I don't have to be in the area near Changi to drop by Guru's Banana Leaf anymore. The verdict is this: the food is so good that I am willing to travel from the west to the east for their delectable cuisine. On my virgin trip to this store, it was conveniently by chance because I was there after a trip to Pulau Ubin, and the food was extremely satisfactory after a long, exhausting day of hiking and cycling. I also do appreciate their friendly service in recommending the different choices that they offer, as well as patiently waiting while my dining partner and I contemplated over what food items to select.The green banner usually symbolises that all food is Halal, so I'm glad that I can bond with my Muslim friends and indian nationals in this place. The recently renovated store now includes a open-kitchen concept where you can appreciate the chef's prata-making process. There are indoor and outdoor seating, and you can smoke in a restricted area. I was a little shy to go up front to look at him make the food, so I pretended walking up and down to see how he prepared the food. Here's what we ordered:Roti John - SGD5.00
The Roti John looked rather flat at first. The omellete sandwich included minced meat from both chicken and mutton. It also has slices of onion, lots of eggs, and a delectable spread of tomato-chilli sauce on a baguette-type loaf.I must say that they did not go easy on the tomato-chilli sauce and the eggs, giving it a mouth full of flavourful sweetness and extreme spice. The meat was rather fresh and it didn't taste as fatty or oily as I thought it would be.Garlic Naan - SGD1.50
I love Naans as it always taste less oiler than Roti Prata. The garlic naan sold in Guru's banana leaf was strong in its fragrance, and I love how parts of the Naan was crispy, while the other parts were fluffy. I really loved it!Cheese Naan - SGD2.50
The cheese was evenly spread throughout the naan, though it did require some washing down of the throat. However, i wish that the cheese was more sticky in texture like the Mozzarella cheese found in pizzas. If you were to ask for my preference, I would recommend the Garlic Naan over the cheese naan because the cheese naan lacks crispiness.Palak Paneer - SGD6.50
The thick curry sauce overwhelmed the base of the pureed spinach, and honestly, I would prefer so! It also comes with chunks of cottage cheese that was delicious to taste. It was mild against the strong flavourful taste of the spinach-curry.Here's one column of the menu to show you the wide variety of the food that they have. I felt that the food was delicious and it was sold at very reasonable prices.
If you're thinking of heading down today, here's some recommended tips for my fellow OpenRicers!

1. Don't sit in the interior of the shop as it may be rather warm.Try to avoid the outermost outdoor seating area as well at night, because there was a strong burning rubber smell which probably came from the main road.
2. Do drink lots of water if you are ordering the garlic naan to avoid embarrassing bad mouth odours.
3. Be prepared to google some items that you have not heard before. I am not well-versed in Indian cuisine, hence my dining partner and I were googling away the names of the items because of the lack of pictures.
4. The parking space is very limited. Try to take the public transport or park elsewhere because there was a traffic jam on the main road due to the queue of cars waiting to get into the carpark.

If you're looking for an authentic German culinary experience in Singapore, Stuttgart Blackforest Boutique S-Cafe should be one of the top of your list. I had the opportunity to visit Stuttgart a few years back and had craved for the same dining experience ever since, and I'm happy to say that Stuttgart Blackforest Boutique S-Cafe has made its mark. I am so grateful for this joint-initiative by Between and OpenRice Singapore, enabling me to participate in this food-tasting session and relive those nostalgic Stuttgart memories. The cafe is strategically located near a busy traffic junction, but once ensconced within its cosy interior, one would be hard-pressed to notice the hustle and bustle of the busy street outside.Step into the cafe and you will be in awe of the carefully-decorated dining area. The cafe has trees for pillars and partitions instead of your usual white-washed walls, imparting the impression of dining in the midst of a enchanted forest. There is also a wall of cuckoo houses and a wine vault located on the second floor. Strangely enough, the entire atmosphere is an exact replica of traditional German cafes. I would say that the experience in the cafe was rather similar to what I had encountered in Germany. The German greeting "Guten Tag", which means 'hello', is splayed across the refrigerators, each containing many glass bottles of German beer. Instead of rambling on about the magnificent ambience, I shall bring your attention back to the food and beverages. Cappuccino - SGD10.00
In all honesty, the cappuccino is not the highlight of the cafe. In fact, Germany is famous for its beer and not the coffee. The froth had too many bubbles in it and the coffee itself did not even fill half the cup. Being Singaporean, my first instinct was to look at whether there was any latte art. But no, the barista did not make any. Despite the underwhelming presentation, the aroma of the cappuccino was strong and it tasted creamy and smooth.Peppermint Tea - SGD10.00
I really loved the Peppermint Tea which was flown in from Stuttgart. Bearing the Hochland brand name, it was extremely fragrant and rather light on the palate. I felt so relaxed after drinking it and had such a good night's sleep after the meal.Wurstsalat - SGD18.00
This wurstsalad contains sausage slices with onions and gherkins. The sausage slices tasted more like ham, but the vegetables were really fresh! The cherry tomatoes were juicy and I thought that the gherkins gave a natural sourish flavour. Schwäbische Maultaschen - SGD25.00
I really loved this dish of Swabian pasta with meat pockets, served with sautéed onions on the side. It reminded me of xiao long bao (Shanghai Dumplings), except that it is a larger version, uses beef and comes without any broth within. As the Swabian pasta was rather thick, it kept me from feeling hungry even hours later. The beef was so tender and juicy and I think it's best to eat it plain, without any other sauces. Spezialität Bratwurst - SGD25.00
Some of the OpenRicers also ordered the specialty sausages, which come with potato salad and sauerkraut. Beef, chicken or pork variants are available. According to them, the portion was not filling enough. I guess the Asian palate is not used to having sausages as a main meal. Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte - SGD12.00
We also ordered a slice of their signature Blackforest cake. According to the menu, the cake is freshly baked and there are only limited servings per day. Although the type of alcohol it contains is not stated, I guess it is either rum or brandy.The cake tasted fresh and there was little moisture. I love the chocolate crumbs and the sweetness that accompanied every bite. It was not overly sweet, and the cream added smoothness to the texture. The alcohol part was at the bottom of the cake, hence if you cannot take alcohol, you can easily remove the bottom layer.Here are some tips for OpenRicers who are keen to visit the Cafe.
1. It is highly recommended that you bring along a camera because the cafe is really well-decorated. It is not necessary to bring any portable flash as the cafe is well-lit.2. Do ask to be seated near the cashier or the kitchen as it is slightly difficult to get the attention of the staff if you sit in some obscure corner.
3. Be prepared to part with some extra cash as there is a pop-up store in the cafe where you can buy goods, such as their tea or their clocks which are flown from Germany.
4. Be patient as their service may not be up to standard. From our experience, they mixed up our orders but this may be due to the fact that were 9 of us, hence the large group may have caused some confusion.

More than half a year later, I am back at Din Tai Fung, this time in the East. Previously I visited the restaurant chain at Jurong Point, and was thinking if their services could be as consistent.

I really love the service at Din Tai Fung, the people who served the food are friendly and there was an open kitchen concept.Fried Egg Rice - SGD9.00
The fried egg was fragrant and not too salty at all. The rice was puffed up and fluffy, making it not sticky but very delicious!Sliced Pork - SGD6.80
This was a cold dish, and there was a slight wine taste. I think they used Hua diao jig. the meat consisted mostly of fats, which made it more difficult to eat as i am quite afraid of fats.Xiao Long Bao - SGD9.50
Din Tai Fung's bestseller would be the xiao long bao, whereby the skin are made delicately and within the kitchen itself. i saw 3 chefs making the xiao long bao, one pulled a little bit from the dough, the other flattened it and put the meat in, while the other skilfully closed up the xiao long bao after putting cubes of soup in.Close-up of Xiao Long Bao
You can see that the meat was really fresh and the soup was a lot, without breaking the skin of the xiao long bao!

You may also get additional chrysanthemum tea at SGD1.00 each, and its refillable too. i will definitely visit din tai fungi again because their service and food is so consistently delicious.

I'm so glad for the new outlet in west gate, and it had a long queue during dinnertime. Oxtail de Bourguignon SGD15.80
This is a hearty stew with tender meltingly meat. The chunks of meat fell off the bones easily, and was so soft and tender to eat. The oxtail is pressure-cooked in red wine sauce with carrot and onion.French Onion Soup- SGD5.80
The caramelised french onion and fond de Veau was served with cheese croutons. It was rich with red wine and sherry, making the soup very flavourful and thick in the broth.Poulet Roti - SGD15.80 for half / SGD28.80 whole
This is the star dish of Poulet. The chicken is brined for a full day in a traditional recipe then placed in the rotisserie for a slow roast until the skin tans to a golden brown.They also add their home-made mushroom chardonnay sauce to create the poulet.. it was deeply flavoured with a slight citrus taste, perhaps lemon! The mushroom chardonnay sauce added fragrance and made the chicken more delicious when we soak in it thoroughly!

More at http://www.littletinysun.com

Away from the bustling crowd lies a wood-fired oven. Pitch stop is famous for its pizza, and the pasta is tastefully cooked as well!
Pitchstop is visible to everyone walking past. Its transparent glass doors allow us to dine in as if we were dining outdoors due to the sunlight penetrating through the glass windows. The friendly manager gave a really great service. Pitchstop also has a loyalty card and you can check that out in-store for more details.Regardless of the ingredients you choose, the pizza promotes a standardised costs of 9" for $10.50 and 12" for $18.

PizzasSausage Olives & Pineapple (9") - SGD10.50
I really love the ingredients in this pizza, which contains Chicken cipoiata, olives and pineapples! It was a mix of sweet-tasting pineapple with succulent chicken, and also a unique taste with the olives. The cheese made it all the better, and I would recommend this as a start to try out their delicious pizzas!Smoked Turkey Breast (12") - SGD18.00
This contains roma tomatoes and smoked chicken breast. The mozzarella cheese was fumed with the wood-fired aroma, and was delicious to taste.I also ordered a bottle of Kronenbourg 1664 (1/2 pint) at SGD8.00. This is truly a remarkable Paris beer that is a must to accompany all pizzas! I love the bittersweet taste of the cold beer.

PastaAglio Olio - SGD6.00
The Aglio Olio consists of fettucine sauteed in olive oil, shitake mushrooms, chopped garlic, garnished with spicy chilli padi. I added Mini Creamy Mushroom soup & Ice Lemon Tea for additional $1.50, which was really worth it . We were disturbed by houseflies after sitting in awhile, but thankfully, we didn't get any food poisoning!