New Fut Kai Vegetarian Restaurant (新佛界素食馆) is situated at Jalan Besar, and has been serving delicious vegetarian cuisine to the vegetarian and non-vegetarian communities for the past decade. Their menu is extensive, from mock meat to mock seafood, even comprising of local delights such as vegetarian satay and spanning across other cuisines such as serving briyani rice!Ambience is home-styled, comfortable but not extravagant; design leans heavily on Chinese flavour, with big round tables and wall decor items. Service was average but polite enough. There is an alfresco area for dining as well, if one doesnt mind sitting at the small alley beside the restaurant.The Deep Fried Abalone Mushroom with Pumpkin Sauce (SGD$12.00 for small / SGD$18.00 for medium / SGD$24.00 for large) - the abalone mushroom was battered and crispy on the exterior, with a tender and moistened interior. The pumpkin sauce was thick and saccharine, and as a result the dish was very tasty.The star of the night was the Charcoal Fish Head Steamboat, served with enoki mushroom on the side. Personally, this was my favorite dish of the night. The broth was delicious, tasted like the soup cooked with real sliced fish. The vegetarian / mock fish was made of beancurd skin and springy in texture. There were quite a fair bit of vegetables in the soup, making it a balanced meal.Following that, we had the Sambal Hotplate Fish, served with limes on the side. This dish resembles a fish dish in an uncanny fashion, especially the appearance. One of my dinner companions nearly forgot that he was at a vegetarian restaurant, and began to look out for bones in the mock fish dish. Anyway, it was made of soy, so there was a crunchy texture to it, as well as a sweet taste, heavily obliterated by the delicious spicy sambal atop. I enjoyed it immensely because I can take very high level of spiciness, but feedback from other companions was that the sambal was too thick.Then we had the Braised Vegetarian Ribs with Coffee (SGD$10.00 for small / SGD$15.00 for medium / SGD$20.00 for large). The tender, soft, mock meat was held together by sugar cane stick, and redolent of coffee's aroma. It was a little too soft as compared to the real ribs, but overall flavour was robust.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2016/01/invited-tasting-dinner-at-new-fut-kai.html

A spin-off, or branch of Greenwood Seafood Bistro (review here), the Little Fish Shop is truly a hidden gem tucked away on level 4 of Nex Shopping Mall - just when I thought I knew Nex well enough! Little Fish Shop is the expansion into the heartlands, serving quality, fresh and affordable seafood dishes from around the world.The Ocean Trout (SGD$24.95) from the same section, pan-seared. It was served with 2 sides, so *Janice opted for mashed potatoes and chips. Her feedback was that the Ocean Trout was good, but bore a striking resemblance to salmon in aesthetics and palatial aspects, as well as the creamy, flakey texture.The the Ling Cod (SGD$26.95), having been described to bear resemblance to the cod and catfish (doesn't sound right huh). I opted for pan-seared doneness and sides of fresh green salad and chips. The fish did taste like catfish - the more taut version of it, a little creamy as well, but nothing like black cod. Regardless, the fish was fresh and tasted good; chips were crispy and greens were refreshing.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2016/01/dinner-at-little-fish-shop-nex.html

RedDot BrewHouse sits in a distinctive historical spot at Dempsey Hill, a dilapidated barracks restored to the beauty it is today. A second outlet opened at Boat Quay in 2010, also situated in a beautiful historical building. Atmosphere is chilled, relaxing and yet beautiful artistic pieces adorn the various corners of the restaurant / bar. A live band plays in the evenings as well. As for service, it could get a little slow and servers are not too attentive.We came here especially for the famous Monster Green Lager Beer - made up of green spirulina, which consists of lots of health benefits such as boosting of immunity system and regression / elimination of AIDs virus. Unlike the usual beer, this one was very low on fizziness; it was very smooth to ingest, like liquid silk, and was sweet in flavour. I found this absolutely tasty and beautiful.The Crispy Baby Squids (SGD$12.00) were not your typical calamari - they were whole baby squids deep-fried to a golden brown with crackling texture, like the ones you get at Chinese seafood restaurants. Battering, if any - was ultra light. These were addictive so we ordered two servings of them.
For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2016/01/chilling-out-at-reddot-brewhouse.html

This is a revisit to Sopra Cucina Italian Restaurant.  This restaurant offers a menu that serves up Sardinian Cuisine, and boosts of a beautiful decor which is an ode to the glamorous days of post-war Italy. Service alternated between warm and cold - depending on who you were dealing with, and during peak or non-peak hours.The complimentary Bread was very delicious - fresh, utterly crispy, and went absolutely well with the olive dip. I usually abstain from consuming much bread before a meal, especiaBoth of us coincidentally settled for the Seafood Fregola (SGD$28.00) - a conscous-like roast semolina pasta with seafood. In my last review, I described the grainy pasta to bear similar texture to barley grains, and the feeling remained the same even as I was consuming the delicious pasta now. The gravy was rich in flavour, infusing the pasta sumptuously with its goodness; the seafood consisted of scallops, prawns and squids- generous portions that served only to enhance flavour and texture of the interesting pasta.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2016/01/dinner-at-sopra-cucina-italian.html

Alkaff Mansion Ristorante occupies this beautiful property restored to the glory of yesteryear, complete with a sleek garden with fountain, as well as open terrace for al fresco dining. This exquisite, award-winning Italian restaurant serves up authentic Italian fare for lunch, dinner and weekend brunches. They started a Grigliata Grill concept lately as well.The interior is grand, elegant and romantic, complete with dim lighting and large chandeliers, a modern touch to the carefully-restored vintage floorings of the colonial mansion. Tables are well-spaced, and choice of furniture is luxe and comfort combined, making for a good dining experience. Private dining rooms are available as well. Service is a little slow and has room for improvement. Music was also American pop at one point, which was a little odd against the posh Italian settings of this retaurant.For starters, we had the Pan-seared Hokkaido Scallops (SGD$28.00) with Cauliflower Purée and Avruga Caviar. I needn't describe the popping sensation of the delicious caviar - tiny but robust. The scallops were orgasmic - springy in texture, contracting firmly under the knife and expanding juicily again thereafter, catching the teeth with its delicious flavour.For mains, *V had the Homemade Veal Ravioli (SGD$28.00) in Alba Truffle Cream Sauce and Porcini Mushrooms. The pockets of minced veal was utterly soft and smooth, melting lusciously in the mouth with the robust, solid truffle cream. The mushrooms added flavour and texture to the creation, bringing it one step closer to heaven.I chose the Porcini Mushroom Risotto (SGD$28.00) Superfino Aquerello with Thyme. Flavour was distinctive and sapid in an earthly manner, with the aroma piercing the senses sharply; the dish was smooth and creamy - a little too creamy; the risotto became like congee literally.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2016/01/dinner-at-alkaff-mansion-ristorante.html