SPRMRKT kitchen + Bar: sprawling grounds and potent cuisine

I get asked this question a lot. "Where's a good restaurant that you've eaten at recently", people trying to fleece information off you in order to avoid a disastrous dinner date later. Maybe fleece is too bold a word to use since I'm almost always willing to share. In fact, if you had asked me (nicely), where should you embark on your next romantic dinner date. I would have this one suggestion: SPRMRKT Kitchen + Bar at STPI.

Wine Fiesta 2016: [RISING ROOTS} celebrates Farm-to-Table food and Natural Wines

Good news for all wine enthusiasts - The annual 9th Wine Fiesta Singapore is happening this weekend from 20 - 23 October 2016 at Clifford Square amidst the beautiful backdrop of Marina Bay Skyline and along the Fullerton Bay Hotel. Presented by The Straits Wine Company, this outdoor extravaganza boasts a huge tentage featuring over 350 wine labels, 70 global winemakers and more importantly, a combined vast culture of wine-making and appreciation sessions. Gracing the celebration are some of the city's most renowned chefs from Burnt Ends, Cheek by Jowl, Tin Hill Social, Meat Smith, Good Chance Popiah, Tamarind Hill and Morsels.

Every story has a beginning - this year, The Straits Wine Company is going back to their roots in a whole new exciting way. Debuting at Wine Fiesta 2016, four out of nine natural wine producers from the Basket Range region in Adelaide Hills will be features with a slew of others from New Zealand and Australia, making this year's theme 'Rising Roots' all the more poignant. "Basket Range marks a new defining moment in wine culture... a new chapter in the unique story of wine making history in Australia." Group CEO Ms Kathy Lim enthuses, adding that "enjoying wine should be a fun and more pleasurable pursuit... forget about intimidating, formal settings with conventional Western cuisine."

Fat Lulu's: For a Good Time

Had Chef Sam Chabalani become a dysfunctional alcoholic after a fruitless stint at Raven, we wouldn't have the fortune of reaping the sweet burnt fruits of his labor at the new Fat Lulu's located at the now defunct Five and Dime. If you, like me are addicted to @Sammeernoog's eccentric Instagram persona, you'll be glad to know that his outlandish character spills over into his dishes. The portrayal of friendships cemented in the kitchens evident in the nosh put up and the amicable yet spontaneous service.

Brunch threads on familiar territory with a few stand out dishes that speak in a stronger tone of the kitchen's #noburnnotaste rule. But hold up, we'll get there eventually...

Man Man Unagi Restaurant by Teppei: The Search is over.

Don't want to sound too melodramatic or anything, but the minute my calender sounded out an opportunity to photograph Teppei's latest concept, I jumped higher than an alley cat who just had a bizarre looking cucumber thrown his way. Yes, Man Man is Chef Teppei Yamashita's 5th concept after the reveal of several other stellar ventures including Hanare, Teppei Syokudo and Hana Hana. He lets out a bemused laughter when questioned about plans for another concept, in it embodying a undisclosed confidence as though he something up his sleeves. For you curious cats, you'll just have to wait and see.

But for now, there's Man Man Unagi Restaurant which puts to rest, the endless search for delicious yet affordable unagi dons. I assure, from the secret marinade to the freshly grated wasabi and use of binchotan; Chef Teppei Yamashita has got everything down pat. And it shows immaculately in the dishes.

Open Door Policy: 100% Gluten and Dairy-free joint is a treasure trove of surprises

From the get go, Open Door Policy's (or more fondly known as ODP) new 100% gluten free and dairy free menu offerings were a bit of a turn-off. If it hadn't been for the promise of uncompromised quality in comfort dishes such as pasta draped in bechamel (Wait.. what? How?) and sustainable dining by means of vertical farming, I wouldn't have been caught dead wondering in a hipster yogi joint.

Chef Ryan Clift pulls of the new menu with the same razzle dazzle of a magician. Building climaxes of expectations with words such as grilled bread, and maccheroni pasta and finally being greeted by thunderous applause when the rabbit is pulled out of the hat. Yes, executing the new concept at ODP does require a whole bag of tricks, back-breaking work and definitely can be described as a magical experience in most ways.

Dehesa: Meat-Lovers Nirvana

The past F1 weekend reached fever pitch in the city with each revving and screaming of tires. Similarly, a wave of primal craving rises with each juicy, succulent offering from Dehesa - home of the complete nose to tail experience, right down to the finish line.

Chef and owner Jean-Phillippe Patruno, one of the innovative forerunners of this culinary revolution in Singapore, commits his craft to whole animal usage in his alternative cut and offal delicacies. The price of which is kept very low at only $28++ per head, with each new lunch set menu primed for a quick yet deliciously sinful experience.

Brez'n: Winding down with Bavarian food

There's nothing like a pint of ice-cold Hefe Weissbier to wind down to after a back-breaking day's worth of work. Better yet, if its accompanied with good food. Enter, the new Brez'n in Valley Point which combines the two on an unprecedented scale with the menu presenting a very niche offering of Bavarian delights ranging from the vegetarian Spinatknodel Spinach dumplings ($22) to the staple twists of Baum (aka pretzels), handmade and baked in-house.

Murphy's: Not your regular Fish & Chips monger in the heartlands

Murphy's follows the route of your classic cafe settings albeit caught in a past era, the kitschy paper advertisements stuck to glass walls, small little book corner constructed for book swaps tucked into the corner and unorthodox kitchen specialities yielding a stronger voice. It's a grand narration of what the joint was meant to deliver - British styled Fish & Chips with a side of Victorian charm; yet these notions have been seemingly watered down by expectations and survival instincts. Cakes, all-day-breakfast and salted egg yolk calamari occupy the menu for a more wholesome family approach.