Restaurants

[LAVENDER, SINGAPORE] I can't stress how much I feel this cafe is underrated! Their food quality is really good and they have different discounts to make it even more worthwhile 😁

Their Salmon Miso Carbonara ($24) was such a joy to have. The salmon itself was incredibly well executed, with a toasted skin and the edges and meat within was so soft and flaky. I believe this was cooked sous vide with a miso marinade, before torching it on the skin side. The carbonara itself was full on rich with cream and strong savoury miso bacon flavours, which can be quite surfeiting towards the end. As the portion size can be quite big, I would suggest sharing this!

First time trying the Kurobuta Pork Chop ($28) and definitely not the last time I'm getting this. The pork chop itself was so very tender, but very fatty so this is definitely not the healthiest 🤣 it had none of the pork odour and was well flavoured with some mushroom sauce that was on top! The portion size of this chunk of meat was quite large as well.

For sharing, do get their Brussels Sprouts ($14). With a dash of vinegar and salt that they used to season the vegetable, this rendition was kept simple and not too cloying. It was so addictive I just kept eating!

I used burpple beyond to get 1 for 1 mains here, but I saw that they have lunch and dinner deals as well to make your money worth. Do come here for their good food 😍

[ORCHARD, SINGAPORE] There aren't many good tsukemen out here in Singapore, but the rendition from Sanpoutei Ramen is so impressionable.

The bonito dipping broth given was just amazing. Full on flavour, you get so much umami from this while being not too salty. You get a mixture of fish and pork flavour, which complement each other very well. There isn't any foul fishy or meaty odour within, just pure glorious aromatic flavour. The noodles were chewy and the free 1.5x noodle upsize made this look like a mountain to finish but I can assure you it's very doable with their addictive broth 😂 marinated egg was decent and not too salty! Perhaps the only other comment I have is that there isn't much meat in the broth so it's mostly eating noodles with the broth 😂

At $16, this was definitely a steal. Definitely coming back whenever I crave for tsukemen!

[CHANGI, SINGAPORE] @thehainanstory is nicely nestled within the B2 of Jewel and is definitely one of the options you should think of while you're here, or when you're welcoming guests to local cuisine! I've had food from Hainan Story a couple of times and I love their curry chicken and their coffee, but this time I decided to get something different.

The plate of Scottish Pork Steak ($18.90) may seem small at first, but it was definitely wholesome and filling towards the end. The pork cutlet itself was soft yet meaty, and I was surprised that it wasn't dry at all. The meat itself does not have that pork odour, and the flavour from the brown sauce was just simply addictive. It has that nostalgic old school flavours but better.

As for the sides, the fries were done well, and you can tell that the baked beans and coleslaw are homemade. They tasted really fresh and different compared to other places! For drinks I really recommend their homemade Ice Lemon Tea ($2.80). It was so smooth, fragrant and not too sweet. Perfect to go with this hearty meal!

Definitely will be back again 😍

[HARBOURFRONT, SINGAPORE] Finally tried @tempuramakinosg and was pleasantly surprised by their quality, but their service left us confused...

I had one of their tendon lunch set, the Stamina Bowl ($16.90) which consists of a variety of vegetable ingredients and meats. The best was probably their tempura egg, which came with a nice crust and a molten centre. The egg yolk had such a vibrant colour and was very rich. Perfect with their rice! The other tempura ingredients did not feel too oily and I especially enjoyed the chicken breast, as it wasn't dry at all and was somehow juicy 😍 definitely a very filling bowl I will have again.

Now for their service... They seemed very confused with our order, some of us were missing plates, and some received the wrong orders. One particular distasteful incident was when a waiter came with a particular dish and asked who ordered it, but none of us did. Instead of checking out orders, he hastily placed the plate down and said "I am putting it here, y'all settle yourself", which sounded really rude. Upon checking the order ourselves, we did not order the dish at all and he took it away without apologising 😢

I know their food is good but service is still part of the experience of dining here! I will be back if I happen to pass by but I hope no one else will get such incidents...

If you are looking for good udon noodles in the East, Tampines finally has them! @haruyamaudonsg is now in Tampines 1 and their udon was really delicious 🥹

I ordered the Tenzaru Himokawa Udon ($16) which was simply cold udon with tempura. You might wonder why the noodles are so flat and broad, but this is a new style of udon noodles that is gaining popularity in Japan 😍 I loved how the noodles were so chewy, and that the dipping sauce had a light, simple yet refreshing soya flavour. With the touch of wasabi in the dipping sauce, the noodles were incredibly addictive! The tempura pieces were also fried well, as the batter was light and crispy. The prawns were the highlight, as it was sweet and snappy!

Do come for weekday lunch as every udon order comes with free karaage, salad and a drink. The meal was so satisfying and I can't wait to be back again!

A new Hong Kong restaurant in Singapore, @gingsunho.sg has opened its doors in the East, offering several rice, noodles and dumpling dishes.

The Mala Beef Noodles ($13.80) was an appetising plate. The noodles were chewy and were well tossed on chilli and vinegar that wasn't too spicy, but yet had a good kick and numbness. The coriander was a good complement to the noodles as it added extra aromatics to the already flavourful bowl. My only gripe is that the beef was just blanched and unseasoned. Perhaps it would have been better if it was tossed in with the chilli too.

As they are known for their pan fried dumplings, we had to get some too! At 3 for $5.80, it was quite expensive but at least it was pretty juicy inside with soup. The meat was nicely seasoned but unfortunately the skin was abit too thick and mushy and we could taste the strong flour flavour.

Although there were hits and misses, we feel like you can try still this place once.

