I have to start by disclaiming that this is not a story about authentic Thai food. This is another story of how I found a gem by following the long queue. Ah Loy Thai located at the basement of Tampines Mall always had a queue every time I passed by. Like always. Being the typical Singaporean, I made the assumption that the queue means good food. I am a good follower.

The pineapple fried rice ($7, below) had a wok hei taste, and the pineapples, prawns and raisins were a great infusion to entice the tastebuds. The eggs were to die-for. Although it tasted more like Chinese Zhi Char fried rice, it made me wanted to go Bangkok immediately. The Tom Yam seafood soup ($7.50, below) was really spicy. One sip and it set my tongue and belly to flames even faster than I could say "sa-wa-dee-kha". And I think they must have been best friends with their supplier because there were a lot of fresh ingredients: prawns, mushroom, lemongrass and chock-ful of squids. It was like a bottomless pot of ingredients. The soup brought out the essence of the ingredients and the spiciness was well balanced by the sourness. Loved the Phad Thai ($7, below) which was well done : not too oily and had a wok hei taste to it too. Umani packed thin flat noodles were flavorful and delivered the punch. Again, generous amount of eggs, prawns and beanspouts. This is like my perfect Phad Thai.
And before we thought the meal would not get any better, the butter calamari ($8, below) arrived. Hail the butter calamari! Every bite was a burst of sweet and savory. Although it's sinful, it's addictive and tasty. 5/5
Meat is very important in a meal so we ordered the pandan chicken ($10, below). Hmmm the chicken was a little tough (frozen meat?). Would give this a miss if we had known. Although the food was more like Chinese Zhi Char rather than Thai Thai in my opinion, it's really irresistible and tasty and had us swooning. These were really simple, nothing over the top dishes but that's all it takes to make us contented. And also make us work harder at the gym thereafter. And all these for only $13 per pax which is value for money! There is no service charge or Gst. It would have cost more if we went to other Thai restaurants. There is another outlet at Bugis Shaw towers but I haven't tried it before. Despite the queues during meal times, this is stuff that I would not regret queuing for. Ok I need to wipe off the drool on my keyboard now.

When I first heard that Nox Dine in the Dark was launched in Singapore, I wanted to try it immediately but the cost of $78 per pax threw me off the chair. Recently, I had the luck to save some buck to dine at Nox after I won an Openrice contest for two! Thanks Openrice!!

In a gist, the concept is dine in the dark. The menu is unknown to us. The server asked if we had any dietary restrictions or allergies. After the dinner has ended, we were brought back to a lit room where we make a guess on what we have eaten. The menu was then revealed to us. That’s when bragging rights belong to the most acute taste buds #ChallengeAccepted

Before our dinner and while waiting for our guide, we were served the Amuse-Bouche - salmon cod fish with roe (below). This is the only food picture I have as the rest of my dinner was held in the dark. For the Instagram addicts, I am sorry but you have to try to curb your Instagram withdrawal symptoms for this dinner. It was a while before we were informed that our guide Halimi is ready. I was absolutely thrilled! The feeling was just like the moment before I boarded on an aeroplane for the first time. I knew it was going to be an adventure and finally the moment has arrived. The dining room was a total pitch-black. We ordered a glass bottle of still water. The challenge was to make sure the table (and the floor) was not wet after the dinner. Nevertheless it was less stressful when we sensed that the cups were made of plastic instead of glass.

Dinner was a 3 course prix fixe menu - Appetizer, Main Course, Dessert. Each course had 4 smaller different bowls of food, which were placed on a tray.

It's bizarre how our other senses (hear, taste, touch, smell) were heightened when we can't see. I thought my taste buds were more sensitive in the dark as everything I ate tasted very strong. For example, saltier, sweeter, more sour. I could also smell my food before it came, especially the truffles.

And it’s a rare occasion where you aren’t distracted by Whatsapp or busy catching up on Candy Crush. I can’t remember when the last time I gave full attention to my dining companions. And girls, this is also probably the only restaurant where your BFs can't look at other girls.

We weren't sure how Halimi was going to know when we had finished eating. I joked, "Maybe let's just raise our hands." OK I know that's lame and I was quite sure my friend rolled her eyes even though I can't see that. We waited quite some time after our last desserts before Halimi returned.

After we finished, we were brought to the reception area on first floor where we then filled up a questionnaire on what we think was the food we ate. When the server revealed the menu and photos of the food that we ate, we were really caught by surprise by some of the ingredients. We couldn't take pictures of the menu/photos as the restaurant only changes the menu every four weeks and it won't be fun for the rest if we revealed.

Be prepared to pay top dollar (S$78++ without drinks), but be rest assured that you will be served high quality food. The ingredients are worthy of the price you will be paying. There is so much emphasis on food presentation nowadays and sometimes I am guilty of letting it confuse the taste buds. This is a chance where you can focus on just the taste. I must highlight that the food served was enjoyable and I loved all of them, except for one of the main courses which was due to a personal preference.

Not to mention that the service you will get is top-notch. Our guide Halimi is not just a waiter, but an inspiring character. He was formerly a Singapore Airlines crew member but had to undergo an operation to remove his brain tumour. Although he became visually-impaired after the operation, he was never despaired and continued to live life to the fullest and continue to do what he loves - customer service. To many, he might be physically handicapped but actually I think he is no less handicapped in terms of his personality.

Overall, if I could only describe my experience in five words, that would be: "eye-opening", once-in-a-lifetime, amazing, unique, touched. In fact, I am thinking of going back there again after the menu changes.

Some tips :
1) Use the toilet before the adventure as it would be difficult if you need to use the toilet in the middle of the dinner. Don't worry, the toilets are lit.
2) Wear clothes with pockets so that you can keep the locker key. That’s because we also had to keep our bags, mobile phones, cameras, and anything that can gives off light in the lockers.
3) For the klutz, wear dark coloured clothes to prevent food stains.
4) Wear flats/low heels as you would need to climb the stairs to the dining area on 2nd floor.

I went there during the off peak hour 3pm plus on a Sunday. The restaurant only had three other group of customers. Hence, I could get a seat immediately. Nevertheless if you need to wait, please self-help to some ice barley tea while you wait outside the restaurant. So thoughtful!

While we were waiting, we chomped on some beanspouts provided as a side dish. The beanspouts were crunchy and marinated with a sauce. My friend who is a lover of beanspouts claimed it's the nicest beanspouts ever. We finished half a bottle of the beanspouts.

Not sure if it was because we went during the off-peak timing, our Ramens came very fast... My King Ramen ($16.90) which I topped with soft boiled eggs and seaweed for $3, really made me felt like a king instantly. The pork slices were damn nice, thinly sliced and savory. Despite the description being pork slices with ginger, the ginger taste was subtle which was good because it would be weird if the ginger taste was overwhelming. The eggs were sweet, runny and melts in the mouth. Noodles were chewy.. and the most important was the soup base.. an instant umamni kick.. the soup is thicker than normal soup which was due to the pork bones being boiled for 11 hours instead of the normal 8 hours. The Summer Ramen ($15.90), which we topped with eggs of $2, was also equally good as the King Ramen.. The soup base was rich and full of umami taste.. The chilli is made of three types of chilli: Japanese Chilli, Szechuan Pepper and Cayenne Pepper. Sounds lethal.. the soup was spicy but we can still handle it.

We also tried the green tea cola ($3.80) which was very addictive.. Sweet, fizzy and refreshing.. Hmmm tastes like drinking Coke + 7 up + sweet lemonade? However, we could not taste the green tea though the content label stated green tea is included. Nevertheless, a very special drink and a must try!

For more pictures and less-concised review, please visit http://weekendeatwhatsg.blogspot.sg/2013/08/ramen-keisuke-tonkotsu-king.html

Penny University is the Eastie's best kept secret. The only problem is that everyone and their grandma knows about it. I have been wanting to go there for the longest time, to see for myself if the online raves were justified. And I was surprised to see throngs of early-risers occupying the little cafe on a Saturday morning.

I got a little cute mango cupcake ($4). Quite expensive for this size. Luckily it tasted good. In fact, it was one of the better cupcakes I've had. Sweet mango jam filled the core of the fluffy and moist pastry. Vanilla cream atop the cupcake and decorated with stripes of mango jam. I like how it wasn't overly sweet and how light it was. A simple cupcake yet it was satisfying.I am no coffee expert but the iced mocha ($6.50) that I ordered tasted excellent in my opinion. The mocha was smooth and balanced. Talk about that perfect ratio between the bitterness of the coffee beans and the sweetness of the chocolate. Makes me wanna shout, "Penny University, you've got a very good barista!"I could see why the Marmite toast with poached eggs and cheese ($4.50) was a crowd pleaser. The toast was spread with marmite and cheese, making it very salty and savory. Looked at that poached egg! Doesn't it look heavily pregnant? Golden orange runny egg yolk flows out when the knife cuts through it. Only one word could describe when I soak the toasted bread in the egg yolk and the melted cheese - Blissful! The accompany refreshing greens gave a healthy side to the dish. Although the portion looks little, it was sufficient enough for my brunch. While I adore the rustic wooden theme - wooden chairs & tables, wooden cupboard, I wished the ambience was quieter. In fact, it was too noisy until I couldn't make out the music playing in the background. A planned morning of solitude was shortened by the incoming flux of customers queuing up which made me feel too guilty to linger around any longer.

However, I observed that the queue at 10 or 11am was much shorter. Hence try to come at those times else you might have to join the insane queue which was trying to get in at 12pm.

In conclusion, a lovely cafe that's worth every penny (pun intended) except it was too overcrowded.

I was really looking forward to the OpenRice tasting session at Gourmet Plus because it offers a mixture of Spanish, Italian and French food. So I'll get to try different types of European food at one go

The Gilda on Shot Gazpacho ($10 for two shots, below) is an appetizer served in a shot glass. Kudos for being creative! Step 1: Please dip the skewer of marinated olive, chilli, antxoas & baby onions into the gazpacho soup. Step 2: Sip a little of the refreshing gazpacho soup that is made of cold tomato . Step 3: Eat each piece of the vegetable on the skewer. The overall result is a lingering spiciness and sourness on the tastebuds, a refreshing starter to our 10-course dinner.The Haloumi & Green Olive Salad ($18, below) had grilled haloumi cheese tossed with olive, rocket & frisee, Japanese cucumber, pine nuts, red onion in a light mustard dressing. This is my first time eating Haloumi cheese, a Greek cheese, and I loved it. The cheese was pan-fried, slightly salted, texture was like toasted scallop but a bit harder. An interesting dish.Pulpo ala Gallega ($16), is a pretty stack of boiled octopus in between slices of potato, topped with fish roe. Quite a creative combination as the octopus was chewy while the potatoes were soft so there was variation in texture.

The next dish may look like a kitchen disaster, but never judge a book by its cover. Although the Squid Ink Coated Calamari el Bulli with Aioli ($16, below) doesn't look appetizing, my appetite was aroused by the garlic fragrance of this dish when it was served. The calamari was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Must eat with the smooth Aioli sauce. An addictive dish that I couldn't stop going for.Coca Iberico Jamon Lomo & Rocket ($28, below), uses Spanish ham which is from the loin and hence it is more tender than the normal ham. Coupled with the melted cheese and golden baked pizza crust, the result was a robust taste that exploded in the mouth. The roasted Corn-fed Chicken ($30, below), was very tender, and the taste was enhanced when the chicken was drizzled with the essence of chicken demi that accompanied it. Together with the shiitake mushroom, roasted potatoes, and kitchen vegetables, this makes a hearty French dish.Back to Spanish.. the Rabo de toro ($28, below). Spicy spanish oxtail stew, braised for 6 hours, and the result was ultra soft oxtail which tasted both gamey and tender. Eaten with the toasted bread provided. Just when I thought it doesn't get any better than this, we were introduced the Crispy Wagyu Beef Cheek ($35, below). Pan-seared melt-in-your-mouth beef cheeks on mashed potatoes, US asparagus, to be smeared with the red wine shallot gravy. The knife effortlessly cut through the reddish meat, evidential that it was well-braised for hours. How do they make it crispy on the outside and soft on the inside? They only fry the beef cheeks when it is ready to be served. And the mashed potatoes was also a scene stealer with its subtle cheese flavor. Meet Bermuda Triangle of Chocolate ($15, below). The delightful trio is made up of: (i) Chocolate lava cake, (ii) Nutella parfait & berries and, (iii) White Chocolate Panna Cotta. Personal favorite would be the cold sweet Nutella Parfait balanced by the sweet and sour berries. Simple yet good.Since they say there is always a separate stomach for desserts, one dessert would not suffice to end this feast. Our second dessert Nutty Chocolate Peppermint Ravioli ($14) - coated with sugar bread crumbs, molasses amaretto (a type of sweet Italian liqueur) and coconut waffle was nutty and slightly mint flavored. A very unique dessert.

This cosy restaurant has been around since 2004, so that means they must be doing it right. There's an alfresco area which has a romantic ambience. The place can serve up to 75 persons, sounds like a good place to hold functions/gatherings. They have an extensive wine list too. For an inspiring dinner experience and high quality Western cuisine in the East, do visit Gourmet Place for a weekend meal.

Many thanks to OpenRice and Gourmet Plus for the kind hospitality and making me feel like a royal during this great tasting session!

For full review and more photos, please visit http://weekendeatwhatsg.blogspot.sg/2013/08/gourmet-plus.html