Lunch at O-an Japanese Restaurant @ Raffles Quay

16 Raffles Quay #B1-16 Hong Leong Building, Singapore 048581

Tel: 6221 7781

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/O-AN-Japanese-Restaurant/158231907567111

Located at the basement area of Hong Leong Building in bustling CBD area, this enigmatic and quaint little Japanese restaurant holds its own rather well, especially during lunchtime.

It offers bento sets, assortment of ramen and rice bowls, as well as delivery of party sets. the sets are very reasonably priced as well, ranging from SGD$13.90 to SGD$35++.

It seems that they even have accumulation of points system for redemption of gift items, how interesting.  Oh, and there is a bowl at the reception counter for dropping namecards - because they would send you (I quote) "special vouchers".

I like the dimly-lit settings with mirrors and muted tones, big round tables and rather courteous service here. The interior was spacious as well, ideal for business discussions.

We ordered two set lunches to share, as everything seemed tantalising and we could not decide on what not to try.

The first was the Chirashi Don set (SGD$20.00) , comprising of a bowl of Japanese filled generously with small pieces of raw fish (sashimi), a cold tofu starter, pickled vegetables, Miso soup, and two slices of water-melon.

The. Sashimi dices were quite fresh, with buoyancy that bounced with every bite. We spotted salmon sashimi, tuba sashimi, swordfish sashimi and salmon roe etc. It was delicately delicious, a satisfying set for lunch a la an adult's version of "happy meal".

Next, there Gyu Don set (SGD$13.90) and we turned it into Gyu Tama Don (beef with egg and rice) by adding egg at an extra cost of SGD$2.00.

There were sweet onion strips, lightly flavoured, as well as tender beef pieces that melted in the mouth readily after a few chewy bites. The addition of eggs gave it a smoothness as well as hint of sweetness and more moistened

While these reasonably-priced sets are not deeply impressive, they make for a rather decent lunchtime indulgence. Head down here for some Japanese food and non-crowded conditions sometime!

Coffee Break at Time Table Cafe @ East Village

430 Upper Changi Road #01-01 East Village, Singapore 487048

Tel: 6635 69

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timetablecafe?fref=ts

It is the first time I set foot in East Village, a mixed-development project in Simpang Bedok area, where level 1 comprises of retail fronts, and the condo residences are above.  There are so many cafes and ice-cream parlours here - the hipsters and cafehoppers are going to have a field day here!

Anyway, Time Table Cafe was the most spacious looking one with the poshiest decor in comparison to the other joints here, hence we decided to grab our pre-dinner coffee here. I loved the black, white and silver decor magnified by the presence of mirrors, as well as the comfortable leather seats.

The array of pastries and ice-cream look tempting. If I wasn't about to head for a food tasting session, I would have attacked the Lemon Tart or Rainbow Cake !

*V chose an Affogato (SGD$7.40) - shot of espresso with a huge scoop of ice-cream. She went for pistachio flavour. The ice cream was creamy but not too rich, hence retaining the distinctive flavour of pistachio. It paired off rather well with the aromatic coffee

I had a Chocolate Chips Latte (SGD$5.80) that was prettily decorated, as is the trend these days. The coffee contained strong hints of berries and a little sour overture, but was sweetened beautifully by the chocolate cookies.

The service was good and there was free wi-fi for all, making it a perfect chillout or work cafe. What's best is that they currently have this "2nd cup at 50%" promotion! So, say, if I finish my Chocolate Chips Latte and wish to try their Affogato, I bring my empty cup back to the counter, pay SGD$3.70, and get to enjoy another delicious cup of hot beverage.

What are you waiting for? :)

On a sidenote, if you are into cheap and beautiful DIY coffee tables (yes you coffee lovers should definitely look into that) - look for tips right here.

Lunch at Guo Fu Hotpot Steamboat (国府珍锅) at China Square Central

20 Cross Street #01-31 China Square Central, Singapore 048422

Tel: 6557 0906

Website: http://www.guofu.sg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guofu.steamboat

It was time for lunch with the colleagues, headed for Guo Fu Steampot Restaurant, the perfect choice for a rainy afternoon as such. Besides buffet meals, this place offers personal hotpot set meals as well, ranging from SGD$13.90 to SGD$17.90 per set, depending on personal preference.

They also have a variety of soup bases to choose from, such as very spicy (ma la), mildly spicy, tomyam, herbal, etc. There's also an array of dips and condiments to excite the palate further; I loved the spicy dips as well as seafood paste.

Four of them had the Pork Set (SGS$13.90), served with fresh-looking, pinkish slices of pork and arranged neatly on a tray with potato slices, radish slices, fishballs, egg, and other vegetables etc. One may also choose rice or noodles as staples for the set.

I had the Special Beef Set (SGD$17.90), since they are well known for having the best fatty beef in town. The beef was thinly-sliced and extremely succulent, sweet with freshness. The potato and radish chips were cut thinly as well; as were the rest of the crisp and fresh vegetables.

For soup base, three of them had the Mildly Spicy soup base, basically a glob of chilli in the clear broth, to give it a tangy touch that expertly enhances taste of food.

One of them had the Spicy soup base (ma la), with numbing hotness. The degree of spiciness was high, and I choked at it at first sip, hence I suggest taking it slow when selecting this soup base.

As for me, I had the Kimchi soup base. Disappointingly this soup was rather diluted; while aromatic with kimchi's flavour, it was rather mild in taste. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed it.

Before the mains were served, they served these delicious pieces of fried pumpkin pastries, crispy and sweet with velvety paste within.

At the end of the meal, fruits such as water-melon were also served, to cool the palate after a hot and satisfying meal.

The soup at this place is refillable, pricing is very reasonable, and service is rather hospitable.  I enjoyed this simple meal very much, and would definitely love to return for more.

Dinner at Pasta Brava @ Craig Raod

11 Craig Road, Singapore 089671

Tel: 6227 7550

Website: http://www.pastabrava.com.sg

When *Charmaine informed me that she wanted to eat Italian food, I cracked my head for somewhere we both haven't tried before, and chanced upon Pasta Brava, located along the row of conservation shophouses at Tanjong Pagar area.

The dimly romantic interior decor was both tasteful and intimate, yet there was no pretentiousness to it at all. There are Straits Chinese decorations and souveinirs around the restaurant, as well as paintings done by the owner's brother. The restaurant has two stories, and we were sitting on level 2, where we enjoyed the cozier end of the restaurant. The service crew was rather attentive towards the end of the meal.

We looked through the Menu that was created in the like of newspapers, just the way I love it. The cuisine here concentrates on traditional dishes from various Italian regions. There are so many items, we had a tough time trying to decide on what to have.

They started us off with some very soft bread and some olive dip. We welcomed the lightly sweet bread ravenously.

We shared an appetiser of Prosciutto con Melone (SGD$18.00) - thin slices of prosciutto ham draped over thick wedges of sweet, juicy rock melon. I love nibbling on the paper thin slices of prosciutto ham, suitably umami in taste. The contrast between the ham against the sweet and crunchy melon was definitely a palate pleaser.

For mains, *Charmaine had the Linguine Regina del Mare (SGD$23.00) - linguine pasta with scallops, clams, prawns, squid, crayfish in garlic and tomato sauce. The linguine were springy and the gravy was a delicious mixture of sweet-sour flavour.

I chose something under the "Pasta Fatta in Casa" (homemade pasta) section, the Agnolotti Farciti al Salmone (SGD$23.50) -  round shaped pasta filled with fresh and smoked mashed salmon, served with tomato and cream sauce. The pasta had a great chewy texture, and the mashed salmon was smooth, creamy, almost velvety on the tongue. It was utterly tasty.

After dinner, there was a birthday surprise for me, and I got to try the Tiramisu (SGD$12.00) - soft, chiffony and packed with aromatic coffee and liqueur taste. The light mascarpone cream was silky in between the cake layers; we were full but we just had to finish this delicious slab of pasty up, just had to had it melting lusciously in the mouth.

All in all, the dining experience here was fabulous, with quality food at very affordable prices as well as quiet settings so it makes for a perfect casual dining, date dining or corporate dining place.

Lunch at The Black Swan @ Raffles Place

19 Cecil Street, Singapore 049704

Tel: 8181 3305

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

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

The Black Swan is situated in an art deco building in the heart of the Central Business District (CBD), a distinctive building that has changed hands a few times, including having housed the exclusive all-females only W Law Firm some years back. The cafe, restaurant and bar concept evolves around muted gold settings, giving the place a sophisticated feel; they serve European classics dishes.

*Kalista and I had a 2-course set lunch (SGD$38.00) each, so that one of us could choose an appetiser and the other could choose a dessert to share.

For starters, we had the Farmer's Salad, comprising of arugula, apple, celery, red onions, walnuts, cranberries, Fourme d'Ambert and balsamic vinaigrette. The lightly-tossed salad was devoid of sauces, so it was light, crispy and refreshing with rocket leaves and dices of cheese.  It was a lovely starter.

For mains, *Kalista had the The Black Swan Burger, consisting of seasoned chuck, matured cheddar, bibb lettuce, sunny side up egg, streaky bacon, toasted buns and fries. The thick-pattied burger was coated invitingly with melted cheddar, a succulent and juicy slab. The tall burger made for a good lunch meal, every bite luscious with the natural flavour of beef and egg; clasped between crispy buns.

I chose the Pan Roasted Red Snapper with egg sauce and leeks two ways.  The snapper was pan-roasted to a crackling texture, peaking its texture and flavour. The creamy egg sauce gave the crispy fish a smoother edge, making for a sumptuous dish.

Finally, we concluded the meal with Dark Chocolate Dome.  The beautiful cake had a glossy, sticky layering of dark chocolate, and a soft chocolatey interior with a vanilla heart. It was saccharine without being overly sweet, bringing out the richness of chocolate very well. The velvety texture melted easily in the mouth as well.

Overall, The Black Swan is a lovely place for meals and drinks; basking in its beautiful interior and quality food items. Service was very slow - we believe they were short-staffed during lunch hours, when the restaurant was packed with executives type lingering over their meals packed with harried conversations.