Founded in 1991, Soup Restaurant is a heritage Chinese restaurant that offers a mix of Singaporean Zi Char, Cantonese cuisine, and Hainanese cuisine. With their extensive menu, homely service, and reasonable prices, Soup Restaurant makes for a decent Chinese restaurant you can comfortably being guests to, while being assured that the experience will be good.

Ambience at Soup Restaurant is modern Oriental, like stepping into a luxurious Chinese home. Solid, dark rosewood furniture is spaced neatly in the brightly lit, clean, and inviting dining area, while Chinese style lantern shaped lights hang overhead. Elegant Oriental vases and artwork in beautiful colours lend a touch of sophistication, making the place very inviting. However, this is true only for their bigger outlets, the smaller neighbourhood outlets are more cramped with poorer ambience.Service at Soup Restaurant is homely and friendly. The elderly servers remind me of doting grandmothers, making sure you're comfortable and well-fed. On a particular occasion, there was this auntie that just kept going around with a pot of tea, topping up glasses, and she was really enthusiastic about it! Orders take awhile to fulfill though, about 15 - 20 minutes, even during non-peak periods. I also note that staff are quick to clear empty / dirty tables and plates.

Food at Soup Restaurant is a mix of various Chinese cuisine, ranging from heritage Singaporean Zi Char dishes to classic Chinese favourites. Generally, I find food at the bigger outlets to be well-executed and delicious, but the consistency at the neighrbourhood outlets is hit-and-miss. You're much better off eating at the bigger outlets. Portions are designed for communal dining, and at least 2 - 3 people is recommended. Prices are affordable and reasonable, budget about SGD $22 per person for a meal here.The signature dish on the menu, you'll see every table has an order of Samsui Ginger Chicken (SGD $17.90). The clean tasting, fresh, sweet poached chicken is tender and moist, with a fatty skin that is easily removed. Pair it with a liberal garnish of crushed ginger, wrap it in a crunchy lettuce along with cucumber slices, and enjoy! Highly recommended!The double boiled Shark's Cartilage Collagen Soup (SGD $12.90) is a classic Cantonese soup / broth, hearty and comforting. The rich, savoury sweet soup / broth is made from chicken stock, sea cucumber, and shark's bone, resulting in a creamy, collagen rich, warming dish. There is a generous slice of tender sea cucumber, soft fish maw, and crunchy Chinese cabbage / bok choy within. Said to aid in developing radiant skin and healthy joints!The Earthen Bowl Steamed Red Rice With Hand-Chopped Minced Pork (SGD $8.90) arrives with warm, healthy red rice, packed with nutrients, and garnished with kai-lan / Chinese kale / Chinese broccoli. The star is the savoury salty, hand chopped minced pork and water chestnut patty, which is tender, moist, and utterly delicious. Drizzle a little of the thick, dark soy sauce over, then mix well before eating. Good!Full Soup Restaurant review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2016/04/zi-char-soup-restaurant.html

The in-house restaurant of Mandarin Orchard Hotel Singapore, the Triple Three Restaurant caters to the hotel's guests in the morning, but is open to the public for lunch and dinner. Offering a wide International buffet spread, Triple Three Restaurant, named for the address of the building, keeps things interesting with their themed buffet dinners (wagyu, foie gras, seafood, etc.), and overall, is a decent choice of hotel buffet. I personally find it to be better value for money if you take advantage of their special offers or promotions.Ambience at Triple Three Restaurant is clean, modern, and comfortable, though the overall atmosphere feels dated. There really isn't much points of interest that draw the eye, nothing stands out amongst the understated furnishings in the spacious but warmly lit room. At least there's ample seating, but tightly packed such that the passages for movement are cramped. The food displays and various open kitchens are well laid out and attractive, with clear labels indicating what each dish is.Service at Triple Three Restaurant is good. Staff are polite, professional, and efficient, seating diners quickly, and guiding them where needed. I also note they clear empty / dirty tables and plates quickly, which is always important in a buffet, preventing your table from being cluttered. If celebrating a birthday, staff at Triple Three Restaurant will surprise the guest with a cake, as well as sing the birthday song! The chefs at the various open kitchens also engage with guests, with the exception of the wine area, which isn't staffed, a barrier to enquiring about the various drinks.Food at Triple Three Restaurant is largely decent. The International buffet here features an extensive array of options, it's near impossible to try everything in 1 visit! The difficulty is deciding which of the 15 food stations and open kitchens is worth the stomach space, and because of their nightly themed buffet dinners, the types of dishes available change daily. I find their regular prices, at SGD $127 per person, to be very expensive, and not worth it, however, Triple Three Restaurant regularly has dining offers and promotions. Generally though, I find the buffet at Triple Three Restaurant to be above average, but not particularly outstanding, when compared to other hotel buffets.The artfully plated Pan-Seared Scallop With Avocado Puree features plump, fresh, meaty scallop, on a streak of creamy avocado puree. The delicate sweetness of the scallop is complemented by the grassy, earthy avocado. Beautiful!The star dish of my meal was the Honey Baked Ham, Sauteed Button Mushroom, Roast Zucchini, Roast Capsicum, Yorkshire Pudding, Honey Pineapple Glaze, Wholegrain Mustard. The smoky roasted vegetables of Sauteed Button Mushroom, Roast Zucchini, Roast Capsicum, pair well with the crisp Yorkshire Pudding. The Honey Baked Ham was outstanding, thick, meaty, and moist in texture, with a nice savoury salty smoky taste. Perfect, and best paired with the Honey Pineapple Glaze, which was rich, sweet, and fruity!Loved the Chocolate Mousse here, among the best I've eaten! The texture is creamy, thick, and rich, with intense chocolate flavour. The garnishings of blueberries, pistachio sponge cake, and chocolate balls, lend variety to each sweet mouthful, preventing it from being cloying. Excellent!Full Triple Three Restaurant review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2016/04/triple-three-restaurant.html

Founded in May 2011 by enterprising young chefs Dylan Ong and Joshua Khoo, Saveur had a simple premise; provide tasty yet affordable French food for the masses.

Ambience at Saveur is simple, clean, and functional, though not that comfortable. Dark wooden tables and plastic chairs line the small space in the flagship Purvis Street outlet, lit by bright fluorescent lights. There is minimal decor here, and the cramped space is made stuffy and humid as a result of the open kitchen, and a weak air-conditioning. Definitely not a place to linger over meals. The other newer outlets tend to fare slightly better in air-conditioning, at least it's not uncomfortable.Service at Saveur is decent, with staff offering greetings / goodbyes to diners. Guests arriving are quickly seated, and when asked, staff do display good product knowledge, able to describe in simple terms the various items on the menu, as well as offer recommendations. Orders are fulfilled quickly, usually within 10 minutes even during peak periods. Staff also turn over and set tables quickly. However, they're not proactive or observant, you'll usually have to prompt them to serve the next course, and there is minimal engagement.

Food at Saveur is rustic, straight forward, classic traditional French dishes. Dishes may not look pretty, but they pack good flavour and are tasty, with the main ingredient being the star of each plate. Portions are medium small, nicely sized for individuals. Prices are more affordable as compared to elsewhere, and Saveur is possibly among the cheapest, good quality French food in Singapore. Budget about SGD $33 per person for a 3 course meal without drinks here.

The lovely Salmon Confit (SGD $10.90) features a medium sized, half confit fillet of fresh salmon, served on a bed of crunchy chives, kombu, apple slices, and fennel, tossed in a zesty citrus lemon vinaigrette, with capers on the side. The beautifully pink, half-cooked salmon fish flesh is tender, clean, and smooth, and the crust of pepper and spring onions lend a burst of flavour. The salmon skin is fried till crisp, and crunches satisfiyingly. More than art on a plate with its beautiful presentation, it's deliciously light and extremely tasty. Highly recommended!The Pork Belly (SGD $12.90) features thick yet tender slices of pork belly, savoury with a silver of fat between the layers of succulent meat, topped with a crisp skin. Served on a bed of Garbure French ham and vegetable stew, consisting of soft melt-in-your-mouth cannellini beans, salty pancetta ham, cabbage, peas, carrots, along with a sous vide egg. A dash of pepper, and a streak of sharp mustard, and this delicious, hearty, French comfort dish is complete. Loved it, would order again. Highly recommended!Full Saveur review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2016/03/saveur.html

Taking over from the defunct Olive Tree as the InterContinental Singapore hotel's in-house European restaurant in September 2015, Ash & Elm is poised to be amongst the trendiest hotel restaurants around. The 150-seater Ash & Elm boasts sexy and elegant ambience, no less than 3 culinary theatre kitchens, fantastic service and big name chefs, with a wide variety of modern European food, much of it made in-house!Ambience at Ash & Elm is modern and sleek, courtesy of design firm FBEYE. Modern dark wooden, light wooden, marble topped furnishings, comfortable and plush booths, all lit by white, pink, blue, and purple lights from the hand-cut crystal chandeliers overhead. Private alcoves offer a measure of intimate privacy, but those who want something more exclusive may opt for the private sound-proof dining rooms! Of note here are the 3 culinary theatre kitchens, the charcuterie and cheese room with its meat aging freezers and carving station, the open wood-fired oven area where you can watch bread or pizza being baked, and the open-grill kitchen where all other dishes are prepared.Service at Ash & Elm is professional and refined, befitting a fine dining restaurant. Staff are friendly and welcoming, quickly seating diners. They demonstrate good knowledge, being able to describe each dish when it's served, and they also assist to arrange space on the table when serving orders. However, I note that staff don't clear away empty / dirty tables quickly, leaving the mess to sit for awhile, I guess mainly due to the low manpower. But they're proactive in ensuring the comfort of diners, making sure water glasses are filled, accomodating requests when asked, and checking for feedback on the meal. There usually is a short waiting time for orders, about 15 minutes or so.Food at Ash & Elm is modern European, inspired by French, American, and British cuisine, with a focus on aged meat, steaks, cold cuts, bread, and pastries. Generally, I find that much care has been shown in the preparation of food here, with a lot of hand made items, and taste is usually above average. Dishes are crafted with 1 or 2 main ingredients highlighted, with other supporting ingredients enhancing the overall flavour. Portion sizes are large for individuals, and sharing is recommended. Prices reflect the gourmet dining status of the restaurant, budget about SGD $70 ++ per person for a meal here. Great for special occasions!Ash & Elm was initially conceptualised as a premium steakhouse, and they've retained that meaty beefy spirit. This is most evident in their star offering, the Beef Tasting Platter (SGD $108), a giant sharing platter with 3 premium cuts of beef steak, served along with 3 sides, and 3 sauces (bearnaise, peppercorn, natural au jus). The beef has a medium rare doneness (the default), yields easily to the blade, and carries good savoury flavour, all charcoal grilled with Manuka wood chips from New Zealand. The huge portion is best shared between 4 - 5 people, though I think 2 - 3 big eaters could possibly nail this as well. Be warned that this requires a 30-minute preparation time. Highly recommended!The Tasmanian Salmon Fillet A La Plancha (SGD $46) has a medium sized, sustainably farmed, fresh fillet of Tasmanian salmon fish, done medium rare, which results in a light pink colour, a smooth and moist texture, a fresh sweetness with some oily fattiness. The skin is crisp and salty, crunching beautifully in the mouth. Sides of mixed vegetables, including sharp zesty grapefruit chunks, tender zucchini, soft spinach, and crunchy edamame soy beans round out the plate. The modern grapefruit hollandaise was unique, tasty in its own way, but a little too odd for me.The refreshing, perky Yuzu-Citrus Combination (SGD $14) has zesty yuzu curd on a crunchy lemon sable breton (shortbread crust cookie), with slices of fresh, sour sweet grapefruit and mandarin orange, glazed with a mandarin orange reduction. A zesty yet cooling yuzu sorbet, and sticks of chewy marshmallow, round out this pretty looking, delicious dessert. Highly recommended!Full Ash & Elm review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2016/03/ash-elm-tasting-session.html

Despite the name, London Fat Duck doesn't actually have anything to do with London, nor did it originate from there... the name is simply a homage to their inspiration from famous Chinese Hong Kong roast duck restaurants in London, England, United Kingdom. Founded in Singapore in May 2015 from a collaboration between the Fei Siong Group and Akashi Group, London Fat Duck is naturally known for their famous Cantonese style roast ducks. Sourced from Silver Hill Farm located in Ireland, these ducks are free roaming, grain-fed, handled by hand, and rested in a calm space with relaxing music playing before being slaughtered, thus resulting in more succulent duck meat.Ambience at London Fat Duck calls to mind the bustling Chinese tea houses of old. Noisy and cramped, with solid wooden furniture tightly packed together in the brightly lit area, the floor has a general uncleanliness about it, with bits of waste food around and a slightly slippery texture. At least the tables are given a quick wipe down, though I suggest also wiping down your cutlery before eating. Not a comfortable place for long lingering meals, this is more suited to quick, eat and leave situations.

Service at London Fat Duck is decent, with staff being friendly, greeting diners and having them quickly seated. That's provided you don't have to queue, which normally takes up to 20 minutes or more during peak periods. Staff are quick to clean empty / dirty tables, and food is also served quickly, usually less than 10 minutes of waiting even during peak periods. If you do need to wait for orders, staff will also warn you in advance, and suggest alternatives. It's also rather easy to attract their attention, and they will accomodate to special requests if possible. However, I totally hated that they refill cold tea instead of warm or hot tea.Food at London Fat Duck is Chinese Cantonese / Hong Kong style, with a focus on roast meats and dim sum. The highlight is of course their succulent roast duck! Taste of most other dishes is decent, not very memorable or attractive to repeat diners. Portions are designed for communal dining, though there are also individual portions. Prices are wallet-friendly and affordable, budget about SGD $27 per person for a full meal here. In fact, for the quality of food you get here, dining at London Fat Duck is actually more value for money than other places!

The star item on the menu, the Signature Roast Duck (SGD $26 Half, $48.80 Whole) lives up to the hype, and more. I daresay it's among the best roast ducks I've eaten, and furthermore, better than even some restaurant versions at higher prices! The duck meat is savoury sweet, with a moist and tender texture, while the duck skin is crisp, savoury salty, crunching beautifully. For such an affordable price, to get this kind of restaurant quality, is a winner in my book. Highly recommended!The Golden Custard Pandan Bun (SGD $5.20) was excellent! The same sweet savoury, crisp polo bun crust has been infused with fragrant pandan / screwpine leaf, already lifting the overall flavour. But inside is the creamy, buttery, rich and decadent molten custard, piping hot and luscious. Totally unhealthy, but so tasty and so good. Highly recommended!Hated both the Congee Seafood Ting Zai Style (SGD $7.80) and the Congee Century Egg With Shredded Pork (SGD $7.80) here. While the texture is correct, being thick yet not clumpy, the overall taste was weirdly sweet, like they had added too much sugar. Terrible, we didn't even finish both bowls. Skip this.Full London Fat Duck review: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2016/03/london-fat-duck.html