Must Try

After celebrating our anniversary last year at the fanciest of high-end restaurants, Restaurant Andre, we decided to go to somewhere more humble (and wallet-friendly) this year. What polar opposites! While Andre was all about fancy presentations and subtle (albeit sometimes confusing) flavours, Gastrosmiths' food was good ol' hearty umami packed deliciousness! Our starter of scallop ceviche was light and fresh. Things got even better for the main courses. J's cod fish mee sua was sublime - the cod fish expertly grilled and the mee sua coated in luscious umami goodness. My ribeye donburi was equally great - the beef perfectly medium rare and tasting as good, if not better, than the much more expensive cuts at Fat Cow. Our apple crumble dessert was also a delight - an inventive version of a very old skool dish. One of the best eats this year! I'll be back. 4.5 nombles.

Finally checking out the bastion of atas Singaporean hawker food (aka Mod Sin), Wild Rocket. Red snapper with otah sauce, soft shell chili crab with squid ink mantou, and deconstructed egg tart with salted egg ice cream may sound gimmicky but they really do work! Each dish was wonderfully balanced and had a depth of flavor that was pleasantly surprising. Standout dishes include said snapper and egg tart, and the nori tsukadani spaghettini. Mad props Wilin Low! 4.5 nombles.

Hearty tapas done really really well. Great friendly service too. Standout dishes are the sea urchin pudding (if only they sold it as a spread, I'll cover everything with it!), the ox tongue escalopes and baguette with tomato and toasted garlic. 4.5 nombles.