Pigsty pigs

T (March '23) SCORE: Tell yo' friends - worth a visit if the price point is ok ORDER: Chilli with the cocktails VALUE: ~$450/head with caviar add on Last year was an interesting year for the Singapore food scene, with a rise in Indian fine-dining options. Revolver was a fast favourite for their paneer and excellent wine pairings, and Adda jumped on that "creative Indian" vibe that was so Gaggan (though Nadodi did it better). Thevar was on a roll and producing great menu updates, including my first ever beef briyani. Meanwhile, Yantra reopened with a strong new menu. There was a clear gap forming in the fine dining space. No longer, with /Ahara's opening. We did the smaller (!) menu with the caviar add on. The meal opened with a butter and dip service that was very remimisent of the star wars dish at Gaggan, if you know what I mean (though a later main also reminded me of that). It was delicious, and a strong start. Particularly as it was f...

T (May '23) SCORE: Tell yo' friends - still. ORDER: Social Smoker - brisket, pastrami sandwich, dino ribs, smashed burger, cornbread, smoked banana tart | Hammee's - double cheeseburger with the works, extra spicy chicken burger VALUE: Social Smoker $75/head for all the recommended order and a drink + BYO Bourbon | Hammee's $20ish for a burger and sides T: At our first pilgrimage to / SocialSmoker , S challenged our fanfooding of the burger, contending that her neighbourhood favourite, / Hammees was superior. Them are fighting words, and, yesterday, Y and I rose to the challenge, and brought the Dane and a gutsy (see what I did there) friend with us as champions. First stop, Hammee's via Eng Kee Chicken Wings Hammee's was a little late opening, which gave us a chance to wolf those down. The wings were surprisingly good - I'm more of a haebi style fried wing girl, and nothing beats Ice Cold Beer for those, but this was a good alternative. P...

Y (May '23) SCORE: Tell yo' friends ORDER: Appams! Onion Rawa Dosa, Pongal VALUE: Usually about 10-12 SGD each I'm sure most of us have nostalgic triggers from certain places, things or aromas. For me that extends to restaurants too, and this is one such place that I've been coming to since I could barely see over the table. Coming back here reminds me of a time when it was an all day affair trekking out with my parents to Little India, where we would do breakfast, then groceries, then lunch, then head back and pass out from food coma. Back then there was also a friendly paan vendor right outside the shop, but I believe it's been decades since that chap was priced out (or licensed out) of Singapore. On this occasion, I was craving a good dosa, and so decided to go first thing in the morning when the condiments are piping hot fresh from being tempered. They open at 0730, so I usually try to get there at the time when they open their doors. This will give y...

T (May '23) SCORE: Tell yo' friends - the grand dame of Singapore's peranakan kitchens ORDER: Archar, braised crab vermicelli, sambal tempeh goreng, oxtail rendang, sugee cake VALUE: $170/head, BYO on top, plenty left for the next day One of my oldest friends, from my CHIJ days, is an accomplished violinist. Growing up, her mother taught her that she could achieve her ambitions, whatever they may be, and would showcase examples of women who had achieved success in their fields. One such example is Lynnette Seah , who inspired generations of women with her music, before inspiring me with a different kind of symphony, conducted from her kitchen. Lynnette is not the kind of woman who would be content with the mediocre, which is an excellent approach for anyone in a kitchen. She develops recipes based on her palette, preferences and personal history, and sees herself as a dinner host rather than someone who cooks for profit. She will join you for dinner, engage with y...

Y (May '23) SCORE: Suck it and see ORDER: Wellington, Pistachio Pasta, brandy alexander VALUE: So so - 150€ for appetizer, 1.5 mains (3 shared between 2) and 2 cocktails. If you're looking for a restaurant that has a decent set of cocktails, reasonable food and is a good place to bring clients that you want to entertain, this is probably a good go to. The restaurant is housed in the W, albeit in a separate building than the main W hotel in Amsterdam. When you enter up the separate stairwell that as far as I can tell only serves the restaurant, you are greeted by a restaurant with ginormously high ceillings, old school statues, clocks and marble cladding. So yes, if you want to impress clients, good place to bring them to. As you would expect a place to be that is 'for show', your best dishes are going to be the clichest of the cliches... Wellington, oysters, caviar etc. Same logic goes for their best drinks. The flashier the drink, odds are the 'better...

Y (May '23) SCORE: Tell yo' friends HIGHLIGHTS: Liquid Ravioli, Puffed seabass and deer roasted in hay VALUE: Yes - 390€ for the tasting menu and wine pairing with cheese I first started visiting 212 back in 2019 before the pandemic. It was a restaurant with primarily countertop seating around the kitchen, and maybe 2 6 tops for larger groups. It sits in an unassuming corner unit of a building along the Amstel. My first couple of visits were extremely memorable as the food was light, yet satisfyingly filling and beautifully plated, presented and conceptualized. Last year however, they suffered a tragic fire that rendered them closed for months, and this was one of my first visits there since the fire. They have redone the place now, with counter seating only flanking two sides of the kitchen, and the front side of the kitchen being opened up for viewing as well as for 4 3-tops. a corner 6-top still remains. This was just such an unusual touch that it ...