Each fondue set came with a small saucer of melted White Chocolate, melted Milk Chocolate and melted Dark Chocolate served over a small flame to heat the liquid chocolate up. Dip items consisted of Marshmallows, Strawberries, cubes of bread and Bananas. The Dark Chocolate was nice and thick without being too sweet. The Milk Chocolate was acceptable but a little too milky for my taste. The White Chocolate was way to sweet for my taste and tasted a little creamy. The unanimous winner for the night was the Dark Chocolate, with everyone voting in favour of it.
At $20 for 1 fondue set (serves 2), I feel it’s quite a rip off. But I’m a sucker for chocolate, so I don’t see an end to me visiting such places, or Max Brenner for that matter – if they buck up on their slow service that is.
In conjunction with their 30th anniversary, Business Times offered a set dinner for 2 pax at Jiang Nan Chun for only $30 NETT! Naturally I was excited and after much difficulty, managed to get a table for 2 pax last evening. I had initially wanted to try our One Ninety, but it was fully booked even though I had called at 0830hrs the day the advertisement was published in the newspapers. Imagine that!
Jiang Nan Chun is the flagship Cantonese restaurant of the posh Four Seasons Hotel just along Orchard Boulevard. Its entrance was done up in sombre black with an air of exclusivity. Inside, the main theme revolved around the use of wood, with the walls and partitions spotting wooden finishes. A rather nice place, but pales in comparison to other restaurants of similar standing, like Li Bai, Min Jiang @ One North or even Peach Blossoms. Since we were there for the promotion, there was no choice of food, although we did add on a few items. The menu of the day included Consommé of Chicken with Chinese Mushrooms, Chinese Cabbage and Bamboo Pith, Steamed Fillet of Cod with Black Fungus Mushroom, Red Dates and Shredded Ginger, Braised Vermicelli with Salted Fish and Minced Pork and Chilled Mango Pudding. We added on a single serving of Yang Chow Fried Rice and Rice Flour Crisp coated with Maple Syrup and Sesame Seeds.
The Consommé of Chicken with Chinese Mushrooms, Chinese Cabbage and Bamboo Pith was very flavourful, probably due to it being double boiled, but too much flavour isn't always a good thing. I personally found the soup a little too overwhelming maybe because I like soups that are light and easy on the palates.
I like Cod Fish for its smooth flesh and minimal raw fishy taste and Jiang Nan Chun's offering didn't disappoint. The Steamed Fillet of Cod with Black Fungus Mushroom, Red Dates and Shredded Ginger was soft and tender, with the red dates giving it a slightly sweet taste, much like the mangoes in Hai Tien Lo's rendition. However I did find the gravy a little heavy on the sweetness.
Joke of the day best describes the Braised Vermicelli with Salted Fish and Minced Pork. It was too soft, a result of soaking the Vermicelli in water for too long and it was practically tasteless. I have eaten better fried Vermicelli in hawker centres. To think that it is listed as one of the Chef's specialties. Geez.
My extra order of Yang Chow Fried Rice was pretty normal. Sure the ingredients were generous and the rice evenly coated and fried, but it wasn't fragrant enough. Add the dryness of the rice and you get a lacklustre offering. Serving size is about a third of your neighbourhood kopitiam's $3 fried rice, but it goes for $8 instead.
In all honesty, I liked the desserts most of all. The Chilled Mango Pudding was very smooth and refreshing without being too sweet. Strands of Pomelo added bite to the dish. Accompanying the Chilled Mango Pudding was a small serving of Avocado Pudding and Almond Biscuit. While I found the Avocado Pudding a little bland, I did like the Almond Biscuit. It was freshly baked and not too dry or soggy, with a slight almond taste. Last up was my other additional order of Rice Flour Crisp coated with Maple Syrup and Sesame Seeds. It looked like Keropok (fish/prawn crackers) with a sprinkling of Sesame Seeds and god knows what. But I liked it! It tasted like Kellog's Honeystars, albeit a crispier, lighter and not so sweet version (For those who have never tried Honeystars, please go to your nearest supermarket and grab a box now).
A slightly above average dinner for 2 pax stood at $48.65/-. Cheap because of the promotion. If not, prices are rather steep and alot of the dishes are priced per head. Service is generally good, but could well do with a little genuine friendliness.
Another long belated post, this chain of restaurants have been around since 1998 ever since a group of entrepreneurs decided to mine the niche that is the mid-level casual diners. Positioned as a casual and fun eating place at mid-level prices, Fish and Co has since opened multiple outlets throughout Singapore and overseas with new franchises such as "The Simple Life" opened to further boost their business. The question is, is the food really that great? I finally got this answered when my boss brought the crew out for a birthday lunch for a fellow team member. Thanks Boss!
Casual and slick best describes the interior of this restaurant with its soft lighting and wooden separators. Our group managed to get a personal function room all to ourselves which would have been great had the walls been soundproof. Unfortunately, that was not the case and the function room served little purpose in insulating our little gathering from the crowd that thronged outside.
Prawn Fettucini ($13.90), Salmon Cajun ($16.90), Grilled Seasonal Fish ($14.90), Swordfish Collar ($14.90), Mussels Penne ($12.90) and Peri Peri Prawns ($14.90) - The above are items had by my colleagues and boss. The food seems alright to me though a little too generic in preparation and the serving size has shrunk since i last remembered it. I did not get to try most of it so i'll be reserving my comments on these items. There is, however, a service issue with the company on this day. We kept getting wrong orders coming into our "private" room due to the fact that the entire of Fish and Co seemed to be booked by another company for their lunch function. Major points deducted on that hiccup because it didn't happen once, nor twice but as many as 4 times.
Seafood Platter for 1 ($18.90) - Aha! Finally something i had the honor to try. (In all honesty, i had a go at the fried calamari ($8.90) before this but i did not take any pictures. The calamari was pretty nicely fried and lightly battered but wasn't quite chewy nor fragrant as it should be. Decent, nothing more) This platter contained grilled herbal calamari, a healthy smattering of chips, grilled prawns, a dory fillet and rice. High points for variety and the fact that most of its items were grilled and not fried. I liked the calamari for its strong peppery taste and chewy texture but it chilled quickly in the strong air conditioned room. The prawns were quite forgettable while the dory tasted sweet but nothing too special. Overall, the seafood platter is passable but somehow did not quite satisfy my craving for good seafood.
Total bill for 7 people came to an astonishing $166.40. This is a shock to me as it certainly did not feel like we ordered enough to fill that amount.
I'm grateful for the opportunity to try out this restaurant but its probably going to be the last time i visit it or maybe second last since my gf has yet to try it. Service and room problems aside, i simply wasn't impressed with the food that was brought to the table. It came across as a underwhelming on many points. My previous impression of Fish and Co was years ago when my mom brought me there and i remembered bigger fish and smaller prices. Better yet, the fish tasted good. Guess i'm simply not "hooked" by their food anymore.
On this particular day, the family was too lazy to step out of the house so we decided to try out a food caterer that shoved its pamphlet right under our doorstep. I never had a good impression of caterers but since i'm not paying, i can't say anything till much later.
Yam Ring ($15) - In a word, tasteless. Despite its rather nice outlook and the generous servings of prawn, chicken pieces and mushrooms, this yam ring did not have what it takes to make a good impression. The yam ring itself was soggy, the meat tasteless and hard and the prawns are a far cry from the word 'fresh'.
Fried Battered Prawns ($12) - Having a bad start with the yam ring, i didn't hold high hopes as i chowed down my first serving. Yet again, they have outdone themselves by serving a badly made dish. The prawns were powdery and the batter too thick for its own good. The word "terrible" doesn't quite pin the feeling down.
Coffee Pork Ribs ($8) - This dish was fouled up with it being overwhelming in its taste of coffee so much so that its bitter. In its defense, at least the meat was tender but still, something i would not order from them ever again.
Vegetables with fish ($5) - Yellowish vegetables, flour like fish and a sauce that tastes just like soy sauce. Need i say more?
Fish Soup ($10) - I'm beginning to find myself at a loss at how to describe the food we ordered. Alike with all the other offerings from this particular caterer. The soup's redeeming grace is that it was at least warm when i had it. Apart from that, it did not contain much taste and is simply a let down like the rest.
The bill came up to exactly $50 for this meal of 5 items.
In all honesty and in their defense, the food is still warm when it arrived which is quite an accomplishment for the kind of food they offer and i do applaud their brave attempt at stepping out. However, they definitely need a better cook and a better way to get their items to customers. I'm still not ordering from them ever again though. This is just not good enough to consider for a second chance.
Don's was introduced to me recently by my gf after she bought me one to enjoy at my leisure. They tout themselves as being the one stop solution for chicken pies and have been around for quite a long time and currently have quite about 4 outlets selling their products. Is it good enough to warrant another purchase though? Read on.
A Slice of the Pie ($16.50) - I've always liked chicken pies but struggled to find one thats dependable or remotely worth a mention to recommend. Well, i guess the search is over for now. We actually bought the pie on take away on Friday night and ate it over the weekend as breakfast after heating it in the oven. What can i say? Its delicious. The crust is of medium thickness, which means it feels just right without making you feel like you just paid for flour instead of a pie. It was also fragrant and very appetising, and thats only talking about the crust. The next thing you notice about the pie is how heavy it is. For something that small, its actually quite surprising how much weight it packs. And it is so because of the thick stuffings and ingredients they used for the pie. For the ingredients, they used chicken meat, egg, potato, corn, green pea, mushroom, celery, peppercorn and spices and everything is halal so our Malay friends can have a slice of the pie (pun intended) and eat it as well. Everything in it tastes authentic and fresh which makes it definitely worth the price.
Try it to see if it is indeed worthwhile of being a pie specialist. Try it and let me know if you feel otherwise or if you know of anywhere better, but whatever your reason, try it!
Have you been to Courts at Tampines and ate at O'Briens? It's situated, rather awkwardly, in the middle of nowhere at the 3rd level. I've always thought that O'Briens was quite a good place for a coffee and a sandwich. My idea of relaxing, along with a book. Seeing O'Briens out of nowhere and after walking for so long and feeling so bored, I thought it would have been good to get a drink and rest!
You'd see at the counter an on-going promotion - Mix & Match. It's a choice of 3 salads, one sandwich filling and a can of pepsi at a whopping price of $6.50 only (of course it's cheap considering the cost of eating out nowadays)!
Unfortunately, not judge a place by the number of outlets it has; nor food by its price. I thought the sandwich was utterly disappointing. I chose the chicken mayo filling and the chicken was awful. It lacked the mayo taste and the chicken bits tasted like instant chicken fillet or something. Not fresh. Neither did the mixed vegetables nor lettuce look fresh. The coleslaw was not cut up into small bits (which I prefer) and had a weird and bitter after-taste. But the portion was quite big and it would have been good enough for a quick lunch or so. And it was a good thing that you get a can of pepsi free! I guess that's a relatively good deal for a $6.50 set.
Nonetheless, I'd never eat there again. Maybe I'd try O'Briens elsewhere to double-check their standards. But I'd say this was quite an awful experience.
Melody is right. Halong Bay is nice. Must find the right weather to visit. When we were there, it was raining and slightly misty. If you do decide to go to Halong bay, better to stay one night on the boat like what Melody did. It is a 4 hours journey there and 4 hours back. Total of 8 hours. We were there for a day trip and the traveling time was not the best.
They bay was calm throughout the journey and along the way we were able to stop by a floating seafood farm to pick out life seafood for lunch. This got everyone excited.
Another place to visit in Hanoi is Sapa. It is an overnight train trip from Hanoi to Lao Cai and another 1 hour to the mountainous region of Sapa. The train departs at 9pm and arrives in Lao Cai at 5am. it is quite a site to see hundreds of people half awake pulling their luggage off the train, walking in dense darkness across the train tracks. Sort of reminds you of a scene in a movie in Schindler's list or other WWII movie.
If you do take a train, make sure it is the tourist class train in cabin 2-4 (Livitrans Express). Anything other than that (except the Victorian Express, which is 1st class) is not recommended. Unless you want to experience the WWII feeling. Surprisingly, the train ride was smooth and not as we expected...it was even quieter than the MRT :) That makes it easy to doze off.
Anyway, the sights in Sapa just makes the train ride worthwhile. The weather was cool (3-10 degrees celcius) and the fresh mountain air was refreshing. If you do visit Sapa, perhaps you should spend at least 3-4 days there to explore the hilly ethnic tribes and visit their homes. Most of the guides bring you to the popular destinations. But if you are the off the beaten track type, you can rent a bike and go exploring.
The people are generally friendly. Most of the ethnic tribes from Sapa are from the Black Hmong and the Red Hmong. The younger ones speak clear and fluent English, some French and of course Vietnamese. Many European styled houses and food in Sapa, keeping in mind that this town was founded by the French in the 1800s. The Sapa market was bustling with activity with many items imported from China. Yes the Chinese border is just about 30-40km away from Sapa, making it a transit point to Yunnan. Perhaps we will take that road the next time to Dali. But the road trip will be something to contend with.
Another Market in Sapa is in Bac Ha. Here a different ethnic tribe is dominant, the Flower Hmong. On Sunday mornings, they will dress their best to visit the market where they will buy clothes, household items and food for the week. One word to describe it all - colorful. haha.
Sapa gave us a different view of Vietnam and Hanoi. The city is one thing but to see the ethnic tribes live in sheer simplicity (with rice as their main source of income) makes you feel that life can be simple and enjoyable. With the influx of many foreigners to the area, the simplicity might be lost one day...and it might come sooner...same with the many other places in China. The tourist dollar is a strong influence.
The trip was great and the next time who knows, we might be back on our own with a backpack and a map.
Epicurious is another small eatery along Robertson Quay that I've tried. It's really hard to find! You have to walk all the way to the end, near the bridge. It's facing the river with some seats outside and just 3 tables inside.
I love the ambience. It's very cosy with warm lights around. There are shelves all filled with little knick knacks from the past. There are also photographs of Singapore in the early days.. It was certainly fun looking through everything. So fun that it distracted me from ordering. Luckily I had a companion who was more focused. The items are for sale but they are expensive.. like $6 for a soup spoon..
The only thing which was odd about the place was Jay Chou singing loudly from the kitchen. Luckily we did kinda like Jay so it wasn't bad. But it certainly didn't fit in with the place.
The menu was a little small with few items but apparently they change the items on the menu from time to time so new items will be up for tasting eventually.
I had the Herb Roasted Half Chicken that day. It was served with baked potatoes and mushrooms. The chicken was well marinated and the meat just tastes of the herbs. It was yummy and I'm still thinking of it. Although I hate having to separate meat from bones but I certainly tried hard that night to get my yummy meat. The serving was definitely more than enough for me.
I'd have to agree that $55 for 2 mains and a dessert does seem a little ex but I think it's really worth it! I would definitely be back... to try the Muthu's Flourless Chocolate Cake which was sold out that day :)
Les Bouchons is a quaint little place sitting quietly by the river. When I say little I do mean little as it has about 10 tables only, with 5 outside by the river. At certain times of the day, it might not be such a good idea to dine by the river as the smell can be quite pungent.
Having walked past this place a couple of times, we decided to drop in for a post-xmas dinner. The interior of the place seemed nice at first glance... but if you took a second look you'll see layers of dust on the shelves which are empty. You could even see that there used to be bottles on the shelves and the bottles were taken away recently but not returned.
We were pretty surprised by the small menu of 15 items (in total). There was some trouble picking due to the lack of pictures and detailed descriptions. Soup is not served here. Nope it's not available at all, even if you ask the server.
There was complimentary bread which was a little dry, so it was more disheartening that there wasn't soup to go with it.
Food Ordered: Sirloin Steak with Herbs ($30.80) My companion ordered this medium-rare and it came as she wanted it. The steak was quite big but thin. And despite the "with Herbs" I certainly didn't detect the taste or smell of any in this dish. It was quite a disappointing one. The meat was quite tough and was a little lacking in taste.
Grilled Fillet of Salmon ($30.80) Slightly charred on the outside, this was a pretty large (thick) serving of salmon. I don't know to be happy or sad that it was a large serving since it was just average. The texture was just right. There is little taste. After sprinkling the lemon juice over it, all I could really taste was the lemon. It was really just Grilled Salmon.
Both mains were served with just fries. I loved the fries (the only thing I liked) They were the fat sort and were not oily. They were also free flow. But they already serve a mountain of fries with the mains so unless you think you're going to chill for a long time, I doubt anyone would need another serving of fries.
The service provided wasn't up to par either. Considering that we were the only ones in the restaurant that early evening, they were pretty slow to notice us when we waved. It is a small place you know.
The bill came up to about $85 for two of us. We ordered two mains and a drink. For the quality and the variety I would say that it was too expensive and I wouldn't be back. Looks like I have to look elsewhere for my fat fries.
Benny Se Teo, the only Singaporean to have trained in Jamie Oliver's kitchen "Fifteen", opened this 54-seater restaurant in June 2007. He aimed to help ex-offenders find an alternate path while also delivering good food to the public. With such an interesting story behind this little place, we just had to drop by for a visit.
We found our own seats. It was early afternoon on a weekday and the place was had just two other tables occupied so it was easy for us to find a seat by the window.
This place adopts the self-serve system which means you decide what you want, indicate on the little paper they provide at the tables, bring it to the cashier and pay. You also get your own plain water at a station next to the cashier. That's fine by me since there is no service charge.
Enticed by the option to create your own baked rice, all 3 of us picked Baked Rice for that day. Cheese Baked Rice with Tangy Tomato sauce and Chicken slices ($8.90) The food came pretty quickly but the serving was pretty small (that said, I didn't finish it.). It tasted much like any other Baked Rice... if anything, I'd say the rice was not soft enough.
My companions' baked rice looked more delicious with the cream based sauces.
Eighteen Funky Strawberry - Dessert ($5.80) Four scoops of ice cream served with strawberries and hazel nuts and oreo biscuits... Sounds good isn't it? But it wasn't as good as I had hoped. The ice cream wasn't rich enough and the strawberries were sourish. Well what could I expect for $5.80. It was ok though, I just wouldn't order it again.
After the entire meal, and after drinking 1/2 a glass of water, I noticed that my glass was filthy. Very filthy.
The total came up to about $33.50 for the three of us, which was a little too much for the quantity and quality of food given. I might still go back as the rest of the items on the menu did look interesting though. :) Well if you're a student you can check out the $5.90 set meals which I think are a good deal :)
1=SGD 0.0587
Each fondue set came with a small saucer of melted White Chocolate, melted Milk Chocolate and melted Dark Chocolate served over a small flame to heat the liquid chocolate up. Dip items consisted of Marshmallows, Strawberries, cubes of bread and Bananas. The Dark Chocolate was nice and thick without being too sweet. The Milk Chocolate was acceptable but a little too milky for my taste. The White Chocolate was way to sweet for my taste and tasted a little creamy. The unanimous winner for the night was the Dark Chocolate, with everyone voting in favour of it.
At $20 for 1 fondue set (serves 2), I feel it’s quite a rip off. But I’m a sucker for chocolate, so I don’t see an end to me visiting such places, or Max Brenner for that matter – if they buck up on their slow service that is.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
In conjunction with their 30th anniversary, Business Times offered a set dinner for 2 pax at Jiang Nan Chun for only $30 NETT! Naturally I was excited and after much difficulty, managed to get a table for 2 pax last evening. I had initially wanted to try our One Ninety, but it was fully booked even though I had called at 0830hrs the day the advertisement was published in the newspapers. Imagine that!
Jiang Nan Chun is the flagship Cantonese restaurant of the posh Four Seasons Hotel just along Orchard Boulevard. Its entrance was done up in sombre black with an air of exclusivity. Inside, the main theme revolved around the use of wood, with the walls and partitions spotting wooden finishes. A rather nice place, but pales in comparison to other restaurants of similar standing, like Li Bai, Min Jiang @ One North or even Peach Blossoms.
Since we were there for the promotion, there was no choice of food, although we did add on a few items. The menu of the day included Consommé of Chicken with Chinese Mushrooms, Chinese Cabbage and Bamboo Pith, Steamed Fillet of Cod with Black Fungus Mushroom, Red Dates and Shredded Ginger, Braised Vermicelli with Salted Fish and Minced Pork and Chilled Mango Pudding. We added on a single serving of Yang Chow Fried Rice and Rice Flour Crisp coated with Maple Syrup and Sesame Seeds.
The Consommé of Chicken with Chinese Mushrooms, Chinese Cabbage and Bamboo Pith was very flavourful, probably due to it being double boiled, but too much flavour isn't always a good thing. I personally found the soup a little too overwhelming maybe because I like soups that are light and easy on the palates.
I like Cod Fish for its smooth flesh and minimal raw fishy taste and Jiang Nan Chun's offering didn't disappoint. The Steamed Fillet of Cod with Black Fungus Mushroom, Red Dates and Shredded Ginger was soft and tender, with the red dates giving it a slightly sweet taste, much like the mangoes in Hai Tien Lo's rendition. However I did find the gravy a little heavy on the sweetness.
Joke of the day best describes the Braised Vermicelli with Salted Fish and Minced Pork. It was too soft, a result of soaking the Vermicelli in water for too long and it was practically tasteless. I have eaten better fried Vermicelli in hawker centres. To think that it is listed as one of the Chef's specialties. Geez.
My extra order of Yang Chow Fried Rice was pretty normal. Sure the ingredients were generous and the rice evenly coated and fried, but it wasn't fragrant enough. Add the dryness of the rice and you get a lacklustre offering. Serving size is about a third of your neighbourhood kopitiam's $3 fried rice, but it goes for $8 instead.
In all honesty, I liked the desserts most of all. The Chilled Mango Pudding was very smooth and refreshing without being too sweet. Strands of Pomelo added bite to the dish. Accompanying the Chilled Mango Pudding was a small serving of Avocado Pudding and Almond Biscuit. While I found the Avocado Pudding a little bland, I did like the Almond Biscuit. It was freshly baked and not too dry or soggy, with a slight almond taste. Last up was my other additional order of Rice Flour Crisp coated with Maple Syrup and Sesame Seeds. It looked like Keropok (fish/prawn crackers) with a sprinkling of Sesame Seeds and god knows what. But I liked it! It tasted like Kellog's Honeystars, albeit a crispier, lighter and not so sweet version (For those who have never tried Honeystars, please go to your nearest supermarket and grab a box now).
A slightly above average dinner for 2 pax stood at $48.65/-. Cheap because of the promotion. If not, prices are rather steep and alot of the dishes are priced per head. Service is generally good, but could well do with a little genuine friendliness.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Another long belated post, this chain of restaurants have been around since 1998 ever since a group of entrepreneurs decided to mine the niche that is the mid-level casual diners. Positioned as a casual and fun eating place at mid-level prices, Fish and Co has since opened multiple outlets throughout Singapore and overseas with new franchises such as "The Simple Life" opened to further boost their business. The question is, is the food really that great? I finally got this answered when my boss brought the crew out for a birthday lunch for a fellow team member. Thanks Boss!
Casual and slick best describes the interior of this restaurant with its soft lighting and wooden separators. Our group managed to get a personal function room all to ourselves which would have been great had the walls been soundproof. Unfortunately, that was not the case and the function room served little purpose in insulating our little gathering from the crowd that thronged outside.
Prawn Fettucini ($13.90), Salmon Cajun ($16.90), Grilled Seasonal Fish ($14.90), Swordfish Collar ($14.90), Mussels Penne ($12.90) and Peri Peri Prawns ($14.90) - The above are items had by my colleagues and boss. The food seems alright to me though a little too generic in preparation and the serving size has shrunk since i last remembered it. I did not get to try most of it so i'll be reserving my comments on these items. There is, however, a service issue with the company on this day. We kept getting wrong orders coming into our "private" room due to the fact that the entire of Fish and Co seemed to be booked by another company for their lunch function. Major points deducted on that hiccup because it didn't happen once, nor twice but as many as 4 times.
Seafood Platter for 1 ($18.90) - Aha! Finally something i had the honor to try. (In all honesty, i had a go at the fried calamari ($8.90) before this but i did not take any pictures. The calamari was pretty nicely fried and lightly battered but wasn't quite chewy nor fragrant as it should be. Decent, nothing more) This platter contained grilled herbal calamari, a healthy smattering of chips, grilled prawns, a dory fillet and rice. High points for variety and the fact that most of its items were grilled and not fried. I liked the calamari for its strong peppery taste and chewy texture but it chilled quickly in the strong air conditioned room. The prawns were quite forgettable while the dory tasted sweet but nothing too special. Overall, the seafood platter is passable but somehow did not quite satisfy my craving for good seafood.
Total bill for 7 people came to an astonishing $166.40. This is a shock to me as it certainly did not feel like we ordered enough to fill that amount.
I'm grateful for the opportunity to try out this restaurant but its probably going to be the last time i visit it or maybe second last since my gf has yet to try it. Service and room problems aside, i simply wasn't impressed with the food that was brought to the table. It came across as a underwhelming on many points. My previous impression of Fish and Co was years ago when my mom brought me there and i remembered bigger fish and smaller prices. Better yet, the fish tasted good. Guess i'm simply not "hooked" by their food anymore.
Rating given:
On this particular day, the family was too lazy to step out of the house so we decided to try out a food caterer that shoved its pamphlet right under our doorstep. I never had a good impression of caterers but since i'm not paying, i can't say anything till much later.
Yam Ring ($15) - In a word, tasteless. Despite its rather nice outlook and the generous servings of prawn, chicken pieces and mushrooms, this yam ring did not have what it takes to make a good impression. The yam ring itself was soggy, the meat tasteless and hard and the prawns are a far cry from the word 'fresh'.
Fried Battered Prawns ($12) - Having a bad start with the yam ring, i didn't hold high hopes as i chowed down my first serving. Yet again, they have outdone themselves by serving a badly made dish. The prawns were powdery and the batter too thick for its own good. The word "terrible" doesn't quite pin the feeling down.
Coffee Pork Ribs ($8) - This dish was fouled up with it being overwhelming in its taste of coffee so much so that its bitter. In its defense, at least the meat was tender but still, something i would not order from them ever again.
Vegetables with fish ($5) - Yellowish vegetables, flour like fish and a sauce that tastes just like soy sauce. Need i say more?
Fish Soup ($10) - I'm beginning to find myself at a loss at how to describe the food we ordered. Alike with all the other offerings from this particular caterer. The soup's redeeming grace is that it was at least warm when i had it. Apart from that, it did not contain much taste and is simply a let down like the rest.
The bill came up to exactly $50 for this meal of 5 items.
In all honesty and in their defense, the food is still warm when it arrived which is quite an accomplishment for the kind of food they offer and i do applaud their brave attempt at stepping out. However, they definitely need a better cook and a better way to get their items to customers. I'm still not ordering from them ever again though. This is just not good enough to consider for a second chance.
Rating given:
Don's was introduced to me recently by my gf after she bought me one to enjoy at my leisure. They tout themselves as being the one stop solution for chicken pies and have been around for quite a long time and currently have quite about 4 outlets selling their products. Is it good enough to warrant another purchase though? Read on.
A Slice of the Pie ($16.50) - I've always liked chicken pies but struggled to find one thats dependable or remotely worth a mention to recommend. Well, i guess the search is over for now. We actually bought the pie on take away on Friday night and ate it over the weekend as breakfast after heating it in the oven. What can i say? Its delicious.
The crust is of medium thickness, which means it feels just right without making you feel like you just paid for flour instead of a pie. It was also fragrant and very appetising, and thats only talking about the crust. The next thing you notice about the pie is how heavy it is. For something that small, its actually quite surprising how much weight it packs. And it is so because of the thick stuffings and ingredients they used for the pie.
For the ingredients, they used chicken meat, egg, potato, corn, green pea, mushroom, celery, peppercorn and spices and everything is halal so our Malay friends can have a slice of the pie (pun intended) and eat it as well. Everything in it tastes authentic and fresh which makes it definitely worth the price.
Try it to see if it is indeed worthwhile of being a pie specialist. Try it and let me know if you feel otherwise or if you know of anywhere better, but whatever your reason, try it!
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Have you been to Courts at Tampines and ate at O'Briens? It's situated, rather awkwardly, in the middle of nowhere at the 3rd level. I've always thought that O'Briens was quite a good place for a coffee and a sandwich. My idea of relaxing, along with a book. Seeing O'Briens out of nowhere and after walking for so long and feeling so bored, I thought it would have been good to get a drink and rest!
You'd see at the counter an on-going promotion - Mix & Match. It's a choice of 3 salads, one sandwich filling and a can of pepsi at a whopping price of $6.50 only (of course it's cheap considering the cost of eating out nowadays)!
Unfortunately, not judge a place by the number of outlets it has; nor food by its price. I thought the sandwich was utterly disappointing. I chose the chicken mayo filling and the chicken was awful. It lacked the mayo taste and the chicken bits tasted like instant chicken fillet or something. Not fresh. Neither did the mixed vegetables nor lettuce look fresh. The coleslaw was not cut up into small bits (which I prefer) and had a weird and bitter after-taste. But the portion was quite big and it would have been good enough for a quick lunch or so. And it was a good thing that you get a can of pepsi free! I guess that's a relatively good deal for a $6.50 set.
Nonetheless, I'd never eat there again. Maybe I'd try O'Briens elsewhere to double-check their standards. But I'd say this was quite an awful experience.
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Melody is right. Halong Bay is nice. Must find the right weather to visit. When we were there, it was raining and slightly misty. If you do decide to go to Halong bay, better to stay one night on the boat like what Melody did. It is a 4 hours journey there and 4 hours back. Total of 8 hours. We were there for a day trip and the traveling time was not the best.
They bay was calm throughout the journey and along the way we were able to stop by a floating seafood farm to pick out life seafood for lunch. This got everyone excited.
Another place to visit in Hanoi is Sapa. It is an overnight train trip from Hanoi to Lao Cai and another 1 hour to the mountainous region of Sapa. The train departs at 9pm and arrives in Lao Cai at 5am. it is quite a site to see hundreds of people half awake pulling their luggage off the train, walking in dense darkness across the train tracks. Sort of reminds you of a scene in a movie in Schindler's list or other WWII movie.
If you do take a train, make sure it is the tourist class train in cabin 2-4 (Livitrans Express). Anything other than that (except the Victorian Express, which is 1st class) is not recommended. Unless you want to experience the WWII feeling. Surprisingly, the train ride was smooth and not as we expected...it was even quieter than the MRT :) That makes it easy to doze off.
Anyway, the sights in Sapa just makes the train ride worthwhile. The weather was cool (3-10 degrees celcius) and the fresh mountain air was refreshing. If you do visit Sapa, perhaps you should spend at least 3-4 days there to explore the hilly ethnic tribes and visit their homes. Most of the guides bring you to the popular destinations. But if you are the off the beaten track type, you can rent a bike and go exploring.
The people are generally friendly. Most of the ethnic tribes from Sapa are from the Black Hmong and the Red Hmong. The younger ones speak clear and fluent English, some French and of course Vietnamese. Many European styled houses and food in Sapa, keeping in mind that this town was founded by the French in the 1800s. The Sapa market was bustling with activity with many items imported from China. Yes the Chinese border is just about 30-40km away from Sapa, making it a transit point to Yunnan. Perhaps we will take that road the next time to Dali. But the road trip will be something to contend with.
Another Market in Sapa is in Bac Ha. Here a different ethnic tribe is dominant, the Flower Hmong. On Sunday mornings, they will dress their best to visit the market where they will buy clothes, household items and food for the week. One word to describe it all - colorful. haha.
Sapa gave us a different view of Vietnam and Hanoi. The city is one thing but to see the ethnic tribes live in sheer simplicity (with rice as their main source of income) makes you feel that life can be simple and enjoyable. With the influx of many foreigners to the area, the simplicity might be lost one day...and it might come sooner...same with the many other places in China. The tourist dollar is a strong influence.
The trip was great and the next time who knows, we might be back on our own with a backpack and a map.
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Epicurious is another small eatery along Robertson Quay that I've tried. It's really hard to find! You have to walk all the way to the end, near the bridge. It's facing the river with some seats outside and just 3 tables inside.
