Singapore – 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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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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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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Friends working around the CBD can look forward to some Truffle Beef Yakiniku and Chirashi Rice Bowls at Yuki Onna Far East Square

“Yuki Onna” is literally translated as “snow woman” which is also a spirit or yōkai in Japanese folklore. Kowai?!

Thankfully, there is nothing scary about Yuki Onna. The restaurant describes itself as “a quaint izakaya dishing up Japanese-inspired comfort food in the heart of CBD”.

It is also the sister outlet to Ice Queen, which some of you may remember as the shop selling liquid nitrogen ice cream at the basement of One Raffles Place.

The intention is to sell ice creams at Yuki Onna as well, but until manpower issues are worked out, patrons will have to do with the current selection of mainly donburi.

Some of Yuki Onna’s signatures include Truffle Beef Yakiniku Don ($16.90), Pork Belly Don ($13.90), Chirashi Don ($16.90), as well as Cold Truffle Somen with Hotate ($14.90)

We were told that the Japanese-inspired poke bowls were popular with the health conscious regulars too.

There is also the option of MYOB – Make Your Own Bowl ($7.90 – $19.90). Just tick tick tick all your favorites (salad base, fish, carbs and toppings) on the order chit provided.

Add on small sides like Ikura Onsen Tamago ($2), Oden ($2.90) or Salmon Sashimi ($4.80) to make the meal even more substantial.

Isn’t this Teppei?

My dining companion wondered aloud as he looked at his bowl of Bara Chirashi Don ($14.90) topped with salmon, tuna, hamachi, tobiko, ikura and tamagoyaki.

Can’t help comparing the two, I guess.

Overall, the bowl felt it needed more sauce of some kind – I reckon the CBD folks might have preferred something lighter and healthier, thus the decision.

Although the assortment of fishes was adequately fresh, the pieces would need more boost on the marinate for a more satisfying meal.

The Truffle Beef Yakiniku & Foie Gras ($23) was one of the pricier rice bowls on the menu. We replaced rice for quinoa (+$1), but similarly, the “superfood” could do with more seasoning to become super in taste.

I also noted that the next table of OLs left their rice almost untouched. Let’s just hope it was for diet reasons.

Quality of the beef and foie gras might not be of the most premium kind, but at least it was cooked just about right without being overdone.

The offerings at Yuki Onna seem to be rather well-received, judging by the lunch crowd during our visit.

What it needs is perhaps a stronger identity to differentiate itself from the other rice bowl places, since there are so many of them in close proximity.

There are already plans to launch a dinner menu, as well as an All Day Happy Hour Menu which will feature very affordable drinks (Think Sapporo Draft full pint for only $6.80). Diners can also look forward to special deals like Uni on Toast for $2 per piece from 5pm onwards.

Yuki Onna
No. 3/4 Amoy Street (Far East Square) Singapore 048775
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm, 5:30pm – 10:00pm (Mon – Fri), Closed Sat, Sun

* Written by guest writer Nicole Poi @pinkypiggu who loves all things pink. Further input and photos by Daniel Ang @DanielFoodDiary Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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”Will we see Song Joong-ki here one day?” Fans will know that their Oppa’s hometown is at Daejeon (where this restaurant is named after), located less than an hour bullet train ride from Seoul.

The external outlook of DaeJon House at Havelock II Mall is designed like a traditional Korean house, while the interior brings us nostalgic memories of the 1980s Korea.

Yellowish newspaper clippings and movie posters (that were way older than me), postage stamps pasted on the walls and a payphone that will no longer ring were used to decorate the restaurant.

Unlike most Korean restaurants, there are only 2 ban-chan (appetizers) – kimchi and pickled radish served.

The main focus is on their signature dishes: Korean Beef Noodles ($12.90) that comes in with Spicy or Non- spicy soup broth, Army Noodles ($12.90), Army Stew ($24.90/ $34.90) and Spicy/Non- spicy Korean Beef Hot-Pot ($24.90/ $34.90).

Each of their signature dishes are served in beef-bones broth, simmered over 6 hours to bring out the natural flavours.

Korean Beef Noodles, also known as Beef Jjamppong, is a common Korean-Chinese dish, usually served as a takeaway dish in Korea.

Topped with vegetables, a huge prawn and beef slices were added onto the QQ, springy handmade Korean noodles, soaked in beef-bones broth.

What I liked: The pieces of beef were thinly sliced, tender and thus easy to chew.

I preferred the spicy version with a non-overwhelming kick, compared to the non-spicy version with a saltier broth with a conspicuous meaty savour

The Budae Jjigae (Army Stew) comes in 2 sizes for sharing ($24.90 for Medium/ $34.90 for Large).

A single portion known as Army Noodles ($12.90) is also available.

Using the same beef bone broth as a soup base, topped with tofu, sausage, tteopokki, spam and kimchi, it made the perfect dish for a cold, rainy day.

Since Beef Jjamppong is part of the Korean-Chinese cuisine, Tangsuyuk ($16.90), also known as Korean Sweet & Sour Pork, can be found here.

While the pork pieces were thinly sliced, I enjoyed the exterior with a very crispy texture that gave out a loud crunching sound with every bite.

On a side note, I wished that they could be more generous with the sweet and sour sauce.

While DaeJon’s focus might be on their signature dishes made using the beef-bones broth, both their Kimchi Pancake and Seafood Pancake ($10.90) were worth a mention.

The sides were crispy and yet, with the right thickness, not too starchy.

While we are familiar with the usual Korean food offerings such as Korean Fried Chicken, Bingsu and Bibimbap, we are seeing more Chinese-Korean food restaurants lately.

Glad that Daejon House is off to a promising start with their specialised Beef Champong.

DaeJon House
Havelock II, 2 Havelock Road, #01-03, Singapore 059763
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon-Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/Daejonhouse/

* 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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Japanese soft cream buns Hattendo has arrived in Singapore, with a Hattendo Singapore Café at Tanjong Pagar Centre (right opposite Japan Rail Cafe).

Just how good they are? I was initially half-sceptical, expecting them to taste well, not bad… but…

After that the first bite, I went ”Wow wee” and didn’t regret getting a few at one go.

There are five flavours to choose from, from Custard, Fresh Cream, Azuki (sweet red bean paste), Matcha and Chocolate. The most popular flavours are the Custard and Fresh Cream.

They all go at $2.50 for a piece. I say, get the drink set which is a steal at $5.00 in total with a beverage.

The cold cream bun by Hattendo looked so unsuspectingly simple, like a plain white round dough smaller than a child’s fist.

Although this would remind some of a choux puff, the layer of fluffiness was “not a puff”, but had a bread-cake texture, soft like an expensive good quality pillow.

Beyond the soft outer layer was tantalising smooth fresh cream.

The inside was cold, smooth and mellow, in the right proportion of sweetness and viscosity.

The Azuki fillings are made with Hokkaido-grown qualified Azuki sweet beans, simmered carefully for a pleasing flavour.

I also liked the Matcha, which used a Fukuoka brand powdered green tea for light bitterness in the cream.

The bread-making, cream preparation, and wrapping are all done by hand. Accordingly, the cream buns are so soft they will be torn if wrapped by a machine.

Special mention of its coffee too, which uses an original blend created by Itsuki Coffee, a specialty coffee shop on Miyajima, Hiroshima Prefecture.

Hattendo Singapore Cafe
Tanjong Pagar Centre #01-05, 7 Wallich Street Singapore 078884
Opening Hours: 10am – 9pm (Mon – Fri), 11am – 8pm (Sat – Sun, PH)

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

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Sharing the same compound with OVAS Home Gallery at Kaki Bukit, one may simply walk pass without noticing the presence of a café located within this furniture showroom.

Upon entering the gallery café, I was wowed by the array of art pieces and wooden artifacts on display.
On a side note, everything (including the table to dine on) is available for sale.

For art lovers, do make sure you get up to the second level which is an art gallery which houses various works of promising artists around Asia. This is in collaboration with Art WeMe which specialises in Asian contemporary art.

While I do not think I am the best art appreciator, I still took the opportunity to take a walk upstairs to educate myself while waiting for food to be served.

Art OVAS, the café arm of OVAS Home Gallery serves only light bites such as Wraps ($7), Pies (6) Salad ($7 – $9), Coffee and Desserts such as Cakes ($7), Muffins ($5) and Brownies ($5).

Their all-day set menu is considered value for its money, as $18 can get you a main, soup and coffee.

While my expectations weren’t high for the food is probably prepped elsewhere due to the absence of kitchen, the Beef Lasagna ($9) turned out to be not bad, and was decent for its price.

It contained generous amount of minced beef fillings topped with a layer of cheese and tangy tomato puree.

The Soup of the Day ($5) was a passable bowl of Clam Chowder, thick and creamy with occasional spoons of mini clams. (However, there was an uncanny resemblance to my usual clam chowder fix at Long John Silvers. Opps.)

The Chocolate Lava Cake was also a safe choice, with overflowing molten chocolate when cut opened.

Even though the food menu at Art OVAS didn’t really stand out, I enjoyed the overall ambience of dining in a showroom surrounded with specially crafted decoration pieces

A suitable location for doing some quiet work while sipping a cup of coffee.

While the concept of café within gallery is not entirely new, it is still a good strategy to attract some foot traffic to the Kaki Bukit industrial area.

Who knows, you may just also purchase a three thousand dollar worth of Acacia Wood table for the New Year.

Art OVAS (within OVAS Home Gallery)
1 Kaki Bukit Road 1 #01-11, Enterprise One, Singapore 415934
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 7:30pm (Mon – Sat), 10:30am – 7:00pm (Sun)

* 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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Thankfully, Mexican restaurants are gaining some popularity in Singapore. It was tough to find some decent burrito, taco and torta just a few years back (No, nachos in a pack don’t count.)

Barrio by Mexout has earned some positive reviews for its healthy meets fresh Mexican flavours at 313 @ Somerset. They have just opened another outlet at Vivocity.

To be honest, I don’t particularly crave for Mexican food, but find Barrio a convenient place to grab a bite without feeling overly guilty about the calories and carbs.

Barrio, which is Spanish for ‘neighbourhood’, terms itself a taqueria (read: taco stand) and crudo bar – for friends to mingle and share food.

It offers a range of starters such as Barbacoa Quesadillas ($13.40), Fish Ceviche ($13.90) and Spicy Chilli Cheese Fries ($12.90), Tortas (Mexican burgers, $14.90 – $16.90) and larger plated dishes of marinated Flank Steak and pan-roasted Snapper.

Mex Out favourites such as Burrito Wraps and Rice Bowls ($13.40 – $14.80), Tacos ($12.90 – $15.90) and Salads ($11.90 – $15.90) are also available.

Coffee blends are roasted by Sarnies Cafe. Not forgetting some refreshing margarita and sangrias if you need a drink in the middle of the day.

Since I am heading to the gym more often (need to lose weight lah), something like the Protein Salad ($15.90) would scream at me.

Liked the generous serving of char grilled chicken, and it didn’t taste too boring a salad with addition of corn salsa and black beans.

The scoop of fresh creamy guacamole helped too, made in-house – mashed avocado and seasoned with lime, salt, and small amounts of red onions, jalapeno peppers, tomato and cilantro.

My typical impression of Mexican food was that it could get too heavy and greasy.

I think at Barrio has purposefully upped the freshness and greens factor. On the flipside, some diners may find that some in their items may lack in the ‘sauciness’, and meat in flavours. Give and take.

Barrio By Mex Out Viviocity
Vivocity #01-116, 1 Harbourfront Walk Singapore 098585 (Harbourfront MRT)
Tel: +65 6265 6260
Opening Hours: 11am – 11pm (Sun – Thurs), 11am – 12am (Fri – Sat)

Barrio By Mex Out 313@Somerset
313@Somerset #01-14/15, 313 Orchard Road Singapore 238895
Tel: +65 6634 2102
Opening Hours: 11am – 10:30pm (Sun – Thurs), 11am – 11:30pm (Fri), 9am – 11:30pm (Sat), 9am – 10:30pm (Sun)

Other Related Entries
Baja Fresh (Rendezvous Hotel)

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

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Crystal Jade has several brands under its umbrella. In terms of fine dining concepts, there are Crystal Jade Palace Restaurant (Ngee Ann City), Michelin-starred Golden Palace (Paragon), Prestige (Marina Bay Financial Centre), and Dining IN (Vivocity).

It is not difficult to understand why families like to dine at Crystal Jade Dining IN.

Beyond the entrance, is a red lit-up walkway to lead you to this restaurant with a scenic view of the waterfront and Sentosa right across.

(Click PLAY to watch Crystal Jade Dining IN’s highlights.)

Tall ceilings, spacious area, vibrant energy.

The name “Dining IN” itself is inspired by the dining table, for families to have memorable social gatherings and dining experiences.

A touch of modern meets traditional Cantonese style restaurant, serving both classic and innovative dishes.

Some of the highlights include Baked Crab Shell stuffed with Seafood Paste, Pan-fried Kurobuta Pork Chop with Teriyaki Sauce, Deep-fried Duck Meat in Taro Puff, Spicy Seafood Fried Rice, Sautéed Beef Cube in Black Pepper Sauce, Sautéed Chicken & Chinese Ham with Cabbage, Fried Rice wrapped in Lotus Leaf, and Sautéed Coral Trout Fillet with Shallot Ginger in Hot Stone Pot.

Tip: A regular will also know to get the service staff to recommend some dishes off the menu.

Here are some highlights from Crystal Jade Dining IN:

Braised Ee-fu Noodle with Boston Lobster In Wild Mushroom Sauce & Truffle Oil ($35 per pax)
An east-meets-west dish. The Boston lobster came dressed in beautiful red color, with chunky fleshy meat.

The truffle oil added a faint whiff to the noodles, and thankfully didn’t overpower.

Compared to the usual Ee-fu noodles which typically more seasoned and sauced, this dish took a lighter touch, allowing you to better savour the goodness of the main star – the lobster and its sweet flesh.

Baked Crab Shell Stuffed With Seafood Paste ($13.80 per pax)
Possibly my favourite dish of the meal, one I would return for.

Crab shell stuffed with seafood paste which includes fresh lump crabmeat.

Use a fork or spoon to scoop up the paste of creamy texture, spot those shreds of crab meat, and hold that scoop in your mouth for that explosion of flavours.

Deep Fried Spare Rib with Vinegar ($20.80 for reg)
Another interpretation of the classic Chinese dish of ““sugar and vinegar spare ribs”.

This version uses Zhenjiang vinegar, a rice-based dark, sweetish vinegar. The sharpness of the vinegar was balanced with the sweetness of sugar, and also provided the ribs with a smoky coat.

Ribs were tender too.

Steamed Sea Perch Fillet with Beancurd and Preserved Vegetable ($18 per pax)
This steamed dish, while looking simple and healthy, could grow on you. Clean and tasty, my favourite component was surprisingly the smooth tofu.

Signature Fried Rice ($36 for S, $54 for M)
Spring onions, egg, finely-chopped salted fish… and chai po aka diced homemade pickled radish. Pleasurable, comfort food of fried rice.

Snow Lotus Seed with Almond Cream ($6.80)
A refreshing bowl of white goodness makes a delightful end to the meal, which is also not too sweet.

Crystal Jade Dining IN
1 Harbourfront Walk #01-112 VivoCity Singapore 098585 (Harbourfront MRT)
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 3:00pm, 6:00 – 10:30pm (Mon – Fri)
10:30am – 4:00pm, 6:00pm – 10:30pm (Sat-Sun, Eve of PH, PH)

Chinese New Year Dining 2017
Chinese New Year Dining at Crystal Jade restaurants (selected restaurants) will start from 16 January 2017 to 12 February 2017.

(Click PLAY for Crystal Jade’s Chinese New Year 2017 Highlights.)

A comprehensive range of elaborate set menus showcasing premium ingredients and produce are served at all four fine-dining restaurants starting from $98 per person at Crystal Jade Prestige, $118 per person at Crystal Jade Dining IN and Crystal Jade Golden Palace and $488 for 4 persons at Crystal Jade Palace Restaurant.

Menus with various pax options and vegetarian set menus are available as well.

Takeaway orders can be made online at www.crystaljade.com These are some of the Crystal Jade 2017 CNY highlights:

Prosperous Health Yu Sheng With Chinese Herbal Ingredients ($118 for large, $78 for small)
Crystal Jade Prestige’s nourishing Yu Sheng features fresh Chinese herbal ingredients that impart flavour and texture to the colourful combination.

What you get include strips of refreshing Chinese yam, sweet lily bulb petals, organic salad vegetables, marinated jellyfish among others – all tossed in an appetising Japanese sesame-based dressing with Chinese vinegar, as well as plum sauce and lemon sauce for a touch of sweetness and tang.

Available at Crystal Jade Prestige for dine-in and takeaway. One day advance order is required, limited quantities available.

Reunion Baby Abalone Yu Sheng ($68.80 for large, $42.80 for small)
Classic Crystal Jade Yu Sheng with abalone slices. You can also opt for sliced sashimi at the same price.

Available at Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao / Jiangnan and Crystal Jade Kitchen for takeaway and dine-in.

Prosperity Abalone Treasure Pot ($248 for 5 pax, $428 for 10 pax)
Prepared with sixteen choice ingredients such as fish maw, fresh prawns, oysters, dried mushrooms and ten-head abalone, this hearty generous pot of wholesome goodness is a definite show-stopper on any reunion table.

Available at Crystal Jade Kitchen, Crystal Jade Jiangnan/La Mian Xiao Long Bao outlets for takeaway and dine-in.

Other Related Entries
Crystal Jade Prestige (Marina Bay Financial Centre)

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Crystal Jade Group.

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The time for #NewYearResolutions to work in. The determination (or constant struggle) to #EatClean, #LoseWeight has caused a proliferation of salads places in Singapore’s CBD.

The Daily Cut at the basement of One Raffles Place, with a newly opened branch at Tanjong Pagar Centre is probably one of the most popular salad shops in the vicinity.

Come 11:45am, minutes before ‘official’ lunch time, a long long line will start to form.

They are known for their protein-filled salads, generous portions, with pricing for a Regular bowl at $12 (or Petite at $9, Large at $15, X-Large for $18).

This is a clear favourite among gym goers and office executives. You can tell, (tight) fitting office wear, a shoe bag on the other arm.

(Photo taken during off-peak.)

I sat there at the corner, watched the queue, and wondered about my not-so-trained-biceps and 6-become-1 abs.

The system and buying process is straight forward and swift. I encourage new-comers to quickly fill up your order-chit while waiting, and NOT wait till you reach the cashier.

– Choose from 4 sizes of Petite ($9), Regular ($12), Large ($15), or X-Large ($18).
– Proteins include Chicken, Tilapia, Tofu, Rib Eye Steak (+$1), Salmon (+$2) or look out for a Seasonal Special on the board.
– Get a Carb base of Brown Rice, Whole-Wheat Pasta, Romaine Lettuce, Sweet Potato, Baby Spinach ($1).
– Then tick off the supplements, toppings and choice of dressing.

I thought the price point for its portion could be one of its main draw, and they did give a substantial slab of salmon or steak when I had my orders.

Dressings are important to me. They can make something mundane spring to life. For regulars, they do have a wider choice from bitter lemon, honey-curry, sesame-peanut to mango-habanero. Not the usual stuff.

For its target audience of busy working executives in a constant rush, The Daily Cut understands the need to be speedy. The system of printing of orders on stickers pasted on salad boxes, seemed to have minimised errors of wrong ingredients.

Although the queue is long, most would have waited for an average of 10 minutes or so.

Sometimes you get beefy guys scooping salads for you (owner Jonathan Yang inclusive) which may have attracted like-minded customers. They are plenty of gyms in the vicinity.

