A hidden gem with a loyal following, Cacio e Pepe serves good quality Italian food minus the pretense. Enjoy a lovely meal with your date in this cosy neighborhood joint, without having to venture into the crowds. Start with the portobellos, and try either the tagliatelle with scallop in truffle cream sauce, or the squid ink risotto. While pasta may not seem deserving of a $20+ price tag, these are very good, and are more worth it than the pizzas here. Finish off with the oozing chocolate lava cake, and leave this gem with a smile on your face.
The BBQ buffet here might well be the most affordable buffet around. At only $14.90++ for lunch on weekdays and $24.90++ for dinner, K.COOK makes a great place for dining in groups and eating till you drop without burning a hole in your pocket. The meats are well-marinated and come in a good variety. With great value and a good selection, they're really bringing in the crowds - so be prepared to queue!
As Burppler Emily Heng remarks, "One of the best quality steamboats I've tasted! ... Thumbs up!" At JPOT, 6 different soup bases are offered, including the immensely popular JPOT Superior Broth, laksa, and even silky porridge. Located conveniently on the first floor of Vivocity, this makes for a great place for group dinners after a day at Sentosa ($58 - $98++ for a 2 pax dinner set). Besides the usual range of meats, seafood, vegetables, and noodles/ rice offered, they also have over 15 dim sum specialties to make your meal all the more satisfying!
Conveniently located in the mega mall, NEX, Danro is a great place to tuck into a Japanese hot pot. Start with some beautiful, cold onsen eggs, and perhaps a side of soba while waiting for your meats to cook. Give their signature kiritanpo (Japanese grilled rice skewers) a try, either on its own or dipped into broth. Go for the popular chicken milk broth that's brewed for three days, and is Tastemaker Rachel Xie's pick here. There isn't a huge variety of steamboat ingredients available, but the quality of the meats certainly makes up for it, along with their addictive onsen eggs!
To thoroughly enjoy Korean BBQ, you have to love your meats marinated and grilled. K.Cook is probably the most affordable Korean BBQ buffet around. It's nothing fancy, but it's good enough if what you're looking for is a place for dining in a group, and if you really love meat. There are plenty of cuts of marinated meats — beef short ribs, pork collar, pork belly, beef bulgogi, beef ribeye, chicken, spicy chicken — as well as prawns and squid. If you need a break from the meats, go for the hot dishes like japchae, Korean rice cakes, and Korean pancakes. You definitely get bang for your buck, along with a lovely BBQ scent in your hair. (Lunch - $14.90++, Dinner - $24.90++)
This is almost quite literally a stairway to heaven for dim sum lovers. Hai Tien Lo's weekday lunch buffets ($56++) for specialty dishes with limited servings per person (or per table), on top of their wide selection dim sum items. Highlights include the classic XLB, the intriguing Steamed Pork and Prawn Dumplings with Black Truffle, their signature Steamed Spinach Dumplings with Prawn Paste and Dried Scallops, and the lovely Chilled Mango Sago with Pomelo. With its grand ambience and good service, this is a good choice for small family celebrations. Bear in mind that the weekend brunch ($68++) is even more extensive!
Throwback to last week's dinner at Ikoi Japanese Restaurant. Buffet dinner is pretty affordable at $38++ per adult and the spread is quite extensive. However, as I do not eat sashimi (which I have heard many people complimenting it), I can only take a nice photo of it. My friends went crazy and even ordered additional premium grade salmon belly from the ala carte menu (costs not included in the buffet).
