The Disgruntled Brasserie, sister outlet of the acclaimed The Disgruntled Chef at Dempsey has now launched a revamped menu created by newly appointed Chef de Cuisine Desmond Goh. Unlike its fine dining counterpart, the Disgruntled Brasserie is a relaxed and modern European brasserie focused on sharing plates.

Located in boutique hotel The Club, The Disgruntled Brasserie provides a respite from the noise, sights, and smells from the Ann Siang watering hole. 

We started out night with the small plates. The Foie Gras & Peanut Butter Miso ($18/pc), served with blackcurrant, poached grapes and brioche is recommended. How can anyone say no to a smooth chunk of butter on more butter.

I like some oomph in my dishes so the Home-Cured Salmon ($16) with pickled cucumber and marinated avocado on horseradish buttermilk was a tad too bland for me.

Now, the dish that really tantalized my tastebuds is the Gruyere Cheese Soufflé ($16). Cheesy it sure was but it was delightfully airy and light and the caramelised onions and chardonnay fondue helped to balance the creaminess. Share this or not, i'll leave it to you. Ps. i wouldn't.

Outside of Japan, probably no other country has more Japanese restaurants per capita than Singapore. There is no lack of options if you wish to have a bowl of ramen. So why should you make your way to Machida Shoten, a ramen eatery that recently opened in Wisma Atria Japan Food Town?

Here are two reasons. You may discover more if you heed my advice and make a visit, which you should the next time you crave a bowl of ramen or a good, inexpensive and fuss-free Japanese meal.

Reason #1: The ramen

It may come as a surprise that quite a few places in town that claim to be ramen restaurants are not very good at it. Machida Shoten, on the other hand, does a great job. It uses thick yellow noodles, different from the thin stringy version that is more common here. The ramen is not overly heavy or starchy, and acts as an excellent conduit for the broth, which is the star of the show. You should either order the Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen ($16) or the Miso Tonkotsu Ramen ($16). 

The Shoyu Tonkotsu broth is an intense mix of pork bone and shoyu flavours which engulf your senses at once – it is rich, robust, nutty, and many delicious things combined into a wonderful whole. You are forced to shut out all distractions to confront this bowl of ramen, and the reward is utter satisfaction and happiness.

Can't believe it has been 3 years since Manhattan opened in Regent Hotel Singapore! After serving over 170,000 cocktails and 60,000 plates of gourmet bar bites centered on the New York boroughs, they have now updated their menu which draws inspiration from the five eras of New York. 

From the time of the European Exploration (1520 to 1730s), when Dutch explorers settled at the southern tip of Manhattan and the first settlers of New York developed their native way of life, Manhattan presents the First Voyage ($25).

Made from Mancino Vecchio, Rutte Old Simon Gin, Penfold's Father Port Wine, Luxardo Maraschino and Orange Bitters, this low-abv clay pot-aged cocktail is full-bodied with deep flavours and subtle cherry notes. Left to rest for at least two weeks to heighten smoothness and gain complexity, the drink is a tribute to the history of clay pots being used to store liquids during the time.

Looking for a romantic spot for a date or for an intimate wedding? Consider Lewin Terrace, a Japanese-French fusion restaurant housed in a gorgeous black & white bungalow and nestled amidst the lush greenery of Fort Canning. 

Take it from the experts, my dining party of bridal publication writers said that Lewin Terrace serves the best food in their category (boutique wedding restaurants i reckon). I definitely agree with the made-in-heaven marriage between Japanese and French cuisine, which was made better by Executive Chef Keisuke Matsumoto and his team of chefs. 

Lewin Terrace’s signature set dinner and seasonal lunch menus change every three months due to its produce-driven philosophy. Here's a look at what we had for their special World Gourmet Summit 2017 menu, along with some wine-sake pairing from their extensive and exclusive wine list. We were lucky to try the dishes prepared by Chef Keisuke Matsumoto and critically-acclaimed pastry chef Kiriko Nakamura from Tirpse for this collaboration.

