Opened since September 1995, Michelangelo's is the flagship restaurant of Chef Angelo Sanelli's Michelangelo's Restaurant Group. It is strategically located in Holland Village, which is an expatriate enclave, with its sister restaurants Bentfork Cooking School, Original Sin and Sistina Ristorante in close proximity. Zambuca Italian Restaurant and Bar at Pan Pacific Singapore also fall under the same group.
Having my office strategically located around Holland Village area really spoil us for choice when it comes to lunch. But of course, going to nice restaurant usually occur on special restaurant, that is for a birthday celebration & another colleague's farewell.
I guess the best picks in an Italian restaurant is pasta and there's acctually a handful of choices to pick from. Set lunches are available as well, as $25 , which came with either a soup of the day or a mushroom with egg kind of appetiser (sorry, didn't note down the exact name of it). I ordered the latter and it was pretty good, with huge chunks of mushrooms and it went perfectly well with the watercres and venegar dressing. However, choice of main course for the set was very limited, with either one type of pasta or another beef cheek dish. Mine was the pasta, serving was not very big, just nice for my small appetite. The set meal was then completed with a chocolate mouse with jelly and a cup of coffee. Somehow, I do find the combination of sweet chocolate mousse with citrous jelly a bit weird.
But well, considering that a typical main course on the ala carte menu goes in the range of $20 , the set meal is pretty worth it. It'll be even more of a good deal if you have an AMEX card or Citibank card because there's a 1-for-1 promotion for set lunches with AMEX card and for Citibank card, it's a 1-for-1 promotion for selected ala carte main course during lunch hour. But mind you, both card can't be used at the same time.
Other than the food, service was really good. My glass was constantly topped up with iced water!
After hearing so much about threadless, I've been wanting to get my hands on one! But was relunctant at first as I wasn't sure of the sizes I should get. But when I heard about the sale that was on a month ago, I quickly placed my order to test the sizes out!
As I only know about the sales on the very last day, in the very last few hours, I had to rush my purchase. Quickly went through the Size chart and took out my favorite tshirt to measure the sizes. By the time I was done, many of the designs I wanted were already sold out!!
Managed to place my order for 2 of the designs and paid for the express delivery service. In less than 2 weeks, I got my threadless in my mailbox!
I wore them both already and I'm loving it! The material is soft but not sloppish-type. Great for the humid weather here in Singapore!
If you've not tried threadless tee, you better do so soon!
St Regis hotel, the latest glamorous and prestigious hotel to open on our shore. Tout as a 6 star luxury hotel and with so much at stake, Yan Ting, a Cantonese restaurant offers to promise you a totally different dining experience.
Stepping into St Regis is quite an experience on its own, the grandeur of the hotel will simply blow you away. The splendor furnishings and the majesty furnitures are not all, even taking a lift in St Regis promises you a unforgettable reminiscence.
6 Star is not exaggerating, and from the moment you enter the hotel, it feels so good to be rich, even just for that afternoon.
Albeit being a Chinese Cantonese restaurant, the contemporary and classy feel of the restaurant’s interior certainly does not show any indication, with the exception of the 4 seasons painting, and the exquisite chopsticks and spoons plated in gold and inlaid with jade pieces.
An elegant chandelier is the highlight of the low ceiling in the restaurant. Stylish curtains and the comfy seats brings out a cozy and relaxed dining atmosphere.
The main emphasize which makes Yan Ting stands out from the other Chinese restaurant is in the pricing for its dim sum. While others usually charged dim sum by per basket or plate, Yan Ting attempts to break through the norm and bring the pricing of dim sum to another level by its per piece charging.
For Yan Ting’s A la carte menu, just like some of the more prominent Chinese restaurants, they are priced by per person, and the small servings of the food meant that there is no chance of sharing food.
Being in a 6 Star hotel, you definitely will not expect Yan Ting to be easy on the pocket, with most of the simpler dishes priced from $10 to $24 each. And with the small serving, expect to spend up to $100 for a decent meal, per person.
Appetizer Unlike their western counteparts, most Chinese restaurants doesn’t actually serve out appetizer since the Chinese doesn’t have the emphasize on course eating. The small squid is actually quite good, simple enough to start our taste bud going in anticipation of the rest to come. And its free, so no complains there.
Cripsy radish pastry ($1.80 per piece) This is the first time i had a radish pastry before, and i must say it is good, the crispy skin compliments well with the soft radish inside.
Oven-baked fluffy Char Siew Pastry ($1.60 per piece) The Char Siew Pastry is indisputably the star of the show here. Take a bite into the crispy fluffy pastry, and you will discover the juicy and sweet char siew hidden within. Having one each is really not doing justice to the pastry. And i’ll rather pay $1.60 for one of these wonderful char siew sou, than to eat several cheaper ones. Excellent!
Stir-fried “cheong fan” rice roll with XO sauce ($4) I never had stir-fried “cheong fan” rice roll with XO sauce before, and to be honest initially i mistook this dish for the fried carrot cake done with XO sauce which is commonly found in Chinese restaurants dim sum menu.
Although it tasted more like Char Kway Teow than “cheong fan”, but i find it to be quite all right, and at $4 even though the portion is quite small, its still cheaper and more worth well than the XO sauce fried carrot cake that i had at Peach Garden.
Steamed shrimp dumpling ($2 per piece) The steamed crystal shrimp dumpling, or more affectionately known as “Har Kao” comes at a hefty price tag of $2 per piece. If you do your maths, this works out to be $6 for one basket of three Har Kao. There’s always a first time for everything, and this is really a first time where i had such expensive shrimp dumplings.
However, Yan Ting’s Har Kao is really one of the best that i had tried so far, the thin skin envelops the fresh and succulent prawns. But at $2 each, Yan Ting is really testing the limits for the first-rate dumplings.
Steamed Pork and Shrimp Dumpling ($2 per piece) “Siew Mai” or steamed pork and shrimp dumpling is always the dim sum i’ll base my judgment on how good the dim sum at the restaurant really is. The Siew Mai here passes the test, the combination of the crunchy prawn and the lean pork goes well together.
Xiaolongbao ($4 per piece) To be frank, I never liked xiaolongbao, since i can’t really appreciate the beauty of it. Even though the xiaolongbao is a bigger rendition than your normal ones, to pay $4 for one xiao long bao, i’ll be crazy.
But, the Xiaolongbao at Yan Ting is really different from the usual ones, the pipping hot stock juice literally floods out upon a bite into the skin of the xiaolongbao. Although the xiaolongbao is quite good, but i’ll not order it again if i come back to Yan Ting. For a $4 xiaolongbao experience, once is enough.
Traditional Cantonese egg tart ($1.60 per piece)
The egg tart is done exactly the way i like it, cripsy skin with the smooth egg custard within. I lamented the fact that the egg tart is too small. And at $1.60 per piece, they are not really cheap.
Deep-fried Yam Croquette ($1.60 per piece) The deep fried Yam croquette with diced chicken is excellent. Although the croquette is deep fried, but its not too oily, and the Yam taste is quite unique too.
Steamed Wild Mushroom Roll ($1.60 per piece) We ordered the steamed wild mushroom roll out of curiosity from the name. There’s two to three different type of mushroom, well the mushroom roll is not really my call.
Hong Kong BBQ platter ($16 per serving) BBQ pork, roasted duck, and crispy roasted pork makes up the Hong Kong BBQ platter. Note that its $16 for one portion, andthree of us ordered 3 portions, which adds up to $48. Ripped off is the only word to describe this.
The crispy roasted pork is not too bad, but it comes in only four small cubes. The roasted duck is really ordinary, and the BBQ pork or char siew, does not justify the exaggerated price tag of $16 for 4 cubes of roasted pork, two slices of roasted duck and three slices of char siew.
For $48, you can have a whole duck, with healthy servings of char siew & roasted pork. This is totally what you will not expect coming from Yan Ting, however the truth is there for all to see. This is somehow an anti-climax for the rather excellent dim sum that we had.
Total Bill was $150.20 for 3 person, which works out to about $50 per person. But if you work out the sums, excluding the BBQ platter which was $16 per portion, the amount for dim sum is actually about $34. Although we didn’t have that much dim sum, but i still find $34 to be acceptable given the high quality dim sum we had.
6 Star dim sum comes at a price, although some of the dim sum did not really justified the price, but overall the dim sum was nothing short of excellence. I’ll definitely try Yan Ting again, even though its a extravagant experience, but like they say, good things come with a price. Just that in this case, its a heavier price.
Do note that if you decided to give Yan Ting a try, you must be careful and not over ordered, that is unless you got a deep pocket. Service is good and professional, with the staff knowing when to approach us, and when not to disturb us. Yan Ting certainly test my limits for good dim sum, although i am still skeptical about their A la carte menu. Give that a miss and try their dim sum! And dim sum is only available during lunch, not dinner.
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!
Had dinner with my folks one weekend evening and didn't want to venture far from home so ended up at Ju Bao, which is headed by the former head chef of Lei Garden, Yip Kin Chee.
Located at Teck Chye Terrace along Upper Serangoon Road, or more commonly known to people in the neighbourhood as "Hongkong Street" for its high concentration of Cantonese restaurants, Ju Bao's selling point is purportedly its great Cantonese food at affordable prices. Crowds throng this place during weekends so if you are thinking of having dinner, please go early.
Broccoli with Scallops - Our waitress tried to hard sell this dish to us and we succumbed. After all, how expensive or bad tasting could it be? On both accounts, it was a grave mistake. The scallops were small and lacking in bite but the major bummer was the fishy smell they emitted. The broccoli was still decent but at $22 for such a small portion, you have got to be kidding me.
Crispy Chicken - I suspected the chicken was precooked and left to cool in the kitchen because it was cool when served. And it was very oily. Some parts of the chicken were very salty while other parts were bland. Did I mention that portions were small as well? Sadly, the only positive note was probably the moist and tender meat, which made eating the chicken bearable, but barely.
Steamed Tofu - The tofu was smooth and came topped with mushrooms, minced meat and some other garnishes. However the dish in its entirety tasted rather bland and $8 for 4 relatively small pieces is terribly expensive.
While the absolute prices of the food didn't seem much, but factor in the quality and quantity of the food and its really a case of too little (quality & quantity) and too much (price). An unsatisfying dinner for the 3 of us cost about $47, which would have been better spent elsewhere. From the former head chef of Lei Garden, I had expected way better. Did I go on an off day or is the place just over hyped? I seriously wonder.
Safra Yishun country club, take a 15mins walk from Yishun MRT, LIC had the opportunity to visit the place last week and took some photos, so i thought i’ll share them and for people who have never visit any Safra around our island yet.
Swimming pool is definitely a main feature of any country club, be it for the kids or adults who fancy a swim, especially so in our hot weather.
Chalets are also a main feature of Safra, members can get them at a cheaper rates but i think non-members also are allowed to book them. Otherwise just get a friend who’s Safra member!
Personally i didn’t book any Safra chalets before, although several occasions i been to friends organise ones. I guess its pretty cool to book a chalet and just relax with your family, love one, and friends.
The rock-climbing area is one of the unique facilities available at Safra Yishun.
With this, LIC shall end the post on Safra Yishun! There’s plenty of other facilities like tennis court, gym, arcade, bowling centre, pool tables, spas at the country club also. Well you can check them out to see the facilities, some requires a fee, while others should be available for booking.
Don’t be afraid to explore the Safras around our island, they are built by the government for us to use after all!
This is a non-food related post, i’m sorry for any disturbance if you have came to ladyironchef wanting to read about my food adventure, but instead found yourself reading this post which has totally nothing to do with food. The next post will be on Eatzi, which is a cafe eatery under the same management by Jack’s place, which is also located within Safra Yishun.
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!
Eatzi steakhouse & bistro is under the same management of the family-known name, Jack’s Place. The one that we are exploring today is located within Safra Yishun, just besides the swimming pool which makes it convenient for customers who want a hot meal after a swim.
With the green white chequered table cloth so oddly-like to the interior of Jack’s place, the familiar items on both menus makes you wondered why Jack’s place came out with Eatzi.
While some restaurants group came up with different restaurants, but they branded and package the different restaurants. But in the case of Eatzi, they do not hide the fact that they are under the same management as Jack’s place, and with the menu items also mostly similar, it makes us wonder do we go to Jack’s place, or Eatzi?
Nevertheless, Eatzi has their daily set lunch menu which offers different food on different days. The day that we went was a Tuesday, the choice of soup cream of corn. Main course is boiled fish with spinach & mussel topped with ginger cream sauce, or sauteed pasta with olive oil topped with crumbled chicken.
Sauteed pasta with crumbled chicken ($9.80) The Sauteed pasta with olive oil topped with crumbled chicken comes in the daily set meal. All set lunch includes a soup of a day, choice of main course, and dessert of the day, and coffee/tea.
Nasi Goreng with egg & satay ($9) Asian fusion delights seems weird to be on the menu of Eatzi, a place more for its steak and western meal. Nonetheless, the serving was quite big, and one person will struggle to finish the food. Do note this dish is on the A la carte menu, not in the set lunch.
NZ Ribeye steak with brown sauce ($14.80) Obviously Eatzi being a steakhouse, you ought to try some steak here. The NZ ribeye steak is on the executive set lunch menu, the main different between the normal set lunch and executive set lunch is the different type of food, with the executive priced slightly higher.
The waitress brought the steak on the hotplate over to our table, and pour the brown sauce to make the steaks goes sizzling! This is followed by the potato, which is cut into half and mayo sauce is applied to fill up the centre of the potato.
Eatzi offers affordable eating in a cafe with its set menus. Certainly when the food is so cheap, you can’t be really expecting much quality from it. The place’s great if you want a simple meal and at a cafe environment, its affordable pricing is definitely targeted to the mass market.
However, i won’t be going back because of the apparent lack in quality, and personally its a case of eating good food, not necessary expensive ones, but good food. Given a choice between Eatzi and our local delights at hawker centre, i’ll gladly choose the latter.
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!
I literally watched this place renovate and prepare for opening. I looked forward to it as it seemed to offer more reasonable prices and was much nearer to my place than the coffeeshop.
The day it opened, I walked past pretty late and was dying to get some desserts. My sister and I stood there for a bit waiting. We didn't know if they had takeaways and wanted to ask if they had Yam Paste. They have some tubs of paste that looked like Yam paste on the counter but it wasn't available in the menu.
We waited and waited. 2 servers and 2 ladies whom we figured were the bosses looked at us in the eye but didn't say anything. They stood in front of us and instructed something to the counter people without acknowledging our presence... After a full 10 minutes of standing there, we went home without our desserts. We were really patient weren't we?
A few days after, my father suggested for us to go eat there. Thinking that they were just overly busy that first day I agreed. We were greeted as we approached the cafe and seated quickly. They gave us the menus which were strangely worn.
Food Ordered:
Chicken Rice Set B (Steamed) - $5.50 This set came with soup and a reasonable serving of vegetables. Chicken Rice happens to be "main dish" of this cafe. Most of the people I saw ordered at least a set. The meat was not too fatty and the rice was just slightly fragant and not too salty. The vegetables (thankfully) were not overcooked. I'd agree with my dad that there was slightly more rice than the usual at coffeeshops.
Thai Style Chicken Cutlet Rice - $5
I liked this one more than the chicken rice. The sauce was tangy and spicy. The Chicken Cutlet was very crisp. The rice was plain white rice but the sauce was flavourful enough for me.
Marmite Pork Ribs - $10
This one was surprisingly disappointing. The ribs were really small and there were about 5-6 pieces only. Mighty expensive if I had to say. Maybe I'm feeling a little disappointed because I just came back from Wuxi and the infamous dish there is Pork Ribs.... Tastewise it's alright with enough fatty bits. The sauce was pretty tasty but I still find it expensive. Moreover its presentation wasn't nice at all.
With no GST/service charge, the total came up to $20.50 for 3 people. Foodwise it is better than your regular coffeeshops. And in terms of pricing, it's pretty competitive in comparison to the food outlets in this area, esp the air-conditioned ones. Judging from the business it's been getting, I'd say this is here to stay... :)
Haven't been to Sofra for ages and so decided to bring a group of friends to try something "different" from what they use to savor.
As usual for starters we ordered the Hummus ($4.20) and the Sesame Bread ($3.40). The Bread was soft, yet crispy so that made it interesting. Together with the Hummus, which was tinged with lemon juice, it was a great start to our meal.
Izqara Kofte ($12.90) was served next. We ordered the mixed combination of chicken, lamb and beef. One of the more interesting dishes was the rice (Turkish Pilaf) . It was fluffy and very fragrant. Perhaps it was cooked in butter as they usually do with pilaf. We found out that the secret is in the sizzle – which gives it a creamy, buttery, and melt in the mouth consistency and taste. It’s the gastronomic equivalent of sinking into a huge armchair in front of a roaring log fire. But there was no log fire in Sofra. The meat varieties were well seasoned and it was refreshing for us as we were all hungry.
Sultan Kebab ($12.50) arrived piping hot in an oven baked tray. The lamb pieces were tender and complimented the mashed potatoes with baked creamy cheese that just kept oozing out in between the layers. It was not at all difficult to eat as the meat was in bite sizes.
The final dish was the Jumbo Kebap Combo ($34.90) just right for 2 persons. It has the eggplant Kebap, shish Kebap and doner Kabap. As usual, Sofra did not disappoint with their meat dishes which were done to the right taste and texture.
This blogstore is one I chanced upon while surfing around one day. The owners also have another called Black Sequin which sells clothing at reasonable prices.
They sell a special product from Japan and I was really curious when I went to see the website. The website had plenty of information like the ingredients of the product, a FAQ and it is very easy to read and navigate around.
Despite all the information, Kiasu Me still emailed them to find out more and their replies were friendly and prompt. They also reply via MSN and their chatbox so it's really good. I also like how they constantly update their customers regarding the status of the orders.
I have yet to receive my items (as the spree has not closed) but I'm already very satisfied with how they have lived up to their motto of *Service comes first*
A newcomer has burst onto the dessert scene at Serangoon Gardens, which already hosts popular dessert outlets like Frolick, a yoghurt specialist and Ice Cube, which sells ice cream and the like. However this new dessert place, aptly named Dessert Bowl or 一碗甜品, caters to people who prefer Chinese desserts.
Opened only about a week ago, Dessert Bowl can be rather difficult to find, given that its on the 2nd floor and plays neighbour to a pub along a quiet row of shophouses that houses OCBC as well. It definitely doesn't help that the signs are not prominently located. However make your way up and be rewarded by the sight of a brightly lighted cosy area which can probably take about 30 people or so. If you are lucky, you might just get one of the 2 sofa seats that overlook the roads below through the huge glass windows.
Rock Melon Sago - A very typical Chinese dessert, the rock melon sago wasn't outstanding and I personally found it a tad too sweet. But having said that, I don't remember the last time I had a rock melon sago that made me go wow. So maybe its just me.
Strawberry Ice - I didn't get to try this but from what I understand, the strawberries were very sour but other then that, no other complaints.
Mango De Creme - My original order of the Durian mousse was sold out so I thought I would try something a little different, namely the Mango De Creme, which was essentially custard with toppings of mango cubes and puree served up in a tin foil container. The custard came across as smooth and firm, very much like the texture of creme brulee. I'm not sure if it was effort on the part of the shop or pure luck that the mango cubes were sweet but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Overall a rather enjoyable dessert.
I don't really eat alot of Chinese desserts so I'm not sure if $10.50 for 3 desserts is considered expensive. But personally I think its still acceptable especially when this is definitely a cheaper alternative to Ice Cube. The dessert menu is rather extensive and that would probably be a good reason for me to drop by often for an after dinner dessert session.
1=SGD 0.0587
Opened since September 1995, Michelangelo's is the flagship restaurant of Chef Angelo Sanelli's Michelangelo's Restaurant Group. It is strategically located in Holland Village, which is an expatriate enclave, with its sister restaurants Bentfork Cooking School, Original Sin and Sistina Ristorante in close proximity. Zambuca Italian Restaurant and Bar at Pan Pacific Singapore also fall under the same group.
Having my office strategically located around Holland Village area really spoil us for choice when it comes to lunch. But of course, going to nice restaurant usually occur on special restaurant, that is for a birthday celebration & another colleague's farewell.
I guess the best picks in an Italian restaurant is pasta and there's acctually a handful of choices to pick from. Set lunches are available as well, as $25 , which came with either a soup of the day or a mushroom with egg kind of appetiser (sorry, didn't note down the exact name of it). I ordered the latter and it was pretty good, with huge chunks of mushrooms and it went perfectly well with the watercres and venegar dressing. However, choice of main course for the set was very limited, with either one type of pasta or another beef cheek dish. Mine was the pasta, serving was not very big, just nice for my small appetite. The set meal was then completed with a chocolate mouse with jelly and a cup of coffee. Somehow, I do find the combination of sweet chocolate mousse with citrous jelly a bit weird.
But well, considering that a typical main course on the ala carte menu goes in the range of $20 , the set meal is pretty worth it. It'll be even more of a good deal if you have an AMEX card or Citibank card because there's a 1-for-1 promotion for set lunches with AMEX card and for Citibank card, it's a 1-for-1 promotion for selected ala carte main course during lunch hour. But mind you, both card can't be used at the same time.
Other than the food, service was really good. My glass was constantly topped up with iced water!
Rating given:
I heart threadless!! I'm now a fan!
After hearing so much about threadless, I've been wanting to get my hands on one! But was relunctant at first as I wasn't sure of the sizes I should get. But when I heard about the sale that was on a month ago, I quickly placed my order to test the sizes out!
As I only know about the sales on the very last day, in the very last few hours, I had to rush my purchase. Quickly went through the Size chart and took out my favorite tshirt to measure the sizes. By the time I was done, many of the designs I wanted were already sold out!!
Managed to place my order for 2 of the designs and paid for the express delivery service. In less than 2 weeks, I got my threadless in my mailbox!
I wore them both already and I'm loving it! The material is soft but not sloppish-type. Great for the humid weather here in Singapore!
If you've not tried threadless tee, you better do so soon!
I'm loving it!
Rating given:
St Regis hotel, the latest glamorous and prestigious hotel to open on our shore. Tout as a 6 star luxury hotel and with so much at stake, Yan Ting, a Cantonese restaurant offers to promise you a totally different dining experience.
Stepping into St Regis is quite an experience on its own, the grandeur of the hotel will simply blow you away. The splendor furnishings and the majesty furnitures are not all, even taking a lift in St Regis promises you a unforgettable reminiscence.
6 Star is not exaggerating, and from the moment you enter the hotel, it feels so good to be rich, even just for that afternoon.
Albeit being a Chinese Cantonese restaurant, the contemporary and classy feel of the restaurant’s interior certainly does not show any indication, with the exception of the 4 seasons painting, and the exquisite chopsticks and spoons plated in gold and inlaid with jade pieces.
An elegant chandelier is the highlight of the low ceiling in the restaurant. Stylish curtains and the comfy seats brings out a cozy and relaxed dining atmosphere.
The main emphasize which makes Yan Ting stands out from the other Chinese restaurant is in the pricing for its dim sum. While others usually charged dim sum by per basket or plate, Yan Ting attempts to break through the norm and bring the pricing of dim sum to another level by its per piece charging.
For Yan Ting’s A la carte menu, just like some of the more prominent Chinese restaurants, they are priced by per person, and the small servings of the food meant that there is no chance of sharing food.
Being in a 6 Star hotel, you definitely will not expect Yan Ting to be easy on the pocket, with most of the simpler dishes priced from $10 to $24 each. And with the small serving, expect to spend up to $100 for a decent meal, per person.
Appetizer
Unlike their western counteparts, most Chinese restaurants doesn’t actually serve out appetizer since the Chinese doesn’t have the emphasize on course eating. The small squid is actually quite good, simple enough to start our taste bud going in anticipation of the rest to come. And its free, so no complains there.
Cripsy radish pastry ($1.80 per piece)
This is the first time i had a radish pastry before, and i must say it is good, the crispy skin compliments well with the soft radish inside.
Oven-baked fluffy Char Siew Pastry ($1.60 per piece)
The Char Siew Pastry is indisputably the star of the show here. Take a bite into the crispy fluffy pastry, and you will discover the juicy and sweet char siew hidden within. Having one each is really not doing justice to the pastry. And i’ll rather pay $1.60 for one of these wonderful char siew sou, than to eat several cheaper ones. Excellent!
Stir-fried “cheong fan” rice roll with XO sauce ($4)
I never had stir-fried “cheong fan” rice roll with XO sauce before, and to be honest initially i mistook this dish for the fried carrot cake done with XO sauce which is commonly found in Chinese restaurants dim sum menu.
Although it tasted more like Char Kway Teow than “cheong fan”, but i find it to be quite all right, and at $4 even though the portion is quite small, its still cheaper and more worth well than the XO sauce fried carrot cake that i had at Peach Garden.
Steamed shrimp dumpling ($2 per piece)
The steamed crystal shrimp dumpling, or more affectionately known as “Har Kao” comes at a hefty price tag of $2 per piece. If you do your maths, this works out to be $6 for one basket of three Har Kao. There’s always a first time for everything, and this is really a first time where i had such expensive shrimp dumplings.
However, Yan Ting’s Har Kao is really one of the best that i had tried so far, the thin skin envelops the fresh and succulent prawns. But at $2 each, Yan Ting is really testing the limits for the first-rate dumplings.
Steamed Pork and Shrimp Dumpling ($2 per piece)
“Siew Mai” or steamed pork and shrimp dumpling is always the dim sum i’ll base my judgment on how good the dim sum at the restaurant really is. The Siew Mai here passes the test, the combination of the crunchy prawn and the lean pork goes well together.
Xiaolongbao ($4 per piece)
To be frank, I never liked xiaolongbao, since i can’t really appreciate the beauty of it. Even though the xiaolongbao is a bigger rendition than your normal ones, to pay $4 for one xiao long bao, i’ll be crazy.
But, the Xiaolongbao at Yan Ting is really different from the usual ones, the pipping hot stock juice literally floods out upon a bite into the skin of the xiaolongbao. Although the xiaolongbao is quite good, but i’ll not order it again if i come back to Yan Ting. For a $4 xiaolongbao experience, once is enough.
Traditional Cantonese egg tart ($1.60 per piece)
The egg tart is done exactly the way i like it, cripsy skin with the smooth egg custard within. I lamented the fact that the egg tart is too small. And at $1.60 per piece, they are not really cheap.
Deep-fried Yam Croquette ($1.60 per piece)
The deep fried Yam croquette with diced chicken is excellent. Although the croquette is deep fried, but its not too oily, and the Yam taste is quite unique too.
Steamed Wild Mushroom Roll ($1.60 per piece)
We ordered the steamed wild mushroom roll out of curiosity from the name. There’s two to three different type of mushroom, well the mushroom roll is not really my call.
Hong Kong BBQ platter ($16 per serving)
BBQ pork, roasted duck, and crispy roasted pork makes up the Hong Kong BBQ platter. Note that its $16 for one portion, andthree of us ordered 3 portions, which adds up to $48. Ripped off is the only word to describe this.
The crispy roasted pork is not too bad, but it comes in only four small cubes. The roasted duck is really ordinary, and the BBQ pork or char siew, does not justify the exaggerated price tag of $16 for 4 cubes of roasted pork, two slices of roasted duck and three slices of char siew.
For $48, you can have a whole duck, with healthy servings of char siew & roasted pork. This is totally what you will not expect coming from Yan Ting, however the truth is there for all to see. This is somehow an anti-climax for the rather excellent dim sum that we had.
Total Bill was $150.20 for 3 person, which works out to about $50 per person. But if you work out the sums, excluding the BBQ platter which was $16 per portion, the amount for dim sum is actually about $34. Although we didn’t have that much dim sum, but i still find $34 to be acceptable given the high quality dim sum we had.
6 Star dim sum comes at a price, although some of the dim sum did not really justified the price, but overall the dim sum was nothing short of excellence. I’ll definitely try Yan Ting again, even though its a extravagant experience, but like they say, good things come with a price. Just that in this case, its a heavier price.
Do note that if you decided to give Yan Ting a try, you must be careful and not over ordered, that is unless you got a deep pocket. Service is good and professional, with the staff knowing when to approach us, and when not to disturb us. Yan Ting certainly test my limits for good dim sum, although i am still skeptical about their A la carte menu. Give that a miss and try their dim sum! And dim sum is only available during lunch, not dinner.
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!
” dim sum extravaganza “
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Had dinner with my folks one weekend evening and didn't want to venture far from home so ended up at Ju Bao, which is headed by the former head chef of Lei Garden, Yip Kin Chee.
Located at Teck Chye Terrace along Upper Serangoon Road, or more commonly known to people in the neighbourhood as "Hongkong Street" for its high concentration of Cantonese restaurants, Ju Bao's selling point is purportedly its great Cantonese food at affordable prices. Crowds throng this place during weekends so if you are thinking of having dinner, please go early.
Broccoli with Scallops - Our waitress tried to hard sell this dish to us and we succumbed. After all, how expensive or bad tasting could it be? On both accounts, it was a grave mistake. The scallops were small and lacking in bite but the major bummer was the fishy smell they emitted. The broccoli was still decent but at $22 for such a small portion, you have got to be kidding me.
Crispy Chicken - I suspected the chicken was precooked and left to cool in the kitchen because it was cool when served. And it was very oily. Some parts of the chicken were very salty while other parts were bland. Did I mention that portions were small as well? Sadly, the only positive note was probably the moist and tender meat, which made eating the chicken bearable, but barely.
Steamed Tofu - The tofu was smooth and came topped with mushrooms, minced meat and some other garnishes. However the dish in its entirety tasted rather bland and $8 for 4 relatively small pieces is terribly expensive.
While the absolute prices of the food didn't seem much, but factor in the quality and quantity of the food and its really a case of too little (quality & quantity) and too much (price). An unsatisfying dinner for the 3 of us cost about $47, which would have been better spent elsewhere. From the former head chef of Lei Garden, I had expected way better. Did I go on an off day or is the place just over hyped? I seriously wonder.
See all my pictures here.
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Safra Yishun country club, take a 15mins walk from Yishun MRT, LIC had the opportunity to visit the place last week and took some photos, so i thought i’ll share them and for people who have never visit any Safra around our island yet.
Swimming pool is definitely a main feature of any country club, be it for the kids or adults who fancy a swim, especially so in our hot weather.
Chalets are also a main feature of Safra, members can get them at a cheaper rates but i think non-members also are allowed to book them. Otherwise just get a friend who’s Safra member!
Personally i didn’t book any Safra chalets before, although several occasions i been to friends organise ones. I guess its pretty cool to book a chalet and just relax with your family, love one, and friends.
The rock-climbing area is one of the unique facilities available at Safra Yishun.
With this, LIC shall end the post on Safra Yishun! There’s plenty of other facilities like tennis court, gym, arcade, bowling centre, pool tables, spas at the country club also. Well you can check them out to see the facilities, some requires a fee, while others should be available for booking.
Don’t be afraid to explore the Safras around our island, they are built by the government for us to use after all!
This is a non-food related post, i’m sorry for any disturbance if you have came to ladyironchef wanting to read about my food adventure, but instead found yourself reading this post which has totally nothing to do with food. The next post will be on Eatzi, which is a cafe eatery under the same management by Jack’s place, which is also located within Safra Yishun.
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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Eatzi steakhouse & bistro is under the same management of the family-known name, Jack’s Place. The one that we are exploring today is located within Safra Yishun, just besides the swimming pool which makes it convenient for customers who want a hot meal after a swim.
With the green white chequered table cloth so oddly-like to the interior of Jack’s place, the familiar items on both menus makes you wondered why Jack’s place came out with Eatzi.
While some restaurants group came up with different restaurants, but they branded and package the different restaurants. But in the case of Eatzi, they do not hide the fact that they are under the same management as Jack’s place, and with the menu items also mostly similar, it makes us wonder do we go to Jack’s place, or Eatzi?
Nevertheless, Eatzi has their daily set lunch menu which offers different food on different days. The day that we went was a Tuesday, the choice of soup cream of corn. Main course is boiled fish with spinach & mussel topped with ginger cream sauce, or sauteed pasta with olive oil topped with crumbled chicken.
Sauteed pasta with crumbled chicken ($9.80)
The Sauteed pasta with olive oil topped with crumbled chicken comes in the daily set meal. All set lunch includes a soup of a day, choice of main course, and dessert of the day, and coffee/tea.
Nasi Goreng with egg & satay ($9)
Asian fusion delights seems weird to be on the menu of Eatzi, a place more for its steak and western meal. Nonetheless, the serving was quite big, and one person will struggle to finish the food. Do note this dish is on the A la carte menu, not in the set lunch.
NZ Ribeye steak with brown sauce ($14.80)
Obviously Eatzi being a steakhouse, you ought to try some steak here. The NZ ribeye steak is on the executive set lunch menu, the main different between the normal set lunch and executive set lunch is the different type of food, with the executive priced slightly higher.
The waitress brought the steak on the hotplate over to our table, and pour the brown sauce to make the steaks goes sizzling! This is followed by the potato, which is cut into half and mayo sauce is applied to fill up the centre of the potato.
Eatzi offers affordable eating in a cafe with its set menus. Certainly when the food is so cheap, you can’t be really expecting much quality from it. The place’s great if you want a simple meal and at a cafe environment, its affordable pricing is definitely targeted to the mass market.
However, i won’t be going back because of the apparent lack in quality, and personally its a case of eating good food, not necessary expensive ones, but good food. Given a choice between Eatzi and our local delights at hawker centre, i’ll gladly choose the latter.
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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I literally watched this place renovate and prepare for opening. I looked forward to it as it seemed to offer more reasonable prices and was much nearer to my place than the coffeeshop.
The day it opened, I walked past pretty late and was dying to get some desserts. My sister and I stood there for a bit waiting. We didn't know if they had takeaways and wanted to ask if they had Yam Paste. They have some tubs of paste that looked like Yam paste on the counter but it wasn't available in the menu.
We waited and waited. 2 servers and 2 ladies whom we figured were the bosses looked at us in the eye but didn't say anything. They stood in front of us and instructed something to the counter people without acknowledging our presence... After a full 10 minutes of standing there, we went home without our desserts. We were really patient weren't we?
A few days after, my father suggested for us to go eat there. Thinking that they were just overly busy that first day I agreed. We were greeted as we approached the cafe and seated quickly. They gave us the menus which were strangely worn.
Food Ordered:
Chicken Rice Set B (Steamed) - $5.50
This set came with soup and a reasonable serving of vegetables. Chicken Rice happens to be "main dish" of this cafe. Most of the people I saw ordered at least a set. The meat was not too fatty and the rice was just slightly fragant and not too salty. The vegetables (thankfully) were not overcooked. I'd agree with my dad that there was slightly more rice than the usual at coffeeshops.
Thai Style Chicken Cutlet Rice - $5
I liked this one more than the chicken rice. The sauce was tangy and spicy. The Chicken Cutlet was very crisp. The rice was plain white rice but the sauce was flavourful enough for me.
Marmite Pork Ribs - $10
This one was surprisingly disappointing. The ribs were really small and there were about 5-6 pieces only. Mighty expensive if I had to say. Maybe I'm feeling a little disappointed because I just came back from Wuxi and the infamous dish there is Pork Ribs.... Tastewise it's alright with enough fatty bits. The sauce was pretty tasty but I still find it expensive. Moreover its presentation wasn't nice at all.
With no GST/service charge, the total came up to $20.50 for 3 people. Foodwise it is better than your regular coffeeshops. And in terms of pricing, it's pretty competitive in comparison to the food outlets in this area, esp the air-conditioned ones. Judging from the business it's been getting, I'd say this is here to stay... :)
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Haven't been to Sofra for ages and so decided to bring a group of friends to try something "different" from what they use to savor.
As usual for starters we ordered the Hummus ($4.20) and the Sesame Bread ($3.40). The Bread was soft, yet crispy so that made it interesting. Together with the Hummus, which was tinged with lemon juice, it was a great start to our meal.
Izqara Kofte ($12.90) was served next. We ordered the mixed combination of chicken, lamb and beef. One of the more interesting dishes was the rice (Turkish Pilaf) . It was fluffy and very fragrant. Perhaps it was cooked in butter as they usually do with pilaf. We found out that the secret is in the sizzle – which gives it a creamy, buttery, and melt in the mouth consistency and taste. It’s the gastronomic equivalent of sinking into a huge armchair in front of a roaring log fire. But there was no log fire in Sofra. The meat varieties were well seasoned and it was refreshing for us as we were all hungry.
Sultan Kebab ($12.50) arrived piping hot in an oven baked tray. The lamb pieces were tender and complimented the mashed potatoes with baked creamy cheese that just kept oozing out in between the layers. It was not at all difficult to eat as the meat was in bite sizes.
The final dish was the Jumbo Kebap Combo ($34.90) just right for 2 persons. It has the eggplant Kebap, shish Kebap and doner Kabap. As usual, Sofra did not disappoint with their meat dishes which were done to the right taste and texture.
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This blogstore is one I chanced upon while surfing around one day. The owners also have another called Black Sequin which sells clothing at reasonable prices.
They sell a special product from Japan and I was really curious when I went to see the website. The website had plenty of information like the ingredients of the product, a FAQ and it is very easy to read and navigate around.
Despite all the information, Kiasu Me still emailed them to find out more and their replies were friendly and prompt. They also reply via MSN and their chatbox so it's really good. I also like how they constantly update their customers regarding the status of the orders.
I have yet to receive my items (as the spree has not closed) but I'm already very satisfied with how they have lived up to their motto of *Service comes first*
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A newcomer has burst onto the dessert scene at Serangoon Gardens, which already hosts popular dessert outlets like Frolick, a yoghurt specialist and Ice Cube, which sells ice cream and the like. However this new dessert place, aptly named Dessert Bowl or 一碗甜品, caters to people who prefer Chinese desserts.
Opened only about a week ago, Dessert Bowl can be rather difficult to find, given that its on the 2nd floor and plays neighbour to a pub along a quiet row of shophouses that houses OCBC as well. It definitely doesn't help that the signs are not prominently located. However make your way up and be rewarded by the sight of a brightly lighted cosy area which can probably take about 30 people or so. If you are lucky, you might just get one of the 2 sofa seats that overlook the roads below through the huge glass windows.
Rock Melon Sago - A very typical Chinese dessert, the rock melon sago wasn't outstanding and I personally found it a tad too sweet. But having said that, I don't remember the last time I had a rock melon sago that made me go wow. So maybe its just me.
Strawberry Ice - I didn't get to try this but from what I understand, the strawberries were very sour but other then that, no other complaints.
Mango De Creme - My original order of the Durian mousse was sold out so I thought I would try something a little different, namely the Mango De Creme, which was essentially custard with toppings of mango cubes and puree served up in a tin foil container. The custard came across as smooth and firm, very much like the texture of creme brulee. I'm not sure if it was effort on the part of the shop or pure luck that the mango cubes were sweet but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Overall a rather enjoyable dessert.
I don't really eat alot of Chinese desserts so I'm not sure if $10.50 for 3 desserts is considered expensive. But personally I think its still acceptable especially when this is definitely a cheaper alternative to Ice Cube. The dessert menu is rather extensive and that would probably be a good reason for me to drop by often for an after dinner dessert session.
See all my pictures here.
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