Yakiniku-GO was a fuss-free, do-it-yourself Japanese restaurant that was newly open at The Seletar Mall. Although a similar concept might have already appeared in PLQ Mall last year, I was still thrilled to see this one appearing under the RE&S brands (so it would mean I could earn stamps on my loyalty card too, yay!).

The queue situation might have been a bit bad during lunch or dinner hours, with waiting times going as long as 120 minutes before a table could he assigned. However, one could choose to complete their grocery shopping while waiting for the table to be ready, since the automated system (triggered by QR code) would have notified me through my WhatsApp when I could be seated.

The Double Karubi Set (100g) was quite a hit for me, even though it only comprised short plate and boneless short rib, because there was a balanced portion of fat and lean meat. And despite having some dips served together with the set, I quite enjoyed the natural taste of beef, and its melted fats coating the bowl of rice for that seductive fragrance.

Dine-in was limited to 60 minutes only, but that would be sufficient to finish a meal and to chat up with your accompanying diners.

If the Matcha equivalent was too mainstream, I felt that the Pudding Strawberry Milk (S$5.20) might be a considerable alternative. Also using Hokkaido milk, the difference came from the sweet strawberry syrup that also gave the dessert beverage a beautiful red colour.

The pudding was fine, but I wondered if the not-so-silky texture was made in this manner for easier sucking through the straw…

I bet SUKIYA was a highly-anticipated restaurant when boardings were placed around the restaurant before its opening.

Indeed, SUKIYA granted my wish for reasonably-priced beef bowls, with a medium-sized Gyudon at S$4.90 and a Half Boiled Egg Beef Yakiniku Bowl at S$7.90 respectively. In terms of flavour, the Beef Yakiniku Bowl would be slightly richer in flavour because of the additional sauté touch to the beef, but the Gyudon was not bad too given its lighter flavours to allow the natural beef flavours to subtly fill the mouth. A medium bowl would be sufficient to make up a regular meal, since it also came in huge portions of fluffy Japanese rice. Strangely, the rice was a tad marshy, of was that their unique texture that they were trying to deliver?

So perhaps Yoshinoya would now be facing a strong contender in the beef bowl scene. Hopefully, more outlets would spring across the country so that the affordable Gyudon and Yakiniku Don could be found everywhere.

A new donut store seemed to have attracted crowds to come by to check out their interesting flavours, like Orh Nee (S$2.60), Pandan Ondeh-Ondeh (S$2.90) and Nanyang Coffee (S$2.60).

I was lucky enough to catch them while they were still open (with limited availability of course). And I would totally agree that the flavours were rich, plus the donut was chewy in a very pleasant way!

To get involved in a good deed, I also paid an extra S$2.00 to get a takeaway box. This box not only had a cover design from a student in Pathlight School, but part of the proceeds will also go to this special needs school. So, why not?

This Knife Shaven Noodle came from the Farmosa Delights stall at the entrance of Food Opera (a more “atas” version of Food Republic). Although the noodles were shaved off the large roll of dough in full view of the customers, it somehow did not have that chewy texture that I was expecting. Nonetheless, it was a decently large portion of noodles with pieces of beef hidden under the dark, densely-flavoured broth.

As soon as the Cheese Crust Grilled Steak Sandwich was served, the first thought that crossed my mind was: big portion!

So this S$25.00 sandwich was not to be underestimated, because it was a really hearty brunch item that was available. The two slices of sourdough had grilled cheese plastered on them, and between them were generous amounts of sliced ribeye, caramelised onions and gherkin dijon aioli. Although the sourdough might be seen as a tough bread option, but trust me, it was a great combination altogether. Big on flavours, this item was surprisingly easy to pair with any coffee, tea or alcoholic beverages.

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Bubbles & Dreams (S$15.00) was a lovely accessory to a delightful brunch at the Nassim Hill popup in the premises of KPO Bar. Although not everyone would fancy a cocktail at noon, this mix of Hendrick’s Gin and prosecco also contained some lemon juice, so the citric notes was not solely refreshing but also easy to drink.

The faint bubbly element was noticeable when the drink was served because it was still a little chilled, so it should be consumed before it could reach room temperature.

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Since there was no way to travel overseas to appreciate the cherry blossom season, Starbucks made it right this time with their Sakura Blossom Strawberry Frappuccino (S$9.90 for Venti size). As much as the first impression was like having strawberry flavoured milk, I actually enjoyed the part-sour strawberry puree which gave the blended beverage a contrasting profile. And somehow, the drink was not as sweet as its colour, which made it resemble the cherry blossom: beautiful yet not overpowering.

I chanced upon this kiosk-like coffee store while I was at Ang Mo Kio Central, and I was glad that I took a second look at it. It was fascinating to see a small coffee shop (like the size of a neighbourhood bubble tea shop) right under a point block, making it a dream come true to have some good latte downstairs (as if I live upstairs).

I liked the Mocha, probably because the beans used went well with the milk and cocoa. And with the foldable furniture along the walkway, one could sit down for a quick cup of coffee before attending to the frenzy in the world out there.

Brew & Co also offered some pastries to go with the cuppa. Probably it’s just me, but I was not really a big fan on a chewy and dense Raisin Scone, so I wonder if a Pain au Chocolat would have elevated the experience altogether.

Well, they might not have listed their popular Brioche Donuts (S$3.80 per piece) in their brunch menu, but they would bring over limited quantities of these babies, for dine-in or takeaway, from their bakery kitchen at their Tanglin Post Office location.

Personally, I would prefer their Kaya flavour over the Chocolate one, because although both fillings were made from scratch, the Kaya they made was fragrant and sweet. Balanced by the airy brioche and dusted with icing sugar, the donut would give me the sugar fix that I would probably not resist.

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Many would have registered the taste profile of brussels sprouts as a bitter vegetable, but the Brussels Sprouts (S$10.00) was a wonderful sharing dish that tasted differently. Sautéed with sea salt until slightly charred, the bitterness was not only reduced significantly, but also sort of transformed to an attractive savoury note. By the way, it kind of drew a resemblance to some perfectly stir-fried kale.

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I would think that the Spicy Prawn Soup (S$12.00) might be the perfect item to order after a night of booze. Being deliciously tangy and rich in tomato flavours, the soup was thick enough to also warm the stomach and whet the appetite a bit. The crunchy fresh prawns would add a nice contrast to the texture of the soup.

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