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After sampling the SHIOK Yakader Chicken Briyani a few months back, people all over has been asking me to try the most famous briyani stall at the other side of Tekka Food Centre instead. The queue at this stall meant nothing as I stood there waiting for 20 minutes. For those who still do not know, this stall is none other than Allauddin’s Briyani (no prize for those who guessed it correctly though).
For $4.00, what you get is also another plate of orangey red looking plate of Chicken Briyani that gets zero marks for presentation. At least Yakader’s serving came lined with banana leaf, what you get from Allauddin is just a Styrofoam plate with no achar (spicy pickled salad) in sight (not that I eat them anyway but at least visually it looks better).
In terms of the chicken, I would say they are both pretty similar in terms of taste and texture. So soft and tender was the meat that a simple tear at the lightest pressure of the fork will cause the meat to be easily separated from its bone. However, I will be inclined to find their rice overly moist and mushy from overcooking, as I expect the basmati rice to be slightly more firm and comes with a better bite. Having waited so long, I also decided to add an extra order of what they call “Lamb Cutlet” for additional $1.00 (although I do not see where the cutlet comes from). A nice savoury outer crust that was fried nicely to taste, it was disappointing though to find it soft on the inside with what seems like flour and onions and little of the lamb.
Overall, I felt that Yakader was the better of the two in terms of chicken briyani, however I would not hesitate to try their mutton next, which was ordered by the customers before me, as it looks pliable and succulent just by the sight of it. As Tekka Food Centre will be re-located to the Temporary Market along Race Course Road from May 1 onwards, Allauddin’s Briyani will be relocated to stall unit #01-189 and #01-190.
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
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Whilst studying in Canada, my friends and I used to “Yum Cha” every weekend morning without fail and it was often very fun with all the food and interaction. When I came back to Singapore, no one I knew practised that and thus the habit slowly died down. Up early and feeling nostalgic on a Sunday morning, I decided to visit the long standing Yan Palace Restaurant for some dim sum and roped in my gf to help with the eating.
Finding the place wasn’t too difficult as it was just next to Hong Lim food centre and parking was a breeze with the multi story carpark just next to it. (Its $1/hr even on Sundays though) When we got there at about 1100, the restaurant was almost packed with people. (The restaurant could seat about 100 people easily) The interior looked like that of a typical Chinese restaurant of yester year. As we were only having dim sum, a list was provided for us to tick off the types of dim sum we desired. We ordered the Mini egg tarts, Xiao Long Bao (Steamed Shanghai pork buns), century egg with pork porridge, Char Siew Sou (BBQ pork puff), Har Kaw, Siew Mai, Chee Cheong Fun with BBQ pork and Chee Cheong Fun with prawns.
The mini egg tarts at first glance, looked totally unappealing with its slightly dark crust. But as they say, goodness comes from within. In the case of this egg tart, it was literal. The custard wasn’t too sweet and very smooth. The crust was a little hard and had a little milky and oven-baked taste, just like a cookie. Very good I should say! I like this crust better then Tong Heng’s one, but Tong Heng’s custard still prevails. The Xiao Long Bao was disappointing, being too dry with no hint of juiciness at all.
I’ve never liked century egg and all the variations that come with it. But I tried the century egg with pork porridge after some cajoling by my gf and I liked it. The porridge was very sticky and didn’t have the century egg taste at all. (I avoided the century egg) In fact, it tasted like very good pork porridge with deep fried crispys. Next up was the Char Siew Sou, whose crust I like very much due to the oven baked taste that separates it from its other competitors. However, the char siew filling was not up to the mark. It tasted a little watery and didn’t have the real BBQ pork taste. The Siew Mai was good, not too salty and with lots of prawns and lean meat packed into it. Har Kaw tasted normal, but a little expensive in my opinion, given its size and taste.
Last up was the Chee Chong Fun, one with BBQ pork and other with prawns. I liked the one with prawns a lot better as the BBQ pork was practically tasteless. The Chee Chong Fun itself wasn’t too soft, unlike good Chee Chong Funs.
At about $32 for 2 pax for dim sum, it’s a little on the high side, but take comfort in the fact that quite a few dishes at Yan Palace Restaurant are well worth the money. However, do note that the dim sum range is not extensive and they do not serve the dim sum in pushcarts, unlike Red Star. (I’ll do a formal review soon) Nevertheless, Yan Palace Restaurant has found a fan in me with their egg tarts. I’ll be back to try out their long forgotten Zhu Jiao Chu.
See all my pictures here
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Decor was simple and they had nice looking circular booths, which could seat up to 4 people. Got a seat pretty fast and we proceeded to order a Macau style cheese baked rice with pork chop, chicken porridge and red bean snow ice(or something like that).Our food came within 10 mins and we were quite pleased with the presentation. The food actually looked good. However, imagine our disappointment when the porridge tasted bland and the portion was pathetic. I'm sure the $2.50 porridge at the hawker centre outside my house tasted better then that and with a bigger portion to boot. The baked rice was cold on the inside and hot on the outside (the cheese). The rice was drenched in oil(I could actually see the layer of oil!). The saving grace was the red bean snow ice which was actually an oversized ice kachang, but with just red bean, grass jelly and lots of condensed milk in it. I found it quite ok, probably due to the fact that I kinda like ice kachang.
Damage was $25.55/- which I feel is hardly worth it. One of the worst places I've eaten so far. Service is hardly existent as well. Will not be going back EVER! One other thing to note. They charge 40 cents for their iced water (refillable) and they have this practice of rounding up the bill to the nearest 5 cents.
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I used to patronise this place when I was a kid and when they were still located at an old shophouse along Tampines Road. Even then, the prices were steep, coming in at $3 - $4 instead of the usual $1.50 for nasi lemak then. But back then, the food was good and queues of more than 20 people could be seen.
Tried them out again after they moved to their current location. The queue is still there, the prices are still higher then average but the food quality has dipped. Prices are like $6 now which is ridiculous. I rather walk 3 bus stops down Hougang Ave 1 for better and cheaper nasi lemak.
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This is my friend's business and no, I'm not being biased here. All those people who tried the Rocky Road cake at Bobo's birthday can bear testament to that. The cake was very pretty with little heart shapes and marshmellows wedged in between. The chocolate didn't come across as too rich or sweet for that matter. The only thing which I felt could have been better was that it could have been more moist, but the dryness could be due to putting in the fridge for too long.
Lilfoot has other cakes too which are quite decent, like his fever! and signature chocolate cheesecake.
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I tried this courtesy of Team Singapore quite a few years back. The ride lasted probably about 5 mins with most of the anticipation/fear coming during the waiting to be launched off period. I can't remember the exact costs for 1 ride but it definitely isn't cheap. You can also buy a dvd of yourself in the air from the counter after the ride for a few bucks.
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Just went for lunch at this latest TCC outlet. Its situated in the rather inaccessible Keppel Bay, which also boasts fine dining restaurant Prive. Located on the 2nd floor of the clubhouse, the view is excellent through the mostly glass facade. The food is very average though, almost to the point of being lousy and prices aren't cheap (2 of us ate about $40). But the ambience is great, especially at night where you can view the twinkling lights of the city as well as enjoy the serenity of the sea dotted with bobbing yachts.
A poor man's answer to a romantic night out. ;)
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Peach Garden @ 33 was the venue for our dim sum lunch today. The brainchild of two ladies, Angela Ho and Veronica Tan, this latest outlet resides within the 33rd storey of the Executives’ Club of OCBC Centre at Chulia Street (the flagship being at Novena Gardens and their second outlet at Thomson Plaza), and exudes modern sophistication while preserving an oriental charm vis-à-vis Chinese wooden furnishing, paintings and valued objet d'art.
Diners should also reserve beforehand to grab one of the limited tables beside the windowpane that offers a sight of the central business district and panoramic view of the Singapore River.
Food came fast and furious and before we knew it, our table was filled with the many baskets and plates. The Fried Carrot Cake with XO Sauce ($8.00) was well done – unlike those crispy ones you get from hawker centre, the outside was just slightly crisp and the inside, malleable. The flavour of the XO sauce was also captured nicely in the cake, however it should do better if it came less oily.
Since it should only be eaten when it’s piping hot, I took a bite into the Steamed Yolk Cream Bun ($1.20 each) – be warn though as before I knew it, hot steamy cream from the bun came squirting all over my fingers – another well executed dish! Their bun was definitely much better than the ones I tried at Victor’s Kitchen, however what I found missing was the lacked of bite of the salted egg yolk, which I can find at the latter.
The Steamed Rice Roll with Char Siew ($4.00) was up next but however it was disappointing – the texture of the skin was not as smooth and silky as I thought it should be.
To grade whether a dim sum restaurant is good or not, personally I feel that there are two tests it must pass – the Har Kaw, or Steamed Fresh Prawn Dumpling ($1.60 each) and the Siew Mai, or Steamed Pork Dumpling ($1.60 each).
While the prawn dumping was above average, the grading for the pork dumplings was disputed – most of us felt that it tasted more of prawn than pork, and it was hard to compare to the many we have sampled before.
The Baked Mini Egg Tart came with the flaky crust – the type I preferred compared to those that are hard and sturdy. However, for $1.30 each, I do not think they are value for money.
However, if you think that was bad, for $3.80 per (small) bowl, what you get is a very salty bowl of Boiled Porridge with Century Egg and Pork (as stated in the menu). Strangely enough, many of us thought that the meat tasted like chicken – not sure whether that’s a good or bad thing though.
Another disappointing item was the Steamed Xiao Long Bao with Dried Scallop ($1.30 each). A couple of us thought the skin were not as thin and smooth as those found in Ding Tai Fung and the soup was not as succulent as well.
The meal was rounded off with the highlight for the day – Baked Spare Rib with BBQ Sauce. For $7.00 each, expectations were high and everyone was looking forward to it. Presentation-wise, it was dished out fine-dining style like a piece of steak. Taste wise – the essence of the BBQ sauce is captured nicely in the meat – and for those who were luckier, where the meat came in fact with the layer of fatty meat, the marbling meat was a joy to behold (despite a step closer to having a heart attack)! However, for such a price, it would probably be a one-off dish I would try.
Overall, I felt that the expectations weren’t matched and Peach Garden is merely just a slightly above-average place for dim sum. Coupled by the fact that they missed out our order of Xiao Long Bao and the Spare Rib and also didn’t served us our additional order of Prawn Dumplings, I would probably not venture this place again unless by the coaxing of my makan buddies.
You can view all the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
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Its been a while since I last ate at Ellenborough Cafe, probably about 3 years or so. Just for the record, Ellenborough used to be the buffet venue of my choice when they still were charging something to the tune of $26/pax for dinner. Had the opportunity to revisit when one of my friends initiated a get together dinner there (It helped that she could get a 50% discount as well).
Well, since I dislike buffets and I am rather inapt at doing a writeup on it, I shall leave it to my amateur photographs to tell the story. Please pardon my photos, both quality and quantity wise, as it was a bad field trip for me.
Honestly, I think the standard of the food has gone south while the prices have steadily gone north. The shark's fin soup used to be decent but now its just a bowl of salty watered down starch serving with a couple of strands of shark's fin. The famous Durian Pengat, which used to have me going back for more (think 5-6 helpings), is now ridiculously sweet and diluted. Variety of food has stayed constant and I'm pretty sure that they have been serving up the same few dishes throughout the years. The additional outdoor counters are only there due to the restaurant having some anniversary promotion and even then, the food is really not up to the mark.
$223 for 5 pax (before discount) is pure madness for some common and average tasting fare. However factor in the 50% discount ($22/pax) and it will probably be worth it. No prizes for guessing if I'll be back.
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Had dinner at Equinox Restaurant - the much acclaimed restaurant perched right at the top of Swissotel The Stamford, on the 69th storey no less, which at 226m, gives it one of the highest vantage points in Singapore. Famed more for its bird's eye view than its Asian and Western cuisines, Equinox has consistently made it to various Singapore restaurant publications as one of the top restaurants in Singapore nevertheless.
From the moment you step out of the express elevator, the panoramic backdrop of Singapore's urban landscape greets you through floor to ceiling windows. The amphitheatre styled restaurant is tastefully designed with subtle oriental influences through the use of wood and overhanging red Chinese lanterns. The world slows to a crawl in this elegant restaurant, giving one a sense of space and serenity, perfect for a laid back dinner.
The complimentary bread looked really appetising with lots of variety but the truth of the matter was, it was lousy. Most of the bread was dry and hard and probably the only decent one was the bun with sugar and cheese but even then, it was too sweet. It definitely didn't help that the accompanying butter was rock hard as well.
Cappucino of Wild Mushrooms - The soup sure didn't look enticing, especially with the seemingly charred black slice of toast atop. But to give it credit, it tasted decent but did come across as a tad too oily for my liking. There was definitely nothing wild about the taste and I can probably get better mushroom soup elsewhere at a fraction of the price. (I'm not sure how much it costs because it comes with my degustation menu, but being Equinox, you can be sure it isn't going to be cheap).
Roasted Japanese Scallops - Plain bland would be most apt in describing the scallops. Huge as they were, they were neither sweet nor juicy. Interestingly, straddled in between pieces of scallops were scallop lookalike soft and wobbly pieces of Boudin Blanc, white sausages made from pork without the blood, which had a faint liver taste. So in actual fact, there were only 3 pieces of scallops, all for a whopping $28.
Tian of Mud Crab and Avocado - Just a little background on the word Tian. Its actually a square or rectangular French casserole dish originally used for baking. Fanciful names and aesthetics aside, the mud crab and avocado was decent, with the rawness of the crab not overpowering. The bits of avocado in between provided a refreshing change from the monotony of the crab.
Roast Foie Gras Escalope - I shuddered as I took my first bite of the foie gras. First there came shock and then disappointment started to set in. It was neither soft nor wobbly! I am really appalled at such standards. However, I must say that the honey cake that came alongside was spongy and actually made the foie gras bearable.
White Miso Glazed Cod - I've always liked cod fish and Equinox's rendition of the cod was quite good, with the flesh being soft and smooth yet firm enough to retain its form. However I did find the drizzled white miso sauce a little too sweet which made me nauseous after a while. Thank god for the greens that came with it!
Tenderloin of Beef 'Rossini' - Done up medium rare as per my request, the beef was absolutely disappointing. Dry and tough doesn't even begin to describe it. Portions were small and it lacked the sweetness and beefy taste that all decent beef should have. What more can I say?
Hazelnut Chocolate Bar - I liked this quite a bit. The chocolate bar was quite smooth yet not too rich with a nice crunchy biscuit base. Accompanying the chocolate bar was a nice scoop of mint ice cream which I don't usually like, but this one was light and sat very well with me.
Sweet Temptation - Milk Chocolate Orange Gateau, Fig and Sangria Gelee & Yoghurt Sorbet, Contemporary Apple Tart & Nougat Chips, Araguani Chocolate Cream & Vanilla Chantilly & Coffee Granite - Overall the dessert platter was decent. For starters, the milk chocolate orange gateau was rather interesting with the chocolate gateau hinting strongly of orange. Quite a nice combination in my humble opinion.
I didn't quite take to the fig and sangria gelee though, as I'm not exactly a fan of fig or sangria. And the texture of the gelee (jello) reminded me of hardened "kuay" then anything else. The yoghurt sorbert was alright though but nothing fantastic.
The contemporary apple tart's biscuit was a tad too hard and dry but the apple cubes were nice without being too sweet or sour. Having said that, it wasn't exactly wow for me.
The highlight of the dessert platter has to be the Araguani chocolate cream. Topped with vanilla chantilly (cream) and coffee granite, this combination proved to be rather interesting when everything was mixed together. Bitter and sweet altogether. The addition of chocolate balls to this dessert gave it a nice crunchy texture as well.
Expectations, expectations, expectations. That's what it all boils down to. Seriously, the food isn't bad, just that I had high expectations of it with all the hype and of course the steep pricing, standing at just over $310 ($177 after 50% discount) for 2 pax. Service is good but honestly, the food's not worth returning for. For the view and ambience, maybe.
See all my pictures here.
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