Places to Dine near Esplanade

 Ever since Covid-19 strike we are forbid to travel abroad, we splurge more on food, explore locally to check out different restaurants and cafes around different parts of Singapore. This time round, I have compiled a list of dining places that I have tried around Esplanade over a period of time. You can try them the next time you visit Esplanade.

1. Wild Honey (Closed)

Wild Honey is famous for their all-day breakfast. Located in the Central Business District, you can get a respite from the busy city with a comforting lunch here.

26 Beach Rd, South Beach Tower, #B1-18, Singapore 189768 

Operating hours: 8am to 4pm from Tue to Fri, 8am to 6pm on Sat and Sun

2. Supply & Demand

Supply & Demand is a modern Italian restaurant located at level 1 by the Marina Bay Waterfront. It was a pity that their level 2 rooftop bar was not opened during weekday lunch hour, as the restaurant was a bit noisy and the seating was quite close between tables.

We had Crispy Chicken Drumlets which was served with homemade spicy dipping sauce. The skin was fried till crispy while the flesh remained tender and juicy.

Hawaiian Pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, gammon ham and pineapple chunks. The pineapple chunks added hint of sourness while the ham gave a savoury flavour.

I had Strawberry Ice Tea which was refreshing and helped to cleanse my palate after the meal.

8 Raffles Ave, #01-13 Annexe, Esplanade Mall, Singapore 039802

Operating hours: 12pm to 3pm and 5pm to 10.30pm from Tue to Fri, 11am to 10.30pm on Sat and Sun

3. Aniplus Cafe

Along the same stretch with Supply & Demand is Aniplus Cafe, a “collaboration café” concept from Japan with an official merchandise store. It is a one-stop destination for anime fans to experience their favourite works in various forms and dining.

The current theme of Aniplus Cafe is from the action role playing game, Genshin Impact. Food and drinks are to be ordered at the counter.

I had Intertwined Winds Parfait ($13.90) because I was attracted by the colour combination. The base was whipped cream with biscuit and cornflakes taking the middle stage, and topped with a scoop of blue ice cream. Personally I find it a little overpriced based on the ingredient used.

8 Raffles Ave, The Esplanade Mall, #01, 13C Raffles Ave, Singapore 039802

Operating hours: 12pm to 8pm daily

4. Alter Ego

Alter Ego is a Gastrobar Bistro located along along Marina Bay. They are operated by the folks behind A Poke Theory. 

The interior of the gastro bar was decked with wooden tables and chairs, and floor-to-ceiling window on the other side. A raining weekday afternoon made this place quiet and cosy.

I had Chocolate Milkshake to go with my meal. I enjoyed the sweetness from the choco notes and chocolate fragrance. 

I had Chicken Aglio Olio, the spaghetti was tossed in garlic and chili flakes, finished off with parmesan and basil. It was very normal, nothing special to shout out.

01-13D, Esplanade Mall, 8 Raffles Ave, 039802

Operating hours: 12pm to 10.30pm daily

Happenings in November and December - Populus Cafe + Cafe Kreams + TCC

Saturday 6/11/21

It's been a long time since I last had dim sum, so I revisit TungLok Signatures at Clarke Quay for their dim sum buffet.

The dim sum buffet is $28.80++ per pax and duration of 90 minutes. There are a total of 37 items that you can order from the menu. It is more worth it to go for buffet so you can order a range of dishes to try. From the photo, you can tell which are my 2 favourite dishes - Deep-fried Shrimp Dumpling with Mayonnaise Sauce and Deep-fried Prawn with Salted Egg Yolk.

Wednesday 17/11/21

Made a revisit back to Populus Cafe for lunch after 4 years. It was still packed with office crowds during weekdays.

The Populus is a gastro-cafe located near Outram Park MRT station, they offer an extensive menu that delivers a range of edibles from all around the world.

We had Truffle Fries with Parmesan Cheese which came in a very generous portion suitable for sharing in a group. Remember to have it while it is hot before it turns soggy.

After a long day out, we didn't went far to settle our dinner as there are many food choices available at Suntec City. We settled for Aburi-EN located at basement. I had Kyushu Tonkotsu Ramen and Pork Gyoza. 

I got a shock when the ramen was served, because the colour of the broth looked very plain and different from what was shown on menu. Thankfully, there was still taste to the broth. 

Thursday 25/11/21

Fulfill your desire to travel to Korea by taking a trip down to Cafe Kreams located at Maxwell Chambers.

Cafe Kreams will transport you to the scene of K-drama, An Autumn's Tale, with their autumn canopy interior. Even though we are in CBD, I did not feel the hustle and bustle of the city while dining in the cafe.

I had one of their signature flavoured drinks, Kreamy Sweet Potato. The drink was creamy and the taste of sweet potato was strong but not too overpowering. It was topped with sweet potato chip which made a good snack while waiting for food.

The Popcorn Chicken with Salad was addictive, I kept popping it in while knowing. The popcorn chicken contained mild spiciness, not to the extent where you will need to reach for your drinks, but enough kick to spice up my appetite.

Being someone with sweet tooth, I was more inclined to their dessert instead of main course. Hence, I opt for Matcha Tart. Love that the matcha tart was not too sweet and the buttery crust was firm to hold the custard.

Saturday 18/12/21

Have cravings for Korean food so I visited Woorinara Korean Restaurant at Bukit Timah to try out their authentic Korean Cuisine.

The restaurant was packed during lunch time, so be sure to make a reservation before heading down. The restaurant has a rustic look with wooden floor, making the restaurant looked comfortable.

Woorinara served a variety of free side dishes which we can enjoy while waiting for our order.

I had Spicy Soft Tofu Soup with include rice. The soup was served bubbly hot with mild spiciness just enough to provide the depth without reaching for your drink. We also had Gang Jeong Yum Yum Sweet Chicken where the cubes of chicken were coated with sweet sauce, the portion was really generous that we couldn't finish.

A few shops away is Udders Ice Cream, I got my all-time favourite cookie and cream ice cream. The child in me was ignited.

Wednesday 22/12/21

Went to Suntec City for lunch and everywhere was crowded with CBD workers. We eventually settled for TCC. It seems to be understaffed during lunch, it took awhile for our orders to be taken and for the food to be served.

I had Baked Chicken & Cheese Waffle where panko-crumbed chicken leg was sat on top of Belgium waffle, drizzled with cheddar cheese, Japanese dressing, apple-tomato salsa, served together with mesclun green and truffle fries. The portion was really generous, more than enough for me.

Saturday 25/12/21

Merry Christmas!

As 2021 is coming to an end, let's us take a break from the mundane and treat ourselves to a good feast this festive holiday. We deserve a celebration for a year of hard work.

We had our Christmas buffet dinner at Melt Cafe in Mandarin Oriental, the pyramid-shape hotel located at Marina Bay.

The restaurant is known for its extensive buffet presentations where cultures and cuisines mingle. They have a variety of stations where diners have to queue around the different stations and the staff will serve you the food you wish to get. It was really troublesome having to queue for the food and mingling with the crowds. I still prefer those days where we could just place our order from the iPad and the food was served to our table.

The sashimi was sliced uniformly and fresh, a good start to the meal. Their dessert was sweet and nice.

I'm not really a fan of buffet as I find that the amount of food ate could not match the price paid. I prefer ala carte or set meal.

Wednesday 29/12/21

I had Baked Barramundi Fillet for my main course with mashed potato forming the base. I always love having set meal despite the petite portion because every dish will be presented aesthetically. The dishes ignited my appetite.