Weets Eats' 10 unforgettable dishes of 2019

I was late to the food delivery craze, and the convenience of that had me staying in more.

But in the last 12 months, there were some dishes that compelled me to head out.

These are the ones I constantly return to or cannot seem to forget. If you are looking for new things to eat, here are 10 of my favourites from 2019. Who knows, they may even deliver to your area.

Australian Ox Tongue with Vine Pepper Soup (from $14.50)

Chuan Hung (51A Telok Ayer Street, Tel: 9755-1058)

I love this for the mildly numbing Sichuan vine peppers and chilli padi soup. The heat in the background also highlights the serving of buttery ox tongue.

Premium hotpot buffet (from $52 for lunch)

Coca Restaurant (Suntec City, Ngee Ann City and Leisure Park Kallang), reservations via www.coca.com.sg

Coca had a glow up, going from dodgy to fabulous. The change comes from the soup. The overload of coriander stuffed into the pot is gimmicky but it just works.

The herb's signature taste does not overwhelm. Equally dramatic is the hua tiao chicken soup - cue the flaming chicken - but that is also excellent.

Duck noodle soup ($12)

Duckland (Paya Lebar Quarter, Tel: 6909-8932; United Square Shopping Mall, Tel: 6259-5668)

Always listen to a server's suggestion. I wanted Irish stew, but a server recommended this instead - and I was hooked. The soup is light yet flavourful, the noodles are the right degree of springy, and the duck is always a good choice here.

Superior Prawn Mee Pok ($22)

Izy Fook (27 Club Street, Tel: 9678-0027)

There are two great dishes here: The Chinese BBQ set (from $12) and the Superior Prawn Mee Pok. You can probably find the meats at Roast Paradise (the owners are partners here) but the mee pok - spicy, rich and bursting with umami - is an outlet exclusive.

Turmeric chicken (bowl starts from $8)

Kipos Gourmet (Tanjong Pagar Centre)

I went to this place after it started giving my gym a discount, but it is worth paying full price. It is a build-your-own-bowl experience, with fresh and tasty ingredients. My go-to item is the aromatic turmeric chicken. It goes well with the laksa sauce and cauliflower rice.

Krapow Prata Pizza ($15)

Roketto Izakaya (Frasers Tower, Tel: 6904-5458)

One of the hottest new places to eat at is this night-only restaurant owned by chef Willin Low. He has many tricks up his sleeve and this is one of his better ones. What's not to love about a pizza that is really a prata, with a heavenly minced chicken and basil stir fry on top.

Rawon Surabaya ($17)

Sama Sama by Tok-Tok (Jewel Changi Airport, Tel: 6904-3971)

This beef soup does not look like much but it tastes wonderful. The depth is thanks to keluak mixed right in. Add sambal for an additional kick.

Uni Ramen ($21)

Seizan Uni Ramen (Wisma Atria, Tel: 6734-8352)

This collaboration between Picnic Food Park and Seizan Tokyo, a two Michelin-starred restaurant in Japan, offers two things Singaporeans love - uni and ramen - and made it into one rich and extravagant killer dish.

Kaya Kryptonite ($9.90)

Seriously Keto (32 Seah Street, Tel: 9838-4047)

My big adventure this year was trying out the keto diet, and satisfying my sweet tooth was one huge pain. Along comes the Kaya Kryptonite from Seriously Keto, which essentially became a tub of joy for me. The taste is legit, and although the price tag is hefty, it is worth it.

Chargrilled Char Siew Lamb Rib ($11.90)

The Masses (85 Beach Road, Tel: 6266-0061)

The combination of the sweet sauce with the subtle gaminess of lamb works wonders for this dish. The layer of fat helps too. Dab the meat with a touch of fresh mint sour cream dip and you're good.

This is the last Weets Eats column for 2019. Wishing all foodies happy holidays and see you next year with more good food