Almond Croissant

Tiong Bahru Bakery, Eng Neo Ave., Singapore.
Rating: 3.5/5

Much to diner's dismay, this almond croissant does not come close to the iconic regular croissant that draws the village-sized crowd. Though it looks tempting, mouthwatering and disgustingly decadent, it remains nothing but a mirage. Something delicious only by design. However, if sugar and the texture and taste of melted marzipan is what you seek, this pile fulfills that wish in a gratifying way. Not to be eaten by fingers, a fork and knife could be the best way to tackle this heap of butter, film, almonds and powdered sugar (do you see it?). A comforting blend that begs to be gotten over with, if you are mentally strong enough.

Cooking Up...

Rabbit with olives, portobellos, and herbs
Outcome: 5/5
Suggest: Overestimate the amount of stock the recipe calls for

I pulled out the pink, limp and seemingly helpless combination of flesh, bone and fat from the plastic bag and finally realized: this is a real. One of those rare moments in life where one truly feels a barbarian connection to food. Fear and guilt was finally overcome when I heard the muffled, cackling sear of rabbit flesh on pan. There was no turning back.

Thankfully, the sacrifice came out to a beautiful, balsamic symphony. The rosemary, bay leaves and thyme from the home garden infused so well with the Italian olives and mushrooms that had been reducing in white wine sauce for an hour. All white meat, all good meat, all delicious.

Recipe courtesy of Tru's Rick Trumanto and his cookbook,Osteria.

Kurobuta Pork Char Siu Bao

Cherry Garden, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Singapore.
Rating: 4.5/5
Being someone who doesn't agree with butchering high-end ingredients such as Wagyu or Kobe Beef sliders, or Hokkaido Crab tempura (yes, Nobu, that's you), this little pillowy bao has turned me around slightly. Due to the quality of the pork, the characteristic umami sweetness of this sauce was applied conservatively, allowing the character of the meat to come forward. Its texture is also excellent, having more bite and body than the chewiness we get with a cheaper, fattier type of meat. The approachable 2.5in diameter size also contains a favorable filling-to-bun ratio, so be ready to pop a few.

Fried Carrot Cake w Dark Soy

Singapore Food Trail at Singapore Flyer
Rating: 5/5
This is a stellar. Well worth the trek, this Asian 'carrot cake' has a well balanced amount of diced turnips, complementing the similarly cubed, noodle-like flour pellets. A generous amount of spring onion tops the dish, serving to cut through the umami explosion of soy sauce and fried egg. The sweetness of dark soy sauce as opposed to its lighter cousin also adds an addictive sweet-salty slant to this local favorite.