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Food & Beverage
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1=SGD 0.0587
Wouldn't you think that naming a restaurant after some kind of mafia or triad seems kind of weird and inappropriate? The owners of Bosses aka Hei She Hui(secret society) at Vivo City obviously don't think so. Black is the obvious choice of colour in this restaurant and everything from the tables, seats and even the menus are decked out in black. Truly in line with the theme of secret societies. Make your way to the inner reaches of the restaurant and be rewarded with an unobstructed view of Sentosa through the floor to ceiling windows while you dine. One interesting thing about this place. Their menu comes chained to a drawer under the table. Simply pull open the drawer to retrieve it. Something new!
Our first dish was the appetizer of Spring Rolls, Carrot & Cucumber. The spring rolls were very well fried. Crispy with no oily residue and no bad after taste arising from the usage of inferior or dirty oil. The carrots and cucumbers were nice and crunchy. Strangely enough, we didn't order this dish. It came as a standard appetizer to all tables and it certainly wasn't free. Personally, I find that $3.80 for such a meagre portion is outright ridiculous. Even my friend thinks so.
Following suit was the Shanghai Steamed Meat Dumplings aka Xiao Long Bao. I found this to be quite well done with plenty of goodness sealed within the thin and soft skin. Bite into one and the juice literally squirts out and fills your mouth. The meat could do with a little more robust flavour though. The Wagyu Beef Congee was rather average. The beef was too overcooked to really appreciate the goodness of the wagyu beef, if it indeed was wagyu beef. I honestly couldn't taste or see the difference between this and normal beef.
We were intrigued by the Deep Fried Scallion and Pork Floss Pastry which came looking a little like Cinnamon rolls. The pastry was flaky and not too oily, but the fillings were miserable. I had to eat until almost the end to actually even see signs of the filling, which consisted of Scallion and Pork Floss. Not that the filling was that great anyway. Salty and dispersed, it didn't make much of an impact to the whole dish.
With a name like Number One Bun aka Tian Xia Di Yi Bao, the bun must either be really good or the person who came up with the name must really be brazen. I'm inclined to think it is the latter. The exterior is lightly glossed with sweet syrup while the filling of pork is salty, which complements the sweetened exterior. Though nice, it definitely doesn't warrant the title of Number One Bun.
Rounding up our meal were the Souffle Ball with Fresh Durian and Signature Creamy and Flowy Custard Bun. I personally found the Souffle Ball with Fresh Durian quite good as the pastry was soft and fluffy. Dusted in icing sugar, it is sweet, fluffy and with a strong durian taste all at the same time. Only grouse I have is that the durian filling was not the least bit sweet at all. Sure, the icing sugar made up for it, but nothing beats the natural sweetness of durian. The amount of durian filling could also be increased so that it wouldn't feel like eating just plain fried flour. The Signature Creamy and Flowy Custard Bun probably pulled one of the biggest surprises that day. Served looking like cupcakes, they were soft and aromatic and with a filling that oozed into your mouth. Sweet, yet with a tinge of saltiness. Complementation and balance at its very best.
An enjoyable meal for 2 set us back by about $48/-. Not exactly the cheapest place to eat, but certainly not expensive. The quality of food is good and the prices don't seem very expensive. But beware, the everything can add up if you are not careful with what you order. Portions are average sized and service can be better, especially with the charging of service charge. An interesting find at Vivo City, so if you are considering an alternative to Crystal Jade, this is the place.
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Seems like more and more $4.80/dish air conditioned Cze Char places are popping up all over Singapore to take advantage of people's penchant for bargains. Bai Jia Seafood Restaurant at Kovan is one such new entrant, following in the footsteps of Ding Xian Lou.
Located along the row of shophouses just next to Kovan MRT, Bai Jia is rather popular with the residents of the area, as evident by the long queues almost every evening. The interior is surprisingly modern for such an eatery but rather small, which probably explains the long queues outside.
Black Pepper Beef - The beef portion was small and it was a little too sweet for my liking. The black pepper taste was also overwhelming I couldn't really make out any beef taste. I would have believed it if they had labelled this dish as pork instead! Such was the texture and taste.
Prawn with Minced Garlic - I counted 5 prawns sliced into half to make 10 portions. Gimmicky I should so. The prawns were your average sized prawns and didn't taste sweet at all. The only good thing about this dish was the gravy, which was lightly sweet and garlicky. Oh and they didn't bother to remove the intestines (the black thing on the spine of the prawn), which made it rather gross.
Crispy Chicken with Orange Sauce - This dish seemed to rather interesting as I've never tried chicken with orange sauce before. Alas, it was a let down from the minute I set my eyes on it. For one, portions were tiny, as expected. The orange sauce was a little sticky and had a faint orange taste to it, very much like the sauce that comes in lemon chicken dishes, except that this was a lot weaker. The fried chicken was a little too overcooked, rendering it hard and a little too chewy for my liking.
Kailan with Garlic - A very run off the mill rendition of this dish. You can't really go wrong with something as simple as frying a vegetable with garlic. Its edible but certainly not fantastic. The kailan looked a little weary as well, an indication of not being too fresh.
Braised Beancurd - What can I say? Another disappointing dish. The tofu was waterlogged with the gravy, which was fine, but the gravy itself was rather bland and watery. Palatable, but barely.
The 3 of us spent about $32 for an unsatisfying dinner (we had to adjourn to MacDonalds for more food). My take on this? I can get better food in a non air conditioned environment (aka coffeeshops/hawker centres) anyday, so I definitely won't be back.
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Was taking a part time degree too at SIM, but quit 1/4way through due to unforseen reasons. Anyway, I've to agree that Mega Bites is a good place for students, since this is like the only place where you can go for food if one is in a rush for time.
During those time I was there, almost 2 years ago, I enjoyed eating dinner there and had almost looked forward to dinner on days where we've to attend tutorials. (Cos I don't attend lectures you see. HA!) Out of the times I had dinner there, I only tried the chinese cooked food once. And that's it. Prefer their western food and pasta. Have to say during that time, their serving was good and the taste was great. Presentation wise seems better too with their white plates during those days.
Few days ago, I was back with my bf to pay his school fees. So we went to Mega Bites to savor the taste of their chicken chops. We were there pretty late, at around 7.40pm. Although there wasn't as many students as it used to be when we were there for classes. But we still had to wait quite awhile for the food.
We sat down and waited, and after 5mins the chicken chops were ready. First I noticed was the change of plates. Black plates seem to have caused the serving to be visually shrank. And not as appetizing.
My bf requested for the rice to be changed to egg but ended given the rice still. When he asked them to change, they said there's no more egg! No choice but he just had to settle with the rice. The sides given were whipped potato, fries and rice. Just listing it here already make me full. All carbo-type food! Hence we were not able to finish everything.
As compared to 2 years ago, the standard has dropped. The food wasn't served hot, despite the wait, and the taste just doesn't seem the same as before. (Or perhaps our standard has raised.) No matter what, I don't think I'll be going back there anytime soon.
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I had been studying in SIM for the past few years (Yes for quite some time) Haa…. I am very grateful of Mega Bites and the foodcourt opp. They are always there when I am hungry and late for my lectures or tutorials. Mega bites does serve a wide variety of food and did I mention that it was halal certified as well.
Mega Bites not really consider a food court but can be considered more of a café. How they work is to buy and eat first pay later, Marche style. A card will be passed to you once you step inside the café. This card will be used to record all your purchases. Theirs is not as high tech as Marche, they dun record your purchases by bar code but by stamps. Haa…. You will only need to pay before you the café. There are 2 cashiers at the door, so there is no way you will miss the cashiers.
Now some of my fav food there:
1. Chicken Chop: It is my fav dish there and I almost will order this every time unless they are sold out. They all use thigh meat, so it is quite a big piece of meat, with the meat, the side dishes are usually mashed potato and fries. However usually I will change my mash potato for coleslaw. Hee…. The chicken thigh is marinated before hand then when they pan fried it, they will add in BBQ sauce onto it, making it more tasty. I like when the skin is a little crispy or burnt. Hee…. Then the fat in the skin also burnt away. Hee…. The portion of the meat they give is usually 1.5 so it is one full thigh and half a pc. The side dishes also are given in generous portion as well. Not to mention that it came with a soup of the day as well. It always makes me a very happy man after eating it. It is very affordable as well, only $3.90.
They also served other western food like sirloin steak, fish and chips, chicken cutlet and combos as well.
2. Pizzas: They also sell pizzas, like marche, they only make the pizza upon order, so have to wait for a while before you can enjoy the pizza. They got a few types of default pizzas like Hawaiian but then you can also order your own fav toppings as well. It comes in the size of a personal pan so it is enough for 1 or 2 people. Quite tasty I must say especially when it comes to you pipping hot from the oven!
3. They also sell other things like pasta, spaghetti, fried noodles and hor fun etc. Tried their hor fun once but was not that impressed with it. It jz came with the normal stuff like fish cake, some squids, and a prawn. That was my last time ordering that as well. Haa….
4. They have a drinks corner where they sell all sorts of drinks from soya bean milk to soft drinks to lattes to herbal teas. Haa… I think what you wanna, they have it. As it is a self help station, you can determine how much ice you wanna in your drink. Hee….
5. There is also a sandwich corner outside the café. They serve all sorts of sandwiches from $2 to $2.50 depending on what you have order. This is a great help when you are late for lessons or jz need a quick bite. The sandwich is made with normal loaves of bread but then it comes with generous amount of veges and meat in it. It was also toasted making the sandwich hot. It came all wrapped up and making it easy to eat on the go as well.
As most of the students like to make go to the opp food court so during peak hours, it is quite easy to make to find a seat. It is also a good place to study cos they also got a study corner where it is conducive to study. Well at least better then the food court. Hee…. Overall I like to dine in this café when I am in school.
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Walking along Joo Chiat Road can be quite exciting at times. You never know what food shop or eatery you are going to find next. I happened to chance upon Boulevard Chicken Pie during one of my trips and as the name suggests, it only sells chicken pies. They come in small, medium and large. I had a small one to try and I was amazed by the fluffy yet crispy crust. The butter taste wasn't overpowering and it tasted better than most of the Chicken Pies that I've eaten. The filling was tasted a little creamy, but could do with a bigger serving. However, having said that, what do you expect for something that costs only $1.50? If you want a bigger pie with more filling, go for the large ones. One gripe though. The pie could do with a lot less oil. It definitely has more oil than the other pies that I've tried. Oh and yes, its Halal, so Muslim friends out there rejoice ;)
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I've always been one to try out new places... and this one is no exception!! Its cosy ambience and good location (in Prinsep Place amongst all the funky eateries) is certainly a draw. I'm also a sucker for simple modern yet cosy decor and this place certainly fit the bill.
Some of the dishes I tried:
Spinach and Wild Mushroom Salad $7.50
This one came as a surprise. I had the idea of a bowl of tossed salad with mushrooms mixed up inside but this one was served on a plate all the ingredients carefully separated from each other. The mushrooms were nicely buttered and being a mushroom-lover I'd loved this!
Seafood Sampler $18.00
This one was quite disappointing. There was Calamari, fish, fries and prawns. But the batter used was too thick and I didn't really fancy it after two pieces from the plate. But the serving was large and can easily be a starter for 4-5 people.
Oriental Cod Fish $24.00
I loved this one. The codfish was served with bacon but the tastes were quite separate. I liked the taste of the fish, which was light and just right. The texture could improve though but no real complaints about this dish.
Chicken Roulade $20.00
I liked the herb taste in the chicken meat itself. The chicken was wrapped around some spinach and bacon. But I enjoyed eating the chicken itself more than the entire combination.
The service provided was really good. Our glasses were never empty and they were polite and tried to accede to our requests. Also they were always available but not breathing down our necks, which I think makes it really comfortable to just chill there without having to feel like you're taking up a seat in the place.
I'll definitely be back to try other things!
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The hunt for the best Teochew restaurant goes on, this time with 5 of us trying out Huat Kee for dinner after numerous discussions. Located at the beginning of Amoy Street near Amoy Street Food Centre and just up the road from Beng Hiang, Huat Kee spans two shop house units and offers the option of dining on the first or second floor. (We didn’t get that option though, presumably due to the second floor being booked for a function) The place was about three quarters filled when we got there at about 1900hrs. Ordering was a breeze and we settled for Braised Goose Meat, White Bait Omelette, Ha Zor (Prawn Roll I think), Lemon Chicken and Orh Nee (Yam Paste).
Braised Goose has always been one of my favourite dishes and Huat Kee’s version didn’t disappoint. The meat was nicely cooked with a minimal fat under the skin. It is as good as Guan Hin’s offering, but still pales in comparison to Hung Kang’s version. However, the beancurd that came with it was horrible. It was harder than I had expected it to be. And I was not alone in making that comment. The White Bait Omelette tasted like your ordinary omelette. There was no noticeable Silver Fish taste and all I could taste was the very well fried egg.
Initially when we ordered the Ha Zor, the waitress asked if we would like our Ha Zor to come with a serving of some seafood roll (didn’t catch the name) and in a moment of folly, we agreed. The seafood roll was unappetising to say the least. It looked like a mumbo jumbo of chilli, chestnut and some other stuff none of us could make out. Taste wise was pretty bland. The Ha Zor was good though, golden brown and light on the taste buds, the epitome of Teochew cooking, which emphasises on lighter flavours. However, I did find it a little too "Qing Dan" (bland or light) for me and would prefer the one at Beng Hiang which is slightly heavier on the seasonings.
The Lemon Chicken was slightly different from the Lemon Chicken that we were used to. The lemon sauce wasn’t the least bit sweet. Instead it was subtlety sour from the thinly cut lemons by the side. The chicken’s skin was a little crispy, which I personally like, but all in all a pretty average dish. My dinner companions couldn’t quite get used to the non-sweet Lemon Chicken though.
As mentioned before, I firmly believe in using Orh Nee (Yam Paste) as one of the yardsticks to gauge the quality of Teochew restaurants, that’s why I always make it a point to order my favourite dish. I am pleased to present Huat Kee’s Orh Nee as one of the best that I’ve ever reviewed to date. The paste is extremely smooth and sticky and trust me, its bowl licking good! The squeaky clean bowls were testament to that. The only bone I had was that it came with Gingko Nuts and Pumpkin when I specifically requested for no Pumpkin when ordering. Oh and the Pumpkin was gross by the way.
An enjoyable and filling meal set us back by about $87 for 5 pax. Pretty reasonable considering the quality of food. Service needs to buck up a little, but generally still acceptable. I’ll stick my neck out and recommend a try on this one, especially for the Orh Nee.
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Rating given:
Romantic dinner for two that wouldn't hurt your wallet.
Couple months back, I passed by this place and was attracted by the dark blue and mustard colored signboard. Love the color and the place looks simple and nice. But as I already had my dinner, I didn't step in to try Absolute Haven out.
And recently, I found myself back and this time, touched by the warm service we received from the people at Absolute Haven. As there was another establishment above the restaurant, the waiter who saw me walking towards the building, wasn't sure whether I'm there for the food or going upstairs. So he waited, and when I walked closer towards the place, he greeted me with smile and opened the door for me. I was then lead to a table which I'd requested and served the menu. One thing that I would like to comment is that instead of walking away, the service staff will asked if I would like a glass of water. At some other places, they don't even serve water. Good thing they still do at Absolute Haven.
I requested for warm water and soon it was served. They'd added fresh strawberries in their water. (warm and chilled) That's a pleasant surprise. Places who do serve water, usually add lemon to it, but here they used strawberries! (and we all know strawberries are more expensive) The service staff will continue to top up your glass ensuring that there's always water for everyone in their glasses. This is something worth commenting too. Cos you'll never once have to wave your hands to request for refill.
List of items ordered include...
Starters
Spinach and Wild Mushroom Salad $7.50
Mushroom Soup $5.80
Seafood Sampler $18.00
Mains
Oriental Cod Fish $24.00
Chicken Roulade $20.00
Tenderloin Steak $28
Desserts
Victorian Creme Brulee $8.00
Tira Mi Su $9.00
The first that was served was the Spinach and Wild Mushroom Salad, it didn't turn out as we'd expected. There were 3 types of mushrooms and a handful of Spinach on the plate. The presentation of the salad could have been better. At first sight, it really didn't attract me to want to try it. But the fragrant was a strong magnet. I almost drooled even before I tasted it. I quite like the taste of the balsamic vinaigrette dressing on the mushrooms and spinach.
Overall I'll give this dish a 3.5 out of 5.
As a big fan of mushroom, I just had to order the very mushroom Mushroom Soup (as stated in the menu). It's not the usual creamy mushroom soup. This is a puree version of the soup. Its a mixture of portobello mushrooms, shitake mushrooms & button mushrooms. I'd tasted similar mushroom soup before, this wasn't as mushroom mushroom enough. Instead, it kinda taste like mutton soup, perhaps due to the layer of oil and the blend of the other ingredients. Didn't really enjoy it as much as I'd hope.
This I'll give it a 2.5 out of 5.
Next up the Seafood Platter. Looks good but taste could have been better. The platter consists of crispy squid rings, cod-fish nuggets, breaded prawns and their Chef's special dips. I'll leave this review for the others. Personally, I enjoyed the dips more than the seafood. And one thing for all to note, please do not attempt to finish this on your own. The serving is big enough to feed more than 4. So this platter is good for sharing. (But keep the dips to yourself! :D)
2 out of 5 for this. ( 1.5 more for the dips)
Out of the 3 mains, I only tried the Tenderloin Steak, as the other 2 contains bacon which I don't take. I did try the avocado salad on the side of Chicken Roulade. I like the way they mixed the avocado, corn, tomato and onion. It's a refreshing salad which compliments the chicken well.
Tenderloin Steak was not bad. The steak was cooked just right and was a little char at the outside. Presentation looks great, and the side was thinly layered and a blend of potatos, carrot and cheese. The sauce was a tad too saltish, but personally it works quite well for me. Just nice when blended with the stead and the sides.
This I'll award it with a 3.5 out of 5.
And finally, the desserts! Between the 2 ordered, I preferred the Victorian Creme Brulee more. Although some said it tasted of too much egg, but I like it. The Tira Mi Su was not bad but could have been.
3.5 for Creme Brulee and 3 for Tira Mi Su.
Will go back again, to try their other dishes (Salads, the dips and pasta). And to enjoy their great service and drink their strawberry ice water! :D
Giving 1.5 star more for the great service. They really deserve it! Thanks for the wonderful experience.
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Standing at about 173 metres about Orchard Road, Top of the 'M' Revolving Restaurant is one of two revolving restaurants in Singapore and it also happens to be the highest. Mention Top of the 'M' and most people will have heard of it. That goes to show how strong the brand is. But we are not here to talk about branding or top of mind recall. Its food we are concerned about. So I took half a day off work and got my gf to accompany me for lunch at this much talked about restaurant.
The express lift zooms you right up to the observation deck (38th floor) where you have to walk up a flight of steps to reach Top of the 'M', which is on the 39th floor. Floor to ceiling windows and classy black glass tables with high back chairs greet you and sweeping views of the areas surrounding Orchard Road are offered. Simply breathtaking. The restaurant, as it name suggests, rotates at a slow, almost unnoticeable pace and allows views all round. But I had a slight grouse about this. The rotating mechanism didn't seem very smooth. There were times when I could feel the restaurant jerking, albeit slightly. Still it got quite annoying after a while. After some deliberation, I had a 3 course set lunch which included a salad, main, dessert and coffee/tea while my gf had the 2 course set lunch which came with a soup and main.
The complimentary bread was served and I found the bread extremely crispy, which made it a little difficult to bite into at times because the bread crumbs would just start dropping all over. Coupled with the smooth and light butter, it makes for a great snack.
My salad was the La Caesar Salade au Magret de Canard Fume et Brioche Grillee - Caesar Salad with smoked Duck Breast and toasted Brioche. The greens were fresh and the almond shavings added a nice touch to the salad. No more need to be said about the slices of Pigeon except that they were fantastic. Lightly smoked with no discernible fowl taste yet tasty and soft. Even my gf found it good! My gf's Bisque de Homard - Lobster Bisque Scented with Cognac and a Dash of Dill Snow, was extremely flavourful, although I couldn't really taste the cognac. The soup did seem a little runny as well. However, there were small slices of lobster in the soup to give it that extra chew factor.
My main was the Cassoulet de Canard - Confit of Duck Leg slowly cooked in a White Bean Stew. The duck was done medium well and responded very well to my fork. Getting the meat off the bone was as easy as slicing through butter with a knife. The fowl taste was very distinguishable though and it proved a little too strong for me at times. As for the white beans, I honestly have never tried or even heard of them, but they tasted and looked to me like those Heinz baked beans you buy from the supermarket, minus the soft exterior and tomato sauce. The white beans were hard on the exterior and tasted bland. My gf's Bar de Ligne Roti, Puree d'Aubergine au Caviar, Sauce au Cidre - Oven Baked Wild Seabass, Eggplant Puree with Caviar and Apple Cider Sauce was a much better bet. The fish was baked till the skin was hard and crispy, while the meat remained soft, moist and sweet. A feat if you ask me! The accompanying Apple Cider Sauce was a little creamy yet light on the palate. A good combination indeed! The Egg Plant Puree tasted a little smokey but a pity the Caviar didn't stand out.
Dessert for me was Top of the 'M''s signature Black Forest cake. You get to choose your dessert from a tray of desserts that is pushed to your table by the way. The cake was moist with the berries a little sweet, which is very appealing to people who have a sweet tooth. The whipped cream was also minimal, which allowed the Black Forest cake to really shine. I prefer this rendition to the one at The Chocolate Factory.
Lunch for 2 pax cost a respectable $84.45. In case you are thinking that it's expensive, it actually isn't. More than $20 went to the drinks, which is a total waste of money (just ask for ice water). So that brings down the meal to about $60-$65, which is a good deal considering the food, ambience and service. I must mention that the service is attentive and excellent. Try it if you are in the area. As for me, lunch beckons again.
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Rating given:
Here's mine then... I guess I really should save on niceties...
Ambience
The decor of the place was nice. It was quaint and certainly fit its surroundings in SAM. But the spotlights were unevenly placed and they were very bright at some areas and not so at others. The music that was filling the restaurant was also very inappropriate and at some point, made a couple of us nauseous.
Service
They didn't serve iced water. So I ordered a drink... the lemon tea was Season's (which is already bad) and they brought the CAN to the table and poured it in front of me... It certainly felt like a coffeeshop. And when we placed our orders, we said that we were going to share our pizzas and appetizers, then they kept asking each and every one if we wanted a starter. "Are you sure you don't want a starter?" I actually found that disgusting behaviour. And when our pizzas came, they didn't take initiative to clear all the silly things on the table or try to make space somehow. The pizzas were practically uncut and I was so afraid of causing little spaceships across the restaurant. No help was offered when we kept commenting how uncut the pizzas were.
Food
At first I thought that Italian pizzas were supposed to be like that... thin and topping-less. But it wasn't like that the next day when I had Italian pizza elsewhere... so Bleh for the pizzas.
And the taste of the rest just wasn't good.
The veal was really soft and for a moment I couldn't bear to swallow that little bit I'd put in my mouth.
The presentation of the food was really odd and certainly not appetizing...
Cost
Honestly... it wasn't expensive for Italian I guess. But where the food was of THIS standard, I found it overpriced.
Unless months later, someone writes a review that totally raves about this place... and swears that it is that good... I really don't think I will be back.
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