Kazu Sumiyaki, Cuppage Plaza

It was Lynda's birthday and she recommended Kazu Sumiyaki for awesome yakitori so that was where Lynda, Van and I went one evening after work. There were numerous japanese restaurants and bars under Cuppage Plaza's roof and I spotted many Japanese men drifting in and out of restaurants for their meals. Always a good sign when locals are checking out the same restaurant as I am. Kazu Sumiyaki was crowded when I reached and I was thankful I made a reservation. If you intend to drop by for yakitori, I would suggest that you make a reservation before doing so.

The seating area was small and cozy. Our table was one of three squeezed into a tiny room at the back. It provided some privacy but we were seated so close to the other two tables that I could hear everybody's conversation even though I did not mean to eavesdrop. It was quite a tight fit but I have to say that it was still pretty comfortable. 

We ordered a whole bunch of yakitori. We started off the night with Scallop and Bacon which was divine. The scallop was fresh and juicy which went superbly well with the salty crispy bacon. The Pork Belly with Enoki Mushroom (my personal favourite) was good too. Juicy fatty pork with crunchy enoki mushrooms is the best combination ever. 

Chicken wings and chicken yakitori next. They were nice and yummy, but not mind-blowing since everything else was just so fantastic.

Chicken skin. Now, I absolutely love crispy oily chicken skin but I am also acutely aware that one piece of chicken skin is going to put my gym routine to waste. I devoured the chicken skin anyway and am now trying to work off the extra calories.

Lynda's oily lips brushing against a particularly delicious yakitori. This sums up the whole night actually. Putting deliciously oily food into our mouths and washing them down with sake in dainty blue cups. 

Home made fish cake. It was yummy although I have to confess that I cannot tell the difference between this and the usual fish cake at the store downstairs. 

We had Pork Belly with Asparagus which was fantastic with tasty pork belly and fresh asparagus. The stick of grilled leek was pretty good too. However, the best was definitely the onigiri (grilled rice). Who could have guessed that rice would be so delicious! It is so amazing how a stick of grilled rice could be so crispy and yummy.

The Chicken and Ginger Bar was very unique. It was the first time I tasted something so interesting. Minced chicken and chopped ginger grilled with sweet sauce. I would definitely order this again if I return. 

You should place your order early if you wish to have baked sweet potatoes because they take a while to prepare these little babies. The sweet potatoes were served when we were done with the yakitori. I smeared a thin layer of butter on my sweet potato and it was so yummy! I'm not a fan of sweet potatoes usually but this was really good. 

Black Sesame Ice Cream with Red Bean and Mochi with Ice Cream for dessert. The former was good but not anything spectacular. The latter was mind blowing. I have not tasted any sweet treat that made me as happy as this did. Cold runny ice cream wrapped around chewy mochi. Ahhhh perfect dessert that melts deliciously in your mouth. 

This is definitely the best place to be for awesome yakitori. I would return if I want to indulge in some fantastic yakitori.

#04-05 Cuppage Plaza

5 Koek Road

67342492

Daily 18:00 - 22:00

Kimchi Korean Restaurant, Suntec City

The only reason I stepped into this place was because of the glorious reviews floating around online. And the only reason I am spending precious time talking about this place is because I do not wish for anyone else to waste money and calories here. I do not know why people would post such awesome reviews about this place and I can only conclude that they were either sponsored or very kind in their words. I hope to believe in the latter. 

Situated in Suntec City, Kimchi Korean Restaurant is easily accessible. The perk ends there. Sure, if you happen to find yourself in Suntec City and you are just dying to eat Korean food, then please go ahead. Do not let this review stop you. 

The pancake was bland and rather tasteless.

I ordered the Seafood Soup which was really watery and yes, you guessed it, bland. The soup really tasted like the chef simply poured water into the pot, chucked some seafood in, and allowed it to simmer for five minutes before serving it on my table. I wish I could say that this was a healthy option, or perhaps, this was good for me, but unfortunately I am a terrible liar. 

We ordered some pork belly and mushrooms for the grill. The pork belly was hardly marinated. I wondered if they took the pork belly slices from the fridge and brought it directly to us.

My family ordered a bunch of other main dishes but I was so appalled by the standard of the food that I gave up. I was also extremely angry and upset that I suggested this place after reading all the wonderful reviews and I could not bear the disappointment that was crushing down on all of us. 

What a major bummer.

#02-387 Suntec City

63377811

Daily 11:30 - 22:00

Kko Kko Nara, Tras Street

Met up with Stef and Simyee for our catch up session over dinner. Stef suggested having Korean Fried Chicken at Kko Kko Nara and we both agreed. So glad we came here! The food was fantastic.

We heard about the legendary queues and tried to circumvent that by making a reservation. Unfortunately they were full so we had to join the queue. Thankfully Stef ended work early and reached around 6 plus so she jotted down our names on the waiting list. We were second in line and it took us about 30 minutes to get a table. There was a large crowd gathered outside Kko Kko Nara when we were ushered into the restaurant.

We ordered the Small Chicken Combo Set which comes with 3 pieces of original, garlic, and sweet fried chicken. The fried chicken was extremely crispy on the outside and so tender inside! Marination was perfect too and I was especially fond of the garlic flavour. The garlic fried chicken was just so fragrant and tasty!

We also ordered a Kimchi Stew with additional ramen. The Kimchi Stew was so deliciously sour and went perfectly well with ramen. The only downside was that it did not come with much ingredients and there was generally just a lot of onion and leek floating around instead of kimchi. 

I would definitely come back for the fried chicken! They were just so delicious. The fried chicken at Kko Kko Nara put 4 Fingers to shame and if I have time to queue for fried chicken, I would certainly park myself at Kko Kko Nara's door. 

To get to Kko Kko Nara, take the MRT to Tanjong Pagar Mrt Station, exit and walk towards Orchid Hotel. Turn right along Tras Street and you will find Kko Kko Nara a few steps down the road. 

57 Tras Street
#01-01
Daily: 17:00 - 04:00
62248186

One Man Coffee, Upper Thomson

Met up with my friends from junior college for a Saturday brunch. It was a dark gloomy Saturday morning and we braved the downpour to reach One Man Coffee along Upper Thomson Road.

I took the MRT to Marymount which was about 5 minutes away from One Man Coffee. Take exit A from Marymount MRT, cross the road from SPC petrol kiosk, and continue walking along Upper Thomson Road. You will reach a row of shop houses filled with cafes, restaurants, spas, and random little shops. One Man Coffee shares the shop space with Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar and it might be hard to locate the cafe. Look out for a row of chairs that spells "Coffee" in front of the cafe.

We sat outside to enjoy the cool breeze after the rain and studied the menu happily. The all day brunch menu was simple with only seven items but I was assured that all the items were delicious. Prices were also very reasonable as compared to the usual cafes around town. 

I ordered a latte ($4.50) because I wanted something warm in my belly. I'm not much of a coffee person but this was not bad.

Eu recommended the Gashouse Egg with Bacon Jam ($10). I decided to go with that and butter mushrooms ($2). It was incredible! A layer of eggs and melted cheese sat on a thick slice of toast, the bacon jam was sweet and tasty, and the butter mushrooms were juicy and delicious. I would definitely recommend this to my friends.

We headed over to Salted Caramel for some ice cream after brunch. The Horlicks Tim Tam was yummy! I love such exotic flavours in small little ice cream stores tucked away in random corners. I spy other little eateries in the area which I think I will definitely be back to try.

215R Upper Thomson Road

Opening hours: 9 am to 5 pm

Tel: 64561555

The Ranch Cafe, Aljunied

It has been about a year since we last met our old friend from high school and this time we decided to have dinner after work at The Ranch. The awesome thing about The Ranch is that it is in the east, close to where we live, and within walking distance to Aljunied MRT. When you exit from Aljunied MRT, simply turn towards the cluster of shop houses and you will spot The Ranch around the corner facing the MRT station.

My friends ordered Fried Mushrooms ($4.90) and Chicken Wings ($6.50) while waiting for me. I was running late as usual and tottering on my heels from City Hall to Aljunied as fast as I could. The sides were served shortly after I settled into my seat. The Fried Mushrooms were delicious! Nicely breaded and crispy on the outside yet juicy within. The Chicken Wings were really good too. Very well-marinated. 

I had The Ranch Chicken Chop ($8.90) with fries and salad. The chicken chop was tender and decently grilled. It was not exceptional but definitely value for money at that price tag.

I would return if I wanted affordable and quality western food in my hood. However, with so much more attractive options at Geylang, I am not sure when I would be back.

71 Lorong 27 Geylang

67470788

Daily 11:30 - 23:00

Karon Beach, Movenpick Spa, Phuket

We decided to explore Karon Beach on our third day in Phuket. The heat was still insane and we were soaked in sweat shortly after we reached Karon Beach. I also insisted on smearing a large amount of sunscreen on the boyfriend before he was allowed onto the beach. I have no idea why guys are naturally averse to applying sunscreen.

Beach umbrellas were neatly lined along Karon Beach and the beach was fairly deserted and peaceful. I like the tranquility along Karon Beach, without much activities and the milling crowd.

I wanted to book a spa session at the Cheeva Spa in the Mandarava Resort where we were staying but they were full so the boyfriend and I decided to search for a spa along Karon Beach. We found several dodgy little massage shops along Karon Beach but none looked as awesome as the Movenpick Spa. The Movenpick Spa was luxurious but exorbitant. Each of our Swedish body massage cost 2000 baht (including service charge and tax) which was really expensive. I think this was the one most expensive thing I indulged in when we were in Phuket. 

It was easy to locate the Movenpick Resort and Spa along Karon Beach. Walk down the footpath and follow the sign to the Spa.

The reception area was housed in an individual little hut and the nice lady behind the counter arranged for our massage before serving us our spicy ginger tea. The spicy ginger tea was really spicy, but felt nice and comfy in my belly. 

After we finished our tea, the masseur led us into another small hut where the massage would be. The room inside was dimly lit and there was a tiny dressing room to the side with shower facilities. They provided robes for us to change into and a wardrobe with a safe box for us to deposit our valuables.

The massage was enjoyable. It was good, skillful, and relaxing. We had the Swedish Massage and I asked for greater emphasis to be placed on my shoulders and legs which were the body parts with the most knots. The masseur kneaded my muscles in my shoulders skillfully and it was fantastic!

The masseur advised that we should not shower for 2 hours after the massage to allow our skin to absorb the essential oils. I did not believe at first, but decided that I should probably heed her advice, so we did not shower in the massage room and left. When I returned to the resort, I decided to run a google search to see if that was true, and indeed! The usual advice is that we should not shower for 2 hours after the massage to avoid rheumatism and to allow our skin to absorb the oils. So now we know.

We left Movenpick Spa and walked around searching for a restaurant with air-conditioning because it was just too hot. We found Coral Restaurant near the Karon Circle and went right inside for a quick respite from the heat. 

We ordered a Carbonara with bacon bits and a Smoked Salmon Pizza. The Carbonara was delicious. Al dente spaghetti, crispy bacon bits, and a light creamy sauce. The Smoked Salmon Pizza was not too amazing though. A terribly hard crust with slices of smoked salmon which were completely dry and tasteless. 

We returned to the Mandarava Resort after our late lunch and went for a dip in the pool with more sunset happy hour drinks.

Read about our Patong Beach adventure here and all about our resort here!

Fish Mart Sakuraya, Parkway Parade

The boyfriend and I came to Parkway Parade randomly one day and I asked to try Fish Mart Sakuraya so that was where we went. Fish Mart Sakuraya is situated in the basement of Parkway Parade and looks like a typical Japanese minimart from the outside. Walk inside and you will find a simple, casual eatery tucked away at the back of the minimart.

A large variety of sashimi sat in a freezer at the side. Shoppers could choose to pick up a pack and take it home or have it in the eatery at the back. We joined the long queue and it took us about 15 minutes to secure a small table at the side. 

We ordered a Grilled Salmon set from the menu before making our way over to the freezer to choose a slice of salmon sashimi. Complete salmon overdose!

We picked a nice thick slab of salmon sashimi ($17), handed it over to the kitchen staff, and left our table number with them. The salmon sashimi was sliced and served shortly after. The salmon sashimi was very fresh, sweet, and juicy! I'm craving for another serving while typing this post now. 

The Grilled Salmon set was pretty decent. Nice and crisp on the outside, juicy and tasty within. It was not incredibly outstanding, but good enough for a simple dinner.

Fresh salmon sashimi is definitely the highlight at Fish Mart Sakuraya and I would come back for more. This is certainly a good place to satisfy my regular salmon sashimi craving. Perhaps I would give the other main courses a miss but the salmon sashimi is a must!

#B1-83D Parkway Parade
63454714
Mon - Thur: 11:00 to 21:30
Fri: 11:00 to 22:00
Sat: 11:00 to 22:00
Sun and PH: 11:00 to 21:30