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Sport & Recreation
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1=SGD 0.0587
Caught up with some good friends over dinner at the newly opened Global Kitchen at Pan Pacific Hotel. Located on the third floor, it boasts global cuisine to go along with its stellar decor.
Global Kitchen's decor is spartan yet exudes futuristic undertones. Lighting with a hue of blue is predominant and adheres to the overall theme. If you are lucky, you might just get a semi private booth like seat which seats 2 pax for a romantic dinner.
It is my belief that all self respecting fine dining restaurants will offer complimentary bread and Global Kitchen is no exception. However, the bread falls flat in both taste and smell. Sure, there were pockets of cheese in it, but when spread over with the smooth butter, it was hardly evident. So much for the free bread.
I'm not a particular fan of Foie Gras, unless you are talking about the one which I had at IL-Lido, so this appetiser didn't really appeal to me. I just thought it would be nice to try it out after it garnered rave reviews in the Straits Times a few weeks back. On hindsight, I should have known better. The Foie Gras Creme Brulee with Sauteed Vanilla was too overpowering, rendering me almost unconscious from the overwhelming liver taste. It was a nice concept though, with the top layer sweet and burnt like your conventional Creme Brulee. The Kumquat Duck Foie Gras sounded interesting, but tasted like normal soft and quivery Foie Gras, with no Kumquat taste whatsoever. Having said that, its one of the better Foie Gras that I have eaten, not that I've eaten alot though.
Confit of Ocean Trout with Spicy Eggplant Compote and Calamansi Lime and Butter Sauce - Nicely done with raw Ocean Trout which was very fresh and smooth. I didn't get to try the eggplants, but I understand that they were quite good. Do look out for the tiny portions though.
River Prawns and Coconut Cappuccino with Prawns, Pineapple and Mango Salad - This was a rather interesting soup which tasted very strongly of prawn (no coffee taste) and had a layer of foam atop which tasted of coconut. In all honesty, with the foam out of the way, the remaining soup tasted almost like prawn noodle soup, with the colour of cappuccino though. Only one prawn was given, contrary to the name of the dish, which mentioned prawns.
Ginger and Sake Roasted Tenderloin of Beef on a bed of Wok Seared Baby Greens - As exciting as the name sounds, this was probably the biggest flop of the day. The tenderloin was undercooked for my request of medium rare. The meat was extremely chewy and rubbery(signs of undercooking) and the only sauce I could make out was a strong pepper sauce. Now where's by ginger and sake? On the whole, the taste was still not too bad, but something needs to be done about the doneness.
Strawberry Sunburst Aniseed Panna Cotta - The first of our desserts. You can't really go wrong with Panna Cotta as most people like sweet endings. The Panna Cotta came with sweet strawberries and a piece of sugar coated Danish cookie which added sweet on sweet. Texture wise, it was smooth and soft, as what I would have expected from a good Panna Cotta.
Bittersweet Chocolate Flourless Cake with Fig and Earl Gray Compote - I only had a go at the chocolate cake and didn't try the other stuff. Try as I might, but I couldn't locate the Earl Gray Compote. The chocolate cake was to have been a nice change from the usual flour ones but I honestly couldn't quite taste the difference except that it didn't have a spongy layer and overall it felt more like eating smooth layers of chocolate rather than cake. Nice, but not something I'll eat often cause it gets really sick after a while.
Red Wine Poached Pear with Rhubarb Crumble and Vanilla Ice Cream - Very nicely done with the taste of red wine entrenched in the pear. The red wine didn't come across as too strong and went well with the vanilla ice cream. Interesting dish and probably one of the better dishes that night. However, as with ALL the other dishes, portions are 2 sizes smaller than normal - very small.
A had to eat MacDonalds after that dinner set us back by about $234. Thats pretty expensive stuff if you ask me. Sad to say, Global Kitchen emphasies more on form rather than factor, which in this case, is the quality of food. The ambience is there, service is there, but the only thing lacking is the finesse of the food. Will I return? With that kind of prices and portion size, you've got to be kidding.
