WHO: Singapore's favorite chicken rice Chatterbox and 2 Michelin Star Shisen Hanten

WHAT: 50% off all items from Mandarin Orchard. Chatterbox's world-famous Hainanese Chicken Rice is only priced at $13.50 now. Features tender-boiled chicken, jasmine rice, and chicken soup, served with homemade chilli, ginger, and dark soya sauce. 

Get yourself a DBS/POSB card and enjoy 1-for-1 deals.

Chatterbox Signature Bento ($34 for 2 sets)- Mandarin Chicken Rice, Braised Bee Tai Mak with Abalone, Tauhu Goreng, and Rojak. The sides change over time. The earlier set we had featured abalone ko lo mee which was fab. My mum had the bee tai mak recently and said it wasn't good. I'd recommend the chicken rice for sure. Oh and get another portion of the refreshing rojak! 

Shisen Hanten Bento  ($34 for 2)- Gave the Chen's Mapo tofu another try in this bento and still did not enjoy it. Too one dimensional with the numbing spice but it wasn't like spicy either. The bento was a lot less satisfying than the Chatterbox one. Give this a miss.

HOW: Place your orders on https://shop-orchard.meritushotels.com/en_SG. Free delivery over $80. Free parking for 30mins if you're taking away. 

WHO: Miss Vanda by One Michelin Star Labyrinth

WHAT: Expensive local food but ok we pay because there are some hot favorites from Labyrinth that is Mod-Sin.

Weekly Family Set Menu for 2 ($88) includes:

Har Cheong Wings- these arrived crispy still and i loved how it's deboned and the juiciness could be fully enjoyed. Super pungent (in a good way) and that sambal belachan is woah! Love this too.

Laksa- if you want a good bowl of laksa, go to Katong 328 (according to Jr). This was more like a seafood curry noodles with unfortunately mushy prawns, plus mussels, her giao and tau pok.

Wagyu Rendang- this super tender and intense rendang would have you reaching for a pot of plain rice, especially with the lumps of buah keluak in it. It's our favorite dish of the lot but we couldn't finish it as the rest of the dishes were all too big on flavors. 

Ang Mo Claypot Chicken Rice- this is chicken rice on crack. Try it on its own before you drench it with the mushroom sauce which i thought was a condensed Japanese Chicken ramen soup. I thought the rice was too mushy actually and together with the soupy sauce, it reminded me more of chicken baked rice. Tad too salty as well. 

HOW: Visit missvanda.sg, drive through pick up at Esplanade. Minimum order of $50 with a $10 island-wide delivery fee. Free delivery above $150. 

Hi guys, hope you are well! Sorry for the lack of updates. The Circuit Breaker in Singapore has kept me very busy at work in fact and i resorted to updating more on IG @msskinnyfat instead. If you wanna stay connected with me, hop over to the other side to check out the meals i've been whipping up or work out with me! 

I was hoping that things would go back to normal soon but it'll be awhile before we can start dining out. I don't enjoy takeouts as much since the experience is very much diminished but i guess we all need something to look forward to and food is a way to maintain that normalcy. So i'm back to sharing here again but in a shorter form since things can get cray at work. 

Anyhow, here are some bentos from Yàn, a restaurant that i frequented. When it comes to takeaways, i enjoy variety and these are great for individual diners. There are 4 bentos to pick from and they are a steal at only $10.80. Plus you get a 20% discount if you pick it up yourself.   

My favorite is the Set A, which consists of Pan-Fried Carrot Cake with XO Sauce and  Chinese sausage; Honey Glazed BBQ Char Siew; Deep Fried Prawn Dumpling with Mayonnaise (2 pcs); and Mushroom with Broccoli. This bento holds up even with cross island travel and it also keeps well overnight in the fridge. I would know because i ordered an extra set to keep for lunch the next day. 

2020 hasn't been quite kind to us but life goes on. Hope everyone is taking the safe distancing thing and work from home seriously! Well if you get a chance to take a breather, i'm sure working from a tea lounge works too. Regent Hotel Tea Lounge has a well spaced layout that allows you to privately enjoy your three-tiered tea set that's served to your table on weekdays from 12 - 5pm. Regent's signature scones are one of my favorites in Singapore and best sliced apart and slathered with a thick layer to lush Devonshire clotted cream and a smidgen of lemon curd.  

On weekends, the tea lounge takes on a semi buffet format. The current theme is English Garden and you will find counters stocked with English cheeses and dainty sandwiches filled with black truffle, egg mayonnaise and cucumber. 

I very much enjoyed making these bite-sized blini sandwiches, which i generously topped with the various caviar. Other English delights include mini pot pies with Angus beef ragout, classic roasted Wagyu beef rump with truffle, and Yorkshire Pudding.

In our crazy fast paced nation, a slow food trend is burgeoning. At Tiong Bahru Bakery Diner, they've taken slow food and made it fast and casual. Almost every element of each dish is is made from scratch, using locally sourced ingredients and minimising food waste. Of course, the result is new flavors and food that is good for your gut and soul. The two diners are located at Raffles City and Funan Mall and provides diners with convenient all-day breakfast options with a whole lot of vegetarian and vegans dishes. 

At the helm of the bistro is the sweet and enthusiastic Chef Paul Albert, who cut his teeth at several Michelin starred restaurants in France and Rio. Paul brings along his experience in sourdough baking, after his experience with The Slow Bakery in Rio where he learnt a great deal about wild fermentation. 

A look at the menu and one may be surprised at the number of vegetarian and vegan options. It's a concerted effort to do so in fact. Trust me, it'd change your mind on going green if you're a serious meat eater. 

For starters, reach for the Chayote Kimchi & Mung Bean Salad ($18) which features a toss-up of slow-cooked mung beans, blanched local snake beans and an old-style Korean kimchi made using local chayote and turnip that has been fermented in-house for several months. The kimchi was definitely on par with those that i've had in Seoul and it's riper than usual. Crispy buckwheat and toasted peanuts give the dish an additional crunch. 

The Hot Chicken Salad & Caramelised Pumpkin ($20) is a generous salad that will satisfy your protein craving. The chicken is first marinated with various local spices and then sous vide. Unfortunately the breast was a tad dry and salty for me. The highlights for me were the Kabocha pumpkin that has a lovely brown butter flavor and a caramelized sugar-like crust that is au natural; and also the zesty pomelo salad with a Greek yogurt wasabi dressing and parsley oil.

It's a feat to have survived the past nine years in the Singapore F&B scene and Artichoke has done it, despite being the "least authentic Middle Eastern restaurant in Singapore" (so they say). They're here to remind you that they're still alive and kicking and why you should head back or check them out if you haven't.  My my, the last time i visited was before i started blogging! Oops.

If you haven't been to Artichoke, do not go there expecting anything traditional or standard (you can go to Arab Street/ Kampong Glam for your run-of-the-mill tagine). Instead, head there for a casual night with hearty shared plates and un-ME music (the playlist is all chef-owner Bjorn's own favorites). The food uses ME ingredients as a start, but Bjorn adds on his own brand of creativity and likes to un-ME his dishes. 

The right way to start is the meal is with some mezzes and fluffy Turkish bread ($4.50). Definitely go with the Hummus with Iraqi spiced mushrooms ($14). What special about this hummus is that miso is added for that extra umami, along with the usual chickpeas, whipped creamed tahini, lemon juice and garlic. The mushrooms were seasoned in Baharat (a leavened thyme spice mixed, containing 7 spices) and sauteed with olive oil and garlic. 

I also do love the jammy Turkish eggplant ($12). The eggplant is halved and stuffed with onions and tomatoes, then confit and deep fried to turn the regular eggplant into an umami bomb. I also could not stop dipping the bread into the Beetroot Borani ($12), a sweetish beetroot cream cheese mix. If you enjoy the spicy pungent kick of garlic, the Israeli Sea asparagus ($12) is for you. The naturally salty veg is tossed in shallot oil and served with labneh (a yogurt-like cheese) and pickled garlic. It's not quite date-food material i must warn. 

Now now, i would not share the Crab Toast ($16/2pc), which is inspired by tzatziki (there's a bit of it in the mix but the crab takes center stage). I could not deal with the explosion of textures and flavors in this one- the sweetness of the Blue Swimmer crab, briny pops of Ikura, flavorful fried chicken skin and buttery pillowy brioche. Such deliciousness.

I'm not a fan of crowds (or human contact) in general and Chinese New Year is a chore for me. Have you had one of those super rushed reunion dinners at restaurants which have 3 seatings in 1 night? I mean, i already don't like people and i still gotta be hangry?? Well thankfully, there are now decent CNY takeaway meals by Goodwood Park Hotel's Min Jiang and Min Jiang at Dempsey to the rescue.

I enjoyed Min Jiang's (GWP) Joyful Abundance Yusheng ($168++/$179.75 nett, large portion only)., which is a fresh and refreshing salad with real salad leaves, alongside the tradition pickled melon strips, crushed peanuts and pine nuts, and sesame seeds. The dressing is a mix of calamansi juice, plum sauce and strawberry jam to provide a mix of acidity and fruity sweetness. Deep-fried cheesy chee cheong fan strips are used if you're dining in but are replaced by the simple but good golden crackers if you do takeaway. There're also fresh baby abalones and raw salmon. 

Follow it with a Pot of Gold ($243.95 nett for 8 pax, includes claypot), a pretty tessellation of braised pork belly alternated with creamy Australian pumpkin for a delicious bite, further adorned with Australian 6-head abalones and broccoli. 

As simple as the dish may sound, the pork belly and abalones have been separately braised in chicken stock and Chinese ham which gives it that extra umami.

Now now, this is what i'd definitely order. The Longevity noodles with baby abalones and roasted Iberico pork loin ($201.15 nett for 6 pax) is a plate that would tantalize your palate. Capellini is tossed in shallot oil, kombu, soy sauce and chives and topped with the cutest braised baby abalones and chopped chives. This is umami at its peak. The Ibérico pork is done char siew style, marinated overnight before seasoning with salt and caramelized with a house-made bbq sauce. 

Takeaways are also available at Minjiang at Dempsey. Their Yusheng is different from that at GWP ($108/$169++).  

Kai Garden is one of my go to Chinese restaurants for dim sum and their very well priced and gorgeous Peking Duck! And guess what! Kai Garden has opened a new restaurant Kai Duck that focuses on innovative dishes made with their Cantonese-style Peking duck.

Their new outlet at Ngee Ann City is a modern casual restaurant that caters to smaller groups of diners. Yes, one can enjoy some glorious bird dishes even if one were alone. Oh the beauty of it! Unlike the traditional Peking style of baking the duck with fire, the duck skin used at Kai Duck is prepared by using the Cantonese method of drizzling the duck with oil after baking, to enhance the aroma and juiciness of the skin. 

We started with the Chilled Mini Tomatoes topped with Japanese Sesame Sauce ($10.80) which uses fresh Japanese cherry tomatoes marinated in a tart plum sauce, and is served with handmade squares of plum jelly. This refreshing appetizer complements the rich flavors of the other dishes. Save some for in between dishes! The plum marinade is exactly like the sauce that accompanies most roast ducks. 

One of the signatures at Kai Duck is the Peking Duck Salad Hand Roll ($4.80 ea). Think of it as a fried spring roll filled with juicy slices of Peking Duck, cucumber and lettuce, seasoned with Japanese sesame sauce and seaweed.

Something old, something new. Classical European dining experience is given a contemporary update by new Executive Chef Armando Aristarco at Tablescape, Grand Park City Hall. A flavor-first approach is taken here, with only 3 to 4 ingredients per dish, to allow each ingredient its chance to shine.

Embrace an elegant and unhurried meal starting with a selection of housemade bread and butter. There are 14 breads in rotation and the highlights include the onion, brioche, sun-dried tomato,  and cheese focaccia. The breads are glorious and they're free flow, but please be a conscious diner and not take advantage of this. We heard some ugly diners stories and their cheapskate behaviors are just so uncalled for.  

I love eggs and the Egg ($28) at Tablescape is your decadent 62 deg version topped with 24 months aged Parmigiano Reggiano fonduce, and a chocolatey Umbria black summer truffle shavings that Chef made rain over the wobbly mix. Some extra texture is provided with both sautéed and raw asparagus.

Instead of a tuna tataki, we had the Beef ($20) done in the seared tataki style but with Korean flavors to it. Australian Black Angus striploin is paired with pumpkin in two textures – cubed and pureed. It is then dressed in classic Pommery mustard and raspberry vinaigrette for a sweet-savoury flavour.

The Scallop ($20) is another refreshing cold starter, seasoned with a little fat (olive oil) and acid (lemon zest). A cucumber gazpacho with a touch of raspberry vinaigrette adds to the overall tang of the dish.

Odette is the most coveted restaurant to dine at in 2019, having toppled long time winner Gaggan to become The World's Best Restaurant in Asia, and then clinching its third Michelin star for the first time. Chef Julien Royer is surely on a winning streak. I thought Odette would stay on my must-eat list for a long time to come but Jr surprised me by getting a table for our wedding anniversary (he asked me a couple of days before so i only had to wait for 3 days to dine at Odette)!

If you're out to impress your date or celebrate a special occasion, Odette is the place to go. The walk through the historic National Gallery (it's magical and majestic at night) and into the feminine and elegant restaurant with soft hues of pink, grey and cream prepares you for an exquisite meal to come. The restaurant is named after Chef Julien's grandmother, who is also his source of inspiration for his food. The produce are sourced from specialist artisan producers across the world – from Europe to Asia and Australia. As his grandmother showed him, the most "remarkable dishes can come from the purest ingredients" and the addition of that ‘little something’ create dishes that excite the palate and fill the heart, and you can expect that experience at Odette.

Dinner was a seasonal Modern French 8-course menu ($328/pax, prices would be $358/pax starting Nov) and there's a vegetarian option available as well. We also went with the wine pairing ($245/pax) which is absolutely delightful if you are into wines.

Before the meal started, we were served with snacks as we sipped on our champagne. A fresh cumin snap peas tart, a Comte cheese cigar, and scallop taco.

Then came the bread basket with truffle brioche, sourdough, and olive roll, served with Catalunya olive oil and a whipped butter with ground buckwheat. The bread basket stayed throughout our meal despite how full we were because we simply couldn't bear to have taken away. #FOMO

Looking for a go-to guy for authentic mexicano? Well, as the name itself suggests, El Mero Mero is exactly where you should be headed for the real deal, and i really don't mean Tex-Mex. The restaurant at CHIJMES has been serving us amigos for the past five years with solid Mexican classics and now it has taken its offerings a notch up with its refreshed menu that is designed to reflect both Mexican culinary history and its dynamic modern foodscape. 

What's Mexican food without Guacamole ($16)? The version here at El Mero Mero is made better because you can mix all the smashed avocados and condiments in yourself before smearing it on the crunchy charred tostadas. My advice? Order another side of fried masa corn chips because they are thinner and crunchier than the charred ones.

Even though the Corn sampler ($15) may look pedestrian, it certainly didn't taste so. The Cotja cheese mayo dressing made all the difference. I adore a good taramasalata and this tasted like that, except that it's sharper in flavor and also happens to be vegetarian.

The brown corn-mushroom donuts are out of this world though. It's the first time i've had Huitlacoche, a fungus (or mushrooms) that grows on the corn.

The first Shangri-La hotel, the first Shang Palace. Since 1971, both hotel and restaurant has been making history, from our little red dot, to the rest of the world. 

At the restaurant’s helm is Chef Mok Kit Keung, who has 40 good years of cooking under his belt (he started when he was only 13). Chef Mok is the one who brought Shang Palace Kowloon to its second Michelin star in 2011 and we think there's a high chance he may clinch a star (or two) for Shang Palace Singapore. Expect an extensive menu (or menus), ranging from traditional nostalgia, classic signatures, and innovative new dishes by Chef.

Taste the flavors of the good old days with Chef Mok's heritage dishes. Preparation of these heritage dishes is often painstaking, time- consuming and intricate, which explains why they are hard to find these days.

Take the Boneless quail filled with bird’s best in supreme Broth ($98/portion) for example, the tiny bird had all its bones removed, leaving the delicate flesh and skin intact to be filled with 40g of bird's nest. The supreme broth is also cooked for 8 hours using chicken, pork, and Jinhua ham to coax maximum flavour. If you think about all the work and premium ingredients that went into the dish, you'd understand why the dish is value for money. 

The Deep-fried crab meat, coriander and pork fritter 金钱蟹盒 ($36/6pcs) may look like a regular fried wanton, but the skin is actually hand-sliced pieces of pork fat (they're sliced so thinly that they're translucent). The skin wraps a mixture of Sri Lankan crab meat, mushrooms, Chinese coriander and bamboo shoots, forming a "coin" which is then deep fried till crispy. I loved how wonderfully juicy each bite was. 

A newer and better Min Jiang has opened at Dempsey! The move from their Rochester Park home of 12 years is a step forward for the group and it is certainly a refreshing departure. The timber interior of the main dining hall, and the choice of materials in the furniture are at perfect harmony with the lush and teeming greenery surroundings. Stepping into the space, i immediately felt peace and lightness, much of it attributed to the airy, light-filled place, enhanced with soothing color palette of gold and green.

Min Jiang at Dempsey not only sees a new design concept, but diners can expect a whole new menu by Master Chef Goh Chee Kong, who has devoted more than half of his 32-year career to Min Jiang. The menu presents familiar flavors of Cantonese and Sichuan cuisines in a contemporary presentation.

Intricate handmade dimsum creations are available for lunch daily. The Steamed ‘Goldfish’ Prawn Dumpling ($4.80/pc) ‘swimming’ in a delicate egg white sauce was too pretty to be eaten. The house-made crystal dumpling skin fell apart with a light tug, revealing a succulent prawn filling. The experience was enhanced with the contrasting pops of the tobiko and the smooth chinese ham and chicken stock broth further.  

If you're dining alone or with a partner, the Deluxe Dim Sum Platter ($38) is perfect as it features 4 pairs of bites, each with different flavors and textures. The Steamed Blue Pea Truffle Vegetable Dumpling is visually stunning and conceals a variety of textures- from the crunch of root vegetables, to the slippery strands of mung bean noodles. A baby stingray holds crabmeat, prawn and vegetable dumpling in its belly, while the scallop dumpling protected its delicate insides with its crystal dumpling skin. I would not have considered glutinous rice suitable for deep frying but Chef has wrapped the flavorful steamed sticky rice in a glutinous rice flour dough before frying them to golden buttery perfection.  This was absolutely delightful.

JAM at SIRI HOUSE is my home-entertaining goal. You can't beat the Dempsey location for its idyllic and lush surroundings. JAM at SIRI HOUSE's partnership with luxury property developer Sansiri also contributed to their eclectic Art Deco-Asian decor and luxurious fittings. 

Of course, what's any good house party without great food and drinks. JAM at SIRI HOUSE has reunited former Lolla Head Chef and current co-owner of Park Bench Deli, Ming Tan with Jeremy Cheok, previously from New Ubin Seafood, for some delicious bites. Sunday Punch’s Mark Tay and Yap Hwee Jen complete the team as creative forces behind the restaurant’s stellar bar programme.

Jr and I toyed with the idea of a cocktail trolley at home (part decor but mostly for drinking) but it ended up being my snack trolley instead (oops). The thought resurfaced when i visited JAM and was served with their selection of mini bottled cocktails ($13 for 60ml) from their trolley. These bottled cocktails are handcrafted in small batches every few days, and highlights 3 different flavor profiles each time. I started with a citrusy Siri House Negroni which incorporated Thai red tea that has been infused in gin for a creamier mouthfeel and blended with a bitter sweet vermouth. A classic with a twist. 

While sipping on my starter cocktail and browsing the menu, i couldn't tell what the cuisine-of-focus is at JAM, BUT that's exactly how they intend for it to be. Inspired by the modern Asian family table, dishes traverse geographical boundaries and are a mix of flavours and influences. Think about it, if you're Singaporean, does your mum only cook Singaporean/Asian dishes? Probably not. Expect some familiar flavors (like your favorite childhood snacks) but presented in a simple and playful but imaginative style. As per family table style, sharing plates are served to encourage all to have a taste of everything.

Childhood favorite snack Chicken in a Biscuit ($12) makes an appearance on JAM's menu. It's Chef Min's guilty pleasure and he loves it cold out from the fridge. It's amazing how the team managed to infuse the savory chicken essence into this biscuit (it came from the rendered chicken fat). The heart-attack cookie is topped with a spiced cream cheese flavored with ginger and garlic and some chicken skin crumble. The vivid memory of the melt-in-the-mouth chicken fat cookie caused my mouth to water every time i think about it. This is a must-order here. 

We had the wild hand-dived Hokkaido Scallop ($30) which is sourced from an independent supplier. The grade is a cut above the other commercial quality ones available. The scallop was sweet and briny on its own but subtle savory notes were brought out further by the other ingredients on the plate, such as yuzu, EVOO, black truffle, wild trout roe and a special limited qty only Arame Kombu garnish (because it's carried back personally by Chef).

Hai Tien Lo (海天楼) has been given a glorious makeover by new Executive Chef Ben Zeng, who brings to the table contemporary presentation of authentic Cantonese flavours. Seafood specialties steal the limelight at the award-winning restaurant now but be rest assured that your favorite roasts and dim sum are still available, with a twist of course. 

The twist comes in the form of Western cooking techniques employed. Some of the dishes would not look out of place in a fine-dining non-Chinese establishment but they still captured the essence of traditional Cantonese cuisine. 

We started with a Combination of pan-fried scallops and sliced crispy barbecued suckling pig stuffed with prawn paste in Thai sauce. The stuffed suckling pig skin is a classic that is done well at Hai Tien Lou. The sweet prawn paste with crunchy water chestnut was a juicy contrast to the thin crispy skin. 

In Hai Tien Lo’s new menu, Executive Chef Ben gives the traditional double-boiled Cantonese chicken soup a unique twist with the new Double-boiled Chicken Soup with Abalone, Dried Scallops, Fresh Prawns and Chinese Mushrooms served in Young Coconut. I absolutely loved the aroma of the young coconut and the light sweetness that it imparted to the broth that was already flavored by the seafood, chicken, Chinese ham and pork. 

I'm not a sea cucumber fan, but i polished a plate of the Deep-fried crispy sea cucumber stuffed with minced pork and shrimps accompanied with preserved vegetables. Chef took a traditional salty-sweet preserved vegetables and sea cucumber dish and turned it into something more palatable and attractive to younger folks. There's certainly a better balance of texture and flavors as compared to the traditional gelatinous dish that was often too salty.  

I was so in love with the Baked Sea Perch Fillet with Kumquat Chilli Sauce that i asked for the recipe! Orange peel was added for that pleasant citrus taste which balanced the fatty oily fish. The bitter-sweet spicy note at the end was divine. 

You can't possibly be on a carb-free diet when faced with Hai Tien Lo's Wok-fried rice with lobster and ginger spring onion. The wok hei in the rice was perfect and actually all i needed was the lobster bisque and superior stock broth that came with it. Honestly the flash-fried live lobster was just icing on the cake. 

To end the night, the newly added Chilled Lemongrass Jelly and Lime Sorbet will refresh your palate with invigorating flavours of lemongrass, fresh lemon and lime. 

I really enjoyed the new menu at Hai Tien Lo! The refreshed menu is extended to Hai Tien Lo’s four set lunch menus and six set dinner menus, prices starting from $58++ and $88++ per diner respectively. Regulars, fear not! Your favorites are probably still on the menu but now there's an opportunity to discover new favorites! 

Hai Tien Lo

7 Raffles Boulevard Singapore 039595

Pan Pacific Hotel Level 3

Tel: +65 6826 8240 

Daily: 11.30am - 2.30pm. 6.30 - 10.30pm