If there's a coffee chain that you have to visit, make it Costa. Yes I've heard how terrible their UK version is but trust me, the Singapore version is 👍🏻 (no they are not paying me to say this). I've always enjoyed their muffins and especially their relatively new Corto Classic (a super strong creamy blend of espressos). With the opening of their newest flagship Costa269 at Holland Village, we now get to enjoy proper cafe food from their hot kitchen. And HELLO all day brunch! 

The menu features a combination of British inspired flavours and classic breakfast favourites. Every order is made fresh-on-demand and designed to complement Costa’s range of handcrafted coffees. Their headliner is the Croffle, which is a crispy, flakey, buttery waffle-pressed croissant and I found it quite the perfect base for desserts even!

First, savory maybe? The Morning Croffle ($14) is served with slices of turkey ham, sautéed button and swiss brown mushrooms and scrambled eggs . The eggs are decent, but could be more moist, less firm. There's also the typically British Fry up version- The Great Croffle Fry-Up ($17) which has the option of a beef sausage made from ground beef, tomatoes and onion (which was a tad too powdery and mushy for me though the flavor is quite decent).

IMO, the croffle worked the best in the sweet version- the Very Berry Croffle ($11)! The croffles are served with a choice of salted caramel, chocolate or vanilla ice cream and topped with sliced strawberries and blueberries dusted with icing sugar. GO WITH SALTED CARAMEL! It's a tad sweet but that saltiness goes so well with that buttery and chewy center of the croissant.

Embarking on an extended trip and foreseeing that you'll miss a proper Chinese meal? Well fret not! Peach Garden Chinese Restaurant has opened at Changi Airport Terminal 2 and you can enjoy a full Chinese meal (or banquet if you must) before your flight. 

The contemporary restaurant seats 180 diners, with three private rooms, perfect for that business lunch or a raucous family gathering. Pick from the a la carte dishes for individuals or communal dining, or go with the easy set lunches/dinners starting from $44/pax. 

Start with the Roasted Pork Cube ($12.80/por) with a crispy TOP and nice firm meat. The char siew ($11.80/por) is the salty bean-ish sort with a balanced sweetness and light sticky char. I enjoyed the solid meat texture but my dining companions thought the meat could be more juicy. Well, our meat craving was certainly satisfied with the Traditional Roasted London Duck ($35.80/$68) which is a must order in our opinion. The succulent meat was well marinated with Chinese spices and that thin crispy skin with a thin layer of rendered fats.. GLORIOUS. I would pay $18.80 for a small portion of this even if I were to dine alone. 

Bonjour La Semaine Franҫaise! So excited that you have finally been conceived! Supported by The French Ministry of Agriculture, Sopexa and DiningCity, La Semaine Franҫaise promises you a week of French classic and fusion gastronomy.

OCF

From 10 -17 September, enjoy specially crafted menus from participating restaurants such as Olivia Cassivelaun Fancourt (OCF), Lewin Terrace, Violet Herbs and Restaurant Absinthe. 3-course lunch goes at $40++ while dinner is an easy $58++. Charcuterie and a complimentary glass of French Red or White wine is served with each lunch or dinner set menu ordered.

The Disgruntled Chef

Do you need any more reasons to book a table? I think not.

Hop on to www.thefrenchweek.sg to make a your reservation(s) now. The full list of restaurants and other information is also available at the url.

Bon appetit!

I'm sure we are all familiar with the idea of Japanese Omakase, but how about an European one? Over at Chef’s Table by Chef Stephan on Tras Street, the menu is surprising every night, for every guest. A menu of the freshest, seasonal produce, is provided for you. 

Food Bingo? COUNT ME IN. Guests are provided with a list of ingredients that changes every couple of weeks. Simply cross out the ingredients that you do not like, and Chef Stephan Zoisl and his creative partner, Lorenz Raich, will whip out something based on that. New recipes guaranteed every time you dine here! Not only do you get to explore the option kitchen, the chefs also serve and explain every dish that they create for a truly interactive and intimate dining experience. 

Chef’s Table by Chef Stephan offers three menus, 4, 6, or 8 courses ($98/128/150 per pax). I'd recommend that you go with the 6 course unless you're a big eater. 

Cured Mackerel

A refreshing start to our meal. The dish consists smokey mackerel, balanced with a tangy apple gel, puffed tapioca crisps, bronze fennel, fishy oyster leaves, pickled cucumber and basil oil. Careful of those fishy oyster leaves, they are stronger than the fish itself! 

The party was started proper with the Lobster Bisque. This intense aroma of this smoky umami broth reached us before the dish was presented and by then we were drooling. The smooth cream was paired with shards of crab meat and grilled octopus tentacles, with bursts of sweetness from the peas (shoots and blossoms included too). 

Looking to have a great piece of steak without breaking the bank? Then it has to be SKIRT at W Hotel at Sentosa Cove for you. Every Mon to Thu, enjoy the new Route 88 menu which consists a 3 course signature steak dinner for only $88. 

Well of course there are other options for your mains such as pork, lamb, or fish, and vegetarian as well. But hello.. You did not go to SKIRT for that did you? 

Bread is a highlight here! The finishing charcoal grill yields a crusty blemished exterior which gives way to a fluffy pillowy inside. This loaf came with a creamy artichoke purée and a lightly spiced chorizo oil! Yes.. We asked for butter anyway because BUTTER.

No time to spare but need a quick beauty fix? Pop over to one of the conveniently located PPP Laser Clinics for a quick treatment to revitalize your skin for a clearer and more radiant complexion. PPP Clinic's panel of qualified and accredited Doctors does medical aesthetic treatments focusing on the use of low dosage laser to minimise downtime and maximize results. 

I recently tried their newly launched 360 Solution treatment that consists 5 steps to improve Color, Consistency, and Contour of your face.

It is easy to be overwhelmed by the trademark ‘ma la’ (麻辣 i.e. spicy and tongue-numbing) aspect of Sichuan cuisine, especially made popular by Chinese hotpot chains (yes HDL I love you).. BUT BUT BUT.. Did you know there are more than 20 different unique flavors in Sichuan cuisine? Well.. Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant – the pioneer of Sichuan cuisine in Singapore - intends to educate you on all of that with their à la carte buffet showcasing 100 authentic Sichuan dishes. 

Fear not, while the core ingredients of a Sichuan dish may comprise chili and peppercorn, the differing proportions of the spices or the cooking techniques will differentiate one dish from another. We were dazzled by the immense breadth of flavors (they split it into 26 flavors and dishes are listed under the flavors)- Chili Oil; Garlic & Chili; Tomato; Sweet Sour; Sesame; Sichuan Minced Pepper; Sichuan Pepper and Minced Spring Onion; Strange-flavored; Spicy Sour; Ma La; Vinegar; Sweet Bean; Chinese Rice Wine; Homemade Spicy Sichuan Bean paste; Regular Bean Paste; Sweet Salty; Mustard; Lychee; Garlic Chili with Fish sauce; Sichuan Pepper; Plum; 5 Spices; Salty; Onion Oil; Ginger; and Sweet. 

Thankfully, the dishes are all of tasting portions, suitable for sharing between 3-4pax. Before you go crazy on your orders, i'd say that 20-25 dishes will be good for your party of 4. That means at least 3-4 visits before you can complete all the dishes! Well.. we tried 55 in 1 seating (there were about 14 of us). Having tried all the flavors and half the dishes, here are some of our favorites!

Love beef? Then head over to 10 at Claymore at Pan Pacific Orchard for their Omi Wagyu Beef from Shiga prefecture, Japanb, only available for the month of August and September. This is enjoyed alongside their small but quality buffet. 

Look at that gorgeous marbling!! 

Yes it looks the same as advertised! As part of the themed buffet, savour the rich flavour and unique tenderness of this exquisite cut of beef (1 serving/pax), served with a pot of specially prepared soup broth, cooked by you in shabu-shabu style; or have it grilled (we found this too oily and bland though). I

Osteria Mozza has done away the white linens (FINALLY) and now presents us a relaxed ambience for weekend lunch. On the newly introduced Weekend Lunch menu is a selection of food that epitomizes true Italian cooking. Did I mention there is breakfast food too? Weekends have definitely been made sweeter!

A table favourite is the Housemade Gravlax ($22) with lemon, chives, shaved eggs, croutons and avocado. All the favourite breakfast ingredients tossed in beautiful flavours. A clean and healthy breakfast!

I love the salads from sister restaurant, Pizzeria Mozza, so I do have expectations for the greens here. I am pleased to declare that Butter Lettuce ($21) did not disappoint! A classic dish, the crisp leaves of greens, balls of toasted hazelnuts, slices of hardboiled egg and long strips of blushing bacon are arranged like a salad bouquet, wrapped with creamy gorgonzola dolce and dressed with vinaigrette.

Cheese lovers will love the Bufala Mozzarellas! (Even if you are not, a taste of this might just convert you into a fan!) Hand-pulled and served with traditional and simple ingredients are the Caprese of Bufala Mozzarella ($25) with vine ripened tomatoes and basil pesto; and Bufala Mozzarella ($28) with Prosciutto di Parma. Bursting with fresh and natural flavours of Italy, I was teleported to The Boot.

Rich in flavours, the house-made pastas are items that cannot be missed. A dish with wild mushrooms, asparagus and walnuts, the Farfalle ($23) is delicious with its nutty flavors. The big bow-ties have an addictive bite to them and before you know it, the plate is cleaned.

Culinary Designer is Chef Trevor Paulo of Xperience Restaurant at Sofitel So Singapore! How else can we explain the dish after dish of precisely plated art from his Signature menu that were sent out of the immaculate open kitchen? I believe Trevor is rather OCD (all that temperature monitoring and perfect swooshes) when it comes to transforming the fresh seasonal produce into their modern European-Japanese dish form. As rigid as that may sound, his plates do not bore! Here are the highlights!

Cured salmon ($25) adorned with cucumber shavings, pickled cauliflower, dill & coriander pearls, tobiko, and finished with a fermented apple juice. Fermentation is the hottest technique in the culinary world right now (so I say) and can I please have a bottle of that tangy apple juice! This appetizer more than serves its purpose of getting our stomach ready for the night. Light and cool dish, with a hint of citrus, ending on a wasabi note. I wouldn't mind a slightly smoky fish to accent the dish though.

I preferred the bright bursts of flavors in the Spanner Crab ($25). The lime mayonnaise, spring herbs, sansho, and wasabi snow brought out the sweetness of the meat. This wouldn't be out of place in a Japanese restaurant for sure.

For the main course, treat yourself to hearty meat dishes like the juicy Beef Short Rib ($38) with all types of onion! White onion purée, leek confit, spring onion tempura, onion paper, and a shallot jus embellished this braised Australian Wagyu short rib. The meat was first sous vide for 36-48h at 68 deg and then seared for a little crispiness. Knives not allowed! This could have been an onion dish because i didn't quite miss the slightly bland meat at all.