Budakjijae, Busan, Korea

Budakjijae is the "army boy's" korean hotpot with every random thing thrown in. And you can see why- its chockful of sausages, tofu, kimchi and topped with one pack of instant noodle and a slice of cheese. Everything super cheap and definitely stuff you'll find at the back of your refrigerator when you've got nothing else to cook. Its not the most healthy, but absolutely tasty. That instant noodle with melted cheese in a spicy broth was in particular very, very scrumptious.

Verdict? In light of how unhealthy and cheap this is to make (versus ordering at a restaurant), I'll probably order this once in a blue moon. It'd be a good post-beer type of food too.

Nantsuttei Ramen, Singapore

I have a soft spot for tonkotsu ramen... none of that miso or salt ramen for me. So when this place took pork bone broth and drizzled caramelized garlic oil all over the top (thats the black stuff), I am sold. Coupled with my latest love- beansprouts- this bowl of ramen is absolute joy. This time round I got the Dragon ramen, which is the standard bowl topped with some spicy minced pork. It wasnt at all spicy, but certainly very tasty! I'd skip the gyozas though... they looked like they were those of the frozen variety.

Verdict? Will be back for a good bowl of ramen in the Marina area!

Pullman Bakery

Quite simply the yummiest Japanese curry bun ever! I dont know how they work it such that a deep-fried(!) bun can be grease-free, but there just isnt a hint of oil on this thing. It's amazing! The curry is super moist and each bun holds a couple of cubes of potato for just enough bite. I'd say its a good $2.50 to spend on a mid day snack!

Verdict? Perfect crumbly crust scores top points with me! Got to be careful when picking it up with tongs because these babies break at the littlest touch!

D-Plus Chocolate Natural Yeast Bread

Absolutely recommend this bread picked up from 7-11 this morning. I'm usually a bit wary of convenience store bought bakery items but this one was light and fluffy... so flakey that you can peel of layers (fun!) while eating it. Despite all its Japanese print on the front, its actually a made in Singapore item with Japanese ingredients and technology. Great stuff! Here's their website if you want to find out more- http://ilovedayplus.com/

Verdict? Gonna be stocking up on more!

Bonchon Chicken, Ion (Singapore)

Wow. I take a lot of spicy stuff but these things really got my tongue burning. I got a 6pc meal, half and half. So I got 3 pieces of soy garlic chicken (okay-ish, more salty), 3 pieces of spicy chicken (looks like its covered in hot sauce made for kids, but trust me, its not), fries and a drink.

The chicken was amazingly crispy. My first impression was that since they were covered in sauce, they'd be soggy, but hell no! Crispiest chicken, hands down! Fries were the same way and on top of that, they were sprinkled with herb-chili-salt flakes- magnificent stuff!

Verdict? At $10 a pop for the 6 piece set, these babies don't come cheap but its definitely worth the money and I'm coming back to try the rest of the menu (tofu salad looked awesome)! You can also get some Hite (Korean beer) here to put out the fire in your mouth. They also sell the chicken by the hundreds- fantastic for parties! YOM!

Soup Restaurant (Singapore)

One of my favorite restaurants to go to for comfort food is the Soup Restaurant. Its like going to Granny's for dinner.

I usually have a set list of dishes I order, but this 'beggar bowl' is one of their relatively new items and mighty inexpensive at $5+ a pop. Its a great lunch-sized portion and comes in 4 or 5 different variations. This is my favorite- their famous samsui chicken and vegetables.

Verdict? Great homestyle cooking! Gotta love their ginger sauce!

Nutella

Nothing I love more than my hazelnut chocolate. And yes, here I'm eating it with a fork at work.

Verdict? I'd use my hands if I have to!

Hole-in-the-wall, Golden Mile Complex (Singapore)

Since I haven't been to Thailand since age 9, coming here to the Golden Mile Complex, the famed little Thailand in Singapore, is probably the closest I'm getting to authentic Thai (street) food.

This plate of mango salad turned out fantastically spicy and refreshing. I really like those dried shrimp on top too. It came on a pool of liquid which was really yum- wanted to drink it up with a spoon.

We also got what they called 'thai laksa'. It really was some thin white noodle in a clear spicy broth and 3 frozen fishballs. I was lamenting how overpriced it was at $4, until I got done with mine and saw people eating theirs by helping themselves to random herbs and vegetables on the table and topping up their noodle dish with it. Pfft. You'd think they'd tell us.

Verdict? I'd still brave the dodgy mall and come back for the mango salad if I'm in the area. Adventurous people should attempt their raw crab mango salad. Those salted, black (raw, remember?) bad boys were clobbered up and mixed right into the salad. (Yuckk.)

District 10 (Singapore)

Finally made it out to this much talked about hotspot, unfortunately, I defied my usual food logic and ordered the steak at a non-steakhouse. I guess that's really my fault. It did come out very beautifully plated and generous with the wedges and vegetable though. The mushroom sauce could be a tad more flavorful.

They do have extremely reasonably priced wines and champagnes, which is a plus. That and their food is relatively inexpensive.

Verdict? I wasn't impressed with any of the food so I have to say I'm disappointed because there's really been so much hype. However, I'm loving the laid-back vibe of this restaurant cum drinking spot, so I'd be willing to give it another shot and maybe order something safe next time like their signature fish and chips?

Room Service Breakfast, Marriott (Sydney)

The full Australian breakfast was just way too much food even for me. Nothing particularly outstanding but they got my bacon and hashbrowns well done just like I asked and those went down easy.

Verdict? Pricey but generous breakfast (you should see Japanese in-room breakfasts).

Sushi E, Establishment Hotel (Sydney)

On a crazy 24 jaunt to Sydney, so much good food around but just can't bear to miss my favorite sushi place. The others will just have to wait.

Started with a bowl of miso soup. I like that theirs is real light and chockful of greens and some fried tofu.

Beef tataki is a staple. I love the chilled grain fed angus tenderloin slices. I had to ask for more garlic-ginger dressing this time though. Loved the fried onions on top; shall ask for more in future. And if I had to change anything, I'd really appreciate more greens!

Dynamite roll packed a decent level of spice, but other than that it was fairly normal. Will definitely pass on this next time.

Decided to be adventurous today and got the ocean trout in sesame dressing, drizzled with hot olive oil. The fish was cooked on one side and raw on the other- loved the tangy dressing! Looked a tad dull though...

Finally... I LOVE their complimentary dessert! Never knew it was complimentary till this evening but free or not- YOM! I'm gonna try make this for parties!

Verdict? Bye Sushi E! Till next time!

T3 Krisflyer Gold Lounge

I was pleased to see these chwee kweh this morning together with some jap chae. Something different for a change! Pity the chwee kweh were cold... They wouldve been decent if not. Jap chae was of course nothing like the real deal, but I'd give them a point or two for changing things up a bit.

What was good was the seafood congee that came chockful of fat shrimp and bits of dried scallop. And yes, I happen to love my condiments very much, thank you.

Good to know the lounge pre-6am is not maddeningly crowded. Even free food cannot see me jostling with men in business wear for that last piece of pancake or scrambled egg. Eesh.

Red Lobster, Various (USA)

Sometimes I get these random cravings for chain (normally not fantastic) restaurants and Red Lobster somehow always makes that list. Its good old hearty portions of seafood, accompanied by the best, I repeat, the BEST cheese biscuits ever!. I tried to make replicate them with my cheese biscuit pre-mix + more cheese + some chili flakes + random herbs and they were good but took too much effort (yes, even with a pre-mix).

So those cravings got me driving out to find a Red Lobster while on vacation here recently and mmm. Cravings satiated for a few months more. Apologies for the rather sparse cheese biscuit basket (these things are complimentary by the way- as a poor student, I used to ask for more just to take them home!!), I had already polished off two before I had any will power to stop and take a picture. Could've been my main but I also ordered a shrimp platter which was probably concocted for greedy people like me who wanted not just the shrimp linguini alfredo but also the crunchy popcorn shrimp and the garlic shrimp scampi! That was probably enough shrimp for the month but all soo good, especially that garlic parmesan cream sauce.

Verdict? Definitely a must-try!!!!!!!! (Yes, multiple exclaimation marks!)

PS. Cannot for the life of me figure out how to rotate the biscuit picture- it is the right way up in my folder, but for some reason Blogger keeps uploading it the wrong way!? Help!

Flutes at the Fort, Fort Canning (Singapore)

Flutes was a pleasant surprise this time around. Perhaps the roasted lamb rack we had over the company's Christmas party was just a poor choice because it really wasn't all that it should have been. This time, I opted for the barramundi filet and wow, it was amazing.

It came with a grilled shrimp atop a nicely grilled fish (crispy always does it for me!), accompanied by what was quite simply the best potato ball (yes- crispy!). I had a fleeting want to make a special side order of these balls until I remembered that I was at a dinner invitation to celebrate a wedding, and you don't really do these things at weddings. :P

Verdict? Would come back anytime! Love the old black and white bungalow setting as well. Definitely a great place for a romantic dinner. I also like that it is right smack in the city and so easy to get to!

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.