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Blue Willow
there are several gimmicky concepts within thematic restaurants in Singapore, with most of them revolving around animated characters or a costumed theme. and in this ever saturated industry of quirky dining concepts, we managed to discover a themed restaurant that stood out not just for the effort and consistency in delivering the idea, but more importantly, the quality of its food as well.
Blue Willow is located along Clementi Road, near the Kent Ridge bus interchange and famous for its nearby prata shops that almost all NUS students would have fond memories of. the restaurant prides itself for being the only blue themed restaurant in Singapore. everything here from the fit out, to the lighting and the natural ingredients used to prepare the dishes includes an element of punchy blue colours. The Western-fusion cuisine served up here is generally on point, and the clever use of blue colours add to its photogenic quality. 
The starting inspiration of this cafe would be its blue wine. Probably one of the few places to serve up the Spanish Gik brand - the wine is a natural blue colour made from the skin of grapes used at the vineyard. the sweet taste of the drink makes it extremely palatable to wash down and over at Blue Willow, it is a popular choice that can either be chosen by the bottle or by each glass. with this joint being operated by the same group of young entrepreneurs behind Platform 1094 (the wizardry themed cafe), do ask for any other colour changing cocktails that may not be on the menu. 
in terms of their standout main dishes, we enjoyed this serving of the Blue Willow's Barramundi, a flame grilled fish dish that was already fragrant when served. decked with beetroot, baby spinach and splashed with blue mustard cream sauce, we enjoyed the freshness and tender texture of the fish. The other main dish that we ordered, the Grilled pork loin, was also very juicy and well accompanied by a generous serving of zucchini, eggplant pesto, mashed potatoes and mayo sauce. under the blue lights of the restaurant, the mains are as Instagrammable as they are tasty. 
the desserts here are another "attraction" by themselves. Needless to say, the cakes are in bright blue colours. we picked the Blue Velvet cake and this dome shaped mousse-like cake called Tea by Lupicia. We particularly enjoyed the latter, because we simply love sweet stuff, and the chocolate mousse infused in tea and a tinge of Gik wine makes it one refreshing dessert. All in all, we found our visit truly experiential dining. from being able to interact with the colour-changing cocktails, to the discovery of blue dishes and their distinct natural tastes to enjoying desserts in the al-fresco backyard of blue, we rate this as one of the best thematic restaurant experiences we had in recent time. 
Blue Willow 28 Clementi Road Singapore 129754 Opening Hours Tuesdays to Fridays: 12 pm to 12 am Saturdays & Sundays: 11 am to 12 am (closed on Mondays) The blue Alfresco seating backyard opens from 6 pm.. Labels: #bluethemed, #bluewillow, #bluewillowsg, #bluewine, #clementiroad, #thematiccafe, #westernfood Sumo Bar Happy
Japanese styled Sake and sashimi bars are extremely popular in modern day Tokyo, a common after work quick chill for the fast paced city dwellers. over here, the culture usually ties after work chill out celebrations to certain occasions, and usually with it comes a more laid-back mood. Inspired by the very successful Tanuki Raw and Standing Sushi Bar, the owners have decided to open another similar joint, focusing on Ramen and Tachinomi Sake.
tucked in a corner under one of the pioneering public housing blocks along Waterloo Street, Sumo Bar Happy is essentially a bar-top dining concept with few table seats. everyone crowds around the square bar to enjoy alternative interpretations of Ramen, Sushi and drinks - with the benefit of watching the bartenders in action. while we think the target crowds should be PMETs, we did spot a few Japanese families even bringing their kids along. i guess back home, these concepts are mainstream culture already. 
the highlights of this place are their beef bowl Ramen as well as unique interpretations such as this Sashimi Mazemen, replacing a typical Chirashi Don by using dry Ramen over rice to go with the fresh seafood. there's Shoyu on the side to either dip the Ramen like how you'd eat Soba, or some people will blend it into the dish which also comes with a very watery Onsen egg and Ikura (fish roe). 
because it is also a Japanese tapas bar concept, there are many interesting sides to choose from as well. These Lobster Taiyaki Sliders will give any lobster sandwich a run for their money. with chunky lobster filling stuffed into a Japanese fish-shaped pancake with some greens. the outer pastry is soft which complimented the crunchiness of the lobsters. do also look out for Happy Hour bar bites that the staff will gladly introduce to you. we went for a couple of unique sushi combinations such as the spicy Miso Char Siew sushi and the spicy salmon sushi, all good pairings for Sake and cocktails. 
Drinks are also a highlight of Sumo Bar Happy, with the bartender mixing the drinks in front of you - show kitchen style. we tried this Passionfruit Sake that comes with a very attractive outlook. the drink is smooth, sweet and easy on the throat, which can be potent since its technically Sake. for the less adventurous, there's still typical warm Matcha and normal Sake as well. In all, a very different Japanese experience, we enjoyed the food tremendously and would certainly feel like coming back again soon. 
Sumo Bar Happy 261 Waterloo Street 01-24 Waterloo Centre Singapore 180261 Opening Hours Mondays to Thursdays: 12 pm to 11 pm Fridays & Saturdays: 12 pm to 12 am Sundays: 12 pm to 10 pm (closed on public holidays) a focus on one-cup sake and tonkotsu ramen with beef toppings.. Labels: #japanesefood, #japanesesashimibar, #japanesetapas, #ramenandsakebar, #sakebar, #sumobarhappy, #waterloostreet |
..ThE lEgEnD..
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