Dinner at Jin Fine Dining @ Amoy Hotel

74 / 76 Telok Ayer Street, Lobby Level, Amoy Hotel @ Far East Square, Singapore 048462

Tel: 6536 6258

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

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

Having walked past the heritage lobby of Amoy Hotel several times, and definitely curious about their JIN Fine Dining Restaurant here, I knew we had to eat at this restaurant.

Enclosed in a beautiful vintage Oriental settings and helmed by Chef Thomas Kok (formerly from M Hotel, and one of the pioneer Japanese chefs in Singapore), is the restaurant itself. There's a sushi counter if one wishes to watch and enjoy their freshly-prepared sushi / sashimi dishes; service was cheery and personable, even attentive, so it made dining very enjoyable here.

Menu was extensive and comprised of many different items, ranging from sashimi to tempura to sushi to rice and noodle dishes as well as set meals. Needless to say, we were spoilt for choice. The restaurant also has many types of Japanese sake and alcoholic beverages.

Choice of drinks for all of us was Iced Yuzu Tea (SGD$4.00) - sweet, gently citrusy and redolent of yuzu's distinctive fragrance.

We started with Shisamo (SGD$8.00) - Grilled Capelin Fish, that came with three. I didnt eat this dish but the buddy said it was good.

Then we had Ika Sugata Yaki (SGD$15.00) - Grilled Squid with Sea Salt, which was tasty with infusion of sea salt and faint smokey hints; flesh was crunchy and chewy all at once, tearing nicely when bitten into, making it enjoyable to eat.

We also had Edamame (SGD$6.00) better known as Boiled Soybeans - lightly saltish, but overall, soft and lovely to pop into the mouth.

Final shared appetiser was Gyuniku Itame (SGD18.00) -  Pan Fried Hokkaido Snow Beef with Mushrooms.  A very tender dish with thinly-sliced beef, scumptious, complemented by earthly sweetness of the white mushrooms.

Mains came next. *Anoushka had the Shake Maguro Chirashi Don (SGD$23.00) - raw salmon and tuna slices with ikura (salmon roe) on wild rice. The combination was a delicious creation of fresh, melty raw tuna and springy salmon on crispy grains.

*Gareth had the Sushi Gozen set (SGD$42.00, consisting of assorted tempura (battered prawns and lady's fingers mainly), chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), variety of sashimi (raw salmon, swordfish and tuna) a bowl of Miso Soup and small array of sushi. This was utterly value-for-money and enables having the best of all worlds.

I chose the Shake Hotate Chirashi (SGD$23.00) - thick freshly slices of raw salmon and luscious, melts-in-the-mouth raw scallops with a nice toss of ikura. Loved the crunch of the grainy wild rice and the feeling of being "healthier".

We were full, all three of us, and enjoyed the delicious meal here immensely.

Dinner at The SPRMRKT Cafe @ Raffles Place

2 McCallum Street, Singapore 069043

Tel: 6221 2105

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

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

Short form for being "Supermarket Cafe";  this cosy, refreshing cafe was my chance discovery. The kitchen of a nearby pub broke down, so *RM and I were discussing options for takeout food. He made some suggestions, including "there's supermarket....."

I happily replied to grab some chips and takeout sushi. He looked at me oddly, then explained that "Sprmrkt" was a cafe.

A western concept cafe situated midway between Raffles Place and Tanjong Pagar, this modern European / American cafe brought grocery shopping up another level. Yes, there were items for sale upon entering the cafe, but deep within nestled a dining corner with a rather extensive menu.

We had Chips and Salsa (SGD$7.00) - the perfect accompaniments for drinks - nachos and a small tub of somewhat diluted salsa sauce (tomato chunks, etc).

The Buffalo Wings (SGD$11,00) were moistened, and tender, infused in the tangy and smokey hints of the sauce it was marinated with. Sour cream and Chive dip were served on the side.

Next, Truffle Fries (SGD$13.00) which consisted of shoestring fries exuding light hints of truffle aroma. they were also sprinkled with parmesan and kelp. Wasnt outstanding, but a kind of comfort snack.

Beer Battered Fish Bites (SGD) were battered with beer and deep-fried to its crispy golden exterior, with saccharine white flesh within.  The beer was not distinctive, but this dish had a good bite to it and tasty fish flavor.

Grilled Chicken Breast Burger with Fries (SGD$18.00) looked more like a sandwich - chicken fillet slathered with siracha mayo, sauteed mushrooms, cheddar cheese and sunny side up egg clasped by bread. Feedback was that chicken was succulent and tasted lovely; the paprika fries were crispy and delicious as well (better than the Truffle Fries in our opinions).

The Grilled Wagyu Burger with Fries (SGD$25.00) tasted a lot better than it looked as well - smokiness seeping from the palatable, juicy slate of beef patty. The egg, sauteed mushrooms and emmental cheese enhanced the flavor and texture further, making it really enjoyable to eat.

I heard the brunch is pretty dope too, so do drop by if you are in the vicinity and give their food a try. I really love how their food tastes much better than they look, teaching us to never judge a dish by its "cover".

Afternoon Tea at Bicky and Brew @ Club Street

31 Club Street, #01-02 Emerald Garden, Singapore

Tel: 9129 7114

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bickyandbrew101

Opening Hours: Weekdays 7.30am to 5.00pm

Fascinated by Instagram photos of the signature Pink Pelicans adorning snow white coffee cups, and a colleague's recent fascination with their coffee as well, I decided to give Bicky and Brew a try as well.

A 4-month old, hole-in-the-wall cafe just beside Emerald Garden Residences - in fact maybe the term "cafe" is a little generous, since this joint is tiny, and housing only a ledge for "table" accommodating 2 persons at most. Okay, it's a takeout cafe.

Make that a takeout cafe with the most friendly and sweet owner, Erin. She greets patrons brightly when we step in, and serves everything with a mega-watt smile. One couldnt help feeling warmed by her hospitality here, even if we were to just grab a coffee. While there are several types of coffee available here, pastries are rather limited at this moment - but it is awesome because Erin bakes all of them by herself!

The pastries change daily by the way. Sometimes I see Chocolate Mocha Muffins or Pear Almond Muffins etc. The large cookies are baked by her too, fresh out of the oven.

I asked Erin about the significance of the pelican - and she cheerily replied that there isn't any significant meaning to it - she just finds it incredibly adorable. Anyway, there's an entire wall of them here at Bicky and Brew.

Americano (SGD$5.00) was strong and rich - the colleague likes it with cold milk though (regular personal preference).

Cappuccino (SGD$5.00) was darkly aromatic, with a roasted nutty hint about it, and creamy smooth in texture. I opened up the lid to discover pretty foamy top with a nice brown centre orb.

I love her Mocha (SGD$5.00) because it is soooo smooth and rich in chocolate goodness - the perfect beverage for warming up the day and easing my headaches.

Carrot and Walnuts Muffin (SGD$3.00) was huge, interesting and totally inexpensive. I was drawn by the ingredients first, followed by the light sheen of glossy smoothness and then the plumpness of this pastry.

It was dense in texture, thus making it very filling. Flavour was lightly sweet and definitely goes very well with my Cappuccino.

For non-coffee drinkers, there's Homemade Iced Tea as an option as well.

Happy to have visited, and would be glad to drop by again for good coffee and Erin's dose of sunshine!

Poem: Of Demise and Drinks

So much news of demise and passings 

Lately, as the years 

Go by, and bodies grow old, 

Reliving the souls from their shells, 

Shrouding the families in cold, 

Sad states of mind. . . 

It will be us one day, lying in the earth, 

Dreaming of another world, 

Our flesh too weak to support us 

Torn and frayed like our coats. 

But for now, I need a drink, 

A subtle touch of numbness. 

Copyright © 2016 thearcticstar

Chilling Out at Mr Punch's Public House @ Cityhall

26 Seah Street, Basement Level, Mint Museum of Toys, Singapore 188382

Tel: 6339 6266

Website: http://www.mrpunch.com

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

Located at basement level of Mint Museum of Toys (review here) is Mr. Punch's Public House. Mr. Punch is known for his work in the famous puppet act "Judy and Punch", a rather violent creature.

This is an artistic gastropub themed for a nostalgic celebration, good food and drinks. Vintage music filled the air when we stepped down the stairs into this restaurant bar. Enamel prints and statues line the area, as polite servers came over to meet and greet.

The cuisine is here modern European and they have a pretty interesting list of cocktails as well.

A glass of Riesling (SGD$16.00) kickstarted the chilling out session, utter perfection for weekends after work, out with lovely companions.

Foodwise, we went for the Sharing Platter (SGD$38.00 for 3 items) - Fresh Salmon Cake, Chicken Thigh Roulade and Slow-cooked Pork Belly. The platter was also strewn with thin deep-fried potato crisps, lettuce, tomatoes and olives.

Salmon Cake was quite tender, softly saccharine. Chicken Thigh Roulade was stuffed with foie gras; the chicken was incredibly succulent, tasty together with the creamier taste of foie gras. Also liked the Slow-cooked Pork Belly, cut into small pieces and very soft.

Teriyaki Charred Squid (SGD$12.00) doused with tobiko boosted smokey and tender pieces of squid, infused with teriyaki sweetness. These were so worth nibbling - succulent, crunchy and tasty.

Lovely place to visit and chill out overall, I will definitely like to be back for their main courses or cocktails someday soon. The platter is very value for money as well, letting us try 3 types of starters at a reasonable price.