Lunch at Dian Xiao Er Restaurant @ Bedok Mall

311 New Upper Changi Road, #01-73/74, Bedok Mall, Singapore 467360

Tel: 6844 9266

Website: http://www.dianxiaoer.com.sg/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dxesg/

Dian Xiao Er is a Chinese restaurant chain in Singapore with 13 outlets spanning Singapore,  from East to West. It has been my favorite Chinese restaurant for a long time because of its aromatic and palatable Herbal Roast Duck.

"Xiao Er" was the traditional way of addressing a waiter in olden Chinese food inn, a place for long-distanced travellers to get some rest and a good meal before continuing on their journeys. I love how their restaurants are designed to look like those rustic, ancient Chinese food inn - complete with stone brick walls and wooden chairs, etc.

We went to the outlet at Bedok Mall for lunch, birthday treat courtesy of my dearie, thank you!

They had the Set Lunch which was very attractive - SGD$32.80, for a Meat dish, a Vegetable dish, starters of Deep Fried Fish Skin, rice and tea.

One could choose between white rice or brown rice at no extra charges.

For meat dish, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out we'd choose the Signature Herbal Roasted Duck- crispy skin, tender flesh with fragrance of herbs. One could choose from two types of herbs - Angelica (dang gui), or Ten Wonders (shi quan). We chose the former.

For vege, we had Homemade Wheatgrass Tofu with Vegetables,  which was tasty and nutritious definitely.

Enjoyed my lunch here very much, and hope to enjoy their food more often. Service was friendly and warm as well, thank you Dian Xiao Er for upholding years of excellency.

Dinner at Wine Mansion @ Keong Saik Road

26 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089133

Tel: 6225 4468

Website: https://www.winemansion.com.sg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WineMansion

Another one of our Wine Friday evenings - sipping wine and gorging on good food, sharing laughters over various topics in life.

Wine Mansion was picked for its wide selection of wine, cozy rustic ambience and eclectic mix of cuisine featuring Eastern, European and Western dishes. Prices of food and wine are reasonable as well, making for an enjoyable hangout venue.

Started with Fresh Oysters (SGD$24.00 for a dozen); tasty, briny and juicy, good sized oysters paired with lemon wedges. Very addictive, and we were tempted to order more.

Then we had the Spam Fries (SGD$8.00) -thick cut luncheon meat deep-fried so they were crispy on the inside; meaty within - very enjoyable, especially paired with honey mustard dip.

Next, Pork Belly (SGD$8.00) - roasted with crackling skin and tender flesh, served with mustard dip and picked vegetables; flavours burst when paired together. Interesting and appetite-whetting.

Following that, Seared Scallops (SGD$19.00) that were bouncing with freshness, and bathed in a delicious creamy herbal sauce. Loved the crunchy asparagus served with them, lending their pure sweet flavour.

We had the Crispy White Bait (SGD$9.00) that were fried to a beautiful golden brown. They crackled on the exterior but melted like dreams inside; were very addictive on their own even if we did not dive into the aioli lemon dip that was served with them.

Final tapas for sharing was the Beef Poutine (SGD$10.00); a little disappointing because the fries were limp and beef bits or fried egg atop failed to value add in terms of taste or texture.

Moving on to mains, the Spicy Mala Lamb Linguine (SGD$18.00 was a refreshing, tangy delight for spicy lovers like me. Every bite was packed with peppercorn punch,  flavoursome,  and a dish I would order again if I come back.

Finally, Carbonara Linguine with Ikura (SGD$18.00) that was egg-based and creamy; the explosive umami flavour of ikura (salmon roe) added an interesting tinge to the creaminess; palatable.

The night also seen us polishing off 2 bottles of wine over our meal. Overall, we enjoyed dining at The Wine Mansion very much,  and hope to be back again soon.