Prior to this Between X OpenRice Food Tasting Session, my only experience with German-based cuisine had been a couple of visits to Brotzeit for some schnitzels and bratwursts. My Deutsch foodie experience was thus greatly enhanced during this Tasting Session, courtesy of Between and OpenRice.

Stuttgart Blackforest Boutique S-Café is a lovely little German eatery that appears to pride itself on delivering an authentically German experience to its patrons. This was evident throughout my visit.

While waiting to be seated, one already catches a glimpse of the exquisitely-furnished café interior. An impressive variety of pastas and spirits sits invitingly on large wooden shelves. Stepping inside, I was struck by the sight of large majestic trees scattered across the eatery, their branches reaching towards the lofty ceiling. Much thought and care was indeed put into the decorations, with a spinning water wheel and a wall of antique cuckoo clocks among the more outstanding features.Water wheel: attention-catching centrepieceWater feature complete with fishShelves upon shelves of specialty pastas

After getting to meet the fellow OpenRicers present as well as Joash, the General Manager (Singapore) of VCNC (which is behind the Between app), we were ready to choose our dishes from a selection of mains and desserts to accompany a Wurstsalat (SGD 18++), a salad with sausages, onions and gherkins.The Wurstsalat was simple yet satisfying in a understated way. The sausage slices possessed a unique mix of tastes, with a slight sourish tang adding some tart zest to the otherwise salty meat. The accompanying greens and cherry tomatoes added the finishing gustatory as well as visual touches.

For my main, I went for the Schwäbische Maultaschen (SGD 25++), which consists of two large pockets of Swabian pasta, each stuffed with savoury minced beef. These were served on a bed of sautéed onions and potatoes. Accompanying these was a mesclun salad complete with bright cherry tomatoes. The two maultaschen were generously sized and appetizingly presented, with the onions, potatoes and salad each adding a distinct dimension to the meat pockets. The pasta itself was soft and subtly fragrant, and provided a perfect foil to the more intense flavours of the minced beef. The maultaschen were well-complemented by the bed of potatoes and onions, whose tangy flavours I presume may be attributed to a vinaigrette dressing. It was indeed a flavourful and well-balanced dish.Flavourful minced beef within!

Accompanying my meal was a cappuccino (SGD 10++) which was easily the most frothy and fluffy coffee I have ever encountered. Check out the froth!

If you cut through all that fluff (literally), you will find that Stuttgart does really do quite a mean cappuccino. The coffee was thick and full-bodied, with intense aromas wafting up with every (divine) sip. Rounding off the feast was a slice of Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (SGD 12++), a freshly-baked Blackforest cake that was fluffy, creamy, light and rich all at once. The spongy cake layers were interspersed with sweet and gooey cherries, with cream and chocolate shavings holding it all together. The cake was delightfully sweet and intensely flavoured with Kirschwasser, a traditional cherry liquor, making it a wonderful flavourful burst on the palate.

While service was reasonably attentive and polite to a fault, it was at times a little slow. We were made to wait uncomfortably long for some of the dishes, but this could be put down to the large group we were in. Overlooking this blemish, the homely ambience and quality of food were indeed top notch, making a visit to Stuttgart Blackforest Boutique S-Café an advisable one. Just be sure to visit only when not in a rush, and go prepared to spend a leisurely evening over some great-tasting German cuisine. Do also take the opportunity to take a few photographs (unintrusively of course), as the café is painstakingly decorated.

En Guete!

This Canadian chain is one of the relatively newer kids on the block on the Singapore fast food scene. Despite their relative inexperience in the local arena however, they serve up some pretty charming burgers.This is the Original Combo (SGD 9.90), which consists of the Original Burger, a drink and a choice of a side. For just a dollar more, you can upgrade your side to a Poutine, a fat-laden but oh-so-sinfully good Canadian staple comprising fries doused in gravy and cheese curds. I think this is a great option, as the Poutine is wonderfully done, served warm and with the cheese curds blending nicely with the gravy to form a thick rich dressing for the fries beneath. My only grouse would be that the serving could be more generous but in any case...one does not simply get enough of Poutine!

The Original burger itself was pretty much as expected, with a tasty beef patty sitting atop a bed of greens, dressed lightly in tomato sauce. Simple yet delicious.

The food here definitely scores better than the speed of service. Despite the restaurant being rather empty, I had to wait about 10 minutes for my order, which is indeed not what one would associate with a fast food concept.

If you are in the mood for fast food but are sick of the usual suspects such as McDonald's, KFC and Burger King, Triple O's is worth a visit. Do expect to wait a little longer and fork out just a little more though.

The Korean fried chicken craze has brought with it a couple of such chains to Singapore's shores. One of these is 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken, which whips up some crispy, salty, and audaciously sinful-tasting crispy fried chicken.

The menu is commendably extensive, going beyond chicken to include perennial seafood delights such as calamari and shrimp.Here is the Chicken Burger as well as the Chicken Chop. 4 Fingers' chicken products come with a choice of soy garlic or spicy versions, which is great news for non-chilli eaters like myself.

The chicken was delightfully crispy, with every bite producing a audible cracking treat. However, the flesh ensconced within the crispy exterior was a little too dry and hard. I did not detect any particularly strong flavours of soy or garlic, just a generic savoury and salty taste.

The accompanying fries were certainly commendable. I was impressed by the liberally-sprinkled lashings of seasoning, which did wonders for the fries. The fries themselves were thinly cut, just the way I enjoy them.

For a quick and satisfying fried chicken fix, do be sure to check out 4 Fingers!

Despite being of South Korean origin, Kraze Burgers serves up a wide range of American-styled burgers, complete with all-American favourites such as Chilli Cheese Fries. The food serving sizes are pretty generous, and are indeed hearty and filling.The K. Onion (SGD 14.00++) consists of a thick beef patty accompanied by the usual greens such as lettuce and tomatoes. Topped with crispy onion rings and a nicely-caramelized barbeque sauce, this burger makes for a wonderfully savoury meal. The lightly-charred patty adds a welcome hint of smokiness to the burger, contrasting well with the sweetness of the barbeque dressing.

Served alongside a garden salad and what appeared to be sweet potato fries, this was indeed a satisfying and filling dish.The layers of beef and onions working perfectly in tandem.No complaints about the Chilli Cheese Fries (SGD 8.00++) either, which passed muster both in terms of quantity and quality. The large mound of thick cut fries was generously topped with minced beef and grated cheese, just the good ol' carbo-blast it ought to be.

For an all-American burger diner experience, do pop by Kraze Burgers!

Central Hong Kong Cafe at Jurong Point oozes old-school retro charm even to passers-by sneaking a mere glance into the place. The cafe is decked out with rustic-looking furniture and flooring, and the '80s/'90s vibe is completed by the numerous posters of relevant celebrities plastered across the walls. Have a look!Simple, retro-looking furniture.Posters that contribute to the rustic old-school Hong Kong charm.Alas, the decor is pretty much the only commendable aspect of this cafe. This Pork Chop rice-based dish (SGD 7.00++) came accompanied by a sourish tomato dressing and topped with an egg. My opinion of it was that the dressing was too overpoweringly sour, and overwhelmed the other flavours that should have come out more strongly. For instance, the pork itself could barely be tasted. The various ingredients did not seem to blend or work together, and appeared to me like a haphazard mish-mash of ingredients combined without much thought to the overall workability of the dish. Furthermore, the serving was really small, and did not do much to fill me up. The one saving grace was that the meat was surprisingly tender to the bite, and was succulent and juicy.

Despite charging for service, there was barely any to speak of. Getting the attention of servers was constantly a laborious and painful process throughout my meal. When finally successfully summoned, or when delivering the food, they wore a grumpy look, as though they were doing me a favour by attending to me. Curt and utilitarian service certainly was the order of the day.

With downsized serving sizes, overly-sour dressing and equally sour faces, I am giving Central Hong Kong Cafe a wide berth in the future.