Full Manbok review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/10/manbok-chinatown-korean-bbq-steamboat.html

Manbok Chinatown Korean BBQ & Steamboat in Singapore Chinatown has been around for a while now. Among the more well known of the Korean barbecue and steamboat concept, particularly for their value for money prices, owner Mr. Tan tells us that the name 'Manbok Chinatown Korean BBQ & Steamboat' also represents 'a fortune of millions' in Mandarin!

Ambience at Manbok is decent for an indoor barbecue outlet. The biggest bugbear of such establishments is smell, fortunately, the exhaust nozzels directly above each table takes care of the majority of it. There is still some lingering smell of cooking, but this subsides quickly, a lot better than other places! Furnishings are spacious and functional enough for comfort, and I like the brightly lit area. Food displays are clearly labelled and kept chilled, but the salad / condiment corner is hidden behind a wall and not immediately visible.Service at Manbok is polite and efficient. Staff have basic working product knowledge, able to explain in simple English / Mandarin the food available, as well as guide you how to operate the barbecue grill on the table. I also commend them for coming around often to change the grilling plate when it turns black from grilling. They also proactively clear away empty / dirty plates, rather than letting it pile up on your table. Good!

Food at Manbok is all about meat... a carnivore's dream! The star is the selection of 10 different cuts of meat (beef, pork, chicken) for barbecue / grilling, as well as the selection of seafood for the steamboat. The selection of salads is rather small though. Manbok also offers a small selection of 3 cooked food items, these are changed daily for returning diners. Communal dining is a must here, at least 2 people, though a group of 4 or more is recommended. Their Korean food is authentic and generally tasty, but their non-Korean food tends to be rather flat and not that tasty. Prices are reasonably cheaper than elsewhere, budget about SGD $18 for lunch, and SGD $32 for dinner, per person.

The highlight of a meal here is the beautiful, large slabs of meat, chilled on ice. Pick from 10 different cuts! My personal favourites would be the Marinated Beef Short Rib, and the Marinated Pork Belly.Loved the Maneul Dak Ganjang / Garlic Soy Sauce Chicken Wings, this is easily the best cooked food item here! The chicken wings have a crisp, savoury, slightly salty skin that is fragrant with garlic. The chicken meat is moist and tender, coming off the bone easily. Chef tells us he only makes this in small batches, as the skin gets soggy when it cools, so it has to be eaten quickly!

Full Sunrise Bistro & Bar review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/09/sunrise-bistro-bar-tasting-session.html

Founded in November 2014 and helmed by Chef Vincent Teng, Sunrise Bistro & Bar within the nostalgic Playground @ Big Splash, in East Coast Park, offers hearty, casual bistro fare. Sunrise Bistro & Bar may be unassuming in looks, but take a chance on Chef Vincent's creative fusion dishes, combining casual French with contemporary Asian, and you'll be hooked!

Ambience at Sunrise Bistro & Bar is clean, modern, and contemporary minimalist. What stands out for me is the spaciousness; both for the outdoor al-fresco, and the indoor dining area with live band stand. The dark mahagony colours and low ambient lighting set an intimate mood, perfect for long, slow meals with friends or loved ones. Match days for soccer are screened here too! However, I find the decor rather dull, especially the rather gaudy fish tank smack at the entrance.Service at Sunrise Bistro & Bar is pretty good for a hosted tasting session. Staff were proactive in clearing after each dish, and at least some of them are able to describe drinks / dishes from memory alone. Chef Vincent Teng came out personally to introduce the nuances of each dish, which I really appreciate. As our visit happened on a rather quiet day, I noted that staff were able to accord more personalised attention to guests, but I've yet to see them perform during peak periods.Food at Sunrise Bistro & Bar is delicious, thoughtfully crafted, and well plated. Chef Vincent has a fondness for the sous vide method of food preparation, and his unique culinary style of casual European (British, French, Italian) fused with contemporary Asian (Singaporean, Chinese, Japanese) influences mean that each fusion dish is memorable in taste. Prices are typical of a mid-range bistro, budget about SGD $45 per person for a meal here. As we were served tasting portions, the actual portion size will differ from the photos here.So I was telling a friend how good the Luncheon Chips (SGD $9) bar snack is, with a thin, crisp texture, almost like a potato chip! Savoury, but not too salty or too greasy, these were unstoppably good! Holds its crisp, crunchy texture rather well, without getting soggy, for over an hour! Wish I had more now...Ordered the Black Swan Cocktail (SGD $20) because it's made with sous vide red wine infusion! Yes, I was mind blown too. So red wine is sous vide with herbs, then mixed with raspberry liquer, apple juice, orange juice, lime juice, sprite, and green and red apple cubes. While the presentation looks like a normal Sangria, it tastes nothing like a Sangria, being more sweet, fruity, and less bitter. Will appeal to ladies as well.Loved the Cereal Crusted Cod Fish (SGD $28), which I had more of it! A large, buttery fillet of cod fish, coated in a cereal crust rather similar to the Chinese cereal prawns, baked and served on a bed of fresh seasonal vegetables, braised in a fragrant sesame oil and ginger shoyu broth. The beautiful, delicate flavours of this dish tease and tantalise, leaving a longing on the palate. Highly recommended!The succulent, tender pork meat of the Marmite Canadian Pork Shoulder (SGD $26) is a pleasant result of marinating the meat with marmite, sous vide, then grilling to perfection, with some light torching towards the end. Chef Vincent tries to ensure that he selects his pork shoulder carefully, the best cut is those with fat within the meat itself, which helps the pork shoulder to retain moisture during cooking, and lends that luxurious, velvety texture. Served with seasonal vegetables, I loved the savoury, robust flavour of the pork, with a slight hint of sweetness and smokiness. Excellent!

Full Kintamani Indonesian Restaurant review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/07/kintamani-indonesian-restaurant.html

Established in 1985, over 30 years ago (!), Kintamani Indonesian Restaurant is among the oldest restaurants in Singapore. Located in the equally aging Furama Riverfront Singapore Hotel, Kintamani Indonesian Restaurant is known for its Halal Indonesian buffet, with their speciality being Balinese cuisine. Their consistently decent food, friendly service staff, and decent prices, has seen to the longevity of Kintamani Indonesian Restaurant, and it's still popular for large scale, Halal buffet meals.

Ambience at Kintamani Indonesian Restaurant is possibly it's weakest point. The spacious but dimly lit interior shows signs of age, though the solid wooden furniture is still sturdy after all these years. Decor is traditional Balinese, ranging from the iconic gate guardians / Balinese gate at the entrance, to the ornate carvings amongst the buffet spread, to the traditional kitchen utensils on the walls. While clean, I dislike the really dark, low ambient lighting.Service at Kintamani Indonesian Restaurant is friendly and efficient. Staff will offer greetings when you enter / exit, and seat diners promptly. Very efficient at clearing away empty / dirty plates, always an important thing in a buffet. Note that they're quite polite, enquiring if you're done before clearing. Food is also regularly topped-up, so the food trays always look full, sufficient for all. However, not all staff can properly answer queries regarding each dish, and ingredients within.Food at Kintamani Indonesian Restaurant is Halal, with their focus being Indonesian / Balinese cuisine. The food in Bali, Indonesia, is noted for its savoury grilled meats and use of spices, in particular, the 8-spice mixture known as Bumbu. These are all present here, prepared by Chef I Gusti Nyoman Kaler and team. Dishes are generally tasty, heavy on flavourful sauces. Prices are reflective of a typical buffet, budget about SGD $50 per person for a meal here.

The Beef Rendang is tender and moist, with good savoury meat flavour. But the highlight is the deliciously yummy rendang sauce, which has a good kick of spices and heat. Highly recommended!Loved the Lupis here, which is a steamed glutinous rice cake, garnished with dessicated coconut and sweet gula melaka / palm sugar. Really good, I actually found myself eating it on its own, almost like a dessert! Highly recommended!The Satay Chicken & Beef here was the highlight of the entire buffet meal. The savoury, perfectly grilled skewers of meat are tender and tasty. People just kept going back for more of these, and it's actually worth to dine here just for these meat skewers! The satay sauce is inconsistent, early on, it's thick, rich and nutty. But after a few rounds, you can tell the kitchen is struggling to keep up with demand, because the satay sauce gets thinner and thinner, and later in the night, the consistency is watery. My suggestion is to go early enough so you get the best satay! Highly recommended!

Full D'zerts Cafe review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/07/dzerts-cafe.html

Located along the stretch of shophouses in Simpang Bedok, near the fire station, D'zerts Cafe is a speciality dessert cafe that does pretty good waffles and ice cream. Owner and chef Lemuel Tay started baking as a Navy chef, and decided to strike out to open D'zerts Cafe with his dad, Mr. Tay Yong Seng, in April 2013.Ambience at D'zerts Cafe is fun and casual, with bright colours of green, red, pink and white. Furniture is simple but modern, and the clean, brightly lit interior is spacious. The menu is clear and legible, and the quirky pastries displayed in the dessert counter are very attractive. A faint aroma of waffles and baking lingers in the air, while the edible garden outside lends a touch of greenery. Nice place for chilling!Service at D'zerts Cafe is casual, but friendly. Staff are quick to seat you and take orders, and are knowledgable enough to make recommendations on popular flavours for ice cream. However, expect to wait a little longer for food, especially during peak periods, as the kitchen takes some time to prepare it.

Food at D'zerts Cafe is simple, but also their weakest point overall. Their desserts are pretty good, especially their waffles and ice cream. However, the finger food here is terrible, poor quality offerings, and should be avoided. Portions are nicely sized for individuals, though sharing of desserts is recommended. Budget about SGD $10 per person for desserts here.The crisp outside, soft inside, fluffy Plain Jane Waffle (SGD $7.90) are very good, and worth ordering if you're in the area! The Waffle With Mango Sorbet & Peanut Butter Ice Cream (SGD $13.70) was possibly the best combination we tried, the Mango Sorbet was rich, thick, and fruity, though a tad overly sweet. The Peanut Butter Ice Cream was the best ice cream flavour of the day, rich, creamy, nutty, and thick, excellent! Highly recommend ordering the Peanut Butter Ice Cream!An above average Salted Caramel Cheesecake, I thought this was pretty good. The texture of the cheesecake is properly smooth and creamy, with a rich cheese and salted caramel flavour. Balanced in taste, you get both the sweet and salty notes. Good!

Full MrQ Snacks review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/06/mrq-snacks.html

Founded in 2012 after the founder was inspired by the night markets of Taiwan, MrQ Snacks is a small takeaway kiosk, offering classic and modern Singaporean street snacks.

As MrQ Snacks is mainly a takeaway kiosk, there isn't much ambience to speak of. However, their menu is bright and legible, and rather attractive. Plus the sight of them frying up street food sure is attractive!

The Singaporean staff at MrQ Snacks are friendly, but rather brusque, and don't engage in much conversation, especially if they're busy. Order fulfillment is rather quick, and I like that staff pack the items nicely so it's not messy.

The menu at MrQ Snacks is small but varied enough for street food, and all their items can be eaten on the go. The majority are stick food, items like chicken or seafood, and their food is Halal certified. Portions are nicely sized, and prices are comparable to other street food, budget about SGD $4 per person.

The Corn Puppies (SGD $3) are chicken sausages, cut into bite sized pieces, coated with a thin flour batter, and deep fried. Best eaten piping hot, I like that the sausages aren't dry, and the batter is thin with a slight chew. Decent, but rather oily.Loved the Lemongrass Chicken Original (SGD $4), which features chunks of boneless chicken, with a light crumb batter. The chicken remains tender and juicy, with a slight fragrance from the batter. Lovely enough on its own, it's served with an absolutely floral aromatic, and tasty, lemongrass sauce, which I thought was so addictive! Also served with a nacho cheese sauce, which was kind of meh. Otherwise, I highly recommend this!The unique Fried Oreo Cookies (SGD $3) are a novel idea, but I personally found it to be somewhat average. The batter is thin and crisp, holding well to the cookie, and the deep taste of chocolate and texture of the cream comes across well. But the overall lack of moisture means this snack is also rather dry. Choose to get it with chocolate sauce drizzled over for more flavour.