Vanilla Bar & Café

This must be the 5th time I am back to CBD in just 2 weeks. With so many places to choose from for sweet treats in the area, who cares about all the work related stresses.



You bet what greeted us was a smiling waitstaff? Before one could do so, a soothing vanilla scent filled the entire space rushed out and met us at the doorway. So true to its name.


Mini Burger Sampler - $7.90

Two mini burgers for the price of one, each the size of a sausage McMuffin, good for sharing at the same time promise to fill the hungriest stomach.

With any main course or sandwich ordered, top up $1.50 to enjoy a cup of in-house blend coffee or $2.50 for soup of the day.


Matcha Azuki Ice Cream - $6.90

The ice cream though didn't carry too much of matcha flavour that one may find just a little too milky, its texture was indeed one of a kind.

With mysterious jelly-like ingredients mixed into the ice cream, the result of which would be sure to tease and please your taste buds.

Enjoy it with the azuki beans for a more exquisite taste.


Molten Chcolate Cake with French Vanilla Ice Cream - $11.50

Chef's recommendation on the dessert menu, chocolate-filled cake and a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.



Doesn't this remind you of the Chocolate Lava Cake at Sweet Indulgence.



If you are one of those lucky dudes whose office is within 15 minute walk from Vanilla, remember their contact number by heart, for they promise to deliver their comfort food to your door step at no extra cost. Click this link for more details.


Vanilla bar & café バニラ
3 Boon Tat Street #01-01
Mon-Thu, 1030am - 11pm
Fri-Sat, 11am - 12midnight, closed on Sunday and PH
6423 0366

Megumi

We went to Megumi at Sunset Way after enjoying a cup of ice cream at The Daily Scoop and grew weak in the knees thinking about making that long walk back to the main road where we came from.


恵みサラダ - $8.80
Crispy garden greens with special salad dressing prepared all in one bottle/jar, skillfully mixed well before being served to us. Facsinating....

鮭の腹＋勘八 - $32.00
While we tasted freshness in our sashimi, its huge price tag taught us a valuable lesson.


キノコとホタテ貝の貝殻 - $15.80
Stir-fried scallops with enoki mushrooms. This would be the only dish I would come back for.

The next 2 dishes were as common as what you can get from any Japanese food stall in XYZ hawker centre.


ウナギ焼き飯 - $9.80
Unagi fried rice, tasted rather plain. Do Japanese really do their fried rice this way?

カツカレーライス - $9.80
Pork cutlet curry rice.

While located at the waterfront is a plus point, overall Megumi didn't leave a lasting impression on me as one Japanese restaurant I would come back for again.

恵み
Blk 106 Clementi St 12 (Sunset Way)
#01-38
Daily, 11.30am - 2.30pm, 6pm - 10.30pm
Tel: 6779 1411

Sho Teppan @ ION Orchard

Although Sho Teppan has opened on the 1st day of ION Orchard operations, I never really had any desire to try it. Perhaps it looked like another average teppanyaki restaurant with lot's of smoke floating around in the restaurant.

However, we were out of new choices at ION. Hence, we decided to give Sho Teppan a try.



As we entered, we saw diners sitting around counters. Each had an individual metal pot infront of them. And there were lot's of smoke. And the smell lingers on your clothes long after you leave the restaurant. So those who intends to shop around after dinner should be careful while eating here.



The hot pots were warmed with induction cooking. Very easy to use. Just press the On/Off button, then the up and down button to increase or decrease the heat. P1 is the lowest heat while P3 and above is the maximum.



I have no idea why is there an hour glass here. Perhaps for those who ordered rice or grilled meats?



We each had a Sukiyaki set. First 2 pots full of vegetables and soup was placed infront of us. Wait for the soup to boil before adding the meat.



Lot's of crunchy veges such as mushrooms, chinese cabbage, carrots, tofu, leeks etc.



Black Angus beef set (S$14.90). The beef was very tender after cooking in the soup. In fact you can leave the beef in the soup and it won't get tough.



Marbled pork set (S$13.90). The pork was good too, but I prefer the Black Angus beef. By the way, they also had other cuts such as Wagyu beef, layered pork, chicken, scallops and salmon sets too for the Sukiyaki.



Each set came with a bowl of rice, salad and raw egg. Some prefer to dip the cooked meat in the raw egg before eating. But I prefer my egg cooked, so for my case, I will first cook all the meat in the soup, then add the egg inside and eat the egg on its own. A note on the soup. It is quite salty and flavourful. More like a watered down gravy then soup.



Also had a glass of pineapple juice which I almost could not finish.

Overall, I enjoyed the food here. But hope they can improve on the ventilation system because I still smell like a pot of sukiyaki hours after leaving the restaurant.


Sho Teppan
2 Orchard Turn
#B3-19
ION Orchard

Noble House @ UIC Building

I remembered I first went to Noble House at UIC Building along Shenton Way back in the early 90s when I attended a wedding dinner.

My impression of the place, which I believe is the same for many others, is that the interior looks like a themed restaurant with the colourful facades of shophouses acting as walls in the restaurant.



The restaurant underwent a minor renovation not too long ago, but the colourful shophouses wall remains. And if my memory serves me well, another Tung Lok restaurant in East Coast (think Paramount) also has similar designs.

Nowadays on weekend afternoons (which are usually very empty), you will see foreigners (especially from US or Europe) having their lunches here which is part of their package tour to Asia.



It's the Chinese New Year season still. And sliced Bak Kwa was served as appetizer. A mixture of spicy and original Bak Kwa.



I really like this Yellow Wine Chicken Soup with Ginger . Unlike the version at Shin Ye Taiwan restaurant where the taste is skewed more to the bitterness of the yellow wine, the version here still retains the strong taste of the Yellow Wine, but in a less bitter manner. The chicken has already been deboned and only thigh meat are selected to be added again into the soup after processing the chicken. And lot's of sliced ginger inside too.



Ordered an assortment of Dim Sum. Siew Mai (S$4.80 for 4) was my favourite. The prawns and pork were flavourful and crunchy.



The Chee Cheong Fun with Scallops and Asparagus (3 for S$5.50) was a little let down as in the scallops were far and few. And the scallops did not taste sweet.



On the other hand, the Crispy Prawns Dumplings (3 for S$4.80) were good. Especially with the mayo.



The Dried Scallop Seafood Har Kow (3 for S$4.80) was served lukewarm, which I did not fancy.



I find the standards of Char Siew Bao (3 for S$4.80) pretty good and acceptable to me. The char siew paste were not too sweet. And the skin was fluffy and soft.



Still not full, we ordered this Pan fried ribeye beef with noodles (similar to Mee Sua). The beef was tender and flavourful. The noodles which resembles our Mee Sua, was said to be a noodle from Japan. But I had forgotten the Chinese name of the noodles.



Every meal at Tung Lok ends with our special Dessert - Cream puffs + fruit juice.

If you are trying to find a Chinese restaurant in the CBD which is not overly priced I will suggest Noble House. But of course the standards here are good, but not the best.


Noble House
5 Shenton Way
#06-13
UIC Building

Storck Mint Chocs

Mint and chocolate make a wonderful pair. Just think of Arnott's delicious Chocolate Mint cookies and you'll get what I mean!

Storck is the maker of those scrumptious Merci crocants which I look forward to enjoying every Christmas and the famed Werther's Original caramels. Here's another winner from them- their Mint Chocs! I've been loving these since I first tried them in primary school.

Suck on the refreshing peppermint shell and after a while, you'll find yourself greeted by a rich, melty chocolate cream filling. Hidden treasure once again haha (;

Waffletown @ Balmoral Plaza

Due to my course of work, this is my 3rd (or 4th) time visiting Waffletown.



According to media reports, Waffletown was introduced into the secret country of North Korea earlier last year by the owners of the Singapore franchise holder of Waffletown. Apparently, many North Koreans love the fried chicken, burgers and waffles from Waffletown. So much so that a 2nd outlet will be opened this year there in North Korea.



Wanted to have something savoury, so ordered the ham and waffles set. Each set came with a serving of butter and syrup. The ham was nothing to shout about, but I like the waffles. The waffles were crispy on the outside and soft inside.



Pity that they did not serve it with real maple syrup. But this sugar syrup and SCS butter was good enough for me. Was told last time they used REAL maple syrup and lurpak butter. Guess the economic crisis have resulted in the removal of maple syrup to a more economical breakfast syrup.

Saw quite a few people having their fried chicken. I remembered having their fried chicken a few years back, and wasn't impressed by the quality. Not sure if they are now using a special North Korean recipe for their chickens. hehehe


Waffletown
271 Bukit Timah Road
#01-02
Balmoral Plaza

Whole Earth

We chanced upon Whole Earth one day when my lunch kaki and I were searching for a place for lunch at Tanjong Pagar and their $9.90+ set lunch got our attention.


Kong Bah Braised Mushroom

The mushrooms certainly had been braised in gravy for several intensive hours, as each bite onto which resulted bursting of rich flavours. It was my companion’s choice of main, but I almost finished the entire dish myself. Oh no....


Nyonya Curry

Both of us agreed that it tasted even better than the real deal (the meat version)!


Olive Rice

With extra $1, one gets to ‘upgrade’ steamed rice to olive rice. Simple yet yummy, I fell in love with their olive rice on the 1st bite, for its robust fragrance of fried olive that I simply can't resist. This is one good reason that I must come back again.



Besides this weekday lunch promotion, Worth Earth’s menu also carries a full array of Thai Peranakan dishes promise to tantalise your taste buds yet go easy on wallet. Don’t just take my word for it, hit Tanjong Pagar today down to Worth Earth and try it yourself.


Whole Earth
76 Peck Seah Street
Daily, 11.30am-3pm, 5.30pm-9pm
6323 3308

Jang Shou Korean Charcoal BBQ @ Esplanade Mall

Compared to Japanese food, Korean food is still not as popular here in Singapore. Most Singaporeans only know few Korean dishes like Bibimbap, Hot Plate Beef / Chicken / Pork and of course, Korean kimchi noodles soup (which is actually cooked with Nong Shim's instant noodles).



On the eve of Chinese New Year Eve, danieru弁～～V(^o^)V and myself had a reunion of sorts at Jang Shou Korean BBQ at Esplanade before watching the fireworks at the River Hongbao opening. danieru弁～～V(^o^)V had been here before, so I am quite confident the food here is of good quality.

Once you have placed your order, the service staffs (mostly mainland Chinese staffs) will push a trolley to your table and unload all these side dishes. Most were quite nice. I like the coleslaw salad, pasta salad, kimchi, and a few of the vegetable dishes. The kimchi is refillable and refill of the other side dishes is limited to only 1 dish of your choice.



We were also given a huge plate of this onion dish. When queried, the waitress said the sauce base was made of soya sauce and sugar. But I sense there is more to this sauce. It is a wonderfully refreshing dish. The sauce tasted like the Hong Kong steam fish sauce. Together with sliced onions, it went well as a refresherner inbetween all the grilled meat.



We are both beef eaters. Do decided to go for the all beef meal. Had the beef brisket and prime beef ribs.

By default, the waitress will grill the meat infront of you. But if you decide to be adventurous, you can also grill the meat yourself.

The waitress was fast in grilling, and within minutes, we were on our way to the beef heaven. The beef brisket, which was not marinated prior to grilling, had a tender and chewy texture. Dip the sliced meat in the special salt sauce mixture and enjoy the original taste of the grilled meat.



Alternatively, add the meat in between crunchy vegetables and add some chilli paste.



I love their prime beef ribs. I am no beef expert but one look and I know the meat is of excellent quality. The ribs here are without bones, and they have been marinated overnight in a special sauce.



Finally they are done. The ribs are very tender and flavourful. No sauce is needed because of the overnight marination.



Also ordered a pot of kinchi cassarole. Enough to feed 4 diners but good for 2 hungry dudes, we slurped up every drop of the spicy soup. Other than fresh vegetables and mushrooms, there are lots of sliced pork meat and korean rice cakes inside.



The waitress did not mix the soup well. So I got a bowl full of pork slices while danieru弁～～V(^o^)V got a bowl full of Korean rice cakes. Still, there was enough for the 2 of us. Really enjoyed this soup a lot.



After dinner, it is off to the Floating Platform for the long awaited fireworks. After watching fireworks for so many times, the excitement wanes as one gets older. Maybe next time they should do something different such as shooting our dear merlion into space or something.


Jang Shou Korean Charcoal BBQ
8 Raffles Avenue
#01-13B
Esplanade Mall

Hunting for the best durian ice cream in SG: The Daily Scoop

Double scoop ($5.20): Durian-durian (left), Salted Mr Brown

While Tom's Palette remains as my favorite, The Daily Scoop is one of the better ice cream parlors around. All the flavors are hand-churned on the premises, and milkshakes and soda floats are also available.

Being a huge huge fan of the fruit, I thoroughly enjoyed the pungent pulp-studded durian ice cream. It was a tad icy though. Salted Mister Brown- chocolate ice-cream studded with brownie bits and brown sugar bits, spiced up by a generous addition of sea salt- did not disappoint either.
I also had a forkful of my friend's warm chocolate brownie, which definitely left me greedy for more- I've got to order a portion for myself sometime!

Izakaya Nijumaru Restaurant @ Cuppage Plaza

Ah... every visit to Izakaya Nijumaru would stir up nostalgic feelings. This was the first ful fledge Japanese restaurant I visited back when I was still a student. Prices have not changed much and I am glad to say that the surroundings and quality of food remain too.



Whenever you want to know whether a Japanese restaurant is authentic or not, see how many Japanese eat there. Here at Izakaya Nikumaru, about 50% of their clients are Japanese. A sign of authenticity.



Oysters are always referred as the "Viagra from the ocean". The oysters served here, while fresh, is nothing to shout about. The oysters are flash-fried in oil after being coated in crispy breadcrumbs.



My favourite Unagi don with additional serving of sashimi. The sashimi was pretty fresh and the crunchy. I like the side dishes but I am sad to say I have no idea what is inside. All I know is there are strings of vegetables which have been soaked in soya sauce. Very refreshing.



Just take a look at the unagi. How shiny and beautiful they look. I can imagine the chef roasting them, then adding unagi sauce onto the unagi and roasting them again and repeating it until they are fully cooked. Do note sometimes there are tiny bones inside. Although the bones can be digested, I will make it a point not to eat them.



The exterior of the restaurant. It is hidden somewhere inside the shops at the 2nd level, so just walk around the 2nd floor and try to spot a shop which has a long brightly lid green signboard.


Izakaya Nijumaru Restaurant
5 Koek Road
#02-10
Cuppage Plaza