Real Food and my favorite Dumpling Soup at Clarke Quay

Real Food and my favorite Dumpling Soup

Address: The Central 6 Eu Tong Sen St The Central #B1-52/53

Opening hours: Daily 9.00am to 9.00pm

Introduction

Real Food, one of the rare vegetarian cafes in Singapore. This cafe is situated at basement one of The Central Clarke Quay. One section of the cafe is for dining, and another section offers a good section of organic / health food. The cafe interior is very spacious, relaxing, with a minimalist design.

Real Food pride themselves as a food-ethical bunch of folks that only use fresh and “recognisable” ingredients (non processed food) for their dishes and everything is prepared from scratch, including their pancake mix and salad dressing. They have a good selection of menu including salad, pasta, noodle, sandwich, burger and brunch menu etc.

Real Food menu – click to enlarge

Dumpling Soup ($9.50)

This is my must-order whenever i visit Real Food. This fat chunky dumpling is made from over ten kinds of ingredients including chopped carrot, mushroom, coriander, turnip, spring onion, celery, tofu, french bean etc.

The filling has the crunchiness of the turnip and french bean, fragrance of spring onion and coriander, chewiness of mushroom and overall it’s a mix of pure goodness.

These dumplings are soaked in a sweet and light mushroom base broth and complete with a portion of green vegetable. In term of taste, these dumplings are not pale in comparison, or in fact better than many meat/prawn dumpling found outside. There is also option to add on noodle at an additional cost of $1.80.

Sour Dough Sandwich with Soft-boiled Egg ($9.80)

For those that don’t like their meal to feel too vegetarian-ny, this is one choice as it resembles the eggy brunch that we had, but a less sinful and less luxurious version. I particularly like the thick layer of melted cheese with it’s fragrance filling the air when it’s served fresh from the oven.

However I feel that the portion definitely can be bigger. I’m quite sure that it won’t fill a meal for a grown man and some of you may be thinking, “$9.80 for one egg, two slices of bread, cheese and salad? Seriously?”. Seems like real food don’t come cheap huh.

Organic Pizza ($16.00)

After having so many years of the unhealthy version of pizza, my curiosity got the better of me and I ordered their organic pizza. The portion is good and it’s freshly baked from the oven. There’s no processed food among the ingredients but only fresh ingredients like tomato, mushroom, pineapple, cucumber, olives, capsicum, cheese, and their homemade tomato paste.

The crust is thin and crispy and the homemade tomato sauce is pretty refreshing. However, I do not fancy this pizza much as i think it lacks the satisfaction that I’m looking for in a pizza. But I have to agree that this is one guilty free pizza.

Conclusion

I like this place for the ample space that they give to their diners. Take your time to grab a book from their book/magazine selection or browse through their organic food section and be amazed by their selection.

Food wise, i give it a good and bad, depending on what you order, and this is from the point of view of a meat lover. I personally love their dumpling soup the most and this is my one and only regular order whenever i visit this place. I am still trying out the other dishes to see what’s worth the money.

I really like the idea of them promising that they only whip up a meal using “real food” as it’s so unhealthy to eat out nowadays. If you are looking for something healthy, a little out of the ordinary and a nice place to chill, Real Food is probably the place for you. Healthy and clean food? Seems like it, but no promise it’s satisfying though

Wilder Mann, the Homely German Restaurant

Wilder Mann, the Homely German Restaurant

Address (Google Map): 906 Upper Thomson Rd, 787110

Opening hour: Mon – Fri 6.00pm to 11.45pm Sat 4.00pm to 11.45pm Sun 12.00pm to 10.30pm

Introduction

When we think of German food in Singapore, we normally do not associate them to the word “affordable” or “homely” but Wilder Mann is one in a slightly different caliber. I was quite surprise when I saw their menu, where most of the dishes are like 30% cheaper than the usual German restaurant and they do not charge GST and Service Charge. Wilder Mann also sets a very relaxing mood in the restaurant especially during at night.

Wilder Mann is recommended by a friend who lives nearby and since they opened last year in 2014, it had became one of her favourite haunt. It is a small locally owned business and the boss is a half German half Singaporean who stayed in Singapore all of his life. Having worked in the F&B industries for years, he mentioned that it has always been his dream to open a restaurant serving food the he loved.

Apart from traditional German food, and after receiving some feedbacks and requests, they also offer a few Singapore-style dishes like the Karate Chicken Chop and Tom Yum Pasta. And of course, don’t forget about the selection of German beer.

Wilder Mann Menu: Click to enlarge

Pork Schnitzel with Fries ($12.50 nett)

Although this dish is not the most unique, it’s very properly done up as the thinly pounded pork cutlet is well tenderise and flavoured. It has just the right amount of crisp, less the usual greasiness. Their fries are with a good dose of curry powder and this not an adaptation of Singapore flavour, but a way to have your fries in Germany. These fries are really good and I can’t get enough of them.

Meat Loaf with Potato Salad ($12.50 nett)

Fleischkäse is a common snack food found in various part in Germany. This loaf of compact pink meat is served in slices and topped with a sunny side up, together with a portion of potato salad and greens. The texture is almost identical to the Spam Luncheon Meat and is very flavorful. The taste is more complicated than our favourite luncheon meat but the one similarity is the salt level. It’s rather salty by itself and I wish I have bread to go with it. I feel that this dish has a lot of potential considering how popular our luncheon meat fries are. Personally, I prefer this as a side dish instead.

Tom Yum Pasta ($10.80 nett)

I was quite looking forward to the Tom Yum pasta actually however it didn’t meet my expectation. The taste of the tom yum sauce is actually quite decent but it’s too watery. It didn’t manage to cling on to the pasta at all so each mouthful is a pretty bland and i got to drink the sauce like it’s really a bowl of Tom Yum soup and that is a not my definition of a good plate of pasta.

Sausage Platter for Two ($24.90 nett)

This is the most satisfying dish of the day. It comes with a huge portion of side dish of your choice (potato salad, which I forget to take photo), and six pieces of well-sized German Sausages of various flavours. I’m quite sure the portion is more than what two person can finish especially after taking into account of their side dish.

The weird thing is they decided to add in two pieces of cheese bites (one piece per person) in the platter. It’s not a matter of taste (in fact this breaded melted cheese taste really good) but like why? And only two pieces? I would pay to have more of these.

HOT Wild Wings ($8.80 nett)

For this dish, i love it initially, then not so much. At first bite, the chicken wing is pretty crispy with a zesty spicy punch. However it became soggy after the breading soaked up the chilli sauce. The chicken wings are quite well marinated though so it’s a pity as it started off quite well. I probably should had finished it quickly when it’s served.

Boiled Sausage ($8.50 nett)

Honestly, this plain looking plate of boiled sausages doesn’t look too exciting at all and I was not expecting a boiled healthy meal whenever someone mentioned “German Food”. This is actually my friend’s favourite dish and she will mostly order this whenever she visits Wilder Mann. The herb fragrance of this sausage is something different from the rest.

Conclusion

I really like the dining environment of Wilder Mann. Although there is no exaggerating interior design, it feels very homely and relaxing. It’s somewhere that I want to go if I want to avoid the noisy crowd and yet to have a good meal.

Their food are pretty good for some, but there are also a couple of misses. Their dishes are totally not gimmicky and it reminds me a meal of home cooked western food.

Given the current dining trend, i feel that Wilder Mann will lose out in term of food presentation and having the “Wow” factor. For example, they decided to present their sausage platter and side dish in separate plates. Instead, they can consider slicing some sausages so that it will not look so repetitive, and by serving them on the same plate with a big bed of curry fries which will help in making it looks a little more impressive.

Brunches Cafe, The Prettiest Cafe in Singapore

Brunches Cafe, The Prettiest Cafe in Singapore?

Address: 96 Rangoon Road

Opening hours: Weekday 10.30am to 9.00pm, Sat & Sun 9.30am to 9.00pm, Closed on Tuesday

Introduction

In Singapore, we have many cafes that can be described as old-school, rustic, industrial look, but none can pull off the theme “Vintage” as good as Brunches Cafe. It is actually a furniture store cum cafe located near the Farrer Park area. This cafe, which started their operation only in Feb 2015, is extensively decorated with old school / vintage items at all corners of the cafe. If you set your eye on any pieces in the cafe, including the dining furniture and lighting, it is almost certain that you can bring it home at a price.

Brunches Cafe Menu – Click to enlarge

The Exterior

The exterior of the cafe is framed in a black metal window frame, employed from ceiling to floor and corner to corner. These frames, that were deployed in some great factories and warehouses in the 19th century, imparted an industrial aesthetic and also offers a glimpse of what to expect upon stepping into it.

The Interior

The ambiance of the cafe is set in an old factory workshop with each and every corner of the cafe decorated with vintage furnitures and a combination of old school artifacts and an actual antique collection. The lighting are mounted on black wooden beam which is contrasted by the striking orange pipes and metal cable casing against the white-wash ceiling.

The most eye catching, as well as probably the most sort after seat of the cafe is the mini-cooper converted dining table. The car body is cut into two halves and cushioned seats are padded on both sides of the body and complete by a matching table slipped between the seats.

On the left wall of the cafe, modern vintage art pieces are presented over the once-popular Metal Grilled Sliding Gate that was widely used by provision shops in the early 1980s.

My favourite among all the lighting structures in the cafe – the Birdhouse Light Fixture. It hangs over a 10-seater color-stained reclaimed wood top table and it’s a creation by one of Brunches Cafe’s bosses. In my opinion, apart from the mini-cooper seats, this is another one of the vitalities of the cafe which brought it to life.

On the other side of the cafe, it lies a glass-top table made from an old Bullock Cart Wheel and also the once popular item for all grandmothers – the Singer Treadle Sewing Machine, which is ran by a manual foot pedal which connects to the sewing mechanism with a leather belt. The NEC black and white standalone TV is another interesting item in the cafe. Not to mention black and white TV, i’m sure some of us have never seen a non-remote TV before.

On the far right hand corner, there is a good collection of antique players like the Phonograph, Gramophone and the Turntable Record Player and other more familiar items like the Rotary Dial Phone and Vintage Radio, that are all in good working condition.

Their Food

I was like really full after having my meal at a nearby cafe, Jewel Cafe, so I only ordered their dessert and a drink. The waffle is reasonably priced at $12.50 that includes cubes of brownies, a whole banana and a scoop of Chocolate Ice Cream. I like the texture of the waffle, which is crisp and fluffy. However, I feel that it is lacking in taste in term of fragrance from egg and butter.

i have no complain for their caffe latte, which comes with a cute latte art and accompanied by this exquisite tea spoon. Also do try out the pastries in the cafe as they were personally baked and prepared by the lady boss.

Conclusion

From Brunches Cafe’s menu, it seems like they have a good food selections except for their dessert range. Do share with us if there’s any food recommendation. I can’t review much on their food but I’m pawned by the interior design. I have been to many fascinating theme cafe at overseas before and i’m proud to now have Brunches Cafe in Singapore.

No matter which part of the cafe you are seated at, i would say there is none with a boring view. Since i like the dining ambiance so much, I’m gonna be a little bias here and recommend this cafe to my readers and please be my white mice for review of their food. And lastly, pre-wedding photo shoot at this cafe anyone?

Dazzling Cafe from Taiwan (Review, Photos and Menu)

Dazzling Cafe (蜜糖吐司專賣店) @ Capitol Piazza and their Honey Butter Toast

Address: 15 Stamford Road, #01-85, Capitol Piazza

Opening hours: 12.00pm to 8.00pm daily

Introduction

Dazzling Cafe, originated from Taiwan, is actually a side business from their accessories brand Dazzling. They first open their door in Taiwan in year 2010 and had been very popular and are most well known for their interesting interior design and signature honey toast. 18 April 2015 is their soft opening at the newly opened Capitol Piazza opposite City Hall MRT. As expected, the queue is already crazy and upon leaving the cafe, all queue numbers have already been taken up, which likely means that it’s already full house till closing time.

The price of their honey toast range from $16.90 to $19.90++ and their main course price range from $18.90 to $24.90++ which is not cheap, but not exorbitant. I originally ordered a main course and two honey toasts to try but due to some service issue, which i will elaborate in later part of the post, I only get to try one of the two honey toasts. But i got a copy of Dazzling Cafe menu for you guys:

Dazzling Cafe Honey Toast Menu: Click to enlarge

Dazzling Cafe Food Menu: Click to enlarge

Dazzling Cafe Drinks Menu: Click to enlarge

Truffle Mushroom Risotto with Freshly Shaved Truffle ($24.90++)

Unlike the dish name suggest, the shaved truffle and oil taste are actually more subtle than expected, just adding the right amount of fragrance but not dominating the whole dish.

I like the garlicky cream sauce and the cheese fragrance of the risotto but i think it may be a little salty for some. The rice grain is soft on the outside and al dente on the inside, which makes the overall texture enjoyable.

Mango and Coconut Gelato Honey Toast ($18.90++)

Upon ordering the honey toast, you need to state the preference for a soft, normal or crispy toast. I tried the normal version and it’s already rather crispy so i don’t think I need to try their crispy version cus it’s probably going to be biscuit crispy.

To be honest, i think the toast bread is a little dry, but accompanying it with the coconut ice cream made up for it. Their coconut ice cream is very creamy and is overflowing with coconut fragrance. Sadly, the fresh Mango and Mango custard didn’t manage to play a major role in enhancing the bread and it’s like a different entity altogether.

I think Dazzling Cafe can be more daring with the portion of butter. Overall, i think this coconut honey toast is very pretty, definitely an instagram-like magnet but doesn’t exactly justify it’s price tag.

The Hazelnut Chocolate Honey Toast That I Never Get To Try after multiple episodes of order mismanagement

During my visit, there are multiple episodes of mismanagement of order which it took 40 minutes for my risotto to arrive and my toasts order were forgotten until I asked about it at the 80th minute of waiting.

Then, the coconut honey toast arrived shortly but i waited for another 15 minutes for the hazelnut toast before approaching the waitress again just to be told that my hazelnut toast was served wrongly to another table upon checking.

Time that i placed my order – 2.18pm.  The Hazelnut Chocolate Honey Toast order was cancelled and i was given a 20% discount.

All in all now I had waited for 95 minutes and was told that I have to wait for another 30 minutes if I still want my hazelnut toast. As much as I understand that it’s their first day of operation, i was rather upset that I need to wait for a total of 125 minutes for a piece of toast so i cancelled the most anticipated dish that I ordered.

Time i settled the bill: 3.53pm, after i was told that i need to wait for another 30 minutes for the Hazelnut Chocolate Toast

The crowd is overwhelming so i can understand when the waitress told me that each honey toast need 40 minutes of preparation but not 1 hour and 20 minutes for my coconut toast and definitely not 2 hours and 5 minutes for the hazelnut toast. Let’s hope that Dazzling Cafe can quickly sort this out as it’s a big minus to the overall dining experience, despite giving me a 20% discount, and we left the restaurant still hungry.

Conclusion

I arrived excited but left disappointed due to the series of unfortunate events. However, putting that aside, the risotto that I had excites me a little more than expected. However, judging based on the coconut mango honey toast, it fell short of my expectation and seems like i will still continue my wait for the best Shibuya Honey Toast in Singapore.

If you ask me, understanding Singaporean’s craze for pretty food and the willingness to queue, it’s probably not the best time to visit now. But I have to agree that their Honey Toast is really skillfully constructed and they score a very high point in presentation. For the food photo fanatics, Dazzling Cafe is a place not to be missed. For the rest, I suggest to wait for a couple of weeks to avoid unecessary waiting for a “not bad” meal in this cafe.

FYR Cycene Ond Drinc (Fire Kitchen and Drink) @ Boon Tat Street

FYR Cycene Ond Drinc

Address: 19 Boon Tat Street

Opening Hours: Mon to Fri 11.00am – 11.00pm Sat: 9.00am – 11.00pm Sun 9.00am – 4.00pm

Introduction

FYR Cycene Ond Drinc, pronounced as “fire, kitchen and drink”, is a new addition to the stretch of bars and restaurants at the Telok Ayer area. Thank you Amanda from Brand Cellar and the folks from FYR for hosting me and the event is absolutely wonderful, with more than ten dishes lined up for tasting.

FYR interior design is rather interesting, like an abandoned warehouse being brought back to life at night. Their design are very much focus on wood and earth. The plating of their grilled dishes are very well thought of. Perhaps the culinary concept of FYR is to bring us back to the stone age when grilling stuff on fire is the primative form of cooking and the way to enjoy food. Even their dishes are presented and served on stone slabs.

All of FYR dishes are whipped up in Charcoal oven and grilled over Lychee Wood that gives the dishes a pleasant smoky fragrance. Among the dishes that I tried, here is my top three – Ribeye Steak ($32), Lobster ($35) and the Pistachio Lava Cake ($10).

FYR Menu: Click to enlarge

Grain-fed US Holstein Cow Ribeye 365 days ($32.00++)

I always have a thing for flame grilled steak. When a piece of steak, especially the ribeye cut, is grilled properly over a flame, the usually chewy fatty tissue tends to soften and break down and the end result is a piece of melty tender steak. And this is the case for FYR. The steak is flavour with salt and pepper and it has a good grilling flavour on the outside and is tender and juicy on the inside.

i also got to try both of the sauce – the black truffle sauce and the foie gras sauce. I thought both are pretty good, but I can do without any too because just the steak is good enough. This steak got my favourite vote for the night. At $32.00, i think it’s rather worth the money. It would be perfect if FYR can just throw in a portion of carbo into the steak.

Whole Maine Lobster ($35.00++)

FYR is not using frozen, but live lobster for this dish. The lobster is too grilled and covered in a thick layer of black-peppery shallot lemongrass bechamel. This buttery milk sauce has a faint lemon grass flavour which doesn’t overpower the natural sweetness of the lobster.

Even after extracting the meat from the shell, i was scrapping the sauce just to enjoy it a little more. The texture of the lobster is excellent – bouncy and succulent, and I think the grilling plays a very big part in obtaining such a texture. For a guy like me, I think probably this dish can’t fill my tummy but I think it’s pretty good if it’s for sharing.

Baked Pistachio Melt and Pandan Ice Cream ($10.00++)

Many recommend this as the must-order dessert after trying it at FYR. It also comes with portion of handmade Pandan Ice-cream which i personally like it. It’s creamy and rich of pandan taste but it’s a tad little overly sweet. If only the sweetness can be reduced a little.

As for the lava cake, the sweet Pistachio fillings is lightly salted and taste like a mix of salted egg yolk custard crossed with molten white chocolate. The cake is excellent when they pair it with crushed Pistachio nuts that’s scattered all over the plate. The grilled mush mellow makes the appearance looks absolutely delectable when the melted mush mellow is mixed into the molten Pistachio sauce but to be honest, i think it doesn’t add on to the taste, except by making it unnecessarily sweeter.

Baked Bone Marrow and Five Spiced Half Chicken

There also another two worthy mention – Baked Bone Marrow ($15) and the Five Spiced Half Chicken ($55 and also comes with a striploin steak and grilled prawn).

Honestly this is the first time i tried bone marrow and it is actually great. This is like a less flavoured foie gras but with the same amount of grease and fragrance.

Scoop it up, mash it and spread it over the bread, and sprinkle just little bit of sea salt and you are good to go. Apart from the taste, little did we know that it’s actually very nutritious. Google it.

The five spiced grilled chicken, doesn’t go on its own but comes with a portion of striploin and grilled prawn and cost $55. I particularly like the chicken as I am impressed by how evenly the inside of the chicken was cooked using the grilling method and how soft and tender the meat is.

The appearance looks pretty ordinary but it’s actually one of the best grilled chicken that that i had. It’s a pity that i can’t order just the chicken alone.

This whole platter, including the five spiced chicken cost $55.00++

Conclusion

Among the dishes that I tried, those mentioned above are the five that I personally like. I had photos of the other dishes after the conclusion, if you are interested.

At a glance at the price of their main course, most of them are $30 and above, except for the seafood linguine $18, which i don’t exactly fancy. I wouldn’t use “cheap” to describe the price of main course but you can see that the ingredients used in each dishes are not cheap as well. For the same kind of quality showed in today’s food tasting, I actually don’t mind returning to FYR to pamper myself after a hard day’s work in the CBD area.

Other food photos of FYR

Seafood Saffron Risotto – $48.00. The tomato taste is so much stronger than the lobster broth. Gotta work on it.

Sample slices of their Iberico Pork Chop – $32.00++

Baked Freshly Shucked Oyster – $15.00++

Spiced Grilled Red Snapper – $25.00++

49 Seats and their Tom Yum Pasta

49 Seats and their Tom Yum Pasta

Address (Google Map): 49 Kreta Ayer Rd

Opening hours: Mon to Thu 6.00 pm – 2.00 am, Fri & Sat 6.00 pm – 4.30 am

Introduction

49 seats is situated along the stretch of shop house, at the end of Kreta Ayer street. Comparing to most cafes and restaurants, the unique thing about this branch is they only open at 6pm and closes late at 2 am, even on a weekday.

Thank you BB and Fang Fang of 49 seats for hosting me. This is an invited food tasting session and i decided to accept the invitation after reading so much about their Smoked Duck Aglio Olio and their Tom Yum Pasta.

49 Seats Menu 1 of 2 – Click to enlarge

49 seats menu 2 of 2 – Click to enlarge

Smoked Duck Aglio Olio ($14.90)

This is their so-call off menu dish (although there is a pic of this pasta at the ordering counter). Apart from their Tom Yum pasta, this is another of their signatures and this is my favourite dish among all. Apart from the generous serving of buttery mushrooms and tender slices of smoked duck, the pasta itself is pretty good too.

There is a pleasant fragrance coming from the pasta which it guess there’s something to do with the oil of the duck. The slices of duck meat is not tough at all and the well marinated duck skin may just be the contributing factor for the popularity of this dish.

Tom Yum Fish and Chips ($16.90)

49 seats is rather proud of this creation – The Tom Yum Fish and Chips, and claimed that it’s currently the only one kind in Singapore. The tender breaded fish fillet is fried to crisp and served with fries. They also provide a separate bowl of Tom Yum sauce as dip or to be drenched over the fish. Dipping it may be a better option so as to retain the crisp of the fish. I think that the fish is quite average so the deciding factor will be on how well does the tom yum sauce complement the fish.

Sad to say that the tom yum is overly salty and that’s the only thing i taste. I also think that to complement the strong Tom Yum sauce better, it may be a better idea to go with a lightly battered fish and chips instead of a fully flavoured breaded one.

Tom Yum Pasta ($14.90)

This is like 49 seats’ signature of the signatures and has a reputation of one of the most spicy pastas around. The pasta sauce is a blend of cream sauce and tom yum spices. I thought this sauce is more creamy than expected and has a moderate punch of Tom Yum fragrance and is less sour and spicy than expected. I would very much prefer a much stronger tom yum flavour while maintaining a lighter cream base.

The pasta is boiled till moderately soft, which generally suits the taste of Singaporeans. Comparing to a bowl of hot spicy tom yum soup, this pasta lacks a bit of the “shiok” factor. However if i am to judge this as an entirely new creation, it’s actually pretty addictive after having the first mouthful.

Cheese Fries ($7.90)

I have no complain for this cheese fries. At $7.90, it comes with a good portion of fries, top with a hell lots of cheese. This got to be one of the most generous portion of cheese that i’d ever seen. The cheese taste like a cross between KFC’s Cheese Fries with Golden Village’s Nacho Cheese in term of taste and texture, which is not as sweet like KFC with a not-so-creamy texture. This is an ideal dish to order to go with a nice cold bottle of beer.

Chicken Wings ($9.90 for 8 pcs)

Their chicken wings are fried with a layer of seemingly simple blend of breading. It’s doesn’t has the most exciting flavours but I am satisfied with the traditional taste. The wings are rather well tenderise as the meat get seperated from the bone quite easily. The plus point? Juicy. The minus? Can be more crispy.

Waffle with Ice Cream ($10.90)

I thought a good dessert will complete the whole dining experience and it’s a pity that this waffle fall short of expectation. 49 seats waffle is actually sweetened, like a typical Prima Deli kind of waffle, but it lack in flavor and fragrance. The ice-cream taste like a typical Wall’s ice-cream tube and for the price of $10.90, there are definitely better alternatives out there. Not recommended.

Conclusion

I think this place and their menu selection will very much appeal to fun seeking youngsters. It has a very cosy and casual dining environment and they are also offering their food at a reasonable price. All prices indicated on the menu is nett, with no additional service charge and tax. Recommended dishes – Smoked Duck Pasta, Cheese Fries, Chicken Wing. Tom Yum pasta may also be something interesting to try.

In fact I went back to 49 seats (and that is when i also tried their Tom Yum pasta) as this place came to my mind when looking for a casual drinking place that opens till late. The cheese fries and fried chicken wings will probably be on my regular order when i visit this place.

Although the dishes here are not something to die for, it’s pretty decent and it can be an option if you are looking for something not heavy on wallet and yet looking for a more-comfortable-than-hawker kind of dining environment.