Yakiniku had been a trending sight in the food scene recently, but apart from the neighbourhood restaurants that had emerged, Wa Don-Don might be another name that one should remember.

As I was ushered to the seat, the waitress was prompt to bring over a piece of frozen towel, which was kind of a godsend because the charcoal grill was already warmed up and ready to fire some meats. Their Ox Tongue with Spring Onion (S$24.00) was pretty interesting as the grilling was to be done on only one side before removing from the grill, so that the chewy meat would also carry a refreshing flavour from the generous layer of spring onion. Ribeye with Salt (S$19.50) was also a must-get for me as the thin layers of ribeye were really juicy and was loaded with the classic salt and pepper flavours coupled with the aroma from the burning charcoal. Pretty much a simple pleasure!

Along with their brunch menu, there was this cocktail called ‘Boshi-Maker (S$20.00). This gin-based beverage also comprised ingredients such as Umeboshi (salted Japanese plums), blueberry, lemon and Hitachino White Ale, so the drink came across as refreshing, fruity and a wonderful start to a good meal.

It had been a while since I last hung out around the Rendezvous Hotel area to realise that most of the establishments along the ground floor had a touch of Korean theme. And 90 Minutes offered a fuss-free Korean Tteokbokki Hotpot Buffet, with adult prices at $15.90 / S$23.90 / S$24.90 across various timings. Concession rates were also available for Children, Students and Seniors categories.

Once seated, the crew assisted with bringing the sauces to mix into the soup base, and it appeared that the Red Hot sauce (which ironically was a non-spicy sauce) was well-received by many and less likely to disappoint.

After that, it’s all up to me to decide what ingredients goes into the hotpot, so I had to queue up at the buffet line to pick the foods I would like. Other finger foods such as Korean Fried Chicken and the additional Crispy Cheese Corn Dog (S$4.50) were also available to complement the meal. On hindsight, it could be a pretty anxious affair, because the queue might be long and that would eat into the dining period.

The round of Cheese Ring (S$9.90) around the hotpot was a nice to have, but the heat was not meant to last, so it could be done without. But do remember to pick up some Kimchi from the buffet bar to add into the fried rice at the end of the meal, just to give the carbs extra flavour.

And a tip shared by the staff regarding the free-flow soft drinks, to mix JusCool Sparkling Peach with Kickapoo Joy Juice for a pleasant surprise.

Given the pricing and the quality of food, there was seriously little to complain about, but the best experience would usually happen when the restaurant was not operating at full capacity.

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Keeping up with the competition of handcrafted beverages, this brand sprouted at Suntec City Mall in the mid-2021 offering yogurt-based beverages and smoothies.

I tried out their Red Bean Tangerine Peel (right, S$5.90) classic yogurt (the preparation was probably more classic than the flavour), and I would say that it was quite exotic. Imagine a traditional red bean soup with orange peel, but this time it was incorporated into a yogurt smoothie. Yes, quite a clash of flavours if one was used to having bubble tea or fruit smoothies, but I personally found subsequent sips increasingly enjoyable, thanks to the texture of the red bean paste which added some chew. But because the staff was probably trying to mash the red bean paste within the cup, resulting in it being “glued” to the bottom, so a bit of stirring and manual mixing would be required to blend the ingredients together.

I presumed that business was picking up quite smoothly, as they opened their second outlet in I12 Katong early this year. In fact, they would be officially opening another store at City Square Mall on 5 March, so who knows, maybe they would also invade the other heartlands in the near future?

I would usually be skeptical when it comes to ordering Fish Tacos, because the fish would be either soggy or tiny. Compared to other options such as pork, chicken or even minced beef, I felt most Fish Tacos would not meet my expectations.

Interestingly, the Fish Tacos (S$18.00) here were fried perfectly, seemingly hitting the golden ratio of fish to batter. Of course, when eaten quickly upon serving, the flour tortilla would hold very well and not turn soggy from the tartar sauce. Using pineapple salsa instead of conventional tomato salsa also seemed to give a slightly different experience: more crunch with a milder tanginess.

For once, this would be a top of my list as far as Fish Tacos are concerned.

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The Mexican Ceviche (S$25.00) was a nice appetiser to start off the meal, because the marinated mixed seafood tasted fresh and had a slight crunch as well. Also, it contained tomato Leche which had also contributed to the acidity to kickstart the body to look forward to the other food items to come.

Of course, there was also the crispy tortilla strips scattered on top of the ceviche, but it ought to be consumed quickly before turning soggy.

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Brunch was quite interesting at Neon Pigeon. While they have a menu with some mix of Japanese and Western mains, the most intriguing item on their list was The Duck Confit Ramen (S$20.00), which had limited servings available daily.

When the staff served the noodles, the first impression I got was more like Ramen in thick gravy (think Lor Mee), but at the same time the ingredients felt luxurious, with sliced Foie Gras and pink duck meat beautifully plated on top of the noodles. Digging in, I was excited by the flavours of the respective items, but I was also fascinated by how everything came together so well: rich but not too cloying.

Of course, one might not be full eating this, because the portion was not hearty (probably good things should also be taken in moderation), but that also gave us the perfect excuse to order more mains or appetisers for sharing.

Just when you might think that cheese tarts are no longer in trend, Queic opened near their parent restaurant to sell this personal versions of Olivia Burnt Cheesecake (S$15.00) and other sweets (or savouries?).

Having tried the slices at Olivia restaurant, this cheesecake also had a very runny cheese that would ooze out when the base was broken. Unfortunately, I really liked the sliced version at Olivia better because I found this cheesecake base a little too thick for me. Maybe it was because it came in this size that resulted in the base thicker and harder.

It was a considerable amount of time I waited for the Pork Belly Confit (S$26.00) to be served, and the presentation was pretty and vibrant. Just look at the multiple colours represented by the various ingredients!

The crackling was a little thicker than expected, but it was also very crispy. Perhaps it was also thanks to the cooking method that there wasn’t really a layer of fat in between. Well, okay, I might be in denial, because the fat would appear on other parts of the plate.

Overall, this was a decent portion of Pork Belly Confit to me, because any more might make the dish too cloying. Thankfully, there was enough of acidity from the balsamic vinegar and the cherry tomatoes to balance the flavours.

Chinese brand Yu Ba Fang had these stick-looking Pan-Fried Dumplings (or some call them 鍋貼 or pot stickers) catching my attention along the food kiosks at Basement 1 of Raffles City Shopping Centre.

At 8 pieces for S$10.90, I initially thought it might be a tad pricey. However, when eaten immediately, these Pan-Fried Dumplings were comforting and tasty, with pork and chive fillings going well with the dark vinegar. But perhaps I took my time with the food from start to finish, the last couple of pieces started to stick to each other as they cooled down.

In short, unless one could eat this very quickly upon serving, I would think that the dumplings might be expensive to savour.

The Le Signature Trio Shrimp Ramen (S$19.90) came with a rich shrimp broth (just look at the colour) and a combination of fresh big prawns, prawn dumplings and handmade Ebiko prawn paste.

Among all, I liked the handmade prawn paste the most because it also had prawn roe mixed in for that unsuspecting “burst” in every bite. On the other hand, I was a little apprehensive in ordering this again, not because it was not nice, but more of the overall satisfaction being unable to match with the price.

My first experience with this cake was when I did a recorded tasting called Tastemakers Try with Burpple. Since then, I fell in love with the Chocolate Pear Bavaroise Log Cake (S$62.00) for its rich chocolate flavours, with chunks of pear and pear bavaroise from within.

I liked it when the dark chocolate ganache and milk chocolate mousse met halfway for both richness and sweetness. On top of that, there were pieces of “golden coins” made of white chocolate and airbrushed for a hint of luxury. Who would say “no” to more chocolate in their dessert anyway?