QIN Restaurant and Bar @ The Clan Hotel - Unveils an Exquisite New Menu Helmed by Incoming Homegrown Icon Chef Marvas Ng

Perched on the fourth floor of The Clan Hotel, QIN Restaurant & Bar continues to make its mark on the local dining scene with its cityscape views and refined East-meets-West culinary philosophy. With the arrival of homegrown chef Marvas Ng, formerly from the MICHELIN-Selected Path Restaurant, QIN ushers in an exciting new chapter. His refreshed menu leans into chef-driven creativity while staying rooted in familiar Asian flavours elevated with French finesse. From small plates to signatures, diners can expect thoughtful compositions using premium local and regional produce — a renewed identity that brings fresh energy to QIN's dining experience.

Local Marinated Cherries Tomato 4.2/5

A light and elegant start is the Local Marinated Cherry Tomatoes ($22). Sweet tomatoes sourced from Cameron Highlands are paired with delicate chrysanthemum jelly in a refreshing citrus broth that whets the appetite for what's to come.

Straits Wild Caught Sea Bream "Hai Diao" 4/5

Next is the Straits Wild Caught Sea Bream "Hai Diao" ($28). Clean-tasting slices of sea bream sit atop a local vegetable spring roll, offering a light and crisp bite with textural contrast from the crunchy vegetables.

Sarawak Pork Ear Terrine "Qian Cheng" 4.2/5

An innovative execution, the Sarawak Pork Ear Terrine "Qian Ceng" ($22) transforms humble pig ears into a delicate terrine inspired by classic pig trotter preparations. It is paired with pickled mountain pepper gastrique and local vegetables for acidity and depth.

Shanghainese Hairy Crab Roe "Dou Hua" 4.8/5

One of my favourite dishes of the evening is the Shanghainese Hairy Crab Roe "Dou Hua" ($22). Smooth housemade soy curd is topped with brown crab, hairy crab roe and pickled chilli — a savoury, robust and aromatic combination that complements the creamy curds beautifully. A slice of toasted bread is served on the side, perfect for spreading the rich mixture like a pâté.

Wagyu Beef "Hei Hu Jiao" 4.2/5

The Wagyu Beef "Hei Hu Jiao" ($6 per piece, $16 for 3 pieces) comes in the form of a black sphere filled with wagyu beef, black pepper sauce, shallot and mustard seed. Bite into it for an explosion of peppery, aromatic flavours reminiscent of a Taiwanese Hu Jiao Bing.

Hokkaido Pork Belly (Yume No Daichi) "Har Cheong" 4.2/5

Another addictive dish is the Hokkaido Pork Belly "Har Cheong" ($20). Instead of the usual prawn paste chicken, the prawn paste marinade is used on thinly sliced Hokkaido pork belly. Deep-fried to a crisp, it carries the unmistakable aroma of har cheong — a moreish bite that's hard to stop at one.

Spanish Bellota Ribs "Shao Kao" 4.2/5

The Spanish Bellota Ribs "Shao Kao" ($35) impress with their tenderness. Coated in a savoury Chu Hou sauce and topped with tomato and crispy aromatics, the ribs are delicious and fall off the bone with ease.

Straits Line Caught Local Threadfin "Qing Zhen" 4.2/5

The Straits Line Caught Local Threadfin "Qing Zheng" ($42) is steamed Canton-style with a shallot soy vinaigrette that highlights the natural sweetness and freshness of the fish.

During lunch, QIN offers three business set menus ranging from $38++ to $65++, each accompanied by either rice or salad. The rice is fluffy and fragrant, and I recommend it unless you prefer a lighter meal; in that case, the refreshing oyster-shallot vinaigrette salad is a suitable choice.

Cameron Highland "Nai Cha" 4.5/5

A creative dessert is the Cameron Highland "Nai Cha" ($12), inspired by bubble tea. Roasted black tea from Cameron Highlands is infused into a cream custard, served with cream cheese espuma, black tea boba, and buckwheat for textural contrast. A sprinkle of sea salt subtly lifts the flavours.

Gula Melaka "Ma Shu" 4/5

The Gula Melaka "Ma Shu" ($9), made with warabi starch, takes inspiration from ondeh-ondeh. Chewy and coated in coconut flakes, it reminds me more of kueh kosui in texture.

Sesame 'Su" 4/5

Lastly, the Sesame "Su" ($7 per piece, $18 for 3 pieces) resembles a spring roll, with crisp filo pastry wrapped around a filling of Okinawan brown sugar and nutty black sesame — a simple but satisfying end to the meal.

With Chef Marvas Ng at the helm, QIN Restaurant & Bar enters a refreshing new phase, bringing elevated Asian flavours and polished French techniques into a cohesive, contemporary menu. The dishes are thoughtfully executed with quality ingredients, presenting both comfort and creativity in equal measure. Whether you're here for their value-for-money business lunch sets or a leisurely dinner overlooking the city skyline, QIN offers a refined yet approachable dining experience worth returning for.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


QIN Restaurant & Bar
The Clan Hotel
Level 4 & 5
10 Cross Street
Singapore 048417
Tel: +65 6980 3535
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Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 3pm, 630pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Telok Ayer MRT station. Take Exit B. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Xiabu Xiabu @ Lazada One (Bras Basah Road) - Stress-free Dining Experience With Individual Hotpots And Bubble Tea

Chinese hotpot chain Xiabu Xiabu has recently opened its first overseas outpost in Singapore in Lazada One. With over one thousand outlets across China, Xiabu Xiabu is known for its personal hotpots serving delicious soups at affordable prices. You can also enjoy your favourite bubble tea from Tea Mi Tea and hotpot within the same premises.

Each customer is to choose one personal hotpot set; sharing a hot pot comes with a surcharge. Each set comes with a dual hotpot (Mushroom Soup Base + the choice of another soup base), vegetable platter, unlimited condiments at the buffet-style condiments bar, ice slushie bar, and tea (choice of either Da Hong Pao Tea or Aged Pu Er Tea). The dual hotpot is created for Xiabu Xiabu's first overseas outlet to cater to our preference. Unlike some mushroom soups with a very weak consistency and taste rather one dimensional, Xiabu Xiabu's carries depths of flavours from a combination of King Trumpet mushrooms, white button mushrooms, and Blaze mushrooms.

USDA Shortplate

Australian Oyster Blade

The choices for the hotpot set are Popular Beef Set ($28/$32), Classic Pork Collar Set ($28), Signature Chicken Set ($28), Beef and Seafood Set ($38) and Vegetarian Set ($25). The Beef set is a hot favourite, with three types of cuts (140g each) to choose from - USDA Shortplate, Australian Oyster Blade or Australian Thin Beef Flank. We went for USDA Shortplate and Australian Oyster Blade for their fattier cuts.

Stew Pork Tripe and Chicken Soup Base

We chose the much-raved Stew Pork Tripe and Chicken Soup Base (+ $2) and Golden Sauerkraut Soup Base. Enriched with Oatly milk and barley, this peppery pork tripe soup has a milky consistency that is deeply satisfying. It is slightly on the saltier side, but its creaminess goes very well with the thinly shaved meats, vegetables, and especially the noodles that soak up the milky broth.

Golden Sauerkraut Soup Base

The Golden Sauerkraut Soup Base was highly appetising with its tangy profile, created from a combination of sour vegetables, marinated mustard greens, golden apple, and rosemary. It's perfect if your dining companion has a rich soup base such as the stew pork tripe or other options such as Nanyang Curry Soup Base (+$2) and Hot and Spicy in Sichuan Style Soup Base (+$2).

Vegetable platter

The design of the hotpot set is thoughtful. It has a good assortment of ingredients to jazz up the hotpot for one person. The Vegetable Platter includes black fungus, greens, tofu, mushroom, meatball, mussels and a big lovely chunk of yam which is a bonus to me.

Prawn Paste 2.8/5

Lu Rou Fan 3/5

The rest of the meats, such as the Belgian Pork Collar, Chicken and Seafood, are also available on the ala carte menu, alongside other ingredients such as Prawn Paste ($10), Fuzhou Fishballs, Assorted Mushrooms etc. You can even have Lu Rou Fan ($2.50), but there was no braised egg which was disappointing. The Prawn Paste came frozen in the shape of a leaf and tasted average.

At the condiments counter, one of the highlights is the free flow of noodles - Udon, Spinach Noodles, Carrot Noodles, Prince Instant Noodle, and Bean Vermicelli. The various condiments include Xiabu Xiabu Sesame Dipping Sauce, their signature dipping sauce made from finely ground groundnuts blended with white sesame for an extra creamy texture.

Each set comes with Da Hong Pao Tea or Aged Pu Erh Tea, provided by Tea Me Tea. You can also top up for a choice of your favourite bubble teas.

Dessert

The most fun part of the entire Xiabu Xiabu experience is the Dessert station, where you can make your own Shaved Ice. I miss those I had in Taiwan. Here I had all my favourite toppings laid out in front of me - plump red beans, chunky yam paste, silky beancurd, brown sugar syrup, and less commonly seen topping such as watermelon jelly, cucumber jelly and chewy oatmeal. Nothing was overly sweetened.

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Xiabu Xiabu
Lazada One
51 Bras Basah Road
#01-03/04
Singapore 189554
Tel: +65 85965752
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Nearest MRT: Bras Basah (CC Line), Bencoolen (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Bras Basah MRT station. Take Exit D. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Bencoolen MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Unilever Buffet Restaurant @ Halcyon 2 - Seafood BBQ Buffet In Jalan Pemimpin

Unilever Buffet opened its doors starting mid-January 2023, offering diners a seafood and BBQ buffet in Jalan Pemimpin. It is $53.90 per adult, while children between 5 to 12 years old are at $23.90 per pax on weekdays and $27.90 per pax on weekends. They are running a 50% promo from now till April 2023, with more details on their Facebook page.

Fresh Food Section

There are oysters, salmon sashimi, chirashi, prawns, mussels and scallops in the fresh food section, while the snow crab legs are provided in limited portions per pax. Though we appreciated the creaminess of the oysters, the freshness among the rest of the other items could have been better.

BBQ Section

BBQ is the highlight of the buffet here. They use smoke-free automatic grillers, which helps to reduce the possibility of lingering BBQ smells on your belongings after the meal.

The selection includes fish, pork, chicken and beef, all available in 10 types of marination. The marinations are black pepper, Thai, German, sambal, Japanese, Korean, lemongrass, garlic, mala, and kimchi. A range of condiment dips is also available to pair with the eats. Unfortunately, we did find some of the marinations too salty, while the flavours we preferred more were the black pepper and German style.

Cooked Food Section

For cooked food during our time of visit, there was a spread of 6 dishes - chilli crabs, sweet and sour fish, pork trotters, fried rice, fried noodles and vegetables with mushrooms. They were generous with the chilli crabs, but the overall quality of the spread could be improved.

Dessert Section

Free Flow Bubble Tea

Lastly, for beverages, there is free flow bubble tea, alongside calamansi, blueberry and orange juices, while desserts were a mixture of bakes, such as eclair, cream puffs and swiss rolls.

Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣), discovering hidden food gems and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Unilever Buffet Restaurant
Halcyon 2
47 Jalan Pemimpin
#01-02
Singapore 577200
Tel: +65 98707673
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Nearest MRT: Marymount MRT (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 4pm to 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Marymount MRT station. Take Exit B. Cross the road,  walk down Jalan Pemimpin. Turn left after Tailee building. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

SOD Cafe @ Upper Thomson Road - Opens Second Outlet At Upper Thomson With Bubble Tea And All-Day Cafe Brunch

After their first outlet within Ci Yuan Community Centre in Hougang, SOD cafe has recently launched their second outlet in the bustling enclave of Upper Thomson. Besides being more accessible, the new space has experienced a new facelift with chic design and vibrant settings. Their menu has also expanded to include more outlet-exclusive items.

Taro Milk Tea 4/5, Tan Milk Tea 4/5

Having started as a bubble tea shop originally, you can expect the same boba tea options at SOD Cafe's second outlet here. Their Taro Milk Tea ($4.70) has a pleasant taro fragrance, while the Tan Milk Tea ($4.70) has a subtle charcoal oolong flavour to the smooth milk tea base. We added black pearls as well, and they were sufficiently soft and chewy, providing a great bite to the drinks.

Sourdough Big Breakfast 4/5

SOD offers an all-day brunch with a selection of breakfast essentials. We went with the Sourdough Big Breakfast ($15.90), which comes in a satisfying platter of scrambled eggs, ham, sausages, bacon, baked beans, garden greens, and crispy sourdough bread.

Waffles with Scrambled Eggs & Candied Bacon 3.5/5

The Waffles with Scrambled Eggs & Candied Bacon ($12.90) features perfectly cooked soft scrambled eggs and crispy bacon. However, we felt that the waffles were done overly brittle and a tad too dry, lacking the expected fluffiness.

French Toast with Salted Caramel Bananas 3.8/5

The French Toast with Salted Caramel Bananas ($12.90) is a pleasant salty-sweet combination of soft and fluffy brioche toast slices. However, we wished there would be some maple syrup provided, as the caramel sauce was on a slightly excessive side.

Sweet Potato Fries 4/5

The Sweet Potato Fries ($7.90) comes in a generous portion of well-done sweet potato strips, mostly fluffy and retains a thin layer of crispiness around it.

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


SOD Cafe
183 Longhaus
183 Upper Thomson Road
#01-05
Singapore 574332
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Nearest MRT: Marymount (CC Line), Upper Thomson (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1030am – 9pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Marymount MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to junction of Marymount Lane and Thomson Road. Cross the road and turn right. Walk down Thomson Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Upper Thomson MRT station. Take Exit 4. Walk down Upper Thomson Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Pratunam PLUS @ Bugis+ - Delicious & Crazy Affordable Thai Street Food From Just $6.90

Pratunam PLUS at Bugis+ is Soi Thai Soi Nice's new flagship outlet that boasts an exclusively more extensive menu, with items that will not be available at the existing outlets at ARC and Westgate. Dressed in a bright and bold colour palette, Pratunam Plus wants you to have a fun and exciting dining experience of tucking into its offerings of Thai street food tagged with pocket-friendly prices. Expect exclusive items such as Thai-style Grilled Skewers, coupled with Thai Milk Bubble Teas or even beers if you are in the mood.

Assorted Skewers 3.5/5

The offering of a wide range of skewers set Pratunam PLUS apart from other Thai eateries. Starting from $1.20 onwards, let the entire skewers menu tempts you with exotic items such as Thai street staples - Chicken Heart, Chicken Liver, Chicken Gizzard, and even Small Intestines are all priced at $1.60 per stick. The less adventurous me chose Enoki Mushroom Pork Belly Slices from the Ham or Pork Belly Series ($1.80 per stick), which didn't disappoint with its nicely charred pork belly and juicy mushroom. I also tried the Pork Skewer and Basil Pork ($1.80 each) which were a tad too dry, whereas the non-meat skewers such as Lady's Fingers, Shitake Mushrooms and Oyster Mushrooms, were a lot more delectable.

Butterfly Pea Bubble Tea

Amp up the fun factor with its range of Bubble Teas!

Premium Tom Yum Mama 4/5

Under Noodles, fans of Tom Yum Mama will be delighted with its Premium Tom Yum Mama ($12.90). Served with gooey melted cheese slab and a glistening runny egg, this humble Thai instant noodles brimmed with flavours and hearty ingredients, such as squid, prawns and ham, including its signature handmade Thai Minced Pork Ball.

Runny Omelette Prawn Fried Rice 4.5/5

A must-try Rice dish is its Runny Omelette Prawn Fried Rice ($8.90). The luscious omelette blanket was amazingly soft and tender, draping over fried rice that was skillfully done with a hint of wok hei. The prawns were sweet and crunchy, which stood out even more against the velvety egg and savoury rice. The piquant and fiery green chilli sauce served at the side lent an extra kick of flavour.

Tom Yum Seafood Soup 4.5/5

I love the Tom Yum Seafood Soup too. The portion was generous with loads of mushrooms, prawns, fish and squid, and its flavours were balanced and on point. It was fiery and heady with herbs and spices, yet it wasn't too oily and rich compared to most of the red versions that I have tired.

Fragrant Fried Pork Belly 3.8/5

Vermicelli Salad 3/5

Mango Salad 3.8/5

For Sides, the options are aplenty but you won't go wrong with its Fragrant Fried Pork Belly ($6.90). You may want to balance these chunks of fatty goodness with some of the classic Thai salads - Mango Salad and Vermicelli Salad.

Pratunam PLUS delivers punchy food with flavours without being overly assertive, and the young and vibrant atmosphere may lure you back for more.

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting. 


Pratunam PLUS
Bugis+
201 Victoria Street
#04-09
Singapore 188067
Tel: +65 65094790
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Nearest MRT: Bugis (DT Line, EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 1130am - 930pm
Fri-Sat: 1130am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Bugis MRT station. Take Exit C. Cross Victoria Street. Walk to Bugis+. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]