Original review at http://www.nahmj.com/2016/06/09/hokkaido-sushi-restaurant-m-hotel/

I have never heard about Hokkaido Sushi Restaurant even though it exists for quite some time. I suppose that because it is perched at Level 9 of M Hotel which can’t be seen from the road. And may be not much of publicity was done previously. I am glad that I was introduced to this restaurant who pride themselves in serving authentic and fresh Japanese cuisine.As I was approaching, I saw the facade of the restaurant I didn’t feel alluring. It has this 80s vibe in it. When I entered the restaurant, it looks pretty dark as it has only random spotlight as lighting. The space at Hokkaido Sushi Restaurant is huge and it could seat 120 guests at its full capacity with 4 private rooms.At Hokkaido Sushi Restaurant, beside the classic Japanese food such as Sushi, they famous for their Omakase too. And they have started to introduce The Hokkaido Buffet Experience in the form ala carte buffet. It is this that I went for at Hokkaido Sushi Restaurant for my first dinning experience with them. And I am say, I am surprise at the quality and taste for most of the food.

The Hokkaido Buffet Experience

At The Hokkaido Buffet Experience, it offers a wide variety of food ranging from appetizers to sashimi, sushi to cooked food. We are spoilt for choices.The first luring factor for The Hokkaido Buffet Experience is the Premium Sashimi Platter. Each guest who are at the restaurant for the buffet is served a portion. This promotion is available in June and July 2016. They will be changing this premium items from time to time.

Appetizers
We started our meal with the appetizers. There are 11 items on the ala carte buffet menu. We were recommended the signature dishes and we went with it.The first appetizer is the Pitan Tofu which is my absolute favourite among our order. The pungent flavour of Pitan is mild as such it is easy on the palate.Next is the Ikura Chawanmushi. I adore it as it was served pipping hot and not lukewarm. At least this was true on our visit. The chawanmushi was silky. I find it comforting.The lightly sweetened omelette, the Tamago Yaki is such a typical Japanese dish.Last but not least is the Ika Geso, deep fried squid. It has a thin and light batter which make it a great snack with beer.

Sashimi
Right after our appetizers, we dived into the Sashimi as this item is value for money. It is a must go after item at any buffet. Lol!We have all the available Sashimi on the menu; the Maguro, Mekajiki, Hamachi, Salmon, Tako and Hotate. When it was on the table, the first we took note was the thickness. We were Wow by this plate and we relished in the freshness and sweetness of each thick slice.

Sushi
There are a total of 21 Sushi, 7 Temaki and 9 Maki.First to be served on the table was the Hokkaido Maki which is a sushi roll with salmon in the centre, laced with special sauce and mayonnaise and finally with generous amount of ebiko as final touch.Some of the Sushi we tried were (from right to left) Aburi Salmon Mentaiko, Aburi Ebi, Unagi, Hamachi Truffle and Maguro with Mayonnaise. What I like about the sushi is that the rice amount was small versus the meat.

Others
If you are looking for some hot food, The Hokkaido Buffet Experience of Hokkaido Sushi Restaurant has plenty to offer.Two of my favourite are the Wagyu Mushroom and Pork with Ginger. These 2 dishes were flavourful. And most importantly, they weren’t cooked using the same sauce.If diners need some vegetables, the seems like one and only vegetables to order the Mixed Vegetables with Mushroom.Ginkarei Shioyaki looks similar to Cod and has a smooth oily texture like Cod too. A pity this dish is bland.The Tebasaki, grilled chicken wings, though succulent but the flavour remains on the skin. It did not penetrate into the meat.
In total, there are about 25 cooked items to choose from.

Noodles and Rice
Lastly, there are 2 Soba and Udon (Hot and Cold) with ingredients of Pork, Beef, Chicken and Vegetables, 2 Don (Pork and Chicken) and a Garlic Fried Rice. And how could we forget the Miso Soup.

All the dishes found at The Hokkaido Buffet Experience is also available as Ala Carte. And the restaurant claims that they are serving the same quality as per Ala Carte for the Buffet.

Though Hokkaido Sushi Restaurant provide a good selection that are fresh at The Hokkaido Buffet Experience, I can’t help but to lament on the lack of dessert. It is a shame that it doesn’t include them for a rounded experience. And drinks are to be ordered separately like the desserts.

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Original review at http://www.nahmj.com/2016/06/03/penang-culture-changi-airport-terminal-2/

Penang Culture is one of the few restaurants in Singapore offering Penang food. And good news for our Muslim foodie, Penang Culture is a Halal restaurant. We didn’t notice until we saw quite a few groups of Malay gathering for a meal at the restaurant. Currently, there are 3 outlets located at JEMS, Century Square Shopping Mall and Changi Airport Terminal 2. Why aren’t they having an outlet in town?! That’s really a pity.
The kitchen is helmed by Chef Wong Thin Lipp, a Penangite who has 20 years of culinary experience in Penang. So diners of Penang Culture could be pretty assured that the food are authentic.
To mark their 5th year anniversary (Wow! 5 years! They have come a long way!), Penang Culture celebrates by introducing a few delicious twists.
All its outlet has semi-service except at the Changi Airport Terminal 2 that has full service. Nonetheless, it is still a casual dinning environment. Our feasting was at Changi Airport Terminal 2 outlet. We find the staff attentive, friendly and warm.We started off with Penang Culture signaguture dish, the  ($5.95). The characteristics of this dish is the vegetables and fruits are more chunky, the You Tiao is extra crispy and the sauce is thicker and richer comparing to our local Rojak. I like the sauce but would prefer the vegetables and fruits to be thinner so that I could enjoy more of the sauce. Most diners at the table find the dish mediocre. I suppose preference play a large role here.The first new creation introduced on the menu in celebration of their 5th Anniversary is the Penang Fire Wings ($6.55). This creation is rested on the belachan (prawn paste) coated chicken wings. It is then tossed in a sweet plum and Thai chilli sauce. The result of the wings tasted like Yangnyeom flavoured Korean Fried Chicken Wings. And beware for those who has low spice tolerate; it is quite spicyPenang Curry Fish Balls ($4.95) is one of the must have if you like curry fish balls. Even for people who don’t fancy the dish, like myself, enjoyed this dish tremendously. The deep fried fishball that has a slight chewy and yet soft fish balls were immersed in the rich fragrance curry sauce to soaked up the essence of the gravy.Coming up is another dish which I will avoid as I am not a fan of cooked salmon and I did enjoy the BBQ Salmon ($11.95). First, the salmon doesn’t have a strong pungent fishy flavour as the restaurant uses high grade Norwegian salmon. Secondly, with the Chef’s sweet spicy paste make a huge different. The chilli paste which consist of an array of spice and herb does elevate the dinning pleasure.One of the classic Penang food is the Assam Laksa which diners will never want to miss. Base on this classic dish, Penang Culture has added luxurious factor with addition of Norwegian Salmon pieces to the bowl of delight and this creation is known as Salmon Assam Laksa ($11.95). The Assam Laksa at Penang Culture is more rounded and balance as such expect a less sour but yet rich and flavourful soup. The soup is boiled using Sardine, Kembong (mackerel), lots of spice and herbs, hae kor (fermented shrimp paste) and with the key ingredients, the assam (tamarind). Since it is less sour, diners who have low sour tolerance will rejoice while diners who enjoyed the typical Assam Laksa would frown upon. Maybe Penang Culture could come up with 2 version for diners to choose.Most who visited Penang would be familiar with Penang Hokkien Mee (a soup based prawn mee similar to Singapore version). Penang Culture has added Lobster and Scallops in this dish to provide the Premium Lobster & Scallop Noodles ($16.95).Premium Crab Meat & Salted Egg Fried Kway Teow ($15.95) is adapted from the Penang Fried Kway Teow. With Salted Egg added into the it hence it result in a more salty taste profile. So for those who prefer less salty could opt for the original Penang Fried Kway Teow ($8.95) instead.To round up the meal with a sweet note, dessert is never to be missed. We have 2 desserts; Cendol and Bubur Hitam.
For Cendol, diners could opt for the original or with durian, Penang Chenol ($4.55) or King of Cendol ($6.95) respectively.The restaurant has provided 3 version of Bubur Hitam. First is the original version, with coconut cream, named simply as Bubur Hitam ($3.95). Next is the Bubur Hitam with Vanilla Ice Cream ($4.95) and lastly is with durian pulp for the durian lovers, the King of Bubur Hitam ($6.95).One of the highly recommended drink is the Ampla Juice ($4.95). There is also an ice blended version, Ampla Ice Blended ($8.95). It has a complex flavour. I could savour green apple, guava and starfruits. I would encourage all to give it a try if you aren’t familar with this tropical fruit.
Other recommendation include the Cempedek Milkshakes ($6.95), Coconut Milkshakes ($6.95) and Durian Milkshakes ($6.95).
We thought well of the food served at Penang Culture. I am glad that they are at the airport as I have one more option to dine at when I am travelling since I have a habit of dinning a the airport prior departure of upon arrival.

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Original review at http://www.nahmj.com/2016/05/26/outback-steakhouse-singapore-tasting-menu/

Outback Steakhouse isn't new to most. I am sure most must have visited once if not multiple. The restaurant has recently introduced a new Tasting Menu.
First is the appetizer. Outback offers 4 mouthwatering appetizer choices which are all great for sharing as a group.The Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche ($14.90) which is the most well received among their customers and that include us too.Next is the Crispy Fried Mushroom ($13.90). When one bite into the mushroom, the juice of the mushroom started bursting out. Dipping into the spicy ranch dressing will elevate the tasting pleasure, provided you are one who like sauce. Otherwise the natural tasting flavour will be good enough.There are too many diners who loves their chicken and the Crispy Chicken Bites ($10.90) would suit them most. Likewise a sauce is prepared too. For this dish, it is with a spicy New Orleans sauce.The BBQ Pulled Pork Fries ($14.90) is a dish that received 2 thumbs up from each diner. Instead of having plain fries, this dish comes with additional ingredients such as pulled pork, cheese and spicy Ranch dressing to spicy things up.
A total of 5 entrees available for selection with choices of beef, pork and pasta and prawns.On the list, being the first is the Black Peppercorn Crusted Ribeye ($37.90). The USDA ribeye is seared with peppercorn crust drizzled with balsamic topped with grilled asparagus and paired with peppercorn cream sauce.Another steak is The Porterhouse ($45.90) consisting of filet tenderloin and strip. This is a simple steak with nothing fanciful. Best when one prefer savouring the natural juicy fragrance of the beef.Having the best of both world is the Steak and Shrimp Skewers ($39.90). Diners could enjoy both the beef and prawns.For diners who love their steak and pasta could opt for the Steak Pomodoro Pasta ($24.90). The cavatappi pasta is topped with a pomodoro sauce that is slow cooked with steak and tomatoes. As such it is a tomato based pasta with flavourful beef scent. Before serving the dish is topped with basil and Parmesan cheese. This dish is suitable for the kids too.Should beef is not your preference, one could opt for the only non-beef dish on the Outback Steakhouse Singapore Tasting Menu, the Garlic Glazed Pork Loin ($25.90).
All the dishes comes with either one or two sides whereby diners could choose from the available list of sides.In the Outback Steakhouse Singapore Tasting Menu, the only dessert available is the Chocolate Thunder From Down Under ($14.90). A relatively huge scoop of vanilla ice cream sat on a chocolaty brownie. This dessert is a little too sweet for me. It make a great sharing dessert for the adult and children in the family.
Outback Steakhouse Singapore Tasting Menu consists of dishes suitable for the young and the old from the appetisers to entree to dessert. As such it is no doubt family friendly.

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Full review with photo at http://www.nahmj.com/2016/05/31/o-coffee-club-new-all-day-breakfast-menu-in-2016/

O Coffee Club has introduced 3 new breakfast items. The first is the ever popular Eggs Benedict ($10.90). The serving size is considerably huge for the price. Diners have the choice of smoked salmon, ham or Mangalica bacon. We had the third option. Ciabatta is used instead of white bread of English Muffin.Next is the Waffle Stacker ($19.90). It is gigantic. There are 3 thick waffles that are denser in texture. At the top, it is with Manglica bacon while the bottom is with scrambled egg. Diners could opt for either coffee maple syrup or gula melaka cream.Last but not least is the French Toast ($7.90). At O Coffee Club,the bread is cut it into smaller cube before deep frying. Uniquely, the French Toast is serrved with a orange infused mascarpone cheese. Likewise, diners could opt for either the Coffee Syrup or Gula Melaka cream.All Time Favourite
First is the Classic Caesar Salad with Cheese Crisp. Diner can choose either the Chicken Picante ($11.90) or Smoked Salmon ($12.90) for the salad. They paired it with Poached Egg instead. The highlight in the dish is the cheese crisp which added more cheese flavour to the dish.The Country Pie ($12.90) is another All Time Favourite item. Don't under estimate this small bowl of comfort food.The Garlic Prawn Pasta ($15.90) is with spaghetti tossed in pesto. A simple but yet satisfying dish.Lastly is the Muddy Mud Pie ($11.90). This is my must have dessert whenever I dine at O Coffee Club.Gourmet Coffee
Many coffee drinkers might not have noticed that O Coffee Club provide a range of Gourmet Coffee. 8 single origin beans and a blend were offered.We have the O Coffee Club Classic with French Press and Ethiopian Yirgacheffe with Syphon Brew.There are many other drinks available with my all time favourite the Iced Earl Vanilla. O Coffee Club has introduced 4 new drinks, Frozen Espresso Latte ($6.40), Iced Blended Matcha Green ($6.90), Very Berries ($6.90) and Sunny Orange ($6.90).We tried the Frozen Espresso Latte ($6.40) and Iced Blended Matcha Green ($6.90). The Frozen Espresso Latte is a very cute drink. The Espresso is frozen with either a cute polar bear or twin penguins floating in the milk. One have the option of sweetening it with syrup. The Iced Blended Matcha Green is equally good.More reviews at http://www.nahmj.com/

Mr Punch Public House is a gastropub along Seah Street. In fact, most wouldn't notice it since it is at the basement of Mint Museum of Toys, a privately owned museum. Enter via level one of the toys museum and on the left one should spot a stairs leading to the basement where Mr Punch Public House Gastropub is.As I arrived at the restaurant, I was surprised to find the eclectic design. I somehow felt I was at a circle. The space is pretty small and cosy.At Mr Punch Public House Gastropub, they encourage communal dinning as such they offer quite a number of sharing items with Sharing Platters, Bar Bites and Desserts. Should diners prefer individual plate, they could go for the Mains.

Bar Bites
First is the Bar Bites, Mr Punch Public House offers 8 dishes under this category. We tried only 2 of the Chef Recommendation, the Teriyaki Charred Squid ($12) and Potato Chip Chicken ($12). It was a tie. Half the diners prefer the former while the remaining prefer the latter, I belong to this group. A pity that they used chicken breast for the dish.The Teriyaki Charred Squid was pretty well grilled, since we could savour the char fragrance. The sauce could be improved as the version we had was more of a soy like sauce.Platters
Likewise at the Platters section, there are 8 items. Diners could choose 3 items for $35. We went for Chicken Thigh Roulade, Custard-Battered Squid Rings and Fresh Mozzarella Cheese.I am glad that the Thigh meat is used for the Chicken Roulade. It is rolled with Feyel foie gras mousse. It is really a pity that they didn't use the 'real' foie gras. We love the Custard-Battered Squid Rings best. After deep frying with the battered coated squid rings, these were glazed with marmite. For those who love cheese, would find the simple Fresh Mozzrella Cheese a delight too. The fresh mozzarella cheese is sat on pesto sauce lined on papadum and topped with wildd rocket.

Mains
We tried only the Herb-Crusted Barramundi ($29) among the 3 chef recommendation. The Barramundi is pan-fried with a layer of herb crust and plated with tarragon puree and home-made beetroot gel. I am relatively neutral to this dish. Perhaps, I didn't like most of the ingredients except the fish.All thumbs up for the Wagyu Beef Burger ($24). Even though this isn't a chef recommendation, we love this dish. The beef patty was juicy and they nailed it with a right amount of nacho cheese. Personally, I felt the burger would taste even better if they use (Red) Cheddar. And the fries worth a mention too, as we could taste the truffle flavour and it has an excellent crisp exterior and mushy potato inner.Dessert
The Flaming Tiramisu ($16) is a alcoholic rich dessert. Great for those who love their alcohol.And we also tried the Passionfruit Creme Brulee ($14). This dish isn't meant for diners who have low sour tastebud tolerance level. Otherwise, this is a great fruity dish which I find it with a good balance of sweet and sour taste and the almond crumbs added texture to the dish. And we would very much prefer if they use a sweeter mango.Drinks
At Mr Punch Public House, since it is a gastropub, one is in for an alcoholic treat. They offered a range of cocktails. They have brought 15 worldwide famous cocktails onto their menu.
The first we ordered was the Giderila ($28) hailed from the Mexico. The amount of drinks is equivalent to 2 servings in this portion.Next was the Jungle Bird ($17) from Kuala Lumpur. This is a bittersweet, strong in alcohol drink. If you hold your alcohol well, go for this.Other alcoholic drinks include Draught Beers, a range of Bottled Beers, Spirits, Wines by bottle or glass and Punch Jar.Coming to the non-alcoholic drinks, there are the soft drinks, juice, coffee, tea by pot and the highly recommended Owl's Brew ($12) in 3 flavours, Classic, Coco-lada and Pink & Black. We didn't try the Classic. The among the 2 we tried, we prefer the Coco-lada.
After having food at the basement and should you need more drinks and to chillax, diners could hit the rooftop bar.

We thought Mr Punch Public House is great for gathering in groups of 4 and above, since the food are mainly for sharing. And the alcoholic drinks at Mr Punch Public House were solid. We could savour the strong alcohol.