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We were stunned for a while as they served this, with an appalling decrease in portioning. Unlike our previous visits with at least medium-sized slabs of pork chops filling the plate, this was sparsely filled with small cubes.

Taste-wise, the strong buttery aroma was gone, leaving only a light whiff of it with every spoonful of the powder. Pork chops were also over fried, hard and dry inside covered with much crust instead of the juicy pieces previously.

With the tropical weather in Singapore, ice cream and gelato are sure favourites among most people but with that many brands around, it is hard indeed to be distinguished. Apart from popular foreign brands such as Ben & Jerry's and Haagen Dazs, we have no lack of home-grown brands such as Island Creamery, Tom's Palette and The Daily Scoop. The preference for artisan gelato in Singapore has also inspired ice cream parlours such as Alfero Gelato and Azzura Gelati to open up here.
With a history dating to the 60s, Azzura is now a multiple award-winning brand which started in Perth. Breathing the legacy of a traditional ice cream manufacturer with Italian roots of origin, founder Marco is truly passionate about his creations and is bringing all of that big gelato love to Singapore. A testament to the quality gelato is its accolades received from Dairy Industry Association of Australia and Royal Agricultural Society.

Formerly a high school Math teacher, Marco has always aspired to carve a niche for himself in the F&B industry. He lives by the philosophy of "making ice cream with heart and not simply with brains" which makes little wonder why he was often regarded as THE ice cream guy! With a mission to bring a smile to everyone with his ice cream, Marco is constantly innovating to bring a frozen scoop of sweet-tooth fix to every child on the block.

Let Marco's creations do the talking and us the tasting!

Peach Fantasia | S$8.90/-


If you love your peaches, this would be one of the largest draw considering it is also their most popular item on the menu, selling in excess of 60,000 pieces last year alone! Encased within the peach-tinted chocolate shell was the addictive yellow peach gelato which tasted genuine but it was that ferrero rocher within that made all the difference. The chocolate and hazelnut complemented the gelato harmoniously in terms of texture and flavours and it was quite easily my favourite dessert of the evening.

Honey Bee | S$8.90/-


Another one of the signatures is the "Honey Bee" which has a beautiful chocolate casing filled with honeycomb flavoured ice cream and a choc-honeycomb centre. Drizzled as part of the decorations on the plate was crushed nuts which helps to add a layer of texture to the dessert. While I personally would have preferred a crunchy piece of honeycomb on the inside, the fudge-like core was equally pleasing to the palate.

Cappucino cup

This petite treat recently won the Champion Dairy Dessert at the Dairy Industry Association of Australia. Apart from the intricately shaped chocolate cup which is edible, I felt that it was almost like eating cappuccino! For those with a preference for creamier desserts, this would surely satisfy though I would have preferred a slightly more robust punch of the cocoa and caffeine.

Fret not as you could always enjoy a cup of artisan coffee!





Bringing more than just quality gelato desserts to Singapore, Azzura aim to impress by delivering a relaxing retail and dining experience with its range of merchandise.


Readily available for takeaway orders, spot the beautifully packaged tubs of delicious ice cream! This is also one of the few ice cream parlours around in Singapore which also offers a range of Australian/New Zealand cider, ale and fruit juices suitable people of all ages!


Apart from the desserts, one can also expect to indulge in different types of gelato with interesting flavours such as blossom nougat and peanut butter. Expect a rich and creamy scope of indulgence from the quality ingredients and heart that goes into making of the gelato at just S$4/scoop and S$7/double and S$9/triple with toppings at an additional S$0.50.

To complete the sweet-tooth fix, Azzura also offers milkshakes at S$8/- and freshly made waffles at S$6/- though every Thursday is "Waffle Day" where all waffle orders are at half-price!


With an open-space concept, this is only the beginning of introducing a concept stall to Singapore with the purpose of providing customers an experience where adults and children alike can enjoy gelato, have a beer and take home some goodies.



Situated within Katong V Mall, our concern was that this place could well easily be overlooked, largely due to the layout of the building. Once you find it, expect some sweet treats to please!



P.S: A special thank you to Laura for the invitation and the team at Azzura to play host.

For the first time, World Wide Fund for Nature ("WWF") Singapore partners Marine Stewardship Council ("MSC") to host a sustainable seafood festival in Singapore to promote and celebrate responsible seafood consumption. Taking place from 8 to 15 June 2014 and in tandem with World Oceans Day, Sustainable Seafood Festival is a new movement for sustainable seafood so that our future generations can continue to enjoy our seafood in abundance.

We also attended a cooking workshop with more details found here.

Sourcing, plating and picking the right catch - what is your responsibility?

Do you know that Singapore is one of the biggest seafood consumers in Asia-Pacific with a consumption of over 140 million kg a year? There we go with our flower crabs, tiger prawns and did we hear bluefin tuna too? More than 87% of the world's oceans are already overfished at present and it is estimated that we may run out of seafood by 2048! Before you brush off the thought that it does not concern you, think again because that is only 34 years from now and that is not too far away.

What is sustainable seafood?

Photo credit: Jurgen Freund - Harvesting coral trout

Contrary to common perception that sustainable seafood is farm-raised, it actually includes wild-caught seafood species as well. Whichever the method and type of harvest, it has to be done with care to maintain stable catch levels in the long-term without compromising the environment and other marine life.

Why sustainable seafood?

Photo credit: Robert Delfs - School of fish in a heart shape

Simply, it ensures that our oceans can replenish itself and continue to provide for future generations. I am sure you will love your children to similarly enjoy delicacies from the ocean?

What can you do?

As consumers, our responsibility starts from sustainable shopping and cooking. For a start, you may refer to WWF's Singapore Seafood Guide when dining out or buying seafood! You can also check out this online interactive guide or download this printable guide. Within the guide, common seafood have been categorised into "Recommended", "Think Twice" and "Avoid".


When shopping for your groceries, please keep a look out for the above logos printed on the product which represent certification from MSC and Aquaculture Stewardship Council ("ASC").

Sustainable Seafood Festival 2014 (8 - 15 June 2014)

This year, there are a few key participating restaurants and hotels who have already taken the lead in using sustainable seafood and introducing them to their menus during the week long festival.

Hilton Singapore, for instance, announced that two of its restaurants, the award-winning Italian restaurant il Cielo and Glow Juice Bar & Cafe will both be participating.

il Cielo, Hilton Hotel | Salmon tartare served with watermelon, marjoram and raspberries vinaigrette

Expect a refreshing twist of flavours as the natural sweetness from the watermelon infuses the mildly savoury salmon tartare before finally one's senses would be alleviated with a punch from the raspberries vinaigrette.

Glow Juice Bar & Cafe, Hilton Hotel | Australian King Prawns served with Mango Salad and Palm Sugar

A titillating appetiser packing the natural freshness from the Australian king prawns, it was beautifully complemented by the acidity of the green mango salad which not only lowers the cholesterol levels of the prawns but also gives a refreshing after-taste.

Oscar's, Conrad Centennial Singapore | Marinated Chilean Seabass

Served atop Japanese rice, the Patagonian Toothfish or more commonly known as Chilean Seabass was well-marinated in classic Teriyaki sauce.

The Pelican Seafood Bar & Grill | Pan Roasted Toothfish 


One of my favourite dishes at the press conference, the quinoa fritter serving the base had a nice crisp crust on the surface. The pan roasted Antarctic Toothfish retained its natural freshness and the chef's tomato jam scored the home run for the dish with its robust flavours with a balanced touch of sweetness and savouriness.

Seasons Bistro | Patagonian Toothfish Ceviche Taco

The citrus-cured sustainably sourced Pantagonian Toothfish was served with avocado mayonnaise and topped with the crispy shallots which complemented the taco base to build a lovely layer of texture.

*Seasons Bistro has yet to open in Singapore but will be doing so by May 2014 in the vicinity of Somerset. Stay tuned for our updates!

Absinthe Restaurant Francais | Carpaccio of Patagonian Toothfish

Photo credit: WWF-Singapore

For those who enjoy seafood, my takeaway for you here is simple - are you doing your part to help the marine eco-system? If not, please take some time to understand more about sustainable seafood at www.picktherightcatch.com and do spread the word about this campaign!

With that, we look forward to your participation at the upcoming Sustainable Seafood Festival!

PS: Special thanks to Chenyze for the invitation, WWF-Singapore and Hilton Singapore for hosting the press conference event.

5. Oriole Cafe & Bar

Salmon Sashimi - 5 Slices
Yakitori - 3 skewers
Scallop Maki

The scallop was fresh and the seaweed remained crisp wrapping the right amount of vinegared rice, overall the dish was carried out perfectly.

Unagi Roll

We found quite a distinct inconsistency in terms of the distribution of the ingredients within the roll and the unagi tasted average.
Quite frankly, the sushi served at Standing Sushi Bar were mostly pedestrian, nothing much to rave about nor criticise. The service was passable as we struggled to fetch the attention of the service crew on several occasions considering the restaurant was not even full house. Nonetheless, it is a great place to fetch some decent, value for money Japanese food and alcohol, and enjoy a good chat with your friends or colleagues after work.