I’m totally not exaggerating when I say that La Strada has one of the BEST Carbonara I’ve ever tried in Singapore. And most of the other dishes on their menu are equally good too. The price range is slightly higher than Jamie’s Italian, but the quality of food here is so much better, as you would expect from a restaurant under the Les Amis group.First up, the Risotto All’Aragosta ($40) – juicy Lobster chunks served with saffron-infused Risotto. Mmmm.. just thinking about it now stimulates my saliva glands! >.< If you're like me and enjoy indulging in rich, flavourful foods then this is a dish you will love. They probably used lobster bisque to cook the rice because it's just exploding with the taste of lobster and the strings of saffron hidden in the risotto gives the dish an uplifting quality.One thing I also liked about this dish is that they don’t stinge on the lobster meat. I was delighted to find huge chunks of juicy lobster meat cooked to perfection.It’s always good to eat in a group because you get to share food and try out more dishes that the restaurant has to offer. This pot of Blue Mussels ($28) is slightly different from the one I tried at Bistro Du Vin (also part of the Les Amis group of restaurants). This version is without white wine which makes it slightly less tasty, but I actually prefer it like that because the wine can be a bit overpowering.And of course, the star of the show is the Chitarra alla Carbonara ($28)! The restaurant actually makes their own ‘Chitarra’ pasta which is literally translated as ‘Guitar String’ pasta. And I’m not sure if they actually make the pasta fresh on the spot, but my order took quite a while to come (20 – 30 min). It was well worth the wait though, because the pasta retained it’s fresh al’dente quality that you will not get from ordinary dried pasta that you buy from supermarkets.

The Truffle Butter Sauce is unlike anything I’ve tried before – thick, buttery and infused with so much truffle. And there are still more unique attributes to this dish! Next up is the crispy thin slices of Italian ham that is served with it, unlike other carbonara which uses bacon. And finally the Egg Confit which sits atop the pasta, unlike the usual poached egg which is just simply poached for 3 – 5 min, this egg yolk is slow cooked for about an hour and infused with flavours from the ham.

To think that the chefs went through all that trouble just to create this heavenly dish makes me respect them even more. And I think the price tag of $28 is really quite reasonable, although the portion may be quite small for some people. Just be sure to make a reservation in advance to avoid disappointment because the restaurant can get really packed during lunchtime on weekdays.

We were walking past this place on our way to Forum Shopping mall and decided to try something different for a change. This burger joint is right in the middle of nowhere but serves up pretty decent burgers. I tried the Fish Burger which came with a gigantic slab of fried fish, smothered in tar tar sauce. While the bread bun wasn't that great, I thought the fish was pretty fresh; although slightly oily. The chunky fries were also a nice addition to the meal.

I've passed by this restaurant many times before, heard my friends rave about it, but this is actually my first time trying the food here. The place was rather lively on Christmas Eve, filled with lots of office people making merry with their colleagues.Check out their Christmas-y menu decked out with reindeers, X'mas trees and all things merry.I decided to order the Risotto with Pancetta & White Truffle Oil ($17.50). Risotto is one of my favourite Italian dishes and the portion here was just right. A spoonful of risotto with french beans, chunks of pancetta (Italian pork belly bacon), mushrooms and parmesan cheese! The flavour of the white truffle oil is definitely quite pronounced.We also shared a serving of their signature Mussel Pot, soaked in white wine and cooked just right. Mussels are pretty delicate, so it was a delight to find that the mussels here were cooked really skillfully. If you're heading down to Ambush, their Mussel Pot is definitely something you MUST try!

My friends asked me out for another dim sum feast and we decided to go to Royal China at Raffles Hotel. This is my second visit here and I got to try the Lor Mai Gai 糯米鸡 (Steamed Glutinous Rice $4.80) this time round. From the moment the basket was opened, a whiff of the lotus leaf filled the air and I couldn't help myself from peeling into it right away. The rice was moist and piping hot, very flavourful and satisfying. It's also filled up quite generously with meat, but I would advise you to share this portion with someone else if you intend to try out the other dim sum the restaurant has because the rice can be quite filling.

Watami at ION Orchard was recently given a facelift. The restaurant is a lot smaller now but the interior looks a bit more posh and they even have some brand new dishes on their menu. I ordered myself a Tonkotsu Ramen and Miso Yakionigiri set. The ramen came in a nicely plated huge bowl with an onsen tamago. If you prefer eating your chashu meat hot, then it would be advisable to let it soak in the soup for a while because it was served to me cold. The noodles are pretty good although the soup broth was a bit too salty for me.This is the first time I've heard of Yakionigiri - "onigiri" is a rice ball and "yaki" usually refers to dishes that have been grilled or fried. While it was a bit oily, I enjoyed the natural saltiness of the miso paste that has been generously slathered on top of the fried onigiri. And it makes for a very interesting side dish! You should try it for yourself..