Made a reservation at for 1930hrs at Imperial Treasure Teochew Cuisine for our yearly reunion dinner. Surprisingly, Imperial Treasure only had 2 seatings, one at 6pm and the other at 730pm, which of course gave us plenty of time to finish up our food.
Stepping into the restaurant, the interior struck me as rather haphazard and cramp. Fortunately for us, we managed to snag a semi private booth seat which was rather cosy with pretty overhanging lights and wooden paneling.
Salmon Yu Sheng - For one, I must admit that I'm not exactly a fan of Yu Sheng but this one was quite well done. Slightly heavy on the sesame taste with fresh thinly sliced salmon and lots of other condiments, it didn't make me cringe like so many other Yu Shengs that I've tried.
Double Boiled Superior Shark's Fin - The quality in this dish was evident. The fins were quite a size (Bao Qi) and held quite a bit of bite while the broth was light and tantalizing. Simple yet tastefully done.
Roasted Crispy Goose - Although I honestly prefer my goose braised Teochew style, the roasted goose was nothing short of excellent. Succulent and tender meat beneath a layer of crispy skin that crackled with every bite. It was sheer goodness.
Poached Live "Soon Hock" Fish with Chinese Rice Wine - The flesh was firm and sweet without the fishy undertones - an indication of freshness. There was a strong, almost overwhelming presence of rice wine in the milky gravy but when drizzled over the fish, it mellowed subtly and complemented the fish very well.
Sauteed Australian Lobster with Ginger & Shallot - I doubt the lobster weighed in more than a kilogram. In fact, I suspect its weight hovered in the range of a mere 600-800 grams. Size aside, execution was commendable with the meat fresh and sweet with a nice and light ginger overtone.
Sweet & Sour Pork - This dish was in addition to our set menu and rather average if I may say. The flour coating was a tad too thick while the sauce was too sweet for our liking. Predictably, there was quite a bit of left over when we were done.
Stewed South African Sliced Abalone with Dried Oyster & Fish Maw - Presentation wise, this dish was awful, with everything looking mashed together under a blanket of really starchy gravy. But as the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover. It was a treasure pot of sorts with a respectable amount of abalone slices, fresh (not the usual dried ones) fish maw and a few dried oysters. The only gripe I had was that the oysters were a tad undercooked.
Stir Fried Vegetables with Mushrooms - Another addition to the menu and a most average dish. True, the mushrooms were nice but the vegetables were lacking in the quintessential wok hei taste.
Fried Glutinous Rice with Dried Meat & Mushroom - This was probably the only low in the otherwise excellent set menu. The rice was tasteless and a tad too dry. Ingredients were minimal as well.
Chinese New Year Pastries & Yam Paste with Pumpkin and Gingko nuts - The cookies were decent whereas the yam paste aka Orh Nee was a tad too watery for my liking. But I guess it all boils down to personal preference as my parents found it quite decent.
With a dinner for 5 hitting $930 without any drinks save for tea, its almost breaching the insanity mark. But well, its Chinese New Year and the food is really quite good. If such standard of food can be attained even during the CNY period where the food quality in most places would dip, then its a reasonable assumption that it would be better on normal days. I'll be eagerly awaiting.
I feel kind of weird having to write a review of my ownwebsite/blog. It just doesn't seem right somehow. :P But since I'm all for shameless self-plugging and in the spirit of CNY, I'll just throw caution and conscience to the wind and JUST DO IT.
So yea, if you're a true maskerteer (read : mask fanatic), you are going to adore the masks that I've managed to source from every far-flung corner of the world.
What some of the masks I have in stock:
-Lexmo Suisse Placenta mask with Nano Gold Crystals (Fabulous for plumping up the skin and lightening pigmentation and freckles)
-New COQ10 Hydro-gel Mask with 7 Fruit extracts for that instant flawless complextion.
-New MAP (magnesium ascorbyl phospate) Whitening Mask with tomatoe and natto extract for fairer, more radiant skin.
Because I've only just received my stock, I've had no time to put up pictures on my site but bear with me here and I promise that in a week, pictures of every mask that are in stock will be up and running.
This sure doesn't sound like a review to me but I guess it'll suffice. :p
Contact me at [email protected] for more info or to place your orders. :)
Heard about 2am:dessert bar and did read that it was pretty good, so when I was asked to go along, I was happy to.
Upon reaching Holland V, we did have a bit of trouble locating it. Thank goodness for friends who live in the West and frequent Holland V, we found this little place near the multi-storey carpark. It's at the end of the row where you can find the popular bakery Provence. BTW you have to look up because it's on the second floor.
At the entrance to the stairs leading upstairs, we were "greeted" by a small group of people who were on their way out. Apparently there were seats for them but the woman was complaining that it was way too noisy for her to eat anything. Surprised, we stepped in to experience it for ourselves.
She was right! The music was way too loud and distasteful for a dessert bar meant for chilling. They were playing house music as if it were a club and everyone was talking at the top of their voices so that they could be heard. It certainly didn't help that there was one huge group of 10 people there that day.
That said the colours and design of the interior looks good but it was a little too cramp for me. Also the chairs and sofas chosen were not very comfortable. Maybe they are trying to make their patrons uncomfortable so that they wouldn't stay too long. Despite maximizing seating capacity by making it cramp, there still weren't enough seats that night.
The selection was a little limited for me. As a dessert bar I don't expect it to have many food items so the number (about 5-6) of food items was fine. But there weren't many dessert items too. I believe there were about 8-9 items which some of which are not very different from each other.
Food Ordered: Chocolate Tart $14 The most popular one that night and it certainly made sense why. The chocolate was reasonably tasty. The crust had some orange in it which gave a zesty taste when you have it with the chocolate. Presented beautifully, this was the only item which received some nods that night.
Twix $13 Tasteless. Truly tasteless. I was wondering what it was suppose to be and I picked up the menu to read again. It certainly didn't taste like caramel mousse to me. Only the peanut crumble (little peanut bits) served with it had some taste. Even the ice cream wasn't even satisfactory. Tiramisu $15 This is the worst Tiramisu I've ever tasted. I've had some weird ones before but this one was in a class of its own. The texture was very soggy and it irked me to have to swallow it anyway.
2am Meatballs $14 6 little meatballs served on a few pieces of veg. Presentation wise, this was the least attractive. No doubt the meatballs weren't just taken out from a frozen pack but it certainly didn't justify the price tag. I don't relish eating some of the fatty bits in it too.
The above plus a glass of wine, ginger beer and some peppermint tea cost 3 of us $78 (after 10% discount).
How did we get the 10% discount? Well after taking our orders, we were OFFERED by the staff to change to the sofa seats by the side. Attracted by the novelty of sitting on the sofa seats we were excited and moved over immediately. After which the server who took our orders, saw that we were no longer at our places, threw our order away. He walked past us a few times when we were at our new seats but still didn't realise his mistake. Only after we noticed people who came later were getting their food before us, then we raised the issue. After some clarification, the lady (whom we suppose to be the manager) apologised and explained to us that the order was thrown away. Sigh.
By then the music was making me nauseous. Bad ambience, bad food, high prices and service requires improvement. What rating did you expect?
2am: dessertbar, a recently opened cafe at Holland Village that focuses primarily on desserts. It was through sheer luck and a little guidance that we managed to find it, tucked in a remote corner of the area, on the second floor no less.
The interior was tastefully designed, oozing contemporary chic coupled with matching sofa beds for that upmarket chill out ambience. However, the first thing that hit us was that the music was a tad too loud, forcing us to raise our voices to be heard over the din. We were lucky to have managed to get a sofa seat, seeing that they were all in hot demand. The sad thing was that the sofas were hard and whenever anyone from the adjourning table got on or off the sofa, we could feel it which got really irritating after a while.
2am Meatballs - 2 words. Rip off. 6 beef balls for $14. How's that for value? And the beef balls weren't even good to begin with. I could have bought the frozen ones from any supermarket and those would probably have tasted the same, if not better. Oh and the few vegetable leafs just don't cut it as salad.
Chocolate Tart - The tart was tiny and I'm not exaggerating. Beautifully presented, it would have been very normal if not for the infused orange twist. Add the chocolate granules and delightful orange sorbet to the mix and this is a definite crowd pleaser. Theres the problem about size though.
Twix - Billed as a specialty, the Twix got us all intrigued by its form. It didn't quite measure up in the taste department though, with the home made valrhona chocolate ice cream rich but not the least bit outstanding. The caramel mousse was almost tasteless and the texture was a little odd - soft yet firm. Probably the only thing that was good was the peanut crumble. Fragrant and crunchy, it breathed life into this otherwise lifeless and not to mention expensive dessert.
Tiramisu - Yet another aesthetically pleasing dessert but with no substance to back it up. The tiramisu was very bland save for a very slight hint of espresso. The sponge fingers were also a tad too soggy and it reminded me of eating pandan cake with water. Not that the accompanying espresso ice cream was any better, coming across as very bland as well.
$78 (after a 10% discount) for 3 desserts, 3 drinks and 1 finger food is really over the hill especially when I could have easily polished off everything without even breaking a sweat. Read. Minute portions. Service was generally quite good but more needs to be done about everything else.
It has been a long time since last went for dim sum and since my partner has always wanted to go and have dim sum and we got some time on hand, decided to head towards this restaurant to try out their dim sum.
It was around 5 pm when we stepped into the place and only see to 2 tables occupied only. The place is decorated the traditional way, nothing fanciful or to wow of. Once we were shown to our table, we were shown the menu. Their dim sum items are not in the menu but on a slip of paper where you can just place your orders on it.
So we ordered a few to try their dim sum dishes.
Pan-fried carrot cake – It came simple looking carrot cake, however the taste is great! There are 3 pieces and each piece having a thin crispy layer on the outer side and inside is soft and fluffy. There are small pieces of Chinese sausage inside the cake which makes its very fragrant. Not to mention it came hot, straight from the kitchen.
Chicken feet – I am not a big fan of chicken feet but those who managed to cooked their chicken feet where all their flavor are sealed in it and the meat is soft enough to be detected from the bones, would have been a good dish for me. Well the dish managed to do it and passed the little test of mine. Taste is good, and not too spicy for me.
Prawn dumpling (Har Gao) – This is a default dish when it comes to dim sum. It came steaming hot. The skin was thin and translucent. Through the skin can see the bright orange colour of the prawns inside. There is a generous serving of prawns. On its own, can taste the prawns are fresh and sweet.
Xiao long bao – Personally, I like xaio long bao a lot, however I am a bit disappointed by their version. It came looking small and dry. Usually, I would take a bit off the top to drink the soup first and surprised to find it lacking of the soup. The skin is a bit dry and then to get a bit sticky as well. Disappointing.
Prawn with mango roll – This dish came looking all messy. Hee.. Cos it is wrapped in a spring roll skin and then got bee hoon (I think) tied around it. Inside the rool, is wrapped with prawns and a big slice of thick juicy mango. Once you take a bite, you can take the sweetness of the mango and the prawn. The combination is great! There is a special dip for it as well. This is definitely one of my favorites of the lot.
Egg tarts – This dish came with a warning: “Beware! The filling is hot!”, from the waitress as she places a dish of 4 mini egg tarts on the table. The 4 little tarts look harmless however they performed their magic when placed inside my mouth. The crust is warm and fluffy. I loved this kind of crust best even though sometimes eating it can make a mess out of it. The filling is HOT, but creamy and has a slight eggy taste to it. Another good one!
Glutinous rice – This is another one of must order dim sum as well. Two relatively medium servings of glutinous rice wrapped up in lotus leaves. Inside the leave there is of course rice, salted egg yolk, Chinese sausage, chicken and more. While eating the rice and can taste the lotus leaves flavour, and the combination of the rest makes this a good one. The portion is just right for one and it does not makes you feel full by eating one alone.
Chicken in paper bag – This one is a last minute additional. Inside the oily looking paper, hides the chicken. It took some effort to remove the paper as it got stuck with the chicken. However the effort is well spent as the chicken really tastes good. It is not dry, but juicy and well marinated as well. Not oily at all.
One thing have to say about this place is they only prepare your dim sum when you placed your order, this will ensure you dim sum came fresh and pippin hot! Extra points scores for this!
The service is quite good as well. Maybe due to the low peak period when we were there, the service was on the spot with our tea constantly full and teapot on auto refilling mode. Even though their dinner time about to start, they are not in a rush to get rid of us and let us eat in peace. The whole place I think is managed by Cantonese people, and this gives a very traditional feeling.
The bill came up to about $40 after a 10% DBS discount, consider quite cheap already. I think next time I will be back to try out their other dishes and for dinner as well. Seems like this places is quite popular for lunch and dinner as well. So keep a look out for the review on that.
Wah Lok is a Cantonese restaurant which has been on the 2nd floor of Carlton for a long time. The interior is quite lavish and traditional looking with a nice dome shaped main dining hall at the end which overlooks Chjimes.
We ordered SO MUCH I just can't list them all. Also the receipt is with my companion and I forgot to take a picture of it. haha Some of the food we ordered:
Century Egg Porridge This was one nice small bowl for me. I enjoyed it really. But it wasn't anything special. The serving was just right for one and the texture of the porridge was just right. It wasn't the watery sort one sometimes gets. Egg Tarts They were cute mini dim sum egg tarts. The filling was not tasty enough for me. The crust was a little too crumbly which forced me to put the entire thing in my mouth and I couldn't take my time with it. Average I guess.
Steamed Prawn Dumplings - Har Gao Har gao is one dish I always look forward to when I eat dim sum. This one was not really what I like though. Although I attacked right after all the photo taking, it was already pretty dry and the edges were a tad hard. The prawn was pretty fresh but the skin wasn't what I would prefer. Sigh.
Roasted Pork Bun - Char Siew Bao I like that the filling wasn't too sweet and there weren't fatty bits. But the dough portion was a little too thick. I like those that are thinner and open up more. Not bad really. Beancurd Skin with Prawn It was oily (as usual) but very crisp. I'm not a fan of beancurd skin but this was one I pretty much liked.
It cost us about $28-$29 each. There were three of us that day. Service was pretty good though I didn't get my water filled at all throughout. My friend's warm water did get filled though. I find Wah Lok's dim sum too "heavy" for me... get full very easily. I guess, in a way, that's more traditional.
Happened to be at OG Orchard point yesterday and decided to try out this restaurant. Saw it a few time sbefore but didnt get the chance to try it out.
For a start, you could choose form ala carte menu or havinga setamboat buffet. ANd my suggestion would be to go for the buffet where the variety is aplenty. For starters, each person can have a choice from six different dishes on the menu, good for one serving. As for there are teh usual meat stuff such as pork, beef and chicken. But since the place is called mushroom pot, the main focus would be the different type of mushrooms that you can have a taste. And the soup base tastes great as well, with you getting to choose half mushroom base and the other spicy or 'ma la" base.
And good thing about this place is that teh food are fresh and served to your table. So you can just relax and wait for your food to come instead of having to walk constantly to get your food. The price of the buffet ain't that expensive either, which is at 29.90 , given the quality of the food
Lastly, the service of the staff is great as well, which makes it all the more enjoyable for you to have your meals there
Very nice atmosphere, spacious and comfy chair. Live performances of piano and pop songs. A great place to hang out with a small group of close friends, your lover for a romantic wedding anniversary or just to sit and relax, enjoy your drink and the scenery outside of the Esplanade. Had Singapore Sling, Lychee Martini and one I forgot the name but its strawberry. While the prices are above average, the drinks are also above average so its still a value. Service is good though a bit slow. On the whole, I can't think of anything bad about the place except it burnt my wallet.
Lovely atmosphere with a mix of jazz and zen style. Extensive menu that left us with a hard choice of what to order. We ordered chicken and mushroom Linguine, King Prawn quarter chicken and pork rib, Steak, Lamb chop, Caesar salad, garlic bread, Mussels and mushroom soup. Dessert was Rich Choc truffle. The
Linguine was great with the tomato and herb sauce just right and chicken sweet.
King prawn dish on the other hand, tasted too dry, chicken was overcooked hence tough. and the portion was just too much.
Steak tasted alright though I think the sauce some what covered the taste of the beef and make the taste below the line.
Lamp chop was fine without the strong smell of lamp meat and the blend of the mint sauce was well done.
Caesar salad was what we found to be the best dish of the night with crisp fresh vege and sweet chicken in delicious mayo. Portion was very big for a starter.
Rich Choc Truffle was indeed very rich. It needs to be taken together with the cranberry/mango sauce provided to be great tasting.
A great place to chill out though the price is a bit above average but the taste of the food is valued for money. Serves liqueur as well as some house pours though we did not order any as we are going off elsewhere to drink.
Cons:
Had a hard time trying to get the waiter (should be a Pakistani?) who served us to understand what we are talking about. Does not serve cold water unless you order their drinks.
Located in the newly re-furbished basement of Bugis Junction, Sweetalk sells beverages at affordable prices which a as low as $1.50!
In comparison to other bubbletea outlets in a popular shopping mall, $1.50 for a 200ml cup of beverage is rather commendable. Not only is Sweetalk's bubble tea affordable, it is also very tasty! Contrary to popular beliefs, afforability does not equate to poor quality, and Sweetalk (Bugis Junction) very much lives up to that reputation! Their teas are not excessively diluted to begin with, which allows for a certain amount of ice to melt off without diluting the whole beverage. THAT is what people are looking for.
When asked, my classmate said, "I prefer Sweetalk at Bugis Junction because their standard of bubble tea is constant and i'd willingly pay $1.50 to enjoy it."
Sweetalk (bugis junction) also has a very open concept in which customers or any passers-by will be able to look in and witness for themselves how the interior or the counter looks like, which does not allow for them to be unhygienic under any circumstances.
Personally i've been there tons of times and i can guarantee the consistency in the high standards of their beverages, and the proper hygiene in the environment in which the beverages are made, which really gives me a peace of mind as a consumer.
A worthy little investment for a worthy little indulgent!
1=SGD 0.0587
Made a reservation at for 1930hrs at Imperial Treasure Teochew Cuisine for our yearly reunion dinner. Surprisingly, Imperial Treasure only had 2 seatings, one at 6pm and the other at 730pm, which of course gave us plenty of time to finish up our food.
Stepping into the restaurant, the interior struck me as rather haphazard and cramp. Fortunately for us, we managed to snag a semi private booth seat which was rather cosy with pretty overhanging lights and wooden paneling.
Salmon Yu Sheng - For one, I must admit that I'm not exactly a fan of Yu Sheng but this one was quite well done. Slightly heavy on the sesame taste with fresh thinly sliced salmon and lots of other condiments, it didn't make me cringe like so many other Yu Shengs that I've tried.
Double Boiled Superior Shark's Fin - The quality in this dish was evident. The fins were quite a size (Bao Qi) and held quite a bit of bite while the broth was light and tantalizing. Simple yet tastefully done.
Roasted Crispy Goose - Although I honestly prefer my goose braised Teochew style, the roasted goose was nothing short of excellent. Succulent and tender meat beneath a layer of crispy skin that crackled with every bite. It was sheer goodness.
Poached Live "Soon Hock" Fish with Chinese Rice Wine - The flesh was firm and sweet without the fishy undertones - an indication of freshness. There was a strong, almost overwhelming presence of rice wine in the milky gravy but when drizzled over the fish, it mellowed subtly and complemented the fish very well.
Sauteed Australian Lobster with Ginger & Shallot - I doubt the lobster weighed in more than a kilogram. In fact, I suspect its weight hovered in the range of a mere 600-800 grams. Size aside, execution was commendable with the meat fresh and sweet with a nice and light ginger overtone.
Sweet & Sour Pork - This dish was in addition to our set menu and rather average if I may say. The flour coating was a tad too thick while the sauce was too sweet for our liking. Predictably, there was quite a bit of left over when we were done.
Stewed South African Sliced Abalone with Dried Oyster & Fish Maw - Presentation wise, this dish was awful, with everything looking mashed together under a blanket of really starchy gravy. But as the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover. It was a treasure pot of sorts with a respectable amount of abalone slices, fresh (not the usual dried ones) fish maw and a few dried oysters. The only gripe I had was that the oysters were a tad undercooked.
Stir Fried Vegetables with Mushrooms - Another addition to the menu and a most average dish. True, the mushrooms were nice but the vegetables were lacking in the quintessential wok hei taste.
Fried Glutinous Rice with Dried Meat & Mushroom - This was probably the only low in the otherwise excellent set menu. The rice was tasteless and a tad too dry. Ingredients were minimal as well.
Chinese New Year Pastries & Yam Paste with Pumpkin and Gingko nuts - The cookies were decent whereas the yam paste aka Orh Nee was a tad too watery for my liking. But I guess it all boils down to personal preference as my parents found it quite decent.
With a dinner for 5 hitting $930 without any drinks save for tea, its almost breaching the insanity mark. But well, its Chinese New Year and the food is really quite good. If such standard of food can be attained even during the CNY period where the food quality in most places would dip, then its a reasonable assumption that it would be better on normal days. I'll be eagerly awaiting.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
I feel kind of weird having to write a review of my ownwebsite/blog. It just doesn't seem right somehow. :P But since I'm all for shameless self-plugging and in the spirit of CNY, I'll just throw caution and conscience to the wind and JUST DO IT.
So yea, if you're a true maskerteer (read : mask fanatic), you are going to adore the masks that I've managed to source from every far-flung corner of the world.
What some of the masks I have in stock:
-Lexmo Suisse Placenta mask with Nano Gold Crystals (Fabulous for plumping up the skin and lightening pigmentation and freckles)
-New COQ10 Hydro-gel Mask with 7 Fruit extracts for that instant flawless complextion.
-New MAP (magnesium ascorbyl phospate) Whitening Mask with tomatoe and natto extract for fairer, more radiant skin.
Because I've only just received my stock, I've had no time to put up pictures on my site but bear with me here and I promise that in a week, pictures of every mask that are in stock will be up and running.
This sure doesn't sound like a review to me but I guess it'll suffice. :p
Contact me at [email protected] for more info or to place your orders. :)
Rating given:
Heard about 2am:dessert bar and did read that it was pretty good, so when I was asked to go along, I was happy to.
Upon reaching Holland V, we did have a bit of trouble locating it. Thank goodness for friends who live in the West and frequent Holland V, we found this little place near the multi-storey carpark. It's at the end of the row where you can find the popular bakery Provence. BTW you have to look up because it's on the second floor.
At the entrance to the stairs leading upstairs, we were "greeted" by a small group of people who were on their way out. Apparently there were seats for them but the woman was complaining that it was way too noisy for her to eat anything. Surprised, we stepped in to experience it for ourselves.
She was right! The music was way too loud and distasteful for a dessert bar meant for chilling. They were playing house music as if it were a club and everyone was talking at the top of their voices so that they could be heard. It certainly didn't help that there was one huge group of 10 people there that day.
That said the colours and design of the interior looks good but it was a little too cramp for me. Also the chairs and sofas chosen were not very comfortable. Maybe they are trying to make their patrons uncomfortable so that they wouldn't stay too long. Despite maximizing seating capacity by making it cramp, there still weren't enough seats that night.
The selection was a little limited for me. As a dessert bar I don't expect it to have many food items so the number (about 5-6) of food items was fine. But there weren't many dessert items too. I believe there were about 8-9 items which some of which are not very different from each other.
Food Ordered:
Chocolate Tart $14
The most popular one that night and it certainly made sense why. The chocolate was reasonably tasty. The crust had some orange in it which gave a zesty taste when you have it with the chocolate. Presented beautifully, this was the only item which received some nods that night.
Twix $13
Tasteless. Truly tasteless. I was wondering what it was suppose to be and I picked up the menu to read again. It certainly didn't taste like caramel mousse to me. Only the peanut crumble (little peanut bits) served with it had some taste. Even the ice cream wasn't even satisfactory.
Tiramisu $15
This is the worst Tiramisu I've ever tasted. I've had some weird ones before but this one was in a class of its own. The texture was very soggy and it irked me to have to swallow it anyway.
2am Meatballs $14
6 little meatballs served on a few pieces of veg. Presentation wise, this was the least attractive. No doubt the meatballs weren't just taken out from a frozen pack but it certainly didn't justify the price tag. I don't relish eating some of the fatty bits in it too.
The above plus a glass of wine, ginger beer and some peppermint tea cost 3 of us $78 (after 10% discount).
How did we get the 10% discount? Well after taking our orders, we were OFFERED by the staff to change to the sofa seats by the side. Attracted by the novelty of sitting on the sofa seats we were excited and moved over immediately. After which the server who took our orders, saw that we were no longer at our places, threw our order away. He walked past us a few times when we were at our new seats but still didn't realise his mistake. Only after we noticed people who came later were getting their food before us, then we raised the issue. After some clarification, the lady (whom we suppose to be the manager) apologised and explained to us that the order was thrown away. Sigh.
By then the music was making me nauseous. Bad ambience, bad food, high prices and service requires improvement. What rating did you expect?
Rating given:
2am: dessertbar, a recently opened cafe at Holland Village that focuses primarily on desserts. It was through sheer luck and a little guidance that we managed to find it, tucked in a remote corner of the area, on the second floor no less.
The interior was tastefully designed, oozing contemporary chic coupled with matching sofa beds for that upmarket chill out ambience. However, the first thing that hit us was that the music was a tad too loud, forcing us to raise our voices to be heard over the din. We were lucky to have managed to get a sofa seat, seeing that they were all in hot demand. The sad thing was that the sofas were hard and whenever anyone from the adjourning table got on or off the sofa, we could feel it which got really irritating after a while.
2am Meatballs - 2 words. Rip off. 6 beef balls for $14. How's that for value? And the beef balls weren't even good to begin with. I could have bought the frozen ones from any supermarket and those would probably have tasted the same, if not better. Oh and the few vegetable leafs just don't cut it as salad.
Chocolate Tart - The tart was tiny and I'm not exaggerating. Beautifully presented, it would have been very normal if not for the infused orange twist. Add the chocolate granules and delightful orange sorbet to the mix and this is a definite crowd pleaser. Theres the problem about size though.
Twix - Billed as a specialty, the Twix got us all intrigued by its form. It didn't quite measure up in the taste department though, with the home made valrhona chocolate ice cream rich but not the least bit outstanding. The caramel mousse was almost tasteless and the texture was a little odd - soft yet firm. Probably the only thing that was good was the peanut crumble. Fragrant and crunchy, it breathed life into this otherwise lifeless and not to mention expensive dessert.
Tiramisu - Yet another aesthetically pleasing dessert but with no substance to back it up. The tiramisu was very bland save for a very slight hint of espresso. The sponge fingers were also a tad too soggy and it reminded me of eating pandan cake with water. Not that the accompanying espresso ice cream was any better, coming across as very bland as well.
$78 (after a 10% discount) for 3 desserts, 3 drinks and 1 finger food is really over the hill especially when I could have easily polished off everything without even breaking a sweat. Read. Minute portions. Service was generally quite good but more needs to be done about everything else.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
It has been a long time since last went for dim sum and since my partner has always wanted to go and have dim sum and we got some time on hand, decided to head towards this restaurant to try out their dim sum.
It was around 5 pm when we stepped into the place and only see to 2 tables occupied only. The place is decorated the traditional way, nothing fanciful or to wow of. Once we were shown to our table, we were shown the menu. Their dim sum items are not in the menu but on a slip of paper where you can just place your orders on it.
So we ordered a few to try their dim sum dishes.
Pan-fried carrot cake – It came simple looking carrot cake, however the taste is great! There are 3 pieces and each piece having a thin crispy layer on the outer side and inside is soft and fluffy. There are small pieces of Chinese sausage inside the cake which makes its very fragrant. Not to mention it came hot, straight from the kitchen.
Chicken feet – I am not a big fan of chicken feet but those who managed to cooked their chicken feet where all their flavor are sealed in it and the meat is soft enough to be detected from the bones, would have been a good dish for me. Well the dish managed to do it and passed the little test of mine. Taste is good, and not too spicy for me.
Prawn dumpling (Har Gao) – This is a default dish when it comes to dim sum. It came steaming hot. The skin was thin and translucent. Through the skin can see the bright orange colour of the prawns inside. There is a generous serving of prawns. On its own, can taste the prawns are fresh and sweet.
Xiao long bao – Personally, I like xaio long bao a lot, however I am a bit disappointed by their version. It came looking small and dry. Usually, I would take a bit off the top to drink the soup first and surprised to find it lacking of the soup. The skin is a bit dry and then to get a bit sticky as well. Disappointing.
Prawn with mango roll – This dish came looking all messy. Hee.. Cos it is wrapped in a spring roll skin and then got bee hoon (I think) tied around it. Inside the rool, is wrapped with prawns and a big slice of thick juicy mango. Once you take a bite, you can take the sweetness of the mango and the prawn. The combination is great! There is a special dip for it as well. This is definitely one of my favorites of the lot.
Egg tarts – This dish came with a warning: “Beware! The filling is hot!”, from the waitress as she places a dish of 4 mini egg tarts on the table. The 4 little tarts look harmless however they performed their magic when placed inside my mouth. The crust is warm and fluffy. I loved this kind of crust best even though sometimes eating it can make a mess out of it. The filling is HOT, but creamy and has a slight eggy taste to it. Another good one!
Glutinous rice – This is another one of must order dim sum as well. Two relatively medium servings of glutinous rice wrapped up in lotus leaves. Inside the leave there is of course rice, salted egg yolk, Chinese sausage, chicken and more. While eating the rice and can taste the lotus leaves flavour, and the combination of the rest makes this a good one. The portion is just right for one and it does not makes you feel full by eating one alone.
Chicken in paper bag – This one is a last minute additional. Inside the oily looking paper, hides the chicken. It took some effort to remove the paper as it got stuck with the chicken. However the effort is well spent as the chicken really tastes good. It is not dry, but juicy and well marinated as well. Not oily at all.
One thing have to say about this place is they only prepare your dim sum when you placed your order, this will ensure you dim sum came fresh and pippin hot! Extra points scores for this!
The service is quite good as well. Maybe due to the low peak period when we were there, the service was on the spot with our tea constantly full and teapot on auto refilling mode. Even though their dinner time about to start, they are not in a rush to get rid of us and let us eat in peace. The whole place I think is managed by Cantonese people, and this gives a very traditional feeling.
The bill came up to about $40 after a 10% DBS discount, consider quite cheap already. I think next time I will be back to try out their other dishes and for dinner as well. Seems like this places is quite popular for lunch and dinner as well. So keep a look out for the review on that.
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Wah Lok is a Cantonese restaurant which has been on the 2nd floor of Carlton for a long time. The interior is quite lavish and traditional looking with a nice dome shaped main dining hall at the end which overlooks Chjimes.
We ordered SO MUCH I just can't list them all. Also the receipt is with my companion and I forgot to take a picture of it. haha
Some of the food we ordered:
Century Egg Porridge
This was one nice small bowl for me. I enjoyed it really. But it wasn't anything special. The serving was just right for one and the texture of the porridge was just right. It wasn't the watery sort one sometimes gets.
Egg Tarts
They were cute mini dim sum egg tarts. The filling was not tasty enough for me. The crust was a little too crumbly which forced me to put the entire thing in my mouth and I couldn't take my time with it. Average I guess.
Steamed Prawn Dumplings - Har Gao
Har gao is one dish I always look forward to when I eat dim sum. This one was not really what I like though. Although I attacked right after all the photo taking, it was already pretty dry and the edges were a tad hard. The prawn was pretty fresh but the skin wasn't what I would prefer. Sigh.
Roasted Pork Bun - Char Siew Bao
I like that the filling wasn't too sweet and there weren't fatty bits. But the dough portion was a little too thick. I like those that are thinner and open up more. Not bad really.
Beancurd Skin with Prawn
It was oily (as usual) but very crisp. I'm not a fan of beancurd skin but this was one I pretty much liked.
It cost us about $28-$29 each. There were three of us that day. Service was pretty good though I didn't get my water filled at all throughout. My friend's warm water did get filled though. I find Wah Lok's dim sum too "heavy" for me... get full very easily. I guess, in a way, that's more traditional.
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Happened to be at OG Orchard point yesterday and decided to try out this restaurant. Saw it a few time sbefore but didnt get the chance to try it out.
For a start, you could choose form ala carte menu or havinga setamboat buffet. ANd my suggestion would be to go for the buffet where the variety is aplenty. For starters, each person can have a choice from six different dishes on the menu, good for one serving. As for there are teh usual meat stuff such as pork, beef and chicken. But since the place is called mushroom pot, the main focus would be the different type of mushrooms that you can have a taste. And the soup base tastes great as well, with you getting to choose half mushroom base and the other spicy or 'ma la" base.
And good thing about this place is that teh food are fresh and served to your table. So you can just relax and wait for your food to come instead of having to walk constantly to get your food. The price of the buffet ain't that expensive either, which is at 29.90 , given the quality of the food
Lastly, the service of the staff is great as well, which makes it all the more enjoyable for you to have your meals there
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Pros:
Very nice atmosphere, spacious and comfy chair. Live performances of piano and pop songs. A great place to hang out with a small group of close friends, your lover for a romantic wedding anniversary or just to sit and relax, enjoy your drink and the scenery outside of the Esplanade. Had Singapore Sling, Lychee Martini and one I forgot the name but its strawberry. While the prices are above average, the drinks are also above average so its still a value. Service is good though a bit slow. On the whole, I can't think of anything bad about the place except it burnt my wallet.
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Pros:
Lovely atmosphere with a mix of jazz and zen style. Extensive menu that left us with a hard choice of what to order.
We ordered chicken and mushroom Linguine, King Prawn quarter chicken and pork rib, Steak, Lamb chop, Caesar salad, garlic bread, Mussels and mushroom soup. Dessert was Rich Choc truffle. The
Linguine was great with the tomato and herb sauce just right and chicken sweet.
King prawn dish on the other hand, tasted too dry, chicken was overcooked hence tough. and the portion was just too much.
Steak tasted alright though I think the sauce some what covered the taste of the beef and make the taste below the line.
Lamp chop was fine without the strong smell of lamp meat and the blend of the mint sauce was well done.
Caesar salad was what we found to be the best dish of the night with crisp fresh vege and sweet chicken in delicious mayo. Portion was very big for a starter.
Rich Choc Truffle was indeed very rich. It needs to be taken together with the cranberry/mango sauce provided to be great tasting.
A great place to chill out though the price is a bit above average but the taste of the food is valued for money. Serves liqueur as well as some house pours though we did not order any as we are going off elsewhere to drink.
Cons:
Had a hard time trying to get the waiter (should be a Pakistani?) who served us to understand what we are talking about. Does not serve cold water unless you order their drinks.
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Located in the newly re-furbished basement of Bugis Junction, Sweetalk sells beverages at affordable prices which a as low as $1.50!
In comparison to other bubbletea outlets in a popular shopping mall, $1.50 for a 200ml cup of beverage is rather commendable. Not only is Sweetalk's bubble tea affordable, it is also very tasty! Contrary to popular beliefs, afforability does not equate to poor quality, and Sweetalk (Bugis Junction) very much lives up to that reputation! Their teas are not excessively diluted to begin with, which allows for a certain amount of ice to melt off without diluting the whole beverage. THAT is what people are looking for.
When asked, my classmate said, "I prefer Sweetalk at Bugis Junction because their standard of bubble tea is constant and i'd willingly pay $1.50 to enjoy it."
Sweetalk (bugis junction) also has a very open concept in which customers or any passers-by will be able to look in and witness for themselves how the interior or the counter looks like, which does not allow for them to be unhygienic under any circumstances.
Personally i've been there tons of times and i can guarantee the consistency in the high standards of their beverages, and the proper hygiene in the environment in which the beverages are made, which really gives me a peace of mind as a consumer.
A worthy little investment for a worthy little indulgent!
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