Strangers’ Reunion, located a 10 minutes walk away from Outram Park MRT station (Exit F), is one of the more renowned cafes in Singapore. The place has quite a following for their waffles, which is purportedly so good that the owners have opened Waffle Slayer - a cafe dedicated to an expanded menu of waffles, right beside it. It would be easier to get here by bus though. The brown-hued interior is everything you expect in a standard café, hipster
furnishings with industrial lighting. Spacious, the place also has powerpoints
(though no wifi), making it a pretty good option to park yourself at with a
book/laptop for a lazy afternoon.Strangers' Reunion MenuThe menu is pretty extensive. All-day breakfast options are till 5pm on weekdays, and there
are sides and waffles along with the usual beverages.

Buttermilk Waffles with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream



Buttermilk Waffles with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and fresh fruits ($12.90)

The verdict for the much raved-about waffles?

It really is great. It’s a slightly different style from Creamier’s (by
far my best), but I liked the fragrant aftertaste and crispy texture. It yields
with a nice crackle to the knife while the inside isn't too soft yet fluffy enough. Get it.

Truffle FriesTruffle Fries ($12.90)

We wanted the truffled sweet potato fries, but it was unavailable. So, we
settled for the truffle fries. Sadly, the fries itself didn’t really live up to
expectations because the truffle fragrance was nary there. The shoestring
weren’t exactly all crisp with a nice fluffiness inside, but the garlic mayo
dip that came with it saved it. Now that was good.

Ham and Goat's Cheese OmeletteHam and Homemade Goat's Cheese Omelette ($15)

The ham and goat cheese omelette with tomato relish was decent, that is, if you are
ok with the slight pungency of goat’s cheese. The portion was pretty
substantial as well, but the bread that came with it was crusty hard. The taste
of the entire combination reminded me of indian food somehow. Not a
miss, but neither a hit too. What struck me most here, (and why I’d return) would be the attentive service and friendly
staff. Our bottle of water was promptly replaced once finished (not once but
thrice and also even when we shifted tables as well). Plus, they did not chase
us once we finished our food and also as I am typing here now, when the café is
filling up fast. This service standard was extended to our customers too. So go
ahead, visit and remember to get the waffles.

For the full review, go to http://herpenandfork.blogspot.sg/2014/12/strangers-reunion-cafe-review-sgs-best.html

With 4 outlets in Singapore thus far, Tim Ho Wan's latest addition is a 24-hour outlet at Aperia Mall. We waited for 20 minutes at 10pm on a Tuesday.

At $15-$20 per pax for a reasonably filling meal, it isn't expensive since you will hit this range too at the no-frills joints if you order slightly more.Tim Ho Wan's Supper Menu (10pm-6am daily)

The supper menu though, is significantly less varied than the other supper places. Quite a few things are excluded for the supper menu. For one, they do not have the steamed pork ribs with black bean sauce nor the Pig Liver Chee Cheong Fun, but you will not be lacking in things to order if you are willing to try what they have.

Baked BBQ Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao)Baked BBQ Pork Buns - $5 for 3

Every table gets these Baked BBQ Pork Buns. 1. Because they are Michelin-starred. 2. They are really good, if not fantastic. Even for the most stringent Char Siu Bao judges, these will more than cut the above-average mark. The buttery, crumbly exterior leading to the savoury-sweet filling within is a joy to bite into. I am also glad that the filling is no longer the shocking red and syrupy sweet it was as I remember it to be, when THW first opened at Plaza Singapura.Pan-fried Turnip Cake (or carrot cake as we know it)Pan-fried Carrot Cake ($4.80)

Another 'heavenly king', this lived up to its name. The fine texture is soft yet supple, and every bite is flavourful. Presumably the tiny pieces of cured sausage mixed into it (lap cheong) helped.

Steamed Egg Cake (Ma Lai Gao)Hong Kong Style Boat Congee ($6), Steamed Egg Cake (Ma Lai Gao) - $3.80

The Ma Lai Gao also comes highly recommended for those who like a soft, spongey cake. It is eggy and yet maintains the brown sugar fragrance. The cake springs back when pressed into slightly - an indication of its 'bounciness'. Har Gao ($6), Siu Mai ($5.50)

Other dishes ordered included the Har Gao (Steamed Shrimp Dumplings), Hong Kong Style Boat Congee, Fried Beancurd Skin Roll with Shrimp and Siu Mai. While the first 2 were more than decent with succulent prawns, the siu mai came off a little funny. Perhaps it was because the meaty interior had a somewhat pork-ish smell to it. The others also commented that the texture seemed more like eating a meatball.Fried Beancurd Skin Rolls with Shrimp ($6)

Osmanthus Rose JellyOsmanthus Rose Jelly ($3.50)

Dessert was the ornately beautiful osmanthus rose jelly. Lightly-perfumed osmanthus fragrance encased within a golden agar with some red dates - this light touch was a good addition to finish off the meal with without feeling too heavy.

An additional note though, if you wish to take away, the restaurant still charges 10% gst and 7% service charge on the item(s) you are packing.

Final word: The menu items tried are all at least above-average in taste. Tried and tasted, Tim Ho Wan is definitely a place to really consider for dim sum, even more so late night. Now, wouldn't it be great if they come up with salted egg custard lava buns?

Full review on http://herpenandfork.blogspot.sg/2014/11/tim-ho-wan-supper-review-24-hours-dim.html 

Himawari has 2 branches, one at Orchid Country Club (OCC) while the other is at Alexandra Road. The original branch at Alexandra Road also offers teppanyaki as well, on top of the shabu shabu and ala-carte buffet.

When we arrived, there was obviously a mistake made on the staff's part as they could not find our reservation which was made 5 days in advance. Luckily, they still proceeded to give us a table, even though it seemed every table in the restaurant that wasn't filled was reserved. The restaurant was obviously understaffed though with only about 4 staff serving an entirely packed restaurant. We had to wait quite a while for our orders to be taken - an experience that would repeat itself throughout the entire meal.Sashimi platter

To its credit, the Sashimi platter that came made up for what we suffered in the service aspect. The portions were generous, as can be seen from here, all thickly sliced and succulent. The fish was fresh and at the ice-cold temperature I like my sashimi to be. They could afford to be lighter-handed on the wasabi though, don't think anyone can finish that mountain with a platter.Pumpkin Croquette

Another item that I thought was done executed well is the pumpkin croquette. It came piping hot, and the pumpkin filling inside was deliciously soft with a crunchy batter exterior.Mixed Tempura

The mixed tempura was not bad in my opinion. Not the best, but decent enough for a buffet. The batter could be lighter and crispier of course.Grilled Beef Fillet

The grilled beef fillet that came fell flat on expectations. It was thin, cold and had a texture that was almost like chicken meat. Uninspiring. Perhaps it was left sitting out too long before it was served to us.Saba Shioyaki

This came boneless and piping hot, so really it is worth ordering as it is pretty good.Negitoro Handroll

Firstly, I really liked the stand the handroll was served on. The handroll itself however, aside from the fact that it is bluefin tuna sashimi, did not blow me away. There was barely taste from the little morsels of bluefin tuna sashimi encased within the mound of rice and it was simply, too much carbohydrates to be eating at a buffet.Tonkatsu - Fried Pork Cutlet

A pretty average item, it has nothing on the Tonkatsu at Tampopo of course, but it is acceptable if you want to eat Tonkatsu.Shabu ShabuShabu Beef Slices

As many tables around us ordered it, we couldn't help but jump onto the bandwagon too. It was really worth ordering this, despite our limited stomach space. The shabu Beef slices that came in particular had a nice buttery flavor to it, and you can clearly see the quality of the meat speaks for itself from the marbling.

Overall, the food at this ala-carte buffet is decent overall, with a few items that are above average. The ice cream came in small pre-packed cups in 4 or 5 flavors (green tea, vanilla, taro etc) but towards the end of the buffet, they were only left with vanilla and green tea. varieties for us to choose from It is good value for money considering the variety and quality. What was really frustrating though, was the service. All the other patrons experienced the same long waiting time when they wanted to place their orders and there were a lot of requests that we had to repeat before it came. For example, the shabu beef slices came a whole 40 minutes after our shabu shabu came, because the service crew forgot it and only took it to us upon our 3rd reminder to them. If there is anything Himawari needs to work on for its OCC branch, it isn't the food but the service rendered that is a greater cause for concern.

Nara Thai is located at basement 3 of Ion Orchard. It has gained a reputation in Thailand for bringing Thai street food to a restaurant setting. Here, the flavours are more suitable for the international palate, with healthier versions of the Thai street food we know. The restaurant caters to the middle-upper class in Thailand and the menu is extensive, offering a wide range.

The restaurant has a casual Thai dining feel, but prices are far from that. For one thing, the drinks are overpriced (Thai Iced Milk Tea at $5.90), so it is definitely not worth it to order, even more so since it is nothing impressive. I could get the same elsewhere and better for cheaper. Stick to the plain water served.Pad Thai with Prawns ($15.90)

A must-try for me at any Thai restaurant would be Pad Thai, as it is a dish that you can judge culinary standards by, since it is so iconic and common an offering. The accompanying prawns here were succulent and fresh. However, I found the Pad Thai a little too sweet and mild in flavour for my liking, neither was there any lingering fragrance after eating. Easily forgettable. Portion-wise, the restaurant was most generous with this dish.Fried Soft Shell Crab with Sweet Tamarind Sauce ($16.90)

It was surprising to see this on the menu, as I associate soft shell crab with Japanese menus. This dish turned out to be one of the best of the night. The soft shell crab was fried to the right level of crispness, not losing the moisture inside. The sweet tamarind sauce also complemented it, and the combination was not overwhelmingly sweet when eaten with rice.Fried Squid in salted egg yolk sauce ($13.90)

The squid was cooked really well, retaining its springiness and not tough at all, as squids will be when overcooked. However, there was more salted egg than squid for this dish, and the portion size was small. The salted egg also came in sizable chunks, and it was hard to distinguish the egg from the squid. I bit on this entire salted egg chunk and nearly gagged from the saltiness of it.Green Curry Chicken ($13.90)

The green curry was good, but again, the portion size was very small. The curry hit the right thickness and flavor, but the chicken meat inside was unimpressive as it was all chicken breast meat, which made it slightly tough to chew and dry.Fried Taro and Bean Curd ($8.90)

Don't be fooled by the humbleness of this. The fried taro is exceptional. It is very very crisp and light, and biting into it was delightful- the crispiness coupled with the taro flavour. My favourite of the night.Red rubies in coconut milk ($6.90)

We rounded off the meal with the dessert, Tub Tim Grob (Red Rubies in Coconut milk). As with all Thai desserts, this came very sweet, and again, nothing overwhelming,

Amazingly (or shockingly), our bill for the night came to $115 for 4 people, which is exorbitant considering the portion sizes. The rice ('Jasmine Fragrant Rice') is priced at $2.50 per bowl, which is very very expensive. I would go back for the select few dishes that impressed, but definitely, I will be skipping out on the milk tea. Better value and food of equal if not better quality can be found at the likes of Aloy Thai and Zenso.

For the full review, go to herpenandfork.blogspot.sg

For the full review, read herpenandfork.blogspot.sg
There was no queue when we entered at around 1.30pm.

Of all its Ramen offerings on the menu, the most popular and commonly recommended ones are the Tonkatsu Ramen ($16.80) and Black Pig Shabu Ramen ($14.30). We ordered one of each, and mine was the BP Shabu Ramen. They offer the BP Shabu Ramen in 3 versions - basic, double meat ($15.80) and deluxe (comes with corn and soft boiled egg at $16.30). I am not a fan of the staple and some say must-have soft-boiled egg((specifically egg yolk), so the basic was enough for me.

The ramen took quite some time (15 minutes) to come, and we thought it was pretty slow given that there was not that much of a crowd. Black Pork Shabu Ramen and Tonkatsu Ramen

The Tonkatsu on the Tonkatsu Ramen looked really crispy on the outside and each bite was punctuated with a nice crunch of the golden batter. It wasn't too fatty too, and the pork meat inside was succulent. It really is a Tonkatsu worth trying. The ramen itself wasn't overwhelming. I felt the tonkotsu (pig bone) soup base could be thicker, which would make it even more flavorful. The noodles were done springy, but again nothing outstanding. Do remember to try the restaurant's homemade Tonkatsu sauce when eating a piece of the Tonkatsu. It does add a different dimension to the taste of the Tonkatsu. The ramen does not come with a soft-boiled egg though, but you can order it separately. For people who cannot take spiciness, you may opt to remove the chilli flakes.Tonkatsu Ramen

As for my own BP Shabu Ramen, the pork slices were wonderfully thin and tender. The shabu slices are not marinated, so that you can taste the freshness and full flavour of the black pig pork. Hence, this may not be for those who like heavier flavours. The ramen soup tasted like the soup base of the Tonkatsu Ramen, so probably they used the same for both Ramen. Again though, nothing overwhelming, though decent.BP Shabu RamenPrices are a little on the high side, given that you can easily get ramen matching the same standards or even better, priced around $10-$14 which will include ingredients such as seaweed and soft-boiled egg. However, the portion was big enough and we came out stuffed to the brim from all the soup and noodles. If you are in town, it can be worth a try if you are craving for decent ramen, but otherwise, it does not make much of an impression apart from the Tonkatsu.