Finally stepped my foot into this outlet situated in the east! It is located all the way on the top storey of Parkway Parade which is accessible by both the life and the escalator. I took the lift up at first and it is interesting that one has to walk through the multi-storey carpark to get to the club. Yet, it also gives greater privacy and exclusiveness when they have the entire floor to themselves.
The club was big, though second to their 2-storey outlet at Suntec City. The layout of the whole place was pretty much similar to that of Great World City's but here is definitely alot more spacious than Great World. Without any windows overlooking the view outside (just roads & flats anyway), the place was nicely done up with big mirror walls. Most of the equipments are new and have been neatly arranged accordingly.
There were 3 studios, 1 for spinning, another one for mind & soul classes and the last one for high-intensity exercise. All three will not very big, but good enough to hold a class of 30-40 people.
Not forgetting the toilets. At least for the ladies, it was huge & spacious! The individual shower room was big too!
I totally love this outlet and will try to attend more classes here!
Having heard about the pizzas served here, I finally got the opportunity to try! Lucky that my friend & I were early for dinner. The two of us managed to find a 4-seater table in the tiny shop. Hee hee....
Don't judge by the size of this shop. I was surprised by the variety of food that's available on the menu. Besides having a good variety of pizzas, there's pasta and bake rice as well. We were so spoilt for choice! We finally settled on a BBQ chicken personal pizza ($6.80) and a chef's favourite personal pizza ($8.80). Being a big chilli lover, I requested for "4 chilli" for the spicyness (I think the most spicy was "5 chilli") of my chef's favourite pizza. Haha
All you have to do is to write down your order on the memo, go to the cashier and make payment. Oh yes! This shop doesn't charge service charge :)
The pizza was soon served to us, piping hot! One bite on the pizza was good enough to draw the conclusion. GOOD!!!! The crust was thin & crispy and their generous amount of cheese and toppings just make it perfect. Oh yes, the "4 chilli" really made the pizza very spicy but I enjoyed every single bite of it. The 4 slices for the personal pizza was just enough to satisfy my hunger that day. But if you are a big eater, that's definitely not sufficient.
The bill came up to $17.50, which includes the 2 pizzas and a drink and i find it pretty reasonable.
My friends and I wanted to find a place to sit down for a chit chat and also to have some ice cream dessert after a not-satisfying meal. Decided on this place as there are small round tables for us to crowd around to chit chat as well for an ice cream.
Having sat down, my friends and I looked through the menu but because one of my friends and I would need to rush off soon, we decided to get a scoop of ice cream each to be taken away. But then, we were told by their waitress that if we were to take away our orders, we could not occupy the seats meant for dine-in customers only. At that point, my friends who were still at the table were still deciding on their orders. Even though I told them this, my friends were still being chased out of their seats.
What I noticed was that none of the waitress was willing to serve me at the cashier before my friends got chased out. I can't help but wonder if it's because they wanted to make sure that my friends were successfully chased out of the place before they can accept my payment as for take away orders. Just for that 10% service charge & 7% GST, this was what they did to their customers? That's very wrong of them!
After walking around Parkway Parade, my friends and I have came to conclude that this looked like a pretty decent dining place for us and there we went.
We waited at the entrance for quite a while before a waiter came over to bring us to our seats. I thought that it is a standard practice for restaurants to inform their customers of their soup of the day. This place just failed to do so. Not so much that it is important, it took us quite a while again to get the attention of the staff so that we can check out what's the soup of the day. Mind you, this is a not a big restaurant, just a small cafe size eating place with 4-5 staffs around and the place was not even fully packed with customers! Like what my friend had commented, all the staff here put on a long face, hardly any smile on their face with the exception of one waiter.
Oh yes, having said so much, I've not even talked about their food. Besides the ala carte menu, they provide all-day set meals which have been grouped into 3 categories - Executive set ($13.80), Gourmet set ($19.80) and for the last one, I can't recall the name but it costs $20.80. Each set comes with free-flow of bread, soup of the day main course and a coffee or tea.
We ordered 2 seafood pasta, one with tomato sauce while the other aglio olio and a caesar salad.
The bread was available at their bread counter and all for you to cut. There's even a toaster for you to toast your bread. The bread tasted ok, not too dry to eat on its own. In fact, I would say that the bread tasted so much better than their main course. Soup of the day was cream of seafood. I didn't find much seafood in the soup, just alot of potato & carrot. Hmm...
After a long wait, finally came our main course! Too bad, it was a real disappointment! Spaghetti was very salty for both the aglio olio & tomato based pasta. Clams were salty too, prawns & crayfish were overcooked.
During our hour-long stay in the cafe, we met the one & only friendly staff who was concerned with our dining experience there. I guess that's the only saving grace for the cafe which is seriously worthy of that one star from me.
Had dinner at Da Paolo La Terrazza - one of 7 Italian restaurants/bars/gourmet shops that the Da Paolo group has opened up since their early days as Trattoria Da Paolo in Tanjong Pagar.
Located just a stone's throwaway from the ever crowded Holland Village in the quiet, tree lined stretch of Jalan Merah Sage, La Terrazza offers a respite from the hustle and bustle of life as the rat race takes a back seat in this charming little neighbourhood restaurant. The decor is simple yet comfortable, with its rattan chairs and a small alfresco dining area to cater to those who wish to enjoy the humidity of Singapore. Then again, there's only the air curtain to seperate the air conditioned area and the alfresco area so sitting inside doesn't guarantee a cool dinner, which was the case that very night I was there.
The complimentary bread was a good start to the meal. Fragrant, soft and moist on the inside yet crisp on the outside. It would have been better if served warm though.
La Terrazza's offering of the minestrone soup hit some rather flat notes to render it painfully average. I could have gotten the same standard of soup at most decent western restaurants for a lower price. Probably the only interesting thing was that the soup came with a slice of cheese in it, something I've not seen anywhere else. Not that it really made much of a difference to the taste of the soup though.
Cappesante Alle Erbe e Brandy - Sauteed Scallops with Brandy and Herbs - I like scallops hence I tend to have higher expectations of them. And these failed miserably. The scallops were bland and soft, not firm as I would have expected and there was no taste of brandy whatsoever. The only discernible taste came from the ground pepper scattered atop.
Tagliatelle Al Granchio - The Tagliatelle Al Granchio aka crab meat pasta provided a much needed boost to the disappointing dinner thus far. Al dente without being too heavy on the cream or taste. Nice and filling just the way I liked it. Could do with a little more crab meat though.
Crespelle Alla Crema - Caramelised Thin Pancakes with Vanilla Pastry Cream and Vanilla Ice Cream - This is probably one of the very very few times where I order pancakes for dessert. But I'm glad I did. The caramelised pancakes were rather interesting because as the name implies, the pancakes were coated with a hardened layer of caramel, making it sweet. Personally, I would have prefered chocolate cream instead of vanilla cream inside though.
Tiramisu - Undoubtedly the star of the evening, and one of the main reasons why I wanted to eat at La Terrazza - the tiramisu. The not overly wet sponge to mascarpone cheese ratio was quite even and overall the tiramisu came across as light and fluffy with a stronger than usual hint of alcohol. A slice costs $10 and if you want the entire cake, its $60.
$94 for a soup, an appetiser, a main and 2 desserts certainly isn't prohibitively expensive considering the relatively above average quality of food in general. But it isn't cheap either. On the flip side, service is good and efficient but rather mechanical, lacking the personal touch and warmth.
I believe everybody is familiar with the song on television that goes: "Dom Dom Kushinbo" etc etc. And this is my second visit to the place in 4 years if i'm not wrong so there's quite a few new things we can talk about. Here we go>>>
$27.80 per head (Lunch buffet) - Japanese buffets are without a doubt one of my favorite buffets to have. The one offered by Kuishinbo certainly has alot up for offer. As per my previous visit, some things have changed. The interior being one of the changes and the amount of food offerings as well. Not exactly for the better in my opinion, the seats and ambiance seem to have taken a step backwards and just feels less friendly then before. Service and clearing of plates this time seemed to have improved though. On to the food, you get a whole lot of choices to begin with. Cold dishes like sashimi, cha soba, sushi and california rolls are yours for the taking. Then there are the deep fried dishes which had ebi tempura, chicken, hotate and other fried items. There are also soups, paper steamboats and assorted other items which could be cooked on the spot for you. Desserts are piled with cakes, ice cream, fondue, puffs and biscuits. Coffee and tea are also available for the taking.
Basically, the food is decent albeit nothing really stays with you after you finish eating. The sashimi are alright though the quality is definitely questionable. I liked the california rolls they had. The tempura had way too much batter and not enough prawn. The steamboat is simply too sweet for comfort. The miso soup here is the worst i've ever had. The cooked salmon is normal, the dory is nicely sweet and tender while the beef was overcooked and rubbery. Basically, their sushis were moderately decent. The dessert was alright if you simply go for the fondue and the cakes, the puffs, cookies and brownies really need improvement. And that about sums everything up.
Total bill came up to $65.44 for a stuffed stomach and a less then satisfied pallet.
The buffet we had was lunch which meant we didn't get to have any crab. I was told that the crab served during the evenings were much better and worth a try. But as it stands, i'm probably not going to return for another try at least for the next year or so.
I bought my pinky camera here. I was quite happy with the service quality at this outlet. The person who served me took time to explain the difference between the 2 cameras I was wondering over.
Even though the time was closed to "close shop", the person did not hurry me to make a decision or to pay. He even asked me to look around the shop for any more things I would want to buy for discounts if I apply for the member card.
As I don't usually patron Challenger or even get expensive gadgets and etc, I didn't apply for the member card. The person who served me did not show any displeasure.
But the shop is usually filled with people and quite difficult to walk around. Its an advantage that they organized their stuffs well as its easy to find what you want. Having little deco and making the place brightly lit helps too.
Found this online store specializing in wines via emall.sg I had to buy red wine for my wedding dinner as the number of tables did not qualify for free flow of alcohol.
Thewineroute is very well organized and allows viewers to view their selection via country of origin, budget, type of wine, ratings and winery. They also have a category of wedding selections.
Details of the taste and ingredients of the wine are included. As well as the type of caps the bottles have and any ratings of the wine and the type of wine (e.g rose, sparkling)
I bought a dozen bottles of Gato Negro Merlot 2006 for my wedding. 2 days before my wedding, the person called from thewineroute and asked whether they can substitute what I bought with another batch of wine of a different and better make. The batch just arrived and is $1 more costly than the ones I bought but they are willing to waive the extra cost. He explained to me that its because the exchange would help them save the transportation cost. I was happy with the honesty and that they bothered to ask for my permission so I agreed.
The verdicts from my guests were great. Some even asked me for the source I bought from.
I bought over the internet using Visa but thewineroute offers orders by fax or email in case people are not willing to buy over the internet.
On the hold, this shop is highly recommended. I had a smooth and happy transaction with them.
I was excited when a friend asked me along to the new Persimmon opened by the same people from Epicurious. We had such a nice time at Epi that I was pretty sure that Persimmon would be good too! So despite my busy schedule I went down with my friend for the food-tasting session.
Armed with a street directory and a good navigator (moi) we managed to find the carpark behind the Link Hotel. By the way, I found Link Hotel quite interesting and am really thinking of giving it a try. But the parking was $4 per entry in an open air carpark which I found quite a rip-off. But this is the nearest carpark so there isn't much of a choice.
One wouldn't be able to miss Persimmon with its bright orange lights standing tall just outside of it.
After much discussion on how to take a good photo of the front of the restaurant, we finally stepped into the place, greeted by Helena, one of the owners. She introduced us to the rest of the crowd for the evening who were all very friendly people and got us some wine before seating us at this long table meant for large groups.
The black and white tiled flooring and the coffeeshop table and chairs gave it a local feel. But the modern white finishings of the counter and the sides complemented it nicely. I loved the antique-looking sofa sets and the live orchids which gave the place an artsy touch. Old Chinese tunes and jazz helped me relax here.
Food we had:
Mushroom and Sesame Shooter First up was this warm soup in a little glass. I loved the taste and thickness of it. We were told that there was some alcohol in it... but honestly? I couldn't taste it and was happy with that.
Tunghoon Salad with Crabcake This was served with scallop and the presentation was very nice. The Tunghoon had a sourish-spicy taste to it and I liked it very very much! I think it would be better with some cashew bits in it but then that would be very common in Thai salad dishes I guess. As for the crabcake, I would have liked it with more flavour as it was a little bland next to the salad.
Fried Kwayteow served with Wagyu Beef I wanted to write Char Kuay Teow... but then, it wasn't quite that either. I generally try not to eat both CKT and Beef actually. But I did like this version of CKT. It was still oily nonetheless (what is CKT without oil?!) but it did seem healthier somewhat. The noodles were not flimsy and drenched in oil like the hawker centre types but they still have some bite in them. But it was a little too salty but not over the top. I did enjoy the beef though, despite trying to stay away from it. But it was really good, very flavourful and the beansprouts that came with it gave the dish some crunch.
Fisherman's Pie This version had laksa swimming below the puff pastry. The puff pastry is nice but it would have been better with some butter as my friend suggested. I think it would have made it softer and more "fluffy". I wasn't really too concerned that it didn't puff up but I think some softness was missing. I liked the gravy mostly but not quite for drinking though. The ingredients were pretty much what you would expect and they tasted ok. But the potato had probably been floating inside for sometime and its texture was a little too soft.
Pineapple Tart For the first time, I had a giant pineapple tart for dessert. The top has your usual pineapple ring which I wasn't a fan of as it was a little sourish and hard to chew. Beneath it was sweet caramelised pineapple which was very tasty, especially when eaten with the crust! I loved the crust and tried to finish everything but I couldn't as I was too full.
I can't give a pricing for the items I had as I was there for food-tasting. But I took a glance at the menu and the prices are more or less like those in a cafe with mains going in the $20 range.
Not to mention, we took a surprise visit into THE KITCHEN! Helena was so nice to bring us around and show us different sections of the place and we soon realised how much effort was put into planning and designing a place like this! She also showed us a speciall little room that can seat 8 people. It's very cosy and there isn't a minimum spending amount before you can use the room!
Billed as a restaurant serving Memphis style BBQ and country style all American food. Jerry's is no stranger in the neighborhood as they have been serving and satisfying appetites for at least 8 years. Appearing in media interviews, American carnivals and now boasting 3 outlets since its inception, Jerry's seems to be growing albeit at a slower pace. How does it taste? Lets find out.
Honestly, its difficult to spot the place in a bus as it is located on the far end of a group of shophouses. The only discernible feature is small sign which says "Jerry's BBQ and Grill". Thats not to say its a bad looking place of course. Its interior houses a small bar and seating capacity of about 15 people. There's nothing much to look at but its a homely and country feeling place which generally relaxes people.
Hoegarden ($7.95) - Now, this Hoegarden came in a bottle which basically means it doesn't qualify as a pint but for what its worth, this is definitely worth it. Why is that so? Thats because its ice cold. Not just a statement used by so many outlets as a gimmick, but Jerry's do serve ice cold beer in a frosted mug. And there's nothing as good on a hot afternoon then a freezing cold glass of Hoegarden. If only the price got me a pint of ice cold beer, now that would be heavenly.
Fried Country Mushrooms ($10.95) - Anyplace thats serves fried mushrooms deserve a try ever since my visit to MFM. Jerry's version is certainly more expensive and sad to say, not as tasty. The batter is very thin but lacks taste while the tartar sauce it is served with does not elicit the same elation MFM versions provide. The choice of button mushrooms also seem to diminish the juiciness the dish should have. Its not bad per se, just not as good as it should be. Good to have with beer though.
Hickory Smoked BBQ Beef And Pork Combo ($29.95) - We ordered this platter thinking it was going to be a huge portion because it actually costs $30. What did come was anything but a huge portion which is totally unlike the picture shown on the menu as well. All smoked items come with a choice of 2 side dishes and for this time, we had baked beans and a potato salad. Lets talk about the sides first, the beans were actually pretty big and moderately soft which is quite a surprise. Definitely not canned beans and tastes much better then we expected. The potato salad has the same result of being just right. Soft and firm at the same time for a good chewy experience. The meats came next and the beef turn out to be a little too hard for my tastes. Its very chewy and each bite accentuates the fact that it is hickory smoked because you can practically taste the smokey aftertaste in each bite. I didn't like it being so tough though. The pulled pork was good. Juicy slices with the same smokey taste and some really good BBQ sauce makes it a must have at the place. The catch is that having too much can be overwhelming so we were glad that it wasn't too much.
Chocolate Fondant ($6.95) - The real disappointment came in the form of the chocolate fondant. With a crust that tastes like kueh and a core that is not even melting, its pretty akin to eating badly kept chocolate. No doubt it was sweet had a slightly bitter dark chocolate taste, but this is still badly done in my opinion. Skip this if you do eat here.
1 drink, 1 dessert, 1 appetiser and 1 main actually brought the bill to $65.70 for 2 people! Imagine my shock. Value for money? Definitely not!
In all fairness, it wasn't all bad. The smoked items and sides were pretty good and interesting but the price is really too much for the quality and quantity that was served. I wouldn't mind returning for the smoked meat items if they could increase the portions but until then, i'm just going to settle for my ice cold beer if i visit.
1=SGD 0.0587
Finally stepped my foot into this outlet situated in the east! It is located all the way on the top storey of Parkway Parade which is accessible by both the life and the escalator. I took the lift up at first and it is interesting that one has to walk through the multi-storey carpark to get to the club. Yet, it also gives greater privacy and exclusiveness when they have the entire floor to themselves.
The club was big, though second to their 2-storey outlet at Suntec City. The layout of the whole place was pretty much similar to that of Great World City's but here is definitely alot more spacious than Great World. Without any windows overlooking the view outside (just roads & flats anyway), the place was nicely done up with big mirror walls. Most of the equipments are new and have been neatly arranged accordingly.
There were 3 studios, 1 for spinning, another one for mind & soul classes and the last one for high-intensity exercise. All three will not very big, but good enough to hold a class of 30-40 people.
Not forgetting the toilets. At least for the ladies, it was huge & spacious! The individual shower room was big too!
I totally love this outlet and will try to attend more classes here!
Rating given:
Having heard about the pizzas served here, I finally got the opportunity to try! Lucky that my friend & I were early for dinner. The two of us managed to find a 4-seater table in the tiny shop. Hee hee....
Don't judge by the size of this shop. I was surprised by the variety of food that's available on the menu. Besides having a good variety of pizzas, there's pasta and bake rice as well. We were so spoilt for choice! We finally settled on a BBQ chicken personal pizza ($6.80) and a chef's favourite personal pizza ($8.80). Being a big chilli lover, I requested for "4 chilli" for the spicyness (I think the most spicy was "5 chilli") of my chef's favourite pizza. Haha
All you have to do is to write down your order on the memo, go to the cashier and make payment. Oh yes! This shop doesn't charge service charge :)
The pizza was soon served to us, piping hot! One bite on the pizza was good enough to draw the conclusion. GOOD!!!! The crust was thin & crispy and their generous amount of cheese and toppings just make it perfect. Oh yes, the "4 chilli" really made the pizza very spicy but I enjoyed every single bite of it. The 4 slices for the personal pizza was just enough to satisfy my hunger that day. But if you are a big eater, that's definitely not sufficient.
The bill came up to $17.50, which includes the 2 pizzas and a drink and i find it pretty reasonable.
I'll be back again!
Rating given:
Ice cream!!!
My friends and I wanted to find a place to sit down for a chit chat and also to have some ice cream dessert after a not-satisfying meal. Decided on this place as there are small round tables for us to crowd around to chit chat as well for an ice cream.
Having sat down, my friends and I looked through the menu but because one of my friends and I would need to rush off soon, we decided to get a scoop of ice cream each to be taken away. But then, we were told by their waitress that if we were to take away our orders, we could not occupy the seats meant for dine-in customers only. At that point, my friends who were still at the table were still deciding on their orders. Even though I told them this, my friends were still being chased out of their seats.
What I noticed was that none of the waitress was willing to serve me at the cashier before my friends got chased out. I can't help but wonder if it's because they wanted to make sure that my friends were successfully chased out of the place before they can accept my payment as for take away orders. Just for that 10% service charge & 7% GST, this was what they did to their customers? That's very wrong of them!
Rating given:
After walking around Parkway Parade, my friends and I have came to conclude that this looked like a pretty decent dining place for us and there we went.
We waited at the entrance for quite a while before a waiter came over to bring us to our seats. I thought that it is a standard practice for restaurants to inform their customers of their soup of the day. This place just failed to do so. Not so much that it is important, it took us quite a while again to get the attention of the staff so that we can check out what's the soup of the day. Mind you, this is a not a big restaurant, just a small cafe size eating place with 4-5 staffs around and the place was not even fully packed with customers! Like what my friend had commented, all the staff here put on a long face, hardly any smile on their face with the exception of one waiter.
Oh yes, having said so much, I've not even talked about their food. Besides the ala carte menu, they provide all-day set meals which have been grouped into 3 categories - Executive set ($13.80), Gourmet set ($19.80) and for the last one, I can't recall the name but it costs $20.80. Each set comes with free-flow of bread, soup of the day main course and a coffee or tea.
We ordered 2 seafood pasta, one with tomato sauce while the other aglio olio and a caesar salad.
The bread was available at their bread counter and all for you to cut. There's even a toaster for you to toast your bread. The bread tasted ok, not too dry to eat on its own. In fact, I would say that the bread tasted so much better than their main course. Soup of the day was cream of seafood. I didn't find much seafood in the soup, just alot of potato & carrot. Hmm...
After a long wait, finally came our main course! Too bad, it was a real disappointment! Spaghetti was very salty for both the aglio olio & tomato based pasta. Clams were salty too, prawns & crayfish were overcooked.
During our hour-long stay in the cafe, we met the one & only friendly staff who was concerned with our dining experience there. I guess that's the only saving grace for the cafe which is seriously worthy of that one star from me.
Rating given:
Had dinner at Da Paolo La Terrazza - one of 7 Italian restaurants/bars/gourmet shops that the Da Paolo group has opened up since their early days as Trattoria Da Paolo in Tanjong Pagar.
Located just a stone's throwaway from the ever crowded Holland Village in the quiet, tree lined stretch of Jalan Merah Sage, La Terrazza offers a respite from the hustle and bustle of life as the rat race takes a back seat in this charming little neighbourhood restaurant. The decor is simple yet comfortable, with its rattan chairs and a small alfresco dining area to cater to those who wish to enjoy the humidity of Singapore. Then again, there's only the air curtain to seperate the air conditioned area and the alfresco area so sitting inside doesn't guarantee a cool dinner, which was the case that very night I was there.
The complimentary bread was a good start to the meal. Fragrant, soft and moist on the inside yet crisp on the outside. It would have been better if served warm though.
La Terrazza's offering of the minestrone soup hit some rather flat notes to render it painfully average. I could have gotten the same standard of soup at most decent western restaurants for a lower price. Probably the only interesting thing was that the soup came with a slice of cheese in it, something I've not seen anywhere else. Not that it really made much of a difference to the taste of the soup though.
Cappesante Alle Erbe e Brandy - Sauteed Scallops with Brandy and Herbs - I like scallops hence I tend to have higher expectations of them. And these failed miserably. The scallops were bland and soft, not firm as I would have expected and there was no taste of brandy whatsoever. The only discernible taste came from the ground pepper scattered atop.
Tagliatelle Al Granchio - The Tagliatelle Al Granchio aka crab meat pasta provided a much needed boost to the disappointing dinner thus far. Al dente without being too heavy on the cream or taste. Nice and filling just the way I liked it. Could do with a little more crab meat though.
Crespelle Alla Crema - Caramelised Thin Pancakes with Vanilla Pastry Cream and Vanilla Ice Cream - This is probably one of the very very few times where I order pancakes for dessert. But I'm glad I did. The caramelised pancakes were rather interesting because as the name implies, the pancakes were coated with a hardened layer of caramel, making it sweet. Personally, I would have prefered chocolate cream instead of vanilla cream inside though.
Tiramisu - Undoubtedly the star of the evening, and one of the main reasons why I wanted to eat at La Terrazza - the tiramisu. The not overly wet sponge to mascarpone cheese ratio was quite even and overall the tiramisu came across as light and fluffy with a stronger than usual hint of alcohol. A slice costs $10 and if you want the entire cake, its $60.
$94 for a soup, an appetiser, a main and 2 desserts certainly isn't prohibitively expensive considering the relatively above average quality of food in general. But it isn't cheap either. On the flip side, service is good and efficient but rather mechanical, lacking the personal touch and warmth.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
I believe everybody is familiar with the song on television that goes: "Dom Dom Kushinbo" etc etc. And this is my second visit to the place in 4 years if i'm not wrong so there's quite a few new things we can talk about. Here we go>>>
$27.80 per head (Lunch buffet) - Japanese buffets are without a doubt one of my favorite buffets to have. The one offered by Kuishinbo certainly has alot up for offer.
As per my previous visit, some things have changed. The interior being one of the changes and the amount of food offerings as well. Not exactly for the better in my opinion, the seats and ambiance seem to have taken a step backwards and just feels less friendly then before. Service and clearing of plates this time seemed to have improved though.
On to the food, you get a whole lot of choices to begin with. Cold dishes like sashimi, cha soba, sushi and california rolls are yours for the taking. Then there are the deep fried dishes which had ebi tempura, chicken, hotate and other fried items. There are also soups, paper steamboats and assorted other items which could be cooked on the spot for you. Desserts are piled with cakes, ice cream, fondue, puffs and biscuits. Coffee and tea are also available for the taking.
Basically, the food is decent albeit nothing really stays with you after you finish eating. The sashimi are alright though the quality is definitely questionable. I liked the california rolls they had. The tempura had way too much batter and not enough prawn. The steamboat is simply too sweet for comfort. The miso soup here is the worst i've ever had. The cooked salmon is normal, the dory is nicely sweet and tender while the beef was overcooked and rubbery. Basically, their sushis were moderately decent. The dessert was alright if you simply go for the fondue and the cakes, the puffs, cookies and brownies really need improvement. And that about sums everything up.
Total bill came up to $65.44 for a stuffed stomach and a less then satisfied pallet.
The buffet we had was lunch which meant we didn't get to have any crab. I was told that the crab served during the evenings were much better and worth a try. But as it stands, i'm probably not going to return for another try at least for the next year or so.
Rating given:
I bought my pinky camera here. I was quite happy with the service quality at this outlet. The person who served me took time to explain the difference between the 2 cameras I was wondering over.
Even though the time was closed to "close shop", the person did not hurry me to make a decision or to pay. He even asked me to look around the shop for any more things I would want to buy for discounts if I apply for the member card.
As I don't usually patron Challenger or even get expensive gadgets and etc, I didn't apply for the member card. The person who served me did not show any displeasure.
But the shop is usually filled with people and quite difficult to walk around. Its an advantage that they organized their stuffs well as its easy to find what you want. Having little deco and making the place brightly lit helps too.
Rating given:
Found this online store specializing in wines via emall.sg I had to buy red wine for my wedding dinner as the number of tables did not qualify for free flow of alcohol.
Thewineroute is very well organized and allows viewers to view their selection via country of origin, budget, type of wine, ratings and winery. They also have a category of wedding selections.
Details of the taste and ingredients of the wine are included. As well as the type of caps the bottles have and any ratings of the wine and the type of wine (e.g rose, sparkling)
I bought a dozen bottles of Gato Negro Merlot 2006 for my wedding. 2 days before my wedding, the person called from thewineroute and asked whether they can substitute what I bought with another batch of wine of a different and better make. The batch just arrived and is $1 more costly than the ones I bought but they are willing to waive the extra cost. He explained to me that its because the exchange would help them save the transportation cost. I was happy with the honesty and that they bothered to ask for my permission so I agreed.
The verdicts from my guests were great. Some even asked me for the source I bought from.
I bought over the internet using Visa but thewineroute offers orders by fax or email in case people are not willing to buy over the internet.
On the hold, this shop is highly recommended. I had a smooth and happy transaction with them.
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I was excited when a friend asked me along to the new Persimmon opened by the same people from Epicurious. We had such a nice time at Epi that I was pretty sure that Persimmon would be good too! So despite my busy schedule I went down with my friend for the food-tasting session.
Armed with a street directory and a good navigator (moi) we managed to find the carpark behind the Link Hotel. By the way, I found Link Hotel quite interesting and am really thinking of giving it a try. But the parking was $4 per entry in an open air carpark which I found quite a rip-off. But this is the nearest carpark so there isn't much of a choice.
One wouldn't be able to miss Persimmon with its bright orange lights standing tall just outside of it.
After much discussion on how to take a good photo of the front of the restaurant, we finally stepped into the place, greeted by Helena, one of the owners. She introduced us to the rest of the crowd for the evening who were all very friendly people and got us some wine before seating us at this long table meant for large groups.
The black and white tiled flooring and the coffeeshop table and chairs gave it a local feel. But the modern white finishings of the counter and the sides complemented it nicely. I loved the antique-looking sofa sets and the live orchids which gave the place an artsy touch. Old Chinese tunes and jazz helped me relax here.
Food we had:
Mushroom and Sesame Shooter
First up was this warm soup in a little glass. I loved the taste and thickness of it. We were told that there was some alcohol in it... but honestly? I couldn't taste it and was happy with that.
Tunghoon Salad with Crabcake
This was served with scallop and the presentation was very nice. The Tunghoon had a sourish-spicy taste to it and I liked it very very much! I think it would be better with some cashew bits in it but then that would be very common in Thai salad dishes I guess. As for the crabcake, I would have liked it with more flavour as it was a little bland next to the salad.
Fried Kwayteow served with Wagyu Beef
I wanted to write Char Kuay Teow... but then, it wasn't quite that either. I generally try not to eat both CKT and Beef actually. But I did like this version of CKT. It was still oily nonetheless (what is CKT without oil?!) but it did seem healthier somewhat. The noodles were not flimsy and drenched in oil like the hawker centre types but they still have some bite in them. But it was a little too salty but not over the top. I did enjoy the beef though, despite trying to stay away from it. But it was really good, very flavourful and the beansprouts that came with it gave the dish some crunch.
Fisherman's Pie
This version had laksa swimming below the puff pastry. The puff pastry is nice but it would have been better with some butter as my friend suggested. I think it would have made it softer and more "fluffy". I wasn't really too concerned that it didn't puff up but I think some softness was missing. I liked the gravy mostly but not quite for drinking though. The ingredients were pretty much what you would expect and they tasted ok. But the potato had probably been floating inside for sometime and its texture was a little too soft.
Pineapple Tart
For the first time, I had a giant pineapple tart for dessert. The top has your usual pineapple ring which I wasn't a fan of as it was a little sourish and hard to chew. Beneath it was sweet caramelised pineapple which was very tasty, especially when eaten with the crust! I loved the crust and tried to finish everything but I couldn't as I was too full.
I can't give a pricing for the items I had as I was there for food-tasting. But I took a glance at the menu and the prices are more or less like those in a cafe with mains going in the $20 range.
Not to mention, we took a surprise visit into THE KITCHEN! Helena was so nice to bring us around and show us different sections of the place and we soon realised how much effort was put into planning and designing a place like this! She also showed us a speciall little room that can seat 8 people. It's very cosy and there isn't a minimum spending amount before you can use the room!
Definitely worth another visit!
For more pictures, go to my blog
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Billed as a restaurant serving Memphis style BBQ and country style all American food. Jerry's is no stranger in the neighborhood as they have been serving and satisfying appetites for at least 8 years. Appearing in media interviews, American carnivals and now boasting 3 outlets since its inception, Jerry's seems to be growing albeit at a slower pace. How does it taste? Lets find out.
Honestly, its difficult to spot the place in a bus as it is located on the far end of a group of shophouses. The only discernible feature is small sign which says "Jerry's BBQ and Grill". Thats not to say its a bad looking place of course. Its interior houses a small bar and seating capacity of about 15 people. There's nothing much to look at but its a homely and country feeling place which generally relaxes people.
Hoegarden ($7.95) - Now, this Hoegarden came in a bottle which basically means it doesn't qualify as a pint but for what its worth, this is definitely worth it. Why is that so? Thats because its ice cold. Not just a statement used by so many outlets as a gimmick, but Jerry's do serve ice cold beer in a frosted mug. And there's nothing as good on a hot afternoon then a freezing cold glass of Hoegarden. If only the price got me a pint of ice cold beer, now that would be heavenly.
Fried Country Mushrooms ($10.95) - Anyplace thats serves fried mushrooms deserve a try ever since my visit to MFM. Jerry's version is certainly more expensive and sad to say, not as tasty. The batter is very thin but lacks taste while the tartar sauce it is served with does not elicit the same elation MFM versions provide. The choice of button mushrooms also seem to diminish the juiciness the dish should have. Its not bad per se, just not as good as it should be. Good to have with beer though.
Hickory Smoked BBQ Beef And Pork Combo ($29.95) - We ordered this platter thinking it was going to be a huge portion because it actually costs $30. What did come was anything but a huge portion which is totally unlike the picture shown on the menu as well. All smoked items come with a choice of 2 side dishes and for this time, we had baked beans and a potato salad. Lets talk about the sides first, the beans were actually pretty big and moderately soft which is quite a surprise. Definitely not canned beans and tastes much better then we expected. The potato salad has the same result of being just right. Soft and firm at the same time for a good chewy experience. The meats came next and the beef turn out to be a little too hard for my tastes. Its very chewy and each bite accentuates the fact that it is hickory smoked because you can practically taste the smokey aftertaste in each bite. I didn't like it being so tough though. The pulled pork was good. Juicy slices with the same smokey taste and some really good BBQ sauce makes it a must have at the place. The catch is that having too much can be overwhelming so we were glad that it wasn't too much.
Chocolate Fondant ($6.95) - The real disappointment came in the form of the chocolate fondant. With a crust that tastes like kueh and a core that is not even melting, its pretty akin to eating badly kept chocolate. No doubt it was sweet had a slightly bitter dark chocolate taste, but this is still badly done in my opinion. Skip this if you do eat here.
1 drink, 1 dessert, 1 appetiser and 1 main actually brought the bill to $65.70 for 2 people! Imagine my shock. Value for money? Definitely not!
In all fairness, it wasn't all bad. The smoked items and sides were pretty good and interesting but the price is really too much for the quality and quantity that was served. I wouldn't mind returning for the smoked meat items if they could increase the portions but until then, i'm just going to settle for my ice cold beer if i visit.
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