Fresh Eats

4.5 munchies: Diced toro, salmon, and white fish served atop al-dente sushi rice. The top-grade sashimi was lightly marinated in O-KU's house-made sauce to not just impart umami, but also retain the freshness and flavour of the assorted raw fish. Every grain of the vinegared rice was cooked to the right firmness, which balanced the sashimi's delicate texture and taste. The generous scattering of ikura and tobiko also added a note of brine, sweetness, and crunchy texture.

The O-KU Bara Chirashi is available on both the lunch and dinner omakase menu. This was a hosted meal by O-KU Japanese Tapas Bar, courtesy of Sixth Sense PR. #RASEpicurean #Burpproved

O-KU Japanese Tapas Bar was the award recipient of Best New F&B Establishment (Casual Dining) at the RAS Epicurean Star Award 2017.

3 munchies: A confit of lightly cured and marinated salmon trout; topped with trout caviar, pickled pumpkin, horseradish, pumpkin seed oil, red veined sorrel, and in-house grown rocket leaves. The freshness and smooth texture of the trout might be excellent, but the flavours lacked complexity and needed more zest. If you're after something creamy and umami, I’d highly recommend the Duck Leg Ragout that contains an egg yolk poached in duck fat, potato espuma, crisp quinoa, and mustard leaves.

The Salmon Trout Confit is part of Chef's Table's omakase menu. From now to 9 Dec 2017, diners get to enjoy 20% off your food bill when an early bird seating reservation is made between 6pm and 6.30pm!

Congratulations to Chef's Table for winning the Best Western Restaurant (Casual Dining) award at the RAS Epicurean Star Award 2017! #RASEpicurean

2.5 munchies: Thick cuts of portobello sandwiched in layers of soft and tender baby spinach, topped with buttery pine nuts and crispy shallot. Unfortunately, there was barely any sweet-tart flavour in the greasy sun-dried tomatoes. The raspberry vinaigrette was also bland and lacked tanginess. Go straight to the live carving station for the BBQ Louisiana Ribs with melted raclette cheese for a jazzy weekend brunch!

4 munchies: My go-to place for excellent poké bowls after a high-energy BodyPump session at Pure Fitness and/or an invigorating hot vinyasa practice at Pure Yoga. Featured here is the Standard Nalu that comes with 2 scoops of poké (Spicy Ahi Tuna & Original Salmon), 2 complimentary add-ons, (cherry tomatoes & walnut), and 1 complimentary superfood (avocado) for $15.90.

As committed purveyors of freshness, Aloha Poké sources its sashimi-grade salmon and tuna from Norway, Tasmania, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The poké might have been seasoned to perfection with house-made sauces, but the freshness of the bite-sized chunks of fish never fails to come through. #Burpproved

3 munchies: I always feel the extra need to eat clean on Monday after all the binge eating and drinking over the weekend. Featured here is the Garden Salad made with 12 types of fresh vegetables including squash, bell peppers, and baby corn. While the flavour of the homemade curry dressing could have been more pronounced, the non-oily oba leaf (green perilla) vinegar gave the dish a refreshing finish with its pleasant aroma.

4 munchies: I always look forward to my usual order at The Daily Cut after my yoga practice at Pure Yoga. Featuring the large bowl ($15), my picks are the chicken breast, barramundi (+$1.50), romaine lettuce, broccoli, onsen egg, and sweet corn. The chicken breast is nicely marinated and never too dry; the barramundi is peppery and meaty. Portions are always generous, so why not give yourself a treat without the guilt? #Burpproved

Ditch the salad dressing because this is so good to be eaten on its own! In fact during my first 2 visits, I had no clue there were self-serve dressings available at the entrance. So I never get them anyway.

📷: Taken using the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II, a bestseller in the PowerShot series. It's so awesome that I need not lug my Canon EOS 60D around to take such a high quality image! Camera courtesy of Canon Singapore and Ogilvy PR.

4.5 munchies: One of the two places I go to for excellent chirashi don (the other being Chikuwatei by the same Yoi Group), I absolutely loved how thick and fresh the slices of salmon, tuna, swordfish, and amberjack were. Special mention is given to the swordfish for its meatiness and juiciness. The rice was beautifully seasoned with the distinct flavour of vinegar. It also comes with two slices of sweet, moist tamagoyaki and loads of ikura topping! #Burpproved

4 munchies: Spicy mayo tuna on sushi rice; topped with ikura and alfafa sprouts – the Dynamite Kickin' was my favourite poké bowl out of the four that we tried. The creaminess and spiciness of the well-marinated tuna chunks balanced the crunchy greens nicely without being too heavy. For $15 a bowl, it also comes with premiums of kimchi and the super addictive crispy salmon skin!

Alter Ego is the evil twin sister of A Poké Theory that has just opened 2 weeks ago at Esplanade Mall.

This was a hosted meal by Alter Ego; many thanks to fellow Burpple Tastemaker Nobelle for the warm hospitality and feeding us with all the good (and sinful) stuff!

4 munchies: Besides the Squid Ink Fish & Chips that was smashing as featured in my earlier post, I am also going to miss this Shiitake Sesame Salmon when Roosevelt's ends its operations on 30 Nov. Comes with soba and sesame dressing, the salad bowl is packed with shiitake, tofu, cherry tomatoes, edamame, and pomegranate. The sous-vide salmon was cooked perfectly to a buttery-soft texture with a medium-rare centre.

Not sure if I should feel sad or look forward to having the Squid Ink Fish & Chips for the last time this weekend. Perhaps the latter since all whiskies, wines and cocktails are one-for-one until Sunday!

4.5 munchies: Served in carpaccio style, I absolutely loved how the sweetness and creaminess of the raw scallops contrast with the gently-spiced pickled fennel, blanched trombetta zucchini strips, and yuzu gel droplets. Tobiko and torched mentaiko roe were also added for some mild-smoky and briny punch. Every bite was a burst of freshness and celebration of texture and flavour!

The Hokkaido Scallop is part of the Corner House's Business Luncheon menu – available from Tuesday to Saturday. Last order is at 2.30pm.

3.5 munchies: This healthy brunch option comes with grilled shrimp, charred corn, quinoa, freshly-made salsa fresca, pickled cabbage, avocado, and mixed greens. Fire up the bowl of freshness and protein goodness with some creamy hot sauce yoghurt dressing!

4 munchies: One of my top picks from the latest establishment by The Astronauts Group, the carb-free Genki bowl comprises a slab of well-grilled Japanese eel, starchy roasted pumpkin, crunchy Korean mung beansprouts, tangy pickled beets, and an onsen egg. The Ninja Rice – a blend of vinegared Japanese pearl rice and brown rice with seaweed flakes – makes a great hearty add-on option for those after something more nutritiously filling.

My other favourites include the Ebisu (creamy seafood stew), Fancy French (brioche stuffed with fig jam), and green apple cold-pressed juice.

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