nice ambience, polite salesgirl, quite unique clothings but pretty expensive.
the shop is not very noticeable and you have to walk up long staircase to enter the shop. however, the first thing ud notice may be the aromatherapy and soothing environment.
even though the shop itself has 2 storeys, another small 'attic' changing room with some other clothes displayed, its considered rather packed.
lots of their clothes caught my attention but i felt that they were a bit overpriced for the design and quality. i asked the polite salesgirl where did the stock came from and she told me the common places like korea, taiwan, hongkong, thailand etc. which proved my point, slightly overpriced.
nevertheless, it remained one of my fav shop around the area as i bought one of my fav purchase there and i dont think i can find it easily anywhere else. a very unique handmade hairband with some feathers. sounds hilarious but its really nice. but a hairband costed me $50.
honestly id think mono carries quite normal clothings when compared to the more unique ones found in haji lane.
their pricing are also more affordable. it ranges from $10 for a top to $40 for a dress. even though its not as unique as others, i still managed to find some pretty nice ones. but my point is, maybe you can find the exact same dress at some blog shop priced cheaper.
however, their service is quite good. i tried on many different blouses and dresses and the salesgirl did not show any sign of unhappiness. instead, she was very enthusiastic when i made enquiries about other colours etc and she would rush to the store room to bring out the actual piece to show me.
even though they called themselves 'clothes coffeeshop', the 'coffeeshop' section is actually quite small to even notice they were selling beverages.
in all, good service, affordable price but okay clothings.
Had two very different experiences in this boutique shop.
First was when there was a young fella attending the shop. i saw a top which i thought i could buy it as a gift. i raised it up and signal to the young fella n he told me something like that was the last piece. i mistaken him saying that size was the last piece he had, which was on display. so i asked if he have a size bigger and he replied 'which part of me telling you this is the LAST PIECE do you not understand?'
yes, i know the brands they carry are expensive but its not something i couldnt afford. i just left the shop without another word.
Second time was however attended by a middle aged man who is far more friendlier and polite. he served me n my companion with a smile n was rather helpful n not too pushy. in the end, i bought a blouse for myself 4 times the price of the initial top and i bought it without any complains.
I'm a sucker for Japanese food, so having it for lunch was quite a treat. If you are working near Paya Lebar, listen up. Suki Sushi has awesome lunch deals for the working crowd!
For more details, refer to my photos, I took a photo of the promo. But imagine having a full sized main course, with a full sized side dish and a cup of green tea for only $6.99! I thought that at such a low price, the portions served would be miserable, but boy was I wrong.
I ordered a Chicken Katsudon with a side dish of Mussel Mentai ($6.99) and they were good. The chicken was served promptly and the portions were huge. Crispy and tender, my only complain was that it was slightly plain tasting. But hey, at such a price, it's a steal! The four mussels were great, juicy and not too chewy, while the sauce was potent enough.
We also ordered a Cha Soba (it was gigantic!), Shishamo side dish and a Grilled Squid side dish which name I cannot remember for the life of me. Sorry la, too busy eating.
Oh and the Chawanmushi is only $0.99! The ingredients in it were not too stingy, there was still plenty of mushrooms, crabsticks and whatnot in it.
The bill for five of us came up to $54, after including all our extra sushi off the conveyor belt. Cheap or what!
The lunch special is extended to Saturdays and Sundays as well, so if you live near the area, trust me, it's worth a visit.
Probably riding on the hype of the popular Little Nonya TV series comes Jia Chuan Steamboat – a unique Nonya influenced Tom Yum steamboat recipe of chef, Mdm Elsie Lim. With her own brand of Peranakan-Chinese familiarity, the spice quotient of the Thai inspired broth is up with an extra serving of home-made nonya paste – made with up to 10 types of herbs and spices – for that extra punch!
For the non-fiery taste buds, one can also opt for the homemade Chicken Broth, or the Fish Broth that is slowed cooked for flavours using Flounder Fish, Ikan Bilis, and other homemade ingredients. You can even throw in Fried Red Snapper Fish Head and Fried Taco for that added fish head steamboat ‘experience’.
