Giraffa

 Giraffa, hailed as “Japan’s most popular cheese curry bread,” has clinched the Japanese Golden Award three years running. Their signature curry bread is packed with spiced meat curry and gooey cheese, all wrapped in a light, sweet milk-flavored batter and deep-fried to golden, irresistible crispiness.

Giraffa

Good news for curry lovers! Famous Japanese snack chain Giraffa, known for its popular Kamakura-style curry buns, is making its Singapore debut this year at Westgate Mall. 

About Giraffa

Crispy on the outside, savory on the inside, it’s set to be a must-try for fans of warm, comforting bites.

Menu

Giraffa’s curry buns are no ordinary snack, the curry filling is crafted with 30 different spices, delivering a savory, rich, and aromatic flavor in every bite. With reasonable prices, it’s a tasty treat that won’t break the bank.

Freshly Deep Fried

The Japanese Curry Bun comes in a presentable box that fits 4 buns, making it perfect for gifting.

A box of 4 

Just look at that cheese pull, it’s absolutely enticing! The filling of ground beef, pork, and seasoned vegetables draws out deep flavours. 

Cheese Pull

Balanced with honey, apples, tomatoes, and wine, the mix of freshness, sweetness, sourness, and richness makes every bite so enjoyable.

Freshly Prepared Curry Bun

Giraffa
Location: Westgate, 3 Gateway Drive, #02-05A , Singapore 608532
Nearest Station: Jurong East (EW24 / NS1)

Next Shikaku

 Located at the basement of Westgate Mall, Next Shikaku is taking Singapore’s ramen scene to the next level.

Hailing from Osaka, their unique concept revolves around oysters, the soul of their broth. The clear soup is made from 100% pure oyster broth, carrying a natural richness with a subtle, pleasant bitterness.

To complete the experience, the noodles are hand-kneaded with a 45% hydration ratio, giving each strand a perfect, satisfying bite.

Menu

The eatery greets diners with a futuristic illuminated screen right at the entrance, a bold contrast from the usual Japanese ramen shop vibe. The restaurant itself is long and narrow, with limited seating, making the experience feel a little more exclusive.

Dining

Their broiled meat sushi strikes a perfect balance, searing just enough to unlock the umami of raw meat, making it comparable to speciality sushi houses.

Meat Sushi - $4.90

Plump, large oysters are freshly fried to golden perfection and served simply with lemon and salt for a clean, briny indulgence.

Fried Oysters - $11.90

The Oyster Tsukemen “Asobu” is another standout on the menu, crafted in collaboration with the renowned Kyoto noodle maker Teigaku. Instead of the usual slender strands, this version features wider, rectangular flat noodles that deliver a more satisfying, chewy bite, almost reminiscent of mee hoon kueh.

Oyster Tsukemen (Asobu) - $22.90

These noodles are designed to soak up the full-bodied dipping broth, which is made from a blend of shrimp kombu water and oysters. The result is a rich, ocean-sweet umami that clings to every strand, making each dip an indulgent, slurp-worthy experience.

Hand Kneaded Flat Noodles

The Oyster Broth “Koeru”, a creation that redefines the ramen experience. Unlike conventional bases, Koeru is built on the pure essence of oysters, blended seamlessly with pork and chicken to achieve a broth that is both bold and refined.

Slow-cooked Oyster Broth (Koeru) - $20.90

The result is a soup with natural oceanic richness, layered with savory depth and a gentle, lingering umami. Paired with hand-kneaded, low-hydration noodles, every mouthful balances silky broth and perfect bite.

The chashu comes as a generous thick-cut slice, thoughtfully balanced with both lean and fatty sections. The lean part is juicy and firm, while the fatty portion ranges from a delicate, jelly-like texture to fully melt-in-your-mouth richness. Lightly seasoned, it allows the natural pork flavor to shine, making each bite deeply satisfying without overpowering the ramen.

Chashu

Next Shikaku
Location: Westgate, 3 Gateway Dr, #B1-28 Singapore 608532

Flyboy

While many have talked about Flyboy Yong Tau Foo at NeWest, we made a trip down to explore the eatery ourselves. As expected, it was packed with the lunch crowd, and we were lucky to snag a table.

Flyboy Yong Tau Foo

The menu is straightforward, offering five different sets, with the option to upgrade your steamed rice to bee hoon soup or braised pork bee hoon.

Menu

The cover page itself was eye-catching, illustrated with mouth-watering pictures of Yong Tau Foo that instantly set the appetite.

Menu

I went with their classic Handmade YTF set, one of the top sellers. Instead of the default rice, I upgraded to Bee Hoon Soup for an additional $1.50.

Set B - Classic Handmade Yong Tau Foo - $9.90

The YTF ingredients were served separately from the Bee Hoon Soup on a plate, featuring bittergourd, eggplant, tau kwa, tau pok, meatball, fishball, and beancurd skin. They were well-prepared and tasty, no complaints at all.

YTF Ingrediens of Set B

Set E turned out to be a bit of a disappointment, as we had high hopes for the Braised Pork Fried Bee Hoon. The taste was rather lacklustre and lacked the traditional braised pork flavor we were looking for. Nonetheless, the bee hoon and ingredients were neatly served on a plate, which included ngoh hiang, fried wonton, tau kwa, tau pok, and meatball. A small bowl of soup was also served on the side to pair along.

Set E - Braised Pork Fried Bee Hoon - $9.90

Overall, the taste was decent, but when factoring in the prices—with no GST but a 10% service charge, the simple YTF lunch may not feel entirely pocket-friendly.

FLYBOY Yong Tau Foo
Location: 1 W Coast Dr, #01-75 NEWest Mall, Singapore 128020
Website

Flips N Dips

Visiting Flips N Dips, a Muslim-owned Western food stall at Boon Lay Drive. Previously at Jurong Point’s food court, they’ve since expanded with several outlets across Singapore.

Besides the usual Western fare like Fish & Chips, Chicken Chop, and Crispy Chicken Cutlet (served with fries and coleslaw), their menu also features Pasta, Bagel, and Sedap Mie categories—each offering a variety of choices.

For just $1 more, you can add on their sauce dipper, with unique flavors such as Cheese, Masak Merah, Chilli Crab, Black Pepper, and more.

Flips N Dips

For sides, we went with their fries, choosing the FND Special, topped generously with mentaiko and spicy mayo sauce.

Curly Fries 

For fried rice, we opted for the Chili Crab Fried Rice (mildly spicy) over the Kicap version. It came paired with our chosen Tempura Squid, selected from options like chicken chop, cutlet, dory fish, grilled salmon, or beef patty. The dish was completed with sides of coleslaw and crispy papadum.

Chilli Crab Fried Rice with Tempura Squid - $12.90

The Sedap Mie set includes four items on the plate: a sunny-side-up egg, creamy coleslaw, chicken chop cut into bite-sized pieces, and springy mie noodles topped with a slice of melted cheese.

Sedap Mie (Chicken Chop) - $8.50

What caught my interest was the inclusion of bagels on the menu, each with a few tempting variations. We went for the Truffle Beef Bagel, paired with loaded fries.

Truffle Beef Bagel with Loaded Fries -$11.50

Overall, I found the variety to be ample. Diners are definitely spoilt for choice here. It's an enjoyable spot to explore different flavors!

Our Orders

Flips N Dips

Location: 239 Boon Lay Dr, #01-01,Singapore 640239

Tasty Hotpot 回味锅

 A visit to Johor Bahru’s Taman Eko Botani for Tasty Hotpot – a hearty meal and a perfect spot for our gathering.

Tasty Hotpot

The restaurant exudes a modern yet cozy vibe with clean wooden lines, warm pendant lights, and marble finishes. 

Interior Furnishing

Booth seating adds comfort, while calligraphy on the walls brings a touch of tradition to the stylish space.

Diner's Seating

Like most hotpot restaurants, there’s a sauce station where diners can mix their own dips. What’s helpful here is the recommended sauce guide, neatly plastered on the wall for easy reference.

Sauce Station 

Here are the sauce mixtures we put together following the sauce guide: a vibrant mix of spice, aromatics, and nutty flavours that perfectly complement the hotpot.

Sauce Mixture

The restaurant uses a service robot to deliver dishes, stacking them neatly on its four-tier trays and gliding straight to the designated table.

Robot Helper

The dried sticks of Dao Xiao Mian were quite interesting. It was my first time trying noodles in stick form!

Dao Xiao Mian - RM 8

We also had Ee Mian and Soybean Rolls to go along with the hotpot.

Soybean Roll

Alongside our hotpot, we had a platter filled with tofu, meatballs, sausage slices, black fungus, vegetables, and mushrooms.

Platter with Mushrooms & Others

For seafood, we enjoyed a plate of fresh prawns as well as scallops served in their shells.

Prawns

Scallops 

We also savored their juicy pork cheese balls, which added a rich and flavorful bite to the meal.

Pork Cheese Balls

For the soup bases, we went with Garlic Chicken Soup, Pork Stomach Soup, Red Mala Soup, and Pork Bone Soup, a comforting variety to suit every taste.

Soup Base

Watermelon Grape Juice

While waiting for the food to cook in the soup base, we tried the Mala Fried Rice. It had a fiery kick, was fragrant with seasonings, and came with simple yet satisfying ingredients like eggs.

Mala Fried Rice - RM 10

Fried Golden Tofu - RM 8

The Fried Yam Balls were crispy on the outside, soft inside, and paired perfectly with a sweet condensed milk dip.

Fried Yam Ball - RM 12

Everything ended on a sweet note with a plate of fresh fruits, watermelon and guava slices, accompanied by traditional ice cream sticks.

Ending the Meal

Tasty Hotpot 回味锅 
Location: 51&51A, Jalan Eko Botani 3/4 Taman Eko Botani Iskandar Puteri, 79100 Johor Bahru, Johor Darul Ta'zim, Malaysia

Laifaba Authentic Wood-Fired Roast & Noodles

Decided to revisit Laifaba since my friend hasn’t tried their wanton mee yet. We started with a refreshing Fresh Honey Lemon Cooler, accompanied by some traditional sugared cream crackers. Looking back at my last write-up on Laifaba back in 2022, it feels like quite a long time since my previous visit.

Fresh Honey Lemon Cooler 冰峰密柠檬 - $5

The roasted meat was beautifully presented, with a uniform colour and perfectly browned outer layer. Served with mustard and chilli sauce for sharing.

Crispy BJT Roast Pork 脆皮烧肉 - $18

The signature noodle bowl remains as stunning as ever, a Singapore flag atop the onsen duck egg, with thin noodles, fried wanton, caramelised char siew, and veggies.

Duck Egg Signature Noodles 招牌面 - $13.80

The caramelised char siew was as savoury as ever, with its distinct fat-meat layers glazed in sweet sauce. The braised onsen egg added a perfect touch to the Wanton Mee.

Char Siew and Onsen Egg

The wantons in soup were just to my liking, juicy meat fillings snugly wrapped in delicate skin, like a perfectly tailored dress. These are the new and improved versions, now about the size of a golf ball. Previously weighing 14g each, they’ve been upgraded to 20g, which explains the reduced number of pieces in each serving.

Wanton

Our Meal

We ended the meal sweetly with a refreshing mango pudding for dessert.

Laifaba surprised us with a complimentary mini cream puff, which was such a thoughtful gesture.

Overall, if you’re looking for quality and delicious Wanton Mee, Laifaba Wood-Fired Roast is definitely worth a thumbs up.

Complimentary Cream Puff

Laifaba Authentic Wood-Fired Roast & Noodles
Location: Prestige Center, 71 Bukit Batok Cres, #02-02 Singapore 658071