Whether it was for a date night or a casual gathering, Eleven Strands offered a few types of desserts that would not leave the table unfinished.

Their Sticky Date Pudding (S$14.00) had hit the right notes, perhaps because I enjoyed the vanilla ice cream that drizzled over the pudding, plus the crumbles that added some texture together with the fragrant butterscotch sauce.

Though I absolutely enjoyed their pasta, I found their Mushroom Risotto (S$24.00) equally great. Featuring mixed mushrooms, asparagus, garlic, onions and parsley, this mains packed intense flavours of the shrooms. Given the richness of the stock, it was pretty fortunate that I could finish the plate before it had gotten too “gelak”.

#BurppleBeyond

An S$18.50 bowl of piping hot Aburi Toroniku Spicy Shio Ramen was something that I usually would not order, but I was glad that I did. The (mildly) spicy Shio broth was rich and it went well with the firm texture of the Ramen. Three slices of flame-grilled pork cheeks were just enough to make this meal feel complete, though I might want to add on more spring onions to balance the flavours.

Lots of fresh fruits were packed in this slice of cake, which made absolute sense that it would cost S$8.50 for a slice. But really, the highlight was that the cream was light and silky for me, and the sponge layers were also soft and delicate. While I would usually order their tart when I visit, the Fresh Fruit Cake was just as appealing with all the different flavour profiles coming from the fruits and berries.

All seemed like a quiet enclave at Unazen, until the staff shared that the diners could also order from the Tampopo menu (they were adjacent to each other).

Anyway, the Seiro Mushi B (S$28.80) was one of their lunch sets that comprised the Unagi Kabayaki, Kurobuta Kakuni and shredded Tamagoyaki, accompanied by a side dish of vegetable pickles and a bowl of soup.

The rice beneath was steamed with some sort of broth, but the flavours were too subtle to be picked up, and the overall texture turned out mushy. The grilled eel also lacked that layer of smokiness, though it did appear freshly grilled to me. Overall, the component that left the deepest impression would be the Kurobuta Kakuni, for it was so tender and flavourful and that it could literally melt in the mouth.

Lunch sets were available daily, from 11.00am to 2.30pm.

As though the dark chocolate tart could not already catch my attention when I peered into the cake display, the Dark Chocolate Raspberry Tart (S$10.50) was my perfect companion to my cup of coffee.

Comprising a rich dark chocolate tart with raspberry jelly encased within and topped with whipped raspberry ganache and some luxurious looking gold flakes and rose petals, the bitterness was well-balanced with the prominence of the acidity of berry flavours. It seemed to be rich and decadent, yet at the same time also pleasant and calming.

The Huggs Coffee here had some savoury wraps for those who might not be big on sweets. Their Satay Chicken Wrap (S$6.00) had a decent portion of chicken chunks and Satay sauce, finished with some mozzarella cheese alongside.

At the moment, they had a promotion going on whereby each takeaway wrap would be half-priced. I found that this was quite a bargain, so do drop by to redeem yours before the promotion ends (which would be some time later this month).

Essentially their classic acai supplemented with the taste of sourish fruits, crushed nuts and coconut flakes, the flavoured granola would be found at the bottom of the cup. A little inconvenient, but I guessed it was still a reasonably-priced cup of superfood (S$9.50) on days when I wanted to feel a little healthier with my intakes.

I would say that they do have quite unique flavours that gave me reasons to come try out different combinations of the acai, granola and sauce. Probably another plus point would be that should you decide to call this in by delivery, you would get them at their original price (no platform mark-ups)!

As an exclusive deal for the month of June this year, Blanco Court Beef Noodles had offer this Spicy Mala Beef Noodles with a cup of Ice Lemon Tea or Ice Honey Lemon at a discounted price of S$8.80.

The thick Bee Hoon was tossed in the Mala sauce (with pretty strong notes of sesame oil) before they were topped with the sliced beef and roasted peanuts. Being mildly spicy at best, I personally would prefer ordering their standard menu, but maybe for a taste of variety, this one was not a bad choice after all.

#BurppleEatup

The Pistachio Rose Cake (S$6.90) caught my attention because of the combination of the nutty and floral notes within a cake.

In my first mouthful, I found that the rose essence was pretty strong, while the pistachio flavour could be strengthened. Unfortunately, the cake layers within were just too dry for my liking, but I would suppose the cake might pair well with a hot cup of coffee.

One of the newer kids in the block was Blanco Court Beef Noodles, which offered their S$18.80 Burpple Beyond deal, comprising two bowls of Sliced Beef Noodles (choice of Soup or Dry), two Homemade Drinks and two Small Side Dishes.

What I liked about their dry noodles (Thick Bee Hoon to be exact) was that it would come with the thick beef gravy that would coat the carbs and the sliced beef well. Did I also mention that the sliced beef was really tender and well-cooked, so it made the meal very comforting, rain or shine.

As for their side dishes, although there were 9 side dishes to choose from, I would personally recommend the Oyster Sauce Nai Bai and their Signature Chicken Wings to go with the meal, just to make it more complete and at the same time have some vegetables on the plate.

#BurppleEatup
#BurppleBeyond

Crowds seemed to be gathering at CouCou for two main reasons, which was to enjoy a hotpot meal, to buy bubble tea, or perhaps even a combination of both.

There was a slight delay in getting seated, even though my friend had made a reservation for 8.00pm. We were made known that our dining time was limited to two hours, and it came as a small shock to us when we were told to make our last order by 8.30pm. Of course, we kind of frantically selected our orders accordingly.

The soup base provided here could not be customised, so we were a little apprehensive when there we could not reduce the spice level for their Taiwan Style Spicy Soup Base, so we thought of reducing the heat with their Coconut-Chicken Soup Base to complement.

However, one thing I had to give a special mention to was their service, as the waitress told us not to order too much vegetable dishes, as most dishes would also include some decorative greens that could be eaten as well. And not to mention the complimentary fruit slush that were served to us as palate cleansers.

Lastly, having bubble tea to go with the meal might appear a little odd for me, as I was quite used to having herbal beverages or just iced water during a steamboat. Nonetheless, it didn’t kill to go for a cup of bubble tea here, just for experience sake.