Les Bouchons Rive Gauche, Robertson Quay

We hadn't gone back to Les Bouchons for quite a long while and couldn't get seats on short notice, so we ended up at the outlet on the left bank (41 Robertson Quay, tel : +65 6733 4414). The menu is pretty much the same as the one at Ann Siang and little has changed throughout the years. This would be the cosy French steak frites place you go to when you seek something that's not fancy and dependable. But then again, it also really depends on how you define those two words. Since I'm not the qualified person to be providing lessons in vocabulary, to the food....

The meat quality is not fancy but very serviceable. The cooking has been pretty much the same standards throughout the past years; up to the point where their medium rare (I call it the French medium rare) is still a little more rare than most other people's medium rare. Consistently so, so to speak. Like I mentioned earlier, dependable. Barring accidents. Fries seem to be nicer than I remember it. Despite the large portions, I finished them. There's actually little need to exercise the botttomless option since the primary potions are already pretty generous.

What I didn't recall them ever having previously was creamed spinach. And blue cheese sauce which is chargeable. That sauce if you are wondering works for the sirloin, their bread and their fries. Both items taste to be from the same recipe from their sister L'angelus. The spinach was the same tasty nutmeg scented and wilted in cream rendition which I rather liked.

Soup Stock Tokyo, 313 Somerset

This was our first visit to Soup Stock Tokyo (313 Orchard Road, #B-14 & B2-53/53A, 313@Somerset). Have been seeing them around for some time but haven't actually been interested in trying until now. For the most of the part, it's just various soup options with bread or a few selection of rice types, not much beyond that. One of the non-soup item on the menu was their butter chicken curry which I had naively been hoping would taste like a kickass local Indian rendition. Guess not. This was a lot thinner without the creaminess.

Tomato broth tsukemen from Menya Musashi

This sure was disappointing and things seemed to have gone further downhill since the last time. I'm talking room temperature noodles with a barely lukewarm tomato broth that was a lot less tomato-y than I had been expecting. The consistency of that broth was so thin that barely anything clung onto the noodles and I've always had the impression that the broth, for tsukemen, ought to be a lot richer and saltier since it was for dipping. Even the just passable grilled pork neck was cold and their charshu was still stiff and dry.

What with all the competition around, I'm getting the impression that these guys trying hard to wind down the business.

Scalloping at Itacho Sushi Changi T3

Itacho Sushi (#03-03/31, Changi Airport Terminal 3) seems to be having a scallop festival ongoing right now with the said shellfish going on sushi for a little less than the usual price they're charging. What had actually bowled me over (pun initially not intended) was the butter scallop small rice bowl that was part of the promotion. Shoyu, pan fried scallops and salted butter over rice...one doesn't even need to do the math to know it all adds up to something comforting and delicious.

And I couldn't resist a little bit of their wagyu nigiri while at it. A few more moments under the flame and a bit more salt would be nicer. This was barely browned.

A Philly Submarine from Yellow Submarines

Well, it doesn't look very pretty all opened up but it actually tasted quite good. This time round, I peeked through the collection counter and verified that the meat was actually griddled with chopped onions and not boiled. The only difference between this and their classic sub was the cheese (mozzarella for this and cheese sauce for the classic). The bread was warm & lightly toasted, the thinly sliced beef was actually a little juicy and the only thing that bothered me was, this was simply too damned small.

Hainanese Delicacy, Far East Plaza

This shop (#05-116 Far East Plaza, 14 Scotts Road, tel : +65 6734 0639) remains a sort of an institution to locals for chicken rice. That being said, I collect myself with a little refrain by acknowledging that I don’t really know the history behind the stall and if in the past decades, ownership remained the same. But the first times that I had eaten here was a long time back (yes, I was once a school kid with little money to eat better while hanging out in town) so I know it has been around. Straightforward, fuss free and occasionally, a little brusque.

To trim the proverbial fat of verbosity, to the chicken rice! It’s not bad actually. I liked it then and I still find them a decent rendition now. There’s no excessive use of sesame oil (not that it’s always a bad thing but…) and the tender meat tasted clean flavoured with the light soy sauce. Rice wasn’t overly greasy or heavy which is on hindsight a good thing. The after-burps will not be a bother and it also simply means that there’s less guilt when you silently exclaim to yourself ‘...I like it. Another!’. The chilli was just okay, nothing particularly memorable. But then these guys are old school and sometimes, old school simply means stopping at just adequate.