Soma Restaurant in Barcelona

It's places like this why I like Spain so much! This laid-back wood-paneled bar in Eixample (179 Carrer de Provença) was churning out little gems like this, including those dark risotto cakes topped with diced bits of fresh and firm squid as well as that roasted eggplant with burrata. The prices were surprisingly reasonable, the service was super friendly, and it was reasonably quick as long as you are lucky enough to get somewhere to sit. Thumbs up!

Dallmayr Bistro at Munich Airport T2

Dallmayr is apparently some kind of famous delicatessen in the city that happens to have an outlet at Munich Airport Terminal 2 airside. At first, I questioned whether to make an effort to go, in part because the Lufthansa lounge already had a huge tub of free Weißwurst available. But this place is apparently an institution, so I made the most of it by eating at both and comparing them.

The difference was definitely in the quality. I mean, the lounge version was edible, and frankly I wouldn't have known any better had I not looked into the details. But this one has a very pronounced fresh parsley flavor, as well as more finely minced meat. I'm also quite happy that I haven't lost my skin peeling skills despite not eating Weisswurt on a regular basis.

Tonshou's Hire Katsu Set

Somehow I never noticed this the first time I had Tonshou's tenderloin, perhaps because it was buried under that combo plate. But it's interesting that they use medallion-shaped cuts. If my information about this is correct, this is because that's the preferred cut in Korea, whereas it's a long and flat cut in Japan. If so, then this is a telltale sign that Tonshou is from Korea.

The other thing I failed to notice the first time is how incredibly tender and moist these cuts were (yes, they are supposed to be pink in the middle). I normally lean towards rosu because I figured that the fat would be tastier. But it turns out these cuts are even better. It really didn't need much to with it despite their array of condiments. It was already lightly salted, and was good as-is.

Tokyo’s Pizza Studio Tamaki (PST) in Singapore

When PSG opened an outlet on the former grounds of the Tippling Club, I avoided it for a while because they were usually fully booked (38 Tanjong Pagar Road). Fortunately, the hype has died down a bit and it's pretty easy to walk in at lunch now. And the fact that the pizzas come out in lightning speed makes it a all the more convenient for me.

Now, the thing that I remember the most from Japan was the salt-bottomed crust. I'm not sure if they intentionally toned it down in Singapore, as the menu actually says that you have to explicitly request less salt, which I did not do. But it seemed less salty here, even though I was still happy to eat it. The crust is not as chewy as a Neapolitan, but it is light and even features a bit of scorchiness.

The other thing of course is their use of good quality ingredients, like the riche cheese and juicy tomatoes in their namesake pie above, or even their olives and homemade sausage olives in a Diavola that came together very well. Sure, it's a little pricey for lunch, but it is super fast and the service is great, so I will be going back as long as it doesn't hurt my wallet too much.

Rendang Jackfruit Arancini from Kucina Kiosko

Cool, Kucina Kiosko is doing a Ramadan menu featuring a rendang jackfruit version of its arancini. And instead of his usual tomato-based sauce, it's a brown curry-like sauce that was impressively potent, bright, and balanced. I should get this again before the promotion ends next month.

Belimbing in Singapore

This upscale extension of the Coconut Club was excellent (269A Beach Road). Run by a former Naked Finn alumnus, it serves modern interpretations of local food, and everything that we had tonight was delicious due to both the quality of the ingredients as well as the technique. My favorite was a local soon hock fish that was done with wonderfully crispy skin and a cashew nut curry underneath. That's a stuffed savoy cabbage above, in case you're wondering, and their smoked ox tongue was also tender and buttery smooth. Big thumbs up to this place; along with the Naked Finn, it has to be one of the more unique places in town that embraces local products and flavor profiles, all while executing with finesse. And yes, the service is good too.

Zok Noodle House from Malaysia

This chain from Malaysia has been down here for a few years, but their marketing copy never sold me with their pitch about being authentically Malaysian while also serving the "authentic cuisine" of Hong Kong and Macau. Anyway, they obviously serve Cantonese food, and they offered a 10% discount today, so I went straight for their signature wonton min, as I just happened to watch a video on bamboo noodles the other day.

Despite the placement of the noodles alongside the wontons in that gigantic bowl, it wasn't too bad. Those gigantic wontons included a generous pair of shrimp that were plump, firm, and savory, while the noodles were firm with just a mild alkaline taste in it. The broth was savory, and it came out pretty quickly too. I might actually go back for this, especially since Mak's Noodle isn't down here anymore.

SIDES by Sidemen in Singapore

This Nashville hot chicken chain from the UK is run by a group of YouTubers whose content isn't focused on food, yet it commanded some pretty long lines when it first opened in Singapore. They have a few outlets now, so I had a chance to try it today when one of them had plenty of seating available.

What surprised me was that the chicken wings were not coated in a sauce, but with a dry rub powder surrounding a crispy Shake 'N Bake-like layer. My "hot" level 3 of 4 was fine in terms of heat, but it was also sweet and MSG-ish, not unlike what you'd get in a bag of ultra-processed chips.

Still, the pickle slices were nice, and the chicken was piping hot and moist inside. In that sense, I kinda liked it better than the other chains, and I wouldn't mind trying their burger if I somehow ended up here again. But that sweet MSG powder would also keep me from being a regular.

IM JAI's Tom Kha Pla Lunch Set

That might not seem like much on the surface. In fact, this was one of the last things on the lunch menu at IM JAI by Pun Im that I've tried, as it just didn't look very interesting on the menu. But I really liked the thoughtful little touches employed. In particular, they didn't leave any of those inedible fragments of lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves that usually pervade tom kha pla, leaving only easy-to-eat ingredients in a delicate yet punchy broth. They complemented it with a salty fish sauce and chili dip as well as a gritty and fun chili paste rice. This may in fact now be one of the first things on the lunch menu that I'll order again.

Sarangani Bay Milkfish in Corn Oil

These little jars of milkfish from the Philippines looked interesting, so I picked up one to give it a try. It was like a milder version of tinned sardines, and was certainly much tamer than tuyo. Either way, it was easy to eat with rice. Apparently the Filipinos only started doing this type of oil preservation after the Spanish arrived.

Now Pizza in Singapore

Given how much that rumeL place surprised me with its chewy dough, I figured I'd try the other fast sourdough pizza chain that has popped up recently, even if it similarly looked discouraging from the outside. The dough definitely wasn't as good as rumeL as this one was more dry and commonplace. But that also made it crispy and airy, and at least there was a bottle of olive oil there for one to moisten it up with. They don't do those super small sizes like rumeL here, but it was fast and cheap. And it was still much better than places like Pizza Hut and Domino's.

IM JAI by Pun Im's Goong Ob Woonsen

Here's the prawn vermicelli from IM JAI by Pun Im. It came out very quickly, and I ate it very quickly, as those prawns were conveniently peeled already and were decently plump and fresh. The glass noodles were surprisingly peppery and almost excessively so, but still fun and edgy enough to eat with a smile on my face, especially with that generous scoop of crackling. The portion was kinda small though.