There's no place like home, and there is no greater pride than having our very own local Gordon Ramsay in Singapore. Award-winning Chef Tan Yong Hua is not only the FIRST Singaporean chef to emerge triumphant in Iron Chef Thailand, but also a winner of a gold and 2 silver medals at the prestigious 6th World Championship of Chinese Cuisine in China. Now, he has his very own Restaurant HOME brand on his shoulders at The Rail Mall. Is his craft comparable to that of non home-grown brands? Let my tastebuds tell you more. (Read till the end of the post for an ongoing promotion at Restaurant HOME)Chef Tan Yong Hua with his signature smoky, tantalising duck!

Barbecued Peking Duck with Lychee Wood

炭烧荔枝木烤鸭 — SGD $68 (Whole Duck)The Peking Duck is Chef Tan's signature dish! If you order a whole duck, you get a three-in-one dish presented to you. First, the skin from the breast is served together with palm and white sugar. Chef Tan knows his duck really well, and pointed out that this part is the prime cut of the duck. Indeed, it was extremely crispy even while retaining much of the duck's juices. It's best eaten with the mixed palm and white sugar so that the varied flavours melt evenly in your mouth.Meat from the whole duck

Next, the sliced duck meat is served together with cucumbers, leeks, sweet hoisin sauce and crepes. I was surprised we had to put the ingredients together ourselves as most Chinese restaurants serve up ready-made Peking duck crepes. Chef Tan explained that upon exposure, the crepes lose moisture quickly and turn hard. They were thus served in a dim sum steamer which we could cover to retain the moisture.Warm and soft freshly-steamed crepes.

The dish was perfectly balanced and had a therapeutic yin-and-yang feel to it. The cucumber and leek formed the yin food, while the yang food was the meat and hoisin sauce. Combined into the crepe, the dish was both richly savoury and sweet at the same time. Just as Chef Tan pointed out, the crepe was satisfyingly chewy, probably because it was thicker than most other crepes.Baked Marble Goby in Claypot with Chef Tan In-house Recipe

炭烧焗鼎锅笋壳 — $9 per 100gInitially stir-fried with lemon grass, galangal, spring onions and oil, the fish is then steamed in Chinese white wine, ginger and parsley for about 7 to 9 minutes. The taste is extremely compact; the fish packs some strong flavours without any unpleasant fishy smell. I would highly recommend this as a sharing portion for about 4-5 people.Chef Tan explains the intricacies of cooking up a perfect dish

Homemade Egg Bean Curd with Shrimp Paste, Crabmeat and Roe in Pi Pa Style

珊瑚琵琶豆腐 — SGD $18My first reaction to this dish was: Where is the tofu? It seemed as though it was drowned in shrimp paste, crabmeat and roe, but lo and behold, looks are deceiving! The egg bean curd almost melted in my mouth without any vigorous chewing and I thought I could slurp the entire dish down all by myself! It was really fragrant and extremely fresh and soft. Visually, the dish doesn't appear that pleasing but it is victorious in the sensory realms of taste, smell and texture. Contrasted with some other tofu dishes with rough skin and partly burnt edges, this dish was evenly cooked. I couldn't pick out the individual elements of shrimp paste, crabmeat and roe because they had fused into a thick and rich gravy, and one that was absolutely sumptuous.

Three Kinds of Vegetables Wok-fried in X.O. Chili Sauce

酱皇烧田圆 — SGD $18A trio of broccoli, asparagus and snow peas wok-fried in X.O. sauce

Crunchiness defines this dish. The vegetables were sweet and fresh, with a spice kick from the sprinkling of chili flakes. However, I thought the portion was smaller than average. The X.O. chili sauce provides the flavour that unites the dish. This is clearly not for you if you don't like spicy flavours in your food!

Deep-Fried Duck with Dried Chili, Roasted Minced Garlic and Capsicum Pepper Fine Salt

桥低避风塘鸭件— SGD $10This dish is created from the meat left over from the Peking Duck. For an additional $10, the remaining meat can be prepared in one of three ways: as a stew with vegetables, beancurd and mushrooms, wok-fried with ginger and onion, or deep-fried with garlic and chili. The latter version provided a huge contrast to the flavours experienced earlier, and I was surprised at the various ways in which duck meat could be cooked. I thought the capsicum pepper fine salt was slightly overpowering though, and so I didn't really fancy this dish.

Stewed Golden Noodles with Lobster and Spring Onions wrapped in O Ba Leaf

乌巴叶姜葱龙虾焖黄面— SGD $12.50 / 100 gmThe lobster is great enough to be a dish on its own. The huge chunks of briny crustacean made it extremely satisfying to devour, and I didn't think lobster paired with stewed noodles would make such a winning combination. I really loved the creative presentation of this dish, and coupled with the tantalising flavours, it definitely deserves high praise.Stewed Golden Noodles

While I thought the noodles looked like bee hoon, they actually had a bouncier texture, and the strands were easily separated. In other words, it's easy to divide the noodles into serving portions because they are not clumped together.

Soup of the Day (Old Cucumber Soup)

老黄瓜汤 — SGD$20Have you ever had a dish which gives you a heartwarming feeling of home and family? This old cucumber soup is a familiar favourite of mine, and I would say there is a sweet finish to every spoonful. It was only later that I realized the usual pork ribs were replaced with chicken, and this little twist certainly did no harm at all to the taste of this ubiquitous traditional favourite.

Homemade Ramen with 8 Head Quality Amidori Abalone

8头网鲍拉面 — SGD $26We had a sampling portion of the 8 Head Quality Amidori Abalone, and oh my goodness! The abalone had a really chewy texture and I truly enjoyed the dish. The abalone itself is the star and highlight of this dish, and the simple, pared-down presentation allows it to truly shine.

Crispy Roast Pork with Homemade Yellow Noodles

干捞烧腩仔肉黄面 — SGD $24The roast pork is extremely crispy because it is initially boiled before being placed in the steamer and then dripped dry. The layers of pork were almost fused into one, with no visible signs of fat at all. It was indeed very crispy, and there was a slight hint of saltiness cutting through the various flavours.

Barbecued Duck with Lychee Wood served with Homemade Yellow Noodles

干捞荔枝木烧鸭黄面 — SGD $24This dish wasn't as good as the earlier Peking Duck portions as it was a tad too dry. If you are looking for a simple single-portion meal, this should cut it, though my personal preference would be to order the Peking Duck over this dish.

Chilled Japanese Pumpkin Puree with Black Glutinous Rice Served in Pumpkin

金盅南瓜紫米露— SGD$10Another thoughtful presentation that looked like a dish for Halloween. The pumpkin puree with black glutinous rice was heavenly as I could taste the simple pureness of the dessert. It almost gave me goosebumps because I felt it was really light and pleasantly satisfying. I would highly recommend this.

Chilled Rosella Flower Jelly with Diced Mango

洛神冻 — SGD $6This chilled Rosella Flower Jelly makes a great takeaway for sleepyheads, in particular those who encounter after-lunch drowsiness. It really perked me up because of the shocking flavours of extreme sourness, though my friend who is used to the taste of Rosella thought it was perfect. My shoulders and arms trembled with each bite as I tried to suppress my equally sour facial expressions, but I guess the health benefits of this dish make it a great conclusion to the feast.

Restaurant HOME is currently offering a 1-for-1 Set Lunch promotion (min 4 pax) on top of the lunch set menu. More details here: http://www.littletinysun.com/2014/12/restaurant-family-singapore-review.html

There is great joy in giving and receiving, especially during Christmas! I was really blessed to receive the SweetSpot Hamper from Marina Bay Sands. If you're wondering what would make the perfect romantic gift for someone you love dearly, this hamper will definitely wow your other half! Here's a word of caution though: the hamper felt like it weighed 3 kilograms or more and it's definitely not something you would enjoy carrying while shopping! Thankfully, it's so much more convenient if you are driving (or being driven)! Read till the end to find out about the ongoing promotions (valid till 1 January 2015).

SweetSpot Hamper — SGD$185.00Chocolate Pralines and NutsThese designs are specially crafted for Marina Bay Sands, as you can tell from the iconic logo. Regrettably, the chocolates turned rather hard after being placed in the refrigerator. On hindsight, I believe these chocolates were made to withstand melting even in Singapore's hot and humid conditions, so there is no need to keep them in the fridge! Be delighted by an assortment of dark chocolate, milk or white chocolate and pure chocolate.

Chocolate-covered NutsThese are extremely addictive! Compared to other chocolate brands I have previously sampled (including those from Switzerland and France), this certainly stands out with its crunchy and slightly powdery texture, It was also not overly sweet. I had this to tide me over the exams and I finished the entire box in a week. Surprisingly, I didn't fall sick!

Handmade Chocolate Raspberry Jam with nutsThick and gooey, this huge jar of handmade jam only lasts two months after opening. The texture of the nuts comes out strongly in the jam, and this makes your bread feel more like biscuits because it is so crunchy! I couldn't detect much chocolate though; the raspberry taste was so strong, I felt like I was eating the fruit itself. Refrigeration is required even before opening, to prevent it from spoiling.

Piper-Heidsieck ChampagneClassic Piper-Heidsieck Champagne

My family is saving this bottle for Christmas! Having previously fallen in love with Piper-Heidsieck at an event, I can guarantee it's the sort of champagne you can have many rounds of without ever feeling sick of the taste.Hot Chocolate MixOh my gosh — what a rarefied taste of chocolate this is! The Hot Chocolate Mix features coarser-grain chocolate powder that appears somewhat lumpy, but it dissolves smoothly in hot water. It is only after sipping (or gulping) this wonderful drink that I realised I haven't actually tasted a genuine cup of hot chocolate before! Forget about those chocolate drinks that taste no different from Milo or Ovaltine, and get the real deal.

Divine Macarons — S$2.70/pc, S$14/box of 6, S$25/box of 12Isn't it amazing that you can derive such pleasure in a delicate assortment of Wild Raspberry, Chocolate Mint, Strawberry Basil, Passion Fruit, Salted Caramel, and Dark Chocolate macarons? Presented in a magnetic box, these beautiful babies are evenly baked and melt readily in your mouth. I especially love them straight from the refrigerator - chilled, sweet heaven in your mouth.You can also get a smaller SweetSpot three-tier gift box which consists of 12 pieces of macarons and 12 pieces of chocolate pralines and nuts. You can check out the price at http://www.littletinysun.com/2014/12/sweetspot-hamper-from-marina-bay-sands.html

Sands Rewards LifeStyle members receive 20% discount.
Citibank card members receive 15% discount.
Hotel guests receive 10% discount.

Stateland Cafe is a well-known industrial-themed cafe that many in your social network would have visited. It is particularly famous for its Red Velvet Waffle after it was featured in mainstream media. I was really looking forward to my visit to Stateland and thought it would be as good as most reviews paint it to be.What struck me immediately upon entering the cafe was the severe lack of space. The tiny shop had hardly any room to walk, or even snap any pictures. Most of the blog posts I have read gave me the impression that it was spacious and airy, but no. We had to squeeze through the aisles and look, I can't even take a picture of the shop properly without having my companion's elbow in the shot! (He was trying his best to dodge my camera).
Eggs Benedict — S$14.90I really enjoyed cutting through the tall tower of the eggs benedict. The mushrooms tasted great despite the lack of gravy or sauce. I guess the mushrooms are the only delicious part of their eggs benedict.Look, these are merely soft-boiled eggs! Certainly not how eggs benedict are supposed to be...The yolk WASN'T runny, and I thought I might as well make this myself at home.
Red Velvet Waffles — S$14.90I was really excited to try the much-raved about Red Velvet Waffle. It looked grand upon arrival! Seems like the trio really know how to present their food well. However, the waffle looks burnt, doesn't it? Not red at all.True to its outward appearance, the Red Velvet waffle tasted burnt. It wasn't very sweet despite all the swirls you see. In fact, it tasted really weird.Cutting through the waffle, it seemed to me that artificial red colouring was used, rather than the traditional beetroot extract. Why should I pay a whopping $14.90 to kill myself? Most other reviews describe how delicious Stateland's food is; perhaps my visit was only a one-off disaster. But nope, I don't think I'll be returning any time soon.

Tom Palette's have an additional banner to their cafe. You can get 10% off if you're a student. My friend and I ordered SGD4.20.. and we paid only SGD3.80 for the ice-cream!We tried both CNY flavours - pumpkin and pineapple tart flavour. The pumpkin flavour was really delicious and I hope they retained it.. but the pineapple tart tasted like cheese. It was really strange! I love how tom's palette ice-cream doesn't melt so quickly.. and i think if you eat it with a loved one, it really does feel like a romantic ice-cream date! Remember: Flash your student card for 10% off!Happy Lunar New Year everyone!

If you are looking for a place with great ambience, Pies & Coffee is the place to go. They are really strict with the no outside food and drinks policy.. i had an empty cup of drink from Texas Chicken hoping to find a bin to recycle, and got a stern warning from the cafe crew there as they clear the tables.i guess it's just the ambience that you will be going for if you ever visit pies and coffee. the waterfall is a great touch to helping you feel relaxed.Caffe Latte (10 oz) - SGD5.42
Honestly, I don't know why they priced it so strangely. anyway their latte art was really weird too, but the fragrant of the coffee was strong. i felt it was too bitter and needed a lot of sugar.. the temperature of the coffee was not hot at all, so i think perhaps there is something wrong with their coffee machine and the hot liquid may not be able to thoroughly press the coffee bean enough.New York Cheese Cake - SGD6.45
i really question why the new york cheese cake was so expensive. i thought it would taste better than any other new york cheese cake but it felt like it was there for several days. it wasn't fresh and even the way the cake was placed (with the sauces on the side) look frightening. it turns out the sauce was some strawberry sauce but doesn't it look like CHILLI?!!i wouldn't visit the cafe ever again, i don't think it's worth it! they don't have service charge but it is so expensive (you have to order from the counter and also pick up from the counter, really troublesome).