Paradise Group is famous for its Chinese cuisine. With the popularity in Thai food amongst Singaporeans, they have decided to venture into Thai food, with Parathai, an addition to one of their many restaurants.How did I think they fared? Check out the review below. It's like stepping into an art gallery, inspired by young budding artists and the every growing art scene of Bangkok.

Accessibility:
Approx. 5-7 minutes walk from Paya Lebar MRT Station

Let's Eat!

Thai Iced Tea ($4.20) and Thai Cendol ($5.80)The iced milk tea is strong and a tad too sweet for me, with the addition of gula melaka. The chendol was right up my alley, and is like a mini dessert to freshen you up for a hardcore Thai meal.

Homemade Minced Pork in Rice Noodle Wrap ($6.90 for 4 pcs) This is a mildly sweet, lovely starter. Minced meat was flavourful. Comes in 4 pieces, great for having one each for a group of 4, just nice to begin the meal!

Homemade Pandan Leaf Chicken ($8.90 for 4pcs)This was oily and juicy. It's too oily for me though. The chilli dip makes it better because it adds a slight sweetness to it, and you probably won't be focusing on the oiliness.

Tom Yum Soup with Sea Prawns – Tom Yam Goong ($19.90 per pot) This was good. Delicious. Yummy. We liked it so much we actually had another bowl of this. The prawns tasted fresh and the broth was very appetising and spicy just the way we liked. A must-try.

Traditional Thai Green Curry Chicken ($12.90) One of my favourites. I definitely am biased towards this dish as I do love the spice, the meats, the entire concoction. They were generous with the meats, the vegetables in it - eggplant, beans. Must have with their pandan leaf rice ($1.20), love it!

Stir-fried Pork with Basil Leaves ($11.90) Spicy and flavourful, just the way I like it, with the lovely taste of the basil, which was also just nice - not overpowering. Another great dish to go with rice.

Steamed Seabass with Lime and Chilli ($29.90)I love the sauce from this dish. It was slightly sourish, spicy, so appetising. The fish meat was soft and tender.

Stir-fried Mini Asparagus with Egg Beancurd and Mushroom ($12.90)Eat too much meat, must have some vegetables to balance it out. I liked this with rice also, because I'm such a gravy person.

“Crying Tiger” BBQ Beef Steak served with Homemade Sauce ($16.90) Chewy and really well done. As in, the meat texture. It'll be nice if the beef steak could be slightly more tender. Remember to dip it with the sauce to enhance its flavour.

Mango Sticky Rice served with Coconut Milk ($6.90) Good. The mango was fresh and the sticky rice was delicious, topped with sesame seeds. Pour on the coconut milk and you're ready to go!

Red Ruby served with Jackfruit and Coconut Milk ($5.90) Another one I'm super biased about. This was flavourful and the red rubies were crunchy. Did I also mention that the red rubies were handmade by the chef everyday, hence there's a limited number of bowls they sell for this? Another great reason for you to order this (best at the start of your meal, then ask them to serve later).

Sweet Tapioca served with Coconut Milk ($4.90) This was just alright for me, as I'm not too much into tapioca. But you must have this with coconut milk, which will make this a better dessert to have. Still, I think it's a little heavy to have the filling tapioca, unless you didn't order too much of the mains.

Deep-fried Banana Fritters served with Honey ($5.90)It was hard deciding which dessert we actually liked. This banana fritters was amazing! While it's a little oily for me, you really need to eat with while it's hot, it's so crispy I cannot even describe. With or without the honey dip, it still tasted good, but the honey dip just made it better for those who love a sweet ending to their meal.

These are just some of the dishes they serve up at Parathai. There's like more than 80 other authentic Thai dishes in the menu, by Chef Meaw and team. Overall, they did cater to the consumer's tastebuds. They are having a promotion now!

This was an invited media tasting.

We gathered at TomorrowFree KaFei for a tasting session in mid-July, when it just opened its doors to the crowd near Tai Seng MRT Station. The name alludes to the owner's idea of encouraging his guests to always look forward to spending a carefree and fuss-free "tomorrow" with him in his cafe, looking forward to familiar faces return to his cafe, both "tomorrow" and beyond.With their desire to preserve the cultures and flavours passed down from previous generations, it is clear to see why they chose to offer only Singapore's popular local eats with a homemade taste.

One popular local method of traditional coffee making, is to 'pull' it. Yes, pull. One might ask, how to pull coffee? If you've been to kopitiams a.k.a hawker centres in Singapore, you might already see that action happening. Similarly at TomorrowFree KaFei, they use a thin 'sock' (a tiny butterfly net with a wire handle) to brew their coffee and tea. The sock is lightly rinsed after each use, ensuring the oils and residue of the coffee beans and tea leaves are retained, also explaining why each brew is intensely rich in flavour.

Accessibility:
Approx. 3 minutes walk from Tai Seng MRT Station





Let's Eat!

Chee Cheong Fun and Yam Cake ($3 for 2 pieces each)Chee Cheong Fun with chilli

I loved 2 of this dishes, as it reminds me of my breakfast mornings with my family. The chee cheong fun was nicely steamed and I did like how the sweet gravy complemented its texture.Yam cake

Fried Chicken Wings ($1.40 for 2 pcs)You cannot go wrong ordering this. Served freshly deep fried, it is fragrant and super crispy. Loved it!

Mee Siam ($4) Sorry, I took this dish when it already become a little dry, but actually, it is fully served to customers when it is erm, 'wetter' with more gravy. Flavourful!

Bak Kut Teh ($7)A comforting starter to any meal, we understand that there are many return customers for this dish!

Curry Chicken ($5)Another favourite dish of mine. But I did think that the gravy was a little too thick, it would have been perfect if the gravy was not so thick. But that's also because their curry doesn't have any floating chilli oil in it, ensuring you only get the goodness of the full curry!

Chicken Chop ($13.90)The classic chicken chop, with colesaw and baked beans. This chicken chop was flavourful, topped with peppery gravy. It may prove to be a little too peppery for some, but if pepper is your thing, this dish is way up your alley. Like, my alley. haha.

Braised Pork Rice ($5)"Eh, can I have second helpings of the braised fatty meat?"

This is one dish I cannot stop eating, because it was braised well and its meat absorbed the braised flavours. With the layers of fat on the meat, it was delicious and very good with steamed white rice. However, I did hope that the gravy given was more, because being cantonese, I love gravy over rice! (Personal preference, sorry. LOL)

Overall, we did enjoy the food, and we are free to eat to our heart's content as their food only use all-natural ingredients, without additional flavourings or enhancers. Just like how our mothers would cook our meals!This tasting session is by invitation.

We arrived at The Bento People on one Saturday afternoon, expecting a bento (somewhat a Japanese styled type), for lunch. It turned out to be better than expected, actually. It changes the conception of healthy food in our minds and offers it a delicious outlook as well as a healthy input (in our bodies). The Bento people are also the same people behind The Snack Culture Company. Over here, customers get to have their 'Make your own healthy bento' lunch, where they practice choosing a healthy meal from a wide selection of whole grains, vegetables and protein/meat items. Just choose 3 dishes to fill up your bento box and you're all set to go.The lunch is available from Monday - Saturday (11am - 3pm).

Their belief:

"We are about Eating Happy. Choosing Healthy. We use the Bento Box as a Visual Tool to educate and encourage people to practise choosing a Healthy Balanced Meal consisting of More Vegetables and More Whole Grains."Some of their signature / popular dishes include: Brown rice with fresh herbs, Red rice with Chinese Olive Vegetables, Quinoa Salad with Yuzu Balsamic Dressing, The Nonya Salad, Bulgogi Beef, Salmon Confit, Sous Vide Chicken Breast (done in the Chinese Emperor Herbal Chicken Style).Personally, I really liked the quinoa salad and the bulgogi beef dish. Dishes change once in a while, so you are constantly offered different healthy dishes to try from, giving you both variety and sparing you from all that guilt.

Sunrise Bistro & Bar offers diners a quaint place to chill with its repertoire of cuisine, an extensive wine list and a good mix of small bites and sweets. Helmed by its co-founder and chef with an impressive 22-year culinary experience, Chef Vincent Teng is affectionately known for his specialised skills in Sous Vide cooking, modern European cuisine with a contemporary twist and a fine blend of creativity.

Accessibility:
Approx 10mins drive from Eunos MRT StationOutside the restaurant is a place to chill out with your friends, watching soccer matches and having a beer. Al fresco style.The restaurant boosts a spacious area which is comfortable to dine in, no squeezing and cramp feeling, yay!

Let’s
Eat!

Seafood Chowder Soup ($12)The photo shows a tasting portion, that's why it looks small! I recommend this creamy seafood as a warm starter. It tastes lovely and comforting, the seafood was fresh too.

Seared Foie Gras ($19)Again another tasting sized portion. But I savoured every bite of their foie gras. Layered in mango, citrus jam and berry compote for a touch of zing. One of the better foie gras I've had so far!

Sunrise "Fish & Chips" ($26)Deep fried and off wowing people for its presentation, the red snapper fish is deep fried and laid on fries, with mango salsa and tartare sauce on the side. Amazing thing is that the flesh was free of bones, so no worries if you want to order this! Personally I felt this was an interesting attempt to recreate the good ol' fish and chips.

Cereal Crusted Cod Fish ($28)A dish for the fish lovers, the cod fish is baked with cereal crust and set on top of seasonal vegetables braised in sesame oil and ginger shoyu broth. Its seasonings helped balanced out the good fatness of the cod fish.

Asian Five Spice Duck Leg Confit ($28)Made via Sous vide for 8 hours straight, the cripsy duck leg is infused with five spices. A lovely presentation also helped to spike up my appetite as we take on the interesting marriage of the passionfruit sauce (served as a light dip) with the duck meat.

Marmite Canadian Pork Shoulder ($26)This dish had been sous vide with marmite for 12 hours, and tastes like bak kwa! The meat was tender and softer than usual shoulder meats. An overall interesting dish.

BBQ Beef Short Ribs ($32)This beef short ribs is no joke. Before being served to you, it had been sous vide for 24 hours (yes, an entire day!) straight.Served with mixed spice, this was super tender with the right amount of fat. Would recommend this to meat lovers.

Luncheon Chips ($9)We also tried their super yummy luncheon chips! It was so thin and well fried, and it just melted away upon popping into the mouth. Goes so well with beer, would come here just for this!Tiramisu Semi Freddo ($12)A light ending to a heavy meal, if you've had the mains. Featuring the semi frozen mascarpone cheese layered with coffee liqueur jelly sponge topped with milo crunch and tuile biscuit.

Salted Egg Yolk Custard Molten Chocolate Cake ($14)This was crazy nice. The warm chocolate cake was rich and lovely. Cut it open, and a beautiful yellow salted egg yolk comes flowing out. The ice-cream on the side, while nothing to shout about, balances the richness of the cake very well. A really well-balanced, lovely dessert that I want to eat again. This is what I call a heavenly dessert! A must order when you visit!

Overall, I felt that the food here was above average, and is a place I would visit again!

This is an invited media tasting session.

We are here at Misato today, what would be in store for us? Check it out here!Located at the basement of the Cathay building, Misato offers premium and fresh ingredients from Japan. Misato opened early in January this year.

Accessibility:
Approx 3mins walk from Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station

Let’s
Eat!
Lychee Iced Tea and Matcha Ice blended ($3.90 each)Refreshing drinks before we start our meal! Both drinks were not too sweet, which is right down my alley.Cheese Korokke ($4.90)These potato croquettes, which were made with mozzarella cheese, are crispy on the outside, mushy with cheesy goodness on the insides.Anyone calling for a refill like I did?

Handmade Gyoza ($5.50 for 6 pieces, $8.90 for 10 pieces)Its presentation will pleasantly surprise you, and leave your tummy happy with quality tasting gyozas.Although I'm not a very gyoza person, but I have to say that this impressed me as I thought the steamed grilled chicken and vegetable fillings were really tasty.

Tebasaki Chicken Wings ($5.90)You must eat this with squeezed lemon juice. It is slightly salty and spicy, and the added zing from the lemon juice is just the cherry on top.

Misato Oyakodon ($7.90)Is the heart shaped topping signifying the parent-child relationship? Lol.

This oyako-don is so tasty. Basically, Oyako literally means parent-and-child, which refers to the relation of the chicken and egg in the dish. This relationship tastes so delicious! You can also expect a good amount of salmon roe and flying fish roe as toppings, which also comes with a well prepared taste that adds on to the taste of the entire dish.

Zaru Soba ($6.50)Loved the presentation of these cold buckwheat noodles. The dipping sauce is really good and having these with wasabi is seriously shiok.

Misato Ebi Donburi ($9.90)Served with 3 upright breadcrumbed tiger prawns over seasoned broth and rice. The tiger prawns were really fresh and tasty.

Teriyaki Salmon Donburi ($10.90)For those who likes salmon, here's one you might like to consider. Grilled salmon glazed with teriyaki sauce, it tastes really good when you eat it with the yellow pickles.

Chicken Katsu Curry ($7.90)For me, I felt that the curry is slightly salty and I thought it might be better if it were taken down a notch. But I did enjoy the chicken katsu as they are lean and crispy. The chicken was kept warm under the blanket of rice, waiting for you to drizzle the curry on top of it to enjoy.

Misato Paw Anmitsu ($5.90)This is their signature dessert! The matcha ice-cream is mixed with fruit and 2 very prettily decorated mochi 'paws'. The ice-cream boasts a full-bodied matcha flavour and is not overly sweet.

Matcha Zenzai Mochi ($4.90)This dessert is quite special to me, as we find the grilled mochi within the green tea liquid, mixed with azuki bean. Mix well and enjoy.

Sanshoku Warabi Mochi ($5.50)Warabi mochis are not cheap, yet here, they serve up a good quality jelly-type and yet reasonably priced warabi mochi here. It is delicious coated with 3 types of powders: Goma (Sesame), Kinako (Roasted soybean) and Matcha (Green tea). The matcha one is my ultimate favourite, because the green tea powder used was the slightly bitter type, heavily flavoured with the goodness of green tea. I have to say, this is my favourite dessert here.

Low-Down
From this tasting, I can conclude that the people behind Misato do put in alot of effort in presentation and the taste of the food. The Misato folks prepares its food freshly and do not keep leftovers for the day. That's why sometimes, you may find certain foods sold out towards the end of the day.

If you ask me what you definitely cannot skip here, I have to tell you: their desserts. If you know me personally, you will find that I most likely already recommended this place to you.

Overall, their food keeps as closely as possible to the authentic Japanese food as possible, and serves up food which will satisfy you very well.

This is an invited media tasting session.