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Food & Beverage
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1=SGD 0.0587
Sits within the lush of its own thousand square foot garden, surrounded by trees and foliage, one can either choose to dine al fresco at Cicada’s charming outdoor patio and enjoy the serenity of its garden setting, or a spacious indoor dining area amid candle-lit, soft music environment for a more cooling dining experience.
Situated just a stone’s throw away from Pietrasanta, The Italian Restaurant and the iconic Colbar Eating House, this marketed and positioned as a French-Californian restaurant is another lovechild of nightclub boss-turned restaurateur Mr Michel Lu, after alfresco bars Hacienda at Dempsey, and Superfamous in Boat Quay. 1-for-1 Happy Hours are from 12pm to 9pm; as such ½ pint of Heineken Draft Beer at $10 is essentially $5 each.
Appetiser was Pan Seared Blue Fin Tuna Salad ($15.90). Considered the prized-catch among tunas, the fish was seared adeptly and came with a nice firm bite but otherwise, it was lacklustre in taste and balsamic vinaigrette seeks to engulf the flavour all the more.
Personally, HFB thought the Sautéed Organic Mushrooms ($6.90) was probably the best dish for that night. Infused with the aromatic flavours of White Cooking Wine and a tint of sweetness from the Cherry Tomatoes, the mushrooms topped with fresh herbs was palatable and produced a nice texture for nibble. However a question looms – HFB wonders there is any different in taste and texture between normal or organic mushrooms?
If you have yet to know, Cicada is famously known to serve a wicked burger dish, which goes by the name of “The Infamous Cicada Burger” priced at $28.90. Served with thick-cut fries, which was slightly dry for me – sandwiched in between two pieces of bread are lip-smacking ingredients consisting of Caramelised Onions, Mushrooms, Gorgonzola & Gruyere Cheese and none other than the marbled Wagyu Beef as patty.
However, joy soon dissipated in frustration as my requested doneness of medium-rare for the beef came well done (again!). A request for change was pretty redundant as the patty was just slightly better – done medium well perhaps. Tired of waiting (and be disappointed yet again), HFB grudgingly finished his food and paid his bill without ordering desserts.
Overall, HFB wasn’t impressed by the food – which seemingly reminded him of PS Café at Dempsey – cosy ambience suitable for couples on first date, but no depth in terms of the fare served.
You can view all the photos and other reviews here.
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Started way back in 1921 at Hock Lam Street, this brand of authentic Teochew Beef Kway Teow recipe was brought in by a certain Mr Tan from Swatow, China, and the rest, as they say, is history. So famous (or popular as stated on their signboard), is Hock Lam Street Beef Kway Teow that it is seen as the benchmark for the rest of the beef noodle stalls – or at least that is what HFB thinks.
What is so special about their soup-based, said to be boiled for at least 18 hours, is the additional of Preserved Salted Vegetables that gave it an extra ‘kick’ to the fairly light flavoured soup, or ‘Cheng’ as how the Teochews described it, although HFB finds it inconsistently salty at times having tried it on separate occasions. Prices ranges from $4.50 (small), $5.50 (medium) to $6.50 (large), and one has a choice of Kway Teow, Bee Hoon and Mee. One can also have a combination of Sliced Beef, Beef Tripe (Stomach), Beef Brisket (Cooked Meat), Beef Liver, Beef Ball, and for an additional of $1.00 – Beef Tendon.
The small portion of Sliced Beef with Beef Ball Kway Teow Soup was pretty pathetic in my opinion – unless one is not very hungry during lunchtime, braving the crowd for such a small serving is simply not worth the effort. Besides, the beef ball is definitely factory produced and not handmade, which is a disappointment considering the legacy of this eatery.
The medium portion of Sliced Beef, Beef Ball and Beef Brisket Kway Teow was slightly more adequate and the brisket was palatable – it is intense with flavour and malleable to consume.
The thin version of kway teow used was also something HFB is happy about - it was pretty smooth to slurp, although compared to Tuck Kee Sar Hor Fun, it was nowhere close in standard.
Hardcore Teochew Beef Kway Teow fans would also be delighted to discover that their original dry version comes with an additional topping of Grinded Peanuts to give it an extra crunch, the familiar Chinchaluk (shrimp paste sauce), and a pretty ‘solid’ chilli to go with.
You can view the all photos and other reviews here.
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MmM I feel a little weird reading everyone else's review on Jetstar. I've taken Jetstar to Thailand, Siem Reap and Taipei.
Funnily I remember the planes I took to Thailand and Siem Reap were newer and better compared to the one I took recently to Taipei. Odd huh.
Anyways, Jetstar is comparatively cheaper. And compared to other budget carriers, it takes off from the main terminals at Changi so that makes it more convenient to get on. If you book your tickets earlier or during promotional periods you can get $38 / $69 tickets easily. A bargain if you ask me. Early booking can also save $200-$300. I guess if you're taking a short flight of 3-4 hours it's a good deal.
Since it's cheaper (provided you dun buy tickets last minute), there's no inflight entertainment and no free meals. Bottled water costs $3 for a 400ml bottle which is REALLY expensive. A sandwich costs $8 and there isn't much inside. No cool free gifts in the compartment waiting for you and no free blankets if you're cold. Seats are alright, the usual crammed economy seats but a good number may not be able to recline at all.
So I guess to really make most of your flight on Jetstar, eat just before you board, load videos into your lappie, bring newspapers/books for entertainment.
Hey. You pay for what you get right? :)
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A Tudor-style dining place with waitresses dolled in French maids outfits, stepping into Angus Steakhouse, located at a corner of Ngee Ann City 4th level, is akin to entering into a time-wrapped. One will find piped-in Muzak piano to give the place a rustic, quaint yet comforting character. However, one might want to avoid seating near the open kitchen, as it might get too greasy and smoky from the fumes.
Dinner was underway with the complimentary bread and butter – served warm, crusty on the outside and fluffy on the inside, a spread of the Japanese soft butter seeks to enhance the best of this simple yet wonderful dough.
The appetiser, that was part of the set dinner, which initially thought to be Vietnamese Rice-paper Roll by all of us, was given a magnificent twist – prawns were battered and deep fried, coupled by a hint of Japanese mayo, instantaneously brought the plain old boring rice-paper roll back to life. The harmony between the crusty prawn and crunchy greens was simply delightful – so much so that it prompted my mum to comment that the serving wasn’t enough.
½ dozen of Fresh Live Oysters ($18.00) served chilled were fresh and plump – no complains here as HFB thinks this is how oysters should be served. A wrench of lemon, a drip of Tabasco sauce, and a big slurp completes this simple yet always pleasing dish.
The Carrot Soup, again part of the set dinner, was subtle with a tint of sweetness from this root vegetable. We all agreed that it could be slightly more salted for a more robust taste as the cream seeks to overwhelm the flavour towards the end.
Garden Salad, provided along with the set dinner, was drizzled in Japanese Sesame Dressing – uncomplicated dish.
After a series of starters, the main lead finally arrived – 200gm Ribeye Steak ($53.50 for a set dinner). Doneness of the steak was partially achieved, some parts came in medium rare as how HFB would want it to be, but other parts were significantly medium-well to well done.
But no complains from me this time round as the steak was still tender and marbled with fats. Paired with a slab of herb butter, this steak was slightly velvety and smooth to consume. However, what I find objectionable was the cut of beef soaked in brimming, what seemed like brown sauce with radish. Not too sure whether that was deliberate, or a result of juices from a not so rested piece of steak.
Dessert for the night was a small slice of Tiramisu. Not the best, but what HFB like was that it was well laden with the alcohol – not too overwhelming yet strong enough to taste.
Dinner was completed not with wine this time round, but Asahi Draft Beer ($8.50) instead, served in a nice vintage-looking bronze metal cup.
You can view the all photos and other reviews HERE.
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Its origins dated back to the nineteenth century of Qing Dynasty – affectionately known as Bamboo Noodles, or 竹升面, it is highly regarded for its smooth and tangy texture. The secret to its delectable taste and texture lies in the rigorous production process.
Traditionally hand-made, it is rubbed, kneaded and mixed into dough before being pressed with a long and thick bamboo pole. Using his whole body weight, the master chef will skillfully maneuver the pole back and forth to achieve the springy bite of the noodles.
However, at 大吃の喜, thanks to the ingenious engineering brain of Mr John See and the support from his wife, Amy, one no longer needs to travel all the way to Guangzhou, China (where John first discovered the dish) to sample this appetising noodles – he spent 18 months to invent his very own bamboo noodles production machine! What used to painstakingly take 2 hours to produce this wonderful chow is now reduced to a mere 45 minutes!!! Located in one of the refurbished shophouses along Joo Chiat, at the corner of Koon Send Road, 大吃の喜, or Tai Shek Hei, is a noodle specialist that produces their own palatable noodles with the freshest ingredients.
The verdict: This was probably one of most “Q” or springy noodles HFB has ever tried in his life (The trick is to slurp the noodles, as quickly as Japanese eating ramen, when served, and not wait too long, especially the soup version, as the texture will start to turn soggy).
And unlike the typical noodles one finds in Singapore, there’s none of the lye water taste or “Kee”, in dialect, presented in the noodles. Like how the old Gardenia Bread Ad that goes “It is so good that you can eat it’s on its own”.
Price ranges from $6.50 to $6.80 and comes with choices of Dumplings, Roast Duck, Soy Chicken, Char Siew and even Mushroom and Curry Pork! And that is not to say there’s nothing else good to eat at this restaurant – the appetiser dish of Deep-fried Enoki Mushrooms with Mayonaise (off-menu item) was simple but delightful. It was well fried without the greasy aftertaste and every bite produces an enjoyable crunch.
Another off-menu item of Marinated Chilled Chicken Wings was said to be Amy’s favourite dish in China. Marinated and slightly coloured yellow, it was served chilled for consumption. Slightly salty on it’s own, this would probably go along better with the noodles – however, HFB’s intolerance for cold food means he didn’t appreciate it fully.
The Fried Tobiko Dumpling ($4.00 for 4 pcs) was excellent in its own right. The skin, also home-produced by John’s machine, came with an excellent taste and texture that gave one a perfect crunch. Bountiful with ingredients, the dumplings were full with meat and prawn, and the extra dash of Tobiko, or Flying Fish Roe, freshly imported from Japan gave one an extra dimension to the dish.
However, the same astonishingly couldn’t be said about their soup version ($8.00 for 8pcs). Perhaps soaked in the soup for quite awhile, the skin just wasn’t as enjoyable as the deep-fried ones, and HFB found them a tad salty. Initially HFB thought it was the tobiko, but John confirmed that it was the meat instead that was intentionally marinated saltier to compensate for the clear soup.
The Roast Combination dish of Roast Duck and Char Siew ($10.00 for small serving) was another hit and misses. Everyone knows it is the skin that rates the duck, and 大吃の喜’s version is pretty good. Health conscious eaters would be happy to discover that the duck didn't come with much fat at the bottom of the skin, but yet the thinly strips of skin was so scrumptious and crispy. However, the char siew didn’t exactly wow HFB. He felt the char siew was under-flavoured and could be roasted slightly longer and make do with stronger marinates. Also, the lacked of fats also means it was slightly on the tougher side.
The Chives & Egg Pancake ($3.50 for small serving), shaped like mini curry-puffs, was another healthy option. However, HFB believed that the strong flavour of chives would probably turn many people off from it, although he himself thought the dish was not too bad.
Lunch was rounded off with a dessert of Fungus with Red Dates ($3.00) served chilled. Double-boiled with plenty of ingredients, the pleasant surprise was the inclusion of thinly strips of orange peel that gave a lovely zesty vigor to this otherwise straight forward dessert. On the other hand, HFB thought that the chef was pretty generous with the rock sugar.
You can view the all photos and the production process of the noodles @ His Food Blog.
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BonGoût, which means “Good Taste” in French, is surprisingly a Japanese second-hand bookstore and a café located at the cosy and tranquil corner of Robertson Quay since 2000.
First started out in UE Square, one can enjoy their freshly brewed coffee or daily special menu and indulge in Japanese publications like books, magazines and Manga (Japanese comic books) at your own leisure.
This is an absolute haven for all “Otakus” wannabe!!! And fret not if you do not read the Japanese language, for there are tons of Japanese fashion magazines to refer for the latest trend and style.
With rows and rows of publications, along with simplistic décor, what HFB like about this place is the unpretentious character it oozed. Did HFB also mention that Robertson Quay is one of the perfect spot for a peaceful and quiet lunch?
As always, one of the speciality home-styled Japanese cuisines would be their curry rice. As such, HFB ordered a small portion of Beef Curry Rice ($9.00) – and leave to regret it somehow.
Serving wise, it was definitely diminutive – HFB counted a total of 3 bite-sized pieces of beef plus a few tiny bits on his plate along with heaps of Japanese sweet curry and rice. Taste wise it was above average but price wise, HFB thought it was over-the-top for the amount of meat one gets.
If HFB had known, he would be paying an additional dollar for the big portion (but then again, he wonders how many more insignificant pieces of meat he might get for that?).
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
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Was planning to have dinner at Amirah's neighbor stall, but was told it was already fully booked for that night. In order not to stay hungry for too long, we decided to give Amirah a try. The place was already packed with customers when we arrived as it was time to break fast.
We quickly ordered our food and thought the food would be served quickly. Well, our drinks did come almost immediately after our orders. But the rest took too long to come.
We ordered Hummus and Moutabel which are served with baskets of pita bread. The dishes were served cold but it took so long! The taste isn't as good as those I'd tasted few nights before at its neighbor's stall. But still not bad. The Moutabel lacked the texture that I wanted, perhaps their onion/garlic was over chopped. The pita bread served was not very good too. Some was either too tough or too soft.
Also ordered the mixed grill main course as seen in the photo. The meat were all rather tough to chew, was rather blunt and lacks in flavor. This only passable imo.
Overall the food is still considered as acceptable. Will probably not return for a next round due to the long waiting time and not so flavorful dishes.
(This review might seem a little unfair as I had a better experience few days before this nearby. Go give it a try and judge it yourself.) :)
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Tiger Airways, Singapore's very own budget airline. Its the first time i've ever sat in anything other than an SIA plane in 3 years and a budget offering at that.
The first few things you notice is that there's free seating but seats can be allocated at a premium price. I managed to get a special discounted price for Western Australia at $650 to and fro with no additional airport tax or anything like that. Which i still find, is a pretty good deal given that no other airline i've checked can match that.
The second thing i noticed is that there's no free food and no free drinks and entertainment. Which was quite a shock since the journey is 5 hours and there was nothing to do. Worst of all is how dry the air in the plane is. You'll have to drink or face the dryness of it all. Its not really a choice in the end.
The planes are of a smaller variety and thus leg room is limited. Its also quite wobbly during take off and during flight which makes it rather difficult to sleep.
As a budget offering, its not too bad. Just that i'm too used to being pampered with unlimited drinks and entertainment. That said, i'll probably stick to SIA in future. Cheers and kudos to Tiger Airways still .
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Just returned from a 7 day trip to Western Australia and i'm glad to say i absolutely loved the place! Slow and relaxed lifestyle. Friendly and wonderful people, absolutely beautiful surroundings and lots of fresh and good food. Its an experience everyone should go for.
My 7 day trip took me to King's Park which is a must visit in Perth. Excellent views, superb flowers and great food at Fraser's as well. The wonderful weather between June to October is extremely conducive for visiting the park. Lots and lots of beautiful flowers. Unbelievable view of Perth and the 2 rivers and lakes as well.
A short trip down to Murray street and HarbourTown Direct Brand shopping is a must for bargain hunters.
Across the highway to millpoint, there are restaurants like Shige and The Oyster Bar which are highly recommended by locals and overseas people as well.
A trip down to Fremantle is highly recommended for even more shopping and good food. Prepare to invest some time there.
I then drove down to Margaret River for a good wine experience. In the process visiting a few of the smaller towns like Dunsborough, Bunbury, Busselton and Augusta. Whatever you do, eat at Margaret River at night at this place called The Spaghetti bowl. It serves excellent food and i do mean excellent food at competitive prices as well. Loved it so much i visited i every night i stayed at MR.
All in all, visit WA. Its more then worth it. But be sure to give it at least 2 weeks or you won't be able to see enough. I certainly felt that it would be great if i stayed another....2 or so weeks. :)
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Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) is the first museum in the region to present a broad yet integrated perspective of pan-Asian cultures and civilisations. The Museum's collection centres on the material cultures of the different groups originating from China, Southeast Asia, South Asia and West Asia.
I was privileged to have been able to join a guided tour by one of the curators at ACM. If you're planning a visit to the museum, I strongly recommend to join the guided tours by the volunteers.
The visit to the museum had been quite an experience for me. Before the tour, I thought museums are rather boring. But when I participated in the tour and had a better understanding of the history and stories behind the things around the museum, it was quite a discovery adventure.
If you've never been into the Asian Civilisations Museum before, why not spend a day there exploring? If you would like to really absorb all the content there, I would suggest you split your visits to a few trips. If not, you might just get too tired after exploring and absorbing just one section of the museum. As the curator suggested, don't go to the museum and wants to see everything there in one visit. One should find a focus for that day and just spend enough time to complete touring that section for that day.
Oh by the way, if you are unable to join the guided tours, there's always the self-guided tour guides around the museum to help you. There are many computer guides around where they can share the interesting things within their section.
Attached is a video compilation of few things I saw at ACM. And find out about a cute and interesting cup and listen to the curator share why the cup is interesting! :)
You can also read more about the interesting finds I saw during my tour around the museum at my blog.
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