I am no Korean food veteran, but in the recent months, I have conformed to the social norms and trends, of being all crazed about Korean, well, things. I’m proud to say though, that I haven’t been entirely sucked in. Save for Korean food, I remain clueless to their music, TV or basically any other things. Having only been an amateur, I have found love to Korean food, particularly their BBQ items.Located in the newly developed (food-wise) precinct, Tiong Bahru, it was a chore trying to get seats around the popular restaurants down the stretch, without a reservation, and BigMama Korean Restaurant was one of them. You ought to know that if you walk in, they will not be able to commit an exact time f0r when the table will be ready.Appetizers: Complimentary, as in almost all other Korean Restaurants. Their kimchi is particularly satisfying, what with it being slightly more spicy, and not soggy at all. The rest were forgettable. The appetizers are unlimitedly refillable.Dakgalbi ($15+): This pan-fried chicken is one of their signature items. Stated price is for 1 person, and a minimum order for 2 persons is needed. The waitperson would bring out a stove at your table to cook it there and then. Pros and cons. While it’s entertaining to watch the cooking done, the smoke and smell that gets to you might stink your clothes up, though that’s pretty much to-be-expected whilst at a Korean Restaurant with BBQ items. So there, in your face, they would pan-fry the chicken with vegetables, rice cakes, sweet potato, and spicy sauce. I’ve learned that Korean chili are not all that spicy more often than not. And it is true for this dish, in case you are pondering back and forth in fear of spiciness. I would strongly recommend adding Fried Rice ($3+) to the chicken. This is how it works. They would cook the chicken. You eat slightly more than half of them up. They would again, come in to fry the rice with the remaining portion. Seaweeds and seasonings are added in the process. Poof! Comes a better presented and better tasting creation. The seaweed was the most memorable and fragrant. Worth the $3. Otherwise, the Dakgalbi itself did not quite live up to the name of signature dish.Dwaeji Moksal Yangnyum Gui ($18+): Grilled, pork collar slices, with Gal-bi seasoning. I held high expectations for this, mainly because I love pork collar, and more so with it grilled. But the meat turned out tougher than assumed, even dry, I’d say. The seasoning was mildly sweet and did not help with the poor quality of meat. Major disappointment.Haemul Buchu Jeon ($15+): For a pancake accompanied with chives and seafood to be $15, I thought it too expensive and had better be of top class quality. Unfortunately, it failed to water down the disappointment. The seafood was insufficient and was not distinct at all. We agreed that it was slightly too floury as well.

I have no idea what the hype is about. I had one of their signature dishes, and some other regular items, it couldn’t have been that I had the wrong items. Nevertheless, there is still chance for redemption, if I were to be asked along for a second shot. I would then give them the benefit of the doubt and try other items on the menu. Despite running on full house, service was not compromised. That is at least, commendable.

Previously located at Rochor Centre, Rochor Thai has since moved to Joo Chiat, sitting right in the midst of bustling crowds, cafes, and restaurants. No, you got it right, they aren’t changing to their name to Joo Chiat Thai anytime soon.

Being strictly MSG-free is as symbolic to Rochor Thai as elephants are to Thailand. They pride themselves as the only restaurant that delivers such prepared dishes. They are also a bistro that makes their own pastes and sauces, setting each of their dishes apart from the rest.

Something that was frowned upon almost throughout the entire dinner was the heavy use of salt. I think it is very much like a zi-char stall, where salty dishes are prepared to complement the plain rice. I am no fan of that, and thus no fan of zi-char in general. I thought to prep you, and ask for less salt, depending on your tolerance.Thai Iced Tea ($3): Well-balanced sweetness and flavors of tea. It also does not have the astringent (siap siap) taste. Meets the mark.Green Papaya Salad ($7): While I don’t mind the rawness of vegetables, the overly crunchiness of it all did not quite suit my palate, especially that of the yardlong beans. I thought it would have been better with everything shredded to accompany the shredded unripe papaya.Hot & Spicy Seafood Soup / Clear Spicy Sour Soup ($8.80 / $14.80): I was quite impressed with the spiciness of the soup. I mean, I take spicy food, but this had me perspiring a little. However, the prawn wasn’t the freshest – it was also overcooked without any bounciness.Green Curry with Chicken Thigh & Thai Eggplant ($11.80): While the meat was succulent and in sizable chunks, the green curry was slightly too sweet for me.Salt-baked Whole Tilapia ($22.80): Force-fed with lemongrass (as evident in the photos, well, it’s for the flavors when cooking, no animal abuse involved) and salt-crusted, you might think that it would be too salty. Surprisingly, it doesn’t. Instead, it moderately counterpoise the blandness of fish meat. The dish is served with spicy coriander sauce, but really, it is perfect the way it is. Fresh, soft and smooth meat.Dry Red Curry with Red Snapper Fillets ($16.80 / $24.80): With words like ‘red’ and ‘curry’ filling the name of the dish, I didn’t expect it to turn out more sweet than spicy. The meat was fine, but the crust covered any hint of fishiness I would like to have with a bite as a whole.Seared Pork Collar ($12.80): I’m biased. I love the part of meat on pigs’ neck. There is no arguing that it is the saltiest piece of meat you’ll have, but it is still quite enjoyable when paired with plain rice and dried chili sauce. I love the bite of pork collar bite, and with it priced at only this, it’s worth the moolah.Stir-fried Thai ‘Drunken’ Style Prawns ($16.80 / $24.80): Similar to its Snapper Fillets, I’m not quite a fan of its style of cooking. It was rather ordinary, and the prawns were not done springy enough. And no, it is not alcoholic, don’t bother if you intend to ‘drown your sorrows’ with this.Clams Flambe in Chili Jam & Chef’s Stock ($14.80 / $22.80): After witnessing the (momentary) fire that broke out in the kitchen, we were all hyped and stoked. It looks simple, but I thought it was well-executed. I could taste both the jam and clams very distinctively. Worth an order.The Thai Red Ruby ($4.80) tasted really like strawberry milk. I swear.
The Mango Sticky Rice ($7.80) was a half hit, half miss. I like the mango, sweet and soft. The sticky rice was okay, but spoiled with an overdose of sesame seed. I prefer my sticky rice to remain sticky firm yet nua nua instead of the frequent crunches in between. Flavors wise, they still aren’t strong enough when compared to the ones you get in Thailand. I verily believe it’s the coconut that has been doing the trick for the Thais all these while.

Though more misses than hits, I think Rochor Thai bears some potential. Having only just settled down in their new playground about two months ago, I’m sure the humble and passionate people behind Rochor Thai will strive for the better. Give them some time.

Though very much an Italian Restaurant, Pasta Brava is adorned with Straits Chinese decorations and souvenirs, collected and kept by Rolando Luceri, a former Hotelier who has some 40 years of F&B experience, and his brother’s self-painted pieces of art. It can be quite a spot for a date, what with the bold yet elegant black and reds and the shiny glass wares on the table. However, it can, and it will get pretty noisy as the evening sets in.Besides being kept occupied with your usual bread basket, they also offer crayons here for some fun time with your friends / date.Since it’s an Italian Restaurant that shouts everything ‘Pasta’, I thought it apt to closely scrutinize them. If you are looking for a perfectly al-dente pasta meal here, I’m sorry to say that you would be disappointed. It wasn’t consistently so, and parts of it were still sticky to the teeth.

In terms of flavors though, I have no reservations to say that they’ve done well. I especially like the Linguine with Prawns, Clams, Squid, Scallops and Crayfish ($23++). The seafood was well-cooked and well-flavored, no signs of them being overcooked. I had it change to white wine sauce; it could do with a little stronger hint of wine.

Besides being able to choose your preferred type of pasta, you can also opt for a different sauce base: Pesto, Arrabbiata, Aglio Olio, Tomato & Basil, Bolognese, White Wine. Pastas are all around the range of $20 – $23.Tiramisu ($10++): If you are a Tiramisu fan, you will like this. It is just about the strongest-flavored Tiramisu we’ve all had. But that’s the whole point isn’t it. It also has a very soft texture.Chocolate Lava Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream ($12++): Chocolate Lava Cake at an established restaurant can almost always never go wrong. Rich, thick, flowy, warm, with slightly crisp borders of the cake. It’s worth every calories (not that I care, but just in case you do).

As a whole, I do think it’s quite alright and reasonable if you have the inclination to dine here for their pasta (and desserts – I love their desserts). What turned me off is their less than impressive service. When we were placing our orders, the waitperson was nowhere near friendly – they were merely doing their job, without a smile. It’s a common scene in these kind of restaurants – they were snobbish. Snobbish towards little Asian kids like ourselves, the minority in the restaurant. That’s not the way to go for a restaurant. And after we had completed our dessert, we were asked to adjourn to their upstairs bar if we would like to continue our conversation. You can have all the explanations in the world, but I have never, and will never be a fan of a restaurant that directly or indirectly, chases their customers away. So though their food is passable, I probably wouldn’t be back anytime soon.

When I first heard of PARK @ Holland Village, I was eager to try it out, what with it being set in a Park (considerably, in the congested Holland Village), and serving breakfast items (only until 6pm daily, it is not a all-day breakfast place). It was also perfect that it’s right at the doorstep of Holland Village MRT. It also fitted the bill because we were looking at having dessert at MU Parlour. So this seemed like a viable plan.You have the option of dining in an air-conditioned ‘park’ or the conventional alfresco ‘park’, but with strong fans in replacement of the lack of cooling air (at times). The inside has only about 30 odd seats; not many, and it’s parked in a narrow aisle of 4-seaters, at most accommodating 5. Menu is relatively small, a couple of breakfast items, couple of sandwiches, and couple of other mains.Truffle Fries ($8.50++): If you already know, I’m one who’d never give up on ordering a Truffle Fries to start the meal off whenever a menu permits. This time round is no difference. However, it fell slightly short. It was better off with more truffle. I don’t paying more for it, but when a dish is done, it should never be shortchanged and should be executed to its best. If they need to jack the price up a little more for more truffle taste, they should do it.Truffle Mac & Cheese ($11.80++): I could still taste some truffle in the Truffle Fries, but could barely taste it in this course, though the smell of it was overwhelming. I’m guessing a lot of it got stuck to the sides of the pot, and evaporated or something, because it was really near non-existent. It also got too cloying halfway through. I couldn’t even finish it. I should have known when the price is too affordable to be truffle.Avocado & Bacon Tartine ($11.80++): Because the previous dishes weren’t the best, the Tartine had to be made the saving grace. I don’t usually agree with sandwiches, or tartines for this instance, but it tasted ordinary and was the best of the night. For one, I love that the bacon wasn’t overly grilled and remained soft and flimsy, very rarely seen in Singapore. Though it tasted alright, I do not think it’s worth the money. Plus, it’s for sure, not filling.

Service was above average. At the least.
It is a good place to chill at night. They do serve alcoholic drinks. I’m hoping that they make some changes to the menu and cooking, and that this booboo is only because they are new kids on the block. I can see a chance for redemption. I’ll probably drop by some time in the future, maybe to try their Breakfast items.

The Cathay Restaurant, as the name speaks for itself, is under the wings of the Cathay Organization. I don’t usually dwell on the history of a restaurant, as it tends to bore readers out. But I thought this restaurant has a relatively more interesting story to tell.Believe it or not, The Cathay Restaurant used to specialize in European fare instead of its current offerings. Well that was some 70 years back in 1940. After the World War II, in 1951, the eatery renovated itself not only on the exterior but interior the same. It was turned into an exquisite Chinese restaurant serving Shanghainese and Cantonese cuisine. It was as popular as All-Day Breakfast restaurants you get today, one after one sprouting into the scene. 3 years later, the restaurant closed due to the high competition.Today, it smartly mixes up its authenticity with the modern demands, tackling what the diners are looking for. Approximately a month ago, the restaurant kicked start having Dim Sum in their Dinner Menu. That is still up and coming today, as evident from a surprised face from my friend when she learned about the dinner being a dim sum oriented one. Sometimes you just have that craving for dim sum when the sun sets.Steamed Yolk Cream Bun ($4.20++) :: Item is only served for lunch menu, and in replacement for this in the dinner menu is its counterpart, Deep-Fried Yolk Cream Bun. Undoubtedly, the yolk cream is flowy and as fluid as it can get. This Liu Sha Bao is one of the best I’ve had, very much because of its substantial egg yolk flavor. Though liquid in nature, the yolk cream is still thick and rich. A must-have dish here, for sure.Steamed Siew Mai with Crab Roe ($6.20++) :: Another of my more well-liked dim sum dishes by the restaurant. Very freshly made, and distinct flavors just burst outward on the first bite into the hot favorite.Dinner Menu also includes Steamed BBQ Pork Bun, Steamed Fresh Prawn Dumpling and Pan-fried Carrot Cake to name a few. In my opinion, the dim sum items offered can surely satisfy your cravings for them, though I wouldn’t say that they are WOW-good. I mean, I am still in search of a Dim Sum Restaurant that serves top-class dim sum dishes all around. Meeting the ‘okay, this doesn’t fail’ is the norm nowadays. You just have to order the few best items. That will settle it.

The Cathay Restaurant has a selection of ten over steamed and fried dim sum dishes. Each of those averages at $4.50 per basket. They also offer quite an array of appetizers, vegetables, rice and noodles to go along. These, go at an average price of $9.