One of the restaurants that left a huge impression on me is this casual fast-food chain. Not only because of the food, but The Handburger (Somerset 313) was where I brought my first date for a simple dinner.

Their mains include the burger, a garden salad (with or without bacon) or soup of the day. The salad was refreshing and crisp, but the bacon strips were too hard and chewy for my liking. The cream of chicken with crispy crumbs (soup for that day) definitely makes a better choice.

Anyway, I ordered one of their classics, Handburger Original (S$13.80) - 150g of 100% NZ grass-fed prime beef on a bed of crispy lettuce, cheddar cheese, topped up with homemade BBQ sauce and sweet onion jam. The beef patty was exploding with juices, and I want to rave about their toasted caramelised onion bun. It is that good. Crispier than the usual boring buns, it also brings along the frangrance of onions.One of my friends ordered the Blue Cheese Beef Burger (S$17.80) - the same juicy patty, topped with roasted pear, blue cheese, homemade BBQ sauce and sweet onion jam. I would recommend the Handburger Original over this though.We also had their signature creation, The Works (S$17.80) - same patty, topped with battered onion rings, crispy bacon strips, sunny side-up, sauteed basil pesto mushroom, sweet onion jam, melted cheddar cheese, homemade BBQ and aioli sauce. A little of everything, this ingenious burger is the perfect choice if you are still deciding what to eat after an hour.To complete your meal, add in their Nutella Milkshake with Marshmellow (S$4.50), a chocolatey, thick drink with soft marshmellows to go with. Just to add on, they have a loyalty program (THB Fanatics) designed to reward their diners with points, which can be redeemed to offset future bills, and other special promotions too.

Definitely one of the dining places I will frequent occasionally, for old times sake and the affordable, yet quality burgers as well.

I remembered the first time I had Xiao Long Bao, it was in this particular Crystal Jade restaurant and till today, the vivid memory of my awkward fumbling of these delicate art pieces still haunts me. Due to my virgin experience and ignorance, I didn't knew the existence of a small pouch of soup wrapped beneath the thin, delicate dumpling skin. At that time, I sucked at using chopsticks and the way I picked things up - it's to poke them. Things happened and my lovely Xiao Long Bao was ruined.

Recently, dear Peiyi and I had the chance to visit this famous Shanghai-nese restaurant during the weekdays. And oh my, customers were already queueing up, but again, lucky us for we were seated within 15 minutes. Those with bigger groups had to wait up to almost an hour (and again I stressed - it was a weekday!)

Xiao Long Bao (S$4.80 for 4) was glorious. The dumpling skin was just right and the broth complemented the juicy minced pork meat. Mother Kook called me stupid for not eating it with vinegar (which I don't, I detest the smell), but let me tell you that this beauties go well without vinegar and shredded ginger too. Just do not make the same mistake as me.

Pan Fried Pork Bun (S$4.00 for 3) does not lose out. Sink your teeth into these soft fragrant bun and savour the succulent fillings. I thought this yummy buns look like the classic Meat Pao, but just pan fried and upgraded like four levels up.Ohh-la-la. Salted Nanjing Duck (S$8.50) was a tad hard for my liking. Nevertheless, these beautiful duck slices were luscious with a thin layer of fat. Just look at the soft pinkish-red meat! However, I always preferred eating duck drenched in Chinese braised sauce, so this does not appeal to me much.Lastly, we had Crystal Jade speciality La Mian with Braised Beef (S$8.50). The beef was so tender and juicy, especially the tendons, which I totally love them. (while girlfriend finds them fross. Weird.) Their speciality noodles were definitely one of the best in Singapore, with the spot-on chewiness. But what I wanted to praise most is what holds this entire dish together - the broth. Thick brown soup made of long-simmered ingredients, it brings forth a subtle sweet and herbal aroma that makes you want to devour this dish.Besides ala-carte, Crystal Jade (Holland Village) also presents a South-Northern buffet experience which includes steamboat and a huge variety of appetizers, meat, drinks and dim-sum. The best part is that you get all the Xiao Long Bao you can eat!

A very useful tip - do your reservations! Walking in for the buffet guarantees near 0% you can get a table at dinner hours.

Carrot Cake is something not to be missed in authentic Teochew cuisine. Also known as "chai tow kway" in the language, it is made with cubes of radish cake, stir-fried with eggs, preserved radish and other assorted ingredients, such as dried shrimps and chopped spring onions.

Cycling down East Coast Park on a hot sunny morning, a bunch of friends and I decided to get some quick bites, as well to quench our thirst with ice-cold sugarcane juice. So there was this plate of fried carrot cake (S$3.00) that my dear friend, Jesline ordered and little did I know, it was voted in a contest by Citygas and Shin Min News Daily as one of the top eight carrot cake stalls in early 2011.

The chefs at Lagoon Carrot Cake really know their stuff well - carrot cake and eggs pressed down and fried together till lightly crisp and golden brown, which brings along a strong savoury fragrance. Unlike the common ones, their carrot cakes are less moist and slightly more starchy. The fresh shrimps (additional S$1) and spring onions added an extra oomph, while the homemade chilli brought the dish to another level.For health gurus, it is definitely worth putting your diet plans aside for once, and just enjoy this plate of sinful goodness.

Before the recent "Gangnam Style" craze, there was former tutor and caretaker Ji-young Nam Gung - or better known as "Big Mama" cooking up a storm in her humble eatery, located just a stone throw away from Tiong Bahru Plaza. Her authentic home-cooked Korean dishes are a favourite to many, especially Korean students who came to savour a taste of home.

Similar to any other Korean restaurants, diners are greeted to an array of assorted banchan (side dishes) to accompany your mains. At Big Mama's, we were served with kimchi (traditional fermented vegetables), marinated watercress, crunchy lotus roots, japchae (sweet potato noodles), anchovies and mook (acorn jelly). And the best thing? It is free-of-charge and refillable!Yummy japchae - probably my favourite besides kimchi
Glorious Crunchy Anchovies

Girlfriend Peiyi and I ordered their speciality, Dakgalbi (S$15.00 per pax, min 2) - marinated chicken thigh chunks, chewy rice cakes, sliced cabbages and onions stir-fried together with generous drizzles of condiments and red chilli pepper paste. Additional sides, such as fried rice comes at different prices.Don't know how to cook? Fret not, for their service staff are trained to make the simplest ingredients to the signature, mouth-watering Dakgalbi!Their Dakgalbi reminded me of the ones I had in Korea a few years back. The well-marinated spicy chicken chunks were incredibly good and tasty, while the rice cakes were so so soft and chewy (I am putting heavy emphasis on "so"). This is definitely one of the best Korean dishes I had in Singapore.

Just a tip - add a bowl of steamed rice and stir fry them together!

"I love it when it is clean" (referring to the dishes), one of the service staff told us with a slight aegyo. And yes, we indeed cleared out every single plate on our tables. Although not an atas restaurant, Big Mama makes authentic and scrumptious Korean dishes without burning a big hole in your wallet.

Comfortably nestled in a corner of ION Orchard, Paradise Dynasty’s layout was chic – a fusion between a traditional Chinese theme and contemporary styles. Their outdoor seating area also gives those willing to brave the Singapore weather a pleasant view of orchard road.

During our meal there, I tried the Braised Pork La Mian in Signature Pork Bone Soup and it was delightable. The La Mian, vegetables, pork and other ingredients came in adequate proportions and the broth complemented the dish well. The pork, especially, was delectable and was a fine balance between fat and meat. On the other hand, Thomas had the Sliced Pork La Mian while Douglas ordered the La Mian with Deep Fried Chicken Cutlet. The noodles we had were basically the same La Mian, made fresh on ordering, which were silky and finely cut. Douglas’ chicken cutlet came on a separate plate which ensured that the crispy pieces were not soaked in the broth and did not lose its texture. The chicken, though a little oily for my taste, stood out because of its flavour. Though I’m not too sure what sauces or marinades they used, the flavour evoked a sort of home-cooked feeling which I rarely experienced at restaurants. Last but not least, we also tried Paradise Dynasty’s famous “multi-coloured” Signature Dynasty Xiao Long Baos (S$13.80). Apparently, there was an order we were supposed to follow while eating the Xiao Long Baos but since it was our first time trying their signature dish, our inexperience caused us to overlook the order and our zeal in trying out the different coloured Baos resulted in us simply randomly eating those whose colours looked most appealing. Needless to say, the Xiao Long Baos’ special flavours were not apparent to our palates and resulted in a huge anti-climax. Hence, as a warning to future diners, please be reminded to follow the order.Ultimately, what makes Paradise Dynasty a recommendable place to eat is not just their sumptuous food, but also their prices. Located on the top floor of ION Orchard, one would easily mistake the prices in Paradise Dynasty to rival those of the other posh restaurants in its vicinity. However, our meal this time cost us no more than $20 each - a reasonable price for the quality of food and ambience provided. So if you are looking for good food at a more conservative price in Orchard, why not give Paradise Dynasty a try?