Pictures are at http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.sg/2015/08/long-ji-seafood.html

I love crabs (so much I eat them at least once a week!) so when photos of Long Ji's crab bee hoon began popping up on my newsfeed on a daily basis, I thought I'll make a point to try the signature dish, see if it was worth the hype.
Located across the alley from Tiong Bahru Bakery, and a little behind cze char-heavyweight Sin Hoi Sai, the small-ish coffeeshop establishment has been doing a roaring trade since it set up shop late 2014. Possibly even better than when the chef-owner was toiling in the kitchens at the now-defunct Golden Spoon Seafood (it was "that other restaurant" across the carpark from Por Kee).
We had:
1) Long Ji Crab Bee Hoon ($): a towering mound of bee hoon drenched in broth with a crab sitting pretty atop, looks impressive but pedestrian in taste. A little disappointing, after all that hype. The lard-tinged broth was sweet but lacked depth, and needed a little spice or piquancy to kick it up several notches. I had to ask for copious lashings of fried garlic crisps, and sambal,for oomph.
2) Fermented Pork Belly ($15 for small): another signature dish but wow did it deliver. The bite-sized strips of pork were scrumptious- flavoursome, and juicy. Elevated by that awesome sambal that was at once punchy and lively. I'll return just for these.
3) Cereal Pumpkin Beancurd ($18 for small): also lackluster. It was creamy and sweet enough, but one-dimensional in flavour, and missing in that well-rounded savoury component.

Pictures are at http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.sg/2015/08/ola-cocina-del-mar.html

The cosy restaurant, innocuously tucked away at the commercial hub that is MBFC, has been surreptitiously churning out Spanish cuisine with a Peruvian inclination. It's totally underrated, and flies so low under the radar, that it was 3 years before I learned of its illustrious lineage: Ola's head chef was the executive chef of the short-lived celebrity restaurant Santi at MBS.
Dinner-time will find the restaurant a lot more chilled and tranquil, compared to the frenzied boisterousness of the lunchtime crowd. I much prefer dinners here; there's a languorous ambience perfect for savouring OLA's exquisite tapas. Service is also a lot more intimate and attentive.
We had:
1) 36-months aged Jamon Iberico '5J' ($48): sublime fatty salty ribbons of cured pork shoulder sided by catalan toasts and fresh tomato puree. Pricey, but sublime nonetheless.
2) Burrata with Pesto ($35) with heirloom tomatoes, edamame, and crispy jamon curls: an off-menu special that was a fantastic recommendation by the affable manager. Incredibly balanced in terms of flavour and texture, this is a must-try if ever it's in season.
3) Gambas ($25) - of fresh sweet prawns swimming in a medley of roasted garlic oil, dried chilli, and espelette pepper: heady and aromatic. Dish with the complimentary crusty bread, great fodder for the robustly flavoured oil.
4) Pulpo ($26): Spanish octopus grilled to a luscious and smoky finish, and complemented by a nutty lentil sauce, and lightly spiced romesco vinaigrette. I'm not a fan of octopus (the tentacles scare me), but even I was blown away by this.
5) Conchas a la Parmesana ($35): a duo of plump Hokkaido scallops baked to a succulent caramelization, was set atop parmesan grains, and a creamy lime and brandy aioli. Decent, but not outstanding.
6) Fiduea con Secreto Iberico y Setas ($45): loved the flavourful noodle paella dish loaded with organic oyster mushrooms and grilled iberico pork, even if my galfriend found its sweet undertones disconcerting.
7) Ceviche ($25): only lackluster dish where the potent taste of the wild seabass overwhelmed the delicate flavours of the lime, chilli, and onion marinade

Pictures are at http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.sg/2015/08/joo-heng-restaurant.html

A stalwart of the Joo Chiat neighbourhood, Joo Heng is a household name to the Easterners that's synonymous with homestyled cze char. It may not be particularly rave-worthy, but it's an old reliable that churns out familiar favourites at slightly upmarket prices. Personally, I thought the above-average pricing was justified; we were graciously treated with a good dose of warm friendly service not commonly felt in most cze char joints.
We had:
1) Claypot Chicken ($16): laden with baby corn, snow peas, carrots, cabbage, black mushrooms, and red peppers, the spicy undertones of the chilli peppers tempered the rich savoury overtones of the oyster sauce.
2) Black Pepper Beef ($18): tender without the overt taste of artificial tenderizer. The punchy chilli-spiked black pepper sauce was contrasted with the sweet tartness of the shallots and fresh spring onions.
3) Sambal Sweet Potato Leaves ($12): unctuous with copious lashings of belachan and dried shrimp bits.
4) Beancurd with Prawns ($18): slathered in a gooey egg-drop gravy, sumptuous and a signature must-try

See the full review at http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.sg/2016/03/ito-kacho-yakiniku.html

Although Aburiya takes the honours for having the best yakiniku, Ito-Kacho makes a worthwhile alternative. Its high ceilings and more efficient ventilation means you don't walk out smelling like your food; tables are better spaced out, so you don't feel like a tin of sardines; and it's seldom a full house like Aburiya, so food arrives quicker.
The downside: Ito Kacho, like Gyu-Kaku, doesn't always marinate their meats like Aburiya does.
We had:
1) Jo-Karubi ($22 for medium)-US beef short rib: well marbled, a beautiful shade of bold red indicating freshness, and simply seasoned with salt and sesame seeds. We dipped it in the tare sauce given to us, before grilling it, for extra oomph.
2) Kurobuta P-Toro ($14 for medium): lovely pink slabs of pork jowl streaked with fat, and although juicy enough, erred on the side of a chewy consistency. We also brushed this with the tare dip for flavour.
3) Chicken ($9 for medium): already marinated, bonus points for that, and really scrumptious. A must-try.
4) Kinoko Hoiru-Yaki ($6.90) - assorted mushrooms (shimeiji and enoki) drenched in butter: earthy and luscious and totally awesome.
5) Hotate-Yaki ($19.80) - a trio of plump Hokkaido scallops pooled with sumptuous butter, and spiked with pepper strips: fresh and sweet
6) Oo-Ebi Tempura ($26) - giant tiger prawn tempura: lightly battered and skillfully fried

Pictures are at http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.sg/2015/09/bochinche.html

We really really really like boCHINche. The food is hearty; atmosphere is buzzy; service is warm - overall, a winning formula for the full-house most nights.
Reservations at boCHINche are advised, especially if dining in groups of more than 2 persons. If possible, try to hit up the restaurant before 7.30pm on weekdays, the wines are $10 a pop till then - an excellent (and extremely affordable) way to unwind after a hard day's work.
We love:
1) Caramelized Pork Belly & Grilled Prawns ($18) with sweet potato puree, pork crackling, and chorizo: must-try appetizer
2) Ojo de Bife Ribeye ($55): cooked a perfectly pink medium, and so sumptuous it rendered the mustard-tinged peppercorn sauce redundant.
3) Malbec Braised Ox Cheeks ($23) paired with a velvety truffle mash, succulent house-made chorizo, and a luxurious malbec sauce: totally melt-in-your-mouth
4) Iberico Pork Chops ($42) glazed with mustard and honey and drizzled with a caramelized apple chutney; gloriously luscious
5) For a meat-oriented restaurant, their grilled market fish is awesome. The fish everyday is different, and according to market price (the chef will apprise you of the price beforehand). Their treatment of fish is to season it with rosemary, sea salt and blistered lemon, and grilling it.So simple, and so good.