Hua Yu Wee, Upper East Coast Road (Singapore)

Housed in an old style conservation house, this famous seafood haunt remains the last one standing in what used to be an area famous for seafood restaurants. I can imagine how it used to be- sprawling grounds facing the sea, with a glorious breeze as you feasted on crabs and shrimp. Now with all the land reclaimation over the years, lights from the nearby apartments are all you can see. But you can still choose to sit al fresco in the backyard- its all kind of fun!

Their food remains a strong point- evident from the familes that throng here on weekends. They've even got a valet service going so you don't have to bother trying to find a place to park your car without blocking the path of another (impossible to achieve).

Verdict? Good place to go to avoid the usual tourist crowds at the East Coast Seafood Center. Highly recommend getting the steamed prawns- they are sooo sweet; forget about herbal or cereal prawns! Oh and I like their version of hong kong noodle- its exactly the way it should be and not the sweet-ish pseudo hong kong fried noodle thing they serve up elsewhere.

Food Hall, Isetan (Tokyo, Japan)

There is something about these fried prawns from the food hall out here that keeps having me come back. Must be the japanese mayo...

Verdict? Definitely a permanent fixture on my to-do list while in Japan.

Jojoen, Ebisu (Tokyo,Japan)

There are many locations where you'd find Jojoen, but this one at Ebisu boasts some pretty outstanding views. Our seats were side by side, looking out into pretty night time Tokyo.

As with all things Japanese, the emphasis is on quality, not quantity. The cuts of beef and pork here were all marbled- so you know the type of meats served up. I decided I wanted to try the raw beef with raw egg. Was a bit apprehensive wrapping it up in a leaf with nothing more than a few sprigs of leek thingies, but it was delicious. Reminded me of filet américain in Amsterdam... We also had a side of kimchi since the origins of Japanese BBQ has its roots from the Korean BBQ- this side dish was ok, I like my kimchi spicier.

Verdict? Somewhat pricey for the small portions, I may come back if I am feeling indulgent! Will make sure to order more of that pork... the marinade on this was amazing.

Tatsuya, Goodwood Park Hotel (Singapore)

Im a late bloomer in the raw fish department. And now, I can't get enough of it! And for now, there is no where else I get my fix, than at Tatsuya. I know for a fact the fish is fresh and the quality magnificent. The lunch bentos are such a steal too, averaging $30 a pop.

Verdict? I've already been out here twice in the past 30 days, and have 2 more reservations for the next 5. :)

Mad About Garlic, Suntec (Singapore)

This newbie from Korea(!) is supposedly famous for Italian food. Since I love garlic, it was just the place to hit up.

Tried to do some research prior, and it seems that the hit dish was their Garlic Snowing Pizza which they were offering for free(!) if your total order was more than $20 (not hard to achieve- mains were on average $18). Its a brilliant way to get people acquainted with your food- great move since I was apprehensive about shrimp and pineapple on my pizzas, but I loved this! Its definitely all that they make it out to be.

The garlic tower was a bit of a letdown (they crush the top down into the tower, then lay it on its side). Fluffy but had a cake-like texture. I like my garlic bread to taste like bread. Pastas were massive! They are definitely going for hearty portions here. With all the extra food we ordered, I could only manage half of my risotto.

Verdict? Food coma after (as with all Italian food), but I will definitely come back to try the rest of the menu. Also spotted a chef in the kitchen with a Korean flag on his arm- good to know they are serious about replicating the quality of its food.