https://sparklette.net Best Singapore Restaurants, Travel and Hotel Reviews Sat, 14 Dec 2013 03:46:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.8.2 https://sparklette.net/contest/toast-box-christmas-gift-pack-giveaway/ https://sparklette.net/contest/toast-box-christmas-gift-pack-giveaway/#comments Fri, 29 Nov 2013 07:14:50 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1535

Update: This contest has ended. The winners are Hui Shan Chee (on Facebook) and @funnydiaries (on Twitter). Popular retro-ambience café chain, Toast Box, is celebrating Christmas with festive-inspired beverage-and-cupcake sets that will delight its fans and gift packs that are perfect for coffee lovers. The exclusive Christmas Choco Delight Set (S$4.80) is a great treat to enjoy during a tea break. It includes Hazelchoco, a cold concoction of Milo, fresh […]]]> https://sparklette.net/contest/toast-box-christmas-gift-pack-giveaway/feed/ 1 https://sparklette.net/food/ya-kun-kaya-treats/ https://sparklette.net/food/ya-kun-kaya-treats/#comments Sun, 24 Mar 2013 08:27:29 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1470

When people head to Ya Kun coffee stalls, the most typical food order is eggs and toast with kaya (creamy coconut jam) and butter. After all, these quick bites had been perennial crowd favourites since the chain’s humble beginnings in the 1940s. A recent visit to the Ya Kun Toastwich outlet at Fusionopolis yielded the surprise finds of new items like toast cubes and kaya balls. Not bad, we thought, […]]]> https://sparklette.net/food/ya-kun-kaya-treats/feed/ 1 https://sparklette.net/contest/toast-box-voucher-giveaway/ https://sparklette.net/contest/toast-box-voucher-giveaway/#respond Wed, 06 Feb 2013 11:33:25 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1450

Lunar New Year is a great time for spring cleaning and this year, you can do it for a good cause at Parkway Parade shopping mall. In partnership with The Salvation Army, the mall is offering shoppers a S$2 shopping voucher (maximum 5 vouchers per shopper) in exchange for every 3kg of their pre-loved clothing until 8 Feb. As part of the mall’s effort in promoting eco-friendliness, its outdoor basement […]]]> https://sparklette.net/contest/toast-box-voucher-giveaway/feed/ 0 https://sparklette.net/food/the-rotisserie/ https://sparklette.net/food/the-rotisserie/#respond Tue, 28 Aug 2012 07:42:42 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1364

Does moist and delicious fresh-off-the-spit chicken sound like your thing? If so, you need not look any further than The Rotisserie. With various outlets located in the heart of the Singapore central business district, this no-fuss eatery serves up freshly roasted chicken, salads and other hearty meals. I hear they do good coffee too! The Rotisserie, China Square Food Centre Upon placing your food order at the counter, you collect […]]]> https://sparklette.net/food/the-rotisserie/feed/ 0 https://sparklette.net/food/papa-palheta/ https://sparklette.net/food/papa-palheta/#comments Sun, 29 Apr 2012 07:20:58 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1331

Sometime back we had a discussion on whether a tipping system in Singapore is feasible. It seems that at least one café here has found a way to make it work. Papa Palheta is a small coffee retail boutique that used to be located off Bukit Timah Road before moving to Tyrwhitt Road. Word has it that this place roasts and serves the best coffee in Singapore! The seats at […]]]> https://sparklette.net/food/papa-palheta/feed/ 4 https://sparklette.net/travel/starbucks-bank-concept-store-amsterdam/ https://sparklette.net/travel/starbucks-bank-concept-store-amsterdam/#comments Sun, 11 Mar 2012 05:29:25 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1316

Take a look at The Bank. No, this isn’t a Hollywood movie, but the name of a beautiful Starbucks concept store in Amsterdam. Opened on March 8, 2012, the 430 square metre (4,500 sqf) store is located in the vault of the historic Amsterdamsche Bank. Among other things, it features a floor-to-ceiling mural celebrating the history of Dutch coffee traders, repurposed Dutch oak throughout the space, antique Delft blue tiles, […]]]> https://sparklette.net/travel/starbucks-bank-concept-store-amsterdam/feed/ 5 https://sparklette.net/food/cawaii-koohii-maid-cafe/ https://sparklette.net/food/cawaii-koohii-maid-cafe/#comments Sat, 18 Feb 2012 10:10:01 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1305

