This is about the most value for money steamboat I've tried before.
There are 2 branches which are located just a few shops apart. The orange colour themed branch seems to be the more popular choice which I supposed was due to the atmosphere and the fact that its newer.
Variety was wide. but only limited to a portion of the menu if you order buffet. There are about 5 types of soup base and you can choose a max of 2. We chose the satay and scallop soup base. Satay was so so though it was said to be the more popular choice there. Though I felt its more like because Satay wasn't so common at other steamboat eateries. A bit spicy and full of peanut taste. Scallop based soup taste great enough without cooking the ingredients. Soup base not too salty so we don't feel uneasy after eating a lot which should be the case for steamboat soup base.
Foodstuffs fresh and in "happy" portions (lolx). Though I don't eat prawns but my friends commented that the prawns were very fresh and they ordered 5 plates of them. The "tou kee" was fresh and chewy without the oily smell that tou kee at many places have. They also have items like Golden mushroom, fish slices, fish paste, all kinds of meat and vegetables, cutter fish, prawns and "hum".
Drinks not free, we ordered the home made lime juice @ $6 per jug which was about just right for 5 pax. This drink is real good~ Must try~~ The taste of lime is very distinctive and not diluted.
What we don't like was the service there. Firstly we wanted to sit inside in the air con-ed area but was told that its better we sit outside as its better atmosphere to eat steamboat outside. But I guess the more obvious reason was we had only 5 pax and the only table inside was for more than 8 pax. The person who serviced us keep trying to coax us to order the Ala Cart (and we kept saying no) which was way more expensive and limited than the steamboat buffet. Our second order did not come at all. The person who changed the gas fuel for us accidentally touched our food with the gas can and her hands and don't even bother to change the food for us. Our bill didn't come when we asked twice for it. (We had to stare at the counter for some attention)
The soft patter of raindrops. Light jazz music amidst the soft incessant buzz of the place. Sipping tea with finger food at a leisurely pace while time flittered by. This was the life I had envisioned at Marmalade Pantry and the dream proliferates at TWG.
Cleverly perched on a "suspended" standalone area within Republic Plaza, you have to walk up a short flight of stairs from the first floor which will lead you to the sales area with its shelves of gourmet tea as well as the restaurant. TWG can only take about 30 people or so and oozes cosy warmth with its intimate dining area, huge glass windows with translucent curtains coupled with a glass ceiling.
Imperial Rose - I am honestly not a tea connoisseur but the Imperial Rose, which is a specialty brew of TWG, tasted very much like a Chinese tea, 铁观音.
Sandwiches - This came as part of my tea time "Celebration Set". 8 half slices of bread sandwiching prawns, crab meat, foie gras and smoked salmon respectively, it appealed to my visual senses with its presentation. However, even though the bread was nicely toasted, I didn't quite take to them. The crab meat and prawns sandwiches were passable but the smoked salmon was way too salty and the foie gras just didn't come across as appetising, both in smell and taste.
Salmon A La Russ - I can't say much about the smoked salmon except that it was salty and came topped roe. However, the brioche that was served alongside was interestingly good. It actually tasted like croissant - flaky and buttery.
Macarons - Another component of my tea time set, we chose praline, lemon and napolean tea macarons from the 6 or so varieties TWG carries. Personally I still prefer their vanilla macaron, something which they didn't have at that point in time.
Strawberry Tart - Insipid as it looked, the strawberry tart came highly recommended by the staff. And I was rather impressed. It was essentially vanilla bean creme brulee sans the caramelised layer with bits of strawberries sandwiched in between and served on a tart base. A stellar example of never judging a book by its cover. Best of all, it was part of my set as well.
Crumble - I didn't have much of the crumble so I shall reserve my comments. The ice cream sounded interesting though - Napolean Tea cheesecake ice cream, which was apparently very well received by the aspiring tai tai who sat across from me.
A 3.5 hr tea session cost us about $82, which probably isn't the cheapest place to chill out but for the delightful ambience and earnest service, its probably worth it to dig deep into your pockets just for a relaxing afternoon at this place with your partner or alone with a book. As the first signs of dusk seeped through the windows and I played observer to the throngs of working people frantically crossing the street to catch the next train home, I was reminded of my own reality - one that had no affinity with this almost surreal lifestyle.
Putien is named after a certain Chinese Province in China which reflects bountiful harvest and abundance of nature. The reason for this namesake is to reflect the simplicity and sincerity of Putien cuisine which is simple yet rich in flavor. Currently, Pu Tien group of restaurants has already expanded to 4 outlets in Singapore and one in Jakarta Indonesia. Question is, Chinese restaurants are a dime a dozen, does this succeed in setting itself apart?
The Tampines Mall outlet occupies a sizable amount of space in separate units. One is along the corner and features big round tables with modernized feel while the other unit resembles an open food court concept with a counter as the service area. Both areas are reasonably spacious which is a plus for me.
Bamboo Herbal Prawn ($3.80 for 2 prawns) - The prawns were of a decent size and literally seemed to pop out of the bamboo after you. The soup consisted of a strong herbal taste and was a little salty but otherwise light and enjoyable. The prawns, though looks good, is hit or miss in freshness as out of 4 prawns, 2 were scrumptious, crunchy and fresh while the other 2 were beginning to get powdery. Overall, if they could keep the consistency of freshness, this is a pretty good order.
Pu Tien Lor Mee ($6) - I'd describe this as interesting and pretty good. I like the generous portion size and the pork and vegetables that came in it. The broth is starchy like its black counterpart but at the same time, less overwhelming in the taste department. The noodles were also springy and soft which makes this well worth the investment.
Xing Hua Stir Fried Bee Hoon ($6) - The bee hoon came with lots of ingredients as well, clam, mushrooms, nuts, slices of pork and some vegetables all mixed into one package. The fact is, it was light and enjoyable. The only gripe is on the bee hoon being smashed. Its as though the bee hoon is made shorter on purpose.
Shredded Meat with Bun ($5.60) - The meat actually looks lke wroms to me but rest assured it isn't. Its just stir fried pork that has been diced till its fine and string-like. It came with some lettuce and fried buns with sesame to good effect. The buns were hot and soft but oily. Couple that with the lettuce and pork which is a little salty and you get sinful combination thats hard to resist.
Service: 5.5/10 Food: 6.5/10 Ambience: 5/10 Value for money: 7/10 Overall Score: 6.75/10 (not an average)
Last Word: All in all, the food was decent with generous portions. Some came with fresh ingredients and some a little less in that respect. I can't say i did not enjoy the meal but service could be improved upon with a little more attentiveness from the waitresses. The thing that got me quite unhappy about was the supervisor whom we got her attention from, refused to take our orders and asked another waitress to do it despite there being only 3 customers including ourselves. She was more interested in walking around aimlessly and talking to her other colleagues which is rather unprofessional. Other then that, the food and value for money is on par and definitely worth a try at least.
not sure when it started but a surge of ice cream parlors hv sprouted out everywhere out of a sudden. previously i don't think i even seen much places serving ice cream except for swensens or maybe, haagen dazs. then i started hearing & reading about ben & jerry's, island creamery, tom's palette, udders, icekimo, haato, the ice cream gallery, marvelous cream, azabu sabo hokkaido ice cream etc. just too many! and thats not inclusive of the gelato counters littered all over the malls.
situated at the arcade, sunset way is a quaint little ice cream parlor decked in all-white. its very small and cosy but the ambience didn't looked half as bad! in fact i would hv liked it more if it wasnt so crowded. there were just lotsa youngsters eagerly queuing up for ice creams! the above pic shows a colorful wall mural. i loved it.
since we were really full from dinner, we just ordered 2 flavors to share. the butterscotch & pecan, which is old-fashion butterscotch ice cream sprinkled with freshly toasted pecans was quite good. since i'm crazy over salted caramel-anything, this flavor appealed to me since it has a nice sweet salty & buttery fragrance.
the lychee martini was a disappointment tho'. i could hardly taste any lychee nor vodka in there. i guess when i had the best lychee martini at new asia bar, my benchmark for this drink/dessert has inevitably became much higher. but at least the one from seventh heaven was really good. it has the distinct lychee liqueur taste, so did the modern tarte lychee from coffee club.
while ice cream is something i love having, i won't specially travel to a place just to eat it since its not a dessert that satisfies me (unless it goes atop a nice waffle or served ala japanese parfait style). but i'll definitely go back to try the other funky flavors like wasabi mango, chilli choc and avocado ice cream if i'm nearby.
Muthu's curry had its roots in Singapore in 1969 before slowly building a reputation through the creative mind of their founder, Mr Ayyakkannu, who in time, developed a recipe for its fish head curry which brought the restaurant its fame. In fact, even to date, the restaurant is still well known for its fish head curry which i unfortunately, did not get to try.
For starters, i'm actually not a spice eater. I like mild chili but nothing quite like the sort our Indian compatroits are used to. The next thing to know is that i was there for a small wedding reception so the food i got was mostly from the buffet counter as you can see above. Despite all these i've said, the food here is pretty darn good. Maybe i'm too loaded with spice and burning lips to realise but the fact is, i found the buffet spread and the curry here top notch. Especially the mutton, chicken and beef curry, generous pieces of lean and fatty meat in thick, spicy curry. Each with its own merit, this is not the usual coconut heavy or packaged curry you find everywhere else and it goes really well with everything else you can throw on your plate. Be it crackers, rice, salads and what not. I had seconds for this even though i was perspiring passionately due to the spice and i really don't do that too often.
Overall Score: 7/10
Last word: What can i say? Authentic, good new and old fashioned curry in an equally authentic Indian setting within Little India in Singapore. It doesn't get any more realistic then this. Mind the spice though, you might not be able to take it but you sure will enjoy burning your lips off. I did.
fusion food has always been given a bad name and it doesn't take a genius to understand why. most of the time, they're badly done using some weird east & west ingredient combinations that you'll never dream of using in your entire life - think chinese style carrot cake with balsamic vinegar *gasps*. and while i hadn't had that much fusion food to begin with - just two places 2b exact, mykii and persimmon are just reasons enough for me to avoid them like plague altogether. as the popular saying goes, when badly done, fusion becomes confusion and i hv to agree! but its my visit to wild rocket that changed the perception of fusion. for the better of coz. well, kinda.
the restaurant is located inside hangout hotel, a backpackers' hotel at mount emily. while not exactly accessible, its "walkable" from dhoby ghaut mrt (or perhaps even nearer from little india MRT) and a stonethrow away from paradiz centre/parklane shopping mall but you'll hv to walk up a slope. of coz it'll make bigger sense to just cab in coz walking under the sweltering heat especially during lunchtime is no mean feat.
complimentary cheese bread with olive oil dip. quite good. we were there for lunch and apart from ala carte, you can choose between the set ($28 ) or ala carte set ($35 ) which consists of an appetizer, main & dessert. for obvious reasons, its better to go for the ala carte set since there are far more choices and is better value for money. imagine, some mains are already 30 bucks on their own!
pan-seared tuna rocket salad with light ginger dressing ($12.50). the tuna was really tough & fibrous, to my dismay. not sure if it was becoz the fish was unfresh, or due to the cut. the rocket salad was good tho'. i'm pretty crazy over rocket leaves lately that i'll travel to fairprice finest just for it!
black pepper soft shell crab with granny smith salad ($12.80). this one was quite nicely done. the batter was light, crispy and not too oily and the black pepper sauce's sweet! however the granny smith "salad" was hardly any salad but rather a few pathetic green apple slices. tsk.
braised lemongrass ginger lamb shank & garlic potato mash ($29). first mouthful was good but subsequently the taste was just too "lamby" for me. all in all acceptable but nothing spectacular. i'll take lamb chop or rack of lamb anytime!
crabmeat linguine with chilli tomato cream ($19.50). this one was quite good. for a moment i was trying to figure out the taste and description, only to realize later that its actually a twist from our local chilli crab dish.
for desserts, we had the dark lava choc gateau with flambe banana ($10.50). it was SO good. no doubt they didn't "proclaim" the use of quality choc like valrhona, it was alot better than the places that did. so apparently it might not be the quality of choc that affects, tho' it does matter to a certain extend.
we also had the chilled black glutinous rice with coconut ice cream ($9.50). big mistake. i took it for granted that the black glutinous rice would be the soupy kind but it wasn't. it was really dry, sticky and tasted somewhat uncooked. also, the coconut ice cream wasn't creamy, neither was it fragrant enough :( it might work if the the glutinous rice was more moist and the coconut ice cream more creamy. i would hv liked that! its one of my favorite local desserts afterall, but i try not to order it when i'm out for the risk of having black bits stuck inbetween my teeth :p
we finished everything nevertheless and it was a pretty decent meal. i'll definitely go back again, suppose if i'm in the mood to climb some slopes haha.
for more reviews, pls visit my blog @ http://bossacafez.blogspot.com
i was at graze for sunday brunch two weeks ago with a very lovely lady. it was my first brunch outing (choupinette not counted) and naturally, i was feeling quite excited over it. brunches are really the IN thing now, but too overhyped and overpriced, if u ask me. but then i don't really mind paying for the ambience and since its been sometime since i visited rochester park, so graze it was.
took some random shots i went around taking before our orders arrived. whats worth mentioning is the strawberry-infused water. i think its visually appealing and is something different as compared to seeing the conventional lemon-infused water. but tastewise, it was hardly spectacular. the berry aroma was faint and tasted somewhat weird. and on the bottom right pic is homemade spice honey and chilli oil that's on every table. i dunno if its politically correct to call the honey "homemade" since they didn't rear the bees haha. but whatever it is, i took a whiff and the whole bottle just screams 'chinese 5-spice" and thats the last thing i want on my pancakes.
the first to arrive was the complimentary toasts with butter & jam. quite good, toasts were nice and soft.
the cast iron pan ($20) that i went to graze especially for it. made up of bratwurst sausages, smoked bacon, mushrooms, roasted potatoes, baked beans, egg & tomato, it didn't disappoint.
banana pancakes ($13) with grilled bananas, walnuts served with redcurrant syrup & vanilla bean ice cream. the pancakes itself was ok, but i really dig the bananas & walnuts. just one of the best combinations around!
also had a cappuccino ($6).
overall a pretty good dining experience, except that the stuffs are really overpriced. frankly, i feel their prices are more hotel than restaurant prices. we didn't order anything else coz there wasn't much (the bbq menu starts at 12pm). morever we weren't in the mood for any eggs ben, neither did we wanna pay $10 for juice and $12 for muesli, so we just had 2 main courses. the warm michel cluizel chocolate tart with fresh bananas, caramel & vanilla ice cream caught my eye tho' but it's 17 bucks.
for more reviews, pls visit my blog @ http://bossacafez.blogspot.com
Just Acia or rather "Just Asia" is a new set up featuring Asia's staples of noodles and rice as its main menu items. With a tag line that says "free flow of drinks and ice cream" at a starting price as low as $2.80, this is a place that is light on the wallet at first glance. There are currently 3 outlets for this franchise, Downtown East, Dhouby Ghaut MRT station and Suntec City fountain terrace. It was on a day of celebration that we visited Just Acia and i can't deny that the price was what drew me in at first. The following is what we had and my thoughts on the food.
The interior of the restaurant is simple and sat about 20-30 patrons. There was a payment counter right smack in the centre and your bill is presented to you upon completing your orders. The free flow of drinks and ice cream are also located right behind the payment counter so thats where the majority of the action will happen. Overall, the interior is serviceable and nothing impressive.
Herbal Chicken Soup Set ($11.90) - After some contemplation on the menu, we decided to have something more mid range as compared to the usual $5.90 meals. My order was the herbal chicken soup and it looked pretty substantial actually. There was half a chicken in the soup and it came with rice and some beans. The thing about herbal chicken is that the soup it comes in must be good, otherwise the whole dish amounts to naught. And unfortunately, the soup is salty and lacking much herbal taste in their version. My verdict, don't order this.
Stir Fried Greens ($4.80) - This wasn't too bad actually. At the least, it tasted crunchy and tasty enough to praise but nothing more to recommend.
Tom Yum Seafood Set ($10.90) - My gf ordered this and it was definitely much better then my herbal chicken set. The soup is still salty as though made of seawater but there's enough spice inside to give it a tinge of hope. Add to that generous ingredients and you have something tolerable but still too salty.
Spinach Tofu ($2.80) - On the menu, this was touted as the must order dish and chef's specialty. I'm sad to report its nothing special. In fact, it was rather bad because there's a very obvious layer of thick oil over it. The interesting thing is the texture which is similar to steamed eggs except that in this, the "eggs" are rubbery. Not recommended as well.
Free Ice Cream - The ice cream ain't half bad. I'm betting on Wall's or some simple NTUC brand but it works for me. The chocolate is thick and rich and so was the vanilla. I could have this for a long time. The free flow drinks were also a surprise for me since they weren't diluted by too much. Impressive. The total bill for this rather disappointing dinner amounted to $32.53. Is it too expensive? Not really. Is it worth the money? Difficult to say yes to that too...
Overall Score: 5.5/10 (6.5 for drinks and ice cream)
Last word: It wasn't all bad. There's decent stuff here i'm sure. In fact, i saw it packed in the Dhouby Ghaut outlet but i can't say the same from my visit to this outlet. As it stands, i do not think i will return for another try here but might consider trying the other outlet.
If you're looking to catch a good drink and play a few games of free pool.... This is the joint to be at...
Always crowded on weekends with recession or without... They serve OKAY food... However a good selection of beers as well as a good price for their own Harry's Beer.. Not self brewed.. But OEM...
They have a good selection of international brands of beers and have air-coned indoor sitting areas as well as outdoor afresco style.. Plenty of bartops, high chairs as well as comfy lower sofas to suit each person's needs...
But i should say more then enough barsides for the singles out to find a date... Its a wonderful place to go solo and the drinks won't burn a hole.. I cup of house red wine cost $13 and 1 Pint of Kilkenny cost only $16 :)
What more.. They have seasonal soccer nights... For guys who are crazily addicted to 20 men running after a small ball..... This is the place to get drunk and curse the stupid referee on league nights.... Huge LCD Screens hung at every angle as well as a projector screen for Man-U Fans.... Man U! Man U! Man U! Man U!....
If you happen to be supporting the opposing team... just remember to curse in dialect.... You won't get into trouble as the main patrons there are foreigners...
Most Singaporeans are too courteous to create any trouble... Courtesy is for free.. Its for you and me......
I was snake-ing at Jurong Point this afternoon, catching a quick break in between appointments and I came across this interesting shop....
Its colourful and a happy shop.... At the entrance to the shop, you can find brightly coloured huge plush toys... Characters include Mickey Mouse, Mennie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daffy Duck and Goofy the Jolly Doggie that could talk... They are brightly coloured and very appealing to children.. What more the prices are very good.... A plush toy, the size of my one year of nephew is only going for $19.90... Good Steal Yar....
Inside the store.. you get to find other toys... Plush and Plastics included... What caught my eye is the Mickey's Palm.. Its Huge, White and Every Child's dream.... and it only cost $13.90. Child Dreams gets easier to hit as we grow older... There are giant Chipmunks as well... And You Could Buy 3 and make them wear a blue, a red and a green T-Shirt.. There you have.. Your very own Alvin and the Chipmunks...
There are candies for sale, Disney Accessories as well as Stationary from the oldest mouse in town...
I fell in love with Goofy and after my appointment, I got myself a goofy to bring home with.. I'm gonna cuddle my new boyfriend while i watch desperate housewives later...
1=SGD 0.0587
This is about the most value for money steamboat I've tried before.
There are 2 branches which are located just a few shops apart. The orange colour themed branch seems to be the more popular choice which I supposed was due to the atmosphere and the fact that its newer.
Variety was wide. but only limited to a portion of the menu if you order buffet. There are about 5 types of soup base and you can choose a max of 2. We chose the satay and scallop soup base. Satay was so so though it was said to be the more popular choice there. Though I felt its more like because Satay wasn't so common at other steamboat eateries. A bit spicy and full of peanut taste. Scallop based soup taste great enough without cooking the ingredients. Soup base not too salty so we don't feel uneasy after eating a lot which should be the case for steamboat soup base.
Foodstuffs fresh and in "happy" portions (lolx). Though I don't eat prawns but my friends commented that the prawns were very fresh and they ordered 5 plates of them. The "tou kee" was fresh and chewy without the oily smell that tou kee at many places have. They also have items like Golden mushroom, fish slices, fish paste, all kinds of meat and vegetables, cutter fish, prawns and "hum".
Drinks not free, we ordered the home made lime juice @ $6 per jug which was about just right for 5 pax. This drink is real good~ Must try~~ The taste of lime is very distinctive and not diluted.
What we don't like was the service there. Firstly we wanted to sit inside in the air con-ed area but was told that its better we sit outside as its better atmosphere to eat steamboat outside. But I guess the more obvious reason was we had only 5 pax and the only table inside was for more than 8 pax. The person who serviced us keep trying to coax us to order the Ala Cart (and we kept saying no) which was way more expensive and limited than the steamboat buffet. Our second order did not come at all. The person who changed the gas fuel for us accidentally touched our food with the gas can and her hands and don't even bother to change the food for us. Our bill didn't come when we asked twice for it. (We had to stare at the counter for some attention)
Rating given:
The soft patter of raindrops. Light jazz music amidst the soft incessant buzz of the place. Sipping tea with finger food at a leisurely pace while time flittered by. This was the life I had envisioned at Marmalade Pantry and the dream proliferates at TWG.
Cleverly perched on a "suspended" standalone area within Republic Plaza, you have to walk up a short flight of stairs from the first floor which will lead you to the sales area with its shelves of gourmet tea as well as the restaurant. TWG can only take about 30 people or so and oozes cosy warmth with its intimate dining area, huge glass windows with translucent curtains coupled with a glass ceiling.
Imperial Rose - I am honestly not a tea connoisseur but the Imperial Rose, which is a specialty brew of TWG, tasted very much like a Chinese tea, 铁观音.
Sandwiches - This came as part of my tea time "Celebration Set". 8 half slices of bread sandwiching prawns, crab meat, foie gras and smoked salmon respectively, it appealed to my visual senses with its presentation. However, even though the bread was nicely toasted, I didn't quite take to them. The crab meat and prawns sandwiches were passable but the smoked salmon was way too salty and the foie gras just didn't come across as appetising, both in smell and taste.
Salmon A La Russ - I can't say much about the smoked salmon except that it was salty and came topped roe. However, the brioche that was served alongside was interestingly good. It actually tasted like croissant - flaky and buttery.
Macarons - Another component of my tea time set, we chose praline, lemon and napolean tea macarons from the 6 or so varieties TWG carries. Personally I still prefer their vanilla macaron, something which they didn't have at that point in time.
Strawberry Tart - Insipid as it looked, the strawberry tart came highly recommended by the staff. And I was rather impressed. It was essentially vanilla bean creme brulee sans the caramelised layer with bits of strawberries sandwiched in between and served on a tart base. A stellar example of never judging a book by its cover. Best of all, it was part of my set as well.
Crumble - I didn't have much of the crumble so I shall reserve my comments. The ice cream sounded interesting though - Napolean Tea cheesecake ice cream, which was apparently very well received by the aspiring tai tai who sat across from me.
A 3.5 hr tea session cost us about $82, which probably isn't the cheapest place to chill out but for the delightful ambience and earnest service, its probably worth it to dig deep into your pockets just for a relaxing afternoon at this place with your partner or alone with a book.
As the first signs of dusk seeped through the windows and I played observer to the throngs of working people frantically crossing the street to catch the next train home, I was reminded of my own reality - one that had no affinity with this almost surreal lifestyle.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Putien is named after a certain Chinese Province in China which reflects bountiful harvest and abundance of nature. The reason for this namesake is to reflect the simplicity and sincerity of Putien cuisine which is simple yet rich in flavor. Currently, Pu Tien group of restaurants has already expanded to 4 outlets in Singapore and one in Jakarta Indonesia. Question is, Chinese restaurants are a dime a dozen, does this succeed in setting itself apart?
The Tampines Mall outlet occupies a sizable amount of space in separate units. One is along the corner and features big round tables with modernized feel while the other unit resembles an open food court concept with a counter as the service area. Both areas are reasonably spacious which is a plus for me.
Bamboo Herbal Prawn ($3.80 for 2 prawns) - The prawns were of a decent size and literally seemed to pop out of the bamboo after you. The soup consisted of a strong herbal taste and was a little salty but otherwise light and enjoyable. The prawns, though looks good, is hit or miss in freshness as out of 4 prawns, 2 were scrumptious, crunchy and fresh while the other 2 were beginning to get powdery. Overall, if they could keep the consistency of freshness, this is a pretty good order.
Pu Tien Lor Mee ($6) - I'd describe this as interesting and pretty good. I like the generous portion size and the pork and vegetables that came in it. The broth is starchy like its black counterpart but at the same time, less overwhelming in the taste department. The noodles were also springy and soft which makes this well worth the investment.
Xing Hua Stir Fried Bee Hoon ($6) - The bee hoon came with lots of ingredients as well, clam, mushrooms, nuts, slices of pork and some vegetables all mixed into one package. The fact is, it was light and enjoyable. The only gripe is on the bee hoon being smashed. Its as though the bee hoon is made shorter on purpose.
Shredded Meat with Bun ($5.60) - The meat actually looks lke wroms to me but rest assured it isn't. Its just stir fried pork that has been diced till its fine and string-like. It came with some lettuce and fried buns with sesame to good effect. The buns were hot and soft but oily. Couple that with the lettuce and pork which is a little salty and you get sinful combination thats hard to resist.
Service: 5.5/10
Food: 6.5/10
Ambience: 5/10
Value for money: 7/10
Overall Score: 6.75/10 (not an average)
Last Word:
All in all, the food was decent with generous portions. Some came with fresh ingredients and some a little less in that respect. I can't say i did not enjoy the meal but service could be improved upon with a little more attentiveness from the waitresses. The thing that got me quite unhappy about was the supervisor whom we got her attention from, refused to take our orders and asked another waitress to do it despite there being only 3 customers including ourselves. She was more interested in walking around aimlessly and talking to her other colleagues which is rather unprofessional. Other then that, the food and value for money is on par and definitely worth a try at least.
Rating given:
not sure when it started but a surge of ice cream parlors hv sprouted out everywhere out of a sudden. previously i don't think i even seen much places serving ice cream except for swensens or maybe, haagen dazs. then i started hearing & reading about ben & jerry's, island creamery, tom's palette, udders, icekimo, haato, the ice cream gallery, marvelous cream, azabu sabo hokkaido ice cream etc. just too many! and thats not inclusive of the gelato counters littered all over the malls.
situated at the arcade, sunset way is a quaint little ice cream parlor decked in all-white. its very small and cosy but the ambience didn't looked half as bad! in fact i would hv liked it more if it wasnt so crowded. there were just lotsa youngsters eagerly queuing up for ice creams! the above pic shows a colorful wall mural. i loved it.
since we were really full from dinner, we just ordered 2 flavors to share. the butterscotch & pecan, which is old-fashion butterscotch ice cream sprinkled with freshly toasted pecans was quite good. since i'm crazy over salted caramel-anything, this flavor appealed to me since it has a nice sweet salty & buttery fragrance.
the lychee martini was a disappointment tho'. i could hardly taste any lychee nor vodka in there. i guess when i had the best lychee martini at new asia bar, my benchmark for this drink/dessert has inevitably became much higher. but at least the one from seventh heaven was really good. it has the distinct lychee liqueur taste, so did the modern tarte lychee from coffee club.
while ice cream is something i love having, i won't specially travel to a place just to eat it since its not a dessert that satisfies me (unless it goes atop a nice waffle or served ala japanese parfait style). but i'll definitely go back to try the other funky flavors like wasabi mango, chilli choc and avocado ice cream if i'm nearby.
Rating given:
Muthu's curry had its roots in Singapore in 1969 before slowly building a reputation through the creative mind of their founder, Mr Ayyakkannu, who in time, developed a recipe for its fish head curry which brought the restaurant its fame. In fact, even to date, the restaurant is still well known for its fish head curry which i unfortunately, did not get to try.
For starters, i'm actually not a spice eater. I like mild chili but nothing quite like the sort our Indian compatroits are used to. The next thing to know is that i was there for a small wedding reception so the food i got was mostly from the buffet counter as you can see above.
Despite all these i've said, the food here is pretty darn good. Maybe i'm too loaded with spice and burning lips to realise but the fact is, i found the buffet spread and the curry here top notch. Especially the mutton, chicken and beef curry, generous pieces of lean and fatty meat in thick, spicy curry. Each with its own merit, this is not the usual coconut heavy or packaged curry you find everywhere else and it goes really well with everything else you can throw on your plate. Be it crackers, rice, salads and what not.
I had seconds for this even though i was perspiring passionately due to the spice and i really don't do that too often.
Overall Score: 7/10
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What can i say? Authentic, good new and old fashioned curry in an equally authentic Indian setting within Little India in Singapore. It doesn't get any more realistic then this. Mind the spice though, you might not be able to take it but you sure will enjoy burning your lips off. I did.
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fusion food has always been given a bad name and it doesn't take a genius to understand why. most of the time, they're badly done using some weird east & west ingredient combinations that you'll never dream of using in your entire life - think chinese style carrot cake with balsamic vinegar *gasps*. and while i hadn't had that much fusion food to begin with - just two places 2b exact, mykii and persimmon are just reasons enough for me to avoid them like plague altogether. as the popular saying goes, when badly done, fusion becomes confusion and i hv to agree! but its my visit to wild rocket that changed the perception of fusion. for the better of coz. well, kinda.
the restaurant is located inside hangout hotel, a backpackers' hotel at mount emily. while not exactly accessible, its "walkable" from dhoby ghaut mrt (or perhaps even nearer from little india MRT) and a stonethrow away from paradiz centre/parklane shopping mall but you'll hv to walk up a slope. of coz it'll make bigger sense to just cab in coz walking under the sweltering heat especially during lunchtime is no mean feat.
complimentary cheese bread with olive oil dip. quite good. we were there for lunch and apart from ala carte, you can choose between the set ($28 ) or ala carte set ($35 ) which consists of an appetizer, main & dessert. for obvious reasons, its better to go for the ala carte set since there are far more choices and is better value for money. imagine, some mains are already 30 bucks on their own!
pan-seared tuna rocket salad with light ginger dressing ($12.50). the tuna was really tough & fibrous, to my dismay. not sure if it was becoz the fish was unfresh, or due to the cut. the rocket salad was good tho'. i'm pretty crazy over rocket leaves lately that i'll travel to fairprice finest just for it!
black pepper soft shell crab with granny smith salad ($12.80). this one was quite nicely done. the batter was light, crispy and not too oily and the black pepper sauce's sweet! however the granny smith "salad" was hardly any salad but rather a few pathetic green apple slices. tsk.
braised lemongrass ginger lamb shank & garlic potato mash ($29). first mouthful was good but subsequently the taste was just too "lamby" for me. all in all acceptable but nothing spectacular. i'll take lamb chop or rack of lamb anytime!
crabmeat linguine with chilli tomato cream ($19.50). this one was quite good. for a moment i was trying to figure out the taste and description, only to realize later that its actually a twist from our local chilli crab dish.
for desserts, we had the dark lava choc gateau with flambe banana ($10.50). it was SO good. no doubt they didn't "proclaim" the use of quality choc like valrhona, it was alot better than the places that did. so apparently it might not be the quality of choc that affects, tho' it does matter to a certain extend.
we also had the chilled black glutinous rice with coconut ice cream ($9.50). big mistake. i took it for granted that the black glutinous rice would be the soupy kind but it wasn't. it was really dry, sticky and tasted somewhat uncooked. also, the coconut ice cream wasn't creamy, neither was it fragrant enough :( it might work if the the glutinous rice was more moist and the coconut ice cream more creamy. i would hv liked that! its one of my favorite local desserts afterall, but i try not to order it when i'm out for the risk of having black bits stuck inbetween my teeth :p
we finished everything nevertheless and it was a pretty decent meal. i'll definitely go back again, suppose if i'm in the mood to climb some slopes haha.
for more reviews, pls visit my blog @ http://bossacafez.blogspot.com
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i was at graze for sunday brunch two weeks ago with a very lovely lady. it was my first brunch outing (choupinette not counted) and naturally, i was feeling quite excited over it. brunches are really the IN thing now, but too overhyped and overpriced, if u ask me. but then i don't really mind paying for the ambience and since its been sometime since i visited rochester park, so graze it was.
took some random shots i went around taking before our orders arrived. whats worth mentioning is the strawberry-infused water. i think its visually appealing and is something different as compared to seeing the conventional lemon-infused water. but tastewise, it was hardly spectacular. the berry aroma was faint and tasted somewhat weird. and on the bottom right pic is homemade spice honey and chilli oil that's on every table. i dunno if its politically correct to call the honey "homemade" since they didn't rear the bees haha. but whatever it is, i took a whiff and the whole bottle just screams 'chinese 5-spice" and thats the last thing i want on my pancakes.
the first to arrive was the complimentary toasts with butter & jam. quite good, toasts were nice and soft.
the cast iron pan ($20) that i went to graze especially for it. made up of bratwurst sausages, smoked bacon, mushrooms, roasted potatoes, baked beans, egg & tomato, it didn't disappoint.
banana pancakes ($13) with grilled bananas, walnuts served with redcurrant syrup & vanilla bean ice cream. the pancakes itself was ok, but i really dig the bananas & walnuts. just one of the best combinations around!
also had a cappuccino ($6).
overall a pretty good dining experience, except that the stuffs are really overpriced. frankly, i feel their prices are more hotel than restaurant prices. we didn't order anything else coz there wasn't much (the bbq menu starts at 12pm). morever we weren't in the mood for any eggs ben, neither did we wanna pay $10 for juice and $12 for muesli, so we just had 2 main courses. the warm michel cluizel chocolate tart with fresh bananas, caramel & vanilla ice cream caught my eye tho' but it's 17 bucks.
for more reviews, pls visit my blog @ http://bossacafez.blogspot.com
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Just Acia or rather "Just Asia" is a new set up featuring Asia's staples of noodles and rice as its main menu items. With a tag line that says "free flow of drinks and ice cream" at a starting price as low as $2.80, this is a place that is light on the wallet at first glance. There are currently 3 outlets for this franchise, Downtown East, Dhouby Ghaut MRT station and Suntec City fountain terrace. It was on a day of celebration that we visited Just Acia and i can't deny that the price was what drew me in at first. The following is what we had and my thoughts on the food.
The interior of the restaurant is simple and sat about 20-30 patrons. There was a payment counter right smack in the centre and your bill is presented to you upon completing your orders. The free flow of drinks and ice cream are also located right behind the payment counter so thats where the majority of the action will happen. Overall, the interior is serviceable and nothing impressive.
Herbal Chicken Soup Set ($11.90) - After some contemplation on the menu, we decided to have something more mid range as compared to the usual $5.90 meals. My order was the herbal chicken soup and it looked pretty substantial actually. There was half a chicken in the soup and it came with rice and some beans. The thing about herbal chicken is that the soup it comes in must be good, otherwise the whole dish amounts to naught. And unfortunately, the soup is salty and lacking much herbal taste in their version. My verdict, don't order this.
Stir Fried Greens ($4.80) - This wasn't too bad actually. At the least, it tasted crunchy and tasty enough to praise but nothing more to recommend.
Tom Yum Seafood Set ($10.90) - My gf ordered this and it was definitely much better then my herbal chicken set. The soup is still salty as though made of seawater but there's enough spice inside to give it a tinge of hope. Add to that generous ingredients and you have something tolerable but still too salty.
Spinach Tofu ($2.80) - On the menu, this was touted as the must order dish and chef's specialty. I'm sad to report its nothing special. In fact, it was rather bad because there's a very obvious layer of thick oil over it. The interesting thing is the texture which is similar to steamed eggs except that in this, the "eggs" are rubbery. Not recommended as well.
Free Ice Cream - The ice cream ain't half bad. I'm betting on Wall's or some simple NTUC brand but it works for me. The chocolate is thick and rich and so was the vanilla. I could have this for a long time. The free flow drinks were also a surprise for me since they weren't diluted by too much. Impressive.
The total bill for this rather disappointing dinner amounted to $32.53. Is it too expensive? Not really. Is it worth the money? Difficult to say yes to that too...
Overall Score: 5.5/10 (6.5 for drinks and ice cream)
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It wasn't all bad. There's decent stuff here i'm sure. In fact, i saw it packed in the Dhouby Ghaut outlet but i can't say the same from my visit to this outlet. As it stands, i do not think i will return for another try here but might consider trying the other outlet.
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If you're looking to catch a good drink and play a few games of free pool.... This is the joint to be at...
Always crowded on weekends with recession or without... They serve OKAY food... However a good selection of beers as well as a good price for their own Harry's Beer.. Not self brewed.. But OEM...
They have a good selection of international brands of beers and have air-coned indoor sitting areas as well as outdoor afresco style.. Plenty of bartops, high chairs as well as comfy lower sofas to suit each person's needs...
But i should say more then enough barsides for the singles out to find a date... Its a wonderful place to go solo and the drinks won't burn a hole.. I cup of house red wine cost $13 and 1 Pint of Kilkenny cost only $16 :)
What more.. They have seasonal soccer nights... For guys who are crazily addicted to 20 men running after a small ball..... This is the place to get drunk and curse the stupid referee on league nights.... Huge LCD Screens hung at every angle as well as a projector screen for Man-U Fans.... Man U! Man U! Man U! Man U!....
If you happen to be supporting the opposing team... just remember to curse in dialect.... You won't get into trouble as the main patrons there are foreigners...
Most Singaporeans are too courteous to create any trouble... Courtesy is for free.. Its for you and me......
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I was snake-ing at Jurong Point this afternoon, catching a quick break in between appointments and I came across this interesting shop....
Its colourful and a happy shop.... At the entrance to the shop, you can find brightly coloured huge plush toys... Characters include Mickey Mouse, Mennie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daffy Duck and Goofy the Jolly Doggie that could talk... They are brightly coloured and very appealing to children.. What more the prices are very good.... A plush toy, the size of my one year of nephew is only going for $19.90... Good Steal Yar....
Inside the store.. you get to find other toys... Plush and Plastics included... What caught my eye is the Mickey's Palm.. Its Huge, White and Every Child's dream.... and it only cost $13.90. Child Dreams gets easier to hit as we grow older... There are giant Chipmunks as well... And You Could Buy 3 and make them wear a blue, a red and a green T-Shirt.. There you have.. Your very own Alvin and the Chipmunks...
There are candies for sale, Disney Accessories as well as Stationary from the oldest mouse in town...
I fell in love with Goofy and after my appointment, I got myself a goofy to bring home with.. I'm gonna cuddle my new boyfriend while i watch desperate housewives later...
TATA......
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