It seems that many hotels and restaurants buffets are going back to the past, serving local foods from the nostalgic old days. Buffet Restaurant Plaza Brasserie decided to bring back some heritage cuisine from the 60s, such as Rojak, Cuttlefish and Kang Kong, Deep Fried Tau Kwa, Braised Pork Belly with Mui Chye, and Tau Suan Dessert.

Head Chef Jackson candidly said that most of the recipes are from taken from his mother’s kitchen, and many are favourites that he grew up with.

Among the notable dishes is Stirred Fried Pork Liver with Spring Onions and Ginger. Not many people dare to eat pork liver nowadays, even so, few prepare it well because the slices can get too tough with a weird savour.

This dish is cooked at the ‘live’ cooking station, and really tastes best when eaten hot from the claypot. Maybe I am not a live- person, I could not go beyond three slices due to the heavy aftertaste.

Full Post Plaza Brasserie – Back to the 60s Buffet with Grandma’s Favourites

Plaza Brasserie, 7500A Beach Road, Park Royal on Beach Road (Nearest MRT Bugis), Tel: +65 6505 5710
Opening Hours: 6am – 12am Daily

The enticing menu is said to emphasize on authentic Italian cuisine prepared with the best ingredients imported directly from Italy. The executive chef Roberto Galetti is also recipient of Restaurateur of the Year 2009 (Regional) award.

It is challenging to cook Veal Cheek which can go either too tough or disintegrated. Garibaldi manages to strike that balance. While you can still savour the layered feel of the meat, it almost melts in your mouth immediately, achieving a harmonious balance with the olive oil mashed potato.

Full Post Garibaldi – How Does One of Singapore’s Top Italian Restaurants Fare?

Garibaldi Italian Restaurant & Bar
36 Purvis Street, #01-02 Talib Centre, Singapore (10 min walk from Bugis MRT), Tel: +65 6837 1468
Opening Hours: 12noon – 3pm, 6.30pm – 11pm Daily

Feasting for the Chinese New Year has not officially ended. Remember there are 15 days to it. Somewhat traditionally, another important day is the 7th day known as the ‘Ren Ri’ (the common man’s birthday) when ‘yu sheng’ is eaten for continued wealth and abundance in this part of the world.

Plaza Brasserie has a Three Kingdom Yu Sheng which contains the three popular CNY ingredients of Abalone, Sea Cucumber and Sharksfin (though I think we can really leave the fins out since it doesn’t add to the taste). This version does not have the conventional items, and instead includes lobster, salmon, silver fish, chicken floss, chinese sasuages, enoki mushrooms, and crispy fish skin.

This really sounds like a gathering of the best of the best lo-hei. The XO sauce created by Chef Jackson has a fruit-ish sweet tinge that really enhances the vegetables, with my friend saying this was the best he eaten in the whole season. My take is – any vegetable that is fresh usually taste good.

Full Post Plaza Brasserie Dragon Feast – Presenting the Three Kingdom Yu Sheng

Plaza Brasserie, 7500A Beach Road, Park Royal on Beach Road (Nearest MRT Bugis), Tel: +65 6505 5710
Opening Hours: 6am – 12am Daily

As it is beginning to look at lot like Christmas, my friends and I had the Hearty Christmas Roast Platter from N.Y.D.C for ($98). This festive combination has marbled sirloin steak, herb roasted chicken, pork cheese cracker, bratwursts, onion rings, potato gratin, salad mix … topped up with 4 drinks and 4 log cake slices. If you like variety, this is for you.

We immediately attacked the steak, prepared medium-well and nicely grilled, and still tasting rather fresh because it is flown vacuum-packed . The meat was cut up into long strips though – the pro camp would enjoy the convenience of eating without even lifting our knives; but the against camp would prefer a slab to savour the mouth-watering juice within.

Full Post Prima N.Y.D.C – Hearty Roast Platter for Christmas

N.Y.D.C Cafe & Restaurant
200 Victoria Street, #02-47/48 Bugis Junction, Singapore, Tel: +65 6333 3161
Opening Hours: Sun–Thu: 11.30am – 10.30pm, Fri–Sat & PH Eve: 11.30am – 11pm

Other Related Entries
Hippopotamus Restaurant Grill (Marina Square)
Nando’s (Bugis Junction)
The Rotisserie (China Square Food Centre)
LENAS (Bugis Junction)
The Tastings Room (Marina Square)

Chang Korean BBQ started at Dempsey with positive feedback and a touch of class. It went on to open its 2nd at Illuma – to appeal to the budget conscious and youth. Did not sound like a bad plan.

The thing about Illuma is, people just do not go there, so much so that the only place making good money could be Koi (which is outside anyway). As for Chang, it first started selling Korean signatures at a lower price, such as beef bulgogi, soondubu and kimchi fried rice.

It has since ‘deteriorated’ to sell mass Korean BBQ. Price is $23.42 (weekday lunch), $28.13(weekday dinner/weekend lunch) and $34.02 (weekend dinner) – all Nett prices and very affordable if you compare to the other restaurants or if you order ala carte.

For that price, the meat came in rather big slices, with quite a sizable variety of chicken, pork and beef flavoured in original, peppery, spicy or bulgogi marinates. Refills for the more expensive choices were also quick.

Full Post Chang Korean Charcoal BBQ Restaurant – Buffet So So Se-yo

Chang Korean Charcoal BBQ Restaurant
201 Victoria Street, #04-04 Iluma @ Bugis, Tel: +65 6509 8900
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10:30pm

Good news for coffee-addicts, shopaholics and cocktail lovers! Maison Ikkoku, a unique three-in-one artisanal coffee joint, a menswear boutique and a cocktail bar, has just opened at the Arab Street district.

The name (which came from a Manga), concept, interior design, right to the fashion labels would remind you of one of those boutique-cafes you have seen in Tokyo.

Their strength has to be in the aromatic coffees, brewed using four different methods of filtered, French-press, drip and syphon. And the baristas were trained by Japanese celebrity barista Hiroshi Sawada. Drink your cuppa with the moist and decadent carrot cake, said to be “home-made” by a “very special friend”. Their lips were sealed.

Full Post at InSing.com – Japan-inspired café & boutique opens

Maison Ikkoku, 20 Kandahar Street, Tel: +65 6294 0078
Opening Hours: Mon–Thu: 9am – 7pm; Fri–Sat: 9am – 10pm; Sun: 9am – 6pm

Other Related Entries
My Fat Lady (Haji Lane)
K-ki (Ann Siang Hill)
Box n Sticks (Arab Street)
7 KICKstart BREWiches (Armenian Place)
40 Hands (Tiong Bahru)

Plaza Brasserie is one of the hotel buffets where you can indulge in a huge variety of food, with lots of space to saunter around. What I really like about this place is many dishes are prepared on the spot right in front of you at the live stations – ranging from a very intriguing durian prata (which is very worth the calories), delicious oyster omelette, signature laksa, chicken rice and sushi.

For fans of seafood, the best news is there is a “Treasures of the Sea” buffet where you can feast on flower crabs, queen scallops, tiger prawns, oysters, mussels, and different kinds of fish. If you are a fish fan, then you will get all your money worth here.

So from Mondays to Fridays, you can pick your favorite fish from their “Catch of the Day” section and the chefs will have it cooked in your preferred sauce and style. My favourite fish goes to the classic basic of Teochew-style steamed snapper with little seasoning, where you can really taste the freshness and goodness of the fish. Chef also shared that this was his personal choice, and he could have two of these fishes per day!

Full Post Plaza Brasserie – I Sea Food

Plaza Brasserie, 7500A Beach Road, Park Royal on Beach Road (Nearest MRT Bugis), Tel: +65 6505 5710
Opening Hours: 6am – 12am Daily

Other Related Entries
Fisherman’s Market (The Central)
Carousel (Royal Plaza on Scotts)
Minoriya (Tanjong Katong)
Sakura International Buffet (Admiralty Park)
Galley By The Straits (Admiralty Road)

Yong Tau Fu maker Gao Ji has diversified into making la mian with a contemporary twist. The noodle house has just opened at Bugis Village, with a second branch at Rasapura Masters Marina Bay Sands which attracts many onlookers and tourists when chefs demonstrate their noodle-making art.

The ‘noodle star’ of the meal is the la mian with king prawn in chilli sauce ($13.80). Most of us should be familiar with the local favourite chill crab. This is a similar version with the same sauce, replaced by a huge king prawn. They are generous with the sauce and so your noodles would not clump up like some others we have tried. The xiao long bao ($4.80 for 4) also scores with its rather thin skin wrapped over pork and lots of flavoursome soup.

Full Post at InSing.com – Be Tempted by King Prawn La Mian

Noodle Star 丰面人物, 233 Victoria Street, Bugis Village Tel: +65 6399 6817
Opening Hours: 11am – 11pm Daily

“My Fat Lady” is actually Edna, owner of this cupcake shop found at a charming, nostalgic and less-discovered Haji Lane. I was keen to try the cakes at this shop only because of its name – It seemed to suggest very delish desserts.

After making my way past indie clothing stores and a unique Japanese bicycle shop, I entered this little white retail store and found this lady, grinning with the widest smile, wearing red framed spectacles and pink apron. “Ah, you must be My Fat Lady!” I was right.

I could not help not notice the very whimsical interior of the shop. It has half-coloured colurful wall, one small table in the entire shop, and tea pots and cups. Very Alice-in-Wonderland.

Some research showed that adding yogurt to your diet may rev up the body’s fat-burning engines, speed weight loss, and trim the tummy. Even if you do not lose weight, consider yogurt a good source of calcium.

With yogurt providing paradise for your taste buds on a hot summer Singapore, this has already quietly becoming the next big trend in Singapore. Can you name any yogurt shops? The most prominent is likely to be Yami (not Yam Ah Mee), followed by Sogurt, Red Mango, BerryLite, Frolick and Yoguru. So which is your favourite?

And there is Swirl Art.