The open, communal concept of table manners is a refreshing change -it also fits well with the theme of openness and being in touch with gardens @ Changi City Point. Along the same stretch is an Australian bar & Five Izakaya -all w alfresco seating where one can just enjoy some fresh air and unwind with a drink in hand, good food on the table and lively company all around.

Table Manners offers a lunch set where you can pick and choose various sides, but unfortunately for dinner, they serve strictly from their ala carte menu. Their drinks are also by Bar Stories (where one can customise martinis and cocktails according to specific ingredients you'd like), so you may want to give their cocktails a try!

We ordered an Arcadian Chicken and a Three Little Pigs, both for $16, as well as a Apricot Peach Cocktail for $13, one of their recommendations. The Arcadian Chicken is a grilled spiced chicken thigh served with boiled garden veggies and a serving of potato wedges. The chicken thigh was really tender, but somehow the flavour of the marinate just didn't seem quite right. The vegetables weren't overcooked, and the wedges were served crisp on the outside, hot and fluffy on the inside. If you're a fan of chicken thigh and you're looking for something which isn't breaded, this would do the trick.The Three Little Pigs is perhaps one of their bestsellers and well, we can certainly see why! Breaded pork cutlet served with mash and a salad w aoli, it's good down to the very last bite. The breaded pork isn't particularly tender to be honest, but the outside is perfectly crispy. It's also juicy + not too salty, served with a side sauce that was provided a tangy creaminess to the crispy pork. The mash potato was smoothly whipped, slightly sweet, and served with a brown sauce.To be honest, the cocktail was so disappointing. The Apricot Peach is supposedly one of the recommended drinks but it tasted neither like apricot nor peach. There was a distinct taste of cherry syrup in this one with a hint of marmalade (it all tasted a bit strange to me). The sweetness of the syrup just didn't sit so well with me. The fruitiness wasn't a refined symphony of sweet, tropical tastes but rather a syrupy mishmash. A friend also ordered a Negrino, and while it was way stronger than the Apricot Peach cocktail, it had an unpleasant aftertaste and tasted like cough syrup. Yikes.

To be honest, you're better off getting their draught/bottled beers during happy hour for $6-$8 a half pint, right up to 8pm! The cocktails are relatively disappointing.. or perhaps you could try something we didn't. (alternatively you can skip the alcohol altogether because they serve water, haha) My recommendation for TM would be the Three Little Pigs, because you really cannot go wrong with this one. Service is also fantastic! You may wish to make reservations though cos it can be quite tough to get a table without a wait unless you're lucky!

The newly opened Food Republic has a very 40s feel, with the shophouse paintings on the walls. Qiu Lian Ban Mian is famous for their ban mian and they do have several oulets across Singapore. One bowl of You Mian is $4.20, while the dumpling noodles are $5.80. (The discrepancy in the prices arent really justified in my opinion ... :/)One thing to note about their noodles -they're really springy! It has the taste of freshness with every bite and $4.20 gets you a hearty bowl of noodles, minced meat, vegetables and a cracked egg. The soup is tasty without being overly salty, and the MSG was pretty minimal. The cracked egg gives the soup a slightly cloudy quality -yum.The dumpling noodles are pretty much the same as the ban mian, with the exception of the dumplings replacing the minced pork. The dumplings are really huge -at first I was wondering why there were only 3 dumplings, but the size more than made up for it. Even though the skin of the dumpling was a little thick for my liking, the filling was really tasty!!! Filled with tasty pork, carrot strips and some chinese chive, the texture of the filling was flawless. Had the skin not been so tough/thick, this dumpling would have been perfect!

Toast Box at City Square Mall always seems to be crowded at every time of the day, particularly so at tea time from 4+ to 6+. They have a good range of local food such as mee rebus/laksa etc but for tea time you may want to try their cakes and toast.

We ordered a Lemon Grass Tea w Jelly ($2.60), Teh-C ($1.70) and a slice of their Banana Cake for $2.Out of everything, this probably surprised us the most. It had a distinct taste of teh-O, but yet the hint of lemongrass was really refreshing. It wasn't overly sweet, possibly not sweet enough for some, comparing to the kinds you get at Thai restaurants. The jelly was a good choice though -a pleasant touch to the otherwise bland tea. It's thirst quenching and has a lemony aftertaste.
We do recommend this!The Teh-C was a bit sappy for my liking, as im quite particular with teas. However, it wasn't too thick nor was it too sweet. Also, at $1.70 it's a reasonable price for a quick break before rushing off for more shopping!The banana cake was a letdown though! The generous portion and golden-brown color was really enticing, but it fell short in terms of taste + texture. It wasn't fluffy at all, like how a perfect banana cake is supposed to be. It was chewy (much chewier than it looks) and slightly rubbery. Sigh. We didn't even finish the slice! Plus point would be that it wasn't too sweet?

Do try the Lemon Grass Iced Tea -it's surprisingly good! Also, you can check out the range of toasts that they offer :-) it is, afterall, 'Toast' Box.

Hunting for food at 10pm in the tanjong katong / joo chiat area isn't that difficult and if you're lucky you can catch 328 katong laksa just before it closes... Not too sure whats the exact time it closes but we managed to get ourselves a bowl at around 2220! The laksa sizes come in S/M/L which are $4.50, $5.50 and $6.50. If you're hungry we recommend going for a M or a L because a small isnt that much, really.

This is a $5.50 bowl of laksa, a bit on the pricey side given that its (literally!) streetside food.The noodles are cut, so it's perfect to eat with just a spoon. The gravy isn't too spicy nor is it too rich so you can really slurp it down. There is a generous serving of prawns, fishcake and cockles (COCKLES ARE A MUST. DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR). The laksa leaves alleviates the aroma of the laksa and every mouthful is addictive. I understand why some people would say that this laksa is overrated/doesn't live up to its hype. It doesn't have an extraordinary factor like the Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa @ Chinatown; but it's still...just..so..good.

I think it has something to do with the grumpy servers, the general lack of cleanliness, roadside-stall feel, the bowl of laksa that is your classic idea of a hearty laksa that you've worked so hard at the gym for. The laksa that you tell yourself You deserve this, before digging in. If you haven't already tried 328 Katong laksa, you should. It's even better on a quiet night for supper with friends.

Strangers' Reunion is walkable from Outram Park MRT and is near the famous okb bakery @ Tanjong Pagar. As its name suggests, this cafe aims to be a meeting point for like-minded strangers (even though I suppose that doesnt entirely work out seeing as everyone comes here in groups of 2-4!).I love the space that this cafe has, it has a cosy feel, with cushions on the chairs as well as a homey feel to the ambience with a lot of wood. I also like that they have stainless steel incorporated into their design, giving the whole cafe a sleek finish. There is a good range of main courses served here, together with their signature waffles (which you can have with fruit/maple syrup, vanilla ice cream etc.) The food is local-fusion, and they have really interesting cakes with a local twist, as well as their very own rendition of kong ba pau!

We ordered Truffle Fries w Shaved Parmesan ($7), Waffle w Fresh Fruit & Maple Syrup ($11.90), Caffe Latte ($4.90) and Braised Pork Belly Buns (I think this was around $17-18)!The latte is one of the best I've drunk recently, it's smooth and rounded -not too acidic too so its perfect for people like me who cannot stand acidic coffee. I enjoyed this blend particularly, but if you are up for Single origin beans, thats an additional $1. It's not too sweet (i'm not sure if you're supposed to add more sugar haha) and while I am the kind who likes my coffeee slightly more sweetened, I didn't really mind drinking this because it just tasted so good. Even when cold, it had a nice aromatic quality to it and a creamy taste that lingers. Highly recommended.I've heard a lot about SR's waffles and I've decided that: life is short, waffles for lunch is not a crime. I went for the classic, with fresh fruit and maple syrup -and I was not disappointed one bit. On the contrary, these are the best waffles I've eaten! The maple syrup doesnt drench the waffle, and while I would have liked more strawberries + fruit, you can never go wrong with the berry/banana combo. The waffle is crisp on the outside but wonderfully fluffy within. It's neither chewy nor hard, nor is it floppy.

If you're feeling indulgent, go for the one w vanilla ice cream! Also, this can be pretty filling so you may want to share this with a friend if you're here for tea The truffle fries were interesting because I do not normally enjoy cheese with my truffle fries but I made an exception for this. The parmesan had a nice subtle quality to it that did not ruin the taste of the fries. It also came with a dipping sauce (tasted somewhat like a more liquid tartare) which was pleasant -not too overpowering. The taste was good, but the fries were mediocre shoestring fries. They were hot, crispy and fluffy on the inside but there was just something about it that just wasn't extraordinary. Something to note would be the incredibly generous portion for $7. Really superb value!The Braised Pork belly surprised me the most. It comes with pickled cabbage, coriander and a deliciously caramelised braised pork belly in a soft, fluffy white mantou (bun). The pork is delicious -slightly fatty, but delicious nonetheless. It has an initially savoury flavour that tapers off to a nice caramelly sweetness. The softness of the bun goes so well with the crunch of the pickled cabbage and the tender meat. Thinking about it makes me crave kung ba pau ... While it's very different from the traditional bun, the flavours come out top. And that is worth a special mention.

Strangers Reunion has lived up to its hype for its coffee and waffles (after hearing so much about it, you should let curiosity get the better of you because its just so darn worth it!) The service is also wonderful, the staff is efficient, friendly and the whole ambience is relatively upbeat. We definitely recommend this place for a chillout lunch with a friend to catch up, or for tea (coffee!) in the afternoon with waffles/cake. Prices are a little on the steep side for the mains (fish, chicken etc) as it can go up to >$20, but for small eats like the sides, cakes and waffles, it's more than reasonable.