Just Acia or rather "Just Asia" is a new set up featuring Asia's staples of noodles and rice as its main menu items. With a tag line that says "free flow of drinks and ice cream" at a starting price as low as $2.80, this is a place that is light on the wallet at first glance. There are currently 3 outlets for this franchise, Downtown East, Dhouby Ghaut MRT station and Suntec City fountain terrace. It was on a day of celebration that we visited Just Acia and i can't deny that the price was what drew me in at first. The following is what we had and my thoughts on the food.
The interior of the restaurant is simple and sat about 20-30 patrons. There was a payment counter right smack in the centre and your bill is presented to you upon completing your orders. The free flow of drinks and ice cream are also located right behind the payment counter so thats where the majority of the action will happen. Overall, the interior is serviceable and nothing impressive.
Herbal Chicken Soup Set ($11.90) - After some contemplation on the menu, we decided to have something more mid range as compared to the usual $5.90 meals. My order was the herbal chicken soup and it looked pretty substantial actually. There was half a chicken in the soup and it came with rice and some beans. The thing about herbal chicken is that the soup it comes in must be good, otherwise the whole dish amounts to naught. And unfortunately, the soup is salty and lacking much herbal taste in their version. My verdict, don't order this.
Stir Fried Greens ($4.80) - This wasn't too bad actually. At the least, it tasted crunchy and tasty enough to praise but nothing more to recommend.
Tom Yum Seafood Set ($10.90) - My gf ordered this and it was definitely much better then my herbal chicken set. The soup is still salty as though made of seawater but there's enough spice inside to give it a tinge of hope. Add to that generous ingredients and you have something tolerable but still too salty.
Spinach Tofu ($2.80) - On the menu, this was touted as the must order dish and chef's specialty. I'm sad to report its nothing special. In fact, it was rather bad because there's a very obvious layer of thick oil over it. The interesting thing is the texture which is similar to steamed eggs except that in this, the "eggs" are rubbery. Not recommended as well.
Free Ice Cream - The ice cream ain't half bad. I'm betting on Wall's or some simple NTUC brand but it works for me. The chocolate is thick and rich and so was the vanilla. I could have this for a long time. The free flow drinks were also a surprise for me since they weren't diluted by too much. Impressive. The total bill for this rather disappointing dinner amounted to $32.53. Is it too expensive? Not really. Is it worth the money? Difficult to say yes to that too...
Overall Score: 5.5/10 (6.5 for drinks and ice cream)
Last word: It wasn't all bad. There's decent stuff here i'm sure. In fact, i saw it packed in the Dhouby Ghaut outlet but i can't say the same from my visit to this outlet. As it stands, i do not think i will return for another try here but might consider trying the other outlet.
If you're looking to catch a good drink and play a few games of free pool.... This is the joint to be at...
Always crowded on weekends with recession or without... They serve OKAY food... However a good selection of beers as well as a good price for their own Harry's Beer.. Not self brewed.. But OEM...
They have a good selection of international brands of beers and have air-coned indoor sitting areas as well as outdoor afresco style.. Plenty of bartops, high chairs as well as comfy lower sofas to suit each person's needs...
But i should say more then enough barsides for the singles out to find a date... Its a wonderful place to go solo and the drinks won't burn a hole.. I cup of house red wine cost $13 and 1 Pint of Kilkenny cost only $16 :)
What more.. They have seasonal soccer nights... For guys who are crazily addicted to 20 men running after a small ball..... This is the place to get drunk and curse the stupid referee on league nights.... Huge LCD Screens hung at every angle as well as a projector screen for Man-U Fans.... Man U! Man U! Man U! Man U!....
If you happen to be supporting the opposing team... just remember to curse in dialect.... You won't get into trouble as the main patrons there are foreigners...
Most Singaporeans are too courteous to create any trouble... Courtesy is for free.. Its for you and me......
I was snake-ing at Jurong Point this afternoon, catching a quick break in between appointments and I came across this interesting shop....
Its colourful and a happy shop.... At the entrance to the shop, you can find brightly coloured huge plush toys... Characters include Mickey Mouse, Mennie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daffy Duck and Goofy the Jolly Doggie that could talk... They are brightly coloured and very appealing to children.. What more the prices are very good.... A plush toy, the size of my one year of nephew is only going for $19.90... Good Steal Yar....
