DanielFoodDiary.com

“The more attractive the restaurant in Southeast Asia, the less likely it is to serve delicious food. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule, but they are shockingly scarce.” That is what Matt Goulding, the former food editor of Men’s Health, and the co-author of the New York Times bestselling series “Eat This, Not That” said.

Sometimes, I have to agree with it.

When he visited Singapore some months back and wanted a meal with me, I didn’t think twice. I wanted him to eat our Char Kway Tiao.

We made our way to Hong Lim Market & Food Centre. Hong Lim has recently been known more for protests and speakers’ corner, but one mustn’t forget that the two storey food centre is a gathering of some of the best street food available in Singapore. Yet, it is often off the radar. People talk about Maxwell, Tiong Bahru, Newton, Chomp Chomp, but few yak about Hong Lim.

Matt and I managed to gather some of the best food there from laksa, prawn noodles to tauhu goreng amidst the busy lunch crowd, one queued while the other ate and talked with some of the stall owners. Even though I did not cook any of the dishes, there was immense joy and pride while he took a mouthful of char kway tiao and said “This is freaking good stuff!”

Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee #02-17, Opening Hours: 7am-3.30pm (Closed Sun & PH)
My optician used to be at Outram Park, and being short-sighted since the age of 5 meant I have been eating from this stall for a long long time. Uncle Ng used to sell at this corner coffeeshop (before that Metropole Cinema) where the entire space was filled with soot and smell. The entire plate was full of hum and pork lard which I would crunch to bits. It may explain for my obesity at primary school. Mr Ng Chin Chye has taken over the stall from his father.

While it is not as smoky or oily than his father’s, his skills of executing a late of char kway teow full of wok hei cannot be undermined. He fries every plate individually, squeezing an exact 42 squeezes of a special mixture made of soy sauce and fish sauce. The result is dark black kway tiao almost evenly covered with moist egg, still smoking hot when served, still with some of those crispy pork lard.

Tuck Kee Ipoh Sah Ho Fun #02-40, Opening Hours: 11am-3pm (Closed Sun)
Many come for their crayfish horfun, and it was sold out. We had the prawn and mushroom version instead, and found out that the winning combination is really the smooth thinner than usual horfun that would slide down as you eat, and the tasty sauce cooked with chicken bones and prawns. Instead of eating, you can slurp the noodles because it is soft, long yet not clumpy. Definitely one of the better versions around. But but but, the stall has recently been suspended by NEA due to roast infection. Yikes.

Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa #02-66, Opening Hours: 10:30am-6:30pm Mon-Sat (Closed Sun)
While I did not get clayfish from the last stall, I got it from this. The Asia Delight Laksa ($3/$4/$5.50 with crayfish) is also one of a kind. The gravy cooked using fresh coconut, scallops, dried oysters and dried prawns is rather sumptuous and flavourful, yet very very thin with texture like some chicken soup. It is not as ‘lemak’ (coconuty) or thick like the normal (unhealthier) ones, but taste is not compromised.

Owner Mr Soo is also generous with the ingredients with fishcake, prawns, cockles, tau pok and slices of chicken added. He also has a strange, but rather appetizing fruit juice mee siam. Let’s be healthy.

Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee #02-58
Heng Kee Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee downstairs are said to be the original and have a longer queue, but Ah Heng makes some calorie-worthy curry chicken noodles as well. You really don’t get good curry chicken noodles anywhere else but at Hong Lim.

The chicken, like chopped Hainanese chicken, is moist and tender, topped on a bowl of oily coconut-ty gravy. Plus generous portions of fish cake and taupok soaked within. While it is oily, it is not as heavy as the usual curries that it is possible to finish drinking. (I only said it is possible, but do go easy on them for the sake of your blood vessels.)

Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist, #02-48/49 Opening Hours: 8:00am – 7:00pm (Mon-Fri), 8:00am – 3:00pm (Sat)
They have their own facebook page, and I saw a post where they exposed rude customers who did not pay for their meals. I say, good for them! Although Ji Ji have been around since 1965, they really propelled into fame when it won the “Favourite Hawker” in the wanton noodles category by a huge margin, beating all the usual suspects. I always go for their wanton noodles which has generous ingredients of char siew, wanton, mushrooms and even chicken slices. The very person who recommended me this stall, is actually my mother who never fails to ta-bao 3 packets home.

Recently, I discovered that their soy sauce chicken wing and dumpling noodles are gems of their own. Their noodle texture is almost entirely different from all the other usual stalls, slightly thicker and moist. The last I visited, owner Auntie Lau says she had an operation and would be passing the business to her two daughters.

Many stalls at Hong Lim continue to enjoy long queues. Some of which are Heng Kee Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee, High Street Tai Wah Pork Noodles, Ah Kow Mushroom Minced Pork Mee, and The Old Stall Hokkien Prawn Mee. Either their original bosses or children are holding the fort, so we have the assurance that these local delicacies are still in same hands, at least for a good number of years.

Hong Lim Market & Food Centre
531A Upper Cross Street Singapore 051531 (8-10 min walk from Chinatown MRT)

Other Related Entries
5 Stalls To Try at Maxwell Food Centre

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I thought that St Marc’s chocolate Choro Cro was delicious, that’s before I tried their new strawberry version available at the new Marina Square Dining Edition section.

It’s new, and limited strawberry Choro Cro ($2.60) was divine.

St Marc Café is a 300 branch chain in Japan, its 2nd just opened at Marina Square. The signature Choco Cro ($2.40) is so named because it is a combination of chocolate and croissant, and is light and flakey with fillings of rich chocolate made of a blend of Ghana and Ecuador beans. Each piece is made of almost 20 layers and thus feels almost airy as you take every bite.

My main reservation is that some pieces feel like they have been left on the shelf for a long time, and could be inevitably cold. Some of the ‘freshly-baked’ bread and sandwiches also look quite sad in the counter, and I am sure the Japanese in Japan won’t never allow that to happen.

The strawberry daifuku comes with filling of a real strawberry, red beans (okay, I am bias since I like almost Anything with azuki red bean) and soft mocha. Plus a cooling matcha latte (the matcha could be more matcha though). Isn’t thing like the best combination ever?

You can buy a box of 5 back, which comes in Japanese style cutesy packaging.

I once said that the Little Fuji ($6.30) from St Marc Café at Vivocity, a freshly baked Danish with a mountain of vanilla ice cream and drizzling of caramel, is to live for.

Their new version of Choco Banana Fuji ($7.30) just brings it up on another level, especially for those who feels that the caramel would have been too saccharine-sweet. Even though there is ice cream on the Danish, the pastry still remains quite fluffy with a light crunch. Again, what could go wrong with chocolate, banana with soft serve?

St Marc Café Marina Square
6 Raffles Boulevard, Marina Square #02-105/184/185, Singapore 039594 ( City Hall MRT)
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm Daily

Other Japanese Cafe Entries
Saint Marc Café (Vivocity)
Dolce Tokyo (313 Somerset)
Nana’s Green Tea Café (Plaza Singapura)
Hoshino Coffee (Plaza Singapura)
5 Best Matcha Cafes in Singapore

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Giving mooncakes is not only about the celebration of togetherness. Sometimes you really want to impress others and show your appreciation with the best tasting mooncakes with the most exquisite packaging.

Many still say that the quality mooncakes you can get is from Hong Kong – more precisely The Peninsula Hotel’s (香港半岛酒店) Mini Egg Custard Mooncakes. They could produce up to half a million mooncakes during the mid-autumn and yet they were still sold out!

Before you say “Let me fly to Hong Kong…”, you can actually get your hands on these celebrated Peninsula range of gourmet mooncakes right here in Singapore at the Takashimaya, Vivocity and Chervon House Mid-Autumn fairs.

Three reasons to get these mooncakes: They are yellow, cute and delectable.

These light Mini Egg Custard Mooncakes are not the traditional usual brown colour, but in mid-orangey yellow, somewhat resembling the full moon. (Imagine singing “Yue liang dai biao wo de xin” while having them.) Based on the exclusive recipe originating from The Peninsula Hong Kong in 1986, these mooncakes are a contemporary take on the traditional filling of lotus seed paste and duck egg yolk.

Talking about cute, these air-flown mooncakes are petite and weight about 40 grams compared to the regular size of 160 grams. They still pack a pack with its soft pastry shells, while you can easily finish one in a mouthful and feel not that guilty.

Taste-wise, it’s the light delicate custard with a tinge of the salted duck egg yolk savour that will take you by surprise. Made from butter, coconut milk, eggs, condensed milk, corn starch, and wheat flour, they are soft, slightly creamy and sweetish delicious. Plus, you will not feel that heavy after consumption and are easy on the throat, whereas some other mooncakes can give you an itch on the throat.

Dim Sum Chef Yip Wing Wah said that his secret is to get the pastry skin right – getting delicate but strong enough to withstand the baking process. He keeps to himself the exact proportions and nature of the ingredients he uses for the filling, admitting only that he follows a traditional recipe using duck eggs to produce the very best quality and flavour.

Last year I told readers to “mai tu liao” and get them before it is too late. They wait too long, And it was sold out before they knew it. My advice this year would be the same – delay no more!

Price List
Mini Egg Custard Mooncakes (8 pieces) $46.00
Assorted Mini Mooncakes (4 mini-golden lotus seed paste mooncakes with egg yolk, 4 egg custard) – $51.00
Assorted Mooncakes (2 white lotus seed paste mooncakes with double yolks, 2 golden lotus seed paste mooncakes with double yolks) – $68.00
Chocolate Mooncakes with Assorted Nuts (9 pieces) – $53.00
Premium Mooncake (10 pieces) – $141.00

Hong Kong Peninsula Mooncakes
Available: Takashimaya Basement 2 Event Hall, Vivocity Tangs Atrium Central Court,
Chervon House Change Alley Level One

*This entry is brought to you by Star Express and The Peninsula Hong Kong*

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Udon, the thick Japanese wheat flour noodles, never really caught on the waves in Singapore like ramen or soba. That was before Tamoya Udon came along at Liang Court, and I know many who are converted fans and swear this is one of the best udon available locally.

Tamoya’s udon propelled to fame after it won the “Best Udon Maker of Kagawa Prefecture” in a television champion show in Japan (We should have a show like this in Singapore for our noodle sellers).

Since its opening in Singapore, I must have had it at least 4-5 times. Never regretted each time. And within months of coming to Singapore, they have already opened a bigger branch at Chinatown Point basement.

Compared to the Liang Court first outlet where they are more Japanese expatriates, housewives and local executives, the branch at Chinatown seems to be frequented by families. They even have Chinese words scribbled over their menu in marker pen.

Okay, I think that some aunties appear lost at what to do and what to order. So here are some of Tamoya’s offerings:

Kake Udon ($4.80) – The most basic version. This is hot udon in rich ‘golden’ broth topped with thin sliced green onions. (I realised there is also free self-service top-up for the broth here)
Sanuki Bukkake Udon ($4.80) – Sanuki style with thicker soya-source flavour. Order this if you prefer something tastier and saltier.
Zaru Udon ($4.80) – Cold udon noodles topped with shredded nori, accompanied by a chilled dipping sauce
Kama-age Udon ($5.3) – Chewy, more ‘al dente’ noodles. This may take 10-15 min to serve.
Kare Udon ($8.80) – With Japanese curry gravy

Tamoya’s udon blends 3 types of different flour, and will change their combination ration by the seasons depending on the temperature and humidity. Thus, you would find it having more bite and chewiness unlike some others who can be soggy or just plain rubbery.

Here’s how you order. (Just imagine that you are in a canteen)
Step 1: Choose the type of udon
Step 2: Pick your tempura sides
Step 3: Pay money
Step 4: Then add some condiments (there are green onions, ginger, grated radish, seafood and tempura flakes, but don’t be so greedy such that the condiments overtakes the taste of the broth.)
Step 5: Be friendly customers, and return the utensils

Previously, I thought the tempura brought down the food quality a whole level, some were rather cold and dry after being left in the open for a while. They made an improvment! This Chinatown branch has increased the variety to include more fried vegetables, fish cake and chicken karaage, and fry in smaller quantities so that the tempura remains fresher and crisper.

Of all the bowls I tried, my personal favourite is the Sanuki Udon with Beef ($10.80), slightly pricier, but the thinly sliced tender beef really brings out the flavour of the broth.

Tamoya Udon Singapore たも屋うどん-シンガポール
Chiantown Point, 33 New Bridge Road, Basement 1 #48-49 (Chinatown MRT), Tel: + 65 6337 0301
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 9:30pm (last order)

Other Japanese Restaurant Entries
Tamoya Udon (Liang Court)
Osaka Ohsho (Raffles City)
Nana’s Green Tea Café (Plaza Singapura)
Hifumi (Plaza Singapura)
Nirai Kanai Okinawan Restaurant (Liang Court)

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Before you even step in Lime, the new restaurant at PARKROYAL on Pickering, you would face rows and rows of desserts, cakes, pies and pastries neatly laid out. And they all call out to you “Come eat me because I am so pretty”.

Like a child in a candy store, I got a little too excited as I went trigger-happy with their spread during their Sunday brunch. The brunch features an impressive line-up of culinary delights such as an array of twelve European Cheeses, and three sections of live stations. There is also an option of free flow Piper Heidsieck Champagne.

The energy is positive and infectious, ceilings are high which makes the restaurant look open and spacious. Service staff was friendly and personable, while they would move from table to table with freshly prepared pizzas.

I have decided that I do not have the space to finish everything, and went straight for the live stations. Out of the Asian, European and Seafood sectors, I was informed that the fresh seafood with plates of freshly cut sashimi, sushi, lobsters, prawns and oysters was the most popular among customers. (Okay, not my favourite section as I am picky about my sashimis.)

Surprisingly, I liked the Asian section most. While the Chef’s Wok Creation, a plate of seafood and vegetables fried in sambal chilli on the spot was more sweet than spicy, the other dishes such as Stir-fried Chicken with Curry Leaves, Black Pepper Beef Fillet and Braised Pork Belly were all consistently brilliant choices.

While some other cooked food items end up to be rather cold and unappetizing looking after some time, Lime’s Asian renditions all feel, taste and look freshly cooked with some wok hei.

If you are up for some Western food, Lime’s carving station offers a selection of roasted meats including US Prime Rib, Guinea Fowl and Rack of Lamb. Otherwise, the chefs can cook poached eggs, pastas, risottos and pan-seared Foie Gras on the spot.

The guy in front of me ordered 12 pieces of Foie Gras, and the chef was quick-witted enough to first serve me the 2 pieces I needed, topped with apple compote and passionfruit pulps. The Foie Gras was not of the best grade, though still good enough to make you feel you got your money’s worth.

My advice is, it is impossible to finish all the food. Just take those you really like, and spend the time lazing and enjoying your company. Otherwise, you would end up rushing through the meal and feel bloated which really defeats the purpose.

Lime’s vibes make it so conducive to just take it easy, it is crowded yet does not feel hurried. So just chat-chat, sip the champagne, and take small bites of that awesome blackforest cake.

Price of Lime’s Sunday Brunch
$68++ per person including free flow fresh juices, soft drinks, coffee and tea
$98++ per person including free flow Piper Heidsieck Champagne and selected Red/White House Wine, fresh juices, soft drinks, coffee and tea.

Lime PARKROYAL on Pickering
3 Upper Pickering St, (Chinatown MRT) Tel: +65 6809 8899
Opening Hours: 6.30am – 12.00am (Sun – Thurs), 6.30am – 2.00am (Fri, Sat, Eve of PH)
Sunday Brunch: 12:00pm – 3:00pm

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A friend was showing photos from her staycation at W Hotel and that was met with “wooos” and “wahss” of envious, which is probably one of the hippest and coolest hotels in Singapore (and most would said Taipei as well).

The Kitchen Table at Sentosa, W Hotel’s buffet restaurant serves up “Food from the Heart”, with 6 live cooking stations of international selection. Surprisingly, there was a huge proportion of Asian and local cuisines such as Chili Flower Crabs, Laksa, Hokkien Mee ,Tandoors dishes and an assortment of Dim Sum when I was there.

Known for a high ‘hipster’ quotient, The Kitchen Table does not disappoint in the creative and stylish aspect, with oversized giant tables hanging from the ceilings (to reflect on its name), rubber ducky pepper shakers, psychedelic coloured glasses, and water containers like flowering water cans.

My favourite section was the Italian pasta where there are bowls and bowls of pasta of various sorts, seafood and ingredients, 4 types of sauces where you would customise a personalised Italian dish cooked a-la minute to your liking. Plus, the chef was sincere in a shy type of way, but was still happy enough to entertain my many questions.

I usually do not expect much about the local street foods served in hotel buffets. To me, there are usually placed there for the tourists, and are muted in taste to suit the Westerners.

To The Kitchen Table’s credits, they actually prepare the local dishes quite satisfactory (for hotel buffet standards). For once, I did not expect to see Chilli (flower) Crabs with tender deep fried mantou, and that was quickly swept up, by me. (And I was wondering why it was left there untouched for a long while, because in most other hotel buffets, that would be the first to go. Ah… the foreigners do not go for that.)

The Hokkien mee with generous ingredients and sauce, tasted quite hawker-authentic. But some of the other dishes, such as the Laksa, was not as spicy or milky as I wished for, most likely muted down.

I could imagine some patrons would feel that The Kitchen Table could have a bigger space and wider selection, piled with trays and trays of food for its weekend brunch price.

They are possibly going for quality more than quantity. Sashimi pieces are freshly cut, served in limited slices. The sushi comes in pairs placed in square bright coloured boxes. Pizzas are wood-fired one by one. Desserts are served in small cups and glasses.

So while this buffet does not give the impression of wide, massive and huge, it suits those wishing to have a lazy afternoon taking bite sized portions of everything.

Service is one of the best I experienced in recent times locally. There is always someone walking around with a dim sum tray, pizza plate, or serving shots of special concoction (I had a yummy wasabi shake shot.) When you ask for something, you would be met with a smile. At the live stations, the chefs would earnestly cook a beautifully plated dish to your preference.

Prices: Breakfast SGD48++, Lunch SGD65++, Dinner SGD65++.

The Kitchen Table
W Hotel, 21 Ocean Way, Tel: + 65 6808 7268
Opening Hours: 6:00am – 11:00pm (Mon-Fri), 6:00am – 12:00am (Sat-Sun)

Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has a “Triple Benefits” dining offers for members. Till Sep 2013, SPG members will enjoy three exclusive benefits whenever they dine at one of 650 participating restaurants and bars in Starwood Hotels & Resorts around the globe. Membership is free.

SPG Triple Benefits at The Kitchen Table
• 15% discount on food for lunch or dinner
• Complimentary glass of house wine with meal any day of the week
• Additional 10% off the total food bill with six or more guests
In addition, SPG members enjoy one for one exclusive benefits of dining at the kitchen table every Tuesday night!

DanielFoodDiary.com will be giving away 2 pairs of vouchers for you to enjoy “Food From The Heart” buffets at W Singapore. All you need to do is to
a) Join as an SPG member at the following link
b) Comment below with your membership number, and whether you would want the lunch or dinner vouchers.
(Results will be annouced 20 Aug)

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Seems like Vietnamese cuisine in creeping into popularity in Singapore, with Nam Nam Noodle Bar and shops at Joo Chiat such as Long Phung leading the pack.

Need more pho? In a manner of months, more and more small outlets such as Saigon Lotus (Marina Square), Wrap & Roll (The Star & Ion Orchard), So Pho (JEM), Sen Bar & Restaurant (Geylang Road), Pho Hanoi (Serangoon North Ave 1), Saigon Vietnamese Delicacy (Geylang Road) are sprouting all over the island.

I needed dinner at Marina Square’s Dining Edition, and was ‘attracted’ to a gaudy orange, yellow, red, and yellow colour-schemed Saigon Lotus, opened by Vietnamese-Australian owner Nguyen Hien Trung who has been in Singapore for 4 years. (Okay, another reason why I chose there was because the other restaurants were crowded and this was empty.)

Compared with some of the more contemporary snazzier looking counterparts, Saigon Lotus’s décor, menu and waitresses’ uniform all had this rather olden back-to-the-past take, and does feel I am transported back to Ho Chi Minh city.

The set meal of 1 entrée, a bowl of noodles and drink at $18.30 nett is rather wallet-friendly considering this is within a shopping mall. Traditional Vietnamese drip coffee, yes!

I was not expecting much due to some previous disappointments at local Vietnamese restaurants, but Saigon Lotus’s Sliced Beef Pho was a generous portion of gratifying comforting bowl of soup noodles that could almost match up to those I tried at Vietnam.

The beef remained tender and not over-cooked, and the broth was light and satisfying with an authentic touch. The pho is not the best, but good enough for me when I am not fussy.

Other than pho, Saigon Lotus sells a range of other types of home-style noodles that may not be as commonly known here such as the Hu Tieu ($11.00 soup, $11.50 dry), a Vietnamese Pork Noodles soup with rice or egg noodles topped with sliced pork, quail egg, prawns and herbs.

They have other interesting choices such as Nem Nuong ($7.00) a starter of Vietnamese style grilled pork patties, Mi Vit Tiem, a braised duck egg noodle soup less known outside of Vietnam, and Canh Chua Ca ($25, serves 3-4), fish served in spicy-sweet tamarind broth and is topped with a myriad of chopped pineapple, okra, tomatoes, bean sprouts, coriander and Vietnamese basil.

If you are familiar with Vietnamese food, Saigon Lotus is one who probably offers more of the authentic dishes that could not be found at other restaurants here. But you know, for a restaurant to succeed, it is not always about the food.

Saigon Lotus
The Dining Edition, Marina Square, 6 Raffles Boulevard, 02-100A/100B, Tel: +65 6337 4648
Opening Hours: 11am to 10pm Daily

Other Related Entries
Nam Nam Noodle Bar (Raffles City)

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Traditionalist ramen lovers would frown upon Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen aka the Volcano Ramen, while those who likes a bit of fun and freshness tossed up together should go for this.

Originating from Osaka Japan, Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen has quickly replaced Kaze Burger at Liang Court (and one wonders why a Korean burger joint won’t enjoy brisk business at a predominantly Japanese mall). Its first branch locally is at Novena Square 2.

This whole idea of Volcano ramen is quite gimmicky. Ramen soup is poured into a preheated 300 stone bowl with noodles and ingredients inside, and then covered with a conical lid. Then hot steam would come out from the top of the lid, thus the ‘volcanic eruption’.

There are four basic flavours: Shoyu, Kaisen-shio, miso and curry ($15.00 for small, $18.00). Get the large and share with a friend (unless you came alone). It even comes with a bowl of rice, so don’t finish all your broth yet. (They won’t refill it – this is not bak kut teh.)

I tried a few different broths, and the curry worked best for me. The noodles tend to be flatter, like another version of our flat Hokkien mee, and gets soggy after immersing in the stone bowl. The texture of the noodles goes better with curry gravy and since the bowl helps it start hot, the curry noodles remains quite ‘aromatic’ throughout the meal.

If I have miso tonkotsu ramen, I would prefer my noodles thin and springy, more to the kyushu style.

As I was there on the week of its opening, the service lapses were obvious. Wrong orders, service staff forgetting orders (3 different people asked for my order 7 times – my friend almost wanted to leave), items for big groups coming at long time difference apart.

Plus, the space is rather crumped, and tables small. If two people would order curry volcanoes, that’s it. You would smell like one.

The Matcha Shiratama with Ice Cream ($8) is a Japanese ice kachang volcano. Okay, I am more picky about matcha items, so this syrupy thing won’t get a pass from me.

The Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen experience still remains an entertaining one. I feel that this ‘volcano’ thing sometimes overshadow other offerings on the menu, such as the usual Shoyu or Karamiso Ramen ($12.00) which is on par with some of the other ramen shops in Singapore.

Tonkatsu Kazan Ramen
Liang Court, #01-09/10 Tel: +65 6397 6636
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm Daily

Other Ramen Entries
Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen (Novena Square 2)
Menzo Butao (Marina Square)
Ramen Kagetsu Arashi (The Star Vista)
Keisuke Tonkotsu King Four Seasons (Bugis Village)
Menya Sanji (Orchid Hotel, Tanjong Pagar)

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Admittedly, for a restaurant called “Bull and Butcher”, I did expect much more from the steak dishes. Though this new steakhouse at the freshly-renovated Plaza Singapura (taking over the old Café Cartel) does have a range of appetisers, soups (such as the Baked Onion Soup) and sides that leaves a deeper impression on the taste buds.

I like the interior. It has a brickwall and woody country edge that makes you feel like you are in a traditional Australian steakhouse, though there are furniture, a wall and elements which suggest modern and sleek.

Prices of the meats are mid-range when compared to your down-town or hotel steak restaurants, with a 280 grams Australian Wagyu Beef Tenderloin priced at $75, Australian 150 Day Grain Fed Ribe Eye at $38, and Argentinean Grass Fed Sirloin at a more wallet-friendly $29.

Recommended the off-the-menu Petit Tender ($28 for 160gram), I did not know how to answer when I was asked by the waiter if I enjoyed the charcoal grilled meat.

I think I said “It was okay”, when in mind, it was probably “ordinary” and nothing to shout about – could be a tad more flavoursome, a tad juicer, a tad tenderer. (I had eaten it on its own without any sauce.) Of course he gave a puzzled look when the two of us could not even finish a petit piece.

Bull and Butcher’s Braised Australian Beef Cheek ($38) was smoking hot, generous in portions and a pleasure to savour down with the mashed potato and sauce. It did not have the ‘beefy’ after taste, and almost quite easily tore apart with a push of the fork and knife. (Check my #instavideo @DanielFoodDiary for evidence)

The PR recommended me the Creamed Spinach ($8) even though I was hesitant and asked if they had a more photogenic dish. We had it in the end, and turned out it was the best item of the day, considering I was never a fan of creamy vegetables.

Crowd seems sparse for a weekday lunch, though my sense is more people would come night time to enjoy some desserts like the Pear and Chocolate Crumble ($12) and Banana Toffee Pie ($12) along with pitches of beer.

Bull and Butcher
Plaza Singapura, #01-32/33/35, 68 Orchard Road, Singapore 238839 (Dhoby Gaut MRT), Tel: +65 63383820 http://www.bullandbutcher.com.sg/ https://www.facebook.com/bullandbutchersg
Opening Hours: 11.30am-10pm (Sun-Thurs), 11.30am-11pm (Fri, Sat and PH)

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The latest talk-of-the-town café is definitely Common Man Coffee Roasters. Why won’t it be, with a joint partnership between Harry Grover of 40 Hands who started that indie cafe wave in Singapore since 3 years ago, Australia’s Five Senses Coffee and The Spa Spirit Group.

The Spa Esprit Group has that extra Midas touch, making seemingly ordinary things and services look hip and fashionable. Just look at Tiong Bahru Bakery, Skinny Pizza, 40 Hands and their beauty services Browhaus.

While being very new, Common Man Coffee Roasters was packed during the weekends, with pumping music, a coffee counter like a bar and coffee lovers who seem to be the usual Robertson Quay type. The cock décor in the middle, serves to remind us of Kiasu Coffee at 100AM, also owned by them.

Despite being called ‘Common Man’ and wanting to making the cafe “more accessible to the greater public”, the prices are not very ‘common man’. The Organic Eggs Benedict goes for $24, Full Breakfast $26, Common Man Rib-eye burger at $28, Boneless chicken $25 and desserts such as churros, mango panna cotta and crème caramel at $12 – possibly one of the highest ranged around.

I decided I have enough of the usual poached eggs with bacon and sausage and went for the Organic Eggs Benedict ($24) with two poached eggs on top of tender braised ox cheeks and lightly toasted artisanal sourdough toast.

These eggs oozed, and Oh-my-goodness, the combination with the rich melting tender-licious cheeks makes Common Man’s version a class of their own. After taking the first bite, I told myself “This is possibly one of the best eggs ben I had in Singapore” and told my friend You-Must-Have-This. I just had too many lousy eggs ben, and THIS was different.

I was recommended the Turkish Common Man Breakfast ($25), not usually a common choice. Unsuspectingly, I cut open the ‘ball’ in the middle and out busted bright yellow yolk. I really didn’t know that phyllo-wrapped thing with crispy feta which looked like a Cantonese dim sum yam ball is actually soft-boiled egg. (Check out my #instavideo on @DanielFoodDiary).

This breakfast dish is refreshing; especially when the cucumber and tomatoes were fresh with a hint of sweetness, and olives, hummus and pita bread served on side exactly reminding me of my meals in Istanbul

Skip the dessert though. My Crème caramel drowned in caramel sauce and I could not bear to finish it in its extreme sweetness, despite telling myself I am going to pay $12 for this.

Harry Grover saw me and made a cup of filtered coffee ($6) personally. I joked that if I took a instavideo of his good looking face, loads of girls would click likes…and YES, it landed on popular page that day. (And thank you Harry, who usually is deep-in-thought and serious, for a cheeky smile.)

The coffee was aromatic, strong yet bright, slightly fruity without being sour (I like). The texture is very light, almost like tea, and leaves a pleasant after taste. Indeed the coffee master at work.

Common Man Coffee Roasters is one of the few cafes around which does serve both good coffee and food. A pity about the desserts and the price, which came up to a 3 figure sum! The people will come packing anyway.

Common Man Coffee Roasters
22 Martin Road #01-00 Singapore 239058, Tel: +65 6836 4695
Opening Hours: 8am – 7pm Daily

Other Cafe Entries
Department of Caffeine (Duxton Road)
Craft Bakery Café (Holland Village)
Flock Café (Tiong Bahru)
Jewel Café + Bar (Rangoon Road)
Tiong Bahru Bakery (Raffles City)

The post Common Man Coffee Roasters – Possibly One of The Best Eggs Benedict in Town appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Actor and host Ben Yeo is one lucky man. Who could recall that his enter into showbiz was by being talent-spotted while shopping at Orchard? 10 years later, he is one of MediaCorp’s most popular male artistes (won an award in 2012), an author, father of two and now co-owner of Play Kitchen.

Out of the many local artistes that I met or interviewed, Ben Yeo must be one of the friendliest and down-to-earth. There is no air about him. He once appeared on my radio programme years back as part of a Channel U ensemble, and I am surprised he still remembers me.

Ben is no stranger to food, having hosted a range from I Cook For You, My Yummy Lunchbox, Food Mania, Food Apprentice, and $2 Wonderfood, which by far is one of my favourite local TV food programmes.

His new foray into food business is through persuasion by colleagues and fans, therefore the birth of “Play Kitchen”, a humble stall selling pastas at Jurong Point’s Kopitiam (not to be confused with Feast at JP2).

The menu includes Asian inspired pasta items such as Smoked Duck Breast Penne ($7.90), Black Pepper Sirloin Aglio Oilio Spaghetti, and Sambal Belacan Grilled Fish Aglio Olio ($8.90). That is restaurant quality pasta at food court prices.

I was surprised to see that the chef behind the food court stall is Kelvin Chua, who used to be from the now-defunct Indulge Café at Cathay. Because I did like the food at Indulge, just that it was rather inaccessible.

My favourite fish was a popular-with-kids Suckling Chicken Steak with Aglio Olio Spaghetti ($8.90), with the top of the chicken ski remaining ‘suckling-pig-like’ thin and crisp, while the bottom is juicy with a specially made black pepper sauce.

Ben’s Play Kitchen is so called because he is a playful person and wants his chefs to have a fun time preparing dishes in a happy atmosphere, and he loves to ‘play’ and experiment with food concepts– creating the birth of a Hei-bee Clams Spaghetti ($7.90) inspired by a similar Asian dish often eaten in Kuala Lumpur.

Play Kitchen’s version can easily beat many of the pasta places at similar price points. Its not the traditional kind, and would get some getting used to. Even so, Ben added that the uncle aunties were very supportive and enjoyed these new versions of ‘noodles’.

Its unique taste, al-dente texture and family-friendly variety should be a hit with customers. I thought I had space for only one, I almost finished three pastas. Congratulations Ben and Kelvin!

Play Kitchen
Jurong Point 1 Level 3 Kopitiam Food Court, Singapore 648886
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 11:00pm Daily

The post Play Kitchen – Actor Host Ben Yeo Opens Pasta Stall at Jurong Point appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Dining at St Regis Singapore’s signature restaurant Brasserie Les Saveurs makes you feel like you are in Europe – chandeliers on high ceilings, grand-looking furniture, luxurious decors and a musical fountain just outside the windows.

On the weekend I was there, dinner became more enchanting with live jazz singing, a dining ‘luxury’ I do not see often nowadays except during wedding dinners. I feel myself being transported back to Europe, where live piano-playing and singer is common even in the mid-tier restaurants.

Enhancing the French experience, Brasserie Les Saveurs just welcomed a new Chef de Cuisine Antoine Bonnet, with more than 20 years of culinary experience, and expertise in contemporary French cuisine.

A 6 Course Degustation Delight Menu would set you back by $128, $208 per person with wine pairing, which to me is a worthwhile ‘investment’ if you need a special place for a romantic anniversary or birthday dinner.

We also hear that people do pop the “Will you marry me question?” at Brasserie Les Saveurs. There are two VIP booths if you are really planning of doing it here.

Chef Antoine Bonnet’s interpretation on the dishes appears to be generally classical, with a light touch of modernity. I was generally more impressed with the seafood dishes. The Bouillabaisse Facon Les Saveurs ($19) is an ensemble of seafood stew slow-simmered with fennel and saffron. The stew was of the right consistency and balance, appropriately bringing out the succulence of the fresh seafood.

The Le Homard Thermidor ($75 for ala carte), Boston lobster flamed with cognac, had a flavoured layered taste with mushroom béchamel sauce and the gratinee gruyere giving it a robust cheesy savour. This is a tasting portion, and the ala carte version does present the Boston lobster in its grandeur.

Other dishes we had included a Salade Nicoise ($36 for ala carte), Foie Gras Poele ($26), pan-seared duck foie gras with green apple and rhubard compote, “sauternes” reduction and brioche toast and Filet Mignon Sauce Au Poivre ($48), grilled tenderloin beef with truffles mashed potatoes, tiny green beans and peppercorn sauce.

Some people would assume French cuisine is all about being light, precise and elegant. Brasserie Les Saveurs presents a new menu which is generally richer with heavier flavours, in my humble opinion an in-between between the traditional French and nouvelle cuisine.

Brasserie Les Saveurs
The St. Regis Singapore, 29 Tanglin Road Tel: + 65 6506 6866
Opening Hours: 6:30am – 11:00pm Daily, 12:00pm – 2:30pm (Sunday Brunch)

SPG Triple Benefits at Brasserie Les Saveurs St Regis
• 15% discount on food for lunch or dinner
• Additional 10% off the tab for a second visit
• Complimentary glass of house wine with meal any day of the week

DanielFoodDiary.com will be giving away 2 pairs of vouchers for you to enjoy Brasserie Les Saveurs’s “JJ Business Lunch Experience” at The St Regis Singapore. All you need to do is to
a) Join as an SPG member at the following link
b) Comment below with your membership number
(Results will be annouced 30 Aug)

Other Related Entries
La Brezza (St Regis)

The post Brasserie Les Saveurs – St Regis Welcomes New Chef de Cuisine + Vouchers Giveaway! appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

If there is one word to describe MediaCorp host Lin Youyi (Iriana Halim), it would be “persistent”. Few may know that she lost in a radio DJ competition (it was Christina Lin Peifen who won in the end.) But she pushed on with her sunshine smile and eloquence to be the Best Current Affairs Presenter for Good Morning Singapore at Star Awards, and also become one of the few current affairs host to cross over to variety.

Plus her studies at UniSIM. All these happening while she is managing her restaurant Outpost 903 Gastrobar at Bukit Timah.

Youyi wanted to play a part of every detail and menu item of Outpost 903, creating an industrial chic charm with hints of retro, almost like you are entering a factory-bar.

The birth of Outpost 903 Gastrobar was no easy feat. The location itself is a rare single-storey shophouse built around 1902, and needed some convincing to secure. When asked about the water tank feature hanging at the top of the roof, Youyi proudly said that she personally got it. That is persistence.

Outpost 903 Gastrobar (so named because it is on 903 Bt Timah Road) has recently undergone a menu revamp. The menu can be said to be Western, but with frequent touches of Asian/Singaporean influences, such as Cripsy Pork Belly ($18), a refreshing Rockmelon Salad ($14) Minced Pork Spaghetti ($14), Golden Beancurd ($8) and Herbal Chicken ($18 – weekends only) which all seem all belonging to a zhi char restaurant, yet has Western style preparation methods.

Yes, the thick slab of pork belly with a sweetish sauce comes served with mashed potato and salad. Some goes for the Herbal Chicken, a long dish of chicken thighs marinated in herbs with a special thicken herbal sauce served on side. Imagine the herbal soup your mum makes made concentrated into a sauce.

My favourite dish of the day? An Outpost Carbonara ($16) of fettuccine pan-fried in bacon oil and creamy white sauce topped with egg yolk and parmesan flakes. There is a certain type of carbonara I fancy – the sauce cannot be too thick or watery, the egg must be half cooked, and it shouldn’t be too cheesy. This version falls nicely into it. Yums. (Check out the #instavideo on @DanielFoodDiary which also made it to POP page.)

The shocker dish of the day is the WTF ($32). It is “What The Fish”, a crispy whole grouper with the fish meat filleted off to both sides and served in two styles – one was Thai, one was more Chinese.

I asked Youyi if her ang mo customers could accept this, after all, I hear some saying they don’t take the whole fish like THAT – in whole. She said, surprisingly some would take the bone and fins to eat with beer, because they are deep fried till it is so crispy.

