Sushi Tei @ West Coast Plaza, Singapore

Sushi Tei has been around in Singapore since 1994, serving authentic Japanese cuisine with much affordable prices compared to many other restaurants. Why do people love it? First, there's the great value. Second, there's the quality. If you still have doubts, simply head down to any of their outlets during meal hours and see for yourself.

Their dishes never fail to impress me. A mix of innovation and creativity is probably how I would described their offerings. Take Rainbow Roll (S$13.80) for example, a classic presentation of colours in one single dish, topped with roes and drizzled with Japanese mayonnaise. Not to even mention the mouth-gasm that goes along each and every piece of sushi. Another sushi dish I highly recommend would be their Dragon Roll (S$14, S$9 for mini) - a beautiful combination of avocado slices and deep fried prawn. The thing is, I don't usually take avocado, but the complement of flavours was a true surprise for everyone on the table.

Medz @ Orchard Central, Singapore

Located at the basement of Orchard Central, Medz is a concept similar to Marche, where diners were given at the entrance - a cash-card which records the food you bought, and at the end, pay for everything together. The difference is probably the food they served, while Marche focuses solely on Swiss affair, Medz serves a variety of Mediterranean fare – such as Spanish, Moroccan, French, Turkish and Greek at distinct booths in the brightly, decorated restaurant.

For both wine and caffeine connoiseur, you will be pleased to see an impressive display of wine collection, as well as a specialised beverage booth where the barristas craft your beverage with meticlous hands and utmost precision.

Le Le Pot 乐乐锅 @ Tiong Bahru, Singapore

For steamboat-idiots like me, the only place I could think of when it comes to having a good hot pot buffet, is Bugis (well, besides the recent Suki-Ya). Hence, it was an eye-opener, or rather, finding another hidden treasure, when girlfriend's mum, Amy suggested that we have an early re-union dinner at Le Le Pot 乐乐锅.

Located just a bus stop away, or a short walk from the bustling Tiong Bahru Plaza, Le Le Pot is an ideal choice for people looking for an affordable, yet homely and fuss-free steamboat buffet. The restaurant, opened by a part-time Mediacorp artiste, provides a wide variety of steamboat dishes, as well as home-made ones such as fried wanton, steamed dumplings and cheese fries. The deep fried buns (man tou) were a winner for all of us, as we found ourselves ordering plates and plates of that petite goodness. Other favourites include sotong balls and thin-cut beef, dipped into their various dipping sauce.

Diners can also opt to order salmon sashimi, prime beef and other exclusive "star dishes" on top of the included ones, for an additional fee, oh, desserts and drinks too. Well, of course, the best things in life are never free.

 

The thing I liked most about Le Le Pot is that unlike the usual buffet style restaurants, they do not display their dishes out-front, instead you order what you want on a piece of menu, and the service staff serves the dishes fresh from the kitchen. So you would not have to worry about pesky flies sticking their mouths on your meat or whatever, in fact, there was not a single fly in sight when I was there. That's how clean it was.

Overall, service was good, with the artiste himself helping out as well. It was weekend rush-hour at that time, but I could say that the service staff handled it well.

All in all, the buffet costs $21.80 nett (weekend), exclusive of desserts, drinks and any other additional priced items. Decent for my palate, while girlfriend thought that the Bugis's outlets are better as there were more varieties of seafood.

Le Le Pot

Tel: 6222 9442

Opening Hours

Lunch (11am – 3pm) 

Dinner (5pm – 11pm)

Blk 58 Seng Poh Road

#01-23

Suki-Ya @ Marina Square, Singapore

With the restaurant motto of 'Eat all you can Sukiyaki and Shabu Shabu', Suki-Ya (which translates into "House of Hot Pot") aims to offer a heart-warming dining experience at affordable prices. We happened to be at Marina Square on Christmas night, and thought that a hot pot dinner was an ideallic option for a cold season like this. (Okay, not exactly cold - Singapore has no seasons other than summer.)

 

The Eat-All-You-Can/buffet prices are as such:

Mondays-Thursdays
Lunch @ $16.90++ // Dinner @ $20.90++

Fridays-Sundays, Eve of and Public Holidays
Add $2 to usual price

Children (4-9 Years Old)
Minus 25% off Adult Price

Diners get to enjoy unlimited, quality paper-thin beef and pork slices, as well as chicken, on top of the buffet bar where a wide variety of vegetables and meatballs are served. There are a total of four options for the broth - Shabu shabu, kimchi, sukiyaki and spicy miso, which is only available on weekends, eve of and public holidays. For buffet option, you get to enjoy free flow of green tea too.

 

Besides the buffet items included, you can order a la carte items, such as edamame, gyoza, ebi tempura and my personal favourite - unagi kebayaki. Alcoholic and other drink options are available as well.

 

Please do note that food wastage is heavily charged at 20% of total bill.

 

 

Prior to this, I've done some online research on Suki-Ya and found quite a handful of bloggers/diners complaining about their unsatisfactory services. However, I find no problems with the service staff (or is it because of the merry festive?), but they could definitely improve on their food variety, perhaps by including some of the a la carte items into the buffet.

 

For more information and menu, do visit their main website at:

http://www.suki-ya.com.sg/

 

 

 

 

Suki-Ya

 

Tel: 6337 9969

 

Opening Hours

Mon - Fri: 11:30 - 22:30

Sat - Sun: 11:30 - 23:00

 

6 Raffles Boulevard

#02-13F/G

Marina Square

Marché @ Vivocity, Singapore

Marché is probably one of my most frequented restaurants, especially their Vivocity branch, which sits on the roof top garden, overlooking the harbour front and Sentosa island. 

What makes this restaurant so special is their attentiveness to the details of the authentic Swiss culture - service staff are dressed in traditional costumes, a dimly-lit dining area with wooden tables and chairs, balconies and barrels, and not to mention, their lovely cow mannequins.

If it's your first time here, do approach the service staff and familiarise yourself with their paying system because Marché uses "credit payment" - where you first make your purchases with a card (valued at S$100) and pay before you leave the restaurant. Do be warned though, that if you misplace your card, you'll be charged the maximum of $100.

Now, without further ado, this is what I usually spend my credits on:

Rosti w/ Smoked Salmon (S$14.50) is an all-time favourite at Marché. Their signature pan-fried potato strips are crispy on the outside, soft and firm on the inside, and topped with their smoked salmon and a wallop of sour cream, this is definitely a must-try.

Crêpe with Blackforest Ham and Mushrooms (S$12++) was introduced to me by one of my mates when we had our little gathering some time back. How could I have missed this savoury treat! The skin of the crêpe is tender and firm, while the combination of thinly sliced mushroom and ham, dipped in their buttermilk sauce, just makes me want a second serving. 



Grilled Salmon and Cream of Mushroom are two of Marché's many classics too. I highly recommend their mushroom soup as a starter to whet your appetite.

  

Do also grab a bottle of Bundaberg Root Beer (S$4.50) - Good Ol' Australian root beer, traditionally brewed to an old aunthentic recipe. Although overpriced (to be honest), it's one of the cheapest drinks at Marché.

Marché is a perfect place for gatherings, meet-ups, or even a romantic date. Although I would admit that the bill burns a slight hole in your pocket, Marché is still a place which I would definitely frequent again and again for it's the experience that counts, isn't it?

Tips: Do leave some stomach space for their signature ice cream crêpes and other desserts too.

Marché

Tel: +65 6376 8226

Opening Hours

Mon – Fri: 11am – 11pm
Sat – Sun & PH: 10am – 11pm

1 HarbourFront Walk
#03-14

Vivocity