Coriander Leaf

There were noticeably fewer participating restaurants in Singapore Restaurant Week from 24 to 31 Mar. Decided on Coriander Leaf, a Pan-Asian restaurant on the 2nd floor of Chijmes. Could neither rave about its first course of pomelo and green mango in chilli-lime dressing topped with coriander leaf, nor fault the dessert of Alphonso mango sorbet with fresh fruit salsa and meringue. Thai mango salad was followed by second course of tiger prawn tempura, and sweet potato noodles with honsimeji mushrooms and edamame. Do not expect the tempura to be thin and crispy like how it was done in a good Japanese restaurant, or the sweet potato noodles to be springy and chewy like how the Koreans do it. But the sweet prawn and flavourful japchae made up for what this dish lacked, and I liked both the mushroom and edamame. Main course of tender Tandoori chicken, served with cucumber relish and mint chutney, was well-marinated and went well with the butter naan.

Greyhound Café

It has been more than a year since Greyhound Café opened in Singapore, on the 1st floor of Paragon. If you are looking for a nice quiet place to chillax in the midst of bustling Orchard (what an oxymoron) and have deep pockets to burn a hole in, this is it. Nice – because of the chic industrial modern minimalist décor with a "glasshouse" in the middle, graphic printed walls and zinc sheets. Quiet, probably due to the prices with items on the menu at double or triple that in Bangkok and higher than most other Thai restaurants here. Says a lot when we can easily get seats without prior reservations for dinner on a weekend, doesn't it? Started as a fashion label in 1980 and expanded into the food business two decades ago with presence now also in Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and London among others.

Nara Thai Cuisine Revisited

There are now two branches of Nara Thai in Singapore, at B3 of Ion Orchard and 3rd floor of Westgate. While I have visited the restaurant a few times over the years, it has always been to the former. For appetiser, my dining companions and I usually go for its tangy green mango salad or pomelo salad. The latter consists of crunchy and juicy pomelo and prawns, with cashew nut and shallots in a spicy and more-sweet-than-sour dressing. Instead of River Prawns in Spicy Lemongrass and Lime Soup, we would order Tom Yum Kung with chicken. Could neither rave about its tender Gai Pak Panang, or barbequed chicken in spicy Thai marinade that reminded me of our local satay, and Kaeng Phed Ped Yang (roasted duck red curry) nor fault the Kang Panaeng Moo/Gai – red curry with pork/chicken, Phad Thai with chicken and stir-fried minced pork with chilli and hot basil served with steamed jasmine rice. And nothing beats washing these food down with an ice-blended plum juice.

Haha Thai

Chanced upon Haha Thai, on the 5th floor of Takashimaya where Korean restaurant Nolboo Hangari Galbi used to be, on a weekend night. Actually, it was the bicycles that caught our attention. The layout remained largely the same though yellow chairs now contrasted with grey upholstery, just like yellow cutlery holders in the shape of elephants on wooden tables. Black exposed ceiling, old-school "pipes" and naked bulbs stood out against exposed brick walls that had been given a white coat of paint. Having moved from Changi Village to Foch Road in Jalan Besar, this family-owned Thai restaurant used to be known as Hahaha Seafood Restaurant. Since the business branched out from a seafood supplier, seafood is a star on the menu. Upon placing our orders, a complimentary drink reminiscent of tom yum soup was served. This was followed by appetisers of otah, mango salad and clear tom yum soup (which we requested with chicken instead of the seafood options on the menu).

MooJaa

Friends have been sharing drooling pictures of mookata and one has even embarked on a quest to find the best in Singapore. So what is mookata? It is Thai barbeque-cum-steamboat using pork lard to keep the aluminium dome-shaped centre "non-stick", with the oil from it and other barbequed items trickling into the surrounding shallow ring of water to form a sinfully flavourful broth for the steamboat. Exact opposite to what we might be more familiar with, barbequing on the hotplate (with a hole in the centre for a bowl of soup) around a hotpot in the centre. Have yet to try until it was featured in a recent The Sunday Times article, from which I shortlisted a few. Read rave reviews about MooJaa, along Keong Saik Road where Taratata Bistrot is also located, and called to reserve for two last Friday. When I tried to postpone my reservation because my dining companion could not reach in time, was told it was full. But it was not, based on our observations throughout dinner.

New Kid on the Block – Nara Thai Cuisine

Nara Thai Cuisine started at the basement of Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok in 2006 to bring Thai street food into the comforts of an air-conditioned restaurant. Since then, another two branches have opened in Bangkok at Central World and Ei8ht Thonglor. And now its 1st overseas branch, a 112-seater located at B3 of Ion Orchard where Burger King used to be, opened on 12 Sep. There were a few available tables when we visited the place, which exudes extravagance with royal purple and lots of gold that stood out against wooden furniture, on a weekday evening. On the menu were signature drinks – a mocktail and two cocktails specially designed by Bar Stories, known for its artisanal concoctions, and inspired by the vibrant flavours of Thai cuisine as well as items not typically seen in other Thai restaurants in Singapore. The latter includes Kuay Tiew Rua, Ayuthaya boat noodles with beef or pork served dry or in soup, and Yum Som O, pomelo salad.

New Kid on the Block – MK Restaurants

Even though Singapore is hot and humid all year round, the people here love gathering with family and friends around a hotpot where ingredients are boiled in broth. While this can be easily prepared at home, it did not stop many restaurants from joining the steamy (pun intended) scene. Other than Cantonese herbal and tongue-numbing Sichuan ma la steamboat, there are also Japanese shabu shabu or sukiyaki and Korean ginseng or kimchi hotpot. Local versions include bak kut teh and laksa among other soup bases offered at Jumbo Group's Jpot. The latter is also available at Laksania, which recently opened its 4th branch at Jem. And now there is Thai-style steamboat with the opening of MK Restaurants at B3 of 313@somerset where Cold Storage used to be. It opened in 2003 at Parkway Parade and Singapore Post Centre with a local franchisee that, according to a spokesman from the popular Thai steamboat chain, eventually had to "shift its focus back to its core business".