Inside the store.. you get to find other toys... Plush and Plastics included... What caught my eye is the Mickey's Palm.. Its Huge, White and Every Child's dream.... and it only cost $13.90. Child Dreams gets easier to hit as we grow older... There are giant Chipmunks as well... And You Could Buy 3 and make them wear a blue, a red and a green T-Shirt.. There you have.. Your very own Alvin and the Chipmunks...
There are candies for sale, Disney Accessories as well as Stationary from the oldest mouse in town...
I fell in love with Goofy and after my appointment, I got myself a goofy to bring home with.. I'm gonna cuddle my new boyfriend while i watch desperate housewives later...
Buy whatever you want at the comfort of your home is what online shopping boast about... I say.. get rid of all your preloved junks on EBAY...
We hear about Ebay everywhere and matter of fact, i believe more then a million people is surfing on the ebay websites at this particular moment... Yes... At Ebay... we can find things out of what our complicated minds could imagine... Its interesting, fun and most importantly better then the coloured recycling bins we see outside our house.... You could actually get MONEY by selling your junks...
I was surfing on ebay lately.... Found a nice limited edition bag I wanted to buy 2 years ago... I quickly got my account set-up.. and boy.. its a breeze.. its quick and efficient... however, its important to have a landline and a active email account for quick account creation.
I then bidded for the item I wanted.. after making sure.. I've got the cheapest from all the other competitors... There is this function i particularly love.. Its called the BUY IT NOW function. In which i need not auction and compete with others and need not wait for the posting time to lapse.. Once i BUY IT NOW... I bought it already....
I later received an email from the owner that she will post it out via registered mail to me and I was to transfer the amount agreed to her...
I tried to contact her, asking her for her mobile number but she did not reply.. I then got worrried and wondered if I should bank in the money... However, though i was only given 2 days to bank in the money.. I however did so after checking her ratings.. There are ratings for each users.. and you could also see the items they previously sold and also comments on the transaction.. She was pretty good and had quite a number of authentic good trades and therefore i trusted the deal...
After the transfer i immediately emailed her.. however there was no reply.. I felt cheated and decided to give it a week... however 3 days later she replied and mailed out the item the next day together with the tracking number.. I then received my merchandise and you could not imagine how happy i was.. It was nicer then i could recall....
Today.. I can't stop browsing in ebay at least once a day... It was interesting and very fun.... So many pre-loved item yearned to be loved by you.. of course there are also the JUNKs.... And the next round... I would prefer cash and carry.... if the seller insist on mailing the goods, then make sure she has a great review and have got many good remarks :)
After another long workday and seeking refuge from the daily storms through my stomach, we decided to throng Upper East Coast road for some food. Introduced by my gf, this is my first trip to Thai Express and this is what i have to say. "Sa-nook!" Which means to enjoy and have fun is the philosophy for Thai Express which terms itself as "a destination for friends to convene and have fun" instead of being just another restaurant. Interesting concept and one that brought them to set up shops in various parts of Asia, including New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and even Saudi Arabia.
The interior of the outlet is rather spacious with 2 levels of seating. An estimated 40-50 patrons can fit into the restaurant with some al fresco seats located outside. Everything is in a rather fiery color palate with reddish orange dominating most surfaces.
Tom Yum Seafood Pot - The clear tom yum seafood soup is spicy and had a reasonable amount of seafood tossed in for good effect. Can't say much apart from it being decent though.
Soft Shell Crab ($7.90) - I found this just plain bad. Overly oily with minimal meat because it was overfried and lacking any discerning taste whatsoever to commend. 1 crab at $7.90 is also pushing it since you can get the same item done better elsewhere for a smaller price tag.
Phat Thai Seafood ($9.90) - This was pretty much the best item i had that day. Its just very soft and tasty char kway teow to me actually but it was done well with the lime, seafood and the grounded nuts did loads to enhance the taste. It was also more towards the spicy side of things but i did enjoy this quite a bit.
Green Chicken Curry ($8.90) - I'd term this as mediocre at this point. To be honest, i've tasted quite a few renditions of green curry chicken and never did understand what was so special about them in the first place. This did not serve to change my opinion. It just tastes like chicken soaked in coconut soup throughout all my tries and the same goes for this rendition.
Complimentary Beancurd - This came complimentary due to a promotion at the time. The chilli and nuts went surprisingly well with the beancurd but the beancurd itself was fried for too long. It was thus rather dry and hard. Still possible to remedy this with additional chilli though.
A simple meal cost me $39.55 after a lengthy discussion with the supervisor on the wrong order of our tom yum soup. He graciously decided to amend our bill which managed to salvage the experience somewhat.
Final Score: 5.5/10 (7/10 for the Phat Thai Seafood)
Last word: Wrong orders and quarrels aside. The food is average from what i've had or maybe i'm not very familiar with Thai cuisine since i can't take much spice. The phat thai is probably worth a try but i find it hard to recommend anything else i've tried. The supervisor is rather kind and funny which is what the restaurant is about and i do thank him for his help. However, in the end, a return is definitely not on the cards for this outlet.
Attended a food gathering organised by a fellow food blogger at Dallas Restaurant and Bar, a relatively new restaurant cum bar along Boat Quay.
The first floor of the place is taken up by the bar while the second floor is the restaurant dining area, which can seat up to about 50 pax or so. Decor is minimalistic with little frills, but the rather smallish interior made for a cozier atmosphere. There is a third floor as well but I believe its reserved for private functions.
Salt & Pepper Calamari - The calamari was very decent when consumed piping hot but when left to cool, the oil in the thick batter solidified and saying it was gross would be an understatement.
Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas - I thought this dish resonated quite well with me, falling pretty much into the comfort food category. Gooey cheese with chicken bits and a nice chewy texture from the dough - what's not to like?
Shredded Pork Tacos - As appetising as they looked, I found the pork tacos wanting in flavour and texture. The pork's texture reminded me more of sardine then pork and it honestly didn't taste like pork. Still edible though.
Tempura Barramundi - The tempura batter was too thick and to make things worse, the fish wasn't fresh. Imagine chomping down on a piece of flour with a fishy aftertaste. A heavy dosage of lemon would definitely help.
Dallas Wings - The wings took the honours for being the worst dish of the day in my humble opinion. There was zero marination and the flour coating was tasteless as well. A dash of salt would have done wonders. There was also the problem of inconsistency in cooking. Some pieces of chicken were overcooked while others were okay.
Baby Back Pork Ribs Done in 3 Ways - Fiery, Alabama and Smoked Hickory BBQ - The fiery ribs were very sweet and garlicky with a mild spice twist at the end. Tender meat was definitely a plus. I thought that the smoked ribs were overwhelmed by the BBQ sauce and the meat wasn't as tender as I would have liked it to be. Strangely enough, the Alabama ribs were more spicy then the fiery ribs and came across as sweet and garlicky as well.
Beef Fajitas - The beef was purportedly 100-120 day grain fed beef and though the meat was noticeably tender, any hopes of a nice beefy taste was ruined by the excessive curry powder, which was a pity really. The guacamole and sour cream dips provided scant comfort.
Breaded Mushrooms - Dish after dish of deep fried stuff. When it got to the breaded mushrooms, I was all ready to regurgitate everything out. Fortunately, the mushrooms were still decent. A little juicy with hints of cheese within. Watch out for the thick batter though.
And in case you were wondering about my missing corn & crab fritters, it never came. Our table had to remind the waitress twice and the host once before the Alabama ribs arrived. So it was a unanimous decision not to bring up the case of the corn fritters to them, lest we had to wait for another 30mins.
Each of us coughed up about $27 for below average cholesterol laden pub grub, which is probably not the wisest thing to do. Service could have been much better and they seemed rather short handed. The place is nice and great for gatherings but something drastic has to be done about the quality of the food. Reasons like food quality dipping due to a huge turnout just doesn't cut any ice. Well at least the owner was nice enough to drop by to address our concerns about the food.
Fifteen days. As we ushered into the Chinese new year, this time, our cow friends. The date at Straits café, cong-er and feng-er indulged for the finest feast. It has been the longest time since cong-er remember the last time she had lo-hei, and the first time for feng-er to try Poon Choi. The rabbits, the goat, and the pig. Triple harmony.
The finest. All in one pot. The best to start a brand new year. A traditional Chinese new year delicacy, Poon Choi ($198 for 5 person), composed of many layers of premium seafood, meat and vegetables. Abalone, shark fin, scallop, sea cucumber, prawns, Chinese sausages, duck feet, roasted meat, mushroom, fa-cai. A total of 14 ingredients, & 6 hours of effort. A symbol of wealth and prosperity, the abalone and shark fins in the middle. The whole taste was simple divine! Sea cucumber, or Hoi sam, a secret for our ladies to stay eighteen every year. Although the roasted pork wasn’t crispy anymore, but the meat was brought to another level after immersing in the pot with the other ingredients. And not to mention the Chinese sausages, which had the normal red colour ones, and the darker coloured, liver sausages. The duck feet was there in place of goose feet; my first time trying it. Without being overly salty, the gravy absorbed the essence of all the top ingredients. Worth its weight in gold.
The Prosperity Yu Sheng, with the vibrant colours, that so reminded us of the joy and happiness during the festive season. Every year without fail, the auspicious Chinese salad will present itself. Tossing the vegetables, the aim is to attain a higher high, just like our life. Wishing Gong xi fa cai, Nian nian you yu, all the lucky greetings for our family and friends. With a choice of salmon or ikan parang, Straits cafe rendition comes in $38, $48 and $58 for its small (2-4 person), medium (5-7 person) and large (8-10 person) portions respectively. All buffet at Straits cafe with the exception for high tea, includes free flow of Fa Cai Yusheng.
After the new renovation of the restaurant during Oct 2008, Straits cafe reopened amidst much fanfare, with the contemporary design and transparent windows which allowed natural lighting to fill the restaurant, and for those interested, people-watching as well.
By order, one will usually start with the salad counter, with some appetising greens to clear the palates before moving on to the savouries. Not that I care anyway, the temptation to resist the desserts were too much for me. Those pretty, petite sweets, we started taking photos of them first, of course. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the pork belly for my stomach to begin on a light note.
Another great appetiser, the chicken salad was just as refreshing as any green salad. The slightly sweet and sour Thai sauce, enhanced the chicken, making it a welcoming starter.
The cold seafood station which has the likes of fresh oyster, cold crabs, squids, and prawns. You know Singaporeans being Singaporeans, the likelihood that they attacked the most expensive food in the buffet is palpable to all. And with fresh oysters, it definitely helps.
Special praises must be reserved for the chefs whom consistently cooks up each bowl of the infamous Straits café Nonya laksa. For that day, there’s also the bak ku teh available. There will changes everyday, with wanton mee, satay been hoon, lor mee rotating, alongside the mainstay laksa.
The infamous Straits cafe Nonya laksa. A bowl of this local favourite, was enough to justify the popularity and status of this dish to the restaurant. Nonya laksa comes slightly sour sweet, with rich and strongly spiced coconut gravy. However, the oiliness of the laksa meant that not everybody could accept it. One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
Jumping from the local dimension, we found ourselves in the Japanese era. The sushi platter was easily another favourite of diners there. Within minutes of a new plate brought out, the platter looks sad, not that the sushi wasn’t good, but because everything was finish.
The freshness of the Sashimis were maintained by keeping them inside a transparent closet, to minimise the contact with the air. Also to let people take as little as possible! Well, just her mischievous thought, I’m sure the chefs would be more than happy to let you have your fill of sashimis.
Lo-and-behold! The key player for Straits cafe’s dessert counter. Without a doubt, the Durian Pengat definitely was the one we were eagerly anticipating. Well maybe not we, since i’m not a durian lover. The D24 durian smell was so evident that we would have wager our fortune betting on it. I’ve two spoonful, since almost everybody says it’s so, so good, and the sight of people taking a few of the shooter glass at one go, it’s certainly in the bag.
Moving on from the durian pengat, we have the equally famous durian cake. But after tasting the strong D24 durian in the pengat, I found the taste for the durian cake relatively subtle and light. And it’s a good thing since i’ve no qualms finishing the cake. This might not be the case if i’ve start with the cake first before the pengat.
