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Food & Beverage
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1=SGD 0.0587
My girlfriends and I had the chance to visit Ma Maison on a Wednesday evening. Thinking that it's a weekday evening and that we were there at 8pm, there would be less people. Boy, were we wrong... There was a queue snaking out of the restaurant. We waited for 30 minutes before we were shown a seat. Very popular place indeed. We ordered and settled to take photographs while waiting for our food. We noticed that there were a few tables with Jap patrons and that's usually a sign that there's good Jap food in existence.
My apologies for not being able to provide the actual name of the dish as I was too excited and forgot to take a photo of the menu.
The food we ordered
Escargots:
This is done with garlic. It was delicious! Served up warm, it was very fragrant and they were good to provide all the right utensils for extracting the flesh.
Hamburger Steak
The meat was well minced and packed in a patty. It is served with an egg and some potato, doused in brown sauce. Even the waitress said "brown sauce" So I have no idea what sauce it is actually. Even though I'm not really one for meat, I did like this one as the meat was minced and easy on the stomach.
Gratin with Prawn and Scallops
I love this potato and cheese combination. There weren't many prawns and scallops though.. I think there was a grand total of two each. But this is one dish you have to share with friends. One person can't finish the whole plate.
Pork Cutlet
This is served with two sauces and mineral salt. The waitress explained what we should do with the sauces but when she left, all four of us were still baffled because we couldn't understand what she said. Well in the end, we did it the Singaporean way - Rojak style. We put all the sauces into the little dish she gave us and just dipped our pork pieces into it. The cutlet was a little on the tough side, a little too difficult to chew. The meat inside didn't have any taste and the crisp outside was a little bland too. The potato it was served with was nice though.
Cuttlefish Ink Spaghetti
I was a little taken aback by how black the spaghetti came. But all my companions swore by this dish so I tried it. It was yummy! Just good on its own. My only grievance is that it is a little on the dry side but I will definitely order this dish again.
Apple Pie with Ice Cream
The apple filling was suitably sweet but the crust was a little too dry and had a very starchy taste to it which I couldn't bear to eat. We finished up most of the pie leaving the crust behind.
Brownie with Ice Cream
We all loved the brownie. Me being a dessert lover, I'd say this is one of the better brownies I've had. It's not too dry nor moist and has just enough chocolate flavour so that one will not be sick of the taste before finishing.
Goma Ice Cream (Sesame)
This is my first go at such a flavour and I'd have to say it has a special taste to it. The ice cream left a strong aftertaste in my mouth. It wasn't sweet but did have a very strong taste of sesame. Quite enjoyable I guess.
The four of us spent $87 in all which I'd say is pretty reasonable.
For more pictures, please click to go to my blog.
Rating given:
Tucked behind the bustling bus stop opposite Parkway Parade lays Grand Mercure Roxy Hotel – and located at level two of what used to be a Thai restaurant is now Jia Wei Chinese Restaurant, opened in December 2007.
Honed by Master Chef Lee Tuck Seng, that brings with him wealth of culinary experience, including Gold Award in the FHA International Salon Culinaire, Jia Wei offers a modern and exquisite dining experience with a touché of traditional home-cooked fare.
They are currently serving Special Asian-themed Christmas specials that consists of their $78 per pax Christmas Glow Menu and the $98 per pax Festive Cheers Menu.
The complimentary Roasted Walnut with Sesame was pretty enjoyable – perhaps all of us were hungry due to the late lunch but it was finished up within minutes.
What’s a Christmas meal without Turkey – and thus lunch commenced with the Festive Turkey, Ham and Fresh Fruits Salad for both sets. HFB is not a big fan of turkey having bad experienced with them and Jia Wei’s version is not going to change my opinion any sooner. Now don’t get me wrong here – the turkey was juicier than most I have tried before, but it was the Wasa-mayo that did it this time round. The pairing just didn’t taste right – with the Wasabi too overbearing, but thankfully the fruit salad offered a much-welcomed reprieve.
If turkey is a must during Christmas, then equivalently, Shark’s Fin is a must during all festive Chinese celebration meals. The Christmas Glow menu offers the Superior Shark’s Fin Soup with Conpoy. A generous slab of Shark’s Fin was offered but HFB found the broth to be a little lacklustre from usual – even a dose of vinegar and dash of pepper didn’t help.
However, the Jia Wei Superior Shark’s Fin Soup in Hot Stone Pot was definitely the highlight of the day. Unlike the former, this version came piping hot when served and the broth was inspiring and robust with flavours. The superior fins also aided to the consequence – and this dish alone is worth half the menu’s price.
While the Pan-fried Fillet of Pork Spare-rib with Special Sauce from the Christmas Glow menu came nicely plated, it tasted just like normal sweet and sour pork. It wasn’t bad – it just didn’t impressed me much.
However, none of that can be said for the Grilled Special Rack of Lamb with Chinese Wine (Festive Cheer Menu). This is the other dish that is worth the other half of the menu price. The essence of the Chinese wine is captured and fused nicely with the lamb, which essentially ridded the meat of the gaminess, piquant smell – that most people gets turn off with. Not forgetting the thick jello of fats that streaked right above the meat – simply OMG divine!!! In fact it was so damn bloody good that when it gets to the bone, HFB, without hesitation, threw all his dinning etiquette aside and started using his fingers to tear the meat off its rib *shy*.
When it came to the vegetables, HFB was slightly mixed when the Braised Dry Scallop With Sea Cucumber And Bamboo Piths (Christmas Glow Menu) was served. On one hand, one should be glad with the generous serving of scallops scattered all over it, on the other, noticed the word “scattered” was used – the presentation was less than ideal – not only the scallop, but the vegetables were disarrayed and no bamboo piths were to be seen. Although it didn’t look appetising, it did taste pretty good – the vegetables were really fresh, even as the starchiness of the gravy began to set in.
The Braised Bai Ling Mushroon With Broccoli from the Festive Cheers Menu had similar gravy, amidst serving portion differs. The Bai Ling mushroom, a rare species of edible mushroom that originates from the desert of China, had a very nice chewy texture with just a hint of woody taste. Once again, due to the cooking method, the flavours were trapped nicely within the mushroom. This is definitely a dish that all mushroom lovers would like!
Both sets happened to share the same noodle dish – Homemade Noodles with Prawn And Conpoy. The trick to really enjoy homemade noodles is plainly to slurp it finish as quickly as possible, like a Japanese to ramen, so that one can fully appreciates the texture of the noodles – any delay and chances are the noodles will turn soggy. The prawns were excellently executed – deep fried over hot boiling oil before having the gravy poured over – it was succulent! Although one might find the gravy blander, HFB thought having a third dish with starchy gravy was a little excessive.
Thankfully, the deserts were good – the Chilled Mango Pudding (Christmas Glow menu) was everyone’s favourite – it tasted good and was captivatingly decorated with dried fruits of many colours traditionally of Christmas.
Although HFB is not one to take to sourish lemon sorbet, he has to commend the Chilled Lemon Jelly from the Festive Cheers Menu. The mild sweetness of the jelly complements really well with the intense sorbet and within spoonfuls, one’s palate is instantaneously cleansed.
Both menus are available from now till 4 Jan 2008 and come with a complimentary glass of red/white wine. And as if that is not good enough, the restaurant is also giving a 30% discount, valid from Monday to Thursday (except eve of PH and PH).
You can view all the photos here.
Rating given:
It was a normal weekday afternoon that we managed to patronize this place for lunch. Having heard good things from FZ and from a colleague i've recommended to try, it a lunch that was filled with anticipation and expectations.
The setting itself is reminiscent of Seafood Paradise in terms of decor albeit a little darker. Upon closer inspection, you will find a white tree glossing the interior wall to ceiling throughs stylized white carvings. Seating arrangements were well spaced and provided an open feeling for a good relaxing feel.
(No pictures here as they did not allow for picture taking)
Our orders were the 4 course set lunch menu at $28 per person.
For starters, we had the Caesar Salad with smoked chicken. In short, it was an excellent starter. The bacon bits, eggs and homemade salad dressing were light and not overwhelming. It helps that the lettuce was crunchily fresh and pleasing to munch upon as well. Good stuff.
The soup of the day was pumpkin soup which, sadly, brought the exprience down quite a bit. Both myself and my gf couldn't finish the soup. To describe it, it tasted a little like curry but which a sweet taste like tapioca and greens. Simply didn't appeal to any of us and we generally didn't finish it.
The mains we had were the tenderloin done medium rare and the salmon roulade. The tenderloin was done as requested and was juicy and succulent and chewy. Pity the portion size was small but i'd say it was done well. The star, however, was the tomato side which was suitably juicy, sweet and had a nice wood charred taste at the skin portion which made it really different.
The salmon roulade was pan fried and slightly rare with wild rice. I think the wild rice and salmon together went pretty good together while the salmon itself had minimal "fishy" taste to it for the less inclined.
Dessert wise, we had vanilla ice cream with mint chips and fruit. I love mint so it helped that the ice cream had an overwhelming mint taste to it. To me, i loved the dessert but non mint lovers would probably not take to the taste.
The coffee i had was surprisingly fragrant and thick as well. Something i'd say is even better then gourmet coffee houses like Gloria Jean's, Starbucks and Coffee bean. I wouldn't say i know alot about coffee but their offering is pretty darn good.
Overall, the experience was a rollercoaster. We peaked at the salad and hit the bottom with the soup but everything else in between was above average.
The total damage was $66 for a decent but not quite excellent meal.
Rating given:
Located in the district of Orchard Road, this award winning steakhouse is the first of its franchise outlets outside of United States.
Since it’s opening in 1997, Black Angus has been in the business of satisfying the local market’s craving for a good beefy US steak – with the meat and other ingredients imported directly from the US. Styled like a US steak diner, there are even some tables fashioned after cubicle boxes, giving added solitude and comfort to diners. Dining al fresco is another dining alternative.
What one will love about Black Angus is that with every order of their steak, it is served with Crispy Haystack Onion String, Fresh Vegetable and your choice of Potato – accompanied by starter of choice like the Stuart’s Steak Soup, Baked Potato Soup, Garden Salad, or Coleslaw. Intense is the word best used for the steak soup – as chunks of beef cubes seeks to add to the already flavourful soup. Not forgetting the generous amount of meat within marks the start of a hearty dinner.
My dining partner, being a potato lover naturally indulged in the potato soup – completed with a dollop of cream, and some sprinkle of bacon bits, cheddar cheese and spring onions. HFB had a spoonful of it but didn’t exactly took to it – he found it too starchy to stomach.
10 oz Rib-eye Steak @ $39.90 was pretty affordable and value-for-money if you ask me. Serving of the steak was liberal and this is definitely the place to be if one is looking for a good cut of US prime steak.
It was thick, juicy and has a good beefy taste to it. Steak was well rested and came medium-rare but HFB would preferred a slightly more charred-grilled finishing to his steak.
Special mentioned goes to the onion string that is really well deep-fried and really delectable. HFB really enjoyed this side!
You can view all the photos here.
Rating given:
It was a normal weekday lunch and my colleagues and boss decided to go out for a simple lunch. I suggested Botak Jones just because it was nearby and i've yet to try the branch in Bedok.
However, that proved to be a big boo boo in many ways.
First of all, my Botak Burger was hilariously small, came with no cheese and minimal fries and basically was a joke to look at. Then the burger itself, meaning the beef patty was mashed badly and cooked badly as well. Resulting in a overly dried, grass like tasting beef patty that simply isn't what i expected. The fries were alright but definitely alot lesser then when i had the same thing in the AMK branch.
My boss and colleagues seperately had cajun chicken and fish and chips which were all the same in one way. They all shrank. I don't know if its a sign of times that they've cut down on fries and ingredients in their food but for me, since i've eaten at the original branch before, this is just not acceptable.
If the boss is reading, this is where you should visit for a re education on what the franchise is about. No offense.
Rating given:
Sourcing for more good food at affordable prices. This quest led me to a place i have passed by on a lunch meal with my colleagues. The irony of it all is, this is located in the exact same cafeteria as Botak Jones in Bedok. And the second interesting part of it is, its appeared on television before and their not shy to air it too, as evidenced by the constant looping of the episode on the television housed in front. I've always been skeptical about television reviews and so far, little to none has been accurate. I wonder if this is any different.
Chocolate Mousse ($3) Panna Cotta($2.50) Tiramisu($3) - This was actually the last part of our first meal there but i'll write about it first. Basically, having the dessert meant we were pretty satisfied with the mains. The Panna cotta is overly overly overly sweet and had an overwhelming milky taste to it that simply didn't agree with me. The tiramisu has too little cake and too much mascaponi cheese which also gave an overwhelming taste. The only dessert that was vaguely good was the chocolate mousse which was thick and slightly bitter and sweet for a good finish. In terms of dessert, there's definitely room for improvement.
Seafood Baked Rice ($8.50) - The seafood baked rice came rather quickly and the memorable thing about it is its sourish tomato based sauce which made the rice very very appetising. Not to mention the clams, mussels and squid were pretty generous, as can be seen from above, and that the seafood used is very very fresh and sweet. In fact, its one of the few places with extremely fresh seafood ingredients i've came across. And at a budget price no less.
Il Piccolo Pizza ($15 for the bigger version) - I'll just go out on a limb and say this pizza is worth it. For $15, i'd say this is a steal. Simply check out the generous smattering of cheese and ingredients to know what i mean. Pepperoni, beef, ham, olives, pineapples and some onions round up the roster. However, its the stretch of the cheese and the crust that really made it a winner. Normally, the worst part of the pizza is its crust, but over here, the crust is soft and crunchy in all the right places. Not to mention the fragrant dough its made from simply compliments the ingredients so well, its perfect. The cheese is worth mentioning as well. We have all seen commercials of pizza with cheese that stretches for a long a savoury journey into our mouths, however, few places have managed that feat. This here, manages that well even when its cold. Its awesome.
Bruschetta ($3) - The bruschetta is rather normal but for $3, i was surprised at the quantity and size of the serving. $3 nets you enough bruschetta for 4 people to share a piece each. The bread is lightly toasted and soft on the inside unlike other bruschettas i've had before. The chopped tomatos were lightly drizzled with olive oil and assort condiments for a light and fresh taste. Pretty good.
Vongole ($7) - The vongole was surprisingly good. Al dente spagghetti, ultra fresh and sweet clams and a nice, light white wine sauce that hooks you in and never lets go. A light and enjoyable main course.
Amattricia ($6) - Mf gf's order, the amattricia is basically tomato based spagghetti with ham. I had a little and it was an authentic sourish taste with again, very springy and chewy pasta. Likeable but not perfect.
I have to say, i'm surprised and impressed with this place. In fact, i'm definitely returning for more. My only gripe is that almost everyone came to the coffeeshop for Botak Jones which i've had and found the quality of food wanting. Its sad to see a less worthy franchise getting all the attention when a gem like this is left in the dust and underappreciated. I highly recommend a try to judge this place yourself. I'm sure it'll be a surprise for you as well.
Rating given:
Was out for a birthday celebration for Andrew when he suggested having some dim sum which he had much positive feedback about. The idea was to find something affordable and tasty and he brought me and our mutual friend Mandy to Imperial in Takashimaya for the meal. According to him, its always packed, has great food and are at loggerheads with rival restaurant chain Crystal Jade. All the above is speculation by the way, nothing to back it up whatsoever.
In terms of the decor, the place is decked in slick, dark and contrasting colors to provide a high end feel to the place. The seats are available in 2 varieties, a pseudo al fresco open dining concept and a compartmentalized seating to maximize space. Both were thankfully spacious and accessible.
Service wise, the place was decent. Attendants are attentive when there's less people, but as the crowd grows, so does their attention span. So be warned. Also, as the crowd increases, you get the feeling that they're trying to shoo you out once you've finished. Minor gripes but worth noting still.
Yam Puff ($3.30) - The yam puff is aesthetically pleasing but ultimately lacks bite. In fact, the consensus is that it sadly lacks taste. To be blunt and to the point, not recommended to try.
Deep Fried Beancurd Skin ($4.20) - Their rendition was pretty decent, full of shrimp, fish paste and chopped carrots deep fried to a nice crispy golden brown before being served. Whats not to like about it?
Siew Mai ($4) - Their siew mai came in generous portions and are bigger then usual. However, it also comes with a pretty strong meat and pork taste which may not be appealing to everyone. For example, i for one didn't like it too much.
Carrot Cake ($3.30) - The carrot cake is nicely done in my opinion, hot and fresh with little bits of lap cheong embedded in with bits of mushrooms. The result is a surpringly fragrant and sweet carrot cake reminiscent of Crystal Jade's rendition. Still, it is on the oily side as usual.
Pork Rib ($3.50) - Didn't have any of this at all. The impression from my friend was that it was ok though.
Stir Fried Mixed Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce ($14 for 2 plates) - Andrew's utmost recommendation is also one of the more expensive items. The stir fried mushrooms are a rather simple dish really. Majority of the taste came from the oyster sauce instead of the mushrooms but there's just enough sweetness to make it good. Filled with hoshimeiji, golden mushroom and enoki mushrooms, its an ideal treat for mushroom lovers. Look out for the price tag though.
Xiao Long Bao ($3.60) - Their rendition of Xiao Long Bao was passable but only just. The pork taste was too much and the soup wasn't really tasty as well. Not to mention the rather fragile skin which broke easily. More work needed here for sure.
Steamed Shrimp Rice Roll ($5.20) - Their steamed rice roll was a little too thick for my liking. Otherwise, the shrimp were crunchy, sweet and fresh while the soy sauce was adequate without being overwhelming.
Prawn Dumpling With Salad Dip ($8.40 for 2) - I'd say this was the star of the day actually. Sweet, juicy and bursting with flavor. The hot dish had the 3 of us going for seconds and still feeling there can be more. To be picky, it is still an oily dish but hey, i'd gladly have another. Do note, its only average but its good enough to recommend to eat when you're here.
Roasted Pork ($8) - Another recommended dish by Andrew, the pork here pales in comparison to Royal China, but of course, the price is different as well. The sad part is that the skin isn't as crispy as it should be and the meat lacked bite. The rest was salvaged by the mustard sauce which covered everything else up so that it was actually pretty good in the end.
BBQ Pork Pastry ($3.30) - Like the buns, the pastry was average at best. The bbq pork was sweet and filling but the pastry and bun were too thick. The pastry was also not fragrant enough, probably due to the lack of butter.
Custurd Bun ($3.60) - I love custard buns actually so i'm rather biased on this. This bun however, needs improvement as well. The bun itself is alright, fluffy and light but the custard inside is of the watery variety and was overly sweet. It was sweet to the point it felt like eating sugar syrup. Even my friends couldn't find it in them to like it and this was actually my order.
Egg Tarts ($3) - Well, these egg tarts weren't anything to shout about. Dry and practically tasteless. I'd say they need to really work on the recipe for the pastry and the filling.
The final bill for 3 people at a semi decent dim sum session accrued to $92.39. About $31 each. Reasonable bill but the quality can definately improve.
Its not that the food is bad here. In fact, it was decent. Service was prompt. Selection was plentiful. Ambiance was acceptable. The problem is the quality of the food and the fact that with the same amount, we could have eaten in Royal China or even Yan Ting. (Yan Ting no longer has ala carte as of this post. They have a buffet selection at $68 per head now) Still, i think the company made the meal most enjoyable and there's nothing like a good get together of friends to catch up on their lives. And that is what's really important.
Rating given:
Being the little blue collar worker that i am, its only natural that i have less lavish lunches and meals as the economy falls like a cut pendulum. Its a sign of times and a sign of my diminishing pay check that brought me to consider cheaper meals but of course, i'm exaggerating a little here. The truth is, it was a boring work day and i was once again at Simei for lunch alone which thus prompted me to have something more economical. And this will be discussed below.
Lets talk about the bill first today, first of all, its not expensive. Costs only a mere $4.50 for a tempura set lunch with drink. The store itself is an open concept with generic plastic tables and chairs and the ordering system is reminiscent of fast food chains. You place your order at the counter, pay and take a seat. The selection of food is a decent variety of korean hot pots and japanese bento sets. Everything's fine so far.
Still, the actual set had me taken aback actually. No fries, a very small rice ball and a few fried potatos, fish and chicken. Thats it. The rice is especially saddening since its supposed to be the only thing to fill you up but its too little for anyone i suppose. The fried items were obviously oily as well. Taste wise, without the white sauce which tastes like a mix between tartar sauce and mayonaise, it would have been difficult to finish.
Perhaps i'm too harsh or i've ordered the wrong stuff, after all, many people patronize this place during lunch. In fact, it actually seems to be quite popular but they all had the Korean hot pot meals which i simply cannot take. My verdict? The place doesn't cost much and the hot pot seems popular, maybe its worth another try for hot pot lovers. I emphasize "maybe" here. So take your own risks.
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With the latest TV drama on Channel 8, I'm sure there'll be an increase of interest among Singaporeans to want to learn more about the Peranakan culture. If you still do not know about it, there's a Peranakan Museum in Singapore!
I visited the museum awhile back and I'm impressed with the collection and details that the curators present at the museum. There's a total of 10 galleries housed within the 3-storey building.
You can learn about the origin, the 12-day wedding, the nonya, their religion and their life in public. With the world’s finest and most comprehensive collection of Peranakan artefacts, you'll sure be spending hours in there exploring and experiencing the Peranakan way of living.
If you're glued to the television set daily watching the drama show, you might want to go check out the museum too. I would recommend joining a guided tour if there's any. This is the best way to learn more about museum.
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After hearing much about the famous Ayam Penyet at Lucky Plaza, finally I went to try it. And there are so many version of Ayam Penyet within the building. I hope I didn't go to the wrong one.
From the photo, you can see the crispiness of the ayam (chicken). The serving size is pretty big and the rice is fragrant too. But for me, having ayam penyet, the most important ingredient is the chili! The more the merrier!
And with just this one plate of Ayam Penyet, and some beef balls, I finished 4 portions of their powerful chili!! I was sweating and feeling the tummy spinning, but I just couldn't stop! I love their chili!
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