Fat Lulu
297 River Valley Rd, 238338
Obscured, far from any MRT station, definitely not suitable to trek to in the middle of the dry spell but well served by a bus stop just sitting opposite it, Fat Lulu has been making the rounds in social media and this casual restaurant not only serves up delicious grilled mains, but also electrifying traditional desserts, all perfected with a polished service rendered even during the peak hours! It was small and we were fitted at the table near the kitchen initially; not being able to bear the occasional hot draft from the kitchen, and as foodies love to see the preparation in action, we opted for the bar counter instead and that was fun!
What makes Fat Lulu’s small but delicious menu less boring, is also the daily specials that are written on the huge chalkboard. That perhaps is the advantage of a smaller menu, that it gives the chefs space to wield their creativity, duly expressed in the specials! We got the fried curried cauliflower to start off with; made heavier tasting with the creamy madras curry yogurt while condiments like grapes, dill and mint were added to give a refreshing cut. $12.
That Iberico pork Satay is one of those on that special board and when it was served with its lightly sweet savoury aroma wafting towards me, I could immediately associate them to the likes of bak kwa. Well complemented with the sweet honey glaze and we felt the evenly marbled fats gave it a very fragrant savoury edge. $12.
This heavy tasting Spicy BBQ Pork Ribs main was ordered at almost every table; I guess that’s what customers do when we see the previous table getting such a humongous treat at just $28. It would be daft if this wasn’t ordered. Beautifully marinated with the smokey kichap manis sauce coming through strongly and well permeated through that block of protein, the meat was also perfectly grilled to a coveted tender consistency. We loved how robust the flavour of that fermented soy sauce has come through and how it is deftly cut through by the lime drizzle. This was the star.
I wanted some good fish and the Ikan Bakar was actually a pretty exciting fusion. The parrot fish may have tasted drier but this could be the nature of such fishes as they are perhaps less juicier than a cod. The only wish I had, was for them to be less heavy handed on their garlic chilli butter as they tasted really quite spicy to me and intermittent rests were necessary. I have to say though that the yellow tumeric coating did make them look very appetising. $28.
On that creative board again, we plucked off the very modern Ice Kacang which was slightly theatrical with the liquid nitrogen used but it was for a better purpose. What this Ice Kacang is about – Gula melaka shaved ice, topped with the chendol noodles, chewy atap cubes, furiously cooled coconut bits (by that lq N2) and that really smooth tasty coconut ice cream, all eaten to give you that seamless burst of flavours in your mouth, as they do away with the more traditional red bean and sweet corn that could have simply clashed.
What we really like about it here is the bold flavours that we get, the very substantial portions that were served and definitely the very thoughtful service that we get from such a small restaurant. My napkin was quietly replaced when I accidentally dropped it on the floor, but I noticed that. How attentive could it be! And needless to say, I drank a lot of refilled water without having to keep asking for it. Great day out indeed!
Verdict: A good restaurant 3.9/5.
Say Penang cuisine and with my limited South East Asian vocabulary, I could usually only dish out the favourite few – Assam Laksa, Penang Hokkien Mee, Penang Char kuey tiao, that sounds familiar to their Singaporean counterparts yet taste largely different. Sour instead of a creamy bowl of laksa, soupy crustacean packed instead of a dry Hokkien mee and savoury instead of the dark sweetened kuey tiao, these actually seem to be very popular among Singaporeans as well. Not a huge South East Asian foodie and therefore wouldn’t be able to authenticate its authenticity, this was actually pretty delicious in my opinion and with such a family oriented setting at our beautiful Changi Airport, Penang Culture is quite worthy of a visit for a casual family dinner. A new set of menu created by the head chef who aims to put a clever twist to the otherwise more common dishes, making it slightly more upmarket. The difficult bit I felt was making it a Halal chain, that means no pork and much effort has to be put in to compensate for that porky umaminess. Lets see…
Premium Lobster and Scallop Noodles – Highly packed with a heavy crustacean flavour, this broth came through strongly that is well deserving of an applause. With that chunky scallops by the side that are well textured, this was further made upmarket with the slipper lobster added. Beautiful flavour soaked up by the noodles and vermicelli but I reckon the lobster has been overly permeated by the crustacean flavour that makes it lose it natural sweetness. This could have been added last. $16.95.
BBQ Salmon topped off with the Chef’s sweet, spicy paste. My biggest favourite of that night as that umami packed spicy chilli paste lifted greatly the entire taste of the fatty crusty salmon fillet! $11.95.
Penang Fire Wings – Deeply fried these belachan coated wings are to an adequate crisp, with its fragrance further complemented by the sweet plum and Thai chilli sauce, this definitely looked influenced by the Korean culture. $6.55.
Premium crab meat and salted egg fried kway teow. Without the use of pork lard, this still has its character retained by tossing it with the heavy tasting salted egg. $15.95.
Salmon Assam Laksa. The biggest difference from its humbler rendition – the chunky bits of salmon there which mellowed the otherwise distinctive sourish taste. And unlike the thick noodles used by many eateries, Penang Culture uses those imported from Penang that is much thicker and actually resembles bi tai mak. $11.95.
Penang Curry Fish Balls made in Chicken curry. $4.95.
Penang Rojak with cuttlefish tossed within. $5.95.
With so much sinful dishes, this Ampla Juice (Indian Gooseberry) came at the right time as a palate cleanser. Packed with loads of Vitamin C and antioxidants, this is made even more refreshing with a sour plum for a salty kick. Great drink indeed. $4.95.
Durian Chendol – Such a huge, decadent dollop of fragrant durian that makes the entire chendol even creamier and fuller in taste.
It is really rare that I would be at restaurant that is just a few weeks old as I usually like to browse more reviews lest the precious calories get wasted. But this time round, H and I decided to try our luck at the newly opened, chic-looking restaurant, Red Pan, at the newly refurbished part of Marina Square. Another fusion bistro, following closely behind the opening of 
Char Siew Chilli Fries with sour cream. It really tasted more like minced meat with fries as the char siew fragrance was really faint, a far cry from the umaminess that we get from the really good ones at the more established Cantonese restaurants. $7.
Prawn Hae Bi Hiam Pasta, Tagliatelle tossed with housemade spicy shrimp paste and sauteed prawns. Very strong pungent Hae Bi Hiam fragrance over here, but fell flat in its actual taste that got us bewildered. A pity though as the Tagliatelle was cooked to the coveted al dente texture. And I reckon that familiar crunchiness in the prawns reminds me of the brine solution that had been used to render such a texture. Authentic, fresh prawns would have been much preferred instead! $15.
Grilled Sirloin Steak 250g with housemade spicy chinchalok, pickled onions and smashed potatoes. Ordered at medium rare, the sirloin served somehow was slightly tougher than what was expected but that tangy sauce there was spot on with the right level of citrusy acidity in it, balanced perfectly with the lightly spicy chilli. Refreshing yet still highly savoury, a pity the sirloin did not perform.
Beautiful, plush, modern and well-lit, yet still looking smart without going overboard into the opulence extreme, Colony does indeed have one of the most comfortable ambiance for a relaxing lunch. Tip-top service rendered, rightfully deemed as one of the best in Sg, friendly and kind without being intrusive at all. The food though, had some misses here and there just like any other buffets, but taking everything into consideration and making a brisk comparison across the island, a $58 lunch buffet is actually, acceptable.
Compartmentalised into many different sections sprawling across a few rooms, the dessert section was the one that caught my attention the most. Vibrant in colours, large in variety, especially the chocolate stacks that is a rarity in most buffets (This actually added some Swiss character to it), it was the second station I visited after the first round of savouries. One of the misses I heard from the other colleagues – the peanut mochi which was unchewable with its already hardened skin; somehow I got away lucky with the sesame flavoured one beside it. 
My favourite out of all – the petite lemon tart topped with a rotund lemon meringue. Zesty peels added to the curd, all set nicely on top of a crumbly tart! The chocolate balls were on point too with a huge variety of them at the ice cream section, and I say the matcha one was intense!
The cold section, together with the Japanese sushi at the side, both well presented, had all the flavours and texture that you would have expected for.
Moving on to the darker room that showcases these cooked food, the lamb rump was surprisingly executed to the perfect consistency, not tough at all with a well balanced marbling within the huge slab! That is actually quite a feat for an international buffet when loads have to be cooked and precision could have been overlooked at.
At the Cantonese wok station, lay these tantalising chow mien and fried rice, and the option was made easier (you know you have limited carbs space) when the fried rice is embellished with huge succulent prawns! Indeed, wok hei was tasted, and the shrimps were naturally crunchy. Good pick for the carbs!
I actually love the salad section that comes with the huge, juicy mushrooms and bouncy mozzarella with cherry tomatoes. Turned this into an Asian one by lashing it over with the Japanese sesame sauce!
A fun interaction day out with the colleagues!
Mention Durian Penyet, and most would usually be reminded of the pioneer, Ellenborough Market Cafe, that shot its buffet spread to fame a long way back. Constantly looking for inspiration from the local culinary scene, Ellenborough Market place is now launching a Laksamania if you like to term it as, that offers a slew of laksa unique to both Singapore and Malaysia. 6 distinct laksa dishes in total and just like all upmarket dining, Ellenborough Market allows you to opt for seafood top ups such as the crayfish, scallops etc to turn your traditional bowl into a decadent one.
Simply foodolicious! おいしい! 好吃! 맛있는! délicieux! delicioso! 好食! 