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

New kid on the block (or not too new kid) is Open Door Policy, an open-planned restaurant framed by an aquarium-style show kitchen which runs the length of the shop. Chefs push out dishes to diners from behind the brick and glass wall, the only physical demarcation between the 2 parties. It does feel very much as we were dining with the chefs as we took our seats at the counter. It's an intimate setting, and i would think it's a little intimidating as well for both parties alike.

The interior- Portuguese-inspired tin sheets were used overhead and that leads to a glass-roofed area at the back. The effect of worn wood and red bricks balances the heavy iron tables to give the place a cosy atmosphere.

We began with a starter from the lunch menu to go with our brunch food. My overeating meal accomplice, the Stupidgirl, was happily rambling on the dishes she wanted to try and i had to prevent her from making both of us fat.

Papaduck papadum with crusted duck fillets & mint yogurt dip (S$18) was a nice and crunchy start to our meal. Some indian influence is seen in this dish though the papadum isn't the real papadum that we get at the prata shops. The duck fillets were tender and juicy and i love how well it went with the mint yogurt dip. You could do without if you aren't into that cool and light vege taste. I was starting to get a little full after 2 pieces..

Brunch is never complete without some eggs and i love mine scrambled. Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toasted ciabatta with spinach and fresh herbs (S$19) succeeded in scaring the hell out of my small stomach for it was HUGE.

That is only a quarter of the entire dish and it kinda filled the entire eating plate. Egg lovers would rejoice at the height of the scrambled egg. I think it's at least 5cm tall? Well to achieve that sort of elevation, the creaminess was compromised a little but it tasted ok. On the other hand, i thought the salmon was a tad too fishy for my liking. Didn't finish all of it.

We also had the ODP Pancakes with black berry and chocolate (S$17). A lot of work goes into making this little babies. They are first cooked over the grill in little molds and then they were popped into the oven to give it that golden brown, crusty exterior. I like that it's fluffy and a little moist inside but i thought the batter could be slightly more savory and buttery. I still like my buttermilk pancakes best.

The caffeine addict in me ordered the Affogato (S$8) to go with my meal. Yes i have desserts before, in between and after meals. The coffee here is prepared by the 40 HANDS team, which is just across the road. I didn't like my affogato though. The acidity of the espresso was impossible to neutralize even with the homemade caramel vanilla ice cream. Trust me, i tried. This was pretty bad for me even though i do think that the rest of their coffee are good.

ODP does cocktails as well but the both drinks we had, Peach Bellini and Pimm's Club (S$17), were quite diluted. The Pimm's club tasted a little like cough syrup.

Would i go again? I think the food is alright but it was kinda expensive (we spent S$60 each). Skip the drinks and i think you'd be fine.

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

One of my favorite Japanese restaurant has got to be Chikuwa Tei. There are 18 bento sets to choose from, from S$12 to $25, the most expensive being the Chirashi set. I've tried a couple of their bentos and the quality is pretty consistent.

If you like Sashimi, you would love this. Just look at the generous chunks of fresh fish piled on top of the vinegar rice! Each piece is about 10cm long and at least 1cm thick and you can taste the fresh sweetness of the fish. S orders this everytime we go there.

Depending on my mood, i would go for Ten Cha Soba set ($12) when i want something lighter. Or their Chikuwa Tei set when i'm really greedy. They have 2 sets, 1 for individual and another for 2pax. It is more pricy (about S$40-50/pax) but there is a variety of dishes, from grilled to tempura and sukiyaki even.

Anyway, i love the refreshing cha soba which has a tinge of matcha taste in it (not all cha soba tastes of green tea). The texture of the green noodles is also very spingy and the dipping sauce is of the right amount of saltiness. My comfort food. I would go for cold udon but they advised me against it (it isn't on the menu). Just be good and listen to the aunties.

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

Was invited by the nice people at OpenRice.com for food tasting at Outback Steakhouse! Thanks Celes for the link up! It's always nice to meet up with fellow bloggers over a meal. This time i finally got to meet Misterchewy, the other half of Missuschewy. So here you go, the whole shebang of the night's meal. Warning: Do not read on an empty stomach.

We started with the freshly baked honey whole meal Boston bread with a home made buttermilk butter. The bread is good on its own, with a tinge of natural sweetness. The centre was pillowy and fluffy when warm. The creamy salted buttermilk spread is smooth, almost like clotted cream minus the stickiness.

Starters
Alice Springs Chicken Quesadilla- Grilled flour tortilla stuffed with grilled chicken breast sauteed mushrooms, bacon, melted cheese and served with honey mustard

This is a dish that i'd order as a main. The quesadilla had a buttery pastry texture that reminded me of roti prata. I like that it's moist and creamy on the inside. How can anything with cheese, bacon and mushrooms go wrong right? This is good even without the sauce.

Ahi Tuna Chopped Salad- Fresh iceberg and spring mix lettuce and cucumbers tossed in wasabi vinaigrette with crispy wanton skin. Topped with sashimi style pan seared tuna (S$12.90/22.90)

This was one of my favorite dishes because it's really refreshing. Trust me, after having so much meat, you'd want to eat the veg. The pepper crusted tuna sashimi was splashed with citrus to give it that tangy taste and that really helped to reinvigorate our taste buds.

Combination Appetizer- Sharing portions of Kookaburra Wings, Aussie Cheese fries and Crispy fried mushrooms (S$25.90).

Fried food galore! Perfect snacks to accompany an ice cold beer. The batter is a little on the high blood pressure end but who can say no to wings and fries? I love the skin on fries which still had remnants of its rootiness (not that it's muddy) and hello to more cheese and bacon. Ngoms.

Typhoon Bloom- Hand cut, fresh onion strings dusted with Outback's secret seasonings, whirled into a circular stack and fried to a crisp. (S$15.90)

If you like onions and you like fried batter, have this. I could only do a few strands of this. Same sentiments around the table.

Mains
Seafood Pasta- Shrimps, calamari and fish fillet with fettuccine tossed in homemade marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese (S$26.90)

There's something comforting about a simple tomato based pasta. Perhaps it's the reminder of the youthful carefree days of smearing bolognese all over my face as i slurp my noodles. The fettuccine was perfectly cooked to maintain a nice crunch. Simple and hearty dish.

Ribs and Alice Springs Chicken- 1/2 rack of pork ribs with chicken breast topped with bacon, honey mustard sauce, sauteed mushrooms, Monterey Jack and Cheddar

I'm not a fan of ribs but this was marinated very nicely. The sauce was dry and probably the marinate rubbed on prior to grilling instead of a sauce being slapped on after. There wasn't a lot of meat but it was tender and fell off the bone easily. The chicken was moist and tender. I suppose it's the same combination as the quesadilla and you already know what i said about it.

Outback Special 11oz- Sirloin steak (S$33.90)

Ribeye steak seasoned and seared with 17 different seasoning and char grilled over an open flame for the extra smokiness (S$39.90)

Among the 2 steaks, i preferred the Outback special because sirloin is obviously more tender. Perhaps it's also to do with the doneness of the meat (both were medium done) and i like mine medium rare. Ribeye is the tougher cut obviously but if you love your meat, you would probably go for this. The mash was chunky with bits of potato skin and bacon. Finally something that's a little bland. The sodium level of all the dishes combined made my tongue feel like sandpaper at this point. The meats were undressed because they didn't know what we wanted but take your pick from peppercorn, pepper and mushroom sauce (if i'm not wrong).

You don't go to Outback Steakhouse for desserts. Period. We had the Desserts Sample Trio (S$18.90)- Chocolate Thunder from Down Under (Brownie), Cheesecake and Banana Nut Cake. Edible, not fantastic. Save that calories for a starter instead. It's more worth it.

Food: 4/5 More hits than misses. Somehow the non steak dishes fared better.
Atmosphere: 4/5 Great place to hang out with the dudes over beer and snacks. There's a tv screen for soccer. This is where i would have my JC or uni gatherings.