This review is for the main branch at Jaffe Road. As the name suggest, this seafood specialist has been in business for 20 years under a bridge (a vehicle bridge). Over the years, the seafood specialist flourished from a road side stall to a restaurant, still near the bridge, and with several branches around the Wan Chai district. We had several dishes but the "名不虛傳" (directly translated as : a name that is indeed credible) dish is the Spicy Crab with Chilli and Garlic. When the plate of crabs was dished out, there was the obvious fragrance of the fried garlic. The crabs were buried under the generous heap of fried chilli and garlic bits. Ade who claimed that she had a sore throat still went ahead to scoop several little spoonfuls of the fried chilli and garlic and pop right into her mouth. Great stuff! We decided to order a bowl of white rice to go with these fabulous bits of chilli and garlic. Even without the crab, the fried chilli and garlic went well with just white rice. There was a photo of Anthony Boudain posing in a photo with the restaurant boss. Having watch Anthony Boudain's No Reservations, if he bothered to pose a photo with a 'thumbs up', it's an indication that 橋底辣蟹 Under Bridge Spicy Crab Restaurant is definitely worth the visit. For more details and photos - http://4-the-love-of-food-overseas.blogspot.com/2010/03/under-bridge-spicy-crab-wan-chai-hong.html

Last lazy Sunday afternoon. HY was asleep on our comfy sofa, with her green tea half drunk and the Hong Kong serial playing on the TV screen. I was just beside enjoying my Vietnamese drip coffee and bread with my home-made peanut butter. I had my Macbook on my lap, slouching on the sofa. My left hand sending bread with peanut butter to my mouth and my right hand, with one finger typing my food diary. Beeping from my cellphone pierce through the idllic quietness of the Sunday afternoon. It was W who suggested meeting up for Italian dinner. I googled up some venues and I suggested Al Borgo that has an address that seem to match my mood.

Al Borgo is located opposite the Singapore Chinese Girls' School and, on the ground floor of an old apartment. The restaurant has a simple decor and a cosy, homely atmosphere.

Even though we claimed that we would like a light dinner, we ended up with quite a bit of food too. Here's what we had.

Deep Fried Calamari
Even though I would prefer my calamari to be crispier and more golden brown, Al Borgo's calamari was quite good. The squid was tender inside. No trace of squid was left on the plate after we were done with it.

Bistecca alla Florentina
750 gms of Prime cut T-bone steak. Al Borgo recommends the steak to be best eaten medium rare. W and I decided to share this dish as this was early dinner and half a loaf of bread and half my container of peanut butter still lined my stomach. I couldn't appreciate the Florentina steak. My poorly maintained set of teeth didn't allow me to enjoy the the meat as I would like to. Poor old man. HY thought it was good. W who had travelled to Florence to have Steak Florentina thought it was as good as what he had before. The two real beef eaters' comments count in this case.

Nodino di Maiale alla brace
Pork chop. I liked HY's pork chop more than my steak Florentina. It was the first time we were ask how we would like our pork chop done. I always though pork chop must be well done (You can call me 'swa gu' or ignorant). This medium well pork chop was tender and lightly salted and well scented by the use of Rosemary. The sliced potatoes that were served as sides were quite good.

Tiramisu
We always love discovering good tiramisu and Al Borgo certainly served good ones. It was well soaked with liquor, not overly done. What I liked most was the fine cookie crumbs that was sprinkled on top of the soft tiramisu.

Service was prompt, friendly and attentive. When we were done with the mains and attacking the dessert, Chef Domenico Truglia came out to check on us to make sure that the dishes were up to our standards. Of course I didn't tell him that I prefer Bella Pizza's Portobello Ripieno but the rest of the food were truly marvelous.

For more photos and details, see : http://4-the-love-of-food.blogspot.com/2010/01/al-borgo-italian-restaurant.html

Kith Cafe is a little cafe well hidden from sight. One wouldn't discover it unless you spend sometime walking along the Singapore River. The cafe is located among one of the few shop spaces at the Watermark, a private housing around the Mohammad Sultan area. When we walked towards the cafe, we find that the surrounding was like a little hidden haven within the city. There's the river and the grass patch beside it. It was quiet except for the little bustle that led us to Kith cafe.

Inside Kith Cafe, there are a couple of 4 seaters and a high long communal table for food and drinks. A chalkboard span across one of the walls that has their menu written with chalk. I liked the designs of the tables and benches inside the cafe that seemed to be stacks of wood that made them up. There are little tables and chairs laid outside to allow to mingle over their food and drinks. What I liked most are the grass patch outside the cafe, beside the river. It made the whole atmosphere so much more relaxing.

Kith Cafe's Big Breakfast (S$14) includes toasts, bratwurst, bacon, scrambled eggs and grilled tomato. We liked the bratwurst that taste good and not too oily. I wonder where they got the bread from! We love the toast for the soft and light texture.

Toasties (S$5.50) - I order a set of toasties that was filled with bacon, scrambled egg and cheddar. A bite into the toasties revealed the chewy cheddar with the moist scrambled eggs and the tasty bacon. Yummy!

