Mayim restaurant has cleverly made use of marketing strategies and make it name known to most of the auntie in Yishun.
Hence, my mum is also one of the "auntie" that knew mayim ! LOL
because of their promotional effort. We got $100 vouchers ( $50 each) .
Therefore last sunday, we invited our cousin to go dining at Mayim and have a small family gathering.
We ordered :
Roasted duck served with marinated peanuts $6
Calamari Ring (PRAWN) $9
Tofu with avocado cream $9
cod fish with jap sauce $15
Vegetables served in a pot (code number 130) $9.50
Homemade cabbage $2.50
Mango Pudding $3.50
Sponge cake $3.50
Mango & pomelo sago $3.50
Durian pudding $4
ALL the dishes were simply OIISHI !!!
And we feel that the pricing was affortable too.
the only awful thing is the service.
Is not that the waitress service is bad. But is rather the way they manage the business.
First, there do not have a fixed attendant standing at one counter. when you want to order the food you must see who is available for there for you to order food.
Next, they really wasting the ordering paper. I do not understand that why can't they just add-on to our previous order. why must they use a new paper ? Aren't this world is moving toward green? ok , maybe i am too green !
Lastly, when we ask for the bill, to our horror , the manager told us that we cannot use the voucher together. * The voucher's T&C did not state that the voucher cannot be use together...nevermind about the T&C, the waitress knew that we are using the voucher way beforehand but no one come forward and inform us. it was till we ask for billing....well....i feel abit of getting con !
Well well .....leave all this bad experience there.
since we have another $50 voucher to use....we plan to use it today ...so we reserve the table again . We reserve it at 6pm but the waitress told us that we must be able to finish dinning at 8pm...well that leave us one and a half hour to dine....ok imagine, you order food and they serve food . this take half and hour * esp during peak hour serving food can be slow...we left 1 hour to dine. and i question myself, will we be enjoying ourselves if we were to be make finish dining within 1 hour .
FINE ! THAT's IT ! in the end we cancel the reserving.
CONCLUSION : there is no coordination in the restaurant even though the food is really nice but the service attitude....NAH !
Yes! The good old irresistible Scotts (Picnic) Beef Noodles is back, and can be found at B4 foodcourt - Food Opera, within ION Orchard Turn. This is the same famous stall that popularise the Beef Noodle Dry ($5.00) that comes with the thick, flavourful and yummy gravy.
Paired it with Chor Bee Hoon (Thick Vermicelli), Beef Balls, Sliced Beef, Beef Brisket and Beef Tripe and one gets a satisfying bowl of noodles.
Did HFB also mentioned that the small bowl of soup coupled with the dry version also tasted really flavoursome too! Ahhhh.... such wonderful memories.
If one was there for lunch, chances were they were in for 7atenine’s “Lunch Unlimited” offering @ $37 per pax – where there’s no menu in sight, and diners are subjected to unlimited elements of surprises and heighten anticipation by the chef.
First up, we had the Tomato and Thyme on Parmesan Biscuit – this was one of the two dishes that we did not complete. Uninspiring.
Another dish that looked better than it tasted, the pairing of Thai Asparagus Rolls with Wasabi just didn’t make the grade for HFB in this instance. The veggie was slightly tough too.
Sadly, the Homemade Ravioli with Parmesan Cheese and Ebi Bisque was flavoursome in a bad way - the cheese totally overwhelmed this dish i.e. the prawn flavoured broth waned in comparison.
To be honest, HFB certainly didn’t expect to spot the Maguro Sushi with Roe at his table. It wasn’t bad, but it certainly didn’t impressed. Perhaps the whole Japanese dish served in a western restaurant concept didn’t resonated well with him.
However, if there was any reason why HFB would be back at this establishment, the Beef Roll with Parmesan and Wild Herbs alone would sufficed as the answer. Served atop a piece of hot rock, one gets to enjoy the very bottom of the beef cooked, the middle portion medium rare, and the top raw. The play on the texture was amazing, the meat was succulent and the parmesan complemented the dish. We certainly did request for repeated servings of this dish.
The Crispy Pork Belly with Apple Puree was another brilliant dish. Nicely crisp on the exterior, the sweet and savoury combination also flourished. Marvellous!
The Jerusalem Artichoke Puree with Foam was flavourful despite its lacklustre appearance. HFB enjoyed this!
However, none can be said about the Cucumber Gazpacho with Crouton. It didn’t work well for HFB - acting as a palate cleanser, he found it too “green” for his liking.
The Caesar Salad was another one of the "ordinary" dishes that day - nothing quite wrong, yet nothing striking.
Another reorder we had was the Seared Scallops with Avocado Mousse and Red Grapefruit. The scallops were really sweet, luscious and nicely seared. HFB though craved the scallops to be bigger.
The Crab Salad Wrapped with Onion was the other dish that was left unfinished. Although in its defence, HFB had to say he enjoyed this dish pretty much. His guess was one probably need to enjoy onions to appreciate this dish. He surely did.
The Tuna Tartare with Miso Jelly was a dish of hits and misses. While he truly enjoyed the tuna, HFB felt that the miso jelly didn’t quite make the grade – its texture was chewy and the assortments of veggies within just didn’t quite gel.
Simply called the 7atenine Burger, the beef patties were really yummy and goes really well with the salsa coupled within. Only irk was that the bread was a tad oily.
One of their signatured dishes, the Udon Carbonara with Miso Scented Cream Reduction and Serrano Ham was in replacement of the beef roll, when we wanted for a third serving. Luckily for us, the Lolita of Spicc, Katharina, was gracious enough, as it was unavailable for the day’s lunch unlimited offering, to offer us a chance to savour her favourite dish. It was really a pleasant twist and in truth palatable, although HFB thought the noodles were slightly overcooked – al dente would have been much better welcomed.
Once we were done with the carbs, we signalled for the desserts to be served. The Cranberry Pastille with Chocolate Praline looked unimpressive yet it tasted oh so good. Simple yet packed a punch!
The Vanilla Mousse with Mango Ice-cream was really fruity and HFB thought it was a nice way to end the meal, along with Assorted Biscuits which went really well with our cup of coffee.
Overall, it was an out of the ordinary dining experience and although there were some misses with the dishes, there were others that makes a revisit a possibility.
I'm a sucker for Japanese food, so having it for lunch was quite a treat. If you are working near Paya Lebar, listen up. Suki Sushi has awesome lunch deals for the working crowd!
For more details, refer to my photos, I took a photo of the promo. But imagine having a full sized main course, with a full sized side dish and a cup of green tea for only $6.99! I thought that at such a low price, the portions served would be miserable, but boy was I wrong.
I ordered a Chicken Katsudon with a side dish of Mussel Mentai ($6.99) and they were good. The chicken was served promptly and the portions were huge. Crispy and tender, my only complain was that it was slightly plain tasting. But hey, at such a price, it's a steal! The four mussels were great, juicy and not too chewy, while the sauce was potent enough.
We also ordered a Cha Soba (it was gigantic!), Shishamo side dish and a Grilled Squid side dish which name I cannot remember for the life of me. Sorry la, too busy eating.
Oh and the Chawanmushi is only $0.99! The ingredients in it were not too stingy, there was still plenty of mushrooms, crabsticks and whatnot in it.
The bill for five of us came up to $54, after including all our extra sushi off the conveyor belt. Cheap or what!
The lunch special is extended to Saturdays and Sundays as well, so if you live near the area, trust me, it's worth a visit.
Probably riding on the hype of the popular Little Nonya TV series comes Jia Chuan Steamboat – a unique Nonya influenced Tom Yum steamboat recipe of chef, Mdm Elsie Lim. With her own brand of Peranakan-Chinese familiarity, the spice quotient of the Thai inspired broth is up with an extra serving of home-made nonya paste – made with up to 10 types of herbs and spices – for that extra punch!
For the non-fiery taste buds, one can also opt for the homemade Chicken Broth, or the Fish Broth that is slowed cooked for flavours using Flounder Fish, Ikan Bilis, and other homemade ingredients. You can even throw in Fried Red Snapper Fish Head and Fried Taco for that added fish head steamboat ‘experience’.
HFB sampled both the Tom Yum and Fish broth, and thought that the former was interesting but not awe-inspiring. Perhaps HFB was not used to it, but the broth was slightly too sweet for him, yet at the same time there existed a bitterness aftertaste from the Turmeric due to the constant boiling. The fish broth though was more familiar in taste due to the ikan bilis, and thus more welcoming and better appreciated. Highlights of the steamboat are the selection of homemade specialties such as meatballs (pork or chicken) made with Crabmeat, Prawns, Chestnut, Bamboo Shoots, etc.
But the one the really stood out was the Sotong Balls with Prawns – the sotong taste was evident and palatable.
The Pork Dumplings with Prawns also did not disappoint. It was hearty with a wholesome bite.
And what’s Chinese steamboat without pork, in the form of Pork Belly Slices. The greasy strips of fat gave the meat that added marbling texture. Succulent!
HFB was also asked to comment on the Beef Glue and Beef Ball that the establishment was trying to introduce to their menu.
While the former was essentially minced beef and nothing noteworthy, the beef balls are a shoo-in for their new menu. Chestnuts added to it also gave it an added crunch.
Another point to note include their tasty sweet chilli, reminiscent to that from Coca Steamboat. The sambal though is really spicy and not for the faint-hearted.
And do look out for their lighted signboard when you are driving into the area as the "cafe" or air-conditioned coffeeshop is easily miss.
Buddy Value Meal (2pax) is valued for $25 and comes with a choice of ONE meat (Beef, Chicken or Pork) and Steamboat Party Value Meal (3 to 5 pax) is valued at $48 and comes with a choice of TWO meat. No service charge and GST.
After hearing SOOOOoOoo much about Tao's for such a long time, I finally had the chance to step into Tao's! I was so excited.
Parking wasn't too much of a problem at Selegie Centre... however 3 hours cost us $10 . If it weren't raining so heavily when we arrived I reckon we would have parked elsewhere. The parking area was a little hard to find but easy (for the driver) to work her way about.
Because it was a weekday and it was just after lunch @ 2pm, the place was empty!! *happiness* We did make reservations though. I was told by my friend that reservations are a must if you wanted a weekend lunch/dinner.
They charge $19.80 (or was it $19.90) for a 6 course set lunch. I shan't dwell on the system they have here since everyone's talked about it.
We just went about picking whatever we liked from the menu.
I shall only comment on those I did taste. :)
Food ordered: Bacon & Mushroom Gratin, served with Toasted Bread This is an item we didn’t have a choice with in the menu. I’m not really a fan of gratin so I was a little hesitant. I didn’t quite take to the smell of the cheese they used for the gratin but it was generally alright for non-cheese lovers. A definite stay away if you dislike cheese though. The bread was heavenly. I LOVEEDDD it. I wished I could have more (it’s free flow) but I was afraid I couldn’t finish the rest of my meal. The bread was well toasted and can be eaten alone without the gratin at all.
Smoked Salmon Salad My choice. My companions had the Fruit Salad and the Prawn Roll though. Nothing fantastic about my salad though I had some trouble finishing it as I found the salmon a little too salty after a few bites. The serving was just right though.
Cream of Pumpkin I absolutely loved this soup. I was the only one not having the Shark fin one, which my companions raved about. But I loved the thickness of this pumpkin soup and the slight sweetness which made me finish it really quickly.
Grilled Snapper with Japanese Sauce This is my main complaint I think. I definitely regretted this choice. The snapper was unevenly grilled and charred on one end but fine on the other. There was so much sauce poured over it and it certainly didn’t help that it was too salty. In reality, the snapper was quite tasty on its own, after much cleaning away of the sauce. I liked the pumpkin mash served with the snapper though. I would definitely go for the flounder next time.
Ice Rose Apple Tea I like how the smell of the rose blended together with the taste of the apple in this one. And they even provided a fork for you to eat the apple. They serve their teas in this nice little pot with a tiny cup, so we had fun tasting each other’s tea.
Ice Summer Peach Tea I LOVE THIS TEA! I like the aftertaste of the peach!
Brownie served with ice cream Or should I say, ice-cream served with brownie? I finished it in 2 bites. Either my mouth’s big or… to give credit, the brownie is quite moist and not too dry. The nuts below should be cut up a little more so that it can be evenly distributed with each bite.
The total bill came up to $115 for 5 of us which is quite reasonable I guess. Topped with great service and smiles even though we were overstayers, it was a good experience after all.
Arab St is considered to be one of my favourite food haunts because they have so much good food there! My friends and I settled with Zac Cafe instead of Nabins because first, it's cheaper, and second, I was lazy to walk.
Since my friend knew the manager, he was very nice and friendly to us and accommodated most of our requests. Even though the rest of the service staff had deadpan faces, at least our food, drinks and cutlery arrived promptly.
I tried the Mixed Grilled Platter ($19.50), which consists of chicken and beef kebabs, grilled mutton, a couple of sausages of unknown meat origins and potato wedges. The waiter said it's enough for two to share, but it definitely wasn't enough for my friend and I! At least, she was full but I had space for more :(
Anyhow. The spices were great, meat was pretty okay, grilled nicely so it was still quite tender and juicy. Not exactly value for money, but it's considered to be one of the cheapest if you compare it to places like Cafe Le Caire, where the mixed kebabs could easily cost you over $20.
We also tried the Grilled Kofta Kebab ($7.50) served with rice and the Lamb Bamya (8.80) served with rice and salad. Pretty much the same as the grilled platter (:
Didn't manage to try the sheesha here though. I still prefer having my sheesha where I can sit and lounge around like a bum. Maybe next time (:
I've been here twice. During my first visit, the food was slightly above average, the service staff were polite, friendly and helpful but the service was crazy slow. I waited more than 20 minutes for my pasta. I waited just as long during my second visit too. The restaurant wasn't even full, mind you.
The quality of food served on both occasions was so vastly different it makes you wonder whether you were in the right place.
The Chicky Cheese appetiser ($9.90) was juicy and crispy but the cheese poured over the chicken tasted somewhat like the cheese salsa dip they serve at Long John Silvers, albeit a strangely diluted version. Even the LJS version tastes better.
I ordered the Chilli Soft Shell Crab Pasta ($15.90) on both occasions. The sauce attempts to emulate the very same sauce of our local chilli crab dish and was pretty tasty the first time round. The soft shell crab was crispy, the sauce was decent.
However, during my second visit, the portions were significantly smaller and the dish lacked the oomph of the one I had on my last visit. The soft shell crab was soggy and the sauce was bland. It seemed shocking that within a month, their standard could take a drastic nosedive.
I can't remember what pasta my boyfriend ordered, but the portion was at least twice the size of mine, with lots of beef. Obviously, the beef was not left to defrost judging from the way they clumped together.
This restaurant is definitely one with a bi-polar disorder. I don't think I'll be visiting this place again, even with their attractive 100% rebate for Citibank cardmembers.
No pictures because obviously, they weren't exactly worth taking.
Read a rave review about Claypot Fun in one edition of the Sunday Times so made it a point to try it out one weekday afternoon (The very day the article was published, I attempted to try it out but was put off by the 45min wait for a table). Apparently the outfit is a collaboration between the Jumbo Group, Palm Beach and Seafood International.
This newest entrant to the culinary scene at Big Splash is tucked in between a ramen shop and Starbucks. The interior is tiny and can probably seat about 20 odd pax while the tiny alfresco area can take another 10 tops. You probably wouldn't want to sit outside unless you don't mind the queue forming just behind you. One thing that irks me about this place is the seeming biasness in table allocation. Apparently the booth seats are meant for 4 pax and above and we only had 3, so we didn't qualify. However I spotted 2 people sharing one such booth and when I questioned the waitress, she said that there were 4 people. Well I sure didn't see an extra 2 people when they paid up and left.
Watercress Pork Rib Soup - I thought that the watercress soup was a good start to the meal - light yet savoury. However the ribs were limited to 3 small pieces that looked more like a joke then anything else. Then again, its $5.20, so I probably shouldn't be expecting much.
Sesame Chicken - I'm no fan of sesame chicken and this one wasn't just about to change my mind. The chicken pieces, though soft, were very oily and portion size was small. Overall an average dish.
Claypot Rice with Chinese Sausage - Amidst all the hype about the claypot rice, I was disappointed to say the least. And I'm sure I echo the sentiments of my dining partners as well. Apparently the claypot rice was done (according to the waitress) HK style, which meant no black sauce. In lieu was a concoction of sesame oil and soy sauce, which had to be added by the customer himself/herself or by the wait staff upon request. I noticed that the "sauce" was segregated into 2 layers because oil floats and what went into our rice was mainly sesame oil. That obviously didn't sit well with any of us as the rice was quite oily yet dry at the same time. The Chinese sausages were alright but I prefer mine drier.
I discovered this quaint little coffee joint along Bali lane only because my friend introduced it to me. I never knew it existed, since it's often overshadowed by Blue Jazz and Masquerade in that row...
But I'm glad I discovered it because it's an awesome place to chill out! There are seats upstairs as well, and there are sofas as well as this platform area with lots of cushions on the floor where you can just lounge around or play games they provide there (spotted boggle and scrabble among the pile...)
We went there after dinner so there was no space for food, but plenty for drinks and dessert. Bring on the chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream! Granted, it wasn't the best I've ever tasted, but it's pretty decent and well-presented at $7.50. Could be warmer and a little more oozy though.
The drinks there are comparable with TCC and Coffee Club. My friends order the Hazelnut Latte and some other latte I can't remember and they loved it. But they thought the smoothies were a little too sour for their liking. I had a sinfully rich hot chocolate for $5, which I thought was pretty decent.
The service is decent, ambiance and music is great and drinks are nice. Would definitely patronise this place again!
1=SGD 0.0587
Mayim restaurant has cleverly made use of marketing strategies and make it name known to most of the auntie in Yishun.
Hence, my mum is also one of the "auntie" that knew mayim ! LOL
because of their promotional effort. We got $100 vouchers ( $50 each) .
Therefore last sunday, we invited our cousin to go dining at Mayim and have a small family gathering.
We ordered :
Roasted duck served with marinated peanuts $6
Calamari Ring (PRAWN) $9
Tofu with avocado cream $9
cod fish with jap sauce $15
Vegetables served in a pot (code number 130) $9.50
Homemade cabbage $2.50
Mango Pudding $3.50
Sponge cake $3.50
Mango & pomelo sago $3.50
Durian pudding $4
ALL the dishes were simply OIISHI !!!
And we feel that the pricing was affortable too.
the only awful thing is the service.
Is not that the waitress service is bad. But is rather the way they manage the business.
First, there do not have a fixed attendant standing at one counter. when you want to order the food you must see who is available for there for you to order food.
Next, they really wasting the ordering paper. I do not understand that why can't they just add-on to our previous order. why must they use a new paper ? Aren't this world is moving toward green? ok , maybe i am too green !
Lastly, when we ask for the bill, to our horror , the manager told us that we cannot use the voucher together. * The voucher's T&C did not state that the voucher cannot be use together...nevermind about the T&C, the waitress knew that we are using the voucher way beforehand but no one come forward and inform us. it was till we ask for billing....well....i feel abit of getting con !
Well well .....leave all this bad experience there.
since we have another $50 voucher to use....we plan to use it today ...so we reserve the table again . We reserve it at 6pm but the waitress told us that we must be able to finish dinning at 8pm...well that leave us one and a half hour to dine....ok imagine, you order food and they serve food . this take half and hour * esp during peak hour serving food can be slow...we left 1 hour to dine. and i question myself, will we be enjoying ourselves if we were to be make finish dining within 1 hour .
FINE ! THAT's IT ! in the end we cancel the reserving.
CONCLUSION : there is no coordination in the restaurant even though the food is really nice but the service attitude....NAH !
Rating given:
Yes! The good old irresistible Scotts (Picnic) Beef Noodles is back, and can be found at B4 foodcourt - Food Opera, within ION Orchard Turn. This is the same famous stall that popularise the Beef Noodle Dry ($5.00) that comes with the thick, flavourful and yummy gravy.
Paired it with Chor Bee Hoon (Thick Vermicelli), Beef Balls, Sliced Beef, Beef Brisket and Beef Tripe and one gets a satisfying bowl of noodles.
Did HFB also mentioned that the small bowl of soup coupled with the dry version also tasted really flavoursome too! Ahhhh.... such wonderful memories.
You can view all the photos here.
Rating given:
If one was there for lunch, chances were they were in for 7atenine’s “Lunch Unlimited” offering @ $37 per pax – where there’s no menu in sight, and diners are subjected to unlimited elements of surprises and heighten anticipation by the chef.
First up, we had the Tomato and Thyme on Parmesan Biscuit – this was one of the two dishes that we did not complete. Uninspiring.
Another dish that looked better than it tasted, the pairing of Thai Asparagus Rolls with Wasabi just didn’t make the grade for HFB in this instance. The veggie was slightly tough too.
Sadly, the Homemade Ravioli with Parmesan Cheese and Ebi Bisque was flavoursome in a bad way - the cheese totally overwhelmed this dish i.e. the prawn flavoured broth waned in comparison.
To be honest, HFB certainly didn’t expect to spot the Maguro Sushi with Roe at his table. It wasn’t bad, but it certainly didn’t impressed. Perhaps the whole Japanese dish served in a western restaurant concept didn’t resonated well with him.
However, if there was any reason why HFB would be back at this establishment, the Beef Roll with Parmesan and Wild Herbs alone would sufficed as the answer. Served atop a piece of hot rock, one gets to enjoy the very bottom of the beef cooked, the middle portion medium rare, and the top raw. The play on the texture was amazing, the meat was succulent and the parmesan complemented the dish. We certainly did request for repeated servings of this dish.
The Crispy Pork Belly with Apple Puree was another brilliant dish. Nicely crisp on the exterior, the sweet and savoury combination also flourished. Marvellous!
The Jerusalem Artichoke Puree with Foam was flavourful despite its lacklustre appearance. HFB enjoyed this!
However, none can be said about the Cucumber Gazpacho with Crouton. It didn’t work well for HFB - acting as a palate cleanser, he found it too “green” for his liking.
The Caesar Salad was another one of the "ordinary" dishes that day - nothing quite wrong, yet nothing striking.
Another reorder we had was the Seared Scallops with Avocado Mousse and Red Grapefruit. The scallops were really sweet, luscious and nicely seared. HFB though craved the scallops to be bigger.
The Crab Salad Wrapped with Onion was the other dish that was left unfinished. Although in its defence, HFB had to say he enjoyed this dish pretty much. His guess was one probably need to enjoy onions to appreciate this dish. He surely did.
The Tuna Tartare with Miso Jelly was a dish of hits and misses. While he truly enjoyed the tuna, HFB felt that the miso jelly didn’t quite make the grade – its texture was chewy and the assortments of veggies within just didn’t quite gel.
Simply called the 7atenine Burger, the beef patties were really yummy and goes really well with the salsa coupled within. Only irk was that the bread was a tad oily.
One of their signatured dishes, the Udon Carbonara with Miso Scented Cream Reduction and Serrano Ham was in replacement of the beef roll, when we wanted for a third serving. Luckily for us, the Lolita of Spicc, Katharina, was gracious enough, as it was unavailable for the day’s lunch unlimited offering, to offer us a chance to savour her favourite dish. It was really a pleasant twist and in truth palatable, although HFB thought the noodles were slightly overcooked – al dente would have been much better welcomed.
Once we were done with the carbs, we signalled for the desserts to be served. The Cranberry Pastille with Chocolate Praline looked unimpressive yet it tasted oh so good. Simple yet packed a punch!
The Vanilla Mousse with Mango Ice-cream was really fruity and HFB thought it was a nice way to end the meal, along with Assorted Biscuits which went really well with our cup of coffee.
Overall, it was an out of the ordinary dining experience and although there were some misses with the dishes, there were others that makes a revisit a possibility.
You can view all the photos here.
Rating given:
I'm a sucker for Japanese food, so having it for lunch was quite a treat. If you are working near Paya Lebar, listen up. Suki Sushi has awesome lunch deals for the working crowd!
For more details, refer to my photos, I took a photo of the promo. But imagine having a full sized main course, with a full sized side dish and a cup of green tea for only $6.99! I thought that at such a low price, the portions served would be miserable, but boy was I wrong.
I ordered a Chicken Katsudon with a side dish of Mussel Mentai ($6.99) and they were good. The chicken was served promptly and the portions were huge. Crispy and tender, my only complain was that it was slightly plain tasting. But hey, at such a price, it's a steal! The four mussels were great, juicy and not too chewy, while the sauce was potent enough.
We also ordered a Cha Soba (it was gigantic!), Shishamo side dish and a Grilled Squid side dish which name I cannot remember for the life of me. Sorry la, too busy eating.
Oh and the Chawanmushi is only $0.99! The ingredients in it were not too stingy, there was still plenty of mushrooms, crabsticks and whatnot in it.
The bill for five of us came up to $54, after including all our extra sushi off the conveyor belt. Cheap or what!
The lunch special is extended to Saturdays and Sundays as well, so if you live near the area, trust me, it's worth a visit.
Rating given:
Probably riding on the hype of the popular Little Nonya TV series comes Jia Chuan Steamboat – a unique Nonya influenced Tom Yum steamboat recipe of chef, Mdm Elsie Lim. With her own brand of Peranakan-Chinese familiarity, the spice quotient of the Thai inspired broth is up with an extra serving of home-made nonya paste – made with up to 10 types of herbs and spices – for that extra punch!
For the non-fiery taste buds, one can also opt for the homemade Chicken Broth, or the Fish Broth that is slowed cooked for flavours using Flounder Fish, Ikan Bilis, and other homemade ingredients. You can even throw in Fried Red Snapper Fish Head and Fried Taco for that added fish head steamboat ‘experience’.
HFB sampled both the Tom Yum and Fish broth, and thought that the former was interesting but not awe-inspiring. Perhaps HFB was not used to it, but the broth was slightly too sweet for him, yet at the same time there existed a bitterness aftertaste from the Turmeric due to the constant boiling. The fish broth though was more familiar in taste due to the ikan bilis, and thus more welcoming and better appreciated. Highlights of the steamboat are the selection of homemade specialties such as meatballs (pork or chicken) made with Crabmeat, Prawns, Chestnut, Bamboo Shoots, etc.
But the one the really stood out was the Sotong Balls with Prawns – the sotong taste was evident and palatable.
The Pork Dumplings with Prawns also did not disappoint. It was hearty with a wholesome bite.
And what’s Chinese steamboat without pork, in the form of Pork Belly Slices. The greasy strips of fat gave the meat that added marbling texture. Succulent!
HFB was also asked to comment on the Beef Glue and Beef Ball that the establishment was trying to introduce to their menu.
While the former was essentially minced beef and nothing noteworthy, the beef balls are a shoo-in for their new menu. Chestnuts added to it also gave it an added crunch.
Another point to note include their tasty sweet chilli, reminiscent to that from Coca Steamboat. The sambal though is really spicy and not for the faint-hearted.
And do look out for their lighted signboard when you are driving into the area as the "cafe" or air-conditioned coffeeshop is easily miss.
Buddy Value Meal (2pax) is valued for $25 and comes with a choice of ONE meat (Beef, Chicken or Pork) and Steamboat Party Value Meal (3 to 5 pax) is valued at $48 and comes with a choice of TWO meat. No service charge and GST.
You can view all the photos here.
Rating given:
After hearing SOOOOoOoo much about Tao's for such a long time, I finally had the chance to step into Tao's! I was so excited.
Parking wasn't too much of a problem at Selegie Centre... however 3 hours cost us $10 . If it weren't raining so heavily when we arrived I reckon we would have parked elsewhere. The parking area was a little hard to find but easy (for the driver) to work her way about.
Because it was a weekday and it was just after lunch @ 2pm, the place was empty!! *happiness* We did make reservations though. I was told by my friend that reservations are a must if you wanted a weekend lunch/dinner.
They charge $19.80 (or was it $19.90) for a 6 course set lunch. I shan't dwell on the system they have here since everyone's talked about it.
We just went about picking whatever we liked from the menu.
I shall only comment on those I did taste. :)
Food ordered:
Bacon & Mushroom Gratin, served with Toasted Bread
This is an item we didn’t have a choice with in the menu. I’m not really a fan of gratin so I was a little hesitant. I didn’t quite take to the smell of the cheese they used for the gratin but it was generally alright for non-cheese lovers. A definite stay away if you dislike cheese though. The bread was heavenly. I LOVEEDDD it. I wished I could have more (it’s free flow) but I was afraid I couldn’t finish the rest of my meal. The bread was well toasted and can be eaten alone without the gratin at all.
Smoked Salmon Salad
My choice. My companions had the Fruit Salad and the Prawn Roll though. Nothing fantastic about my salad though I had some trouble finishing it as I found the salmon a little too salty after a few bites. The serving was just right though.
Cream of Pumpkin
I absolutely loved this soup. I was the only one not having the Shark fin one, which my companions raved about. But I loved the thickness of this pumpkin soup and the slight sweetness which made me finish it really quickly.
Grilled Snapper with Japanese Sauce
This is my main complaint I think. I definitely regretted this choice. The snapper was unevenly grilled and charred on one end but fine on the other. There was so much sauce poured over it and it certainly didn’t help that it was too salty. In reality, the snapper was quite tasty on its own, after much cleaning away of the sauce. I liked the pumpkin mash served with the snapper though. I would definitely go for the flounder next time.
Ice Rose Apple Tea
I like how the smell of the rose blended together with the taste of the apple in this one. And they even provided a fork for you to eat the apple. They serve their teas in this nice little pot with a tiny cup, so we had fun tasting each other’s tea.
Ice Summer Peach Tea
I LOVE THIS TEA! I like the aftertaste of the peach!
Brownie served with ice cream
Or should I say, ice-cream served with brownie? I finished it in 2 bites. Either my mouth’s big or… to give credit, the brownie is quite moist and not too dry. The nuts below should be cut up a little more so that it can be evenly distributed with each bite.
The total bill came up to $115 for 5 of us which is quite reasonable I guess. Topped with great service and smiles even though we were overstayers, it was a good experience after all.
I’m looking forward to going there again!
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Arab St is considered to be one of my favourite food haunts because they have so much good food there! My friends and I settled with Zac Cafe instead of Nabins because first, it's cheaper, and second, I was lazy to walk.
Since my friend knew the manager, he was very nice and friendly to us and accommodated most of our requests. Even though the rest of the service staff had deadpan faces, at least our food, drinks and cutlery arrived promptly.
I tried the Mixed Grilled Platter ($19.50), which consists of chicken and beef kebabs, grilled mutton, a couple of sausages of unknown meat origins and potato wedges. The waiter said it's enough for two to share, but it definitely wasn't enough for my friend and I! At least, she was full but I had space for more :(
Anyhow. The spices were great, meat was pretty okay, grilled nicely so it was still quite tender and juicy. Not exactly value for money, but it's considered to be one of the cheapest if you compare it to places like Cafe Le Caire, where the mixed kebabs could easily cost you over $20.
We also tried the Grilled Kofta Kebab ($7.50) served with rice and the Lamb Bamya (8.80) served with rice and salad. Pretty much the same as the grilled platter (:
Didn't manage to try the sheesha here though. I still prefer having my sheesha where I can sit and lounge around like a bum. Maybe next time (:
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I've been here twice. During my first visit, the food was slightly above average, the service staff were polite, friendly and helpful but the service was crazy slow. I waited more than 20 minutes for my pasta. I waited just as long during my second visit too. The restaurant wasn't even full, mind you.
The quality of food served on both occasions was so vastly different it makes you wonder whether you were in the right place.
The Chicky Cheese appetiser ($9.90) was juicy and crispy but the cheese poured over the chicken tasted somewhat like the cheese salsa dip they serve at Long John Silvers, albeit a strangely diluted version. Even the LJS version tastes better.
I ordered the Chilli Soft Shell Crab Pasta ($15.90) on both occasions. The sauce attempts to emulate the very same sauce of our local chilli crab dish and was pretty tasty the first time round. The soft shell crab was crispy, the sauce was decent.
However, during my second visit, the portions were significantly smaller and the dish lacked the oomph of the one I had on my last visit. The soft shell crab was soggy and the sauce was bland. It seemed shocking that within a month, their standard could take a drastic nosedive.
I can't remember what pasta my boyfriend ordered, but the portion was at least twice the size of mine, with lots of beef. Obviously, the beef was not left to defrost judging from the way they clumped together.
This restaurant is definitely one with a bi-polar disorder. I don't think I'll be visiting this place again, even with their attractive 100% rebate for Citibank cardmembers.
No pictures because obviously, they weren't exactly worth taking.
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Read a rave review about Claypot Fun in one edition of the Sunday Times so made it a point to try it out one weekday afternoon (The very day the article was published, I attempted to try it out but was put off by the 45min wait for a table). Apparently the outfit is a collaboration between the Jumbo Group, Palm Beach and Seafood International.
This newest entrant to the culinary scene at Big Splash is tucked in between a ramen shop and Starbucks. The interior is tiny and can probably seat about 20 odd pax while the tiny alfresco area can take another 10 tops. You probably wouldn't want to sit outside unless you don't mind the queue forming just behind you. One thing that irks me about this place is the seeming biasness in table allocation. Apparently the booth seats are meant for 4 pax and above and we only had 3, so we didn't qualify. However I spotted 2 people sharing one such booth and when I questioned the waitress, she said that there were 4 people. Well I sure didn't see an extra 2 people when they paid up and left.
Watercress Pork Rib Soup - I thought that the watercress soup was a good start to the meal - light yet savoury. However the ribs were limited to 3 small pieces that looked more like a joke then anything else. Then again, its $5.20, so I probably shouldn't be expecting much.
Sesame Chicken - I'm no fan of sesame chicken and this one wasn't just about to change my mind. The chicken pieces, though soft, were very oily and portion size was small. Overall an average dish.
Claypot Rice with Chinese Sausage - Amidst all the hype about the claypot rice, I was disappointed to say the least. And I'm sure I echo the sentiments of my dining partners as well. Apparently the claypot rice was done (according to the waitress) HK style, which meant no black sauce. In lieu was a concoction of sesame oil and soy sauce, which had to be added by the customer himself/herself or by the wait staff upon request. I noticed that the "sauce" was segregated into 2 layers because oil floats and what went into our rice was mainly sesame oil. That obviously didn't sit well with any of us as the rice was quite oily yet dry at the same time. The Chinese sausages were alright but I prefer mine drier.
See all my pictures here.
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I discovered this quaint little coffee joint along Bali lane only because my friend introduced it to me. I never knew it existed, since it's often overshadowed by Blue Jazz and Masquerade in that row...
But I'm glad I discovered it because it's an awesome place to chill out! There are seats upstairs as well, and there are sofas as well as this platform area with lots of cushions on the floor where you can just lounge around or play games they provide there (spotted boggle and scrabble among the pile...)
We went there after dinner so there was no space for food, but plenty for drinks and dessert. Bring on the chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream! Granted, it wasn't the best I've ever tasted, but it's pretty decent and well-presented at $7.50. Could be warmer and a little more oozy though.
The drinks there are comparable with TCC and Coffee Club. My friends order the Hazelnut Latte and some other latte I can't remember and they loved it. But they thought the smoothies were a little too sour for their liking. I had a sinfully rich hot chocolate for $5, which I thought was pretty decent.
The service is decent, ambiance and music is great and drinks are nice. Would definitely patronise this place again!
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