Salt Tapas & Bar has been around since when i first started blogging. For a food establishment that has been around for this long in this crazy competitive food scene in Singers, you know that it has to be something. The high standards of food, made with quality produce; laid back Aussie vibe; and attentive service, have the customers coming back again and again.

Under the new Head Chef Jake Kowalewski (who cut his teeth working up the ranks at Luke Mangan as a dishwasher!), the tapas menu has been revamped to feature pretty and hearty plates and there's plenty to love from this list. We started with some refreshing seafood plates. The Cured Tuna ($17) was dressed with spring onion, cucumber, pickled shallot, puffed rice, citrus. I love the bright and juicy flavors. If you like something that has a little more tang, then the White Anchovy on sourdough ($14) will suit you. This was surprisingly not too salty or fishy.

A delicate seafood starter would be the Scallop Tartar ($19) which is a pretty mosaic of plump pink, creamy green (avocado), orange pops (tobiko roe). Send them into your mouth on those squid ink tapioca discs! 

I can never resist cheese and the Burrata with smoked tomato jam ($19.50) has gotten my stamp of approval. The silky milk ball was contrasted with a sweet tomato jam and refreshing basil pesto. I think it makes a perfect brunch dish for one with that lovely sourdough.

Mondo Mio, one of the long-standing restaurants at Robertson Quay, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a freshly revamped menu and off-the-menu specials to showcase the flavors of Southern Italy. Till 15 December 2016, you will be treated to a celebratory four-course set menu priced at just $45 per person. Of course, there is always the a la carte menu if that’s your preference.

Go straight for the mains we say as the starters are nothing special. Pizza con Rucola Pesto ($22) is a standout at Mondo Mio. The homemade pizza dough is topped with rocket pesto, mozzarella, salami, ricotta and cherry tomatoes, and yes! Rucola is used in the pesto instead of the usual basil.

Love homemade pastas and seafood? Gnocchetti in Salsa di Scampi, Zafferano e Gamberoni ($28) is a dish that might suit your tastebuds. Served with prawns, the homemade gnocchetti is cooked in grainy scampi sauce with seafood stock and saffron, resulting in a rich sauce akin to lobster bisque. The gnocchetti is al dente, with enough bite that I love, although I can imagine it to be a jaw exercise for some.

Another homemade pasta dish available is the silky tagliatelle, tossed in unique eggplant sauce that could have easily been mistaken for cream with such viscosity! Tagliatelle Fatte in Casa con Crema di Melanzane e Cicale ($26) is served with sautéed crayfish. Not the freshest crayfish, but manageable with the robust sauce. It is an additional option for those who love pastas sans cream.

A place to restore the self amidst a busy (work or shopping) schedule, Plentyfull offers quick nutritional bowls during midday and loving wholesome plates as the sun sets. With food here made from scratch and cooked from the heart, owner Claudia Sondakh wants to provide patrons with a home-cooked meal away from home. Besides the all-day dining, there is also a small gourmet grocer which you can check out.

What’s a Plentyfull dinner? Plenty-full of food, and goodness of course!

Taking the before meal bread basket to a different level, Plentyfull serves House Flatbread ($10) with funky nori butter and elderflower caramel EVO oil. And it works! Unami soft smooth butter and sweet floral notes compliments the slightly charred flat bread.

You’ll love your vegetables (more) with Little Farm’s Vegetable Dip ($16) with seasonal vegetables. This rainbow platter is definitely a good visual of what nutritionists have been advocating for your daily nutrition. Did you know that purple cauliflower has the antioxidant anthocyanin that can also be found in red wine? (Well, i can’t resist anything remotely linked to wine!) The lightly salted charred vegetables are good on their own, though there are also three dips that can coax a vegetable hater to love the dish. My favorite is the Mediterranean spiced dip with pumpkin seeds.

It's been a while since i last attempted at clearing my New York City food backlog and i think it's really high time that i do it proper. And there's nothing like a comforting bowl of ramen to jumpstart the series of my favorite NYC eats. So here, by far the best ramen i've tasted in NYC [better than Hide-chan (they own that actually) and Ippudo at least]- Totto Ramen, which is also given the stamp of approval by New Yorkers. 

We went before the opening and had to put our names down on the list. Stand around and wait for your name to be called! If you miss it, you can say goodbye to those generous bowls of tummy warming chicken based Paitan broth noodles. The menu is kept short with basic configurations of classic Paitan with soy, miso, spicy or vegetarian konbu shiitake broth and permutations of extras like raw scallion, egg, chicken or pork char siu, konbu nori, and seasoned avocado. 

While waiting for the noodles, go for the starters! I can never resist uni and had to order the Seared Uni Rice ($6.50) but while the glorious chunks of sweet and creamy sea urchin served me well, the rice was too dry and sticky (they should do it the sushi rice way).

It is time to lepak on the Loof again! Singapore’s favorite standalone rooftop bar has been given a face lift and they invited ‘King of Dude-stronomy’, Chef Bjorn Shen of Artichoke and Bird Bird to give the menu a touch of his signature 'Dude-Sin' twist. For the unacquainted, Dude-sin cuisine is bar grub/comfort food that we, pretend-Singaporean-adults (with cravings of a 6 year old) wanna eat in the middle of the night. Inspirations are drawn from our collective childhood memories of mama shop, Zichar stalls, fast food and more.

Credits- Loof

Chips with dips, Skewers, Buns and Bowls, the new menu has a mix of dishes from snacks to fuller heavier meals. 

Old time Loof fav of Chilli Crab Fries ($15) has been given a facelift. The blue crab dip is now served cold, with more citrus lime flavor, and sans cheese. Refreshing it was, but a hot dip may work better to comfort one's soul (i feel the same complains of the regulars). 

What's better than tacos? FRIED WANTON SKIN. Presenting the Asian tacos that is the California Crackers ($14). Glorious golden brown wanton skins will now hold some California roll mayonnaise mix of ebiko, avocado, edamame, and furikake. A bite of this dish will deceive your stomach of its exploding state (after many other dishes) and have you devour more food after. SCARY. The only thing i didn't like was the rather overpowering alkali taste of the wanton skin.

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.