Yakiniku fans rejoice, as a new yakiniku concept (Waa Cow! yakiniku) by Waa Cow! has opened at myVillage!

What sets Waa Cow! Yakiniku apart is its wide selection of sauces and dips to pair with their grilled meats. Their Signature All Dips Platter (refer to 3rd pic) includes Sweet Sukiyaki with Raw Egg, Spicy Miso w/ Leek Relish (my personal favourite!), Mentaiko, Wasabi Mayo, and Truffle. This is on top of their signature Garlic Butter Teriyaki and Ponzu Negi sauces available to each table too!

As for their meats, you can choose from beef cuts such as karubi, oyster blade, striploin, and ox tongue. My favourite cut is the karubi - so tender and flavourful (depends on how well you grill it though)! There’s also a selection of pork, chicken and vegetables too, to enjoy with their unique dips. Additionally, sharing plates such as fresh sashimi platters, and hot sides like chawanmushi and miso soup are also available, alongside alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

We were over at Ya Ge recently to try their Taste of Ya Ge 8-Course Set Menu (feeds 4-5 pax), which features a selection of the restaurant’s signature dishes in one seating:

~Roasted Floral Tea Infused Chicken
~Deep-Fried Marble Goby with Supreme Soya Sauce
~Sautéed Diced Beef with Black Garlic
~Crispy Mini Pumpkin Pastry with Minced Chicken, Mushroom & Thyme
~Carrot Cake with Dried Shrimp Paste
~Fish Maw with Crab Meat in Superior Broth
~Chilled Hua Diao Chicken Roll
~Egg White Seafood Fried Rice With XO. Sauce

I really enjoyed the dishes, and some of the standouts for me are the Roasted Floral Tea Infused Chicken (the chicken was aromatic, crispy and tender - even the breast meat was so tender!), Sautéed Diced Beef with Black Garlic (each beef cube was succulent and flavourful!) and Crispy Mini Pumpkin Pastry with Minced Chicken, Mushroom & Thyme (pastry was QQ, with a burst of savoury and earthy flavours from the fillings!).

This set will be available till 30th September 2022. It will definitely be a great choice for a gathering among family or friends, while those working in the CBD looking for a lighter meal can go for Ya Ge's ongoing lunch and dinner sets priced from $48.80++/pax for two or more persons daily.

We were at Drunken Farmer’s new Martin Road outlet (same space as Common Man Coffee Roasters) for wine and dine last week, where we enjoyed food from their sourdough-focused menu, paired with their range of natural wines.

They are well-known for their signature sourdough pizzas, which are made from a 160-year-old starter that is slow-fermented for 30 hours. The crust had a good balance of crispiness with a slightly chew. We tried a few of them - Calzone ($25), Shrooms & Goat Cheese ($22), Margherita ($18) and Pepperoni ($23) - and it’s hard picking a favourite, as each of them were yummy in their own ways! We also tried some of their sides like Creamy Stracciatella ($18), Drunken Farmer’s Salad ($15) and Sourdough Karaage ($20). They were all enjoyable, especially the Sourdough Karaage, which was so juicy and crunchy, and complemented well with the zingy homemade kimchi mayo! We ended our meal with some of their delectable desserts like Fresh ‘n’ Fruity ($14.50) and Flourless Chocolate Cake ($18).

We had some of their natural wines, which included red, white, rose, orange and sparkling. You can enjoy 13 labels available by-the glass (from $18) or have your pick from a bottle selection of over 50 labels (from $85) to have with their food.

We recently had dinner at Tara Thai, a new Thai restaurant-bar located at 7 Circular Road. The food was good, and we had some interesting dishes (ants egg soup anyone?). Here’s what we tried (clockwise from top left):

~King River Prawn Thai Braised Glass Noodles
~BBQ Iberico Pork Jowl
~Stuffed Chicken Wings
~Ants Egg Tom Saap
~Sakoshi Bay Oysters
~Sesame Prawn Toast

The King River Prawn Thai Braised Glass Noodles was our favourite dish, so flavourful and umami laden! As for the other yummy dishes - the BBQ Iberico Pork Jowl was smoky and tender, Stuffed Chicken Wings was juicy & went well with the sauce, Ants Egg Tom Saap was piquant and interesting, Sakoshi Bay Oysters were fresh (with the special sauce making a difference too!) and the Sesame Prawn Toast was fragrant & crispy! We also tried some of their signature cocktails like Tara Signature Tom Yum (both clear & creamy versions) and Spicy Mango Sour. I enjoyed the Creamy Tara Signature Tom Yum, which is mixed with coconut milk.

The ambiance here is lovely too, and is defo a nice spot for an after-work drinks and makan session with your friends or colleagues!

We visited KOAL by Les Amis Group recently to try their set lunch. It’s a 3-course set and you get a choice of 1 starter, 1 rice bowl (includes Japanese rice, onsen egg & shredded nori) & 1 dessert. Here’s what we got:

~Burrata Salad, US Rib Eye, Hojicha & Whiskey Tiramisu ($42)
~Beef & Tofu, Grassfed Rib Eye, Freshly Fried Donut ($30)

Can’t really pick a favourite between both of our rice bowls, as both beef steaks were executed really well - nicely charred, with good textures and delectable flavours! We enjoyed the starters we chose too, both the Burrata Salad and Beef & Tofu were refreshing! As for desserts (not pictured), I liked the Hojicha & Whiskey Tiramisu, which is a nice twist on the classic tiramisu; we felt the filling could have been more generous in the Freshly Fried Donut.

All in, the set lunches are reasonably priced for the quality and portions you get! Their set lunch is available every Tuesday to Sunday from 11.30am to 2.30pm.

We were around Dhoby Ghaut looking for a place to chill when we came across Edith Patisserie Cake Bar. They have quite a variety of cake offerings, and they serve waffles too! Here’s what we ordered:

~Biscoff Chocolate Cake ($8)
~Lychee Rose Cake ($8)
~Mixed Berries Waffles w/ Royal Tea Soft Serve ($13.80)

We felt the desserts were pretty decent - the Biscoff Chocolate Cake had that distinct speculoos flavour, while the Lychee Rose Cake had sweet, floral tasting notes. We both felt that the cakes could’ve been more moist though. The Mixed Berries Waffles that came with the Royal Tea Soft Serve went pretty well together - we liked that the ice cream was fragrant and not too sweet.

We visited Old Habits last weekend, a cafe located at SAFRA Mount Faber. Upon stepping into the cafe, we were instantly transported back to a bygone era, with wall-to-wall displays of items from the past. From typewriters, gramophones, vinyl records to vintage toys and more, there’ll definitely be something here that will tickle your nostalgic bone (even the dining tables are repurposed from old sewing machines!). There are many cool spots for lifestyle shots too!

As for the food, we ordered their Half Seasalt Caramel Roast Chicken, Wagyu Beef Carbonara and Popcorn Chicken. We felt the food was pretty decent overall; our favourite dish was the Seasalt Caramel Roast Chicken, where the tender chicken meat paired well with the homemade seasalt caramel sauce!

The next time you’re in the area and looking for a cool retro place to chill at with your friends or family, I’d certainly recommend a visit to this place!

Mid-Autumn Festival is fast approaching, and if you’re thinking of which mooncakes to get, I’d strongly recommend the ones from Hai Tien Lo!

Featured here is the Four Treasure Snowskin Mooncakes, which includes (clockwise from top left):

~Peppermint Paste w/ Chamomile Truffle (my favourite one among the four; the combination of cooling mint flavour and sweetness from chamomile encased within the white chocolate truffle is so good!)

~Rose Lychee (floral and refreshing!)

~Hazelnut Chocolate w/ Matcha (nice combination of nuttiness and earthiness!)

~White Lotus Paste w/ Salted Egg Yolk (classic taste that won’t go wrong!)

These snowskin mooncakes come in a classic mooncake box featuring ruby red leatherette finish, oriental floral motifs and gold clasp enclosure; definitely makes for good gifting! Other mooncake selections include Mao Shan Wang Durian Snowskin, as well as baked classics.

From now till 10 Sept 2022, members of Pan Pacific Privileges and Pan Pacific DISCOVERY get to enjoy exclusive privileges on their mooncake selections. Selected credit card holders will also enjoy exclusive discounts from now till 31 July 2022. Visit https://panpacificsingapore.oddle.me/en_SG for more info.

Planning for a gathering at home and thinking of what food to order? How about some lip-smacking Seafood Shell Out from Royal Cuisine Group!

The Seafood Shell Out feast consists of:
~1.5kg Mud Crab
~1kg Scallop
~1kg Clam
~1kg Tiger Prawn
~1kg Blue Mussel
~800gm Salmon Belly & Potatoes, Chicken Chipolata Sausage, Corn Cob
~These come with 5 sauces to choose from: Chilli Crab, Cajun, Spicy Cajun, Black Pepper and Salted Egg

We had ours with the Salted Egg sauce, and it was really enjoyable! The rich and creamy sauce paired so well with the fresh seafood, and most importantly it wasn’t jelak! We were all belly-satisfied by the end of the meal, and I’m sure you and your guests will be too!

You can place your orders via: https://www.royalcuisinegroup.com/product/royal-cuisine-seafood-shellout/ OR WhatsApp +65 8858 2263

Visited One Chuan, a Sichuan restaurant located right outside Buangkok MRT station, with my foodie friends recently. The interior here is really pretty, and dining here does give you a sense of tranquility with its nature-themed ambience.

As for the food, the ones that made an impression for me were the Dry Capsicum Steamfish (fish slices were tender and flaky!) and Crispy Fried Eggplant (taste was sweet, and it was still pretty crispy by the time we ate it!).

Clockwise from bottom left:
~Dry Capsicum Steamfish ($23.80)
~Fried Spicy Chilli Chicken ($14)
~Crispy Fried Eggplant ($12.80)
~Appetiser Cucumber ($6.80)
~Matcha Lava Cake ($6)

Waga Waga Den is a new Japanese cafe at South Beach opened by the same group behind Black Cow. The ambience here is really sleek and stylish, and has a zen vibe to it - definitely a nice place to chill at!

~Cloud / Shaken Lychee Tea (both $8)
~Azuki Butter Broiche ($5)
~Dirty Oat Matcha ($9) / Cold Brew Hojicha ($7)
~Warabi Mochi ($8)

The most popular drink here is the Cloud, which is an iced cappuccino. I don’t drink coffee, so won’t be giving a review of its taste, but i’ve heard many good reviews, plus it’s definitely very IG-worthy too! What I did try was their Shaken Lychee Tea and Cold Brew Hojicha. The former was really refreshing, while the latter was smooth and aromatic!

Also tried some of their desserts - the Azuki Butter Brioche was really enjoyable with its charcoal brioche bun, slab of butter, and whole sweetened soft azuki beans! Think soft and buttery roll complemented with warm sweet beans that are amplified by the cold butter! The Warabi Mochi was pretty good too - soft, chewy and jiggly! It wasn’t too sweet, so it’s good for older folks too! They’ve got other food options like cake, sandwiches and croissant too if you’re not too keen on Japanese-style sweets.

Finally checked one of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, 28 HongKong Street, off my to-visit list recently! They’ve recently launched a new cocktail menu with 4 uniquely themed bar concepts - Sin & Misery at the Oldham, Brenda’s Bad Hand, Halogen and 28 HongKong Street, all within the same space. I got to try one cocktail from each concept (clockwise from top left):

~Flight of the Concords (Secco Vermouth, Grand & Noble Pisco, Concord Grape Cordial)

~Hard Pour Corn (Secco Vermouth, Corn Orxata, Lime Vanilla, Smoke)

~Cobbled Together (28HKS Sherry Blend, Smokey Monkey Whiskey, Cointreau, Pineapple, Lactic Oolong, Grapefruit, Mint)

~Brick Lane Martini (Hendricks & Hendricks Orbium Gins, Secco Vermouth, Red Onion, Brick Lane Seasoning)

My favourite cocktail was the Hard Pour Corn, which I felt had a really well-balanced taste with an added hint of smokiness! The Flight of the Concords was pretty good too, with a more fruity, floral taste.