Mee Pok by the day and izakaya by Bincho by the night.

An unassuming corner in the Tiong bahru estate which seems to serve many regulars. Their Mee Pok is on the springy end and I like how their soup broth is light and sweet, not full of MSG kind. Their fishball is fresh and bouncy and meatball seems to be made on their own. It has that that natural chewiness and meatiness mouthfeel. Also, it feels cozy dining in here! The aunties here have their way of serving and taking orders, so just be a little patient if they are serving others!

All the way from Kyoto, the famous Menbaka Fire Ramen has occupied one of the stores at cineleisure for almost a year and finally I had my hands on one of their bowls!

We went for their Shoyu Fire Ramen, Tonkotsu Fire Ramen and Crispy Charcoal Karage. It’s not just gimmicky but the flavor of the broth is really good. It’s rich yet light, and has a rich fragrance of spring onion from the firing of hot oil over it. The noodles are on the softer side and pleasantly soaks up the flavors of the broth. The crispy charcoal karrage lives up to its name of crispiness and the batter has a touch of wasabi to it. It’s kind of overwhelming for a non-wasabi eater but the yuzu and sesame dressing kind of downplay the pungentness, balancing the flavors.

Here we have featuring their Kaidan Set and Chirashi set.

A step ahead in their presentation for their Takeshi Kaidan Set ($26) and Salmon Kaiden Set ($18). Not only were the presentation Instagram worthy, exquisite and classy looking, it has proven it taste as good and fresh as it look! From the Kaidan set, all their cuts were so thick, plump and sweet. Particularly, their uni was so umami, velvety and melts in your mouth. Another highlight is definitely their scallop, so sweet, fresh and juicy! I like their ratio of rice to sashimi too. At least I don’t feel like I’m shortchanged in just eating the rice.

While for the chirashi set, we had their Takeshi chirashi Don ($38) and Aburi Salmon Foie Gras chirashi Don. They are really generous with their sashimi cuts! Really like how thick and sweet each cut is. Not to mention, the uncommonly addition of foie gras to a chirashi bowl is really magical. It provide that contrast in flavors to the bowl. Something savory and melt in your mouth kind of texture against something on a lighter, sweeter which has a bite to it.

It may although be on the pricier side, but I guess the portion and freshness of ingredients does justify well after all!

Drop by Play Gelato to support a young couple in their 4months old venture! I’m touched by how they put customers and their experience before anything. They are more keen to share what goes into their gelato then the gelato itself. The ingredients they used are 100% natural and are the real stuffs!

We had their Chocolate sorbet, Hojicha, Rum & raisin and Over the moon! Over the moon is their special flavor for the mid-autumn festival! It’s white lotus paste with osmanthus tea. A bite into it felt like a bite into a mooncake. The resemblance is 100%! If you’re someone who like all things alcoholic, go for their Rum & raisin! They uses dark rum and pre-soak their raisin in the rum to give the gelato that extra kick in alcohol profile. If you like chocolate but scared it being too rich, go for their chocolate sorbet! You get to enjoy the flavors of chocolate minus the gelard-ness.

They are conveniently located at level 1 of Midpoint Orchard. To be honest there isn’t much artisan or handcrafted gelato in orchard area, so if you’re looking for one. Check them out!

Are you missing Japan vibes from a traditional izakaya place? Then head down to Bincho where their entrance is well hidden at the back of the carpark. They dish out well seasoned and has a variety of all time favorites izakaya options.

If you’re a gizzard person, do go for their heart and gizzard skewers! The texture was superb, a good mixture of chewiness and crunchiness to it and the pairing with their flavored curry and matcha salt is amazing. Totally elevated the flavors of this dish. If you’re in to level up the game, try their cock combs! It has a chewy and filled with collagen mouthfeel.

Another of my favorite is their tempura, particularly the persimmon. It not only soften the persimmon texture but also brings out the sweetness of it.

To end it off, order their peach panna cotta! The flavor is that of the white peach 🍑, light, sweet and refreshing.

It’s an amazing meal with their cocktails too! Their cocktail options are pretty unique to Japan taste, and flavor is well balanced!

$23.80 bowl of chirashi don consisting cubes of swordfish, salmon, red tuna, octopus and minced tuna with tobiko. The cubes sashimi are pretty fresh and succulent. Variety is surprisingly good and portion is also generous. I was pleasantly surprise how it comes with minced tuna and seasoned rice! There’s that savoriness in contrast with the sweetness of the sashimi. There was still a 20% off for takeaway when I have gotten this! Quite a good deal to get!

We went for their Sudado Pescado ($24); it’s like a fish stew with a touch of seafoody flavors. I liked how it comes with chunks of radish which soaks up the flavor of the stew. The stew is tangy with a nice richness to it. The other dish we had was Argentinian Prawn Pasta ($26). I’m pleasantly surprise with the generosity and variety of ingredients. The pasta is well coated with the prawn bisque sauce giving it the umaminess. The prawn is grilled and has a nice charred and sweet flavor. Portion may be a little smaller but the satisfaction from the flavor of food is there!

Ask for the seating view to the Changi Jewel Vortex! & that pretty much make it a good date night place too!

Not a lot of places in Singapore that you can find good galettes. But definitely you could get your fix at Gather! This was their Salami & Potatoes ($19). I love how their galettes is not overly thick and their seasoning is not overpowering. I like how the galettes showcase the savoriness from the salami against the good soft crunchy texture of those well seasoned potatoes. The sunny yolk added creaminess to the hint of cheesiness in that galette too. Really loved how balanced the flavors are and with the different layer of texture one dish brings!

Is it especially tender since it is marinated with whisky? I’ve ordered a medium rare, you could see the meat is still pinkish with a little red jus. The flavors were on point, a nice little char on the steak with dry rub seasoning of black pepper and herbs served with red wine reduction. Nothing too fanciful, the whole focus were just on the steak. It is a little chewy but it’s the nice kind of chewiness that’s not at all tough! Deal made sweeter with 1-1 deal. Steak at about $15 for 1 pax with Burpple beyond, where else can you get it at this price!

A total 3 of us decided to check out the Burpple set menu. Since there’s 3 of us, we are required to order an additional ala carte dish and that’s more than enough. The set menu for 2 is generous with their portion. It comes with starters like Emping Chips, Azchar and Ngoh Hiang, main dishes like Ayam Buah Keluak, Babi Assam and Chap Chye served with Blue Pea Rice and a dessert. All their flavors were on point! It captures the essence of peranakan flavors - tangy and full of spice and herbs! Their dessert is really interesting and superb! Pulau hitam panna cotta. The sweetened panna cotta goes very well with the unsweetened pulau hitam and the flavors and textures comes in layers! After a bite, you’ll be hit with the fragrance of coconut flakes and cookies crumbs. Am satisfied with the meal!

Opted for their Signature Power Drunken Lala Beehoon ($7.90), Refreshing Clear Lala Soup ($7.90) and Fresh Cockles Marinated in Wawa Special Sauce ($11.90). I’m pleasantly surprised at how distinct the soup base were. The flavor of the soup base is very robust and umami sweet from the freshness of lala. The drunken version had a good dash of rice wine and what seems like the fragrance of hua diao jiu too.

Their cockles were so good too. They were generous with the portion and they are really fresh, juicy and plump! It’s so hard to get good cockles nowadays and their lala beehoon definitely make it to my good bowl of comforting food whenever needed!

Chose their Number Two because of the interesting options of burrata and pesto that goes into the burger! I kind of love how the combi turns out to be, though the pesto flavor is not very pronounced, overall it has a charred and brown savory flavor. The patty was very juicy and I love how the brioche bun were buttered and toasted. It’s so good that I finished both the buns! Usually I’ll only finish one of it! Portion is rather reasonable for the price considering that it doesn’t come with fries etc but just a couple of lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles! Pretty impressed by it!