The Hungry Bunny

This is a great place for a quickie dinner after work. There's always availability, even at the last minute, which is good for people like us, who hardly ever make reservations because we're always deciding on a dinner venue at the last minute. The food's consistently delicious. And service is always efficient and knowledgeable. Today, we had the Braised Mixed Vegetables ($18), baby white cabbage, brinjal, broccoli are matched with juicy Chinese black mushrooms, premium shimeiji, flavoursome beancurd skin, springy clear vermicelli, and stewed with preserved beancurd paste for a pungent sweetness. The delicate Braised Fish Maw ($24) with kailan beancurd, egg white drops and freshly shredded crabmeat is great for people watching their diet. Light but still tasty. The Fiance, ever the consummate red meat-lover, got the Pan-fried Ribeye Beef ($14). Robust and lipsmackingly juicy. A little salt and pepper was all it took to season the full-bodied USDA aged meat.

Por Kee Eating House is another one of those old-school cze char eateries, located in one of those old HDB estates. With very limited spaces in the spartan air-conditioned area, most of the makeshift tables are placed outdoors just beside the open-air carpark. The fare's rustic, familiar and, while it isn't spectacular, it's fairly decent. However, like Sin Hoi Sai, another cze char eatery a stone's throw away, the prices are quite "ka-ching" (i.e. a tad pricey). I'd say that this is an alright place for cze char, only if you're looking for a cze char supper place (it opens till 12.30am) because there are better cze char places that are more value-for-money. The Fried Beef with Spring Onion and Ginger ($14) while reeking of artificial tenderizer, was still firm enough not to disintegrate upon biting it. That said, this was fairly tasty, the mix of ginger and spring onions cut through the heavy flavours of the starchy oyster sauce. The much toute

If you're in Takashimaya in the middle of the lunch peak hours during the weekends, there are very few restaurants that you can dine at, without reservations. Pepes is one such restaurant. Don't worry, it's not that the food at Pepes is not good. In fact, I think the food's pretty delicious. A bit pricey, but not any different from its predecessor, Sanur, who used to occupy the same spot in the shopping mall. The Ikan Pepes ($13.95) is like a more upmarket version of the humble otak. A deboned fillet of chunky fish is smeared liberally with otak spice paste then wrapped in curry leaves and grilled on a banana leaf for extra flavour and aroma. The Sayur Lodeh ($8.95) is a creamy concoction of mixed vegetables in blue ginger and candlenut accented coconut milk. We like the Tahu Telur ($12.95) here. Tofu cubes are coated in scrambled egg and fried to a towering crisp, then drizzled with sweet and spicy kecap manis. A helping of refreshing cucumber strips cuts th

It's not difficult to find good Teochew restaurants in Singapore. Come to think of it, I've never had a bad meal at any Teochew restaurant here yet. It could be that many of our earliest settlers from China were Teochew, so together with their penchant for hard work, they also brought along their heirloom recipes and set up many Teochew restaurants here. The Teochews are known to be fastidious in their requirement for the freshness and quality of the ingredients, as very little flavouring is used to prepare Teochew dishes. This translates to food that's very delicate, a lot lighter than other types of Chinese cuisine.  Swa Garden has been a stalwart in the Teochew food scene, with a heritage that spans decades. The old-school decor is evident of its age. Stark white plastic chairs, harsh fluorescent lighting, faded curtains flanking the doors to the restaurant that have seen better days. But, nobody comes here to enjoy the ambience. It's the simple, delicious fare

The thing about eating any kind of food that's hot and soupy in nature in Singapore is that the eatery has got to be air-conditioned at the very least. This is not to say that we're a spoilt, pampered bunch, but really, drinking copious amounts of steaming hot soup in our extremely humid and hot weather is not an experience I'd recommend to an out-of-towner. This is why I was delighted to find yet another air-conditioned bak kut teh place near my office. I really didn't want to go back to the office a sweaty smelly mess.   We had some Prawn Rolls ($5), which had a nice chunky texture, the mince wasn't too pulverised. It was moist inside, with crisp golden skin. Good, but fairly ordinary. The Preserved Vegetable ($3) were also commendable, softly braised but not too salty. Pieces of garlic lent aroma. The Pig Liver and Spine Meat Soup ($5.50) is great for women who need more iron in their diet. Although I'm not a fan of liver, but this was barely poa

We had dinner at Patara Fine Thai recently, along with Ry and Ernie, who was back for a visit. Patara Fine Thai , along with Sabai and Thanying , are one of the few notable fine-dining Thai restaurants in Singapore. It was a good place to catch up, Ernie loves spicy food and our lively chatter didn't sound out of place in the noisy restaurant. That's the one thing I noticed about fine-dining Thai restaurants, they all tend to be relatively boisterous places. You'll be hard pressed to find one that's quiet and requires diners to speak in low tones. Maybe there's a correlation between spicy food and loud diners. While the food at Patara was authentic and delicious, the prices weren't as palatable as the food. I was quite shocked at discover that plain white rice cost $3 per person. This was really quite ridiculously expensive, in my view. The Kong Thod Saweuy ($19) was a trio of deep-fried appetizers comprising prawns wrapped in rice vermicelli, chicken a

Swee Kee Fishhead Noodle House , or more commonly known as " Ka Soh " by regulars, is one of those old-school restaurants that's been around for ages. Most of their customers are regulars who've been eating at the restaurant since the 70's. While their food is generally familiar, comforting and still quite delicious, old-timers generally acknowledge that the quality has definitely dropped over the years. The Deep-fried Seafood Beancurd ($8.50) was a nice combination of mashed seafood paste and beancurd constituents, battered and fried to a golden crisp on the outside but retaining moisture inside. The Stir-Fried Kailan with Garlic ($6.50) consists of crunchy greens coated in a garlicky sauce that's both aromatic and delicate. The Sliced Fish Noodle Soup ($5.90 for the 1-person portion), while substantial and fragrant, was lacking in depth of flavour. That said, the fish slices were fresh and plentiful. Swee Kee (Ka-Soh) Fishhead Noodle House 96

Szechuan Court is Fairmont Hotel's anchor Chinese restaurant. Despite its name, it doesn't just just serve Sichuan food. The red-hued restaurant also offers up Cantonese classics. While Sichuan food is known for its bold and fiery flavours, Cantonese cuisine is renowned for its delicate and mild food.We'd previously dined at Szechuan Kitchen , an offshoot of Szechuan Court focusing on simpler items such as congee, rice and noodle dishes in its pared down menu. The food's a mix of hits and misses and dinner wasn't particularly satisfying as an experience, so it really isn't worth it eating here if you don't have the Feed-at-Raffles 50% discount card. There are better places to have such Sichuan-Cantonese food such as Peony-Jade .  The Braised Beancurd ($28) with roasted pork belly and mushroom is a Cantonese dish. While the pork belly was indulgently yummy, snow peas addictively crunchy, and the sliced Chinese black mushrooms were plump and juicy, the b

Oriole Cafe & Bar is one of my choices for a late-night dinner. The low-lights of the restaurant, softly tuned down-tempo music and groovy vibe invokes that sense of relaxation. It helps that the food's pretty alright too. And, with the current Amex 1-for-1 promotion, it makes even more sense to eat here.  The Bangers & Mash ($16) is one of the better ones I've tried. The grilled English pork sausages were moist and juicy, and I liked the chunky meaty texture. I appreciated that the mashed potatoes weren't the generic, instant types, and the onion gravy was rich and aromatic without being cloying. The Fish & Chips ($17) were also well done. Snapper fillets were fresh and sweet, coated in a thin but flavoursome batter, and paired with thick hand cut chips, tartar sauce and malt vinegar. Although I'm not usually a fan of panna cotta, the Vanilla & Pear ($7) was very pleasant, it was dense but wobbly, and sweet without being saccharine, pears wer

Windows of HK is Imperial Treasure 's take on Hong Kong fast food. A small selection of congees, rice, noodles and roasts make up the Cantonese influence of the menu. And then there's the quintessentially Hong Kong-style western food where cheese-covered baked rice dishes and luncheon meat instant noodles with sunny side up eggs predominantly feature. I understand that this is supposed to be modeled after self-serviced Hong Kong canteens, so you order at the cashier and make payment on the spot, and the wait staff will deliver the dishes to your table when it's ready. Iced and warm water are available at a water counter, but you'll have to get it by yourself. I really don't mind popping by the water counter to pour my own glass of plain water from the water jugs, but what's the point of employing so many waitresses to stand around shuffling their feet and staring off into space if they cannot even ensure that the iced plain water jug is filled. When I tried t

Cherry Garden 's one of my "secret hideaway spots" for exquisitely refined food in peaceful, elegant surroundings. I've eaten here so many times, and I've never been disappointed. The food may, admittedly, be a little on the pricey side, but the quality of the food and the generous portions more than make up for the somewhat fine-dining prices. To top it off, I love the service here. The wait staff are always attentive but never intrusive, and warm and knowledgeable. In fact, the great service extends to the entire service staff throughout this hotel, rated travellers' favourite hotel in Singapore by Tripadvisor. From the cleaning auntie who pushes the lift button for you, to the doorman who opens the heavy doors with a ready smile, the service here is top-notch and without compare. Today, we rested our work-weary selves down in plush oriental chairs and were welcomed with an Amuse Bouche , a chilled grilled unagi, chewy and soft to the bite. The Marina

Any local Malay worth his weight in beef rendang will know that THE PLACE to go to for nasi padang in Singapore is Kandahar Street. There are about 3 nasi padang stalls along the short street lined with conservation colonial shophouses, all of which serve up really delicious and cheap Malay fare. They are usually packed by 12 noon, and I would usually advise dining there by 1.30pm, or be prepared to eat the leftovers. However, come Ramadan period, the area gets real lonely during lunchtime as most Malays are fasting then. Sabar Menanti serves up Minangkabau padang food, which is really just nasi padang, as we know it. This venerable restaurant has almost 50 years of history and that translates to age-old recipes that have been passed down for generations. I love that I can eat an unbelievably good meal at an equally unbelievable pricetag here. A full meal for 2 persons, with rice, drinks and 6 dishes, amounts to only $19.  The Spinach is my favourite dish. It's so simpl