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Food & Beverage
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1=SGD 0.0587
First impression from afar... wow! Nice place.
Second impression when I saw the namecard... wow! Nice namecard!
Third impression when I stepped into the place... interesting furnishing and cutlery!
We adjoined to Tong Shui Cafe behind Great World City before we head home. The menu was a little hard to read. Typical Singapore "Hongkong style cafe" menu. Although the place is call Tong Shui Cafe (Sweet Water Cafe aka Dessert Cafe) There's only 1 page on the dessert drinks and 1 page on desserts... not much choice. We settled for the TSC's Tuttii Frutti Summit $11-something.
It consists of 3 types of pudding mixed with konnyaku jelly. Texture was not bad. The Mango flavored was the best. The other two were strawberry and kiwi. There were accompanying tiny diced fruits of the 3 kind and tiny crunchy pearls (or jelly). Overall this dessert was quite nice. Nothing to "wow" about.
Will go back to try the other stuff one day if I ever pass by one.
Rating given:
Nice clean place, with ok service and ok food.
Met up with fellow members for dinner. Thanks to LIC for the 50% discount coupon and my OCBC card, we ordered the most expensive of each category to try.
For starters, we had Tomato Basil Bruschetta and Grilled Portobello Mushrooms. Mains we ordered Pan-seared Butterfish, Char-grilled Sirloin Steak, Arragosta Pasta and Smoked Chicken Pizza. Desserts were Macadamia scented Creme Brulee and Tiramisu. Drinks ordered were Ice Rasberry Tea, Ice Peach Tea, Shirley Temple and Lime Juice.
All the above totaled to $71.20! (including GST and Service Charge)
I shall keep mine short and sweet. (Partly because my eyes are already half-close now.)
Tomato Basil Brushetta @ $5
Its either the bread was too big, or the tomatoes were too expensive. Serving wise looks sad. Taste was alright. I like the way they infused the garlic into the bread. Crispy and nice. $2.50 after discount. Cheap lah!
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms @ $12
First bite was yummy. After that it just started like any other mushrooms. The rocket on this was too bitter. Unlike those I had at Absolute Haven.
Pan-seared Butterfish @ $20
Too fishy for me. Sauce was tad too saltish.
Char-grilled Sirloin Steak @ $20
There was nothing charred about this steak. Taste was alright. Meat was too tough. Like the potatoes that was served at the side.
Arragosta Pasta @ $20
Pasta was too dry, lobster meat was quite fresh and plentiful. First time I saw what I call cucumbers (zucchini) on pasta.
Smoked Chicken Pizza @ $17
This is perhaps the only thing that I'll order if I ever go back again. The Pizza on photo seems to be plain and boring. But underneath those cheese are chunks of chicken meat. I like the blend of tomatoes and cheese and chicken. Could be better if there were thicker layer of cheese.
Macadamia scented Creme Brulee @ $8
Taste like custard. Ha! Nothing special about this. Couldn't really taste the macadamia thou.
Tiramisu @ $9
Texture was too tough and sponge fingers were over soaked in the coffee and brandy. Don't really like it.
Overall the food was forgettable. I'll not be going back again unless there's 50% discount or someone's treating.
Rating given:
Eighteen Chefs takes after Brit Celebrity Jamie Oliver's Restaurant Fifteen in the sense that the concept is very much alike. Both offer jobs for juvenile delinquents and both are supposed serve up great tasting Western/Italian cuisine. This is more than a coincidence however, since executive chef Benny Se Teo did go through a month-long internship with the said British lad for pointers. Did it pay off though?
This huge, colorful and eye-catching mural is painted by ex offenders and serves as the basis to the spirit of the cafe. Good food from people you wouldn't have thought much about. Its a heart warming testament to the fact that all people can be good as long as you give them a chance. I'm not complaining, in fact i like what they are doing by giving people a second chance.
Over here, you choose your meal and pay your bills first. The meal comes later. Cold water is free but you'll have to get it yourself. The overall atmosphere of the place is relaxed and very easy to get into. The bill was $35.10.
Daily Specials Soup and Garlic Bread - The humble cream of mushroom soup and garlic bread comes with the daily specials meal. Cream of mushroom is pretty standard fare, which is to say there isn't anything about it that distinguishes itself as being extraordinary or overly exciting about it. The garlic bread, on the other hand, was done nicely with it being crispy, lightly buttered and soft at the same time. The serving size was also respectable but still had us craving for more bread after we were done with it.
Half Baby Lobster with Seafood Linguine ($18.90) - This was my first visit and i was attracted to his daily special. As you can see, it comes with a fresh half baby lobster, a handful of prawns, mushrooms, garlic and quite a bit of olive oil sprinkled over a bed of linguine. What you don't see is that this is a spicy dish, possibly due to a generous dose of tobasco sauce. Its difficult to go wrong when ingredients used are fresh and this is what is provided here. Crunchy prawns, juicy mushrooms, sweet lobster meat. Its difficult not to like this dish. The serving wasn't the least bit scrimped on as well, being enough for a big sized guy like myself. Even the olive oil used was minimal enough to keep the linguine suitably moist without seeming to overflow like other restaurants i've tried. (Recommended)
Cheese baked mussels and black pepper fries, onion and calamari rings ($13.90)- Black pepper fries, onion and calamari rings? Thats a first for me. Either way, interesting as it is, i found it a tad soggy and would have liked it better if it was crispier. Still, no denying that the black pepper did introduce an interesting dimension to the tired formula. It was strangely sweet too. There was a grand total of 6 cheese baked mussels of the male and female variety. It was different, the cheese made the dish fragrant and the mussels were sweet and fresh but the serving is a little too small for my tastes. This could have been a side dish, not a main meal. Could be improved upon by adding a little more items into the mix.
Yam Ice Cream - Looks can be deceiving. Despite the small size and lack of garnishing whatsoever, this ice cream is creamy, bursting with yam taste and very refreshing after a meal. A good end to a generally good meal.
On my second visit, we ordered the crab and his normal baked rice offering. Benny also offered the soup of the day this time and we got an additional bowl for free. Personalized service is always good. The meal this time cost us $33.50.
Cheese and Chili Baked Crab Claw ($15.90 only on Wednesdays) - The soup is as per normal, simple but gets the taste buds moving. Benny offered his Wednesday special this time around because reservations are needed to enjoy this dish. Seeing that he's such a sport and good host, we took his offer to try out the chili crab. The meal comes with 5 fried buns and 1 crab claw, albeit a huge one. Maybe my love for crabs are waning or i'm just getting lazy, i simply don't like to get my hands dirty breaking crab shells anymore. The buns went very well with the cheese and chili, which was moderately spicy. The crab was sweet and firm but it wasn't enough to get me full and i was expecting the entire crab, not a claw. Interesting dish though i won't order it in future.
Black Pepper Seafood Pasta ($12.90) - My gf had this dish and i found it much better then the crab actually. Generous servings of mussels, prawn and calamari on a bed of black pepper baked rice. As with anything cooked in black pepper, the rice was fragrant and a little spicy with a tinge of sweetness. The ingredients are still fresh and crunchy and overall taste is very good. I did find the rice insufficient this time round though. For the price, i'd like to have a bigger serving of rice and food. Presentation for baked rice is secondary, serving size and taste should come first.
Benny was trained in Zhi Ca before opening this quaint little establishment and it shows in the way he melds classic crab cooking techniques in his renditions of baked rice. The results are refreshing dishes which somehow taste familiar. My take is that the daily specials meal are more bang for the buck as opposed to the normal offerings of baked rice. A quick research shows that he has a few other tricks up his sleeve i've yet to try like the black pepper crab baked rice. If he shells it for me, i'll probably try it, but if not, i'm sticking with the daily specials. The spirit of the restaurant is good, the food is decent, the price can be improved upon though.
Rating given:
"The Golden Scissors Hand"
My mum brought me here to get my new hair do recently. Although I've known the owner more than 12 years ago, I've only let her do my hair when I was back in Secondary school. But my mum has been faithfully following her, from Toa Payoh to Sengkang and now to Kovan. She calls her the 金剪刀. And I totally understand why...
Once she got her scissors out from her bags of many many scissors, her fingers and hands just did magic. No comb no clips no fuss! She just pull, divide and cut. I was speechless. But when she was done cutting, I feel so light on my head and it looks natural and nice.
I spent 5hours there to cut, highlight and perm my hair. And I'd witnessed so many wonders by her that day. As there were only she and her other colleague, she had to turn down alot of customers that day. Everyone went to look just for us. And I can see the trust these customers have of her. They just sat and let her do her magic. I'm impressed.
The shop doesn't look at all glam nor well done, its simple and cosy. Its the hairdressers that made a difference. I'm happy with the result of my new look and the price is reasonable. I'll sure be going back for all future cuts and such.
Nearest mrt station is Kovan. This shop is located nearer to OCBC/Standard Chartered bank, further away from Heartland Mall.
Rating given:
Crystal Jade has been given a second chance by me after its off shoot failed to impress. And it marks my first treat to an old friend. After all, he was the one who treated me to Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, so i felt it right to return the favor.
Signature Beancurd with Mincemeat and Chili Sauce ($9.80) - I can't help ordering this item. Bean curd is simply one of my favorite items of choice and as with all food outlets, i want to try out their signature bean curds to see if there is indeed something special about them. This rendition is simple, bean curd in batter deep fried till golden brown and served with minced meat and chili dip. I found it too spicy for my liking but the batter was pretty light and extremely crispy. The bean curd itself contains some herbs which added to its fragrance but didn't quite appeal to my friends since it made the bean curd bumpy and less smooth.
Fried Hor Fan With SeaFood ($13.80) - Oily yet fragrant and tasty. The seafood is minimal which is a shame but there really isn't much distinguishing factors between this version and those found in hawkers outside.
E-fu noodles with shrimp roe ($9.80) - My gf ordered this thinking it was filled with shrimp but that was not to be. Instead it was E-fu noodles with shrimp roe. Very important to note the difference since there were only a few pieces of mushrooms in this dish to act as additional ingredients. Not to say that it tasted bad. The noodles were springy and tasted slightly salty from the roe which gave it a good texture. Not that i recommend ordering again however.
Yang Zhou Fried Rice ($9.50) - Eggs, roast pork, shrimp and bean sprouts. Simple ingredients for a wonderfully fragrant plate of fried rice. Now this was my order and the reason behind it is to ascertain my friend's claim that the friend rice in Crystal Jade is much better then its offshoot. I'm inclined to agree that it indeed tasted better and more fragrant but not inclined to say its the best i've ever had. In fact, i found that the rice was not done homogeneously with certain parts being overly dry while others undercooked. The generous serving of shrimp is a plus however.
Deep Fried Dumpling With Salad Sauce ($9.30) - Expensive is the first word. For its price, there were surprisingly little dumplings to go around, i counted 5. So each dumpling is effectively $2 (!!!) which is a little over the top for shrimp dumplings that were deep fried. Sure, it was very nicely done, fresh and the salad sauce complemented it well, but for the same price, i could have gotten much much more elsewhere.
The final bill came up to $64.38 for 3 people which is a little too much for the quality of food we had.
Sad to say, i have to maintain my stand that Crystal Jade is grossly overrated and not exactly a place i would recommend to everyone. The food is average but the price belongs to a whole different category which they unfortunately still do not provide. Much improvement needed in my book.
Rating given:
This is Singapore after all so what would food be without the normal coffee shop zhi ca (literally cook and fry)? Of course, as with everything else in the world, there are good and bad offerings for this as well. Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to one of these little cook spots found in the East. (I went twice and thats why you'll see both visits here)
Its a coffee shop, so forget about ambiance, forget about anything close to atas. This is ground zero, what the masses have and so the very truth of what Singaporeans are used to having on weekend eat outs (with exceptions when bonus and such niceties occur of course)
Fried Fritters with Squid Paste ($8) - One of my favorite dishes to order is sadly, not one of the better dishes to have. Unless meticulous care is taken in preparing the paste and further such action is taken for the fritters, what you get is a tasteless fried dough stick with nothing much to go for it. This rendition is pretty standard but has its merits in being served hot and being cut into nice little bite sized pieces. The squid paste isn't anything to shout about but was saved by the mayonnaise it came with. Pretty standard stuff but nothing good for health here.
Thai Style Chicken Cutlet ($8) - Simple dish but this time, this is executed very well indeed. The radish and sliced cucumbers used are fresh and cold which gave the thai sauce a different feel indeed. The sauce itself is sweet and sour with a dash of spice which gave it good balance. The chicken itself is fried well which means it retained the juices and wasn't overly dry. It was also served hot and contrasted with the cold sauce so well, i simply have to recommend it. Good stuff.
Stir Fried Broccoli ($8) - imple stir fried broccoli with a little soy sauce. Who would have imagined something so simple could taste this good? Fresh, a little salty and very appetizing. The broccoli is soft while retaining its crunchiness and even had a little sweetness in it. Simple, but good all the same.
Yi Pin Guo or Seafood Pot ($18) - The most expensive of the lot that day, this dish contained 4- 5 prawns, a generous helping of fish maw and the aforementioned tasty broccoli. It was a little to salty for my tastes but the combination did taste pleasant when complimented with rice. I wouldn't exactly term it as value for money in this case though.
The total bill came up to $44 for 4 people. $2 went to 4 bowls of rice and thus the average per person is $11 for a filling and generally fulfilling meal.
The following is the second visit.
Crab Bee Hoon ($32) - This time when we returned, we were determined to try the signature dishes that they recommended and this is what you see above. Billed as the main signature dish for the restaurant, i was expecting alot from it and i will say it up front, i was a little disappointed in the dish. The serving was generous with lots of bee hoon or vermicelli piled beneath the 800 gram crab. In its defense, the crab meat is firm and sweet but i still felt it over priced. The vermicelli was soaked in crab juices and sauce which gave it a uniquely raw taste which might not please everyone. Overall, i still like my crabs with lots of chilli, pepper or butter. This doesn't quite fit the bill as a favorite for me.
Signature Beancurd ($8) - The bean curd had a pretty thick skin and didn't break easily but i didn't like it. I prefer bean curd soft and yet firm. This was also of the egg variety which adds to the taste but doesn't quite bring it anywhere. And the last gripe i had was how similar these bean curds are to one another. I mean, i've tried HTL versions and other versions from Chinese restaurants and strangely, they all have the same kind of ingredients, pork, spring onions and the like which really doesn't distinguish themselves. This version really put me off though, because it was way below average.
Sambal Fan Shu Ye (Sweet Potato Leaf) ($8) - Average and a little too spicy for me, i'm unfortunately not able to say the same good things for this as the broccoli i had the previous time.
Steamed Fish HK Style($30) - Why do i call it steamed fish? Because i can't remember what kind of fish this is. Sorry. Anyhow, this fish is steamed Hong Kong style according to the waitress and is one of my favorite ways to prepare said fish. Fragrant, fresh and sweet. I can't think of anything bad to say about it except maybe it was too small and too expensive. Good nonetheless.
Total bill for second visit hit all time high of $88. Which really is a bit too much even for 5 people as the quality has taken a sharp nose dive this time around.
The food offered here is of a certain quality but it really depends on which day you came and what you order. For me, i have to say the signature dishes are not worth the money while the simpler offerings appeal to me more. Maybe i just prefer simple food but thats what i feel. No crabs or bean curd for me from this stall.
Rating given:
A long overdue post, this was during the period of time before Christmas and our wonderful boss brought us to Carousel for lunch and gift exchange cum grilling session for some weird questions which will not be repeated here. I've never noticed much on Halal buffets because i've never had to search for one so this time was an eye opening experience for me. First and foremost, thanks boss!
The pictures above should give you a good indication of the place. Bright and colorful amidst a myriad of food selections. The lunch buffet ranged between $30 to $40 per person. Buffet lunch is from 12pm to 2.30pm, after which you will be informed politely that you should leave.
My First 2 Helpings - Cha soba, sashimi, prawns, mussels, scallops and cold cut duck meat are just the few appetiser dishes you can find at the buffet. I found the ingredients reasonably fresh and sweet. In particular, i found the prawns crunchy and sweet especially when you add some of the sauces on selection. Not too bad overall.
Third and Fourth Helpings - Next up, more food! You can see the prawns i mentioned again along with some beancurd, sushi, more duck meat, chicken, a big piece of mutton, a big piece of sea bass, some eggs and some roast beef. Despite the large selection, it tasted average at best. Maybe it was just a case of too much meat. The only thing that felt distinguished was the chicken which was roasted with ground pepper and honey. The meat was a little too tough though.
Dessert and final helpings - Even more food! The selection is quite astonishing. Even to this point, i've not had everything they had to offer. Chicken, crackers and roast beef round out the mains, while the dessert corner housed a few excellent selections. The log cakes in the dessert corner is excellent. Soft, sweet and mildly fluffy, this is one of the better log cakes i've had so far. It certainly helped that there were different selections of log cakes to try and the same excellence go for the other dessert helpings. With the exception of the chocolate fondue which was a little too thick and too bitter for my tastes. Otherwise, great dessert.
Nice environment, huge selection and loads of great dessert. Although the huge selection of food are generally hit and misses, the dessert section is a league on its on. Good enough to recommend purchasing desserts from the restaurant. I'm frankly quite surprised that the food here is above average. Once again, thanks boss!
Rating given:
After hearing so much about this café, finally have a chance to step into this café to have a meal, this is like after 2 tries. I nearly gave up! Anyway which café do not open on a Sunday. Sigh….
Well we make a reservation since it can get quite packed at dinner time. I reached there around 10 mins before our reservation time and found to place to be pretty empty. The I stood like an idiot for a good 10 mins before someone saw me and came stomping to me in a black face (or her face is by default black which means no smile). Trust me, that is the last thing I wanna to see after a day of work, is to see a black face. So what happen to the motto of “where happy people meet”? Hmm.....
The first impression of the place is very dark. Seems like they switch off all the light and trying to use the tea candles lights instead. Romantic? Eerie? To me, both. Haa….. Another reason being the table that I was seated was directly below the air con, freaking cold! I was having goose bump throughout the whole dinner. Pls dun seat at Table 7. Have to say that the place is nicely decorated though.
Took some time to decide what to eat but then they got this set meal thing which is actually quite a good deal. Add $3 for a salad/soup drink ice cream. You can even upgrade starters, drinks and desserts as well. Great!
In the end we decided on the following:
Potato Munch Skins: It is potato skins topped with bacon bits baked with mozarella cheese, served with mayonnaise. Have to say this came as a disappointment as my partner had recommended this, expectation too high I think, but I have tasted better ones at other places. At $7 for 6 pcs, can consider cheap alr. If it has more bacon bits and the potato skin more crispy, it would be much better.
Soup: This soup of the day which I think is cream of mushroom. This is good. It came hot, cream and full of mushroom chunks. Good enough. It will be better if it could come with a bun or some bread. Hee….
Garlic Crusted Dory: It is dory covered with chef's special garlic herb butter & bread crumbs, baked till golden brown. Well the presentation was good and the portion was big. The side dish of mixed vegetables was good. The fish is covered with garlic bread cumbs. Brings a unqie taste to the fish. Refreshing. The fish is fresh as well, even after deep fried, it still remains soft and not dry. Cost @ $8.80.
Roasted Chicken Leg: It is whole roasted chicken leg with mouth-watering mushroom & potato fricassee. This dish came to me as a normal dish. Nothing to be wow of, less of the potato fricassee, which is smooth and creamy. Have to say the portion of the leg is big as well. Cost @ $9.80. I think the dish is not worth this price. I can get better tasting chicken leg at half the price.
Warm Bread & Butter Pudding: I loved bread and butter pudding. This one came to us hot and with vanilla cream, it was great. I loved the taste of it, milky and creamy. The bread is still firm as well, soaking in all the flavour.
All in all, the meal cost $32.60 for 2 person and there is no service charge as well.
Overall the dining experience was not too good due to freezing temperature. Have to eat our food fast if not risk it turning cold. Even though, we ordered drinks, it will be good that they could have served us ice water as well. Their service is disappointing as being a small café, I expect their service to be warm and friendly. All I got was very business like service only. I dun think I will go back on my own. Food is one thing but service is another and they go hand in hand. They are always other places with warmer services and better food.
Rating given:
This little hidden stall was introduced by one of my colleague after we were all full from lunch. Then me being a person must try everything, decided to tao pao some of it and go back office and eat. Hee…
So what do they sell, they are selling all fried stuff from all the usual stuff from pisang (bananas), to green beans, sweet potato and to even chicken (recently new addition).
Below are some of my favs:
Their famous sweet and sour goreng pisang. I wonder if it is the bananas or it is their batter that make the end product taste both sweet and sour. Haa… I am sure the sweet part come from banana but the sour part, I am not that sure. However the end product was good especially it came of crispy and hot! Yet the banana inside is soft, juicy and melts in the mouth type. The batter is not too thick as well and fried to crispy golden brown. Of cos size matters and they got 2 sizes to choose from.
Green bean / Red bean. I loved to eat this cos I loved green bean a lot. It is mashed up, smooth and fried to golden brown. Since it is made from fresh beans, it is not too sweet as well. Red bean, I think only this place serves this. I have to say that it is my new fav. The red beans are mashed whole so the skin is actually still intact. Loved the texture when I eat it.
One thing to take note, it is better to eat when bought, if you leave it aside, it is better to put it in the toastor for a while to heat it before it.
I think each of their items cost $0.70, however if you choose 3 red tagged items, they will cost $2. Cheap when their portion are considered quite big. Therefore everytime I walked past them, I will always stop to buy from them.
Rating given:
Sick and tired of cakes and ice cream all the time? It's nice to have more traditional desserts. Ah Chew's is one of the places where I love to have desserts. After 7, it constantly full. The place isn't very big, it seats about 25 people at max.
Parking here is really a headache too. Even if you choose to park slightly further at Parco you might have to wait.
That said the ambience in this place is simple and it looks like a traditional Chinese stall 店铺. The people here are relatively friendly but everyone's usually too busy to chat more.
My two favourites here are the Mi Gua Xi Mi Lu (Honeydew Sago) and the Gui Ling Gao (Herbal Jelly). Both are the cooling sort of desserts. I'm never a fan of hot desserts.
My friends are always having the hot pastes. :)
Despite me liking this place so much, I have to give it 4 stars only. It's not really a place to chill with your friends as there will be people breathing down your neck cos they need a seat. :P But come try!!
Rating given: