November 30, 2014

Fishball Story @ Golden Mile Centre, Beach Road ~ Handmade Goodness In A Bowl



I have a soft spot for young hawkers, not because they can cook (会煮饭的男人很帅!) or are usually affable people such as Douglas Ng of Fishball Story, but because I can totally understand the sacrificial efforts behind the food they serve. To most of us, food may be a tummy filler, but to these new generation of culinary heroes, it represents their dream and the passion they are living at this very moment.

(Read: Sentimental Sundays: Being A Hawker. I Know How It Feels Like. I Was Once A Young Singapore Hawker.) 

November 27, 2014

Atmosphere Bistro @ Parkland Green, East Coast Park



East Coast Park could possibly be Singapore's most popular coastal park, with barbecue pits, chalets, dining attractions, as well as amenities for sports activities drawing in families and friends looking for recreation and relaxation, especially on weekends. Now, let's add café hopping to the list!

The newly revamped section (next to carpark C1) serves this purpose well. Aptly named Parkland Green, it hosts a couple of food and beverage outlets, including Pick Me Up Café, St Marc Bakery & Bar, SandBank, Patro's Sports Bar & Restaurant, and Atmosphere Bistro.

November 24, 2014

Grand Mandarina 御华庭 @ New Bridge Road (Chinatown) ~ Chinese Dining At Its Indulging Best



Grand Mandarina (御华庭) is the kind of posh nosh place to go for a delectable meal of fine Chinese cuisine, to impress the people you need to impress, or just to earn bragging rights that you've tried their most indulgent dish: The signature prized Empurau Fish (忘不了鱼) which cost a whopping $888 per kg!

Situated along New Bridge Road (right next to EW16/NE3 Outram mrt station), Grand Mandarina is also one of the few independent Chinese restaurants in Singapore which caters to the mid and up-market diners, and does not belong to any F&B chain or hotel groups. It presents a menu of Cantonese cuisine, traditional in most parts yet injected with a modern flair. Think along the lines of Roasted Duck with Truffle Sauce, Fried Rice with Foie Gras, and you'll get the drift.

November 22, 2014

Saturday House, A New Café At Upper Paya Lebar Road ~ Everyday Can Be A Happy Day!



Shrove Tuesday, Sunday Folks, now we have Saturday House, a new café which has recently made its debut along Upper Paya Lebar Road in early November. Why Saturday? Because owner Adrian Koh (who also runs Changi Bistro) believes that Saturday is the best day of the week, there's no need to get to work nor face the impending Monday blues yet. And if you come to Saturday House, any day can be a happy day!

November 20, 2014

Australia's Popular PIE FACE Arrives In Singapore! Find It At 313@Somerset and Bugis Village!



Pie Face was a very familiar "face" when I was in Sydney earlier this June. The popular Australian micro-bakery café chain has a presence of more than 80 stores around the world, so perhaps you'd like to imagine how many outlets they have in their "home-ground" alone. Pie Face is new in Asia though, the two recently-opened stores at Singapore's 313@Somerset and Bugis Village marked their first foray into this untapped market.

At the risk of sounding like a food snob, admittedly, I did not feel the lure to try out Pie Face's pies while in Sydney because it's everywhere (erm... too common like Old Chang Kee in Singapore?). I'd rather use my limited tummy space to check out the numerous indie cafés instead.

November 17, 2014

Jack's Place Launches Hearty U.S. Premium Selection Menu!



Our eyes spaced into nostalgic mode whenever Jack's Place is mentioned. How many of you have grown up with this well-loved local restaurant synonymous with serving hearty steaks on sizzling hot plates at affordable prices in Singapore since 1968? Hands up!

While the popular steaks remain to be a mainstay on Jack's Place's menu, the offerings at its Great World City and The Grandstand has now went up a notch, with six new dishes featuring premium meat selection such as USA Brandt Steak cuts, as well as Kurobuta Pork.

November 14, 2014

JOIE By Dozo @ Orchard Central ~ I Found Joy In Modern Meatless Cuisine!



"What have I gotten myself into?", as carnivore me accepted a tasting invitation before realizing that JOIE By Dozo specializes in modern meatless cuisine with Japanese-European influences. My eyes were distracted by the photos of the restaurant's enticing dishes, plus, the convenience of its location at Orchard Central (next to 313@Somerset, directly linked to NS23 Somerset mrt station) played quite a decisive role in scheduling my tummy in for this dinner too.

But hei hei, after an evening of going without meat, I was filled with joy. What an experience!

November 12, 2014

Pantler @ Telok Ayer Street ~ Purveyor Of Thoughtfully Made Pastries!



Woohoo, another new opening and what a great one! You may think I'm crazy for visiting Pantler thrice within a short span of 6 days, but the quality pastries at this bakery-café is really that worth the time and calories. Really.

Nestled among the row of conserved shophouses along bustling Telok Ayer Street, Pantler is located just 2 units away from My Awesome Café, and easily accessible by nearest mrt stations: EW15 Tanjong Pagar & DT18 Telok Ayer.

November 10, 2014

Saveur Art @ Ion Orchard ~ How Great Thou Art!



After Saveur and Concetto, hawker-guys turned restauranteurs Joshua Khoo and Dylan Ong are now wooing us with their latest dining concept, Saveur Art! I was there for a lunch session last week, and my heart was effortlessly won over by their repertoire of French-inspired cuisine. How can I not be, when the food was visually beautiful and taste delicious, with prices that are easy on the wallet? One of the dishes was so mind-blowing good, my dining companion, Nat (Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow) teared. #notexaggerating

November 07, 2014

TRUFFLE WONTON MEE (Recipe Included!)



After "I-love-SALTED-EGG-YOLK-anything", my next love is undoubtedly "I-love-TRUFFLE-anything!" We bought a bottle of white truffle oil sometime back, and judging by its utilization rate, we wondered when we're ever going to finish it. Time to get cooking! Lol! #PinkyPigguDomesticGoddessWannbe

It so happened that we were given some fresh egg noodles and wonton wrappers by a friend whose family runs a business supplying these foodstuff, so..... tadah! We decided to cook TRUFFLE WONTON MEE!

November 04, 2014

Jing Hua Restaurant (京华小吃) @ Rochor Road (Bugis Village)



"You mean there's good 小笼包 (steamed soup dumplings) so near to me?" My friend asked me in disbelief as I visited her shop in Bugis Village after a scrumptious dinner at Jing Hua Restaurant (京华小吃). "Yes! Delicious, affordable, and located just around the corner", I said. It goes to show how much the humble-looking eatery is under the radar.

Though this outlet at Rochor Road (nestled amidst the row of shophouses in Bugis Village where Four Seasons Keisuke Tonkotsu Ramen King is) has only opened for only a year, Jing Hua Restaurant has been established since 1989 at their flagship venue along Neil Road (Chinatown), and will soon expand with a third outlet at Palai Renaissance (Orchard). Now, 25 years on, it continues to serve up "Jing Hua Cuisine", a term fondly coined by the native-Singaporean founders to reflect their host of Tianjin-inspired delicacies which has been thoughtfully tweaked to better suit local tastes.

November 02, 2014

Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 (终极街头美食节) ~ Feast On Our Local Delights For A Good Cause!



Hello November! This month, the spotlight is on..... our beloved hawkers and their delicious fare! The Ultimate Hawker Fest (UHF) (终极街头美食节) returns for a 3rd year with a unique focus on celebrating Singapore’s Hawker Heritage, as part of Singapore’s Jubilee (SG50) celebrations. Keep your day free for this iconic one-day event, which will take place at Suntec Convention Centre Halls 401-402 on 22 November 2014, from 11am to 5pm.

Organised by TOUCH Community Services and featuring celebrity food bloggers Maureen Ow (www.MissTamChiak.com), Derrick Tan (www.SgFoodOnFoot.com) and Ian Low (TheSilverChef.blogspot.sg) who combined their gourmet expertise to bring together more than 20 chefs to create the Ultimate menu, what we can expect are our local delights showcased over three food zones namely Ultimate Original Recipe (食代相传), Ultimate Pursuit of Happiness (食膳为心) and Ultimate Ingredients (食材科举).