For those who would prefer something cool and yet filling at the same time, their Korean Cold Noodles (S$9.00) was one of the two carbs dishes that was available. Though it was refreshing given its serving temperature, in my limited knowledge of Korean cuisine, it did not quite taste like an experience I would get from an authentic Mul Naengmyeong. Nonetheless, if cold noodles would be something that you would look for to fill your stomach, this dish might just meet your expectations.

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The ambience here at Tianfang Pavilion Chaoshan Hot Pot was very conducive on a weekday night. Not sure if it was because the restaurant was less heard of or because it was slightly away from the heart of Chinatown restaurants, but I thought it was a nice environment for a hearty hotpot dinner.

Some tables allowed for two soup bases to be selected, while those for bigger tables have room for four. While they offered Spicy soup base (S$16.00 for single soup base, up to S$20.00 for two), the level of spiciness differed from my usual encounters at other steamboat restaurants. In fact, since the soup bases were mostly more authentically flavourful with meat broth, they also tasted delicious at any point during the meal without being too salty.

For those who wanted a just a quick meal, the restaurant also provided individual hot pots with one soup base, for only S$5.00!

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Thank goodness for a good number of hawker stalls from the previous Golden Shoe to stay on and eventually move to Market Street Hawker Centre at CapitaSpring Level 2! While the facilities had definitely made a marvellous facelift, Hock Gooi Hainanese Curry Rice continued to feed the mouths of the average salarymen (and women of course) over here with affordable Hainanese curry rice.

Most of their default sets here would cost S$3.50, with a fried egg, cabbage, and a scoop of curry sauce (you could of course say no if curry’s not a charm). I ordered the Pork Chop which I felt was slightly over-seasoned, but it was easily balanced off with a mouthful of curry rice. The two lady stallholders were really sweet to remind me that the curry would also be more densely flavoured (read: salty) too, but it was really reasonably seasoned in my opinion.

Food might not be above average, but it brought about warmth as well as a filled tummy at affordable prices.

The Rebel Bar recently had a makeover of their menu to only comprise vegan-friendly items, which also implied that there was no trace of our familiar meats, dairies and eggs in the food they served.

Having a try at their Zoodle Bolognese (S$18.00) was in fact a curveball I threw during the Burpple Eatup as it was not one of the prescribed items we were supposed to have. However, I was most pleased with this “pasta” dish, as the zucchini was shredded into strands of noodles and topped with minced Impossible meat “bolognese” sauce. The flavours definitely hit the right notes and were sufficiently tasty, thanks to the other natural seasonings such as red onions, cherry tomatoes and spiced chickpeas.

Although this might be less hearty than our conventional pasta dish, I thought it was a nice entry-level dish for those who didn’t quite believe they would enjoy vegan food prior.

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In their refreshed menu, Lao Beijing had their Wagyu Beef Truffle “Hor Fun” (S$40.80), which had their Hor Fun done two ways: the conventional stir-fry and also the less seen fried crispy version. Slices of wagyu was layed atop the dish, before topped with a half-boiled egg. This noodle dish was served dry, with the beef and truffle gravy by the side to be poured in when ready to eat.

This dish would have made a nice finish to a meal after a couple of sharing plates, because the “wok hei”, crispy rice noodles, beef gravy, aromatic truffle and juicy beef slices made the carbs very enjoyable for the palates. On the other hand, not that the dish came in a large serving, but given the price point and the degree of satisfaction, I would say that it’s good enough to be shared between 2 to 4 persons. I reckoned too much of good stuff would not necessarily make it more satisfying.

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Huggs Collective at Thomson Plaza had quite a nice ambience when it was quiet and peaceful, and since I could enjoy a 30% discount with Burpple Beyond, I went for their Iced Latte Gula (S$7.00) which was essentially espresso with Gula Melaka.

Apart from the distinct flavours of the processed coconut sugar, what was unexpected was that the coffee became much smoother and tasted frothier, even though it was iced and it sat for a few minutes before I took my first sip.

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This seductive Grandma’s Carrot Cake just sat on the cake stand right in front of the restaurant’s entrance. One might have wondered if the S$18.00 dessert was worth the damage, and I sure thought it did!

The portion was impressively big, bigger than a floppy disk box (does anyone even know what this is by the way?). It was what it was, with “Grandma’s” homemade deliciousness and love in a dense and generous cake, as well as a rich and citrusy cream cheese frosting. There was even at least one wall of walnuts, on top of those found within the cake layers, for those who liked extra crunch.

The cake was good for sharing, but if you had a big heart (and stomach) for carrot cakes, you might consider eating it by yourself. Just be prepared that the frosting might be too rich for liking beyond the 60% mark.

I had always wanted to try the Soontofu here but the biggest question was whether it was worth so much money to eat a Tofu soup.

So I finally stepped into the restaurant and ordered just the Seafood Soontofu (S$21.00), and I didn’t expect that I was served with lots of Panchan, a stone bowl of rice, a whole fish (although it wasn’t very big to be fair) and a piping hot bowl of Soontofu, with their Tofu freshly made daily. The soup was flavourful and sufficiently spicy in an appetising way, and all these food was already enough to fill my stomach. This must be very comforting during a rainy day, but it would be satisfying at other weather situations no less.

On top of that, they also had their free flow Corn Tea at S$1.00 per pax.

Seems like the HOURAKU series made a comeback to the shelves of Châteraisé!

The Cheddar & Edam Bouchee had very small dices of Cheddar and Edam Cheese to bring some savoury contrast to the sweet cream filling. Priced at S$2.30 per piece, I thought the crusty texture of the Bouchee was something unique, but I would still prefer the sweetness of red beans in their Dorayaki, especially when their prices were certainly comparable.

Surely it had been quite a while since I have had a cup of Brown Sugar Boba Fresh Milk, and with the hype dying down somewhat, a medium cup at S$4.00 was just a treat for myself, since I was already at the stall buying food.

Well, the name of the item had said it all: the cup glazed with brown sugar syrup with tapioca pearls cooked in brown sugar syrup, and filled with fresh milk. Although this was an average cup, I was certain that it perked me up a bit.

I was a little surprised that this Taiwanese food kiosk at Thomson Plaza did not get much attention, for I was certain that I saw it here at least a year ago. However, I supposed the patrons would prefer having a place to sit down and have their meal or to get a snack here to consume while “on the go”.

Anyway, I grabbed their Signature Braised Pork Rice (S$7.50) which also came with some pickled vegetables and a braised egg. While I would not say that the food was bad, I felt that it had deviated from the true taste of Lu Rou Fan, especially when the braised sauce was much more dense and that the diced pork were mostly lean meat.

Despite the slight disappointment, I thought they had quite a comprehensive menu to select from. Maybe there would be something on it that would deserve a return visit?

For a very limited time only, Cat & the Fiddle collaborated with peanut butter brand SKIPPY to roll out a Peanut Butter & Jelly Cheesecake (S$7.90 per slice, S$58.90 per whole cake).

The bulk of the cheesecake was made of dense peanut butter cream cheese with mildly-flavoured jelly cubes, and topped with a peanut butter glaze with strawberry jam swirls. This was really heavenly for those who liked savoury desserts, plus it was also not disproportionately sweet, so it really didn’t take too long for me to finish a slice. Also, not forgetting that it was non-baked, so everything went down pretty smoothly.

Orders may also be placed on their official website, but Burpple Beyond members may want to use their “20% Off Whole Cake” to enjoy the same discount, even as a walk-in customer.

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