The Brooks I and II is a mixed-use development around the Springleaf neighborhood that has seen quite a number of F&B establishments come and go over the years — located at The Brooks I and opened fairly recently would be that of Goreng Story; these folks occupy the first shop unit located at the extreme end of the building. This shop unit was once occupied by a tenant that used to serve up Nasi Padang — Goreng Story is a mamak concept that seems to serve up mamak favourites with a slightly modern twist. The menu at Goreng Story is split into sections dedicated to Prata Lah!, Egg Prata, Cheese Prata, Dessert Prata, Murtabak, Roti John, Nasi Briyani, Thosai, South Indian Gravy, Tandoori, Naan, North Indian Gravies, Salad Bowl, Fries, Signature Goreng and a Build Your Own Goreng menu. Something interesting about Goreng Story is how they claim to serve up their offerings with a health-conscious approach with fresh ingredients without artificial additives, colouring agents and preservatives — their North / South Indian Gravy dishes being cooked to order, while their Tandoori / Naan dishes are prepared using a charcoal tandoor.

The Build Your Own Goreng menu offers quite a fair bit of flexibility for patrons here with a five (5) step process that allows one to pick and choose their preferred elements to create their own Mee Goreng / Nasi Goreng dish — this would include choosing the type of Goreng (i.e. flavour and meat / seafood option), Carbs (i.e. Nasi / Noodle / Konjac), Oil, Sizzling Cheese Hot Plate (optional) and Add-ons (optional). For our order, we went with the Mixed Vegetable Goreng, Mee (Yellow), Vegetable Oil, Mozzarella Cheese and Fish Cake. The overall vibe of our Build Your Own Goreng was similar to that of Chow Mein considering how it came savoury with a mix of leafy greens as well as peas and diced carrots; opting for the Sizzling Cheese Hot Plate sees the dish being served on a hotplate with a thin layer of omelette at the bottom, while a bit of mozzarella cheese that we had opted for comes sprinkled and melted over the top. Whilst we did note that the noodles and even the mozzarella cheese did come a little bit on the drier side considering how the moisture of the elements have been lost through being on a heated hotplate, the noodles were still chewy while the omelette remains slightly runny to balance things out. The fish cake that we had opted for does help to add a bouncy texture for a variance of textures for our order of the Build Your Own Goreng.

Cafe Yasuragi perhaps does not need an introduction for now — there has been quite some talk about the establishment when they had first opened their doors during their soft launch phase some time back; the establishment is located within Millenia Walk taking over the former premises of Chateraise Premium YATSUDOKI that was located along the perimeters of the mall before its move into a shop unit within the shopping gallery itself. Cafe Yasuragi is a concept by the same folks behind Shoko; a takeaway concept serving Japanese fare that is also located within Millenia Walk. Whilst being an establishment that used to serve up Coffee & Pastries previously during its soft launch phase, Cafe Yasuragi has recently rolled out a hot food menu which consists of their Yasuragi Nagomi Owan Set (more on this later) as well as Gozen (Curated Sets) for those looking for a substantially-sized food offering at Cafe Yasuragi.

The Yasuragi Nagomi Owan Set can be described as a “Craft Your Own Soup Set”; patrons would go through the process of opting for their desired choice of soup (i.e Owan), soup main (i.e. Shusai), rice (i.e. Gohan) and side dish (i.e. Fukusai) to form their Yasuragi Nagomi Owan Set. The items listed in the Gozen (Curated Sets) menu would be the more fuss-free items to order considering how each set would come with their pre-defined soup, soup main and rice. Not mentioned in the menu at Cafe Yasuragi for the Yasuragi Nagomi Owan Set would be the inclusion of an appetiser dish (i.e. tofu dish) and preserved vegetables. For our order, we went with the Umami Spicy Soup — Regular Spiciness (i.e. Uma-Kara Shiru), Torched Pork Belly (i.e. Aburi Butabara), House Special Sushi Rice (i.e. Tokusei Takikomi Gohan) and Yaki Gyoza; we had also opted to go for a Half-Cooked Onsen Egg to go on the rice as well. One thing worth noting is that the inclusion of the side dish (the Yaki Gyoza for our case) is purely optional. Going straight for the Umami Spicy Soup, there does seem to be some semblance between this and kimchi soup considering the slight zing, zippiness and spiciness that goes on here — at regular spiciness, it does come at a level of spiciness that tickles the tastebuds even for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness. It also does come with elements like some leafy greens as well as sliced radish and mushrooms. The Torched Pork Belly in the meanwhile did come gelatinous; tender and melt-in-the-mouth with evident charred marks from the flame-torching process. The House Special Sushi Rice did bear a light savoury note almost akin to glutinous rice with a slight garlicky note; adding the Half-Cooked Onsen Egg does add a silkier touch to the rice when it is being mixed into the rice.

The Gem of Nyonya has been an establishment that we had been wanting to try out for quite a while ever since we had spotted them opening at the basement of Mercure ICON Singapore City Centre. It does seem that these folks are in a phase of expansion however; these folks had just opened yet another new outpost this time in the basement of Capitol Singapore. This location would be a The Gem of Nyonya (Express) outlet, and this outlet is situated right next to that of 800 Bowls 八百碗 there. For those whom are unaware, The Gem of Nyonya is a concept by the sane folks behind Big Elephant Penang Signature that has been operating at Havelock 2 for quite a while. Being branded as an “express” outlet, The Gem of Nyonya (Express) at Capitol Singapore does feature a different menu as compared to the Mercure ICON Singapore City Centre location; the menu at Capitol Singapore being a much more simpler version offering patrons four different dishes featuring chicken, pork, fish and prawn paired with Blue Pea Rice which works great for individual diners.

Much like what one would expect, the Nyonya Braised Pork Rice at The Gem of Nyonya (Express) does consists of elements such as the Nyonya Braised Pork, Blue Pea Rice, Braised Egg and a Sambal on the side — all rice set items also do come with a canned beverage of the patron’s choice on the side which the patron can help themselves to in the display fridge beside the counter. The Blue Pea Rice that accompanied the Nyonya Braised Pork Rice does come in a beautiful shade light indigo; the braised egg coming with a fully-cooked egg yolk as well. The highlight here is undeniably the Nyonya Braised Pork which sets it apart from braised pork dishes from other cultures — the cut of pork chosen here does come with a balance of leanness and fattiness; not too gelatinous, but yet provides a good meaty bite. The meat has also seemingly absorbed the flavours of the braising liquid as well; whilst carrying a distinct sweetness from the caramelisation apart from the savoury notes going on here — this also matched very well with the zippy sambal chili served on the side that provides a bright, zingy spiciness that tickles the tastebuds even for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness.

Those whom have been going around the Orchard neighbourhood might have noticed quite a few new entrants moving into the various stall units at Food Republic Wisma Atria; the food court had already welcomed tenants such as that of Nya Nya (by the same folks behind Nonya Delicatssen at Bukit Timah Plaza) and an outlet of 百味小碗菜GO! Bai Wei Mini Bowl GO! in recent months, there is also an addition of Ayam Grill that is located right beside 百味小碗菜GO! Bai Wei Mini Bowl GO! as well. Ayam Grill is a concept by Chef John Sawarto whom is a Le Cordon Bleu graduate and is a private chef after his stints as a chef in international 5 star hotels and Michelin restaurants. An establishment that describes itself as serving up modern Indonesian cuisine, the menu at Ayam Grill consists of various meats served up either in Bakar (i.e. grilled) or Gepuk (i.e. smashed) format.

Ayam Grill does serve up their Ayam Bakar Sets in two (2) different formats; the Ayam Bakar (Boneless Chicken Leg) and the Ayam Bakar (Chicken Leg) — our order is for the latter. The menu also describes all of the set items to come included with elements such as fried egg, curry sauce, vegetable cabbage stew and sambal (both red and green). It is needless to say that the element that impressed us the most at Ayam Grill will be that of the Ayam Bakar itself; the grilled chicken leg comes with evident grilled marks from the preparation process — there is also a distinct hint of smokiness from the grilling amidst the sweetness from the Kecap Manis (i.e. Indonesian sweet soy sauce) being lathered onto the chicken leg. The curry sauce was also especially on point here with its richness; one that was especially Lemak from the use of coconut milk and definitely went well with the rice. Both the Sambal Belacan and the Sambal Ijo also hit the spot; the former being the red one that is slightly brighter with a savoury note coming spicier than the Sambal Ijo that comes in a shade of green that is more savoury with a smoky note — the Sambal Belacan coming at a level of spiciness that should be manageable for those whom are tolerable to moderate spicy levels. The fried egg does come with a molten egg yolk that eagerly oozes out with a poke of the fork. The use of vegetable cabbage stew was rather interesting; probably part of the “modern” take of the Ayam Bakar here which is similar to the braised cabbage found typically at Hainanese-style curry rice stalls — the vegetables braised to a soft texture whilst carrying a slight hint of savouriness and sweetness that balances out the other elements on the plate.

Was going around the Bukit Merah Central neighbourhood and a couple of new stalls situated within the SG Kopitiam at Blk 161 Bukit Merah Central caught our attention — this would be the very same coffeeshop which houses prominent stalls such as that of No. 25 Minced Meat Noodle and Wong Kee Wanton Noodle. Matter is a new entrant to the coffeeshop sharing its space with 161板面 Ban Mian that occupies a space that is half the usual size of a stall unit at the coffeeshop: these folks had taken over the stall that used to serve up economic Bee Hoon there. Matter is a beverage specialty stall that supplements the coffee stall situated within the same coffeeshop; a concept that mentions that it is being supported by Compound Coffee Co. (itself a local coffee micro-roastery that also runs a cafe situated at Kaki Bukit), the menu features specialty coffee, matcha latte, drinking chocolate and chai.

Noting that Matter does serve up an Espresso Tonic, we found ourselves going for the same — whilst most specialty coffee establishments that we had visited tend to serve up their versions of the Espresso Tonic with more commercialised brands of tonic water, we did note that Matter uses Grapefruit & Thyme Tonic Water sourced from Alchemy & Tonic for their Espresso Tonic; the shot of espresso being extracted from the espresso machine and steeped into the tonic water with ice. Perhaps it is the use of flavoured tonic water here that seems to make the Espresso Tonic here feel a little less punchy from the caffeine; nonetheless there is that slight zippiness going on amidst all of the carbonation that does make it quite a refreshing beverage to have especially given the heat these days.

For those whom have been following us for a while, the mention of an establishment named No Original Chicken might ring some bells — whilst we had previously visited No Original Chicken at Beo Crescent Food Centre, they had first started (and are still in operation) at PSA Complex. Their Beo Crescent location has since been shuttered; that being said, they seemed to have found new digs at Redhill Food Centre. The menu available at No Original Chicken at its Redhill Food Centre location does differ a little from what is being served up at their PSA Complex outlet — rather than serving up Grilled Chicken Set (also previously served up at Beo Crescent Food Centre) and Fried Chicken Meal, their Redhill Food Centre outlet only focuses on Curry Chicken offerings that were also previously served at Beo Crescent Food Centre. Patrons do get a choice of two curry options; a tomato based curry and a herb based curry, while on would go for the set which sees the curry coming with chicken, potatoes and a type of carb that patrons would be able to choose from.

It is noted that Sets 1 to 3 would be for their herb based curry, while Sets 4 to 7 comes with their tomato based curry — our choice of Set 6 also meant that the tomato based curry would come with 1x chicken drum / thigh, 1x potato and 1x Briyani Rice. Based on the description provided in the menu, the tomato based curry features elements such as slow-cooked tomatoes, tamarinds and roasted chilies. Going for the tomato based curry, we did like how the curry does feel lighter here and generally seemed to be more focused on the spices being used rather than the richness of the curry itself — the result is a less jelak curry that isn’t too heavy from the use of coconut milk and had an emphasis especially on the slow-cooked tomatoes bringing a tang and roasted chilies that gives a kick of spiciness that should do just fine for those whom are tolerable to lower levels of spiciness. The chicken drumstick does come tender, having seemingly been slow-cooked in the curry whilst the potatoes were also stewed to a soft texture. The Briyani Rice does come with a side of Nonya-style Achar; the rice being light and fluffy whilst carrying a hint of fragrance from the use of saffron and other spices that matched well with the tomato based curry, while the Nonya Achar gives a refreshing bright and tangy crunch that helps to reset the tastebuds.

It does seem that there is an ongoing trend of beverage stalls serving up specialty coffee within hawker centres of the late — something that was popularised by the opening of Generation Coffee which now operates locations at Tekka Centre, Blk 216 Bedok Food Centre, Hong Lim Food Centre, Tanjong Pagar Plaza Food Centre and Bendemeer Food Centre. This also seemed to have inspired the opening of other establishments such as that of Koffee Kollective at Tanjong Pagar Plaza Food Centre, as well as that of Kopi Folks Club at MacPherson Food Centre which also serves up local Nanyang-style Kopi brewed using the espresso machine alongside specialty coffee offerings and more. Enter UNODOSE; an establishment that is conceptually similar to that of Kopi Folks Club and Generation Coffee that had opened its doors recently at Beo Crescent Food Centre. Being a stall that serves up beverages, the menu is being split into categories segmented into Traditional, Specialty and Others.

As mentioned earlier, the Kopi at UNODOSE is being brewed using the espresso machine; this makes it similar to the likes of how Nanyang-style Kopi is being served at stalls such as Kopi More, Generation Coffee, Lim’s Kopi, Star Coffee, Kopi Folks Club, QYLS Coffee etc. — UNODOSE mentions that the Traditional line-up of coffee is being brewed using Robusta beans originating from Vietnam. The Kopi here does look and taste pretty familiar to the ones served up by Generation Coffee, with the Kopi being served in a white porcelain cup and coming with an ice-cream stick that adds as a stirrer — the flavours of the cuppa being punchy and smoky that is what one would expect out of Robusta beans. Opting for our cuppa to come with normal sweetness, the condensed milk adds a sweetness to balance things out and round it off pretty nicely. Looking forward to be back to give their Spro Soda a go some time soon!

The folks behind Hersing Culinary definitely seems to be on a roll recently with their rumeL concept — whilst it has only been a few months since rumeL has officially opened its rumeL cucina concept at PLQ Mall, there has been some wind about a rumeL caffè concept that is making its way into some of the malls in the heartlands; once such mall that had seen the opening of rumeL caffè would be that of Tiong Bahru Plaza. rumeL caffè takes over the former premises of the now-defunct outlet of Baskin-Robbins in the mall. Whist rumeL cucina has officially added the availability of fresh handmade pasta on its menu on top of the fresh handmade sourdough pizza that rumeL had served up when it debuted in the local F&B scene in Bugis+, the rumeL caffè concept sees the availability of baked pasta and sourdough buns as well. For those whom are unaware, the namesake of rumeL is actually derived from the word “lemur” spelt backwards — rumeL does use a lemur as its brand mascot and one can most certainly see lemur soft toys as part of its decor the further references to this.

rumeL caffè does offer a variety of both savoury and sweet sourdough buns on their menu; the sourdough buns are also priced pretty affordably considering how they are listed at a maximum price of $5 ala-carte. One of the savoury variants of the sourdough buns that rumeL caffè offers would be the Baked Eggs and Chicken Ham Sourdough Bun that we had went for. The sourdough buns are rumeL caffè uses the very same dough that is being featured in their fresh handmade sourdough pizza offerings; for the Baked Eggs and Chicken Ham Sourdough Bun, the bun is sliced into half and comes with eggs, chicken ham and mayonnaise sandwiched in between. Taking a bite into the sourdough bun, the sourdough bun does come with a firm, chewy bite that is sponge-y — a little bit on the denser side but still easy to chew. The baked egg does seemed to come in the form of a sunny side-up with a fully cooked egg yolk with the underside being spread with mayonnaise for a creamy and sweet note to gel it together with the lightly savoury chicken ham; overall a classic combination that wouldn’t go wrong that somewhat also seems to replicate that of a English muffin sandwich. Priced at $5, it also does work as a light meal option against the pizza and pasta options that they have to offer.

Was scrolling through social media and got to learn about the opening of Hu Wei Zhai 沪味斋 that is situated within an old-school coffeeshop named Guan Kim Restaurant at 源金餐室 — the coffeeshop being located at the foot of Blk 47 Tanglin Halt Road that is a short walk away from Commonwealth MRT Station. Hu Wei Zhai takes up a corner space within the coffeeshop that is located right in front of the beverage stall — a stall that specialises in serving up mainland Chinese fare, it is being said that the chef at Hu Wei Zhai originates from Shanghai, China. The food menu at Hu Wei Zhai is split into sections dedicated to Xiao Long Bao & Pan-Fried Buns, Dumplings and Signature Dry Noodles. Of particular note would be the Pan-Fried Pork Buns listed under the Xiao Long Bao & Pan-Fried Buns section of the menu; available only for lunch service, the Pan-Fried Buns (4pcs) are limited to a serving of twenty (20) portions per day and is considered sold out for the day when all of them runs out.

Considering how we are pretty much folks whom are into Sheng Jia Bao, it is needless to say that our trip to Hu Wei Zhai is purposely made due to the availability of the Pan-Fried Pork Buns on its menu. Hu Wei Zhai serves up their Pan-Fried Pork Buns in one single portion size of four (4) pieces per serving. Whilst the shape of the Pan-Fried Pork Buns at Hu Wei Zhai are not quite as neat as the Sheng Jian Bao that we have come across from some other establishments previously, we did find that the Pan-Fried Pork Buns at Hu Wei Zhai did come at a decent quality — the dumplings do come with silky smooth dumpling skin that was easy to chew through on the top; the bottom comes browned and crusty from the pan-frying process for a good variance of textures. Chewing through the Pan-Fried Pork Bun, each bun did come with a decent amount of pork filling within that was soft and easy to chew through without any undesirable porky stench; also inside would be the savoury broth that provides much flavour to the buns as well. Each serving of the Pan-Fried Pork Bun is priced at $6.80 — do visit them early for lunch hours considering its limited availability daily if wanting to give them a try.

Having been intrigued with Burmese cuisine ever since our first time trying it out at Chuki Kitchen, we had been on a hunt for Burmese cuisine all over the island. One of such establishments that had caught our attention whilst being in the City Hall area that we had been passing by quite often would be that of Golden Cart Authentic Burmese Cuisine — these folk are situated at the ground floor of High Street Plaza; the shopfront of Golden Cart Authentic Burmese Cuisine directly faces High Street Plaza, while it also occupies a shop unit right at the corner that is closer towards New Bridge Road. Golden Cart Authentic Burmese Cuisine should be quite impossible to miss considering how the store does feature a bright green signage that catches one’s attention fairly easily. The menu at Golden Cart Authentic Burmese Cuisine has been revamped once to better accommodate to non-Burmese speakers — the current menu features English descriptions to all dishes apart from the Burmese script that was the only language used in the previous iteration; the menu is split into categories dedicated to Signature Cuisines, Rice and Curry Set and Soups, though certain headers are still listed in Burmese script only.

The Zalon Rice Salad is also known as Htamin Thoke in Burmese — it is also one of many variants of rice salad dishes that is an item commonly featured in Burmese cuisine. Patrons do get to pick between various types of meats to pair with their order of the Zalon Rice Salad at Golden Cart Authentic Burmese Cuisine; we went with the chicken. Digging into the Zalon Rice Salad, we are not really sure of what are the elements that came featured within the dish — that being said, the rice did come with a savoury and tangy note that was immensely fragrant to say the least; expect rice grains that is mixed with flavours almost similar to the likes of picked chilies and fried shallots which was especially appetising and umami. Wasn’t too much of a fan of the chicken that we had opted for though; whilst we did notice how most of the chicken that we have had with Burmese fare are typically on the drier side, the ones at Golden Cart Authentic Burmese Cuisine was especially tough and difficult to even pick up using the fork. Still a spot that works out great for those wanting to give Burmese fare a go considering how they do have a good variety of dishes listed on the menu here.

Mention about Mas Ayu Restaurant and some (especially those whom reside in the East might find this name ringing some bells. Having been established in 1991, Mas Ayu Restaurant was once situated at 55 Upper East Coast Road before having ceased operations some time in 2019 — these folks are however back in action again, having opened at a new location at 359 Changi Road which is around the vicinity of Eunos. Now known as Mas Ayu Family Restaurant, the current iteration of the establishment is also run by the same folks whom own The Shakehouse at Bussorah Street whom intend to bring in something new to the brand apart from serving up the familiar Malay cuisine that former patrons of Mas Ayu Restaurant loved. The menu at Mas Ayu Restaurant is segmented into sections dedicated to Local — Noodle, Local — Rice, Local — Lontong Goreng, Local — Soup, Local — Vegetables, Local — Telur, Local — Side Dish, Local — Tom Yum, Local — Charcoal Steamboat, Local — Whole Fish, Western — Grill, Western — Pasta, Western — Sides and Desserts.

We went for the Lontong Goreng Pattaya during our visit to Mas Ayu Family Restaurant — this would be an item that is being listed under the Local — Lontong Goreng section of the menu, with patrons being able to opt for variants that includes Ayam (i.e. chicken) Daging (i.e. beef), Seafood or Kerang (i.e. blood cockles); we went with the Daging variant for our order. The Lontong Goreng Pattaya features rice cakes that has been all chopped up wok-fried with beef; all of which served within a a pan-fried omelette that is typical of the Pattaya variant of Nasi Goreng / Mee Goreng that can be typically found at establishments serving up mamak fare. There is a likeness between the Lontong Goreng Pattaya (Daging) and the local Chinese variant of Carrot Cake (Black) where the mini rice cakes within does come with a springy but further bite as compared to carrot cake, but carries a similar savouriness and sweetness although with a slightly meaty touch from the addition of beef. The cut of the beef included here does seem to be of the beef coin cut which was pretty easy to chew; there is also slight hint of gaminess that seems to be intended to provide a flavour contrast as well. Opting for the Pattaya variant, all of that comes wrapped within the omelette which adds a thin layer of egg that carries an eggy note — the drizzle of chili sauce over the top adding yet another contrast of flavours that gives it an element of spiciness, while the prawn crackers on the side were light and crisp.

There does seem to be some rather unique establishments hidden around Taman Jurong Food Centre despite the location being a little far out for some folks out there — hidden up at the third level of the food centre would be that of monbébé bakehouse; these folks had taken over the former premises of the now-defunct Hilltop Fried Hokkien Mee there (some may also recall the same stall housing an establishment named Volk.sg at some point of time). Being located in one side of the food centre which doesn’t have a prominent shopfront to the main podium of the food centre, the stall can be found at the side of the food centre facing that of Taman Jurong Shopping Centre. monbébé bakehouse is a stall that primarily serves up cupcakes and muffins with various flavours available on a rotational basis each day. With that being said, monbébé bakehouse does also take pre-orders for whole cakes; one can find the list of flavours that they offer for their whole cakes on the meh as well.

Skimming through the display case on the variety of cupcakes and muffins that they have to offer on the day of our visit, it was the Banana Walnut Muffin that caught our attention — perhaps it was one of the very few muffin flavours available that does not include the use of chocolate being offered on the day of our visit; we also seem to have been gravitated towards the classic combination of elements that felt comforting to us. Taking a bite into the Banana Walnut Muffin, one thing we did like about the consistency of the muffin here was how it was light and fluffy without being greasy — nothing clumpy, dense and oily here that one would typically expect out of some commercially-made muffins out there. There is definitely an evident note of the sweetness of bananas going on in here, while there is an element of crunch coming from the addition of walnuts that adds a touch of nuttiness for a variance of both textures and flavours. All muffins are priced at a flat price tag of $2.80, while all cupcakes are listed at a flat price tag of $3.80 — definitely makes it a pretty affordable tea-time break or even light breakfast item to have whilst coupled with a cup of traditionally-brewed Nanyang-style Kopi on the side!