October 30, 2015

Masizzim Singapore @ 313 Somerset ~ A New Korean Restaurant That Serves Delicious Meat Stew!



Some people surely possess business acumen and discerning tastes when it comes to identifying good food! After bringing in Chir Chir, the popular Korean fried chicken joint into Singapore, the same folks now serve up stew dishes by Masizzim 마시찜 , which is also a famous Korean casual restaurant with stores all over South Korea.

"Masizzim "is a combination of two Korean words: "masi" (delicious) + "jjim" (stew).

Delicious stew indeed! The mini hot pot bubbling with chunks of slow-cooked meat might not come across as the most trendy of dishes, but is certainly one that gratified our tongues and tummies with much comforting warmth and appetizing yumminess.

October 27, 2015

Karafuru Desserts カラフル @ Jalan Klapa ~ A Japanese-Inspired Café Serving Sweet Sweet Sweet Éclairs.



Our experience at Karafuru Desserts カラフル was so so so sweet (literally), my friend weaned herself from anything sweet for the next couple of days.

"Karafuru" means "colorful" in Japanese katakana-form, and most aptly describe the rows of vibrant-hued éclairs behind the display counter of this Japanese-inspired café at Jalan Klapa.

Pretty éclairs, intricately-plated yogurt parfaits, aesthetic-pleasing minimalist white interior, this is another of those places that highly attract creatures of the visual-loving kind (yes, my friend and I are one of them). Most photos taken here would probably garner numerous likes on any Instagram feed. Effortlessly.

October 25, 2015

Oriole Coffee + Bar @ Capitol Piazza ~ 1-For-1 Lunch Specials! What A Good Deal!



Founded in 2008, Oriole Coffee + Bar is one of the pioneers of Singapore's third wave coffee movement. Besides having their own coffee roasting facility, they also have a café outlet at Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Somerset, and recently opened a new branch at Capitol Piazza.

We decided to stop by for cup of coffee after a less-than-stellar meal at MOS Café, and were pleasantly surprised to see there's a Weekday 1-For-1 Lunch Specials on their Classics, Sandwiches and Salads (available Mondays to Fridays, 12pm to 3pm). Feeling peckish for more food, we went for it of course!

October 22, 2015

Koh Grill & Sushi Bar @ Wisma Atria Orchard ~ The SHIOK Maki Is Really Very SHIOK!



If you're wondering what "shiok" means, it's our local slang to describe something that is highly satisfying, or to express a feeling of extreme pleasure. More often than not, we use it when we're eating food that is really good.

An instance would be the Shiok Maki from Koh Grill & Sushi Bar. The humble eatery is nestled in level 4 of Wisma Atria, right beside Food Republic.

If you're lucky enough, you'd get a nice window table overlooking the bustling Orchard Road below. But according to my friend, if you can manage to secure a reservation and beat the queue during meal times, that's considered very lucky already. Better go during off-peak hours if your schedule allows (like what we did).

October 20, 2015

Pontini Italian Restaurant @ Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel ~ 5 Reasons To Go For Their Semi Lunch Buffet!



My friend was so looking forward to the Italian semi lunch buffet at Pontini Italian Restaurant, she skipped dinner the night prior to our visit so that she can go all out to indulge without a care (to the diet plans) the next day. I tried to do the same but failed lol. #notkidding

You see, I've tried the delectable creations by head chef Daniele Sarno before, so we're pretty sure that constraining ourselves to yummy food is the last thing we want to do. Authentic Italian cuisine with a modern twist..... make that an endless supply. Won-won-wonderful!!!

If you've yet to check out Pontini's Italian Semi Lunch Buffet which is happening every Saturday, as well as on Public Holidays, from 12pm to 3pm (Adults $58, Child $29), here are 5 reasons why you should do it soon!

October 19, 2015

In Good Company Café @ Ion Orchard ~ Plain Vanilla Bakery Opens Within A Fashion Store



Plain Vanilla
is now in town! Right smacked in the heart of Orchard Road!

Look not for the bakery itself, but a fashion retailer named In Good Company in basement one of Ion Orchard (right next to the escalator). Even as we walked through the boutique storefront, my friend is still asking, "here have café meh?"

Past the rows of wardrobe essentials and stylish staples for women, and you'd find yourself at a corner space that livens the nook with its bright orange wall and..... a display counter with lots and lots of freshly-baked goods!

Look at the piping of those cupcakes. Unmistakably it's by folks from Plain Vanilla.

October 17, 2015

Well Dressed Salad Bar & Café @ South Bridge Road, Chinatown ~ Hippy Vegan & Vegetarian Cusine!



Someone asked: "Do we have to be well-dressed to go to Well Dressed Salad Bar & Café?"

Haha the answer is "no". We were not thrown out though casually dressed, but were welcomed with a host of delicious vegan and vegetarian dishes. The carnivore in me did not protest the no meat meal at all, but instead was greatly satisfied with the refreshing offerings that rested light on the palate and tummy.

In short, I was happy with what I've tasted at WDSB.

October 15, 2015

Gyuu Yakiniku Grill Restaurant @ Emporium Shokuhin, A Food Shopping & Dining Destination At Marina Square!



An exciting reason to visit Marina Square: Emporium Shokuhin!

If the buzz has yet to reach your ears, here's sharing that Emporium Shokuhin (meaning "food products") is Singapore's first integrated Japanese food shopping and dining destination headlined by a gourmet grocer with live seafood market, beef dry-aging facility and 8 dining concepts. Wow!

Recently opened in end-September, one can easily imagine how huge the space must be to hold all these concepts under the same roof. The walk around various stations took us more than 30 minutes. Of course we stopped quite a fair bit to take photos and gawk at the merchandise before having a delicious dinner at Gyuu Yakiniku Grill eventually hehee.

October 14, 2015

Hairy Crab Grandeur 2015 @ Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant 萬豪軒, Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel



Hairy Crabs! It's the time when these seasonal delicacy treasured for their abundant roe are calling out to us once again!

This year, Wan Hao 萬豪軒, the award-winning Chinese restaurant at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, offers two scrumptious Hairy Crab Grandeur menus priced at $98++ and 108++ (minimum 2 persons to dine, Marriott Club member entitles for flat 20% discount). The dishes are available ala-carte too if you're not ready for the 6 to 7 course feast.

I wouldn't deny I'm a huge fan of hairy crabs, so hurriedly made a beeline for it before promotion ends in end-Nov. Chiong ahh!!!

October 12, 2015

Korea's Churro 101 Opens At Singapore's Bugis+! Go Get Those Long, Crispy Dough Of Happy Indulgence!



Churro 101, Better Than A Boyfriend. It's not easy not to grab any attention with such a cheeky tagline :p

We were told that the wait for the perfect churro is over, as the popular specialty chain from Korea opens its first international outpost at Singapore's Bugis+. Even top K-Pop groups like Girls' Generation, F(x), Miss A, and Girls' Day are fans.

It sure buzzed up quite a fair bit of excitement among the few of us during the media preview. Our eyes gleamed up at those approximately 30cm long, deep-fried dough of indulgence. Our mouths couldn't wait to chomp it all down.

October 11, 2015

Twins Korean Restaurant @ Craig Road, Tanjong Pagar ~ One Of The Best Korean Fried Chicken Around!



"Nicole, can dabao (takeaway) the twins chefs for me please?" That was my friend's reaction when she learned that I was at Twins Korean Restaurant for dinner. She likes delicious wings, and maybe delicious-looking twins even more? Haha!

It's already quite a well-known fact that Twins is opened by a pair of identical twins from Korea, both young, tall, good-looking and definitely equipped with cooking skills good enough to open up a restaurant offering a menu of perennial Korean favorites such as Fried Chicken, Tokkbokki (spicy rice cakes), Spicy Noodle Soup and Kimchi Pancake.

Verdict: I love Twins' Fried Chicken Wings!

October 09, 2015

Caveman Food @ The Star Vista ~ A Casual Eatery That Serves Paleo-Friendly Food



If blood type dieting is the way to go, then the Paleo approach might be good for those who belong to type O which has a very well-developed ability to digest meals that contain both protein and fat. By following a diet designed for your blood type, you'll lose weight, have more energy, and help prevent disease. Sounds good right?

One of type O peeps would be yours truly, so I was keen to try out Caveman Food which specializes in serving dishes that keep to Paleo Diet or near to the originality of diet in the Palaeolithic era. If a caveman couldn't eat it, neither should we.

High protein, no msg, no sugar, no grain, no soy, no dairy, no artificial flavoring and gluten-free. What can we expect on the menu then?

October 07, 2015

Haru Haru Japanese Restaurant @ Ang Mo Kio's Jubilee Square ~ Satisfying Fare At Affordable Prices!



It was a quest for the Best Beef Bowl In Singapore when some online research alerted me to Haru Haru, a casual Japanese restaurant located at Level 2 of Jubilee Square (across Ang Mo Kio mrt station NS16).

I went, I ate, and I thought, "Their Wagyu don nice. Can come again to try some other dishes". And so I did.

You can see from the picture above that we ended up trying a lot of items lol! But as the food was overall good, it was worthwhile busting the calories intake for that day.

October 05, 2015

The Halia Restaurant @ Singapore Botanic Gardens ~ Revamped Look & Menu!



Restaurant in a garden and a garden in a restaurant. What an apt description for The Halia (meaning "ginger" in Malay) which has well-embodied this dining concept since its opening in 2001 in the lush Ginger Garden of Singapore Botanic Gardens.

One of my favorite restaurants around, I was keen to check out their updated menu following the recent premises renovation.

If you're visiting Halia for the first time, enter from Tyersall Avenue entrance which is just a short 5 minutes walk to the restaurant, and the single storey building will soon come into sight. I must say it still look as charming after all these years.

October 03, 2015

Eastern House of Seafood Delicacy @ Chai Chee Drive ~ Zhi Char Gem In The East



Why would someone staying in the northern end of Singapore travel all the way to the island's remote eastern part just to eat zhi char in a nondescript, non-aircon coffeeshop located under a block of HDB flat in a sleepy neighborhood?

Because reviews on Eastern House of Seafood Delicacy at Chai Chee Drive has been largely positive.

Because friends matter more than distance, so to go the extra mile (literally) for lunch with them is okay.

Thankfully, both the food and company were great!

October 02, 2015

Five By Five (5x5) @ Thomson V One ~ Former November 8 Resurfaced As New Café



Though November 8 was kind of short-lived (ceasing operations after 18 months when lease was up), fans of the popular café would be happy to know that it has quickly resurfaced 2 weeks ago as Five By Five (5x5).

Yes, it's the same guys behind both establishments. They're back! New name, new concept, new location.

Hei hei! 5 is definitely much better than 8!

October 01, 2015

MOS Café Singapore Opens First Outlet At Raffles City Shopping Centre!



Hello October! The first day of the month started with the official opening of Singapore's first MOS Café at Raffles City Shopping Centre!

Best know for their burgers, popular fast-food chain MOS now introduces an expanded menu at their café. I've always been fond of MOS Teriyaki Chicken Burger ($3.55), Yakiniku Rice Burger ($3.90) and side treats such as MOS Chicken ($2.90), and is glad that we can still find these and more at their latest concept store.

So, what's new?