This is almost like a storeroom but very well kept and organised. ViewPoint Trading & Collectibles is one shop that you cannot miss when you're at China Square Central.
Housed with many vintage collectibles, ranging from vintage toys, furnitures, black vinyl records and player, to awesome items that you can hardly (or never) find in the modern days. The shop though not very big, is very well organised and maintained. Items are placed in groups and display in a way that is easy to spot interesting things among the clutter of collectibles.
If you're looking for unique decor for your house, this is a great place to go if you're into the retro and vintage stuff.
Located in the same vicinity as Royal China, Ah Tengs Bakery is an extension of Empire Cafe which specializes in sandwiches, coffee and the oh-so-important dessert. Having had a less then savory dim sum experience and feeling utterly unsatisfied, i was pulled along into this bakery to have some coffee and to sin further after the meal. Read on my friends.
First up, you'll notice how retro this place looks. A horrible looking sign and drab interiors belie the wonderful desserts they sell. Do not be deceived however, its out coverings definitely do not do its tasty sweetness justice.
Premium Black Coffee ($4.67) - After all the oily dim sum, a coffee black simply hits the spot. No sugar, no milk, just pure black coffee bean goodness. This was lightly acidic and yet has a great aroma which is easy on the palate.
Tiramisu ($4.21) - Now, i've never had a really good tasting Tiramisu in Singapore so far. In fact, i'm quite a dunce when it comes to Tiramisu. Still, the fact remains that no Tiramisu has given me enough reason to rave about it. This is no exception sadly but it does come close. Thick and sinful mascarpone cheese adorn the main body while 2 layers of rum soaked cake serve to provide the flavor and balance which all Tiramisu's try to attain. The chocolate powder is used deliberately for the outer covering which still gets the job done.
Ambrosia ($4.21) - Ambrosia is a terribly awful and sinful dessert. I must say, indulge in this at the peril of your waistline. Rich, thick chocolate covers the entire outer layer and inner layer as well. The chocolate is a mix of bitterness and sweetness but its enough to keep you asking for more. The inner workings include 2 surprise layers of flavor hidden near the middle. The flavors there are familiar workings which remind me of....strawberry and some other ingredient i simply can't recall but the important thing is, its all good. There's even some gold foil used on top of the dessert for that decadent look. If this is sin, oh, lord, i have sinned badly and i will sin again.
Total bill for this delectable dessert turned up at $18.50 which is remarkably cheap.
This dessert saved the day really. And the price is reasonable enough for me to want to return in a hurry. Definitely try the cakes here. Not too sure about everything else though.
Authentic cantonese cuisine in a comfortable setting. Wah lok has been in the business of serving good Cantonese food to the masses for a long time. In fact, the restaurant has been a winner of the Singapore Tatler for best restaurant for 10 consecutive years. There's a lot to live up to and thats something me, my gf and my good friend was there to ascertain.
As far as interior goes, i do like the open spaces and the slick wood finish that seems to be teak or redwood. This design choice permeates the entire restaurant for a classy finish reminiscent of the restaurants i've been to in Hong Kong. In fact, it even goes so far as to have authentic cantonese speaking staff which is either a boon or bane depending on your preferences and language proficiency. Either way, the interior is abuzz with activity and rather full on the Saturday i visited.
Deep fried Squid ($6), Carrot Cake ($4) - These 2 items arrived on a push cart and was peddled by a nice old lady. By her recommendation, these were fresh and supposedly good. Somehow, i didn't think the squid was very tasty since it tasted dry and overfried. The carrot cake was quivery and firm without being too oily but lacked much taste. This was promptly rectified with their delectable chili sauce however.
Custard Pastry ($3.20) - Walnut custard pastry i should say. Its rather interesting. The walnut gives it a very distinct flavor while the pastry itself was crispy and flaky. The custard was rather minimal which rather contradicted with what i really liked in custard pastry....namely, the custard.
Har Gao AKA Shrimp Dumplings ($5.40) - A must have item in any dim sum session. This rendition however, doesn't quite measure up. No doubt the shrimp/prawn filling is adequately sweet and tasty but the skin turned out to be too thick for my liking. In fact, it sticks to your teeth and simply isn't as good as it should be. Change the skin and they might fare much better.
Deep Fried Beancurd aka Fu Pi Juan ($5.60) - Another item i wouldn't miss whenever i have dim sum, this turned out too oily however. The fillings were also rather inadequate and thus making it feel overpriced.
Siew Mai ($4.60) - Also known as pork dumplings, this came in a decent size and had a strong meaty taste some will love and others will love to hate. A surprising amount of mushroom were used on this rendition as well, so be prepared for a fungi explosion of taste.
Steamed Chive Dumplings ($4) - The first problem here is that the skin was the exact same one used for the prawn dumplings earlier, thats a major minus point in my book. The second problem is that the chive and pork mixture actually neutralizes the strong taste of chives which i like. Thus rendering the dish obsolete.
Char Siew Pastry ($3.80) - I like the sweet pork meat inside which was equally tender and tasty. The let down here was the pastry which lacked a stronger taste of butter and that crispy flakiness of the version in Yan Ting which still stands as the best out there for me.
Chicken and Century Egg Congee ($3) - Well, this congee certainly didn't astound me in any way.... Century eggs, chicken and some bacon thrown in. A nice aroma to the stock and the congee was suitably soft. Thats about it really.
Egg Tart ($3.20) - The pastry is a let down while the egg tart itself was definitely too eggy such that the proportion does not justify nor bring out the taste of the other. Major improvements needed here.
Prawns and Scallop Cheong Fan ($5.40 each) - We ordered 2 versions of this cheong fan and in all honesty, the regular one is still the better of the 2. Regular being the prawn cheong fan. The soy sauce is just right in terms of saltiness but the use of ingredients for both versions were skimped on such that there was very minimal prawn or scallop taste in either.
Pork Buns aka Char Siew Bao ($3.60) - Fluffy but sticky buns with the aforementioned sweet bbq pork. As usual, the proportion of meat to bun is rather disproportioned in the wrong way. Too much bun, too little pork.
Total bill for this rather lackluster dim sum session came up to $77.90.
Maybe there's just too much to live up to or i've got my hopes up too high for this place. I can't help but feel disappointed at what i've been served this day. The dim sum offering actually doesn't quite stand in the league of Peach Garden, Royal China, Yan Ting or even Hua Ting. If this is any indication, than i'd probably recommend to try those other restaurants i've mentioned above for a better dim sum experience.
I missed Chinese food when I was in Netherlands. Yeah.. too much fries makes me fat & sick. I need chili - not ketchup or Mayo. :p
I kept walking pass this Chinese fast food take away store - Wok to Go. I finally get to try it in Amsterdam’s Chinatown.
Remember seeing the American shows about eating take away Chinese Food? Yeah, they really served in those boxes. Haaa…. unbelievable! I wonder if Singapore take away package can be like this. Haaaa….
Thai Green Curry Chicken with Fried Rice (EUR5,00) / Yaki Udon with lots of Bean Sprouts!!!! (Only available at this Branch. EUR7,00plus). They are delicious!!! Tasted authentic sia!
Fried Mid Wings (EUR2,50) - Yesh, I am supposed to be on diet, but I cannot resist these juicy wings!!!! :D
Mini Spring Rolls (EUR1,80 for 6pcs) - full of cabbage and not turnips. Unique.
Bali Chicken with Noodles (EUR5,00) - tasted like chili crab noodles.
Peking Duck with White Rice (EUR7,00 plus - only available at Amsterdam Chinatown’s branch). They fried the duck so it’s very crispy.
Wan Tan Soup (EUR2,50) - Chicken (kip - Dutch for Chicken). Tasted like hongkong style dumplings. Haaa… of coz. Why? The boss is from Hong Kong mah. :p
You can choose to have the main to go with White rice or Fried rice or noodles. Very flexible. Haaaaa…..
Wok to Go is a franchise business. Any rich businessman wanna bring it into Singapore?
My membership with AMORE is at Thomson Plaza. I am a die-hard fan of Pilate so I decided to join my instructor's Sunday morning class at Woodlands Civic Centre.
The whole place is a bit cramp. Though their gym facilities and aerobic classroom are big, the changing and shower room are SUPER SMALL! There is no toilet inside the fitness centre, you have to use the public toilet outside.
The changing area is already small, there are still selfish members who hang their clothings in the changing 'cubicle' (not a cubicle but an area which uses "curtain" to partition up the changing area. Like those temperory changing room in the shopping centre.
The shower cubicle is super small. I kept hitting the side of the wall!
Next time, no changing or showering at that Branch. Even if I was to go there, it will only to attend my Instructor's class.
I always wanted to join AMORE coz its meant for Female only. Haaa.. iShy....
My first lesson there was quite unexpected as I did not bring my own lock for the locker. The staff has to use the plastic tie to lock for me.
As this branch is near my home, I normally will brisk walk to Thomson Plaza. So, when I reached there my consultant told me to rest for a while coz I was sweating from my brisk walk. Haaa.. I was burning…. So, she recommended me to go for STEAM BATH. Cool! I felt refresh after the 20mins steam bath and a shower. She asked if I wanna try the KS - Kardio Sculpt; I took a peep, NAH… too tough and fast pace too… So…. What else can I do? S/Intro - Step Introductory Class.
Yeah, I went Gym then I head off for the class.
Not too bad, but I almost die in there! Lots of steps…. then the instructor who had 3hrs of continuing teaching, kept remembering the wrong steps…. :p I can follow 80% of what he taught me, but I had a hard time catching up my pace and breath.
At the end of the class, he told us the bad news - the branch decided to scrap S/Intro and make it tougher to become a Step Aerobic class. Sianz….. I dunno what to try liao….
Maybe Pilates. Heeheee
Anyway, I feel demoralise there coz everyone is so Slim. Maybe they have been members for a long time. But I spoke to some ladies who were first time there too… but their figure is GOOD lor! :( Sigh…. I need to work hard man…
This is a new chocolate boutique in my neighbourhood. I do not fancy sweet chocolate, but this one catches my eye.
The first time I went in and wanted to buy this Lavender Love, it was out of stock. Maybe becoz it was late at night, so it got sold out. The staff told me that all their chocolates are handmade. Not mass produce-machine kind. Hence, it’s damn rare.
So, I visited it a week later - in the morning. Yesh, I got a chance to buy it. ONE PIECE cost me a BOMB - SGD2plus.
One bite, it’s soft. Sweet. Too sweet for me. It has a very light lavender taste. I dun really like sweet fudge type. One piece is enough.
I like to eat the taiwanese O-ah Mee Sua. I like the hot and sourish taste. Yesh, lots of pepper and black vinegar please. I visited the Shilin Taiwan Street Snacks' branch at The Cathay, thought that since it's a BRANCH, the quality should be the same. But I was wrong.
They were out of oyster (due to shortage of supply according to what they said), so they replace it with scallop. I decided to give it a try. It is a total failure. The chicken strips are not fresh, and I dun call it strips, I called it rubbings! Heng, the mushroom cheese crepe that I ordered is still edible and still the same old good taste.
A couple of months ago, we went for a movie at THE CATHAY, decided to have a quick dinner before the show. Where did we go? To their basement lor.
We order a mix grilled bento and golden brown drumlets karage from that QUICKBITE Stall. Not too bad. The pork asparagus roll is chewy. The drumlets are not to oily, but … not much flavour.
Been to the newly renovated Food Court in Junction 8 a couple of months ago. The deco is refreshing, and it has writings on the history of the particular food sold there on their ceiling pillars.
We tried the OMU RICE. It’s tasty. If I am not wrong, there is an OMU RICE stall at the Taka Food Court too.
I do like their stir fried noodles. :D Though they cooked with Ketchup, it still has the balance of the natural flavour of the food. But it’s slightly salty and their soup is too bland.
Other stalls are the old vendors which are there before.
1=SGD 0.0587
This is almost like a storeroom but very well kept and organised. ViewPoint Trading & Collectibles is one shop that you cannot miss when you're at China Square Central.
Housed with many vintage collectibles, ranging from vintage toys, furnitures, black vinyl records and player, to awesome items that you can hardly (or never) find in the modern days. The shop though not very big, is very well organised and maintained. Items are placed in groups and display in a way that is easy to spot interesting things among the clutter of collectibles.
If you're looking for unique decor for your house, this is a great place to go if you're into the retro and vintage stuff.
Rating given:
Located in the same vicinity as Royal China, Ah Tengs Bakery is an extension of Empire Cafe which specializes in sandwiches, coffee and the oh-so-important dessert. Having had a less then savory dim sum experience and feeling utterly unsatisfied, i was pulled along into this bakery to have some coffee and to sin further after the meal. Read on my friends.
First up, you'll notice how retro this place looks. A horrible looking sign and drab interiors belie the wonderful desserts they sell. Do not be deceived however, its out coverings definitely do not do its tasty sweetness justice.
Premium Black Coffee ($4.67) - After all the oily dim sum, a coffee black simply hits the spot. No sugar, no milk, just pure black coffee bean goodness. This was lightly acidic and yet has a great aroma which is easy on the palate.
Tiramisu ($4.21) - Now, i've never had a really good tasting Tiramisu in Singapore so far. In fact, i'm quite a dunce when it comes to Tiramisu. Still, the fact remains that no Tiramisu has given me enough reason to rave about it. This is no exception sadly but it does come close. Thick and sinful mascarpone cheese adorn the main body while 2 layers of rum soaked cake serve to provide the flavor and balance which all Tiramisu's try to attain. The chocolate powder is used deliberately for the outer covering which still gets the job done.
Ambrosia ($4.21) - Ambrosia is a terribly awful and sinful dessert. I must say, indulge in this at the peril of your waistline. Rich, thick chocolate covers the entire outer layer and inner layer as well. The chocolate is a mix of bitterness and sweetness but its enough to keep you asking for more. The inner workings include 2 surprise layers of flavor hidden near the middle. The flavors there are familiar workings which remind me of....strawberry and some other ingredient i simply can't recall but the important thing is, its all good. There's even some gold foil used on top of the dessert for that decadent look. If this is sin, oh, lord, i have sinned badly and i will sin again.
Total bill for this delectable dessert turned up at $18.50 which is remarkably cheap.
This dessert saved the day really. And the price is reasonable enough for me to want to return in a hurry. Definitely try the cakes here. Not too sure about everything else though.
Rating given:
Authentic cantonese cuisine in a comfortable setting. Wah lok has been in the business of serving good Cantonese food to the masses for a long time. In fact, the restaurant has been a winner of the Singapore Tatler for best restaurant for 10 consecutive years. There's a lot to live up to and thats something me, my gf and my good friend was there to ascertain.
As far as interior goes, i do like the open spaces and the slick wood finish that seems to be teak or redwood. This design choice permeates the entire restaurant for a classy finish reminiscent of the restaurants i've been to in Hong Kong. In fact, it even goes so far as to have authentic cantonese speaking staff which is either a boon or bane depending on your preferences and language proficiency. Either way, the interior is abuzz with activity and rather full on the Saturday i visited.
Deep fried Squid ($6), Carrot Cake ($4) - These 2 items arrived on a push cart and was peddled by a nice old lady. By her recommendation, these were fresh and supposedly good. Somehow, i didn't think the squid was very tasty since it tasted dry and overfried. The carrot cake was quivery and firm without being too oily but lacked much taste. This was promptly rectified with their delectable chili sauce however.
Custard Pastry ($3.20) - Walnut custard pastry i should say. Its rather interesting. The walnut gives it a very distinct flavor while the pastry itself was crispy and flaky. The custard was rather minimal which rather contradicted with what i really liked in custard pastry....namely, the custard.
Har Gao AKA Shrimp Dumplings ($5.40) - A must have item in any dim sum session. This rendition however, doesn't quite measure up. No doubt the shrimp/prawn filling is adequately sweet and tasty but the skin turned out to be too thick for my liking. In fact, it sticks to your teeth and simply isn't as good as it should be. Change the skin and they might fare much better.
Deep Fried Beancurd aka Fu Pi Juan ($5.60) - Another item i wouldn't miss whenever i have dim sum, this turned out too oily however. The fillings were also rather inadequate and thus making it feel overpriced.
Siew Mai ($4.60) - Also known as pork dumplings, this came in a decent size and had a strong meaty taste some will love and others will love to hate. A surprising amount of mushroom were used on this rendition as well, so be prepared for a fungi explosion of taste.
Steamed Chive Dumplings ($4) - The first problem here is that the skin was the exact same one used for the prawn dumplings earlier, thats a major minus point in my book. The second problem is that the chive and pork mixture actually neutralizes the strong taste of chives which i like. Thus rendering the dish obsolete.
Char Siew Pastry ($3.80) - I like the sweet pork meat inside which was equally tender and tasty. The let down here was the pastry which lacked a stronger taste of butter and that crispy flakiness of the version in Yan Ting which still stands as the best out there for me.
Chicken and Century Egg Congee ($3) - Well, this congee certainly didn't astound me in any way.... Century eggs, chicken and some bacon thrown in. A nice aroma to the stock and the congee was suitably soft. Thats about it really.
Egg Tart ($3.20) - The pastry is a let down while the egg tart itself was definitely too eggy such that the proportion does not justify nor bring out the taste of the other. Major improvements needed here.
Prawns and Scallop Cheong Fan ($5.40 each) - We ordered 2 versions of this cheong fan and in all honesty, the regular one is still the better of the 2. Regular being the prawn cheong fan. The soy sauce is just right in terms of saltiness but the use of ingredients for both versions were skimped on such that there was very minimal prawn or scallop taste in either.
Pork Buns aka Char Siew Bao ($3.60) - Fluffy but sticky buns with the aforementioned sweet bbq pork. As usual, the proportion of meat to bun is rather disproportioned in the wrong way. Too much bun, too little pork.
Total bill for this rather lackluster dim sum session came up to $77.90.
Maybe there's just too much to live up to or i've got my hopes up too high for this place. I can't help but feel disappointed at what i've been served this day. The dim sum offering actually doesn't quite stand in the league of Peach Garden, Royal China, Yan Ting or even Hua Ting. If this is any indication, than i'd probably recommend to try those other restaurants i've mentioned above for a better dim sum experience.
Rating given:
I missed Chinese food when I was in Netherlands. Yeah.. too much fries makes me fat & sick. I need chili - not ketchup or Mayo. :p
I kept walking pass this Chinese fast food take away store - Wok to Go. I finally get to try it in Amsterdam’s Chinatown.
Remember seeing the American shows about eating take away Chinese Food? Yeah, they really served in those boxes. Haaa…. unbelievable! I wonder if Singapore take away package can be like this. Haaaa….
Thai Green Curry Chicken with Fried Rice (EUR5,00) / Yaki Udon with lots of Bean Sprouts!!!! (Only available at this Branch. EUR7,00plus). They are delicious!!! Tasted authentic sia!
Fried Mid Wings (EUR2,50) - Yesh, I am supposed to be on diet, but I cannot resist these juicy wings!!!! :D
Mini Spring Rolls (EUR1,80 for 6pcs) - full of cabbage and not turnips. Unique.
Bali Chicken with Noodles (EUR5,00) - tasted like chili crab noodles.
Peking Duck with White Rice (EUR7,00 plus - only available at Amsterdam Chinatown’s branch). They fried the duck so it’s very crispy.
Wan Tan Soup (EUR2,50) - Chicken (kip - Dutch for Chicken). Tasted like hongkong style dumplings. Haaa… of coz. Why? The boss is from Hong Kong mah. :p
You can choose to have the main to go with White rice or Fried rice or noodles. Very flexible. Haaaaa…..
Wok to Go is a franchise business. Any rich businessman wanna bring it into Singapore?
Rating given:
My membership with AMORE is at Thomson Plaza. I am a die-hard fan of Pilate so I decided to join my instructor's Sunday morning class at Woodlands Civic Centre.
The whole place is a bit cramp. Though their gym facilities and aerobic classroom are big, the changing and shower room are SUPER SMALL! There is no toilet inside the fitness centre, you have to use the public toilet outside.
The changing area is already small, there are still selfish members who hang their clothings in the changing 'cubicle' (not a cubicle but an area which uses "curtain" to partition up the changing area. Like those temperory changing room in the shopping centre.
The shower cubicle is super small. I kept hitting the side of the wall!
Next time, no changing or showering at that Branch. Even if I was to go there, it will only to attend my Instructor's class.
Rating given:
I always wanted to join AMORE coz its meant for Female only. Haaa.. iShy....
My first lesson there was quite unexpected as I did not bring my own lock for the locker. The staff has to use the plastic tie to lock for me.
As this branch is near my home, I normally will brisk walk to Thomson Plaza. So, when I reached there my consultant told me to rest for a while coz I was sweating from my brisk walk. Haaa.. I was burning…. So, she recommended me to go for STEAM BATH. Cool! I felt refresh after the 20mins steam bath and a shower. She asked if I wanna try the KS - Kardio Sculpt; I took a peep, NAH… too tough and fast pace too… So…. What else can I do?
S/Intro - Step Introductory Class.
Yeah, I went Gym then I head off for the class.
Not too bad, but I almost die in there! Lots of steps…. then the instructor who had 3hrs of continuing teaching, kept remembering the wrong steps…. :p I can follow 80% of what he taught me, but I had a hard time catching up my pace and breath.
At the end of the class, he told us the bad news - the branch decided to scrap S/Intro and make it tougher to become a Step Aerobic class. Sianz….. I dunno what to try liao….
Maybe Pilates. Heeheee
Anyway, I feel demoralise there coz everyone is so Slim. Maybe they have been members for a long time. But I spoke to some ladies who were first time there too… but their figure is GOOD lor! :( Sigh…. I need to work hard man…
Rating given:
This is a new chocolate boutique in my neighbourhood. I do not fancy sweet chocolate, but this one catches my eye.
The first time I went in and wanted to buy this Lavender Love, it was out of stock. Maybe becoz it was late at night, so it got sold out. The staff told me that all their chocolates are handmade. Not mass produce-machine kind. Hence, it’s damn rare.
So, I visited it a week later - in the morning. Yesh, I got a chance to buy it. ONE PIECE cost me a BOMB - SGD2plus.
One bite, it’s soft. Sweet. Too sweet for me. It has a very light lavender taste. I dun really like sweet fudge type. One piece is enough.
Rating given:
I like to eat the taiwanese O-ah Mee Sua. I like the hot and sourish taste. Yesh, lots of pepper and black vinegar please. I visited the Shilin Taiwan Street Snacks' branch at The Cathay, thought that since it's a BRANCH, the quality should be the same. But I was wrong.
They were out of oyster (due to shortage of supply according to what they said), so they replace it with scallop. I decided to give it a try. It is a total failure. The chicken strips are not fresh, and I dun call it strips, I called it rubbings! Heng, the mushroom cheese crepe that I ordered is still edible and still the same old good taste.
Rating given:
A couple of months ago, we went for a movie at THE CATHAY, decided to have a quick dinner before the show. Where did we go? To their basement lor.
We order a mix grilled bento and golden brown drumlets karage from that QUICKBITE Stall. Not too bad. The pork asparagus roll is chewy. The drumlets are not to oily, but … not much flavour.
Rating given:
Been to the newly renovated Food Court in Junction 8 a couple of months ago. The deco is refreshing, and it has writings on the history of the particular food sold there on their ceiling pillars.
We tried the OMU RICE. It’s tasty. If I am not wrong, there is an OMU RICE stall at the Taka Food Court too.
I do like their stir fried noodles. :D Though they cooked with Ketchup, it still has the balance of the natural flavour of the food. But it’s slightly salty and their soup is too bland.
Other stalls are the old vendors which are there before.
Rating given: