CAFE & BAR GRUB 🥞☕️

Eleven Strands has A LOT of really good cafe nosh but my favourite is the Grilled Pork Chop ($25). This features a nicely grilled slab of pork accompanied by a side of mashed potatoes, sautéed purple cabbage, apple purée and a drizzle of herb jus. I really like the combination of savoury pork with sweet sweet apple purée! The accompanying sauce is also rlly good and adds a nice tang to the dish.

Recently tried this new pasta spot at Chinatown Point called Tangled and they serve handmade pasta! For something that is handmade, the price point is really affordable, and you also get the option to customise your pasta or choose one of their pre-set options. They unfortunately don’t seem to have a dine-in option yet so you can only do takeaway for now!

Was hankering for a burger so I checked out Ryan’s Kitchen at Great World City, the restaurant of gourmet supermarket Ryan’s Grocer. I got the quintessential ozzy ($24) which comes with beetroot relish, fried egg, bacon, avocado and a thiccc beef patty. Burger was hella juicy and I liked the combo of all the ingredients, it somehow worked. It’s $24 for a burger and fries which is not the cheapest but for the quality it’s all right!

The variety of oysters here are pretty interesting! Have raw and cooked versions. Oysters were fresh and creamy, my fav was the one with the Prosecco. Will come back just for the oysters.

I think this is a relatively new restaurant at Fortune Centre! They specialise in handmade pasta in interesting variations. Got the Lamb Merguez ($16.90/$23.90) and Mentaiko ($16.90/$23.90) Both were fantastic. Especially liked the Mentaiko which wasn’t as cloying as I had expected it to be so I didn’t feel sluggish after eating it. Recommend calling in first to book a slot cos they were packed when we arrived!

I think this is a relatively new restaurant at Fortune Centre! They specialise in handmade pasta in interesting variations. Got the Lamb Merguez ($16.90/$23.90) and Mentaiko ($16.90/$23.90) Both were fantastic. Especially liked the Mentaiko which wasn’t as cloying as I had expected it to be so I didn’t feel sluggish after eating it. Recommend calling in first to book a slot cos they were packed when we arrived!

Visited Burger Bar New York the other night and we love how it’s so secretively hidden in a back alley! Made us feel like we were some secret society members 😬 they sell a series of no-frills burgers here that really hit all the right spots. Portion sizes were also surprisingly massive and we left feeling very full and content. Would recommend it if you’re in the Telok Ayer area!

Discovered this gem of an Italian restaurant called Lucca Trattoria and it’s located at Robertson Walk. Prices here are on the more affordable end matches up to the quality of food. The Frutti Di Mare (seafood) pizza was excellent, seafood was fresh and crust was on point. Also just the right size for 2 pax. Will be back!

Was surprised to find such fantastic pasta at a bar! This crab and clam pasta is from Mischief which is located in Esplanade. Was expecting a full on tomato base but this was mixed with a little cream to neutralise the tartness of the tomatoes. Pasta was Al dente and seafood was super fresh as well. Portion size was also extremely generous!

Would you pay $45 for a bowl of laksa? This lobster laksa is from Perch and after a year (yes, a whole year) of deliberation, I finally got it. It’s really very good — gravy wasn’t too heavy. Ingredients were fresh and noodles were Al dente. And I love how it comes with a giant lobster. But $45 is unfortunately a bit too steep for me. Would I repurchase? I’m not sure. But in general the food at Perch has never disappointed me and I’ll be back!

Treated myself to this gorgeous stuffed squid from Opio Kitchen & Bar. It comes packed with a generous amount of barley risotto and when you cut the squid open, this just sensually oozes out. Beautiful. Risotto was excellent and what impressed me even more was the texture of the squid itself. It’s a genius combination and I’m now curious to see how the rest of their risotto dishes fare

Tried out the nosh at Paul Cafe the other day. Didn’t realise that they sold mains and breakfast items apart from their usual bakes! Had the cod fish and was pretty impressed — cod was fork-tender and melted away in our mouths. Also like the cream sauce it was paired with which really complemented the buttery texture of the fish. Ambience was pretty nice too, super chill vibes.