On a lookout for restaurants in quaint heritage architecture surrounded by lush greenery? I know I do, and I found out that besides the famous Dempsey Hill and Botanic Gardens, there is also Rochester Park, which is like a Dempsey Hill in Buona Vista. This area is like a perfect respite from the city buzz, lots of foliages and the buildings there are mainly bungalows, which are distinctive and have a certain charm to them.

Gary's is one of the 2-storey restaurants housed in these bungalows, and its interior is so beautiful, especially the mezzanine balcony that takes my breath away. With the good service and awesome food, dining at the balcony really feels like a pure enjoyment in life. And the way the staffs celebrate birthdays is absolutely impressive, eye-catching while still classy. The reveal on details will come later.

Set lunches here come at a nice price of $38 ~ $58, but I decide to go for à ala carte since quite a number of items in there are too tempting for me to skip in favour for set lunch.

Red Prawn Tartare is a luxurious treat full of umami. The diced raw red prawns is so creamy and sweet, complementing the buttery, briny goodness of the uni. The caviar and ikura introduces refreshing, intense essence of the ocean to uplift the creaminess. I love this so much.

Pan Seared Foie Gras is so perfectly prepared. The thin seared crust holds within it a rich, buttery, almost jelly-like core. The taste is so sublime. It tastes even better with the onion chutney, the sweet pear, tangy aged balsamic and dashes of rock salt.

Iberico Pork Jowl is very well-cooked, being super tender and juicy. It has a gamey flavour that will transform into a rich taste when slathered with the sweet, refreshing carrot puree. It tastes delicious when paired with the carrot puree.

The Lava Cake really holds lots of lava in its centre. The moment I scoop out a piece of the cake from the side, the lava start oozing out. This is so decadently good. And pistachio ice-cream actually goes better with lava cake than the usual vanilla one.

The main floor of the restaurant is posh and modern, and the mezzanine balcony embraces the nature while still having the comforts of an air-conditioned environment. Both are great for dates and gathering. I love the balcony so so much that I'm so glad I arrived earlier than other guests to take some great pictures of the place. The balcony area is full house a little past noon on a Friday afternoon.

The service is very meticulous, professional, warm and friendly. And the ladies are full of smiles. The way they celebrate special occasions for patrons is so unique and definitely worth a visit here just for this. I saw them serving the dessert on a very huge stylish rectangular platform to a couple nearby. And then, they light up the candle that burns like a sparkle! The sparkle looks so pretty. They even take photos and print one out for the couple. I'm really impressed.

This is definitely one place that worth a visit just to pamper oneself and the loved ones with lovely ambience and great food, or to have a special celebration. I want to go there again to submerge in the idyllic atmosphere with lots of greenery and try other food items that look very promising.

Thoughts: Beautiful Experience

I had always been curious about Greek cuisine, but never got around to trying until now. And a meal at Bakalaki made me realise how much I had missed out on. Better late than never. Greek food is very different in taste from French and Italian food, but it is delicious, simulating, filling and hearty nonetheless. And dining here feels like being transported to a sunny town in Greece.

Navigating through a Greek menu is so exciting because I can't understand a word of it and it's my first time 😂 Luckily, there are English "subtitles" beneath each dish for me to make an informed choice. I decide to order Tzatziki at first look because one, I think I saw this word before, so it should be a pretty famous Greek dish, and two, I like its ingredients of Greek yoghurt–best yoghurt, cucumber, garlic and olive oil. The service team lead is very thoughtful to suggest two dip platter instead, so that I can try another kind of dip and I, as a solo diner, will not be overwhelmed by huge amount of one of kind of dip. I opt for Taramosalata, which is white cod roe with lemon juice and breadcrumbs.

Tzatziki is so creamy and refreshing in taste. The tangy flavour of the yoghurt complements the cool element of cucumber so well. The garlic adds a hint of distinctive aroma to further spice things up. Spread it on the delicious pita bread with pillowy interior, this is pure comfort food, with lots of zest.

Taramosalata is more intense in taste. Not bad, but I prefer Tzatziki, which totally whets the appetite.

Super fluffy bread with crusty exterior is a joy to much on. This is the first time I try bread sprinkled with rock salt and oregano, and I love it.

I get a shock when Htapodi, aka the Octopus, is presented onto my table. My first thought is, "Is it possible for me to finish this?" And to add on to it, I'm not even a fan of octopus.

But this dish manages to convert me into a fan, and I know now why this is a speciality of the restaurant. The octopus is unbelievable tender. In fact, this is the most tender octopus I ever have, baby octopus aside. Slightly chewy but still easy to bite, packed with light briny flavour accentuated by splashes of lemon juice, and laced with a thin layer of smoky taste and charred meat, this is oh-so-good. By the way, I easily finish every bit of this.

Galaktoboureko, which is flaky thin Filo Pastry stuffed with semolina custard and Greek honey syrup, looks simple and is simply yummy. Semolina is a kind of durum wheat used to make this custard that is slightly different from the usual custard. This custard has more structure and is more curd-like in texture, I like it. And it pairs excellently with the slightly stretching thin pastry.

The place is beautiful: full of little details, like the bird-like lamps, the bougainvilleas, the straw-hat lamps, ratan chairs, , white-washed walls, full-panel glasses to let lots of natural light in to add to the dining experience. It reminds me of the famous Greek island, Santorini that I see in the photos.

The service is very good, being polite, professional, friendly and prompt to response. The team lead guy takes very good care of me by informing me to order dessert later and offering to hold my order of chicken skewers due to the possibility of me not being able to finish everything. And true enough, due to the generous portions of food, I have to limit what I can order. I'm really impressed by this thoughtfulness.

There are other food items that I really want to try here, not to mention a dining experience here really perks up my interest in Greek cuisine, so I look forward to be back again.

Thoughts: Greek food is awesome!

I just sussed out a brand new Japanese restaurant that offers a whole new gastronomic adventure in the form of aged sushi made in Ginza style. And so I made a reservation straightaway when I found out about this hidden gem since aged sushi is quite a rarity in Singapore and the price of omakase is so attractive from $98 onwards.

The aged sushi here are so full of natural sweetness due to the amino acids breaking down the tissue through the process of aging. And the taste is different and most importantly, delicious. It's akin to making of the yummy sour dough bread by allowing the dough to ferment over a long period of time to break the starch down into sugars for the extra sweetness and aroma.

Service is outstanding too and Chef Peter serves up the dishes with lots of flair and gusto.

First dish of the omakase is the impressive Uni Chawamushi. And lots of uni added at that. Fresh creamy uni with its distinctive umami and iodine taste complements the warm smooth egg custard very well.

Cooked dish is Nodugoro, which is a premium kind of fatty white fish. Due to the high fat content, the texture is very interesting with a bit of springiness, like that of a clam. I like this kind of texture, and it tastes good with the miso sauce.

Fatty chutoro is delicious with buttery goodness.

One of my favourite of the day: Kani Miso! The generous amount of shredded crab meat is bursting with concentrated briny sweetness. One of the best crab dishes I ever have.

Other highlights are:

Sake infused Hotate is oh-so-good. The scallop is so plump, succulent and sweet, with hints of floral notes from the sake.

The chutoro, yes, more chutoro! Not only is this buttery, there is also an extra richness in aroma and taste in this marbled slice of fish. A luxurious treat.

Watching the preparation of Flounder Fin Muscle is a delight to the eyes as the Chef Peter seared the top of the fish with hand-held torch. It is a delight to savour it too. This is so creamy, and the light char makes it even better.

The Salmon here is surprisingly from Hokkaido in Japan instead of Norway. The quality and taste is evidently superior. I never know salmon can have complexity in taste until I have this sushi.

Uni on Shimofuritoro, aka Uni Toro Temaki or Uni Bomb, is super decadent. I absolutely love it that so much uni are piled on top of the generous amount of shimofuritoro. Shimofuritoro is actually otoro with the fat evenly distributed. The result of these two premium ingredients paired together is luxurious, rich, creamy umami dream.

Other aged sushi of Shima Aji, Spineless Squid, Hirame, Akami and Ishigakidai also have the extra sweetness and flavour.

The interior of the restaurant is of zen influences and is a very cozy, intimate space housing only 10 patrons, so it feels pretty exclusive to be dining here. Service is outstanding: Yong Jie is very professional and knowledgable about the food while the lady staff dressed in kimono is very responsive and polite. And Chef Peter is friendly and chatty.

This place has one of the most attractive omakase price ranges, considering the high quality of food, the extra work in aging of the fishes and of course, lots of uni and various cuts of toro in the Takemitsu course I opted for. Definitely going back to enjoy lots of uni, toro and the speciality of aged fishes.

Thoughts: Aged sushi are delicious!

Unlike most diners, I actually went to Latteria's Mediterranean sister restaurant Thirty9 first before coming to here. On my way to Thirty9 and enjoying the feel of walking down the rarely found cobblestone pavement, I took a look at Latteria al fresco dining area, I love the idyllic European vibe of the place, and I made a goal to come here before Chinese New Year. And I did, right on CNY eve and got a nice surprise here 😉

Since at a Mozzarella Bar, I know I got to order some wet cheese balls, which are this place's speciality–can hardly get them elsewhere in Singapore. I opt for Burratina Affumicata, which is Smoked Burrata with Porcini Mushrooms and Basil Pesto.

I want to try this since I have never eaten burratina or burrata in its entirety before. This is mozzarella cheese wrapping around a creamy filling of curb and fresh cream. I love this at first bite because it is so creamy and buttery with an iota of milky, grassy flavour plus stretchy texture from the mozzarella. The smoked surface of the burratina adds an extra dimension to the taste. The creaminess of the cheese goes excellently well with the strong flavours of tangy tomatoes, earthy taste of mushrooms and the pungent basil pesto. A dish full of zest and flavours.

For pasta, I get Linguine al Granchio since I like its ingredients of Crab Meat and Mascarpone. This is fresh Tomato Sauce added too for the zest in taste. Rich in taste due to the mascarpone, this is pure comfort food. I actually prefer linguine over spaghetti since the flat surface of the linguine yield a smoother feel when eating it. Personal preference, of course. The restaurant is pretty generous with the shredded crab meat. And besides the shredded meat, I can actually find morsels of sweet briny crab meat, which is a delight to savour.

Despite being pretty full–due to the generous portions of food, I still make some space in my tummy for Latteria’s Cheesecake. This is an awesome combination of Buffalo Ricotta Cheese for creaminess and light nutty flavour, Lemon for zest, Strawberry Compote for tangy taste, Basil-Coulis for extra kick and Strawberry Sorbetto for floral notes in frozen form. Just right in the sweetness and sourness of taste profile, I enjoy this dessert so much.

This is the surprise I'm talking about. I'm so glad that I visit this restaurant before CNY to get this special message. This nice little gesture is so thoughtful.

The al fresco area is perfect for lounging around and enjoying the lush greenery lining the perimeter. Majority of the patrons actually opt for al fresco dining.

The interior of the restaurant is classy and cozy. Great for romantic dates and family gatherings.

I like both the al fresco area and the interior dining area. Both have distinctive styles to make for a very conducive place to enjoy good food. Service is great too, especially the lady staff, who is very friendly and takes the effort to advise me on the portions of the food, which is a huge concern for solo diners like me.

I really like the food here, and it is great place to hang out at to just enjoy good things in life.

Thoughts: Cool place to enjoy Italian fare and specialty of mozzarella

Nicholas Le Restaurant really caught my attention from the list of French restaurants that popped up on my search engine. I guess it's the menu, the charm of an intimate setting of the place and the passion the chef has for in his restaurant. And at here, I get to savour amazingly good and authentic French food.

I love every dish of the Tasting Menu that is cooked to perfection, holds a myriad of subtle flavours and has dimension in textures. And Chef Nicholas even goes the extra mile to search through his stash of wines in the walk-in wine cellar and wine cooler to get one to pair with my meal. In fact, he does this for every wine-ordering patron in the restaurant. Now that is passion. So if here, order some wines for the personalised service of wine selection.

Organic Hen Egg 'A La Coque' is perfect match with Iberico Ham. The smooth, half-boiled, jelly-like egg white, the runny, creamy egg yolk, the paper thin, slightly chewy, flavourful Iberico ham and the broth create a delicious juxtapose of complex flavours and textures.

Even the bread here is good. The exterior is baked until super crispy while the interior is super fluffy.

Vichyssoise Soup and Crunchy Pastilla of Obsiblue Prawns both blow me away with how delicious they are.

As for the Scallop, it is very plump and succulent, the taste of ocean contained within the scallop.

Pan Seared Otoro with Linguine and Clam Sauce looks simple, but the taste is complex and full of umami. In addition, the linguine is al dente 👍.

Iberico Pork is so tender that it is unbelievable for pork steak. I love the variety of sauces, plus pan fried chopped garlic, to go with the pork. All are so good.

Dessert is another fine example of good balance of flavours, such as sweetness and tanginess, nice play on textures between the chewiness, creaminess and fluffiness. A nice one to end the meal with.

The interior of restaurant is of classic French style with red plush sofa, dark wooden furniture and hanging lamps. The place feels very intimate and cozy, perfect for a romantic date or a nice gathering with friends to enjoy good food. The open kitchen shows the chefs in action, which is cool. Service is outstanding: very professional, polite and knowledgeable about the food.

The food here is really amazing, where the focus is on skilful preparation and right combination to bring out the best of the ingredients. I can't wait to be back again to enjoy authentic French food prepared with lots of passion.

Thoughts: My favourite French Restaurant

When I passed by Chao Yue Xuan Dim Sum to take a look at the menu, the moment I saw Deep Fired Lobster with Cheese on the menu, I stepped into the restaurant. This is possible because it was ten plus in the morning, so it was not as crowded. Usually, it is full house at noon.

One good point about this place is it also offers traditional dim sum too, but adventurous me decided to try the fancy ones instead.

Surprisingly, Steamed Spinach Dumpling with Shrimp and Scallop is my favourite. Very light and clean in taste, it is yet full of subtle flavours due to the combination of umami shrimp, briny sweet scallop and fresh green notes of the spinach.

While I can't really find any foie gras in Steamed Goose Liver Dumpling with Black Garlic, the taste of these siew mai does carry light hints of the earthy flavour of foie gras. Interesting twist.

Deep Fried Lobster Roll with Cheese is the one that got me in here. These are lighter in taste as compared to the typical Prawn Roll but good nonetheless. Super crispy too. I do wonder about where's the cheese though.

Charcoal Pastry with Salted Egg Yolk Custard & Logan has a nice, crispy, unique exterior that is good on the bite. These cute little black bowls hold custard and a logan each in their centres. Pretty yummy. But I wish there is more custard in there.

The place is like your typical Hong Kong Tea House, just think Tim Ho Wan, just more spacious here and yes, I do prefer the ambience and food here over that of Tim Ho Wan. Service is okay and efficient. The taste is lighter than that of typical Cantonese fare, focusing on subtle flavours, and I like it. I enjoy eating the dim sum here, and the plating here is surprisingly good, with a touch of class. My only gripe is it seems very little of the premium ingredients are added to the dim sum. But considering the nice price of $4.80~$5.80 only for 3 pcs of premium dim sum, I guess I can't complain too much on this department. And I saw on one wall that displays lots of awards won by the chef of this place.

This is a nice place to pop in to have some good dim sum that look pretty atas at wallet friendly price. Best of all, the food has no MSG! Cool!

Dining here is a whole new experience where I get to enjoy 10 exquisitely prepared dishes that is different from the food at other establishments. To make it even better, we have a very engaging host who takes very good care of the patrons, candidly and professionally takes us through this gastronomic journey. This is definitely an enjoyable and most fun dining experience where all the senses are engaged.

And this place is a must-visit for instagram worthy food photos since the dishes are so pretty and the lightning is very good. Just check the photos taken by diners–majority does not have photography background–on Google reviews, almost all looks so good.

Kaiseki is a bit like omasake where one leaves it to the chef to decide the menu. The difference is kaiseki is focused on different cooking methods: Nama (Cutting), Niru (Simmering), Yaku (Grilling), Musu (Steaming) and Ageru (Deep-Frying). Yes, I love omakase style of dining because I can try many dishes without overeating. The dishes here will change based on seasons, so the one I'm having is winter kaiseki.

Seasonal monaka: Sandwiched between the monaka is an incredible combination of Ankimo, which is monk fish liver–foie gras of the sea, passionfruit jam, followed by Japanese ginger flower at the top. This is oh-my-goodness oh so good because it is full of briny sweetness, accentuated by the passionfruit, and rich in taste, balanced with the clean flavour of the ginger flower.

A complimentary glass of lychee cocktail that is full of the sweet aroma of lychee. This is so good.

Next is Yuzu yoghurt emulsion sphere sprinkled with Mikan powder real time in front of the patrons, a nice extra touch. This is a joy to savour and whets the appetite.

Hassun dish is a Hot favourite due to the novelty of Chilled Chawamushi with Ikura and Uni perched on top of it. It's smooth and delicious. The fresh sashimi goes very well with the special Dashi Jelly. Saba Zushi is a real comfort food that pleases the palates.

The rest of the dishes are:

Raw salmon cubes with strips of seaweed to create mosaic pattern and submerged in a pool of smoked dashi cream

Clear soup with shredded crab meat ball and junsai, a vegetable encased in jelly.

Minced duck meat, Ajitama quail egg and baeri caviar stacked on top of smoking hay to infuse extra aroma into the ingredients.

Pork Sukiyaki with raw egg and negi.

Succulent Engawa with sweet cauliflower puree with clive oil and ikura.

All of these are delicious.

Next is deep Fried Shirako, aka Cod Fish Sperm, with home made tartar sauce. A very interesting dish well-executed.

Lobster Katsu Curry Donabe is nice, I'm sated by it but its predecessors dazzled me instead. The lobster broth is awesome though being milder in taste, it got kind of eclipsed by the curry.

Only Ume course has the Signature Mt Goho, where the most luxurious ingredients such as Toro, Uni, Caviar and Kani and Wagyu stacked in a tall pretty wine glass and then infused with bonito smoke. It's pure indulgence. But I do wish there is more uni to go with the cubes of toro.

Granita, Myoga Jelly and Japanese Pear is refreshing and a good play on different textures from the icy granita, sweet gelatinous jelly and the firm flesh of the pear.

It is definitely an unique experience where one enjoys a whole course of Kaiseki over a modern, posh and cool bar counter located on the second floor of the heritage building. I love the Japanese ornaments on display behind the counter, which give touches of class to the whole place.

A good place to consider if in the mood to pamper oneself, or to seek for new experiences, or just to have a good time.

I got to notice Wine and Chef when I passed by this restaurant and stole a quick peek at the menu. I liked the variety and then made a mental note to find out more about this place. I got more interested in it as I found out more. So finally coming here is like fulfilling a wish made almost a year ago. And a nice wish it is because the food is so good and comforting.

Iberico Pork Jowl is so beautifully grilled to have a lace of char while retaining the meat juices to keep the meat tender and moist. Good to be eaten on its own and also good to be eaten with the slightly tangy jaew sauce. I love this so much.

Scallop Capellini features sweet, plump, succulent Hokkaido sashimi scallop, pops of umami from the flying fish roe and very flavourful capellini, which is is a bit like our local favourite, mee kia. A very well-executed dish.
Venere Rice Pudding has the creamiest coconut ice cream that I totally love. The black rice adds the wholesomeness to the dessert. And there are edible sparkles added that will set off mini "fireworks" in the mouth. Lots of cackling and pops ensured when biting into them, which is very interesting.

This place is like a very cozy, comfortable den where the locals and expats hang around to enjoy good wine and good food that is prepared European style, with a bit of local twists. The service is very good, being polite and efficient. The food has elements that will cater well to the locals' taste buds and still appeal to non-locals. This is one place I will recommend to anyone wanting to take the first step into trying European style cuisine. I'm really impressed with the food here, not fancy but very delicious. There are other items in the menu I can't wait to try.

Thoughts: Great place to chill, wine and dine.

By the way, this place is pretty dark, so it's great for romantic dates. If photo snapping, remember to turn off the flash (direct flash does not make the food look good), hold the camera or phone still after taking the photos so the lens can have sufficient time to gather enough light to yield clear pictures.

Curiosity about Mediterranean cuisine led me to a brand new restaurant Thirty9. This curiosity pays off as the food here is awesome and I get a brand new gastronomic experience from trying the unique and delicious pasta here.

Gigli & Gamberi, meaning gigli pasta and prawns, is the star of the meal. I love this. This is the first time I tried a pasta dish that is so light yet so flavourful. Instead of the usual heavy sauce used for pasta, this one features light clear sauce full of umami and refreshing zest from the lemon, mint and zucchini. The red prawns is firm, bouncy and packed with briny sweetness.

I enjoy eating the handmade gigli pasta, which is in cone shape with ruffled edges. This shape produces a different texture and bite that I relish. Yes, different pasta shape does make a difference. And due to its shape, it can hold the sauce in, thus being the perfect pasta to work well with the clear sauce.

This is the first time I can finish such generous portion of pasta all by myself.

The bread served here is probably one of the best I had. Served warm, almost hot and fresh from the oven, the lovely taste of grains is so pronounced in the mini panini and focaccia. The texture of focaccia is unbelievably light and fluffy that it is a real joy to bite into it.

Fritto Misto Di Paranza aka Fried Seafood is a real hearty treat that is served in very generous portion. This is perfect for sharing, but I still can finish this by myself because the batter is thin, light and crispy. The seafood, consisting of creamy prawns, succulent squids, clams, octopus chucks is very fresh and filled with sweetness of the ocean.

The house-made garlic mayonnaise is creamy, with the pungent flavour of garlic and an iota of zest. This is perfect for add excitement to the taste of seafood without eclipsing over the delicate umami of the seafood.

Millefoglie is a beauty to savour. The sweetness plus the aroma of baked goods of the puff pastry complements the tangy flavour of the rich lemon custard so well. I like this a lot.
This restaurant is hidden at the side of Duxton Hill where the entire stretch is paved with cobblestone. With lots of lush green potted plants forming the perimeter, this place is like a private courtyard that feels cozy and yet at the same time instagram worthy. The interior is cozy, posh and classy, with hints of rustic notes. And look up at the glass ceiling above if in the mood to do so. It's quite a nice view.

The service is awesome: friendly, welcoming, responsive and take note of little details. A nice noteworthy gesture is the service staff giving me an additional plate to put the shells of the clams straightaway upon noticing that I had the habit of putting the shells away from the rest of the seafood. And good recommendation of the Pinot Noir that goes so well with the dishes.

I really enjoyed my meal here and will be back for more, especially for the gigli pasta.

Thoughts: Hearty, wholesome food with some unique touches.

The omakase here is so good, full of pleasant, indulgent surprises, being distinctively different from omakase elsewhere. And I like it that the restaurant also serves up ala carte items, like chirashi and sushi platter, at great prices, so I can come here for whatever occasions to just enjoy good food at a budget I'm comfortable with.

First dish of Ankimo, Monk Fish Liver, blows me away. This is like foie gras of the sea! So rich, so buttery, so smooth, with hints of the flavours of the sea. The real wasabi, which is refreshing, slightly sweet and astringent in taste, and the light sauce refreshes the palates so as to fully appreciate the richness of the liver.

Kinmedai sashimi with ponzu sauce is delicious too.

The creaminess of Ika, aka squid, goes very well with the umami packed nori sauce and the refreshing wasabi. I like it that the ika was cut into rectangles for easy bite.

The Snow Crab Rice is very lightly seasoned yet amazingly flavourful. Every grain of the starchy rice is imbued with the light briny sweetness. This has me swooning in delight.

Uni, which is interestingly served with nori tempura, is so sweet and creamy. Having a bite of this feels like unlocking an achievement in my gastronomic adventure.

Shirako, aka cod fish's milt or ... sperm, is light deep fried on the surface for some crunchiness to introduce a variation in texture. I like this twist in presentation. The light sauce and sprinkle of chilli powder cut through the creaminess of shirako well for nice juxtaposition of flavo

First sushi is Usuba Hagi, aka Leatherjacket fish. This is the first time I try this fish, and I like the clean taste and smooth texture of the fish. This is part of the reason why I like the omakase here since I get to try something new. And the shari, the rice portion of sushi, is very flavourful and holds well together.

Next is Aburi Nodugoro, flame-seared blackthroat seaperch, which is buttery and has rich umami flavour. And the touch of smokey flavour makes it even better. First time trying this too, and I love it. By the way, this is called toro of white fish.

The cut of Otoro is so beautiful. A few bites on this and the creamy flesh melts in the mouth. This is so decadently good.

Another interesting sushi of Shiro Ebi, white prawns, which is another sushi I had not tried before. The clean light umami of the small prawns goes so well with the zest from the sprinkle of lemon peel.

Anago, the more premium type of eel, is creamy and fleshy. A good one to round up the course of sushi.

Tamago Cake is super fluffy. In fact, it tastes like a cake. A very unique and cool presentation of an egg dish. I love it.

Japanese fruits with cream and red bean paste served as dessert. The white strawberry is delicious, the melon is juicy, and the cream and red paste is sweet bliss combination.

Located at the corner of the building with panels of glass as walls, the restaurant looks to be surrounded in lush greenery. The florals and sake bottles placed around the place add a touch of class to the modern zen interior.

If one wants to get a up close look on how the chefs, including the Japanese chefs, prepare the sushi and sashimi, then make a reservation for the counter seats since I saw that all counter seats were reserved already when I arrived at the opening time during lunch time. Service is awesome, welcoming, non-intrusive and responsive.

The mid-tier omakase here is so sumptuous that it piques my curiosity on how awesome the top-tier omasake will be and what kind of new fishes I can savour. I definitely look forward to going back.

Thoughts: Great new gastronomic experience!

After a meal at Yue Bai, I say this is one of the best Chinese restaurants I had been to. The experience here reminds me of Summer Palace, a Michelin Star restaurant that I sussed out way before the Michelin inspectors 😉 The type of dishes and the tastes are different, but both feature light yet very flavourful cuisines that have complexity in the taste profiles.

The service is so thoughtful, meticulous, friendly and professional. The staffs are also very knowledgeable on the food and the philosophy behind the restaurant. They go the extra mile to make sure patrons are well-attended to. I'm impressed. Part of the reason that I said Yue Bai reminds me of Summer Palace is because of the service.

Herbal Poached Rice, Atlantic Cod, Black Fungus is a must-try, for both the taste and the experience of seeing the collagen-rich soup sizzles in the hot stone pot as the staff pours it in. The egg fried rice is very fragrant and retains its grain shape despite soaked in the super flavourful soup imbued with herbs and shao xing wine, thus yielding a very good bite. The cod fish is smooth, full of omega oil and succulent, going very well with the rice. And the fish is very well prepared in which all bones were totally removed.
Crispy Tofu, Yuzu sauce is another must-try of Yue Bai. I'm not sure how the chef did it, but each cube of silky smooth tofu is perfectly coated with an even layer of seasoned batter. Each cube is packed with flavours, so good that I can eat it on its own. When dipped with yuzu sauce, the extra zest makes the taste even more exciting. And the texture is wow: just imagine biting into each cube and the crispy smooth exterior gently breaks up to reveal the hot smooth, soft interior of tofu.

Bamboo Clam is very interestingly served in black garlic sauce, unlike the usual light soya sauce. And it works. The sauce is actually pretty light despite the appearance, with hints of sweetness, and it goes very well with the delicate briny flavour of the clam. The friendly service staff told me that the black garlic sauce is specially concocted for the winter season since black colour food is great for health during this season. For coming spring, the sauce will be based on green colour. By the way, the bamboo clam is perfectly cooked: being springy in texture yet easy to bite.

Deep-fried Granola Prawn, Beetroots is a must-try for fans of cereal prawns or wasabi prawn balls. Yes, another must-try. The Deep-fried Granola Prawn here is the perfect marriage of the best aspects of cereal prawns and wasabi prawn balls. The homemade granola is rich in flavour and even more wholesome than the cereal, highlighting the umami of the super large, plump, succulent, fresh prawn balls. By the way, it's one whole large prawn being rolled into a ball 👍 The beetroot strands inject a refreshing element to the taste, making it even better. A very well-executed dish.

Crispy Black Sesame Mochi, Osmanthus-infused Sugar has this crispy shell that actually showcases how soft the slightly chewy mochi, aka glutinous rice dough, is. Due to the earthy aroma of sesame, the sugarless mochi actually tastes good on it own. For us who cave in to sugar cravings, just dip the mochi into brown sugar with osmanthus. The caramel taste of brown sugar and the floral aroma of osmanthus make this dessert such a delight to enjoy.
I love this place not only for the awesome food, but also for the modern, classy Chinese interior with zen influences that reflects the philosophy behind the creation of the food: modern, clean, classy and inherently Chinese.

In fact, the cuisine here fuses together elements of Cantonese, Hokkien and Teochew cuisines to create dishes that are familiar yet unique at the same time.

I'm so happy to find a new gem in Yue Bai. I definitely look forward to going back, and this is one place I can bring my family to since the food here will cater to their tastes too and the great service will make the outing even more enjoyable.

At last! I get to dine at Baristart Coffee after weeks of trying to no avail. Big reason for this is because this quaint cafe always had a queue already when I went there at around 1pm. I beat the crowd this time by going at 10:30am instead and I got a seat without queuing, but much to my surprise, there are other patrons in there already. So yup, this place is that popular. After trying the food here, I can see why this cafe is so popular.

Since I don't drink coffee, I will talk about another specialty of this cafe instead: Hokkaido BLEI Jersey Milk. And custard of Strawberry Sweet Jar is made exactly from Hokkaido Milk. The custard is silky and very rich in flavour. Full of milky goodness and not heavy at the same time. The cookie crumbles add a nice variation in texture to accentuate the silkiness of the custard. I also like to eat the custard together with the aroma of baked cookie at every bite. A very nice dessert to enjoy.

I love it that this cafe offers something special that other cafes seldom do, which is yoghurt related drink. Since I'm slightly lactose-intolerant, this Blueberry Yoghurt Smoothie is my saviour, especially in the morning when I haven't eaten much yet. After enjoying does of this refreshing, super yummy, super healthy, slightly zesty and creamy smoothie, my tummy is feeling great all day long.

Obihiro Butadon is such an awesome dish, which surprises me since I do not expect a cafe to serve up something savoury that is so good. The pork is very thinly sliced to throughly soak up the essence of the sweet, aromatic homemade teriyaki sauce and for easy bite. Mizuna, a type of veggie which adds the refreshing element to the dish together with the onion, is easy to bite too. The fat of the pork is full of nutty aroma that makes it even better. Pearl-like Nanatsuboshi rice is starchy and has an iota of chewiness, I can actually eat this rice on its own. In fact, I have eaten it on its own as they are very generous with the amount of rice added to the don, so when I finish the pork slices, there is still some rice left ...

The place is of chic cafe style and features very flattering lightning where almost everyone there looks good. So when there, just snap lots of pictures of the instagram worthy food, yourself, your partner/s, friends or family. The service is good and efficient. This is definitely one of my favourite cafes due to the good food and the yoghurt smoothie–this is my personal must order when at Baristart Coffee.

Thoughts: Awesome Cafe!