Welcome to Orchard.

Generous hunk of fish maw braised for several hours till fork tender and cloaked in a luscious spring onion-infused sauce that is intensely fragrant and toothsome.

Location: Crystal Jade Palace, 391 Orchard Rd, #04-19 Takashimaya Shopping Centre, Singapore 238872

We visited KOAL by Les Amis Group recently to try their set lunch. It’s a 3-course set and you get a choice of 1 starter, 1 rice bowl (includes Japanese rice, onsen egg & shredded nori) & 1 dessert. Here’s what we got:

~Burrata Salad, US Rib Eye, Hojicha & Whiskey Tiramisu ($42)
~Beef & Tofu, Grassfed Rib Eye, Freshly Fried Donut ($30)

Can’t really pick a favourite between both of our rice bowls, as both beef steaks were executed really well - nicely charred, with good textures and delectable flavours! We enjoyed the starters we chose too, both the Burrata Salad and Beef & Tofu were refreshing! As for desserts (not pictured), I liked the Hojicha & Whiskey Tiramisu, which is a nice twist on the classic tiramisu; we felt the filling could have been more generous in the Freshly Fried Donut.

All in, the set lunches are reasonably priced for the quality and portions you get! Their set lunch is available every Tuesday to Sunday from 11.30am to 2.30pm.

A comforting lunch we had while working from home last week - Soup Restaurant’s Buddy Meal for 2 pax!
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The classic Traditional Boiled Soup of the Day and Seasonal Vegetables are fixed items in the set, but you can choose the rice dishes to your preference. We went with the Earthern Bowl Steamed Rice with Chicken and Chinese Sausage and couldn’t miss out on their Earthern Bowl Steamed Rice with Chicken & Samsui Ginger! We liked the option of getting these smaller portions and that it’s convenient too via Deliveroo - our food came piping hot yay! The chicken chunks were tender and well seasoned.

Cacio e Pepe is a simple yet popular pasta in Italy. However, few restaurants in Singapore serves it as it’s just pepper and cheese and may not be appealing to some here

I was pleasantly surprised by the standard of Cacio e Pepe at Lino. The malfade was al dente, cooked to perfection. The sauce was delicious as well, though some may find it “jerlat” if you are not used to taking a lot of cheese.

It’s reasonably priced at $16 and would recommend it!

Tucked away in Far East Plaza, this restaurant concept offers signature dishes from 8 different restaurants across Japan (including omurice, hamburg steak, unagi don and gyukatsu).

🌟 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗮𝗴𝘆𝘂 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝗳 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗶 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝘀𝘂 ($𝟭𝟵) 🐮
Tried the hakata-style black curry rice with fried wagyu katsu. Deep fried till golden-brown, the katsu is crispy on the outside, while still juicy on the inside. The unique black curry features a mix of pork, chicken broth and secret spice combination! 🍛✨

This has a mild smoky taste and is a popular item among the diners. For those who don't take beef, you can also choose to enjoy the black curry with pork loin, chicken or carbonara.

🌟 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘆𝗮𝗸𝗶 𝗪𝗮𝗴𝘆𝘂 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝗳 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿 ($𝟭𝟴) 🍔
Another item that we tried is the beef burger. Said to be the juiciest and softest wagyu beef hamburg steak, the kuroge beef burger is created by Chef Fukuyoshi who won the European Mondo Selection award and was voted as one of Japan's 50 top chefs! Served alongside wedges and onion rings, you can also get your hands dirty with their build-your-own-burger option 🇯🇵

If you're visiting for lunch/early dinner, try their set meal and ramen options (from 11am-6pm). Also available on major food delivery platforms.

Got this with 1-for-1 deal on burpple so it's quite worth 😉💸

📸 Full review on Instagram (@myfoodframes)!

Finally checked out this crepe place @frenchfold!

Here is what we ordered:
No.04 Ham, egg sunny side up, sautéed mushrooms, Comté cheese ($19++)
No.12 Duck confit, baby potatoes, cream, thyme ($21++)

The crepes are made of buckwheat flour and they only use organic eggs! Loved both of the above crepes! Can’t decide which of the two I prefer! I love the addition of baby potatoes into the crepe! It sounded like a weird combination, but I ended up loving it very much! We were too full from these 2 savoury crepes to try their sweet crepes!

They were super packed on a friday night at the Orchard outlet. Do remember to make a reservation beforehand! Their reservation timings for dinner ar 630pm or 8pm though.
Also special shoutout to their VERY FRIENDLY service staff!

We sample a few of their new dishes during the media tasting and I was thoroughly impressed with the flavours and presentation. Dishes that are available at Crystal Jade Golden Palace includes the starter of Teochew Four Delights ($58) whereby the order comes in a large platter filled with braised duck, chilled lobster crystal jelly that pays homage to pork trotter jelly, crispy crab roll and chilled mala jellyfish with Chinese yam in aged vinegar. All these small bites and refreshing flavours help to whet the appetite for the later dishes. This was followed up with the Pan-fried Red Grouper with Radish & Yellow Bean (seasonal price) that is prepared the Teochew style. The firm texture of the grouper gives it a nice bite, complemented with the umami sauce.

The subsequent dishes are available at Crystal Jade Palace such as the Superior Bird’s Nest with Fresh Crab Roe ($88) served with a side of Jinhua ham soup that is meant to be enjoyed separately. The richness from the bird’s nest and crab roe is balanced with the soul-comforting broth. Served tableside, the Braised Whole Thick Fish Maw ($78) is unlike any fish maw that you would have eaten elsewhere as this is top-quality fish maw that has a gelatinous mouthfeel cooked with spring onion and served with a thick braising liquid. The Sauteed Spare Ribs with Aged Black Vinegar & Lychee ($32) is an appetizing meat dish with the aged black vinegar bringing the tanginess to awaken the senses.

A unique dish is the Poached Cabbage in Porridge Water with Conpoy & Garlic ($26) with the porridge water being a thickener while the garlic brings another layer of flavour. The carbs for the day went to the Mee Pok ($28) that has been tossed in the homemade XO sauce and topped with crispy pork lardon and crackling pork belly, making it a fitting end to the meal before the dessert of Chilled Beancurd with Ginger Osmanthus Syrup ($8.80) with the addition of more candied ginger to give more antioxidants into the body.
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✨ Crystal Jade Golden Palace
📍 290 Orchard Road, Paragon, Unit 05-22, Singapore 238859
🍴[Media Invite]

Pan-fried Live Fish (Red Grouper as featured) with Radish & Yellow Bean in Teochew Style 活鱼潮式萝卜黄豆半煎煮 (seasonal price)

Looking for comfort food? Go for their Poached Cabbage in Porridge Water with Conpoy & Garlic ($26++) 💚, a light dish where you can taste the natural sweetness of the ingredients! 👍🏻 Homely feels!

Closer to our hearts is their Mee Pok tossed with XO Sauce & Crispy Pork Lardon served with Crackling Pork Belly ($28++)! 🍜 I was never a fan of pork lard but they made me a convert! 💯 A taste of tradition & quality!

Feast on these Sauteed Spare Ribs with Aged Black Vinegar & Lychee ($32++) 🐖, slathered with an irresistible tangy-sweet sauce rendered from a reduction of premium Zhenjiang aged black vinegar! So so good! 😋 This is part of their refreshed menu!

Violet Oon is the place to savour authentic Nonya or Peranakan cuisine in posh setting with great atmosphere. The Babi Pong Tay and Beef Rendang are out of this world.

https://hungryghost.sg/violet-oon-ion-orchard/