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fin1710's Reviews

    911. Bakerzin (VivoCity)   
       14 Jan 2008 at 5:43 pm
    Polarbear Polarbear says:

    I was at Vivocity and a sudden thought of having some desserts so decided to pop by Bakerzin to give it a try. It has been a long time since I stepped into one and I used to like their desserts and cakes a lot.

    So I was standing outside waiting to be seated. Can see that the place is not really packed and most of the waitresses are jz walking around. I am quite big sized and not easily to be missed but then I was standing there for at least a good 5 mins before anyone come up to show me to my seat. The waitress behind the cake counter saw me waiting, yet did not inform her other colleagues to come and show me to my seat. Disappointing in the service so far. In fact I was telling my partner, I will count to 10 and if no one come up to us, we will jz walk away. Surprising at 10, someone turned up and showed us to our seats. Haa…. Still disappointed!

    So seem like we can choose our seats cos not crowded. Got the sofa seats and they got this quite beautiful and interesting plastic chair as well. Nice. Given the menus and since we in the mood for dessert, we skipped all the mains and jz checked out the desserts.

    The ordering part was easy and they also sort of set up the table according to what we have ordered. Like mentioned in the last post, they did not serve ice water. Bad move.

    We ordered:
    • Ice lemon tea: @ $4.80. Nothing to say except it is freaking expensive for a small glass of ice lemon tea. Could get more at Carl’s Jr at the same price. Haa…. Cheapo me.

    • Vanilla Brulee: $5. I am a very big fan of cream brulee. When they served it up, me and my partner jaws dropped. Y? Cos it is freaking small. Haa…. Well size aside, it is actually quite good. I am very impressed. The top is covered by a layer of melted sugar, the custard is not too sweet, and has a eggy and milky taste which I liked. It is a good combination of the both.

    • Profiteroles: $8.80. I actually used to eat this every time I go to Bakerzin. I will recommend to eat this with their cheese ice cream. At first, when I know they got cheese ice cream, I was like “Eeee…” However after tasting it, I fell in love with it. Hee… This time round it disappoints me as the ice cream is not as good as it used to be. The taste of the cheese is a bit too strong for my liking. There is a sour taste to it as well. Disappointing.

    Think this will be one of the last times that I will go to Bakerzin for desserts alr. I did not try their cakes but hope that their standard will not drop as well. If not, I will have to go to other places for desserts alr.


    Rating given:Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5

       14 Jan 2008 at 3:47 pm
    Category: Desserts
    Polarbear Polarbear says:

    I was introduced to this place by my colleague who saw the stall on TV. He had been to this stall and said that the muffins are really good and we had to be there by 11.30am if not there will be along queue at the stall. So all of us started to head there and reached there by 11.30am.

    The stall is quite easy to find as you can jz follow the muffin smell and you can walk straight to the stall. Once we were there, we started queuing and soon enough more than 5 people joined the queue. Haa…

    The stall is small but it does hold at least 2 ovens and can see trays and trays of different kind of muffins. There are at least 4 people in the stall baking, stacking and serving the crowd. While waiting for you turn, you can jz stand there and smell the muffins and decide what flavors to buy. That is the difficult part. What to buy?

    The muffins flavors are:
    • Chocolate Chips
    • Banana Walnut
    • Orange Peel
    • Rasins
    • Coconut
    • Carrot Walnut
    • Pumpkin
    • Cheese
    • Blueberries
    • Cranberries
    • Redberries

    The muffins and big in size and have a lot of ingredients inside. One is enough for a breakfast, tea break or dessert. Eat alone is good enough, if not together with a cup of tea or coffee will be best.

    My personal favourite are Banana Walnut, Chocolate Chips and Blueberry. All the muffins are moist inside but got a crispy cover and this makes the muffin soft inside but hard on the outside. A good way to eat the muffins is to put it in the toaster and reheat for a few mins before eating. It is simply jz bring out the smell and the taste of the muffin to its best, fresh out of oven kind although it is tasty even though it is not reheated. Every trip that I goes there I sure would buy at least 10 muffins and above.

    They also sell other things like:
    • Fruit flans
    • Fruity Mousse
    • Classic Mousse
    • Brownies
    • Classic Cheesecakes
    • French Pastires
    • Crumbles

    I have tasted their fruit flans and their crumbles. It also good and I always buy a slice to eat on the spot. Their crumbles have a very thick pastry but full of fillings inside, can see the apples or thick slices of mango inside.

    Their prices are also very reasonable, muffins from $1.10 to $1.30 and cakes / flans from $24 and above. The staff there also very friendly, patient to wait for you to make your choices as well. They are also happy to advice you on what is good to eat as well.

    They also accept phone booking as well.
    Shunfu: Tue and Thurs only between 4 to 8pm (Min order 25 pcs)

    Tanjong pagar: All days after 4pm (Min order 25 pcs)

    Below are their stall details

    Shunfu
    Blk 320 #02-12 Shunfu Road (Shunfu Mart) S(570320)
    HP: 93830413
    Weekdays: 9.30am – 2.30pm
    Weekends: 10am – 2.30pm
    Close: Mon and Wed

    Tanjong Pagar
    Blk 1 #01-18 Tanjong Pagar Plaza S (082001)
    HP: 92762110
    Daily: 8.30am – 4.30pm
    Close: Sun

    Writing this review makes me wanna to eat them now. Haa.... Pls make sure you got the right stall as there are other stalls selling muffins as well in the same market.


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

    913. Eden Cafe   
       14 Jan 2008 at 3:29 pm
    Bobo Bobo says:

    Eden Cafe is a little gem tucked away amongst all the eateries there! It's tastefully done in a modern yet simplistic manner. The ambience was a winner with me. There were a couple of seats outside but I would much rather sit inside.

    What I loved most about the place was the small garden Clement had at the back. It was filled with plants and Clement let us try some which were delicious.. Yes the leaves of the plants were delicious.

    Clement provided great service, patiently explaining every bit to us. Esp when the items don't look conventional. The servers were also very polite, clearing our dishes at timely intervals.

    I liked most of the dishes they went down pretty well with me... I shall talk about the ones I loved!

    I liked the Black Sesame Pasta. It was my first time having it.. It was very different in taste but I still liked it. There was a certain flavour to it. But it didn't go down so well with many people...

    I loved the Tomato based soup served with mussel. The soup was very flavourful and thick. The fact that it was so healthy and tasty at the same time had me licking the bowl clean :)

    I also liked the Seedless Grape Chicken. This is the one dish that I would love to go back specially for. It was delicious! And we had ours in this funny fortune cookie cover thing which was really cute.

    There were so many delicious things on the menu and the molten chocolate cake really had me.. That I think another visit is a necessity. The mains for the lunches also vary from week to week. You can join the mailing list to have Clement email it to you!!

    Click here to see more pictures

    *I know it's long due. Shoot me.*


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

    914. Nexus Gourmet   
       14 Jan 2008 at 11:22 am
    Category: Deli and Cafe
    feizhu feizhu says:

    Dinner was a simple affair at Nexus Gourmet along Telok Ayer Street. Located just opposite the mosque, Nexus Gourmet blends in well with its surroundings and looks just like any other shophouse along the row. No signages, no newspaper clippings, nothing. One could hardly be blamed for mistaking it for anything but a food outlet. Only through word of mouth will you know that such a place even exists. Well I was one of those who have heard about it and so I was all geared up to try. I had a companion of course, namely, my gf. Only a table was occupied when we got there at about 1845hrs. They had gone out of pizzas, so we had the Rib Eye Steak and BBQ Chicken with a Duck and Mango Salad to share.

    I personally found the Duck and Mango Salad a little lacklustre. The slightly spicy sauce did add some zest to the duck, but some pieces of the duck itself tasted rather flat. Other pieces of duck had a very strong fowl aftertaste, which I am immune to, but it was quite pronounced. The shredded vegetables were a nice touch as they were crunchy and provided a little moisture to the salad.

    My Rib Eye Steak exceeded my expectations a little. I had ordered it medium rare, but it turned out medium well, which was still fine with me. The meat was still relatively tender and sweet, so no grouses there. The accompanying mushroom sauce was tasty without being too flavourful. Mashed potatoes came as a side and it was moist and smooth. I'm not sure if it came from a ready made package, but if it did, it sure didn't taste like it. My gf's BBQ Chicken tasted a little too sweet for me, but she found it ok. The chicken was cooked just right, not overdone nor undercooked.

    Dinner for 2 pax cost $32.80/-, which is quite reasonable. What Nexus Gourmet lacks in its culinary section, it more than makes up for in its service and ambience. Overall, a very decent experience. It could well do with more signages to promote itself and to attract walk in customers. Oh and a wider variety would be greatly appreciated. Happy Nexusing!

    See all my pictures here


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

       14 Jan 2008 at 7:21 am
    Category: Thai
    Bobo Bobo says:

    Who doesn't know Thai Express? This chain expanded really fast and it's now all over the place. I even have one just a stone's throw from my place.

    Popped by the one at PS just recently with a friend. We were nicely greeted and shown to a seat quickly. It was a Sunday afternoon and PS was brimming with people but Thai Express was only a quarter filled. Well it helped that there were many eateries around the area I guess.

    We quickly decided on our food and the server asked if we'd like warm or iced water. I like that she didn't just assume that everyone wants iced water.

    Food ordered:
    Kaeng Khiew Mangsawirat ($8.90)
    Green Vegetable Curry served with Rice
    I'm used to green curry that is much milder and has more flavour but this one was much spicier. There was a lot of vegetables though and it was pretty filling despite what people might think.

    Poo Phat Pung Kari ($9.90)
    Curried Soft Shell Crab with Eggs and Onions, served with Rice
    This one's curry was less spicy, more mild. Complete opposite. But the curry masked any oilyness soft shell crabs usually have so it was a pretty good dish really.

    Fresh Prawn Wraps ($5.90)
    Fried to a crisp, the wrap was very tasty. The prawns were not as fresh as one would expect but still acceptable I guess.

    Acceptable food with pretty good service at an acceptable price I guess I will be there again.


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

    916. Forrest   
       14 Jan 2008 at 5:09 am
    Category: Deli and Cafe
    feizhu feizhu says:

    Mention Mandai and the first thing that comes to my mind is the zoo and the word "ulu". Never would I have expected to find any restaurants in the area (those in the zoo excluded). So imagine my surprise when I found out about a restaurant, Forrest, nestled in one of the Orchid plantations just off Mandai Road.

    Located at the Orchidville Orchid plantation, Forrest caters mainly to private functions like weddings but walk ins are always welcome(provided they are not booked). Step into the restaurant and a totally different world comes into the picture. Flora and Fauna become an integral part of this rainforest themed restaurant, which is complemented by a greenhouse like roof to partially let in sunlight. There's no question about the heat though even in the afternoon as the whole place feels cool with the extensive air conditioning system. Tables are spaced far apart to give that relaxing and spacious feeling. Honestly, words don't do the place justice. You'll have to see it for yourself.

    Tofu Treasure - Homemade Tofu with carrots and mushrooms, deep fried and served with sweet Thai chilli dipping - The tofu wasn't exactly as silky as I would have liked it to be, but it was a commendable effort nonetheless. The skin was a little crispy while the inside was relatively smooth. There was a nice slight pan fried taste to it which I personally liked. Couldn't really make out the carrots and mushrooms though.

    Knuckleduster - Forrest's signature dish, the Knuckleduster, came highly recommended and the truth was, I was quite impressed by it. Not exactly the bowled over by it kind of impress, but more of the I certainly didn't expect it kind of impress, if you catch my drift. The skin was crispy to a crackle and the meat was tender, fibrous yet not overcooked, as evident by its reddish tinge. Only bone I had with it was that it was quite fatty under the skin, which basically throws any healthy ratings out of the window. On a positive note, the knuckleduster was meant for 2, but my gf and I had a hard time trying to finish it. Oh and the accompanying noodles were a little springy and tasted rather sourish from all the vinegar. Nice taste contrast though.

    Chinese Pancake a La Mode with Raspberry Coulis - I ordered this dessert only because it sounded fancy and it was the only dessert which was available. The pancake tasted rather normal and the Raspberry Coulis was nothing more than red bean paste (tasted like it).

    $33 for 2 pax in a serene and therapeutic environment such as Forrest is really quite value for money in my humble opinion. Add in the fact that the food is quite decent and service is good and its a clear winner (to me that is). No GST and service charge is definitely a plus here as well.

    See all my pictures here


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

       14 Jan 2008 at 12:14 am
    feizhu feizhu says:

    Went to Golden Mile with my parents last night for steamboat at Thien Kee Steamboat, which was supposedly one of THE places to go for good steamboat. Thien Kee has been around at the basement of Golden Mile Complex for ages and the fading façade is testament to that. When we got there at about 1930hrs, the whole place was packed to the brim with people, with tables being set up in the isles and literally anywhere where there was an empty space, even right up to the lift and stair doors! With a little luck, we managed to get a good seat in the main restaurant itself near the aircon vent. We had the small steamboat order for 3 pax @ $23, 10 sticks of pork Satay, Hainanese Chicken @$8, drinks and chicken rice.

    The ingredients for the steamboat were pretty miserable quantity wise. 2 small platters of meat mixed with liver, cockles, fish and fishballs with another 2 platters of vegetables and 2 eggs. Upon cooking, the food tasted normal, nothing fantastic. The Hainanese chicken was a little too cold and bloody for my liking and the chicken rice was a little cold as well. However, it wasn’t very oily which is a plus point to me. The Satay was the highlight, with hardly any visible charred parts, fat and juicy. The gravy was also good, with lots of crushed nuts in it and no visible layer of oil. Comparable to the wonderful Satay gravy that I had in Karjang, (Not sure about the spelling, but its in Malaysia and famous for its Satay) just that the one at Karjang is very much thicker.

    Very filling dinner, but at about $42 for 3 pax, not exactly very cheap considering the quantity and quality of food. But then again, it’s not terribly expensive as well. The air conditioning is a good thing, as things tend to get sweaty during steamboats and service is fast and snappy. Although I feel that its way over hyped, I do recommend trying it before it goes the way of the Dodo. And oh yes, listen out for the cries of “Ma Pi Po”, something which I haven’t heard in a while. ;)

    See all my pictures here.


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

    918. Pontini   
       14 Jan 2008 at 12:08 am
    Category: Italian
    feizhu feizhu says:

    Idyllic brunches are what I often look forward to and they can essentially dictate the pace of the day's subsequent activities. On this beautiful Saturday morning, my gf and I set out to conquer the Italian buffet brunch at Pontini. I have never tried Italian buffets and it got me thinking as to how badly the quality of food would be compromised in the face of mass reproduction. We reached there slightly before 12pm and were told it was fully booked. Thank god we had made reservations(The buffet hadn't started so I did manage to take some decent interior shots without much people).

    A short walk through the passageway with water trickling down both sides of the walls will see you at a cellar which also doubles up as a private function room. Walk on and you will notice that the interior is simple yet elegant, with wood as the main element. Homely and comfortable are words I would use to associate with such surroundings.

    The buffet variety wasn't extensive. I estimated it to be about 30 odd, probably 40 inclusive of desserts. There was everything from Parma Ham with Rock Melon to Cus Cus to Pizzas and Pasta which were cooked on the spot for you, Cheeses, Roasted Lamb, Oysters etc. Drinks like Champagne, Red and White Wine and Fruit Juices were also free flow. I tried almost everything on offer except for a few of the Cheeses.

    I personally liked the pizzas and the pasta. Wafer thin and crispy crusts led the way for the Pizzas and it really was a pleasure eating them. Subtle flavouring, the freshest ingredients and excellent culinary skill resulted in an absolutely tantalising pasta creation. I attribute the excellent culinary skills to Pontini's Executive Chef, Laurent Perez, who whipped up pasta after pasta for me. And so, let me just cut the review short because there are just too many things to write about. Almost everything was good or at least above average, with the exception of a couple, like the mushroom soup, which I found a tad too bitter and some of the cheeses which reeked strongly of gee. Oh and yes, I did like some of the desserts as well, namely the Hazelnut Pannacotta and the shot of Tiramisu, which had a potent coffee taste.

    It cost us $116.55/- for 2 pax ($66.55 after $50 discount)which I find to be pretty worth it even without the discount because champagne and wines can already cover quite a huge part of your bill. Service is great and everyone's friendly. Plates are cleared and drinks are refilled promptly. There's even a 3 piece ensemble going to each individual table to belt out songs or individual requests. Food wise, I wouldn't go as far as to rate it Excellent, but most of it are a Good. With such good food, good atmosphere and a individual band to boot, whats not to like? I'm recommending this as a must try.

    See all my pictures here.


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

       13 Jan 2008 at 11:53 pm
    Category: Bakeries
    feizhu feizhu says:

    Cafe Le Pastry has been in existence for over 50 years and my mum occasionally buys a box or two of its Pineapple tarts home because I'm quite crazy over it.

    Located at a nondescript shophouse just next to a Chicken Rice stall, it lies near the junction of Middle Road and Selegie Road, along the outskirts of town. Newspaper cuttings and photographs of celebrities and its specialties adorn the stall front, making for a rather cluttered and comical looking shop. Step through the narrow space and be greeted by a friendly lady who promptly informs you that all of their specialties are sold out and they have to be booked a day in advance. Lucky for me, they were in the midst of making a fresh batch and I only had to wait an hour to get my hands on their famous pineapple tarts and beancurd tarts.

    Golf Balls aka Pineapple Tarts ($7 for 10) - My all time favourite Chinese New Year goodie, pineapple tarts! (Ok I like Bak Kwa as well) The balls were quite a size and came stuffed with copious amounts of not too sweet pineapple filling. The pastry itself was fluffy and a little buttery, making for an excellent dessert. To be honest, my auntie makes better pineapple tarts but Le Cafe probably sells one of the best commercially made pineapple tarts in the market.

    Bean Curd Tarts ($5.50 for 6) - First looks at the tarts and I was suitably impressed by the homogeneous texture of the filling and the crust as well the aroma emitted. I wasn't too impressed in the taste department though. True, it was smooth and lightly sweet but the pastry wasn't firm enough for one. Also, it didn't taste out of the ordinary. Pretty much like eating Tao Huey, albeit of a slightly denser form. Having said that (I'm rather contradictory am I not?), it is still something new to me and I do like it enough to want to buy it again.

    See all my pictures here


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

       13 Jan 2008 at 11:38 pm
    Category: Vietnamese
    feizhu feizhu says:

    There is this new stall selling Vietnamese food near my house and it being a lull and rainy Saturday afternoon, my gf and I checked it out, not so much so for the food, but because we were plain lazy and didn't feel like going anywhere far.

    The above mentioned restaurant lies along a row of shophouses in a rather secluded part of Serangoon Gardens, where most people don't actually walk to unless you are looking for the OCBC bank. A rather weird choice for location if you ask me. The shop announces its presence via a huge red signboard on the outside and the interior is decidedly simple Asian.

    Cha Gio - Crispy Pork Spring Roll - This dish came highly recommended in the menu and by the waiter, so we had an order of the pork variation (there's chicken as well). Honestly, I didn't think too highly of this dish as it wasn't the least bit interesting. I found it rather average, not that I've tried it before though. The exterior was deep fried until crispy and the filling of pork, shrimps and yam was bland. You probably have to dip it into the sweetish spicy sauce to get any flavour (actually, most of the dishes came with that sauce. Maybe its a staple?)

    Chao Tom - Sugar Cane Prawn - This was also recommended and I fairly liked it. A most interesting concept of mincing prawn and fish into a paste and wrapping it over sugar cane. The paste alone was normal but when eaten together with the sugar cane (you have to chew on the sugar cane to get the juice. I don't really think you can swallow the pulp though), you get something which is a mixture of tastes - a perfect blend of salty and sweet. But chewing on the sugar cane can be quite a chore, especially for lazy people like me.

    Pho Bo Tai - Beef Slice Noodles - I'm no stranger to Pho, having eaten it through my college years in North America at the dozens of Vietnamese stalls there. However, ever since coming back to Singapore, I've not been able to find one which matches up to what I used to have. Le Viet's rendition comes fairly close, but still lacks the stronger soup base with a more natural and stronger beef taste. The beef slices were medium rare but not as chewy as I would have liked it to be. Quite a generous serving of beef slices though.

    Com Tam Suon Nuong - Broken Rice with Grilled Pork Chop - I had expected broken rice (ie. normal rice broken into smaller bits), but all I got was normal rice. So much for the name. The grilled pork chop tasted familiarly like Char Siew except for the fact that this one seemed a lot fattier. However, the garnishing of spring onion and fried garlic proved to be a winner for this dish. Pleasantly fragrant, it added another angle of taste to the grilled pork chop.

    A very filling lunch for 2 came up to about $30 because of a 10% discount (promotion period I believe), which is a little on the high side considering what we had ordered. Bring it down to below $25 and I'll have reason to go back often. Other than that, it will probably be just a once in a blue moon thing. And service is quite good by the way.

    See all my pictures here


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

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