Gastrosmiths stated on its website that it serves globally inspired comfort food. I believe that is equivalent to fusion. Fusion means caution for me as it can either turn out superb or absurd. 

Luckily for Gastrosmiths, it's fusion without confusion. 

The menu is made of European comfort fare with Asian influences. Some out of the box creations include an Atlantic cod fried mee sua, a Shio koji seafood linguine. 

Truffled chopped eggs ($12++, above) were delightfully topped with smoked caviar. The truffle oil was overpowering. The crispy toasted bread topped with  eggs complemented each other well. Overall a decent dish.

We also got another eggs dish - the Sea-ly eggs ($9.50++, above) which includes two 63 degree eggs and toast, garnished with scottish smoked salmon, marinated nori and chili oil. This was slurpy good and sweet and it went well with the nice toast. 

Be brave for the ultimate dish - the Shio Koji Seafood Marinara ($22.50, above). If you can only eat one dish, this is it. Shio Koji is a Japanese seasoning that brings out the umami taste. It is made with rice koji (a mixture of rice with strains of Aspergillus Oryzae, a beneficial mold), salt and water. When matched with the sweet tomato based linguine with the fresh seafood, it was like having both essences of Italian and Japanese cooking. A must try. 

Service was very warm and attentive. The place is really small but it comes across as cozy and sincere restaurant that has its own charm. Easily my favourite of the year. 

P.S: They have some 40% discount Groupon deals but those get sold out quickly. 

Address: 103 Beach Road, Tan Quee Lan Street, Singapore 189704

Tel: 6336 3680

Set is a restaurant that offers set menus. At really cheap and affordable prices. $28.80 for 5-course set lunch and $38.80 for 6-course set dinner. I was invited to a tasting session for the 6-course dinner. 

There are 6 courses and each course has 4 to 5 choices to pick from. I was amazed at my ability to stuff all of the choices into my little tummy. #AchievementUnlocked.

Picking the right choice for each course was crucial. I have sacrificed myself to eat everything and hence let me share with you which would constitute a good choice. 

Chef Starter | Bacon mushroom with cheese which was creamy and contains nice cheese with bacon. It was a perfect match with the lightly toasted bread that was crispy on the edges.

Cold dish | From top: Huai san carpaccio, Smoked duck breast, Salmon garvlax, Tomato carpaccio 

Out of the five cold dishes available, the tomato carpaccio which was cheese cream on tomatoes was my most favourite. It's airy texture yet rich flavour was like from a spray can.

Side dish | Grilled oyster mushroom that came with teriyaki and mayo sauce, and accompanied by truffle foam. There is no oyster. This is an oyster mushroom. Never a big fan of mushroom. So it was just ok for me. A bit rubbery but not tough. 

Soup | Left: Miso soup with sake, Right from top: Pumpkin soup with truffle oil, Double-boiled herbal chicken, Mushroom veloute with peanut butter

By now, I was wondering if my tummy would survive to see the main course.  Out of the four soups, my favourite was surprisingly the double boiled herbal soup. The herbal soup was intense and the flavour was full of herbs. It was hearty and warming to the stomach, helping to expand the stomach for further consumption of the main course. A close runner-up would be the pumpkin soup with truffle oil which was rich in flavour. 

Main course | From top: Roasted chicken pullet, Grilled snapper with salsa, Marinated rack of lamb, Roasted beef tenderloin, Baby pork back ribs

I'm not a red meat person but the roasted beef tenderloin scores for me. It uses the loin part which was fork tender with the right amount of fats. Second favourite would be the honey glazed baby pork back ribs which I was looking forward to. However the meat was a bit too soft and tender for my liking. 

Desserts | From top: Coconut cake, Poached pear with gelato, Pistachio panna cotta, Huai San jello, Espresso creme brulee.

You might hate me if I tell you I love all five desserts! Hmmm this would be a tough choice but I would go for either the Huai San jello and espresso creme brûlée. If you like something light, refreshing and healthy, go for the Huai San jello. The espresso creme brûlée was strong coffee flavored and topped with a crackle-thin crust of caramelized sugar. 

Overall | Great place for those with a tight budget but unlimited budget for stomach space. Dishes are hit and miss.. So make the right choice. 

Address: 1 Selegie Road, POMO #02-01 Singapore 18830

Telephone: 6337 7644

Website: http://www.set-sg.com

Thanks to Petrina and Lay Peng for the invite.