Chatterbox (Singapore)

Three people mentioned and recommended this place shortly before my trip to Singapore this month; I mean, I have been to Singapore many times, this the second for the year, but no one has ever mentioned about this restaurant. Apparently the place has been in existence since 1971, and the current residence is at the Meritus Mandarin on the famous Orchard Road in Singapore.

Chatterbox. That's the one I am talking about, and the place is apparently well known for its Hainanese Chicken Rice.

Honestly, it is much ado about nothing. For all the glories trumpeted by the aforementioned fans, the signature dish did not differ too much from anywhere

Ricos Kitchen (Ebisu | Tokyo)

The first time a friend took me here during a sunny weekend and without a reservation, we were turned away; it was chock full and there was a wait line. Because of that, I made a reservation last night to guarantee a table for a Saturday brunch, at the earliest time, 11:30, when they just opened. By chance, after a wonderfully sunny week, I awoke to a grey and rainy Saturday. I figured that even without a reservation, it would be easy to get in because the weather was crummy.

Ricos is a small restaurant, located not too far from the Ebisu Garden Place and the Tokyo Westin. When my friend told me that it was a good brunch place, I

Acquavino (Hiroo | Tokyo)

Located around the corner, near the beginning of the one-way street "Hiroo shotengai," a small area with stores ranging from a Pop & Mom to a garrish neon-lit Pachinko parlor, is an Italian restaurant called Acquavino. The restaurant, located on the ground floor of a building called East West, where its sister restaurant Acquapazza occupies the second floor.

Bloompy & Co. went to have a try at dinner. Food was delicious, but the service was way below par, at least for that evening. We ordered Caesar Salad, Bagna Cauda for the appetizers, and then fish for my companion, and pasta for me. I specifically said that the pasta would be for me, and the fish would be for my companion.

The food, although good, was not extraordinary. We started with the Caesar

Melt at the Mandarin Oriental (Singapore)

The (Mandarin) Oriental at the Marina recently reopened after a few months of renovation. I squeezed in a last day visit to the hotel and ate at the coffee shop, called Melt. The place offered practically every popular food from different ethnicities: Nasi Goreng (Indonesia); Tom Yum Khoong (Thailand); Hainanese Chicken Rice (Singapore); Hamburger (America) and Sushi/Sashimi (Japan). A group of friends from different cultures need not worry about not finding what they like in the menu. The place tries to please everyone.

I just ordered the Tom Yum Khoong (the mildest sort was still very spicy) and the Hainanese Chicken Rice, both having big servings. The Tom Yum Khoong was

Straits Kitchen at the Grand Hyatt (Singapore)

By the time I checked into the Grand Hyatt Singapore, the hotel's coffee shop had gone through a renovation and re-opened as the current Straits Kitchen. Not having been to Singapore and/or stayed at this hotel for more than a decade, I had no recollection of how the coffee shop used to be, but the renovated version sure looked alive.

There are many stations for both western fare and different ethnic food, but most of the taste was mediocre at best. The exception goes for the South Asian