Healthy food doesn’t have to look and taste bland, at least not at Wafuken. The name “Wafu” means Japanese style of Western cuisine and “ken” derives from kenko, which means wellness in Japanese. 

Wafuken takes pride in prepping food from scratch as much as they can. Their main cooking method used is sous vide (pronounced su-veed), it translates to the process of cooking in a vacuum-sealing bag, speaking of healthy food with minimum seasoning!

Hop on the bandwagon to a healthy lifestyle in two simple steps – choose your favourite sous vide proteins, followed by the healthy options carbs and sides.

In frame, sous vide Norwegian Salmon Fillet | $10.0 (130g) is lightly seared aburi and sprinkled with konbu (kelp). Paired with Quinoa | $1.5, Wafu Salad | $2.0 and Avocado | $2.0.

I think sous vide is a great way of keeping the nutrients and flavours locked in. Also, it does not dry up the meat.

The Chicken Breast | $4.0 (half breast - 125g) is a good example here, it’s turned out soft, moist and tender. Even the Smoked Duck | $7.0 (half portion - 100g) is juicy and full of flavour. Feeling up for an indulgence? Tomato Pasta | $2.0 it is, with Wakame Cucumber Salad | $2.5 that gives you that spicy kick.

If you want them to pack a punch, then go for their house-made sauces such as Garlic Soy, Ponzu Pink Peppercorn, Black Pepper and Spicy Miso.

Donburi | $4.0 is perfect for a cheat meal, it is served in a bowl of rice with onsen egg, daikon and cucumber pickles. You have a choice of choosing Japanese brown rice or Japanese white rice. I strongly recommend going for the former, even for someone who doesn’t fancy brown rice like me. There’s just something about Furikake Japanese Brown Rice that doesn’t taste like usual brown rice, in a good way.

Complete the donburi with lightly seasoned 100-day grain-fed Oyster Blade Steak | $12 (full steak - 180g) and some Truffle Oil | $2.0. Bam this could be your very own customised donburi.

It may seems pricey to some, but healthy food never comes cheap to me anyways. Furthermore, the proteins were cooked using sous vide, which usually takes more than an hour to cook them. I guess this justify for the price, a good healthy (and filling) meal that is tasty too.

The full menu can be viewed here.

This is Wafuken’s second and newest outlet in OUE Downtown Gallery, with the nearest MRT at Tanjong Pagar. The plus point of the second outlet is that they are open for business on Saturdays, while the first outlet located a street away at Asia Square Tower 2 is closed on weekends.

Address: 6A Shenton Way, OUE Downtown Gallery #02-23, Singapore 068815

Opening Hours:

Monday-Friday: 11:00am - 8:00pm

Saturday: 11:00am - 3:00pm

(Closed on Sunday & Public Holidays)

facebook.com/WafukenSG/

www.wafuken.com/

The team behind Tantric Bar has brought you a brand new pizza restaurant called Peppermint Park. They aim to outshine other pizza restaurants with their innovation of Asian flavours such as Sambal Seafood. Since Peppermint Park is located beside or rather inside Tantric Bar, the restaurant also offers a range of exclusive bottled sodas to go with the food.

Best of all, you don’t have to wait till the weekends to chill cause Peppermint Park is open till 3am on weekdays. Talk about midnight hunger pangs!

The menu consist largely on 12 inches hand-stretched pizzas, the best-sellers from the lot are the Sambal Seafood (which is my favourite) and Bruschetta.

The Sambal Seafood | $24.9 is created to please the Asian palette with the iconic home-made sambal sauce with squid, prawn, crabstick, and topped with arugula. Unquestionably unique to Peppermint Park and I must say the sambal goes well with the pizza. The sambal’s spiciness is half compared to the usual and brings a hint of sweetness as well.

In contrast, Bruschetta | $22.9 is a twist from Italian’s famous appetiser, tomato bruschetta on baguette. This pizza is crowned with a mixture of pork sausage, beef pepperoni, plum tomato, chopped garlic, thyme and balsamic vinegar. I love the idea of placing a scoop of chopped garlic with tomato in the centre of each slice of the pizza, it gives off a different texture in addition to the aroma.

For the sides, we got to try Fisherman's Pie and Wings Platter which are not released in their current menu.

The Fisherman's Pie | $14.9 is like the rendition of Sambal Seafood Pizza. It includes the similar seafood atop of mashed potato and finished with the final touch of melted cheese. Another combination that satisfies my taste buds.

Wings Platter | $12.0 is a mishmash platter of their existing wings with new ones. Consisting of spicy drumlets, crispy drumlets and honey wings. There’s something familiar about the spicy drumlets, as it does taste pretty similar to one of the known restaurant that serves them too. 

It is occasionally made with love by the PR and fellow foodie-friend, Gabriel. We were lucky to have him bake for us during the tasting session.

As mentioned earlier, you may enjoy your meal with the range of exclusive bottled sodas or go for Herrljunga Cider | $14.0 like us. 

It is a nice place to chill, go before the crowd comes around 10pm. Thank you for having me over for tasting.

Don't say I bojio, flash my Instagram post or quote 'NKIKICHUA' to enjoy 10% off total bill from Sunday to Thursday. This will be valid till 30th April 2016.

www.facebook.com/pages/Peppermint-Park/1646968438904574

Fourplay Kitchen & Bar is an 80 seater bar situated in Joo Chiat area. They serve delightful bar food and are dedicated to provide affordable dishes. Housed in a cosy yet rustic setting with classic 90s music playing in the background just makes you want to stay and chill. EPL live will also be screen here, likewise they include a wide selection of alcoholic drinks such as whisky, sake and draft beers.

There are two routes I would suggest to Fourplay Kitchen & Bar, as the nearest mall / icon is the i12 shopping complex and it’s a 2mins walk from there.

- Train to Paya Lebar station followed by bus no.40 (approx. 30mins) to the bus stop opposite i12 shopping complex.

- Train to Dakota station followed by bus no.32 (approx. 25mins) to the bus stop opposite i12 shopping complex.

The meal started with Fourplay’s Foursome Burgers, The Fourplay | $16.8 which is made up of a donut bun, hash brown, a homemade beef patty stuffed with cheddar, a sunny side up, topped with light mixed salad, cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce and garlic aioli and the finish it off with crispy calamari ring atop. It comes with fries at the side too. A donut burger? How interesting is that! Although it’s more sinful this way but it’s also yummier. The first time I would finish an entire burger for a tasting session.

I can totally understand why Tom Yum Goong | $18.0 is their signature dish under the oven baked pizza section. An authentic Thai tom yum based sauce made from scratch, spread with sliced squid rings, pineapple chunks and mozzarella cheese. The spiciness from the tom yum base gives that kick that Singaporeans would love. Beware, it get spicier after one slice.

Seafood in a Bag | $24.0 got us thinking of seafood in a bucket, in fact its baked tomato based spaghetti with king tiger prawns, squid rings and mussels. The tomato sauce is so thick that it somewhat identical to lobster bisque (lighter version). I got to say they are pretty generous with the seafood, it’s fresh and succulent.

Fourplay Kitchen & Bar: 467 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427678

Opening Hours:

Mon: 5:00pm - 12:00am

Tue-Thu: 11:00am - 12:00am

Fri-Sun: 11:00am - 1:00am

www.facebook.com/fourplaykitchenandbar/

..Hosted Meal..

Merdandy Cafe & Bar is just a stone throw away from Raffles Place MRT station, positioned in the heart of CBD area and its located just beside OCBC Centre. Being an alfresco dinning place, it is a perfect spot to chill in the day and converts to a bar in the night. This could also be the next hideout on the weekend for late brunch or even soccer screening till late.

Rocking my plate with my favourite pick on the mains, Crabmeat Pasta | $20 which consist of a substantial amount crabmeat, chilli, garlic, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and tossed in homemade tomato sauce. No wonder it’s a Merdandy’s signature dish! Another signature dish Merdandy is proud to own, Rendang Chicken | $20. This would easily captured us, Asian’s palette with rendang sauce over grilled chicken and rice to go along with it.

Merdandy has an extensive list of drinks such as Shirley Temple | $8.90, a mocktail consisting of lime juice, sprite & grenadine syrup or go with a cup of Latte | $5.50. 

Couldn’t resist Truffle Fries | $12 whenever we see it on the menu. A tad disappointed as the truffle were quite subtle. Went along with their invention of Crème Brulee | $6.50, coffee flavoured. I like how it tasted, however it coffee taste overpowered the dish and I won’t recommend it to non-coffee lovers that’s for sure.

As Merdandy is strategically located beside OCBC Centre, there is a 10% discount for OCBC card members and a bigger perk for OCBC staff with a 15% discount when you dine at Merdandy Raffles Place.

Add: 67 Chulia Street, Singapore 049515

Opening Hours:

Mon-Thu: 11am - 11pm

Fri: 11am - 3am

Sat: 5pm - 3am

www.facebook.com/Merdandy-Raffles-Place-1665492427004122/

Delifrance has also introduced a new array of pastries, Almond Croissant | $4.50 - presenting a new spin on its signature French croissant, which produce a honeycomb like interior and that is a testament to the bakers's artisanal finesse. The Almond Croissant is topped with generous amount of crispy almond flakes and snow powder. 

The three new crumbly with a golden-brown crust tarts includes Lemon Tart | $4.50 - loving the tangy and zest flavours from the combination of lemon juice, lemon curb and thin layer of white chocolate. Chocolate Tart | $4.50 - filled with Belgian chocolate, with a glazed top layer and a ganache cream of 64% chocolate content at the bottom layer. Almond Pear Tart | $3.80 - chockfull of pear slices married with almond cream, followed by sprinkling almond flakes and confectionery sugar over the top. The tart is slightly different because it is made with piquant ground almonds. Undoubtedly, my pick would be the lemon tart!

Not forgetting Delifrance's classic Madeleine, Chocolate Madeleines and Blueberry Madeleines | $4.80/each (6 pieces in a box) - expanded so that you will be spoiled for choices with two additional flavours. The shell-shaped have crisp exteriors and yet extremely moist interior. My choice would be the chocolate ones.

Note that the Tarts are NOT available at Great World City and Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2 outlets. The rest are available at all outlets.

This season, Delifrance celebrates the festive by introducing a smorgasbord of French specials and signatures prepared by master bakers, patissiers and chefs. Not a fan of cooking or just don’t want to make a mess in the kitchen? You can now bring home these beautifully decorated dishes such as Traditional Roast Turkey | $90 (5.4kg) - a classic Christmas focus on every Christmas table. The juicy turkey is stuffed with flavourful chestnut and marinated with Cajun spice. Savour it with cranberry sauce and chicken gravy. 

Another classic dish served during Christmas, Honey Glazed Chicken Ham | $50 (2kg) - a succulent chicken ham baked to golden brown and glazed with honey, served with tangy pineapple sauce. Roasted New Zealand Striploin Beef | $68 (2kg) - cured with Chef’s seasoning and topped with pepper sauce for the extra sizzle to the season. The beef is served slightly pink in the centre.

Christmas can’t do without a log cake, Delifrance got it cover with a variety of 3 log cakes to choose from and all weights at 1kg. Indulge in Delifrance signature, Joy of Delifrance | $60 - this log cake is made with pillowy chocolate sponge layered with 100% Valrohna Fine French Chocolate. It is known for its velvety texture and the smiley log face that the children fancy. As it is 100% Valrohna I expected it to be slightly bitter, but it isn’t.

Never judge a book by its cover with White Chocolate and Raspberry | $48 - sweet white chocolate sponge combined with the thick tangy raspberry coulis. It may look simple but it's pleasing on the palette, no wonder it’s the crowd pleaser during the tasting session. Matcha Azuki | $48 - as the name define it, this is a Japanese inspired matcha-enriched sponge roll with sweet Azuki beans. Sadly, the Azuki beans weren’t distinctive enough.

Other sweet treats like Festive Eclairs | $8 (4 pieces in a box) - made from choux dough and is available in Chocolate, Coffee, Vanilla and Rose flavours. Also, Season’s Macarons | $20 (8 pieces in a box) - comes in colours of the merry seasons, Peppermint and Raspberry flavours. They could go light with the colouring though. 

All the above are available for ordering at www.delifrance.com.sg. Self collection will be made available till 3 January 2016, 11am or 5pm. The last day for Christmas Day collection is on 21 December 2015, 3pm.

Not having a party at home? No worries, you can celebrate Christmas at their outlets with Santa Roasted Half Spring Chicken | $14.90 - tender chicken marinated with Chef’s secret recipe and topped it off with a moreish rosemary sauce. Alternatively, Santa Baked Chicken Roulade | $13.90 - baked chicken tight rolled with spinach chicken moose.

Do visit www.delifrance.com.sg/outlets for the list of outlets.

Roosevelt’s Diner & Bar is situated in a quiet corner of Tanjong Pagar, away from the crowd yet easily accessible via NEL Outram Station exit.

Roosevelt is an eclectic modern restaurant that offers hearty all-day dining in a casual setting, with a huge slant towards artisanal and gourmet fares. Even their interior is characterised by an industrial chic décor with a touch of grunge eclecticism. Amongst the décor, one would find a vintage orange Vespa placed strategically beside this engine glass table supported on a geometric metal framework, with a behemoth racecar engine forming its base.

The word “Three” signify Bistro, Wine Place, Music Bar. They serve casual dining modern European cuisine with a twist of local touch. Founded on a dream to bring reasonably priced wine and food pairing meals as well as a causal dinning culture Three Bistro was created by a group of ambitious working class with the aim of providing a setting for a delicious lunch and a place to chill out with music and alcohol after work.

Oven Baked Escargots [$11] - braised tasty escargots baked with garlic butter & parmesan cheese. Not too sure if I do like escargots, as this would be the my first time trying it. According to the feedback from the table, the cheese may be a little too intense.

Grilled Foie Gras [$18] - foie gras served with charcoal bun and maple syrup. It's a love at first bite! The crispy charcoal bun and the foie gras hits the spot. Together with the maple syrup, giving it a hint of sweetness.

Spicy Chicken Casserole [$16] - chicken cubes braised in sweet tomato base together with capsicum & olive served with toasted bread. One of my favourite mains served that night. The chicken cubes are tender and full of flavour, and goes well with the toasted bread.

Striploin Steak [$22] - 200gm steak served with Cajun fries, house salad & black pepper sauce. The steak itself is palatable. Among the steak served, ours was prepared slightly rare instead of medium rare as told, despite them willing to bring back to grill a little longer, but it kind of ruin the texture of the meat. I had a bite of the steak served and it was good.

Swiss Rosti with Trio Sausages [$24] - crispy rosti with Bratwurst, Chorizo & Chipolata sausages with black pepper sauce. Nice presentation but yet again it lack the consistency. Our rosti was soggy and not crispy (the photo was taken with the crispy rosti), while others were crispy and moist to perfection.

Chocolate Lava Cake [$7] - served with vanilla ice cream. It did not flow as expected but the inner part is still filled with the chocolatey goodness. Worth a try :) 

If you are not a fan of chocolate, you may try the Classic Italian Panna Cotta [$6.50] (not in photo), a classic traditional Italian custard. Panna Cotta literally means cooked cream, and this dessert did not fail with it melt-in-the-mouth smooth texture.

Three Bistro have a luxury space indoor and outdoor, so this could be a one stop solution to your corporate events, parties and private parties.

For all my readers, you can get 10% discount off from Three Bistro Wine Bar’s ala carte menu (not valid with other promotions, discounts or vouchers).
- By presenting this blog review
- Take photos of your orders and post with comments at Three Bistro’s Facebook

Marina Square,

6 Raffles Boulevard,

#01-07/08,

Singapore 039594
Tel: 6338 8644   

Opening Hours:

Mon - Thu: 11am - 11pm
Fri - Sat: 11am - 12am
Sun: 12:30pm - 9.30pm

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