Celebrated my grandma's birthday at Jumbo over the weekend. As usual, the place is packed up and down, outside and inside!
Having read the reviews on other Jumbo outlets, I had all the dishes I want to order prepared prior to the dinner. And thank goodness the dishes didn't disappoint. Except for one - the black pepper crab.
The crabs were all very fresh and juicy. We were given the bigger ones since we had 16 at the table. Ordered Chili Crabs and the black pepper crab. Chili Crab was fabulous - gravy was tasty, not too sweet nor too spicy. Just nice and goes very well with the fried mini man tou. However the black pepper crab was too saltish. Not too most for our liking.
Other dishes ordered include... Scallop yam rings - very yummy! Crispy baby squid - crispy and nice Abalone, sea-cucumber and mushroom with broccoli Cereal prawn - love the cereal! fresh prawns! Salted egg prawn - it was gone before I could taste it! Steam fish - at $110 the fish was very fresh and juicy Shredded chicken ee-mee Honeydew Sago dessert
Overall the food was good and the serving size was just enough for 16 of us. The service could have been better. Being seated at the corner on the upper level, with an almost dying air-con and a bright orange light, it was a little warm through the dinner.
Total bill came up to about $650, with 10% discount off from the Jumbo card, we paid slightly more than $580 for the dinner. Price wise is reasonable.
No photo/video for this because everyone was hungry and the lighting was really very bad for photography. Must remember to ask for a white-light lighted table the next time.
I've always been wondering about New York New York, the pseudo New York eatery that took the local dining scene by storm a couple of years back with its first outlet at Citylink mall. Managed by the same group which also owns and operates Thai Express, Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe and Pinle, queues were long and winding especially during meal times. The eatery has since expanded to 6 outlets in Singapore to cope with the demand.
The AMK Hub outlet is located at the basement of the suburban mall and operates on a partially open concept, very much like the main branch at Citylink. The walls are plastered with scenes from New York City and there are semi private booths at a corner for a cosier dining experience. I did think that the tables in the middle are spaced too close to each other, very much like fast food restaurants, which makes for an uncomfortable dining experience.
Cheese Freedom Fries - Corny names aside, the fries tasted as bad as they sounded. Soft, soggy and drizzled with cheese that tasted like Twisties (the snack). The fact that it was served hot provided scant comfort.
Chicken & Prawn Combo - I don't know what to make of this dish as the prawn batter was too thick and soaked in oil while the chicken tasted rather average - something any mom and pop stall can churn out sans the relatively higher prices. Ironically, the wedges that came alongside were the better deal - not overly fried and piping hot.
Juicy Burger - I must admit that the burger was quite a size but the patty tasted rather "macdonaldish" albeit being alot thicker. The texture also suggested it was machine processed rather than hand chopped/made. I didn't appreciate the mustard and ketchup atop the patty as well.
$46 for a 2 pax lunch of such average quality certainly isn't going to win me over and I am pretty sure that amount can be better utilized elsewhere. Service, or lack of, didn't extend beyond taking our orders and serving them to us. Our requests for ice water took a long time to arrive and after repeated reminders. Even the manager had a nonchalent attitude when showing us to our seat. Average food plus lousy service (which I have to pay a 10% service charge for) is definitely a no go for me.
Sits within the lush of its own thousand square foot garden, surrounded by trees and foliage, one can either choose to dine al fresco at Cicada’s charming outdoor patio and enjoy the serenity of its garden setting, or a spacious indoor dining area amid candle-lit, soft music environment for a more cooling dining experience.
Situated just a stone’s throw away from Pietrasanta, The Italian Restaurant and the iconic Colbar Eating House, this marketed and positioned as a French-Californian restaurant is another lovechild of nightclub boss-turned restaurateur Mr Michel Lu, after alfresco bars Hacienda at Dempsey, and Superfamous in Boat Quay. 1-for-1 Happy Hours are from 12pm to 9pm; as such ½ pint of Heineken Draft Beer at $10 is essentially $5 each.
Appetiser was Pan Seared Blue Fin Tuna Salad ($15.90). Considered the prized-catch among tunas, the fish was seared adeptly and came with a nice firm bite but otherwise, it was lacklustre in taste and balsamic vinaigrette seeks to engulf the flavour all the more.
Personally, HFB thought the Sautéed Organic Mushrooms ($6.90) was probably the best dish for that night. Infused with the aromatic flavours of White Cooking Wine and a tint of sweetness from the Cherry Tomatoes, the mushrooms topped with fresh herbs was palatable and produced a nice texture for nibble. However a question looms – HFB wonders there is any different in taste and texture between normal or organic mushrooms?
If you have yet to know, Cicada is famously known to serve a wicked burger dish, which goes by the name of “The Infamous Cicada Burger” priced at $28.90. Served with thick-cut fries, which was slightly dry for me – sandwiched in between two pieces of bread are lip-smacking ingredients consisting of Caramelised Onions, Mushrooms, Gorgonzola & Gruyere Cheese and none other than the marbled Wagyu Beef as patty.
However, joy soon dissipated in frustration as my requested doneness of medium-rare for the beef came well done (again!). A request for change was pretty redundant as the patty was just slightly better – done medium well perhaps. Tired of waiting (and be disappointed yet again), HFB grudgingly finished his food and paid his bill without ordering desserts.
Overall, HFB wasn’t impressed by the food – which seemingly reminded him of PS Café at Dempsey – cosy ambience suitable for couples on first date, but no depth in terms of the fare served.
You can view all the photos and other reviews here.
Generally a pleasing site to voyeur. Very clean cut, uncluttered and neatly organized.
I like it that they have the individual sections (tops, dress, scarves etc.) so its very easy for potential customers to navigate.
The site also uses pastel colours which is very pleasing to the eyes and gives you a very relaxed feeling when you're browsing around. That's a good thing because its always important to make sure potential customers feel comfortable because it makes them want to continue browsing for more things at their own pace.
Some online stores use too many flashy and loud colours, coupled with even more flash animations all over, it can be quite a headache. But Tataro Land doesn't over-clutter their pages, so its good.
The shopping cart function also makes things a lot easier because customers don't have to go through the hassel of remembering item names and item numbers and having to email to order and stuff. I understand that the shopping cart function is rather costly, so i appreciate that they have gone the extra mile to include the function instead of trying to cut back on set-up costs.
The clothes are very nice and very unique, but that may be a bit of a problem because it is such that only a targetted group of people will be able to appreciate it as it is not something that a big group of people would wear.
Updates seem to be rather slow... been observing it for a while now.
All in all, its a pretty pleasant online store so check it out and see if you can find your true style at Tataro Land!
we ordered the Miso cha siew ramen and nan-katsu ramen !
like both the soup but the the ingredients !
and their noodles is definitely taste NICE !
other than that...i have also realised their green tea is refillable haha...
the california maki is nice but somehow quite plain...so is like normal sushi , i expect it to be much more oiishi
another small dish is something like fried potato ...i think that one is fried potato mixed with some corns and beans...this is nice ! i recommend you all to order this :D
i like their value set meal but please be more flexible on the choice or ramen !
After a fun pre raya shopping spree, I was famished and in need to food. After walking around for about half an hour we settled on Shin Kushiya mainly cos I wanted jap but didnt wanna queue up for Sushi Tei. We were seated nxt to the glass thingy. can view sentosa from where we were seated but i was more interested in the view of the menu
We ordered
Sashimi Salad- $13.90
Plenty of veges, liked the wasabi soya sauce dressing though the wasabi in it was really potent. Was on a wasabi rush each time i ate abit. The salmon and swordfish sashimi in it was really really fresh and good. think they used salmon belly so i happily ate em up
Wagyu Karubi - $7.80
3 cubes of wagyu skewered and grilled. I must say this was really good. My first time trying wagyu(2nd if you count the burger @ brown sugar) and really enjoyed how easy it was to chew the meat and it was really really really juicy and tender and buttery(melt in ur mouth good)
the sushis were oryt. i enjoyed my salmon belly n chutoro but from my past experience eatin chutoro i think this was not as good though.
Tako Fry - $7.80
This was really good. Came piping hot and was a mix of fried squid n octopus. Really liked it though it got a bit jerlak towards the end. Quite a big portion
Lamb chop - $9.80
Now this was superb. The lamb was tender, juicy, not overdoused with salt or any other spices and grilled well. The fats were the best part and my dining partner was enticing me with it the whole time. needless to say i caved and attacked it after that.
Sake Harasu - $3.80
Grilled Salmon Belly was my 2nd favourite of the nite after the wagyu. The fish was not overcooked and the flavours just danced around in my mouth. I loved that the salmon was done so well and of course since its the belly its super sinful and good
Negima Mekajiki - $3.80
Another grilled item. Really good. Was quite skeptikal trying out grilled swordfish but it came out really good. melt in my mouth good. and of course flavourful too. Was satisfied.
Had other items like yakitori and Asparagus maki which were nothing to shout about.
Service was atttentive and good. Even though it was a full house we didnt feel neglected at all.
Only grouse was that the drinks cos a whopping $3 for soft drinks(not too teribble but partner has a lychee cooler(more like lychee drink ) which set us back $6.00. i could buy a lychee cordial and pay the same. But overall experience was good. I would return but maybe not order some things so that i can order more of others ;)
Had been meaning to try out Vittles for quite a while and the opportunity finally presented itself one rainy afternoon. Apparently this small heartland cafe has been featured in quite a few media vehicles as well as in various prominent food blogs. Whats seemingly interesting about this place is the free flow of popcorn that you can help yourself to.
Vittles sits among a short stretch of shops along Sembawang Road and can be difficult to spot especially if you are not alert, which was precisely what happened to me and I had to circle the area a couple of times before I finally spotted it. The place offers an alfresco sitting as well as a smaller air conditioned interior and comes across as very "cafeish" with its white plastic chairs and laminted menus.
Julius Caesar Salad - As great as Julius Caesar was in Roman history, this salad bearing the namesake wasn't the least impressive, coming across as average and run off the mill. And just to set the record straight, no, Julius Caesar didn't invent the caesar salad.
Moo Moo II Burger - One of the signature dishes of Vittles, the Moo Moo Burger looked a tad smaller then what I had seen in photographs, which was a bummer really. Texture wise, the patty was relatively smooth with patches of roughness throughout (an indication of slip shod hand chopping?) and managed to retain some moisture even though it was cooked till well done. My major grouse came in the taste section. The patty was covered/drowned with BBQ sauce which greatly overwhelmed whatever taste the beef patty had to offer as well as that of the bacon and cheese.
Durian Mousse - I couldn't resist ordering the durian mousse even though it cost something to the tune of $7. I must say that it was quite decent - smooth and not too sweet although the mousse was a tad too dry. Not something that I'll order again though, simply because of its small portions.
While its comforting to know that $29 can buy you a soup, salad, main and dessert at Vittles, its not exactly value for money as food quality is a whisker above average at best. A return seems highly improbable for me as Carl's Junior does seem like a cheaper option.
Started way back in 1921 at Hock Lam Street, this brand of authentic Teochew Beef Kway Teow recipe was brought in by a certain Mr Tan from Swatow, China, and the rest, as they say, is history. So famous (or popular as stated on their signboard), is Hock Lam Street Beef Kway Teow that it is seen as the benchmark for the rest of the beef noodle stalls – or at least that is what HFB thinks.
What is so special about their soup-based, said to be boiled for at least 18 hours, is the additional of Preserved Salted Vegetables that gave it an extra ‘kick’ to the fairly light flavoured soup, or ‘Cheng’ as how the Teochews described it, although HFB finds it inconsistently salty at times having tried it on separate occasions. Prices ranges from $4.50 (small), $5.50 (medium) to $6.50 (large), and one has a choice of Kway Teow, Bee Hoon and Mee. One can also have a combination of Sliced Beef, Beef Tripe (Stomach), Beef Brisket (Cooked Meat), Beef Liver, Beef Ball, and for an additional of $1.00 – Beef Tendon.
The small portion of Sliced Beef with Beef Ball Kway Teow Soup was pretty pathetic in my opinion – unless one is not very hungry during lunchtime, braving the crowd for such a small serving is simply not worth the effort. Besides, the beef ball is definitely factory produced and not handmade, which is a disappointment considering the legacy of this eatery.
The medium portion of Sliced Beef, Beef Ball and Beef Brisket Kway Teow was slightly more adequate and the brisket was palatable – it is intense with flavour and malleable to consume.
The thin version of kway teow used was also something HFB is happy about - it was pretty smooth to slurp, although compared to Tuck Kee Sar Hor Fun, it was nowhere close in standard.
Hardcore Teochew Beef Kway Teow fans would also be delighted to discover that their original dry version comes with an additional topping of Grinded Peanuts to give it an extra crunch, the familiar Chinchaluk (shrimp paste sauce), and a pretty ‘solid’ chilli to go with.
You can view the all photos and other reviews here.
Had dinner at Seafood Paradise @ Defu, the original and mass market seafood offering from Paradise Group, which has another outlet bearing the same name at the Singapore Flyer and also runs the excellent fine dining restaurant, Taste Paradise ,at Mosque Street. This wildly popular restaurant started out as a humble 25 seater cze char stall in 2002 and has since expanded its premises to accommodate more then 200 people, which is by no means a small feat.
Hidden within the Defu industrial estate, Seafood Paradise @ Defu isn't exactly located at the most convenient of places and people who are unfamiliar with the area might have quite a bit of difficulty trying to get there. The restaurant offers both alfresco and air conditioned dining and please be warned that turning up without reservations at prime time slots like 7pm to 830pm would probably leave you without a table.
Wasabi Prawns - A signature dish of Seafood Paradise, the wasabi prawns certainly lived up to its hype in my humble opinion. The prawns were fresh and huge with a nice crunchy texture beneath its slightly crispy exterior. Topped with sweet mango slices, pine nuts and dragon fruit seeds, I did think that the wasabi was a tad strong this time round, giving me a minor headache. But all in all a very good eat.
Homemade Beancurd in Seafood Sauce - The small serving of beancurd was quite a size (for 3-4 pax) and came across as silkily smooth with a very faint hint of the smokey aftertaste that I personally like. The generous meat floss atop gave it a nice sweet bearing while the savoury gravy had cubes of prawns, sea cucumber and squid. Very satisfying, to me at least.
Egg White and Scallop on Broccoli - I thought that this simple vegetable dish was very well executed with the broccoli not too soft from overcooking while the gravy had a very nice savoury taste. The scallops weren't overcooked as well and the egg white was plentiful sans the raw and mildy nauseating aftertaste that plague most such dishes. Probably the only fault I can find with this dish is the excessive oil in it, which would probably scare off the more health conscious folks.
Whole Ribs in Honey Pepper Sauce - Another signature dish of Seafood Paradise, the ribs were well seasoned without being the meat being too hard and carried with it a light sweetness from the honey with a placid pepperish undertone. But some might find it a tad too sweet for their liking, ie, my gf.
A dinner that costs close to $70 for 2 pax isn't what I would call cheap but I cannot deny the quality of food that Seafood Paradise offers. Just for the record, we had to doggy bag most of the ribs (3 out of 4 pieces) as both of us were too stuffed to eat anymore. Service was excellent as well although they could have been a little more organised in the reservations. People waiting up to 30 mins for a table even with reservations is definitely a big no no.
MmM I feel a little weird reading everyone else's review on Jetstar. I've taken Jetstar to Thailand, Siem Reap and Taipei.
Funnily I remember the planes I took to Thailand and Siem Reap were newer and better compared to the one I took recently to Taipei. Odd huh.
Anyways, Jetstar is comparatively cheaper. And compared to other budget carriers, it takes off from the main terminals at Changi so that makes it more convenient to get on. If you book your tickets earlier or during promotional periods you can get $38 / $69 tickets easily. A bargain if you ask me. Early booking can also save $200-$300. I guess if you're taking a short flight of 3-4 hours it's a good deal.
Since it's cheaper (provided you dun buy tickets last minute), there's no inflight entertainment and no free meals. Bottled water costs $3 for a 400ml bottle which is REALLY expensive. A sandwich costs $8 and there isn't much inside. No cool free gifts in the compartment waiting for you and no free blankets if you're cold. Seats are alright, the usual crammed economy seats but a good number may not be able to recline at all.
So I guess to really make most of your flight on Jetstar, eat just before you board, load videos into your lappie, bring newspapers/books for entertainment.
1=SGD 0.0587
Celebrated my grandma's birthday at Jumbo over the weekend. As usual, the place is packed up and down, outside and inside!
Having read the reviews on other Jumbo outlets, I had all the dishes I want to order prepared prior to the dinner. And thank goodness the dishes didn't disappoint. Except for one - the black pepper crab.
The crabs were all very fresh and juicy. We were given the bigger ones since we had 16 at the table. Ordered Chili Crabs and the black pepper crab. Chili Crab was fabulous - gravy was tasty, not too sweet nor too spicy. Just nice and goes very well with the fried mini man tou. However the black pepper crab was too saltish. Not too most for our liking.
Other dishes ordered include...
Scallop yam rings - very yummy!
Crispy baby squid - crispy and nice
Abalone, sea-cucumber and mushroom with broccoli
Cereal prawn - love the cereal! fresh prawns!
Salted egg prawn - it was gone before I could taste it!
Steam fish - at $110 the fish was very fresh and juicy
Shredded chicken ee-mee
Honeydew Sago dessert
Overall the food was good and the serving size was just enough for 16 of us. The service could have been better. Being seated at the corner on the upper level, with an almost dying air-con and a bright orange light, it was a little warm through the dinner.
Total bill came up to about $650, with 10% discount off from the Jumbo card, we paid slightly more than $580 for the dinner. Price wise is reasonable.
No photo/video for this because everyone was hungry and the lighting was really very bad for photography. Must remember to ask for a white-light lighted table the next time.
Rating given:
I've always been wondering about New York New York, the pseudo New York eatery that took the local dining scene by storm a couple of years back with its first outlet at Citylink mall. Managed by the same group which also owns and operates Thai Express, Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe and Pinle, queues were long and winding especially during meal times. The eatery has since expanded to 6 outlets in Singapore to cope with the demand.
The AMK Hub outlet is located at the basement of the suburban mall and operates on a partially open concept, very much like the main branch at Citylink. The walls are plastered with scenes from New York City and there are semi private booths at a corner for a cosier dining experience. I did think that the tables in the middle are spaced too close to each other, very much like fast food restaurants, which makes for an uncomfortable dining experience.
Cheese Freedom Fries - Corny names aside, the fries tasted as bad as they sounded. Soft, soggy and drizzled with cheese that tasted like Twisties (the snack). The fact that it was served hot provided scant comfort.
Chicken & Prawn Combo - I don't know what to make of this dish as the prawn batter was too thick and soaked in oil while the chicken tasted rather average - something any mom and pop stall can churn out sans the relatively higher prices. Ironically, the wedges that came alongside were the better deal - not overly fried and piping hot.
Juicy Burger - I must admit that the burger was quite a size but the patty tasted rather "macdonaldish" albeit being alot thicker. The texture also suggested it was machine processed rather than hand chopped/made. I didn't appreciate the mustard and ketchup atop the patty as well.
$46 for a 2 pax lunch of such average quality certainly isn't going to win me over and I am pretty sure that amount can be better utilized elsewhere. Service, or lack of, didn't extend beyond taking our orders and serving them to us. Our requests for ice water took a long time to arrive and after repeated reminders. Even the manager had a nonchalent attitude when showing us to our seat. Average food plus lousy service (which I have to pay a 10% service charge for) is definitely a no go for me.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Sits within the lush of its own thousand square foot garden, surrounded by trees and foliage, one can either choose to dine al fresco at Cicada’s charming outdoor patio and enjoy the serenity of its garden setting, or a spacious indoor dining area amid candle-lit, soft music environment for a more cooling dining experience.
Situated just a stone’s throw away from Pietrasanta, The Italian Restaurant and the iconic Colbar Eating House, this marketed and positioned as a French-Californian restaurant is another lovechild of nightclub boss-turned restaurateur Mr Michel Lu, after alfresco bars Hacienda at Dempsey, and Superfamous in Boat Quay. 1-for-1 Happy Hours are from 12pm to 9pm; as such ½ pint of Heineken Draft Beer at $10 is essentially $5 each.
Appetiser was Pan Seared Blue Fin Tuna Salad ($15.90). Considered the prized-catch among tunas, the fish was seared adeptly and came with a nice firm bite but otherwise, it was lacklustre in taste and balsamic vinaigrette seeks to engulf the flavour all the more.
Personally, HFB thought the Sautéed Organic Mushrooms ($6.90) was probably the best dish for that night. Infused with the aromatic flavours of White Cooking Wine and a tint of sweetness from the Cherry Tomatoes, the mushrooms topped with fresh herbs was palatable and produced a nice texture for nibble. However a question looms – HFB wonders there is any different in taste and texture between normal or organic mushrooms?
If you have yet to know, Cicada is famously known to serve a wicked burger dish, which goes by the name of “The Infamous Cicada Burger” priced at $28.90. Served with thick-cut fries, which was slightly dry for me – sandwiched in between two pieces of bread are lip-smacking ingredients consisting of Caramelised Onions, Mushrooms, Gorgonzola & Gruyere Cheese and none other than the marbled Wagyu Beef as patty.
However, joy soon dissipated in frustration as my requested doneness of medium-rare for the beef came well done (again!). A request for change was pretty redundant as the patty was just slightly better – done medium well perhaps. Tired of waiting (and be disappointed yet again), HFB grudgingly finished his food and paid his bill without ordering desserts.
Overall, HFB wasn’t impressed by the food – which seemingly reminded him of PS Café at Dempsey – cosy ambience suitable for couples on first date, but no depth in terms of the fare served.
You can view all the photos and other reviews here.
Rating given:
Generally a pleasing site to voyeur. Very clean cut, uncluttered and neatly organized.
I like it that they have the individual sections (tops, dress, scarves etc.) so its very easy for potential customers to navigate.
The site also uses pastel colours which is very pleasing to the eyes and gives you a very relaxed feeling when you're browsing around. That's a good thing because its always important to make sure potential customers feel comfortable because it makes them want to continue browsing for more things at their own pace.
Some online stores use too many flashy and loud colours, coupled with even more flash animations all over, it can be quite a headache. But Tataro Land doesn't over-clutter their pages, so its good.
The shopping cart function also makes things a lot easier because customers don't have to go through the hassel of remembering item names and item numbers and having to email to order and stuff. I understand that the shopping cart function is rather costly, so i appreciate that they have gone the extra mile to include the function instead of trying to cut back on set-up costs.
The clothes are very nice and very unique, but that may be a bit of a problem because it is such that only a targetted group of people will be able to appreciate it as it is not something that a big group of people would wear.
Updates seem to be rather slow... been observing it for a while now.
All in all, its a pretty pleasant online store so check it out and see if you can find your true style at Tataro Land!
Rating given:
went to Ajisen and had my dinner..
we ordered the Miso cha siew ramen and nan-katsu ramen !
like both the soup but the the ingredients !
and their noodles is definitely taste NICE !
other than that...i have also realised their green tea is refillable haha...
the california maki is nice but somehow quite plain...so is like normal sushi , i expect it to be much more oiishi
another small dish is something like fried potato ...i think that one is fried potato mixed with some corns and beans...this is nice ! i recommend you all to order this :D
i like their value set meal but please be more flexible on the choice or ramen !
thanks ^ ^
Rating given:
After a fun pre raya shopping spree, I was famished and in need to food. After walking around for about half an hour we settled on Shin Kushiya mainly cos I wanted jap but didnt wanna queue up for Sushi Tei. We were seated nxt to the glass thingy. can view sentosa from where we were seated but i was more interested in the view of the menu
We ordered
Sashimi Salad- $13.90
Plenty of veges, liked the wasabi soya sauce dressing though the wasabi in it was really potent. Was on a wasabi rush each time i ate abit. The salmon and swordfish sashimi in it was really really fresh and good. think they used salmon belly so i happily ate em up
Wagyu Karubi - $7.80
3 cubes of wagyu skewered and grilled. I must say this was really good. My first time trying wagyu(2nd if you count the burger @ brown sugar) and really enjoyed how easy it was to chew the meat and it was really really really juicy and tender and buttery(melt in ur mouth good)
Nigiri Sushis
Chutoro - $7.80
Salmon Belly - $2.80
Mekakiki - $2.50
the sushis were oryt. i enjoyed my salmon belly n chutoro but from my past experience eatin chutoro i think this was not as good though.
Tako Fry - $7.80
This was really good. Came piping hot and was a mix of fried squid n octopus. Really liked it though it got a bit jerlak towards the end. Quite a big portion
Lamb chop - $9.80
Now this was superb. The lamb was tender, juicy, not overdoused with salt or any other spices and grilled well. The fats were the best part and my dining partner was enticing me with it the whole time. needless to say i caved and attacked it after that.
Sake Harasu - $3.80
Grilled Salmon Belly was my 2nd favourite of the nite after the wagyu. The fish was not overcooked and the flavours just danced around in my mouth. I loved that the salmon was done so well and of course since its the belly its super sinful and good
Negima Mekajiki - $3.80
Another grilled item. Really good. Was quite skeptikal trying out grilled swordfish but it came out really good. melt in my mouth good. and of course flavourful too. Was satisfied.
Had other items like yakitori and Asparagus maki which were nothing to shout about.
Service was atttentive and good. Even though it was a full house we didnt feel neglected at all.
Only grouse was that the drinks cos a whopping $3 for soft drinks(not too teribble but partner has a lychee cooler(more like lychee drink ) which set us back $6.00. i could buy a lychee cordial and pay the same. But overall experience was good. I would return but maybe not order some things so that i can order more of others ;)
Rating given:
Had been meaning to try out Vittles for quite a while and the opportunity finally presented itself one rainy afternoon. Apparently this small heartland cafe has been featured in quite a few media vehicles as well as in various prominent food blogs. Whats seemingly interesting about this place is the free flow of popcorn that you can help yourself to.
Vittles sits among a short stretch of shops along Sembawang Road and can be difficult to spot especially if you are not alert, which was precisely what happened to me and I had to circle the area a couple of times before I finally spotted it.
The place offers an alfresco sitting as well as a smaller air conditioned interior and comes across as very "cafeish" with its white plastic chairs and laminted menus.
Julius Caesar Salad - As great as Julius Caesar was in Roman history, this salad bearing the namesake wasn't the least impressive, coming across as average and run off the mill. And just to set the record straight, no, Julius Caesar didn't invent the caesar salad.
Moo Moo II Burger - One of the signature dishes of Vittles, the Moo Moo Burger looked a tad smaller then what I had seen in photographs, which was a bummer really. Texture wise, the patty was relatively smooth with patches of roughness throughout (an indication of slip shod hand chopping?) and managed to retain some moisture even though it was cooked till well done. My major grouse came in the taste section. The patty was covered/drowned with BBQ sauce which greatly overwhelmed whatever taste the beef patty had to offer as well as that of the bacon and cheese.
Durian Mousse - I couldn't resist ordering the durian mousse even though it cost something to the tune of $7. I must say that it was quite decent - smooth and not too sweet although the mousse was a tad too dry. Not something that I'll order again though, simply because of its small portions.
While its comforting to know that $29 can buy you a soup, salad, main and dessert at Vittles, its not exactly value for money as food quality is a whisker above average at best. A return seems highly improbable for me as Carl's Junior does seem like a cheaper option.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Started way back in 1921 at Hock Lam Street, this brand of authentic Teochew Beef Kway Teow recipe was brought in by a certain Mr Tan from Swatow, China, and the rest, as they say, is history. So famous (or popular as stated on their signboard), is Hock Lam Street Beef Kway Teow that it is seen as the benchmark for the rest of the beef noodle stalls – or at least that is what HFB thinks.
What is so special about their soup-based, said to be boiled for at least 18 hours, is the additional of Preserved Salted Vegetables that gave it an extra ‘kick’ to the fairly light flavoured soup, or ‘Cheng’ as how the Teochews described it, although HFB finds it inconsistently salty at times having tried it on separate occasions. Prices ranges from $4.50 (small), $5.50 (medium) to $6.50 (large), and one has a choice of Kway Teow, Bee Hoon and Mee. One can also have a combination of Sliced Beef, Beef Tripe (Stomach), Beef Brisket (Cooked Meat), Beef Liver, Beef Ball, and for an additional of $1.00 – Beef Tendon.
The small portion of Sliced Beef with Beef Ball Kway Teow Soup was pretty pathetic in my opinion – unless one is not very hungry during lunchtime, braving the crowd for such a small serving is simply not worth the effort. Besides, the beef ball is definitely factory produced and not handmade, which is a disappointment considering the legacy of this eatery.
The medium portion of Sliced Beef, Beef Ball and Beef Brisket Kway Teow was slightly more adequate and the brisket was palatable – it is intense with flavour and malleable to consume.
The thin version of kway teow used was also something HFB is happy about - it was pretty smooth to slurp, although compared to Tuck Kee Sar Hor Fun, it was nowhere close in standard.
Hardcore Teochew Beef Kway Teow fans would also be delighted to discover that their original dry version comes with an additional topping of Grinded Peanuts to give it an extra crunch, the familiar Chinchaluk (shrimp paste sauce), and a pretty ‘solid’ chilli to go with.
You can view the all photos and other reviews here.
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Had dinner at Seafood Paradise @ Defu, the original and mass market seafood offering from Paradise Group, which has another outlet bearing the same name at the Singapore Flyer and also runs the excellent fine dining restaurant, Taste Paradise ,at Mosque Street. This wildly popular restaurant started out as a humble 25 seater cze char stall in 2002 and has since expanded its premises to accommodate more then 200 people, which is by no means a small feat.
Hidden within the Defu industrial estate, Seafood Paradise @ Defu isn't exactly located at the most convenient of places and people who are unfamiliar with the area might have quite a bit of difficulty trying to get there. The restaurant offers both alfresco and air conditioned dining and please be warned that turning up without reservations at prime time slots like 7pm to 830pm would probably leave you without a table.
Wasabi Prawns - A signature dish of Seafood Paradise, the wasabi prawns certainly lived up to its hype in my humble opinion. The prawns were fresh and huge with a nice crunchy texture beneath its slightly crispy exterior. Topped with sweet mango slices, pine nuts and dragon fruit seeds, I did think that the wasabi was a tad strong this time round, giving me a minor headache. But all in all a very good eat.
Homemade Beancurd in Seafood Sauce - The small serving of beancurd was quite a size (for 3-4 pax) and came across as silkily smooth with a very faint hint of the smokey aftertaste that I personally like. The generous meat floss atop gave it a nice sweet bearing while the savoury gravy had cubes of prawns, sea cucumber and squid. Very satisfying, to me at least.
Egg White and Scallop on Broccoli - I thought that this simple vegetable dish was very well executed with the broccoli not too soft from overcooking while the gravy had a very nice savoury taste. The scallops weren't overcooked as well and the egg white was plentiful sans the raw and mildy nauseating aftertaste that plague most such dishes. Probably the only fault I can find with this dish is the excessive oil in it, which would probably scare off the more health conscious folks.
Whole Ribs in Honey Pepper Sauce - Another signature dish of Seafood Paradise, the ribs were well seasoned without being the meat being too hard and carried with it a light sweetness from the honey with a placid pepperish undertone. But some might find it a tad too sweet for their liking, ie, my gf.
A dinner that costs close to $70 for 2 pax isn't what I would call cheap but I cannot deny the quality of food that Seafood Paradise offers. Just for the record, we had to doggy bag most of the ribs (3 out of 4 pieces) as both of us were too stuffed to eat anymore. Service was excellent as well although they could have been a little more organised in the reservations. People waiting up to 30 mins for a table even with reservations is definitely a big no no.
See all my pictures here.
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MmM I feel a little weird reading everyone else's review on Jetstar. I've taken Jetstar to Thailand, Siem Reap and Taipei.
Funnily I remember the planes I took to Thailand and Siem Reap were newer and better compared to the one I took recently to Taipei. Odd huh.
Anyways, Jetstar is comparatively cheaper. And compared to other budget carriers, it takes off from the main terminals at Changi so that makes it more convenient to get on. If you book your tickets earlier or during promotional periods you can get $38 / $69 tickets easily. A bargain if you ask me. Early booking can also save $200-$300. I guess if you're taking a short flight of 3-4 hours it's a good deal.
Since it's cheaper (provided you dun buy tickets last minute), there's no inflight entertainment and no free meals. Bottled water costs $3 for a 400ml bottle which is REALLY expensive. A sandwich costs $8 and there isn't much inside. No cool free gifts in the compartment waiting for you and no free blankets if you're cold. Seats are alright, the usual crammed economy seats but a good number may not be able to recline at all.
So I guess to really make most of your flight on Jetstar, eat just before you board, load videos into your lappie, bring newspapers/books for entertainment.
Hey. You pay for what you get right? :)
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