Leila - Exotic Delicious Tastes

Since I'm always up for unique experiences and gastronomic adventures, the restaurant Leila immediately caught my attention with cuisine from the Balkan region, which includes countries such as Lebanon, Greece, Albania, Croatia, Serbia and Turkey. So I was so looking forward to enjoying dishes with unique spices, lemons, tomatoes and olive oil.

The food here is truly unique, exotic and delicious in taste. Since Balkan region is where east meets west, the food here really reflects that. It feels like Greek cuisine meets Middle Eastern cuisine. And it totally works wonders.

The first thing I notice upon stepping into the restaurant is the upbeat hypnotic Middle Eastern instrumental music that fills the place with a modern mystic air. I love this. The sandy red walls, wooden panels, table lamps and candlelights accentuate the mystic Middle-Eastern feel. The bar counter, glassware and furniture injects the stylish modern vibe that matches perfectly with the Middle Eastern theme.

The thing that dampens my experience here is the bar counter seats and how my request is handled. I always like sitting at bar counter seats but this place is an exception because neither the bar counter seats here nor the bar counter have any foot rest. Sounds like minor thing? Nope, it’s major discomfort in which my feet are left dangling, I feel like I’m going to fall off if I lean too much to one side, and my legs go numb when I cross my legs. In fact, I feel so horrible that I quickly finish my meal to be spared of the agony. I’m expecting to dine in absolute comfort in such restaurant, but alas, I’m left disappointed by this area.

To make things worse, when I requested to change to a table seat, I was only offered an outdoor seat. If the restaurant is full house, then I totally understand why I cannot change my seat. But the 2 small table seats behind me were empty throughout my whole meal. In fact, there’s a couple seated at first at a table behind me, but they did not like it that it was near the dish counter and requested for a change, which the staff immediately acceded to. Imagine how I feel about the difference in reaction to the requests.

When I’m enquired on how’s everything, I just answer with a deadpan look, “Good.” That’s all. Because I’m not in the mood to elaborate like how I usually do when I love the food.

That aside, the service is good actually, putting some stars back into the service rating. Staff, like Delia and Erika, are very friendly, responsive and energetic. They even offer complimentary shots of cocktail to patrons and do the cheers with us, which really heightens the mood.

I also found out that there are Arabian Nights special on Thursdays, which sounds so exciting. I really want to go, but I’m not eager to experience that bar counter seat again.

All in all, a great place to enjoy unique delicious food in an unique setting full of mystic. But avoid the bar seats if you value comfort.

Green Chilli Shrimp: Meaty, plump, briny sweet prawns taste so awesome when paired with the exotic, spicy (the shiok type that refreshes your senses), slightly pungent green chilli sauce. The finely cubed cucumber and tomato is so juicy and refreshing in taste, brightening up the briny meatiness of the prawns. And I love it that the vegetables, being finely cubed, make for a good mouth feel and place the focus on the star of the dish: the prawns.

In fact, the sauce plus cubed cucumber and tomato are the best to go with the Kubana bread. This is my favourite dip of the night.

Pillowy, fluffy, fine texture, savoury crispy top, soufflé bottom … the Kubana Bread is so delicious, full of the sweetness of wheat. The Creamy Tahini dip is savoury, nutty and exotic. The crushed juicy Fresh Tomato dip is lightly seasoned, thus yielding this refreshing taste with a hint of tang. I prefer the stronger taste of Tahini at first but as I eat more of the bread, I start to prefer the light taste of tomato.

Kunafe is a must-try here and worth that special visit. It is so unique, full of textures due to the juxtapose of thin strands of crispy kataifi and crunchy toasted pistachio. The light wet fluffy Jibana Cheese is the magic for that savoury kick amid the sweetness of the dessert and the sweet aroma of rose.

Sweet Balkan Sunset

Thoughts: Unique, Exotic, Awesome Balkan cuisine

12 Lim Teck Road

Aniba - The Immersive Experience of Posh Mystique

North by Miznon brings me here! Since I absolutely love the robust, multifaceted flavours featured in Miznon, I’m all eager to try the food at Aniba, a Middle Eastern fine dining establishment, which is also under the same FnB group as Miznon. This is where mystique and modernity seamlessly blend together to create an unique, immersive experience like no others. I love this place!

The taste of the food here, with most of the dishes featuring fish as core ingredient, is so unique, exotic and enchanting. Every mouthful is full of many subtle, rich flavours that resemble the mysterious, exotic, rich culture of Middle East. I also love the good juxtapose of different textures presented in the dishes to make things more exciting.

The atmosphere is like no others: I feel like I’m being transported to Middle East, enhanced with the hip coolness of modern bar. Over the open kitchen is a stretch of stone wall with the illusion of hollow pockets of flames burning within, and at the opposite end is an arching rough stone wall engraved with huge Middle Eastern words. And with the candlelights dotted all around the restaurant, this feels so mysterious and culturally immersive. The touches of modern stylish poshness are added through the shelves of wine chillers, round bar counter with dancing lights, DJ booth, view of city through the windows and metallic ceiling with bronze scale-like surface.

The music here is also a highlight of the place. Yes, this is one of the few restaurants with music that totally hits the sweet spot, thus fitting seamlessly with the mood of the place, thanks to the DJ who is in the house on Saturdays. The mix of music with elements of Middle Eastern exotic charm and Techno actually sounds so good.

The service here is delightful: being friendly, thoughtful and professional. One even goes the extra mile to check if the mains meant for sharing can halved for me, a solo diner. I'm so impressed. And the recommendations on food and drinks are great too. The food, atmosphere, coupled with the service, cements this restaurant as one of my top choices to have a good time. 

Pani Puri is definitely one of my favourite dish because it showcases so many different layers of flavours and textures. The delicate buttery sweetness and firm texture of raw hamachi fish is highlighted by the the tang of candied mandarin, crispiness of the puri shell, refreshing mint and the cloud-like yogurt-yuzu foam. The most amazing part is that a floral sweetness actually manifests at the end that surprises me and makes me go, "Wow 😍!"

Crispy Cone filled with ocean trout tartare and quail's egg yolk is a lovely, creamy, savoury snack with hints of nutty sweetness of the raw trout fish.

Crispy Fatayer is creamy goodness with the nutty tang of feta and mild earthy sweetness of spinach. The magic comes in the shot of leeks & Hamusta soup, which is a Middle Eastern vegetable lemon broth. It is so refreshing, tangy and full of vegetal goodness, going so well with the fatayer. This dish is worth a try simply for this soup.

Recommended by the staff here, TLV Toastada is another must-try here. Varied textures from spiced waffled crisp, wild salmon ceviche, creamy charred avocado. And a myriad of flavours from simulating earthy wholesomeness, briny sweetness to vegetal buttery nutty goodness plus the spiciness and tart taste of the gazpacho shot. The taste is so exciting. Best of all, there is a beautiful layer of smokiness in taste making it even more complex and better.

Toro Yemenite Taco is like lightly seared toro steak with thin, fluffy soft pancake, and I love it. Lots of goodies added like lachurch, aioli, pickled celery, crispy shallot, pomelo and cilantro that a bite of this feels like a flood of multiple nuanced flavours teasing the palates. The toro, which is tuna belly, the most prized part of the fish, is of that wonderful melt-in-your-mouth texture, complemented excellently by the fluffiness of the taco. 

Lime Tart is the most beautiful tart I have ever seen thus far. I love it that it is totally different from the usual tart. The lemon custard and chantilly cream lined the ring of soft tart pastry, adorned with mint leaves and blueberries. Within the ring is a scoop of rosemary ice-cream to give that extra exotic oomph to the taste of the dessert. All the distinctive flavours are so well-balanced that I enjoy every bite of this dessert. Probably one of the best tarts.

White wine for the night

Fantastic fruity cocktail: Taste to Oasis

Ambience and mood made more amazing by the talented DJ of the night.

Thoughts: Amazing Experience of Mystique and Coolness

6 Battery Road #05-34

The Prince - Modern Cuisine of Mystique and Spices

I got interested in Middle Eastern cuisine many years ago since I kind of linked it to Indian cuisine, which I love. The association comes from the fact that both cuisines use lots of spices. But I didn’t get around to try it due to various personal reasons. So when I came to know about The Prince, I immediately jumped onto it to make a reservation. So goal finally met and I’m happy with it! By the way, the name "The Prince" reminds me of "Prince of Persia", which is very fitting for an Arabian restaurant.

The food here is delicious and so full of flavours. As mentioned above, there are lots of spices used in Middle Eastern food. In fact, the spices used here are very distinctive in flavours, being totally different from Indian spices. I love it nonetheless. And the food here has just the right amount of spices added to have the exotic tastes teasing the palates without overwhelming the tastebuds. I'm loving Middle Eastern cuisine already.

The interior of the restaurant is split into two areas. The one in front that is modern, stylish with a bar and subtle Arabian influences due to the florid Arabian patterns on the ceiling and murals, large dome-shaped ceiling lamps, dark wooden furniture and bronze trimmings on the tables. I can imagine how mystifying the restaurant will look at night when the candles lit up in the floor lamps placed around the restaurant. While the area hidden at the back is more formal and has this Middle Eastern Mystique due to the tapestry with Arabian calligraphy.

The service here is great, being responsive and friendly, making awesome recommendations since I have no idea what to order. I really enjoy dining here.

The House Baked Bread here is like flatbread with super fluffy interior that has slight chewy texture while being easy to tear. I love the texture and taste. The Cashew Hummus dip is so amazing in taste, featuring the harmonious concoction of savoury sweetness, nutty richness, creaminess, spiciness and exotic pungency. This is a must-try here.

Baby Squids sprinkled with ras el handout, an Arabian spice mix of cumin, peppercorn, ginger, tumeric and more, is so tender in texture and has this light briny sweetness made exciting by the spices. Another awesome thing about this dish is that each squid rind is coated with a paper thin crispy tasty batter for a nice crunch with the squid still in the spotlight. The pickled cauliflower makes for refreshing bites between savouring the deep fried squid rings. The special chilli sauce is a star also. It is so flavourful and is like no other chilli sauce.

Soft Shell Crab Benedict topped with eggs covered with harissa hollandaise is a very hearty treat. The bread slices beneath the huge whole soft shell crab are so soft, making it very easy to finish when paired with the perfectly cooked egg with runny yolk and jelly-like white, crispy soft shell crab with soufflé interior, and the special spicy cilantro sauce.

Rhubarb Berries Cobbler packed with cinnamon and warm, smooth pudding and crumbly strusel is so flavourful. The vanilla ice-cream adds the creaminess and moisture to this exotic, lovely dessert.

Nice refreshing cocktail

Thoughts: Exotic and Great Dining Experience

48 Peck Seah Street

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar

North by Miznon - Exciting Journey through the modern Middle East

I have to admit that while I’m excited about trying new cuisine, Israeli cuisine to be precise in this case, there is still a slight bit of trepidation there. Since I’m not sure if the taste of the food suits my palates and there is no menu on the website to know the selection of food. My worries prove to be unfounded when I take a look at the seasonal menu when in the restaurant. In fact, there are so many choices that I want to order at least four of them. But with my limited stomach, I decide on getting 2 dishes instead. And I totally happy with my choices!

The food here is so delicious and flavorful. In fact, there is lots of similarities between Israeli and Greek cuisine. Think olive oil, lemon and tangy cream. The difference is Israeli cuisine has the middle eastern herbs added for the extra oomph and mild pungency. So if you are into Greek cuisine, you will definitely like it here.

The place is like this rustic Middle Eastern tavern with the cement walls, geometric wood panels, soft yellow lights, sand-coloured tapestry and florid tiles. It feels so cosy with a light air of mystique.

Service is very good, helpful and friendly. At lunch, the dining experience here is great. At dinner, the dining experience is absolutely awesome.

By the way, push open the right side of the entrance door to enter since the left side is locked.

Octopus SHISHLIK! is simplicity at its best. The briny sweetness of grilled tender meaty octopus tentacle is accentuated by the simple addition of olive oil, lemon and herbs. Highly recommended.

Tiger Prawns wrapped in tomato seeds butter is another awesome dish of Miznon though it is only in the dinner menu. The prawns are so succulent, briny sweet with firm flesh. "Wrapped in tomato seeds butter", the extra light warm zest with richness of butter makes the prawns taste even better. And the sauce, rich in essence of the ocean and tomato, is perfect for going with the complimentary bread.

Every ribbon of fresh blue crab pasta is coated with the buttery briny flavour of crab. I’m really surprised by how flavourful and rich this seemingly plain looking pasta is. And hidden beneath the pasta is a huge mould of fresh, silky crab meat. There is so much crab meat added, I love it, and the best part is it is delicious.

Grilled Calamari resting in a potato with sour cream and herbs is love at first bite. Yes, with that first bite, I'm spellbound by the light briny goodness with zest, savoury taste, pungency of herbs, tangy creaminess of sour cream and earthy starchiness of potato. This is packed with so many flavours that I love it so much,

Complimentary fluffy soft bread served with sour cream dip with olive oil and herbs at lunch. A very interesting and refreshing bread spread, I like it. Salad à la Mediterranean style is different from the usual type since no lettuce added. Instead olives and onions take its place. I actually prefer this combination of veggies added.

The complimentary bread served at dinner is of another level as compared to its lunch counterpart. I can say it is worth it to specially come here for this bread. The special flatbread here has a delightful slightly chewy texture and is so unique in flavour,. Topped with sliced tomato and green chilli, the bread is full of exotic tastes, and this is amped up even more by the cilantro sauce paired with sour cream. Such a delight to savour this.

Desserts here do feel more like an afterthought instead of an integral part of the dining experience. Since despite the awesome selection of starters and mains, there is only dessert of the day available at lunch for desserts. Naked Chocolate Cake is full of rich, luscious goodness of chocolate with a lovely crispy top and tastes nice, but kind of ordinary and not really memorable.

NOTE: Desserts at dinner is a totally different beast! Lots of selection and the Mango Malabi is insanely good.

Mango Malabi is actually panna cotta in Israeli style. The pudding is so milky, smooth and silky. I love it.

Basque Cheesecake features this lovely char taste that complements the creaminess of the cheesecake so well. Another delightful dessert. 

Thoughts: Israeli Cuisine is now in my list of favourites!

110 Amoy Street

Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer