Joining the numerous grills sprouting over our tiny island is KOAL, the latest addition to Les Amis Group’s array of award-winning restaurants. What sets KOAL slightly apart is that it playfully marries Asian (Japanese, Korean and Chinese) and Western flavours and grilling techniques, to offer diners a light to night dining experience. 

Our night at KOAL started with a smorgasbord of starters and sharing plates. Jr enjoyed the Chunky Salmon with Coriander and Green Chili Dressing ($12), which was like a spicy and tangy South East Asian ceviche. 

I'm a carb monster and i love a good dinner roll. KOAL’s Bread Roll with Bacon and Grilled Spring Onions, Sour Cream and Chive Butter ($8) was a fragrant and fluffy one though i thought it could be salted further. 

My vote goes to the Crispy Pork Riblets ($16) with a smattering of peanut and sesame. The meat had a nice crispy Mala Honey glaze over it. I enjoyed picking up a piece and gnawing off a juicy bite off the bone. I would probably skip the Scallion Salad ($6) in the future. This was more like a condiment for me though i guess it helps to cut through the greasiness of the meats with its spicy sesame soy dressing.

Given a choice, i'll always choose to travel rather than go on a staycation. When travelling, the highlight is your new surroundings and novel experiences. On staycations in Singapore, the highlight is mainly just your room (provided you find a nice place). Exhibitions, plays, food, malls and shopping could be done on a regular basis and there's no need to spend the extra buck doing that from a hotel room. Well unless there's something special experience provided at your place of accommodation. 

This is exactly what Studio M has in mind to keep guests entertained. They have collaborated with Chef Janice Wong to present staycationers with a sensory experience where you will make your own chocolate bar and enjoy the fine chocolates made from Thai cocoa beans.

During my Chocolate Temptation Staycation, i was guided through the process of making chocolate from bean to bar in one of the decorated loft in the hotel. While I wasn't able to go through the entire process of chocolate making in 1 hour, it was sufficient to keep me occupied for a bit. For your customized bar of chocolate, you could choose from milk or dark chocolate and also tweak the sweetness to your liking. 

The focus of the process was conching, where the cocoa nibs, cocoa butter, sugar and milk powder (if making milk chocolate) are ground into a smooth paste. Expect some arm work to ensure that the conching is done smoothly at the start but once the paste is less clumpy, it could be left to the machine to do its job for the next 24-48 hours. The cream mixture would then be sent to Janice Wong's chocolate store for tempering and made into a chocolate block, which would be delivered to you after your stay. 

Xi Yan Culinary Group has recently launched a new concept Zing by Xi Yan, a conscious-dining concept which collaborates with The Social Kitchen to provide employment for disadvantaged communities. This casual concept caters to everyone in the family as they do not only serve Xi Yan's contemporary Chinese cuisine but also salads, grain bowls, steaks and pastas, and even croffles!

I must admit that i was skeptical when browsing through the menu which seemed schizophrenic. But after tasting the dishes, i can see the charm and appeal of having such a varied menu. Most importantly, i enjoyed every dish i tried and that says something.

We started with Yum Som O Kung Salad ($15) which is a refreshing mix of pomelo, prawns, and sakura ebi. You wouldn't be faulted for thinking it's a Thai salad as fish sauce was definitely at play here, along with the perk-me-up calamansi and yuzu. We hear that this sauce based is also used on one of the fish dishes. 

Do not miss The Squid Game ($14), which is as popular as the Netflix series. Octopus tentacles are used here actually and we loved the light tempura batter which is tossed in chilli, celery and parsley and lemon and a bit of peppercorns for that light numbing sensation. This was perfect with Xi Yan's blend of shrimp sambal, which they also bottle and retail.

At French Fold by Merci Mercel, you can have authentic French crepes and galettes all day, every day and as early as 8am at their Telok Ayer outlet. Being an early riser and gym bunny, i greatly appreciate cafes and restaurants that open early and i love how i could still enjoy a wide selection of savory buckwheat and sweet wheat flour pancakes (more than half of their full menu) at French Fold early in the day.

For breakfast, you could dine on small pastries, egg sandwiches, Eggs Benedict, other than galettes and crepes (of course). Come lunch and dinner, a fuller selection of crepes and galettes are available, together with appetizers, salads, cold cuts, and burgers too. 

For a savory start, we went with the crowd favorite, the No. 04. This has practically all the perfect breakfast toppings of savory Chiffonade of ham, organic egg sunny side up, over sautéed mushrooms, and  Comté cheese ($17). We enjoyed the thin crispiness of the galette, which goes well with the running yolk. 

The crepe comes topped with ribbons of ham, tender sauteed mushrooms, Comté, and an organic sunny-side-up egg. The galettes are also much bigger than their sweet crepes so it was perfect for sharing between me and my gf. 

We then went with the No.18 ($10), a chewy wheat flour crepe topped with artisanal Manuka honey, roasted buckwheat seeds, and Hojicha sea salt gelato from Birds of Paradise($10). The ice cream and roasted buckwheat definitely gave this crepe a more savory twist, which we weren't expecting, since we wanted something sweeter. On hindsight, we should have chosen the traditional Classic Butter ($9) but add on our choice of ice cream. 

French Fold is perfect for catching up with your girlfriend over breakfast, or if you could convince your date to have galettes for dinner (i know Jr wouldn't be that excited about it). We found the Telok Ayer outlet to be cozy and chic and very welcoming and it's definitely going to be my regular post-gym refueling stop from now. 

French Fold has also opened a second outlet in Palais Renaissance on Orchard Road.

French Fold

204 Telok Ayer Street

SINGAPORE 068640

Daily: 8am - 10.30pm

#01-02, Palais Renaissance

390 Orchard Road, Singapore 238871

Daily: 11am - 10.30pm

Park Bench Deli is one of famed breakfast spots in Telok Ayer/Tanjong Pagar since they opened in 2015. I remember firstly the queue, and then squeezing myself onto one of those uncomfortable bar seat and balancing my sammie over a thin long bench of a table. But damn the sandwiches were great. 

We recently revisited PBD after their revamp mid 2021. PBD is now a spacious all-day diner which is way more inviting with comfortable seating for 42 pax. The menu has also expanded beyond their sloppy buns and now also offers breakfast plates and heartier mains for lunch- the likes of braised beef cheeks, pastas, and fried steaks.  

A craving for pancakes and more sent us to PBD and i was drawn to the PBD Big Breakfast ($22), a massive platter 2 mini ricotta pancakes, sausages, bacon, tater tots, and scrambled eggs. This sounded like the perfect solution for one who wants both savory and sweet stuff, right? Except that the ricotta pancakes were more undercooked meringues with a very foamy center and they were so raw they split in the middle. Even though we were the first customers in the cafe, the sausages and bacon came cold and bland. The best component of the dish turned out to be the freshly fried tater tots. This was a complete disappointment. When we heard the next table's order of 3 platters, we shook our heads in horror. 

The Grilled Cheese ($15), one of the mainstays, didn't fare better. As you can tell from the picture, the cheese remained hard and cold with zero melt at all. The spiced pear relish was the one that threw me off with this bitter aftertaste to each bite. 

Even the coffee was bad. The Iced White ($6.50) was diluted and bitter. We had to get another coffee after the meal.

Needless to say, we left PBD extremely disappointed. If not for the tater tots, i would have been super hangry. I'm not a hater of PBD, seriously just look at my previous post on them. And there i was, playing it safe with an old favorite and this happens. Just bring back the good old standards. 

Park Bench Deli

179 Telok Ayer St, Singapore 068627

Tue - Sun: 9am-10.30pm

I could hardly find any proper reviews of Iru Den online and only chanced upon it thanks to the fellow foodies with trusted taste buds on IG. So, here is a proper review for you guys who are considering dining at this hidden omakase-only restaurant on Scotts Road.

Chef Owner Javier serves a Modern Japanese Kappou style cuisine. If you thought he sounds familiar, he used to run a one-man kitchen IL DEN which served Modern Japanese cuisine. Since then, his style has evolved and grown and he now runs a full-fledged kitchen serving 3 choices of omakase meals starting at $198++ (7-courses).

When i said that the restaurant is hidden, i meant it quite literally. Entering the main gate, we naturally went to the first obvious building we saw, only to be given the dirty eye and directed to the left corner of the black and white. Enter the wooden gate and down a little dark garden, you will then arrive at the locked doors of Iru Den. Only after our reservations were checked could we enter the restaurant. 

My gf and I went with the 10-course dinner omakase ($268++) to sample more variety. I was originally worried that i wouldn't be able to stomach the whole course but the portions are really small and i was feeling just right at the end of the meal (i'm a small eater btw). 

Our first dish was the Aka Ebi, dressed with Tosazu vinegar dressing and Nanohana pesto. I enjoyed the light and refreshing citrusy acidity and touch of herbiness with the sweet prawns. 

If there's one good thing that came out of COVID-19 for me, it's the appreciation of Korean cuisine, thanks to Netflix and K-drama. I've always prefered Japanese food over Korean, as it is more delicate  and refined, as compared to the one pot, mix-it-all with lotsa sauce, and eat out of a huge metal bowl kinda way of eating. Well consider me a convert. Korean food is best for social bonding over hearty dishes and alcohol. For those who want the best of both worlds, i highly recommend ANJU for a more elegant modern Korean dining and bar experience in a chic and tasteful setting right in little Korea that is Tanjong Pagar. I promise you would not leave smelling like a BBQ post-dinner.

Dinner reservations are hard to come by and i was lucky that a friend made a reservation more than 2 months ago! Forget the regular green or blue bottles of soju. At Anju, they have a curated list of Koreans alcohol and Makgeolli is a special. 

If you are here with more friends, definitely go for their special Champagne Makgeolli ($75, 940ml), which is naturally carbonated. Since there were only 2 of us, we went with the White Lotus Makgeolli ($28, 375ml). The grain liquor was infused with white lotus, which provided hints of floral undertones and a refreshing nutty finish. 

For appetizers, it's a toss between the umami crunchy bomb that is the Bori Prawns ($8) simply seasoned with green baby garlic shoots and salt; or the Black Bean Mascarpone ($16) with sourdough crackers that is my one true love. The latter could be a snack or a dessert due to its delicate sweetness from the sweet Suritae beans. Mix it with Chef’s special chive oil and it provides a savoury headiness. 

We didn't think we were going to travel in 2021 earlier this year due to work restrictions and so we decided to give the cruise-to-nowhere a try again given our desperation for a break. Since it's our first proper break in a while, we decided to just go with the Palace Suite on Genting World Dream, which is an all-inclusive and exclusive suite experience. 

The price tag for a 3D2N cruise was about $700 for us. This was for a booking in July but we postponed it to October at no further charge (our original cruise was cancelled due to a COVID case). While it may seemed pretty pricey for a short cruise, it's like going to a fancy resort with a huge suite, meals entitlements at all the specialty restaurants, special activities at no costs, free Wi-Fi, plus a 24-hour butler concierge service to assist with all your restaurant reservations, show bookings, and any other requests you may have. 

One thing that wasn't conveyed to us is that there's priority check-in and embarkation. If you're a Palace guest do take note of that so that you could skip the queue. I would suggest checking in earlier if possible to enjoy all the facilities and to get your hands on those popular restaurant bookings. 

Stepping into our Palace Suite cabin, we were surprised by the size of it. The average suite size is over 42sqm and there's plenty of room to fit a king size bed with fine Italian linens, a sitting area, dresser, work counter, wardrobe,  a huge balcony with expansive views of the ocean, and a bathtub and shower. This time i made sure i was fully prepared with my bubble bath!

 

Bath amenities from Etro™which are decent enough, though i did bring my own shampoo still. 

Coffee and mini bar are all complimentary with our room. Apart from beers, there are also these cute single serve bottles of Prosecco. Make sure you finish everything before you leave, if not you would have to go through the hassle of paying for taxes should you decide to bring them home. 

Another perk that we enjoyed as Palace Suite guests are the dedicated facilities. Check out the dedicated pool and lounge area for the Palace guests. You could also choose to enjoy Happy Hour at the pool area as well, just that it's a bit more troublesome getting your drinks. Note that you'd need to make a booking for the pool or jacuzzi due to COVID social distancing measures. 

  

The dedicated facilities like the gym and all-day-dining Palace restaurant could be easily accessed by the dedicated lift, which connects your cabin level to them! It is entirely possible to spend all your time within the Palace facilities only. 

 

We also signed up for a pilates class at the dedicated gym. The class size was really small to start with (it was limited to 4-6 pax) so we almost didn't think we could squeeze in but it became a private session because only 2 of us showed up! Absolutely lovely experience with a view too. We also booked ourselves a steam and sauna session. Just look at that soothing ocean!

If you were to venture out of the confines of the Palace, some fun activities include the Waterslide Park with five slides. There's also a ropes course and zipline, a rock climbing wall, mini golf, pool, and VR games arcade. 

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't that great when we wanted to check out these activities, so we chose to go into our private hot tub and enjoy a wine instead. 

We also caught one of the shows, which is Vision by Vincent Vignaud. I was really amazed at the illusions because they were quite impossible? There's another show called Faith which is a mix of ballet, acrobatics, and comedy but our schedule was too packed and we couldn't fit that in?? Honestly 3D2N was too short a break and i would recommend a longer cruise to check out all the restaurants and activities. 

Now the food. We only ate at the specialty restaurants during this trip. Our previous experience with Royal Caribbean was that the general dining and buffet selections were very underwhelming. Silk Road Chinese restaurant served pretty decent Chinese food and we were surprised at how empty the restaurant was. We enjoyed the dishes but the portion were really small. I guess better since we could check out the supper offerings at the Palace Restaurant.

The food wasn't super wow for supper but at least you get fresh veggies and fruits too. The curry, dimsum, and congee are among the better tasting items we had but yes you can have char kway teow too. The Palace Restaurant also serves afternoon tea, which was again quite basic but well it's just something to pass your time.  

 

We also enjoyed our experience at the Seafood Grill and Prime Steakhouse by Mark Best, which was our favorite restaurant on board. The quality was great and so was the ambience and service. You could enjoy both the seafood menu as well as the grill menu at the same place. Umi Uma is another hot spot for dining but honestly if you don't manage to get the Teppanyaki tables, you may wish to skip their Korean BBQ or bento services. I may just have gone for the alfresco Hot Pot restaurant instead if i knew how meh the Korean BBQ was. 

I'm not gonna delve too much into the COVID measures on board but we felt quite safe with the reduced capacity, contact tracing measures and sanitation, except that there could be better enforcing of group dining (guests were speaking across tables). There are still queues for the main cruise activities but the crowd was orderly. The Antigen Rapid Test at Marina Bay Cruise Centre pre-boarding was a breeze as well. 

So yes, the short and sweet review of the Palace Suite on Dream Cruise. I've definitely changed my mind on cruise holidays after this experience. Would you give it a try? 

Revolver has to be one of the best new restaurants that have opened this year, in the midst of the pandemic no less. You have to admit that they are bold, just like their fiery wood-fired, grill and tandoori offerings made with fresh seasonal ingredients and based on Indian cooking sensibilities. But the boldness works and it's already one of the hardest restaurants to get a booking at.

I was lucky to score a weekend lunch table and had a taste of Chef Saurabh’s revolving menu. While grill houses are commonplace these days, it's rare to find an Indian one like Revolver. 

To complement our 6-course affair ($99), we added a 3-glass wine pairing ($65) for a not too indulgent day-drinking experience.

First, the stuffed courgette flower, filled with a creamy spicy potato mash is first kissed by the fire, and then painted with lemon pickles. The flower maintained its delicate nature and eased us into the meal.

The fresh paneer with coriander pesto has to be the best paneer i've had. The cottage cheese is flown fresh from New Delhi daily and boy that firm tofu texture was kept even though it's finished in the tandoori. I'm not a coriander fan but i mopped up that pesto.

We couldn't help ourselves but to order the Kurobuta pork belly Vindaloo (+$20). Marinated in 5 spices and then grilled and glazed with tamarind pickles, the meat leaned on the sweet side with char siew flavors to it. We expected some heat in the Vindaloo curry sauce to balance the dish but it wasn't spicy at all. Nevertheless, this was very enjoyable.

We enjoyed it more than the Red Snapper with Gunpowder salsa (mix of Indian spices), which was a tad too blackened. Someone needs to watch the fire more closely here.

We thought the Chicken Scotch eggs were a tad out of place on the menu but it was tasty nonetheless. The soft egg was wrapped in a juicy chicken mince and nestled on a crispy nest of fried thin potato strips. The aioli and chili oil definitely helped to spice things up a notch.

Another of our favorite was the Spiced chickpeas with Parmesan Kulchette. Surprisingly, this was the spiciest dish on the menu and the heat was very manageable. Loved the texture and the umami cheesy note to this dish.

To end, the Kulfi Gelato with cardamom spices. It's not as cloying as the traditional dessert but I guess you either like it or you don't.

Come dinner, there are 3 tasting menus to pick from- Discovery Menu ($139), Experience Menu ($199) and Vegetarian Menu ($129). I can't imagine eating more though. Is Revolver worth the hype? It definitely warrants a repeat visit, if i could get a table.

Revolver

56 Tras Street, Singapore 078997

Tue-Sun : 12 - 2.30pm, 6 - 11pm

Tel: +65 6223 2812