Congratulations Playmade!

1-for-1 bubble tea promotion going on til 1 Sept here – congratulations Playmade on your new outlet at Tiong Bahru Plaza!

They are located at #01-154; next to KOI (haha), close to where the taxi stand is.

50% Off at Ash and Elm

There’s still time to take advantage of Chope’s deal at Ash & Elm! For the month of August (2019), all items on their “From the Pan” menu are at 50% off of you book via Chope & use the code CE8AE. Valid for dinner only, & other Terms & Conditions apply – check the Chope app for more details.

It was my first time here & I was impressed by the ambiance. It’s a nice place to go on a date… Then again, I expect no less, it being located inside the lovely InterContinental Singapore.

Inside Ash & Elm Singapore — Ash & Elm – good for date nights

I had the Hand-cut Wagyu Beef Burger ($39++) with the patty done medium rare; chowed down on it & enjoyed it from start to finish. It wasn’t soggy at the end, & the bun remained quite fluffy & soft. The caramelised onions gave this a balanced sweetness, & in all this is a well-rounded burger.

Served with a side of thick-cut fries which were okay (average lah), & a side of coleslaw which was too acidic.. I didn’t enjoy that nor finish it. & I rarely don’t finish food. The star of the show, rightfully, is the burger!

Ash & Elm's Hand-cut Wagyu Beef Burger — Delicious Wagyu Beef Burger

I nibbled on my friend’s Black Cod Fillet À La Plancha ($48++) out of curiosity, & of course politeness cos she asked I wanted to 😂 The texture of the fish was on point, but it was a little too salty for both our liking. I would’ve expected more from it at this price point, especially since its one of the Chef’s Specialties. But the saffron pearl couscous was lovely.

Let’s just say I’m glad I dined here with a 50% off discount thanks to Chope. I’d say give this one a miss, unless they can fix the saltiness. Because the texture is awesome, as a nicely done cod should be.

Ash & Elm's Black Cod Fillet À La Plancha — Tender cod but way too salty

Sautéed Mushrooms ($10++) weren’t eligible for the half-off discount, but this was a great add on. Loved how juicy these were!

Ash & Elm's Sautéed Mushrooms — Juicy mushrooms are a great side dish

Lastly (though served at the start not end of one’s meal), this isn’t going to be a deal breaker for most diners.. But their bread here isn’t fabulous. I usually wipe the bread bowls clean, but not this time. Perhaps it’s just not to my liking – I like full thiccc carby bread, not so much flatbread crackers. Probably boils down to personal preference.

Ash & Elm's Bread Basket — Didn’t wipe the bread basket clean like I usually do

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations – I used Chope
🏩 Located inside Hotel Intercontinental
💦 Water is not chargeable

DIY Japanese Pancakes at a Cosy Okonomiyaki Joint

Won a prize from a Kiss 92 contest – vouchers to Ajiya Okonomiyaki. Great reason to check them out, having passed by many times but never stepped in.

Inside Ajiya Okononiyaki – a couple of counter seats

You can order 3 kinds of Okonomiyaki here – Seafood Deluxe ($16+), Meat Lovers ($15+), Veggie Delight ($13+). For each one, you can choose 3 ingredients from the list –

SEAFOOD: Prawns, squid, scallop, crabmeat, tobiko
MEAT: Bacon, belly pork, smoked duck, ham, cheese
VEGGIE: Shiitake, spinach, kimchi, grilled onions, capsicum

If you want a mixed combo, you can look to the Ajiya’s Combo ($16+) as an option, where you can pick 3 ingredients across all categories.

Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes) are served!

You get 10% off you DIY your own Okonomiyaki – presumably only possible if you sit where the hot plates are. I sat at the booth seats so I missed out; I can imagine it’d be pretty fun.

The waitstaff cook your pancakes for you, unless you request otherwise

I like how Ajiya’s okonomiyaki isn’t crazy oily, & it’s cooked nice & firm. The sauce, mayonnaise, seaweed flakes & bonito flakes are all self-service from bottles/containers at the table. Being able to control this to cater to personal preference is a value-add as well.

While this isn’t something I’d rave about or crave, I don’t think there are many Okonomiyaki places in Singapore, so this might be worth checking out. It’s fairly crowded on weekends, with customers sometimes having to wait a while for a table. My vouchers were not valid during Fri/Sat/Sun dinner hours – maybe that’s when it’s even MORE crowded?

Pro-tip: Don’t order 1 okonomiyaki per pax; save space for the other dishes on the menu! I enjoyed the appetizers & sides more than the okonomiyaki, actually. Good variety & freshly cooked, served piping hot or cold as it should be.

APPETIZERS
Century Egg Kani Tofu ($7+)

SIDES
Chawanmushi ($4+)
Homemade Gyōza ($7+)
Shio Koji Tori Karaage ($12+)

RICE/NOODLES
Garlic Fried Rice with Prawns ($6+)
Hiyashi Chuka Ramen ($12+)

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
📞 Accepts reservations – I called them
🙋🏻‍♀️ Service charge applicable
🚫 No GST
📶 Free WiFi available

Plump Oysters, Unfortunately Inconsistent Quality

5 for $5+ oysters on Friday at The Beacon, while stocks last. I was here around 6:30PM & they still had this promotion. The premises was only half-filled, with the crowd slowly trickling in to full house by the time I left at 7:45PM.

So these oysters are creamy, which I love. They are also large, which I appreciate. HOWEVER, even with a sample size of 5, I found the quality largely inconsistent. This is quite a turn-off for me, so it’s unfortunately unlikely I’ll be back.

To get in on the oysters promotion, you need to order a drink. Happy hour meant that I got my house pour whiskey 1-for-1. I might come back here if convenient. If not for the oysters, the happy hour.

💳 Accepts credit cards
☀ Indoor seats are not air-conditioned
📶 Free WiFi available

Soul Searching with The Old Man

In search of The Old Man, I kept my eyes peeled for the single pineapple lamp outside (thanks Google) & when I found the wooden doors, I pushed them open carefully.

As I peered behind the black curtains, I was warmly welcomed into the dimly lit premises. Was ushered to a bar seat, being a convenient party of 1 & the tables mostly had groups of 4 pax at least.

I was handed a nice tight menu of 9 cocktails. I read through them & was impressed by how thoughtfully crafted this menu is. While mostly gin-based, other cocktails use unique bases like Vermouth, Absinthe, Pisco & White Rum.

The ingredients of the cocktails here are also very bespoke, with infusions & sous-vide ingredients. & a lacto-fermented raspberry (what!). If you’re someone who loves trying unique drinks, you might have difficulty choosing which ones to have. They all sound great.

One of the guys, Louis, saw that I was alone & came over to chit chat for a while. He was very friendly without bordering on intrusive. Made me feel very at ease. He also offered to explain the menu to me if I wanted, but I was in quite a mood, so I wanted some time to myself & that was cool with him too.

I got lucky & was here just before peak period hit. It got real crowded by the time I left, such that many were standing & drinking – not that they seemed to mind, though.

My first drink, The Sun Also Rises #1926, mixes curry leaf infused Bulldog gin with copra fat-washed applejack. While gin infusions aren’t new to me (I loved this one btw), fat-washing is.

Fat-washing is a technique that infuses a fatty flavor into an alcohol. I’m not sure if you’re supposed to taste the fats (in this case, coconut oil – I could only smell, not taste it), but I couldn’t & I hope it stays that way. Because I am very fat-averse 😂

I liked the flavours of this cocktail. The well-balanced tartness & sweetness of the applejack was lovely. On top of this, the layered fragrance of the lime kaffir & sweet vermouth sous vide pandan leaves were somewhat comforting.

The Sun Also Rises #1926, with very addictive snacks

Before my drink even arrived, I was served a glass of cold water that was regularly topped up throughout my evening. As a perpetual thirsty hippo, I appreciated this so much. & the tidbits, dare I say, are very addictive.

I intended to have just 1 drink, but was impressed by my 1st one that I had to order another. I chose the Green Hills of Africa #1935, which has a base of rosemary-infused pisco. A refreshing turmeric & tamarind cocktail, it had citrus notes as well, which I thought was a great drink to end my night with.

I am excited to return to try the rest of their cocktail menu. Good cocktails are really growing on me lately, especially those with unique flavours which look & taste like much research, thought & effort have been put into them.

All cocktails on the menu at The Old Man are $17+.

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🙋🏻‍♀️ Service charge applicable
🚫 No GST
💦 Water is not chargeable
🍍 Look for the pineapple lamp – under which that’s the entrance!

Welcome!

Thanks for visiting Bui Bui Eats. I started writing about my food & drink escapades because I felt there was (& still is) a strong need for good, unbiased information on the interwebs for people to make great decisions.