Invited Tastings

[TANJONG PAGAR, SINGAPORE] Among the many Korean restaurants in the area, you will find @sodamkbbq which serves up a variety of Korean dishes to satisfy your cravings!

From the many different kbbq sets to choose from, the pork and beef set for 3-4 people 🥩 ($148) had alot of varieties of food! From the different cuts of beef and pork, to the soup and pancake, the amount of food is definitely enough. Among the different cuts of meat, the beef short ribs trumped with its marbling and juicy tender bites. The pork belly and collar were decent but they might have been abit overcooked.

We had an additional order of Naengmyeon 🍜 ($18) and Popcorn Chicken 🍗 ($18) and the popcorn chicken reminded me alot of the street fried chicken I've had in a cup in Korea. The batter stayed crispy throughout the meal and the tteok was satisfyingly chewy! The Naengmyeon's noodle was chewy but soup could have been deeper!

Thank you @sodamkbbq for the invite! Food is decent and we liked how the staff will help to cook the meats on another grill!

Everyone, @fook.kin hands down has the best char siew I've had. Be prepared to be treated with delicious roasted meats and local dishes that will make you come back for more! We had a variety of their top sellers and new dishes and all of us had nothing but praises for them 😍

While you're here, you have to get their Mixed Meat Platter ($30.50 for medium). Their char siew was so tender and succulent, and it was very well marinated with the perfect blend of sweet and savoury. With a slight smokiness, you have to dip in their sauce for extra oomph! The roasted pork was also very well executed, with a very light crispy crackling and succulent tender meat.

Their new menu consists of a variety of curry bee hoon, and I liked their Treasure Wok Hei Curry Bee Hoon ($13.80) the best. Nothing like their excellent roasted meats in a thick aromatic curry. You can also taste the wok hei in the noodles! For the price, the portion is really generous too. Be warned, it has quite a chilli kick!

Another side dish you have to get is their Sweet and Sour Pork Gems ($16.50). You can never go back to eating your usual sweet and sour pork again. The batter was still crispy and it was so meaty and tender within! I wished I had the whole plate to myself 😂

Definitely coming back here again with friends or my family. Thank you @fook.kin for the invite!

@panuozzo.sg may seem like an unassuming eatery, but the halal Italian fare here is pretty good 😍 we tried both their pizza and pasta and we loved both of them!

Their Truffle Pizza with Meatballs ($24) had so much truffle fragrance! Each bite had a bold flavour of truffle, mushroom and cheese that was really satisfying 😍 Do go for their meatball option, as the meatballs were quite meaty and juicy and complemented the white sauce well! As for their pizza dough, it was the chewy kind and I liked the crust. Do share this with more people as it can get surfeiting towards the end.

Their Pesto Pasta with Prawns ($16) was also another hit 😍 the fusilli pasta was al dente, and were well coated with the rich pesto sauce. The pesto sauce was so bold in flavour, with nutty aromatic notes coming through strongly! The basil within was strong and slightly minty as well. Prawns were snappy and fresh too.

The Onion Rings ($8) were decent and crispy, though it was nothing much to shout out about.

Definitely coming back for their pesto pasta as a pesto lover 😍 thank you @panuozzo.sg for inviting!

[1 FOR 1 BRUNCH FOR SEPTEMBER BABIES] A cafe right smack in the heart of the Clark Quay area, @homedawn.sg has an extensive menu full of brunch and Asian fusion options. We tried several of their dishes and some of them were pretty decent. They have an ongoing promotion till the end of Sep 2024 where if your birthday falls in Sep, the entire table can enjoy 1 for 1 brunch! Here's what we had:

Homie's Brekkie ($25) - this is a standard fare for most brunch places, and I'm glad that this place did the scrambled well. There's a variety of ingredients so this would definitely turn out to be filling!

Bulgogi Pizza ($32) - their pizza crust is completely crispy, and may work out for some people. I personally liked it, due to its contrast with the soft cheese and beef slices within. Quite beefy but definitely would be happier with more ingredients inside.

Black Pepper Crab Udon ($22) - Now for their Asian fare, this is good for the black pepper lovers. With a strong kick of black pepper flavour, the udon was slurp worthy with a slightly al dente texture. Soft Shell Crab was crispy but can be abit salty!

Iced Latte ($6.50) and Iced Coconut Latte ($7.50) - their coffee here was just lovely, especially the 2 mentioned here. Their Iced Latte was rich and nutty, very aromatic and was so satisfying! As for their Coconut Latte, I love how the coconut flavour was not artificial and did not overpower the coffee as well. Both complemented each other well 😍

With a spacious environment, it's a great place for couples as well as families. This is a duo concept too and this cafe will turn into a bar with live performances at night 😍 The live band performance will also happen on the 1st weekend of every month during brunch time! Hurry the 1 for 1 offer is ending this month!

Not new to their quality Taiwanese dishes, I tried more of @8degreesatsg 's options and I was wow-ed by some of them 😍

The Scallion Oil Chicken Rice ($6) got my friend looking at me in disbelief 😂 it was so flavourful and had so much umami flavours that I just couldn't stop! Honestly, I think I can eat another bowl as it was just that good! The chicken itself can be a little tough but not much of a concern.

The braised pork belly rice ($7) was the standard Taiwanese fare. Filled with tender fatty pork belly, this was not too salty and quite comforting.

Among the sides we got, the Marinated King Oyster Mushroom ($6) would be my go-to order. You really can't go wrong with such aromatic and flavourful chilli oil. So addictive!

To cool off the heat, the Wintermelon with Lemon ($4.90) would be a good choice due to its citrusy flavours. 0 sugar worked best for me as it was already slightly sweet!

Thank you @scalecollab.sg for inviting and @8degreesatsg for the food. Can't wait to be back!

Easties rejoice, as @thehainanstory has come even closer to the east as they open a new outlet in Tampines Mall. With an extensive menu of dishes that is only exclusively available here in this outlet, we indulged in the many dishes they have to offer!

Mama Wee Curry Chicken Drumsticks Set ($11.80) was a good representation of the quintessential Hainan cuisine of curry rice. The curry was aromatic and flavourful and had quite a kick! I loved how the chicken was marinaded deep enough, and it was tender as well. Add in the sambal for an extra kick!

The Hainanese Creamy Cheese House Made Pork & Shrimp Patty Bagel ($18.80) was actually our favourite dish. The patty was tender yet so flavourful with spices used, and the bagel itself was chewy. Loved how the cheese was also topped with onions, which gave so much additional flavour! However, it was slightly too pricey in our opinion.

How can we leave without trying their Toasted Kaya Bun ($2.60)? For the soft bun, it was slightly crispy on the outside with a soft centre and had adequate flavour from the creamy rich Gula Melaka Kaya. We did prefer the traditional toast indeed, as it had a better bread to spread ratio. Loved how it was so crispy too!

Definitely coming back for more! Thank you @wanwaiwen for inviting, @doudou.eats for joining us and @thehainanstory for feeding us!

Love your spice and authentic Chinese food? @lahongdian_hotpot.sg will be able to satisfy your cravings! We had a variety of dishes and as much as they were delicious, they left a fiery kick in our mouths too 😂

The Dry Pot Pork Ribs ($49.90) came in quite a heaping portion, with loads of tender pork ribs. They were well braised with savoury flavours and were incredibly spicy too! There was some pork smell though it got manageable due to the spices used.

Their Spicy Chicken Cubes ($28) was simply fantastic, as the pieces were not only meaty but crispy too! Interestingly, the flavour profile was of a sweet savoury mix which made it addictive. Spicy too!

Century Egg with Green Peppers ($15) is a good choice for sharing as well. The chilli mix on top was really addictive, due to the garlic used!

For vegetables, the Stir Fried Shredded Cabbage ($15) was executed well, with chilli and mala spices infused into them. Each bite was quite a burst of flavour, unlike the usual veggie fare!

Most of the food items we tried were quite spicy, definitely not for the small spice fans! Their food quality is still good, worth a try 😄 thank you @lahongdian_hotpot.sg for inviting and the food!

Recently tried @toriyamasg 's yakitori and I must say many of them were splendid 😍 Although they can be a little pricey, the sticks came with huge chunks of meat which were very inviting. One of my favourites got to be their Salmon ($6), as it was so well seasoned and well grilled. It was meaty, tender and just an irresistible bite. Their Eggplant Miso ($5) was interesting too, as it had a sweet savoury marinade and was cooked through without being slimy. Non-eggplant fans will still love them!

Their mains were decent, but nothing to shout out about. I believe it's best to come here just for some good yakitori and mains! Location wise it's quite near the hipster Tiong Bahru area. Thank you @foodleaguesg for inviting and @toriyamasg for the food!

Korean BBQ restaurants are in abundance here in Singapore, but I really think @hanjip.sg is a cut above due to its meat quality as well as its consistency in food quality among varying types of dishes. Yes prices might be abit higher than other places, but food quality is really good here! It was so hard to choose favourites, but here are my top picks:

USDA Prime Rib-eye from the Hanjip Platter ($188) - the platter may be quite pricey, but it's quality meat you're getting. The rib-eye was my favourite, as the grilling was done so well as our steak was perfectly medium rare with a smoky crust on the outside. Biting into a piece with salt unleashes an explosion of flavours, and it was so tender too!

Marinated Pork Collar from the Hanjip Platter - soft, sweet and savoury, this was exactly the quality I got when I had the same dish in Korea. Perfect with kimchi and saam!

Beef Short Ribs Stew ($35) - the flavour of the soup was incredibly deep and it was telling of how long they cooked the beef bones for. The short rib pieces were thick, meaty and very tender as well. This is one very well executed soup dish.

Soy Korean Fried Half Chicken ($30) - never thought they can do fried chicken well too. The batter was light and crispy and the inside was tender and juicy. The marinade penetrated deep into the meat, and I loved the garlic soy sauce on the outside as well. So satisfying!

Do pair your food with @chorongchorong.official
's soju as they did not taste too artificial like other brands! Personally like them alot 😍
Let me share with you a special offer, if you reserve through CHOPE, they will be giving out complimentary plate of Wagyu beef brisket! Also, if you order anKorean BBQ restaurants are in abundance here in Singapore, but I really think @hanjip.sg is a cut above due to its meat quality as well as its consistency in food quality among varying types of dishes. Yes prices might be abit higher than other places, but food quality is really good here! It y set meals on weekend lunch, they will give a complimentary plate of Kurobuta Pork Belly! I've tried both and they were fantastic too 😍

Can't compliment this place enough. Can't wait for my next trip here!

If you have a spicy appetite, @xiaolongkansg would be a hotpot restaurant for you to consider. With incredibly spicy yet authentic mala soup base and chilli covered meats, you are bound to get your chilli craving fixed here!

The Mala broth itself was a little different in flavour as compared to other restaurants, as the natural flavour of the chilli is more pronounced. We ordered small spice and it had quite a kick already! The other half of the pot we had pork bone soup which was decent, not too flavourful but not too salty as well, even towards the end of the meal.

If you want spice on spice, the Hot and Spicy Beef is for you. Each piece was smoked and a huge amount of chilli flakes were pressed onto it. I mostly taste the natural flavour of chilli used; most Singaporeans may not be accustomed to eating like this but some may like it!

Their other meat options were decent, pork slices were fresh and tender.

Interestingly, my favourite dish among all we ordered was their fried mantou 😂 it was actually fried very well with a crispy outer crust and a fluffy inside without being too oily. Perfect with the condensed milk!

If you would like a good sauce to accompany your meats, I recommend you add their fragrant oil which comes in a plastic can. It reminded me of a mixture between sesame and shallot oil which was just bangin' 😍

A hotpot to consider if you want some spicy kick. Personally, I didn't quite appreciate the spice. Thank you @eatwithkeat for inviting and @foodspo.koh for joining us! Total including other meats like cuttlefish paste and prawns was about $150 for 4 pax.

If you are looking for some hearty Chinese dishes, @min_xiao_min is a relatively new restaurant that may be able to satisfy your cravings! We tried some of their speciality items and here were my favourites:

Fried Pork In Spring Rolls ($7.80) - I have eaten many Ngoh Hiang in my life, and these hit different 😍 they were very freshly fried, and the meat filling within was very meaty and flavourful. Definitely loved it with their sweet chilli sauce. Not sure if that's the original portion though, as its expensive for 2 rolls.

Tenderised Pork Knuckles in Vinegar ($18.80) - a classic Chinese dish, this was a good rendition. The meat itself was tender, and the skin and fat just melted in the mouth. It can get really rich and surfeiting, so it's best to get some rice for the gravy and share this dish.

Their dishes were definitely decent and worth a visit if you are nearby! Prices were relatively affordable too considering the Clarke Quay area. Thank you @foodleaguesg for the invite and @min_xiao_min for the food! Do follow them for updates!

Recently been to @modcafesg and we fell in love with the cozy vibe and I especially loved their desserts and coffee 😍

Their Lava Cake ($9.90) was simply a chocolate lover's dream, as it was so rich with quality chocolate flavours! This paired well with the aromatic vanilla ice cream! I also loved the crunchy almond slices too, as they were fresh and added another dimension of texture to the lava cake.

We also tried many of their savoury main and side options, and they were all decent, but my favourite is still their Eggdrop Toast ($7). This was so similar to my favourite egg toast in Korea 😍 the scrambled eggs were done right, as it was fluffy and creamy. Flavours were on point, with a sweet and savoury combination which just works. Definitely a brunch worthy dish, which I would get with coffee.

Speaking of which, I tried a bit of my friend's Mocha ($7.90) and I loved it! I wished I could have more of it but it was dinner time 😂 Not only was it rich and chocolatey, you can still taste the aromatic coffee notes as it gets more prominent towards the end of the taste profile. Definitely would be an enjoyable cuppa. Iced Matcha ($7.9) was decent.

Definitely a cafe I will come back for, especially for their coffee and desserts. Thank you @thatfoodadv for inviting and @modcafesg for hosting us! Do note that seats are quite limited here!