While there are varied salad shops, I think what makes some stand out is their freshness of ingredients, and uniqueness. The Daily Cut is obviously clear about its target customers, and does it proteins well.

The Daily Cut
Tanjong Pagar Centre, 7 Wallich Street, #B2-16 Singapore 078884
Tel: +65 6386 6160
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 8:30pm (Mon – Fri), 11am – 3:30pmm (Sat, Sun, PH)

1 Raffles Place, #B1-31, One Raffles Place Singapore 048616 (Raffles Place MRT)
Opening Hours: 11am – 2:30pm, 6pm – 8:30pm (Mon – Fri), 11am – 3:30pm (Sat – Sun, PH)

Galaxis, 1 Fusionopolis Place #01-28/29 Singapore 1385
Opening Hours: 11am – 7:30pm (Mon – Fri), Closed Sat, Sun, PH

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

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In Korean, Hansul means to bottoms up or drink up.

The name of Hansul Korean Dining Bar at 21 Tanjong Pagar Road is befitting, offering a wide selection of over 60 kinds of Makgeolli, Cheongju, Soju and Cocktails from different parts of Korea.

After Kimchi and Guksu Noodle House at Suntec City, (handsome) owner Haden Hee (whom we see more regularly in MediaCorp dramas) is on a roll with another Korean-concept restaurant.

The entire stretch of eateries along Tanjong Pagar road is predominantly serving Korean food, from fried chicken, bingsu to BBQ.

How Hansul differentiates itself from the rest, is by using mini Hwaro Grill (stone pot and charcoal) available on each table to barbecue skewers.

The signature of grilled skewers comes in 2 skewers each. However, a minimum purchase of 5 items is required.

Priced between $2 and $8, my favourite was the Pork Belly Wrapped with Cheese Rice Cakes ($4), and Mackerel ($6).

Mashisoyo! The BBQ-ed meat eluded an aromatic smoky and earthy scent, partly due to the charcoal in the Hwaro Grill.

Another item worth mentioning was the Signature Boneless Chicken Wing ($6.90/ piece, minimum 2 pieces) stuffed with seasoned glutinous rice, then drizzled with a mix of sweet and spicy Gojuchang chili sauce.

I liked the idea of keeping our fingers clean as we could swallow (almost) the entire wing.

The chewy texture of the glutinous rice was flavourful, whereas the Gojuchang chili sauce was not-overpowering.

Honey Butter Chicken AND Cheese?!? Isn’t it the best of both worlds?

The 2 trending items on Korean menu on this Honey Butter Chicken Bumbuk ($24) could probably make fans go crazy… not.

Deep fried boneless chicken sandwiched between snow honey butter flakes and potato wedges with melting mozzarella cheese over a flame sounds divine.

Yet sadly, the taste of the mozzarella cheese overpowered that of the honey butter chicken.

Perhaps a little tweaking of the balance would help to elevate the taste.

The Budae Jjigae ($25) also known as “Korean Army Stew” had a different presentation compared to the conventional way of having all the ingredients laid out in the pot.

Instead, the ingredients were served in dim sum baskets, before adding them slowly to the broth. Ah, gimmicky.

The stew was filled with spam, sausage, ham, kimchi dumpling, baked beans, sliced rice cakes and vegetables.

I feedback that the broth was on the salty side, and was told this was done to complement the alcohols.

As their menu boasts a wide repertoire of alcohol selection, I settled with a safe choice – a cocktail makgeolli ($19) that comes in interesting flavours such as Banana, Peach, Korean Black Raspberry and Korean Omija (5 flavour fruit with salty, sweet, spur, spicy, bitter taste).

짠 (Jjan)! The Peach Makgeolli was light, fruity, sweet, and made the ladies at my table happy.

For first timers to Hansul Korean Dining Bar, I would recommended sticking to the signatures – the grilled skewers.

Hansul Korean Dining Bar
21 Tanjong Pagar Road, #01-05, Singapore 088444
Opening Hours: 5pm – 3am (Tue-Thu), 5pm – 4am (Fri-Sun), Closed Mon
https://www.facebook.com/hansulbar/

* 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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