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fin1710's Reviews

    1121. Cafe Swiss   
       15 Oct 2007 at 12:35 am
    Category: Swiss
    feizhu feizhu says:

    Cafe Swiss - a not too recent addition to the Swissotel family and specialising in traditional Swiss and European Cuisine. Honestly, I have but a vague idea of what constitutes Swiss cuisine. My idea of Swiss food goes as far as Cheese Fondue. Its shameful really, considering that I had a Swiss buddy in school while I was pursuing my college education.

    Far from the maddening crowd, in a private space with a soaring ceiling on the second level of Raffles City, Cafe Swiss provides the perfect place to have that idyllic dinner as crowds are scarce and the ambience is one of contemporary elegance infused with soothing comfort.

    The de facto opening dish - complimentary bread. Although Cafe Swiss serves up various varieties of bread in a neat napkin wrapped basket, none of them impressed me at all. Not to mention they weren't the least bit warm as well. So much for the purposeful napkin.

    Veal Emince Zurichoise - Sliced veal and button mushroom on morel cream sauce with roesti potato. Interestingly, I never had veal done this way thus this dish proved to be an eye opener for me. Not that it tasted out of this world though. The veal was done medium well with the button mushrooms wedged between the rolled up veal. All of which was served on a bed of rice (Risotto? Sure tasted like it) with the morel(type of mushroom) cream sauce. Honestly, the veal was a tad too salty for my liking but I do like the texture and the flavour of the veal and this dish as a whole especially with the infusion of the cream sauce. Look out for the small portions though.

    Papet Vaudois - Smoked pork sausage on leek and potato stew. Firstly, the sausage didn't taste smoked to me. Second, it lacked the exploding juices effect when popped into the mouth. However, having said that, it was nice and flavourful but could have been better. A plus point was its huge size.

    Ignorant me has never eaten carrot cake before (Not chye tao kway!) so we got this to try. First looks didn't impress me much as the cake looked unevenly sliced with carrots protruding out from the sides. Taste wise was decent, with the sugar top not too sweet and the cake tasty from the walnuts, almonds and carrots within. However, it was a little too dry, which is a bummer really.

    I would like to think that through this meal, I have learnt what Swiss cuisine is all about. Unfortunately I'm none the wiser even after spending about $70 for 2 pax (before discount).

    See my pictures here


    Rating given:Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

    1122. 987FM   
       13 Oct 2007 at 12:09 am
    claud claud says:

    "Ping..."
    "Yes Pong?"
    "I don't know how to fill up the form."
    "Why Pong?"
    "I don't know what to write for 'sign here'"
    "Aiyoh Pong, why you so stupid?"
    "You're a leo, so write leo loh!"

    These two characters are my bf's and my favorite! Every night we would want to listen to them just to hear what they have to say. I miss their show. Hope they'll be doing a new one soon.


    Rating given:Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

       12 Oct 2007 at 10:14 am
    Category: European
    feizhu feizhu says:

    Was wandering around United Square with my gf deciding what to eat for dinner when we chanced upon this eatery/watering hole.

    Tucked in a rather obscure corner of United Square, it is hidden from the crowds that descend upon the other more prominent food outlets in the area. This isn't a bad thing at all, considering that it provides a welcome respite from all the hustle and bustle. The interior of the place is simply charming. A high ceiling coupled with an overhanging chandelier against a red wall backdrop provides a feeling of space and relaxation. Add the comfy window seats and soft background music to the equation and viola, you have a nice chill out place.

    Nicely presented with a slice of bread, the mushroom soup didn't quite meet expectations. It came across as a little runny and tasteless although it was made from grounded mushrooms. A little salt might have done wonders. And at $8 a bowl, it certainly didn't come cheap.

    Long Fed Ribeye - According to the waiter who recommended this dish to me, long fed beef has its fats within the slab of meat, whereas normal beef has fats around the edges. Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I infer that its something similar to Wagyu then? The beef was served almost well done and strangely enough, the waiter didn't ask me how I wanted it to be done when he took my order. I wonder why. That aside, the ribeye was surprisingly tender for its doneness, but lacked the succulence that I would have enjoyed. Size wise was probably about 180g - 200g. The accompanying mushroom sauce was a little diluted and light on the flavours. I would have preferred a more robust sauce honestly.

    The Coppa Noce sounded absolutely tempting but like the mushroom soup, fell a little short. The Maple Walnut ice cream had no hint of maple syrup whatsoever whereas the Straciatella had a slight tinge of coffee aftertaste. Nothing spectacular really.

    $60 for 1 pax (I did all the eating) is pretty steep for the quantity and quality of food served. To top it off, I wasn't exactly stuffed up after the meal, which says pretty much about the quantity I guess. Service is good but food quality really needs to move up a notch or else all the good service and ambience will still amount to zilch.

    See all my pictures here


    Rating given:Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

    1124. My Humble House   
       11 Oct 2007 at 12:02 pm
    claud claud says:

    A special evening at Humble House.

    It was their 5th birthday and together with couple of Yebbers, we joined in the celebration last night. On this special evening, the place was transformed to a stylish cocktail environment where tables were set-up around the restaurant with their chefs and service staff serving up some of their best modern Chinese cuisine.

    Without a doubt, My Humble House is the place to go for their chic and modern dining atmosphere. Experience the art of dining at My Humble House. One thing that we agreed in unison was the beauty of the decor and uniqueness of cutlery used.

    The menu served that night includes Lobster Popiah, Foie-grass, Scallops, Wagyu Beef, Peking Duck, Fried Chicken Rice and tantalizing selection of desserts. There were also wine tasting tables spread across the room with 18 different varieties of old & new world wines.

    Personally, my favorite from that night were the Peking Duck, Wagyu Beef and the Fried Chicken Rice. Let me elaborate a little about the Fried Chicken Rice...

    Served in miniature cups, this is not just any usual chicken rice nor how the name suggested. When one hears the dish Fried Chicken Rice, one will imagine having crunch chicken bits with steamed chicken rice. However, their version was the total opposite. With the chicken rice fried and topped with steamed shredded chicken. And before you eat, they add in the chicken soup. The combination was unique and out of the norm. Bite into the spoonful of rice with soup, and feel the crispiness of the chicken rice.

    Overall the food from the night was average. This may be due to the buffet style dinner, mass production of food, and hence the quality of the food is not up to their usual standard. Perhaps it'll be much better to go dine and try the regular menu. But then, that'll also mean paying a lot more for that.


    Rating given:Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

    1125. Bento Box   
       11 Oct 2007 at 11:41 am
    Polarbear Polarbear says:

    Been there only once or twice. Although they serves a variety of food there, so called Jap Fusion food, find their food below average. I could have got better jap food from the food court upastairs.

    Like what genzo had mentioned, they work on a self service method, so have to go to the counter to order. So they better dun charge me any service charge. The food is served in a prompt manner.

    The aunties there also very hardworking once you have finished the food, they will clear the tray from the table. Telling you in a silent way that:" You have finished eating. Time to get out of here!"

    Dun think I will go and eat there if given the choice.


    Rating given:Rating: 1 out of 5Rating: 1 out of 5Rating: 1 out of 5Rating: 1 out of 5Rating: 1 out of 5

       11 Oct 2007 at 11:31 am
    Polarbear Polarbear says:

    The flea market jz happens out PF (China Sq). It alwasy attracts a crowd of people to go there see see look look.

    Since I am there on Sundays for gym, I will walk around to see if there is anything good to buy.

    Most of the people that set up stalls there are old people with a wide variety of both old (very old!) stuff or slightly newer things. Like Claudia had mentioned, you can find all the old toys, CD, even clothings there. Mostly 2nd hand stuff.

    I am always on the look out for old toys, especially those that I had been playing since I was young. Those really bring back good memories.

    Like all flea markets (I think), you can bargain with the seller for good price.


    Rating given:Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

       11 Oct 2007 at 11:21 am
    Polarbear Polarbear says:

    I am a big fan of La Mian & Xiao Long Bao from Crystal Jade. Once I feel like eating them, I will always think of Crystal Jade first. I have been to the Jurong Point outlet a few times and always find it crowded with people same as other outlets as well but to me the wait is worth it.

    The few usual dishes that I like are

    1. Xiao Long Bao. Their star. Big and Juicy. The skin is not too thick or thin. The soup inside is sweet. The meat is tender.

    2. They offer a lot of la mian but my fav will be always La Mian with Fried Pork Cutlets. (Wonder I got it right?) The pork slices are fried but not oily, tender and juicy.

    3. Fried rice. Their fried rice are ok with me but I fine them a bit on the oily side at times.

    4. Side dishes like chicken in wine, their vegetatrian goose meat, I like, especially the last one. Although it is not the crispy type but it is full of flavour.

    5. Dishes. I like their huge kailan. It is really good and crunchy. They got a dish crabmeat with egg white then add a raw egg yolk on top. I like it as well.

    6. Dessert. I loved their mango pudding so much that I can have 2 servings at one go. Haa... Nice mango taste with real mango meat inside, mixed with a lot of condense milk. Yum Yum! It is always good to end the meal with one.

    Most of the outlets I went to, find that their service are up to par and swift. Friendly most of the times.

    Find the place always a bit too cramped and they try to squeeze in as many tables in as possible. Not able to hold a private conversation, but good to see what other people are eating though. Haa....

    The place is always like those Hong Kong eateries noisy at time as well.

    Overall, I like the food too much and able to overlook all the small little flaws they have. At time, they do have certain credit card promotions, so always ask before ordering.

    Enjoy!


    Rating given:Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

    1128. Asia Grand Restaurant   
       11 Oct 2007 at 9:59 am
    feizhu feizhu says:

    Asia Grand Restaurant has reopened with much fanfare at the former premises of Chef Chan at Oden Towers. Formerly from Asia Grand Hotel, Asia Grand Restaurant was set up by the original owners of the popular Tsui Hang chain of restaurants, which has since closed down.

    A brightly lighted interior greets you as you step into the rather cramp restaurant, which incidentally, was packed with people. Floor to ceiling windows offer a clear view of passers by at ground level, seperated only by thin veiled curtains. The lack of privacy is further enhanced by the closely placed tables which makes it hard not to eavesdrop.

    The appetizer was a mixture of Capsicum, fish cakes and bell peppers, which was rather intriguing given that I've never tried anything like it. The fishcake cubes took on a slight tinge of the bell pepper taste and proved to be a nice way to start dinner rolling.

    Braised Shark's Fin Soup with Shredded Chicken & Bamboo Pith -
    Honestly, for a restaurant such as Asia Grand, I would have expected better shark's fin soup. Not just quality of fins wise, but overall preparation of the soup as well. The soup was way too starchy and oily by any measure. The fins were of rather inferior quality but portions were still decent. Overall an average dish and no more.

    Peking Duck - Our unanimous star of the evening - the humble Peking duck. With crackling crispy skin thats almost fat free wrapped in thin yet chewy egg crepes, you will be hard pressed to find any substitutes with similar quality at such a low price of $28 a duck (ongoing promotion).

    Baked Lobster with Egg Yolk - The lobster got me all excited and was one of the reasons why we chose to order the set menu instead of going ala carte. My hopes shattered when I saw the size of the lobsters. They were tiny, weighing in at most the size of a huge prawn. The meat was barely a spoonful, which was absolutely pathetic. Berates aside, I must admit that the lobster was quite tasty, with the saltiness from the egg yolk complementing the slightly sweet lobster flesh. However, the egg yolk could have been saltier to further bring out the contrast.

    Duck Fried Rice - Wondering what happened to the meat from the Peking duck? Well, you have your answer. The rice was moist and rather well fried together with the fibrous yet tender duck meat. However, it did get rather bland after a while. I mean, how tasty can it get when its just diced duck with rice and egg with no gravy whatsoever?

    Steamed Pa Ting fish with Olive, Chilli & Garlic - A most forgettable dish - steamed fish at its most uninspiring. The fish was fresh but not particularly sweet. It didn't help that the fish was rather small as well.

    Sauteed Fresh Scallop with Assorted Mushroom - The scallops were supposed to be the main focal point in this dish, but ironically I preferred the mushrooms better. Tasty, juicy and the direct opposite of the scallops, which were a tad too soft without much bite and rather bland. Portions are pathetic as well and we had to limit everyone to 2 scallops each. Talk about rationing.


    $61.50/pax is rather expensive for such an average repertoire of food, the Peking duck withstanding. Service is excellent and all of the wait staff are attentive and friendly. After doing my math, I reckon I'll be back just for the $28 Peking duck. No more, no less.

    See all my pictures here


    Rating given:Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

       11 Oct 2007 at 12:21 am
    genesis genesis says:

    Spotted this outlet at East Coast after seeing the long long long queue at Astons. Just wonder why so long...seems almost eternity to queue for Steaks at Astons. So we gave up on Astons and drove further down towards Katong Shopping Centre.

    We spotted Black Canyon and decided to give it a try. Looking at their menu, they have quite a wide selection of Specialty coffee from Mexico, Austria, Italy, Thailand and the standard coffee. I tried the Black Canyon Coffee Frost and the effect of the coffee lasted the whole night - could not sleep until do not know when. So if you need to burn the midnight oil and have a paper to study for, this is the coffee to take!

    Since we were there for a meal, we opted for the Sesame Crusted Fish Rice and the Special Chicken Basil Rice. Servings were just right and food on the whole was average.

    The food menu is typically Thai. Do not know if I am wrong, but most of the staff might also be Thai (did not pay much attention to their accent). They also serve some fusion dishes like Tom Yum Soup with Pasta and Chicken Green curry with Pasta. Maybe will try this the next time. But the thought of To Yum with Pasta does not seem appetizing. :)

    Would surely visit this place again to try out the different types of coffee and perhaps drop by after dinner.

    Nice cosy atmosphere and seating is also plentiful. The only problem is parking....parking along East Coast Road is a perpetual problem.

    Sorry about the pictures...use camera phone lah.


    Rating given:Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

    1130. Villa Seafood Galleria   
       10 Oct 2007 at 9:57 am
    feizhu feizhu says:

    The tour of trying out far flung food places continues with a visit to Villa Seafood Galleria. As with Made In China and Pier Eleven, Villa Seafood Galleria is owned and operated by the Singapore Explorer group, which has a knack for sourcing out isolated places to set up restaurants. I mean that as a compliment by the way.

    Sitting pretty at the top of Labrador nature reserve overlooking the sea, Villa Seafood Galleria is a little paradise all by itself, shrouded in greenery. The private dining room was set amongst a pool and oozed pure class through its fall to ceiling windows. The air conditioned common dining room, however, didn't impress that much but was spacious and comfortable with yes, floor to ceiling windows as well.

    less than interesting name, a less than interesting dish. The Crispy Almond Chicken was essentially chicken coated with almond on the skin and baked. The skin was nice and crunchy from all the almonds but the meat was a little on the dry side. Ironically, for a name like Almond Chicken, there wasn't the faintest taste of almond at all, at least not that I could detect. However, the biggest gripe about this dish was that some pieces of chicken had a slight oil residue, which is a big no no.

    Fish noodles usually come in soup so this variation of Fried Noodle with Seafood came as something new to me. Not that I'm complaining though. The noodles were slimmer and more springy, with the extra bite evident. However, I did find it a little too oily though, which made it almost unpalatable when cold. On a positive note, the toppings of prawns and scallops were plentiful, making the dish all the more enjoyable.

    You can't really go wrong with vegetables and the Kailan with Scallops and Crab Meat was well, simple yet tasty. Fresh and crunchy, the vegetables were topped with generous servings of crab meat and gravy.

    Huge prawns which were a little crisp along the edges yet succulent and full of bite topped with a thin layer of wasabi and mayonnaise. Now who wouldn't like that? The wasabi sauce honestly didn't look like much but it got really strong after a while. The small slices of cut fruit, though nothing fantastic, were a nice complement to the prawns.

    Another first for me, the pumpkin sago was smooth yet not too starchy. Coming across as sweet and refreshing with the fruits and grass jelly in it, it was a little small for the price though. It helped that the sago was served really chilled as well.

    I would say that the food at Villa Seafood Galleria tends towards the finer side as compared to its sister restaurant, Made In China, but of course prices are steeper and portions are smaller as well. $113 for 2 pax does seem a little on the high side but the ambience and service more than makes up for it. If you have a big group (10-20pax), you must go for the private dining room by the poolside.

    See all my pictures here


    Rating given:Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

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