If you ever venture up to the 5th floor of Far East Plaza, you definitely can't miss this place. It's located right in front of the escalator and has a brown brick exterior with "Yakitori" pasted all over the shop front. And although we've passed by this restaurant many times, it was my first time trying it out.I ordered the Yakitori set which is one of their menu items that's "Chef Recommended". The grill that they use to make the yakitori is situated right in the middle of the restaurant so that everyone has a good view of the chef grilling the meats. The good thing is that their ventilation system seems good enough that the smoke from the grill doesn't fill up the restaurant.

The Yakitori Set (around $15 with GST) I ordered definitely lives up to its name. The meat was cooked just nice and the sesame sauce that came with was a great match! They even had grilled quail eggs in the set - although the eggs were a bit over cooked and their texture was a bit tougher that how I would usually like my eggs.

I'll definitely come back here again if I get the chance too! Their other dishes sure look just as appetizing.

One of the more unique features of this establishment is that you can shop, eat and cook all at the same time! ToTT consists of a huge store that stocks kitchen appliances and accessories from all over the world, a Bistro that showcases both Asian and Western cuisine, and there is also a fully equipped cooking studio. It's no wonder that people call it a kitchen wonderland!

My second visit to ToTT was during a weekday at lunchtime. The crowd at that time consisted mainly of working adults, expats and also a table of mothers with kids. There was also a cooking class going on in the studio when I was there.

THE FOODI decided to go for their special-of-the-day; the Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli in Pesto Sauce. While it was a little on the salty side for me, the ravioli was cooked rather well. The portion was also just nice for me and since it was loaded with ricotta cheese, it was actually rather filling.

We also shared some Mushroom Medley Spring Rolls which is made from 3 different types of mushrooms, I am told. Crispy on the outside, moist and soggy on the inside and has a rather interesting taste. The other item we shared was the Chicken Wings which were surprisingly good and probably my favourite dish out of the 3. Sweet, savoury and crispy.I also ordered a Summer Delight which is a fruity and icy blend of pineapple, lemon and apple - a very refreshing thirst quencher on a hot and humid afternoon. It reminds me a little of the Apple Katsuri at Secret Recipe, but the Summer Delight is more on the sweet side which is great for people who can't take overly sour stuff.

THE ENVIRONMENTThe store occupies quite a spacious area and even has a play pen area for children which they call the Lil' ToTTs section. Mothers can gossip over a snack at the Bistro while they leave their kids to jump around at the play pen area. There is also a nursery for the younger toddlers.

One of the more interesting things that I didn't get to try out was their Bake & Go section where you can pick a tin of Cookie dough from around $10 (price varies), bake some fresh cookies on the spot and bring them home! The kids will definitely love this and it's also kind of a cheap thrill for adults (like myself). If I get the chance to drop by ToTT again, I will definitely want to try it out! =D

Overall, the ambiance at ToTT was very peaceful and casual, while the staff there were also very friendly. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has kids and also any aspiring chefs!

Cuppage Plaza is not exactly a place you would imagine to find good food at. The building itself is filled with rather dodgy "karaoke bars", so it was a real surprise to me that you could actually get good Japanese food here, and at a reasonable price too.(1) The Menu

Interestingly enough, the restaurant seemingly caters only for Japanese-speaking customers as their entire menu is in Japanese and there were no pictorials of the dishes. We ended up asking the lady who served us what each dish meant and it took us quite some time to actually order our food.(2) The Food

I decided to go for the safe choice - Beef Teriyaki set ($19) which came with rice, a cold dish (long beans), miso soup, pickles, salad on the side and an orange. I must say that the beef was really good! It was grilled to tender perfection and drenched in sweet soy sauce with a spoon of sesame mustard on top. The portions were just right too.

We also ordered a grilled Pork Belly + Bacon and Asparagus to share and both of these dishes were equally good! I also tried their Tuna sashimi which was chunky (not like the thin slices you get at other Japanese restaurants) and it was fresh enough to melt in your mouth. Overall, the food here was excellent and the bill came up to only $30 per person.(3) The Ambience

The restaurant is sectioned into 3 areas which is a rather weird setup. They have a "main dining area", a separate shop next to it, and the kitchen is opposite the corridor. It's like they decided to lease the shop next door to expand. The aunty that served us spoke in Chinese and she could also converse to the other customers in Japanese. The other staff were also very friendly and attentive to our needs.

Overall, the good food, cosy ambience and good service made for a really satisfying dinner! I would give this restaurant a 8.5 / 10

I don't take spicy food (not even a little bit) so it's very rare that I would step into a restaurant that serves Laksa. Well, they do offer non-spicy items on their menu such as burgers and pasta, but I was there to try out one of their signature desserts - the Chendol. They even have an ice shaving machine in a corner where they prepare the chendol. It consists of a mixture of gula melaka, red beans and pandan jelly over shaved ice and drenched in lots of coconut milk. The Chendol here makes for a sinfully yummy dessert if you have a sweet tooth and love coconut milk! =D

There are quite a number of Imperial Treasure restaurants around, each with their own signature dishes and specialties – Cantonese, Teochew, Steamboat and even La Mian Xiao Long Bao. We had a craving for Dim Sum one day and decided to check out Imperial Treasure Nan Bei at Ngee Ann City (Takashimaya) which is usually packed with lots of customers. Good thing we only had to wait for around 5-min before we got our table.The Pork Ribs w/ Black Bean 豉汁蒸排骨 ($3.60) is much more lean and chewy compared to others that I've had before. Although I’m not a fan of pork ribs, I thought that it was executed pretty well and would go perfectly with a bowl of steamed white rice. Dim sum is never complete without the Steamed Prawn Dumpling ‘Har Gow’ 蝦餃 ($5.00). They were very generous with the prawns but I found the skin to be a little bit on the dry side. Other than that, this is probably one of the better har gow I’ve tried before.The Siew Mai 燒賣 ($4.80) was rather interesting – it had a very distinct Chinese black mushroom flavour to it unlike any other siew mai I’ve tasted. If you're like me and enjoy eating mushrooms, then I'm pretty sure you will appreciate this siew mai.Moving on to my favourite Bo Lo Bao - Baked BBQ Pork Bun 菠蘿叉烧包 ($4.20)! There is something about bo lo bao that I simply cannot resist - the crumbly baked exterior with char siew inside is a combination made in heaven. The char siew here is also very well flavoured and has that 'extra kick' (marinated in rice wine) which just makes it stand out from your regular char siew bao.Same thing goes for their Steamed BBQ Pork Bun 叉烧包 ($3.60) which uses the same marinated BBQ pork filling. I thought the skin of the bao was also fluffy enough and not too thick. A rather good char siew bao, in my opinion.The Steamed Custard Bun 流沙包 ($4.20) was quite a letdown though - I had expected it to be flowy but the salted egg custard filling turned out to be a yellow paste instead. The good thing is that it was extra rich and buttery with all the goodness of the salted egg yolk and custard.One thing about Baked Egg Tarts 蛋挞 ($3.30) is that they should have a crispy pastry and this one did not disappoint. Not only was the pastry crispy and crumbly, the egg was also very smooth and had a good balance of sweetness.And last but not least, there is a secret item that is not found on their dim sum menu - you need to order it from their Ala Carte menu instead. The legendary Red Bean Paste Souffle Egg White Ball 高力豆沙 ($4.80). This dessert is made fresh and comes piping hot but be prepared to wait a while for it as it takes time to prepare. You will be delighted with a combination of red bean paste and banana, encased in an extra light and fluffy pastry souffle. This is the perfect way to end off a good dim sum.

Here's a tip: be sure to make all your orders in one go to avoid having to wait too long in between multiple orders. The staff here generally have their hands tied and will not have the time (or patience) to attend to your every need. It's a good thing that the quality of food makes up for the lack in service. Will I be back for more? Definitely!