Coffee, Tea or me?

I love tea. And that is still an understatement. I cannot live a single passing day without having one or two cups! Rainy days are a must, especially in a cosy cafe with jazz music in the background..

The tea that I enjoy is one with milk and sugar. That only leaves us with English Breakfast and Earl Grey.

I didn't suddenly decide that I would like tea - I grew up drinking it excessively until it has become one of my comfort foods - never fails to bring back that twang of nostalgia and warmth.

Twinings Classic English Breakfast

Does not go well with pasteurised fresh milk, but pretty nice with powered milk/creamer. Tastes best with little bit of sugar (about half teaspoonful).

Widely available in most cafes, purchasable (is there such a word?) at major supermarkets too.

Heladiv Pure Ceylon (Earl Grey)

Goes well with steamed milk or creamer, fragrant but not overwhelming. The Earl Grey taste hits you in hints, so it is, in my honest British opinion, alarmingly calming. For best results, empty one satchet of sugar.

Available at IKEA Alexandria. $1.50 per cup.

I'm hereby a teatotal hee hee hee....

Authentics ( Ramen )

Baikohken Ramen Shop - 7 North Canal Road, near 7 Eleven. (alight Raffles Mrt)



Tucked away at a cosy corner, houses two authentic Japanese chefs! (gong sound)



It was a hot day - so I was pretty thankful for the cooling wheat tea (below) they served. According to my sister, the Japanese and Koreans hardly drink plain water - they put these in the water to absorb the water of its impurities.



The tea is refreshing, not sweet like most Japanese commercial drinks. Japanese families usually throw in only one tea bag in the pot to last the family for a whole day, so yeah, its pretty strong..



This is the Vegetable Ramen my sister ordered - it is a vegetable based soup with lettuce, carrots, spring onions and shinjaku roots.

Apologies for the bad photography and presentation - I realised that I had'nt taken any photos halfway into the meal. Can't wait to tuck in I guess... heh heh! What I had was the Shio Ramen, a salt-based soup with a thick slice of pork, spring onions, and... I can't remember!

My dad had the Shiyo Ramen, the miso-based version of mine! Apologies again for the bad photography!



All in all, a great shop, albeit a not so convenient location.

The Ramen was fantastic, very much unlike most of the nonsense that most shops serve - instant noodles disguised as ramen with the aid of cheap processed meat and fishcakes.

My take - therapy on the senses. I cannot find any other words other than soothing and satisfying. Soup was neither thin nor overwhelmingly thick, just right. Noodles were chewy and filling.

A normal bowl (feeds 2) costs around $15. We ordered the half sizes - which is about $9 (enough for one person). the normal sized bowls are only if you are really really hungry..

Mama MIA~ Part 1

MaMa Bakery

Novena Square 2, Level 2


Mama-chan has always been a joy to talk to (maybe attempt to talk to). And her pastries are always piping hot and pleasant. One can always gush about breadtalk or whatever, but for me, I'll have Mama-chan's bread anytime.


Sun Dried Tomato Cheese is one of my favourite tea time buddy. The tangy sourness of the tomato coupled with the chewy cheese on soft fluffy bread is just perfect for a cool afternoon. Highly recommended with a pot of tea.

Strictly for choco lovers only. The chocolates are rather chewy too. If you love subway cookies, I believe this is the more tantalising version of it, at around the same price.

Mama-chan is always so cheerful and matronly. My attempts at weak Japanese never seem to deter her from making conversation, and we spar - with broken english and half baked Japanese.