Finally! A vegetarian and health-friendly cafe that offers a wholesome, fresh, and creative menu!

12x12 bears a deconstructed, warehouse/loft interior that reminds one of the original Project Shop Blood Brothers in Paragon (before reno), but an updated and slightly more glamorous version. Already a fan of the carrot cake at the related House, I came in with high hopes that were not disappointed.

On the menu are soups, salads, pastas and Fit balls (small rice balls). The soups are oh-so-smooth, cream-free, starch-free blends that range from butternut pumpkin, to lentil and even cauliflower.

My cauliflower soup was a light, silky, milky broth with generous slivers of fried garlic which enhanced the cauliflower soup significantly. Accompanying the soup is a slice of chewy, crusty toasted baguette, and homemade, thin, crispy and very addictive black pepper lavash bread. My only gripe is that for the price (around $9) this is probably one of the most expensive soups around, given the smallish-portion.

To top up, I had a side of a smoked salmon fit ball which comprised a 1.5 inch in diameter brown rice ball with flaky bits of cooked smoked salmon. I found the rice a tad dry on that day but nonetheless appreciated the clean, natural flavours. Again, at $2.50 per ball, this is not cheap.

Still, 12x12 offers high quality, healthy, wholesome fare. And knowing you're doing your body good is worth splurging on.

I must admit I had high hopes for The Canteen after reading the many reviews of it. Unfortunately, this reincarnation fails to be an improvement and really does reflect it's moniker of a canteen.

Up on the list of must-tries were the tiger prawn toasts, the famed lo shi fan, crab mee pok, and two desserts.

The tiger prawn toasts comprised flattened bread rolled with a prawn paste stuffing and deep-fried. This came piping hot, very crunchy (though a tad over-fried), with a fresh filling. Unfortunately, it was a little on the bland side and my dining companion and I found ourselves drizzling each roll liberally with the accompanying lemon sauce.

The lo shi fan came next and suffered from the same lack of "zing". It was nowhere as spicy or fragrant as we'd expected and my dining companion ended up adding salt to the dish. Perhaps this is a good thing from a health perspective but we'd expected the noodles to be liberally coated with and tasting of the XO sauce.

The crab mee pok fared better with springy mee pok noodles, crunchy beansprouts, bits fresh crab meat and a very well done soft shell crab topping.

The stars of The Canteen must be the desserts. We tried the red bean potong ice-cream which comprised of red bean ice-cream done japanese style sitting on a bed of sago and coconut cream. The taste of the azuki with the sago and coconut was a unique take on an old school dessert. The lychee jelly with pandan granita also got the thumbs up with it's very refreshing sweet lychee juice, soft jelly and ice-shavings.

Overall, with the steep prices (around $16 for the noodles) and lacklustre noodles, The Canteen would fare better as a tea house with the inventive and competent desserts and unique range of tea-time toasts; it's central location offering weary shoppers a respite in the middle of Orchard Road.

I spent the larger part of my childhood and teenage years on Emerald Hill/Cairnhill Road. So when I read about a little cafe near my alma mater in a restored shophouse with good food to boot, I had to check it out.

Small, cosy, and split-level, the cafe/restaurant seats probably 40 max? Service is exceedingly polite and attentive, with a menu that showcases selected dishes made with what else, basil.

The mushroom soup - earthy, not too creamy, generously filled with small to mid-sized chunks of mushrooms. This wasn't the best I've had but it was certainly wholesome goodness where the flavour of the chicken broth base wasn't masked.

Next up was the bruschetta with a medley of veggies - finely diced, roasted, sweet zucchini, capsicum and eggplant. This had more bite and flavour than the typical tomato bruschetta though one wishes it had a stronger garlic and olive oil flavour and a better quality baguette with a firmer texture was used.

My main of grilled salmon with broccoli and roasted baby potatos and a pepper sauce. The salmon was done just so - cooked and firm on the outside, slightly pink and raw on the inside, just the way I like it. The broccoli accompanying the fish was stir-fried chinese-style with garlic and the baby tots came well roasted with rosemary, salt and black pepper. Thumbs up for a satisfying main course!

But it was the basil-infused dessert that stole the show. The basil lemon sorbet was a very interesting combination of finely chopped basil in a lemon sorbet. First the flavour of the basil hits you, then it morphs into the tangy, refreshing taste of the lemon sorbet. An unusual but good combination!

Blue Basil is really quite an oasis of calm in the heart of Orchard Road and offers a cosy, relaxed ambience with quality food, perfect for a quiet night out.

It's certainly been a while but finally, I think I've chanced upon a restaurant that delivers both in terms of service and food and ambience.

Located at UE Square, Bonta's been around for about a year now, but for some reason, registers in my mind as something far newer. The menu doesn't strike one as overtly Italian, but more Australian-Italian, and heavier on the foie gras and seafood options, although the chef is Italian.

For someone who is trying to not consume meat, the choices are a bit limited but the quality is in no way compromised.

Anyone who has read the reviews of Bonta will know of their famed complimentary bread in a cup. Hot and crumbly, breaking into this loaf led to a scattering of crumbs all over the table - there is absolutely no way to eat this elegantly! Stick your knife in, tear the bread apart and you're treated to a soft, hot, fluffy interior with bits of sun-dried tomato and crumbly cheese in the centre. Dip it in the accompanying pesto and this could almost be an appetizer on its own. Delicious.

For the starter, I chose the zucchini flower which came lightly crumbed and deep-fried, and stuffed with a mushroom ragout of sorts. The dish comprised two large flowers, piping hot and crispy with no overtones of oil or grease. The stalks were firm and juicy, the flower generously stuffed, and the shaved parmesan providing a natural salty flavour.

An oven-baked spinach crespelle was my main and this comprised two large spinach pasta stuffed with a smooth, sticky and thick blend of fontina cheese and porcini mushrooms. The stuffing came with small chunks of mushrooms for a more earthy bite and taken together with the melted, molten brown 18 month parmesan topping, this was a one addictive pasta dish that though deceptively small in portion, left me with absolutely no room for dessert.

Service was attentive without being intrusive(any crumbs from the bread was discreetly swept off the table before the mains arrived), and the guest relations officer came up personally to speak with us, remember our names, asking for our comments and the like.

Interesting menu, good quality, generous portions, professional and polished, understated elegance. One of the better Italian places around.

I must say that I went to Pietrasanta with fairly high expectations, having read the many reviews and heard from colleagues who'd dined there. I was told there was two seatings and for the first one, I had to leave promptly at 8.15pm. Fine with me as I prefer early dinners anyway.

We arrived at 7pm on a Friday evening and were the first diners there. By the time we left at 8.15pm, there were still a fair number of empty tables left and at no time was the restaurant at full capacity. It is also interesting to note that when I called the chef for the bill (the waiters were busy serving other tables and the chef happened to see me), he brought over the menu probably in anticipation of my ordering dessert.When I informed him it was the bill I wanted, a clear look of displeasure flashed across his face. Certainly not what I'd expected.

Service and capacity aside, the food at Pietrasanta was alright overall. The house bread were little pieces of soft and warm ciabatta-like rolls. Served with cold, unsalted butter, they were an absolute delight.

For mains, we ordered a squid ink with crab meat pasta, a ricotta and spinach ravioli with butter and sage, as well as a parma ham and rocket salad pizza to share.

The pastas passed muster and were fresh, al dente, and light but still flavoursome in its taste. The squid ink pasta in particular came with a heaped and generous portion of crab meat. My ravioli on the other hand while tasty, was a rather meagre 6-7 pieces for the price tag of $16/$18(?).

The pizza on the other hand disappointed somewhat. Both my dinner partner and I agreed that the ingredients were top-notch - the rocket leaves were not bitter in the least such that we found ourselves eating them on its own. The parma harm was also lightly cured and not lip-numbingly salty. The crust of the pizza however was a little too doughy and spongy for our liking. They could do with a thinner and crispier crust that would have better balanced the delicate flavours of the leaves and slivers of parma ham. In the end, we polished off the salad and ham and left two-thirds of the crust behind.

Overall, Pietrasanta offers quality ingredients in its dishes, allowing the natural flavours to shine through. It just needs to work on giving their food that elusive x-factor that would justify the trek out to Portsdown and the prices. And better service.

Somehow voluntarily agreeing to and worse, suggesting Chinese food for dinner seems to put one in the category of one's parents, aka old. But if dinner was anything to go by at Imperial, you can call me "Aunty" anytime!

At Imperial, it was the little touches and prompt and proactive service that stood out the most. Starting with the wonderfully addictive, sweet, crunchy and fresh candied walnuts-it was all I could do to resist munching them all for fear of spoiling dinner. No more stale Chinese restaurant peanuts for me!

Spotting our bottle of white wine, out came the bucket, ice and wine glasses without us having to say a word. AND they even made the effort to turn the bottle upside down so that it was chilled all around. Throughout our dinner, our glasses were regularly topped up without any prompting from us.

Dinner comprised broccoli with mushrooms, spinach toufu, and seafood crispy noodles.

The spinach toufu was my favourite of the evening. The spinach provided a good substantial bite to the silkly soft, very slightly eggy tofu and differentiated it to its close relative, the seaweed homemade tofu that other restaurants offer. A small plate came with four pieces and having devoured two, I was still moreish.

The broccoli was perfectly done - firm and juicy to the bite without being raw. The mushrooms were soft and plump with a subtle earthy flavour. The sauce was a clear stock with just a hint of shaoxing wine.

The crispy noodle was another addictive dish. Deep-fried mee kia topped with veggies, prawn, scallop and fish. The seafood was very fresh, clean to the palate, with the prawns large and plump and the fish soft and milky.

Satiated, we passed on dinner. But if the food is anything to go by, I'll certainly be back soon with space for dessert.

Having heard more raves than rants about this place, I went there with high expectations to say the least, and anticipated long queues for their much talked about ramen.

Was told by the waitress that no reservations were allowed and to come early, around 6.30pm. We arrived at around 6.45pm to a (surprisingly) relatively empty restaurant. When we left at around 7.30pm, there were only two people waiting for a table.

We ordered a serving of their char siew rice, vegetable gyoza, and miso ramen to share. The char siew was coated with mayonnaise and served cold, with a side of pickled vegetables. I'm not a fan of pork so the bite I had didn't resonate with me. My dinner companion on the other hand declared the accompanying veggies tastier than the meat.

The vegetable gyozas fared much better with their light, chewy homemade skin and juicy filling. Well-fried, it had a nicely browned underside with a smokey flavour.

The ramen came in a huge serving that could easily be shared amongst two. Topped with corn, veggies and two slices of char siew, the noodles were springy with a good "bite", the corn plump and sweet, and the char siew tender. However, I found the miso stock far too salty but perhaps that is the style. Overall, this was a homely bowl of noodles but certainly nothing that would make me travel out of my way for.

As my dinner companion stated, she's had better ramen elsewhere. And I am inclined to agree with her.

So after reading so much about the next up-and-coming neighbourhood of Tiong Bahru and the many cafes that have mushroomed in a once sleepy nook, I decided to make my first foray at Caffe Pralet.

The Friday special was fish and chips or a spaghetti with prawns. For a few dollars more, one could get a set meal comprising the main, a drink, and a cake/dessert.

I chose the fish and chips which appeared to be the popular choice having appeared on almost every diner's table that night. For dessert, there was a decent selection of cakes ranging from green tea tiramisu, oreo cheesecake, a healthy carrot cake/muffin, and so on. Feeling a wee bit adventurous, I went for the apple cake.

The fish and chips consisted of a single large fillet of battered fish, crinkle cut fries, and slaw. The fish was very well fried with the batter being crunchy and crispy and not exceedingly greasy, and staying so throughout the meal. The fish was fresh, soft and moist on the inside, although the flesh was a bit too soft - bordering on mush - at some parts. The fries were your typical frozen variety and suitably crispy and salt-free. The slaw on the other hand was drenched in a thick, viscous mayo-infused sauce that overpowered and covered all taste of vegetable. Definitely not healthy, definitely artery-clogging.

The apple cake I'd selected was essentially a sponge cake with slices of apple compacted in between. It was an interesting and competent attempt but nowhere nearly as good as the apple crepe at Classic Cakes. Slightly too sweet and lacking that x-factor, this cake was a passable end to the meal but left me craving for a richer and more indulgent dessert.

For $15, I felt this was a tad pricey given the relatively small portions. Nonetheless, the fish and chips are pretty well done and will certainly satisfy any such cravings, and a cafe such as this provides welcome variety to a neighbourhood that is heavier on the tze char.

Armed with a $100 voucher at O' Leary's which I'd recently scored at a lucky draw, I took this opportunity to try out this sportsbar which I'd typically give a miss, not being a fan of American fare.

O'Leary's sets itself out as a themed sportsbar and grill, with the requisite sports paraphenelia on the walls, tv screens showing sport (tennis was on the night I went), with a generous bar area that reminded me somewhat of Cheers.

The food is your typical American fare - burgers, ribs, steaks. Portions are relatively generous with the burgers weighing in at 175g of beef, sandwiched between 1.5inch thick buns with chips and slaw on the side. Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing particularly stellar. and certainly no match for the burgers at Seah Street Deli. Or Botak Jones.

The mixed grill that we ordered came with a variety of meats - lamb, chicken, steak, topped with a fried egg and bacon, and a side of baked potato and corn on the cob. At $32, it was surprisingly small in portion and my dinner companion finished it easily, with space for half a burger to boot.

My choice of grilled chicken breast came with three thin pieces of chicken breast that were surprisingly well done - incredibly tender and juicy to the bite. The chips were not quite as crispy as I'd like and the BBQ sauce was far too watery with a texture akin to minestrone soup. The side order of coleslaw on the other hand was memorable with fresh, crunchy, tangy shredded cabbage and carrots coated with just enough dressing to be refreshing without overpowering the taste of the vegetables.

The nachos with three dips - cheese, salsa, guacamole - was also forgettable. The nachos thankfully were not from a bag and were obviously fried on the spot, but the dips were most obviously store bought and disappointing.

Overall, O'Leary's got a pretty chilled atmosphere and a fairly good drinks selection, but I'd be hard pressed to see how long a themed restaurant will last in this day and age, especially when the food is ordinary at best.

When you mention Thai food in Singapore, there's usually three categories that come to mind - the dinghy (but what most would consider more authentic) hole-in-the-wall small eateries ala Golden Mile Complex, the high end Yingthai, Patara and co., and the middle range of so-so but convenient eateries like Thai Express.

I was lucky enough to be invited for a sneak peek and preview of a new Thai restaurant which finds a unique niche among the three categories above - modern Thai.

Kha is tucked away at the soon-to-be-opened Hort Park at Hyderabad Road and officially opened to the public on 18 March. The sole F&B outlet in Hort Park, it's located in a real gem of a place with so much fresh air, open space, greenery and plants for sale to the green fingers among us.

So what exactly is "modern Thai"? One thing it isn't is that culinary taboo term "fusion". Kha pegs itself to the higher end of Thai outlets and offers familiar favourites but executed and presented in a modern fashion.

I started off with some pomegranate juice ice blend, topped with fresh pomegranate seeds. Very refreshing and a wonderful change from the usual fruit juice.

Next came the complimentary rice crackers with curry dip. I liked this version to the usual ones which are commonly served with minced chicken. The curry dip is very lemak, just a tad spicy and extremely addictive!

For starters, we tried no less than three items. Something one doesn't normally get in a typical Thai restaurant - Wagyu beef salad. Tender, medium-done slices of smooth beef piled high and served with a dollop of creamy mayo-like sauce and sweet chilli. So good we ordered two servings!

Next up was a dish of deep-fried vermicelli wrapped prawns. Very fresh and crunchy, it was good enough on its own or with the mango-infused mayo dip.

Another dish you don't find too often in other Thai diners was the deep-fried banana flower. Lightly-battered, it was another starter that disappeared within minutes. The general consensus however was that the accompanying chilli sauce was too sweet and a tangy, spicy version would bring out the flavour of the banana flower better.

And when in any Thai restaurant, one must also try the Thai staple Tom Yun Goong. This was possibly the only dish that didn't quite pass muster. I don't eat tom yum but my dinner table guests said it was nothing spectacular, although the single giant tiger prawn in each bowl was impressive.

For mains, we shared a range of curries, pad thai, as well as a choice of jasmin or brown rice. The pad thai was extremely light both in texture and flavour, the prawns were crunchy and fresh, and the omelette shreds suitably fluffy and soft. This was one of the more finely executed pad thais I've had.

For curries, we tried the chicken massaram curry. Very tender, perfectly grilled pieces of chicken with a rich smoky flavour, chunks of stewed potatoes and a pumpkin slice made up this sweet curry. Be warned: The term "curry" is a misnomer and this dish is sweet and not in the least bit spicy so it does take some getting used to. But give it a shot, have it piping hot and the flavours will grow on you.

The star of the night was the soft shell crab green curry. Unlikely the overly-dosed coconut milk versions elsewhere, this is one curry where the spiciness is not only high, but sharp. The soft shell crab was crispy with generous juicy flesh inside and went extremely well with the green curry. When at Kha, you can also opt to have the green curry with other meats like chicken and beef, instead of the soft shell crab.

Another area where the modern element shone through was in the desserts. The black glutinous rice cake with mango ice-cream was a star. The cake was served warm and the lightness is reminiscent of our chinese steamed cakes. Soft and caramel-sweet, it's a dessert that can be polished off by one person without the often accompanying guilt of sweets. Personally, I think vanilla ice-cream would really enhance the flavours but I would probably be committing a thai cuisine faux pax!

And of course, how could we not end off with the quintessential thai dessert, mango with sticky rice? At Kha, the sticky rice comes with an interesting pandan sauce. I'm not a fan of this dessert but my dinner companions were raving about this, especially the mango, so I take it that it was good.

Kha definitely has the quality, the uniqueness of interpretation and ambience to stand out from the range of Thai places here. So if you're not a stickler for "authentic" Thai food and would like some tasty, well-executed fare, then this is it.