I ate myself silly here, as most Singaporeans do at buffets, but it's not a remarkable one. The spread is good, with several Western, Indian and Chinese/local dishes, a sashimi section, salads, soups and a dessert bar. Coffee and English breakfast tea are included in the price.

Here are the highlights and misses:

- The meats in the Western section were generally a letdown, until a new rack of lamb was brought out. It wasn't juicy but the gravy helped a little. The taste of lamb was particularly strong.

- The duck confit was odd...it was very salty, and horror of horrors, tasted like Kentucky Fried Crud.

- The seaffood pescorole was a bit salty. Plenty of shrimps lent to the distinct briny taste. The same goes for the fresh mussels, clams, oysters and crabs - do ask for the nutcracker if you need it.

- Drunken prawns were lovely...the stock was flavourful and the prawns were sweet and easy to shell. Marmite chicken lacked the malty taste although it looked appetitising. They couldn't go far wrong with the steamed fish, and it was good.

- Of the Indian selections, I had only the vegetable korma, and it was easy. Not that I eat such dishes often enough to comment properly.

- Very oddly, the seafood is placed next to the ice-cream, and the cold soba next to the salads. But there's no tempura to go with the said noodles. Of the vegetables, I picked the rocket and chicory for myself...I would have prefered more walnuts in the Waldorf salad however.

- 4 choices of Haagen Dasz ice-cream are offered, and it's another one that can't go wrong. The rest of the dessert counter is good, with a selection of kuih, cakes, jellies and macaroons.

Ondeh-ondeh looked thick but the gula melaka flowed freely. Pulut inti was a bit spicy and savoury, and the rice rather sticky.

The fruit counter included the usual melons...and ruby grapefruits.

Special mention goes to the cheese platter, which included feta and caprice de dieuz in addition to cheddar, edam, goudard and (can't recall what else there was). The caprice is like a stronger-tasting cousin of brie. Besides apricots, grapes and carrots, pinenuts and walnuts are available to go with them.

I found the dim lighting and massive swarths of black oppressive from a designer's point of view. It's more suited to a library or a more exlusive restaurant. That's more subjective however, and at least the furnishings were not cheap-looking, the lighting was soft and no contruction fittings were left exposed.

No complaints about the service though, the wait staff were attentive and the chefs handled the food confidently, whether it was slicing lamb, dowsing prawns or toasting quesadillas.

There you have it. It's expensive at $38++, and I can't find a compelling reason to return, even if I happen to be at the airport.

I'm a fan of the cafe outlet in Jalan Pemimpin, and had good memories of this branch in the past. Sadly, standards have lapsed lately.

I had the beef noodles, which was one of the better dishes. I noticed that the stew in which the beef parts are prepared (not the soup) is paler, and when I bit into the chunks they were tougher and less tasty than before. And horror of horrors, diced carrots and peas make an appearance in the soup. The rice noodles are still smooth however. It's all still edible but nothing like what it used to be.

On another occasion Dad was served fish and prawns in the seafood fried rice that weren't fresh and marred the taste of the dish. He hasn't eaten here again since.

Having said all that, the prices have not changed, although cashew nut toppings now cost 50 cents each. We'll eat at other establishments in the building and area (not all of them, mind you) until we tire of them.

This cafe is few doors away from my workplace, so I've dined here a few times. Within its confines is also a manicure corner and a kids' area whose harsh lighting sits at odds with the rest of the interior. Promotions are listed on chalkboards and mirrors around the place and there are magazines for browsing.

On to the food now, which I think is a tad pricey. There are no extra charges though. The omelette (~$13) is alright; it's not watery, salty, stale, but it's not particularly outstanding either. It comes with toast and mushrooms.

The vegetarian lasagne (~$14) is weak on flavours other than the cheese and pasta, but it's to be expected when there's no tomato base. It's stuffed with zucchini, mushrooms and spinach. Rocket salad on the side never fails to brighten my day though.

You can opt to have your sandwiches made with ciabatta or brown bread. The mozarella $ mushroom variant ($9) comes stuffed with spinach, and the taste of the mushrooms is much stronger than the hot cheese. Crisps are served on the side, and they are the supermarket variety.

They have several flavours of New Zealand Natural ice-cream available, but as for desserts, the banoffee pudding (which I was surprised to find and looking forward to trying) was a letdown. It calls to mind a microwaved (but moist) banana cake swimming in toffee sauce and topped with ice-cream...not quite the concoction, copied to death from The Hungry Monk, I recall it to be. If you ever need a sugar rush though, it's all yours for $7.50.

I'll still return to this place when I want some variety. Service is still attentive and helpful, and food got to me quickly enough. It feels rather generic, however, like lots of mid-priced cafes that dot the island. At least it doesn't seem pretentious, and serves honest fayre. Hold back your expectations, and you won't likely walk away unhappy.

Right, my nose and tastebuds were wrecked by the common cold when I visited, so you may choose to take this review lightly.

I ran out of tissue paper while I was flipping through the menu outside. The waitress gave me a napkin when I asked for one, even though I hadn't stepped inside yet. I had the intention of dining here but I don't think she's a mind reader, so kudos for that.

The air-conditioning is noisy but that is about it for distractions. They have these cushy armchairs which a certain critic said were too high, but I had no problems with the normal seats.

I ordered a half-sized rosu katsu (regular and not the spicy option) with miso soup and green tea. The latter is brewed from tea leaves in a muslin bag in your cup, which always scores points for me over tea dust. The drinking water is flavoured with lemon. Nothing remarkable to comment on the soup.

Everything else in the entree is a sideshow next to the curry. It's a wee bit salty, and it sat well with my throat. I tasted more of the breadcrumbs in the pencil-thick pork loin than the latter, but the curry masks both easily. The potato salad is really just another carb to eat with the curry, and the combination actually isn't bad. It also gets points for being made from real potatoes.

It comes close to being pricey but I'd return to try the other items. The half-sized curries as good enough as light meals, although not all the varieties they have are available in such portions.

Hooray for me, because I work nearby and have trouped down to this outlet for dinner a few times. I've had...

- a chunky beef burger that comes with grilled onions and cheese and what-not (no sunny eggs though but that suits me perfectly). The soft and tasty bun was actually the best part of it to me, as were the thick-cut chips!

- simple prawn aglio olio. The number of prawns was generous and they were plump and juicy, the pasta had a nice bite and the spiciness was just enough to make my mouth glow (I requested for less chili).

- a braised chicken leg in garlic sauce, plus mash and salad. The gravy wasn't too pungent, the chicken was tender and tasty, and it wasn't too dry either. I'm still bad at distinguishing butter from margarine so I won't comment on the mash.

The folks at the stall provide friendly service and the nice part is that it's all prepared-to-order. There are copies of Banter to read and take away while you're waiting, and there's draught and bottled beer of all kinds at the next stall if you so like.

I ordered escargot and cuttlefish ink pasta on my visit a few weeks ago. It was a nice meal whose memory still tempts me to return to try the other dishes.

The escargot are served on a plate under which some salt (likely impregnated with alcohol) is set alight. The snails were a bit chewy and the garlic butter did not taste strongly of the aforementioned herb. A nice touch is that the shells are cracked so it's easier to dig them out.

The pasta was al dente, and fried olio style in the squid ink. It's delicious in a subtle way, even though the random slices of cuttlefish, onions and raw mushrooms aren't that easy to spot - but their flavours were able to stand out as a result of the pasta's mildness. I have to agree with a friend who went to the Bugis outlet that it's the nicest version I've had.

Service was friendly and attentive, and kudos for the unusual decor and the oft-mentioned 'keys'. I'd love to return to try a hamburger or tonkatsu.

I enjoyed the chicken tartine a lot; it comes with anchovies but they aren't really fishy (I like them anyway), and the chicken looks like it's topped with chopped walnuts but it isn't - I don't know what it is they use to make it so yummy.

Try not to takeaway though - the tartine is best enjoyed warm and crispy. I once did for the duck rillette and though it was delicious, the soggy bread wasn't as enjoyable.

There's a generous amount of salad on the side but it had too much dressing for my liking. The creme brulee was lovely though, with a strong vanilla flavour and a thin torched layer of sugar on top. All the dessert plates have some cocoa powder dusted to form an image of the Eiffel tower, and it's nice to rub it onto the back of the spoon and lick it off with the dessert.

Prices are a bit steep although there's no service charge or added GST (I'll tip double next time for forgetting to do so!), and a meal is only slightly cheaper than the sum of the prices of the drink, dessert and tartine. I'd rather pay a bit more, forgo the drink and have 2 entrees and dessert.

P.S. I had a go at the fromage blanc for dessert later. It comes with chestnut or strawberry cream, and I opted for the former. The cheese itself is like what you'll find on European cheesecakes (which are completely different to the American ones) and with a sour taste that is akin to Greek yoghurt. Mix it with the chestnut cream and it makes for an acquired taste which I liked.

The soup of the day was onion soup, and it was served in a mug. Personally I was disappointed that it wasn't topped with cheese, and that the broth was too peppery although it was flavourful.

I was disgusted with my experience at this new outlet.

I ordered a kamitama ramen, which was supposed to be topped with a crab and mushroom omelette. The texture of the noodles was alright...now that we've got the good stuff out of the way, let's move on to the bad:

1) The aftertaste reminded me of the wax that was used to get an imprint of my teeth at the dentist's;

2) Where was the crustacean carcass in my omelette? It was replaced by, horror of horrors, crabstick! And they still charge a premium! Not too mention that there were bits of eggshell in it.

3) The soup itself was average...it's supposed to be mildly spicy pork bone stock but it tasted like gunpowder.

What pissed me off most though was being charged service charge when it wasn't mentioned anywhere. Seriously, how difficult can it be to print 'all prices include...' or even '++' stickers for the menus? There wasn't a manager around and the cashier left her sense of initiative at home, so I paid and left in a huff.

That's the last time my shadow ever enters their premises.

I had a striploin meal for lunch on a Monday. It's relatively good value and the service, though not personal, is fast, although it gets crowded often.

The chicken noodle soup and the bread pudding which came with the meal were okay. The steak was alright (I'm not a good judge of doneness), not too tough but lacking some flavour. I would have preferred brown sauce to the too-peppery black pepper sauce that was served, but the roast potatoes were a nice touch.

If there's one thing that might attract me back here, even if the food isn't remarkable, it's the price.

I was undecided about where to have dinner after work and Mass nearby, until I came across this place while walking around. It's cosy, the space is shared with racks of clothes for sale and oil paintings adorn the walls.

I ordered just a laksa spaghetti, which took about 15 minutes to arrive as there was a large gathering the evening I stepped in. It comes with a fairly generous amount of fillet prawns and shredded chicken, and the aroma of daun kesom (laksa leaves) is strong. The pasta wasn't overcooked and the gravy was dry, lemak and not too spicy as to put off a non-chilli freak like me.

Service from the folks who run the place was good, especially since they are just a few steps away from anybody. They recommend dishes if you ask and comment on your choices as well. I'm told that the laksa tastes different after 7.30 p.m. when the chef's assistant takes over. It costs $12.80 (prices are nett); it's expensive compared to having actual laksa down the road, but it undercuts the laksa pesto offered at fancier places.

I'll be back if work takes me here again. They also have Nyonya dishes with rice for $4.50 on weekday afternoons.