Maison Ikkoku

My dining companions and I were in the vicinity when we decided to check out Maison Ikkoku, located at Kandahar Street. It was dinner time and we were not interested in its rooftop bar, which supposedly commands a view of the Sultan Mosque in Kampong Glam. Waited a while for seats at the ground floor café instead, and managed to get two tables for seven. Though this place has been around for years, most of us have never been here. Ordered a cuppa espresso macchiato – bitter and medium-bodied with a subtle aroma of roasted coffee beans but too acidic for my liking, to go with my choice of Break of Dawn from its weekend all-day breakfast menu. Could neither rave about the pork bratwurst and greens (loved the almond flakes), nor fault the crispy bacon and cherry tomatoes. I did not like the scrambled eggs sitting on top of, and making the sliced toast soggy.

Mooi Chin

Who would have expected that a split-up between partners of a restaurant business, set up in 1925, could become Singapore's oldest Hainanese restaurant today? Founded by Hai Chin, Mooi Chin opened in 1935 at the corner of North Bridge Road and Purvis Street serving western food. Chinese cuisine was added after World War II and the restaurant currently shares space with the lobby of Landmark Village Hotel (formerly known as Golden Landmark Hotel) at Victoria Street. With no ambience to speak of, the simply furnished restaurant looked dated. Our order of Hainanese Mutton Soup was thoughtfully portioned into individual bowls for us with the remnants in the large bowl placed on our table. For someone who does not usually take mutton, the soup was surprisingly pleasant and not oily, with an herbal taste that stopped short of coming across as an herbal soup. Ingredients included red dates, wolfberries, crunchy black fungus and tender meat.