I can't believe how poorly Kha's overall review score is! Perhaps it's the price? I can't fault the food or service and the ambience, with a few minor exceptions noted below, is fantastic - especially if you like outdoor dining.

Four of us had a delightful meal here on a Saturday night. We ate by the infinity pool set against a wonderful jungle backdrop. The lighting was dim which we prefer.

Here's what we had and what each of us thought:

Drinks:
FM/Hubby: Mojitos ("very good")
DR/Me: Veuve Cliquot champagne ("good/no complaints")

Amuse (House compliments):
Rice cakes with a Thai peanut sauce ("yummy, but wish they would have replenished our mini rice cakes...suppose we could have asked...")

Appetizers:
FM: salmon souffle ("disappointing - not at all like a souffle")
DR: deep-fried prawns in pepper leaf with tempura sauce ("great")
Me: crab and prawn cakes ("excellent")
Hubby: yum plamuk salad ("amazing")

Main:
FM: beef cheek ("ok")
DR: Chicken pumpkin curry ("good, but not spicy enough")
Me: Beef pumpkin curry ("delicious, tender meat and savory pumpkin with a wonderful portion size")
Hubby: King prawns in vermicelli ("amazing"

It should be noted that Mr. FM is self-admittedly a gourmand and difficult to please:) For me, I'm not a Thai food conniesseur; if I were perhaps I'd have some issues with exactly how the food was spiced and whether or not Kha had ventured too far off-track with it's modern direction. Instead I simply love Thai food that is flavorful and in good portions and we got that in spades at Kha.

The service was fine, not because the staff were professional, but because they were plentiful and easy to flag down. Since we were happy to relax and enjoy a long meal, it wasn't a problem at all. And they were very nice. A nice touch also is how they serve the rice. Two servers bring both brown and white rice by in a large steamer basket.

As for atmosphere, well we love outdoor dining and this will be a welcome addition to our stable of favorites - as long as it's not raining as there was no overhead cover near the pool (a plus on a clear day!). But there is covered al fresco dining on the other side of the restaurant which is nice enough.

One complaint that I had was that a wedding was going somewhere close by - I think downstairs in the the courtyard hall. They restaurant speakers (at least outside) were connected to the same sound system and while were were spared an emcee making cheesy remarks, we weren't spared the onslaught of 70s/80s music such as "99 red balloons" or "like a prayer" or "tragedy" (and kudos to you if you can name these artists). It wasn't overwhelmingly distracting, but it wasn't ideal. Based on this, I would recommend two things to management:

1. Put some plants against the courtyard fence because the activity and the flourescent light from the downstairs meeting room was a bit distracting.
2. Disconnect the speakers from the event hall - instead, pipe in mellower music such as jazz or new age. 80s wedding music is far from ideal.
And, another minor suggestion:
3. Provide pillows for the soft outdoor dining benches as they are a bit too deep.

Without wine our dinner and including a pre-dinner drink we paid $160/couple. Pricey, but we felt it was definitely worth it. We'll definitely return to Kha - we'll simply ask if there is a wedding or function on first!

Desperate for jungle dining experiences outside of Mimolette, Halia, Rochester Park and a few Dempsey restaurants, we ventured afield to Gilman Village with two other couples in mid-September on a Friday night to try Verve.

The setting is quite nice. Alfresco dining both under an awning or under open sky with lots of greenery surrounding. Inside dining within a modern hip interior. And a very enthusiastic owner/manager who even gave my husband a quick tour of the wine cellar. It certainly feels like a hidden gem.

However, the food, while not bad, was a hit and miss. The menu has a decent array of delicious-sounding items but some of the dishes could be improved.

For instance, my husband had the prawn and arugula linguini which sounds like it should be a taste sensation, however he found it to be a bit bland. I had linguini with duck confit. This came with deep fried duck skin on top and decent chunks of duck meat within the linquini. I enjoyed mine more than my husband enjoyed his, but I found the actual flavors not very exciting; the sauce was cream-based and didn't have much in the way of flavor. My arugula salad starter was very plain - perhaps it was just because it was splashed in balsalmic vinegar when I was expecting more of a balsalmic-based dressing (but with some olive oil and salt and pepper). Again, these dishes weren't bad - no major complaints - but I felt a bit disappointed.

Our friends fared better. One had the duck pizza which he very much enjoyed. Another had the eggplant parmigiana as her main and also really liked it (and it was a nice healthy portion).

The best part of the meal was our red wine which was delicious and a bargain at $70/bottle. My husband ordered so I don't know the variety/brand, but safe to say there are some good choices on the wine list.

Will we return? That is a good question. If Verve were closer to us, it'd be a definite yes; I'd give them a bit more time and then return to explore other dishes, probably the pizza. However, since it is a bit far I'm not sure we will make it back...maybe some promotions or some dinner jazz would entice us?

Either way, we wish Verve all the best.

My husband and I and another couple wandered into Queen Tandoor on a Sunday evening after strolling through Robertson Quay looking for somewhere appealing to eat.

Usually I’m not inclined to drop in on a restaurant without reading the reviews first. But, we were hungry and Indian sounded yummy so we took a chance.

The first thing I liked about the restaurant was the ability to dine out in the lovely courtyard, either under the alcove or under the open sky. Yes, that feature is plentiful in Singapore, but for some reason, not as plentiful if you want to dine Indian.

The second thing was the extensive menu offering lots of choice between both Tandoori and Curry dishes. We had quite a time deciding.

But the most important aspect of the restaurant was of course the food. And it was quite good. The flavors were not as refined as say, Vansh, but the dishes were perfectly yummy and the portions were larger.

We started with samosas both vegetable and mutton. They were great. Flavorful and non-greasy.

For the mains we ordered:
Fish Goa Curry (Fish in a hot yellow curry)
Maharasi Lamb Curry (Lamb curry in a tomato/onion/coconut broth)
Chicken Jaffra (chicken with yogurt and tomato)
Chicken Hyderabadi (chicken in a spinach curry)
An okra curry that I can’t recall the name of
Plenty of naan and roti

As I said, we ate every bite with not one complaint and were absolutely satisfied.

The servers were nice and attentive. My one complaint – and I fear I have to voice it all too often – is that the server tried to empty the wine bottle in one pass. I politely explained to him that wine is meant to be savored, not swilled and that you never want to pour above the widest part of the glass. He seemed to get the point.

In short, while this might not be the place for special occasions or fine Indian dining (like say, Song of India or Vansh) if you want a nice Indian meal in a lovely courtyard setting this would be a good choice. We’ll definitely be back.

I went here with three friends for a "ladies who lunch" outing on a Wednesday.

Capella is a nice restaurant with white tablecloths and the bit, but it wasn't pretentious at all. We ate outside under a covered walkway cooled by a fan.

We all ordered the set lunch for S$27 which includes a starter, a pasta main (meat or fish for S$34) dessert and coffee or tea.

The food was very good. Ingredients were fresh and the dishes didn't have too much oil. Plus the portions were quite healthy.

I had the rocket salad to start followed by a large portion of eggplant, tomato, basil and mozzarella spaghetti. Very nice. The eggplant melted in my mouth. The dessert wasn't large, but it was a perfect refreshing touch - a ricotta pudding with some fresh fruit. Another diner had the grilled seabass and another had the linguini with smoked salmon.

We all agreed that the food exceeded our expectations.

The setting was so lovely we lingered there for over 2 hours and never once felt rushed by the wait staff.

Four of us dined at Vansh on a Tuesday night. Decided to venture out from the CBD as we read a good BusinessTimes review. It was worth it.

The place was just remodeled a month ago and has a hip yet cozy and lush atmosphere. Good lighting, not too bright. It'd be a good place for a date or romantic dinner as well as a group of friends. It has an open kitchen concept which actually works well - not too distracting or overly aromatic or noisy. Perhaps they do the main cooking in back and just use the front for unobtrusive prep/finishing work. My only negative comment was that the aircon was too strong! That said, that's the norm in Singapore so perhaps can't fault the restaurant We would have dined alfresco, but it was raining...

The menu has a good variety of dishes, but not overwhelming, which was helpful). The food was absolutely delicious. We had (and pardon me for not remembering the authentic names):

Starters:
*Chaat (fresh fruit and spices - quite a lovely way to wake up the palate)
*Samosa (incredible - not at all greasy, very flavorful)
*Deep fried onion (nice, but not as good as the samosa)

Mains:
All were excellent. Each dish had it's own distinct flavor - and what flavor!

*Lamb and spinach curry
*Eggplant curry
*Chicken vindaloo
*Basil fish
*Baby corn and capsicum (this was the only dish we weren't awed by)

The portions are not huge, but the flavor more than makes up for it - a little goes a long way, especially when accompanied by naan and roti.

The service was attentive, but not overbearing. We brought our own bottle of wine and appreciated the professional way the waiter attended to it and served us (didn't overfill our glasses in an attempt to get us to order another bottle like many restaurants do). The chef came out later to ask us what we thought which was a really nice touch. The staff really seem to care about the guests.

In terms of price, our friend paid so I didn't see the bill, but I remember it being priced fairly for the setting and the quality. Not cheap, but not overly expensive.

All-in all: Vansh is a winner. What dining out in Singapore should be. A sensory delight in every way.

My husband and 2YO son had dinner here on a Sunday evening after bicycling in East Coast Park.

The ambience is great - outdoor dining with jazz playing as you watch the sky darkening. Kites flying overhead. Happy people strolling, biking or skating by.

The food is surprisingly good. I started with the rocket salad with parmesan and pine nuts. Rocket was fresh and balsalmic vinegar dressing was just right. But, it was the grilled salmon that was a true delight. For a simple seaside cafe, the presentation was fine dining in style. The sauce on the salmon was yummy - not overwhelming and the asparagus and potatoes on the side were just right. Firm, but tender. My son had the chicken nuggets and seemed to enjoy them. Hubby had the chicken curry. He said it was decent, but not great.

The wine was also good. We had a Semillion Chardonnay from Australia and it was priced very fairly at 7.50/glass.

The manager was a nice gentleman - we talked with him a bit when he called us a cab and he was very gracious.

The only hiccup in our experience was that the service was pretty poor. Our salad came out after my main and we had to flag our waitstaff constantly for things we needed (e.g. they didn't check in at all).

All-in-all, though, we'll be back. A very nice way to spend a family evening. And, it would be lovely for a couple or a group of friends too.

We chose Andre because of the reviews here on HGW and also because of their promotions (Expat ad discount and waived corkage).

Andre exceeded our expectations. The atmosphere is intimate and sweet (though I recommend they upgrade their background music to something more sophisticated like jazz) with good lighting (not too bright) and good temperature (not too cold).

The first surprise was how well they handled the wine that we brought. They put an extra table by ours (we were a party of 6 and had brought 4 bottles!) and laid out the wine and gorgeous glasses very professionally. They were spot-on with serving and refilling our glasses and bringing fresh glasses when a new bottle was opened. It was quite a treat, especially since it was our own wine and not theirs. Very high-class of them indeed.

The second surprise was how scrumptious the food was. We had a sauteed scallop starter - 3 grilled scallops, eached topped with a different treat: minced mushroom, roe and caviar. The seafood tomato soup was delicious, as was the French onion soup. My filet was perfect and others raved about their dishes as well. The desserts were lovely too.

The service was wonderful throughout. Our waiter was very attentive without being ingratiating.

Unfortunately for the restaurant staff, the place was not even half-full on a Saturday evening. I'm not sure why - the restaurant is on an adorable little street. I guess it is out of the way for some.

My only two recommendations for the restaurant would be to again, put on a better selection of music and also to find a way to have some outdoor seating, perhaps a few bistro tables out front. Not only is Telok Ayer a nice street to dine on, it would also probably be a good advertisement for passersby not to miss this cozy little French treat.

Oh, and as for price. We dined like kings and - what with bringing our own wine and the discount, paid only $110 for 2 people (this includes a starter, a soup, a main and a dessert).

I'm not sure where the other bad reviews came from as I cannot fault this place at all.

-Good Ambience. We ate outside and it was quite nice.
-A hostess who was friendly and gracious and seated us immediately.
-Great Service. Best in Singapore so far. Professional wait staff who know what they're doing
-Excellent steak, well-prepared and well-presented. We had the filets and they were scrumptious. Good selection of sauces as well.
-Amazing spinach and tomato side, sauteed in white balsamic vinegar.

The only improvement I could recommend would be to upgrade their outside seating area. For drinks, the back is lovely, but the tables are too low for proper eating. Thus, outside dining is relegated to the side and front of the restaurant which are adjacent to a busy road and the parking lot. If they could just add a few more plants, maybe a water feature or two, they'd be set.

Yes, it might be pricey, but I've paid more money for worse food and service in Singapore. I'm happy to pay the price if I know it will be worth it. FYI, our food bill includes a $130 bottle of excellent South African wine (2003 Theta - wonderful for steak).

We made the trek over to Faber Drive from the Orchard area based on the reviews here at Hungrygowhere.com.

We weren't disappointed.

Atmosphere reeks Mexican: blue walls, tiled tables, carved wood chairs. All they need is the was chili pepper lights and sombrero-wearing waitresses. The indoor temperature is above glacial, which is good as there's no outdoor seating.

The salsa was very tasty. Chips good: thick and crunchy and not too greasy. Guacamole was authentic, though could have used a bit more cumin in my opinion. I had the carnitas, a huge incredibly tasty portion of braised pork. I couldn't place the spice, but it worked. They came with warm corn tortillas, an even richer salsa sauce and a side of guacamole. The chicken fajitas were also top notch.

The margaritas were decent. Not amazing, but certainly good enough to round out a perfect Mexican meal.

The service was very friendly, though as with many restaurants here in Singapore we had to flag down our waitress every now and then. Not something that would prevent me from returning.

The only downside is that the food is expensive. We had 4 margaritas and a beer, three entrees, a starter of guacamole and a side of beans and rice and a dessert we shared. Total was S$260. Yow!

All-in-all I rate this far above North of the Border and Cafe Iguana. I'll try Margaritas in Dempsey Road next time so I can put the cab fare towards a few extra margaritas.

Sanobar has a lovely setting down on Fullerton Quay - but so do several other restaurants include Pierside which is nice. However, Sanobar's food doesn't justify the pricetag. The $100+ bottle of Shiraz we ordered tasted pretty poor, possibly because it came chilled which always irks me. However, it was the fact that they don't serve tap water which blacklisted them in my book. That's a step too far for a restaurant that doesn't have the reputation nor the execution to get away with it. If you want good Middle-Eastern try Shiraz in Clarke Quay. A bit pricier, but they have excellent kebabs, a decent wine selection and good service.