Spanish Doughnut = Churro

Now that's the kind of equation I like and understand. Personally, I had never had a churro until my trip to Australia a couple of years back, and then once more at Grubs at Bishan Park. There hasn't been any looking back since.

After all, who can say no to the delectable fried dough pastry dipped in your choice of chocolate sauces?

Spanish Doughnuts at Orchard Central caters specifically towards that niche craving with a menu featuring all kinds of churros you can think of! The open-concept layout of Spanish Doughnuts is liberating and welcoming. And while there are the standard wooden tables and chairs, plusher sitting is available along the sides of the cafe. First come first serve is law there. I was early  

Menu wise, Spanish Doughnut really kicks up the humble churro a notch. You'll have your standard plain churro fried and sprinkled in sugar icing and served with your choice of chocolate dip (White, Milk and Dark Chocolate).!Tip: Order the Choco Churritos - it's a great platter to share with bite-sized churros and all 3 chocolate dips available instead of just having to choose one!Other than the standard churro, there are those with flavoured custard fillings, and then you have the Premium Churros, each of which are painstakingly handmade. Besides having chocolate or vanilla custard filling piped into the centre, each premium churro is glazed lavishly in different coatings of flavour and texture.  Creme Brulee, Dark Chocolate Bonbon and Hazelnut are but 3 of the many premium flavours available. Unlike their "under-dressed" counterparts, some of the premium churros are served chilled to keep the external glazing in place. So the taste is pretty new.

I think Spanish Doughnuts is one of the place to hang out in the revammped area of Somerset, and heck I ca't wait for my next churro outing!

Porridge Paradise is one of the newest offerings at Bugis, along Tan Quee Lan street. At the time of my visit, the restaurant is barely 2 weeks old. And to debunk any preconceptions derived from the moniker, Porridge Paradise is so very much more than just porridge.
Star of the menu would definitely have to be the original healthy porridge creations by the chef/owner. Using only all natural and fresh ingredients, there are 3 very unique flavours to choose from:
1. Pandan and Basil (Green) with pork
2. Pumpkin (Yellow) with prawn
3. Red Yeast Rice and Ginger (Red) with chicken

Each of the key ingredients were carefully handpicked for their health properties, strengthening our body's immunity system, lowering cholesterol levels and increasing antioxidant levels in our bodies. The restaurant's signature 3C Porridge offers an opportunity to test all 3 flavours at a go, reap all 3 health benefits, at a ridiculously low price of $6.90.
This HAS to be what I call value-for-money.

I'm not really a porridge person myself, preferring to stick with the staple of Century Egg and Minced Pork Porridge usually. But the presentation and smells really won me over. I am stuck choosing between the Pumpkin and the Red Yeast Rice & Ginger for a favourite - the former for the sweet taste of the pumpkin in the broth and the inherent sweetness of the shrimp; the latter for that combination that plays out so well in the mouth, and I love how the juiciness of the shredded chicken shines through in the aftertaste.And as I was saying, it's not just porridge. Porridge Paradise offers a menu of local delights as well. Assam Fish, Curry Chicken and Prawn Paste Chicken seem to be crowd favourites, with the Curry Chicken selling out by mid-day. I was lucky enough to get the last bowl Assam Fish (small): $10
I liked the crispiness of the fried fish, but i felt the assam could have been better to complement the dish further.

 

Curry Chicken: $7
A tad pricey at $7, the curry chicken is still pretty awesome taste wise. I liked the viscosity of the curry, not to watery, and the spiciness as the curry goes down the chute gives quite the kick.Prawn Paste Chicken: $8
Fried Chicken in delectable prawn paste batter. 'Nuff said.
Lunch for our group of 3 only worked out to be $10 each for such a spread. I'd say Porridge Paradise would be worth a visit for a potential lunch option for those working around Bugis.

What if you wouldn't have to trundle through half of Malaysia just seeking the comforts of great tasting Penang cuisine? Wouldn't that be a dream come true?

With Penang Kitchen's 2 outlets at Bukit Timah and Katong, the dream seems to have become reality. My visit to the Katong outlet was inundated with flavours of Penang and it was a pity that I could only make space for just the Assam Laksa and SeaFood Mee Sua.

With the seafood mee sua, it was as flavourful as the Laska was spicy and packed the heat. Delightful. Will definitely return for a second visit sometime soon.

Laurent Bernard Chocolatier. A common sight in many local shopping malls where the brand adorns kiosks hawking stunning arrays of everything chocolate. But what I only just recently discovered was how the same brand name would be whispered almost in reverence when it comes down to chocolate soufflés.The outlet at The Pier at Robertson if I'm not mistaken, is the only Laurent Bernard Chocolatier selling more than their standard chocolates and thus offer dine-in facilities , both indoors and alfresco seating. Chocolate lovers throng the cafe throughout the day, but it's only at night when it really becomes packed with dessert lovers and chocoholics alike.
P.S.: The name on the signboard actually says Laurent Cafe & Chocolate BarInside the cafe, it feels like a jaunt into a spruced up cafe from olden times - Victorian looking furniture and furnishings, a spick and span counter alongside a display fridge where you pick your ice creams from, lit overhead by a bunch of bare light bulbs.Guanaja Chocolate Soufflé - $18
Getting down to the core agenda of my visit - the legendary Guanaja Chocolate Soufflé. Prepared only on demand to ensure quality and freshness, each order takes approximately 15 minutes of waiting time. A paltry wait when the soufflé is finally served. All puffed up with a luscious looking chocolaty crown, the soufflé was served with a white chocolate sauce and a side of raspberry ice cream. Cutting into the soufflé and its soft yielding middle, wafts of aromatic chocolate hits you immediately. It was light, yet rich at the same time, and the centre was slightly gooey still, giving an interesting contrast to the dish as a whole.

One word: Delightful

I for one would not advocate the white chocolate sauce. When I tried it, it was a little too watered down for my taste. Views on the raspberry ice creams remain divided. It's super citrus-y and acidic and while it adds to the flavour profile, you've got to be a fruity person to enjoy it.

Some people might say, $18 for a soufflé, or any dessert at that is really overpaying it. But I still really enjoyed it as any chocoholic or dessert lover would. Laurent Bernard Chocolatier has just set the benchmark for chocolate soufflés for me, and I very much look forward to my next return visit.

Japanese cuisine has always been a hit in Singapore, with ramen leading the charge. You can expect to find a Japanese restaurant offering ramen of some kind at almost every major mall here.

One of the latest contenders for Singapore's favourite ramen is potentially Tsukada Nojo, located at the new wing of Plaza Singapura. Hailing from the Miyazaki prefecture of Japan, the restaurant's speciality ramen is championed by a stock painstakingly prepared - just 3 ingredients of Jidori bones, water and salt are boiled and left to simmer for over 8 hours! Something that I just had to try.

Stepping into the Tsukada Nojo came quite close in my mind to revisiting olden Japan. A very much wood-based interior design, with all the trimmings I'd expect after watching Japanese anime. Even the service staff were clad in traditional Japanese garb as well.Wooden restaurant interiorOpen-concept kitchen with Jidori Chicken

For me, a first visit to any new restaurant would not be complete without trying the in-house recommendations/signature dishes. My choice of main course was the ramen lunch set special: Tori Nikomi Soba
You can actually take your pick of the type of noodle to go with the soup (the recommendation being egg noodles) and the entire set meal is actually served separately. The ramen within the stock, and everything else on a different plate for you to dip or soak as you wish.

Plus 2 other sides:Nikumaki Onigiri
A Japanese rice snack with a porky twist, the Nikumaki Onigiri is a bite-size rice ball wrapped in what I fancy to be bacon-like pork strips glazed with in a special soy sauce. Whilst the rice might be more on the plain side, the pork and the sauce definitely comes together to make this dish a pretty mouthful.Chicken Nanban - $8
A typical fried chicken dish I would expect at a Japanese restaurant. Juiciness with a crunch but the sauce I did not quite care for. It was just a little too cloying for me.

Verdict: Great experience on the whole in terms of the ambience and some new takes on both ramen and rice snacks. The Jidori Soup tasted simple yet flavourful at the same time.