I love the ambience. It's very cosy with warm lights around. There are shelves all filled with little knick knacks from the past. There are also photographs of Singapore in the early days.. It was certainly fun looking through everything. So fun that it distracted me from ordering. Luckily I had a companion who was more focused. The items are for sale but they are expensive.. like $6 for a soup spoon..
The only thing which was odd about the place was Jay Chou singing loudly from the kitchen. Luckily we did kinda like Jay so it wasn't bad. But it certainly didn't fit in with the place.
The menu was a little small with few items but apparently they change the items on the menu from time to time so new items will be up for tasting eventually.
I had the Herb Roasted Half Chicken that day. It was served with baked potatoes and mushrooms. The chicken was well marinated and the meat just tastes of the herbs. It was yummy and I'm still thinking of it. Although I hate having to separate meat from bones but I certainly tried hard that night to get my yummy meat. The serving was definitely more than enough for me.
I'd have to agree that $55 for 2 mains and a dessert does seem a little ex but I think it's really worth it! I would definitely be back... to try the Muthu's Flourless Chocolate Cake which was sold out that day :)
Click here for more pics
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Les Bouchons is a quaint little place sitting quietly by the river. When I say little I do mean little as it has about 10 tables only, with 5 outside by the river. At certain times of the day, it might not be such a good idea to dine by the river as the smell can be quite pungent.
Having walked past this place a couple of times, we decided to drop in for a post-xmas dinner. The interior of the place seemed nice at first glance... but if you took a second look you'll see layers of dust on the shelves which are empty. You could even see that there used to be bottles on the shelves and the bottles were taken away recently but not returned.
We were pretty surprised by the small menu of 15 items (in total). There was some trouble picking due to the lack of pictures and detailed descriptions. Soup is not served here. Nope it's not available at all, even if you ask the server.
There was complimentary bread which was a little dry, so it was more disheartening that there wasn't soup to go with it.
Food Ordered:
Sirloin Steak with Herbs ($30.80)
My companion ordered this medium-rare and it came as she wanted it. The steak was quite big but thin. And despite the "with Herbs" I certainly didn't detect the taste or smell of any in this dish. It was quite a disappointing one. The meat was quite tough and was a little lacking in taste.
Grilled Fillet of Salmon ($30.80)
Slightly charred on the outside, this was a pretty large (thick) serving of salmon. I don't know to be happy or sad that it was a large serving since it was just average. The texture was just right. There is little taste. After sprinkling the lemon juice over it, all I could really taste was the lemon. It was really just Grilled Salmon.
Both mains were served with just fries. I loved the fries (the only thing I liked) They were the fat sort and were not oily. They were also free flow. But they already serve a mountain of fries with the mains so unless you think you're going to chill for a long time, I doubt anyone would need another serving of fries.
The service provided wasn't up to par either. Considering that we were the only ones in the restaurant that early evening, they were pretty slow to notice us when we waved. It is a small place you know.
The bill came up to about $85 for two of us. We ordered two mains and a drink. For the quality and the variety I would say that it was too expensive and I wouldn't be back. Looks like I have to look elsewhere for my fat fries.
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Benny Se Teo, the only Singaporean to have trained in Jamie Oliver's kitchen "Fifteen", opened this 54-seater restaurant in June 2007. He aimed to help ex-offenders find an alternate path while also delivering good food to the public. With such an interesting story behind this little place, we just had to drop by for a visit.
We found our own seats. It was early afternoon on a weekday and the place was had just two other tables occupied so it was easy for us to find a seat by the window.
This place adopts the self-serve system which means you decide what you want, indicate on the little paper they provide at the tables, bring it to the cashier and pay. You also get your own plain water at a station next to the cashier. That's fine by me since there is no service charge.
Enticed by the option to create your own baked rice, all 3 of us picked Baked Rice for that day.
Cheese Baked Rice with Tangy Tomato sauce and Chicken slices ($8.90)
The food came pretty quickly but the serving was pretty small (that said, I didn't finish it.). It tasted much like any other Baked Rice... if anything, I'd say the rice was not soft enough.
My companions' baked rice looked more delicious with the cream based sauces.
Eighteen Funky Strawberry - Dessert ($5.80)
Four scoops of ice cream served with strawberries and hazel nuts and oreo biscuits... Sounds good isn't it? But it wasn't as good as I had hoped. The ice cream wasn't rich enough and the strawberries were sourish. Well what could I expect for $5.80. It was ok though, I just wouldn't order it again.
After the entire meal, and after drinking 1/2 a glass of water, I noticed that my glass was filthy. Very filthy.
The total came up to about $33.50 for the three of us, which was a little too much for the quantity and quality of food given. I might still go back as the rest of the items on the menu did look interesting though. :) Well if you're a student you can check out the $5.90 set meals which I think are a good deal :)
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