We decided to patronise Yoshimaru as mum had a monthly promotion voucher – 50% of Moridakusan Ramen (All-in) (u.p. $15++).

As the name suggests, this is one giant bowl of ramen topped with a wide variety of authentic Japanese toppings like Cloud Ear Mushroom, Leek, Takana, Mentaiko (marinated roe of Pollock), runny egg and 3 slices of char siew!
Upon entering, we were warmly greeted by the staff and promptly ushered to a corner seat which we requested. We were also quite intrigued by the bowl of sesame that was served shortly after placing our orders and kept ourselves busy pounding and grinding the sesame. The soup base was light and blended well with the various toppings. Best of all, it was not oily The noodles were refine and chewy in texture, a hallmark of authentic Hakata Ramen. The char siew was soft and flavourful. However, it was slightly cold (guess the chef did not heat it up first?) which was a disappointment to the otherwise splendid bowl of ramen. We ordered a Tepan Beef ($8.80++) as well and I must say this is one of the best side dishes I’ve tried in a long while! The marinate complemented the beef slices perfectly and enhanced the overall taste greatly! The beef was tender and chewyIn all, we had a satisfying lunch at Yoshimaru and will definitely visit them again soon as we received another voucher – this time round it’s $10 off min $30 spend

We decided to visit The University Club after seeing pictures of its delectable set lunch offerings posted on a friend’s Facebook. Located within NUS, The University Club (a sister outlet of the Privé Group) is a hidden gem that offers high-quality yet affordable set lunches ($25++ for a 2-Course set and $28++ for a 3-Course set).
The restaurant comprises of two settings – a sophisticated dining area suitable for both casual and formal meals, and an al fresco dining area for patrons who prefer ample sunlight and the great outdoors. We chose the former.
Warm bread was served shortly after we placed our orders. The bread was soft on the inside yet crusty on the outside, one of the nicest bread we had in a long while! <b>Starters</b>
We ordered the Citrus Soy-Cured Scallops (add $2) and Weekly Special (Smoked Ocean Trout) for starters. The zesty Citrus Soy-Cured Scallops was a refreshing treat to the taste buds. The scallops were soft and melted instantly upon the slightest touch of my tongue. The Smoked Ocean Trout was very flavourful and fleshy. <b>Mains</b>

We ordered the Herb-Rubbed Lamb Leg (add $4) and Spicy Prawn Ravioli (add $2). The lamb was served with couscous, baby spinach, roasted garlic & mint yoghurt sauce. The lamb was very tender and fragrant without any hint of mutton scent. The couscous was smooth with a subtle hint of basil. The baby spinach was however, a tad too salty for my liking.

The prawn ravioli in prawn bisque was delectable and left a bitter-sweet aftertaste. The soft and fluffy ravioli was a joy to eat, yummy! <b>Desserts</b>

We ordered the Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée and Bouchons of Sticky Date Pudding. The Crème Brûlée with balsamic infused berries & vanilla sauce was rich and creamy. However, it would have been perfect should it be less sweet. The Sticky Date Pudding was an interesting find. Coupled with Pear Compote, Walnuts & Butterscotch Sauce, this unique dish left us pleasantly surprised and wanting for more. The bite size pudding was soft and melted instantly upon entering our mouths. The aromatic aftertaste of the sticky date was truly heavenly. In all, it was a sensuous experience amidst the lush greenery surrounding NUS. The delectable dishes, coupled with the tranquil ambience marked a memorable birthday celebration for me – and all at a wallet friendly cost of $75.30 (inclusive of GST and service charge).

So we were back to Little India to settle some wedding stuff (see our Royals the cafe review for details on our first trip to City Square). Heading back to City Square, we could not help but ask, "How on earth did we, during our first visit, miss the signboard next to the escalator on the second floor that literally shouts "no GST, no service charge" on complete set meals for lunch at Barbacoa??" Furthermore, the said signboard was literally (again!) a stone's throw away from Royals the cafe! Yeouch!

Anyway, we didn't miss it this time round and obeyed the signboard with total, foodie, compliance - thus venturing into the welcoming arms of Barbacoa. True to its namesake, the sight that greeted us was a decor reminiscent of an outback grill place - complete with framed photos and memorabilia of a bygone era, oak tables, chairs, and even the walls, and a large one-piece glass pane that lets you peer into the highlight of the place: the grilling stations with grinning chefs dishing up grinning-licious servings of meat. Since the wife had some food prior to our entry, it was left to the husband to sink tooth and claw into the victim of the day - a 250gm sirloin steak (medium rare).

Being a rather sleepy weekend, we were one of two pairs of customers (with the other pair already enjoying their meal by the time we arrived). Therefore, it didn't take long before steak and me the twain did meet (see picture). Ever being the bovine lover, I realised that unlike my usual steak adventures, the visuals came before the scents did this time around - an experience I have had only encountered in Botak Jones (see our BJ' American Diner review) and Lawry's. Nonetheless, the nose eventually picked up (no, it was neither runny nor ran into any obstacles that afternoon) a subtle smoky scent which affirmed (apart from the grill marks) that it was 103 percent flame-grilled. Beautiful! The rich and thick red wine vinaigrette greens dressing complemented the robust aroma of the steak rather well too. And to top it off, a generous serving of comely brown pepper sauce with which to dip your chips in - yay!

A careful dissection of the meat found it to be leaning more towards medium than medium rare, but its forgiving taste, well, forgave this fault. Perhaps it was the errand running that lent itself to my merciful mood, since normally, I would have exhibited a frown or two at the least.

The end result was a meal that was hearty from start to finish (two glasses of iced water washed it down rather nicely). Although I rarely ever frequent Little India these days, I would probably look forward to another helping of Barbacoa's steak the next time I'm in the vicinity. Maybe the wife'll let me indulge again then (for a price of 15.50 SGD nett you get the sirloin with a rather shallow bowl of soup and a scoop of ice-cream for dessert), tee-hee...

Was enticed by a $5 deal from bigdeal.com which included 1 Pizza + 1 Drink + 1 Salad / Chicken Wing and decided to purchase it for a farewell meal to celebrate one of our colleague’s last day with us.

We found the pizza selection pretty decent – Margherita, Pepperoni, Hawaiian and Regina. What really surprised us was the size of the pizza slices – boy were they were huge for just $5!

Tucked away at a rather quiet corner at the basement of Orchard Central, we found the setting of the place very casual, akin to a fast food outlet minus the hustle and bustle. The service staff were friendly and processed our orders – two sets of Regina, one set of Hawaiian, and one set of Pepperoni (all with salad and ice lemon tea) fairly quickly. Good news to OpenRicers with the Perx apps, you get to redeem a free vanilla ice cream cone with just 3 chops (which we did for dessert ^^).

Time to tuck it in! I’m glad I made the right choice ^^ Regina was fluffy and soft on the inside with tomato, mozzarella, mushrooms and ham blended in perfect harmony. You could literally feel the warm cheese oozing out with every bite – the way pizzas should be! The crust was thick and chewy, no surprises inside but I thought it would taste better if it was slightly “crustier” with more crisp. The generous toppings of mushrooms and ham were definitely a plus! A must try here, surprisingly, was their curry ketchup. Although it tasted neither like curry nor ketchup (more like a special blend of BBQ & sweet sauce), it went perfect with the pizza and brought out an extra zest to every bite. This is one truly versatile sauce as it blended well with the salad too (I decided to use this sauce instead of the Italian dressing that came with the salad as I found that a tad too oily for my liking). The salad, which consisted of wild rocket, spinach, cherry tomatoes, and onions, was a good complement to our pizza.Overall, it was really a steal! A cosy and casual ambience coupled with generous servings of pizza + salad + drinks + ice cream all for just $20 for 4 pax! A simple yet memorable farewell lunch indeed!

We popped by Jones the Grocer for some dessert and drinks after a hearty dinner at Roadhouse. This 2-in-1 fuss-free casual dining café not only spots a rather impressive menu, but is also well stocked with an extensive range of gourmet products and a walk in cheese room.
The Panna Cotta ($14) with basil and sweet almond shavings was delicious! The panna cotta was smooth and light and I especially like the contrasting aroma from the basil which added a twist in flavour to this sweet treat.We also ordered a bottle of Ginger Ale ($7) while browsing through the store. It packs a serious ginger punch right off the bat with a sweet lingering aftertaste. The fresh ginger gives a tingly texture that refreshes the palate.
We’ll definitely be back for their mains pretty soon!