The Hungry Bunny

I know it may seem like that we don't eat hawker food because of the lack of blog posts thereof. But au contraire, I eat hawker food a lot of the time. I love hawker food! It's just that I usually dabao (i.e. takeaway) hawker food to enjoy in the air-conditioned comfort of my home, and because food that's packed for takeaway doesn't quite look as good as its freshly plated state, I don't take pictures or blog about it (btw, that's the reason why Buko Nero, one of my fave restaurants, doesn't allow photos to be taken of their food...no QC). But, every once a while, I will brave the heat and sit down for a full meal at a hawker centre. We were recently with Kang at Alexandra Village to hunt down some long-lost food stall to satisfy his current claypot rice craze.  Tai Liok Claypot Chicken Rice is one of the purveyors of claypot rice. They used to be situated at the second floor of the now derelict margaret drive hawker centre. They've since moved to the

Have I mentioned before that I hate eating at food courts? I do. In fact, I try to avoid them as much as possible. The stuff offered at food courts are usually sub-par but cost twice as much as their hawker centre counterparts. Total waste of calories and total waste of money. But, eating is a communal thing and sometimes, you gotta go with where the pack wants to go. So, when my friends suggested heading to the food court at Vivocity, I tagged along. Ah well, it's sometimes the company you enjoy than the food you eat, isn't it? I thought sticking to something safe like fish soup would do the trick, and besides, this stall looked like it had quite the queue. Boy was I wrong. The Fish Soup ($4.50), with just a handful of fish slices (4-5 of them thin ones), was incredibly miserly and miserable a portion. The soup was practically an MSG-bomb and the fish so treated with milk (to remove any fishy odour) that there were unappetizing milk strands hanging off the fish. The onl

PS Cafe is one of those places I never really understood the fuss about. I always hear friends rave about their food and how amazing it is, but, to be honest, having dined there a couple of times, I just don't geddit. Maybe it's how the restaurant seems to attract a certain crowd, the type that loves to be seen dining in a place like this. Maybe that's what contributes to the pretentiousness of the place. It doesn't help that tables are situated so darn close to each other I can easily overhear the conversations of diners seated 2 tables away. Maybe the hype is why I'm rather unimpressed with the food. It just seems overrated. Mind you, the food isn't bad, but it is only alright and run-of-the-mill, and certainly not noteworthy. No major complains but nothing amazing either. We were in the vicinity looking at furniture and decided to stop by for an early dinner. Even at the odd hour of 4 plus in the mid-afternoon on a weekend, we had to wait about 15 minutes

Shann was the first friend I made at the firm, and although she's left the firm some time ago, I make it a point to keep in touch. It was her birthday recently and both Beeps and I thought we'd bring her out for a celebratory treat somewhere nice. We decided on Senso for its yummy food and even yummmier ambience. Despite numerous fine-dining restaurants popping up for business every other week in the CBD area, Senso has managed to remain relevant by consistently serving up authentically good Italian food with exquisite plating and generous portions. Senso's Executive Set Lunch ($38++) is one of the most affordable and value-for-money set lunches around, especially in light of the fact that the much-lauded fine-dining restaurant caters to a well-heeled clientele (read: their prices are usually quite "cha-ching" so dining here at below $50 per pax is really very worthwhile).  You get 3 whole courses and finish off with a coffee or tea, very important to keep aw

My family loves eating crabs. We grew up having a crabs-centric feast every weekend. So, it wasn't that big of a surprise that Pops wanted to go eat crabs for his birthday this year. We settled on Jumbo @ Dempsey so we could adjourn elsewhere for dessert and drinks after. As with most other Jumbo outlets, reservations are a must. Otherwise, be prepared to be turned away or wait. A very long time. The restaurant is a bustling hive of activity, with boisterous diners all trying to talk above each other. Still, this is one of my favourite Jumbo outlets. Less cramped than the east coast seafood centre one and less touristy than the Riverwalk outlet . Service is extremely speedy and dishes arrived in quick succession (all the better for a higher turnover, I suspect). The food was, as usual, generally consistent and delicious, with nary a wrong step. For Pops, it was a truly satisfying way to round off turning 53. The Scallops wrapped in Yam Ring ($14) is one of their signature

If not for our friends, we would never have known about Five & Dime . It's one of those places that's flown so below the radar despite the fact that it's been around for at least a year. A tiny but cosy hole-in-the-wall premises along River Valley Road, Five & Dime oozes a casual laidback vibe. We like it for its unpretentious and easy ambience. In line with the eatery's relaxed atmosphere, the food served up is simple, no-fuss western favourites with an asian twist. Service was generally easy-going and fairly energetic and upbeat, we notice that it's due to a young-ish team of servers. Oh, an important point to note is that reservations is a must - we were there on a Wednesday night and they were full from dinner to supper. Generally, dinner was a hit and miss affair. Some were memorably great in their simplicity and boast a familiar, comfort-food element about it, but some were disappointingly lackluster. The Fish & Chips ($20) are one of the b

Stepping into Beng Hiang is like stepping back in time. From the faded carpeting to the dated furniture and retro Teresa Teng songs blasting from the old-school speakers, everything about this Hokkien stalwart screams nostalgia. Many would remember this place from their childhood. I, for one, have been eating here since I was a kid. Beng Hiang is often confused with Bee Heong , and it's easy to see why. They both are stalwarts in the (local) world of Hokkien cuisine, they each have their loyal die-hard fans, and they're located barely a street apart. While I personally prefer Bee Heong to Beng Hiang, the latter does set itself apart in a couple of areas. Beng Hiang offers a slighter wider range of dishes, and quite a number of standard cze char fare that's not entirely Hokkien-style. As a bonus, they also serve free dessert.  The Stir-fried Spinach with Garlic ($8) was well-fried, with a little crunch for texture. We liked the plentiful pieces of crispy fried sole th

After dinner at B @ Rochester , we headed to the nearby Rochester Mall to have a bit of cake. Rochester Mall is a new-ish multi-purpose office, residential, hotel, restaurant cum shopping space that's revived a little life into the once-bustling-but-now-somewhat-sleepy Rochester Park area. As the mall is still relatively new and unknown, the eateries are considerably sparse, and generally frequented by residents and office workers in the adjoining buildings. It is at this mall that Obolo opened up their third outlet. Like most of the other cafes and bistros circling the outer perimeter of the mall, Obolo has limited indoor air-conditioned seating and lots of alfresco tables. I know I've mentioned before that I hate alfresco because of Singapore's heat and humidity, but alfresco kind of works here, because the 3-storey high atrium makes the open area so incredibly windy. Obolo specializes in all things sweet. Or used to, at least. Although it primarily still serves d