Cawaii Koohii Maid Cafe is one place that has been getting my hot-blooded guy friends quite excited. As far as I know, this cosplay maid café is the only one of its kind in Singapore. The cosy establishment at Funan Digitalife Mall is staffed by young women dressed in French maid costumes. The idea is that they are “servants” while the customers are “masters”. The girls have been taught by […]]]> https://sparklette.net/food/cawaii-koohii-maid-cafe/feed/ 2 https://sparklette.net/food/ya-kun-kaya-cookies/ https://sparklette.net/food/ya-kun-kaya-cookies/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:29:54 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1276

Singapore coffee chain Ya Kun has a long history – since 1944 – of serving up delicious kaya toast. But did you know they also sell cookies made with their famed coconut jam? The cookies are available all year round. And just for Chinese New Year, they have been specially packaged in tins. So if you know anyone who’s a big fan of the Ya Kun kaya, these kaya cookies […]]]> https://sparklette.net/food/ya-kun-kaya-cookies/feed/ 2 https://sparklette.net/food/coffee-stars-by-dao/ https://sparklette.net/food/coffee-stars-by-dao/#comments Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:00:10 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1181

With coffee outlets located all over the world, including major cities like New York, Beijing and Tokyo, the Coffee Stars by Dao chain from Thailand has opened its first branch in Singapore. Known as Coffee Beans by Dao in Thailand, the café-restaurant at Wisma Atria is its first outlet in South-East Asia outside of its home country. The café sports an open concept with a casual, yet elegant design and […]]]> https://sparklette.net/food/coffee-stars-by-dao/feed/ 1 https://sparklette.net/food/the-pigeonhole/ https://sparklette.net/food/the-pigeonhole/#comments Wed, 18 May 2011 06:44:38 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1143

In Singapore, there are a few cafés where you can go enjoy some quiet time on your computer. Typically, these places have a formula made up of these key ingredients: Free wi-fi Good coffee Staff/customers that don’t mind you hogging tables for hours Power sockets are a plus A friend introduced me to one such place recently. Sequestered at Duxton Road, The Pigeonhole may be a hole in the wall […]]]> https://sparklette.net/food/the-pigeonhole/feed/ 8 https://sparklette.net/travel/thailand/black-canyon-coffee/ https://sparklette.net/travel/thailand/black-canyon-coffee/#comments Wed, 23 Mar 2011 03:00:16 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1108

On every visit to the Land of Smiles, I make it a point to visit Black Canyon Coffee. This is a popular home-grown coffee chain in Thailand that is as ubiquitous as Starbucks is in Singapore. A wide range of coffee, chilled drinks and hot meals are served here. This time round, in Chiang Mai, I notice that the café does coffee art. The staff recommends it with cappuccino. And […]]]> https://sparklette.net/travel/thailand/black-canyon-coffee/feed/ 1 https://sparklette.net/food/tcc-high-tea-march-2011/ https://sparklette.net/food/tcc-high-tea-march-2011/#comments Mon, 07 Mar 2011 03:00:05 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1092

Every month, tcc the connoisseur concerto lays out a special high tea set at its boutique cafés. What makes this set so popular is that you can enjoy a variety of high-quality bite-sized delights at a very reasonable price. On special occasions such as Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year, the pretty platters are given festive touches like heart-shaped macaron tarts and bak kwa mini sandwiches. tcc High Tea The […]]]> https://sparklette.net/food/tcc-high-tea-march-2011/feed/ 2 https://sparklette.net/contest/oriole-winners/ https://sparklette.net/contest/oriole-winners/#respond Sun, 06 Mar 2011 07:00:00 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1090

In a recent Sparklette giveaway, 5 sets of delicious roast beef sandwiches and daily brew from the new Oriole Espresso & Brew Bar at Republic Plaza went up for grabs. More than 70 of you participated. Read on to find out who the 5 lucky winners are. Winners Tracy Oon Chin Oi Lin Jasper Aston Lim Wendy Soh Hong Wei Congratulations to all 5 winners! You have been contacted at […]]]> https://sparklette.net/contest/oriole-winners/feed/ 0 https://sparklette.net/contest/oriole/ https://sparklette.net/contest/oriole/#comments Mon, 28 Feb 2011 03:00:15 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1086

