The 50% lunch discount that La Brezza dangled to all Astor card members was to good to resist and I ended up having lunch there one fine afternoon. What's weird is that La Brezza, which means sea breeze in Italian yet serves Mediterranean food, is relatively unknown in the culinary circles even though it has been around for quite a bit.

Located on the second floor of the posh St Regis, La Brezza looks out into the hotel's swimming pool and boasts floor to ceilings windows to allow sunlight in. The bright and cheery ambience is accentuated through the use of white wicker chairs and striped blue/white curtains, which also give the place a laid back feel. The sofa couple seats are positioned with their back facing the wall, which allows both parties to have a full view of the pool.

I didn't think too much of the complimentary bread although there was quite a variety and it came served in a pretty white porcelain bowl with blue markings on it. And surprise surprise, we had bottled water with our set lunch, which makes me wonder if they even serve sky juice.

LaBrezza Salad - There was no mention of chicken in the description but I'm glad that they added it in. The generous serving of chicken breast slices were very well marinated and grilled, coming across as succulent and soft. The greens were fresh with a touch of light dressing and shaved cheese atop. Great way to start off!

Tomato Mozzarella - I am honestly not a big fan of raw tomatoes except when they come in the guise of bruschetta. But to be fair, this dish proved to be quite decent. The tomato slices were fresh and juicy and went well with the chilled and light burratina cheese, which helped to keep the acidity of the tomatoes in check.

Grilled Salmon - The chef's favourite for the day - grilled salmon. Well grilled till the skin boasted a nice crisp, the salmon did come across as a wee bit too dry for my liking. I did like the polenta on the side though - smooth and creamy .

Frutti Di Mare - Frutti Di Mare, or fruit of the sea, over risotto was my choice of main. The risotto was creamy and done al dente without the sauce being too overwhelming. Coupled with a generous serving of seafood, I must say I enjoyed this dish quite a bit.

Paris Brest - This dessert was said to be created by a pastry chef in honour of a bicycle race between Paris and Brest in France. But La Brezza's rendition was a little lacking. The pastry wasn't fluffy and could have been a little softer as well. The hazelnut cream filling was decent though and the brown sorbet by the side was actually lime sorbet. Surprise surprise.

Chocolate Tart - The chocolate tart was rich with a tinge of bitterness and a layer of gooey caramel wedged inside, all held together by a thin yet solid tart base. Sadly, the caramel didn't quite feature in the taste though. And what better to complement a chocolate tart then with a scoop of chocolate ice cream and a piece of chocolate

Braved the mad crowds to visit ION Orchard over the weekend to check out the various shops and more importantly, the gamut of eateries that this upscale shopping mall claims to offer. AOBA caught my attention because of the persistent queues forming even during after lunch hours plus the fact that my stomach was rumbling when we walked past it.

The place isn't big, with a seating capacity of about 30 people or so, which probably explains the queue. Tables for 2 are spaced uncomfortably close, so any notions of having private conversations can be thrown right out of the window.

Fried Tofu - It was never my intention to order the fried tofu, but since it carried a 50% discount, cheapo/greedy me conveniently added that to the order. And it was average at best. The skin tasted limp but still palatable.

Ebi Mayonnaise - Small prawns coated with a thick layer of flour, deep fried and drizzled with copious amounts of mayonnaise - a recipe for unhealthy eating. But I'm a sucker for the prawn and mayo combo so this dish turned out fine. Decent but not outstanding. And pretty expensive at that (1 small prawn, $1).

Shoyu Tontoro Ramen - The ramen reminded me of the traditional Chinese yellow egg noodles, albeit a little thinner, chewier and sans the alkaline taste. The broth had a strong taste of pork but came across as a wee bit too salty and too much of it can make you woozy. The pork slices were relatively tender and soft while the egg was nicely done without the yolk being too soft. Portions are small for the price though.

Shio Scallop Ramen - The scallops were rather tasteless to begin with and while the ramen was of the same variant as my tontoro ramen, the broth was much lighter and free of any pork taste.

Here we were, at Wo Peng, for dinner. Apparently the chef, Hong Kong born Julian Tam, used to preside over the kitchen at Furama Palace at Furama Hotel and left to work in Guangzhou for a couple of months before returning to Singapore to open up his own restaurant.

The place is easy to miss, occupying just 2 units along Macpherson Road, where parking is a nightmare. The restaurant itself isn't big, probably squeezing in 50 pax or so and everything is kept no frills, from the tables and chairs to the ornaments that decorate the walls.

Shark's Fin Soup - If you are a fan of adding vinegar with your shark's fin soup, the staff at Wo Peng will advise you not to because according to them, the soup is naturally flavoured by herbs and don't require any addition of vinegar. I must conceed that they are absolutely right. The soup had cordyceps, ginseng and other unidentifiable (by me) herbs that made it light yet tasty with a mild herbal connotation. The fins weren't exactly of superior quality but acceptable nonetheless.

Smoked Duck - I simply love this dish. It has got to be one of the best duck dishes I've eaten since the start of 2009. The skin was crisp while the meat was smoked to a reddish hue and came across as very smooth and tender. There wasn't an overly generous salt content as well and tasted a little like ham. Nice!

Stir Fried Red Garoupa with Sweet Pea - This dish was rather normal though the fish was rather fresh and served up with dried mustard greens (梅菜), which gave it a salty tinge. I did like the sweet peas though, which were sweet (duh!), crunchy and not overly cooked.

Steamed Garoupa - This was actually a continuation of the the first fish dish, where the fish head was chopped up and steamed with pork slices, black fungus and red dates. Personally I preferred to the former as the whole dish was actually more savoury. But being only fish head, the meat was limited.

Peng Cai - This dish is usually sold and eaten only during the Chinese New Year period. But here at Wo Peng, its available throughout the year but only with an advance order of course. There were the usual suspects - dried oyster, prawns, mushrooms, broccoli, goose web, scallops, dried abalone, sea cucumber and surprisingly, radish, which is said to be found only in authentic HK peng cais. Although I am no fan of peng cai, I thought that this one was quite well done as the whole thing was stewed long enough for the flavours to permeate through to the various ingredients. And may I add that portions were huge for 5 people. 6-7 would have been a more manageable number.

Fried Noodles - The noodles were a thicker variant of mee suah and came across as soft but not too soggy. It was tasty and came loaded with lots of seafood but it got really nauseating after a while and I gave up after my 2nd bowl. This is the first time I'm feeling so overwhelmed by the amount of seafood thus far.

Roast Chicken - Finally a white meat dish and I thought that it was actually quite good. The meat was tender while retaining its flavours and moisture. The skin was a nice homogeneous golden brown but a pity it wasn't crisp.

Hasma - Also known as the poor men's bird nest, the Hasma came with dried longans and dates and tasted like hot cheng ting. To be honest, I am absolutely terrified of this dessert as it is made from dried fallopian tubes of frogs and somehow, ingesting an organ that plays a pivotal role in reproduction doesn't exactly settle well with me.

Cassia is a tree that is related to Cinnamon and from which the spice, cassiabark, is derived from. It also happens to be the name of the Chinese restaurant at Capella Singapore, which offers traditional Chinese cuisine blended with haute Cantonese techniques. In short, modern Chinese cuisine. The place is helmed by Executive Chef Ooi Soon Lock, who had stints in HK, Malaysia and Ritz Carlton Singapore.

Located at the upmarket Capella Hotel at Sentosa (where rooms start at $650/night), Cassia sits on the 3rd story of this stunning colonial style hotel complete with a sprawling driveway. The restaurant in itself is another work of art, with its lime stone lined entrance and intricately cut black lamp shades that provide a nice warm glow to the place. Seats are comfortable with plush cushions and the cutlery reads Narumi and Christofle - really expensive stuff.

Amuse Bouche - Served chilled, the amuse bouche of dragonfruit, pork belly and mango was quite a novel way to start off. The pork was surprisingly firm with a mild hint of barbecue sauce but the fruits didn't quite feature in the overall taste.

Steamed Milk Custard Bun with Salted Egg Yolk - The custard bun didn't come in the customary bun shape but in a oblong dumpling shape. It was evidently hand made from the nips in the skin. The custard filling was smooth with traces of egg yolk sediment but reminded me uncomfortably of kaya(coconut jam). There was an overload of flour as well.

Deep Fried Spring Roll with Prawn, Garlic and Mozzarella Cheese - I thought this dish was quite decent, with the spring rolls crisp without coming across as too oily. The prawns were crunchy but I couldn't quite make out the taste of cheese though. Nice as a finger food.

Pan Fried Bean Curd Skin Rolls with Chicken and French Foie Gras - Foie gras is the key here but sadly, I couldn't quite make out any in the rolls. The beancurd skin was limp and not the least bit crisp but at least the prawns were evident and crunchy. Now where's my foie gras

Wok Fried Carrot Cake with Crisp Garlic in Pi Fong Tang Style - Honestly, I have no idea what constitutes Pi Fong Tang Style but I do know this. The carrot cake was too soft and mashy. And honestly, it could really do with a little more flavour. On the upside, it wasn't excessively oily and deep fried garlic is always nice, albeit irritating as it tends to stick to your teeth when chewing.

Steamed Barbecued US Berkshire Pork Buns - I must admit that I enjoyed the pork buns aka char siew bao. The char siew filling wasn't cloyingly sweet and the meat pieces were plump and juicy. The skin was soft and moist too, just that there was a little too much flour.

Crispy Prawn Dumplings with Wasabi Mayo - Comfort food to say the very least, the crispy prawn dumplings weren't out of the ordinary but competent enough to warrant a decent grade. The wanton skin was crackling crispy and the prawn huge and sweet. It was served on a cucumber spread with a thick layer of wasabi mayo that didn't threaten to overwhelm.

Steamed Crystal Shrimp Dumplings with Bamboo Shoot and Celery - The quintessential dim sum dish - har gao. The skin was thin and slightly elastic while the whole prawn was fresh and crunchy. The addition of bamboo shoots and celery gave it an extra crunch but thats about it.

Deep Fried Thai Papaya Puff - This is actually quite interesting stuff and I must admit that its the first time I'm having something like that. The pastry was flaky and inside was mashed papaya that came across as mildly sweet. Would probably be more suitable as a dessert in my humble opinion.

Pan Fried Australian Minced Wagyu Beef Bun with Truffle and Water Chestnut - I have mentioned this countless times and I shall say this again. Mincing wagyu beef is a blatant and shameful waste of good beef. And this was no exception. The bun was speckled with sesame seeds and then pan fried till the seeds turned golden brown. There was no inherent beefy taste and in its place, a strong taste of spring onion. The water chestnut gave it a nice crunchy texture though. In case you are questioning where the truffle went to, I have that same question in mind.

Steamed Sui Mai Dumplings, topped with Norwegian Salmon Roe - The filling in the siew mai was probably part pork, part prawn paste, hence the noticeable absence of the porky taste. However, the salmon roe proved to be a little too fishy for me and this dish in general. I wonder if the roe could have been better utilised

Baked Farm Egg Tart - I thought that the egg tarts were quite decent, albeit rather smallish in size. The crust wasn't too flaky and had a oat aftertaste (oat flour) while the custard was quivery and not too sweet. Nice, but not that nice.

An uninspiring and partially filling dim sum session set the 3 of us back by about $72, which isn't alot of money. Food hovers around average to slightly above average but with the quality and quantity, I'll be hard pressed to find a reason to return. Maybe only for the ambience and exclusivity And even if I do, I'll probably just stick to the dim sum. I mean, with prices like $12/pax for tea or $5/bowl of rice, one would be either have to be obnoxiously rich or simply deranged to actually do dinner.

53 - a dining collaboration between lawyer turned chef, Michael Han and the Les Amis group. Chef Han, who trained at the prestigious Fat Duck in England, brought along Fat Duck's 2nd pastry chef, Leoandro, to helm 53's pastry department. What makes this restaurant stand out is that there is no ala carte menu, which means the chef decides, to a certain extent, what you eat.

Aptly located at 53 Armenian Street, the restaurant is situated in a double story shophouse with the private dining room and kitchen located on the first level and the main dining hall and wine cellar on the second. The place is tiny and sparsely furnished with simple tables and chairs and the main dining area can probably only accommodate about 5 tables for a total capacity of 20. Hence reservations are of utmost importance. Try making them at least 2 weeks in advance.

I thought that the sky juice (no still or sparkling nonsense) deserved a mention because the serving jug has a piece of charcoal in it, which is said to remove the harmful particles in water and allow good minerals that are essential to the body to pass through. Reminds me of charcoal tablets.

Potato Crisps - A most interesting appetiser, the potato crisps were served on a charcoal holding stand and dusted with vinegar. The crisps were, well, crisp and not too dry with a light sourish hint of vinegar. Great way to start off.

Complimentary Bread - The complimentary buckwheat (from Manitoba, Canada) bread came served in a sack that promised to keep the bread warm for 20 minutes. The secret lies at the bottom of the sack, which contains pebbles that are heated before the bread is served and dissipates heat to keep the bread warm. Ingenious! The bread looked like a muffin but outside was hard while inside was rather spongy. Served alongside was a dish of buttermilk butter that was sprinkled with buckwheat. Very nice!

Air Cured Wagyu and Hibiscus, Beetroot and Apple - I thought the pairing of cured wagyu and beetroot was rather interesting, if outlandish. 53 proved me wrong though. The wagyu had a nice salty tinge to it while the beetroot gave it a mild sweetness. Nice subtle contrast. The beetroot sorbet added an almost surreal chilling dimension to the dish. Mind boggling!

Scallop and Buckwheat, Chicken "Oysters" - I'm guessing the chicken pieces look like oyster hence the name And they were probably the best chicken pieces I've eaten in a long long time. They were extremely tender and tasty but the less then generous portions kept my cravings in check. The scallops were seared to perfection with the right texture and came across as very flavourful as well.

Beef Cheeks and Onion, Pearl Barley and Watercress - This dish was a little of a let down. I couldn't quite make out any inherent beefy taste and the beef cheek was all shredded and almost pulp like. It was just salty with a little sweetness, probably from the barley. A nausea inducing dish.

Barramundi, Blackberries and Green Beans - The fish was freshly sweet with the skin nicely crisp but a tad salty. I am guessing the extra salt is useful and delightful in contrasting the sweetness from the blackberry and pear jam thats smeared alongside. And the whole dish was topped with a slice of amazingly thin Ciabatta that rendered me speechless.

Szechuan Peppercorn Ice Cream, Roasted Figs and Olive Puree - I've never been a fan of figs but this one was surprisingly acceptable to me (I only managed to finish 1 slice though). What was interesting was the ice cream, which came across as very "perfumy" so to speak with a mild numbing sensation from the szechuan peppercorn. The little black speckles atop were actually olive sprinkles that gave it a light savoury taste. Very interesting combination.

Chocolate Caramel, Enoki and Raspberries - Another interesting piece of dessert. The chocolate caramel was gooey and came with enoki mushrooms which surprisingly accentuated the taste of the caramel. Dried raspberry cubes by the side complemented the dash of peanut butter very well and was almost reminiscent of the peanuts in a peanut butter spread. And to top everything off, there was the raspberry sorbet for a sourish and chilled finish.

Apple Risotto and Rosemary - Tiny cubes of apple cooked the risotto way, with constant adding of apple juice - that's how this dessert was made. I thought that it was nice and mildly sweet with a subtle lingering taste of ginger. The risotto texture was crunchy and the rosemary foam was light as air and hinted of rosemary. Interesting to say the least.

Petit Fours - The perfect Gin and Tonic sweet is what 53 calls its petit fours and rightly so. How the sweet works is this. You place it on your tongue and let it slowly dissolve to release the gin tonic taste. When you decide that its too strong for you, just wash it away with water. Quite a novelty I must say.