(Now this is weird, I don't know what category to put this under!)
I was at Terminal 3 not too long ago! Had a free ticket to go in to check out the place. Changi Airport is definitely one of the nicest airport I've seen before, and terminal 3 is definitely not an exception (:
The design of the place is very modern and gives a somewhat futuristic feel. The place is quite different from T1 and T2 as they seem to make the place look more eco-friendly, with the plants on the wall and the green lift! Also, there are a lot of toilets around! This new terminal is REALLY BIG I say, and it's a good thing there are toilets everywhere!
I personally like the waiting area and basically the whole place after you check-in! There's going to be new shops that you've never seen in Singapore before. For soccer fanatics, they'll be opening a FIFA shop. I'm guessing they sell soccer stuff?
The interior design of the departure area is very interesting too. They make use of water features to give a cosy and warm feel in the middle of the departure area. On the B wing, they have a koi pond and a butterfly park. This is something refreshing to see in an airport! On the A wing, it's the absolutely-ladies' wing. They've got things like a powder room and shopping, shopping and MORE shopping! (All right that's basically in the whole place actually.) But the departure area is really so big that you need one whole day to walk I bet.
The waiting area is quite cool too! The chairs are aligned in a casual way, making the place look very comfortable. (The chairs are definitely comfortable actually.) It has uniquely designed couches and ceiling lights. On its own, these individual pieces of furniture are rather boring, but put together, it makes the place look very warm and welcoming. And with the view of the runway, it makes waiting time less boring too.
It's a pity though that unless you're going overseas, you probably won't be able to see the nice facilities they have. But on the whole, the new T3 is definitely great! I'm going to wait till the airport is officially open and I definitely will depart from T3 one day! (For the sake of being able to enjoy the facilities in there too... hahahah!) :D
(i'm not much of a photographer, so there aren't that many pics! oh and don't mind the weird "title"(s).)
I was actually introduced to this place by my gf because she is a fish lover. So we made our way down to try it on a nice couple date, 7th July 2007 (07072007). Contrary to its name, the Manhattan Fish Market (MFM) franchise actually originated from Malaysia in 2002 and its first outlet in Singapore is the one situated at Plaza Singapura. The first thing this restuarant brings to mind is its direct competitor, Fish & Co (F&C), which has been in Singapore for a far longer time than MFM. So how does its food really fare, you know the drill by now. Read On!
For serving only fish, the menu does contain a pretty good selection of items ranging from fish to mushrooms to squid and all manner of friendlies from the ocean. I have to say i was impressed with the service attitude of its staff from the moment i stepped in. They seemed a jovial and happy lot unlike some other establishments where their staff seemed to have been placed there with a gun to their backs. When we entered, it was rather early, around 6.30 pm, and were quickly shown to a couple seat found hidden to the right corner of the restuarant. It came with a tv and simple cushioned seats, but was sufficient nonetheless. The service staff were also very attentive and i never had to raise my hand for a glass refill. Very impressive indeed, especially when the crowds started to appear, my glass was still filled! Talk about service. Bravo!
Manhattan Seafood Soup - The Manhattan seafood soup was surprisingly tasty and full bodied. A single scoop can easily net you a spoonful of fish meat, crab, scallops and even a little squid! For $4.90, this really surprised me as i was expecting something much less worthwhile. A good way to start the meal.
Fried Country Mushrooms - My gf told me this was a must try dish at the place and i must say, its really very good. I couldn't quite make out if the mushrooms were shiitake or small portebello mushrooms but they were really juicy when you bit into it. The fried layer of batter was thin and crispy, coupled with the juicy and soft mushroom, it was just a match-made in heaven. ($9.90)
Hot Fiery Action!!! - Ordering a seafood platter also gives you a small demonstration of what the staff would do to your face if you tried to flee without paying. Nah, just kidding. He's just torching the layer of mayonnaise and cooking the prawn.
Seafood Platter for Two - The main event. This monster really did us both in. Well, me anyway, since i did most of the eating. Worth mention is the rice which tasted a little like Hainan Chicken Rice and as with all things in this restuarant thus far, simply fitted in well with everything. There were 3 fried oysters, 4 scorched prawns, dozens of squid , 1 huge piece of fish fillet and loads of fries and rice. Couples on a diet? Stay away!! But honestly, this was really good and the portion much bigger then what you can get from F&C. The squid was fresh and had a sour taste that whet your appetite and really mixes well with the rice. The oysters tasted like the mushrooms mentioned above and was simply great. The fish was normal and lacked anything i could complain about except that it tasted like any other fish fillet. The prawn and scorched mayo deserve mention. Definitely eat the mayo with the rice, its really good, i wonder if we could ask for more mayo next time. And the prawn with mayo is great, i could complain a little about freshness but for the price, its pretty decent. ($29.90)
Total bill came up to $52.60. Reasonable given the quality of food and service. I'll be back for more on this place.
I like the place. Reasonable price. Big servings. Good food. Laid back atmosphere. Great service. Which is more than i can say for some insanely priced hotel outlets. This is one place thats filling on the tummy and easy on your wallet. Do swing by for a meal if you are in the vicinity and like fish.
Known for its slightly bigger than average servings and marketed as an authentic American dining place after its founder. I've personally had it quite a few times with different people but didn't really take pictures. So here's my first try at it when i went for a movie with my gf @ the Cathay because we skipped the Cathay Restaurant and opted for something less expensive. Sorry about the picture quality. Will bring my camera for real next time.
Mixed Grill - Billy bomber's mixed grill, though not as photogenic as the Jack's place (JP) rendition above won in terms of serving size and sheer ease of eating. The meats were all done pretty well and the best part was the lack of observable fats or bones much unlike the (JP) rendition. I liked the sausage which was pretty big for its price and the chicken was actually quite tender and nicely marinated. The lamb tasted a tad less fresh but i've never been a fan of lambchops. And the mashed potato beneath completed the meal well. I was satisfied (servings wise) for this rendition.
Fish And Chips - The fish and chips came in an even bigger serving then my mixed grill. 3 huge pieces of fish accompanied by sides of potato wedges and salad. I had a go at one piece of fish and loads of fries because my girl is a little on the "conservative and weight conscious" type. I felt the fish was average and a tad dry but the portion more than made up for it.
Bill: We paid $45 for all we had here. Quite reasonable if you ask me.
Simple western food at affordable prices. Still, its not really too special and falls under the generic category along with Jack's Place, Swensen's and the myriad of western food offerings out there.
It touts itself as being a place for steak and so i'd suppose the best it offers are its steak. For this review however, none of us ordered steak and so its a review on how good its other food tastes. Anyway, me a 2 other friends met up to swap some information and wanted to have Sakae Sushi, however, the queue really turned me off and so, the newly renovated Jack's Place was our stop.
Steak and Chicken(or Fish) Combo - This was had by my friend, Al, and from his reaction and comment. I'd say he liked it. Note that the steak was actually lamb steak and not beef. I didn't get to try it but Al said the steak was "tender and melts in my mouth". He was also pretty happy about the chicken(or fish) that came with it as he liked the black pepper sauce it came in.
Mixed Grill - This was what i had and i can't help but say how disappointed i was with this mixed grill. The portion was very small. Much smaller then whatever my friends ordered. Do not let the picture full you, its much smaller then it looks. The egg should be a good measurement since it managed to cover all the meat beneath which consisted on chicken and lamb. I couldn't find the beef no matter how i looked. The meat were fatty and boney which meant the portions were really small and totally not worth the money. The sauce was also too salty maybe because it was meant for a BIGGER portion? The only saving grace for this was the potato it came with. A comment by my fellow diner: "Wow! That's so much smaller a portion than i remember." And that just about sums it all up.
Grilled Salmon - only got one bite of this salmon but it was done pretty well. It was pan simmered and crispy on the outside yet juicy and succulent inside. The garlic managed to lessen the fishy taste and my friend liked it as well.
Bill: The meal came up to $70 for 3 pax.
Still, i would not recommend this place to anyone since its simply awful to serve the most expensive item, mixed grill, with so little. Its just a sin. Avoid!!
My friend was craving for Tom Yam soup that day so we decided to try out at this restaurant. Haha..
Actually it isn't exactly a restaurant (for this branch) as it merely occupies a space near the entrance of Woodlands Civic Centre. Furthermore, there isn't a proper kitchen too.
On top of the Tom Yam soup my friend had ordered, I ordered a papaya salad. They were pretty fast with their service. However, the food did not turn out too well. My friend commented that the Tom Yam soup only tasted sour & spicy but no Tom Yam taste, while my papaya salad was a little too salty.
No idea if it's because there was a queue of customers waiting for seats or they made a mistake, the waiter was eager to push us for payment when we had no intention to as we wanted to have some Thai desserts. So then we ordered the Tago, which is infact Thai pudding with coconut jelly in pandan cups. On top of that, I've ordered the assorted thai desserts for take-home. The desserts turned out to be not bad.
On the overall, I would still prefer the other Thai restaurant, both in terms of food and service, although it is a little more pricey.
Oh yah, another point about this restaurant here. They don't serve free plain water!
This place is a bar plus restaurant at the ground level of Amara Hotel, but I was there only for dinner.
Initially, I didn't quite know what this place was. I was just looking for a place to sit but it was pretty early for dinner. I only knew it after I sat there for 20 min, until someone finally noticed my presence.
I was too early for dinner, so I decided to take a look at their snacks menu. Probably because it's a hotel, things are more expensive. The snacks cost as much as, or even more than, dinner itself. So I decided to wait. While waiting, I wasn't served a cup of water but was approached by 3 different very unfriendly-looking waitresses. I thought it was because you had to pay for it (what with water not being complementary anymore..) so I didn't give it much thought.
Finally, I ordered a bowl of Vietnamese Beef Noodles for dinner. It cost me $8 but the portion was so small it wouldn't have took me more than 5 min to finish it. Not only was it expensive, the beef, although it tastes ok, looked like it was some overnight beef. While I was eating, a different person came to ask if I wanted anything to drink. I asked for a cup of ice water and one of those unfriendly-looking waitresses came with it, along with my bill. Only then did I realize that the drink was free, and it really made me wonder why did I not get my drink at all..
As the sky darkened, the place got really dark too (oh I was sitting outdoors..). Good thing I was almost done and about to leave. The place was poorly lit, I don't think I'll like eating in the dark...
I don't think I'll be going back again. Not with the expensive food and unfriendly faces coming to me all the time..
First things first! 50% OFF SELECTED SLICES OF CAKES ON WEEKDAYS AFTER 5PM! Woohoooo! Ok if this is nothing new to you, bear with me. It's not everyday that I see this at Coffee Bean! But unfortunately, it's only at this outlet that I saw this.
If you happen to be around the area, I think it's really worth dropping by after 5pm! Obviously, it's because you get cheaper cakes, but it's also because of the ambience there. As it normally is at food outlets in the business district, it's very quiet after the lunch hour and it makes it very nice to be sitting around alone, reading a book or just having some time for yourself.
In addition, the waiters and waitresses there are really nice too. They're very friendly people and I feel that when I take my orders, they don't seem to be uninterested in any way. It may be just a small gesture, however I find this friendly gesture is actually quite significant as it actually does affect the subsequent part of my experience there.
On the whole, of all the coffee bean outlets I've been to, I really like my experience at the CPF Building. If there's anyone looking for a nice coffee place to sit at, try here! (:
This is actually my 3rd time to the MSq Waraku but it's the very 1st time that I'm there for their lunch special.
Hmm...so what's special about their lunch menu?
Well, they have this lunch set which comes with a choice of a noodle on top of a don/sushi. In other words, you'll be enjoying 2 main course at the same time. No worries about the serving portion, the combination of the 2 main dish will be just nice to fill up your stomach. But for big eaters out there, you'll probably need to order more side dishes to have a more fulfilling lunch! Haha..anyway, for the price that you are paying for the lunch special, it's considered decent already.
I ordered a combination of udon and tempura don. I prefer the udon to the tempura don although it was a little plain, with only seaweed in it. But I like their thick, fat and chewy udon. As for the tempura don, the tempura sauce was lacking.
The food aside, I would say that the place is nice and it has a private room to accomodate some 20 of us. They were also prompt in their service. All we have to do was to press the service button and they were quick to attend to us.
Had dinner over there on Sat with a fren of mine. Was expecting a crowd as we went during dinner time but was surprised to see that it was almost empty with only a few tables occupied only. Maybe after Octoberfest, everyone need a rest.
We were led to a table and immediately I find the service very on the ball alr. Hee.... Within 5 mins after I was seated, I was asked 2 times by 2 different waiters for my order. Maybe too free, as there is no one else alr. Haa....
In the end we ordered a sauage platter, a pork knuckle and 2 x 0.5l light beer.
After ordering, the waiteress brought out some bread, in fact it is slices of different kind of bread with butter.
Food also came pretty fast, like after a 5 min wait.
1. Pork Knuckle, have to say that after tasting the pork knuckle @ Marche last weekend, I am a bit disappointed with this version. It is not as crispy as I expected to be, and it appeared to be smaller as well. However, it is still consider one of the better onces I have tasted. It also came with the usual side dishes as well.
2. The sausage platter came with 5 different types of sauage. All tasted good, the flavour is there and juicy as well. Haa... I like it a lot.
3. I also like their beer, like Brewerks, their beer does not have a bitter after taste.
Whenever I think of German food, I would go there to settle my craving and have to say that it is one of my fav drinking hole as well.
As The BIG MATCH is going on when we are having dinner, thje bar downstairs is packed with people and can hear their cheers going on as well. Haa...
Hua Ting. An authentic cantonese cuisine restuarant located on the second floor of Orchard Hotel. Getting to the location doesn't prove to be a problem but finding and entering its extremly small carpark does bring a sneer onto my face. This was my 3rd monthly meal with a bunch of people i eventually got to know with each successive meal outing. And to say the least, i had fun for this one.
The simple and somewhat grand chinese theme of the restuarant says it all. Its all about cooking and they have the prizes to show it off. Headed by Master Chef Chan Kwok, the moment we stepped in, we did not expect to leave unsatisfied, but did it live up to its name and numerous prizes? Read on to find out.
Rose Tea - Given the choice of what to drink, everyone opted for something different on this and my choice is the less adventurous and more simple rose tea. It was fragrant but tasted bland and the lack of a filter really started to irk me after about 2 sips because you can't get any tea in without leaves accompanying it. Great presentation, bad execution.
Hua Ting Deluxe Platter - This serving for 5 came with char siew (roasted honey pork), fried silverfish, jellyfish, soy chicken and prawn wrapped in beancurd. I found it decent though not outstanding. The prawn was fresh and crunchy and i enjoyed the small but surprisingly tasty fried silverfish. However, it does get to taste too salty after a while. The roasted pork was normal, as is the soy chicken and jellyfish.
Crispy Homemade Beancurd with Seasonal Greens Topped with Assorted Eggs - This wierd looking tofu is made simply of egg tofu and egg. It looks out of this world but taste wise, i can't really find anything special about it. The spinach was simple and tasted a little like Hai Tien Lou's three egg spinach combincation. Otherwise, it doesn't warrant much attention apart from looks.
Crispy Roasted Duck - Crispy roasted duck. It more or less a staple for us to have this dish in any chinese restuarant we step into to compare the quality of the restaurant offerings. This one was more or less a must order dish for anyone who visited Hua Ting. The skin was crispy and lightly sweet from the gravy while the meat was tender and had a slightly salty aftertaste. Compared to Hai Tien Lou's rendition, i felt the former tasted better but it seems even Hua Ting has a good enough rendition to recommend. So do try it.
Deep Fried Scallop Bacon Roll topped with Conpoy - This dish again had mixed reactions as some found it too salty for their liking. Maybe they weren't eating it right because i found that mixing a bite of the bacon with the Conpoy served to lessen the salty taste and allowed me to enjoy the sweetness of the scallop as well. I'd even go so far as to say i enjoyed the dish for as long as the veg lasted. After it however, its a different story. The bacon and sauce was simply too salty a combination to enjoy.
Fish Paste Noodle Soup with Seafood - Fish paste noodles was awesome. If we had more space this would have been the perfect ending dish which sadly, we did not have. The scallops and prawn were simply huge and very fresh. The soup base was actually really good, tasting nether salty nor oily and the noodles served to fill you up real quick. We did manage to get one bowl of noodle and all the prawn and scallop down but never managed to finish this sadly. I believe this could have been a meal all on its own. I recommend having it before anything else.
In the end, the above cost the 5 of us $370 which is pretty absurd as it didn't feel justified given the quality of the food.
It was honestly quite a decent meal but i suppose its understandable that paying an amount as steep as this. Decent is not what we should be getting. It was excellent or bust and from my point of view. This will not bring me back for a second try. Service was attentive and good but the food needed some work to justify its price. Try it for the duck and fish paste noodle alone.
1=SGD 0.0587
(Now this is weird, I don't know what category to put this under!)
I was at Terminal 3 not too long ago! Had a free ticket to go in to check out the place. Changi Airport is definitely one of the nicest airport I've seen before, and terminal 3 is definitely not an exception (:
The design of the place is very modern and gives a somewhat futuristic feel. The place is quite different from T1 and T2 as they seem to make the place look more eco-friendly, with the plants on the wall and the green lift! Also, there are a lot of toilets around! This new terminal is REALLY BIG I say, and it's a good thing there are toilets everywhere!
I personally like the waiting area and basically the whole place after you check-in! There's going to be new shops that you've never seen in Singapore before. For soccer fanatics, they'll be opening a FIFA shop. I'm guessing they sell soccer stuff?
The interior design of the departure area is very interesting too. They make use of water features to give a cosy and warm feel in the middle of the departure area. On the B wing, they have a koi pond and a butterfly park. This is something refreshing to see in an airport! On the A wing, it's the absolutely-ladies' wing. They've got things like a powder room and shopping, shopping and MORE shopping! (All right that's basically in the whole place actually.) But the departure area is really so big that you need one whole day to walk I bet.
The waiting area is quite cool too! The chairs are aligned in a casual way, making the place look very comfortable. (The chairs are definitely comfortable actually.) It has uniquely designed couches and ceiling lights. On its own, these individual pieces of furniture are rather boring, but put together, it makes the place look very warm and welcoming. And with the view of the runway, it makes waiting time less boring too.
It's a pity though that unless you're going overseas, you probably won't be able to see the nice facilities they have. But on the whole, the new T3 is definitely great! I'm going to wait till the airport is officially open and I definitely will depart from T3 one day! (For the sake of being able to enjoy the facilities in there too... hahahah!) :D
(i'm not much of a photographer, so there aren't that many pics! oh and don't mind the weird "title"(s).)
Rating given:
I was actually introduced to this place by my gf because she is a fish lover. So we made our way down to try it on a nice couple date, 7th July 2007 (07072007). Contrary to its name, the Manhattan Fish Market (MFM) franchise actually originated from Malaysia in 2002 and its first outlet in Singapore is the one situated at Plaza Singapura. The first thing this restuarant brings to mind is its direct competitor, Fish & Co (F&C), which has been in Singapore for a far longer time than MFM. So how does its food really fare, you know the drill by now. Read On!
For serving only fish, the menu does contain a pretty good selection of items ranging from fish to mushrooms to squid and all manner of friendlies from the ocean. I have to say i was impressed with the service attitude of its staff from the moment i stepped in. They seemed a jovial and happy lot unlike some other establishments where their staff seemed to have been placed there with a gun to their backs. When we entered, it was rather early, around 6.30 pm, and were quickly shown to a couple seat found hidden to the right corner of the restuarant. It came with a tv and simple cushioned seats, but was sufficient nonetheless. The service staff were also very attentive and i never had to raise my hand for a glass refill. Very impressive indeed, especially when the crowds started to appear, my glass was still filled! Talk about service. Bravo!
Manhattan Seafood Soup - The Manhattan seafood soup was surprisingly tasty and full bodied. A single scoop can easily net you a spoonful of fish meat, crab, scallops and even a little squid! For $4.90, this really surprised me as i was expecting something much less worthwhile. A good way to start the meal.
Fried Country Mushrooms - My gf told me this was a must try dish at the place and i must say, its really very good. I couldn't quite make out if the mushrooms were shiitake or small portebello mushrooms but they were really juicy when you bit into it. The fried layer of batter was thin and crispy, coupled with the juicy and soft mushroom, it was just a match-made in heaven. ($9.90)
Hot Fiery Action!!! - Ordering a seafood platter also gives you a small demonstration of what the staff would do to your face if you tried to flee without paying. Nah, just kidding. He's just torching the layer of mayonnaise and cooking the prawn.
Seafood Platter for Two - The main event. This monster really did us both in. Well, me anyway, since i did most of the eating. Worth mention is the rice which tasted a little like Hainan Chicken Rice and as with all things in this restuarant thus far, simply fitted in well with everything. There were 3 fried oysters, 4 scorched prawns, dozens of squid , 1 huge piece of fish fillet and loads of fries and rice. Couples on a diet? Stay away!! But honestly, this was really good and the portion much bigger then what you can get from F&C. The squid was fresh and had a sour taste that whet your appetite and really mixes well with the rice. The oysters tasted like the mushrooms mentioned above and was simply great. The fish was normal and lacked anything i could complain about except that it tasted like any other fish fillet. The prawn and scorched mayo deserve mention. Definitely eat the mayo with the rice, its really good, i wonder if we could ask for more mayo next time. And the prawn with mayo is great, i could complain a little about freshness but for the price, its pretty decent. ($29.90)
Total bill came up to $52.60. Reasonable given the quality of food and service. I'll be back for more on this place.
I like the place. Reasonable price. Big servings. Good food. Laid back atmosphere. Great service. Which is more than i can say for some insanely priced hotel outlets. This is one place thats filling on the tummy and easy on your wallet. Do swing by for a meal if you are in the vicinity and like fish.
Rating given:
Known for its slightly bigger than average servings and marketed as an authentic American dining place after its founder. I've personally had it quite a few times with different people but didn't really take pictures. So here's my first try at it when i went for a movie with my gf @ the Cathay because we skipped the Cathay Restaurant and opted for something less expensive. Sorry about the picture quality. Will bring my camera for real next time.
Mixed Grill - Billy bomber's mixed grill, though not as photogenic as the Jack's place (JP) rendition above won in terms of serving size and sheer ease of eating. The meats were all done pretty well and the best part was the lack of observable fats or bones much unlike the (JP) rendition. I liked the sausage which was pretty big for its price and the chicken was actually quite tender and nicely marinated. The lamb tasted a tad less fresh but i've never been a fan of lambchops. And the mashed potato beneath completed the meal well. I was satisfied (servings wise) for this rendition.
Fish And Chips - The fish and chips came in an even bigger serving then my mixed grill. 3 huge pieces of fish accompanied by sides of potato wedges and salad. I had a go at one piece of fish and loads of fries because my girl is a little on the "conservative and weight conscious" type. I felt the fish was average and a tad dry but the portion more than made up for it.
Bill: We paid $45 for all we had here. Quite reasonable if you ask me.
Simple western food at affordable prices. Still, its not really too special and falls under the generic category along with Jack's Place, Swensen's and the myriad of western food offerings out there.
Rating given:
It touts itself as being a place for steak and so i'd suppose the best it offers are its steak. For this review however, none of us ordered steak and so its a review on how good its other food tastes. Anyway, me a 2 other friends met up to swap some information and wanted to have Sakae Sushi, however, the queue really turned me off and so, the newly renovated Jack's Place was our stop.
Steak and Chicken(or Fish) Combo - This was had by my friend, Al, and from his reaction and comment. I'd say he liked it. Note that the steak was actually lamb steak and not beef. I didn't get to try it but Al said the steak was "tender and melts in my mouth". He was also pretty happy about the chicken(or fish) that came with it as he liked the black pepper sauce it came in.
Mixed Grill - This was what i had and i can't help but say how disappointed i was with this mixed grill. The portion was very small. Much smaller then whatever my friends ordered. Do not let the picture full you, its much smaller then it looks. The egg should be a good measurement since it managed to cover all the meat beneath which consisted on chicken and lamb. I couldn't find the beef no matter how i looked. The meat were fatty and boney which meant the portions were really small and totally not worth the money. The sauce was also too salty maybe because it was meant for a BIGGER portion? The only saving grace for this was the potato it came with. A comment by my fellow diner: "Wow! That's so much smaller a portion than i remember." And that just about sums it all up.
Grilled Salmon - only got one bite of this salmon but it was done pretty well. It was pan simmered and crispy on the outside yet juicy and succulent inside. The garlic managed to lessen the fishy taste and my friend liked it as well.
Bill: The meal came up to $70 for 3 pax.
Still, i would not recommend this place to anyone since its simply awful to serve the most expensive item, mixed grill, with so little. Its just a sin. Avoid!!
Rating given:
My friend was craving for Tom Yam soup that day so we decided to try out at this restaurant. Haha..
Actually it isn't exactly a restaurant (for this branch) as it merely occupies a space near the entrance of Woodlands Civic Centre. Furthermore, there isn't a proper kitchen too.
On top of the Tom Yam soup my friend had ordered, I ordered a papaya salad. They were pretty fast with their service. However, the food did not turn out too well. My friend commented that the Tom Yam soup only tasted sour & spicy but no Tom Yam taste, while my papaya salad was a little too salty.
No idea if it's because there was a queue of customers waiting for seats or they made a mistake, the waiter was eager to push us for payment when we had no intention to as we wanted to have some Thai desserts. So then we ordered the Tago, which is infact Thai pudding with coconut jelly in pandan cups. On top of that, I've ordered the assorted thai desserts for take-home. The desserts turned out to be not bad.
On the overall, I would still prefer the other Thai restaurant, both in terms of food and service, although it is a little more pricey.
Oh yah, another point about this restaurant here. They don't serve free plain water!
Rating given:
This place is a bar plus restaurant at the ground level of Amara Hotel, but I was there only for dinner.
Initially, I didn't quite know what this place was. I was just looking for a place to sit but it was pretty early for dinner. I only knew it after I sat there for 20 min, until someone finally noticed my presence.
I was too early for dinner, so I decided to take a look at their snacks menu. Probably because it's a hotel, things are more expensive. The snacks cost as much as, or even more than, dinner itself. So I decided to wait. While waiting, I wasn't served a cup of water but was approached by 3 different very unfriendly-looking waitresses. I thought it was because you had to pay for it (what with water not being complementary anymore..) so I didn't give it much thought.
Finally, I ordered a bowl of Vietnamese Beef Noodles for dinner. It cost me $8 but the portion was so small it wouldn't have took me more than 5 min to finish it. Not only was it expensive, the beef, although it tastes ok, looked like it was some overnight beef. While I was eating, a different person came to ask if I wanted anything to drink. I asked for a cup of ice water and one of those unfriendly-looking waitresses came with it, along with my bill. Only then did I realize that the drink was free, and it really made me wonder why did I not get my drink at all..
As the sky darkened, the place got really dark too (oh I was sitting outdoors..). Good thing I was almost done and about to leave. The place was poorly lit, I don't think I'll like eating in the dark...
I don't think I'll be going back again. Not with the expensive food and unfriendly faces coming to me all the time..
Rating given:
First things first!
50% OFF SELECTED SLICES OF CAKES ON WEEKDAYS AFTER 5PM!
Woohoooo! Ok if this is nothing new to you, bear with me. It's not everyday that I see this at Coffee Bean! But unfortunately, it's only at this outlet that I saw this.
If you happen to be around the area, I think it's really worth dropping by after 5pm! Obviously, it's because you get cheaper cakes, but it's also because of the ambience there. As it normally is at food outlets in the business district, it's very quiet after the lunch hour and it makes it very nice to be sitting around alone, reading a book or just having some time for yourself.
In addition, the waiters and waitresses there are really nice too. They're very friendly people and I feel that when I take my orders, they don't seem to be uninterested in any way. It may be just a small gesture, however I find this friendly gesture is actually quite significant as it actually does affect the subsequent part of my experience there.
On the whole, of all the coffee bean outlets I've been to, I really like my experience at the CPF Building. If there's anyone looking for a nice coffee place to sit at, try here! (:
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This is actually my 3rd time to the MSq Waraku but it's the very 1st time that I'm there for their lunch special.
Hmm...so what's special about their lunch menu?
Well, they have this lunch set which comes with a choice of a noodle on top of a don/sushi. In other words, you'll be enjoying 2 main course at the same time. No worries about the serving portion, the combination of the 2 main dish will be just nice to fill up your stomach. But for big eaters out there, you'll probably need to order more side dishes to have a more fulfilling lunch! Haha..anyway, for the price that you are paying for the lunch special, it's considered decent already.
I ordered a combination of udon and tempura don. I prefer the udon to the tempura don although it was a little plain, with only seaweed in it. But I like their thick, fat and chewy udon. As for the tempura don, the tempura sauce was lacking.
The food aside, I would say that the place is nice and it has a private room to accomodate some 20 of us. They were also prompt in their service. All we have to do was to press the service button and they were quick to attend to us.
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Had dinner over there on Sat with a fren of mine. Was expecting a crowd as we went during dinner time but was surprised to see that it was almost empty with only a few tables occupied only. Maybe after Octoberfest, everyone need a rest.
We were led to a table and immediately I find the service very on the ball alr. Hee.... Within 5 mins after I was seated, I was asked 2 times by 2 different waiters for my order. Maybe too free, as there is no one else alr. Haa....
In the end we ordered a sauage platter, a pork knuckle and 2 x 0.5l light beer.
After ordering, the waiteress brought out some bread, in fact it is slices of different kind of bread with butter.
Food also came pretty fast, like after a 5 min wait.
1. Pork Knuckle, have to say that after tasting the pork knuckle @ Marche last weekend, I am a bit disappointed with this version. It is not as crispy as I expected to be, and it appeared to be smaller as well. However, it is still consider one of the better onces I have tasted. It also came with the usual side dishes as well.
2. The sausage platter came with 5 different types of sauage. All tasted good, the flavour is there and juicy as well. Haa... I like it a lot.
3. I also like their beer, like Brewerks, their beer does not have a bitter after taste.
Whenever I think of German food, I would go there to settle my craving and have to say that it is one of my fav drinking hole as well.
As The BIG MATCH is going on when we are having dinner, thje bar downstairs is packed with people and can hear their cheers going on as well. Haa...
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Hua Ting. An authentic cantonese cuisine restuarant located on the second floor of Orchard Hotel. Getting to the location doesn't prove to be a problem but finding and entering its extremly small carpark does bring a sneer onto my face. This was my 3rd monthly meal with a bunch of people i eventually got to know with each successive meal outing. And to say the least, i had fun for this one.
The simple and somewhat grand chinese theme of the restuarant says it all. Its all about cooking and they have the prizes to show it off. Headed by Master Chef Chan Kwok, the moment we stepped in, we did not expect to leave unsatisfied, but did it live up to its name and numerous prizes? Read on to find out.
Rose Tea - Given the choice of what to drink, everyone opted for something different on this and my choice is the less adventurous and more simple rose tea. It was fragrant but tasted bland and the lack of a filter really started to irk me after about 2 sips because you can't get any tea in without leaves accompanying it. Great presentation, bad execution.
Hua Ting Deluxe Platter - This serving for 5 came with char siew (roasted honey pork), fried silverfish, jellyfish, soy chicken and prawn wrapped in beancurd. I found it decent though not outstanding. The prawn was fresh and crunchy and i enjoyed the small but surprisingly tasty fried silverfish. However, it does get to taste too salty after a while. The roasted pork was normal, as is the soy chicken and jellyfish.
Crispy Homemade Beancurd with Seasonal Greens Topped with Assorted Eggs - This wierd looking tofu is made simply of egg tofu and egg. It looks out of this world but taste wise, i can't really find anything special about it. The spinach was simple and tasted a little like Hai Tien Lou's three egg spinach combincation. Otherwise, it doesn't warrant much attention apart from looks.
Crispy Roasted Duck - Crispy roasted duck. It more or less a staple for us to have this dish in any chinese restuarant we step into to compare the quality of the restaurant offerings. This one was more or less a must order dish for anyone who visited Hua Ting. The skin was crispy and lightly sweet from the gravy while the meat was tender and had a slightly salty aftertaste. Compared to Hai Tien Lou's rendition, i felt the former tasted better but it seems even Hua Ting has a good enough rendition to recommend. So do try it.
Sautéed Dried Cod Fish with Egg White - This dish looked interesting from the outset and certainly is a different way of cooking the precious fish its based upon. I personally found this dish decent while the rest of my friends shunned it due to the tasteless blending of egg white and cod fish. The end result is a rather tasteless dish that tastes too much like eggs and covers the freshness and sweetness of the cod. I do have to comment that the cod melts in your mouth and since no one else would have more of it, I had the privilege of finishing most of this dish.
Deep Fried Scallop Bacon Roll topped with Conpoy - This dish again had mixed reactions as some found it too salty for their liking. Maybe they weren't eating it right because i found that mixing a bite of the bacon with the Conpoy served to lessen the salty taste and allowed me to enjoy the sweetness of the scallop as well. I'd even go so far as to say i enjoyed the dish for as long as the veg lasted. After it however, its a different story. The bacon and sauce was simply too salty a combination to enjoy.
Fish Paste Noodle Soup with Seafood - Fish paste noodles was awesome. If we had more space this would have been the perfect ending dish which sadly, we did not have. The scallops and prawn were simply huge and very fresh. The soup base was actually really good, tasting nether salty nor oily and the noodles served to fill you up real quick. We did manage to get one bowl of noodle and all the prawn and scallop down but never managed to finish this sadly. I believe this could have been a meal all on its own. I recommend having it before anything else.
In the end, the above cost the 5 of us $370 which is pretty absurd as it didn't feel justified given the quality of the food.
It was honestly quite a decent meal but i suppose its understandable that paying an amount as steep as this. Decent is not what we should be getting. It was excellent or bust and from my point of view. This will not bring me back for a second try. Service was attentive and good but the food needed some work to justify its price. Try it for the duck and fish paste noodle alone.
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