My healthy lunch today is from Grain Traders' new limited NDP Special, the KARANA Jackfruit Rendang. The jackfruit rendang taste like meat and its work well with grain, veggie and sauce. The Jackfruit Rendang is available all day from 11am-7pm for both lunch and dinner. For more information or place order, can visit this link https://www.order.graintraders.com/. Enjoy free islandwide delivery for orders above $50, and also15% discount for orders made between 3.30pm - 6pm, by key in promo code " GT15". 📍Grain Traders 138 Market St. #mediadrop

Always reliable for honest, good, quality grain bowls. I dare say it’s been a couple of years since I last stepped into GT. The menu’s changed (no more salad base omg), there’re now more unfamiliar faces, and even the vibe feels oddly different; but one thing’s for sure — the food’s still as solid as ever. I fell back on their quinoa given that the greens are now gone, and I’m pleased to say it’s as tasty as I remember them to be when they first opened their doors. The Sous-vide Salmon’s still fork tender and beautifully charred on the outside (if smaller than I recall haha); Roast Chicken’s as juicy and well-seasoned; and really all my favourites that they still carry remain as delicious. Sure there are plenty of other grain bowl options around right now and yes GT isn’t exactly the cheapest. Perhaps it’s nostalgia, as well as the fact that I know I’d always leave the restaurant mega satisfied, that cements GT as among my fave grain bowl spots. Ever. Besides they now carry Mate Mate and I swear there’s no better way to end the meal than with a can of this refreshing sparkling tea 🥰

Atypical Grain Bowls @ $16+ Being in the heart of the financial district, the rustic-themed Grain Traders is a really nice place to people-watch during lunchtime (that is, if you can beat the office crowd to get a window seat). Get your money's worth by choosing the more exotic options; here is crusted tuna tataki (+$1.50), ratatouille, mixed bean salad, curried veg and sunflower seeds atop barley risotto, diviiiine.

Burpple Dinner Had this a while ago with the Burpple Beyond. Too bad they are closed now

Burpple Set Dinner $62+ While I was ecstatic to finally have a chance at trying Gastrosmith’s new private dining concept, I was also saddened to hear that this will be their final month at their current location in Katong i12. The good news is they intend to open in town sometime in the future. Their exclusive Burpple set dinner has got to be one of the best quality and value-for-money #burpplebeyond deals around, with 3 sharing plates for 2 and a substantial main each, all for the princely sum of $62+. Chef Dillon is the sole cook in the kitchen, and still he manages to execute astoundingly flavourful and well-balanced dishes across a broad spectrum of cuisines, all in a very timely fashion. First dish to hit the table is an absolute stunner – achingly sweet vine-ripened tomatoes over silken Japanese tofu, languishing in a bath of olive oil and barrel-aged balsamic vinegar. The sweet tartness of the the latter and richness of the former worked well with the lighter main components, with hints of citrus and the crunch of pine nuts adding delicious complexity. Taste: 4/5

Free-range Chicken & Chanterelle Siew Mai I’m always impressed by chef Dillon’s ability to consistently take Asian classics and successfully add his own personal twist to them. Who would’a thought of chicken siew mai, and that it would taste this good? The dumpling is so tender and meaty and is wrapped in a paper-thin skin. That would have been good enough for me, but here at Gastrosmiths good enough ain’t enough. The kicker is the deeply earthy porcini and truffle sauce that unexpectedly works amazingly well with the siew mai. This was the second third plate of Gastrosmiths’ exclusive Burpple set menu for 2, which is a steal for only $62+ for #burpplebeyond subscribers. Hurry before they shut their doors at the the end of May! Taste: 5/5

French Toast $15+ OMG. Best French toast ever. Soft and warm. Ample portion size. Great sweet sauce and strawberry mash to go along. I highly recommend this dish, when at mon bijou. 5 stars all the way

Wagyu Beef Burger $28++ Nice burger, good presentation. Portion size was good. Beef was well cooked. Juicy and tasty. Salad on the side was ordinary. Fries were okay. Also doesn't do justice to the price tag. It's a hit and miss for me. 3 on 5

Salmon Salad $20++ Presentation very ordinary. Almost like home cooked. Taste was okay, but they were out on avocado. Still charged us the same price. Big negative. Salmon was well cooked and portion size was good. Service was okay. The restaurant closes at 7, which is odd for a dinner place. Decor and seating is nice. 3 on 5. Hit and miss

Masterfully-cooked Meat This place is a vegan's absolute nightmare. The spread here is small but includes 3 main roasted meat selections: chicken, pork, and steak. The cooks personally slice a cut off a big slab of meat when you present your plate to them. The side selections also includes grilled trout, creamy mushroom soup, and roasted garlic and onions. Marvelous and a must go.

Never Regretted Ordering The Trout Great ambience and food whether is it for family dinners or dates! Meats such as steaks, chicken and fish are cooked to perfection! Highly recommended to any meet lovers out there!

Yorkshire Pudding It is definitely starting to feel a lot like Christmas with these airy, light and crisp Yorkshire puddings. So light and airy you don’t feel like you are eating anything until you start drinking.

✨L.E. Cafe Confectionery & Pastry✨ The beancurd tart literally just melts in your mouth!! The beancurd filling is so silky-smooth, jigglyyy and soft like tofu Paired with a buttery crumbly crust, it’s #lovee It’s pretty refreshing too especially when eaten out of the fridge;)) That refreshingness makes it dangerously addictive. Honestly, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick this over the normal egg tarts! BEST EATEN COLD! 10/10 would recommend This time I got their old school cakes too. Decorated with colourful creams, different cream patterns & jams of different flavours lying atop a soft and fluffy sponge cake; Nostalgic vibes Featuring 📸 ~ Bean Curd Tarts (8pcs/box) $10 ~ Buttercream Sponge Cakes (5pcs/box) $9.80 I highly recommend to consume on the date of purchase cause the crust will get softer [NOTE: I called in to pre-order in advance before heading down cause the tarts always run out so fasttt]

Box Of Beancurd Tarts ($11) Loving the chilled beancurd filling together with the crumbly texture of the tart. The soya beancurd was soft and silky smooth and held solidly in a buttery tart cup. Personally I feel that the soya bean flavour could be stronger but nonetheless these tarts are delicious and a healthier choice than the usual egg tarts. Definitely best to have them chill.

Beancurd Tart I was really excited to try this because I love beancurd and egg tarts! However, I do not think the two go well together. Individually, the beancurd was soft, silky and smooth. It’s more of a soy pudding consistency rather than a beancurd. It’s not very sweet, so I think it’s a good gift for your ahgong/ahma! But personally, I would have preferred it to be a little sweeter. The crust is very thick and crumbly, with a slight buttery taste. The price is very reasonable, the tarts are sold at $10 for a box of 8.

Ice Cream Waffle Seemed like a popular place. I can't fault the food but I'm not a fan of mochi waffle so I've mixed feelings.

1-1 waffle as what others have mentioned you don’t actually save $16 from the deal… but decided to try and got 2 waffles and 4 scoops of ice cream (~$30++). waffle portion is quite generous, thick and crispy. would recommend getting the dark chocolate ice cream.

The deal don’t match, don’t make the trip there. Went in and did not order. Checked with the staff and they indicated that the 1 for 1 deal is only for the waffles base from $8.50. Not those fancy waffles which are priced at around $15. Such misleading offer when the saving indicated for the 1 for 1 offer is stated ~$15. The menu link on burpple is not accessible as well so unable to verify if what staff said is accurate. Image from Google

Delicious food, great drinks and lovely ambience! One of my favourite bars with delicious and decently priced food!! A must try would be the Hatten Cheese ($8) this cheese fishcake dish is simple yet mindblowing - love the drinks here as well especially the umeshu ($8), very lovely ambience and perfect for date nights!

Mentaiko Udon With Kimchi It’s quite a find for this japanese izakaya place along the whole stretch of boat quay! Very chill ambiance with super goood izakaya variety and they have rather reasonable priced sake on promotions. One of my favorite was this mentaiko udon with kimchi, simple but very light and refreshing, could just easily slurp the whole bowl down. Other than that must try their battered squid too! It’s amazingly good!

the KFC Legend For $2.50 a chunk, it may seem overpriced. But the way they prepared it (24h marination) allowed the flavours to seep into all of the meat & skin. It simply slides off the bone. Called KFC (katanashi fried chicken), it may trump the original one. Also, A+ for service, value and views here

1-For-1: Brown Sugar Deerioca Fresh Milk (L) Indulge yourself with Burpple Beyond's 1-for-1 at The Alley's Funan outlet! Each meticulously crafted beverage narrates a 500-day journey – from tea leaf harvest to infusion of exquisite flavors. Elevate your lifestyle with iconic sips like Royal No.9 Milk Tea and Brown Sugar Deerioca Fresh Milk. It’s not just a drink; it’s a tasteful tale in every cup!

DIY Popiah Wrap your own popiah at this old school hokkien restaurant. They give you the ingredients and you wrap your popiah the way you want it!

Salted Egg Prawn The salted egg sauce had just enough salted egg taste and the combination with the battered and fried prawn was very good! The prawns were plump and juicy enough 😋

Got our hands dirty for Sunday dinner! Made our own popiahs. Their turnip mixture is a little different w bamboo shoots, carrot, cabbage, long beans, dried shrimp..😋 And that chilli they have really give a very good kick, leaving your lips numb but very shiok! #goodchancepopiah #popiah #burpple #hokkien

Restaurant Hopping -- Portugese Cuisine The cod fish was salty and firm, nothing like what we usually have here. It was a new dining experience for me but I will not try it again, especially with this price tag of $38++ 😮. It goes the same for the other 2 main courses, prices were too steep. I like their authentic Portugese egg tarts (according to the boss) though, really delish!

Portuguese Prawn Porridge This stewed bread porridge had a wee bit of bite to it, while ensuring that all of the prawn broth was melded together with the carbs and spices. The prawns were well-cooked and the dish was well-seasoned. The portion was quite large and very filling, while the flavour from the prawn stock gave the dish a definite richness. A definite must-order when here!

Bacalhua (codfish) This codfish dish, or also known as, Bacalhau, is quite sinfully delightful. Saltier than usual, at the request of my Brazilian Friend, he declared that this is the proper way of having this dish, salty, firm and utterly flaky, it's almost cured but not quite there. Hidden beneath are the baby spinach and baby potatoes, sautéed to perfection and matching well.