Dough Culture, looking at the name, thought that they are actually selling bread or donuts. Neh! They are actually selling a very traditional breakfast favorite item with a new twist.
They are selling…. YOU TIAO! Haa….. Not the normal kind though, they actually treat you tiao as the base then they add different kind of toppings on top of it! They got apple, chocolate and a lot of different types.
I bought 2 to try it out, one apple and one white almond (sorry I forgot their actual names). For the apply one, it is apple fillings on top of the you tiao, and topped with some rasins and sugar toppings. It is too sweet for my liking and the you tiao is kinda of cold. I think it is supposed to be eaten cold. Yet when the you tiao is cold, it is still crispy. The size of the you tiao is pathetic. Personally, I dun really like it.
For white almond, this is different, instead of the normal you tiao shape, they actually use the same dough but rolled it into a bun shaped, with custard inside the bun and the top covered with white chocolate and almonds flakes. I like this as it does not really taste like you tiao at all, more like eating a bun.
At the moment they got limited variety but I think they will introduce new ones as time goes by. Personally, I still prefer you tiao in the originally way they are, and they have to be hot and crispy. With each priced at $1.30, I do consider they are over priced. If I want to eat such things for sugar rush, I would rather turn to donuts.
I had heard of this place some time ago that actually serves quite good Japanese BBQ food, however it always looks very classy from outside and dare not walk in and give it a try. On a special day (and well someone giving me a treat), and since I am in the area, decided to walk in and give this place a try regardless of the price. Hee…. Feeling brave huh? You can say that. Haha……
On outside, the decoration of the place reminds of those old Japanese restaurants in Japan. It does have a old tradition touch to it. Once we walked through the door, we were immediately greeted with the normal kind of Japanese greetings and echoes of it were heard throughout of the place. We were ushered to our seats. Inside the decoration were the same as outside, traditional kind of decoration. There are small little sections that can seat up 4 to 6 people and also large sections that can hold up big groups as well. They got private rooms as well.
Once we were seated, menus were served and we were sort of overwhelmed by the variety of food, from different kind of meat from beef to chicken and to seafood and vegetables as well. There are also set meals with wine included but these were kind of out of our budget. It seems that all the food are to be BBQed and there are no cooked food on the menu.
In the end, we ordered a seafood assorted set, a plate of chicken, a plate of sirloin beef and a plate of assorted vegetables.
Once the order is done, also immediately, they will serve up a pot of hot burning charcoal in front of you. The special thing about this charcoal is it is smokeless so it will not really be smoky for the whole place while cooking and it does not leave a burning smell on you when you leave the place as well. They are hot but they do not have any lit fire. Sitting near them can actually feel the heat already.
Next came the food, please note that the food came raw as we have to cooked them ourselves.
Assorted vegetables - A big plate of vegetables are served up. They include, corn on cob, leeks, asparagus, mushroom, green pepper, carrots. The portions are quite big and fresh as well. It is interesting to cook them on the stove and have to keep in mind that the stove is very hot, therefore the vegetables actually get cooked very fast, leave them any longer on the stove, they will be burnt. Well that happened to the first few anyway. Haa…. With a little burnt on the outer, they actually tasted quite good, especially with the green pepper and corn. The mushroom actually managed to retain its juice inside, making it crispy outside but full of juice inside.
Chicken – The chicken came marinated and cut into smaller but thick pieces. It will take some time to cook due to the thick slices. However once they are cooked, they are very good. The meat is tender and will not lost its flavour when BBQ. It is cooked to a bit burnt on the outer side.
Beef – This came in cube slices and it is also marinated as well. Beef is easier to cook as they no need to be fully cooked. However the stove being very hot, it will take a very short time to cook the meat. The beef here although not being the top grade, it is tender as well and juicy as well, with the fats slightly melted.
Assorted seafood set – This came as a surprised as the portions are really huge! It got big tiger prawns, scallops, a big full sotong, and two big slices of salmon. It was great! The seafood is really fresh as if they just got out of water. Cooking them is a breeze. The hard one is the sotong, as it is in full size and need them to cut up into smaller pieces as the outside is cooked but the inner is still not cooked. They provided butter for the salmon, and they are placed in the aluminum foils as well, it is like frying them instead. This is really worth the money especially on the big portions on seafood, even they only come in 2 pieces each.
The service of the crew is good and very detailed. They are always on the look out of the stove every time they walked past. They will either change the grill (if it turns black) or they will add in charcoal. They are also pro active, like the case of the sotong, they offered to cut it into smaller pieces for me so that it will be easier to cook as well. They do serve ice water and never fails to top up the water as well. When they served the food, they will also advise on how long to cook the food. Good for first timers like us. Hee…
Oh yes, don't worry, tongs will be provided to make yr bbqing easier and more fun. It is like bbqing inside a room.
Overall the meal; cost around $90 for 2 pax if my memory did not failed me. A bit on the expensive side but then it is a good experience. I am quite happy with the experience except that I dun think I will return soon because fo the price.
The place does get packed rather soon during meal times so if possible make a reservation before going down. it does save you from not getting a table and being disappointed.
Between this and Korean BBQ, well of course there are difference and each got its own pros and cons. However, if they are like the Koreans, able to cook it right in front of us, it will be better. Especially for lazy people like me. Haha….. Korean BBQ also have a lot of small side dishes whereas this does not have. For me, both are as good, just depends what I feel like having then. Hee….. What about you?
In my bid to bade a warm farewell to this 2 decades old iconic landmark of the Oasis (which happens to be closing soon), I visited on a warm weekday evening ladened with much nostalgia from my good old childhood days.
Nothing much has changed since I can last remember, save for some minor refurbishments and facelifts here and there. The interior is still as warm as ever, even with air conditioning.
Beancurd with Shrimp - The shrimps didn't taste particularly fresh while the tofu was small and tasteless. Add overly salty gravy to the equation and you get a below average dish for the price ($7).
Preserved Vegetable Omelette - The egg was overly fried as evident from the charred bits along the edges but the preserved vegetables weren't too salty, which was something I personally liked.
Bean Sprouts - Nicely fried with bits of salted fish in it to give it taste. However it did seem a little too oily and salty.
Stewed Pork - The stewed pork aka Mei Cai Kou Rou, was an off menu item and tasted decent at best. It didn't help that the meat was a tad too dry as well. Did I mention that it was expensive ($10) as well for the tiny serving?
I honestly don't know what to make of this place. The food is average and prices are astronomical. 1 meal here can buy me at least 2 equally if not more satisfying meals at the teochew porridge stall near my house. The only reason I can think of why people still patronise this place is nostalgia. After all, this place has been around for decades.
Al Dento at Great World is an open concept cafe you can't miss if you're there. Its central location (Great World City) makes it not-too-inconvenient yet nice and quiet.
Popped by for dinner with 3 other Yebbers that fateful Tuesday. Armed with the well-mentioned coupon, we were tempted to order almost everything on the menu.
Of course we didn't... so here goes!
Tomato Basil Brushetta @ $5 Our little starter was served pretty quickly. 8 pieces of thin toast... Well-buttered but the diced tomatoes were a tad too little. But it was relatively well-presented. A good number for the 4 of us which made me wonder briefly if it were done on purpose.
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms @ $12 2 pieces... what did I expect right? Well it was a little small for Portobello but we made do. The sauce that came with it was just right, not too overpowering. The mushrooms were still juicy with good bite. But I still think it's too expensive at its original price.
Pan-seared Butterfish @ $20 This dish was served with lumps of potato which really looked like Cheezels to me as they were very orange in colour. The fish didn't have too much of a fishy smell to me but the texture could be improved. The potatoes tasted like they were frozen... much like Tater Tots for those who remember what they are.
Char-grilled Sirloin Steak @ $20 This dish was to be served medium rare but it was more well done than expected. I didn't taste this dish really so let my companions do the talking for ya.
Arragosta Pasta @ $20 This is the pasta served with lobster meat. We could choose between two sauces, tomato and garlic. We had garlic sauce and the sauce sure came with a garlicky smell. I think this dish is pretty average. I had the joy of having more lobster meat though (thanks to Claudie).
Smoked Chicken Pizza @ $17 I liked this one. The pizza was about 10". It didn't seem so impressive when it arrived but all the chicken was hidden beneath the cheese. It's been a long time since I've had pizza with that much meat. I like the crust which was thin and crisp at the edges but not thin enough to be charred. :)
Macadamia scented Creme Brulee @ $8 I was the one who ordered this and I did regret a little after the first spoonful. The taste of the custard wasn't very strong. The texture of the custard wasn't smooth enough too. The caramelised top was too thin to add any taste to the dessert.
Tiramisu @ $9 This is better than the Creme Brulee but still not good enough I guess. The top portion was too "tough" and the bottom was too soggy. That made it a little gross to swallow but the overall taste was fine.
This meal would have cost the 4 of us $120 if not for the coupon. The service provided was satisfactory I guess. But unless I'm in the area and I don't fancy anything else, I don't think I would specially head there for this again.
Have you ever go into a Italiano restaurant, and all of a sudden feel ordering ALL the food available on the menu?
All you look is at the food, without even giving the price tag a glance?
Feeling excited, we might as well tell the waiter to serve EVERY dish they have on the menu!
That’s precisely what happen to us when we went to Al Dente Pronto.
Ahh.. You are confuse now right? Is the food so good that we wanted to order all the dishes? Alas, that’s not quite the raison d’être.
The explication for our extravagant & exaggerated behavior is because … …
We had a 50% discount coupon from OCBC. Yes, you didn’t see wrongly, half price for a la carte items during lunch & dinner, up to a table of 4 persons. Dinner was with the Yebbers. So everything we look at, we can only see half the price, and of course this makes it affordable and worry-free to order whatever we like. So we ordered mostly the more expensive dishes : )
Tomato Basil Bruschetta ($5.0)
We kick start our dinner with the Tomato Basil Bruschettra. Diced Tomato, Garlic, Basil, Oregano and olive oil formulate the starter. We were uncertain whether they gave 8 pieces because there are four of us, or it always come in 8 pieces irregardless of the number of people dining. All the same, we felt the starter could do with more tomato, mayb its because of the rising price in agriculture products in China. Think think. First bite into the Bruschettra was crispy and the garlic taste was done just nice. At $2.50 after discount, it was a real good deal.
Grilled Portobello mushrooms ($12.0)
Our second starter was the Grilled Portobello Mushrooms. Served with rocket salad and diced tomatos. The presentation of the dish was done beautifully, but sadly to sad i felt that at $12 it was definitely not worth the price. Even at half price i won’t order it again.
Char-Grilled Sirloin Steak ($20.0)
Finishing our starter, the waiter note our cue to start our Main course for the night. Our first main was the Char-Grilled Sirloin Steak. We requested for medium-rare, but then when the steak was served it was a tad tougher than what we expected from a medium-rare steak. I guess they sort of make it into medium-well instead. Well, its Italiano and not a steakhouse after all. Nevertheless, i felt that the steak was pretty decent, and at half the price of $10, it was value. Oh yes, we liked the potato that came with it, pretty much reminds us of our childhood.
Pan-Seared Butterfish ($20.0)
Served with potatos, sautèed vegetables and topped with a lemon dill butter glace. Al Dente Pronto actually only have three main course available, the other one being roasted corn fed chicken which we didn’t order. I suppose the raison d’être was because the mains are not really their area of specialty. Al Dente Pronto’s extensive variety of Italian Pizzas and Pastas are where they fare better.
Smoked Chicken Pizza ($17.0)
This is the star of tonight’s show. The Smoked Chicken Pizza might not look very special, but then they are undeniably scrumptious, with large chunks of chicken meat beneath the cheesy cheese. Pizza comes flat, thin and crispy
Arragosta Pasta ($20.0)
Spaghetti with Lobster meat, zucchini and mushrooms, with tomato stew or garlic sauce. We opted for garlic sauce with the belief that garlic can compliment Lobster meat better. And i thought the Arragosta Pasta comes out quite well, mayb except for the fact that it was slightly too dry. I like the lobster meat, which was quite generously furnish on top of the pasta. And i think zucchini (cucumbers) are rather a rare sight in pasta cuisine. Nonetheless, at half price of $10 i think its quite good for money, we are talking about Lobster meat after all.
Tiramisu ($9.0)
To end off the meal, we had Tiramisu as our first dessert. Layers of mascarpone with sponge fingers soaked in coffee and brandy, served with bittersweet chocolate powder The presentation was all right, but the cake was too tough, we had to literally dig inside it to get the tiramisu out.
Macadamia Scented Crème Brulèe ($8.0)
Caramelized custard, infused with Macadamia nut oil served with strawberries on the Macadamia Scented Crème Brulèe.
Total Bill was $122.50 before discount, the amount that we paid for 4 person was $71.20 after discount. The calulations are kind of complicated because the 50% discount does not includes GST and service charge, so they had to count the total price without including them, half the price, and add on the 17% additional charges. Poof! Its comes down to around $18 for per person which i think is reasonably cheap.
All in all, Al Dente Pronto is not really expensive (even without the promotion), the price ranges are mostly in the 10s to 20s. I wont say the food is excellent, in fact some are not. But then i suppose they are still acceptable to me. No you wont go all the way to the forgotton-Great-World-City just for Al Dente Pronto, but i guess if you are in the region you might just want to give it a try. And it certainly helps if you have the OCBC promotion, p.s: it last until end feb.
We had a great night chatting around, there was laughter all over the place, and at times i thought the waiter will just kick us out of the place. It was fun fun & fun! Looking forward to the next Yebber gathering! Cheers!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
First impression from afar... wow! Nice place. Second impression when I saw the namecard... wow! Nice namecard! Third impression when I stepped into the place... interesting furnishing and cutlery!
We adjoined to Tong Shui Cafe behind Great World City before we head home. The menu was a little hard to read. Typical Singapore "Hongkong style cafe" menu. Although the place is call Tong Shui Cafe (Sweet Water Cafe aka Dessert Cafe) There's only 1 page on the dessert drinks and 1 page on desserts... not much choice. We settled for the TSC's Tuttii Frutti Summit $11-something.
It consists of 3 types of pudding mixed with konnyaku jelly. Texture was not bad. The Mango flavored was the best. The other two were strawberry and kiwi. There were accompanying tiny diced fruits of the 3 kind and tiny crunchy pearls (or jelly). Overall this dessert was quite nice. Nothing to "wow" about.
Will go back to try the other stuff one day if I ever pass by one.
Met up with fellow members for dinner. Thanks to LIC for the 50% discount coupon and my OCBC card, we ordered the most expensive of each category to try.
For starters, we had Tomato Basil Bruschetta and Grilled Portobello Mushrooms. Mains we ordered Pan-seared Butterfish, Char-grilled Sirloin Steak, Arragosta Pasta and Smoked Chicken Pizza. Desserts were Macadamia scented Creme Brulee and Tiramisu. Drinks ordered were Ice Rasberry Tea, Ice Peach Tea, Shirley Temple and Lime Juice. All the above totaled to $71.20! (including GST and Service Charge)
I shall keep mine short and sweet. (Partly because my eyes are already half-close now.)
Tomato Basil Brushetta @ $5 Its either the bread was too big, or the tomatoes were too expensive. Serving wise looks sad. Taste was alright. I like the way they infused the garlic into the bread. Crispy and nice. $2.50 after discount. Cheap lah!
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms @ $12 First bite was yummy. After that it just started like any other mushrooms. The rocket on this was too bitter. Unlike those I had at Absolute Haven.
Pan-seared Butterfish @ $20 Too fishy for me. Sauce was tad too saltish.
Char-grilled Sirloin Steak @ $20 There was nothing charred about this steak. Taste was alright. Meat was too tough. Like the potatoes that was served at the side.
Arragosta Pasta @ $20 Pasta was too dry, lobster meat was quite fresh and plentiful. First time I saw what I call cucumbers (zucchini) on pasta.
Smoked Chicken Pizza @ $17 This is perhaps the only thing that I'll order if I ever go back again. The Pizza on photo seems to be plain and boring. But underneath those cheese are chunks of chicken meat. I like the blend of tomatoes and cheese and chicken. Could be better if there were thicker layer of cheese.
Macadamia scented Creme Brulee @ $8 Taste like custard. Ha! Nothing special about this. Couldn't really taste the macadamia thou.
Tiramisu @ $9 Texture was too tough and sponge fingers were over soaked in the coffee and brandy. Don't really like it.
Overall the food was forgettable. I'll not be going back again unless there's 50% discount or someone's treating.
Ema’s Diner located at Greenwood Avenue, is formally known as 8 on Greenwood. Opened by the Halia group at the stretch of restaurants along Greenwood. Greenwood is being spoken at the same breath as Dempsey, Holland Village, Rochester Park as the hidden and hot spot to go.
All these used-to be forgotten little outposts of Singapore have been transformed into mini lifestyle destinations of their own. The location of the restaurant is no longer a issue, so long there is the “hot” and “in” place to go, well-travelled food enthusiants living in all corners of Singapore will be willing to travel to other corners as well.
Maybe not known to all, Greenwood Avenue was created by Les Amis group, one of Singapore dining giant. Out of close to 13 restaurants there, 5 belongs to Les Amis Group;
The Grill at Hillcrest
Sebastien’s Bistrot
Peperoni Pizzeria
Raku Japanese Restaurant
L’estaminet Bar
Anyway, thats for the background information on Greenwood, but Les Amis is really good, first they find a hidden street, this is follow up with opening several separate restaurants with different themes, to complement not to compete with each other. And poof! Greenwood Avenue is born.
Initially we wanted to try out Sebastien’s Bistrot, but it was kind of late when we reached the area, so we went for quick lunch at Ema’s Diner. The first impression of the restaurant was its sort of kiddy? There was those stuff-toys cushion on the seats at one of the tables outside.
The menu was an one-pager, it certaintly did not impress me as it seems unprofessional, like a child-drawn menu. Even though Ema did not offer much variety, but i thought the least they could do was separate out the one-page menu into several page and make it look more appropriate like a menu.
We proceed on to browse through the menu since we had already entered the place, a rough count shows that it was about 25-30 seater restaurant. Not much diners around, mayb it was the timing that we went.
Ema’s Burger ($14.90)
Home-made beef patty, melted cheese, picked vege, bacon & hickory smoked bbq sauce, accompanied by fries. The Ema's Burger was pretty decent i guess. You won’t really go wrong ordering this from the short list of food available.
Braised Lamb Shank ($15.90)
With carrot, turnip, celery & mashed potato. The inquisitive side finally got me into trouble. There are safe options to order, but no, my mind tell me not to, and instead Braised lamb shank is served onto my table. Not really good, i didn’t finish the dish if thats what you want to know.
French fries ($3.50)
We made a mistake of ordering french fries for starters because while ordering Ema’s burger, we missed out that it came with fries, otherwise, the fries were okay, and the servings were quite generous too
Total damage came to $43.78 for two person. Also had one mango ice blend ($5.50). The food there wasn’t that bad i guess, mayb its just a case of ordering the wrong stuff, for the price range i though it is still consider reasonable given the fact that it is located beside much high-end restaurants, and the rent at Greenwood isn’t really what you will mention as cheap.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
“ It can’t be smooth-sailing all the way, sometimes you will encounter bad dining experience ”
Botak Jones by now if you haven heard of it before, then are u REALLY living in Singapore? Even if you never go to the place before, but at the very least must have know the existance of this Ang Moh selling western ‘restaurant’ food in our very own local-coffeeshop.
Quality-yet-cheap western meals at coffee shops used to be a thing never heard of, but it all changed after Botak Jones came in and set the record right. After that, we saw a rush in stream of such ‘concepts’, think Crazy Ang Moh, UNO Beef house and a few others which are all owned by Caucasian (our term is Ang Moh), set up on our heartland shores.
Like i mention during my last visit to Botak Jones, critics of Botak Jones will say they are charging too much going for the coffee-shop standards, yet you cannot deny the fact that Botak Jones has been going from strength to strength with the opening of new branches, the current strength stands at 7 outlets in Singapore.
You cant fault the owner Bernie Utchenik for his ingenious of spotting the trend to open his shops in all neighbour area, and there is even two new concepts that he introduces to our local foodie, Brewski Jones & Spaghetti Jones. As the names implies, Brewski Jones is actually a brewery where you drink beer of course, except its not in town, not in Clarke Quay, but in Toa Payoh North and Bedok North. Ahh.. yes, in our very own backyard. I suppose Spaghetti Jones need no further introduction then, Jones selling spaghetti as simple as that. Pastas there are not expensive, for the basic one going for $4.50, to ranges from $7.50 to $8.50.
In any case, Brewski Jones and Spaghetti Jones are not the topic of discussion for today, thats just a sneak preview of what is to come after i gave em’ a visit. Cheers! Today we are back at Botak Jones for my second visit. Having tried Cajun Chicken, Fish & chips, and Rosemary Lamb Chop on the last account, they are therefore not what we are going to sample today, well you don’t go back to a place for a revisit eating the same food unless they are really really good right?
Australia Ribeye Steak 200gm ($14.50)
Enough of the crap already, lets get back to business. Let me present to you the food that we are having, first up is the Australia Ribeye Steak. In an attempt to raise the stakes (a little pun), Botak Jones upgraded to a better quality australian beef, trim off the whole ribeyes, hand marinate and tendrize them, coming in their own brown black pepper gravy.
The steak was medium-well, done chewy with a strong strain of blood still visible. Some people like it medium-rare, but i like mine done not too bloody. As usual, the fries was rather good and spicy. Although the 200gm might look small and on first notion we doubt that it will be filling, but on boy were we proved wrong. The serving was definitely enough for a person. However i still felt that the price was a tad too high, and i probably wont take this one again.
The Botak Burger ($8)
150grams of hand formed beef. All the burgers are suppose to come out medium well, which if done correctly will leave them very juicy. The Botak Burger alone is $5.50, but i got it at a set at $7, den add $1 for cheese on top. There are quite a lot of extra ingredients which you can upgrade your burger with, egg, ham, bacons, cheese etc. Actually if you are going for beef, i feel this is a better option than the Australian Ribeye, well cow for cow, obviously this one lose out, but then at Botak Jones, this is good n’uff.
Total Bill was $22.50 for two mains, kind of expensive going for coffee fare standards, but then again its not really coffee shop food. I suppose it won’t hurts if you go there once in a while, so until i visit the other Ang Moh stores then.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
” When restaurant and hawker food comes together… “
When you hang out with a group of friends and wanted seafood for dinner, Fish & Co, Manhattan Fish Market, Greenwood Fish Market and even newly-opened Seafood Harvest by Jack’s Place will spring into mind. There is another option actually, introducing Hooked! A quaint little fish restaurant specialising in fusion cuisine, Hooked! creations try to push the boundaries of marine gastronomic expectations to a different level.
While MFM and Fish & Co both specialises in American-style seafood, with its fish & chips, Seafood platter among its signature dishes, Hooked! took the ”healthy” approach by offering more steamed variety of fishes in addition to the fried ones. Actually if you think that MFM and Fish & Co have different variety of seafood, then you are wrong.
Hooked! is the place to be if you want many variety of seafood, from the normal fish & chips, to snappers, groupers, salmons and even to Seabass, and Cod fish. With so many fishes to choose from, the next problem is how do you want the fish to be done? Deep-fried, Barbecued, Pan-grilled, Roasted, Steamed, Pan-seared, Baked, Grilled, you name it they have it. You’ll know when you see the comprehensive and colourful menu, lots of choices to go around, it all depends on how far you want to try.
Fish & Chips ($13.50)
Hmm.. The fish & Chips was good i guess, but then again coming to a special seafood restaurant like Hooked!, i think it will be a better choice to try other special fish and methods of cooking. Nevertheless its a decent option if you are not feeling too adventureous.
Grilled Jumbo Snapper with spicy tomato sauce ($15.50)
Choice of with or without market-fresh squids. Served with sauteed potato and asparagus. The spicy tomato sauce did not cover the freshness of the snapper, instead, it helps to bring up the flavour of the fish, giving it a sweet and hot taste. Take the Grilled Jumbo Snapper with spicy tomato sauce if you are feeling faint after reading the long list of menu and not knowing what to order.
Steamed Cod Thai Cantonese Style ($22.80)
Snowy-white fresh cod steamed in fish broth. Drizzled with heated seasame oil & soy sauce upon serving. Also served with a side dish of panfried linguine or rice. This is one of the more expensive fish around, but it is understood as Cod fish are naturally at the higher end as compared to the other fishes available. But then the steamed Cod Thai Cantonese style falls flat when served, partly is because the fish was rather bland in taste, perhaps due to the fact it is steamed, and after having the colourful taste of spicy tomato sauce, and Balsamic Ragenov sauce, this one is not as tasteful. Nonetheless, it is a good option if you want to have steamed fish for a change.
Pan-grill jumbo Seabass in Balsamic Ragenov sauce ($14.80)
Capping off the delightful meal was the Pan-grill jumbo Seabass in Balsamic Ragenov sauce. The flavours contained within were maturely paired and showed a different side to the chef’s ability. What exactly is Balsamic Ragenov sauce, that remains a mystery even after finishing the whole dish. But without a doubt, the sauce was good and offers a unique taste. Furthermore, the linguine was very smooth to the mouth, and the side order of the linguine cost just 2 bucks.
Tofu Otah ($7.90)
The tofu otah was quite good, cheese was topped onto the tofu and otah, but then the price was rather expensive. Best served eaten hot.
Hooked! boasts a pantry of the freshest fish, paired with adventurous preparations. It provides a different dimension from the usual deep-fried and grilled seafood, offering many different methods of serving the fish and seafood fresh. Western cuisine is fused with Asian flair, with the originality of these flavours will definitely hooked up any diners, fish lovers or not. For people who do not fancy fish, there is a column called the anti-fish, which offers three options of meat, but then again why are you ordering meat in a seafood fish restaurant?
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
Dough Culture, looking at the name, thought that they are actually selling bread or donuts. Neh! They are actually selling a very traditional breakfast favorite item with a new twist.
They are selling…. YOU TIAO! Haa….. Not the normal kind though, they actually treat you tiao as the base then they add different kind of toppings on top of it! They got apple, chocolate and a lot of different types.
I bought 2 to try it out, one apple and one white almond (sorry I forgot their actual names). For the apply one, it is apple fillings on top of the you tiao, and topped with some rasins and sugar toppings. It is too sweet for my liking and the you tiao is kinda of cold. I think it is supposed to be eaten cold. Yet when the you tiao is cold, it is still crispy. The size of the you tiao is pathetic. Personally, I dun really like it.
For white almond, this is different, instead of the normal you tiao shape, they actually use the same dough but rolled it into a bun shaped, with custard inside the bun and the top covered with white chocolate and almonds flakes. I like this as it does not really taste like you tiao at all, more like eating a bun.
At the moment they got limited variety but I think they will introduce new ones as time goes by. Personally, I still prefer you tiao in the originally way they are, and they have to be hot and crispy. With each priced at $1.30, I do consider they are over priced. If I want to eat such things for sugar rush, I would rather turn to donuts.
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I had heard of this place some time ago that actually serves quite good Japanese BBQ food, however it always looks very classy from outside and dare not walk in and give it a try. On a special day (and well someone giving me a treat), and since I am in the area, decided to walk in and give this place a try regardless of the price. Hee…. Feeling brave huh? You can say that. Haha……
On outside, the decoration of the place reminds of those old Japanese restaurants in Japan. It does have a old tradition touch to it. Once we walked through the door, we were immediately greeted with the normal kind of Japanese greetings and echoes of it were heard throughout of the place. We were ushered to our seats. Inside the decoration were the same as outside, traditional kind of decoration. There are small little sections that can seat up 4 to 6 people and also large sections that can hold up big groups as well. They got private rooms as well.
Once we were seated, menus were served and we were sort of overwhelmed by the variety of food, from different kind of meat from beef to chicken and to seafood and vegetables as well. There are also set meals with wine included but these were kind of out of our budget. It seems that all the food are to be BBQed and there are no cooked food on the menu.
In the end, we ordered a seafood assorted set, a plate of chicken, a plate of sirloin beef and a plate of assorted vegetables.
Once the order is done, also immediately, they will serve up a pot of hot burning charcoal in front of you. The special thing about this charcoal is it is smokeless so it will not really be smoky for the whole place while cooking and it does not leave a burning smell on you when you leave the place as well. They are hot but they do not have any lit fire. Sitting near them can actually feel the heat already.
Next came the food, please note that the food came raw as we have to cooked them ourselves.
Assorted vegetables - A big plate of vegetables are served up. They include, corn on cob, leeks, asparagus, mushroom, green pepper, carrots. The portions are quite big and fresh as well. It is interesting to cook them on the stove and have to keep in mind that the stove is very hot, therefore the vegetables actually get cooked very fast, leave them any longer on the stove, they will be burnt. Well that happened to the first few anyway. Haa…. With a little burnt on the outer, they actually tasted quite good, especially with the green pepper and corn. The mushroom actually managed to retain its juice inside, making it crispy outside but full of juice inside.
Chicken – The chicken came marinated and cut into smaller but thick pieces. It will take some time to cook due to the thick slices. However once they are cooked, they are very good. The meat is tender and will not lost its flavour when BBQ. It is cooked to a bit burnt on the outer side.
Beef – This came in cube slices and it is also marinated as well. Beef is easier to cook as they no need to be fully cooked. However the stove being very hot, it will take a very short time to cook the meat. The beef here although not being the top grade, it is tender as well and juicy as well, with the fats slightly melted.
Assorted seafood set – This came as a surprised as the portions are really huge! It got big tiger prawns, scallops, a big full sotong, and two big slices of salmon. It was great! The seafood is really fresh as if they just got out of water. Cooking them is a breeze. The hard one is the sotong, as it is in full size and need them to cut up into smaller pieces as the outside is cooked but the inner is still not cooked. They provided butter for the salmon, and they are placed in the aluminum foils as well, it is like frying them instead. This is really worth the money especially on the big portions on seafood, even they only come in 2 pieces each.
The service of the crew is good and very detailed. They are always on the look out of the stove every time they walked past. They will either change the grill (if it turns black) or they will add in charcoal. They are also pro active, like the case of the sotong, they offered to cut it into smaller pieces for me so that it will be easier to cook as well. They do serve ice water and never fails to top up the water as well. When they served the food, they will also advise on how long to cook the food. Good for first timers like us. Hee…
Oh yes, don't worry, tongs will be provided to make yr bbqing easier and more fun. It is like bbqing inside a room.
Overall the meal; cost around $90 for 2 pax if my memory did not failed me. A bit on the expensive side but then it is a good experience. I am quite happy with the experience except that I dun think I will return soon because fo the price.
The place does get packed rather soon during meal times so if possible make a reservation before going down. it does save you from not getting a table and being disappointed.
Between this and Korean BBQ, well of course there are difference and each got its own pros and cons. However, if they are like the Koreans, able to cook it right in front of us, it will be better. Especially for lazy people like me. Haha….. Korean BBQ also have a lot of small side dishes whereas this does not have. For me, both are as good, just depends what I feel like having then. Hee….. What about you?
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In my bid to bade a warm farewell to this 2 decades old iconic landmark of the Oasis (which happens to be closing soon), I visited on a warm weekday evening ladened with much nostalgia from my good old childhood days.
Nothing much has changed since I can last remember, save for some minor refurbishments and facelifts here and there. The interior is still as warm as ever, even with air conditioning.
Beancurd with Shrimp - The shrimps didn't taste particularly fresh while the tofu was small and tasteless. Add overly salty gravy to the equation and you get a below average dish for the price ($7).
Preserved Vegetable Omelette - The egg was overly fried as evident from the charred bits along the edges but the preserved vegetables weren't too salty, which was something I personally liked.
Bean Sprouts - Nicely fried with bits of salted fish in it to give it taste. However it did seem a little too oily and salty.
Stewed Pork - The stewed pork aka Mei Cai Kou Rou, was an off menu item and tasted decent at best. It didn't help that the meat was a tad too dry as well. Did I mention that it was expensive ($10) as well for the tiny serving?
I honestly don't know what to make of this place. The food is average and prices are astronomical. 1 meal here can buy me at least 2 equally if not more satisfying meals at the teochew porridge stall near my house. The only reason I can think of why people still patronise this place is nostalgia. After all, this place has been around for decades.
See all my pictures here
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Al Dento at Great World is an open concept cafe you can't miss if you're there. Its central location (Great World City) makes it not-too-inconvenient yet nice and quiet.
Popped by for dinner with 3 other Yebbers that fateful Tuesday. Armed with the well-mentioned coupon, we were tempted to order almost everything on the menu.
Of course we didn't... so here goes!
Tomato Basil Brushetta @ $5
Our little starter was served pretty quickly. 8 pieces of thin toast... Well-buttered but the diced tomatoes were a tad too little. But it was relatively well-presented. A good number for the 4 of us which made me wonder briefly if it were done on purpose.
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms @ $12
2 pieces... what did I expect right? Well it was a little small for Portobello but we made do. The sauce that came with it was just right, not too overpowering. The mushrooms were still juicy with good bite. But I still think it's too expensive at its original price.
Pan-seared Butterfish @ $20
This dish was served with lumps of potato which really looked like Cheezels to me as they were very orange in colour. The fish didn't have too much of a fishy smell to me but the texture could be improved. The potatoes tasted like they were frozen... much like Tater Tots for those who remember what they are.
Char-grilled Sirloin Steak @ $20
This dish was to be served medium rare but it was more well done than expected. I didn't taste this dish really so let my companions do the talking for ya.
Arragosta Pasta @ $20
This is the pasta served with lobster meat. We could choose between two sauces, tomato and garlic. We had garlic sauce and the sauce sure came with a garlicky smell. I think this dish is pretty average. I had the joy of having more lobster meat though (thanks to Claudie).
Smoked Chicken Pizza @ $17
I liked this one. The pizza was about 10". It didn't seem so impressive when it arrived but all the chicken was hidden beneath the cheese. It's been a long time since I've had pizza with that much meat. I like the crust which was thin and crisp at the edges but not thin enough to be charred. :)
Macadamia scented Creme Brulee @ $8
I was the one who ordered this and I did regret a little after the first spoonful. The taste of the custard wasn't very strong. The texture of the custard wasn't smooth enough too. The caramelised top was too thin to add any taste to the dessert.
Tiramisu @ $9
This is better than the Creme Brulee but still not good enough I guess. The top portion was too "tough" and the bottom was too soggy. That made it a little gross to swallow but the overall taste was fine.
This meal would have cost the 4 of us $120 if not for the coupon. The service provided was satisfactory I guess. But unless I'm in the area and I don't fancy anything else, I don't think I would specially head there for this again.
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Have you ever go into a Italiano restaurant, and all of a sudden feel ordering ALL the food available on the menu?
All you look is at the food, without even giving the price tag a glance?
Feeling excited, we might as well tell the waiter to serve EVERY dish they have on the menu!
That’s precisely what happen to us when we went to Al Dente Pronto.
Ahh.. You are confuse now right? Is the food so good that we wanted to order all the dishes? Alas, that’s not quite the raison d’être.
The explication for our extravagant & exaggerated behavior is because … …
We had a 50% discount coupon from OCBC. Yes, you didn’t see wrongly, half price for a la carte items during lunch & dinner, up to a table of 4 persons. Dinner was with the Yebbers. So everything we look at, we can only see half the price, and of course this makes it affordable and worry-free to order whatever we like. So we ordered mostly the more expensive dishes : )
Tomato Basil Bruschetta ($5.0)
We kick start our dinner with the Tomato Basil Bruschettra. Diced Tomato, Garlic, Basil, Oregano and olive oil formulate the starter. We were uncertain whether they gave 8 pieces because there are four of us, or it always come in 8 pieces irregardless of the number of people dining. All the same, we felt the starter could do with more tomato, mayb its because of the rising price in agriculture products in China. Think think. First bite into the Bruschettra was crispy and the garlic taste was done just nice. At $2.50 after discount, it was a real good deal.
Grilled Portobello mushrooms ($12.0)
Our second starter was the Grilled Portobello Mushrooms. Served with rocket salad and diced tomatos. The presentation of the dish was done beautifully, but sadly to sad i felt that at $12 it was definitely not worth the price. Even at half price i won’t order it again.
Char-Grilled Sirloin Steak ($20.0)
Finishing our starter, the waiter note our cue to start our Main course for the night. Our first main was the Char-Grilled Sirloin Steak. We requested for medium-rare, but then when the steak was served it was a tad tougher than what we expected from a medium-rare steak. I guess they sort of make it into medium-well instead. Well, its Italiano and not a steakhouse after all. Nevertheless, i felt that the steak was pretty decent, and at half the price of $10, it was value. Oh yes, we liked the potato that came with it, pretty much reminds us of our childhood.
Pan-Seared Butterfish ($20.0)
Served with potatos, sautèed vegetables and topped with a lemon dill butter glace. Al Dente Pronto actually only have three main course available, the other one being roasted corn fed chicken which we didn’t order. I suppose the raison d’être was because the mains are not really their area of specialty. Al Dente Pronto’s extensive variety of Italian Pizzas and Pastas are where they fare better.
Smoked Chicken Pizza ($17.0)
This is the star of tonight’s show. The Smoked Chicken Pizza might not look very special, but then they are undeniably scrumptious, with large chunks of chicken meat beneath the cheesy cheese. Pizza comes flat, thin and crispy
Arragosta Pasta ($20.0)
Spaghetti with Lobster meat, zucchini and mushrooms, with tomato stew or garlic sauce. We opted for garlic sauce with the belief that garlic can compliment Lobster meat better. And i thought the Arragosta Pasta comes out quite well, mayb except for the fact that it was slightly too dry. I like the lobster meat, which was quite generously furnish on top of the pasta. And i think zucchini (cucumbers) are rather a rare sight in pasta cuisine. Nonetheless, at half price of $10 i think its quite good for money, we are talking about Lobster meat after all.
Tiramisu ($9.0)
To end off the meal, we had Tiramisu as our first dessert. Layers of mascarpone with sponge fingers soaked in coffee and brandy, served with bittersweet chocolate powder The presentation was all right, but the cake was too tough, we had to literally dig inside it to get the tiramisu out.
Macadamia Scented Crème Brulèe ($8.0)
Caramelized custard, infused with Macadamia nut oil served with strawberries on the Macadamia Scented Crème Brulèe.
Total Bill was $122.50 before discount, the amount that we paid for 4 person was $71.20 after discount. The calulations are kind of complicated because the 50% discount does not includes GST and service charge, so they had to count the total price without including them, half the price, and add on the 17% additional charges. Poof! Its comes down to around $18 for per person which i think is reasonably cheap.
All in all, Al Dente Pronto is not really expensive (even without the promotion), the price ranges are mostly in the 10s to 20s. I wont say the food is excellent, in fact some are not. But then i suppose they are still acceptable to me. No you wont go all the way to the forgotton-Great-World-City just for Al Dente Pronto, but i guess if you are in the region you might just want to give it a try. And it certainly helps if you have the OCBC promotion, p.s: it last until end feb.
We had a great night chatting around, there was laughter all over the place, and at times i thought the waiter will just kick us out of the place. It was fun fun & fun! Looking forward to the next Yebber gathering! Cheers!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
” Italiano delights, Companion enjoyment ”
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First impression from afar... wow! Nice place.
Second impression when I saw the namecard... wow! Nice namecard!
Third impression when I stepped into the place... interesting furnishing and cutlery!
We adjoined to Tong Shui Cafe behind Great World City before we head home. The menu was a little hard to read. Typical Singapore "Hongkong style cafe" menu. Although the place is call Tong Shui Cafe (Sweet Water Cafe aka Dessert Cafe) There's only 1 page on the dessert drinks and 1 page on desserts... not much choice. We settled for the TSC's Tuttii Frutti Summit $11-something.
It consists of 3 types of pudding mixed with konnyaku jelly. Texture was not bad. The Mango flavored was the best. The other two were strawberry and kiwi. There were accompanying tiny diced fruits of the 3 kind and tiny crunchy pearls (or jelly). Overall this dessert was quite nice. Nothing to "wow" about.
Will go back to try the other stuff one day if I ever pass by one.
Rating given:
Nice clean place, with ok service and ok food.
Met up with fellow members for dinner. Thanks to LIC for the 50% discount coupon and my OCBC card, we ordered the most expensive of each category to try.
For starters, we had Tomato Basil Bruschetta and Grilled Portobello Mushrooms. Mains we ordered Pan-seared Butterfish, Char-grilled Sirloin Steak, Arragosta Pasta and Smoked Chicken Pizza. Desserts were Macadamia scented Creme Brulee and Tiramisu. Drinks ordered were Ice Rasberry Tea, Ice Peach Tea, Shirley Temple and Lime Juice.
All the above totaled to $71.20! (including GST and Service Charge)
I shall keep mine short and sweet. (Partly because my eyes are already half-close now.)
Tomato Basil Brushetta @ $5
Its either the bread was too big, or the tomatoes were too expensive. Serving wise looks sad. Taste was alright. I like the way they infused the garlic into the bread. Crispy and nice. $2.50 after discount. Cheap lah!
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms @ $12
First bite was yummy. After that it just started like any other mushrooms. The rocket on this was too bitter. Unlike those I had at Absolute Haven.
Pan-seared Butterfish @ $20
Too fishy for me. Sauce was tad too saltish.
Char-grilled Sirloin Steak @ $20
There was nothing charred about this steak. Taste was alright. Meat was too tough. Like the potatoes that was served at the side.
Arragosta Pasta @ $20
Pasta was too dry, lobster meat was quite fresh and plentiful. First time I saw what I call cucumbers (zucchini) on pasta.
Smoked Chicken Pizza @ $17
This is perhaps the only thing that I'll order if I ever go back again. The Pizza on photo seems to be plain and boring. But underneath those cheese are chunks of chicken meat. I like the blend of tomatoes and cheese and chicken. Could be better if there were thicker layer of cheese.
Macadamia scented Creme Brulee @ $8
Taste like custard. Ha! Nothing special about this. Couldn't really taste the macadamia thou.
Tiramisu @ $9
Texture was too tough and sponge fingers were over soaked in the coffee and brandy. Don't really like it.
Overall the food was forgettable. I'll not be going back again unless there's 50% discount or someone's treating.
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Ema’s Diner located at Greenwood Avenue, is formally known as 8 on Greenwood. Opened by the Halia group at the stretch of restaurants along Greenwood. Greenwood is being spoken at the same breath as Dempsey, Holland Village, Rochester Park as the hidden and hot spot to go.
All these used-to be forgotten little outposts of Singapore have been transformed into mini lifestyle destinations of their own. The location of the restaurant is no longer a issue, so long there is the “hot” and “in” place to go, well-travelled food enthusiants living in all corners of Singapore will be willing to travel to other corners as well.
Maybe not known to all, Greenwood Avenue was created by Les Amis group, one of Singapore dining giant. Out of close to 13 restaurants there, 5 belongs to Les Amis Group;
The Grill at Hillcrest
Sebastien’s Bistrot
Peperoni Pizzeria
Raku Japanese Restaurant
L’estaminet Bar
Anyway, thats for the background information on Greenwood, but Les Amis is really good, first they find a hidden street, this is follow up with opening several separate restaurants with different themes, to complement not to compete with each other. And poof! Greenwood Avenue is born.
Initially we wanted to try out Sebastien’s Bistrot, but it was kind of late when we reached the area, so we went for quick lunch at Ema’s Diner. The first impression of the restaurant was its sort of kiddy? There was those stuff-toys cushion on the seats at one of the tables outside.
The menu was an one-pager, it certaintly did not impress me as it seems unprofessional, like a child-drawn menu. Even though Ema did not offer much variety, but i thought the least they could do was separate out the one-page menu into several page and make it look more appropriate like a menu.
We proceed on to browse through the menu since we had already entered the place, a rough count shows that it was about 25-30 seater restaurant. Not much diners around, mayb it was the timing that we went.
Ema’s Burger ($14.90)
Home-made beef patty, melted cheese, picked vege, bacon & hickory smoked bbq sauce, accompanied by fries. The Ema's Burger was pretty decent i guess. You won’t really go wrong ordering this from the short list of food available.
Braised Lamb Shank ($15.90)
With carrot, turnip, celery & mashed potato. The inquisitive side finally got me into trouble. There are safe options to order, but no, my mind tell me not to, and instead Braised lamb shank is served onto my table. Not really good, i didn’t finish the dish if thats what you want to know.
French fries ($3.50)
We made a mistake of ordering french fries for starters because while ordering Ema’s burger, we missed out that it came with fries, otherwise, the fries were okay, and the servings were quite generous too
Total damage came to $43.78 for two person. Also had one mango ice blend ($5.50). The food there wasn’t that bad i guess, mayb its just a case of ordering the wrong stuff, for the price range i though it is still consider reasonable given the fact that it is located beside much high-end restaurants, and the rent at Greenwood isn’t really what you will mention as cheap.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
“ It can’t be smooth-sailing all the way, sometimes you will encounter bad dining experience ”
Rating given:
Botak Jones by now if you haven heard of it before, then are u REALLY living in Singapore? Even if you never go to the place before, but at the very least must have know the existance of this Ang Moh selling western ‘restaurant’ food in our very own local-coffeeshop.
Quality-yet-cheap western meals at coffee shops used to be a thing never heard of, but it all changed after Botak Jones came in and set the record right. After that, we saw a rush in stream of such ‘concepts’, think Crazy Ang Moh, UNO Beef house and a few others which are all owned by Caucasian (our term is Ang Moh), set up on our heartland shores.
Like i mention during my last visit to Botak Jones, critics of Botak Jones will say they are charging too much going for the coffee-shop standards, yet you cannot deny the fact that Botak Jones has been going from strength to strength with the opening of new branches, the current strength stands at 7 outlets in Singapore.
You cant fault the owner Bernie Utchenik for his ingenious of spotting the trend to open his shops in all neighbour area, and there is even two new concepts that he introduces to our local foodie, Brewski Jones & Spaghetti Jones. As the names implies, Brewski Jones is actually a brewery where you drink beer of course, except its not in town, not in Clarke Quay, but in Toa Payoh North and Bedok North. Ahh.. yes, in our very own backyard. I suppose Spaghetti Jones need no further introduction then, Jones selling spaghetti as simple as that. Pastas there are not expensive, for the basic one going for $4.50, to ranges from $7.50 to $8.50.
In any case, Brewski Jones and Spaghetti Jones are not the topic of discussion for today, thats just a sneak preview of what is to come after i gave em’ a visit. Cheers! Today we are back at Botak Jones for my second visit. Having tried Cajun Chicken, Fish & chips, and Rosemary Lamb Chop on the last account, they are therefore not what we are going to sample today, well you don’t go back to a place for a revisit eating the same food unless they are really really good right?
Australia Ribeye Steak 200gm ($14.50)
Enough of the crap already, lets get back to business. Let me present to you the food that we are having, first up is the Australia Ribeye Steak. In an attempt to raise the stakes (a little pun), Botak Jones upgraded to a better quality australian beef, trim off the whole ribeyes, hand marinate and tendrize them, coming in their own brown black pepper gravy.
The steak was medium-well, done chewy with a strong strain of blood still visible. Some people like it medium-rare, but i like mine done not too bloody. As usual, the fries was rather good and spicy. Although the 200gm might look small and on first notion we doubt that it will be filling, but on boy were we proved wrong. The serving was definitely enough for a person. However i still felt that the price was a tad too high, and i probably wont take this one again.
The Botak Burger ($8)
150grams of hand formed beef. All the burgers are suppose to come out medium well, which if done correctly will leave them very juicy. The Botak Burger alone is $5.50, but i got it at a set at $7, den add $1 for cheese on top. There are quite a lot of extra ingredients which you can upgrade your burger with, egg, ham, bacons, cheese etc. Actually if you are going for beef, i feel this is a better option than the Australian Ribeye, well cow for cow, obviously this one lose out, but then at Botak Jones, this is good n’uff.
Total Bill was $22.50 for two mains, kind of expensive going for coffee fare standards, but then again its not really coffee shop food. I suppose it won’t hurts if you go there once in a while, so until i visit the other Ang Moh stores then.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
” When restaurant and hawker food comes together… “
Rating given:
When you hang out with a group of friends and wanted seafood for dinner, Fish & Co, Manhattan Fish Market, Greenwood Fish Market and even newly-opened Seafood Harvest by Jack’s Place will spring into mind. There is another option actually, introducing Hooked! A quaint little fish restaurant specialising in fusion cuisine, Hooked! creations try to push the boundaries of marine gastronomic expectations to a different level.
While MFM and Fish & Co both specialises in American-style seafood, with its fish & chips, Seafood platter among its signature dishes, Hooked! took the ”healthy” approach by offering more steamed variety of fishes in addition to the fried ones. Actually if you think that MFM and Fish & Co have different variety of seafood, then you are wrong.
Hooked! is the place to be if you want many variety of seafood, from the normal fish & chips, to snappers, groupers, salmons and even to Seabass, and Cod fish. With so many fishes to choose from, the next problem is how do you want the fish to be done? Deep-fried, Barbecued, Pan-grilled, Roasted, Steamed, Pan-seared, Baked, Grilled, you name it they have it. You’ll know when you see the comprehensive and colourful menu, lots of choices to go around, it all depends on how far you want to try.
Fish & Chips ($13.50)
Hmm.. The fish & Chips was good i guess, but then again coming to a special seafood restaurant like Hooked!, i think it will be a better choice to try other special fish and methods of cooking. Nevertheless its a decent option if you are not feeling too adventureous.
Grilled Jumbo Snapper with spicy tomato sauce ($15.50)
Choice of with or without market-fresh squids. Served with sauteed potato and asparagus. The spicy tomato sauce did not cover the freshness of the snapper, instead, it helps to bring up the flavour of the fish, giving it a sweet and hot taste. Take the Grilled Jumbo Snapper with spicy tomato sauce if you are feeling faint after reading the long list of menu and not knowing what to order.
Steamed Cod Thai Cantonese Style ($22.80)
Snowy-white fresh cod steamed in fish broth. Drizzled with heated seasame oil & soy sauce upon serving. Also served with a side dish of panfried linguine or rice. This is one of the more expensive fish around, but it is understood as Cod fish are naturally at the higher end as compared to the other fishes available. But then the steamed Cod Thai Cantonese style falls flat when served, partly is because the fish was rather bland in taste, perhaps due to the fact it is steamed, and after having the colourful taste of spicy tomato sauce, and Balsamic Ragenov sauce, this one is not as tasteful. Nonetheless, it is a good option if you want to have steamed fish for a change.
Pan-grill jumbo Seabass in Balsamic Ragenov sauce ($14.80)
Capping off the delightful meal was the Pan-grill jumbo Seabass in Balsamic Ragenov sauce. The flavours contained within were maturely paired and showed a different side to the chef’s ability. What exactly is Balsamic Ragenov sauce, that remains a mystery even after finishing the whole dish. But without a doubt, the sauce was good and offers a unique taste. Furthermore, the linguine was very smooth to the mouth, and the side order of the linguine cost just 2 bucks.
Tofu Otah ($7.90)
The tofu otah was quite good, cheese was topped onto the tofu and otah, but then the price was rather expensive. Best served eaten hot.
Hooked! boasts a pantry of the freshest fish, paired with adventurous preparations. It provides a different dimension from the usual deep-fried and grilled seafood, offering many different methods of serving the fish and seafood fresh. Western cuisine is fused with Asian flair, with the originality of these flavours will definitely hooked up any diners, fish lovers or not. For people who do not fancy fish, there is a column called the anti-fish, which offers three options of meat, but then again why are you ordering meat in a seafood fish restaurant?
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
” Marine gastronomic to a whole new level “
Rating given: