It's all about Chinese New Year dining this month as we approach the celebrations in February. From 2 Feb till 5 Mar 2015, Pan Pacific Singapore will be welcoming the Year of the Wooden Goat at all its restaurants. Here's a review of the dishes available at Hai Tien Lo. 

I had the good fortune to finally enjoy the Singapore Airlines Suites Book The Cook Kyo Kaiseki after missing out on that in 2013. 2014 was the year to make it happen and that also allowed me to do a more detailed review of the most premium offering by Singapore Airlines. YAY. 

It's Chinese New Year already (almost there anyway) and i've had my fair share of yusheng (chinese salad) even before 2015 started. Well well, you guys would know how hard it is to get a table at a good chinese restaurant for CNY reunion right? Here's introducing the offerings at Yan Ting (one of my ultimate favorite chinese restaurants) at The St. Regis Singapore.

The food options in the Far East (and by that i mean Changi/Loyang) have been growing, much to my delight. It's amazing how The Coastal Settlement is forever packed considering the ulu location but well the food is pretty ahmazing. So so, they have opened a sister restaurant just across the road (yea you heard it from me). Jubilee Coffee House and Bar serves local and western food in a charming restored bungalow, complete with its little garden. 

As compared to The Coastal Settlement (who also does a mean Mee Goreng), the emphasis is more local flavors with snacks like Battered Otah Sticks ($13). Local delights such as Chicken Satay ($12), Chwee Kueh ($5), Fried Carrot Cake ($10) and even Chicken Porridge ($10), are available. Prices seem to be high for local dishes, well that's the impression until we were served our mains.

If there is a current F&B spot that is a big boy's dream come true, it has got to be Hungry Heroes. One can live his superhero fantasy with all the life size figurines on display, TV screens that play superheroes cartoons and at the same time, he can dig into the hearty meat platters and guzzle down craft beers. How about that!

Well for me, food was the only thing on my mind. A hot deli counter serves a range of ready-to-eat meat dishes such as the Classic Pulled Pork ($9/$14), the Veal Osso Bucco ($16) and Bratwurst Sausages ($6/pc).

Or pick your preferred cut of meat from the cold deli showcase and they'll fire it up for you on the grill. I think the 150-day Grass-fed Tenderloin ($32/200g, $43/300g) would serve me dainty.

We went for the communal feast of course. Platters come in various sizes. We had the “Steak-out” ($108, serves 5 to 6) and it featured a 200g ribeye, full rack of pork ribs, pulled pork, sausage trio, 250g de-boned chicken leg, beef stew and veal osso bucco. Yes that was a lot of food!

Now on to my favorites on the platter. Top of the list belongs to the Pork Ribs ($16/$30 ala carte). Twice-cooked, the pork ribs are first braised over low heat before being glazed with house marinades and placed in the oven to seal in the juices. I loved the caramelized crispy bits and the marinade wasn't overly sweet and definitely non-artificial. Hell, i will make a trip back for the ribs and that says a lot because I'm not typically a ribs girl. 

The pulled pork, another of my favorite, was cooked in a less intense version of the ribs marinade. It is also available in a burger form which i'll sample next time.

I practically finished the beef stew by myself as well. I would expect some secret stock to go in there (they really do have some)! It is kinda soupy so i thought it rather perfect for a cold day. If you prefer the hearty Italian style, then the tomato based veal osso bucco would satisfy your taste buds. I thought it was a good way to take away any gamey flavors of the veal.

In all, the meats were pretty well prepared. All that was supposed to fall off the bone did so easily. The exception was perhaps the steak. I felt the meat was a little too thinly cut, and our medium rare was served medium so that could have explained the slight toughness of the meat. The chicken steak was rather meh as well but the in-house created sauces kinda compensated for it. My favorite was the Hero sauce, which was a creamy pepper gravy and tasted of the yummy Christmas pimento cheese scone from Starbucks. There are plans to keep changing the sauce so you may be in for a surprise next time.

Each platter also comes with fries or roasted potatoes, caramelised onion, and sautéed buttered corn. The corn was super sweet and juicy and i found it hard to resist the starchy roasted potatoes (carbs be damned)! We ordered the truffle mash potato ($5) but it was a tad dry and nothing to shout out about (it's simply truffle oil). Luncheon fries are well luncheon fries.

The boys behind Hungry Heroes are also crazy over their craft beers and they opened bottles after bottles to induct this girl into their world. Well i didn't need much convincing with their curated list. Award winners like the Rogue Mocha Porter ($13/355ml), or the nutty Hazel Nut Brown Nectar ($14/355ml) are great accompanying beverages.

I took a liking to the Hitachino Espresso Stout ($15). Well they had me at espresso. I believe it's my virgin stout experience as well.

The boys were raving over the Beavertown Gamma Ray ($15) which was very hard to source and stock in Sg. It's kinda on the bitter end and so it's more for seasoned craft beer drinkers. 

Currently there's only 1 dessert on the menu but that gooey brownie with a heap of chocolate sauce sure does satisfy my sweet teeth. HEE,

Another thing you might notice about the restaurant would be the quirky decor. If you like something, you can probably buy it too (sans the toys)! Art Art And Away (managed by the same folks) provides these products at an affordable price if you wish to purchase something. They also provide customization and framing services as well. If i'm not wrong they have taken over a shop house unit 2 doors away.

Besides showcasing its products at the retail store, Art Art And Away will also be launching an online shopping platform in the near future. Customers can browse through the full range of products and make purchases from the website.

So yea, Hungry Heroes is a great spot to pig out with the boys. Do make a reservation as they are like waaaay packed these days. Remember to get the ribs!

Hungry Heroes
33 Tessensohn Road, Singapore 217656

Tel: +65 6295 5401 (no reservations)

Weekdays: 4pm – 12am
Sat: 11am – 12am
Sun: 11am – 11pm 

It's been about half a year since my last Trichology session at The DRx Medispa so here's an update on my hairy situation. I've been using the Nanogen Thickening Treatment Shampoo (200ml, $30) and the Nanogen Serum VEGF Growth Factor Solution ($170, 3x30ml btls) rather religiously and i think that my hair loss has been controlled somewhat and it also feels like i've been growing more hair too!

So i headed back to DRx Medispa for another session the Purifying Hair Treatment with Laser Therapy ($188 for 90mins) to cleanse my scalp.

First, the easy parts. Deep cleansing serum to exfoliate the scalp.

Mist to enlarge the follicles and that was followed by a hair wash. During the wash, Stella asked if i was going to torture myself with the needles again and i crazily said yes. WHAT WAS I THINKING???

Well, i know the benefits of the microneedle therapy. It's just that it's really hard to sit still when your head is being pricked by these little needles that are meant to stimulate and promote hair growth. My skin is seriously rather thin so it hurts even more. Well well.. it's all for luscious and healthy hair! If you wish, you could ask them to let you try the microneedles. It usually only comes with the stem cell treatment.

After what seemed like forever, we ended the treatment with a Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) to cool the scalp.

As Peggy wasn't around, the other trichologist helped to scan my scalp after the treatment. Look at the thick strands of hair! Yay. There are still some clogged follicles but my scalp condition has improved. :)

A healthy follicle is supposed to be dented so there is space for the hair to grow. A healthy follicle could have 3-4 strands of hair growing from it. If you look at the left follicle, you'll see 2 monstrous strand and a feeble baby one. Well, i was told that the poor baby one is being deprived of nutrients from the stronger 2 and if i do not feed it with sufficient nutrients, it'll die eventually! Scary!!

Despite trying to add more meat to my diet, i guess i'm still not taking in sufficient Vitamin B. I've since started on B complex and Vit C as well to help with the absorption. Hopefully they'll help with growing my hair. I'm a GNC member now. Soon i'll become a bodybuilder. Hurhur.

As usual, Stella and her deft hands gave me really lovely curls with the Repite Brush Iron. I have the same brush at home but i swear i can never achieve the same effect as what she does for me. BOO. More practice needed! Oh and i'm really loving the purple and reds in my hair, thanks to Silkcut Salon. Do you like this color on me?

If you're interested in trying out the Tricho Purifying Treatment (U.P. $188), quote me for 40% off your first visit. :)

The DRx Medispa Singapore

302 Orchard Road, #14-02/#16-02

Tong Building (next to Paragon Shopping Centre)

Singapore 238862

Tel: +65 6223 1555

Mon to Sat: 10am to 8pm

Sun: 10am to 6pm

http://instagram.com/thedrxmedispa

Navigating Koreantown in NYC could be a bitch. My first time was overwhelming because there are simply too many restaurants to choose from and all of them are usually packed to the brim. Nothing is more satisfying than a hot pot of processed junk- spam, ramen, fish cakes and fermented spicy kimchi. Well, if i gotta pick one, my favorite has to be PoCha 32.

First of all, it was an absolute throwback to one of those covered food tents in Korea with the floor to ceiling draped nets and sake caps strewn on it for decoration. The energy was simply amazing and very Korean. Loud conversations, insane laughter, huge pots of food and the non stop eating, slurping and drinking.

Po Cha served an extensive menu of typical Korean dishes but you should certainly order a casserole (they are practically permanent fixtures on every table). I went for the Boodae Jungol ($27), aka Army Stew aka an everything pot, for the ultimate cold weather comfort food. It was a bubbling cauldron of kimchi, spam, sausage, pork, ramyun noodle, rice cake, mushroom and melty cheese on top. Yes it's junk food but you all need this kinda junk every now and then!

This spectacular mess has been dreaming of it every time the weather turns cold. There's something addictive about that spicy gochujang sauce and the hotchpotch of ingredients. Each order is sufficient for 3-4 pax and it's really satisfying.

Undeterred by the size of my hot pot, i insisted on ordering another side dish at least. What's a food review if you only order 1 item right? So, i picked the Squid Soondae ($25). I didn't understand how could squid be so expensive, until it was served. Hell this isn't a side dish! It's a bloody super sized main course! 

This giant squid was way too big and fat for the hot plate that it was served on. Only the body of the squid can be contained on the plate and the tentacles had to be snipped off and placed on a different plate. 

What's more, as the server sliced the squid, spicy pork belly bulgogi started spilling out of the squid! ZOMG droolicious!!!  

The meat was extremely flavorful with the perfect mix of spice from the sauce and the peppers. As with the typical Korean sauces, the base is mostly sweet. Everything was perfectly cooked and the squid wasn't too chewy either. Amazing dish!

The other dishes on the menu. There are a whole lot of them! 

Don't go crazy with your order! Portions are HUGE. We had a hard time finishing our food and there were 3 of us (ok 2.5 since i probably only ate half a regular person's portion). Remember to wash the spice down with a watermelon soju. 

Absolutely love love love PoCha 32. Not sure about the reservations part but if that doesn't work out, make sure you head there early, put your name down on the waiting list and then come back after. The wait could be a bitch but the satisfaction after is worth it. 

PoCha 32

15 W 32nd St #2, New York, NY 10001, United States
+1 212-279-1876

Daily: 5pm - 3am

There is a hidden gem in Orchard Road that i've been keeping a secret hidden since the media preview and that is KUVO restaurant. The elegant and sophisticated space in Orchard Shopping Centre (it took over Lei Garden Restaurant) takes on a multi concept approach to dining and it offers bespoke cocktails, extensive list of New World wines and exclusive labels, as well as international food offerings.

The main dining space seats up to 88 persons over 2 wings and it serves an all day a la carte menu with all day breakfasts (yay!). The KUVO Atlantic Cod Meuniere ($38) was a massive piece of sweet pea-crusted cod medallion (it can cover at least half my face) with pearl barley fricassee, layered potato/sweet potato gratin with a citrus nutty-brown butter. The lightly flavored sides complemented the freshness of the cod and allowed the sweetness to come through. My mama enjoyed it thoroughly on a separate visit.

Asian selections are also available including the Slipper Lobster Laksa Lemak ($22) and King Prawn Noodle Soup ($20) if you prefer something different. 

Another highlight is the sumptuous tea available daily from 2 - 5.30pm ($35/pax). It includes a three-tiered tea set (refillable), together with a mini buffet spread of cheeses, hams, tapas bites and a whole selection of desserts! My mummy enjoyed this one because she had so much to pick from. I do love the cheeses and cold cuts. Also, who can resist the desserts bar.

I would certainly be back to chill out at the Vine Lounge with the delicious Brut by Antica Fratta ($17/glass, $98/btl). I also enjoyed the Pinot Bianco by J. Hofstatter ($16/glass, $84/btl) tremendously. 

Small plates and bespoke cocktails are also available at Elixir Bar, which is helmed by mixologist Yutaka Nakashima. Do not miss the Duck Foie Gras Duo ($21)! I'm drooling over that creamy chunks of liver just thinking about them. 

Kuvo also does an all day breakfast and my mama thought their pancakes are a lot fluffier than the ones i make. MEH. But yea, great spot to escape the Orchard Road crowd. Don't say i never share! Btw, the entrance is between House of Robert Timms and Poh Heng Jewelry. Take the escalator to the second floor!

KUVO

321 Orchard Road #02-01, Singapore 238866

Orchard Shopping Centre (next to 313 Somerset)

Tel: +65 6733 8272

Open Daily

Restaurant: 12- 11pm

Wine and Tapas: 12pm - 1am (till 2am on Fri-Sat and Eve PH)

Cocktails: 5pm - 1am (till 2am on Fri-Sat and Eve PH)

If there's a spot in Tanjong Pagar which can satisfy practically all food cravings, it would be Orchid Hotel. Ramen lovers have Keisuke, Japanese food fanatics have Teppei and Hanare and more, burger fans can get their cravings satisfied with Two Blur Guys, and there's also Cake Spade for that after meal sweets! A cafe was missing from this mix but it has now been filled by Souper Sarnies with their freshly made sandwich-waffles offering.

The smallish cafe sit a maximum of 10 pax indoors but it would feel kinda squeezy with that many people. I was there with a gf and it felt just right for the 2 of us so i can't imagine how it would be on a weekday during lunch time. Ventilation wasn't that great, i kept smelling the food which is prepared in the contained space and we left smelling like leftover breakfast. Then again, i suppose you're not meant to hang around in the little shop. 

The menu consists of sandwiches, waffles and some salads. Everything here is made from scratch and from fresh and quality ingredients. Even the cakes are homemade. Prices are pretty reasonable as well (nett pricing).

Souper Sarnies has also started serving brunch on weekends and here's the brunch menu.

I decided to stick with the regular items since people typically wouldn't go to the CBD for brunch on weekends. I'd certainly recommend the BLAT Sandwich ($10.90) which is a toasted panini with Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Tomatoes and lots of mayonnaise. I loved that I can taste the creamy avocado immediately because the owners are super generous with the spread. Each bite was juicy and smoky and salty as well (from the bacon). The only downside was that it is a little small.

The Salted Caramel Buttermilk Waffles ($12.90) was pretty yummy too. This comes with a scoop f New Zealand Natural Vanilla bean ice cream. The waffle was sufficiently light, with a fluffy rispy with a fluffy core. It could do with a little more crisp and certainly more salted caramel sauce (it's homemade too). 

Highlander coffee is served here and it's sufficiently decent. I sure wouldn't mind popping by again to grab a sandwich on the go.

Souper Sarnies
1 Tras Link, Orchid Hotel #01-07 Singapore 078867
Tel: +65 9115 9566
Weekdays: 8.30am - 9pm

Sat 9am-9pm

It's hot spring weather and there's no better place than the pretty Kurokawa Onsen to soak away the burdens and load accumulated in the year. This is one of Japan's most attractive hot spring towns, and i knew exactly why when i set my eyes on it. Despite it being a 'resort' town, there was none of those touristy and gimmicky vibe or huge resort and tour group presence. Instead, there was a peaceful calm in this traditional town where local tourists roam about in their yukata (light Japanese cotton robe) and wooden clogs.

Getting there

Buses run from Yufuin and it was a short 1 hour ride. Kurokawa Onsen is also connected to Mt Aso and Kumamoto Take the Odan Bus (Direction Beppu towards Kumamoto). Click here for the timetable.