TCC @ The Atrium.The environment is cosy,with nice red comfy chairs. But because of the area,u will find a lot of students studying there.
We had :-
Beef Mozza Tofu…
It's excellent for a person who likes tofu. There is a layer of cheese on top of the tofu. In between the tofu, it's layered with minced beef. Every spoon we took, there was beef. Of course,a dish like this would have to served hot and it took a little more time for this dish to come. The meat was tasty and not too salty.
Charlotte Chocolate Cake Its just another cake. A simple chocolate cake. Plenty of sponge and little of anything else.I wouldn’t recommend it. We realized later on that we were the only ones that had the cake in the café.
Pepper Mint Tea I ordered a pot and regretted it. It was hardly fragrant and fell well below my expectations.
We paid $24 for the above with my pot of peppermint tea. I think they specialised in coffee, not so in tea.
The service was excellent. Remembering that I had warm water instead of the normal cold water although the place was crowded. The servers had a good memory.
Forget about the full-sized donuts! Marcial Kobe's mini ones are much more yummilicious!!
Happened to be at Central last week and decided to give these cute little donuts a try. Located at the corner of Central basement (where I usually get lost walking as it seems like a maze to me). There were about 10 flavors to choose from. Not sure if its on promo or the usual price, but I got 12 mini donuts at $4. Quite cheap lah!
These donuts are very crispy and are not too sweet. The size is just nice to pop into your mouth. But I had to bite them bit by bit to savor the different taste of each mini donuts. There were the sugared ones, caramelized ones, chocolate ones, and alot of others, which I can't recall! All are delicious lah! So go give it a try when you're around The Central ya!
One of the more popular Chinese Restaurant chains around, Ding Tai Fang is ranked by the New York Time's as one of the World's Top Ten Best Restaurants. The question is whether its really good enough for such a prestigious title.
I guess the first question that comes to mind is: "Why give a contact number if they can't accept reservations?" Maybe for business purposes or general complaints but it certainly doesn't facilitate me in the least.
You can get to the restaurant very easily, simply go up the escalator and voila! The restaurant is right in front of you. The question is if you should go in or hold out for a different location for food. In this situation, i chose to enter with my gf for a meal since she's never tried it before.
The place was actually packed when we came and so we had to take a number and wait outside. Apparently, in my absence, this place has become a choice location for many heartlanders to have their meals. Is it really that good?
Makes you wonder what these people are doing doesn't it? Their actually making Xiao Long Baos for our consumption but i'd like to liken their particular sneaky looking gesture to a dissection on an operating table. Oooo...whets your appetite no?
Appetiser - The appetizer is not free just in case you thought otherwise. This little dish is about $5 if i remember correctly and its a mixed bag of tastes. Its sour, spicy, sweet and salty all at the same time but surprisingly gave me a bigger appetite. Still, its a little too oily and a little too expensive for a starter.
Fried Rice with Prawns - I ordered fried rice for myself as i remembered it being pretty good in this restaurant and indeed, its still nicely done. It comes with a generous amount of prawns as you can see and still has the concentrated egg taste in the rice. Fragrant and tasty but my gf found it a little too salty for her tastes and that is true as well. At $10 for this dish, it does come off as overpriced though.
Dan Dan Mian - We were actually asking the waitress for a recommendation and she recommended their famous Dan Dan Mian which i have never tried before. It came as quite of a shock when we tasted it though, it was salty and the paste tasted like a mixture of peanuts, sweet sauce and chilli. The noodles (la mian) were springy but lacked any taste on their own. In short, not something i would order again.
Xiao Long Bao - Their famous Xiao Long Bao tasted as it should be but i did find the the gravy in the buns to be insufficient and not hot enough. The meat was average but good enough and the skin of the buns can be stretched without bursting open which are all the makings of a good dish. Coupled with vinegar, this tastes much better but i honestly expected better.
Bill: Total bill came up to about $35 for 2 people which is a little too much for the average food we had.
I could not say the food here was very bad but i have to say i am not impressed nor satisfied with their current food standards because i remembered them as offering better food at a much lower price. Now, i do believe i won't be back for a second try and my gf certainly expressed her disappointment at their lackluster 'delicacies' as well.
Now for the main meal treat before Alvin left for Australia. Its really nothing much, but its nostalgic because it happens to be the first place his mother brought us to when they arrived in Singapore. And honest to goodness, the crab here is pretty big.
This is pretty much a throw back to times before fine dining and food is simply food with a distinct lack for service choices nor ambiance. One thing i really don't get is, what's with the word "beer garden"?
Coconut Juice ($4) - I have to say, this has got to be the WORST tasting coconut ever. It was sour, watery, lack ANY coconut taste whatsoever and costs $2 a piece. I was first impressed with the size until i drank it. And the meat inside was terrible as well. We bought this from a seperate store and brought over but that doesn't change a thing, this was bad, really really bad.
Orh Jian (Oyster Omelette $8) - Another item we packed from a nearby location. This oyster omelette came across as a little too watery for me. I prefer mine crispy and fragrant. The oyster's were faultless though, they came across as reasonably clean to me and tasty too. The problem was that some parts were cold, probably because the stall man didn't defrost it well enough before cooking so we got him to fry it again. After that, it was really nice with the chilli sauce. An average dish at best but still palatable.
Gong Gong ($12) - I honestly don't know the English name for this dish but its called Gong Gong which actually means dumb. Its supposed to be some kind of snail i suppose but not knowing what it is might be a blessing i suppose. Its quite a hassle to eat this because you have to firstly spear the tail like portion so that you can finally pull it out before it can be eaten. Al commented that the lady didn't cook it properly and so resulted in quite a few which we could not get out without a struggle. The dish itself isn't really too difficult to do i suppose, apart from frying the buggers with some light marinating sauce, everything else was god given. The freshness and taste is difficult to describe but is pleasant especially with the chilli sauce but i seriously doubt its worth $12. Try it and judge for yourself.
Chilli Crab ($37.26 for 1.035kg) - Actually, this place is known for HUGE crabs but we were unlucky that day. They ran out of Sri Lankan crabs and so we had to settle for its smaller Indonesian cousin which didn't disappoint in the least IMHO. Though smaller, the meat was still firm, fresh and sweet and thats just what good seafood is about. The shell was also a little thinner then its cousin making it much easier to crack and get at the meat. We opted for it to be cooked chilli crab style and the sauce came not as the spicy hot variety but rather more towards being sweet and sour with hints of chilli and eggs. The sauce, i discovered recently, is what makes a great crab better and the sole fact that we ate 21 buns with the sauce is testament that both the fried buns and the sauce complement each other really really well.
(On a side note, i discovered another location which serves great crab but not chilli crab style. They call it Jin Sha Xie or Golden Sand Crab literally and it was awesome. Will do a blog on it one day.)
Chicken Wings ($8.40) - We actually ordered fried dough sticks (you tiao) but they unfortunately have run out of such luxuries so we had to settle for Barbecued Chicken wings instead. This was decent but oily. The meat was a tad dry but otherwise thoroughly cooked. Not too special.
The total bill came up to $64.70 for the main meal. If you add drinks and additional items, this would total about $76.70. Not too expensive for 4 people really.
Well, great company and freedom of speech and actions made this an extremely casual and enjoyable affair. Food was at least reasonably priced and of an acceptable standard. They pride themselves as crab specialists and though i wouldn't go that far, i'd say they made enough effort to provide good crabs. Try it if you come around to this part of Singapore.
I felt it my moral duty to inform the world of McDonald's "new" item which i just tried out today. I had mine today after dinner at Tampines mall and i must say. I feel totally and utterly cheated!
If you noticed, there are new posters up at all Mcdonald's recently of a new McFlurry item stating 2 flavors. Mudpie and Blueberry, both at the cost of $2.50.
Now why the outrage? McDonald's has usually been a simple fast food chain with actually some edible food but i've never felt cheated apart from the time they tried selling their food as healthy but that's besides the point.
Currently, the "new" items, or rather the new item which i tried, the 'mudpie' mcflurry is none other then normal vanilla ice cream, topped with oreos and chocolate fudge. Thats it! Thats all there is to it and they are calling it all new items and have the gall to charge an additional 50 cents. I don't know about you but when i saw the poster, i expected to at least see a totally new flavor but that was not to be.
Either way, stay away. Do not buy this item at all costs. Its a scam to cheat our money and honestly, it tastes like any other Mc Ice cream. Do not try it.
I'm not really a fan of pizzas actually. In fact, i've sworn off pizza hut ever since they ran out of ideas to make a decent pizza. Note: too much dough to hide the fact that your pizzas are bad don't make a difference. =P
2 Pizzas for $21.90 - Delivered in just 30 minutes, this is one efficient pizza company and 2 for the price of one pizza is just great. Add the fact that the pizzas, IMHO, taste better then Pizza Hut and you got a new champion.
Hawaiian Pizza - This needs no introduction, you get your regular tomato based Hawaiian Pizza topped with pineapples, chicken ham and cheese. I like the fact that the crust is thin and easily edible. Its very easy to down 3 or 4 slices without noticing it. I personally found the tomato base too mild though. Prefer it stronger but still a good pizza.
Chicken Mayo - To me, this is a much better pizza then the Hawaiian Pizza they offer because i've always liked mayonnaise and chicken. Topped with green pepper, cheese, tomatoes, pineapples and chicken pieces, this is like an upsized Hawaiian plus mayonnaise. Heaven sent for a pizza. This however, cannot be taken in excess of 3 pieces because the mayonnaise will overwhelm your taste buds.
When it was decided that our monthly meal would be at this place, the first question that came to mind was: "What is Australian Cuisine?" Upon further investigation, it turns out it really isn't much different from Western but as the main flutes website has it, Australian cuisine is: "high quality modern Australian cuisine – characterised by fresh local ingredients."
Getting to the entrance isn't a difficult task but it might elude you if you don't pay attention. The flutes valet parking service is highlighted by a small balloon which is pretty much invisible during the peak hours with cars screaming down your neck. Either way, the moment you find your way in, the immediate impression is that you are no longer in Singapore, and that, my dear friends, is priceless.
Soft lighting and a suitably colonial architecture built during the early 19th century welcomes you into this little getaway from all the hustle and bustle of daily life. Art pieces adorn the walls of the little restaurant and despite the pictures you see here, the lights are rather dim once you are inside. Oh, no worries about air conditioning after your long walk here for the place is thankfully air conditioned and very cosy.
Complimentary Bread - Something about these fine dining restaurants which i have come to realize, is that they serve really good bread. Free no less. And this one is pretty well done. Served in loafs instead of single pieces, the sourdough bread here is soft albeit having a nice crispy crust. Personally, i had in excess of 6 pieces of bread and it still wasn't enough. I had to stop before i stuffed myself too full for the coming main courses though. Which is quite a shame. =P
Alaskan King Crab Souffle ($25) - Having arrived very late because i had to direct a dear friend to the location (when i myself didn't know where it was i might add), we missed another appetizer ordered by the group who came earlier but ended up better off since we knew what was good then. This double baked Alaskan King Crab souffle hit the spot just right for me. Although the portion was small, the taste more than satisfied my questions for whether the location would be worth the money. The dish simply tasted cheesy with hints of crab, i believe one crab could have made more than one of these dishes which is a shame we didn't get the whole deal. Still, coupled with the complimentary bread, this was an excellent starter.
Roasted Half Duckling ($38), Seared Paperbark Scented Petuna Ocean Trout ($36), Roasted Black Cod ($36) - I got a little taste of almost everything you see here and i must say the ocean trout and black cod is extremly well done. Fragrant, fresh and simply delectable. Worth a try but of course, i'm basing that on just a small spoonful so you may have you reservations before trying. Well, all my friends had their eyes wide open and mouth humming: "Mmmm....." after one bite so you got your review there. I didn't get to try the roasted half duck but i didn't hear any complaints on that either.
Braised Kurobuta Pork Belly ($37) - I got to have a really generous piece of this as well and i must say, its fragrant and tasty...as soon as you get over the fact that the tasty soft portion is all fats of course.
Grilled Grain Fed Beef Tenderloin ($39) - And yes, i had beef again. Well, i had to make a choice between this and kangaroo loins so naturally i picked something i'm already familiar with to prevent disappointment. Did it disappoint? I'd say no. The beef came nicely grilled to perfection, being nicely cooked on the outside and fresh on the inside thus retaining most of the beef juices i so love. The side of mashed potato gratin was great, the top most layer was little crunchy and very soft on the inside. The sauce deserves special mention as well, it tasted like a mix of japanese teriyaki sauce with chinese soya sauce used in fish dishes. A wierd combination to be sure, but surprisingly compliments the dish making it close to perfection. For me at least. =P
Peach and Vanilla Creme Brulee - A lovely dessert to be sure. However, having tried the same offering in Eden Cafe by Chef Clement, i'd say the creme brulee was good but lacking in the sense that the sugar layer on top was too thick. It actually stuck to the teeth and that dampened spirits somewhat after a satisfying meal. That said though, the layer beneath was still smooth and moderately sweet enough to be good. The ice cream it came with was Mint and Chempedak which is nice and smooth but didn't quite appeal to my tastes. I could have enjoyed a simple vanilla with the creme brulee and it would have been perfect.
The meal came up to $516 for 7 people. Which isn't too expensive considering it brought me temporarily away from the bustle of daily life and had a generally high quality in its food offerings. Factor in wonderful company and this Aussie meal is just great.
So far, i've had quite a few meals and this is one of them i could easily recommend to people. The ambience is nice with soft lighting and its rather obscure location. Romantic even if its a quiet evening. When we were there, there was a rather huge rowdy group behind us that made conversation rather difficult. Food-wise, this place works for me and their seasonal offerings mean i could return for different dishes each time. Do try this place out.
Family, where would i be without them? Nowhere i believe, i wouldn't exist without my parents thats for sure. And so, its important to remember their birthdays, such as my dear mother's birthday which was yesterday, 19th August. To commemorate this important day, we brought her to her favorite vegetarian eating place and bought her a simple cake.
Cocoa Exotica ($35) - At $35, this is a regular sized cake which will probably be able to fill around 8 people's stomach with a pretty generous serving. Most importantly for me, my family liked it and that in itself is good enough.
There are four layers to this cake, the sponge layer, top bitter chocolate layer, cream and chocolate fudge layer and a biscuit layer near the bottom. The sponge cake layer is quite good as it holds enough body and is not too airy as compared to some offerings i've had. The bitter chocolate layer was very thin so it doesn't quite do enough for me. The middle cream, chocolate fudge and biscuit layer is what won this cake for me though. Although the cream layer was thick, it wasn't too sweet nor too 'creamy' which is a good thing for me. The biscuit layer was great but i'm unable to tell you what kind of biscuit they used. Try it yourself to find out.
Overall, everyone liked the cake and it was one of the better cakes i've had from Four Leaves so far. Its pretty much on par with other cake specializing stores which did come as a surprise to me. I have my girlfriend to thank for this great choice of a cake and for opening my eyes to the fact that even Four Leaves can offer decent cakes.
Having heard much about this small business belonging to a friend's friend. I decided to patronize it to try out the food offered here for myself. That's one of the reasons, plus the fact that i was beginning to look at normal hawker fare for reasonably priced and yet good food. This being my first such attempt.
There's not much to write about in terms of atmosphere. This is a specifically Singaporean place with a jumble of food offerings at affordable prices. I personally found the air con a little too strong for this humble joint, which although provides respite from the warm weather, doesn't do much to preserve the optimum temperature of the food served.
Sirloin Steak ($7.50) - The first thing my gf told me of this place is that its famous for its chicken cutlet. She also warned that steak wise, it depends on the chef's (Bernard's) mood on the day which is rather disconcerting but being a beef lover, i ordered it anyway. I actually wanted a mixed grill but for some reason, i just couldn't find it on the menu. Back to the steak, the serving was rather generous for its price. I was quite impressed by how thick the steak was and the fact that they got the 'doneness' pretty well. The meat was cooked on the outside and suitably rare near the middle portions, thus amicably staying true to the 'medium rare' steak i ordered. However, as mentioned before, the air con was too cold and they could have fared better with a hot plate for their steak. It was barely warm by the time i sank my teeth into it but still remained chewy and juicy. The meat was quite fresh and its pepper and salt seasoning managed to salvage it somewhat. I couldn't say i enjoyed it too much since it was already cold when i ate it. The fries were too normal to say anything about. Maybe the chef was not in a good mood today?
Chicken Cutlet ($5) - The star of the shop was what my gf ordered. Smart choice too. It was indeed more worthy of attention then the steak. The cutlet came fried to a nice golden brown and when cut open, was still piping hot. The batter used was surprising because it tasted quite a bit like Kentucky Fried Chicken, only less oily and with a less fatty layer beneath the skin, which is good in my opinion. The meat was tender and easily torn or cut apart. Despite being fried, it managed to retain a its meaty juices and tasted simply good.
'll probably never come back for the beef since i've heard of better places like Uno Beef House in Toa Payoh which i'll definately visit soon. However, the cutlet here is different from those found elsewhere and tastes quite abit better too. Can always come here for a simple meal if there's no where else to go and you are short on cash but do order the cutlet and not wager on the chef's mood for beef. =P
Café Oliv is a small café just beside the Famous 328 Laksa shop. The interior is very simple with normal white tables and orange plastic chairs. A casual setting suitable for the regular office lunchers or for families.
Chef Kevin Heng, together with buddy Patrick Ang, followed their dreams of having a place to call their own by starting Café Oliv together. Knowing that he has 12 years of culinary experience in places like the Rasa Sentosa and the Emerald Group, we were all ready to savour good food.
We ordered the following : - Duck breast salad A good salad I must say. There were small slices of grilled duck meat on top of the vinegeratte salad. The duck meat was lean and very well marinated which brings out the taste of the fresh vegetables.
Beef stew with Rice It was a LARGE serving of stew,in comparison to rice. The stew was good and very rich. We had to order an extra serving of bread to dip into the stew. It had a slightly sweet but savoury taste.
Chargrilled tenderloin with roasted potates The presentation surprised me, especially in a small café like this. Very beautifully presented, but a little disappointing in taste. The medium tenderloin was a little undercooked.When I was eating it,my white plate looked quite bloody. I think there should be more sauce on the sides as the carrots and string beans were very bland. The roasted potates were perfect though,a very good combo with the tenderloin.
Over all,I think it was worth it. We paid $47 for both of us (with drinks and extra bread,of course).I was really impressed with the presentation of the food and the service.I had a glass of hot water.The server had changed a new glass of hot water for me every time (not topping it up).
1=SGD 0.0587
TCC @ The Atrium.The environment is cosy,with nice red comfy chairs. But because of the area,u will find a lot of students studying there.
We had :-
Beef Mozza Tofu…
It's excellent for a person who likes tofu. There is a layer of cheese on top of the tofu. In between the tofu, it's layered with minced beef. Every spoon we took, there was beef. Of course,a dish like this would have to served hot and it took a little more time for this dish to come. The meat was tasty and not too salty.
Charlotte Chocolate Cake
Its just another cake. A simple chocolate cake. Plenty of sponge and little of anything else.I wouldn’t recommend it. We realized later on that we were the only ones that had the cake in the café.
Pepper Mint Tea
I ordered a pot and regretted it. It was hardly fragrant and fell well below my expectations.
We paid $24 for the above with my pot of peppermint tea. I think they specialised in coffee, not so in tea.
The service was excellent. Remembering that I had warm water instead of the normal cold water although the place was crowded. The servers had a good memory.
Rating given:
Forget about the full-sized donuts! Marcial Kobe's mini ones are much more yummilicious!!
Happened to be at Central last week and decided to give these cute little donuts a try. Located at the corner of Central basement (where I usually get lost walking as it seems like a maze to me). There were about 10 flavors to choose from. Not sure if its on promo or the usual price, but I got 12 mini donuts at $4. Quite cheap lah!
These donuts are very crispy and are not too sweet. The size is just nice to pop into your mouth. But I had to bite them bit by bit to savor the different taste of each mini donuts. There were the sugared ones, caramelized ones, chocolate ones, and alot of others, which I can't recall! All are delicious lah! So go give it a try when you're around The Central ya!
Rating given:
One of the more popular Chinese Restaurant chains around, Ding Tai Fang is ranked by the New York Time's as one of the World's Top Ten Best Restaurants. The question is whether its really good enough for such a prestigious title.
I guess the first question that comes to mind is: "Why give a contact number if they can't accept reservations?" Maybe for business purposes or general complaints but it certainly doesn't facilitate me in the least.
You can get to the restaurant very easily, simply go up the escalator and voila! The restaurant is right in front of you. The question is if you should go in or hold out for a different location for food. In this situation, i chose to enter with my gf for a meal since she's never tried it before.
The place was actually packed when we came and so we had to take a number and wait outside. Apparently, in my absence, this place has become a choice location for many heartlanders to have their meals. Is it really that good?
Makes you wonder what these people are doing doesn't it? Their actually making Xiao Long Baos for our consumption but i'd like to liken their particular sneaky looking gesture to a dissection on an operating table. Oooo...whets your appetite no?
Appetiser - The appetizer is not free just in case you thought otherwise. This little dish is about $5 if i remember correctly and its a mixed bag of tastes. Its sour, spicy, sweet and salty all at the same time but surprisingly gave me a bigger appetite. Still, its a little too oily and a little too expensive for a starter.
Fried Rice with Prawns - I ordered fried rice for myself as i remembered it being pretty good in this restaurant and indeed, its still nicely done. It comes with a generous amount of prawns as you can see and still has the concentrated egg taste in the rice. Fragrant and tasty but my gf found it a little too salty for her tastes and that is true as well. At $10 for this dish, it does come off as overpriced though.
Dan Dan Mian - We were actually asking the waitress for a recommendation and she recommended their famous Dan Dan Mian which i have never tried before. It came as quite of a shock when we tasted it though, it was salty and the paste tasted like a mixture of peanuts, sweet sauce and chilli. The noodles (la mian) were springy but lacked any taste on their own. In short, not something i would order again.
Xiao Long Bao - Their famous Xiao Long Bao tasted as it should be but i did find the the gravy in the buns to be insufficient and not hot enough. The meat was average but good enough and the skin of the buns can be stretched without bursting open which are all the makings of a good dish. Coupled with vinegar, this tastes much better but i honestly expected better.
Bill: Total bill came up to about $35 for 2 people which is a little too much for the average food we had.
I could not say the food here was very bad but i have to say i am not impressed nor satisfied with their current food standards because i remembered them as offering better food at a much lower price. Now, i do believe i won't be back for a second try and my gf certainly expressed her disappointment at their lackluster 'delicacies' as well.
Rating given:
Now for the main meal treat before Alvin left for Australia. Its really nothing much, but its nostalgic because it happens to be the first place his mother brought us to when they arrived in Singapore. And honest to goodness, the crab here is pretty big.
This is pretty much a throw back to times before fine dining and food is simply food with a distinct lack for service choices nor ambiance. One thing i really don't get is, what's with the word "beer garden"?
Coconut Juice ($4) - I have to say, this has got to be the WORST tasting coconut ever. It was sour, watery, lack ANY coconut taste whatsoever and costs $2 a piece. I was first impressed with the size until i drank it. And the meat inside was terrible as well. We bought this from a seperate store and brought over but that doesn't change a thing, this was bad, really really bad.
Orh Jian (Oyster Omelette $8) - Another item we packed from a nearby location. This oyster omelette came across as a little too watery for me. I prefer mine crispy and fragrant. The oyster's were faultless though, they came across as reasonably clean to me and tasty too. The problem was that some parts were cold, probably because the stall man didn't defrost it well enough before cooking so we got him to fry it again. After that, it was really nice with the chilli sauce. An average dish at best but still palatable.
Gong Gong ($12) - I honestly don't know the English name for this dish but its called Gong Gong which actually means dumb. Its supposed to be some kind of snail i suppose but not knowing what it is might be a blessing i suppose. Its quite a hassle to eat this because you have to firstly spear the tail like portion so that you can finally pull it out before it can be eaten. Al commented that the lady didn't cook it properly and so resulted in quite a few which we could not get out without a struggle. The dish itself isn't really too difficult to do i suppose, apart from frying the buggers with some light marinating sauce, everything else was god given. The freshness and taste is difficult to describe but is pleasant especially with the chilli sauce but i seriously doubt its worth $12. Try it and judge for yourself.
Chilli Crab ($37.26 for 1.035kg) - Actually, this place is known for HUGE crabs but we were unlucky that day. They ran out of Sri Lankan crabs and so we had to settle for its smaller Indonesian cousin which didn't disappoint in the least IMHO. Though smaller, the meat was still firm, fresh and sweet and thats just what good seafood is about. The shell was also a little thinner then its cousin making it much easier to crack and get at the meat. We opted for it to be cooked chilli crab style and the sauce came not as the spicy hot variety but rather more towards being sweet and sour with hints of chilli and eggs. The sauce, i discovered recently, is what makes a great crab better and the sole fact that we ate 21 buns with the sauce is testament that both the fried buns and the sauce complement each other really really well.
(On a side note, i discovered another location which serves great crab but not chilli crab style. They call it Jin Sha Xie or Golden Sand Crab literally and it was awesome. Will do a blog on it one day.)
Chicken Wings ($8.40) - We actually ordered fried dough sticks (you tiao) but they unfortunately have run out of such luxuries so we had to settle for Barbecued Chicken wings instead. This was decent but oily. The meat was a tad dry but otherwise thoroughly cooked. Not too special.
The total bill came up to $64.70 for the main meal. If you add drinks and additional items, this would total about $76.70. Not too expensive for 4 people really.
Well, great company and freedom of speech and actions made this an extremely casual and enjoyable affair. Food was at least reasonably priced and of an acceptable standard. They pride themselves as crab specialists and though i wouldn't go that far, i'd say they made enough effort to provide good crabs. Try it if you come around to this part of Singapore.
Rating given:
I felt it my moral duty to inform the world of McDonald's "new" item which i just tried out today. I had mine today after dinner at Tampines mall and i must say. I feel totally and utterly cheated!
If you noticed, there are new posters up at all Mcdonald's recently of a new McFlurry item stating 2 flavors. Mudpie and Blueberry, both at the cost of $2.50.
Now why the outrage? McDonald's has usually been a simple fast food chain with actually some edible food but i've never felt cheated apart from the time they tried selling their food as healthy but that's besides the point.
Currently, the "new" items, or rather the new item which i tried, the 'mudpie' mcflurry is none other then normal vanilla ice cream, topped with oreos and chocolate fudge. Thats it! Thats all there is to it and they are calling it all new items and have the gall to charge an additional 50 cents. I don't know about you but when i saw the poster, i expected to at least see a totally new flavor but that was not to be.
Either way, stay away. Do not buy this item at all costs. Its a scam to cheat our money and honestly, it tastes like any other Mc Ice cream. Do not try it.
Rating given:
I'm not really a fan of pizzas actually. In fact, i've sworn off pizza hut ever since they ran out of ideas to make a decent pizza. Note: too much dough to hide the fact that your pizzas are bad don't make a difference. =P
2 Pizzas for $21.90 - Delivered in just 30 minutes, this is one efficient pizza company and 2 for the price of one pizza is just great. Add the fact that the pizzas, IMHO, taste better then Pizza Hut and you got a new champion.
Hawaiian Pizza - This needs no introduction, you get your regular tomato based Hawaiian Pizza topped with pineapples, chicken ham and cheese. I like the fact that the crust is thin and easily edible. Its very easy to down 3 or 4 slices without noticing it. I personally found the tomato base too mild though. Prefer it stronger but still a good pizza.
Chicken Mayo - To me, this is a much better pizza then the Hawaiian Pizza they offer because i've always liked mayonnaise and chicken. Topped with green pepper, cheese, tomatoes, pineapples and chicken pieces, this is like an upsized Hawaiian plus mayonnaise. Heaven sent for a pizza. This however, cannot be taken in excess of 3 pieces because the mayonnaise will overwhelm your taste buds.
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When it was decided that our monthly meal would be at this place, the first question that came to mind was: "What is Australian Cuisine?" Upon further investigation, it turns out it really isn't much different from Western but as the main flutes website has it, Australian cuisine is: "high quality modern Australian cuisine – characterised by fresh local ingredients."
Getting to the entrance isn't a difficult task but it might elude you if you don't pay attention. The flutes valet parking service is highlighted by a small balloon which is pretty much invisible during the peak hours with cars screaming down your neck. Either way, the moment you find your way in, the immediate impression is that you are no longer in Singapore, and that, my dear friends, is priceless.
Soft lighting and a suitably colonial architecture built during the early 19th century welcomes you into this little getaway from all the hustle and bustle of daily life. Art pieces adorn the walls of the little restaurant and despite the pictures you see here, the lights are rather dim once you are inside. Oh, no worries about air conditioning after your long walk here for the place is thankfully air conditioned and very cosy.
Complimentary Bread - Something about these fine dining restaurants which i have come to realize, is that they serve really good bread. Free no less. And this one is pretty well done. Served in loafs instead of single pieces, the sourdough bread here is soft albeit having a nice crispy crust. Personally, i had in excess of 6 pieces of bread and it still wasn't enough. I had to stop before i stuffed myself too full for the coming main courses though. Which is quite a shame. =P
Alaskan King Crab Souffle ($25) - Having arrived very late because i had to direct a dear friend to the location (when i myself didn't know where it was i might add), we missed another appetizer ordered by the group who came earlier but ended up better off since we knew what was good then. This double baked Alaskan King Crab souffle hit the spot just right for me. Although the portion was small, the taste more than satisfied my questions for whether the location would be worth the money. The dish simply tasted cheesy with hints of crab, i believe one crab could have made more than one of these dishes which is a shame we didn't get the whole deal. Still, coupled with the complimentary bread, this was an excellent starter.
Roasted Half Duckling ($38), Seared Paperbark Scented Petuna Ocean Trout ($36), Roasted Black Cod ($36) - I got a little taste of almost everything you see here and i must say the ocean trout and black cod is extremly well done. Fragrant, fresh and simply delectable. Worth a try but of course, i'm basing that on just a small spoonful so you may have you reservations before trying. Well, all my friends had their eyes wide open and mouth humming: "Mmmm....." after one bite so you got your review there. I didn't get to try the roasted half duck but i didn't hear any complaints on that either.
Braised Kurobuta Pork Belly ($37) - I got to have a really generous piece of this as well and i must say, its fragrant and tasty...as soon as you get over the fact that the tasty soft portion is all fats of course.
Grilled Grain Fed Beef Tenderloin ($39) - And yes, i had beef again. Well, i had to make a choice between this and kangaroo loins so naturally i picked something i'm already familiar with to prevent disappointment. Did it disappoint? I'd say no. The beef came nicely grilled to perfection, being nicely cooked on the outside and fresh on the inside thus retaining most of the beef juices i so love. The side of mashed potato gratin was great, the top most layer was little crunchy and very soft on the inside. The sauce deserves special mention as well, it tasted like a mix of japanese teriyaki sauce with chinese soya sauce used in fish dishes. A wierd combination to be sure, but surprisingly compliments the dish making it close to perfection. For me at least. =P
Peach and Vanilla Creme Brulee - A lovely dessert to be sure. However, having tried the same offering in Eden Cafe by Chef Clement, i'd say the creme brulee was good but lacking in the sense that the sugar layer on top was too thick. It actually stuck to the teeth and that dampened spirits somewhat after a satisfying meal. That said though, the layer beneath was still smooth and moderately sweet enough to be good. The ice cream it came with was Mint and Chempedak which is nice and smooth but didn't quite appeal to my tastes. I could have enjoyed a simple vanilla with the creme brulee and it would have been perfect.
The meal came up to $516 for 7 people. Which isn't too expensive considering it brought me temporarily away from the bustle of daily life and had a generally high quality in its food offerings. Factor in wonderful company and this Aussie meal is just great.
So far, i've had quite a few meals and this is one of them i could easily recommend to people. The ambience is nice with soft lighting and its rather obscure location. Romantic even if its a quiet evening. When we were there, there was a rather huge rowdy group behind us that made conversation rather difficult. Food-wise, this place works for me and their seasonal offerings mean i could return for different dishes each time. Do try this place out.
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Family, where would i be without them? Nowhere i believe, i wouldn't exist without my parents thats for sure. And so, its important to remember their birthdays, such as my dear mother's birthday which was yesterday, 19th August. To commemorate this important day, we brought her to her favorite vegetarian eating place and bought her a simple cake.
Cocoa Exotica ($35) - At $35, this is a regular sized cake which will probably be able to fill around 8 people's stomach with a pretty generous serving. Most importantly for me, my family liked it and that in itself is good enough.
There are four layers to this cake, the sponge layer, top bitter chocolate layer, cream and chocolate fudge layer and a biscuit layer near the bottom. The sponge cake layer is quite good as it holds enough body and is not too airy as compared to some offerings i've had. The bitter chocolate layer was very thin so it doesn't quite do enough for me. The middle cream, chocolate fudge and biscuit layer is what won this cake for me though. Although the cream layer was thick, it wasn't too sweet nor too 'creamy' which is a good thing for me. The biscuit layer was great but i'm unable to tell you what kind of biscuit they used. Try it yourself to find out.
Overall, everyone liked the cake and it was one of the better cakes i've had from Four Leaves so far. Its pretty much on par with other cake specializing stores which did come as a surprise to me. I have my girlfriend to thank for this great choice of a cake and for opening my eyes to the fact that even Four Leaves can offer decent cakes.
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Having heard much about this small business belonging to a friend's friend. I decided to patronize it to try out the food offered here for myself. That's one of the reasons, plus the fact that i was beginning to look at normal hawker fare for reasonably priced and yet good food. This being my first such attempt.
There's not much to write about in terms of atmosphere. This is a specifically Singaporean place with a jumble of food offerings at affordable prices. I personally found the air con a little too strong for this humble joint, which although provides respite from the warm weather, doesn't do much to preserve the optimum temperature of the food served.
Sirloin Steak ($7.50) - The first thing my gf told me of this place is that its famous for its chicken cutlet. She also warned that steak wise, it depends on the chef's (Bernard's) mood on the day which is rather disconcerting but being a beef lover, i ordered it anyway. I actually wanted a mixed grill but for some reason, i just couldn't find it on the menu. Back to the steak, the serving was rather generous for its price. I was quite impressed by how thick the steak was and the fact that they got the 'doneness' pretty well. The meat was cooked on the outside and suitably rare near the middle portions, thus amicably staying true to the 'medium rare' steak i ordered. However, as mentioned before, the air con was too cold and they could have fared better with a hot plate for their steak. It was barely warm by the time i sank my teeth into it but still remained chewy and juicy. The meat was quite fresh and its pepper and salt seasoning managed to salvage it somewhat. I couldn't say i enjoyed it too much since it was already cold when i ate it. The fries were too normal to say anything about. Maybe the chef was not in a good mood today?
Chicken Cutlet ($5) - The star of the shop was what my gf ordered. Smart choice too. It was indeed more worthy of attention then the steak. The cutlet came fried to a nice golden brown and when cut open, was still piping hot. The batter used was surprising because it tasted quite a bit like Kentucky Fried Chicken, only less oily and with a less fatty layer beneath the skin, which is good in my opinion. The meat was tender and easily torn or cut apart. Despite being fried, it managed to retain a its meaty juices and tasted simply good.
'll probably never come back for the beef since i've heard of better places like Uno Beef House in Toa Payoh which i'll definately visit soon. However, the cutlet here is different from those found elsewhere and tastes quite abit better too. Can always come here for a simple meal if there's no where else to go and you are short on cash but do order the cutlet and not wager on the chef's mood for beef. =P
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Café Oliv is a small café just beside the Famous 328 Laksa shop. The interior is very simple with normal white tables and orange plastic chairs. A casual setting suitable for the regular office lunchers or for families.
Chef Kevin Heng, together with buddy Patrick Ang, followed their dreams of having a place to call their own by starting Café Oliv together. Knowing that he has 12 years of culinary experience in places like the Rasa Sentosa and the Emerald Group, we were all ready to savour good food.
We ordered the following : -
Duck breast salad
A good salad I must say. There were small slices of grilled duck meat on top of the vinegeratte salad. The duck meat was lean and very well marinated which brings out the taste of the fresh vegetables.
Beef stew with Rice
It was a LARGE serving of stew,in comparison to rice. The stew was good and very rich. We had to order an extra serving of bread to dip into the stew. It had a slightly sweet but savoury taste.
Chargrilled tenderloin with roasted potates
The presentation surprised me, especially in a small café like this. Very beautifully presented, but a little disappointing in taste. The medium tenderloin was a little undercooked.When I was eating it,my white plate looked quite bloody. I think there should be more sauce on the sides as the carrots and string beans were very bland. The roasted potates were perfect though,a very good combo with the tenderloin.
Over all,I think it was worth it. We paid $47 for both of us (with drinks and extra bread,of course).I was really impressed with the presentation of the food and the service.I had a glass of hot water.The server had changed a new glass of hot water for me every time (not topping it up).
I will be back for more.
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