Lunch @ Dinings, London - Remarkable Sushi

Dinings, London

Dinings, for a sashimi-phile like myself, is a god sent. There is an emphasis on quality ingredients and just the right mix of traditional and the more say, contemporary creations. It's a quaint, tiny set-up owned by ex-Nobu chef Tomonari Chiba, with a sushi counter on the ground level and a small, minimalist dining area in the basement. Since it was a breezy summer when I visited, dining at the sushi counter where we had a clear view of the chefs working their magic was a no-brainer. I didn't know then, but I was about to be blown away by some of the best sushi I've ever had.

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The Tippling Club - A Medley of Surprises

The Tippling Club

Wow, lunch at the Tippling Club was a real treat. I never really thought about lunch here, mainly because $57 for 3 courses didn't sound like much. Boy, was I wrong. The entire experience, from the chic ambience down to the inventive dishes and string of surprise amuse bouches, was one serious feast for the sight and senses.

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Kilo at PACT, Singapore - Edgy Simplicity

Citrus Iced Tea, $4

K.i.s.s. - keep it simple, stupid - that's my current philosophy when it comes to food. If I had it my way, all excesses should be trimmed out, seasonings kept to a minimum, ingredients employed only when necessary, their roles carefully planned and calibrated for that elusive balance and element of interest. The food at Kilo's new offshoot "at PACT" is exactly that - simple yet edgy.

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Kilo - Soulful Food, Breezy Music

Laidback Decor

What a gorgeous space. The elevator doors opened to light, breezy music playing in the background, directly to the restaurant. I loved the clean, wooden furniture and minimalist approach. The raw concrete floor was especially edgy. The longer tables caught my attention too - this is a place for friends, good food and conversations. I can't stress how much I'm enjoying the trend towards communal dining these days.

Salmon Roll with Crispy Chicken Skin, $11

Decor aside, the food is what makes a restaurant and Kilo really excelled here. The kitchen serves up a mix of Japanese and Italian inspired comfort food, including Ebi Capellini, Avocado-wasabi Tuna Tatare and Jamon Iberico Pizza. M and I started things off with a Salmon Roll with Crispy Chicken Skin. It was incredibly satisfying, hitting all the right notes - the salmon slices were fresh and plump, the chicken skin crispy and wonderfully light.

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Angus Steak House - Fabulous Set Dinners!

Angus Steak House

As a child, there were certain restaurants I dreamt about. Sometimes, I read about them, other times, I walked by and just couldn't seem to take my eyes off them. Angus Steak House is both. Almost everything I've read about it has been all roses and no thorns. And it's the sort of restaurant that looks so classy and pretty on the outside I can't help but dream about how perfect it must be to finally dine there - I loved that the walls of the restaurant were all washed in white, with colonial style windows that lent me a sneak peak into the "world" inside. But somehow, in the blur of growing up, this and other dream restaurants of my childhood retreated to the back of my mind - I was too busy worrying about a million other things. So many new restaurants sprang up, too. But when my parents asked me where I wanted to go for my birthday dinner two weeks ago, Angus Steak House suddenly came to mind. After renovating last year, apart from the ambience remaining perfect for dinner dates, the restaurant is now a lot more modern than what I remembered, complete with plush, cream-coloured chairs and elegant dark wood tables.

Hors d'oeuvre - Lightly Battered Prawns with Broccoli and Cracker in Seafood Sauce

The most amazing part about dining here is the choice of making any a la carte charcoal grilled mains a set by topping up $10, which would include in your meal a hors d'oeuvre, freshly baked bun, salad, soup and dessert. Completely irresistible. It used to be even more of a steal at $6 and included coffee or tea, but I guess I chanced upon the scene too late! The hors d'oeuvre of the day was a plate of two lightly battered prawns, thin cracker and a wonderful, orange-pink sauce full of crustacean notes. It was such a fantastic start. The prawns were excellent - crunchy, firm and absolutely delicious with the sauce. The cracker was not as crisp as it could have been but still perfect for mopping up more of that delectable sauce. The appetizers change every fortnight, which mixes things up quite a bit. Check out the past hors d'oeuvres here, they all look fabulous!

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The Loft - Hidden Gem in Katong, East Coast Road, Singapore

Seafood Bisque, $5.90

As an unabashed fan of seafood, I knew I had to give the Loft a try the moment I found out that it purportedly serves seafood at pretty affordable prices. That was really all the information I needed. M and I dropped by for dinner that night and started our meal with the Seafood Bisque. On first taste, it seemed as though the bisque was lacking a little in flavour, but once you're done with that spoonful, the crustacean flavour (pretty strong, really) kicks in all of a sudden. Since I would prefer the bisque to be whole-bodied flavour-wise the whole way through, this was alright but strictly speaking not fully satisfying, at least for me.

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Snapshot: $1 Oysters at Zen Café - Shindo Art, East Coast Park [closed]

1/2 a dozen of freshly shucked oysters, $1 each [shot with iphone]

oh guys, I know it's been a long time. My schedule is still insane but I'm feeling terrible for not updating for so long so here I am. How's the weather treating you, by the way? The rain has led me to mostly bundle up in a cosy sweater and dream of ramen. I actually had a pretty decent meal at Ramen Champion last week - I promise I'll post about it in the next week or so. But I digress. This snapshot is about $1 oysters at Zen Café - Shindo Art, East Coast Park.

It may seem counter-intuitive to head to the beach in the rain but I actually think it can be pretty romantic... And oysters just seem like the perfect recipe for romance.. no? There is something about the way an oyster glides along your tongue, bursting with the sublime, briny taste of the ocean. It was actually my first time at Zen Café - Shindo Art. M brought me there because I've been chanting "oysters, oysters" for the longest time. He doesn't even eat them so it's just me and the oysters but that's okay. Clearly, they aren't the biggest ones you'd ever see but for $1 each, that's okay too. I mean, if you're not thinking about having 20 or more oysters at a go, a buffet wouldn't make sense and Zen Café - Shindo Art would. But I must say, I'd like them better if they weren't served half-submerged in ice water since it diluted the flavour somewhat... Then again, I suppose all you have to do is politely request that the oysters are served on top of the ice and not below. Easy enough. Overall, it's a steal!

And the best part? Their oyster deal wasn't the only thing that stood out. The mango prawn roll appetizer was surprisingly delicious and the Tempura fish and chips was really decent for the price.

P.S. Have you been there? Let me know what you thought about the food!


Zen Café - Shindo Art
1000 East Coast Parkway,
Unit A-8 Marine Cove, Singapore
[behind Mcdonalds]
Tel: +65 6449 3221

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Dozo, Valley Point, Singapore

Yuzu Sorbet, Noodle Snack

Dozo was fantastic. From the complimentary yuzu sorbet down to the desserts, each course was a wonderful surprise. Initially, I was a little apprehensive, wondering if it would be any different from Tao's (its sister restaurant). My worries were completely unnecessary. You may be paying almost twice what you'd pay at Tao's, but you're getting more than twice in terms of quality and service. When I was at Tao's, I sometimes wondered to myself if certain dishes should count as a "course" in itself, but at Dozo, you're definitely getting the real deal. Even the Yuzu sorbet was markedly superior. It was tangy and refreshing with a great balance of texture and just slushy enough to pass off as a drink instead of dessert - completely different from the one at Tao's. You get a larger serving, too. The fried noodle snacks were visually appealing and fun - the orange ones even had a bit of a spicy kick!

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Tao's Restaurant, Paradiz Centre, Singapore

Mango Sorbet

Hello there, aren't you glad that friday is here? I feel really lucky everytime M whisks me off to dinner at the end of a long week. Here we are at Tao's, and our meal started with a Mango Sorbet that I didn't understand. It wasn't unpleasant, but doesn't this look like a melted slurpee in disguise? A real Mango Sorbet with mango chunks would be nice, wouldn't it?

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