Full Restaurant Ember review: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/07/restaurant-ember-tasting-session.html

Among the earliest restaurants to open in Keong Saik Road, in 2002, long before the place became packed with hip cafes, Restaurant Ember in Hotel 1929 paved the way for the area by offering ground breaking, innovative, beautifully plated yet tasty modern Italian and French food, along with an unforgettable dining experience. When Head Chef Sebastian Ng moved on in May 2014, Chef Sufian Bin Zain, formerly of Iggy’s and Waku Ghin, took over the helm.Ambience at Restaurant Ember remains as intimate as ever. The rather small floor space is laid out smartly, with colours of navy blue against white, and low ambient lighting creating a soft, warm mood. Elegant, sophisticated touches of decor, including nostalgic / retro, and nautical themes adorn the walls. Elaborate table settings of shiny silverware, a hallmark of fine dining, create expectations of a gastronomic experience.Service at Restaurant Ember is professional, courteous, and efficient, as befits a fine dining establishment. Staff offer greetings / goodbyes, are prompt in seating diners, as well as clearing away empty / dirty plates from your table. They are knowledgable on the menu and dishes, able to provide insight into dishes, as well as proactively make recommendations. Staff also proactively ask for feedback on the dining experience, as well as come around regularly to top up water glasses.

Food at Restaurant Ember is modern European, blending the finest elements of French and Italian cuisine, elevated to an art form. Flavours are kept simple and clean, allowing the ingredients to shine. Chef Sufian Bin Zain has worked hard to distinguish himself and carve out a profile all his own, distancing himself somewhat from his more famous predecesscor. Dishes are generally very tasty, though some components in each dish miss the mark, but are all beautifully plated. Portions are of a decent size, and while each dish works well in taste and texture on its own, a complete course works together like a harmonious symphony. Prices at Restaurant Ember befits its fine dining status as well, budget at least SGD $90 per person, or more, for a meal here.The Mushroom Consomme, Shimeji, Chicken & Foie Gras Tortellini (SGD $16) was a soup I enjoyed. The earthy, almost herbal, dark soup / broth is strong with the essence of mushrooms, and the small shimeji mushroom heads dotting the dish complements it well. The chicken and foie gras tortellini were excellent, savoury with a fatty melt-in-your-mouth texture, delightful. Great starter, wanted more of it. Highly recommended!The Pan-Seared Welsh Lamb Rack, Ratatouille, Cous Cous, Thyme Jus (SGD $45) was very good, though again with a gamey taste. The vegetable ratatouille was executed well, you still get some crunch, with some softness, yet the vegetables still hold flavour without being limp. The fluffy cous cous works well with the tender, succulent lamb, which succumbs easily to the knife. Nice moist texure in the meat as well. The flavourful thyme jus still wasn't enough to mask the gamey lamb taste though. However, I would still recommend this dish!

Full Banana Tree (Cafe) review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/05/banana-tree-cafe.html

A popular franchise from South Korea, Banana Tree (Cafe) is known for their garden and banana themed decor, pretty presentation of traditional South Korean desserts, and clean, inviting, cheery atmosphere. Opening their 1st outlet in Singapore, along Keong Saik Road within the Outram Park area, in April 2015, Banana Tree (Cafe) immediately drew crowds eager to check out their fabulous desserts.Ambience at Banana Tree (Cafe) is garden themed. The interior is so pretty and photogenic, with small corners filled with trinkets or pictures, making for great pictures. Clean white walls, solid wooden furniture, cozy and inviting atmosphere, with touches that reference gardens and the banana fruit. However, this 'beautification' comes at the cost of seating space, which is not fully maximised, and thus, only limited seats are available. Queues tend to form at Banana Tree (Cafe), with waiting time up to 20 minutes, and you'll be standing while waiting at the cramped, crowded entrance.Service at Banana Tree (Cafe) is partially self-service, where you order and make payment over the counter, but orders will be served to your table. Staff are pretty friendly and cheery (as befits the bright, welcoming atmosphere), and knowledgeable enough to describe the ingredients in each dessert / beverage. They also clear empty / dirty tables efficiently, and then quickly seat the people who were waiting in the queue. As a bonus, the Korean owners are also easy on the eye! However, I do wish they could put some thought into a structured queue system, or at least make guests comfortable while waiting, as it was an unpleasant experience.Food at Banana Tree (Cafe) is focused on Korean desserts, presented in a novel, modern way. There is no main course whatsoever on the menu, so Banana Tree (Cafe) is a pure desserts cafe. Their take on popular Korean desserts is refeshing, and pretty well done, plating them in garden themed arrangements, great for photography. Taste is good, true to their Korean origins, and portions are mostly designed either for individuals, or for communal sharing of 4 or more people. Prices at typical of most affordable desserts places, budget about SGD $8 per person for a dessert here.The Flower Paap Pudding Banana (SGD $6.50) is said to be inspired by a flower cupcake creation from Magnolia Bakery in New York, United States Of America. Luscious, light home made cream that is made fresh daily, layered in a small flower pot, on top of a soft sponge cake base, alternating with slices of fresh, sweet banana. Topped with a layer of oreo cookie crumbs resembling soil, candy rock pebbles, and a fake flower inserted into a straw, this heavenly dessert is creamy yet light, not too sweet, and simply a joy to eat. Divine, highly recommended!

Full Two Wings review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/04/two-wings.html

Two Wings is possibly the most hyped / talked about / famous fried chicken wings in Singapore. And I'm glad to say that this is one instance that reality lives up to the hype. Despite opening in May 2014 at the modern hawker enclave of Salute Coffee Shop / Salut Kopitiam, Two Wings owner Jeremy Loh has had a lifetime of fried chicken wings tutelage, and a 40-year-old secret family recipe, passed down from his granduncle. Granduncle passed this recipe on as a legacy to members of his extended family as well, including the owners of the now defunct Carona Fried Chicken Wing Rice, and the current Victor Famous Fried Chicken Rice.

Ambience at Two Wings is shared with every other stall in Salute Coffee Shop / Salut Kopitiam. Functional, decent furniture, bright lighting, and the garish, iconic, blue checkered tablecloth. Service provided by Two Wings is pretty good, as each order is freshly fried, there's a short waiting time, on top of the queues they normally have. When your order is ready for collection, Two Wings will contact your mobile phone, so you can actually have a seat / meal first!

While prices are higher than average at Two Wings, you really get your money's worth. Their fried chicken wings are fresh, sourced from Brazil, and are large and meaty. Every single wing is massage to drain off blood, and prepared with premium sesame oil, an expensive vegetable oil, and the secret recipe batter. Fried to a perfect golden brown colour, the skin has that wonderful savoury taste and satisfiying crunch, before giving way to piping hot, fragrant, succulent, juicy chicken meat. Even more surprising, the fried chicken wings are not too greasy, have very little fat under the skin, and don't leave puddles of oil on the plate!The Fried Chicken Wings (SGD $8.50 for 4 pieces, $12.50 for 6 pieces) are really near perfect for fried chicken wings, checking all the right boxes. Piping hot, freshly prepared, large portions, golden brown colour, crisp skin, juicy chicken meat, savoury flavour, non oily, little fat, lasts even for takeaway... the only thing you could want is perhaps a cheaper price, but I'll rather pay a bit more for this high quality product!

Badoque Cafe is almost a food institution of sorts, and needs little introduction. Since opening their doors in Simpang Bedok in 2008, the halal certified Badoque Cafe has gained a loyal following, amongst both Muslim and non-Muslim diners, for their gargantuan portions of tasty food, and excellent service. The long queues at Badoque Cafe still persist to this day, even with the opening of their 2nd outlet at Upper Thomson in 2014, and they regularly make the lists of 'Best Halal Cafes In Singapore'.

Ambience at Badoque Cafe is modern casual, with elements of industrial chic. The bare concrete walls are livened through quirky posters, while decorative lights hang from the ceiling. The showpiece 'bar' displays bottles of cordial used in their creative mocktails, while the black marble top tables and colourful metal chairs are solid, and can be shifted around to create seating for large groups. Offering both indoor and outdoor al-fresco dining, Badoque Cafe can get noisy during peak periods.

Service at Badoque Cafe is excellent, a true highlight here, surpassing the service standards of some high-end fine dining restaurants! Staff are friendly and welcoming, able to hold conversations, creating an casual, comfortable atmosphere, almost like visiting a close Malay friend's house. They're observant and attentive, acknowledging you when you call, and actually stoop / kneel down to take orders. Staff here are knowledgable on the current menu, able to make recommendations and provide basic information on dishes. Furthermore, they come around mid-way during your meal to check on how it's going, and get feedback.

Food at Badoque Cafe is primarily American, Italian, and Modern Malay cuisine. Badoque Cafe is known for their portion sizes, which are huge / giant sized, 1 dish is usually enough for 2 small eaters to share, or satisfy 1 large eater for the rest of the day. Most people cannot even finish 1 dish by themselves! Prices are very reasonable as well, comparable to most other mid-range cafes, budget about SGD $36 per person for a meal here.

Badoque Cafe has among the better versions of Hot Chocolate (SGD $7.50) I've had in Singapore. Their Hot Chocolate itself is rich and thick, with a deep chocolate flavour, and isn't overly sweet. Very warming and comforting, the large mug is topped off with chocolate fudge and chewy marshmallows, lending a layer of sweetness and texture. Highly recommended!The signature Badoque Ribs (SGD $36) are a huge cut of beef ribs, on the bone, served on a bed of fresh vegetables such as carrots, long beans, and baby potatoes. The beef ribs are incredibly tender and moist, having been slow cooked overnight. Presented in an American style, their home made barbecue sauce is tangy and savoury with a slight sweetness, complementing the beef ribs very well. I honestly feel this might be the best beef ribs in Singapore! Highly, highly recommended!

Full Badoque Cafe review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/03/badoque-cafe.html

They may call themselves blur, but the founders behind Two Blur Guys certainly aren't blur when it comes to their fantastic gourmet burgers. Founded in 2012 by Max Tung and Anthony Koh, Two Blur Guys serves mouthwatering, classic burgers with a specially designed wholemeal bun, all created by chef Jimmy Chok.

Ambience at Two Blur Guys is inspired by New York / American style casual diners. The small, cramped floor space of the original Tanjong Pagar outlet is in stark contrast to the large floor space of the Boat Quay outlet. Decked in black tones with low interior lighting, Two Blur Guys makes good use of natural lighting to brighten the place. I didn't like the fact that it's so open though, as the ambient temperature affects the experience greatly.

Service at Two Blur Guys is fantastic. Staff greet you upon entry, are friendly and polite, and actually remember you when you return! In particular, there is a Filipino staff at the Tanjong Pagar outlet who also doubles as the chef, and I must commend his skill with both grilling burgers, and service that is friendly and upbeat. Excellent!

Two Blur Guys specialises in gourmet American style burgers. In particular, they don't mess too much with the star, the meat patties, allowing the natural juicy tastes to shine. Also worth mentioning is their small selection of craft beers and pastries, which pair well with the burgers. Generally, I find portions at Two Blur Guys to be large for one person, and prices are upper mid-range for a casual cafe, budget about SGD $30 per person. All burgers are served in a set with potato salad and fresh garden salad.The Pulled Pork Burger (SGD $12.85) features strips of tender pulled pork, extremely soft, so tender, and very juicy! Paried with the wholemeal burger buns, tomato slice, gruyere cheese, and a tangy sweet honey mustard sauce, each mouthful is a juicy, delightful burst of flavour. I've had people tell me they dream about this burger, and I daresay this is easily the best American style Pulled Pork Burger I've had in Singapore! Highly recommended!The stalwart and hearty Prime Beef With Streaky Bacon Burger (SGD $17.95) features a thick, meaty, juicy, beef patty that is grilled to perfection. Cut or bite into it and watch the savoury juices trickle clear! This mountain of a burger is served with wholemeal burger buns, tomato slice, gruyere cheese, and savoury and smoky rashers of bacon, garnished with tangy gherkins. And though it's not stated on the menu, the sauce used is a home made truffle infused mayonnaise, which lends a fragrant, earthy taste to the overall dish. Messy, but highly recommended!The Prime Beef With Portobello Burger (SGD $17.95) features the same high quality beef patty that is also grilled perfectly, alongside wholemeal burger buns, tomato slice, gruyere cheese, gherkins, truffle mayonnaise, and a thick, meaty portobello mushroom. While the mushroom was meaty and moist, pairing well with the earthy truffle mayonnaise, it wasn't as juicy as it could have been, and in comparision with the other burgers offered here, this was only decent at best. Good effort, but get something else instead.

Full Two Blur Guys review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2014/07/two-blur-guys.html