Service is excellent here. The staffs are attentive and take their time to explain the various selections they have here. Most guests were seen to spend a little longer time with the drinks menu. Why? Because there is available over 280 wines and more than 200 cocktails and mocktails to choose from and you cannot order everything in one night! So take your time, they won't mind it. We tried the te vodka-based Zack's Killer ($14) and the Daiquiri Ice ($14).
The food selection is also interesting. Mostly finger food and heavy finger food. We tried the Rochester's Famous Sinful Pork Crackles ($15) which truly lives up to the 'sinful' part of its name. Imagine eating layers and layers of roasted pork coupled with their special sweet sauce. It is not something that you would proudly tell your doctor if you do have to go for a regular cholesterol test!!!
If you want a proper dinner, you have to make your bookings in advance and let them know so they can prepare a special set dinner for you! And it really is special!
The funny thing about this place is that although we were dining outdoors, there seems to be no sign of mosquitos. Apparently they have installed some state of the art equipment that repels the mosquitos. Either this or the mosquitos have tasted too much tequilas and are sound asleep...:)
Definitely a place to relax after a hectic day at work. The nice tropical surroundings make this place a must visit for the "adventure" seeker. If you drive, you might want to go early as there is limited car park space here.
I didn't pay for the food here. My friend who got engaged did. But since it's under Tung Lok Group, it's got to burn a hole in the pocket.
Anyway, it is quite refreshing here. It's sort of a Chinese fusion fine dining experience at this restaurant. Everyone at thee tables were fascinated by the way they served the salad. The ingredients came in large cylindrical flasks. Then the dressing is poured into the flasks and shaken by the waitresses. Once well-mixed, the contents are poured into a large bowl and served to everyone. Call me "swakoo" if you want, but I was fascinated by the combination of strawberries, mushrooms and greens.
They served many other ice-breaker dishes as well. Like the spinach soup which was so green you would swear that you would turn into either Popeye or The Incredible Hulk. (Un)fortunately, it tasted more refreshing than radioactive.
The restaurant hardly serves gluten here, but that could be due to my friend's choice of dishes. But that's a good thing nonetheless. Mushrooms, nuts, fruits, spinach and other exotic aquatic and marine plants are the main ingredients here.
I give this place highest ratings for the refreshing menu and superior service, though that's because we were in a VIP dining area.
My recommendations: Portobello Mushroom Burger Real portobello mushrooms used as compared to the canned variety you get in Burger King.
Tip 1: Bring friends with large appetites in case yours aren't enough.
Tip 2: When ordering a combo, don't change the ordinary fries that comes with it. Change it to anything else and they up-size your drink as well. Pointless when you can get a free-flow of soft drinks. Even more pointless when you know that the difference in price between the original ordinary fries and the new item is less than the extra you are paying for. If you really want to try the other sides, share. (Thus reinforcing Tip 1)
Tip 3: The air-conditioning is a little bit colder than one would like it. So I recommend sitting outside. Plus there's the occasional show-off who would drive his yellow Lamborghini around in circles. Probably because it can't go up over a hump without scraping the under-carriage. Anyway, that's the fun part on top of the fact that it is warmer outside, rain or shine.
My recommendations: Mushroom steamboat, tibetian ribs, monkey head mushroom in special sauce, paper steamboat.
The food is great! So gather round the steamboat for an experience.
It's fascinating to see so many different kinds of mushrooms before you and it's amazing how every one of them can have a unique taste.
I tried the paper steamboat set on my first visit and was pleasantly surprised. A generous amount of vegetables, meat of your choice and a wide selection of mushrooms simmering in a rich broth. The set also came with rice and a choice of a side dish. I picked the monkey head mushroom in special sauce. The chilli sauce is the type that compels you to have more of it.
For a larger group, get the mushroom steamboat for a communal meal. Since it is a steamboat, all the ingredients are served raw, even the mushrooms. For the curious and inquisitive, take time to scrutinise the different types of fungi that will end up in the soup. Start a class to talk about fungi here.
What Japanese fusion? It reminded me more of ice-kachang
The food in general is alright. Nothing special actually. Even after a few visits, I still cannot understand why they would categorize themselves as Japanese Fusion. The only thing remotely Japanese was just curry with rice. The western fare come in generous portions though anything western tastes like similar dishes from any other western restaurant. Also, every meat dish comes with a huge portion of fat. Which according to my very limited knowledge of Japan, seems very unJapanese.
As much as the restaurant praise their mudpies, I am very disappointed in them in the taste and portion. Ice flakes found in them are obviously the result of diluted ingredients. Though they taste ok. The use of soybean ice-cream for some of their mudpie flavors are quite delightful. The promotional sundaes were not bad, but they tasted more similar to ice-kachang than Japanese desserts with grass jelly and red bean. The sesame, green tea and soybean ice cream just weren't Japanese enough.
What is worth a try there are the drinks. They come in novelty mugs for single portions and jugs in double portions.
Occasion 1: Free flow of Candy Floss and a foot-long weiner!
I think I will go in and order a hot chocolate velvet and keep getting candy floss in future since it is free.
No joke, the Crazy Dog is a foot-long sausage on a tiny bun with lots of pickles and other stuff.
The sandwiches are really good and you can even order them for take outs and they don't bill you with service charge.
Occasion 2: Experienced Half-hearted Service and Half-decent Drink
My second outing to this restaurant with the Girlfriend had us ordering the signature BBQ Ribs, Smoked Salmon Salad and Frosty Bailey's Chocolate Velvet.
The good: BBQ Ribs were huge and they tasted really good. The cut was not as fatty as what the other restaurants (like Café Cartel) would serve and the BBQ sauce was not too sweet. The Smoked Salmon Salad was surprisingly good. The flavours were strong but it also allowed the freshness of the salmon to be tasted. I strongly recommend this one.
The bad: I mentioned the chocolate velvets were good in the previous post. I want to add on that the statement only applies to the hot ones. The cold ones, especially the frosty ones suck terribly. The Girlfriend and I both agreed that the Frosty Bailey's Chocolate Velvet was a rip off. The Girlfriend and I were also rather appalled by the service. It's one thing to be slow. It's a whole new league when they fail to follow-up or do things halfway. First they omitted the iced water, then they cleared the table halfway.
But at least this restaurant is a great place to people watch.
Occasion 3: Warning: Extremely rich hot chocolate
Potent hot chocolates which they call chocolate velvets. Highly recommended for chocolate lovers.
My friends and I got quite a shock when we saw the bill. 3 seemingly harmless main courses and 3 drinks set us back by $74. After a little investigation, we realized it was the drinks that really 'compounded' the bill. So my tips on eating at this place: - be prepared for the bill or - order just the main courses or the specialty drinks
That's for you to be mentally prepared.
On with the food. As mentioned before, the chocolate velvets are out of this world. "Richer than Donald Trump" was how they described these drinks, which was quite apt if not corny.
I tried the juicy beef burger. Huge portions, well marinated minced beef. The fries on the side were rather disappointing though. I could see them still soaked with grease when the food arrived.
The friends ordered the rotisserie chicken and chicken and prawns combo.
Pricing for the main courses are actually quite reasonable. But once again, be prepared for a bomb of a bill if you want a specialty drink to wash everything down.
I'm very unhappy about the way they trick you into paying for extras that you don't want.
On Tuesdays, you get waffles at half price. So being the bargain hunter, the girlfriend and I went to this branch for a large waffle. We wanted ice-cream with that. Then, the guy taking the order asked, "Would you like strawberry or chocolate sauce on top?"
It felt odd, the question. But I didn't give it too much thought. So I replied, "Chocolate sauce."
I only realized after my order was served that the chocolate sauce didn't taste very good with the waffles. I then checked the receipt only to see that I have been charged and extra 50 cents for chocolate sauce. What pisses me off is that they used that common sales tactic to trick customers. What pisses me off even more is that a cafe/restaurant like Gelaré would stoop to this level. The correct answer to that question should have been, "I would like to have the maple syrup that best suits the waffles and by my recollection, free. Thank you."
It is just like the unscrupulous trick question Long John Silvers' used to ask their customers, "Medium or large drink?" when the set meal you ordered only has a small drink.
The quality of the waffles and ice-cream is still good, but be sharp when you order waffles on Tuesdays.
And I hope the management fires that guy who asked, "Strawberry or chocolate sauce?"
Watch the crew set fire to your food right before you with a blowtorch! It's quite a spectacle. And catch a glimpse of your friends' expressions as they see it the first time! Priceless.
Huge portions. Cheaper than Fish & Co. But lacks variety. No stingray. No crab. No swordfish collar. No fish sambal. The rice that comes along in the main courses doesn't taste as good as before. It used to be buttery and garlicky. Now it is rather plain. It could be due to customer feedback.
The fried stuff was still soaked in oil when it was served. I didn't fancy that. The oil was dripping when I forced my knife through the battered fish. Can't they blot out the oil with kitchen towels?
Watch your step in the restaurant. There are portions of the floor that are elevated and you might trip or fall off the edge.
I went to visit a friend's new place around Kim Keat for an informal house warming. On our way back to the main road, we came across an old bakery run by some middle-aged to old men. I was thoroughly fascinated by their products. With the camera in hand, these are some of the snapshots of what I saw.
I seem to be always attracted to the old, disused, forgotten things around us. I think these things give a certain life, character and identity to the place they are found. I probably caught on this fascination when someone brought me to the old ST James Power Station before it was refurbished into what you will see today. Above all, it is literally a refreshing sight from the usual Orchard Road.
As for the bread from this traditional bakery, what attracted me first were the loaves of “blackhead bread” stacked on the racks to cool down. Not to mention I love the colors too.
Of course, we also wanted to have a taste of the freshly baked “blackhead bread”, so we shared to buy a loaf, which was only $2.20.
Then, I gave it a try… And it was the most wonderful plain bread I had tasted! The bread was moist, soft but firm on the bite. It didn’t dissolve into a mess in the mouth and you can savor every bite you take slowly. It is no wonder the bakery still stands today.
Anyway, besides the “blackhead bread”, the colorful trays which they use also caught my eye.
Really glad we made the trip to the friend’s place, otherwise I would have missed out such a lovely place in the equally lovely area.
While on a friend's mini-van, I talked about the newly opened Ice Cream Chefs somewhere in East Coast. I provided an inaccurate location of East Coast Park and we spent some time circling a carpark until someone finally connected to the internet and googled for them. It was in East Coast Road instead. So we moved along.
We then hit a roadblock of sorts when we couldn’t find a parking lot in the vicinity. So one of the passengers got off the vehicle and went straight to the shop to ask about parking. Surprise! Parking is free if you are customers.
One challenging thing about coming here is really figuring out the choice of ice cream. Like a few ice cream places in Singapore, Ice Cream Chefs makes it possible to mix flavors, 2 for a small cup and 3 for a large one. For every topping, or more correctly, mix-in as they call it, it’s an extra 70 cents.
We got ourselves 3 large cups for 5 of us. No, make that 4 since the driver was suffering from diarrhea had to be left out from partaking the ice cream. We stuck to 2 of the staff’s recommendation of a fruity concoction and a chocolatey durian combination along with my mad mix of butter pecan with kinder bueno and marshmallows along with horlicks and mocha ice cream. All of which were rather enjoyable.
It is quite a fascinating sight to see the chef whip up your customized ice cream. First your flavors are laid on the cold plate. Then with one spatula laid on the ice cream, the other taps on it to create an indentation for the mix-ins. Repeat the spatula actions to crush the mix-ins and then further reduce the size by chopping with the spatulas. Fold them around a few times. Finally scoop them into the cup and served.
Personally I found the ice cream on the watery side. It wasn’t as rich and creamy as I expected. The novelty of zhng-ing your ice cream definitely helped a bit. But for continued success, they need to improve their ice cream formula.
1=SGD 0.0587
Service is excellent here. The staffs are attentive and take their time to explain the various selections they have here. Most guests were seen to spend a little longer time with the drinks menu. Why? Because there is available over 280 wines and more than 200 cocktails and mocktails to choose from and you cannot order everything in one night! So take your time, they won't mind it. We tried the te vodka-based Zack's Killer ($14) and the Daiquiri Ice ($14).
The food selection is also interesting. Mostly finger food and heavy finger food. We tried the Rochester's Famous Sinful Pork Crackles ($15) which truly lives up to the 'sinful' part of its name. Imagine eating layers and layers of roasted pork coupled with their special sweet sauce. It is not something that you would proudly tell your doctor if you do have to go for a regular cholesterol test!!!
If you want a proper dinner, you have to make your bookings in advance and let them know so they can prepare a special set dinner for you! And it really is special!
The funny thing about this place is that although we were dining outdoors, there seems to be no sign of mosquitos. Apparently they have installed some state of the art equipment that repels the mosquitos. Either this or the mosquitos have tasted too much tequilas and are sound asleep...:)
Definitely a place to relax after a hectic day at work. The nice tropical surroundings make this place a must visit for the "adventure" seeker. If you drive, you might want to go early as there is limited car park space here.
Rating given:
A whole new world for vegetarians.
I didn't pay for the food here. My friend who got engaged did. But since it's under Tung Lok Group, it's got to burn a hole in the pocket.
Anyway, it is quite refreshing here. It's sort of a Chinese fusion fine dining experience at this restaurant. Everyone at thee tables were fascinated by the way they served the salad. The ingredients came in large cylindrical flasks. Then the dressing is poured into the flasks and shaken by the waitresses. Once well-mixed, the contents are poured into a large bowl and served to everyone. Call me "swakoo" if you want, but I was fascinated by the combination of strawberries, mushrooms and greens.
They served many other ice-breaker dishes as well. Like the spinach soup which was so green you would swear that you would turn into either Popeye or The Incredible Hulk. (Un)fortunately, it tasted more refreshing than radioactive.
The restaurant hardly serves gluten here, but that could be due to my friend's choice of dishes. But that's a good thing nonetheless. Mushrooms, nuts, fruits, spinach and other exotic aquatic and marine plants are the main ingredients here.
I give this place highest ratings for the refreshing menu and superior service, though that's because we were in a VIP dining area.
Rating given:
If Burger King Ain't Enough For You
My recommendations: Portobello Mushroom Burger
Real portobello mushrooms used as compared to the canned variety you get in Burger King.
Tip 1: Bring friends with large appetites in case yours aren't enough.
Tip 2: When ordering a combo, don't change the ordinary fries that comes with it. Change it to anything else and they up-size your drink as well. Pointless when you can get a free-flow of soft drinks. Even more pointless when you know that the difference in price between the original ordinary fries and the new item is less than the extra you are paying for.
If you really want to try the other sides, share. (Thus reinforcing Tip 1)
Tip 3: The air-conditioning is a little bit colder than one would like it. So I recommend sitting outside. Plus there's the occasional show-off who would drive his yellow Lamborghini around in circles. Probably because it can't go up over a hump without scraping the under-carriage. Anyway, that's the fun part on top of the fact that it is warmer outside, rain or shine.
Rating given:
You'll love mushrooms after this
My recommendations: Mushroom steamboat, tibetian ribs, monkey head mushroom in special sauce, paper steamboat.
The food is great! So gather round the steamboat for an experience.
It's fascinating to see so many different kinds of mushrooms before you and it's amazing how every one of them can have a unique taste.
I tried the paper steamboat set on my first visit and was pleasantly surprised. A generous amount of vegetables, meat of your choice and a wide selection of mushrooms simmering in a rich broth. The set also came with rice and a choice of a side dish. I picked the monkey head mushroom in special sauce. The chilli sauce is the type that compels you to have more of it.
For a larger group, get the mushroom steamboat for a communal meal. Since it is a steamboat, all the ingredients are served raw, even the mushrooms. For the curious and inquisitive, take time to scrutinise the different types of fungi that will end up in the soup. Start a class to talk about fungi here.
Rating given:
What Japanese fusion? It reminded me more of ice-kachang
The food in general is alright.
Nothing special actually.
Even after a few visits, I still cannot understand why they would categorize themselves as Japanese Fusion. The only thing remotely Japanese was just curry with rice. The western fare come in generous portions though anything western tastes like similar dishes from any other western restaurant. Also, every meat dish comes with a huge portion of fat. Which according to my very limited knowledge of Japan, seems very unJapanese.
As much as the restaurant praise their mudpies, I am very disappointed in them in the taste and portion. Ice flakes found in them are obviously the result of diluted ingredients. Though they taste ok. The use of soybean ice-cream for some of their mudpie flavors are quite delightful.
The promotional sundaes were not bad, but they tasted more similar to ice-kachang than Japanese desserts with grass jelly and red bean. The sesame, green tea and soybean ice cream just weren't Japanese enough.
What is worth a try there are the drinks. They come in novelty mugs for single portions and jugs in double portions.
Rating given:
I went there on 3 occasions.
Occasion 1: Free flow of Candy Floss and a foot-long weiner!
I think I will go in and order a hot chocolate velvet and keep getting candy floss in future since it is free.
No joke, the Crazy Dog is a foot-long sausage on a tiny bun with lots of pickles and other stuff.
The sandwiches are really good and you can even order them for take outs and they don't bill you with service charge.
Occasion 2: Experienced Half-hearted Service and Half-decent Drink
My second outing to this restaurant with the Girlfriend had us ordering the signature BBQ Ribs, Smoked Salmon Salad and Frosty Bailey's Chocolate Velvet.
The good:
BBQ Ribs were huge and they tasted really good. The cut was not as fatty as what the other restaurants (like Café Cartel) would serve and the BBQ sauce was not too sweet.
The Smoked Salmon Salad was surprisingly good. The flavours were strong but it also allowed the freshness of the salmon to be tasted. I strongly recommend this one.
The bad:
I mentioned the chocolate velvets were good in the previous post. I want to add on that the statement only applies to the hot ones. The cold ones, especially the frosty ones suck terribly. The Girlfriend and I both agreed that the Frosty Bailey's Chocolate Velvet was a rip off.
The Girlfriend and I were also rather appalled by the service. It's one thing to be slow. It's a whole new league when they fail to follow-up or do things halfway. First they omitted the iced water, then they cleared the table halfway.
But at least this restaurant is a great place to people watch.
Occasion 3: Warning: Extremely rich hot chocolate
Potent hot chocolates which they call chocolate velvets. Highly recommended for chocolate lovers.
My friends and I got quite a shock when we saw the bill. 3 seemingly harmless main courses and 3 drinks set us back by $74. After a little investigation, we realized it was the drinks that really 'compounded' the bill.
So my tips on eating at this place:
- be prepared for the bill or
- order just the main courses or the specialty drinks
That's for you to be mentally prepared.
On with the food. As mentioned before, the chocolate velvets are out of this world. "Richer than Donald Trump" was how they described these drinks, which was quite apt if not corny.
I tried the juicy beef burger. Huge portions, well marinated minced beef. The fries on the side were rather disappointing though. I could see them still soaked with grease when the food arrived.
The friends ordered the rotisserie chicken and chicken and prawns combo.
Pricing for the main courses are actually quite reasonable. But once again, be prepared for a bomb of a bill if you want a specialty drink to wash everything down.
Rating given:
They cheat, on Tuesdays at least
I'm very unhappy about the way they trick you into paying for extras that you don't want.
On Tuesdays, you get waffles at half price. So being the bargain hunter, the girlfriend and I went to this branch for a large waffle. We wanted ice-cream with that. Then, the guy taking the order asked, "Would you like strawberry or chocolate sauce on top?"
It felt odd, the question. But I didn't give it too much thought. So I replied, "Chocolate sauce."
I only realized after my order was served that the chocolate sauce didn't taste very good with the waffles. I then checked the receipt only to see that I have been charged and extra 50 cents for chocolate sauce.
What pisses me off is that they used that common sales tactic to trick customers.
What pisses me off even more is that a cafe/restaurant like Gelaré would stoop to this level.
The correct answer to that question should have been, "I would like to have the maple syrup that best suits the waffles and by my recollection, free. Thank you."
