I was at O-AN Japanese Restaurant located at the basement of Hong Leong Building, for a Wednesday dinner. The nearest MRT is Raffles Place (Exit I), about a ten minutes walk from the MRT gantries. You know how huge Raffles Place MRT is. First thing - a very blur OOTD + weirdo-selfie-in-the-reflection + the restaurant's exterior all rolled into one photo. I'm efficient (and lazy), I know.

Arriving at this restaurant with a Deal.com.sg voucher - it's $29.90/2pax for a 10-course meal (ie. $15/pax). Always read the fine print of restaurant vouchers... and for this, the clause that you might miss out is: Voucher does not include GST & service charges, payable to merchant (ie. desk counter of restaurant). What is not said: Drinks not included. After some consideration, the price is still very worth it - around $17.50/pax (excluding drinks).

The interior is very huge. It's often packed to the brim during lunch time as the restaurant draws its crowd from the office-goers around Raffles Place, but it's only almost a quarter filled during dinner time (Trivia: Observed from a Wednesday night) - not much reservations needed, but you can always call to feel more settled.

In O-AN restaurant - a general contemporary atmosphere with a hint of Japan here and there - with printed pictures of Mount Fuji and traditional Japanese portraits hanging on the walls. There are semi-private partitions (with see-through black fringe curtains). The interior is generally classy and quiet.

House Sake - 180ml ($15, but it was having 1-for-1)
Not included in the package but it really sets the tone for the meal. I like the fragrance of it coupled with the warmth in the stomach - really sets a good base for the food that is about to arrive. There is an option of serving it hot or cold, but even when served warm, it reaches room temperature pretty quickly because the sake flask is not heat-insulated.

Salmon Sashimi
I liked this a lot. The sashimi flesh is thick, juicy and smooth - giving a melt in your mouth and instant gratification. Sadly there are only three pieces for two pax, so I'm not sure how the two fight over the remaining sinfully glorious piece. Recommended if you're ordering ala carte.

Edamame
Not a fan of this crunchy vegetable, but this edamame is surprisingly not tasteless like the usual ones I eat but has a subtle hint of soy and saltish taste. Fun for popping while waiting for the dishes (which were served quickly).

Potato Salad
The table was raving over the potato salad, which was above average in my opinion because I liked how it is made of unevenly-blended real potato mash (I'm tired of eating factory-made mashed potato), and the freshness of the cucumber, carrot and the veggies on the side complement it well, as it might get a little dry on its own. I'm complimenting the vegetables. Yes, it's that good. Recommended if you're ordering ala carte.

Grilled Saba Mackerel
The fish skin was slightly crispy but the fish meat was tender and easy to bite... there might be a bit of edible bones in there though, safe to swallow whole. Quite good as well but then again, the portion is a little bit too small.

Agedashi Tofu
This tastes very normal to me, a little lacking of surprise or layering in taste.

Tempura
Amazingly, this is one of the rare fried food items that I actually enjoyed (not in this meal, but in general). This tempura leaves a sweet and lingering prawn aftertaste, and the oil used is definitely fresh. I liked this a lot. Recommended if you're ordering ala carte.

Tori Karrage
While paling in comparison to the tempura, the tori karrage can still hold its own fort with its crispy chicken skin and quite-tender chicken meat. No bones inside, which made me very happy as I ate this. Better than the usual chicken wings, but still a passable dish for me.

Yasai Itame Handroll
Quite a disappointing dish for this, while the prawn roe and cucumbers were enjoyable, somehow the seaweed was super difficult to tear and it made eating this very messy. The crabstick also tasted store-bought. Not a good idea to order this ala carte.

Sukiyaki Hotpot
I liked the soup base a lot! It is savoury and tasty with the egg we poured in (okay, the raw egg mixture was supposed to be a dip)! The beef slices were already tucked in the almost-spilling sukiyaki hotpot and mixing requires quite a bit of skill. It is also packed with mushrooms. Great fun and delicious. Recommended if you're ordering ala carte.

Tonkotsu Ramen
The soup base is not too salty even with the seaweed and the ramen noodles is quite a bit tougher to the bite than the ramen offered at other places. It turned out to be quite good anyway, but no egg inside. T_T This was the last dish so maybe they thought you'll be full by now - I was at about 90% full by this time.

Overall: A good deal voucher to try out many Japanese dishes at a go. If you were to skip the drinks and just try out the food, it's around $17.50 per pax for so much food, definitely worth it. It is currently SOLD OUT, but these deals rotate sometimes - so keep a lookout! ;)

For more photos and menu, please visit: http://spherepiece.blogspot.sg/2013/11/food-o-japanese-restaurant.html

Group Therapy Cafe - a long overdue cafe trip, others on the waiting list includes Department of Caffeine, Kith Cafe, Loysel's Toy... ever since I've become an almost full convert to coffee (from carbonated drinks), I can kinda overlook how pricey cafe-hopping trips can be. Well, after all, caffeine is a necessity. Cafe-hopping alone to Group Therapy Cafe can be a little ironic, but an afternoon with myself is an afternoon well-spent.The sign states: Closed on Mondays.It's located on the second floor, not too hard to find if you kept a lookout (see first picture and note that angle of Duxton Hill Apartments). Greeted with the neon "Fresh, Hot Coffee" - so enticing, hmm.

Obligatory menu shots to help you decide if this cafe fit your budget. Belgian-Styled Waffle with Ice-Cream ($12+)
Switched my mind for the order from the one with maple-syrup and butter from the All-Day Breakfast menu when the boss alerted me to the sinful alternative - with ice-cream and fruits instead. The waffle is drizzled with chocolate sauce, sprinkled with almond flakes and topped with strawberry slices and blueberry! And of course, a generous heap of creamy vanilla ice-cream. The waffle is not as buttery as the kind in neighbourhood confectioneries. The baked fragrance is light, and generally moist than crisp. Overall it's pretty good though it would be better if there are more almond flakes and perhaps banana slices will be the perfect finishing touch to it. The portion is lovely for one pax.Matcha Latte ($6.50+)
A cuppa that I fell in love with on first sight and pronounced as my new favourite coffee upon the first sip. Maybe even mocha has to take second place now. They do take their latte art very seriously - and partially the reason why I ordered this - just a superficial disposition when it comes to more-than-budget dining. The matcha taste is tenacious but not overwhelming; the caffeine undertones are subtle and consistent. Correct me if I'm wrong but the caffeine content in this cup is quite low.Although Group Therapy Cafe is one of the more popular cafes around, I was surprised to see that it wasn't teeming with people or long queues - instead there was a comfortable seat turnover rate on a weekday afternoon (I'm sure it's much busier on weekends though). There is also a electric point at my seat to revive my ever-dying phone. The service is attentive and non-intrusive, approaching only when needed. A beautiful cafe that is definitely listed as one of my favourites. Be, right back. ;)

When word got around that Tiong Bharu has transformed into a dynamic enclave of bars, cafes and restaurants, I knew that a trip to this place is in order. 40 Hands and PoTeaTo just stands across one another - while the former is no doubt more famous, the little cafe could not hold anymore in its squeezy air-conditioned interior. It was burning hot on that day (hardly any day in Singapore isn't anyway) and we were dying for some air-con... so we shuffled into PoTeaTo which was pretty empty but thank heavens, air-conditioned. If given a choice, I'll always do dessert before main course. Eggless Chocolate Cake ($7.80) is our logical pick - after all it is the fattest, tallest cake slice out of all the available selections. PoTeaTo can really do better in their dessert variety. I was pleasantly surprised by the fullness of the chocolate taste upon the first mouthful, and immediately I wanted another and another bite of it! The top chocolate layering tastes like just pure, thick chocolate which my girlfriends liked a lot. I prefer the middle sections because it is less jelat but still retains the full-bodied chocolate taste. It is lighter than normal cakes, I think. But a little dry. You have to pair it with some tea or your throat will be parched after a while from eating this. I was sharing this slice with three other girlfriends, lucky for that because even if I had a big appetite for desserts, I could not possibly finish this on my own. It will get really jelat after a while, so remember to share it with someone else. H did not want to share the chocolate cake with us and so she ordered a Green Tea Cheesecake. I don't remember the price exactly, but it's slightly cheaper than $7.80 (should be around $7) but still pretty expensive given half the height it stood at compared to the chocolate cake.

Verdict of pinching a mouthful from her: I like this better than the chocolate cake, because the green tea flavour really hits the spot. It is fragrant and complements the cheesecake well. But it is priced too steeply by my standards.
We stayed in PoTeaTo for a little while before the dinner menu kicks in at 6pm. I decided on Spaghetti and Meatballs ($15) - it is me being unadventurous again because the other items on the menu just doesn't appeal to me at all.

Actually I don't really want to describe this too much because it is quite a disappointment. It tastes almost like my first attempt at cooking tomato spaghetti. I am not a good cook. You can probably guess what it tastes like. It is not inedible, but it is definitely not $15-standard. The meatballs were alright, but you can totally get better ones at Ikea.
PoTeaTo is somewhere that I will only go once for the experience but nothing in here to compel me to enter for a second round. There's a whole lot of improvement they can do in here. To their credit, their service is really down-to-earth and sincere, and this is a good place to chill at if you're in the area and well, it's mostly empty so you don't have to wait outside unlike 40 Hands.

Postscript: Their desserts are worth having, but the main courses... you can give it a skip.

"I'm a naked fish!"- This eyeball-stopping restaurant that provides you with multitude choices of fishes, western fare and local cuisine. Naked Fish Shoppe is tucked away in Yio Chu Kang The Grassroots' Club, only a short 5 mins walk from Yio Chu Kang MRT! You can choose to enjoy alfresco dining on cooler days or head inside for the air-conditioner. The restaurant is quite meticulously decorated with a nautical theme to fit in with their many specialty fish dishes that are served in different fashions - read on to find out more! And... I really like the blue and white colours! The interior is spacious and comfortable. The Iced Mocha ($4) which I ordered! I love mocha, and I really liked this. The chocolate is saturated at the bottom and you need to stir it up if you liked a more chocolate taste, but if you only like a light trace of chocolate, you can choose not to stir that much. Crispy Calamari ($7.50) is one of the more attractive appetizers available (others include Caesar Salad, Garden Salad Bowl, Coleslaw & Raisins, Baked Scallop Thermidor, Crispy Shishamo Fish) which I liked. Worth ordering again, it was really fragrant and crispy just like its name suggests. The sauce that comes along with it tastes exactly like the fillet-o-fish's tartar sauce from McDs.

Note: The real serving is much larger, about 10+ pieces. The above image is for illustration purposes only. Soup of the Day - Chicken Soup in a Bread Bowl ($3) was a little bland, and could have been saltier or more peppered. Other choices include Mushroom, Lobster Bisque and Clam Chowder. The Mushroom and Lobster Bisque flavours are definitely stronger and more flavourful.Not ordered by me but I pinched a bit of this Mediterranean Seafood Platter which serves up quite a huge portion with cheese and rice beneath fish, fries, mussels and prawns. I tried one of the prawns which was really difficult to peel from the shell and didn't have much meat too. I liked the fries though...Pan-Fried Mahi Mahi Fish Fillet ($14.80) is drizzled lightly with lemon butter sauce. I liked the sauce quite a lot, but a pity there was not a lot! They can put more of this yummy sauce to pair with the fish fillet! The lemon taste in the sauce could be more consistent too. The peas, carrots and corn at the side help to break the taste a little. Overall I liked it quite a lot and it is a potential dish that you may like too!Another shot of the Pan-Fried Mahi Mahi Fish Fillet. This fish meat is not as tender as that of dory fish but also not as hard as Barramundi. A pretty good middle ground for me. Deep Sea Premium Grade Barramundi Fish Fillet ($16.80) is also the tougher version of Mahi Mahi. If you liked tougher fish meat then you can choose this.Honeydew Pudding with Coconut Milk - compliments from the generous owner, James. I loved this combination but it could be a less sweet

http://spherepiece.blogspot.sg/2013/05/food-feat-naked-fish-shoppe.html

Paris Baguette's neon electrifying blue sign jumps out at everyone in Wisma Atria! Are you curious on what interesting food you can chomp on inside here? Here's a summary from my little stroll around the café on the what & how much (what you see is what you pay for):

SaladsBreads, pastries and tarts - lots of themThere's a huge selection of breads and you can definitely find something you like within this spectacular array. There's cheese/chocolate/meats/fruit tarts/egg tarts/mushrooms/garlic breads! Simply pick, order & pay up at the counter.Special mention for Seafood Chowder which I think would be pretty worth it with a fat little prawn sitting atop the bread bowl holding soup. Definite plus points for the pleasing presentation style.

Pretty CakesA little too expensive in my budget-range but if you're feeling a little indulgent and generous with yourself, go get yourself one of these delightful edible art. Noting that Paris Baguette does not originate from Paris but South Korea, Running Man fans will realize that little easter eggs are hidden in the naming of the cake flavours!

InteriorIt wouldn't be entirely accurate to differentiate between interior or exterior of the place because Paris Baguette is quite an open-concept café allowing shoppers to mill around and take peeks at the food inside.

My SelectionThis is a love-at-first-sight choice, the Strawberry Pyramid! It is so pretty, with a shiny strawberry sitting right at the top with the icing frosting ... I want it! Upon eating, I realized it looked much nicer than it tasted. Oh well, guess the presentation raised my expectations too high. While the strawberry itself was sweet and juicy, the little stacks of bread were a little tough to bite and I wasn't a fan of the powdery frosting either. They compromised on the taste for the sake of the presentation... Hmm.

The Italian Vegetable Calzone was a wild card I drew from the selection of pastries available. I was trying to go for something unexpected and indeed it is! This unassuming little pocket of vegetables had spunk in it - chili - which gave this pastry an unpredictable edge. The more I ate it the more I liked it. I took out all the chili bits because I don't really take spicy food, but surprisingly it still leaves a lingering spicy taste throughout that complemented the vegetables and was quite enjoyable. The description for this dish did not state that it was spicy at all, so take your picks carefully or ask first! ;)

The service at Paris Baguette is prompt, polite and efficient. However there were some flies in the place which were irritating. They could do better in that aspect.

I would try their specialty, the Paris Baguette Pudding ($4), the next time I visit this place. That leaves some space for anticipation!

http://spherepiece.blogspot.sg/2013/05/food-feat-paris-baguette.html