Tanuki Raw

Lots of exciting things have been happening recently, and along with it, I've been enjoying lots of good food. Celebrated Ngan's birthday (and more!) over a meal at Tanuki Raw. I heard about their happy hour oyster deal ($2 per oyster) and I've been wanting to try it out! But somehow I never made ti there for the evening. Guess I'm not that huge a fan of oysters? And I always had the impression that the food was rather pricey. When I heard about their newly introduced lunch menu though, I couldn't wait to try it!

The lunch items consist of a small variety of donburi bowls priced affordably under $20. 

I'd already seen quite a bit of hype going on about the Black Angus Short Rib Truffle Yakiniku Don ($14.80), and I simply had to order it when I got here! There was an unmistakable aroma of truffle oil that heralded the arrival of this dish, and our mouths started to water as we caught a whiff of it. The slices of beef were fabulously tender, with a quality and texture much better than anything I would have expected of a donburi, and at such an affordable price too! A few of us ordered this dish, and every single one of the onsen eggs arrived perfectly wobbly and the yolk spilled fluidly to coat the beef in its goodness. Gosh, I'm dreaming of having this again already.

Though I was planning to order the Yakiniku don even before I stepped into the restaurant, I was swayed by the Chirashi don as well. And it was a pretty value-for-money option! At $17.80, it is one of the more reasonably priced ones around, and it came with two slices of a section of sashimi including salmon, tuna, and even scallop!

The Salmon don ($12) is a great option for those who can't get enough of this yummy sashimi. And it was not just as simple as plain ol' sashimi - it had special additions such as seared aburi as well, which is a huge plus point! :) 

Thad ordered the Yakitori Chicken don ($12) and it was one of the items that surprised me the most. While I expected charred pieces of chicken, this turned out to be wonderfully tender and came coated with a slightly sweet sauce.

And one of the highlights of every bowl had to be the fluffy sushi rice that it came with! Deliciously seasoned with Japanese spices, it quietly impressed with the way it complemented the ingredients perfectly. 

Tanuki Raw's lunch bowls are available daily from 11.30am-3pm and are an affordable, quality option if you're dining in the vicinity. 

Tanuki Raw

Orchard Central #02-03

Tel.: +65 6636 5949

11.30am-10.30pm

Seasons Bistro

I've been really privileged to attend a couple of tastings with Burpple recently! I can never resist heaps of food, and what's better than enjoying this in the presence of other food fanatics? ;) Always feel like I'm bursting at the seams at the end of each tasting (note: stretchy clothes necessary), and we really have the generous chefs to thank for this! Seasons Bistro was by far one of the most hearty meals we had. They nearly served us the ENTIRE menu :O Not that I'm complaining though ^^ thoroughly enjoyed the sumptuous feast we had! Because we tried so many dishes, I'll probably just feature those that I really liked.

Beginning with the starters, I really enjoyed all the salads we were served! We tried three in total, and this was the Superfood Salad ($18). Superfoods are all the rage now, and this was packed with goodness - quinoa, broccoli, avocado, baby spinach, blueberries, pomegranate and other ingredients! It was tossed in an appetising citrus vinaigrette and I really liked how they were generous with the sauce :) 

The dishes kept coming, and soon our entire table was filled with food! And these were just the starters!!!! Clockwise from the front: Pan Seared Foie Gras, Cajun Blackened Fish Taco, Season's Poutine, Popcorn Chicken and Chicken Caesar salad. 

The Pan Seared Foie Gras ($19) is among one of the best affordable ones I've eaten, and it was a hot favourite amongst everyone! Thick slabs of melt-in-your-mouth liver, perched on top of a brioche pain de mie, and that chocolate ganache/bacon jam was to-die-for!!!!

I didn't have much of the Fish Taco ($16) so I can't really comment on it, though I felt the fish could have been done better though. Preferred the one from Jewel Cafe! 

I'd never heard of such a thing as Poutine ($13.50) till I tried the one at Seasons Bistro and I can't believe how much I've been missing out!! It's essentially fries, topped with a delicious homemade sauce (which was reminiscent of my favourite bolognese) and gooey cheese. Ermygawd. It was soooo good!!! And when we were done with the foie gras, we dipped the fries into the remaining chocolate ganache/bacon jam. WE WERE IN SINFUL HEAVEN AND WE DIDNT CARE. 

The Popcorn Chicken ($14) we had here included an interesting twist, with the addition of real popcorn! I liked the spicy seasoning, but was disappointed by the soft texture of the popcorn. 

The Chicken Caesar Salad ($16) was also one of the nicest I've eaten! I'm typically not a fan of it, because I usually find it awfully unhealthy and that it completely defeats the purpose of eating salad. This was a rather refreshing take on the classic though - with avocados and a runny egg that was so yummy! The chicken was superbly tasty as well. I liked how the sauce was light, which made it feel a tad healthier. 

This was SO.DELICIOUS.

Move over all those lousy renditions of korean fried chicken in Singapore (Bon Chon Chicken in Singapore is just plain terrible btw...), because the Americans can do their chicken way better! The Seasons Fried Chicken ($25) was sooooooooo gooooooooood. Haha I'm drooling just thinking about it already. I'll be blogging about The Beast soon, and we had a pretty yummy fried chicken there too, but Seasons' version beat the other hands down in my opinion! This fried chicken was perfectly browned and crispy on the outside, piping hot and incredibly juicy within. I have no idea what spices were used for the chicken, but it was really flavourful!

The Deconstructed Salmon Spanakopita ($30) was quite a delicious dish. The drizzle of lemon perked up the fresh salmon, and the combination of different textures made this dish an interesting one.

The Beef Wellington ($39) was potentially one of my favourite dishes, but I was slightly put off by its gamey flavour. Perhaps that was due to the addition of goat's cheese which I hadn't realised at that point. The homemade jus was really tasty though! 

We were served all four of the items on the restaurant's pasta menu, which was a satiating amount of carbs, even for sharing! Surprisingly, I quite liked the Ben's Mushroom & Bacon Carbonara ($21), though I'm not usually a fan of it. There was a generous portion of mushroom and bacon in it, and just the right balance of parmigiano reggiano. My favourite pasta was the Southend Pasta ($22, not pictured) which was tagliatelle in homemade tomato sauce, with chorizo sausages, fennel, tomatoes, basil, chili and parmesan. This was a spicy pasta that was really tasty!

With all the good food that we'd had so far, we had high expectations for dessert. Unfortunately, that was where Seasons Bistro failed quite a number of times. We tried all eight dessert items on the menu, and out of that, six of them were either too hard or dry. Imagine Chocolate Mousse that is hard?! That simply doesn't sound right. Perhaps the desserts had been refrigerated for too long. But they were really quite disappointing. 

Thankfully, two items saved the day! One was the unassuming Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake ($12). Though it looked deceptively simple, it won our favour thanks to its fluffier texture (finally one that wasn't overly hard!) and I really liked the interesting flavour of pumpkin in a cake. Plus points were also given for the tasty cream on the side.

The Seasonal Pie ($12) was a pecan pie and I do hope they put it on the menu permanently!!! It was delicious, with lots of pecans and a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream on top that sealed the deal. Thanks SK for being my unintentional hand model ;)

The name 'Seasons Bistro' came about with the restaurant's desire to provide seasonal offerings for its customers by changing the menu every few months. It's only been 8 months since its debut, and the restaurant is on its 3rd menu for autumn. Hopefully the next menu will be in time for Winter/Christmas and I can't wait to see what's rolled out next! 

Seasons Bistro

TripleOne Somerset #01-11/12

Tel.: +65 6836 5841

Dean & Deluca

I had a rather 'productive' foodie weekend a couple of weeks back, ticking off a bunch of items on my eating list which have been there for the longest time!! (: Always happy when I go around eating good food. Yay! 

Finally tried Dean & Deluca, which has been in Singapore since forever. I'd actually been wanting to come here since it first set foot on our sunny shores, and yet I didn't. There are just way to many restaurants/cafes in Singapore to keep up with. Thankful for my accommodating boyfriend & family who get dragged around by me to check out my new foodie craze ;) Wouldn't life be so boring without food? Hehe. Anyway, so excited about Dean & Deluca, which turned out really spectacular! The prices are pretty steep though :/ But I felt that the portions justified it. 

I'll start with my Brioche French Toast ($18) first because it took the cake for me! At $18, it's probably one of the pricier french toasts around, but when you see the size of it, it's definitely WORTH IT. Two people could share it comfortably and have enough to eat. I certainly couldn't finish it myself. Cue three thick, fluffy slices of brioche, lightly toasted to produce crisp edges, drowned (literally) in a gooey, sweet salted caramel sauce, topped with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, salted caramel bananas and an assortment of berries. This was a food coma, sugar rush-inducing, recipe-for-diabetes concoction that killed me afterwards, but it was so so good. I recommend sharing like I did though, because the sweetness can get overwhelming.

The American Country Breakfast ($22) was a hearty spread of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, greens, grilled cherry tomatoes, hash brown and a slice of multigrain toast. I really liked how the scrambled eggs were done, or perhaps I've just missed eating it.

The Eggs Iberico ($22) were a tad disappointing appearance-wise, since there was a really appetising photograph of it on the menu. The taste was fab, nevertheless - I guess it couldn't go too wrong with the smooth jamon iberico which was the perfect complement to the poached eggs and sautéed mushrooms.

Mummy ordered the Portobello Cheese burger ($20) which surprisingly turned out to be rather meaty, with a thick beef patty. It was juicy and delicious, and we especially loved the perfectly crisp fries which came laced with a generous truffle flavour.

The Marinated Salmon & Mozzarella Quiche ($12) was possibly the only let-down we had. It was a small slice and we wished they could have heated it up more as the mildly warm temperature did little to bring out the flavours of the quiche. Also felt the veggie taste was a tad too strong, which over-shadowed the salmon. 

The cakes on display looked totally drool-worthy!! We were completely stuffed that day, but we'll definitely be back to try them! 

Dean & Deluca 

Orchard Central #04-23/24

Mon-Fri 11am-10pm

Sat & Sun 10am-10pm

The Assembly Ground

When Yi first told me that she visited the Assembly Ground at The Cathay, I thought she was referring to a more accessible branch of Assembly Coffee at Bukit Timah. I've been wanting to try out that cafe, but it's just too out of the way! The Assembly Ground is not related to the former, but it's actually an extension of the Assembly Store in The Cathay. Spacious premises that don't get too crowded even on a weekday lunch hour, it was a great place to chill! :) Food was not bad too! 

Okay, actually Rachel's Eggs Zoey ($17) could have done better. A fancy name for Eggs Royale, we felt that the eggs were a tad too small, and was served atop a muffin that looked rather unimpressive. I felt the flavour of the hollandaise sauce was pretty yummy though! But there are definitely better eggs elsewhere. 

On the other hand, I really liked my Beef Chilli Fettucine ($16)! Lovely thick strands of parpardelle slathered with a delicious beef chilli sauce that was reminiscent of Mexican flavours, with a generous amount of braised beef and an added kick of sharp parmesan cheese. I loved the contrasting flavours that were married together in this dish, which gave it an interesting, yet harmonious element. 

Overall, I was quite satisfied with this cafe, and I think it's a lovely place to relax if you're in the area.

The Assembly Ground

The Cathay #01-21

Tel.: +65 6733 3375

Tue-Fri 12pm-10pm

Sat-Sun 10am-10pm

The Providore

Hello! :) I'm back again with one of my wayyyy overdue posts. It's embarrassing to mention how long ago my visit to The Providore was, but I think it's a place worth sharing anyway, so I shall just write about it :)

Nestled on the 2nd floor of Mandarin Gallery (simply go up the escalator on the outside of Mandarin Gallery's entrance), The Providore could give Wild Honey a run for its money. Truthfully, I do prefer it over Wild Honey, which I find is overhyped and overpriced. The Providore, while still on the slightly pricey side of brunches, serves up a selection of items which I feel are of better quality.

The Spanish Baked Eggs ($18.50) was a dish of two free range eggs served atop grilled chorizo in a spicy tomato sauce. A very tasty dish, thanks to the chorizo and smoked paprika spices.

The Open-faced Breakfast BLT ($16.50) could be considered a little gimmicky, but I loved the ingredients that went into it. The thick chewy bacon was a hearty change to the usual fried bacon, and went well with the provolone cheese and roasted tomato.

We loved the ricotta pancakes ($17.50) for their delightful fluffiness!! I'm sure you can see that for yourself from this photo ;) The pancakes were so yummy, a couple of additions (candied walnuts and caramelised banana) sufficed to complete the dish.

The English Breakfast ($19.50) was pretty standard and probably a tad too pricey! I would most definitely go for the other dishes if I had to choose :)

The Providore

Mandarin Gallery #02-05

Tel.: +65 6732 1565

Daily 9am-11pm

&made by Bruno Menard

i'd been spamming burgers for quite a period of time but i just couldn't resist trying &made when i had the opportunity to! (: haha quite funny that i went there with my girlfriends, and when i told sam that we had one huge burger and fries each, he commented that it was such an un-girl-like outing :p which is pretty true, lol! 

Bruno Menard is a three michelin star chef and i was glad to be able to try his food at a relatively more affordable price! haha. the burgers were not cheap, but they made up for it in terms of size :D should be enough to satisfy a guy i would think ;) the menu is pretty quirky, and i love looking at menus like these! i was seriously considering crafting my own burger, but opted for one of the signatures in the end, because it was more bang for my buck.

i really enjoyed my 'B' Burger ($19) which looked simply amazing doesn't it??!! :D (credits to sk for the photos!) see that cheeeeeese ^^ so gooey and yummy-looking! it's apparently their most popular burger ;) it's a dry aged beef patty topped with caramelized onion, gooey french Comté cheese and a garlic-caper mayonnaise. i felt that the beef patty was rather crunchy, after a few consecutive days of eating really tender beef. but it was still pretty juicy which was a good thing! furthermore, with all the amazing toppings on it, they definitely added a wonderful flavour to the whole patty. and that bun! it was definitely one of the nicest burger buns i've ever eaten ^^ the top was crisp and slightly flakey, while the inside was soft and fluffy! all the burgers on this list are served with &made bbq sauce and your choice of original/smoked/garlic & vinegar fries. the bbq sauce was very interesting. for some reason, it reminded me of belachan or something. the texture i mean. haha and the taste was a little unconventional for bbq sauce as well. for the fries, i opted for the garlic & vinegar and i loved them! it had a more garlicky flavour than those at ODP and were really quite tasty!

sk had the chicken ($17) which was a roasted chicken breast patty served with salad, pickled pineapple, cucumber, onion and &made satay sauce! so interesting!! i didn't try it though :p haha. and she chose the smoked fries which were really interesting too! (: i'm not sure what kind of flavour it was, maybe slightly like bbq? but they were yummy ^^

and i haven't done an ootd for awhile, so here's one! :) haha. you might have seen this outfit in my birthday photos - here are the details! ;) very lag, i know :( anyway, it was the first time i wore a peplum top! been avoiding those for a long time actually, because i was afraid that they'll make my hips look big. which was really the case when i wore them with pants -> last warning. totally cannot do that combi!! initially i wanted to pair the top with shorts, which would be pretty safe, but i remembered seeing a pairing with a flare skirt, which i thought was a rather interesting idea! i would think that a peplum with a flare would make my butt look really big/make me look fat or something. but the effect turned out surprisingly not too bad! :) the peplum top really accentuated my waist and i was quite amazed! still not super confident about this look, but it spruces up the whole look a lot more, which i liked (: it actually looks like a one-piece doesn't it! 

Top: New Look //

Skirt: old //

Bangle: Primark //

Ring: Bugis street 

The Sushi Bar

if you recall, not too long ago, i blogged about finally trying out the Shiok Maki. now that is simply the most orgasmic sushi that i've ever come across, and it's been uncontested thus far. but what you can find at The Sushi Bar comes a close second ;) not to mention the queues there are equally comparable to those at Koh Grill & Sushi Bar. 

the Salmon Aburi Roll ($14.90 for 8 pcs) is their signature item and top-seller, and it's easy to see why. just join the queue outside for 10 minutes and you'll smell the seductive charred aroma of this sushi wafting out. i queued for nearly an hour, but the smell just kept me firmly planted there. i.just.had.to.eat.it. hahaha. i actually ordered a variation of it, which was the Soft Shell Crab Salmon Aburi Roll ($16.90 for 8 pcs) because i love soft shell crab! ^^ and though i didn't try the original, i daresay this one is even better because of the additional ingredient ;) the salmon is lightly burnt, with a delicious smokey flavour, and wonderfully succulent! coupled with the slight crunch of the crispy soft shell crab inside, this kept me squealing with happiness.

i had also heard a great deal about the chirashi don here, and if you're a sashimi fan, i recommend you to get the version where the fish comes in slices ($24.90). we were rather let-down when we saw our version (chopped sashimi, kinda) that came in a really tiny bowl ($18.90) :'( after all the pictures we saw online! i think they have shrank their portions since the beginning of this year. we were so sad! although i have to concede that it turned out to have quite a substantial portion and variety of sashimi (i spotted tuna, salmon, swordfish, yellowtail, ikura and uni) but we were really quite disappointed at the start. i've heard that the version with the slices is really too much fish though :P so you might consider sharing. there is also a premium version ($34.90), which i presume has an even wider variety of sashimi. *slurps*. to me, Aoki's mazechirashi is still the winner though :)

in terms of portions, The Sushi Bar disappointed on two counts, but it made up more than sufficiently in quality :) the Sirloin steak ($14.90 for 100g) was beautifully charred on the exterior, while delightfully tender inside. it came with a serving of punchy garlic chips which we devoured together with the meat. the steak is delicious on its own, but dip it in the sauce that comes with it, and you might discover a winning combination. lightly sweet, the sauce complements the flavour of the meat perfectly as it slides into your mouth and releases its juices. 

and we couldn't leave out dessert! it was amazing how despite the amount we ordered (i guess it was a blessing that the portions seemed a tad small), i still felt just right after the meal, rather than bursting at the seams. the tofu cheesecake ($4.50) sealed the deal with its wobbly, yet firm texture, light-on-your-tongue flavour, and toothsome biscuit base. 

The Sushi Bar scores with its quality dishes, but perhaps it might be a little overpriced considering the portions and the queue that you have to go through to get your hands on the food. then again, the shiok maki is even more expensive. haha. i would say, be prepared to queue, and just go for it! alternatively, i think they do take reservations up to a certain capacity, so you can try your luck with that! :) 

The Sushi Bar

Far East Plaza #03-89

9653 6464

Mon-Sat 12pm-9.30pm

Closed on Sunday

SHIOK MAKI SHIOKNESS X2

and hellooooooo there!!!! I'VE FINALLY TRIED THE SHIOK MAKI!!! omg i've been waiting for the longest time to eat this okay. i can't believe i only heard of it right after we left singapore for exchange -.- i was drooling over pics of it since months ago and it was nothing short of torture xP haha. 

i present to you - shiok maki generation 1 :D

and shiok maki generation 2. teehee ^^ that's why i said DOUBLE SHIOKNESS ;)

we weren't intending to order both the shiok makis, but there was a mix up in our order and so this is what we ended up with -.- but i guess it's a good thing too, since it'll allow me to compare both! not that i could decide which was better though. i was too busy reveling in the explosion of flavours in my mouth that gave me fireworks in my head *.* sooooo delicious *slurps* :D okay i sound disgusting haha. but i was really super satisfied after that heehee. *pats tummy* and i was really pleasantly surprised that i didn't feel SUPER full after that, despite all the rice i ate! since it was just me & rachel, that means we had 8 pieces of maki each! zomgx.

okie stop digressing :P haha. so generation 1 ($16.80) was a combination of charcoal grilled eel wrapped in a lightly roasted salmon. #1 thing i LOVE about shiok maki is the sauce. the abundance of it! and its creaminess and yumminess and everything about it that makes me just want to mop it up with anything on the plate. i even ate the ginger (which i usually don't) because i just wanted to dip it in the sauce. sinful? probably. but i couldn't care less. for me, what stood out about the gen 1 shiok maki was the lovely aroma of the grill that emanated from the sushi and caressed my taste buds. it was sooo delicious, a total mouthgasm experience ^^ i could only squeal with happiness throughout the whole meal haha.

for generation 2 ($16.80), it was a crispy prawn wrapped with lightly roasted salmon. what was different about this maki, besides the ingredients, was its sauce! it has a tinge of sweetness, that kinda melts on your tongue as you savour it in your mouth. i didn't want to swallow my maki. it was SO.GOOD. haha i wanted it to stay in my mouth forever as i basked in the joy of eating it :))) haha. this totally doesn't really sound like food anymore right? i've heard reviews about its quality deteriorating, but now, typing this, im just relishing the memory of the shiokness again and i couldn't wish for more :') 

i'm definitely going to come back again!! to try the crappy maki which we originally ordered and never received -.- their service staff seem a little blur... O.o after we asked for they bill, they delivered another plate of sushi to us and we were like "huh??!!" haha. i would have gladly taken it if it was free :p teehee. but yep will come back for the crappy maki ;) and maybe the pitan maki since i heard it was good too? any other sushi from there to recommend, please let me know!! (:

Koh Grill & Sushi Bar

Wisma Atria Food Republic 

Daily 11.30am-10.30pm

Birthday Part II

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Jones the Grocer

now that i'm back, it's time to plough through my list of singapore food places to go ;) there have been so many new places popping up while i was away! can't wait to try them all ^^ brunch, tea, lunch/dinner etc :D excited! 

well, so jones the grocer isn't exactly new, and while i've heard many times that it's good but overpriced, i just had to try it for myself haha. and yup, i came to the same conclusion :p it's good, but just expensive. probably not worth coming back for when i can get better food elsewhere for cheaper (: i liked the atmosphere there though! it was good that we went just before lunch, and i guess because it's in ion, and the restaurant was pretty big, it's just nice to chill there with friends because it doesn't get too crowded. 

the breakfast menu at jones was pretty limited to the standard dishes, and many of them were pretty ex! so i went for the safe option - eggs benedict ($20) with spinach and smoked ham. i was initially disappointed when it arrived because it looked so much smaller than classic bacon & eggs ($18, below)! it really seemed quite pathetic that i received such a small portion for that kind of price. not very worth it at all. but the good thing was that the taste made up for it (: the spinach was surprisingly flavourful, something i didn't expect, and the dish achieved a delicate balance of tastes that was just right. i liked how the egg was done perfectly, with the yolk flowy - like how a proper poached egg should be. and it was surprisingly filling despite it being a single egg! 

the classic bacon & eggs was a really huge portion! and i really liked the roast tomato that came with it! super juicy and sweet - just like the italian ones ^^ (gosh i miss those so much!)

the spanish baked eggs ($21) was pretty well done too! i really enjoyed the 'broth' or whatever you call that thing in the pot haha. it was laced with interesting spices such as chorizo, red peppers and tomato relish that gave it a robust piquancy.

Jones the Grocer

ION Orchard #04-14

Tel.: +65 6884 5597

Daily 10am-10pm 

Buffet attire @ The Line :))

HAHA and so as usual i can never resist food. when it comes to a buffet, i'm always ready to go all out! and despite wanting to lose weight, i ended up gaining the pathetic 0.5kg i lost in the week because i gorged myself at the buffet as usual. #fatdieme. so greedy as always!! 

haha so anyway, when i go for a buffet, i always make sure that i'm appropriately dressed to EAT ;) which means no body-hugging clothes (enough space for my expandable tummy :P), no belts and basically clothes that are easy to move around in hehe. you all have probably seen this dress in some of my pics before...i got it over a year ago at bugis! and i totally love it ^^ i took a really long time to find a nice maxi dress that is easy to wear (my first was a mistake because i bought a tube maxi which was so heavy it simply couldn't hold itself up -.-), and this was perfect for both dressing up and down! ^^ just slipped on some accessories and i was all ready for THE LINE :D (and i'm lovin' my moustache ring as well!! ^^)

Dress: Bugis //

Bracelets: Bugis //

Ring: Primark

now is time for the buffet :D words are not needed here. haha although i didn't take too many pictures (busy eating obviously!)

very fresh seafood :D again (saying this for the millionth time), i'm so glad that i've learnt to eat seafood ;) imagine not touching any of this! it would be so not worth the money haha (auntie-syndrome :P). i didn't even take that much okay. just a bit of everything. i'm usually quite lazy when it comes to seafood, more than bothering about the taste. take the crab for instance. the amount of time taken to peel it open is sometimes just too exhausting :P plus i don't like to dirty my hands. haha but enough of my OCD. i really loved the oysters!!!!!! i have to say these were the best oysters i've ever eaten. okay, i must admit that i haven't eaten that many, but i was really surprised how it was completely not fishy at all, and in fact, tasted spectacular with the lemon juice and chili i drizzled on it!! 

loved loved loved the sashimi as well ^^ but i didn't get a picture of it.

the indian section of the buffet is apparently quite famous! especially their tandoori prawns. omg there was this bunch of dudes who planted themselves right in front of the indian section, blocking everyone's way, just waiting for those prawns. seriously... -.- but they were REALLY GOOD. i was really surprised! super juicy, fat prawns, and the smokey aroma was to-die-for. 

there were also loads of other sections of the buffet ^^ so many cuisines! i like :D totally in heaven that day heehee :D 

and of course, even though i was already full after my 5 rounds of food (haha can go see my instagram for that :P), i still had to fit in dessert, until i felt like i was exploding >.< and i'm still sad i didn't get to try the fondue!!!! :( cos really too full already. i actually felt full, but still bearable after all the savoury stuff, but dessert killed me haha :X but it was so fun! (: going there with a bunch of girls, we just took one of each type of dessert so that we could share and sample everything! :))) so fun :D 

i'm definitely not gonna put myself through this again anytime soon. but The Line at Shangri-La hotel definitely has one of the BEST buffet spreads ever :)) 

*on a side note...they could have maintained the restaurant a bit better. the tables were not properly cleaned! :/

Esmirada

Step out of the bustling main street of Orchard Road, and you’ll find Esmirada tucked in a corner. The quiet, inconspicuous exterior does little to prepare you for what to expect inside. Raucous laughter, booming voices, a hearty crowd is what you’ll experience in Esmirada. There is a constant humming in the restaurant with robust conversations over food and drinks, and you will definitely have a smashing good time!

For appetizers, have the Humus and Baba Ghanouj with Pita Bread to start off. Served toasty warm in a basket, the pita bread has a beautiful texture – pillow-soft and fluffy, you will fall in love with it immediately. Have it on its own to appreciate its natural taste, or slather a layer of sauce on it. The hummus has a nutty flavour that is delightfully homely, while the latter has a refreshing hint of garlic that subtly spices up the bread.

Another favourite is the Sizzling Garlic Chilli Shrimps on a hot plate. Literally sizzling and oozing with juices, the bouncy prawns exude freshness and a delicious aroma that invites you to dig in.

You should definitely try the Linguine Ai Frutti Di Mare. One of the restaurant’s popular dishes, you will understand why after tasting it. In fact, when it first arrives at the table, you can catch a whiff of its fragrance from the garlic in the dish. There is an option of tomato or cream-based sauce, and we recommend the tomato sauce for a lighter, more palatable option. It gives you space to try out more dishes! This is a dish not to be missed by seafood lovers. The linguine is tossed with the freshest sea catch, including mussels, prawns and fish. The medley of sweet, sour and spicy flavours are a match made in heaven.

Alternatively, the Paella Valenciana makes a good choice as well! This famous Spanish saffron rice specialty is a hearty dish that will satisfy any carbohydrate cravings. Enjoy the soft, slightly sticky, fluffy rice with an essence infused within. The ingredients – succulent juicy prawns, fresh fish, mussels, springy scallops and chicken wings – come together in a phenomenal combination that packs a powerful punch.

If you still have room for more main courses, try some of the skewers from the charcoal oven. The chicken kebab is concocted with a special blend of Lebanese marinade which already teases you with its description. Their kebabs have an interesting presentation, and a slightly charred aroma. It is definitely a feast for the eyes and taste buds.

*This is an article i wrote for reserveit.sg (: Try out their online reservation service, and you can check out more articles there!

Esmirada

Orchard Hotel #01-29

Tel.: +65 6735 3476

Daily 12pm-1am

Aoki

omg i'm so glad i FINALLY tried the chirashi don from Aoki ^^ i've been hearing about it for the longest time, about how it's the best chirashi don ever. well, actually before that i hadnt really tried chirashi don before, but just before i went to aoki, i ordered it twice at other restaurants, just so that i would be able to have some sort of basis for comparison.

the verdict? AOKI DOES HAVE THE BEST CHIRASHI DON EVER. :D  it is soooo super duper yummy, i now completely understand why people have been raving over it.

if you didnt know, Aoki is under the Les Amis Group, so you would expect the quality of the food to be of pretty good standard ^^ i've never tried les amis before (no money!!), but it is definitely one of the top of my wishlist if i can ever afford it next time haha. Aoki is really expensive for dinner - they only have omasake sets i think, which are above $100 per pax. their lunch sets on the other hand, are in comparison way more affordable. and for the quality i would say it was pretty worth the splurge once in awhile.

my mazechirashi was $35. sushi rice topped with mixed sashimi, that was super duper fresh (as compared to other places i've had the chirashi don where some of the fish were slightly fishy), beautifully sweet egg, plump roe and a spattering of vegetables. the flavour of all the ingredients blended so perfectly together it was such a wonderful combination of tastes! every mouthful was a surprise and joy :))) and the wasabi here is really good too! it's the authentic kind, which is grated from the wasabi root, so it's slightly coarser, and oh-so-fresh as well! :D

mummy ordered the shokado ($38) which is sashimi, nimono (steamed vegetables), tempura (it looks soooo crispy doesnt it!) and a very interesting-looking glutinous rice.

papa had the nigiri sushi jyo-sen ($30) which is 7 types of sushi roll. isnt the presentation pretty? ^^

all sets came with something like an amuse bouche at the start, which was something like a tuna marinated with sauce. quite interesting! (:

there was also a salad with a really lovely sesame oil dressing!

and their desserts are sooo adorable! (: i think it changes every day, so on the day i went, we had the plum wine jelly, white sesame pudding and mango sorbet to end off the meal :) i especially loved the latter two! haha that's not saying much isnt it :p but i loved how the sesame pudding was creamy, yet slightly grainy, giving it a really interesting texture, and there was a tinge of peanut taste which i liked! the mango sorbet was uber refreshing - perfect to cleanse the palate :)

Aoki is kinda hard to find, with a really inconspicuous entrance. when i went there, shaw centre was under renovation making it even more difficult to find -.- walk from the outside of the building, past the taxi stand, bistro du vin and les amis, and you'll see a brown door with blinds. that's aoki. haha. sit at the counter if you wanna watch the chefs at work, or get a table in a private room for a nice cosy ambience :)

Aoki

Shaw Centre $02-17

Tel.: +65 6333 8015

Mon-Sat 12pm-3pm

6.30pm-11pm