Korat Thai Cafe

Our visit to Orchard Towers for a meal at Korat Thai Cafe came with a surprise, the entire building was bustling with life. Many patrons were already dining in, while others patiently waited in queue for their turn.

Korat Thai Cafe

Our meal kicked off with a plate of crispy chicken skin, golden and tantalizing. We eagerly picked up a piece, dipping it into the accompanying chili. The first bite was pure bliss, addictively crunchy and crackling good.

Crispy Chicken Skin

The Signature Crispy Omelette was impressive, large, golden, and delightfully crispy. That perfect crunch comes from deep-frying, meaning it does require quite a bit of oil, which might be a bit much for some. Nonetheless, it was absolutely worth the calories!

Signature Crispy Omelette  - $12.50

If you’re a fan of deep-fried meat, their garlic pepper pork is a must-try, flavorful, crispy, and downright delicious. It’s also one of the recommended dishes on the menu. You can opt for beef, chicken, or prawn as well, but the pork really hit the spot!

Deep Fried Garlic Pepper Pork - $13.50

The vegetable selection on the menu is limited to three options: spicy kang kong, mixed vegetables, and kai lan. However, you can choose to add meat like chicken, beef, or seafood. We opted for the mixed vegetables in its plain form, without any meat. I loved the medley of vegetables used, it felt simple yet comforting, reminiscent of a hearty home-cooked dish.

Mixed Vegetables

Tom Kha, the Thai-style crispy sea bass in spicy and sour coconut milk soup, was incredibly appetizing. The tangy broth paired beautifully with the crispy fried fish, creating a perfect balance of flavors. It’s no surprise this dish comes recommended on their menu!

Tom Kha - $38

The sea bass skeleton was beautifully tucked along the pot's perimeter, with its meat placed directly into the broth. This thoughtful presentation made it so convenient, we could easily pick out the tender meat chunks without the hassle of deboning in the pot.

Fish Meat Chunks

The Chu Chee, a Red Thai Curry style dish, is available for both meat and vegetables. We opted for the beef, which was tender and coated in a sweet, creamy curry. Though the presentation looked a bit messy and lacked visual appeal, the flavors had that distinct Thai essence, making it a comforting and satisfying dish.

Chu Chee Beef - $13.50

It complemented the plain rice well with its savory and flavorful gravy. However, the richness of the curry might feel a bit overwhelming after a few mouthfuls, making it slightly gelat over time.

What will you have? Beef, chicken or pork?

Korat Thai

Location: Orchard Towers, 400 Orchard Rd, #03-28, Singapore 238875

Hitoyoshi Yakiniku

After passing by this place countless times, I finally made my way to Hitoyoshi Yakiniku, and it was totally worth the wait. The curated selection of high-quality meats, expertly grilled over the stove, was an absolute treat. Each bite of tender, flavorful meat was perfectly complemented by fresh accompaniments that elevated the entire experience. Definitely a place worth revisiting for anyone who appreciates top-notch yakiniku!

Hitoyoshi Yakiniku

For beverages, complement your meal with a refreshing drink from their menu, whether it’s the Calpis Selection, a smooth highball, or a chilled beer.

Strawberry Calpis

We had the Premium Beef Set ($188), ideal for 3–4 pax, featuring:

• A5 Wagyu Tartare
• A5 Wagyu Karubi (160g)
• Australian Wagyu Karubi (180g)
• Beef Rib (180g)
• Beef Plate (180g)
• Beef Tongue (170g)
• Seafood Kimchi Soup or Clear Beef Soup
• Nira Tama
• Free flow lettuce & side vegetables

The premium cuts and fresh ingredients made it a delightful feast!

Nira Tama

The A5 Wagyu Tartare was a delight, rich, tender, and perfectly complemented by the crisp chips. 

A5 Wagyu Tartare

Every bite was a burst of flavor and texture!

So yummy

So Good

The beef tongue was thinly sliced, beautifully marbled, and soaked in a flavorful marinade. Each bite was tender with a rich, buttery taste!

Beef Tounge (170g)

It was a fun and interactive grilling experience with my pals! The staff poured a bucket of ice into the BBQ pit and kept it running. We enjoyed the authentic self-service yakiniku, grilling over the stove while chatting with friends.

The platter of meat was a feast for the eyes — just look at that marbling! Each cut looked so enticing:

🥩 A5 Wagyu Karubi (160g)

🥩 Australian Wagyu Karubi (180g)

🥩 Beef Rib (180g)

🥩 Beef Plate (180g)

Grilling these beauties was pure satisfaction!

Plate

We preferred the Clear Beef Soup over the Seafood Kimchi Soup. It had a homely, comforting taste, light yet flavorful, perfect for warming the stomach.

Clear Beef Soup

We enjoyed the free-flow Banchan that comes with every Yakiniku set! Don’t miss their signature sides Tofu in Goma sauce, quail egg, crackers, veggies, potato salad, cabbage with goma, lotus root, beansprouts, and kimchi.

Free Flow Lettuce & Side Vegetables

They offers a memorable dining experience with its delectable selection of BBQ meats cooked right over the stove. 

Stove with smoke

The smoky aroma fills the air as each piece of tender meat is carefully placed on the grill, allowing you to savor its rich, charred flavor.

I Cant Wait Any Longer

The meat is beautifully marbled, ensuring every bite is a juicy, melt-in-your-mouth delight. 

Sauce

Whether it's the well-seasoned cuts of beef, succulent pork, or flavorful chicken, each variety is expertly cooked, giving it that perfect balance of smoky and savory goodness. 

Delicious

The stove-top grilling adds a personal touch to the meal, letting you control the level of doneness, making it a fun, interactive experience.

Grilling

Perfectly complemented with dipping sauces and accompanied by a variety of sides, the BBQ meats at Hitoyoshi Yakiniku are an irresistible treat that promises a satisfying, flavorful meal every time.

Good 

 It’s an ideal place for a cozy meal with friends or family, where the food is as delightful as the atmosphere.

Meat 

The croquette was wonderfully creamy on the inside and fried to a perfect golden crisp.

Croquette

We ended our meal on a sweet note with their popular ice cream selection. You can pick from Matcha, Black Sesame, or Vanilla from Japan. The Black Sesame was velvety, with just the right touch of sweetness.

Sesame Ice Cream

Hitoyoshi Yakiniku
Location: The Rail Mall, 382 Upper Bukit Timah Road Singapore 678040

Bulgogi Syo (Vivocity)

If you’re looking for a hearty Korean feast, the Bulgogi Syo Trip-Meat Combo is perfect for sharing between 2 to 3 people. Take your pick between the Pork Combo at $59 or the Mixed Combo at $65, both offering 550g of meat and an exciting flambe show to elevate your dining experience.

Each combo also comes with a generous spread of sides, including:

• A free jjigae (worth $16.90)
• A vegetable platter
• 2 bowls of seaweed rice

It’s a sizzling meal that will satisfy, making it an excellent choice for a fun and flavorful gathering!

Menu

I visited Bulgogi Syo's Vivocity outlet to try their Mixed Combo meal, and as expected, the place was buzzing with energy. The restaurant was almost full house shortly after we settled in — a clear sign of its popularity!

Bulgogi Syo (Vivocity)

At Bulgogi Syo, diners can enjoy a free-flow banchan counter, adding even more variety to the meal.

Spacious Environment

 We helped ourselves to a selection of side dishes, including pickled radish, macaroni cream with potato, kimchi, and cherry tomatoes, a refreshing mix of flavors to complement the rich, smoky meats.

Banchan

The Green Apple Yakult Mocktail Mix was a delightful refresher, offering a crisp and tangy contrast that perfectly balanced the richness of the meal. It made for a light and invigorating finish, cleansing the palate with each sip!

Green Apple Yakult Mocktail Tower

The vegetable platter arrived sizzling on a hot plate, featuring a colorful mix of sweet pumpkin slices, onion slices, kimchi, and egg, a delightful medley of flavors and textures. Alongside, we enjoyed the delicious seaweed rice that came with the meal, which paired wonderfully with the cheesy egg (Cheesy Gyeran Jjim), vegetables, and the rich, comforting Seafood Soup (Seafood Sundubu Jjigae

). Each element complemented the other, making every bite satisfying and well-rounded.

Part of our Meal

The Triple Meat Combo features the Angus Beef Gochujang Ribeye, as seen on Culinary

Class Wars by Chef Edward Lee. Now, diners can savor this standout dish, perfected through

Chef Chul Park’s 3-step hotstone grilling technique:

1. Sear – Lock in the juices.

2. Torch – Add a smoky, charred aroma.

3. Flambé – Elevate every bite with a dramatic finish.

Flambeed

The star of the Triple Meat Combo was undoubtedly the Angus Beef Gochujang Ribeye. Cooked with precision through a series of carefully orchestrated steps, the beef was then flambéed right before our eyes, adding a dramatic flair to the dining experience. Each bite was juicy and tender, especially when paired with a dollop of Gochujang sauce for that perfect hint of spice.

Triple Meat 

The combo didn’t stop there; the chicken and pork on the sizzling hot plate were just as delightful. Both meats were well-marinated, bursting with flavor, and cooked to perfection. This hearty platter is a fantastic option for sharing, especially for 2–3 pax, making it a satisfying and memorable meal. Besides indulging in the meats on their own, we also enjoyed wrapping them in the fresh lettuce provided. Each wrap balanced the rich, juicy meats with a refreshing crunch, making every bite lighter and more satisfying. It’s the perfect way to savor the flavors while adding a crisp, refreshing contrast!

Angus Beef

Besides indulging in the meats on their own, we also enjoyed wrapping them in the fresh lettuce provided. Each wrap balanced the rich, juicy meats with a refreshing crunch, making every bite lighter and more satisfying. It’s the perfect way to savor the flavors while adding a crisp, refreshing contrast!

Meat in Letuce

The Cheesy Gyeran Jjim was pure comfort in a pot. This fluffy Korean steamed egg dish came topped with a generous layer of gooey, melted cheese, adding a rich, savory twist to the soft, custard-like eggs. Each spoonful was light yet indulgent, with the cheese pulling beautifully as you scooped into the warm, pillowy goodness. A perfect side to complement the bold flavors of the grilled meats!

Cheesy Gyeran Jjim

The Seafood Sundubu Jjigae is a top pick for anyone craving a hearty, comforting meal. This spicy soft tofu stew came bubbling with a generous mix of tiger prawns, clams, mussels, and squid, each bite infused with the rich, oceanic flavors of the seafood. The silky soft tofu and egg soaked up the flavorful broth beautifully, making every spoonful a satisfying blend of heat, warmth, and comfort.

Seafood Sundubu Jjigae

Bulgogi Syo
Location: Vivocity, 1 Harbourfront Walk,  #B2-29 Singapore 098585
Website

Lao Gai Mee

 It's been a while since I last visited the hawker center at Beauty World, and I noticed a new stall. Specializing in Kuching-style noodles, their menu features Fish Ball Bak Chor Mee, Char Siu Mee, Sarawak Laksa, Kolo Mee, and their Signature Bee Tai Mak.

Stall of Lao Gai Mee

The Signature Lao Shu Fen I ordered was exactly the style I enjoy. Served over a bed of Bee Tai Mak, it came topped with Char Siu, seasoned minced pork, and a silky sous vide egg, creating a well-balanced and flavorful bowl.

Lao Shu Fen - $5.50

Overall, it was a comforting bowl of noodles, perfect for a satisfying meal. My only slight peeve was that the seasoning leaned towards the sweeter side.

Lao Gai Mee
Location: 144 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 588177

Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle

 Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle is a top pick on my BCM list and a go-to in Toa Payoh. While visiting the coffee shop for other stalls, I couldn't help but notice a group dressed in striking orange, with numbers being called out in the background. It was hard not to take a second look, only to realize it was the famous BCM stall in action.

Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle

We ordered a medium and a small portion of dry noodles, though my preferred noodle type was unavailable. Tossed in chili and seasonings, the bowl came topped with mushrooms, beansprouts, minced meat, and liver.

BCM

However, the first bite didn’t bring back the nostalgic old-school taste I remembered. The chili, once powerful enough to create a "washing machine" effect in the stomach, lacked its former punch.

BCM Dry - $5

Overall, it felt lackluster and wouldn’t be worth queuing for. In my opinion, the West Side offers better BCM than this.

Rating: 3 / 5

Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle
Location: Blk 73  Toa Payoh Lor 4, #01-611 Singapore 310073

One Ocean 天翼海鲜

 One Ocean, located in the food court of Grantral Mall at MacPherson, specializes in Cze Char dishes. They recently launched a promotion offering selected dishes at just $8.90, available for both dine-in and takeaway.

One Ocean 天翼海鲜

We tried the Braised Sea Cucumber with Fish Maw, which came with fish maw, mushrooms, greens, and carrots. The gravy was well-balanced, flavorful, and not overly sweet.

Braised Sea Cucumber with Fish Maw 海参鱼漂煲 - $8.90

The Kam Heong Clams were fragrant and flavorful, packed with an aromatic blend of dried shrimp, curry leaves, shallots, garlic, and chili. The rich, umami-packed sauce coated each clam perfectly, delivering a delightful mix of savory, spicy, and slightly smoky flavors.

Kam Heong Clams 甘香花啦 - $8.90

The Deep Fried Seabass with Assam Sauce was a satisfying dish. The fish was crispy on the outside while remaining tender inside. The tangy assam sauce was used sparingly, ensuring the fish didn’t become too soggy, allowing its natural flavors and crispy texture to shine. 

Deep Fried Seabass with Assam Sauce 亚参炸金目鲈  - $8.90

Definitely a dish to enjoy again!

Fish

With its enticing $8.90 seafood dish promotion, this is definitely a steal for office groups and diners who enjoy sharing a hearty meal together.

One Ocean 天翼海鲜
Location:  Grantral Mall, Grantral Complex, 601 MacPherson Road, Singapore 368242