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
Been to Gmax to try the ride out when i was getting super bored with what i could do in Singapore. Basically, its just a little too boring.
So it was this fine day when a few friends and myself stepped out to visit the place after having some food at Sushi Tei and some drinks and cheese fries at Brewerkz when the crazy idea hit us to try the Gmax experience which was simply nearby.
Me, being a timid freak in terms of rides, was forced to go on it so that i could commit to my oath of changing my life. Haha. Well, it wasn't that serious but it was a start.
Anyway, it wasn't cheap. The ride costs somewhere between $35-50 depending on what kind of package you wanted to take up. And thats on a per person basis. You get the choice to either do a ride with the video of yourself and a T shirt and other memorabilia depending on your preference. either way, i think its just fun.
The ride is short. Lasting only 5 mins but slightly more due to the safety precautions and such. Its quite a rush and its different for everybody. But for my and my friend, we screamed like girls, not to mention expletives galore. My take is that it was fun as hell.
Especially when you are plummeting to earth and feels like dying. Damn its fun!!
Try it now. There are new rides which look like a swing and stuff. Try it with friends and maybe after beer. Either way, try it to escape from the oh so mundane lives.
Rating given:
Dome or Olio Dome held many memories for me because when i was a kid, the most expensive meal i could afford was either Swenson's or Olio Dome with a friend. Being kindred souls, we also only liked a few things in those places. Basically, all we liked were the fries and potato wedges and that was all we frequented the place for. Now, he's a manager so he can obviously afford better but its because of a coupon i got from purchasing books that i decided to have my lunch at this nostalgic place.
Chocolate Cake ($5.90) - The first item i ordered was the chocolate cake because thats what the voucher said, order any cake and get a complimentary coffee. And honestly, the reason why i used the voucher was because i was pretty darn sure i'll never make a trip simply to Dome just to use it again and also factor in the fact that it was lunch time. On to the cake, this was a recommendation from the waitress who was quite friendly. The cake was average at best though. The top layer was really hard while the sponge and cream layer was quite lackluster. There's a certain bitterness to the cake that hints at either coffee or good cocoa beans but i'm going with the former. Not too bad since it was served before the main meal but i wouldn't recommend it as a must order when visiting the place.
Long Black (Complimentary) - The complimentary coffee is a long black (espresso plus water) which was decidedly bitter but not as fragrant as i would like. Almost definitely not premium beans used but a grade above general coffee in coffee shops.
Beef burger with Bacon, Cheese and Egg With Fries ($13.90) - And since it was lunch time, my order was completed with a beef burger yet again. This version is a no nonsense and totally huge beef patty that turned out to be surprisingly tough. Its like the beef is squashed to the point there was little or no moisture within. More or less, it means the patty wasn't freshly made but ordered. However, i honestly found it a whee bit above acceptable. It came with melted cheese and a sunny side up and some stringy fried bacon for good effect. The overall appearance was nice but the bread was just bad. It was also hard, maybe because it was toasted, but its hardly suitable for a burger of this size. Overall, i found this edible but probably will not repeat my order again.
Surprise surprise. A lazy afternoon alone at the bookstore left me poorer by $90 worth of Science Fiction novels and an additional $23.30 more for a supposedly 'cheap' lunch. I happened to be one of the few scoundrels who sipped a coffee for 1 hour just to read my books as well.
Its not a bad place per se. The feeling is decent for a book cum cafe combination and nobody chases you out of the place when you simply sit and read and drink coffee. They could do with better coffee and cakes however and the mains need to have freshly made patties. Once they get that down, we may get a little bit of France's reading atmosphere and culture in Singapore after all.
Rating given:
Peach Garden @ 33 was the venue for our dim sum lunch today. The brainchild of two ladies, Angela Ho and Veronica Tan, this latest outlet resides within the 33rd storey of the Executives’ Club of OCBC Centre at Chulia Street (the flagship being at Novena Gardens and their second outlet at Thomson Plaza), and exudes modern sophistication while preserving an oriental charm vis-à-vis Chinese wooden furnishing, paintings and valued objet d'art.
Diners should also reserve beforehand to grab one of the limited tables beside the windowpane that offers a sight of the central business district and panoramic view of the Singapore River.
Food came fast and furious and before we knew it, our table was filled with the many baskets and plates. The Fried Carrot Cake with XO Sauce ($8.00) was well done – unlike those crispy ones you get from hawker centre, the outside was just slightly crisp and the inside, malleable. The flavour of the XO sauce was also captured nicely in the cake, however it should do better if it came less oily.
Since it should only be eaten when it’s piping hot, I took a bite into the Steamed Yolk Cream Bun ($1.20 each) – be warn though as before I knew it, hot steamy cream from the bun came squirting all over my fingers – another well executed dish! Their bun was definitely much better than the ones I tried at Victor’s Kitchen, however what I found missing was the lacked of bite of the salted egg yolk, which I can find at the latter.
The Steamed Rice Roll with Char Siew ($4.00) was up next but however it was disappointing – the texture of the skin was not as smooth and silky as I thought it should be.
To grade whether a dim sum restaurant is good or not, personally I feel that there are two tests it must pass – the Har Kaw, or Steamed Fresh Prawn Dumpling ($1.60 each) and the Siew Mai, or Steamed Pork Dumpling ($1.60 each).
While the prawn dumping was above average, the grading for the pork dumplings was disputed – most of us felt that it tasted more of prawn than pork, and it was hard to compare to the many we have sampled before.
The Baked Mini Egg Tart came with the flaky crust – the type I preferred compared to those that are hard and sturdy. However, for $1.30 each, I do not think they are value for money.
However, if you think that was bad, for $3.80 per (small) bowl, what you get is a very salty bowl of Boiled Porridge with Century Egg and Pork (as stated in the menu). Strangely enough, many of us thought that the meat tasted like chicken – not sure whether that’s a good or bad thing though.
Another disappointing item was the Steamed Xiao Long Bao with Dried Scallop ($1.30 each). A couple of us thought the skin were not as thin and smooth as those found in Ding Tai Fung and the soup was not as succulent as well.
The meal was rounded off with the highlight for the day – Baked Spare Rib with BBQ Sauce. For $7.00 each, expectations were high and everyone was looking forward to it. Presentation-wise, it was dished out fine-dining style like a piece of steak. Taste wise – the essence of the BBQ sauce is captured nicely in the meat – and for those who were luckier, where the meat came in fact with the layer of fatty meat, the marbling meat was a joy to behold (despite a step closer to having a heart attack)! However, for such a price, it would probably be a one-off dish I would try.
Overall, I felt that the expectations weren’t matched and Peach Garden is merely just a slightly above-average place for dim sum. Coupled by the fact that they missed out our order of Xiao Long Bao and the Spare Rib and also didn’t served us our additional order of Prawn Dumplings, I would probably not venture this place again unless by the coaxing of my makan buddies.
You can view all the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
Dian Xiao Er literally means "Stall Waiter". The humble restaurant has been around since 2003 and has made a name for itself for have a periodic Chinese theme in its staff and the restaurant environment reminiscent of Chinese sword fighting flicks which the owner, Mr Samuel Yik takes his inspiration from. Having never eaten here before, my first impression was that its just like Soup Restaurant but i was quite wrong. Read on.
The interior is reminiscent of ancient martial arts flicks with its bamboo roofs, wooden tables and chairs and ordinated display of select furniture and vases. The branch i went to was also quite dark which meant that my photos suffered from the lack of light. However, i can't say i dislike the feeling. Service was surprisingly good for a place which i've figured to be more run of the mill then most. The waiter would introduce and recommend items based on the number of people around and also provide a description of why it is his recommendation. This alone is better then some of the other restaurants i've been to.
Angelica Herbal Roasted Duck ($11.80) - It is said that no visit to Dian Xiao Er would be complete without trying their famous herbal duck. I would raise both hands to agree with that statement simply because, it tastes really good. Honestly, the stock or broth it comes with is absolutely fragrant and filled with the herbs that the menu promised. Thats not all, the taste seeps into the duck meat and the following is just good. If i had to be picky, i'd say one serving of this is never enough as the portion is rather small and the meat is though not scarce, a little lanky.
Dian Xiao Er Special Beancurd ($7.50) - Beancurds are yet again on my menu. This is one of their special beancurds bearing their namesake. How did it taste? Well, if i didn't order this item myself, i would have thought they were fishcake. Thats not to say it tasted bad though. Its easy enough to taste prawns, fish paste and even some celery mixed into the beancurd. Its also slightly crispy and a tad salty but surprisingly, the best thing about this is, the broccoli, which complimented the saltiness with a dash of green sweetness. An average dish.
Seafood Fried Rice With XO Sauce ($10.80) - After many failed attempts to get good seafood fried rice at crystal jade, Dian Xiao Er finally managed to satisfy my craving for a good plate of fried rice. Extremely fragrant and a filled with a generous amount of prawns, eggs, squid and even tiny bits of scallops, this rice wins Crystal Jade and Ding Tai Fung hands down for me. The rice is also interesting. Instead of the usual fluffy and moisture filled rice, this one was thin, small and a little dry but strangely, it works.
Total bill for this little endeavor came to $38.50 for 2 people. Its a satisfying and filling dinner to be sure.
Who would have thought that the place i've ignored for so long to turn out this good? Now i understand the reason behind the huge queues and number taking to have food here. Definitely a place to return to for new items. Try it yourself and judge!
Rating given:
Dropped by Ben and Jerry's at White Sands one day and decided to get myself 2 tubs of ice cream to last through the hot summer (that means forever btw, since Singapore is always in summer) thats about to set in.
$25 for 2 tubs - Known and famous for mixing ingredients into their ice cream, Ben and Jerry's have since been famous for providing ice cream with a difference and full of indulgence. Pick any flavor from their stall and be greeted with an over the top, drop dead creamy and sinfully chocolatey experience. This time around, we played around with the Chocolate chip cookie dough affair which was a mixture of vanilla ice cream swirled with chocolate chips and soft cookie dough. This is immediately apparent when you dip your first scoop into the ice cream. Its not in-your-face sweet but rather mild since its vanilla. The cookie dough exists in soft and fluffy form in the ice cream but the one thing i had trouble with was the lack of huge chunks of chocolate in the ice cream. This is unlike other flavors i've had from them before. Its a decent flavor but not quite satisfying.
Now don't let the picture fool you. Of the 2 tubs of ice cream, this was definitely the better of the 2. Vanilla malt ice cream is a more robust version of vanilla ice cream and has a decidedly rough texture when eating, throw in some peanut butter and the taste jumps to a new level. (i love peanut butter btw) For me, if the ice cream was served as such, it would have already been a wonderfully tasty treat but throw in big chocolate fudge covered peanut butter pretzels and its an experience to be remembered. This takes wonderful to me but i'm a sucker for peanut butter so you were warned. The only downside to this is that the malt ice cream melts really fast and the huge pretzels really get in the way of scooping the ice cream out. Otherwise, this is my second favorite ice cream from Ben And Jerry's. (My first is the mint chocolate chip flavor i've yet to find in a tub.)
The ice cream is creamy, filled with surprises and never fails to tantalize your taste buds. What can i say? One of the better ice cream places out there. If only Singapore could have a place that makes great fresh ice cream. Now that would really turn heads.
Rating given:
Lana cake is a tried and true tradition of chocolate cake that has been getting rave reviews everywhere and i finally got my hands on one of them at my grandmother's birthday recently when my aunt ordered one just for the occasion.
$75 for a 2kg Lana Cake - Weighing a hefty 2kg and fetching a price of $75, this takes the crown as the priciest cake i've ever had thus far. That is why i was quite surprised when the cake was cut open, it seemed extremely ordinary with no additional embellishments which i can identify with for the high price.
Even the exterior was rather normal looking, a few words with colored icing and cream and a smoothed and wavy chocolate fudge is all that you get. Nothing fancy at all.
The cake slice you see above best describes why i was surprised. A thin layer of chocolate fudge covers the sponge and its only....one thin layer of chocolate fudge with a whole load of sponge cake. I believe the shop charges these exorbitant prices based on the promise of using top grade chocolate on their cakes, which is probably why it is used so sparingly in this cake.
Now for the actual taste. First bites basically didn't impress. It tasted like something choc a bloc could have done and at a cheaper price too. Subsequent tastes did not change my impression. Sure, the cake is rich and the chocolate is definitely not your everyday chocolate but they sure could have added some chocolate mousse or something to make the cake a little more bang for the buck...but thats the first impression of course.
Then i took a second piece and chomped it down slower, which is when i realised then despite this being a chocolate fudge cake, it is surprisingly light and yet packed with taste from the chocolate fudge. This is probably the little difference that makes a big difference in the end.
Decent and strong, the simplicity of the cake belies a hidden promise of quality chocolate that will not present itself immediately. It takes time (and money) to understand why this cake is so sought after but once you do, it may be difficult to see other cakes in the same light. That said, the chocolate quality does shine out albeit a little slower than i would have liked. Try it yourself to judge.
Rating given:
This time, my parents bought the cake from yet another outlet of Four Leaves. As always, the cakes are of a certain standard and this being my own birthday cake. Its definitely something i don't take lightly.
$24 for 15 x 15 inch - By now, i'm sure everyone is more or less well acquainted with this brand of cake? Well, its a humble shop thats found in almost every shopping mall selling decent pastry but the main draw of the place is still going to be the cakes they have on store.
The Mango Tropicana is comes in a cheery yellow color with loads of mango mousse, sponge cake and bits of mango strewn meticulously within. I like the fact that its not too heavy on taste and instead, is a little sour. Somehow this gives me the impression that it is at least authentic and not just sugar coated for effect. The mango pieces themselves add a good dimension to the cake and is pleasing overall. The sugar can really be felt only on the sponge cake surprisingly, which is still airy, light and soft enough to warrant a try.
Can the cakes here do no wrong? I'm not sure about that but i've been introduced to alot of the more....high end cakes which i'll go along to try soon. More cakes coming on this cake filled weekend. Cheers!
Rating given:
Cakes, every single year is a chance to try as many cakes as is humanly possible. And yet again, its four leaves cake that we went to. This time, for my GF's birthday (hence the shape). I'll reiterate that i've so far not had a bad cake from them yet.
$26 for 15 inch cake - First off, i'm not a fan of heart shaped cakes, secondly, i'm also not a fan of strawberry cakes. With that out of the way, on to the cake and how it tastes.
Unlike the usual chocolate cakes i'm used to, this version of strawberry cake actually has a strong and slightly bitter taste in the mousse to my surprise. It also lacks a somewhat "girly" feeling which usually accompanies cakes of this flavor. In fact, the soft chocolate sponge is of a stronger and better caliber then most. What it does is it compliments the strawberry mousse to a satisfying degree.
The cake is also very soft and creamy without overwhelming such that seconds and thirds can be easily stomached.
As far as strawberry mousse cakes go, this is one of the better ones i've had. Yet again, Four Leaves has not disappointed me my expectations. A reasonably good cake for your loved ones and strawberry lovers alike.
Rating given:
When my colleagues decided to give Kuishin Bo a try, after reading about it here, we didn't know it was a buffet place. We got excited when we saw the great variety of food on display as we were lead to our table.
The place was packed with hungry customers ogling at the spread of Japanese food at the buffet area. The seats at Kuishin Bo was either trying to create the Japanese dining feel or its purpose is to hurry people to eat and leave, as its not at all comfortable for prolong sitting. It kinda makes it hard to truely enjoy the food. It's also pretty hard to browse and take food from the buffet area as a part of it has only a narrow lane. Not possible for 3 people to past at one time. (Imagine 1 standing to take food, 2 trying to walk in the opposite directions. Not possible.)
As mentioned by the others above, the food to some is good but some feels that its average. For me, I find some of the food not bad. My favorite are the teppanyaki wayu beef and the alaskan crab legs which are hugeeee! The desserts were pretty good too. Especially the chocolate eclair (hidden in a mini fridge near the drink machine).
One thing unique about Kuishin bo is the specials that only first 20/30 diners who queued when the announcement came on will get. The announcement comes after a Kuishin bo jingle that some find irritating while the others find it refreshing and catchy. We managed to get a serving of a special dessert that's wrapped in egg crepe.
Ladies, if you're planning to go, go on a Tuesday as it's ladies night. You get special price for dinner. I'll probably go back again on a Tuesday with my girlfriends for more beef and crabs!
Rating given:
On a day where I am alone, I like to find a quiet and nice place to relax, read a book and fill my tummy. For a long time, I'd not been to the library, so I decided to drop by on a Sunday afternoon.
I settled at Cafe Galilee inside Sengkang Library with a book and ordered some food. With my failing memory, I can't recall the name of the drink and food I ordered! But the experience is still fresh in my mind.
The drink ordered was refreshing, especially for a hot day. Its blended fruit juice with wheatgrass. Seems healthy to me. Haha!
I ordered the BBQ sauce chicken chop hoping to fill my tummy. There wasn't any photo to refer to when I ordered at the cashier. But the staff described to me that it'll come with pasta and bread. So I presumed it'll be not bad. When it was served, I was quite disappointed. The piece of chicken was a tad small, and the pasta and bread was kinda sad to look at. (Refer to picture)
The sauce on the chicken was overpowering and the taste of chicken was totally lost in it. The pasta and its sauce was cold when served. The bread seemed to have been left out for awhile, its cold, tough to bite and the cheese was blunt.
Could have been alot better if they'd heated up the pasta sauce and bread before serving.
Rating given: