See pictures @ http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.sg/2016/04/shisen-hanten.html

Although touted as a purveyor of Japanese-Sichuan cuisine, the fare at Shisen Hanten is very simply, Sichuan fare, made just a little more refined and nuanced by the quintessential Japanese precision.
The extensive menu is a tad daunting, and while we loved almost everything we ordered, it wasn't a 100% hit-rate, but a tip is to stick to the traditional stuff for a slamdunk meal.
We had:
1) Cold Steamed Chicken ($22) - seasoned with sesame and leek oil: incredibly aromatic, and despite subtle kick of the chilli pepper spice, was clear and refreshing. This was like Hainanese chicken, but all shredded up and given a spicy twist. Absolute must try.
2) Grilled Wagyu Beef ($30): beautifully burnished and glossed with a delicate garlicky spice blend. Sumptuous, albeit forgettable. The earlier starter really stole the limelight.
3) Hot & Sour Soup ($12): exceptional, punchy and robust, but finished with an exquisite polish
4) Braised Corn Soup with Crabmeat ($12): skip this, it was insipid and clunky.
5) Roasted Crispy Chicken ($46 for whole and promotionally half-priced on Thursday lunches): outstanding. For once, I actually only ate the breast meat, which was wonderfully moist and flavoursome
6) Sweet & Sour Pork with Black Vinegar ($26): A galfriend thought it was "too porky", but I thought it was acceptably full-bodied. The one thing we all could agree on, was that the heady, sweetish, piquant glaze was absolutely delightful.
7) Chen's Mapo Doufu ($22): hearty but restrained. I liked the complex nuance finessed into this.
8) Rice Vermicelli with Crabmeat ($28): The noodles were lush with stock, but managed a light elegance; and it was generously piled with scallops, shitmeiji caps, freshly shredded crabmeat and egg white scramble

See pictures @ http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.sg/2016/04/flutes-at-national-museum.html

The cuisine at Flutes is modern Australian, occasionally fused with a touch of Asian elements. Its elegant and sophisticated fare is reflected in the posh and swanky setting. That said, the vibe is relaxed, with nary a whiff of stuffy pretentiousness. We liked the service too, attentive but discreet, knowledgeable without being overbearing.
We had:
1) Queen Victoria's Green Pea Soup ($18): with a block of sockeye salmon mi cuit, creme fraiche to add creaminess, and lemon to lend a bright accent - loveliest green pea soup I've ever had. Velvety smooth, and amazingly complex, this, together with the next 3 mains, made it to the must-try list.
2) Twice Cooked Spanish Suckling Piglet ($46): Skin had a satisfyingly crackling crunch, and the flesh was lusciously fork-tender. This was contrasted with a dollop of caramelised apple compote, toasted grains, radish, and cup of sherry jus.
3) Chilli Crab Pasta ($38): with oodles of freshly shredded king crabmeat weaved into a roll of angel hair, and crowned with a gargantuan crab leg, was subtly spiced, redolent of crab essence, was fantastic.
4) Pan Roasted Fillet of Barramundi ($42): incredibly crisp skin and moist flaky meat. This was set on a mashed potato bed, and served with rainbow heirloom tomatoes, rocket leaves, and a drizzling of olive emulsion.
5) Grilled Margaret River Wagyu Striploin ($120 500gm for 2 to share): done to a medium-rareness as requested, and sided by a crisp peppery watercress salad and red wine jus - the only weak link of dinner. We didn't like the meat, which we thought too full bodied and this was quite forgettable.
We opted for the accompanying sides of a beautifully caramelised casserole of Sweet Potato Dauphinoise ($12 ala carte price but complimentary with the striploin) and Roasted Broccoli ($12 ala carte price) sliced with a flavoursome sesame sauce and decadently plaited with smoked bacon lardons

See the full review, including the invited tasting, @ http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.sg/2016/04/invited-tasting-revisit-ash-elm.html

Had wildly different experiences at the new restaurant at the freshly invigorated Intercon. The invited tasting was really quite fantastic, and I'd thought to myself "AHA! Bugis finally has a upscale option serving decent food, yay!". This may be the reason for the many glowing reviews of Ash & Elm currently floating around. BUT, my revisit was such a dud; I thought it was disappointingly pedestrian and the husband was terribly regretful that he'd wasted his calories on a lackluster dinner.
The silver lining, was that service was surprisingly more attentive and personable at the revisit, as opposed to during the invited tasting, which was clunky and bumbling.
Still, I don't see myself returning to Ash & Elm anytime in the foreseeable future.

We had the following at the revisit:
1) Beef Tasting Platter ($108): cooked well, to the medium doneness as requested, but the meats were a little gamey. The vine tomatoes and garlic, I also distinctly remember being more scrumptiously browned at the tasting; these were noticeably underdone at the revisit.
2) Seafood Linguine ($31): insipid and flat in taste; that wonderful stock base that was present at the tasting was hardly featured here. To compound matters, the squid and clams were overcooked and rubbery.
3) Slow-Grilled Spanish Iberico Pork Chop ($39): well-maintained in standard; as yummy as I'd remembered at the tasting.
4) Line-Caught Yellowfin Tuna Steak ala Basquaise ($30): seared-lightly and served with a tomato-based sauce, Basque-style, with grilled root vegetables. I liked it, but the husband thought this was quite the humdrum dish

See pictures @ http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.sg/2016/04/hoshino-coffee-capitol-piazza.html

Hoshino Coffee's casual vibe, trendy fare and wallet-friendly price points have made it a hit among the teenybopper set and the broke-by-the-end-of-the-month types.
I suggest getting the eggy souffle baked rice and although the menu alleges this as "rissoto", it is really a term used loosely, and more regular Japanese rice than Italian risotto:
1) Omu Souffle ($16.80): tomato rice casserole dotted with broccoli and shrimp.
2) Fuwa-Fuwa Hoshino Souffle ($15.80): with mushrooms and ham bits
3) Matcha Souffle ($10.80): semi-collapsed by the time it got to our table. This was disappointing, and I much rather spent a few dollars more and get the fabulous ones at Laurent Bernard.
4) Ice Matcha Latte with Softee ($9.30): rich and robust. Much better than the souffle as a sweet finisher

See pictures @ http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.sg/2016/04/ruths-chris-steak-house.html

I really loved my dinner at Ruth's Chris, and my mates concur as well. The food was faultless, and I loved the traditional style of Ruth's Chris' steaks; unadorned save for salt, pepper, and a simple glaze of American butter. No sauces, herbs or seasoning to distract from the meat, so the quality of the meat is highlighted in its pure form, which I understand can be a little uninspiring for some diners. But one man's meat is another man's poison, so what's boring to others can also be construed as classic, and I like my stuff classic anyway.
Service was gracious, if a bit spotty (our water glasses weren't refilled automatically).
All in all, this is definitely going down as one of 2016's best eats.
We had:
1) New Orleans-styled Barbecued Shrimp ($35): a must-try, we actually ordered more bread to mop up that lovely spiced garlicky white wine and butter sauce.
2) USDA Prime Ribeye ($85 for 12-ounce): a perfect medium-well. The corn-fed meat had ample heft, and imbued with a tantalizing char. Be sure to go down a cooked-level coz it'll continue cooking at the table
3) USDA New York Strip ($85 for 12-ounce): fuller-bodied flavour than the ribeye, but just as sumptuous and robust.
4) USDA Filet ($90 for 11-ounce): a leaner cut but incredibly tender and luscious.
There are a good number of sides to break up the monotony of steak, and we liked:
5) Sauteed Spinach ($20): clean, delicate, and simply fried with garlic.
6) Potato Au Gratin ($20): laden with cream and burnished with cheddar melt. Rustic, old-school and hearty