Bern

For a more detailed review with pictures, pls head to http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com/2012/02/tajimaya-yakiniku-vivocity.html

Tajimaya, another concept restaurant under the creativEATeries umbrella, is a relative newcomer in the local Japanese BBQ scene. We've only ever been to Gyu-Kaku and Aburiya. Tajimaya differs slightly from the 2 other more established Jap BBQ chains in that there's only one standard marinade for the meats, methinks it's teriyaki (the other 2 offer up to 4 or 5 different marinades). Also, their beef is only available in 2 different types, the more full-bodied US Black Angus range (Gyu-Kaku and Aburiya don't offer US beef) or the highly-marbled more delicate Japanese wagyu variety (whereas the other 2 offer only Japanese beef, but in different marbling grades).

Tajimaya seems to have a better ventilation system though, my hair didn't have any lingering smells of charcoal smoke and cooking marinades. I suppose it's gotta do with its more airy, less-closeted high-ceiling-ed dining space. As a bonus, the outdoors area affords a very pretty view of the Sentosa waterfront

We got:

1) US Beef Karubi ($18.90), using US Black Angus short rib. This was very robust beef, full-on red meat flavour. This was, despite the juiciness, a little chewy though. We should have done this medium rare

2) Wagyu Karubi ($28.90) Japanese short ribs which were more delicate than the US beef. It could also be that this was very much more marbled than the US beef, resulting in very much more tender meat

3) Kurobuta Pork Jowl ($16.90) long strips of lean pork, also marinated with teriyaki, solid stuff

4) Chicken ($10.90) succulent juicy chunks dripping with marinade and thoroughly seasoned

For pictures, please go to http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com/2012/02/teochew-cuisine-restaurant-river-valley.html

The main gripe of lunch was that the air-conditioned area of the eatery reeked of ammonia-tinged sewage and/or sour rancid rotting food. That was enough to put us off quite a lot already. Then we realized that the staff were all (that we could see anyways) PRCs. I don't usually stereotype but this was quite the unfortunate case of putting two and two together, a staff full of PRCs and the ridiculously smelly restaurant.

But I still wanted to give this place a chance. So, we sat in the outdoors area, which had wet spots because the fridge containing the canned drinks was leaking. The management really needs to do an overhaul of the restaurant's equipment and ventilation system. Suffice to say, I won't be back. And I won't be recommending anyone to this place either. In fact, I'll advise people to stay away from this place. Just think, if the restaurant smelled like that, what do you think the hygiene levels of the kitchen are like?

We got the Sliced Fish Soup ($4), which, funnily enough, was off the menu. This was mixed with beancurd skin, bittergourd, lettuce and seaweed. The broth seemed delicate and light enough, not too obvious with the MSG, but I'd admit I didn't have much of the soup anyway, I was sweating buckets and trying to finish up my meal quickly to go.

For a more detailed review with pictures, please check out http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com/2012/02/3-inch-sin-millenia-walk.html

3-inch sin, a dessert cafe borne out of the passions of a brother-sister duo, first started out at Cluny Court specialising in molten chocolate cakes made with premium Valrhona chocolate. They've since expanded their repertoire of cakes offered, mostly still chocolate based, and added a few light bites into their menu and opened another outlet at Millenia Walk.

The cafe at Millenia Walk is very quiet (it's probably got something to do with the fact that there's very little foot traffic on a Saturday afternoon), and has a very appealing homely and casual feel about it.

We had:

1) Raspberry Molten Valrhona Cake ($6.50) with French Vanilla Bean Ice-cream ($3). They've got like 11 different flavours of molten choco cakes! The raspberry provided deep fruity notes to the bittersweet chocolate, while the comforting vanilla ice-cream contrasted well with the richness of the warm molten chocolate.

2) Mini-Me ($4.50) a super dense chocolate cake slathered with dark Valrhona couverture chocolate. Despite the seemingly richness of the cake, this managed to stay balanced and nuanced. We also added a scoop of the French Vanilla Bean Ice-cream ($3) to the lush confectionery

3) Mushroom, Bacon & Cheese Sandwich ($7.50) salty crisp bacon with shitake and button mushrooms, cheese and lettuce finished off with toasty wholegrain bread. Simple and wholesome straightforward stuff.

For a more detailed review with pictures, please head to http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com/2012/02/al-dente-trattoria-esplanade.html

The floor-to-ceiling windows of the restaurant affords a very lovely view of the water and lots of foot traffic for people watching.

We had:

1) Capesante e Insalata di Caldo Spinaci ($22) The pan-seared scallops were executed perfectly, succulent and juicy, and laid on a bed of sauteed baby spinach, pinenuts and a drizzling of aged hazelnut vinaigrette. Special mention must be given to the pearl onions, caramelized and so incredibly sweet that, even me, an onion hater, gleefully lapped it up.Best dish of the meal, hands down

2) Insalata Caprese ($18) a tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad with mesclun. The mozzarella was fresh, chewy and milky, while the tomatoes tart and juicy

3) Spinaci Risotto con Gamberoni ($28), a creamy spinach risotto topped with a pan-roasted king prawn. The cream was too heavy and excessive, so much so that even the prevalence of baby spinach couldn't cut through the richness of the risotto. The prawn was good though, would have liked to have 3 of these on the dish and a lot less risotto

4) Mushrooms Lover ($10 under the Al Dente's $10 Pizza Promotion), with a duo of king oyster and shitake mushrooms, portioned just right for just one person. This wasn't too bad, the wood-fired pizza had smoky hints but the base was a little hard and crusty, it reminded me a little of those frozen pizza bases that you'd find in the supermarkets

for a more detailed review with pictures, please check out http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com/2012/02/mortons-steakhouse.html

Morton's is one of those old-fashioned classically American fine-dining steakhouses with a history spanning decades. The Singapore one is the first to be opened of its 6 international outlets, housed in the luxurious Mandarin Oriental Hotel. To ensure continuity and familiarity, the Singapore restaurant was built in same decor, concept and style as with all of the other branches. The restaurant, kept aglow with lowlights, and coupled with the dark wood interior of the restaurant provides the ideal setting of a traditional steakhouse experience. The restaurant, with its butler-like service and visual presentation of the menu with a rolling meat cart and detailed descriptions of the preparation of each dish, maintains its old-world charm since the chain was founded in the late 70's.

We had:

1) Mortons' Onion Loaf (complimentary) is just legendary, and for good reason. It arrives on your table, a huge mound, and you're immediately hit with its aromatic oniony and fresh bread scent. You tear away fluffy soft bit-sized pieces, and your tastebuds are then assaulted with the taste of freshly baked bread with just a subtle hint of sweet caramelized onions

2) Broiled Sea Scallops ($40.50) wrapped in bacon and served alongside an apricot chutney really wasn't to my liking. With the exception of the slight charring on top, the scallop was largely raw. I like my scallops pan-seared and cooked through just right, not raw.

3) Aged USDA Prime Ribeye Steak ($97) my favourite cut. It may be the fattiest part of the cow, but I love the extra flavour it imparts to the meat. Full bodied and robust, a real man's meat. This was done to a medium perfection, so it was cooked through, no bloody elements, but still tender and juicy. The beautiful charring lent a smoky finish to the deeply intensely flavoured steak

4) Aged USDA Double Cut Filet Mignon ($97), the most tender cut with little fat and muscle suited the more weight and health conscious. Little wonder this is one of two cuts that are offered in smaller sizes, a single cut instead of a double. Fresh watercress, a favourite green commonly found in Chinese herbal soups served as a crisp, peppery refreshment. I have to point out that the wonderful thing about Morton's steaks is that they are so flavoursome on their own that sauce or gravy is never missed when chomping down on their steaks. They really are just that good on their own

5) Morton's Legendary Sundae ($35) instead. The chocolate cake, previously known as the Godiva chocolate cake, could only feed 2 diners, but the sundae is huge enough to feed 4. Try as we did, we just couldn't finish these. The sundae is like the hot chocolate cake, put on top a layer of sweet caramel and stuffed into a sundae cup, then topped off with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream and loads of whipped cream. The still-warm chocolate cake underneath the mound of cream oozed with warm chocolatey sauce when broken into. Super decadent, super rich and super indulgent, but it was so worth the gazillion calories.

