Ever since Top of the M closed down with much fanfare in early 2008, Meritus Mandarin's iconic coffeehouse, Chatterbox, has moved up the levels (literally) to occupy what used to be the crowning glory of this centrally located hotel in Orchard Road.
Perched on the 39th floor of the hotel, the interior now sports bright red tables and pillars to give a very traditional coffeeshop feeling, yet still offering a panoramic view of the surroundings. Note that the restaurant doesn't revolve anymore, leaving that honour solely to Prima Tower.
Chicken Rice Set - Chatterbox has been known for its excellent chicken rice and of course its exorbitant prices. Consisting of only a bowl of rice, soup and a relatively generous serving of chicken meat, this dish is definitely not for the value conscious.The soup was very tasty probably due to the high MSG content while the chicken was sufficiently tender with an appropriate amount of bite. Personally I felt that the rice wasn't fluffy or tasty enough, coming across as a tad dry and limp.
Flowering Chinese leaf cabbage - The Cai Xin was as normal as it gets but portions were really small for the price ($9 ).
Apple & Raisin Tart - In all honesty, I was quite surprised to find a "western" dessert on a menu that featured mainly Chinese/local fare and since my initial choice of homemade coconut ice cream was out of stock, I settled for the tart. Which wasn't exactly a bad choice considering that the tart was quite crusty with a nice oven baked taste to it. Add a couple of sweet apple slices, raisins and a scoop of ice cream for a rather nice ending. But hey, its $12 .
I shudder to imagine the ridiculous price I would have to pay in the absence of my 1 for 1 chicken rice voucher. Even so, the bill for 2 pax came up to about $53 ($81 without voucher), which is really quite off the chart if you ask me. Service was decent but I seriously doubt I will return, not for the food and definitely not for the high prices.
With the latest TV drama on Channel 8, I'm sure there'll be an increase of interest among Singaporeans to want to learn more about the Peranakan culture. If you still do not know about it, there's a Peranakan Museum in Singapore!
I visited the museum awhile back and I'm impressed with the collection and details that the curators present at the museum. There's a total of 10 galleries housed within the 3-storey building.
You can learn about the origin, the 12-day wedding, the nonya, their religion and their life in public. With the world’s finest and most comprehensive collection of Peranakan artefacts, you'll sure be spending hours in there exploring and experiencing the Peranakan way of living.
If you're glued to the television set daily watching the drama show, you might want to go check out the museum too. I would recommend joining a guided tour if there's any. This is the best way to learn more about museum.
After hearing much about the famous Ayam Penyet at Lucky Plaza, finally I went to try it. And there are so many version of Ayam Penyet within the building. I hope I didn't go to the wrong one.
From the photo, you can see the crispiness of the ayam (chicken). The serving size is pretty big and the rice is fragrant too. But for me, having ayam penyet, the most important ingredient is the chili! The more the merrier!
And with just this one plate of Ayam Penyet, and some beef balls, I finished 4 portions of their powerful chili!! I was sweating and feeling the tummy spinning, but I just couldn't stop! I love their chili!
There are so many new eateries at Downtown East E!hub, we were spoiled for choice. On our way to the toilet on the second floor, we saw an interesting shop selling colorful noodles! Yes! There were green, yellow, orange, and brownish looking ones. And there's also green and golden dumplings. And best of all, it's Halal certified. So we decided to give it a try.
The place is very small and has cafeterias kind of tables and chairs. The menu is whatever you see on the big signboard. I can't recall the name of the dishes, and since there wasn't any website to go to for details, I'll refer my review with the photos posted.
I ordered a type of laksa that cames with orange looking noodles. The laksa stock was quite tasty and the noodles was pretty alright. I still prefer laksa with thick bee hoon thou. The noodle tasted like the ban mian kind of you mian. And I couldn't really figure out if there should be a unique taste to the noodles since the laksa stock has covered up all other tastes that's supposed to be there.
My partner ordered a mee goreng like noodle that came with diced crab stick and 2 pieces of halved hotdog at the side. Noodle was alright but not as tasty as he hoped. A suggestion to the owner (if they ever get to read this) is to slice their hotdogs too for this noodle. At least it looks better and perhaps might help make it more appertising too.
The twin color dumplings were pretty good. With so much taste from the laksa and mee goreng, we couldn't quite figure out what was in these dumplings. Perhaps fish meat or something.
Later we realised this shop's main business is the distribution of their innovative noodles. You can buy them home and prepare it your own way.
Oh! And there's also the complimentary tidbits. Looks like fried crispy flat noodles. But we both agreed that this tasted the best. If I'm not wrong, they're also selling these in packets which is like 50cent or $2 only. Great as snacks while coaching in with a good movie.
Zenden is one of the offerings in Gallery Hotel's F&B stable, sitting on the fourth level of this art inspired boutique hotel and serving up modern contemporary and Asian cuisine.
Interior, Complimentary Bread & Menu - The restaurant employs a more open concept interior, where the lift landing blends effortlessly into the restaurant and through the use of expansive floor to ceilings windows that overlook the traffic on a rather quiet stretch of road. The use of pink, blue and purple chair wraps give the whole place an almost playful intonation. Add to that the suspended glass tabletops that are supported by only by steel wires running from the ceiling to the floor.
Oven Baked Scallops & Prawns - This dish came served with rice and honestly I was quite taken by it. The scallops were rather big and fresh sans the overwhelming raw taste. Ditto for the prawns as well. Interestingly, the rice tasted more like paella to me and was firm yet mildly chewy. Capping off this simple yet satisfying dish was the thick gravy that came across as a tad milky and peppery.
Flambe Beef Medallion Steak - I call this the highlight of the evening, not so much for the taste of the beef, but the spectacular (well almost) performance that preceded. The supervisor wheeled out a trolley and proceeded to flambe my steak in front of my table (talk about cutting cost! Where's the chef?). However, to be fair, the tenderloin came medium rare as per request but I did find it a wee bit too chewy. There was no brandy/wine taste to speak off as well. The accompanying cubes of foie gras had a texture like that of tau kwa aka beancurd - not quivery or smooth but still edible.
Banana Split - What can I say? Supermarket grade ice cream topped with fruits instead of just banana and covered in whipped cream. As normal as it gets.
I had the cheaper main taken off my bill due to a promotion, which resulted in a total damage of about $48 ($72 without discount) for 2 pax. I am of the opinion that the food isn't expensive per se, especially when quality is decent and service is excellent. But on a side note, the place did seem a little short handed that evening. Special mention goes to the supervisor, Caron, who provided exceptional service throughout the evening, making our dining experience a truely enjoyable one.
Was roaming the Raffles place area one late Saturday morning and popped by Village Wok for an early lunch. Actually that was the only place that opened at 11 ish so I didn't have much of a choice honestly. It also helped that they were hawking a set lunch set reasonably priced at only $8.90.
Located amongst a row of restored shophouses just opposite China Square, Village Wok is easy to miss especially if you are driving past because of the lack of prominent signage. The interior is simply furnished with parquet flooring and white washed walls.
Preserved Vegetable Soup - The preserved vegetable soup or 梅菜汤 came with the set and was rather normal but hey, its better then nothing.
Beancurd with Minced Meat - This was an extra order at $6 and honestly I was quite taken aback by the small portion. It was probably just enough for 2 pax - adequate but not exactly bang for the buck. To give it credit though, the beancurd was smooth and almost silky with a nice savoury taste to it while the topping of minced meat was generous.
Village Smoked Chicken and Char Siew Rice - The smoked chicken was purportedly an award winning dish hence I had to order it. While high expectations may have ruined the experience a little for me, I must admit that the chicken was actually quite decent. Faintly crispy skin with the meat harbouring a hint of smokiness without being too dry. I did find it a little too salty for my liking though and I do have a high tolerance for salt. As for the BBQ pork, lets just say that I've had better.
Hor Fun with Egg Sauce - Okay this dish was a tad disappointing honestly. It tasted average at best and the only upside to it was that the sauce wasn't too starchy or overwhelming. Still edible though.
$30 for a 2 pax lunch in a empty restaurant smack in the middle of Raffles place is not too expensive if you ask me. Food quality is decent but service was almost non existent save for the taking of our orders and serving of food. In conclusion, a relatively reasonable place for a nice relaxing lunch during the weekend. I can't say the same for weekdays though.
After the last dim sum at Zhou’s kitchen, it took some time before i regained my craving for our “Chinese tapas“. And this time round, i chose Kam Boat since my friends wanted a convenient location. Marina Square it is, how accessible. I must admit, when i first heard that Kam boat dim sum kitchen was in Marina Square, i was thinking where it was, since i never saw it everytime i went MS. Right, Kam boat location is very easy to find, if you are coming from the underground citylink. Upon coming up the escalator, they are at the entrance of MS, breeks cafe is also there.
The restaurant interior was smaller that what i expected from the outside, still it could seat about 50 thereabouts. Simple furnishings ooze a cosy feel, and we were quite surprise that the restaurant was barely filled on a Saturday afternoon. The lightning was very good, in fact one of the few places where i only took a few snaps and i’m happy with the photos.
Note that they have discount of 30% for dim sum on weekends 230-530pm. The prices i stated are all their original price before discount. Most of their dim sum are around 4 bucks, and after 30% discount, its around $2.80, which is rather cheap.
Steamed prawn dumpling ($4.20) I loved the jade-colour basket, which exuded a feel to enhance the flavour of the dim sum. The steamed prawn dumpling didn’t allow us to have the best of both worlds. The prawn within was crunchy and whole, but the skin was a tad thick, and sticked to the teeth. But with the discount, the har gau was barely a dollar each.
Steamed Xiao Long Bao ($4.20) I was never a big fan of Xiao Long Bao (XLB), this one here was all right, the soup stock gashed out of the skin when we took a bite, but having had one of the best and most expensive XLB before, this one paled in comparison.
