Yamazaki

B28 per piece. G/F, Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Rd., BTS Siam.
What a bizarre look. Is this egg tart overdosing on calcium? The crust is really cakey, not crispy, and the filling has a whole lot of vanilla. More like a pudding, and with no bold egg flavor.

Kanom <WINNER>

B40 per piece. For a complete list of branches, visit www.ka-nom.com
We love how the top is browned nicely and that it actually looks how an egg tart is supposed to look like. In fact, our tasters eagerly queued to pop this cutie pie into their mouths. The flakey crust is nice and crunchy and you can really taste the egg in its thick filling.

KFC <RUNNER UP>

B25 per piece. G/F, Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Rd., BTS Siam.
The appearance is tip top thanks to the browned yellow custard. In fact, we like the KFC filling best, too—great texture and a smooth milky taste. The sour note is the crust which is obviously intended to be flakey but ends up being more clumpy.

BreadTalk

B28 per piece. G/F, Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Rd. BTS Siam.
Here we go again with that shortbread-like crust that we just hate. The crumbly dough feels undercooked but we must admit that this is the most eggy tasting tart so far—thought that might be too much of a good thing.

Mandarin Oriental

B35 per piece. G/F, Paragon, Rama 1Rd. BTS Siam
It may be an absurdly small tart but it definitely has the best crust thanks to a great blend of butter, salt and a crispy texture. It has a pleasant taste but tips towards being more of a Western dessert. The filling texture is that of lemon curd—minus the lemon, of course.

What’s an Egg Tart?

These pastries originated from Hong Kong in the 1940s in the cha chaan tengs, Chinese tea diners that serve affordable on-the-go dishes such as noodles, pasta and fried rice. Both short crust and flakey pie crust are acceptable but the latter is the choice of connoisseurs. We bet Hong Kong nicked the little tarts from Macau’s Portuguese community as they look just like the pastel de nata that have been around since the 1800s.

Amid the flurry of stuffy and more “proper” high-end labels at fledgling mall The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, new multi-label store The Society of Black Sheep (if the name is anything to go by) stands out for its unpredictable and quirky mix of clothes, shoes and accessories; spanning underground labels like Sydney’s Mjolk, Injury and Friedrich Gray, Helsinski’s Minna Parikka and London’s People’s Market, House of Holland and Lungta de Fancy. Not necessarily the kind of clothes that will tickle the fancy of the preppy set that frequents the mall, but the trio behind Black Sheep—Lim Li Hsien, LY Lim and Eric Lim—are undeterred with their more leftfield selections. “We put the clothes together with a thought for the individual who appreciates incongruity, but with the preference to express their uniqueness in a subtle way,” says Lim. “The three of us come from a generation that has the freedom to travel and shop almost anywhere. We enjoy having the ability to make style discoveries on our own, and put together unique personal looks. So we created a slice of everywhere right here in Singapore, and put in pieces that work for a grown up lifestyle that is still subtly edgy.”

That said, the design, aesthetics and layout of the store are by no means as unconforming. Old gentleman style meets vintage cool is the overall direction here, with British Raj style antique tables, iron bound chests, an ornate silver vase and portraits with sheep’s heads standing out among the wooden panelling and floors. Peppered throughout are a compelling mix of deconstructed and distressed pieces from Friedrich Gray’s Dislocation collection, Lungta De Fancy’s romantic styles, and wearable, casual pieces and shoes from House of Holland and Bstore. Upcoming in the next month or so are rock ‘n’ roll-inspired T-shirts and jeans by Bolongaro Trevor and flowy dresses by Handwritten.

The juxtaposition of the boutique’s direction with the rest of The Shoppes’ more conventional offerings is what gives it its edge. “We give a lot of thought to our displays ... to give our customers the inspiration to have the same playfulness and irreverence towards fashion that we feel,” adds Lim. “But we also never forget that our customers are busy people; so while they love their style, they don’t have to fuss about it while they go about their day, so comfort is always key for us.”

#B1-64 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Ave., 6688-7223. Open daily 11am-11pm.

Returning for its 7th year, the dance, music, theater and visual arts extravaganza that is the Fringe Festival is renowned for its innovative and engaging showcases. Past festivals have opened the door not only for artists around the world to exhibit some of their edgier works, but have also built a dedicated and active community through their thought-provoking themes. This year, organizers and curators from The Necessary Stage will explore the relationship between art and education through the works of 19 international and local artists from 10 countries, including three fringe highlights from India, France and Singapore. We pick the most visually stimulating and intellectually engrossing works from the fest.

Another Me: Transformations from Pain to Power
This exhibition by independent Indian documentary photographer Achinto Bhadra takes him to a half-way house called Sanlaap in Kolkata, India. Survivors of trafficking, rape or abandonment, and the children of sex workers, were counseled to take on human, animistic and divine beings of power, love, revenge and freedom through costume and make up. Bhadra captures their transformation and reveals their inner strength of these women through his photography work.
Through Jan 16. ION Art Gallery, 4/F, ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, 6838-6520. Free.

Entre Nous
The Asian premier of Belgian Helmut Van den Meersshaut’s one man performance is nothing if not energetic. Entre Nous is an entertaining and explosive story of a man’s search for himself. Helmut’s acclaimed performance sees him free fall into the “space” of his characters, with neither an emotional safety net for himself nor the audience.
Jan 7–8, 8pm. Esplanade Theatre Studio, Esplanade, 1 Esplanade Dr., 6828-8377. $19-30 from Sistic.

Monster
Performed by American dance troupe Pappas & Dancers, Monster sees dancers crumble and reform; creatures with oversized breasts and prosthetic noses storming the stage. The Los Angeles Times calls it “mesmerizing” with a performance that questions Jewish identity, shame, and what it means to be a victim and a victimizer.
Jan 14–15, 8pm. Esplanade Theatre Studio, Esplanade, 1 Esplanade Dr., 6828-8377. $19-30 from Sistic.

Perceptio
This audio-visual concert explores our ideas about pollution and climate change through music and sound, cinematics and art and animation. Curated by local collective PMP, the exhibition uses sound and visual samples from various parts of Singapore, combined with computer generated visuals and sounds to create an immersive experience.
Jan 15, 7:30pm. Esplanade Recital Studio, Esplanade, 1 Esplanade Dr., 6828-8377. $19 (double-bill with Oldfish) from Sistic.

School Of Hard Knocks
Singapore’s quirky knick knack emporium, the Little Dröm Store, has partnered with international advertising company JCDecaux to explore social interaction within the premises of a playground. The photographic exhibition will feature these childhood monuments that have captured our imagination but are now in the process of extinction.
Through Jan 18, JCDecaux Bus Stop Shelters islandwide; Through Jan 23, Esplanade Tunnel, underground walkway from Esplanade to Raffles City MRT. Free.

Something About Education but Not Exactly…
Curated by Hong Kong visual artist Leung Chi Wo, this installation work features text and images exclusively created for the festival. A pseudo-educational video entitled Signs will be screened in a classroom setting, aiming to translate the ideas of non-mainstream communication and the meaning of human reality overloaded by mass media.Through Jan 23. Jendela, Esplanade, 1 Esplanade Dr., 6828-8377. Free.

The M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2011: Art + Education is on through Jan 23 islandwide. For more details, log onto www.singaporefringe.com.
 

KPO
1 Killiney Rd., 6733-3648. Open Mon-Thu 11am-1am; Fri 11am-2am; Sat 9am-2am; Sun 9am-1am.
This two-story bar sits right in the heart of the ever bustling Orchard Road and is housed in a restored historical post office. Frequented by suits and high rollers it's a perfect spot. As they say, your net worth is equivalent to your network. So start rubbing those shoulders here.

City Space
70/F, Swissotel The Stamford, 2 Stamford Rd., 6837-3322. Open Sun-Thu 5pm-1am; Fri-Sat 5pm-2am.
Perched high above the Singapore business district, City Space is located atop Singapore’s tallest hotel. Offering a truly welcoming environment with its velvet armchairs and colored light globes, it strikes just the right note. With a spectacular view of the city, it'll make you and your guests feel on top of the world.

Lobby Court
Shangri-La Hotel, 22 Orange Grove Rd., 6213-4288. Open Sun-Thu 7:30am-1am; Fri-Sat 7:30am-2am.
With its rich 39-year history, the hotel is heralded for its epicurean grandeur and unquestionably high service standards all set within a lush tropical landscape. Bring fellow captains of the indusry to the hotel’s bar, Lobby Court, and enjoy their wide range of wines, liqueurs and cocktails.

Aldrin, Independent
The globetrotting DJ/Producer have been planting Singapore’s dance music seeds on the map with his hard-work and dedication to his craft. 2010 saw him dropping his distinctive “Aldrin sound” of meticulously crafted tunes across Asia, Europe and the Middle East, as well as his signature ONE nights at Zouk, where it all began.

DEC2010ONEDERLUST by onewithmusic

Cherry Chan, Syndicate
Singapore’s representative for the 2010 Red Bull Music Academy in London has sure made us proud with her instinctive selection of glitchy beats and trippy dub; making her role model of sorts of a quality local DJ who can be heard in joints like Home Club and La Maison.

Eclipse, Zouk
Only 23 years old this year, the newest resident to Zouk’s youthful playground Phuture, Ivan Chia aka Eclipse has been holding the fort with his signature mash up style of hip hop, electro, house and funk; and dropping them like they never went old.

Effen, Symmetry
Considered one of Singapore’s finest Trance DJ/Producer, Effen has been making a name for himself having organized jaw-popping trance events bringing in the likes of Martin Roth, Alex M.O.R.P.H, John O’Callaghan, Myon & Shane 54 and MaRLo. His personal set of techy laced trance is not for the faint hearted.

EJ Missy, electrocaine 
No stranger to the local techno scene, EJ Missy can be spotted at top local clubs dishing some seminal and rare choons through her carefully laid selections. Leading the progression of techno via her monthly Loop nights last year and garnering a larger group of fans, 2011 looks like a sure-fire year for her.

ej missy - live at home club (loop 3) - 4/11/2010 by ej missy

Funk Bast*rd, Cosa Nostra
One half of Cosa Nostra, Funk Bast*rd together with saxophonist, Kaye have been making heads bop and feet shuffle with his delicious funk, afro, bossa and samba inspired tunes. From playing to a half-naked beach crowd at Tanjong Beach Club or heating up dance floors at the swanky off-beat club La Maison, Funk Bast*rd is the shit.

Godwin Pereira, Ku De Ta
The Godfather of Singapore’s electronic dance music doesn’t like to be labeled as that. He is as humble and down to earth as they come but looking at his credentials, Godwin has definitely led Singapore’s nightlife in more ways than one. Having lend his musical expertise to Centro, Ministry of Sound, Ying Yang and Stereolab; Godwin now dishes his musical take at Ku De Ta.

Has, Rawjak
The poster boy of our local dance circuit, 2010 has seen Has either releasing tracks through his imprint Rawjak, musically directing the soundscape of White Rabbit, Tanjong Beach Club and Overeasy or lecturing future jocks the finer ways of being a good jock. Whatever he touches turns into dance music gold, a currency that will see him being even more prominent in 2011.

Rub A Dub by has

Inquisitive, Zirca
Whether it’s wobbly Dutch house, dirty electro or mash ups, the bad boy of the decks have seen his theme nights at Zirca attended like it was a holy mass but with bass instead.

JNR, Zouk
The new face of Zouk’s discerning taste of quality dance music, JNR has taken charge of Velvet Underground’s console and slapping the dance floor with his rare disco, afro and house gems.