I've heard about @jackmarzonis sandwiches being really good, and finally I've tasted them myself and I'm happy to report that it's probably one of, or if not, the best sandwiches I've had in Singapore.

We got the Cheeky Tongue ($16.90) and the Duck Tape ($15.90) and both were really good. They were stuffed full of ingredients, with heaping amounts of cheese and meat that made this really filling. The roast beef in the cheeky tongue was melt-in-the-mouth tender with a good amount of cheese and sauces to complement the rich flavour of the beef. I love how the bread used is of a harder kind (I believe it is Ciabatta?) and it was able to hold everything together well. The pulled duck confit in the duck tape sandwich was also very tender, less rich but still flavourful. The best part is that there are a variety of sauces available to switch things up a little!

As for their sides, the Creamed Salmon Bits ($12.90) was one good loaded fries. The skinny fries were fresh and crispy, and they were drenched in a lovely cheese cream sauce. It's probably the first time I've seen cubed salmon on top of fries, and we loved how it was not overcooked.

Their sandwiches are not overly greasy and not too salty while giving you a satisfying flavour. And for the cream on top, their service was really friendly and courteous. Definitely will be back to bring other people along!

Pizzamaru, despite being an international chain, actually serves up pretty good fried chicken and pizza!

Among the many flavours of fried chicken we tried, the Truffle Parmesan spoke to me the best. As it was a dry seasoning, the skin stayed extremely crispy, with really juicy and succulent meat within. Love how their original marinade penetrated the meat deeply, and you almost don't need the sauce! The truffle cream sauce was also delightful, with strong garlicky flavours and it had the right amount of truffle within.

Their Smoky BBQ pizza was also a hit for us. The ingredients and cheese were quite generous, and I actually loved their crust, as it was wonderfully chewy.

With the many outlets in Singapore, I am definitely coming back again!

5th time back here and I can tell you that their food quality has consistently been really good. They are one of the rare shops where their vegetable dishes are really worth mentioning 😍

Their Di San Xian ($8) is a must order here. I have been ordering this each time I come here and it's always been so good! The vegetables are stir-fried very well to their right doneness, and the sauce has a good mix of sweet and savoury that is simply addictive. If you love your eggplant, theirs were very well executed.

The Stir Fried Chilli Cabbage ($8) was another hit. The fresh crunchy cabbages absorbed the flavours well, and I liked how it had a tinge of numbness that was well appreciated. Lovely flavours coming from the chilli oil they used too!

Just in case you haven't had enough potatoes from the first dish mentioned, the Potato Dry Pot with Pork ($12.50) was another lovely sharing dish. There wasn't much pork to begin with (it's not the main ingredient anyway) but if you can find them, they were lovely with its tender meat 😍 the potato pieces were just slightly snappy with a creamy inside which was delicious. Liked how it was drenched in a spicy savoury sauce which is perfect with rice!

Definitely coming back here again very soon 😂

I'm back once again at @87justthaikilliney, and although the food is decent, it was not as good as my previous experience unfortunately. Food portions seemed to have decreased slightly too!

The last time I had the Black Olive Fried Rice with Minced Chicken ($9) the portion was quite abit bigger, but at least the quality stayed constant. The wok hei is strong in this one, although the black olive taste seemed to have been overpowered. Still a solid fried rice to get with its individual grains!

The Honey Chicken ($9) was quite tasty with a slightly crispy exterior and meaty insides. The sweet and savoury blend definitely worked.

The Deep Fried Chicken with Garlic ($9) wasn't really garlicky, but at least it was crispy, tender and flavourful. Unfortunately it isn't as meaty anymore though.

The Deep Fried Sliced Fish with Thai Chilli Sauce ($17) turned out to be overly expensive with its portion, especially when the fish slices were quite thin. The Thai Chilli Sauce was not the usual kind, and was abit too sour in my opinion!

It can still be an affordable option in someset, though I wouldn't go out of my way to come here anymore!

If you're looking for decent Korean fare in the area, Eomma Jipbap in Grantral Mall is a good option! They have affordable lunch sets going at $10.90 and it was pretty decent.

I had the Spicy Cold Beef Noodle Set ($10.90) which came in a pretty large bowl. The noodles weren't the most authentic, but they were decently chewy with a texture similar to cold soba noodles. The cold soup itself was tangy and savoury, not too bad! The grilled beef may be a little tough, but they do pack quite abit of flavour. I wouldn't say the quality is amazing, but quite value for money.

Their Kimchi Pancake ($11.80) was chewy and quite tasty as well. Glad it wasn't too thick and it was thin enough to be slightly crispy on the edges.

An affordable lunch option if you work around the area!

A new concept by the Seorae group, Namu Bulgogi offers a variety of grilled meats and Korean food that were all quite inviting. while I find their grilled chicken not so fantastic, their Seafood Tofu Stew ($18.90) was absolutely stunning.

The Seafood Tofu Stew came in a huge portion, with multiple ingredients like mussels, clams and prawns. The best part is really the broth, as it had so much seafood flavour and was so garlicky as well 😍 I just couldn't stop drinking the broth! Seafood ingredients were all fresh as well. This was one comforting dish I will order again and again!

The Signature Grilled Chicken with Green Chilli ($13.90) was just alright. We felt like the portion of chicken wasn't enough, and that it was a little tough from all the grilling. Indeed there was the smoky flavour, but it was mostly musked by the enormous amount of green chilli sauce. We just felt like it wasn't too amazing and just not our thing!

Perhaps the Grilled Soy Garlic Chicken might be better. Will be back again to have that and the seafood tofu stew!