Sure wine dinners, DJ gigs and afternoon Saturday brunches are fun, but we think mornings might also be where the good life is. Imagine waking up early (yes, early) and meeting friends in your yoga pants for coffee and a muffin at a rare spot that opens at 9am, not 11:30am. Or even grabbing a real breakfast before heading to work. Nice, right? Now set your alarm and go do it with the help of our round-up.

Ohana Cafe

50/4 Sukhumvit Soi 24, 02-661-1930. Open daily 8am-7pm
Not only is Ohana Café open bright and early, their glass-box architecture offers the tranquility of the morning sun and lots of garden foliage. It’s also good both for groups and for solo internetting or book perusing from their small, charming travel book library. And the food lives up to the décor, with a serious coffee and tea list from all over the world, lots of baked goods and dishes for any sort of appetite.
Recommended: The decadent should get their waffles (B150), which are huge and come covered in strawberries and whipped cream. For something smaller get their croissants (B45), which are legit and made exclusively for Ohana, from French flour and French butter.

Le Blanc

15 Sukhumvit Soi 39, 02-259-4353. Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm
A simple, family operation run by a Japanese couple with great enthusiasm for French baking, Le Blanc reminds us of a neighborhood bakery in Paris, drawing in families from nearby condos in the area. Their baking area is behind the display, which means everything is made in-house, so you canliterally have pastries fresh out of the oven. Their small eating area has a few tables and great light from their window wall facing the street. If you get there early, you can grab the one long couch with a friend or two. While they do breads and baguettes in the afternoon, mornings are for pastries and viennoiseries like croissants, pain au chocolat, little tarte and danishes.Recommended: They do a coffee and pastry set for B100. You can’t go wrong with any of their baby tarts (B40-45), with their amazingly firm and flakey pastry. Get the poire orange which has bits of chocolate in it. If you’re really attached to eggs, on weekends, they do an egg and bacon/ham set too.

Café Tartine

Athenee Residence, 65 Wireless Rd. (entrance from Soi Ruamrudee), 02-168-5464. Open Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-8pm, Sun 9am-6pm
In your frantic, nighttime beeline for Hyde and Seek, you may have overlooked this little slice of Paris morning life. Café Tartine is perfect for a solitary breakfast or a group hangout, with simple birch wood tables and chairs and floral tiles. Its endless rows of Ricard and Perrier along the walls offer a soothing, austere ambience whose counterpoint is the array of lovely baked goods fit for breakfast or lunch.
Recommended: If you’re feeling particularly Francais, go for their traditional breakfast set of croissant, café latte and orange juice (B99). Or you can amp it up further by going for the extra large bowl of hot chocolate (B105) like a countryside schoolboy. Other simple breakfast options include the pain au chocolat (B70) and the toasted baguette (with jam and butter, B60). If you while away the whole morning here, the lunchtime croques, sandwiches and platters of cheese and cold cuts are also very atmospherically French.

Little Home Bakery

413/10-20, Soi Thonglor, Sukhumvit Soi 55, 02-185-1485. Open Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat-Sun 8am-9pm
If being hip before noon is too much for you to handle, we suggest this modest little place on Thong Lor. Little Home Bakery is the sort of diner that time has forgotten, remembered mostly by long-time residents and expats who come here for their solid American breakfast offerings, including strong coffee, bakery goods and standard Thai dishes for lunch and dinner as well.
Recommended: They do a very cheap American breakfast set (B165) that includes two eggs, bacon, coffee, orange juice and pancakes. But since pancakes are their specialty, got for a whole plate of them (B90). They also do nice waffles with strawberries at B90.

Kanom Fashion Bakery

122 Sukhumvit Soi 49 (Soi Klang), 02-391-2428. Open Mon-Sat 9:30am-8:30pm, Sun 9:30am-6pm
The branch on Sukhumvit 49 is a great (and slightly rare) combination of mostly Thai dessert treats and savory pies, a beautiful, contemporary space and parking. The fashion theme suggested in the name is far from overwhelming, too, so no early-morning self-loathing. Instead, enjoy their enormous, bright windows and perhaps even their outdoor garden, where you can demolish their giant stack of fashion magazines with endless cups of coffee and pie.
Recommended: Their specialty is egg tarts, which they supply citywide. Mini ones are B35 for two, and the regular ones are B40 a piece. Also try their croissants which come plain, with ham and cheese, sausage and with spinach (B20-40). The mushroom pies (B35) are generously stuffed.

It’s officially birthday season. For me, that roughly translates into bucket loads of feasting, boozing and if I’m happy (read: Sloshed) enough, some flailing about that I like to pretend is dancing. For the few unlucky folks that know me, I feel inclined to state for the record that I will only be accepting gifts in the form of food, alcohol and cold, hard cash. I was in good company at Bontá Italian Restaurant & Bar’s (#01-61 UE Square River Wing, 207 River Valley Rd., 6333-8875) third anniversary party. They’ve also had a facelift and rolled out a new menu with dishes such as Sardinian black mussels in a spicy tomato sauce ($22), homemade pappardelle with wild boar ragout ($26) and oven-roasted rabbit leg wrapped in parma ham ($36).

Yet another event with drinks aplenty was Krish’s (9 Rochester Park, 6779-4644) biweekly themed wine dinner. Chef and sommelier Matthew Baker crafted an indulgent five course meal ($215), “A Discovery of Pinot Noir,” that left me insanely satiated. There were several highlights that really made my night, such as his slow-cooked quail sitting atop some beautifully light herb and Gruyère gnocchi, accentuated by black summer truffles, and a luscious wagyu strip loin with Griottines cherry demi-glace. But it was the deep-fried bone marrow jam that made me a very, very happy girl.

Continuing in the celebratory spirit of things, Fatboy’s the Burger Bar (187 Upper Thomson Rd., 6252-8780) is partying it up for their first hatchday. They’ll be heating things up with “Burgatory,” the latest creation from these devilish minds. But to keep you cool, they’ve paired it with Satan Gold, a Belgian golden ale brew. So swing by and have yourself a “happy meal” ($25) with the boys.

Just settling into their space at Hilton Hotel is Iggy’s (3/F Hilton Singapore, 581 Orchard Rd., 6732-2234). I can’t wait to have a peek at the new digs. Perhaps a birthday meal is in order. Another establishment on my radar is Salt Grill (55/F ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, no phone number yet), which is slated for an October opening. I’ve been told to expect modern Australian with Asian accents, with executive chef Kathy Tindall at the helm.

If it seems like we’ve been boozing a little more than usual lately, try not to judge us too harshly. Between Mexicans and their tequila, Germans and their bier and the F1 season revving up to a roaring start, we’re just doing our best to keep up. Yes folks, Oktoberfest (see Party Time for event dates) is finally here. And it’s their 200th anniversary at that. While we couldn’t find the time (or the moolah) to fly to the land where it all began, that won’t stop us from partaking in this time-honored tradition. Though we don’t do it quite the way they do in Germany (the festival stretches on for a full 16 days in Munich from Sep 18-Oct 3), there are ample opportunities to indulge in authentic food and drink. Let the festivities begin!

Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant

#01-149/151 VivoCity, 1 HarbourFront Walk, 6272-8815.
Boasting top-notch service and a commendable menu, the crowd at Brotzeit is mostly expats who fancy beer, liquor and wurstel (sausages). Some solid faves that have stood the test of time include their Naturschnitzelvom Huhn, grilled chicken breast with sour cream sauce served on mixed salad and mashed potatoes ($22.50), which has a suitably salty taste to complement their Beer and Wiener Schnitzel ($34.50), breaded escalope of veal served with cranberry sauce and a potato salad. From Oct 29-31, they’re also offering an Oktoberfest platter that serves six to eight beer-guzzling machines for $168. During this weekend, the band Die Paulaner Musikanten will be belting out tunes. And of course, the Oktoberfest bier from Paulaner, Munich, will be available till the taps run dry. With an alcohol content of six percent, you don’t have to feel bad about chugging down a few of these. We reckon the more, the merrier. You can even buy some to take home (complete with a 2010 Oktoberfest mug).

Magma German Wine Bistro

2-4 Bukit Pasoh Rd., 6221-0634.
This unpretentious open-kitchen concept bistro has a bar area at the front where you can enjoy more than a few drinks, which is perfect for the boozing season. The restaurant proper, with its minimalist red and white décor and bustling chef, serves up traditional home cooked food that’s hearty, filling and pretty darn good. It’s also one of the only places in town to get authentic Berlin-style boiled pork knuckles. For the season through Oct 31, they’re offering a special feast at $298 that could easily feed a small army (or at least five to eight people). Start with a meter-long sausage, two pork knuckles, one roasted chicken, throw in another four Bavarian sausages, two pork roasts, eight pretzels, four servings of meatloaf and you’re about halfway there. Just be sure to bring along reinforcements. Brews come in a special dark ($12 for 0.5 liter; $22 for a 1 liter jug), light and tart Monk Pils, Valentins natural clouded wheat beer, Black Abbot (all three $9 for 0.5 liter; $16 for a 1 liter jug), and red cherry ($12 for 0.5 liter; $22 for a 1 liter jug). If you’ve had enough beer, they’ve also got a good selection of brandy to pick from such as Williams Christ pear and yellow or blue plum (all $14). They even have juniper and caraway schnapps ($12) for you to down while you listen to traditional German folk music.

Paulaner Bräuhaus Singapore

#01-01 Times Square @ Millenia Walk, 9 Raffles Blvd., 6883-2572.
You can’t go wrong partying here. This three-story microbrewery has a warm country-styled décor that ensures an overriding sense of ease (that might just be the beer though). This year, they’re offering golden yellow brew at only $16.90 (0.5 liter) or $33 (1 liter) from Oct 5-12. But they’ve “only” brewed 6,000 liters, so we reckon you should zip down soon. German band Scharivari from Munich will be in attendance, as will authentic German “frauleins” to add to the celebratory mood. We can only hope that these frauleins (young, unmarried women) will be as luscious and full-bodied as their beer. They’ve also got schnapps, including Schladerer Williams Birne, Himbeergeist and Kirschwasser (from $9.50), if you feel like some chasers for your brew. With all that alcohol on our mind, we almost forgot to mention their food. You’ve got to have the sausage sampler ($26), spicy Kolbazi, cheese Krainer and Nürnberger with sauerkraut. Other classics are the pork knuckle ($36), Gruyère potato rosti ($15) and Bavarian meatloaf ($19). Their grandma’s warm apple strudel is also a winner. Crisp pastry, moist apple filling with a bourbon vanilla sauce is tough to say no to. Be warned though, it’s going to be boisterous.

Party Time
 

Through Oct 4
Dress up in shorts and suspenders and be rewarded with a $10 Peranakan Place voucher, redeemable at Outdoors Café & Bar, Alley Bar and Acid Bar.
Peranakan Place, 180 Orchard Rd., 6732-6966.
 

Oct 8-9
From 7:30pm till late, the central square area of Clarke Quay (where the fountain is), will be transformed with games, food, beverage stalls and, of course, barmaids. Singapore-based German band Oompah will play Bavarian music so you can get your groove on, polka-style.
Clarke Quay, 3 River Valley Rd., 6337-3292.
 

Oct 22-24
Timbre@Substation hosts “Rocktoberfest” from 7pm till late, with local bands such as The Good Fellas and Tiramisu playing. Yes boys, more beer and barmaids will be in attendance.
Timbre@Substation, 45 Armenian St., 6338-8030. [TOP]
 

1. Personalized with a wood insert (one of the designer’s signature materials), this Alexander McQueen piece sports a geometric line with its logo engraved at the temples. $580 from Club 21.
2. The couture-inspired temples have a metal core crafted with Bottega Veneta’s hallmark precision. $650.
3. From the brand known for its sophistication, the unisex BOSS Black range of sunglasses shows off its geometric-inspired design through an interesting contrast between the shiny and opaque. $310 from Hugo Boss.
4. With a refined and sophisticated style, this acetate Balenciaga sunglass reveals a large butterfly shape with temples adorned with a logo-plate secured by tiny studs—one of the brand’s iconic details. $590.

Balenciaga, #01-09/10 Hilton Hotel Shopping Gallery, 581 Orchard Rd., 6304-1359.

Bottega Veneta, #01-04A ION Orchard,  2 Orchard Turn, 6238-0020.

Club 21, #01-09 Four Seasons Hotel, 190 Orchard Blvd., 6732-4531.
 

Hugo Boss, #01-03/04 Ngee Ann City, 391 Orchard Rd., 6735-0233.

The buzz: The Apple premium reseller from Newstead Technologies has expanded to six stores with this latest outlet at Raffles City. Expect three more new stores to open by the end of this year.

The vibe: Offering a one-stop point for all your Apple needs, Nubox offers the latest products from Macbooks to ear-phones and a variety of other accessories. Conveniently located at the heart of City Hall, the store boasts a sprawling shopping space and efficient, knowledgeable staff.

The goods: Apart from the Macbooks (from $1,588) and other Apple products like the latest iPod Touch (from $328), the store also stocks the latest range of accessories. Check out the wide range of complimentary gadgets available like the Plantronics Voyager PRO Bluetooth headset (from $169).

Why you’ll be back: Not only will you be spoilt for choice in terms of purchases at this IT haven, it also offers service and advice from experts, and regularly provides in-store demonstrations and training for customers.

#03-25, Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252 North Bridge Rd., 6334-8132. Open daily 11am-9:30pm.

Bershka
The Autumn/Winter 2011 collection sees a mixture of trends for the cool cats out there. Washed out jeans (from $49.90) are themed with checkered shirts (from $39.90) producing a rustic lumberjack look for the upcoming season. Also check out every rocker’s fashion wet dream with their range of leather military jackets (from $89.90) and wool jerseys (from $39.90).
#B2-09/10/11 ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, 6509-8708.

Fleamadonna
Raw, rebellious and eccentric; these are the attitudes evident in the Korean label’s latest Autumn/Winter collection. With inspiration from cartoons and an unbounded sophistication, designer Jei Kim imbues these pieces with a real sense of playfulness. Leggings with planetary prints ($210), exaggerated silhouettes shaped on shoulder of dresses ($135), tops (from $59) and shoes (from $150) make this collection as street worthy as it is unique.
Actually..., 29A Seah St., 6336-7298.

Juun J. x KIROIC
These are the kind of sneakers that’ll stop people in their tracks. Chinese designer Kim Kiroic combines futuristic design ideas with an ergonomic slant that speaks to those hungry for up-scale sneakers with a tangible sense of comfort. The Transformable Warrior collection (from $458), for example, transforms into a sandal when unzipped—ingenious.
ActuallyActually, #02-01, 16 Purvis St., 6336-7298.

Pull & Bear
The stylized themes for Pull & Bear’s latest collection will leave the discerning shopper spoilt for choice. With masculine influences for ladies, try on the themed riding pants (from $19.90), jackets (from $59.90) and matching waistcoats for an old English street look—a must for the dandy and daring.
#B2-08 ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, 6238-7655.

Set to launch in October, Love, Chloé is a fine powdery scent that personifies the modern, effortlessly chic woman. With a vivacious top note of orange blossom and pink pepper, and a blooming heart of wisteria blossoms, lilac and hyacinth, this fragrance exudes quiet sophistication. $63-168 at Tangs Beauty Hall, 1/F Tangs Orchard, 310 Orchard Rd., 6737-5500.

Freitag’s first iPad case is tailored from recycled truck tarp for a reassuring degree of protection. With its velvety, self-cleaning lining and parachute inspired quick-out strap, the F23 casing makes the device even more desirable. $145 from Actually…, 29A Seah St., 6336-7298.

Traditional collegiate uniform details and silhouettes permeate G2000’s ladies collection this winter. From shades of blue, green and sienna that decorate beautifully-cut peacoats, jackets, sweaters and culottes; to elegant boucle jackets and soft Georgette blouses in brown, grey, green and pink, the pieces are timeless and elegant. Available from #B2-47/49, 313@somerset, 313 Orchard Rd., 6834-4005 and other outlets nationwide.

The iPod family gets it revamp. The new iPod Touch is equipped with an HD video camera and another Facetime-compatible front VGA camera (think iPhone 4). Pick a size: 8GB (B7,900), 32GB (B10,400) and 64GB (B13,900). As for the new iPod Nano, it gets a square touch-screen panel. Available in 8GB (B5,400) and 16GB (B6,600). Try iStudio, 2/F, Gaysorn, 02-626-1363. www.apple.com