Was brought to this place by my gf, who had been to this place a couple of times with er colleagues and found it not bad.
The shop is located opposite to the Singtel Building at Somerset, along a row of shophouses. The shop is a relatively small one, so advice is to make a booking before going down, to avoid waiting, since its a ala-carte buffet and people can stay in their seats for quite a while.
The variety of food is quite reasonable, but wished that the grilled food section could be more. Nonetheless, the quality of food was reasonable and the service was prompt. As for the pricing, it was quite comparable to those at Hanabi, Hoijin and Minori (My Fav!!!).
So for those wanting to look for new places to try out Japanese food, do give it a try.
Recently been there to give it a try after all the supposed hype I have heard in the past. However, sad to say, it was quite disappointing. When I got there, there so so many empty seats. And yet the staff were busy calling the guests to confirm their reservations, with no one paying any attention to us . That was one down, two to go.
Next, instead of giving us a table, we were given counter seats, which was a bit kinda cramped as compared to the other Japanese restaurants I have been before. That was Strike two,one last one to go.
Nervertheless, we settled down and started ordering the food. And like what Polarbear had said in his review, the portions of some of the food were really a tad too little and the service was slow as well. Even though the food was tasty, it was not enough to pacify me. And that was it, Strike Three!!! I would rather choose to go back to Minori anytime than this, where the variety is more and the service is much more better as well.
So all in all, this should be the first and last time that I would be coming to this Japanese restaurant to eat.
Sometimes back, I was told that De Coder's Cafe opened a new outlet in Clementi. The boss is now a friend of mine after some past "commotions" and constructive feedback few of us gave after the unsatisfying meal on my birthday last year. But I'm happy to say that they've improved! Not to the extend that it turned their entire menu around to serve restaurant standard food, but the taste, variety and quality have surely become better.
I visited this new outlet of theirs at Clementi, located at the void deck of a very long flat. About 7-9 mins walk from the Clementi MRT station. The shop is spacious and has the same color scheme as their other outlet at Newton.
As its a neighbourhood, they're also catering for the people staying around with breakfast sets. And I was told this was included in their menu after hearing feedback from their regular customers living nearby. Thumbs up for them for responding to customers request. And I believe, they really want to make their food and service good for everyone.
Food tasted that day includes Nacho Chips & Cheese, Roasted Honey Wings, Americaya, Teriyaki Chicken Chop, Brownie with Vanilla Ice-Cream, Waffle with Gelato Ice Cream, Chocolate Decadence and Oreo Milkshake.
My friend and I love the cheese. It's better than those served at one of the cinema but not as thick as we would have liked it more. But definitely the yummy cheesy taste is there.
Next favorite that day was the Roasted Honey Wings. Roasted to the right texture and the skin is slightly crisp. Marination was good too as the honey has been absorbed into the meat too.
Servings of the main dishes were appetizing and attractive. The size is good to fill up most hungry stomachs.
The late lunch ended with lots of sweetness. Both of us love the waffles and the pistachio gelato ice-cream is of good quality too. I personally love it!
Overall the experience and food has improved. Guess they should already have made the same adjustments too at their Newton outlet. Perhaps if you'd been there before and didn't like the food then, give it another try. You might enjoy it more this time round.
I've always meant to try out Chinese Box, a Chinese restaurant owned and operated by the same folks who holds the rights to Black Angus in Singapore. So when an opportunity to try out their food came knocking, I jumped at it.
Opened in January this year, Chinese Box is hidden in the far reaches of the NUS law campus at Cluny Road. Getting there can be quite a headache as there are no clear signs as to how to reach the restaurant even within the compounds of the school itself. Housed on the first level of an old restored colonial bungalow (Black Angus takes the second level), Chinese Box boasts a classical chinese interior with a dash of colonial grandeur. Think white washed pillars, overhanging oriental lamps and and red translucent curtains.
Soft Shell Crab Roll & Vietnamese Mango and Duck Roll - The soft shell crab roll was crisp with a fleeting taste of sourish mango. I couldn't quite make out any taste of soft shell crab though, as it was overwhelmed by the leafy taste of the greens. The mango and duck roll fared slightly better. Drizzled with sweet sauce, it wasn't as leafy as the crab roll and I could still make out a faint fowl taste and texture. Not exactly the best way to start of the meal in my humble opinion.
Poet Drunken Chicken & Taro Strings - Honestly its the first time I'm having taro strings so its quite a refreshing change from the norm. Soaked in Szechuan chilli oil, the strings tasted a little like vermicelli, albeit a little firmer and thicker, making for a nice chewy and fiery sensation. The drunken chicken was well marinated in Chinese wine but came across as a little too salty.
Chinese Box Signature Beijing Duck - Apparently, this is a signature dish of Chinese Box but I honestly thought that though palatable, it was no big deal. The skin was a wee bit crisp and served with meat, all wrapped up in a thin egg crepe, with some cucumber slices thrown in for the works. I have definitely eaten much better ones before.
TeoChew TaiPan Superior Thick Shark's Fin Soup - The broth was thick and savoury without coming across as nausea inducing. The single fin was of quite a decent size but its texture reminded me somewhat of vermicelli, which was rather unnerving. I could make out a mild ginger taste in it as well. Decent but could be better.
Pan Fried Cod Fish Fillets in Superior Soy Sauce - Well fried till crisp but lacked the natural sweetness or smoothness of cod. Probably the redeeming factor would be the sweet sauce that came drizzled atop, without which, the fish would have tasted bland.
Signature Golden Roast Duck & Teochew Five Spice Meats Roll - Another signature duck dish, this time served with a roll of wu xiang. The duck's skin was rather limp and certainly didn't impress while the wu xiang had a nice crisp exterior belying an overly soft interior that was lacking in robustness of taste.
Stir-Fried Taiwan Pea-shoots - The pea shoots aka dou miao (豆苗) was quite well fried - not too soft yet retaining enough juices and mildly salty.
Signature Golden Tofu Bar with Sauteed Mushrooms - I think the word signature is used to death already. The word raises expectations a few notches and its cruel to be brought back down to reality. I like my tofu savoury with a hint of smokiness but Chinese Box's offering, though smooth, lacked just that. I liked the topping of mushrooms and dried scallops though.
Garlic Steamed Fresh Scallop w/ Tofu - A huge steamed scallop showered with lots of deep fried garlic (a personal favourite) and fresh chopped garlic, served on a bed of steamed tofu. The garlic provided a nice crunch and aroma but covered the sweetness, if any, of the scallop. The tofu was smooth but not exactly soft while the gravy had egg white in it. All in all, I thought that the idea was there, just that the execution and proportions could have been better.
Taro Paste"Orni" w/ Pumpkin & Gingko Nuts - I love this effort intensive traditional Teochew dessert and have been fortunate enough to try out quite a number of renditions in Singapore and overseas. My take on Chinese Box's variation? Smooth but not fragrant, probably due to the exclusion of lard in it. And the taste wasn't robust enough for my liking. On the upside, it wasn't too sweet, which was a good thing.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the management of Chinese Box for inviting me for this food tasting and to wish them well in their future endeavours.
Had a craving for burgers and heard about this new burger stall, Bergs, which apparently is the brainchild of 2 Aussies who had embarked on a futile attempt to find the perfect burger. Frustrated, they decided to open an eatery that served up fresh burgers cooked/made on the spot.
Situated within the nostalgic Far East Square, Bergs offers al fresco seating along the side walks and a not so cool air conditioned interior that reminded me of a school tuck shop with its wooden tables and matching chairs and an open kitchen (where you can see your burgers being made) to boot.
Chips - The burgers do not come with any sides so we started off with an order of chips, which came served in a doggy bag. The chips looked machine cut but were thick and probably weren't of the frozen variant. Firm on the outside with a light handful of salt yet soft and moist on the inside.
Crikey - There is an option of having your burger done in 2 sizes - small or Bergs. I naturally opted for the latter. 2 huge pieces of freshly grilled beef patties and 2 pieces of bacon, all with grill lines to show for it, rather elastic edam cheese, lettuce and evenly toasted sesame buns - Seriously, what's not to like? Well perhaps the overdoneness of the beef would be one. The patty didn't conceal any reddish tinges within and the exterior was a little too charred. But at least I could taste the mild uneveness of the meat. Did I mention that the burger was huge?
Alamack - This fish burger's name is a weird pun on the Malay word, alamak, which loosely translates to "oh my god". Funny names aside, the burger came with 2 chunks of fish which were lightly battered with crumbs and came across as tasty without being too fishy. Although this wasn't a Berg's size burger, it was still quite a handful.
Bergs is probably one of the more expensive fast food places I've ever tried, but portions are generous and service is great. Food quality could improve, especially for the beef patties but throw in an almost crowd free environment on weekday/weekend evenings and its a huge draw, especially for people who value peace and quiet, like yours truly. And to borrow Carl Junior's slogan about their burgers, "It's gonna get messy".
What better way to enjoy life like a gourmet than to go for buffets! And being in Singapore, aren't we just spoilt for choice, with all the wonderful buffets at the hotels like the Straits Kitchen, The Line etc. Having ever heard a little something about a buffet at Merchant Court, I thought this place would be worth a try. Further, at something like $26.90 per pax for lunch buffet, I thought it was one of the cheaper places with, what I thought was, good food. So off we go!
Upon reaching there, parking was convenient, perhaps because it was on a weekday. For dining in, we got parking rebate too. So free parking!
The Cafe was rather packed when we got there - 45 min before the close of the buffet line. Managed to get ourselves a table for two by the window, nearer to the main section of the buffet. The table wasn't properly laid when we were ushered in, and in a rush to give us our table, the waitress actually forgot to place all items on the table. When I asked her for it, she didn't quite understand me either, as her English wasn't very strong. Also, the table wasn't very clean, which I usually dislike as it didn't allow me to put my belongings on the table without dirtying it. Ice water was provided but wasn't regularly refilled even when the Cafe wasn't that busy (as people were gradually leaving the place). I was rather disappointed with their service, considering how I would expect much more from a hotel cafe.
Service is of course secondary at a dining place since what matters more is of course the food. Well, the food was not that amazing either. The buffet line had a spread of dessert, rice, dishes, noodles, japansese stuff, salad and soup. Sounds like a lot, but I think the desserts could have made a good spread on its own. In other words, I found the main course disappointing.
Rice and dishes It was just a small variety of approximately 8 different dishes or so I think. Some peranakan and international dish e.g. roast duck slices, chicken, prawn (something like sweet and sour style), kang kong (that was actually pretty bad in my opinion), sea cucumber (over cooked) etc. And I thought I would be stuffing myself silly with that spread of food.
Noodles It's just one Abalone Mushroom noodle. The soup tasted weird, noodles weren't boiled long enough hence was a little hard still. And there was something like Top Shell (I wouldn't believe that there would have been abalone) in the soup that tasted awful.
Salads, soup and others Salad was nothing much, just a bit of greens with sauce. Soup.. if I did not recall wrongly, there was only one Crab Bisque that didn't smell appetizing (and so I didn't try, especially being so turned off by the rice and dishes). Sushi was bad - rice was too dry and sticky. There was one thing good though - it was something Japanese but I never figured what it was.
Desserts It seems like this could have been the most sumptuous part of the buffet. Desserts of different styles. You have your cakes and fruits; you also have the hot soup desserts like Tang Yuan. There was also apple crumble and bread and butter pudding.
Up to this stage, the food began to seem rather boring to me and so I didn't have much appetite for more. But the bread and butter pudding and apple crumble was not too bad.
It is unfortunate the food wasn't up to standard. I don't think I will be going back for the lunch buffet anymore...
Another weekend, another Sunday brunch. But its the first time I'm having Chinese ala carte buffet for brunch and expectations were relatively high as Jing @ One Fullerton is under the same management as Majestic Restaurant, which has won top accolades for its Chinese food.
Ambience
Typical modern Chinese restaurant but what sets it apart is the huge glass windows that allow plenty of sunlight in as well as views of the partially constructed IR just across the river. The booth seats look comfortable for a party of 3 or 4 but unfortunately we were relegated to the center tables. There is the problem of weak air conditioning too.
Variety
You get about 20 odd different types of dim sum , a tiny self service buffet station with duck, fruits and minimal desserts and the standard 4-5 items each of seafood, meat, vegetables, rice, noodles and the likes. There are certain restrictions on certain items. Ie. you get to choose 1 serving of either Chilli Crab or Soon Hock and soups are limited to 2 servings per table. If you are keen on the more premium items like boston lobster or shark's fin soup, be prepared to top up at least $10++ to $18++ more per pax for 1 portion. Drinks are chargable and the only things that are free flow are the Chinese tea and sky juice.
Quality
The quality is merely average in my humble opinion. Nothing quite stands out but nothing really sucked terribly either. If I had to choose, the best dish would probably be the crispy duck from the carving station. All in all, the dishes were palatable but honestly, don't expect too much. Think Crystal Jade La Mian XLB standard.
Service
Average service from wait staff that didn't seem very keen on serving. When I called to make a reservation, the lady on the other end of the phone wasn't particularly friendly either. No big boo boos but could be a lot better.
Value for money
At $36++/pax ($42.40 nett), I honestly thought that it was a little over the top. Food quality was generally average, the spread not exactly the most extensive and service, forgettable. I fail to see how Jing could have made a name for itself with such standards.
Was in the mood for a leisurely and luxurious Sunday brunch to whittle my time away and what better place to have it then at the opulent St Regis? Having a sizable discount definitely helped steer my decision though.
Ambience
Les Saveurs spots high ceilings with huge glass windows running to the ground, which gives a soaring and almost carefree feeling. Victorian style chandeliers add a sophisticated touch of class and so do the matching chairs and carpet. In short, a great place to relax and enjoy your food. There is a 3 man band just outside the restaurant that will belt out different tunes throughout the brunch to add to the experience.
Variety
The brunch comprises 3 components - The eye catching dessert table and the appetisers table, your choice of a main course from the menu and last but not least, daily chef's specials that are "hawked" from table to table. The daily specials make up quite a substantial portion of the brunch and can range from fried rice to cod fish to foie gras or even shooters. The appetisers table has quite a decent amount of food like foie gras, salmon & tuna sashimi, oysters, air dried wagyu beef and the likes. There is even a small counter where rows of beautifully baked buns, muffins, croissants etc tempt even the most staunch carbo abstainers. And may I add that the dessert counter was so aesthetically and exquisitely presented that I had the urge to start on desserts first before anything else.
Quality
For the most part, food quality was consistently good and no expense was spared in ensuring that. Everything is made bite sized so that you are able to try a wider variety. I particularly liked the macarons, which were almost on par with Pierre Herme's signature macarons that I had the privilege of trying sometime back. Overall, I thought that the food quality far surpassed my expectations and can put quite a few buffets in some reputable hotels to shame.
Service
Professional and seemingly eager but tended to be overwhelmed at times, especially with the restaurant running at full capacity.
Value for money
At $128 for the non champagne aka fruit juice/tea option, it is probably one of the priciest brunches in the market right now but food quality is evident. If you opt for the moet and chandon option, it will cost you $158 while premium champagne like Krug will set you back by a princely $338 /pax. Final words, if you have the cash to blow and 3 hours to spare, Les Saveurs might just be the place for you.
If you're looking for some cheap CDs or cheap clothes or very chinese stuffs, you can come to CK Departmental stores! There are 2 outlets in outram area, one is on the chinatown side and another is in pearl centre side in this building opposite the OG which i could not recall what building is that.
Both outlets sells nearly the same things however the outlet at the Chinatown side apparently has got more stuffs.. If you like cheap DVDs or anything else for your viewing and listening leisure, yesss... this is the place to hang out.... The clothes are not very fashionable or of a good make however they are pretty value for money for a leisure casual wear especially for children as they outgrow their clothes in the matter of minutes..
If you want to find some very chinese food stuffs, they also do carry some very chinese food stuffs direct from China.... however, its always good to read the ingredient labels and hope you do not find Melamine there.... Heh Heh!
The toiletries I find them not as cheap as the distributors on top of the foodcentre next to the OG.... and don't expect any good service from the staffs.. they usually give you the FACE... so please pick your stuffs carefully and prepare for RUGBY if you're going there on a weekend.. Expect alot of aunties with sweaty armpits and big boobs out to squash you.......
This is indeed another of my favourite hangout... I mean don't you just love walking the departmental stores.. They display an array of goods especially chosen to suit your needs from your head to your toes all the way into your tummy and your bed where you spend 1/3 of your life snuggling in...
I always love the comprehensive list of items Tangs have and each items comes in different shades of colours with so many designs, brands, materials and sizes to choose from. I particularly love to walk the bag section... Which is the first section you enter.. there you can see the helpful staffs waiting to serve you.. I mean.. its difficult to find helpful staffs in departmental stores... They are always hiding somewhere talking or resting.. I mean its tough standing all day but isn't it the goal of the job to serve your customers till they happily leave the store?
Anyway, back to the Bags... They carry a good number of brands and while walking the colourful bag section you could see the brightly lit skin care and perfume section. Here you can find all sorts of international brands in which you could lavishly try the scents till you find one of your delight. Walking on you can find the man's sections with assortments of leather belts, ties and shoes with various Macho Designs as well as young and colourful young Punks dressing as well as travel bags of all sizes to suit all your travel needs. The watch section i particularly enjoy browsing through the different brands and shiny glass cases.
Upstairs you can find kitchen appliances, accessories as well as bedding needs... I particular like the fact that theres a mini honey corner where you can buy all sorts of products to please your HONEY as well as a mini chinese medicated tea shop to soothe the heatiness...
Also check out the Lifestyle section where they display these crystal clear audio CDs of old fashioned songs... Wo de bu dao ni de ai qing......
Also.. It pays to be a member as they do have closed door sales and on top of the sales items, you do get rebates up to 12% on all your purchase. Best of it all... Even if you redeem your tangs dollars you could still get rebate on the balance you paid.. Its a great place to go with savings out of my imagination...
Was brought to this place by my gf, who had been to this place a couple of times with er colleagues and found it not bad.
The shop is located opposite to the Singtel Building at Somerset, along a row of shophouses. The shop is a relatively small one, so advice is to make a booking before going down, to avoid waiting, since its a ala-carte buffet and people can stay in their seats for quite a while.
The variety of food is quite reasonable, but wished that the grilled food section could be more. Nonetheless, the quality of food was reasonable and the service was prompt. As for the pricing, it was quite comparable to those at Hanabi, Hoijin and Minori (My Fav!!!).
So for those wanting to look for new places to try out Japanese food, do give it a try.
Rating given:
Recently been there to give it a try after all the supposed hype I have heard in the past. However, sad to say, it was quite disappointing. When I got there, there so so many empty seats. And yet the staff were busy calling the guests to confirm their reservations, with no one paying any attention to us . That was one down, two to go.
Next, instead of giving us a table, we were given counter seats, which was a bit kinda cramped as compared to the other Japanese restaurants I have been before. That was Strike two,one last one to go.
Nervertheless, we settled down and started ordering the food. And like what Polarbear had said in his review, the portions of some of the food were really a tad too little and the service was slow as well. Even though the food was tasty, it was not enough to pacify me. And that was it, Strike Three!!! I would rather choose to go back to Minori anytime than this, where the variety is more and the service is much more better as well.
So all in all, this should be the first and last time that I would be coming to this Japanese restaurant to eat.
Rating given:
Sometimes back, I was told that De Coder's Cafe opened a new outlet in Clementi. The boss is now a friend of mine after some past "commotions" and constructive feedback few of us gave after the unsatisfying meal on my birthday last year. But I'm happy to say that they've improved! Not to the extend that it turned their entire menu around to serve restaurant standard food, but the taste, variety and quality have surely become better.
I visited this new outlet of theirs at Clementi, located at the void deck of a very long flat. About 7-9 mins walk from the Clementi MRT station. The shop is spacious and has the same color scheme as their other outlet at Newton.
As its a neighbourhood, they're also catering for the people staying around with breakfast sets. And I was told this was included in their menu after hearing feedback from their regular customers living nearby. Thumbs up for them for responding to customers request. And I believe, they really want to make their food and service good for everyone.
Food tasted that day includes Nacho Chips & Cheese, Roasted Honey Wings, Americaya, Teriyaki Chicken Chop, Brownie with Vanilla Ice-Cream, Waffle with Gelato Ice Cream, Chocolate Decadence and Oreo Milkshake.
My friend and I love the cheese. It's better than those served at one of the cinema but not as thick as we would have liked it more. But definitely the yummy cheesy taste is there.
Next favorite that day was the Roasted Honey Wings. Roasted to the right texture and the skin is slightly crisp. Marination was good too as the honey has been absorbed into the meat too.
Servings of the main dishes were appetizing and attractive. The size is good to fill up most hungry stomachs.
The late lunch ended with lots of sweetness. Both of us love the waffles and the pistachio gelato ice-cream is of good quality too. I personally love it!
Overall the experience and food has improved. Guess they should already have made the same adjustments too at their Newton outlet. Perhaps if you'd been there before and didn't like the food then, give it another try. You might enjoy it more this time round.
Rating given:
I've always meant to try out Chinese Box, a Chinese restaurant owned and operated by the same folks who holds the rights to Black Angus in Singapore. So when an opportunity to try out their food came knocking, I jumped at it.
Opened in January this year, Chinese Box is hidden in the far reaches of the NUS law campus at Cluny Road. Getting there can be quite a headache as there are no clear signs as to how to reach the restaurant even within the compounds of the school itself. Housed on the first level of an old restored colonial bungalow (Black Angus takes the second level), Chinese Box boasts a classical chinese interior with a dash of colonial grandeur. Think white washed pillars, overhanging oriental lamps and and red translucent curtains.
Soft Shell Crab Roll & Vietnamese Mango and Duck Roll - The soft shell crab roll was crisp with a fleeting taste of sourish mango. I couldn't quite make out any taste of soft shell crab though, as it was overwhelmed by the leafy taste of the greens. The mango and duck roll fared slightly better. Drizzled with sweet sauce, it wasn't as leafy as the crab roll and I could still make out a faint fowl taste and texture. Not exactly the best way to start of the meal in my humble opinion.
Poet Drunken Chicken & Taro Strings - Honestly its the first time I'm having taro strings so its quite a refreshing change from the norm. Soaked in Szechuan chilli oil, the strings tasted a little like vermicelli, albeit a little firmer and thicker, making for a nice chewy and fiery sensation. The drunken chicken was well marinated in Chinese wine but came across as a little too salty.
Chinese Box Signature Beijing Duck - Apparently, this is a signature dish of Chinese Box but I honestly thought that though palatable, it was no big deal. The skin was a wee bit crisp and served with meat, all wrapped up in a thin egg crepe, with some cucumber slices thrown in for the works. I have definitely eaten much better ones before.
TeoChew TaiPan Superior Thick Shark's Fin Soup - The broth was thick and savoury without coming across as nausea inducing. The single fin was of quite a decent size but its texture reminded me somewhat of vermicelli, which was rather unnerving. I could make out a mild ginger taste in it as well. Decent but could be better.
Pan Fried Cod Fish Fillets in Superior Soy Sauce - Well fried till crisp but lacked the natural sweetness or smoothness of cod. Probably the redeeming factor would be the sweet sauce that came drizzled atop, without which, the fish would have tasted bland.
Signature Golden Roast Duck & Teochew Five Spice Meats Roll - Another signature duck dish, this time served with a roll of wu xiang. The duck's skin was rather limp and certainly didn't impress while the wu xiang had a nice crisp exterior belying an overly soft interior that was lacking in robustness of taste.
Stir-Fried Taiwan Pea-shoots - The pea shoots aka dou miao (豆苗) was quite well fried - not too soft yet retaining enough juices and mildly salty.
Signature Golden Tofu Bar with Sauteed Mushrooms -
I think the word signature is used to death already. The word raises expectations a few notches and its cruel to be brought back down to reality. I like my tofu savoury with a hint of smokiness but Chinese Box's offering, though smooth, lacked just that. I liked the topping of mushrooms and dried scallops though.
Garlic Steamed Fresh Scallop w/ Tofu - A huge steamed scallop showered with lots of deep fried garlic (a personal favourite) and fresh chopped garlic, served on a bed of steamed tofu. The garlic provided a nice crunch and aroma but covered the sweetness, if any, of the scallop. The tofu was smooth but not exactly soft while the gravy had egg white in it. All in all, I thought that the idea was there, just that the execution and proportions could have been better.
Taro Paste"Orni" w/ Pumpkin & Gingko Nuts - I love this effort intensive traditional Teochew dessert and have been fortunate enough to try out quite a number of renditions in Singapore and overseas. My take on Chinese Box's variation? Smooth but not fragrant, probably due to the exclusion of lard in it. And the taste wasn't robust enough for my liking. On the upside, it wasn't too sweet, which was a good thing.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the management of Chinese Box for inviting me for this food tasting and to wish them well in their future endeavours.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Had a craving for burgers and heard about this new burger stall, Bergs, which apparently is the brainchild of 2 Aussies who had embarked on a futile attempt to find the perfect burger. Frustrated, they decided to open an eatery that served up fresh burgers cooked/made on the spot.
Situated within the nostalgic Far East Square, Bergs offers al fresco seating along the side walks and a not so cool air conditioned interior that reminded me of a school tuck shop with its wooden tables and matching chairs and an open kitchen (where you can see your burgers being made) to boot.
Chips - The burgers do not come with any sides so we started off with an order of chips, which came served in a doggy bag. The chips looked machine cut but were thick and probably weren't of the frozen variant. Firm on the outside with a light handful of salt yet soft and moist on the inside.
Crikey - There is an option of having your burger done in 2 sizes - small or Bergs. I naturally opted for the latter. 2 huge pieces of freshly grilled beef patties and 2 pieces of bacon, all with grill lines to show for it, rather elastic edam cheese, lettuce and evenly toasted sesame buns - Seriously, what's not to like? Well perhaps the overdoneness of the beef would be one. The patty didn't conceal any reddish tinges within and the exterior was a little too charred. But at least I could taste the mild uneveness of the meat. Did I mention that the burger was huge?
Alamack - This fish burger's name is a weird pun on the Malay word, alamak, which loosely translates to "oh my god". Funny names aside, the burger came with 2 chunks of fish which were lightly battered with crumbs and came across as tasty without being too fishy. Although this wasn't a Berg's size burger, it was still quite a handful.
Bergs is probably one of the more expensive fast food places I've ever tried, but portions are generous and service is great. Food quality could improve, especially for the beef patties but throw in an almost crowd free environment on weekday/weekend evenings and its a huge draw, especially for people who value peace and quiet, like yours truly. And to borrow Carl Junior's slogan about their burgers, "It's gonna get messy".
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
What better way to enjoy life like a gourmet than to go for buffets! And being in Singapore, aren't we just spoilt for choice, with all the wonderful buffets at the hotels like the Straits Kitchen, The Line etc. Having ever heard a little something about a buffet at Merchant Court, I thought this place would be worth a try. Further, at something like $26.90 per pax for lunch buffet, I thought it was one of the cheaper places with, what I thought was, good food. So off we go!
Upon reaching there, parking was convenient, perhaps because it was on a weekday. For dining in, we got parking rebate too. So free parking!
The Cafe was rather packed when we got there - 45 min before the close of the buffet line. Managed to get ourselves a table for two by the window, nearer to the main section of the buffet. The table wasn't properly laid when we were ushered in, and in a rush to give us our table, the waitress actually forgot to place all items on the table. When I asked her for it, she didn't quite understand me either, as her English wasn't very strong. Also, the table wasn't very clean, which I usually dislike as it didn't allow me to put my belongings on the table without dirtying it. Ice water was provided but wasn't regularly refilled even when the Cafe wasn't that busy (as people were gradually leaving the place). I was rather disappointed with their service, considering how I would expect much more from a hotel cafe.
Service is of course secondary at a dining place since what matters more is of course the food. Well, the food was not that amazing either. The buffet line had a spread of dessert, rice, dishes, noodles, japansese stuff, salad and soup. Sounds like a lot, but I think the desserts could have made a good spread on its own. In other words, I found the main course disappointing.
Rice and dishes
It was just a small variety of approximately 8 different dishes or so I think. Some peranakan and international dish e.g. roast duck slices, chicken, prawn (something like sweet and sour style), kang kong (that was actually pretty bad in my opinion), sea cucumber (over cooked) etc. And I thought I would be stuffing myself silly with that spread of food.
Noodles
It's just one Abalone Mushroom noodle. The soup tasted weird, noodles weren't boiled long enough hence was a little hard still. And there was something like Top Shell (I wouldn't believe that there would have been abalone) in the soup that tasted awful.
Salads, soup and others
Salad was nothing much, just a bit of greens with sauce. Soup.. if I did not recall wrongly, there was only one Crab Bisque that didn't smell appetizing (and so I didn't try, especially being so turned off by the rice and dishes). Sushi was bad - rice was too dry and sticky. There was one thing good though - it was something Japanese but I never figured what it was.
Desserts
It seems like this could have been the most sumptuous part of the buffet. Desserts of different styles. You have your cakes and fruits; you also have the hot soup desserts like Tang Yuan. There was also apple crumble and bread and butter pudding.
Up to this stage, the food began to seem rather boring to me and so I didn't have much appetite for more. But the bread and butter pudding and apple crumble was not too bad.
It is unfortunate the food wasn't up to standard. I don't think I will be going back for the lunch buffet anymore...
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Another weekend, another Sunday brunch. But its the first time I'm having Chinese ala carte buffet for brunch and expectations were relatively high as Jing @ One Fullerton is under the same management as Majestic Restaurant, which has won top accolades for its Chinese food.
Ambience
Typical modern Chinese restaurant but what sets it apart is the huge glass windows that allow plenty of sunlight in as well as views of the partially constructed IR just across the river. The booth seats look comfortable for a party of 3 or 4 but unfortunately we were relegated to the center tables. There is the problem of weak air conditioning too.
Variety
You get about 20 odd different types of dim sum , a tiny self service buffet station with duck, fruits and minimal desserts and the standard 4-5 items each of seafood, meat, vegetables, rice, noodles and the likes. There are certain restrictions on certain items. Ie. you get to choose 1 serving of either Chilli Crab or Soon Hock and soups are limited to 2 servings per table. If you are keen on the more premium items like boston lobster or shark's fin soup, be prepared to top up at least $10++ to $18++ more per pax for 1 portion. Drinks are chargable and the only things that are free flow are the Chinese tea and sky juice.
Quality
The quality is merely average in my humble opinion. Nothing quite stands out but nothing really sucked terribly either. If I had to choose, the best dish would probably be the crispy duck from the carving station. All in all, the dishes were palatable but honestly, don't expect too much. Think Crystal Jade La Mian XLB standard.
Service
Average service from wait staff that didn't seem very keen on serving. When I called to make a reservation, the lady on the other end of the phone wasn't particularly friendly either. No big boo boos but could be a lot better.
Value for money
At $36++/pax ($42.40 nett), I honestly thought that it was a little over the top. Food quality was generally average, the spread not exactly the most extensive and service, forgettable. I fail to see how Jing could have made a name for itself with such standards.
See all my pictures here.
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Was in the mood for a leisurely and luxurious Sunday brunch to whittle my time away and what better place to have it then at the opulent St Regis? Having a sizable discount definitely helped steer my decision though.
Ambience
Les Saveurs spots high ceilings with huge glass windows running to the ground, which gives a soaring and almost carefree feeling. Victorian style chandeliers add a sophisticated touch of class and so do the matching chairs and carpet. In short, a great place to relax and enjoy your food. There is a 3 man band just outside the restaurant that will belt out different tunes throughout the brunch to add to the experience.
Variety
The brunch comprises 3 components - The eye catching dessert table and the appetisers table, your choice of a main course from the menu and last but not least, daily chef's specials that are "hawked" from table to table. The daily specials make up quite a substantial portion of the brunch and can range from fried rice to cod fish to foie gras or even shooters. The appetisers table has quite a decent amount of food like foie gras, salmon & tuna sashimi, oysters, air dried wagyu beef and the likes. There is even a small counter where rows of beautifully baked buns, muffins, croissants etc tempt even the most staunch carbo abstainers. And may I add that the dessert counter was so aesthetically and exquisitely presented that I had the urge to start on desserts first before anything else.
Quality
For the most part, food quality was consistently good and no expense was spared in ensuring that. Everything is made bite sized so that you are able to try a wider variety. I particularly liked the macarons, which were almost on par with Pierre Herme's signature macarons that I had the privilege of trying sometime back. Overall, I thought that the food quality far surpassed my expectations and can put quite a few buffets in some reputable hotels to shame.
Service
Professional and seemingly eager but tended to be overwhelmed at times, especially with the restaurant running at full capacity.
Value for money
At $128 for the non champagne aka fruit juice/tea option, it is probably one of the priciest brunches in the market right now but food quality is evident. If you opt for the moet and chandon option, it will cost you $158 while premium champagne like Krug will set you back by a princely $338 /pax. Final words, if you have the cash to blow and 3 hours to spare, Les Saveurs might just be the place for you.
See all my pictures here.
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If you're looking for some cheap CDs or cheap clothes or very chinese stuffs, you can come to CK Departmental stores! There are 2 outlets in outram area, one is on the chinatown side and another is in pearl centre side in this building opposite the OG which i could not recall what building is that.
Both outlets sells nearly the same things however the outlet at the Chinatown side apparently has got more stuffs.. If you like cheap DVDs or anything else for your viewing and listening leisure, yesss... this is the place to hang out.... The clothes are not very fashionable or of a good make however they are pretty value for money for a leisure casual wear especially for children as they outgrow their clothes in the matter of minutes..
If you want to find some very chinese food stuffs, they also do carry some very chinese food stuffs direct from China.... however, its always good to read the ingredient labels and hope you do not find Melamine there.... Heh Heh!
The toiletries I find them not as cheap as the distributors on top of the foodcentre next to the OG.... and don't expect any good service from the staffs.. they usually give you the FACE... so please pick your stuffs carefully and prepare for RUGBY if you're going there on a weekend.. Expect alot of aunties with sweaty armpits and big boobs out to squash you.......
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This is indeed another of my favourite hangout... I mean don't you just love walking the departmental stores.. They display an array of goods especially chosen to suit your needs from your head to your toes all the way into your tummy and your bed where you spend 1/3 of your life snuggling in...
I always love the comprehensive list of items Tangs have and each items comes in different shades of colours with so many designs, brands, materials and sizes to choose from. I particularly love to walk the bag section... Which is the first section you enter.. there you can see the helpful staffs waiting to serve you.. I mean.. its difficult to find helpful staffs in departmental stores... They are always hiding somewhere talking or resting.. I mean its tough standing all day but isn't it the goal of the job to serve your customers till they happily leave the store?
Anyway, back to the Bags... They carry a good number of brands and while walking the colourful bag section you could see the brightly lit skin care and perfume section. Here you can find all sorts of international brands in which you could lavishly try the scents till you find one of your delight. Walking on you can find the man's sections with assortments of leather belts, ties and shoes with various Macho Designs as well as young and colourful young Punks dressing as well as travel bags of all sizes to suit all your travel needs. The watch section i particularly enjoy browsing through the different brands and shiny glass cases.
Upstairs you can find kitchen appliances, accessories as well as bedding needs... I particular like the fact that theres a mini honey corner where you can buy all sorts of products to please your HONEY as well as a mini chinese medicated tea shop to soothe the heatiness...
Also check out the Lifestyle section where they display these crystal clear audio CDs of old fashioned songs... Wo de bu dao ni de ai qing......
Also.. It pays to be a member as they do have closed door sales and on top of the sales items, you do get rebates up to 12% on all your purchase. Best of it all... Even if you redeem your tangs dollars you could still get rebate on the balance you paid.. Its a great place to go with savings out of my imagination...
See you there at Tangs today SHOPPER BABEs!!!
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