HFB sampled both the Tom Yum and Fish broth, and thought that the former was interesting but not awe-inspiring. Perhaps HFB was not used to it, but the broth was slightly too sweet for him, yet at the same time there existed a bitterness aftertaste from the Turmeric due to the constant boiling. The fish broth though was more familiar in taste due to the ikan bilis, and thus more welcoming and better appreciated. Highlights of the steamboat are the selection of homemade specialties such as meatballs (pork or chicken) made with Crabmeat, Prawns, Chestnut, Bamboo Shoots, etc.
But the one the really stood out was the Sotong Balls with Prawns – the sotong taste was evident and palatable.
The Pork Dumplings with Prawns also did not disappoint. It was hearty with a wholesome bite.
And what’s Chinese steamboat without pork, in the form of Pork Belly Slices. The greasy strips of fat gave the meat that added marbling texture. Succulent!
HFB was also asked to comment on the Beef Glue and Beef Ball that the establishment was trying to introduce to their menu.
While the former was essentially minced beef and nothing noteworthy, the beef balls are a shoo-in for their new menu. Chestnuts added to it also gave it an added crunch.
Another point to note include their tasty sweet chilli, reminiscent to that from Coca Steamboat. The sambal though is really spicy and not for the faint-hearted.
And do look out for their lighted signboard when you are driving into the area as the "cafe" or air-conditioned coffeeshop is easily miss.
Buddy Value Meal (2pax) is valued for $25 and comes with a choice of ONE meat (Beef, Chicken or Pork) and Steamboat Party Value Meal (3 to 5 pax) is valued at $48 and comes with a choice of TWO meat. No service charge and GST.
Arab St is considered to be one of my favourite food haunts because they have so much good food there! My friends and I settled with Zac Cafe instead of Nabins because first, it's cheaper, and second, I was lazy to walk.
Since my friend knew the manager, he was very nice and friendly to us and accommodated most of our requests. Even though the rest of the service staff had deadpan faces, at least our food, drinks and cutlery arrived promptly.
I tried the Mixed Grilled Platter ($19.50), which consists of chicken and beef kebabs, grilled mutton, a couple of sausages of unknown meat origins and potato wedges. The waiter said it's enough for two to share, but it definitely wasn't enough for my friend and I! At least, she was full but I had space for more :(
Anyhow. The spices were great, meat was pretty okay, grilled nicely so it was still quite tender and juicy. Not exactly value for money, but it's considered to be one of the cheapest if you compare it to places like Cafe Le Caire, where the mixed kebabs could easily cost you over $20.
We also tried the Grilled Kofta Kebab ($7.50) served with rice and the Lamb Bamya (8.80) served with rice and salad. Pretty much the same as the grilled platter (:
Didn't manage to try the sheesha here though. I still prefer having my sheesha where I can sit and lounge around like a bum. Maybe next time (:
There are generally two type of restaurants; either one that has great food, but normal or almost no scenery to boost of; where you will gladly bring along your really-stable-boyfriend, bff, girlfriends whom have all seen you at your worst so dining unglamorously is not an issue. Or the other that serves average food, but has a to-die-for ambience, making it a must-go place for your date.
And Novus Cafe belongs to the latter. Theoretically Novus cafe isn’t a restaurant, it is a cafe. But I’m speaking on the broad assumption that it has great ambience, and serve average simple food.
The latter will be the type of places where you will go for your first date, or important occasions; never mind the food’s you-know-what, but it’s a great place to hang out and chill at. Period. Novus’s menu mostly comprises of simple food like pasta/risotto, pizza, and sandwich. But it is the ambience, I love in fall with it the first time I “accidentally” went to the National Museum and saw it. Okay, that’s a lie, I went there with the sole and only purpose to Reece the place for a visit.
Nestled within a Museum, artistic value checked. Nice al fresco dining area, checked. Comfy sofas and nice ambience, checked. Come for dinner and you have a night at the museum. You come to the places like this for your important date, the food doesn’t matter since you are gonna lock eyes with the partner sitting opposite and probably won’t notice what you are putting in your mouth.
I always feel sandwich is a down-sized burger in disguise. Well the similarity is certainly there; fillings stuff between two bread/bun, with the exception that sandwiches ain’t as sexy as their burger counterparts. Who wants sandwiches when you got burgers? Stop pretending to be healthy, and keep the calories chart that you are holding!
“My sandwich” ($16) certainly wasn’t what my-kind-of-sandwich would be like. Beef pastrami, gouda cheese, tomato, dijonnaise, rucola, and sunny side up. And it came with potato chips. How healthy. Anyway, I was wondering how come we can pay 16 bucks for a sandwich and not wimp, while some will scorn at the mere mention of paying the same amount for the burger? Does this means the sandwich was bad? Not at all, like I said, I’m just not that into sandwich.
I fall in love with risotto, and ever since I’d been on the lookout for better ones. So when there’s only four selections under the seemingly-comprehensive-sounding title of pasta & risotto in the menu, I chose the risotto, immediately. I’ll never forget, the sticky-almost-porridge texture, the essence of the ingredient fully absorbed and coated in every grain of the alluring aborio rice. Pesto risotto ($12).
Does that means Novus being the nice-ambience-but-average-food place was bad? Of course not. I’m so gonna come back here again! There are places where you will go for the good food, and there are places where you go to, to immerse yourself in the surroundings. And Novus belongs to the latter.
I’m a sucker for ambience.
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!
I've been here twice. During my first visit, the food was slightly above average, the service staff were polite, friendly and helpful but the service was crazy slow. I waited more than 20 minutes for my pasta. I waited just as long during my second visit too. The restaurant wasn't even full, mind you.
The quality of food served on both occasions was so vastly different it makes you wonder whether you were in the right place.
The Chicky Cheese appetiser ($9.90) was juicy and crispy but the cheese poured over the chicken tasted somewhat like the cheese salsa dip they serve at Long John Silvers, albeit a strangely diluted version. Even the LJS version tastes better.
I ordered the Chilli Soft Shell Crab Pasta ($15.90) on both occasions. The sauce attempts to emulate the very same sauce of our local chilli crab dish and was pretty tasty the first time round. The soft shell crab was crispy, the sauce was decent.
However, during my second visit, the portions were significantly smaller and the dish lacked the oomph of the one I had on my last visit. The soft shell crab was soggy and the sauce was bland. It seemed shocking that within a month, their standard could take a drastic nosedive.
I can't remember what pasta my boyfriend ordered, but the portion was at least twice the size of mine, with lots of beef. Obviously, the beef was not left to defrost judging from the way they clumped together.
This restaurant is definitely one with a bi-polar disorder. I don't think I'll be visiting this place again, even with their attractive 100% rebate for Citibank cardmembers.
No pictures because obviously, they weren't exactly worth taking.
Read a rave review about Claypot Fun in one edition of the Sunday Times so made it a point to try it out one weekday afternoon (The very day the article was published, I attempted to try it out but was put off by the 45min wait for a table). Apparently the outfit is a collaboration between the Jumbo Group, Palm Beach and Seafood International.
This newest entrant to the culinary scene at Big Splash is tucked in between a ramen shop and Starbucks. The interior is tiny and can probably seat about 20 odd pax while the tiny alfresco area can take another 10 tops. You probably wouldn't want to sit outside unless you don't mind the queue forming just behind you. One thing that irks me about this place is the seeming biasness in table allocation. Apparently the booth seats are meant for 4 pax and above and we only had 3, so we didn't qualify. However I spotted 2 people sharing one such booth and when I questioned the waitress, she said that there were 4 people. Well I sure didn't see an extra 2 people when they paid up and left.
Watercress Pork Rib Soup - I thought that the watercress soup was a good start to the meal - light yet savoury. However the ribs were limited to 3 small pieces that looked more like a joke then anything else. Then again, its $5.20, so I probably shouldn't be expecting much.
Sesame Chicken - I'm no fan of sesame chicken and this one wasn't just about to change my mind. The chicken pieces, though soft, were very oily and portion size was small. Overall an average dish.
Claypot Rice with Chinese Sausage - Amidst all the hype about the claypot rice, I was disappointed to say the least. And I'm sure I echo the sentiments of my dining partners as well. Apparently the claypot rice was done (according to the waitress) HK style, which meant no black sauce. In lieu was a concoction of sesame oil and soy sauce, which had to be added by the customer himself/herself or by the wait staff upon request. I noticed that the "sauce" was segregated into 2 layers because oil floats and what went into our rice was mainly sesame oil. That obviously didn't sit well with any of us as the rice was quite oily yet dry at the same time. The Chinese sausages were alright but I prefer mine drier.
I discovered this quaint little coffee joint along Bali lane only because my friend introduced it to me. I never knew it existed, since it's often overshadowed by Blue Jazz and Masquerade in that row...
But I'm glad I discovered it because it's an awesome place to chill out! There are seats upstairs as well, and there are sofas as well as this platform area with lots of cushions on the floor where you can just lounge around or play games they provide there (spotted boggle and scrabble among the pile...)
We went there after dinner so there was no space for food, but plenty for drinks and dessert. Bring on the chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream! Granted, it wasn't the best I've ever tasted, but it's pretty decent and well-presented at $7.50. Could be warmer and a little more oozy though.
The drinks there are comparable with TCC and Coffee Club. My friends order the Hazelnut Latte and some other latte I can't remember and they loved it. But they thought the smoothies were a little too sour for their liking. I had a sinfully rich hot chocolate for $5, which I thought was pretty decent.
The service is decent, ambiance and music is great and drinks are nice. Would definitely patronise this place again!
1=SGD 0.0587
nice ambience, polite salesgirl, quite unique clothings but pretty expensive.
the shop is not very noticeable and you have to walk up long staircase to enter the shop. however, the first thing ud notice may be the aromatherapy and soothing environment.
even though the shop itself has 2 storeys, another small 'attic' changing room with some other clothes displayed, its considered rather packed.
lots of their clothes caught my attention but i felt that they were a bit overpriced for the design and quality. i asked the polite salesgirl where did the stock came from and she told me the common places like korea, taiwan, hongkong, thailand etc. which proved my point, slightly overpriced.
nevertheless, it remained one of my fav shop around the area as i bought one of my fav purchase there and i dont think i can find it easily anywhere else. a very unique handmade hairband with some feathers. sounds hilarious but its really nice. but a hairband costed me $50.
Rating given:
honestly id think mono carries quite normal clothings when compared to the more unique ones found in haji lane.
their pricing are also more affordable. it ranges from $10 for a top to $40 for a dress. even though its not as unique as others, i still managed to find some pretty nice ones. but my point is, maybe you can find the exact same dress at some blog shop priced cheaper.
however, their service is quite good. i tried on many different blouses and dresses and the salesgirl did not show any sign of unhappiness. instead, she was very enthusiastic when i made enquiries about other colours etc and she would rush to the store room to bring out the actual piece to show me.
even though they called themselves 'clothes coffeeshop', the 'coffeeshop' section is actually quite small to even notice they were selling beverages.
in all, good service, affordable price but okay clothings.
Rating given:
Had two very different experiences in this boutique shop.
First was when there was a young fella attending the shop. i saw a top which i thought i could buy it as a gift. i raised it up and signal to the young fella n he told me something like that was the last piece. i mistaken him saying that size was the last piece he had, which was on display. so i asked if he have a size bigger and he replied 'which part of me telling you this is the LAST PIECE do you not understand?'
yes, i know the brands they carry are expensive but its not something i couldnt afford. i just left the shop without another word.
Second time was however attended by a middle aged man who is far more friendlier and polite. he served me n my companion with a smile n was rather helpful n not too pushy. in the end, i bought a blouse for myself 4 times the price of the initial top and i bought it without any complains.
so who said that service doesnt matter?
Rating given:
I'm a sucker for Japanese food, so having it for lunch was quite a treat. If you are working near Paya Lebar, listen up. Suki Sushi has awesome lunch deals for the working crowd!
For more details, refer to my photos, I took a photo of the promo. But imagine having a full sized main course, with a full sized side dish and a cup of green tea for only $6.99! I thought that at such a low price, the portions served would be miserable, but boy was I wrong.
I ordered a Chicken Katsudon with a side dish of Mussel Mentai ($6.99) and they were good. The chicken was served promptly and the portions were huge. Crispy and tender, my only complain was that it was slightly plain tasting. But hey, at such a price, it's a steal! The four mussels were great, juicy and not too chewy, while the sauce was potent enough.
We also ordered a Cha Soba (it was gigantic!), Shishamo side dish and a Grilled Squid side dish which name I cannot remember for the life of me. Sorry la, too busy eating.
Oh and the Chawanmushi is only $0.99! The ingredients in it were not too stingy, there was still plenty of mushrooms, crabsticks and whatnot in it.
The bill for five of us came up to $54, after including all our extra sushi off the conveyor belt. Cheap or what!
The lunch special is extended to Saturdays and Sundays as well, so if you live near the area, trust me, it's worth a visit.
Rating given:
Probably riding on the hype of the popular Little Nonya TV series comes Jia Chuan Steamboat – a unique Nonya influenced Tom Yum steamboat recipe of chef, Mdm Elsie Lim. With her own brand of Peranakan-Chinese familiarity, the spice quotient of the Thai inspired broth is up with an extra serving of home-made nonya paste – made with up to 10 types of herbs and spices – for that extra punch!
For the non-fiery taste buds, one can also opt for the homemade Chicken Broth, or the Fish Broth that is slowed cooked for flavours using Flounder Fish, Ikan Bilis, and other homemade ingredients. You can even throw in Fried Red Snapper Fish Head and Fried Taco for that added fish head steamboat ‘experience’.
HFB sampled both the Tom Yum and Fish broth, and thought that the former was interesting but not awe-inspiring. Perhaps HFB was not used to it, but the broth was slightly too sweet for him, yet at the same time there existed a bitterness aftertaste from the Turmeric due to the constant boiling. The fish broth though was more familiar in taste due to the ikan bilis, and thus more welcoming and better appreciated. Highlights of the steamboat are the selection of homemade specialties such as meatballs (pork or chicken) made with Crabmeat, Prawns, Chestnut, Bamboo Shoots, etc.
But the one the really stood out was the Sotong Balls with Prawns – the sotong taste was evident and palatable.
The Pork Dumplings with Prawns also did not disappoint. It was hearty with a wholesome bite.
And what’s Chinese steamboat without pork, in the form of Pork Belly Slices. The greasy strips of fat gave the meat that added marbling texture. Succulent!
HFB was also asked to comment on the Beef Glue and Beef Ball that the establishment was trying to introduce to their menu.
While the former was essentially minced beef and nothing noteworthy, the beef balls are a shoo-in for their new menu. Chestnuts added to it also gave it an added crunch.
Another point to note include their tasty sweet chilli, reminiscent to that from Coca Steamboat. The sambal though is really spicy and not for the faint-hearted.
And do look out for their lighted signboard when you are driving into the area as the "cafe" or air-conditioned coffeeshop is easily miss.
Buddy Value Meal (2pax) is valued for $25 and comes with a choice of ONE meat (Beef, Chicken or Pork) and Steamboat Party Value Meal (3 to 5 pax) is valued at $48 and comes with a choice of TWO meat. No service charge and GST.
You can view all the photos here.
Rating given:
Arab St is considered to be one of my favourite food haunts because they have so much good food there! My friends and I settled with Zac Cafe instead of Nabins because first, it's cheaper, and second, I was lazy to walk.
Since my friend knew the manager, he was very nice and friendly to us and accommodated most of our requests. Even though the rest of the service staff had deadpan faces, at least our food, drinks and cutlery arrived promptly.
I tried the Mixed Grilled Platter ($19.50), which consists of chicken and beef kebabs, grilled mutton, a couple of sausages of unknown meat origins and potato wedges. The waiter said it's enough for two to share, but it definitely wasn't enough for my friend and I! At least, she was full but I had space for more :(
Anyhow. The spices were great, meat was pretty okay, grilled nicely so it was still quite tender and juicy. Not exactly value for money, but it's considered to be one of the cheapest if you compare it to places like Cafe Le Caire, where the mixed kebabs could easily cost you over $20.
We also tried the Grilled Kofta Kebab ($7.50) served with rice and the Lamb Bamya (8.80) served with rice and salad. Pretty much the same as the grilled platter (:
Didn't manage to try the sheesha here though. I still prefer having my sheesha where I can sit and lounge around like a bum. Maybe next time (:
Rating given:
There are generally two type of restaurants; either one that has great food, but normal or almost no scenery to boost of; where you will gladly bring along your really-stable-boyfriend, bff, girlfriends whom have all seen you at your worst so dining unglamorously is not an issue. Or the other that serves average food, but has a to-die-for ambience, making it a must-go place for your date.
And Novus Cafe belongs to the latter. Theoretically Novus cafe isn’t a restaurant, it is a cafe. But I’m speaking on the broad assumption that it has great ambience, and serve average simple food.
The latter will be the type of places where you will go for your first date, or important occasions; never mind the food’s you-know-what, but it’s a great place to hang out and chill at. Period. Novus’s menu mostly comprises of simple food like pasta/risotto, pizza, and sandwich. But it is the ambience, I love in fall with it the first time I “accidentally” went to the National Museum and saw it. Okay, that’s a lie, I went there with the sole and only purpose to Reece the place for a visit.
Nestled within a Museum, artistic value checked. Nice al fresco dining area, checked. Comfy sofas and nice ambience, checked. Come for dinner and you have a night at the museum. You come to the places like this for your important date, the food doesn’t matter since you are gonna lock eyes with the partner sitting opposite and probably won’t notice what you are putting in your mouth.
I always feel sandwich is a down-sized burger in disguise. Well the similarity is certainly there; fillings stuff between two bread/bun, with the exception that sandwiches ain’t as sexy as their burger counterparts. Who wants sandwiches when you got burgers? Stop pretending to be healthy, and keep the calories chart that you are holding!
“My sandwich” ($16) certainly wasn’t what my-kind-of-sandwich would be like. Beef pastrami, gouda cheese, tomato, dijonnaise, rucola, and sunny side up. And it came with potato chips. How healthy. Anyway, I was wondering how come we can pay 16 bucks for a sandwich and not wimp, while some will scorn at the mere mention of paying the same amount for the burger? Does this means the sandwich was bad? Not at all, like I said, I’m just not that into sandwich.
I fall in love with risotto, and ever since I’d been on the lookout for better ones. So when there’s only four selections under the seemingly-comprehensive-sounding title of pasta & risotto in the menu, I chose the risotto, immediately. I’ll never forget, the sticky-almost-porridge texture, the essence of the ingredient fully absorbed and coated in every grain of the alluring aborio rice. Pesto risotto ($12).
Does that means Novus being the nice-ambience-but-average-food place was bad? Of course not. I’m so gonna come back here again! There are places where you will go for the good food, and there are places where you go to, to immerse yourself in the surroundings. And Novus belongs to the latter.
I’m a sucker for ambience.
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:
I've been here twice. During my first visit, the food was slightly above average, the service staff were polite, friendly and helpful but the service was crazy slow. I waited more than 20 minutes for my pasta. I waited just as long during my second visit too. The restaurant wasn't even full, mind you.
The quality of food served on both occasions was so vastly different it makes you wonder whether you were in the right place.
The Chicky Cheese appetiser ($9.90) was juicy and crispy but the cheese poured over the chicken tasted somewhat like the cheese salsa dip they serve at Long John Silvers, albeit a strangely diluted version. Even the LJS version tastes better.
I ordered the Chilli Soft Shell Crab Pasta ($15.90) on both occasions. The sauce attempts to emulate the very same sauce of our local chilli crab dish and was pretty tasty the first time round. The soft shell crab was crispy, the sauce was decent.
However, during my second visit, the portions were significantly smaller and the dish lacked the oomph of the one I had on my last visit. The soft shell crab was soggy and the sauce was bland. It seemed shocking that within a month, their standard could take a drastic nosedive.
I can't remember what pasta my boyfriend ordered, but the portion was at least twice the size of mine, with lots of beef. Obviously, the beef was not left to defrost judging from the way they clumped together.
This restaurant is definitely one with a bi-polar disorder. I don't think I'll be visiting this place again, even with their attractive 100% rebate for Citibank cardmembers.
No pictures because obviously, they weren't exactly worth taking.
Rating given:
Read a rave review about Claypot Fun in one edition of the Sunday Times so made it a point to try it out one weekday afternoon (The very day the article was published, I attempted to try it out but was put off by the 45min wait for a table). Apparently the outfit is a collaboration between the Jumbo Group, Palm Beach and Seafood International.
This newest entrant to the culinary scene at Big Splash is tucked in between a ramen shop and Starbucks. The interior is tiny and can probably seat about 20 odd pax while the tiny alfresco area can take another 10 tops. You probably wouldn't want to sit outside unless you don't mind the queue forming just behind you. One thing that irks me about this place is the seeming biasness in table allocation. Apparently the booth seats are meant for 4 pax and above and we only had 3, so we didn't qualify. However I spotted 2 people sharing one such booth and when I questioned the waitress, she said that there were 4 people. Well I sure didn't see an extra 2 people when they paid up and left.
Watercress Pork Rib Soup - I thought that the watercress soup was a good start to the meal - light yet savoury. However the ribs were limited to 3 small pieces that looked more like a joke then anything else. Then again, its $5.20, so I probably shouldn't be expecting much.
Sesame Chicken - I'm no fan of sesame chicken and this one wasn't just about to change my mind. The chicken pieces, though soft, were very oily and portion size was small. Overall an average dish.
Claypot Rice with Chinese Sausage - Amidst all the hype about the claypot rice, I was disappointed to say the least. And I'm sure I echo the sentiments of my dining partners as well. Apparently the claypot rice was done (according to the waitress) HK style, which meant no black sauce. In lieu was a concoction of sesame oil and soy sauce, which had to be added by the customer himself/herself or by the wait staff upon request. I noticed that the "sauce" was segregated into 2 layers because oil floats and what went into our rice was mainly sesame oil. That obviously didn't sit well with any of us as the rice was quite oily yet dry at the same time. The Chinese sausages were alright but I prefer mine drier.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
I discovered this quaint little coffee joint along Bali lane only because my friend introduced it to me. I never knew it existed, since it's often overshadowed by Blue Jazz and Masquerade in that row...
But I'm glad I discovered it because it's an awesome place to chill out! There are seats upstairs as well, and there are sofas as well as this platform area with lots of cushions on the floor where you can just lounge around or play games they provide there (spotted boggle and scrabble among the pile...)
We went there after dinner so there was no space for food, but plenty for drinks and dessert. Bring on the chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream! Granted, it wasn't the best I've ever tasted, but it's pretty decent and well-presented at $7.50. Could be warmer and a little more oozy though.
The drinks there are comparable with TCC and Coffee Club. My friends order the Hazelnut Latte and some other latte I can't remember and they loved it. But they thought the smoothies were a little too sour for their liking. I had a sinfully rich hot chocolate for $5, which I thought was pretty decent.
The service is decent, ambiance and music is great and drinks are nice. Would definitely patronise this place again!
Rating given: