Hamanoya Robatayaki

It's always great meeting up with fellow foodie friends, because it's always an adventure trying out somewhere new! Met Koi for dinner the other day, and when he told me he was bringing me somewhere he was pretty sure I've never been to, I was immediately excited. All I had to do was tell him what cuisine I wanted. Hmmmm. Since I'd been feasting quite a bit since it was my birthday week then, I opted for Jap - something healthy (hopefully). True enough, I've never even heard of Hamanoya Robatayaki, let alone tried it. And I was super impressed! Everything, from the quality of their food to the exquisite presentation was impeccable, a fantastic exemplar of Japanese standards.

We started with a seaweed appetiser, compliments of the chef. This was savoury, yet light, and tantalised our tastebuds to prepare us for the meal ahead.

The restaurant specialises in Robatayaki, which is a Japanese style of cooking where the food is grilled over charcoal. Every day, there are daily specials of the freshest catch, which are presented to customers should they be interested in having the fish prepared robatayaki/sashimi style. We opted for one of the fishes, and it was so delicious!! I'm not a huge fan of fish, especially those with bones (fillet FTW!!), but this was so incredibly fresh, the meat tasted almost sweet. It didn't require any additional seasoning, except a sprinkling of salt, and the essence of the fish shone in its simplicity. 

After this was where things started going a little crazyyy. There was a mind-boggling array of dishes on the menu and I didn't know where to start. We kind of ended up choosing an item from almost every category to get a good selection, which seemed like quite a lot for two people! Surprisingly though, while I was completely satisfied at the end of the meal, I wasn't overly full. That made me so happy! This is why I love Japanese food so much. How healthy it always feels!

See what I mean about the presentation though? Everything was soooo pretty! :) And I was so appreciative of the spotlight that shone right down on all the tables, which was the perfect lighting for all the photographs. No editing required! The slabs of Salmon and Tuna sashimi ($11.99 each) were generously thick, and of course, super fresh.

This is the Grilled Chicken Ball with poached egg ($4.99) if I'm not wrong. It was a really interesting dish, which I had no clue how to consume at first. It was actually a humongous ball of meat that was marinated in a sweet-savoury sauce, and you actually dip the meat into the poached egg and stir it around before popping it into your mouth. The combination was sublime!

Though I felt that we'd ordered quite a lot by now, I couldn't resist getting some sushi because they all looked so pretty. The Salmon and Mango Maki ($9.99) was a harmonious blend of flavours and textures that created a delicious taste explosion at every bite. 

Finally, the Tonkotsu Hot Pot ($17.99) was a comforting, belly-warming dish that was full of ingredients including carrots, pork ribs, tofu and mushrooms. The meat of the pork ribs were so tender that they could be prised off the bone easily, and I slurped up every last drop of the soup.

My experience at Hamanoya was exceedingly flawless and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Definitely one of the highlights in The Dining Edition at Marina Square, and I can't wait to be back to be impressed once more.

Hamanoya Robatayaki

Marina Square #02-106

Tel.: +65 6337 4245

Mon-Fri 11.30am-3pm, 5pm-10.30pm

Sat-Sun 11.30am-10.30pm

Imperial Restaurant

I rarely write about Chinese restaurants. Not that I don't visit them often, since (despite how I might appear to not be acquainted with my roots thanks to my mastery, or lack thereof, of the language) I can't survive without my Chinese food. I have to eat rice, otherwise I'll start pining for it, although you'll probably be shocked when you see how little rice I need to satisfy any cravings I have. Anyway, after my rambling digression as usual - the point. Imperial Restaurant has been around for quite awhile I believe, perhaps under another name previously, I'm not sure. But it's a restaurant which my family loved to visit, quite a number of years ago. After a couple of changes in management, we thought it'd disappeared, only to realise that it's now situated in Riverview Hotel. We were so excited to go back!! (: So this post is dedicated to one of my favourite Chinese restaurants and the dishes we love at this restaurant ^^

We never fail to order the Fu Rong (Fluffy Egg White) with Dried Scallop ($5/pc) at this restaurant. It comes in individual portions, and greedy me always wants to have a bowl for myself. Mummy stopped me this time though, because we (or I) always end up over-ordering in my excitement. It's an egg white that is beaten till a scrambled-egg kind of texture and mixed with scallop pieces, perched atop a crispy "bird's nest" base. Drizzle a bit of black vinegar to draw out the essence and stick your spoon in to eat the egg white and crunchy base together. Such a seemingly simple dish, but the resulting flavour is superb.

The restaurant's specialty lies in its soups and is founded on an old Chinese imperial cooking philosophy with low sugar, salt and seasonings. If that sounds unappealing to you, I would like to quash any doubts you might have immediately, because these soups are one of the best, most tasty soups I have ever drunk. Slow-boiled for hours with fragrant herbs and other ingredients such as meat and mushrooms, each bowl is full of nutritious, mouth-watering goodness. I'm not really a fan of herbal soups myself, but the soups here are really good!!! We drank the Lady's Tonic Soup ($10) and Brazillian Mushroom Soup ($8) and enjoyed both of them thoroughly.

The Pumpkin Butter Prawns ($24 small) were delicious! I'm hoping that the pumpkin helped to cancel out some of the sinfulness of the butter :P But in any case, it was worth it. 

The Imperial Chicken ($45) needs to be pre-ordered, however, we were really lucky and they happened to have one spare that day!!! So happy that we had a chance to try it because I loved it! It comes wrapped in a cling wrap of sorts after being stewed for a long time (I think). The resulting chicken is fork-tender, with the aromas and flavours of the deletable braising gravy infused into the meat. It's a pretty big portion, but I highly recommend that you order this if you come in a big group.

For our vegetable dish, we went for something different this time and ordered the Braised Winter Melon with Dried Scallop ($18 small). It was a deceptively simple dish, but thankfully, the fragrant broth made the whole dish taste fantastic! I believe it was the scallop that made it really tasty, as well as the goji berries which lent a touch of sweetness to it. 

And finally for dessert - this is a dish we always order at this restaurant as well! Our favourite Candied Sweet Potato and Taro Fritters ($28 large). Basically, it's sweet potato and taro slices slathered with a layer of malt/melted sugar. When it arrives at the table piping hot, you have to quickly grab the slices and dunk it in the ice cold water bowls provided on the side. What you get is slices that are crusted with the layer of hardened sugar - when you bite into it, the sugary layer crackles and you are greeted with the warm, soft sweet potato/yam. It's really good!!!! Try it! 

Imperial Restaurant

Riverview Hotel Level 2

Tel.: +65 6337 0491

Teppei

I've finally tried Teppei!!!! :) The lunch, that is. Haven't managed to snag that coveted seat in their affordable omakase dinners as yet. I was really happy that I managed to get a taste of their lunch before I officially started work (far far away...). While the restaurant is famed for its wallet-friendly omakase meals, the lunch sets are kept affordable as well, for really great quality and value! 

There is always a queue at lunch, but it was honestly not as intimidating as I'd imagined it to be. The turnover in the restaurant is really quick, since there are only bar seats, and the food is served pretty efficiently too. I arrived at 11.45am (the restaurant opens at 12pm) and faced a queue that had extended beyond Tonkotsu King right next door. At 12pm on the dot, the doors were flung open and the crowd poured in, filling up the seats in an orderly manner. I was just shy of going in for the first round, with a couple of people in the queue in front of me. From then, it was like clockwork - the staff handling the inflow with Japanese precision, while taking orders and settling bills inside the restaurant. You can tell that they're used to the crowds, and they somehow manage to keep everyone happy, whether you're waiting for your food or standing in the line. 

The Barachirashi set ($17.60) is in my opinion, hands down the tastiest Chirashi under $20. The ultimate Chirashi winner for me is still Aoki, but this comes a close second at a price that is wayyy more affordable for regular eating ;) This is not exactly written on the menu, but it is served every day. I was a little shocked when the bowl that was placed in front of me. It looked...small. When I dug into it though, it was as if I was opening a treasure trove. The quantity of fresh, succulent slabs of sashimi they managed to fit in that small bowl was stunning! There was such a wide variety of fish in that bowl, most of which I'd never seen before, and it seemed almost never-ending as I ploughed through the bowl. And each piece of fish was supple, tasty and simply delectable. The wasabi they gave was awesome too, with a freshness that was befitting for the expertly-sliced fish. 

If the main dish itself is insufficient to satisfy you, there is no need to worry, since there are free-flow side dishes for you to pick at. Actually, I have no idea what the side dishes were meant to be, but they were useful in quelling the hunger pangs while waiting for our food to arrive. The top is some shredded vegetable dish, while the other is some sort of stewed/braised dish filled with lotus root, mushrooms and other ingredients.

The meal also comes with free flow tea! XT ordered the Niku Tempura Set ($19.80), which was a selection of various tempuras. Didn't manage to get a good picture of this because the tempura was all served separately - fresh out of the cooker! I loved how the batter was so light, scarcely oily, and the freshness of the fish shone through in the form of its supple, fluffy meat, despite the fact that it was deep fried.

