Part of the Tung Lok Group of restaurants, and fronted by celebrity singer/songwriter Dick Lee, MAD: Modern Asian Diner is one of those restaurants you definitely would not want to miss out on. Cast in soft warm lighting, stepping into this restaurant at The Grandstand is like walking into an art gallery of sorts. Decked out in bold bright colours, the decor is definitely befitting of Dick Lee’s eclectic and flamboyant sense of style.

Marrying the best of both Asian and Western cuisine, MAD serves up a good variety of Chinese dim sum and also some Spanish tapas. And if you’re ever in need of a potent drink any time of the day just head on down to their bar counter, helmed by mixologist Kino Soh, for a cocktail or two. =DWell, I’m not exactly a teetotaler but I seldom drink alcoholic beverages in mid-day unless I’m on holiday lounging on the beaches of the Caribbean or something. So I decided to go for a kiddie mocktail instead – Pink Thyme Lemonade($4), which looks equally pretty but without the alcoholic kick. =P You can really taste the crushed up herbs in the drink and it makes for a refreshing beverage to chill down on a hot day.One of the interesting dim sum that caught my eye was the Black Angus Siew Mai 黑安格斯烧卖 ($6.20). Sadly, the novelty of putting black angus beef into a siew mai did not translate into a palate-pleasing dish. Its chewy and springy texture was quite an interesting take on a siew mai, but it was a little bit on the dry side.Is it just me being ignorant? But I seldom come across Deep-Fried Liu Sha Bao 炸流沙包 ($4.80). In fact, this was my first time trying a liu sha bao that has been deep fried instead of the usual steamed version. And I must say that it is OH-SO-GOOD! The fluffy insides encased in a crispy skin and oozing golden salted egg yolk lava was simply divine. Well, it was a little on the oily side, but there’s no harm in indulging in a sinful treat once in a while. =DEveryone has been raving about how good the Wagyu Beef Claypot Rice is, but I decided to try the Lobster Crispy Noodle 龙虾面 ($32) instead. The noodles were deep fried to a crisp and there is this distinct smokey and burnt flavour to it even though it doesn’t look burnt. Plus, the lobster meat was really fresh and prepared skillfully such that the meat is springy and just about right, not at all overcooked. My only gripe is that the gravy was way too salty and the noodles were a bit difficult to eat since it was displayed in a standing tower of sorts. They also threw in some seaweed on the side which adds a splendid “oceanic” tone to the dish.Overall my experience at MAD: Modern Asian Diner was a pretty good one. What’s not to like about a chic ambiance, fuss-free ordering via iPads and all that good booze? The service staff were also pretty friendly and showed us how to make our orders via the iPad step by step – he even brought over an additional iPad instead of having the 4 of us share just one single device. I would probably pop by again for happy hour if I get the chance!

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Rochor Thai is the only Thai restaurant located along the bustling Joo Chiat Road dining enclave, and serves up pretty good authentic Thai food with a modern twist.On my first visit there on a Friday night, I got the chance to try their Amuse Bouche specially prepared by the chef just for us. This dish is a combination of salty, sweet, spicy and sour making it a delightfully refreshing starter.We also ordered a plate of Pad Thai Talay ($14.80 for the large portion) to share. Although the restaurant does not use any MSG in their food, the pad thai was very flavourful. Plus the prawns used were very fresh as well. Overall, great food combined with a relaxed environment and friendly staff make this a restaurant you definitely should try! =D

This is the first time I'm trying Ayam Buah Keluak ($15) and it was a rather interesting experience. We were given a mini fork and spoon to dig out the insides of the keluak seed. After digging out the insides, some people actually like to spread it on their rice to eat. The texture is similar to a blended peanut paste but its taste is really strong with a robust burnt flavour of sourness.The Itek Tim $18 (salted vegetable duck soup) was much more palatable and pleasant. There is no added salt or MSG in this soup and the flavours come mainly from the salted vegetables and duck meat. The meat was also quite tender and fell off the bones nicely.We also had a chance to try the Babi Pongteh $15 (pork belly, mushroom and potato stew) which had a nice homecooked flavour to it. Though I only had one piece of meat since I'm not very fond of fatty cuts.The Tahu Telor $10 was quite different from the Indonesian style ones I'm more used to eating. This version does not contain any peanuts and has a sweeter, less nutty taste to it. I'm not too fond of the sauce, but the tahu on its own is quite good!

The very first time I tried Kueh Pai Tee as a kid was at Goodwood Park hotel's high tea and I would keenly look forward to making my own Kueh Pai Tee every time I go there. I had the chance to try this Kueh Pai Tee stall at Singapore Food Festival. It comes in a disposable container of 3 and is topped up with a slightly spicy tomato-based sauce. The stewed turnips were also cooked just right and not too soggy, making for a great snack that I can easily finish up in one bite. =D

LeVeL33 as the name implies, sits on the 33rd floor of the Marina Bay Financial Centre. The restaurant has a dedicated lift which brings patrons from the ground floor, directly up to level 33. The view was quite fantastic overlooking the entire area you can even spot Marina Bay Sands in the distance and NTUC building not too far away. Pity that it was rather hazy that day.

The Executive Lunch Set costs $33++ and comes with a free flow buffet salad bar at Ploguhmans Table where you have a wide selection of fresh greens, beans and some cold cuts too. For the mains, I decided to try their Wagyu Striploin Sandwich accompanied by onion marmalade, wholegrain mustard, watercres and fat cut chips on the side. The ketchup was also infused with their in-house brewed Larger!

What's unique about this restaurant is that it houses its very own microbrewery where they conjure up a variety of craft beers, which you can enjoy fresh from the tap. I didn't quite enjoy my lunch that day (since it was a business meeting afterall), but I would definitely love to re-visit this restaurant again with my friends.