It is just like the unscrupulous trick question Long John Silvers' used to ask their customers, "Medium or large drink?" when the set meal you ordered only has a small drink.
The quality of the waffles and ice-cream is still good, but be sharp when you order waffles on Tuesdays.
And I hope the management fires that guy who asked, "Strawberry or chocolate sauce?"
Rating given:
The flaming platter for 2 is quite a spectacle
Watch the crew set fire to your food right before you with a blowtorch!
It's quite a spectacle. And catch a glimpse of your friends' expressions as they see it the first time! Priceless.
Huge portions. Cheaper than Fish & Co.
But lacks variety. No stingray. No crab. No swordfish collar. No fish sambal.
The rice that comes along in the main courses doesn't taste as good as before. It used to be buttery and garlicky. Now it is rather plain. It could be due to customer feedback.
The fried stuff was still soaked in oil when it was served. I didn't fancy that. The oil was dripping when I forced my knife through the battered fish. Can't they blot out the oil with kitchen towels?
Watch your step in the restaurant. There are portions of the floor that are elevated and you might trip or fall off the edge.
Rating given:
Click here for original post with pictures.
I went to visit a friend's new place around Kim Keat for an informal house warming. On our way back to the main road, we came across an old bakery run by some middle-aged to old men. I was thoroughly fascinated by their products. With the camera in hand, these are some of the snapshots of what I saw.
I seem to be always attracted to the old, disused, forgotten things around us. I think these things give a certain life, character and identity to the place they are found. I probably caught on this fascination when someone brought me to the old ST James Power Station before it was refurbished into what you will see today. Above all, it is literally a refreshing sight from the usual Orchard Road.
As for the bread from this traditional bakery, what attracted me first were the loaves of “blackhead bread” stacked on the racks to cool down. Not to mention I love the colors too.
Of course, we also wanted to have a taste of the freshly baked “blackhead bread”, so we shared to buy a loaf, which was only $2.20.
Then, I gave it a try…
And it was the most wonderful plain bread I had tasted! The bread was moist, soft but firm on the bite. It didn’t dissolve into a mess in the mouth and you can savor every bite you take slowly. It is no wonder the bakery still stands today.
Anyway, besides the “blackhead bread”, the colorful trays which they use also caught my eye.
Really glad we made the trip to the friend’s place, otherwise I would have missed out such a lovely place in the equally lovely area.
Rating given:
Click here for original post with pictures
While on a friend's mini-van, I talked about the newly opened Ice Cream Chefs somewhere in East Coast. I provided an inaccurate location of East Coast Park and we spent some time circling a carpark until someone finally connected to the internet and googled for them. It was in East Coast Road instead. So we moved along.
We then hit a roadblock of sorts when we couldn’t find a parking lot in the vicinity. So one of the passengers got off the vehicle and went straight to the shop to ask about parking. Surprise! Parking is free if you are customers.
One challenging thing about coming here is really figuring out the choice of ice cream. Like a few ice cream places in Singapore, Ice Cream Chefs makes it possible to mix flavors, 2 for a small cup and 3 for a large one. For every topping, or more correctly, mix-in as they call it, it’s an extra 70 cents.
We got ourselves 3 large cups for 5 of us. No, make that 4 since the driver was suffering from diarrhea had to be left out from partaking the ice cream. We stuck to 2 of the staff’s recommendation of a fruity concoction and a chocolatey durian combination along with my mad mix of butter pecan with kinder bueno and marshmallows along with horlicks and mocha ice cream. All of which were rather enjoyable.
It is quite a fascinating sight to see the chef whip up your customized ice cream.
First your flavors are laid on the cold plate.
Then with one spatula laid on the ice cream, the other taps on it to create an indentation for the mix-ins.
Repeat the spatula actions to crush the mix-ins and then further reduce the size by chopping with the spatulas.
Fold them around a few times.
Finally scoop them into the cup and served.
Personally I found the ice cream on the watery side. It wasn’t as rich and creamy as I expected. The novelty of zhng-ing your ice cream definitely helped a bit. But for continued success, they need to improve their ice cream formula.
Rating given: