Stand, order, and eat – sushi that is, where the seafood are flown in from Japan everyday. This Japanese dining concept by Standing Sushi Bar is geared towards the fast-paced environment of Shenton Way, where professional desire quality food at a snap of their fingers.
However, come dinner time, out comes the high chairs and the shop is turned over for “by reservation only” Omakase dinner ($50 per pax) – where dinners leave the selection of the evening’s menu to the chef and expect him to be innovative and surprising in them – which usually also includes the day’s best offerings.
First up, Japanese Sea Snails that was served chill. HFB absolutely digs shell food and this dish was excellent in many ways. The cold temperature succeeded in drawing out the natural sweetness and the firm chewy texture of the flesh. He could probably finished dozens easily.
The Hokkaido King Crab Leg with Home-made Miso was yet another simple but outstanding dish. The crab eluded a natural “sea flavour” that was appetising and the miso sauce was robust with flavour. The only drawback was that the sauce tended to overwhelm the natural taste of the crab.
Sashimi Moriwase consisted of Maguro (Tuna), Sake (Salmon), Mekajiki (Swordfish), Hamachi (Yellow Tail) and Hotate (Scallop). Fresh and came with good thickness – there was really nothing bad to pinpoint on. Worthy mention goes to the Hamachi Belly that was all natural Omega 3 goodness!
By now, HFB wasn’t surprised that the Karubi Beef Tataki with Bonito Flakes and Spring Onions was well executed. The marbling was great and the meat was succulent. The bonito flakes also provided a nice salty touch to the dish.
Served chilled as a palate cleanser, the Egg Plant with Light Soya Sauce came with a hint of Grated Ginger. Unless one is a fan of egg plant, it probably would be too squashy for you. Otherwise, HFB thought it did a good job in clearing the palates.
HFB loved soup and the Steamed Hotate Soup with Tofu didn’t disappoint. However, if one expected the scallop to taste as good, you will be disappointed since its essences were all captured nicely in the clear soup.
A sushi bar ain’t worthy to be addressed as one if there weren’t sushi offerings during the Omakase. Trio of Maguro, Hirame (Flat Fish) and Anago (Boiled Salt-water Eel) were presented and they were nothing short of excellence in terms of freshness. The boiled eel was remarkably exquisite and was only prevailed by that of HFB Tsukiji’s Sushi Dai experience.
Matcha Ice-cream with Green Tea Cake Roll and Red Bean Paste was the last order of the evening. The red bean paste was enjoyable, although one can probably grab the cake and ice-cream off the shelves of some reputable Japanese supermarket.
They say good things come in small packages and the evening's pleasant surprise was the offering of 3 complimentary thick cubes of Otoro, or Tuna Belly that was what's left for the day. WOOT!
Overall, it was an unexpectedly enjoyable dinner. HFB was really filled by the end of the meal, and the personalise touch of Chef Roy explaining each and every dish sums up the lovely evening. Next up, braving the Shenton Way lunch crowd for the REAL standing sushi experience!
Mentioned about Imperial Cuisine, and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall probably would be the first dish that comes to your mind – but thanks to Beijing Gong, one will be educated with the ‘real’ imperial dishes based on recipes once used in China’s imperial kitchen (FYI, the Royal Family do not consumed good food everyday).
Take a step into the restaurant, and one will find it sparsely decorated with original paintings and calligraphy art.
The place sits an estimate 30 pax, with a private room for another 10. The dinner (priced at $28, $38 and $48 per pax pending on the selection of the soup) started with the cold appetisers which could change daily.
Visually, the Fermented Fried Mung Beans didn’t look too appetising, but taste wise; it was clean, simple and light on the palate, with a slight “beany” (for a lack of a better word) taste – whoever thought this was one of the dishes that Empress Cixi is actually fond of!
Long Beans with Sesame Paste and Garlic was another simple dish made tasty. Cooked to a nice texture, however, HFB thought the sesame paste was slightly domineering.
Who could figure these Carrots were thinly sliced by hands? Lightly stir-fried, one could literally ‘taste’ the deftly techniques by the chef – the 刀功 (knife skill) gave the usually plain carrot an extra crunchy edge in terms of texture.
HFB found the Thin Sliced Pork Knuckle superbly executed. There was hardly a trance of oily aftertaste when one consumed this dish (the chef painstakingly steamed this dish numerous times, removing the layer of oil after each instance) and it disintegrated almost instantaneously upon touching one’s mouth.
The Cabbage with Mustard was more of a love-hate affair. One either appreciate it, or don’t – unfortunately in this case, it was too peculiar for HFB – the sourness was too overpowering, although he would credit it as an excellent dish to open up one’s palate for the hot dishes that are coming up next.
The Deep Fried Lotus Root with Chives was really enjoyable. The crunchy consistency coupled with the savoury chives (another love-hate ingredient) was a delight and if one enjoys 锅贴 (Chinese Pan-fried Dumplings), one will definitely love this!
The next dish was the exotic Fish Lip with Shredded Sea Cucumber and Bamboo Shoots in Premium Soup (Dry Cured Chinese Bacon and Old Mother Hen). Squeamishly as it sounded, the fish lips were actually thinly shredded in the soup, and looked pretty much like the sea cucumber, except it had a bit more bite and a slight fishy hint.
One of the non-authentic dishes that catered more to the enjoyment of our locals, the Deep Fried Sea-Prawns coated with Sweet and Sour Sauce was the crowd favourite. Nicely battered and immensely flavoured, the prawns were really fresh and retained that crunchy bite! Paired with the deep-fried thinly sliced veggies (hand-cut again), it provided a nice break from the lighter dishes earlier on.
Another flavoursome dish was the Braised Beef Brisket. It was intense and the meat was really tender, with slight fibrous bite. Delicious!
HFB loves Tofu, and their version was brilliant. The tofu was braised till it was soft and silky, and which its skin soaked up the flavours from the gravy. One could also taste the freshness of the tofu, and HFB loved it that the gravy was light on the palate and complemented the tofu really well.
土豆丝 or Thinly Sliced Potato was probably the “cheapest” dish to be featured that evening – how much could potato possibly cost? However lightly stirred fried, this dish turned up to be a real gem, the dark house for the evening, and perhaps even the most under-rated dish one could ever try. Again, one was savouring the exquisite 刀功 of the chef. The dish was so enticing after one mouthful, that pretty soon; everyone was helping themselves to seconds for this dish. The firm, crunchy texture of the potato provided that alluring factor – this dish is amazingly addictive!
And if one think such fare is too exotic for you during lunch time, Beijing Gong is currently offering a $10 lunch menu that consists of Chinese Dumplings and a bowl of Noodles (HFB tried the Braised Beef version). To be honest, HFB is not a big fan of Chinese noodles, but the beef was remarkably tender and the soup was intensely flavoured.
However, what he enjoyed most was the dumplings that exploded with broth when he took a nibble at the dumpling skin, which was done just right – not too thick, yet firm enough not to break when one picked it up with chopsticks.
To end of the night, we were introduced to Empress Dowager favourite dessert – the Imperial Yogurt. To be honest, HFB still couldn’t quite figure out why she even liked this dish – perhaps that’s why he remained a commoner. The smooth curd was slightly sour, but mostly tasteless and left a dry aftertaste on the palate.
Patronised this store for like twice, I quite like the setting though the deco is something similar to Ben & Jerry. The cheerful fonts and pictures makes eatting ice cream even more enjoyable.
The first thing that striked me was the number of pretty shop assistants there. I wonder whether there was a criteria for looks when they interview shop assistants.
The shop front was quite small and cramp. Luckily the tables and chairs were not in the shop itself but outside.
There are consonier and premium (alcoholic) like Bitter Orange Choc, Whiskey Java Choc, Rum Rum Raisin etc. And normal flavours like Green tea-rrific, D24 durian etc.
Though there are many flavours stated on the website but the number of flavours seems to be lesser at this branch. In any case, we tried the Marsh Choc and Bitter Orange Choc. Marsh Choc was obviously Marshmellow in Chocolate. Heavenly but sinful combination that cannot be eaten every day. It got us drooling for it though. Bitter Orange Choc was an interesting liquer flavour which did not have the irritating alcoholic smell. The taste of orange was nicely blended with the dark chocolate (hmm~~~~) ice cream the first time I tried it. But somehow, the taste of orange lessened on the 2nd try the next day. Taste of dark chocolate became too strong and the smell of liquer increased. I wonder what happened though this does not diminished my liking for it. Both flavours are silkenly smooth~~~
I would like to try the Durian series the next time. But I wouldn't normally sit there to eat as I prefer buying the pint home. A pint cost $10.90 for the premium series and lesser for the normal (I forgot how much) series. A bit ex for frequent indulgence and it won't do much good for the waist too.
Finally! A place that sells all day breakfast and nothing else - a casual eatery by the name of Hatched, which apparently is the brainchild of a former SAF scholar who probably decided that eggs and breakfast were his calling.
The eatery is housed in Evans Lodge, a rather dilapidated building along Evans Road that is home to a prata shop as well. The interior of the place is charmingly cozy, with bright sunlight frittering through the side windows. Capacity probably peaks at about 30 people or less, making reservations a must, especially on weekends. Special mention goes to the menu, which is extremely colourful and cute but probably caters more to the ladies then guys.
Dippy Eggs and Soldiers - Cutesy names and aesthetically pleasing food presentation aside, this dish didn't wow one bit. The dipping bread sticks looked tantalising but had a funny mildly rancid taste while the soft boil eggs didn't taste anything out of the ordinary (Read. Your local coffeeshop standard). A pity there wasn't enough Parmesan cheese or limp bacon bits to go around.
Burly Benedict - This was a double portion and it sure wasn't big. The eggs were nicely poached but the muffin wasn't spongy enough for my liking and was overly greasy. However, the major disappointment came in the form of the corned wagyu beef, which was a little rubbery and tasted very processed. It didn't help that the salt content was excessively high as well.
Croque Madam - The Ciabatta bread was rock hard and I mean it literally. I had to muster up quite a bit of strength in order to cut through it with my knife. Seriously, hurling it at someone could have caused a minor concussion. The grilled kurobuta ham tasted no different from ordinary ham which makes it a waste of good pork. The side of mashed potato could have done with a little butter but at least the mushroom drizzle was decent.
Papillote - I thought that the smoked salmon was a tad too salty for my liking, masking the taste of the scrambled eggs. A very normal dish to say the least. I don't even know why we paid $12 for it. Well, at least the tomato was nice.
Ever had the feeling of being full but not the least bit satisfied? Well that was what we felt after our $58 brunch for 3. I like the vibe and decor of the place (save for the less then ideal car park lots) and I like the culinary concept. However, food quality treads in the average zone and the long waiting time for the food doesn't exactly help things. Lets hope, for Hatched's sake, that they buck up because I hate to see such a concept go to waste.
This steakhouse is one of the most underrated gems of Serangoon Gardens. It's been there for as long as I remember, since I first moved into the area when I was about 11.
In truth, I haven't been to Borshch in years. With so much good food along Serangoon Gardens, this little Steakhouse with almost opaque black windows tends to get overlooked.
Once you step in, you'd find that it looks like a typical old school Hong Kong cafe. Decor and ambience isn't much to talk about, but it's the food I'm here for.
So how does a $13.80 Set Dinner sound? Pretty affordable? Well here's what they served:
Caviar with Egg Nothing much to rave about. A little blob of caviar on a nicely carved egg, served with salad.
Borsch Soup My very first memory of this place is its borsch soup - it's hard to describe, hard to explain. Definitely not fresh out of a can, try it for yourself to know what I mean.
Sirloin Steak Served with fries and long beans on a hot plate, the slice of steak is small (hey, remember you're not paying much) but potent. Sizzling with a slab of butter of top, it's a cheap little slice of heaven. The mixture of butter and steak melts so well in your mouth.
Fancy Pancake A small crepe-like sweet pancake topped with whipped cream, a little slice of cherry and peach, with a banana wedged in between. Perfect sweet dessert to a savoury meal!
Hot Tea Tastes like Lipton tea. I don't know about you, but there's something very satisfying about sipping hot tea after a nice full meal.
I suppose with its Executive, Supreme and normal set dinners, it really is quite value for money to dine at Borshch. You should try it out for yourself - just manage your expectations and don't expect too much just because it's a restaurant. Think of it as a air-conditioned coffee shop and you'll realise that the food there is really a steal.
If you're curious about its exact location, it sits along the same row as the Guardian pharmacy and Sushi Tei, if I'm not wrong. It's at the car park opposite the bus stop, actually. It's pretty nondescript so you've got to keep an eye out.
We decide to go into this shop as we were quite tired of going to the same places to eat since we needed to go Plaza Sing at least once per week. Only with time for a quick lunch, we chose this place mainly because it has got dim sum which we can gobble at a fast pace.
Not much of comment on the setting except that its rather dark. We very much regretted chosing this place due to the quality of the food. I will choose Crystal Jade anytime. We ordered Ha Gao, Glutinous Chicken, Yu Jiao and Prawn Zhu Chang Fen. We were extremely disappointed at the oily and lame texture of the Yu jiao where the yam paste will fall out and the skin seems like it was placed outside for too long. The prawns in the Zhu Chang Fen and Ha Gao had a distinctive prawny smell that told us the prawns were not fresh.
Not sure whether it was due to the lunch time rush but we certainly didn't feel like going back for 2nd opinion after our lunch there.
This zi char stall has many outlets - I'm not sure about the others, but short of having a gun pointed to your head, I suggest you give this one a wide berth.
You may have heard of this zi char stall - it has been featured on some TV shows. That's how my mom came across it, and that's how we ended up patronizing this stall on a Monday night. Now hear my tale of extremely bad customer service from a business who doesn't believe that pissing off customers is bad for business.
We ordered the dishes featured on TV - some sort of stir-fried, long bean lookalike served with pork floss, flat roasted chicken, milk powdered crayfish and some other form of fish.
Let me mention up front that those dishes were average at best, the chicken was tough and not the least bit juicy, while the long bean lookalike was just mediocre. The milk powdered crayfish does deserve special mention, banking purely on its novelty rather than taste. I like the combination, but I have an inkling that other zi char stalls might fare better if they took a shot at this dish.
What about the fish, you say? Well, it never did arrive. We almost finished the three aforementioned dishes and the fish still wasn't here. This was half an hour after they served the first dish. So, we asked one waitress where our fish was, and she never got back to us. We asked a second one, and she never got back either.
The third time round, my dad went to the counter to ask about the fish again, but was told that it was "coming soon". After waiting another 10 minutes, we decided to cancel the order of the fish since there was no point waiting. Do note - no apologies were offered.
At this point, I was still trying to finish my milk powder crayfish when the waitress promptly brought the bill to our table. Now I was pissed. I told her that we have not called for the bill yet, and just because we canceled our order of fish, were they afraid that we were going to run away without paying?
Still no apologies from any of them. This was absolutely ridiculous, it was absurd to treat customers this way. We weren't even being difficult when we asked for our fish, we were just, clearly, tired of waiting.
With incredulously rude staff & sub par food standards, I don't believe I'll ever step anywhere near this stall ever again and I suggest you don't either.
My family chanced upon Singapura Restaurant one evening and was so taken by its nostalgic appeal that we stepped in for dinner. An old school Foochow eatery, Singapura Restaurant has been around since the early 90s and apparently, attracted quite a sizable following in more then a decade of operations.
Located just below a block of HDB flats along Selegie Road, Singapura Restaurant is highly visible if you happen to travel down that stretch of road towards Little India. Otherwise, you probably wouldn't know of its existence. The layout of the place is kept simple and cozy, with no emphasis on providing any visual simulation to the consumer. The steel chairs with red paddings/cushions are (at least to me) a classic characteristic of restaurants from yesteryear.
Braised Tofu - I can't say that the braised tofu was fantastic, coming across as your average decent cze char stall standard but with a relatively generous serving. The gravy wasn't too starchy and I liked the mushrooms and sweet peas that came alongside.
Honey Pork Ribs - Touted as one of their "must try" dishes, the ribs were wedged between good and decent. Crisp along the edges with relatively tender meat that didn't scream tenderizer. But the honey was a overly sweet and the ribs had quite little meat honestly, which at $15 for 5 pieces, wasn't exactly my idea of value for money.
Special Prawn Rolls - Now this dish was interesting. Apart from being another one of the recommended dishes, the prawn rolls differ quite significantly from the usual ones that most places sell. Instead of minced pork or prawn paste, it's whole prawns compressed into a cylindrical shape and wrapped around with a thin deep fried skin, which apparently is pig's caul. The prawns were very crunchy, almost to the extent of being hard, probably due to soaking in a sodium bicarbonate solution for too long. Personally I found the whole dish a little too fishy for my liking but the sweet sauce did help to mask the taste.
$50 for 3 pax isn't exactly expensive but the food isn't fantastic in my humble opinion. It might be the dishes we ordered. Service was quite good but then again, we were the only customers there that evening. Still I would give them the benefit of the doubt.
hmm...been there quite a few times and especially these few months which a lot of activities has been going on over there....
at the food loft...i tried the japanese fried fish ! the fried fish has two version one is the korean and another is the japan ...if you have been to there you will understand what i mean :D
the fish cost $5.50 which it come with a bowl of soup ... inside contain crab meat, fish ball and vegetables ...it also come with a bowl of rice. :D
we try to find the difference between the korean and japanese version but we guess the only difference lies in the soup ...
apart from that we also ordered the Pan Fried Dumplings
comments from us is : TOTALLY not nice ....
the meat is not fresh and the vinegar sauce they gave make it even worst...so end up i just feel that the $3.50 has gone to waste ...
photos will soon be up after i uploaded it in my com
Ok a little trivia for you buffet addicts... Did you know... This is one of the few branches of Sakae Sushi that offers weekday buffet dinner?
Now before you condemn me, let me tell you that this outlet's food is actually decent. I know that Sakae Sushi has a bad reputation with foodies, but it's really quite okay. Palatable, at least. And much better than the one at Raffles Place, which also offers weekday dinner buffets.
So if you're someone with easy-to-please taste buds, you should try it out.
Gotta warn you that the service isn't much to speak of, and do not, I repeat, DO NOT under the pain of death order the Maguro. I have never been so repulsed by sashimi before. Instead of being a deep red, it was a dull brown and tasted days old.
The salmon is okay though, go ahead and stuff your faces with the rest of the buffet menu, it's pretty safe.
If you do intend to head there in a group, make a reservation in advance, seats are limited (:
1=SGD 0.0587
Stand, order, and eat – sushi that is, where the seafood are flown in from Japan everyday. This Japanese dining concept by Standing Sushi Bar is geared towards the fast-paced environment of Shenton Way, where professional desire quality food at a snap of their fingers.
However, come dinner time, out comes the high chairs and the shop is turned over for “by reservation only” Omakase dinner ($50 per pax) – where dinners leave the selection of the evening’s menu to the chef and expect him to be innovative and surprising in them – which usually also includes the day’s best offerings.
First up, Japanese Sea Snails that was served chill. HFB absolutely digs shell food and this dish was excellent in many ways. The cold temperature succeeded in drawing out the natural sweetness and the firm chewy texture of the flesh. He could probably finished dozens easily.
The Hokkaido King Crab Leg with Home-made Miso was yet another simple but outstanding dish. The crab eluded a natural “sea flavour” that was appetising and the miso sauce was robust with flavour. The only drawback was that the sauce tended to overwhelm the natural taste of the crab.
Sashimi Moriwase consisted of Maguro (Tuna), Sake (Salmon), Mekajiki (Swordfish), Hamachi (Yellow Tail) and Hotate (Scallop). Fresh and came with good thickness – there was really nothing bad to pinpoint on. Worthy mention goes to the Hamachi Belly that was all natural Omega 3 goodness!
By now, HFB wasn’t surprised that the Karubi Beef Tataki with Bonito Flakes and Spring Onions was well executed. The marbling was great and the meat was succulent. The bonito flakes also provided a nice salty touch to the dish.
Served chilled as a palate cleanser, the Egg Plant with Light Soya Sauce came with a hint of Grated Ginger. Unless one is a fan of egg plant, it probably would be too squashy for you. Otherwise, HFB thought it did a good job in clearing the palates.
HFB loved soup and the Steamed Hotate Soup with Tofu didn’t disappoint. However, if one expected the scallop to taste as good, you will be disappointed since its essences were all captured nicely in the clear soup.
A sushi bar ain’t worthy to be addressed as one if there weren’t sushi offerings during the Omakase. Trio of Maguro, Hirame (Flat Fish) and Anago (Boiled Salt-water Eel) were presented and they were nothing short of excellence in terms of freshness. The boiled eel was remarkably exquisite and was only prevailed by that of HFB Tsukiji’s Sushi Dai experience.
Matcha Ice-cream with Green Tea Cake Roll and Red Bean Paste was the last order of the evening. The red bean paste was enjoyable, although one can probably grab the cake and ice-cream off the shelves of some reputable Japanese supermarket.
They say good things come in small packages and the evening's pleasant surprise was the offering of 3 complimentary thick cubes of Otoro, or Tuna Belly that was what's left for the day. WOOT!
Overall, it was an unexpectedly enjoyable dinner. HFB was really filled by the end of the meal, and the personalise touch of Chef Roy explaining each and every dish sums up the lovely evening. Next up, braving the Shenton Way lunch crowd for the REAL standing sushi experience!
You can view all the photos here.
Rating given:
Mentioned about Imperial Cuisine, and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall probably would be the first dish that comes to your mind – but thanks to Beijing Gong, one will be educated with the ‘real’ imperial dishes based on recipes once used in China’s imperial kitchen (FYI, the Royal Family do not consumed good food everyday).
Take a step into the restaurant, and one will find it sparsely decorated with original paintings and calligraphy art.
The place sits an estimate 30 pax, with a private room for another 10. The dinner (priced at $28, $38 and $48 per pax pending on the selection of the soup) started with the cold appetisers which could change daily.
Visually, the Fermented Fried Mung Beans didn’t look too appetising, but taste wise; it was clean, simple and light on the palate, with a slight “beany” (for a lack of a better word) taste – whoever thought this was one of the dishes that Empress Cixi is actually fond of!
Long Beans with Sesame Paste and Garlic was another simple dish made tasty. Cooked to a nice texture, however, HFB thought the sesame paste was slightly domineering.
Who could figure these Carrots were thinly sliced by hands? Lightly stir-fried, one could literally ‘taste’ the deftly techniques by the chef – the 刀功 (knife skill) gave the usually plain carrot an extra crunchy edge in terms of texture.
HFB found the Thin Sliced Pork Knuckle superbly executed. There was hardly a trance of oily aftertaste when one consumed this dish (the chef painstakingly steamed this dish numerous times, removing the layer of oil after each instance) and it disintegrated almost instantaneously upon touching one’s mouth.
The Cabbage with Mustard was more of a love-hate affair. One either appreciate it, or don’t – unfortunately in this case, it was too peculiar for HFB – the sourness was too overpowering, although he would credit it as an excellent dish to open up one’s palate for the hot dishes that are coming up next.
The Deep Fried Lotus Root with Chives was really enjoyable. The crunchy consistency coupled with the savoury chives (another love-hate ingredient) was a delight and if one enjoys 锅贴 (Chinese Pan-fried Dumplings), one will definitely love this!
The next dish was the exotic Fish Lip with Shredded Sea Cucumber and Bamboo Shoots in Premium Soup (Dry Cured Chinese Bacon and Old Mother Hen). Squeamishly as it sounded, the fish lips were actually thinly shredded in the soup, and looked pretty much like the sea cucumber, except it had a bit more bite and a slight fishy hint.
One of the non-authentic dishes that catered more to the enjoyment of our locals, the Deep Fried Sea-Prawns coated with Sweet and Sour Sauce was the crowd favourite. Nicely battered and immensely flavoured, the prawns were really fresh and retained that crunchy bite! Paired with the deep-fried thinly sliced veggies (hand-cut again), it provided a nice break from the lighter dishes earlier on.
Another flavoursome dish was the Braised Beef Brisket. It was intense and the meat was really tender, with slight fibrous bite. Delicious!
HFB loves Tofu, and their version was brilliant. The tofu was braised till it was soft and silky, and which its skin soaked up the flavours from the gravy. One could also taste the freshness of the tofu, and HFB loved it that the gravy was light on the palate and complemented the tofu really well.
土豆丝 or Thinly Sliced Potato was probably the “cheapest” dish to be featured that evening – how much could potato possibly cost? However lightly stirred fried, this dish turned up to be a real gem, the dark house for the evening, and perhaps even the most under-rated dish one could ever try. Again, one was savouring the exquisite 刀功 of the chef. The dish was so enticing after one mouthful, that pretty soon; everyone was helping themselves to seconds for this dish. The firm, crunchy texture of the potato provided that alluring factor – this dish is amazingly addictive!
And if one think such fare is too exotic for you during lunch time, Beijing Gong is currently offering a $10 lunch menu that consists of Chinese Dumplings and a bowl of Noodles (HFB tried the Braised Beef version). To be honest, HFB is not a big fan of Chinese noodles, but the beef was remarkably tender and the soup was intensely flavoured.
However, what he enjoyed most was the dumplings that exploded with broth when he took a nibble at the dumpling skin, which was done just right – not too thick, yet firm enough not to break when one picked it up with chopsticks.
To end of the night, we were introduced to Empress Dowager favourite dessert – the Imperial Yogurt. To be honest, HFB still couldn’t quite figure out why she even liked this dish – perhaps that’s why he remained a commoner. The smooth curd was slightly sour, but mostly tasteless and left a dry aftertaste on the palate.
You can view all the photos here.
Rating given:
Patronised this store for like twice, I quite like the setting though the deco is something similar to Ben & Jerry. The cheerful fonts and pictures makes eatting ice cream even more enjoyable.
The first thing that striked me was the number of pretty shop assistants there. I wonder whether there was a criteria for looks when they interview shop assistants.
The shop front was quite small and cramp. Luckily the tables and chairs were not in the shop itself but outside.
There are consonier and premium (alcoholic) like Bitter Orange Choc, Whiskey Java Choc, Rum Rum Raisin etc. And normal flavours like Green tea-rrific, D24 durian etc.
Though there are many flavours stated on the website but the number of flavours seems to be lesser at this branch. In any case, we tried the Marsh Choc and Bitter Orange Choc. Marsh Choc was obviously Marshmellow in Chocolate. Heavenly but sinful combination that cannot be eaten every day. It got us drooling for it though. Bitter Orange Choc was an interesting liquer flavour which did not have the irritating alcoholic smell. The taste of orange was nicely blended with the dark chocolate (hmm~~~~) ice cream the first time I tried it. But somehow, the taste of orange lessened on the 2nd try the next day. Taste of dark chocolate became too strong and the smell of liquer increased. I wonder what happened though this does not diminished my liking for it. Both flavours are silkenly smooth~~~
I would like to try the Durian series the next time. But I wouldn't normally sit there to eat as I prefer buying the pint home. A pint cost $10.90 for the premium series and lesser for the normal (I forgot how much) series. A bit ex for frequent indulgence and it won't do much good for the waist too.
Rating given:
Finally! A place that sells all day breakfast and nothing else - a casual eatery by the name of Hatched, which apparently is the brainchild of a former SAF scholar who probably decided that eggs and breakfast were his calling.
The eatery is housed in Evans Lodge, a rather dilapidated building along Evans Road that is home to a prata shop as well. The interior of the place is charmingly cozy, with bright sunlight frittering through the side windows. Capacity probably peaks at about 30 people or less, making reservations a must, especially on weekends. Special mention goes to the menu, which is extremely colourful and cute but probably caters more to the ladies then guys.
Dippy Eggs and Soldiers - Cutesy names and aesthetically pleasing food presentation aside, this dish didn't wow one bit. The dipping bread sticks looked tantalising but had a funny mildly rancid taste while the soft boil eggs didn't taste anything out of the ordinary (Read. Your local coffeeshop standard). A pity there wasn't enough Parmesan cheese or limp bacon bits to go around.
Burly Benedict - This was a double portion and it sure wasn't big. The eggs were nicely poached but the muffin wasn't spongy enough for my liking and was overly greasy. However, the major disappointment came in the form of the corned wagyu beef, which was a little rubbery and tasted very processed. It didn't help that the salt content was excessively high as well.
Croque Madam - The Ciabatta bread was rock hard and I mean it literally. I had to muster up quite a bit of strength in order to cut through it with my knife. Seriously, hurling it at someone could have caused a minor concussion. The grilled kurobuta ham tasted no different from ordinary ham which makes it a waste of good pork. The side of mashed potato could have done with a little butter but at least the mushroom drizzle was decent.
Papillote - I thought that the smoked salmon was a tad too salty for my liking, masking the taste of the scrambled eggs. A very normal dish to say the least. I don't even know why we paid $12 for it. Well, at least the tomato was nice.
Ever had the feeling of being full but not the least bit satisfied? Well that was what we felt after our $58 brunch for 3. I like the vibe and decor of the place (save for the less then ideal car park lots) and I like the culinary concept. However, food quality treads in the average zone and the long waiting time for the food doesn't exactly help things. Lets hope, for Hatched's sake, that they buck up because I hate to see such a concept go to waste.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
This steakhouse is one of the most underrated gems of Serangoon Gardens. It's been there for as long as I remember, since I first moved into the area when I was about 11.
In truth, I haven't been to Borshch in years. With so much good food along Serangoon Gardens, this little Steakhouse with almost opaque black windows tends to get overlooked.
Once you step in, you'd find that it looks like a typical old school Hong Kong cafe. Decor and ambience isn't much to talk about, but it's the food I'm here for.
So how does a $13.80 Set Dinner sound? Pretty affordable? Well here's what they served:
Caviar with Egg
Nothing much to rave about. A little blob of caviar on a nicely carved egg, served with salad.
Borsch Soup
My very first memory of this place is its borsch soup - it's hard to describe, hard to explain. Definitely not fresh out of a can, try it for yourself to know what I mean.
Sirloin Steak
Served with fries and long beans on a hot plate, the slice of steak is small (hey, remember you're not paying much) but potent. Sizzling with a slab of butter of top, it's a cheap little slice of heaven. The mixture of butter and steak melts so well in your mouth.
Fancy Pancake
A small crepe-like sweet pancake topped with whipped cream, a little slice of cherry and peach, with a banana wedged in between. Perfect sweet dessert to a savoury meal!
Hot Tea
Tastes like Lipton tea. I don't know about you, but there's something very satisfying about sipping hot tea after a nice full meal.
I suppose with its Executive, Supreme and normal set dinners, it really is quite value for money to dine at Borshch. You should try it out for yourself - just manage your expectations and don't expect too much just because it's a restaurant. Think of it as a air-conditioned coffee shop and you'll realise that the food there is really a steal.
If you're curious about its exact location, it sits along the same row as the Guardian pharmacy and Sushi Tei, if I'm not wrong. It's at the car park opposite the bus stop, actually. It's pretty nondescript so you've got to keep an eye out.
Rating given:
We decide to go into this shop as we were quite tired of going to the same places to eat since we needed to go Plaza Sing at least once per week. Only with time for a quick lunch, we chose this place mainly because it has got dim sum which we can gobble at a fast pace.
Not much of comment on the setting except that its rather dark. We very much regretted chosing this place due to the quality of the food. I will choose Crystal Jade anytime. We ordered Ha Gao, Glutinous Chicken, Yu Jiao and Prawn Zhu Chang Fen. We were extremely disappointed at the oily and lame texture of the Yu jiao where the yam paste will fall out and the skin seems like it was placed outside for too long. The prawns in the Zhu Chang Fen and Ha Gao had a distinctive prawny smell that told us the prawns were not fresh.
Not sure whether it was due to the lunch time rush but we certainly didn't feel like going back for 2nd opinion after our lunch there.
Rating given:
This zi char stall has many outlets - I'm not sure about the others, but short of having a gun pointed to your head, I suggest you give this one a wide berth.
You may have heard of this zi char stall - it has been featured on some TV shows. That's how my mom came across it, and that's how we ended up patronizing this stall on a Monday night. Now hear my tale of extremely bad customer service from a business who doesn't believe that pissing off customers is bad for business.
We ordered the dishes featured on TV - some sort of stir-fried, long bean lookalike served with pork floss, flat roasted chicken, milk powdered crayfish and some other form of fish.
Let me mention up front that those dishes were average at best, the chicken was tough and not the least bit juicy, while the long bean lookalike was just mediocre. The milk powdered crayfish does deserve special mention, banking purely on its novelty rather than taste. I like the combination, but I have an inkling that other zi char stalls might fare better if they took a shot at this dish.
What about the fish, you say? Well, it never did arrive. We almost finished the three aforementioned dishes and the fish still wasn't here. This was half an hour after they served the first dish. So, we asked one waitress where our fish was, and she never got back to us. We asked a second one, and she never got back either.
The third time round, my dad went to the counter to ask about the fish again, but was told that it was "coming soon". After waiting another 10 minutes, we decided to cancel the order of the fish since there was no point waiting. Do note - no apologies were offered.
At this point, I was still trying to finish my milk powder crayfish when the waitress promptly brought the bill to our table. Now I was pissed. I told her that we have not called for the bill yet, and just because we canceled our order of fish, were they afraid that we were going to run away without paying?
Still no apologies from any of them. This was absolutely ridiculous, it was absurd to treat customers this way. We weren't even being difficult when we asked for our fish, we were just, clearly, tired of waiting.
With incredulously rude staff & sub par food standards, I don't believe I'll ever step anywhere near this stall ever again and I suggest you don't either.
Rating given:
My family chanced upon Singapura Restaurant one evening and was so taken by its nostalgic appeal that we stepped in for dinner. An old school Foochow eatery, Singapura Restaurant has been around since the early 90s and apparently, attracted quite a sizable following in more then a decade of operations.
Located just below a block of HDB flats along Selegie Road, Singapura Restaurant is highly visible if you happen to travel down that stretch of road towards Little India. Otherwise, you probably wouldn't know of its existence. The layout of the place is kept simple and cozy, with no emphasis on providing any visual simulation to the consumer. The steel chairs with red paddings/cushions are (at least to me) a classic characteristic of restaurants from yesteryear.
Braised Tofu - I can't say that the braised tofu was fantastic, coming across as your average decent cze char stall standard but with a relatively generous serving. The gravy wasn't too starchy and I liked the mushrooms and sweet peas that came alongside.
Honey Pork Ribs - Touted as one of their "must try" dishes, the ribs were wedged between good and decent. Crisp along the edges with relatively tender meat that didn't scream tenderizer. But the honey was a overly sweet and the ribs had quite little meat honestly, which at $15 for 5 pieces, wasn't exactly my idea of value for money.
Special Prawn Rolls - Now this dish was interesting. Apart from being another one of the recommended dishes, the prawn rolls differ quite significantly from the usual ones that most places sell. Instead of minced pork or prawn paste, it's whole prawns compressed into a cylindrical shape and wrapped around with a thin deep fried skin, which apparently is pig's caul. The prawns were very crunchy, almost to the extent of being hard, probably due to soaking in a sodium bicarbonate solution for too long. Personally I found the whole dish a little too fishy for my liking but the sweet sauce did help to mask the taste.
$50 for 3 pax isn't exactly expensive but the food isn't fantastic in my humble opinion. It might be the dishes we ordered. Service was quite good but then again, we were the only customers there that evening. Still I would give them the benefit of the doubt.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Marina food loft !!!
hmm...been there quite a few times and especially these few months which a lot of activities has been going on over there....
at the food loft...i tried the japanese fried fish ! the fried fish has two version one is the korean and another is the japan ...if you have been to there you will understand what i mean :D
the fish cost $5.50 which it come with a bowl of soup ... inside contain crab meat, fish ball and vegetables ...it also come with a bowl of rice. :D
we try to find the difference between the korean and japanese version but we guess the only difference lies in the soup ...
apart from that we also ordered the Pan Fried Dumplings
comments from us is : TOTALLY not nice ....
the meat is not fresh and the vinegar sauce they gave make it even worst...so end up i just feel that the $3.50 has gone to waste ...
photos will soon be up after i uploaded it in my com
Rating given:
Ok a little trivia for you buffet addicts... Did you know... This is one of the few branches of Sakae Sushi that offers weekday buffet dinner?
Now before you condemn me, let me tell you that this outlet's food is actually decent. I know that Sakae Sushi has a bad reputation with foodies, but it's really quite okay. Palatable, at least. And much better than the one at Raffles Place, which also offers weekday dinner buffets.
So if you're someone with easy-to-please taste buds, you should try it out.
Gotta warn you that the service isn't much to speak of, and do not, I repeat, DO NOT under the pain of death order the Maguro. I have never been so repulsed by sashimi before. Instead of being a deep red, it was a dull brown and tasted days old.
The salmon is okay though, go ahead and stuff your faces with the rest of the buffet menu, it's pretty safe.
If you do intend to head there in a group, make a reservation in advance, seats are limited (:
Rating given: