Aburi-EN (JEM)

While we have been missing Wagyu Beef since the last visit to Aburi-En, its time to make a revisit. We had ordered the Wagyu Suji Don which comprised of A4-A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Stew with seasonable vegetables topped with Onsen Egg on the rice. 

Wagyu Suji Don - $18.90

On top of the Don, we also added Asari Miso Soup like the previous visit. Our repeat orders showed that we were simply hooked to such soup.

Asari Miso Soup - $2.80

Another repeated order will be their Premium Wagyu Jyu but this time round we had included the Onsen Tamago at an additional $1.50. I'm simply enjoying my dinner!

Premium Wagyu Jyu add Onsen Tamago - $35 + $1.50

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Posted on 1st January 2023

Aburi-EN is strategically located in JEM, entrance at level 1 linking from the footpath leading to Westgate mall. Through their business name, its obvious that they are specialized in Aburi. They also offers high quality donburi (rice bowls) with premium ingredients imported from Japan.

Aburi En (JEM)

The place has indoor seating as well as outdoor seating. While the next door neighbour may be offering some live band performances, we get to enjoy our food as well as listen to the band at the same time.

Grilled premium Miyazaki Wagyu on rice was addictive. I was drawn by the slices of Wagyu that literally melts in our mouth. It was my perfection. Not only that the combination of mushrooms and the sauce was moreish too.

Premium Wagyu Jyu - $35

I'm drooling over this even by looking at the picture.

Drooling Goodness

Completing the meal, with an add on of $2.80, I got a bowl of Asari Miso Soup. Soup was tasty and was not salty. I had enjoyed the fresh clams (Asari) and the Kombu slices.

Asari Miso Soup - $2.80

I could not stop singing praises to their Wagyu. The A4-A5 Wagyu Roast Steak was served on hotplate 

together with mushrooms, greens and eggplant. The presentation was enhanced with a dollop of wasabi and sprinkles of golden brown fried garlic and chopped green spring onions. 

Wagyu Roast Steak - $35

The quality of food impressed me. The service rendered was polite and pleasant. It's less likely to give Aburi-EN a miss if we are craving Wagyu Beef like this and that means we will be making a return trip too.

Rating: 4 / 5

Aburi-EM (JEM)
Location: JEM, 50 Jurong Gateway Rd, #01-04 Jem, Singapore 608549
Website

Happy Thai Food

Thai Food is one of my favourite cuisines and from time to time, they will be included in my meals. We headed to Giant Tampines Hypermart Foodcourt for the authentic Thai Food cooked by a native Thai Chef.

Happy Thai Food

Just too bad that the fish dishes were not available on the day of our visit. We ordered a few dishes and waiting for the buzzer to sound off when our order is ready for collection.

Buzzer

Simply love Moo Ping. The Pork Skewers were awesome. The meat was well-marinated and grilled with a savoury sweet sauce coating.

Moo Ping - $9

The olive fried rice was ordered as we do not want our meals to pair with the plates of white rice. The Olive Fried Rice with Seafood was fragrant but still lacked the hint of olive taste.

Olive Fried Rice Seafood - $6.90

The Tom Yum Clear Soup was appetizing in its sour and spicy flavours added with ingredients like prawns, mushrooms, fish and squid etc.

Tom Yum Clear Soup Seafood - $6.90

The Omelette Crab Meat was quite normal. It was fragrant but would be better with more crab meat used.

Omelette Crab Meat - $9.90

A bowl of plain white rice will go very well with their Pork Leg. The Thai Style Pork Leg were well braised with sauce accentuated on its meat.

Pork Leg - $11.50

Here are the dishes we ordered. What a stomach-filling dinner we had.

Our Meal

Thank you Lao Niang Agency for the Invitation.

Happy Thai Food (Giant Tampines Hypermart Foodcourt)
Location: Giant Hypermart Foodcourt, 21 Tampines North Drive 2, Singapore 528765

Website

Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beers

It's time for their crazy milkshake for I'm returning to Black Tap in a crazy mood. The Sweet N' Salty Peanut Butter Shake had overwhelmed me with their chocolate frosted rim with chocolate M&M gems & PB cups topped with a sugar daddy, pretzel rods, chocolate covered pretzels with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle.

The Brooklyn Blackout was a chocolate shake, also a chocolate frosted rim with mini chocolate chips topped with a chocolate brownie, whipped cream & chocolate drizzle.

Sweet N' Salty, Broklyn Black out - $22 & $20

Knowing that the milkshakes were too filling, we tried ordering something lighter but still, we failed to finish the meal. We had the Crispy Chicken Caesar Craft Burger Salads. It came with crispy chicken that was packed full of shaved parmesan with an awesome combination of lettuce, roasted tomato, Moroccan spice, croutons and caesar dressing.

Crispy Chicken Cesar Salad - $23

While the Wagyu wording was just too tempting on the menu, we ordered The Wagyu Steakhouse Burger. This was 2021 Judge's choice award winner from NYC Wine & Food Festival's "Burger Bash".

The juicy Wagyu patty with A1 steak sauce was yummy. It was coupled with pepper jack cheese, bacon, crispy onions and roasted garlic aioli spread on the buns. Like all other burgers, it was served with lettuce, tomato, a pickle and french fries.

Wagyu Steakhouse Burger - $29

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Posted 4th November 2021

Black Tap serves award-winning burgers, towering milkshakes, 18 craft beers and cocktails. Restaurant is decked with sleek black columns bringing an NYC vibe to Singapore. 

Black Tap in MBS

The space is modern, upscale and inviting.

Interior of Black Tap

Yes! We come here for their craft Burgers! Portions were expected to be big and therefore we did not order additional sides. All burgers are served with lettuce, tomato, a pickle & french fries or substitute onion rings, sweet potato fries, house salad or any side for $3,

They have an option to make any burger impossible for an additional $8. 

Their burgers are cooked to a medium temperature and diners can opt to change the bun to gluten-free or vegan bun at an additional cost of $3.

Interior of Black Tap

The Texan Burger features a massive patty made of prime ground beef coupled with strips of smokey flavoured bacon, aged cheddar and a giant crispy onion ring. The bun is spread with mayo and sweet baby ray's BBQ sauce is served by the side. The fries were thick-cut and very filling.

The patty was juicy and sharp flavours from the BBQ sauce complemented the burger well. One can never go wrong ordering The Texan Burger if you love bacon.

The Texan burger - $26

We made a wise choice by changing the Fries to Onion Rings on the Pizza Burger. The buns were decked with marinara sauce, fried mozzarella and shaved parmesan. On the side, there is a bowl of zesty tomato sauce with shaved parmesan cheese. The patty were served at medium rare doneness, thick but tender. 

The Pizza Burger - $24 + $3

Do not worry about the mess you make while enjoying the burger. Just take a bite and enjoy the juice dripping down from the patty.

Close up of Pizza Burger

While it's said to complete the meal with their Crazyshake or their craft beer. We regret to say that our stomachs were already full from the Burger. 

Overall, I am thankful that I am not disappointed by their burgers and if there is a chance again, I will be back for their milkshakes and craft beer.

Rating: 4 / 5

Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beers
Location: 10 Bayfront Ave #L1-80, Bay Level, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 2 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018972

5 Senses Bistro

While running an errand in Funan mall, we decided to settle our meal there. Whenever it comes to quality and delicious food in Funan, the first thought I had in mind will be 5 senses bistro for they had left a good impression to me.

Back Here at 5 Senses Bistro

We had the set meal and it comes with a glass of Ice Lemon Tea as well as soup of the day.

Beverages

The mushroom soup was offered as the soup of the day. It was fragrant and appetizing. 

Mushroom Soup

We had chosen the Pan Seared Jade Perch with 2 sides of Sauteed Mushrooms and Potato Salad. The Pan Seared Jade Perch was perfectly done with a crisp layer yet maintained the moisture of the fish meat. Squeeze some lemon over to enhance its taste. The sauteed mushroom was fragrant and delicious while the potato salad was not too creamy and I like such a combination.

Pan Seared Jade Perch - $27.90

The Char Siu Chicken Thigh requires a waiting time of about 20 minutes. The charred edges and tenderness of the Chicken Thigh were even. This main was paired with Brussels Sprouts and Macaroni Cheese. 

Char Siu Chicken Thigh - $15.90 

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Posted on 15 February 2022

Have been hearing my pals talking about 5 senses since school days but I did not get the chance to try it till now.

The 5 Senses Bistro is setup by a team of young entrepreneurs that love exploring new cooking techniques and ingredients. The name was derive from their aim of creating food, leaving an impression on customer's 5 Senses from visual to smell.

The team also focus to create an affordable comfort food using freshest ingredients and also every dish represents their chef individually.

5 Senses Bistro at Funan Mall

The menu was quite straight forward with limited selection of mains and sides, comprising Asian and European fare.

Menu of 5 Senses Bistro

Ordered the Live Oysters for Starters and Nibbles. It was served in a plate of 6 decked with ice cubes and lemon wedges.

Live Oysters - $12.90 (6 Pcs)

Oyster was fresh and refreshing with its icy coldness.

Oyster

The best way to enjoy fresh shacked oysters is to squeeze some lemon juice over and add some tabasco sauce. 

Oyster with Lemon Juice and Tabasco Sauce

The bowl of Mushroom Soup did not disappoint. It is of the right consistency and texture of soup comprises of the mushroom chunks. Flavor was mild and not overly intense, perfect!

Mushroom Soup - $4.90

Grain-Fed Angus Braised Beef Cheek was excellent. I had this classic french dish paired with Brussels sprouts bacon and homemade Green Salad as sides.

Grain-Fed Angus Braised Beef Cheek - $21.90

The braised cheek was braised till it softness that it is easily tear off with the slightest pressure. On top of that, I find that the braised sauce was rich and generous. The portion as a whole is worth the price paid.

Tender Braised Cheek

To my surprise, the Brussels Sprouts was softer than my expectation and goes well with the braised sauce and bacon.

Brussels Spouts 

The Green Salad was served separately in a dish. The refreshing serving 

Green Salad

The New Zealand Beef Ribeye Steak if 200g was Medium Done served with brown sauce and mustard. Butter glazed Brocoli & Cauliflowers and mashed potatoes were the choice of the 2 sides.

New Zealand Beef Ribeye Steak - $26.90

The slab of beef was not very thick but was rather flat with bits of peppercorns on the surface of meat.

Ribeye Steak

The doneness was served to exactly what we wanted. Meat was fork tender and well seasoned.

Medium Done Beef

The texture of mashed potatoes with fried garlic was spongy. The gravy was good, however, the texture still make the mashed potatoes feel weird.

Mashed Potatoes

Food quality from 5 Senses Bistro is no doubt better than average and the price paid is definitely worth the portion served.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

5 Senses Bistro
Location:  Funan Mall, 107 North Bridge Road, #02-17, Singapore 179105
Nearest Station: City Hall

Website

Lao Er Herbal Soup 老2煲靓汤 (Ah Er Soup 阿2老火汤)

Ah Er or Lao Er Herbal Soup has been popular for its rich and nourishing soup.They have gained a substantial reputation on the media in the past years.,

Ah Er Soup

The Peanut with Lotus Root and Pork Rib Soup aids in blood circulation as well as nourishes the kidneys. The ingredients were generous and the flavour was rich enough.

Peanut with Lotus Root with Pork Rib Soup - $5.50

Aids in beating the heat from our body system. The old cucumber with pork rib soup was very flavourful and exuded a homely taste.

Old Cucumber with Pork Rib Soup - $5.50

Having just 2 types of soup on the menu is simply not enough. If there are more chances to go back to this food court, I will definitely order other soups.

Rating: 3.25 / 5

Lao Er Herbal Soup 老2煲靓汤 (Ah Er Soup 阿2老火汤)
Location: 9 Jurong West Ave 5, Singapore 649487

Club July

A revisit to Club July with indoor seating. I was "feeding" those mosquitoes till I could not stand it anymore and asked for a mosquito coil at my table.

Our meal started off with our beverages with Fresh Soursop. 

Fresh Soursop - $5 Each

While waiting for the mains, we were served with Squid Rings battered and coated in Salted Egg. The squid rings were big and yummy. Love the tender chewy texture with an adequate amount of Salted Egg taste on it.

Salted Egg Squid - $16.90

Seafood Hor Fun was not too bad too. The Hor Fun had the taste of "Wok Hei" and was cooked in a medley of seafood like fish, prawns, sotong with vegetables.

Seafood Hor Fun (Gravy) - $8

The Pan Fried Chicken Chop was spread with Mushroom Sauce and sides like baked bean, mashed potatoes and garden greens were served. 

Pan Fried Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce - $14.80

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Posted 15 October 2021

It has been years since we have driven past this place and because of its name, I always thought that it's some kind of club, a nightclub till my friends told me that it's actually not.

Club July is serving a menu close to our hearts with a combination of local delights as well as Western food. 

Alfresco Dining

Saw these two outstanding drinks on the menu and thought that they are worth the try. We were served with 2 cups of slush ice and it's definitely a good option to beat the heat. The cooling Ribena ice with the bursting honey balls was cooler, just like the Lychee Slush that comes with Bubble Gel, it creates chewiness between the cold drink. 

Lychee with Bubble Gel & Ribena with Honey Balls - $5 each

 
The chicken satay was decent and it comes in a plate of 8 accompanied by cut cucumber and onions.

Chicken Satay - $14 (8 Pcs)

Surprisingly, the Stingray was good. It was barbecued, loaded with sambal chilli and topped with red onions. Serving comes with lime and the stingray was fresh and the portion was good to share between two pax. The Stingray comes in 2 sizes with a small size costing $15 and a large one at $20.

Stingray - $15 (Small)

The classic fish & chips is served with 2 sides, coleslaw and baked beans. Fish was breaded and fried to a golden brown. This dish is quite ordinary.

Classic Fish & Chips - $13.80

The ingredients of fish cakes, Chinese sausage, prawns, eggs, cockles and bean sprouts hit a usual plate of Char Kway Teow. Instead of a broader Kway Teow used, they are using the Ipoh Hor Fun

Penang Char Kway Teow - $8

Overall, I find that the service is good, there goes the food too which I think that threw me a surprise. The only disadvantage is that the parking lots are rather limited. 

Rating: 3.5  / 5 

Club July (Stagmont Ring)
Location: 5 Stagmont Ring, Singapore 688241