Latte (S$3.80/glass)  - We ordered lattes to satisfy our caffeine needs to start the day. One more glass please!

Sssh ..... don't let anyone know this little cafe haven that we've discovered.

For more details and photos, see - http://4-the-love-of-food.blogspot.com/2010/01/kith-cafe-hidden-treasure-for-chilling.html

Minjiang's Peking Duck was the one that I can always name when someone ask me for a Peking Duck recommendation in Singapore. Now, after a visit to Imperial Treasure's Super Peking Duck Restaurant, I think there might be a contender for my top spot for Peking Roasted Duck. This Imperial Treasure Peking Roast Duck Speciality restaurant is coincidentally located on the 5th floor of Paragon Orchard, right across the Crystal Jade Golden Pavillion.

Needless to say, we ordered a whole duck (S$68) for 3 of us. Ade was glad that we were able to get hold of one duck. They ran out of the duck when her colleagues came the last time. The perfectly roasted duck was brought to us on a trolley and the chef started to slice the whole duck for us. Over at Super Peking Duck, the chef carves out the crispy duck skin with the duck meat such that there wasn't meat left for the typical complimentary duck dish to use up the duck meat.

We were told to eat the first few hot crispy duck skin by simply dipping into fine sugar. Delicious!

One full duck is quite plentiful for 3 people. so we only ordered a soup and a fried rice with the Peking duck.

Service cannot be bad here as they are right across the Golden Pavillion (Crystal Jade's premium dining). As we walked into the extrance, it opened up into a main dining. We were led to the private dining area. On the left of the corridor is a stretch of 'private dining cubicles' and on the right, private dining rooms that can accomodate more people. HY and I were glad that we were ushered into one of the private dining cubicle that is big enough for four to be comfortable. Sliding doors isolate noise from the corridor. The seats are plush and comfortable. The only nuisance (to the waiteress) is that the doors have to be opened and closed whenever our dish arrive. I thought it is a good idea for a small business meal.

For more photos and details, see - http://4-the-love-of-food.blogspot.com/2010/01/superb-duck-from-imperial-treasures.html

Ippudo and Wild Honey were simply impossible for weekend walk-ins. It was Saturday lunch time, HY and I tried to walk into Wild Honey but was told of a 1 hour wait. Up one floor at Ippudo, the crazy, hungry queue can be heard even before you see it. For the sake of novelty, I decided to pass on Jones the Grocer. However, we were still left with Suju Japanese Restaurant that is still in the soft opening stage and hence no queue at all. The menu was concisely fitted in a single page. The extended menu will come with the official launch sometime in February. At the moment they are primarily serving chirashi, katsu don and oyako don sets. A couple of desserts ends the menu page. After this meal, I thought that Suju is a potential Japanese restaurant that is worth a return trip. The reward for being adventurous, a satisfying lunch for HY and me.

At the Counter SeatsWe chose our seats right at the counter top where we have full frontal view of the all Japanese chefs preparing our lunch for us.
Chilled Japanese BeansAs we were sipping our green tea, the chef manning the counter presented us with 2 small dishes of Japanese beans as an appetizer. The Hitori musume (yellow beans) and the Karakake mame (green beans) were chilled and salted to taste. They are simple but to the folks who liked steamed nuts/beans, they're tasty.
Our Don Sets

HY chose the Oyako Don Set. Set inside the bowl were well flavored and tender chicken. The egg was still moist and fill the gaps between the pieces of chicken meat. The moist egg texture is usually what I look for in a god oyako don. This oyako don was the closest I have eaten in Singapore to a popular oyako don that we had in Kyoto.

I had Suju's Kurobuta Katsu Don Set. Apart from the perfectly fried Kurobuta, there was some fried vegetable; a slice of yam, pumpkin and a lady finger. Inside the crispy bread crumbs, the tasty pork juices were still well retained. Suju'd bread crumb Kurobuta was indeed marvelous. Apart from that, I liked the deep fried pumpkin for the sweet tasting filling amidst the savoury of the other ingredients.

"Enchanted" TofuAs the saying goes, 'Save the best for last'. Dessert freaks behold. This Annin Tofuenchanted HY and me. We stared at each other with a silent nod of approval as we tasted a mouthful. Almond fragrance with a rich milky smoothness. I'll definitely come back for this if not for the rest of Suju's food.

Suju uses bronze cookware to make sure that their food are uniformly cooked. The bronze cookware is by no means fully bronze. It's just the exterior that is bronze. The inner layer or the core material is still stainless steel (to provide strength). Bronze has a much better conductivity that allows heat to be quickly and uniformly transferred to all parts of the pot.
At the moment, the service staff and the chefs are all Japanese. It's the standard politeness and the very obliging Japanese restaurant hospitality that made my lunch experience so enjoyable. But I wouldn't know if Suju will start to 'localise' after the official opening.

For more photos and details, see - http://4-the-love-of-food.blogspot.com/2010/01/suju-japanese-restaurant-mandarin.html

It was my second time at 15 Minutes. The first time was when the cafe was just opened. This time round, the ambience was much livelier. There was a projector screening film clips from students in LaSalle and then the solo singer on stage. The place made me felt youthful.


I've tried several of the dishes in the menu and here's my personal best;


1) Fish and Chips - Crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside
2) Blue Cheese Wings - Rich cheesy indulgence.
3) Tapas from the mobile tapas trolley that is available during weekends.


I put a N/A for service as one of the partners of 15 Minutes was at my table. We were full paying customers though.

The cost was inclusive of 2 bottles of whites.

Someone asked me about "eye candy" over at 15 Minutes. The place certainly have qualities to attract some. I haven't check out 15 Minutes between lunch time to 6.30pm, but the 2 nights that I visited the place, I thought that the "eye candies" were at my table.  ( ssshh....... my wife's with me at the table the last 2 times)

For more photos and details visit - http://4-the-love-of-food.blogspot.com/2010/01/15-minutes-friends-food-and-fame.html

Before we rush off to spend our holidays in Hanoi, we had to get the X'mas presents out to close friends. We decided on yet another venue, Inagiku, to used the 50% discount with the "Feed at Raffles" card before it expires for the year. The last time I came to Inagiku with HY, the restaurant's decor appeared somewhat retro. This time round, as we gathered to exchange presents, the place was all revamped. Dark cool interiors with spot lights over the tables. There was also an area for sitting right infront of Teppanyaki chefs while they cook you the dishes.

Tokujou Chirashi Sushi Lunch Set (S$95)
The Tokujou Chirashi Sushi Lunch Set comes with a salad (or chawanmushi), a bowl of chirashi sushi and assorted fruits. Initially, I thought the price was high but later I thought it was justified (with the discount). I was glad that I ordered this lunch set. It was delicious!
The Tokujou Chirashi SushiWhen my Tokujou Chirashi Sushi came, I was struck by the combination of colors that the nicely arranged ingredients inside the glass bowl presented. Tamago, Crab stick, Snow crab claw, Unagi, Hirame, Salmon, Maguro, Ebi and my favourite, the ootoro. These fresh seafood ingredients were laid over sushi rice mixed with strips of seaweed and bits of salmon.
What I liked most in the chirashiWhen I saw the Ootoro, I was delighted. The ootoro that was served with the chirashi was the "melt-in-your-mouth" kind. Look at that strip of omega rich fat and the thinnier streaks of interlaced fats. It was truly enjoyable. The ebi was quite a large one and was sweet to the core.
Lobster and Beef Zen (S$80)Apart from the great chirashi sushi that Inagiku provided, they served equally enjoyable teppanyaki. This dish came with teppanyaki beef tenderloin and lobster. HY chose this lunch set and was agreeable on the high standard of food served to her.
Teppanyaki Beef TenderloinThe medium cooked beef tenderloin smelled like a slight buttery fragrant before I pop one chunk into my mouth. The beef was still tender and juicy inside. It was a well done medium cooked beef!
The lunch experience in Inagiku was an enjoyable. Great food standard aside, the service was unobtrusive, yet prompt. I would be back for more food.

For more details and photos see - http://4-the-love-of-food.blogspot.com/2009/12/lunch-at-inagiku.html

The last time we visited Shunjuu, a sumiyaki specialist in Robertson quay, we were already yearning to visit the very busy Bella Pizza just next door. We tried to pounce on Bella Pizza without reservations once and were turned away as they were full house. Another weekend, when we tried to book a dinner reservation, we seemed too late again. This time, we managed to get a table by booking a few days in advance. This pizza specialist is hot! I thought the following dishes we had were good! Portobello Ripieno Linguini Al Frutti Mare Their Pizzas For more details and photos see - http://4-the-love-of-food.blogspot.com/2010/01/bella-pizza-simply-tasty-pizzas.html

At the Rose Veranda, the highlight was the list of 102 teas; black, red, green, white, herbal, infusion .... you name it. Among the list were premium teas that was blended exclusively by Hediard for Rose Veranda. These blends require an extra top up of S$8 on top of the High Tea buffet cost (S$40++).

Apart from the Strawberry Garden (strong strawberry infusion, distinctly red), we had the Sencha Vanilla (refreshing vanilla tea), Assam Mokalbarie (flowery and spicy) and Mogentau (unique mix of sencha, sunflower, cornflower and rose petals). Some flowery, some fruity and others, spicy and wel loved them all.

I was more impressed with the teas rather than the high tea buffet. The international high tea buffet spread was mundane, nothing distinct except for the following dishes that I thought was pretty good.

For more details and photos, see - http://4-the-love-of-food.blogspot.com/2009/12/its-teas-and-not-high-tea-at-rose.html

I just love the nutty peanut butler. Seems like OUAM blend it for my taste buds. Definitely hit me with the right note here. Peanuts in milkshake ..... I love it.

In addition, the place was clean and creatively decorated. What's with the small stools in the middle of the shop space? I think it's made for the executives working in the area, huddled together, in their suits and office wear to enjoy the milkshakes and ice cream. :)

I like it that OUAM tried to improve and refine their formulas to the feedback of their customers.

For more photos and details, see - http://4-the-love-of-food.blogspot.com/2009/11/once-upon-milkshake-im-ouamed.html