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When i dropped by KHA for the media tasting, I swear i was so full i wanted to die. BUT from the first mouth of papaya salad till dessert, i ate like a starving woman. That is how much i enjoyed the dishes at KHA. The spicy and refreshing Northeastern Thai 'Isaan' dishes were absolutely appetite inducing that i couldn't help myself but devour my food.

We started with cocktails ($12 each) (what's a meal without drinks right?) I much preferred the Tamarind Whiskey Sour which was tangy, sweet and refreshing. Even if you don't like bourbon, you would like this. At least that's what my dining partner B said.

The Iberico Pork "Moo Yung" ($23) was absolutely delicious. The tender meat was first marinated in thai garlic, coriander and pepper, then chargrilled tossed with chopped chili, garlic and lime moorish. I kept coming back to this dish even as our table got piled with more food.

The Fried Baby Squid "Pla Mauk Tort" ($14) was cleaned up by the 2 of us. They remained crispy even till the end of our very long meal. This is the perfect beer snack with it's flavorful red tumeric and garlic seasoning.

The "Gai Yung Esaan" ($15) was another dish that was polished clean. Chunky and juicy Chicken thigh marinated for 24 hours in garlic, pepper, coriander and grilled till crispy. The marinate was so good on its own it didn't even require the "jhim jeaw", a tamarind sauce with rice powder and coriander that tasted like a combination of maggi and marmite. Definitely one of my favorite dishes!

The traditional dish of grilled Salt-crusted whole seabass "Pla Phao Glua" ($30) was rustic and homely. The fresh fish was stuffed with lemongrass, pandan and Thai basil stalk and then slow cooked over fire and served with a green chili dipping sauce. And it's only 30 bucks for a whole huge fish. Go easy on the sauce though as it's just a lil spicy.

No matter how stuffed you are, you HAVE TO EAT desserts. I was first MIND BLOWN by the Sweet Mango Sticky Rice "Khao Niaw Mamuang" ($12). I've never tasted a mango sticky rice that is this good. Soft and sweet glutinous rice with juicy thai mango and the surprise was the salty coconut cream that accompanied it. Sweet and Savory! My favorite kinda food.

When i thought it couldn't get better, we had the MIND BLASTING Warm Coconut Rice Dumplings "Kanom Dtom" ($10). It doesn't sound at all appetizing on the menu but oh boy you can't miss this. Fireworks were going off in my mouth as i bit into the little rice dumplings stuffed with shredded coconut and gula melaka. And that salted coconut cream and fragrant roasted sesame were just fab with this. KHA has ruined rice dumplings for me forever. I'll never have another bowl of regular Tang Yuan anywhere else!

KHA is definitely my other favorite Thai restaurant in Singapore, apart from the hawker style Nakhon (Read review here). In fact, B was so impressed that he brought his parents there the week after just to have the dishes again. Head on down to KHA. You wouldn't be disappointed.

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

Moo Ka Ta, "Pork Skillet" in Thai, has been catching on in Singapore. This wonderful combination of both hot pot and barbecue is essentially the reverse pan of the typical Seoul Garden sorta steamboat bbq.

Moo Ka Ta is not a typical Thai thingy as it developed along the border cities. The soup is poured into the shallow trough for the steamboat while the grill dome is for the barbecue. The slits allows smoke from the Binchotan Japanese charcoal to perfume the meat from underneath and apparently it is less acidic than the generic black charcoal.

The fried fish skin isn't as scary as it looks or sounds. It's just a cracker in fact. Dip it into the lovely homemade dipping sauce made from 31 different ingredients, painstakingly prepared through 6h of non stop stirring over the pot. Both the Spicy BBQ and Sweet Sour Seafood sauce were fabulous.

Set Moo or Set Gai (Pork or Chicken, $39.90/set) comes with quality seafood and MSG free marinated meats that are freshly prepared every morning. The set includes fish/pork balls, squid, luncheon meatm cheese hot dog, Hokkaido scallops, Surimi crab sticks, prawns and squid alongside cheese tofu and marinated meats. The kang kong, golden mushroom, tang hoon (rice vermicelli) and cabbage are also included.

Add on the Kurobuta Pork and Angus Beef for more of that meat! The special Cheese Balls are also fantastic.

Read on more at my blog.

For pictures and more reviews, visit my blog at http://www.ms-skinnyfat.com

Esquina is a haute tapas boutique where patrons perch precariously on weirdly shaped metal stools that will seriously damage some nuts. Not a place for large groups because you can hardly converse farther than your immediate left/right.

Ham Croquetas ($10) is my must order. 4.5cm tall balls filled with creamy bechamel and chunks of what is possibly iberico ham (i expect no less) left us wanting for more. The ham was a little salty but i love it.

The Smoked Haddock, spring onion and Manchego omelette ($18) was the fluffiest eggs i've tried in a while. I would liken it to a souffle but firmer. The taste was light; simply flavored with the natural sweetness of the smoked haddock. I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

Do order the Sauteed gambas, chili garlic, potato dumplings and bisque sauce ($24) even though it doesn't look spectacular. The prawns were fresh and bouncy and i love the rich bisque sauce so much i could inhale it. Gnocchi were meh.

And oh.. the Beef Tartare.. simply divine... Extremely flavorful and smooth tartare, especially after you scoop the confit egg yolk onto it....

Read more on my blog.

For reviews and more pictures, visit my blog at http://www.ms-skinnyfat.com

The cosy first floor of the shophouse houses the Bistro, which has been opened for 17 months. A little more about Betel Box- it started out as a backpackers hostel 10 years back, providing a good night's rest and activities for their guests. What started as just dinner with backpackers, eventually became a 7 hour tour of the Joo Chiat; consuming over 30 dishes of food and learning of the Peranakan lifestyle and culture. Their tours got more popular and they are licensed as a travel agency, providing walks for tourists and Singaporeans alike. The restaurant venture is a natural progression of the mission to promote heritage and conservation of the area.

Kacang Botol ($6) is a Peranakan favorite: Four angled beans tossed with Betel Box Bistro's spicy sambal sauce. Very refreshing cold salad with a light bitterness from the vegetables and acidity of the piquant chili.

My favorite fish dish was the Ikan Sumbat (market price). Our $20 stuffed red snapper fish with meat and prawns fed the entire table and left us craving for more. The meat was really dense and juicy. The stuffing has the fragrance of otah without the spice and is also lighter on the coconut milk.

Dry Beef Curry Ribs ($15 onwards) is Uncle Ben's specialty. The braised beef ribs are seasoned in a dry curry sauce aka rendang. Our $35 9inch rib was absolutely tender and the meat fell apart with the tug of a fork. The rendang was a little mild, possibly due to the creamy coconut milk but it was still fantastic.

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

A cold rainy day calls for the Brazilian Nutty Pumpkin Soup with Roasted Garlic ($4 for cup, $6 for bowl). I believe the pumpkin is pureed with chicken stock. I like that it's not overly creamy and you can still taste the grainy pumpkin in it. Pine nuts are thrown in to give it that nuttiness and crunch. The bowl is more than enough for sharing between 2. We didn't finish this.

For variety, we ordered the Plato Mixto for Two ($16)- 6pcs of mini cheese quesadillas, 4pcs el toro's special bbq wings and 2pcs jalapeno poppers. S loves the cheese quesadillas but i thought it to be too plain. Some meat would be nice. Then again, i'm too much of a carnivore. The wings are meh but the cheese stuffed jalapeno poppers are really interesting with the spicy vinegar kick.

The Cuban Chimichanga ($16 with chicken, $18 with beef) was what i went to El Toro for. As you can see, it's fully stuffed with the minced Beef. This is the ultimate comfort junk food. The meat is really juicy and well flavored. I can't believe i'm saying this but there's a little too much meat. The juices from the meat made the fried tortilla soggy and i didn't get that flaky and buttery texture that i so crave. A little more of that cheese would be awesome too. Nice dish nonetheless.

Is El Toro good? Sure it is. I would come here instead of Margaritas anytime (terrible service and expensive food that is mediocre). I shall make it my mission to review all the Mexican restaurants in Singapore.