Located along a row of old shophouses, COO Bistro is housed within the grounds of COO Boutique Hostel. It stands out from its immediate neighbors with its funky exterior and you simply can’t miss it! Step into COO Bistro and you are greeted with COOl funky images and nuggets of Tiong Bahru’s history. It does feel like a walk down memory lane, COO-ing over the familiar sights and reminiscing the yesteryears.

Back to the present. In line with its ‘Glocal’ branding, COO Bistro does a new edgy interpretation of famous traditional fare that resonates in Tiong Bahru neighbourhood. (‘Coz few people are willing to fork out twenty bucks on a typical plate of hokkien prawn mee or a fan of charcoal flamed satay.) You might think gimmicky, but I think not. COO Bistro hits the brief.

A trio of roasted pork belly, grilled chicken satay, salt and pepper fish, Tiong Bahru Platter ($28) is a board of familiar flavors. The tender roasted pork belly has the crackling skin; the salt and pepper barramundi reminds of the fried fish chunks in fish noodles; and the grilled chicken satay is a chunky interpretation of satay. The satay sauce sure got me hooked.

COO’s Prawn Noodles ($18) may not be the soupy prawn noodles that you grew up eating, but it is equally flavorful. A slightly spicy dish of al dente fettuccine and juicy fresh tiger prawns, the spice lover in me approves.

I will never be sick of brunch but the cafe fatigue is real. On one of those days, you just want to go back to something that's familiar and comforting and guaranteed good. Well for days like that, there's Atlas Coffeehouse, sister of Assembly Coffee at Evans (which i adore). 

Finally a bigger space than the hole-in-the-wall at Evans Lodge, Atlas Coffeehouse brings to the table the same delicious eggs and buttermilk waffles among other food items (expect heartier offerings)! 

The scrambled eggs here are still as spectacular as the original. We chose to have it paired with the Creamy Mushroom on Sourdough ($12) for an added $3. That garlic white wine cream was sharpened by some freshly grated Parmesan, which melted slightly from the heat of the eggs. Oh we inhaled this in less than 5 minutes. 

The menu offers more than just the regular brunch, with heartier options (somewhat Japanese style) like the Summer Chicken Stew ($17); Atlas Super-bowl ($18); Salmon Soba Noodles ($18). 

Well, we needed some sweets to pair with the savory eggs on toast, so it was the Salted Caramel Buttermilk Waffles ($12) for us! Upon the first taste of that smooth caramel, i remembered how good this sauce was (and still is)! Well, the waffles could still be crispier as per my last review. But decent it was. Other versions include Earl Grey Caramel ($12); Mixed Berries Compote ($12.50); and Candied Bacon ($14). 

If you can afford more time (like 20 mins), perhaps try the ATLAS Butterscotch Banana Pancake ($18), a fluffy pancake served with caramelized banana, house-made butterscotch, and honey comb ice cream. 

For coffee, the beans are from Two Degrees North Coffee Co, using a blend which consists of 70% Brazil and 30% Guatemala, producing a full bodied and nutty drink.

Making Atlas Coffeehouse my cafe regular spot in Bukit Timah. You should too.

Atlas Coffeehouse

6 Duke’s Road, Singapore 268886

Sun – Tue: 8am - 5pm (subject to changes)

There is a new dining option at Marina Bay Sands that does not break your bank or require you to win a Royal Flush to fund the meal! Seafood Paradise, a household name in the zi char scene has uprooted from a coffeeshop in Defu Lane to join other celebrity big names on level 2 of The Shoppes at MBS. Foodies who have been making that pilgrimage to the dingy industrial park to satisfy their cravings for chili crab or butter crab at Seafood Paradise can now look forward to licking their fingers in a cushier environment.

We worked up our appetite with the Pan-fried Live Australian Abalone. The lightly seasoned whole abalone was tender with the right amount of chewiness while retaining the rich seafood flavor and was certainly a good way to kickstart the meal.

We really enjoyed the Poached Canadian Live Clam with Chinese Wine in Claypot. Juicy, sizeable Canadian clams are poached in a mixture of three Chinese wines and served with a dainty lemongrass stem in a claypot. The heady aroma of the Chinese wine first hits you, and before you know it you will be asking for refills of the broth!

Tucked in a corner of Festive Walk, Resorts World Sentosa, Fratelli is an Italian Restaurant run by two brothers from the second generation, family-run 3 Michelin-starred Da Vittorio in Lombardy, Italy. Triple twinkles! Fratelli offers two different dining experiences—a Pizzeria and an evening Trattoria. While Fratelli Pizzeria has a cozy and relaxed ambience good for a hangout with family and friends and serves gourmet pizzas, pastas, antipasti and desserts; Fratelli Trattoria is elegant and has an open-kitchen concept and offers only a dinner menu that has a modern take on Lombardy cuisine.

Presenting the flavors of Italy is Chef de Cuisine Davide Bizzarri, who takes the reins when the Chef brothers are not visiting. Some of the items at Fratelli:

The bright pop of apple and capsicum compote and sweet masala with balsamic highlights the pan-seared 150g foie gras escalope in Scaloppa di Fegato Grasso, salsa al Marsala, Composta di Mele e Peperoni ($48).

Travelerintransit 2016 travel count: 9 countries, 16 cities. Pretty much the usual stellar performance in terms of traveling. :)) Question is, how did i do it without taking extra leave or bank loans to sponsor my trips? Well it's all about smart planning and short getaways now and then! For short weekend trips, i almost always fly with Jetstar Asia because they have those ungodly flights in and out of Singapore (think Fri nights departures and early Mon morning arrivals and a zombie at work the next day).

As with these late night flights, there is a tendency for one to get peckish, or starving if you were rushing right to the gate from work. For that, Jetstar has a pretty decent in flight menu that changes now and then. I previously wrote about the Jetstar inflight meals here, and on my recent escapade to Phuket, i noticed that they have recently changed their menu on the 3K flights.

We had the Black Pepper Chicken and Shrimp Pineapple Fried Rice on our way out. Well, portion wise, they could do better with the black pepper chicken (which was like 2 bites). The black pepper sauce was punchy but i was assaulted by the sodium.

A life of leisure requires a spot of tea every now and then and Colony at The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore proved to be quite satisfactory. If you're looking for a full on buffet, you should head over to the Sister restaurant that is Chihuly Lounge. The Colony is for people who wanna exercise a little more self control because it offers a small tea set with 5 pieces of savory items, small free flow sweets section, and 2 coffee/tea, plus a glass of Moet Chandon champagne. 

The Afternoon Tea starts with a wooden case of savory items, all of which exquisitely crafted. 

I'm an English Tea girl and sandwiches are a must. Colony's Iberico ham sandwich was gorgeous with a fluffy and slightly cakey sundried tomato focaccia. The light tangy sweetness of the bread goes perfectly with the salty nutty Iberico. 

There's also the giant bite luxe version of the regular chili crab in the form of a Chili Lobster on a fried mantou. The lightly battered chunk of meat was coated with one of the most well balanced Chili crab sauce that I've tasted- tart, sweet, and spicy. Someone needs to bottle this and sell it. And that crisp morsel of fried bun.. Can we have this as a burger already?

Of the lot, the Chicken Satay Uttapum looked and sounded the most blah. Well it's a brown disc with more brown sauce.. But the flavors are perfectly blended and we loved the nutty and savory sauce with a hint of spice. There were bites of meat in the potato disc and on the whole it felt like a deconstructed satay! Lovely.

The Shepard's pie was decent but nothing to shout about. The luxurious looking steamed charcoal Xiao long bao turned out to be the worst performing dish only because the thick and soggy dough was a disappointment, BUT the Bao was bursting with well marinated meat, we simply had to remove the dough and discount it. 

Our only complain for the savory set? Couldn't we have more?! We can easily do at least another serving of each piece. :(

Now on to the sweets, which I actually started on while waiting for the savory bites to arrive. The scones, like what I remembered of Chihuly Lounge, have much to be improved on. Texture wise, they are a little dry and dense. Thankfully that was semi resolved by the variety of jams (but there was no clotted cream in sight). The small selection of Nyonya Kuehs were pretty and decent. I couldn't stop snacking on the kueh lapis which imo is one of the best ones around. 

The semi buffet of unlimited sweets, with various panna cotta (silky milky and wobbly goodness); rich velvety chocolate bites in the form of brownies, cakes and tarts; and mango mousse cake and cheesecake. 

There was also a live Crepe Suzette section! The mandatory flaming looked cool but didn't add much flavor to the flavor (more alcohol needed surely). That said, the toppings of brûlée banana, apple cinnamon, and tart berry jam were well enjoyed by us.

We managed to get through almost every item between the 3 of us. Not bad hur!

The tarts were pretty good despite using central kitchen made tart shells (think well balanced lemon meringue and chocolate opera). The creme brûlée was superb with a silky rich vanilla bean cream . There wasn't that crusty burnt top but we pardoned them because it was replaced with a smoky toffee sauce. I'm not a panna cotta fan but the milky raspberry panna cotta won me over. Oh don't miss the mango pudding! It sure beats many Chinese restarants'! 

Save some space for the house made ice cream! They are on the icy side, but the flavors were intense and not too sweet. Favorites included the milk tea and sesame flavors. Make sure you grab one of those cones. :)

Colony’s Champagne Afternoon Tea are served from Mondays to Saturdays with and comes with a glass of Moet Chandon champagne (priced at $49), and 2 coffee/tea. If this doesn't suit you, there's over at the Chihuly Lounge, there's also the eight-course Weekday Afternoon Tea from 2.30 - 5pm; or 

Weekend Afternoon Tea Buffet from 2.30 - 5pm.

Colony

The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, 7 Raffles Ave, Singapore 039799

Tel: 6434-5288

Mon - Sat: 3.30pm – 5.30pm 

Poke bowl is the fashion. If you haven’t caught the wave due to the fishy bits that rule most poke bowls, fret not. The meaty version has landed, and with punchy Spanish flavors too. Mercado Spanish Food Market is a market you don’t want to miss if you are working in the CBD area. Run by Chef Jean-Philippe Patron (JP), the king of nose to tail dining at Dehesa, Mercado has the feels of a Spanish market, and hearty food that compliments the vibes.

Your “One bowl of happiness” goes at an easy $16.50. Choose from one base, one meat, one hot vegetable, two cold vegetables, one topping and one sauce. You can’t say no to these vegetables. For the cold selections, there’s pickled cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, peppers, coleslaw, pasta salad, brussels sprouts and beetroot while the hot sides include lentils, corn, potatoes and carrots. Complete your bowl with toppings such as salted almonds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and raisins, and sauces such as spicy tomato, garlic aioli, ginger mayo and asian dressing.

Fancy healthy grains for bases? There’s cous cous, chickpea, quinoa and bulgur. Tasty proteins include beef meatballs, chicken paprika, pulled pork and salmon.

I MUST mention the ginormous pan of paella that greets you at the door. It was a meat paella when we visited. Generous slabs of chicken, sliced sausages and chunky meat pieces with greens embellish the paella—the colours so vivacious that makes it irresistible. It can easily be a meal on its own, but the paella is only considered one base and one meat. Thus, you can still select one hot vegetable, two cold vegetables, one topping and one sauce for the same $16.50!

Complement your healthy grain bowls with a selection of super fresh, cold-pressed juices (from Daily Juice) although I have made a mental note to drop by on Sangria Fridays for Sangria ($8/glass; $36/jug). Ready-made Hola bowls ($14.50) are available for convenient take-outs too. 

Mercado Spanish Food Market

50 Market Street 01-23 Singapore 048940

Tel: +65 9655 8092

Mon - Fri: 8am - 7.30pm 

Telok Ayer, Amoy, and Gemmils is dining hotspot central. The number of restaurants and cafes that I fancy there is astonishing- Moosehead, Maggie Joan's, BoChinche to name a few. And now adding to the favorites list is the super underground French-Japanese tapas bar Le Binchotan!

Underground it is with a dark cozy speakeasy vibe- a common bar counter runs through the entire length of the restaurant, with smaller enclaves built into the walls for semi-private gatherings over binchō-tan (white charcoal) grilled skewers of meats and seafood.

The flavors are largely Japanese, no surprise actually since the menu is created by Chef Atsuhiko Hagiwara from Ginza Tokyo restaurant en.terrible; together with Singapore Head Chef Jeremmy Chiam. Meats and seafood are smoked over binchō-tan (white charcoal) and ingredients like uni (sea urchin roe), daikon and miso have also been infused into the dishes. 

Myoban Uni ($23)- Corn Mousse, Grilled Corn, Sudachi, and Shoyu

Dinner started proper with drinks while we waited for the small plates to be fired. 

Cocktails and wine pairings by Head Bartender Sugar Ray Ruban is available. Ladies, start with the Freedom of Peach, a blushing Rose that will sweeten your night. The cocktails were all very refreshing. My preferred? The Sake My Cucumber ($21), a Japanese G&T; and the Leon: Tea Professional ($21), an Earl grey infused whisky with lemon egg white, and spiced apple.

If you're looking for a restaurant with the most out-of-Singapore vibe and view, then it's definitely The Knolls at Capella Sentosa! The South China seafront setting and the Mediterranean fine dining experience help to trick your mind into thinking you're on a holiday (a good enough alternative if we really can't escape the island). 

What i like about The Knolls is that on top of the regular offerings, they also provide diners with exclusive culinary experiences from around the world. I previously had the chance of sampling the dishes created by British 2 Michelin Starred Celebrity Chef Tom Kerridge of The Hand & Flowers. This weekend, one-Michelin-starred Chef Alain Llorca from Nice will dish out a slice of Provencal Michelin together with Capella Singapore's Culinary Director David Senia, presenting diners with a line-up of contemporary French Mediterranean cuisine. The events include gourmet lunch (4 course $78/pax) and dinner set (5 course $98/pax) menus at The Knolls for the public as well as an intimate MasterClass at Chef’s Table perfect for group sessions. For Sunday Brunch, there would even be a live demonstration by  Chef Alain. Here's a look at the dinner set menu with wine pairing ($198).

The meal started proper with the starter of a Hot Foie Gras from Chalosse cooked on embers to give it that lovely sear all around. The creamy slice was then topped with a crunchy hazelnut crumble, and glazed with an intense bittersweet coffee jus for that kick. Dig right through the liver to reach the tangy earthy mushrooms and send the whole spoon of goodness into your mouth.

The berry component as with most foie gras dishes came in the form of a Churchill's 20years old Tawny Port. Port is typically served at the end of the meal but it works here too due to the light sweetness.

Next, the Langoustine cooked with a sweet crunchy chutney of peppers and fruits. The tangy juiciness complemented the salty-sweet crustacean and the crispy sesame tuille provided an added fragrant crunch to the dish.

The question that always comes up (eventually) when people hear that i'm a food blogger- "Can you cook?" Well well.. there's a reason why i'm a food blogger instead of chef right? HEH. Well somehow i got myself into Season 2 of Food for Life TV's Blogger Cookoff and you can now see how i fare as a cook here! 

20 minutes, 2 bloggers and only 1 winner! How does this food blogger fare against TreePotatoes' Janice. Watch Singapore’s favorite food blogger (that's me!) and internet stars (Eden Ang, Aaron, and Janice) go head to head in the ultimate cooking challenge who can actually walk the walk and make great tasting food.

More on the series here http://www.foodforlifetv.sg/series/blogger-cook! Stay tuned for the other episodes! 

@foodforlifetv www.foodforlifetv.sg