Snack by Kiriko- A delightful pop of onion, shallots and blue cheese powder on a snappy cracker. We had the 2014 Muscat Bailey A “Seiro” L’Escargot” to start. This Japanese wine smells like lily and i loved the fruity and floral notes that end with honey.

What was once The Forbidden City is now VLV Restaurant, a restaurant- club lounge- courtyard-riverside dining spot. Well let's just focus on their food shall we?  restaurant that focuses on traditional Cantonese flavours.  Executive Head Chef Martin Foo whips up modern plates that take reference from traditional Cantonese flavors in his menu, and the restaurant has launched three new Lunch Sets—‘Creations’ ($48/pax; min 2 pax), ‘Tasting’ ($98/4 pax; max 2 sets/grp), and ‘Signatures’ ($138/4 pax; max 2 sets/grp).

From the Signatures menu, the cold starter Aburi Kagoshima Kurobuta Roll did not impress (a little dry) as much as Calamari Rings. Do not scoff at fried food. With a crunchy batter and thick juicy rings of squid, how can I not fall in love with these golden rings?

The radioactive green Crab Meat Spinach Soup may put you off but it's rich and tasty, and definitely green. 

Steamed to the precise second, the Coral Trout Head & Belly had me going for second third helpings. Fresh and chunky white fish dressed in black garlic and black bean, and garnished with Chinese coriander may be typical of a Cantonese steamed fish, but the charm was the surprise silky sheets of beancurd skin beneath the fish!

A little late here but WELCOME TO THE HOOD Firebake! Can I just say that Firebake Woodfired Bakehouse and Restaurant is my favorite dining spot in the East? I've been waiting with bated breath ever since I heard that Konstantino (or Tino) is gonna open up a place to sell his kickass sourdough bread made. Plus this passionate man was building a full-scale woodfire oven just so that he can bake his breads in (how's that for passion)! Of course, you can expect that I made many rounds around their block so that I can be the first to check them out when they open.

Tino is truly an artisan who is devoted to his craft. From raw ingredients to firewood to water, everything is as non-processed, sustainable, and close to its natural state as possible. Organic flour, natural non-iodised and non-processed salt, water that has been treated using Firebake’s elaborate Nordaq Fresh water filtration system, all these pure ingredients go into the making of a perfect loaf. 

Hump day alert! Because the best way to get through mid week is with some sake and bar bites! We have recently discovered an awesome Choinomi deal for Japanese sake and Otsumami (snack) at IPPUDO. 

Now now, how about a Tokkuri (sake flask) of sake + 1 otsumami for only $9.90? Trust us when we say that the portions are generous (for both). For this promo, beers and highballs are also available if you love to guzzle and rinse. The in-between munch of otsumami include crab fritters, chicken jamban and otsumami menma. Of course there are more choices on the menu but we certainly recommend the above. If one snack is not enough (DUH), go for the otsumami set at $15 that allows you to pick 3 items from the Otsumami menu. Or just go for three Choinomi sets (because 1 tokkuri of sake is never enough).

The Choinomi sets will be available all night long from 5.30pm onwards at the Mohamed Sultan Outlet and 5pm onwards at Shaw Centre Outlet.

Eat. Drink. Repeat.

IPPUDO
207 River Valley Road, #01-55/56, Singapore 238275
1 Scotts Road #04-22/23 Shaw Centre, Singapore 228208

A brand new dining experience has been introduced at Hard Rock Hotel Singapore by Resorts World Sentosa (RWS). Get your savory, sweet, and Masterchef desires satisfied here with their crab and seafood dishes, elaborate patisserie, and cooking classes with their celebrity chefs. 

The highlight here is really the cooking studio, named Cooking Sessions. I don't know about you but i absolutely love cooking classes even though i never cook at home. So don't worry if your cooking skills are less than stellar, you'll be under the good hands of the celebrity chef or the resident culinary expert. Plus there are a variety of cooking programmes - from decorating cupcakes and baking cookies for the little ones (for children four years old and above at $18 nett per child) to a fine-dining 3-hour multi-course menu cook-off competition which makes for an exciting team-building activity (from $120 nett per person).