I can totally understand why people would queue for this meal, and I would come back again and again if I could! I miss the Barachirashi already :') 

Teppei

1 Tras Link, Orchid Hotel #01-18

Daily 12pm-2.30pm, 6.30pm-10.30pm

Catalunya

Celebrated my birthday with the family with a meal at Catalunya! I've been wanting to check out this place ever since it opened around, what, 2 years ago? But of course it's not the kind of place we go to on any normal day. The ambience is stunning, with 360 degree panoramic views of Marina Bay thanks to full length windows around the entire restaurant. Service was pretty good too - we had to wait for our table to be ready as we arrived early, and they seated us at the bar area and served us water (warm water specially for my grandma) without us having to ask.

I've read quite a number of reviews on how Catalunya is over-priced. To a certain extent, yes, you are forking out quite a bit for the ambience and view. But then again, Spanish food is pretty expensive in general.The Traditional Suckling Pig ($135) from Catalunya is probably the most "reasonably-priced" item on the menu, in my opinion. Compared to the ½ pig we had at Serenity Spanish Bar & Restaurant that cost $168, this was definitely a better deal! But then again, all the other items at Serenity were more affordable.

I was initially a tad disappointed when I saw the pig. It definitely appears more like a piglet by the looks of it. But whoa, after we ate it, I was full to bursting by the end of it. Our waiter served the dish to us with true Spanish flair, chopping it up rapidly with a plate and flinging the plate to the ground in one fluid movement, shattering it to smithereens. The skin of the pig was satisfyingly crackly, and the meat was very tender too. While it looked small, it was massive to eat is definitely good for sharing.

It is unfortunate that Catalunya doesn't serve paellas for dinner. How could we eat Spanish food without having that signature dish?? :( Thankfully, in place of that, Catalunya has a dish that is close enough to satisfy all possible cravings of those who love the Spanish rice as much as I do! The Lobster Rice ($80) is a wetter version of our favourite paella. While there are no crispy bits at the bottom, the dish is not lacking in any way, with every grain of rice suffused with a delicious flavour. And who can say no to those lobster pincers balanced on top of the rice?

Why Spanish food is so expensive is because no one really wants to pay the same price for a few scraps of tapas, when you can get a full meal in another restaurant. Catalunya's tapas are really quite expensive, and they sure weren't enough to satisfy our starving selves at the start of the meal. (We needn't have ordered them actually, if we knew how filling the suckling pig & lobster rice would be!!)

I was really glad that I finally had the chance to try White Asparagus ($18) though! :) I've been hearing so much about it (it was one of my greatest regrets that I didn't buy it while it was in season when I was in Europe...), and it was really quite delicious! The texture is pretty different from that of green asparagus, and it was served simply - steamed, so that its natural flavours could shine through, and topped with blood orange sections and tarragon mayonnaise.

The Bikini ($20, a double portion is pictured above) was anything but skimpy, with two super crisp slices of toast (the bread they used was awesome!) sandwiching ham, gooey cheese and truffle. Sounds simple, but it packed a punch in terms of flavour, and we devoured it in seconds. Didn't help that it was so tiny :P Luckily we ordered two portions of it. 

I think this was the Tortilla Del Trampo ($18) if I remember correctly. Eggy, fluffy, and topped with an interesting sauce. This was quite tasty, but didn't really stand out significantly. 

Conclusion? Great for a one-off experience, but I probably wouldn't be back :P

Catalunya

82 Collyer Quay

Tel.: +65 6534 0886

Mon-Sat (lunch) 12pm-2.30pm

Mon-Sun (dinner) 6pm-10.30pm

Sunday Brunch 12.30pm-4pm

Aaaand I have to showcase my birthday cake! ^^ This is such a poor picture of it though >.< But I really liked it!! I took a risk this time, ordering a cake from Maple and Market though I've never tried their cakes before, nor have I heard anything about it. Their bakes seemed really nice though! And since they organise baking classes, I figured the quality should be pretty good. I wasn't disappointed! :))) When I first saw my cake, I thought that it looked like a really fluffy sponge cake. When I cut into it though, I got the shock of my life. It was super dense. In a good way though! I absolutely loved it!!! I'm evidently in an adventurous mood this birthday, because I ordered a flavour that I wouldn't usually go for (not in my birthday cake!) - The Blossom ($34 for 6" cake) was a rose cake with raspberry cream cheese frosting and caramelised pistachios. And it was super yummy!!! I can't wait to go back to the cafe and try more flavours already ^^ 

