Dario Pizza & more

C says:

Finally! Decent thin crust pizza in our 'hood! Actually, more than decent. The first time we tried it to go, it had gotten a bit cold and was a bit soggy and chewy, but on Friday we decided to have it there, and what a difference it made. 

We ordered half Bufala, and half 4 Stagioni. When eaten freshly made, the crust was just the right thickness - crispy and slightly chewy, and the toppings were very fresh and tasty too. Definitely much better than the pizza at 2it&drink, where the toppings felt like they were just tossed on top, rather than being properly integrated into the pizza. 

Their special pasta of the week was an Amatriciana, which we had to try since its not commonly available here. It was quite good, but the pizza was far better.

A was happy with their tiramisu too, which was traditional style, i.e. non alcoholic. Portion was a tad small though. 

Chef Dario is a true blue Italian, so it doesn't get much more authentic than this. There are some pizza flavours that I can't wait to try next (like one with salame, gorgonzola and garlic, yum). I foresee this being quite a regular haunt for us.

FYI: It's located in a corner shophouse just down the road from Fong Seng, at the junction of Clementi Road and Pasir Panjang Road.

A says:

Great neighbourhood pizza. Seating can be a bit of a problem, though. 

The Hitsuji Club

C says:

Dinner at The Hitsuji Club was surreal. We were seriously the only non-Japanese in the entire restaurant. Everyone was speaking Japanese, and for a brief moment we could almost imagine we were in Hokkaido. 

Yes, Hitsuji Club sells Hokkaido jingiskan - grilled lamb and vegetables on top of a dome-shaped grill. We ordered the premium set, which came with a selection of loin and shoulder meat, lamb chops and a selection of vegetables. 

They even provide cubes of lamb fat to oil the grill. Can't decide if I prefer the loin or the shoulder meat. Both were good. 

The lamb chops were great (look at the layer of fat!), but note to self: get the professionals to help grill them next time. They grilled them perfectly for the couple next door, whereas our first one was a tad overdone.  

Desserts were outstanding so definitely save some space. The ice cream with kinako and brown sugar syrup was good, but the adzuki panna cotta was divine. It tasted like the essence of good Hokkaido milk. Amazing. 

Meat-wise, I think the quality and variety at Gyu Kaku is better, but I love the charm and vibe of this place, and how I can pretend that I'm in Japan for a couple of hours. 

A says:

Surreal. This is exactly like Japan, in that all the patrons are Japanese. 

Best panna cotta ever. 

Sacha & Sons

C says:

Sacha & Sons at Mandarin Gallery sells New York-style Jewish deli food. Think bagels and lox, corned beef on rye, toast with schmaltz and chicken skin, and latkes.

A is very happy with the Reuben here - pastrami with sauerkraut. For me, I prefer Sacha's roast beef. It's rare, tender and very sweet and flavourful. 

While the usual roast beef sandwich comes with basic add-ons of sliced tomatoes or cheese, you can ask for an off-menu special - roast beef and chopped liver. Oddly, it wasn't as good as the standard roast beef with Swiss cheese. The liver was a bit overpowering, and masked any flavour of the roast beef. 

If you're here in a larger group, you can opt to share their platters too. There's a meat platter and a fish one. Except for a really good smoked trout dip though, I think the meats here are far better than the smoked fish. 

A says:

Finally. One of only two places in Singapore to get a decent Reuben. 

Koskos

C says:

The lovely people behind SPR MRKT have opened Koskos, a takeout joint at the basement of Hong Leong Building (opposite Lau Pa Sat).

Catering to the time-strapped folk in the area, they offer soups, sandwiches and salads to-go. Some of their offerings include a smoked duck, pear and spinach sandwich, and garden and Niçoise salads. You can also mix and match from a range of more substantial salads, like quinoa with roast chicken and beetroot, sausage and corn fusilli, and a delicious but oh-so-hard to justify after a gym session potato salad.

They also have a range of (constantly changing) desserts available all day, like their classic bread pudding and a wicked double chocolate cake (above).

A small retail section sells goodies like Two Rabbits Smoky Chilli, Second Helpings' Ori Beenut Butter, and this adorable hedgehog doorstop. 

Can't. Continue. Hedgehog. Too. Cute. 

A says:

Yums.

Sanpoutei

C says:

Now that Taishoken has left Ramen Champion and Menya Musashi's standard has dropped, our new go-to place for tsukemen-style ramen is Sanpoutei at the basement of Shaw Centre.

Their dipping broth comes with a generous dose of powdered anchovy powder, adding a delicious umami complexity. I also like that they automatically provide a flask of soba-yu with your order, though we almost always never have much left over by the time we're done slurping...

Ironically, the tsukemen is not on their regular menu but on an insert instead. They're actually better known for their shoyu ramen which, granted, was good in a light, clean way. But give me the tsukemen any day. 

Be warned - they have a Tori X Miso ramen which sounded very promising, with descriptions of stir-fried chicken and vegetables on top of a miso ramen, but it turned out to be way too rich and heavy. 

A says:

New favourite ramen in Singapore, strictly for the tsukemen.