Today, I went to Singapore's first Nitro cream cafe with my colleagues after a tiring corporate but fun corporate retreat! Here's their lovely huge menu board.Their menu!

I went to their branch at Little India. It was very cozy, with just a few round table seats. Each table sits about 4 people.Flavours stacked high high!

Here's some facts about Nitro! For this ice cream parlor, they are freshly made with each order using liquid nitrogen. Their products supposedly do not use flavorings (natural or artificial), preservatives, emulsifiers or stabilizers and are low in sugar.

Well, works for me!Me, My Boss S and Miss S's ice cream! Same flavours!

If you already know me well, you'd know that the ones with fruit loops is mine!!! hahahaha.. I loveeee fruit loops to bits. Me and my 2 colleagues ordered the same flavor but with different toppings. There's an array of toppings you can choose to go with your liquid nitrogen made ice-cream. This one is the salted caramel version ($4.80 without toppings).

Sadly to say, I didn't taste the salt in it at all and suspect that plain caramel flavor was given to us! All 3 of us who ordered the salted caramel felt the same way so I'm pretty sure it's not my hallucination!

I also tried the Baileys Coffee flavor from another colleague and I must say it was WONDERFULLY done. I should have totally ordered that instead, would have enjoyed every single bite of it.

If I were to go back, I would order the baileys one.

Back to the decor of the place, I really like their single well-decorated wall!This is the wall! Can you see what it's made of?Ta-dah! Many hand decorated cups!

Isn't the wall pretty?! This wall is only available at the Little India branch. I have been to the Tampines One mall branch (they have one outlet there too), and due to the available shop space, I think they weren't able to do this too. So much work must have gone into decorating each and every one of these cups!

I took a few pictures of those with more popular and notable character designs:Angry Bird!Simpsons!Shinhwa's latest album~ XI The Classic!PSY... GANGNAM!Little Minions~Like them on facebook!

If you do go to their Little India branch, be sure to check these cups out!

320 Below's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/320Below

Location: 33 Mackenzie Road, Singapore 228686 (Little India Exit A)

Rating: 3.5/5

A few days back, I had cravings for Ramen, so I scouted Pickering Street for the Japanese noodles. I chanced upon this shop which had reasonable pricing, and so there I went. I had no idea what the name of the restaurant is saying. Only got it after I asked for the bill, cos it was stated on the receipt. Haha!

Anyway, the shop's name is called Netsu-Retsu Ichibantei Restaurant. Phheeewww. I made it through that super long name. Anyway, I went there with a colleague, and she recommended that I have Tonkatsu Ramen. "What in the world is Tonkatsu Ramen? Please don't tell me it's made from some dolphin meat or something." I asked my colleague foolishly. WELL, hearing the word Tonkatsu always brings dolphins to my mind, so yes, I hope I have explained why I made that silly comment. Apparently, Tonkatsu (豚カツ/ とんかつ/ トンカツ) means pork cutlet.

OMG what a #*%&^*&^#$ difference!Anyway, the ramen came looking something like this:Ramen is not exactly a dish that can be perfected by just anybody, btw. I have a nickname for Ramen that's made in Singapore: Japanese Instant Noodles, I call it. Hey, don't make fun of my nickname making skills can? I just like to think simple, OKAY?

Anyway, back to why I called it Jap instant noodles: Most people in Singapore who think they can cook and then sell Ramen totally insulted the noodles cos they haven't grasped the importance of making the soup broth tasty and the noodles springy enough! And that sucks. SO there. I won't say that this chef cooked this very well, all I will say is that I think this is not bad.

Why? Cos the soup broth is tasty! But I don't really like the texture of the noodles. Too hard. Also, my personal preference will be that there will be no bamboo shoots and too much spring onions in it. Cos I just don't take both items. And in this lunch of mine, apparently the whole bowl is filled with it. I spent some time taking them out though.

I never really liked spring onions from young, the taste feels too raw for my tongue. And as for bamboo shoots... my dad used to tell us it is poisonous, and would scold us if he saw us eating bamboo shoots in a dish. So, from young, my sister and I were just trained not to eat bamboo shoots. I still have no idea why he says it is poisonous, though. He just doesn't eat them and doesn't like us to eat them too. So there.

The tonkatsu (see, I finally know!) was very well done though, the meat was tender and was easy to chew on. The meat was also very well marinated, the taste was very good.

The ramen costs $12, after GST and service charge, the cost is around $14. Still reasonable for lunch, right?I also liked how they did up their ramen menu, on the walls in Japanese! Like, seriously. Japanese? How I know how to read, sia. haha. But well, at first I thought it was art and didn't even pay attention to it. So yes, there you go. If you like ramen, and are craving for ramen, you can just try out this restaurant. But no hoo-ha over this place, though. There are better ones out there.

My ratings: ♥♥♥♥♥♥ (6.5 out of 10)

Just yesterday, I visited this newly opened Korean BBQ Buffet Restaurant 고기 뷔페, at Orchard Central! Reaching there at about 6.30pm, I already saw many people having their buffet session and here I was, thinking that I could be the earliest as it was a work day. I was greeted with this cool queue machine, which they just installed one day before I went there.The Queue Machine.

I tried the queue system (despite having a seat already, naughty me!) because I wanted to see how well it worked. And it was really cool! It allowed you to select an estimate number of people you will be eating with, and ask you to key in your contact number and name. At the final stage, it will check with you if you require a baby seat.

My queue number was A26. I took a screenshot of their message, which was sent to me right after it generated the queue number. (Talk about efficiency!) ^-^They actually did call me later on, not once, not twice, but about 4 times when I didn't pick up my phone! (Sorry lah, busy munching away already, totally did not see the calls!)

I kid you not, Singaporeans eat SOOOOO much meat. I went to take some of the Samgyeopsal 삼겹살 (fatty slices of pork belly meat), one moment it was there, next moment - gone! The restaurant staff were quick to replace a bucket of Samgyeopsal 삼겹살 and I was a happy girl.

Overall, looking at the food, it was a good spread indeed. Here are some of the snapshots of the items they have there!

I usually do not exactly like to eat too much of the side dishes in a Korean buffet, because it takes up space in your belly and you don't end up eating the good stuff, like the grilled meats. I did try a little of their side dishes and it was very satisfying. I loved the Japchae 잡채, tteokbokki 떡볶이 and one spicy stewed pork side dish, which I took second helpings of it. (So totally not me, y'all.)These are the side dishes.Make your own fruit salad!10 types of meats to choose from, for your grilled enjoyment~Being in this place is like being in a live South Korean TV station, watching Kpop performances. It can get a little noisy, with the music playing in the background and the sizzling of meats everywhere. But it all adds to the experience. I took this photo when the sun hasn't set, but you should really be there when the sky gets dark. The lights make a huge difference and the place is transformed into a really cool BBQ club. The lights and the scenery of Orchard Road makes it such a joy to dine here. Even better if you're seated near the glass windows.Decor~

Grilling of meats are done on this huge grill (with the fire contained directly under it so it doesn't feel too hot. Also, the place is really open and has very good ventilation, which works very well for us. Even after so much grilling, you won't smell as smoky meaty as you will with other Korean BBQ restaurants, which usually are in an enclosed space.SIZZLE TIME

Prices are charged reasonably at the following:

Lunch (Mon to Fri, 11.30am to 3pm) / Sat, Sun, Eve PH & PH (11.30am to 5pm)

Adults: $14.99++, $24.90++ respectively

Child (4 to 12 years old): $8.90++, $18.90++ respectively

Dinner (Mon to Thurs, 5.30pm to 10pm) / Fri, Sat, Sun, Eve PH & PH (5pm to 10pm)

Adults: 24.90++, $26.90++ respectively

Child (4 to 12 years old): $18.90++, $18.90++ respectively

They also offer a 10% discount if you meet either one of these clauses:

- For those who dine in less than an hour for buffet food

- If you pay up before 7pm for dinner from Monday to Friday.

Overall, my take on this restaurant is that it offers good value for what you get, with a good, standard favourite selection of meats to choose from and good side dishes. There is good ventilation as well, which is really important! The staff also provide good service and I'm absolutely impressed with the follow-up generated from the queue machine.

Location: #07-01, 181 Orchard Road, Singapore 23889

Tel: +65-6884-7282

To find out more, visit their Facebook page now!

Directions to K.Cook Korean BBQ Buffet:

Take the train to Somerset MRT Station (NS23 - located on the North-South Line / Red Line). Exit towards Orchard Central Exit. Take the lift up to the fourth floor. Look for an escalator and go up all the way to level 7. Look to your left and you'll see the restaurant:View from Escalator

My Ratings (the higher the score, the better it is!)

Food: 4 / 5

Ambience: 4 / 5

Bang for your buck (Value): 4.3 / 5

Service: 4 / 5

Average scoring via my F.A.B.S rating: 4.08 / 5 (Must try!)

This is somewhat a late post, but late is better than never! I walked past Sogurt one day and felt attracted by the bright lights and pink decor. Not that I like pink, don't judge me. (haha!)Anyway, I had this sometime last month, so the flavours might have changed now. But they still do hold the same flavours albeit at different locations (they have 8 stores). Here's my quick review.

Accessibility:
Approx 2 minutes walk from Promenade MRT Station or 5-7 minutes from City Hall MRT Station

Let's Eat!Get the staff's help to try the various flavours before settling down with one. Alternatively, get all! The picture below shows the plain yogurt, blueberry and salted caramel popcorn flavour.

The salted caramel popcorn flavour lacked the right amount of sweetness, it was blander than expected. The plain version tasted average and the blueberry flavour seemed the best out of all 4 flavours available. The other flavour which I did not capture on camera is the pink grapefruit flavour, which I think I like second best. The huge cup. Only one size! DIY~ Their in-house promotion.Top it up with various toppings. It isn't easy to scoop the toppings without spilling it over the bowls that they're set in. They do have a wide variety of toppings, including popular ones like lychee, longan, white and dark chocolate bits, as well as other fruit toppings. If you only want to put sauce on it, feel free to do so. They have hershey's chocolate, strawberry flavour, and even condensed milk! My cup of blueberry froyo with frutty pebbles and lychee burst bubbles. I think I paid about $6 for this, which is only fills up half the cup.Honestly, I think their cup is too big, people can't really have a good gauge on how much they are buying, most likely will end up overbuying. (Since the usual buying style is to try to fit it to the top of the cup!)

The service wasn't the best either, as I was trying to get the attention of the seemingly tired looking staff (even when the shop was empty).

Low-Down
The best bit: The wide variety of toppings and sauces.

The worse bit: Only 1 cup size.

Despite having 8 stores over Singapore, which I do think it is a good feat for a yogurt shop, but overall, I didn't think the taste of the froyo was too impressive and enough to get me to make a trip there specially just to eat it.

Last week, I visited The White Rabbit with some colleagues, wanting to have a nice set lunch to mark the start of the weekend. Set in an old chapel, the restaurant was a stunner, especially its backyard garden, which featured The Rabbit Hole, as well as lovely outdoor chairs.

Accessibility:

Not very convenient. Easier to go by taxi, if you do not drive.

Waiting for the food to arrive, we took the chance to explore the place and had fun. Our appetiser was served to us just after our exploration, and the timing was just right.Their set lunch offerings are considered a good variety. A 2 course set lunch costs $38++ and 3 course costs $42++.

Here are their recommendations:

Starters - Ranger's Valley Wagyu Carpaccio, Pan-Seared Foie Gras, Seared Bay Scallops

Mains - Sauteed Japanese Seabream (Fish), Alaskan King Crab Tagliatelle, 36-hour Brandt Shortribs

Desserts - Chocolate Fondant, Fresh Fruit Melange

Let's Eat!
They will serve bread and butter, which is slightly salted. The bread is freshly toasted and remains warm. Very good, I thoroughly enjoyed this.What I ordered for my set:

Pan-Seared Foie GrasSet on top of quince puree and roasted pear, the foie gras was pan-seared to salty. It was a little too salty for me. It was a good texture on the inside, but seemed a little charred on the outside.

36-Hour Brandt ShortribsWhen I ordered this dish, I was told that they don't have shortribs, only the beef's rump cut. When it was served, it was saltier because of the truffle miso glaze. I also felt that the field mushrooms were salty, which I felt was unneccessary.I did like the rump cut nevertheless (super meat lover talking), and the rump cut was pretty well cooked.

Chocolate FondantThe presentation was lacking, but overlooking that, I went straight to cut into the chocolatey cake, which was supposed to contain a molten caramel core. Nope, nothing flowed out. In fact, the chocolate had been hardened, nothing flowed out except for some oil. It wasn't a pretty sight, and I was utterly disappointed. The banana and rum icecream was also without oomph. This dessert failed badly.

My colleague's orders:

Ranger's Valley Wagyu Carpaccio (Starters)Topped with shaved parmesan, celery cress, balsamic pearls and thin truffle slices, the truffle slices was the winning factor for this dish, but I had wished the truffle flavour would have been more apparent.

Chicken Roulade (Mains)This dish was not bad, set on barley and topped with (supposedly) crispy kale. The kale was not crispy, if it was, this dish would have been much better. By the time it was served, the kale had turned chewy. This was the failing factor for me.

Alaskan King Crab Tagliatelle (Mains - no photo, sorry!)

Salty. I tried the pasta as well, it wasn't as impressive as it sounds. Contains Alaskan King Crab meat, cooked in pork broth and kombu.

Sauteed Japanese Seabream (Mains - no photo, sorry!)

Tender fish meat, set on top of creamed leeks, smoked mussels. My colleague enjoyed his seabream.

Fresh Fruit Melange (Dessert)The grapefruit shaved ice tasted like orange cordial, over shaved ice. Did I also mention the shaved ice was coarse shaved ice? It was served on top of a dark chocolate bowl.

Lemon Meringue Tart (Dessert)While the lemon meringue, topped with fruit bits, had tasted nice, the chocolate pastry it was set on was very hard and not a pleasant combination. Also on the plate, bland tasting acacia honey ice-cream.

I waited at least 10 minutes per dish to be served, and it was clear that the kitchen and the floor servers had messed up the orders, making the wait very very long. We were quite unhappy as we were running out of time to go back to the office. Overall, it is not a place I would specially return to eat, especially with such a price, long waiting hours and a confused kitchen crew.

Low-Down
The best bit:The bread and butter, as well as the dining surroundings (well, this is pretty pathetic, isn't it?!)

The worse bit: The super long wait for the food. The average tasting food.