WELCOME TO YEBBER
You can use your Facebook Account to register in Yebber and start reviewing your favourite or least favourite businesses
Please click the login button below and proceed to create a new Yebber ID at the next step.
Food & Beverage
Click here for future month
1=SGD 0.0587
There are so many new eateries at Downtown East E!hub, we were spoiled for choice. On our way to the toilet on the second floor, we saw an interesting shop selling colorful noodles! Yes! There were green, yellow, orange, and brownish looking ones. And there's also green and golden dumplings. And best of all, it's Halal certified. So we decided to give it a try.
The place is very small and has cafeterias kind of tables and chairs. The menu is whatever you see on the big signboard. I can't recall the name of the dishes, and since there wasn't any website to go to for details, I'll refer my review with the photos posted.
I ordered a type of laksa that cames with orange looking noodles. The laksa stock was quite tasty and the noodles was pretty alright. I still prefer laksa with thick bee hoon thou. The noodle tasted like the ban mian kind of you mian. And I couldn't really figure out if there should be a unique taste to the noodles since the laksa stock has covered up all other tastes that's supposed to be there.
My partner ordered a mee goreng like noodle that came with diced crab stick and 2 pieces of halved hotdog at the side. Noodle was alright but not as tasty as he hoped. A suggestion to the owner (if they ever get to read this) is to slice their hotdogs too for this noodle. At least it looks better and perhaps might help make it more appertising too.
The twin color dumplings were pretty good. With so much taste from the laksa and mee goreng, we couldn't quite figure out what was in these dumplings. Perhaps fish meat or something.
Later we realised this shop's main business is the distribution of their innovative noodles. You can buy them home and prepare it your own way.
Oh! And there's also the complimentary tidbits. Looks like fried crispy flat noodles. But we both agreed that this tasted the best. If I'm not wrong, they're also selling these in packets which is like 50cent or $2 only. Great as snacks while coaching in with a good movie.
Rating given:
If you a meat aficionado, you will be delighted to know that besides Astons, there is another value-for-money joint to satisfy your beef cravings. Situated at the basement of The Central, Fine Cuts looks like your usual meat counter that is readily available at any supermarket – showcasing alluring cuts of affordable-priced premium Beef, Pork and Lamb imported from USA and Australia. However, what sets it apart from the rest is their “Pick N Grill” option, where one is able to pick a piece of meat (min. 300gms) and have it served to you with Potato & Green Salad for additional $8.00 above the retail price.
HFB was spoilt for choice, and had problems selecting the meat as every piece was so tempting – it was as though all of them were calling out to him “Pick me, pick me” – especially the USA Kobe Beef Striploin – but sadly the wallet has other ideas.
A little background about their Kobe Beef – it is grown in USA by cross-breeding the Wagyu bulls from Kobe with premium American Black Angus to form a proprietary herd that has developed into one of the finest groups of Wagyu/Angus cross cattle in USA.
Eventually, HFB picked up what he thought was the next best choice – the USA Premium Black Angus Ribeye. At $7.00/100gm, HFB thought it was pretty value-for-money. Over at Fine Cuts, do not expect thick sauces to be drizzled over the meat, but only simple seasoning of Salt and Ground Pepper – however even then HFB thought the pepper was slightly generous.
However, if you are one that really hates a naked piece of steak – they do accompanied your piece of meat with Black Pepper Sauce, which was surprisingly not too bad at all.
The meat was pretty fabulous, it was nicely charred grilled, and succulent with juices. It had what HFB thought was a right balance of tenderness and “beefiness” at the same time. At $30.00 and $33.00, for my friend’s steak, i.e. both pieces of meat weighted slightly more than 300gms, HFB thought it was a pretty good deal.
What’s more to come was when we were told that they were having a promotion, and that for a purchase above $35.00, we were entitled to a free serving of USA Beef/Pork Sausages. We opted for the Pork Sausages, and although it was nicely grilled on the outside, we thought the sausages could be rested a little longer as the natural juices gushed out the moment we took a cut on it. It also wasn’t as meaty as HFB would have liked, but given that it was complimentary HFB couldn’t really complain much.
With no service charge implemented, HFB pretty liked this no frills, unpretentious approach of this joint. And if one liked what you have eaten, you could always pick the uncooked off the counter and bring them home for a feast yourself.
You can view all the photos here.
Rating given:
Located along Hougang Street 21 near Kovan MRT station, Cheng Kee Beef Kway Teow serves both dry and soup version of beef noodles. For $4.50 for a medium bowl, patrons can have a bowl of beef noodles consisting of mixed ingredients like Beef Balls, Beef Brisket, and Sliced Beef.
HFB finally understood why the stall was rated so highly by the Makan Matas (it has a rating of “Die, die must try!” by Makansutra) – with a dash of salted vegetables, the soup was VERY intense and fully flavoured. No wonder HFB observed customers kept coming back for refills. What topped the cake was the fact that the beef brisket was devastatingly tender, that it disintegrated the moment one gave it a soft chew.
Although the Kway Teow itself was nothing to shout about, but in HFB’s opinion, Cheng Kee’s soup version was definitely superior to the much over-hyped Hock Lam.
So what about the dry version you might ask – surprisingly it wasn’t half as good as the soup adaptation. The gravy had a bitter tinge, which HFB suppose comes from herbs used – the aftertaste wasn’t pleasing and HFB would not recommend it especially if one do not take well to herbs.
HFB also tried going back for refills of the soup and was disappointed that it didn’t taste as good as the one that came with the Kway Teow – he noticed that it was scooped from a different pot. Overall, one will never go wrong with the soup version and the beef brisket.
You can view all the photos here.
Rating given:
It was during one of the celebrating months for my gf that we finally decided to give Big Fish a try after numerous recommendations. My gf loved fish and so, this has been in our minds for quite some time. Honestly, we're just trying to see if there's another place as worthwhile as the Manhatten Fish market in terms of food offerings since this is pretty much of the same theme. So it was that we stepped in and had our first encounter.
Complimentary Bread - The complimentary bread was served warm and soft which is a plus but otherwise, nothing significant. Not too sure if it is made in house either since its rather bland and simple.
The interior is rather spacious with around 4-6 wall sofa seats and a seating capacity of about 40-50 when full. The thing is, when we arrived, there was nary a soul and when we left, there was still only one other customer apart from us. This was around 645 - 8 pm. If i were the owner, i'd find that rather worrying actually. Service was decent with recommendations, explainations and was generally pleasantenough to commend. They could improve on waiting time though, since we were the only people there, the waiting time of 15 minutes before our soup was served seemed rather obsessive.
Mushroom Soup ($8.95) - The mushroom soup reminded me of the rendition i had in Eden cafe under Clement. The taste and texture is packed with mushroom bits and had some cream in it as well. The overal feeling is that its creamy and starchy to good effect. The serving size was not exactly big however and at the price, this left me a little disappointed.
Seafood Chowder ($8.95) - The seafood chowder was packed with ingredients as well and had lots of squid, a few pieces of shrimp, scallop and carrots within. The end result is a pleasing soup that opens up the appetite for the meal to come. Again, the serving size is too small when comparing the price.
Seafood Platter ($51.95) - Not knowing what to order, we opted for a safe choice to try a huge amount of stuff at a "perceived" reasonable price. The platter for 2 isn't exactly full of stuff but it does have more then enough for the 2 of us to finish. Fries, fish skewers, mussels, crayfish, scallops and rice round up the platter offering. The mussels and scallops were of a decent size and there was 2 each which meant no fighting for the food. They were also reasonably fresh, as is the crayfish and the grilled fish skewers. The skewers were nicely done, not too dry despite the grilling, while the rice and fries ensured you will be full from the set. I did think $50 for this is still too steep a price to pay though.
Creme Brulee ($8.95) - Well, after a meal of overly expensive items, the dessert finally looked up to the task of living up to the price. The creme brulee came looking like a winner and in fact, it was the best item i had that night. The fruit and decor is a wonderful touch and it helps that the fruits were all sweet and complimented the dessert well. The sugar layer was a little too thick and sweet but nothing too big. The bottom layer, i suspect, is made from vanilla extract since i didn't see any vanilla residue in the texture but i'm not complaining.
Chocolate Souffle ($9.95) - I ordered this thinking it was a molten chocolate cake but i was wrong. A souffle is more akin to cakes with a springy and fluffy texture. In fact, Souffle means to "blow up" and is made of a combination of egg whites and various ingredients. Their rendition should be considered decent as the top was lightly hard while the lower portion is fluffy and a little wet with chocolate. If i'm not wrong, its supposed to come with some sauce but there wasn't any. Decent but not my kind of dessert.
Finally, this experimental meal came up to a whooping $97.65 for 2 people on a simple weekday night.
Well, to say the food is bad would be unfair but i couldn't help feeling a heavy pinch in my heart for the amount i spent on this meal. For what i had, i think a price tag of about $60 or 70 plus taxes might have made me felt better. For improvement, serving the food faster and more economical pricing would bring me back but not before then.
Rating given:
A long belated post which has lain dormant in my list for some time. However, the memory remains fresh nonetheless, fresh enough to provide a review and an accurate impression of the experience i've had here.
To be honest, i've been past this place so many times, its amazing how i've never felt the urge to actually step in for a meal. The exterior looks rather dull and dark but the interior is bright and cheery with clean wooden tables and nice black chairs for a zen-like feel.Service was brisk, attentive and rather pleasant as well, which makes me wonder why the place was so quiet. It was peak lunch period when we patronized it and somehow, space was aplenty with a rather abysmal clientele.
The usual compulsory crackers ($3 each) - This was rather pushing the envelope for the rip-off department at $3 per basket of crackers but i must say, i actually liked it. The crackers were good, fragrant, strong vegetable taste but add in the chili and its a whole new game. Spicy, sweet and just good. $3 is still too much for it though.
Tahu Telur ($8.50) - A rather hearty portion if i say so myself. The tahu telur was overly hard at places but managed to remain acceptable mostly due to yet another excellently fragrant sauce. Its just the normal peanut sweet sauce with a little chili but it really makes this average dish taste better then it really is.However, paying $8.50 for it is something i won't soon repeat however.
Garlic Stir Fried Kailan ($14) - Kailan stands as one of my favorite greens and its a relief that they managed to at least preserve its good tastes with this dish.Nothing outstanding, its the casual garlic stir fried version but its fragrant and very appetising.
BBQ Platter ($48) - Fried whole fish, 2 grilled prawns, generous bbq calamari and squid, chicken and satay rounds up this huge platter of food. This is good. I mean its really pretty good in terms of overal quality. The prawns are grilled till there's a little char on the bottom but manages to make the shell so brittle, you can simply eat the entire thing without much fuss. The fish is huge and deep fried on the outside with the inside still thankfully moist and soft with sweet spices. This went really well with the balachan-like chili. The chicken was overdone which resulted in tough and dry meat but the overal was still nicely fragrant and sweet. The calamari was also done just right and like the rest of the package, is sweet and fragrant. The satay is acceptable and rather bigger portioned then regular satays. Overal, this is a rather good buy to me.
Asam Fish Head ($22) - This was something i touched very little of because i didn't want to sweat like a pig before returning to work. However, i couldn't resist eating the tender and sweet fish meat that was left over by my colleagues. The asam was actually slightly spicy but not overwhelming. The curry taste was rather strong but the fish head was definitely worthwhile at the meaty portions. Fishy taste is apparent but minimal as well.
Tom Yum Seafood ($24) - Their version of the oh-so-famous tom yum seafood soup. This is the clear version and it came packed with seafood. I mean it was literally bursting with ingredients like squid, fish, mussels, prawns and scallop. Its definitely strong in terms of taste and moderately spicy but if i'm not mistaken, still milder then the actual tom yum soup in Thailand. A pretty good rendition and value for money however.
Finally, a pleasing meal for 7 came up to a total of $141.95. I'd say this is rather worthwhile given the food we had.
Last Word: A pretty decent setting and decent serving of food. The pluses are the fact it came with good service and that the price of entry is rather low. For improvement, i'd suggest having more set meal options and tie ups with companies for catering and such to boost visibility.
Rating given:
After all the miscellaneous posts and wonderful experiences overseas, its back to Singapore food for me and time to start talking about it again. Makes you wonder if its just food overseas thats good or simply that food in Singapore that's not up to standard. Anyway, it was one of those days my gf and i heard about a recommendation from friends and decided to try it out. This time, the main temptation is an $88 one for one set offer lobster meal. Sounds too good to be true and thus, we jumped at it to have a look.
I have passed by this place so many times but the sheer "atas" feeling it gave simply never appealed to me to eat within. So this time, with a tip off like this, i wouldn't miss it for the world. Problem is, does it live up to the anticipation i felt?
The color palate and theme of the restaurant belongs to a somber black and white with a minimalistic touch that is contrasted with its decorations such as bamboo and statues. The overal feeling is pleasing but comes with a flaw, the seats were not very comfortable and to me, the air conditioning simply didn't feel strong enough. Otherwise, it was rather pleasing. The place probably seats only 20 people inside and another 10 outside at max capacity making for a rather intimate experience with the staff.Thank goodness the service was decent.
Oyster ($1 for one) - I was curious how they managed to sell oysters at $1 each so i ordered a couple for kicks. The oysters were of a smaller variety but otherwise tasted pretty good to me. Sweet and smooth, it didn't bode too badly on the place but if you're looking for a huge Shangri-la style oyster standard, i'm afraid this is not where to look.
Sashimi "Revolution" - Seeing that it was a 4 course set menu, obviously the best choice would be to mix and match our choices to try the most items. My gf picked her favorite sashimi and i think it was done pretty well. You get all the usual cuts, salmon, swordfish and tuna in one aesthically pleasing plate. Its all good. It helps that the fish were fresh, sweet and went well with the wasabi soaked soy sauce. A good start to the meal for me.
Zen Foie Gras - My order was the always sinful Foie Gras (goose liver). Done equally well, this foie gras was a tad too oily but had a nicely charred top with tasty potato mash below which helped neutralize the oiliness. Portion size for this was rather small but given the amount of grease it adds into your system, this is already too much.
Drunken lobster soup - I was expecting a thick broth based soup but this was more akin to soup you get from normal prawn noodle soup in terms of texture. It was fragrant nonetheless and you can taste the alcohol with each spoonful. It also came with half a baby lobster which more or less is the reason why its called drunken lobster soup. The meat on the lobster wasn't too springy and came across as "old" to me. The soup, however, i could do with a bigger bowl.
Lobster mee sua and Thai Red Curry Lobster Laksa - Both iteration came be commented together since the differences only come in the broth base. The mee sua was the better of the 2 since it was more starchy and alike to shark's fin broth which is one of my favorites. It also helps that the mee sua is soft and nicely springy. The thai red curry laksa is just a long name for saying laksa with half lobster inside. The curry wasn't too good though, since it felt as though there was an overdose of coconut milk in it. And like the lobster soup above, the lobster just didn't feel fresh. In the end, all we got for our money was actually 2 baby lobsters, hardly worthy of being called a lobster set imho but thats to be expected with the price.
Double boiled birds nest soup - Aesthically please but a nightmare for the staff to serve, the double boiled birds nest came with a nice wire meshlike topping of sugar on top. This proves to be necessary as the bird's nest was extremely bitter. To top it off, i counted 2 wavy substances that might be bird's nest in it but i struggle to confirm. A case of overpromising and underdelivering i suppose.
This mixed meal cost me $102.08 in the end, which is still a tad too much for the quality and uncomfortable environment.
Was it bad? Well, not entirely. There were a few good items, but the overall feel didn't live up to the promise. And the mee sua and laksa certainly wasn't anything special because i felt like i could have had it in a food court with more prawns and cheaper prices. Rethink the menu and provide more lobsters and this meal would have felt alot better. Will i return? Not in the near future i'm afraid.
Rating given:
Never had a good impression about the TLG for their overpriced chinese fare. However, give them to me free and i'll probably fall head over heels for a bite. Zhou's kitchen happen to be one of those places where i got lucky and had the good fortune to eat for free due to work commitments. As everything is free, do note i may be more skewed to say their good then not.
The event was one that my company booked the whole restaurant for. This branch is near the road and has 2 stories. Seating capacity more or less maxes out at around 50-70 people but we invited 300-400 so it was quite a squeeze. The service staff were friendly and accomodating which made our jobs easier but even then, they weren't able to cope with the huge numbers.
In terms of food, what i had was a buffet spread of dim sum which pretty much sums it up.
In detail, i had the normal steamed shrimp dumplings which were generous in the dosage of crunchy shrimp which i liked. I also had the fried shrimp dumplings which were essentially the same but fried to a nice golden brown.
Beef slices were rather dry and not to my liking. The salad prawn with mixed fruits were rather delightful as well. Crunchy shrimp simply doesn't grow old for me.
BBQ pork pastry was rather average with the meat being overly hard and sweet. The pastry itself also lacked the aromatic fragrance which i like.
The steamed custard bun was rather disappointing since it tastes like those 50 cent per piece ones you can find in the hawker centers.
I also had a little fried rice and fried bee hoon to go with everything and the rice stood out with its salted fish rendition. The bee hoon was too oily for me.
To end it, i had mini egg tarts which had crispy and flaky pastry with less sweet egg fillings which was welcome.
All in all, it wasn't too bad so why 3 stars? For one, i still don't think its worth the price of admission and 2, i just don't have as good an impression of the group as before.
Rating given:
Have been patronizing this little stall for many years when i was working there during my national service. In the beginning, it was just due to convenience that i ate there, after all, a $1 curry puff is hardly expensive by today's standards and the fact that it was bursting with ingredients is a huge plus.
If you are the kind used to Old Chang Kee or just run of the mill curry puffs, this is something to try.
To put it in perspective, Old Chang Kee feels processed while this, which is made on the spot and sold, has a more down to earth taste with the added incentive of it being fresh.
For one, i like the potatos they used because its more crunchy then OCK. The chicken is also in bigger chunks as well but its irregular since its made by hand. Either way, the discerning factor is the more spicy curry and chilli used which really differentiates it from the others.
Good clean fun for the stomach and something to easily enjoy on the go. This is one curry puff to try. After all, the owner made millions from it so more or less you know its good.
Rating given:
What constitutes to a nice bowl of Teochew Fish Porridge? Ask HFB, and he will tell you its “fresh fish, tasty stock and the grains not overcooked” over and over. Started way back in 1966, HFB would dare say 泉香鱼口粥 (Quan Xiang Fish Porridge), now located at Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre, is one of the best in the west.
With choices of the usual Batang Fish ($3, $5 and $7) and the pricier Red Garoupa ($5, $7 and $10), what one gets is a bowl of piping hot “Cheng” fish porridge, with a minimum dash of fried shallots. HFB opted for the $5 batang option and it gotten him a good 10 or so slices of fish – even if he finds them too thinly sliced for his liking. Fish slices were smooth and fresh without the lingering fishy smell, but HFB did find it frustrating at the lacked of bite.
The soup though was a delight – it was sweet and light on the palate, and it has HFB’s favourite Tang O, or Garland Chrysanthemum added within – definitely a good choice these days for those feeling under the weather.
The grains were excellently cooked to bite – every grain was firm and not mushy – HFB resisted to call it al dente, but that’s what came closest to mind. And of course, a Teochew Fish Porridge experience cannot be completed without the Fermented Bean Sauce as dip.
Overall, it would have been a satisfying experience if not for the measly serving – would probably opt for 2 portions of $3 instead on my next visit.
You can view all the photos here.
Rating given:
Great place for chilling out with a group of friends. Comfortably priced alcohol for all. Local uni students get 30% off listed price too! (How I wish I was still a student lah!)
Have been to ICB several occasions for gatherings with friends. Located in the center of Singapore, its easily accessible for people staying anywhere. This place serves over 38 types of bottled beers, and also martinis, spirits and sodas. Happy hours from 11am to 9pm daily and all day long on Sundays!
If you're planning to go there for decent meal, you can forget it. But if you just need something to bite, I'll recommend going for the beef wrap ($6) and big bowl of popcorn ($5). Works all the time for me with these and beer! (Avoid the hotdog bun, go for the beef wrap. Trust me! It's more worth it!)
There's also a pool table to play and every Thursday night, there's also free wii games!
Oh! And if you're sitting along the stretch of seats with pillows and red back rest, please sit with care k! The seats are NOT soft and the entire sit may just pop up at the side if one sits too fast at the edge of it. Don't say i didn't warn you ah!
Yebbers! Anyone wants to go party on a Thursday at ICB?
Rating given: