I bought my DARLING MR CASH here at Happy Paws.. After much tedious research and hunting... I finally found the PET HAVEN OF SINGAPORE.. Its not some pet farm.. its not a ulu place like deep in the some reserves.. its right at serangoon north.... West landers like me will not know such a place until you have read enough blogs and forums to find out...
I went to farmway, went to SPCA, however i could not find the THE ONE... and after much hunting, found my darling guinea pig which i named him MR CASH at Happy Paws.....
There are many shops there... selling Chinchillas, Dogs, Cats, Birds, Hamsters, Rabbits, Guinea Pigs and Fishes.. however upon viewing so many shops, i decided to buy my first REAL PET at Happy Paws.. and the reason is obvious...
First, they have a comprehensive range of products and the prices are very reasonable.. on top of that they have given me good discounts...
Second... I saw 2 well kept and cleaned caged guinea pigs.. unlike some where the cages are so dirty and you wonder if you are bringing back a sick pet which will just pass on in a few days... I was glad when i asked to hold the gp i chose before commiting to buy i was declined as handling them will make them frightened.. i'm sure my pig is going to survive.....
The things i bought included cages, pellets, cat's litter bedding, water bottle, shit bowl, hay and Mr Cash.... When I asked, they actually took the time to help me fix up everything, dress up the cage before putting Mr Cash in.. and they also included his toy ball he was playing with and the apple sticks he chews on.... Before putting him in his new house... The owner actually talks to him, cooed him and whisper some soothing words to him and it really helps calm him down.....
She then advices me on him.. telling me what are his favourite food and how to handle him.... Matter of fact she had his brother which is one of the earlier batch from the same parantage and his brother was such a big boy in such good conditions... I was impressed when she told me she feeds them organic carrots and corns as treats and I'm so sure... MR Cash is going to be so healthy....
If you are looking for a pet, or pet supplies or any grooming services, you can put your trust in Happy Paws Pet Kiosk.... as I know my pets are in good hands when they are with them.... Such passionate animal lovers are the most important criteria in grooming, caring and even introducing you the best they can offer for the well being of your companion.... Most importantly.. they are associated with a REASONABLE PRICE...
If you feel particularly chinese today, then you should lunch as hand in hand.... Though i like the name of the restaurant, i however do not like to hold hands with rude waitresses...
I was trying to get a quick bite one busy afternoon at jurong point where it seems like EVERYWHERE is packed.... Oh.. School Holidays Again and when i saw there are special in-house seats for these restaurants in the food court, i have no choice but to get in as there are the only seats available.
There again.. friendly calls that promises nothing but good food and friendly services still gets a hold of me.. however they are nothing but empty promises.. and the worse thing is I get conned again and again, hoping that things wll improve. This lady at the counter attracted me with the good variety of spread in the menu and most of all.. available seats..... I mean, one can't help but want to get away from crowds and so... i took the bait and went in hoping to get a good meal..
As i admired the deco, which is typically china chinese style, I was rudely offered some cutleries with a bang on the table.... There she goes.. stating all the famous dishes and me and my pal basically chose some noodles and giving the dumplings a miss... She hounded on about how good the dumpling are and blah blah blah but when i ask for some warm water, she told me there was none.... Not Even Tap Water.....
The food came in about 10 mins and while the food court is bustling away... I was stranded with my poor pal in a quiet corner in this part of beijing... However, the fried noodles was quite nice... chewy and well flavoured noodles with some prawns, veg and other stuffs. The braised beef noodles were good as well.... The soup savoury and beef soft... We also tried the century egg toufoo which however is not to my liking... I find it too plain but my pal thinks its nice...
All In All.. the food was great and if these chinese friends can have more social responsibility in providing better services and more kindness.. It would just be great... Heal the world... Make it a better place... For you and for me and the Great China.....
Nihon Mura is part of the Sakura group of restaurants dominating the buffet lanes in Singapore.
My first impression of the Tampines outlet has since been altered recently in my subsequent visits to this restaurant.
The Cathay outlet is similar to the other outlets in terms of its decor and food offerings but the entire place is almost always packed with people and the queues are quite amazing.
The food has improved a whole lot since i've last been here and the quality of sushi is also a step above the last visit with new $1.99 plates of premium sushi that usually would have cost about $5.99 at a rival restuarant.
The salmon sashimi here is definitely worth a try. I'm not sure why but its very tender, cold and sweet as compared to other places. Including my favorite Wasabi Tei. @ $5.99 for 6 pieces of reasonable size, this place has stolen my heart for salmon sashimi to eat. The rest of the sashimi i've tried are ho hum though. So just go for the salmon sashimi.
All said and done, the new offerings and good salmon sashimi has won me over and i will indeed be returning for more.
Le Grenier a Pain originated from Paris France under the leadership of Michel Galloyer. The bakery has since accumulated multiple accolades before being franchised into Singapore by Ms Ellis Noval in an attempt to bring authentic French pastries into Singapore.
The pastry on sale has taken up a decidedly Singaporean flair with local favorites such as ham, bacon and even chicken curry flavors to appeal to the locals. Within it, you will find fancy named breads and cakes along with a rather high end price tag. In terms of the pastry, i bought about $15 worth of bread with a Chocolate fondant being the more expensive item. Tastewise, its mostly above average with the bread being soft and crusty and the chocolate being of better quality then usual. Cream and custard were both light and airy without impacting its taste. The fondant came across as average because we overbaked it and it turned out to be more chocolate sponge cake then an actual fondant.
Overall score: 6/10
Last word: I love eating bread but i simply am not able to stomach the cost thats levied on them by this bakery. In fact, when i saw how much the bread cost, i was rather shocked that 5 pieces of bread with a chocolate fondant could cause $15. I was also unable to ascertain the reason for the cost through taste but maybe thats just a personal issue of not understanding quality bread when i have one. For me, i'll probably stick with the local brands for now.
I've always had a thing for reclusive enclaves like that of Portsdown, with its lush greenery and quaint little restaurants that lead you away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. And the area welcomes its newest tenant, an Italian restaurant specializing in pastas going by the name of Soprano (which in singing terms is a voice that has a vocal range that spans 2 octaves - roughly middle C to Soprano C) that opened just 2 weeks ago. Maybe the restaurant aspires to soar to great heights?
Located along Portsdown Road just opposite the building that houses Pietrasanta and cooking academy Palate Sensations, Soprano's sizeable compound comes with its own mini carpark, lawn and pool (not sure if it belongs to Soprano though). There is an option of al fresco seating or indoor seating, with the former perfect for chilling out on a cooling/windy afternoon or evening and the latter a life saver on warm days (the air conditioning seemed to be at a minimum when I was there that afternoon though).
The appetisers consisted of baby onions, onions and a mixture of button mushrooms, olives and capsicums - all of which provided a nice way to start off the meal. The bread on the other hand, wasn't served warm and tasted like ordinary baguette, albeit much denser in the center. Nothing impressive.
Bruschetta - I am actually quite perplexed by the amount of salad that came with the bruschetta. It formed the bulk of this dish save for generous helpings of halved cherry tomatoes atop 2 slices of ciabatta bread. Shouldn't the bread take center stage here? That aside, the ciabatta was toasted to a crisp and sprinkled with olive oil and fine salt granules, giving it a nice resounding texture marrying the sweetness and plumpness of the cherry tomatoes. Given the price ($9), not something I would order again though.
Linguine Aragostina - For $15 a pop, this was a steal honestly. You get 2 halves of a baby lobster served with al dente linguine in a robust and spicy (check out the cut chillis) tomato base sauce. If you prefer other sorts of pasta besides linguine, the aragostina option is also open to spaghetti. They need to fix the problem with the baby lobster though. It wasn't stale but it wasn't exactly fresh either, coming across as a little fishy.
Ravioli Ai Funghi Porcini e Tartufo - This was a cream based pasta and tended to be rather overwhelming after a few mouthfuls. But that wasn't to say that it wasn't good. The ravioli skin was not too thick and came with cheese and spinach stuffing (you can choose what stuffing you would like) in a sea of thick fragrant creamy gravy. I personally thought that the porcini mushrooms tasted great as well - crunchy with a nice woody taste.
Tiramisu - There was something different about this tiramisu. The mascarpone cheese was really yellowish in colour, probably due to the excess addition of egg yolks. I couldn't quite make out any substantial difference though except it being more dense then usual. The sponge to mascarpone ratio was rather lopsided in favour of the cheese. Whatever sponge fingers there were at the bottom was soaked in weak coffee, which meant that this was a teetotaler's rendition. Overall a decent dessert.
Profiterole - The profiterole was complimentary of Soprano and came stuffed with milk chocolate mousse drenched in chilled liquid white chocolate. I am a sucker for such stuff and honestly this is the first time I'm seeing a restaurant in Singapore serving profiteroles drenched in chocolate, which is the way they do it in France. Simple decadent! I wonder how much this goes for though because desserts are not listed on the menu.
$52.80 for 2 pax isn't expensive given the portions of food and decent quality (save for the baby lobster). Throw in reasonably good service and a charming environment and you have a serious contender in the portsdown dining scene. Prices for most pastas hover around the $15-$16 range and lets hope they keep it that way. There is also no GST, only service charge, which is definitely a plus and don't be shy to ask for tap water.
So what is nice at Yantra? Absolutely everything. The ambience is dark, but appealing. The food is normal but exquisite. Sounds contradictory? Unless you have dined in Yantra you will not know what I am blabbling forth.
Food is normal because what you get is chicken, naan and papadum. Almost what you can get at any Indian eatery. But exquisite because I do not know what they did with the chicken! The Chicken Bharta was curry without the overwhelming curry taste but had a tinge of sweetness and spiced up herbal flavour. Together with the garlic naan, which was warm, fluffy and just right garlic taste made it stand out for the evening. Just like eating pita bread with hummus or so it seems.
There seems to be different kinds of bread that we could eat here, much like the prata place serving up different kinds of prata. So what did we order next? The Rumali Roti if I could remember clearly. It was paper thin and reminded me of unleavened bread... I learned later that Rumali means handkerchief and the name comes from the fact that this roti was rolled up as thin as possible to resemble handkerchief. Just hope the chef does not mistaken it as handkerchief and start to sneeze into it...oops.
It was a light dinner and did not consider ourselves too hungry to try other things but this was satisfying for the moment. Maybe will try the desserts another time. Nice place, nice food but not too nice price.
How often do you get a big bowl of noodles cooked by a handsome and macho hawker? Chances are not very high, although HFB spotted one located at Kovan Hougang Market & Food Centre.
It always makes me wonder why there is always such a long queue outside Fa Ji Noodles stall – are the noodles really that great-tasting or are they simply adoring fans of the hawker himself?
If you don’t believe, you can see it for yourself (In fact HFB thought he distinctively like look an older, more macho copy of Krisandro – are you guys related?).
At $3.00 for a bowl or Minced Pork Noodle Dry, HFB thought the noodles and ingredients were really generous – Minced pork, Fishcake, Pig Liver, Meatball, and dash of Braised Mushrooms!
Although HFB did felt that the Vinegar was slightly overpowering, the Chilli within more than made up for it. Noodles were cooked just right, thus making the whole bowl of minced pork noodles an instant gratification!
Being a glutton, HFB wouldn’t stop at just a bowl of noodles (of course). A bowl of Meatball Soup ($3.00) was added to the order, but somehow it kinda missed the mark. The meatballs are the softer, none the chewy, meatier type.
Somehow HFB is more of a sucker for those supermarkets off-the-shelf meatballs (tip: look out for the ones with the lion dance packaging, they taste really awesome!!!).
Spring Ju Chun Yuan - a collaboration between Far East Hospitality and Ju Chun Yuan, which is known for its Fuzhou cuisine in China. Apparently the boss of Far East ate at the restaurant in China and was so impressed by the food that he decided to bring it to Singapore, lock, stock and barrel with no modifications done to suit the Singaporean palate. And Ju Chun Yuan's claim to fame? It's purportedly the birth place of the extremely pricey and decadent "Buddha Jumps Over The Wall" (佛跳墙).
Aptly located at Far East Square, Ju Chun Yuan is housed in a conserved Chinese courtyard complete with traditional frontage and a tiled roof from ancient Chinese times as well as bamboo shoots flanking the walkway that leads to the restaurant. The interior however, is modern Chinese with a touch of class and sophistication.
Three Delicacies "Min Appetizers" Combination - The first of the three delicacies - Cashew nuts lightly coated with sugar to give it a mild sweetness and sheen. Nice and crunchy and I happen to have a weakness for cashews so this suited me just fine. The second delicacy was essentially winter melon strips dipped into orange syrup. The strips had a nice crunch and tasted mildy sweet with a zesty tinge of orange. Great as a snack. Third was the cucumber slices that had a mild and sharp spicy taste to it. Not a big fan of cucumbers though, so I didn't venture past my first piece.
Pan Fried Cod Fish with House Recipes - According to the waitress, the house recipe contained about 10 different spices in it and I was sold, especially when you throw cod fish into the equation. But honestly, it didn't quite pan out as expected. Sure, the sauce was mildly sweet and very light but the batter coating on the fish slices was a little too thick and I couldn't quite make out the texture of the cod nor the sweetness of the flesh. Disappointing.
Braised Beancurd with Vegetables Served in Fuzhou Style - Beancurd is comfort food to me and I like it done in any way, well almost. I don't exactly know what fuzhou style tofu entails but this dish tasted like normal braised beancurd (红烧豆府) to me. Average but edible.
Braised "Lychee" Minced Pork with Water Chestnut - I opted for this dish because I was intrigued by lychee, water chestnut and minced pork together in 1 dish. It turned out to be a most unwise decision. For starters, the minced pork comprised mostly fatty pork and carried an overwhelming pork taste. The lump of chestnut in the center of the meat ball added a nice crunch to it while the drizzled sauce tasted sweet, very much like those you would find on sweet and sour pork (咕噜肉). There was no taste of lychee whatsoever.
Fried Rice with Minced Shrimp and Egg White Served in Fuzhou Style - As aesthetically pleasing as the fried rice looked with its homogeneously egg coated grains of rice, it fell short in taste. There was no discernible wok hei taste and the whole dish lacked any flavour to the extent of being bland. Still edible though as the rice was soft and moist with reasonable servings of chopped prawns and other condiments. One thing I realised was that the rice seemed more steamed then fried. The restaurant probably steamed it for quite a bit before doing a fast fry with minimal oil.
Cold White Fungus with Osmanthus Syrup - A light and sweet cold white fungus dessert with floral connotations from the osmanthus to end off the disappointing meal. As average as it gets.
Fuzhou Yam Pudding - I had been dying to try out Ju Chun Yuan's rendition of my favourite dessert, yam pudding, ever since it was billed as one of the best by local media sometime back. On hindsight, I should have known about the overhyping that plagues most local media these days. Though the yam pudding was smooth, it retained little moisture, making it a tad dry. It wasn't fragrant either, probably due to the minimal or lack of lard. What was different was the addition of sesame seeds, which really boils down to personal preference.
Dinner for 2 cost to the tune of $71, which isn't expensive for the quantity and variety of food. However, quality is suspect, which does make $71 seem a little over the top. To be fair, it may be because I am not used to authentic Fuzhou cuisine like the way they do it in China? Either that, or they really need to work on their food.
I decided on Visage over places like Striped and Honeypot for my virgin brazilian waxing session because they have been around much longer than the others.
It seems like a strange reason, but I'm the type who believes in well-established brands (:
They leave you alone to get washed up first and even though the towels are in serious need of fabric softeners, I can't complain about the level of hygiene. Most important factor when it comes to waxing!
I have to say I'm pretty satisfied by the service there. Firstly, the staff are friendly. My waxer, (is that how you address them?) Evonne, is really professional and puts me at ease before getting down to business, so it's less awkward.
She explains exactly what she's going to do and warns you about the pain factor. Also, she applies just enough pressure on the skin right after the ripping to lessen the pain. This is done in quite a short time too.
But trust me when I say waxing is painful. I thought my navel piercing was bad, but this is at least 1000 times worse! Well worth it, though. The smoothness is great!
It's a bit pricey but I like it that it's in a less popular part of Orchard so there's a BIT more privacy... I think.
Went to this place for lunch before going for a performance. Being a dessert lover, was attracted here by the replicas of the desserts outside the store. This place is noisy, being an enclosed area and people around talking loudly and a constant flow of customers.
I ordered Beef Stew and Ichigo Milk Parfait. While my friends ordered the Beef curry rice and some mushroom pasta which I forgot the name.
Soup base for the beef stew was tomato which was too sour for my liking. Though I will give a thumbs up for the beefy taste of the beef and its great texture. Other ingredients in the bowl are brocoli and carrots cooked just right to retain some crunchiness. I did not finish my bowl of pasta though, as the portion of pasta was too large with comparatively small portion of other ingredients.
Beef curry was too sweet and taste just like any other curried rice. Nothing special.
I did try some of the soup for the clear mushroom base pasta. Salty was the word and nothing else to it. Though the portion was upsized, it doesn't look like much cept for the taller bowl that made eating difficult.
Ichigo Milk Parfait saved the day with the Milky ice cream not too sweet, creamily smooth (yum yum~~) and blended well with the sweet ichigo lined on top. However, the pool of ichigo sauce at the bottom of the cup spoils a little for me as the concentration was too sweet to eat with the cornflakes. Without this, this dessert would be perfect~
Service of the restaurant was not so desired though. The male service crew kept appearing behind me (towered over me) though he could have stood at the side of our table and we could hear him well (vice versa). Got a shocked from him on several occasions plus the fact I was wearing a dress with low V cutting added to the annoyance.
Nevertheless, menu was quite extensive and we were spoiled for choices. Will definitely visit again to try its other kinds of pasta and of course the ichigo milk parfait ;D
1=SGD 0.0587
I bought my DARLING MR CASH here at Happy Paws.. After much tedious research and hunting... I finally found the PET HAVEN OF SINGAPORE.. Its not some pet farm.. its not a ulu place like deep in the some reserves.. its right at serangoon north.... West landers like me will not know such a place until you have read enough blogs and forums to find out...
I went to farmway, went to SPCA, however i could not find the THE ONE... and after much hunting, found my darling guinea pig which i named him MR CASH at Happy Paws.....
There are many shops there... selling Chinchillas, Dogs, Cats, Birds, Hamsters, Rabbits, Guinea Pigs and Fishes.. however upon viewing so many shops, i decided to buy my first REAL PET at Happy Paws.. and the reason is obvious...
First, they have a comprehensive range of products and the prices are very reasonable.. on top of that they have given me good discounts...
Second... I saw 2 well kept and cleaned caged guinea pigs.. unlike some where the cages are so dirty and you wonder if you are bringing back a sick pet which will just pass on in a few days... I was glad when i asked to hold the gp i chose before commiting to buy i was declined as handling them will make them frightened.. i'm sure my pig is going to survive.....
The things i bought included cages, pellets, cat's litter bedding, water bottle, shit bowl, hay and Mr Cash.... When I asked, they actually took the time to help me fix up everything, dress up the cage before putting Mr Cash in.. and they also included his toy ball he was playing with and the apple sticks he chews on.... Before putting him in his new house... The owner actually talks to him, cooed him and whisper some soothing words to him and it really helps calm him down.....
She then advices me on him.. telling me what are his favourite food and how to handle him.... Matter of fact she had his brother which is one of the earlier batch from the same parantage and his brother was such a big boy in such good conditions... I was impressed when she told me she feeds them organic carrots and corns as treats and I'm so sure... MR Cash is going to be so healthy....
If you are looking for a pet, or pet supplies or any grooming services, you can put your trust in Happy Paws Pet Kiosk.... as I know my pets are in good hands when they are with them.... Such passionate animal lovers are the most important criteria in grooming, caring and even introducing you the best they can offer for the well being of your companion.... Most importantly.. they are associated with a REASONABLE PRICE...
Rating given:
If you feel particularly chinese today, then you should lunch as hand in hand.... Though i like the name of the restaurant, i however do not like to hold hands with rude waitresses...
I was trying to get a quick bite one busy afternoon at jurong point where it seems like EVERYWHERE is packed.... Oh.. School Holidays Again and when i saw there are special in-house seats for these restaurants in the food court, i have no choice but to get in as there are the only seats available.
There again.. friendly calls that promises nothing but good food and friendly services still gets a hold of me.. however they are nothing but empty promises.. and the worse thing is I get conned again and again, hoping that things wll improve. This lady at the counter attracted me with the good variety of spread in the menu and most of all.. available seats..... I mean, one can't help but want to get away from crowds and so... i took the bait and went in hoping to get a good meal..
As i admired the deco, which is typically china chinese style, I was rudely offered some cutleries with a bang on the table.... There she goes.. stating all the famous dishes and me and my pal basically chose some noodles and giving the dumplings a miss... She hounded on about how good the dumpling are and blah blah blah but when i ask for some warm water, she told me there was none.... Not Even Tap Water.....
The food came in about 10 mins and while the food court is bustling away... I was stranded with my poor pal in a quiet corner in this part of beijing... However, the fried noodles was quite nice... chewy and well flavoured noodles with some prawns, veg and other stuffs. The braised beef noodles were good as well.... The soup savoury and beef soft... We also tried the century egg toufoo which however is not to my liking... I find it too plain but my pal thinks its nice...
All In All.. the food was great and if these chinese friends can have more social responsibility in providing better services and more kindness.. It would just be great... Heal the world... Make it a better place... For you and for me and the Great China.....
Rating given:
Nihon Mura is part of the Sakura group of restaurants dominating the buffet lanes in Singapore.
My first impression of the Tampines outlet has since been altered recently in my subsequent visits to this restaurant.
The Cathay outlet is similar to the other outlets in terms of its decor and food offerings but the entire place is almost always packed with people and the queues are quite amazing.
The food has improved a whole lot since i've last been here and the quality of sushi is also a step above the last visit with new $1.99 plates of premium sushi that usually would have cost about $5.99 at a rival restuarant.
The salmon sashimi here is definitely worth a try. I'm not sure why but its very tender, cold and sweet as compared to other places. Including my favorite Wasabi Tei. @ $5.99 for 6 pieces of reasonable size, this place has stolen my heart for salmon sashimi to eat. The rest of the sashimi i've tried are ho hum though. So just go for the salmon sashimi.
All said and done, the new offerings and good salmon sashimi has won me over and i will indeed be returning for more.
Rating given:
Le Grenier a Pain originated from Paris France under the leadership of Michel Galloyer. The bakery has since accumulated multiple accolades before being franchised into Singapore by Ms Ellis Noval in an attempt to bring authentic French pastries into Singapore.
The pastry on sale has taken up a decidedly Singaporean flair with local favorites such as ham, bacon and even chicken curry flavors to appeal to the locals. Within it, you will find fancy named breads and cakes along with a rather high end price tag.
In terms of the pastry, i bought about $15 worth of bread with a Chocolate fondant being the more expensive item. Tastewise, its mostly above average with the bread being soft and crusty and the chocolate being of better quality then usual. Cream and custard were both light and airy without impacting its taste.
The fondant came across as average because we overbaked it and it turned out to be more chocolate sponge cake then an actual fondant.
Overall score: 6/10
Last word:
I love eating bread but i simply am not able to stomach the cost thats levied on them by this bakery. In fact, when i saw how much the bread cost, i was rather shocked that 5 pieces of bread with a chocolate fondant could cause $15. I was also unable to ascertain the reason for the cost through taste but maybe thats just a personal issue of not understanding quality bread when i have one. For me, i'll probably stick with the local brands for now.
Rating given:
I've always had a thing for reclusive enclaves like that of Portsdown, with its lush greenery and quaint little restaurants that lead you away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. And the area welcomes its newest tenant, an Italian restaurant specializing in pastas going by the name of Soprano (which in singing terms is a voice that has a vocal range that spans 2 octaves - roughly middle C to Soprano C) that opened just 2 weeks ago. Maybe the restaurant aspires to soar to great heights?
Located along Portsdown Road just opposite the building that houses Pietrasanta and cooking academy Palate Sensations, Soprano's sizeable compound comes with its own mini carpark, lawn and pool (not sure if it belongs to Soprano though). There is an option of al fresco seating or indoor seating, with the former perfect for chilling out on a cooling/windy afternoon or evening and the latter a life saver on warm days (the air conditioning seemed to be at a minimum when I was there that afternoon though).
The appetisers consisted of baby onions, onions and a mixture of button mushrooms, olives and capsicums - all of which provided a nice way to start off the meal. The bread on the other hand, wasn't served warm and tasted like ordinary baguette, albeit much denser in the center. Nothing impressive.
Bruschetta - I am actually quite perplexed by the amount of salad that came with the bruschetta. It formed the bulk of this dish save for generous helpings of halved cherry tomatoes atop 2 slices of ciabatta bread. Shouldn't the bread take center stage here? That aside, the ciabatta was toasted to a crisp and sprinkled with olive oil and fine salt granules, giving it a nice resounding texture marrying the sweetness and plumpness of the cherry tomatoes. Given the price ($9), not something I would order again though.
Linguine Aragostina - For $15 a pop, this was a steal honestly. You get 2 halves of a baby lobster served with al dente linguine in a robust and spicy (check out the cut chillis) tomato base sauce. If you prefer other sorts of pasta besides linguine, the aragostina option is also open to spaghetti. They need to fix the problem with the baby lobster though. It wasn't stale but it wasn't exactly fresh either, coming across as a little fishy.
Ravioli Ai Funghi Porcini e Tartufo - This was a cream based pasta and tended to be rather overwhelming after a few mouthfuls. But that wasn't to say that it wasn't good. The ravioli skin was not too thick and came with cheese and spinach stuffing (you can choose what stuffing you would like) in a sea of thick fragrant creamy gravy. I personally thought that the porcini mushrooms tasted great as well - crunchy with a nice woody taste.
Tiramisu - There was something different about this tiramisu. The mascarpone cheese was really yellowish in colour, probably due to the excess addition of egg yolks. I couldn't quite make out any substantial difference though except it being more dense then usual. The sponge to mascarpone ratio was rather lopsided in favour of the cheese. Whatever sponge fingers there were at the bottom was soaked in weak coffee, which meant that this was a teetotaler's rendition. Overall a decent dessert.
Profiterole - The profiterole was complimentary of Soprano and came stuffed with milk chocolate mousse drenched in chilled liquid white chocolate. I am a sucker for such stuff and honestly this is the first time I'm seeing a restaurant in Singapore serving profiteroles drenched in chocolate, which is the way they do it in France. Simple decadent! I wonder how much this goes for though because desserts are not listed on the menu.
$52.80 for 2 pax isn't expensive given the portions of food and decent quality (save for the baby lobster). Throw in reasonably good service and a charming environment and you have a serious contender in the portsdown dining scene. Prices for most pastas hover around the $15-$16 range and lets hope they keep it that way. There is also no GST, only service charge, which is definitely a plus and don't be shy to ask for tap water.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
So what is nice at Yantra? Absolutely everything. The ambience is dark, but appealing. The food is normal but exquisite. Sounds contradictory? Unless you have dined in Yantra you will not know what I am blabbling forth.
Food is normal because what you get is chicken, naan and papadum. Almost what you can get at any Indian eatery. But exquisite because I do not know what they did with the chicken! The Chicken Bharta was curry without the overwhelming curry taste but had a tinge of sweetness and spiced up herbal flavour. Together with the garlic naan, which was warm, fluffy and just right garlic taste made it stand out for the evening. Just like eating pita bread with hummus or so it seems.
There seems to be different kinds of bread that we could eat here, much like the prata place serving up different kinds of prata. So what did we order next? The Rumali Roti if I could remember clearly. It was paper thin and reminded me of unleavened bread... I learned later that Rumali means handkerchief and the name comes from the fact that this roti was rolled up as thin as possible to resemble handkerchief. Just hope the chef does not mistaken it as handkerchief and start to sneeze into it...oops.
It was a light dinner and did not consider ourselves too hungry to try other things but this was satisfying for the moment. Maybe will try the desserts another time. Nice place, nice food but not too nice price.
Rating given:
How often do you get a big bowl of noodles cooked by a handsome and macho hawker? Chances are not very high, although HFB spotted one located at Kovan Hougang Market & Food Centre.
It always makes me wonder why there is always such a long queue outside Fa Ji Noodles stall – are the noodles really that great-tasting or are they simply adoring fans of the hawker himself?
If you don’t believe, you can see it for yourself (In fact HFB thought he distinctively like look an older, more macho copy of Krisandro – are you guys related?).
At $3.00 for a bowl or Minced Pork Noodle Dry, HFB thought the noodles and ingredients were really generous – Minced pork, Fishcake, Pig Liver, Meatball, and dash of Braised Mushrooms!
Although HFB did felt that the Vinegar was slightly overpowering, the Chilli within more than made up for it. Noodles were cooked just right, thus making the whole bowl of minced pork noodles an instant gratification!
Being a glutton, HFB wouldn’t stop at just a bowl of noodles (of course). A bowl of Meatball Soup ($3.00) was added to the order, but somehow it kinda missed the mark. The meatballs are the softer, none the chewy, meatier type.
Somehow HFB is more of a sucker for those supermarkets off-the-shelf meatballs (tip: look out for the ones with the lion dance packaging, they taste really awesome!!!).
You can view all the photos here.
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Spring Ju Chun Yuan - a collaboration between Far East Hospitality and Ju Chun Yuan, which is known for its Fuzhou cuisine in China. Apparently the boss of Far East ate at the restaurant in China and was so impressed by the food that he decided to bring it to Singapore, lock, stock and barrel with no modifications done to suit the Singaporean palate. And Ju Chun Yuan's claim to fame? It's purportedly the birth place of the extremely pricey and decadent "Buddha Jumps Over The Wall" (佛跳墙).
Aptly located at Far East Square, Ju Chun Yuan is housed in a conserved Chinese courtyard complete with traditional frontage and a tiled roof from ancient Chinese times as well as bamboo shoots flanking the walkway that leads to the restaurant. The interior however, is modern Chinese with a touch of class and sophistication.
Three Delicacies "Min Appetizers" Combination - The first of the three delicacies - Cashew nuts lightly coated with sugar to give it a mild sweetness and sheen. Nice and crunchy and I happen to have a weakness for cashews so this suited me just fine. The second delicacy was essentially winter melon strips dipped into orange syrup. The strips had a nice crunch and tasted mildy sweet with a zesty tinge of orange. Great as a snack. Third was the cucumber slices that had a mild and sharp spicy taste to it. Not a big fan of cucumbers though, so I didn't venture past my first piece.
Pan Fried Cod Fish with House Recipes - According to the waitress, the house recipe contained about 10 different spices in it and I was sold, especially when you throw cod fish into the equation. But honestly, it didn't quite pan out as expected. Sure, the sauce was mildly sweet and very light but the batter coating on the fish slices was a little too thick and I couldn't quite make out the texture of the cod nor the sweetness of the flesh. Disappointing.
Braised Beancurd with Vegetables Served in Fuzhou Style - Beancurd is comfort food to me and I like it done in any way, well almost. I don't exactly know what fuzhou style tofu entails but this dish tasted like normal braised beancurd (红烧豆府) to me. Average but edible.
Braised "Lychee" Minced Pork with Water Chestnut - I opted for this dish because I was intrigued by lychee, water chestnut and minced pork together in 1 dish. It turned out to be a most unwise decision. For starters, the minced pork comprised mostly fatty pork and carried an overwhelming pork taste. The lump of chestnut in the center of the meat ball added a nice crunch to it while the drizzled sauce tasted sweet, very much like those you would find on sweet and sour pork (咕噜肉). There was no taste of lychee whatsoever.
Fried Rice with Minced Shrimp and Egg White Served in Fuzhou Style - As aesthetically pleasing as the fried rice looked with its homogeneously egg coated grains of rice, it fell short in taste. There was no discernible wok hei taste and the whole dish lacked any flavour to the extent of being bland. Still edible though as the rice was soft and moist with reasonable servings of chopped prawns and other condiments. One thing I realised was that the rice seemed more steamed then fried. The restaurant probably steamed it for quite a bit before doing a fast fry with minimal oil.
Cold White Fungus with Osmanthus Syrup - A light and sweet cold white fungus dessert with floral connotations from the osmanthus to end off the disappointing meal. As average as it gets.
Fuzhou Yam Pudding - I had been dying to try out Ju Chun Yuan's rendition of my favourite dessert, yam pudding, ever since it was billed as one of the best by local media sometime back. On hindsight, I should have known about the overhyping that plagues most local media these days. Though the yam pudding was smooth, it retained little moisture, making it a tad dry. It wasn't fragrant either, probably due to the minimal or lack of lard. What was different was the addition of sesame seeds, which really boils down to personal preference.
Dinner for 2 cost to the tune of $71, which isn't expensive for the quantity and variety of food. However, quality is suspect, which does make $71 seem a little over the top. To be fair, it may be because I am not used to authentic Fuzhou cuisine like the way they do it in China? Either that, or they really need to work on their food.
See all my pictures here.
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I decided on Visage over places like Striped and Honeypot for my virgin brazilian waxing session because they have been around much longer than the others.
It seems like a strange reason, but I'm the type who believes in well-established brands (:
They leave you alone to get washed up first and even though the towels are in serious need of fabric softeners, I can't complain about the level of hygiene. Most important factor when it comes to waxing!
I have to say I'm pretty satisfied by the service there. Firstly, the staff are friendly. My waxer, (is that how you address them?) Evonne, is really professional and puts me at ease before getting down to business, so it's less awkward.
She explains exactly what she's going to do and warns you about the pain factor. Also, she applies just enough pressure on the skin right after the ripping to lessen the pain. This is done in quite a short time too.
But trust me when I say waxing is painful. I thought my navel piercing was bad, but this is at least 1000 times worse! Well worth it, though. The smoothness is great!
It's a bit pricey but I like it that it's in a less popular part of Orchard so there's a BIT more privacy... I think.
Would definitely go back again!
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Went to this place for lunch before going for a performance. Being a dessert lover, was attracted here by the replicas of the desserts outside the store. This place is noisy, being an enclosed area and people around talking loudly and a constant flow of customers.
I ordered Beef Stew and Ichigo Milk Parfait. While my friends ordered the Beef curry rice and some mushroom pasta which I forgot the name.
Soup base for the beef stew was tomato which was too sour for my liking. Though I will give a thumbs up for the beefy taste of the beef and its great texture. Other ingredients in the bowl are brocoli and carrots cooked just right to retain some crunchiness. I did not finish my bowl of pasta though, as the portion of pasta was too large with comparatively small portion of other ingredients.
Beef curry was too sweet and taste just like any other curried rice. Nothing special.
I did try some of the soup for the clear mushroom base pasta. Salty was the word and nothing else to it. Though the portion was upsized, it doesn't look like much cept for the taller bowl that made eating difficult.
Ichigo Milk Parfait saved the day with the Milky ice cream not too sweet, creamily smooth (yum yum~~) and blended well with the sweet ichigo lined on top. However, the pool of ichigo sauce at the bottom of the cup spoils a little for me as the concentration was too sweet to eat with the cornflakes. Without this, this dessert would be perfect~
Service of the restaurant was not so desired though. The male service crew kept appearing behind me (towered over me) though he could have stood at the side of our table and we could hear him well (vice versa). Got a shocked from him on several occasions plus the fact I was wearing a dress with low V cutting added to the annoyance.
Nevertheless, menu was quite extensive and we were spoiled for choices. Will definitely visit again to try its other kinds of pasta and of course the ichigo milk parfait ;D
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