Mayer Smokeless BBQ Grill
With its blockish utilitarian design, this electric grill is easy to use and clean (the oil drip tray and grilling racks are removable). Food just has to be sliced and then pressed between two racks, then inserted into the contraption: It’s a pretty fuss-free process. The only trouble is that you can’t cook larger items like steak or burgers. But it works a charm on meat, fruit or veggie skewers.
$399 from Mayer Showroom

O-Grill 3000T
A compact clam-shaped stainless steel grill powered by propane (just attach a new gas canister with each use), this appliance opens up completely to accommodate even thick cuts of meat. Weighing in at just 24lbs (11kg) with a nice carrying handle, it sure is portable.
$838 from Tan Brother Electrical Corporation Pte Ltd. (193 Kitchener Rd., 6292-4351).

Outback Excel 200
A mobile gas grill, this unit has some sturdy wheels at the base—that allow you to roll it outside over grass and gravel—so it’s great for park or garden barbecues. We also like that there are two powerful burners, and two spacious side shelves, which are chrome-coated and resistant to rusting (real important in our tropical climate).
$588 from Outback BBQ

Smeg BBQ Range
This top of the line gas grill has five different burners and 90cm of cooking space, so it’s ideal for a big party. There’s also a 400˚C thermostat so you can cook your meal to exacting temperatures. For klutzes, the heat-insulating hood (which never gets too hot) is a godsend—you’ll avoid any nasty burns.    
Available from Oct from APS Lifestyle Gallery

Check out our Q&A with Nazrie Jaafar from Carnivore Appetite for a pro's tips for barbecuing!

Traditionally accompanied by hot tea and eaten in dainty wedges for the Mid-Autumn Festival (Sep 19), mooncakes have a real old school rep. But they can be given a fun update with the right booze pairings. Dense and heavy, the desserts are surprisingly good coupled with a range of tipples. Besides, the alcohol can be a great digestif. Here are eight ideas to get you started.

Granny Smith-Lemongrass Chocolate Snowskin Mooncake

Drink it with: Wolf Blass Red Label Moscato
Why: "This fruity bubbly works with the subtleness of the lemongrass and also handles the sweetness of the chocolate with an acidic finish," says Andrew O'Brian, regional general manager for Treasury Wine Estates.
Find them: Mooncakes $54 at The Regent Singapore; wine $24.90 from Cold Storage.

Go Green Mooncake

Drink it with: Sailor Jerry spiced rum
Why: Filled with caramelized banana, this snowskin mooncake marries well with the cinnamon-y nutmeg-y rum. Kind of tastes like banana flambé.
Find them: From $58 from SweetSpot; $170 (with four mixers) from Sauce.

Golden Custard Mini Mooncake

Drink it with: Gravitas Hugo’s Delight Late Harvest Riesling 2005
Why: To complement the richness of the egg yolk custard filling, a buttery vino like this late-harvest Riesling is ideal.
Find them: $69 at The Fullerton Hotel; $27 from E Wine Asia.

Pandan Kaya Cheesecake Mooncake

Drink it with: Pio Cesare Moscato d’Asti
Why: This moscato has enough body and flavor to stand up to creamy cheese and aromatic pandan.
Find them: $18/piece and $68/box at Au Chocolat; $45 from 1855 The Bottle Shop.

Pure Tea Snowskin Mooncake

Drink it with: Majella Sparkling Shiraz 2007 Vintage
Why: This mooncake is filled with milk chocolate mousse and has a blackcurrant center. And the jammy sparkler mirrors the fruitiness of the cake, while also balancing the heavy chocolate with bubbles.
Find them: $15/piece and $52/box from TWG Tea; $57.50 at The Providore.

Macadamia Nut Ice-cream Mooncake

Drink it with: Grahams White Port
Why: Bartender Zachary de Git from the Tippling Club says, “The port has strong tropical notes, which contrast well with the flavor of the mooncakes. The great thing about white ports is they are not as heavy as other fortified wines. That slight acidity makes the mango center in the ice-cream mooncake more pronounced.”
Find them: $48 at HäagenDazs; $48.80 from Monopole.

White Lotus Seed Paste with Taiwan Songshan Pineapple Mooncake

Drink it with: Malibu Coconut Rum
Why: As déclassé as this sounds, the good old pina colada combi works a charm: The blend of creamy coconut and tangy sweet pineapple never gets old.
Find them: $23.80 from Din Tai Fung; $67 from Alcohol Delivery.

Yuzu Vodka Truffle Snow Skin

Drink it with: Saint Clair Marlborough Riesling 2009
Why: The sweet citrus flavors of this Riesling complement the yuzu in the mooncake.
Find them: $52 from Bakerzin; $42 from Wines Online.

Not keen on booze? Try pairing mooncakes with tea. 

Why did you decide to start this restaurant?
It’s actually a dream come true for my husband and I! We love hosting parties, and we love the venue that we've got, especially since I grew up in the area—since 1978—plus we got married at the beautiful carpet grass lawn next to us at Rider's Lodge. So it's really like coming home.

How did you come up with the name RoundHouse?
We were trying for the longest time to find a good name, which had special meaning to Wayne. I asked him what the name of the very first pub he ever visited was—since this restaurant-pub was going to be his first—and it was “RoundHouse”, a pub back in England where he grew up! We both looked at each other and just knew it was perfect for us.

How long have you wanted to start a restaurant?
For Wayne, forever! For me, I've always had an idea of something to do with giving people a place to chill or relax but I never really focused on it and when my hubby mentioned this, it felt right!

How much say did you have in the menu?
I left that to my husband and the chef. But they came up with a dish that represents me: The Loco Lopez: A pizza with jalapenos, chilli padis, and salami. Now, how do those and the “Loco” represent me? I'll leave it to your imagination.

What was the most challenging or surprising thing about starting a restaurant?
Painting chairs! If you've noticed, the chairs are a very relaxing turquoise and white combination and we sprayed them ourselves. I now have a new skill. We've had a wonderful response to the new colors and we're absolutely thrilled that people love just chilling out here and enjoying the atmosphere.

Vernetta Lopez is one of the owners of RoundHouse Pizza, Bar & Grill.

What are your favorite Korean dishes?
I like gyeran bbang, or egg bread. It's made with egg, flour, yeast, sugar and salt. I like it because it's savory and sweet and I used to have a lot of it for breakfast as it was cheap and filling. Another one of my favorites is skewered fish cakes. Both egg bread and skewered fish cakes are available all year round in Korea.

What inspired you to create the new menu at Sarang?
I wanted to follow leading Korean restaurant trends by bringing the complete experience of dining in contemporary bistros in Gangnam, to Singapore. My dishes, while unique to Sarang, reference the food from districts like Gangnam, Itaewon, Hongdae and Sinchon in Seoul.

Which of your dishes have proven the most popular?
Ginseng chicken terrine, the meat lovers’ platter and army stew.

What is lacking at most Korean restaurants in Singapore?
Korean dining spots in Singapore mostly comprise smoky barbecue houses. Sarang offers more what one would find on the streets on Gangnam today: Korean-inspired cocktails and Korean classics served tapas style.

What do you think accounts for the increasing popularity of Korean food?
As Korean dramas and music become increasingly popular, Korean food has gained popularity.

Chef Jung Yun Yur cooks at Sarang.

What are essentials to good Argentinean food?
Passion to share great food with the people you love. It’s also very important for us to consume the best produce, especially beef, lamb, and dulce de leche.

What’s special about the Argentinean way of preparing meat?
It’s about slow grilling and the fact we do cook the whole cow. Just like how the Spanish utilize the entire pig, we do that with the cow.

What’s the biggest misconception about Argentinean food?
That we eat 400-500g-steaks at one go. That is so far from the truth.

What do you think accounts for the growing popularity of Latin food in Singapore?
Pure Latin food is fairly uncommon in Singapore. While there is access to plenty of Mexican options, there are no specialized Argentinean restaurants. Singaporeans are well-travelled, curious and are willing to try new things, so I think Bochinche will be well-received. 

What would you say is your specialty and why?
What makes my cuisine so interesting is that my background is in fine dining and I’ve worked in many Michelin-starred restaurants, therefore I use the discipline and techniques to refine traditional Argentinean dishes. These fine dining techniques help to improve the flavors and textures, at the same time giving these traditional dishes a modern spin to suit the modern consumer palate. Dish-wise, my provoleta with almonds and honey, gambas al ajo—caramelized pork belly and chorizo—and dulce de leche crème brulee have received raves.

Why did you decide to come to Singapore?
Cynthia Chua was the main reason. I fell in love with her energy and determination but after visiting Singapore the challenge to make everyone fall in love with Argentine was vital.

What do think of the dining scene in Singapore?
Exciting and challenging. Loads of talented chefs make Singapore truly a food destination city.

Is there anything you’d like to have on the menu in Singapore that you’re holding back on because there might be a lack of demand?
Black pudding. We’re working on it.

Chef Diego Jacquet cooks at Bochinche.