For a more detailed review with pictures, please check out http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com/2012/02/peach-garden-sichuan-miramar.html

As with most other Chinese restaurants during the festive period, only set menus were available for order. Lunch was a 7-course affair ($68++ per person) but because the portions were kept small, we didn't end up stuffed and bloated for the rest of the afternoon.

We had

1) Salmon Yusheng, fresh fish but very standard fare

2) Braised Shark's Fin Soup with Crabmeat, starchy and richly flavoured, with plentiful chunks of shark's fin interspersed with shredded crabmeat. The texture of the crabmeat seemed of the frozen variety but at least it didn't have that awful frozen fishy flavour

3) Pan-fried King Prawn coated lightly with a butter cream and plum sauce concoction. Sliced seeded chillis and flash-fried curry leaves lent a subtle peppery heat

4) Braised Duck Web with Dried Oyster in a black moss-filled beancurd skin pouch. I love the soft chewy beancurd skin and the moss, together with the mellow oyster sauce gravy slathered over it, but I gave the duck web and dried oyster away. I've never liked eating these so-called "Chinese delicacies"

5) Fried Glutinous Rice with Chinese Sausage soy-infused rice was sticky, slightly charred and flavoursome

6) Chilled Aloe Vera with diced snow pears and coral grass, very balanced and light

7) Pan-fried Nian Gao, soft, sweet and chewy

For pictures, please check out http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com/2012/02/trattoria-cucina-italiana-313-somerset.html

This casual Italian bistro is one of the first generation tenants at 313 Somerset, and I think the reason for its relatively brisk business is the very heavy foot traffic accorded to the bistro. It's gotta do with its very convenient location at the ground floor entrance of 313 Somerset linking to Somerset MRT station. While the food wasn't bad, it just didn't impress, especially at the price point of about $23 for most mains. I've definitely had better food at the same prices and at better surroundings. I guess it's really because the quality of the dishes were on par with what a fairly competent cook can whip up in a home kitchen. But, we did see a lot of Caucasians, both tourists and expats, eating here, so maybe the food's not too bad, and fairly authentic afterall.

We had:

1) Garlic Bread with Cheese ($6.50), not too bad, fragrant with a heady garlicky aroma, toasty and crusty.

2) Prosciutto e Funghi Spaghetti ($9.80 for Set Lunch with a soft drink) was seasoned simply with garlic and olive oil, and layered with plentiful bacon and shitake mushrooms

3) Porcini Mushroom Risotto ($22.90) flavour was balanced but texture of the rice was soggy

For a more detailed review with pictures, please check out http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com/2012/02/pizzeria-giardino-chijmes.html

Pizzeria Giardino's open-air location at the green lawn of the historic Chijmes, while picturesque, makes this quite the attraction to flies, we were swatting flies away throughout our dinner. If you're one of those people that require the comfort of air-conditioned surroundings, this is definitely not the place for you. Despite the prevalence of fans and a slight breeze, we found ourselves rushing through our food so we could escape from the heat and humidity. But, if you're a smoker, this is quite a dining paradise. Many of the tables were set aside for smokers.

We got

1) Prosciutto e Melone ($17) terrific-I don't usually eat melons, but this were brilliantly sweet and juicy, a perfect complement to the ham.

2) Insalata di Rucola ($13), rucola leaves interspersed with shaved parmesan and cherry tomatoes, and dressed lightly with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I was quite surprised that the portion was so huge.

3) Gamberi e Finghi ($23) crunchy, marinated prawns and shitake mushrooms. This was well done and perfectly portioned for one person

4) Mushroom Ravioli ($21) too cloying. I was unable to eat more than 5 raviolis in this dish. Strictly for cream lovers, this one

For a more detailed review, please head to http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com/2010/09/paradise-inn-funan-digitalife-mall.html

The Paradise Inn chain is a casual dining concept by the Paradise Group, serving more home-style cze char dishes than its seafood pioneer at Defu Lane. Stuff your grandmother would cook for family gatherings. This is like the Paradise Group version of Crystal Jade Kitchen of the Crystal Jade Group of restaurants.

We got

1) Steamed Minced Pork with Chestnut and Salted Egg Yolk ($8), coarsely chopped mince with discernible cubes of chestnut for added texture and crunch

2) Stewed Tofu with Chicken and Salted Fish in Claypot ($10 for small) was just so-so, Crystal Jade does this Cantonese classic better. This just lacked the rich, salty, flavoursome oomph of the salted fish and oyster gravy combination

3) Paradise Inn has one of the widest range of double-boiled soups, which is really great for the soup lover in me. We chose the Double-Boiled Chicken Soup with Mushroom and Chinese Cabbage ($16.80 per pot), which boasts nourishing and health properties. I liked that this had a slightly herbal tinge to it and I hardly tasted any MSG in the soup base

4) Stewed Lingzhi Mushroom with Sauteed Young Cabbage ($14 for small). I loved the smooth and firm texture, and clean taste of the mushrooms

For a more detailed review with pictures, please click on http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com/2012/01/tung-lok-classics-orchard-parade-hotel.html

I had my firm's Annual Chinese New Year Dinner to kick off the CNY festivities at Tung Lok Classics. Tung Lok Classics serves traditional Sichuan, Shanghainese, Cantonese and Hubei cuisine, 4 of the 8 regional cuisines of China. The 8-course sit-down dinner ($888 per 10 persons) was so-so, really generic and consisting more misses than hits.

We had:

1) Hamachi King Fish Treasure Platter Yusheng - piquant refreshing salad

2) Flambe Barbecued Whole Suckling Pig, very impressively presented lined on both sides with mini flames. The skin was crisp enough, but I'm really not a fan of suckling pig. The rest of the meat was cut up and served later - very strong "porky" smell and taste

3) Double-Boiled Sea Treasures Soup with Chinese Herbs. It was delicate and clear but with depth and richness of flavour, with the use of a chicken stock base

4) Shanghai-syled Steamed Soon Hock with Pickled Chilli, fresh, moist and flaky, with a chilli-laced soy emulsion slathered over this that was at once piquant, spicy and salty.Best dish of the night, together with the soup

5) Braised Dried Oysters with Black Moss and Vegetables was made unique with the addition of fresh crunchy prawns, but I would have preferred the black moss to be incorporated into the luscious gravy instead of being sprinkled very sparingly over the top

6) Shanghai-syled Braised Duck with Yam a little tough, cold and gamey, but I liked the soft yam cubes

7) Fried "Ying-Yang" Glutinous Rice with Preserved Meat - quite commendable. The rice was sticky, soft and moist, with an aromatic soy seasoning, while fried grains of rice thrown into the mix provided a contrast in textures

8) Chilled Mango Sago Cream with Pomelo refreshing but pomelo was excruciatingly sour

For pictures, please click on http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com/2012/01/canele-patisserie-chocolaterie-raffles.html

While Canele is known for their decadently scrumptious desserts, they do serve up a small selection of French comfort food

We had:

1) Portobello & Beef Ragout ($11) - really quite pricey, especially in light of its minscule portion, BUT it (sort of) made up for the price point by being quite delicious

2) Provencal Chicken Stew ($14) - compared to the portobello starter, this was surprisingly priced very reasonably. comforting chicken stock base, with large pieces of succulent chicken

3) Braised Beef in Red Wine ($16) - very deep, full-bodied and robust flavour

For a more detailed review with pictures, please head to http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com/2012/01/casserole-dine-on-3.html

I've heard good things about this place and been wanting to try it out for some time. The reviews are right. The food here is amazingly good, very wholesome, and with large portions to boot. Each casserole can easily fill up 2 large eaters. In addition, every casserole is served with a carb (Asian stews are served with rice, European ones with mashed potatoes and Morrocan hotpots with cous cous) and a garden salad. Super huge portions here.

We ordered:

1) Baked Seabass ($28) - moist, perfectly salted, fish was kept light and breezy with a drizzle of lemon and some Italian herbs, while the potatoes were simply seasoned with bright sunny saffron. But, I felt the best part of the dish was the peas, they were so soft and buttery

2) Beef Bourguignon ($26) - lived up to its much hyped recommendation. This was a lot lighter than you'd expect of a beef stew, the broth was clear and delicate, but with the full flavours of the beef stock. But the piece de resistence has gotta be the beef, super flavoursome and incredibly fork-tender

3) Saute de Champignons Sauvages ($18) - an assortment of shitake, enoki, porcini and white button mushrooms simmered with white wine and butter resulting in a luscious velvety gravy with earthy tones

For pictures, please go to http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com/2012/01/islamic-restaurant-north-bridge-road.html

Please note that it's best to dine during the off-peak hours because the place is so tiny. All the tables are crammed pretty tightly so you inadvertently end up hearing the next table's conversation. While the restaurant is air-conditioned, a (slight) downside of the cool surroundings is that your hair does end up smelling of Indian spices by the time you leave the restaurant

We ordered:

1) Aloo Gobi ($5) - delicious, well-spiced but for the coriander

2) Mutton Mysore ($7) fresh but a tad tough when it should have been fork-tender

3) Chicken Biryani ($7.50) - flavoursome and fluffy. The humongous hunk of a chicken was, despite being breast meat, super moist

4) Prawn Biryani ($10) - my favourite, the rice was the most concentrated in flavour compared to the other 2 biryanis, and the deshelled prawns were fresh and sweet

5) Fish Biryani ($7.50) - fairly similar to the chicken version, with a huge chunk of fresh batang(?) fillet

For the full review with pictures, please go to http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com/2012/01/la-nonna-holland-village.html

I had a really good meal previously so I brought my hubby there a second time. La Nonna is the casual, homestyle trattoria owned by the people at Senso so I was surprised that my second meal here was such a disappointment. Maybe the chef was having an "off-day".

We ate:

1) Mozzarella e Parma ($19), pan-fried mozzarella wrapped in 18-month old Parma ham. This was originally meant to be served with a mesclun salad, but I asked it to be switched out for rucola leaves instead, which the staff happily obliged. Thumbs up for the service here

2) Risotto ($20) carnaroli risotto with porcini mushrooms - horrendously watered out, with the rice grains completely mush and awfully tasteless. The mushrooms were also water-logged.

3) Ravioli ($20), filled with lobster and crabmeat fared much much better. While the pasta was slightly overcooked, the seafood was fresh, and the arrabiata sauce was tasty. Not the best pasta around, but definitely palatable

For a more detailed review with pictures, please head to http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com/2012/01/forlino.html

What I like about Forlino is the substantive portions. While the prices may be "cha-ching", the generous portions and authentic quality of the food make this one of the more worthwhile Italian ristorantes around to have classic Italian cuisine in sophisticated surroundings.

What I didn't like about Forlino was the very slow service. We were only served our amuse bouche and bread 35 minutes after we arrived for lunch. This is a place for a slow leisure lunch, not for busy work bees needing to keep within a single lunch hour.

We had:

1) Amuse Bouche of the day - Ricotta-filled Puff Pastry, with mild and fresh ricotta cheese encased in a buttery confection, delicious and just enough to whet your appetite

2) Foccacia Bread- refillable and so flavoursome you don't need olive oil at all

3) Spaghetti "alla Chitarra" with Lobster ($48) handmade pasta made with a millenia-old Chitarra press and a heady cognac-tinged French bisque-inspired lobster sauce. Delish

4) Black Cod Capelletti ($38) - unexpectedly paired with a creamy broccoli mush and a few sprinkles of garlic confit

5) Porcini Mushrooms and Pumpkin Risotto ($38) was heavenly. Rich, creamy but with just that perfect bit of bite, this was sprinkled with sprigs of edible flowers that provided texture and beauty

6) Black Truffle Risotto ($58) was flavoured with Robbiola di Roccaverano cheese, a soft-ripened cream-coloured cheese from Piedmont and Lombardy made with cow's, goat's and sheep's milk, which lent a full, tangy and mildly sour flavour to the heart-warming risotto