Update: Contest has ended. The winners have been announced. Find out who won. Oriole Cafe & Bar has opened a second outlet at Republic Plaza. The new Oriole Espresso & Brew Bar offers espresso-based and single cup filtered or brewed coffee alongside sandwiches, salads and freshly baked items. Read the review of the new Oriole Espresso & Brew Bar. Sandwich Giveaway! This week, we’re giving away 5 sets of roast […]]]> https://sparklette.net/contest/oriole/feed/ 76 https://sparklette.net/food/oriole-espresso-brew-bar/ https://sparklette.net/food/oriole-espresso-brew-bar/#comments Thu, 24 Feb 2011 06:03:20 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1085

It’s been a crazy few weeks at the Sparklette headquarters. In between some web design projects, I have been getting in touch with companies to sponsor awesome prizes for the contests here (Why, haven’t you noticed the increasing frequency of these giveaways? *wink*). When things get so busy, you may wish to order take-outs at lunch. I like that I can simply grab a sandwich and coffee from Oriole Espresso […]]]> https://sparklette.net/food/oriole-espresso-brew-bar/feed/ 2 https://sparklette.net/foodbytes/starbucks-logo/ https://sparklette.net/foodbytes/starbucks-logo/#comments Fri, 14 Jan 2011 03:00:28 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1060

Starbucks announced a logo change this past week, eliminating the words “Starbucks” and “Coffee”, and the two stars that encircle its twin-tailed siren mascot. The siren has been enlarged to fill the whole logo and is now green instead of green and black. How do you find the new Starbucks logo? Some people have speculated that this is a strategic move by the Seattle company to gain a bigger share […]]]> https://sparklette.net/foodbytes/starbucks-logo/feed/ 13 https://sparklette.net/food/tcc-christmas-latte/ https://sparklette.net/food/tcc-christmas-latte/#comments Wed, 22 Dec 2010 04:53:59 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1047

I have been a fan of tcc, The Connoisseur Concerto ever since the café chain first opened. The diverse menu offerings that range from chocolate desserts to pastas and cosy ambience make it a popular gathering place amongst my friends. On special occasions like Valentine’s Day and Halloween, you can enjoy creative drinks concoctions. And at Christmas, these festive-themed drinks become extra pretty. Nutte Winter S$7++ Rating: Try the Nutte […]]]> https://sparklette.net/food/tcc-christmas-latte/feed/ 6 https://sparklette.net/food/madam-saigon/ https://sparklette.net/food/madam-saigon/#respond Thu, 07 Oct 2010 09:58:46 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1014

A serendipitous visit to Madam Saigon at Liang Seah Street lent the opportunity to sip on their Vietnamese drip coffee. (Yes, we were there whilst waiting for a table at the incredibly popular Porn’s Thai restaurant next door.) How do you like your coffee – black, with cream and sugar, or decaf? Are you a fan of the trendy cappuccino, or the no-nonsense plain black coffee? I like my coffee […]]]> https://sparklette.net/food/madam-saigon/feed/ 0 https://sparklette.net/food/tcc-mooncakes/ https://sparklette.net/food/tcc-mooncakes/#comments Fri, 17 Sep 2010 03:00:43 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=1009

Boutique café chain tcc, which quietly changed its name from “the coffee connoisseur” to “the connoisseur concerto” recently, has launched their first ever mooncakes this Mid-Autumn Festival. The selection includes the classic mooncake, mango mooncake and yes, a coffee-themed treat. Colour me excited! Unboxing the mooncakes The mooncakes are encased in a long gift box decorated with colourful blossoms, then packed in a reusable shopping bag with a matching design. […]]]> https://sparklette.net/food/tcc-mooncakes/feed/ 8 https://sparklette.net/food/tom-n-toms-coffee/ https://sparklette.net/food/tom-n-toms-coffee/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:29:37 +0000 http://sparklette.net/?p=984

Fans of Korean drama shows and handsome Korean actors would be pleased to know that another Korean export has hit our shores, in the form of coffee. Boasting over 100 outlets in Korea, the Tom N Toms Coffee chain has arrived to grab a slice of the espresso coffee market in Singapore. While Korea isn’t exactly known for her coffee, our caffeine-loving population would certainly welcome an additional option to […]]]> https://sparklette.net/food/tom-n-toms-coffee/feed/ 12