The Hungry Bunny

Malaysian export PappaRich is one of the better eateries offering authentic Malaysian street food in a comfortably upmarket, albeit casual, setting. Short of hopping onto a plane to Malaysia's culinary hotbeds KL or Penang, PappaRich is really the next best thing this side of the causeway. Serving greasy street food at hearty portions and reasonable prices, it's little wonder the chain restaurant is frequently packed. Unsurprisingly, service was awful; we never got served any water, getting a server's attention was an impossible task, and just about every wait staff sported a glum grimace. I'd asked to hold off the parsley/spring onions/coriander, and they took off ALL of the vegetables...my noodles missed their beansprouts and kangkong. Notwithstanding the woefully lackadaisical service, the Malaysian fare at PappaRich was pretty commendable. We'd been craving the Hokkien mee back in Penang, and PappaRich 's rendition did well in scratching that itch. A

For japanese haute cuisine in Singapore, there's always that one name that gets thrown up regularly: Shinji , a name synonymous with excellence. Distinguished as the finest Japanese restaurant in all of Singapore (it is the highest ranked on just about every dining list there is), Shinji is one of those places that is reserved for special occasions, the food here being absolutely sublime, and the bill costing a pretty penny. At $300 a pop for the cheapest omakase dinner option, Shinji is also renown to be the most expensive Japanese restaurant in Singapore. The multi-course meal is well worth it though, sparkling fresh, immaculately finessed and exquisitely plated.  The restaurant, a pinewood-ed space of tranquility, is split up into several dining rooms, each one kept small so a single chef can helm it, and each room it can be switched up into a private space.  Service was intuitive, attentive, and unobtrusive. The waitresses were stealthy like ninjas, I never really saw t

It'd been disappointingly underwhelming first experience at the Rangoon Road outlet of famed bak kut teh joint Ng Ah Sio eons ago, but I finally get the fuss the Hubs makes about "the best pork ribs soup around". We'd originally wanted to make a revisit to Chui Hui Lim Teochew Cuisine but they were completely packed, so we ended up at Ng Ah Sio next door; dinner fortuitously turned out to be a pretty outstanding affair.  Perhaps it was the lack of a crowd that immediately pleased us - no long waits or queues. Or perhaps it was the spiffiness of the eatery - it was a bright, cushy space, with air-conditioning! Or perhaps it was the diversified menu: I'd previously griped about the lack of variety at bak kut teh restaurants, but this Ng Ah Sio offers a bunch of local classics like mee siam, chicken rice, laksa, and breakfast staples of kaya toasts and soft-boiled eggs amongst their repertoire.  The mainstay, its Signature Spare Ribs Soup ($9.80) was fan

Fishball noodles is one of those hawker foods which illusive simplicity belies the hard work and technical skill required to make it. A humble dish rooted in Teochew-immigrant origins, it primarily comprises al dente noodles slicked with just the right balance of shrimp-based chilli, oil and soy, and painstakingly-made balls of fish paste and flour. It's not a dish I regularly eat when I'm homebound, but for some reason, will definitely crave the second I touch down on foreign land. Song Kee Fishball Noodles is one of the top purveyors of this simple but comforting hawker dish. My PMS-induced cravings had insisted on fishball kway teow soup in the middle of the night, barely an hour after dinner, so the very indulgent Hubs curbed his House-of-Cards binge and accompanied me out to supper. We didn't think we'd have to wait very long, since we were having an early supper at 10 pm on a Tuesday night, but wow were we wrong. Although the coffeeshop was only at a 80% capaci

Hashida Sushi , while a relative young 'un in the Japanese fine-dining scene, quickly became a firm favourite amongst the discerning of palate. Hailing from Tokyo, the teeny-tiny (it's got a grand total of 19 seats!) galley of a restaurant made waves when it launched its first-ever overseas offshoot in Mandarin Gallery. Frequently featured on 'best of' lists, and consistently lauded with culinary awards, Hashida Sushi is known for its decidedly-limited, omakase-only menus that showcase the very best of the season. Despite the apparent lack of variety, the food here is exceptional, finessed by chefs who are knowledgeable and utterly charming. There are just 3 menus for lunch, the $80 Tsubaki, $120 Ayame and $250 Hiiragi Omakase. The Tsubaki and Ayame menus are nigiri-centric, the Ayame being the premium option with an additional chawanmushi and uni. Service is typically Japanese - gracious, intuitive and obliging to a fault. Most of all, I love that the staff aren&#

Growing up, a night out at Mohamed Sultan meant an alcohol-hazed hedonistic all-nighter. Fast forward a decade: the drinking holes are gone, and so are the revelers, replaced by restaurants that span the casual to the fine upscale. A few doors down where Madam Wong's used to be is Bistecca Tuscan Steakhouse , an Italian steakhouse centered upon Australian wagyu cattle. The hunting lodge-styled restaurant is masculine and sophisticated, awash in blood reds and sombre blacks, and decked out in hardwoods, faux animal skinned rugs, and antler-chandeliers. Hannibal Lecter would feel right at home here, I thought. Or both George Bushes. For a steakhouse, the pastas were flawless. You'll be remiss if you didn't try them. That said, the steaks were a must-try, get the bone-in steaks to share if you've got at least 4 persons in your group. Service was upbeat, attentive and warm. Our water glasses were never left parched, and the wait staff sported wide grins with a twinkle