Got the Afuri Spring Special Set off Shopee with almost a 50% discount. Was excited to try Afuri here after reminiscing on having Afuri back in Tokyo. I don’t fully remember what the Tokyo one tasted like, but I what I had tonight wasn’t an exact replica. I had their Shio signature ramen. The broth was pretty salty and had me grabbing for my tea, while the chashu wasn’t very tender. There was still that hint of Yuzu which brightened up the dish but other than that it was pretty average. Tbh I wouldn’t come back or pay full price for this bowl of ramen when there are better ones out there.
The set also came with deep fried gyozas which were surprisingly not bad.
Lovely lovely bagels here. I liked the assortment of bagels they had but 2 kinds already sold out at 11.30am on a weekend so come early! In order of favourite to least favourite, we had the Nova Lox, Lambchuri and Fat Back.
The Nova Lox ($14) boasted a generous amount of yummy smoked salmon which thank God wasn’t overly salty IMO and that scallion cream cheese is so good.
Lambchuri ($15) was my next favourite with tender roasted lamb slices, salty haloumi and a slightly tangy chimichurri sauce - all come together to make a really good tasting bagel. Apparently hash browns are a good topping for this bagel according to the cashier so we added that too.
The Fat Back ($15) - which i thought was going to be my favourite - ended up being least favourite. The pork loin was pretty dry and I didn’t like mustard so that was more of personal preference. While my friend who liked mustard loved this bagel rendition. The Brussels sprouts was an interesting addition.
Appreciated how they packed everything in separate containers (not environmentally friendly though) and even had an instructions sticker that tells you what each component was and how to eat the mazesoba. Flavour wise was good, the broth was unseasoned but it had a depth of tonkatsu flavour and the minced meat in the noodles was savoury enough. The chashu was good too, thick slabs of pork belly with a good layer of fat making it quite tender.
Came on their 2nd day of operation and it was packed! Had to queue for close to 45 minutes for a table inside. As I went in the restaurant I could smell the scent of grease and oil - due to the open kitchen plan in the restaurant - which would undoubtedly stick to my hair. Interesting to see everyone working on the food but I guess ventilation could use a bit more work.
Moving on to the burgers, I had the Complete Burger which had a grass-fed beef patty, bacon, egg, cheese, onions, tomatoes, pickles and lettuce. This was one TALL burger and I had trouble getting any bites that had everything in it but I attribute that to the burger ~experience~. It was an okay burger for me - I mean the patty was big, juicy, cooked to about a medium done and not greasy but that’s about it. The buns were average. But here their selling point is the quality ingredients with local sources and these burgers are as fresh as they can get.
An unexpected twist though is the triple-cooked agria fries. As opening promotion the fries came free with a full priced burger. It came in a pretty large portion (enough to be shared by 2 small eaters) and you can choose ketchup/hot sauce as condiments. The fries while crispy, was however a bit too salty for me tbh.
I’d come back and try their other burgers like the Beef & Chimichurri (a Singapore special) and the Veggie Burger when the hype dies down a bit 😅
If there’s one thing you can’t say about Decker, it’s that the food is lacking flavour. Everything is so well seasoned and has a depth of flavour! I got the wagyu brisket and pork spare ribs. The brisket was tender and slightly fatty, just the way I like it. The ribs were honestly too salty for me that it had me reaching for water. The crunchy slaw with a bit of tang helped to cut through some of that saltiness. I expected the cornbread to come warm but it came cold, not a big deal because it was delicious.
A hard seltzer and meat platter for one later, it came up to $50+ per pax inclusive of a $5 service charge. Very expensive! Would think twice to come back but for the food I’d come back for more of an occasion.
A classic here at Atlas Coffeehouse. My favourite out of the dishes we had here. Poached salmon with shimeiji mushrooms, a sunny side up egg and soba noodles, accompanied with cilantro-lime nori yoghurt sauce on the side. Me being a sweet tooth, I liked the sweetness of the dish and the tang of the sauce that helps cut through some of said sweetness. A good balance of flavours.
Fresh strawberries and butter adorned on top of strawberry compote on top of hot cakes. Stacksss.
The maple syrup was honestly a welcome sweetness as the strawberries were kinda sour but at the same time lacking the depth of flavour fresh strawberries are suppose to have. The hot cakes while fluffy were a bit too thick for my liking.
Generous portion! Gets cloying after a while to be honest because the taste of the basil in the pesto is so strong. Not a bad thing for those who can’t get enough of basil but personally for me it was a bit too much.
Was there for the official reopening of Pantler at River Valley Road! We tried various cakes (in order of most favourite to least): Strawberry Shortcake, Black Forest, Citrus Blanc, Gianduja and Strawberry Tart. Cakes were not too sweet as well.
Truffle fries are allegedly one of the best in Singapore. They were really good! Generous with the Parmesan and truffle oil.
Big breakfast and fish & chips - nothing special, would skip it next time. Buttt the chicken penne was yummy and it was a pretty big portion as well.
Nothing to criticise about this one. The dish was very well seasoned and they didn’t skimp on the mushrooms. Appreciated the vegetables in it too.
Crispy chicken thigh between brioche buns and coupled with truffle fries. Not bad at all.
