New ice cream joint in my hood! @holycowcreamery just opened a branch nearby the famous Hill Street Tai Hwa Bak Chor Mee, perfect for a dessert stop after your Michellin Star meal. 😂

Got the Hazelnut Crunch and Blue Hawaii flavours this round; not bad! Quite enjoyed the hazelnut scoop with swirls of Nutella and (I think) Lotus biscuits. Sad that we can’t sample flavours anymore, but I guess that just means we’ll have to pop by again.

Golden Mile Hawker has a new kid on the block; welcome @braise_luzhijia to the hood! Selling bowls of various cuts of braised pork with great accompaniments, I went for their recommended (and most ex) pork cheek option. Very tender and packed with the braised flavour, it’s also firmer and basically all meat and no fat, great if you always feel guilty indulging in lu rou. Shoutouts to their perfect oozy eggs and that braised gravy that had this addictively sticky consistency as well, as though a great deal of collagen went into it.

There’s quite a wide range of pork varieties to choose; from shank, ribs, belly and more. Prices actually start from $3 for a Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice, so it can be really affordable too.

@tofumagician.sg didn’t have an hour long wait today! Managed to get my hands on these in just ten minutes and happy to report that their freshly churned soy milk really does taste different; full bodied, creamy and naturally sweet. The chewy White Jade Balls coated in cream and soybean powder were also yummeh. Would I queue an hour for it? Probably not, but if I can get a quick fix, you’ll definitely catch me getting a cuppa.

Was super curious when I saw this at a new Vietnamese store; Bep Hue (same coffeeshop as Ipoh Tuck Lee), and I do love my bun thit nuong. What looks like minced meat are actually little baby clams, and it’s accompanied with a medley of shredded starfruit, green mango, herbs, peanuts, chilli and crispy pork rinds. Instead of the sweet, salty fish sauce mixture that comes with BTN, this however comes with a funky shrimp paste sauce, which I’ll be honest, will definitely take some getting used to.

That said, it was an exciting experience trying something like that, like ordering an unknown local dish while traveling, which I’m missing dearly. Will definitely be back to try their other tamer offerings hahaha.

Really got the travel blues but this visit to @warmupcafe.sg managed to take me away, even if just for a couple of hours. Featuring a comprehensive Thai menu, we went for the set menu for two and added on Namtok Grilled Pork Neck ($15). Everything was yummeh; crisp and fluffy Thai omelette, tasty red curry with a good hit of basil, cabbage with fish sauce infused with wok hei, and it even comes with dessert for two!

The main draw however is the setting; choose to sit outdoors and you’ll be sitting surrounded by fairy lights, astroturf and plenty of fans for comfort. Really had the feel of a Thai night market.

Also highly recommended was the Baby Octopus in Soy Sauce ($8) which frankly stole the limelight from their signature dish! Blanched to the perfect doneness; tender and ‘crunchy’ with the perfect bounce to it. And that sauce... Mildly salty and super fragrant with a ton of fried garlic oil a d spring onions. Simply a must-order.

Famous for the Moonlight Horfun, Ipoh Tuck Kee Son has been bringing in the queues for these silky ribbons coated in a slick, umami sauce that gets its richness from that beautiful egg once it’s mixed in. The highlight was definitely the noodles itself as the ingredients took a backseat (small prawns and not so crispy lard), something I’d happily have but probably not queue too long for.

Been following @chocolatetbasil’s recommendations pretty closely recently and lucky me, @fangkocoffee is just a stone’s throw away from the office. Was expecting great things from this and boy did this plate deliver an EXPLOSION of flavours! The shredded smashed chicken is tender and coated in a spicy mix of crazy tasty chilli paste and little crispy bits (which might be the chicken skin?). You can also choose the heat level; called Spicy Smash Level, ranging from 0-12. I kinda overestimated myself and went for 5, which had me profusely sweating between gulps of their creamy cold brew and spicy chimken. But hey, if suffering is this yummeh, then sign me right back up. 🥵

Last couple of days to pick up this pho-nomenal sub at @parkbenchdeli’s pop-up at @sugarfin.sg! A crazy thiccc layer of shaved roast beef with the signature flavours of Vietnamese cuisine in that crunchy herb salad in a crusty French roll; all to be dunked into this slick, rich pho dip. Now, better hold on to your buns a little tighter than us, or you’ll end up in the pho splash zone, but that didn’t detract from how dam tasty this whole ensemble is.

The introduction of 满粥了 at the previously deserted Arc 380 along Jalan Besar seems to have brought in some life into the area! Their rice rolls are made in-house, ensuring a chewy and light texture that you can only get with these that made-to-order fresh. Wrapped around crisp youtiao and then drizzled in a light, savory soy sauce, it certainly makes for a dam satisfying breakfast.

Besides a wide variety of rice rolls (I’ll be back to try the Minced Meat Pickled Veg one), there’s also very comforting congees available. There’s a constant flow of people though the queue seemed quite manageable when we visited, so now still seems like a good time to visit!

Definitely get the Roasted Brussel Sprouts ($16). The surface of the Sprouts have been grilled to a toasty crisp, while the inside remains tender and moist. Could totally clean a whole bowl out myself.

This eclectic Izakaya shares a space with Bar Stories, so you’ll be able to get a tipple or two customized to your preference. Other notable dishes include the Mentaiko Taramasalata ($13), while a very savoury and strong flavoured start to the meal, was quite addictive with the funky fishiness and perfectly toasted pita.