The Hungry Bunny

Teppanyaki is not a style of Japanese cuisine that altogether commonplace anymore. We were craving griddled food the other day, and found it difficult to hunt down a teppanyaki place that wasn't the mediocre Shima . It was a surprise to discover Teppan-Ya , the in-house Japanese establishment of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Notwithstanding our tempered expectations (because, you know, no competition anyway), we had a thoroughly enjoyable dinner. The food was exceptional, and dinner theatre highly entertaining. That said, we invariably ended up smelling like our dinner. Be sure to make reservations, as the space is limited (there are just 10 seats at the counter), and dine just before dusk falls, so you can watch the sunset against the spectacular backdrop of the city skyline.  I opted for the Seafood Pot Kaiseki ($158), laden with a gargantuan grilled king prawn, plump scallops, and a fleshy hunk of cod dunked in a garlicky broth that was sumptuous. So yummy we asked for a s...

It's a rare occurrence that I completely write off a restaurant for atrocious service. And Bincho takes the distinction for that. It was such a waste, as I'd high hopes for the Loh Lik Peng restaurant. I mean, that guy's got good taste in food man. Too bad the chef at Bincho is ridiculous. So...as per usual request of all my meals, I asked the kitchen to hold off any parsley/cilantro/coriander leaves/spring onions in all of our orders. At that point in time, there was no indication that such request would be an issue for the kitchen. But, as I take photos of the squid that arrived first on the table, the waitress comes over and relays, very contritely, that the chef says "no photos" of the food because "you said no parsley". I'm incredulous. How does it make any sense?! If the chef was displeased at my picky palate, that I don't eat those herbs, then tell me straight off the bat, and I would have left to go eat somewhere else. It wasn...

Inspired by the kimchi bacon udon I cooked the other day, I set out to fuse kimchi with other stuff, this time, I thought, with western flavours. So, I did a slow braise using a base of tomatoes, white wine, kimchi, and gochujang. I thought, the tart accents of tomatoes would boost the sour tang of the kimchi, and boy did that hunch turn out right! Somehow, the tomatoes enhanced the piquancy of kimchi, while copious dashes of cumin complemented the spicy notes of kimchi and gochujang so the kick was pretty potent. Finally, a dry and crisp white wine just rounded them robust flavours all together and tied them up in a pretty little ribbon. How have I never thought to put these ingredients all together in a pot any earlier, I have no idea! And because I skipped the browning of the chicken, this recipe takes under an hour to whip up (including time allocated to braising), which translates to: quick and easy one-dish week-night dinner!! Ingredients (feeds 4): 6 pieces chicken thig...

This is a super fast stir-fry of greens, Asian-style, for when you prefer your lettuce wilted, over their raw form by way of a salad. Ingredients (feeds 2): 1 large head lettuce, roughly cut to large pieces 8 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp sesame oil 2 tsp canola oil 1 tbsp light soy sauce 1/2 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp Chinese shaoxing wine 1 tbsp golden fried garlic for garnishing 1 tsp sesame seeds for garnishing Directions: 1) Fry garlic in oils till fragrant, about 1 minute on medium-high heat. 2) Add lettuce, and fry till wilted. 3) Add soy sauce, wine, and sugar, and toss through. 4) Serve hot and garnish with as much golden crispy garlic bits and sesame seeds as you'd like.

Prive has been on a roll, opening up 2 new outlets, in fairly prominent locations, in the span of under a year. There's one at Wheelock Place, taking over the spot previously helmed by Coffee Club ; and there's the other at the Chijmes lawn, where used to be Pizzeria Giardino . I like the Chijmes location, and have been wanting to check out its multitude of restaurant options ever since it underwent a facelift a year ago. We only ever frequent Lei Garden there . Prive has now a smattering of local cuisine, in addition to its regular cafe fare. But while the idea of premium-ed Asian food seemed enticing, the dishes failed to impress. Better to stick with the standard western fare, "safer" options in a decent-but-pedestrian way. Then again, the food at Prive isn't the main draw, it's the breezy garden setting of the Chijmes courtyard that's conducive for whiling the day away. Some people consider it almost criminal to mince up wagyu, but Prive did i...

Lewin Terrace has been on my to-eat list ever since Vin's lovely wedding at the picturesque location a year ago. Once the home of the fire chief during the colonial era, the historic black-and-white house has been conserved and now serves as a dining premises. Nestled amongst lush greenery at the foot of Fort Canning Hill, the restaurant is romantic and serene and gorgeous. But that's where the superlatives end. The fusion Japanese-French cuisine at Lewin Terrace is a mixed bag of hits and misses. There was some refinement, and the plating was top-notch, but the execution came across as clunky at times. And where the food was supposed to be harmonious and seamless, we struggled to see the symmetry. Overall, the meal easily passed muster, but it was unremarkable. Also, the service was well-meaning and gracious, but needed more polish. Our waiter could barely muck out the memorized descriptions of the dishes, we almost felt bad for him. The timing of the dishes, too, was un...