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Categories : Japanese | Bars/Lounges | Sushi/Sashimi

 
Address:

181 Orchard Road

#02-03 Orchard CentralSingapore 238896

Nearest MRT Station:

Somerset MRT Station

What they are famous for:

Aburi Sushi, Sashimi Don, Truffle Yakiniku Don, Alcoholic Beverages

Opening hours:

11:30 AM - 10:30 PM daily11:30 AM - 3 PM Lunch Sets daily5 PM - 8 PM Happy Hour dailyLast order of food at 9:45 PM anddrinks at 10:15 PM

Atmosphere: 8/10
Price: 7/10

Food: 6/10

Service: 6/10

 
Lunch Specials

 
Interior

 

 

 
Menu

 
Lunch Menu

 
Beverage Menu

We had:

 
Salmon Skin - $5

(Fried salmon skin with garlic lime chili sauce)

A pretty unique dish! I loved how they added the Singapore flavor to this by adding the garlic lime chili sauce. It was pretty addictive too!

 
Garlic Fries - $7

(Golden fries tossed with Garlic)

The fries were overcooked and we couldn't taste the Garlic in it. We did though, find a handful of diced garlic at the bottom of the basket. So no, definitely would not order this again.

 
Lunch sets that comes with Salad, Miso Soup and Green tea at an additional $2

I think they used wasabi vinaigrette dressing for the salad! Wasn't really my kinda thing but if you love wasabi, then why not give it a try! $2 is pretty reasonable for these add-ons!

 
Salmon Don - $12 (Lunch promo)

(Fresh sliced salmon, lightly seared aburi, plump ikura served with their housemade spicy mayo and yakiniku sauce)

I didn't know that Tanuki Raw was opened by the same owner behind Standing Sushi Bar till the very day I visited it. Well, I have never liked the salmon at SSB because I have always felt that it lacked freshness. Decided to skip this thought and still give Tanuki Raw Bar a try but..... I was disappointed. I've had my fair share of good salmon sashimi in 22 years of my life and this was nowhere near.

Oh anyway, all their Donburis are served with Onigiri rice!

 
Chirashi Don - $17.80 (Lunch promo)

(A mix of seasonal and staple sashimi including scallop, sea bream, tuna, swordfish, salmon, striped jack and salmon roe, seasoned with our signature sauce served with tamago on sushi rice)

Oh the to-die-for Chirashi Don! To be fair, I didn't try this, but to me, paying $17.80 for this might have been a little pricey, if say the standard of their sashimi was similar to that of the Salmon Don. The ones at Sushi Tei costs only $9.90 with equal portions of Sashimi.

There's also an option for Bara Chirashi Don and the sashimi comes in cubes!

 

 
Truffle Yakiniku Don - $14.80 (Lunch promo)

(Break the runny yolk of the onsen tomago egg over the black angus short rib that has been pan seared with a dollop of truffle soy sauce)

Probably their only saving grace! I savored this bowl on my own but the truffle got a little too gelat for me towards the end. Still, $14.80 for this is pretty affordable! I would prolly stick to their cooked Donburis next time if I ever do visit them again! This was served with Onigiri rice as well! Would have preferred the fragrant Japanese rice instead!

 



Atmosphere:

The restaurant had a modern take on the traditional Japanese restaurant with bar counters, dimmed lights and an open kitchen. They even have an outdoor seating!

Service:

Service was pretty slow that day, and the fries were the last to be served (And they were overcooked). It was a unconventional when we got our Donburis first before we got our salad and miso soup when they were supposed to be the appetizers.

Hope this helped!

Toodles!

Supplementary Information:
The restaurant had a modern take on the traditional Japanese restaurant with bar counters, dimmed lights and an open kitchen. They even have an outdoor seating!
 
Table Wait Time: 0 minute(s)


Date of Visit: Mar 19, 2015 

Spending per head: Approximately $20(Lunch)

Other Ratings:
Taste
 2  |  
Environment
 3  |  
Service
 2  |  
Clean
 3  |  
Price
 2

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Food Review: NOM Bistro & Bakery  OK Apr 26, 2015   
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Categories : Bakery | Café | Desserts and Cakes | Pasta | Salads/ Acai Bowl

 
Address:

400 Kallang-Paya Lebar Way

Macpherson Community Club Level 1

(S) 379131

Nearest MRT Station:

Macpherson MRT Station

What they are famous for:

Various selection of rainbow Cakes, Breakfast, Mains

Opening hours:

Mondays to Sundays: 11am - 11pm

Closed every 1st Tuesday of the month.

Atmosphere: 7/10
Price: 7/10

Food: 7/10

Service: 7/10

 
Indoor Seating

 

 

 
Outdoor Seating

 

 
Food Menu

 
Drinks Menu

We had:

 
Vanilla Pops (With Chocolate Cookies) - $5.50

The Vanilla scent was really strong but just waaaay too sweet!

 
Poppy Pop - $6.50

(Chocolate, chocolate cookie, milk)

This was slightly better than the first, I guess chocolate fans would love this!

 
Truffle Fries - $9.90

(Topped with garlic truffle, truffle oil, parmesan)

The truffles fries looked really underwhelming and tasted almost the same way. It had a decent amount of basil and truffle oil sprinkled on but I felt that the fries were a little too soggy!

 
Beer Battered Fish & Chips - $14.90

(Pacific dory, fries)

The Pacific dory was fresh and I loved the batter that they used! Just a pity that the beer battered taste was not as significant! It's quite a pity that the mains at NOM were not as delish as their rainbow cakes.

 
The Ultimate NOM Burger - $14.90

(NOM Minced beef patty with caramelized onions, sliced tomato, cheddar, bacon, fried egg, fries)

The minced beef patty I had was waaaaay overdone and the bread was a little stale. I felt that it was quite a disappointment, considering how they had so much potential in this dish as the marination of the beef patty was good.

 
Oreo Rainbow Cake - $8.90

Probably their only redemption point I guess! I have had rainbow cakes before, and I have always concluded that they were just coloring, flour and had nothing special to them (Still half true).

The ones at NOM took rainbow cakes to a whole new level. The cake batter was moist and dense, and I loved the oreo cream filling!

They even serve Speculoos Cookie Butter Rainbow Cakes (!!!!!)

 
Service:

The food was served to us really quickly!

Atmosphere:

NOM is located at Macpherson CC and so it was really prominent and accessible. The cafe was brightly lit and also had the miniature iconic dragon playground located indoors which was really cute. Their cafe seating mostly accommodates groups of 4, but also has outdoor seats if you wish to enjoy your food out in the open!

Toodles!

NOM is located at Macpherson CC and so it was really prominent and accessible. The cafe was brightly lit and also had the miniature iconic dragon playground located indoors which was really cute. Their cafe seating mostly accommodates groups of 4, but also has outdoor seats if you wish to enjoy your food out in the open!
 
Recommended Dish(es):  Rainbow Cake
 
Table Wait Time: 0 minute(s)


Date of Visit: Apr 04, 2015 

Spending per head: Approximately $25(Dinner)

Other Ratings:
Taste
 3  |  
Environment
 3  |  
Service
 4  |  
Clean
 4  |  
Price
 3

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Categories : Steaks and Grills

 
Over the recent weeks, I've been seeing pictures of By The Fire's Scotch Eggs taking my Instagram feed by storm, and I couldn't resist missing out on this glorious creation for another day. By The Fire is located at Alibabar Hawker Bar, a coffee shop by day and a bar by night. Its modernly furnished interior exudes the vibe of a new-fashioned Kopitiam, and By The Fire fits right into its facade.

Opened by the former chef of KeyStone (a mod European Restaurant) and his former colleague, the owners at By The Fire offers a delectable range of Western dishes through using Asian ingredients, which is a welcoming change. Unlike most coffee shops, the chef uses bintochan charcoal grills to retain the flavor of their meats better. From 12-3pm daily, there is also a lunch promo going on where you can order a range of pasta for only $7.90 each.

All prices here are in nett.

 
Interior

 
Food Menu

 
Scotch Eggs - $6.90

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw how affordably-priced the food was. It's rare to find dishes priced less than $10 these days and, what's more, something of this calibre. The chefs at By The Fare aced with their own rendition of Scotch eggs. Bounded by minced pork, a breaded crust and the slightly runny texture of the eggs, I must say that this dish came together perfectly. It sat on a bed of raisin coleslaw which I felt was a tad overpowering with its sweetness. Still, a double thumbs up for this one! I would gladly order this again.

 

 

 
BBQ Pork Ribs - $14.90

The Pork Ribs here were served with their signature homemade BBQ sauce which comprised of ingredients such as Oyster Sauce and Chinese Wine. It came with hint of sweetness in its aftertaste that resembles a little to Ranch sauce. As aforementioned, By The Fire uses Bintochan Charcoal, also known as the best charcoal for grilling meat. This technique was first brought about in Japan and dates to a few centuries back. As a result, the pork was slightly charred and it added a nice crisp texture to its meat. A downside was that the meat clung on so hard to the ribs that I had to spend quite a bit of time slicing it off.

The Mac & Cheese was served with creamy cheese sauce and topped off with crispy bacon bits and spring onions which were a delight to my tastebuds.

 
Squid Ink Pasta - $12.90

The Squid Ink pasta was served with 2 freshly grilled Hokkaido Scallops and creamy sea urchin sauce, topped off with Bonito (Shaved Fish) flakes for an extra crunch. The chef was rather generous with the portion of pasta. A pity that the sea urbin cream sauce tasted no different from that of a Carbonara sauce, and it got a little gelat for us after a while.

 
By The Fire also serves other signature dishes such as their Grilled Pork Jowl and Grilled Hanger Steak which I heard are a must-try. Located opposite i12 Katong, you get the pleasure of having such lip-smacking delights in a casual environment without the need to pay a hefty sum, or having to wait more than 15 minutes for each dish to be served.

This humble restaurant should definitely be a place to visit on your check-list!
 
Date of Visit: Jun 17, 2015 

Spending per head: Approximately $16(Dinner)

Other Ratings:
Taste
 4  |  
Environment
 4  |  
Service
 4  |  
Clean
 4  |  
Price
 5

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Food Review: Refuel Cafe Smile Jun 10, 2015   
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Categories : Café | Burgers and Sandwiches

 

Atmosphere: 8/10
Price: 8/10

Food: 9/10

Service: 8/10

 
Interior Seating

 

 

 
Drinks Menu

 
Food Menu

We had:

 

 

 
Full Tank - $13.90

(Bratwurst sausage, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, toast, tomatoes, baked beans and sausage)

I haven't had such a fulfilling breakfast in a while, and the ones at Refuel Cafe definitely satisfied my cravings. I was in love with the buttery eggs and they had the right amount of seasoning. The sausage too, was flavorful and probably one of the betters ones I've had. The bacon was lightly salted, and the mushrooms were sauteed just right. Judging by the quantity and quality of the items served, the Full Tank is definitely value-for-money!

 

 
Refuel Pancakes (With Smoked Salmon) - $11.90

(Stack of 3 pancakes with smoked salmon. Other options such as bacon / bratwurst sausage are also available)

The pancakes at Refuel's was similar to that of MacDonald's hotcakes, but much fluffier! I've always been a fan of Mac's hotcakes so this was a plus point to me. We opted for smoked salmon for this one, and it was really fresh! A pity that the the salmon serving was a little small sad

 
Service:

The food was served promptly, and servers were friendly!

Atmosphere:
The place is rather cozy, but small. The last I check, it only sits around 35 people so you might make a reservation if you're going with a big group!

Toodles!
 
Date of Visit: Jun 07, 2015 

Spending per head: Approximately $15(Breakfast)

Other Ratings:
Taste
 5  |  
Environment
 4  |  
Service
 4  |  
Clean
 5  |  
Price
 5

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[Adv] 1933 Singapore  Smile Jun 09, 2015   
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Categories : Café

 
Had a chance to experience a taste of 1933 at the newly opened Capitol Piazza last week! 1933 is the latest F&B concept launched by the BreadTalk group and serves a wide range of food and beverages with Asian flavors and a hint of Western Influences.

Diners can look forward to hearty soups served in bread bowls to all-time favourites like Hainanese Kampong Chicken Rice, Grilled Pork Loin, Fish & Chips, or salads and side dishes. 1933 is also known for its milkshakes made with scoops of Ben&Jerry ice cream and specialty coffees brewed with Torrefacto coffee beans served in espresso style. They also serve a selection of freshly baked bread and tarts!

 
Interior, with 2 storeys and an 80 seater

(1st Storey)

 

 
Bar Counter

 

 
2nd Storey

 
Menu

 

 

 

 

 

 
We had:

 
1933 Specialty Coffee - $4.50

 
From left: Melon Melody ($10), Berry Bliss ($8)

I wasn't a fan of the Melon Melody concoction, but I loved the berry bits in my berry bliss!

 

 
Sawadee Greens - $14.90

A Thai-styled seafood salad with distinct Thai flavors! We were fans of this dish and I was heartened by their use of fresh prawns instead of the frozen ones. It's really unique, with minced pork bits and their special Thai dressing.

 
1933 Power Carrot - $9.60

For a bread bowl, $9.60 sounds pretty reasonable since that's almost the same price you have to pay at Soup Spoon. Served in a French bread bowl, the soup contains ingredients like carrots, onions, cream, ginger, butter and topped off with some orange zest to give it depth. It was thick, creamy and rather filling I must say!

 

 
Nanyang Curry Chicken in Bread Bowl - $14.90

If you're a fan of the Golden Pillow Curry, you might love this! The curry chicken bread bowl at 1933 offers a similar concept, with a richer curry base. They were really generous with the chicken pieces though I would have preferred if they were deboned! They were also carrot and potato chunks in this!

 

 
Grilled Pork Loin - $28.90

This was a rather interesting concept since it was the first time we saw pork served like this. The pork is dipped in thyme, bay leaves, honey and brine, accompanied by sauteed potatoes in olive oil. It also comes with 3 different dips for you to choose from - Mushroom, Hainanese, Black Pepper. My personal favorite was the Hainanese sauce which had a tinge of spiciness to add a little more kick to the dish. I felt that the pork loin was a little tough though sad

 

 
Hainanese Kampong Chicken Rice - $16.90

Friends who know me well would also know that I'm a sucker for chicken rice. I know it might seem a teeny bit ridiculous to pay $16.90 for this, but hey, you really do pay for what you get. WJ and I had chicken rice recently, and it really paled in comparison to this. The kampong chicken was selected for its tender and less oily meat while the rice was cooked in chicken broth to achieve that fragrant goodness. It's also served with garlic lime chilli, dark soy sauce and freshly pounded ginger!

 

 
Gula Melaka Pandan Cake - $8.90

The cake is baked and topped with whipped cream and bits of palm sugar, accompanied with Gula Melaka syrup. You could also taste the Gula Melaka sugar in the cake itself! The chef at 1933 put in more effort and came up with a different whipped cream base for the cake which reminded us fondly of the milkmaid condensed milk which we absolutely loved!

More pictures from the tasting!

 

 

 
A huge thank you to 1933 Singapore and The Influencer Network for the invite!

We definitely enjoyed ourselves!

Oh, and don't forget to hashtag #1933sg and #Capitol1933 when you upload your photos to Instagram! You can stand a chance to win a $33 dining voucher when you do that!

Toodles!
 
Date of Visit: Jun 04, 2015 

Dining Offers: 試食活動


Other Ratings:
Taste
 4  |  
Environment
 5  |  
Service
 4  |  
Clean
 4  |  
Price
 4

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