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
What Japanese fusion? It reminded me more of ice-kachang
The food in general is alright.
Nothing special actually.
Even after a few visits, I still cannot understand why they would categorize themselves as Japanese Fusion. The only thing remotely Japanese was just curry with rice. The western fare come in generous portions though anything western tastes like similar dishes from any other western restaurant. Also, every meat dish comes with a huge portion of fat. Which according to my very limited knowledge of Japan, seems very unJapanese.
As much as the restaurant praise their mudpies, I am very disappointed in them in the taste and portion. Ice flakes found in them are obviously the result of diluted ingredients. Though they taste ok. The use of soybean ice-cream for some of their mudpie flavors are quite delightful.
The promotional sundaes were not bad, but they tasted more similar to ice-kachang than Japanese desserts with grass jelly and red bean. The sesame, green tea and soybean ice cream just weren't Japanese enough.
What is worth a try there are the drinks. They come in novelty mugs for single portions and jugs in double portions.
Rating given:
I went there on 3 occasions.
Occasion 1: Free flow of Candy Floss and a foot-long weiner!
I think I will go in and order a hot chocolate velvet and keep getting candy floss in future since it is free.
No joke, the Crazy Dog is a foot-long sausage on a tiny bun with lots of pickles and other stuff.
The sandwiches are really good and you can even order them for take outs and they don't bill you with service charge.
Occasion 2: Experienced Half-hearted Service and Half-decent Drink
My second outing to this restaurant with the Girlfriend had us ordering the signature BBQ Ribs, Smoked Salmon Salad and Frosty Bailey's Chocolate Velvet.
The good:
BBQ Ribs were huge and they tasted really good. The cut was not as fatty as what the other restaurants (like Café Cartel) would serve and the BBQ sauce was not too sweet.
The Smoked Salmon Salad was surprisingly good. The flavours were strong but it also allowed the freshness of the salmon to be tasted. I strongly recommend this one.
The bad:
I mentioned the chocolate velvets were good in the previous post. I want to add on that the statement only applies to the hot ones. The cold ones, especially the frosty ones suck terribly. The Girlfriend and I both agreed that the Frosty Bailey's Chocolate Velvet was a rip off.
The Girlfriend and I were also rather appalled by the service. It's one thing to be slow. It's a whole new league when they fail to follow-up or do things halfway. First they omitted the iced water, then they cleared the table halfway.
But at least this restaurant is a great place to people watch.
Occasion 3: Warning: Extremely rich hot chocolate
Potent hot chocolates which they call chocolate velvets. Highly recommended for chocolate lovers.
My friends and I got quite a shock when we saw the bill. 3 seemingly harmless main courses and 3 drinks set us back by $74. After a little investigation, we realized it was the drinks that really 'compounded' the bill.
So my tips on eating at this place:
- be prepared for the bill or
- order just the main courses or the specialty drinks
That's for you to be mentally prepared.
On with the food. As mentioned before, the chocolate velvets are out of this world. "Richer than Donald Trump" was how they described these drinks, which was quite apt if not corny.
I tried the juicy beef burger. Huge portions, well marinated minced beef. The fries on the side were rather disappointing though. I could see them still soaked with grease when the food arrived.
The friends ordered the rotisserie chicken and chicken and prawns combo.
Pricing for the main courses are actually quite reasonable. But once again, be prepared for a bomb of a bill if you want a specialty drink to wash everything down.
Rating given:
They cheat, on Tuesdays at least
I'm very unhappy about the way they trick you into paying for extras that you don't want.
On Tuesdays, you get waffles at half price. So being the bargain hunter, the girlfriend and I went to this branch for a large waffle. We wanted ice-cream with that. Then, the guy taking the order asked, "Would you like strawberry or chocolate sauce on top?"
It felt odd, the question. But I didn't give it too much thought. So I replied, "Chocolate sauce."
I only realized after my order was served that the chocolate sauce didn't taste very good with the waffles. I then checked the receipt only to see that I have been charged and extra 50 cents for chocolate sauce.
What pisses me off is that they used that common sales tactic to trick customers.
What pisses me off even more is that a cafe/restaurant like Gelaré would stoop to this level.
The correct answer to that question should have been, "I would like to have the maple syrup that best suits the waffles and by my recollection, free. Thank you."
It is just like the unscrupulous trick question Long John Silvers' used to ask their customers, "Medium or large drink?" when the set meal you ordered only has a small drink.
The quality of the waffles and ice-cream is still good, but be sharp when you order waffles on Tuesdays.
And I hope the management fires that guy who asked, "Strawberry or chocolate sauce?"
Rating given:
The flaming platter for 2 is quite a spectacle
Watch the crew set fire to your food right before you with a blowtorch!
It's quite a spectacle. And catch a glimpse of your friends' expressions as they see it the first time! Priceless.
Huge portions. Cheaper than Fish & Co.
But lacks variety. No stingray. No crab. No swordfish collar. No fish sambal.
The rice that comes along in the main courses doesn't taste as good as before. It used to be buttery and garlicky. Now it is rather plain. It could be due to customer feedback.
The fried stuff was still soaked in oil when it was served. I didn't fancy that. The oil was dripping when I forced my knife through the battered fish. Can't they blot out the oil with kitchen towels?
Watch your step in the restaurant. There are portions of the floor that are elevated and you might trip or fall off the edge.
Rating given:
Click here for original post with pictures.
I went to visit a friend's new place around Kim Keat for an informal house warming. On our way back to the main road, we came across an old bakery run by some middle-aged to old men. I was thoroughly fascinated by their products. With the camera in hand, these are some of the snapshots of what I saw.
I seem to be always attracted to the old, disused, forgotten things around us. I think these things give a certain life, character and identity to the place they are found. I probably caught on this fascination when someone brought me to the old ST James Power Station before it was refurbished into what you will see today. Above all, it is literally a refreshing sight from the usual Orchard Road.
As for the bread from this traditional bakery, what attracted me first were the loaves of “blackhead bread” stacked on the racks to cool down. Not to mention I love the colors too.
Of course, we also wanted to have a taste of the freshly baked “blackhead bread”, so we shared to buy a loaf, which was only $2.20.
Then, I gave it a try…
And it was the most wonderful plain bread I had tasted! The bread was moist, soft but firm on the bite. It didn’t dissolve into a mess in the mouth and you can savor every bite you take slowly. It is no wonder the bakery still stands today.
Anyway, besides the “blackhead bread”, the colorful trays which they use also caught my eye.
Really glad we made the trip to the friend’s place, otherwise I would have missed out such a lovely place in the equally lovely area.
Rating given:
Click here for original post with pictures
While on a friend's mini-van, I talked about the newly opened Ice Cream Chefs somewhere in East Coast. I provided an inaccurate location of East Coast Park and we spent some time circling a carpark until someone finally connected to the internet and googled for them. It was in East Coast Road instead. So we moved along.
We then hit a roadblock of sorts when we couldn’t find a parking lot in the vicinity. So one of the passengers got off the vehicle and went straight to the shop to ask about parking. Surprise! Parking is free if you are customers.
One challenging thing about coming here is really figuring out the choice of ice cream. Like a few ice cream places in Singapore, Ice Cream Chefs makes it possible to mix flavors, 2 for a small cup and 3 for a large one. For every topping, or more correctly, mix-in as they call it, it’s an extra 70 cents.
We got ourselves 3 large cups for 5 of us. No, make that 4 since the driver was suffering from diarrhea had to be left out from partaking the ice cream. We stuck to 2 of the staff’s recommendation of a fruity concoction and a chocolatey durian combination along with my mad mix of butter pecan with kinder bueno and marshmallows along with horlicks and mocha ice cream. All of which were rather enjoyable.
It is quite a fascinating sight to see the chef whip up your customized ice cream.
First your flavors are laid on the cold plate.
Then with one spatula laid on the ice cream, the other taps on it to create an indentation for the mix-ins.
Repeat the spatula actions to crush the mix-ins and then further reduce the size by chopping with the spatulas.
Fold them around a few times.
Finally scoop them into the cup and served.
Personally I found the ice cream on the watery side. It wasn’t as rich and creamy as I expected. The novelty of zhng-ing your ice cream definitely helped a bit. But for continued success, they need to improve their ice cream formula.
Rating given:
Its been awhile since I had the XXL Chicken nor the Tempura. I used to be a fan of Shihlin's snack, everytime I passed by an outlet, I'll want to buy either of my favorite (and many times, both at the same time *sin sin*). Ever since I started dieting, I've stopped eating both of them.
I've to agree that it's oily and unhealthy, and yes, there's slight difference in the taste/texture from different outlets. Guess for me, as long as there's lots and lots of chilli and pepper powder, I don't really care. *LOL*
Shihlin's Tempura is yummy! Although its like chewing on flour or whatever it is, but I like the taste and texture when you chew on them. Just thinking of it now, makes my mouth itch for some hot and spicy Tempura!
Rating given:
"Oh nice nails! Where did you do it? "
'Sh... its a secret..."
Secrets at Eleven is a relaxing and very nice place to get your pretty nails. Located on the second level (above Happy Daze). The decor is simple and welcoming. I had my meni done at their balcony. Imagine, relaxing on a big arm chair, with open view of the happenings below me and the friendliest manicurist. 2 other friends can sit next to you by the balcony and together have your nails done up, drink a cup of nice warm tea and catch-up with the latest happenings in life.
The manicurists know their products very well and their service and skill is good. When come to choosing colors for the nails, they'll try on every color you want to see on each of your nails so that you can see exactly how it looks like on your hands. (I ended up with 10 different color on my fingers!) This is great cos you'll not regret only after all the nails were painted. They wouldn't rush you and they'll be more than glad to try on as many colors as you want so that you're happy with the decision.
For just $23 for a classic mani and $33 for a classic pedi, Secrets at Eleven is the place to go with your girlfriends!
Rating given:
Waking up hungry on a Saturday morning and travelling a long way on MRT is no easy feat. I arrived at Tiong Bahru Plaza wondering what I can have for breakfast but after looking at McDonald's long queue, I gave up and decided to browse around for other options.
I turned the corner and saw Ya Kun Kaya Toast outlet. There were little people and so I thought that would be a good fix. I pop over the counter, and was greeted cheerfully. Not just the cashier, but also the assistant in the background who bellowed out a loud "GOOD MORNING!" in Chinese. Okay, a little embarrassing but that's a good start to the day.
I ordered a Set A because I didn't want to eat too much. The coffee was quickly prepared, and the way it was served to me - surprising. It was also the first time someone offered this option to me... "Enjoy your breakfast mister, if your coffee is not sweet enough, come back to me for a little more sugar/milk". NICE! I always love my coffee slightly sweeter.
One thing that turns me off about Ya Kun is how hard the toasts are. I have already taken note of the varying differences of toasts among several branches, and I guess it boils down very much to the person preparing it.
Ya Kun @ Tong Bahru gives me my perfect toast just as I like it. A balanced toast ending with a crispy surface, BUT the interior of the bread is soft. I have tried Ya Kun toasts from elsewhere, biting into them feel more like cookies than toast bread. The fillings of butter slices and kaya were generous too.
The half-boiled eggs were a joy. Nicely done, not too much raw parts but yet, not too cooked too. Coffee was nice. It was thick and not diluted, the sweetness was just nice to my standard and preference of coffee so I didn't need to turn back to the kind offer I was told.
Nice things are said, now comes the critics. They weren't hot enough. Everything was warm, but not hot. Coffee drinkers like me enjoy having our coffee piping hot and that was a disappointment. Somehow, coffee don't taste as enjoyable as when it's just warm.
The half-boiled eggs were close to being cold. Literally I mean! As I held up the plate, I don't even feel a single bit of warmth until I slurped the eggs the good old style, it was only that little warm. What another disappointment! Thanks God the bread were freshly toasted and that saved the day.
My verdict? It's barely an acceptable for breakfast, if you do not mind the high price at Ya Kun. That's about it. Perhaps, not all traditional remains the same after franchising or branching.
If only everything were served really hot, I think the experience of having breakfast there will be even better. Tables were very small, too small for my liking so you had better grab another chair to place your bags or suitcases on. You don't actually expect much atmosphere in such a branch, do you?
Rating given:
Pepper Lunch , by now is a new popular fast food chain serving up set meals on a sizzling hot pot right up to your table. It's like an individual serving of BBQ food.
Each set has a good combination of meat, vegetables and rice. A nice well-balanced meal, served fast cos it cooks at your table. :) A nice alternative to the regular fast food, but it's at twice the price.
What we ordered at the Suntec Outlet:
Teriyaki Chicken Set
Beef Pepper Rice
The place was rather empty (as it was a weekday) when we went in at 11.30am... we ordered quickly. They adopted a new system of seating people. They give you a table number suitable for the number of patrons and the huge number tags are already on all the tables. I think this is much more efficient and it prevents people from hogging tables far too big for their group. The Teriyaki Chicken set is their latest promotion so it's not on their menu on their website. The lady introduced it to me and I gladly tried it. There's also the Teriyaki Salmon set and Teriyaki Beef Set.
Our food arrived quickly. The young man who served us patiently explained how to cook the food and what condiments we could add. He said it quickly, clearly and with a smile.
Both dishes were good. The food tasted fine, partly due to our cooking. haha
One gripe would be the presentation of the food. They were very innovative in having the paper around the hotplate so that patrons would not burn themselves against it. But the chopsticks and the bowls are of very poor material, and quite ugly in fact. Another thing is that the salt and pepper container at our table was virtually empty. Since it was the start of the day, I would have expected everything to be nicely filled up.
By the time we left at 12.10pm, the place was nicely filling up with the lunchtime crowd.
Now.. I would like to try the cheaper Pepper Lunch at Century Square Food court... haha
Rating given: