Social Square is the latest dining concept brought by the Ministry of Food (MOF), which already owns several brands of Japanese concepts under their umbrella. Their first outlet takes over the former premises of now-defunct Banquet at Level 3 of Parkway Parade. The new brand focuses on what MOF had done best and succeeded so far; a place that features both Western and Japanese fare (think Lena's, MOF My Izakaya and Dolce Tokyo) under one roof, adding several new ideas such as serving all-day breakfast and being a winepost as well.Both the Western and Japanese menus were extensive with a separate menu for both different cuisines and another one for drinks and desserts. The Mushroom Fritto ($6.90) from the western menu was flawless; the Shitake Mushrooms were fried golden brown and crispy and with the combination of tartar dip, it just simply would not go wrong.The Diced Salmon Don ($11.80) was done in a style similar to Oyako Don with egg and onions. The rice carried the flavours of the combined mixture of dashi, soy sauce and sugar well, and the salmon chunks were adequately sized. The addition of Shitake Mushrooms were a bit out-of-place; while it was good to have and gave the dish a bit of earthiness, we thought it could have tasted better without it.The Chicken Katsu Curry Rice ($13.80) was decent. The batter of the Katsu was crispy, while the curry sauce was flavourful though lacks a spicy kick. An omelette like the one here could be added at an additional cost of $2.00, but we felt that the omelette felt pretty odd as it seemed to share no relation to dish with the way it was presented and prepared somehow.Pretty much the same as the Chicken Katsu Curry Rice, the only difference for the Diced Salmon Curry Rice ($14.80) is that it uses the Diced Salmon from the Diced Salmon Don but fried. While not the best Japanese curry I had tried, it was definitely satiating to have.The 3 Flavours Stone Pot Rice ($19.80) was presented in a heated stone pot, which indeed helped to keep the dish warm throughout the meal. Generally the dish felt rather safe, with prawns, salmon slices and Unagi for a break with the rice and soy sauce combination that is to be mixed before consumption. The closest thing to this dish was probably Pepper Lunch, less the pepper.The Breaded Shisamo ($4.80) which was a side of the Stone Pot Rice combo was addictive with its slightly charred yet salted flavour. The batter was crispy, but the fish felt somewhat limp which spoilt the consistency of the dish’s texture.Hotpot with Salmon ($20.80) was the favourite main of the night. The soup base was Miso Soup, though those who love Sukiyaki would be happy to know that a Sukiyaki base is also available as well. There was a generous amount of ingredients included, such as tofu, enoki mushrooms, raw egg (served as a unopened egg on the side). One is supposed to dip the salmon into the soup base and allow it to cook before savouring it. The soup was flavourful but not overwhelming, which made it feel refreshing even after a few sips. There is also a Carpaccio dressing served separately on the same tray; probably it is for the people who prefer to consume the soup and salmon separately.The Large Super Supreme Pizza ($18.50) was 12″ wide, which is more suitable for sharing. The thin crust made the pizza feel less doughy, and there was a generous amount of cheese laid on top. While it contained traces of pork, it seemed to have more vegetables as the taste of capsicums seemed to be stronger than the meat.Black Sesame Imo ($5.00) was a dessert that we had ordered on top of the Hot Pot Combo. A dessert made up of a Parfait, drizzled in black sesame with two fried Sweet Potato balls, it provided an interesting hot-and-cold combination in the mouth, and a flavour of both sweet and savoury to the tastebuds.Inaka Special ($6.00) was glutinous rice balls and Japanese Rice Cakes served in a bowl of Red Bean soup. The glutinous rice balls were chewy and sweet when eaten with the red bean soup. Japanese Rice Cakes were slightly more stickier in comparison, but otherwise also created the same texture and flavour that the glutinous rice balls did as well.

It seems that MOF had again scored a goal with Social Square with the formula of serving both Japanese and Western cuisines under one roof. The food here generally feels like it is heading on a safe route, playing with flavours that are widely accepted by its target audiences. Social Square also has an edge over other restaurants with its spacious dining area, which is important for a winepost as it would be able to hold large group gatherings over alcohol and a pizza. If you are looking for a great group gathering spot for dinner, why not give Social Square a visit?

For more photos and the full review: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/social-square-parkway-parade/

Having found out about Genki Sushi ever since the days I found out about them at Orchard Central, it had made its way to the top of my to-go places for sushi so much so I had managed to ditch my past favourites and go directly there for my sushi fix.The Fried Chicken ($1.80) is just one of the many creative sushis that appears in Genki Sushi’s menu. Unique to its own, it takes a fried piece of bite-sized chicken and places on top of sushi rice wrapped in seaweed with mayo squeezed on the top. The chicken remains to be particularly fragrant though lacks crispiness. The rice is just nicely sweet and seemed pretty tightly packed as it held on firmly. While not the most delectable sushi served here, it holds as one that gives a stronger impression and a kind of novelty to have.The Salmon Triple Flavour ($3.80) is one of the sushis that I will always go for. It is essentially the mix of three different flavours of Salmon sushi that are all served in the menu. The plain jane Salmon sushi remains as the simplest of the lot, with a fresh piece of Salmon sitting on the firmly packed rice that melts on the mouth. The one in the middle is Salmon with Black Pepper, which comes with mayonnaise and cracked black pepper. The crunch of the black pepper is distinct, with its smoky taste but surprisingly not spicy nor choking, though heavy on the taste of Japanese Mayo. The last one is Salmon with Pollock Roe which is like a mentaiko sort of taste and remains to be one of my favourites in the trio of flavours.I don’t recall having Smoked Duck ($2.30) in the outlet at Orchard Central; could have been one of the menu items that is exclusively sold in the Chinatown Point outlet. The Smoked Duck is pretty savoury but a bit tough compared to the ones I had in other places though still pretty decent. We just did not like how it felt like the duck was just thrown on the top of the rice because it came off from the sushi rather easily.Edo Style Egg ($2.30) was a sushi with rice stuffed in between a huge slab of tamago. Do not mistake the tamago here to be from the regular Tamago Sushi. The tamago here is cooked and served warm, and despite it having the usual sweetness in tamago, it also was pretty custardy inside.Fried Gyoza ($2.30) is available in both sushi form and ala-carte form where it is being served in threes alone. The sushi version is depicted here where it sits on top of sushi rice and drizzled in mayonnaise. The Gyoza seemed to be fried upon order which is the reason why it takes a bit more time for this sushi to arrive. The Gyoza is served piping hot and is crispy on the skin yet filled with firm meaty goodness inside. Normally we end up dissecting the Gyoza from the rice while we eat the sushi because we would not want to risk our gums getting hurt by the sharp edges on the skin of the Gyoza. Besides that, it is also seemingly too tall to fit inside the mouth in whole. While this is another one of those sushi that has a novelty factor to it, it is seemingly better executed than the Fried Chicken sushi.Grilled River Eel ($3.80) is also the name of the Unagi Sushi sold here. The usual sauce that comes with Unagi Sushis elsewhere is being served separately in a packet where you can opt to drizzle the sauce on top of the Unagi if you wish. The sauce in the packet is salty yet sweet which fits with the grilled eel perfectly, while the grilled eel is a bit scaly that night, though it seemed rather reasonable.To end the meal, we have decided to order dessert. The Brownie ($5.80) itself blew us off with its quality. The crusty exterior that leads into the slightly sticky interior. A fact that I like about this Brownie also is that it does not contain nuts which meant that the texture was consistent. The Brownie also held itself quite well without crumbling down and that it was served warm; the way we liked it. It was definitely something we did not expect a sushi restaurant to offer.

For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2013/09/21/genki-sushi-chinatown-point/

Originating from Germany, HANS IM GLÜCK German Burgergrill had recently opened its first outpost in Singapore along Orchard Road beside the Royal Thai Embassy. HANS IM GLÜCK German Burgergrill is strategically located closer to Tanglin instead of the stretch towards Somerset; perhaps a move to be a little bit away from the crowd and also to target the expats in the area. The menu here seems to cater to everyone; there are several options for vegetarians and vegans, while there is an extensive selection of beef burgers on the menu with a few chicken options as well. For those who are into something lighter, HANS IM GLÜCK German Burgergrill also offers salad options too. They do also have attractive set lunch/dinner deals available; the set lunch comes at a $5++ top up where one is entitled to a side, a selected cold drink and coffee/tea as part of the set with their choice of burger, while the set dinner comes at a $15++ top up where the choice of burger comes with a choice of side and a cocktail.
All burgers come with a standard set of toppings such as fresh lettuce, red onions, sun-ripened tomatoes and their signature HANS IM GLÜCK sauce; one can also opt for the burger to come with Sourdough Buns, Wholemeal Buns or Naked (no buns). We were initially spoilt for choice, but ended up with the Alsdann ($17++ ala-carte, $22++ set lunch) in the “Juicy Beef Burgers” section of the menu opting for the Sourdough bun option; our choice of side was the Sweet Potato Fries which came in a pretty generous portion by the side. Being sourdough lovers, we thought that the bun wasn’t quite as sour from the fermentation as we thought it would be, while the bun was also more light and fluffy than the typical sourdough — not that we are complaining however; the sourdough buns here seemingly complimented the fact that it was meant to be a burger bun instead of one that was made for a sandwich. The Alsdann came with other condiments such as Grilled Pear, Mild Blue Cheese Sauce and Walnuts — a combination that seemingly felt unconventional. All the elements worked well though; the nutty crunch acted as a neutral flavour that balances out the sweet and juicy, soft pears and the distinct yet light flavours of the blue cheese, while the red onions add a tinge of numbness to the entire burger along with a mustard-like flavour within the sauce. The beef patty was a little bit on the dry side, though wasn’t particularly gamey, though seemingly still worked very well with all the condiments otherwise. Sweet Potato Fries were crisp with the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes being pretty evident; while good on their own, they were pretty addictive with their Tomato Barbecue sauce that is made available at every table — a must try!


We also had a go on their chicken burgers, opting for the Vogelwild ($14++ ala-carte, $19++ set lunch) — grilled chicken breast is used for the burger patties for all their chicken burgers, which makes them a healthier option to go for here. The Vogelwild comes with sour cream chive sauce and fried onions, while we opted for the Sourdough bun and the Krautnolle. Grilled chicken breast is actually pretty well crusted on the outside, though the flesh, admittedly, could have been a little bit moister. That being said, the Vogelwild was a safe option; the sour cream just provided some creaminess and a light tanginess to offset the fried onions within, whilst coming with the same standard condiments such as fresh lettuce, red onions, sun-ripened tomatoes and their signature HANS IM GLÜCK sauce. The Krautnolle is somewhat similar to sauerkraut, considering how the Krautnolle is a traditional German white cabbage salad with potato dressing; not too wet with a very light tangy flavour that helps to refresh the tastebuds in between bites of the burger.

Read the full post about HANS IM GLÜCK German Burgergrill on jiaksimipng here: https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2017/12/14/hans-im-gluck-german-burgergrill-orchard-road/

There are quite a number of eateries situated in the East, especially near the Kembangan area where Changi Road runs. South Union Park, however, is hidden at the opposite end of where the known eateries of Kembangan are found within the private housing estate. Decked out with white walls and wood furniture; some with black leather upholstery, South Union Park gives off a rather relaxed vibe that seemed to be a little Scandinavian-inspired with an open kitchen concept tucked at the right side of the bistro. The interior fittings are minimalistic with a good amount of natural lighting shining in, but not seemingly cliche compared to one of a hipster cafe; instead, feeling modern, chic and homely at the same time. Serving up mainly western fare, South Union Park serves a couple of pasta dishes and two mains for those who are looking for something more substantial, while there is also an extensive dessert menu for the sweet-tooth. On the drinks menu, they do serve coffee, tea, sodas and a small selection of alcohol, which makes for a good pairing with their menu of sides and snacks.I am usually one who rarely orders Pasta, and especially more for the case for Agnolotti for they are usually very filling for me. Their Butternut Agnolotti ($17) was, however, a delight to have, so much so that I completely enjoyed the dish and found no difficulty at all to finish the entire plate clean. According to what I was told, the Agnolotti here is made in-house. The chef here roasts the Butternut Squash before mashing it into a puree and stuff them into the pasta sheets. The result is an Agnolotti which came in the right thickness; not too thin that it breaks easily, but also not too thick to the extent that it feels too doughy. A single bite, and you would find the Butternut Squash puree eagerly bursting out of the Agnolotti, revealing a roasty sweetness that was pretty intriguing. The Agnolotti went well with the bouncy mushrooms which gave the pasta an earthy flavour to balance things out and the savoury flavours of cheese and garlicky herb crumbs sprinkled over the top. Towards the bottom, the dish felt a little bit on the oily side, but given how awesome it tasted, I would say that this is just a small issue that is not really much of a problem anyway.Towards the end of the meal, I was presented with the Apple Crumble ($10) with compliments from the chef. This is one of the desserts available on their Plated Desserts section of the menu. Unlike other Apple Crumbles out there, this variant is unique for how they have decided to not serve the Apple Crumble as a pie, but more in the form that is closer to a plated dessert. Coming with Vanilla Ice-Cream drizzled with Salted Caramel sauce, Crumbles, Greek Yogurt and an entire stewed apple, this was surprisingly not overwhelmingly sweet for the stewed apple was not cooked in caramel, thus tasting of its own natural sweetness and carried a rather soft texture similar to a poached pear. Greek Yogurt is rarely found in an Apple Crumble, but in this variant it seemed to have worked and integrated well with the entire dish, especially when combined with the crumbles for it seemed to replicate the textures and flavours of Muesli subtly. Vanilla Ice-Cream was speckled with vanilla beans all over and was incredibly aromatic and creamy. Combine all the ingredients into one spoonful, and it does replicate the flavours of a classic Apple Crumble Pie without that unnecessary sugar rush for how balanced it felt.Throughout these couple of months, I have visited quite a number of newly-opened places but there is not quite one that left me such a deep impression in the bistro scene as much as South Union Park does. During the course of the entire meal, I was pretty impressed with how every single dish came; not only they were a hit, but they just had that flavour and quality that strikes on your taste buds and gives that gleam in your eyes, and sure I did leave the place a happy man with a really satiated stomach. Service was more than decent, with attentive staff who seemed to be quite automatic in giving recommendations once you have seated and promptly coming over to check if everything is alright and clearing plates when you are done (though there were just two tables occupied at the time I have visited, you could feel the sincerity behind). Definitely did not regret my decision on heading straight over after school from the west side of the island to the east when I spotted them over on Instagram; this is one place I would do another revisit soon for I am pretty sure that I would develop cravings for their food, and also to try out the other items on the menu such as the Souffle as well!

For more photos and the full review, head to jiaksimipng by clicking on the link below:
https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2016/03/25/south-union-park-jalan-kembangan/

Dutch Colony Coffee had been expanding its operations of the late, having recently moved its roastery to an industrial district out of its stall at Pasarbella and now, its second outlet at Frankel Avenue. I am hardly one who get moved by decor, but this place was just impressive. On the outside, it quite replicated how a cafe in Australia would have looked like, and it continues into the interior. The chandelier and communal table in the middle, the mockup alfresco seating that is covered by the glass roof to shelter patrons away from Singapore’s gruesome heat and the wide aisle in front of the counter all reminds me of interiors of cafes overseas I have seen on Instagram; its as though this place was modeled from Instagram, for Instagram. Food menu features a range of sandwiches and cakes, as well as some plated desserts, and then a variety of coffee that’s pretty much why you would visit this place for.Visiting Dutch Colony Coffee Co with an empty stomach, I decided to go for something light, which made the Portobello Road ($9.00) seemed pretty apt for me. It’s basically a Portobello open-faced sandwich (a fact that I liked even though I failed to read this when I was ordering) with feta cheese, rocket and tomatoes. This took quite a while to arrive though, but I was surprised by how big it actually is when it came; it looked more like a open-faced burger than a sandwich. Took a bite of the toasted bread; crisp, light and fragrant, as though the sourdough bread was just freshly-baked. Then comes the two fat and juicy Portobello patties which were soft yet full-on earthy, with that small touch of savoury from the Feta scattered all over the mushrooms. Tomatoes were zesty and refreshing especially when the juices burst with every cut with the knife. And then comes the rocket that’s drizzled in a flavourful balsamic dressing. If this ain’t food porn, I don’t know what would be.I was also very intrigued by the Banana Bread with Espresso Butter ($4.80), so I ended up getting one after finishing the sandwich. The Banana Bread was not what I expected, but the soft, sweet and fragrant bread with banana bits was still very satisfying, and made more addictive with the crunchy crust on the top after its being heated up. Only thing that needed improvement was the Espresso Butter, which was claimed to be spread atop before serving but did not taste of anything somehow. Maybe I was still thinking of the one I had at Drury Lane a while back …And how could you ever hit Dutch Colony Coffee without trying their coffee? Their Flat White ($4.50) was on the smooth and creamy side, but you could actually taste that nutty and sweet chocolate tones from their Dutch blend as well.For more photos and the full review, please visit: https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/09/09/dutch-colony-coffee-co-frankel-avenue/