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Food & Beverage
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1=SGD 0.0587
I believe this place needs no introduction. So lets get straight to the point.
The soup is reminiscent of Campbell's and we got it by adding about $4 for a soup, some bread and a drink.
Seafood Combo ($49.30 after adding 3 meals) - The seafood combo came is portions of 3 generally, garlic butter and cheese baked mussels, cross cut fries, 5 to 6 fried shrimps, calamari rings and one big piece of dory fillet. And believe or not, the serving managed to feed 4 full grown adults pretty well. The mussels were quite a let down actually, nothing too special about them. The fillet was thick and sweet. The fish meat was piping hot and fine as well. I didn't like the shrimp too much as its overly fried, as is the calamari rings. However, all these were made up for with its wasabi mayonnaise sauce which made everything more palatable even though its not.
Tiramisu ($2.30 after discount) - We actually sat and waited till 9.30 pm to get the cake at half price but honestly, it wasn't worth the wait at all. Dry and lacking any rum taste whatsoever, this is hardly noticeable as tiramisu apart from its looks. Not recommended.
Eastside Brownie ($6.50) - Yet again, the dessert of choice. This time however, the brownie tasted a little too bitter and was not heated properly before it was brought out which dampened spirits a little. Still, decent when paired together with its vanilla ice cream.
Total bill for 4 people reached $56.20 after a further 10% student discount from my friend.
Definitely not somewhere for fine dining but it gets the job done. Atmosphere is as relaxed as ever and nobody chases you off at this outlet. Service is tolerable but furniture placement is still a pain as everything is still cramped. Calls for more sauce were met with slow service as well. Improvement in order but the place is still function able as a place for junk food and small gatherings.
Rating given:
A former humble restaurant with its roots in China town, serving home cooked Cantonese fare, has since evolved into a chain restaurant that can be found in major department stores and even the heart of town. Based upon the Samsui Women, women in red berets, who helped better the lives of Singapore by working for the people, the food has an earthly appeal to culture poor Singapore as it serves as an icon of sorts.
After queuing for close to 15 minutes, i finally made it past the fake wooden doors to get a seat within the restaurant. I guess queuing is the norm since dinner time is usually peak season and everybody seems to be clamoring for any restaurant they can get their hands on.
I guess the first thing i noticed about the place is how incredibly expensive the items are. Expensive is relative in this case because i'd came with the impression i can pay very little for the meal, but that seems a faraway dream.
Peanuts ($2) - $2 for a small bowl of peanuts is pretty interesting. Interestingly expensive of course! To its credit, the peanuts are of the soft variety which may or may not appeal to everyone. Regardless of its appetizing fragrance and taste, this is still overcharged.
Samsui Ginger Chicken ($13) - The chicken bearing the namesake of the restaurant. It is said that no visit to Soup Restaurant is complete without ordering the chicken. Honestly, i am inclined to agree. The serving was quite big which makes me believe there should be half a chicken on that plate. The majority is made of boneless servings of the thigh and breast, both of which were nicely tender and slightly salty due to the soy sauce used. The combination of cucumber, chicken, ginger and lettuce wrapped was fresh and very appetizing. The 2 of us managed to finish the entire dish so that says something.
Hometown Tofu ($8) - The tofu was not very smooth and is of the egg variety. There were pockets of air in it when cut that doesn't leave me with a very good impression. The sauce was soy based and a little salty but managed to be balanced out by the bland tasting tofu. My overall experience with it was alright but nothing eye opening.
Tian Chee With Chicken Soup ($6) - Well, this is a soup restaurant so how can a visit be complete without ordering their soup. How did the soup fare? Bland. I couldn't taste much in it at all. At the very least, it didn't feel like a manufactured soup like so many other restaurants. Still, never ordering this again.
Did the above feel justified for the price tag of $40.50 you see here? I'll leave it up to you to decide.
Of all the things i had that day, the chicken alone was worth the visit while every other thing is just chicken fodder (pardon the pun). I wouldn't say i agree with the crowds that throng the place every night since its easy enough to create the chicken on your own outside. Buy some chicken meat, get lettuce and cucumber and some ginger soaked in soy sauce and vinegar and you pretty much get the same thing. Apart from that, i don't think the price is justified for such a humble place. I don't dislike it but i'm not happy enough with it to return either.
Rating given:
A member of the Starling Group of restaurants which include Dragon Gate, Orient Ocean, River City and the 88 Restaurant, this is the choice my dad made after a prior good experience he had with his friends.
Judging by the shots, its obvious to see that the restaurant is geared towards huge banquets and events. It says as much on their website touting their huge capacity and being a 'Perfect choice of perfect venue for any occasion.' The interior also masks the fact that the main entrance of the restaurant is actually at the carpark, convenient but in direct contrast to the posh oldies interior.
The menu we had was the cheapest of 3 sets offered. Standing at $22.80 per head, there were five limited items to order and 45 other items we could try. Everything has to be ticked and ordered and it will be served throughout the buffet.
Deep Fried Breaded Prawn Fritters - The first item i had were these fritters and i must say they tasted good. Lightly breaded, crispy and sweet. It was pretty oily though.
Chilli Crab and Black Pepper Crab - These crabs were just plain bad. The meat was thin and powdery to the point that even the sauces couldn't enhance its taste. Now i know why the crab was free flow, it simply isn't good.
Sweet and sour pork - This was decent. The meat was slightly crunchy without losing its inner tenderness. It was also lightly sweet and sour without being overwhelming.
Pan Fried Salmon in Teriyaki Sauce - The salmon was overly fried such that the meat tasted too dry. The sauce did not help as it was overly sweet and not appetizing in the least.
Deep Fried Chicken in Beancurd Skin - Crispy, hot and oily describes this dish. The freshness of the chicken is debatable of course but for what its worth. Everyone enjoyed it.
Baby Kai lan and Mushrooms - Bland and tasteless, the only redeeming factor to this dish is the crunchy and fresh baby kai lans.
Japanese Egg Beancurds - You can practically buy and cook this at home. The beancurds are typical supermarket quality with nothing truly special. The serving for this was huge but whats the point of big servings when no one wants to eat it?
Shark's Fin (1 serving per customer) - This is a joke through and through. I could hardly make out the shark's fin and the broth is simply too thick for its own good.
Char Siew (Roast BBQ Pork) - As nice as it looks, the roast pork is simply too dry and tough to chew on for its own good. I'm surprised they managed to mess up on something this widely available actually.
Garlic Steamed Fresh Prawns (1 Serving per customer) -A far cry from HTL but thats unfair to compare here i suppose. Their version was decent and the aroma and sauce does have a certain charm, the only gripe here is the size of the prawns, which were too small to leave a good impression.
Zhi Bao Ji(Steamed Paper Wrapped Chicken)- The meat was tender, sweet and juicy. Pretty nicely done and worth a try.
Cereal Prawns - A staple dish in almost any Chinese eatery. The cereal was strangely lacking the sweet and fragrant taste that is the norm for this dish. The prawns were adequately fresh this time around and was crunchy with the cereal. Taste was overall subdued compared to others i've had before.
Scallops and assorted veggies - To put it simply, we finished all the scallops and left all the greens intact. I'm please to say the scallops tasted fresh and thats about all i can say. =P
Deep fried Buns - A popular dish that night, we went for 3 to 4 helpings of these delectable but oily buns. There is absolutely nothing much special about them. Its your run-of-the-mill deep fried buns available for 50 cents outside but it somehow got us to have seconds and thirds of it. Go figure.
Sze Chuan Fish - This was so salty and spicy that none of us had the stomach to finish. We practically left it untouched and thats quite a waste because beneath the salty exterior, the fish inside was actually fresh.
Honeydew Sago - Pretty much stuffed with food by this point, the sago came as a relief. It wasn't sweet, which is a surprise, as the coconut milk practically robbed it of any other taste whatsoever.
The total bill for 8 people came up to $226.45 which, to me, is not worth the money given the quality of the food.
I suppose taste does vary for each individual, because my dad still felt the restaurant was good value for money while i feel its best if i don't step into it again. The food is passable though hardly memorable and the money could have been spent on healthier and better choices. Buffets that serve good Chinese food is just few and far between.
Rating given:
I've been told quite a few times that there was a nice restaurant in the middle of bishan park but i've never personally been there. Upon arrival, i noticed there were 2 such restaurants side by side and was forced to make a choice, feeling a wee bit exotic, i opted for the Green Room cafe instead of the Acacia which i will revisit at a later time. The Green Room cafe is a concept cafe from Asmara Spas to promote healthy eating habits which inexorably links back to the spa treatments they offer. How good is the food there though?
The location in the middle of the park is reminiscent of Bliss which is located a Punggol Park. Its interior was decent and casual with the exception of 2 rather large trees located right smack in the middle of the restaurant, making it an interesting decoration of sorts.
Vegetarian Mutton Curry with organic brown rice ($12.80) - Vegetarian mutton curry has been done many times and i have never had a good opinion of it since i perceive such foods to be filled with artificial flavorings and being totally unhealthy. This rendition was quite decent however, with the flavorings kept to a minimal and still having slight hints of mutton in it. It was not very spicy despite the use of curry leaves, cinnamon and ginger but complimented the organic brown rice really well. That said, the rice is very different. Thick, moist and chewy, this is akin to japanese rice only bigger. Interestingly good.
Indochinese Spring Rolls ($6.80) - Spring rolls. Why did i order this? Well, i figured they simply can't go wrong with spring rolls in vegetarian cuisine and i was proven right. Served piping hot, with a tangy lime, ginger and red chilli dipping sauce, this was easily enjoyable as finger food. Crunchy vegetables, spicy and sourish sauce, whats there not to like?
Portebello Field Mushroom ($12.80) - Ever since my first introduction to this big fungus, i have grown quite fond of it and its various permutations. This time, it was served with aged balsamic vinegar, homemade potato relish on a warm baked bun. The nachos went well with it as well along with the fresh salad that gave it an sweet, raw and healthy feeling experience. I was only disappointed with the size of the mushroom which really could have been bigger.
The bill for this meal came up to $38.13 which is quite a big sum to pay for the amount of food we had.
After all the good things i have said about the place, why is the score so low? Well, the fact that the food is easily prepared and the contrast between the offerings and the price is the reason, it simply doesn't feel like value for money even though the food is actually quite nicely done. Reduce the price by 30 or 40% and i'll probably return. Moving forward, if anyone wants to try the place, it might be a good idea to go during noon to enjoy the casual surroundings better.
Rating given:
Minds café is one of the first places that I will think of when I want to play board games or simply need a place to chill out with friends. Recently (slightly more than 1 month ago), they opened their 3rd outlet in the town area. This time round they are jz mins away from both City Hall and Bugis MRT.
The new place is quite easy to find, along the same street as Miss Clarity. To me, the new place is as big as Boat Quay outlet. However inside is much more spacious and brighter. New place mah. Since it is a new location, I think not much people still know of the new location unless they are walking past it or they are being to the new place when the other outlets are packed.
Although, the design and the setting of the place is still pretty much the same as other 2 outlets, I like the spacious, more space and the lighting of the new place, brighter. More space means big groups no need to squeeze together like sardines and there is more space to walk about and to do forfeits so that everyone in the room can see you. Haa….
There are both sofa seats and normal table seats. Sofa seats are more for big groups can seat up to 8 people. Table seats can seat up to 6 people but then tables can be combined for more seats. Those who want to have a decent meal before playing; I would suggest the table seats. Haa….
Since it is a new outlet, of cos they got limited games as compared to the other two outlets. However the more popular games still can be found there and to say that the games sets there are newer. Hee…
The menu there same as the other outlets not much changes but have to say that the food there is still as good as before. There is a wide variety of their drinks as well. Hee….
Depends on the size of your group, there are different packages to optimized your money and time. You can combine different packages to get the most out of it as well. Haa….. Packages usually come with 2 hours of playing time, some snacks and drinks.
They got quite a number of staff there to serve and advise, teach how to play the newer board games as well. They are quite on the ball and polite as well. They definitely got the patience to teach people how to play the games as well. If you are challenging enough you can always ask them for a challenge, be warned that they are quite good in some of the games ok! Hee….. On the average I can easily spend 4 hours there jz to play games.
This place serves quite a good place for gatherings or birthday parties as well. Not to mention affordable as well.
Rating given:
Hong Kong food in Singapore is more or less dominated by a few names which i feel personally, still have not done the subject matter much justice. Wan Zhai Hong Kong Tea Room is a new addition which has yet to be highly commercialized but is it any good or does it fall into the same trappings as all its predecessors?
Peanut Ginseng Soup (Free with Baked Rice) - I have to say, i'm totally surprised at how tasty this soup is. It doesn't look like much but its packed with taste. The ingredients inside are plentiful (peanuts and some chicken meat) for a free item. No points for presentation but looks can be deceiving indeed.
Wasabi Seafood Baked Rice ($8.20) - The serving of baked rice is reasonable though hardly big. The reason i ordered this was because i've never tasted wasabi baked rice before so it was a novel concept for me, plus the fact that i quite keen of wasabi. The ingredients used are exactly the same as the HK Signature Hor Fan featured below, 2 mussels, 2 prawns and a smattering of fish. The unfortunate thing is that the ingredients definitely did not taste fresh to me. Prawns were powdery and lacks any crunch whatsoever, fish wasn't sweet and the mussels were a tad rubbery. The rice was normal and the wasabi was toned down for local tastes so it didn't have the kick i wanted. Average at best.
HK Signature Hor Fan ($6.30) - As mentioned above, the ingredients are the same 2 mussels, 2 prawns and some fish and the freshness is still below average. Taste-wise, the hor fan looked blackish and had a lot of pepper in it. My gf didn't finish this so thats a testament of how 'good' it is. To me, it wasn't worthy of the word 'signature' at all with its not-too-fresh ingredients, bad looks and worst of all, simple inadequate, salty and overly oily taste. The baked rice was better and that was already only an average offering.
The bill came up to $14.50 for 2 people but somehow, i still found it too expensive. The only good thing for this place is the soup sadly.
Hong Kong food is just not getting the attention and franchises over in sunny Singapore. To date, i've tried a few Hong Kong cafes and honestly, they are either too expensive, food offerings average or just plain bad. If anybody knows of a good place i can review, please let me know. Till then, my word on Hong Kong food in Singapore is that there is yet to be one worthy of the name yet.
Rating given:
I thought that they have closed down for good since they closed the outlet at Hereens. However, we were looking for some place to hang out until over movie starts, we were surprised to see this outlet hidden in behind the food court. Seem like they are making a comeback since there are some crepes shops making their appearance in some shopping centres as well.
Since we are only there to wait, we ordered one of their desserts crepes, Mango Mania Crepe. The got warm crepes and cold crepes (each with a choice of 4 to 5 types), cost at $3.90 each. Quite cheap I must say.
Jz in case you are wondering what is warm crepes and cold crepes, warm crepes are those like ham with cheese etc and cold crepes are like those with fruits and ice cream.
So how they work? Make your choice and pay for the crepe at the counters. Take a seat while your crepe is being made. They will make the crepe when you order, so that the crepe comes to you hot and fresh. They will call out to you when your order is ready. Yes, you need to collect your order from the counter. Since their place is small, unless you sitting somewhere else, they sure can call out to you.
So now back to my Mango Mania Crepe. Seems like they are cutting down cost, everything used is disposable, from the plate to the forks and knives are all plastic. A bit sian alr. Look so food court style, a far cry from what they used to be. The crepe lies flat on the base of the plate with a scoop of mango ice cream on top with little cubes of mangoes spread by the the ice cream. Oh yes, it seems that they did not asked what ice cream I want and jz assumed that I asked for mango mania crepe, they give me mango ice cream. They should have a t least asked me.
After tasting it, to us, it is normal, nothing to wow or rave about. It is decent crepe la. Haa…. Luckily it came to us with the crepe is still hot if not…. …. Do find the portion a little small lah.
Maybe I will give their warm crepes a try, if not I think I rather go to food court and order dessert alr.
Rating given:
Phin's beerhaus and grille is an unassuming, open concept eating place set on the 4th floor of Tampines mall. First looks did not impress and honestly, i've passed by this place so many times but never had the urge to try it till today. An offshoot of its bigger upmarket cousin, Phin's steakhouse, how does this lone restaurant fare? Read on.
The first thing i need to say about this restaurant is the service. We were served by a waiter jovial and professional waiter who required nothing to jote down our orders while being able to tell us exactly what they had and did not have for the day. He was also kind enough to introduce a different cut of meat which turned out rather well in my opinion. If only waiters in other establishments could be as good as him, i'd gladly pay service charges. (La Noce is another place where the service staff is simply excellent.)
Australian Grain Fed Tenderloin ($28.90) - As recommended by the waiter, i took the Australian grain fed tenderloin which was a time limited offer. According to him, the meat is superior, better marbled and contains less fat as compared to the normal offerings. I don't presume myself an expert on this matter, but i must say the meat was pretty good. Done medium rare, slightly charred on the edges with a small lump of butter sizzling atop, this reminds me of the good days when Jack's place was still making good food. That said, the meat was juicy and the butter added much to the already succulent and tasty steak. Pity about the portion size which i felt was rather small (even though it took me 15 minutes to finish.)
Soup of the Day, Garlic Bread and Salad ($19.90 set meal) - My gf's set meal, which means i got to try everything a little again, no prizes for guessing if my girth is increasing. The salad was fresh, sweet and crunchy while the garlic bread fragrant and went well with the accompanying creamy mushroom soup. A good starter.
Seafood Pesto Carbonara - This came as a surprise. The serving was quite generous with 2 huge scallops, 1 pan fried dory fillet and half slipper lobster set atop a bed of fettucinne cooked with pesto carbonara and mushrooms. The serving alone is worth commending and this is further accented by the fact that it tasted pretty good. It was quite spicy and tasted simple at the same time, allowing for an appetizing feeling without being overwhelming. The ingredients used were also equally fresh and everything tasted juicy and sweet. Nicely done.
Brownie Surprise ($8.90) - The brownie surprise really did come as a surprise because i saw more ice cream on the dish then brownies which were actually cut into small pieces and served as an accompaniment rather then the main draw. The ice cream was creamy and and smooth. The flavors served were cookies and cream, mocha and one which i can't quite make out. The brownie was rather dry but the melting ice cream made up for that oversight.
Dessert of the day (Mango Pudding with sugar icing) - The final part to the set meal was this mango pudding. Light, refreshing and sweet, this was a good ending for the meal.
The final bill came up to $67.90 for 2 people, its not cheap but the service and food quality made up for it.
I'm really quite surprised with how good this place is. I went in with very little expectations and was pleasantly surprised with the service and quality of food given its unassuming and rather small outlet. The lack of customers was also a plus for me since i dislike jostling with people when i dine, and that is difficult in a place like Tampines mall. Nonetheless, i'd recommend a try for people in the vicinity. Try it once to see if you like the place. (Though i'll say it first, the place definitely needs a cosmetic makeover and location change. *winks*)
Rating given:
Don't be mistaken. This Teo Heng is the one where you can sing at. Not the one selling the karaoke equipment, although they are under the same company. This KTV has been around for ages, way before K-Box ever stepped in. Even my mom has been to this KTV.
Directions to Teo Heng, Turn right when you get out of the lift and keep right. It's quite secluded (ulu) but once you get there you'll find it perpetually filled with people.
The equipment here can act up at times. They have both normal and cordless microphones. Sometimes the microphones may sound funny and sometimes it takes some time for the receiver to get your song requests. But it's not because their things are old, but more like they are well-used. Most of the other places have technical problems from time to time too isn't it?
But the advantages of singing at Teo Heng greatly outweigh the disadvantages.
1) The Prices. It starts for $8/hr for a small room (3-4 people) to $12 for a large room (10 people) during off peak periods. If you sing all the way from 2-6 there are special packages. If you're singing during peak periods it's $14 for a small room. It's cheap!
2) Teo Heng has the newest songs too. Don't be mistaken by the way it looks. They have all the newest songs too. AND all the oldies. AND songs which you have never heard of in your life.
3) Drinks are at $1 per can. And price for drinks have not increased since 6 years ago.
4) You can bring outside food in. You can bring whatever food and drink you want in. They don't care as long as you don't make a big mess.
5) Parking at Katong Shopping Centre is relatively easy and after KTV you can always head up for cheap bowling... (but it's not so good to bowl there...)
K-Box or Teo Heng? Give me Teo Heng any time. :)
** I wanted to give it 4 stars but I do think that the furnishings need to be update. My companion commented that it is a little sleazy but it's really a family KTV :)
Rating given:
I was at Vivocity and a sudden thought of having some desserts so decided to pop by Bakerzin to give it a try. It has been a long time since I stepped into one and I used to like their desserts and cakes a lot.
So I was standing outside waiting to be seated. Can see that the place is not really packed and most of the waitresses are jz walking around. I am quite big sized and not easily to be missed but then I was standing there for at least a good 5 mins before anyone come up to show me to my seat. The waitress behind the cake counter saw me waiting, yet did not inform her other colleagues to come and show me to my seat. Disappointing in the service so far. In fact I was telling my partner, I will count to 10 and if no one come up to us, we will jz walk away. Surprising at 10, someone turned up and showed us to our seats. Haa…. Still disappointed!
So seem like we can choose our seats cos not crowded. Got the sofa seats and they got this quite beautiful and interesting plastic chair as well. Nice. Given the menus and since we in the mood for dessert, we skipped all the mains and jz checked out the desserts.
The ordering part was easy and they also sort of set up the table according to what we have ordered. Like mentioned in the last post, they did not serve ice water. Bad move.
We ordered:
• Ice lemon tea: @ $4.80. Nothing to say except it is freaking expensive for a small glass of ice lemon tea. Could get more at Carl’s Jr at the same price. Haa…. Cheapo me.
• Vanilla Brulee: $5. I am a very big fan of cream brulee. When they served it up, me and my partner jaws dropped. Y? Cos it is freaking small. Haa…. Well size aside, it is actually quite good. I am very impressed. The top is covered by a layer of melted sugar, the custard is not too sweet, and has a eggy and milky taste which I liked. It is a good combination of the both.
• Profiteroles: $8.80. I actually used to eat this every time I go to Bakerzin. I will recommend to eat this with their cheese ice cream. At first, when I know they got cheese ice cream, I was like “Eeee…” However after tasting it, I fell in love with it. Hee… This time round it disappoints me as the ice cream is not as good as it used to be. The taste of the cheese is a bit too strong for my liking. There is a sour taste to it as well. Disappointing.
Think this will be one of the last times that I will go to Bakerzin for desserts alr. I did not try their cakes but hope that their standard will not drop as well. If not, I will have to go to other places for desserts alr.
Rating given: