I'm a frequent visitor to the hospitals in Singapore because I give recommendations to my foreign friends as to which one to stay in for their medical needs.
Changi General Hospital happens to be the nearest public hospital in the East.... bo bian. If I were filthy rich, I would choose Mt. E.
My mother-in-law was a patient in the Geriatric ward (C class)and it is a pitiful sight to see the elderly when they are weak and sick. I cannot blame the nurses for not being attentive most of the time as these patients and their family members can be very demanding. I salute these nurses for their hard work.
You would expect A class to be A service. Surprisingly, no. A class fees, yes. I admitted one foreign student to its A class ward and it has embarrassed me greatly in front of the parents.
Waiting to be sent to the ward was long. Waiting for a doctor to see the patient was long.
My ward vomited on his pajamas and it wasn't changed for him. He wore it overnight and the next morning, no nurse came to wash, clean him up or changed his soiled pajamas.
My student was admitted for the removal of appendicitis, after his operation and during his stay, I never got to see a doctor. I only knew of 'his perforated appendix' when I received his Inpatient Discharge Summary.
Did I ask to see the doctor? Yes, through the nurses and I was told to come early in the morning, at 7 am or earlier to catch him. *rolls my eyes*
My student was re-admitted for wound infection. When I queried the hospital, then the attending doctors told me it was normal when an appendix was perforated.
We went to A&E before 1pm. We were in the ward at 5 plus and then it was a long wait for a doctor to see my ward. After much hurrying, a young doctor came to inspect the wound and had it cleaned. Another young doctor came an hour later. It was almost 10 pm and my hubby and I hadn't had our dinner as we were waiting for the doctor to give his diagnose. The doctor told us to go for dinner as there's an emergency and the doctors are busy.
790 beds and yet not a doctor can attend to my young ward who's having a bad infection. And we are in A class!
After dinner, a young senior doctor came. If it's any consolation, CGH seems like a Taiwanese TV production house. The doctors can form F4s. It has Young, good-looking doctors. hahaha.....
Anyway, we kena suan by this senior doctor when he sarcastically announced he hadn't had his dinner.
S$4200 was deducted from my credit card during the first admission and the balance not returned until I asked for it in writing. Another S$4000 was deducted from my credit card on the 2nd admission and the bill was not more than S$700. My money was tied up in both instances for many days.
At private hospitals, they cleared all bills on the day of discharge. My money won't be kept at their disposal.
And the final bill wasn't sent to me even after a week of discharge, so I couldn't get reimbursement from my student's parents.
When patients in A class wards get such bad service, I cannot imagine what it is like at the other classes. Don't throw good money away, no need to go for A class wards, B class will be good enough. Service doesn't get any better even if you pay A class fees.
It's that time of the year again for the Chinese! Bak Chang Festival!!
Because I live in the east, I would go to Kim Choo Kueh Chang for my yummy meat dumplings. My Mom, sister-in-law and I used to make our own bak changs but it took us days to prepare and make them.
Besides its famous and yummy bak changs, Kim Choo also sells a variety of kuehs. The colourful display of the kuehs outside its shop attracts lots of passers-by who would buy some for their teatime snacks.
Next to the kueh shop is its Peranakan restaurant. I'll review it the next time. Upstairs, there is a gallery showcasing the rich culture of the Peranakans. Beautifully embroidered kebayas, beaded shoes and pretty Peranakan porcelain are up for grabs.
There are things for you to do too. You can also learn how to wrap a bak chang. Try your hand at sewing the beaded patterns on a shoe.
Due to the scorching heat these days, better not eat too many bak changs. And remember to drink more cooling herbal teas ah!
Had a rather small farewell session for one of my colleagues from China a little while back. The meal was organized by another colleague of mine who happens to know the ins and outs of the Geylang area in Singapore and he proposed that we visit one of his well recommended joints for the meal. Alas, coordination is never an easy task and somehow, we managed to get lost and wound up in another shop where leaving wasn't permitted as we have already eaten some of their stuff. As it was, the meal carried on at that restaurant and this is the review.
Well, the pictures should give you an idea of what is available. There's cooked food and the usual food that needs to be cooked yourself, there's crabs, prawns, fish balls, sausages, beancurds, frozen beancurd, crab meat balls, squid, sotong, clams, beef, chicken, mushrooms, fish and much much more. Along with that are cooked food such as vermicelli, sweet and sour prawns and beef, chicken and fish as well. In short, there is a huge selection of food to choose from. And all this is available at a price of $16 with the first drink free. All this may seem like excellent value if not for one very important and neglected flaw. Quality of food. The uncooked food are simply not fresh. No matter how you cut it, its obvious from a start that its no where near the word fresh. The cooked food were mainly left untouched by us because quite simply, it did not appeal to anyone of us and the cleanliness of the place is absolutely worth questioning. In terms of the broth, which happens to be the main selling point, the reddish and fiery hot side is definitely a draw for spicy food lovers. In comparison, the lighter side is actually too bland for comfort. Thats not to say that either side was good to begin with. Also, the moment you step into the restaurant, be ready to be transported to China because quite simply, apart from our group, everyone else in the restaurant happens to be from our big friendly neighbor. What that means is plenty of shouting, drinking and loads of drunks. Take your chances on that front. In the end, i can't say it wasn't moderately enjoyable due to th company but judging on the food, i'm hardpressed and struggling to find a reason to ever return
There are better places out there. Please visit those instead.
Had the opportunity to partake in a tasting session at Persimmon one Wednesday evening, courtesy of its co owner, Helena, who also co owns the casual eatery Epicurious at Roberston Quay. Persimmon bills itself as a fusion restaurant, incorporating both chinese and western food to blend up its own variety of fusion. Think somewhere along the lines of another Singapore fusion restaurant, Wild Rocket.
Stepping into Persimmon is reminiscent of stepping into a high class coffeeshop, with its checkered tile floors, white top tables and wooden chairs. What it lacks is the spinning ceiling fans which have been replaced by air conditioning units but I'm definitely not complaining. Not with Singapore's heat and humidity. Coupled with a low ceiling and retro music, it made for a soothing and laid back atmosphere.
Mushroom & Sesame Shooter - I liked this inconspicuous little shot glass of warm mushroom soup. Savoury with a hint of sesame and bits of mushroom. There was suppose to be 绍兴酒 in it but that was apparently not evident.
Fisherman's Pie - Persimmon's rendition of the fisherman's pie took a different twist from the norm. Instead of the usual seafood ingredients enveloped within a mould of pastry, this one was more of a soup bowl covered with a puff pastry lid. Another interesting thing was the choice of soup, which was a less oily version of the ubiquitous Laksa gravy. Honestly, I didn't find the soup or the ingredients very outstanding, coming across as decent at best. The pastry also needed some reworking in my humble opinion, probably through the addition of more butter to make it more fragrant and creamier to the tastebuds.
Fried Kway Teow with Wagyu Beef - I'm sorry to say this, but as fragrant and tasty as the kway teow may be, it is still CKT (Char Kway Teow), albeit of a less oily version than the ones you find in hawker centres outside. It came with a poached quail egg and mushrooms but lacked the discernible wok hei taste due to it being pan fried I believe. Did I mention that it was a tad too salty as well?
The accompanying wagyu beef came served atop a bed of beansprouts and was tender, juicy and almost mouthwatering. But being too thinly sliced, it was a little overcooked and I honestly couldn't tell that it was wagyu beef. So much for such an expensive breed of beef.
On a side note, it would definitely be funny if someone called it 牛肉河粉.
Wagyu Beef - As with the wagyu beef from the CKT, this dish of wagyu was thinly sliced and a tad overcooked, but at least portions were more significant and each slice held more bite. I just wonder how much would such a dish cost.
White Pepper Crab Cake with Tunghoon Salad & Scallop - I've never really been a fan of crab cakes and Persimmon's offering wasn't just about to change that. But thats not to say it wasn't good. As a matter of fact, it was quite decent, with lots of shredded crab, but just not outstanding.
The tunghoon salad held quite a few surprises with its overly zesty taste harbouring a spicy aftermath that hits you slowly but surely. And the lone fleshy scallop that came alongside was a little too undercooked, soft and bland.
Pineapple Tart - Now this was one huge unconventional pineapple tart. A scoop of ice cream atop a sweet pineapple ring, covering a layer of caramelised pineapple, all on a huge tart base. I'm a sucker for pineapple tarts so I liked it quite a fair bit with the nice and smooth ice cream but I did think that it could have been better. The tart base lacked the oven baked taste which I personally like and it wasn't crumbly enough. That aside, its really quite worth the eat.
Overall I think the food is pretty decent and probably a few minor tweaks here and there would suffice. As mentioned earlier, it was a complimentary tasting session hence I am unsure of the prices but a quick glance at the regular menu shows most main courses to be in the $20 range. I might do a revisit, just as soon as I am able to ascertain the food prices.
To end, please allow me to extend my thanks to Helena for the invite and for being an excellent host.
Just bought my Zen mp3 from Creative Store at the Turns2 promotion. I must say for a celebration of turning 2, the promotions weren't that great. However this is a side track as the review should not be about the promotion.
Well, the website, well organized and easy to surf. Payment with the purchase can be done at the website using credit card and everything was smooth and fast. Immediately after the purchase and payment, I received an email confirming the order and that the delivery date is 2 days.
Right next day, I received a call from Creative confirming with me the time for delivery. Since they used Singpost, I requested for after working hours. After a check, seems like its not possible. The customer service then check with me whether Sat is possible. After the confirmation, I received yet another email with the date and time for delivery. Easy to negotiate to and accommodating, I must say the experience is good.
At first I thought the items must be for stock clearance but when I received the items, they were nicely packed and looks thoroughly new. Pleasant surprise that a further check reviewed that the ear piece was produced this yr and the Zen was less than 6 mths ago.
The FAQ portion of the website is also well done. I had trouble starting up the Zen and was able to find the descriptive solution fast and with ease though loading the page was a bit slow.
Just went to this place for viewing of a musical "Broadway Beng". Located at the 3rd storey of the building.
The place is quite small with 2 level of circle seats as well as the stall seats. Seats are comfy with polished wood backing and gives the theater the "feel" that audiences are in for a great show. However leg space is limited so those whom are late will find it difficult to walk through. Those with longer legs will not be too comfortable.
Sound system is great with minimal "emptiness" or "noises". Sounded perfect to me where I was sitting. There are 2 screen panels (great quality image) at the side of the stage and can be used in conjunction with the show on-going. Designed more for theater rather than vocal.
Due to my dad's birthday, I decided to buy emicakes as it was intro by my colleague and I want to try different cake from different cake shop. So my BF accompany me went to downtown east purchase the cake.
As I know Emicakes is famous in their D24 Durian cake, Durian stuff but sorry to say that I don't like durian and I didn't choose the durian cake for my dad. I brought 1 Chocolate cake & 1 Chocolate Puffs.
Pure Addiction Chocolate Cake - $33.90, 0.6kg
The cake filled with thick chocolate mousse, it sweet and not bad. Inside the cake has chocolate-coated almonds and chocolate ganache. But the chocolate mousse was not really that soft, but overall it not bad.
Chocolate Puffs - $3.80, 6 Pieces
The puff were soft, the chocolate was thick and sweet and nice.
Their service was alright.
Total Bill: $33.93 (Before discount $37.70)
As there is 10% discount for UOB card.
Do check out the website or branches for their cakes and mini items.
Banking on the concept of nostalgia and old world charm, Jacob's Cafe is all about rediscovery, fresh food and simple, laid back relaxation. Established since September 2000, Jacob's has been serving and belting out tasty country meals for families and couples alike.
Jacob's features an al fresco dining area which makes up the bulk of the seating arrangements and the inner sanctum which has only limited seats of up to 10 people. The seats in the restaurant definitely brings with it a rustic charm and a comfortable atmosphere but the trade off is that after the meal, you'll come out smelling like one yourself. The al fresco seats have no such problem but lighting and visibility will be a little lower.
Pumpkin Soup(Part of the game hen meal), Bread Roll(Part of the game hen meal) - Our first visit there was more of a trial, we wanted to see exactly how good the place was since FZ mentioned the bread roll here has to be the best in Singapore. Thus, we ordered one of the specials on the board. This being the oven baked game hen set meal which came with soup, bread roll, coffee and the game hen of course. For starters, the pumpkin soup was very creamy, a little sweet and definitely opens the pallet. Not the best i had but its decent enough. The bread roll needs a little more description. It will not be immediately apparent why this bread roll is good, but a few bites into it will convince you otherwise. Reason being, its the only bread roll i've had that is completely balanced in having a reasonably hard crust while still maintaining warm and soft inside. You can't even compare it to any other bread roll thus far for that matter. There are no problems with biting into it and separating it as compared to some french loaves you find outside, where eating it is a challenge in itself. Make no mistake, this bread roll is better. Try it to find out.
Oven Baked Game Hen ($25.90) - The game hen came as quite a large portion. Definitely bigger then the spring chickens you can find at the food court. It came with 2 sides, assorted greens and fries. The fries were normal enough while the boiled greens were sauteed with a little butter to enhance the taste while remaining moderately crunchy and soft. The game hen was plump, juicy, tender and very fragrant. The sauce made it slightly salty but it suits the dish well. There's meat enough to go around for 2 people so basically, if you order this, it can be shared for 2 small eaters. I like the way the juices are locked in so that the hen remained tender without being dry. Worth a try.
Jacob's Pizza ($16.90) - Ah yes...Jacob's pizza. I always love ordering food that bears the restaurants namesake because its very important what they put their name on to represent themselves. This pizza, does not disappoint. It came chock full of toppings and cheese with a thin and crispy crust to boot. And the important thing is, you get to see them prepare it fresh before they pop it into the oven and serve to the customers. No issues on freshness here. This is definitely worth a try if you are here. Do note the waiting time for it extends by up to 20 minutes so its wise to order something else while waiting.
Apple Crumble and Vanilla Ice Cream ($7.50) - Having fallen in love with the apple crumble at coffee club, i make it a point to order it when i try out a new place. This is no exception here. However, lo and behold, it turns out to be the first disappointment of the day. Every item up till now has been above average but this sank the experience down quite a bit. To describe how it tastes is easy, its bascially Mcdonald's apple pie with a nicer crust and ice cream thrown into the fray. Definitely leave this out of the meal.
Coffee (Part of the game hen meal) - Our meal came with coffee as well and while its not exactly a gourmet cuppa, i do appreciate them including it and it does complete a meal pretty well.
The total bill for this visit came up to $50.30 with no gst nor service charge. Oh! The service here is really good as well. And the price is definitely justified as the quality of food is of a certain standard.
Barely a week later, me and my gf returned once again to re experience Jacob's and find out if it is still as good as before.
Mushroom Soup (Part of the Ribeye Set) - This time around, i ordered the ribeye set which also came with soup, bread roll and coffee. We had mushroom soup this time and its more watery with chunks of mushroom in it. Its quite bland but still pretty decent. The bread roll is as good as ever though.
Ham and Sausage Combo ($19.90) - My gf ordered the Ham and sausage combo which is actually called the meatloaf on the menu. It arrived as a huge plate with sides of mashed potato and sauerkraut with some mustard for dipping. The mashed potato was pretty good with some peppery taste and a some chunks of potato in it as well. The meatloaf or ham looks like a huge piece of luncheon meat actually and tastes a little like luncheon meat as well but is firmer and juicier. The sausages were definitely fragrant and very tasty.
Ribeye Steak ($28.90) - Another huge serving, the steak came with 3 sides, a tomato with pepper and celery, boiled greens and mashed potatoes. The steak i ordered was done medium rare as i ordered and is very very juicy. Its also a tad salty and had some parts not evenly done as there were portions that were a little too rare. Still, its a decent main dish. However, i probably won't recommend ordering it since Jacob's has other items that are much better.
Pecan Pie ($4.60) - During the first visit, the worst item was the dessert which thankfully isn't the case this time. By recommendation, we ordered the pecan pie which is supposedly a rather rare item in Singapore. This dessert is moderately sweet, crunchy and different in a good way. Its served hot, as in very hot and is something easily recommended. Try it.
Total bill for this visit is $53.40.
And for my third and last visit (so far anyway), we had yet again, a different choice and different items.
Fresh Farm Salad (Part of the Jacob's Chicken Pie Set) - Part of the Jacob's Chicken pie set, this is basically farm fresh salad drenched in balsamic vinegar for good effect. Sour, sweet and fresh, the salad definitely opens your appetite for the meal that follows.
Frankfurters Set ($8.90) - I ordered this thinking that i would be getting the thick and big versions of these little sausages but i was wrong. What was served was extremely small and measly. Taste wise, it doesn't taste any different from the run-of-the-mill sausages you could get outside. This is the second disappointment i've had at Jacob's.
Hungarian Beef Goulash With Bread Roll ($13.50) - I've been wanted to have a go at the Hungarian Goulash ever since i saw it in the menu. Now, i've finally had the chance to try it. For the price, the serving is huge. You get a huge plate of beef, carrots, potatoes and tomatoes in a delectable stew and the choice to have it with either rice or bread roll. I obviously chose the bread roll since its still without a doubt, one of the best bread rolls i've had. The goulash tastes like a cross between beef stew and sardines actually. It doesn't sound very good but in actual fact, it works. Its difficult to describe it further but you'll get a strong beef taste along with a sweet and sour broth which goes really well with the roll. Worth a try.
Jacob's Pie ($16.90) - My gf's Jacob's pie was actually a really small serving given the price but of course, you need to factor in the salad that came before as well. The pastry it came in had a nice buttery taste which i immediately took to and its very crusty and crispy as well. The pie ingredients itself were potatos, green beans, carrots and lots and lots of chicken pieces. The thing i like about the dish was the crust and the fact that the pie is a little bland. Do note that its also superbly hot when served so its important to be careful while eating. Not too bad but not exactly mind blowing either.
Tiramisu with Vanilla Ice Cream ($8.50) - The tiramisu this time was rather good as well. There is a clear distinction on where the cake starts and where the cream ends. The only gripe is that its note evenly done with some portions thicker then the rest. The rum is easily discernible but not overwhelming. I'd say the pecan pie was better though.
The bill this time clocked off at $47.80 for 2 people for a filling and satisfying meal.
Out of 3 meals, i can't say there were no misses. But for what its worth, the experience was still above average and if you asked me, i'd gladly go for another meal. The fact that there's no service charge or gst only serves to sweeten the draw for going back.
Tried this when our company's vendor bought us some for the new year. Heard many great comments about this. Shape of the puff is totally different from those normal ones.
Skin is crispy and flaky and the taste is above average. But in terms of easy eating, its below average. So ladies perhaps should eat this when image is not priority lolx.
Had the curry potato filling. Texture is just right for the crispiness of the puff. The taste of the filing is definitely way above those normal ones selling.
However, the puffs should be eaten fresh. We put one or two of them in the box for like half the day and the skin becomes very oily. However, this is not a very serious problem for curry puffs.
Joe’s kitchen may look ordinary on the outside, or even you might totally missed it when you passed by the place at its location at Bukit Merah, just directly opposite Alexander Hospital. I did. Having passed by the area a few times, i didn’t know there was this hidden gem offering authentic thai food experience in our midst of our heartland.
I was given this opportunity for the wonderful Makan experience organized by Leslie of ieatishootipost fame. A total of 47 food punters joined us on this occasion. Some of which were ieat’s old makan kakis, while many like me were first-timers joining ieat on his makan session.
The interior of the place was simple, the place wasn’t very big but it managed to squeeze all 47 of us inside the place. I wondered how all of us managed to eat inside that night. Miracle!
The event was supposed to start at 7pm, i got there around 645pm and there were people there already. Damien was the co-organizer for the outing. Jiawei and Shanice were the earliest there if i’m not wrong, i seated in the same table with them. Also on the same table as me were liverpool, eastcoastlife & hubby, yanti & friend. All of us had a wonderful time chatting taking photos, and savouring the food.
The crowd starts to come in and by around 740pm or thereabouts almost everyone arrived. The menu was to be 14 dishes including some starters, mains, and desserts. All the dishes came in sampling tasting size so that we can have a bit of everything. The female boss, Jamie (chef Joe’s wife) is friendly and attended to us warmly.
Crispy rice cake The Kao Dang Na Dang help to kick-start our makan session. Not commonly found in Singapore. the cripsy rice cake, was supposed to go together with the peanut sauce. I didn’t quite enjoy this appetizer as i found it to be way too dry for my liking.
Prawn Cakes The Thot Man Goong or Prawn Cakes was nice to eat, it was crispy and the prawn taste is just right.
Mango Salad The mango salad is one the appetizer dish that you will not be surprised to find in a Thai restaurant. No doubt about it, th salad is packed with everything. The first taste of it, refreshing. The initial impression was its not as spicy as i thought. But the magical part of it was the longer it gets, the spicier it became. A few more bites and the mango salad got to its “full level”
As most of us waited quite long for everyone to turn up before the dishes to serve, by the time the mango salad came out everybody were famished. We literally “attacked” the salad, and it was until ieat told us to hold our horses, that the salad was supposed to eat together with the sticky rice and chicken which were not out yet then we realized that.
Gai Yang (Grilled Chicken) The grilled chicken was quite good to be honest, everyone got a bite of it. Placing the mango salad and the chicken onto the sticky rice, the taste is very different from eating the three dishes separately.
Grilled Pork Collar This was no doubt for me, the star of the show! The Khaw Mu Yang, or grilled pork collar was somewhat similar to our Chinese char siew, albeit Thai style. Many of the kakis found it to be good too! Its also commonly eaten together with the sticky rice and mango salad. But its so good that we eat it on its own.
Tom Yum soup with fried fish In my personal opinion, how good a Thai restaurant is can be based on the test of their Tom Yum soup. Unquestionably. Tom Yum soup is the first thing that most people will think of when they think of Thai food. Well i say the Tom Yum soup by Chef Joe should passed with flying colours. The soup is really spicy, at least from my perspective. Dipping the crispy fried fish into the soup was quite a experience for me.
Green curry beef The beef was tender, and immersed with the essence of the green curry.
Deep fried Grouper with Thai chili The Thai chili was excellent here, real hot and a little sweet spicy. But i couldn’t help drinking more water so as to have a few more mouthful of the chili with the deep fried grouper.
Red Curry Roasted Duck Having seen the green curry earlier, my first thought was red curry after green? This was followed by roasted duck curry? I have never heard of roasted duck curry, let alone tasting it. But this dish was really not bad, i’m not sure how the roasted duck came about, whether Chef Joe roasted the duck, or he brought it from elsewhere and cook it with the red curry, but nevertheless its good.
And to our astonishment, there were grapes, yes grapes inside the curry! Talk about surprise, first roasted duck in curry, then grapes?
Basil leave minced pork I was never a fan of minced pork in the first place, n’uff said!
Claypot Crab Vermicelli with fatty pork Although the claypot crab was suppose to be the highlight here, but we got into eating the vermicelli instead. After cooking, the essence of the crab and fatty pork all went into the vermicelli, that alone should suffice for eating the vermicelli.
Poom Fy Dang - Kang Kong Thai style Like all the other dishes in Joe’s Kitchen, the first taste was not very spicy, but the second bite was real hot. The Kang Kong got hotter with each bite, i suggested just swallow the veggies!
Mango Stick rice To round off our authentic Thai food experience, we had Mango sticky rice, the mango was real sweet!
Tapioca with Coconut milk I didn’t like tapioca, so this dish was not to my taste bud
Total Bill was $1646 for 47 people, $35 per head for the Authentic Thai food experience at Chef Joe’s place. I love going to Makan outings with big groups because we can get to know more people. Think Yebber Party @ MINT where there were about 50 people, the Social Media Breakfast with around 40 odds people, and now this ieat makan outing with 47 people.
Credits to Leslie (ieat) and Damien whom organized this makan session for everyone to get together and enjoyed food. I looked forward to the many more outings organized by them, to meet more people and eat more food!
The beauty of food, it can bring everyone from all ages, different backgrounds together, for one common purpose that is to savour all the good food. How often do you see strangers getting together and seating down for a meal? I’m going to organised LIC food event soon, do watch out for the post!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my genuine feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or biasness. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
” Authentic Thai Food experience, in the midst of our heartland “
1=SGD 0.0587
I'm a frequent visitor to the hospitals in Singapore because I give recommendations to my foreign friends as to which one to stay in for their medical needs.
Changi General Hospital happens to be the nearest public hospital in the East.... bo bian. If I were filthy rich, I would choose Mt. E.
My mother-in-law was a patient in the Geriatric ward (C class)and it is a pitiful sight to see the elderly when they are weak and sick. I cannot blame the nurses for not being attentive most of the time as these patients and their family members can be very demanding. I salute these nurses for their hard work.
You would expect A class to be A service. Surprisingly, no. A class fees, yes. I admitted one foreign student to its A class ward and it has embarrassed me greatly in front of the parents.
Waiting to be sent to the ward was long. Waiting for a doctor to see the patient was long.
My ward vomited on his pajamas and it wasn't changed for him. He wore it overnight and the next morning, no nurse came to wash, clean him up or changed his soiled pajamas.
My student was admitted for the removal of appendicitis, after his operation and during his stay, I never got to see a doctor. I only knew of 'his perforated appendix' when I received his Inpatient Discharge Summary.
Did I ask to see the doctor? Yes, through the nurses and I was told to come early in the morning, at 7 am or earlier to catch him. *rolls my eyes*
My student was re-admitted for wound infection. When I queried the hospital, then the attending doctors told me it was normal when an appendix was perforated.
We went to A&E before 1pm. We were in the ward at 5 plus and then it was a long wait for a doctor to see my ward. After much hurrying, a young doctor came to inspect the wound and had it cleaned. Another young doctor came an hour later.
It was almost 10 pm and my hubby and I hadn't had our dinner as we were waiting for the doctor to give his diagnose. The doctor told us to go for dinner as there's an emergency and the doctors are busy.
790 beds and yet not a doctor can attend to my young ward who's having a bad infection. And we are in A class!
After dinner, a young senior doctor came. If it's any consolation, CGH seems like a Taiwanese TV production house. The doctors can form F4s. It has Young, good-looking doctors. hahaha.....
Anyway, we kena suan by this senior doctor when he sarcastically announced he hadn't had his dinner.
S$4200 was deducted from my credit card during the first admission and the balance not returned until I asked for it in writing. Another S$4000 was deducted from my credit card on the 2nd admission and the bill was not more than S$700. My money was tied up in both instances for many days.
At private hospitals, they cleared all bills on the day of discharge. My money won't be kept at their disposal.
And the final bill wasn't sent to me even after a week of discharge, so I couldn't get reimbursement from my student's parents.
When patients in A class wards get such bad service, I cannot imagine what it is like at the other classes. Don't throw good money away, no need to go for A class wards, B class will be good enough. Service doesn't get any better even if you pay A class fees.
Rating given:
It's that time of the year again for the Chinese! Bak Chang Festival!!
Because I live in the east, I would go to Kim Choo Kueh Chang for my yummy meat dumplings. My Mom, sister-in-law and I used to make our own bak changs but it took us days to prepare and make them.
Besides its famous and yummy bak changs, Kim Choo also sells a variety of kuehs. The colourful display of the kuehs outside its shop attracts lots of passers-by who would buy some for their teatime snacks.
Next to the kueh shop is its Peranakan restaurant. I'll review it the next time. Upstairs, there is a gallery showcasing the rich culture of the Peranakans. Beautifully embroidered kebayas, beaded shoes and pretty Peranakan porcelain are up for grabs.
There are things for you to do too. You can also learn how to wrap a bak chang. Try your hand at sewing the beaded patterns on a shoe.
Due to the scorching heat these days, better not eat too many bak changs. And remember to drink more cooling herbal teas ah!
Rating given:
Had a rather small farewell session for one of my colleagues from China a little while back. The meal was organized by another colleague of mine who happens to know the ins and outs of the Geylang area in Singapore and he proposed that we visit one of his well recommended joints for the meal. Alas, coordination is never an easy task and somehow, we managed to get lost and wound up in another shop where leaving wasn't permitted as we have already eaten some of their stuff. As it was, the meal carried on at that restaurant and this is the review.
Well, the pictures should give you an idea of what is available. There's cooked food and the usual food that needs to be cooked yourself, there's crabs, prawns, fish balls, sausages, beancurds, frozen beancurd, crab meat balls, squid, sotong, clams, beef, chicken, mushrooms, fish and much much more. Along with that are cooked food such as vermicelli, sweet and sour prawns and beef, chicken and fish as well. In short, there is a huge selection of food to choose from. And all this is available at a price of $16 with the first drink free.
All this may seem like excellent value if not for one very important and neglected flaw. Quality of food. The uncooked food are simply not fresh. No matter how you cut it, its obvious from a start that its no where near the word fresh. The cooked food were mainly left untouched by us because quite simply, it did not appeal to anyone of us and the cleanliness of the place is absolutely worth questioning.
In terms of the broth, which happens to be the main selling point, the reddish and fiery hot side is definitely a draw for spicy food lovers. In comparison, the lighter side is actually too bland for comfort. Thats not to say that either side was good to begin with.
Also, the moment you step into the restaurant, be ready to be transported to China because quite simply, apart from our group, everyone else in the restaurant happens to be from our big friendly neighbor. What that means is plenty of shouting, drinking and loads of drunks. Take your chances on that front.
In the end, i can't say it wasn't moderately enjoyable due to th company but judging on the food, i'm hardpressed and struggling to find a reason to ever return
There are better places out there. Please visit those instead.
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Had the opportunity to partake in a tasting session at Persimmon one Wednesday evening, courtesy of its co owner, Helena, who also co owns the casual eatery Epicurious at Roberston Quay. Persimmon bills itself as a fusion restaurant, incorporating both chinese and western food to blend up its own variety of fusion. Think somewhere along the lines of another Singapore fusion restaurant, Wild Rocket.
Stepping into Persimmon is reminiscent of stepping into a high class coffeeshop, with its checkered tile floors, white top tables and wooden chairs. What it lacks is the spinning ceiling fans which have been replaced by air conditioning units but I'm definitely not complaining. Not with Singapore's heat and humidity. Coupled with a low ceiling and retro music, it made for a soothing and laid back atmosphere.
Mushroom & Sesame Shooter - I liked this inconspicuous little shot glass of warm mushroom soup. Savoury with a hint of sesame and bits of mushroom. There was suppose to be 绍兴酒 in it but that was apparently not evident.
Fisherman's Pie - Persimmon's rendition of the fisherman's pie took a different twist from the norm. Instead of the usual seafood ingredients enveloped within a mould of pastry, this one was more of a soup bowl covered with a puff pastry lid. Another interesting thing was the choice of soup, which was a less oily version of the ubiquitous Laksa gravy. Honestly, I didn't find the soup or the ingredients very outstanding, coming across as decent at best. The pastry also needed some reworking in my humble opinion, probably through the addition of more butter to make it more fragrant and creamier to the tastebuds.
Fried Kway Teow with Wagyu Beef - I'm sorry to say this, but as fragrant and tasty as the kway teow may be, it is still CKT (Char Kway Teow), albeit of a less oily version than the ones you find in hawker centres outside. It came with a poached quail egg and mushrooms but lacked the discernible wok hei taste due to it being pan fried I believe. Did I mention that it was a tad too salty as well?
The accompanying wagyu beef came served atop a bed of beansprouts and was tender, juicy and almost mouthwatering. But being too thinly sliced, it was a little overcooked and I honestly couldn't tell that it was wagyu beef. So much for such an expensive breed of beef.
On a side note, it would definitely be funny if someone called it 牛肉河粉.
Wagyu Beef - As with the wagyu beef from the CKT, this dish of wagyu was thinly sliced and a tad overcooked, but at least portions were more significant and each slice held more bite. I just wonder how much would such a dish cost.
White Pepper Crab Cake with Tunghoon Salad & Scallop - I've never really been a fan of crab cakes and Persimmon's offering wasn't just about to change that. But thats not to say it wasn't good. As a matter of fact, it was quite decent, with lots of shredded crab, but just not outstanding.
The tunghoon salad held quite a few surprises with its overly zesty taste harbouring a spicy aftermath that hits you slowly but surely. And the lone fleshy scallop that came alongside was a little too undercooked, soft and bland.
Pineapple Tart - Now this was one huge unconventional pineapple tart. A scoop of ice cream atop a sweet pineapple ring, covering a layer of caramelised pineapple, all on a huge tart base. I'm a sucker for pineapple tarts so I liked it quite a fair bit with the nice and smooth ice cream but I did think that it could have been better. The tart base lacked the oven baked taste which I personally like and it wasn't crumbly enough. That aside, its really quite worth the eat.
Overall I think the food is pretty decent and probably a few minor tweaks here and there would suffice. As mentioned earlier, it was a complimentary tasting session hence I am unsure of the prices but a quick glance at the regular menu shows most main courses to be in the $20 range. I might do a revisit, just as soon as I am able to ascertain the food prices.
To end, please allow me to extend my thanks to Helena for the invite and for being an excellent host.
See all pictures here.
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Just bought my Zen mp3 from Creative Store at the Turns2 promotion. I must say for a celebration of turning 2, the promotions weren't that great. However this is a side track as the review should not be about the promotion.
Well, the website, well organized and easy to surf. Payment with the purchase can be done at the website using credit card and everything was smooth and fast. Immediately after the purchase and payment, I received an email confirming the order and that the delivery date is 2 days.
Right next day, I received a call from Creative confirming with me the time for delivery. Since they used Singpost, I requested for after working hours. After a check, seems like its not possible. The customer service then check with me whether Sat is possible. After the confirmation, I received yet another email with the date and time for delivery. Easy to negotiate to and accommodating, I must say the experience is good.
At first I thought the items must be for stock clearance but when I received the items, they were nicely packed and looks thoroughly new. Pleasant surprise that a further check reviewed that the ear piece was produced this yr and the Zen was less than 6 mths ago.
The FAQ portion of the website is also well done. I had trouble starting up the Zen and was able to find the descriptive solution fast and with ease though loading the page was a bit slow.
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Just went to this place for viewing of a musical "Broadway Beng". Located at the 3rd storey of the building.
The place is quite small with 2 level of circle seats as well as the stall seats. Seats are comfy with polished wood backing and gives the theater the "feel" that audiences are in for a great show. However leg space is limited so those whom are late will find it difficult to walk through. Those with longer legs will not be too comfortable.
Sound system is great with minimal "emptiness" or "noises". Sounded perfect to me where I was sitting. There are 2 screen panels (great quality image) at the side of the stage and can be used in conjunction with the show on-going. Designed more for theater rather than vocal.
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Due to my dad's birthday, I decided to buy emicakes as it was intro by my colleague and I want to try different cake from different cake shop. So my BF accompany me went to downtown east purchase the cake.
As I know Emicakes is famous in their D24 Durian cake, Durian stuff but sorry to say that I don't like durian and I didn't choose the durian cake for my dad. I brought 1 Chocolate cake & 1 Chocolate Puffs.
Pure Addiction Chocolate Cake - $33.90, 0.6kg
The cake filled with thick chocolate mousse, it sweet and not bad. Inside the cake has chocolate-coated almonds and chocolate ganache. But the chocolate mousse was not really that soft, but overall it not bad.
Chocolate Puffs - $3.80, 6 Pieces
The puff were soft, the chocolate was thick and sweet and nice.
Their service was alright.
Total Bill: $33.93 (Before discount $37.70)
As there is 10% discount for UOB card.
Do check out the website or branches for their cakes and mini items.
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Banking on the concept of nostalgia and old world charm, Jacob's Cafe is all about rediscovery, fresh food and simple, laid back relaxation. Established since September 2000, Jacob's has been serving and belting out tasty country meals for families and couples alike.
Jacob's features an al fresco dining area which makes up the bulk of the seating arrangements and the inner sanctum which has only limited seats of up to 10 people. The seats in the restaurant definitely brings with it a rustic charm and a comfortable atmosphere but the trade off is that after the meal, you'll come out smelling like one yourself. The al fresco seats have no such problem but lighting and visibility will be a little lower.
Pumpkin Soup(Part of the game hen meal), Bread Roll(Part of the game hen meal) - Our first visit there was more of a trial, we wanted to see exactly how good the place was since FZ mentioned the bread roll here has to be the best in Singapore. Thus, we ordered one of the specials on the board. This being the oven baked game hen set meal which came with soup, bread roll, coffee and the game hen of course. For starters, the pumpkin soup was very creamy, a little sweet and definitely opens the pallet. Not the best i had but its decent enough. The bread roll needs a little more description. It will not be immediately apparent why this bread roll is good, but a few bites into it will convince you otherwise. Reason being, its the only bread roll i've had that is completely balanced in having a reasonably hard crust while still maintaining warm and soft inside. You can't even compare it to any other bread roll thus far for that matter. There are no problems with biting into it and separating it as compared to some french loaves you find outside, where eating it is a challenge in itself. Make no mistake, this bread roll is better. Try it to find out.
Oven Baked Game Hen ($25.90) - The game hen came as quite a large portion. Definitely bigger then the spring chickens you can find at the food court. It came with 2 sides, assorted greens and fries. The fries were normal enough while the boiled greens were sauteed with a little butter to enhance the taste while remaining moderately crunchy and soft. The game hen was plump, juicy, tender and very fragrant. The sauce made it slightly salty but it suits the dish well. There's meat enough to go around for 2 people so basically, if you order this, it can be shared for 2 small eaters. I like the way the juices are locked in so that the hen remained tender without being dry. Worth a try.
Jacob's Pizza ($16.90) - Ah yes...Jacob's pizza. I always love ordering food that bears the restaurants namesake because its very important what they put their name on to represent themselves. This pizza, does not disappoint. It came chock full of toppings and cheese with a thin and crispy crust to boot. And the important thing is, you get to see them prepare it fresh before they pop it into the oven and serve to the customers. No issues on freshness here. This is definitely worth a try if you are here. Do note the waiting time for it extends by up to 20 minutes so its wise to order something else while waiting.
Apple Crumble and Vanilla Ice Cream ($7.50) - Having fallen in love with the apple crumble at coffee club, i make it a point to order it when i try out a new place. This is no exception here. However, lo and behold, it turns out to be the first disappointment of the day. Every item up till now has been above average but this sank the experience down quite a bit. To describe how it tastes is easy, its bascially Mcdonald's apple pie with a nicer crust and ice cream thrown into the fray. Definitely leave this out of the meal.
Coffee (Part of the game hen meal) - Our meal came with coffee as well and while its not exactly a gourmet cuppa, i do appreciate them including it and it does complete a meal pretty well.
The total bill for this visit came up to $50.30 with no gst nor service charge. Oh! The service here is really good as well. And the price is definitely justified as the quality of food is of a certain standard.
Barely a week later, me and my gf returned once again to re experience Jacob's and find out if it is still as good as before.
Mushroom Soup (Part of the Ribeye Set) - This time around, i ordered the ribeye set which also came with soup, bread roll and coffee. We had mushroom soup this time and its more watery with chunks of mushroom in it. Its quite bland but still pretty decent. The bread roll is as good as ever though.
Ham and Sausage Combo ($19.90) - My gf ordered the Ham and sausage combo which is actually called the meatloaf on the menu. It arrived as a huge plate with sides of mashed potato and sauerkraut with some mustard for dipping. The mashed potato was pretty good with some peppery taste and a some chunks of potato in it as well. The meatloaf or ham looks like a huge piece of luncheon meat actually and tastes a little like luncheon meat as well but is firmer and juicier. The sausages were definitely fragrant and very tasty.
Ribeye Steak ($28.90) - Another huge serving, the steak came with 3 sides, a tomato with pepper and celery, boiled greens and mashed potatoes. The steak i ordered was done medium rare as i ordered and is very very juicy. Its also a tad salty and had some parts not evenly done as there were portions that were a little too rare. Still, its a decent main dish. However, i probably won't recommend ordering it since Jacob's has other items that are much better.
Pecan Pie ($4.60) - During the first visit, the worst item was the dessert which thankfully isn't the case this time. By recommendation, we ordered the pecan pie which is supposedly a rather rare item in Singapore. This dessert is moderately sweet, crunchy and different in a good way. Its served hot, as in very hot and is something easily recommended. Try it.
Total bill for this visit is $53.40.
And for my third and last visit (so far anyway), we had yet again, a different choice and different items.
Fresh Farm Salad (Part of the Jacob's Chicken Pie Set) - Part of the Jacob's Chicken pie set, this is basically farm fresh salad drenched in balsamic vinegar for good effect. Sour, sweet and fresh, the salad definitely opens your appetite for the meal that follows.
Frankfurters Set ($8.90) - I ordered this thinking that i would be getting the thick and big versions of these little sausages but i was wrong. What was served was extremely small and measly. Taste wise, it doesn't taste any different from the run-of-the-mill sausages you could get outside. This is the second disappointment i've had at Jacob's.
Hungarian Beef Goulash With Bread Roll ($13.50) - I've been wanted to have a go at the Hungarian Goulash ever since i saw it in the menu. Now, i've finally had the chance to try it. For the price, the serving is huge. You get a huge plate of beef, carrots, potatoes and tomatoes in a delectable stew and the choice to have it with either rice or bread roll. I obviously chose the bread roll since its still without a doubt, one of the best bread rolls i've had. The goulash tastes like a cross between beef stew and sardines actually. It doesn't sound very good but in actual fact, it works. Its difficult to describe it further but you'll get a strong beef taste along with a sweet and sour broth which goes really well with the roll. Worth a try.
Jacob's Pie ($16.90) - My gf's Jacob's pie was actually a really small serving given the price but of course, you need to factor in the salad that came before as well. The pastry it came in had a nice buttery taste which i immediately took to and its very crusty and crispy as well. The pie ingredients itself were potatos, green beans, carrots and lots and lots of chicken pieces. The thing i like about the dish was the crust and the fact that the pie is a little bland. Do note that its also superbly hot when served so its important to be careful while eating. Not too bad but not exactly mind blowing either.
Tiramisu with Vanilla Ice Cream ($8.50) - The tiramisu this time was rather good as well. There is a clear distinction on where the cake starts and where the cream ends. The only gripe is that its note evenly done with some portions thicker then the rest. The rum is easily discernible but not overwhelming. I'd say the pecan pie was better though.
The bill this time clocked off at $47.80 for 2 people for a filling and satisfying meal.
Out of 3 meals, i can't say there were no misses. But for what its worth, the experience was still above average and if you asked me, i'd gladly go for another meal. The fact that there's no service charge or gst only serves to sweeten the draw for going back.
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Tried this when our company's vendor bought us some for the new year. Heard many great comments about this. Shape of the puff is totally different from those normal ones.
Skin is crispy and flaky and the taste is above average. But in terms of easy eating, its below average. So ladies perhaps should eat this when image is not priority lolx.
Had the curry potato filling. Texture is just right for the crispiness of the puff. The taste of the filing is definitely way above those normal ones selling.
However, the puffs should be eaten fresh. We put one or two of them in the box for like half the day and the skin becomes very oily. However, this is not a very serious problem for curry puffs.
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Joe’s kitchen may look ordinary on the outside, or even you might totally missed it when you passed by the place at its location at Bukit Merah, just directly opposite Alexander Hospital. I did. Having passed by the area a few times, i didn’t know there was this hidden gem offering authentic thai food experience in our midst of our heartland.
I was given this opportunity for the wonderful Makan experience organized by Leslie of ieatishootipost fame. A total of 47 food punters joined us on this occasion. Some of which were ieat’s old makan kakis, while many like me were first-timers joining ieat on his makan session.
The interior of the place was simple, the place wasn’t very big but it managed to squeeze all 47 of us inside the place. I wondered how all of us managed to eat inside that night. Miracle!
The event was supposed to start at 7pm, i got there around 645pm and there were people there already. Damien was the co-organizer for the outing. Jiawei and Shanice were the earliest there if i’m not wrong, i seated in the same table with them. Also on the same table as me were liverpool, eastcoastlife & hubby, yanti & friend. All of us had a wonderful time chatting taking photos, and savouring the food.
The crowd starts to come in and by around 740pm or thereabouts almost everyone arrived. The menu was to be 14 dishes including some starters, mains, and desserts. All the dishes came in sampling tasting size so that we can have a bit of everything. The female boss, Jamie (chef Joe’s wife) is friendly and attended to us warmly.
Crispy rice cake
The Kao Dang Na Dang help to kick-start our makan session. Not commonly found in Singapore. the cripsy rice cake, was supposed to go together with the peanut sauce. I didn’t quite enjoy this appetizer as i found it to be way too dry for my liking.
Prawn Cakes
The Thot Man Goong or Prawn Cakes was nice to eat, it was crispy and the prawn taste is just right.
Mango Salad
The mango salad is one the appetizer dish that you will not be surprised to find in a Thai restaurant. No doubt about it, th salad is packed with everything. The first taste of it, refreshing. The initial impression was its not as spicy as i thought. But the magical part of it was the longer it gets, the spicier it became. A few more bites and the mango salad got to its “full level”
As most of us waited quite long for everyone to turn up before the dishes to serve, by the time the mango salad came out everybody were famished. We literally “attacked” the salad, and it was until ieat told us to hold our horses, that the salad was supposed to eat together with the sticky rice and chicken which were not out yet then we realized that.
Gai Yang (Grilled Chicken)
The grilled chicken was quite good to be honest, everyone got a bite of it. Placing the mango salad and the chicken onto the sticky rice, the taste is very different from eating the three dishes separately.
Grilled Pork Collar
This was no doubt for me, the star of the show! The Khaw Mu Yang, or grilled pork collar was somewhat similar to our Chinese char siew, albeit Thai style. Many of the kakis found it to be good too! Its also commonly eaten together with the sticky rice and mango salad. But its so good that we eat it on its own.
Tom Yum soup with fried fish
In my personal opinion, how good a Thai restaurant is can be based on the test of their Tom Yum soup. Unquestionably. Tom Yum soup is the first thing that most people will think of when they think of Thai food. Well i say the Tom Yum soup by Chef Joe should passed with flying colours. The soup is really spicy, at least from my perspective. Dipping the crispy fried fish into the soup was quite a experience for me.
Green curry beef
The beef was tender, and immersed with the essence of the green curry.
Deep fried Grouper with Thai chili
The Thai chili was excellent here, real hot and a little sweet spicy. But i couldn’t help drinking more water so as to have a few more mouthful of the chili with the deep fried grouper.
Red Curry Roasted Duck
Having seen the green curry earlier, my first thought was red curry after green? This was followed by roasted duck curry? I have never heard of roasted duck curry, let alone tasting it. But this dish was really not bad, i’m not sure how the roasted duck came about, whether Chef Joe roasted the duck, or he brought it from elsewhere and cook it with the red curry, but nevertheless its good.
And to our astonishment, there were grapes, yes grapes inside the curry! Talk about surprise, first roasted duck in curry, then grapes?
Basil leave minced pork
I was never a fan of minced pork in the first place, n’uff said!
Claypot Crab Vermicelli with fatty pork
Although the claypot crab was suppose to be the highlight here, but we got into eating the vermicelli instead. After cooking, the essence of the crab and fatty pork all went into the vermicelli, that alone should suffice for eating the vermicelli.
Poom Fy Dang - Kang Kong Thai style
Like all the other dishes in Joe’s Kitchen, the first taste was not very spicy, but the second bite was real hot. The Kang Kong got hotter with each bite, i suggested just swallow the veggies!
Mango Stick rice
To round off our authentic Thai food experience, we had Mango sticky rice, the mango was real sweet!
Tapioca with Coconut milk
I didn’t like tapioca, so this dish was not to my taste bud
Total Bill was $1646 for 47 people, $35 per head for the Authentic Thai food experience at Chef Joe’s place. I love going to Makan outings with big groups because we can get to know more people. Think Yebber Party @ MINT where there were about 50 people, the Social Media Breakfast with around 40 odds people, and now this ieat makan outing with 47 people.
Credits to Leslie (ieat) and Damien whom organized this makan session for everyone to get together and enjoyed food. I looked forward to the many more outings organized by them, to meet more people and eat more food!
The beauty of food, it can bring everyone from all ages, different backgrounds together, for one common purpose that is to savour all the good food. How often do you see strangers getting together and seating down for a meal? I’m going to organised LIC food event soon, do watch out for the post!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my genuine feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or biasness. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
” Authentic Thai Food experience, in the midst of our heartland “
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