Indulge in a filling breakfast early in the morning, in the outdoors with fresh air surrounding you!
As are most diners, hidden in a corner in Dempsey Road along Harding Road I believe, is PS Cafe. A great place that's somewhat secluded, and so allows you to enjoy the peace and serenity - something you seldom get in our little over-crowded city. Nonetheless, I do understand that the place is much more crowded by noon, which I believe you will not experience it so long as you're there and leave before 11 or so?
Also, they allow you the choice of an indoor pseudo-outdoor experience with the air-con and slow-turning fans or the real open air outside, with smoking and non-smoking area. Despite being a non-smoker, and would really hate it if someone was gonna smoke there, the smoker's corner was really pretty cool with some yellow chairs that look real good to laze in and coffee tables in the middle.
When I was there in the morning, it wasn't packed yet. Only the tables outside at the non-smoking corner (probably also because the smoker's corner does not have proper dining tables) were fully occupied. However, there seemed to be quite a reasonable number of waiters around who were pretty quick to respond to your needs. Efficient waiters make a hungry man happy.
Along with my breakfast buddy, we had, to share, a big breakfast and blueberry pancakes. Save for the "blueberry", it really does sound like 2 portions of Macdonalds' breakfast meal (that's a joke of course).
Let me begin with my favourite - the blueberry pancake. Simple as it was, garnished with blueberries and strawberries, it tasted oh-so-good. Credits go to not just the maple syrup, but the pancakes itself too. The maple syrup was good in that it wasn't too sweet and so doesn't totally cover the taste of the blueberry pancake. Also, the pancakes were absolutely delectable. It was soft, came with quite some blueberry jam/ blueberries in the pancake itself and served in a generous portion of 3 large slices. It was so tasy (and again, not too sweet) that you could eat it without the maple syrup.
The big breakfast did not pale in comparison either. Again, another reasonably large serving. The breakfast came with scrambled eggs (or other choice of eggs eg poached/fried eggs), bread under the eggs, a stick of roasted asparagus, beef sausages, English bacon, roasted tomato dressed with basil leaves and a little serving of baked beans. The bread was buttery and tasty; the egg was nicely done and not over-scrambled, and went really nicely with tomato sauce (!); beef sausage was not salty nor tough. I didn't eat the asparagus nor tomato, but it seemed like my breakfast buddy enjoyed it. Baked beans didn't seem out of the can, as it wasn't as sweet as those.
All in all, I thought the breakfast was good as the flavour of the food served wasn't too strong for the first meal of the day. And being outdoors made it even more refreshing (despite the occasional falling leaves). Along with a mocha and hot chocolate, the breakfast was complete. (Of course this was only based on my breakfast experience, I didn't try their desserts/ lunch etc).
Although I may have sound like I enjoyed my time there, it really isn't a place I'd go to everyday. The bill came up to just over $60 for 2 and I think that explains my previous line. Apart from that, it is not a very accessible place for a person who doesn't drive. Nonetheless, if you're planning on going, do not worry as PS Cafe has impressed me by the provision of a card with all the numbers you can call to get yourself a taxi out of the place. Interesting and impressing.
So if you're looking to pamper yourself for a day, after a look week of hard work perhaps, maybe PS Cafe would be nice, albeit not an everyday-place.
I'm one of those people who's rather particular about my haircut. And I'm particularly particular about it. Nonetheless, haircuts are getting more and more expensive (that's if you choose to go to a more expensive place for that little bit more security - that's me), plus mid-length hair usually cost more too. Desperately needing a trim, I decided upon a random shop where there was an available hairdresser.
The haircut was $22.50 flat. And I didn't have to wait long to get started. At the same time, there were quite a number of people, thus making it seem like the place was rather popular. So having given the abovementioned reasons, I stepped into the shop.
First impression: Oh man, this place is full of people who spells of "I-just-smoked-and-so-I-smell-like-this". The smell got me feeling rather giddy for a little while till I got used to it.
All I did there was get a trim and thin my hair a little, but allow me to illustrate my experience within my "short" (it was much longer than necessary) time spent there:
1) I wasn't offered a drink, despite there being an obvious sign placed on the table that there are free drinks. I thought it wasn't anything much until I saw the same person cutting my hair serving another customer a drink, then I wondered why the double standards.
2) The floor is extremely dirty and nobody bothers to sweep the hair from the floor (till maybe the end of business everyday).
3) When I asked for some suggestions on what I could do about my hair to make it look less messy, all the advice I received was "oh, rebond your hair lor". How wise.
4) I was brought to the back to wash my hair. The water temperature was not adjusted and the hairwash was literally simply a hairwash. No other value-added services like a massage at the same time (which I get very often from other place, and so I presume it's the norm for most salons).
5) After washing, the person in charge didn't even bother to towel-dry my hair. He merely put a towel on my head and expected me to walk out. I could feel water dripping from my hair down to my ankles.
6) The towel that he put on my head was black, and stained from the many occasions it was used to dye someone else's hair. No doubt the colour wouldn't get on my clothes/ head, but it was a disgusting sight to see dirty towels on your hair, especially just after a wash.
7) Lastly, while drying my hair halfway, a customer came into their shop. She was around several minutes before and was told to come back again. So when she did do so, the guy cutting my hair stopped and brought her in to get a seat (without even saying a word to me either). Not only did he do just that, he even went on to getting her a drink and mixing the hair dye for her hair. All that took awhile. And in the meantime, my hair was strewn all over my face, half wet half dry. And then I waited. And waited. And waited. Till he came back, and didn't say a word.
Lastly, the person cutting my hair didn't even appear to be interested in his job or seemed very confident of what he was doing. It was a nightmare. Personally, I will never go back there again.
However, it does seem like they have rather good business though. A number of regular customers and perhaps cheaper service. Maybe I was just unlucky. But I'd still say: I'm never going back.
If you're looking for a quiet and pleasant place for French cuisine, I would say Vis-A-Vis would satisfy your requirements. The warm orange lightings and neatly furnished restaurant makes one feel very comfortable. On top of that, the restaurant is usually peaceful and is not very crowded. However, beware - this is not the place to go if you're on a budget.
Service Something I noticed and was surprised for some unknown reason - the waiters were all middle-aged men, minus the lady behind the bar in charge of the bill (whom I reckon is the boss/ co-owner).
Upon entering, it seems like there would always be someone attending to you, hence minimizing your waiting time. A waiter is assigned to the table and is always ready to take your order or answer any queries. While I have to give them credit for their effort in providing good service, it occasionally felt like the waiters were "doing too much". Having them looking over at your table all the time sometimes did make me feel a little uneasy.
Food and Price We ordered a Christmas special that was $86 (original: $78, but we changed the dessert for something else outside the set) and is fairly cheap, relative to the prices of their individual items. All in all, we ordered an additional Clam Chowder, Roasted Lamb, Roasted Prime Rib, Creme Brulee Ice Cream, Escargots and a bisque (but I forgot what was in it).
I especially liked the Clam Chowder. It was unexpected but a pleasant surprise. The soup tasted sweet and came in a large portion. Also, it did not have any clams in it. Where did the clams go? That's where it's different. On the side, they served a strip of bamboo clam flambed in whisky, topped with garlic and some spices. So now we have Clam Chowder, with the whole Clam! Perfect for clam-lovers. I'd say it was great.
The Escargots were part of the set and came in a bowl with some salad and half a potato. And the verdict? Disappointing. There were only 4 pieces of escargots (and I was expecting the usual 6...) that was garnished with some butter and garlic I believe, which made it rather tasty I admit. However, the potato used was that of a boiling potato rather than a baking potato, which is a whole world of difference. To me, it was rather shocking to know that a restaurant like this would serve potatoes that we usually use in making clear soup (and perhaps with some tomato and pork).
The Lamb (medium) was well-decorated and looked very appetizing. So was the Prime Rib. However, the gravy that came along with the Lamb had a smell that usually comes with the meat. Ironically, the meat did not have that smell. However it was rather soft and chewy. The Prime Rib (medium-rare) was not too bad, but just a little over-done. This could be because it was a really thin slice. The beef was sweet and tender, but had a little more fat than expected. So part of the slice of steak was wasted.
So, everything but dessert was done. Wasn't all satisfied, considering how much they cost, but the dessert was.. worse. We had a Creme Brulee Ice Cream. Firstly, it tasted from like coffee/ dark chocolate ice cream. It tasted nothing like caramel/ cream. Then, there were 3 balls of fritters that was stuffed with sweet potato, with some melted chocolate in it. Not exactly the best French dessert combination, plus the fact that I'm not a fan of sweet potato. On the other hand, my friend quite liked it for the slight bitterness and sweet potato with chocolate. So it couldn't be all that bad.
Along with the meal, we had a glass of red wine and rose wine. The whole meal came up to came up to $220 . The lamb was about $50. For your information, deserts are priced at $20 , soups are slightly below 20, main course above $40. Final verdict? It was alright, but I wouldn't go back again even though it tasted alright. But for this price, alright shouldn't be what you expect.
Because of how "ulu" the place is, I was pretty surprised yet glad to see that Blooie's isn't that unheard of after all. I'd say it's well-snugged in a corner of the east side of Singapore. And gave the impression of them trying to be like little America! Albeit a little too little. Perhaps being inexperienced in nightlife, I felt like I was in a foreign land with the "dim lighting and dark wood", as quoted from above.
My experience there was fine as I was with a company of 2, before the crowd came. First of all, I'd say this place is not so much recommended for big groups due to the lack of space and seats. Furniture is arranged to meet the diner's maximum capacity so yes, I can imagine it would be pretty hard to move around later into the night.
Main courses at Blooie's seems generally ok to me. We had:
Seafood Pasta - $17 with Marinara sauce and choice of penne or spaghetti. There were 3 good-sized mussels that was cooked (I'm not a semi-cooked/raw-shell-meat person) just well and easy to remove from the shell. Juicy and chewy, rather fresh to the tastebuds. Along with a few slices of fish, squids and prawns. Excess toppings of onions and capsicums, not my idea of tasty-food nor acceptable amount. Nonetheless, I would say this is something you can try!
Mushroom Cheese Bacon Burger - $15 (I can't remember the exact name) with no mushroom. The kitchen was nice to cut our burger into 3 even portions for easy divide of food. However, the mushrooms did not seem to have been divided equally as out of the 3, 2 slices had no mushrooms, unfortunately. The beef patty was pretty dry and disintegrated under the slicing of my knife. Apart from that, bacon was tasty and pleasant to the tastebuds, along with what little cheese was left.
From what my friend says, the chef's recommendations are safe to try (which was what we had). From the 2 dishes we ordered, I'd agree with her. Besides, the portions are pretty large and price is good.
Apart from that, alcoholic drinks are at lower price at happy hour, form 4pm - 8pm. Just an idea of what the price is like:
Frozen Margarita (with choice of fruit flavour) @ $8.80
Vodka lime/lemon etc @ $8 (instead of $12)
Even when it's not happy hour, drinks there seem to be relatively cheaper too. Along with the available televisions that seemed to play on sports channels, it could be a nice place to chill for sports fanatics.
No doubt it's a pub, it doesn't come across as a sleazy place despite being hidden in a corner away from others. It seems to me that many expats visit the place with their children. Has to be rather decent and suitable for a night out with your family members. It kinda reminds me of Hog's Breath, but way better than that.
For the price and portion of food, and of course relatively acceptable quality of food, I'd say this place is ok to go again (maybe at a later time, just to see if it's really a decent place, perhaps). But definitely not an awesome, jaw-dropping chill-out pub nor restaurant. Acceptable, yes.
Yet another TCC experience. Only this time, it wasn't a coffee-day but a main course-day.
Menus at TCC vary slightly from place to place. But most of them are the same, other than the one at the Airport - has less food items, more coffee and drinks.
I notice that the food at TCC is rather American/Italian style but extremely localized. The ingredients used in their dishes tend to be common local dish ingredients e.g tofu, chicken, mushrooms, seafood etc. They do more sandwich and pasta, with generous portions of soup serving that's better to be shared between 2, or you'll be so full after the soup you can't finish your main course.
I tried their:
Tofu Beef Panini Sandwich Tender slices of beef between the sandwich, along with soft velvet tofu that melts in your mouth. There's fish flakes (I think. The kind they put in your takopachi!) in the sandwich, and along with the sauce that gives it its flavour (which may be a little too salty for some).
I found the whole sandwich really messy to eat because it's so huge and has multiple layers. Personally, I didn't quite like the taste of the sandwich. I didn't think the taste went together very well and it was odd having tofu with bread. Nonetheless, it did seem like an attempt at trying to cater to the locals' tastebuds.
Seafood Aglio Olio I liked this pasta because it was spicy! There were visible slices of chilli padi in it. The pasta was topped with prawns and scallop.
Eat it while it's hot. This is when it's at its best. However when the pasta turns cold, the spaghetti would lump together and it becomes very dry to the mouth, you start getting sick of eating it.
It's a rather oily dish though, and hence left a very uncomfortable feeling around my mouth. I didn't like how it was so oily and yet so dry when it turned cold.
Service:
The lay out of this TCC outlet is much better than the one at the Airport. It is definitely not a problem to spot the waiters and vice versa. However I felt that the waiters were not very attentive, hence not that efficient.
On the whole, I feel that TCC is best suited for coffee and desserts only. Their main courses have a weird flavour and is not to the liking of someone like me, who is less adventurous when it comes to food.
Between 2 of us, we had a pasta, a sandwich and a Frappe. The bill came up to slightly more than $40 with GSt. Rather pricey too I would say. If you're looking for a place with good food to dine at, I don't quite recommend this place for the price and quality.
(PS: rating is based on food; their coffee is good!)
With it being the oh-so-wonderful study season for us students, I recently chanced upon this relatively new TCC oulet at the airport! The day I sat in this place, I told myself I am going to frequent here from now on!
For starters, I really love the interior design of this place. It is pretty spacious and just looks really comfortable! As it's mostly real quiet and peaceful at T3, you can expect to get a comfortable couch seat (even if you're alone) which accommodates four people most of the time! I really like how they play with the colours of the furniture and wall, flooring and lightings as it makes it all very comfortable to be in.
Service wise, I find the waiters there very pleasant and polite. They seem to be very happy being where they are, thus making the place feel less "dead". Lively is good! But either that they are having too much fun among themselves or that the place is really too big, sometimes it does take awhile to catch the eye of one of them to make your orders.
Finally, TCC is not called the coffee connoisseur for no reason. From being a non-coffee person to a Starbucks/ Coffee Bean person (because they have less strong or bitter coffee - yes I don't quite know how to appreciate the coffee taste!) and now, I'm really into TCC! Even though I'm not a coffee connoisseur, I must say that the coffee beans/ powder (whichever) they use is of better quality than famous Coffee Bean/ Starbucks. It is more aromatic and the taste is definitely stronger and more whole.
Kudos to TCC for their large variety of coffee and creativity! You can get anything from the more traditional kind of, say, Blue Mountain Coffee to ice-blended stuff and even Coffee with liqour! (The last one leaves me wondering, though, whether this drink should be keeping me awake or knocking me out.) For non-coffee people, don't worry! TCC has an equally wide variety of drinks like tea, shakes and fruit juices to cater to your likes. If you're out for a little "adventure", so to speak, you can also find something exotic/ interesting from here.
Some drinks I've tried:
Kaffee-tini, $11 : vodka-spiked espresso with a tinge of mint (supposedly). I didn't quite taste the mint though.
Mint Choc Frappe, $7.50: Superb! I thought the whipped cream was wonderful with the chocolate and mint syrup drizzled on it.
Oreo-mocha Frappe, $7.50: I didn't quite like the what-seemed-like-Oreo-dust in the drink. It spoilt the texture of the drink, making it feel very "dirty" to drink =x Apart from the oreo, this drink is actually pretty much the same as all the other frappes.
Iced Minty Mocha: The triple-layered drink served in a tall glass looks too beautiful to drink. But, as though it was quite a bad mix of flavours, the drink turns out to taste a little salty or something. Somehow, as weird as it may seem, I actually feel that the drink tastes abit like some home-made clear soup.
(Guess what, the pictures of the drinks you see in their menu is exactly what they serve you! I'm rather impressed actually!)
This place is basically a coffee place, there are main courses but don't expect much from the menu. It's pretty limited and rather expensive. I had Macaroni Gratin at $10.80. Was a really small serving but tasted pretty good with mini macaroni, tasty mushroom slices and chicken bits, topped with a layer of mozzeralla cheese. Their cakes are not bad, with my personal favourite being the Marble Cheesecake ($5.50) (:
In addition, you could check out their monthly special concoction. They would have a different drink off the menu available each month, at a slightly lower-than-usual price. In the month of June, it's Strawberry Soy-tisfying. Basically strawberry flavoured soya bean. To me, it tastes a little weird actually.
I pretty much like the place, though a pity that TCC is rather over-priced =x It's like paying for the "brand". Nonetheless, it's a great place to chill and hang around with friends, or just to have a moment to yourself (: I give it 4 stars, because it's too expensive to frequent!
Oh and if you're looking for this exact oulet, it's the arrival hall, near Mac's, not the one upstairs! (Yes there's 2 at T3!)
I credit this place for their cheap Western cuisine and relatively decent quality. I was expecting a lot from this place when I first heard about it on Yebber, and have been bugging friends to accompany me there. But when I was finally there, my expectation dropped a level as I seldom thought highly of food at neighbourhood coffee shops.
I'm rather impressed by the variety of food provided, and the relatively low prices they're able to charge despite the soaring price levels. As I was there rather late (8.30pm), the crowd probably had dispersed already and I didn't have to wait long for my food.
Fish and Chips was not bad. The fish was rather thin however, thus making the chewing sensation a little less satisfying. But I really liked how it was fried till it was crispy. I personally felt that the coleslaw had a slightly bitter after-taste and did not like the taste of onions in it. As for their soup, it's actually Campbell soup, which I feel isn't any original at all.
I left the place feeling satisfied with the price I paid and the food I had, but with all the hooha, I must say the place is a tad over-rated. Not when soups are instant canned-soup ): Nonetheless, I'd say it's a good place for budget western food, minus the ambience.
Looking for chocolates as a gift on Valentine's, birthdays, anniversaries etc? Or just looking for great chocolates to satisfy your own craving? Try Jaime's!
Despite being a rather small shop unit and relatively unnoticed at the 2nd level of TPY Entertainment Centre, it has a great variety of chocolates! It sounds like the lower end of Godiva but I'd give Jaime's credit for its creativity and wonderful imagination.
To begin with, you will get the usual flavoured chocolates suc as nut pralines and almond at Jaime's, but there's also certain rather exciting fruit flavours like passionfruit, pear, orange, lemon, banana and lime. My personal favourites are the milk chocolates and pralines (hazelnut praline and triple praline) which leaves a velvet texture in your mouth, and is slightly creamier and more buttery than usual chocolates.
Of course it's not just about tasting good there, it's also about the visual appeal. One look and you just feel like buying everything there even if you don't like certain flavours. Their chocolates come in different shapes and sizes, with some in dog moulds, ducks, rabbits and teddies. Or you get a heart-shaped box made of milk chocolate, with another chocolate in it! On the surface of the chocolate, some of them even give the effect of sprayed paint or blowed glass - really pretty!
So if you're looking for chocolates as gifts, do try Jaime's! I'm sure they're not just visually appealing but would also taste great (: If you're not sure what to order, try those they recommend! The sales person would be more than happy to help.
We all know Japanese food as expensive, pocket-ripping cuisine that's irresistible at the same time! But fear not (especially students!), because Sumo House is here to the rescue!
I used to patronize Sumo House at Bedok Central, but after they closed down that outlet, I never went there anymore. But recently I had the chance to go to Clementi, of course I didn't miss the chance to have Sumo House!
Although most of the things sold at Sumo House are mainly rice and noodles stuff, and not the fresh sashimi which maybe many love, I think what you can get from them is really good enough.
I ordered a Katsu Curry and my friend got a Yakimeshi (Breaded Chicken with Fried Rice), both to go. Although we had to pay an extra 50c, I was rather impressed when I received my food. As I did not have a proper table to eat (at where I was), because the bento was properly packed and the food well arranged, it made eating while sitting on the floor very convenient. I felt that their curry rice was good and the chicken wasn't too soggy (after being soaked under the hot curry gravy). The curry had a tinge of sweetness and got me wanting for more! As for their fried rice, it wasn't too salty but I found it rather oily. And the breaded chicken was crispy and tender too! Lastly, the miso soup! Half the time I get very salty miso soup when I have Japanese food, obviously instant-soup. But this time I found the miso soup tasty and not salty, with a generous serving of seaweed! The only thing lacking probably was tofu cubes.
The best thing - Both our bentos were less than $6! I'd definitely recommend everyone to try out Sumo House!
Ah, now I know why I felt that "asian" flavour in the food at Changing Appetities. Because it's Japanese fusion! Alright, only realized when I saw one of the reviews above.
Honestly, Changing Appetites totally did not strike me as a place with jap-fusion food. It looks like another Cafe Cartel/ Breeks. Even their list of food looks very much like it. Pasta, brownies, mud pies etc. Very western style.
I was there with a group of friends for early lunch. I didn't order a main course but I (after several attempts to order a mudpie of any sort) got myself a brownie and stole several mouthful of different dishes from my friends.
Main course - eh, let's see. First thing that struck me was that it seemed rather typical for them to display their meat-stuff in a "kebab" style. If they were really a western restaurant, I'd be pretty amuse with this style of presentation. But when you try their food, it sure does have a tinge of asian flavour, with the funny unidentifiable taste/ spices used. Nonetheless, it (was nothing like japanese-fusion food) tasted rather weird to mix things like pasta with weird sour-sweet spices.
Drinks - nothing special. Feeling super hyped and all, my friends and I ordered 2 giant mugs of their super-sized ice chocolate. Well, all I can say is that it felt like a drink done with little effort put in. Powder, water, ice, ice cream, stick a spoon in, serve. If chocolate powder were coarse grains, I'd feel as though I was drinking sand-water. Yuck.
Dessert - bleh. Though their menu seemed to have such a variety of desserts, with their mudpies looking like their "main attraction", there was virtually NO mudpies available then! Out of the THREE brownies they had, only ONE was available. Were we too early (we were their first customer of the day)? Still, I think that's no excuse to not have all their desserts available! Was quite a let-down.
Price - it's a little like Cafe Cartel I'd say. Though with what I experienced the other day, I'd say it's a place I'd go once and never again. Not with that quality nor price.
Indulge in a filling breakfast early in the morning, in the outdoors with fresh air surrounding you!
As are most diners, hidden in a corner in Dempsey Road along Harding Road I believe, is PS Cafe. A great place that's somewhat secluded, and so allows you to enjoy the peace and serenity - something you seldom get in our little over-crowded city. Nonetheless, I do understand that the place is much more crowded by noon, which I believe you will not experience it so long as you're there and leave before 11 or so?
Also, they allow you the choice of an indoor pseudo-outdoor experience with the air-con and slow-turning fans or the real open air outside, with smoking and non-smoking area. Despite being a non-smoker, and would really hate it if someone was gonna smoke there, the smoker's corner was really pretty cool with some yellow chairs that look real good to laze in and coffee tables in the middle.
When I was there in the morning, it wasn't packed yet. Only the tables outside at the non-smoking corner (probably also because the smoker's corner does not have proper dining tables) were fully occupied. However, there seemed to be quite a reasonable number of waiters around who were pretty quick to respond to your needs. Efficient waiters make a hungry man happy.
Along with my breakfast buddy, we had, to share, a big breakfast and blueberry pancakes. Save for the "blueberry", it really does sound like 2 portions of Macdonalds' breakfast meal (that's a joke of course).
Let me begin with my favourite - the blueberry pancake. Simple as it was, garnished with blueberries and strawberries, it tasted oh-so-good. Credits go to not just the maple syrup, but the pancakes itself too. The maple syrup was good in that it wasn't too sweet and so doesn't totally cover the taste of the blueberry pancake. Also, the pancakes were absolutely delectable. It was soft, came with quite some blueberry jam/ blueberries in the pancake itself and served in a generous portion of 3 large slices. It was so tasy (and again, not too sweet) that you could eat it without the maple syrup.
The big breakfast did not pale in comparison either. Again, another reasonably large serving. The breakfast came with scrambled eggs (or other choice of eggs eg poached/fried eggs), bread under the eggs, a stick of roasted asparagus, beef sausages, English bacon, roasted tomato dressed with basil leaves and a little serving of baked beans. The bread was buttery and tasty; the egg was nicely done and not over-scrambled, and went really nicely with tomato sauce (!); beef sausage was not salty nor tough. I didn't eat the asparagus nor tomato, but it seemed like my breakfast buddy enjoyed it. Baked beans didn't seem out of the can, as it wasn't as sweet as those.
All in all, I thought the breakfast was good as the flavour of the food served wasn't too strong for the first meal of the day. And being outdoors made it even more refreshing (despite the occasional falling leaves). Along with a mocha and hot chocolate, the breakfast was complete. (Of course this was only based on my breakfast experience, I didn't try their desserts/ lunch etc).
Although I may have sound like I enjoyed my time there, it really isn't a place I'd go to everyday. The bill came up to just over $60 for 2 and I think that explains my previous line. Apart from that, it is not a very accessible place for a person who doesn't drive. Nonetheless, if you're planning on going, do not worry as PS Cafe has impressed me by the provision of a card with all the numbers you can call to get yourself a taxi out of the place. Interesting and impressing.
So if you're looking to pamper yourself for a day, after a look week of hard work perhaps, maybe PS Cafe would be nice, albeit not an everyday-place.
Rating given:
I'm one of those people who's rather particular about my haircut. And I'm particularly particular about it. Nonetheless, haircuts are getting more and more expensive (that's if you choose to go to a more expensive place for that little bit more security - that's me), plus mid-length hair usually cost more too. Desperately needing a trim, I decided upon a random shop where there was an available hairdresser.
The haircut was $22.50 flat. And I didn't have to wait long to get started. At the same time, there were quite a number of people, thus making it seem like the place was rather popular. So having given the abovementioned reasons, I stepped into the shop.
First impression: Oh man, this place is full of people who spells of "I-just-smoked-and-so-I-smell-like-this". The smell got me feeling rather giddy for a little while till I got used to it.
All I did there was get a trim and thin my hair a little, but allow me to illustrate my experience within my "short" (it was much longer than necessary) time spent there:
1) I wasn't offered a drink, despite there being an obvious sign placed on the table that there are free drinks. I thought it wasn't anything much until I saw the same person cutting my hair serving another customer a drink, then I wondered why the double standards.
2) The floor is extremely dirty and nobody bothers to sweep the hair from the floor (till maybe the end of business everyday).
3) When I asked for some suggestions on what I could do about my hair to make it look less messy, all the advice I received was "oh, rebond your hair lor". How wise.
4) I was brought to the back to wash my hair. The water temperature was not adjusted and the hairwash was literally simply a hairwash. No other value-added services like a massage at the same time (which I get very often from other place, and so I presume it's the norm for most salons).
5) After washing, the person in charge didn't even bother to towel-dry my hair. He merely put a towel on my head and expected me to walk out. I could feel water dripping from my hair down to my ankles.
6) The towel that he put on my head was black, and stained from the many occasions it was used to dye someone else's hair. No doubt the colour wouldn't get on my clothes/ head, but it was a disgusting sight to see dirty towels on your hair, especially just after a wash.
7) Lastly, while drying my hair halfway, a customer came into their shop. She was around several minutes before and was told to come back again. So when she did do so, the guy cutting my hair stopped and brought her in to get a seat (without even saying a word to me either). Not only did he do just that, he even went on to getting her a drink and mixing the hair dye for her hair. All that took awhile. And in the meantime, my hair was strewn all over my face, half wet half dry. And then I waited. And waited. And waited. Till he came back, and didn't say a word.
Lastly, the person cutting my hair didn't even appear to be interested in his job or seemed very confident of what he was doing. It was a nightmare. Personally, I will never go back there again.
However, it does seem like they have rather good business though. A number of regular customers and perhaps cheaper service. Maybe I was just unlucky. But I'd still say: I'm never going back.
Rating given:
If you're looking for a quiet and pleasant place for French cuisine, I would say Vis-A-Vis would satisfy your requirements. The warm orange lightings and neatly furnished restaurant makes one feel very comfortable. On top of that, the restaurant is usually peaceful and is not very crowded. However, beware - this is not the place to go if you're on a budget.
Service
Something I noticed and was surprised for some unknown reason - the waiters were all middle-aged men, minus the lady behind the bar in charge of the bill (whom I reckon is the boss/ co-owner).
Upon entering, it seems like there would always be someone attending to you, hence minimizing your waiting time. A waiter is assigned to the table and is always ready to take your order or answer any queries. While I have to give them credit for their effort in providing good service, it occasionally felt like the waiters were "doing too much". Having them looking over at your table all the time sometimes did make me feel a little uneasy.
Food and Price
We ordered a Christmas special that was $86 (original: $78, but we changed the dessert for something else outside the set) and is fairly cheap, relative to the prices of their individual items. All in all, we ordered an additional Clam Chowder, Roasted Lamb, Roasted Prime Rib, Creme Brulee Ice Cream, Escargots and a bisque (but I forgot what was in it).
I especially liked the Clam Chowder. It was unexpected but a pleasant surprise. The soup tasted sweet and came in a large portion. Also, it did not have any clams in it. Where did the clams go? That's where it's different. On the side, they served a strip of bamboo clam flambed in whisky, topped with garlic and some spices. So now we have Clam Chowder, with the whole Clam! Perfect for clam-lovers. I'd say it was great.
The Escargots were part of the set and came in a bowl with some salad and half a potato. And the verdict? Disappointing. There were only 4 pieces of escargots (and I was expecting the usual 6...) that was garnished with some butter and garlic I believe, which made it rather tasty I admit. However, the potato used was that of a boiling potato rather than a baking potato, which is a whole world of difference. To me, it was rather shocking to know that a restaurant like this would serve potatoes that we usually use in making clear soup (and perhaps with some tomato and pork).
The Lamb (medium) was well-decorated and looked very appetizing. So was the Prime Rib. However, the gravy that came along with the Lamb had a smell that usually comes with the meat. Ironically, the meat did not have that smell. However it was rather soft and chewy. The Prime Rib (medium-rare) was not too bad, but just a little over-done. This could be because it was a really thin slice. The beef was sweet and tender, but had a little more fat than expected. So part of the slice of steak was wasted.
So, everything but dessert was done. Wasn't all satisfied, considering how much they cost, but the dessert was.. worse. We had a Creme Brulee Ice Cream. Firstly, it tasted from like coffee/ dark chocolate ice cream. It tasted nothing like caramel/ cream. Then, there were 3 balls of fritters that was stuffed with sweet potato, with some melted chocolate in it. Not exactly the best French dessert combination, plus the fact that I'm not a fan of sweet potato. On the other hand, my friend quite liked it for the slight bitterness and sweet potato with chocolate. So it couldn't be all that bad.
Along with the meal, we had a glass of red wine and rose wine. The whole meal came up to came up to $220 . The lamb was about $50. For your information, deserts are priced at $20 , soups are slightly below 20, main course above $40. Final verdict? It was alright, but I wouldn't go back again even though it tasted alright. But for this price, alright shouldn't be what you expect.
Rating given:
Because of how "ulu" the place is, I was pretty surprised yet glad to see that Blooie's isn't that unheard of after all. I'd say it's well-snugged in a corner of the east side of Singapore. And gave the impression of them trying to be like little America! Albeit a little too little. Perhaps being inexperienced in nightlife, I felt like I was in a foreign land with the "dim lighting and dark wood", as quoted from above.
My experience there was fine as I was with a company of 2, before the crowd came. First of all, I'd say this place is not so much recommended for big groups due to the lack of space and seats. Furniture is arranged to meet the diner's maximum capacity so yes, I can imagine it would be pretty hard to move around later into the night.
Main courses at Blooie's seems generally ok to me. We had:
Seafood Pasta - $17 with Marinara sauce and choice of penne or spaghetti. There were 3 good-sized mussels that was cooked (I'm not a semi-cooked/raw-shell-meat person) just well and easy to remove from the shell. Juicy and chewy, rather fresh to the tastebuds. Along with a few slices of fish, squids and prawns. Excess toppings of onions and capsicums, not my idea of tasty-food nor acceptable amount. Nonetheless, I would say this is something you can try!
Mushroom Cheese Bacon Burger - $15 (I can't remember the exact name) with no mushroom. The kitchen was nice to cut our burger into 3 even portions for easy divide of food. However, the mushrooms did not seem to have been divided equally as out of the 3, 2 slices had no mushrooms, unfortunately. The beef patty was pretty dry and disintegrated under the slicing of my knife. Apart from that, bacon was tasty and pleasant to the tastebuds, along with what little cheese was left.
From what my friend says, the chef's recommendations are safe to try (which was what we had). From the 2 dishes we ordered, I'd agree with her. Besides, the portions are pretty large and price is good.
Apart from that, alcoholic drinks are at lower price at happy hour, form 4pm - 8pm. Just an idea of what the price is like:
Frozen Margarita (with choice of fruit flavour) @ $8.80
Vodka lime/lemon etc @ $8 (instead of $12)
Even when it's not happy hour, drinks there seem to be relatively cheaper too. Along with the available televisions that seemed to play on sports channels, it could be a nice place to chill for sports fanatics.
No doubt it's a pub, it doesn't come across as a sleazy place despite being hidden in a corner away from others. It seems to me that many expats visit the place with their children. Has to be rather decent and suitable for a night out with your family members. It kinda reminds me of Hog's Breath, but way better than that.
For the price and portion of food, and of course relatively acceptable quality of food, I'd say this place is ok to go again (maybe at a later time, just to see if it's really a decent place, perhaps). But definitely not an awesome, jaw-dropping chill-out pub nor restaurant. Acceptable, yes.
Rating given:
Yet another TCC experience. Only this time, it wasn't a coffee-day but a main course-day.
Menus at TCC vary slightly from place to place. But most of them are the same, other than the one at the Airport - has less food items, more coffee and drinks.
I notice that the food at TCC is rather American/Italian style but extremely localized. The ingredients used in their dishes tend to be common local dish ingredients e.g tofu, chicken, mushrooms, seafood etc. They do more sandwich and pasta, with generous portions of soup serving that's better to be shared between 2, or you'll be so full after the soup you can't finish your main course.
I tried their:
Tofu Beef Panini Sandwich
Tender slices of beef between the sandwich, along with soft velvet tofu that melts in your mouth. There's fish flakes (I think. The kind they put in your takopachi!) in the sandwich, and along with the sauce that gives it its flavour (which may be a little too salty for some).
I found the whole sandwich really messy to eat because it's so huge and has multiple layers. Personally, I didn't quite like the taste of the sandwich. I didn't think the taste went together very well and it was odd having tofu with bread. Nonetheless, it did seem like an attempt at trying to cater to the locals' tastebuds.
Seafood Aglio Olio
I liked this pasta because it was spicy! There were visible slices of chilli padi in it. The pasta was topped with prawns and scallop.
Eat it while it's hot. This is when it's at its best. However when the pasta turns cold, the spaghetti would lump together and it becomes very dry to the mouth, you start getting sick of eating it.
It's a rather oily dish though, and hence left a very uncomfortable feeling around my mouth. I didn't like how it was so oily and yet so dry when it turned cold.
Service:
The lay out of this TCC outlet is much better than the one at the Airport. It is definitely not a problem to spot the waiters and vice versa. However I felt that the waiters were not very attentive, hence not that efficient.
On the whole, I feel that TCC is best suited for coffee and desserts only. Their main courses have a weird flavour and is not to the liking of someone like me, who is less adventurous when it comes to food.
Between 2 of us, we had a pasta, a sandwich and a Frappe. The bill came up to slightly more than $40 with GSt. Rather pricey too I would say. If you're looking for a place with good food to dine at, I don't quite recommend this place for the price and quality.
(PS: rating is based on food; their coffee is good!)
Rating given:
(editted: 4th June 08)
With it being the oh-so-wonderful study season for us students, I recently chanced upon this relatively new TCC oulet at the airport! The day I sat in this place, I told myself I am going to frequent here from now on!
For starters, I really love the interior design of this place. It is pretty spacious and just looks really comfortable! As it's mostly real quiet and peaceful at T3, you can expect to get a comfortable couch seat (even if you're alone) which accommodates four people most of the time! I really like how they play with the colours of the furniture and wall, flooring and lightings as it makes it all very comfortable to be in.
Service wise, I find the waiters there very pleasant and polite. They seem to be very happy being where they are, thus making the place feel less "dead". Lively is good! But either that they are having too much fun among themselves or that the place is really too big, sometimes it does take awhile to catch the eye of one of them to make your orders.
Finally, TCC is not called the coffee connoisseur for no reason. From being a non-coffee person to a Starbucks/ Coffee Bean person (because they have less strong or bitter coffee - yes I don't quite know how to appreciate the coffee taste!) and now, I'm really into TCC! Even though I'm not a coffee connoisseur, I must say that the coffee beans/ powder (whichever) they use is of better quality than famous Coffee Bean/ Starbucks. It is more aromatic and the taste is definitely stronger and more whole.
Kudos to TCC for their large variety of coffee and creativity! You can get anything from the more traditional kind of, say, Blue Mountain Coffee to ice-blended stuff and even Coffee with liqour! (The last one leaves me wondering, though, whether this drink should be keeping me awake or knocking me out.) For non-coffee people, don't worry! TCC has an equally wide variety of drinks like tea, shakes and fruit juices to cater to your likes. If you're out for a little "adventure", so to speak, you can also find something exotic/ interesting from here.
Some drinks I've tried:
Kaffee-tini, $11 : vodka-spiked espresso with a tinge of mint (supposedly). I didn't quite taste the mint though.
Mint Choc Frappe, $7.50: Superb! I thought the whipped cream was wonderful with the chocolate and mint syrup drizzled on it.
Oreo-mocha Frappe, $7.50: I didn't quite like the what-seemed-like-Oreo-dust in the drink. It spoilt the texture of the drink, making it feel very "dirty" to drink =x Apart from the oreo, this drink is actually pretty much the same as all the other frappes.
Iced Minty Mocha: The triple-layered drink served in a tall glass looks too beautiful to drink. But, as though it was quite a bad mix of flavours, the drink turns out to taste a little salty or something. Somehow, as weird as it may seem, I actually feel that the drink tastes abit like some home-made clear soup.
(Guess what, the pictures of the drinks you see in their menu is exactly what they serve you! I'm rather impressed actually!)
This place is basically a coffee place, there are main courses but don't expect much from the menu. It's pretty limited and rather expensive. I had Macaroni Gratin at $10.80. Was a really small serving but tasted pretty good with mini macaroni, tasty mushroom slices and chicken bits, topped with a layer of mozzeralla cheese. Their cakes are not bad, with my personal favourite being the Marble Cheesecake ($5.50) (:
In addition, you could check out their monthly special concoction. They would have a different drink off the menu available each month, at a slightly lower-than-usual price. In the month of June, it's Strawberry Soy-tisfying. Basically strawberry flavoured soya bean. To me, it tastes a little weird actually.
I pretty much like the place, though a pity that TCC is rather over-priced =x It's like paying for the "brand". Nonetheless, it's a great place to chill and hang around with friends, or just to have a moment to yourself (: I give it 4 stars, because it's too expensive to frequent!
Oh and if you're looking for this exact oulet, it's the arrival hall, near Mac's, not the one upstairs! (Yes there's 2 at T3!)
Rating given:
I credit this place for their cheap Western cuisine and relatively decent quality. I was expecting a lot from this place when I first heard about it on Yebber, and have been bugging friends to accompany me there. But when I was finally there, my expectation dropped a level as I seldom thought highly of food at neighbourhood coffee shops.
I'm rather impressed by the variety of food provided, and the relatively low prices they're able to charge despite the soaring price levels. As I was there rather late (8.30pm), the crowd probably had dispersed already and I didn't have to wait long for my food.
Fish and Chips was not bad. The fish was rather thin however, thus making the chewing sensation a little less satisfying. But I really liked how it was fried till it was crispy. I personally felt that the coleslaw had a slightly bitter after-taste and did not like the taste of onions in it. As for their soup, it's actually Campbell soup, which I feel isn't any original at all.
I left the place feeling satisfied with the price I paid and the food I had, but with all the hooha, I must say the place is a tad over-rated. Not when soups are instant canned-soup ): Nonetheless, I'd say it's a good place for budget western food, minus the ambience.
Rating given:
Looking for chocolates as a gift on Valentine's, birthdays, anniversaries etc? Or just looking for great chocolates to satisfy your own craving? Try Jaime's!
Despite being a rather small shop unit and relatively unnoticed at the 2nd level of TPY Entertainment Centre, it has a great variety of chocolates! It sounds like the lower end of Godiva but I'd give Jaime's credit for its creativity and wonderful imagination.
To begin with, you will get the usual flavoured chocolates suc as nut pralines and almond at Jaime's, but there's also certain rather exciting fruit flavours like passionfruit, pear, orange, lemon, banana and lime. My personal favourites are the milk chocolates and pralines (hazelnut praline and triple praline) which leaves a velvet texture in your mouth, and is slightly creamier and more buttery than usual chocolates.
Of course it's not just about tasting good there, it's also about the visual appeal. One look and you just feel like buying everything there even if you don't like certain flavours. Their chocolates come in different shapes and sizes, with some in dog moulds, ducks, rabbits and teddies. Or you get a heart-shaped box made of milk chocolate, with another chocolate in it! On the surface of the chocolate, some of them even give the effect of sprayed paint or blowed glass - really pretty!
So if you're looking for chocolates as gifts, do try Jaime's! I'm sure they're not just visually appealing but would also taste great (: If you're not sure what to order, try those they recommend! The sales person would be more than happy to help.
Rating given:
We all know Japanese food as expensive, pocket-ripping cuisine that's irresistible at the same time! But fear not (especially students!), because Sumo House is here to the rescue!
I used to patronize Sumo House at Bedok Central, but after they closed down that outlet, I never went there anymore. But recently I had the chance to go to Clementi, of course I didn't miss the chance to have Sumo House!
Although most of the things sold at Sumo House are mainly rice and noodles stuff, and not the fresh sashimi which maybe many love, I think what you can get from them is really good enough.
I ordered a Katsu Curry and my friend got a Yakimeshi (Breaded Chicken with Fried Rice), both to go. Although we had to pay an extra 50c, I was rather impressed when I received my food. As I did not have a proper table to eat (at where I was), because the bento was properly packed and the food well arranged, it made eating while sitting on the floor very convenient. I felt that their curry rice was good and the chicken wasn't too soggy (after being soaked under the hot curry gravy). The curry had a tinge of sweetness and got me wanting for more! As for their fried rice, it wasn't too salty but I found it rather oily. And the breaded chicken was crispy and tender too! Lastly, the miso soup! Half the time I get very salty miso soup when I have Japanese food, obviously instant-soup. But this time I found the miso soup tasty and not salty, with a generous serving of seaweed! The only thing lacking probably was tofu cubes.
The best thing - Both our bentos were less than $6! I'd definitely recommend everyone to try out Sumo House!
Rating given:
Ah, now I know why I felt that "asian" flavour in the food at Changing Appetities. Because it's Japanese fusion! Alright, only realized when I saw one of the reviews above.
Honestly, Changing Appetites totally did not strike me as a place with jap-fusion food. It looks like another Cafe Cartel/ Breeks. Even their list of food looks very much like it. Pasta, brownies, mud pies etc. Very western style.
I was there with a group of friends for early lunch. I didn't order a main course but I (after several attempts to order a mudpie of any sort) got myself a brownie and stole several mouthful of different dishes from my friends.
Main course - eh, let's see. First thing that struck me was that it seemed rather typical for them to display their meat-stuff in a "kebab" style. If they were really a western restaurant, I'd be pretty amuse with this style of presentation. But when you try their food, it sure does have a tinge of asian flavour, with the funny unidentifiable taste/ spices used. Nonetheless, it (was nothing like japanese-fusion food) tasted rather weird to mix things like pasta with weird sour-sweet spices.
Drinks - nothing special. Feeling super hyped and all, my friends and I ordered 2 giant mugs of their super-sized ice chocolate. Well, all I can say is that it felt like a drink done with little effort put in. Powder, water, ice, ice cream, stick a spoon in, serve. If chocolate powder were coarse grains, I'd feel as though I was drinking sand-water. Yuck.
Dessert - bleh. Though their menu seemed to have such a variety of desserts, with their mudpies looking like their "main attraction", there was virtually NO mudpies available then! Out of the THREE brownies they had, only ONE was available. Were we too early (we were their first customer of the day)? Still, I think that's no excuse to not have all their desserts available! Was quite a let-down.
Price - it's a little like Cafe Cartel I'd say. Though with what I experienced the other day, I'd say it's a place I'd go once and never again. Not with that quality nor price.
Rating given: