Joo Bar

It's really rare when I get to go out and grab a drink at night. Not that I'm much of an alcoholic person but sometimes it's just feels good to be able to chill. This week is another major switch in lifestyle for me as I take on new roles and challenges in my job. This means lesser weekend getaways and more work!

I was first introduced to Joo Bar last year by Vain Pot. Apparently one of her friend recommended the place to her but the menu somehow didn't agree with my palate. Joo Bar is a Korean restaurant famous for their unique drinks and Korean menu. Being not a fan of Korean food, it took a picture of the Joo Bar Army Stew on Burpple to finally lure me there. 

It's high time I change my IPhone 4. Relying on it to take pictures at night is really a let down sometimes. Then again, I find carrying an additional camera such a hassle. The drawing card of the night as mentioned is this Army Stew ($24). It comes with some light Korean snacks but I personally think it's meant for a serving of 1 even though the waiter told us that it can feed 2-3 persons. I must say that the stew is good. There's strong distinct kimchi taste of the soup, very rich in ingredients and the ramyeon is well-cooked unlike some of the food courts which serve me 3/4 cooked noodles. Sharing this with Vain Pot, I felt I didn't managed to eat my fill of instant ramen. 

The Joo Wings ($18) came as a pleasant surprise. It's richly coated spicy and sweet soy glazed crispy chicken wings and one of the best Korean chicken wings I've eaten. Previously in my other post on Gayageum Korean Restaurant I mentioned that I never got what the fuss over Korean chicken was about. Joo Wings would definitely give me better indication of how different good wings are from their counterparts. It's succulent, tasty and not oily. The crispy level was just right and the well marinated wings are pretty addictive. Worth ordering! 

Lastly at Joo Bar, it'll be such a waste if you don't try some of their alcoholic beverages. We settled for the popular Makgeolli Slush, Yucha flavour ($22). It's pretty decent, with a strong taste of alcohol not overpowering the Yucha flavour and its a great way to quench thirst after eating spicy ramyeon and strongly seasoned crispy chicken. 

Joo Bar is a pretty good place to hang out for a quiet dinner with some light drinks. I like it that they gave me a quiet corner after I made an effort to make a reservation the day before. Service was prompt and non intrusive. The food gives me greater confidence in Korean cuisines and I'd be sure to be back for more chill-out sessions in future. Consider Joo Bar, if you wish to have an intimate dinner with unique drinks with a date or a cozy gathering with a small group of friends. 

Joo Bar

5 Tan Quee Lan Street

(Operating hours 5.30pm-12am)

Ga Ya Geum Korean Family Restaurant

Finally managed to settle into the routines of post holiday life. Perhaps still in a little bit of holiday mood, I planned my weekend with a bit too much traveling. For a start, I kick started the day with a very fulfilling badminton session at Kampong Kembangan CC. Thereafter, put back all the calories with lunch at Bukit Timah Shopping Centre before ending the day with desserts at Kovan. Travel packed end to end Saturday.

One of my biggest problems post holiday has always been to plan for the next holiday. The good problem here is go where? Prior to Taiwan, Korea was high up on the to go list except I can't get past the food. So all the way we went to Bukit Timah from Kembangan to try authentic home-cooked cuisine at Ga Ya Geum Korean Family Restaurant. 

The menu had a lot of items I wanted to try. Being on a diet and straight after badminton, we settled on sharing a stone bowl Bibimbap ($14) and two dishes to complement the carbo. Personally, I'm still not a Korean food person but I felt that the Bibimbap was fragrant and traditional. I also like it that they give you control over the sauce unlike the more commercialized restaurants which have everything in the bowl pre-set to be served. 

To both Vain Pot and myself, this seafood with kimchi pancake ($17) was the winner. The edges were fried till crispy with a very distinct kimchi taste. What I like about it is that neither the seafood nor the kimchi overpowers the other yet both managed to hold its own making the pancake flavorful and easy to eat. 

We ordered the original Korean Fried Chicken ($17), following the craze over Korean Chickens. I really do not know what's so special about Korean Fried Chicken. I do not find it particularly nicer than Fried Chicken prepared by other nationalities. To be fair, this fried chicken was well prepared, very crispy, insides properly cooked but will I order it again? No, I don't feel it's worth the calories. Vain pot felt she tasted better fried chicken elsewhere. Nevertheless, fret not, there's the boneless version with different sauces which we almost tried. I think it might be better.

Summing the visit up, the visit to Ga Ya Geum gives me some hope in Korean food and a potential holiday in Korea. Granted that it's not going to make me Korean food crazy overnight, it minimally enabled me to appreciate Korean cuisines better. You might want to visit Ga Ya Geum if you are looking for some homely Korean food with pretty pleasant service. 

Ga Ya Geum Korean Family Restaurant

170 Upper Bukit Timah Road, #B2-14, Bukit Timah Shoppin Centre

We visited Hatter Street after lunch for what I thought would be a good waffle experience for Vain Pot. So all the way we travelled from Bukit Timah to Kovan with me convincing her that it's worth the calories. If you recalled, I even featured Hatter Street as my top 5 favorite waffles in my post previously. 

We ordered their signature pandan ice cream with whoaffles and gula melaka sauce. Since its Vain Pot's first time, we added an additional scoop of coconut ice cream ($12.50). So far so good, till we start eating... I think this visit might be Vain Pot's last time, and I don't know when I'll find the desire to come back again. 

The ice cream was like always awesome. The waffles on the other hand was hard like a rock. Really, I almost wanted to dig a hole and hide given that I kept telling Vain Pot how nice the waffles are and how I can eat it without the ice cream. This is my fourth visit to Hatter Street and it's really a rude shock to be served such waffles. I can only surmise that after the owners opened Oh My Tian! the division of attention has affected the quality control. I was upset enough to try to reach out to Hatter Street on Facebook or their website privately but either it's not consumer friendly or I am not tech savvy. Either way, I didn't managed to contact them. Until I find the courage to eat their waffles again...

Hatter Street Bakehouse and Cafe

212 Hougang Street 21 #01-333