The Hungry Bunny

It's been a year since we last had brunch here and the past year has, evidently, been very kind to Symmetry , a hipster-ish café at the charming Kampong Glam area. It's gotten significantly more popular, resulting in the corridor outside being annexed as part of the dining premises. The menu is slightly spruced up as well, and there are now a couple of dishes here not previously on the menu. We were intrigued by the Symmetry Eggs Sur Le Plat ($22), as it sounded like a shashouka of sorts, and I'm totally biased towards the Turkish breakfast staple. Symmetry's version is quite different though, even if it does, at first brush, look similar. A couple of eggs are baked in a medley of piquillo puree, pork sausage, garlic confit, cream spinach, topped with melted cheese, lettuce and brioche. This was a lot less saucey than I'd like, and the addition of creamed spinach tipped the concoction into the cloying realm. The eggs were perfectly cooked though, scrumptiously r

We were at Plaza Singapura getting my polar bear plushie re-stuffed, when we passed by 4Fingers Crispy Chicken . I'd heard that this hugely popular Korean chain of spicy fried chicken was really good, and wanted to see how it'd compare against the unforgettable Chicken Bank . We sampled their signature Mixed Crispy Chicken ($7.95 for 6 pcs) comprising 3 pieces of their garlic and soy flavoured ones, and 3 of their spicy ones. These were a little underweight and resultingly less than succulent but they were thoroughly marinated and had good flavour. The spicy ones were definitely more exciting than the staid garlic & soy ones, but they still paled in comparison to the kickass ones at Chicken Bank. No worries about runny noses here. So did I think that these were the "best crispy chicken ever" as touted? Umm, didn't think so. 4Fingers Crispy Chicken Plaza Singapura #01-32 68 Orchard Road Open daily from 8am to 10pm

I was invited to a tasting at AdstraGold Microbrewery sometime back by the good people of HungryGoWhere. The young-ish microbrewery used to be at Chijmes until it moved its teeny tiny premises to a bigger premises in the east, and expanded its microbrewery pub to house a proper gastropub. It's decorated in that messy, haphazard style, with a million framed memorabilia, adverts and photos. Add that to the loud cheesy music blaring out of its stereos, competing with the sports channels showing on several TV screens, the casual gastropub wouldn't look out of place at Patong Beach in Phuket, or Kuta Beach in Bali. One thing that struck me about this place is that unlike most eateries with an on-site brewery, AdstraGold is free of the headache-inducing yeast scent.   At the tasting, the food impressed me, even if service was a little sluggish. It was so good that I was left salivating over their fish & chips days after the tasting. I was actually looking forward to revisiti

I just found out that yet another friend of mine has gone into the F&B business. Ash and his wife are the proud parents of Fluff Bakery , a baby confectionery selling cupcakes that, well, sell like hotcakes! Apparently, the 3-week old place sells out their 850-odd cupcakes within 2-3 hours each day. It's madness, really. An insider tip is to hit this place from 12noon when it opens to 12.30pm, when queues are, currently, a very bearable no-more-than-15-minute wait. But if you're a late riser, be prepared to patiently stand in line with a good movie on your smartphone. And, if you're selective about your cupcakes, the popular flavours may have sold out by the time it gets round to your turn. One last tip: other than their bestselling nutella red velvet and salted caramel, the remaining 4 cupcake flavours rotate around a stable of about 100 varietals each week, so be sure to check out what's available each week before going down. The cosy little confectionery pre

We always take the shortcut through Winstedt Road home, and have passed this place by dozens of times. While I'd taken note of  Skyve , mostly because of its amusingly kitschy name, we never quite had the impetus to venture in. Until the good people of FoodNews PR extended an invitation for dinner at Skyve Wine Bistro to sample a bunch of their new creations. Apparently, the chef, Jachin, is the brother of the owner here, and with his return to the fold, revamped the menu with influences from the Golden State. In so doing, Skyve has also rebranded itself as a wine bistro with a focus on wine pairings. Here, they try to inculcate an appreciation and eventual love of wines, and so, every dish on the menu has a recommended wine pairing. Brilliant for wine noobs like me! As per invited tasting S.O.P., the Hubs and I returned the next evening for an incognito revisit, and found the fusion fare here consistent with the stuff served up at the tasting, and definitely more than decent.

We were recently in Little Korea at Novena Square 2 to pick up a couple of jars of kimchi for the Hubs. As much as I dislike kimchi and its related dishes, the Hubs loves it, especially the heart-warming Korean staple of kimchi jjigae. So, I decided to christian our new kitchen by trying my hand with my take on his beloved kimchi stew. While we were there, the Hubs took the opportunity to get his monthly fix of Korean cuisine at Hansang Korean Family Restaurant . It isn't the best, or the most authentic of Korean fare, but its casual, low-frills, rustic style tides him over until our annual "pilgrimage" to the "motherland". The Bibimbap ($15) here is surprisingly decent. The vegetables are refreshingly sweet, crisp and evenly julienned. The accompanying grilled pork slices marinated in sweet bulgogi, braised mushrooms, and a generous dollop of gochujang impart just enough flavour without overwhelming the delicate sweetness of the greens.  The Kimchi ,

Oh yes, we're back at Cherry Garden . Now that the (renovation) dust has settled, we're back to our favourite ala carte dim sum buffet ($68++) at the Mandarin Oriental. We've been here so often that we've got the entire menu down pat, and may even be able to recite it in our sleep. The Crispy Squid with Salt & Pepper , with its crunchy battered crust and soft and chewy insides, makes for a wonderfully addictive nibbler. A perennial favourite with Ernie and the Hubs, the Wok-fried Waxed Meat Radish Cake with Silver Sprouts in XO Sauce is a must-repeat order for its soft squishy cakes and caramelised crusty layer. The Crystal Dumplings with Assorted Mushrooms and Pumpkin, my personal favourite, is awe-some and one of the best versions ever. A great mix of diced sweet root vegetables and chewy glutinous skin makes this MY repeat order.  The Steamed Bamboo Pith and Prawn Dumplings ("Har Gow") , smeared with a luxurious edible gold paint, is