Thye Hong is well-known for their Hokkien fried noodles, and is a mainstay in Bread Talk’s Food Republic, with the honor of having the longest queue in the upscale food court. The joke around is if you want to find Thye Hong, just see which stall has the longest queue and there you go, Thye Hong.
The main thing that amaze me about Thye Hong is actually the cook’s ability to churn out so many plates of hokkien mee at one go. The cook will perform for the long queue visible through the transparent glass, dishing out the hokkien mee with the big wok.
It is not easy to get the right taste for a plate of dish, let alone such a big quantity of hokkien mee, which i mean is quite a feat. As always, if you happen to be there when they served finish one round, be prepared to wait up till 15 minutes. While the cook is preparing the noodles, the lines behind is gradually forming up ready for the next round of “assault”.
Thye Hong Hokkien Mee ($4) The renown Thye Hong hokkien mee, comes with different prices of $4, 6, 8. I quite like the hokkien mee here, and being not a fan of food court, the only time i’ll patronise Food Republic is for, well Thye Hong hokkien mee. My companion find the hokkien mee to be on the salty side while i thought it is all right.
There’s different opinion about the chili too, for me i find it quite hot, but as my companion is a chill-eater, the ones here aren’t any kick for her. I tried Thye Hong hokkien mee at other outlets, but sad to say the standards differ. The one at Wisma Food Republic is still the best for Thye Hong.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
The Brownie Factory, petite in size but big with brownies. Despite the rather small store at basement two of Takashimaya, do not underrate its brownie, with selections of up to 24 brownies at one go, its hell lots of brownies to choose from.
From what i understand from the person-in-charge, their total brownies assortments stands over 40, and they varies from different festivals. I think its really creative of the Brownie Factory to concoct different types of brownie to suit our fussy taste bud
The prices for the brownies ranges from 2 bucks to 4 bucks, with so many different types of brownies to pick from, its really a headache. Fortunately for my companion and me, we did not have this problem because there's a current promotion which offers us the brownie factory’s best four selling brownie all for the price of 11 bucks.
There’s some other unique brownies like peanut butter, very bitter fudgy chewy gooey brownie, tutti-frutti marshmallow brownie, peppermint brownie and many more.
Fudgy Chewy Gooey Brownie ($3.10) The Brownie Factory #1 bestseller! Fudgy chewy gooey chocolaty and full of walnuts. The name fudge chewy gooey brownie says it all already. The chewy part is true to its name, its the chewiest among the four brownie.
Initially my companion and i like this very much because its very chewy and we find the overall taste to be just right. But as it gets on, the brownie becomes too sweet and threatens to overwhelm the taste bud.
Triple Chocolate Brownie ($2.40) Dense moist chocolate brownie topped with little and semi sweet chocolate chips and walnuts. The name alone suggest the sweetness, being triple chocolate. And thats what we thought so at the outset.
But the triple chocolate brownie (#2 bestseller) is completely opposite to the fudge chewy gooey brownie. The first bite is very sweet, but after tasting all the brownie, we find this not really that sweet after all. And there’s a hint of dark chocolate within, the smooth texture together with the choclate chips and walnuts makes us conclude overall the best brownie among the four.
Original Chocolate Brownie ($2.70) Dense moist chocolate brownie topped with walnut and semi sweet chocolate chips. If you do not have a sweet tooth, then the Original Chocolate brownie (#3 bestseller) is surely the one for you.
The least sweet among the four brownie we had, texture wise and appearance its the most similar to the triple chocolate brownie, less the chocolaty taste.
Fudgy Wudgy Chewy Brownie I rather like the Fudgy wudgy chewy brownie (#4 bestseller) too. The freeze chocolate layer goes well together with the chewy brownie, albeit being rather hard to bite into. The sweetness level is on the high side too, but its a nice alternative to the rest because this one is a cold brownie.
Total bill is $11 for 4 of the bestselling brownies at The Brownie Factory. Brownies are actually meant to be sweet, i guess the main problem is because 2 of us eat 4 brownie at one go, therefore the sweetness rather overwhelm us a bit. But i think eaten each separately, they should be all right.Price wise is rather reasonable given the cheapest is about 2 bucks, with the most expensive ones going at around 4 bucks.
The Brownie Factory has been around for about 6 years already, yet everytime i passed by the area i totally missed out the store, which is really a pity until now. If you are in the area, do try out their brownie! I like the triple chocolate brownie the most, and will definitely look to try some other unique flavours the next time round.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Eden Cafe is acknowledged for its delicate florals cuisines to bring a whole new dining experience for the customers’ palate. Owner of the former Helio Cafe at Marina Square, Mr Clement Ng is the brain behind the floral concept at Eden Cafe.
Positioned at Club Street, just beside Ann Siang Hill, Eden Cafe is a quaint flower inspired cafe seated at the F&B robust street with other eminent neighbours like Les Brasseries, Senso Ristorante, Spizza, Seven on Club, Da Paolo II Ristorante, and Indochine restaurant.
There is the make-to-order option for dinner which is very interesting. Contact Mr Clement Ng to custom-made a dinner which is unique for you.
The interior is done in very unsophisticated manner, with soft soothing music as background. The cafe has such a cozy and homely feel that my friend and i can just sit there for the whole day. It is that comfortable, just like home.
Sundried Tomato Omelette ($9.50) Eden’s brunch menu is only available during the weekends and public holiday. It is the draw of the brunch menu which actually brings my visit to Eden. I’m always fascinated by the prospects of eating brunch at some comfy cafe on a laid-back weekend.
The brunch selections here are mostly toast and sandwiches. The omelette is the one which caught my attention. I was rather astonish when the dish came, not that i was expecting a lot, but at almost ten bucks for omelette on a toast, coupled with lots of greens, it do seem a tad expensive.
I understand that many places which offer brunch might be even pricier than this, but still paying ten bucks for the definitely-not-filling brunch do makes ordering lunch seems a more reasonable option.
Nevertheless, the Sundried Tomato omelette is quite good, with a hint of cheese within the egg, and i must commended that not many places actually have such a healthy serving of salads to go along.
Honey Mustard Chicken ($14.90) The main courses at Eden cafe takes longer to serve, with a waiting time of about 20mins. At first sight, the chicken is certainly tiny, with two small pieces of chicken breast, which comes along with again, very generous servings of greens.
The honey mustard flavours the chicken well, although we felt that the use of chicken drumstick can add more zest to the overall dish. At $15, the honey mustard chicken is definitely not filling for folks with big appetite. If only the serving size can be bigger.
Hibiscus Soft Cheesecake ($6.90) Desserts are where Eden really excels at. The Hibiscus soft cheesecake is one of the better cheesecakes i have tasted so far. The cheesy flavor might come a tad too strong for non-cheese lovers, but its still acceptable for me, although towards the end it might be slightly overwhelming if you finish this cake on your own.
Coated with a layer of hibiscus top, and a bright red strawberry on top, the cheesecake is done pleasant to the eye and satisfying to the palates.
Total bill for 2 comes up to $36.70. I still find Eden to be rather expensive given its minuscule serving size, and quintessentially there is nothing that fantastic about the food. The floral concept is unquestionably interesting, with the tranquil ambience of the cafe a positive plus.
But food-wise its done very simple, i guess this is the selling point of Eden’s, which sometimes make you feel that it does not justify the price tag. Nonetheless, Eden’s definitely a great place to chill and sit the whole day, and desserts are excellent which will tempt me into a recurrent visit.
Until the price drop, or with greater serving size, i’ll just come back to Eden’s for their desserts and the nice ambience. And just for information, Eden has a new sister restaurant at the hip Rochester park, Eden Sanctuary.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
De Coder’s Cafe is one of the latest board game cafe in town, think along the line of The Mind Cafe, and Settlers Cafe and you pretty much get the picture. Located along Bukit Timah road at Balmoral Plaza, where Waffletown is also situated at.
Like what i mentioned previously, the place is actually quite accessible because its only about ten minutes walk away from Newton MRT. Taking a bus from Orchard road takes a mere ten minutes too.
It is puzzling as to why LIC haven’t been to any board game cafe when Mind, settlers, and De coder’s have open for quite some time, and are available in quite a few locations.
We are here for Claudia’s birthday. The Cafe isn’t very big, in fact its quite a squeeze for about twenty of us. The interior is simple, you can choose to seat at the sofas, or at the tables and chairs which are in red and black theme.
The highlight of De Coder’s cafe is definitely their wide range of board games. And speaking of board games, they aren’t your normal monopoly or you know those usual ones. They have so many different types which we totally haven’t seen before.
Root Beer float ($4.50) The root beer float is really just your normal root beer float. Pour the root beer from a bottle, and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. To charge $4.50 for it is kind of outrageous, but then again, they don’t charge for the games play, so i suppose their source of revenue will be through the drinks and food.
Pasta ($9.80) We ordered quite a few pasta, like Beefy beefy, ocean catch, mushy mushroom. All their pastas does not really suit our tastebud. Period.
Spicy Drumlets ($5) If their main course doesn’t works, what else is there to eat you ask? Finger food, but again, we tried almost all of their finger food, and most of them can’t quite make it as well.
The spicy drumlets is one of the few that is decent, but the consistency isn’t there. The first round we ordered this the drumlets are still okay, but the second time we ordered this one again, the chicken is kind of soggy, and its supposed to be fried and crispy.
Chicken Cubes ($5) The chicken cubes is definitely on the list of finger food that you should not be ordering. Soggy and tasteless. Period.
Cheesy Wedges ($5) They have two types of wedges, the potato wedges and cheesy wedges. We had both, and i guess the two wedges are still all right.
Americaya ($10) American’s all time favourite chicken burger served with wedges and baked beans. They are right, American favourite is chicken burger, but unfortunately, its not the Americaya served here. I literally had a hard time finishing the burger, and its not because i am full.
All in all, i may seem quite harsh on the food in De Coder’s cafe, but really the food isn’t good. Then again, you are there to play board games, and not because of the food, so we shouldn’t be complaining. But i feel that a board game cafe is a great idea, and to serve simple and good food actually isn’t that difficult.
Desserts like cheesecakes and brownies are decent. Fried food is in fact the easiest food to do it simple and nice, but they mess it up. If only they can improve on the standards of their food, i'll foresee myself making perennial visits, otherwise, stay away from most of the food, maybe just the desserts and drinks.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Seah Street Deli has an American air around it, it is after all a restaurant serving your good old American food. Don’t let the name Seah Street fool you, the place is call Seah Street deli because the restaurant is located in Raffles Hotel, which is just beside Seah Street.
Step into Seah Street Deli, and you will be transported back in time to 1950s New York. The restaurant does imitates the look of a Big Apple Deli quite well, the lightning, the decors and the furnitures all oosh a certain classical American touch.
Located at the colonial Raffles Hotel, Seah Street Deli is just a 5 minutes walk away from Raffles City. Certainly an accessible place for a meal if you are in the area and do not want to be in the crowd.
Nowadays where else can you find a jukebox? Talk about nostalgic, they certainly roll back the good old time.
Wild Pacific Dory Fillet ($18.50) Served with natural organic vegetables, baby potatos, and lemon wine sauce. The wild pacific dory fillet comes up to be quite ordinary actually. The dory is fresh, but not much of a surprise there, and at $18.50, its a tad expensive. Serving size is definitely huge, well it should be, we are talking about American food after all.
Grilled Salmon Steak ($18.95) Salmon marinated with mix herbs, grilled zucchini, garlic mashed potatoes and dill cream sauce. The Grilled salmon steak taste to us slightly under-flavored, it will be better if the flavor can be stronger.
The garlic mashed potatoes are plentiful, and really, you can’t finish them off unless you really got a big appetite.
Southern Style Chicken ($17.50) Deep fried chicken, served with fries. The portion is gigantic, but really thats it. The chicken is deep fried, done in your American style, fries are decent. But at $17.50, the Southern Style chicken is a suspect for rip-off
Seah Street Burger ($14.95) Seah Street Deli’s very own freshly ground all beef patty with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions served on a toasted sesame bun. If you think the Seah Street Burger is big, think again. You haven’t seen the bigger burger.
Their Texas Burger a 12 ounce sized beef patty. Granted i heard quite good things about the Texas burger, but the stomach didn’t have room for it, so i ordered Seah Street burger instead.
Seah Street Burger is not too bad, the beef patty is nicely mashed, put together with the lettuce, tomatoes, and onions inside the sesame bun, you will be wondering how do you start eating the whopping burger.
Having eaten burgers in restaurants like Relish and Seah Street, not at your fastfood joints, i came to realise the only feasible way to consume them will be to cut by bites, otherwise you can always choose the alternative, take a big mouthful!
Chocolate Decadence cake ($11.95) The all time favourite chocolate decadence cake at $11.95 do seems a bit steep. But the serving size of the cake more than make up for it. The cake is ginormous (gigantic & enormous)! Seriously, i have never seen places cutting such a big size of cake.
The chocolate decadence cake is made up of 7 layers, and each layer is sweeter than the other. Even though i have a sweet tooth, i find the cake to be too sweet. But its good to indulge in such decadence once in while. After having our main courses, the four of us actually struggle to finish the cake. A must-try if you visit Seah Street Deli.
Total bill is $95.76 for 4 mains and 1 desserts. But Citibank is offering a 15% discount for Seah Street Deli, so our bill after the discount is $81.90. Prices are slightly steep here considering the fact that the food is not bad, but not to the point excellent. At around the same price, there might be some other places which can be better.
Portions are definitely huge, this is where we made a mistake. I think for 4 person, just order 3 main course to share will be more than suffice. The chocolate decadence cake is a must try for desserts. If prices can be cheaper, then i say Seah Street is a nice and cheerful place to dine out, until then, maybe once is enough.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
A long long time ago, we have A & W for our fix of waffles and root beer floats. Now that they are gone, Waffletown seems to be the only substitute for A & W. Located in Balmoral Plaza at Bukit Timah, the place is actually quite accessible because its only about ten minutes walk away from Newton MRT. Taking a bus from Orchard road takes a mere ten minutes too.
Offering the same “American” style of fastfood, even the seats are “A & W”-like. There’s seats outside if you prefer to seat in their “al fresco” area, otherwise go on in to their air-conditioned areas inside.
The place is a let-down though, the seats are all right, just like your fastfood restaurant chain. But i find the interior to be a little shabby. Actually i am saying this because i felt that Waffletown has great potentials but the management somehow don’t seem to be too bothered about business.
To prove my point, look at the first picture, they took some ugly shots of their food and post it at their entrance. The unglam shots are not even their focus which is waffles. Instead the shots are pictures of some totally unrelated food like black pepper steak, fish and chips, grilled fish.
Single scoop chocolate chip waffle ($3.70)
As the name Waffletown imples, its a place for waffles after all. Thus selections for waffles are aplenty, with your plain waffles at $2.50, there’s ham waffle, sausage waffle, turkey bacon waffle, and of course ice cream waffles.
At $3.70 for a single scoop ice cream waffle, its really a steal though. Even Haato which has one of the cheaper waffles around, are selling at $6 for their single scoop waffles. But then again you can’t compare it this way because the ice cream at Haato are gelato, while the ones here are the normal ice cream.
Single scoop raspberry waffle ($3.70)
The raspberry ice cream is really nostalgic, remember the raspberry ice cream which we buy from the motorcycle uncle when we were young? Its exactly the same one! My friend says that raspberry flavor is still available at supermarket, but i can’t seem to find it.
But i can conclude that at the waffles are definitely better than Gelare. That one is expensive, normal days single scoop waffle is almost ten bucks, and their waffle isn’t even good.
2 Pc Fried Chicken set ($6.70)
The two piece fried chicken set at $6.70, prices are comparable to KFC, but the chicken is slightly better. For one, the chicken isn’t as oily as KFC’s, and nowadays KFC standards really are not consistent. The coleslaw and potato here are at most average, with the chicken faring better.
Total bill is $14.1 for 2 waffles and 2 piece fried chicken. Although the place can’t really substitute A&W which is deep in our heart, but it can be a replacement for now, until someone brings back A&W. I won’t say the waffles are that excellent, but at $3.70 they are really worth the price, and their fried chicken is all right if you dislike KFC.
You are always welcome to visit http://www.ladyironchef.com/2008/07/02/waffletown for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
St Regis hotel, the latest glamorous and prestigious hotel to open on our shore. Tout as a 6 star luxury hotel and with so much at stake, Yan Ting, a Cantonese restaurant offers to promise you a totally different dining experience.
Stepping into St Regis is quite an experience on its own, the grandeur of the hotel will simply blow you away. The splendor furnishings and the majesty furnitures are not all, even taking a lift in St Regis promises you a unforgettable reminiscence.
6 Star is not exaggerating, and from the moment you enter the hotel, it feels so good to be rich, even just for that afternoon.
Albeit being a Chinese Cantonese restaurant, the contemporary and classy feel of the restaurant’s interior certainly does not show any indication, with the exception of the 4 seasons painting, and the exquisite chopsticks and spoons plated in gold and inlaid with jade pieces.
An elegant chandelier is the highlight of the low ceiling in the restaurant. Stylish curtains and the comfy seats brings out a cozy and relaxed dining atmosphere.
The main emphasize which makes Yan Ting stands out from the other Chinese restaurant is in the pricing for its dim sum. While others usually charged dim sum by per basket or plate, Yan Ting attempts to break through the norm and bring the pricing of dim sum to another level by its per piece charging.
For Yan Ting’s A la carte menu, just like some of the more prominent Chinese restaurants, they are priced by per person, and the small servings of the food meant that there is no chance of sharing food.
Being in a 6 Star hotel, you definitely will not expect Yan Ting to be easy on the pocket, with most of the simpler dishes priced from $10 to $24 each. And with the small serving, expect to spend up to $100 for a decent meal, per person.
Appetizer Unlike their western counteparts, most Chinese restaurants doesn’t actually serve out appetizer since the Chinese doesn’t have the emphasize on course eating. The small squid is actually quite good, simple enough to start our taste bud going in anticipation of the rest to come. And its free, so no complains there.
Cripsy radish pastry ($1.80 per piece) This is the first time i had a radish pastry before, and i must say it is good, the crispy skin compliments well with the soft radish inside.
Oven-baked fluffy Char Siew Pastry ($1.60 per piece) The Char Siew Pastry is indisputably the star of the show here. Take a bite into the crispy fluffy pastry, and you will discover the juicy and sweet char siew hidden within. Having one each is really not doing justice to the pastry. And i’ll rather pay $1.60 for one of these wonderful char siew sou, than to eat several cheaper ones. Excellent!
Stir-fried “cheong fan” rice roll with XO sauce ($4) I never had stir-fried “cheong fan” rice roll with XO sauce before, and to be honest initially i mistook this dish for the fried carrot cake done with XO sauce which is commonly found in Chinese restaurants dim sum menu.
Although it tasted more like Char Kway Teow than “cheong fan”, but i find it to be quite all right, and at $4 even though the portion is quite small, its still cheaper and more worth well than the XO sauce fried carrot cake that i had at Peach Garden.
Steamed shrimp dumpling ($2 per piece) The steamed crystal shrimp dumpling, or more affectionately known as “Har Kao” comes at a hefty price tag of $2 per piece. If you do your maths, this works out to be $6 for one basket of three Har Kao. There’s always a first time for everything, and this is really a first time where i had such expensive shrimp dumplings.
However, Yan Ting’s Har Kao is really one of the best that i had tried so far, the thin skin envelops the fresh and succulent prawns. But at $2 each, Yan Ting is really testing the limits for the first-rate dumplings.
Steamed Pork and Shrimp Dumpling ($2 per piece) “Siew Mai” or steamed pork and shrimp dumpling is always the dim sum i’ll base my judgment on how good the dim sum at the restaurant really is. The Siew Mai here passes the test, the combination of the crunchy prawn and the lean pork goes well together.
Xiaolongbao ($4 per piece) To be frank, I never liked xiaolongbao, since i can’t really appreciate the beauty of it. Even though the xiaolongbao is a bigger rendition than your normal ones, to pay $4 for one xiao long bao, i’ll be crazy.
But, the Xiaolongbao at Yan Ting is really different from the usual ones, the pipping hot stock juice literally floods out upon a bite into the skin of the xiaolongbao. Although the xiaolongbao is quite good, but i’ll not order it again if i come back to Yan Ting. For a $4 xiaolongbao experience, once is enough.
Traditional Cantonese egg tart ($1.60 per piece)
The egg tart is done exactly the way i like it, cripsy skin with the smooth egg custard within. I lamented the fact that the egg tart is too small. And at $1.60 per piece, they are not really cheap.
Deep-fried Yam Croquette ($1.60 per piece) The deep fried Yam croquette with diced chicken is excellent. Although the croquette is deep fried, but its not too oily, and the Yam taste is quite unique too.
Steamed Wild Mushroom Roll ($1.60 per piece) We ordered the steamed wild mushroom roll out of curiosity from the name. There’s two to three different type of mushroom, well the mushroom roll is not really my call.
Hong Kong BBQ platter ($16 per serving) BBQ pork, roasted duck, and crispy roasted pork makes up the Hong Kong BBQ platter. Note that its $16 for one portion, andthree of us ordered 3 portions, which adds up to $48. Ripped off is the only word to describe this.
The crispy roasted pork is not too bad, but it comes in only four small cubes. The roasted duck is really ordinary, and the BBQ pork or char siew, does not justify the exaggerated price tag of $16 for 4 cubes of roasted pork, two slices of roasted duck and three slices of char siew.
For $48, you can have a whole duck, with healthy servings of char siew & roasted pork. This is totally what you will not expect coming from Yan Ting, however the truth is there for all to see. This is somehow an anti-climax for the rather excellent dim sum that we had.
Total Bill was $150.20 for 3 person, which works out to about $50 per person. But if you work out the sums, excluding the BBQ platter which was $16 per portion, the amount for dim sum is actually about $34. Although we didn’t have that much dim sum, but i still find $34 to be acceptable given the high quality dim sum we had.
6 Star dim sum comes at a price, although some of the dim sum did not really justified the price, but overall the dim sum was nothing short of excellence. I’ll definitely try Yan Ting again, even though its a extravagant experience, but like they say, good things come with a price. Just that in this case, its a heavier price.
Do note that if you decided to give Yan Ting a try, you must be careful and not over ordered, that is unless you got a deep pocket. Service is good and professional, with the staff knowing when to approach us, and when not to disturb us. Yan Ting certainly test my limits for good dim sum, although i am still skeptical about their A la carte menu. Give that a miss and try their dim sum! And dim sum is only available during lunch, not dinner.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Safra Yishun country club, take a 15mins walk from Yishun MRT, LIC had the opportunity to visit the place last week and took some photos, so i thought i’ll share them and for people who have never visit any Safra around our island yet.
Swimming pool is definitely a main feature of any country club, be it for the kids or adults who fancy a swim, especially so in our hot weather.
Chalets are also a main feature of Safra, members can get them at a cheaper rates but i think non-members also are allowed to book them. Otherwise just get a friend who’s Safra member!
Personally i didn’t book any Safra chalets before, although several occasions i been to friends organise ones. I guess its pretty cool to book a chalet and just relax with your family, love one, and friends.
The rock-climbing area is one of the unique facilities available at Safra Yishun.
With this, LIC shall end the post on Safra Yishun! There’s plenty of other facilities like tennis court, gym, arcade, bowling centre, pool tables, spas at the country club also. Well you can check them out to see the facilities, some requires a fee, while others should be available for booking.
Don’t be afraid to explore the Safras around our island, they are built by the government for us to use after all!
This is a non-food related post, i’m sorry for any disturbance if you have came to ladyironchef wanting to read about my food adventure, but instead found yourself reading this post which has totally nothing to do with food. The next post will be on Eatzi, which is a cafe eatery under the same management by Jack’s place, which is also located within Safra Yishun.
You are always welcome to visit
ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Eatzi steakhouse & bistro is under the same management of the family-known name, Jack’s Place. The one that we are exploring today is located within Safra Yishun, just besides the swimming pool which makes it convenient for customers who want a hot meal after a swim.
With the green white chequered table cloth so oddly-like to the interior of Jack’s place, the familiar items on both menus makes you wondered why Jack’s place came out with Eatzi.
While some restaurants group came up with different restaurants, but they branded and package the different restaurants. But in the case of Eatzi, they do not hide the fact that they are under the same management as Jack’s place, and with the menu items also mostly similar, it makes us wonder do we go to Jack’s place, or Eatzi?
Nevertheless, Eatzi has their daily set lunch menu which offers different food on different days. The day that we went was a Tuesday, the choice of soup cream of corn. Main course is boiled fish with spinach & mussel topped with ginger cream sauce, or sauteed pasta with olive oil topped with crumbled chicken.
Sauteed pasta with crumbled chicken ($9.80) The Sauteed pasta with olive oil topped with crumbled chicken comes in the daily set meal. All set lunch includes a soup of a day, choice of main course, and dessert of the day, and coffee/tea.
Nasi Goreng with egg & satay ($9) Asian fusion delights seems weird to be on the menu of Eatzi, a place more for its steak and western meal. Nonetheless, the serving was quite big, and one person will struggle to finish the food. Do note this dish is on the A la carte menu, not in the set lunch.
NZ Ribeye steak with brown sauce ($14.80) Obviously Eatzi being a steakhouse, you ought to try some steak here. The NZ ribeye steak is on the executive set lunch menu, the main different between the normal set lunch and executive set lunch is the different type of food, with the executive priced slightly higher.
The waitress brought the steak on the hotplate over to our table, and pour the brown sauce to make the steaks goes sizzling! This is followed by the potato, which is cut into half and mayo sauce is applied to fill up the centre of the potato.
Eatzi offers affordable eating in a cafe with its set menus. Certainly when the food is so cheap, you can’t be really expecting much quality from it. The place’s great if you want a simple meal and at a cafe environment, its affordable pricing is definitely targeted to the mass market.
However, i won’t be going back because of the apparent lack in quality, and personally its a case of eating good food, not necessary expensive ones, but good food. Given a choice between Eatzi and our local delights at hawker centre, i’ll gladly choose the latter.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Tian Wai Tian has been around for as long as i remember, and i believe they need no introduction. Located just besides the PIE expressway at the Upper Serangoon road exit. If you are coming from train, then stop at Potong Pasir MRT on the North-east line.
There isn’t any ambience to talk about, Tian Wai Tian is your typical zi-char in a normal coffee shop kind of place. Tian Wai Tian is so popular that besides the seats in the coffee shop, they also have tables at the back alley.
The most amazing thing is actually Tian Wai Tian only serves a few of their popular dishes, as in they don’t even have a menu to choose from, its always the same old few dishes, yet they pack in the crowd everyday!
Fish Head Steamboat ($20) Tian Wai Tian’s famous fish head steamboat! There are two types of fish to choose for your steamboat, the white promfet and the red groupa, which we got. The soup base is always a very important item for any steamboat as all the essence of the ingredients are cook together in it.
The soup here is pretty good, and you can have it topped up too. But i find it to be slightly on the salty side. More vegetables are needed to have a better balance.
Well a must-try dish if you come to Tian Wai Tian, since this is their signature dish.
Prawn Roll ($7) I believe the prawn roll is a very common dish and most people should be familiar with it, my family usually have it during the Chinese new year! The prawn roll here is good, dipped in the sweet sauce, awesome!
Tofu Prawn ($12) The tofu prawn in spicy sauce taste refreshing initially. Seldom do we see a combination of prawn and tofu cooked in spicy sauce. However, the taste is a tad too much and we can’t finish the dish.
Fried prawn sauce chicken ($8)
The fried prawn sauce chicken is mainstay dish on most of the zi-char stores, my favourite so far is the one in Holland Village XO Fishhead store. But the ones here are pretty decent i guess.
Sambal Kangkong ($6) Kangkong are best done in hot spicy sambal, and the one at Tian Wai Tian doesn’t disappoint. Hot and spicy!
Total Bill is $55.50 for 4 person. Tian Wai Tian serves their famous fish head steamboat, with the few of their popular dishes. Variety isn’t what you can have at this zi-char store, but if its some familiar dish that you need, find them here!
Service-wise, practically none, this is a zi-char, not some fanciful restaurant. The auntie working there can be quite rude and snobbish, so don’t say you are not warn.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
1=SGD 0.0587
Thye Hong is well-known for their Hokkien fried noodles, and is a mainstay in Bread Talk’s Food Republic, with the honor of having the longest queue in the upscale food court. The joke around is if you want to find Thye Hong, just see which stall has the longest queue and there you go, Thye Hong.
The main thing that amaze me about Thye Hong is actually the cook’s ability to churn out so many plates of hokkien mee at one go. The cook will perform for the long queue visible through the transparent glass, dishing out the hokkien mee with the big wok.
It is not easy to get the right taste for a plate of dish, let alone such a big quantity of hokkien mee, which i mean is quite a feat. As always, if you happen to be there when they served finish one round, be prepared to wait up till 15 minutes. While the cook is preparing the noodles, the lines behind is gradually forming up ready for the next round of “assault”.
Thye Hong Hokkien Mee ($4)
The renown Thye Hong hokkien mee, comes with different prices of $4, 6, 8. I quite like the hokkien mee here, and being not a fan of food court, the only time i’ll patronise Food Republic is for, well Thye Hong hokkien mee. My companion find the hokkien mee to be on the salty side while i thought it is all right.
There’s different opinion about the chili too, for me i find it quite hot, but as my companion is a chill-eater, the ones here aren’t any kick for her. I tried Thye Hong hokkien mee at other outlets, but sad to say the standards differ. The one at Wisma Food Republic is still the best for Thye Hong.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
The Brownie Factory, petite in size but big with brownies. Despite the rather small store at basement two of Takashimaya, do not underrate its brownie, with selections of up to 24 brownies at one go, its hell lots of brownies to choose from.
From what i understand from the person-in-charge, their total brownies assortments stands over 40, and they varies from different festivals. I think its really creative of the Brownie Factory to concoct different types of brownie to suit our fussy taste bud
The prices for the brownies ranges from 2 bucks to 4 bucks, with so many different types of brownies to pick from, its really a headache. Fortunately for my companion and me, we did not have this problem because there's a current promotion which offers us the brownie factory’s best four selling brownie all for the price of 11 bucks.
There’s some other unique brownies like peanut butter, very bitter fudgy chewy gooey brownie, tutti-frutti marshmallow brownie, peppermint brownie and many more.
Fudgy Chewy Gooey Brownie ($3.10)
The Brownie Factory #1 bestseller! Fudgy chewy gooey chocolaty and full of walnuts. The name fudge chewy gooey brownie says it all already. The chewy part is true to its name, its the chewiest among the four brownie.
Initially my companion and i like this very much because its very chewy and we find the overall taste to be just right. But as it gets on, the brownie becomes too sweet and threatens to overwhelm the taste bud.
Triple Chocolate Brownie ($2.40)
Dense moist chocolate brownie topped with little and semi sweet chocolate chips and walnuts. The name alone suggest the sweetness, being triple chocolate. And thats what we thought so at the outset.
But the triple chocolate brownie (#2 bestseller) is completely opposite to the fudge chewy gooey brownie. The first bite is very sweet, but after tasting all the brownie, we find this not really that sweet after all. And there’s a hint of dark chocolate within, the smooth texture together with the choclate chips and walnuts makes us conclude overall the best brownie among the four.
Original Chocolate Brownie ($2.70)
Dense moist chocolate brownie topped with walnut and semi sweet chocolate chips. If you do not have a sweet tooth, then the Original Chocolate brownie (#3 bestseller) is surely the one for you.
The least sweet among the four brownie we had, texture wise and appearance its the most similar to the triple chocolate brownie, less the chocolaty taste.
Fudgy Wudgy Chewy Brownie
I rather like the Fudgy wudgy chewy brownie (#4 bestseller) too. The freeze chocolate layer goes well together with the chewy brownie, albeit being rather hard to bite into. The sweetness level is on the high side too, but its a nice alternative to the rest because this one is a cold brownie.
Total bill is $11 for 4 of the bestselling brownies at The Brownie Factory. Brownies are actually meant to be sweet, i guess the main problem is because 2 of us eat 4 brownie at one go, therefore the sweetness rather overwhelm us a bit. But i think eaten each separately, they should be all right.Price wise is rather reasonable given the cheapest is about 2 bucks, with the most expensive ones going at around 4 bucks.
The Brownie Factory has been around for about 6 years already, yet everytime i passed by the area i totally missed out the store, which is really a pity until now. If you are in the area, do try out their brownie! I like the triple chocolate brownie the most, and will definitely look to try some other unique flavours the next time round.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
Eden Cafe is acknowledged for its delicate florals cuisines to bring a whole new dining experience for the customers’ palate. Owner of the former Helio Cafe at Marina Square, Mr Clement Ng is the brain behind the floral concept at Eden Cafe.
Positioned at Club Street, just beside Ann Siang Hill, Eden Cafe is a quaint flower inspired cafe seated at the F&B robust street with other eminent neighbours like Les Brasseries, Senso Ristorante, Spizza, Seven on Club, Da Paolo II Ristorante, and Indochine restaurant.
There is the make-to-order option for dinner which is very interesting. Contact Mr Clement Ng to custom-made a dinner which is unique for you.
The interior is done in very unsophisticated manner, with soft soothing music as background. The cafe has such a cozy and homely feel that my friend and i can just sit there for the whole day. It is that comfortable, just like home.
Sundried Tomato Omelette ($9.50)
Eden’s brunch menu is only available during the weekends and public holiday. It is the draw of the brunch menu which actually brings my visit to Eden. I’m always fascinated by the prospects of eating brunch at some comfy cafe on a laid-back weekend.
The brunch selections here are mostly toast and sandwiches. The omelette is the one which caught my attention. I was rather astonish when the dish came, not that i was expecting a lot, but at almost ten bucks for omelette on a toast, coupled with lots of greens, it do seem a tad expensive.
I understand that many places which offer brunch might be even pricier than this, but still paying ten bucks for the definitely-not-filling brunch do makes ordering lunch seems a more reasonable option.
Nevertheless, the Sundried Tomato omelette is quite good, with a hint of cheese within the egg, and i must commended that not many places actually have such a healthy serving of salads to go along.
Honey Mustard Chicken ($14.90)
The main courses at Eden cafe takes longer to serve, with a waiting time of about 20mins. At first sight, the chicken is certainly tiny, with two small pieces of chicken breast, which comes along with again, very generous servings of greens.
The honey mustard flavours the chicken well, although we felt that the use of chicken drumstick can add more zest to the overall dish. At $15, the honey mustard chicken is definitely not filling for folks with big appetite. If only the serving size can be bigger.
Hibiscus Soft Cheesecake ($6.90)
Desserts are where Eden really excels at. The Hibiscus soft cheesecake is one of the better cheesecakes i have tasted so far. The cheesy flavor might come a tad too strong for non-cheese lovers, but its still acceptable for me, although towards the end it might be slightly overwhelming if you finish this cake on your own.
Coated with a layer of hibiscus top, and a bright red strawberry on top, the cheesecake is done pleasant to the eye and satisfying to the palates.
Total bill for 2 comes up to $36.70. I still find Eden to be rather expensive given its minuscule serving size, and quintessentially there is nothing that fantastic about the food. The floral concept is unquestionably interesting, with the tranquil ambience of the cafe a positive plus.
