For the full review, visit http://herpenandfork.blogspot.sg/2016/03/carne-caipirinha-brazilian-grilled.html 

Carne & Caipirinha is a welcome change from the 'same' CBD and dining options in town. It is located in the heartlands, but offers the serenity and ambience with its largely alfresco setting. This is different from other buffets. Here, what is really unique is that the waiters will bring the charcoal-grilled skewers of meat piping hot from the kitchen right to your seat, and carve it onto your plate. It is pretty fun and definitely ups the visual appeal to your meal experience. Apparently, this serving style is known as rodizio and popular in Brazil. Churrascaria refers to a restaurant serving free-flow grilled meats. That makes two interesting facts, especially for meat-lovers.

To start off the meal, we were served these warm cheese bread (Pao de Queijo). These were chewy little round pieces with a slightly crisp crusty outside, but chewy-like-mochi cheese inside. Very very addictive. Don't stop yourself from having more than one. We couldn't.Pao de Queijo

Depending on your choice, the drink may come at an additional cost to the buffet.

The buffet includes a free-flow salad bar that has a good variety of salads, rice, and some cooked dishes like the Brazilian Feijoada (black bean stew with pork trimmings). I tried the black bean stew, and took a piece of the pork trimming. A bite of it and...I think it's better if you take the meat in the stew, if you really want to try the stew, instead.Brazilian Feijoada, Chicken Salpicao.

Finally onto the grilled items.

Meat List: They have (get ready) pork sausage, pork belly, pork rib, pork ham, lamb leg, chicken thigh, chicken fillet, chicken heart, beef rump, beef hump, beef rib, fish (escolar) and grilled pineapple.The Passador (Chef-cum-meat server) in action.Pork Sausage, Chicken Fillet Wrapped in Bacon.

Our first items of pork sausage and chicken fillet wrapped in bacon were pretty good, just a little bit salty. It did have that smoky flavour from the grill.Chicken Thigh

The Chicken Thigh was one of my favourite meats. It was tender and not dry with enough flavour.Pork Belly

The Pork Belly is similar to our chinese roasted meat. A pity the skin was not crispy. Perhaps it's meant to be this way, but I would prefer a crispy skin like our Chinese roast pork. The meat itself was good. Beef Rump

Between the beef rump, and the beef hump which is apparently a rare cut to eat, a good majority preferred the juicier beef hump. For me, both cuts were dry, so I guess you must get the beef hump part with fats so that it isn't as dry. The lamb cut was decent. Fish (Escolar)

The grilled fish, would have been among my preferred items, if not for the fact that it was slightly too salty and had this sour-ish aftertaste that I didn't quite appreciate. I liked the firm texture of the fish. However, we were told we shouldn't have more than 4 or 5 pieces of the fish because its fats cannot be digested. In other words, if we did, we would spend our next day in the toilet.Chicken Heart

It might sound exotic and off-putting. This was ironically, my favourite for the night, though I only had one piece because the idea of it just stopped me from having another one. The chicken heart, was well-seasoned, grilled and had this supple, bouncy texture to it. If you didn't tell me, I would not be so chicken and would have more.Pork Ribs - a good-to-have too!

They also served a juicy grilled pineapple, which is a must.

As it is a buffet, you can simply just have as much of what you like. The must-haves are in bold above in the 'meat list'.

The "FireBomb"

This dish has been making waves on Instagram, and really, who won't be fascinated by carbonara pasta cooked in a live fire in a Parmesan-Reggiano cheese wheel? We had both versions, one with the alcohol tinge(cooked with the fire showcase), and one without. We preferred the one without. Do not expect the carbonara to be very italian-style though. This comes at an additional $10, but since it's a buffet, just get one serving to share and for the experience of seeing the 'firebomb'.

It may get a little bit warm for those who can't take SG's heat that well, so make sure to pick the spot with a fan. Overall, the food is acceptable, my main pick being the beef being too dry. However, the other meats are alright, if not above average and the dining experience is different. Carne is a good option to consider for a change in cuisine.

For the best value, you should catch the Happy Hour, from 5.30-7pm Mondays to Saturdays ($39,90 for adults, $18 for children and free for children < 5 years). As long as you are seated before 7pm, you get to enjoy the price, which is $10 lesser per pax, (yes you don't have to leave by 7pm) and stay as long as you desire.

For the full review, visit http://herpenandfork.blogspot.sg/2016/03/the-new-starbucks-breakfast-menu-items.html 

I am not a Starbucks stalwart, but the recent new introductions to their breakfast sparked my interest. At $6.90 for a breakfast set - one breakfast menu item with brewed coffee/tea (free upgrade to latte/cappuccino going on now till end March), it is pretty reasonable for Starbucks. Especially when you think McDonald's big breakfast set comes in around that price (a BBF with cappuccino costs $8.10, though the quantity is more).

Rosemary, Emmental Cheese and Chicken CroissantThe Rosemary chicken, onion and celery filling resembled the minced texture of tuna filling in sandwiches. Mine came with the croissant nearly flattened - most likely the tongs used clasped the croissant too hard. ):

The croissant itself was a bit soggy, like how a microwaved croissant is. Ok this is microwaved, but still there are microwaved croissants which turn out good ain't? Those who aren't into onion and celery can skip this, like me, because the presence of these in the filling is quite distinct.

To be fair, the presentation may differ across branches, depending on your barista's mood and strength.

Turkey Ham, Egg White and Cheddar sandwich The cheese melted nicely after they heated it up, and it comes with a slice of turkey ham. The egg white needed a sprinkling more of salt though. This will fall under healthy tasting to normal people because it is a little too bland. The wholemeal bun(bread person here) fared good. It retained its structured exterior with little crumbs atop while fluffy inside, with an aroma. Add your own salt, but otherwise this will cut it for a healthy option.

Grilled Chicken, Mushroom, Spinach and Egg SandwichI liked that the spinach is embedded inside the egg, but the grilled chicken has this rubbery consistency. If you need meat and vegetable balance among their breakfast offerings, your best bet would be this. Again, you may need to add your own salt. If it matters, the buns are not wholemeal for this.

Egg White, Roasted Pepper, Mushroom & Cheddar Wrap


The egg white wrap is probably the most well-seasoned out of the rest. In terms of taste, this has an edge in terms of in taste as it is not dragged down by blandness. If you don't mind that it is meatless, this is good to pick.

Egg Omelette Croque Monsieur This is a panini bread with a layer of omelette, and another layer of melted cheese with turkey ham pieces and some herbs sprinkled on top. Similar to the ham and cheese bread you can get from bakeries, with the exception being the added omelette layer. Erm, the other choices are more unique.

As for the egg mayo sandwich, I didn't venture to try as a barista warned us against it. Hmm. The last two untried items are the pancakes and croque madame.

Starbucks has managed to keep its consistent theme of healthy in these breakfast sets. It is also a boost for calorie-counters given that these sets are lesser of a calorie bomb. They can make for a pretty lasting breakfast (till about 2pm) if you get it along with a drink (cappucino/latte).

The new breakfast offerings are offered till 11.30am on weekdays and till 2.30pm on the weekends. Do not go after this cut-off times.The items are also available after breakfast hours, going at $5.90 for just the item and are subject to availability at each different store.

Full review on http://herpenandfork.blogspot.sg/2016/02/brownice-italian-bistro-katong-review.html 
[This review is for the Katong outlet.]
Brownice Italian Bistro is a vegan Italian bistro concept with 2 outlets located at Katong and Sin Ming respectively. While the Sin Ming outlet serves only waffles and ice cream, the Katong one serves up a full-fledged menu. Food Menu

We would think vegan food to be bland and unappealing, but backed by the rising eat-healthy trend in recent years and the increase in vegans, the vegan/vegetarian industry has seen businesses such as taiwanese-vegetarian Sufood (read the review here) by the Putien Group, striving to improve food quality and taste to even appeal to mainstream diners. Brownice however, sets itself distinctly apart from the competition by serving a fully Italian menu of pizzas and pastas.

A differentiating point about Brownice is that they make their own vegan cheese, and it tastes very similar to cheese, but without the stringiness that some may miss. Apparently, to do a vegan cheese that tastes decent isn't easy and this definitely made the mark.

AranciniArancini ($12)

Arancini are fried, crumbed rice balls filled with vegan cheese and tomato. The marinara was a very well-seasoned blend of flavours that wasn't too sour or heavy on the tomato taste. My dining partner and I, who are not usually marinara fans, lapped this up, though it could use just a little less salt. A bonus for the health-conscious is that Brownice uses brown rice for this dish, consistent with the bistro's healthy slant. This dish was our favourite, all thanks to the superb marinara.

Four Seasons PizzaFour Seasons Pizza ($18)

This thin-crust pizza came in four variations, each with two slices. There were the toppings of artichokes with soy ham; taggiasche olives; sundried tomatoes and capsicum; truffle mushroom. The imported olives were juicy but too salty, though that has more to do with the preserved nature of olives. Our favourite slices were the truffle mushroom and artichokes with soy ham.

Brownice definitely served up flavours that are very close to the Italian taste in Italy. We did not miss the meat in this meal. The waffles and ice cream are touted as a must-try, so we will be headed there for it next time.

Full review on http://herpenandfork.blogspot.sg/2016/02/boruto-bar-review-fusion-mod-japanese.html 

Located in the CBD, Boruto is a Japanese bar that serves up fusion Jap-mod dishes, tapas style. The place has a good collection of sakes, and they pride themselves on their collection of it in a 'vault' that has a cute set of old security boxes, left behind by the previous bank occupant serving as decor. This made sense then, because 'Boruto' means vault in Japanese.On the menu is a mix of hot and cold tapas, as well as a good selection of sakes.

Saga Gyu Tataki with Saffron Saga Beef Tataki ($28.8)

The beef slices is seared on the outside while remaining rare on the inside. The end-result is tender and savoury with the right touches of umami. Some may find it a little conventional out of all the fusion mod dishes, but this worked well for me.

Ahi Tataki The Ahi Tataki is a dish of seared ahi tuna. The spicy kick brought by the sauce gave this dish something different. It can be an option if you like your fish tatakis and the wasabi Yuzu dressing elevated the dish to make it refreshing.

Crispy Rice Cracker Tacos Crispy Rice Cracker Tacos

I liked the mushiness of the pulled pork against the creamy background of the guacamole. The crispy rice cracker added a contrasting crunch and the chilli salsa gave a good kick to the end. Altogether, this has to be my favourite dish in the tasting

Tori Take Roll
The Tori Take Roll is a chicken roulade stuffed with shiitake jam. It is drizzled with a Chinese-style vinaigrette which comprises of sesame, chilli, soy sauce and black vinegar. The shiitake jam is really delicious, but the flavouring of this dish is more suitable for the chinese palate. Uni Pasta v1.1 Uni Truffle Pasta ($35.8)

It is version 1.1 as the chef has reinterpreted the signature from the previous chef by adding his own touch of uni to it. The fishiness of the uni was a little too overpowering for us. Not for everyone. Dessert - Warabi Mochi, Souffle cake, Truffle Creme BruleeFrom Top Clockwise: Warabi Mochi ($6.80), Chocolate Souffle Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream ($8.80) and Truffle Creme Brulee ($12.80)

For the souffle cake, it came as promised with a richly oozy molten chocolate centre. The whole combination of soft cake with the melted chocolate was a delight. My favourite dessert of the three, this was a crowd-pleaser.

It is a good place for knocking back a few glasses, especially if you are into sakes and the food here doesn't lack in quality, though some unconventional flavours may not appeal to everyone. You will need deeper pockets though.

Located at The Bedok Marketplace, a place anchored on a concept not unsimilar to Salute Kopitiam at Alexandra is Ballistic Meatballs.

This must be the first stall I have seen in Singapore, specialising solely in meatballs. Just looking at the menu got me excited.Ballistic Meatballs Menu

We were there to try the meatballs, but the wraps seemed equally tantalising, partly because of the good variety of interesting sauces.Crispy Wild Mushrooms ($3), Crispy Crab Balls ($10.50)

The Crispy Wild Mushrooms wowed surprisingly, for something that I admit I dismissed as too common to have anything worth noting initially. Ballistic's version however, has a thin crispy batter that is just the right balance of salty peppery. I couldn't stop. At just $2 with any meatball order, this is a must-order. Crispy Crab Balls ($10.50)

This was the shop's special when we popped by, in celebration of SG50. The Crispy Crab Balls, served with two mantou buns and chilli crab sauce, are made from crab meat and clams rolled together and coated in a crispy panko batter. One side was soaked in chilli crab sauce, which made it mushy moist, but at the same time, you can still get the crispiness on the other side. The chilli crab sauce complemented the meatball very well. This was our group favourite.Ballistic Signature Beef Meatballs ($5.90), Plain Jane Meatballs ($4)

The Ballistic Signature Meatballs did deliver, with the flavourful beef meatballs crispy on the outside, revealing an inner melted cheese filling. This came in closely to the Chilli Crab Meatball for me, so if the special is out, this is good. The Plain Jane chicken meatball however, was a tad too salty and its slightly flat shape caused it to be a little flat in the mouth in terms of texture, compared to the other completely rounded meatballs.

Judging by the meatballs we had, this stall well gives IKEA a run for their money.