Tastings

If you're in the mood for more heat, Spicy Babe ($28) might be for you. This one is for the mala lovers. The toppings are fairly simple - beef, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella & parmesan cheese.

The pizza base is mala-infused, but the real heat comes from the sichuan chilli slathered all over the toppings. It packs a decent punch, while still remaining quite remaining palatable.

Thanks Happy Ending Pizza Parlour for the hospitality & Burpple for the invite! 💕

Should you be on the hunt for something more quirky, give the Holy Crab! ($28) a shot. They actually use real crab meat here - plump, juicy, succulent pieces. It's slathered with their special chilli crab sauce which is also served on the side as an excellent crust dip. I liked how this isn't crazy spicy, & that the flavours stay quite true to what you'd expect of a chilli crab inspired pizza. Definitely a winner in my books.

Thanks Happy Ending Pizza Parlour for the hospitality & Burpple for the invite! 💕

As a hardcore fungi & fun guy lover,
Mad About Mushrooms ($27) was actually my favourite of the night. A simple savoury pizza topped with 3 different types of mushrooms, gooey stretchy cheese, & drizzles of fragrant truffle oil.

The earthiness of the mushrooms are comforting to me, as much as the chewy pizza base is. If you're looking for a reliable/traditional pizza option to fall back on, you won't go wrong with this one.

Thanks Happy Ending Pizza Parlour for the hospitality & Burpple for the invite! 💕

Janan, the founder of Happy Ending Pizza's shared his pizza philosophy (pizzalosophy?) & the genesis of his brand. Essentially, he believes that the entire pizza should be enjoyed, with nothing left behind.. Including the crust. & the crust is what makes a happy ending (to your meal) (what were you thinking, you filthy animals).

You'll believe it when you try it for yourself. Even the non-crust-lovers at the table didn't have a crumb left on their plates. The pizzas come with sauces as well, which is unique as much as it seems strange. I'm a carb-loving monster that could eat these fluffy crusts on their own, but if you need that extra flavour, go ahead & dip your crust into the sauce for a flavour explosion in your mouth.

Thanks Happy Ending Pizza Parlour for the hospitality & Burpple for the invite! 💕

Finger food does go well with beer, but as someone who isn't much of a snacker, I'd rather spend my money on the tacos. Or, even better...

.. THEIR BURGERS. Taco Mantra's burgers really stood out to me. The crowd favourite was the Spiced Lamb Burger ($20), & that was mine too. The lamb patty had the slight gameyness that I love, yet it's palatable enough for others as it doesn't overpower the flavours of the dish. Topped with a cool mint yogurt for good balance. I would order this again in a heartbeat.

The Double Cheeseburger ($24) was also good, with 2 juicy beef patties, cheese, sweet bacon onion jam & tangy dill pickle mayonnaise.Their patties are fairly thick, so IMHO a single patty would suffice. A Single Cheeseburger goes for $20.

Thanks Taco Mantra for the hospitality & Burpple for the invite! 💕

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations on Chope (Freehouse)
📱 FavePay accepted
🍽 Shopback GO partner
⬆️ Located on the 2nd floor

For more manageable portion of snacks, you could opt for the Pachos ($15) - their version of poppadum nachos, or Quail Egg Sambal Fries ($15). The Grilled Cheese Naanwich ($15) isn't an appetizer, but is quite highly snackable.

Personally, though, I wasn't a huge fan of these. I prefer the crunchiness of original nachos (the poppadum quickly became soggy where the sauce hits), & the sambal fries were too peppery for my tastebuds. I did love the bouncy quail eggs though, hehe.

Thanks Taco Mantra for the hospitality & Burpple for the invite! 💕

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations on Chope (Freehouse)
📱 FavePay accepted
🍽 Shopback GO partner
⬆️ Located on the 2nd floor

If you & your friends are looking for finger food to go with the plethora of craft beer that Freehouse has on tap, you can consider Taco Mantra's sharing platters. This one, the Platter for 2 ($60), has ribeye steak, fried pork belly (sio bak), chicken tikka, mantra wings & samosas. All platters are served with slaw, poppadum chips, mint yogurt & house sauce.

Thanks Taco Mantra for the hospitality & Burpple for the invite! 💕

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations on Chope (Freehouse)
📱 FavePay accepted
🍽 Shopback GO partner
⬆️ Located on the 2nd floor

I thought the Kerala Beef & Chicken Tikka tacos were ordinary; my favourite was Ma's Fish (2 for $12, 3 for $15)! It wasn't too oily & the fish was tender, flaky & moist inside. The fruit salsa complimented the fried fish well, too.

A 4th variant, the Pulled Karana Jackfruit, was out of stock when we visited.. But it is meant to mimic pulled pork slathered in barbecue sauce. Would be curious to try it after seeing all the veganized food videos on YouTube!

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
📱 Accepts reservations via Chope

Freehouse turned 4 recently (time flies - congrats!), but Taco Mantra taking over their kitchen was something that happened only recently.

Serving up Indian-Mexican fusion cuisine, their tacos (2 for $12, 3 for $15) are characteristically packed with lots of flavour, with ingredients nestled in a single soft flour taco.

Thanks Taco Mantra for the hospitality & Burpple for the invite! 💕

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations on Chope (Freehouse)
📱 FavePay accepted
🍽 Shopback GO partner
⬆️ Located on the 2nd floor

You might think the Vongole Alla Blanc ($16++) is served with the same sauce as the Scallops, but they tasted different to me. The Korean clams are swimming in a broth made from garlic, white wine & chilli flakes for a nice kick. I preferred to dip my toast into this one!

Thanks Rookery for the hospitality & Burpple for the invite! 💕

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations on Chope
🎶 Live Band on Thursdays

Being a seafood lover, the Scallops ($22++) is totally my kind of dish. Nicely seared Hokkaido scallops that are plump & juicy, served in a pool seaweed & miso butter.

As I chomped down on my first scallop, I liked how firm its texture was without being rubbery. I dipped the crispy thin toast into the butter & was impressed. It's pretty good; I had to go for seconds.

Thanks Rookery for the hospitality & Burpple for the invite! 💕

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations on Chope
🎶 Live Band on Thursdays

If you're all about the nibbly life, Rookery has a Tapas menu (available after 3PM) you can choose from. I can't say much about the Har Cheong Gai Wings ($16++) as I don't eat chicken wings, even more so when they are fried... But damn this smelled hella good.

The other tapas we had, clockwise from bottom left:
᛫ Wagyu Beef ($25++)
᛫ Meatballs ($17++) - these are made of beef, btw
᛫ Iberico Pork Ribs ($18++)
᛫ Sakura Ebi Capellini ($14++)
᛫ Crispy Pork Belly ($17++)

Thanks Rookery for the hospitality & Burpple for the invite! 💕

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations on Chope
🎶 Live Band on Thursdays