Paradise Inn is a familiar name with most Singaporeans with its offering of simple, affordable yet charming Chinese cuisine. The traditional concept of a Chinese inn is elevated to another level of sophistication as it carries a contemporary Oriental ambience such as lanterns and stools.

In addition to serving Chinese fare such as double-boiled soups in a relaxed ambience, Paradise Inn also specialises in serving teas infused with fruits, herbs and flowers.

While there was a queue when visited the branch at Marina Square, the wait was a mere 10 minutes due to the quick turnaround. Are we off to a calories worthy meal?

Spare ribs with pumpkin and dried oyster double boiled soup | 金瓜蚝士焞排骨 | S$18.90/++The pot of goodness was sufficient to feed four people with double servings each. The double-boiled soup, which has been simmered for at least eight hours, was generous in portion so expect to fill your dining guests' bowls with the ingredients such as spare ribs and pumpkin. We opted for a lighter soup as opposed to the classics which typically have stronger herbal ingredients.

Stewed pork belly with lotus bun | 招牌扣肉包 | S$2.30++/pieceFor those who appreciate and value their calories, this would be one of the most sinful appetisers but I guarantee that it is surely a worthy bite. While I enjoyed the layer of lean meat nicely complemented by the juiciness of the fat, I found the savoury oomph factor to be slightly lacking. I would have preferred a slightly stronger punch to make me go wow.

Fried fish skin with homemade chilli sauce | 自制酱脆炸鱼片 | S$7.90/++So simple yet so good. The fish skin was delicately deep fried to a nice level of crispiness without the grease. If you love your belachan chilli, you would surely enjoy this snack!

Steamed chicken with sand ginger | 生沙姜蒸走地鸡 | S$10.90/++This would appeal to those with a palate for stronger tastes. The use of kampong or more sophistically phrased, free-range chicken made all the difference. The meat was tender and juicy minus the fat. It had quite a love or hate relationship among the diners on the table as the fragrance of the ginger could be rather strong for some.

Hot plate tofu with cai xin and minced pork | 菜香铁板豆腐 | S$10.90/++A simple homely dish executed well. The slab of tofu on the hotplate was soaked in a savoury brown gravy with minced pork. It was soft on the inside without tasting overly mashy and had just the right level of firmness to retain its hold. The minced pork helped gave the tofu a nice rustic touch. Coating the hotplate is a generous layer of omelette. Absorbing the gravy, it was a beautiful dish to go with some white rice.

Thai style char-broiled pork neck | 泰式炭烧猪颈肉 | S$13.90/++I simply loved the fine marbling of fat which makes it tender and moist. It was grilled beautifully and while it was a simple dish, I enjoyed the execution. There was a nice thin layer of crispness to it which made it salivating good!

Crispy supreme seafood fried rice (small) | 香脆海鲜皇鸳鸯炒饭 | S$12.90/++This has to be one of our top favourites when it comes to a simple dish like fried rice. Our other recommendation would have to be at Din Tai Fung. What makes this dish outstanding was that it has crispy rice grains within the usual fried rice. The wok hei was sublime and every grain was nicely greased. I personally find that the hardest dish to master is always seemingly simplest dish to cook.

There was a slight mishap in our orders as it was not sent to the kitchen. The floor manager apologized at length and took efforts to ensure that our orders were expedited. While it was a hiccup, the overall customer service rendered by the various servers was good and we had no difficulties trying to secure their attention.

What drew me most and left a favourable impression was that the manager overhead me conversing in Cantonese and decided to strike a conversation with us in the same dialect. While returning my credit card after signing the bill, she also took the effort to address me by my surname and walked us to the exit before bidding farewell.

Among the many Chinese casual dining restaurants in Singapore, Paradise Inn has to be one of our top picks. The prices of the dishes are at an affordable range designed for the masses without compromising on the quality. Looking forward to trying the other restaurants within the Paradise Group!

Please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2014/01/sg-paradise-inn-calories-worthy-casual.html for our full review, complete with pictures.

Egg Tart (S$1.50/pc)Surely one of our top picks now in Singapore. We heard people before us were buying by the dozens and were wondering if it was as good as it sounded. We enjoyed the flaky pastry which was buttery yet not overly greasy from the butter used. The taste of the custard egg yolk also suited our palate. Not tasting overly sweet, it was rich and had a nice fragrance to it.

Red Bean Roll (S$1.50/pc)We liked the delicate touch to this simple pastry. Between the wraps and rolls was the mildly sweet red bean paste which we particularly enjoyed as the sweetness was enough to pleasure and not satiate.

Pork Siew Bao (S$1.50/pc)The pork siew bao tasted pretty similar to the usual char siew sou though the pork here was finely minced and diced so you could barely taste the meat. We loved the pastry though as it was almost melt-in-your-mouth soft. Apart from being a fragrant pastry, the filling was mildly savoury and sweet.

It’s pretty rare that we’ve found a café worth recommending. With the sprouting growth of so many hipster cafés recently, it’s almost a different café to hop to that you’d hardly want to visit a place twice.

This gave me the impression of the cafés I’ve visited in Sydney though, bringing the essence of café- chilling over. To me, a café is always about good food with a relaxing ambience, and an image of reading over a cuppa never fails to pop up.This was exactly what it was about, spotting comfy seats with shelves of magazines and books for you to browse freely. With the spacious and comfy seats, it’s no wonder that you can spot many propping their legs up, curled to enjoy a good read.

With so many self-service cafés around, I was quite surprised to find someone with all smiles, coming to pass us menus, clearing our tables and setting it.

After our super filling meal at Merry Men, we decided to just settle for desserts.Strawberry Shortcake

I’m a fan of fruity cakes and a strawberry shortcake as simple as it sounds, it’s tough to actually find one that manages to satisfy. This managed to do just right, with the right balance of light Chantilly cream and fluffy soft sponge cake. It wasn’t too sweet, balanced with the fresh strawberries. I’m usually picky when it comes to strawberry shortcake but this has certainly impressed me enough to want to go back for seconds – and no sharing this time!Berries Shibuya Toast

Thick toast with butter, chocolate sauce and a mix of berries, a first bite struck me as an odd piece though subsequently it became addictive with the savory butter going well with the sweet chocolate and sour berries. Though an ordinary dish, I liked how it was perfectly toasted, with crisp skin and warm insides, and served immediately that the centre wasn’t too soggy by the time it reached us. Well-executed dish, it was a hit for us!If you’re around the Robertson Quay area or looking for some late night haunts to chill, this would be one of our top picks. Great to nua/laze around, it’s quite packed though, and you might just wanna hang around before getting some comfy seats. Else you can always visit on a weekday if you’re looking for a quiet spot to finish up your work or do some reading. They’ve got free wifi so it’s very student/work-friendly!

For full review, please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2014/01/sg-babi-goeling-balinese-roast-pork-at.html

While most would choose to visit one of those hipster cafes that have popped up all over the area, we were looking for something different for a change.Spotting it from across the street with 2 red lanterns, it didn’t seem anything like an eating place, more like a temple or a place for rituals. It was only when we saw a review stuck outside on their roast pork that we decided to give it a shot. Stepping in, it was rather creepy with the music they played, the video which seemed like some documentary feature and greeted by an altar right at the doorstep.Recreating the culture of Bali and the more rustic feel, there were many photos pasted all over, and a few of it were actually photos of ones of the princes in Bali, as one of the owner’s wife was actually a descendant of the royal family!

With its chef and owners from Bali, the place is designed to bring you a taste of authentic Balinese cuisine, with their roast pork as specialty. Though with good food requires much patience, it takes many hours of preparation for the pork hence they only open from 5 to 10pm each day (except Monday).

All-in set ($8.80)
Balinese roast pork with rice, soup, sayer urab (vegetable toppings), 1 pork satay and 2 pork sausagesThis was recommended right upon we went in, good for first-timers who want a taste of everything. The roast pork lived up to our expectations indeed, tender and well-marinated to give a savoury touch, complete with a thin layer of fats for that smoothness. The roast pork skin and fried pork skin, however, were too hard for our liking. While I was expecting a crisp crunch to it, it was stiff and hard to chew, with a slight stickiness to it probably with the collagen from the skin.

The satay and minced pork on stick was also too hard for us, with the minced pork having a strong pork-y taste to it. I would have preferred it to be more tender, and the minced pork could have been rinsed in hot water first to get rid of the pork-y taste that might not sit well with many. The dark pieces of sliced sausages went well with the waxed texture and the beans were surprisingly good to add a crunch to the dish. I loved the subtle fragrance of the rice possibly coming from the banana leaf underneath, that wasn't overpowering like nasi lemak, allowing you to appreciate each item better! The set also came with a bowl of broth, however we found it a bit salty and weird, and the soup was not hot enough.

Black rice pudding ($3.50)
Signature dessert from BaliWe thought this would be another one of those usual pulut hitam, but were pleasantly surprised when we tried a few mouthfuls and uncovered different flavours within! Served chilled, the first mouthful was the usual, with seemingly loads of coconut but just slightly sweet. Digging in further, there was then a sweeter side to it, having gula melaka in it to complement the coconut fragrance. Then just as you were feeling jelat or too full in our case, the middle portion had ginger taste to it, to add that refreshing touch. Unlike those typical pulut hitam, we loved how the grains were not cooked till the paste form, and it was more of individual grains. Cooked just right in our opinion, we find this a satisfying one with varying flavours and the right texture to go!

Kopi Bali ($1.50)
Traditional coffee from BaliThis smells heavenly with a robust coffee aroma but we were greatly disappointed as it lacked the coffee taste and was overly sweet even for someone with a sweet tooth like me! Probably not something that I'll return for!We loved the hospitality and how the dishes were very value-for-money. Recommending a friend to try out this place too, he's also praised the Goreng Pisang they served, and it's on my to-try list the next time I visit!

Now on my trip to Bali next time, I’ll be sure to try out this dish to see if standards can actually match up!

When you think of "workshops", one would naturally associate it to the place to send your motor vehicle to for repairs rather than a place to fix your stomach. Having walked past this half-a-shopfront bistro previously, one would not help but overlook this hidden gem as it is nestled among the neighbourhood of Bukit Merah.

Quite ironically, there are plenty of motor vehicle workshops located behind where Workshop is located, but this sake bar surely has a more charismatic appeal. Inspired by the owners behind The Flying Squirrel, it offers a range of alcoholic drinks from draft beers, cocktails and wines to sake. Apart from being a chill-out place, it also has a small kitchen behind the scene to prepare Japanese fusion cuisine for its customers.Fugu Mirin (S$10/-)Strips of dried cured puffer fish was our appetiser as we waited for our mains to be served. With a dash of mayonnaise on the side to go along, the warm puffer fish jerky-like strips were palatable and would certainly go perfectly with some Asahi or sake. Unfortunately there was work to be done for the evening so we had to pass on the alcohol.

It has a mildly sweet taste to it and what I liked about it was the delicate touch to serve this appetiser warm.

All of the mains come complete with miso soup and choice of 2 out of three appetisers. It includes salad, side and fruits. Between the salads, we were given a choice of either the potato or wasabi crabmeat salad while the sides was a choice of California sushi roll or gyoza. Since we ordered two sets, we had the luxury to try all four different types of appetisers!

Daily special - salmon chirashi set (S$15/-)The salmon chirashi did not disappoint, with about six thick slices of salmon topped with fish roe and diced cucumber to give it a nice crunchy texture. The portion size was just nice for me and while I was not expecting to be surprised, I was satisfied with the freshness of the salmon and the overall set.I enjoyed the wasabi crabmeat salad more than the potato salad though the latter was equally good. The downside was that the taste of the wasabi could have been stronger to make it more memorable.We realised that when it comes to set menu or bento, there is usually nothing too impressive with the accompanying dishes. The potato salad, California roll and gyoza were all passable and tasted pedestrian.

Wagyu rice bowl set (S$13/-) This was recommended to us by the friendly server, Carine, who most pleasantly took the time and effort to chat with us while we waited for our dishes to be served. The minced wagyu beef was served with a half-boiled egg while spilled its yolk upon being sliced. The sweet corn and lettuce complemented the texture with a nice crunch but personally, I am never quite a huge fan of minced wagyu beef. I always enjoyed it sliced or as a steak.

This was savoury and the flavours of the wagyu beef was elegantly enhanced with some good cooking.

Opera cake (S$8/-) On the shelf were some cakes which we could not resist for our philosophy is to always end a meal on a sweet note, literally. The cakes and pastries available depends on where Workshop sources them from so expect it to change periodically.

Being rather skeptical about Opera cakes having tried a rather poor rendition recently at Becasse Bakery, we were assured by the quality of the patisseries and this slice of classic Opera cake surely did not disappoint. Fans of this dessert would be familiar with the layers of almond sponge cake soaked in coffee syrup, layered with ganache and coffee buttercream before being topped with a nice chocolate glaze. We enjoyed that the various elements of the Opera were present and more importantly well-received by our palate as it was not overly sweet. The taste of the coffee was also distinct and complemented the dark chocolate and lightly moist sponge cake perfectly.

Highly recommended and would certainly go well with a nice cup of fresh brew or English tea.Pear almond tart (S$7.90/-)While I am generally a huge fan of tarts, not many places have served a calories-worthy tart suited for my palate. The tart was one of the better ones tried with a nice crisp and firm touch to the edges and base. The poached pear was also not overly sweet and while the pastry was palatable to our taste buds, we felt that it could have a stronger almond taste.

Mushroom quiche (S$7/-)We also had the mushroom quiche to go and was our breakfast for the following day. We felt that the quiche was quite disappointing as it lacked the desired level of savouriness and cheesiness. It was a little too mild and the filling could also have been more generous. The saving grace was the tart itself which was biscuit like.

One of the drawing factors to Workshop would be that it is one of the few places around which does not charge 7% GST nor 10% service charge. All prices quoted on the menu were nett and food would be served after self-ordering it at the counter. Due to the small space, it gives a very nice homely feeling but if the place was full, it might give a different vibe.

We were also left to a fresh jug of lemons-infused iced water which was free-flow at no surcharge. Carine was especially attentive to our requests and shared with us about the concepts and inspirations of Workshop.

I always advocate that customer service is key to summing up a nice meal. While the food might not have been the most gastronomical, the prices were very reasonable for the quality and quantity of food served. It was overall a very enjoyable dining experience and we would certainly return one of these days, perhaps on a weekend just to enjoy some draft Asahi and finger food to spend a relaxing evening.