Full Hot Tomato Cafe & Grill review: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/02/hot-tomato-cafe-grill.html

Styled as a casual Western dining cafe, the main draw at Hot Tomato Cafe & Grill is their incredible value for money prices, moreso if you're a student. Founded in January 2006, Hot Tomato Cafe & Grill oftern draws crowds, and not just students, but those looking for a decent meal. Their grills, especially their steak, is on par with, and sometimes better, than several other high end steakhouses!

Ambience at Hot Tomato Cafe & Grill is simple, with colours of white and orange red against wood panelling. Tomato decor abounds, and the overall feel is loud and garish, like a cheap diner. For me, ambience here is a low point, like a visual assualt when sitting within. Overall cleanliness is also a minor point, you tend to get fast food style cleaning, which leaves little specks on the table or floor.

Service at Hot Tomato Cafe & Grill varies from decent, to poor. Staff are welcoming and friendly, but as they're mostly young part timers, the manner in which they speak to you tends to be rather to the point. On 1 occasion, I even had staff asking me to settle the bill before I was even served my main course! When all goes well though, service is rather average, and though orders are served to your table, payment is self-service at the cashier.

Food at Hot Tomato Cafe & Grill is Western style, mostly combining pasta (spaghetti aglio olio), with grilled meat or seafood. And their grilled items do stand out, seared / grill to perfection nearly every time. I particularly like their beef steaks, and their salmon. Portions are large, and for the price you pay, about SGD $15 per person for 1 main course, it's more value for money than many other places.The Ribeye Steak With Spaghetti Aglio Olio (SGD $14.90) features a 200gm beef ribeye steak, grilled to your liking. I got mine medium rare, and it was grilled perfectly, with a nice sear and char marks outside, yet moist and pink inside. Good beefy meaty taste, and the cut is also quite thick. The pasta is fragrant with the use of garlic, but a little too oily, and I wish they would have added some chili for heat. I loved the lettuce on the side, dressed in a tangy, sharp, bright citrus vinaigrette. Good value for money, highly recommended!

Full Munch Saladsmith & Rotisserie review: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/02/munch-saladsmith-rotisserie.html

Founded in 2005, Munch Saladsmith & Rotisserie started as a small salad shop, but has since expanded islandwide, gaining a loyal following mostly amongst the young, corporate executives. Promising fresh, wholesome, healthy, yet delicious food, Munch Saladsmith & Rotisserie offers over 60 different types of salads, rotated on a daily basis such that only selected salads are available on a daily basis. Munch Saladsmith & Rotisserie also offers a decent / average brunch, and rotisserie items.

Ambience at Munch Saladsmith & Rotisserie for their Paya Lebar outlet is dark, with very low ambient lighting or natural lighting, making the place rather unwelcoming. Most people as a result, order takeaway here. The wooden furniture is modern and semi-comfortable, but the small floor space means tables are spaced tightly. Also, the self-service area lacks napkins / serviettes. Ambience is probably the worst aspect of Munch Saladsmith & Rotisserie.

Service at Munch Saladsmith & Rotisserie is half self-service, half service staff assisted. Ordering, payment and collection is done at the counter, but staff help to stack your order on the plate... and with the small size plates used by Munch Saladsmith & Rotisserie, it gives the visual illusion that your plate is piled high and overflowing. The service staff are also pretty helpful and knowledgable when it comes to the daily salad varieties available, they're able to provide basic descriptions of what it's made with.

Food at Munch Saladsmith & Rotisserie is decent / average, to above average. I particularly like the freshness and varieties of their salads, most of which are cold salads. Sauces are light, and the overall look and taste is wholesome and rather healthy. Their rotisserie meat and fish items are average to below average, and not that great. But their coffee is pretty good, as it's supplied by Dutch Colony, you get full bodied flavours. Portions are sufficient for 1 person, and prices are comparable to most mid-range cafes, budget about SGD $17 per person for a meal.

The Salmon With Roasted Vegetables, Bacon & Mash (SGD $15.90) was hit and miss for me. The Salmon had nice moist fish meat and flaked off delightfully, but the skin was so tough and rubbery, it's almost impossible to cut. The Roasted Vegetables of fresh green, red, yellow bell peppers / capsicum, eggplant, and zucchini were juicy, with hints of sweet and savoury from roasting, pretty good, could be better if it was served warm. The Bacon & Mash has chunky mashed potatoes, infused with the smoky aroma of lean bacon, not too heavy, and not oily.

Full Shinkei review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/02/shinkei-tasting-session.html

Established in October 2013, Shinkei Japanese Ala-Carte Buffet Restaurant, located near Toa Payoh Library, offers a pretty good Japanese Ala-Carte Buffet. With a variety of over 140 small plates, and pricing comparable to other buffet places, Shinkei Japanese Ala-Carte Buffet Restaurant is worth a visit.

It can be slightly hard to locate Shinkei Japanese Ala-Carte Buffet Restaurant, as their signage on the exterior of the building isn't prominent. Ambience within Shinkei Japanese Ala-Carte Buffet Restaurant resembles a traditional Japanese forest tea house, with dark colours of wood and bright spot lighting. The wooden furniture is solid and modern, and they even have several spacious private rooms! Japanese sake casks are used for decor, as is traditional Japanese lanterns.Service at Shinkei Japanese Ala-Carte Buffet Restaurant is efficient. Staff are friendly and welcoming, and appear happy and cheerful. Orders are taken, and fulfilled quickly, and I like that staff also come around to clear away empty plates. While they're not too familiar with dishes when questioned, I like that they had the initiative to check with the chef and give us the answers.

Food at Shinkei Japanese Ala-Carte Buffet Restaurant is generally decent, with full flavours. Seasoning and sauces here tend towards the heavy side, but at least the food isn't bland. There are over 140 various items on the menu, from sushi, to tempura, to yakimono, to desserts. Dishes are served in small portions so you can order a variety of items. Pricing is decent as well, budget about SGD $45 per person for the ala-carte buffet here.

Rarely served elsewhere in Singapore, the Beer Orion Premium Draft has a light, slightly sweet taste with little bitterness. Almost similar to a fruit beer, this pale golden ale is very easy to drink, with a pleasant mouth feel. Definitely worth trying!I felt the Age Gyoza / Japanese Pork Dumpling was above average, with a nice, meaty bite to the dumpling, and a slightly firm skin that has a hint of crunch. The pork within is moist, and releases a savoury meat juice that coats each bite. Good!The Sashimi Moriawase platter has several hits, and several misses. The Shake / Salmon sashimi, the Maguro / Tuna sashimi, and the Tako / Octopus sashimi were very good. Loved the fresh taste, we couldn't stop eating it! However, the Hamachi / Yellow Tail sashimi, and the Ika / Squid sashimi were firmer in texture than normal, which made it difficult to eat.Loved the Chef's Special Signature Oysters, an off menu item. The oysters are fresh, with the signature briny taste of the ocean, yet clean and refreshing with the daikon radish topping and splash of lemon juice. Excellent!The Seared Tuna Loin is an off menu, Chef's special item. I like that the tuna loin is well seared, and the fresh fish results in a very nice texture. Better than some versions I've had elsewhere, this is worth ordering!Staff highly recommended the Hokkaido Green Tea Gelato, and it didn't disappoint! The thick, creamy gelato is smooth, and has a decent amount of green tea flavour, without the powdery taste normally present in other versions of green tea ice cream. Probably one of the best items I sampled here, I would visit again just to eat this! Very good, highly recommended!

Full Malaysia Local Delights (Lok Lok Buffet) review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/01/malaysia-local-delights-lok-lok-buffet.html

Located in the Tanjong Katong area of Singapore, Malaysia Local Delights has been around for awhile, and I visited them a few years back when they only sold their signature yellow skin Kampung Chicken Rice. These days, Malaysia Local Delights has also started offering a Lok Lok Buffet, and most diners that visit now go for this option.

Ambience at Malaysia Local Delights (Lok Lok Buffet) is typical of a coffeeshop, brightly lit with plastic tables and chairs. Fortunately, it's rather clean, and the pleasant outdoor seating lends to the overall ambience. Indoors is slightly more stuffy though, and the smell of bubbling hot pots lingers in the air.Service at Malaysia Local Delights (Lok Lok Buffet) is very good. The 3 freezers of food are kept constantly restocked, and if you order from the ala-carte menu, food is also prepared and served quickly. The lady boss is helpful and friendly, making conversation with diners and coming around to check on how your meal is going.

Food at Malaysia Local Delights (Lok Lok Buffet) is passable, somewhat average. While I love the freshness of the vegetables and seafood, their meat is frozen, not fresh, and this results in poorer taste and texture. Their fried items are pretty good though, especially their chicken wings! Prices here are nett, at SGD $26.80 per person for free flow of food, including drinks.Choose any 2 of the 8 types of Soup Base for cooking the Lok Lok / Food Skewers. For Soup Base, we selected the Chicken Soup & Tom Yum Soup, and chose to get the Satay Sauce on the side. The lady boss tells us that all spice levels are toned down, to suit those who don't like spicy food. For those who like their spicy food really hot, the lady boss says that customers can request to increase the spicy level of the soup base after ordering. Their signature here is their Satay Sauce, which is thick and savoury with a slight sweetness, with a whole lot of crushed peanuts within.There are over 50 different items offered for the Lok Lok Buffet here. Each individual food skewer has a rather small portion, so it's possible to sample first, then go back for those you like, without getting too full.

The selection of meat (beef, pork, chicken) use frozen meat, which lacks in taste and has a tougher texture. Go for the various sausages instead if you want meat. The vegetables and seafood, especially the prawns, are fresh, and very good. The ready to eat fried food is also pretty good, I like the chicken wings and the nonya rolls.

Full Hogs Bar & Restaurant review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2014/10/hogs-bar-restaurant.html

Styled as a bar for motorcycle lovers / bikers, Hogs Bar & Restaurant derives their name 'Hogs', from the affectionate nickname for the Harley Davidson motorcycle. Hogs Bar & Restaurant also doubles as a sports bar of sorts, and offers a good range of craft beers and wine, alongside a limited menu of food, in a charming, restored colonial bungalow.The ample parking area at Hogs Bar & Restaurant allows bikers to showcase their motorcycles, while the restored colonial bungalow facade lends an air of elegance. Choose to relax at the chill al-fresco beer garden which gets cooling night breeze, or sit indoors, where the multiple televisions, and large projector, screens live sporting events, usually soccer matches. Great atmosphere for sports fans, plus, they even have a pool / snooker table!The service provided by staff at Hogs Bar & Restaurant is inconsistent at times. Usually, they are friendly and welcoming, quick to take and fulfill orders. But dirty tables are cleared slowly. I find that staff are very stretched during peak periods, especially when Hogs Bar & Restaurant is packed during a popular sporting event, and staff are overwhelmed with orders. Service at such times tend to be slow, with forgotten or confused orders, incorrect billing, with diners sometimes being ignored. Terrible. Go when it's not too crowded.

I struggle with the food at Hogs Bar & Restaurant. Portions are large, and reasonably priced, but the problem I have is the very limited menu, with few options. Quality can be inconsistent as well, and I got burnt food on more than 1 occasion. But I like their good range of craft beers. The menu is expanded on weekends and public holidays, so I recommend avoiding weekdays when it's quiet.

Despite the name, Beer Fuller's Organic Honey Dew (SGD $14) does not contain honeydew melon juice. This 100% organic light golden English beer is brewed with malt, hops, and honey, giving it a gentle sweetness, with a slight bitterness. Texture is smooth, refreshing, and very drinkable, great for pairing with fried food!Beer Badger Tanglefoot (SGD $13) is a bright golden ale with a smooth, balanced taste of malt, a sharp but not unplesant bitterness, and a crisp finish. Legend has it the beer got is name when the head brewer drank several tankards and "fell on" the name of the beer.The Deep Fried Chicken Wings (SGD $13) were above average in taste, with a crisp, spiced batter that was flavourful. The wings themselves were rather meaty, bordering moist and dry, with a total of 4 complete chicken wings, or 8 drumettes and winglets. However, I did have 1 chicken piece that had burnt batter.