Crab Set Go - Hearty Good Food

Enjoying crabs in a frills-free, chilled environment sounds like a great idea to me since it means more wallet-friendly bills while enjoying this delicious premium crustacean. And I found such place in the name of Crab Set Go, set in the quiet, somewhat historic building of 2 Havelock.

The price of the crabs is so affordable that I want to immediately order some without even feeling a pinch on my wallet. But since I have something on later and was with someone, I go for the other faster options available from the menu. There are soft-shell crabs dishes, for some briny goodness of crab at super affordable prices, American style appetizers, various pasta dishes and grilled dishes.

The food here is very flavourful and hearty, especially the Grilled Sakura Pork. I’m so surprised a humble-looking restaurant in a super humble-looking building can serve such awesome grilled food.

And given the nice homely service here, I’m definitely be back to try the main star here: the crabs!

Update: Yes, I'm back for the crab. And it is so fantastically good. This is my top place to go for crabs!

The crab is so big, fleshy and packed with briny goodness. And I love it that there are different options of sauce to choose from, from Chilli Crab, Buttermilk to Laksa. I opt for Buttermilk, which is creamy and zesty, goign so swell with the crab meat. And all the tools needed to crack open the crab are provided, plus gloves, apron and wet wipe. So my hands stay nice and clean 👐 This is so highly recommended.

And the deep fried fluffy sweet buns is perfect to enjoy with the crab sauce.

Grilled Sakura Pork is so juicy and tender, with an iota of firmness for a good bite. The slightly charred exterior juxtaposing with the juicy core makes me go, “Excellent texture!” The taste is great too, being packed with flavours. A must-order here.

Tom Yum Soft-Shell Crab Pasta is unique, in a good way, where it actually tastes refreshing and creamy at the same time. The aroma of lemongrass, the zest and the slight spiciness lift up the creaminess of pasta. Soft-shell crab is soufflé-crispy and briny sweet, going well with the pasta.

Crispy Onion Rings, with the light lovely pungency of onions, go so well with the cheese sauce.

Thoughts: A Good Place to enjoy Good Hearty Meals at a Good Price

2 Havelock Road

#01-02

Misato - Quality Japanese Food made with Passion

I’m back at Misato, a Japanese restaurant famous for food crafted and made with love, and the boss’ singing videos on Misato’s social media. Relocated to Orchard Gateway, the venue is slighter larger, with the exact same decor and feel as the previous location at Centrepoint. The food here is still as good, featuring hearty, robust flavours yielded from quality Japanese ingredients and condiments. And the service crew is as friendly and warm as ever.

I’m not exactly a Donburi person but I absolutely love the Wagyu Donburi here, which is served in a hot Japanese claypot to ensure every bite is piping hot. The medium rare beef is so tender, juicy, meaty and sweet that every bite makes me feel so blissful. The meat tastes and feels so luxurious, when paired with the smooth starchy Japanese rice, tastes so comforting. A must-order here.

The Corn Soup pleasantly surprises me how incredibly sweet it is, with laces of savoury goodness. A dash of pepper makes it even more exciting and lifts up the creamy sweetness. Best corn soup? Yes!

The signature Okonomiyaki here is packed with lots of goodies, such as cabbage, mayo and bonito flakes, yielding a taste that packs lots of punches. The texture is excellent too, where the custardy core juxtaposes so well with the crunchy cabbage and slightly crispy exterior.

I order Grilled Mochi because I’m simply curious on its taste. Grilled mochi is more chewy after grilled, but is still easy to bite, completed with a layer of char for extra dimension in taste. My favourite part of this dessert is actually the matcha soup with red bean. The clear astringent, slightly bitter taste of matcha is perfect match with the earthy sweetness of the red bean.

The Lemongrass drink here is loaded with most amount of the aromatic herbal goodness of lemongrass. Even more concentrated than the lemongrass drinks in Thai restaurants! This is definitely, 100%, the best lemongrass drink.

Thoughts: Comforting Excellent Food, with no Holding Back

Orchard Gateway #B1-11

Harry’s Boat Quay - Great Watering Hole

A comedy show takes me to Harry’s Boat Quay, a quaint, cosy watering hole right by the river! Walking along Boat Quay, which is beside the river, is quite an experience in itself. Feeling the light breeze by the river, the bustling crowd and the rows of restaurants housed in heritage buildings, it incites a different kind of feeling.

And Harry’s fits right into the vibe of Boat Quay. It is this cool pub with dark wood interior and yellow lights to give off the chill, cosy, stylish bar feel. Along with TV showing football matches, it is absolutely great for chilling and relaxing.

The food is tasty, with lots of classics such as Aglio Olio, Pizzas, French Fries, Wings, Sausages and even Satay! There are also Mexican options, like Nachos, to perk things up.

The service is good, being friendly and helpful. I enjoy my outing here.

Aglio Olio here is given a twist with the addition of Japanese Furikake, which works. The spaghetti is smooth and of al dente texture. The generous amount of prawns are so bouncy and juicy in texture. 

Beer Battered Prawns is so crispy on the outside, contrasting so well with the bouncy texture of the prawns. A very delightful snack.

Mojito to enjoy with the comedy show

Sparkling Apple Juice with chamomile is actually very good and refreshing.

Thoughts: Awesome place to chill, relax and enjoy some good food

28 Boat Quay

Gyoza King - Nice Hearty Japanese Meal

While I love the experience of setting my eyes on a restaurant, make a reservation and look forward to dining at the pace with great anticipation, there is also fun in just walking around and deciding on a whim which restaurant to step into. Gyoza King, located at the corner of Orchid Hotel and having the breadth of a HDB bed room, is at such a hidden spot that I almost miss it. I only realise that there is a restaurant here when I take a second look to see the words "Gyoza King" on the cloth curtain at the entrance.

Yes, I got curious and take a look at the order slip placed on the door. The moment I see "Prawn Gyoza", which is really something different, I know I'm in on this.

For a plate of 5 gyoza, a bowl of rice, miso soup and 2 side dishes, the fixed price of $13.50 is a steal. I'm surprised by the good quality of the food given the low price point of Gyoza King set meal.

With this kind of price, not much can be expected from ambience though. Still, I enjoy my meal here since the food is yummy.

The dough skin of the gyoza is paper thin, yet able to hold lots of filling that includes springy prawn cubes. The gyoza here has very good bite.

Fried Tofu with Tan Tan sauce is so flavourful, having the earthy flavour of sesame and the spiciness of chilli oil. And I like the contrast in texture between the silky soft tofu and the crispy deep fried exterior.

I like Deep friend Prawns with Mayonnaise a lot too.

Miso soup

Interesting Wasabi Ginger Ale. Very refreshing, but no taste of wasabi though.

The practical order slip, which makes for efficient serving.

Thought: A great place to have great hearty meal without hurting the wallet.

1 Tras Link

Orchid Hotel #01-15

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar

Nick Vina Artisan - A slice of German Bread Culture

I came to know about Nick Vina Artisan from my German teacher (Hallo, lieber Lehrer!) who is a fan of this place, so I got to visit this unique bakery to immerse myself more in German culture.

There are so many different kinds of bread here, like Roggenbrot, Volkorn, Dinkelbrot, Ciabatta, German Rye Bread, Pain Miche, Sourdough and more. I'm a bit lost on which one to try actually.

As the popular Sour Dough bread is sold out, I decide on French Batard, which is made from sourdough.

The sweet aroma of baked wheat is so pronounced in the French Batard. My whole kitchen is filled with a light tint of this lovely aroma when I leave it on the shelf for few hours. When ready to enjoy this quaint little bake, I slice it up and put it in oven to toast it for a crunchy bread rim and warm, fluffy, soft, stretchy interior. Delicious on its own, and is, of course, awesome when paired with chucks of butter, garlic butter or garlic butter mixed with sour cream. I finish half a loaf in a flash and feeling very sated afterwards.

Lemon Tart is packed with the zesty punch of real lemons, so this will definitely win the hearts of lemon fans. The pastry crust is surprisingly firm yet easy to bite at the same time, which is all good for me. Caramel Tart is sticker in texture and tends towards the sweet side. It is not bad but not as memorable as the Lemon Tart. Meringue has a crusty exterior with sticky foamy core, making for an interesting texture. I actually like Apple Crumble Tart the most despite being skeptical about it at first. This is like the beloved Apple Pie, warm and satisfying.

Frosting Carrot Cake is a intense homely treat filled with rich cream cheese frosting, moist, dense cake filled with the goodness of cinnamon, raisins, crunchy walnuts and carrots. Best to share this since it can be quite filling.

The bread here is so delicious, and the price is actually unbelievably kind on the wallet. A big loaf of French Batard made with GMO winter wheat from German Hildesheim Börde region is only $4.50! Will be trying other breads here soon.

Thoughts: The breads here can actually make a fulfilling and yummy meal.

12 Gopeng St
#01-54/55 Icon Village

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar

Tokyo Soba - Simple Happiness

Actually, I go to ICON Village for the sole purpose of getting some Nick Vina Artisan Brötchen to savour for lunch. But surprise, surprise, the bakery happens to be off today, right on the day I decided to come here. So I end up going to Alice Boulangerie since I love this cafe based on my previous visit. But before going into the cafe, the corner of my eyes caught a simple but eye-catching signboard "Tokyo Soba". And acting on pure gut instincts, I step into this humble little soba restaurant.

Everything here is self-service, from finding a seat, making payment, getting the food and putting back the used tray. So imagine me standing at the entrance for a minute, waiting to be ushered to a seat, only to realise it's all self-service lol.

The food here is way more than enough to make up for the lack of service and ambience. In addition, there is no service charge. Yes, the food is so simple yet so delicious. I feel that simple happiness, you know, the type shown in Japanese series about food, when chomping on the soba, tempura, ramen egg and spinach here.

First, the freshly handmade soba is perfect in texture, being al dente, yet easy to bite on. The light aroma of buckwheat is a magical match with the planty spiciness of wasabi, the pungency of finely chopping onion and the savoury noodle dipping sauce. I fall in love at the first bite of this comfort food.

More feelings of bliss arose when I bite into the umami rich ramen egg. This is a must add-on for the soba.

The prawn tempura features super crispy batter wrapped around fresh, juicy prawns. These are really excellent tempura.

The spinach soaked in yuzu sauce is soft and is thoroughly soaked with the essence of tangy yuzu. This is such a good accompaniment to the al dente soba in terms of texture and taste.

The Japanese yam has interesting texture, being stretchy and starchy. Taste wise, it is not exactly outstanding but one can order this for trying something with a unique texture.

I did not plan to write a note on food this week, but I end up writing one with the excitement of someone stumbling upon gold. This unassuming little restaurant is such an awesome surprise find. Considering that it is absolutely value for money. I will go back often.

Thoughts: Happiness in Simplicity!

12 Gopeng Street

#01-12/13/14 ICON Village

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar

Brine Restaurant - Contemporary Singaporean Cuisine, Nostalgic and Beautiful Taste

Closed

Upon knowing about Brine, a restaurant helmed by local chef, I immediately note down this place into my Wishlist. I had assumed that the dishes here will be European with a bit of Asian touches, and the dishes totally surprise me regarding this, and in a very good way.

The dishes here are distinctively Singaporean, prepared in European style and elevated with complex flavours. They invoke the nostalgia, yet at the same time manage to be unique in taste. I really love the dishes, they exceed my expectations.

The place, at the first glance, looks more like a nice, modern minimalist cafe. In fact, I asked if it's Brine when I first stepped in 😂. But when I look around the place, I realise that there is a mini art gallery in this! At one side of the place, pottery art pieces and hand made glassware populate the tables and shelves there. This is so cool. All of them were made by the owner and for sale. Needless to say, I take lots of pictures of the art gallery.

The service is very good too. The young lady staff is very friendly and is fast to response to requests.

The second Battered Cauliflower is served, I immediately catch the lovely familiar whiffs of pepper and spices sprinkled over the crispy batter coating each mildly sweet cauliflower. Lots of subtle flavours packed into the cauliflower, and it tastes even more exciting when eaten with the mashed duqqa  for the extra kick in flavour and mashed hummus for the earthy, nutty element. I also love the crunchy roasted brussel sprouts, which is so good to bite on.

Knife Cut Noodles with buttered crab is so delicious. I love the texture of the special knife cut noodles, which is flat, curly and a bit springy. This is different from the usual noodles, and knife cut noodles are not exactly easy to find in Singapore. Hints of spiciness from the chilli and tangy flavour from the lemon juice makes this dish such a delight to savour. And best of all, I find chucks of briny sweet crab among the noodles. Two thumbs-up for the generosity in adding lots of crab meat. Caviar and Ikura are pops of essence of the ocean that add more umami goodness to the dish. A must-try.

Another must-try is Coconut noodles, laksa leaf jelly, kaffir lime meringue. I swoon in pure bliss when tucking into this dessert full of South East Asian flavours. The pungency of laksa leaf actually works beautifully in this dessert, complementing the tart taste of kaffir lim and the mild milky nutty flavour of coconut noddles. And the textures of this dessert is awesome due to the crispy meringue, springy noodles, crunchy sugar-coated peanuts and sorbet+jelly consistency of laksa leaf jelly.

Brine Restaurant is not just any good restaurant, it is a restaurant that serves up very good, unique food that showcases the essence of local food. It is full of passion and vision. I'm so into this place after an outing here. I look forward to come here again.

Thoughts: So Singaporean, So Awesome

This place is no longer in operation