Le Coq’s Meaty Skewers, Delectable Appetizers, Fun Pastas & Tasty Drinks

An impressively extensive menu at Le Coq – from appetizers to yakitori skewers, main courses (1-for-1 with Burpple Beyond) & pastas, & a rockin’ happy hour too. Brace yourself for a lengthy review…!

Hard to believe that their Fresh Oysters are only $2.50++ a pop. These New Zealand babies are creamy & decadent. Have them your way – with a squeeze of lemon or a dash of tabasco sauce. Or without anything at all; yes, they are that fresh. & at $16++ for a half dozen, $30++ for a dozen, that’s pretty dang affordable for the good stuff.

Uni on Toast ($15++ for 3) got me all hot & bothered. Firstly, look at the size of that hunky sea urchin. Secondly, that bread is actually a bed I want to sleep on. Pillowy soft, yet slightly crispy on the outside so it doesn’t get soggy. Loved the textures & flavours of this one. I was left dreaming about this for days.

Folks who want to take the heat up a notch will enjoy the Mala Chicken ($10++). It isn’t too wild, but it certainly has the numbness & spiciness that one seeks in Mala. I’m not a Mala expert, nor do I eat spicy food regularly. But I found myself picking slices from this silky smooth appetizer to pop into my mouth for that shiok feeling.

The California Maki Dip with Crisps ($12++) was surprisingly popular; I attribute that to how refreshing & clean it is. It’s essentially a deconstructed California maki roll. Sounds simple, tastes great. The crabmeat used is fresh & flavourful, tossed together with avocado, mayonnaise & crunchy fish roe. IMHO, though, what makes this super addictive is the thin rice paper crisps on the side. Use them to scoop up the dip & comfortably crunch away. That’s pretty dang unique to me.

Le Coq is a Burpple Beyond partner – so you can get 1-for-1 lunch or dinner mains here. However, they also have a fairly large menu that you can order from. Perfect for the office crowd, their drinks menu includes beer, wine, hard liquor & house cocktails. Swipe to see some of their cocktail concoctions that we sipped on through the night!

Their Happy Hour runs daily from 5 – 9PM, giving you a single glass of Grant’s Triple Wood Blended Scotch Whiskey or Hendrick’s Gin for $X at X PM, where X = 5, 6 or 7. At 8pm, it’s $10 a glass which is still okay, but the earlier the better fo’ sho. Also, Ladies Night is every Wednesday. #justsayin

& what better way to pair your evening drink with some skewers to munch on. Good variety of options here, with the Wagyu Beef ($6.80++) is my favourite. Soft & tender, you can taste the natural juices & flavours of the beef. The fattiness absolutely melts in your mouth… Very shiok.

The Cartilage ($2.80++) was interesting – nice & crunchy, a texture that I was intrigued by & appreciated. Something I haven’t had before, actually. But it was unfortunately too heavily salted with the combination & heavy-handedness of both sea salt & togarashi. Gave feedback about this & they took it into account. I would hope they’ve fixed this since then. It’s always nice to speak to chefs/owners/staff that are open to feedback.

If the price of the Wagyu Beef is too premium for you, consider ordering the Chicken Thigh ($2.80++) or Sweetpork ($2.80++); they too are hella juicy 😍 My preference of the two is the sweetpork as it has a sauce of Thai spices & honey, & is a pleasantly tender sweet one to indulge in.

The pastas here look simple, but are good. Both are very different, so take your pick based on your taste/preference/mood.

The Cold Truffle Somen with Hotate & Caviar ($16++) was such a delight to slurp at the end of our meal… Not just because it’s cold & smooth. The light truffle flavour proved to be sooo refreshing on the palate. Very welcomed after an evening of varied specialty cocktails, taste explosion appetizers & crazy flavourful skewers.

The cold slices of scallop were of a nice thickness to lovingly sandwich between your tongue & the roof of your mouth… Before comfortably sinking your teeth into them, thereafter letting out a breathy “ahhh.” 😂

The Mushroom Aglio Olio ($14++), on the other hand, is strikingly different as it is a warm capellini dish. A good vegetarian-friendly option, I wasn’t too bothered that this dish doesn’t have meat or seafood in it.

Most importantly, dang that flavour. It punches you right in the face! Chilli padi BAM. Finely chopped garlic BOOM. Earthy mushrooms YAS.

Thanks Le Coq for the hospitality & Burpple for the invite! 💕

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats available
☀ Al fresco seats available
🖥 Accepts reservations on Quandoo
🍽 Burpple Beyond partner

Winestone – Great for Date Night, Even Better with 1-for-1!

Winestone is a little out of the way to get to, but the ambience here makes up for it. Somewhat classy, but not pompous or stuffy. You could dine here with a friend, a date, or for business.

I dined here in the evening, which isn’t the most ideal for food photography – but I reckon the floor to ceiling glass windows will give you ample natural light in the mornings!

Burpple Beyond’s 1-for-1 brought me here; I was dead set on their pastas, & had a bit of dilemma on what to order from their Taste of Italy menu. Everything sounded good.

Eventually ordered the Ragout Tagliatelle ($25.00++) & Fettuccine Ai Funghi ($22.00++) to share with my friend. I originally thought these wouldn’t fill me up when they were served, but I was wrong.

Being a beef lover, I thought I’d enjoy the ragout more, as it is generally a hearty solid dish right up my alley. I generally prefer shredded meat ragout over minced meat ones, & this was minced meat town. I did enjoy my half of this while it lasted, but on a comparative basis, it was definitely heavier on the palate which I can’t guarantee everyone would appreciate.

Don’t look down on the Fettuccine Ai Funghi ($22.00++) for being a vegetarian dish. This was delightful. A great mix of juicy sliced mushrooms & confit tomatoes, with creaminess from the ricotta cheese & some acidity from balsamic vinegar that cuts through the heaviness of this dish. What a winner.

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats available
☀ Al fresco seats available
🍽 Burpple Beyond partner

📱 Accepts reservations – I used Hungrygowhere, also available on Chope
🏩 Located inside Novotel Singapore on Stevens
💦 Water is not chargeable

Burpple Beyond Giveaway!

Burpple Beyond is rolling out their new Premium & Lite plans, & I’m giving away 1 of each to 2 lucky winners. Visit the contest posts on @wobblethebui & Bui Bui Eats below to participate! Giveaway closes 8th Oct 2019.

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<< GIVEAWAY CLOSED! Winners will be contacted shortly ☺ >> #BurppleBeyond is rolling out their new Premium & Lite plans, & I'm giving away #BurppleBeyondNewPlans to 2 lucky winners. All you have to do is: 1) Like @wobblethebui & @burpple on Instagram. 2) Follow Bui Bui Eats on Facebook – easy clickable link on my profile. 3) On both contest posts, tag the friends you'll want to dine with, with your new Burpple Beyond plan. The more, the merrier! Contest ends next Tuesday, 8 Oct 2019 at 23:59hrs (Singapore time), & winners will be notified within the next week. Prize takes the form of a gift code & must be redeemed by 31 Oct 2019. It is only valid for Burpple users with no active Burpple Beyond plan. Good luck! 💕

A post shared by Bui Bui Eats (@wobblethebui) on Sep 30, 2019 at 6:50pm PDT

Fat Belly’s Tasting Menu – 6 Courses of Delish

I still remember my first trip to Fat Belly, before Burpple Beyond even existed. Fond memories, & glad to be back here again. They still have their regular menu, but the Tasting Menu ($80++) is something new.

You get 6* courses in this tasting menu, & if you’re a Burpple Beyond member you can swipe to redeem the 1-for-1 deal on this here. The Consommé & Starter Duo were served together, so I consider this as 1 course on its own.

Scallion oil was drizzled over the Consommé, which is made from clarified beef bone broth. Delicious & comforting, it was a good way to warm my tummy by waking it up gently.

The Starter Duo was a savoury tart & a financier. I preferred the former; the tart base crumbled nicely in my mouth with the softness of the truffle mascarpone. & the air dried beef, aged for 24 months, added a nice saltiness to it. The financier was a bit dry, its saving grace was really the foie gras mousse & duck fat to give it flavour & moisture. But I’m still not really a fan.

The Short Ribs were served with a Potato Pavé; both were easy to cut through, I enjoyed these cute cubes together very much. In fact, the greedy devil in me wished the cubes were bigger.

I appreciated the thinly sliced layers of potato that gave the Pavé good texture, & the little bit of Crème Fraîche balanced it out fairly well.

The meat was juicy & tender – & to be honest, I didn’t need the smoked sea salt flakes, as it was flavourful enough on its own already. I did dip it in the chimmichurri on occasion just to switch it up, but it was mighty fine on its own.

The Char Siew is one dish I’d kick the habit for – that is, my habit of always peeling fat away from my food. Nicely charred, the beef rib fingers were a little bit sweet & pretty dang orgasmic with the fats melting slowly in your mouth.

Served on a bed of wilted kale that does not have the characteristic bitterness of kale that most don’t enjoy. In fact, it was slightly crisp & I polished the whole plate of it clean!

Fat Belly’s Bikini was served quite quickly after the Char Siew – but don’t be mistaken, these are actually separate courses. I can’t decide what the best part of this dish was – the cheese (which you can see), or the bak kwa (which is hidden but is sizeably thicccc).

I actually don’t like bak kwa, but I loved this. Maybe because it’s wagyu beef. Maybe because it wasn’t dry or tough. Maybe because it was tasty. Probably all of the above. Enveloped by the melty emmental cheese, & sandwiched with 2 slices of crispy bread. I’ve probably just had pretty nasty bak kwa all my life. I’m glad this is one of the good ones!

We waited a while for the Tri Tip Wagyu to be served. The timing in between courses was quite inconsistent, but it might not matter to you if you’re dining with someone you can make good conversation with.

Just look at that beauty. AusKobe F1 Wagyu Marble Score 4-5. If none of that matters to you, just know that this was hunky juicy tasty. The smoked king oyster mushrooms were also juicy, but had an unusual tangyness to them which raised an eyebrow or two.

I will preface this that it isn’t the best steak I’ve ever had. But I was fairly happy at the end. It paired nicely with the pomme puree – super creamy mashed potatoes, & the fragrance of the sprinkle of burnt shallots on top.

The last dish in this tasting menu – the Sweet. I was worried this would actually be too sweet, but my fears were unfounded. I surprisingly enjoyed it! It wasn’t too sweet. The pistachio mousse was smooth & light; the 2 little cherry cubes & 2 meringues on the side provide good variety between sour & sweet that you can alternate between.

Thanks Fat Belly for the hospitality, & Burpple for the invite! 💕

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats available
☀ Al fresco seats available
🖥 Accepts reservations on their website
📱 Accepts GrabPay
🍽 Burpple Beyond partner

Good Deal But Inattentive Service at Deli’s Kitchen

Came to Deli’s Kitchen with the intention of using Burpple Beyond (we were an odd-numbered group, which made it a bit awkward 😜), but we spied a Chope value meal promotion menu tucked away in the corner… & asked about it.

We ended up opting for the 2-course Beef set meal ($12.35 nett) on ChopeDeals. There is an Unagi-equivalent option of a set meal ($14.71 nett), but beef >> unagi forever.

How ChopeDeals works: Purchase your voucher online, make a reservation on Chope (we skipped this step but they said it’s ok), dine at the outlet & redeem your voucher. It can be a printed or electronic voucher – I do the latter because #gogreen.

Their a la carte menu is crazy extensive, but it isn’t priced as affordably as the ChopeDeals set menu, which is redeemable daily from 11:00AM – 8:45PM (essentially all day erriday). However, if you swipe Burpple Beyond, the prices aren’t as steep. So I’d go for that if the ChopeDeals don’t tickle your fancy.

Takoyaki were good – bear in mind you only get 2 per set, & they serve the entire table’s order in 1 bowl

The ChopeDeals beef set meal comes with a main – choose from the Wagyu Hamburg Steak Set, or the Roast Beef Don (100g). The other course in question is an appetizer of 2 takoyakis, which were pretty nicely done – served warm, with chunks of seafood inside.

The Roast Beef Don itself was not too shabby; it was in good proportion & mostly cooked well. The onsen egg on top was perfectly ooozy runny, & the beef was yummy, thinly sliced & tender. The rice was very ordinary – plain, & too sticky for my preference, but I did finish it all, together with the beef & egg.

The downside to dining here – service is quite dismal. We waited a long while to get seated, & also served. Our food was served without utensils & even though most of the crowd had dispersed by then, it took a long time to actually get utensils… So much that we got up to walk to the next table to grab their (unused) utensils.

So that was pretty off-putting. If they can improve on the service, that would be very beneficial to the overall experience.

Also another pet peeve of mine: Don’t freaking label your WiFi as “[Insert Name] Guest” when it’s meant for your POS & not public use. Nothing like WiFi misrepresentation to cheese me off, ESPECIALLY when my phone/data connection is already crummy in the premises. A simple renaming would save your staff & diners a lot of unnecessary enquiries & explanations. But that’s just my own pet peeve (or is it yours too?).

💷 Cash/NETS only
📱 Accepts GrabPay & FavePay
🖥 Accepts reservations on Chope
🍽 Burpple Beyond partner
📶 Pretend free WiFi (actually cannot use one)