Bars

[BENCOOLEN, SINGAPORE] You might be deterred by the low overall reviews on Google, but our experience there recently was otherwise. Yes, the service may not be the best, but the food there was really good. If you drink and love your Japanese food, you have to try this place at least once.

Their Sashimi 9 Kinds ($39.90) is really the highlight you got to go for. They gave a variety of seasonal sashimi and they were all so incredibly fresh. My favourite had to be the chutoro, due to its fatty yet meaty flavour. The slices were all quite chunky too! What's even better is that you can ask them to take the fish bones to whip up a seafood soup at $9.90, that really warms your soul especially after drinking much alcohol. The fish taste in the soup can be quite strong and may not sit well with some!

They do their stir fried dishes well, evidently from the Yakisoba ($10.90) and Yakiudon ($10.90) we ordered. They incorporated the smoky flavours, while controlling the savouriness well. Vegetables were still crisp while having great flavours!

I feel like this is quite a hidden gem within Sunshine Plaza and I was happy to see a few Japanese salarymen having a great time there as well. This might turn out to be slightly costly, but you know you're gonna have good food and drinks!

I actually have not tried Texan BBQ before and decided to have my first attempt at the popular @kemuribbq.sg and it was decent!

We ordered the Dino Trio Platter ($75), which comes with 2 beef options and 1 other meat which you can choose. The beef brisket had a pretty outstanding smoke ring, which was this smoky crust that was well seasoned. The leaner part of the beef brisket can be slightly dry, but that can be helped with their homemade mustard and BBQ sauce.

Now their Dino Ribs is what I will come back for. The smoke ring on this is much more prominent, and the whole meat was very tender. This was very well seasoned with spices, in fact better than their beef brisket.

The pulled pork was the other meat option we chose, and it can be relatively dry, though the flavour was good.

We ordered additional items, such as their Australian Picanha ($30) which was a popular item. Due to the cut of the meat, it was quite tough and chewy naturally, but the chef did a good job with the seasoning. Mash was creamy and rich, and brussel sprouts were done well. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get the appeal of a rump steak as I liked a cut that is softer.

Truffle fries ($12) were crispy and fluffy, quite decent.

I think Kemuri BBQ is quite decent for their meats, though most were not particularly mind-blowing to me. Not sure if it's because it's my first time, or because I have had high expectations from the videos I've seen of Texas BBQ 😂

I have been to @sarnies.sg consistently for a couple of years for their dinner fare and I must say that it's been consistently good all these while. One should not judge their cook just by their afternoon brunch fare, as the quality of their dinner items are just so much better.

Their Angus Beef Stew ($26) came in a big plate, with loads of braised beef cubes in a comforting savoury sauce and a huge dollop of mash. I love how tender the beef was, and it was rich with spices. Mash was creamy and buttery!

Next up, their Chicken Parmigiana ($24) is one sharing plate worth ordering. Just look at the amount of cheese on that huge chicken cutlet! It was fried to perfection while keeping the meat tender and juicy inside.

Their Grilled Seabass ($25) is decent. Although the skin wasn't crispy, the meat was still rich, fresh and sweet. Love the char on the brussel sprouts!

They have a promotion where 2 drinks gives you free truffle fries 😍 With that, good food and 1 for 1 dinner mains we got with #burpplebeyond, it's a place you have to go!

Tried @acidbarsg for the first time and I think although there were some misses, the dishes that were good were wonderful 😍 with live bands and happy hour promotions, this would be a good place for dinner and drinks with friends!

The Spice Route Chicken ($30) may take some time to prepare, but it was a worthwhile wait. The chicken was very well marinated and roasted, and it had a slight char to the skin. The meat was very tender and succulent. Loved the spice rub, as the chicken was packed with flavour!

The Otah Otah Fried Rice ($24) was addictive. Fragrant and packed with flavour, it was moderately spicy and I loved the addition of Sakura Ebi!

If you are looking for some bar food, the Kang Kong Keras ($16) hits the spot. A generous bowl of fried Kang Kong was given, and it was addictive due to its crispy exterior. Perfect with the Thai chilli sauce given.

The Rickshaw Noodles ($18) was unfortunately forgettable, as it generally lacked flavour. Truffle Fries ($16) was decent, nothing much to shout out about.

Generally a good central location to meet for good drinks and food.

We had a wonderful time at @jinho.galaxis, an izakaya style bar with quality food options to accompany the alcohol we were having. All dishes were executed well and it was hard to choose my favourites! The most memorable ones were these:

Grilled Gyu Steak ($20) - this was one tender juicy steak that was perfect with the ponzu sauce. The fried garlic pieces were so umami tasting! The sauteed onions were fun to munch on with some beer 😍

Asari Batayai ($11) - now this is perfect for any occasion. The garlic and butter broth was so rich and umami tasting, with a chilli spice coming after quite strongly. The clams were fresh and had a great chewy texture!

Kawaebi ($8) - super addictive, these mini shrimps were packed with umami and were very crispy. Honestly this makes the perfect beer food and we had to order seconds!

All dishes were delicious, but just to note is that it can be quite pricey. I definitely had a good night of food and drinks!

Had an enjoyable meal at @tipsytavern last night and I must say, I think their food items improved from the last time I went! With a very classy yet intimate atmosphere, this is one place worthy of a good nights out.

The Unagi Don ($24 1-for-1 with #burpplebeyond) was one delicious bowl to savour. The meaty charred unagi was on top of a bed of scrambled eggs that was a delight. The scrambled eggs were very fluffy and seasoned with unagi sauce (I believe) and the sweet and savoury flavours went so well together! The unagi piece was quite sizable and meaty, perfect with the rice below.

The Mentaiko Salmon Don ($28 1-for-1 with #burpplebeyond) was decent, with loads of mentaiko sauce. The mentaiko sauce was very rich, perfect with the crunchy ebiko and ikura eggs. I feel like this bowl can be abit too heavy, maybe better for sharing!

The Strawberry Frozen Magarita is $10 all night, and I think is a great starter to the night. There was some spiced salt at the side of the glass which was a great accompaniment to the sweet drink! Like that it's quite strong as well.

Will be back to try their cocktails next time!

Tried @goyohansoul and the Korean food is decent.

We had the Spicy Pork BBQ ($16 1 for 1 with #burpplebeyond ) and the pork was tender, quite decently flavoured and had a rather generous portion. It wasn't too spicy and it was a great pairing with rice! We just wished that it could be served warmer.

The Hot Pot Beef Soup ($18 1 for 1 with #burpplebeyond ) came in an enormous bowl with quite generous portions of beef and glass noodles! The soup is definitely comforting and has a sweet salty profile which we liked. Beef slices were fresh but can be a little tough.

The Fried Dumplings ($12) were small and rather expensive, but they were well fried due to its crispy edges. They had quite some fillings as well.

Side dishes were okay, nothing much to show out about. Nonetheless, the food is decent and a lunch option to consider if you are around the area! Quite worth it with burpple beyond!

I was very surprised by the rendition of fish and chips from @fryingfishclub , as it is definitely one of the meatiest fish and chips I've had so far!

The Signature Fish and Chips ($18.50) came with 2 thick strips of fish fillet, and they were beautifully fried till crispy golden brown. Though slightly thicker than usual, the batter was still light and crispy on the edges. The fish within was very meaty and flaky, with a natural fresh sweet flavour. Fries were splendid; crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and seasoned well with salt and spices. The edamame was a good pairing! Definitely refreshing from the other fried ingredients.

The Nori Fish and Chips ($19.50) was an interesting twist, with a somewhat thick batter seasoned with Nori and other spices. The seaweed taste is strong and actually complements the fish well, but I would have loved it more if the batter was not so thick!

With a cozy bar like ambience, this is not bad of a place to consider to have a fun night with friends over drinks! Thank you @scalemicroinfluencers from inviting and @fryingfishclub for the food!

Nomiya Izakaya @nomiyasg offers several dons and small bites, and they are all of great quality!

The Truffle Chirashi Don ($20 1 for 1 with #burpplebeyond ) came in a rather large portion, and they were very generous with the sashimi quantity too! The Chirashi don came with pieces of salmon, tuna, hamachi (I think) and they were all so fresh 😍 the rice was fantastic as well, as it had the right amount of vinegar and truffle oil without making it too surfeiting. The wasabi is also the freshly grated version. At its price point even without burpple beyond, it's definitely worth it.

The portion of Brussells Sprouts ($8.90) may be small, but each piece was packed full of flavour. The pieces were very well charred, as the smoky aroma was very strong without being bitter. The kombu butter used gave so much richness and fragrance that it was too addictive! Wished that they gave more 🥹

Now this is one izakaya that I will be back again and again!

If you are looking for a place with decent food and drinks, Cali Bar is one place to consider! We ordered a couple of dishes and here are some of my favourites:

Kurobuta Pork Loin Fajitas ($30) - this was the crowd favourite, due to the flavourful and rather tender meat, the smoky onion slices and guacamole that you can assemble in a wrap! Definitely 1 good fajitas that is good to share!

Baby Back Ribs ($36) - the ribs itself may be rather small, but it was tender and flavourful. The fries were even better. Light, crispy and fluffy, I think I can eat a whole bowl without a problem!

Baked Cheesy Nachos ($18) - this is one addictive snack. Crispy nachos with cheese, guacamole, salsa and jalapeno, this is one sharing dish that is great with beers!

If you are working around the area, this is one place to consider for after work drinks. Do note that it can be rather expensive, but I guess it's how it is in the Rochester area! Thank you @scalemicroinfluencers for the invite and @cali.singapore for the food!

With fantastic quality food and huge selections of craft beers, this is one place you can consider for a good time with friends and loved ones. We tried a variety of dishes, and here are my favourites:

The Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa ($15) came huge, with a large piece of fillet which was fried to perfection, and a huge load of salsa ingredients. The salsa really complemented the fried fillet well, making this dish actually refreshing.

The Har Cheong Gai ($13) is a must get! Extremely crispy batter with strong umami, the meat within was very tender and juicy as well. Pair them with their spicy sambal and you know this is perfect with their beer!

Their Squid Ink Fried Rice ($15) was also very good. With a significant amount of wok hei, the seafood flavours and tender squid really made this addictive. Totally can finish on my own!

Definitely coming back!

Had a good tasting at @winemansion_aljuniedatrix recently and their food were pretty awesome! Here are some of my favourites:

BBQ Pork Ribs ($28) - the ribs were well seasoned and tender. I loved how the sauce wasn't too overpowering, and there was an additional hint of smokiness as well!

Crispy White Bait ($11) - highly addictive, this was the crowd pleaser. The whole fish can be eaten and it had such a satisfying crunch! We absolutely loved the mayo that went along with it.

Clams in White Sauce ($14) - if you love your seafood, this is for you. The clams were really fresh and it gave so much sweetness to the sauce it was cooked in! The wine sauce was also garlicky and spicy and went so well with the bread. We found ourselves mopping up every bit of the sauce!

They have daily special and lunch promotions, please check them out on the last few pictures 😍 Gonna come back again soon! Thank you @eatwithkeat for inviting and @winemansion_aljuniedatrix for the food!