Red Star is a very old, conventional chinese restaurant, located at chin swee road (some way behind people’s park). Its at level 7 of a old building just above the chin swee HDB office. Funny place to have a restaurant you will say, but when we reach there at 1pm, it is fully crowded. Having been to Red Star when i was young many many years back, i was relatively surprise when my colleagues want to go to Red Star for our farewell lunch. Red Star is still going strong after so many years.
A traditional Chinese Dim-sum restaurant with the trolley-pushing the dim-sum around, the waitress will push the trolley around with the dim-sum. Nowadays most dim sum restaurants does not do that anymore, it is usually ticking off the form of what dim-sum you want, and the waitress will bring it to you.
We had egg tarts, har-gau, siew-mai, cheong fun, char shao siew, glutinous rice in lotnus leaf, fried bean curd, fried prawn rolls, steamed pork ribs, century egg congee. The dim sum is quite good and simple. For desserts we had mango puddings and gui lin gao. No pictures were taken cos i did not bring my ixus with me.
Between the 9 of us, we had 41 plates of dim-sum, total bill comes up to $161.40 for nine person, which is like $18 for one person. Price quite reasonable i guess, each plate of dim-sum is about $2.80. Service-wise, it can be faster, but mayb there is too much people so they took a bit slower. We were like staring at each other waiting for more dim-sum to come.
You are always welcome to visit Ladyironchef.com for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
Overall, it the ramen here tastes pretty decent, just except for some of these observations:
The Soup is too Salty... but you can request for a base soup which you can add into your soup to make it less salty. Half an hour later, I realised the soup was actually loaded with lots of MSG, as the throat got very dry. I can't imagine the amount of Ajinomoto the chef might have put.
The Char Siew is not as soft as I would have liked it Compared to Ken Ramen, the char siew tasted a little dry and hard. I wouldn't say it tastes bad, I just prefer the char siew from Ken Ramen.
The curly noodles reminded me somewhat of some quality instant noodles, but then again, ramen is Japanese. And Japanese invented instant noodles. The texture of the noodles was in fact nicely springly and chewy.
Free flow of water from a jug This is something I wish more restaurants would adopt. Water should be free and freely available by the jugs for customers to self serve. Serving water is a lousy excuse for service charge. Plus, wait staff conveniently forget your request for a refill habitually. And reviewers start complaining and throwing profanities about bad service.
The laid back atmosphere What I liked about this place is the homely and woody furniture which helps take the patrons away from the hustle and bustle of the outside. It was very tempting to just set there, relax and while the day away.
I believe this place needs no introduction. So lets get straight to the point.
The soup is reminiscent of Campbell's and we got it by adding about $4 for a soup, some bread and a drink.
Seafood Combo ($49.30 after adding 3 meals) - The seafood combo came is portions of 3 generally, garlic butter and cheese baked mussels, cross cut fries, 5 to 6 fried shrimps, calamari rings and one big piece of dory fillet. And believe or not, the serving managed to feed 4 full grown adults pretty well. The mussels were quite a let down actually, nothing too special about them. The fillet was thick and sweet. The fish meat was piping hot and fine as well. I didn't like the shrimp too much as its overly fried, as is the calamari rings. However, all these were made up for with its wasabi mayonnaise sauce which made everything more palatable even though its not.
Tiramisu ($2.30 after discount) - We actually sat and waited till 9.30 pm to get the cake at half price but honestly, it wasn't worth the wait at all. Dry and lacking any rum taste whatsoever, this is hardly noticeable as tiramisu apart from its looks. Not recommended.
Eastside Brownie ($6.50) - Yet again, the dessert of choice. This time however, the brownie tasted a little too bitter and was not heated properly before it was brought out which dampened spirits a little. Still, decent when paired together with its vanilla ice cream.
Total bill for 4 people reached $56.20 after a further 10% student discount from my friend.
Definitely not somewhere for fine dining but it gets the job done. Atmosphere is as relaxed as ever and nobody chases you off at this outlet. Service is tolerable but furniture placement is still a pain as everything is still cramped. Calls for more sauce were met with slow service as well. Improvement in order but the place is still function able as a place for junk food and small gatherings.
A former humble restaurant with its roots in China town, serving home cooked Cantonese fare, has since evolved into a chain restaurant that can be found in major department stores and even the heart of town. Based upon the Samsui Women, women in red berets, who helped better the lives of Singapore by working for the people, the food has an earthly appeal to culture poor Singapore as it serves as an icon of sorts.
After queuing for close to 15 minutes, i finally made it past the fake wooden doors to get a seat within the restaurant. I guess queuing is the norm since dinner time is usually peak season and everybody seems to be clamoring for any restaurant they can get their hands on.
I guess the first thing i noticed about the place is how incredibly expensive the items are. Expensive is relative in this case because i'd came with the impression i can pay very little for the meal, but that seems a faraway dream.
Peanuts ($2) - $2 for a small bowl of peanuts is pretty interesting. Interestingly expensive of course! To its credit, the peanuts are of the soft variety which may or may not appeal to everyone. Regardless of its appetizing fragrance and taste, this is still overcharged.
Samsui Ginger Chicken ($13) - The chicken bearing the namesake of the restaurant. It is said that no visit to Soup Restaurant is complete without ordering the chicken. Honestly, i am inclined to agree. The serving was quite big which makes me believe there should be half a chicken on that plate. The majority is made of boneless servings of the thigh and breast, both of which were nicely tender and slightly salty due to the soy sauce used. The combination of cucumber, chicken, ginger and lettuce wrapped was fresh and very appetizing. The 2 of us managed to finish the entire dish so that says something.
Hometown Tofu ($8) - The tofu was not very smooth and is of the egg variety. There were pockets of air in it when cut that doesn't leave me with a very good impression. The sauce was soy based and a little salty but managed to be balanced out by the bland tasting tofu. My overall experience with it was alright but nothing eye opening.
Tian Chee With Chicken Soup ($6) - Well, this is a soup restaurant so how can a visit be complete without ordering their soup. How did the soup fare? Bland. I couldn't taste much in it at all. At the very least, it didn't feel like a manufactured soup like so many other restaurants. Still, never ordering this again.
Did the above feel justified for the price tag of $40.50 you see here? I'll leave it up to you to decide.
Of all the things i had that day, the chicken alone was worth the visit while every other thing is just chicken fodder (pardon the pun). I wouldn't say i agree with the crowds that throng the place every night since its easy enough to create the chicken on your own outside. Buy some chicken meat, get lettuce and cucumber and some ginger soaked in soy sauce and vinegar and you pretty much get the same thing. Apart from that, i don't think the price is justified for such a humble place. I don't dislike it but i'm not happy enough with it to return either.
A member of the Starling Group of restaurants which include Dragon Gate, Orient Ocean, River City and the 88 Restaurant, this is the choice my dad made after a prior good experience he had with his friends.
Judging by the shots, its obvious to see that the restaurant is geared towards huge banquets and events. It says as much on their website touting their huge capacity and being a 'Perfect choice of perfect venue for any occasion.' The interior also masks the fact that the main entrance of the restaurant is actually at the carpark, convenient but in direct contrast to the posh oldies interior.
The menu we had was the cheapest of 3 sets offered. Standing at $22.80 per head, there were five limited items to order and 45 other items we could try. Everything has to be ticked and ordered and it will be served throughout the buffet.
Deep Fried Breaded Prawn Fritters - The first item i had were these fritters and i must say they tasted good. Lightly breaded, crispy and sweet. It was pretty oily though.
Chilli Crab and Black Pepper Crab - These crabs were just plain bad. The meat was thin and powdery to the point that even the sauces couldn't enhance its taste. Now i know why the crab was free flow, it simply isn't good.
Sweet and sour pork - This was decent. The meat was slightly crunchy without losing its inner tenderness. It was also lightly sweet and sour without being overwhelming.
Pan Fried Salmon in Teriyaki Sauce - The salmon was overly fried such that the meat tasted too dry. The sauce did not help as it was overly sweet and not appetizing in the least.
Deep Fried Chicken in Beancurd Skin - Crispy, hot and oily describes this dish. The freshness of the chicken is debatable of course but for what its worth. Everyone enjoyed it.
Baby Kai lan and Mushrooms - Bland and tasteless, the only redeeming factor to this dish is the crunchy and fresh baby kai lans.
Japanese Egg Beancurds - You can practically buy and cook this at home. The beancurds are typical supermarket quality with nothing truly special. The serving for this was huge but whats the point of big servings when no one wants to eat it?
Shark's Fin (1 serving per customer) - This is a joke through and through. I could hardly make out the shark's fin and the broth is simply too thick for its own good.
Char Siew (Roast BBQ Pork) - As nice as it looks, the roast pork is simply too dry and tough to chew on for its own good. I'm surprised they managed to mess up on something this widely available actually.
Garlic Steamed Fresh Prawns (1 Serving per customer) -A far cry from HTL but thats unfair to compare here i suppose. Their version was decent and the aroma and sauce does have a certain charm, the only gripe here is the size of the prawns, which were too small to leave a good impression.
Zhi Bao Ji(Steamed Paper Wrapped Chicken)- The meat was tender, sweet and juicy. Pretty nicely done and worth a try.
Cereal Prawns - A staple dish in almost any Chinese eatery. The cereal was strangely lacking the sweet and fragrant taste that is the norm for this dish. The prawns were adequately fresh this time around and was crunchy with the cereal. Taste was overall subdued compared to others i've had before.
Scallops and assorted veggies - To put it simply, we finished all the scallops and left all the greens intact. I'm please to say the scallops tasted fresh and thats about all i can say. =P
Deep fried Buns - A popular dish that night, we went for 3 to 4 helpings of these delectable but oily buns. There is absolutely nothing much special about them. Its your run-of-the-mill deep fried buns available for 50 cents outside but it somehow got us to have seconds and thirds of it. Go figure.
Sze Chuan Fish - This was so salty and spicy that none of us had the stomach to finish. We practically left it untouched and thats quite a waste because beneath the salty exterior, the fish inside was actually fresh.
Honeydew Sago - Pretty much stuffed with food by this point, the sago came as a relief. It wasn't sweet, which is a surprise, as the coconut milk practically robbed it of any other taste whatsoever.
The total bill for 8 people came up to $226.45 which, to me, is not worth the money given the quality of the food.
I suppose taste does vary for each individual, because my dad still felt the restaurant was good value for money while i feel its best if i don't step into it again. The food is passable though hardly memorable and the money could have been spent on healthier and better choices. Buffets that serve good Chinese food is just few and far between.
Nestled in the midst of Bishan Park 2, Acacia looks from afar a nice place to dine in. Stepping into the place and sitting down by the full glass windows, it is hard to imagine that you are in AMK. The lush surroundings makes you feel like you are in the middle of some "exotic" location or maybe it is just me.
The first page of the menu was the set lunch at $15. Looking at the menu and servings it looks like a good price. The set dinner is $32 nett. Yes they do not charge GST or service charge. So we opted for the set dinner 2. Here is what the set dinner comes with:-
(1) Mango Salad - This was a good starter. The smell and taste of the balsamic vinegar was not too overpowering. It sort of tickled our taste buds and was an appetizing appetizer. There were also sliced papayas and mangos which made the dish both colorful and complete.
(2) Mushroom soup - This is definitely not cambells mushroom soup. It was thick, creamy with visible chunks of mushroom found in the soup itself. One of the thickest mushroom soup I have eaten and definitely one of the tastiest. The texture of the soup is just right and is also not too thick. As you guessed, the bowl was emptied and "cleaned" in no time.
(3) Main course A - Balsamic Chicken - This is a delight to savour. The sauce has the right tinge of sweetness and saltiness, each not overpowering the other. Together with the grilled chicken, the taste is truly complimentary. One just cannot get enough of the sauce. It has a strawberry like taste and yet it is not strawberry. I have never eaten chicken so effortlessly, without thinking that it is chicken. Again maybe it is just me. haha. The potato wedges were also quickly "gobbled" up.
Main course B - Pan fried Dory with Mango sauce - The Dory was nicely fried and was fresh. Together with the mango sauce, it was a nice blend between the slight saltiness of the fish and the sour sweet taste of the mango sauce. When you get a good blend of sweet, sour, saltiness in food, it always taste good. At least for us.
(4) Blueberry cheese cake - Nicely done up with no overpowering cheesy taste in it. There is also a nice crisps layer of biscuit right at the base of the cake, which adds to a changed texture upon savoring the cake.
(5) Fruit punch - to complete the meal
We felt that it was a reasonable price to pay for a 5 course set meal at $32 nett. The ambience and surroundings also are pleasant. Looking at the size of the place, it seems like a suitable venue for a small private function of 60-100 people with the outdoors available also for use. Perhaps a small wedding reception? With the glass windows with ample natural lighting, it is a plus for the photographer, which also is good for the bride. :)
Blanco Court Sliced Fish Bee Hoon has got to be one of the best Fish Bee Hoon in Singapore. Even under the scorching afternoon sun, you can see a queue of patrons waiting patiently for their bowl of soupy goodness.
For me, I would finish the every bit of the soup, fish and bee hoon without fail simpply because it is so satisfying.
Personally the fish bee hoon here is excellent due to the following reasons:
Very good soup base The broth is cooked with plenty of deep fried fish bones, yellow beans, ikan bilis and perhaps also pork bones. For those who know cooking, these ingredients are the essential items for good soups. Usually the soup is mixed with condensed milk to add extra sweetness and to create a cloudy soup, but to test the mantle, you can opt the milk out of the soup to taste the lighter and original flavour.
Fresh Fish Most know that the freshness of fish can easily be tasted, especially when boiled or steamed. Safe to say, this stall serves their fish bee hoon with the freshest fish available, even for their fried fish. Speaking of which their fish is fried to perfection, sealing in the natural juices until you sink your teeth into a piece.
Fish Head The pieces of fish head here are deep fried until the bones can be easily chewed up to release the full flavour that is sealed within. People who shun fish head don't know what they are missing. But then again, this is pretty much for "purists" who can appreciate the fish head.
Sliced Bitter Gourd or Seasonal Vegetable The default is seasonal vegetables for your fish bee hoon. However, you can ask for sliced bitter gourd instead. Somehow, bitter gourd and fish make a mean combination. Bitter gourd is also good to have especially under the scorching sun.
The Deep Fried Egg This is probably unique to Blanco Court Sliced Fish Bee Hoon. Eggs are poured into hot oil to be deep fried and hauled out. A generous amount is then served in the soupy dish, to add to the flavour.
I've been told quite a few times that there was a nice restaurant in the middle of bishan park but i've never personally been there. Upon arrival, i noticed there were 2 such restaurants side by side and was forced to make a choice, feeling a wee bit exotic, i opted for the Green Room cafe instead of the Acacia which i will revisit at a later time. The Green Room cafe is a concept cafe from Asmara Spas to promote healthy eating habits which inexorably links back to the spa treatments they offer. How good is the food there though?
The location in the middle of the park is reminiscent of Bliss which is located a Punggol Park. Its interior was decent and casual with the exception of 2 rather large trees located right smack in the middle of the restaurant, making it an interesting decoration of sorts.
Vegetarian Mutton Curry with organic brown rice ($12.80) - Vegetarian mutton curry has been done many times and i have never had a good opinion of it since i perceive such foods to be filled with artificial flavorings and being totally unhealthy. This rendition was quite decent however, with the flavorings kept to a minimal and still having slight hints of mutton in it. It was not very spicy despite the use of curry leaves, cinnamon and ginger but complimented the organic brown rice really well. That said, the rice is very different. Thick, moist and chewy, this is akin to japanese rice only bigger. Interestingly good.
Indochinese Spring Rolls ($6.80) - Spring rolls. Why did i order this? Well, i figured they simply can't go wrong with spring rolls in vegetarian cuisine and i was proven right. Served piping hot, with a tangy lime, ginger and red chilli dipping sauce, this was easily enjoyable as finger food. Crunchy vegetables, spicy and sourish sauce, whats there not to like?
Portebello Field Mushroom ($12.80) - Ever since my first introduction to this big fungus, i have grown quite fond of it and its various permutations. This time, it was served with aged balsamic vinegar, homemade potato relish on a warm baked bun. The nachos went well with it as well along with the fresh salad that gave it an sweet, raw and healthy feeling experience. I was only disappointed with the size of the mushroom which really could have been bigger.
The bill for this meal came up to $38.13 which is quite a big sum to pay for the amount of food we had.
After all the good things i have said about the place, why is the score so low? Well, the fact that the food is easily prepared and the contrast between the offerings and the price is the reason, it simply doesn't feel like value for money even though the food is actually quite nicely done. Reduce the price by 30 or 40% and i'll probably return. Moving forward, if anyone wants to try the place, it might be a good idea to go during noon to enjoy the casual surroundings better.
One day, I had this craving. Yeah… craving again… This time was for Billy Bombers. I was at Bugis with my Dear, thought that Billy Bombers was still there after renovation. Instead of Billy Bombers, we found Hip Diners by Billy Bombers. So we decided to give it a try since its by “Billy Bombers”.
We order the puffy soup which I first ate it at Country Manna.Not too bad, just a bit oily. The clam chowder is a bit diluted though.
Spicy wings. Marinated in Soya Sauce. Nice.
Onion Rings & Fries. Still prefer A&W onion rings, which is really ONION RING inside, and not mashed onion paste. Fries - ok. Normal.
Couple’s Trio. Good. I am not a fried fish person, but I quite like their fish.
Pricing wise, I find that is a bit on a high side. :p
It’s an interesting place. Not very big. I feel like I am a Giant there. The chairs are more for kids to sit. They serve mainly Pizza, ice-cream, fruit blends. Healthy food!
Their pizza is very different. The crust has spinach bits added and the shape is in ‘Mouse’ head shape! Haaaaa… It’s delicious!!! I tried the macaroni cheese, not too cheesy, think they added eggs. Not too salty, very healthy, not too bad. The ice blend need improvement though. The ice are crashed and too coarse. Hard to drink.
1=SGD 0.0587
Red Star is a very old, conventional chinese restaurant, located at chin swee road (some way behind people’s park). Its at level 7 of a old building just above the chin swee HDB office. Funny place to have a restaurant you will say, but when we reach there at 1pm, it is fully crowded. Having been to Red Star when i was young many many years back, i was relatively surprise when my colleagues want to go to Red Star for our farewell lunch. Red Star is still going strong after so many years.
A traditional Chinese Dim-sum restaurant with the trolley-pushing the dim-sum around, the waitress will push the trolley around with the dim-sum. Nowadays most dim sum restaurants does not do that anymore, it is usually ticking off the form of what dim-sum you want, and the waitress will bring it to you.
We had egg tarts, har-gau, siew-mai, cheong fun, char shao siew, glutinous rice in lotnus leaf, fried bean curd, fried prawn rolls, steamed pork ribs, century egg congee. The dim sum is quite good and simple. For desserts we had mango puddings and gui lin gao. No pictures were taken cos i did not bring my ixus with me.
Between the 9 of us, we had 41 plates of dim-sum, total bill comes up to $161.40 for nine person, which is like $18 for one person. Price quite reasonable i guess, each plate of dim-sum is about $2.80. Service-wise, it can be faster, but mayb there is too much people so they took a bit slower. We were like staring at each other waiting for more dim-sum to come.
You are always welcome to visit Ladyironchef.com for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
Rating given:
Overall, it the ramen here tastes pretty decent, just except for some of these observations:
The Soup is too Salty...
but you can request for a base soup which you can add into your soup to make it less salty. Half an hour later, I realised the soup was actually loaded with lots of MSG, as the throat got very dry. I can't imagine the amount of Ajinomoto the chef might have put.
The Char Siew is not as soft as I would have liked it
Compared to Ken Ramen, the char siew tasted a little dry and hard. I wouldn't say it tastes bad, I just prefer the char siew from Ken Ramen.
The curly noodles reminded me somewhat of some quality instant noodles, but then again, ramen is Japanese. And Japanese invented instant noodles. The texture of the noodles was in fact nicely springly and chewy.
Free flow of water from a jug
This is something I wish more restaurants would adopt. Water should be free and freely available by the jugs for customers to self serve. Serving water is a lousy excuse for service charge. Plus, wait staff conveniently forget your request for a refill habitually. And reviewers start complaining and throwing profanities about bad service.
The laid back atmosphere
What I liked about this place is the homely and woody furniture which helps take the patrons away from the hustle and bustle of the outside. It was very tempting to just set there, relax and while the day away.
Rating given:
I believe this place needs no introduction. So lets get straight to the point.
The soup is reminiscent of Campbell's and we got it by adding about $4 for a soup, some bread and a drink.
Seafood Combo ($49.30 after adding 3 meals) - The seafood combo came is portions of 3 generally, garlic butter and cheese baked mussels, cross cut fries, 5 to 6 fried shrimps, calamari rings and one big piece of dory fillet. And believe or not, the serving managed to feed 4 full grown adults pretty well. The mussels were quite a let down actually, nothing too special about them. The fillet was thick and sweet. The fish meat was piping hot and fine as well. I didn't like the shrimp too much as its overly fried, as is the calamari rings. However, all these were made up for with its wasabi mayonnaise sauce which made everything more palatable even though its not.
Tiramisu ($2.30 after discount) - We actually sat and waited till 9.30 pm to get the cake at half price but honestly, it wasn't worth the wait at all. Dry and lacking any rum taste whatsoever, this is hardly noticeable as tiramisu apart from its looks. Not recommended.
Eastside Brownie ($6.50) - Yet again, the dessert of choice. This time however, the brownie tasted a little too bitter and was not heated properly before it was brought out which dampened spirits a little. Still, decent when paired together with its vanilla ice cream.
Total bill for 4 people reached $56.20 after a further 10% student discount from my friend.
Definitely not somewhere for fine dining but it gets the job done. Atmosphere is as relaxed as ever and nobody chases you off at this outlet. Service is tolerable but furniture placement is still a pain as everything is still cramped. Calls for more sauce were met with slow service as well. Improvement in order but the place is still function able as a place for junk food and small gatherings.
Rating given:
A former humble restaurant with its roots in China town, serving home cooked Cantonese fare, has since evolved into a chain restaurant that can be found in major department stores and even the heart of town. Based upon the Samsui Women, women in red berets, who helped better the lives of Singapore by working for the people, the food has an earthly appeal to culture poor Singapore as it serves as an icon of sorts.
After queuing for close to 15 minutes, i finally made it past the fake wooden doors to get a seat within the restaurant. I guess queuing is the norm since dinner time is usually peak season and everybody seems to be clamoring for any restaurant they can get their hands on.
I guess the first thing i noticed about the place is how incredibly expensive the items are. Expensive is relative in this case because i'd came with the impression i can pay very little for the meal, but that seems a faraway dream.
Peanuts ($2) - $2 for a small bowl of peanuts is pretty interesting. Interestingly expensive of course! To its credit, the peanuts are of the soft variety which may or may not appeal to everyone. Regardless of its appetizing fragrance and taste, this is still overcharged.
Samsui Ginger Chicken ($13) - The chicken bearing the namesake of the restaurant. It is said that no visit to Soup Restaurant is complete without ordering the chicken. Honestly, i am inclined to agree. The serving was quite big which makes me believe there should be half a chicken on that plate. The majority is made of boneless servings of the thigh and breast, both of which were nicely tender and slightly salty due to the soy sauce used. The combination of cucumber, chicken, ginger and lettuce wrapped was fresh and very appetizing. The 2 of us managed to finish the entire dish so that says something.
Hometown Tofu ($8) - The tofu was not very smooth and is of the egg variety. There were pockets of air in it when cut that doesn't leave me with a very good impression. The sauce was soy based and a little salty but managed to be balanced out by the bland tasting tofu. My overall experience with it was alright but nothing eye opening.
Tian Chee With Chicken Soup ($6) - Well, this is a soup restaurant so how can a visit be complete without ordering their soup. How did the soup fare? Bland. I couldn't taste much in it at all. At the very least, it didn't feel like a manufactured soup like so many other restaurants. Still, never ordering this again.
Did the above feel justified for the price tag of $40.50 you see here? I'll leave it up to you to decide.
Of all the things i had that day, the chicken alone was worth the visit while every other thing is just chicken fodder (pardon the pun). I wouldn't say i agree with the crowds that throng the place every night since its easy enough to create the chicken on your own outside. Buy some chicken meat, get lettuce and cucumber and some ginger soaked in soy sauce and vinegar and you pretty much get the same thing. Apart from that, i don't think the price is justified for such a humble place. I don't dislike it but i'm not happy enough with it to return either.
Rating given:
A member of the Starling Group of restaurants which include Dragon Gate, Orient Ocean, River City and the 88 Restaurant, this is the choice my dad made after a prior good experience he had with his friends.
Judging by the shots, its obvious to see that the restaurant is geared towards huge banquets and events. It says as much on their website touting their huge capacity and being a 'Perfect choice of perfect venue for any occasion.' The interior also masks the fact that the main entrance of the restaurant is actually at the carpark, convenient but in direct contrast to the posh oldies interior.
The menu we had was the cheapest of 3 sets offered. Standing at $22.80 per head, there were five limited items to order and 45 other items we could try. Everything has to be ticked and ordered and it will be served throughout the buffet.
Deep Fried Breaded Prawn Fritters - The first item i had were these fritters and i must say they tasted good. Lightly breaded, crispy and sweet. It was pretty oily though.
Chilli Crab and Black Pepper Crab - These crabs were just plain bad. The meat was thin and powdery to the point that even the sauces couldn't enhance its taste. Now i know why the crab was free flow, it simply isn't good.
Sweet and sour pork - This was decent. The meat was slightly crunchy without losing its inner tenderness. It was also lightly sweet and sour without being overwhelming.
Pan Fried Salmon in Teriyaki Sauce - The salmon was overly fried such that the meat tasted too dry. The sauce did not help as it was overly sweet and not appetizing in the least.
Deep Fried Chicken in Beancurd Skin - Crispy, hot and oily describes this dish. The freshness of the chicken is debatable of course but for what its worth. Everyone enjoyed it.
Baby Kai lan and Mushrooms - Bland and tasteless, the only redeeming factor to this dish is the crunchy and fresh baby kai lans.
Japanese Egg Beancurds - You can practically buy and cook this at home. The beancurds are typical supermarket quality with nothing truly special. The serving for this was huge but whats the point of big servings when no one wants to eat it?
Shark's Fin (1 serving per customer) - This is a joke through and through. I could hardly make out the shark's fin and the broth is simply too thick for its own good.
Char Siew (Roast BBQ Pork) - As nice as it looks, the roast pork is simply too dry and tough to chew on for its own good. I'm surprised they managed to mess up on something this widely available actually.
Garlic Steamed Fresh Prawns (1 Serving per customer) -A far cry from HTL but thats unfair to compare here i suppose. Their version was decent and the aroma and sauce does have a certain charm, the only gripe here is the size of the prawns, which were too small to leave a good impression.
Zhi Bao Ji(Steamed Paper Wrapped Chicken)- The meat was tender, sweet and juicy. Pretty nicely done and worth a try.
Cereal Prawns - A staple dish in almost any Chinese eatery. The cereal was strangely lacking the sweet and fragrant taste that is the norm for this dish. The prawns were adequately fresh this time around and was crunchy with the cereal. Taste was overall subdued compared to others i've had before.
Scallops and assorted veggies - To put it simply, we finished all the scallops and left all the greens intact. I'm please to say the scallops tasted fresh and thats about all i can say. =P
Deep fried Buns - A popular dish that night, we went for 3 to 4 helpings of these delectable but oily buns. There is absolutely nothing much special about them. Its your run-of-the-mill deep fried buns available for 50 cents outside but it somehow got us to have seconds and thirds of it. Go figure.
Sze Chuan Fish - This was so salty and spicy that none of us had the stomach to finish. We practically left it untouched and thats quite a waste because beneath the salty exterior, the fish inside was actually fresh.
Honeydew Sago - Pretty much stuffed with food by this point, the sago came as a relief. It wasn't sweet, which is a surprise, as the coconut milk practically robbed it of any other taste whatsoever.
The total bill for 8 people came up to $226.45 which, to me, is not worth the money given the quality of the food.
I suppose taste does vary for each individual, because my dad still felt the restaurant was good value for money while i feel its best if i don't step into it again. The food is passable though hardly memorable and the money could have been spent on healthier and better choices. Buffets that serve good Chinese food is just few and far between.
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Nestled in the midst of Bishan Park 2, Acacia looks from afar a nice place to dine in. Stepping into the place and sitting down by the full glass windows, it is hard to imagine that you are in AMK. The lush surroundings makes you feel like you are in the middle of some "exotic" location or maybe it is just me.
The first page of the menu was the set lunch at $15. Looking at the menu and servings it looks like a good price. The set dinner is $32 nett. Yes they do not charge GST or service charge. So we opted for the set dinner 2. Here is what the set dinner comes with:-
(1) Mango Salad - This was a good starter. The smell and taste of the balsamic vinegar was not too overpowering. It sort of tickled our taste buds and was an appetizing appetizer. There were also sliced papayas and mangos which made the dish both colorful and complete.
(2) Mushroom soup - This is definitely not cambells mushroom soup. It was thick, creamy with visible chunks of mushroom found in the soup itself. One of the thickest mushroom soup I have eaten and definitely one of the tastiest. The texture of the soup is just right and is also not too thick. As you guessed, the bowl was emptied and "cleaned" in no time.
(3) Main course A - Balsamic Chicken - This is a delight to savour. The sauce has the right tinge of sweetness and saltiness, each not overpowering the other. Together with the grilled chicken, the taste is truly complimentary. One just cannot get enough of the sauce. It has a strawberry like taste and yet it is not strawberry. I have never eaten chicken so effortlessly, without thinking that it is chicken. Again maybe it is just me. haha. The potato wedges were also quickly "gobbled" up.
Main course B - Pan fried Dory with Mango sauce - The Dory was nicely fried and was fresh. Together with the mango sauce, it was a nice blend between the slight saltiness of the fish and the sour sweet taste of the mango sauce. When you get a good blend of sweet, sour, saltiness in food, it always taste good. At least for us.
(4) Blueberry cheese cake - Nicely done up with no overpowering cheesy taste in it. There is also a nice crisps layer of biscuit right at the base of the cake, which adds to a changed texture upon savoring the cake.
(5) Fruit punch - to complete the meal
We felt that it was a reasonable price to pay for a 5 course set meal at $32 nett. The ambience and surroundings also are pleasant. Looking at the size of the place, it seems like a suitable venue for a small private function of 60-100 people with the outdoors available also for use. Perhaps a small wedding reception? With the glass windows with ample natural lighting, it is a plus for the photographer, which also is good for the bride. :)
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Blanco Court Sliced Fish Bee Hoon has got to be one of the best Fish Bee Hoon in Singapore. Even under the scorching afternoon sun, you can see a queue of patrons waiting patiently for their bowl of soupy goodness.
For me, I would finish the every bit of the soup, fish and bee hoon without fail simpply because it is so satisfying.
Personally the fish bee hoon here is excellent due to the following reasons:
Very good soup base
The broth is cooked with plenty of deep fried fish bones, yellow beans, ikan bilis and perhaps also pork bones. For those who know cooking, these ingredients are the essential items for good soups. Usually the soup is mixed with condensed milk to add extra sweetness and to create a cloudy soup, but to test the mantle, you can opt the milk out of the soup to taste the lighter and original flavour.
Fresh Fish
Most know that the freshness of fish can easily be tasted, especially when boiled or steamed. Safe to say, this stall serves their fish bee hoon with the freshest fish available, even for their fried fish. Speaking of which their fish is fried to perfection, sealing in the natural juices until you sink your teeth into a piece.
Fish Head
The pieces of fish head here are deep fried until the bones can be easily chewed up to release the full flavour that is sealed within. People who shun fish head don't know what they are missing. But then again, this is pretty much for "purists" who can appreciate the fish head.
Sliced Bitter Gourd or Seasonal Vegetable
The default is seasonal vegetables for your fish bee hoon. However, you can ask for sliced bitter gourd instead. Somehow, bitter gourd and fish make a mean combination. Bitter gourd is also good to have especially under the scorching sun.
The Deep Fried Egg
This is probably unique to Blanco Court Sliced Fish Bee Hoon. Eggs are poured into hot oil to be deep fried and hauled out. A generous amount is then served in the soupy dish, to add to the flavour.
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I've been told quite a few times that there was a nice restaurant in the middle of bishan park but i've never personally been there. Upon arrival, i noticed there were 2 such restaurants side by side and was forced to make a choice, feeling a wee bit exotic, i opted for the Green Room cafe instead of the Acacia which i will revisit at a later time. The Green Room cafe is a concept cafe from Asmara Spas to promote healthy eating habits which inexorably links back to the spa treatments they offer. How good is the food there though?
The location in the middle of the park is reminiscent of Bliss which is located a Punggol Park. Its interior was decent and casual with the exception of 2 rather large trees located right smack in the middle of the restaurant, making it an interesting decoration of sorts.
Vegetarian Mutton Curry with organic brown rice ($12.80) - Vegetarian mutton curry has been done many times and i have never had a good opinion of it since i perceive such foods to be filled with artificial flavorings and being totally unhealthy. This rendition was quite decent however, with the flavorings kept to a minimal and still having slight hints of mutton in it. It was not very spicy despite the use of curry leaves, cinnamon and ginger but complimented the organic brown rice really well. That said, the rice is very different. Thick, moist and chewy, this is akin to japanese rice only bigger. Interestingly good.
Indochinese Spring Rolls ($6.80) - Spring rolls. Why did i order this? Well, i figured they simply can't go wrong with spring rolls in vegetarian cuisine and i was proven right. Served piping hot, with a tangy lime, ginger and red chilli dipping sauce, this was easily enjoyable as finger food. Crunchy vegetables, spicy and sourish sauce, whats there not to like?
Portebello Field Mushroom ($12.80) - Ever since my first introduction to this big fungus, i have grown quite fond of it and its various permutations. This time, it was served with aged balsamic vinegar, homemade potato relish on a warm baked bun. The nachos went well with it as well along with the fresh salad that gave it an sweet, raw and healthy feeling experience. I was only disappointed with the size of the mushroom which really could have been bigger.
The bill for this meal came up to $38.13 which is quite a big sum to pay for the amount of food we had.
After all the good things i have said about the place, why is the score so low? Well, the fact that the food is easily prepared and the contrast between the offerings and the price is the reason, it simply doesn't feel like value for money even though the food is actually quite nicely done. Reduce the price by 30 or 40% and i'll probably return. Moving forward, if anyone wants to try the place, it might be a good idea to go during noon to enjoy the casual surroundings better.
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One day, I had this craving. Yeah… craving again… This time was for Billy Bombers. I was at Bugis with my Dear, thought that Billy Bombers was still there after renovation. Instead of Billy Bombers, we found Hip Diners by Billy Bombers. So we decided to give it a try since its by “Billy Bombers”.
We order the puffy soup which I first ate it at Country Manna.Not too bad, just a bit oily. The clam chowder is a bit diluted though.
Spicy wings. Marinated in Soya Sauce. Nice.
Onion Rings & Fries. Still prefer A&W onion rings, which is really ONION RING inside, and not mashed onion paste. Fries - ok. Normal.
Couple’s Trio. Good. I am not a fried fish person, but I quite like their fish.
Pricing wise, I find that is a bit on a high side. :p
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It’s an interesting place. Not very big. I feel like I am a Giant there. The chairs are more for kids to sit. They serve mainly Pizza, ice-cream, fruit blends. Healthy food!
Their pizza is very different. The crust has spinach bits added and the shape is in ‘Mouse’ head shape! Haaaaa… It’s delicious!!! I tried the macaroni cheese, not too cheesy, think they added eggs. Not too salty, very healthy, not too bad. The ice blend need improvement though. The ice are crashed and too coarse. Hard to drink.
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