Beach-side Brunch & Lunch at Trapizza

Trapizza is located right by Siloso Beach in Sentosa. Admittedly quite the journey to get here, I persevered because I can’t say no to a good breakfast & also Italian food. If you love alfresco dining, this is the place for you. If not, there’s still a spot for you here – seek refuge in their air-conditioned indoor dining area!

I reckon it’d be perfect outdoors with the cool temperatures lately (of course, provided it isn’t raining cats & dogs). I arrived a Sweaty Betty though, as this was pre-Singaporean-winter days. Quenched my thirst with a bottle of Organic Sparkling Passionfruit & Orange Juice ($12++). Lightly flavoured & slightly fizzy, this did the job. Don’t be a dumb dumb like me & shake the bottle in a disoriented state, though. It IS, after all… Sparkling 😂

Organic Sparkling Passionfruit & Orange Juice

[BREAKFAST MENU]
We dove right into the breakfast items from Trapizza’s “Hot from the Pan” menu, starting off with the Wagyu Minute Steak & Eggs ($32++). I don’t eat beef for breakfast regularly, so this was new to me.

I certainly enjoyed it, though 😍 Perfectly poached eggs with runny yolks, & tender slides of beef. The hearty ratatouille with lightly toasted bread on the side tied all the flavours together quite well.

I can imagine waltzing here from the nearby Rasa Sentosa Hotel to have a relaxing breakfast by Siloso beach. Don’t come here too late, though – breakfast hours are for a short window only, 9-11AM on weekends!

If poached eggs aren’t your thing, try the Italian Sausage Breakfast Platter ($26++). You don’t just get sausage with this, you also get bacon. The scrambled eggs are cooked fluffy & slightly runny.. & I just realized you can’t see them in this photo, lol. But that just shows how much food you’re getting, quite the bang for your buck.

Love carbs? You will enjoy the chunky oven-roasted potatoes with a pleasant bite to them. It’s great how you get a good variety of carbs, meat & vegetables in this one.

Should you be looking for something lighter on the palate, try the Organic Homemade Mango Granola ($12++) from the Healthy Selection of the menu.

The sweetness of the mangoes contrasted well with the sourness of the yogurt, & the granola added crunch with every bite. I quite liked everything about this.. It was so addictive. Something you can really keep eating & before you know it, you’ve finished the whole thing.

[LUNCH MENU]
Trapizza’s pizza menu is extensive, which means there’s bound to be something for everyone. Each pizza is handcrafted & wood-fired, & it’s on a thin-crust base that makes it easy to eat. I’m not a fan of crunchy-thin pizza bases; thankfully this was just the right thickness for me (that’s what she said).

Got my hands grubby with the Pizza Siciliana ($28++), which has a sauce that is tomato-based. They have some cream sauce pizza options as well, which I would be keen to try next time.

I surprisingly enjoyed this pizza despite not being big on salami or sausages. We’re talking about chunks of traditional Sicilian pork sausage – which, like the salami, weren’t too salty for my liking. The vegetables added variety in terms of textures & tastes too: Roasted capsicums, onions, baby spinach.. A yummy dish great for sharing.

The Risotto di Mare ($29++) is a match made in heaven. Each grain of arborio rice was cooked al dente in a rich lobster bisque, & the plethora of seafood is commendable: Mussels, clams, prawns. My favourite was the prawn as it was super juicy, even at the end of my meal when you’d think it’d be cold & hard? Nope. Shiok ’til the end.

This IS a very rich dish that tastes like the ocean (in a good way), so it may not be for everyone. But it’s a clear winner in my books. The awesome juicy AF tomatoes make an appearance here too. Such a perfect dish that I would order again in a heartbeat.

[DESSERTS]
There’s always room for dessert, right? Check out their homemade Tiramisu ($12++) with a cute squidgy of espresso. It squirts nicely in the middle & spreads out, so those who love coffee can dig in there, & those who want less of it can tuck in by the side.

This is a perfectly light & fluffy tiramisu, with the taste of coffee & liqueur not overwhelming on the palate. Despite it being light, I can’t imagine finishing this on my own, so I was glad to have friends to share this with. I mean, this IS a pretty sizeable jar… You’re getting real value for money here.

For those who aren’t about the creamy life, try the Italian Torta Di Limone ($13++), a lemon tart with strawberry ice cream. In theory this sounds like it’d be hella sour – but no! It was actually quite a balanced dessert.

The lemon flavour was slightly tart (as in, sour) indeed, but the slight sweetness of the tart base & strawberry ice cream made it more pleasant. I recommend having a bit of each on your fork/spoon each mouthful.

Thanks Casey for hosting us at Trapizza! 💕

💳 Accepts credit cards
☀ Al fresco seats available
🌬 Air-conditioned seats available
🖥 Accepts reservations on Chope

Tsuruhashi Fugetsu – Lunch Specials & Modern Okonomiyaki

For those who work in the area, Tsuruhashi Fugetsu’s affordable weekday lunch specials at $16.80++ are worth checking out. From Mon – Fri, 11:30 – 14:30hrs, choose from a different special of the day, all of which are centered around yakisoba (fried egg noodles):

Mon: Spicy Shoyu Yakisoba
Tue: Mentai Mayo Shio Yakisoba (pictured)
Wed: Omelette Yakisoba
Thu: Negi Mayo Shio Yakisoba
Fri: Cheese Yakisoba

Mentai Mayo Shio Yakisoba

All specials come with rice, teriyaki chicken, & miso soup… Dang y’all be so full after that, rollin’ back to work.

Their Modanyaki ($10.80++ onwards) is their take on a modern okonomiyaki – featuring savoury pancakes with a twist. You get the crispness of fresh cabbage, the chewyness of yakisoba, & flavours of various meat/seafood within.

Modanyaki – A Work of Art

This was fried on both sides before my very eyes, timed to perfection as how the Japanese take pride in their craft. A generous amount of cabbage goes into the modanyaki; the fibre helps to make this dish less oily, which I certainly value.

Fresh ingredients for okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki in the making

Want to get your daily dose of veggies in? Try this. 😝

Thanks @alhsx for the invite & Brand Cellar + Tsuruhashi Fugetsu for the hospitality! 💕

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations on Chope & Quandoo

Eat at Seven’s Udon Kamon – Scrumptious Fusion Udon

Udon has grown on me in recent years – especially when I’m craving for something carby. The new menu at Eat At Seven’s Udon Kamon is right up my alley, with hawker-inspired udon dishes.

Local twists on high quality udon

Walking that fine balance with the innovativeness of local cuisine, yet staying true to its Japanese roots, diners have 3 specialty dishes to indulge in:

Dark Sauce Dry Udon

The Dark Sauce Dry Udon ($10.80++) has such a simple name that doesn’t fully capture how delicious it is. This was a hot favourite amongst everyone at the table, quite closely following its inspiration of KL chilli ban mee.

The spicy & sweet dark sauce coats the udon very well. With ingredients like with minced pork, crispy anchovies, vegetables & half an ajitsuke tamago – dare I say this is a pretty dang balanced dish!

Ipoh Style Chicken Udon

The Ipoh Style Chicken Udon ($10.80++) is my personal favourite, subtly reminiscent of Ipoh-style hor fun. Imagine their signature sanuki udon in a delicious soy-based gravy that is light on the palate & fragrant, with plump mushrooms providing that earthy flavour, & juicy texture. The silky smooth sliced chicken thigh is steamed with ginger & Japanese leek, & thereafter drizzled with light soy sauce & black sesame oil.

Are you salivating already? The multi-dimensional layers of flavours are why this was my favourite dish of the night 😍

Truffle Beef Ying Yang Udon

Last but certainly not least, tantilize your tastebuds & noses with the Truffle Beef Ying Yang Udon ($15.80++). The sauce, made from XO sauce, truffle & bean paste, is umami & thick though not overwhelming. The truffle smell is pretty strong though 😉

I didn’t expect the interesting double-texture of the udon noodles to work so well. Half of the udon is flattened & fried such that it is slightly crispy, even after soaking in the sauce for a while.

Thanks @alhsx for the invite & Brand Cellar + Udon Kamon for the hospitality! 💕

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations on Chope & Quandoo

Akimitsu’s Signature Tendon with Such Fresh Tempura

Tucked in a rather inconspicuous corner of Westgate, I discovered Akimitsu while surfing Burpple. Ordered their Signature Tendon ($14.90++); it comes with a side of miso soup, tiny chawanmushi (which they forgot about until I asked them about it) & free flow pickled radish.

My Tendon arrived teeming with tempura on top, which seems to be the norm no matter where I dine. Finished the rice way before the ingredients, so I had to deal with the carb-less oiliness on its own towards the end.

Oiliness notwithstanding, I liked how fresh the ingredients were & how they weren’t overcooked. In particular, the prawn & the white fish – still moist inside, & didn’t taste like the ocean. The squid wasn’t rubbery, either.

The variety of vegetables you get in this is also impressive: Shiitake mushroom, carrot, french bean, young corn, eggplant, nori, pumpkin, … Dang.

I’d intended to have a simple dinner, but it evolved into this. No regrets, though!

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
📶 Free WiFi available (Westgate is a Capitaland mall)
🍽 Earn rebates with JFH membership
💦 Water is not chargeable

SaladStop! – For A Healthier You

When I was younger, I used to not order salads. Ever. Then I went to America (the state of Virginia, no less) & was horrified by how much everyone ate. & how massive everything was – I mean, cupcakes the size of both of my fists put together!?

That was the first time I ever ordered a salad, out of desperation to cleanse my body. Since then, no turning back. I now eat a lot, drink too much, but I also eat salads from time to time.

My dinner tonight from SaladStop! doesn’t look great, but it satisfied me after a gruelling workout. “Grain Bowls” here are $9.90 nett; they come with a default leafy base of lettuce (anything else e.g. Spinach/Kale costs extra), & your choice of grain – brown rice or quinoa (surprisingly, the latter doesn’t cost extra).

You get 7 toppings; I chose sliced lotus root, broccoli, long beans, chickpeas, pickled cucumber, grated hard boiled egg, edamame. You can add premium toppings for extra, but na bro.

Not gonna lie, I couldn’t eat this without my sauce of choice – Thai Turmeric. I usually eat my salads sauceless, but this was actually really bland 😂 The sourness & spicy kick from the sauce really turned this salad around to be more palatable.

In all, yum yum in my tum tum. & delighted to get 5% cashback here thanks to Shopback GO, too!

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🍽 ShopBack GO partner
📶 Free WiFi available (Velocity @ Novena Square mall WiFi)
🙋🏻 No service charge
🚫 No GST

Eventasty Beef Noodles – Optimising Cashback with Shopback GO

Don’t you just love it with you get to have a good meal & optimize your returns for eating out?

Case in point: Clicked through Shopback to make a booking via Eatigo = $1.50 cashback:

At the time I dined at Eventasty 一碗田 Hand-pulled Noodles, the Eatigo discount was a cool 40% = even more savings!

Ordered my bowl of Marinated Beef Shank Noodles ($7.90+); was impressed that you can add more noodles to your order FOR FREE #carbsoncarbs.

Boosted my cashback on Shopback GO to 10%:

Paid with my linked credit card & my cashback was tracked instantaneously:

Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t the best bowl of beef noodles ever. The beef slides are fairly thin (though delicious). I think the additional noodles meant that my soup was absorbed by them extra quickly, too. But the noodles are well made, what little I tasted of the soup was refreshing & tasty. & the chilli I added to my bowl was shiok!

Overall, it was a comforting bowl of noodles in this cold weather, & was a very affordable meal for me. & yes, I would dine here again. They have some other options like tomato soup bases & dry mushroom sauce noodles that I’d be keen to try.

You can also watch chef actually pull your noodles!

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats available
☀ Al fresco seats available
🖥 Accepts reservations – I used Eatigo via Shopback
🍽 Shopback GO partner
📱 Accepts FavePay (but you won’t get Shopback GO cashback then)
📶 Free WiFi available (Funan is a Capitaland Mall)
🙋🏻 Service charge applicable
🚫 No GST

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

3 deep dish pizzas in 3 days. Yes folks it is possible – but can you smell something burning? That’s not the pizza, it’s my wallet.

You see, eating for 1 is not cheap. Also, when you’re waiting 30 minutes for your deep dish baby to be prepared, you can’t not order a beer….

Nonetheless….. WORTH IT.

🍕 🍻 🍕 🍻 💸 💸 💸 💸 💸

Almost Famous Craft Beer Bar – Good Variety, Nice Happy Hour

I’ve been wanting to pop by Almost Famous Craft Beer Bar for the longest time – finally did, albeit when happy hour was just over.

Happy Hour at this hole in the wall at CHIJMES is 4 – 7PM (Mon – Sat) / 2 – 8PM (Sun). Pints of craft beer go for $10+, premium craft beer for $12+.

Happy Hour at Almost Famous Craft Beer Bar

I missed Happy Hour, but I still enjoyed my pint of Passionfruit Wheat Ale ($14+) from Pasteur Street Brewing. Citrusy & fruity, there are hints of passionfruit & lemon, more so the former than latter so it isn’t sour like a saison. A light & delicious beer that pleases the crowd, & which I would order again.

Light & refreshing, I’m sure Pasteur Street’s Passionfruit Wheat Ale is a popular beer

Happy Hour or not, whatever you swipe your (linked) credit card for, you’ll get cashback from Shopback GO! I actually didn’t know this until I checked my phone after I swiped 😂

Sat at the bar counter with my back turned to the world; but before I immersed myself in some me time, I looked around & found the decor to be pretty simple. With various tones of grey & silver, the style is very metallic, almost like the interior of a spaceship.

One downside is that reception was pretty bad here.. I sat at the bar, not sure if it varies throughout the premises as they don’t have a huge space). WiFi also isn’t for public use, so I left after 1 beer.

I’ll probably return with a friend, or if I have offline work to do. 🍻

They had a food menu which I didn’t order from – instead, this coaster was my food for thought

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🍽 Shopback GO partner
📶 No free WiFi
🙋🏻‍♀️ Service charge applicable
🚫 No GST

Kong Café – Minimalist, Simple Brunch

Discovered Kong Cafe while surfing Instagram – initially intruiged by their all-day happy hour promotion of 3 bottles of beer for $18. I soon learnt that they also serve coffee, brunch & dinner fare so I decided to pay them a visit.

Their menu is plastered all over their walls near the cashier, & I took some time to read through them.

Kong Café’s paper menus stuck on their walls

Eventually, I ordered the Scrambled Eggs on Sourdough Toast, which unfortunately is not available on its own. It’s mandatory to order an add-on, which I think is quite a shame because I didn’t actually want any of them – Hummus, Sausage, Homemade Chutney, Bacon. I decided on the sausage in the end, making my Scrambled Eggs on Sourdough Toast with Sausage $13.50 nett.

Scrambled Eggs on Sourdough Toast with Sausage

This was served very quickly. It honestly doesn’t look like much, but it tastes pretty good. The scrambled eggs are creamy & slightly runny, just the way I like them. I just admit that the sausage gives the dish saltiness in good proportion. The sliced sourdough bread was impressively toasted to perfection! Crust not too hard (still easy to bite into), & the soft part of the bread pillowy & fluffy.

I do hope they consider putting just Scrambled Eggs on Sourdough Toast on its own on the menu. I’d frequent this place more often if they did.

Ordered a Flat White ($5.50 nett small, $6.50 nett large) to go with my brunch; got the large one at a promotional price of $6.00 nett. Pleasantly surprised at how easy this is to drink, yet has that oomph of a double shot of coffee to kick you awake. Would return here again for the coffee, to just spend time chillin’ here.

The interior decor here is bare & minimalist; the floor-to-ceiling windows that face the main road (Dunearn Road) let a lot of light in, which makes the space bright & welcoming.

It wasn’t crowded on a Saturday afternoon when I visited, & a nice chill playlist plays softly in the background while customers chit chat or do work. There is a study area of 8 small tables on one side, & the remaining other tables have “No Studying” signs next to them.

Parking is free (though limited) at Sime Darby Centre on weekends – the parking lot is on level 2 right outside Cold Storage. But if you’re taking transport, Kong Cafe is right next to King Albert Park MRT.

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
📶 Free WiFi available
💦 Water is not chargeable
🙋🏻‍♀️ No service charge
🚫 No GST

Dong Ji La Mian Xiao Long Bao – Another Good, Authentic Dumpling Stall!

ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre has a plethora of food choices, but I decided on Dong Ji La Mian Xiao Long Bao 东记拉面小笼包 (#01-19) because I had to buy some frozen dumplings home today.

Ordered their Dumplings 水饺 ($5.00 for 10) & Xiao Long Baos 小笼包 ($4.50 for 6, $6.00 for 10). The skin is on the thick side, which I’m not so used to.. Especially for the XLBs where I prefer the skin thinner.

But this made for a decent meal. The chives in the dumplings added good flavour, & the soup in the XLBs was delicious. I would eat these again.

Plus points for self service ginger & vinegar – I always load up on the ginger, with minimal vinegar. & yet another one: This stall accepts GrabPay, so yay for cashless transactions & earning Grab points!

Made my way home with frozen goodies in tow: Xiao Long Baos 小笼包 go for $10 a bag of 20 pieces, Dumplings 水饺 at $12 for a bag of 30 pieces.