xh 🍪

[INVITED TASTING] finally got the chance to try the highly raved about @ahothideout! their latest outlet is conveniently located at cineleisure so yay to having great mala options in town 😋 this was my first experience at a hot hideout & i was pleasantly surprised by their wide range of ingredients & unique options of fried ingredients like lotus root, fish & potatoes 😍 you even get to have them further seasoned by their secret powder - which made it EXTRA yummy! we ordered their tomato broth & dry mala - both of which were delicious, even for my non spice-taking family, which truly says A LOT haha.

[INVITED TASTING] Was just missing the lala claypot I had in JB when I got an invite to visit @kallangclaypotlala! We were pleasantly surprised by the unlimited garlic, sauces, and most importantly, HUA DIAO JIU! 😍 The rich lala broth was also refillable, and I liked that we could refill the broth directly instead of refilling with water. The broth also came with 1kg of lala, which were SO PLUMP & JUICY! For those who can’t get enough of the lala, there’s also an option to top up additional lala to your hotpot - what a feast! On top of that, they also have up to 60 side dishes available, which left us spoilt for choice. The ingredients were all rly yummy (tho personally I’d skip the linglingjuan 😅). Apart from that, we thoroughly enjoyed the meal & I definitely do see myself coming back again in future!! YAY to no longer having to go to JB to get my lala hotpot fix! 🥹 and thank u @kallangclaypotlala for the invite!

[INVITED TASTING] was super excited to be able to finally try @haeclaypotsg by @shiniansg! i’d seen so many photos & videos of the place & as a prawn lover, the concept of a rich prawn broth hotpot sounded so appealing 🥰 they had so much variety of ingredients, ranging from meats, vegetables and even cooked dishes! we loved the prawn roll, which was super crispy on the outside yet filled with delicious, tender prawn paste goodness inside 😍 as for the ingredients, we were rly spoilt for choice, but the highlight was definitely the fresh prawns that came with the soup base! the soup bases were very yummy as well, with 2 options - prawn & collagen. both bases were refillable& u can switch between either bases at any point you wish! the prawn base was rly rich (might get a bit cloying if we have too much, but the collagen soup is good for balancing the flavours out!) we also got their fried hokkien mee, which was good but was missing that iconic wokhey flavour we were looking forward to 😬 my family & i left the place feeling so stuffed (thank u @haeclaypotsg for the invite!) overall, definitely worth a try if you’re a prawn lover / looking for a supper spot 😊

[GIFTED] i’ve been wanting to try @dingtele’s food for the longest time and finally decided to order from them via @deliveroo_sg! my favourite of the dishes we ordered was definitely their signature pan-fried buns (生煎包), which surprisingly retained their crispy crust despite being a takeaway order! the juicy, meat filled interior was just *chef’s kiss* 😍 it was definitely a hearty lunch w my family & we were SO STUFFED after! honestly i LOVE exploring the wide range of options on food delivery apps like @deliveroo_sg & the convenience of having food delivered right to my doorstep is amazing! kudos to all the delivery riders who do this day in & out 🫡 apart from that, @deliveroo_sg has NO SURGE PRICES which means affordable delivery fees! & for those who prefer ordering their food in advance before collecting, @deliveroo_sg is also offering UP TO 30% OFF (+ additional 5% OFF for Plus users) pickups made at selected merchant partners from now till Jun 2024 🤩 super worth deals imo, if you don’t have the app already, you should download deliveroo and try it out (link in bio)!

this was my first time at @theoysterbank and i was so impressed w the food that i’ve been back twice following this visit 😋 oysters are now one of my fave food to indulge in, despite me starting off not liking them in oyster omelettes 😅 anyway, we got their $2 oyster promotion which is available for a half dozen naked oysters with every purchase of an alcoholic drink 😌 super worth it imo!! the oysters were also superrr fresh & juicy - mad yums!! we also got a side of baked camembert which came w a camembert wheel topped w honey as well as walnuts & crackers! i rly loved the combination of semi-melted cheese & honey & couldn’t stop munching on this delightful snack! i should definitely try making this at home actl 😍 overall, super worthy place to visit to fulfil any oyster cravings since they have conveniently located outlets at funan & tanjong pagar 🤤

10/10 for @tessbarsg’s amazing ambience & food! • pan roasted cauliflower omg my fam and i were blown away by this simple-sounding dish! the cauliflowers were topped with a miso cheese sauce which was so delightful & creamy, coupled with cashews & herbs! never knew that cauliflower could be so yummy. hands down my fave dish of the night 😋 • bone-in iberico pork ribeye the pork was super tender & juicy, definitely worthy of a try too!! • carbonara (don’t think it’s in the menu anymore) a classic staple - couldn’t go wrong w this, but i wouldn’t say it was super special 🙂 we also got a couple of their cocktails during their daily happy hour from opening till 7pm which was rly worth it. their drinks were pretty strong but i ain’t complaining 😌 overall, i rly loved the chill, jazzy ambience of the bar - what with the dim lighting & cosy seating layout! definitely will be back again soon to try out more of their food & drinks!

back to regular programming with foodie spots in SG 🙂 first up is @mixologysalonsg which specialises in tea cocktails! our bartender was rly detailed in explaining the different cocktails ordered as well as the alcohols/ingredients that go into making them! we rly enjoyed the experience, coupled with the wonderful ambience & drinks! definitely would go back again to have their cocktails again 🥹

ending off my vietnamese food series with our final dinner at @colettes32.winebar.bistro. heard that french food is an absolute must in vietnam so we decide to ball on our final meal - 100% worth it! 😍 • french onion soup loved this! it was so rich and flavourful, with a delightful layer of cheese topping off the soup • lobster bisque was worried that this might taste too fishy but it was just perfect! the umami seafood favour rly came thru without it being overwhelming 👌🏻 • beef rossini tenderloin topped with foie gras, accompanied with a truffle salsa and side of mashed potatoes. was in heaven with this combi! the meat was super tender, coupled w the creaminess of the foie gras - I LOVED IT! this main was one of the pricier ones but definitely worth it 😍 • beef tartare this was my first time trying beef tartare and it was 👌🏻 loved how the texture of the raw beef and egg paired so well with the freshly toasted bread - best combination ever!! • beef bourguignon also another first for me but i absolutely loved this rich stew where the flavours of the red wine, onions, carrots and mushrooms rly came together! the beef also melted in our mouths which was ugh chef’s kiss!!! • lobster pasta probably the priciest main that we ordered but justifiably so! the lobster meat was cooked to perfection, with the al dente pasta. another winning dish! • brie & blue cheese cromesquis first time trying deep fried cheese but sadly it was underwhelming as the batter was a tad too thick 🥲 i think i would’ve appreciated a regular cheese platter better! overall, the food was exceptional with wonderful service by the staff who made sure we were well taken care of during our dinner 🥰 we even got a private room which overlooked the main street! 10/10 for vibes, service & food, although the price was definitely steep (est S$60-80 per pax). twas fantastic and well deserving of our last dinner in vietnam!

found yet another aesthetic cafe in hanoi - @moodkafe! we were loitering around the neighbourhood and stumbled across this hidden gem at the end of a one-way street & decided to head in! the cafe was filled with a modern, scandinavian-esque decor & even had a v photo-worthy second floor! we ordered their earl grey pound cake, which imo was one of the best desserts we got throughout the trip! i loved the earl grey flavour, accompanied with the salty cream topping 👌🏻 the drinks were alright, i rly liked the refreshing fruit teas we got - berries hibiscus tea and pinky citron tea, which were perfect for cooling down on a hot day! 10/10 for cosy and aesthetic space - definitely what i envision when i think of a relaxing cafe spot! 👌🏻

the brightly lit @yellowholicvietnam immediately caught our eye when we were walking along the old quarters area! contrary to the name, i’d actually wanted to order their strawberry smoothie but they were sadly oos for the day. ended up getting the mango parfait which was served with creamy yogurt, granola and freshly cut mango chunks! it was definitely a refreshing dessert for the tropical heat, though it was also highly touristy & therefore pricier (i think i paid ~$6-8). but overall a worthwhile treat! do note that it’s pretty filling as well, so it might be better sharing this w friends!

had noodles & vietnamese chee cheong fun at this breakfast joint in hanoi - Bánh Cuốn Gia Truyền Thanh Vân tbh it was quite a touristy spot & we spotted a few singaporeans in the shop as well as a couple of locals. for a moment it rly felt like we were back in sg 😂 the chee cheong fun was nice & soft, coupled with minced pork and a soy sauce-based gravy! we also had their chicken vermicelli which was decent but not as outstanding as the chee cheong fun 🥲 while it’s a great fuss free breakfast place, it wasn’t my fave out of all the restaurants/cafes we tried during our trip 😅

only 1 photo bc we were too busy eating 😂 yet another hidden gem we discovered while randomly walking near our neighbourhood in sapa - good morning vietnam! while the restaurant looked unassuming from the outside, the food was actl rly good. i’d say it was one of the best dinners we had, with their yummy coconut curry (literally in the coconut husk), bun cha & spring rolls! i was blown away by these 3 dishes, and rly wanted to have more but we were so full HAHA 🥲 unfortunately we didn’t order any more curries for the rest of the trip, and the other spring rolls we had at other joints were pretty meh 😭 honestly i love how the best stores are the most unassuming ones - it’s always such a pleasant surprise walking in 🫶🏻 i miss sapa alr!!!