2.5 munchies: Heard so much about Sumo Bar Happy’s collagen-rich, umami tonkotsu broth after long hours of simmer, but I couldn’t get over the slight burnt taste in my char siew ramen. I also wasn’t particularly a fan of the thin texture of the ramen. Thankfully, the thick-cut roasted, slow-braised char siew from Nagano was super tender and had a good amount of fat.

All ramen dishes come with house-marinated bean sprouts, toasted seaweed, black fungus, and free-flow marinated soft-boiled eggs.

2.5 munchies: Heard so much about Sumo Bar Happy’s collagen-rich, umami tonkotsu broth after long hours of simmer, but I couldn’t get over the slight burnt taste in my char siew ramen. I also wasn’t particularly a fan of the thin texture of the ramen. Thankfully, the thick-cut roasted, slow-braised char siew from Nagano was super tender and had a good amount of fat.

All ramen dishes come with house-marinated bean sprouts, toasted seaweed, black fungus, and free-flow marinated soft-boiled eggs.

4 munchies: I usually find the western food dishes that we get from the kopitiam downstairs are either too salty or greasy, but not this plate of chicken chop with added on pork chop for just $8.50. Not only the meats were nicely marinated, they were also grilled to moist perfection with that gorgeous brown exterior. The tender chicken was superior compared to the pork, though I’d still eat the latter anytime!

All grilled dishes come with toast, fries, and baked beans. #Burpproved #BurppleBestofTampines

4 munchies: I usually find the western food dishes that we get from the kopitiam downstairs are either too salty or greasy, but not this plate of chicken chop with added on pork chop for just $8.50. Not only the meats were nicely marinated, they were also grilled to moist perfection with that gorgeous brown exterior. The tender chicken was superior compared to the pork, though I’d still eat the latter anytime!

All grilled dishes come with toast, fries, and baked beans. #Burpproved #BurppleBestofTampines

📍 Tokyo Western Food, #01-02

3.5 munchies: With over 50 contemporary vegetarian dishes that are prepared using only natural and premium ingredients to choose from, my top pick goes to the Braised Mushroom. Served in a hot stone pot, it features the meaty lion’s mane mushroom and earthy, smoky shiitake. Besides the stir-frying of crunchy bamboo shoots with chilli and ginger, the sweet and fragrant addition of basil leaves also greatly enhanced the savoury braised sauce. May I have a bowl of brown rice to go with these juicy mushrooms, please? #Burpproved

This was a hosted meal by Lotus Kitchen; many thanks to Brand Cellar for the invitation!

3.5 munchies: With over 50 contemporary vegetarian dishes that are prepared using only natural and premium ingredients to choose from, my top pick goes to the Braised Mushroom. Served in a hot stone pot, it features the meaty lion’s mane mushroom and earthy, smoky shiitake. Besides the stir-frying of crunchy bamboo shoots with chilli and ginger, the sweet and fragrant addition of basil leaves also greatly enhanced the savoury braised sauce. May I have a bowl of brown rice to go with these juicy mushrooms, please? #Burpproved

3 munchies: Tossed in an umami sauce infused with great seafood flavours and a hint of lemon zing, the homemade tagliolini comes with tender prawns, crunchy asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and aromatic breadcrumb sprinkles. There was also just enough sauce to soak up the pasta that was slightly overcooked. The Prawn Tagliolini might be the only pasta dish that I'd recommend from this traditional Italian tavern, however, there were more misses than hits with the mains and desserts.

3 munchies: Tossed in an umami sauce infused with great seafood flavours and a hint of lemon zing, the homemade tagliolini comes with tender prawns, crunchy asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and aromatic breadcrumb sprinkles. There was also just enough sauce to soak up the pasta that was slightly overcooked. The Prawn Tagliolini might be the only pasta dish that I'd recommend from this traditional Italian tavern, however, there were more misses than hits with the mains and desserts.

With a total of 10 hot and cold stations including Korean, Barbecue, Deep-Fried, Hot Dishes & Noodles, Seafood, and Dessert Bar, diners will be spoilt for choice at this new buffet restaurant that features multiple ‘live’ cooking and carving stations. Sea & Blue also rotates its food offerings every fortnight so diners can look forward to a new experience with each visit.

Despite the extensive offering of more than 100 food selections, the only dish that really stood out for me was the Suckling Pig from the Hot Dishes & Noodles station. Prices range from $42++ to $64++ for adults during lunch, and $58++ to $68++ for dinner. Children dine at $22++ to $26++ at lunch and $26++ at dinner. I'm not sure if the suckling pig alone would warrant a second visit, though.

This was a hosted meal by Sea & Blue; many thanks to Sixth Sense PR for the warm hospitality and invitation!

📷: Canon EOS M5, courtesy of Canon Singapore.

With a total of 10 hot and cold stations including Korean, Barbecue, Deep-Fried, Hot Dishes & Noodles, Seafood, and Dessert Bar, diners will be spoilt for choice at this new buffet restaurant that features multiple ‘live’ cooking and carving stations. Sea & Blue also rotates its food offerings every fortnight so diners can look forward to a new experience with each visit.

Despite the extensive offering of more than 100 food selections, the only dish that really stood out for me was the Suckling Pig from the Hot Dishes & Noodles station. Prices range from $42++ to $64++ for adults during lunch, and $58++ to $68++ for dinner. Children dine at $22++ to $26++ at lunch and $26++ at dinner. I'm not sure if the suckling pig alone would warrant a second visit, though.

1.5 munchies: Tonkichi may be my go-to place for crispy and crunchy panko used in its freshly-made tonkatsu, but I'm not at all thrilled by the special delivery menu offerings inspired by local favourites. The Chilli Crab Sauce Katsu Don featured here failed to pay homage to one of Singapore’s greatest culinary inventions. No crabs were used to infuse the thick, eggy and spicy sauce, which explains why there were hardly any sweetness and wok hei flavours. This is exactly why I'm usually sceptical about fusion food.

The special menu is exclusively available through Tonkichi's delivery partners – foodpanda and honestbee. It will also be soon made available on uberEATS. I say just dine in at Tonkichi for its foolproof original tonkatsu.

This was a hosted meal by Tonkichi; many thanks to YCP Dining for the warm hospitality and invitation!

3.5 munchies: A brand-new fried chicken restaurant that officially opens its doors tomorrow (7 Sep), diners will find familiar sweet and spicy flavours in the universal comfort food with a unique Southeast Asian twist!

Between the two signature glazes – Kecap Manis and Spicy Flamin', I preferred the Indonesian sweet soy sauce to the overly-fiery concoction blend of chillies. With the addition of garlic and gula melaka, the consistency and umami-ness of the sauce made a wonderful complement to the savoury, spice-battered chicken. Not a fan of saucy fried chicken? It can also be savoured 'Naked' without any glaze! #Burpproved

This was a hosted meal by Sticky Wings; many thanks to Sixth Sense PR for the warm hospitality and media preview!