A friend of mine revealed a little secret tucked in Changi Airport Terminal 2. It's a staff canteen that serves surprisingly good food. One of which is Wild Olives which serves really good western food and pasta at really low prices even for public customers.
After coming here, you'll suspect that other western food stalls are either paying astronomical rentals, or they are really ripping you off. With a pasta main as low as $2.90 and the most expensive at $4.20, it is not hard to start guessing. Others like Fish & Chips and Breaded Fried Chicken cost $5.50 and $5 respectively.
Anyway, pretty much everything they serve is really good. My list of favourites would include: Fish & Chips, Breaded Fried Chicken, Fusilli Di Bosco, Linguine alla Vongole and Potato Salad.
Fish & Chips The fish is fried to perfection with a light and crispy outer shell that covers the moist and flaky fish. The generous dollop of tartar sauce ensures that you can enjoy every morsel of the fish and its sides of chips and coleslaw.
Potato Salad This cold dish packs a real surprise on the palate. The diced potatoes are mixed with mayonnaise and then sprinkled with spring onions followed by yellow raisins. The myriad of textures is just amazing with every bite. The sweetness of the raisins marry perfectly to the potatoes.
Fusilli Di Bosco For something with mushrooms, it is surprisingly cheap. What's more, this pasta dish is served with portobello mushrooms. At $2.90, it is an unbelievable steal, not to mention that it tastes absolutely fantastic as well.
Linguine alla Vongole You can taste that a good amount of white wine was actually used in this dish. The result is a creamy sauce which is rich with the taste of the wine. Easily a favourite with white wine sauce lovers.
Arriving at Binja park, my family walk from the bus stop to Ivin’s, which took around 5min or thereabouts. Ivins is a Peranakan/Nonya restaurant, and although it is located in Binja park off the main Bukit timah road, it was packed to the house when i arrived on a Sat evening.
The dishes Ivins offers are small in servings, but similarly they are cheaper in price. You can normal dishes for vegies, meats, and some other sides at around $4.50 to $6. For fishs, they come in $6.90 to $8, and there are also curry fish heads at $12. Because the servings are all very small, we committed the sin of ordering too many dishes, between the three of us, we ordered 7 dishes, some are good, while some are not. Mayb we are not too familiar with Peranakan food, so we ended up having some dishes which really aren’t to our liking.
Chilly Pomfret ($7.80)
The fish was rather good, it was deep fried, then spread with Ivins special-made chilli. The fish was kind of small though.
Ayam Buah Keluak ($5.90)
Signature dish of Peranakan cuisine. Chicken braised in thick spicy gravy with Buah kuluah nuts. We felt this dish was so-so only, chicken curry with the curry gravy different from our normal curry.
Sambal Kankong ($4.50)
Ahh.. All Kankong are well done when they are fried with Sambal, and when the kankong are not too over-cooked.
Duan Keledek ($4.80)
Sweet potato leaves and sweet potato slices in coconut gravy. This was our fatal mistake, we wanted to have Sweet potato leaves, but when we order this dish, we missed on out the “.. in coconut gravy” We thought the vegies was stir-fried, but in the end it came in the form of a soup? Anyway, the dish wasn’t to our taste.
Honey Pork ($4.60)
This should be the toast of the crown. By far the best dish we ordered, lean pork strips stir-fried in special honey sauce. The meat no doubt look over-burned, but it taste nice with the honey sauce absorbed into the meat.
Udang Sambal ($5)
This was a disappointment really, after we had the Chilly Pomfret, we thought Ivins chilli are good stuff, so we made this additional order for sambal prawn. The prawn is like cooked in water, then with the chilli over it only.
Babi Tauyu ($4.60)
Pork in sweet pepperish sauce. Again, this was a last-min-order. We never expected this to be our commonly known “ru-rou”.
Then mayb you will say, if you don’t know about Perankan cuisine its not the restaurant fault if you never ask right? Oh yea, we did ask the waitress, but many a times, they can’t really speak good english, and also cannot explain to us what are the dishes.
In addition, you will commit the same mistake of ordering too much dishes since the servings are small, and the dishes seem relatively cheap. Nevertheless, i believe Ivins are still a good place for Peranakan cuisine if you know your stuff well, judging from the crowd on a weekend evening. But i am not going back for now. Total bill was $43.70 for 3 person
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef 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 : )
” My opinion, my views. If you don’t agree, thats not really a issue “
Haato is a feeling, you don’t give or receive haato.
You just feel it. It comes to you so long you open your heart
Haato celebrates the Art of Giving from the heart … to the heart
you won’t See it, Smell it, Touch it, but you can Feel it, its always around you…
Every scoop of Haato is a special experience.
Haato is a unique brand of gelato based on traditional recipes from Japan. It is one of the first gelato counters in Singapore to offer freshly made gelato that is free from artificial colouring and preservatives.
With their flagship outlet (formerly known as Gelato di Crema) at Liang Court Shopping Centre has been serving gelato for more than 16 years and continues to earn rave reviews from people all over the world. Haato is perfect for any occasion. A premium quality treat to be shared with friends and loved ones.
For the hungry pack, Haato @ Ridgewood serves food ranging from Japanese pasta and Japanese don. For sweet delights, enjoy an affogato or waffles with gelato. So drop by this quaint cafe at Ridgewood Close (off Pandan Valley Condominium and Ridgewood Condominium) for a quiet afternoon and some savoury food. (And not to forget the gelato of course!)
Haato @ Ridgewood is rather inaccessible and difficult to find. For one, it is off Pandan Valley Condominium, and if you are coming by Public transport, you need to stop at Ulu Pandan Rd, with the walking distance about 10-15min. Lucky for us, my usual foodie companian Hong Yi and Wee Hong drive, we went there by car. Even so, we spent some time looking for the place as we went one round around Mount Sinai rise before we realise its the wrong way, and found Ridgewood Close. However, despite all the hassle, Haato @ Ridgewood greets me with a delightful surprise when i got there.
Located at Ridgewood Condominium, the place where Haato’s at is actually a row of shops below the Condo. The interior of Haato is actually smaller than i expected, there are also outdoor seats though. Well, if i were to compare with Island Creamery or The Daily Scoop, , i would say Haato win hands-down for its laid-back and chill-out environment. You can order Gelato and sit there chat with your friends whole day. Who says you need to go to Demspey to chill out?
Unagi Pasta ($6.50)
The Unagi Pasta ($6.50) is great value for money. A generous slice of unagi (eel) engulfed in homemade sauce is served with warm Japanese pasta. The taste is not too strong and subtle, very much like home-cooked food. However, the portion is a tad too small.
Chicken Katsudon ($7)
I like this one. Like all Katsudon, the egg cover the layer of chicken and rice underneath it. Nothing special you’ll say, but then sometimes ordinary food taste extraordinary in the company of good friends, and good environment.
Chicken Teriyaki Don ($7.50)
Not too bad, considering the price is relatively inexpensive, and the fact that you are here more for the Gelato than the Japanese Don. But really i think the portion could be a bit bigger : )
Chocolate Banana (left) was great, the chocolate Gelato with a hint of banana flavour within. The Sweet Potato with Honey & Chestnut was more disappointing though, relatively tasteless. The double scoop was very generously given by one of the staff. Definitely value for money at $4.50.
Waffle with single scoop Gelato chocolate hazelnut ($6)
Chocolate Hazelnut, my favourite! I always like to order hazelnut ice cream whenever i go to a ice-cream palour. Nutella! The waffle took about ten minutes or so. The Waffle mix is made in-house using an exclusive recipe. Toasted to perfection – crispy on the outside and warm and moist on the inside, it tastes heavenly even on its own. First bite of the waffle was cripsy and soft, and i would say this is one of the better waffles out there.
The Gelato simply melts on my tongue together with the waffle. However the scoop was not as generous as the one above (the double scoop), because this time it was another staff who scoop the Gelato. He gave much smaller scoops for both our waffle compare to the one who gave us the double scoop cone.
Waffle with single scoop Gelato milk tea ($6)
For something different, yet close to home, try the Milk Tea gelato, which tastes exactly like the “Teh Tarik” found in local coffee shops. Milk tea fanatics would like this very much on swelteringly warm days, instead of their usual hot cuppa.
Actually my conclusion of the waffles, they are wonderful, but don’t order Waffle with Gelato, just take waffle with melted butter and treacly maple syrup instead. Reason is simple, the waffle is so good on its own that you don’t need the Gelato to compliment it. Besides, its more worth it to take double scoop at $4.50 than a single scoop on waffle at $6. Furthermore, i found that you could taste the Gelato better on its own, than together with the waffle, because the hot waffle sort of cover the Gelato flavour. So just take Waffle with butter syrup, den a couple of double scoops to share around.
Haato @ Ridgewood is a delightful place to chill-out, will definitely go back again, i’ll take bus the next time if i have to. If you find it far, there are other outlets at Wheelock, Liang Court and Serangoon Gardens. Check em’ out! Their Japanese Don and Pastas might not be the best, but they are there to act as compliments to the Gelato. Total Bill of $37.50 for three person was really not expensive at all. Oh ya, there are board games around to play while you chill with friends. And always feel free to ask for sample of the Gelato if you are not sure which flavour are nice, the staff will always provide you with samplers if you ask.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef 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 : )
Another long belated post, this chain of restaurants have been around since 1998 ever since a group of entrepreneurs decided to mine the niche that is the mid-level casual diners. Positioned as a casual and fun eating place at mid-level prices, Fish and Co has since opened multiple outlets throughout Singapore and overseas with new franchises such as "The Simple Life" opened to further boost their business. The question is, is the food really that great? I finally got this answered when my boss brought the crew out for a birthday lunch for a fellow team member. Thanks Boss!
Casual and slick best describes the interior of this restaurant with its soft lighting and wooden separators. Our group managed to get a personal function room all to ourselves which would have been great had the walls been soundproof. Unfortunately, that was not the case and the function room served little purpose in insulating our little gathering from the crowd that thronged outside.
Prawn Fettucini ($13.90), Salmon Cajun ($16.90), Grilled Seasonal Fish ($14.90), Swordfish Collar ($14.90), Mussels Penne ($12.90) and Peri Peri Prawns ($14.90) - The above are items had by my colleagues and boss. The food seems alright to me though a little too generic in preparation and the serving size has shrunk since i last remembered it. I did not get to try most of it so i'll be reserving my comments on these items. There is, however, a service issue with the company on this day. We kept getting wrong orders coming into our "private" room due to the fact that the entire of Fish and Co seemed to be booked by another company for their lunch function. Major points deducted on that hiccup because it didn't happen once, nor twice but as many as 4 times.
Seafood Platter for 1 ($18.90) - Aha! Finally something i had the honor to try. (In all honesty, i had a go at the fried calamari ($8.90) before this but i did not take any pictures. The calamari was pretty nicely fried and lightly battered but wasn't quite chewy nor fragrant as it should be. Decent, nothing more) This platter contained grilled herbal calamari, a healthy smattering of chips, grilled prawns, a dory fillet and rice. High points for variety and the fact that most of its items were grilled and not fried. I liked the calamari for its strong peppery taste and chewy texture but it chilled quickly in the strong air conditioned room. The prawns were quite forgettable while the dory tasted sweet but nothing too special. Overall, the seafood platter is passable but somehow did not quite satisfy my craving for good seafood.
Total bill for 7 people came to an astonishing $166.40. This is a shock to me as it certainly did not feel like we ordered enough to fill that amount.
I'm grateful for the opportunity to try out this restaurant but its probably going to be the last time i visit it or maybe second last since my gf has yet to try it. Service and room problems aside, i simply wasn't impressed with the food that was brought to the table. It came across as a underwhelming on many points. My previous impression of Fish and Co was years ago when my mom brought me there and i remembered bigger fish and smaller prices. Better yet, the fish tasted good. Guess i'm simply not "hooked" by their food anymore.
On this particular day, the family was too lazy to step out of the house so we decided to try out a food caterer that shoved its pamphlet right under our doorstep. I never had a good impression of caterers but since i'm not paying, i can't say anything till much later.
Yam Ring ($15) - In a word, tasteless. Despite its rather nice outlook and the generous servings of prawn, chicken pieces and mushrooms, this yam ring did not have what it takes to make a good impression. The yam ring itself was soggy, the meat tasteless and hard and the prawns are a far cry from the word 'fresh'.
Fried Battered Prawns ($12) - Having a bad start with the yam ring, i didn't hold high hopes as i chowed down my first serving. Yet again, they have outdone themselves by serving a badly made dish. The prawns were powdery and the batter too thick for its own good. The word "terrible" doesn't quite pin the feeling down.
Coffee Pork Ribs ($8) - This dish was fouled up with it being overwhelming in its taste of coffee so much so that its bitter. In its defense, at least the meat was tender but still, something i would not order from them ever again.
Vegetables with fish ($5) - Yellowish vegetables, flour like fish and a sauce that tastes just like soy sauce. Need i say more?
Fish Soup ($10) - I'm beginning to find myself at a loss at how to describe the food we ordered. Alike with all the other offerings from this particular caterer. The soup's redeeming grace is that it was at least warm when i had it. Apart from that, it did not contain much taste and is simply a let down like the rest.
The bill came up to exactly $50 for this meal of 5 items.
In all honesty and in their defense, the food is still warm when it arrived which is quite an accomplishment for the kind of food they offer and i do applaud their brave attempt at stepping out. However, they definitely need a better cook and a better way to get their items to customers. I'm still not ordering from them ever again though. This is just not good enough to consider for a second chance.
Don's was introduced to me recently by my gf after she bought me one to enjoy at my leisure. They tout themselves as being the one stop solution for chicken pies and have been around for quite a long time and currently have quite about 4 outlets selling their products. Is it good enough to warrant another purchase though? Read on.
A Slice of the Pie ($16.50) - I've always liked chicken pies but struggled to find one thats dependable or remotely worth a mention to recommend. Well, i guess the search is over for now. We actually bought the pie on take away on Friday night and ate it over the weekend as breakfast after heating it in the oven. What can i say? Its delicious. The crust is of medium thickness, which means it feels just right without making you feel like you just paid for flour instead of a pie. It was also fragrant and very appetising, and thats only talking about the crust. The next thing you notice about the pie is how heavy it is. For something that small, its actually quite surprising how much weight it packs. And it is so because of the thick stuffings and ingredients they used for the pie. For the ingredients, they used chicken meat, egg, potato, corn, green pea, mushroom, celery, peppercorn and spices and everything is halal so our Malay friends can have a slice of the pie (pun intended) and eat it as well. Everything in it tastes authentic and fresh which makes it definitely worth the price.
Try it to see if it is indeed worthwhile of being a pie specialist. Try it and let me know if you feel otherwise or if you know of anywhere better, but whatever your reason, try it!
I'm quite a sucker for Japanese ice cream. Mainly because it's (1) Japanese and (2) got more familiarly Asian flavours. And that's on top of the fact that Japanese ice cream seem to taste smoother, lighter and of course the illusion that all Japanese stuff equates healthier choice (even without moderation).
So I was whiling away my time before the Jackie Cheung concert (my review and photos) at the newly opened Kallang Leisure Park when I chanced upon haato in the basement, just beside the supermarket.
Curiosity and skepticism got the better of me and I decided the take a closer look. The flavours available are predictably Japanese, like matcha, black sesame, milk tea just to name a few. However the flavour that caught my eye was the sweet potato and honey chestnut. I was given a generous sample to try and decided to get a cup.
What I liked about this flavour was that it wasn't too sweet and it was possible to taste chunks of the Japanese sweet potato with traces of its purple skin and yellow flesh throughout the cup. The honey blended very well to add the extra punch of natural sweetness and the chestnuts added its rich body to the texture and aroma. The combined result was a really well-balanced palate which doesn't leave a heavy feeling.
" At Pet Concierge, your pets are our most valued customers. Why not?
After all, they're your best friends, family members and bundles of joy. They deserve first class treatment, just as you do.
We understand this, because Pet Concierge owner Sandy has long held a passion for working with all creatures great and small.
After years of experience handling various species of animals in the Singapore Zoological Gardens, Reptile Park and various pet shops, Sandy established The Pet Concierge in 2004.
In the fast-paced world that we live in today, it is not uncommon for busy professionals to be travelling frequently -- and Sandy understands that as a pet owner, you might be worried about leaving your precious one in the hands of a stranger.
Rest assured, at the Pet Concierge, Sandy ensures that all effort is made to give each pet the attention they have always received with you.
In addition to boarding animals, he offers transportation, basic grooming and swimming therapy (hydrotherapy) services for your pets too.
A jovial and truly caring person, Sandy values all animals and believes that as God's creatures, they are blessed with the wonderful gift of joy and healing. To him, each animal is unique and is deserving of individual attention.
At the Pet Concierge, your pets will feel like they've never left the comforts of home. "
The above extract is taken from Pet Concierge, the owner is a friend, please approach them if you need basic grooming, pet taxi, boarding or hydrotherapy for your pets. Rest assured your pets are in good hands :)
The first time i went to the place did not find it too easily, it is at level 4 of harbour front just beside the car park. The evaluators do not go to level 4, so highly take the lift.
Similar to wad the previous post Bubblesky has said, Dragon Gate like most Dim-sum restaurants, there is the usual range of dim-sum such as; har gow (shrimp dumplings), char siew baos, siew mai, char siew sou, luobogao (carrot cakes), xiaolongbaos, and many more. There is particularly more deep-fried type of Dim-sum available. The menu also have some dishes like sweet-sour pork, chicken, fried veggies and some other stuff.
After two rounds of dim-sum ordering, boy was i full. Considering the fact that if you go to a normal dim-sum restaurant ordering dim-sum would be at least $2 per plate. At $12 plus per person, it is a steal for the all-you-can-eat dim sum buffet.
Sakura is being located in ommi centre, beside the science centre in jurong. A pretty strange place to locate a restaurant if you asked me. Ommi centre does not have rather much visitors, but when i reached sakura, it is quite crowded despite the place being a little hard to reach.
The buffet lunch is $20 nett, which i believe is rather cheap for a buffet lunch, and $26 nett for buffet dinner. There are sushi, desserts, fried-stuff, salads, fruits, free flow of drinks. In addition, there is a place serving chicken chops, lamp chops, beef, prawn, fish, all cook on the spot, u'll have to put a clip(which has yr table no on it) at the food that u wan. After which, the chef will cook on the spot, and the waiters will serve it to your table.
Although the food cannot be describe as heavenly, but i believe at 20 bucks per person, it is considered value for money, after all there are buffets that cost much and taste less
1=SGD 0.0587
Astoundingly Cheap Western Food
A friend of mine revealed a little secret tucked in Changi Airport Terminal 2. It's a staff canteen that serves surprisingly good food. One of which is Wild Olives which serves really good western food and pasta at really low prices even for public customers.
After coming here, you'll suspect that other western food stalls are either paying astronomical rentals, or they are really ripping you off. With a pasta main as low as $2.90 and the most expensive at $4.20, it is not hard to start guessing. Others like Fish & Chips and Breaded Fried Chicken cost $5.50 and $5 respectively.
Anyway, pretty much everything they serve is really good. My list of favourites would include: Fish & Chips, Breaded Fried Chicken, Fusilli Di Bosco, Linguine alla Vongole and Potato Salad.
Fish & Chips
The fish is fried to perfection with a light and crispy outer shell that covers the moist and flaky fish. The generous dollop of tartar sauce ensures that you can enjoy every morsel of the fish and its sides of chips and coleslaw.
Potato Salad
This cold dish packs a real surprise on the palate. The diced potatoes are mixed with mayonnaise and then sprinkled with spring onions followed by yellow raisins. The myriad of textures is just amazing with every bite. The sweetness of the raisins marry perfectly to the potatoes.
Fusilli Di Bosco
For something with mushrooms, it is surprisingly cheap. What's more, this pasta dish is served with portobello mushrooms. At $2.90, it is an unbelievable steal, not to mention that it tastes absolutely fantastic as well.
Linguine alla Vongole
You can taste that a good amount of white wine was actually used in this dish. The result is a creamy sauce which is rich with the taste of the wine. Easily a favourite with white wine sauce lovers.
Rating given:
Arriving at Binja park, my family walk from the bus stop to Ivin’s, which took around 5min or thereabouts. Ivins is a Peranakan/Nonya restaurant, and although it is located in Binja park off the main Bukit timah road, it was packed to the house when i arrived on a Sat evening.
The dishes Ivins offers are small in servings, but similarly they are cheaper in price. You can normal dishes for vegies, meats, and some other sides at around $4.50 to $6. For fishs, they come in $6.90 to $8, and there are also curry fish heads at $12. Because the servings are all very small, we committed the sin of ordering too many dishes, between the three of us, we ordered 7 dishes, some are good, while some are not. Mayb we are not too familiar with Peranakan food, so we ended up having some dishes which really aren’t to our liking.
Chilly Pomfret ($7.80)
The fish was rather good, it was deep fried, then spread with Ivins special-made chilli. The fish was kind of small though.
Ayam Buah Keluak ($5.90)
Signature dish of Peranakan cuisine. Chicken braised in thick spicy gravy with Buah kuluah nuts. We felt this dish was so-so only, chicken curry with the curry gravy different from our normal curry.
Sambal Kankong ($4.50)
Ahh.. All Kankong are well done when they are fried with Sambal, and when the kankong are not too over-cooked.
Duan Keledek ($4.80)
Sweet potato leaves and sweet potato slices in coconut gravy. This was our fatal mistake, we wanted to have Sweet potato leaves, but when we order this dish, we missed on out the “.. in coconut gravy” We thought the vegies was stir-fried, but in the end it came in the form of a soup? Anyway, the dish wasn’t to our taste.
Honey Pork ($4.60)
This should be the toast of the crown. By far the best dish we ordered, lean pork strips stir-fried in special honey sauce. The meat no doubt look over-burned, but it taste nice with the honey sauce absorbed into the meat.
Udang Sambal ($5)
This was a disappointment really, after we had the Chilly Pomfret, we thought Ivins chilli are good stuff, so we made this additional order for sambal prawn. The prawn is like cooked in water, then with the chilli over it only.
Babi Tauyu ($4.60)
Pork in sweet pepperish sauce. Again, this was a last-min-order. We never expected this to be our commonly known “ru-rou”.
Then mayb you will say, if you don’t know about Perankan cuisine its not the restaurant fault if you never ask right? Oh yea, we did ask the waitress, but many a times, they can’t really speak good english, and also cannot explain to us what are the dishes.
In addition, you will commit the same mistake of ordering too much dishes since the servings are small, and the dishes seem relatively cheap. Nevertheless, i believe Ivins are still a good place for Peranakan cuisine if you know your stuff well, judging from the crowd on a weekend evening. But i am not going back for now. Total bill was $43.70 for 3 person
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef 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 : )
” My opinion, my views. If you don’t agree, thats not really a issue “
Rating given:
Haato is a feeling, you don’t give or receive haato.
You just feel it. It comes to you so long you open your heart
Haato celebrates the Art of Giving from the heart … to the heart
you won’t See it, Smell it, Touch it, but you can Feel it, its always around you…
Every scoop of Haato is a special experience.
Haato is a unique brand of gelato based on traditional recipes from Japan. It is one of the first gelato counters in Singapore to offer freshly made gelato that is free from artificial colouring and preservatives.
With their flagship outlet (formerly known as Gelato di Crema) at Liang Court Shopping Centre has been serving gelato for more than 16 years and continues to earn rave reviews from people all over the world. Haato is perfect for any occasion. A premium quality treat to be shared with friends and loved ones.
For the hungry pack, Haato @ Ridgewood serves food ranging from Japanese pasta and Japanese don. For sweet delights, enjoy an affogato or waffles with gelato. So drop by this quaint cafe at Ridgewood Close (off Pandan Valley Condominium and Ridgewood Condominium) for a quiet afternoon and some savoury food. (And not to forget the gelato of course!)
Haato @ Ridgewood is rather inaccessible and difficult to find. For one, it is off Pandan Valley Condominium, and if you are coming by Public transport, you need to stop at Ulu Pandan Rd, with the walking distance about 10-15min. Lucky for us, my usual foodie companian Hong Yi and Wee Hong drive, we went there by car. Even so, we spent some time looking for the place as we went one round around Mount Sinai rise before we realise its the wrong way, and found Ridgewood Close. However, despite all the hassle, Haato @ Ridgewood greets me with a delightful surprise when i got there.
Located at Ridgewood Condominium, the place where Haato’s at is actually a row of shops below the Condo. The interior of Haato is actually smaller than i expected, there are also outdoor seats though. Well, if i were to compare with Island Creamery or The Daily Scoop, , i would say Haato win hands-down for its laid-back and chill-out environment. You can order Gelato and sit there chat with your friends whole day. Who says you need to go to Demspey to chill out?
Unagi Pasta ($6.50)
The Unagi Pasta ($6.50) is great value for money. A generous slice of unagi (eel) engulfed in homemade sauce is served with warm Japanese pasta. The taste is not too strong and subtle, very much like home-cooked food. However, the portion is a tad too small.
Chicken Katsudon ($7)
I like this one. Like all Katsudon, the egg cover the layer of chicken and rice underneath it. Nothing special you’ll say, but then sometimes ordinary food taste extraordinary in the company of good friends, and good environment.
Chicken Teriyaki Don ($7.50)
Not too bad, considering the price is relatively inexpensive, and the fact that you are here more for the Gelato than the Japanese Don. But really i think the portion could be a bit bigger : )
Double Cone Gelato chocolate banana & Sweet Potato with Honey chestnut ($4.50)
Chocolate Banana (left) was great, the chocolate Gelato with a hint of banana flavour within. The Sweet Potato with Honey & Chestnut was more disappointing though, relatively tasteless. The double scoop was very generously given by one of the staff. Definitely value for money at $4.50.
Waffle with single scoop Gelato chocolate hazelnut ($6)
Chocolate Hazelnut, my favourite! I always like to order hazelnut ice cream whenever i go to a ice-cream palour. Nutella! The waffle took about ten minutes or so. The Waffle mix is made in-house using an exclusive recipe. Toasted to perfection – crispy on the outside and warm and moist on the inside, it tastes heavenly even on its own. First bite of the waffle was cripsy and soft, and i would say this is one of the better waffles out there.
The Gelato simply melts on my tongue together with the waffle. However the scoop was not as generous as the one above (the double scoop), because this time it was another staff who scoop the Gelato. He gave much smaller scoops for both our waffle compare to the one who gave us the double scoop cone.
Waffle with single scoop Gelato milk tea ($6)
For something different, yet close to home, try the Milk Tea gelato, which tastes exactly like the “Teh Tarik” found in local coffee shops. Milk tea fanatics would like this very much on swelteringly warm days, instead of their usual hot cuppa.
Actually my conclusion of the waffles, they are wonderful, but don’t order Waffle with Gelato, just take waffle with melted butter and treacly maple syrup instead. Reason is simple, the waffle is so good on its own that you don’t need the Gelato to compliment it. Besides, its more worth it to take double scoop at $4.50 than a single scoop on waffle at $6. Furthermore, i found that you could taste the Gelato better on its own, than together with the waffle, because the hot waffle sort of cover the Gelato flavour. So just take Waffle with butter syrup, den a couple of double scoops to share around.
Haato @ Ridgewood is a delightful place to chill-out, will definitely go back again, i’ll take bus the next time if i have to. If you find it far, there are other outlets at Wheelock, Liang Court and Serangoon Gardens. Check em’ out! Their Japanese Don and Pastas might not be the best, but they are there to act as compliments to the Gelato. Total Bill of $37.50 for three person was really not expensive at all. Oh ya, there are board games around to play while you chill with friends. And always feel free to ask for sample of the Gelato if you are not sure which flavour are nice, the staff will always provide you with samplers if you ask.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef 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 : )
" From our heart to yours "
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Another long belated post, this chain of restaurants have been around since 1998 ever since a group of entrepreneurs decided to mine the niche that is the mid-level casual diners. Positioned as a casual and fun eating place at mid-level prices, Fish and Co has since opened multiple outlets throughout Singapore and overseas with new franchises such as "The Simple Life" opened to further boost their business. The question is, is the food really that great? I finally got this answered when my boss brought the crew out for a birthday lunch for a fellow team member. Thanks Boss!
Casual and slick best describes the interior of this restaurant with its soft lighting and wooden separators. Our group managed to get a personal function room all to ourselves which would have been great had the walls been soundproof. Unfortunately, that was not the case and the function room served little purpose in insulating our little gathering from the crowd that thronged outside.
Prawn Fettucini ($13.90), Salmon Cajun ($16.90), Grilled Seasonal Fish ($14.90), Swordfish Collar ($14.90), Mussels Penne ($12.90) and Peri Peri Prawns ($14.90) - The above are items had by my colleagues and boss. The food seems alright to me though a little too generic in preparation and the serving size has shrunk since i last remembered it. I did not get to try most of it so i'll be reserving my comments on these items. There is, however, a service issue with the company on this day. We kept getting wrong orders coming into our "private" room due to the fact that the entire of Fish and Co seemed to be booked by another company for their lunch function. Major points deducted on that hiccup because it didn't happen once, nor twice but as many as 4 times.
Seafood Platter for 1 ($18.90) - Aha! Finally something i had the honor to try. (In all honesty, i had a go at the fried calamari ($8.90) before this but i did not take any pictures. The calamari was pretty nicely fried and lightly battered but wasn't quite chewy nor fragrant as it should be. Decent, nothing more) This platter contained grilled herbal calamari, a healthy smattering of chips, grilled prawns, a dory fillet and rice. High points for variety and the fact that most of its items were grilled and not fried. I liked the calamari for its strong peppery taste and chewy texture but it chilled quickly in the strong air conditioned room. The prawns were quite forgettable while the dory tasted sweet but nothing too special. Overall, the seafood platter is passable but somehow did not quite satisfy my craving for good seafood.
Total bill for 7 people came to an astonishing $166.40. This is a shock to me as it certainly did not feel like we ordered enough to fill that amount.
I'm grateful for the opportunity to try out this restaurant but its probably going to be the last time i visit it or maybe second last since my gf has yet to try it. Service and room problems aside, i simply wasn't impressed with the food that was brought to the table. It came across as a underwhelming on many points. My previous impression of Fish and Co was years ago when my mom brought me there and i remembered bigger fish and smaller prices. Better yet, the fish tasted good. Guess i'm simply not "hooked" by their food anymore.
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On this particular day, the family was too lazy to step out of the house so we decided to try out a food caterer that shoved its pamphlet right under our doorstep. I never had a good impression of caterers but since i'm not paying, i can't say anything till much later.
Yam Ring ($15) - In a word, tasteless. Despite its rather nice outlook and the generous servings of prawn, chicken pieces and mushrooms, this yam ring did not have what it takes to make a good impression. The yam ring itself was soggy, the meat tasteless and hard and the prawns are a far cry from the word 'fresh'.
Fried Battered Prawns ($12) - Having a bad start with the yam ring, i didn't hold high hopes as i chowed down my first serving. Yet again, they have outdone themselves by serving a badly made dish. The prawns were powdery and the batter too thick for its own good. The word "terrible" doesn't quite pin the feeling down.
Coffee Pork Ribs ($8) - This dish was fouled up with it being overwhelming in its taste of coffee so much so that its bitter. In its defense, at least the meat was tender but still, something i would not order from them ever again.
Vegetables with fish ($5) - Yellowish vegetables, flour like fish and a sauce that tastes just like soy sauce. Need i say more?
Fish Soup ($10) - I'm beginning to find myself at a loss at how to describe the food we ordered. Alike with all the other offerings from this particular caterer. The soup's redeeming grace is that it was at least warm when i had it. Apart from that, it did not contain much taste and is simply a let down like the rest.
The bill came up to exactly $50 for this meal of 5 items.
In all honesty and in their defense, the food is still warm when it arrived which is quite an accomplishment for the kind of food they offer and i do applaud their brave attempt at stepping out. However, they definitely need a better cook and a better way to get their items to customers. I'm still not ordering from them ever again though. This is just not good enough to consider for a second chance.
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Don's was introduced to me recently by my gf after she bought me one to enjoy at my leisure. They tout themselves as being the one stop solution for chicken pies and have been around for quite a long time and currently have quite about 4 outlets selling their products. Is it good enough to warrant another purchase though? Read on.
A Slice of the Pie ($16.50) - I've always liked chicken pies but struggled to find one thats dependable or remotely worth a mention to recommend. Well, i guess the search is over for now. We actually bought the pie on take away on Friday night and ate it over the weekend as breakfast after heating it in the oven. What can i say? Its delicious.
The crust is of medium thickness, which means it feels just right without making you feel like you just paid for flour instead of a pie. It was also fragrant and very appetising, and thats only talking about the crust. The next thing you notice about the pie is how heavy it is. For something that small, its actually quite surprising how much weight it packs. And it is so because of the thick stuffings and ingredients they used for the pie.
For the ingredients, they used chicken meat, egg, potato, corn, green pea, mushroom, celery, peppercorn and spices and everything is halal so our Malay friends can have a slice of the pie (pun intended) and eat it as well. Everything in it tastes authentic and fresh which makes it definitely worth the price.
Try it to see if it is indeed worthwhile of being a pie specialist. Try it and let me know if you feel otherwise or if you know of anywhere better, but whatever your reason, try it!
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Lovely Japanese Gelato!
I'm quite a sucker for Japanese ice cream. Mainly because it's (1) Japanese and (2) got more familiarly Asian flavours. And that's on top of the fact that Japanese ice cream seem to taste smoother, lighter and of course the illusion that all Japanese stuff equates healthier choice (even without moderation).
So I was whiling away my time before the Jackie Cheung concert (my review and photos) at the newly opened Kallang Leisure Park when I chanced upon haato in the basement, just beside the supermarket.
Curiosity and skepticism got the better of me and I decided the take a closer look. The flavours available are predictably Japanese, like matcha, black sesame, milk tea just to name a few. However the flavour that caught my eye was the sweet potato and honey chestnut. I was given a generous sample to try and decided to get a cup.
What I liked about this flavour was that it wasn't too sweet and it was possible to taste chunks of the Japanese sweet potato with traces of its purple skin and yellow flesh throughout the cup. The honey blended very well to add the extra punch of natural sweetness and the chestnuts added its rich body to the texture and aroma. The combined result was a really well-balanced palate which doesn't leave a heavy feeling.
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" At Pet Concierge, your pets are our most valued customers. Why not?
After all, they're your best friends, family members and bundles of joy. They deserve first class treatment, just as you do.
We understand this, because Pet Concierge owner Sandy has long held a passion for working with all creatures great and small.
After years of experience handling various species of animals in the Singapore Zoological Gardens, Reptile Park and various pet shops, Sandy established The Pet Concierge in 2004.
In the fast-paced world that we live in today, it is not uncommon for busy professionals to be travelling frequently -- and Sandy understands that as a pet owner, you might be worried about leaving your precious one in the hands of a stranger.
Rest assured, at the Pet Concierge, Sandy ensures that all effort is made to give each pet the attention they have always received with you.
In addition to boarding animals, he offers transportation, basic grooming and swimming therapy (hydrotherapy) services for your pets too.
A jovial and truly caring person, Sandy values all animals and believes that as God's creatures, they are blessed with the wonderful gift of joy and healing. To him, each animal is unique and is deserving of individual attention.
At the Pet Concierge, your pets will feel like they've never left the comforts of home. "
The above extract is taken from Pet Concierge, the owner is a friend, please approach them if you need basic grooming, pet taxi, boarding or hydrotherapy for your pets. Rest assured your pets are in good hands :)
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The first time i went to the place did not find it too easily, it is at level 4 of harbour front just beside the car park. The evaluators do not go to level 4, so highly take the lift.
Similar to wad the previous post Bubblesky has said, Dragon Gate like most Dim-sum restaurants, there is the usual range of dim-sum such as; har gow (shrimp dumplings), char siew baos, siew mai, char siew sou, luobogao (carrot cakes), xiaolongbaos, and many more. There is particularly more deep-fried type of Dim-sum available. The menu also have some dishes like sweet-sour pork, chicken, fried veggies and some other stuff.
After two rounds of dim-sum ordering, boy was i full. Considering the fact that if you go to a normal dim-sum restaurant ordering dim-sum would be at least $2 per plate. At $12 plus per person, it is a steal for the all-you-can-eat dim sum buffet.
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Sakura is being located in ommi centre, beside the science centre in jurong. A pretty strange place to locate a restaurant if you asked me. Ommi centre does not have rather much visitors, but when i reached sakura, it is quite crowded despite the place being a little hard to reach.
The buffet lunch is $20 nett, which i believe is rather cheap for a buffet lunch, and $26 nett for buffet dinner. There are sushi, desserts, fried-stuff, salads, fruits, free flow of drinks. In addition, there is a place serving chicken chops, lamp chops, beef, prawn, fish, all cook on the spot, u'll have to put a clip(which has yr table no on it) at the food that u wan. After which, the chef will cook on the spot, and the waiters will serve it to your table.
Although the food cannot be describe as heavenly, but i believe at 20 bucks per person, it is considered value for money, after all there are buffets that cost much and taste less
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