But food-wise its done very simple, i guess this is the selling point of Eden’s, which sometimes make you feel that it does not justify the price tag. Nonetheless, Eden’s definitely a great place to chill and sit the whole day, and desserts are excellent which will tempt me into a recurrent visit.
Until the price drop, or with greater serving size, i’ll just come back to Eden’s for their desserts and the nice ambience. And just for information, Eden has a new sister restaurant at the hip Rochester park, Eden Sanctuary.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
De Coder’s Cafe is one of the latest board game cafe in town, think along the line of The Mind Cafe, and Settlers Cafe and you pretty much get the picture. Located along Bukit Timah road at Balmoral Plaza, where Waffletown is also situated at.
Like what i mentioned previously, the place is actually quite accessible because its only about ten minutes walk away from Newton MRT. Taking a bus from Orchard road takes a mere ten minutes too.
It is puzzling as to why LIC haven’t been to any board game cafe when Mind, settlers, and De coder’s have open for quite some time, and are available in quite a few locations.
We are here for Claudia’s birthday. The Cafe isn’t very big, in fact its quite a squeeze for about twenty of us. The interior is simple, you can choose to seat at the sofas, or at the tables and chairs which are in red and black theme.
The highlight of De Coder’s cafe is definitely their wide range of board games. And speaking of board games, they aren’t your normal monopoly or you know those usual ones. They have so many different types which we totally haven’t seen before.
Root Beer float ($4.50)
The root beer float is really just your normal root beer float. Pour the root beer from a bottle, and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. To charge $4.50 for it is kind of outrageous, but then again, they don’t charge for the games play, so i suppose their source of revenue will be through the drinks and food.
Pasta ($9.80)
We ordered quite a few pasta, like Beefy beefy, ocean catch, mushy mushroom. All their pastas does not really suit our tastebud. Period.
Spicy Drumlets ($5)
If their main course doesn’t works, what else is there to eat you ask? Finger food, but again, we tried almost all of their finger food, and most of them can’t quite make it as well.
The spicy drumlets is one of the few that is decent, but the consistency isn’t there. The first round we ordered this the drumlets are still okay, but the second time we ordered this one again, the chicken is kind of soggy, and its supposed to be fried and crispy.
Chicken Cubes ($5)
The chicken cubes is definitely on the list of finger food that you should not be ordering. Soggy and tasteless. Period.
Cheesy Wedges ($5)
They have two types of wedges, the potato wedges and cheesy wedges. We had both, and i guess the two wedges are still all right.
Americaya ($10)
American’s all time favourite chicken burger served with wedges and baked beans. They are right, American favourite is chicken burger, but unfortunately, its not the Americaya served here. I literally had a hard time finishing the burger, and its not because i am full.
All in all, i may seem quite harsh on the food in De Coder’s cafe, but really the food isn’t good. Then again, you are there to play board games, and not because of the food, so we shouldn’t be complaining. But i feel that a board game cafe is a great idea, and to serve simple and good food actually isn’t that difficult.
Desserts like cheesecakes and brownies are decent. Fried food is in fact the easiest food to do it simple and nice, but they mess it up. If only they can improve on the standards of their food, i'll foresee myself making perennial visits, otherwise, stay away from most of the food, maybe just the desserts and drinks.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
Seah Street Deli has an American air around it, it is after all a restaurant serving your good old American food. Don’t let the name Seah Street fool you, the place is call Seah Street deli because the restaurant is located in Raffles Hotel, which is just beside Seah Street.
Step into Seah Street Deli, and you will be transported back in time to 1950s New York. The restaurant does imitates the look of a Big Apple Deli quite well, the lightning, the decors and the furnitures all oosh a certain classical American touch.
Located at the colonial Raffles Hotel, Seah Street Deli is just a 5 minutes walk away from Raffles City. Certainly an accessible place for a meal if you are in the area and do not want to be in the crowd.
Nowadays where else can you find a jukebox? Talk about nostalgic, they certainly roll back the good old time.
Wild Pacific Dory Fillet ($18.50)
Served with natural organic vegetables, baby potatos, and lemon wine sauce. The wild pacific dory fillet comes up to be quite ordinary actually. The dory is fresh, but not much of a surprise there, and at $18.50, its a tad expensive. Serving size is definitely huge, well it should be, we are talking about American food after all.
Grilled Salmon Steak ($18.95)
Salmon marinated with mix herbs, grilled zucchini, garlic mashed potatoes and dill cream sauce. The Grilled salmon steak taste to us slightly under-flavored, it will be better if the flavor can be stronger.
The garlic mashed potatoes are plentiful, and really, you can’t finish them off unless you really got a big appetite.
Southern Style Chicken ($17.50)
Deep fried chicken, served with fries. The portion is gigantic, but really thats it. The chicken is deep fried, done in your American style, fries are decent. But at $17.50, the Southern Style chicken is a suspect for rip-off
Seah Street Burger ($14.95)
Seah Street Deli’s very own freshly ground all beef patty with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions served on a toasted sesame bun. If you think the Seah Street Burger is big, think again. You haven’t seen the bigger burger.
Their Texas Burger a 12 ounce sized beef patty. Granted i heard quite good things about the Texas burger, but the stomach didn’t have room for it, so i ordered Seah Street burger instead.
Seah Street Burger is not too bad, the beef patty is nicely mashed, put together with the lettuce, tomatoes, and onions inside the sesame bun, you will be wondering how do you start eating the whopping burger.
Having eaten burgers in restaurants like Relish and Seah Street, not at your fastfood joints, i came to realise the only feasible way to consume them will be to cut by bites, otherwise you can always choose the alternative, take a big mouthful!
Chocolate Decadence cake ($11.95)
The all time favourite chocolate decadence cake at $11.95 do seems a bit steep. But the serving size of the cake more than make up for it. The cake is ginormous (gigantic & enormous)! Seriously, i have never seen places cutting such a big size of cake.
The chocolate decadence cake is made up of 7 layers, and each layer is sweeter than the other. Even though i have a sweet tooth, i find the cake to be too sweet. But its good to indulge in such decadence once in while. After having our main courses, the four of us actually struggle to finish the cake. A must-try if you visit Seah Street Deli.
Total bill is $95.76 for 4 mains and 1 desserts. But Citibank is offering a 15% discount for Seah Street Deli, so our bill after the discount is $81.90. Prices are slightly steep here considering the fact that the food is not bad, but not to the point excellent. At around the same price, there might be some other places which can be better.
Portions are definitely huge, this is where we made a mistake. I think for 4 person, just order 3 main course to share will be more than suffice. The chocolate decadence cake is a must try for desserts. If prices can be cheaper, then i say Seah Street is a nice and cheerful place to dine out, until then, maybe once is enough.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
" Roll back the good old times! "
Rating given:
A long long time ago, we have A & W for our fix of waffles and root beer floats. Now that they are gone, Waffletown seems to be the only substitute for A & W. Located in Balmoral Plaza at Bukit Timah, the place is actually quite accessible because its only about ten minutes walk away from Newton MRT. Taking a bus from Orchard road takes a mere ten minutes too.
Offering the same “American” style of fastfood, even the seats are “A & W”-like. There’s seats outside if you prefer to seat in their “al fresco” area, otherwise go on in to their air-conditioned areas inside.
The place is a let-down though, the seats are all right, just like your fastfood restaurant chain. But i find the interior to be a little shabby. Actually i am saying this because i felt that Waffletown has great potentials but the management somehow don’t seem to be too bothered about business.
To prove my point, look at the first picture, they took some ugly shots of their food and post it at their entrance. The unglam shots are not even their focus which is waffles. Instead the shots are pictures of some totally unrelated food like black pepper steak, fish and chips, grilled fish.
Single scoop chocolate chip waffle ($3.70)
As the name Waffletown imples, its a place for waffles after all. Thus selections for waffles are aplenty, with your plain waffles at $2.50, there’s ham waffle, sausage waffle, turkey bacon waffle, and of course ice cream waffles.
At $3.70 for a single scoop ice cream waffle, its really a steal though. Even Haato which has one of the cheaper waffles around, are selling at $6 for their single scoop waffles. But then again you can’t compare it this way because the ice cream at Haato are gelato, while the ones here are the normal ice cream.
Single scoop raspberry waffle ($3.70)
The raspberry ice cream is really nostalgic, remember the raspberry ice cream which we buy from the motorcycle uncle when we were young? Its exactly the same one! My friend says that raspberry flavor is still available at supermarket, but i can’t seem to find it.
But i can conclude that at the waffles are definitely better than Gelare. That one is expensive, normal days single scoop waffle is almost ten bucks, and their waffle isn’t even good.
2 Pc Fried Chicken set ($6.70)
The two piece fried chicken set at $6.70, prices are comparable to KFC, but the chicken is slightly better. For one, the chicken isn’t as oily as KFC’s, and nowadays KFC standards really are not consistent. The coleslaw and potato here are at most average, with the chicken faring better.
Total bill is $14.1 for 2 waffles and 2 piece fried chicken. Although the place can’t really substitute A&W which is deep in our heart, but it can be a replacement for now, until someone brings back A&W. I won’t say the waffles are that excellent, but at $3.70 they are really worth the price, and their fried chicken is all right if you dislike KFC.
You are always welcome to visit http://www.ladyironchef.com/2008/07/02/waffletown for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
St Regis hotel, the latest glamorous and prestigious hotel to open on our shore. Tout as a 6 star luxury hotel and with so much at stake, Yan Ting, a Cantonese restaurant offers to promise you a totally different dining experience.
Stepping into St Regis is quite an experience on its own, the grandeur of the hotel will simply blow you away. The splendor furnishings and the majesty furnitures are not all, even taking a lift in St Regis promises you a unforgettable reminiscence.
6 Star is not exaggerating, and from the moment you enter the hotel, it feels so good to be rich, even just for that afternoon.
Albeit being a Chinese Cantonese restaurant, the contemporary and classy feel of the restaurant’s interior certainly does not show any indication, with the exception of the 4 seasons painting, and the exquisite chopsticks and spoons plated in gold and inlaid with jade pieces.
An elegant chandelier is the highlight of the low ceiling in the restaurant. Stylish curtains and the comfy seats brings out a cozy and relaxed dining atmosphere.
The main emphasize which makes Yan Ting stands out from the other Chinese restaurant is in the pricing for its dim sum. While others usually charged dim sum by per basket or plate, Yan Ting attempts to break through the norm and bring the pricing of dim sum to another level by its per piece charging.
For Yan Ting’s A la carte menu, just like some of the more prominent Chinese restaurants, they are priced by per person, and the small servings of the food meant that there is no chance of sharing food.
Being in a 6 Star hotel, you definitely will not expect Yan Ting to be easy on the pocket, with most of the simpler dishes priced from $10 to $24 each. And with the small serving, expect to spend up to $100 for a decent meal, per person.
Appetizer
Unlike their western counteparts, most Chinese restaurants doesn’t actually serve out appetizer since the Chinese doesn’t have the emphasize on course eating. The small squid is actually quite good, simple enough to start our taste bud going in anticipation of the rest to come. And its free, so no complains there.
Cripsy radish pastry ($1.80 per piece)
This is the first time i had a radish pastry before, and i must say it is good, the crispy skin compliments well with the soft radish inside.
Oven-baked fluffy Char Siew Pastry ($1.60 per piece)
The Char Siew Pastry is indisputably the star of the show here. Take a bite into the crispy fluffy pastry, and you will discover the juicy and sweet char siew hidden within. Having one each is really not doing justice to the pastry. And i’ll rather pay $1.60 for one of these wonderful char siew sou, than to eat several cheaper ones. Excellent!
Stir-fried “cheong fan” rice roll with XO sauce ($4)
I never had stir-fried “cheong fan” rice roll with XO sauce before, and to be honest initially i mistook this dish for the fried carrot cake done with XO sauce which is commonly found in Chinese restaurants dim sum menu.
Although it tasted more like Char Kway Teow than “cheong fan”, but i find it to be quite all right, and at $4 even though the portion is quite small, its still cheaper and more worth well than the XO sauce fried carrot cake that i had at Peach Garden.
Steamed shrimp dumpling ($2 per piece)
The steamed crystal shrimp dumpling, or more affectionately known as “Har Kao” comes at a hefty price tag of $2 per piece. If you do your maths, this works out to be $6 for one basket of three Har Kao. There’s always a first time for everything, and this is really a first time where i had such expensive shrimp dumplings.
However, Yan Ting’s Har Kao is really one of the best that i had tried so far, the thin skin envelops the fresh and succulent prawns. But at $2 each, Yan Ting is really testing the limits for the first-rate dumplings.
Steamed Pork and Shrimp Dumpling ($2 per piece)
“Siew Mai” or steamed pork and shrimp dumpling is always the dim sum i’ll base my judgment on how good the dim sum at the restaurant really is. The Siew Mai here passes the test, the combination of the crunchy prawn and the lean pork goes well together.
Xiaolongbao ($4 per piece)
To be frank, I never liked xiaolongbao, since i can’t really appreciate the beauty of it. Even though the xiaolongbao is a bigger rendition than your normal ones, to pay $4 for one xiao long bao, i’ll be crazy.
But, the Xiaolongbao at Yan Ting is really different from the usual ones, the pipping hot stock juice literally floods out upon a bite into the skin of the xiaolongbao. Although the xiaolongbao is quite good, but i’ll not order it again if i come back to Yan Ting. For a $4 xiaolongbao experience, once is enough.
Traditional Cantonese egg tart ($1.60 per piece)
The egg tart is done exactly the way i like it, cripsy skin with the smooth egg custard within. I lamented the fact that the egg tart is too small. And at $1.60 per piece, they are not really cheap.
Deep-fried Yam Croquette ($1.60 per piece)
The deep fried Yam croquette with diced chicken is excellent. Although the croquette is deep fried, but its not too oily, and the Yam taste is quite unique too.
Steamed Wild Mushroom Roll ($1.60 per piece)
We ordered the steamed wild mushroom roll out of curiosity from the name. There’s two to three different type of mushroom, well the mushroom roll is not really my call.
Hong Kong BBQ platter ($16 per serving)
BBQ pork, roasted duck, and crispy roasted pork makes up the Hong Kong BBQ platter. Note that its $16 for one portion, andthree of us ordered 3 portions, which adds up to $48. Ripped off is the only word to describe this.
The crispy roasted pork is not too bad, but it comes in only four small cubes. The roasted duck is really ordinary, and the BBQ pork or char siew, does not justify the exaggerated price tag of $16 for 4 cubes of roasted pork, two slices of roasted duck and three slices of char siew.
For $48, you can have a whole duck, with healthy servings of char siew & roasted pork. This is totally what you will not expect coming from Yan Ting, however the truth is there for all to see. This is somehow an anti-climax for the rather excellent dim sum that we had.
Total Bill was $150.20 for 3 person, which works out to about $50 per person. But if you work out the sums, excluding the BBQ platter which was $16 per portion, the amount for dim sum is actually about $34. Although we didn’t have that much dim sum, but i still find $34 to be acceptable given the high quality dim sum we had.
6 Star dim sum comes at a price, although some of the dim sum did not really justified the price, but overall the dim sum was nothing short of excellence. I’ll definitely try Yan Ting again, even though its a extravagant experience, but like they say, good things come with a price. Just that in this case, its a heavier price.
Do note that if you decided to give Yan Ting a try, you must be careful and not over ordered, that is unless you got a deep pocket. Service is good and professional, with the staff knowing when to approach us, and when not to disturb us. Yan Ting certainly test my limits for good dim sum, although i am still skeptical about their A la carte menu. Give that a miss and try their dim sum! And dim sum is only available during lunch, not dinner.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
” dim sum extravaganza “
Rating given:
Safra Yishun country club, take a 15mins walk from Yishun MRT, LIC had the opportunity to visit the place last week and took some photos, so i thought i’ll share them and for people who have never visit any Safra around our island yet.
Swimming pool is definitely a main feature of any country club, be it for the kids or adults who fancy a swim, especially so in our hot weather.
Chalets are also a main feature of Safra, members can get them at a cheaper rates but i think non-members also are allowed to book them. Otherwise just get a friend who’s Safra member!
Personally i didn’t book any Safra chalets before, although several occasions i been to friends organise ones. I guess its pretty cool to book a chalet and just relax with your family, love one, and friends.
The rock-climbing area is one of the unique facilities available at Safra Yishun.
With this, LIC shall end the post on Safra Yishun! There’s plenty of other facilities like tennis court, gym, arcade, bowling centre, pool tables, spas at the country club also. Well you can check them out to see the facilities, some requires a fee, while others should be available for booking.
Don’t be afraid to explore the Safras around our island, they are built by the government for us to use after all!
This is a non-food related post, i’m sorry for any disturbance if you have came to ladyironchef wanting to read about my food adventure, but instead found yourself reading this post which has totally nothing to do with food. The next post will be on Eatzi, which is a cafe eatery under the same management by Jack’s place, which is also located within Safra Yishun.
You are always welcome to visit
ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
Eatzi steakhouse & bistro is under the same management of the family-known name, Jack’s Place. The one that we are exploring today is located within Safra Yishun, just besides the swimming pool which makes it convenient for customers who want a hot meal after a swim.
With the green white chequered table cloth so oddly-like to the interior of Jack’s place, the familiar items on both menus makes you wondered why Jack’s place came out with Eatzi.
While some restaurants group came up with different restaurants, but they branded and package the different restaurants. But in the case of Eatzi, they do not hide the fact that they are under the same management as Jack’s place, and with the menu items also mostly similar, it makes us wonder do we go to Jack’s place, or Eatzi?
Nevertheless, Eatzi has their daily set lunch menu which offers different food on different days. The day that we went was a Tuesday, the choice of soup cream of corn. Main course is boiled fish with spinach & mussel topped with ginger cream sauce, or sauteed pasta with olive oil topped with crumbled chicken.
Sauteed pasta with crumbled chicken ($9.80)
The Sauteed pasta with olive oil topped with crumbled chicken comes in the daily set meal. All set lunch includes a soup of a day, choice of main course, and dessert of the day, and coffee/tea.
Nasi Goreng with egg & satay ($9)
Asian fusion delights seems weird to be on the menu of Eatzi, a place more for its steak and western meal. Nonetheless, the serving was quite big, and one person will struggle to finish the food. Do note this dish is on the A la carte menu, not in the set lunch.
NZ Ribeye steak with brown sauce ($14.80)
Obviously Eatzi being a steakhouse, you ought to try some steak here. The NZ ribeye steak is on the executive set lunch menu, the main different between the normal set lunch and executive set lunch is the different type of food, with the executive priced slightly higher.
The waitress brought the steak on the hotplate over to our table, and pour the brown sauce to make the steaks goes sizzling! This is followed by the potato, which is cut into half and mayo sauce is applied to fill up the centre of the potato.
Eatzi offers affordable eating in a cafe with its set menus. Certainly when the food is so cheap, you can’t be really expecting much quality from it. The place’s great if you want a simple meal and at a cafe environment, its affordable pricing is definitely targeted to the mass market.
However, i won’t be going back because of the apparent lack in quality, and personally its a case of eating good food, not necessary expensive ones, but good food. Given a choice between Eatzi and our local delights at hawker centre, i’ll gladly choose the latter.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
Tian Wai Tian has been around for as long as i remember, and i believe they need no introduction. Located just besides the PIE expressway at the Upper Serangoon road exit. If you are coming from train, then stop at Potong Pasir MRT on the North-east line.
There isn’t any ambience to talk about, Tian Wai Tian is your typical zi-char in a normal coffee shop kind of place. Tian Wai Tian is so popular that besides the seats in the coffee shop, they also have tables at the back alley.
The most amazing thing is actually Tian Wai Tian only serves a few of their popular dishes, as in they don’t even have a menu to choose from, its always the same old few dishes, yet they pack in the crowd everyday!
Fish Head Steamboat ($20)
Tian Wai Tian’s famous fish head steamboat! There are two types of fish to choose for your steamboat, the white promfet and the red groupa, which we got. The soup base is always a very important item for any steamboat as all the essence of the ingredients are cook together in it.
The soup here is pretty good, and you can have it topped up too. But i find it to be slightly on the salty side. More vegetables are needed to have a better balance.
Well a must-try dish if you come to Tian Wai Tian, since this is their signature dish.
Prawn Roll ($7)
I believe the prawn roll is a very common dish and most people should be familiar with it, my family usually have it during the Chinese new year! The prawn roll here is good, dipped in the sweet sauce, awesome!
Tofu Prawn ($12)
The tofu prawn in spicy sauce taste refreshing initially. Seldom do we see a combination of prawn and tofu cooked in spicy sauce. However, the taste is a tad too much and we can’t finish the dish.
Fried prawn sauce chicken ($8)
The fried prawn sauce chicken is mainstay dish on most of the zi-char stores, my favourite so far is the one in Holland Village XO Fishhead store. But the ones here are pretty decent i guess.
Sambal Kangkong ($6)
Kangkong are best done in hot spicy sambal, and the one at Tian Wai Tian doesn’t disappoint. Hot and spicy!
Total Bill is $55.50 for 4 person. Tian Wai Tian serves their famous fish head steamboat, with the few of their popular dishes. Variety isn’t what you can have at this zi-char store, but if its some familiar dish that you need, find them here!
Service-wise, practically none, this is a zi-char, not some fanciful restaurant. The auntie working there can be quite rude and snobbish, so don’t say you are not warn.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given: