Who doesn't love a good fried chicken? Ever since my first taste of Korean fried chicken at Mad for Chicken in NYC (they go by a diff name Tt escapes my pre-caffeinated brain now), I've been longing for those robust and exhilarating flavors again.

The search ends at Chicken Up. Exceptionally tender and juicy chicken with a light and superbly crispy batter. BonChon can screw its double fried a** staleness that it claims to be authentic. Yes I'm still darn pissed about Tt crappy chicken that I had there a yr ago at the Bugis+ outlet.

Anyway, their mild up spicy isn't that spicy to me so i'll go for suicide chicken next time. I absolutely went gaga over the soya chicken. My gawd. Droolicious I tell ya!

First time trying the Andong chicken stew and my.. It was such a silent killer. Be very careful eating this one. I didn't pay attention and a little of the soup went down the wrong pipe and I was coughing and tearing for a long time. That said, it's actually not outrightly spicy if you are careful. Well flavored chicken that falls off the bone. They also have the glass noodles in them.

Chicken lovers, this is the place to be! They do a chicken buffet with a beer option. Do check them out!

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

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

As part of the St. Regis Arts Celebration held from 29 Jul to 4 Aug 2013, I was invited to the exclusive preview of The American Kaleidoscope special menu created by Chef Chris Kurth of The US Grant, A Luxury Collection Hotel, San Diego at Brasserie Les Saveurs. The 5-course Dinner is based on Chef Chris' interpretations of iconic American favorites.

For $188 per pax, guests can look forward to a degustation dinner paired with boutique American wines during this period. The wine pairing changes every night so go check out the list. I enjoyed the Beringer's Chardonnay very much.

The Baked Red Beet Root was absolutely delish. This was certainly my favorite course. I love the mix of flavors and texture in this one. A light sourish Ricotta wrapped in sweet and crisp Feuille Brick Tarragon. An airy and innovative Chive meringue with arugula. Pieces of juicy sweet beetroot and some California dates with sea salt. Truly amazing dish.

Second course was the San Diego 'Mock Turtle Soup' which is made from braised US Black Angus Beef and Tongue to replace the actual turtle which was used in the past at the San Diego US Grant hotel. I was told that tongue has a similar texture to turtle (which i have never had). Robust flavors in this fish stock dish.

Next was the Pan seared Albacore Tuna. I'm not a huge fan of tuna but this was palatable enough. The meat was simply done and i could taste the freshness of it. The powdered brown butter was subtle but went very well with the fish. Oregon Pinot noir reduction and pickled strawberries and a purée of cilantro and sweet onion garnished and added interesting flavors to the dish.

The Charcoal-Grilled Colorado Lamb Saddle was my other favorite. I've never had lamb that is so simply done and yet tastes this amazing. Chef used a Mediterranean style of pairing with the sweet dried fruit preserves which worked extremely well.

We concluded lunch with the Almond Brown Butter cake with a milk confiture and apricot sorbet with caramelized white chocolate ice cream and black cherry beignet. The dessert was on the whole rather sweet except for the tangy sorbet and the lovely beignet which was like a tempura cherry. Nevertheless, great dense and moist texture from the cake and lovely caramel white choc ice cream.

To enjoy the celebration in its entirety, you should get a seat at the St. Regis Midnight Supper, the gala dinner held at Brasserie Les Saveurs on 2nd August. This includes the front row seating at The Whiffenpoofs recital and the 5 course degustation menu by Chef Chris, complete with wine pairing. The St. Regis Singapore will be donating S$100 to UNICEF for every seat purchased at $288. Support a good cause anyone?

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

I decided that I liked Symmetry when i first set sight on the cafe but by the time i left, i decided that i was in love with it. You know that feeling when you met someone for the first time but felt comfortable talking about everything and anything like you've known each other all your life? That was Symmetry for me. It knows me inside out.

Café by day, restaurant bar by night, Symmetry is a cosy and laid back spot in the Bugis area, situated within Jalan Kubor. The decor, the vibe and the music were all too familiar to me. We have the same great taste in music for the songs they played were all on my favorite playlist. ;)

The lunch menu isn't as extensive as the brunch one but the selection is still wide. I had to have my eggs regardless so it was the Poached Eggs for me. The waiter recommended this over the Croque Madame and i must say that i was very pleased with this.

These were runny as though they were more soft boiled than poached. The creamed potato mash went nicely with the sunshine yolk. The spicy chorizo and caramelized shallots were amazing with the sweet and smoky flavors. Bacon was honey glazed but still maintained the saltiness. Oh and the blueberry butter cream was a nice touch to the entire dish. I really loved how the different flavors came together.

The coffee tasted good but the foam wasn't made well. As i was trying to get a good shot of the latte art, i noticed that my foam started to sink and bubbles started popping. Hmm... They took quite a while to get our coffee and it was only served after our mains have arrived. Something needs to be done about that.

I will probably be back to try the other items on the brunch menu. They look too good to be passed over. See you guys there sometime!

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

The iconic Raffles Hotel has finally gotten itself a decent restaurant for brunch with The Halia coming under its roof. Afternoon tea at the Tiffin Room is one thing but ladies of leisure still need their morning coffee run and eggs of course! And what better place to do it than at the urban, casual-chic sister of the award winning restaurant.

I much preferred the indoor space which has a bit more privacy as compared to the alfresco bar area. Plus the Singapore weather is not meant for dining outdoors, even with ceiling fans. Give me my ac please.

Weekend brunch starts at 11am. The selection is extensive with both the Brunch Specials and the Main Menu available for the picking. I've been in quite a bread mood recently and the Assorted Bread & Pastries ($12) really appealed to the tummy. The croissant was delightful and i love that they serve clotted cream with the basket.

The Pancake with bacon, maple butter, fresh strawberries & puree ($12) was one of my favorite dish. I always get overwhelmed after eating a piece of pancake but Halia's rendition had me going on and on. I like the slightly buttery batter which was fluffy and the thin flaky bacon was an interesting complement to the dish.

If you're more the traditional English Breakfast sort, you'd do well with the Grilled breakfast with any style eggs ($23). What's interesting was the sweetened bacon which was thick and juicy. The scrambled eggs had this interesting layered texture and i like that it was runny but not too creamy. I'm getting hooked on buttery eggs.

I'm not so much of a fan of the White bean Iberico chorizo leek stew ($16) but if you like gumbo and the starchiness of such a stew for brunch, then this would be it. The stew was rich and starchy with a tinge of sourness from the smoked chipotle sauce.

The Celeriac "Lasagna" ($12) is an interesting signature with crunchy thin sheets of pasta. I thought i was munching on vegetables. This was accompanied with mushrooms, thyme, baby spinach, lemon and Madeira cream.

Another signature is the Halia Chili Crab Spaghettini ($25). Piquant spicy finish that is typically Asian. The flavor of ginger was rather strong but it gave the dish a fresh note. I could also taste the sweetness of the crab meat. If only they would use a thicker pasta.

The Sous Vide Baharat Chicken Leg ($28) was very tender and flavorful. It also had that smoky taste which was well complemented with the sweet butternut squash puree. I was intrigued by the crispy thin skin which had the texture of a baked potato skin. Served with a ginger, coriander and pepper salsa.

I like how Halia caters to vegetarian eaters with their innovative dishes. The Mushroom, Lentil & Walnut Bake ($24) was absolutely delicious and even this meat eater was sold. It was nutty, cheesy, savory and sweet with the fennel seed cream and sun dried tomato. I would order this again.

As you can tell, the Halia offers a wide variety for brunch and i found it quite perfect for group gatherings. Enjoy!

For full review, visit my blog at www.ms-skinnyfat.com

I had the opportunity to check out Azur at Crowne Plaza and their latest offering of premium buffet dinners. The award-winning restaurant will be launching its first edition of the series, Feast of the Seven Seas, this July over a limited period of two weekends from 19 - 21 July as well as 26 - 28 July.

Diners can have their pick of seafood and shellfish: Boston Lobsters, Steamed Blue Crabs, Tasmanian Crayfish, New Zealand Green Mussels, Freshly Shucked Fines de Claires Oysters, Jumbo Bay Clams and Poached Tiger Prawns. I absolutely loved the pearly juicy oysters and sweet and succulent tiger prawns.

The Lobster Bisque with Tarragon Chantilly Cream with Herb Gougères was rich and creamy without being heavy. It may be a tad salty but i liked the robustness in the flavors.

The slipper lobster and the stir fried bamboo clams are of the Singaporean zi char standard. The chili sauce of the bamboo clams is akin to the chili crab sauce but i found the bamboo clams too fishy for my liking.

The sashimi slices were really huge unlike some hotel buffets that provide pitiful pieces. I liked that the sashimi weren't sliced in large batches to ensure freshness of the fish.

From the carving station, the Baked Whole Salmon with Seafood, Aromatic Spices, Coconut & Lemongrass Espuma is something that you should not miss. This dish is Thai inspired and i loved how the scallop and salmon were fresh and juicy.

There are many other dishes on the buffet line like the award-winning cheeses from New Zealand, appetizing starters, freshly baked selection of bread and sinfully decadent mini shooters and cakes at the dessert bar. Remember to save space for the Bread Pudding for it's one of my favorites.

For the price of $88 per adult, i felt that the price is not worth it. The variety is not the most extensive and the taste wasn't mind blowing.