We needed to find a place to grab a quick bite before class but since it was a Saturday evening, queues were forming outside almost every restaurant. It just so happened that we happened to spot some empty tables inside of Domani and thought we might be able to finish dinner there quickly. Unfortunately, this is definitely not the place you want to be at when you are rushing for time. Service started off a bit slower than expected when plain water was not served even asking for it three times. I can understand if the restaurant was packed but it wasn't when we were there so it was obvious that the staff seemed a bit overwhelmed.

My first dish was a Spanish tapas which I had tasted before in Barcelona and really liked but sad to say, Domani's version was a disappointment. The prawns were not as fresh as I thought and the seasoning really paled in comparison. Fortunately, the seafood linguine was slightly better and helped Domani redeem itself. The linguine was nicely cooked but the sauce felt a tad too sourish due to the tomatoes so it affected how the seafood tasted.

In all, my conclusion is, if you are in a rush, this place is not for you since you might get frustrated by the waiting time for your food. Prices felt a bit steep compared to the level of service and quality of food I got. If you manage to visit this place at a not-so-busy time and can afford to sit around for a while, I think you might enjoy Domani better than I did.

Was looking for a quick bite (late lunch/tea) at Plaza Singapura and chanced upon Nana which wasn't crowded and was still open at that time. I ordered the ebi chili don i.e. prawns in chili sauce with rice and yakitori chicken. With the ebi chili don comes a bowl of miso soup if you are ordering as a set. Frankly speaking, there aren't that many items to choose from if you are looking for rice/noodle choices as compared to the galore of green tea drinks and desserts on offer. I can't blame them since this is essentially a drinks and dessert place but it would have been nice to have more options.

The ebi chili don was passable with nicely deep-fried prawns in the slightly sweet chili sauce. Miso soup was a bit bland. As for the yakitori chicken, I think I prefer the leeks that come with it rather than the chicken which didn't leave a strong impression on me.

Overall, if you are looking for a quick bite and do not have sky-high expectations for the food here, I think Nana's is still a good choice. However, most people are here for the drinks and desserts so I think those key items will probably fare better.

I usually walk by this place and see people enjoying their food and drinks in the alfresco setting but I didn't really like the idea of being subjected to the fumes from the heavy traffic along Orchard Road while baking in the heat. During one Saturday evening, a friend suggested eating here since other places seem to be having very long queues so we ended up here and managed to grab one of the last few tables or else we had to queue again.

First up was the shellfish bisque which was full of seafood freshness and flavours but not to the extent of being overwhelming. I have tasted versions which tend to be a bit strong on the fishy taste so this should be quite acceptable to most people.The lychee smoothie was good in the sense that it took away the heat felt due to the lack of aircon and wasn't too sweet.As for the honey glazed chicken, there isn't a lot to say about it since I felt that it was just so-so. I couldn't taste which part of it was "honey glazed" and the chicken felt a bit dry so this wasn't very satisfactory in my opinion.

I had visited Gurney Culture at the airport and thought that this restaurant was the same as that but sad to say, it wasn't. Other than the name, the wow factor at Gurney was not to be seen here. The signature prawn mee was seriously lacking in the aroma which I suspect could be due to the use of chicken rather than spare ribs. Having tasted the pork edition which made the soup a bit robust than the chicken version, I think the gap in the tastes made it rather difficult for me to appreciate the latter.

As for the Penang ice-kacang, it tasted rather different from the local version we are used to which is full of colourful syrups. There was a strong spice taste in the shaved ice which I couldn't place my finger on and the pieces of dried sweet garnishings (forgot what they were) felt a bit out of place with the dessert. Maybe it was just us who couldn't appreciate this dessert since this was the first time we ate it.

Anyone who has walked past Au Chocolat will probably have the impression that they are all about desserts and cakes. That was the same thought until I realised that they have a cafe/restaurant further down the corridor when I needed to find a place to grab an afternoon snack.

I order the calamari and tiramisu which were both good in their own ways. One thing I always find lacking in calamari is that if the squid used isn't fresh, it destroys the whole feel of the dish. Au Chocolat's version was pretty good and the batter helped to bring out the freshness of the squid within. Overall, I felt that it was a great combination. As for the espresso tiramisu, I liked the texture of it i.e. not too wet nor dry and was very flavourful. The cute heart-shaped cookie at the edge of the cup was an added bonus.

For more pictures and a more detailed review, please visit my blog: http://shokushisouseikatsu.blogspot.com/2013/02/trying-new-hang-out-place-au-chocolat.html