Potato Head Folk

Potato Head's reputation preceded it's presence in Singapore long before it came to our shores. I've never been to Bali before (would love to!!!!), but I've already heard so much about this establishment. And I was so excited when I heard about the recent opening of Potato Head Folk - simply looking at the photos of the food on instagram made me drool. Immediately knew what I wanted to order when we reached there because I'd already seen so many recommendations of the place! And hehe, gotta love how how my family always gives in to my foodie whims and lets me decide what to order :P 

Heard so much about these Naughty Fries ($9), and boy, weren't they GOOD (pun intended)! Not so much like fries, really, but rather thick, hand-cut potatoes that were perfectly fried to a crisp! Topped with a delicious béarnaise sauce and hot minced beef chilli, this was a potent combination that ignited our taste buds. We polished it off in minutes, and I was left craving for more. 

The 'Wing-Its' ($8) were twice-cooked chicken wings smothered in a smokey BBQ sauce and were really flavourful. Somehow I felt that it didn't quite live up to my expectations, though I'm not sure why. But they were still pretty good and I would recommend them anyway! 

Potato Head's burgers are juicy, saucy, and gooey - just the way I like it. We gravitated towards the beef burgers though, because the rest didn't really appeal to us. The Baby Huey ($20) was a prime 150g beef patty oozing with cheese, pickles, spiced mayo and the 'Notorious T.O.M. Sauce' - it actually means tomato sauce, I believer, but it's nothing like the typical bottled kinds you get in the supermarket. Despite the fact that the burger was slightly on the small side, it was definitely satisfying. 

Burning Man ($24) was really interesting because of the dashi mayo which gave it a touch of Asian flavour. Roasted jalepeno relish and hot ketchup lent a fiery twist to the same prime 150g beef patty. And with all the dishes, I topped copious amounts of the restaurant's hot sauce, which was super shiok!! 

Aaaaand for the WHOPPER - Four Floors ($28)!!! This was incredible. Double prime 100g beef patties, double cheese, triple onions - this sounds like an absolute feast! And it was. Dripping with the Notorious T.O.M. sauce and den miso mayo, it was an explosion of flavours in my mouth. Perhaps my only criticism about it would be the inability to distinguish between any of the flavours because they were just all wham-bang-fizz mixed together, but then again, that's exactly how a burger should be, right? ;) In other words, loved it. 

Overall, really like the burgers for the soft bun and juicy patty, but my choices seem pretty much limited to the three beef burgers on the menu (which I've ordered). Wouldn't mind coming back here again (I liked it more than omakase burger) because saucy burgers and sinful fries make the perfect indulgent meal. 

Potato Head Folk

36 Keong Saik Road

Tel.: +65 6327 1939

Tue-Sun 11am-12am (Closed on Mon)

Trattoria Gallo D'oro

I had the pleasure of having quite a number of fantastic meals right before i flew off to Europe in early june. this post is obviously quite overdue, but i'm so excited to write about it! (the other restaurant was Shelter in the Woods, check it out if you haven't!)

started off with the amuse bouche, which was a simple bruschetta that whet our appetite for the rest of the meal to come.

because we were there for zhen's birthday, the lady boss/manager kindly gifted us with a glass of prosecco to kickstart our meal! the crisp wine cleansed our palate and went perfectly well with the amuse bouche.

we were really lucky that day because the restaurant had just flown in a fresh batch of scallops, and the waitress was so excited about this that we just had to order it! the Croccantino di Capesante ($32) was a row of plump scallops that were bathed in a balsamic vinaigrette and finished with a caramelised carrot/pumpkin (too long ago to rmb) that added a touch of sweetness to the acidity of the sauce. 

one of my favourite dishes has to be the Tagliolini Bella Vista ($48) which was a lobster meat squid ink pasta. the sauce was packed with flavour from the lobster juices and tomato base, finished off with a tinge of spiciness. there was a generous amount of meat from the lobster, and its fluffy texture complemented the springy al dente pasta.

perhaps the only dish we felt was a slight letdown was the Osso Bucco ($38), which is a very traditional italian dish. very typical of how italians prepare their food, the focus was on the natural flavours of the meat. the braised veal was stewed in the natural veal jus, and was so tender it easily yielded with a fork. perhaps because we had it after the pasta though, it felt as though the taste paled in comparison.

the Florentina ($120) was a whopping 700g slab of meat - bones excluded. which was really really HUGE by any standards. this, was the crowning glory of our meal. seared on the outside, with a light hand of salt and pepper, the chef deftly coaxed the essence out of the meat, allowing the quality of the meat to speak for itself. topped with a few sprigs of rosemary, this was easily one of the BEST florentine steaks i've ever had. 

What i really enjoyed about dining in this restaurant (and Shelter in the Woods as well!), was how they seemed to effortlessly fulfil the sacred trinity of ambience, service and food. it wasn't stuffily high-end by any means (albeit pricier than a usual meal), and had a wonderfully cosy interior, with the walls adorned by art pieces by the chef himself - and yet, the service was top notch. we had the most personal experience from the lady boss/manager herself (lucky for us because there were not many patrons that evening), who came by on a regular basis to check on us, tell us more about the restaurant and dishes and offer her recommendations on wine pairings. the waitress too, was very personable and attentive, and extremely well-versed with the dishes (she was able to identify and describe to us a very obscure tiny ingredient in the dish which we were curious about). the food? definitely satisfying. Trattoria Gallo D'oro had just undergone a change in management, and we were one of the lucky few to be the first to experience it! :)

Trattoria Gallo D'oro

Central Mall, Magazine Road #01-03

Tel.: +65 6438 8131

Mon-Sat 12pm-3pm, 6.30pm-11pm 

Closed on Sunday

Shelter in the Woods

though Shelter in the Woods was one of those in the list of Restaurant Week establishments, i never really thought much of it as i hadn't heard much about it before. i only knew that jiayee liked it a lot, and so one day, the family decided to venture into the neighbourhood of Greenwood Avenue to check this place out. and W-O-W. i was absolutely blown away!!!! definitely would want to come back here again one day, perhaps for restaurant week so that it's not so expensive! granted, this place is quite pricey, but for a special occasion, definitely worth the splurge ;) almost every single item we tried was fantastic! save for one dish, which was not bad, but not fantastic. service was impeccable as well - the staff were all very attentive and were ready to provide descriptions and recommendations of food and drinks.

according to our server, the restaurant changes their menu once every few months and also has weekly specials - customers can keep updated through their Facebook page if they want to know what is the special that week. (haha and i'm not paid to promote this restaurant k! it's a totally unbiased review ^^ i loved it!). pardon the poor quality of the photos though >.< the lighting was pretty dark in the restaurant (haha for the sake of a cosy ambience ^^)

the Atlantic Blue Cod Fish ($30) was a weekly special, which i hope will appear on the main menu sometime! it was absolutely lovely. steamed cod that was super fresh and supple, marinated in a refreshing minty sauce and perched atop a bed of barley. though the flavours were light, it packed a punch nonetheless and was so delicious!

the Suckling Pig ($35) came highly recommended by jiayee and we knew we just had to order it! it performed spectacularly to our expectations with a crisp layer of skin over meat marinated in its own juices, and wasn't too oily - just the way we liked it. special mention too for the quail eggs that were done map-style with the runny yolks!! yummy ^^

i LOVED my choice of Wagyu Beef Hanging Tender ($45), which was soooo juicy with a pronounced flavour, and hit all the right notes with the aromatic confit shallots on the side and silky mashed potato that was rich, smooth, with a slight buttery essence - definitely one of the best mashed potatoes i've eaten!! (i'm not usually a fan of mashed potatoes btw)

the only dish which i felt was kinda underwhelming compared to the rest was the French Duck Breast ($30). it was tasty, no doubt, but nothing special. i thoroughly enjoyed the confit garlic and Dauphinois potato that came with it though!

we were cajoled into ordering dessert when the staff described the weekly special to us - Crepe Suzette ($15). and i was rendered speechless upon trying it. i'm always rather skeptical when it comes to orange-flavoured food. though i love the fruit itself, i prefer to go for the ubiquitous chocolate in my desserts if i have a choice. good thing that the rest of the family decided to go for the less traditional option though! thin layers of warm crepes with a sauce of Grand Marnier liqueur, orange juice, sugar and butter, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. the hot-cold pairing was impeccably good, and i loved the stunningly great combination of the sauce, crepes and ice cream. gosh, these specials have got to go on the main menu soon!

the Korean Strawberry Mille-Feullie ($14) was really good as well! firstly, the portion was bigger than i'd expected. plus points for that! haha. and each element of the dish was perfectly executed - from the crispy layers, to the super delicious cream (we devoured all of it!!!) and sweet strawberries.

i really loved this meal at Shelter in the Woods! while the portions looked small initially, i was surprisingly quite full already after i finished my main dish. everything was perfect, from the ambience, to the food and service. would be glad to come back again for a special occasion perhaps! (:

Shelter in the Woods
22 Greenwood Avenue
Tel.: +65 6466 6225
Lunch: Sun 11am-2pm
Dinner: Tue-Thu & Sun 6pm-10pm
Fri & Sat 6pm-10.30pm
Closed on Monday