I keep on coming back to this XO Seafood restaurant in Clementi West for a number of times now. If there's one type of resto that I would be more than willing to visit, it's that kind which offers any seafood cuisine. This is precisely one of the major things I'm loving in Singapore. The abundance of seafood dishes is heaven to embrace. Apart from the famous East Cost Seafood Centre that houses a long strip of seafood restaurants, there are hawkers centers or open-air cafes (normally situated on the ground level of HDB buildings) that equally boast of quality seafood treats. Bao Gong XO Fish Head Bee Hoon is considered among the most popular in this category. In terms of ambiance, this is certainly what you see is what you get. But that doesn't necessarily translates to the quality of foods in-store. This is more of getting the value of your money's worth beyond expectation.

The weather has been gloomy lately. In Singapore, a downpour comes almost in daily servings. And in times like this, comforting soups and dishes are typically a longing. Pork Nilaga (the Filipino version of Pork Rib Soup) is a very fitting choice. This can also be called Boiled Pork with Vegetables based on the manner of cooking. Pork Nilaga is one of the staples in Philippine Cuisine. This is by far, the easiest popular Filipino dish to make. The ingredients and spices are very basic so as the method of preparation. Perhaps, the only key if ever there is, is the choice of meat cut to use and the time the meat is allowed to cook.
One of my favorite cuts is pork ribs (country style or spare ribs). The meat and bones make up a very rich and tasty soup.

How to make: Boil 3/4 kg of pork ribs in water. Discard water upon boiling. Replace with new ones just enough to cover the meat. Add in 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns and 1 med sized onion (quartered). Allow to boil in medium heat and cook until meat becomes tender (1 - 1 1/2 hrs). Season with salt and 2 - 3 tbsp fish sauce. Add in potatoes (quartered) and cook until tender. Add in remaining vegetables (round cabbage and chinese cabbage) and adjust water and salt level when necessary before serving.

From the quintessential meal Nasi Lemak, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Roasted Pork Rice, Satay and Bak Kut Teh to the steaming hot noodle dishes such as Laksa, Char Kway Teow and Fish Head Bee Hoon to the tasty side dishes like Carrot Cake and Oyster Omelette and to the luscious desserts Ice Kachang and Bo Bo Cha Cha all these and more are what await adventurous foodies in Singapore's famous Hawker Centers. Foods in these unpretentious gastronomic haven gave Singapore one of it's world recognized past times - eating. In the many occasions that I've visited a few Hawker Centers in the country, I never wondered why this was so. How can you resist enticing aromas and appealing food choices oozing with delectable flavors right before your very eyes? That's why the popular local cliche goes "die-die must try". It isn't a surprise really why so many people be it locals or tourists preferred to flock in this area. Talk about food innovation and gastronomic creativity, there's no better place to discover them but here.

For the avid fans of Singapore's Hawker Centers, something great awaits you! Are you a certified Hawker Food Lover? Then you must be who inSing.com is waiting for. Singapore's prime local search and lifestyle guide is running an 8-week online contest to look for the country's Ultimate Hawker Food Lover. He or she will recommend the best Hawker Stalls in the island and will write recommendations on the best found Hawker food fare through inSing.com's Food & Drink section. Aside from the regular column, the lucky Hawker Food Lover will receive S$1000 a month for 6 months and a DSLR camera to use as tool in capturing the discovered delicious dishes. Isn't this exciting?! What are you waiting for? Go visit http://www.ilovehawkerfood.com.sg/ for further details. Let's all look forward to what other food treasures the island city-state has. For all we know, they are just waiting to be discovered.

With the weather increasingly getting hotter and hotter in some parts of Asia (especially the Philippines and Singapore), I'm sure most of us would like to indulge into cold drinks and desserts to chill us a bit. In the Philippines, this is the perfect time for the most common and well loved sweet desserts or snacks - Halo-Halo. While I'm missing my favorite mix of this sweetened shaved ice and glazed fruits, I'm delighted to find an alternative here in Singapore.

Ice Kachang and Ice Cendol are among the popular choices for Singapore's own version. Ice Kachang has sweet corn and red mongo beans as major ingredients whereas Ice Cendol has green gelatin -noodle like strands, coconut milk and red mongo beans. Both are sweet and refreshing. But I still missed the richness of our Halo-Halo back home, especially that of Razon's or Kabigting's in Pampanga.

Together with some colleagues at work, we visited a Korean restaurant in Pasir Panjang for a quest to a good tasting Beef Galbisal. It's a grilled dish that's typically non-marinated and uses boneless meat. Thus, it's pure beef taste to be had. What always fascinates me about Korean dining is the literally numerous side dishes and appetizers being served. It seemed like the table is always not enough to hold everything all at the same time. This is the real definition of bounty!

There's nothing so special about Beef Galbisal in as far as the profile of the dish is concerned. It's pretty straightforward - beef meat. Needless to say, the quality of the beef meat is key for this grilled dish. I would still prefer the Beef Bulgogi though a hundred times over.

Kimchi Pancake is simply awesome! Hot and spicy, tasty and addicting just like the Kimchi soup. These are good choices for the lover of fiery foods.

Ginseng Chicken is a comforting dish to have. Light, creamy with a very subtle aftertaste of spices and herbs.

Pumpkin Soup - this is sooooo sweet. It can be regarded as a dessert rather than a soup appetizer.

Greens and lots and lots of greens! This is what is genuine of Korean Cuisine. It's such a healthy diet to take.
On the whole, what actually caught us from this Korean dining experience in Singapore is this.... We were just so amazed on the technology behind it.

Generally, this was a good first korean dining experience but certainly not the best yet. Food wise, I think there are still more in the menu to explore.

**Credits to Irene Chong for the photos and video