I was very thirsty and chanced upon Sharetea at the basement of Northpoint shopping centre. The staff were very nice and allowed me to order even though it was around 10pm and they were closing. I got the winter melon tea with pudding - the sugar level is fixed and the winter melon tea is rather sweet; but I liked the pudding as it's not too soggy and has a slight custard taste. Got my mum the Taro Milk tea; it was supposed to come with white pearls but it was sold out, so I got ice jelly instead. The Taro milk tea was fragrant, and 30% sugar level just right.

East 8 is newly opened and I guess that's why there's a lack of reviews on their food. They basically joined the string of food establishments that seek to offer fusion tapas with a laid back vibe. For East 8, their cuisine supposedly infuses Western, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese concepts.

Given the price tag of $25++ for a 3 course set lunch during Restaurant Week, I decided to give East 8 a try.Ambience wise there is nothing to complain about; probably because I went after 2pm, it wasn't crowded and there were only 2 other tables, so the environment was very conducive for a relaxing chat. I also liked their interior, as the wooden surroundings give a very comfortable, laid back vibe. The cute cushions lying around also added to the whole atmosphere.For appetizers, they also offered Rocket salad, with sweet pear, cherry tomato and roasted pinenut, but both of us went for the Charred tiger prawn in cream of spinach soup instead, as we are not fans of salad. It was the right choice as this didn't taste like any conventional western soup you normally get. I liked how the soup was very flavourful, but only slightly creamy and the taste of spinach wasn't overwhelming. I especially liked the crunchy tiger prawns which were succulent, and slightly salted/peppery.For mains, I had the Soy glazed pan fried Norwegian salmon, with truffle mashed potato. This dish didn't wow me as it's rather common, and the sauce seemed like the conventional soy/terriyaki sauce that goes with sushi; moreover, the mashed potato was cold (albeit truffle taste slightly distinct). However, it has to be noted that the salmon itself was very fresh, with the meat very soft and tender, and you could easily gobble it down at one go.My friend had the Classic duck confit with braised haricot beans and chorizo cubes. It was extremely easy to dissect that dish as the duck meat is very, very tender. I also liked the skin of the duck which wasn't oily, but crispy and lightly salted to bring out the flavour of the duck. For dessert, there was only one choice and it was the Homemade dark chocolate pot, macerated berries with hazelnut gelato. Dark chocolate pot might be a bit misleading as it's actually a small cube of chocolate cake/mousse, which was alright with the chocolate being rich but not overly so. I loved the grated nuts (which were mixed with fine sugar) that were sprinkled around. As for the hazelnut gelato, it was pretty average.

Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience, and their staff was kind enough to offer us, at the end of the meal, a sample of their Yuzu Sakae, which was a very refreshing drink. Took a look at their usual menu (on a wooden crafted plate and on a disc), and there were some interesting offerings as well.

Normally, they have lunch specials, from 12 to 3pm, and they offer dishes like Orange Beef, Baby Back Ribs, Tuna Hotdog, Lamb Shank Ragu, Sake mussels & bread, and also, the Norwegian Salmon, at a price range of $12-$16.

A good place to chill and relax, and share tapas among friends, hopefully East 8 will seek to stand out from the vast number of similar establishments.

I was deciding on a place for lunch during Restaurant Week, and settled on Taratata as I've read many good reviews of this place. It's a French bistrot serving authentic French cuisine by chefs Bertrand Raguin and Philippe Nouzillat, both of whom were from France with more than 20 years of culinary experience. This alone warrants a visit, especially during Restaurant Week with a 3-course set lunch which costs $25++.Complementary bread - They were quick to replenish the bread when we finished ours; toasted baguette, warm when served and bread was so soft with the outer crust crispy. Great start to a meal and is rather addictive.For appetizer, my friend had the Seared Marinated Salmon with Black Pepper & Momotaro Tomato Salad with Basil Oil. A huge slice of salmon nestled on tomatoes, it was a refreshing appetizer and the salmon was very fresh, with a hint of natural sweetness. The black pepper accentuates the sweetness of the fish, and the slightly sour tomato salad makes a good end to the dish.I had the Half Dozen of Snail Baked in Herbed Garlic Butter. Being a fan of escargots, this certainly did not disappoint. The escargots were chewy, and I especially liked their herbed garlic butter - slight buttery taste, and the garlic flavour was not overpowering. Along with many others from other tables, I dipped the toasted baguette into the leftover herbed garlic butter sauce; absolutely great. For main course, my friend had the Crispy Oven-Baked Pork Trotter with Mushrooms Fricassée. It doesn't look that appetizing but it was certainly good. It was baked till crispy, and I loved the outer crust. The meat within wasn't dry as others have mentioned previously, and it goes well with their gravy. I also liked the very fine mashed potato that came with it, although that was a little salty.I had the Baked Sea Scallops with Mussels, Prawns, Mushroom & Cheese. The portion looks small but it's actually very filling and just right for a small eater like me. The large scallops were well baked and the outer crumbs were crispy, but it wasn't the best I've tasted as the natural sweetness was only slightly distinct. Nevertheless, I liked the combination of de-shelled mussels, tiny prawns and mushrooms in a cheese and cream based gravy; even better if you are a cheese/cream sauce lover.For desserts, we both had the Chocolate & Caramel Tart, Vanilla Ice Cream. Seems like a simple dessert but it actually tastes better than it looks. You could say that it's like a mini molten lava cake encased in a cookie tart. I liked how the molten chocolate flowed out when cut, and the two layers of cookie crust was a nice change to the common molten lava cake. Nevertheless, the caramel was only drizzled at the sides and not within the tart itself. The vanilla beans in the ice cream was distinct, and the ice cream had a slight velvety taste to it; but the ice cream failed to impress, although it's a very good complement to the very sweet and rich chocolate tart. I especially loved the crispy almond flakes at the side.

Overall a very pleasant first time dining experience at Taratata, thanks to Restaurant Week. Service was good as the servers were attentive and replenished our water every now and then. The manager also enquired about how we found the food after and during the meal when we were having our main course.

Do give it a try if there are still slots for lunch this week. The set lunch at $25++ is a good deal to the usual $35++, and you are unlikely to be disappointed with the great authentic cuisine served at Taratata.

I was craving for chinese food but didn't want any typical chains, so I found this place near lavender which has an appetizing menu, and made a special trip down. They were having some facebook promotion that time and we got 2 servings of 7 spices soft shell crab for free - they were good and crispy, but the spices were neither here nor there, seemed like a mixture of chilli flakes, sesame seeds, but the whole dish was passable. We also had their must-try salted egg lotus root ($12) - which was my favourite of all; too salty when eating it on its own, but is extremely addictive, especially if you are a fan of salted egg. They recommended the 7 spices pork chop ($14) which we obliged, and it's good and very well marinated. Lastly we got the tofu with crab meat gravy ($13); really loved the generous serving of crab meat and the gravy wasn't overly salty; but we didn't quite like the tofu which tasted a little unconventional.

Genki sushi needs to expand; having only 2 outlets in Singapore is not enough. It's arguably one of the best affordable sushi places around (other than the one at citylink mall which I haven't tried), and definitely much better than sakae. I got their soft shell crab handroll which was good, hot and crispy, and not to mention the must-try pollock roe sushis - either seared salmon or ebi, both are good. Also had their surf clam sushi and fried tofu. Very value for money.