Rice noodle roll with shrimp ($5.60) If it wasn’t for the 30% discount, i would feel that the shrimp cheong fun was too expensive. The shrimp, like the one in the har gau, was crunchy, rolled within the cheong fun, and together with the light sauce, made a good start for our meal.
Steamed siew mai with mushroom ($4.20) The notable difference between Kam Boat’s rendition and the norm was the addition of mushroom. Like the one i had at Zhou’s Kitchen, the mushroom didn’t really enhanced the flavour of the siew mai, since the porky and prawn taste was so strong. But it’s a nice change.
Steamed barbecued pork bun ($3.50) I think most kids don’t like char siew bun since they always had it for breakfast. But i always couldn’t resist ordering char siew bun from restaurants since theirs were always so good!
Steamed chives dumpling ($4) This was one of the more unpleasant choice, since nobody liked chives, i’ve no idea who went and ordered this.
Deep fried prawn dumpling with salad ($4.20) You know, deep fried prawn dumpling is always good, especially so when you dipped in the slightly sour salad sauce. Shiok!
Deep fried prawn with mango roll ($4.20) Besides salad, mango’s another good combination with fried prawn. The deep fried prawn with mango roll was crispy outside, crunchy with the prawns, and fruity with the mango.
Pan fried meat dumpling ($4) Meat dumpling or “wo tie” is often eaten together with ginger and vinegar. But since i didn’t like eating ginger and vinegar, i ate it on its own, and it was not bad.
Pan-fried carrot cake ($3.50) The pan fried carrot cake was nice, charred on the exterior, and soft inside. Personally, i felt that pan fried carrot cakes must show some char, if not the whole taste wouldn’t be there.
Deep fried seafood roll with mustard ($4.50) The bee hoon or whatever you called that, which wrapped around the deep fried seafood roll, provided the crisp crunchy bite. Although deep fried, the seafood roll didn’t lose its freshness. The usual scenario for deep fried stuff would be overly oily, but this one was not so.
Baked mini egg tart ($4.20) For some reason or the other, dim sum restaurants never seem to serve their egg tarts big. All came in mini size, how did they suppose we would be satisfied with the tiny, petite egg tart? Nonetheless, the mini egg tart was done exactly what i liked, the egg custard filling was soft, slightly “wet”, and the skin was crispy.
Steamed chicken feet ($3.50) I never ate chicken feet, so you need to try this one out yourself.
Steamed Glutinous rice ($3.50) The Chinese sausage or “la chang” injected the salty taste and enhanced the fragance of the glutinous rice. A vital ingredient for all glutinous rice. The mushroom, meat and rice portion was generous. Defintitely worth a try.
Total bill was $64.05 after a 30% discount for 4 person. There was some items like the steamed prawn dumpling and siew mai which we had two basket. We didn’t really order a lot since a friend was late and the last order was around 515pm. Still, Kam Boat was surprisingly good, much better than what i expected. The location is very accessible, the dim sum is cheap after the discount. And i think i’ll go back again.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Right, sometimes there are so many stalls within a food centre that you don’t know which to order from. So being Singaporeans what do we do? We look at the Q, if that particular stall has long queue, we follow. The herd, or “kiasu” mentality. On my previous visit to Lau Pa Sat, it was during a weekday lunch crowd period, so the queue was ’super’ long. I didn’t order it back then, since i wasn’t really craving for char kway teow that time.
Thus, when i went back on my second visit on a Satarday afternoon, there was not a soul in sight, and despite wolfing down two burgers, and two fries, my friend and i couldn’t resist trying since there wasn’t any queue, and if you don’t try, you will find it a pity right?
Char Kuay Teow ($3) The serving of the char kuay teow was generous, in fact too much given its only $3. Not that i’m complaining anyway. The fried noodles were quite oily, the char kuay teow scent was definitely there. But somehow i felt it lack that particular “wow” factor. Well, there’s another reason to explain why i didn’t feel anything for it, perhaps the burgers and fries were blindfolding me!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Hai Xiang is the flagship Chinese restaurant of Park Royal on Kitchener Road (formerly known as New Park Hotel) and offers an ala carte Cantonese cuisine and dim sum buffet for both lunch and dinner. Although I have a personal disdain for buffets, the one for one buffet voucher in my possession proved too alluring.
Hai Xiang is situated on the second floor of the hotel, which is right smack in the middle of a really terrible traffic network. The restaurant's interior comes across as classy with a modern Chinese touch through its use of wood, concealed lighting and heavy carpets.
Deep Fried Soon Hock - The Soon Hock was crispy on the outside but the fish, though fresh, was rather bland and not even soy sauce could save it. Most disappointing.
Vegetables with Abalone and Mushroom - You only get one shot at this dish and the abalone turned really small and of inferior quality. But really, you get what you pay for so no complaints.
Baked Oysters in Cheese & Mustard - This dish gave me the bumps. Plain gross if you ask me. Cheese and mustard is a bad combination in my humble opinion and coupled with a soft and mushy piece of oyster, its a recipe for disaster.
Black Pepper Beef - I personally thought that the beef cubes suffered from an overdose of tenderizer. The meat was overly tender but on the upside, at least it was sweet.
Homemade Beancurd - Soft but not exactly silky on the inside (very much like supermarket grade), the beancurd had a mild savoury taste which would render it one of the better dishes that evening. I appreciated the generous handful of enoki mushrooms that came immersed in the gravy as well.
Broccoli with Crab Meat - This dish was decent but the crab meat sauce came across as rather bland. I would have expected it to be savoury.
Spring Chicken - First looks, the spring chicken appeared appetizing with its golden brown crispy looking skin. Taste wise, it was a totally different matter altogether. The meat wasn't exactly juicy and everything seemed rather bland. More salt would have been great. And it certainly didn't help that the chicken was a tad too oily.
Prawns with Salad Dressing - A perennial favourite of mine and often spotted in cold dishes, the relatively fresh prawns were thinly sliced and served atop cubes of honey dew and rock melon. As normal as it gets. To be fair though, I've never tried any that have remotely gotten close to blowing me away.
Claypot Rice with Chicken - An order for the claypot rice has to be made 30 mins in advance but from the looks of it, it probably took 15 mins max. The rice didn't stick to the bottom of the claypot and was drenched in black sauce, hence the lack of wok hei. I did like the chicken pieces though, which were tender with a moderate hint of rice wine.
Fried Pig Intestines - Another personal favourite, especially when I order kway chup, the intestines were very crispy on the exterior. However, there was an overwhelming raw taste which tasted outright gross. Add the taste of cinnamon and star anise to that and you get an awful combination. The accompanying pineapple slices did quite a good job in covering up the taste though.
Roast Duck & Soy Chicken - I almost laughed when I saw the dish. It had 4 pieces of duck and 4 slices of chicken - 2 per pax. The chicken was served warm but was very tasteless whereas the duck had more bone then meat. Gives a literal meaning to picking inbetween the bones doesn't it?
Scallops with Black Bean Sauce - The scallops were small but relatively crunchy while the vegetables were normal.
Steamed Prawns - There seems to be a prevalent trend in the food here. Everything is fresh but just not sweet. Ditto for the prawns as well.
Red Bean Paste Pancake - Choice of dessert was limited so I stuck to this dish, which sorely disappointed with its ridiculously thick skin. I felt like I was chomping down on fried flour. The red bean filling was decent though, but then again, how bad can red bean filling get?
With the 1 for 1 voucher, the total bill for 2 came up to a very reasonable $42. However, take that 50% discount away and the buffet loses its draw. To be honest, the food is average at best and portions are really tiny. Going for seconds might prove a little difficult as waiting time can stretch quite a bit and its rather difficult to get the attention of the service staff, who seem to be shorthanded.
While we have the restaurant setting a stall in the coffee shop (think Cilantro), and there’s also the restaurants invading the heartlands, and we can’t possibly forget about Angmohs, or Caucasians setting up a stall in the coffee shops selling western food. Botak Jones was the benchmark, and now we have our latest entrée, Crazy Angmo!
Crazy Angmo was featured in the papers, with the trend of more Angmohs selling western food in the local heartlands. Having their first stall in Bishan, the owner, Paul, had opened his second stall at Bukit Batok. Whether it’s coincidently or not, Botak Jones happened to just set up an outlet in Bukit Batok too, just one bus stop away.
Chicken Parmagian ($7.90) The chicken paramagian was one of the more expensive item on the menu, other than the steak and the lambchop. There’s cheaper options like the express meal chicken cutlet, chicken chop at $4.80. But for “higher-end” options, the rest are priced at $6.90-$7.90.
Coated with a thick layer of melty cheese and tomatos, the chicken paramagian was quite good, i especially like the melted cheese which tasted great with the crispy chicken. But i did find the layer of tomato sauce, which was in between the cheese and the chicken, a tad sour. You needed to eat the chicken fast as it became soggy after a while. Nonetheless, the generous sides like the mashed potatos, and salad provided a hearty meal.
Crazy Burger ($7.90) The crazy burger, being one of Crazy Angmo speciality, deserved a try. I think it’s better value for money than the Botak Jones burger, since this came with cheese and egg, while the latter at $8 only had the burger plus one additional topping of either cheese or egg. The Botak Jones burger was $7 at a set, and to add egg and cheese, it’ll be $9 already.
I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of pineapples within the burger, and the melty cheese together with the runny egg was excellent. However, i did find the beef patty being over marinated with pepper. The bun was rather hard and toasted to char. And the fries were simply ordinary and forgettable.
But overall, i did think that the crazy burger at $7.90 was not too bad, and definitely better than Botak burger. The owner Paul was very confident of his burger, “This is the best burger mate!“
Total bill was $15.80 for two western meal sets. Prices are a tad higher than your usual hawker centre western food, but like what i mentioned before, if you compared Botak Jones, Crazy Angmo with the normal western stalls, prices certainly will be more expensive. On the other hand, thinking it as a cafe western food, these stalls will be much cheaper than the cafes and restaurants.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
1=SGD 0.0587
Ever since Top of the M closed down with much fanfare in early 2008, Meritus Mandarin's iconic coffeehouse, Chatterbox, has moved up the levels (literally) to occupy what used to be the crowning glory of this centrally located hotel in Orchard Road.
Perched on the 39th floor of the hotel, the interior now sports bright red tables and pillars to give a very traditional coffeeshop feeling, yet still offering a panoramic view of the surroundings. Note that the restaurant doesn't revolve anymore, leaving that honour solely to Prima Tower.
Chicken Rice Set - Chatterbox has been known for its excellent chicken rice and of course its exorbitant prices. Consisting of only a bowl of rice, soup and a relatively generous serving of chicken meat, this dish is definitely not for the value conscious.The soup was very tasty probably due to the high MSG content while the chicken was sufficiently tender with an appropriate amount of bite. Personally I felt that the rice wasn't fluffy or tasty enough, coming across as a tad dry and limp.
Flowering Chinese leaf cabbage - The Cai Xin was as normal as it gets but portions were really small for the price ($9 ).
Apple & Raisin Tart - In all honesty, I was quite surprised to find a "western" dessert on a menu that featured mainly Chinese/local fare and since my initial choice of homemade coconut ice cream was out of stock, I settled for the tart. Which wasn't exactly a bad choice considering that the tart was quite crusty with a nice oven baked taste to it. Add a couple of sweet apple slices, raisins and a scoop of ice cream for a rather nice ending. But hey, its $12 .
I shudder to imagine the ridiculous price I would have to pay in the absence of my 1 for 1 chicken rice voucher. Even so, the bill for 2 pax came up to about $53 ($81 without voucher), which is really quite off the chart if you ask me. Service was decent but I seriously doubt I will return, not for the food and definitely not for the high prices.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
With the latest TV drama on Channel 8, I'm sure there'll be an increase of interest among Singaporeans to want to learn more about the Peranakan culture. If you still do not know about it, there's a Peranakan Museum in Singapore!
I visited the museum awhile back and I'm impressed with the collection and details that the curators present at the museum. There's a total of 10 galleries housed within the 3-storey building.
You can learn about the origin, the 12-day wedding, the nonya, their religion and their life in public. With the world’s finest and most comprehensive collection of Peranakan artefacts, you'll sure be spending hours in there exploring and experiencing the Peranakan way of living.
If you're glued to the television set daily watching the drama show, you might want to go check out the museum too. I would recommend joining a guided tour if there's any. This is the best way to learn more about museum.
Rating given:
After hearing much about the famous Ayam Penyet at Lucky Plaza, finally I went to try it. And there are so many version of Ayam Penyet within the building. I hope I didn't go to the wrong one.
From the photo, you can see the crispiness of the ayam (chicken). The serving size is pretty big and the rice is fragrant too. But for me, having ayam penyet, the most important ingredient is the chili! The more the merrier!
And with just this one plate of Ayam Penyet, and some beef balls, I finished 4 portions of their powerful chili!! I was sweating and feeling the tummy spinning, but I just couldn't stop! I love their chili!
Rating given:
There are so many new eateries at Downtown East E!hub, we were spoiled for choice. On our way to the toilet on the second floor, we saw an interesting shop selling colorful noodles! Yes! There were green, yellow, orange, and brownish looking ones. And there's also green and golden dumplings. And best of all, it's Halal certified. So we decided to give it a try.
The place is very small and has cafeterias kind of tables and chairs. The menu is whatever you see on the big signboard. I can't recall the name of the dishes, and since there wasn't any website to go to for details, I'll refer my review with the photos posted.
I ordered a type of laksa that cames with orange looking noodles. The laksa stock was quite tasty and the noodles was pretty alright. I still prefer laksa with thick bee hoon thou. The noodle tasted like the ban mian kind of you mian. And I couldn't really figure out if there should be a unique taste to the noodles since the laksa stock has covered up all other tastes that's supposed to be there.
My partner ordered a mee goreng like noodle that came with diced crab stick and 2 pieces of halved hotdog at the side. Noodle was alright but not as tasty as he hoped. A suggestion to the owner (if they ever get to read this) is to slice their hotdogs too for this noodle. At least it looks better and perhaps might help make it more appertising too.
The twin color dumplings were pretty good. With so much taste from the laksa and mee goreng, we couldn't quite figure out what was in these dumplings. Perhaps fish meat or something.
Later we realised this shop's main business is the distribution of their innovative noodles. You can buy them home and prepare it your own way.
Oh! And there's also the complimentary tidbits. Looks like fried crispy flat noodles. But we both agreed that this tasted the best. If I'm not wrong, they're also selling these in packets which is like 50cent or $2 only. Great as snacks while coaching in with a good movie.
Rating given:
Zenden is one of the offerings in Gallery Hotel's F&B stable, sitting on the fourth level of this art inspired boutique hotel and serving up modern contemporary and Asian cuisine.
Interior, Complimentary Bread & Menu - The restaurant employs a more open concept interior, where the lift landing blends effortlessly into the restaurant and through the use of expansive floor to ceilings windows that overlook the traffic on a rather quiet stretch of road. The use of pink, blue and purple chair wraps give the whole place an almost playful intonation. Add to that the suspended glass tabletops that are supported by only by steel wires running from the ceiling to the floor.
Oven Baked Scallops & Prawns - This dish came served with rice and honestly I was quite taken by it. The scallops were rather big and fresh sans the overwhelming raw taste. Ditto for the prawns as well. Interestingly, the rice tasted more like paella to me and was firm yet mildly chewy. Capping off this simple yet satisfying dish was the thick gravy that came across as a tad milky and peppery.
Flambe Beef Medallion Steak - I call this the highlight of the evening, not so much for the taste of the beef, but the spectacular (well almost) performance that preceded. The supervisor wheeled out a trolley and proceeded to flambe my steak in front of my table (talk about cutting cost! Where's the chef?). However, to be fair, the tenderloin came medium rare as per request but I did find it a wee bit too chewy. There was no brandy/wine taste to speak off as well. The accompanying cubes of foie gras had a texture like that of tau kwa aka beancurd - not quivery or smooth but still edible.
Banana Split - What can I say? Supermarket grade ice cream topped with fruits instead of just banana and covered in whipped cream. As normal as it gets.
I had the cheaper main taken off my bill due to a promotion, which resulted in a total damage of about $48 ($72 without discount) for 2 pax. I am of the opinion that the food isn't expensive per se, especially when quality is decent and service is excellent. But on a side note, the place did seem a little short handed that evening. Special mention goes to the supervisor, Caron, who provided exceptional service throughout the evening, making our dining experience a truely enjoyable one.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Was roaming the Raffles place area one late Saturday morning and popped by Village Wok for an early lunch. Actually that was the only place that opened at 11 ish so I didn't have much of a choice honestly. It also helped that they were hawking a set lunch set reasonably priced at only $8.90.
Located amongst a row of restored shophouses just opposite China Square, Village Wok is easy to miss especially if you are driving past because of the lack of prominent signage. The interior is simply furnished with parquet flooring and white washed walls.
Preserved Vegetable Soup - The preserved vegetable soup or 梅菜汤 came with the set and was rather normal but hey, its better then nothing.
Beancurd with Minced Meat - This was an extra order at $6 and honestly I was quite taken aback by the small portion. It was probably just enough for 2 pax - adequate but not exactly bang for the buck. To give it credit though, the beancurd was smooth and almost silky with a nice savoury taste to it while the topping of minced meat was generous.
Village Smoked Chicken and Char Siew Rice - The smoked chicken was purportedly an award winning dish hence I had to order it. While high expectations may have ruined the experience a little for me, I must admit that the chicken was actually quite decent. Faintly crispy skin with the meat harbouring a hint of smokiness without being too dry. I did find it a little too salty for my liking though and I do have a high tolerance for salt. As for the BBQ pork, lets just say that I've had better.
Hor Fun with Egg Sauce - Okay this dish was a tad disappointing honestly. It tasted average at best and the only upside to it was that the sauce wasn't too starchy or overwhelming. Still edible though.
$30 for a 2 pax lunch in a empty restaurant smack in the middle of Raffles place is not too expensive if you ask me. Food quality is decent but service was almost non existent save for the taking of our orders and serving of food. In conclusion, a relatively reasonable place for a nice relaxing lunch during the weekend. I can't say the same for weekdays though.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
After the last dim sum at Zhou’s kitchen, it took some time before i regained my craving for our “Chinese tapas“. And this time round, i chose Kam Boat since my friends wanted a convenient location. Marina Square it is, how accessible. I must admit, when i first heard that Kam boat dim sum kitchen was in Marina Square, i was thinking where it was, since i never saw it everytime i went MS. Right, Kam boat location is very easy to find, if you are coming from the underground citylink. Upon coming up the escalator, they are at the entrance of MS, breeks cafe is also there.
The restaurant interior was smaller that what i expected from the outside, still it could seat about 50 thereabouts. Simple furnishings ooze a cosy feel, and we were quite surprise that the restaurant was barely filled on a Saturday afternoon. The lightning was very good, in fact one of the few places where i only took a few snaps and i’m happy with the photos.
Note that they have discount of 30% for dim sum on weekends 230-530pm. The prices i stated are all their original price before discount. Most of their dim sum are around 4 bucks, and after 30% discount, its around $2.80, which is rather cheap.
Steamed prawn dumpling ($4.20)
I loved the jade-colour basket, which exuded a feel to enhance the flavour of the dim sum. The steamed prawn dumpling didn’t allow us to have the best of both worlds. The prawn within was crunchy and whole, but the skin was a tad thick, and sticked to the teeth. But with the discount, the har gau was barely a dollar each.
Steamed Xiao Long Bao ($4.20)
I was never a big fan of Xiao Long Bao (XLB), this one here was all right, the soup stock gashed out of the skin when we took a bite, but having had one of the best and most expensive XLB before, this one paled in comparison.
Rice noodle roll with shrimp ($5.60)
If it wasn’t for the 30% discount, i would feel that the shrimp cheong fun was too expensive. The shrimp, like the one in the har gau, was crunchy, rolled within the cheong fun, and together with the light sauce, made a good start for our meal.
Steamed siew mai with mushroom ($4.20)
The notable difference between Kam Boat’s rendition and the norm was the addition of mushroom. Like the one i had at Zhou’s Kitchen, the mushroom didn’t really enhanced the flavour of the siew mai, since the porky and prawn taste was so strong. But it’s a nice change.
Steamed barbecued pork bun ($3.50)
I think most kids don’t like char siew bun since they always had it for breakfast. But i always couldn’t resist ordering char siew bun from restaurants since theirs were always so good!
Steamed chives dumpling ($4)
This was one of the more unpleasant choice, since nobody liked chives, i’ve no idea who went and ordered this.
Deep fried prawn dumpling with salad ($4.20)
You know, deep fried prawn dumpling is always good, especially so when you dipped in the slightly sour salad sauce. Shiok!
Deep fried prawn with mango roll ($4.20)
Besides salad, mango’s another good combination with fried prawn. The deep fried prawn with mango roll was crispy outside, crunchy with the prawns, and fruity with the mango.
Pan fried meat dumpling ($4)
Meat dumpling or “wo tie” is often eaten together with ginger and vinegar. But since i didn’t like eating ginger and vinegar, i ate it on its own, and it was not bad.
Pan-fried carrot cake ($3.50)
The pan fried carrot cake was nice, charred on the exterior, and soft inside. Personally, i felt that pan fried carrot cakes must show some char, if not the whole taste wouldn’t be there.
Deep fried seafood roll with mustard ($4.50)
The bee hoon or whatever you called that, which wrapped around the deep fried seafood roll, provided the crisp crunchy bite. Although deep fried, the seafood roll didn’t lose its freshness. The usual scenario for deep fried stuff would be overly oily, but this one was not so.
Baked mini egg tart ($4.20)
For some reason or the other, dim sum restaurants never seem to serve their egg tarts big. All came in mini size, how did they suppose we would be satisfied with the tiny, petite egg tart? Nonetheless, the mini egg tart was done exactly what i liked, the egg custard filling was soft, slightly “wet”, and the skin was crispy.
Steamed chicken feet ($3.50)
I never ate chicken feet, so you need to try this one out yourself.
Steamed Glutinous rice ($3.50)
The Chinese sausage or “la chang” injected the salty taste and enhanced the fragance of the glutinous rice. A vital ingredient for all glutinous rice. The mushroom, meat and rice portion was generous. Defintitely worth a try.
Total bill was $64.05 after a 30% discount for 4 person. There was some items like the steamed prawn dumpling and siew mai which we had two basket. We didn’t really order a lot since a friend was late and the last order was around 515pm. Still, Kam Boat was surprisingly good, much better than what i expected. The location is very accessible, the dim sum is cheap after the discount. And i think i’ll go back again.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
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Right, sometimes there are so many stalls within a food centre that you don’t know which to order from. So being Singaporeans what do we do? We look at the Q, if that particular stall has long queue, we follow. The herd, or “kiasu” mentality. On my previous visit to Lau Pa Sat, it was during a weekday lunch crowd period, so the queue was ’super’ long. I didn’t order it back then, since i wasn’t really craving for char kway teow that time.
Thus, when i went back on my second visit on a Satarday afternoon, there was not a soul in sight, and despite wolfing down two burgers, and two fries, my friend and i couldn’t resist trying since there wasn’t any queue, and if you don’t try, you will find it a pity right?
Char Kuay Teow ($3)
The serving of the char kuay teow was generous, in fact too much given its only $3. Not that i’m complaining anyway. The fried noodles were quite oily, the char kuay teow scent was definitely there. But somehow i felt it lack that particular “wow” factor. Well, there’s another reason to explain why i didn’t feel anything for it, perhaps the burgers and fries were blindfolding me!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
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Hai Xiang is the flagship Chinese restaurant of Park Royal on Kitchener Road (formerly known as New Park Hotel) and offers an ala carte Cantonese cuisine and dim sum buffet for both lunch and dinner. Although I have a personal disdain for buffets, the one for one buffet voucher in my possession proved too alluring.
Hai Xiang is situated on the second floor of the hotel, which is right smack in the middle of a really terrible traffic network. The restaurant's interior comes across as classy with a modern Chinese touch through its use of wood, concealed lighting and heavy carpets.
Deep Fried Soon Hock - The Soon Hock was crispy on the outside but the fish, though fresh, was rather bland and not even soy sauce could save it. Most disappointing.
Vegetables with Abalone and Mushroom - You only get one shot at this dish and the abalone turned really small and of inferior quality. But really, you get what you pay for so no complaints.
Baked Oysters in Cheese & Mustard - This dish gave me the bumps. Plain gross if you ask me. Cheese and mustard is a bad combination in my humble opinion and coupled with a soft and mushy piece of oyster, its a recipe for disaster.
Black Pepper Beef - I personally thought that the beef cubes suffered from an overdose of tenderizer. The meat was overly tender but on the upside, at least it was sweet.
Homemade Beancurd - Soft but not exactly silky on the inside (very much like supermarket grade), the beancurd had a mild savoury taste which would render it one of the better dishes that evening. I appreciated the generous handful of enoki mushrooms that came immersed in the gravy as well.
Broccoli with Crab Meat - This dish was decent but the crab meat sauce came across as rather bland. I would have expected it to be savoury.
Spring Chicken - First looks, the spring chicken appeared appetizing with its golden brown crispy looking skin. Taste wise, it was a totally different matter altogether. The meat wasn't exactly juicy and everything seemed rather bland. More salt would have been great. And it certainly didn't help that the chicken was a tad too oily.
Prawns with Salad Dressing - A perennial favourite of mine and often spotted in cold dishes, the relatively fresh prawns were thinly sliced and served atop cubes of honey dew and rock melon. As normal as it gets. To be fair though, I've never tried any that have remotely gotten close to blowing me away.
Claypot Rice with Chicken - An order for the claypot rice has to be made 30 mins in advance but from the looks of it, it probably took 15 mins max. The rice didn't stick to the bottom of the claypot and was drenched in black sauce, hence the lack of wok hei. I did like the chicken pieces though, which were tender with a moderate hint of rice wine.
Fried Pig Intestines - Another personal favourite, especially when I order kway chup, the intestines were very crispy on the exterior. However, there was an overwhelming raw taste which tasted outright gross. Add the taste of cinnamon and star anise to that and you get an awful combination. The accompanying pineapple slices did quite a good job in covering up the taste though.
Roast Duck & Soy Chicken - I almost laughed when I saw the dish. It had 4 pieces of duck and 4 slices of chicken - 2 per pax. The chicken was served warm but was very tasteless whereas the duck had more bone then meat. Gives a literal meaning to picking inbetween the bones doesn't it?
Scallops with Black Bean Sauce - The scallops were small but relatively crunchy while the vegetables were normal.
Steamed Prawns - There seems to be a prevalent trend in the food here. Everything is fresh but just not sweet. Ditto for the prawns as well.
Red Bean Paste Pancake - Choice of dessert was limited so I stuck to this dish, which sorely disappointed with its ridiculously thick skin. I felt like I was chomping down on fried flour. The red bean filling was decent though, but then again, how bad can red bean filling get?
With the 1 for 1 voucher, the total bill for 2 came up to a very reasonable $42. However, take that 50% discount away and the buffet loses its draw. To be honest, the food is average at best and portions are really tiny. Going for seconds might prove a little difficult as waiting time can stretch quite a bit and its rather difficult to get the attention of the service staff, who seem to be shorthanded.
See all my pictures here.
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While we have the restaurant setting a stall in the coffee shop (think Cilantro), and there’s also the restaurants invading the heartlands, and we can’t possibly forget about Angmohs, or Caucasians setting up a stall in the coffee shops selling western food. Botak Jones was the benchmark, and now we have our latest entrée, Crazy Angmo!
Crazy Angmo was featured in the papers, with the trend of more Angmohs selling western food in the local heartlands. Having their first stall in Bishan, the owner, Paul, had opened his second stall at Bukit Batok. Whether it’s coincidently or not, Botak Jones happened to just set up an outlet in Bukit Batok too, just one bus stop away.
Chicken Parmagian ($7.90)
The chicken paramagian was one of the more expensive item on the menu, other than the steak and the lambchop. There’s cheaper options like the express meal chicken cutlet, chicken chop at $4.80. But for “higher-end” options, the rest are priced at $6.90-$7.90.
Coated with a thick layer of melty cheese and tomatos, the chicken paramagian was quite good, i especially like the melted cheese which tasted great with the crispy chicken. But i did find the layer of tomato sauce, which was in between the cheese and the chicken, a tad sour. You needed to eat the chicken fast as it became soggy after a while. Nonetheless, the generous sides like the mashed potatos, and salad provided a hearty meal.
Crazy Burger ($7.90)
The crazy burger, being one of Crazy Angmo speciality, deserved a try. I think it’s better value for money than the Botak Jones burger, since this came with cheese and egg, while the latter at $8 only had the burger plus one additional topping of either cheese or egg. The Botak Jones burger was $7 at a set, and to add egg and cheese, it’ll be $9 already.
I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of pineapples within the burger, and the melty cheese together with the runny egg was excellent. However, i did find the beef patty being over marinated with pepper. The bun was rather hard and toasted to char. And the fries were simply ordinary and forgettable.
But overall, i did think that the crazy burger at $7.90 was not too bad, and definitely better than Botak burger. The owner Paul was very confident of his burger, “This is the best burger mate!“
Total bill was $15.80 for two western meal sets. Prices are a tad higher than your usual hawker centre western food, but like what i mentioned before, if you compared Botak Jones, Crazy Angmo with the normal western stalls, prices certainly will be more expensive. On the other hand, thinking it as a cafe western food, these stalls will be much cheaper than the cafes and restaurants.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
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