A simple but classic Taiwanese food like Lu Rou Fan could not be better represented with rice and a scoop of diced fatty and lean braised pork.

In terms of flavour, the S$5.80 item was spot on, especially with that right amount of fat lingering in the mouth after a spoonful of this. However, the lean portions felt much overcooked and turned tough, so that chew was not what I would normally expect from Lu Rou Fan.

In their Christmas festive menu was the Ginger Bread Gelato Ice Cream (S$6.00), which was a dainty portion of gelato ice cream with some nuts and dried cranberries coated with soy powder. The only question I had after trying this ice cream, was which part of the dessert I should expect the gingerbread flavour to come through.

I supposed, there were many other ice cream places in the vicinity that could bring more value than this one, maybe even at a fraction of the price.

Mama San G&T (S$22.00) was one of the two Smoking Bubble Cocktails that seemed to be very posh with the citrus smoking bubble on top of the drink concocted with Roku Gin, Yuzu juice, lemonade, Sensho pepper and sparkling water.

Unfortunately, other than the theatrical moment of bursting the bubble, the beverage was merely average at best with strong notes of juice and lemonade. The Sensho pepper was barely picked up by smell (and hardly by taste), and there was hardly a taste of alcohol even after large sips. Fancy, but didn’t work that well for me.

By the way, I wasn’t sure if the drink should be stirred frequently, for the pulp and zest would gather at the bottom of the glass.

Finally had a go at their Burgs Classic Double Cheese Burger (S$11.90), and it was a comforting and hearty burger that was not made with frozen patties, even though the meat was a tad dry (likely from overcooking). Thankfully, it was saved by their Signature sauce to keep the overall texture moist and flavourful.

Strangely, getting a double-patty burger with an Original Meal Set (S$4.90) had proven to be a little too much for me today. Perhaps, this set had quietly made me really full?

During meal hours, 9-11 Teochew Fish Soup Rice Porridge (#01-30) would welcome a queue of hungry customers who craved for their fish soup and carb pairings of either rice, Bee Hoon, Mee Sua or Ee Mee.

The Mixed Fish Soup (S$5.00 / S$7.00) comprised both the sliced Batang fish and its fried version, together with iceberg lettuce, tomato and sliced bitter gourd. Adding of milk would be optional according to individual preference. The soup was comforting with little unnecessary flavourings, but I would think that the sliced fish was more delicious than the fried fish as the latter was spotted resting for quite a while, thus not as fresh to the bite somehow.

Inflation might have hit us hard with Tiong Bahru Bakery’s Kouign Amann costing S$5.50 now, but it was worth the price given its flaky buttery layers, sugary crust and sheer size.

Much might have been said that the flavours resembled that of our local Bom Prata, but when the Kouign Amann was freshly baked, the crispiness would surely be unrivalled.

The Lychee Maritozzo (S$4.90) was a visually enticing bun with the bursting white chocolate cream with lychee bits mixed in. On the whole, it was not too sweet despite the amount of filling, but instead of the orange brioche bun which gave the typical bun taste, I might have hoped for something more buttery like a choux or puff pastry.

In one of the quieter corners at the basement of One Raffles Place was where this restaurant could be found. And I picked up a Black Pepper Beef Rougamo (S$5.90) as a pre-lunch snack.

As soon as my teeth landed on the pastry, I was already impressed with its flakiness, and the pastry complemented the fillings very well, especially when it was well-seasoned with black pepper sauce, onions and green bell peppers.

Of course, dining in would be a better option, just in case if the item loses its crisp from getting wrapped up.

The charcoal-grilled Wagyu Steak (S$48.00) was served with a Wafu Tare sauce and some greens by the side. Nothing too fancy in terms of flavour, I would reckon. But I was much intrigued by the ball of horseradish mash that sat on the steak, as it had the texture like any other mashed root vegetable, but with a fraction of the punch from a typical Wasabi paste.

#BurppleEatup
#BurppleBeyond

Grilled dried stingray fin (S$15.00) was a pretty delicate snack to go with Sake for sure, because it had this chewy and slightly sweet texture like Bakkwa, but came in thin strips with a condiment of Japanese mayonnaise. That said, this might also be a high-end snack, considering the price point against portion size which was barely enough for sharing actually.

#BurppleEatup
#BurppleBeyond

Without a doubt, any restaurant around the Marina Bay area might be able to offer a beautiful view of the city skyline and occasionally some spectacular fireworks show, but having some charcoal-grilled skewers at Level 8 of OUE Tower was still a first for me. Even before the food were served, my eyes wandered off to the scenery outside.

The restaurant’s Kushiyaki would be a perfect companion to the rice wine and the view, especially at night. Among the items in the menu, I would say that I liked their Satsumaimo (S$6.00) which was basically grilled sweet potato the most. Their Tori Kawa (S$5.00) was crispy despite being tightly packed to the bamboo skewers. I would also go for their Shishito (S$5.00) which had a slightly freshening taste amidst the salted grill.

On the other hand, I thought their Tori Tsukune (S$7.00) was much under-seasoned, so it might not have been a very impressionable item to pair with Sake or beer.

If making decisions was a big challenge, they would also offer a chef’s choice Kushiyaki Moriawase that comprised 10 skewers for S$60.00. And I’m probably guessing that Burpple Beyond’s “25% Off Kushiyaki Dishes” would be a good reason to over-order…… maybe?

#BurppleEatup
#BurppleBeyond

Just a change of some bar grubs to go with the Happy Hour over here. Their Carne Asada Beef Tacos (S$14.00) comprised three soft tacos with the roasted beef chunks and a slap of guacamole on top.

Though I might not be the biggest fan for soft tortilla (since they mostly gave a limp touch to this delicious street food), the combination of ingredients was actually not too bad on hindsight. Things might get a little messy as the jus and the guac could escape easily from the tortilla, so watch out for any drips or spills as you down this snack.