The food may not be the most polished or typical of a bar menu, but most were quite hearty and pleasant-tasting. What is really charming about this place is the whole ambience and décor, which makes it a chill-out place to spend your weekends with good friends.

Outpost 903 Gastrobar
903 Bukit Timah Road Singapore 58960 Tel: +65 6468 4903
Opening Hours: 5:00pm – 12:00am (Mon, Wed-Thurs), 5:00pm – 2:00am (Fri), 3:00pm – 2:00am (Sat), 10:00am – 12:00am (Sun)

The post Outpost 903 Gastrobar – Charming Gastropub Opened by Presenter Lin Youyi appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

A Zhi Char stall always have to churn out a huge variety of a la carte dishes, in the shortest time, and the whole process of cooking and frying always seem so time-consuming.

There are sometimes hundreds of choices on the menu, and a popular zhi char stall can dish out tasty, hot, and fresh food items in minutes. With the Labour Movement pushing for competitiveness and productivity, some zhi char stalls could be real life examples of how to do it cheaper than restaurants, better than hotels and faster than food deliveries.

Plus, customers would always want to try new varieties of zhi char food. I love all these experiments that the stalls are taking, whether it is East meets West, or when strange impossible items are added to already familiar-tasting dishes. Otherwise, there won’t be the birth of Coffee Pork Ribs, Wasabi Prawns, Mango Chicken, XO Fish Soup, and Laksa Crabs – some have become ‘staples’ in many stalls.

I made my way to One Ocean Seafood, located at Toa Payoh Industrial Park near Braddell. Yes it is ulu, but still enjoys relatively brisk businesses even on weekday nights. (It is related to other Ocean zhi char stalls you see around.)

We had the Salted Egg Golden Flake Prawns ($25) and Golden Mashed Potato Roll ($12), both with mashed potato in their ingredients.

Some would think that the prawn dish was the usual cereal prawn because the base was still crispy and flaky. Actually no! The ‘golden flake’ is prepared by a mashed potato mix and salted egg, which brings a twist to the dish.

I would never have expected that the deep fried Mashed Potato Roll was made by that same instant mashed potato mix. If you are thinking it is the same version you can buy in supermarkets – not really. Chef Yap from Ocean uses the industry pack catered for large scale cooking which is still made by sustainably grown real potatoes from Germany.

The benefits? He can add the potatoes for some ‘Western’ slant to the usual Asian dishes, which customers would appreciate the novelty, and the dish would have a consistent quality and taste every time.

This would be ideal for speed, especially when washing, cooking, peeling and mashing potatoes would take up too much time, increasing the risk of kitchen accidents in the rush to meet the deadline of dinner crowd arriving, and using up precious space in the fridge. By making food preparation “easier, smarter and safer”, as labour chief Lim Swee Say calls it, the chefs can focus on making creative dishes that would keep diners coming back.

Taking about Western twists, there is an unusual Italiana Scallop ($18) with has fresh plump scallops fried with wok hei, yet you can taste a hint of Italian herbs. This feels like having scallop pasta sans the pasta. Using these these herbs not only spruce out the original taste of the scallop, the dish can be prepared quickly as the herbs are already pre-packed.

Chef Yap also stretches the use of each ingredient. This Italian herb could be found in some of his other cooked dishes, helping to lower food cost minimise wastage.

When it comes to frying some Chinese cuisines such as vegetables, most Chinese chefs would need to use soup stock as a base. However, preparation of such stock can take up to 8 hours as there is a need to prepare the ingredients for making the stock, blanch, rinse and boil the meat with other ingredients for hours.

Ocean’s Seafood Spinach with Scallop Broth ($18) uses concentrated scallop bouillon as its base, which makes an otherwise ordinary vegetable dish have a lingering of rich seafood aftertaste.

Some tips I learnt from the zhi char stall on how they work easier, smarter and safer:
- The same ingredient is featured in a variety of dishes to minimise wastage.
- A zhi char stall does not need to be too fixed in its menu – to use what is in season and experiment to allow more flexibility and innovation in dishes.
- Food is highly perishable and by proper planning, chefs can avoid overstocking or overbuying (and thus saving kitchen space.)
- It is okay to use mixes as long as the quality is consistent. This saves on preparation time and reduces unnecessary movement in the kitchen which is a common cause of kitchen accidents.
- Prices can be lowered as chefs save on food and recipe cost, and in turn focus on creating the dishes.

Some may argue that everything needs to be prepared from scratch. What is your take on this?

One Ocean Seafood Restaurant
1002 Toa Payoh Industrial Park #01-1407, Singapore 319074
Opening Hours: 11am-2:30pm, 5:30pm – 11pm (Daily)

Other Locations
Ocean Seafood Woodlands Blk 892C Woodland Drive 50 #01-02 S(730892)
Ocean Seafood AMK Blk 107, Ang Mo Kio Ave 4, S(560107)
Ocean Seafood Serangoon Blk 151 Serangoon North Ave 2 S(550151)
Ocean Seafood Hougang Blk 435A Hougang Avenue 8, S(530435)

The post One Ocean Seafood – How a Zhi Char Place Can Be Creative, Fast & Good appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

The Mooncake competition is officially on. The mid-autumn festival which symbolizes togetherness and bonding, has turned into a match of sorts – to see which mooncake is better, cuter, prettier, weirder and only perhaps tastier. (Go for your traditional Da Zhong Guo if you want tastier, the traditional baked mooncakes have less calories than the snowskin anyway.)

Take a walk around Takashimaya Square basement 2, or some of the other malls such as Junction 8, IMM, Jcube, Nex, VivoCity, Change Alley, Century Square, AMK Hub, Square 2, Vivocity where there are mini-mooncake fairs to have a look. Then you will know what I mean.

Here are some mooncakes for your consideration. I took a bite out of every single one. My mum too. And we mean what we say.

G.O.D’s Butt Mooncake
This Butt Mooncakes by Hong Kong’s Goods of Desire G.O.D ($52 for a box of four) have made waves in all local papers and my instagram feed. There is no young local celebrity I followed who did not receive a box of this. (If you are a local celeb but didn’t receive it, emmm… get more attention on social media bah.)

They are shaped like buttocks (posterior is a better word) because they resemble the mid-autumn’s full moon. Giving a box of this is a joke. Your friends would love it. Your boss would question your taste. Your mother-in-law would think otherwise – so don’t give it to her. My mum said they looked ugly, the taste wasn’t fantastic fantastic, but they make a cute gift anyway.

Grand Hyatt’s Lychee Martini Truffle Mooncake
Grand Hyatt, you win. When your mooncakes arrived in a pretty tiffany-blue coloured acrylic gift box box, I am sold already. You make mooncakes look more luxurious.

At $62 for 8 pieces (expensive, but when I went Taka there was still an early bird discount), there are 3 new snowskin flavours are added to the collection; Green Tea with Sake Truffle, Yam with Coconut Truffle and White Lotus with XO Truffle. You can mix and match flavours. As I am a calorie watcher, I loved the size actually. There are some flavours which particularly made my mum go “Wow, ho chiak!” – The Champagne Truffle and Lychee Martini Truffle. I agree with her on that.

Man Fu Yuan’s Pulot Hitam Mooncake
Intercontinental Man Fu Yuan’s anticipated new creation is inspired by one of our favourite local desserts, the Pulot Hitam. We know they worked for ice cream, but would they for mooncakes. Actually, not quite sold. My Pulot Hitam snow skin mooncake melted faster than other flavours, and my mum thought they tasted “weird”.

She much preferred the other flavours which I agree too. The Green Tea Paste infused with Jasmine tea, White Lotus with Macadamia Nuts and Sesame Paste all worked well ($53.80 for 4 pieces). Special mention that they have created a new range of low sugar white lotus seed paste mooncakes, made with 50 percent less sugar, all coming with a classic elegant long packaging. Makes a suitable corporate gift.

TWG’s Gold Leaves Scarlet Red Mooncake
TWG Tea offers a set of two mooncakes paired with their Longevity Haute Couture Tea at S$78 and a set of four tea infused mooncakes at S$52. You know when you buy a TWG mooncake, you are not exactly looking at receiving something traditional. The colours are already shocking – plain white, dark black, purple and scarlet red covered with gold leaves. Decadence!

The scarlet red Snowskin Mooncake is filled with white chocolate mousse and crunchy chocolate pearls encasing a refreshing yuzu marmalade in a white chocolate heart. Infused with longevity tea. The downside? The black colouring stained my mum’s fingers while cutting, and they were tough to wash off.

Marina Mandarin’s 8 Treasures Baked Mooncake
This big 6½ inch 8 Treasures 8-yolk Baked Mooncake ($68 for box of 1) from Marina Mandarin Peach Blossoms perhaps want to prove that the bigger the better. This looks like a discus or a body pump weight, and is heavy.

The lotus paste was smooth and not too sweet. If you are a traditional baked mooncake lover and if size matters to you, then this will be your choice. Eat it like a birthday cake, get the whole family down to cut the mooncake together. This makes good family bonding.

The post Singapore Mooncake Guide 2013 – The Large, The Pretty & The Butt appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[Hong Kong] You cannot imagine the excitement when I finally found this café, this very old-looking place which looks transported back in time to the 1970s. When I watched TVB dramas when I was young, this is the kind of café where Carol Cheng would meet Chow Yun Fatt for breakfast.

There are retro Coca Cola posters all around, yellow faded newspaper reviews pasted haphazardly with dried-up tape, an altar, Nissin noodles cardboard boxes, a square boxy silver television playing the news, rusty weighing machine, a toilet roll hanging out next to the door, a two-door ancient fridge …. Everything is old, old old!

If Royston Tan was a Hong Konger, he would make a documentary out of Star Café.

Finding Star Café is a challenge. Look out for Dadol Hotel sign, get to Champagne Court beside the Mira Hotel, go to the basement where you will past by a doughy-looking Moon Spring Foot Massage shop.

What do people come here for? Tomato noodles.

Star Café is famed for their tomato noodles, made with fresh noodles and eggs. The lady boss seemed a little apologetic and I understood in my half-baked Cantonese that the noodles would need at least 10 minutes to prepare. This is Hong Kong mind you – no instant noodles take that long to be served. Not during morning rush hour.

When the Tomato Beef Noodles (HK$28, $4.50) was served, I knew I would never look at these ketchup noodles the same way again. Why so delicious?!

The bowl of Nissin noodles was covered in bright-red sauce, you know it has to be prepared fresh on-the-spot. The sauce was unexpectedly refreshing, without that extreme sour-tangy aftertaste. Okay, draw-back is that it can get gooey and some may find it tough to stomach that many tomatoes.

I actually went back again. Milk tea and ham egg sandwich were superb. How do the Hong Kongers make such simple things taste so good?

Star Café 星座冰室
36 Basement Champagne Court Block A 16 Kimberley Road (Next to Mira Hotel)
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2724 4408
MTR: Tsim Sha Tsui (Exit B2)
尖沙咀金巴利道16-20號香檳大廈地庫36號舖
Opening Hour: 8:00am-9:00pm

Other Hong Kong Entries
Australian Diary Company (Hong Kong)
Bing Sutt G.O.D Starbucks (Hong Kong)
Mak’s Noodles (Hong Kong)
Tim Ho Wan (Hong Kong)
Ho Hung Kee (Hong Kong)

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DOMVS is called the ‘grande dame’ of Italian dining, opened since 1985. Stepping into DOMVS, the Italian Restaurant (pronounce as if the “V” is a “U”) at the Sheraton Towers Singapore, I cannot help but continue the feeling of being in Europe. (Read: Brasserie Les Saveurs at St Regis.)

DOMVS means ‘home’ in Latin and the entire ambience gives you the impression of being in a rich European house.

One is greeted by the calm, confident and classy décor of the grande dame of Italian dining which has over 20 years of history in Singapore. My only question is, “Why has this Italian restaurant been falling out of the radar?”

The restaurant which offers contemporary Italian cuisine looked grand, but the emptiness with three or four tables filled during the weekends felt more startling. Perhaps it is because Sheraton Towers has always been known to be a business hotel and thus the patrons mainly come in during weekdays.

I felt sufficiently prepped for the delectable meal, and I was not disappointed.

We were greeted by two refreshing-tasting Antipasto (both at $26), one a dish of thinly-sliced smoked ocean trout served with mixed fruit salad and wasabi balsamic dress, and the next thinly sliced wagyu beef eye-round cured in Trapani rock salt served with seasonal salad and pecorino Romano cheese.

The truth is, I was not expecting much looking at the number of customers dining. But the grills here are impressive.

The Kurobuta Pork Jowl ($42) was evenly grilled with a slight glaze, tender on the inside and made more invigorating with an apple tonka bean puree that lifts the entire dish up.

Though lamb is not one of my favourite meats, the Grilled Lamp Chop ($46) marinated in oregano garlic served with mustard sauce can almost change my impression of that. This was the star dish of the day, tasty, succulent, and full of flavours.

To top off the meal, I had a Freshly Baked Warm Peanut Butter Lava Cake served with rum & raisin ice cream ($20) for dessert. Good. It is not the usual lava cake.

Service is impeccable, intuitive and intimate. I can imagine many business matters discussed confidently here. Indeed, DOMVS offers a regular 2-course executive set lunch at $35, and 3-course at $42.

DOMVS
Lobby, Sheraton Towers, 39 Scotts Road, Singapore 228230 (Newton MRT) Tel: +65 6839 5622
Opening Hours: 11.30 am. – 2.30 pm (Lunch), 6.30 pm – 10.30 pm (Dinner) Daily

Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has a “Triple Benefits” dining offers for members. Till Sep 2013, SPG members will enjoy three exclusive benefits whenever they dine at one of 650 participating restaurants and bars in Starwood Hotels & Resorts around the globe. Membership is free.

SPG Triple Benefits at DOMVS the Italian Restaurant
• 15% discount on food for lunch or dinner
• Complimentary glass of house wine with meal any day of the week
• Additional 100 Starpoints when you dine with 3 or more guests

DanielFoodDiary.com will be giving away 4 pairs of vouchers (2 pairs lunch, 2 pairs dinner) for you to enjoy this Italian Grande Dame Dining experience at DOMVS. All you need to do is to
a) LIKE this entry
b) Join as an SPG member at the following link
c) Comment below with your membership number, and whether you would want the lunch or dinner vouchers.
(Results will be announced 6 Sep)

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Hunger Games? Nope, it’s the Hungry Games where participants will compete and ‘fight’ to post the most number of food reviews. The good news is, nobody loses, and everyone can win a prize!

Every time I need to look for a restaurant or café, I will definitely do an online check on its reviews and pricing. You know you do not want to waste money and calories on bad food and restaurants. This is where OpenRice.com comes in.

Actually shooting not involved in OpenRice’s Hungry Games, only shooting of food.

OpenRice.com is Asia’s Premier Dining Guide which features more than 24,000 F&B listings in Singapore. There are more than 60,000 user-contributed food reviews, which can tell you everything from the restaurants food, price, ambience and service. Very helpful and useful.

Now, they are inviting you to join and be part of their Hungry Games. What?!

No bleeding involved in this Hungry Games.

The Rules of The Hungry Games are simple.
Rule No 1: Earn EXP experience points when you submit food reviews.
Rule No 2: Be the FIRST to review or get awarded and Editor’s Choice for good reviews and get EXTRA POINTS.
Rule No 3: The more food reviews you write, the higher your EXP level, and the more prizes you can redeem.
Rule No 4: Use the accumulated EXP for the month to exchange for Prizes.
Rule No 5: OpenRicers can also stand a chance to Double the Prizes that they have won for the month by sharing on Facebook.

In the Hungry Games arena, two is always better than one.

Prizes include movie tickets, Starbucks or CoffeeBean Card, vouchers from Kinokuniya, Popular, H&M, Forever 21, Capitamall, NTUC, Challenger, or Epicentre! Woohoo, I am sure there is something you want there.

Write a good food review and save the world from wasted calories.

How to write a Good Review? I want to help you WIN this. So here are 3 additional tips on how you can get more points.
Tip 1: Look out for un-reviewed restaurants and food stalls on OpenRice.com. Be the FIRST to review to get more EXP points.
Tip 2: Take more pictures of your food. I usually shoot at least 6 for one dish. Then pick the best to upload. Reviews with photos get more EXP, and also more readers’ attention.
Tip 3: Write a good review to be awarded Editor’s Choice. That means clear mouth-watering pictures, a good description and your personal voice.

Be an OpenRice Hungry Games champion. And there can be more than one.

Visit OpenRice.com now to join The Hungry Games and win awesome prizes every month!

Terms & Conditions

*This entry is brought to you by OpenRice.com

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There are four factors I go for when looking for Korean BBQ – the texture and freshness of the meats, the price, the ambience and the smell (or more correctly, lack of smell). New Korean BBQ restaurant E!ght at Clarke Quay Central seems to tick all the right boxes.

Good first impression when walking into the restaurant with brick walls and a raw industrial design – spacious and no thick smoke and smell of Korean BBQ. Hair and clothes won’t be greasy after lunch. Pass. There is even an outer seating area overlooking the Singapore River if the cool evening weather permits.

E!ght Korean BBQ’s concept is borrowed from America Los Angeles, which is after all very big on Korean-fusion restaurants. This Korean restaurant is conceptualized by Jamie and Kristin Lim, who also happens to own Sticky downstairs, but it is a Korean chef who helms the kitchen. Clarke Quay Central is their ‘lucky’ mall.

Their signature 8 Colours Set ($98) is a steal because it features thick long Berkshire pork belly in 8 flavours – original, wine, ginseng, garlic, herb, curry, miso, and red pepper paste. You can request for smoked pork belly or additional portion at $12 extra.

This can feed about 4 persons comfortably, and you can get to try a flavour of everything without filling too full. The ladies at the table preferred those with a little touch, like the ginseng and wine. I much preferred those with a heavier full-flavoured taste, like red pepper paste and curry. At least there is something for everyone.

Sometimes when I go to Korean BBQ restaurants, I get slabs of meat that are frozen and tough. Sure, you may feel you get your money’s worth because of the volume you are eating, but I much prefer sitting down comfortably and trying out a variety of tender slices.

The $98 set also comes with banchan and a relatively huge pot of Seafood Bean Paste Stew. That is value-for-money.

If you are there noon time, go for the Chul Pan specialty hot grill of beef brisket ($17 for one pax, minimum 2 pax to order) which is only available during lunch. The beautiful stacked up thinly sliced meats like a tower is an ‘art piece’ that would really make you salivate.

Wait till you smell the aroma of it being fried on the grill with Korean red pepper paste and assorted vegetables. Add in a portion of rice ($8) to be fried after you are done.

Perhaps the only downside is that the menu can be more extensive, but I am sure that would happen when E!ght gets a hang out things.

If you prefers a more cozy environment, some Korean MTV playing in the background, with a variety of quality meats, E!ght Korean BBQ can be your choice to hang out with friends. Daebak!

E!ght Korean BBQ
6 Eu Tong Sen Street #02-79/90 The Central Singapore 059817 (Clarke Quay MRT), Tel:+65 6222 2159
Opening Hours: Lunch: 11.30am – 2.30pm (Last order 2pm), Dinner: 5.30pm – 11pm (Last order 10pm)

Other Korean Restaurant Entries
Bornga (Vivocity)
Bornga (The Star Vista)
Bonchon Chicken (Bugis+)
Big Mama (Tiong Bahru)
NeNe Chicken (The Star Vista)

The post E!ght– American Concept Korean BBQ with Eight Flavoured Pork Belly. Daebak appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

If you need to Swensen’s recently, you may notice an additional menu and board at the entrance that says “Spanking New Dishes. Four must-tries as recommended by Singapore’s leading bloggers.”

The four bloggers include Ladyironchef, Camemberu, Keropokman and emm… DanielFoodDiary.

These are four really interesting dishes, value-for-money and not seen in the Swensen’s menu before. Call it telepathy or what, Swensen’s knows exactly what I like and want.

So presenting my recommended dish – The Spiced Maple Chicken Waffle!

Seriously, crispy deep fried chicken and waffle together? That is happiness, bliss and excitement in one dish! My advice is: it is simply futile to resist.

Swensen’s Spiced Maple Chicken Waffle ($14.90) contains four pieces of crispy golden brown fried chicken stacked over a thick slab of fragrant waffle. The chicken and waffle pairing is known as the American ‘soul’ food’ and has been popular in specialty restaurants in the States. It is not hard to understand why.

Fried chicken IS my comfort food, and this version is just crisp on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. Plus, no bones! It is not just drizzled with the usual maple syrup, but a homemade syrup with includes garlic, lemon juice and chili padi.

Imagine the combination of sweet, salty and slight spiciness in a single bite. It doesn’t take long to grow in you.

Here are the other bloggers’ recommendation (in order of my favourites – the food, not the blogger!)

Crispy Cereal King Prawns from Keropokman ($19.90). This dish feels like the cereal prawns but with a homemade batter made of cornflakes, bread crumbs and seasoning.

Braised BBQ Beef Cheeks from Ladyironchef ($21.90). I always enjoy beef cheeks because they are tender and usually full of flavours. Usually you would get them at a higher-end restaurant, so this is a good opportunity to try it at a friendlier price.

Herb Crusted King Snapper from Camemberu ($15.90). If you are looking for something healthier yet flavourful (because this is baked over with honey mustard), get this king snapper fillet.

Of course I would say if you want to indulge, get the Spiced Maple Chicken Waffle. Quick tip: Get a scoop of Swensen’s ice cream, and you will finally realize that fried chicken, waffles and ice cream is the ultimate combination of happiness.

Those of you who haven’t been to Swensen’s in a while would be surprised to see some local favourites on the dessert menu – The Chendol Delight ($8.90, U.P. $9.90 but $1 off when you order the blogger’s meal) and Salted Gula Melaka Heaven ($8.90 as above).

Oh yes, if you are having my dish, do instagram it and tag me at @DanielFoodDiary or hashtag with #DanielFoodDiary. Let me know that you are enjoying your meal!

Swensen’s Singapore Outlets
Central: Bugis Junction, Centrepoint, City Square Mall, ION Orchard, Junction 8, Plaza Singapura, Thomson Plaza
North: Causeway Point, North Point, AMK Hub
South: Marina Square, Vivocity (Earle Swensen’s)
East: Changi Airport T2, T3 (Earle Swensen’s), Parkway Parade, Tampines Mall
Northeast: Compass Point, NEX
West: Bt Panjang Plaza, Clementi Mall, IMM, Jurong Point, West Mall, JEM (Earle Swensen’s)

*This entry is brought to you by Swensen’s

The post Swensen’s – Spanking New Dishes. Spiced Maple Chicken Waffle Recommend by DanielFoodDiary! appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.