See my pictures here
Rating given:
Had a leisurely dim sum lunch with my friend at the much acclaimed Royal China, with branches spanning London, Singapore and Shanghai. The Singapore branch is aptly located at one of Singapore's top and most historic hotel - Raffles Hotel.
Reservations are a must at this restaurant as it is relatively small (probably about 15-20 tables) and is thronged by many executives especially during the lunch period. My friend and I learnt it the hard way and had to wait 30 minutes for a table. But then again, we got lucky as we were ushered into a private room due to the lack of available tables.
Decor at this restaurant revolves around wood, attempting to recreate a layout that shouts ancient imperial Chinese. Wooden beams and arched high ceilings complete with stained glass give the whole place a nice soothing feel.
Steamed Crystal Dumpling with Dried Scallop and Egg White - This is the first time I've actually tried this dish and I must say that I'm pretty impressed with it. The skin is thin, soft and tangy, yet strong enough to encapsule the delicious egg white and dried scallop. The entire dish came across as very smooth and light. A must try!
A must have for every dim sum session, the prawn dumpling or Har Gao was excellent with fresh and succulent prawns wrapped in a slightly chewy yet thin skin.
Steamed Seafood Roll with Minced Garlic - How misleading names can get. I certainly didn't expect the steamed seafood roll to come looking like noodles. But I'm certainly not complaining. The noodles were springy and shrouded a piece of scallop, asparagus and prawn. When eaten together with the light sauce, the lingering taste of the ocean meets with the earthly taste of the asparagus to exude a myriad of wonderful flavours.
Royal China Cheung Fan - This was no more than a serving of Char Siew Cheung Fan, Prawn Cheung Fan and Scallop Cheung Fan. However, the Cheung Fan in itself is commendable, with its soft and silky texture that guarantees to slither down your throat with great ease. Fillings are fresh as well of course.
Roasted Pork Bun - One of the very few normal tasting dishes that we ordered. It was definitely better than your average pau, but certainly not in the leagues of D'Bun or Teochew Handmade Pau.
Scallops Dumpling - This dish didn't bowl me over, but was of a certain standard. The scallops were fresh and the dumpling skin was nicely done. It just lacked the wow factor.
Shark's Fin Dumpling in Chicken and Ginseng Soup - Undoubtedly one of the star attractions of the dim sum at Royal China. The dumpling skin was soft and smooth, with the shark's fin relatively decent. Please note that its only $8.80, so do not expect top grade shark's fin or even something close. The soup was tasty yet not too heavy on the flavours, making it light on the palate.
Deep Fried Beancurd Roll - Another of my all time favourite dish. I couldn't help but compare Royal China's version to that of Wah Lok and I'm glad to say that both are equally good. The beancurd roll is deep fried to a crackling crisp and then dipped into quality soya sauce for maximum enjoyment.
Roasted Pork Puff - Ah. One of my favourite dim sum dishes. Royal China's rendition was quite good, but certainly not the best that I've tried. The crust was nicely baked with the sesame seeds putting on a strong showing. However, it lacked the baked taste that I like. The Char Siew filling, though rather tasty, was a teeny weeny bit too sticky.
Deep Fried Prawns Coated with Almond Flakes - Big, fresh and succulent prawns covered with lots of almond flakes. That's just about as exciting as it gets. Nothing special, but still a very decent and quality dish to try if you like almond with your prawns.
Donut with Red Bean Paste - East meets west in this dish and it turned out less than expected. I personally found the red bean paste too dry and hard and the donut a little too oily. A hot flowing red bean paste might have saved the dish. Marginally perhaps.
Carrot Cake - The old adage speaks true. Appearances can be deceiving. This was the case with the carrot cake. When it was served, we were dismayed as it looked rather unrefined and gave us the impression that it was hard like those you get in the hawker centres. To our amazement, it was smooth and soft without weighing in too heavy on our tastebuds. Having said that, I still reckon that Wah Lok serves a meaner rendition of this dish.
An inspiring (at least for my friend) lunch for 2 pax cost about $75, which in my opinion is money well spent. The quality of dim sum is top notch and the ambience is great. Service is good but a small minority of the staff could show more patience. If given a choice between this or Wah Lok, I'll choose this over the latter simply because it has a much wider selection of dim sum items. I'll definitely be back, with reservations of course.
See my pictures here
Rating given:
Ran some errands at Vivo City with my gf and settled for dinner at Modestos, which happened to be one of the few outlets not packing in the crowd at dinner time.
Rather obscurely located at a corner of Vivo City (which might, to a certain degree, explain its lack of patrons), Modesto's boasts a nice waterfront view through its floor to ceiling windows (at its Vivo City outlet only) and a cosy brick laid interior that gives it a much welcomed casual intonation.
Complimentary Bread - I didn't hope for much when I set my eyes on the bread and sure enough, it wasn't much. The bread was a little too dry, probably from being left in the open for too long. Quantity wise was also rather pathetic.
Fritto Misto Di Modesto - A relatively large platter of deep fried soft shell crab, squid, prawns and silver breams which looked very appetizing the minute I set my eyes on it. However it didn't quite meet expectations. The deep fried soft shell crab, though crispy and fragrant, was a tad too salty for my liking while the squids were rather soft and limp, not chewy, giving the impression of being overcooked. The silver breams and prawns were close to tasteless as well - no sweetness from either seafood nor any taste from the light but bland batter. Alright I'm just being picky and it is still a decent dish. Bang for the buck wise, its still an open verdict.
Pizza Quattro Stagioni - Honestly, this is the first time I'm having such a pizza - one which is divided into 4 different sections, each with a different topping. One part olive, one part seafood, one part ham and one part mushrooms. Presents a rather challenging task if you ask me, as different ingredients require different amounts of cooking time. The chef must have known his stuff as the pizza turned out fairly good. Using tomato sauce as the base, it didn't come across as too overwhelming and the crust was reasonably thin and full of bite, but just a little burnt around the edges. Ingredients were generous and cooked just right, complementing the pizza very well. I must say that this is one of the better pizzas that I've tried. Give me this over Pizza Hut or Canadian Pizza anyday.
Rigatoni All' Amatriciana - I've never been a fan of tomato based pastas simply because I prefer its cream base relative and that most of the pastas I've eaten which utilizes such a base tend to have this overwhelming tomato taste. Modesto's rendition of the Rigatoni, which is a tomato based pasta, didn't have this problem though. The tomato sauce was mild, in fact a little too mild to fall short of tasty and came with bits of pork bacon and onions, which did serve to enhance the overall flavour (luckily). The large tube pasta was a little undercooked though and I seriously think that this dish could do with more ingredients for its price.
Tiramisu Modesto's - I've been on a Tiramisu roll these few days and so this came as a natural extension to my meal, especially when it came highly recommended. Comparing this to the one I had at Romano Ristorante, this one was actually much finer and definitely more presentable. Though it came across as light and fluffy, the sponge to cream ratio was rather skewed, with the latter being the predominant party. Thus I couldn't quite taste the texture of the cake, which is quite sad really.
After a 30% discount, the bill worked out to be about $60 for 2 pax ($87 before discount), which still falls within my range of reasonable pricing, but do away with the discount and I might have to think really hard before coming back. Service is good though, but I don't really fancy paying so much for a casual dinner.
See my pictures here
Rating given:
On my last visit to Romano Ristorante, I spotted this restaurant going by the name of Madam Q Steakhouse just next to it and with a large placard outside advertising its set dinner for only $18.90 . That was good enough reason for me to return just to try it out.
Ironically, I didn't order the set menu and neither did my dining companions as it didn't really look very appetising. That aside, the place was simply done up but rather tiny and not to mention noisy with all the incessant chatter. What I liked about it though, was its dim lighting and nice cosy corner bench like seats which came with cushions.
Haloumi Cheese - Deep Fried Cheese with Tomato Pizzaiola Sauce - What started out as a potential drool inducing dish was nothing more than a farce. The cheese was way too chewy and bland to be even considered cheese. On top of that, the batter coating, though crispy, was a little too thick for my liking. Overall the whole dish was a joke. Nowhere in comparison to the excellent rendition that Senso dishes up.
Cheese and Tomato Bruschetta - Toasted French Bread Topped with Tomatoes and Cheese - Another joke if you ask me. The bruschetta was nothing more than a slice of toasted baguette topped with tomatoes and then covered with a layer of melting cheese. Tasted like it as well. I'm pretty sure I can do this easily at home myself and not even have to fork out a third of the price that it goes for at Madam Q's.
Beef Stew "English Style" - Beef Chunks Stewed to Perfection, with Mashed Potatoes and Carrots - First of all, I can't claim to know what exactly constitutes "English style" beef stew, but I have eaten enough beef stew to know that this one wasn't exactly stewed to perfection. For one, the beef chunks were a wee bit too soft and didn't come across as very fibrous. This dish kinda reminded me of beef redang, minus the spiciness. Decent dish though.
Barracka Chicken - Chicken Breast with Garlic sauce, Sauteed Potatoes and Vegetables - The chicken breast was a little too over grilled as evident from the charred bits along the edges. Even with the garlic sauce, the meat was still tasteless, which goes to show how strong the sauce was. To give it credit, the meat was still decently tender and succulent but portions could have been bigger.
Fish & Chips - The dish with the largest serving of the day, the humble fish & chips. Incidentally, it was probably one of the most value for money dishes that evening. Two large slabs of not exactly very fresh fish coated in decent batter, deep fried and then served with fries and vegetables. Ironically, this dish was meant to be for the kids, as told to us by the friendly owner.
Grilled Chicken in Mushroom Sauce - Grilled Chicken Thigh served with Pasta in Mushroom Sauce - Oily oily oily. That was the first impression I had when I saw the dish. The pasta was literally laden with excess olive oil and it reminded me of eating Hokkien Mee sans the Wok Hei taste. The grilled chicken was bland, just like the Barracka Chicken. A most disappointing and unhealthy dish if you ask me.
Tiramisu - I have come to realise that many eateries claim the Tiramisu as their signature dish, which really makes you wonder about the standard of Tiramisu nowadays. For a steakhouse, Madam Q's Tiramisu was actually quite decent, or more appropriately, the star of the evening (Not that it was excellent or anything close. It just happened to be the best amongst the myriad of mediocre dishes). For once I could actually taste the sponge yet at the same time enjoy the light as air cream. A note on the excessive sprinkling of chocolate powder atop though. I almost chocked on it.
Although prices were rather inexpensive, standing at about $86 for 4 pax, we were barely full after the dinner and not the least bit satisfied with the quality. Service was good though, especially with the affable boss walking around to make small talk with customers. But service only forms a smaller portion of the equation. Quality of food takes up the rest. At the end of the day, is Madam Q really a steakhouse as its name suggests, or is it an Italian restaurant, as characterised by the type of food it serves? I really wonder.
See my pictures here
Rating given:
Old style steak houses are slowly disappearing with time and taking with them memories of the culinary scene of yesteryear. Many such restaurants have revamped themselves to catch up with modern times, leaving but a pitiful few to keep the line. Mariners' Corner Restaurant & Steakhouse is one such restaurant which still hangs on to a part of history.
Inconspicuously located at the ground floor of Maritime House along Cantonment Road, Mariners' Corner has been around since 1984 and mainly catered to seafarers who dropped by the Singapore Mariner's Club. Decked out to look like a ship cabin, the interior exuded a sense of coziness and warm nostalgia with its carpeted floors, wooden panelings and checkered table cloths.
Mushroom Soup with Garlic Bread - The mushroom soup tasted like your straight out of the can Campbell soup, which was still quite decent while the garlic bread, though generous size wise, tasted nothing out of the ordinary.
Escargot Gastrome - Its been ages since I last ate Escargots. Used to have them on a regular basis when I was in Canada but stopped altogether when I returned to Singapore because of their prohibitively expensive prices here. Well I finally broke the duck and ordered half a dozen at $8, which is rather cheap if you ask me. The Escargots were baked with garlic and butter and came across as very fragrant and tasty with a rather strong garlic taste. Not that I'm complaining though as the garlic helps to mask the rawness of the flesh. However, having said that, I still prefer my Escargots baked with a layer of cheese on top. Just a subtle reminder, please do not expect top quality Escargots for the price though.
Ribeye Steak Combo with Skewered Prawn - Ribeye steak with prawns on a kebab. Whats not to like? Plenty actually. The steak, though done up medium rare and of relatively generous portions, was a little soft and limp texture wise. The accompanying mushroom sauce was flavourful though and complemented the lightly charred taste of the steak.
While the steak was still decent, the skewered prawns were a let down. Served with mushrooms and other vegetables, the prawns were unfresh and probably a little undercooked. The only positive thing was that the restaurant actually took the effort to remove the innards of the prawns before grilling it.
Grilled Lobster with Boneless Chicken Fillet - I was shocked by the size of the lobster when this dish came into view. It was huge, at least for the price. Having said that, the amount of meat that came with the lobster was pathetic, weighing in no more than 2 mouthfuls. On top of that, the meat was a little too dry and tough. The chicken fared a little better, with the meat nicely marinated with garlic and pepper, giving it a nice pepperish taste. With the accompanying mushroom sauce, it actually tasted quite decent.
Dinner for 2 in a relaxing environment with excellent service cost about $55, which isn't too much to pay considering we had steak, lobsters, escargots and other stuff like free flow salad, dessert, soft drinks and soup which came with the set meal. Sure, this isn't the best place to enjoy a good quality dinner, not even close. But it makes you feel right at home and prices are considerably cheap for what you get. So if you do go, lower your expectations, kick back and relax.
See my pictures here
Rating given:
The venue for the September edition of our monthly dinner was the much anticipated Hai Tien Lo. After all the rather substandard monthly dinners we had been having over the last 2 months, it was decided that a road more familiar would be taken for once and the patronising of new places would be left to subsequent dinners. For my previous write ups on Hai Tien Lo, please see here, here and here
If you have read all my writeups on Hai Tien Lo, you would have noticed that Peking duck has always been on the order list and there was no exception this time round as well. The skin was as I remembered it to be, crisp with minimal fats and wrapped in nice and thin pancakes. However, the meat was a little disappointing on this occasion. Some parts of the meat were a little dry and tough while some were fine. Not evenly roasted if you ask me. But its still good.
Hai Tien Lo Homemade Beancurd with Minced Pork & Pine Mushroom Sauce - A signature dish of Hai Tien Lo, the tofu was a little lacklustre today. Sure, it was still silky and smooth, but I personally found the taste a little too weak as compared to a similar dish I had on a previous occasion. Nevertheless, the gravy did make up for it some sort as it came across as a little starchy and full of flavours from the minced pork and mushroom.
Sautéed Snow Peas with Deep Fried Crispy Dried Scallops & Fermented Mustard Vegetables - Not a particularly exciting dish, the snow peas were crunchy and fresh though and went well with the slightly salty mustard vegetables or Cai Por as most people know it. Sadly, the dried scallops didn't really taste like scallops. In fact it didn't have much taste at all. Maybe its purpose was just to provide a nice crisp to the whole dish.
Sautéed Silvers of Ostrich with Honey Pepper Sauce - A rather exotic dish which you don't commonly find elsewhere, the ostrich meat tasted to me like a softer rendition of pork and was mildy sweet and pepperish from the sauce. Served atop a bed of fresh crunchy snow peas, the colour contrast was boldly striking and enticing.
Sautéed Scallops & Lobster with Garlic - I didn't expect this dish to come with asparagus as an added bonus. The lobster pieces were relatively fresh and crunchy and so were the scallops, which were both generous in size and quantity. Whats not to like?
Steamed Prawns with Mashed Garlic Served in Bamboo Basket - Humongous fresh and crunchy prawns steamed and served with a nice flavourful garlic sauce, the steamed prawns were rightly one of the stars for the evening. A pity we were only allocated 2 pieces of prawns each.
Stewed Fish Noodles with Ginger & Spring Onions Served with King Prawn - The honour of being the Pièce de résistance for the evening went to a very well executed stewed fish noodles. Common as it may be in most Chinese restaurants of similar standing, Hai Tien Lo's offering is a cut above the rest and yes, that includes the excellent one I had from Li Bai. Hai Tien Lo's rendition carried more flavour in the stock and the noodles were slightly thinner yet equally robust and chewy, making for a gastronomical indulgence. May I add that the king prawn was huge as well? However, as with Li Bai, portions were small and this dish could well do with more of the tasty noodles.
Cod Fish Baked & Glazed with Moet & Chandon Champagne Sauce - The cod fish glazed with Moet & Chandon champagne was nicely baked, a little charred along the edges and tender, albeit a tad too soft and sweet from the sauce. Couldn't quite make out the Moet or champagne though. What I liked about this dish was that it came with tiny cubes of jackfruit and strawberries, which complemented the dish very well.
How much would you expect to pay for such a filling and wonderful dinner? Nothing less than $564 for 6 pax. Do the math and it comes to about $94 per head, which is rather expensive. But hey, with a 25% discount, the bill drops to a more manageable $70, a price everyone was more than happy to pay. Add the fact that you are perched 37 storeys up with a bird's eye view and you have a clear winner.
See my pictures here
Rating given:
Popped by Thai Village with my gf and parents to have dinner. Honestly I have never been a fan of Thai Village, not after my unhappy encounter at the restaurant's Oasis outlet, details of which I shall not divulge for some personal reasons.
Sitting pretty in a stand alone structure with huge windows in the midst of secluded Taman Jurong, Thai Village literally outshines the competition (think MacDonalds and KFC) with its huge neon signboards and brightly lighted interior. Surprisingly, for a restaurant situated in such an isolated heartland, it was rather packed by the time we got down to eating our food.
Thai Village is purportedly known for its quality shark's fin at a prices that won't break your arm. At $90 for a portion of shark's fin large enough for 6 bowls, I'm inclined to agree. However, the quality of the shark's fin was rather debatable as the fins, though served as a whole piece, was a little too coarse, unlike top grade shark's fin where the fins are smooth and have a slight bony texture. The soup could also have been better, coming across as a tad too starchy and heavy. But honestly, I'll be hard pressed to find a dish of similar quality and quantity for that price in Singapore(maybe I just haven't eaten enough to know).
Salt Baked Chicken Drumsticks - As tantalizing as the name may sound, it tasted nowhere near. I was expecting something salty yet the chicken, which was served in a huge claypot, turned out sweet. Sure, the meat was tender but $16 for 6 tiny pieces is a big no no. It was overall a very forgettable dish.
Baked Crabs with Vermicelli & the garlic base - The star for the evening - Baked Crabs with Vermicelli. To be honest, I haven't had such a great rendition of this dish for eons. The crab's flesh was fresh, sweet and firm, all markings of an excellent crab. The vermicelli was excellent as well, having soaked up the juices from the crab as well as from the tons of garlic at the bottom, rendering it soft and silky with a rather strong garlic taste. And before I forget, there was a little surprise hidden beneath the mountain of garlic - pieces of 3 tiered pork (literal translation from San Chen Rou) which were a little too hard from all the baking but tasted excellently garlicky nevertheless.
Seafood Fried Rice - A 50-50 dish if you ask me. Why so? The rice was fragrant and tasty but lacked the quintessential Wok Hei taste. Seafood pickings were also rather miserly. Take your chances!
Asparagus Fried with Mushroom - Asparagus are supposed to be a little hard and crunchy, but this one was a little too soft and portions were measly. Coupled with the fact that I could only make out 6 pieces of scallops and it becomes a must never order again dish.
Baked Thai Style Cod Fish - The fish was a little crispy on the outside but terribly tasteless, unless you consider oil a taste. Not to mention that it wasn't actually very fresh. I guess I need not say more.
Yam Paste - One of the very decent Orh Nee that I've tried, but just a little too runny for my liking and the onset of a generous quantity of coconut milk was quite overwhelming.
The 4 of us chalked up a rather hefty bill of about $230, which I feel is a little on the expensive side given the number of merely average dishes. Sure the Baked Crabs and Shark's Fin Soup soup were good, but I really don't foresee myself returning just for those.
See my pictures here
Rating given:
Cathay - a name synonymous with movies of the past era. What most people don't know is that Cathay actually operates a rather niche eatery in its premises which goes by the name of The Cathay Restaurant. Started in 1940, the restaurant served up European fare but switched to Chinese food in 1951 and was purportedly Singapore's finest Chinese restaurant at that time.
Situated on the 2nd floor of the spanking new Cathay building, The Cathay Restaurant embraces the modern with its unpretentiously upclass decor yet retains his heritage by showcasing portraits of movie stars from the golden era. Retro-ish (if there's such a word) I must say.
Doubled Boiled Shark's Bone Cartilage with Bamboo Fungus - I've always been a fan of shark bone soup and The Cathay Restaurant's rendition didn't disappoint. But then again, it wasn't outstanding either. The soup was tasty but did come across as a little too milky for my liking and left a slight starchy residue on my tongue after every mouthful, which I personally found a little unsettling.
Deep Fried Spring Rolls - This is not your usual spring rolls because it comes with fatty pork, mushrooms and turnip as ingredients. Found it rather normal in spite of all the ingredients, probably due to the overall blandness but the skin was nice and crisp though.
Siew Mai - Interestingly, the Siew Mai had this predominant mushroom taste owing to the fact that one of the ingredients in it was a sizable chunk of mushroom. This is something rather unique but I personally found it a little too "mushroomy", totally eclipsing the traditional pork taste that I associate with Siew Mai. Just an individual preference I guess.
Pan Fried Pork Chop with Special Sauce - The pork chop was very well marinated as evident by the lightly sweet flavours each bite held. However, the pork was a tad on the chewy side which made eating difficult and there was a slight overuse on the amount of Chinese celery as I found the taste pretty evident, to the extent of being a little overwhelming.
Poached Seasonal Vegetables - Funny how poached seasonal vegetables would turn out to have beancurd in it. Not that I'm complaining though. The beancurd was tasty but wasn't firm or silky enough to make the premium grade cut. The vegetables tasted like they had been blanched in boiling water and served up with gravy.
Special Homemade Noodles with Mixed Seafood - I honestly don't see or taste anything special about the homemade noodles. Sure, it was chewy but that was it. Beansprouts and fresh average sized prawns graced the dish which tasted to me a little like Hor Fun due to the slightly smoky and starchy gravy. Having said that, the gravy was really too weak to make much of a difference, especially when the noodles were practically tasteless. I had to resort to adding soya sauce.
Double Boiled Dried Apricot with Sea Coconut and Red Dates -
If you get a kick out of having a sugar rush, then this dessert is probably for you. It was insanely sweet and I must say even for a sugar fanatic like me, I had a hard time trying to finish it. I attribute this to the extra sugar they added into the syrup on top of the sweetness from the already very sweet apricot.
With a 1 for 1 offer from Standard Chartered, I only had to fork out about $55 for 2 pax, which I feel is rather reasonable given the acceptable quantity and decent quality of food. If the standard of the dim sum is anything to go by, food quality at The Cathay isn't exactly top notch, but its refined enough to warrant another visit. Not without a high percentage discount though.
See all my pictures here
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:
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: