Happenings in August - Tiger Balm Mosquito Repellent Spray + Nanbantei

Monday 1/8/22

Dengue fever has been on a rise. To protect ourselves when we are in outdoor or non-aircon room, I rely on Tiger Balm Mosquito Repellent Spray (60ml).

It took me awhile to get used to the scent which contains a unique blend of the Tiger Balm formula and citronella oil to keep us safe from mosquito bites. Now I carry it in my bag whenever I head out so that I can spray it at any point of time.

I made a revisit back to Nanbantei @ Chinatown Point for lunch. Nanbantei is one of Singapore's pioneer Yakitori restaurant. Their lunch set specials will always attract my second glance whenever I walk past the restaurant. Do note that the restaurant get crowded during lunch time and the tables are arranged very close together.

I had Salmon Don and add on set which includes salad, tempura and red bean mochi dessert. The tray was full of food that was beautifully plated, it was definitely a sumptuous lunch. I started off with the crunchy salad which was drizzled with savoury sauce that lifted the flavour.

I love that the onsen egg added creaminess to the rice and enhanced the overall taste. The salmon has a nice char and carried a hint of smokiness.

The tempura was airy and revealed the soft interior after biting into the crispy exterior. The mochi was chewy and the red bean added sweetness. 

Wednesday 10/8/22

Met up with GF and Linda for dinner at Ajisen @ Bugis, it has been a few years since I last had Ajisen, really miss their ramen. Thanks girls for the belated birthday gifts. ♥

I had Pork Curry Ramen set ($16.90++) which comes with a choice of side and drink I opt for White Fish and Ice Houjicha. The broth was rich and the spiciness added kick to every mouthful. 

Friday 19/8/22

It has been awhile since I last had buffet as I'm not really a big fan of buffet. We visited J65 @ JEN Singapore Tanglin during lunch hour because they are having 1-for-1 National Day International Lunch Buffet deal which work out to be $28.5++ per pax. 

I find that the choice of selection was limited so by the third plate, I took the repeated dishes. Some of the selections include spinach, cheese and salmon quiche, puff, breaded prawn, steamed fish, aglio olio, nyonya kueh and vanilla ice cream cup. A filling lunch with my coli to welcome the weekend.

Wednesday 24/8/22

We traveled down to Vivo City for lunch at Fish & Co., a casual, family restaurant chain serving fresh seafood in a pan.

I had Best Fish & Chips (Topped with Lemon Butter Sauce). The portion was petite size as it was for lunch special which comes with a choice of drink. For the price of $9.95++, I think the portion was still decent. 

Friday 26/8/22

August has a month filled with good food. I have buffet lunch twice in a month, this time round we went The Landmark Restaurant @ Village Hotel Bugis.

The Landmark Restaurant offers a wide array of International, Local Delights, Western, Seafood and Indian cuisines. I love the buffet spread here, thanks boss for the treat.

Sunday 28/8/22

Next was Peking Duck served with crackers and accompanied with sweet savoury sauce. A bite into the thin egg wrap revealed the crispy duck skin and crunchy cucumber.

We also had Duck without skin as the skin had been removed to make Peking Duck, Cod Fish with Soy Sauce, Vegetables and Fried Chocolate Ice Cream.

Places to Dine near Tanjong Pagar

Tanjong Pagar is located within the Central Business District and historical residential district. It is also home to many office towers, food centres, restaurants, cafes and bistro bars. 

I started to love traveling around for lunch whenever I have the opportunity to dine out together with my friends or colleagues. I have compiled a list of restaurants and cafes that I have tried around the areas. 

1. The Marmalade Pantry (Downtown)

Oasia Hotel Downtown is known for their nature inspired design around the hotel, I visited The Marmalade Pantry Downtown which share similar concept. With potted plants placed around the surrounding and canopy leave ceiling, the restaurant boasted a tropical garden vibe. Before the lush interior, The Marmalade Pantry serves a variety of modern-European meets Asian sensibility in swish, modern digs.

I had Seared Scallop & Prawn Linguine ($29++) which came with tiger prawns and Japanese scallop in prawn bisque sauce. The linguine was cooked al dente and was evenly coated with the prawn bisque sauce, it was savoury when paired with the tiger prawns and scallop.

A meal is not complete without dessert. We ended off with Sticky Date & Toffee Pudding ($16++) with toffee sauce, assorted berries and Udders’ French vanilla ice cream. The sticky date pudding was moist and enhanced with toffee aroma, I love the vanilla ice cream which which tasted different and better than the usual vanilla ice cream that I had.

The meal was even sweeter when there was 1 for 1 deal for main course and dessert. We definitely have to order both, allowing us to enjoy a good meal at wallet friendly price.

100 Peck Seah St, #01-01 Oasia Hotel Downtown, Singapore 079333

Operating hours: 11.30am to 10.30pm daily

2. Mouth Restaurant

Mouth Restaurant is the go to Cantonese restaurant for affordably-priced and innovative dim sum. It was almost full house when we were there for lunch. Do make a reservation before heading down to avoid disappointment.

We ordered a few dishes for sharing: 

Baked Flaky Skin Egg Tart where the egg custard was encased in the flaky yet buttery skin.

Deep Fried Prawn Dumpling which gave a good crunch and revealed the juicy prawn meat. 

Pan Fried Carrot Cake.

Xiao Long Bao which was filled with meaty ingredients and juicy broth. 

Salted Egg Yolk Bun is a must order, it resembled Tim Ho Wan's Char Siew Bun with the crispy pastry skin which encased the delicious creamy salted egg yolk.

Ended off the lunch with a cold refreshing dessert, Pomelo Sago w Mango & Ice Cream.

38 Maxwell Rd, #01-01/02 Airview Building, Air View Building, Singapore 069116

Operating hours: 11:30am to 3pm and 6pm to 10pm from Mon to Fri, 10am to 4pm and 6pm to 10pm on Sat and Sun

3. Izgara

Izgara is a Mediterranean-Turkish Grill & Bar that is known for their kebabs that will wow our tastebuds with every bite. It is located behind MAS building and can be easily spotted by their signboard.

I started off with Turkish Tea by Glass ($3+) which comes in a cute little glass where the size was just nice for me. 

We had Cheese Pide topped with Mozzarella, a thin crust cheesy pizza. The pizza was fragrant with cheesy aroma, chewy and buttery, but I recommend you to order one with meat so that it will enhance the overall taste and not so plain. The crust was also crispy at some edges and a cheese pull when I sliced.

The Chicken Kebap was my favourite among those I tried. The marinated cubed chicken grilled on skewer was flavourful and aromatic enough to hold it off, the meat was juicy and grilled to the point. It was so delicious when paired with butter rice.

We ended the lunch with some dessert. Künefe was a baked pastry filled with sweetness from the sugar syrup and cream. The sweet aroma lingered in my mouth after the bite. Sütlaç was Turkish rice and milk pudding, it was slightly bland compared to the Künefe.

2 Mistri Rd, #01-01, Singapore 079624

Operating hours: 11.30am to 3.30pm and 5pm to 10.30pm from Mon to Fri, 11.30am to 10.30pm on Sat and Sun

** 

Authentic Turkish Cuisine at Sofra Turkish Cafe & Restaurant

 With so many different types of cuisine found in Singapore, it is difficult to say which is my favourite because each cuisine has their own specialty. I was introduced to Sofra Turkish Cafe & Restaurant, located at Marina Square and I fall in love with Turkish cuisine since then.

Sofra Turkish Cafe & Restaurant transported us to Morocco with the tribal rug, Middle Eastern design pillow and folksy furniture. The restaurant was spacious and suitable for people who are dining in a group like us.

We started off with Salad Plate ($21.90++). This was the most unique salad that I ever had which made up of Sofra Salad, Eggplant Salad, Hummus, Red Cabbage Salad and Vine Leave Roll. The presentation of the dish was beautifully done.

Next was Chicken Shish Kebab ($19.50++), something you should not miss out in ordering. Each cube of chicken was perfectly grilled over the charcoal fire with tantalising flavour. Even the salad was delicious too with crunchy bite.

Another delight was Chicken Pide ($16.50++), the Turkish pizza in a boat-shaped flatbread with gooey cheese, tomato and chicken. A bite brought out the savoury flavour from the various ingredients, the taste just seem different from the normal pizza.

I had Turkish Chamomile Tea ($3++) to complete the Turkish experience and cleanse my palate with the soothing aroma.

We had Kunefe with Ice Cream ($12.90++) and Baklava ($7.50++ for 2 pieces). Kunefe is a sweet pastry that is popular in Turkey made from Kadeyif noodles and unsalted melting cheese, while Baklava is made up of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped pistachios and slightly to the sweet side.

Ended off with Turkish Rice Pudding ($7.50++) which was the best dessert among the those I tried. I enjoyed the sweet notes from the caramelised top while the baked pudding remained soft and contained subtle sweetness.

I have officially become a fan of Turkish food, any other nice Turkish food to recommend?