Desire - to wish or long for; crave; want. It also happens to be the name of the flagship restaurant at the recently opened The Scarlet Hotel, which serves up European food with an Asian influence. I popped by for lunch with my colleague on a lazy Friday afternoon to check out the food.
I guess exhilarating best describes the Victorian theme of the restaurant. Decked out in shades of red and black, the interior oozes old world charm and solemn antiquity. Soft fluffy cushion seats and colonial style windows complete the journey back in time.
From my conversation with the waitress, I came to understand that Desire serves up 3 types of complimentary bread, rotating each on a daily basis. What I got was the tomato bread, which I found to be rather pleasing with bits of dried tomato entrenched in it. Not quite the flavourful with bursts of tomato juice bread that I had expected, but decent enough with a soft, fluffy and warm interior.
Escargot. Don't you just love them? Well at least for me, I like them enough to order this chef's recommendation of Cream of Escargot drizzled with Truffle Oil. It was quite good as the soup was not too dense and tasted rather light on the palate. However, the escargots didn't have much taste and the texture was similar to that of chicken, albeit slightly more chewy. Another grouse I had was that there was too much sweet corn in the soup, making it a tad too sweet for my liking.
Crisp Romaine with Sesame Glazed Barbeque Chicken in Three Mustard Dressings - The vegetables were crisp and green with freshness. Together with the chewy and slightly charred Char Siew taste alike Sesame Glazed Barbeque Chicken, it proved to be a hit. But unfortunately, I couldn't quite make out the three mustards dressing, whatever that may be.
I liked the Oven Baked Tenderloin of Beef with Rosemary Jus, Vanilla Scented Roesti Potatoes with Asparagus and Roma Tomato Confit tremendously. The tenderloin was done just right, with the exterior slightly charred and the interior tender and chewy. Experience the juiciness and sweetness of the steak with every bite. The Rosemary Jus went very well with the steak, giving it that smooth overall taste, yet bringing out the essence of the meat. I didn't think too much of the sides though.
I only had a mouthful of the Char Grilled Atlantic Cod with Courgette Tarlet, Baby Carrots and Shiraz Jus, but it was enough. One bite is all it takes to gauge the quality. The cod was rather well done with the skin blackened from the grilling and the flesh soft yet firm. The sweetness of the flesh strikes you with every mouthful and slowly dissipates, leaving behind a lingering taste of the ocean.
Banana Fritters with Gula Melaka and Walnut Ice Cream - Now this is high class Goreng Pisang and it tastes a lot better in my personal opinion. The flour coating around the banana wasn't too thick and carried itself very well with a slightly sweet taste. However, I couldn't quite make out the Gula Melaka taste unless it was referring to the miserable streak of Gula Melaka on the plate which looked more for decoration purposes. The walnut ice cream was pretty impressive, not overwhelmingly sweet and with chunks of walnut within.
In all honesty, the Dark Chocolate Tart with Marinated Raspberries and Pistachio Ice Cream was not bad, but nowhere near outstanding. The dark chocolate tart wasn't too sweet, but the chocolate lacked richness. The biscuit wafer like base was a tad too dry and crumbled a little too easily. On a positive note, raspberries were laid inside the chocolate itself, which I felt was a nice touch, both taste and presentation wise.
Lunch for 2 pax came up to $74.59/-, inclusive of a cup of tea, coffee, latte or cappuccino. Reasonable if you ask me. The service is great, ambience is great and though the quality of food isn't excellent, it is still leagues above average. This is the perfect place to bring your date, but do remember to make reservations for those lovey dovey cushion seats.
I had the impression that Pet's Lovers Centre was this chain store thing that was really expensive and un-feeling about pets because they generally do not sell pets (except in Simei).
But I was pleasantly surprised on my recent visit there last week. Was there to look for some stuff for my Rabbit and wasn't quite sure which litter pan to get as there was quite a few to choose from. The salesperson who approached me was very friendly and he shared with me his experiences with HIS rabbit. He gave me plenty of nice tips on what I can do to resolve my problem too. Showed me some stuff but did do any hard-selling.
The variety in the store is quite wide and they are willing to order stuff in if they do not have it at the moment.
Price-wise, I was surprised to find that they are cheaper than my regular pet-shop. About a dollar cheaper for my rabbit's food.
Oosh is a Japanese Restaurant located at Dempsey Road. It also serves up some fusion fare and western stuff. After some recommendations from friends, I decided to try it out.
It's been sectioned into different places The Bar - Alfresco Bar overlooking the Garden The Cellar - where you find fine wine and mingle Yen Dining - the conventional Jap Restie with the sushi counter The Roof - for chillin The Trellis - Enclosed little enclaves in the open area The Terrace - A Pavilion for finger food tastin The Lookout - A platform where you can see the entire place The Garden - Alfresco dining area The Deck - for functions
All the places are tastefully decorated and very cosy looking. Ambience is superb whether you're there on a date or for a gathering or even a casual dinner with clients.
The Garden Experience Out in the open, save for some bugs around, it was very nice dining under the stars and warm cosy lighting.
The Food : Garlic Shrimp, Stewed Oxtail, Sausage Pasta and Yuzu Sorbet.
The Garlic Shrimp was a tad bland for my taste. It wasn't even as well presented as it looked in the menu. Definitely not worth ordering.
My Sausage Pasta was average with little bits of garlic which didn't quite help in the taste. It wasn't bad either. But it could've been my cooking on a good day.
My companion commented that the Stewed Oxtail was just average as well. He's definitely had better ones.
The one thing that we loved was the Yuzu Sorbet. Well me more than him. A delightful dessert to end an average meal.
The Service: Pretty slow really. Was it too dark that they couldn't see us waving? The food only came after a couple of reminders and smiles were really few and far between.
The damage : about $70 for the two of us. A little ex for average food but if you consider the great ambience, I guess it's alright.
Conclusion: Not sure if I would go back. Maybe for chilling and drinks but not for food. :) The damage :
Was at Quality Cafe on Friday night to have their buffet Taiwanese porridge buffet. In the past, had been to this cafe several times and found their food to have quite a fair range and well worth the money. Before 10pm, the pricing is at 10.80 per pax and after that, it only costs 6.90 per pax. ( The prices are before GST).
The range of food there includes steamed fish,curry chicken, taiwanese sausages, crab, braised eggs, tau pok, etc and the normal porridge condiments such as peanuts, ikan bilis and pickles.
Overall, I would say that the food quite tasty and thou it may nt seem to be that wide a range as compared to other buffets, I still think that for the price stated above, it is still acceptable.
But do take note that this cafe is rather small and thus it would be advisable to make a reservation beforehand to avoid being put on the waiting list when you get there.
After a whole day without food, we went to Sakura for buffet dinner. Each pax $28 7%gst on weekends and $26 7%gst on weekdays. Price wise, its considered one of the cheapest buffet around. Serving quite a wide spread of Japanese food (sushi, sashimi, tempura, tepanyaki etc), Dim Sum, Chinese cooked food and yummy cakes.
We've been there many times for their high-tea buffet which consists of just sushi and sashimi. This was our first for their dinner. And we were satisfied with the entire experience. The food is good (not very good), taste wise still alright (after eating that much, the taste just blended) and the choices were alright for the price.
Can take a peep at what they serve in the photos I've uploaded. These are just 1/3 of what they have there.
Shoppers Rainbow is a local blogstore selling fashion from Taiwan and such. Their site is well-kept and comprehensive. They also organise sprees and allow pre-orders on items.
Although they don't have a very wide variety of items ( I expect them to "expand" soon) but their replies to tags and emails are very prompt. They are also very polite and make an effort to update their customers or taggers regularly. I think in terms of service that's good. They also do not give information which they are unsure of to unsure that no one is unhappy. :) Great people!. Do pay them a visit. :)
I guess we can't do much when I place is old. It's just old. Nonetheless, my experience there a couple of weeks back wasn't too bad. I was in Lido 2. It could have been because I didn't notice, but there wasn't a particular stench that I sensed. If I'm not wrong, Lido 2 could be one of the bigger cinemas? It does have rows A to O (or so).
Apart from the individual cinema, I think there is something nice about the place in general too. It's like a mini gallery of it's own, with posters hanging around the level. It kinda sends you back in time with the display of major blockbuster films shown over the years, and famous stars who have visited the place. It's something special that you don't see at EngWah/ GV.
For that, I think, despite the possible smell which I think most places would have eventually, Lido is quite special actually (:
Just another heartland mall, you may think. But I kinda like this place for the fact that it's kinda different from most heartland malls around. It's a new mall after all, so there's definitely room for a greater and more trendy design.
There are tons of shops here that cater to almost anyone and everyone! But one thing that was quite disappointing, I felt, was that there weren't many eating outlets around. I figured it could be because there were too many around the area already, so they might have just focused more on the shops than the food outlets.
The basement level was quite a messy level to be at. You could end up walking in circles and not knowing that until you recognize the shops around. This could be because they have those little stalls situated right smack in the middle of the walking area between the two rows of shops at the sides. But from the 1st level on, things look abit more organized.
I didn't see anything beyond the 2nd level. I think they're lacking a supermarket actually! Or it'll be just nice for heartlanders (: (Or do they have one? Because I don't remember seeing it =x But maybe they have it nearby, so it's not necessary.. =s )
On the whole, I'd say this place is not bad. Something good enough to replace Orchard-shopping time! It doesn't replace the "Orchard" feel though, but I would say it's not that difficult to find nice clothes/ gifts etc from this place. Like I said, it caters to almost anyone!
Nice place; worth going if you're looking for somewhere new to go!
Always a long queue for Nasi Lemak. Notice that people are willing to risk summons by parking at the road side just to eat Nasi Lemak. Must be good right? So we decided to join the queue and try, just to find out if it was worth it to queue and risk a $50 fine - we did not get a fine as we parked in a designated spot ;)
Verdict : The Nasi Lemak was really lemak, unlike some other Nasi Lemak where the only lemak was in the name. It was fluffy and did not stick together. Fried Chicken wings and the Otah was also delicious as it was fresh and piping hot. The Chilli was also just right in its spicyness and sweetness. Definitely worth another visit when around the area.
What's brewing in Lido Cineplex? Nothing actually. One of the earliest cineplexes in Singapore. It has been some time since we walked into Lido for a movie. So when we walked into Lido 7, it felt as though we were transported back to the 1990s. Not a complement :)
The cinema emits a strange smell. We were wondering where the smell came from. When we sat down in our seats, it felt as though the seat was about to drop. The cushion was almost non existent...as though totally worn out. Only then did we realise that the smell could have come from the cushion (it was fabric...soft...too soft...like almost never washed). Good thing the lights were dim and were kept dim even after the show. Just wondered if the cushion was stained with human dna samples from active sweat glands over the years.... the collection of which gave out the arid smell.
Anyway it was the first time also after a long long time that someone's head blocked our view so that we had to watch the show between 2 heads...which seems pretty huge.
Anyway the show saved the day...and we vowed never to step into Lido 7 again...until the place is being renovated and upgraded.
1=SGD 0.0587
Desire - to wish or long for; crave; want. It also happens to be the name of the flagship restaurant at the recently opened The Scarlet Hotel, which serves up European food with an Asian influence. I popped by for lunch with my colleague on a lazy Friday afternoon to check out the food.
I guess exhilarating best describes the Victorian theme of the restaurant. Decked out in shades of red and black, the interior oozes old world charm and solemn antiquity. Soft fluffy cushion seats and colonial style windows complete the journey back in time.
From my conversation with the waitress, I came to understand that Desire serves up 3 types of complimentary bread, rotating each on a daily basis. What I got was the tomato bread, which I found to be rather pleasing with bits of dried tomato entrenched in it. Not quite the flavourful with bursts of tomato juice bread that I had expected, but decent enough with a soft, fluffy and warm interior.
Escargot. Don't you just love them? Well at least for me, I like them enough to order this chef's recommendation of Cream of Escargot drizzled with Truffle Oil. It was quite good as the soup was not too dense and tasted rather light on the palate. However, the escargots didn't have much taste and the texture was similar to that of chicken, albeit slightly more chewy. Another grouse I had was that there was too much sweet corn in the soup, making it a tad too sweet for my liking.
Crisp Romaine with Sesame Glazed Barbeque Chicken in Three Mustard Dressings - The vegetables were crisp and green with freshness. Together with the chewy and slightly charred Char Siew taste alike Sesame Glazed Barbeque Chicken, it proved to be a hit. But unfortunately, I couldn't quite make out the three mustards dressing, whatever that may be.
I liked the Oven Baked Tenderloin of Beef with Rosemary Jus, Vanilla Scented Roesti Potatoes with Asparagus and Roma Tomato Confit tremendously. The tenderloin was done just right, with the exterior slightly charred and the interior tender and chewy. Experience the juiciness and sweetness of the steak with every bite. The Rosemary Jus went very well with the steak, giving it that smooth overall taste, yet bringing out the essence of the meat. I didn't think too much of the sides though.
I only had a mouthful of the Char Grilled Atlantic Cod with Courgette Tarlet, Baby Carrots and Shiraz Jus, but it was enough. One bite is all it takes to gauge the quality. The cod was rather well done with the skin blackened from the grilling and the flesh soft yet firm. The sweetness of the flesh strikes you with every mouthful and slowly dissipates, leaving behind a lingering taste of the ocean.
Banana Fritters with Gula Melaka and Walnut Ice Cream - Now this is high class Goreng Pisang and it tastes a lot better in my personal opinion. The flour coating around the banana wasn't too thick and carried itself very well with a slightly sweet taste. However, I couldn't quite make out the Gula Melaka taste unless it was referring to the miserable streak of Gula Melaka on the plate which looked more for decoration purposes. The walnut ice cream was pretty impressive, not overwhelmingly sweet and with chunks of walnut within.
In all honesty, the Dark Chocolate Tart with Marinated Raspberries and Pistachio Ice Cream was not bad, but nowhere near outstanding. The dark chocolate tart wasn't too sweet, but the chocolate lacked richness. The biscuit wafer like base was a tad too dry and crumbled a little too easily. On a positive note, raspberries were laid inside the chocolate itself, which I felt was a nice touch, both taste and presentation wise.
Lunch for 2 pax came up to $74.59/-, inclusive of a cup of tea, coffee, latte or cappuccino. Reasonable if you ask me. The service is great, ambience is great and though the quality of food isn't excellent, it is still leagues above average. This is the perfect place to bring your date, but do remember to make reservations for those lovey dovey cushion seats.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
I had the impression that Pet's Lovers Centre was this chain store thing that was really expensive and un-feeling about pets because they generally do not sell pets (except in Simei).
But I was pleasantly surprised on my recent visit there last week. Was there to look for some stuff for my Rabbit and wasn't quite sure which litter pan to get as there was quite a few to choose from. The salesperson who approached me was very friendly and he shared with me his experiences with HIS rabbit. He gave me plenty of nice tips on what I can do to resolve my problem too. Showed me some stuff but did do any hard-selling.
The variety in the store is quite wide and they are willing to order stuff in if they do not have it at the moment.
Price-wise, I was surprised to find that they are cheaper than my regular pet-shop. About a dollar cheaper for my rabbit's food.
Will probably be buying from them regularly. :)
Rating given:
Oosh is a Japanese Restaurant located at Dempsey Road. It also serves up some fusion fare and western stuff. After some recommendations from friends, I decided to try it out.
It's been sectioned into different places
The Bar - Alfresco Bar overlooking the Garden
The Cellar - where you find fine wine and mingle
Yen Dining - the conventional Jap Restie with the sushi counter
The Roof - for chillin
The Trellis - Enclosed little enclaves in the open area
The Terrace - A Pavilion for finger food tastin
The Lookout - A platform where you can see the entire place
The Garden - Alfresco dining area
The Deck - for functions
All the places are tastefully decorated and very cosy looking. Ambience is superb whether you're there on a date or for a gathering or even a casual dinner with clients.
The Garden Experience
Out in the open, save for some bugs around, it was very nice dining under the stars and warm cosy lighting.
The Food : Garlic Shrimp, Stewed Oxtail, Sausage Pasta and Yuzu Sorbet.
The Garlic Shrimp was a tad bland for my taste. It wasn't even as well presented as it looked in the menu. Definitely not worth ordering.
My Sausage Pasta was average with little bits of garlic which didn't quite help in the taste. It wasn't bad either. But it could've been my cooking on a good day.
My companion commented that the Stewed Oxtail was just average as well. He's definitely had better ones.
The one thing that we loved was the Yuzu Sorbet. Well me more than him. A delightful dessert to end an average meal.
The Service: Pretty slow really. Was it too dark that they couldn't see us waving? The food only came after a couple of reminders and smiles were really few and far between.
The damage : about $70 for the two of us. A little ex for average food but if you consider the great ambience, I guess it's alright.
Conclusion: Not sure if I would go back. Maybe for chilling and drinks but not for food. :)
The damage :
Rating given:
Was at Quality Cafe on Friday night to have their buffet Taiwanese porridge buffet. In the past, had been to this cafe several times and found their food to have quite a fair range and well worth the money. Before 10pm, the pricing is at 10.80 per pax and after that, it only costs 6.90 per pax. ( The prices are before GST).
The range of food there includes steamed fish,curry chicken, taiwanese sausages, crab, braised eggs, tau pok, etc and the normal porridge condiments such as peanuts, ikan bilis and pickles.
Overall, I would say that the food quite tasty and thou it may nt seem to be that wide a range as compared to other buffets, I still think that for the price stated above, it is still acceptable.
But do take note that this cafe is rather small and thus it would be advisable to make a reservation beforehand to avoid being put on the waiting list when you get there.
Rating given:
Value for money buffet...
After a whole day without food, we went to Sakura for buffet dinner. Each pax $28 7%gst on weekends and $26 7%gst on weekdays. Price wise, its considered one of the cheapest buffet around. Serving quite a wide spread of Japanese food (sushi, sashimi, tempura, tepanyaki etc), Dim Sum, Chinese cooked food and yummy cakes.
We've been there many times for their high-tea buffet which consists of just sushi and sashimi. This was our first for their dinner. And we were satisfied with the entire experience. The food is good (not very good), taste wise still alright (after eating that much, the taste just blended) and the choices were alright for the price.
Can take a peep at what they serve in the photos I've uploaded. These are just 1/3 of what they have there.
Rating given:
Shoppers Rainbow is a local blogstore selling fashion from Taiwan and such. Their site is well-kept and comprehensive. They also organise sprees and allow pre-orders on items.
Although they don't have a very wide variety of items ( I expect them to "expand" soon) but their replies to tags and emails are very prompt. They are also very polite and make an effort to update their customers or taggers regularly. I think in terms of service that's good. They also do not give information which they are unsure of to unsure that no one is unhappy. :) Great people!. Do pay them a visit. :)
Rating given:
I guess we can't do much when I place is old. It's just old. Nonetheless, my experience there a couple of weeks back wasn't too bad. I was in Lido 2. It could have been because I didn't notice, but there wasn't a particular stench that I sensed. If I'm not wrong, Lido 2 could be one of the bigger cinemas? It does have rows A to O (or so).
Apart from the individual cinema, I think there is something nice about the place in general too. It's like a mini gallery of it's own, with posters hanging around the level. It kinda sends you back in time with the display of major blockbuster films shown over the years, and famous stars who have visited the place. It's something special that you don't see at EngWah/ GV.
For that, I think, despite the possible smell which I think most places would have eventually, Lido is quite special actually (:
Rating given:
Have you been there? I think you should!
Just another heartland mall, you may think. But I kinda like this place for the fact that it's kinda different from most heartland malls around. It's a new mall after all, so there's definitely room for a greater and more trendy design.
There are tons of shops here that cater to almost anyone and everyone! But one thing that was quite disappointing, I felt, was that there weren't many eating outlets around. I figured it could be because there were too many around the area already, so they might have just focused more on the shops than the food outlets.
The basement level was quite a messy level to be at. You could end up walking in circles and not knowing that until you recognize the shops around. This could be because they have those little stalls situated right smack in the middle of the walking area between the two rows of shops at the sides. But from the 1st level on, things look abit more organized.
I didn't see anything beyond the 2nd level. I think they're lacking a supermarket actually! Or it'll be just nice for heartlanders (: (Or do they have one? Because I don't remember seeing it =x But maybe they have it nearby, so it's not necessary.. =s )
On the whole, I'd say this place is not bad. Something good enough to replace Orchard-shopping time! It doesn't replace the "Orchard" feel though, but I would say it's not that difficult to find nice clothes/ gifts etc from this place. Like I said, it caters to almost anyone!
Nice place; worth going if you're looking for somewhere new to go!
Rating given:
Always a long queue for Nasi Lemak. Notice that people are willing to risk summons by parking at the road side just to eat Nasi Lemak. Must be good right? So we decided to join the queue and try, just to find out if it was worth it to queue and risk a $50 fine - we did not get a fine as we parked in a designated spot ;)
Verdict : The Nasi Lemak was really lemak, unlike some other Nasi Lemak where the only lemak was in the name. It was fluffy and did not stick together. Fried Chicken wings and the Otah was also delicious as it was fresh and piping hot. The Chilli was also just right in its spicyness and sweetness. Definitely worth another visit when around the area.
Rating given:
What's brewing in Lido Cineplex? Nothing actually. One of the earliest cineplexes in Singapore. It has been some time since we walked into Lido for a movie. So when we walked into Lido 7, it felt as though we were transported back to the 1990s. Not a complement :)
The cinema emits a strange smell. We were wondering where the smell came from. When we sat down in our seats, it felt as though the seat was about to drop. The cushion was almost non existent...as though totally worn out. Only then did we realise that the smell could have come from the cushion (it was fabric...soft...too soft...like almost never washed). Good thing the lights were dim and were kept dim even after the show. Just wondered if the cushion was stained with human dna samples from active sweat glands over the years.... the collection of which gave out the arid smell.
Anyway it was the first time also after a long long time that someone's head blocked our view so that we had to watch the show between 2 heads...which seems pretty huge.
Anyway the show saved the day...and we vowed never to step into Lido 7 again...until the place is being renovated and upgraded.
Rating given: