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
Ever since Marutama entered the ramen scene, there hadn’t been a new entrant that created such a wave of euphoria as one like Ramen Santouka. Touted as the 1st place winner in the most delicious ramen noodle salt-flavoured soup category by the popular magazine “Hokkaido Walker” in the year 2006, this place is also famous for its house speciality of Tokusen Toroniku, or Choice Pork that is said to be limited to 60 servings per day! This is because only 200 to 300 grams of this highly coveted pork cheek, known for its taste and tenderness, can be found per pig.
After hearing so much rave reviews of this place, my cousin and I set off for dinner at The Central. Finding this outlet is a little tricky – hidden away in the corner of 2nd floor, one would need to cut through Grains, which occupy both sides of the passageway to get to it. What greeted us was a nice frontage that grants one a view of the Singapore River, but inside was a pretty small outlet that I suspect, sit not more than 20 pax.
Beside their award winning Shio, or Salt Flavoured Ramen, Ramen Santouka also offers Shoyu, or Soy Sauce Flavoured Ramen and Miso, Soybean Paste Flavoured Ramen, along with Kara-Miso, or spicy version of the Miso. We pick the Shoyu and Miso ($12.00 each), along with sides of Tokusen Toroniku ($8.00), Gyoza ($5.00) and Komi-Tamago, or Flavoured Egg ($1.00). The Choice Pork was the first to arrive and I was surprise by its tenderness despite the lacked of marbling fats. This result in a texture that provides one with a bite before the meat disintegrates into the mouth. However, Marutama’s Char Siu is still the one to beat in terms of tenderness IMHO.
The Flavoured Egg was next to arrived and to say I was disappointed was an understatement. In fact it was done so badly that ‘disgust’ would be a better word to describe it. The yolk was way too overcooked till the side has hardened, and there was hardly any flavour on the white. It was so bad that I did not even finished it and definitely not even worth the dollar I have paid for it.
The Ramen was served next and the first remark my cousin made was “Oh, certainly looks like Maggie Mee to me”. The noodle was fat and curly, similar to Miharu, though texture wise a tad rougher. My bet on why people are coming back lies on the milky Tonkotsu soup based. However, before one complains that the soup does not come piping hot enough, be made known that it is intentionally done so that elderly and child can enjoy it better and reassured that it is also within this temperature that their soup is most delicious. The soup was so rich and intense, that I rate it slightly better than Ichiban-Tei, but too much of it and one might find it greasy. Both of us agree that the Shoyu was also slightly better than the Miso.
The Gyoza eventually arrived after a wait but it was nothing to shout about. Not that it was bad, but nothing noteworthy to mention really.
Overall, my preference is still Marutama on the 3rd level, despite its not so intense soup. The only reason I can see why I should be back is to sample the award winning Shio version, otherwise it would not merit a re-visit especially after the explicitly outrageous experience of its Tamago.
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
Mini delights to warm one's heart.
After staying away from sweet and oily donuts for awhile, I decided that its time to try something new. Saw this store at IMM few times I was there and finally decides to try it.
I used to be a fan for egg tarts before the craze for donuts. And this little store serves sweet little tarts with quite a number of different fillings. The original one looks like the usual Portuguese's egg tarts but of a different shape. I bought two flavors, the Melting Chocolate (shown in photo) and the Strawberry one.
The tart is soft yet the texture is well maintained. It's not too buttery nor eggy. Taste is just right. Topped with chocolate chips and inside filled with melted chocolate. The piece I got, the chocolate was only visible when I bite off almost half of the tart. But once there, every bite into the tart is greeted with just the right amount of melted chocolate and egg. Great delight when ate while its still warm.
The strawberry filling one is a tad too sweet for my liking. Perhaps the next time I will give the savory choices a try. They've the Mushroom Chicken and Pepper Chicken tarts too. Pretty unique since most egg tarts sold in the market are usually sweet ones.
The only sad part is their pricing. Each tart goes at $1.20. And you'll only save $1.20 if you buy 12 pieces. Not that encouraging for customers to want to buy more at a go. 12 pieces is a tad too many, unless you're buying for a party or to share with friends at gatherings ya?
Rating given:
Met up with a few friends for an ad hoc dim sum lunch on the weekends at the St Regis restaurant called Yan Ting. St Regis is billed as a six star hotel with both the hotel and the restaurant run under the Starwood hotel management company. The executive chef of Yan Ting however, is Mr Chan Siu Kong, a Hong Konger who left his post as a chef with the Tung Lok group to helm this 6 month old restaurant. Reviews of the food has been mixed at best for its dinner and lunch offerings so we were there to find out how its dim sum held up to scrutiny instead.
The screen shots above should give you a rough idea of exactly what kind of place this is. It is definitely posh with its million dollar chandeliers and stained glass window ornaments. Even the table settings have a undeniable style to eat with its gold themed cutlery and cups. The service begins the moment you reach the hotel and extends to the lift, which has a seat inside should you be so inclined, to the impeccable attitude of the manager and the serving staff in the restaurant. Six star is definitely not exaggerating when you talk about this hotel and to cut the story short, i enjoyed my visit the moment i set foot into the place.
Alas, the place also comes with obvious six star pricing and the same goes for Yan Ting and the dim sum. Everything is priced at per piece rates or per person rates with nothing in between. So its important to come with a well versed idea of what is good or bad and thats what this blog can help you with.
Premium Chinese Tea ($5 per person), Amuse Bouche - The tea, of which i've forgotten what kind it is, is conveniently light and palatable for washing down the food which we will be having in a while. At $5 a person, its pretty much on the expensive side for a simple offering though. The amuse bouche is made of small fried shrimps and chicken floss which yields a sweet and tangy flavor while the cucumber neutralizes and tones down the taste for a balanced flavor.
Har Gao aka Shrimp Dumplings ($2 per piece) - The shrimp dumplings that came were bigger then usual with a generous amount of shrimp stuffed into each dumpling, i count about 2 to 3 shrimps can fit into the dumpling (mashed up of course). The skin is light and surprisingly thin which means you'll get the shrimp taste immediately without delay. The price is still a little over the top though.
Char Siew Sor ($1.60 per piece) - Drop everything you are doing now and go out to Yan Ting to buy the char siew pastries aka char siew sor. I'm not kidding. This has to be the best tasting char siew sor i've ever had the privilege to eat. Succulent and sweet char siew wrapped in a wonderful pastry with a light butter undertone. What you get is an extremely fragrant and wonderfully tasty treat not to be missed. One is never enough so this is a must try!
XO Fried Chee Cheong Fun ($4 a serving) - Everyone would have heard about XO carrot cakes but this is the first time i've had an XO chee cheong fun. To sum up the taste, it basically tastes like our homely Char Kway Teow albeit a little more fragrant and less oily. I also could not discern the taste of the XO sauce in any way. It was interesting but really could be better.
Siew Mai ($2 per piece) - The siew mai is bigger then usual and is basically a more stuffed version of this common snack. The meat is lean and the prawn is very fresh and tasty but still, it hardly justifies the price.
Char Siew Bao ($1.60 per piece) - The pork bun was rather pleasing to me. I liked the tasty BBQ pork which has predominantly lean meat. No fatty meat here and the way it was prepared was with a slightly sweet sauce which is delectable. The fluffy bun itself was light and easily likable. Still too expensive though.
Chives Dumpling and Beancurd Roulette ($2 and $1.80 per piece) - The chives dumpling was quite a let down really. The dumpling itself is pan fried and has a crunchy and soft exterior while the chives within was strangely lacking in taste. Now, chives is something you either love or hate with a passion, i love chives but when a chives dumpling comes without a strong chives taste, something has to be wrong somewhere.
The Beancurd roulette was a rather oily experience but there's no denying that its crunchy and fragrant. The fillings were pretty decent as well, being sweet and strangely juicy (probably due to the oil).
Custard Bun ($1.60 per piece) - Its more or less a given that i would order the custard buns whenever they serve the little addictions, but Yan Ting's rendition left me wanting, not in a good way though. I like the softness and fluffiness of the bun but the fillings were rather ordinary and left little impression.
Egg Tarts ($1.60 per piece) - The egg tarts were really small when served and had one major flaw in them. The filling simply wasn't good. I found the tart tasteless and it wasn't even sweet enough while the only thing that was good was the pastry, which had the same buttery taste the superb char siew sor had.
Radish Cake ($1.60 per piece) - The radish cake was simple enough, pan fried till slightly crispy and served. It was rather normal with the usual trappings of being smooth, slightly oily and had a nice touch of having carrot slices within but otherwise, it was rather normal. The one saving grace here was the chili, which was excellent and should be used whenever a chance is given.
Xiao Long Bao ($4 per piece) - The Xiao long Bao was ridiculously expensive at $4 a piece but was a rather big portion when it was served. In average, it was about the size of half a char siew bao if you need to know the proportion. It also turned out to be one of the better items that day, make no mistake, it was filled with soup and pork meat. The skin itself was a thicker version so that it could contain the bigger amount of soup and the soup itself was excellent without having a strong pork taste to it. Overall, i'd say this is one of the better Xiao Long Bao's i've had so far. Still ridiculously expensive though.
Chicken Wrapped in Glutinous Rice ($1.80 per serving) - This is without a doubt one of the biggest let downs that day. Served last as it was a last minute order, the glutinous rice was lacklustre and lacked much taste. An egg yolk can be found in the centre with there are portions of mushroom and chicken wrapped into the rice but it was still strangely lacking in the taste department. Leave this out when you visit.
HoneyDew Melon ($6 per serving) - What i had was a simple and cleansing honeydew melon dessert which was refreshing, mildly sweet and tasty. In fact, i found it very tasty and recommend it as a dessert if you visit.
The final bill for this little dim sum affair came up to $204.60 for 5 people which works out to be about $42 per head. I'd say that it was reasonable but certain orders can definitely be left out.
I can't say i didn't enjoy myself in the place. The service is faultless and the ambiance has to be experienced to be believed. Its the closest i could get to feeling like a king in a posh environment and not feel out of place. The manager was also kind to introduce us to the different rooms and offerings which was very professional. Food wise, though there were still misses, the misses were still above average and the hits are definitely worth your while to try. I'd return if only for the char siew sor alone.
Rating given:
Singapore Airlines... one of the brands our country is identified with all the time in many countries all over the world.
I had the chance to travel on it *again* recently and was very satisfied. The flight I was on, was quite empty so my friend and I got a free seat between the two of us so we had plenty of space to move about in.
Boarding the plane we were nicely greeted and the blankets and pillows were already waiting patiently on our seats for us. The stewardess and stewards were eloquent enough and didn't bother passengers unneccessarily. And even when some of the passengers across the aisle made some irritating demands, the service didn't falter.
The flight was turbulent at a few points but I think it was thanks to the cloudy situation. The take off and landing was smooth which was great.
Definitely very satisfied with it but they ARE expensive. Luckily I didn't pay for this trip. haha :)
Rating given:
Hidden underground in the basement of Tampines Century square is a little restaurant serving up healthy organic food and still cashing in on the health craze that was ignited a few years ago. This alone should be testament that the restaurant serves food of a certain quality otherwise, it would have been removed from the food scene a long time ago. One fine afternoon, after passing by the restaurant countless times, i finally mastered enough drive to go in for a visit. Alone.
Now, most of the time, i do not care if the food is organic or not or if it was healthier if it was. In fact, as long as the taste of the food is good, i pretty much eat anything. The reason i was drawn into the restaurant this time is because i saw beef tenderloin at a rather attractive cost of only $14.90. Now that certainly looks like value for money.
The meal itself is actually rather simple, nicely cut tenderloin steak with pasta done al dente with boiled broccoli and carrot with accompanying mushroom sauce. The steak itself is done medium rare and had a wonderful chewy texture with all the juices intact. The mushroom sauce that came with it was done well and not salty. All items in the dish was fresh and the greens were especially sweet. Nicely done.
Total bill for one person came up to $17.55 which is a little expensive but i still feel its worth the money.
For a place serving organic and healthy food. I'm surprised by the quality of the food. If anything, its definitely above average but the price of admission is also above average for a simply decorated joint. If they could get a place on their own while still maintaining their current price point, we'll have something special to look forward to.
Rating given:
Located at the rejuvenated Big Splash next to the likes of Starbucks, Old Town White coffee, Carl's Junior and 1twentysix, Mingles has somehow managed to differentiate itself from being overly casual nor being hinged on the fine dining bandwagon. What you do get, is a no frills dining area with a cosy atmosphere, excellent service and also value for money.
The interiors were well lit by the afternoon sun and strategically placed lighting for a cosy and appealing atmosphere. Air conditioning was optimal as it kept the heat out but didn't cool the food too quickly. Seating capacity looked to be somewhere between 50 to 60 people on cushioned chairs with a strong wooden back.
Pumpkin Soup - We ordered the set meal which basically consisted of a soup, a main course, ice cream and a choice of coffee, tea or soft drink. The cream of pumpkin soup came first and it tasted surprising to me. First of all, its sweet and creamy as pumpkin soup goes but there's also a rather strange hint of indian curry spices in the soup. As it turns out, it tastes like a cross between indian curry and pumpkin soup which is not unpleasant to me but too sweet for FZ.
Crispy Salmon with Couscous ($23.90) - The salmon came atop a bed of couscous which is basically coarsely ground wheat coated in wheat flour and steamed before serving. The salmon itself is well prepared and pan fried till its skin is fragrant and crispy. Its also worth noting that there is minimal fishy taste which is common in salmon as a whole while the meat was sweet with a rather nice layer of fats and juices left behind. Paired with sweet and slightly sourish mango sabayon and the salmon is a light treat for all lunch goers. The zucchini is basically done via steaming but has retained its crunchy nature for good chewy texture while lacking much taste. Overall, i'd still say the salmon was a good dish.
Crispy Chicken With Yogurt ($19.90) - FZ's order was the pan seared crispy chicken with mashed potatoes, cilantro yogurt and fennel salad. I didn't get to try the chicken so i'll just leave you with the picture with the closing comments that FZ did not finish the dish as he said the yogurt and mashed potato combination did not suit his tastes. The chicken he did finish however but he said it was average.
Lime Sorbet with Chocolate Indulgence - My ice cream was the lime sorbet and the chocolate indulgence ice cream. The lime sorbet was extremely sour, to the point that i had to cringe with each taste. The chocolate indulgence was pretty good and had a good balance of bitterness and sweetness in its creamy texture. Incidentally, they were using New Zealand ice cream here as well. Which is leagues better then the ones served on my visit to Miss U cafe.
Strawberry Cookies and Cream Ice cream - I didn't get to try this as well but it was all finished by the end of the conversation so i'll take it that is was acceptable at least.
Total bill for 2 people came up to $48.18 for a 3 course lunch. And there was no gst involved at all! Always a plus in my books.
Good service accompanied by a laid back atmosphere and a quiet indulging lunch definitely gives me strength to continue my journey foward in my work. The one thing about this place is that for a rather budget price during lunch, the food is surprisingly good (to me at least). I honestly wouldn't mind returning for lunch again sometime. A good place to visit.
Rating given:
Food is all about the heart and basically, when i make a promise, i remember it. Even if it takes a long time to fulfill, the one thing you can remember, is that eventually, i will pay my debt. It was a fine weekday night when i finally brought 2 of my colleagues to dinner which i've promised pretty much....half a year ago. The good thing is that they were totally happy with the idea while the bad news is that i'll be the one going broke after the little event. It was with this thought that i seeked out Miss U Cafe having heard quite a few good things about the place from friends and even from the media.
Featured on the television series Makan King, the place is touted as being homely, comfortable reasonably priced and have great service. An entire wall is dedicated to wine and there are also wine tasting sessions held to teach people how to appreciate good wine. Overall, the idea is novel and building a community based on food and wine is a great idea. The owner, Mr Phua Teck Kai opened the restaurant in 2004 and wanted customers to feel the same kind of happiness they feel while missing someone when they have his food. Interesting concept i might add which naturally raises expectations when i finally visited it.
Miss U Sampler ($18.80) - Seeing that we had a rather nice group of 4 people for dinner, i decided on a rather huge sampler dish for starters. The Miss U sampler came with a huge selection of finger food that its pretty much impossible to finish even for 4 people. The pros of the dish was that its huge, enough for up to 5 people to enjoy and basically goes wonderfully with beer. The cons are that its all fried, fries, bratwurst, calamari, fish and chicken along with a little asparagus and carrots for good measure. And since everything is fried, it tastes decent albeit the oil will get to you pretty soon. I'd recommend this for 5 to 6 people for a good balance.
Ribeye Steak In Black Pepper ($19.90), Ribeye Steak in Red Wine Sauce ($19.90) - Both Ribeye steaks were done to our order, the ribeye in red wine sauce being medium rare while the ribeye in black pepper sauce came well done. The thing about the ribeye is that mine, the one with red wine, came with quite a bit of fatty parts which i really couldn't eat while i didn't really taste much red wine in the sauce at all, just a mild hint at best. The meat was still tender and good though. The black pepper ribeye came well done and pretty tough to chew on but surprisingly good. The pepper sauce did overwhelm after a fashion but its still acceptable.
Salmon in Hollandaise Sauce ($17.90) - One of the highly recommended dishes on newspapers and commercial reviews was the salmon in Hollandaise sauce. Now this is a little embarrassing because i introduced my gf to have this since it was highly recommended but as it turned out, the salmon had the horrible fishy taste of not being cooked well. Either that of the fish wasn't fresh. The other problem was that i honestly couldn't taste anything of the sauce at all. Commercial review gone wrong i suppose.
Cheese Pizza With Mozzarella and Blue Cheese ($15.90) - This was ordered by one of my friends, Adrian san and basically, it turned out to be the best item that day. Simple as it sounds, the pizza was served real hot with up to 5 different cheese baked into it including blue cheese. What you get is an extremely tasty cheese pizza with a crispy crust and lots of cheese. Only for cheese lovers though, or it will be nausea inducing.
Apple of My Ice ($8.90) - As i've mentioned before, after going to coffee club, it is my prerogative to order apple crumbles at all establishments as long as they serve them to find something that may be better.
If you have read my reviews, you will know that even Jacob's, which is a great restaurant btw, did not serve very good apple crumbles, which is why i was totally surprised when Miss U cafe served even worse apple crumbles. The version at Jacob's was at least warm while this version badly decorated and tasted stale if anything. The ice cream was another killer. There were chunky bits on it that suggest that the ice cream has been kept for too long. And such a waste too because they were supposed to be using New Zealand ice cream. What i had was a far cry from the quality that brand personifies. Horrible.
Banana Speed ($8.90) - Adrian san ordered this and i have to say, lightning doesn't strike twice. This one was as bad as the apple crumble and since the ice cream has already been beaten down in freshness and taste and since banana splits are generally normal tasting items if not for the ice cream. This version was as horrible as the crumble...if not worse.
Sinful Treats ($8.90) - Tons of whip cream, some marshmallows, a little sprinkles and some cornflakes still did not manage to save this dessert from being mediocre. As the ice cream alone is the weak link, everything falls apart. To sum it up, this is the first place where ALL the desserts were just bad. I simply cannot believe that they are using New Zealand ice cream to make their desserts. Its just nowhere near the same quality and more like King's ice cream instead.
The bill for 4 turned out to be $130.57 for 4 people. Not much if you split it up but still not worth the money even if you do. The overall quality of food is average at best.
The mains were actually decent but the dessert and starter really ticked me off. Also, the seats were not as comfortable as they seem and even with my reservation, we got a rather small table which we could hardly fit all our cutlery on. The waiters were also non chalant to our situation and kindly ignored it. The other thing was how slowly water was filled up and how can't be bothered the waiters looked when we ordered. Service definitely needs to improve and also, for the love of god, change the ice cream. Will i return? Pretty much never again if things remain as they are.
Rating given:
The shoe boutique, which find its new home to 44 Haji Lane, Level 2, moving from its original place at Far East Plaza.
The boutique is done up in a lush, intimate setting, perfect for trying on your shoes in unhurried comfort.
In conceptualising the designs of the shoes, Bianca’s team of designers have came up with effortlessly stylish shoes that are practical for everyday wear, with designs that can take women from work to play.
And if you think only women get to shop here, fear not gentlemen, besides the one-of-a-kind accessories you can get for your girlfriends, watch out for their upcoming launch of men’s label, Jacques, from the designers of Bianca.
Rating given:
Tucked in the corner of the eclectic Haji Lane, there lies a café in a simply refurbished shophouse that you may seek harmony, peacefulness and bliss within the confines.
Set up by Mr Barry Tan and Mr Oliver Pang, Going Om is a café with a western subculture concept of New Age, where besides food, fun and activities (Flow toys performers e.g. movement artists, spinners, twirlers, circus freaks, martial artists, jugglers, object manipulators gather every Thursday nights) patrons can also get to indulge in intuitive card readings, crystal healing and meditation classes, the latter to be held every Sunday evening at 7pm where one can learn to focus on visualisation and manifestation techniques amongst other skills. The place offers a two-storey option.
One gets to sit on an out of the ordinary wooden platform with small tables on the ground level, and as you make your way up a very steep flight of stairs, you will be greeted by a huge Buddha rug hung on the wall and a very spacious room, where customers can have a choice of sitting on the wooden sofa set at the corner or the many mattresses strewn all over – as for me, I definitely prefer the latter.
One of the many interesting feature you will find at Going Om is a trap door on the 2nd floor that opens up to a wooden staircase, that leads you back to the outside of the café on the ground level, the other is the pet parakeets that Barry and Oliver will bring around on their shoulder as they make their rounds to chat up with you.
Besides the usual finger food, Going Om dishes out interesting homemade desserts at $4.50 each that leave you craving for more. The Strawberry Surprise, a creation from Barry, is a warm savoury dessert of cheese and cream, where the delightful surprise is the chilled refreshing strawberries found in the middle of it. This pleasurable mix of sweet and savoury, hot versus cold leaves one wonder for more.
The Apple and Pear Crumble is another excellent homemade creation, this time by Oliver, who picked up this recipe while he was living in UK. What I like about this dessert was the fruits are sliced thickly, still retaining the crunch, unlike the usual cubes you get from outside. The sweet and sour combination of the fruits was enjoyable, plus the generous topping of cereal gives the dessert a fulfilling ending.
We also enjoyed the interesting Chakra drinks ($11.00), an alcoholic beverage that is made of Advocaat, a rich and creamy liqueur from Holland that is made from eggs, sugar and brandy – it is smooth to the throat and leaves an almond aftertaste when one drinks it.
There are 7 colours or choices to choose from and each a different flavour and symbolises a different meaning, which Barry and Oliver will be delighted to share them with you (it was just too complex for me to remember actually). I truly enjoyed my time spent there and before I knew it, 5 hours past quickly.
So Have You Gone Om Lately?!
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
Had a rather small farewell session for one of my colleagues from China a little while back. The meal was organized by another colleague of mine who happens to know the ins and outs of the Geylang area in Singapore and he proposed that we visit one of his well recommended joints for the meal. Alas, coordination is never an easy task and somehow, we managed to get lost and wound up in another shop where leaving wasn't permitted as we have already eaten some of their stuff. As it was, the meal carried on at that restaurant and this is the review.
Well, the pictures should give you an idea of what is available. There's cooked food and the usual food that needs to be cooked yourself, there's crabs, prawns, fish balls, sausages, beancurds, frozen beancurd, crab meat balls, squid, sotong, clams, beef, chicken, mushrooms, fish and much much more. Along with that are cooked food such as vermicelli, sweet and sour prawns and beef, chicken and fish as well. In short, there is a huge selection of food to choose from. And all this is available at a price of $16 with the first drink free.
All this may seem like excellent value if not for one very important and neglected flaw. Quality of food. The uncooked food are simply not fresh. No matter how you cut it, its obvious from a start that its no where near the word fresh. The cooked food were mainly left untouched by us because quite simply, it did not appeal to anyone of us and the cleanliness of the place is absolutely worth questioning.
In terms of the broth, which happens to be the main selling point, the reddish and fiery hot side is definitely a draw for spicy food lovers. In comparison, the lighter side is actually too bland for comfort. Thats not to say that either side was good to begin with.
Also, the moment you step into the restaurant, be ready to be transported to China because quite simply, apart from our group, everyone else in the restaurant happens to be from our big friendly neighbor. What that means is plenty of shouting, drinking and loads of drunks. Take your chances on that front.
In the end, i can't say it wasn't moderately enjoyable due to th company but judging on the food, i'm hardpressed and struggling to find a reason to ever return
There are better places out there. Please visit those instead.
Rating given: