I'm a big fan of this cake shop! Even though it's small and kinda hidden in the food court, the cakes are extraordinary and heavenly.
Cakes are kept fresh in their cooling display. They're very attractive! And I just love the packaging. They will give you the cake box and the cake-cutting knife plus the large carrier. It was so easy to bring it back home. The aunties at the stall are also very friendly..
And of courseeeeeee the cake is so heavenly! I bought the cheesecake with oreo base and top, decorated by fresh fruits and white chocolate slices. It was so good! The cake is quite sticky but it's nice! It's not "dry". And the oreo as the base and top is a very deadly combination! A bit sweet, a bit bitter, but nice overall!
This shop stays as my regularly visited shop whenever I need cakes for any occasion.
Playground @ Big splash is the revamped and much hyped about location these days for its semi chic food offering which can be found surrounding the defunct location. The list of restaurants to try there is quite extensive and its important thus, to start somewhere. Having had Sushi Tei close to a year back, i was once again goaded to try it out at its new location.
The exterior of the restaurant is simply a refurbishment of the old big splash building with an additional signboard. The interior consists of a oval kitchen set in the middle of the restaurant with glass panels to allow a full view of the kitchen and sushi making counter. A conveyor belt which taxis the usual sushi plates run through the restaurant as well. Seats are a mesh of wooden and minimal cushioned seats for the customers to choose from while the lighting within is rather dim as opposed to the bright interiors of Genki or Sakae sushi.
Unagi and Tamago Sushi (Yellow plate $6) - Looking at the shot, its obvious that the unagi is huge! I picked this from the conveyor because i was dead hungry and because the portion seemed too good to be true for a sushi plate. Taste wise, the unagi was soft and sweet while the tamago and sushi rice held firm. It wasn't until i learned the actual price of a yellow plate before i regretted as this was $6 which is really expensive by my standards.
Chawan Mushi (2 for $8) - Soft and sweet summarizes this up pretty well. Pieces of chicken meat and shark's fin can be found closer to the bottom but the one thing that irked me was that the dish was not piping hot when served. It was lukewarm at best and that took alot of enjoyment away.
Age Dashi Tofu ($4) - Another dish that should be served hot but made it to our tables only slightly warm. The age dashi tofu has to be the worst of its kind i've had to eat thus far. The skin had a sticky and unbreakable quality to it while the bland tofu inside simply didn't help. Also deserving a mention is how cool the sauce it came with was as well. An overall badly done item.
The above plates were basically tasteless. The tuna sushi had a rather fishy aftertaste that did not agree with me while the tamago and crab meat simple tasted like bland sushi rice. The unagi pieces were extremely thin and came with no sauce whatsoever. Disappointing.
Yakiniku Don ($10) - I had a bite of this dish and the meat was hard and overdone while the rice was once again lukewarm.
Curry Katsudon ($8) - A simple dish which i ordered for filling purposes. The curry was not spicy as Japanese curry itself is never known for being spicy. The chicken pieces were miserly and hard while the curry tasted very much like those that could be bought from NTUC. Somehow, i was hoping for more but that was never satisfied.
Sukiyaki (3 for $36) - The sukiyaki beef came in 4 long slices and the fats were readily apparent on each piece. Some call it marbling but it doesn't sit well with me as i prefer sukiyaki with minimal fat and more meat. The hotpot that came was miso based and is of the sweet variety. Its filled with mushrooms, onions, vermicelli and tofu for good measure but none decreases the sweetness of the broth (this can be good or bad depending on your tastes). Regardless, this is one of the more affordable and value for money items i've found in the place. Still not exceedingly good though.
Cha Soba ($6.50) - Another item i did not get to try but comments were that it was good.
Total damage for 6 people came to $112.39. Averaging less then $20 per person.
Although Japanese food is one of my favorite cuisines and i've tried Sushi Tei in the past. This branch needs work before its worthy of the name. From my friends, i understand that they have eaten at other branches where the standard was much higher and better then the items we've had here. Service was better as well. Either way, i did not enjoy paying at the counter, did not enjoy eating lukewarm and suspiciously "unfresh" food and did not enjoy the air con dripping down on me as i signed the cheque. Maybe this is the new business jitters i've heard so much about regarding new entrants to the field but still, i don't think i'll be coming back to this branch. Take your chances.
Beads and Ends is a blogshop selling handmade jewelries including necklaces and earrings. Materials primarily used are imported from US, including non-tarnish wire and swarovski crystals. Even with this excellent quality, beadsandends' price is very affordable.
The owner is very friendly. Once met her during SMU bazaar. Went to the bazaar to pick up my stuff that I ordered online. So funny.. She politely asked me whether I can come to SMU bazaar instead to pick up so that I can waive my postage charges. Of course I agreed. It's like, my school. Hahahaha.
Neeway, during bazaar she was selling hundreds (or maybe more) cheap earrings. Only $2.50 for each pair! Even though they're cheap, as I said she only uses excellent materials and shows excellent wirework skills. Bought many pairs that time to give to my sisters. Hehe.
One flaw though. I hope the website will be more neatly designed. Some banners put are not in equal sizes and some positions are weird.. Also I wish she will put constant and consistent tags/categories to make searching particular jewelry easier.
However all in all, it's a very good blogshop. Check it out.
Snowlights is a good blogshop! Ade creates beautiful jewelry with excellent workmanship yet with a very affordable price! Bought my earrings under $10 and it looks as good as $20 earrings.
I love her wirework! It's so pretty and intricate.. She's already made many unique-shaped jewelry with interesting wirework. (See her website to see...Hehehe) She throws in many cute little things to adorn the jewelry. Butterflies, leaves, picnic basket, and many more.. Totally unique.
The owner is very friendly and will give personalized service. This is important, you know! I find many online shops with "adding to cart" option seems kinda cold and not engaging.. Oh she also wraps the package nicely and gives instruction to care the jewelry (hand-signed by her.. Personalization!).
And have I mentioned that they're cheap?? For excellent wirework and unique juxtaposition of little bits, the price is really a good value.
Things didn’t get off to a good start when my name was not found on the reservation list. Thankfully it wasn’t a big issue as the crowd have not set in and they managed to find us a table. It so happen that it was Friends “First Ever Barbecue Party” @ Chomps that evening, and we were told that they were only serving Barbecue Platter for mains and only the appetisers and desserts are available from the regular menu.
As we were scrutinising the menu on what is available, one thing we did realise was that the tables were a little too close for comfort. Despite the classy décor and nice lighting to create a lovely ambience, the strident environment that evening marred it - in fact it stayed raucous throughout the whole occasion.
Upon ordering, we were served the bread and butter almost immediately – it didn’t came cold but it wasn’t exactly warm either (I was actually looking forward to it as I clearly remember her mentioning “Enjoy your warm bread!”). Other than being soft, there wasn’t anything else noteworthy to mention about it.
Soon after, the Assorted Salad Platter with Condiments and Dressing came – straight forward dish as well and nothing much to compliment or picked on.
Then came the ½ dozen of Seasonal Oysters ($29.40), and I have flattering remarks for them – they were big, the flesh were plump and it was very fresh, although personally I would prefer them to arrive more chilled – and if they were any cheaper, I could have easily gulp down another dozen.
We waited a little while more before our platter arrived. For a platter for 2 ($49.90), diners have a choice of 3 items from the Hot Items (Roast Potatoes, Corn on the Cob, Grilled Tomatoes, Grilled Pumpkins, Grilled Peppers) and 2 items from the Grilled Items (Rib eye Steak, Lamb Shoulder Chops, Assorted Sausage (veal or course pork), Grilled Chicken, Grilled Fish Fillet). A platter for 3 will set you back another $20 with an additional item from the grilled section. We opted for the potatoes, corn and peppers from the hot items list and rib eye steak and lamb shoulder chops from the grilled items.
The platter didn’t exactly impress me when it was served to be honest. Aesthetics wise, it didn’t look appetising, furthermore the whole plate was drenched with the meat’s natural juices that only signifies that the chef did not rest the meat before it was served. But at least the chef did managed to get his medium rare this time round for the steak.
Special mention also goes to the lamb chops, as it was char grilled nicely on the outside and succulent on the inside – and what’s best was the layer of marbling fats that was ever so flavoursome. We wrapped up the dinner with a similar dessert I had the last time – Warm Valrhona Chocolate Cake served with Vanilla Ice Cream ($12.90).
And my mate who was not present at the previous outing gave the same conclusion that the aftertaste of the molten chocolate lava could be better (compared to this one, which she had tried with me).
Overall, this wasn’t as bad an experience as the previous one, but there are definitely rooms for improvement. Also, considering that this was the first time they are running this sort of operations, perhaps I could be more forgiving. Nevertheless, I feel that serving barbecue fare is displacing the original business model, which prides itself as a semi-fine dining place – where you do not need to dig deep into your pockets for good food.
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
We were thinking what to eat before around Marina Square area when I thought of this place when I had read the good review on Yebber, so decided to head to this place and give it a try. Given its prime location where you are sure to see it, you will not miss this place at all. Well once you come up of the Citilink escalator; it is just right in front of you. It just looks like a small kopitiam. It got both indoor (air-con) and outdoor (non air-con) seats along the corridor.
From the review about, can see that this place only serves a few kinds of food from Nasi Lemak to Mee Siam to Popiah. They also got desserts and all different kind of drinks as well. They even produce their own kind of drinks (Like Grass Jelly and Tea etc) and pre-packed it by themselves. They go by self service, so when you want to order you have to go to their counter, tell them what you want to order, then pay at the cashier at the end of the line.
I got myself the following food:
Nasi Lemak @ $3.90: There are a lot of different sets to choose from. The prices ranging from $3.90 to $4.70. I ordered mine with otak and chicken wing. The rice is green in color and smells very fragrant. It is hot and soft with a heavy smell of pandan. However it is the only good thing. The otak is that normal kind, nothing to wow of. The chicken wing is warm, not hot but still managed to retain its crispiness. However I do find the wing a bit small sized. The rest of the side dishes are ikan belis and peanuts. I am not a person who can handle hot stuff well, but the chili did impress me a lot. It is a little hot yet sweet at the same time, making it a great combination with the nasi lemak. Overall, this dish is slightly above average.
Popiah @ $1.90. $2.30 if you want to add prawns or chicken: This popiah to me is a bit disappointing. The popiah looks a bit too wet on the plate; therefore I knew that it is going to be soggy. True enough, once I put it inside my mouth, it turns out to be soggy. Although it is packed with a lot of ingredients inside but it does not totally removed all the juices, making the popiah too soggy. It is also a bit tasteless for me. For the price I am paying, I expected it to be better. I have tasted better ones at a cheaper price some more. I will not order this again.
Drinks: Hot Coffee @ $1.10 and Iced Tea @ $1.50. I shall only comment on the tea. I do like their version of the iced tea, thick milky taste which I looked out for in an iced tea! It is good enough for me just to go back and buy their ice tea next time.
Since it is self service, the service at the counter is pretty prompt, as they only prepared (or use the word “packed”) the food when you order. They are also quite flexible as you can change some of the items in your set as well. One thing, they do not charge 10% service charge here. The prices they charge also quite cheap as well comparable to food court prices.
It is a good place if you need a place for quick food or you need to satisfy your urges for Nasi Lemak craving. Wahahahaha……
Read quite a bit about Melvados and its famous brownies so dropped by one sunny afternoon to try them out.
Opened just slightly over a year ago in end 2006, Melvados is located within the upmarket residential enclave of Bukit Timah, playing neighbours to only a clinic and a pub. The decor is simple, with cheap looking wooden tables and chairs sparsely populating the granite floor. There are cosy sofas too but those are of the limited variety. The entire place is small, probably fitting in about 20 pax at most. With huge floor to ceiling windows, the place exudes a nice cosy feeling, just perfect for a lazy afternoon tea session.
Seafood Platter - I'm not exactly a fan of seafood platters as they usually consist of alot of deep fried stuff that tend to make me nauseous after a while. This one was no exception. Served with onion rings, fries, calamari and fish/prawn cakes, the platter was, if I may say, off the charts. Not that I mean it in a good way though. Everything (save for the fries) was rather tasteless and too filled with thick batter that tasted exactly like deep fried flour.
Black & White Kisses - Billed as Melvados's signature brownie, the Black & White Kisses was actually quite good. Moist and not too rich with a nice wholesome baked taste and topped with black and white hershey's kisses. The only bone I had was the consistently smooth homogeneous texture of the brownie, which made it seem a little weird. However such gripes are forgotten when the brownie is paired with the vanilla ice cream, making for a sweet and delightful dessert without the chocolate overload.
Sizzling Brownies Sensation - Ever heard of hotplate brownie? No? Neither have I. It was that curiosity that prompted us to order this dessert. In retrospect, it wasn't such a good idea after all. A brownie served on a hot plate with a scoop of rapidly melting ice cream. How special is that? I did a quick calculation and the novelty of a hotplate cost us an additional $2.10 with the exact same ingredients as their signature Black & White Kisses. There's another problem with serving brownies on a hotplate. The underside of the brownie will harden and stick to the base and the ice cream melts so fast that its a little more than just flavoured cream after a while.
Chocolate Madness - I didn't quite take to this brownie as it was a tad hard and dry when served. Not exactly my cup of tea. And for the record, it didn't really taste that strongly of chocolate as inferred by its name.
I'm really not sure about the going prices for brownies because I don't eat enough of them to know but I'm guessing $18.50 for 3 brownies is a wee bit on the high side. Meldavos serves mains like pasta and sandwiches as well but sticking to just the brownies might just be a safer bet.
Shokudo is a name that you can get familiar with in a hurry. Why? Firstly, it has 2 branches already counting this one, being a Marche-like concept and the other located nearby in CityLink which specialized in Pizza and Pasta. We'll be reviewing the Marche lookalike this time around on the food quality.
Upon queuing and entering the premises, you'll be greeted by friendly serving staff who'll provide you with 2 items. Firstly, you'll receive a card thats basically your best friend, losing the card results in a penalty fee of $100 which is rather absurd if you ask me. The second item you'll receive is a round wooden placeholder thats supposed to reserve a seat for you whereever you put it. However, this simply did not work because our first reservation chip was stolen from our table and some other lady managed to get in our reserved seat... So i'm saying the system may work elsewhere, but apparently not in Singapore. The interior of the Bazaar is split into several different themes with a food court like design in the middle, more colorful lighting and cushy seats in other areas. Rather pleasing and different from an aesthetic perspective. The food preparation areas resemble Marche with the exception of everything being Japanese food or fusion in some instances. The only problem i had with the arrangement is the waiting time for each order. Its pretty ridiculous to wait 20 mins for a beef burger but i'll get to that later. The service staff were alright and courteous but can be improved for sure.
Wasabi Toro Cheese Burger ($7.80) - The name is nice, wasabi toro burger. Whatever that means i'm not too sure but to me, its a beef burger with a supremely small patty of beef wrapped in an extremely bad tasting and oversized bun. I had to wait close to 20 minutes for the above. Can you see where the time went into preparing it? I certainly couldn't unless they mashed and prepared the patty on the spot but i highly doubt that. The bun is fused to an egg which thankfully made it bearable but the miserly portion of beef was terrible visually. Not to mention that when tasted, it simply wasn't up to par, being dry and too hard. Simply terrible.
Bacon and cheese Omelette ($5.80) - My gf ordered this and the next item. Thankfully they were more palatable then my horrible choice but even then, not by much. The bacon and cheese omelet was a really small portion which could be finished in 4 spoonfuls. The omelet itself was served warm and with bacon and cheese melting within it. A little too salty however.
Rosti with Sausages ($9.80) - Since when did rosti become a Japanese item? Nonetheless, in a world of below average food, this managed to be a cut above the rest. Fragrant, hot and crispy with a soft interior. This took the crown that day but thats certainly not saying much. The sausage that came with it was your run-of-the-mill sausage with cheese in it. It wasn't bad per se but nothing exciting about it as well. The one thing about this dish is, its oily to a fault. You'll notice it the moment you have your first bite until your nausea inducing ending.
A mediocre and sub par meal came up to $27.50 for 2 people. If i'm ever in the vicinity again, i'll stay far far away.
I don't know what the matter is. The food portions were pathetic. The service was slow. The true japanese items were price sky high and the seats were only moderately comfortable. Why would i pay to eat here when there are so many better places out there? Good for people who want to see what the buzz is about but if the quality and portion size doesn't improve, i fear a quick exit will be the order of the day.
On 9th of February 2008, which is the 3rd day of Chinese New Year, some coffeeshops have yet to open for business. So hubby and I decided to make our way down to eat at Vivocity.
We were walking round, looking for places we've never ate at. Wanted to try new stuffs on the 3rd day on Chinese new year. :)
We walked by this Japanese Restaurant call Tajimaya Yakiniku. Looked at what they have, Japanese charcoal grill . Seems nice, so we decide to try them out. :)
When we walked in, there weren't many customer. A young man who looks like the manager served us. We sat at this huge table with lots of seat and holes in the table to put hot coals.
As we walked to our seat, I felt cold and use my hands to rub my arms, the guy immediately went and adjust the air condition for us. He mention that he only adjust it a little higher because when the hot coals and food comes, it'll be a little warmer. :) Plus point here.
The staffs took quite sometime to serve the coals and food, but they were apologetic and polite.
I can't remember what we ordered but it's all beef and 1 plate of mushroom. I love the mushroom but I guess Japanese beef grillings probably not my thing. :p Hubby love the beef though. :)
I don't remember how much hubby paid in total, but it's definitely more than 100 . Which I thought it's far too expensive. :p
I believe that most people don't trust my words when I say Carl's Jr. serves burgers about the size of my face!
(Picture 1)
This is the smaller version of the burger darling ordered that time. (this one no cheese and don't know what else.) & it's already the size of his hand.
His hand size is about the size of my face.
(Picture 2)
This is how tiny a BK onion ring looks like on my hand.
(Picture 3)
This picture shows a Carl's Jr onion ring the size of my palm in 2006.
(Picture 4)
This picture shows a Carl's Jr onion ring bigger than the size of my palm in 2008.
1=SGD 0.0587
I'm a big fan of this cake shop! Even though it's small and kinda hidden in the food court, the cakes are extraordinary and heavenly.
Cakes are kept fresh in their cooling display. They're very attractive! And I just love the packaging. They will give you the cake box and the cake-cutting knife plus the large carrier. It was so easy to bring it back home. The aunties at the stall are also very friendly..
And of courseeeeeee the cake is so heavenly! I bought the cheesecake with oreo base and top, decorated by fresh fruits and white chocolate slices. It was so good! The cake is quite sticky but it's nice! It's not "dry". And the oreo as the base and top is a very deadly combination! A bit sweet, a bit bitter, but nice overall!
This shop stays as my regularly visited shop whenever I need cakes for any occasion.
Rating given:
Playground @ Big splash is the revamped and much hyped about location these days for its semi chic food offering which can be found surrounding the defunct location. The list of restaurants to try there is quite extensive and its important thus, to start somewhere. Having had Sushi Tei close to a year back, i was once again goaded to try it out at its new location.
The exterior of the restaurant is simply a refurbishment of the old big splash building with an additional signboard. The interior consists of a oval kitchen set in the middle of the restaurant with glass panels to allow a full view of the kitchen and sushi making counter. A conveyor belt which taxis the usual sushi plates run through the restaurant as well. Seats are a mesh of wooden and minimal cushioned seats for the customers to choose from while the lighting within is rather dim as opposed to the bright interiors of Genki or Sakae sushi.
Unagi and Tamago Sushi (Yellow plate $6) - Looking at the shot, its obvious that the unagi is huge! I picked this from the conveyor because i was dead hungry and because the portion seemed too good to be true for a sushi plate. Taste wise, the unagi was soft and sweet while the tamago and sushi rice held firm. It wasn't until i learned the actual price of a yellow plate before i regretted as this was $6 which is really expensive by my standards.
Chawan Mushi (2 for $8) - Soft and sweet summarizes this up pretty well. Pieces of chicken meat and shark's fin can be found closer to the bottom but the one thing that irked me was that the dish was not piping hot when served. It was lukewarm at best and that took alot of enjoyment away.
Age Dashi Tofu ($4) - Another dish that should be served hot but made it to our tables only slightly warm. The age dashi tofu has to be the worst of its kind i've had to eat thus far. The skin had a sticky and unbreakable quality to it while the bland tofu inside simply didn't help. Also deserving a mention is how cool the sauce it came with was as well. An overall badly done item.
The above plates were basically tasteless. The tuna sushi had a rather fishy aftertaste that did not agree with me while the tamago and crab meat simple tasted like bland sushi rice. The unagi pieces were extremely thin and came with no sauce whatsoever. Disappointing.
Yakiniku Don ($10) - I had a bite of this dish and the meat was hard and overdone while the rice was once again lukewarm.
Curry Katsudon ($8) - A simple dish which i ordered for filling purposes. The curry was not spicy as Japanese curry itself is never known for being spicy. The chicken pieces were miserly and hard while the curry tasted very much like those that could be bought from NTUC. Somehow, i was hoping for more but that was never satisfied.
Sukiyaki (3 for $36) - The sukiyaki beef came in 4 long slices and the fats were readily apparent on each piece. Some call it marbling but it doesn't sit well with me as i prefer sukiyaki with minimal fat and more meat. The hotpot that came was miso based and is of the sweet variety. Its filled with mushrooms, onions, vermicelli and tofu for good measure but none decreases the sweetness of the broth (this can be good or bad depending on your tastes). Regardless, this is one of the more affordable and value for money items i've found in the place. Still not exceedingly good though.
Cha Soba ($6.50) - Another item i did not get to try but comments were that it was good.
Total damage for 6 people came to $112.39. Averaging less then $20 per person.
Although Japanese food is one of my favorite cuisines and i've tried Sushi Tei in the past. This branch needs work before its worthy of the name. From my friends, i understand that they have eaten at other branches where the standard was much higher and better then the items we've had here. Service was better as well. Either way, i did not enjoy paying at the counter, did not enjoy eating lukewarm and suspiciously "unfresh" food and did not enjoy the air con dripping down on me as i signed the cheque. Maybe this is the new business jitters i've heard so much about regarding new entrants to the field but still, i don't think i'll be coming back to this branch. Take your chances.
Rating given:
Beads and Ends is a blogshop selling handmade jewelries including necklaces and earrings. Materials primarily used are imported from US, including non-tarnish wire and swarovski crystals. Even with this excellent quality, beadsandends' price is very affordable.
The owner is very friendly. Once met her during SMU bazaar. Went to the bazaar to pick up my stuff that I ordered online. So funny.. She politely asked me whether I can come to SMU bazaar instead to pick up so that I can waive my postage charges. Of course I agreed. It's like, my school. Hahahaha.
Neeway, during bazaar she was selling hundreds (or maybe more) cheap earrings. Only $2.50 for each pair! Even though they're cheap, as I said she only uses excellent materials and shows excellent wirework skills. Bought many pairs that time to give to my sisters. Hehe.
One flaw though. I hope the website will be more neatly designed. Some banners put are not in equal sizes and some positions are weird.. Also I wish she will put constant and consistent tags/categories to make searching particular jewelry easier.
However all in all, it's a very good blogshop. Check it out.
Rating given:
Snowlights is a good blogshop! Ade creates beautiful jewelry with excellent workmanship yet with a very affordable price! Bought my earrings under $10 and it looks as good as $20 earrings.
I love her wirework! It's so pretty and intricate.. She's already made many unique-shaped jewelry with interesting wirework. (See her website to see...Hehehe) She throws in many cute little things to adorn the jewelry. Butterflies, leaves, picnic basket, and many more.. Totally unique.
The owner is very friendly and will give personalized service. This is important, you know! I find many online shops with "adding to cart" option seems kinda cold and not engaging.. Oh she also wraps the package nicely and gives instruction to care the jewelry (hand-signed by her.. Personalization!).
And have I mentioned that they're cheap?? For excellent wirework and unique juxtaposition of little bits, the price is really a good value.
Hope she will continue creating!
Rating given:
I was invited to Friends @ Serangoon Gardens after my not so pleasant dining experience at their Jelita outlet.
Things didn’t get off to a good start when my name was not found on the reservation list. Thankfully it wasn’t a big issue as the crowd have not set in and they managed to find us a table. It so happen that it was Friends “First Ever Barbecue Party” @ Chomps that evening, and we were told that they were only serving Barbecue Platter for mains and only the appetisers and desserts are available from the regular menu.
As we were scrutinising the menu on what is available, one thing we did realise was that the tables were a little too close for comfort. Despite the classy décor and nice lighting to create a lovely ambience, the strident environment that evening marred it - in fact it stayed raucous throughout the whole occasion.
Upon ordering, we were served the bread and butter almost immediately – it didn’t came cold but it wasn’t exactly warm either (I was actually looking forward to it as I clearly remember her mentioning “Enjoy your warm bread!”). Other than being soft, there wasn’t anything else noteworthy to mention about it.
Soon after, the Assorted Salad Platter with Condiments and Dressing came – straight forward dish as well and nothing much to compliment or picked on.
Then came the ½ dozen of Seasonal Oysters ($29.40), and I have flattering remarks for them – they were big, the flesh were plump and it was very fresh, although personally I would prefer them to arrive more chilled – and if they were any cheaper, I could have easily gulp down another dozen.
We waited a little while more before our platter arrived. For a platter for 2 ($49.90), diners have a choice of 3 items from the Hot Items (Roast Potatoes, Corn on the Cob, Grilled Tomatoes, Grilled Pumpkins, Grilled Peppers) and 2 items from the Grilled Items (Rib eye Steak, Lamb Shoulder Chops, Assorted Sausage (veal or course pork), Grilled Chicken, Grilled Fish Fillet). A platter for 3 will set you back another $20 with an additional item from the grilled section. We opted for the potatoes, corn and peppers from the hot items list and rib eye steak and lamb shoulder chops from the grilled items.
The platter didn’t exactly impress me when it was served to be honest. Aesthetics wise, it didn’t look appetising, furthermore the whole plate was drenched with the meat’s natural juices that only signifies that the chef did not rest the meat before it was served. But at least the chef did managed to get his medium rare this time round for the steak.
Special mention also goes to the lamb chops, as it was char grilled nicely on the outside and succulent on the inside – and what’s best was the layer of marbling fats that was ever so flavoursome. We wrapped up the dinner with a similar dessert I had the last time – Warm Valrhona Chocolate Cake served with Vanilla Ice Cream ($12.90).
And my mate who was not present at the previous outing gave the same conclusion that the aftertaste of the molten chocolate lava could be better (compared to this one, which she had tried with me).
Overall, this wasn’t as bad an experience as the previous one, but there are definitely rooms for improvement. Also, considering that this was the first time they are running this sort of operations, perhaps I could be more forgiving. Nevertheless, I feel that serving barbecue fare is displacing the original business model, which prides itself as a semi-fine dining place – where you do not need to dig deep into your pockets for good food.
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
We were thinking what to eat before around Marina Square area when I thought of this place when I had read the good review on Yebber, so decided to head to this place and give it a try. Given its prime location where you are sure to see it, you will not miss this place at all. Well once you come up of the Citilink escalator; it is just right in front of you. It just looks like a small kopitiam. It got both indoor (air-con) and outdoor (non air-con) seats along the corridor.
From the review about, can see that this place only serves a few kinds of food from Nasi Lemak to Mee Siam to Popiah. They also got desserts and all different kind of drinks as well. They even produce their own kind of drinks (Like Grass Jelly and Tea etc) and pre-packed it by themselves. They go by self service, so when you want to order you have to go to their counter, tell them what you want to order, then pay at the cashier at the end of the line.
I got myself the following food:
Nasi Lemak @ $3.90: There are a lot of different sets to choose from. The prices ranging from $3.90 to $4.70. I ordered mine with otak and chicken wing. The rice is green in color and smells very fragrant. It is hot and soft with a heavy smell of pandan. However it is the only good thing. The otak is that normal kind, nothing to wow of. The chicken wing is warm, not hot but still managed to retain its crispiness. However I do find the wing a bit small sized. The rest of the side dishes are ikan belis and peanuts. I am not a person who can handle hot stuff well, but the chili did impress me a lot. It is a little hot yet sweet at the same time, making it a great combination with the nasi lemak. Overall, this dish is slightly above average.
Popiah @ $1.90. $2.30 if you want to add prawns or chicken: This popiah to me is a bit disappointing. The popiah looks a bit too wet on the plate; therefore I knew that it is going to be soggy. True enough, once I put it inside my mouth, it turns out to be soggy. Although it is packed with a lot of ingredients inside but it does not totally removed all the juices, making the popiah too soggy. It is also a bit tasteless for me. For the price I am paying, I expected it to be better. I have tasted better ones at a cheaper price some more. I will not order this again.
Drinks: Hot Coffee @ $1.10 and Iced Tea @ $1.50. I shall only comment on the tea. I do like their version of the iced tea, thick milky taste which I looked out for in an iced tea! It is good enough for me just to go back and buy their ice tea next time.
Since it is self service, the service at the counter is pretty prompt, as they only prepared (or use the word “packed”) the food when you order. They are also quite flexible as you can change some of the items in your set as well. One thing, they do not charge 10% service charge here. The prices they charge also quite cheap as well comparable to food court prices.
It is a good place if you need a place for quick food or you need to satisfy your urges for Nasi Lemak craving. Wahahahaha……
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Read quite a bit about Melvados and its famous brownies so dropped by one sunny afternoon to try them out.
Opened just slightly over a year ago in end 2006, Melvados is located within the upmarket residential enclave of Bukit Timah, playing neighbours to only a clinic and a pub. The decor is simple, with cheap looking wooden tables and chairs sparsely populating the granite floor. There are cosy sofas too but those are of the limited variety. The entire place is small, probably fitting in about 20 pax at most. With huge floor to ceiling windows, the place exudes a nice cosy feeling, just perfect for a lazy afternoon tea session.
Seafood Platter - I'm not exactly a fan of seafood platters as they usually consist of alot of deep fried stuff that tend to make me nauseous after a while. This one was no exception. Served with onion rings, fries, calamari and fish/prawn cakes, the platter was, if I may say, off the charts. Not that I mean it in a good way though. Everything (save for the fries) was rather tasteless and too filled with thick batter that tasted exactly like deep fried flour.
Black & White Kisses - Billed as Melvados's signature brownie, the Black & White Kisses was actually quite good. Moist and not too rich with a nice wholesome baked taste and topped with black and white hershey's kisses. The only bone I had was the consistently smooth homogeneous texture of the brownie, which made it seem a little weird. However such gripes are forgotten when the brownie is paired with the vanilla ice cream, making for a sweet and delightful dessert without the chocolate overload.
Sizzling Brownies Sensation - Ever heard of hotplate brownie? No? Neither have I. It was that curiosity that prompted us to order this dessert. In retrospect, it wasn't such a good idea after all. A brownie served on a hot plate with a scoop of rapidly melting ice cream. How special is that? I did a quick calculation and the novelty of a hotplate cost us an additional $2.10 with the exact same ingredients as their signature Black & White Kisses. There's another problem with serving brownies on a hotplate. The underside of the brownie will harden and stick to the base and the ice cream melts so fast that its a little more than just flavoured cream after a while.
Chocolate Madness - I didn't quite take to this brownie as it was a tad hard and dry when served. Not exactly my cup of tea. And for the record, it didn't really taste that strongly of chocolate as inferred by its name.
I'm really not sure about the going prices for brownies because I don't eat enough of them to know but I'm guessing $18.50 for 3 brownies is a wee bit on the high side. Meldavos serves mains like pasta and sandwiches as well but sticking to just the brownies might just be a safer bet.
See all my pictures here.
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Shokudo is a name that you can get familiar with in a hurry. Why? Firstly, it has 2 branches already counting this one, being a Marche-like concept and the other located nearby in CityLink which specialized in Pizza and Pasta. We'll be reviewing the Marche lookalike this time around on the food quality.
Upon queuing and entering the premises, you'll be greeted by friendly serving staff who'll provide you with 2 items. Firstly, you'll receive a card thats basically your best friend, losing the card results in a penalty fee of $100 which is rather absurd if you ask me. The second item you'll receive is a round wooden placeholder thats supposed to reserve a seat for you whereever you put it. However, this simply did not work because our first reservation chip was stolen from our table and some other lady managed to get in our reserved seat... So i'm saying the system may work elsewhere, but apparently not in Singapore.
The interior of the Bazaar is split into several different themes with a food court like design in the middle, more colorful lighting and cushy seats in other areas. Rather pleasing and different from an aesthetic perspective. The food preparation areas resemble Marche with the exception of everything being Japanese food or fusion in some instances. The only problem i had with the arrangement is the waiting time for each order. Its pretty ridiculous to wait 20 mins for a beef burger but i'll get to that later. The service staff were alright and courteous but can be improved for sure.
Wasabi Toro Cheese Burger ($7.80) - The name is nice, wasabi toro burger. Whatever that means i'm not too sure but to me, its a beef burger with a supremely small patty of beef wrapped in an extremely bad tasting and oversized bun. I had to wait close to 20 minutes for the above. Can you see where the time went into preparing it? I certainly couldn't unless they mashed and prepared the patty on the spot but i highly doubt that. The bun is fused to an egg which thankfully made it bearable but the miserly portion of beef was terrible visually. Not to mention that when tasted, it simply wasn't up to par, being dry and too hard. Simply terrible.
Bacon and cheese Omelette ($5.80) - My gf ordered this and the next item. Thankfully they were more palatable then my horrible choice but even then, not by much. The bacon and cheese omelet was a really small portion which could be finished in 4 spoonfuls. The omelet itself was served warm and with bacon and cheese melting within it. A little too salty however.
Rosti with Sausages ($9.80) - Since when did rosti become a Japanese item? Nonetheless, in a world of below average food, this managed to be a cut above the rest. Fragrant, hot and crispy with a soft interior. This took the crown that day but thats certainly not saying much. The sausage that came with it was your run-of-the-mill sausage with cheese in it. It wasn't bad per se but nothing exciting about it as well. The one thing about this dish is, its oily to a fault. You'll notice it the moment you have your first bite until your nausea inducing ending.
A mediocre and sub par meal came up to $27.50 for 2 people. If i'm ever in the vicinity again, i'll stay far far away.
I don't know what the matter is. The food portions were pathetic. The service was slow. The true japanese items were price sky high and the seats were only moderately comfortable. Why would i pay to eat here when there are so many better places out there? Good for people who want to see what the buzz is about but if the quality and portion size doesn't improve, i fear a quick exit will be the order of the day.
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On 9th of February 2008, which is the 3rd day of Chinese New Year, some coffeeshops have yet to open for business. So hubby and I decided to make our way down to eat at Vivocity.
We were walking round, looking for places we've never ate at. Wanted to try new stuffs on the 3rd day on Chinese new year. :)
We walked by this Japanese Restaurant call Tajimaya Yakiniku. Looked at what they have, Japanese charcoal grill . Seems nice, so we decide to try them out. :)
When we walked in, there weren't many customer. A young man who looks like the manager served us. We sat at this huge table with lots of seat and holes in the table to put hot coals.
As we walked to our seat, I felt cold and use my hands to rub my arms, the guy immediately went and adjust the air condition for us. He mention that he only adjust it a little higher because when the hot coals and food comes, it'll be a little warmer. :) Plus point here.
The staffs took quite sometime to serve the coals and food, but they were apologetic and polite.
I can't remember what we ordered but it's all beef and 1 plate of mushroom. I love the mushroom but I guess Japanese beef grillings probably not my thing. :p Hubby love the beef though. :)
I don't remember how much hubby paid in total, but it's definitely more than 100 . Which I thought it's far too expensive. :p
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I love Carls Jr.
Everytime hubby and I pass-by Carls Jr (vivocity branch) and smell the onion rings. I wouldn't be able to stop thinking of eating their onion rings.
They served the best onion rings I've had thus far and I also love their crisscut fries!
They have really big burgers and onion rings.
I believe that most people don't trust my words when I say Carl's Jr. serves burgers about the size of my face!
(Picture 1)
This is the smaller version of the burger darling ordered that time. (this one no cheese and don't know what else.) & it's already the size of his hand.
His hand size is about the size of my face.
(Picture 2)
This is how tiny a BK onion ring looks like on my hand.
(Picture 3)
This picture shows a Carl's Jr onion ring the size of my palm in 2006.
(Picture 4)
This picture shows a Carl's Jr onion ring bigger than the size of my palm in 2008.
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