First time there at the Central (中环茶餐厅). Always see long queue there, but never has a chance to try. Recently, my sis jio me to go with her. She said its quite good.
Too many items on the menu, I cannot find any usual dishes that I saw on other HK cafes’ menu. So, I ordered something safe - Pork Chop dried noodles and Almond Milk Tea, while my sis went for Char Siew noodles and Cold Milk Tea.
Pork Chop Dried Noodles - the Pork Meat were well marinated. The soup base was just right, not too salty or bland. The only I dun really like is the noodles. I dun fancy Cantonese mee kia (thin noodles). Its a bit too hard to chew.
Char Siew Noodles - The presentation dun look good, but the mee pok was better than mine mee kia. Not too hard, just right. One customer saw her order, and requested to order the same too. Haaa….
The food is not bad, what is no-no is their service. Very bad service. Their cashier counter is actually their Kitchen delivery counter. They take a long time to settle the bill. They cleared the table fast (seems to be a good sign) but seems too fast. I just finished with my noodles, they cleared everything away, including my one and only serviette. The aunty waitress said she will give me a new one, but she din come back with one. Heng, I always make sure I have lots of tissue packs with me, so not ending up with oily mouth.
Yesh… Finally got a chance to taste the only-heard-of Lei Garden food @ CHIJMES without burning a hole in my wallet. It’s a conference closing dinner. I will love to miss it but for Lei Garden, I cannot say NO.
The ambience is classy, we had a VIP Room booked on the 2nd Floor. They have one Waitress solely to serve us. Good service. She pay lots of attention on us (Yeah, I know its her job, but not all staff are like her).
Food - Its more that what I am expecting. Looking at the specially designed menu for us, a price of SGD85 per head, the food name is simple, peking duck, deep fried conpoy, mango dessert with sago…. But the presentation and taste of the dishes are exquisitly delicious!!!! Can see that the Chef really puts in his heart to design and prepare the food. My favourite dish is the Crispy Rice soaked in Soup and the Doubled Boiled Quail Soup. The Crispy Rice is interesting as they deep fried the rice and then pour it into the soup with some cooked rice in it. Hence, there is a mix of crispy and soft rice. :) While for the doubled boiled quail soup, the taste is strong and smooth. Making one feels like having 2nd and 3rd helpings.
From the shop name, you would expect only Discus in this shop. When you step in the shop, you will be convinced that they are really professional in Discus.
I hardly see an aquarium operate in such a neat, dry and clean environment. Most aquarium are wet on the floor and untidy with pails of fishes on the floor.
I like the way they arrange their show tank. Only two rows of tanks with various type of Discus. Spacious walk way that make us feel comfortable when viewing the fishes. You just have the urge to buy somethings.
The boss, Peter, is a Discus lover and a Discus breeder. I understand that all Discus on display are in-house breed. His Discus ever won in our National Discus Competition. Do pay a visit to this aquarium if you are a discus lover.
The first time we walked pass this place, we said to ourselves, "next time must eat!". So the next time we passed by, we walked into the restaurant and happily ordered our food. After ordering at the counter, we decided to pay by NETS since we did not have enough cash. "Sorry, we do not accept NETS", was the reply. Oh ok, we thought to ourselves, maybe they can accept VISA, so we asked could we pay by VISA and they said "sorry we do not accept VISA". Then what do you accept? Can we pay by TT Transfer or bank draft??!!!?? The reply was,"We only accept cash". So we said thank you and had to walk out of the place with hungry stomachs and decided that propably we can only eat here the 3rd time round.
If you decide to eat here, please bring along CASH! Nothing is more useful then cold hard cash! Wonder why they do not accept other modes of payment. Maybe they do not want to pay for the extra 3%, so that they can charge us less for the fish?
The 3rd time round, we made sure we had enough cash. So we ordered the Silver Cod Fillet with fries and the North Atlantic Cod Loin with fries. When we were served it looked the same. Which is which? Even the person at the counter did not know and had to ask. So we were wondering what is going on!?!
Anyway after the first bite, we started to love the juicy and tender fillet which was well fried. The servings of chips is VERY VERY generous. Perhaps too much for us. They are huge by our standards and at the end of the meal, eating the chips seems to be like a chore. Well, too much of anything is always no good!
So what do we recommend the next time you want to eat here. Maybe just order the Cream dory fillet at half the price. Who knows, maybe they will look the same as the North Atlantic Cod Loin, or maybe you can hope that the counter staff gives you the Atlantic Cod Loin instead since they find it hard to tell them apart when fried!
We ate here in the evening, so the non-airconditioned atmosphere is not too bad. Our personal preference is still the Beer batter Cod, which of course is not served here and that is another story.
Alessi is an Italian kitchenware company which is famous for its colorful and playful designs.
Their products can really turn the otherwise dull and boring kitchen into a fun place to cook and prepare food. Such as the futuristic-looking lemon squeezer, the cutesy eggcup, and the Anna G. wine bottle corkscrew pictured above.
For people who believes in form over function (that's not saying that Alessi products lack functionality), this is the perfect place to get your kitchenware!
This is a place to grab a quick bite and off you go shopping for household items. Do not expect it to be like a restaurant. No ambience whatsoever. No waiters or waitresses to serve you food. It is self service and more like a Canteen to me!
Maybe they should name it IKEA Staff and Visitors Canteen!
Since the place is so crowded on weekends, you will find people standing next to your table waiting for you to vacate your seats. "Hey, I still have 5 meatballs left on my plate. If I take 1 minute to eat one, it will be 5 minutes waiting time." Very much reminds me of the hawker centre. But do not book seats with tissue paper here. It gets easily blown away by the large and bulky items that people carry.
So why come all the way to Tampines to eat in this cafe? The only good reason is the shopping at IKEA and the Swedish meatballs and 3 star chicken wings. Of course if you are an IKEA member, you will get your drinks free.
Also you are encouraged to clean up your meals after finishing them. There is a counter in the centre of the "canteen" where you can deposit your dishes.
So if this is you first experience to this Cafe, perhaps it will be your last. Unless you are really famished! Always remember to take your meals before you head down to IKEA. We ate once at Alexandra and once in Tampines - that's it. If you want ambience, you will find a noisy one here. Anyway, when you step into IKEA to do your shopping, the unpleasant experience you find in the Cafe will soon be forgotten....until you step back into it again.
For me IKEA is a great place to find furniture and household accessories (Full Stop).
Hong Kong cafes are all the rage recently! And this Tong Shui Cafe along Liang Seah Street is one of them. But in my opinion, not the best of them.
The cafe is usually pretty packed (these days, which Hong Kong cafe isn't?) so big groups might find it difficult to get seats.
I tried their Fried Rice with Salted Fish and Wolfberries and Iced Yin Yong, which are decent. But at $8.88, I am inclined to say that it's a little high on price.
They also have the very popular Nissin noodles, which I should try one day!
Although the building outside looks the same, abeit the renovations and refurbishments done, the interior of the museum is totally brand new and very much different from the National Museum I have been to many years back. The old musuem was eerie, dark and museum like. The new looks refreshing and more like an art gallery.
If you are driving there, you can park at the car park at fort canning park (next to ROM) and enter via the back entrance to the museum. Entrance fees are $10 for adults.
Must say that you can spend the whole day in the Singapore "History Gallery" to look at the exhibits and listen to the cleverly arranged scripts and stories from 1800s to the present. I took about 4 hours to finish the History Gallery (with in-depth concentration).
The "Living Galleries" are equally interesting with topics on fashion, food, wayang and photography. There is one particular section I particularly enjoy: the private collection of photographs of people, their families and scenes of Singapore in the early 1900s.
Although guided tours are available, I recommend taking the self guided audio tour. You will be given an audio set which you can put round your neck, with headphones attached. As you move round the museum, and see an interesting exhibit, just select the appropriate buttons on the audio set and hear the narration and explanation. There is a wealth of information available with this audio set. At times it seems like there is an overload of information.
Much of the exhibits are well preserved. You can find Passports, Japanese occupation documents, birth certificates and marriage certificates that look like they were just written a while ago....although the date says 1923.
Many immigrants came from China to look for a better life in Singapore in the 1920s. It isn't much different today. To think that these ones who came in 1920s for a better future are not longer in existence just makes you feel how short life is. And to think that the present is just as bad as the past, or even worse in terms of world conditions just makes you wonder if it really is possible to find a "better" life in another land. The past events portrayed in the Musuem really makes you think about life as a whole. Much of the Museums's exhibits dwell on the founding of Singapore, the Japanese occupation and the beginning of the political history.
It is also interesting to note that many road names we have today are named by the British in the 1800s. Much of Shenton way, Colleyer Quay, Alexander Road, Bukit Timah, Jurong and Even Tampines and Bedok were on maps dated in the 1800s!
Visiting the museum was an eye opener to people, their thoughts and aspirations. Over the years these have remained unchanged....and I guess will never change.
So if you want to do some soul searching, visit the National Museum. As the saying goes, "Without the past there will be no present".
1=SGD 0.0587
First time there at the Central (中环茶餐厅). Always see long queue there, but never has a chance to try. Recently, my sis jio me to go with her. She said its quite good.
Too many items on the menu, I cannot find any usual dishes that I saw on other HK cafes’ menu. So, I ordered something safe - Pork Chop dried noodles and Almond Milk Tea, while my sis went for Char Siew noodles and Cold Milk Tea.
Pork Chop Dried Noodles - the Pork Meat were well marinated. The soup base was just right, not too salty or bland. The only I dun really like is the noodles. I dun fancy Cantonese mee kia (thin noodles). Its a bit too hard to chew.
Char Siew Noodles - The presentation dun look good, but the mee pok was better than mine mee kia. Not too hard, just right. One customer saw her order, and requested to order the same too. Haaa….
The food is not bad, what is no-no is their service. Very bad service. Their cashier counter is actually their Kitchen delivery counter. They take a long time to settle the bill. They cleared the table fast (seems to be a good sign) but seems too fast. I just finished with my noodles, they cleared everything away, including my one and only serviette. The aunty waitress said she will give me a new one, but she din come back with one. Heng, I always make sure I have lots of tissue packs with me, so not ending up with oily mouth.
Rating given:
Yesh… Finally got a chance to taste the only-heard-of Lei Garden food @ CHIJMES without burning a hole in my wallet. It’s a conference closing dinner. I will love to miss it but for Lei Garden, I cannot say NO.
The ambience is classy, we had a VIP Room booked on the 2nd Floor. They have one Waitress solely to serve us. Good service. She pay lots of attention on us (Yeah, I know its her job, but not all staff are like her).
Food - Its more that what I am expecting. Looking at the specially designed menu for us, a price of SGD85 per head, the food name is simple, peking duck, deep fried conpoy, mango dessert with sago…. But the presentation and taste of the dishes are exquisitly delicious!!!! Can see that the Chef really puts in his heart to design and prepare the food. My favourite dish is the Crispy Rice soaked in Soup and the Doubled Boiled Quail Soup. The Crispy Rice is interesting as they deep fried the rice and then pour it into the soup with some cooked rice in it. Hence, there is a mix of crispy and soft rice. :) While for the doubled boiled quail soup, the taste is strong and smooth. Making one feels like having 2nd and 3rd helpings.
Rating given:
From the shop name, you would expect only Discus in this shop. When you step in the shop, you will be convinced that they are really professional in Discus.
I hardly see an aquarium operate in such a neat, dry and clean environment. Most aquarium are wet on the floor and untidy with pails of fishes on the floor.
I like the way they arrange their show tank. Only two rows of tanks with various type of Discus. Spacious walk way that make us feel comfortable when viewing the fishes. You just have the urge to buy somethings.
The boss, Peter, is a Discus lover and a Discus breeder. I understand that all Discus on display are in-house breed. His Discus ever won in our National Discus Competition. Do pay a visit to this aquarium if you are a discus lover.
Rating given:
Chong Pang Nasi Lemak has got the nicest chicken wings and drumsticks that I've ever tried! Superbly crispy and tasty, and the size is huge.
The nasi lemak rice itself and the other side dishes are good too. Queue is usually pretty long, so be prepared to wait.
And the shop itself is not very accessible unless you drive. But definitely worth the trip!
Rating given:
The first time we walked pass this place, we said to ourselves, "next time must eat!". So the next time we passed by, we walked into the restaurant and happily ordered our food. After ordering at the counter, we decided to pay by NETS since we did not have enough cash. "Sorry, we do not accept NETS", was the reply. Oh ok, we thought to ourselves, maybe they can accept VISA, so we asked could we pay by VISA and they said "sorry we do not accept VISA". Then what do you accept? Can we pay by TT Transfer or bank draft??!!!?? The reply was,"We only accept cash". So we said thank you and had to walk out of the place with hungry stomachs and decided that propably we can only eat here the 3rd time round.
If you decide to eat here, please bring along CASH! Nothing is more useful then cold hard cash! Wonder why they do not accept other modes of payment. Maybe they do not want to pay for the extra 3%, so that they can charge us less for the fish?
The 3rd time round, we made sure we had enough cash. So we ordered the Silver Cod Fillet with fries and the North Atlantic Cod Loin with fries. When we were served it looked the same. Which is which? Even the person at the counter did not know and had to ask. So we were wondering what is going on!?!
Anyway after the first bite, we started to love the juicy and tender fillet which was well fried. The servings of chips is VERY VERY generous. Perhaps too much for us. They are huge by our standards and at the end of the meal, eating the chips seems to be like a chore. Well, too much of anything is always no good!
So what do we recommend the next time you want to eat here. Maybe just order the Cream dory fillet at half the price. Who knows, maybe they will look the same as the North Atlantic Cod Loin, or maybe you can hope that the counter staff gives you the Atlantic Cod Loin instead since they find it hard to tell them apart when fried!
We ate here in the evening, so the non-airconditioned atmosphere is not too bad. Our personal preference is still the Beer batter Cod, which of course is not served here and that is another story.
Rating given:
Alessi is an Italian kitchenware company which is famous for its colorful and playful designs.
Their products can really turn the otherwise dull and boring kitchen into a fun place to cook and prepare food. Such as the futuristic-looking lemon squeezer, the cutesy eggcup, and the Anna G. wine bottle corkscrew pictured above.
For people who believes in form over function (that's not saying that Alessi products lack functionality), this is the perfect place to get your kitchenware!
Rating given:
This is a place to grab a quick bite and off you go shopping for household items. Do not expect it to be like a restaurant. No ambience whatsoever. No waiters or waitresses to serve you food. It is self service and more like a Canteen to me!
Maybe they should name it IKEA Staff and Visitors Canteen!
Since the place is so crowded on weekends, you will find people standing next to your table waiting for you to vacate your seats. "Hey, I still have 5 meatballs left on my plate. If I take 1 minute to eat one, it will be 5 minutes waiting time." Very much reminds me of the hawker centre. But do not book seats with tissue paper here. It gets easily blown away by the large and bulky items that people carry.
So why come all the way to Tampines to eat in this cafe? The only good reason is the shopping at IKEA and the Swedish meatballs and 3 star chicken wings. Of course if you are an IKEA member, you will get your drinks free.
Also you are encouraged to clean up your meals after finishing them. There is a counter in the centre of the "canteen" where you can deposit your dishes.
So if this is you first experience to this Cafe, perhaps it will be your last. Unless you are really famished! Always remember to take your meals before you head down to IKEA. We ate once at Alexandra and once in Tampines - that's it. If you want ambience, you will find a noisy one here. Anyway, when you step into IKEA to do your shopping, the unpleasant experience you find in the Cafe will soon be forgotten....until you step back into it again.
For me IKEA is a great place to find furniture and household accessories (Full Stop).
Rating given:
Hong Kong cafes are all the rage recently! And this Tong Shui Cafe along Liang Seah Street is one of them. But in my opinion, not the best of them.
The cafe is usually pretty packed (these days, which Hong Kong cafe isn't?) so big groups might find it difficult to get seats.
I tried their Fried Rice with Salted Fish and Wolfberries and Iced Yin Yong, which are decent. But at $8.88, I am inclined to say that it's a little high on price.
They also have the very popular Nissin noodles, which I should try one day!
Rating given:
Looking for a shopping mall for all your home furnishing needs? Park Mall is the place to go! Well, provided you have the budget to match.
The shops here mostly carry upmarket designer furniture such as Philippe Starck and Herman Miller.
If you got the dough, you might just find the perfect things to beautify your home. Otherwise, even window-shopping here is not a bad idea at all!
Rating given:
Although the building outside looks the same, abeit the renovations and refurbishments done, the interior of the museum is totally brand new and very much different from the National Museum I have been to many years back. The old musuem was eerie, dark and museum like. The new looks refreshing and more like an art gallery.
If you are driving there, you can park at the car park at fort canning park (next to ROM) and enter via the back entrance to the museum. Entrance fees are $10 for adults.
Must say that you can spend the whole day in the Singapore "History Gallery" to look at the exhibits and listen to the cleverly arranged scripts and stories from 1800s to the present. I took about 4 hours to finish the History Gallery (with in-depth concentration).
The "Living Galleries" are equally interesting with topics on fashion, food, wayang and photography. There is one particular section I particularly enjoy: the private collection of photographs of people, their families and scenes of Singapore in the early 1900s.
Although guided tours are available, I recommend taking the self guided audio tour. You will be given an audio set which you can put round your neck, with headphones attached. As you move round the museum, and see an interesting exhibit, just select the appropriate buttons on the audio set and hear the narration and explanation. There is a wealth of information available with this audio set. At times it seems like there is an overload of information.
Much of the exhibits are well preserved. You can find Passports, Japanese occupation documents, birth certificates and marriage certificates that look like they were just written a while ago....although the date says 1923.
Many immigrants came from China to look for a better life in Singapore in the 1920s. It isn't much different today. To think that these ones who came in 1920s for a better future are not longer in existence just makes you feel how short life is. And to think that the present is just as bad as the past, or even worse in terms of world conditions just makes you wonder if it really is possible to find a "better" life in another land. The past events portrayed in the Musuem really makes you think about life as a whole. Much of the Museums's exhibits dwell on the founding of Singapore, the Japanese occupation and the beginning of the political history.
It is also interesting to note that many road names we have today are named by the British in the 1800s. Much of Shenton way, Colleyer Quay, Alexander Road, Bukit Timah, Jurong and Even Tampines and Bedok were on maps dated in the 1800s!
Visiting the museum was an eye opener to people, their thoughts and aspirations. Over the years these have remained unchanged....and I guess will never change.
So if you want to do some soul searching, visit the National Museum. As the saying goes, "Without the past there will be no present".
Rating given: