Singapore 2012/2013

Restaurants we have tried so far:

Western Food: 

- Margarita's (on Dempsey Hill) (great margaritas, cute location, ok food - but not great and a little pricey. huge portions though)

- Quinze Bouteilles (lunch with the very nice owner Charlotte - awesome wine!)

- Crust (weird kind of gourmet pizza but the flavor was really good)

- Riciotti (nice but not very note-worthy Italian. ok for a quick lunch)

- Oriole Cafe & Bar (at 313@Somerset, ok food if you are in the mood for nice outdoor seating and  somewhat upscale American. good Cuban sandwich and ok burger meat - great dessert menu)

- Piedra Negra on Haji Lane (excellent Mexican food, but odd selection)

- Dallas (@ Boat Quay) (just ok. American food, kind of)

- Cafe Iguana at Clarke Quay (very close to the Mexican food you get in the US. good food, enormous portions, good service and nice atmosphere on the river)

- Smokeys BBQ (the best American food in Singapore. awesome ribs. love the outdoor atmosphere)

-  4 Fingers Crispy Chicken (best wings in Singapore. slightly cripsy. both flavors equally good)

- Marina Bay Sands - Ku De Ta (tourist trap - nice view)

- Backyard at Dempsey (the food was just ok, the outdoor seating was nice enough)

- Marche at 313@Somerset (i love this restaurant for how kid friendly it is. nice playground and good deal for breakfast. quite yummy too. great bread to take home)

- Bistro du Vin at Claymore Hill (very nice French bistro. good value for your money.)

- Don Quijote at Dempsey Hill (tapas restaurant. nothing to write home about... some of the food seemed not very fresh)

- CUT at Marina Bay Sands (just wow, even with the expensive price. awesome meat and great side items, plus good service and wine list. will be back)

- db Bistro at Marina Bay Sands (great lunch spot. maybe a bit over priced, but their French food is definitely great)

Luke's Chop house (amazing food and good value for money. try their lobster roll and fried. or steak or tuna tartar)

Sky on 57 at Marina Bay Sands (not that great, and not a good value - almost like a tourist trap with a great view)

Absinthe at Boat Quay (great prix fix menu for lunch - get the chef's table)

Enoteca L'Operetta at Boat Quay (ok Italian food, nice lunch menu)

Burlamacco (ok Italian food)

Esquina (best tapas in Singapore - very innovative and loved the dining at the bar with a view of the kitchen)

- Rocks Urban Grill + Bar (perfect lunch spot. lovely complimentary bread/bun)

- Bodega y Tapas (love the atmosphere and the food is decent too)

- Baker and Cook (very good coffee, ok cafe food)

- Omakase Burger at the Grand Stand (hands down the best burger in Singapore - well worth the price)

Nassim Hill Bakery Bistro Bar (this place has such yummy food - and what a great reuben!)

Hawker Centers / Food Courts:

- Holland Village Food Centre (hawker centre - no ambiance but great food (yummy chicken rice) and very cheap)

- 313@Somerset Food Junction (we actually didn't eat here, we just let Alaric play at the cute playground while I had a soda, the food court looks really good though)

- United Square Mall food court (awesome black pepper chicken, ok orange chicken)

- Wisma Atria Food Junction (we both ate noodle soups(?), one with pork ribs (xiao mian) and one with some kind of fish, I think anchovies, and minced pork (ban mian), the pork ribs soup had a more complex flavor, the ban mian was a little boring but supposedly one of the healthier choices. we also had some dumplings - always good ;))

- Toast (found in several food courts. kind of western, but Alaric liked their toast. I think their shops are really cute, but avoid the raw eggs (or half boiled as they call them))

- Tian Xin Wanton Noodle @ 5 Coleman Street / SideWalk at Funan (excellent and very good dumplings/noodles. my favorite cheap lunch spot. get there early or stand in line forever...)

- East Coast Lagoon Food Village (nice view, ok hawker centre food)

Asian food (restaurants):

- Lagnaa (barefoot dining. touristy, but very friendly staff and nice spice levels)

- Zam Zam (awesome murtabak (Indian quesedilla with eggs) 

- A-Roy Thai at Funan (we all shared lots of dishes at this round table. everything was yummy)

- Yan Ting at St. Regis Tanglin (mmm, no. upscale Chinese is apparently not my thing. everything was jiggely and bland)

- Peach Garden at Chinatown Point (mmm, no, still don't really like upscale Chinese food, but nice enough I guess. liked the salad toss.)

- Din Tai Fung (efficient service, kid friendly, amazing pork dumplings and fried rice. love this place!)

- Kinki (ok sushi (although, I know people love their food), nice looking restaurant, cool rooftop bar)

Paris, France

Best restaurants:
- Aiyala (Really yummy Thai food. The dumplings were awesome.)
- Le Balancoire (Fun and low-key French restaurant. Excellent service. Amazing drinks.)
- Chez Grenouille (More traditional French food. Amazing meat. Great service.)
- Le Cafe Qui Parle (Excellent brunch - no bacon though...)

Best tour:
- Blue Bike Tours

Honorable Mention:
- Cooking class with "A World in a Pan"

Update 2012 - New York City (with a toddler)

NYC with a toddler: 

• Best kid friendly hotel: Affinia Gardens on the Upper East Side (get the huge rooms with a kitchen and a patio - excellent for kids)
• Best babysitter service: Babysitter's Guild
• Best kid friendly car service: Legends Limousine (car seat for $8 - reasonable fare rate)
• Best playground: Heckscher in Central Park
• Best meal: Gramercy Tavern (incredible meat and superb service)
• Best cheap eat: Shu Jiao Fu Zhous (yummy and cheap dumplings - no line, stroller friendly)

Other places tried: China Fun, Pinche Taqueria, Schnitzel & Things, Ritz Diner, Pizza Park, La Cremeria

Savannah, Georgia

We went on the First Squares Good Tour (www.savannahtasteexperience.com).

The guide was awesome but we wished there had been one more stop with some savory food. Other than that it was excellent. My favorite was Mabel Francis Potter's Cupcake Emporium. Excellent taste, no frills.

Other stops: Bernie's Oyster House, Boar's Head Grill, Savannah Bee Company, The Salt Table and Molly MacPhersons's Pub.

Update 2012 - Restaurants - Oslo, Norway

Great (but expensive):
- Restaurant Oscarsgate (best food and service in town? loved that we got 15 courses, but too many desserts (I know...))

Good (and not so expensive):
- Beach Club (love their burgers, the the service can be somewhat lacking)
- Olivia, Tjuvholmen (yummy pizzas, and nice place to have a beer after work)
- Habibi (still awesome meze and prompt service)
- Villa Paradiso (still my favorite Italian pizza (in Oslo ;))

Good but not great:
- Hanami (pushy service, a tad expensive but good food - especially the blackened cod)

- Baltazar (excellent wine menu, food above average but maybe not worth the price)
- Escalon (ok tapas, but not as good as some other tapas places)
- Onda Sea (fantastic view out on the pier, good food but nothing extraordinary, at least not when taking into consideration the price)

Want to try:
Maaemo