Armed with our groupon voucher of $5.90 for 2 scoops of Artisan Gelato from Alfero, we trooped down to their spanking new outlet at Orchard Gateway (otherwise known as the mall squeezed between Somerset 313 and Orchard Central. Hidden in the basement, Alfero is tucked amongst the many F&B options in Orchard Gateway and with its chic black interior, could have been easily ignored. 

Unlike most gelato shops that proudly display their goods in as outlandish a manner as possible - really, am I REALLY going to be getting that tub of nutella along with my scoop of nutella gelato -, Alfero has gone down the low-key route, covering their gelato with tin caps, as they claim that it keeps the gelato fresh and safe from air and light pollution. 

As the saying goes, "less is indeed more" and the less gelato on display, the more we hankered after them. Between the both of us, my sister and I probably sampled all of the available flavors - ranging from the usual vanilla/chocolate/strawberry to the exotic hazelnut and pistacho. The ice cream girl was really lovely and incredibly patient with us, the tin caps clanging as she gave us samples from one flavor to the next. In the end, we took her recommendation of the Pistacho (crowd favorite!) and Dark chocolate to heart and ordered a cup of each flavor. 

(The chocolate was quickly appropriated and guzzled down by my sister before I could get a snap of it so you guys will just have to settle for a shot of the pistacho.)

And what a shot indeed (and brownie points if you got the "Godfather" reference on the cup)! While the dark chocolate flavor was intense and a chocolate lover's delight, the Pistacho was the one I was fighting tooth and nail with my family over. Pure nutty goodness in a pretty packed cup, we definitely savored every rich and creamy spoonful of it - a crowd favorite indeed!

Coupled with excellent service and a narrow yet cosy interior, I'll definitely be heading back here whenever I'm in town for a sugar fix! And if you do try it out, DEFINITELY opt for the Pistacho. 

A great place for catching up with friends, the beer market does have a live band, which is one of my favourite things in a place (as long as the band is good obviously!). However, try not to seat near the speakers or else you’ll be yelling in each other’s ears trying to be heard all night!

The Beer Market Burger ($14) had a char-grilled beef patty with BBQ sauce served with thick cut fries and fresh salad. While the burger was delicious thanks to the massive patty and generous lashings of BBQ sauce (one can never go wrong with BBQ sauce!), the fries were a disappointment because they arrived cold and a little soggy. Which is probably the worst state fries can be served in. Nevertheless, the burger and salad made up for it although I feel that if they had perfected the fries, or at least served them while they were hot and fresh, it would have made the dish truly excellent. I also got a lychee beer ($12) because I’m a typical girl who does not like the taste of beer but the sweetness and lychee-flavour helps to get me through a bottle or two. The cool thing about beer market is that the prices of beer follow that of a stock market and change throughout the evening depending on demand and supply. You can view all the beer prices of tv screens scattered around the eatery which is an interesting and unique concept. It does feel sad when you realize you could have paid less for your drink but that’s the stock market for you. I’ll definitely be back with some friends soon!

On a lazy Saturday afternoon, my family decided to head to a small Japanese restaurant in Boat Quay for a nice set lunch. Frequently patronized by the working crowd on the weekdays, the restaurant was relatively empty when we visited on a weekend. I got the Teriyaki salmon set lunch ($16.90) but you can choose other dishes such as Wagyu beef, Teriyaki chicken or grilled saba fish. The meal comes with a small salad, which was quite average with a light dressing. Then some salmon and tuna sashimi which I really enjoyed because they were nice and fresh! Finally the main dish came with my grilled salmon drizzled with Teriyaki sauce, miso soup, rice and some pickles. The salmon was cooked just enough to be juicy yet crispy and went wonderfully with the rice and soup. Lastly, dessert was a scoop of home-made ice cream of your choice (green tea, yuzu, sesame, grape, sea salt) and I decided to try sea salt for a more exotic taste. It had a very unique taste being both salty and sweet at the same time, but I highly recommend trying it! Apparently, all the ingredients are flown in from Japan so you can expect them to be fresh and of the highest quality!

Highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a bite in the CBD area. The prices are reasonable for the quality of food served and most of the customers are regulars so you can be sure that the food is good enough for them to keep coming back!

Looking for cheap and good food in Town is always a challenge so I was glad to have been introduced to this gem of an eatery conveniently located at Concorde Hotel, smack between Somerset and Dhoby Ghaut. My friend suggested the place having eaten there before and she swore that the kimchi jiggae (kimchi soup) and potato pancake will forever ruin food court korean food for me. After having tried them out, I have to agree.

For $6, you get a hot piping bowl of kimchi jiggae, along with a bowl of white rice and a side dish of either kimchi, pickled cucumbers or anchovies. I opted for the anchovies and my friend and I decided to share the potato pancake ($4).Its fiery red colour belies the true spiciness level of the soup because it actually isn't as spicy as it looks. It does have the sour taste of kimchi though so if you're not a fan, then best to try other soup dishes instead. Generous portions of kimchi, sliced pork, egg, tofu and vermicelli noodles can be found in the soup, which went really well with the rice. One of the better kimchi jiggaes in Singapore I have to admit. The potato pancake was also crispy and tasty and best eaten when hot! It came with a dipping sauce that made it extra yummier.

If you're looking for a cheap and good meal while in Town, do try out this humble little shop in Juz Foodcourt!

Another day, another food trend – that’s the food scene in Singapore for you. If you remember a couple of months back, beancurd was the food of the moment. Not just any beancurd mind you, it was the silky non-traditional beancurd that doesn’t come with any syrup because it’s already sweetened and smooth. Fast-forward a couple of months later, this new-fangled beancurd is still around and the undisputed leader of the pack would have to be Lao Ban beancurd. You know a shop is successful when it has to customize plastic bags to fit up to 6 beancurds in one bag. As usual I got the original flavoured one ($1.50) which is actually more than twice the price of the traditional beancure, but you will soon learn why.

What sets Lao Ban apart from the crowd is that their beancurd seems to have a very multi-dimensional taste. It is not just sweet but it has an almost creamy taste to it which I’m very fond of. This distinguishes it from the rest of its competitors and is why I feel that it is the best in Singapore. The fact that it melts in your mouth is also an added plus!

If you haven't tried lao ban beancurd yet, you must be living under a rock. I strongly urge you to leave it and go get yourself some of this delicious milky goodness!