My friends asked me out for another dim sum feast and we decided to go to Royal China at Raffles Hotel. This is my second visit here and I got to try the Lor Mai Gai 糯米鸡 (Steamed Glutinous Rice $4.80) this time round. From the moment the basket was opened, a whiff of the lotus leaf filled the air and I couldn't help myself from peeling into it right away. The rice was moist and piping hot, very flavourful and satisfying. It's also filled up quite generously with meat, but I would advise you to share this portion with someone else if you intend to try out the other dim sum the restaurant has because the rice can be quite filling.

The Eggy Rice Bowl is one of the better dishes that I enjoy eating at Asian Kitchen. Chock full of minced meat in a salty sauce over a bowl of rice and an egg on the side. Make sure you mix in the meat sauce with the white rice thoroughly before eating it to fully enjoy this dish.Since it was a special lunch set, we also got to pick one side dish each. I chose the Kang Kong while my colleagues picked the Tofu and Crispy Duck Spring Roll. Overall, the food here is pretty average but quite good value for money if you run out of other options to eat at ION.

I've been hearing about this place, but never gotten a chance to try it out for myself until today. The joint looks super cute from the outside, with a cute yellow submarine as the logo. The theme of the place was also very cute and fun.I ordered the Classic Beef Sub ($9.90) but was quite disappointed with it. The buns looked rather unimpressive and they used thin beef slices instead of chunks of steak. The only saving grace is that it was overflowing with cheesy goodness.They used the same cheese in their Torpedo Fries which were chunkier than the regular fries you get at McD. The cheese reminds me of nachos cheese and has this watery texture to it. One of those cheeses that you snack on, but does not really make for a satisfying meal.Overall, while the concept of the place is fun and cheery, the food isn't fantastic.

Watami at ION Orchard was recently given a facelift. The restaurant is a lot smaller now but the interior looks a bit more posh and they even have some brand new dishes on their menu. I ordered myself a Tonkotsu Ramen and Miso Yakionigiri set. The ramen came in a nicely plated huge bowl with an onsen tamago. If you prefer eating your chashu meat hot, then it would be advisable to let it soak in the soup for a while because it was served to me cold. The noodles are pretty good although the soup broth was a bit too salty for me.This is the first time I've heard of Yakionigiri - "onigiri" is a rice ball and "yaki" usually refers to dishes that have been grilled or fried. While it was a bit oily, I enjoyed the natural saltiness of the miso paste that has been generously slathered on top of the fried onigiri. And it makes for a very interesting side dish! You should try it for yourself..

It's my first visit to this Japanese restaurant at the new Plaza Singapura extension. They have a rather unique and interesting concept - an open bar appetizer buffet with every main course ordered! Plus, it has pretty good selection of appetizers ranging from chawamushi, salads and other Japanese side dishes.I decided to try their Beef Sukiyaki ($14.90) which turned out not bad. There were enough beef slices and the sukiyaki broth was rich and flavourful. They even added some shimeiji mushrooms to it. Overall, the food was really worth the price and I'll definitely come back again to try out their other dishes.