Cliff(y) Goes Dining

The 'greener fries': beer-battered long beans! Roo's Gastrobar is a casual, yet chic dining place at Frankel Avenue lined with landed properties. Marketing itself as "your neighbourhood hangout", it offers a variety of food and drinks, including brunch items on weekends. There's also a pool table if you feel like challenging your buddies to a game.

Lovely fresh 'gindara' with such a soft texture! Founded by Nakano Jiro over two decades ago, Sushi Jiro at Marina Mandarin Hotel aims to offer one of the finest dining experiences in Singapore. The kitchen is helmed by Kenji Nakagawa, a master chef who believes in simplicity at the heart of his culinary philosophy.

Guinness pork ribs, anyone? Crab bee hoon (lit. rice vermicelli) is a truly Singaporean dish that's started gaining popularity since around 2007. While I've never been to Ming Kee Live Seafood, which is said to be the pioneer of the dish, I had a good one at Crab at Bay Seafood Restaurant. Both are located along MacPherson Road.

Kimslaw = kimchi + coleslaw! 4Fingers is a chain of fast food eateries specialising in Asian style fried chicken. It only came to my attention not long ago that it's actually locally owned by a Singaporean called Vijay Sethu. Founded in 2009, 4Fingers has made its way to Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia and the USA.

The only Okinawan restaurant in Singapore? UPDATE (26/05/2020):  With the closure of Liang Court, the restaurant has moved to #01-107/108 Great World City at Kim Seng Promenade. For the uninitiated, Okinawa is the southernmost prefecture of Japan, which is geographically closer to Taiwan. Its cuisine is thus markedly different from mainland Japan with a greater emphasis on pork and relatively little seafood despite being surrounded by sea. As I've been to Okinawa before, I can confidently say that the food served at Nirai Kanai is authentic.

Have you tried a ceremonial dish from West Java before? IndoChili is a Halal -certified chain of Indonesian restaurants that processes spices and pastes from scratch without adding any MSG. It prides itself in winning the Food Republic Hawker King Challenge, though I'm not sure when did it earn the title. At the point of writing, there are three branches in Singapore.

Classic main courses done right! Named after the Italian founder's grandfather, Ervino Breitner, Erwin's Gastrobar is inspired by bars and cafés of Italian origins that can be found in financial districts of New York City, the USA. It seems to be a pretty popular place for those working in the CBD area to unwind after a hard day at work.

Virgin experience with squid stuffed with feta cheese! Situated along the bustling Prinsep Street near PoMo, Place to R.E.A.D isn't a restaurant where you can find books to read while waiting for your food to come, but it's simply a place to 'Relax, Eat and Drink'. It boasts a selection of Greek cuisine, as well as fusion dishes.

Could it be on par with the original? Who doesn't know Tim Ho Wan (lit. Add Good Luck), a famous  dim sum eatery chain originating from Hong Kong? It used earn the title of being the cheapest Michelin-starred eatery in the world, though I believe the title has now been claimed by Singapore's Liao Fan Hawker Chan .

Truly enjoyable pizza, if only it wasn't burnt on the edges... Winestone is one of the restaurants housed inside Novotel Singapore on Stevens located to the north of the bustling Orchard Road. The name of the restaurant reflects the two elements of the restaurant: the huge wine selection and the signature stone boards.

Sinful, but fantastic butter cuttlefish! UPDATE (01/12/2019):  The eatery has closed down. Can alcoholic drinks, apart from beers, go hand in hand with Asian cuisine? Maro's Place in Boat Quay is a bar-cum-eatery serves a wide range of Asian cuisine, especially Chinese and Japanese dishes, on top of Western food. The main courses are pretty value-for-money.

How often do you get to see your food served on a rack? Silk Road is a fine-dining Chinese restaurant located on the second floor of Amara Singapore at Tanjong Pagar. It's helmed by a team of chefs from China specialising in a range of provincial cuisines, dishing out a medley of traditional and inventive creations.

Fusion dishes with 'tahini' and the likes! UPDATE (26/11/2022):  The eatery has closed down. Salt Tapas and Bar is a spin-off of the Salt brand by Luke Mangan, an Australian celebrity chef, that prides itself in serving  tapas  (small savoury dishes typically served with drinks) with a twist. For one, expect Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influences making their way to some of the dishes.

How about lavender-infused honey on your pancake? Hailing from Portland, Oregon's largest city in the USA, Slappy Cakes has become one of the most popular breakfast spots there that offers an experience to make your own pancake right at your table. At the point of writing, there are three branches here in Singapore. I visited the one at Plaza Singapura a while ago.