The snaking, long queue at Tony Roma's always put me off when I was hunting for dinner at Suntec City. Despite recommendations and ravings from most of my friends, I never really knew what was so good about their famed baby back ribs. Paradoxically, being a true blue Singaporean, long queues never fail to repel me away (and that is probably why I haven't tried out Dim Ho Wan and Krispy Kreme yet.) Anyway, it was my friend's birthday.. and Tony Roma's was selected.

With more than 150 outlets worldwide and two locally, Tony Roma's take pride in their baby back ribs which are marinated with home-made sauces and then, slow-smoked to mouth-watering perfection. Other signatures include char-grilled black angus steaks, seafood and other varieties of entrees and salads. After the long wait, looking at the menu already calls for some serious drooling to start.For those who cannot decide what to have, have their St. Louis Ribs Sampler (S$38.90) which allows you to try the best of everything. It includes a dozen of ribs, featuring four of Tony's Signature Sauces: Original BBQ Sauce, Carolina Honeys, Blue Ridge Smokies and Tony Roma’s Red Hots, together with a selection of two side dishes. Out of the four, BBQ sauce and Red Hots are my favourite: for the former, nothing beats the original, while the latter has a distinct spiciness of four different types of peppers and Tabasco sauce, among the aromatic smoky flavour. Good to share between two persons.Out of 10 diners at Tony Roma's, at least 8 would opt for their famed Original Baby Back Ribs (full, S$38.90). I mean, who would opt for something else other than a dozen ribs lined with tender, lean pork loin, basted with their original BBQ sauce? With comparison with the meatier cut of St Louis's ribs, baby back ribs triumphed in terms of tenderness and sweetness. The ribs come in 3 different sizes, and is completed with two side dishes as well.

If you love the ribs at Tony Roma's, be sure to try out the Stickybones ribs at Morganfield's (Star Vista).

Nestled within the lush greenery of Bishan Park, GRUB is a casual bistro that offers responsible eating, an initiation which promotes the usage of natural ingredients, without the addition of preservatives, additives or flavourings. Moreover, the head chef Melvyn and his wife, Amanda, who are better known as the people behind Cookyn Inc., also believe that responsible eating starts with good practices by the farmers, fishermen and artisanal producers.

For a start, I do not really understand why the name "grub", but they made finer dining in the park possible without having to burn a big hole in one's pocket. One more thing, they operate on a "first come first serve" basis, which means they do not take reservations. Hence, do prepare for a long queue if you are later than their opening hours. Have a try at their Grilled Chicken Thigh Burger (S$12) - a beautiful rendition of marinated chicken thigh, peanut butter aioli and fried enoki, sandwiched between two sesame buns, or GRUB Cheeseburger (S$13) - a signature which consists of freshly minced beef patty and melted Monterey Jack cheese."Our promise is that everything that appears on your plate has been carefully thought through and weighed out to give the best balance between quality and affordability."

Want something more brunch-like? Pulled Beef Burger (S$12) would be your best bet. A combination of marinated beef shreds and mustard sauce, topped with a sunny side-up is sure to brighten anyone's day. Oh, and every burger set is completed with a cup of French fries.

Well, if you were to ask me which is my favourite burger among the three, it would definitely be the one with grilled chicken thigh. Tender, juicy and savoury, now what's better than that?Besides burger affair, GRUB serves a wide variety of Western dishes as well, like Slow Roasted Pork Belly (S$15), churros, and Pan Seared King Salmon Risotto (S$15) - a combination of risotto and chimchurri, the salmon flakes nicely with a fork and overall, the dish was creamily satisfying, without being overly heavy on the palate.

Unlike the typical "credit-card system" that most Marches utilise currently, the brand new Movenpick outlet at JEM serves their dishes in a la carte style, bringing about a whole new dining experience. Yet, the ambience and concept was pretty much similar, coupled with rustic furniture, miniature pots of greeneries and soothing light, that resembles the interior of a cosy country-side restaurant. Al fresco dining is also available for diners to enjoy their meals amidst the occasional night breeze.

Their rendition of fried Ravioli was surprisingly good. The exterior was nice and crisp, but unfortunately, filled with barely sufficient fillings. This dish is served with their home-made sauce, which is difficult to distinguish between cheesy and sour creamy, kinda flavour. Makes a good side to go along with their beer.Served with two sides of garlic toast and portobello mushroom (..salad), Spaghetti Carbonara (S$14.90) was far from satisfying. Number one: Pasta wasn't al dente (way off undercooked). Number two: Sauce was clumpy and in a mess. These two which gave me enough reasons to leave almost half of the pasta untouched. Just one more, and I might get a refund.Almost 80% of their patrons ordered their signature thin-crusted pizzas, and I thought, why not order one and share it among us? There are more than 10 choices, ranging from cheese pizzas (feta, margherita, goat cheese, etc.) to more meaty ones, such as roasted chicken, prosciutto and smoked salmon. As democratic as we are, we went ahead with the most voted Smoked Duck Breast Pizza (S$20.50). Boy, it was humongous and tasted as great as it looked. Now, don't worry on how you're going to cut it, the service staff would kindly do you the favour.Recommendations for the pizza(s) is highly recommended, otherwise if you are just going to stick to the mains, head for the other Marche outlets.

..at least they serve rosti there.

There aren't many noteworthy cafes in the west, hence the recent addition of W39 was more than welcomed to the people residing in the near vicinity. Jointly opened by two sisters, this cosy, brightly-painted bistro and bakery sits quietly within the residential area of West Coast, bringing little hints of nostalgia - a cheery invitation for people from all walks of life. Despite being a newly opened cafe, seats during weekends are already hard to come by without prior reservations. For starters, which other places can you find a S$9 Eggs Benedict? More importantly, quality does not lose out compared to the average rendition. Toasted brioche, topped with bacon and two beautifully poached eggs with hollandaise sauce is completed with a serving of side salad. Coupled with your favourite cup of caffeine, now, what better ways are there to celebrate a beautiful weekend morning?If you're looking for something more filling, look no further than their Hearty Breakfast - a top-seller, and also my personal favourite. It encompasses an array of breakfast ingredients, including toast, eggs, sausage, mushrooms, salad and two sunny side-up. I have no complains, except that the eggs were a little poorly executed. Nevertheless, kudos to their overall presentation and taste.Meals are never completed without dessert (which explains my expanding waistline). We shared a slice of Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake (S$6.80) - a brilliant executed dessert, whereby the flavour is a nice balance between sweet and salty. Just check out this piece of art, and try not to drool.Besides brunch menu (available only on weekends and public holidays) and desserts, W39 serves a variety of tapas, appetiser and mains, as well. Their signature dishes include their chef's special Nyonya Mee Siam and Wagyu burger. It's all been raves up till now, and I definitely foresee myself coming back to W39 frequently.

Nothing goes better than a cup of caffeine and your favourite dessert after a filling meal. Here at Maison Ikkoku, expect exquisite cuppas crafted by skilled baristas, who are well-versed in the latte arts. With selections of weekend brunch menus, salads and gourmet sandwiches, this place has become a fast-rising favourite among youngsters. The interior holds a strong rustic, cosy feeling, completed by odd-looking furniture (the table top sure looks like a door), comfortable ambient lights and a coffee bar, with a glass display of all the lovely selections of cakes.Besides the range of coffees, Maison Ikkoku serves home-brewed tea as well. I, myself is not a huge tea lover, but those who had their teas, raved it. For coffee lovers, you're in for a big treat. You can have your coffee brewed in one of the seven methods, namely Chemax, syphon, ice drip, V60 pour over, woodneck, eva solo and aeropressz. Don't know which roast to go with? Fret not, simply approach the friendly baristas and I bet they are more willing to give some professional advices.Recently, we were there again to celebrate one of our friend's birthday, and guess what? The friendly staff at Maison Ikkoku even dimmed the lights for a few moments and sang the birthday song with us. How lovely was that. Their S'more pie is a huge favourite amongst us. Soft and chewy marshmallow on a bed of rich, bitter-sweet chocolate is something that you would not stop at one mouthful.Some of the recommended signature cakes include Blueberry Cheese Pie and Chocolate Banana Cake. The former was slightly too moist and lumpy, but the latter was a sinful combination of rich and flavourful. If you love dense cake, go for the chocolate banana cake, you won't be disappointed. Unfortunately, red velvet was out of stock the night we visited, but trust me, they got one of the best out there.Personally, I have not tried their brunch items yet, but would love to head down for some weekend breakfast soon!