Chef Forest Leong took us through the preparation of her Fried Fish Slices with Salted Egg Yolk Cream which is served at Forest. Her husband Chef Sam Leong is one of the instructor chefs at Cooking Sessions, along with Chef Douglas Tay from Osia Steak and Seafood Grill, and Chef Yew Eng Tong from Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora.

Birds of a Feather, one of my favorite restaurant, has added new items to their awesome menu and they have also started their weekend brunch! WHEEEEE! Seriously guys, if you haven't tried their contemporary Western-Sichuan offering, you really should go now. Check out my earlier food review of Birds of a Feather here! 

While the first launch menu stuck with the more known flavors of Ma (numbing) and La (spicy), the have now introduced more complex sichuan flavors into the dishes! 

Starting with the small plates, how about a chilled Pig Ear Mosaic ($18)? I don't eat pig ears but these braised pig ears served cold with Sichuan red and sour dressing, and arrowroot noodles were pretty tasty, that's if you get past the squeamishness of the ears. My favorite was the chewy cold noodles with the numbing spice (ma la) sauce. 

One of my favorite Sichuan flavors is the salty garlic sauce. The Baby Octopus with Classic Sichuan Garlic Sauce ($18). Instead of the usual sliced pork which may be dryish, a blanched baby octopus is used instead. It's a good cold dish to start with and i loved the crunch from the black fungus.

Trust me, we all need that well-deserved break from weekend retail therapy and there's no better place to rest your legs and pockets at Hilton Singapore! They have just launched their new Endless Saturday High Tea at D9 Cakery. 

High tea at a cakery? Sounds like sweet stuff. Well there are sufficient savory bites IMO. Though the selection is not wide, i must say they are quality stuff that will satisfy. 

I love the buns here. Definitely the Pulled Pork Sliders (love the good balance of sweetness and tartness of the meat, sandwiched between fluffy buns) and Pork Floss Curry Pork Bun (remember to add on more of chef's house-made curry and more floss).

Hilton does the best hotel satays in Singapore I SWEAR. They are even better than Pan Pacific Edge's. I say it's among the best i've tasted in Singapore too. 

Super chunky, juicy, tender and well flavored!

The Laksa is quite lemak too! The surprise was the Liu Sha Bao (the skin is so fluffy and the tasty salted egg lava flows). Something special from the savory section is the Swiss Raclette that goes on top of your potatoes or focaccia. Honestly i don't get the hype because the cheese coagulates quickly. I'd rather have a selection of cheeses. 

Fall into a sweet coma with the six-meter showcase brimming with a selection of desserts highlighting artisanal cake creations all made using premium imported ingredients. Here, you get the bite size portions of the typical slices sold at D9. I say it's definitely a great way to help you find your favorite bakes! The chocolate fudge was a hit, i enjoyed the banana walnut loaf, and the pralines are great too. Plus there are the famous Hilton cheesecakes in pop size! They also have pretty desserts in jars too. 

Whatever you do, make sure you pop a few more of their macarons. THESE ARE DAMN GOOD. Nice crust (breaks a tad too easily) with dense flavorful ganache fillimg. Absolutely love the salted caramel one, and coffee, and chocolate, and lemon... Sorry no photos because they are all in my tummy!

Afternoon tea is incomplete without freshly baked Vanilla and Raisin scones with clotted cream. I love these perfect bite sized scones that have a nice crust on the outside and sticky density on the inside. Plus that clotted cream is yums!! Definitely one of the better scones around town.

The afternoon tea experience is complete with over ten handpicked selections of TWG tea blends. This Saturdate experience can be enjoyed at $41/pax with free flow coffee and TWG tea. Top up an additional $35 for bottomless rounds of sparkling wine, selected beer, white and red wines.

Hilton Endless Saturday High Tea at D9 Cakery

Lobby Level, Hilton Singapore

581 Orchard Road Singapore 238883

Tel: +65 6730 3392

Sat: 12 - 2.30pm, 3 - 5pm