Japanese and Korean cuisine together under one roof! Probably the first thought that popped into the minds of the entrepreneurs who decided to open this restaurant. Question is, does it actually manage to provide the same quality of food for both cuisines and do them justice? Or does the food not live up to expectations? Thats my job to find out and your job to read on.
It was obvious that little has been done for the interiors in terms of ambiance and decor. Wooden chairs and tables seemed straight out of a food court or park and a television that is so old, the images have noise in them. Not that i don't like the presence of the television, just that even coffeeshops have huge LCD televisions, a restaurant can't simply be happy with a sub par one such as that. Waiting time is generally long for the initial but when it does arrive, everything is fast and furious.
Tamago Sushi ($2.90) - Presentation-wise, this is normal but wait till you see the size of the sushi. Its bigger than most sushi's i've seen in other Japanese food places. It comes at a price of course, $1.45 per sushi isn't exactly cheap. The good part is that the rice is nicely done, sweet, sour and a tinge of spice along with a long Tamago (egg roll) atop which was actually tasty. If only the price could be lowered a little more.
Spring Roll ($2.90) - Served warm and crispy, this is like any other good spring roll you can find elsewhere. The serving size was incredibly small however. Not likely to order again at this point.
Chicken Bibim Bab Bulgogi ($8.90) - Spicy, sweet and fragrant pretty much summarizes this dish. I like the fact that it is very spicy as opposed to other similar offerings outside but i have to say, you can get a similar quality dish at a food court. Minus the spicy taste maybe. To sum it up, its an average rendition of a famous dish with no discerning factors.
Beef Babimbab Bulgogi ($9.90) - The beef rendition is basically the same minus the spiciness and adding more of the sweetness. As per the above, its possible to get the same quality from a food court maybe without it being as tasty or as fragrant as this version. I did like the sizzling rice and wok hei that resulted from the hot stone plate but somehow, i think the environment just didn't make me feel too special while i was eating it.
Chawan Mushi ($3.90) - One of the more expensive chawan mushi's i've had to try. The serving wasn't exactly big as well but the quality does make up for it. It is basically melt in your mouth light with a generous helping of fake shark's fin, naruto, shrimp and mushrooms. Thats all good except the price i suppose.
A rather simple meal cost me $31.35 which is a little too much to pay for the quantity, environment and quality.
I honestly did not find the food too bad but i have to say it wasn't close to fantastic as well. Price wise, many items are overcharged and the restaurant could do with a make over and some further training for the staff to hopefully be a little faster. They need to get some really special dishes or special recipes with a better environment before i can justify paying for it at that price.
I love Lily's paintings because they make me feel so peaceful somehow. The blog is a great find and what's best, it's updated with new paintings daily! *tweet tweet* :)
I particularly like the "Sunflower and Pears" from the Feb 12, 2008 entry. I've bookmarked this site and subscribed to the mailing list as well. I'm looking forward to see all your new pieces, as they are so often truly inspiring! Thanks for making your art accessible to us all.
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Made our way one rainy evening to Sunset Grill & Pub, an eatery/drinking hole equally known for its buffalo wings and very inaccessible location. Notoriously hidden in the inner realms of Seletar airbase, Sunset is a pain in the ass to find (pardon my language), even with the help of a map provided by the place. Just so that you know, Sunset doesn't appear on any streetdirectory the last I checked. Even if you manage to find the carpark, you still need to walk a short distance before you can actually see the joint itself. Talk about private dining.
Caesar Salad - The caesar salad was actually very normal tasting with slices of boiled egg, bacon bits and croutons. The vegetables were fresh but I found it terribly overpriced at $12.50.
Deep Fried Mushrooms - First the good. The breaded mushrooms were crispy on the outside with exploding juices in every bite. Now the bad. The batter was too thick and absorbed too much of the oil used in deep frying the mushrooms, so much so that it had an oily residue taste.
Buffalo Wings - Feeling intimidated by the level of spiciness the wings came in, we decided to stick to the safest bet - the mildest level 1. Even then, it was quite spicy for me (I don't really take chilli by the way), not to mention huge and juicy as well. However, because of its sourish nature, its really an acquired taste.
Hamburger Steak - The meat was too dry but at least the raw beef taste wasn't overpowering. The other gripe I had was that the meat was almost well done, which explains the dryness. Definitely not something I would order again.
Although no service charge or GST was imposed, $60 for the above dishes is really on the expensive side. Sure, the novelty is there and the prospect of watching planes take off is exciting, but for the quality of food and price, I'll be hard pressed to return. Oh and if you do decide to sit in the al fresco area, please watch out for the mosquitoes.
Absolute Haven, I did not know that this place is a restaurant until I saw someone reviewed this place. Since Yebber having this 15% discount, my partner and I decided to go and give ourselves a little treat! Hee…… The place is actually quite well hidden, if not for the large signboard. Once we step through the gates, it seems like we are transported to another place peaceful and quiet.
There are outdoor seats and indoor seats. Once at the door, the waiter showed us in to our table. The place is big which means can cater to a big group of people and the gap between each table is quite big as well, so that each couple or group can have their own space and privacy as well. They also have a couple of sofa seats far back which I think is more for those who is coming in for a drink and desserts only. When we were there at around 6.30pm, there is only two other couples in the restaurant. So we can simply choose our own seats. The crowds started to came in after 7 pm and the place does get pretty packed.
The decoration is clean and simple, using very basic colors. One thing, they used mahjong table as “table cloth” on the table. Hmm….. As we were seating indoors and there was not a big crowd, the air-con got a bit too cold for us. Hee… We were almost freezing by the end of dinner already. There is a little tea light candle in the middle of the table creating a romantic scene and with slow jazz music playing in the background as well, soft enough to be heard yet will not stop you from having a decent conversation.
While waiting for us to decide our food, the waiter served us drinking water. This place instead of putting lemon slices in their water, they actually put strawberries in it. This actually gives a very strong strawberry fragrance to the water, making the water taste sweet also. A plus point. Think I am going to try it at home as well.
We ordered the following dishes.
Asparagus Roll with Bacon Dressing @ $8.50 – This dish is a good way to start off the night. It is pan fried but not oily. The asparagus is crunchy and not soft at all. The bacon is salty on its own so when combined with asparagus, it adds flavor to it. The bacon is pan fried to a little crispy yet able to chew. With a unique sauce on its side, it just increases the taste of the whole dish. This is a must try.
Chef’s Special: "Rocket" Soup (Dunno if I got it correct) @ $3.90 – When we ordered this, we were feeling a bit adventurous as we got no idea what is "rocket". When they served the soup, it looks greenish. However, it is the special taste of "rocket" that won us over. They mashed the "rocket" into the soup, so we are able to have little chew bits in the soup. First taste does taste a bit of bitterness because of the "rocket", and it was brought down to a minimum. This soup needs some time to get used to it. However once used it, it is a bowl of good soup.
Prawn Bites @ $9.50 – This is something extra, that we want to try. It is just simply deep fried prawns. The batter is not too thick, and was fried to golden brown, crispy. The prawns used are of medium size. It comes with a special dip as well. Average for me on this dish.
Stella Artois Battered Fish & Chips @ $16 – This is what my partner decided to have. 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. The batter does not really smell much of beer but the taste of the beer is there with a hint of bitterness. It is one of the better ones I have tasted. The portion is big as well.
Tenderloin Steak @ $28 – I have this as my main dish. It came with a piece if thick meat in the middle of the plate. I cut through the meat and happy to see that it was medium rare as I had ordered. As I cut it open the juices of the meat with some blood flowed out, the middle part of the meat is still raw and pinkish while the outer part of the meat is cooked, thus locking in the juices of the meat. The meat is a little on the salty side but it is fine with me. To me this is a very good main dish that I will order when I go back for next visit.
Victorian Crème Brulee @ $8 – I am a huge fan of crème brulee, so I must ordered this when I saw it in the menu. The one that they served is not disappointing at all. As usual, there is a layer of thin crispy of sugar on top, it is the crème brulee inside that surprises me. It is thick and creamy with eggy taste. I loved this dessert! It is a must order!
Crepes Haven @ $12 – This one is recommended by the server. When she served it, in front of you, she poured some alcohol and lighted up in front of you. Can see a small beautiful blue fire going on for a while before it extinguishes itself. However, the crepes do taste a bit sourish with the berries and the alcohol. Not really to my liking.
The food is actually quite good and the food presentation was quite good as well. The plates that they used are quite unique. It does make the food more appetizing as well. The bill comes up to $88 after a 15% discount (All thks to Yebber. Hee….).
All the above food is served hot straight out from the kitchen. The service is good as well. There was one waiter serving 3 couples that that time but yet my water was never empty. He is very prompt and polite as well. The manager or the boss also quite friendly giving us recommendations of what to try out since it is our first time there. She also has a little chit chat with us to check on our views on the food and to see if there is anything to improve on. Overall, I fell in love with this place and definitely will be back again.
Read about this place on Yebber by a fellow blogger. He was all praises for the place and recommended it with a 5 star rating which is the best a restaurant can get on the website. Seeing that it was so close to my workplace, i decided to drop by one night to try it out myself to see if it indeed deserves such praise.
Believe it or not, the place is actually located under a block of flats alongside grocery stores and right next to the car park. It certainly didn't feel that way from the moment i stepped in though. Its obvious to see much thought has been put into the decorations and the environment.
Complimentary Crackers - These are truly complimentary but had a weird milky taste to it that makes it seem like a mixture of malay and indian crackers.
Milk Shake ($5) - After scrounging around for a drink, i finally choose to try their vanilla milkshake which turned out to be a big mistake. Waiting time aside, the ice was not blended well and the milkshake had a powdery residue which makes it taste like baby milk at the top and sugar syrup near the bottom. Not recommended.
Soup ($3) - Simply add $3 to your main course to get a soup of the day and a soft drink. I did not get to try the soup but was told by my companions that it was average.
J's Prawn Salad ($7.50) - Always start with an appetiser to get things going. And after cafe cartel, i had a thing going on for prawn salads. Judging from the shot, its needless to say that presentation gained it marks for visual flair alone. It is, however, not very functional when it came to actual eating as the salad tend to drop and spill. That wasn't missing much however, since the overall salad didn't quite hit the mark as it was overly sweet and the prawns were not fresh and crunchy enough.
Seafood Oglio Olio ($8.90) - Squid, mussels and prawn with spaghetti stir fried in cheese and chili (??). This was different. Presentation wise, it was another looker but taste wise, it sadly fell short yet again. The spaghetti was too oily and the seafood simply had no taste and wasn't fresh.
Chicken Cordon Bleu ($9.90) - I had no idea what chicken cordon bleu is. When it was served, i was quite disappointed as it was simply chicken wrap. There was no hint of alcohol in the meat at all, not to mention the meat was too tough and not marinated enough. That said, the mushroom sauce it came with was so salty, it didn't take long before my gf camped out and simply stopped using it.
J's Classic Combo ($17.90) - I had heard about this dish on yebber and ordered it to try since it was supposed to be a signature dish of sorts. Yet again, the presentation astounds and pleases the senses but behind it all is a trio of overcooked chicken, beef and fish with a simply salty mushroom sauce and an undercooked corn. The meat were both tough to chew and lacked taste while the fish fillet must have been bought from the supermarket because it had 'frozen' written all over its taste. Another disappointment.
This aesthetically pleasing yet non satisfying meal cost me $59.10 for 3 people.
Disappointment is the word of the day at this restaurant. I had such high hopes for it that i felt sad when it simply didn't measure up. All its dishes look splendid when they are served but thats still missing the point because food is not all about looks, its about taste, and that department is where this place simply did not deliver.
A restaurant in the heartlands that goes by the same name as a Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles. The 2 are not affiliated however and any similarities stop at the name. I was there one evening for yet another treat by my dear friends. Thanks once again!!
The wonders of nature - Pardon the non food related picture. Just thought i'd share something nice with everyone. Was driving along the road one morning when i saw the view you see above. Its little things like this that reminds me how beautiful the world can be if we could just take the time to appreciate it.
Brightly lit and sporting traditional wooden chairs, the scene reminds me of the times i was in Hong Kong a long time ago. I found it cosy and thank goodness the place wasn't packed as well. Which made discussions much easier and more conducive.
Chicken and Char Siew ($13) - The chicken and char siew were average at best. I found the chicken a little too dry and the char siew under roasted which left much to be desired in its taste. Nothing special about the dish apart from the fact that a small serving cost us $13 (!!!) and thats pushing it a little too far.
Three Egg Spinach ($9) - The exact same item as the one i had at Hai Tien Lo before a long time ago, and if you've read my review, you'll know i didn't like the one at Hai Tien Lo. And over here, its no different, i still didn't like it although i must say that in comparison, the Hai Tien Lo rendition was better. This was too salty and the eggs lacked taste.
Claypot Bean Curd ($8) - What can i say? This was still salty and the beancurd wasn't much to shout about. Its skin was too thick and made chewing it a chore while the egg based beancurd inside simply wasn't tasty. Enough said.
Cod Fish Cantonese Style ($16) - This was good albeit it was still a little on the salty said of things. I detect some vinegar which accounts for the sourish taste and also a moderate amount of oyster sauce. There was also a kick of sweetness in the sauce which made it intriguing. The star of the dish was still the cod however, smooth, sweet and fresh. It managed to right the few wrongs that happened before it. There was one hitch however, the fish was not de-boned which almost had me choking at one point. Otherwise, a pretty good dish.
Sweet, Sour and Spicy Seafood Soup ($8) - I'm not sure what is used to make the soup but i'll say it simply. I liked it. It fulfills everything its namesake suggests in the taste department which included a big crunchy and tasty prawn. The only downside here was the miserly portions.
Complimentary Dessert - Its cooling, sweet and strangely appetising even after our entire meal. The best part? Its totally free and given on the waitresses own initiative! Why can't all restaurants practice this little act of kindness?
This mixed meal of hits and misses came up to $74.74 which is a little too much in my opinion.
I liked a few of its dishes but many fell short. Service was generally good but atmosphere wise, the place isn't anywhere to serenade your significant other. Pricing wise, the place could do a little better by not charging for certain 'complimentary' (make that compulsory) items. That said, my chances of returning are still very slim.
Was there over the weekend and was excited to see them selling mini steamboat! And only at $13.80 each! So we went in to try. When we set down, we somehow concluded that the steamboat idea might have came to mind when they saw they neighbor selling hotpots. (But this is just our presumption lah)
The mini steamboat comes with Tom Yam Soup and a plate of fresh ingredients such as prawns, slice fish, sotong (squid), mushrooms, and tang hoon.
The tom yam soup is spicy and sour. Taste was not bad. Drinking tom yam while its boiling hot is super shiok! This mini steamboat is good for 2 to share. As we were not hungry, and just needed something to fill out tummy, this pot of tom yam was good enough.
Delifrance is an all round familiar name which can probably be found in every major department store in Singapore. It begun in 1985 as a cafe officially and prior to that, have been distributing dough-made items to hotels since 1983. It brand owner actually heralds from France under the company name of Grand Moulins de Paris (GMP), which have been in the business since early 1900. With such a diverse and sound pedigree, its only right that Delifrance serves good food right?
For a cafe that was and still is priced at a premium, the restaurant really isn't much to look at. If you ask me, the only thing i've ever enjoyed from Delifrance was its mayo chicken or crab with croissants. And that was a pretty long time ago when the items were going for less then $6. Prices have skyrocketed since then however, and Delifrance is now known as Bistro Delifrance which supposedly offers better service and gourmet food.
Caesars Salad ($7.95) - In 2 words? Rip off. A small amount of lettuce with some crumbs and fake bacon pieces with thousand island sauce. It wasn't even fresh to begin with and the service was terrible to say the least. Is this just a bad start or was the visit doomed before it began?
Beef And Fish Combo ($19.90) - This is a rather self explanatory dish. Beef, egg, potato wedges and fish in bread crumbs. And somehow, they managed to make a perfectly simple dish perfectly bad. The wedges were (drum roll) cold in the middle, which means they did not thaw it enough and it wasn't fried well. The beef came well done which meant it was rubbery and required a chainsaw to get through. What really dissed me was that the service staff didn't even ask if i wanted the beef done in any way. The fish was also equally badly done, with a strong fishy taste and also inadequately thawed. The only thing they did not screw up was the egg but then again, i'm sure i can do a better job even with that one.
Choc Fondant ($5.50) - This was not my dessert. I specifically ordered a molten chocolate cake but was given the chocolate fondant instead. However, i did not bother to argue because, i've already waited 20 minutes after my meal for them to serve the dessert after repeated reminders and they still got it wrong. Honestly, Wall's ice cream with warm chocolate cake. Why would anyone bother paying $5 for it when its so easy to just make it ourselves?
An unsatisfying, terribly serviced and bad meal cost me $33.20 after discount. Thats $33.20 too much to pay for such a terrible experience.
What went wrong? I remembered a Delifrance where we had to self serve that gave much better food and service overall. Maybe the waitress was having a bad day but i didn't pay to see her unhappy face from problems i never want to know. Service aside, i never knew the food could be that bad. I'm utterly shocked at the quality of food i got and honestly, coming back is not something that will cross my mind for many years to come.
Coffee club had its humble beginning in Holland Village as a 2 storey gourmet coffee house in 1991 and after 17 years in the business, have now grown to having 21 branches throughout Singapore. Its list of accomplishments include excellent food awards for 2001 to 2006 and achieving ISO and super brand awards in 2005/2006. As for myself, i've never tried coffee club because i was stuck in the idea of it being a coffee place, i was wrong however, do read on.
Cosy and homely environments with cushion seats and ergonomically designed chairs. I've been to the place 3 times and after all that, i still found the place inviting. Definitely a plus in terms of atmosphere even though its located in a simple shopping mall. This is the kind of place i will hang out if i need to study and grab a reasonably good bite because the staff never chases you out and the place is just comfortable for discussions or just about anything.
Garlic Prawn Pasta ($12.90) - One of the dishes awarded the excellent food awards, this dish is a must try. It came with tomatos, onions, chili and garlic with a generous dose of crunchy, crispy and sweet prawns. This is a winner hands down. Even the spaghetti was less oily then others i've had before. I couldn't recommend this enough. Do try it!
Pastrami and Cheddar Cheese Sandwich ($9.90) - A sandwich for dinner? Well, yes if you are on a diet and are on tight purse strings. Beef pastrami and caramelized onions in dijon musturd gives this sandwich a rather refreshing bite. Similar to Fre(n)sh chicken, the mustard is pretty strong so be warned. I did find the beef a tad tasteless but i'm just being picky.
Mudpie (Price unknown) - I forgot how much this is but honestly, after all the good food dishes, this turned out a little too simple for my liking. Sure, the mudpie is smooth, sweet and very chocolaty, but i expected a little better for dessert when its main dishes were so good. Tasty nonetheless.
Bill: I did not get the bill for this round as it was a treat from some friends who were in the neighborhood. Thanks people!!
Wasabi Prawn Salad ($10.90) - Another award winning dish. The wasabi prawn salad was our appetiser on the second visit. Tossed salad with prawns and potatoes drenched in wasabi flavored mayonnaise. This was really quite good. I loved the wasabi which gave the dish more bite. The prawns however, were sliced in the middle which resulted in less crunch then i would like. Still, its worthy of its award and healthy to boot.
Smoked Salmon Garlic Cream Linguini ($12.90) - My gf had this and from the few bites i had, i can tell you i liked it. The salmon was fresh though a little salty. I like the fact that it has the smoky taste its name implied unlike others i've had elsewhere. The creamy garlic linguini is very aromatic and fragrant (to me at least, because i love garlic and creamy pastas) but did get overwhelming when taken in large quantities.
Bangers and Mash ($ - Why settle for one sausage when you can have 3? Chicken, bratwurst and cheddar cheese sausages atop a bed of mashed potatoes with a tomato thrown in for further measure. The sausages, unfortunately, fell short apart from the cheddar cheese sausage which tasted a little special. Everything else was just average.
This visit cost me $36.86 for 2 mains and a starter. I wouldn't say it was expensive since most of the food was of a decent quality.
Beef, Bacon and Pistachio terrine Salad ($10.20) - This is a mixed bag. I like the salad because it came with dijon mustard as usual but wasn't quite taken with the beef meatloaf used to wrap the pistachio. The beef was too dry basically and the only thing good about it was the bacon. Thus, my conclusion is, order once, never order again.
Seafood Lasagna ($13.00) - Before i start, let me say this, i don't like lasagna. The only reason i ordered was due to the promise of generous amounts of seafood. And fortunately, they delivered on the promise. Lots of mussels, prawns and squid adorn the dish. I didn't like the tomato sauce or the lasagna in general however, and it really starts getting overwhelming after a few bites. Thank goodness i had the Alfredo to balance things out below.
Alfredo ($10.80) - Ham, cheese, mushrooms and shell shaped pasta. It doesn't get any simpler but its still a perfectly delectable dish (what can i say? I like cream pastas). It served to balance the tomatos taste from the lasagna and definitely was the better of the 2 main dishes.
White Chocolate Parfait With Berry Sorbet ($6.80) - The first service blunder they made was with this dessert, they actually served it while we were having our appetiser. Whereby i promptly told them to serve it later since i'm not about ready to have dessert that early in the meal. The obliged but when it came time to have my dessert, i found that it had pockets of air and was already melting, meaning they served me the same parfait they took out in the beginning. Needless to say, the dessert didn't quite measure up. The berry sorbet was good, sour and sweet at the same time. The chocolate however, was too filled with air and melted to give a good impression. Pity.
The bill this time came up to $43.22. There has been a change of menu and an increase in price of about 50 cents for each dish.
Service has been consistently good at this branch and my questions were usually met with good answers. The food is definitely of a certain standard but as usual, there are hits and misses in the menu. Some of the hits have been removed from the menu unfortunately and the new menu is definitely pricier. Still a good place to chill out and have a reasonable meal though.
1=SGD 0.0587
Japanese and Korean cuisine together under one roof! Probably the first thought that popped into the minds of the entrepreneurs who decided to open this restaurant. Question is, does it actually manage to provide the same quality of food for both cuisines and do them justice? Or does the food not live up to expectations? Thats my job to find out and your job to read on.
It was obvious that little has been done for the interiors in terms of ambiance and decor. Wooden chairs and tables seemed straight out of a food court or park and a television that is so old, the images have noise in them. Not that i don't like the presence of the television, just that even coffeeshops have huge LCD televisions, a restaurant can't simply be happy with a sub par one such as that. Waiting time is generally long for the initial but when it does arrive, everything is fast and furious.
Tamago Sushi ($2.90) - Presentation-wise, this is normal but wait till you see the size of the sushi. Its bigger than most sushi's i've seen in other Japanese food places. It comes at a price of course, $1.45 per sushi isn't exactly cheap. The good part is that the rice is nicely done, sweet, sour and a tinge of spice along with a long Tamago (egg roll) atop which was actually tasty. If only the price could be lowered a little more.
Spring Roll ($2.90) - Served warm and crispy, this is like any other good spring roll you can find elsewhere. The serving size was incredibly small however. Not likely to order again at this point.
Chicken Bibim Bab Bulgogi ($8.90) - Spicy, sweet and fragrant pretty much summarizes this dish. I like the fact that it is very spicy as opposed to other similar offerings outside but i have to say, you can get a similar quality dish at a food court. Minus the spicy taste maybe. To sum it up, its an average rendition of a famous dish with no discerning factors.
Beef Babimbab Bulgogi ($9.90) - The beef rendition is basically the same minus the spiciness and adding more of the sweetness. As per the above, its possible to get the same quality from a food court maybe without it being as tasty or as fragrant as this version. I did like the sizzling rice and wok hei that resulted from the hot stone plate but somehow, i think the environment just didn't make me feel too special while i was eating it.
Chawan Mushi ($3.90) - One of the more expensive chawan mushi's i've had to try. The serving wasn't exactly big as well but the quality does make up for it. It is basically melt in your mouth light with a generous helping of fake shark's fin, naruto, shrimp and mushrooms. Thats all good except the price i suppose.
A rather simple meal cost me $31.35 which is a little too much to pay for the quantity, environment and quality.
I honestly did not find the food too bad but i have to say it wasn't close to fantastic as well. Price wise, many items are overcharged and the restaurant could do with a make over and some further training for the staff to hopefully be a little faster. They need to get some really special dishes or special recipes with a better environment before i can justify paying for it at that price.
Rating given:
I love Lily's paintings because they make me feel so peaceful somehow. The blog is a great find and what's best, it's updated with new paintings daily! *tweet tweet* :)
I particularly like the "Sunflower and Pears" from the Feb 12, 2008 entry. I've bookmarked this site and subscribed to the mailing list as well. I'm looking forward to see all your new pieces, as they are so often truly inspiring! Thanks for making your art accessible to us all.
Rating given:
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Rating given:
Made our way one rainy evening to Sunset Grill & Pub, an eatery/drinking hole equally known for its buffalo wings and very inaccessible location. Notoriously hidden in the inner realms of Seletar airbase, Sunset is a pain in the ass to find (pardon my language), even with the help of a map provided by the place. Just so that you know, Sunset doesn't appear on any streetdirectory the last I checked. Even if you manage to find the carpark, you still need to walk a short distance before you can actually see the joint itself. Talk about private dining.
Caesar Salad - The caesar salad was actually very normal tasting with slices of boiled egg, bacon bits and croutons. The vegetables were fresh but I found it terribly overpriced at $12.50.
Deep Fried Mushrooms - First the good. The breaded mushrooms were crispy on the outside with exploding juices in every bite. Now the bad. The batter was too thick and absorbed too much of the oil used in deep frying the mushrooms, so much so that it had an oily residue taste.
Buffalo Wings - Feeling intimidated by the level of spiciness the wings came in, we decided to stick to the safest bet - the mildest level 1. Even then, it was quite spicy for me (I don't really take chilli by the way), not to mention huge and juicy as well. However, because of its sourish nature, its really an acquired taste.
Hamburger Steak - The meat was too dry but at least the raw beef taste wasn't overpowering. The other gripe I had was that the meat was almost well done, which explains the dryness. Definitely not something I would order again.
Although no service charge or GST was imposed, $60 for the above dishes is really on the expensive side. Sure, the novelty is there and the prospect of watching planes take off is exciting, but for the quality of food and price, I'll be hard pressed to return. Oh and if you do decide to sit in the al fresco area, please watch out for the mosquitoes.
See all my pictures here
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Absolute Haven, I did not know that this place is a restaurant until I saw someone reviewed this place. Since Yebber having this 15% discount, my partner and I decided to go and give ourselves a little treat! Hee…… The place is actually quite well hidden, if not for the large signboard. Once we step through the gates, it seems like we are transported to another place peaceful and quiet.
There are outdoor seats and indoor seats. Once at the door, the waiter showed us in to our table. The place is big which means can cater to a big group of people and the gap between each table is quite big as well, so that each couple or group can have their own space and privacy as well. They also have a couple of sofa seats far back which I think is more for those who is coming in for a drink and desserts only. When we were there at around 6.30pm, there is only two other couples in the restaurant. So we can simply choose our own seats. The crowds started to came in after 7 pm and the place does get pretty packed.
The decoration is clean and simple, using very basic colors. One thing, they used mahjong table as “table cloth” on the table. Hmm….. As we were seating indoors and there was not a big crowd, the air-con got a bit too cold for us. Hee… We were almost freezing by the end of dinner already. There is a little tea light candle in the middle of the table creating a romantic scene and with slow jazz music playing in the background as well, soft enough to be heard yet will not stop you from having a decent conversation.
While waiting for us to decide our food, the waiter served us drinking water. This place instead of putting lemon slices in their water, they actually put strawberries in it. This actually gives a very strong strawberry fragrance to the water, making the water taste sweet also. A plus point. Think I am going to try it at home as well.
We ordered the following dishes.
Asparagus Roll with Bacon Dressing @ $8.50 – This dish is a good way to start off the night. It is pan fried but not oily. The asparagus is crunchy and not soft at all. The bacon is salty on its own so when combined with asparagus, it adds flavor to it. The bacon is pan fried to a little crispy yet able to chew. With a unique sauce on its side, it just increases the taste of the whole dish. This is a must try.
Chef’s Special: "Rocket" Soup (Dunno if I got it correct) @ $3.90 – When we ordered this, we were feeling a bit adventurous as we got no idea what is "rocket". When they served the soup, it looks greenish. However, it is the special taste of "rocket" that won us over. They mashed the "rocket" into the soup, so we are able to have little chew bits in the soup. First taste does taste a bit of bitterness because of the "rocket", and it was brought down to a minimum. This soup needs some time to get used to it. However once used it, it is a bowl of good soup.
Prawn Bites @ $9.50 – This is something extra, that we want to try. It is just simply deep fried prawns. The batter is not too thick, and was fried to golden brown, crispy. The prawns used are of medium size. It comes with a special dip as well. Average for me on this dish.
Stella Artois Battered Fish & Chips @ $16 – This is what my partner decided to have. 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. The batter does not really smell much of beer but the taste of the beer is there with a hint of bitterness. It is one of the better ones I have tasted. The portion is big as well.
Tenderloin Steak @ $28 – I have this as my main dish. It came with a piece if thick meat in the middle of the plate. I cut through the meat and happy to see that it was medium rare as I had ordered. As I cut it open the juices of the meat with some blood flowed out, the middle part of the meat is still raw and pinkish while the outer part of the meat is cooked, thus locking in the juices of the meat. The meat is a little on the salty side but it is fine with me. To me this is a very good main dish that I will order when I go back for next visit.
Victorian Crème Brulee @ $8 – I am a huge fan of crème brulee, so I must ordered this when I saw it in the menu. The one that they served is not disappointing at all. As usual, there is a layer of thin crispy of sugar on top, it is the crème brulee inside that surprises me. It is thick and creamy with eggy taste. I loved this dessert! It is a must order!
Crepes Haven @ $12 – This one is recommended by the server. When she served it, in front of you, she poured some alcohol and lighted up in front of you. Can see a small beautiful blue fire going on for a while before it extinguishes itself. However, the crepes do taste a bit sourish with the berries and the alcohol. Not really to my liking.
The food is actually quite good and the food presentation was quite good as well. The plates that they used are quite unique. It does make the food more appetizing as well. The bill comes up to $88 after a 15% discount (All thks to Yebber. Hee….).
All the above food is served hot straight out from the kitchen. The service is good as well. There was one waiter serving 3 couples that that time but yet my water was never empty. He is very prompt and polite as well. The manager or the boss also quite friendly giving us recommendations of what to try out since it is our first time there. She also has a little chit chat with us to check on our views on the food and to see if there is anything to improve on. Overall, I fell in love with this place and definitely will be back again.
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Read about this place on Yebber by a fellow blogger. He was all praises for the place and recommended it with a 5 star rating which is the best a restaurant can get on the website. Seeing that it was so close to my workplace, i decided to drop by one night to try it out myself to see if it indeed deserves such praise.
Believe it or not, the place is actually located under a block of flats alongside grocery stores and right next to the car park. It certainly didn't feel that way from the moment i stepped in though. Its obvious to see much thought has been put into the decorations and the environment.
Complimentary Crackers - These are truly complimentary but had a weird milky taste to it that makes it seem like a mixture of malay and indian crackers.
Milk Shake ($5) - After scrounging around for a drink, i finally choose to try their vanilla milkshake which turned out to be a big mistake. Waiting time aside, the ice was not blended well and the milkshake had a powdery residue which makes it taste like baby milk at the top and sugar syrup near the bottom. Not recommended.
Soup ($3) - Simply add $3 to your main course to get a soup of the day and a soft drink. I did not get to try the soup but was told by my companions that it was average.
J's Prawn Salad ($7.50) - Always start with an appetiser to get things going. And after cafe cartel, i had a thing going on for prawn salads. Judging from the shot, its needless to say that presentation gained it marks for visual flair alone. It is, however, not very functional when it came to actual eating as the salad tend to drop and spill. That wasn't missing much however, since the overall salad didn't quite hit the mark as it was overly sweet and the prawns were not fresh and crunchy enough.
Seafood Oglio Olio ($8.90) - Squid, mussels and prawn with spaghetti stir fried in cheese and chili (??). This was different. Presentation wise, it was another looker but taste wise, it sadly fell short yet again. The spaghetti was too oily and the seafood simply had no taste and wasn't fresh.
Chicken Cordon Bleu ($9.90) - I had no idea what chicken cordon bleu is. When it was served, i was quite disappointed as it was simply chicken wrap. There was no hint of alcohol in the meat at all, not to mention the meat was too tough and not marinated enough. That said, the mushroom sauce it came with was so salty, it didn't take long before my gf camped out and simply stopped using it.
J's Classic Combo ($17.90) - I had heard about this dish on yebber and ordered it to try since it was supposed to be a signature dish of sorts. Yet again, the presentation astounds and pleases the senses but behind it all is a trio of overcooked chicken, beef and fish with a simply salty mushroom sauce and an undercooked corn. The meat were both tough to chew and lacked taste while the fish fillet must have been bought from the supermarket because it had 'frozen' written all over its taste. Another disappointment.
This aesthetically pleasing yet non satisfying meal cost me $59.10 for 3 people.
Disappointment is the word of the day at this restaurant. I had such high hopes for it that i felt sad when it simply didn't measure up. All its dishes look splendid when they are served but thats still missing the point because food is not all about looks, its about taste, and that department is where this place simply did not deliver.
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A restaurant in the heartlands that goes by the same name as a Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles. The 2 are not affiliated however and any similarities stop at the name. I was there one evening for yet another treat by my dear friends. Thanks once again!!
The wonders of nature - Pardon the non food related picture. Just thought i'd share something nice with everyone. Was driving along the road one morning when i saw the view you see above. Its little things like this that reminds me how beautiful the world can be if we could just take the time to appreciate it.
Brightly lit and sporting traditional wooden chairs, the scene reminds me of the times i was in Hong Kong a long time ago. I found it cosy and thank goodness the place wasn't packed as well. Which made discussions much easier and more conducive.
Chicken and Char Siew ($13) - The chicken and char siew were average at best. I found the chicken a little too dry and the char siew under roasted which left much to be desired in its taste. Nothing special about the dish apart from the fact that a small serving cost us $13 (!!!) and thats pushing it a little too far.
Three Egg Spinach ($9) - The exact same item as the one i had at Hai Tien Lo before a long time ago, and if you've read my review, you'll know i didn't like the one at Hai Tien Lo. And over here, its no different, i still didn't like it although i must say that in comparison, the Hai Tien Lo rendition was better. This was too salty and the eggs lacked taste.
Claypot Bean Curd ($8) - What can i say? This was still salty and the beancurd wasn't much to shout about. Its skin was too thick and made chewing it a chore while the egg based beancurd inside simply wasn't tasty. Enough said.
Cod Fish Cantonese Style ($16) - This was good albeit it was still a little on the salty said of things. I detect some vinegar which accounts for the sourish taste and also a moderate amount of oyster sauce. There was also a kick of sweetness in the sauce which made it intriguing. The star of the dish was still the cod however, smooth, sweet and fresh. It managed to right the few wrongs that happened before it. There was one hitch however, the fish was not de-boned which almost had me choking at one point. Otherwise, a pretty good dish.
Sweet, Sour and Spicy Seafood Soup ($8) - I'm not sure what is used to make the soup but i'll say it simply. I liked it. It fulfills everything its namesake suggests in the taste department which included a big crunchy and tasty prawn. The only downside here was the miserly portions.
Complimentary Dessert - Its cooling, sweet and strangely appetising even after our entire meal. The best part? Its totally free and given on the waitresses own initiative! Why can't all restaurants practice this little act of kindness?
This mixed meal of hits and misses came up to $74.74 which is a little too much in my opinion.
I liked a few of its dishes but many fell short. Service was generally good but atmosphere wise, the place isn't anywhere to serenade your significant other. Pricing wise, the place could do a little better by not charging for certain 'complimentary' (make that compulsory) items. That said, my chances of returning are still very slim.
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Was there over the weekend and was excited to see them selling mini steamboat! And only at $13.80 each! So we went in to try. When we set down, we somehow concluded that the steamboat idea might have came to mind when they saw they neighbor selling hotpots. (But this is just our presumption lah)
The mini steamboat comes with Tom Yam Soup and a plate of fresh ingredients such as prawns, slice fish, sotong (squid), mushrooms, and tang hoon.
The tom yam soup is spicy and sour. Taste was not bad. Drinking tom yam while its boiling hot is super shiok! This mini steamboat is good for 2 to share. As we were not hungry, and just needed something to fill out tummy, this pot of tom yam was good enough.
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Delifrance is an all round familiar name which can probably be found in every major department store in Singapore. It begun in 1985 as a cafe officially and prior to that, have been distributing dough-made items to hotels since 1983. It brand owner actually heralds from France under the company name of Grand Moulins de Paris (GMP), which have been in the business since early 1900. With such a diverse and sound pedigree, its only right that Delifrance serves good food right?
For a cafe that was and still is priced at a premium, the restaurant really isn't much to look at. If you ask me, the only thing i've ever enjoyed from Delifrance was its mayo chicken or crab with croissants. And that was a pretty long time ago when the items were going for less then $6. Prices have skyrocketed since then however, and Delifrance is now known as Bistro Delifrance which supposedly offers better service and gourmet food.
Caesars Salad ($7.95) - In 2 words? Rip off. A small amount of lettuce with some crumbs and fake bacon pieces with thousand island sauce. It wasn't even fresh to begin with and the service was terrible to say the least. Is this just a bad start or was the visit doomed before it began?
Beef And Fish Combo ($19.90) - This is a rather self explanatory dish. Beef, egg, potato wedges and fish in bread crumbs. And somehow, they managed to make a perfectly simple dish perfectly bad. The wedges were (drum roll) cold in the middle, which means they did not thaw it enough and it wasn't fried well. The beef came well done which meant it was rubbery and required a chainsaw to get through. What really dissed me was that the service staff didn't even ask if i wanted the beef done in any way. The fish was also equally badly done, with a strong fishy taste and also inadequately thawed. The only thing they did not screw up was the egg but then again, i'm sure i can do a better job even with that one.
Choc Fondant ($5.50) - This was not my dessert. I specifically ordered a molten chocolate cake but was given the chocolate fondant instead. However, i did not bother to argue because, i've already waited 20 minutes after my meal for them to serve the dessert after repeated reminders and they still got it wrong. Honestly, Wall's ice cream with warm chocolate cake. Why would anyone bother paying $5 for it when its so easy to just make it ourselves?
An unsatisfying, terribly serviced and bad meal cost me $33.20 after discount. Thats $33.20 too much to pay for such a terrible experience.
What went wrong? I remembered a Delifrance where we had to self serve that gave much better food and service overall. Maybe the waitress was having a bad day but i didn't pay to see her unhappy face from problems i never want to know. Service aside, i never knew the food could be that bad. I'm utterly shocked at the quality of food i got and honestly, coming back is not something that will cross my mind for many years to come.
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Coffee club had its humble beginning in Holland Village as a 2 storey gourmet coffee house in 1991 and after 17 years in the business, have now grown to having 21 branches throughout Singapore. Its list of accomplishments include excellent food awards for 2001 to 2006 and achieving ISO and super brand awards in 2005/2006. As for myself, i've never tried coffee club because i was stuck in the idea of it being a coffee place, i was wrong however, do read on.
Cosy and homely environments with cushion seats and ergonomically designed chairs. I've been to the place 3 times and after all that, i still found the place inviting. Definitely a plus in terms of atmosphere even though its located in a simple shopping mall. This is the kind of place i will hang out if i need to study and grab a reasonably good bite because the staff never chases you out and the place is just comfortable for discussions or just about anything.
Garlic Prawn Pasta ($12.90) - One of the dishes awarded the excellent food awards, this dish is a must try. It came with tomatos, onions, chili and garlic with a generous dose of crunchy, crispy and sweet prawns. This is a winner hands down. Even the spaghetti was less oily then others i've had before. I couldn't recommend this enough. Do try it!
Pastrami and Cheddar Cheese Sandwich ($9.90) - A sandwich for dinner? Well, yes if you are on a diet and are on tight purse strings. Beef pastrami and caramelized onions in dijon musturd gives this sandwich a rather refreshing bite. Similar to Fre(n)sh chicken, the mustard is pretty strong so be warned. I did find the beef a tad tasteless but i'm just being picky.
Mudpie (Price unknown) - I forgot how much this is but honestly, after all the good food dishes, this turned out a little too simple for my liking. Sure, the mudpie is smooth, sweet and very chocolaty, but i expected a little better for dessert when its main dishes were so good. Tasty nonetheless.
Bill: I did not get the bill for this round as it was a treat from some friends who were in the neighborhood. Thanks people!!
Wasabi Prawn Salad ($10.90) - Another award winning dish. The wasabi prawn salad was our appetiser on the second visit. Tossed salad with prawns and potatoes drenched in wasabi flavored mayonnaise. This was really quite good. I loved the wasabi which gave the dish more bite. The prawns however, were sliced in the middle which resulted in less crunch then i would like. Still, its worthy of its award and healthy to boot.
Smoked Salmon Garlic Cream Linguini ($12.90) - My gf had this and from the few bites i had, i can tell you i liked it. The salmon was fresh though a little salty. I like the fact that it has the smoky taste its name implied unlike others i've had elsewhere. The creamy garlic linguini is very aromatic and fragrant (to me at least, because i love garlic and creamy pastas) but did get overwhelming when taken in large quantities.
Bangers and Mash ($ - Why settle for one sausage when you can have 3? Chicken, bratwurst and cheddar cheese sausages atop a bed of mashed potatoes with a tomato thrown in for further measure. The sausages, unfortunately, fell short apart from the cheddar cheese sausage which tasted a little special. Everything else was just average.
This visit cost me $36.86 for 2 mains and a starter. I wouldn't say it was expensive since most of the food was of a decent quality.
Beef, Bacon and Pistachio terrine Salad ($10.20) - This is a mixed bag. I like the salad because it came with dijon mustard as usual but wasn't quite taken with the beef meatloaf used to wrap the pistachio. The beef was too dry basically and the only thing good about it was the bacon. Thus, my conclusion is, order once, never order again.
Seafood Lasagna ($13.00) - Before i start, let me say this, i don't like lasagna. The only reason i ordered was due to the promise of generous amounts of seafood. And fortunately, they delivered on the promise. Lots of mussels, prawns and squid adorn the dish. I didn't like the tomato sauce or the lasagna in general however, and it really starts getting overwhelming after a few bites. Thank goodness i had the Alfredo to balance things out below.
Alfredo ($10.80) - Ham, cheese, mushrooms and shell shaped pasta. It doesn't get any simpler but its still a perfectly delectable dish (what can i say? I like cream pastas). It served to balance the tomatos taste from the lasagna and definitely was the better of the 2 main dishes.
White Chocolate Parfait With Berry Sorbet ($6.80) - The first service blunder they made was with this dessert, they actually served it while we were having our appetiser. Whereby i promptly told them to serve it later since i'm not about ready to have dessert that early in the meal. The obliged but when it came time to have my dessert, i found that it had pockets of air and was already melting, meaning they served me the same parfait they took out in the beginning. Needless to say, the dessert didn't quite measure up. The berry sorbet was good, sour and sweet at the same time. The chocolate however, was too filled with air and melted to give a good impression. Pity.
The bill this time came up to $43.22. There has been a change of menu and an increase in price of about 50 cents for each dish.
Service has been consistently good at this branch and my questions were usually met with good answers. The food is definitely of a certain standard but as usual, there are hits and misses in the menu. Some of the hits have been removed from the menu unfortunately and the new menu is definitely pricier. Still a good place to chill out and have a reasonable meal though.
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