Flipper's from Japan in Singapore

This is another one of those chains from Japan that takes like 20 minutes to do pancakes because of their low temperature cooking technique. I didn't have that kind of time today, so instead I just grabbed that omurice above. I liked it more than I thought I would, especially since that cream sauce was accentuated with a fragrant amount of citrus. The meat and rice were dry in a couple places, but I still ate it quickly. Maybe one day I'll actually have the patience to try the pancakes.

Waa Cow! in Singapore

This local chain has been around for a number of years now, but I never went in since it looked rather commercialized. Tonight I went out of sheer convenience, and it was a lot better than I thought it would be. Thier basic wagyu bowl above featured firm and pearly grains of rice topped with some tender and tasty beef. There was a bit of sweet sauce on it, but it was managable as long as one went for the "less sauce" option. It came out quickly and I'd probably eat it again.

Pazonia Italian Street Food in Singapore

Across the street from Mamma Mia Focaccia and next door Smash Street lies another Italian sandwich shop (49 Amoy Street). It didn't look too encouraging at first given its nicely printed menus and seated table service. It was even more baffling that they provided awkwardly cling-wrapped plates of thinly-sliced bread with an effort to point out that it was complimentary. Fortunately, that panuozzo above wasn't as bad as I had feared, as it was well seasoned, and the pizza dough enveloping it was decently light. But I'd still rather go to Mamma Mia Focaccia.

Dirty Supper in Tiong Bahru

I finally made it over to Dirty Supper and found my new favorite place (78 Moh Guan Terrace #01-19). Everything about them just sings to me, including not just the dual-purpose venue after the noodle aunties finish in the daytime, but also the broader philosophy that they embrace.

They feature nose-to-tail sustainability, while their kitchen's techniques bring taste of the ingredients to the front. That smoked mackerel on fried chicken skin above was wonderful, as it was effusing savory and smoky tastes with just the right amount of salt, all while sitting on what was effectively a crispy fat-laced cracker. I also grabbed a plate of breaded nuggets, which were formed using tender pig head meat. Their food was accompanied by a nice drink list, inclusive of a citrus-laced house lager and even non-alcoholic kvass.

It's awesome that they're open on late Saturday afternoons with the doors wide open for a nice breeze with good music playing overhead. This was just from their limited afternoon snack menu, but the way. One day I'm gonna come back here for a full dinner. This place rocks.

Hong Kong's La Vache! in Singapore

That may look a little weird above, but it was the remaining portion of my steak frites up on the tealight-heated tray. And yes, this steak frites shop from Hong Kong oddly provided ketchup, presumably for the fries (40 Gemmill Lane #01-03). Not to worry though; there was also a tarragon-heavy béarnaise to use with that tender meat. And fortunately, the crispy shoestring fries were nicely seasoned. I enjoyed the food, and service was fast and attentive despite the rowdly lunch atmosphere. But the bill left a pretty big hole in my wallet, as this place wasn't cheap.

Bavarian Obazda from Paulaner Brauhaus

We were at Paulaner tonight and this sounded interesting enough to try: a Bavarian mixture of Brie, butter and spices put into those three scoops above. It was pretty good, with an indulgently creamy and rich mixture going great with that soft pretzel and beer. They had Spargel on the menu tonight too, but I was happy to get this.

Mamma Mia Focaccia in Singapore

That was surprisingly good! I wasn't quite sure about this narrow sandwich counter at first, as I had never heard much about it, and it didn't seem like it was getting much attention either (94 Amoy Street). But they were open conveniently early, and it turned out to be amazing, especially the bread. See, the bread was light, airy, and crispy, and made the entire sandwich work. The stracciatella, mortadella, and pistachio cream inside made it savory and moist too, but the bread totally stole the show. I'm definitely going back for more, perhaps in the evenings, as it turns out that there is a speakeasy in the back of the shop. How cool!

The "Yuzu Nuts" Soba from LILYAN

Yes, that's how it's named on the menu at LILYAN, which I went to after that discussion about SHIN the other day. The "yuzu nuts" are in reference to the brown noodle dip on the left, which is made from ground cashews while carrying a nice yuzu accent. I don't think I'll get it again, but at least the name gave me a little smile. Note to self: next time remember to either upsize your noodles OR get a rice bowl on the side, but not both at the same time, as that was just a bit too much.

Guangzhou's RUXU at Funan in Singapore

I rather like this Cantonese dessert chain from Guangzhou. They have an outlet on the ground floor of Funan (107 North Bridge Road #01-11) doing things like mango sago and almond pudding. But it was only today that I tried one of their caramel croissant tarts, and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. It was buttery, flaky, and rich without being excessive. I easily could have eaten more if I didn't restrain myself.

Noodle Star K Now Has Pyeongyang Naengmyeon

I am not sure if Noodle Star K got a new chef or something, but their menu now features a Pyeongyang naengmyeon option at an S$8 (US$6) premium. In turn, one got buckwheat noodles along with a subtle broth, although that broth featured slushy ice chips like normal naengmyeon. Joong San does a better job in that sense, although it was nice to see that Noodle Star K is also serving geotjeori kimchi now. It was pleasantly fresh, and they even offer to sell tubs of it for you to bring home, which I might do one day.

8889 Ji Gong Bao at Northstar@AMK

This jigongbao place in a distant industrial park was commanding hourlong waits on a Saturday night (7030 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 #01-30). After duking it out by nibbling on some fried lok lok from a stall nearby, our pot finally arrived. And it was good to see that it wasn't too sweet, with the thick soy sauce providing a nice amount of savoriness that helped carry the firm bone-in parts of chicken.

The small pot above was only S$16.90 (US$13.20), and it became clear later that they made their money from the optional plates in the fridge. Sure, they were priced at just S$3 each, but one grabs multiple plates in one go, so that quickly surged past the cost of the base pot. Next time I should remember to grab a pot of that claypot lala soup when we select our lok lok from that Fei Zhu stall.

Korea's Standard Bread in Singapore

I needed a bit more food after that ramen, so I stepped into that wood-laden Standard Bread place given that there was no line tonight (26 Sentosa Gateway #01-229). They only had a few loaves of brioche remaining, so I grabbed one of those with a coffee.

The bread was reasonably fluffy and buttery as you might expect, but I realized a few minutes into it that I should have opted for some butter. At least I had some of that iced Korean "Spanner" coffee to help wash things down. I'll admit that I rather liked the velvety dessert-like beverage.

Perhaps the more (not so) memorable thing was the price: the bread was a whopping S$14 (US$11), which is apparently double the price of how much they charge in Korea. This place was started by some design firm that is charging for the themed decor and Sentosa rent on top of the food.