It is the up and coming.
It is the current and in fashion.
It is the Tapas.

Tapas. For those are aren’t a veteran in Tapas, they are small Spanish savory dishes, commonly savored with a drink at the bar. Yes, now it sounds familiar, doesn’t it. You do just that very often. Letting your hair down over a drink at a local bar, having a man’s talk or gossip sessions alike. And those small bites as supper, or as foundation in your stomach for those hard liquors you are about to down. Yes, those, Tapas.Specially crafted for sharing amongst your dining companions, you are treated to a meal where you have a reason to order a couple of different Tapas to try. Having 8 different Tapas platter, diners would surely have something suitable for their palate, not forgetting the sides they offer as well.

Granted, the location isn’t the most accessible. If you have someone in your party who drives, 1-Twenty Six is the place to chill, drink, and nibble. Located within East Coast Park itself, it is just about one of the restaurants sitting within closest proximity to the beach. With the right spot in the restaurant, you are able to feel the sea breeze in the starry night, and within sight of the waves. Now tell me this isn’t ideal.Tapas Platter ($42++): Serving at least 3 persons, this signature Tapas Platter consists of Salt & Pepper Squid, Gambas Pil Pil (it means prawns with pil pil sauce – basically comprising of oil, red chilli and garlic), Potatoes Bravas (white potatoes fried in oil), Spicy Meatball, and Chorizo with Garbanzo Bean & Rustic Bread (spicy Spanish pork sausage). I’d call dips on the Chorizo if I were to head back and order this platter. Notwithstanding that, the rest of the items were satisfying too.Charcuterie Platter ($28++): Fans of cold platters (like yours truly), here’s a Tapas (ohmygee) with just that, Jamón Serrano (dry-cured Spanish ham), prosciutto de parma and Cotechino sausages (Italian pork sausage). Paired with a glass of wine, or whatever you are there for, it’s quite the heavenly, don’t you think?126 Sliders (Mini Burgers) ($42++): Look at the patty. No, that isn’t the best. The best is what contains it – the burger bun. I just dig burger buns that are slightly over toasted, giving the subtle crispy when bitten. And, slightly flavored. Best. All patties are that of beef, though, be warned. A third of them comes with foie gras, another third comes with cheese, tomato and bacon, and the rest comes with tomato jam, crispy French bean and rocket. Oh, complete with truffle fries (ooohhlala). No, thankfully it’s not ‘each sold separately’.Poultry Platter ($52++): Non-beef and pork meat lovers, this platter is plausibly customized for you. With quite a commendable portion of Roasted Baby Chicken, Duck Leg Confit, and Honey Grilled Quail, this can almost substitute as your skipped dinner. The Duck Leg Confit was my favorite. The Quail caught most people’s attention, this rare piece of meat, one that you don’t really see in the everyday restaurants / cafes.Meat Platter ($68++): And this, is for the other breed of meat lovers, the one who eats everything. Beef. Pork. Its Grilled Beef of Rib Eye, Snail Sausage and Pork Belly was accompanied with baked vegetables and mashed potatoes, of which, have gotten endless compliments from all over the table, hailing it as one of the best mashed potatoes. Probably the most sinful platter, but most gratifying.Salt & Pepper Calamari ($18++): Possibly the best calamari (sashimi style) I’ve had. People have no idea my love for the plain and simple (p&s), pepper and salt (p&s) (see what I did there). It’s so uncomplicated yet expresses the best flavors.Besides serving one of the best food (Tapas) in town, they also serve their clients pretty well. Though not concrete, and might not even go through, the management is actually thinking of having Mix-Your-Own-Cocktail/Mocktail sessions for diners. Blue, red, yellow, green. Sour or sweet, highball glass, cocktail glass, it’s all in your hands, literally. Watch the space. Who knows whether they will commission this session.

They also have this ultimate bragging rights. Because East Coast Park is under NParks, smoking is actually prohibited all around. But if you are dying to have a puff, 1-Twenty Six’s bar is the only legalized area to smoke – head over there!

Next best thing – the restaurant’s resident band, EJS. They perform every Friday, 7.30pm onwards. They are, in no exaggeration, the best local band I’ve seen. Man, they can hit the notes, sing the hardest songs, and still sound, so, damn, good. I would go there just for the good live music. Of course, the usual song dedications are taken. Just alert their friendly waitpersons.

Speaking of which, service is under the watch of Amin Adam, Assistant Group Dining Manager. Be assured that your evening will be turned around by this gentleman. He’s outspoken and daring to interact. If you’re there for a wild time, he can aid you in just that.

By far, one of my favorite hangout places.

I was initially drawn to Greenhouse for its breakfast buffet. But somehow, I ended up with their Dinner Buffet. Every Friday & Saturday features their International Seafood Buffet, while other days are Asian Buffet, like the one I had.I can vouch that their Buffet holds one of the best Japanese (specifically sushi and sashimi) Counter. A wide array of fresh sashimi and rarer species of sushi. For a person who usually tackles the seafood and meat section, I found myself being a repeat customer of this counter.It soon dawned upon me that this Buffet hits me on all the unusual spots. First the Japanese cuisine, now the Salad Counter. Their Salad Counter is unique and noteworthy. I especially adore the Smoked Duck Salad. I’ve always been a fan of smoked duck, and they prepared it utterly well.Though reasonably varied, the Charcuterie Counter didn’t impress me like the previous two. They had the usual, prosciutto ham, gravlax salmon, smoked salmon, chorizo and salami, and the likes. Nothing to yell about. For me, it was a touch and go here.Tiger prawns, clams, mussels and oysters fill up the finite Seafood Counter. After sucking off the shucks of the freshest oysters in town at Tanuki, it can get hard to appreciate the rest of the oysters. Still, well, it isn’t that bad to satisfy the potential oysters craving. The tiger prawns were disappointing. I thought it was plain and dull, and not freshly prepared.Vegetables, pre-prepared chicken, beef, fish – these are the items in the Hot Selections that I generally skip in buffets. And this was no exception. First they have to appeal to my sense of sight, then they get a chance with my taste. But there was nothing special enough to get my stomach on with them.

The Carving Station was ordinary. The beef was acceptable though not to the extent that I would go back for a third or fourth time. The Singapore Chili Crab also fell short. I thought they mellowed it down a little in terms of their spiciness to cater to more of the general public, and that the crab meat wasn’t flavored enough. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. And well, avoid getting the Seafood Omelette. It’s unexaggerated-ly flavorless.I am a total fan of artisan breads in general, but it was displeasing that most of their Artisan Bread Counter had this inclination of being rubbery. Though internally soft, I had a little trouble biting it through in entirety. On the other end of the buffet line comes the Cheese Counter. The most extensive cheese counter I’ve seen in buffets. If you take a closer look, they offer at least 10 different types of cheese. So for cheese lovers, you’re in for a treat!The Dessert Counter is pretty safe I’d say. Outstanding pieces like the Vanilla Mille Feuille and Chocolate Tarts are must-tries. Chocolate Ice Cream is also the premium type – the one you get in Marché. If I’m not mistaken, it’s mövenpick ice cream.

Juices are not inclusive, though tea and coffee can be ordered through the waitstaff.

The reason why I didn’t feel that the Buffet was worthy in general is because they only hit the smaller targets like salads, cheese, sushi and sashimi, and miss the bigger ones like carving stations and seafood counter. Thus the price paid didn’t quite meet my expecation. But if you dig the abovementioned hits, then you can give it a shot.

Most cards have at least a 10% discount on meals.

Attracted by its award-winning Laksa, we scheduled to patronize Straits Café @ Rendezvous Grand Hotel this very day. The buffet restaurant is conveniently located, a short 10 minutes walk from Dhoby Ghaut MRT / right in front of a bus stop along Bras Basah Road.Its Seafood Counter, disappointingly, fell short. Not only was its selection limited, its quality did not quite make up for it either. I thought the dishes were prepared clumsily, as item after item tasted bland and seemingly non-marinated. I found myself not re-visiting the counter I so adore.Though some variety of greens in the Salad Counter, none of them was especially distinctive. Too many accompanying ingredients I say. It’d be more effective if it was made simpler and more direct. At least for diners like me, I’d know what I’m in for and have a more recognized taste.Well good thing is, if you are a fan of Rojak, Chinese or Indian renditions alike, you can be assured that it’s a more than safe choice here at the buffet. Both are pretty pleasurable. Well for the former, you can have some fun whipping up your own Chinese Rojak with the usual suspects you have in a Chinese Rojak dish.Though it looks like one, this Pork Knuckle wasn’t comparable to some I’ve had. It was a ‘tad bit too salty, and somehow it didn’t have the punch one would feel while devouring a Pork Knuckle, like for instance, one at Brotzeit. Just a slice for tasting would suffice.On to the liquids in the buffet line. Curry enthusiasts, prepare your palate for it as there are three different flavors of curry. I’m not one, thus I skipped it, for the Double-boiled Soup instead. That, is possibly one of the best items of the entire buffet. It tasted genuinely authentic, and addictive too. And I’m positive it wasn’t the works of MSG, which makes it impressive. However, its counterpart, the supposedly awe-inspiring award-winning Laksa didn’t quite meet the mark. The noodles was too soft and delicate for my liking.Right at one end of the line, meet the Sushi Counter. Even though it isn’t the most extensive selection of sushi as you can see, the treasure is what’s hidden underneath. Kept chilled below the counter are the Salmon and Tako Sashimi, and Oysters. The Salmon Sashimi was definitely not fresh. The Tako Sashimi tasted slightly better. Oysters was passable. To make the buffet worth it, you might want to slurp off more shucks of oysters.The satisfying part of the buffet only started late into the buffet. The Dessert Counter. Complete with a Chocolate Fondue, I was a happy kid going around, contemplating on which dessert piece to fill my stomach with. The Chocolate Mousse was the best one of them all. No regrets with the calories, girls, I assure you.A heaven to most locals, the chilled Durian Dessert Counter offers durian crepes, durian puffs, durian cake, and durian pengat. I say, save your stomach for THESE. The puff is my favorite. Wings will grow with a pop into your mouth.

Well, though this wasn’t the best buffet I’ve had, it is one of the more affordable hotel buffets, so what can I complain about right. If you aren’t picky and on a tight budget, this is still up for consideration.

Prices:
$42++ (Lunch from Mon – Sat)
$48++ (Lunch on Sunday)
$50++ (Dinner from Mon – Thurs)
$53++ (Dinner from Fri – Sun)

While I was there, they have a card promotion where the 3rd dines for free when paid with an UOB card.

A new kid on the block, B.K.T. by Kong Kee serves up piping hot local delight, Bak Kut Teh, as the name suggests. I am quite a Bak Kut Teh fan myself; Thinking about it makes me salivate more often than not. Brought to you by the same people who behind the Kong Kee Seafood Restaurant at Geylang, they promise to whip up authentic recipes of Bak Kut Teh. Probably the only restaurant to serve three types of Bak Kut Teh, you can consider dropping by the restaurant to satisfy your BKT craving if you’re in the area. Its menu is considerably extensive – almost all parts of the pig that are supposed to be there are there, which excites me because I am a digger for those delicacies.Kai Lan ($3.50): I am surprised at how affordable they’ve priced this at. Despite so, I quite believe that it only serves as its nutritional values and nothing else – its taste is nothing to yell about. Ordinarily cooked.Pig’s Liver & Kidney Soup ($6): Again, very reasonably priced, considering that they have a physical shop. A bowl of soup like this at a food court would cost about that price as well. The soup base is that of the Teochew style’s (more commonly known as the ‘normal one) – one of the three types of Bak Kut Teh the restaurant serves. Like its counterpart, it tasted ordinary, only barely enough to cope with the craving.Braised Pig Intestines (Fen Chang) ($6): Pig Intestines is one of my favorite parts of the pig. However, I was greatly disappointed by Kong Kee’s rendition. I thought the root of the problem is the thickness of the intestines. It was too thick, which led to it being slightly on the tough side. And also, the intestines could barely soak up the gravy.Braised Pig Leg ($8): Of the starters, I thought this was the best of the night. Well-drowned in the gravy. Soft meat. Not overly fatty. Only downside is the small portion. But I’d know better for pig legs to be like this.Teochew Style Bak Kut Teh ($6.50): Dubbed as the ‘normal base’, Teochew Style Bak Kut Teh is one of the three types of soup bases at B.K.T. by Kong Kee. If you compare this to the renowned Song Fa Bak Kut Teh at Clarke Quay, this is not as addictive, but still good enough to get us drinking to our heart’s content. The Bak Kut, was alright. It was more towards the tough side – don’t be expecting to sink through the meat with ease. Like in other Bak Kut Teh establishments, this soup base is refillable.Malaysian Klang Style Bak Kut Teh ($6.80): Depending on your preference, the Malaysian Klang Style has a strong herbal base. I am generally fine with herbal liquids, but this came across a ‘tad too strong for me. This takes a longer hour to brew. Probably because of that, and that it’s not as commonly ordered, it doesn’t come with a refill.Dry Bak Kut Teh ($12): Its costliness is all worth it. It’s well-liked at the table. I’ve never tried Dry Bak Kut Teh, and this encounter was a pleasant one. Unlike the other two with broths, this one is reduced to a thick gravy, with dried herbs and chili. This version has a tangier, more distinct and sharper taste to it, making your taste buds jump in excitement. I say go ahead, pour a bowl of rice ($1) in it, stir, and indulge.

It is a 140-seater restaurant, getting a seat in the evening is usually not a problem. But if you are heading there during lunch on a weekday, you might want to be prepared a little. Turnover time is short though, so it’s not that bad. Reservations are welcomed. I surely wouldn’t mind heading back for their main highlights. Their service is good when come into contact, but trying to catch their attention proves to be a challenge with huge pillars inevitably planted along the middle of the venue.

Note #1: Prices stated are nett. No GST and Service Charge.

Trying to contain a portion of my geekiness, I have actually harbored the thoughts of patronizing Epilogue Café for quite some time now, and only bringing it up when the right time strikes. Located inside of { prologue } Bookstore at Level 4, Orchard ION, it is probably a hideout for geeks and bookworms alike, who are looking for reasonable food at reasonable prices, and at a conducive environment to get sucked into the books.I love the setting. A whole full shelf of books. Wooden furnishings for a complete library feel. Though it’s not library-quiet, it is considerably tranquil in the bustling ION Orchard.

GET A BOOK FOR FREE:
Spend $25 and above in a single receipt to bring home a free book (off the cafe’s shelves). Pick one and proceed to the counter for checking out. No strings attached.

I understand that many have been yearning for a chance to eat and drink in a library setting – this is just about the closest you will get. You can get the window seat too, overlooking the busy streets down below.I thought this is an apt dining location if you are in town, don’t want to spend a bomb on restaurants, and not on the crazily overpriced food court as well, mainly because they serve sandwiches and a small range of main courses at around $10.50, on an average. Personally, I would choose to come here than the basement food court any day. More peace, more enjoyment of food.French Hot Chocolate ($6.50): Effort was put in for the coffee art, which I appreciate. This rendition of Hot Chocolate is not your everyday cup of the same. Depending on your preference, this cup is only mildly sweet. You can almost distinctly taste the cocoa. Slightly more milky. Smooth texture.Peanut Chicken Sandwich ($10.50): First bite in and I already fell in love with its Mediterranean Panini Bread. I love its smartly toasted outside, and its naturally sweet taste. Matched with the very local peanut chicken, it is one of the few sandwiches I really don’t mind having (keeping in mind I am totally not a sandwich person). All sandwiches comes with mixed greens salad and chips.Baked Mushroom Mac & Cheese ($9): I thought the baked cheese blanketing the macaroni was perfectly done. Thick. Flavorful. Not cloying like many others. If you are a fan of mushrooms and cheese, go for this.Tea-flavored Macarons ($2.50): I was very skeptical at first, because well, macarons aren’t easy to perfect. Not especially at a café. I had a go, nevertheless, at their Chamomile and Chai flavored ones. The former didn’t make much of an impression as I couldn’t really make out the Chamomile flavor. The latter however, had a more distinct taste. Flavors aside, their macaron shells match my expectation and liking. Not crumbly, and tough enough to withstand a couple more chews. Worth it.

Note #1: Prices stated are net. No GST and service charge.

Note #2: POPULAR bookstore members are entitled to a 10% discount (upon showing of membership card).

Note #3: Even though it’s not halal-certified, they do not have pork served.