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I’ve never even heard of it until the past 10 years of so, but it has since exploded in popularity in Singapore and in China as well, so much so that there are tons of restaurants thriving on just this one dish.
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Intelligently jumping on the trend and demand, @andazsingapore has come up with a mala xiang guo set worth talking about. Unlike some places where you get to pick your items, there are only three items to choose from, Australian Wagyu, Pork collar and @kuhlbarra Barramundi. I decided to go with pork on the advice of the chefs and wasn’t disappointed. It was typical Kurobuta, tender and juicy. The pot comes filled with other delicious ingredients such as lotus roots and mushrooms as well.
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The $60 set comes with a large mala claypot, crispy firecracker chicken, two bowls of fluffy white rice and 4 bottles of Andaz Pale Ale.
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While pricier than what you would usually pay for at hawker joints, the fact that you’re dining 25 stories high with a panoramic view of the city, coupled with the signature Andaz good service makes it insane value.
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(Media Tasting)

It’s made with thin egg noodles aka Lasagna and bolstered by silken pools of the thickened buttery sauce known as besciamella in Italian, and béchamel in French… I just call it white sauce.
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However, regardless of what you want to call it, it adds a nice temperance that balances the sharp tang of the tomatoes. Definitely something to consider getting.
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(Media tasting)

The Taiwanese porridge in Coffee lounge at Goodwood Park in hotel is one such example. Their ala-carte buffet has been running for years, a testament to its quality. Look forward to delicious stir fry’s and sharing dishes that are made a la minute. My personal favourites are their seafood omelette and prawn paste chicken. Don’t forget to leave some room for dessert as well! Their bread and butter pudding is excellent.
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The ala carte buffet is available at $39++ on weekdays for adults from Monday to Thursday and $42++ in Fridays to Sundays.

However, these come mighty close. Perhaps its cause both the pushcart and El Mero Mero are run by native Mexicans. While I do miss the freshly fried ones injected with a deadly-hot dose of cajeta,but the warm tangles of fried dough served with chocolate here are also remarkably compelling. Befriend the cheery service crew and have them rustle up a dessert mezcal to go with it, the El Mero Mero cocktail is a popular choice

And while they’ve since broken away from 1), traces of 2) still lingers like a envious younger sibling.
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Christened as a Ramen Risotto ($24), this comes with pork belly, pickled black fungus, a runny quail egg, soy foam and tonkotsu snow(?????). While it does feel like a Creative concept on paper, the execution was.. pretty average with the each ingredient seemingly wanting to stand out instead of complementing each other.
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Also, don’t get me started on their flippant service.🙄

It’s like being a kid again. Shells which perfectly encapsulate all that creamy white sauce, multiple types of stretchy cheese, bread crumbs for texture. Wew. It’s a no brainer but add on $4 for wild mushrooms and truffle for that unami flavour bang.

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Tucked in a sleepy corner of the street in Johor, Hwa Mei gets excessively busy in the late morning. Everything really hits the mark at this charcoal-fired joint but make sure you don’t leave without ordering the pigs skin. That really is exceptional.

Located on Armenian street, the foods serving at this classic French bistro is super hearty, full bodied and delicious. Their rillettes are outstanding, along with their pates but Come hungry and order the mammoth sized Côte de Boeuf which sees Angus prime beef ribs oven roasted served with beautifully caramelised shallots and garlic confit. It’s not pocket-friendly at $148, but it feeds two hungry people and it’s also outrageously good.

Cured meat, truffle oil and a devilishly good trio of gouda, mozzarella, scamorza are piled onto toasted milk bread. Conceptually simple but executed to perfection. It was so good we ordered two portions

Deliciously slow-cooked pulled beef comes piled on homemade bread, the richness gets balanced by pickled cabbage and mustard. It’s best to unhinge your jaw for this divine, finger lickin’ mess.

Definitely elect to get their signature pasta, the Trapizza Linguine ($26). Al dente linguine pasta is cooked in a delightful lobster bisque flavoured with white wine saffron cream. The end result is a confluence of natural yet Unami flavours. It’s boosted with a boggling display of seafood which was a perfect accompaniment to the flavourful noodles.

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Make a beeline for their baked scallops. Served with an addictive cream and cheese sauce, its torched for a deliciously fresh and umami finish. If you're a durian fan, thursdays are honestly the best days to visit as for $10 more you get a lot more than what you pay for.
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Think: all-you-can-eat MSW and D24 durian desserts and a durian station where they have one of their chefs on standby cracking open unlimited servings of Golden Phoenix, D101 and others.