Stuffed Peppers w Tuna

Pizzeria Mozza, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

Rating: 4/5

The perfectly oven roasted yellow pepper in particular is sweet and tender, a fantastic complement to the slightly salty tuna meat inside. Tuna chunks are not mushy, and pieced enough to provide enough bite. However, one wonders why there is only one yellow, two reds. Makes sharing this dish awfully tough. Also, the arugula garnish seems like an afterthought, and doesn't add anything to the composition.

Eggs Benedict w Creme Sauce

eM by the River, Robertson Quay, Singapore.

Rating: 4.5/5

If Hollandaise has got you down, this Creme sauce could set you back on the path to Benedict favoritism again. Slightly tart and slightly sweet, this delicate sauce covers two perfectly poached eggs, sitting atop sautéed and densely peppered spinach. The flavors of the ingredients successfully infuse into the English muffins below, making them good enough to eat on their own. However, eat quickly; the muffins get pretty soggy.

Steamed Pumpkin w Rice & Foie Gras

Forest, Equarius Hotel, Resorts World Sentosa

Rating: 4/5

I was invited to a media tasting for Sam Leong's new venture, Forest, and they served this as a main. So this should be their standout dish. In this restaurant, expect comfort food elevated, familiar flavors of childhood, all grown up. This pumpkin could stand to be a bit sweeter, but its texture is steamed to perfection, making the flesh a welcome pairing with the fragrant short grain Californian rice. The foie gras, though sweet and rich, is a bit too generous, distracting from the other components.

Spicy XO Scallop Pasta

Wild Rocket, Mt. Sophia, Singapore.

Rating: 5/5

This is for the serious chili eater. That slow heat that builds up, to the point you're suddenly not in control of your palate and senses. Yet, this XO flavor has this addictive quality to it; spicy, sweet, attractively umami. The pasta is cooked to the best al dente state, and small scallops are springy and fresh just like the pasta, and are surprisingly not lost in the condiments. 

Blueberry Tart

Paul Bakery, Ngee Ann City, Singapore.

Rating: 4.5/5

This tart screams out for more depth, density and filling, but what's not to love about a beautifully crafted filo pastry and natural blueberry filling? Not too sweet, but flavorful and delicate. You can almost feel the blueberries reducing and simmering in the pan. Very impressive for a mass-produced pastry in a mall.

Greek Yogurt & Granola Parfait

Club Street Social, Gemmill Lane, Singapore.

Rating: 4.5/5

The honey can be a good and bad thing. 2/3 of the way through, it's delicious and gives you that much needed energy boost for the sleepy weekend morning. However, the delicious and addictive granola at the bottom is well endowed with dried fruit, complementing the fresh berries; so the honey may become a bit of an OD situation. But hey, nothing wrong with that.

Fruit Salad w Lemon Sorbet

Au Petit Salut, Dempsey Hill, Singapore.

Rating: 4/5

The perfect way to end a rich French set lunch. The sorbet is as perfect as it looks; expect all tart and little sugar. The fruit salad is a colorful, gorgeous tossing of grapes, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, melon...think that's it. However, the ratio of fruit to sorbet was slightly imbalanced, making the fruit seem overwhelming, crossing the line between 'generous portion' and 'too much'. Composition needs work if flavors are to be properly enjoyed.

French Onion Soup

Bistro du Vin, Zion Rd, Singapore.
Rating: 5/5
Lactose intolerant diners, please make an excuse for this one. Melted cheese is a perfectly golden color, and surprisingly not too oily contrary to popular belief. The soup itself is full of caramelized onion shreds with a rich broth that is flavored via ingredients, not salt and seasoning. Many onion soups place one piece of bread at the very bottom, but this one has at least two, lovingly stacked to soak up all that comforting richness inside.

Penang Claypot Rice

Huen Kee Claypot Rice, Malaysian Food Street, Resorts World Sentosa

Rating: 5/5

Everything we love about the Penang style claypot rice, brought over to Singapore directly from the stall itself! Made a la minute with charcoal fires, this fresh comforting bowl of delicately coated beads of rice and masterfully flavored with dark and light soy is an escape in itself. Don't forget to enjoy the slightly charred bits of rice stuck to the base of the pot, where the smoky flavor infuses with the meats and sauces. Salivation sensation.

