Quail is not that common in Singapore, and if it appears at all, it's usually within the sphere of European cuisine. And yet you can enjoy this bird here at this Indian restaurant, non-traditional, but nonetheless. Slow-cooked till it was perfectly succulent, the whole bird is then served with a hard-boiled egg and covered in a creamy curry-like gravy.

This served as a foil for the aromatic saffron rice, called kashmiri pulao, to shine through. Bags of flavours in this one—fruitiness and nuttiness punctuated the fluffy grains thanks to plump raisins and chopped pistachios and almonds respectively.

Served on the bone, the chook was satisfyingly meaty and well-infused with the tangy-savoury yoghurt and spices marinade. Each order serves up two mid-sized bone-in chicken thighs, so you'd probably wanna order multiple portions for larger groups.

Looking all innocuous, but packed a punch with a lovely tingling heat and the aroma of curry leaves. The calamari rings were really tender, and were coated with a light, slightly sticky batter that got more addictive with each bite.

Didn't plan on ordering this, but did so anyway at the unexpected enthusiasm of the soft-spoken waitress. I found the truffle scent too subtle to make any impact, although some may prefer it this way. Still a pretty nice starter to have with the accompanying paneer mousse and pear chutney, the latter I found interesting as its melt-in-mouth texture felt like fine snow.

So simple but so good. The mustard and spices rub highlighted the sweetness of the cauliflower, also charred on the tandoori oven. Though it's a little on the pricey side when it works out to be $2 per mini floret.

Surely a crowd-pleasing number with its winning flavours—a flavourful, slightly spicy basil marinade coated the cod fillet, its crisp charred edges and tender flesh a sign of masterful execution on the tandoori oven. Delicious, but don't baulk at the diminutive portion, it's Indian tapas after all.

What's Indian food without lassi? At Flying Monkey, the creamy milk and yoghurt-based beverage passes into adulthood with the introduction of Aylesbury Vodka and Plantation Dark Rum, which together with mango and passionfruit, tasted like a less coconut-y version of Piña Colada. Yummers, and perfect for neutralising all that spiciness 🔥

P.S. Could have done with a nicer straw tho.. #nitpicking

Indian-inspired cocktails? Now you've got my attention.

Started off the (very long) night with this refreshing concoction of coconut water, Plantation 3 Stars White Rum, Yellow Chartreuse, fresh lemon juice, and cardamom. Disclaimer: Order this only if you're a fan of spices, which I am, because the feisty presence of cardamom can certainly be felt here. Delicious and very well-balanced, methinks.

There's more to Spanish sweets than just churros and creme catalana, that I'd discovered here at Mamasita. Enter the tres leches (which means "three milk"), a cottony-soft sponge cake soaked with evaporated milk, condensed milk, and cream. It was surprisingly light and refreshing when paired with poached rhubarb, crumbled meringue, and añejo ice cream. Great way to conclude a fabulous meal here.

My initial reservations about this turning out to be too sweet/artificial were put to bed at the very first sip. Highly aromatic with just the right amount of saccharine, this shaken concoction of salted caramel vodka, passionfruit, mint, and apple juice was depleted in no time. Perfect for getting the night started.

Doesn't hurt that it's going at only $12 during happy hour.

Note that not all cocktails are available at HH prices. Only this one, and a tart cocktail which didn't leave much of an impression.

Totally loving the vibe at TBS; I'd highly recommend pre- and/or post-dinner drinks upstairs at The Powder Room before adjourning down for dinner. They do really good cocktails—more on that later.

The menu spans a good variety of dishes plus a Chophouse Selection with different cuts and breeds of beef, all served with compound butter. Our wagyu from Kobe Cuisine (brand) was flavourful and suitably tender for its cut. It comes with four sauces to choose from, and the glacé de viande (red wine sauce) proved an excellent complement. To pad up the meal, there are available add-ons like bone marrow ($16), foie gras ($22), thick-cut bacon chop & egg ($12), and this juicy grilled half Maine lobster ($30).

Good to see ice-cream institutions constantly innovating to keep up with the competition. The selection here has expanded since my last visit a few years back, sporting interesting flavours such as Yuzu Ginger, Chamomile Honey, and Chocolate Stout.

I got the latter two and was really impressed by how pronounced the individual namesake flavours were—calming & comforting, robust and malty. Very delicious. The waffle on the other hand felt merely perfunctory as it was a tad hard and lacked fragrance. Their brownie might be a better option, if it's as good as I remember it to be.