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The Korean wave continues after seeing multiple Korean Fried Chicken, Korean Softserves (Milkcow
, Sweet Monster) and Bingsu shops opening in Singapore.

Located at the basement of Plaza Singapura, KokoPanda differentiates itself as a healthy superfood dessert kiosk. It uses a wide range of ‘superfood’ toppings such as dried Korean Strawberries, Apple, Persimmon and Jeju Tangerine.

Note: While KokoPanda brands itself as ‘Korean’, it is not known if there is any affiliation with any existing softserve shops in Korea.

The menu has 2 sections: Softserve ($4.90/$5.90) and Beverages ($2.90 – $4.20).

2 flavours are available for the softserve: Black Yogo (frozen yogurt made from charcoal and roasted coconut husk) and White Cremo (premium Korean milk softserve).

A dual flavour known as Koko Twisto made from both Black Yogo and White Cremo resembled the colour of a Panda (which is their mascot) – black and white (and our local Michael Jackson drink – Soybean Milk with Glass Jelly).

Toppings include Dried Superfruits with preserved natural nutrients and vitamins, Jelly pearls made from seaweed and Bursting jelly caviars made from real fruit juice.

A single topping with the base softserve/froyo will cost $4.90, 3 toppings at $5.90 and any additional toppings at $0.80.

Perhaps labelling each topping at the counter helps in ordering as the person behind me had multiple queries on the various ingredients on display.

He gave up, and ended up ordering “the pretty-looking toppings”. #FirstWorldProblems

After all, dried Apple, Persimmon, Pear and Jeju Tangerine tend to be yellowish-brown in colours and looked pretty much the same.

Our favourite was the Koko Twisto ($5.90) with both froyo (frozen yogurt) and milk softserve.

Served in a palm- size cup, the sourish froyo was well balanced by the smooth and sweet milk softserve, giving 2 sensations in one mouth.

Instead of using freshly-cut fruits as toppings, the dried fruits was less citrusy and provided an interesting crunchy texture. Mashisoyo.

Koko Black Yogo ($5.90), a black frozen yogurt made from charcoal and roasted coconut husk maybe less common than black softserve, but tasted pretty much like any other froyo.

The sourish, tanginess froyo be a little overwhelming on its own so we packed it with bursting jelly caviars to balance out the taste.

Korean softserve shops which were once considered trendy, are dwindling in numbers and becoming endangered (like Pandas) in Singapore. t

The interesting idea of superfood softserve may attract the OLs working nearby and the diet-conscious gym-goers, for the time being. KokoPanda would probably need to stay ahead in flavours innovation and consistent marketing strategies.

We hope that this panda will not be just another a passing fad, like some of the rest.

KokoPanda
Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Road, #B2-60, Singapore 238839
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon-Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/kokopanda.kr/

* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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Say ”Aloha” to Pololi. The pioneer poke shack to spread the love of Hawaiian poke bowl concept in Hong Kong, is now available in Singapore. (Read: 5 Best Poké Bowls In Singapore)

Probably due to expensive rental space and Hong Kongers’ hectic work schedule, Pololi operates more towards a takeaway concept store, aimed to deliver healthy and fresh poke bowl to busy executives.

This is also the quite the case for their first overseas store in Singapore, situated at the CBD area of 51 Telok Ayer Street. (Note: There are already Aloha Poké at Amoy Street, and A Poke Theory at Boon Tat Street not too far away.)

Their poke bowl comes in two sizes – Kama’aina ($17.99), regular size with 180g of fish and Keiki ($15.99), small size with 150g of fish.

Here’s how it works: First, select the base option from white rice, brown rice or salad.

Next, pick the choice of poke from the variety of flavors which changes on a daily basis.

The shop does not explicitly list down their flavors, but some of the flavors I came across were Traditional Spicy, Yuzu Shoyu, Thai Sweet Chili, and Wasabi Mayo. Not the typical ones.

Too many options but don’t know what to choose?

Fret not, you are allowed to sample the different poke before making your purchase, like how we usually sample ice cream flavors first.

Great initiative but hope this does not delay the queue further if there are too many fickle-minded people. Haha.

Side ingredients such as edamame ($2.49), seaweed salad ($1.99) and sesame tofu ($2.49) are also available for add-ons with a nominal top-up.

(Photo taken in Hong Kong at one of their pop up market bazaar)

I spotted a familiar marinade which I have tried before from Pololi in Hong Kong and dived straight for the Thai Sweet Chilli with much assurance.

Tangy blend of sweet and spicy with a hint of coriander, simply appetizing for the palate with goes well with simple, white rice.

Another interesting flavor to note would be Sambal, a marinade specially created for Singapore’s opening.

While it may be my first time to have sambal on raw fish, the combination is somewhat pleasant, but lacking in a certain oomph factor.

I think it could fare better if they can up the spice level (Singaporeans generally have quite high level of spice tolerance) and enhance the flavor with some prawn paste together with a zest of lime.

That would be OUR version of sambal.

Being a late comer in our poke bowl scene, Pololi’s renditions are generally straightforward. At least, there is a focus on the variety of fish marinade they can offer – I would term them as 1st gen poke bowl.

That is however, paler in comparison with our existing poke bowl stores that offers a much more variety of side ingredients that compliments the poke bowl.

More fish marinade variety against more accompanying side ingredients. What’s your take?

Pololi Singapore
51 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 048441 (Near Telok Ayer MRT)
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 3pm (Mon – Tue), 11:30am – 6pm (Wed – Thu), 11:30am – 10pm (Fri), Closed Sat & Sun
https://www.facebook.com/pololisg/

* Written by Lewis Tan @juicyfingers, a self-proclaimed coffee addict. Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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[Bangkok] Groove at Central World at is one of those places you can have a slightly later dinner near a mall during the weekends, as it extends the operation hours till 11pm. Most restaurants in malls start closing their shutters by 9:30pm.

Still not the best, but better than nothing, especially when you just caught the evening flight out of Singapore.

EAT, which stands for Eat All Thai, is one of the few restaurants there offering Thai regional dishes.

It is the off-spring of Supanniga Eating Room by Khunyai, known to serve long lost recipes passed down by the grandmother’s generation.

While it is located at a hip location, the décor suggests otherwise – heavy wooden furniture of dark brown, ceramics crockery at a corner emulating a home kitchen.

Its menu is extensive, and ups Thai street food both in terms of pricing, and inclusion of more expensive ingredients.

To be honest, looking at appearances alone, it was not the first place that prompted me to go-in-and-try.

Among the recommended “Must Eat Food At EAT” include Pad Thai Crabmeat & Crab Roe (170 baht), Assorted Satay (250 baht), Charcoal Grilled Giant River Prawns (699 for platter of 3), Thai BBQ Pork with Jaew Dipping Sauce (190 baht).

A quick flip of menu would reveal a bigger range of menu, anything from Street-style Pork Skewers with Sticky Rice (140 baht), Spicy Red Curry with Crab Roe (520 baht), Chicken Fried Rice with Salted Egg (160 baht), Wok-fried Rice Vermicelli with Seafood in Suki Sauce (170 baht), and Mango Sticky Rice (190 baht).

Prices are notably higher than the typical restaurant out there in Bangkok. Paying for location and comfort, I guess.

The sampler set of Hors d’oeuvre Mueang (430 baht) would probably provide you with a ‘restaurant-taste’ of Northern Thai style street food, with the inclusion of Deep-Fried Fermented Pork Sausages Nam Tod, Deep-Fried Chicken Wings Peek Kai Tod Krob, Fried Sun-Fried Pork, Crispy Pork Skin, and sticks of Sticky Rice.

Some hits and misses. I liked the fried pork and sausages dipped in the spicy green chilli dip.

My favourite item that meal was probably the Green Curry Gaeng Kiew Whan (240 baht). I might have imagined having the typical beef or chicken slices, but the bowl contained white chewy squids all plumped up.

As you take bites, would realise they were stuffed with a combination of ground pork and salted egg York. Gravy was deliciously-rich and mildly spicy.

Most of the other Thai classic dishes hit the right notes, and didn’t come across as overly catering to the tourists, retaining some of those rustic flavours.

EAT (Eat All Thai)
2/F, Groove at CentralWorld, Rama 1, Bangkok, Thailand (BTS Siam)
Tel: +662 251 1230
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Sun – Thu), 11am – 11pm (Fri – Sat)
https://www.facebook.com/eatallthai

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Unlimited Champagne, an indulgent hand-crafted 8-Course Set Dinner, Seafood and Chocolate aplenty, plus a partial view of the fireworks display over Marina Bay from the hotel driveway.

This is The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore’s FIRST every New Year’s Eve Countdown Party and they have pulled out all the stops.

Click video for Super Night highlights.

“Super Night” is an exclusive one-night event happening on 31 December, from 7.30pm all the way till 1am on Level Three of the hotel.

Reasons to choose to have your NYE Countdown at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore:
1. A “live” band to count you down to 2017.
2. Partial views of the fireworks lighting up Marina Bay, from the hotel driveway.
3. An epicurean 8-course set dinner that includes Kaluga Queen Caviar, Baked Atlantic Turbot and Chargrilled Wagyu Tenderloin.
4. A seafood buffet that includes Alaskan king crab, lobster, and scallops.
5. Unlimited servings of handcrafted sweets from the chocolate bar.
6. “Cheers” to the New Year (literally), with unlimited Champagne, red and white wines, liquors, beers, chilled juices and soft drinks till 1am.

The Highlight of Super Night – An Epicurean 8-Course Menu:

Kaluga Queen Caviar, Crème Fraiche, Buckwheat Blini
The first course sets the tone for this indulgent night -f the Kaluga Queen Caviar, also known as “Black Gold” and said to be one of the best farmed caviar in the world, sits on the base of purple sweet potato puree and delights with its robust flavours.

Poached Langoustine, Fresh Japanese Sea Urchin, Crustacean Chaud-froid
Love (to) sea food? The Japanese Uni is of high quality – fresh and creamy, a perfect match with the sweet succulent orange-pink Langoustine.

Onsen Egg, Girolle Mushroom Ragout, Truffle Lava, Chia Seed Crouton, Bacon
Truffles and eggs are a match-made in heaven.

Dip your spoon in, swirl it around, and allow the fragrant aroma of truffles and bacon to ignite your taste buds. Savour each mouthful of this heavenly combination – such indulgences must be relished.

Guinea Fowl Consommé, Homemade Foie Gras Cappelletti, Cardoon, Dates, Edible Flower
‘Little hats’ of homemade Cappelletti pasta stuffed with foie gras sit in a consommé of guinea fowl, which is both flavourful and refreshing.

The pronounced sweetness of dates further complements this savoury pasta and leaves you delighted with its unique melding of flavours.

Baked Atlantic Turbot, Champagne Herb Hollandaise, Sautéed Green Vegetable, Raw Pea Sprout

Sorbet – Mandarin Givrée, Rose Loukoum, Grand Marnier
“Knock knock”, as you break open the caramelised layer to reveal tangy orange sorbet and Rose Lookoum jelly , more commonly referred to as ‘Turkish Delight’.

The freshness of the citrus and aromatic rose scent are the perfect palate cleanser and welcomed at this juncture of the meal.

Charred Grilled Wagyu Tenderloin (Grade 7), Gratinated Polenta, Vacherin Mont D’or, Roasted Salsify, Glazed Chestnut, Caramelized Fig, Black Garlic Jus

Peanut Croustillant, Caramel, Dark Chocolate Mousse
The “star” of the dinner menu (pun unintended) is the crispy, crunchy texture of the Peanut Croustillant.

The caramel and dark chocolate mousse is smooth and not-overwhelming. When paired with the crunch of the croustillant, it will bring a sweet smile to your face.

Super Night
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Level 3, The Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore
7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.
$388.00 per adult and $194.00 per child (12 years old and below)

Includes:
– Epicurean 8-course set dinner
– Unlimited servings from the seafood station and chocolate bar until 11 p.m.
– Unlimited pours of Champagne, house pour red/white wines, liquors, beers, chilled juices and soft drinks until 1 a.m.

“A Great Gatsby New Year” Stay Package
In addition, if you like to start r 2017 with glitz and glamour at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, you can go for the “Great Gatsby New Year” stay package which includes:
– Overnight accommodation in a Deluxe Kallang room
– 2 tickets to Super Night on 31 December 2016
– 1 bottle of Champagne per stay
– Daily buffet breakfast for 2 persons
– Valid from December 30, 2016 through January 1, 2017. Starting from $1,088 per night, 3 night minimum stay required

For dining reservations, please contact +65 6434 5288 or
Email rc.sinrz.restaurantreservations@ritzcarlton.com

For room reservations, please contact +65 6434 5111 or
Email rc.sinrz.reservations@ritzcarlton.com

* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape. This entry is brought to you in partnership with The Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore.

The post The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore Presents Super Night – A NYE Countdown With 8-Course Meal, Unlimited Champagne, Seafood and Chocolate Buffet. appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

“Jjajangmyeon” (Korean word for “noodles’ in black bean sauce) is a common Korean- Chinese takeaway dish in Korean dramas that never fail to made me hungry.

Being one of the (many) Korean eateries located along Tanjong Pagar Road, O.BBa Jjajang is opened throughout the entire night, closed at 7am from Monday to Saturday and 2am on Sunday.

Hurray nocturnal-beings! Supper-goers know where to get our Korean craving fixed at night now.

A major influence for Korean- Chinese cuisine is from Northern part of China (Beijing and Shandong) due to geographic proximity.

One unusual and interesting point: Korea- Chinese cuisine is mainly served through home delivery service instead of having them at a physical restaurant.

(So you can watch your Korean drama at home while slurping on the jjajangmyeon. Goblins, anyone?)

O.BBa Jjajang’s menu is somewhat similar to Chinese restaurants, with sides dishes such as chicken and pork to serve with a bowl of staple food (rice/noodles).

Their signature dish is their Jajangmyeon ($10 Lunch/ $12 Dinner) served with fermented black soybean paste in homemade noodles, diced pork, onions and cucumber.

Currently, there’s an ongoing lunch promotion at $7.70 for a bowl of Jajangmyeon instead. Pali-pali! 빨리빨리

Slurp. Probably one of the best jjajangmyeon I had in Singapore!

While most of the JjajangMyeon in Singapore had a strong black bean taste with a grainy texture, the version here had a slight sweetness in the black bean sauce (“zhup”)).

Different from the salty Chinese-styled Zha Jiang Mia, the sauce was somehow both appetising and addictive.

Daebak! The homemade noodles was smooth and chewy, yet it didn’t feel heavy on the stomach.

Generously coated with the black bean gravy after tossing, the addition of fatty pork for the extra chewiness was an ingenious idea.

Simple, fuss-free and comforting.

Apart from the Jjajangmyeon ($12), the Jjamppong ($13) is another top favourite dish in Chinese-Korean cuisine.

No Jjamjjamyeon (half- Jjajangmyeon, half Jjamppong) on the menu though, for people who cannot decide which to get.

The seafood is first fried with the vegetables before putting everything into the soup with the noodles.

Unfortunately, the Jjamppong ($13) paled in comparison to the Jjajangmyeon ($12) as the soup was a tad watered down, unable to bring out the freshness of the seafood.

For the meat lovers, there’s Tangsuyuk ($25) also known as Sweet and Sour Pork, a Chinese dish commonly seen at our local zhi-char stalls.

Instead of frying the meat with the sauce in a wok, the sweet-and-sour sauce was only poured over the meat after it was served.

Unlike the usual tze-char style, the batter was lighter and fluffier. Interestingly, the sauce tasted like sour plum, without much sweetness.

We would still prefer to have balance of sweetness and sourness though.

We believed that Obba Jjajang will serve as a good supper spot along Tanjong Pagar road.

After all, THAT bowl of JjaJangMyeon is worth coming back for.

O.BBa Jjajang
63 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088484
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 7am (Mon-Sat), 11.30am – 2am (Sun)

* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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”How did you manage to find us?” I find this question slightly peculiar, as if this restaurant does not want to be found.

I have my ways, of course. Teepee Bar & Restaurant is located along 31 Hong Kong Street (near The Kitchen at Bacchanalia and Long Qing, a short walk from Clarke Quay MRT).

To be fair, nobody would have really spotted it, only with a cardboard signage that was spray-painted with “COFFEE?”

After walking in, you would spot this totally indie-hipster place complete with that industrial flooring look, painted in my favourite shades of navy blue and greyish-white.

The press release read, “Past its steel rimmed doors, tinkling of highballs interject the deep pulse of Reggaeton tracks. Beneath its guise, Teepee demonstrates class, without a care for ostentation.”

Could present a far-fetched view, but stripped down, Teepee offers honest-good coffee, burgers and rice bowls. I didn’t hear the Reggaeton by the way.

On its menu includes small plates of Croquette ($8), Pork Buns ($9), Parma Ham Crostini ($12), Freshly Shucked Oysters ($24 for 6 pieces), Burgers which included Umami Swiss, Buttermilk Spicy Chicken, Bacon & 3 Cheeses, Spiced Beef with Kimchi ($16 – $19), and Rice Bowls ($16 – $24).

The signatures include a Spiced Kimchi Beef Burger ($19) of beef patty, paired with kimchi and cheese, served with freaking good fries.

While I liked the juiciness of the patty, I didn’t get the entire combination. The kimchi felt like it was forced in this marriage without a thorough thought of this relationship. Perhaps more Korea-ness could be incorporated by a sauce or something.

The Wagyu Beef Bowl ($24) contained grilled wagyu, 63C egg, leek sauce, and sautéed kale.

Interestingly, the kale was my favourite component of the bowl, while the rice – on the wet side, was the weakest link.

What would keep me coming back would be the Shakerato ($6.50), a mix of espresso, tonic water and citrusy juice. A refreshing beverage which reminded me of travels in Sydney and Melbourne.

Teepee Bar & Restaurant presents itself some indie personality and soul – which I liked. Not entirely sure if its food menu would be enough to appeal to a wider CBD crowd though.

The restaurant opens till “very, very late”. Stating opening hours like this makes the type J in me uncomfortable. Both 11pm and 5am can be considered “very, very late”.

Teepee Bar & Restaurant
31 Hong Kong Street #01-02 Singapore 059670
Tel: +65 6225 0025
Opening Hours: 8am – very, very late (Mon – Sat)

* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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To be honest, this is indeed a hidden find. A restaurant by the Les Amis Group within the Singapore Botanic Gardens? And quite under-the-radar.

Do not worry if you wonder if you need to specially dress up for this.

Casa Verde, which means “Green House” in Italian, is a laid-back trattoria with a casual and cosy setting.

Location wise, it is near the entrance of the Visitor Centre. For drivers and those who cab, enter via the Nassim Gate.

You can come after strolling around lush greenery of the gardens, bring your family and pets (they have dog bowls available!), or consider this for an easy-going romantic dinner out.

[Plus, Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card holders can earn 3.2 air miles (8X points) with every dollar spent at Casa Verde. More details at end of the post.]

Concept wise, Casa Verde is a café by day, and restaurant by night.

While the menu is primarily bolstered with classic Italian dishes, Chef Danny Tan and team have also included some local delights such as Curry Chicken with Rice ($13), Nasi Goreng Kampong ($13), Hainanese Pork Chop ($13), Nanyang Laksa ($9.50), Fried Hokkien Mee ($14), Seafood Hor Fun ($14) and Bak Kut Teh ($14).

The “Singapore Heritage” food is available from 11am to 6pm daily.

For the dinner menu, you can expect starters of Buratta Salad ($18), Gambero Al Forno (Oven Baked Prawns $16), Capelli d’Angelo con Coda di Argagosta (Lobster Capellini $35), Tagliatelle al Nero di Seppia con Granchio (Squid Ink Tagliatelle & Crab Meat $27), Pizzas ($24 for each 12 inch), Mains of Brasato di Agnello (Braised Lamb Shank $32), Pollo al Diavolo (Char-grilled Spring Chicken $28) and desserts.

Here are some of the Italian specialties you can expect from Casa Verde:

Capelli d’Angelo con Coda di Aragosta ($35, available during dinner)
Possibly my favourite dish there. Springy thin angel hair pasta tossed in aromatic lobster oil, with a piece of chunky lobster tail on the side.

Bianca con Kale (12-inch $24, available for lunch and dinner)
A thin-crusted wood-fired pizza topped with colourful array of kale, cherry tomato, artichoke, mozzarella and white sauce. If you want to balance health with comforting food, this could be it.

Sfilatino Casa Verde ($24, available for lunch and dinner)
Do not expect the typical traditional pizza, or Sfilatino (which is an Italian style bread) for that matter.

This is a like crisp bread-wrap of honey-baked ham, mushroom and melted mozzarella cheese. It gets much better after dipping into the tangy salsa like tomato dip.

Brasato di Agnello ($32, available during dinner)
Slow braised lamb shank all juicy and tender, with freshly grilled crusty ciabatta to dip into the rich, smoky gravy.

II Cocco panna Cotta, Gelato 10 al Cocco e Frutta Tropicale ($10, available during dinner)
Soft, wobbly coconut panna cotta topped with sweet dices of fruit, with a side of coconut ice cream.

As Christmas bells are ringing, Casa Verde has also limited specially created dishes available only for this seasonal period. Do not wait too long before trying, as they may be gone soon.

Penne con pesto e gamberetti Pasta ($26)
A dish of al dente penne pasta dish, topped with generous portion of tiger prawns in pesto sauce.

12-inch Pizza al Tartufo Bianco ($32)
An interesting combination of truffles and sliced potatoes on pizza.

Panettone ($12)
Get into the Christmas mood with a dessert of sweet bread, ice cream and berries.

A big winning element of Casa Verde is its laid-back, relaxing environment with scenic views. Sometimes much needed after the hustle-and-bustle of city life.

Casa Verde
Singapore Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre, 1 Cluny Road Singapore 259569
Tel: +65 6467 7326
Opening Hours: 7.30am – 11pm, Last order 9.30pm Daily
https://www.facebook.com/CasaVerdeSG

Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card
If you have a Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card, use it at the Les Amis’ Group of Restaurants which includes Casa Verde, Bistro du Vin, ComNam Vietnamese Street Eats, JINzakaya, La Strada, La Taperia, Les Amis, NamNam Noodle Bar, Peperoni Pizzeria , and Sushi Jin.

The Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card allows you to earn 3.2 air miles (8X points) with every dollar spent at restaurants in Singapore – one of the highest earn-rate compared to other credit cards currently.

You get 2 air miles (5X Points) with every dollar spent on air tickets, travel packages and foreign currency transactions online or overseas, and also complimentary access to selected VIP airport lounges.

Even if you do not use air miles, the points you earn on the Card is up to 8X faster than usual which can also be redeemed for other things like vouchers, cash credits and many other rewards.

Possibly the Best Card to use if you love to travel around for food, be it in Singapore or overseas.
To find out more, visit
Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card

* This post is brought to you in partnership with Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card.

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Another Acai (pronounced as “ah-sigh-ee” and not “Ah-Cai”) specialty shop opened opposite I12 Katong Mall, just a few shops away from Birds Of Paradise Gelato Boutique.

Surprisingly, an entire shop focusing purely on acai, a superfood from Brazil that is known to have high anti-oxidants, anti-aging and weight loss properties.

Like WOW!

Similar, or should I say not much difference from other Acai specialty shops such as Project Acai at Holland Village
and Absolute Acai at Pickering Street.

Other cafes are also jumping onto the bandwagon by introducing acai dishes at Aloha Poke, Park Bench Deli, Haakon Superfoods & Juice, Strangers’ Reunion and Pong Gelato.

Frankly speaking, there is not much difference in taste between the acai bowl here and other cafes, as most of the base supply comes from the same (few) sources anyway.

With limited seating area (4 chairs indoors and 10 chairs outdoors), takeaways are recommended.

The menu consists of Signature Acai Bowl – Tropical Coconut Bowl ($6.90) served in a non-edible coconut husk which reminded us of Pong Gelato, Acai Fruit Bowl ($5.90 Small/ $8.90 Medium/ $13.90 Large) and DIY versions ($6.40 Small/ $9.40 Medium/ $14.40 Large) that cost $0.50 more than the respective signature bowl sizes.

The main differentiating factor is a choice of sauce (honey/ cookie butter/ peanut butter) for topped on their healthy bowl of superfood.

I had the cookie butter sauce, drizzled on our Small Acai Fruit Bowl ($5.90), which cut through the citrus-ness.

The cookie butter sauce was interesting as it reminded us of llaollao in a way.

Toppings wise, the Acai Fruit Bowl ($5.90) comes with fresh fruits, granola, chia seeds, cacao nibs, coconut shavings, goji berries and almond flakes.

This “winning combination” was pretty much like all other acai specialty shops out there.

Apart from the acai bowl, an acai shake is available at $7.90 whereas non-acai smoothies and shakes such as Avocado/ Pineapple/ Kiwi/ Dragonfruit are available at $6.90.

They do know how to shake things up with their names such as Kinky Kiwi (Strawberry, banana, kiwi), Summer Fling (Pineapple, Kiwi), Drivin’ Me Nuts (Peanut Butter, Banana, Chocolate protein) and Water-My-Melons (Watermelon, strawberry, banana).

Providing a place for OLs and gym junkies to eat healthy, An Acai Affair is here for the people staying in the East to have a taste of this superfood.

An Acai Affair
101 East Coast Road, Singapore 428796
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Sun-Thu), 12pm – 11.30pm (Fri-Sat)
https://www.facebook.com/anacaiaffair/

* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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[Hong Kong] This slightly obscure café near Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay caught my attention with its very cute latte art.

Upon scrolling the geotag on Instagram, I realised that the amount of different patterns created by this barista was particularly extensive.

(Photo credit: Nicholas Tan @stormscape)

Café R&C is popular among the food instagrammers and youth in Hong Kong for its latte with drawings of cartoon characters, anything from Disney, Minions, Doreamon to Pokemon.

Unlike some cafes I know that probably have a couple of latte art signatures which might not differ much, this café offers just about anything. That was a folder of previously done works (like in a cake shop) and there was a least more than a hundred of them

(Photo credit: Nicholas Tan @stormscape)
.
Available in different colours, the green latte (HK$40), would be green tea, yellow banana, purple sweet potato, and blue… I do not know what this is.

”Could you do a Doreamon and Minion?” These were two of my favourite characters.

I noticed that the barista painted the entire face without any reference to existing photos. As each cup was patiently drawn on, it might take about 5 minutes at least to get your coffee ready.

Both lattes tasted interestingly-weird, especially the banana latte (the blue was just milky-sweet), even though we would have expect taste to be lower on the priority.

Their lunch menu included items such as Smoked Duck Breast Salad (HK$78), Spaghetti with Chicken In Spinach Sauce (HK$78), Spaghetti with Crab Meat in Cream (HK$88) and Spicy Mined Pork and Egg with Rice (HK$68).

However, most online reviews gave the food a rather average rating.

Café R&C has successfully carved out a niche for itself. However, this could be a double-edged sword as customers kept focus on only the designs, and not anything else.

Café R&C
G/F, 22-24 Haven Street, Causeway Bay (About 10 min from Causeway MTR Exit F1)
銅鑼灣希雲街22-24號地舖
Tel: +852 2890 9838
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10:00pm (Sun – Thurs), 11:30am – 12:00am (Fri – Sat)

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Spotted a new-to-market Korean restaurant SBCD Korean Tofu House at Tanjong Pagar Centre while making my rounds at the CBD. ”SBCD?”

The name sounds too suspiciously similar to popular BCD Tofu House (Book Chang Dong) from Los Angeles, known for that same signature dish of Soontofu. Though the two are not likely to be related.

Different spellings to the word – soontofu, sundubu, soondubu.

Soontofu is a type of jjigae (Korean stew), consisting of freshly curdled tofu, ingredients of meat or seafood, egg and gochujang served in a hot stone pot with white rice on the side.

SBCD Korean Tofu House is near one of the exits of Tanjong Pagar MRT, and has a relatively large seating capacity, making it a convenient spot for a casual Korean lunch (without braving through sweat and smell).

The restaurant specialises in tofu stews ($18.90 – $29.90), and mains such as Pot Bulgogi ($25.90), Spicy BBQ Pork ($25.90), Spicy Grilled Chicken ($25.90), Hot Stone Bibimbap ($19.90), Spicy Octopus ($29.90) and Pork Belly Tofu Bossam ($32.90).

I find the prices generally a few dollars too steep.

Also note that while hot water is served in a flask, cold water is only available in bottled formats. There is no Korean tea served, which could be a downside.

SBCD’s banchan consisted of kimchi, fish, picked green chillies and seaweed both times I went.

The Soontofu varieties include Original Beef or Pork ($18.90), Assorted ($19.90), Seafood ($19.90), Oyster ($26.90), Abalone ($29.90), Intestines ($19.90), Ham & Cheese ($19.90), Vegetables ($17.90) and Sesame ($17.90).

Every Soontofu dish consisted of hand-made tofu made fresh daily, with 4 different levels of spiciness.

The Assorted Soontofu ($19.90) arrived bubbling in a pot. Interesting to note that rice was scooped from a stone pot, after which hot water would be poured over and covered with a wooden lid. (Ah, I hear drinking that water after a meal would provide a cleansing and nutritious experience.)

While I ordered a “Medium Spicy”, the soup wasn’t that intense. I wished the base could have been more robust and concentrated, but perhaps they were going for a ‘healthy’ route (and perhaps do not use MSG).

The rest of the dishes tried were predictable, decent fare, served in air-con comfort with more space.

Wishing for more “rustic-ness” in terms of the taste, and greater affordability in terms of pricing.

Can’t have all, I guess. CBD friends would know where to get some comforting pot of Korean tofu stew.

SBCD Korean Tofu House 북창동 순두부
7 Walich Street #B1-01,02 Tanjong Pagar Centre Singapore 078884
Tel: 6386 6441
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10:00pm

* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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Korean soft serve ice creams are typically characterised by using Korean milk in the milking, leading a smooth and milky texture. Some additions such as honeycomb, churros and popcorn make them all more instagrammable.

Here are 5 Korean Soft Serve Ice Cream Shops In Singapore – Sweet And Milky

Milkcow The Cathay
2 Handy Road, The Cathay, #01-03 Singapore 229233
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 10:00pm (Sun – Thur), 11.30am – 10.50pm (Fri, Sat, PH, Eve of PH)

Milkcow Velocity
Velocity @ Novena #01-19, 238 Thomson Road Singapore 307683
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10pm (Sun – Thurs), 10:00am – 10:00pm (Fri, Sat, Eve of PH, PH)

Korean Soft Serve Slightly Milkier Than The Rest
Did Milkcow come to Singapore half a year too late? I wonder. Taiwanese brand Honey Creme and Spanish frozen yogurt Llao Llao had already caused snaking queues at one point in time.

Milkcow’s signature soft serve is made with 100% organic milk sourced from Italian dairy farms, topped with ingredients such as organic honeycomb, nuts, Oreo crumbles, snow drop cotton candy with jelly beans, and Affogato. Sounds pretty much the same as its competitors.

They also appear to be losing some of its momentum, with the closure of some outlets with less traffic. Milkcow (Novena Square)

Sweet Monster Singapore
Velocity @ Novena Square #01-61, 238 Upper Thomson Rd, Singapore 307683
Tel: +65 6255 4970
Opening Hours: 10:00am – 10:00pm

Other branch: Bugis Junction #M01-K01, 200 Victoria Street Singapore 188021 (Bugis MRT)
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10:00pm (Mon – Fri), 10:30am – 10:00pm (Sat – Sun)

Popcorn On Softserve Sends You On A Sugar High
Sweet Monster’s soft serve is made from at least 75% organic milk (so what’s the other 25%) covered with air-popped popcorn. I wonder if kids can tell the different between this, and say the much cheaper one served by the fast-food restaurant steps away.

A basic Real Deep Milk Soft Serve is at $4.80, while a popcorn-covered version with flavours of Caramel, Milk, Cheese Caramel Mix, Chocho or Strawberry is at $6.80.

It must be something about the weather and humidity in Singapore, the popcorn somehow lacked the crisp that I would have imagined. Lao hong both times I tried.

The texture of the soft serve was smoothly milky, denser that some of its competitors, BUT too sweet after a few mouthfuls. Sweet Monster (Bugis Junction)

Mr Churro SG
ION Orchard #B4-61, 2 Orchard Turn Singapore 238801 (Orchard MRT)
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon-Sun)

Softserve With Long Churros
With a total of 18 outlets in Korea, Mr Churro calls itself “an artisanal churros kiosk producing delectable churros with the best ingredients”, now opened as a takeaway kiosk at Orchard ION Basement 4.

Our favourite was the Banana Milk Ice Cream Churro ($6.50), with smoothly rich and milky milk softserve, with a lingering taste of bananas which reminded us of the Korean drink 바나나우유 (pronounced as ‘Ba-na-na ooo-you’).

The oats added some crunch, reminding us of a daily milk with cereal breakfast. Coupled with 4 sticks of churros sticking out, this is like a hearty ‘meal’. Mr Churro (Ion Orchard)

Kiss The Tiramisu
277 Orchard Road #01-15 Orchard Gateway Singapore 238858 (Somerset MRT)
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 10:30pm

Love That Melts Away Too Fast
Popular Korean dessert shop Kiss The Tiramisu has opened at Singapore in Orchard Gateaway.

The dessert which hails from Hong Dae is known to combine the classic Italian Tiramisu and softserve in a single cup.

Here is what the fascination is all about: The ‘tiramisu’ is served in a takeaway golden-rimmed wine glass (looks more class for Instagram), and filled with layers of ingredients.

Mascarpone cheese at the bottom, ice cream, crushed cookies, coffee liquor, cocoa powder, mascarpone, THEN soft serve, MORE cocoa powder and ended with chocolate shavings grated on the spot.

While there was anticipation BEFORE its opening, lack of exposure is possibly causing some challenges to the local outlet.

KokoPanda
Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Road, #B2-60, Singapore 238839
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon-Sun)

Black & White Superfood Softserve
Located at the basement of Plaza Singapura, KokoPanda differentiates itself as a healthy superfood dessert kiosk. It uses a wide range of ‘superfood’ toppings such as dried Korean Strawberries, Apple, Persimmon and Jeju Tangerine.

Note: While KokoPanda brands itself as ‘Korean’, it is not known if there is any affiliation with any existing softserve shops in Korea.

The menu has 2 sections: Softserve ($4.90/$5.90) and Beverages ($2.90 – $4.20).

2 flavours are available for the softserve: Black Yogo (frozen yogurt made from charcoal and roasted coconut husk) and White Cremo (premium Korean milk softserve).

A dual flavour known as Koko Twisto made from both Black Yogo and White Cremo resembled the colour of a Panda (which is their mascot). KokoPanda (Plaza Singapura)

* Compiled by Daniel Ang @DanielFoodDiary and Nicholas Tan @stormscape.

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[Seoul] Other than Kyochon and Bonchon, the other popular Korean fried chicken chain shop you can find in Seoul is Kkanbu Chicken.

Set up in 2006, “Kkanbu” means “the same team”, representing a best-friend or comrades relationship customers should have with their brand.

The variety at Kkanbu is extensive, considering it mainly sells chicken – Garlic Soy Chicken, Hot Snow Chicken, Old School Chicken, Kkanbu Kara (soy sauce aged at low temperate as sauce), Boneless Chicken with Tteokbokki, Spicy Soy Chicken, Crispy Chicken, Garlic Roast Chicken, Green Onion Chicken and Tender Sweet Chicken.

Price range between 14,000 to 20,000 Won (SGD$16.90 – $24.15).

While fried chicken is generally still the more popular choice, they have managed to carved out a specialty in roast chicken – popular with younger customer base, and those who want supposedly lower calorie meal.

For a start, you may want to go for the ‘more manageable’ Kkanbu Crispy 6 Pack (18,000 Won, SGD$21.70). Yeah, they seldom come in individual sets.

Worthy to mention: The accompanying radish cubes were refreshingly tasty.

Ordered Fried Chicken Tenders as I was feeling lazy (and full), and they turned out to be what you could wish for: Crispy, moist and juicy, not too oily, well-seasoned with spices… and a very huge portion.

Kkanbu is a chain restaurant, so you can probably find its existence all around Seoul.

Kkanbu Fried Chicken 깐부 치킨
30, Gangnam-daero 152-gil, Gangnam-gu, Taewoong Bldg. 1F, Seoul 06035, South Korea
Tel: +82 2-518-7701

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Wheeler’s Yard must have been one of Singapore’s most instagrammable café.

Tell me which café hopper / fashion instagrammer / local ‘hipster’ have not taken an #OOTD #Jumpshot with that iconic blue door preserved from the 1980s.

Okay, I am one of those slow ones who didn’t. Blue door we remember, food not quite.

In line with the mantra, “Singaporeans can travel ANYWHERE for food”, the Ong brothers team has opened Wheeler’s Estate at the redeveloped Seletar Aerospace Park.

The Uber driver asked me what I was going to do there, very suspiciously.

Obviously to eat, right? There are a few other food concepts at this ulu part of Singapore – Youngs Bar & Restaurant, The Summerhouse and Di Wei Teo Chew Restaurant. Welcome to new ‘Dempsey’ to Seletar.

Wheeler’s Estate comprises of 6 components – Restaurant, Café, Bar, Events, Picnic and Cycling.

This is the place where you can bring your families to see some real greenery of Singapore, for children to run amok without iPads distracting them, and for food bloggers and instagrammers who pretty much run out of hip-places to eat in Singapore.

Get a few kakis, and spend a leisure afternoon there.

This is a huge and charming place of a two-storey colonial bungalow – a grill house downstairs, a restaurant upstairs. Feel free to borrow a mat to have a picnic and get a tan.

The interior is done up well – Cantarutti chairs spotted, but can get echo-y when diners talk too loud.

Food seems to be on the pricier side – Beef Short Rib ($59), Tequila and Lime Pork Spare Ribs ($45), Peruvian BBQ Style ($32), Surf and Turf ($45), Estate Corzetti Pasta ($20), T-Bone Steak ($90 for 500g) and Scotch Filler ($39 for 300g).

Just a quick observation of the customers (for now): Other than 4 tables of instagrammers (I count myself too), the rest of the other diners were carrying expensive bags, and came in some fancy car like the Mini Cooper.

I was recommended both the predictable fare Chicken Parmigiana ($29 for 2), and The Fish and Chips ($25), which I obediently ordered.

Not bad, not bad.

The parmesan crumbled chicken schnitzel came topped with ham, mozzarella cheese and Napoli sauce, with curly fries on side.

The chicken had a moist, tender bite. Considering it was already quite thin in thickness, they somehow managed to seal in the juiciness. Wished the outer layer was crisper though.

Fish and Chips was to the expensive side, but at least boosted of light batter and fresh tasting meat.

Personally, I am not overly sure if the quality of the dishes corresponds to the price-point.

However, I find this a comfortable, attractive place that is not overly pretentious to have a good-day’s conversation with family and friends. I came with a friend’s mum. Now, who say aunties cannot be hipsters?

Wheeler’s Estate
2 Park Lane, Seletar Aerospace Park Singapore 798386
(From Punggol MRT: Make your way to the bus stop at Punggol Temporary Interchange, Punggol Place. Board bus 117 and alight at Seletar Aerospace Drive, just right before The Oval.)
Tel: +65 9025 4198
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Tues – Thurs), 11am – 10:30pm (Fri, Eve of PH), 8am – 10:30pm (Sat, Sun, PH)

* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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Funan Centre has said its temporary “Goodbye” and some fans may be wondering where A-Roy Thai Restaurant has moved to.

It can be now found at Level 3 of Novena Square.

A-Roy Thai Restaurant has been known to serve authentic-tasting Thai dishes, in a family-style setting, with wide selection from Lemongrass Chicken to Tom Yum Soup.

I used to visit the restaurant at Funan because it provided reliable, tasty Thai food, but found the prices slightly up north. It still remains more or less the same.

The menu must have contained over a hundred items, including Tom Yum Talay ($15.90, $22.90), Fish Maw Soup ($16.90, $23.90, Thai Yellow Curry ($15.90, $21.90), Pandan Chicken ($13.90, $20.90), Fried Omelette ($10.90, $15.90), Grilled Seabass ($35.90), Kway Teaw Tom Yum ($8.90), to Seafood Fried Rice ($8.90, $13.90).

At the start of the meal, I would not refused the crackers ($1) served with spicy green chilli sauce, to provide that munchy-kick while waiting.

I seldom order Thai Green Curry with Beef ($15.90, $21.90) in Singapore. While most Thai restaurants’ Kaeng Khiao Wan taste more or less the same, the beef slices often turned out tough or overcooked.

A-Roy Thai Restaurant Green Curry was indeed one of the best renditions in Singapore – thick, spicy with that oomph, okay a tad oily and heavy, but the beef were tender with the right bite.

Another dish I would order again would be the Tord Man Pla ($3.90 for a piece, min 2 pieces).

The Fried Thai Fish Cake served with Thai sauce had an agreeable chewy texture, and you would know real meat went inside, and not just starch and more starch.

The Pad Thai ($8.90, $13.90) unfortunately was average at most, and lacked of the wok-hei.

While there are many Thai restaurants in Singapore, some may be too commercialized and have hat mass-market taste, while others may not have a consistent standard.

While A-Roy Thai is generally priced higher, I find the dishes mostly of decent quality for a Thai family-style meal. I am also sure many regulars would have missed its food.

A-Roy Thai Restaurant
Novena Square #03-61, 238 Thomson Road Singapore 179097
Tel: +65 6338 3800
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 3:00pm, 6:00pm – 10:00pm Daily

* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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The café scene has evolved a lot in Singapore during the last 2 to 3 years. The strong ones survive, while many just fade away.

Waffles and gelato cafes were kind of IN, but that was in 2014.

Some waffle specialty shops stay abreast in the game by continuing to reinvent themselves (eg Montana, 23 Jumpin), expand their menu and hip factor (Strangers’ Reunion, Twenty Grammes, FatCat Ice Cream Bar), or just have very good waffles to start with.

Kosnica SG, specializing in waffles and gelato, has opened quietly at 61 Duxton Road.

When I say “quietly”, I mean that even the usual serial café hopping food instagrammers didn’t even cover it, except one or two.

A lot of times, a hipster (waffle) café works is because customers want to be SEEN eating there (by means of social media), and not just eat there.

So they do spend that budget on a combination of interior design, social media marketing and photography.

Kosnica SG serves a variety of “Premium Gelato” with flavours of Golden Vanilla, Cookies & Cream, Mao Shan Wang, Blueberry Yogurt, Strawberry Cheesecake, Earl Grey and Figs, Matcha Green Tea with Azuki Beans, Sea Salt Caramel with Almonds, and Hazelnut Chocolate Rocher.

A single scoop goes for $5.50, while a double is a $10.00. To be honest, the price point may discourage customers.

The variety of waffles includes Buttermilk, Red Velvet and Matcha Waffles ($11.00, $15.50 with single scoop, $20.00 with double scoops).

Actually, their waffles were a soft pillow texture on the inside, and creamy gelato was not too bad. I reckon the sweetness level could go down a few notches.

Coffee’s from Illy, while a display of cakes and tarts are available ($5.00 – $6.50).

Kosnica SG could have done much, much better in a correct time and location, and possibly need to rethink in terms of presenting that X-factor and uniqueness.

Kosnica SG
61 Duxton Road Singapore 089525
Tel: +65 6904 4086
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Mon – Thurs), 12pm – 11pm (Fri – Sat), Closed Sun

* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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Without a doubt, I am a fan of The Coffee Academïcs in Hong Kong, known for serving some of the best coffee around.

Its roasted coffee have scored 92-94 from the World Coffee Review – a “Robert Parker” of the coffee world – achieving the distinct honour of being ranked highest in Asia and top 3 in the world.

As for the Singapore flagship store Scotts Square, standards have been inconsistent – mostly positive, but there were some items with quality that didn’t match up to its price.

The Coffee Academïcs has opened its 2nd Singapore outlet, called “Nitro Pitstop” at Raffles City, just next to Tiong Bahru Bakery.

This time I am not too sure.

Some potential customers who are not aware of TAC’s presence may just walk past and head straight to TB Bakery. The décor of both seems too similar, without a clear demarcation. And TB Bakery could be at a lower price point overall.

The one beverage to look forward to would be the Nitro Coffee ($10), infused with TCA cold brew through a pressurized valve with tiny openings.

High pressure forces the cold brew past a disc, thus creating a creamy, stout-like effect which produces a silkier mouth-feel to the coffee, giving it a smooth and clean finish.

My tip: Drink the cold brew in small sips, but in a short period of time (say within a 5-10 minutes time frame).

The menu looks different, and there are some dishes exclusively available to only the Raffles City branch.

Brunch items include the standard Academic Breakfast ($25), Mixed Seeds and Fresh Fruit Museli ($22), The Mess ($20), and Chicken Poultry Terrine ($25).

Other recommendations include Warm Butternut Squash with Beets & Goat Cheese ($21) and Gypsy Toast ($16).

The Mess ($20) contains 63°C egg served atop sautéed spicy chicken sausage with baby potatoes, pencil asparagus and buttered corn kernel – inspired by English breakfast.

Loved the softness of the potatoes and crunchiness of the asparagus. But $20? And we wondered if we could duplicate this back at home.

We kind of enjoyed the TCA Chilli Dog ($26), with spicy chicken sausage in a brioche bun topped with chilli con carne and melted cheddar cheese.

The chilli con carne was kind of dry, and could be saucier.

My friend who loved the curly fries, thought this was simply a more ’atas’ (upmarket) version of A&W’s. Opps.

This Coffee Academïcs extends the theme of ‘travel the world through coffee’ experience, with new handcrafted menu of Globally Inspired Coffee drinks released each month.

This Coffee Academïcs
252 North Bridge Road, Raffles City Shopping Centre #B1-12 Singapore 179103 (City Hall MRT)
Opening Hours: 9am –9pm (Mon – Sun)

* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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Ah, finally something interesting that breathes a new lease of life to the quaint little neighbourhood.

Marble, is the latest eatery to have found itself a home at Everton Park.

Like the name suggests, one can expect the place to be equipped with white-washed walls and marble table tops.

After a glance at the menu and the concept, the food offerings seem to be limited, and I was a taken aback at first.

The staff then explained that they wanted to have a tapas-style dining concept, where you can order different small plates for sharing.

That is quite, well, brave of them to aim for something this different in a district with less foot-traffic.

Fortunately, for starters, their mushroom soup was already a game changer.

The Mushroom Macchiato ($6.50), unlike the usual cream soup base, had a clear appearance, rich in savory mushroom essence, added with smooth texture.

Topped with a layer of truffle foam, it felt as though I was drinking a cup of macchiato from Gong Cha, but mushroom-flavored.

More surprises to come.

I was beaming with excitement when the Deviled Eggs ($8) was served.

While classic deviled eggs are prepared by mixing hardboiled egg yolks with mayonnaise, topped with spices and then piped back to the egg white, Marble’s rendition was a cut above.

There were two components to this dish: One was a spiced egg yolk beaten into moose and piped into petite pesto cones; while the other was shoyu marinated soft-boiled quail egg presented in a smoked dome for the additional rustic smoky fragrance.

Amazeballs when the dome was lifted and a whiff of smoke trickled across the table, very visually appetizing.

Unlike your ordinary Fish & Chip ($8), Marble serves Aburi Unagi on triple-cooked chips, garnished with furikake and tobiko.

While the nugget-sized bites looked simple, it had quite a bit of depth when it came to mouth-feel – the combination of crunchy chips, sweet marinade from the unagi, savory furikake bits and popping tobiko sensation.
Extremely addictive and I could easily pop five at a go.

The Crab Porridge ($8) turned out to be more of like crab risotto with subtle seafood broth aroma.

I though it made a suitable contrast to the other dishes which were richer in flavor. But I may not pick this dish the next time I come.

For a bistro which stood out in their food offerings, the desserts were kind-of-average.

Take the Double Chocolate Brownie with Fig & Honey Ice Cream ($7) for instance, nothing much to rave about. However, I liked the fact that they paid attention to serving details – for example, the warmed-up brownie was served in a chilled stone bowl.

Apparently, the team at Marble is a group of aspiring young chefs who graduated from Culinary Institute of America offered by Singapore Institute of Technology, which explains the usage of various contemporary culinary techniques to create those exquisite dishes.

Their vision is to bridge the gap between fine and casual dining, and hence created this place which serves affordable, quality food creations at a more causal environment.

Despite graduating from a westernized culinary institute, I noticed their creations are influenced by using Japanese ingredients. Not that I am complaining, in fact I like the way their food carries an Asian touch.

Definitely not your daily kind of meal, and I left the place satisfied.

Marble
6 Everton Park #01-18, Singapore 080006 (Near Outram MRT)
Opening Hours: 11:45am – 5pm, 6pm – 9pm (Tue – Sat), 11:45am – 3pm (Sun), Closed Mon
https://www.facebook.com/marblebistro/

* Written by Lewis Tan @juicyfingers, a self-proclaimed coffee addict. Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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Foodies in Singapore, especially those in Punggol, may just find more reasons to venture up to Seletar Aerospace Park.

The redeveloped area, called The Oval, contains four restaurant concepts including Wheeler’s Estate, Youngs Bar & Restaurant, Di Wei Teo Chew Restaurant and The Summerhouse.

The team Summerhouse is no stranger to colonial bungalows, having opened Una at 1 Rochester Park.

Other than The Summerhouse restaurant concept run by Chef Florian Ridder (former sous chef of Alma by Juan Amador), there is Wildseed Café and Bar located at the ground floor.

Once entering Wildseed Café, you may have an out-of-country experience, as it reminded me of some of the hipster cafes in Bangkok.

Lots of green potted plants, natural sunlight, concrete flooring, and a florist (Poppy) on the side which provided natural fragrance.

Photo, photo, photo moments.

It incorporates a farm-to-table concept, and works with Edible Garden City for its vegetables, Nomad the Gallant coffee roaster for coffee, and Poppy for flowers.

The Wildseed Café offers a Sandwich Menu which is divided into Pulled Pork ($10, $15), Braised Beef Brisket ($18, $24), Vegetarian ($18, $24) and Seafood ($18) series.

Sandwiches come in rye or sourdough bread with varied fillings from poached barramundi with brown butter, braised beef with eggplant stew, feta cheese, sautéed pak choi, hummus, and pulled pork with pickled beetroot.

I ordered a couple of pastries including the Citronella Passionfruit Cheesecake, Honey Lemon Rosemary Tart and Pea Flower Coconut Muffin (all at $6.50).

The Citronella Passionfruit Cheesecake was the most surprisingly pleasant among the sweets I had, with hints of lemongrass (or it that ginger) hidden in the soft textured layer.

While the Pea Flower Coconut Muffin made an instagrammable cake with its aqua blue appearance, and had an element of creativity with shredded coconut as a filling (like a cross with some of the local kueh kueh), the texture could have been on the dry side.

Incorporating a moister filling might also have helped.

Wildseed is probably one of those cafes that I would want to make a weekend trip back again, this time to have a go at their savouries. Sometimes, we just need to get out of the city.

Wildseed Cafe
3 Park Lane, Singapore 798387
(Bus Service 103 from Yishun Bus Interchange, Bus Service 117 from Sembawang Bus Interchange)
Opening Hours: 10am – 7pm (Tues – Fri), 9am – 7pm (Sat – Sun), Closed Mon

Wildseed Bar
Opening Hours: 4pm – 10pm (Tues – Fri), 4pm – 11pm (Sat – Sun)

Other Related Entries
Wheeler’s Estate (Seletar)

* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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If you are looking for hearty Western classics coupled with the nostalgic taste of Tenderfresh crispy chicken, this relatively new concept at Our Tampines Hub has a huge variety waiting for you.

With surprising twists like Seafood Salted Egg Pot and Laksa Prawn Spaghetti, there is probably something for the whole family.

Tenderefresh Classic is also Halal certified.

This ‘Classic’ brand extension of Tenderfresh has opened in 2014 – three other outlets are at Punggol Waterway Point, 1KM Mall and Cheong Chin Nam Road.

However, like most restaurants, I feel that their classic dishes (true to their name) still performed better than their newer recipes.

One of the things that called out to me when I flipped open the menu was the Seafood Salted Egg Pot ($16.90). A simple scoop revealed salmon pieces, prawns, mussels and clams.

Alas, the hotpot was more watered down than it was creamy.

I was actually looking forward to dipping the huge pieces of garlic bread in the broth for a tasty bite, but was disappointed.

When the best part of the dish is the garlic bread (but seriously, the chunky bread was rather fragrant and sweet), the recipe could probably do with a little tweak.

Lay on the salted egg I would say; no one really counts their calories stepping into Tenderfresh.

I have a soft spot for anything Laksa (see The Food Anatomy review), and the Laksa Prawn Spaghetti ($9.90), thankfully, did not disappoint.

Suitably creamy with just the right amount of laksa leaves, the slurp-y pasta went well with the sizeale prawns.

$9.90 is also a family-friendly price for a satisfying pasta dish in a restaurant.

I was also confident that they would get their signature fried chicken right – and was fortunately proven correct.

Their Lucky Set (2 pieces of chicken, $7.50) was enhanced by the delicious sambal chilli that is available if you ask the staff for it.

It gave the already classic juicy chicken a kick that elevated the simple dish served with fries.

But not much could be said of another new dish on their menu – the Ayam Masak Merah Drumlettes ($6.50).

While the coating was quite tasty with a tang of sweetness, the drumlettes were marred by the overly thick batter that sometimes came off in chunks.

My companion also spotted some blood in one of his drumlettes.

As if their menu was not vast and varied enough, Tenderfresh Classic added some udon dishes into the mix too.

Granted, not many Muslim patrons get to try Japanese food that is Halal certified, so this Crispy Skin Chicken Chop Udon ($10.90) is a step in the right direction.

Again, I was impressed by how affordable they could keep their price-point for a filling portion, and the udon did come in the right texture, and the chicken accurately crispy-skinned.

That said, the sauce did come off a tad too sweet, and could be balanced out a bit better.

Other notable items on their seemingly ever-expanding menu include the Chili Crab Pasta ($10.90), Onion Blossom ($6.90) and Wagyu “Tiles” with Vegetables, Sweet Pepper and Pasta ($21.90).

It is smart to diversify, especially in the cutthroat competition of consumer’s fickle tastebuds.

But my two cents’ worth is to be daring to really give what’s promised in terms of the recipes like salted egg – if done right, they could just have another beloved classic under their belt.

Tenderfresh Classic
Our Tampines Hub, #01-102, 25 Tampines Street 82, Singapore 528988 (Near Tampines MRT) Opening Hours: 10:00am – 10:00pm Daily
https://www.facebook.com/tenderfresh.sg

* Written by Wilson Ng @wilsoniscurious who spends his time between cafe hopping and writing Little Short Stories. Photos partly by Daniel Ang @DanielFoodDiary.

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[Seoul] New York City’s famous burger and milkshakes chain Shake Shack has arrived in Seoul ‘Gangnam style’, opened at high end and iconic Gangnam-gu.

South Korea’s first-ever Shake Shack is located between the Gangnam and Sinnonhyeon metro stations, at Gangnamdaero 10 6-gil.

Great choice of location, targeted at South Koreans and travellers with higher spending power. (Note: It is about a 20 minute walk to the Sinsa-dong shopping area.)

Surprisingly, when I went both times during mid-noon, the queues to enter and purchase were relatively short. It took me about 10 – 15 minutes to enter and get my meal.

I suspect price may be one of the reasons why people may be deterred.

Finally, I can sit to have my Shake Shack burger (In NYC, I had to stand while eating.) as the store boosted quite a large seating capacity, (much coveted) window seats, and vibrant energy.

There was a Korean guy at the door handing out menus, and would explain if you are not too sure how it works.

Shake Shack in Seoul features all the classics including the ShackBurger (6,900 Won for single, 10,900 Won for double), SmokeShack (8,900 Won for single, 12,900 Won for double) and Shack-cago Dog (5,500 Won).

Their burgers are known to be made with freshly ground 100% Angus beef – prized for its delicate texture, great taste and no added hormones.

I had the SmokeShack Double (12,900 Won, SGD$15.50) which featured applewood smoked bacon, chopped cherry peppers, in a buttered, toasted, soft potato roll.

Truly still a burger above the rest.

Moist, totally-juicy patty with a great bite in pillow-soft burger. It was greasy though, so much so that the entire paper, and therefore fingers were stained oily.

One of the best burgers I ever had. My friend even said, ”Better than New York’s!”

For their milk shake lovers, the menu will features a Seoul-exclusive Red Bean Shake (6,500 Won) as well as four location-specific frozen custard concretes: Shack Attack, Honey Butter Crunch, Shack Style and Gangnam – vanilla custard, marshmallow sauce, fresh strawberry and shortbread cookie topped with soy bean powder.

Shake Shack Seoul
452 Gangnam-daero, Yeoksam 1(il)-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
서울 강남구 강남대로 452, 대연빌딩 1F
Tel: +82 02 553 5576
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 11:00pm Daily
Google Maps

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