BistrOne36 - Cozy Beers and Western Neighbourhood Dining

The residents of Boon Keng have one more popular establishment added to their selection of awesome dining. This establishment occupies the spot previously housing Oh My Tian, the other project founded by the founders of Hatterstreet. It has proven to be hitting the right notes with the Boon Keng faithful.

I was pretty much there with an objective to chill and have some good food. A chillout night would never be complete without beers. On a Tuesday (the day I'm there), they have 2 for 1 Oranjeboom ($20) on offer so it's perfect!

The Torched Tuna Sashimi Salad ($10.90) ordered by my dining companion should rightfully be my dish. She's the regular at the gym and well.. I'm the one trying to slim down. It's tossed well and the seasoning was good. The torched tuna sashimi is also an excellent way to whet your appetite so it's awesome as an appetizer.

My choice of Seafood Aglio Olio ($16.90) is far more ordinary than the salad. Having said that, the flavours were on point. It's those kinda dish that you cannot find fault with but nothing to shout about as well. I guess I was expecting more given that it's a chef's recommendation.

We topped our night off with truffle fries ($8.90) to accompany our meal and beers. I've got to say I might just order this again if I come by to chill and have beers. Taste wise, it met expectations.

For a neighbourhood cafe, this is definitely satisfactory. While the food doesn't have any spectacular 'wow' effect, I left as a happy customer feeling sated by the food and beer. BistrOne36 feels cozy for a 2 to 3 person catch up location and I even overheard some office executives appraising the food on my way to the washroom. There's a good chance I'll be back!

BistrOne36
34 Whampoa West, #01-79, S330034
(Be warned that the GPS might be a little misleading but I have no idea how to help you with this!)

Shan Cha - Taiwanese Cafe serving tea, alcohol and snacks

Shan Cha is a Taiwanese cafe specialising in teas, sakes and Taiwanese snacks. It's located at the edge of China Square and it's smacked in between Chinatown and Raffles Place. Given the hot and humid weather now, you will certainly appreciate their beverages a lot better.

My companion that went with me opted to try their Oolong Tea ($4.80). We found the presentation to be very instagram friendly. They even have this egg roll biscuit served at the side.

The tea itself was described as 'Oolong Tea lor' by my companion but it definitely tasted nicer in this heat and humidity.

My own Rose Apple tea ($4.50) was a pleasurable drink. I found the tea to have the rose flavoured sweetness and the apple was well infused. Downing the chilled tea when I felt so sweaty and hot (the place has fan, no aircon) really got me wishing for a bigger jar. I enjoyed my tea, it's totally refreshing.

My companion and I both ordered the traditional minced pork rice ($7.50). It's apparently the small bowl but very decent in size. The dish is served with a traditional tea egg at the side. There's a slight inconsistency in the egg preparation. My companion had great difficulty peeling her egg because the shell was stuck to the egg. It was very messy. My own egg was peeled with ease and to be honest, I felt very paiseh considering I brought her here. The minced pork rice was excellently prepared. I felt that the cafe got the flavours on point. The meat wasn't too fatty nor was it too lean. Portions were just right.

I personally find Shan Cha to be a fascinating cafe. The drinks are pretty unique but leaning towards the pricier side. The mains while limited in selection, taste awesome. They have some instagrammable desserts I didn't want to waste my swimming efforts to try. Perhaps on the next visit. I find this is an excellent place to catch up with my CBD friends if they can meet me outside lunch hours (not a big fan of crowds).

Shan Cha
22 Cross Street, #01-63 China Square, S048421

On the Bab - Korean Casual Dining in London

On the Bab is a popular Korean casual dining restaurant serving Korean street and home-styled food. It is opened by restaurateur Linda Lee who has over 12 years of experience in London running restaurants. On the Bab itself has 4 outlets. Vain Pot recommended the place to me because I told her I wish to try somewhere the locals frequent. There was already a queue when we got there attesting to its popularity. (you got to forgive the shaky images because it's the first time I'm using my new Olympus PEN E PL 8 to take food at night)

We started our meal with the Yangyum Chicken which apparently is the highlight of the restaurant. Fried chicken is a classic Korean dish. I picked the Garlic Mayo which Vain Pot tried before, she said it is the best among the choices. I felt that the chicken was well fried and the sauce was really well concocted. It definitely gave an addictive kicker to the dish. As much as I enjoyed the dish, Korean Chicken in general rarely appeals to me, just feels like junk food. Having said that, I'm pretty certain Korean Chicken fans will be lapping this up just like Vain Pot did!

The On the Roll (Spicy Pork) appealed a lot better to me. I liked how the rolls were sliced thinly making each mini roll bite size. There's a good mix of vegetables typical in all Korean dishes with the spicy pork giving very good balance to the dish. I like how the crunchy rice rolls felt really light when I ate them and this meant I can consume more without feeling excessively full. I felt a little bit more Korean with every bite.

The Soondubu Jjigae is another very traditional Korean dish. It's a stew made up of tofu, seafood and egg. The weather was around 8 degrees while I was enjoying this meal so you can imagine how comforting a bowl of hot stew feels. Again, I'm typically not a fan of tofu stews in Singapore but this particular one saw me cleaning the bowl. The soup had mild spiciness and it's power packed with flavour. I love how the tofu and egg is cooked till creamy you can just slurp it up. In chilly London, having this stew simply added warm and fuzziness to our dining experience.

Covent Garden's On the Bab is not only known for food but also for its drinks. Vain Pot and I both had Soju Cocktails and it made the meal more satisfying. I'll certainly recommend this place for a good catch up with friends as this place offers not only comfort food but also a decent selection of drinks to chill out.

On the Bab (Covent Garden)
36 Wellington Street London, WC2E7BD

Gyoza Bar

This week, time seems to fly faster than usual as I over-committed myself to a host of activities so that life is more productive and progressive. I'm waiting to watch Tottenham vs Manchester United as I'm typing this. Can't wait to watch the Premier League LIVE when I'm in London. We might as well call this week a sports week since I'm heading to the indoor stadium tomorrow for the WTA Finals.

This mid-week, I finally managed to meet the ever busy Fat Fat for dinner. Apparently Fat Fat was in Raffles Place for Yoga which she somehow 'missed' and thus we ended up dining at Gyoza Bar. This is an interesting bar cum ramen venue, hidden in an obscure stairway. It explains why the place is fairly quiet and empty when we got there. It's like a secret hidden haunt, and I'm feeling a bit selfish about sharing this to be honest.

We kicked started our meal with gyoza. Obviously right? Given the name of the restaurant....

So greedy Fat Fat and I (trust me, we almost always over order), ordered the 15 pieces Yaki Gyoza ($19.90) to share! I found the gyoza very generous with the meat, taste is on the milder side but the dish seems to jump to life when we dip it with the salt on the side. I'm certain it will appeal strongly to those with a lighter palette.

For mains, I ordered the Chicken Soup Ramen with Egg ($15) and Fat Fat settled for the Mazesoba with Soft Boiled Egg ($12.30). I pretty much enjoyed my chicken soup ramen. I found the soup to be sufficiently flavourful, ramen Q enough and the egg and char siew well prepared. I definitely felt some hearty satisfaction after my main.

Fat Fat too enjoyed her Mazesoba with soft boiled egg. The noodles were well prepared, seasoning sufficiently tasty and the overall dish definitely provided the adequate balance to the lightly flavoured gyoza.

Of course, Gyoza Bar as the name suggest meant we also enjoyed some hot sake to go with our food. There's a range of alcoholic selection and it's an awesome place to catch up with a friend. I liked it that it is quiet and cozy. You can sit there for hours without the stress of a hurried meal with long queues and many pairs of eyes staring at you to finish your meal.

I'll certainly be back again with another companion on another catch up session. I highly recommend this place if your companion loves the occasional alcohol indulgence with a fairly presentable dinner. I even think this is an awesome place to bring a first date! It is inexpensive, cozy with food and wine to complete the night out.

Gyoza Bar
7 North Canal Road, 048820

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)