Silky Soya Beancurd

Lao Ban Soya Beancurd, Old Airport Rd//Maxwell Hawker Center, Singapore.

Rating: 5/5

This is the ultimate in sweet soya beancurds. Expect to eat between 2-3 of these bowls of traditional goodness in one sitting. The layers appear firm, but upon cutting through the top layer with the edge of your plastic spoon, each layer peels of like soft plastic, showing their melt-in-your-mouth quality. Addictive sweetness combined with a soft jello finish, this is unparalleled.

Maggie Goreng

Kampong Glam Cafe, Arab St, Singapore.

Rating: 4.5/5

A version of the beloved Singaporean favorite, Mee Goreng, this stir-fried wonder of beautifully simple ingredients is improved upon with the addition of Maggie sauce. Maggie sauce being a local condiment; imagine an amped up light ketchup or sweet chili. An instant-noodle-like texture, this partnership of sweet, salty, chewy, firm, this is junk food disguised as real food. Just FYI, you may need some hot tea or water after this one.

Peanut Butter Bar

CUT by Wolfgang Puck, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

Rating: 5/5

What could go wrong if peanut butter makes an appearance at dessert? A delicately almost whipped texture of peanut butter covers the top of the bar, supported with a biscuit bottom. The small kernels of concentrated sweet peanut brittle are scattered at the top, providing a satisfying salty crunch in every mouthful, cutting through the sweetness. Light enough to enjoy, yet rich enough on the palate to know what you're paying for.

Bruschette w Pumpkin Puree & Bacon

Pizzeria Mozza, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

Rating: 5/5

There's a reason why Mario Batali remains an Iron Chef. That perfect char on the edge of the lightly caramelized bacon is undeniable, and the pumpkin puree base just elevates that unique sweet-savoriness of bacon, making it a perfect marriage. Imagine sumptuous Nutella on a crisp doughy carbohydrate. The thin shreds of parmesan on top of the perfectly toasted slice of baguette, a bonus.

Vegemite Soldiers w Eggs Cocotte

The Plain, Craig Rd, Singapore.

Rating: 3.5/5

More of a whim and an adventure tasting. Realized this taste still remains to be acquired. From a purely objective point of view, the eggs were perfectly cooked; slightly runny and neatly sitting in their shells. Yolky goodness provides good balance for the slightly sour, acidic quality of the Vegemite. The toast, however, was not toasted hard enough and failed to hold together once dipped into the egg. 

Bak Chor Mee Pasta

Wok & Barrel, Duxton Hill, Singapore.

Rating: 5/5

As oily as the actual traditional Singaporean favorite, 'BCM,' but with slightly lower cholesterol, we'd like to think. Precious hunks of pork rib tossed and twirled with spices, anise, and red chili in this al dente tagliatelle. Though the ingredients may be a fine-dining step up from its local counterpart, the relaxed presentation makes it approachable and communal-dining friendly. Bears no resemblance to the hawker food porky soup, but it's a definite crowd pleaser. 

Caesar Salad w Charred Salmon

PS Cafe, Ann Siang Hill, Singapore.

Rating: 5/5

For brunch, this may seem like too much of good things. But if you are recovering from a hangover, too much is never enough. And doubtful diners, one bite of an amalgamation of all these parts will have you immediately thinking: 'I hope there's more to come!' A perfect charred saltiness, a gently poached egg, and crunchy croutons with crisp lettuce, it's a textural and flavorful delight.

Chocolate Cake w Earl Grey Ice-Cream

TWG, ION Orchard, Singapore.

Rating: 4/5

There's nothing more comforting than a big slice of chocolate cake doused with sauce and ice cream. A generous scoop of it. Though the textures were all up to par, giving off an indulgent chewiness, the lack of distinct Earl Grey was disappointing. However, judging by just basic dense cake and velvety cream alone, this bad boy can turn any frown upside down.

Mushroom Ravioli w Cream Sauce

Pontini, Grand Copthorne Millenium, Singapore.
Rating: 5/5
Luscious, al dente, handmade and richly flavored. Generous mushrooms, sauteéd to perfection and infused well with the cream sauce. No fuss, no pretention, just good honest pasta.