This year, I wish for everyone to eat better.
What a better way to start on this resolution than to have some good ramen at Keisuke Tonkotsu King! I’m chuffed to bits that this new outlet is a stone’s throw from where I stay. I sense more Ramen goodness in the days ahead.Like its store at Orchid Hotel, the restaurant is small and seats about 22, albeit rather cramp.The interiors are decorated similar too. The quirky wall posters and signages transports its patrons to good ol’Japan. Tables space is precious commodity as its already crowded with condiments and the free flow eggs and bean sprouts the restaurant provides.I’ve never helped myself to the eggs before as I’m not a fan of hard boiled eggs but I do know that some consider that as a bonus selling point for the restaurant. On the other hand, I love the spiced beansprouts. Crunchy and just a tiny bit spicy, it freshens up the palate and balances out the super rich ramen broth really well.Just a few simple ticks and your order is whisked away by one of their super efficient staff and very soon you’ll have your meal ready. Japanese standard of effiency. Impressive!Made specially for the restaurant, Japanese Green Tea Cola. We just had to order this. Rather addictive for me. I like that its not super sweet like most soft drinks and yet is refreshingly sparkly. Also, I’m a sucker for green tea items.Honestly I wasn’t expecting much from the Gyoza. I came for the ramen anyway. However, these babies were well fried. Very crispy on one side and with the tender steamed dumpling skin on the other. The tiny morsel burst with juicy broth from the minced meat. I love gyoza and I do love their version of it.You got to earn your dinner. Before you start digging into your prize ramen, start working those muscles and grind those sesame seeds. By breaking them, it releases the fragrant sesame seed flavour and elevates the ramen. Grind it, break it, then blanket your ramen with it.Take a sip of the luxuriously rich tonkotsu broth and let out a satisfied sigh. I could bask in this richness all day long. I’ve opted for the flavoured soft boiled egg as a topping. Its so good. Gone in 30 seconds.This sexy, spicy ramen has a broth that’s not as creamy as that of the Tonkotsu King (above) probably to balance the spicy oil. Look at that. Drool.
If food is an art, Keisuke Tonkotsu King has perfected the ballet of Ramen.

Sin Lee Foods first piqued my interest when I found out that its a pet friendly establishment. I'm always looking for places to bring my cat. Their decor got my hipster senses tangling and their signature dish was Fried Chicken Waffles - named The One and Only.. So why not?

Since then, I visited twice already and in my humble opinion, there were more hits than misses and I would definitely recommend it to a friend. On the plus side, the service standards and the food quality is consistently good and the constantly changing, creatively managed menu means there will never be a dull moment. Its adventure on a plate. Bring it on!

(oh, and prices are nett. No GST / Svc charge)

Getting there is a bit tricky because its neatly tucked away at a corner. Its a short walking distance from Tiong Bahru MRT station.Neatly tucked away along Bukit Ho Swee, just up a short flight of stairs, with the black and white striped blinds.Hipster styled decor with telling vintage signboardHipster Magazine Rack

The staff is very friendly and I find that they are very knowledgeable about their dishes and recommendations. I love the coffee so much so that, I do not have a photograph of it. #truestory. Too impatient to drink it. Both iced latte and the hot version are good. Thumbs up. I can't say the same for so many other places though.

Now on to the food....The One and Only - Fried Chicken on Waffles ($22.00)

The One and Only, is touted as their signature dish. Its a daring combination of Fried Chicken and Waffles which attempts at balancing the sweet and the savoury but unfortunately didn't work at all for me. The fried chicken was done perfectly, crispy yet juicy and moist but the waffle base was a let down by being rather flaccid and bland. The sweet caramel sauce didn't help either. The dish comes across as confused and doesn't complement each other. Much better off eaten separately and perhaps without the coleslaw totally.Aburi Broccoli Salad - $10.00

This dish isn't particularly attractive but I realise that once I start digging into it, I can't stop. I had some problems sharing this dish. Its simply not enough for me. Aburi here refers to the cooking style that is the partial grilling of the broccoli. The salad is tossed with white balsamic vinegar, garnished with smashed papadums, a dash of mayo and orange sugar. Its really very addictive and I can't recommend this enough.Soft Shell Crab Bun - $17.00

The soft shell crab bun was another sinful favourite. Perfectly battered soft shell crab with the most amazing spicy, tangy sauce, lying seductively on a sinful bed of toasted, buttered buns. Only one request.. can we have much more of that sauce please??Beef & Grains - $23.00

Orzo pasta, served with tender seared beef striplion, topped with a runny egg, pickled ginger slices and generously blanketed with furikake. Its western, japanese and local food rolled into one comforting dish. I was surprised how well the pickled ginger elevated the dish and I usually shun that thing. Resident catboss

Sin Lee Foods // Blk 4 Jalan Bukit Ho Swee #01-164 Singapore 162004

Opening Hours: 10am – 9pm (Tues-Sun), Closed Mon except PH

Prices on the menu are nett. (no gst/ svc charge)

Decided to treat ourselves to a nice dinner and decided to try Table Manners.The restaurant is a chic design and makes one feels like you're dining in a place that's a cross between a designer furniture store, a library and a cafe. We were seated in the corner of the place beside the bookshelf that was frightfully filled with huge cobwebs (which also explains the lack of a photo here). Nevertheless, we decided to plough on.

We ordered two mains: King's Burger and Mary's Lamb.Mary's Lamb, as its name says, is braised lamb shank with mash potatoes. The dish itself is average and does not impress. The lamb itself is easily removed from the bone but texture is oddly bouncy and does not have much taste save for the gravy it came with. The mash potato fared better than the lamb, unfortunately. My guess is that the dish could do with a longer braising time and more gravy.The saving grace of the dinner is probably its King's Burger. We requested for medium doneness for the patty but it came out well done instead. The sunny side up was gorgeous, running over the burger when cut. I can't find fault with this main, save for the cold fries it came with.For dessert, we decided to share a Lemon & Lime Tart with Strawberry. The dessert is average though, with a dull crust and creamy filling that lacks that delectable tanginess associated with good lemon tarts. Edible though not entirely enjoyable.For drinks, we order a Chamomile Citron Tea and Brothers Toffee Apple Cider. You can probably never go wrong with Brothers Cider but I cannot understand why the tea is served with warm water instead of boiling water. Needless to say, the tea wasn't really well received.

The restaurant was not crowded for a Saturday at 8pm but the waiter and waitresses seemed more interested to huddle in the corner talking amongst themselves then to serve, than collect my bill.

Overall, I think the place scores for its gorgeous deco (minus the dust and cobwebs) but doesn't impress me with its food offerings and service quality.

How would you like your coffee? Espresso, Cold Drip, Aeropress, Pourover or by the Clever Drip?

Nestled in the middle of busy Chinatown, CBD is Kaldi's Berry - The coffee connoisseurs' ideal hideout.Approach the nondescript outlet and immediately, my attention is drawn onto this gargantuan brewing apparatus on the right. It's the Korean-imported Cold Drip Maker, Ridge3.2 by Korean Coffee Drip machine makers, Coffeega. The interiors are also tastefully designed with coffee related paraphernalia, including upcycled V60 lampshades.To prepare cold drip coffee, the glass dome is filled with ice-cubes and ice water. It takes no less than 8hrs for the bottom flask to be filled with the extracted cold brew. Amazingly, due to the fermentation process during the cold drip extraction, the body of the coffee continues to deepen the longer you let it sit in the fridge. Coffee like fine wine indeed. Kaldi's Berry serves cold drip coffee that's at least 2 days old if supply permits.My personal favourite is the Ethopian Yirgacheffe (Grade 1) made with the Pour Over method. Kaldi's Berry uses the Kalita Wave Dripper for extraction and the resulting brew is a complex but very smooth cup. However, for the unforgiving tropical weather, I would opt for the smooth cold drip coffee which is perfect for drinking all day long.For espresso lovers, why not give the Aeropress coffee a shot. (pun not intended)This nifty gadget, is supposed to produce a rich flavoured brew with lower acidity and without bitterness. A nugget of interesting fact, this gadget is invented by AEROBIE, the designers of high performance sports toys like the Aerobie flying disc. First taste brings to mind an espresso, but cleaner, smooth, and without the crema. A very good morning coffee option for folks like me, who needs that extra caffeine kick to feel whole and ready to conquer the world.

The beverage's equivalent of the comfort food is perhaps Kaldi's Berry's Cafe Latte, made with the Speciality Houseblend. I really enjoyed this cup of coffee, smooth, comforting and the latte art is an adorable bonus.Kaldi's Berry offers a wide array of pastries for you to pair with your selected brew. However, if you are looking for something more filling, I would recommend - Kaldi's Waffles or the All Day Breakfast.Fluffy scrambled eggs served with gently crisped bacon with toast and freshly tossed greens. Portion is huge too so you might want to share, or choose to indulge in entirety yourself!Kaldi's Berry got the texture of the waffles right. Just the right amount of chewy, though I would personally prefer the outer crust to be a tad crispier. However, the generous scoop of vanilla icecream with fresh fruits tips the scale in its favour. Thumbs up I say.Those with a sweet tooth might want to round up the meal with an Affogato - A scoop of vanilla ice-cream doused with a shot of espresso.
Overall, Kaldi's Berry impresses with their impeccable knowledge of coffee brewing and the passion for serving the best brew for each individual customer's tastes. I would love to drop by for my caffeine fix or for some of those waffles again.

Been hearing about the much hyped about Mille Crêpes from Lady M and decided to try it for ourselves.
Personally, I am rather underwhelmed by their service and the desserts.

Even though the restaurant was practically empty, with only 3 tables besides us, it took ages for our order of a slice each of the Vanilla Mille Crêpe, Green Tea Mille Crêpe and Gâteau aux Marron to be served.There's too much cream in the cakes which made the cakes mushy and overall everything was too sweet. Of the three we tried the Green Tea Mille Crêpe was probably the best as the matcha took down the sugary sweetness a notch. Not the best Mille Crêpes I've had definitely. I found the sponge layers in the Gâteau aux Marrons too dry.
Coffee was normal.

We ordered:
Vanilla Mille Crêpe - $8 per slice
Green Tea Mille Crêpe - $ 8.50 per slice
Gâteau aux Marrons - $7.50 per slice
Cafe Mocha - $5.00 per cup
Lady M Ice Cafe - $5.50

Prices subject to 10% service charge and 7% GST.