Reddy on Ramen Fever - Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King @ Paya Lebar Square

Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King is one of the 4 ramen concepts born from Chef Keisuke Takeda's first outlet of Ramen Dining Keisuke Singapore, and the other 3 being Tori King, Tonkotsu King Four Season and Tonkotsu King Matsuri. To add on to the already burgeoning list, Chef Keisuke also has a gyoza dining concept aptly named Gyoza King, Sake Bar Takeda Shoten and also (my personal favourite) Ginza Tendon Itsuki (click on the name to read up more on previous visits). As with most places with good food, there is usually a queue of hungry patrons waiting patiently for their turns. The queue does not get Ippudo-Crazy but ya, there is a queue. What I love about their ramen? The broth is good, yes, but I especially love the thinly sliced stir fried pork belly that garnishes each serving of the "King" option. And oh, for egg lovers? They have FOC hard boiled eggs to accompany your piping hot bowl of ramen - "free flow style"!

Tonkotsu Ramen "King" @ $12.90, add flavoured egg for $2.00 more

One Is Never Enough - Bonheur Pattiserie's (heavenly) Macarons

Too much sugar is bad for you. Like pfft, said who? You can never have too much of sugar, don't be silly. Unless you eat sugar by the mouthful whole day long and 7 days a week, then yea, you should be fine with the occasional sweet treats here and there. One of the huge misconception about macarons is - "It's too sweet!" Like no. If you have the right recipe, it can be the best-est tiny piece of heaven you can have! And by the way, life is so short, eat dessert first!

Eye pleasing soothing shades of pastels. And they taste as good as they look

Ice Cream Man

(**Sung to the tune of Muffin Man**)

"Oh, do you know the ice cream man,

The ice cream man, the ice cream man,

Oh, do you know the ice cream man,

That lives on Drury Lane?"

Yes, the traditional Ice Cream Man who used to come by with a motorcycle modified to add on a "freezer" cart, has now gone up a notch by going around in a colourfully decorated van with sparkling LED lights. Moving ahead with the times to say the least :) Well this Ice Cream Man seems to be an Auntie and Uncle team - the Uncle blares the horn to reel in the crowd while the Auntie does the serving. The have the potong type of ice cream and they also offer some homemade flavours. We tried the Chocolate Chip flavour, and was so hooked that RaRa had to get another cone! While fancy ice cream parlours are all the rage nowadays, simple pleasures derived from a sweet, cold, creamy and messy treat from the humble neighbourhood ice cream man, brings back a sense of nostalgia from days of our childhood era. And that, my friend, is something money cannot buy.

This was simply awesome! Even had cornflake bits!

Christmas Eve with FYR - Reddy's Solo Adventure

Not content with spending Christmas Eve on solo mode, armed with a rumbling tummy and grit determination with each step in the rain (snow we have not, so rain it shall be then), Reddy headed off to FYR for a feel-good-makan. Probably one of the very few places that did not implement the compulsory Christmas dinner menu (with an equally compulsory burn-a-hole-in-the-pocket-pricing), FYR charge the usual $25.00 ($29.42 with taxes) for their monthly changing set lunch menu. Food was good, just as Reddy's first visit was. And it certainly lent some much needed warmth to the otherwise very dreary and depressing wet and grey Christmas Eve.

Sauteéd Shimeji Mushrooms with Truffle Oil, Salted Beurre Blanc

RaRa and Reddy Goes To The Village - Chock Full of Beans @ Changi Village

Chock Full Of Beans have garnered quite a following from what we managed to read online. They are known for their creative 2D and 3D latte art, but unfortunately, we don't drink coffee. Armed with an expectation and growling tummies, RaRa and Reddy paid them a visit one evening. Kiasu-rism ensured that we made prior reservation (just in case we had to wait! First world problem I know), but truth be told, unless you are planning a trip down here over the weekend, there is no need for kiasu-rism for dinner. They didn't seem too packed when we came by. Chock Full Of Beans is located right at the end of Block 4, one of the few old school blocks fronting the main road, they have both indoor and outdoor seating options, outdoor can be quite pretty during the day, but of course, only if you are heatproof and can live without airconditioning. Nonetheless, back to the food, they serve the usual cafe fare - pasta, cakes, pizza (pizza is handmade though). We had our usual Carbonara and customized our own pizza (yay!)

Spaghetti Carbonara with Poached Egg @ $17.00

Pocket Friendly - Sushi Express @ Newly Renovated White Sands

Sushi Express, if I read correctly, is a Taiwanese sushi chain founded over a decade ago in 1996. They pride themselves for offering sushi at a very affordable price, in our LittleRedDot, everything goes for $1.50. There is no varying charges for items of different "colored plates", as it is in some other sushi chain, everything you see, is $1.50 each. Their pocket friendly prices have of course, garnered quite a following. For those who have a tummy with bottomless-pit-proportions, Sushi Express is godsent. Oh just one small note, you are given a 50 minute time limit to gorge :)

Seeing is believing

Reddy's Comfort Food - Ippudo

Ippudo. The name synonymous with a good hearty bowl of ramen - where there is just that little something extra and something different that is so addictive, and it makes me drool myself silly at the very thought. Ippudo was founded in 1985, in what is called the "Ramen Capital of Hakata", by Mr Shigemi Kawahara. Fast forward to present day, Ippudo have since flourished to over 80 stores in Japan alone and about 40 more worldwide. In my opinion, what sets apart one bowl of ramen to the other is nothing but the broth. At Ippudo, the color of the broth seems about the same as everywhere else, but the taste? Oh, the exquisite taste! There is so much depth and aroma to each spoonful, which can only be possible with meticulous and painstakingly time consuming extracting of all the wonderful goodness from hours of boiling of bones and meat (basically that's what I understand from making ramen broth, haha). Ippudo was then my favourite ramen joint, is currently still my favourite ramen joint, and probably will remain as THE favourite ramen joint for some time to come.

Appetiser of Goma Q (Chilled Cucumber) @ $6.00

Reddy's Solo Lunch Adventure - Kamal Restaurant, Stanley Street

Eating in the CBD is not all fancy and posh and atas. Take a walk around and you will be surprised at what hidden gems you can uncover. Kamal Restaurant, home to what I think is THE BESTEST fried chicken briyani and curry chicken briyani is tucked in the middle of a nondescript row of shophouse at Stanley Street. You can tell by the crowd that Kamal's serves an authentic enough a dish or two. Nothing beats food good enough to remind you of home. And oh, did I mention that they make a mean Teh Halia too?

RaRa and Reddy's Adventure with Creatures Of The Deep @ ArtScience Museum MBS

"We know more about the surface of the Moon and about Mars than we do about [the deep sea floor], despite the fact that we have yet to extract a gram of food, a breath of oxygen or a drop of water from those bodies."

— Paul Snelgrove, Oceanographer

And with that thought, RaRa and Reddy ventured neath the wild blue yonder. Actually, we were here after visiting the Dreamworks exhibition which was just next door. Hehe. "The Deep" is an exhibition about the life and it's mysteries in the depths of the largest body of life on Earth - the Ocean. There are numerous displays of deep sea creatures (alien looking lifeforms!) to keep the curious minds engaged. The specimens are exhibited in preserved forms as they are unable to survive the different pressure, salinity, temperature and oxygen levels between the deep and shallow waters. They are preserved in formalin (yes, embalming fluid) to ensure that they appear as close to what they would have looked like in real life. The exhibition is set in pitch black environment, to give you the sensation of being submerged in the depths of the deep blue sea. Well, not to mention the super cold air-conditioning effect to make it just a wee bit more realistic :)

In many animals of the deep sea, bioluminescence is used as a form of camouflage

Mad About Sucre - Reddy On Sucre High

Pastries have always been Reddy's Achilles Heel. Being in a pastry shop is akin to a child being in a candy store - eyes are all wide with curious bewilderment, the mind soaks in the multi sensory treat, and the taste buds tingles with excitement on the thought of devouring each and every piece of those painstakingly handcrafted works of art. Enter Mad About Sucre, one of the newest pattiserie in town with pastry chef Lena Chan at it's helm, armed with a prestigious Le Cordon Bleu qualification, and her brother fashionable brother Eric who is in charge of marketing and daily operations. Their small cakes menu change seasonally, the menu is not extensive, you get only a few flavours for each season, but there will be a few signature ones which are usually on the menu on a daily basis - the chocolate dome dessert of "Black San Domingue" and their Hummingbird cake. The service is impeccable - not the stuffy fine dining kind of impeccable, but more that with feel-good warmth and genuine enthusiasm.

RaRa and Reddy's Happy Treat @ Bunny and Pony

Changi Village is awakening from it's many years of being a sleepy little fishing village. There is a plethora of culinary delights tucked in almost every corner of this laidback rustic little seaside town. Aside from the gastronomic smorgasbord of local hawker fare at the infamous Changi Village Hawker Center, you can now find the likes of mouthwatering homemade cakes, artisanal ice cream, handmade pizza, good quality coffee that packs a punch, just to name a few. Well, we paid this ice cream joint a visit (after drooling over those Instagrammed shots of cotton candy and ice cream), and that definitely will not be our last visit!

Have we caught your attention yet?

Geylang Beef Hor Fun - Reddy's Favourite Comfort Food

The first time I tasted this infamous dish was more than fifteen years ago. There is just something specifically unmistakable about the taste of this humble zhi char dish that you can only find here at Geylang Lorong 9. I have never forgotten how the first mouthful of their Beef Kway Teow carved an indelible mark of gastronomic satisfaction in my mind and I could never quite find anything close to what my mind vividly recalls. Fast forward a decade-ish later.. I still find myself hankering over THAT plate of Beef Kway Teow. And, they are still as good as they were then.

Every slice of beef is tender, flavourful and almost, just almost melts in your mouth. 

And the gravy? Gratifying.

Mooncake Overload - When RaRa and Reddy Went Overboard..

Have to admit that I did go overboard. Too many goodies too little time and tummy space! Gluttony took the reign unfortunately and we ended up with too many a good thing. But on the other hand, RaRa and Reddy ate to their's (very greedy) heart's content! Here's to the extra weight and thicker waistline! Yay!

Pink = Praline Chocolate Poprocks, White = White Chocolate Yuzu, Purple = Dark Chocolate Truffle 99%, Green = Salted Caramel

2015 Singapore Night Festival - RaRa and Reddy's Maiden Visit

Yes, yes, this is 2 months overdue, so here goes....
The annual Singapore Night Festival sees itself into it's 8th year running for the year of 2015. Organized by the National Museum of Singapore, this yearly event offers the public a smorgasbord of artistic extravaganza in a night-time setting. Our LittleRedDot have been wowed by visual displays of lights and colours and music and street performances throughout the years, but for RaRa and Reddy, this was our first experience and judging from what we saw? This will definitely not be our last! Well.. the crowd WAS a bit overwhelming, but that only goes to show how successful the event was :) Here's to our first, and more to come!

Prelude.....

Miam Miam #Rehash

Yes, we have been here before. And we are back again! Good food just a short hop away from our abode, and prices are kind to the pockets too. Miam Miam is a French inspired What was to be a 30 minute wait for RaRa progressed on to an hour worth of wait, on a rumbling tummy. Hurried on to Miam Miam to find that RaRa have ordered himself a Hot Chocolate, a Spaghetti Carbonara and a Valhorna Souffle (signature dish). And poor Mommy? She settled for a Squid Ink Pasta and scraps the souffle.

Valhorna Chocolate Souffle @ $13.80.

Am threading the thin line of being a gluttonous pig by saying that there should be MORE melted Valhorna dark chocolate, when this would actually suffice for any ordinary folk. Haha. Piggy!

Mooncake Frenzy

The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival has come and gone, and it was that time of the year again where hoteliers and pastry chefs and old school mooncake shops try to outdo one another with all time favourites and yearly new (sometimes audacious) flavours. While the traditional baked mooncakes remain generally the same combination year after year (lotus paste, red bean paste, five kernel - consists of 5 types of nuts and seeds with the occasional Jin Hua ham). Over time, creativity and the quest for new ways to excite the palate diversified the once humble delicacy. Modern interpretations have run the gamut with flavours such as green bean paste, custard filling, durian paste, chocolate ganache, champagne ganache, bird's nest and even truffle! Here's a recap of what went down this year's season.....

Ritz Carlton's snowskin range has been a personal favourite for many years, with the Green Tea with Salted Egg Yolk being the Numero Uno. Unfortunately, in the heat of the rush and the throngs of crowd, I blindly ordered without realising that I have successfully ordered all plain ones! Sigh. 

Box of 8 minis (this combination) @ $65.30

Pink = Lychee Martine, White = Lotus Paste, Green = Green Tea

RaRa and Reddy's Movie Time - Ultimate Treat @ Platinum Suites Cathay

When RaRa's been a good lion, he gets a treat. What better than to the movie, to be pampered on plush leather RECLINING and extending leg rest seats (aka First Class airline seats), with fluffy duvet to cover those legs from the cold, with food and drinks just a press of a button away, to dine on fine bone china (or ceramic, most probably ceramic, haha) with ACTUAL cutleries (instead of disposable plastic ones). At $28.00 per pop, it better be THAT good.

Looks more like a club than an actual cinema

Lazy Day Meal - Spizza

When RaRa and Reddy feel lazy, they pick up the phone and order a delivery. For us, we have designated Saturday as our Dial-A-Pizza-Lazy-Day. It used to be just Pizza Hut and Canadian Pizza who were the the more popular ones, but nowadays, we have become such a pampered society with more choices of food at just the touch of a few buttons. Spizza we have recently discovered (but they have been around for more than 10 years now), haha. Very slow aren't we. Spizza, as the name implies, does pizza, not just an ordinary pizza, but hand stretched ones and baked in wood-fired oven. For an average of $25 per pizza, it is pretty costly as compared to the rest of the big players. But, the taste of that earthy char and the chewy thin dough sets them a notch higher than the rest.

Tara this is called, RaRa's favourite ($24.00), must be the bacon, RaRa loves bacon! The Tara is a tomato based pizza, with Mozarella, Egg (done runny, yummy!), Bacon, and Button Mushrooms.

Two Blur Guys

Walked past them for a year on the way to lunch 5 days a week . And I keep telling myself, "Gotta try 'em burgers, Gota try 'em burgers". And, like, finally, Reddy has RaRa along on our maiden visit to this 3 year old hole-in-the-wall burger joint. The place is simple, unpretentious. The kind where you almost know that the food speaks for itself. Especially when all they do are burgers. And a small selection of cakes. RaRa was sceptical (can read from his weary hungry face) but Reddy was confident Two Blur Guys can deliver to their reputation of having one of the best burger in town.
The verdict? Not disappointed. At All.

The picture lie do not. They are as good as they look.

RaRa and Reddy's Day At The Museum - Dreamworks Exhibition @ ArtScience Museum MBS

The clock is fast ticking towards the end of this exhibition. Currently ongoing till 27th September 2015 at the ArtScience Museum of our iconic Marina Bay Sands. Let's just be honest, who has not seen any of Dreamworks' work? I am sure there will be at least ONE movie from Dreamworks you can relate to, say Kung Fu Panda? Or Madagascar? Or Shrek? These stories all have sequels to the name, which goes on to prove how wildly popular they can make animation to be. On exhibit, those who has an inclination to art and the intricates of drawing, will be pleased to find many raw sketches of famous characters, stills, interactive stations (which the kiddos will love! Anything "touchscreen" will attract the attention of the younger ones). Lug the kids, hurry on down, pack a jacket or two for the kiddos (it gets a bit chilly) there is about a few more days left to enjoy this exhibit!

Photobombed!

When Reddy Goes For A Treat - Violet Herbs @ Tras Street ***Closed. Updated Aug 2017***

Tras Street is one of the few last surviving enclave of conservation buildings. This area was once known to be dingy and notorious, no points for guessing of what sort. Today the quiet stretch of street is home to some of the finest new food and beverage establishments, serving an exciting array of cuisines ranging from Italian, Japanese, French and the works. Violet Herbs is located right at the start of the street, and is possibly quite difficult to miss! According to their website, they describe themselves as a "new age semi-formal fine dining restaurant", serving authentic modern European cuisine (of Italian and French influence). And what sets them apart from the rest? The use of herbs in all their food and signature cocktails.

Foie Gras for lunch. Why not?

Back With A Vengeance - Ding Dong! ***Moved to Amoy Street***

Ding Dong has found a place in my heart (and wallet too!). The food is fantastically good and whimsically creative, and the prices do not burn a big black hole in your wallet. Their set lunch menu is such value for money and for a small eater like me self, the portions are just nice, I get to enjoy a wonderful 3 course meal without feeling like a stuffed potato. Second visit had me trying the Burnt Nasu for starter, Tom Kha Crispy Quail for main and Gula Melaka Sago for dessert. Again, I have to say, the choice was spot on, just as the first was!

This is so Masterchef, if not a Michelin restaurant worthy dish. Light, delicious, creative and chock full of flavour. 

Back With A Vengeance - Tendon Ginza Itsuki @ Tanjong Pagar

After Reddy's maiden visit to this unpretentious joint, Reddy's been dying to return to sample the "Special". A quick recap to those who might have missed the first post on Tendon Ginza Itsuki, they are a small nondescript (well not quite, considering the masses of people queuing up every day) Japanese joint that serves Tendon (tempura on rice), and they have only TWO items on their menu - either you go with the Special or the Vegetarian. That simple. Since the first visit, Reddy's been stalking the place on a daily (weekday) basis. And there is always a looooonnggg snaking queue. But no, not this one day. Upon seeing only 2 very lonely people in the queue, Reddy quickly chanced on this!

Finally. After over a month of stalking. The Special One has reached my tummy!

Special Tendon $13.90 (after taxes $16.35) consists of 2 pieces each of juicy chicken breast and (very fresh) prawns, 1 egg and 4 pieces of vegetables.

Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee

Reddy loves a good traditional breakfast. Especially those runny soft boiled eggs with drizzles of thick dark soya sauce and a dash of pepper... droooolz. And French Toast! Reddy seems to have it anywhere that serves it. Having read about Ah Seng Hai Nam Coffee in numerous online reviews, I paid them a visit on one hot and humid typical Singaporean morning, just before heading up to Where-I-Earn-A-Living.

What a typical local breakfast would look like - 2 soft boiled eggs with soya sauce and pepper, French Toast with Kaya and a piping hot cup of Ginger Tea with Milk (without the frothy "tarik" of a usual Teh Halia).

Did you say FYR?

FYR Cycene and Drink. It's pronounced "Fire Kitchen and Drink". I believe this is a pretty new establishment who recently rooted itself early this year in the up-and-coming hip area of Boon Tat/Telok Ayer/Amoy. As they described on their Facebook page, "Modern European cuisine by spices and herbs of South East Asia. All our menu are prepared using our Josper charcoal oven." You may ask what on earth is a Josper oven. I did too. After a quick read-up on Google, I learnt that a Josper oven, to the culinary world, is akin to a Himalayan Crocodile Hermes in the world of tai-tais. Well, not quite, the you can buy many Jospers with that ONE Himalayan Crocodile Hermes, but ya, you get the idea. FYR prides themselves with cooking up their very Instagram-worthy dishes with Lychee Wood fired up in Josper ovens. The result? The grilled meat that fed me achieved that "grit" and earthiness that only wood fire can give. One word - sublime.
Reddy will be back. RaRa you should come along too, ok?

Main of DeRazza Iberico Pork Collar (top up $13.00 on top of the $25++ or $29++ pricing)

Set Lunch is served Monday - Friday 11.30am - 2.30pm. They offer options of 2 course ($25++) and 3 course ($29++) meals. The Set Lunch menu changes on a monthly basis, just so you know :)

Ding Dong! Are you there?

Another feather added to the cap of the super uber creative chef of modern Asian gastronomy, Chef Ryan Clift, of the infamous Tippling Club. Ding Dong is not new to the scene, but it has joined the ranks of a stellar line up helmed by Chef Ryan. Be prepared to be wowed by elegant dishes infused with the local flavours from our daily lives and from neighbouring regions. Having read only nothing short of spectacular reviews of Ding Dong, I headed up (a short hop from Where-I-Earn-A-Living) there with quite a biased expectation. And no, after being immensely impressed with a mere teaser of what more they have to offer, my expectations were not biased at all. They ARE good. And yes, Reddy will return for more. Hopefully RaRa will be more keen to explore new foods, to join Reddy on the next visit.

Main of Asam Pedas Saltwater Barramundi with Okra & Baby Eggplant

This came as part of a (very affordable) set lunch @ $25.00 per person, with an option of adding on $10.00++ more for a glass of wine or suntory premium malt.

Set lunch is available weekdays, Mondays - Fridays, from 12.00pm - 3.00pm. 

Carrying On The Legacy - Coffee Break @ Amoy Food Center **Updated 24/8/2015**

We are living in the time and age where traditional ways are slowly disappearing in the wake of modernity and rapid development. The same can be said about traditional food, and of late, about hawkers plying their trade with old school traditional cuisine. Being a hawker is an arduous job, you wake before the sun rises for prep work and you work non-stop tirelessly churning out your goods (in machine perfect timing). The pay off is not in the midst of gargantuan corporate profit margins, this is a job that requires passion to continue, loads of passion. That is exactly what the 2 youngsters have, Passion. Passion to continue the legacy of providing comfort food to the people. That, folks, to me is what we need to preserve a dying culture.

*Updated 24th August 2015*

Yes, I did it. Braved adding on another inch to a growing waistline. Finally got hold of this gorgeous baby, and yes, it was worth every bit of calorie. The taro paste is thick and creamy, and most importantly, not TOO SWEET! Coupled together with cold cuts of butter? Yummeh!

RaRa and Reddy's Sensory Treat - SG50 Light Show

This is the year our Lady Singapore turn 50. We were not able to catch any fireworks though... but managed to catch this light show spectacle smack right in front of our seats (on a wooden patio in front of Marina Bay Shoppes). The light show is actually a nightly affair at MBS, but just for this year's Jubilee celebration, Fullerton Hotel concurrently doubled up as a backdrop for projected images to tell a story along with the light show. We couldn't have picked a better seat, the water fountains were sprouting right in front of us (it was a 3D sensory extravagance as well haha, we could feel the sprinkles of water as the show went full swing!), flames swooshed majestically and the lights danced along with the melodious tunes.

Very Bellagio!

Treat Time! - Koko Ice Cream @ Amoy Food Center **Closed at Amoy. Now shifted to The Star Vista, #B1-37D**

The famed coconut ice cream that travellers to Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok swoon about can now be found on our shores. Served typically in a coconut husk with toppings such as Red Ruby, Palm Seeds, Corn, Sweet Sticky Rice, Roasted Peanuts and Chendol-like "green noodles", just to name a few. Koko Ice Cream has the honour to be among the few here that offers this simple but delicious tropical heat buster. They do not offer the traditional toppings, but they have Roasted Peanuts, Sweet Corn, Rainbow Sprinkles and Chocolate Balls. There is even a choice of sauces, ranging from honey to Hershey's chocolate sauce. Pricing seems inclined on the steep side though, a single scoop at $3.00 and double at $4.00, but hey, think of all the hardwork that goes into each scoop you take! Each portion comes with a refreshing drink of chilled fresh coconut juice, a welcome treat to complement the already tasty treat.

Going basic - Honey drizzles and Roasted Coconut toppings. Oh, there is young coconut flesh nicely scrapped up for easy picking as well! This is a single scoop portion @ $3.00.

A Taste Of Mainland China - Wen Jia Bao @ Pasir Ris Interchange

Barely a few months old and already drawing in queues (in SG that can mean that it's worth queuing for, haha), Wen Jia Bao dishes out handmade comfort food for those in a hurry to work and those weary from a day's hardwork. Located in between the MRT and the bus interchange at Pasir Ris, they seem to be popular with the rush hour crowd hoping to grab a hot bite. Prep work is done in a tiny workspace just behind the mouthwatering glass display of freshly made goodies. The base of each bao is the familiar bread-like texture. But once fried and stuffed with a multitude of stuffing, each bao holds it's own identity.

I am not Mandarin literate, so I will have to describe this according to their signboard. "Biscuits with Meat and Egg" @ $2.00, huge chunk of juicy minced pork sits in between the fried bao dough. Very nicely marinated, with hints of garlic (that is about it I could make out! Haha!)

RaRa and Reddy's Weekend Treat - Oh My Bacon @ Dunlop Street ***Closed. Updated Aug 2017***

Joining the ranks of the new-kids-on-the-cafe-block scene just early this year, Oh My Bacon (OMB) has managed to pique the interest of bacon lovers on this LittleRedDot. As the name implies, yes, Bacon, those smokey salty strips of heaven sent waistline busters, Bacon is THE star in this new player. Anything and everything the imagination can yield is translated into sweet and savoury sinful comfort food. Being ardent fans of everything bacon, this proved to be an exciting find!

Bacon Jam on Baguette @ $2.00 for 2 slices.
Reminds one of Bak Kwa! Sweet, salty and infused with whisky. There is a slight alcohol"kick" after taste, which makes this so worthy of 'em sinful calories.

RaRa and Reddy's Adventure Walk - Marina South Pier

"Come Mommy, let's go to Marina South Pier for a look, there is very nice scenery there". And that was what The Kid said to The Mommy. Never have The Mommy heard of such from me. She thinks that maybe I am growing up a little bit too fast, that scenery and kids don't make an equation ever. We took the trusty old MRT to the end of the line - Marina South Pier. One of the most deserted MRT station ever, not a soul in sight, except an for a few families and couples headed to the seaside or cruise terminal, and a security Uncle whom is possibly ever-so-lonely. Everything here is built on reclaimed land, not too long ago this would all been just the sea.

This was the view that greeted us once we made our way out of the underground MRT enclave. The Kid is right. This is very scenic.

RaRa and Reddy's Day out - Riders Cafe @ Fairways Drive

A little piece of heaven tucked away in a I-Don't -Know-Where-Corner of LittleRedDot. Best seats are by the balcony (do try to put a request in when you made your reservation, and yes, please reserve ahead for Brunch, they are usually full), but be prepared to be one with the smell of "nature". If you can look past that, then you are in utopia unbeknownst to city folks.
*Tried and Tested and Adored*

#Rehashed from Facebook post. More pictures can be viewed at our Facebook page :)

A constant staple of mine..
Brioche French Toast with Berries Compote and Hazelnut Chocolate Mascarpone (codename Nutella haha)

Treat Time - Going Local with Rich and Good Cake Shop

Life is short, there is always room for cake. In the spirit of the upcoming Jubilee weekend celebration in our LittleRedDot, a group of colleagues decided to create a pooled order of those infamous Swiss Rolls from Rich and Good Cake Shop. And boy did we order! They serve a multitude of flavours, with Kaya being their signature offering.

Kaya flavour $8.00 for a slim roll of approximately 30cm in length. Now who does not love a good Kaya! Oh, for those not-in-the-know, Kaya is basically an egg and coconut custard painstakingly made by stirring continuously over low flame to achieve that thick, smooth, velvety texture.

Return With A Vengeance - Treats with Pantler @ Telok Ayer

Life is so short. Why hold yourself back from a good dessert? Or two. After stuffing my face with 3 magical concoctions at the first visit, yes, Ms Piggy had to go back to the brilliant Pantler and sample more fantastic works of art. This time it was the Mille-Feuille and their signature Pantler Roll Cake.

Mille-Feuille @ $7.80. Looks like the simplest thing in the world ain't it? But no...... getting the puff pastry perfect - light, flaky and yet crispy is enough to make a few grown man/woman cry. The cream pattiserie is thick and rich (not cloyingly jelak and sugar laden) and you can visibly make out those tiny flecks of REAL vanilla pods. 

Let's Experiment - The Lab SG @ Jalan Pisang **Closed as of 19 January 2018**

T'was to be a girls-catch-up session, but alas, unforseen circumstances decreased the party to just 2 BFFs. Was tasked with "Any place as long as it is halal" request, me trawled my favourite go-to reads from Danielfooddiary and Miss Tam Chiak for some reliable intel. And... I pitched the a few suggestions to the BFF and we concluded that The Lab SG shall be it for the evening. BFF have also heard good stuff about them from word of mouth and that kinda built the standard to expect. Located at the very hip, very IN location of Arab Street enclave (well actually a bit off the epicentre at Jalan Pisang), The Lab SG has joined the ever growing list exciting halal eateries who have made this area home.

Heisenberger, so this is called. So Instagram worthy! Going at only $12.90 a portion, this is value for money indeed. Constructed of a 6oz homemade Beef patty, Bacon strip, Grilled onion, Tomato salsa, Mesclun salad and blanketed with Melted Bleu Cheese (yes, Blue Cheese, and no, it did not stink). Anddd.. there is even the company of Sweet Potato Fries. They are definitely giving 'em big boys a run for their money with this. 

Let's Fly For Lunch! - The Flying Squirrel @ Amoy

Having heard only rave reviews about this place, Reddy's lone lunch adventure listed The Flying Squirrel on the agenda. Seems that they have been around since 2013 and is the brainchild of the local music duo Jack and Rai and is run by Jack's wife. I had to Google Map this place, and upon nearing the dot on the map, lo and behold came a sign asking me to turn left and walk to the far end of the back alley. Oohh, this is too interesting.. Tucked at the back of an old shophouse is the nondescript location of this modern Japanese joint.

Ordered the Chef Surprise Bento. They make only 3 sets for a day, so let's just grab this and stuff my face silly. Oh, the Pumpkin Croquette? Soft, sweet, simple and delicious on the inside and crispy on the outside.

RaRa and Reddy's (Early) Dinner - Smokey's @ Joo Chiat

If our memory does not fail us, we quite distinctly remember Smokey's advertisement playing over Starhub's cable tv. This is not my first visit here, been here previously and was quite disappointed with the Grilled Salmon (it was dry and just very bland). Second visit, fingers crossed all will be well. Smokey's seem pretty much THE neighbourhood hangout joint for the expat community. Perhaps it is comfort food away from home? Were told that the tables are all reserved (!), sans the one barrel-cum-table with high chairs. We settled down and glanced through the menu with growling tummies. Our orders came not too long after, and boy, it was actually good! Way better than the first visit! Must have been just a one-off days then.

Grilled Salmon Fillet with sides of in-house made Coleslaw and greens. The salmon was moist, juicy and had the distinct "sweetness" of fresh seafood. Yumms.

Lunch With The Crazy Crowd - Tendon Ginza Itsuki @ Tanjong Pagar Road

Joining the ranks of the famous stretch of Japanese restaurant along Orchid Hotel, Tendon Ginza Itsuki (barely 1 month old) has already managed to have a 'velvet-rope-queue' worth of crowd every single day. They are a joint collaboration between the infamous Ramen King Keisuke Takeda and Ginza Itsuki Sushi (sushi restaurant in Tokyo). And they serve - ONLY 2 Tendon dishes (basically tempura rice bowl), either you order the "Special" or "Vegetable". Can't help but to overhear some people ahead of me lament "The last time we were here, even the people ahead us were already queueing 30 minutes, don't know how long we will queue today". Gulp. But, armed with a bagful of persistence and patience, my turn finally came. 30 minutes later. Add another 15 minutes of waiting time (in a more comfortable setting than the hot queue outside), lunch finally filled my tummy after some 45 minutes worth of accumulated time. Was it worth the wait? Hai,-sodesu!

Having had more than needed calories from a burger last night, it's time to go vegetarian for the day

Treats - Going Local with Kim Choo @ Joo Chiat

RaRa's New Favourite - Din Dai Fung

A name synonymous with Xiao Long Bao, those tiny burst-in-your-mouth-soupy-meatball-in intricately folded parcels. Din Dai Fung's story began in Taiwan, some time in the 70s, with a man named Bingyi Yang. Mr Yang started off as a delivery man for a cooking oil store. He was promoted to take charge of the company's accounts after 2 years of service. Unfortunately, the business suffered losses and had to bring down it's shutters. Mr Yang was then left unemployed and he too set up a cooking oil store soon after. Plummeting sales in the 70s saw Mr Yang diversify the business into making steamed dumplings for sale. The steamed dumplings soon attracted the crowd with it's exquisite taste and quality. Fast forward to today, Din Dai Fung have been accorded a Michelin star and won praises the world over for their high quality comfort food.

Each dumpling is meticulously weighed to ensure uniformity and each is intricately hand weaved with 18 fine folds

Dinner Time With The Crazy Crowd - Song Fa Bak Kut Teh @ New Bridge Road

I love a good Bak Kut Teh (especially the Malaysian version, with darker broth and less pepper), living here for the past 2 decades has made me appreciate both versions - both are good in their own rights. Must have been living under a rock, as this is my maiden visit to Song Fa. Experienced quite a culture shock when I learnt one have to "queue" for a meal here. Yes, queue with throngs of tourists? Strange but yes. I suppose this is a "must-eat Bak Kut Teh" for tourists, just as how Tian Tian represents the humble Chicken Rice to visitors of our Little Red Dot.

Dip this in chilli laced thick soya sauce? Ecstasy. Full stop.

Return With A Vengeance - Chef Yamashita @ Tanjong Pagar Plaza

My Achilles Heel. Pastries. Especially when it's within reach. Sigh. Temptation got the better of me and I found my 2 hurried feet wandering to Chef Yamashita's. Again. Yes. Again. Determined to have just ONE, Yuzu Matcha Mousse became the victim of the day.