Me@OUE serves Japanese, French and Chinese cuisine. I would usually claim, “Too many cooks spoil the broth,” but the stellar cast of award-winning chefs ensure the standards are high. Chef Justin Hor, in charge of the Chinese menu, is the Vice-President of the International Exchange Association of Renowned Chinese Cuisine; while Michelin-starred chefs Laurent Peugot and Masayasu Yonemura are in charge of the French and Japanese cuisine respectively.

An exclusive elevator will bring you to a classy restaurant with ambient lighting and tall ceiling – the beginning of an amazing experience. Great for romantic dates and groups afterwork. The al fresco bar offers a spectacular panoramic view of Marina Bay. Me@OUE set lunch price is $48+ (2 courses) and $58+ (3 courses), rather good value considering some of the best dishes we had were from the lunch menu.

Not only were the food and decor excellent, my dad and I were quite impressed with the service, well trained and managed by Loic Esposito, formerly from New York’s Daniel Boulud restaurant. Our server’s name for the night was Hai, a Singapore PR who speaks with BBC accent because he learnt English from listening to BBC news. (My dad listens to BBC 88.9fm too!) My dad said, “There are so many waiters.”

I replied, “The more attentive the service.”

For full review and more photos, please visit http://rubbisheatrubbishgrow.wordpress.com/2013/09/16/meoue-singapore/

Pot Shop Boys sells only one dish, a street food from Kuala Lumpur. Mee tai mak or lo shu fun (loosely translated as mouse just wanna have fun) is cooked in a claypot with soy sauce, lots of lard, pork liver, minced pork, pork balls, and some prawns. $4 (small) or $4.50 (big).

It came boiling hot and the awesomeness exploded in the mouth. It was so delicious and lardy (but not greasy) that Huccalily asked, “Is this legal in Singapore? I want another bowl before it gets banned!” MUST TRY!

For full review and more photos, please visit http://rubbisheatrubbishgrow.wordpress.com/2013/09/18/pot-shop-boys-singapore/

Meat, produce and even eggs are imported from Japan 4 times a week. The owner wishes to create a Japan in Singapore, so even the exquisite cutlery are imported from Japan.

Chef Shinji Morihara, whose 20 years of experience includes being head chef at Marriott (Japan and Shanghai), Four Seasons (Hong Kong) and the now defunct Inagiku, creates 3 different kaiseki courses for dinner, starting from $98. Lunch starts from $23.

The most expensive, Yume course ($288), has 7 dishes including a starter, a steamed dish, sashimi, grilled beef, soup, tempura and dessert. Initially we thought it was exorbitant but as the meal progressed, we had a growing sense of wonderment at one of the best meals we had this year.The Ex and I both agreed that the dish of the night was the shima aji (striped Jack) fish, mochi and chrysanthemum in a hot pot (pictured above). The fish was first fried to bring out its flavor in the soup (my mom fries her meat before making them to soups too). As a result, the soup was lip-smacking awesomeness. The natural sweetness of the fish soup exploded in the mouth.

The service was top-notch, the ambience refined, and the food spectacular but what I treasured most was the experience. I felt like I was living inside an instagram photo, very dreamy with soft focus around the food. One of the best meals I had this year. It is a little pricy but (I think) understandable because of the cost of ingredients, the rent, the setup, and the tedious preparation of the food. Even if you live in Johor or Batam, it is worth making the trip.

For full review and more photos, please visit http://rubbisheatrubbishgrow.wordpress.com/2013/09/20/ezoca-singapore/

My gay BFF, who went to Nox with his partner, said to me, “When I realized the blind servers live their lives in complete darkness and have no choice, I cried. It’s not the same as just shutting your eyes. I emotional person hor. Don’t judge.”

This “dine in the dark” concept was first developed in France in 1997 for people to understand what the visually impaired go through – a lesson that my BFF learnt. Furthermore, dining in the dark heightens other senses so that we can appreciate the food better. The food, by Chef Desmond Lee who worked at Ember and Private Affairs, changes frequently so customers can often return. Although the 3-course menu, priced at $78++, is fixed for most customers, the chef will adjust the food for people with special dietary requirements. Please inform the staff during reservations or before the meal.

At the entrance of the dining area, a visually impaired guide will introduce himself or herself to you. Ours is named Rahamat whose voice is mellifluous. He led us to the pitch-black dining area with our hands on his shoulder, forming a conga line.

Each course–starter, main and dessert–comes with 4 tasting portions of different food, making it a variety of 12 different dishes. The server won’t tell you what the food is, you’ve to eat and guess yourself.

Being an anti-establishment rebel, I normally avoid gimmicky restaurants but having experienced Nox, I strongly encourage everyone to go. It was educational; the service was impeccable; dining here can be considered as helping disenfranchised fellow humans; the darkness and no handphone policy create a social ambience where people can talk honestly and freely; and even the hypercritical Chiobu said the food was good. We guessed the set meal would cost $68+, and we later found out it was priced at $78++, so the pricing was rather reasonable. All these factors point to a promising beginning of a longstanding establishment.

For full review and more photos, please visit http://rubbisheatrubbishgrow.wordpress.com/2013/09/23/nox-singapore/

For photos, please visit Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow: http://rubbisheatrubbishgrow.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/cugini-trattoria-pizzeria-club-st/The reason I wanted to come is the decor. So gorgeous, sky-blue and white Mediterranean rustic village by the sea style.

The service, mostly Pinas, was excellent, attentive and prompt. The clientele was all White except us but we didn’t feel discriminated by the servers at all. You know, the axiom is- if the locals are queuing for the food, the food must be good. But what if expats are coming to the place Is it good Let’s find out.

Appetizers: complimentary bread and Calamari ($16.90). The calamaris were gigantic squid, which made it meaty and chewy. The three dips, one of which is similar to Hainanese Chicken rice chili, were good.

We made a democratic decision to pick a food each. Since Hookerlily craved for pizza, she picked the pizza; Mr. NGFL picked a pasta because he likes pasta; and I picked the desserts, my favorite part of the meal. I have to say, democracy doesn’t quite work even in our small society because Hookerlily makes bad choices, and Mr. NGFL is authoritarian, always dictating us what to order.

Hookerlily picked the Golosa ($24), which is a vegetarian tomato-based pizza topped with three cheeses–mozzarella, gorgonzola, parmesan–and french fries. Hookerlily thought it was funny–carbs on carbs–but seriously, the pizza is more like a joke gone wrong! Who in the right mind would pick such a pizza Fat Americans Luckily, the cheeses were good, salty with a “bite” of slight cheesy stench.

The crust was the doughy sort, not thin-crust – so I didn’t like it already. I don’t like potatoes since young so I didn’t like the pizza because the fries were soggy and tasted more like potatoes than chips. Hookerlily kept taunting and bullying me, “Why you eat so little Are you gu-niang or what I insist you eat this piece. Eat! Eat!” We have our bad days sometimes so I kept quiet and put on a Jeanette-Aw-Little-Nonya face and she got the hint. Phew.

Mr. NGFL picked the Raviolo lamb ($26.90). Delicious! Tender meat without the stench of lamb, with butter and artichoke cream–rather creamy-cheesy and rich. My only complaint is: why so few Only 4 pieces

I think I make the best decisions and ordered Cugini Dessert ($20.90), a platter of panna cotta, tiramisu, and semi-frozen nougat. The nougat was our least-favorite–we didn’t even know what we were eating: was it a fruit or ice cream If it was a sweet, why was it soft If it was a jelly, why is it hard But the other two were fantastic. They were both so smooth and rich. The tiramisu was very, very intense that would perk you up and leave you wanting for more, like a 60 year-old impotent man wanting to second round.

More hits than misses with the food and the service and playful decor made up for the food. We spent a total of $105 for 3 persons, which isn’t a bad deal.