Monster Curry is one of the newer food places that sprung up at basement 4 of ION within the past month. With a quirky logo of a cartoony hydra, bright colours on the store front and the alluring fragrance of Japanese curry, it didn't take much convincing for me to try it.

I picked the Spicy Tori-Karaage Curry, pieces of fried chicken topped with mayonnaise, served with Japanese-style curry and rice.The dish might have come in a very big plate, but I can't say the same for the size of the serving, so bigger eaters should take note here. But taste wise, the dish really hit all the right notes. the creamy mayonnaise on top of crispy fried chicken really went well with the sweet tones of the Japanese curry, which I just wanted to lather my rice in after the first taste.

Service by the restaurant staff was a bit sloppy - my friend's dish was quite forgotten while 3 of us happily tucked in. And the drinks we ordered were not served until we reminded the staff to do so. My biggest gripe would be the waiter not actually asking for our choice of spice level (there are 5 available), and I felt quite robbed of a full experience at Monster Curry.

Maybe the next time?

The arrival of Kai Kai and Jia Jia, the pair of giant pandas in the Singapore Zoological Gardens has received nothing short of a media blitz. Even before its official launch, the River Safari is seeing upwards of 3,000 visitors a day.

With the hype surrounding the pandas, it came as no surprise when I found Mama Panda Kitchen opened right after the exit of the Giant Panda Forest. The restaurant blended right in with a facade of bamboo and wood, and was liberally decorated with pictures of pandas on its walls.

Passing by I couldn't help but try Panda Bao, touted as Kai Kai and Jia Jia's favourite bun. At $2.90 for one, it was pretty expensive for a bun that I had no idea whatsoever regarding the filling. First impression wise, I gotta give them credit for getting the look and feel just right. Served piping hot in a bamboo steamer, Panda Bao got 100 marks from me for looking like a cute albeit sad-eyed panda. Getting down to tasting - the dark brown bits that made up the eyes, ears and nose were chocolate-flavoured flour strips. Breaking the bun in half, I was treated hot molten red bean paste within. Overall it wasn't too sweet and went well to accentuate the taste of the otherwise plain bun.

Only gripes? $2.90 is just that bit too pricey for a red bean paste bun (even if it looks cute). AND pandas love bamboo. I don't know so much about red bean paste

The 3rd floor at Parco Marina Bay is a veritable mine of Japanese Cuisine. Off the tips of my fingers, I can name Saboten, Keisuke Tokyo and finally Nantsuttei, which I remember fondly as my introduction to the world of ramen.

Like many ramen places, Nantsuttei went for the look and feel of the traditional Japanese noodle place - a small, packed yet cosy wooden interior, down to the Noren curtains hanging at the doorway.

At the core of the Nantsuttei ramen, is the signature tonkotsu broth. Rich and creamy on the palette, the soup is topped with a layer of fragrant roast garlic oil (black ma you) which believe it or not, took seven phases of frying for the intense bout of flavour.Sad to say, this revisiting to the place of my ramen initiation did not quite go as I expected - the soup did not taste as good as it smelt, the noodles still had a very strong taste of raw flour and the chashu though thick, did not impress at all.

At nearly $20 after GST and service charge, I could have my pick from the likes of Ippudo, Menya Mushashi or Marutamen.

To sign off on my meal at Nantsuttei, I'd just want to share a picture of this Ramen eating lecture off the menu so we all learn something Gochisousama!

With the completion of the Plaza Singapura extension, a whole new array of dining options are made available to the Orchard crowds. Hifumi is one of them.

The Japanese restaurant flaunts a mostly wooden facade and pine wood furniture, reminiscent of ancient Japanese architecture. Despite the dinner crowd flocking to try the new eatery, we were ushered to our seats in quick order and shown the menu which featured various set meals categorized into groups such as Healthy, Pork etc. Each set meal comes with a bowl of rice and miso soup each, as well as unlimited visits to the appetizer bar offering a range of popular snacks like the Shrimp Chawanmushi, Japanese Rice Cracker with Crab Sauce, Tofu Gratin with Japanese Pepper and many more. At $11.90 for my choice of the Baked Chicken Set, it seems very much like a good deal! Diners can also opt to top up an additional $2 for free flow drinks, choosing/mixing from a list of hot/cold beverages.

My order of the Baked Chicken Set gave me mixed feelings when it was served. The presentation was lacking, with so much paper wrapped around not all that much chicken. But I was definitely won over by the wafts of aroma from the sauce - I'm guessing a wicked combination of sesame oil and some light Japanese spices to add that zesty touch. I would strongly recommend drizzling the sauce over the rice for better flavour.At $18 per pax, Hifumi certainly let me walk away with a much value-for-money experience. Definitely looking forward to try the other dishes in the future.

House @ Dempsey is one of the many eating establishments offering a touch of fine dining at Dempsey but always tries to retain the homely touch of comfort food. The menu offers quite a varied selection of fusion cuisine - Western techniques infused with Asian dishes and vice versa.

I shared in a couple of appetizers: Sweet Corn Soft Shell Crab and Truffle Fries.

The soft shell crab was served deep fried with a sweet corn puree and sprinkled with curry popcorn. The plating looked immaculate but I couldn't say the same for the taste. The crab was served cold, and the batter no longer had the crisp of fried goodness. Novel though the idea of serving popcorn maybe, they did not quite deliver in the taste department - all I could get was a slight aftertaste of paprika.

With the truffle fries, it was simple yet satisfying. Thick potato fingers deep fried and flavoured generously with salt and white truffle oil is just comfort food at its best.

It was really the House Rib Eye Steak that finished off the night on a high note for me. The generous cut of steak was juicy and tender, drizzled generously with a gooseberry portwine sauce and served with artichokes and broccolini on the side.

With a group of 4 sharing 3 appetizers, 1 main course and a drink each, the bill came up to about $250 for the night. But that's probably Dempsey standards for you.

All in all, though a bit pricey, the restaurant is still a good find among the many eating establishments at Demsey and probably well worth a visit.