Die Die You Must Try

Sweet-flavoured chicken might sound peculiar, but this is one of the signatures I keep returning to at Chir Chir. I especially love that under those crunchy jackets of honey butter batter, the marinated chicken meat itself is savoury and tasty. And those pan-fried topokki – you just can’t stop at one!

Possibly the most intriguing cookies I’ve ever tasted, these crunchy nuggets are an inventive interpretation of well-loved Singaporean dishes. Infused with all-natural flavours, expect both savoury and sweet renditions inspired by Bak Kut Teh, Cereal Prawn, Satay, Laksa, Bakwa and Gula Melaka – just to name my favourites of which I bought a tin each – yes, I bought six!

Go check out the shop and sample the cookies for yourself because they’re truly mind-blowing. It’s insane because you’re eating a cookie, yet you’re experiencing such unconventional flavours you didn’t know could exist in a morsel like that. You’ll know what I mean once you start popping them into your mouth.

So the geniuses at @hvalawafflebar have turned my favourite chocolate bar into the inspiration for their new limited edition soft serve – AND I LOVE IT.

The ice cream is tinged with chocolate malt powder to give it colour and a richer taste, but it's its marriage with generous layers of salted caramel, chopped nuts and chocolate sauce that make it taste uncannily like a frozen Snickers bar, only creamier. It's so good on its own, and ten times better with Hvala's signature puffy waffle – dripping with even more sauces and nuts – in attendance.

This beats any new-fangled eggette in Hong Kong, for sure.

Guarded all around by an unconventional army of edible flowers and fresh fig, plum and green grapes, this thick pillow of beautifully coloured brioche squirrels away a hidden treasure of homemade fig jam; possibly my favourite bit of the entire plate. But the special touches don't end there – overhead, a knob of hazelnut butter slowly melts across the warm toast, while splashes of umeboshi-infused honey carry an intriguing blend of sweet, musky, and muted sour notes.

Everything – yes, EVERYTHING, on this table was so darn good. Especially loved the otah, which is like a spiced chawanmushi with meaty chunks of fish and coconut milk, the braised pork belly and the fork-tender beef rendang.

And don't miss the incredibly value-for-money Kari Kepala Ikan (red garoupa fish head curry; not pictured), which was just delicious perfection.

This has definitely charted on my list of top eats in Singapore!

Crispy, succulent fried chicken thigh with onions and coleslaw, slapped between pillowy steamed buns and sauced up with Chinese black vinegar and Szechuan mayo. The mala peppercorns in the dressing left the tip of my tongue buzzing AND I LOVED IT.

So ridiculously good and jam-packed with flavour, this one warrants a return visit for sure.

This is just everything – this melty blend of liquid nitrogen-frozen Aussie and Italian cheeses set in a crisp, crumbly, buttery tart shell, then sprinkled with sugar and torched to achieve a thin, crackly caramelised top.

Best thing I've had in Hong Kong so far.

Succulent chicken chunks and potato wedges deep-fried to crispy perfection, then tossed in a pan with Korean rice cakes and honey butter sauce. A liberal sprinkling of honey butter seasoning, dried cranberries and sliced almonds finishes this ambrosial sweet-savoury masterpiece, which is best complemented with that creamy honey-infused aioli dip.

So good, I could eat this every day.... Oh wait, I am eating this every day for the next five days.

Just when I thought @hvalawafflebar couldn't do anything more perfect than their signature waffle bars, they go and launch what they call a Puffle – puffy waffle. It looks like a Hong Kong-style eggette, but it isn't. The batter is a slightly tweaked rendition of their original waffle's, but it's just as good; a web of plump pockets of soft, fluffy dough with crimped, crisp edges.

Have it on its own or with soft serve and a myriad of toppings – I love it with the soft serve and the recently introduced black sesame sauce.

Take me back to Paris. I'm dying to savour this mille-feuille again.

Countless sheets of feather-light, crisp, buttery pasty stacked with layers of silky vanilla bean creme patissiere. It's messy to eat, but oh, what a beautiful mess it is when all those incredibly light layers of pastry and cream melt together in the mouth. This is a must-try in Paris and worth returning for.

The affable owners at @hvalawafflebar made my dream come true and created this off-the-menu special. Going by their track record of existing flavours, I knew this one would be good, but it turned out even better than I expected. It's AMAZEBALLS.

The whipped peanut butter cream has a fluffy, light-as-air texture that belies the richness of its flavour; I was surprised at the depth of flavour, which apparently comes from a secret ingredient – gula melaka. I also like that the jam they made to pair with this isn't any run-of-the-mill strawberry or raspberry; instead, they made a blackcurrant compote that's got just the right balance of sweetness and tartness. Together with crunchy chopped nuts and that crisp-exteriored, plush-interiored waffle, Hvala has produced yet another winner in my books.

This is available for a limited time only and not listed on the menu, so be sure to ask for it if you want to try it!

I was told this would be life-changing. I wasn't skeptical, but I don't think I was quite prepared for just how phenomenal this char siew is.

I'm wondering if the meat is sous vide before roasting, because it's faultlessly and evenly cooked through. I love that they cut the pork into thick, generous wads – it just feels that much more satisfying as my teeth sink into the uber tender meat and that glorious layer of fat melts down my throat.

And oh, that sauce. That wonderfully dark, sweet, salty and sticky sauce is literally the proverbial icing on the (porky) cake.