When I mention about French Dining, the word “Expensive” seems to be the first to pop up in people’s mind. However, I have just recently visited this little gem located in Bukit Merah and I am so excited to share it with you guys!

Chef Immanuel’s French Kitchen is set to become one of the latest casual french dining spots to join the growing number of atas kopitiam stalls that serves restaurant quality standards at affordable prices!
I have visited this place twice in a week and tried quite a significant number of dishes (almost everything) and it is sooo good!

DUCK RILLETTE
Served with Gherkin and BreadSGD 7.90

CHICKEN LIVER PATE WITH PORT WINE
Served with breadSGD 7.50
FROG
Frogs legs sauteed with shallot garlic and parsleySGD 12.60

FOIE GRAS
Pan Fried Foie Gras served with Caramelized Apple, Herb Salad and Orange GastriqueSGD15.40

BURGUNDY ESCARGOT
Baked half a dozen snail with tomato fondue and garlic herbs butter served with breadSGD 11.90

PORK BELLY
Pork Belly Braised in Kakuni Style Served with Duxelle Mushroom, Onsen Egg & Potato FormSGD15.40


SOUS VIDE CHICKEN BREAST
Sous Vide Chicken Breast served with cheese rigatoni pasta Gratin, Mushroom Fricassee and Mustard SauceSGD12.60

FRENCH DUCK LEG CONFIT
Confit of duck leg from France served with Mash Potatoes, Braised savoy cabbages and Au Jus

 

SGD14.90


STEAK AND FRIES
Steak served with Shallot and garlic confit and french fries

 

 

SGD 18


BEEF BOURGUIGNON
Braised beef in red wine with bacon, mushroom and onion, served with crushed parsley potatoSGD 17
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VERDICT
One of my favorite dining dinner. Definitely not what you would expect in a Kopitiam setting. The meat served up to use were all tender juicy soft and the flavors are well balanced without ever reaching out for additional condiments.
I tried picking out a a favourite main, but I am spoiled for choices! However if you are in the mood for something different, the pork belly is one which you definitely have to try out. The spoonful of egg, mushroom, pork belly and potato foam is mind blowing good. Mash potato will never be good enough for me again.
Portions are definitely generous enough for me to be stuffed after the meal, and even if the mains don’t fill me up, anyone of the side dishes or starters will definitely do the deed.
Definite worth the trip up to Bukit Merah!

Saboten might be a familiar name to you if you are a fan of Tonkatsu. Known to been one of the go-to places for their golden brown breaded pork and chicken cutlets, you will have a definitely leave the place with a smile on your face. If you are not a fan of Tonkatsu, you will be please to know that they have recently launched their brand new dining concept in their IMM outlet, which consist of shabu shabu and teppanyaki offerings.

Once seated, we were given a bowl of thinly sliced cabbage with dressing to munch on while waiting for our orders. Super DA BOMB! I love how fresh and crisp the taste is!The chawamushi also one not to be missed out! Soft and melt in your mouth delicious!I managed to try out a couple of sets with my friends and they all turn out pretty delicious, except for pork which had a porky smell which I didn't like. The sets are really generous and you will definitely be stuffed once you have finished everything!If you like fish, don’t miss out on the cod fish set! Just one look at the cod fish and you will know why I am salivating all over my keyboard as I finish up this entry.Some of the items which I had to highlight where the mentai prawns and scallops which are slurpiliciously good. We even ordered extras to feast on it.As always, their Tonkatsu is deliciously heavenly when dipped in the grounded sesame and Tonkatsu sauce mix.

VERDICT
This place is definitely worth a visit, if you are a seafood and tonkatsu lover! I can't wait to sink my teeth into another piece of yummy Tonkatsu!

I was recently introduced to Lau Wang Claypot through Openrice’s food tasting session and I was surprised to find that this food stall has a history of close to 30 years of producing yummy clay pot dishes!

The store has been taken over by a young towkay with the traditional receipes all passed down to him. In order to make sure that he is keeping up with times, he has made very slight changes to the receipes to cater the the ever changing consumer preference and yet keep to the traditional taste.Located in Serangoon, it is a 5-10 minutes walk from the MRT station and it is hidden away from the main road, making this place hardly noticeable. However this is a place which I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good pot of Claypot Sesame Chicken. My favourite stall had closed down quite a while back and I finally found a replacement for it!Lucky me managed to try out a fair bit of the menu as we had a really big group that day!A chilli lover myself, this one hits the spot! Not to spicy to numb your tastebuds, yet enough to let you savor the heat on your tongue as you drench your bowl of rice with the sauce!I can’t decide which one I like better, the spicy or the non spicy version, but I am sure that on days where I am craving for a simple savory dish, this will definitely be on my food list.
SGD 4.50 / SGD 6.50

 This isn’t my favourite as the soup isn’t as “herbal-ly” as I would have like it to be, There is definitely ample amount of herbs throw into the mix to make the soup, however as each clay pot is made fresh on the spot, there isn’t enough time for the herbs to infuse its full flavor into the soup, leaving a pretty weak herbal taste.
1 Frog SGD 8 / 2 Frogs SGD 15

I am never a fan ofliver and kidney, however those who tried the dish have commented that it is overall a pretty yummy dish, however the pig’s kidney didn’t seem to have been properly handled as there was quite a smell to it. Such a pity.
SGD 4.50 / SGD 6.50

 

Soft and flavoursome, this is a dish which I would recommend as well! Well cooked freshly sliced fish, with slightly spicy sauce base, I found myself reaching out for this dish several times during the meal. Definitely worth a try.
SGD 4.50 / SGD 6.50


SAMBAL SOTONG WITH LADYFINGERSWith a generous amount of seafood thrown into the mix, like squid and prawns, this will be one which seafood lovers would go for. The price is definitely reasonable for such a generous serving.
SGD 6.00The Kangkong is definitely well cooked, where it was presented to us crunchy, instead of limped from overcooking! I definitely appreciate the effort placed into dish.
SGD 4.00


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VERDICT
With their well cooked dishes, generous portions and fresh ingredients, it is definitely worthwhile to make a trip down to Lau Wang Claypot Delights.
My one complaint about all the dishes is that they come off pretty oily. The owner apologise to all of us that day and told us that he will definitely look into reducing the amount of oil used in the cooking. I am pretty sure that a friendly reminder for a lesser oil when placing your order will be taken note of.
The location can be a little troublesome to find. However with google maps, I am sure you will have no problems getting there since it is near to an MRT station.

Drove up to the Grandstand to try out one of the DIY pancake palours in Singapore! Slappycakes take over a 2 storey outlet offering DIY pancakes and simple mains.Originating from the US and with international branches in Phillipines, Japan, etc, I was definitely excited to try out what they had to offer

We ordered a smattering of side dishes to go along with the wholemeal and chocolate batter that we picked. There was bacon, cheese, mushrooms and blue cheese (not in the picture)We had fun playing around with the pancakes but we found the mixture to be super watery, that resulted in mushy pancakes. The bacon looks overfried, while the mushrooms came with a metallic smell as if it was just freshly taken out from a can. Pretty unpleasant in my opinionWe also order the Eggs Royale which were ok, but nothing particularly fantastic.


VERDICT

The food at Slappycakes were pretty underwhelming and I didnt expect the pancakes to be of that quality. The service in that restaurant is reasonably ok, but dont expect happy looking staff cause everyone just look like they are ploughing through their work day.

Would I be back again? Probably not.
I guess one time as a novelty is more than enough.

Stepped into Vivo's Central Cafe for a quicky lunch after spotting its quirky vintage exterior. Serving up simple cheap Hong Kong food fare, we enjoyed our visit as each item ordered delighted our tastebuds.Wanton Mee was soft and springy with ample seasoning and wantons provided. They didnt scrimp on the food despite the low prices so that is a huge plus point.Crispy duck rice wasnt too bad 2 eggs atop a bed of rice and a sprinkling of other ingredients.Well flavoured, this was a simple bowl of maggi notes with spiced pork cube and vegetables. Confort food which we kept teasing our colleague to pass us money to help her cook Maggi MeeNot a favourite Dan Fan Mian, this version was more soupy than peanut version which I like. The soup is soft and springy which makes it easily for slurpng it down. I wouldnt called this dan dan mian, instead Minced Meat Noodle soup will be more apt!Soft and packed with ample pork floss, this is a yummy starter before the meal.The thing I love most in this trip, is the Ying Yang which came in an old school design cup! Keep grabbing shots of it still my colleague want to whack me. Taste wise it is ok, but it would be better if it could be thicker.

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VERDICT

With their cheap prices and yummy simple food, this is place where I foresee myself heading back to at least twice this year. Definitely worth a visit when you are down and about at Vivocity!