All posts filed under: Reviews

Food Review: Trattoria da Mimmo

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In between Bishan and Marymount MRT lies Trattoria Da Mimmo. It is an Italian Restaurant with humble beginnings and traditional classics sandwiched between industrial and residential areas. Its interior is a more homely, family-styled setup with alfresco like decor (but indoors of course). After settling down and ordering the dishes, our appetizers soon came. First up was the Burrata E Parma, (S$32.00) which is essentially Burrata Cheese and Parma Ham. Simple and yet absolutely delicious. The extremely creamy and milky flavours from the cheese paired with the saltiness of the Parma ham was absolutely wonderful. Next up was the Fritto Di Calamari (S$20.50) or also known as Calamari. The batter wasn’t too thick and it was nicely fried – crispy on the outside and chewy inside. It was also nicely seasoned with a dash of salt. The Focaccia Romana E Pomodorini was pizza bread topped with herbs and tomatoes (S$11.50), was served soon after. A very simple dish with subtle sweet and salty flavours. The Rucola R Parma (S$27.50) is a classic parma ham and arugula pizza. …

Food Review: Yakiniku Dining Shimei, Shimada – 成しま島田駅前店

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Nestled in the city of Shimada, Shizuoka prefecture, is a hidden yakiniku gem that sells high quality beef. We were excited to taste how heavenly a Kuroge Wagyu can be. There are four breeds under the Wagyu tree – Kuroge Washu, Kassyoku Washu, Nihon Tankakushu, and Mukaku Washu. Out of the four, Kuroge Washu (Japanese Black) holds the crown and is renowned for its buttery melt-in-your-mouth texture of Grade A5, Japan’s highest possible rating. Upon entering this cosy yakiniku restaurant, my first impression was that they take pride in their beef as we were greeted by a few trophies and certifications upon entering. We were shown to our own private BBQ room with seat warmers. What we liked about the BBQ machine is that the suction smoke exhaust was placed directly above the grill fence, and therefore actually sucks in majority of the smoke. We ordered a portion of beef shoulders, beef tongue, beef loin, pork belly, and of course two sets of Kuroge Wagyu Sirloin. Although the staff could not understand English, they were …

Food Review: Platypus Kitchen

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Platypus Kitchen is located at one of the corners of Bugis Junction. It has a modern, woodish look but its seats were like ‘moving’ booths when we sat on them. As we were around the area during lunch time, we thought it will be a good idea to try their special set menus. Our dining experience turned from average to a disaster….. Their soup of the day was broccoli and spinach. Its taste was better than the dull coloured look. It was nicely seasoned but a bit on the peppery side. Before we even managed to finish our starters, the laksa risotto came. Upon tasting it we felt that the rice was definitely under cooked, as the outside of the rice was soft but the inside was still hard. However, the staff insisted that they cooked the risotto to ‘al dente’. The prawns left much to be desired as they had a very strong frozen taste. Next, the sandwich was served. On the menu it stated, it would come with rye bread but instead it came with …

Food Review: Winestone @ Mercure Singapore on Stevens

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If you’ve been following us for a while, you would know that we love trying different foods and cuisines. So when we learned of Winestone, we were excited to try out their food as they serve a fair selection of Mediterranean dishes. Since opening its doors on the 22nd of January 2018, it has been an up and coming dining spot for couples and families alike. It is one of the many pods in the Oxley cluster surrounding Mercure and Novotel on Stevens. Winestone is aptly named as the name is derived from two prominent factors when dining at the establishment; they have a wide selection of wines and many of their meals are served on stone boards. Housing Mercure’s morning breakfast during the day, Winestone breaks off into an independent dining concept of its own after noon. We ordered a variety of different dishes to be shared amongst everyone on the table. To start, we were served an assortment of bread, such as their dark rye sour khubz and mini ciabatta bread, set above …

Hotel Review: Dougashima Hotel Tenyu – 絶景の宿堂ヶ島ホテル天遊

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Over the past few years, Japan has had growing popularity as a travel destination. They’re known for their culture, food, and sights. One element that plays a big role in the entire Japan experience would be staying in a Ryokan. A Ryokan (旅館) is a type of traditional Japanese inn that has existed since the eighth century A.D., during the Keiun period. They are difficult to find in Tokyo and other large cities because many are more expensive compared to hotels. A main criteria people usually look out for while staying in a Ryokan would be authenticity. Dougashima Hotel Tenyu is situated in a town called Nishi-Izu, under Shizuoka Prefecture. The first impression I had upon arrival was beyond words! The hotel staff were hurrying out to the car park upon seeing our vehicle enter the hotel compound (via CCTV). They welcomed us warmly and offered to valet our car while we proceeded to check-in.   We booked the Japanese Superior Room which is very spacious and big enough to comfortably fit a family of four. The room was also clean and tidy. The view from …

Beauty Review: Pixi Nourishing Sleep Mask

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I was scrolling through Sephora’s phone app one day, when this Nourishing Sleep Mask caught my eye! The idea behind the Nourishing Sleep Mask is that it is used as the last step of your nighttime routine to “seal in” the products that you applied before it, like your serums and moisturiser. It provides a nutrient-rich veil of moisture while you sleep. The formula is packed with fatty acids to plump and regenerate, strengthening arganine , and fruit & flower oils to deeply soothe your skin. The treatment is supposed to leave your skin feeling silky-smooth to the touch and looking more plump. And the cherry on top? It’s paraben free too! So OF COURSE I had to put it to the test! (Can I still say… #IDidItForTheBlog?) I was excited to try this out as it was an opportunity for me to pamper my skin without having to put in that much effort. So here’s my first impression of the product… The smell was pleasant and nothing too overpowering. For some reason, I thought that it …

Food Review: Canopy @ Bishan-AMK Park, Singapore

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Nestled among the lush greenery of Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park is Canopy Garden Dining. It is located at the part of the park between Bishan Road and Marymount Road, near the car park entrance along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 (just after Ang Mo Kio Street 32). The location itself is peaceful and unassuming, making it a great form of getaway from the bustling city whilst remaining accessible. It certainly doesn’t hurt that they serve up a wide range of brunch offerings to appease a variety of cravings. They have an alfresco dining area which immerses patrons in a garden dining experience amidst the integrated park space. The day that we visited Canopy was rather hot, so we opted to dine indoors instead. The interior itself is decked out with full-length glass windows allowing a generous dose of natural light to shine in (making it perfect for photos!) whilst giving you a view of the surrounding greenery. To cool us down from the hot weather outside, we ordered the green mint Italian Soda (S$7) and …

Food Review: Brewerkz @ Riverside Point, Singapore

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Located in Clarke Quay along the Singapore River, Brewerkz has been serving authentic American cuisine since it was first established in 1997. The outlet has a great music playlist that gives off the perfect chill vibes for a good catch-up session with friends. Their high quality, award-winning craft beers also makes this microbrewery a popular spot for after-work drinks. We had the opportunity to try out some of the new lunch menu items at their Riverside Point outlet. Their set lunches are $16.50++ each and are available from 12pm – 3pm. The set comes with a choice of soup, Caesar salad, or house salad for starters, the main course, a soft drink and 1 scoop of homemade Chocolate, Vanilla, or Strawberry ice cream for dessert. And if you prefer a beer, you could always add $5++ for a pint of your choice! I don’t know about you, but I thought that it was quite a steal! We opted to have the soup for our starters. The Soup of the Day was Chicken Noodle Soup. Overall, …

Food Review: Tolido’s Espresso Nook @ Crawford Ln

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Tolido’s is a neat little cafe located along North Bridge Road. It has a rustic and industrial look whilst remaining cozy due to the small space inside.   We ordered the Rosti with Smoked Bratwurst (S$17). The Rosti itself was nice and crisp on the outside, lacking much flavour, but the Smoked Bratwurst definitely made up for it. Overall it was a balanced dish.   The Spaghetti Vongole (S$17) is loaded with clams. The noodles is cooked al dente and the sauce just has a nice kick to it and isn’t that spicy.   We of course ordered some coffee to go with our dishes, I got my hands on a Cappuccino (S$5.50). It was smooth, closer to the bitter side, but masked up by the milk. They do have a lunch time special where if you order a main, you just need to top up another S$2 for the drink!   Last but not least… Dessert!! Well, the choices on their menu itself wasn’t that great, so we took the Banana Almond French Toast …

Food Review: Salt Grill & Sky Bar @ Ion Orchard, Singapore

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Salt Grill & Sky Bar is located on the 55th floor of Ion Orchard. It has an amazing view over the city and you could definitely say “you were dining in the clouds”. During lunch time, they serve a 3-course set menu. For starters, we ordered the Organic Free-Range Egg Crab Omelette, that came with Enoki Mushroom and Herb Salad, and a Miso Mustard Broth. It was a very nicely cooked omelette which was very light and smooth. The salad gives it a very fresh, earthy flavour. The miso broth was light and yet flavourful without being the main focus of the dish. We also had the Steak Tartare, with Confit Egg Yolk, Charcoal Aioli, and Stout Crisps. This was an amazing dish, it was very smooth and had a very similar texture and taste as raw fish. The stout crisps gave a nice crunch to it as well. The dish was nicely seasoned. Usually, chicken dishes are rather boring and not that great. But the Corn-Fed Chicken Breast, with Foie Gras and Truffle Farce, …