Run by the same guys behind the now-defunct Ronin and Punch at North Canal Road, Gather is their new concept at Raffles Hotel Arcade that opened its doors on the 1st of February.

Gather serves both sweet and savoury French crêpes, sandwiches, baked goods, coffee and other beverages. Being a treat loved by most, crêpes are no stranger to us, but what makes Gather stand out amongst the rest? Read on to find out!

Being situated in a British colonial designed building, Gather boasts an old-school charm. The simple interior and open concept was inviting and comfortable;  it is a cosy place to unwind and spend some private time.

They have a merchandise corner as well for those who might be interested in take-homes such as soap, fragrance oil and so on.

We had the Parma Ham (S$18) that came with Italian parma ham, Gruyère, cheddar and egg. It was absolutely delightful with a crispy outer layer and when layered and folded, it had a chewy and fluffy texture. The parma ham and cheeses paired well with the light batter, while the egg in the middle helped to reduce the saltiness.

You’d expect this combination to be too overwhelming with sodium that it might be cloyingly sick but we promise you, it isn’t.

You get to witness the skilful crêpe making process over the counter as they freshly prepare it upon ordering at their open-concept kitchen.

Currently, they have six types of savoury and three types of sweet crêpes on their menu. Main or dessert, up to you!

Breakfast is never complete without a cuppa. The White (S$5 for 5oz) had a nice froth and was fragrant, but no wow-factor from it nor a differentiating flavour from other coffee shops. Still, it is a decent cup of coffee for a casual caffeine fix.

The crêpe itself was enough to make us want to revisit this cafe again. Good ambience and great hospitality from the staff there! They were really cheerful, welcoming and polite, constantly making sure everything was of satisfaction and made appropriate recommendations.

Also, they are still in their soft launch period until the 5th of February where payment is by a tipping basis to pay-as-you-like. Give these guys a visit ASAP for some great food and vibes!

Gather
328 North Bridge Road
#01-12 Raffles Hotel Arcade
Singapore 188719
Mon to Sat: 8am to 10pm
Sun: 8am to 6pm

Prego at Fairmont Singapore is one of the most reputable Italian restaurants in Singapore, and they are known for signature Italian favourites such as wood-fired pizza. But what we truly love is the all-new Italian Sunday Brunch Buffet—one of the best indulgences if you have a hankering for Italiano-everything.

Prego’s head chef Antonio Facchinetti and his team have introduced a whole new gastronomic experience and the Italian Sunday Brunch happens every Sunday from 12pm to 3pm. It is a massive showcase of Italian fiesta, from cold cuts and premium cheeses to a la minute pasta and grilled meats.

Here are some of the highlights you can expect at Prego’s Sunday Brunch Buffet, and why you should start your year right with a great Italian Brunch.

THE STYLISH INTERIOR

With Parmesan cheese wheels, sausages and Italian Prosciutto as part of the decorations, you would be impressed at how the modern Italian restaurant is still able to keep its traditions strong.

The warm hues in Prego also make for a very relaxed yet casual chic dining atmosphere—perfect for family brunch and couples who are looking to have a romantic date.

It is hard to find a place in Singapore where you can go to for a true Italian communal dining experience.

FREE-FLOW SPARKLING WINE

Sunday brunch is just not the same without some bubbles! And at Prego, you can choose to indulge in free-flow Berlucchi ’61 Brut Franciacorta as part of your feast. The sweet Italian Sparkling Wine is carefully selected to pair with the curated line-up.

So, go on. Drink up because free-flow sparkling wine is the perfect way to spend Sunday afternoons.

THE BEST OF ITALIAN CHEESE AT THE SEASONAL STATIONS

Italians take pride in producing some of the best cheeses in the world. Taste a slice of Italy right here at Prego, where you have creamy Ricotta, milky Burrata and very smooth Mozzarella to indulge in all you want.

The menus for the four seasonal stations in Prego change from time to time based on seasonality. Some of the dishes on rotation are exquisite creations by the chefs which include Wagyu Beef Carpaccio with Truffle Breadcrumbs, Wild Frittata with Mushrooms and Grilled Portobello “Steak” Salad.

An assortment of Italian bread and bruschetta is also part of the line-up.

And just beside the Home-Crafted Rustic Italian Bread & Bruschetta Station, there are more Italian farm cheeses in the likes of Asiago and Taleggio. Those who prefer hard cheeses can opt for these!

LIVE PASTA CRAFTING AND RISOTTO BAR

The star of our Sunday Buffet Brunch goes to the ‘live’ pasta crafting and risotto bar. Visitors get to watch the chefs in action as they masterfully craft out fresh pasta right before you.

The fun part? You get to create your own pasta dish at this station! Choose from various kinds of pasta such as ravioli, spaghetti and squid ink pasta (depending on season).

When you are done, pick a sauce of your choice including Spiced Tomato Sauce with Seafood, traditional Bolognese sauce, creamy Carbonara or the seasonal Truffle cream sauce. There are plenty of toppings to go with your pasta too—mushrooms, peppers, ham etc.

At the risotto bar, you get a generous serving of Black Truffle Risotto from the chef who uses only premium Acquerello Rice—one of Italy’s top risotto rice producer. Needless to say, this was one of the best truffle risottos we had. Every grain was full and plump, and lavishly coated with cream and cheese, then topped off with a generous serving of seasonal black truffle.

The risotto counter showcases the most premium of seasonal produce – expect different seasonal specialties when you return to Prego. *Hint: Asparagus and Roasted King Prawns Risotto next!

MEAT AND SEAFOOD GRILL

Here’s the one station that will get the carnivores all excited—the grill. This is where you can have your meat and seafood grilled a la minute and served warm to you.

Get ready for the wide selection on offer which includes Lamb Rack with Garlic & Thyme, Salmon Fillet with Dill & Lemon, Beef Sirloin with Rosemary and Chicken Thigh with Lemon & Oregano.

FRESH SEAFOOD

If grilled seafood ain’t your thing, go for the oysters, scallops and poached Alaska crab legs instead. This station is the epitome of seafood luxury and the sheer selection will leave you bewildered!

We love how easy it is to slurp up the freshly shucked oysters and dig into the pre-cracked crab legs. Seriously, ready-to-eat fresh crabs is a luxury beyond imagination!

ITALIAN GELATO CART AND ALL KINDS OF DESSERTS

We were blown away by the limelight of the dessert counter. What do you know, it was an Italian gelato cart! Build your very own Italian gelato on a cone with the various flavours.

Did we mention there’s tiramisu as well? You can have a whole tray of tiramisu all to yourself! And that’s not all. The dessert counter also comes with Traditional Cannoli, Wild Berries Pannacotta, Chocolate Salame, Ricotta Cheesecake, among other sweet delights!

Sunday Brunch Buffet at Prego (12pm – 3pm)
Adult: S$128++**, S$98++*
Child: S$49++*

**includes unlimited Berlucchi ’61 Brut Franciacorta, Italian Signature Cocktails, House Wines, Tiger Draught, Juices and Soft Drinks
* includes unlimited non-alcoholic drinks

Prego 
Fairmont Singapore, Level 1
80 Bras Basah Road
Singapore 189560
Tel: +65 6431 6156
Nearest Station: City Hall

This post is brought to you by Fairmont Singapore.

Fynn’s Café—conveniently located right outside Esplanade MRT Station Exit CC3—is a gorgeous new addition to South Beach Avenue. The beautiful modern all-day dining café reminded us of our good old days in Melbourne. It is worth mentioning staff members are attentive and friendly – a trait that Singapore’s hospitality industry greatly lacks.

We dropped by on a weekday afternoon and Fynn’s Café was packed with customers; expatriates and office dwellers make up the bulk of the crowd. No surprise there, since it is located just a stone’s throw away from the office building and JW Marriott Hotel.

One-week-old Fynn’s Café is seriously a paradise for all avid Instagrammers. Think marbled tables, rattan chairs, white cushions, stylish lamps and potted plants at every corner.

Coffee prices range from S$4+ for an Espresso, S$5.50+ for a Flat White to S$7+ for an Iced Mocha. Fynn’s Cafe uses roasted blends from Common Man Coffee Roasters.

The All-beef Burger (S$22+) is served with crisp seasoned shoestring fries. The burger comprises two fluffy sesame buttered buns, a juicy ground beef patty, pickled cucumber, onion rings, fresh tomatoes, romaine lettuce and melted gruyère cheese. A house made mildly spiced sauce is smeared over the beef.

Grain bowls are all the rage now and Fynn’s Café has a wholesome rendition on its weekday lunch menu. Try their Grilled Chicken Fried Wild Rice (S$19.50+)—fried rice is topped with generous portions of succulent grilled chicken, snow peas, edamame, pickled vegetables and egg.

The freshly baked cakes at Fynn’s Café are on a rotational basis and we had a Carrot Cake (S$11+). The palm-size circular carrot cake was covered in desiccated coconut and cream cheese frosting. Traces of real carrot are present throughout.

Fynn’s Cafe
26 Beach Road, #B1-21 South Beach Avenue,
Singapore 189768
Tel: +65 6384 1878
Tue to Fri: 9am – 10pm
Sat: 11am – 10pm
Sun: 11am – 5pm
Nearest Station: Esplanade

About the writer:
Hui Jun Ng is a staff writer for ladyironchef. She previously worked in the food and marketing industry. She loves travelling and enjoys exploring underrated destinations. In her free time, you will find her indulging in coffee and her all-time favourite local dish – bak chor mee.

Do you know that there is a little Japan Town in the City Hall precinct?

CHIJMES is home to 7 great Japanese restaurants. The central area of CHIJMES sits a beautiful cathedral and surrounding it are lush flowers and greenery. Within the area, there are your Japanese restaurants and bars.

This includes popular names such as Tatsu, Gyu-Kaku and Ikkousha Ramen. The Japanese restaurants in CHIJMES focus on different things – some specialise in ramen, others in healthy Japanese dishes. You can also find a traditional sushi bar with the freshest catch of the day.

With just a minute’s walk away from City Hall MRT and many surrounding bus stops, CHIJMES is easily accessible via public transport. If you drive, parking rates are reasonable too. Here are 7 Japanese Restaurants in CHIJMES to love.

#1 ASHINO

For an authentic sushi bar experience, visit Ashino at CHIJMES. Do not let the 10-seater restaurant’s obscure location deter you!

A multi-course lunch at Ashino ranges from S$120++ to S$250++ per pax, but what you get return is aged sushi prepared by Japanese Chef Taku Ashino who previously fronted Hide Yamamoto at Marina Bay Sands.

Over here, guests get to savour “shari–sushi rice” which has been cooked in an iron kettle with air-flown Mt Fuji water. The succulent Botan Ebi – sourced from Hokkaido – has been aged for three days and the end result is an insanely delicious shrimp sushi with a subtle sweet aftertaste. The aged chutoro and grilled nodoguro were unforgettable too. Quality sashimi always enhances a sushi experience.

#01-23 CHIJMES, 30 Victoria St
Singapore 187996
Tel: +65 6684 4567
Closed on Mondays
Tue to Sun: 12pm – 2pm, 6pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: City Hall

#2 GYU-KAKU

Gyu-Kaku is a reputable Yakiniku restaurant chain with over 600 outlets in Japan and five stores across our sunny island. The grilled meat specialty Japanese restaurant is perfect for those with a carnivorous appetite – but of course, healthy greens such as Horenso Spinach Salad (S$6++) are available too.

But we say focus on the meats.

Order the 180-gram Kagoshima Wagyu Premium Loin Steak (S$78++) – a premium well-marbled delicate Kagoshima beef that has so much fatty goodness to love.

Fancy a feast? Why not get the Gyu-Kaku Premium Set($61++ per pax, min. orders of 2 pax required) which includes Australia Wagyu Thick Tongue, Australia Wagyu Karubi, Kagoshima Wagyu Chuck Karubi, Kurobuta Belly, Kimuchi, Soup, Rice and more.

#01-01/02 CHIJMES, 30 Victoria St
Singapore 187996
Tel: +65 6333 4001
Daily: 12pm – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: City Hall

#3 IKKOUSHA RAMEN

Ikkousha Ramen resembles a very authentic Japanese ramen bar with a cosy and intimate seating, complete with counter seats. The menu is pretty extensive and there are many different ramen choices to pick from.

The most popular one is the Tonkotsu Special (S$16.50), and it is also the most value-for-money bowl here. The pork broth is very creamy and extremely flavourful, and it comes with springy thin ramen noodles, soft flavoured egg and a generous amount of pork cha-shu.

Also, try the God Fire Ramen (S$14) – which is a spicy ramen option where you can pick your preferred spice level (level 1 to 4). But be warned that even level 2 is extremely spicy!

#01-07 CHIJMES, 30 Victoria St
Singapore 187996
Tel: +65 6338 8460
Daily: 11.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: City Hall

#4 ON-YASAI

This is for all Japanese hotpot lovers. On-Yasai’s Buffet course represents great value when you are super hungry (adults – S$39.90++ per pax, kids/ seniors – S$29.90++ per pax) represents great value when you are super hungry.

The buffet includes five types of meat – beef karubi, beef chuck, pork collar, pork belly and chicken thigh – and unlimited dishes under the seafood, sushi, tempura, sides and vegetables section.

Customers are entitled to two types of soups;  the selections include  Golden Truffle Soup, Hokkaido Miso soup, Herbal Paiton Soup, Homemade Sichuan Soup, , Secret Sukiyaki Soup or Soya Milk Soup. A complimentary dessert is included in the buffet too.

You now know where to head to the next time you and your loved ones find yourselves craving for a crazy Japanese spread!

#01-03/04 CHIJMES, 30 Victoria St
Singapore 187996
Tel: +65 6336 4002
Daily: 12pm – 3pm, 5.30pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: City Hall

#5 TATSU

Boasting a 28-seater restaurant with sushi bar and a teppanyaki counter, Tatsu is the ideal venue if you are after a gastronomical Japanese experience. Sit back, relax and watch in awe as the teppanyaki chefs cook up a theatrical storm!

Do not leave Tatsu until you have had their Flambé Wagyu Beef (S$168++) and Live Lobster (seasonal price).

The former is a high-quality marbled Japanese beef with intense marbling while the latter is a superbly fresh chef-recommended sweet crustacean. Both aromatic meats have been cooked till fork tender and are absolutely scrumptious.

To get more bang for one’s buck, order the Teppanyaki Course instead (from S$68++ to S$158++ per pax) where you get to indulge in a plethora of Japanese delights such as cod fish, wagyu steak, king prawn, scallop and lobster.

#01-08 CHIJMES, 30 Victoria St
Singapore 187996
Tel: +65 6332 5868
Daily: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: City Hall

#6 SHIROKIYA

Shirokiya focuses mainly on healthy Japanese dishes, with many of their menu items featuring Hyaluronic Acid and Collagen. While many go for their sumptuous hot pots, they also have great lunch options that are wallet-friendly.

Each of their lunch sets come with rice, salad, miso soup and pickles as well. Our favourite ones are the Luxury Salmon and Salmon Roe Rice Bowl (S$25) and Unagi Rice in Hot Stone Bowl (S$20).

If you are a salmon lover, treat yourself to the Luxury Salmon Bowl – filled to the brim with raw salmon, lightly torched salmon, fresh salmon roe and more. Lots of salmon goodness indeed! They also have a tuna option with a huge dollop of negitoro (chopped salmon and leek).

#01-05/06 CHIJMES, 30 Victoria St
Singapore 187996
Tel: +65 6337 5188
Mon to Thu, Sun: 12pm – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 1am
Nearest Station: City Hall

#7 TONKATSU & SAKE BAR TONZAEMON BY MA MAISON

TONKATSU & Sake Bar Tonzaemon by Ma Maison has nailed it with their fragrant breaded deep-fried pork cutlets. Crispy on the outside, soft and juicy on the inside; these beautiful golden brown tonkatsu have successfully achieved an excellent texture thanks to the carefully aged and marinated meat used.

Lunch sets are very affordable and start from S$17.80++.

We highly recommend the Kuro Buta Katsu Set (S$31.80++) – diners can opt for either pork loin or pork fillet – which is essentially a Japanese heritage pig breed specially raised for its flavourful fatty meat. Note that every set is served with rice, tonjiru soup and pickles.

Itadakimasu!

#01-09 CHIJMES, 30 Victoria St
Singapore 187996
Tel: +65 6338 5907
Daily: 11.30am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: City Hall

This post is brought to you by CHIJMES.

Living in one of the world’s most expensive cities has its pros and cons. While those residing in Singapore are blessed with an impressive variety of watering holes, the drawback would be the exorbitant prices of alcohol.

These days, it is extremely common to pay at least S$20 for a glass of champagne in Singapore; going out for drinks is far from affordable.

So, imagine our surprise when we were told that Raffles Hotel’s Bar & Billiard Room is offering an awesome value-for-money promotion. You guys, two glasses of premium champagne, four freshly shucked oysters and a complimentary bucket of Indian flatbreads papadums – all at only S$30++ on every Friday from 6pm to 9pm.

Now, that is a rare indulgent treat without an extravagant price tag!

Located on the ground floor of the luxurious Raffles Hotel is Singapore’s oldest existing bar, Bar & Billiard Room. The drinking spot is characterised by high ceilings and elegant chandeliers; a great venue for business meetings and romantic dates alike.

Play a game or two at Bar & Billiard’s century-old pool table and experience what it feels like to be teleported back into Singapore’s colonial era.

Boasting over 400 whisky labels and a cabinet of high quality cigars, this gorgeous institution is a must-visit for all whisky-and-cigar connoisseurs. A comprehensive whisky-centric programme run by resident whisky expert Christoph B.

Nyfeler is conducted here and guests can expect exciting events such as whisky appreciation nights and whisky master classes.

Whisky aside, Bar & Billiard Room features an extensive list of artisanal cocktails too. Do check their handcrafted concoctions out during Singapore Cocktail Week. A must-try would be the ‘Stray Tiger’ – a strong mix of absinthe, lemongrass foam, lime juice, orange liqueur, rum and vermouth.

Hanging out at Bar & Billiard Room sounds like a costly affair but it need not be when you visit on Fridays. Usher into the weekend with just S$30++ and you are entitled to luxuriate over four Irish oysters that are shucked right in front of you, two glasses of award-winning Ernest Rapeneau Selection Brut Champagne and savoury papadums. That is a spanking good deal for things that we would otherwise have to break a bank (well, sort of) for!

You now have a better idea on how to welcome the weekends, don’t you? And who knows? Friday nights might just be when you get to rub shoulders with other celebrities at Bar & Billiard Room!

Bar & Billiard Room
1 Beach Road
Raffles Hotel
Singapore 189673
Mon: Closed
Tue to Thu: 5pm – 11pm
Fri and Sat: 5pm – 1am
Sun: 12pm – 3pm (For Sunday Brunch)
Reservations: +65 6412 1816 / dining.singapore@raffles.com
Nearest Station: City Hall / Esplanade

This post is brought to you by Raffles Hotel.

Nothing makes December more exciting than themed festive dishes, especially when a buffet spread is carefully planned for and intricately prepared – just like this year’s festive buffet offerings from Indulge at Park, Grand Park City Hall. The theme of ‘Santa’s Fruity Christmas’ was coined by Executive Chef Eric Ong as he infuses intense flavours of various citrus fruits into his festive dishes.

These dishes range from Orange-Glazed Pork Ribs to Smoke Orange Oil Scented Apricot Crust Roasted Rack of Lamb. The incorporation of citrus fruits into the dishes truly adds a touch of Yuletide magic.

Here are some other dishes you can expect from the ‘Santa’s Fruity Christmas’ buffet spread and other mainstay signature dishes that you have to try at Grand Park City Hall this festive season!

The seafood spread is not a festive-exclusive but a mainstay in the usual buffet, and we know we won’t be the only ones flocking over for the fresh scallops, shrimps, shellfish and salmon sashimi. Festive dining or not, we always welcome a good seafood spread.

Before we get to the mains, will you just take a look at these gorgeous starters? A scallop and shrimp tapas-like starter with the addition of salad stalks and red bell pepper; crunch in every bite, and very contrasting yet well-balanced flavours.

Another one to look out for is a ceviche-like starter with finely cubed fresh fish mixed with pomelo; very refreshing and a palatable dish that will call for second helpings. The addition of ikura (salmon fish roe) completes the cold dish with a touch of saltiness that we are all so familiar with. Why, this starter is like a sashimi makeover!

Of course, apart from these festive teasers, Grand Park City Hall will also be offering their standard line-up of boiled soups, a DIY salad bar, cheeses and more. This is a trivia, but we are huge fans of their boiled soups – think Cantonese-style full-bodied flavours that remind us of Home.

Here comes our favourite part – the Christmasy mains! This gorgeous turkey sure took us by surprise. Turkeys are generally dry because it is too easy to overcook them as the meat itself contains almost no fat, and the grasp of the right temperature is vital.

Which was why we were delighted by the chefs’ work for they know their way around this beautiful white meat. Pleasantly tender and very flavourful, Grand Park City Hall’s turkey will be paired with a jolly berry sauce.

We hope you aren’t too sick of meats yet, because the Orange Glazed Pork Ribs is no doubt a star of the spread. The brilliant orange glaze is such a refreshing alternative to the usual sauces that ribs are prepared with. Fork-tender ribs dishes like these, you know that you can’t stop at just one.

Other meat and star offerings that you can expect at ‘Santa’s Fruity Christmas’ is Pan- roasted Red Snapper with Yuzu Sauce and Honey Glazed Chestnuts, and Smoked Orange Oil Scented Apricot Crust Roasted Rack of Lamb (only available on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve).

There will also be Deep-fried Crispy Lemon Popcorn Chicken with Sour Plum Powder (only available on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve), and Baked Scallops gratinated with Lemon Hollandaise Sauce in Shell (only available on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve).

A special creation of berry mille-cake is a festive-exclusive to look out for.

On top of this, Grand Park City Hall’s signature mini macarons will also be available, together with their fondue booth that features unique dips on rotation – think coffee, strawberry and white chocolate! Yes, we overate here. Couldn’t help it because chocolate fondue always tugs our heartstrings.

Santa’s Fruity Christmas will be available from 1 to 30 December 2015.

Prices from 1 Dec to 23 Dec, 26 Dec to 30 Dec 2015:
Lunch Buffet: (Monday to Friday, 12 – 2.30pm) $50++ (Adult)/ $25++ (Child)
Dinner Buffet: (Sunday to Thursday, 6.30 – 10.30pm) $60++ (Adult)/ $30++ (Child)
Weekend Tunch Buffet (Saturday and Sunday, 12 – 3pm) $55++ (Adult)/ $27.50++ (Child)
BBQ Buffet Dinner (Friday & Saturday, 6.30 – 10.30pm) $70++ (Adult)/ $35++ (Child)

Prices on 24 & 25 December 2015:
Lunch Buffet: (12 – 2.30pm) $65++ (Adult)/ $32.50++ (Child)
Dinner Buffet: (6.30 – 10.30pm) $80++ (Adult)/ $40++ (Child)

To make your reservations at Indulge at Park, please click here.

Indulge at Park
Grand Park City Hall
10 Coleman Street
Singapore 179809
Tel: +65 6432 5888
Nearest Station: City Hall

This post is brought to you by Grand Park City Hall.

Spizza Mercato at Capitol Piazza might just be our newfound favourite already! It is a slightly different concept from the ever popular casual dining pizzeria chain – Spizza by The Senso Group, and you will see why we love it so.

The huge and edgy outlet at Capitol Piazza boasts a large dining area by the fountain, and a “market” – where Spizza offers retail items such as authentic Italian ingredients and condiments and homemade pasta.

Spizza Mercato has a super affordable menu and a wide variety of pizzas (but of course), and what it is exceptionally popular during lunch for its amazing weekday lunch deals – S$12 for a dry pasta with classic sauce or a 10 inch pizza, anyone?

Pizzas are the limelight here at Spizza Mercato, but that ain’t all. Here, we share with you the highlights of our meal, and all that we love at and about Spizza Mercato.

Stepping in, we were impressed by the very sleek and vibrant interior. Passing by the retail area, we fell in love with the “mercato” and was so distracted by all the takeaway items such as paninis and salads, for the busy professionals or those who choose to takeaway their meal.

APPETISERS & ANTIPASTI

This show-stopping antipasti of burrata cheese and parma ham, in a dish called “Burratina” (S$22), started our meal with a bang. As cheesy as this may sound, we really cannot tell you how much we are deprived of good burrata in Singapore and how this one here totally made it to our list.

Smooth, creamy, milky goodness is every burrata lover’s dream, and there is an inexplicable sense of gratification from cutting the burrata apart and being rewarded by fine shreds of silky white cheese. Served with the classic pairing of aged parma ham and arugula, the Burratina had us all succumbed.

We settled for a second appetiser of freshly prepared Calamari (S$13.80) that comes with a spicy ‘pizzaiolo’ dip. The calamari itself boasted the right amount of crunch and was pretty addictive. The sauce was not as memorable for us, but we were just happy the rings itself tasted so wonderful on its own. This appetizer makes a great sharing plate for two or more.

FRESH PASTA

Fresh stuffed pasta are not commonly served as they take up a lot of time to prepare, and requires a certain level of culinary skill to perfect it. And when we spotted some of these on the menu, we knew we had to have a go with them.

So it was the Red Tomato Mezzelune (S$15) and Black Squid Ink Round Ravioli (S$14) for lunch.

The former is basically a smoked duck ravioli and it was more than awesome. The smoked duck flavour really took the whole pasta dish up a notch, and we were in love that we really couldn’t nitpick much even if we’d wanted to!

The latter features minced seafood stuffing, which garnered mixed reviews from our team. It might be a little fishy and rich, but if that is the way you love your seafood, go for it!

The Gnocchi (S$18) was a surprise find too. Even though they were just essentially potato dumplings, the gnocchi was cooked with gorgonzola and other cheeses, and it was an entirely flavourful dish that would make the perfect main for any cream pasta lovers.

SPECIALTY PIZZAS

Pizzas are, without a doubt, Spizza’s speciality and it is no different here in Spizza Mercato, where they offer the same selection of pizzas. For lunch, you can enjoy a 10-inch pizza (or a dry pasta with sauce) for just S$12++. We now realise why the lunch crowd is crazy here, because this is for sure an unbeatable deal.

We had two pizzas, both signatures – Quinta (S$19, 10″) and Tara (S$20, 10″). Quinta is a meatless pizza that features mozzarella, a full egg and black truffle paste. The paste was so generously spread out and the smell of black truffle was incredibly distinct the moment it was laid on our table. We knew we would love this, and we sure did.

Tara is one of the classics with a slight twist. This pizza features mozzarella, a full egg, bacon and button mushrooms. Think of all kinds of happiness all in one pizza; that was the exact thought that got us excited. Well, you bet the pizza tasted even better when soaked slightly in the runny egg yolk.

By the way, for the large pizzas (12″), you can customize them to be half-half. In other words, two flavours in one pizza. Yes, yes and yes.

CLASSIC ITALIAN DESSERTS

The great thing about the food at Spizza Mercato is that it will always leave you and your tummy ultra satisfied. We ended our meal off on a sweet note with two classic Italian desserts – Panna Cotta (S$8) and Tiramisu (S$9.50).

While the former was a good dish as a whole, it was nothing to shout about. Especially when compared to the star – the Tiramisu. The tiramisu was light, just the way we like it, with strong notes of fragrant coffee and light mascarpone cheese.

DELIVERY MADE EASY

This is a life saver! And it might just be your next favourite pizza delivery option. We’ve tried the delivery too, and were completely amazed by how our food arrived hot.

You would think it is “just hot”, and that’s that. But wait. Would you believe it if we told you our pasta was still moist and warm, our chicken wings were still crispy, and our pizza was ever fresh? God knows how they do it, but we are so done with soggy delivered food, and that’s why we are sticking to Spizza’s delivery already.

And our order arrived even earlier than the promised time. Yay to zero frustrations from long waiting times!

Spizza delivery can be made via www.spizza.sg, or through their mobile apps (iTunes and Google Play).

SPIZZA FOR FRIENDS REWARS

This rewards programme is put in place for all who celebrate their love for Spizza. Enjoy a 10% rebate with a minimum spend of S$50 at any Spizza outlet, as well as delivery orders. And these rebates can be utilized on your next visit to or delivery from Spizza.

Note that Spizza Mercato has the same menu as other Spizza outlets, with an added Light Bites & Snacks and Pasta Ripiena section.

Spizza Mercato
13 Stamford Road #B2-52
Capitol Piazza
Singapore 178905
Tel: +65 6702 1835
Daily: 10.30am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: City Hall

This post is brought to you by Spizza Mercato.

For so long now, Hoshino Coffee at Plaza Singapura has been a favourite among shoppers and executives in the area. The queues are always long, and their popularity is no surprise. But if you do not want to join the queue, then venture further to the new Capitol Piazza as Hoshino Coffee has recently opened an outlet there.

Tucked away in a secluded area of Capitol Piazza’s Basement 2, Hoshino Coffee remains under the radar and is a serene place to enjoy a meal and to catch up with friends. The Japanese establishment is famous for their coffee and desserts, but what remains relatively unknown to most people is that they do serve a delectable variety of wholesome savoury dishes at very affordable prices.

Here is our take on the 13 items that you must try at Hoshino Coffee’s new flagship outlet at Capitol Piazza, and we are pretty certain you will fall in love too.

#1 FUWA FUWA HOSHINO SOUFFLÉ

Probably one we will return for, the Fuwa Fuwa Hoshino Soufflé (S$15.80) is famed for its wobbly golden hue puffy top. Dig through the eggy fluff and a bed of rice infused with cheese, mushroom slices, chunks of bacon, and tomato sauce awaits. The portion of this baked dish is huge and we think it is best to be share it with someone.

#2 PIE PIZZA

Pie Pizza is, well, a hybrid of a pie and pizza. Made with mainly flaky and buttery puff pastry, these fusion creations are significantly less dense than the traditional pizza. Each Pie Pizza (S$15) comes with a side salad, minestrone soup and wedges. There are only two flavours at the moment – mushroom & chicken and mixed flavours. But they are good enough, trust us. These Pie Pizzas are also exclusive to Capitol Piazza’s outlet.

#3 TONKATSU TOAST

Last but certainly not the least, Hoshino Coffee did an exceptional job with their mouthwatering Tonkatsu Toast (S$11.80). The delightful deep-fried breaded pork and shredded vegetables were sandwiched between two toasted breads, and each each bite reminded us of the ones we had in Japan.

#4 SALMON SPAGHETTI

Hoshino Coffee’s menu also boasts a variety of spaghetti options and a perennial customers’ favourite is the Salmon with Wasabi Cream Sauce (S$16). Served on a white oval dish, the Japanese cream-based pasta is prepared with shiitake mushrooms, shredded seaweed, salmon chunks, bits of spicy wasabi and a dash of sesame seeds. Lots of flavours in one dish, indeed!

#5 POT-BAKED CURRY RICE

Hoshino Coffee’s Pot-Baked Curry Rice (S$15) is served piping hot on a sizzling hot pan. The robust dish of baked Japanese cheesy curry rice served with generous chunks of sausages, broccoli and a semi-molten egg, is actually a memorable highlight that we will gladly return regularly for. It is one of those amazing wonders-all-in-one-bowl dish.

#6 PANCAKE SOUFFLÉ

Pancake Soufflés are Hoshino Coffee’s best-selling desserts. Ironically, they are neither a soufflé nor a pancake, but are actually a cross-breed between these two classic dishes. Enjoy a single slice of soufflé-style pancake (S$9.80) or a double portion (S$12) with a choice of honey or maple syrup. You can also choose to have them with chocolate and banana or homemade whipped cream (single – S$13.50, double – S$16.80).

From time to time, limited edition selections are available and the current menu recommends Pancake Soufflé Style with Peach (single – S$14.50, double – S$17.80). By the way, we totally dig how they are so damn photogenic.

#7 ICE MATCHA LATTE WITH SOFTEE

Hoshino Coffee has an ultimate combo perfect for green tea lovers. The Ice Matcha Latte with Green Tea Flavoured Softee (S$9.30) is a delightful drink-cum-dessert. Why have just an element of green tea when you can have two? Do note that the cold beverage becomes milkier as the soft serve ice cream melts. Warning: this is an addictive treat.

#8 MATCHA / VANILLA SOUFFLÉ

The pot-baked soufflé (S$10.80) is available in either matcha or vanilla flavour. Each soufflé is baked upon order, so do be prepared to wait for at least 20 minutes before the dessert is presented to you fresh from the oven. Watch in awe as the soufflé’s jiggly pillow-like top eventually collapses into the ceramic dish containing it. If you have ordered the vanilla soufflé, you can choose from viscous chocolate or thick custard sauce as condiments. We suggest the former, because chocolate is always more decadent and satisfying, yes?

#9 FRENCH TOAST

The soft and fluffy lukewarm brioche French Toast with Caramel Nuts (S$10.80) is drizzled with caramel sauce and topped with sliced bananas, sifted icing sugar, pan-roasted almond slices. The large scoop of ‘ice-cream’ is actually a generous portion of chilled homemade whipped cream. A simpler variation of the French Toast (S$9.90) is available, where it is simply topped with sugar and cream.

#10 MILLE-FEUILLE

The Mille-Feuille is a flaky French-inspired dessert made with layers of incredibly thin and light puff pastry. We particularly enjoyed the Strawberry Mille-Feuille (S$15) where it was filled with vast amounts of piped cream, juicy strawberries, strawberry ice cream and jam.

If you were wondering, the strawberry ice cream and jam are actually hidden by the cream. Should strawberries not appeal to you, you can choose to have the Tiramisu Mille-Feuille (S$15)  instead. Both Mille-Feuilles are exclusive to Capitol Piazza’s outlet so do make a special trip down to sample these sugary treats.

#11 HOSHINO HAND-DRIPPED COFFEE

The highest quality Arabica coffee beans have been selected by Hoshino’s in-house coffee blend specialist Master Kano, and are roasted over open fire. The piquant hot coffee (S$5.80) flavours leaves a pleasant acidic aftertaste and is best consumed within 15 minutes. You can choose to refill your coffee at 50% off for Hoshino Blend Coffee, Americano, and Iced Coffee – this is amazing news!

#12 HOT FRUIT TEA

If you are more of a tea person, you must not miss out on a fragrant pot of Hot Fruit Tea (S$9.90). This is our favourite drink! The refreshing fruity tea comes with an interesting mixture of freshly sliced apples, oranges, kiwis and blueberries. We were hopelessly addicted to the sweet tea and completely unsurprised when told that it at times sells out by afternoon.

#13 SAKURA LATTE

Contrary to popular belief, the gorgeous-looking pink coloured Sakura Latte is actually free from caffeine and colourings. You can choose to have it hot (S$9) or iced with softee (S$9.30). The milk-based beverage infused with cherry blossoms is actually very light and has an aromatic floral scent.

For the latest updates, go to www.hoshinocoffee.com.sg, and like Hoshino Coffee on Facebook.

Hoshino Coffee
Capitol Piazza #B2-55
15 Stamford Road
Singapore 178906
Tel: +65 6384 5131
Daily: 10.30am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: City Hall

This post is brought to you by Hoshino Coffee.

Famous Taiwanese brand Dazzling Cafe, known for its Shibuya-style Honey Toast, is coming to Singapore in April 2015. Dazzling Cafe’s first flagship store in Singapore will be located at the new Capitol Piazza. The Singapore outpost will be offering all the Dazzling Cafe’s signature dishes – Mochi QQ Waffle, Mentaiko Pasta and the aforementioned Shibuya-style Honey Toast.

Mileslife is our favourite app to accumulate miles through everyday spending. You can earn miles for every dollar spent at this restaurant. Download and try Mileslife out now! You can use our code ‘Ladyironchef‘ upon your first spending to get 1,000 miles.

Dazzling Cafe Singapore
15 Stamford Road
#01-85 Capitol Piazza
Daily: 12pm – 8pm
Nearest Station: City Hall

// The first giveaway of 2 X $50 Old Hong Kong Legend vouchers has ended. Thank you for participating. The winners are #31 and #44.

The winners of the second giveaway are: #325, #153, #237, #359, #376, #402, #21, #15, and #425.

I do not frequent restaurants in malls because most of the time, you can only find restaurant chains. However, Raffles City is an exception that I would gladly welcome. It is nice to see that they are actively approaching good F&B tenants to provide new options for the consumers.

Salt Tapas & Bar, Tiong Bahru Bakery, Wooloomooloo Steakhouse are just some of the big names at Raffles City. And from what I have heard, there are more interesting concepts (one of which is a casual Vietnamese noodle bar by the Les Amis group) opening soon. Check out Raffles City food guide if you are looking for dining options this weekend.

Here’s part two of my Raffles City food trail – where we visited Old Hong Kong Legend, Bibigo, and Canele Patisserie Patisserie. We are also giving away $100 worth of dining vouchers, read more to find out how you join the giveaway.

We began our adventure at Old Hong Kong Legend at Level two of Raffles City.

Everything on the menu sounded delicious. There were so many dishes I wanted to try, and luckily, we did not have to choose as the restaurant had pre-arranged four of their signature dishes.

The double-boiled shark’s bone cartilage soup ($18/pax) came first. Served in a whole “shark’s fin” melon, the soup – prepared with yellow fungus and wolfberry – was rich and soulful. I could drink this everyday!

Next up, we had the ‘typhoon shelter’ crab. For the uninitiated, it is a dish served in many Hong Kong Chinese restaurants, and believes to have originated from the typhoon shelter – hence the name. Fried with garlic, chili, onion, and black bean sauce, the ‘typhoon shelter’ crab ($68/kg) is quite a sight to behold.

The crab, while good, was not something that I appreciate. I kept staring at the salted egg yolk crabs on the menu; I must come back again for them.

We also had a seared codfish on egg white with truffle sauce ($14.88/pax), and a pot of braised seafood and meat ($28) which I felt was a steal for the price, as it was filled with yummy ingredients like baby abalone, mushroom, pork belly, bean curd skin, and fish (as seen on the first picture of the post).

All in all, Old Hong Kong Legend is a place where you can get well-executed Chinese food at reasonable prices. I also learnt that they offer dim sum till 5pm on weekdays – definitely the place to go if I am meeting my friends for a late lunch.

Old Hong Kong Legend
252 North Bridge Road
#02-18/19 Raffles City Shopping Centre
Tel: +65 6336 3038

For the second stop of the Raffles City food trail, we went to Bibigo.

The Korean restaurant currently has 16 branches worldwide, which includes China, United States, London, and Singapore. The concept is pretty simple. They want to introduce good and healthy Korean food to the world, and while prices are not exactly cheap (average spending is around $21/pax), it is not too exorbitant either.

We had quite a spread: seafood pancake ($13), hot stone bibimbap ($16), ginseng orange salad ($12), sweet & spicy rice cake ($14), char-grilled bulgogi ($22), and spicy soft tofu stew ($14).

I thought that the sweet & spicy rice cake was not too bad, but I probably would not pay so much – given that it is a cheap Korean street food.

And if you look at the menu, you would notice that their bibimbap is quite different from the usual ones as you get to customise it. First, you choose the rice: white, black, brown & white, and barley & white. Then, you select the topping from options like bulgogi, grilled spicy pork, chicken teriyaki, tofu, and shrimp. And finally, the sauce: kohot, ssam, sesame, and citron soy. The result? You get tasty bibimbap in a sizzling hot stone pot.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the seafood pancake. As for the spicy tofu stew, it was nothing crazy in terms of flavour combination but just done well enough to hit the comfort note for me.

If I am in the Raffles City area, I can see myself coming back to Bibigo for a quick meal. For two people, I would suggest getting a stew, bibimbap, and seafood pancake to share.

Bibigo
252 North Bridge Road
#B1-74 Raffles City Shopping Centre
Tel: +65 6336 4745
Daily: 11am – 10pm

For desserts, we went to everyone’s favourite Canele Patisserie Chocolaterie. Chef Christophe Grilo has definitely stamped his mark with a new menu comprising popular desserts like tarte au citron, triple chocolate cheesecake, forêt noire, and strawberry shortcake.

I felt like a kid in Disneyland when I saw all the cakes on the table. Everything looked so delicious. Where do we start? How does anyone choose between cheesecake or the very popular le royale? Or favourites like strawberry shortcake and mille-feuille?

Out of all the cakes that we tried, my favourites were the la noisette, le royale, mango passion chocolat blanc, and gateau au fromage.

At Canele, they name this as la noisette ($7.50). But I prefer to call the hazelnut cream puff ‘a dream come true’. That’s right folks: praline, lemon, and choux pastry. Three things I adore all put together.

The mango passion chocolat blanc ($7.50) tastes as good as it looks. The combination of white chocolate mousse, zesty mango passion fruit cream, mango marmalade, and coconut crumble base was perfect. My heart beats faster as I recalled how effortless the flavours and textures blended in every taste.

Also not to be missed is the le royale ($8). The heavenly pairing of dark chocolate and hazelnut makes this one of the most popular desserts at Canele Patisserie. The gateau au fromage ($6.50) is also worth a mention. Light, smooth, and creamy – it is perhaps, one of the best cheesecakes I have had in recent times.

Here is one thing that not many people know: Canele has very good bread. Since Chef Christophe Grilo took over the kitchen, he has been constantly testing new recipes to create better bread. I think his croissant and pain au chocolate are good, so the next time you are there for tea, remember to have the bread too.

They have also just launched their summer macarons collection for 2012. You can find interesting flavours like vanilla banana, mint chocolate, lemon lime, violet berries, and rice krispie chocolate.

Canele Patisserie Chocolaterie
252 North Bridge Road
#B1-46/47 Raffles City Shopping Centre
Tel: +65 6334 7377

To find out more about Raffles City’s food festival, please visit Raffles City Epicurean Society where you can read about the restaurants, promotions and food reviews.

How to enter Raffles City’s Dining Vouchers Giveaway

1. Giving away 6 X $50 The Handburger and 3 X $50 Watami dining vouchers.

2. Leave a comment and tell us: ‘Which restaurant do you want to try in Raffles City?’ OR ‘your favourite restaurant in Raffles City?’

3. A random generator will be used, everyone has an equal chance of winning.

4. Giveaway ends on 16th Aug 2012 Thursday 2359. Winners will be notified by email.

5. If you have submitted previously, you automatically qualify for the second giveaway.

Whenever my friends meet for gatherings, one of our favourite places is Raffles City Shopping Centre as City Hall is convenient for everyone.

Other than the location, another reason why I love Raffles City is because of the dining options – there are more than 50 restaurants in the mall. From restaurants like Salt Tapas & Bar, Skinny Pizza, Sushi Tei, and Canele; to eateries like Thai Express, The Soup Spoon, and Cedele – it offers a diverse range of food offerings.

Raffles City is organising a Mastercard mall-wide F&B promotion (6th to 29th July) in conjunction with Singapore Food Festival 2012. There will be lucky draw with exclusive $5,000 worth of hotel stay by Fairmont and Swissotel, and dining deals to be won during this period. You can visit Raffles City Epicurean Society for more details.

I met up with the folks from Raffles City to find out more about the promotion, and they brought me on a food trail to try three restaurants at Raffles City – Salt Tapas & Bar, Menya Musashi, and Soup Broth Asia.

If you always have problem trying to choose a place for dinner in the City Hall area, here’s a quick guide on where you can go.

Food trail, here we go!

Our first stop was at Salt Tapas & Bar by Australian celebrity chef Luke Mangan.

We started with the roasted garlic flat bread with romesco ($6). Then, we had the baked bone marrow ($16) with shiitake, Parmesan, & air-dried olive.

I was really excited when I saw it on the menu. I tasted a good bone marrow in New York, but so far, I haven’t been able to find a good rendition in Singapore. I thought Salt’s bone marrow was fantastic; it will have me returning over and over again.

Peter, the restaurant manager, recommended the tagine of snapper and octopus ($32), which was created by Luke Mangan himself. The dish was prepared with chickpeas, silverbeet, date and lemon; it tasted slightly sourish-sweet – somewhat like an Assam fish head.

Equally good was the charcoal grilled baby chicken ($26) with rosemary & lemon. I was tempted to order more food; the charcoal grilled beef rib ($31) and iberico pork loin ($27) were calling out to me – but I figured that I shouldn’t be too greedy since this was only the first stop, so we proceeded with desserts.

Looking at the choices on the dessert menu, we were not sure where to even begin. In the end, we decided to go with something rich – gooey hot chocolate tart ($14) and churros with chocolate ($11), which after dipping our spoon into, we agreed was one of the best ways one could end the meal with.

The food at Salt Tapas & Bar is not exactly cheap; the nibbles are priced around $6 to $19, while the meat and seafood tapas range from $15 to $32. But this is a meal worth saving up for. For a more affordable alternative, I’d suggest going there for lunch. Salt Tapas & Bar has a lunch set at $33.50++; you get flat bread to share, and three tapas per person – which in my opinion, is a fantastic deal as the items on the lunch menu can be found on the ala carte menu.

Salt Tapas & Bar
252 North Bridge Road
#01-22A Raffles City Shopping Centre
Tel: +65 6837 0995
Daily: 11.30am – 10pm

Following our Aussie tapas adventure, we went to Menya Musashi, one of Japan’s most famous ramen shops. I think it’s great that they have chosen to open the first store at Raffles City, as it is very accessible. The opening of the Japanese ramen restaurant definitely adds to the wide variety of food available at the mall.

From what I’ve heard, the current queue during lunch and dinner is at least an hour long. Not too bad for a new restaurant that is barely a few months old.

After trying all the ramen on the menu, I can understand why people queue up for it. I would venture to say that it is one of the better tonkatsu-based ramens in Singapore.

Besides Tsukemen ($14.90) – where you dip dry noodles in a richer soup sauce; Menya Musashi serves three different types of ramen: white (original tonkatsu broth), red (spicy tonkatsu broth), and black (tonkatsu broth with fermented garlic and onion).

One of the reasons why Menya Musashi is so special is because of the broth. It is boiled for more than nine hours, and the chef has to stir it every half an hour to prevent the bottom from being burned. The result? An extremely thick and rich tonkatsu broth that is out-of-this-world good. I am not exaggerating when I use the word ‘extremely’; Menya Musashi’s broth is much thicker than the usual ramen places.

While the black and red Musashi are delicious, my favourite is the white Musashi, as I love the original taste of tonkatsu broth. Each ramen comes with the option of chashu ($12.90), or Kakuni ($14.90). The chashu is quite good, but the kakuni (braised pork belly) is even better.

Go during off-peak hours, or be prepared to queue up.

Menya Musashi
252 North Bridge Road
#01-16 Raffles City Shopping Centre
Tel: +65 6336 6500

Our third, and final stop of the day was Soup Broth Asia – located at the basement of Raffles City Shopping Centre where you can find many restaurants and eateries.

Soup Broth Asia is an Asian soup concept by everyone’s favourite The Soup Spoon, a leading soup chain in Singapore. For those who don’t cook at home, Soup Broth Asia gives them the chance to savour homemade Asian soups.

There are nine different types of comforting and hearty soups such as tori daikon nabe, Hainanese beef and tripe hotpot, as well as canton lotus root with pork rib.

We sampled three signature soups, and I loved the Hainanese festive fish maw ($10.40) – with fresh fish slices, fish maw, and cabbage – as it reminds me of my mom’s soups.

The sumo wrestle – a miso based soup which consist of chicken, beancurd, lotus root, poached eggs, and soya milk – is quite fascinating as it substitutes cream with soya milk for people who are allergic to dairy products.

If you are a beef stew lover, you will love the Hainanese beef and tripe hotpot ($7.90). It is an oriental version of beef stew, and comes with nicely marinated beef and beef tripe.

Soup Broth Asia also has side dishes like appetisers ($2.80 to $4.80), vegetables ($5.90 to $7.40) and meats ($6.50 to $10.50). In particular, the sweet & sour pork ($8.80) and garlic baby dou miao ($7.40) were very decent.

Soup Broth Asia
252 North Bridge Road
#B1-62 Rafffles City Shopping Centre
Tel: +65 6338 6909
Sun–Thu: 11am – 10pm
Fri–Sat: 11am – 10.30pm

That’s all folks. I hope you enjoy reading my food trail at Raffles City. I will be going on another adventure to try three other restaurants; I will definitely share it with you soon!

To find out more about Raffles City’s food festival, please visit Raffles City Epicurean Society where you can read about the F&B tenants, promotions and food reviews.

I’ll be honest. The only reason why I went to Old Hong Kong Legend at Raffles City Shopping Mall was because Royal China was fully booked that day. Surprisingly, they have pretty good dim sum at reasonable prices.

If you have not heard about the Old Hong Kong Group, they currently have four restaurants: Old Hong Kong Kitchen at Novena Square 2, Old Hong Kong TasteMyVillage at Serangoon Gardens, Old Hong Kong Teahouse at Katong Village and of course, Old Hong Kong Legend at Raffles City Shopping Mall.

The dim sum menu at Old Hong Kong Legend has around 20 items, with prices ranging from $3.2 to $5.5 per basket. From the steamed items like Steamed Shrimp Dumping, Steamed Beef Balls, and Steamed Glutinous rice; to deep fried items like Deep Fried Prawn Dumpling, Deep Fried Spring Roll and Deep Fried Chives Dumpling; and baked items like Mini Egg Tarts, Baked Bo Lo Bun and Barbecued Pork Puff Pastry – there are options for every one.

Ever since I tried the Chicken Feet from Tim Ho Wan (One Michelin-Star restaurant in Hong Kong), my opinion about the dish has changed. For me, it used to represent one of those gruesome punishments in Fear Factor, but now, it is more like a yummy dim sum treat. Old Hong Kong Legend’s Steamed Chicken Claws with Black Bean Sauce ($3.2) was the perfect way to start one’s meal.

The Steamed Egg Yolk Custard Bun ($3.2) was good, but not life changing (read: not the best custard bun in Singapore). That said, I’ve paid $3 for one custard bun before, so the ones here are worth a try. Imagine: taste of happiness for merely a dollar each.

Three dim sum items arrived in quick succession: Steamed Glutinous Rice ($4.5), Pan Fried Radish Cake ($3.2), and Steamed Barbecued Pork Bun ($3.2). Except for the Glutinous rice in lotus leaf, the other two items were run-of-the-mill and nothing worth mentioning.

When I was scanning through the menu, the baked items like Char Siew Sou, Egg Tarts and Baked Bo Lo Bun were screaming ‘EAT ME’. Unfortunately, the oven was spoilt that day and we couldn’t order any of them. I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced this, but it is not a nice feeling to see something, and not being able to eat it.

Thankfully, the Steamed Shrimp Dumpling ($5.5) and Steamed Pork Dumpling ($5.5) were decent and we quickly forgot about the baked dim sum.

All in all, Old Hong Kong Legend at Raffles City Shopping Mall (City Hall) is a competent restaurant to have dim sum. If not for the fact that there are so many good dim sum restaurants like Royal China, Man Fu Yuan and Wah Lok in the area, I’d come back more often for lunch.

For more recommendations, read my list of dim sum restaurants in Singapore

Singapore Food Blog Review
Old Hong Kong Legend
252 North Bridge Road
#02-18 Raffles City Shopping Centre
Tel: +65 6336 3038

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An oasis of blue, with a glimpse of gold. Royal China. There are places which you will proudly recommend to your friends when they want suggestions for food, and I raved about the best dim sum before. Indeed, my fond memories of the exquisite Chinese-tapas still lingers in my heart. My perennial return was long overdue.

But perhaps it was my mistake not to check with the restaurant before going, that I didn’t realise they had a special dim sum menu for the Chinese New Year period. With just a selection of 12 different dim sum, all priced at $6.80++ instead of the normal price, I did feel being rip-off, but that’s Chinese New Year for you, and it was my fault for not checking beforehand.

In place of the usual red roe on top of the steamed minced pork dumpling with abalone ($6.80++, usual price $4.80), we had tiny abalones instead. Right, the siew mai was up to standard, but I’ll not say the same having pay two dollars extra for the tiny abalone on top.

From the outside, the steamed prawn dumplings with black moss ($6.80++, usual price $4.80) looked the same. The exotic ingredients kicked in with the addition of black moss (fa-cai), an ingredient that is never missing from Chinese New Year menu. I certainly understood the significant of the auspicious ingredient, but I must admit that there wasn’t any enhance in the flavour of the har gau.

The Crispy prawn rolls with sesame ($6.80++) was one of the item which I did not try before, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. Fundamentally prawn roll with mango, fried crispy with the sesame stuck on top. A dip into the mayo dressing completed the whole taste.

My love, the Baked barbecued pork puff ($6.80++, usual price $4). Royal China’s rendition was very good, with golden butter flaky skin and juicy red char siew. The only problem, this was exactly the same without any addition of “exotic ingredients” and I had to pay almost three bucks more for it.

Total bill was $43. 90 for 4 dim sum, 1 appetiser, and of course the other charges. Was I disappointed by the second visit? Certainly, counting by per piece, it’s close to $2.60 each, even more expensive than Yan Ting. But you can’t fault them for the quality in dim sum, it’s just that I’m sore over paying more than usual for my char siew sou. Will I go back again? Certainly, I still have good impression of them even though this was a bad experience.

And one more thing which I was not pleased about. For those of you who had been there, you’ll know that in their middle seating area, it used to be square tables with the nice white chairs. But they had removed them, and placed round tables with ugly brown chairs instead. I presumed this was done to increase the seating capacity,  but the different furnitures was certainly not pleasing to the eyes, and the seating arrangements were not comfortable at all. After checking with a friend who went after the cny period, it seems everything is back to normal.

One thing’s a definite. We will find out the next time I revisit the place.

Royal China
1 Beach Road
#03-09 Raffles Hotel
Tel: 6338 3363

ladyironchef’s Food Event Outing at Ochacha!

A total of 20 people graced the event, with bloggers, readers of LIC’s blog, and their friends joining us for the green tea appreciation at Ochacha.

There was supposed to be more, about 15 more, but they all last minute had something on, anyway 20′s a big number, considering it’s LIC first time organising an event.

Dinner was supposed to start at 730pm, but you know Singaporeans tend to come late, so we actually started the ball rolling at 8pm.

Ochacha’s boss Miss lee arranged her cafe and gave us half the space, so thankful for that.

The menu is as follow :

Drinks: Matcha Rocks, Azuki Freezie, Ochacha Rocks, Ochacha latte or ochacha silk (3 cold and choice of 1 warm)

Soup: Shiitake Mushroom or tomato soup

Sandwiches: Sakura Egg, Wasabi Tuna, Furikake Salmon

Desserts: Matcha Cotton, Matcha Azuki, Financier, Matcha Panna Cotta

Its $17.50 per person to try the wide range of items in this menu. For all the food i’ll be putting the normal price beside it.

Reserved for LIC food event outing!

And apparently our ladies like green tea more than guys, hence the bigger differential in the numbers.

Complimentary chips

The chips were on the house, for our hungry guests before everyone turned up

Salad

The salad was also not included in our original menu. Miss lee thought that it will be better if there are some greens to go along with.

From left to right: Matcha Rocks, Ochacha Rocks, Azuki Freezie

Matcha Rocks ($4.95)

Chilled Matcha with sugar (no milk). I think most people preferred the Matcha Rocks one to Ochacha rocks which has milk

Ochacha Rocks ($4.95)

Chilled Matcha Latte. The Ochacha rocks is the middle one, coming with milk, its a lighter shade of green than the Matcha Rocks

Azuki Freezie ($6.50)

Ice blended matcha with azuki (Jap red beans). I believe the Azuki Freezie won quite a number of fan tonight, it stood out with the matcha taste on ice blend.

Please be reminded that what you are seeing are shooters, not the actual size of the drinks. The prices indicated are for the normal size.

Shiitake Mushroom soup

I think quite a number of people found the shiitake mushroom soup to be a tad too salty for their tastebuds.

Tomato soup

The tomato soup is more on the sweet and soup side. It really depends whether you are a fan of tomato and soup or not. I’m not a soup person though.

Sakura Egg Sandwich ($4.80)

The sakura egg sandwich is still my favourite among the three sandwiches at Ochacha. See here for the picture of the normal size sandwich on my last visit.

Wasabi Tuna Sandwich ($5,90)

Wasabi (spicy!!) tuna mayo fills up the delicious bread. This is my first time trying this, on the previous visit i had only the egg and the salmon ones.

For the wasabi tuna sandwich, i like tuna, but i don’t like wasabi.

Furikake Salmon Sandwich ($5.90)

Smoked salmon with Japanese seaweed. I had the Furikake Salmon sandwich on my previous visit too.

The Japanese seaweed added the salty aspect to flavor the salmon, but i found it to be a tad on the salty side.

Matcha Financier ($2.90)

French cake named after its shape like gold bar. The Matcha Financier did not disappoint, but then again i could be bias as i’m totally a dessert person.

Matcha Azuki ($4.90)

Layered matcha cake with azuki beans & cream. The Matcha Azuki totally rock my world, the usage of azuki red beans gave the matcha cake a sweet twist.

I had this on my second visit too!

Matcha Cotton ($2.90)

Fluffy Japanese souffle cake with fresh cream in the center. The extremly soft sponge matcha cake simply melts in the mouth!

Matcha Panna Cotta ($4.90)

Italian creamy dessert with matcha flavor. This dessert had mixed reviews, some didn’t like it and found it to be too soft for a panna cotta, while others adored it and find the soft texture, coupled with the matcha flavor a delight to have.

Again this shows that taste is subjective, what some might like, others might not like.

Ochacha Latte ($4.80) or Ochacha Silk ($4.80)

Hot matcha latte & soy milk with matcha. We had the choice of either one for our warm green tea.

Total Bill was $350 for 20 people ($17.50 fixed price for each person). For $17.50, i think its definitely a very good price as we got to try out a whole wide range of green tea, sandwiches and desserts.

If you go on your own, i highly doubt that you’ll be able to have so many items unless yours are a big group.

I didn’t have much tonight, mainly because as the host i need to walk around and entertained my guests, and its really stressful organizing an event. But its all right because i had most of the dishes on my previous visits.

Its a real pleasure for me to organize this event, and i sincerely hope that it’s good for all the diners. Do pardon me if any of you guys did not enjoy the dinner. And no refunds please (if any)!

I always believe that food is a very wonderful gift to us, it can bring like-minded people who love food together, people from different ages, background, to come together and enjoyed the good food.

Its an honor to have some of the food bloggers and readers of LIC, their friends, who in turn bring more friends to this event. See you all at the next LIC food outing, it’ll be soon : )

OChaCha
252 North Bridge Road
#B1-44F Raffles City
Tel: 6333 5886

PS: Let me know once you guys make write your reviews on this post, will linked everyone here!

Michelle’s @ Never Trust a Scrawny Foodie
Sihan @ Befuddlement
Jia ying @ Brownbread girl
Zheng Ning @ The Blue Plate
Styke @ Creations Wing

For those who went, got blog, but haven blog about it

Evan @ bossacafez
Jon @ newfoodie
Hisham @ mhisham
Vicki @ My Sweet Niblets
Claudia @ Claud talk

The rest who went but no blog

Christine, Melissa, Andy, Jane, Estelle, Shu qing, fz, Elisa

Thanks to all for coming, without you guys the event will go on smoothly!

Here’s a sneak preview of what to expect for LIC food event @ O Cha Cha next tue!

A friend and I went down to O Cha Cha last week after i got my DSLR, we went to discuss the menu with Ochacha’s boss Miss Lee Yin Siau.

From left anticlockwise, is Mr.Ochacha Mondo, on its right is our friend Miss Matcha Panna Cotta, and followed by Ochacha Rocks, and the top is Gyokuro.

Gyokuro uses the same tea leave made into Matcha, just that the whole tea leave is being use for Gyokuro which is evident inside the tea.

Say hello to Ochacha Rocks! He rocks all righty! There’s also Matcha Azuki at the left background of the picture!

And Miss Matcha Panna Cotta! We will be seeing all of them next tue!

Just in case you do not know what’s going on, LIC is proud to organise a food event outing at Ochacha, raffles city basement next tue 13th May.

The Place: OChaCha

The Date: 13th May Tuesday

The Time: 730pm

The Price: $17.50 per person

The Menu:

Drinks: OChaCha Rocks, Azuki Freezzie, Passion Rocks, OChaCha Latte, Chado

Sandwiches: Sakura Egg, Wasabi Tuna, Furikake Salmon

Soups: Shiitake Mushroom

Desserts: Matcha Cotton, Matcha Azuki, Financier, Matcha Panna Cotta

All the cold drinks will be served in the shooters while the hot latte in individual cups.

Attendance:
1. LadyIronChef
2. Claudia
3. Jiaying
4. Sok Peng (2)
6. Qiu Gui
7. Caleb
8. Hisham (2)
10. Elisa
11. Christine
12. Peter Tan (2)
14. Jasmin (2)
16. Zheng Ni
17. Vicki (3)
20. Andy
21. Michelle (2)
23. Estelle (2)
25. Jon (2)
27. Anonymous (2)

Currently a total of 28 people have signed up for the event, the maximum capacity is 30, so RVSP now! Drop me a sms at 9623 2581 to confirm your place or should you have any enquiries. All are welcome, and feel free to bring along your friends too!

See you all at Ochacha next tue!

Well, always one true to my words, i said i’ll be back at Miss Clarity during my first visit. And here i am again. Nothing much has changed since my last visit, the kiddy decor, the colourful environment, the cute menu. Most importantly, the service has remained true to the Miss Clarity spirit, the food remains as good as well, with the price remaining the same.

As usual, we choose a main and add on $3 for an additional salad/soup, drink (barley/lime), and a dessert of the day.

Chicken Cordon Bleu ($8.80)

Deep fried breaded chicken breast stuffed with ham & cheese, served with tartar sauce and potato/vege as side dish. Chicken Cordon Bleu was ordered on the last visit as well, but my brother wanted to try so here goes. Steady and reliable. And did i mention the price?

Fish & Chips ($7.50)

Crispy breaded fish fillet with fries & clarity’s homemade coleslaw, served with tartar sauce. The fish & chips was decent, given its served in a cafe, the price is reasonable for the quality provided. The fillet layer’s bread crust was nice, and added a different dimension to the usual fish fillet served.

Total Bill was $22.30 for 2 person which i emphasis again is pretty reasonable for the amount of food served. What i really like about Miss Clarity is the fact that they provide good service, yet do not charge service charge for it. In addition, they even absorb the 7% GST. That will save you in the pocket to the tune of 17% for your meal. A jug of iced water with lemon slices are also given to each table even if you had ordered drinks.

Hello to the many people reading this entry, please do share your comments may it be good or bad : )

Miss Clarity Cafe
5 Purvis Street 188584
Tel: 63394803

” I refuse to pay service charge and GST when there is no service provided “

New York New York (NYNY), the eye-catching restaurant located at the underground of Citylink. NYNY stands out with its dazzling name, and always caught the attention with its alluring interior decorations. The green and cozy furnitures are the signature of NYNY. Having pass by NYNY many times but fail to go inside, a timely visit is always due on the cards as my companion and me went there for lunch.

The interior of NYNY

The front page of the Menu, a copy of the New York Post

Seafood Platter for 2 ($33.90)

We ordered the Seafood Platter for 2 to share. A platter fit for the Kings and Queens of New York! Cold Crab, prawn fritters, crispy fish salmon and calamari rings, compose of the delightful meal. Having ordered Seafood platters previously before at Manhattan Fish Market and Fish & Co, i was rather pleasantly surprise when the platter arrive. All right i admitted, i did not pay much attention when i made the order, so i didn’t really notice the word “Cold Crab” on the menu. Yep, thats the surprise, neither was my companion ready for it. Nonetheless, let us take a peek into what is present in the platter.

Crispy fish & chips

Well you know the ever-present fish & chips? Steady and reliable

Prawn Fritters

The prawn fritters were excellent. I loved this one. No doubt the prawn might not be very big, but then the bigger the prawn, i feel the less tasty it is. The prawn here is deep-fried, coupled with the Tata sauce, it is simply irresistible.

Fish Salmon

The Fish salmon here eaten raw, a tad too fishy for me, so i’ll give it a pass

Calamari Rings

Now then, everybody should know Calamaris are actually fried squids right? O well just in case. The calamari rings here are up to the mark, tender and juicy. In my humble opinion, i consider the calamari rings here to be one level up from the one at Fish & Co. The main explanation being the ones at Fish & Co are too salty for my liking.

Cold Crab

North Altantic Fishermen love their chilled steamed crabs. Just some background information on the crustacean. In case you don’t know what is a crustacean, they are large group of arthropods, comprising approximately 52,000 described species. Baffled already? All right all right, to put it in short, some of the names we are familar with; lobsters, crabs, shrimps, crayfish,

The sea creature with the claws that are ready to pinch you if you are not too careful. To be honest, i am not a big fan of crabs. Why? Because i am lazy, yes pure lazy.

It takes skill to eat a crab you know? there are so many different parts of the crab to be eaten, well i like the big hammer of the crab, there’s lots of meat there. The small leg? Nah, you can have it. You’ll have to slowly suck the meat out of the thin skinny leg. Well be careful while you are having a suck at it, the cute guy or pretty girl next table might just be looking at you.

Nevertheless, both of us took quite a long time to finish it, the Cold Crab is fresh, too bad we are not crab lovers huh? hahaha!

Some might say New York New York is not good, they excel in the decorations but failed in the food. But my contrarian view tells me that they are good and a excellent place to hang out with your friends. The decorations are well done, in fact the environment of a restaurant plays a huge role as to whether the food is good. The food might not be the best, but they are still good. The crucial factor to this will be the price, its within reasonable pricing, and all this only sums up to one equation, i will be back.

Total bill was $39.90 for 2 person, which i find it to be inexpensive. NYNY @ Citylink is strategically located to tap on the huge crowd travelling from City Hall to Suntec/Marine Square. Thus, the restaurant being full even when it is not during lunch or dinner time is not an uncommon sight. NYNY, like Big O belongs under the same management of N.Y.D.C There are more to try from the comprehensive menu of NYNY. Until then!

1 Raffles Link, Citylink Mall, #B1-47A
Tel: 63419695

” Food all the way from New York City “