It is named after a New York city; sells eclectic art from Africa, Asia and Europe; conducts cooking classes; offers catering services; and serves Peranakan, Western, and cze-char food. Confuse yet? Though eccentric and a tad disorientating, the decor shows the kaleidoscopic personalities of the owners–and it can safely be said that they are not hipsters. This place has character.

The food was cooked using traditional recipes without MSG. Like any homecooked meal, the portions were huge and there were some hits and misses. The food, not very spicy, is suited for children and families.

Definitely order the beef rendang ($15) and ayam buah keluak ($13). The portions were monstrous and both were extremely tender, meat that fell off the bone and they went very well with rice. I thought the sauce for the ayam buah keluak could be stronger but I was being picky.

While this eatery tries to be many things at once, it offers a value-for-money meal for families living in the East, who want to eat Peranakan food.

For full review and more photos, please visit http://rubbisheatrubbishgrow.wordpress.com/2013/09/11/brooklyn-art-gallery-cafe-singapore/

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/

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 more photos, please visit Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow.

You’d think steaks at a kiosk should be quite cheap, right But wow! the tenderloin costs $24.90. Cut throat.

You order at the counter, find a seat and the server will bring you your food. Throw in additional $3 to get soup and soft drinks – but hey I just got off gym, and soup is cream, a no-no.Taste-wise, there was nothing to complain but texture-wise, the steak felt like it was just defrosted–you can taste the ice although the steak was hot–and the quality of the steak was very inferior, grainy. The quality made me doubt whether it was safe to eat it. (It was, nothing happened to me.)

Maybe I ordered the wrong thing. The kiosk needs to either lower the price or purchase higher quality of beef. I’d file it under “not-sure” recommendation. This kiosk may be one of those places I’d hate but will return again because bo-pian what, no choice, it’s the few and convenient steak places in Orchard.