For full reviews, visit www.ms-skinnyfat.com
Ronin uses the same Genovese blend as The Bravery and The Plain. Low acidity, super strong and aromatic. Love the crema. Latte goes for $4.20.
Do not miss out on the Matchatone ($5.50)! This is by far my favorite matcha drink. It is actually an intense matcha paste served with steamed milk. I love scrapping the green tea sludge and eating that instead of mixing it all in. Slurps.
We had the famed Dirty Ronin ($12). Hard sandwiches are so in these days. I enjoyed the crispy panini which has a nice crusty shell but it still maintained that fluffy porous texture inside. Servings are huge by the way. So this comes with a lightly spiced salty chorizo. How they get the meat so soft i have no idea but it is really more like spam (not the chinese Ma Ling sorta luncheon meat though). There's some miso mayo, fried egg and cheese in this. Taste wise it's not bad, though a different kinda lettuce would have been better.
The scrambled eggs ($9) have this amazing taste and texture. It's extremely milky but it's not the runny sort. However, it wasn't like the eggs were dry. Well.. it's like an egg pudding? Anyhoo, you gotta try it for yourself. It's perfect with the nicely buttered crunchy toast. Add on the freshly made sausage ($4.50) which comes in pork or lamb to satisfy your meat craving. Avocado and Portobello available as add ons too.
If you, like me, enjoy a sweet and savory combination, have the French Toast ($14), a fluffy and eggy brioche topped with fried bacon and crunchy and tart Granny Smith apples. Absolutely adored the maple butter! I could do with more bacon though. Oink.
We really enjoyed brunch at Ronin though it's really packed during brunch time. The waiting isn't too bad because the service is pretty good. The girls are really chirpy and friendly so it's great.

For more reviews, visit my blog at www.ms-skinnyfat.com
The special weekday a la carte dim sum lunch menu is created by new Dim Sum Chef Lee Siaw Cheen and diners get to feast on an extensive selection of 35 soups, signature dishes, dim sum and desserts at $48.
There are 4 new enhanced signature dim sum creations which include Deep-fried Yam Puff with Foie Gras, Baked Egg Tart with Imperial Swiflet’s Nest and White Fungus, Steamed Berkshire Pork “Char Siu” Buns and Crispy Carrot Cake with Hai Tien Lo’s Signature XO Sauce. These are limited to one serving each per guest.
Of the lot, the Berkshire Pork “Char Siu” Buns was absolutely heavenly. Juicy and succulent meat in a delicious barbecue sauce lovingly wrapped by a fluffy sweet bun. But why only 1 serving?? I also liked the carrot cake which has nice chunks of radish and chinese sausage. This is best paired with the spicy XO sauce.
Diners also get unlimited servings of the classic dim sum. The Wok-seared Spinach Dumplings may look really green on the outside but it's also packed with juicy minced pork inside. Delicious!
The Deep-fried Pork Dumpling “Ham Shui Gok”. It's really crispy on the outside but has a mochi-like texture inside and it is filled with juicy pork with mushrooms. When eaten all at once, it tastes like a Hakka Abacus Seed 算盘子.
If dimsum alone doesn't fill you up, there are also 9 Hai Tien Lo Signatures to pick from which includes hearty dishes like Szechuan Spicy chicken, Grouper fish fillet and Cantonese Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs.. Each table is limited to one serving of any three items.
The Homemade Bean Curd with Crab Meat and Eggplant in Supreme Stock comes highly recommended. Absolutely silky and fragrant tofu in a carrot, radish and chicken supreme stock. Slurps!
If you like something fried (who doesn't), the Deep-fried Soft Shell Crab with Pepper Sauce is rather delightful. Just work it off later really.
What is a Cantonese meal without soup right? Pick from either the Traditional Double-Boiled Soup or the Lobster with Shredded Abalone and Vegetables in Thick Broth (one serving of any one item per person). The little green puffs are made of vegetables. Now you can drink your greens too!
For desserts, i went with the Double-boiled Osmanthus Tea with Pear and White Fungus which is light and refreshing. I liked that it's not too sweet.
The Mango Sago with Pomelo was a hot favorite. This drinks like a mango smoothie and is surprisingly light as well. If there's more space in your dessert tummy, you could go with the Black Sesame Paste with Glutinous Rice Dumpling.
So here you go, Hai Tien Lo's Weekday Dim Sum Buffet. It's perfect for business lunches and definitely for times when you simply just need to treat yourself.

Kimchi is a brand new Korean restaurant offering authentic flavors along with regional favourites from Busan and Andong. It's guaranteed authentic because Executive Chef Choi Minchul and his all-Korean team of chefs are behind the delicious creations.
Do not expect free side dishes at Kimchi because the cute boss Hayden doesn't want to hide the cost in the price of your meal. The portions are also healthier sized and more affordable than the usual Korean restaurants.
The Andong Jjimdak ($15) was a satisfying hot pot of braised boneless chicken thighs marinated in Korean light soy sauce. This dish is inspired by Chef Choi’s own family recipe. Be careful not to inhale any of the sauce! The fresh green chilli pepper called cheongyang gochu (청양고추) has a ghost chili kinda silent burn that will get to you if you're not careful. The dish also had a nice smoky sesame oil taste as well. Diners can also enjoy this unique dish in the form of a chicken dolsot bap or as a marinated option for Korean barbeque. Must order!
I rather enjoyed the Pork Dolsot Bap ($12), which had a well balanced flavor as they did not add those cloying red sauce to the rice.
The Kimchi Soup ($9.80) was prepared as a jigae instead of a guk which is a thicker broth with a rich, deep flavour. Stir-fried with pork, the kimchi is left to simmer and enrich the accompanying broth. The spicy concoction is very addictive and reminded me of the one i had in Korea.
For a lighter and healthier option, i highly recommend the Ginseng Chicken Juk ($12). Chef Choi prepares chicken stock the day before and selects premium Korean ginseng and Chinese herbs such as dang gui, kamcho (Korean licorice), and red dates to simmer with Korean rice. I love how there is a light sweetness from the dates. S promised to buy this for me every time i fall sick. Yay! Super comfort food i must say.
Kimchi also offers Korean barbeque where built-in electric grills allow diners to grill their food without smelling of smoke. Choose from a selection of premium meats which include the delicious Wagyu short ribs [$29 non-marinated; $29.50 marinated. I'm definitely coming back for this.
From the dessert menu, Kimchi offers a native Busan street snack called Hodduk ($9), a light, fluffy and slightly crisp hotcake stuffed with red bean paste and topped with nuts and Korean black sugar syrup. I couldn't ask for a better end to the meal. Kimchi also serves an afternoon tea set ($16.80) daily from 2 to 5.30pm and it comes together with tea and handmade Korean ice cream.
Kimchi Korean Restaurant is easily my favorite Korean restaurant in Singapore at this point. Yes it has overtaken Togi as my favorite now. Head on down for some really awesome Korean food now.

For more reviews, visit www.ms-skinnyfat.com

For full review, visit my blog at www.ms-skinnyfat.com
Man Fu Yuan is one of Singapore’s finest Chinese restaurants, serving classic Cantonese cuisine created especially for the restaurant by a Hong Kong Master Chef. From now till 31 May 2014, Man Fu Yuan is serving some glorious dishes from the good old days, made using good quality ingredients and special and laborious techniques.
Now here are some favorites from the Nostalgic Menu. The flavourful Mixed Beef Stew with handmade beef balls 牛什牛丸煲 ($28 per portion). I love how the meat is tender and savory. The beef balls were succulent and had nice chunks of water chestnut in them. This is the perfect comfort food.
Tea-smoked Pork Belly Char Siew 脆皮叉烧 ($24 per portion) takes centre stage, featuring pork belly marinated in a combination of Chinese rose wine and barbecue sauce. It's fatty and decadent but hey YOLO.
I loved the Hong Kong Style Steamed Pork Belly in Shrimp Paste 港式咸虾酱蒸花肉 ($28 per portion). This is another comfort dish and i can fully identify with the flavors though i've never had this dish before. Salty, stinky and oh damn delicious. Give me another 2 bowls of rice.
Pig Trotters with Vinegar 猪脚醋 ($28 per portion). The meat was well braised in plum vinegar and you can smell the sour perfume from far. The dish is on the oily side though.
If you find these flavors familiar and are craving for it now, Man Fu Yuan's A Taste of Nostalgia Menu will be available as part of a rotating a la carte menu available daily till 31 May 2014. Do call the restaurant to find out if they'll be serving your favorite dish before heading down!

For more reviews, visit my blog at www.ms-skinnyfat.com

The revival of Ann Siang Hill, with its smorgasbord of restaurants, have brought gleeful smiles to the hungry diners. One of the hottest restaurants is Lolla and i'm sure many of you have already heard/seen their signature Sea Urchin Pudding making its rounds on Instagram and Facebook.

A long overdue catch up session with B provided an opportunity to check out this small but uber hip tapas bar. Reservations were made but it was only for the communal table in the basement. Thankfully we were early (7pm on a Wed) and managed to score seats at the most coveted spot in the restaurant- the 13-seat zinc-topped bar counter (walk ins only, except for lunch).

The tapas dishes are a fusion of European and Japanese flavors. Portions are on the small side for some dishes but give yourself time (and tummy space) to decide and order along the way. B and i ordered the following to share.

Sea Urchin Pudding ($19/half portion) is a must order. This is a rich, creamy, sweet and savory ink pudding adorned with tongues of creamy raw sea urchin. This 3 inch ramekin, though minute, is packed with decadent breakfast flavors. It is made from squid ink, egg yolks, cream and tomato sauce. The taste can get quite overpowering and we spent the whole night nursing it in between the other dishes. We can't fathom how people can even finish a half portion on their own.

Another must order is the Scrambled eggs with Bottarga di Muggine ($22). We could taste every bit of the TLC Chef put into it. He stood there over the low fire and did not stop stirring for a good 3-5 minutes. Well, the results speak for itself.

Instead of following the crowd and ordering the Grass fed Ribeye ($52), we opted for the Lamb cutlets ($28). This is by no means less inferior and turned out to be the highlight of our meal. The lamb is first seared and then finished in the oven, simply seasoned with salt and herbs and served in its own jus but oh that crust and oh that juicy tender meat. And i'm not even a lamb fan (i only have a weakness for lambskin). The dish is rather small, i wouldn't recommend sharing if you're not ordering many dishes.

Dinner concluded on a high (from the sweetness) with the Steamed Dark Chocolate Pudding ($15). There is so much of that rich chocolate sauce with dark chocolate chunks on top of the cake. I thought the cake was a little dry that night though.

Lolla is certainly going on my favorites list. B, who didn't have a good impression of Lolla, became a convert after this meal. All thanks to my stellar taste in food no doubt. Our bill was only $110 because we weren't up for more eating and drinks weren't included.