Ever since a recommendation from a friend of mine, Chili's has become my de-facto place for ribs.

First-time visitors would be taken by the stunning bright colours liberally splashed all throughout the restaurant interior, in sync with the vivacity that is Mexican culture. But whilst many would have quasedillas and tacos come to mind thinking of Mexican cuisine, they miss out upon the decadent ribs that Chili's has to offer.

Diners at Chili's can choose to either have their full-rack or half-rack ribs. For sharing between 2 pax or more, I'd recommend no less than a full rack - it's ribs after all and while they are as meaty as ribs get at Chili's, a 2-pax to 1 full rack ratio is much safer. No one goes hungry =D

Besides, a full rack can come with a choice of 2 flavours with Chili's Mix & Match Baby Racks. 2 half racks each glazed with your choice of flavour!Mixed & Match Baby Racks - $39

So far, I've been a Honey BBQ / Honey Chipotle kind of guy. I love how the honey sweetens the pork, and how it enhances the glaze atop the wood-grilled ribs. The Chipotle would just add another level of flavour to the already savoury ribs. Balance the greasy goodness with 2 choices of sides. Personally, I'd always opt to go with some starchy carbs: Overloaded Mash Potato, Chilli's own take of dry mash with crispy bits, and thick-cut fries that you just cannot go wrong with!

If you are ever stopping by Chili's, remember to give the ribs a go!

The number '18' in Eighteen Chefs bugged me for a while when I first visited the new restaurant at Cineleisure. I only saw 1 chef - Executive Chef, Benny making his rounds around the restaurant during my time there. If there were 18 chefs, it only stands to reason that , I wouldn't have had to wait 15mins for my order -.-

That aside, the restaurant was pretty chic, with tables resembling standard-issue primary school desks and menus kept in the space beneath. Nostalgic!

As usual, for a first visit to any restaurant without any prior recommendations from friends or family, I would always head straight for:
a. Signature Dishes / People's Choice
b. Anything that just appeals. Wildly.
In this case, the Heart Attack Fried Rice fits both criteria nicely.Heart Attack Fried Rice (1 pax) - $15.80
Juicy strips of beef beautifully seared, served with a side of butter garlic rice. Never mind the dark colour, the garlic rice is fragrant and savoury, just that it wasn't piping hot when served. And the beef! At the price point of $15, it is pretty rare to get beef at that thickness and grilled nicely such that the surface is lightly charred with a juicy midsection.

Tip: For a more picture-perfect dish, order the Heart Attack Fried Rice for 2. It's not just an increased portion, but also a significant improvement in plating as well. I was pretty dismal to see my neighbours eating from a stylish minimalistic wooden board while I was given a rustic metal dish =(

My conclusion: Eighteen Chefs is definitely worth a revisit. Next time, I'd be looking forward to design my own baked rice or pasta! 8 sauces, 13 ingredients and 12 toppings. I'm feeling like part of Eighteen Chefs already!

Disclaimer: I don't usually do food reviews for fast food. But I think this is very much worth the effort.

In 2012, when the movie Thor was screened, KFC launched their amazing, finger-lickin' Double Down burger. This year, with the upcoming Iron Man 3, they have gone and outdid themselves with the new and improved Double Down MAX.You can just see the effort that went into even the packaging, so much so that I felt like I was doing an unboxing for a new iPad.But the main focus, is still the burger. There are no buns. 2 pieces of crispy fried chicken sandwich savoury bacon strips along with golden hashbrown lightly drizzled with mayonnaise.

It's really "Om Nom Nom" and an orgasm in the mouth.

The combined texture and flavour explosion really wins my vote as burger of the moment. As much as I would say that we should all grab the chance to enjoy the burger during this promotional period, I should really warn of the extraordinary levels of sinful dining we are looking at with the Double Down Max. Potentially food coma inducing. LOL.

Going at $7.50 a meal with a side of mash potato/coleslaw and a small drink.
Enjoy!

Restaurant Hoshigaoka is perched on level 4 of Shaw House. As far as I can tell, it's not accessible via the main escalators running up from Isetan to Lido on level 6. You would have to get onto level 4 via escalators within Isetan itself.

Maybe it''s the locale ,but even during peak period at dinner time, the restaurant was pretty much empty and quiet. We were welcomed by a waiter and ushered promptly to our seats. Salmon Don - $14.50
I ordered the Salmon Don which was a very simple dish indeed - raw salmon served on a bed of sushi rice. Simple, yet eloquent. The thin pieces of salmon were fresh and literally melts in the mouth. Dipped in light soy sauce, it went really well with the fragrant sushi rice. For those who like extra heat, the dish is served with a dollop of wasabi as well.

The only gripe I had was the very thin bed of rice
My chopstick barely went through an inch of rice before it struck the bottom of the bowl. At $14.50, it really irks me that barely 3 hours after the Don, I was already hunting around for a more substantial meal. So big eaters beware. It might take a toll on your wallet to get full here!

Dean & Deluca at Orchard Central is a combined cafe and grocery concept store iconic of New York culture and lifestyle. The expansive array of cooking implements and the availability of less common condiments, makes the grocery section a dream come true for casual home cooks or chef wannabes.The cafe section is spick and span as well, offering a range of western staples including salads, pastas and entrees such as meat and fish. The food however, was kind of lacking in the taste department.Nicoise Salad
Not being a raw vegetable person, I didn't really try much of the salad, so I would just withhold my opinion here.Lagsana al Forno
Very disappointing indeed. The layers of pasta sandwiching beef bolognese just turned out mushy. The beef was just too pasty to give any form of texture. US Choice Ribeye
It's a warning sign of sorts when you order Ribeye and you aren't asked for your choice of how you want your steak done. My ribeye was served nearly totally well-done, leaving the choice piece of meat dry in the mouth except for the sauce it was served with. The only redeeming factor was the charred edges which tasted nearly crispy.Broiled Atlantic Salmon
Again disappointed with what I though was a safe choice of fish. The salmon wasn't cooked as long as it should have, with much of the insides nearly totally raw, to the extent of it affecting the taste of the cooked portions as well.

At $15 per pax and a place like Dean & Deluca, this standard was certainly not what I was expecting. I'd see myself shopping at the grocer soon enough, but the cafe is one place I'd definitely steer clear of.