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Podi & Poriyal, a vegetarian restaurant in Serangoon Road specialising in South Indian cuisine, emanates a certain warmth. Not the oppressive swirl of heat that rises from the road outside, but the kind that makes you want to close your eyes and sink into its embrace.  It could be due to the rounded wooden arches, the soothing fragrance wafting through the room or the cheery, open-handed hospitality of the waiters. But mostly, the fuzzy homely feeling is baked into the space through aromatic spices and hearty portions of flavour-packed food.  Even the appetisers pull no punches. I start with the edamame sundal ($12), beans tossed with freshly grated coconut and roasted cashews for that nutty crunch. It contrasts nicely with the avocado jackfruit papad, a new dish topped with tomatoes and onions ($12), which makes for a crisper, more refreshing bite.  Next, the two dishes from which the restaurant gets its name: cabbage poriyal ($10), a type of stir-fry; and podi idli ($16). Podi refers to a spice blend commonly found in South Indian cuisine. Here, it is updated weekly and put to work with marvellous results. I cannot get enough of the citrusy, orange-inflected seasoning that transforms the idli (steamed rice cakes) from a simple savoury delight into something infinitely more interesting.  I save the last bit of space in my stomach for the recently introduced double-decker parotta ($26), picturing a hulking mass of carbs, and am relieved when it turns out to be a flat slab wrapped in banana leaves. But do not be fooled. This curry and flatbread “lasagna” is no light bite. I am informed, too late, that it is fuel for labourers and soon understand why. Spicy, salty and starchy, it fills you up instantly.  For dessert, there are tantalising new options like the black sesame and palm jaggery halwa ($15), which is something like a pudding. The thought of having to split my sugar quota between these treats and the restaurant’s extensive line-up of drinks is enough to make me sweat.  But after my first sip, there is a clear winner – you have to try Paati’s Remedy ($14), a hot and immensely comforting tonic of blue ginger, cardamom and lemon.  486 Serangoon Road Farrer Park 11am to 3pm, 6.30 to 10.30pm, Mondays, Wednesdays to Fridays; 11am to 3:30pm, 6.30 to 11pm, Saturdays and Sundays; closed on Tuesdays The wet market has never smelled so good.  To be fair, this is not quite the place to visit for your weekend morning grocery run. Gone are the cartons of fresh vegetables and there is only one stall here displaying raw fish – most of it still swimming happily in tanks, in fact – which probably explains how the floor stays so clean.  Contrary to its name (cai shi is Chinese for vegetable market) and 1990s aesthetic, Tan Xiang Cai Shi is actually a coffee shop. But what this new-age facsimile lacks in old-school buzz, it makes up for in flavour.  There are lots of classic oomph to the dishes here, which the cooks at leading stall Tan Xiang Charcoal Fish Head Steamboat churn out without missing a beat. The eponymous dish (from $46) naturally occupies pride of place at most tables, including mine. Slices of fresh fish – I try the silver pomfret (seasonal price) – vegetables and tofu jostle for space in the crowded bath of the charcoal pot.  Packed so tightly together, their flavours are as intense as one might expect. The broth, which has already simmered for hours with old hen, pork bone, freshly fried fish head and dried scallops, swells with savoury depth.   I try some of the other offerings too: steamed scallops enrobed in black bean sauce, Australian lobster slathered in salted egg and spicy Nonya-style la la clams (all seasonal prices). Tasty, to be sure, though not as outstanding as the fish head steamboat.  The stall also has a smattering of meat and vegetarian dishes, like its signature braised duck, coffee spare ribs and oatmeal charcoal tofu with pumpkin sauce (all from $18) – all of which are solid picks.  And judging from the queues that snake across the coffee shop during my visit, the other stalls are no lightweight either. They run the gamut of Singaporean cuisine, from The Padangton’s curries and rendang to Ming Xing Chicken Rice’s local classic.  510 Chai Chee Lane Bedok North Tan Xiang Cai Shi is open from 6am to 10pm daily; Tan Xiang Charcoal Fish Head Steamboat is open from 11.30am to 9.30pm daily At first glance, the last thing the Katong neighbourhood – already home to Forma, La Bottega Enoteca, Bacino, Burlamacco and Volare – needs is yet another Italian restaurant.  But competition evidently does not intimidate Griglia Open Fire Italian Kitchen. The Craig Road establishment has expanded east, taking its trademark Italian hospitality to Katong.  It is not wrong for thinking it can hold its own in an oversaturated market. This second outlet – a sensually lit, earth-toned 34-seater – has a larder stocked with tried-and-tested favourites.  There is, of course, the Pork Cheek Pappardelle ($32), luscious as ever with its slippery amber ribbons and rich chianti-meat sauce. Portions run small, which means more room for more pasta. From the sea, I get the Paccheri “L’Italiana” ($36), a dish of smooth, fat tubes boiled till just firm enough and bathed in a delicately briny broth of Canadian lobster and Calabrese chilli.  No visit to Griglia is complete without picking something from its open-fire grill. I go for the Spiced Coastal Spring Lamb Rack ($88). It is served medium-rare on a plate with no frills, but none is needed. The meat itself is a sight to behold: fat crisped brown, flesh pink and oozing with obvious flavour. It is the kind of lamb chop you gnaw at until every single edible morsel has been polished clean off the bone.  01-01, 139 East Coast Road Eunos Noon to 3pm, Fridays to Sundays; 5.30 to 11pm, Tuesdays to Sundays; closed on Mondays