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ladyironchef's Reviews

       25 Oct 2009 at 8:06 am
    Category: Korean
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    When all my friends raved about Kim’s family restaurant, I know I have to check it out. Prior to this, my past experience with Korean food was limited to two places, so yes, up till now I have no idea how exactly an authentic kimchi taste like. The comprehensive menu meant that we spent another additional ten minutes flipping through before we finally decided on our orders.

    Had I not been prepared by my friends recount of their experience, I’ll definitely be swamped by all the appetisers that arrived on our table. There was nine of them, and it even included a whole fish! There’s the usual kimchi, anchovy, spicy-sweet cucumber, and I particularly enjoyed the macaroni potato salad.

    The braised beef claypot ($10) was excellent – sweet thinly sliced beef that came with cellophane noodles (dong fen) which fully absorbed the essence of the beef. We also had the kimchi fried rice ($10) which I somehow forgot to take a picture. The fried rice came with a sunny side-up on top; it looked good, but I would prefer it if it’s slightly more sourish and spicy. Bibimbap ($10) or hot stone pot rice completed the lineup for our dinner. What’s there not to like when you have hot piping rice in a hot stone mixed with so many ingredients and splashed with lots of chilli?

    With the generous appetisers, and the value-for-money dishes, I will definitely return when my friends need a Korean fix, and the best part? It’s only ten minutes away from my place. See you there!

    Long story short, if you like my review please do come by ladyironchef . . . for the delicious in you
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    Rating given:Rating: 4 out of Rating: 4 out of Rating: 4 out of Rating: 4 out of Rating: 4 out of
    Comments on this review:
    1. Jeslyn Tee
      Jeslyn Tee said:
      I would love to try the beef claypot ... simply love beef~
      25 Oct 2009 at 2:54 pm
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    32. Umami   
       23 Oct 2009 at 7:41 am
    Category: Japanese
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    The best of everything. The sashimi platter ($120) was the highlight of our meal and we started with a bang; there’s tuna, pink prawns, hirame, uni (sea urchin). Every slice was so fresh, I could see the glitter in my dining companions eyes. While I’m not a big fan of “raw fish”, it’s definitely a feast for the eyes and treat for the palate to have it prepared so exquisitely.

    The Sakura set dinner ($58 per set) which included appetiser of assorted braised vegetables Japanese style, spicy dynamic oyster, sushi roll. For sashimi there’s tuna, salmon and oyster, and this was followed by a steamed dish of chawanmushi, with a deep fried tofu from the land behind. The two mains would be grilled chicken and wagyu beef burger, if that’s not enough, there’s hot udon served with kakiage. And finally rounding off the meal with a chef’s special dessert.

    The four of us ordered two sets to share because there was so much else to order from the ala carte menu!

    Fortunately, the assortment of sashimi from the set menu came early, and an innocent question “more sashimi?” led to the fantastic sashimi platter you saw on the first photo.

    I love eggs, all kinds of them; fried, half boiled, scrambled, sunny side-up, poached ones, anything – except steamed eggs. There are bits of chicken, crab stick, boiled prawns, ginko nuts, and shitake mushroom within the Chawanmushi.

    The deep fried tofu and cheese wrapped with soy bean skin is up next, at first sight the sticky cheese looked promising, but upon tasting there wasn’t much wow – the cheese’s not enough and the whole taste was subtle, bordering on bland.

    Our first main course of the menu came piping hot, the grilled chicken was served on a hot stone which was specially brought back from Mount Fuji, to ensure the meat retained its optimum temperature – while we took photographs!

    Umami’s rendition of wagyu beef burger came in the form of two “meatballs”, while there was nothing spectacular of its appearance, the meat was sure tasty!

    Hot udon served with kakiage was the last item on the Sakura menu before dessert. The tasting portion of the menu covered a variety and was decent, there’s two other set dinners at $88 and $128.

    And now it’s where the real dinner starts, our selections from the ala carte menu.

    A simple deep fried dried cuttlefish ($8) brought us back to the appetiser stage, and prepared us for all the food coming.

    I enjoyed the Grilled cod wrapped with lettuce ($16) tremendously. The fish was lightly grilled on the outside and tasted good on its own. But it’s when we wrapped it within the lettuce, Korean-style, and the crunchiness of the lettuce supplemented and enhanced the freshness of the cod.

    Clearly, the spicy dynamic oyster ($16 for 3) was everyone’s favourite. Befitting of its name, it had us on first bite in the Sakura menu and we ordered again. The tangy sauce was oh my god, so good! We slurped down the delicious oyster, and did not waste a single drop of the sauce.

    The comprehensive sushi menu made it difficult for us to choose from, but in the end for the love of salmon, we went for the Avocado salmon roll ($12). An elongated plate with eight pieces of makis, was indeed value for money.

    A whole chunk of it, right in front of our eyes. The scared foie gras ($33), grilled with teriyaki sauce. Oh-oh-oh! Lightly grilled on the outside yet retaining a soft pink within, I swallowed it down – gulped, and wish that time stood still at that moment.

    We were all excited by the Japanese beef – Umami served top grade wagyu! A sizzling sound signal the arrival of something magnificent, the marbling was so rich & dense that the meat literally melted in our mouth. I looked around and tried to speak, but no words came; I just allowed myself to quietly finish the meat, and inside I was secretly hoping there was more of this. It’s like totally God’s gift to mankind. Our jaws dropped when we heard that it’s a current promotional price of just $38 instead of the usual $60.

    My previous encounter with Kurobuta pork was enough to tell me it’s good stuff, so when we browsed through the “from the land” menu, I immediately ordered the Braised kurobuta pork belly ($12).

    Eeekk!” The girls exclaimed when it was served. The fatty layers were enough to scare off the others, but not me. One bite of the braised pork belly, and one sip of beer, what more can you ask for?

    The Rolled omelette with truffle oil ($8 for 5 pieces) was also one of Umami’s signature dishes. You like Japanese omelette? You will like this.

    Like what the manager Nigel had mentioned, although the US Black Angus beef ($38) is great, but it’s not in the same league as the Japanese wagyu; the former is like human while the latter is god. The Angus tasted ordinary considering we had gone to heaven with the wagyu – the marbling was just not the same. But it’s not that the Angus wasn’t good, but because we had tried the wagyu first.

    And finally after a very long and satisfying dinner, desserts came in the form of home made kurogoma brulee ($6), and home made custard pudding ($6). The former was a sesame version of creme brulee that I didn’t quite take to, but I love the home made custard pudding!

    Umami has been around at Liang court since April and I have to admit I did not notice their presence previously when I went to Liang court. The very posh and club-like entrance made it rather intimidating for diners to step in, and they are currently making changes to the front decorations. There’s a current DBS 1-for-1 promotion for their $18 and $25 set lunches.

    My appreciation to Lynda from DBS, Cherylene & Seema from Eurorscg, and the Nigel & his staff from Umami for the wonderful dinner.

    Long story short, if you like my review please do come by ladyironchef . . . for the delicious in you
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    Rating given:Rating: 4 out of Rating: 4 out of Rating: 4 out of Rating: 4 out of Rating: 4 out of
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      33. Queen & Mangosteen   
         19 Oct 2009 at 11:30 pm
      Category: Deli and Cafe
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      Our very special night with DBS Foodster started with the limo fetching us to The Queen & Mangosteen. Cheerful staff greeted us, the smoothing sea breeze, with the relaxing ambience, the stage was set for a wonderful dinner.

      We started off by ordering from the Nibbles menu. The portion of the Fish & Chips ($15) was more than enough to be served as an entrée, three pieces of fish with a big bucket of fries. Mind you, it’s not just the usual side fries, it’s a whole bucket of tasty potatoes! I would prefer them to come in thicker wedge with some green peas by the side – the traditional British good O’ fish & chips. But still, it’s good enough.

      And oh yes, I forgot to mention about the special curry tartare sauce. It was awesome! Indian cuisine has always been a big influence on the Brits, the sauce provided another different dimension which we never had before.

      The shredded slow-braised duck with crusty bread ($13) was ordered out of curiosity, and the staff did warn us it could be an acquired taste, but we went ahead anyway. The taste was quite close to a pate, but somehow it reminded me of the tuna spread that I put on my bread.

      Following on the adventurous tone that has been set, we went for the Spicy minced beef ($14). There wasn’t anything spectacular when we had the minced beef or corn chips separately. But it was a hit when we spread a generous layer of minced beef on top of the chips and drizzled some sour cream together.

      Love comes in all shapes and sizes, the Mini hamburgers & chips ($18 for 3 mini burgers) were not only cute but also pleasing to the palate. I didn’t think much of it initially, but after taking a bite, the small beef patty was delicious! And just like the fish & chips, it came with a big bucket of fries too.

      Just in case you were wondering, no we’ve not started on our main courses yet, all those you seen thus far are all just appetisers. At The Queen & Mangosteen, they offered a wide range of its signature craft brews including old favourites like Archipelago Straits Pale to pair with the food.

      We wanted to order everything from their menu; the wild mushroom risotto is totally my kind of dish, the clayfish cooked in beer and fisherman’s pie are crowd-pleaser, roasted rack of lamb is music to the ears of a carnivore, but there was just too many to choose from so in the end we didn’t have all of them.

      The rope-grown blue mussels ($28) came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. Using a fork to pitch the shell, we slurped down each mussel which was cooked in chilli, with delight.

      I always wanted to try Bangers & mash ($26) which was quintessentially three sausages – pork, lamb and beef with mashed potatoes served with caramelised onion gravy. The lamb sausage had a very distinct and gamy taste that might be too much for non-lamb eaters, and the beef was fairly good too. But it was the pork sausage that grabbed our attention!

      Bea’s a big fan of beef, so naturally we ordered the rib-eye of beef ($38). Steak with thick cut chips, yorkshine pudding and a choice of wild mushroom sauce, thyme jus or caramelised shallot pepper sauce. We chose the latter with the steak done medium rare.

      It’s one of the better steaks that I’ve!” She exclaimed. I like the thick cut chips, while the chewy texture of the Yorkshire pudding sort of tasted like choux pastry.

      The Cambridge Burnt cream ($10) or affectionately known as Creme Brulee was our favourite dessert. Beneath the beautifully burnt caramelized sugar, was a rich custard base. We dug in, and finished every bite of it.

      Whoa“, and “Ooh” were heard when the Mango coconut truffle ($12) arrived on our table. Our first impression: was it ketchup? There was a generous amount of berries and mango within the layers; the strong mango taste hit us first, with a subtle hint of coconut.

      Between you and me, this shall be fondly remember as the ketchup soap.

      It was one of those desserts that you didn’t know how they manage to make it this way, which you just keep on eating, and eating until it’s gone. I totally enjoyed the White chocolate & Cassis cake ($12). Interestingly, the triple chocolate ice cream on top of the cake took very long to melt. The white chocolate cassis cake was sweet, the girls found it too sweet, and so I had most of it to myself!

      * * *

      While the menu doesn’t have a wide variety of selection, there’s some pretty good selections for sharing and the portions were substantial too. My appreciation to Lynda from DBS, Cherylene & Seema from Eurorscg, and the folks at The Queen & Mangosteen for making the dinner a blast!

      Long story short, if you like my review please do come by ladyironchef . . . for the delicious in you
      Search Keyword: 3  + keyword
      Rating given:Rating: 4 out of Rating: 4 out of Rating: 4 out of Rating: 4 out of Rating: 4 out of
      Comments on this review:
      1. Jeslyn Tee
        Jeslyn Tee said:
        they certainly look appetizing ... ;)
        22 Oct 2009 at 12:39 am
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      34. Oriole Cafe and Bar   
         19 Oct 2009 at 11:21 pm
      Category: Deli and Cafe
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      I know you are the one. Somehow a part of me, know that I will like Oriole even before I come. Make sense? Because love is blind.

      Oriole is one those place that is chic and exudes the laid-back vibe. It is smack right in the middle of town, yet most people isn’t aware of it’s existence. Small, cozy, good food, reasonable prices, totally my-kind-of-place. Oriole!

      You like fish & chips? You will like the one here, it’s one of the better fish & chips that I’ve recently; the batter wasn’t soggy and oily even though I took a long time taking photographs, it was still crispy and good. The portions were generous too, with three big pieces of fish at 15 bucks, it’s great for sharing! Most of the wedges were slightly burnt, I’m not sure if it’s done intentionally that way, but it sure was tasty to me!

      We took a long time to decide the second main, there was a few choices, spaghetti/risotto of the day, banger & mash, or the oriole burger. But in the end we went for the Beef cheek tagliatelle ($15). The staff loosely compared the tagliatelle to our Chinese kuay teow, but I will beg to differ.The pasta isn’t as thick, so if there must be a comparison, I say it’s closer to Mee-pok. I had a good impression of beef cheeks, and this was delicious! Chewy but not to the extend of being overly difficult to bite, every bit of the beef is immersed in the red wine.

      * * *

      And for once we didn’t have any desserts because we already had other sweets from elsewhere. But I’m keen to try chocolate fudge cake on my next visit, See you there!

      Long story short, if you like my review please do come by ladyironchef . . . for the delicious in you
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      Rating given:Rating: 4 out of Rating: 4 out of Rating: 4 out of Rating: 4 out of Rating: 4 out of
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           18 Oct 2009 at 6:11 pm
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        Weekends are the best time for dim sum, it is when everybody is free to have a long lunch, and what can be better than to yum cha?

        My friend wanted to try the Beancurd prawn roll ($4.50), and I have never been a big fan of beancurd skin. Since a lot dim sum has prawns, we decided to go for the Char siew cheong fun ($4.50). The savoury light sauce always enhance the flavour of the cheong fun.

        After trying so many different har gau ($4.50), it has somewhat become rather ordinary to me. I know it’s the dim sum queen; all right if you must, fresh crunchy prawns held firmly within translucent skins. But I’m indifference to it, at least for now.

        I was craving for custard buns badly, and to my delight it’s listed on the menu; but the initial euphoria half evaporated when the captain said that it’s been replaced by the Baked custard buns ($3.50 for 3). So feeling half skeptical and half excited, we approached it. Judging from appearances, the baked buns look like those hard, baked pastry kind. We took a bite, and it was astonishing so soft! I would prefer those molten custard on any other day, but this was just as good!

        Siew mai and har gau always come together in pairs, there isn’t one without the other. But unlike the har gau, I’m not so sick of Siew Mai ($4.50 for 4) since it has a combination of porky and prawny bite.

        I’m insanely in love with Char siew sou ($4 for 3). The ones here reminded me of my old flame; the buttery crispy flakes, the oozing oh-so-sweet juice from the char siew. Delish! You know like they say, your first love is always the most memorable, if I’ve not had better before, I’ll say this is quite good. But then again, I’m biased against char siew sou.

        The fragrant glutinous rice ($4.50) enveloped within the leaf; the salted egg yoke bursting through your tastebud with it’s strong and distinct taste, the little bites of chicken shreds, a pity the Chinese sausages were missing here. Almost perfect.

        Pan-fried carrot cake ($3.50) used to be a favourite of mine, but after trying several half-hearted versions, I’m leaning towards some of the better steamed ones that I had. Packed the carrot cake full with relish, lots of them. Then lightly-seared it until golden brown, leaving a crispy surface with soft relish beneath it. Sounds easy? Do one for me.

        I’m undecided if I will come back to Asia Grand for dim sum again. And it’s not because they are not good, the variety of dim sum available was very comprehensive. But the main reason was the existence of a better option just directly opposite them. I’ll probably drop by again for their Peking duck, which is definitely much cheaper than the one I had at Peach Garden.

        Long story short, if you like my review please do come by ladyironchef . . . for the delicious in you
        Search Keyword: 3  + keyword
        Rating given:Rating: 3 out of Rating: 3 out of Rating: 3 out of Rating: 3 out of Rating: 3 out of
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