chopsuey cafe, martin road

fantastic, fantastic space, and really good food – chopsuey at martin road is a jewel in the p.s. cafe’s trove of consistent-though-expensive restaurants, and is one of my new favorite restaurants.

the place revolves around a menu that supposedly dishes up the american take on chinese food – and I say supposedly, because while that class of cuisine comes with gloppy sauces, overcooked meats, and rather tastes overwhelmingly of orange and sesame (I admit though, that panda express can be pretty good in the right situation), chopsuey instead serves a refined version without all those rather overwhelming characteristics.

the food is well-executed (chopsuey is like the asian take on the american take on asian, and we are asian, after all), the portions are surprisingly big, and the space lends itself to more than a little bantering with friends. very, very, very well-done.

level33, marina bay financial centre

nice, chill place to hang out with a glass of wine – and have a dessert (or two). this local microbrewery is pretty top-of-its-class, with a view up on its place on the thirty-third floor (the name’s a no-brainer, really), with a good selection of food and drinks, a good mix of standing and sit-down space – and it feels pretty cozy, even with the throngs of people that come here post-work.

I’ve recently taken to a glass of muscato a week (hey, it’s sort of like wine, which is sort of good for you, right?) – and this place serves up a sweet, honeyed glass of loveliness. it’s smooth and mellow, and quite a nice glass to start with – and of course you could go for one of their beers, brewed not a couple steps from you.

but I’d like to talk about their desserts too (a proper meal here is still a pending to-do) – and in particular, this interpretation of a sticky date pudding with triangular block of cake topped with a fig compote and goat’s cheese caramel. it’s a subtly sweet cake that plays up to the sharp savoriness of the goat’s cheese (which isn’t something I usually eat, but this was properly moderated), and the soft vanilla ice cream on the side.

very pretty, very modern, and a well-portioned plate of enough sweet to sate without cloying.

I’ve also tried their fondant previously, and it’s pretty good too – but I’m working my way up to the assiette, which is a two-person platter of dessert. I could really do with one right now.

1-caramel at one rochester, buona vista

average brunch food at rochestor park. if you’re looking for brunch options in this area – I’m going to have to point you to graze. this place was really rather meh, with uninspiring food and an ambience that made nothing of its gorgeous surroundings. if the other places around here are packed up, then perhaps you could come here – but otherwise I’m not sure there’s any point.

on hindsight (which this is, of course), there was nothing really wrong with the place so much as it was pretty boring. it isn’t very expensive, the food wasn’t bad – serviceable, really – and the place wasn’t run down. it just felt like it had so much more potential to be fantastic! but alas.