Comfort Food

Like the Lebanese Fried Chicken, which stole hearts with its heady blend of za'atar spice and honey lemon; Sticky Curly Fries – a crisp, comforting mass of maple soy, sriracha, kewpie mayo – need I say more; and Crawfish Mac & Cheese (oh, the chunky, smoked bacon ❤️). What a glorious spread we had, but these are my top picks of the lot.

When it came to the sweet stuff, my spoon turned savage when it met the Durian and Mudslide Softie Pies – essentially soft serves perched on a crunchy tart base, festooned with all sorts of yummyness. In true #BurppleTastemaker style, despite bursting at the seams, we also made room for @fionatingx's soon-to-be-launched Ugnuts (portmanteau for ugly donuts), which are really, anything but. Fried chicken skin, hot sauce, honey buttercream – 'nuff said. More lyrical waxing to come in subsequent posts.

Thank you @birdbirdsg for feeding us, and @burpple for the invitation!

Now that the work week is over, it's time to get those brunch plans sorted. Skip the hipster cafes and hop over to DW Workshop, a two-storey colonial bungalow surrounded by lush greenery for a change—its outdoor balcony is an excellent choice when the weather's being lovely.

I'd recommend the Crab Croissant if a light, yet satisfying option is what you're looking for. Fresh and sweet chunks of crab dressed in light Japanese mayo dressing and perfectly poached eggs topped with sweet peppers add heft to the crisp, flaky croissant. Delicious on its own, or made decadent with choron sauce (tomato-based Béarnaise sauce) thoughtfully served on the side.

Made of Japanese purple sweet potato, this was mostly savoury with a delicate floral fragrance and sweetness. Topped with herbed savoury crust and served with aburi crepe, which was like a bland version of prata. Not a fan of the crepe, but the soup itself, I like.

Sundays are made for indulgent brunches, and Nosh sure proves an excellent choice for starting the day right. Hearty dishes can be had in a quaint dining room setting, or alfresco—a gorgeous, breezy verandah decked out with white-washed wooden tables and chairs, as well as powerful fans to combat the heat.

Their signature brunch item—one that dates back to a couple of years ago when Nosh was Krish—features perfectly poached eggs dressed with coconut curry hollandaise, a sweeter, Southeast Asian-inspired riff on the classic. The experience culminates when molten yolk lava meets the no-nonsense crab cakes—crisp patties of unadulterated crustacean goodness—on the perfect canvas that is the beautifully-toasted, chewy English muffin.

PS.Cafe's best-seller is now available in half portion! Or at least I've only just discovered so ☺️ Its winning formula: Evenly-truffled on every crisp spud, and that mountain of Parmesan. I highly recommend complementing this with fragrant Tom Yum Aioli (additional $2) to amp up the experience.

At a glance, Souperstar looks like a Soup Spoon spin-off, but a closer look at the extensive menu reveals an interesting, well-thought out concept that's sure to fly. Seriously. From hearty soups, salads, sandwiches, bread baskets, to POPIAH. The latter four items can be ordered a la carte or paired with soups to form a set. There's even a category dedicated to stews – specifically Asian style, think Braised Beef Brisket, Black Pepper Chicken, and Thai Red Curry Chicken, all served with three-grain rice and mini salad.

I zoomed in straight to the Soup + Popiah combo, of which you can choose to go Solo (Medium sized at $6.5) or Ban Ban (Two half portions at $8). Out of the seven soups, I chose the Classic French Onion and Creamy Tomato Basil. Both were absolutely delicious. The Onion one was simmered with herbs and white wine and was naturally sweet, flavourful, and very more-ish. It also came with a buttery cheese crouton, perfect for soaking up the goodness. Tomato was mouthwateringly delicious, infused with sweet basil to balance out the tanginess of crushed tomatoes.

And the popiah. Ermergerddd I can't stress enough how genius of an idea this is. Made with 100% handmade popiah skin, you can choose from the Traditional (with the works), or modern interpretations like Sesame Chicken, Sweet Thai Chicken, and Seafood Wasabi Mayo. The popiah was expertly rolled and didn't fall apart easily—kudos to the well-trained staff. Taste-wise, it was spot on and very well-balanced. It's quite like Qiji but less sweet. I dare say it's even better than most of them out there. My only gripe was the popiahs were served whole, a la burrito-style, which I didn't like so I'd requested for them to slice it the proper way. Yeah, I do treat my popiahs very seriously.

Stepping into the beautiful colonial-style bungalow is like entering a friend's tastefully decorated home. From cosy sofa spaces to long tables for communal-style dining, this place makes a great spot for intimate dates and group gatherings.

Supposedly good for two but was more than sufficient for four. Beef cheek was cooked down to tenderness in a lip-smacking aged balsamic sauce, but still retaining its fleshy bite. The provision of dark chocolate shavings, served on the side, is sheer genius. It lent a subtle sweetness to the beefy stew, and gently balanced out the tartness of balsamic. Perfect with crusty bread.

The former doesn't have the honeyed sweetness (thankfully) that one normally associates char siew with, but it is one flippin' tasty ragout.
#burpple #redpansg #comfortfood

Now we can get our favourite food fads here as well. Thai milk tea at $2.50, churros at $4 (though taste-wise it needs more improvement), and this Taiwanese-inspired golden baked potato at $5. Slightly pricier 'cos this is the works -- sausage, ham, bacon bits, corn, pineapple, and chopped broccoli drowned in nacho cheese ❤️ #burpple #foodspotting #pasarmalam

Need to return for those fluffy potato burger buns and on point waffles (love the Truffle Jalapeño Mac & Cheese and Black Sesame ones most!), stat. #burpple #foodspotting @montanasingapore

Nowadays, you can "salted egg" just about anything and everything. It's addictive flavour has gotten us so enamoured that we fall prey to these newfangled creations every.single.time.

The creamy salted egg dip was rich and deeply savoury, while the onion rings were coated in a tasty batter that tasted good on its own. This dish would've been perfect if the onion rings hadn't turned soggy so quickly. The takeout box presentation is cute but did the dish no favours. All that trapped moisture took all the fun out of these erstwhile crispy rings.

So smooth, creamy, and rich; I hummus couldn't maintain.

It was a tie between this and that gorgeous green tahini dip - both deliciously mopped up with a thick, fluffy pita.