The Hungry Bunny

I finally got on the Japanese cheese tart gravy train. As with any other food fad in Singapore, we waited till the initial furore over the famous Hokkaido confectionery died down, before trying them. Whereas the tarts previously mandated at least an hour waiting in a snaking line, indulging in a treat from BAKE Cheese Tart now doesn't take more than 5 minutes on a Friday evening. And now that I've finally tried it, I can totally understand the craze. Oh my, these were absolutely sublime. A buttery crust that was just the right amount of bite, filled with a cheesy mousse so light it's like eating a fluffy cloud. Decadent, delicious and addicting, I can polish off a whole box on my own. In one sitting. And that is why I go to the gym. Even better news, BAKE is open through the Chinese New Year holidays (till 5pm methinks). If you bring these along to visit relations, you can be sure of a warm reception ($19.50 for a box of 6). You'll be everyone's favourite rela

The team headed out to Li Bai for a celebratory Chinese New Year lo hei lunch. It's an old reliable and one of my all-time favourite Chinese restaurants. And while it can feel slightly dated or stuffily old-school, I like its solidly traditional approach to the classics. At Li Bai , convention and form trumps trendy pop and modern twists. So don't expect truffle this, or fusion that. Instead, Cantonese cuisine is executed with polish and finesse, for a most exquisite meal. The Salmon Yusheng Lo Hei Platter ($62 for small) was beautifully elegant, every julienned vegetable perfectly even. I know some of my OCD friends would absolutely love this.  The soups at Li Bai are exquisite, and the Chicken Broth with Bamboo Pith & Straw Mushrooms ($12) was a fine example of one. Delicate soup base, and generous hunks of ingredients.  A must-try, both for lunch and dinner, the Roast Pork & Barbecued Meat Platter ($36 for small), sided by marinated jellyfish, was fanta

We took time out of the office to get away for a languid lunch at The White Rabbit . To our surprise, the historic landmark of a restaurant favoured by many for a romantic date night has become quite the hot-spot for business lunches; it was a full house on a Friday afternoon. It's no wonder then, why the young executive-set flock to The White Rabbit ; the price points for weekday set lunches are incredibly wallet-friendly: a 2-course is priced at only $38+, while a more ample 3 courses would only set you back by $42+. For starters, the Salt Baked Tiger Prawn (+$6) was outstanding, its plump sweet flesh brightened by a piquant lemon confit chimichurri. Always a safe bet and pretty as a painting, the Rangers Valley Wagyu Carpaccio  seasoned with truffle cream, balsamic pearls, celery cress, and grated parmesan, was as delicious as it looked. For those preferring a lighter appetizer, the Organic Asparagus Veloute , topped with a truffle crouton stick, shaved truffles, an

Chang Korean has been on my to-eat list for quite some time. The Dempsey Hills long-timer is well regarded by the Korean expat community for serving up reasonably decent Korean fare. It's not the most authentic (for that, you'll have to make friends with the Koreans and invite yourself into their homes) and tbh, it can't quite compare to Seoul's offerings, but this was as good as you're gonna get in this part of Asia. They say the mark of a good Korean restaurant is its kimchi, and in this case, the kimchi was dismal. It was excessively sour and lacked the punch of a spicy kick or the sweet of fermentation to balance it out. The other banchan were a hit-and-miss. The cauliflower, dubu-jjim (chilled steamed tofu), and gamja jorim (soy marinated potatoes) were adequate, but the sigeumchi namul (seasoned spinach), kong-namul (seasoned soy bean sprouts) and oi muchim (kimchi cucumbers) were dreadfully mediocre. Thankfully, the Haemul Soondubu Jjigae ($18), spicy

House of Perankan Petit is possibly going down as one of the year's most wasted eats. A waste of calories, and a waste of time; I walked out of the restaurant, post-dinner, crabby and dissatisfied. The cooking was clunky and uneven, and scarcely authentic. And what's baffling was how the restaurant managed to draw a full crowd on a regular weekend, notwithstanding its limited capacity. Even more mystifying was its glowing online reviews, and longevity in the brutal world of F&B, which tends to weed out the crap. That said, service was hospitable and well-meaning. Even if they lacked knowledge of the menu, forgot to hold off the parsley/cilantro/coriander leaves, and were a clumsy mess (they'd spilled a black soy braise on my white skirt while clearing the table, but apologetically offered complimentary Perrier to dab out the stain before it set).  Despite assurances to the contrary by the waiter who took our order, the Otak Otak ($12) was laced with coriander le

Sanpoutei Ramen was a superb recommendation by Lips, and one of the better ramen I've eaten in some time. Taking over the spot previously tenanted by the dreadfully crummy Ramenplay , Sanpoutei Ramen is one of the more distinguished dining options in the Holland Village enclave. My pick of the soup-based options, the Rich Tori-Spicy Miso ($20.80) was a silky chicken broth buoyed by punchy spicy accents. The up-sized version was loaded with 5 slices of grilled pork belly chashu that was meltingly delicious, ajitsuke tamago of soy-marinated soft-boiled egg, braised cabbage, and minced chicken. Particularly noteworthy was the noodles, delightfully springy and chewy; and none of that soft mushy crap favoured by the local palate. This is, in my opinion, one of the best chicken soup-based ramen. The pork-bone soup base, Tonkotsu Ramen ($17) was velvety and thick, topped with 2 slices of chashu, soft-boiled egg, kelp, and crunchy black fungus. This passed muster, and I liked tha

We're always on the lookout for good Peranakan restaurants. We're both part Peranakan and short of inviting ourselves to our relatives' homes every other weekend for a throwback to our childhood, we've had to make do with satiating our cravings commercially. We've heard good things about The Peranakan , a new-ish restaurant in the recently revamped Claymore Connect, the mall annexed to Orchard Hotel and previously known as Orchard Hotel Shopping Arcade. So, after the initial furore of The Peranakan 's official launch died down, we popped by for a visit. The Peranakan is an intricate and vibrant, if a little kitschy, wallpapered tribute to the Peranakan design sensibility. And with a trove of Peranakan knick-knacks strewn around the restaurant, it almost looks like a museum. I was skeptical, wondering if the food was going to be a cheesy and underwhelming affair. The restaurant's half-capacity on a Friday evening didn't exactly bode a stellar dinner ei