I have been giving food recommendations on radio CNA938: Foodie Friday (catch it at 7:10pm Fridays), mostly focusing on cheap and good eats in Singapore, or unusual treats to look forward to on the weekend.  I thought this would be a good place to list them with photos! Google map links are in the addresses to help you pinpoint these joints. There have been more than 10 episodes so far, and I will be putting them up in the coming days. Enjoy! If you have other recommendations or hidden gems, please share them in the comments! Here are the items from my first episode: Traditional ..read more

Cha Chaan Teng at 284 Lavender Street is a hidden speakeasy easily missed if not for its green wall and a peekaboo window glowing red from the neon lighting within. Step inside and you'll be greeted by a well-stocked bar and an open kitchen.   Founders BK and Mirul along with Chef Aiman have given Hong Kong cafe classics a Singapore twist and also designed cocktails based on beloved dishes.     We tried their dinner menu. The food is beautifully presented, like this Cha Siu 叉燒 (S$14.90) served with a salsa verde. This is a generous portion of tender, well-caramelis ..read more

The Three Peacocks buffet is touted as the largest international seafood BBQ buffet in Singapore. It's also possibly the largest outdoor one. Yes, it is that crazy. Look at all the food, and this is not even everything! Al fresco is best for charcoal grills, and fortunately for us, it had just rained, so the weather was cool. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Catherine Ling (@camemberu) Reel gives you a quick peek at everything! And yes, there are really peacocks there!   Lots of cooked mains, including hearty meats like roast pork, crispy pork trotters and BBQ ribs ..read more

If you're thinking of enriching your meals with not just flavour but additional nutrients like Omega-3 (DHA), calcium and protein that are essential for brain and bone development, these powdered anchovies, shrimp, scallop and seaweed might be a convenient option.  Produced in Indonesia, Crystal of the Sea is certified by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), HACCP and other bodies in Japan, Taiwan, and Indonesia. The fish is sourced from Indonesia and is dehydrated rather than baked. Lower temperature preserves more nutrients. The products include White Anchovy, Brown Anchovy, Shrimp, Sca ..read more

Fann Wong has launched a seasonal exclusive Yuzu Matcha Tart (S$59) to add to Mother's Day celebrations. The sweet and tangy combo is decorated with rose petals. The buttery sable base houses a layer of fluffy almond sponge. It is then layered with matcha cremeux, a velvety and creamy filling infused with premium Japanese green tea powder. The tart is finished with tangy yuzu curd to balance the rich and earthy matcha. Just look at how indulgent it is.  Also returning are the all-time favourites Valrhona Chocolate Tart (S$58) and Raspberry Sakura Yogurt Tart (S$58). For the Valrhona Ch ..read more

Chef Haikal Johari has opened a casual French-inspired bistro called alkove at Kovan. It's lovely he is bringing a slice of his fine-dining expertise from vaunted establishments like Joel Robuchon and Les Amis to the heartland crowd. You may even remember him from Alma by Juan Amador. I met him when he was making the unforgettable recovery from the accident that had paralysed him from shoulders down. But as the picture of determination, he defied the odds and started walking again. And Alma kept its Michelin star for at least three years running.  While he's known for his excep ..read more

Racines has planned a magnificent-looking Easter Sunday brunch on 9 April 2023. From 12:30pm to 3:30pm, guests can look forward to an egg-stensive buffet spread alongside a wholesome line-up of family-friendly activities.  The menu will feature elevated indulgences such as Pan-fried Foie Gras with Kumquat Marmalade, Baked Lobster with Tarragon Béarnaise, Braised Angus Beef Cheek with Red Wine, and more. A traditional live carving station takes centre stage, presenting Coastal Lamb Rack with Chimichurri Sauce.  Other Asian highlights not to be missed include Stir-fried Crayfish ..read more

We saw this super eggy fried Horfun on a Facebook video and just had to come and try.  Lao Li is a casual zichar eatery at Simpang Bedok offering pretty decent Chinese stir fries.  Well, the dish did not disappoint but didn't really wow us too much. Maybe we had built up excessive expectations! It's got just enough wok hei and flavour but for me, the eggs were still too runny. Maybe some will enjoy that.  What we found surprisingly better was the Dai Lok Mee, or the Malaysian dark style Hokkien Mee. Deep intense umami flavours! Only letdown was the choice of udon-like nood ..read more

​ Shake Shack is partnering with Malcolm Lee’s Michelin-starred Candlenut to serve the Buah Keluak Burger and Curry Fries! You can get this Saturday 5 November from 11am until sold out, available in-store only at Shake Shack 89 Neil Road. Apparently this is Chef Malcolm Lee’s first chef collaboration! who runs the only Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant in the world, so it’s pretty interesting to see how it will turn out.  • The Buah Keluak Burger ($12.90) features a 100% all-natural Angus beef patty covered in buah keluak topped with Chef’s Mum’s Chicken Curry sauce, crisp cucumber ..read more

I'm excited to see if there are any innovative solutions to help the F&B sector, especially with regards to online payment and transactions. Small businesses and hawkers, especially those who aren't tech-savvy really could use a simple and streamlined way to plug into the world of digital orders.  Even if it's just a way for people to place orders for pickup (and skip queues), it would help both sides - business and customer alike.  And seriously, in this day and age, if food businesses are still only taking cash, they are missing out customers who don't carry that much cash ar ..read more