With the easing of Safe Management Measures this week, one of the most anticipated dinner situations would be to sit around a round table and enjoy sharing plates and communal eating. And with that, the Seafood Platter would be something not to be missed.

Made with an array of seafood such as baby lobsters, green mussels, scallops, “La La”, prawns, crayfish and crab, together with other key ingredients like quail eggs, corn, lettuce and black fungus, the fullness was also amplified by portions of Tang Hoon and noodles. There was also a choice of chicken or Mala broth to suit the crowd’s preference of a light or an intense flavour. Portion-wise, this could probably serve a group of five or six, but definitely not a letdown for even a full round table of 10 pax.

While this dish is usually offered at a seasonal price, for S$68.00 this was a pretty good deal.

#BurppleEatup

Ah Chiang’s Porridge might be tucked at one corner and seemed to be moving kind of slowly here, but it was also at such a relaxed pace to feel the weekend vibes.

The Minced Meat Porridge (S$4.50) was, indeed, simple. Though it might not be easy to notice traces of the minced meat, I was still drawn to the smoothness of the congee and its light flavours. For more variety to the meal, one could simply order some vegetables or fried tofu to supplement the congee.

The Yam Chicken Floss Mochi Cake (S$9.90) was an interesting creation of yam paste, Mochi and chicken floss in a cup. Its combination of sweet and savoury, and the layers of various texture, was a unique way of incorporating unlikely ingredients into one dessert. Personally however, I did not fancy this dessert because the chicken floss texture did not seem to blend perfectly with the creamy and chewy counterparts.

When I learnt that our local MasterChef finalist opened a Mee Hoon Kway stall, I had wanted to try it but thought that it was a little out of reach based on where I am currently staying. Little did I know that Jiak Song had silently expanded to a few outlets islandwide, and Bugis being one of them.

Being a big fan of Mee Hoon Kway, I ordered a Signature All-in-One Combo (S$5.50) with an extra portion of Mee Hoon Kway for an additional S$1.00. The first surprise I received was an unexpected charcoal taste coming from the soup, which to me were both a “wow” and an “ouch”. The former was because it made me believe that there was some traditional ways of preparing the broth, which when coupled with the handmade noodles made it pretty exceptional for me. There were also many ingredients within the bowl, and so since the bowl was filled to the brim, I felt like a winner already.

On the other hand, I was a little disappointed when the stallholder ran the piece of noodle dough under the roller for a consistency in thickness, but I did wish that the Kway was thicker as a personal preference. And I later found out that the broth in another outlet had absence of the light charcoal flavour.

In all, Jiak Song would have checked many boxes of a delicious bowl of Mee Hoon Kway, but I also might not intentionally head down for a hearty meal.

When my friend recommended a casual dinner to Manbok (or Sin Manbok if that mattered), I truly did not expect such a feast coming. Just think about unlimited servings of meat, with a choice of Korean stew (Kimchi, Spicy Tofu or Army), one serving of Korean Fried Chicken (Original, Seasoned or Soy) and then a round of sides which comprised a Pancake, Rice Cakes / Steamed Egg and a Jajangmyoen / Pork Cutlet…… all at an outrageous price of S$29.00 per pax!

All I would say was that, if you knew the right things to pick, you would definitely leave the place bloated but extremely satisfied. The only undesirable takeaway might just be the lingering BBQ smell that would just cling on you (and your bags) until you were to perform a thorough clean-down.

The cherry blossom theme was in season, and so Lady M rolled out the limited-time Sakura Berry Mille Crêpes (S$13.00), featuring Sakura-flavoured white chocolate ganache with strawberry-infused pastry cream. To balance all that sweetness, there was also a streak of dehydrated strawberries to add some acidity.

Definitely on the sweeter side of things, but when paired with their tea, this would become indulgent as an afternoon treat.

It had been quite a while since I swore by Starbucks’ sliced cakes, as most of recent creations were more misses than hits, or that they were just too dry, suggesting they were left in the fridge a tad too long.

However, what truly amazed me with their Lychee Rose Cake Popsicle (S$6.90) was that the cake was coated with white chocolate which retained the moisture of the cake within. No doubt the cake was still sweet on the whole, but it was still quite cool to eat such a big slice of cake pop and yet able to hold on to the ice cream stick from start to finish, as though I was really eating a popsicle.

With the phased opening of Thomson-East Coast Line, it would be easier to explore humble neighbourhood eateries like Desert Dessert which was located near Mayflower MRT Station.

It was quite a safe choice to order their Belgian Waffle (S$5.50), as it turned out that the waffle was crispy on the outside but also sufficiently airy inside. It also took quite a while before the waffles soften from the melted gelato, so I supposed the waffle mix was done right.

An additional scoop of Premium Gelato would cost S$4.00 each. I would agree with past review that the Pistachio flavour was significantly nuttier than others of such, and I thought this was just on point. Their Red Wine Belgian Choco was also robust and smooth, and as much as it was not as bitter as dark chocolate, there was quite a nice balance of bitterness and sweetness: slightly acquired but also on the sweet side.

Interestingly, given the simple set-up of the partitioned shop space, there wasn’t any lingering smell of baking grease, unlike some of the other cafés with open-concept kitchens.

I got this Original Coconut Shake with Coconut Ice Cream topping (S$5.60) through Burpple Bites via Lazada. Occasionally, they would have flash sales (read: discounts) and that was when to strike, because their beverages were simply “shiok” to have.

With the Coconut Ice Cream added in, the beverage tasted really rich, but the flavours were still very authentic and enjoyable, which would be perfect in a very warm day.

Located within Food Junction, the Putian Heng Hwa Cuisine stall served up some of the familiar dishes such as the Heng Hwa Fried Bee Hoon (S$6.80).

At this price point, the portion appeared to be quite big. Plus, the wait time was relatively fast, so I was able to have my meal shortly after ordering. Even though most of the ingredients were nicely plated on top of the vermicelli, it was a pity that they tasted bland, because they were like merely blanched before serving, so they did not carry much flavour which should have come through if everything was fried together.

Being one of their latest creations in the house, the Blueberry Nebula (S$9.00) was probably one of the rare few that appeared like a spherical snow-globe with unique marbling on the surface. Because the cake was made with lemon curd, the sourness balanced well with the sweetness from the vanilla Chantilly.

Although there was a piece of their in-house Chocolate sable as the base, I felt that it was also a shame to use that, as it tasted slightly out of place. Probably, a butter shortbread could be a better alternative.

The Beef Bourguignon (S$38.00) was simple, but never dull. During a rainy day, this comfort food could bring warmth through their beef cheeks braised in red wine. The gravy carried depth, but yet brought satisfaction along with the creamy potato puree.

Needless to say, a glass of red wine would complement this dish well.