Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant - Singapore

When we first landed in Singapore in 2009, we thought we were in food heaven.  There literally was food everywhere.  We were told that there were specific shops for signature dishes and the longer the queue at the stall, the better the food.  Sometimes that was true but sometimes Singaporeans would just queue out of curiosity, so we found it best to check out the stalls first hand.  Our first experience with steamed dumplings was at Prima revolving restaurant near Vivocity.  The view was amazing but the buns were not to our liking so we avoided them until friends of mine took me to Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant on the second level at Plaza Singapura, about two months ago.  I had to drag John there as he remembered our first experience.  I daresay he was pleasantly surprised.  We ordered the Spring Roll with Crab Roe stuffing as a starter.  They were two deep fried triangles and the filling had a subtle seafood taste and were absolutely delicious.  Then we ordered the Shangai vegetarian vegetable rice, Braised "Lions' Head",  Pork filled steam buns,  Pork Shanghai pan fried dumplings and Stir Fried Baby Green Beans for mains.  The rice was so good, it could easily be a meal on its own and one portion was enough for both of us.  The Braised "Lions Head" was minced pork frikkadels in a dark sauce.  Very tasty.  The green beans were firm, flavoured with garlic and topped with crisp pork pieces. Last but not least, we tried the Golden Pumpkin Cakes for dessert.  We had no idea what to expect but turns out they were pumpkin fritters.  I found them very oily and had to dab them with my serviette to get rid of some of the oil.  Cost was about $25 per person, which was reasonable. I liked the decor but the tables for two were too small and cramped. They didn't serve wine but we could have as much green tea as we liked.  All the foods we ordered were very yummy and I will definitely be going back to try out some of the other dishes on the menu. I'd give this restaurant an 8 out of 10.   Strawbz Kitchen

Vivi Ristorante - Hong Kong

It was Ash Wednesday in a foreign city and our first priority was to find a church.  We had no idea what we were going to do for supper.  As we walked down towards the MTR, on our way back,  I said to John "take me somewhere Italian" and at that moment we passed a restaurant only to find that it was,  amazingly enough, an Italian Restaurant.  It was a small place seating only about 12 people inside and about 8 outside but the music and the ambience was appealing so we decided to give it a try.  First to arrive was a bread basket along with ample supplies of olive oil and a good balsamic vinegar.  We ordered a bottle of Italian red wine.  It was really good but very pricey.  I had to use both hands to lift the glass as the wine was served in brandy snifters which were difficult to handle with one hand especially after dipping your bread in the Evoo. Next we ordered the tomato and lemon soup.   It was a perfect blend of tomato, lemon and basil,  divinely delicious.  By then our bread basket was empty and they brought us another.  Next we shared a Margherita Pizza with thin crust, just the way we like it.  John being a sweet tooth, there always has to be dessert, so we ended off the evening with home-made Tiramusu and cappuccino's.  Even my no-fun one (decaf) was good, but the Tiramisu was disappointing.  Our bill was over R700, which in my humble opinion, was far too much.  I think what redeemed them was, the very homey feeling of the place and the friendly interaction and attentiveness of the staff.   I would give this restaurant a 7 out of 10.