I was tasked to look for a place for dinner for my office gathering and I suggested this new Mexican restaurant that has just opened at CHIJMES.
I have eaten at several Mexican restaurants in Singapore, but this is definitely the best I have eaten.
They have both indoor and outdoor seating. Outdoors, you dine alfresco but they only serve small bites and drinks outside. Indoors, its air-conditioned.
Here are the highlights of my meal:
Tapas
- Papas Encabronadas: Cut half baby potatoes served in a pot. Yummy.
- Donas de Huitlacoche: This is smoked corn mushroom donuts. Its black in color. Looks off-ish but its delicious.
- Dobladita de Jaiba: Served as an ice cream cone, the cone is a tortilla shell deep fried and it has Crab meat, Avocado, Pico de Gallo & topped with Serrano Meringue.
Dinner
- Ensalada El Mero Mero: Salad with caesar dressing, tomatoes, sunflower seeds & grilled braised pork belly
- Pulpo a las Brasas: Grilled Octopus, Corn Cream, Black garlic & Tajin Ash
- Flautas: Crunchy Tortilla stuffed with chicken, avocado cream & tomatillo
- Burrito XXL: Charcoal Beef Arrachera Burrito, Cheese, rice, beans, avocado, lettuce & pickled onion
- Lechon a la Brasas: 12 hour slow roasted piglet, for 2 – 3 pax
- Queso Fundido: Chihuahua melted cheese, farm tomatoes, salsa & tortilla
Dessert
- Chocolate Ahumado: Mexican Chocolate Ganache, Churros, Cinnamon & Passion Fruit Milk
- Pina a la Brasas: Grilled Pineapple, Caramelised Piloncillo, Papantla Vanilla Ice Cream
- Milhojas de Cajeta: Crispy Crepes, Mexican Milk Caramel, Coffee, Almond
I had several cocktails:
- El Mero Mero: Very popular cocktail amongst my dining group. Strong and a tinge of orange in the drink.
- Mojito: Served in a bamboo cup with lots of crushed ice and a piece of sugarcane. You can chew on the sugarcane to add some natural sweetness to your drink.
- Latin Lover: Served in a wooden flat bowl, it was orangy and reminded me of being at a beach resort.
- Frozen Margherita: We had several jugs of this. It was slushy and drink slowly to avoid brain-freeze.
A great dining place at a centrally located venue – CHIJMES.
This place is definitely on my recommended list! Try it!

After a great dining experience at this restaurant recently, I came back here for lunch and went for the omakase lunch.
We were seated at the sushi counter, which uses Japanese wood and we were able to watch the chef in action and also talk to the chef about the origins of the ingredients of the dishes he prepared.
The chef is knowledgeable and well versed in sushi preparation and cooked food.
Here are the courses that we had:
- Stewed Bonito: The first course of the meal. Served cold and very refreshing, with tasty gravy.
- Fresh beancurd skin topped with seaweed, roe and freshly grated wasabi: The chef gets this special supply of fresh beancurd skin that’s ben layered to create tofu. Topped with the other ingredients, it was a delightful dish.
- Teapot soup: Drinking the soup with and without squeezing the lime made the soup taste different. After drinking the soup, you can eat the prawns, mushrooms and vegetables that has been cooked inside.
- Sashimi -
- Hokkaido sea urchin: The chef only imports the best brand from Hokkaido and if its not available, it means the quality is not up to their standard. It has heavenly.
- Setouchi Sea bream: Biting into this white fish gave a good bite. Definitely fresh!
- Nagasaki Spanish mackerel: The chef flame-broiled the outside of the fish – skin side in front of us. It gave the fish a slightly smoky flavour. I usually do not like mackerel and this changed my perception. Loved it.
- Wakayama strip jack: Also fresh and delicious.
- Hokkaido scallop: It was very sweet and delicious. Must-order.
- Assorted fish with Goma dressing: Assorted fish that was marinated in home-made sesame dressing. The dressing was unlike any that I have tasted and definitely not off the shelf. It was good.
- Fried Japanese fish with Japanese sweet potato cut in the shape of the Ginko leaf: Decent piece of fish that was skewered on a stick, coated with small bread crumbs and fried. Fish was very good. It came with two pieces of Japanese sweet potato that has been cut into the shape of a ginko leaf. Good presentation. It also had two soba noodles that has been tied at one end with seaweed and deepfried. I had thought it was toothpicks and inedible till the chef said I could eat it.
- Mini hotpot with Oysters, crab meat, seasonal mini Japanese potato and cream and cheese sauce: Another highlight of the meal. I wasn’t expecting the whole oysters in there and together with the cream sauce, it was yummy!
- Rice topped with Unagi, Japanese pickles and Nagoya Miso Soup: Last course of the meal. It was a mini bowl of Japanese rice topped with two pieces of freshly grilled unagi. The unagi was soft, but do be careful of bones.
We were filled to the brim after our meal, and most importantly, the food were fresh and good!
I look forward to visiting the restaurant again in the near future.

This is the third outlet of a popular Chinese eatery in Chinatown. Located at the basement level of Palais Renaissance, which is transforming itself into a food haven for people working around the shopping mall. This is one of 3 new restaurants that have opened there recently.
My lunch partners and I were looking for a place to dine last week and I suggested we try them out.

Here are the highlights:
- Xiao Long Tang Bao: $8.80 (Juicy steamed pork dumplings). The skin was thin and the filling was nice and juicy. Eaten with the vinegar and ginger slices on the side, it was good. Musy-order!
- Chinese Pizza: $10.80 - Crispy crust stuffed with seafood and pork filling. This was like a huge round curry puff. It was almost flat, and the filling was nice. This is easily an order for 6 pax to share.
- Pan Fried Mixed Seafood & Pork Dumpling: $6.50 for 6 pieces - Nice pot-stickers which are rolled into cyclindrical shape instead of wanton shape. Filled with minced meat and seafood. Unique and good.
- Zha Jiang Noodle: $6.80 - Thick noodles topped with minced pork, soya bean sauce with bean sprouts, spinach and cucumbers. I loved everything in this dish, except for the cucumber. Will order my noodles without it in future.
- Zha Cai Rou Si Noodle: $8 - Noodles with sliced pork and Sichuan Vegetables. We much prefer the Zha Jiang Noodle, as this was a little spicy and one of my lunch group didn't like sichuan vegetables. It was alright only.
- Pan fried red bean pancake: $10.50. This was nice. Pan-fried and it was filled with red bean paste and mochi. The mochi added a different texture to the dessert. Recommended!

Being located on Orchard Road will cater to the shopping crowd and tourists who are looking for traditional delights at a convenient setting.
Try it!

There is a new restaurant at The Rochester Mall that opened recently.
I came by this restaurant recently with colleagues to try out their food.
Here are the highlights:
- Seafood Bisque: $12. The bisque came with Prawn, Mussels and Toasted Crostini. The bisque is not thick and creamy. Nice.
- Mushroom Soup with Crème Fraiche and garlic croutons: $10. Not bad.
- Seared Sea Scallops with celeraic puree, sauteed spinach & soft boiled quail eggs: $22. We loved it. The scallops were nicely seared and juicy. The quail eggs'runny yolks were a nice touch. Try it!
- Lobster Risotto with watercress and sundried tomato: $28. I found this similar in taste to the seafood bisque. It's tasty and you get half a lobster.
- Slow cooked chicken leg with potatoes and vegetable ragout: $18. My favorite main course. The chicken was cooked Sous-vide, then roasted in the oven to give a nice even browning. Juicy and tasty. The portion was substantial and filling.
- Kurobuta Pork Chop: $30. Simply grilled and served with roasted potatoes & sauteed brussel sprouts. The piece came with the bone on. Quite substantial piece of meat and tasty on its own, as this dish did not come with any sauce. As you eat your way to the rib, you will see the fatty bits, and that was the most succulent part of the meat! I especially loved the fried sage leaves that accompanied the dish. It was delicious.
- Roasted Potatoes: $6. Loved this. It was our favorite amongst the side dishes that we ordered. The potatoes are cut into cubes about 1cm wide and roasted. Tasty and nice!
- Mashed Potatoes: $6. The mash potatoes were nice and smooth. Personally, I would have liked it to have more butter. When I commented to the staff, they said its possible to request for it next time. Good service!
- Tiramisu: $12. This was served in a glass cup and you can see the compnents of the Tiramisu through the sides of the glass. You get to enjoy the cocoa powder, cream and sponge fingers as you dig into the glass. Nice!
- Chocolate Lava Cake with berry compote and whipped cream: $12. The molten chocolate flowed out of the lava cake once it was cut. The restaurant doesn’t serve with ice cream like most other restuarants. You can scoop the berry compote and eat together with the chocolate cake for added flavour.
- Duo Panna Cotta with honey lemon sauce and pistachio: $9. Interesting where there are two flavours combined in the panna cotta – white cream-based flavour and dark brown cocoa flavour. Together with the honey lemon sauce, it was nice.
- Classic Lemon Tart: $9. The presentation was great. You get a nice wedge of lemon tart. The cream on the top is piped like a Christmas tree and flambe. Taste-wise, it was tart and lemon lovers will love this.
The quality of the food here is good and I enjoyed my meal.
The restaurant’s location at Rochester Mall is in close proximity to Holland Village, offering a tranquil environment to dine in without the hassle of car park issues.
Recommended!

I was at Alexandra Village Hawker Centre one morning and was looking for breakfast.
Most of the stalls were closed, it being 10am.
I chanced upon this stall and it had won an award for minced pork noodles. There was also a magazine article on the stall, titled ‘Not your usual Noodles’. I decided to give it a try.
There was a small pot of stewed sliced mushrooms percolating over a charcoal fire, where the assistant takes your order.
I ordered Mee Pok dry, $3 portion.
It came with fishball, pork ball, minced pork, fishcake, 2 leaves of lettuce and topped with the stewed sliced mushrooms. I spotted a container of crispy pork lard and asked for some. The stal assistant gladly added into my bowl.
The noodles were al dente and delicious. The ingredients were also good portioned, and I had not just noodles, but some of the fore-mentioned ingredient in each mouthful.
The serving size for my order was filling.
No regrets trying this stall and I will be back again.
Try it!