Welcome to Bras Basah.

We used burpple for the pure teas. Got peach lychee oolong and lapsang souchong. Amazed they had lapsang souchong haha. Really nice to walk by this stall on a hot day 🌞

Had been taking away bottled coffee to enjoy over the weekends during this Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) period — perhaps more of an attempt to bring the cafe experience back home considering how we aren’t able to dine-in as yet and there isn’t any cafes offering things like that near me; decided to go to the ones nearer to the workplace since a visit to office has to be made.

Had brought back Curious Palette’s (which mum loves, and is one of my go-to in the immediate area) and The Assembly Ground’s renditions, but the ones from Gather are slightly different because they aren’t cold brews but bottled mochas instead. Came across these on social media but I was especially impressed by the Wicked — the bottled mocha here comes brewed using the same beans roasted by Genovese Coffee as the ones used in their usual specialty coffee, but the Wicked stands out because of how it is sufficiently creamy and chocolatey — that magic ratio of milk, coffee and chocolate that works (since most places don’t do a nice mocha; too chocolate-y, if not too milky). Spiked with mint, the Wicked tasted like as though Christmas really came early with its refreshing and cooling finish that comes after the caffeine and chocolate-y notes — very festive, and a mood booster to all the things that have been happening around.

In retrospect, the Generra would be more for the acquired taste buds. It used the same base as that of the Wicked, but the Generra is an orange-infused version that comes with a slight hint of citrusy and gingery that make work well with some. It is a different kind of “refreshing” when compared against the Wicked — something that is slightly more zingy and zippy which takes away the richness of the chocolate pretty aptly.

While Gather’s bottled coffee selection isn’t quite the usual cold brew that other specialty coffee joints offer, I like how they have seemed to be a little more adventurous on their take on bottled coffee — experimenting on bottled coffee with interesting infusions that may have been tested and proven by others before, but still presents itself as a refreshing change from the usual — probably planning for a revisit when dine-in resume!

I saw this on Tess Bar & Kitchen’s delivery menu and I knew I had to have it.

The whole lobster tail tagliatelle wasn’t just a treat for the eyes but for the palate as well.

It was wonderfully balanced: the saltiness of the trout roe, the sweetness of the vodka rose sauce as well as the tartness of cherry tomatoes, just made this an incredibly appetising dish.

Extra points as they packed the roe and additional sauce separately to keep the texture on point!

Have been hear about their burger for awhile and sadly when I finally get to visit, their seasonal burger no longer selling.

So I just go for their classic cheeseburger, which was surprisingly good as well. Soft and fluffy, while the beef patty is juicy and not too dry.

For one, they really don’t skimp on the matcha; not in the bread dough, and definitely not in the oozy flowy custard. It’s rich, it’s got matcha’s characteristic bitterness, and it’s sweetened just right. The bread’s as fluffy as it’s moist and tender-crumbed, the perfect canvas for that thick custard filling. Psst, I hear today’s the National Doughnut Day and yes this ain’t one but I’ll tell y’all it beats some bombolonis I’ve had out there.

This tasted quite different from other milk tea. It has a distinct roasted and wheat taste to their milk tea which I like. Something different and this drink reminds me of a familiar taste which I still cannot figure out what was it 》$3.80

Tried the following flavours: 😍
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🔹️Hayo-Azu-Cha: ($8.80): Matcha & Azuki Red Bean 🍵❤
🔹️Hayo-Ro ($8.50): Taro 🍠
🔹️Lean and Lychee ($7.60): Lychee
🔹️Peachy Paradise ($7.50): Peach 🍑
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I must say that they were all delightful in their own right! 😋 If you are a fan of matcha like me 🍵, their Hayo-Azu-Cha with sweet azuki will be right up your alley!
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Love the taro puree in their Hayo-Ro too 💜 - this cup can be quite filling! Alternatively, you can't go wrong with fruity flavours! 👍🏻

Chirashi Don Set ($83.60) 🍚: 1-for-1 Chirashi Dons, Ebi Fry Salmon Aburi Mentai Maki 🍣🍤, Pitan Tofu 🤎, Sliced Beef Steak (100g) 🥩 Really enjoyed this set, especially the fresh thick cuts of sashimi in the chirashi!

As promised, here's a follow up post on the one particular dish which @jooeunchung and I really enjoyed at Hangawi last Sunday.

Hangawi's soondubu-jjigae (순두부찌개) was really good and warms the cockles of our hearts. The broth hit all the right notes, striking a good balance between spicy and savoury. We loved that they used a slightly firmer tofu which gave the dish a lot more texture. I am not 100% sure but it could be egg tofu as there was a subtle "eggy" aftertaste.

This is definitely one dish I highly recommend you check out when you are there!

Fortune Centre is well known for being a mecca for vegetarian food so you might be surprised to find a little hole in the world eatery which serves homely Korean food at food court prices.

Located on the 2nd floor, there is always a queue outside Hangawi. For $6.50, you get a decent portion of hot plate bbq chicken or pork. Flavours-wise, it has been "localized" to suit the local palate as the sauce is on the sweet side. I will however recommend their bulgogi beef stew which is both sweet and savory.

If you are looking for really affordable homely Korean food, Hangawi definitely meets the bill though I would personally recommend Kim Dae Mun.

That said, I was at Hangawi yesterday and really enjoyed one particularly dish which I will definitely be back for. Needless to say, just keep a lookout for my next post!

Dinner at @wildfireburgers.sg with @daviscng and @jonathanchan333 means that we get to over-order (Jonny's fault as always) and try (nearly) everything on their menu.

Having sampled all of their beef burgers, it was unanimous amongst the 3 boys that Wildfire's SRF Wagyu Burger is the best amongst their offerings. You can taste the difference between the snake river farm wagyu beef patty and the usda black angus patty used for their classic 001 burger. The former is much more rich and juicy and yet retains the intense beefy flavours.

The shabu burger and truffle mushroom burgers are decent but both pale in comparison to the Wagyu burger. The prices are about the same so you might as well go for the Wagyu patty!

Wildfire also serves a nasty fried chicken with shatteringly crisp skin. The meat was tender and juicy though I wish they used a stronger marinade for a more robust flavour.

No prizes for guessing but I will be back for sure!