The famous Mak’s Noodle from Hongkong has made its arrival right to our doorsteps in Singapore a couple of months back. Located in the basement of Centrepoint Orchard, with the surroundings somewhat quiet. The eatery was constantly filled with customers but the queue was not snaking long as what i was expecting. What they have is a simple traditional chinese style layout for their eatery with tables a little cramp to one another and practice an open kitchen concept, very hongkong style i would say.What a cute menu embedded on a 2D big bowl. If you have not known by now, Mak’s noodle is famous for their Wanton and in my opinion i would highly recommend their Beef Brisket noodles too.Sometimes, we do not need too much fanciful condiments, just a few good key ones will do the trick!We decided to try their famous Wanton Noodle Soup ($6.90) and Beef Brisket Tossed Noodle Dry ($9.00). Their braised beef briskets were very soft, tender and flavorful yet not too overwhelming and salty. But i find their tossed noodle a little under cooked and chewy. I preferred the noodles in the soup, the texture is more springy and softer. Pardon me for the hidden wantons in the picture. Their prawn wanton is good i would say, thin smooth layer of skin with firm meaty prawn fillings. Their soup broth are pretty light and natural tasting too.All in all, the staff were quite friendly and efficient in managing the customers. The waiting time for food weren’t too long too. Whether if i will return for a second time will pretty much depends on my mood i guess. The food is of not bad standard i would say but the perception of whether it’s worth the value i’m paying for is holding me back.

https://poohlovesfood.wordpress.com/2015/09/16/maks-noodle/

Going to 3 months old establishment along Tyrwhitt Road is none other than this sturdy stylish looking 1 Tyrwhitt Bistro Bar Cafe run by Karen and her husband. Clothed in a splash of monochrome accompanied by a few bold yet simplistic furnishing keeping its corner sleek and spacious, at the same time, preserving the rustic and vintage culture in the vicinity.Menu filled with a wide variety of choices ranging from finger food that goes well with a tower of beer to pizzas which are their specialties to pasta and some western mains. Not forgetting some desserts to complete your meal on a sweet note.Crispy Mid Wings ($10). Despite the crispiness of the lightly flavored batter with a tinge of spice and herbs, I find it a little too thick to my liking though. But the encapsulated meat within remains piping hot and juicy.Black Truffle Egg Pizza ($23.80) drizzle with truffle oil on wild mushrooms, mozzarella and parmesan cheese and topped it off with a sunny side up! Something special, first of its kind i have ever tasted so far. The crackling thin slice of pizza at its edges was surprisingly good with mild truffle aroma and taste that sits in really well with all the other ingredients on the pizza.Cheese lovers ($19.80). If you’re a cheese lover, or specifically a blue cheese lover, you’ll probably fall in love with this pizza. Topped with 5 kind of cheeses – Italian cheese, Mozzarella, Scamorza, Gorgonzola blue cheese,Taleggio and FetaCheese. From afar before it’s served to the table, you could smell the lingering ubiquitous blue cheese aroma overpowering the whole pizza. But taste wise, though the blue cheese is a little too invasive, i like the cheesy traces created from this medley of 5 different types of cheeses.Aglio Olio ($16.80). The pasta was a little under cook but the fresh crunchy prawns and fried garlic slices that weren’t pungent but aromatic saved the dish for the day.Carbonara Bacon ($16.80). I would say this is one of the better carbonara that i would not mind having. Unlike the usuals that are filled with milky cream base that tops it with an egg making it ge-lard and sometimes a pain to finish, the one at 1 tyrwhitt bar actually has a rich creamy sauce base from egg yolk reduced to just enough to coat around each strand of spaghetti, giving the dish enough flavor yet not too overwhelming for the palette.Sprinkle of zest and a dab of lemon butter sauce has beautifully highlight the flavor of Grilled Salmon ($20.80). The grilling has left the skin crisp and the flaky salmon moist with the heightened boost of flavor from the zesty lemon butter cream sauce.Pork Chop ($16.80) slow cooked to perfection, topped with brown sauce and served with wedges and home style vegetables. Well, have you attempted to have your pork cook the steak style way? Dishing up to your table is a thick slab of pork chop with tender meat and juices locked in within yet without any traces of pork odor. But there’s always 2 sides to a coin, though it’s a new and innovative way of cooking the pork, but it resulted in some under cooking at the thicker area of the pork where the heat may have difficulty reaching to it. Though it may be a delightful rendition of pork chop you can look forward to, but it’s good to let the staff know your preference of having it fully cooked.Panna Cotta ($8.80). It’s not easy to achieve the right smooth and silky texture with the milky taste on the right note and 1 Tyrwhitt Bistro & Bar have really done a good job in it. I must admit, they indeed have one of the best panna cotta around. Their milk based panna cotta served with raspberries coulis gives off a sweet yet refreshing touch to this dessert piece.Tiramisu ($8.80). Literally melts in your mouth velvety homemade tiramisu is another dessert that you must not miss. Soft and spongy layers that create intense flavor burst of espresso and rum that warms up your mouth instantly and leave you craving for more. It’s one of the better tiramisu around that really have the omph and leave an impression on you.
1 Tyrwhitt Bistro and Bar whipped up a table of delectable italian fare at a reasonable price with their pizzas and desserts scoring at the top of my list. The ambiance was smoothing and relaxing, perfect for a catch up with your long lost friends or just a simple chill out night after a long day of work.

https://poohlovesfood.wordpress.com/2015/09/13/1-tyrwhitt-bistro-bar-and-cafe/

Molly Roffey’s Irish Pub has been around in the Singapore scene for quite a while. Molly Roffey’s is quite unique to not only be a pub that telecasts live soccer matches, houses a live band performance but also a corner for the most in trend installation – dart machine! They basically have all the best things under in one roof. I like how the interior of the pub is decorated, high stools and bar counter, brick walls and scents of quaintness, greatly filled with European pubs vibes.Extensive menu filled with bar bites, to pizzas and pastas accompanied with a couple of beers, ciders and wines all at nett prices. If you have noticed, they have even attended to your small little needs where you don’t have to crack your brain, what kind of wine or liquor will goes well with what kind of food, they have done that just for you!Beside immersing in their wonderful ambiance, it’s time to indulge in some of the goodies they have right there in their kitchen. First up in the menu for tonight was Shrimp Paste Chicken in a Basket ($10). Though i was really looking forward to see how intense the shrimp paste taste will be, but to much disappointment, it’s indeed lacking the shrimp paste flavor but nevertheless, the crispiness of the skin with the juiciness of the meat seems to have make up for the loss. Not only that, the accompanying coriander chilli is really superb and a perfect match with the mid joint wings. The coriander chilli bring about some resemblance to our belacan chilli stinging our taste buds with spiciness. One word, ‘Shiok!’Another 2 dishes we ordered were Asian Pasta ($20) and Aglio Olio with Prawns ($16). I felt that the Asian Pasta fared much better than the Aglio Olio. Like what the name suggest, Asian Pasta brings a touch of asian flavor to the dish. Mild tom yum cream base with a handful of seafood. The tom yum based is not too overpowering but has infused well into the spaghetti strands, with every strands filled of subtle tom yum flavor, a tinge of sourness and spiciness. The highlight of the seafood used was none other than a miniature cheese baked crayfish, though small but the meat was so fresh and crunchy with the sweetness intensified by the baked cheese. It’s the total limelight of the dish despite it being so miniature. ): I’m literally craving for more right now. Aglio Olio on the other hand lack of lustre, with the pasta a little too dry.To sum up all, i really like the casual and full of bar vibes ambiance Molly Roffey’s has. It makes it a really good chill out place after work or on friday’s nights.

https://poohlovesfood.wordpress.com/2015/09/09/molly-roffeys/

Well hidden under a block of estates and shops along the waterloo street sit The Betterfield, which is reputable for its affordable ribeye steak of quality. Stepping into an empty cafe during the dinner hour kept me puzzled, “why is there no crowd” despite all the raving reviews. But the thoughts were slowly demised after the food was served and the crowd begun to stroll in at the later hours. Decorations and furnishing wise was kept simple and clean, except for an eye-catching artwork plastered onto the vast white walls of the cafe.Menu was kept simple with a few popular cafe fares and others with some added novelties. Their mains ranges from $16-$20 and starters from $7-$15. One of the best things in the cafe is that, all the prices stated are nett!The Ultimate Italian Black Truffle Fries ($7, medium) was dished out filling the air with aroma of truffle. In love with how crispy the shoestrings fries were on the outside, and how warm and soft the inside was. The fries were fried using truffle oil and tossed with truffle salt, allowing every stick of fries be filled with flavors and traces of truffle. Not only that, the accompanying dressing was truffle mustard which was more subtle and light in taste, but the truffle combo of this dish was really the ultimate, not too overpowering but yet you definitely won’t miss out the truffle taste lingering around the dish!Prawn Aglio Olio ($18) falls a little oily with the noodles feeling a little dry but the taste was quite good to begin with. The dish will be perfect if it’s a little creamier with prawn head broth to intensify and seal off the flavor.I had the Black Angus Ribeye Steak (200grams, $21) medium done. Luscious piece of steak with the meat in sheer red and blood oozing out right under the knife. Each piece of meat was nicely done with each bite so tender and juicy but the ends may get a little chewy. Instead of the usual pairing with brown sauce and pomme puree, it was paired with a mixture of black and white truffle mustard which went really well with the steak. Satisfying steak at affordable price.
What i like about The Betterfield, is their continuous creations of novelty dishes with quality ingredients yet at pocket friendly prices which will totally keeps your stomach curious and craving for more.

https://poohlovesfood.wordpress.com/2015/08/22/the-betterfield/

The first impression i had for Gastrosmith is something along the line of extravaganza with snippets of their food plating looking classic and dainty. Upon stepping in, i was welcomed by the artsy graffitied wall. Deck in a coat of silver-grey with great resemblance to that of a cemented wall bringing about a rustic feel.Extensive food and drinks menu with a few choices available from different categories. Drinks prices are surprisingly reasonable while the food prices are dangling on the higher end. You are able to get a cup of coffee/tea for just $4-$5 whereas the starters will range from $10 – $12 and the mains from $20 – $25 subject to 7% GST and 10% Service charge.Mocha ($5)Crab & Caviar Bruschetta ($15) – A dish that is too brilliant and awesome to not give it a try. Well toasted bruschetta giving a golden shine to the top and leaving the edges crispy. We are won over by their generosity of shredded swimmer crab meat with mayo that keeps this starter light and refreshing and the unique taste of smoked cavier that bursts right into our mouth.Braised Lamb Shank ($27) – Tender braised lamb shank that almost achieve melt in your mouth denotation. Full flavors well infused right to the bone after long hours of braising with red wine and korean red pepper paste, gochujang. The pairing with sauteed mushrooms and smooth creamy pomme puree which absorbs the piquant savory sauce has delighted our taste buds greatly.Pork Collar Ragu ($21.50) – Linguine tossed with truckloads chunks of braised pork collar and abundance of parmesan cheese. What kept me puzzled and disappointed was the supposedly red wine tomato cream based pasta which turns out to be an italian dish filled more with asian flavors. Generally, the dish is generous with their meats but could hold back on their oil a little.Gastrosmith had whipped out quite a decent number of exquisite quality dishes which may have set themselves apart from the rest of the cafes. It’s a place you would return to for some occasional cafe pampering at a higher cost but with a quiet laid-back personal space.

https://poohlovesfood.wordpress.com/2015/08/16/gastrosmith/