Changi Village is probably one of the last remaining rustic, laid back places in Singapore and from the gateway to Pulau Ubin. So it is not surprising that many seafood places have sprouted up at this seaside enclave over the years, one of which is Ubin First Stop Restaurant where we opted to have lunch at one sunny weekday afternoon.

This seafood place is sandwiched between Changi Village hawker centre and the open air carpark and is reminiscent of an old kampung with its main structure elevated on low concrete stilts. The open air kitchen sits in a small seperate shack just outside the stairs leading to the dining area. Very nostalgic.

Soup of the day - This was a simple winter melon soup (if I remember correctly). A tad bland and a little oily. But easy on the palate.

Stir Fried Kang Kong - Nicely fried with a hint of wok hei. Not too limp from overcooking as well. Just watch out for the overdose of fiery chilli. But then again, it could be that none of us at the table had a high level of tolerance for spiciness.

Fried Fish - The fish was deep fried and drenched in a semi viscous salty gravy but still managed to maintain a mild crispiness on the exterior. Flesh was relatively fresh and firm and quite an enjoyable dish overall.

Thai Style Fried Chicken - Too much flour, too much thai sauce, rendering this dish rather unpleasant. The taste bud killer sauce also ensured that there was no chicken taste of whatsoever, just a glob of flour laden piece of unidentifiable meat.

Deep Fried Prawn Ball - Another flour obsessed dish - so fluffed up until I had problems locating the real prawn meat. Okay I am exaggerating, but 50% flour and 50% prawn just isn't funny. It was so gross that none of us wanted past our fair share of this dish, which meant leftovers.

The set lunch cost the 5 of us about $51, which isn't too expensive honestly. But factor in food quality and I'll probably take my chances at Macdonalds instead. Rice was free flow though, if that's any consolation.

On account of the complimentary Peking duck, I decided with much trepidation, to give Man Fu Yuan a chance to redeem itself after my previous dim sum lunch there turned out absolutely disastrous. This time it was for dinner though.

Peking Duck - I honestly didn't expect much from a complimentary dish and to say that I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. The duck set the tone right for the evening with its crisp skin sans the fat, wrapped in a lightly chewy/elastic crepe that reminded me uncannily of kueh. Interesting and definitely a change from the usual ones. The sliced meat did pale a little in comparison though, coming across as a wee bit too tough but at least it wasn't too gamy. Just for the record, the duck goes for $60++ on the menu.

Braised Homemade Beancurd with Live Prawn, Shimeji Mushroom and Minced Pork Sauce - The homemade beancurd had a nice savoury and mildy sweet taste to it, coupled with relatively small but fresh and sweet prawns and drizzled with a full bodied meat sauce - A simple yet appetising dish. I would have liked the beancurd a little more silky though.

Poached Asparagus with Bamboo Piths, Chinese Lyceums and Greens in Superior Broth - This was a simple yet tasty dish, with the superior broth (上汤) light yet flavourful. The asparagus, which came wrapped in crunchy bamboo pith (looked to me like fish maw at first glance), was cooked just right - crunchy and not too soft.

Mango Pudding - We rounded up our meal with a heart shaped mango pudding that was probably the sole disappointment that evening. The taste of mango was rather watered down but the sole consolation was that it didn't come across as too milky.

Red Bean Pancake - Well at least the red bean pancake fared better. Flaky exterior with just the right amount of flour, it would have been great if the red bean paste was slightly more concentrated. Still a good eat nonetheless.

I would say my perception of Man Fu Yuan has turned on its head 180 degrees after this dinner, putting me at a crossroads as to whether I should return. Prices are definitely not cheap and comparable to renowned Chinese restaurants in other hotels. Service was alot better this time round and so was the food. My take I'll be back for their dishes but not for their dim sum.

Reclusiveness seems to be the name of the game these days as small "boutique" restaurants start up in not too accessible locations, just like Jules, a tiny cafe whipping up Australian cuisine in the north eastern heartlands of Singapore.

Nestled in the midst of a private estate just opposite Nanyang JC, Jules plays neighbour to a seafood restaurant (Punggol Seng Choon I believe) and is visible from afar with its brightly litted crimson red signboard. The place is tiny and sparsely furnished, complete with granite flooring and wooden furniture. Air conditioning is a luxury unless you are seated just below one of the two units present. Fans attempt to cool things down a little but don't make much of a difference especially if you are taking the table just next to the counter.

Wagyu Burger - Although I still maintain my stand that wagyu beef should never been minced into patty, Jules did quite a good job on the beef I must admit. The patty's texture was uneven and I could make out bits and pieces of fat, which contributed to the chewy texture. The inherent beefy taste reminded me more of steak then patty, which was definitely good and I certainly appreciated the dollop of sundried tomato puree atop. The bread was average though and so were the fries.

Fig Pudding - I don't know what prompted me to order the fig pudding. Maybe it was the wait staff's recommendation. But I'm glad I did. I'm not exactly a fan of figs but the pudding was nice and moist without coming across as too sweet. Small pieces of figs were lodged within and the sauce had vanilla beans in it. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it proved to be a nice sweet ending to conclude the meal.

Many of us go in search for our 15 minutes of fame in life and apparently you can get your 15 minutes in a newly opened cafe which goes by the name of 15 minutes. And with a tagline like Friends, Food, Fame, it doesn't leave much to the imagination.

The cafe is nestled within the premises of the modernly funky Lasalle and sports a certain chic and youthful vibe with its soaring windows that offer a view of the edgy campus and of course the stage where you are allowed your 15 minutes of fame. The cafe also has a rather interesting concept whereby upon placing your order, an RF device is allocated to you, which vibrates and emit red flashes to inform you that your food is ready for collection.

Kaya Muffin - Apparently the kaya muffin has been well raved about in the media but given what I had, I wasn't quite sure the muffin deserved the hype. Spongy but a little too dry with a funny smell. There was kaya in the center but I don't think it tastes any different from the ones I get in a tub at the supermarket. Overall a very mediocre muffin that I would expect to grab from any generic neighbourhood confectionery.

Chicken Avocado Linguine - The name of the dish intrigued me for I never had avocado with pasta before, especially with a cream based sauce. I was mildly disappointed though as it really didn't taste out of the ordinary. Sure, I could see little greenish blobs of avocado in the sauce but that's about it. Nothing special. Did I mention that the sauce was overly creamy and the pasta a wee bit too soft for my liking

Banoffee - 15 minutes had a different take on this classic English dessert. There was no pastry or cream, just solid bananas in a toffee mixture with lots of crushed biscuits. Interesting but can be a little too dry and sticky.

I don't quite fancy the food but prices aren't expensive and I love the youthful exuberance the place emanates. Makes me feel young all over again. Now that's reason enough to go back, don't you think so

Had been meaning to try out Teochew City for quite a while now so made it a point to head down one weekend evening for dinner. Owned and operated by the Prima group, which also owns the historic Prima Towering Revolving Restaurant, Teochew City is one of the pioneers of Teochew fine dining in Singapore and apparently serves quite good Teochew food, if the hearsays are to be trusted.

Located in a corner at the top floor of Centrepoint Shopping Centre, the restaurant cuts a lone figure amidst the retail shops in the mall. A huge signboard makes known the restaurant as soon as the escalator takes you up but human traffic on that level is probably too scarce to make much of a difference. The restaurant's interior is rather spacious and offers a view of live seafood swimming around in huge tanks by the side - very typical Chinese restaurant decor.

Crab Meat & Fish Maw Soup - The soup was tasty and not overly starchy with relatively generous amounts of crab meat and fish maw. However, drinking too much still can make you woozy. And $8 gets you a decent sized bowl.

Braised Goose - I doubt the ban on fresh goose meat has been lifted so this is probably frozen meat. Not that it mattered though, because it was handled quite well and the only slip was the mild dryness of the meat. Portions were also generous for a small serving.

Hong Kong Kailan with Mushrooms - The vegetables weren't overcooked while the sauce didn't come across as too starchy. Mushroom servings were generous and though not the most exciting vegetable dish I've had, no complains really.

Lobster and Prawn Balls - This dish featured prawn paste and fresh prawn molded into balls and deep fried till crisp. Nice but a tad too oily for my liking. The pièce de résistance however, was the egg white with lobster meat served alongside. Savoury without any hint of rawness and a nice smooth texture, complemented by the shreds of lobster meat within. Could have done with a pinch less salt though.

Yam Paste with Gingko Nuts and Pumpkin - The hallmark of Teochew desserts and its most famous one yet - the humble yet time consuming to produce yam paste. Fragrant with a spoonful of not too sweet syrup atop, the paste was smooth and thick. And I like my yam paste without coconut milk.