An unassuming storefront dishing up authentic and delicious Turkish food right in the heart of Millenia walk, Donergy definitely delivered to our pleasant surprise - freshly rolled dough and oven baked goodness of Turkish flat breads and their unique version of our commonly known pizza (Pide).

The greedy sloth in me had to have the best of all worlds, so I ordered the Mushroom Pide with additional spinach ($14) since all of them had cheese as their base. The well blistered dough topped with generous gooey melted mozzarella cheese proved a downright comforting treat to the tummy, which my polished plate rightfully proved.

The Beef Tombik ($8.50) came with a hearty portion of beef slices and mixed slaw which congealed together quite darn deliciously within the warm, fluffy and airy bread, which texture was similar to our leavened Naan bread.

Lastly, the hummus ($6) arrived chilled with nicely arranged triangular slices of what appeared to be the flatbread used for the Tombik, and was a perfect union eaten together. While I would have wished for a more creamy texture, this generous plate sufficed for its affordable price tag.

Best part? This eatery comes with NO gst and svc, and additional bonus is the good looking Turkish community who straddle in for a simple and quick meal in the midst of a hurried day 👀

Finally got down to trying this new kid on the block in SMU.

This small eatery adopts a rather systematic ordering system whereby patrons begin by selecting one protein of choice (honey glazed tofu/teriyaki chicken/shabu shabu beef/salmon), one base of choice (rice with Japanese dressing/cha soba with either wafu or sesame dressing/salad), followed by any additional protein and toppings (mentaiko, fish roe). The kitchen behind the counter dishes out the orders by layering the individual components, before passing it onto the front collection counter whereby the torching of proteins and mentaiko is also done.

Before serving, the staff will also put some furikake on the sous vide egg that’s included as part of the donburi, spring onion, sesame seeds and nori. Hungry patrons can then straddle up when their queue number is flashed.

Highly recommended by my friend to try out the honey glazed tofu, I selected that as my protein of choice, atop a bed of cha soba doused in goma dressing, alongside an additional serving of tofu ($1).

Visually, it looked promising. For my additional top-up of tofu, the portion of tofu was indeed generous. It was glazed in a honey teriyaki sauce which I found too be a tad cloying when paired with the cha soba, which in itself was already seasoned. Perhaps it would go best with just plain ol’ rice.

Onto the cha soba, it was already mixed in with the dressing so the whole pile was just, rich. However, the discerned would also detect that this wasn’t the real deal - it was mere green wheat noodles, but with a strong alkaline taste probably due to overcooking and failure to blanch in cold water after.

The components of the dish just didn’t congeal to produce a coherent rice bowl. Ingredients felt better tasted individually, and sent confusing signals to my tastebuds when married.

The sous vide egg was perhaps the only saving grace as it was done beautifully, revealing a luminous core. Oh yes, not forgetting my favorite Japanese pickled radish that was decent too, but sadly only two slices were given.

For $5.90 this bowl (SMU students/staff get $1 off), no complaints but there are definitely better donburis out in the vicinity.

Can you believe how generous this place is with their banchans (complimentary Korean appetizers)?

Apart from the 9 small dishes as seen with the mindblowingly delicious sweet seaweed soup, there was also a complimentary bowl of steamed egg served! Whilst the chef may have experienced some difficulties with the steamed egg that day as it was burnt, the other dishes were just amazingly fresh and chilled.

Particularly adored the delicate balance of the sweet-spicy toppoki (allowed for one refill), spicy tofu, and sweet-salty seaweed! Really impressed by the freshness of the dishes as it was easily detectable that these banchans were freshly prepared instead of being typical commercially store bought ones.

Kudos to free flow and delicious banchans! 😍

Not the cheapest pajeon around at $25++, I would say this Korean seafood pancake is easily one of the more authentic Korean pancakes you can get in Singapore.

Whilst retaining that crispy crunchy edge and thick interior laden with aplenty prawns, squid and leek, the somewhat spicy-sweet dip accompanying it provided such an amazingly pleasant elevation to enhance the overall flavor profile of the dish.

Definitely would be back to try the bulgogi pancake next time round!

Chock full with fresh and hearty portions of assorted Korean fish cakes (some even with fillings enclosed within), seafood (mussels, prawns and flower crab), some assorted greens and a boiled egg, I found this generous dish a steal at $38++.

The broth was light yet tasty, underlined with a hint of spiciness that came from the fresh cut slices of chili hidden beneath. Kept hot by the continual flames of the stove below, this dish is a must have on rainy days!

Weighing in at $10+ for 2 slabs of fatty goodness isn’t quite exactly gentle on the pockets. Thankfully, the tenderness of the pork slathered in the sufficiently seasoned gravy was somewhat able to redeem it from wailing wallets.

However, the discerned would have been able to tell that the meat could have been more flavorful if not for the fact it was probably cooked using a pressure cooker to achieve that level of tenderness within a shorter period; before being doused in a well seasoned broth. Still a commendable taste, nonetheless.

Not pictured here, we also tried plentiful other dishes: burnt chili chicken ($10+), five spiced squid ($10+), fried chicken with nori mayonnaise ($10+), Brussel sprouts with salted pork and mushroom ($10+), bamboo shoots in pork broth ($5+), kailan with crispy bait ($10+), black fungus in dashi ($5+), smashed baby potatoes with plum sauce ($5+), chicken hearts with fried ginger ($5+), as well as a canister of sour plum juice ($10+).

Only thing to mention is that fame perhaps is the precursor of downfalls. Before word of Salted Plum got around and before being featured on a particular YouTube food show, the food standards were apparently much better than the current. The current appears to skimp on portion sizes, and seasonings tend to be too heavily skewed (sodium and MSG wise). Nothing much spectacular to warrant a return visit, and definitely nothing sufficient to quench my welling thirst after the meal.

Shatteringly crispy at the edges whilst retaining that thick, glorious interior laden with aplenty stretchy mozzarella cheese (forgot to take a #cheesepull picture as we were too excited to dig in), minced beef, tomato paste and kimchi, this pancake was such a bliss to the sight and tastebuds.

Loved how the pancake had that delicate balance of slight spiciness from the kimchi, saltiness from the cheese, and tanginess from the tomato paste. Best was the amalgam of composite textures that came together beautifully.

Really glad that Masizzim has managed to keep up their standards since their inception - from which I’ve been a loyal patron to - and to which, promises my continual return not only with this pancake ($13.80++), but also alongside other perennial favorites: honey mustard cheese egg roll and rice balls!

Masiseoyo! 🤤

My fail-proof combination: small tub with strawberries + dark chocolate sauce ($5.70) if I’m still feeling a little peckish after a meal.

The frozen yogurt itself lends that tangy edge to undercut the potential jelatness of the chocolate sauce, which is usually doused in such abundance it gets overwhelmingly cloying towards the end.

The strawberries? They provide the perfect crunch and texture, underlined with a hint of sweetness and sourness (depending on your luck) to balance out the rest of the components.

Always my go-to when craving a chocolatey frozen treat (apart from Mac’s chocolate cone 🤤)!

Gloriously air fried fluffy thick toast slathered with salted butter, drizzled with generous caramel and chocolate sauce with honey, slathered with smooth slices of finely shaved coconut and topped with dessicated coconut alongside a large scoop of coconut ice cream; this dish was a pleasant surprise.

The toast whilst retaining its crisp on the outside, boasted such a pillowy soft interior which conjured such a medley of textures in the mouth - not forgetting the fragrance of the salted butter slathered within which greatly elevated the sensation.

What I was really impressed (or rather, surprised) by was the unexpected union of the chocolate and caramel sauces with honey. The caramel sauce had such an aromatic buttery fragrance it didn’t taste like those diabetic-sweet commercial ones, and everything surprisingly went well together without being cloying at all!

The only tiny feedback would be the coconut ice cream though, which tasted relatively artificial and flat compared to the intense flavor of the entire dish. However, that may perhaps also be attributed to how I requested for the ice cream to be served on the side instead of on top the toast - as I usually prefer to taste the individual components of the dish and prefer my toasts neat. Nonetheless, I can imagine how the ice cream will balance out and perhaps even elevate the rest of the dish if it were placed on top for a glorious mess.

Not the cheapest at $11.50, but worth a try for the intriguing medley of textures and flavors whirling in your palate!

This is how you picture a perfect steal at $7.

3 slices of thick, warm-pressed toasts alternately sandwiched with fried luncheon meat, cheese and ham on the first layer; and a substantial thick portion of silky scrambled egg with tomato sauce drenched cabbage and tomato slices on another, this dish will satiate any remnant hunger pangs you may still have if you’re only consuming small bites like egg tarts alongside. Everything came together perfectly, and it was hot as there was smoke wafting out of every bite. Probably the first time I’ve had hot club sandwich as this dish tends to be served chilled. But this gets as good as it can get. Ignore the canned cocktail salad, however.

Sufficing as a sharing portion or as a main dish on its own, this is a must order for those who love their sandwiches and toast. I’d even go further to say, get this instead of the ‘signature’ pork chop sandwich.

While the egg rolls were silky smooth, this dish paled significantly in comparison to the rest of the dishes that Honolulu has to offer.

The mayo however, provided a great hint of sweetness to elevate the otherwise relatively flat-tasting rolls. At $5, I’d say go for the other dishes such as the French Toast instead.

Served with ham and cheese sandwiched between two slices of thick fluffy toast, coated in a floury egg mixture and deep fried till golden brown, this ham and cheese French toast was a substantial savory dish.

The toast slices were really thick, making it a filling dish. The ham and cheese within were nothing to rave about, but what was deserving to mention of this dish was the finesse by which it was executed.

Whilst looking like a seemingly innocuous deep fried toast dish, it was impressive that the toasts manage to retain their fluffiness even after being strewn into hot oil to simmer. That only reveals two things: the technicality with which the chef has deep fried it, as well as how fresh the toasts are.

At $5, this was definitely worth the price tag but be warned, it might get a bit jelat/filling so best to order for sharing. But if you’re not getting other dishes, this might suffice on its own. The butter and maple syrup served also complemented the dish well, cutting through the potential greasiness of the dish.