Pezzo

On days i am lazy, pizza comes to my mind. I know, some may think fried chicken or burgers from the nearest fast food joint but pizza always seems to be a healthier alternative since it's oven-baked.

With more than 10 kiosks island-wide, Pezzo isn't just about pizza delivery. At their kiosk, one can opt to purchase a single slice of pizza instead of a whole. This way, you won't need to worry about finishing up a whole pizza by yourself when the craving hits.

We like how each slice of pizza at Pezzo is bigger than what you get from other pizza delivery places. Apart from that, Pezzo is extremely generous with their toppings. One of our personal picks will be the Big Daddy, featuring an array of meat such as minced beef, turkey and italian ham. Topped off with four different kind of cheese and a dash of BBQ sauce, this is one pizza that is bound to make meat lovers go crazy.

It was also hard to not fall in love with the Garlic Chick, which had fresh tomatoes, mushroom and spinach with garlic butter chicken. But if all veggies isn't your thing, our advice is to go for the Cheesy Cheese which features five different kind of cheeses - Mozzarella, Cheddar, Edam, Parmesan and Feta.

And of course a pizza party isn't complete with the classic Hola Hawaiian, which consists of a generous amount of turkey ham, sprinkled with fresh juicy chunks of pineapple. Our favourite of the lot of course  (we left the best for last) is the Hot Chick. The Hot Chick contains a special chill sauce which coats each and every piece of chicken on the pizza evenly, topped with green and red chill peppers and a massive load of cheese.

The best part of Pezzo isn't just about the huge slices of pizza and the massive amount of toppings. Pezzo is also certified Halal, which also means you won't have to worry or even think twice before ordering it for parties. And last but not least, we had so much leftovers that we popped them into the oven the next afternoon and they came out just as good, or in fact even better - since they were piping hot!



Pezzo 
2 Orchard Turn
Ion Orchard, #B4-51
Singapore 238801
+65 6665 6565
www.pezzo.com.sg


This was an invited media tasting.

Ujong @ Raffles

Known best for her Crispy Chicken with Nasi Lemak, Chef Shen Tan is now back in action. This time, at the very iconic The Raffles Hotel. When asked why she decided to come back into the food scene after a year long hiatus, her answer was somewhat linked to the location of the new restaurant - UJONG.

In fact, to some extent i do wholeheartedly agree that her dishes (mostly incorporating local flavours in them) deserve to be a part of The Raffles Hotel - a place renowned for its rich colonial history. The dishes available at UJONG resemble what used to be served at the previous Wok & Barrel, alongside a few new additions.

For a start, we highly recommend the Yusheng Salmon Ceviche and Salad which comes with fresh greens, topped with a pretty generous serving of salmon sashimi dressed in lime and plum sauce. We liked how the tartness from the tangy sauce didn't overpower the freshness of the salmon and the different vegetables such as cucumber, lettuce and carrots gave the dish different textures and vibrancy.

An item not to be missed at wherever Chef Shen is will be her signature Nasi Lemak. Served with different sides, one can choose between Beef Rendang, Lamb Curry, Five Spice Roast Pork, Crispy Fried Chicken, just to name a few. In all honesty, if i ever had a choice, i would wish for all 4 of the above sides mentioned to be served on one plate! Accompanied with achar, ikan billis and fried egg, the portion for the Nasi Lemak is one i would consider hearty and fulfilling.

If you are a noodle person, head for the Ba Chor Mee Pasta which we thought was an interesting modern take on the classic bowl of noodles we normally get at hawker centres. At UJONG, the 'Ba Chor Mee' is served with handmade tagliatelle pasta tossed in a semi spicy black sauce with the signature Five Spice Pork.

The few new additions to the existing Wok & Barrel menu available at UJONG includes the Hae Bee Hiam Mentaiko Capellini,  as well as the Claypot Rice with Five Spice Pork which we both raved about. By now, you should have realised that the Five Spice Pork is literally in almost everything. Cooked with salted fish, two different kinds of sausages (goose liver and chinese sausage), the Claypot Rice left me in a dilemma with the Nasi Lemak as its close competitor. The rice was extremely flavourful and fragrant and there was aplenty of meat on top of the soft, fluffy bed of rice.

For dessert, dive straight into the Shendol Delights (yes, Shendol because of the chef, Shen). The re-intepreted version of the Chendol dessert is a creamy smooth coconut panna cotta served with brown sugar (gula melaka) syrup and a house made red bean ice cream. Truth is, i wiped out almost the whole plate and shamelessly asked if i could have another.

All in all, both the partner and i like how the dishes at UJONG are priced reasonably despite their location (we also think it is the most value for money place to dine in The Raffles Hotel). In addition, all the dishes came in good, hearty portions which we felt were worth every penny. You are not going to expect small, petite and pretentious plating at UJONG. Instead, what you will get is a meal that will make you look at our local food from a different perspective the next time you are out at a hawker centre. I mean, Bak Chor Mee Pasta and Chendol served panna cotta style - who could have thought of that? I'm just glad the chef is back!



UJONG @ Raffles
328 North Bridge Road
Raffles Hotel Arcade, #01-10
Singapore 188719
+65 6635 6502


This was an invited media tasting.

Miam Miam : Tea Time Promotion

If you are the kind that laze around on weekday afternoons, this is definitely for you. Miam Miam is holding a tea time promotion which allows you to order any dessert or sandwich that are made from scratch, along with a cup of coffee, tea or matcha drink (which we highly recommend) at an additional $2.

We had a few sandwiches to try and our pick was the Chicken Teriyaki Sandwhich which comes with a generous amount of fresh greens and tender soft chicken thigh. The Croque Monsieur which features an overload of cheese and ham on thick toast is also something to look out for.

For desserts, we highly recommend you to give the French Toast a try, which is a classic on their "made from scratch" menu. The French Toast consists of warm fluffy bread coated with freshly whipped cream topped with maple syrup - something i could eat everyday without getting sick of.

Another dessert we recommend to have is the Caramelized Banana Pancake which promises to come out fresh from the oven each time they serve it. We enjoyed the fact that the bananas were caramelised to perfection and the pancake wasn't too dense.

To top it all up, opt for a coffee, tea or like we mentioned earlier on, a matcha drink which uses only grade 1 matcha. The promotion is available Monday - Friday, 2.30pm to 5.30pm (except on the eve of public holidays and public holidays) and you are limited to two drinks at the promotional price for each dessert or sandwich ordered.



Miam Miam
3 Westgate Drive
Westgate, #01-21/22
Singapore 608532


This was an invited media tasting.