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Food & Beverage
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1=SGD 0.0587
It was a weekday and i met up with my gf for a meal. Unsure of what to have, we proceeded down to Serangoon Garden in hope of having some nice western but the places were filled and thus, we settled for Sushi Tei instead.
The outlet was decorated simply with the conveyor belt that is all the rage with Japanese restaurants. Having had a prior bad experience with Sushi Tei at Big Splash, this was the second chance they needed to get back into my good books.
We ordered a Unagi Yanagawa and Ebi and Yasai Don to share.
The Unagi Yanagawa came in 6 rather big pieces and cost $12 which was a little steep. However, the fresh unagi and nicely done cooking which managed to retain the sweet and slightly springy taste managed to make the dish feel at least acceptable.
The Ebi and Yasai don on the other hand was value for money @ $8 since it came with 8 nicely fried prawns and plenty of fried vegetables as well. Rice is the usual japanese sticky sushi rice which tasted bland but was salvaged by the teriyaki sauce and the accompaniments.
We had a few sushi dishes as well which struck me as rather normal for the value plates of $1.60 and $1.80 plates. However, the more expensive plates served better items but were upwards of $4 to $6. So its really a personal preference for the sushi part. As for me, i'd rather return for the ala carte in future.
Service was respectable and decent.
All in all, this is definitely better then the Big Splash branch.
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Having watched the television program "No Reservations" hosted by Anthony Bourdain, i was surprised to find a foreigner actually endorsing his name and effort on this one particular chicken rice stall which is meant to signify all chicken rice stalls in Singapore.
To say the least, the intrigue brought me to make the long trip down to visit the stall to verify if it is indeed THE best chicken rice stall around.
I was not disappointed. The chicken is tender, succulent and has a texture and taste all its own. Unlike the copycats and soothsayers around, the chicken had a gingerish taste which is difficult to discern and the chicken is not served hot. In fact, its a little cool when served, possibly due to dipping the chicken into cold water to retain the texture.
The rice is another matter which needs to be tried. Its fragrance is better then average and easy on the stomach. I'd recommend adding chili sauce to the rice, mixing it up and eating it with some chicken dipped in dark sauce but thats just me.
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Living in the East side of Singapore has its perks, being close to the East Coast is one of them. Thus it was that it was another random day after work that me and my gf visited the coast in search for food. Our choices were aplenty as Mingles, Sushi Teh, OldTown White coffee and many more are located at within the vicinity. However, we settled for some fast food instead. And do forgive me if i sound utterly weird as this is the first time i've eaten at Carl's Junior. To say the least, it surprised me.
Located at the Big Splash, this branch is the newest of the bunch and boasts a rather nice, quiet and relaxed atmosphere that is easy to appreciate. The relative lack of being totally packed during dinner time helped alot since squeezing and waiting for food is not something i can grow accustom to in a jiffy. Service was fast and friendly while the place looked spic and span.
The advertising campaign for Carl's Jr is totally hit or miss in my opinion. The tagline of "Its Gonna Get Messy" carries a pun which they have ran with to signify everything from sex to murder whereby the burger sauce is splattered across different mediums. Now that i've tried the burger, well, i must say, they aren't too far off the mark.
I had a Western Bacon Double Cheeseburger meal with my fries exchanged for onion rings. Now, the onion rings were huge compared to Burger Kings rendition and that's not supposed to be a good thing by the way. Why is that so? Because the upsize only gave me 6 onion rings in all. The rings themselves also felt overfried because it was way too dry and didn't have the same moist and fragrant onion ring taste from BK. The burger however, managed to redeem the situation because its definitely huge. Size wise, this is pretty much on par or bigger then BK's double whopper. The beef taste is extremely strong as well, thus you might either like it or hate it with a passion. Fillings were also generous as bacon slices, cucumbers, cheese and meat fight to gain control of your taste buds. And sooner or later, something will spill from the burger whether you like it or not.
My gf had the Portebello Mushroom Burger with cross cut fries. Her order was much better since the fries were infinitely better then my onion rings. The fries were thick, nicely fried till golden brown while still remaining moist inside. The only gripe is that you can practically see the oil you are consuming. Her burger also had a char broiled beef patty within which is accompanied by greens, cream, tomatoes and mushroom. She enjoyed it but wasn't a fan of the strong beef taste. I had a go and found it a little too salty due to the soaked mushrooms but otherwise, its decent as well.
The bill came to about $18 or $20.
Fast food is something that has permeated everyday life to the point that if a brainless food decision is needed. Any fast food joint will simply pop into mind. Carl's is more or less vying for the niche market that is currently dominated by BK and i must say, it is a pretty strong contender in that field. Price wise, its quite steep for fast food but the burger more or less blows away doubt of what you are paying for. Give it a go at least once to see for yourself.
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Zouk, one of the most famous clubbing spots in Singapore and one of the best places to go to if you are too young and still wish to experience what the clubbing scene woo ha is all about.
I've only ever been to the place once and it was during the CNY celebrations a couple of years ago. What i can say is that the place is dark, dangy and lacks a certain finesse which should be the order of the day.
Drinks were hellishly expensive and the crowd consisted of little girls and army boys. And on that fateful day, the army boys outnumbered girls by 10 to 1. It was a scene to behold.
The positive notes would be that the songs were rather connectable and there were lots of people on the dance floor. Some were doing synchronised dances on the floor as well which was rather interesting but otherwise, i really don't see the draw for people to actually patronize the place.
Maybe i'm just a bar person but Zouk is just not for me.
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It is mentioned somewhere that CHEF Eric Guilbert made all his male cooks shave bald the minute they showed up for work. Guests can easily check out the cooks’ botak heads by peering through the 'open concept' kitchen, although all of them still have their hats on - hee hee.
There’s a touch of perfectionist in the fare, but it seems more western/continental den your average standard French dish.
The dishes are classy but yet non fussy, and quite approachable - such as a duet of pan-seared scallops.
The presentation of the grilled beef tenderloin was mesmerising - a very tender, juicy thick steak, smack by a moat of creamy celery puree - DIVINE!
Some of the chef’s signature dishes, includes a seven-hour slowcooked leg of lamb served with a truffle potato puree. Entrees are roughly $30 and $40, and main courses are between $40 and $60.
In terms of decor, Cassis is loud with a touch of eclecticism: ’sunken’ outdoor seating surrounded by shimmering ‘pools’; a glass-covered patio with creepers trailing up on curved ladders; and a swanky indoor double-storey dining area complete with ornate modern chandeliers. This is surely one of those places to bring a girl if you wish to impress her.
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This is probably the most famous club in Singapore and I would dare to say all clubbers have entered this place at least once. It is also this place where a certain famous "Mambo Jumbo" dance culture is popularise (Every Wed Night) - so much so that this culture is exported to many parts of the world where there is a Singaporean presence.
Not only would you get to experience synchronised dancing using mostly the upper torso of your body, one would probably bump in many NS boys and teens during one of these Mambo Nights.
The thing I love most in Zouk is their drinks - Vodka Ribena and Long Island Tea. Try it and you will know the difference.
Oh 1st 300 Citybank members get to enter for free!
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This is my faithful partner I bring along whenever I am in the toilet - My life will never be the same without it. All my daily dosage of information from around the world comes from here.
Sections of it that I particularly look forward to are:
Life Section - Here is where I get all the juicy gossip news of celebrities, and all the relevant cinema timings.
Sports - EPL, Champions League, NBA, F1, S-League (ok not exactly in the same class, but you get my drift)
Money - Investment tips, oil prices, market and stocks movement
Urban - Latest fashion tips on what's hot and what's not. Sometimes you get good tips on what to get for your female species.
Job Classified (Saturdays especially) - Looking for a job? Nothing beats this edition where you find out which industry is actively looking for people.
To end it off, nothing beats a copy of Straits Time on board the plane every time I travel back from overseas. AHhh... the familiarity of having the world under my feet.
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Dim sum frenzy or just a simple case of food loving brought 8 people together to celebrate Bobo's birthday one fine day. And we're pretty much determined to try all dim sum offerings at least once to have a feel for the best dim sum Singapore can offer. Thus far, we lag behind Hong Kong in terms of quality and value for money but hopefully one day, we'll find something that is at least on par. On a side note, Happy Belated Birthday Bobo! Sorry we turned your birthday into a blogging session but hey, thats what we do. Cheers!
The restaurant is sparsely decorated with a nice view of the CBD district if you can get the window seat. It is highly recommended to call in advance to book your seats so that you can get the window view. Otherwise, the location is unexciting and rather bland.
Cordyceps and Cucumber ($3) - When i saw this appetizer, it took my appetite away literally. Looking at the little worms on a plate with cucumbers are enough to scare many away. However, it proved quite harmless once you take the first leap to try it. Both the Cordyceps and the cucumber are sourish and surprisingly crunchy which was rather interesting.
Egg Tarts ($10.40 for 8) - Mini egg tarts they are called and mini egg tarts they are. Thin, flaky and crusty, the egg tarts actually lacked much taste which more or less disqualifies it from an order in future. At $1.30 a piece, "expensive" is the final verdict for this item.
Char Siew Pastry ($7.80 for 6) - The char siew pastry is sweet and succulent but came across as too sweet for me. The crust is also crispy and flaky which seems to be the main impression from the restaurants pastries but they lacked the same buttery fragrance from Yan Ting's pastries. Decent but could be better.
Xo Carrot Cake ($8) - The XO carrot cake here had a nice fragrance about it and was not oily but the portion size was extremely small and some felt that it was too salty.
Yolk Cream Bun ($9.60) - The yolk cream bun turned out rather well with a watery layer on the inside accompanied by firm custard yolk. The watery yolk flows out once broken open and emits a strong yolk taste once it is popped into your mouth. We did find the bun to be too thick and they could have stuffed the bun with more custard though. All in all, i wouldn't mind ordering this again.
Prawn and Pork Rice Roll ($4.50 each) - The rice roll came in 2 flavors, the BBQ pork flavor and the prawn stuffings. Both of the stuffings were rather inadequate in my opinion as we ended tasting more rice roll then the stuffings. That would have been acceptable if the rice roll was good but even that failed to live up to the test as the rice roll turned out a tad too thick and difficult to break.
Siew Mai ($11.20 for 7) - There's a general dispute on this particular dish because it was supposed to be pork dumplings. However, it turned out to taste very much like Har Gao due to the overwhelming presence of the prawn which is clearly visible here. That is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on whether you can accept its taste. For what its worth, the prawns were big, fresh, crunchy and succulent enough to be praised but it definitely doesn't taste like siew mai so take your chances and decide yourself.
Century Egg Porridge ($15.20 for 4) - The century porridge is simply too salty to warrant a taste. In fact, the porridge itself lacked much taste apart from the aforementioned saltiness. Skip this if you are here.
Xiao Long Bao ($9.10 for 7) - Xiao Long Bao's are a mixed bag to most as there will be discrepancies on accounts depending on preferences. However, most of us agreed that the XLB here was rather disappointing due to the thick skin and rather simple soup within. Its saving grace lie in the fact that the pork scent within was mild instead of being too strong in others which we've tasted before.
BBQ Pork Bun ($7.20) - The BBQ pork bun was sweet as this seems to be the characteristic of the restaurant. My main complaint on this only lie in the thick fluffiness of the bun which some liked but isn't to my taste.
Shrimp Dumplings ($12.80 for 8) - The Prawn dumplings were done rather well and were bigger then average. Within each dumpling is at least 2 prawns worth of meat and all were crunchy, succulent and fresh enough to be recommended. Try this.
BBQ Pork Rib ($49 for 7) - The meal rounded off with a go at the BBQ pork ribs introduced by FZ. In all fairness, the ribs were done rather well, crispy on the outside and succulently juicy on the inside. The BBQ sauce is sweet but acceptably so and the ribs exude a satisfying aroma. My gripe is that the serving size is not uniform as some ended up with bigger portions while others got much smaller servings. Otherwise, this is pretty good.
The bill came up to $178.20 for 8 people which is manageable but felt too expensive as it wasn't very satisfying.
The experience is generally ok apart from the fact that the meal was served with irritating speed once ordered. The service from the waitress was terrible and she had a black face throughout which didn't help matters. The food was average but price wise is redeemed since it wasn't too expensive to begin with.
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Carrefour has to be one of the better supermarkets around if not the best. Its main competitors will be home grown NTUC Fairprice and Giant which have slowly caught up to the fact that big supermarkets with huge selections are more or less the craze nowadays.
Catering to the audience that no longer finds small supermarkets sufficient, Carrefour attempts to be an all in one department store with everything thrown in for good measure. Spanning 2 levels of Suntec, Carrefour provides everything from computers, to electronics, televsions, washing machines, food, wines, clothes and even cutting tools.
The brands and selection there is also excellent, having many that will be hard pressed to find in places outside of Carrefour.
Apart from that, the Japanese food selection there is mind boggling and fresh which more or less satisfies many people's hunger for the coveted culinary experience.
Above a certain limit of purchases, Carrefour also provides delivery services and from what i've heard from my relatives, their service thus far has been impeccable with only minor hitches here and there.
All in all, i'd say Carrefour is an excellent place to shop to find that elusive ingredient or wine.
The downside will be the premium prices they charge for most of their items so weigh your choices properly before committing.
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The daily paper and holy grail of information. At least in Singapore, The Straits Times paper has been around for a rather long time, pretty much as old as Singapore itself. Now, this wouldn't be a big deal if the paper has not evolved throughout the years and basically, despite the information revolution and the internet, The Straits Times remains as relevant as ever.
The paper itself is seperated into multiple sections for easy reading. This basically seperates the paper into sections with Asean news, world news, Singapore, leisure and classifieds. All in all, its a wonderfully simple segregation which ultimately works well.
In particular interest to me will be the Money section, Life and the classifieds which more or less qualifies under the "actionable" category as opposed to the other sections which are mainly for information only.
Despite talks of the internet evolving the world into a paperless society, the Straits Times perservered and remains as ever, a necessity when having a nice cup of coffee in the morning.
Well done.
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