By The Fire @ East Coast Road

Alibabar the Hawker Bar at the junction of East Coast Road and Joo Chiat Road seems to be a prosperity ground for any hawker start up with the likes of Aston and Saveur, which move on to opening their own restaurants and branches. The latest tenant is By the Fire, opened by Immanuel Tee by started Immanuel French Kitchen at Bukit Merah and his partner Alexander Chong who helmed the kitchen at By The Fire.

Little Squid 4.2/5

The Little Squid ($9.90) comes with Thai sweet dipping sauce, is a good starter to go with a bottle of beer. The lightly battered squid is deep fried to a crisp exterior while the inside is still tender. Very enjoyable and addictive.

Scotch Egg 4.5/5

The Scotch Egg ($6.90) is not a common item on most restaurant menu and I am glad By The Fire decides to serve this. The breaded minced pork with soft boiled egg and purple cabbage coleslaw is not only beautiful on the plate but palate too. I have tried a couple of scotch egg elsewhere but nothing beats this, especially the well marinated minced pork.

Keystone's Seaweed Pasta 3.8/5

A popular dish at By The Fire is the Keystone's Seaweed Pasta ($8.90). Top mark for the concept using angel hair pasta cooked in aglio olio style, shio kombu and sakura ebi. Although the dish came across a bit too salty, I can tell this is a very good dish with the rich and complex flavours that worked harmoniously.

Grilled Pork Cheek 3.5/5

It was a hate and love affair with the Grilled Pork Cheek ($15.90). The grilled pork cheek confit glazed with Japanese curry oil, served with potato and pumpkin salad literally melted in the mouth. However, it came across too oily.

BBQ Pork Ribs 4/5

It felt like I was have a Sunday BBQ with the BBQ Pork Ribs ($14.90) served with macaroni and cheese. The grilled pork ribs glazed with home secret BBQ sauced has a nice smokey flavour on top of the sweet BBQ sauce. Just need to get your hands dirty with the fork tender ribs. It will be finger licking good.

Squid Ink Pasta 4/5

For the price and portion, I think the Squid Ink Pasta ($12.90) is quite value for money. The spaghetti pasta cooked in squid ink cream sauce, served with grilled scallops, spring onions and bonito flakes will be a delightful slurping goodness for the hungry stomach.

Grilled Hangar Steak 4/5

Last but not least the Grilled Hangar Steak ($19) is cooked perfectly to medium rare. The charred onglet steak (200gram) is served with brown sauce, shallot confit and crispy potato. As the hangar steak is quite tough, I would say this is cooked to a nice tender bite.

Overall, By The Fire serves up some delicious and affordable dishes that is comparable to restaurant quality. It is definitely a place I will not mind going back again.


By The Fire
Alibabar the Hawker Bar
125 East Coast Road
Singapore 428810
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Nearest MRT: Dakota (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 1030pm
Sat-Sin: 12pm - 4pm, 6pm - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Dakota MRT station. Take exit A. Walk to bus stop at Blk 99 Old Airport Road (Stop ID 81181). Take Bus 10 or 32. Alight 6 stops later opposite Roxy Square. Walk to the junction of East Coast Road and Joo Chiat Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes.[Map]

The Burning Oak @ The Bedok Marketplace

The food centre at Simpang Bedok has undergone renovation and presented with a new look earlier this year with a mix of traditional and modern hawker stalls. It is also renamed as The Bedok Marketplace. The Burning Oak at The Bedok Marketplace is one of these moderns hawker stalls that has moved into the new food centre specialising in Yakitori and Japanese Don.

Wagyu Rump Cap & Iberico Pork Cheeks Don 4.2/5

There were many reviews covering their signature yakitori that is grilled over binchotan charcoal, a premium charcoal from Japanese Oak. During my trip, I did not try the yakitori as my intention was to check out the Wagyu Rump Cap & Iberico Pork Cheeks Don ($15) recommended by Uncle Martin.

Wagyu Rump Cap & Iberico Pork Cheeks Don 4.2/5

For just a mere fifteen dollor, the bowl of fragrant rice comes with a generous portion of wagyu ramp cap, iberico pork cheeks and an onsen egg. Grilled to a nice smokey aroma, each mouthful of the rice is accompanied by tender meats. The wagyu rump cap was flavourful and tender. The iberico pork cheek was also cooked to perfection with an enjoyable crunchy bite to it.

Wagyu Rump Cap & Iberico Pork Cheeks Don 4.2/5

It is rare to find such a gem servicing quality grilled meat in hawker centre. The price point is also very reasonable for the huge servicing. This is definitely one value for money Wagyu Rump Cap & Iberico Pork Cheeks Don to be found in a food centre.


The Burning Oak
The Bedok Marketplace
348 Bedok Road
Singapore 469560
Tel: +65 98736093
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Tanah Merah (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 12pm - 130pm, 6pm until sold out

Direction:
1) Alight at Tanah Merah MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Tanah Merah MRT station (Stop ID 85091). Take bus number 2 or 9. Alight 2 stops later. Cross the road at the traffic light. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Tburu Japanese Restaurant @ Orchard Gateway at Emerald

With the opening of Orchard Gateway, many new restaurants have also sprout up in the new shopping mall. Located on the fifth floor of Orchard Gateway @ Emerald is Tburu, the latest concept by restauranteur, chef and self taught designer Calvin Yeung. Whisked away from the busy shopping belt, the beautiful restaurant is spacious and comes with panoramic view of the busy shopping street below.

Kanpachi Carpaccio with Truffle Oil 4/5

The lunch started with the Kanpachi Carpaccio with Truffle Oil ($22). I thought the truffle oil was a bit on the heavy side masking the clean taste of the hamachi. I would enjoy it more if it is kept simple allowing the ingredient itself to shine.

Sake lovers will rejoice over the selection of premium sake from the Kyushu prefecture, made exclusive to Tburu.

The special beer mug at Tburu caught my interests. It helps to keep the beer chill and very delicious. Kanpai!

Tempura Salad 3.5/5

Next is a healthy dish of Tempura Salad ($14/$16). The vegetables are only very lightly battered, not losing the natural freshness of the greens.

Iberico Pork Jaw from Spain 3.8/5

The Iberico Pork Jaw from Spain ($18) was flavourful and has a chewy bite to it. I understand it was a priced cut of meat but it was too delicately sliced for a more substantial enjoyment.

Hotate Chawanmushi 4.2/5

The Hotate Chawanmushi ($12) may look simple but the steamed egg was light, smooth and flavourful. The addition of the scallop gives a luxurous lift to both the texture and flavour.

A4 Japanese Wagyu from Gunma Japan 4.2/5

Served in a rosemary smoked funnel, the A4 Japanese Wagyu from Gunma Japan ($22) comes with a nice hint of smokiness on top of that layer of fatness, which literally melted in the mouth.

Hotate Foagura Maki 3.8/5

These Hotate Foagura Maki ($32) is quite interesting with the raw scallop in the middle topped with a piece of foie gras. It may be a luxurious treat for some but I thought the maki did not hold together as a dish.

5 Kind of Aburi Sushi 4.5/5

Last but not least, we have 5 Kind of Aburi Sushi ($38). Lightly torched on the surface to give it a nice aroma and charred taste, this is well complemented with the delicious sushi rice. Definitely ending the night on a high note.

Matcha 4.5/5

Wash down the greasiness with a bowl of Traditional Green Tea, made the traditional way by whisking it. It is a real experience.

As part of the opening promotion, Tburu is offering 50% discount of their 8-course omakase menu from now until end of September at $50 (usual price $100) for reservation before 730pm only. Do note, reservation is required to enjoy the promotion.


Tburu
Orchard Gateway @ Emerald
218 Orchard Road
#05-01
Singapore 238851
Tel: +65 62210004
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tburu
Website: http://www.tburu.com.sg/
Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 230pm, 530pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Somerset MRT station. Take Exit C. Take the underground walkway leading to Orchard Gateway @ Emerald. Take the lift to level 5. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Tenkaichi Japanese Restaurant @ Beach Road

Ala carte buffet with unlimited servicing of wagyu beef. This sounds like a steal is it? Tenkaichi Japanese Restaurant at City Gate, Beach Road which specializes in wagyu beef offers exactly that. The Japanese BBQ (Yakiniku) restaurant which used to be Yakiniku Daidomon has been renamed as Tenkaichi Japanese Restaurant when Mr Naing Ye Guang, took a leap of faith in 2012 to start on his own. Mr Naing is a story himself. He started in Japan as a dishwasher, working his way up the ladder. He worked as a chef in several popular yakiniku restaurants in Japan before returning to Singapore in 2004.

Sashimi 3/5

Basically the Ala Carte BBQ Buffet comes with two choices, Deluxe Buffet and Premium Wagyu Beef Buffet. The Deluxe Buffet comes with free flow sashimi, premium beef, pork, seafood and many other cooked food (tempura, fried rice, noodles, sushi etc) at $$39.80+ (Mon-Thu) and $44.80+ (Fri-Sun).

Ebi Fry 3/5

For a more premium selection, the Premium Wagyu Beef Buffet comes with free flow wagyu beef, giant scallop and also the spread of cooked food inclusive of the ala carte items in deluxe buffet at $64.80+ (Mon-Thu) and $69.80+ (Fri-Sun)

Wagyu Karubi, Wagyu Rosu, Wagyu Nakaochi Karubi 4.2/5

I personally think the premium wagyu beef buffet is really worth it. The restaurant uses marble +7 wagyu beef from Australia and these are all free flow. I tried the Wagyu Karubi, Wagyu Rosu and Wagyu Nakaochi Karubi and they all really good. I like the fact that the meat were only lightly seasoned or marinated not overpowering the natural flavour of the wagyu beef.

Wagyu Beef Yukke 3.5/5

Wagyu Tan 4.5/5

For the more adventurous, you may want to try the Wagyu Beef Yukke and Wagyu Tan. The wagyu beef yukke, similar to beef tartar is eaten raw. Break the egg yolk and give it a good mix. It can be challenging for those that do not eat raw. The Wagyu Tan which is actually the beef ox tongue, may sound scary but this is actually a delicacy. If you manage to overcome the mental block, this is probably one of the best cut I like for yakiniku as it has a nice crunchy texture after BBQ.

Pork Belly and Pork Collar 4.2/5

Pork Cheek Fillet 4/5

Need not worry if you are not a beef person or you can't take beef due to religious reason. The buffet also have a good selection of pork, chicken as well as seafood. I tried the pork belly, pork collar and the pork cheek fillet. Once again they were all lightly marinated retaining the natural flavour. I also like the fact all the dishes are served in small plates allowing one to try as many items as possible that is available on the huge menu.

Scallop 4/5

Tenkaichi Japanese Restaurant is confident of their value for money premium Japanese BBQ buffet with quality ingredients that it proudly declare a Lowest Price Guarantee for the buffet. If there is another restaurant with a lower price that fulfills the conditions (refer to their website), Tenkaichi will beat it by 10%.


Tenkaichi Japanese Restaurant
City Gate (Keypoint)
371 Beach Road
#01-18/19
Singapore 199597
Tel: +65 62934498
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TenkaichiRestaurant
Website: http://www.tenkaichi.com.sg/
Nearest MRT: Nicoll Highway (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 230pm, 6pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Nicoll Highway MRT station. Take Exit A. Take the overhead bridge and cross over to beach road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes.  [Map]

The Disgruntled Chef @ Dempsey Road

In my previous visit to Hummerstons I mentioned that I used the Entertainer App to redeem one for one main. When I used the Entertainer App the other day, I realised there was a quite an interesting list of restaurants that I want to check out. After browsing through the list, I decided to check out The Disgruntled Chef at Dempsey for dinner. Launching the app, I made a call to the restaurant to make a reservation.

Similar to my previous experience in using the Entertainer App, the waitress was well aware of the Entertainer App and the process when I checked with her.

All I have to do is during payment, I just let the waitress know that I am using The Entertainer App to redeem my free main course by tapping on the Redeem Button which I then proceeded to enter my 4 digit pin. Passed the phone to the waiter for the restaurant to enter their own private pin. That is how easy to use the The Entertainer App.

Back to my dinner, I started with a Somersby Apple Cider ($14) after a long day at work. The Disgruntled Chef also offers a good selection of wines and cocktails if you just want to chill out.

Steam Mussels 2.8/5

We started the dinner with the Steam Mussels ($21) that is cooked in mergeus and white wine. Unfortunately we felt that the mussels were not very fresh, it came with a tad of fishy taste.

Roasted Sea Scallops 3.8/5

Next we have the Roasted Sea Scallops ($24) with truffle butter, green pea puree and crispy prosciutto. While the scallops was beautifully cooked, I thought the green pea puree was a bit coarse.

Braised Pork Cheeks 4/5

As this was our first time at The Disgruntled Chef, the waitress gave us a brief introduction of the menu and recommended the Braised Pork Cheeks ($32) which is one of their signature dishes. The braised pork cheeks were so tender that it basically fell apart with a slight cut. Served with truffle mousseline and miso daikon, this is indeed an enjoyable dish.

Smoked Chargrilled Ribeye 4/5

The US choice 500 gram, Smoked Chargrilled Ribeye ($98) was cooked to medium as per what I requested. Served with a port wine sauce at the side, the smokey slab of beef was so tender and juicy on its own that I neglected the sauce. I probably order this for sharing in future as I struggled to finish the whole piece of ribeye.

Walking down a flight of stairs leading to the restaurant, it felt like one has been transformed to another place. The restaurant is actually facing the internal part of the woods giving in a nice private ambience away from the crowd and noise. With a causal dining setting and concept, patron can simply sit back, enjoy, eat and drink in a relaxing atmosphere.


The Disgruntled Chef
26B Dempsey Road
Singapore 247693
Tel: +65 64765305
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Disgruntled-Chef/183025668383667
Website: http://www.disgruntledchef.com/
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Thu: 12pm - 230pm, 6pm - 12midnight
Fri-Sat: 12pm - 230pm, 6pm - 1am
Sun: 12pm - 5pm, 6pm - 12midnight
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop along Orchard Boulevard, opposite Orchard Parksuites (Stop ID B09022. Take bus number 7, 77, 106, 123 or 174. Alight 7 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 25 minutes. [Map]

The Clan Restaurant @ Bukit Pasoh (Outram)

For my birthday celebration with my girlfriend this year, I suggested The Clan Restaurant which is nearby our staycation at PARKROYAL on Pickering. The 2 storey restaurant is nestled inside a 100 over years old building that is also The GAN Clan Association. The restaurant interior is pretty dark so pardon me for the poor quality photos. I didn't feel good using my flash as the table were quite close to one another not to mention the dimly lit environment. Upon sitting down, we were presented with the 6 course dinner set menu ($63.80++ per pax). I thought this is different from the usual practice of restaurants where they prefer you to order from their ala carte menu as the profit margin is higher. Nevertheless ala carte menu is available on request. After comparing the 2 menus, we decided to go for the diner set which is more value for money.

Chef Starter 4/5

Before starting our 6 course meal, we were give watermelon shooter served in a test tube to whet our appetite. The Chef Starter is the only item on the menu that were not given a choice. The Chef Starter comprised of a trio which for me the most memorable was the pan seared scallop with asparagus and truffle foam.

Oyster 3 Ways 3.5/5

For the cold dish there were 4 choices. My partner had the Alaskan King Crab with Homemade Karashi Dressing while I had the Oyster 3 Ways. The oysters were fresh and fat. Among the 3 styles, my favourite was the oyster shooter with quail egg. Initially I was afraid that the rawness will be too much for me to stomach but there was an interesting zesty sauce that brought it together.

Deep Fried Foie Gras 3/5

Out of the 5 choices available for the Side Dish, my partner had the Kurobuta Pork Belly confit with Pork Cracker & Passion Fruit Sauce while I tried the Deep Fried Foie Gras, Balsamico Reduction & Cheese Focaccia. I didn't quite enjoyed this dish. I thought the foie gras lost its shine in the dish and I felt like having deep fried wanton with minced pork filling.

Crab Bisque Cappuccino 4.2/5

Next for the soup which comes with another 4 choices, my partner had the Miso with Yuzu Essence while I had the Crab Bisque Cappuccino w Truffle Foam & Prawn Twister. Love the presentation as well as the richness and robustness of the flavours.

Kurobuta Pork Jawl 4.2/5

For the Main, there are 6 choices. My partner had the popular 48 Hours Beef Short Ribs on Hoba Leaf with  Madeira Sauce on Lava Stone and I had the Kurobuta Pork Jawl in Pistachio Puree with Pickled Zucchini & 64 Degree Egg Yolk. The pork cheek was fork tender with a flavourful encrusting and nicely balanced with the egg yolk coating.

You may wonder where is my sixth course, Dessert? Well we did have it but it was served after a long wait and I forgot to take photo of it. Anyway there are 5 choices and we had the Chocolate Lava with Raspberry & Homemade Gelato and Madeira Cheese Panna Cotta.

Will I ever come back to the restaurant again? Yes I will. Although we had the set menu, there are at least 4 choices for each course. Not only value for money the food is meticulous and exquisite. The service is also top notch except for the moment of lapse of our dessert. I am not complaining as I was given a 20% discount for the mistake.


[MOVED]
The Clan Restaurant
18/20 Bukit Pasoh Road
Singapore 089832
Tel: +65 62222084
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclanrestaurant
Website: http://www.theclanrestaurant.com.sg
Nearest MRT: Outram Park (EW Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 230pm, 6pm - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Outram Park MRT station. Take Exit H. Turn right in Teo Hong Road. Walk along the stretch of shop houses and continue onto Bukit Pasoh Road. Journey time about 5 minutes.