Strangers' Reunion is walkable from Outram Park MRT and is near the famous okb bakery @ Tanjong Pagar. As its name suggests, this cafe aims to be a meeting point for like-minded strangers (even though I suppose that doesnt entirely work out seeing as everyone comes here in groups of 2-4!).I love the space that this cafe has, it has a cosy feel, with cushions on the chairs as well as a homey feel to the ambience with a lot of wood. I also like that they have stainless steel incorporated into their design, giving the whole cafe a sleek finish. There is a good range of main courses served here, together with their signature waffles (which you can have with fruit/maple syrup, vanilla ice cream etc.) The food is local-fusion, and they have really interesting cakes with a local twist, as well as their very own rendition of kong ba pau!

We ordered Truffle Fries w Shaved Parmesan ($7), Waffle w Fresh Fruit & Maple Syrup ($11.90), Caffe Latte ($4.90) and Braised Pork Belly Buns (I think this was around $17-18)!The latte is one of the best I've drunk recently, it's smooth and rounded -not too acidic too so its perfect for people like me who cannot stand acidic coffee. I enjoyed this blend particularly, but if you are up for Single origin beans, thats an additional $1. It's not too sweet (i'm not sure if you're supposed to add more sugar haha) and while I am the kind who likes my coffeee slightly more sweetened, I didn't really mind drinking this because it just tasted so good. Even when cold, it had a nice aromatic quality to it and a creamy taste that lingers. Highly recommended.I've heard a lot about SR's waffles and I've decided that: life is short, waffles for lunch is not a crime. I went for the classic, with fresh fruit and maple syrup -and I was not disappointed one bit. On the contrary, these are the best waffles I've eaten! The maple syrup doesnt drench the waffle, and while I would have liked more strawberries + fruit, you can never go wrong with the berry/banana combo. The waffle is crisp on the outside but wonderfully fluffy within. It's neither chewy nor hard, nor is it floppy.

If you're feeling indulgent, go for the one w vanilla ice cream! Also, this can be pretty filling so you may want to share this with a friend if you're here for tea The truffle fries were interesting because I do not normally enjoy cheese with my truffle fries but I made an exception for this. The parmesan had a nice subtle quality to it that did not ruin the taste of the fries. It also came with a dipping sauce (tasted somewhat like a more liquid tartare) which was pleasant -not too overpowering. The taste was good, but the fries were mediocre shoestring fries. They were hot, crispy and fluffy on the inside but there was just something about it that just wasn't extraordinary. Something to note would be the incredibly generous portion for $7. Really superb value!The Braised Pork belly surprised me the most. It comes with pickled cabbage, coriander and a deliciously caramelised braised pork belly in a soft, fluffy white mantou (bun). The pork is delicious -slightly fatty, but delicious nonetheless. It has an initially savoury flavour that tapers off to a nice caramelly sweetness. The softness of the bun goes so well with the crunch of the pickled cabbage and the tender meat. Thinking about it makes me crave kung ba pau ... While it's very different from the traditional bun, the flavours come out top. And that is worth a special mention.

Strangers Reunion has lived up to its hype for its coffee and waffles (after hearing so much about it, you should let curiosity get the better of you because its just so darn worth it!) The service is also wonderful, the staff is efficient, friendly and the whole ambience is relatively upbeat. We definitely recommend this place for a chillout lunch with a friend to catch up, or for tea (coffee!) in the afternoon with waffles/cake. Prices are a little on the steep side for the mains (fish, chicken etc) as it can go up to >$20, but for small eats like the sides, cakes and waffles, it's more than reasonable.

Located at the very top floor of the new Bugis+ is Hood Bar & Cafe, a place for food, drinks and entertainment with live performances!

The interior boasts a rebellious, ghetto style concept with graffiti, industrial flooring and yet, high tabletops with black tables and chairs. The entire vibe oozes playful-and-lively with an eclectic mishmash of youthfulness with vintage pop-culture themes.

Check out the wall art by the stage! The lighting is fantastic too! The live performances are on every night and one can really expect quality performances (i believe there is a schedule somewhere on their website for the nightly performances)The Happy Hour promotions are from 5-9pm, Mon to Fri and they are really CRAZY. Housepour spirits, wines and draft beers go for $5 (excl service charge + GST!). This gives everyone a new reason to drink up and beat the midweek blues with a rum & coke (or two.)The rum & coke isn't as diluted as one would expect it to be, considering that its $5++. It has a good mix of the alcohol and the sweetness of the coke rounds it off effortlessly in a classic drink that's a hit with most people. The lime wedge gives it a tangy kick, which is welcoming given that we ordered such greasy pairings. x.x (SINFUL BUT GOOD!!)

The truffle fries are $10 per basket, and they come with grated cheese and parsley sprinkled generously over.The fries are just the way I like them -hot and fluffy and most importantly? Thick cut! I cannot emphaphise enough my love for thick cut fries that are crisp on the outside and with all that fluffy potato goodness on the inside. While I did feel that the taste of truffle wasn't that strong (fine by me because I don't like it too overpowering as it really clouds my tastebuds for other foods:/), the cheese was a fairly odd complement to the fries. What i liked most about the fries was that it wasn't overly salty -the integrity of the crisp-outside-fluffy-inside potato chunks has been preserved!The pepperoni pizza ($16) is thin crust and honestly terrific for sharing. The pizzas here are superb for sharing (2 persons to a pizza ..or 3, if you are ordering other sides + trying other mains!) and you can never go wrong with pepperoni. The cheese is stringy and let's face it, everything with melted mozarella tastes better.This chilli crab pizza ($16) is Hood Bar & Cafe's variation of the common fusion-SG pizzas that you'd expect to find -while this crab pizza did not particularly impress me, one thing did strike me about the taste of the crab -it was really sweet!! It tasted like the chilli crab gravy in terms of its sweetness, but the richness of the pizza lacked the depth of a good chilli crab gravy and that feeling of "Wah, shiok!" just did not come through. Nevertheless, it was an interesting creation and those who do not eat pepperoni might wish to try this!A basket of Wings ($12) to share as well, these are very similar to the chinese *har cheong kai, but you'll find better variations of shrimp paste chicken in the zichar stalls at coffeeshops! The wings are served really piping hot -it's not overly salty and you don't need to dip this in any sauce whatsoever cus it's good on its own! We would say it's relatively decent bar grub, as a sinful pairing to that cold Erdinger that you've been lusting after. Hmm...

Apart from pizzas, they also serve hot dogs ('dawgs') and pastas so the variety of food here is pretty fantastic. Smokers will also be glad to know that there is a smoke stop just outside of the restaurant, accessible by a door near the back -the deck is a great place to just sit outdoors (there are even some chairs outside and a cold bucket for you to put your beer in!) even if you don't smoke!

The service here isn't super fantastic, but everything else makes up for it -the lively atmosphere, the food and the company. I doubt one would have to make reservations for a table unless 1. It's a Friday, or 2. You're in a big group of people. We recommend ordering the fries (nearly every table has a basket!!), their happy hour specials, and their pizzas to share.

Poulet is an affordable establishment serving food with French influences in a casual setting. With branches springing up all over the island, it is no wonder that the rotisserie fad is catching on quickly!

The interior is relatively cosy, great for group gatherings or a quick dinner with a girlfriend before heading over to watch a movie etc etc. Their menu isn't exactly extensive, but they have a good selection of mains, complements as well as a small range of desserts. What I was disappointed by however, was that they didn't have many rotisserie selections save for the mushroom/cranberry sauce chicken.You would like to know that the food here isn't super-authentic though, they do have Oxtail stew, Braised Duck etc., which kind of dilutes the whole French feel of this (with that said, they play French songs which we found interesting haha).

We ordered their Half Chicken (Mushroom Sauce) at $15.80 and Cranberry Sauce ($17.80), as well as a Mash Potato side for $3.80.The Chicken with Cranberry Sauce was extremely fruity with a slight sweetness and zest from the fruit. While the sauce was reminiscent of what would go excellently with Turkey, the mustard was a nice addition to the whole flavour. It had a sharp, distinct flavour to it (similar to horseradish!) that gave the dish character. What I liked was that the chicken wasn't dry, despite being meaty -it had been nicely grilled to a slight golden brown skin wrapping over the succulent and tender meat.The Mushroom Sauce was a bit odd though -the sauce had this sweet flavour that reminded me of vanilla sauce. It was an interesting experience because the whole dish tasted more like a bread pudding than anything. The creaminess gave the chicken a slightly decadent finish. The sauteed mushrooms were also plump and bursting with flavour.

The chicken is above average, but the sauces were tethering on extreme ends of sweet-richness and fruity-zest. That said, it is worth a try for those who enjoy rotisserie.The mash deserves a special mention -I would think the mash deserves a post on its own. Its creaminess leaves nothing else to be desired. The consistency of the mash is excellent -not too hard nor is it overly soft (there is enough substance in this dish). It's neither too sweet and milky, nor is it ridiculously savoury. This is honestly one of the most impressive mashed potatoes i've had!

Other than mash, they have other sides such as fries, potato au gratin and baguette! Service here is really good too, they are relatively attentive, and recommended us to take a look at the dessert menu (but we were unfortunately full by then). Definitely recommending this place to anyone who's looking for a casual hangout with decent service and food. (It was odd to me though, that the mash was the highlight of my dinner!)

The Grandstand is now home to a plethora of food enclaves and the famous PasarBella farmer's market. One of such restaurants would be Casallena which has been around for a really long time comparatively. This place specialises in Western grills, pastas and pizzas. The interior is slightly mediterranean, with candle lights, stone walls and a slightly dim lighting for the perfect ambience. It's great for entertaining with friends (though be warned that the largest table they can host is for 10-12 persons -anything larger and you'll have to split)The happy hour promotions here end at 8pm, and that includes non-alcoholic drinks too! (2 for $3.90, and there is a selection of these drinks) A Carlsberg (half pint) goes for $4.90 during Happy Hour!We ordered a bottle of Riondo Prosecco Spago (sparkling wine) at $40 to share as well. This sparkling wine is bubbly but not exactly sweet -I would have liked it slightly sweeter (more like dessert wine). Casallena offers a large selection of wines to choose from, we do recommend the sparkling wine though -it's great to share and it's perfectly bubbly.This is the Wagyu Meatball Spaghetti at $13.90. The tomato taste of this is pretty strong, but its also spicy given that it's a tomato based dish. The sauce is relatively creamy -the meatballs are also tender and well shaped. Together, they form a contemporary intepretation of the classic meatball spaghetti combo. Great for those who enjoy beef meatballs!The Hawaiian Pizza is $11.50, and this is a thin-crust pizza -it has the right balance of cheese, ham and pineapples. This should be a hit with families and friends as it's easy to share, and this classic flavour is loved by everyone.The Curry Pizza ($11.80) is a hot favourite here and is one of their bestsellers (we do recommend this strongly!). It's their own creative rendition of curry chicken with an Italian twist. The flavoursome and aromatic curry chicken finds its way on top of a pizza crust -the chicken meat is slightly dry, but the flavour more than makes up for it.The Spicy Pesto Pasta is $10.80 (there is also a non-spicy option!) and has a lovely aroma that wafts up. I chose penne for this as this pasta choice can better hold the chunkiness of the sauce. The sauce has a distinct taste of parsley and garlic, which is delicious. It's also spicier than it looks! Most pastas here are on the spicy side and if you cannot take spiciness at all, you may want to reconsider your choices. Definitely recommending this pasta -it's simple but flavoursome and the heat is welcome too.They also serve steaks like Ribeye at $21.90, served with a brown sauce, and a bed of assorted vegetables. The steak is cooked to perfection (the way you want it!), and the flesh is still slightly pink -gorgeous! The vegetables aren't overcooked too and maintain its freshness.The Seafood aglio olio is $12.90 and needless to say -this is really spicy too! We felt that this had a slightly more Asian feel to its flavour. The savouriness was more layered (like through using different soy sauces and seasonings) rather than just salt/butter that Western cooking for aglio olio entails. The seafood is fresh and the noodles aren't too oily, though so you can consider having this too!The Wagyu Tomahawk is $198 for the entire rack -pricey but worth it if you have a group to share! It's cooked medium rare and its pinkish tinge is absolutely gorgeous! The beef is also served with a brown sauce that complements the flavour as a whole, the freshness of the beef and the slight crispness of the outside.

The service is great here -the staff is helpful, friendly and patient especially with the large group orders! The food here is also relatively good -recommendations would include the pastas, pizza and the beef steaks! The ambience is also great for hanging out with friends.

Hot Tomato at Causeway Point has relatively the same decor as every other Hot tomato -orangey mosaic tiles, lots of white tables, and clean plastic seats for the casual vibe that patrons are looking for. They serve a good range of Western food -steaks, grills, pastas and a small selection of coffee and desserts.

They have all day set meal upgrades at $3.50 for an additional soup and drink to your main, and water is chargeable at 20c.

We ordered a Chicken Chop ($8.50) and a Pan Fried Dory w Lemon ($9.50). Portion wise it's a good size and I was impressed by the more-than-expected, generous serving of lettuce haha (Western food nowadays usually sees that a meagre amount of vegetables end up on the plate in a lacklustre attempt to provide contrast to the meal, sigh)The Chicken Chop has this skin that practically glistened with the sauce -the sauce was pretty good actually. Not too salty, and had a slight sweetness to it. The chicken was fresh and the meat was ample. Served on a bed of Aglio Olio and a side salad, the balance of flavours can be contrasted. The aglio olio was slightly on the dry side, and the spaghetti was a tad overcooked. Other than that, it was tasty and well-seasoned -there was a hint of herb, parsley as well as garlic!The Dory is tasty even without dipping into the mushroom cream sauce on the side -the fish is fresh but slightly flat, and I would have liked it less "fried". I did like that the natural flavour of the fish could be retained though, and that the sauce was on the side, not poured over the fish. The mushroom cream sauce is (suprisingly), not that thick! It has a nice richness to it that complements the fish without you getting too sick of the taste. There is also a hint of onions in the sauce, elevating the flavour.

While the side of lettuce can hardly be considered as a "salad", the dressing was quite refreshing -I'm guessing it's a simple throw-in of lemon juice and olive oil. The simplicity of it actually ups its appeal because the freshness really comes through. I would have liked for a variety of lettuce to be used though, instead of just icerberg/romaine.

Service here is pretty warm and friendly, and the staff is generally attentive! If you go during certain time windows, there are different discounts/promotions going on, so that's something to look forward to. We recommend their fish and chicken grills -don't bother with the steak. You're better off paying more for something better!