My partner & I decided to try out this place after seeing several reviews with good feedback on the place. Somemore, with the 15% discount offered by Yebber, what are we waiting for??
We did not make any table reservation & but luckily the place was not packed with diners. Probably it’s because it’s a weekday and also that we were there pretty early, at about 6 pm. We were given a choice between the outdoor seats and the indoor ones. We chose the latter. The interior looks cosy & spacious. Each table came with a small tea light candle to brighten up the dim interior a little. Of course it did make the place more romantic too. Haha…
We were greeted by their friendly manager who even let us choose the seats since the place wasn’t packed with diners. Interestingly, the ice water they served had slices of strawberries in it. That’s really special, as most places at most serve lemon ice water. Strawberries in water? That’s really my 1st time trying it! Well, the strawberries did give the ice water a tint of sweetness & sourness. Pretty refreshing!
Here comes the food part! When we asked about certain dishes in the menu, the manager was very patient in her explanation & made some recommendations to us. These are what we have ordered.
Asparagus Roll with Bacon Dressing ($8.50) – This starter was great. I like it! The combination of asparagus & bacon was a perfect match! The asparagus was crunchy and a little sweet while the bacon was salty. So when the two came together, the taste & crunchiness made u crave for more. It will definitely improve your appetite & get you ready to indulge on the main course. Thumbs up!
Chef’s Special: “Rocket” Soup ($3.90) – “Rocket? What’s that??” That’s the first thought which came to our mind when the manager recommended the soup to us. Nevertheless, we decided to give it a try. Well, it looked like some blended spinach soup. But upon tasting it, it has this very unique taste which I quite like it. After checking with the manager, we realized that rocket is a kind of bitter vegetable. Yet the chef managed to cook it in such a way that the bitterness of the soup was gone. Wow!!
Prawn Bites ($9.50) – Quite a normal dish to me. Tasted just like the Japanese prawn tempura. But the light wasabi sauce which came with it was nice.
Stella Artois Battered Fish & Chips ($16) – This was my main course. It came with two big pieces of fish, deep fried and coated with the beer batter and a large serving of fries. The fish is fresh and tender, with a little beer taste. Find it quite a normal dish & I ended up attacking my partner’s main course which I am going to talk about next.
Tenderloin Steak ($28) – It’s my partner’s main course but I find it more yummy than mine. It came as a generous serving of steak. Looked good & smelt good. It was also served as requested – medium rare. Perfect! The sauce went well with the steak too.
Victorian Crème Brulee ($8) –I’m not a big fan of crème brulee and thus definitely not an expert in judging it. Yet I find it quite nice, with the milk taste not too overwhelming.
Crepes Haven ($12) – It was recommended by the manager. It did look good, with a flame over it when served. However, it did not taste up to our expectation. The sauce which went with the crepe was too sour for my liking.
On the overall, most of the dishes we have ordered were good. To add on, the service was excellent, with our glasses constantly topped up with ice water. The manager was warm and friendly too and was open to feedback on the food from us.
Vien Thai, it doesn't get clearer then this i suppose. Vietnam and Thailand cuisine together in the same restaurant. For the love of me, i have no idea what differentiates normal cuisine from Vietnamese cuisine, all i know is the Thai cuisine are generally a combination of sweet, sour and spicy all in one. The location of this place isn't much to shout about either.
Crispy Beancurd - Forgive me if i seem to be simply belching out names on this post. It just so happened that all information i had of this place has been lost. Still not going to stop me from writing a post however. The beancurd skin was very thick and hard while the beancurd itself lack much taste. The only saving grace turned out to be the sweet and sour Thai garnishing and sauce that made it at least palatable. Overall, save yourself the trouble on this dish.
Clear Tom Yam Seafood Soup - The Tom Yam soup was barely passable. Not in the least spicy but not the least bit lacking in the sour department. The ingredients were generous as you can see but i wouldn't recommend trying it as well.
Vietnamese Beef Vermicelli - The only item that brought a refreshing taste. A little sour, a little spicy and very fresh. The beef turned out a little too tough for my liking. The vermicelli when mixed with everything ended up tasting significantly pleasant and refreshing. Thats not saying alot however, because the material for comparison are sub par items.
Simple and overly pricey sums up the experience and offerings here. For some reason, i couldn't taste much difference between what is offered here and similar offerings elsewhere. It could have been better of course. Much better.
I believe the place needs no introduction. Its already the third time i've visited this place so basically its just a different location with a different crew. Does it uphold the tradition though?
Well, what can i say? The balcony seats overlook the river with all its hustle and bustles going on below it. Low buildings and little tourist boats cramp the location, giving it an otherworldly feeling that is very relaxing. Service wise, i did get the impression that the people there didn't really want to be there however.
Burning Action - Some people call it showy, others say unnecessary, but i still find the whole process very interesting however. And most importantly, it gives the rice and prawn a wonderfully fragrant and interesting taste.
Soup of the day ($3.90) - Since its already the third time i'm having everything (fourth actually), i'll leave you to check out the older posts for comments on the soup. Nothing much has changed on that front.
Garlic Lemon Mussel ($8.90) - The bread and mussels are supposed to go well with each other and to the better of the experience, they do. The white sauce that the mussels were swimming in is the same as the sauce that comes with the mushrooms below and the oysters after. According to my dear friend, Andrew, the sauce is the best thing about the restaurant. I'm inclined to agree on that since it does add to the taste quite a bit. However, i must say the mussels are not one of the better items here and i would advice against having it.
Fried Country Mushrooms ($9.90) - I've had these mushrooms as many times as i've come to this restaurant. It is definitely one of the better things to have and still one i can heartily recommend.
Deep Fried Oysters ($11.90) - Essentially, this is the same cooking method as the mushrooms above. And sad to say, it tastes the same as well. The oysters themselves were reasonably fresh and sweet but i prefer the mushrooms as they are healthier.
Fisherman's Platter ($36.90) - We asked to switch one of the side items for the flaming prawns so the final deal we had consists of calamari, chips, mushrooms, prawns and fish. The best thing about this? It fed 4 people to the brim. The downside, health issues abound if you take this for protracted periods of time. The rice when added with sauce is still the best thing for me, personally of course. Everything else is as it should be, meaning its good but not necessarily impression making since i've had it this many times. Overall, this platter is good for big eaters and up to 3 people.
Tiramisu ($5) - The waiter heartily told us that we qualified for a $5 dessert special which we took without much thought. Tiramisu is a dessert that has been done to death and their rendition is interesting. Cocoa powder adorns the top while a small layer of cake fills the bottom. Cream and rum filled the rest. Its overwhelming actually and somehow, i didn't like it too much in the end. Not recommended.
The bill turned out to be $98 for 4 people. Lots of food and a full tummy later, reflection on the process doesn't bring much to mind since i paid for it in full. My treat to my friends and i'm happy for giving.
They say "too much of a good thing makes it bad". Well, in this case, its starting to sound pretty true. I've heard much about the branch in Central and somehow, there are parts that are true and some parts which are not. I found the normal service staff helpful and generally good but the supervisor level however, disappointed me when i asked what the sauce was. Maybe its a trade secret but repeating the same rubbish when i asked twice isn't my idea of good service. Food is simple and non elegant but gets the job done. All said, the mushrooms are still something i would pine for. If you have not had it before, it warrants a try at the least.
Had the opportunity to partake in a media dinner at the newly reopened The Seafood International Market & Restaurant, or TSIMR for short, courtesy of The New Paper. It was a reunion of sorts as I vaguely remember dining at its former premises at UDMC some years back. It has since transplanted to become the anchor tenant of Big Splash @ Playground.
TSIMR occupies an impressive 18,000 sq ft and can seat up to 700 people if my memory serves me right. The draw of this place is its live seafood market concept which allows you to choose your desired seafood from the tanks and it will be cooked and served to your table. This concept, though not unheard of, was pioneered in the early 1980s by TSIMC.
The live seafood section is reminiscent of a supermarket while the dining area is like your typical seafood restaurant - huge and noisy. I liked the private dining areas at the two extensions though, which offered a nice view of the park and pond in the day. What I didn't appreciate was the fact that when the sky turned dark, outside visibility became close to zero and passers by could look in aka fishtank. Did I mention that the partitions were nothing more than a facade? During the course of our dinner, I could hear the adjourning rooms' conversation and loud guffaws.
Assorted Mushrooms Deep Fried with Seven Spice Salt - Imagine my astonishment when I heard that the mushrooms were sold by weight. Its definitely a first for me and honestly, as preposterous as selling Tofu by weight. The seven spice salt was purportedly made from dried shrimp powder, curry powder, chilli, szechuan peppercorn, salt and two other secret spices. As impressive as this may sound, I found it nothing out of the ordinary, coming across merely as salty with a hint of spiciness. Ditto for the batter as well, which I personally found too thick and hinting subtly of oil residue.
Prawns Stir Fried with Chilli & Basil Leaves - Beautifully presented with ornamental garnishes, the prawns gave an illusion of being terribly spicy. In reality, even someone who can't really take chilli like me could handle it without much effort (and water of course!). I didn't quite take to it though as the flesh was a tad soft and not firm. My guess is that it was a little undercooked.
Sakura Chicken Braised with Tri - Sauce in Stonepot - I liked this dish the best even though it wasn't outstanding. Probably more of something that's close to my heart. Dished out in a huge stonepot, the chicken wasn't too dry and easy on the sweetness, carrying with it a light spice that made every bite rather enjoyable
Golden Platter - Stir Fried Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk - Aptly named the golden platter, this dish intrigued me as I've never actually seen pumpkin cooked this way before. Prawns/lobsters with salted egg yolk? Yes. But pumpkin? It didn't turn out to be very appealing after all as the pumpkin slices were a little too soft for my liking. Coupled with the strong overtones of salted egg yolk, it was a recipe for nausea.
Curry Crab & Bread - I didn't try the crabs so I shall not comment, but the curry tasted rather normal to me, albeit a little heavier on the coconut milk. I liked the bread that came with the crabs though, sinfully buttery and crispy. Guaranteed to increase your cholesterol!
Pad Thai - Call me ignorant or mountain tortise, but to my understanding, Pad Thai should be cooked with thin flat strips of glass noodles. TSIMR does a different rendition using thin vermicelli like noodles which I suppose are glass noodles as well. To be honest, the noodles were way too chewy and had the tendency to clump together, which made me feel like i was chewing on some kind of non sticky kueh.
Wonder Four on Ice - With such a fanciful name, who needs superheroes? Corny jokes and stunning aesthetics aside, this dessert was just red bean kueh, mango pudding, some fruits and lemon grass jelly served on a bed of ice. As normal as it gets.
A little bird told me that the above dinner for 6 pax would have cost about $40/pax, which to me is a tad pricey. Food quality is average and service could have been more attentive. With that, I would like to thank TNP for the dinner once again.
I have this problem of alwez going to places im used to..in short no sense of adventure. So now im making it a point to try out new places to makan. Out of those 3 choices, Vientai Kitchen is the one place i have yet to try. The menu looks inticing especially the calamari so yesterday 8th march, me n the bf(although pressed for time-it was 745 n he had to be home at hougang b4 930) decided to give it a shot. I noticed that Capitaland Card members get discount so thought can use the Vouchers.
I immediately skipped to the appetizer items and quickly decided to try out the Fish Cakes - $5.70, Viet Prawns - $5.70 and Viet Calamari - $5.70(yup thats a lotta Viets)..
For main, Bf choze the Pho Bo(beef soup noodles) - $7.70 and i Choze he Viet Style Fried Kway Teow(chicken) - $8.70.
Drinks were at a ridiculous price of $3.50 but at least we got the whole can.
Food came quite fast.like 10-15 mins. The kway teow looked really good. Had the chilli powder and ground peanuts at the side. Tried the noodles sans the two but it tasted unspicy. After mixing up the noodles did it taste better. But it tastes like wall kway teow. Can get the same at Sakura only diff kind of noodles. But the ground peanuts made it taste different. Bfs noodle tasted ok. Can taste the herbs(prob lemongrass i tink).
Think the fish cakes were good too. The herbs were really kicking in after I tasted it. Calamari was nice too. Didnt really like the tangy sauce but I loved that it wasnt too oily, or rubbery. Very nice. The viet Prawns were my favourite. Wrapped in popiah skin n fried. I gobbled up 3 pieces(including the tail). Think the food was abit too spicy for the bf tho.
Value wise, I think the appetizers were a bit steeply priced, 5 pieces of fish cakes n 5 pieces of Prawns for 5.70 each is like 1.20 per piece. Calamari was worth it though.
Total Damage done - $40.50.
With sc(besides juzt serving the food-what service charge?)
and gst
$47.67.
Since my 1st visit last year, I have been wanting to make a 2nd visit but the pocrastinator in me didnt allow it..
so finally my bf n i both thought we'd give it a visit since we were watching a movie at vivo.
we came for the happy hour buffet which was at 33 per person.
it was pretty empty when we arrived so we got most of the food just after it came out of the kitchen.
first of course was the salad bar. i attacked the cauliflower fondue wich was cauliflower covered witha cream cheese like sauce and baked. the pasta salad which was reallu good. not too salty. the potato poppers or sumthin like that.which was just well fried potatoes but my favourite. taboulleh which i remembered was better the first time i came. the butter kailan, nice at first but too buttery abit later and the baked aubergine just to be adventurous. after tasting it i decided not to be adventurous. but for aubergine fans it it nice.
then the meats came..1st was my chicken thigh, nicely done and very juicy and flavourful..but a bit too flavourful though, slightly on the salty side to me. fish came 2nd, bf said it was salmon, i call it fish, well cooked and slightly flaky but not till i couldnt pick it up with my fork, tasty. next up, beef, after two slices i gave it to my bf..well done and quite hard(im not a beef gal), then lamb, it was so nice, not too salty, cooked just right, i was in heaven, some other things came but my fave beef was the cornef beef like one and the part with the fats. not sure of the name. loved the garlic bread. and the complimentary bread like thingy they gave at first.
Two of the men carrying the meat were particularly my favourites as they took notice when i declined the pork and made it a point to not come to my table when they were serving the pork items. and they were really nice n friendly too(bf dont need to worry i wnt b leaving u for them..unless they were orlando bloom). Plates were cleared almost immediately when they saw we were done although one poor waitress almost took away my drink till she realised i wasnt done.
liked that they even accomodated my request to be seated near the windows. service was good, kinda liked the ambiance. chocolate fondue was nice but too full to eat.
i doubt ill be returning anytime soon. Maybe next year but it is true. come here and eat loadsa meat. after that maybe can lay off awhile.
ended up spendin 104 cos drinks were $5 a glass and we ordered erm 4..so thats like 23.40 for drinks alone..gah
Due to my salad cravings, ended up going to sizzlers for a meal Fri nyt.
The last time I was here was probably about 8 years ago. A long time since then and the place is unchanged. This time I tried the Spicy grilled chicken and dory combo. Bf had the steak with shrimp.
Salad bar was loaded. I tried the salads of coz, the pasta thingy and potato salad was good. Clam Chowder was alright. like the canned soup kind. I liked the singapore noodle, which i mixed with some pasta and topped it off with nachos. My favourite from the salad bar was probably the brocolli and mushrooms.
Food came pretty fast..10-15 mins i think. My dishes were alright. chicken was good. Spicy and not hard to slice(prob bcos its the thigh) and fish was a bit on the thin side though. But good. bf liked it. I didnt try his steak though, ate the fats(my fave) and i ate one of the bfs prawns(they only gave like 2)..but the prawns were good, could really taste the garlic butter..pity only 2 pieces.
Oh yeah almost forgot the complimentary garlic bread like thingy. Was just 2 pieces of toast..nothing to shout about.
They have their own ice cream station and to my happiness they had the vanilla and choc combo soft serve which was my fav at mcdonalds. Happily got myself that and topped it with choc chips and caramel sauce.
I did like that the drinks were only 2.00 and came in relatively ok sized glasses. At least that wasnt a rip off
It was nice reliving my pri sch days at this joint. Service was okay. Waiters were nice and attentive. It started off not too noisy but once the dinner crowd showd up then the noise went up. Prices are on the high side though. on a good note. Salad bar was good.
Happen to know that they had a one for one BBQ Courtyard Buffet and decided to give it a try. The only thing about this promotion is that it is from Friday to Sunday only, you have to print out the coupon and per table only 1 free diner buffet is allowed. Hmm… a bit weird right? Well so decided to give it a try and to call and make a booking to find out that they are fully booked until 2 weeks later. Wahahaha... Totally crazy leh. A few days before the buffet, they would actually called to confirm the reservation, nice touch right and at the same time to remind you of the buffet as well.
So on the day of reservation, we went down to find out that my name was not on the reservation list. However they decided to let us have a table. Since it is a BBQ buffet, they sort of set up a temporary restaurant at the courtyard, and there is no air con, open air concept. Quite interesting. The set up is actually quite interesting as the promotion is only valid for 1 diner per table so it attracted a lot of couples as well. In the end, it turn out that it looked like a mass speed dating event. Wahahaha… Really funny.
The BBQ pit is set in one corner of the area and the buffet line is set next to it. From the line it seems that they are offering limit items as it does not seen very long at all. The buffet started when someone announced the start of buffet and people started to walk towards the line.
For starters, there is only a few dishes like prawns, mussels, potato salad, green salad. My favorite here has to be the prawns. Big, fresh and sweet. There is no fishy smell and the meat is not mushy at all. Just great! Other then that, the rest of the starters are actually average.
Next to the main dishes, since it is a BBQ buffet, they got all sorts of BBQ items, chicken, pork, beef, mutton, seafood like prawns, mini lobsters and stingray, satay, otah. For satay (there is both chicken and mutton) and otah, it is pretty normal stuff. They also provide the peanut sauce for the satay as well. Now the meat, for me the one that impress me the most was the steak, it was grilled until it is medium cook. It is not too tough on the meat yet able to retain its natural juices inside the meat. It is grilled plain with some salt on top of it only. Great! The one that did not impress me too much is the prawns cos it does not turn out too good and lost all its natural flavor after BBQed.
There are still some cooked food like fried rice, noodles but quite limited as well. Everyone is aiming at the mini lobster, not me though, Sigh….. Whenever the chef put some in the tray, it is sure to attract a lot of people to it. So first come first serve, so if you are slow too bad none for you. There are some people that even walked up to the BBQ pit and ask the chef directly. Wahahaha…… Very KS leh. From my partner, the lobster although small but very good, sweet , meaty and juicy.
Now to the desserts, well by the time we got to desserts, there wasn’t a lot of choice. Got mango pudding, durian cake, cheng tng, fruits and a few kweks. Too bad nothing here impressed us too much. Or simply we are just too full to carry on already.
Even though with the temporary set up and the no air con, the dining environment was actually quite good.The service is actually good as well less the cock up on the reservation list. The water was always filled up and the plates are always cleared promptly. So usually the buffet cost $38 per person however with the promotion it cost about $17 per person only. Can consider quite cheap already. Writing this review is making me all hungry again! Hmm… Should I go back for another buffet before the promotion is over? Maybe I should!
My partner and I were invited for a Hi-Tea session on Valentine Day after a friend’s ROM ceremony. Well I have walked pass this place a few times but then it never left any impression for me that I have to feel this urge to go in and give it a try.
The location of the restaurant is just right next to the main door of the hotel, so it is kinds of hard to miss it. Once you step into it, you will see a mini bakery, where they are selling some cakes etc. The first impression of the place is quite big with seats all over. Have to say that one on a weekday, being Valentines Day, it is almost full. Seeing a crowd could mean that the food spread can be pretty good. So was I right? Hmm….
The buffet spread was spread over s few stations. First stop is the cold starters. So they got the usual stuff like prawns, mussels, sushi, sashimi, cold soba etc. Well. I tasted a bit of everything and concluded that nothing is special. To me, only the prawns sort of impressed me. They are cold, big and fresh, just the way I like it. For the rest of the items, hmm… forgettable. Interesting enough, next to the cold starters, is a mini toast your own bread counter, Ah Kun style, with the traditional brown and white bread and you can put them on a hot plate and roast it. Slices of butter, kaya and other jams are available. Good idea but does not taste that great.
Now to the main, nothing special, some of the usual stuff again. However they got a lot of small stations for popiah, laksa etc. Again none of the food impresses us again. Consider as normal food. Well at least they are hot. By now, I am already feeling very sian about the whole buffet alr. Sigh…. I think the only good thing is only the bread where there is a lot of variety and hot out from the oven. It is good enough to taste good.
Lastly Desserts. At first when I walked past the desserts sections, I was quite impressed with the variety that they are offering. When I walked over to the station, I was less impressed, as all the usual suspects are there, the cakes and pudding etc. There is also one big fountain of strawberry chocolate, have the say that the pink color does not make it appealing as it reminds me of cough syrup. At the other corner of the room hidden are two pots of hot desserts like dao suan etc. Hmm… How come they are not placed together in the first place?
Cost per person of Hi-Tea on weekdays is $25 and on weekends is $32 (if my memory has not failed me)
Overall the whole place and the food did not impress me at all. Therefore I think the crowd is there cost of the cheap price during weekends. The service there is quite bad, as we were sitting in a corner, my tea was only filled when I was first seated after which it remain empty throughout. The funny thing is when I was away; the plates will be cleared by them, then how come my tea is not refilled? Hmm…… So I dun think I will be back to this place for buffet unless someone can prove me otherwise.
Apparently "he" heard from "so-and-so" that Carl's Jr. isn't too bad. So, knowing that there's a Carl's Jr. outlet at VivoCity, "he" was rather keen to give it a try, and naturally, we did.
It works a little like Mos Burger. You take a tag and you wait for your order to be delivered to you.
Seriously, for a "fast food" kinda outlet, the food isn't all that "fast". Let's put it this way - I could have my steak well-done at Jack's Place or something, before my burger was even "served".
Now the question is, "Is it worth the wait?"
Carl's Jr. Meal Price: S$xx.xx Dish Rating: 6 / 10
Note: It's quite a bit for just the two of us...
The quality speaks for itself I guess, but considering the cost... Let's just say, I'm not impressed. Especially if you add the 'waiting time' to the odds.
Remark: The presentation of the "dish" is quite bad, but the taste somewhat helped to bring up the score.
Although like Mos Burger the focus should be on the burgers, but well... What can I say, the "Beef Chili Cheese Fries" kinda scored the extra points.
The patties, though juicy, weren't as thick as I had expected, and tasted too much like the plain fare offered by other (ostensibly cheaper) fast food outlets.
So no, I was not pleased.
I won't write off the outlet as a waste of money - suffice to say, I will make return trips until I've sampled everything on the menu.
Carl's Jr. at VivoCity VivoCity 1 Harbourfront Walk, #02-50/51 Singapore 098585 Service Rating: 6 / 10
Operating Hours: Mondays to Sundays - 10am to 10pm
1=SGD 0.0587
After so long, my post is finally ready! Haha…
My partner & I decided to try out this place after seeing several reviews with good feedback on the place. Somemore, with the 15% discount offered by Yebber, what are we waiting for??
We did not make any table reservation & but luckily the place was not packed with diners. Probably it’s because it’s a weekday and also that we were there pretty early, at about 6 pm. We were given a choice between the outdoor seats and the indoor ones. We chose the latter. The interior looks cosy & spacious. Each table came with a small tea light candle to brighten up the dim interior a little. Of course it did make the place more romantic too. Haha…
We were greeted by their friendly manager who even let us choose the seats since the place wasn’t packed with diners. Interestingly, the ice water they served had slices of strawberries in it. That’s really special, as most places at most serve lemon ice water. Strawberries in water? That’s really my 1st time trying it! Well, the strawberries did give the ice water a tint of sweetness & sourness. Pretty refreshing!
Here comes the food part! When we asked about certain dishes in the menu, the manager was very patient in her explanation & made some recommendations to us. These are what we have ordered.
Asparagus Roll with Bacon Dressing ($8.50) – This starter was great. I like it! The combination of asparagus & bacon was a perfect match! The asparagus was crunchy and a little sweet while the bacon was salty. So when the two came together, the taste & crunchiness made u crave for more. It will definitely improve your appetite & get you ready to indulge on the main course. Thumbs up!
Chef’s Special: “Rocket” Soup ($3.90) – “Rocket? What’s that??” That’s the first thought which came to our mind when the manager recommended the soup to us. Nevertheless, we decided to give it a try. Well, it looked like some blended spinach soup. But upon tasting it, it has this very unique taste which I quite like it. After checking with the manager, we realized that rocket is a kind of bitter vegetable. Yet the chef managed to cook it in such a way that the bitterness of the soup was gone. Wow!!
Prawn Bites ($9.50) – Quite a normal dish to me. Tasted just like the Japanese prawn tempura. But the light wasabi sauce which came with it was nice.
Stella Artois Battered Fish & Chips ($16) – This was my main course. It came with two big pieces of fish, deep fried and coated with the beer batter and a large serving of fries. The fish is fresh and tender, with a little beer taste. Find it quite a normal dish & I ended up attacking my partner’s main course which I am going to talk about next.
Tenderloin Steak ($28) – It’s my partner’s main course but I find it more yummy than mine. It came as a generous serving of steak. Looked good & smelt good. It was also served as requested – medium rare. Perfect! The sauce went well with the steak too.
Victorian Crème Brulee ($8) –I’m not a big fan of crème brulee and thus definitely not an expert in judging it. Yet I find it quite nice, with the milk taste not too overwhelming.
Crepes Haven ($12) – It was recommended by the manager. It did look good, with a flame over it when served. However, it did not taste up to our expectation. The sauce which went with the crepe was too sour for my liking.
On the overall, most of the dishes we have ordered were good. To add on, the service was excellent, with our glasses constantly topped up with ice water. The manager was warm and friendly too and was open to feedback on the food from us.
I shall be back to try out other dishes!
Rating given:
Vien Thai, it doesn't get clearer then this i suppose. Vietnam and Thailand cuisine together in the same restaurant. For the love of me, i have no idea what differentiates normal cuisine from Vietnamese cuisine, all i know is the Thai cuisine are generally a combination of sweet, sour and spicy all in one. The location of this place isn't much to shout about either.
Crispy Beancurd - Forgive me if i seem to be simply belching out names on this post. It just so happened that all information i had of this place has been lost. Still not going to stop me from writing a post however. The beancurd skin was very thick and hard while the beancurd itself lack much taste. The only saving grace turned out to be the sweet and sour Thai garnishing and sauce that made it at least palatable. Overall, save yourself the trouble on this dish.
Clear Tom Yam Seafood Soup - The Tom Yam soup was barely passable. Not in the least spicy but not the least bit lacking in the sour department. The ingredients were generous as you can see but i wouldn't recommend trying it as well.
Vietnamese Beef Vermicelli - The only item that brought a refreshing taste. A little sour, a little spicy and very fresh. The beef turned out a little too tough for my liking. The vermicelli when mixed with everything ended up tasting significantly pleasant and refreshing. Thats not saying alot however, because the material for comparison are sub par items.
Simple and overly pricey sums up the experience and offerings here. For some reason, i couldn't taste much difference between what is offered here and similar offerings elsewhere. It could have been better of course. Much better.
Rating given:
I believe the place needs no introduction. Its already the third time i've visited this place so basically its just a different location with a different crew. Does it uphold the tradition though?
Well, what can i say? The balcony seats overlook the river with all its hustle and bustles going on below it. Low buildings and little tourist boats cramp the location, giving it an otherworldly feeling that is very relaxing. Service wise, i did get the impression that the people there didn't really want to be there however.
Burning Action - Some people call it showy, others say unnecessary, but i still find the whole process very interesting however. And most importantly, it gives the rice and prawn a wonderfully fragrant and interesting taste.
Soup of the day ($3.90) - Since its already the third time i'm having everything (fourth actually), i'll leave you to check out the older posts for comments on the soup. Nothing much has changed on that front.
Garlic Lemon Mussel ($8.90) - The bread and mussels are supposed to go well with each other and to the better of the experience, they do. The white sauce that the mussels were swimming in is the same as the sauce that comes with the mushrooms below and the oysters after. According to my dear friend, Andrew, the sauce is the best thing about the restaurant. I'm inclined to agree on that since it does add to the taste quite a bit. However, i must say the mussels are not one of the better items here and i would advice against having it.
Fried Country Mushrooms ($9.90) - I've had these mushrooms as many times as i've come to this restaurant. It is definitely one of the better things to have and still one i can heartily recommend.
Deep Fried Oysters ($11.90) - Essentially, this is the same cooking method as the mushrooms above. And sad to say, it tastes the same as well. The oysters themselves were reasonably fresh and sweet but i prefer the mushrooms as they are healthier.
Fisherman's Platter ($36.90) - We asked to switch one of the side items for the flaming prawns so the final deal we had consists of calamari, chips, mushrooms, prawns and fish. The best thing about this? It fed 4 people to the brim. The downside, health issues abound if you take this for protracted periods of time. The rice when added with sauce is still the best thing for me, personally of course. Everything else is as it should be, meaning its good but not necessarily impression making since i've had it this many times. Overall, this platter is good for big eaters and up to 3 people.
Tiramisu ($5) - The waiter heartily told us that we qualified for a $5 dessert special which we took without much thought. Tiramisu is a dessert that has been done to death and their rendition is interesting. Cocoa powder adorns the top while a small layer of cake fills the bottom. Cream and rum filled the rest. Its overwhelming actually and somehow, i didn't like it too much in the end. Not recommended.
The bill turned out to be $98 for 4 people. Lots of food and a full tummy later, reflection on the process doesn't bring much to mind since i paid for it in full. My treat to my friends and i'm happy for giving.
They say "too much of a good thing makes it bad". Well, in this case, its starting to sound pretty true. I've heard much about the branch in Central and somehow, there are parts that are true and some parts which are not. I found the normal service staff helpful and generally good but the supervisor level however, disappointed me when i asked what the sauce was. Maybe its a trade secret but repeating the same rubbish when i asked twice isn't my idea of good service. Food is simple and non elegant but gets the job done. All said, the mushrooms are still something i would pine for. If you have not had it before, it warrants a try at the least.
Rating given:
Had the opportunity to partake in a media dinner at the newly reopened The Seafood International Market & Restaurant, or TSIMR for short, courtesy of The New Paper. It was a reunion of sorts as I vaguely remember dining at its former premises at UDMC some years back. It has since transplanted to become the anchor tenant of Big Splash @ Playground.
TSIMR occupies an impressive 18,000 sq ft and can seat up to 700 people if my memory serves me right. The draw of this place is its live seafood market concept which allows you to choose your desired seafood from the tanks and it will be cooked and served to your table. This concept, though not unheard of, was pioneered in the early 1980s by TSIMC.
The live seafood section is reminiscent of a supermarket while the dining area is like your typical seafood restaurant - huge and noisy. I liked the private dining areas at the two extensions though, which offered a nice view of the park and pond in the day. What I didn't appreciate was the fact that when the sky turned dark, outside visibility became close to zero and passers by could look in aka fishtank. Did I mention that the partitions were nothing more than a facade? During the course of our dinner, I could hear the adjourning rooms' conversation and loud guffaws.
Assorted Mushrooms Deep Fried with Seven Spice Salt - Imagine my astonishment when I heard that the mushrooms were sold by weight. Its definitely a first for me and honestly, as preposterous as selling Tofu by weight. The seven spice salt was purportedly made from dried shrimp powder, curry powder, chilli, szechuan peppercorn, salt and two other secret spices. As impressive as this may sound, I found it nothing out of the ordinary, coming across merely as salty with a hint of spiciness. Ditto for the batter as well, which I personally found too thick and hinting subtly of oil residue.
Prawns Stir Fried with Chilli & Basil Leaves - Beautifully presented with ornamental garnishes, the prawns gave an illusion of being terribly spicy. In reality, even someone who can't really take chilli like me could handle it without much effort (and water of course!). I didn't quite take to it though as the flesh was a tad soft and not firm. My guess is that it was a little undercooked.
Sakura Chicken Braised with Tri - Sauce in Stonepot - I liked this dish the best even though it wasn't outstanding. Probably more of something that's close to my heart. Dished out in a huge stonepot, the chicken wasn't too dry and easy on the sweetness, carrying with it a light spice that made every bite rather enjoyable
Golden Platter - Stir Fried Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk - Aptly named the golden platter, this dish intrigued me as I've never actually seen pumpkin cooked this way before. Prawns/lobsters with salted egg yolk? Yes. But pumpkin? It didn't turn out to be very appealing after all as the pumpkin slices were a little too soft for my liking. Coupled with the strong overtones of salted egg yolk, it was a recipe for nausea.
Curry Crab & Bread - I didn't try the crabs so I shall not comment, but the curry tasted rather normal to me, albeit a little heavier on the coconut milk. I liked the bread that came with the crabs though, sinfully buttery and crispy. Guaranteed to increase your cholesterol!
Pad Thai - Call me ignorant or mountain tortise, but to my understanding, Pad Thai should be cooked with thin flat strips of glass noodles. TSIMR does a different rendition using thin vermicelli like noodles which I suppose are glass noodles as well. To be honest, the noodles were way too chewy and had the tendency to clump together, which made me feel like i was chewing on some kind of non sticky kueh.
Wonder Four on Ice - With such a fanciful name, who needs superheroes? Corny jokes and stunning aesthetics aside, this dessert was just red bean kueh, mango pudding, some fruits and lemon grass jelly served on a bed of ice. As normal as it gets.
A little bird told me that the above dinner for 6 pax would have cost about $40/pax, which to me is a tad pricey. Food quality is average and service could have been more attentive. With that, I would like to thank TNP for the dinner once again.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Sakae Sushi/ Billy Bombers or Vientai Kitchen.
I have this problem of alwez going to places im used to..in short no sense of adventure. So now im making it a point to try out new places to makan. Out of those 3 choices, Vientai Kitchen is the one place i have yet to try. The menu looks inticing especially the calamari so yesterday 8th march, me n the bf(although pressed for time-it was 745 n he had to be home at hougang b4 930) decided to give it a shot. I noticed that Capitaland Card members get discount so thought can use the Vouchers.
I immediately skipped to the appetizer items and quickly decided to try out the Fish Cakes - $5.70, Viet Prawns - $5.70 and Viet Calamari - $5.70(yup thats a lotta Viets)..
For main, Bf choze the Pho Bo(beef soup noodles) - $7.70 and i Choze he Viet Style Fried Kway Teow(chicken) - $8.70.
Drinks were at a ridiculous price of $3.50 but at least we got the whole can.
Food came quite fast.like 10-15 mins. The kway teow looked really good. Had the chilli powder and ground peanuts at the side. Tried the noodles sans the two but it tasted unspicy. After mixing up the noodles did it taste better. But it tastes like wall kway teow. Can get the same at Sakura only diff kind of noodles. But the ground peanuts made it taste different. Bfs noodle tasted ok. Can taste the herbs(prob lemongrass i tink).
Think the fish cakes were good too. The herbs were really kicking in after I tasted it. Calamari was nice too. Didnt really like the tangy sauce but I loved that it wasnt too oily, or rubbery. Very nice. The viet Prawns were my favourite. Wrapped in popiah skin n fried. I gobbled up 3 pieces(including the tail). Think the food was abit too spicy for the bf tho.
Value wise, I think the appetizers were a bit steeply priced, 5 pieces of fish cakes n 5 pieces of Prawns for 5.70 each is like 1.20 per piece. Calamari was worth it though.
Total Damage done - $40.50.
With sc(besides juzt serving the food-what service charge?)
and gst
$47.67.
Rating given:
Since my 1st visit last year, I have been wanting to make a 2nd visit but the pocrastinator in me didnt allow it..
so finally my bf n i both thought we'd give it a visit since we were watching a movie at vivo.
we came for the happy hour buffet which was at 33 per person.
it was pretty empty when we arrived so we got most of the food just after it came out of the kitchen.
first of course was the salad bar. i attacked the cauliflower fondue wich was cauliflower covered witha cream cheese like sauce and baked. the pasta salad which was reallu good. not too salty. the potato poppers or sumthin like that.which was just well fried potatoes but my favourite. taboulleh which i remembered was better the first time i came. the butter kailan, nice at first but too buttery abit later and the baked aubergine just to be adventurous. after tasting it i decided not to be adventurous. but for aubergine fans it it nice.
then the meats came..1st was my chicken thigh, nicely done and very juicy and flavourful..but a bit too flavourful though, slightly on the salty side to me. fish came 2nd, bf said it was salmon, i call it fish, well cooked and slightly flaky but not till i couldnt pick it up with my fork, tasty. next up, beef, after two slices i gave it to my bf..well done and quite hard(im not a beef gal), then lamb, it was so nice, not too salty, cooked just right, i was in heaven, some other things came but my fave beef was the cornef beef like one and the part with the fats. not sure of the name. loved the garlic bread. and the complimentary bread like thingy they gave at first.
Two of the men carrying the meat were particularly my favourites as they took notice when i declined the pork and made it a point to not come to my table when they were serving the pork items. and they were really nice n friendly too(bf dont need to worry i wnt b leaving u for them..unless they were orlando bloom). Plates were cleared almost immediately when they saw we were done although one poor waitress almost took away my drink till she realised i wasnt done.
liked that they even accomodated my request to be seated near the windows. service was good, kinda liked the ambiance. chocolate fondue was nice but too full to eat.
i doubt ill be returning anytime soon. Maybe next year but it is true. come here and eat loadsa meat. after that maybe can lay off awhile.
ended up spendin 104 cos drinks were $5 a glass and we ordered erm 4..so thats like 23.40 for drinks alone..gah
Rating given:
Due to my salad cravings, ended up going to sizzlers for a meal Fri nyt.
The last time I was here was probably about 8 years ago. A long time since then and the place is unchanged. This time I tried the Spicy grilled chicken and dory combo. Bf had the steak with shrimp.
Salad bar was loaded. I tried the salads of coz, the pasta thingy and potato salad was good. Clam Chowder was alright. like the canned soup kind. I liked the singapore noodle, which i mixed with some pasta and topped it off with nachos. My favourite from the salad bar was probably the brocolli and mushrooms.
Food came pretty fast..10-15 mins i think. My dishes were alright. chicken was good. Spicy and not hard to slice(prob bcos its the thigh) and fish was a bit on the thin side though. But good. bf liked it. I didnt try his steak though, ate the fats(my fave) and i ate one of the bfs prawns(they only gave like 2)..but the prawns were good, could really taste the garlic butter..pity only 2 pieces.
Oh yeah almost forgot the complimentary garlic bread like thingy. Was just 2 pieces of toast..nothing to shout about.
They have their own ice cream station and to my happiness they had the vanilla and choc combo soft serve which was my fav at mcdonalds. Happily got myself that and topped it with choc chips and caramel sauce.
I did like that the drinks were only 2.00 and came in relatively ok sized glasses. At least that wasnt a rip off
It was nice reliving my pri sch days at this joint. Service was okay. Waiters were nice and attentive. It started off not too noisy but once the dinner crowd showd up then the noise went up. Prices are on the high side though. on a good note. Salad bar was good.
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Happen to know that they had a one for one BBQ Courtyard Buffet and decided to give it a try. The only thing about this promotion is that it is from Friday to Sunday only, you have to print out the coupon and per table only 1 free diner buffet is allowed. Hmm… a bit weird right? Well so decided to give it a try and to call and make a booking to find out that they are fully booked until 2 weeks later. Wahahaha... Totally crazy leh. A few days before the buffet, they would actually called to confirm the reservation, nice touch right and at the same time to remind you of the buffet as well.
So on the day of reservation, we went down to find out that my name was not on the reservation list. However they decided to let us have a table. Since it is a BBQ buffet, they sort of set up a temporary restaurant at the courtyard, and there is no air con, open air concept. Quite interesting. The set up is actually quite interesting as the promotion is only valid for 1 diner per table so it attracted a lot of couples as well. In the end, it turn out that it looked like a mass speed dating event. Wahahaha… Really funny.
The BBQ pit is set in one corner of the area and the buffet line is set next to it. From the line it seems that they are offering limit items as it does not seen very long at all. The buffet started when someone announced the start of buffet and people started to walk towards the line.
For starters, there is only a few dishes like prawns, mussels, potato salad, green salad. My favorite here has to be the prawns. Big, fresh and sweet. There is no fishy smell and the meat is not mushy at all. Just great! Other then that, the rest of the starters are actually average.
Next to the main dishes, since it is a BBQ buffet, they got all sorts of BBQ items, chicken, pork, beef, mutton, seafood like prawns, mini lobsters and stingray, satay, otah. For satay (there is both chicken and mutton) and otah, it is pretty normal stuff. They also provide the peanut sauce for the satay as well. Now the meat, for me the one that impress me the most was the steak, it was grilled until it is medium cook. It is not too tough on the meat yet able to retain its natural juices inside the meat. It is grilled plain with some salt on top of it only. Great! The one that did not impress me too much is the prawns cos it does not turn out too good and lost all its natural flavor after BBQed.
There are still some cooked food like fried rice, noodles but quite limited as well. Everyone is aiming at the mini lobster, not me though, Sigh….. Whenever the chef put some in the tray, it is sure to attract a lot of people to it. So first come first serve, so if you are slow too bad none for you. There are some people that even walked up to the BBQ pit and ask the chef directly. Wahahaha…… Very KS leh. From my partner, the lobster although small but very good, sweet , meaty and juicy.
Now to the desserts, well by the time we got to desserts, there wasn’t a lot of choice. Got mango pudding, durian cake, cheng tng, fruits and a few kweks. Too bad nothing here impressed us too much. Or simply we are just too full to carry on already.
Even though with the temporary set up and the no air con, the dining environment was actually quite good.The service is actually good as well less the cock up on the reservation list. The water was always filled up and the plates are always cleared promptly. So usually the buffet cost $38 per person however with the promotion it cost about $17 per person only. Can consider quite cheap already. Writing this review is making me all hungry again! Hmm… Should I go back for another buffet before the promotion is over? Maybe I should!
Rating given:
My partner and I were invited for a Hi-Tea session on Valentine Day after a friend’s ROM ceremony. Well I have walked pass this place a few times but then it never left any impression for me that I have to feel this urge to go in and give it a try.
The location of the restaurant is just right next to the main door of the hotel, so it is kinds of hard to miss it. Once you step into it, you will see a mini bakery, where they are selling some cakes etc. The first impression of the place is quite big with seats all over. Have to say that one on a weekday, being Valentines Day, it is almost full. Seeing a crowd could mean that the food spread can be pretty good. So was I right? Hmm….
The buffet spread was spread over s few stations. First stop is the cold starters. So they got the usual stuff like prawns, mussels, sushi, sashimi, cold soba etc. Well. I tasted a bit of everything and concluded that nothing is special. To me, only the prawns sort of impressed me. They are cold, big and fresh, just the way I like it. For the rest of the items, hmm… forgettable. Interesting enough, next to the cold starters, is a mini toast your own bread counter, Ah Kun style, with the traditional brown and white bread and you can put them on a hot plate and roast it. Slices of butter, kaya and other jams are available. Good idea but does not taste that great.
Now to the main, nothing special, some of the usual stuff again. However they got a lot of small stations for popiah, laksa etc. Again none of the food impresses us again. Consider as normal food. Well at least they are hot. By now, I am already feeling very sian about the whole buffet alr. Sigh…. I think the only good thing is only the bread where there is a lot of variety and hot out from the oven. It is good enough to taste good.
Lastly Desserts. At first when I walked past the desserts sections, I was quite impressed with the variety that they are offering. When I walked over to the station, I was less impressed, as all the usual suspects are there, the cakes and pudding etc. There is also one big fountain of strawberry chocolate, have the say that the pink color does not make it appealing as it reminds me of cough syrup. At the other corner of the room hidden are two pots of hot desserts like dao suan etc. Hmm… How come they are not placed together in the first place?
Cost per person of Hi-Tea on weekdays is $25 and on weekends is $32 (if my memory has not failed me)
Overall the whole place and the food did not impress me at all. Therefore I think the crowd is there cost of the cheap price during weekends. The service there is quite bad, as we were sitting in a corner, my tea was only filled when I was first seated after which it remain empty throughout. The funny thing is when I was away; the plates will be cleared by them, then how come my tea is not refilled? Hmm…… So I dun think I will be back to this place for buffet unless someone can prove me otherwise.
Rating given:
Apparently "he" heard from "so-and-so" that Carl's Jr. isn't too bad. So, knowing that there's a Carl's Jr. outlet at VivoCity, "he" was rather keen to give it a try, and naturally, we did.
It works a little like Mos Burger. You take a tag and you wait for your order to be delivered to you.
Seriously, for a "fast food" kinda outlet, the food isn't all that "fast". Let's put it this way - I could have my steak well-done at Jack's Place or something, before my burger was even "served".
Now the question is, "Is it worth the wait?"
The quality speaks for itself I guess, but considering the cost... Let's just say, I'm not impressed. Especially if you add the 'waiting time' to the odds.
Although like Mos Burger the focus should be on the burgers, but well... What can I say, the "Beef Chili Cheese Fries" kinda scored the extra points.
The patties, though juicy, weren't as thick as I had expected, and tasted too much like the plain fare offered by other (ostensibly cheaper) fast food outlets.
So no, I was not pleased.
I won't write off the outlet as a waste of money - suffice to say, I will make return trips until I've sampled everything on the menu.
- Mar 13, 2007 by Princessa.
Rating given: