People working in the CBD are often rushing for time and busy attending meetings one after another and often end up skipping meals or stuffing themselves with unhealthy fast food.

I was at Raffles Place one evening and decided to have a quick and healthy bite, so I took out my smartphone, launched the "OpenRice Singapore" app and used the "Nearby" function which ultimately led me to the World's First VeganBurg!Entering the restaurant, I felt like I was in a Australian casual bistro. With brick-like industrial feel and wooden planks kind of tables and benches, the entire atmosphere was rather chill and laid back. Complete with lounge ambient tunes playing in the restaurant, this is the perfect dinner place after a long day of work.

Although the seating capacity is small (about 20-25 paxs), the place was clean and nicely designed, making it cozy yet intimate especially during the quiet dinner hours.
At a corner of the restaurant, there hung a picture saying "Welcome to the World's First Vegan Burg". I wonder how healthy fast food taste like over here so I went over to the counter to make my order as it is a self-service restaurant just like other fast food joints.
So I ordered the Mustang Relish Burger ($5.90) and topped up an additional Seaweed Fries and Citron Cooler (+$3.90). Besides Seaweed Fries (served without salt), they have a choice of Battered Broccoli too, perfect for those on low-carb diet.

The Citron Cooler tasted just like non-sweetened lime juice which is more on the sour side. It was to my preference but for those who do not like can choose the other drinks like the Lemon Loco and Miami Peach.

For $9.80, I thought the portion looks slightly on the pricey side compared to other fast-food burger joints. Let's have a closer look at the burger which was recommended by the friendly staff.Unveiling the burger from the rustic looking wrapper, lies a huge burger layered with thick chucks of vegetables sandwiched between 2 nutritious wholemeal grain buns. I love the overall outlook of the burger at first glance as the ingredients and colors looked really fresh.
Taking a closer look at what's inside, there were (from the bottom upwards) breaded soy bean patty, mustard sauce, fresh Aussie red onion rings, pickles and iceberg lettuce. Taking a bite into it, I enjoyed the overall crisp, crunchy texture with a delicious and uplifting tangy flavour from the mustard. Although there wasn't any meat, the yummy soy patty tasted just right without the need for additional seasoning.

Finishing my meal, I wiped my tray clean yet not feeling gelat nor sinful. It was delish and the portion, I have to say, was just right to fill my stomach.

Kudos to the World's First VeganBurg and I'll definitely be back to chomp down more yummy burgers like the Creamy Shrooms ($7.90).

Feeling the lack of choices for lunch one afternoon, I decided to head over to Domani at Ngee Ann City to check out the place as I came across a few people recommending me this place previously. I thought since I am in a mood for something new, I went over with a friend to find out for myself on what's the deal about this Spanish-Italian casual dining restaurant.The entrance looks classy and welcoming. Look, there is even a welcome message at the door there to display their warm hospitality. I thought it is very thoughtful to display the menus nicely to let diners know what are on promotion.The interior of the restaurant has a certain charm of a Italian home and the floor tiles makes me fee like I was dining at a patio. Hanging glasses and greens coming down from the top added a light-hearted, cozy and casual touch to the entire interior.

The service staffs were very attentive and were quick to take our orders. Within a minute, our orders were sent to the kitchen but we waited quite a while for the food to be served. I guess it was due to the weekday lunch crowd taking advantage on their set lunch promotion.I was very please when my Breaded Fish & Chips ($15) arrive. It certainly look good with the huge serving especially the nicely breaded fish fillets. Yes, 2 fish fillets! It was served with a good amount of thick cut fries at the bottom that was a tad on the saltier end, garden salad and tartar sauce.Cutting open the fish fillet, I thought the breaded layer would be thick but to my surprise, white, moist, thick and fresh fish fillet hides under the thin and crisp crust! I though the dory fish fillet looked and tasted great and I have no complains about it. What a delicious steal I would say!My friend had the Shrimp Aglio Olio ($16) which look rather uninteresting with the pale pink shrimps. Not only that, the spaghetti wasn't cooked al dente which made it tough and hard to chew. It was rather disappointing considering this dish cost more than the good Breaded Fish & Chips.The Aglio Olio came with a complimentary Pumpkin Soup which had nothing special to describe about it. Just like those canned ones, pretty mediocre.

Overall, the food and service at Domani was alright. I would think twice coming back again but definitely not during the busy lunch hour when it is full house. The service would have been perfect if the kitchen can speed up the orders and perhaps a smile on the face of the service staffs.

A while back, I decided to check out the newly renovated Suntec City after a meal nearby as I was looking for somewhere for an after-meal drink and chillout. After looking around for a while, PappaRich that is situated on level 2 caught my eye with the quaint-looking facade that resembles a garden. Hence, I decided to pop in.Entering the cafe, it has that rustic old-school feel especially the vintage green sofas with classic lamps and brick-like walls. The interior design gives a feel of an upscale Malaysian-style Cafe, that serves snacks, food and drinks that is quite similar to Old Town. I took a flip through their menu book and as expected, there are the usual suspects like kaya toasts, nasi lemak, mee siam and curry chicken with bread along with beverages like home-brew coffee, tea and ice blended drinks.Service here was quick and prompt thanks to the "service call" button on each dining table. The staffs around will come by to the table within a minute.Nothing beats having a cup of smooth and aromatic Hot Pappa Cham (Coffee + Teh) - $3.20 after a good meal. Served in an old-fashioned tea cup and saucer with flower motifs, it sure brings back the feel of enjoy a good o' coffee of the yesteryears.For something chill, they do have the Iced Red Bean ($4.50) which makes a good dessert drink with the finely shaved ice.With a generous amount of red bean paste at the bottom that , it makes this a delectable drink with a nice tinge of sweetness but I would prefer it to have soft red bean pods instead of it totally blended with the ice.

Overall, my experience at PappaRich was a pleasant one and will definitely revisit again to try their food selection. There's also powerpoints and wifi available here for those who wish to use this cafe for meetings.

A while back, I was around East Coast and was feeling a little peckish in the afternoon. Although the popular Old Hong Kong tea house is just a stone's throw away, I felt that their food standard has been declining so I decided to drop by Canton Paradise for some high tea instead.After browsing through their menu filled with many different varieties of dishes, I have to order my favourite Steamed Pork "Siew Mai" Dumpling (4pcs - $5.60). Served in a wooden basket, the dumplings were huge and were filled generously with juicy minced pork and topped with some prawn roe. What a burst of flavours on the palate! While browsing through the menu earlier on, the friendly waitress recommended me a few dishes and this Crispy BBQ Honey Pork Bun (3pcs - $4.80) caught my attention. Instead of having 'char siew' in a soft white buns, this is baked in a fluffy buttery pastry instead. Although it crumbles easily, it adds a nice soft yet crunchy bite to the succulent BBQ honey pork slices in it. After "yum cha" high tea won't be complete without the smooth and delicious Chicken and Mushroom Congee ($6.80). Although it looks plain, the porridge was flavoursome with a light douse of sesame oil, spring onions and pepper. The chicken slices were generously huge and I love how the mushrooms added a tinge of sweetness that complements the overall dish.

It was a relaxing afternoon dining here as the ambiance was nice, cozy and relaxing without much of a crowd. Service staffs were very attentive to refill our tea from time to time too. Great high-tea experience which is definitely much better compared to Old HK tea house.

Situated along the river walk of Robertson Quay, Bridger's Cafe is hidden gem as neither many people have heard of it nor been there. Tucked at a quiet corner of Watermark, it was a surprise find for me as I initially wanted to visit Kith Cafe instead that is just next door. However, Kith Cafe decided to close their doors at 7pm sharp on a rainy day and I decided to check out Bridger's Cafe instead.Initially, the owners told me that they are closing soon too but they were very nice to extend their opening hours just for us to fill our empty stomachs. The quaint cafe looks very cosy unlike any other commercialized cafes with seats inside and outside for those who wishes to take in the cool evening breeze by the waterfront. There's a small blackboard inside the cafe too with the menu written on it, giving a very rustic and comfy feel of the entire setting. Looking at it, it allows walk-in customers to have a good gauge of the overall menu here, which is rather affordable. Without further ado, let's find out how the food taste with such an attractive price given the excellent waterfront location!I don't really know how to classify this cafe as they serve a variety of cuisine which the owner says they are good at. The male boss recommended me the Turkish Eggs with Premium Sausages and Mozzarella Cheese ($5.80) which came served in a pan but what's with the aluminum foil? That aside, Turkish eggs actually refers to the ingredients that are topped on it which includes the tasty sausages, tangy tomato sauce and spring onion on cheesy mozzarella omelette. It is served with freshly toasted heart-shaped toast. Yumz! Perfect for an all-day breakfast. Coming to the Smoked Salmon Carpaccio Salad ($12.50), it was one of the favourite among my fellow diners that night. Thickly sliced smoked salmon slices went so well with fresh crisp greens and toast at the side. Complete with a drizzle of appetizing lemon shoyu dressing, it has a touch of Asian yet keeping it citrus and tangy. Oh, don't forget about the nicely poached egg at the side too which can be requested to be semi-poached for those who like it runny. Perfect light meal on its own!The husband owner of this place told us that the recipe of this Saito San Chix Burger ($14.80) came from a Japanese chef, hence the name "Saito San". The chicken patty of this burger is homemade and stuffed with brie cheese for that, soft, smooth and creamy texture when pan-fried. It was orgasmic when I heard about it as I am a fan of cheese. Although the patty don't look too good on the outside, it was delicious with that rustic home-made touch to the entire burger.

The food was great overall at this hidden gem with awesome owners who are super lovely and friendly. I can feel that they treat this cafe as their baby by already extending their opening hours for us and ensuring all of us enjoyed our dinner. Excellent thoughtful service which is hard to find around Singapore these days. I'm certainly telling my friends about this place as they deserve more exposure for a cafe with reasonable price and unpretentious quality home-made food!