YEN Social @ DUO Galleria - Introduces A Full Lunch Service With Set Menus

Helmed by Taiwanese yakiniku master Chef Jones Chen, YEN Social, located at Duo Galleria, is the sister concept of Michelin-rated yakiniku restaurant YEN Yakiniku - one of Singapore's pioneers in dry ageing beef and the premium Yakiniku experience. Known for its whisky dry-aged wagyu ribeye and Wagyu Taiwanese Beef Noodles, the restaurant has now incorporated a full lunch service, available from Tuesdays to Saturdays. The lunch menu also includes YEN Signature Wagyu Burger, which has made quite a reputation when it was first launched during Singapore's 2021 circuit breaker period.

Caesar Salad with Wagyu Bits & Shaved Parmesan 4/5

Under Salads & Appetisers, we started with Caesar Salad with Wagyu Bits & Shaved Parmesan ($16). By swapping the usual bacon for moreish Wagyu Bits, Chef Jones instilled his restaurant's character into this otherwise common dish.

Smoked Scallop Carpaccio with Yuzu Vinaigrette 4.5/5

We were also served this elegant plate of Smoked Scallop Carpaccio with Yuzu Vinaigrette ($14). Sashimi-grade Hokkaido scallops were smoked with cherry wood and then dressed with a citrusy yuzu oil, creating a creamier mouthfeel.

Lemon Thyme Fennel Salad with Apple-flavoured Quinoa 4/5

Lemon Thyme Fennel Salad with Apple-flavoured Quinoa ($16) was equally refreshing. The licorice flavour of the fennel, the sweetness of the raisins and the fruity quinoa built into one another, forming a well-balanced dish.

Chargrilled Seasonal Vegetables 4.5/5

Chargrilled Seasonal Vegetables ($12) were pleasing with beautifully charred seasonal vegetables, all of which are procured from sustainable sources. What's also notable is the pumpkin, which has been dry-aged for 30 days to attain a more intense flavour and tender texture.

Chargrilled Wagyu Burger 4.5/5

Wagyu Fries

Moving on to the mains, Chargrilled Wagyu Burger ($25) topped my list with a juicy and flavourful patty made with fresh minced meat, which is said to be a 100% mix of specially selected wagyu cuts. It is layered with two types of cheese, mushroom and shredded red cabbage, for a refreshing contrast. Even the milk buns to carry these ingredients are done with consideration - brushed with wagyu fat before they are toasted to build on that rich flavour. It is accompanied by Wagyu Fat Fries, which are house-made double-fried house-cut russet potatoes sprinkled with bits of wagyu fat for an extra indulgence. A more premium choice would be YEN Steak & Wagyu Fat Fries, best with a glass of house wine to complete the dining experience.

Braised Wagyu Beef Cheek 3.8/5

Another beef dish is Braised Wagyu Beef Cheek ($34), featuring Australian wagyu beef cheek braised in red wine for 48 hours. It was incredibly tender, but a tad more seasoning would help bring out its flavours more. The mashed potato served at the side was charcoal infused to add a depth of flavour.

Chargrilled Iberico Pork 4/5

Chargrilled Iberico Pork with Japanese Shisho Chimichurri 4/5

For non-beef eaters alternative, there are two other exceptional dishes, one of which is Chargrilled Iberico Pork with Japanese Shisho Chimichurri ($22). The iberico pork jowl is sous vide cooked for two hours before being chargrilled to develop its flavours. A house-made citrusy shiso chimichurri is served as the condiment to provide some zing for the dish. The accompanying fried rice was a star on its own - within the rice, you will find moreish bits of the caramelised fats rendered from the meat, which amp up the flavours in every mouthful.

Chargrilled Seafood Bucatini Pasta 4.8/5

Chargrilled Seafood Bucatini Pasta ($25) was on par with its meat counterparts. All the seafood featured - octopus, jumbo prawn, and scallops- are sashimi-grade and imported directly from Japan. As they were chargrilled before being tossed with pasta, they carried a hint of smoky flavour built into the robust homemade basil-tomato sauce, elevating the entire dish.

2-course set menus start from $25. All Steak items are served with a side of Chargrilled Vegetables and do not include fries. Lunch sharing set for 3-4 pax start from $100. Add on $5 to enjoy a choice of beverage, be it cold-pressed juice, coffee or tea.

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.


YEN Social
DUO Galleria
7 Fraser Street
#01-25/26
Singapore 189356
Tel: +65 86696788
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Nearest MRT: Bugis (DT, EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sat: 1130am - 2pm, 6pm - 11pm
Sun-Mon: 6pm - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Bugis MRT station. Take Exit E and F. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

TEN+ @ Sungei Tengah Rd - Singapore’s First Safari-Themed Bistro Offers Camp-like Dining Experience With Western Eastern Fare

Nestled along Sungei Tengah Road near Choa Chu Kang, Ten+ is Singapore's first safari-themed bistro that simulates what dining in nature feels like — but with a beautiful twist. Other than a menu that encompasses the best of both Western and Eastern cuisines and self-grilled barbecue, Ten+ also offers a variety of booze, such as beers on tap for diners to unwind and enjoy.

Purple Sweet Potato Latte 3.5/5, Smoked Oak Mocha 4/5

We started our brunch with the Purple Sweet Potato Latte ($6) and Smoked Oak Mocha ($6). While the former does not have much of a Sweet Potato taste, we enjoyed the latter for its smoky aroma and distinct bittersweet notes.

Creamy Egg Mayo Croissant 3/5

The Creamy Egg Mayo Croissant ($16) comes with a flaky croissant filled with creamy egg mayo fillings. However, the egg mayo felt too underseasoned and bland, while the croissant needed more fluffiness.

Torched Aburi Prawn Pasta 3.5/5

The Torched Aburi Prawn Pasta ($23) features al dente linguine in prawn bisque, topped with prawns and tobiko. The prawn bisque could be richer in flavours, as it felt a tad watered down.

Flame Grilled Angus Burger 4/5

The Flame Grilled Angus Burger ($23) comes with a tender, juicy US Angus beef patty grilled to a nice medium rare and maple bacon sandwiched between two fluffy buns and a side of crispy curly fries.

Battered Fish Bites 3.8/5

They offer Heineken towers and craft bottled beers for those seeking to chill and unwind over drinks with friends. Pair the booze with their variety of bar bites, including the Battered Fish Bites ($14), which comes in a generous portion of bite-sized crispy fried fish paired perfectly with mayo sauce.

Words and photos 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.


TEN+
65 Sungei Tengah Road
Singapore 699000
Tel: +65 86568685
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Nearest MRT: Choa Chu Kang (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sun: 11am - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Choa Chu Kang MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop opposite Choa Chu Kang MRT station (Stop ID 44531). Take bus number 975. Alight 7 stops later. Cross the road and turn right towards Sungei Tengah Road. Turn left onto Sungei Tengah Road. Take the left of Sungei Tengah Road at the first fork. Take the right of sungei Tengah Road at the second fork. Walk to destination. Journey time about 30 minutes. [Map]

OOTB @ GR.ID Mall - Affordable Burger Joint With Quality Gourmet Burgers

Burger joint OOTB is located within youth mall GR.ID offering gourmet burgers. Their burgers are characterised by the generous amount of ingredients that fall out of the bun, hence the name OOTB. The store features a vibrant exterior with a mix of neon lights and industrial-looking furnishing with metal barrel stools. The menu offers only five burgers. Diners can also add $3 to make it a set which comes with a side and drink.

Classic Cheese 4.2/5

We opted for the crowd favourite Classic Cheese ($14.90). It consisted of black Angus beef, cheddar cheese, caramelised onions, and greens, along with their secret sauce. The black angus beef patty was tender and juicy, while the buttered buns had a nice pillowy texture. Though simple, all the various components worked well together.

Thic Chick 4/5

The Thic Chick ($12.90) features a brined, battered, deep-fried chicken thigh together with chipotle sauce, sweet-tangy slaw, and in-house dill pickles. What stood out was the massive chicken thigh that had a good balance of the batter and the meat. The slaw mix added a refreshing sweet tanginess and a good texture, while the crunchy pickles added a zing to balance the whole burger.

OOTB does not skimp on the quality of its ingredients, and they are very generous with its serving sizes. If you are looking to dine with a vegetarian friend, they also have plant-based options - the IMPOSSIBLE and TINDLE burgers.

Words and photos 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.


OOTB @ GR.ID
GR.ID Mall
1 Selegie Rd
#01-08
Singapore 188306
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Nearest MRT: Bencoolen (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Bencoolen MRT station. Take Exit A. Cross the road and walk to Prinsep Link. Walk down Prinsep Link to Prinsep Street. Turn left onto Prinsep Street and walk towards Selegie Road. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

Bearded Bella @ Hillcrest Road - Popular Brunch Spot Second Outlet At Bukit Timah Offers New Dinner Menu

Bearded Bella opened its second outlet in Bukit Timah last year. They recently launched a new dinner menu featuring homemade doughnut burgers and some of their favourite brunch dishes.

Cheesy Black Garlic Goodness 4.2/5

The Cheesy Black Garlic Goodness ($19) features 100% Australian beef patty burger, with added cheddar and black garlic mayo on doughnut, together with lettuce, crispy onions, and bacon. The beef patty is superbly tender and juicy, while the fluffy doughnuts are sweet, balancing the burger's savoury components.

Ahjumma's Corned Beef 4/5

The Ahjumma's Corned Beef ($20) features house-cured corned beef brisket with homemade gojuchang mayo on doughnut, along with bacon, baby cos lettuce, and crispy onions. Similar to the Cheesy Black Garlic Goodness doughnut burger but with a touch of Korean flair with the addition of gojuchang mayo.

Scallop & Cold Pasta 4.5/5

One of their signature items is the Scallop & Cold Pasta ($22), which consists of tender-seared Canadian Scallops atop capellini pasta and chuka wakame marinated with truffle and yuzu ponzu. The pasta was perfectly al dente and had a nice strong truffle flavour.

Charred Asparagus 3.5/5

The Charred Asparagus ($15) features spiced yuzu pepper hollandaise, topped with pomegranate and fried capers. While the asparagus was crunchy and juicy, the yuzu pepper hollandaise was a tad too bland and watery. Unfortunately, it did not add much flavour to the asparagus.

Pain Perdu (AKA Fancy French Toast) 4/5

The Pain Perdu (AKA Fancy French Toast) ($20) was incredibly soft and fluffy, with bits of pink guava and peach fruits embedded within that lend a citrusy touch to the french toast.

Words and photos 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.


Bearded Bella
73 Hillcrest Rd
Singapore 288945
Tel: +65 82012312
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Nearest MRT: Tan Kah Kee (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Fri: 730am - 5pm
Sat-Sun: 730am - 6pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Tan Kah Kee MRT station. Take Exit A. Use the overhead bridge to Exit B. Walk straight to Hillcrest Road. Turn right onto Hillcrest Road. Walk down Hillcrest Road and make a left into Greenwood Avenue. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

2280 Burger @ Henderson Industrial Park - Gourmet Burgers By BurgerLabo

Hidden in Henderson Industrial Park is a burger restaurant, 2280 Burger, by the same people behind Burger Labo and Naked Finn. The name of the burger place 2280 comes from the four-digit code of the beef neck cut used in their beef patty. I had difficulty finding the place because its exterior looked different from a restaurant but more like an interior design house.

2280 Burger Double

There are only three burgers on the menu - 2280 Burger Single ($9.50), 2280 Burger Double ($13.50) and Blue Cod Burger Single ($15). I decided to go for the 2280 Burger Double that comes with two hand-shaped beef patties, pickled onions, melted cheese, and shio kombu mayonnaise in between two buttered and fluffy buns.

The beef patty, which uses grass-fed Aberdeen Angus beef and Kuroge Washu from Toriyama Umami Wagyu, is a juicy stack of deliciousness further elevated by condiments coming together beautifully.

2280 Burger Double & Blue Cod Burger Single

We also tried the Blue Cod Burger, which is more expensive than the beef burgers. It is a delicious burger, but we could not overcome the psychological barrier that it tastes exactly like McDonald's Fillet-O-Fish.


2280 Burger
Henderson Industrial Park
213 Henderson Road
#01-10
Singapore 159553
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Nearest MRT: Redhill (EW Line), Telok Blangah (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 11am - 3pm, 5pm - 9pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Redhill MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Redhill MRT station (Stop ID 10209). Take bus 145. Alight 5 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes [Map]

2) Alight at Telok Blangah MRT station. Take Exit A. Cross the road. Walk to bus stop opposite Telok Blangah MRT station (Stop ID 14169). Take bus 176. Alight 4 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

L'Espresso @ Goodwood Park Hotel - English Afternoon Tea Buffet With Rosy Delights In Support Of Breast Cancer Awareness Month This October

In support of the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) this October,  Goodwood Park Hotel proudly presents a line-up of rosy-themed treats as special highlights within the popular English Afternoon Tea Buffet with Local Favourites and Rosy Delights at L'Espresso. In addition, a $3 nett donation will be made to the Breast Cancer Foundation for every adult dining on this buffet from 1 to 31 October 2022.

Diners are invited to feast on an indulgent selection of petite sandwiches, pink finger sandwiches of cucumber & cream cheese, and egg & truffle aioli.

The mini croissants include favourite flavours like tuna salad and salmon & brie cheese with honey mustard.

The dainty savoury tarts feature interesting flavour combinations such as the stone crabmeat salad with pink grapefruit and mentaiko dressing, greenland shrimp with raspberry mango aioli and beetroot cream cheese with forest berries compote. The fruit zestiness added a refreshing twist to the seafood.

The fried food section includes the juicy baked Mexican-style chicken mid-joint wings, crispy cheese croquette, spam fries and popcorn chicken.

One of our favourites is the mini pork burger with seafood cutlet and mentaiko mayonnaise. The seafood cutlet was superbly tender, which paired well with the mentaiko sauce.

There are also meaty choices of an assortment of skewers and roast carvings. Not to be missed is the beef wellington which has an incredibly tender and succulent beef tenderloin wrapped in a crispy, buttery pastry shell.

For local favourites, mouth-watering dishes like Laksa, Dry Mee Siam, Png Kueh, Crispy Yam Cake and Singapore Chilli Crabmeat with Mantou are not to be missed.

To end the meal or enjoy in-between, savour a wide array of rosy-themed desserts such as the Pink Pomelo Cream Tart and Raspberry Cheesecake that will delight those with a sweet tooth.

ENGLISH AFTERNOON TEA BUFFET WITH LOCAL FAVOURITES & ROSY DELIGHTS 1 October to 30 November 2022

- Two seatings on Mondays to Fridays (12pm to 2.30pm; 3pm to 5.30pm)
- Three seatings on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays (11am to 1pm; 1.30pm to 3.30pm; 4pm to 6pm)

Mondays to Thursdays: $65++ per adult; $39.80++ per child
(inclusive of coffee or tea (one serving) and free-flow self-serve cold fruit tea)

Fridays to Sundays: $68++ per adult; $40.80++ per child
(inclusive of coffee or tea (one serving) and freeflow self-serve cold fruit tea)

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.


L'Espresso
Goodwood Park Hotel
22 Scotts Road
Singapore 228221
Tel: +65 67301746
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Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line, TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 12pm - 230pm, 3pm - 530pm
Sat-Sun & PH: 11am - 1pm, 130pm - 330pm, 4 - 6pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit 1. Walk down Scotts Road to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

Cantina @ Arab Street - Crane's New Bohemian Inspired Cafe With An Asian Farm To Table Concept

Located along Arab Street is Cantina, a new cafe bistro with a bohemian theme that is opened by the folks behind Crane. The food takes on an Asian farm-to-table concept in which dishes are made with ingredients sourced fresh locally, and portions kept just nice to minimise food wastage.

Brekkie Burger 4.2/5

We had the Brekkie Burger ($18), which features a marinated beef patty, farm mushrooms, tomato salsa and herb slaw. The beef patty is exceptionally tender and juicy, and the tomato salsa lends some brightness to the dish with the addition of chewy juicy mushrooms.

Red Curry Prawn Conchiglie 4.5/5

Our favourite dish is the Red Curry Prawn Conchiglie ($22), consisting of locally sourced prawns, grilled greens, herb salad, peanuts and charred lime, served with conchiglie pasta. The pasta is perfectly cooked to an al dente texture and coated with fragrant red curry.

Lebanese Sweet Potato Fries 4/5

The Lebanese Sweet Potato Fries ($10) comes in a generous portion of sweet potato strips, which retain a thin layer of crispiness while packing a solid bite. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of spices the fries were coated in, and they provided just the right amount of umami flavour to the usual sweet potato fries.

Hot Honey Crispy Chicken Bites 4/5

We also had the Hot Honey Crispy Chicken Bites ($10) served with garlic yoghurt sauce. The meat is perfectly crispy on the outside and tender within, and the garlic yoghurt sauce also helps to cut some greasiness from the fried chicken.

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.


Cantina
148 Arab Street
Singapore 199831
Tel: +65 88297116
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Nearest MRT: Bugis (DT Line, EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Fri: 930am - 6pm
Sat-Sun: 9am - 6pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Bugis MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk down Victoria Street towards Arab Street. Turn right onto Arab Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]