches of aromatic tarts are baked on the premises, and what you would get is warm cheese tarts that are fresh out of the oven.

The average waiting time at Ion Orchard is 45 minutes, and each person is entitled to a maximum of 12 tarts. We are certainly hoping the queue will be a lot shorter at its Westgate outlet which is located at basement two, near to Isetan Supermarket and Fragrance.

BAKE Cheese Tart
3 Gateway Dr
#B2 Westgate
Singapore 608532
Nearest Station: Jurong East

Read: Our guide to the best cheese tarts in Singapore.

If you were a #90skid, Mini Melts is probably a name you are familiar with. Known for their adorable, molecular ice cream, the brand has just recently returned to Singapore after being gone for years.

The kaleidoscopic ice cream isn’t just cute, it’s also super Instagram-worthy. Some of the flavours currently available include Double Chocolate, Rainbow Ice, Cookies & Cream, Cotton Candy, Cheesecake and Strawberry Milk, all of which come in rainbow, pastel hues.

Quote ladyironchef or flash this post to enjoy Mini Melts Big at S$2.90 with any purchase at Mini Melts.

It is the tiniest ice cream on earth, and is made with natural ingredients, frozen in liquid nitrogen to create the milky, creamy texture that literally melts in the mouth. No prizes for guessing how the brand came up with its name.

Besides getting individual flavours, fans of the micro-sized ice cream can also pick two different Mini Melts flavours in the cap bowl, so you can get the best of both worlds!

But now, the brand is shaking things up by “upsizing” their mini ice cream bites by introducing the Mini Melts Big – available at the Mini Melts store in VivoCity.

50 times bigger than the size of the original Mini Melts, these larger balls of goodness come in three fresh fruity flavours. Grape Soda is a refreshing mix of sweet and sour, while the zesty Pineapple Orange is the perfect icy, summery treat to combat our sweltering heat. The Peach Kiwi flavour is also another refreshing option!

It might be 50 times larger, but the Mini Melts Big sorbet still remains bite-sized. They are also made with real juice and natural ingredients!

Now you know where we’ll be heading for refreshing pick-me-ups.

Mini Melts Singapore
#B2-K7 VivoCity
1 Harbourfront Walk, Singapore 098585
Daily: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Harbourfront

This post is brought to you by Mini Melts Singapore.

BAKE Cheese Tart - the famous Hokkaido cheese tarts that we are so obsessed with – is coming to Singapore!

BAKE has just confirmed its opening date of its first outlet at the basement food hall of Ion Orchard on 29 April 2016. Each cheese tart will sell for S$3.50, and customers can buy six at S$19.50.

Originated from Kinotoya confectionery store in Hokkaido, BAKE Cheese Tart is founded by Shintaro Naganuma, the eldest son of Akio Naganuma – the president of Kinotoya confectionery store in Hokkaido.

BAKE strongly believes that freshly baked tarts taste the best, hence insisting that all their cheese tarts to be baked on the actual premises to ensure that customers enjoy them fresh out of the oven. Nothing but fresh, fragrant, warm cheese tarts.

The cheese mousse is made from blending three different types of cream cheese using cheese from Hakodate in Hokkaido. The cookie tart base is first baked in Japan. Once it reaches Singapore, it is baked with the cheese mousse for the second time to create a twice-baked pastry.

The end result is sweet, creamy and slightly salty cream filling cocooned in a buttery tart base. We’ve hardly had such satisfying tarts and just a bite of Bake’s cheese tarts and our lives changed forever. Yes, it was that amazing.

There were snaking queues when BAKE Cheese Tart first opened in Hong Kong and Bangkok.

And since queuing for food is a national hobby in Singapore, we are definitely foreseeing a long queue when BAKE finally opens in Singapore at ION Orchard.

BAKE Cheese Tart
2 Orchard Turn
#B4-33 ION Orchard
Singapore 238801

Squeezed! started off as a kiosk serving cold pressed juices at both Leisure Park Kallang and Suntec City. Their spanking new outlet at Waterway Point in Punggol kickstarted the launch of the signature stuffed brioche buns that range from sweet to savoury creations.

Besides the 6 signature buns flashed on the overhead menu, you can also grab a ‘Naked’ (S$4.30) and original Squeezed! bun filled with froyo only.

This unique concept has been making waves on social media lately and we just had to have a go.

The kiosk is located on the basement level of the East wing, right at the entrance that is hard to miss. The savoury selections of the signature buns includes Tori Tori (S$5.80) and Royal Rumble (S$5.80). The former is a bun stuffed with teriyaki chicken, mayonnaise and bonito flakes and it is a great as a light meal option.

But we went for the latter – one that is stuffed with Truffle Macaroni and Melted Nacho Cheese.

To be honest, we hardly tasted any truffle inside it (and we mean not even a hint), and the mac and cheese just did not weave in with the bun as well as we would have liked it to be. They were good separately when eaten piping hot but sadly, they felt like two separate entities that should never have been put together. We heard good remarks on the Tori Tori, so we might give that savoury option a shot on our next visit.

There are 4 sweet signature bun options and they are Life’s A Peach, Bed & Breakfast, Smores & More and Elvis’ Reese – all at S$5.80 each. They all came with different fruity or sweet toppings, ranging from peaches to Reese’s bits.

We eventually settled for a ‘Naked’ bun instead as we were curious on just how good the bun would be with only froyo and nothing else.

It took us quite a few bites to actually begin enjoying the bun. The froyo and the brioche blended together slightly better than its savoury counterparts, and it actually makes for a good option on a humid day.

While we were not swept off our feet with the actual stuffed brioches here, it is admittedly a pretty cool concept that just needs a bit more tweaking and pimping to be really great and successful.

Squeezed!
83 Punggol Central
#B1-K8 Waterway Point East Wing
Singapore 828761
Daily: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Punggol

About the writer:
Cheryl is a staff writer for ladyironchef. She loves a good steak and an even better cuppa. She eats just about anything and everything. In her free time, she regularly starts on sci-fi or fantasy movie marathons.

Update: I See I See has officially closed in November 2016. 

I See I See Handcrafted Icy Desserts, a popular ice popsicle shop in Hong Kong, is opening in Singapore at 313@Somerset in March 2016.

Launched in Hong Kong in May 2015, I See I See has been gaining popularity for its handcrafted ice pops since its opening. The small shop sits in Causeway Bay along Leighton Road – the same stretch as popular matcha dessert cafe Via Tokyo.

Will it be as popular in Singapore as it is in Hong Kong? We can’t wait to find out.

Candice Yung, founder of I See I See Hong Kong, has developed more than 40 recipes, and the shop in Causeway Bay offers 8 to 10 flavours every day.

The signature ice pop flavours include Earl Grey Tea with Pistachio, Raspberry Cheesecake, Kiwi and the most Instagram-worthy Strawberry Hokkaido Milk.

The ice popsicle trend is actually far from new. Over in the States, Americans love their ice popsicles and it is an ongoing trend for years now.

There are so many ice popsicle shops all over the cities, and they are all sexy in their own ways. You can even customise your ice popsicles with chocolate dips, various crushed nuts and sprinkles.

From froyo, to soft serve, Bangkok’s coconut ice cream, and fried ice cream rolls – there are no lack of ice cream options in Singapore.

Perhaps, with the arrival of I See I See, it will set a new ice popsicle trend in Singapore. Will we see more ice cream shops in Singapore selling pretty ice popsicles, especially when Singaporeans are always so crazy over such summery treats?

We will soon find out. Meanwhile, stay tuned for the arrival of I See I See in Singapore. 313@Somerset’s food hall is where it will be.

I See I See Singapore
B3-46 Somerset@313
313 Orchard Road
Singapore 238895
Nearest Station: Somerset

Read: 10 Popular Food Brands from Hong Kong That Have Opened / Are Opening in Singapore.

Photos credit: I See I See Hong Kong

Oh how we love the comeback of churros. Churro101 has arrived in Singapore just a couple of weeks back and its reception has been very successful. After an old wave of churros slowly disappeared in Singapore, some smart entrepreneurs decided to rekindle it, and this time, in a Korean style – because anything Korean seems to work, no?

Truth to be told, we are suckers for Korean food and food concepts, so Churro101 was a must-try on our list. They have a big range of different churros, but the ones that appealed to us the most on our first visit were their filled churros and churros coated with dark chocolate.

The churros are deep-fried fresh and served to us a la minute. We picked the Dark Chocolate Churro with Strawberry Crunch (S$5.90). The dark chocolate range is also available in two other coatings – almond and coconut.

The churro was served warm, and tasted no less exquisite with the dark chocolate surrounding it, melted very delightfully with every bite.

Churro101 also offers other options such as filled churros – think Cream Cheese-Filled Churro (S$4.70), Chocolate-Filled Churro (S$4.50) and even Milk Mustard-Filled Churro (S$4.50).

You can also go with the original taste for the classic Cinnamon Churro (SS$3.50), but can we say that the flavoured ones are more exciting?

As much as we love churros, we have to disagree with Churro101′s tagline of Korean “Better Than Boyfriend” Churros. Food always taste better when you have something to share it with. Make sure to bring along your loved ones here and share the churros (and calories). 

Churro101 first opened in Bugis+ and 313@Somerset is their second outlet. And we are guessing there will be more to come!

Churro101 Singapore
313 Orchard Road
B3-49 313@Somerset
Singapore 238895
Daily: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

Located at the basement of ION Orchard where the food hall is, the newly opened Mr. Churro is seeing crazy queues, even at 3pm on a Monday! One can only imagine what peak hours and weekends would be like.

This popular Korean churro chain has many outlets in Seoul, but this new shop in ION Orchard is their first one in Singapore. As with any pretty dessert comes hordes and hordes of people.

We foresee that new Mr. Churro outlets will be springing up island wide. Meanwhile, we had a taste of it already and definitely loving it!

We picked the Nutty Churro (S$5.90) as it looked the most appealing. Other options here include the classic churro option at S$4.50, and Churro with Ice Cream (S$6.50). The churro was served to us evenly cut up, with chocolate sauce and nuts very generously drizzled on top.

The portion is a pretty huge one, and you will definitely get your money’s worth. The churros are very chewy and the dough is most definitely tasty when eaten warm, and even better with chocolate sauce.

It is a must-try for all churro lovers and we dare say that it is worth the hype.

Mr. Churro
ION Orchard #B4-61, 2 Orchard Turn
Singapore 238801
Daily: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Orchard

About the writer:
Cheryl is a staff writer for ladyironchef. She loves a good steak and an even better cuppa. She eats just about anything and everything. In her free time, she regularly starts on sci-fi or fantasy movie marathons.