The macha mousse had one of the strongest macha taste, and it’s good for the macha lovers. Most places scrimped on the tea leaves to cut cost obviously, but the generous fulsome mousse definitely surprised us.
We heard good things about their cheesecakes, however the signature New York cheesecake was nowhere in sight.The blueberry cheesecake was there to save the day. Between the boundaries of the heavy cheesy purist favourites, and the light airy rendition, I’ll say it’s somewhere in the middle. And the best part, you can have as many slices as you want!
There are some who boomed and come of age later than others. The Mandarin orange cheesecake was our reward for being adventurous, not giving up without another walk to the desserts counter for the New York cheesecake. Instead of that, we found ourselves with this new cake, in celebration of our Chinese new year. But, the dessert disappointed us as the cheesecake was rather crumbly, not as firm as we thought it will be, and the mandarin oranges were too sweet, which we suspected that it had some help from the sugary syrup.
On first sight, the ice cream bar looks just to be an ordinary one, featuring the likes of your Walls, and Kings ice cream. But boy we were wrong. The black sesame and raspberry gelato were great, definitely not your cheap ice creams. And my favourite, the vanilla bean flavour!
I must say I’m impressed with the variety and spread of the buffet, given the pricing and the location of the restaurant, it’s good that Hotel Rendezvous recognised that they can’t position themselves against the high-end buffets with the likes of The Line, Melt the world cafe. But by bridging the distance between the expensive and the cheap buffets, Straits cafe provided a good alternative to those who wanted good food, without spending too much.
My thanks to Christina, the marketing communication manager of Rendezvous Hotel Singapore, who invited me for the food tasting session. And also my dining companions, who provided me with great knowledge of the food, good company and fun. A happy Chinese New Year to all of you!
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!
Another overdue post which happened more or less during the New Year time frame. Was invited along to this food tasting by FZ once again. Special thanks to both FZ and Christina, the marketing manager for graciously accepting my presence at this tasting.
Straits cafe has a very down to earth feeling to me. Glass panels separate the business crowds and roads from the interiors and even more glass panels are used to separate the kitchen from the patrons. The interior is simple with LCD televisions adorning some parts to provide more entertainment while dining in.
The selection is diverse and well thought out. Basically, i think it covers pretty much everything a buffet should cover. This is rather surprising because at first glance, it looked limited but when i went back to actually look and pick the food, there was a whole lot of variety and to say the least, having one item from each managed to stuff me to no end.
What Chinese New Year would be complete without some Yu Sheng? So it was with Straits Cafe, they actually do it more DIY style which is found from the DIY counter. But as we were invited, we were fortunate to have the staff rehearse the entire routine for us. In terms of taste, the yu sheng is balanced but didn't really manage to wow anybody. Overall decent with thick fresh salmon and fragrant crackers.
Needless to say, their rendition is glorious with overflowing ingredients. Lots of sharks fin, lots of pork belly, fish maw, abalone, prawns, lup cheong, mushrooms and dried scallops. Each individual pot is supposed to have been stewed for at least 6 hours before serving. In terms of taste, the abalone is certainly stewed till soft with a nice fragrance from the rest of the ingredients. I liked the pork belly, mushrooms, abalone and fa chai that was in this dish. Because i had a few other renditions of this after the meal, i have to say that this was one of the better ones i've had this year. Worth a try.
The above shows the amount of items you can take from the counters and its not even the full picture yet. I felt that the food served here is pretty decent, items that are supposed to be fresh are fresh, with some exception in a few prawns i had. Worth mentioning will be the laksa which is suitably spicy and tasty also being surprisingly light. The sashimi counter is worth returning over and over again. So is the chilled seafood section with its oysters and shrimp. I also liked the meat section which had different versions of beef and the yam ring which i felt was pretty decent as well. The dessert section's cakes didn't quite catch my fancy apart from the durian pengat and durian puff. They were lighter and less concentrated then i would have liked though.
Overall Score: 6.5/10
Last word: I actually found the food here decent. Maybe its because Christina advised on how the executive chef is one with superb potential in his cooking or that their standard that day was above average. One honestly cannot expect too much from a buffet, after all, how good can food prepared en masse be? So taking it for what it is, this restaurant and this buffet works pretty well for me. It helps that the poon choi is the best i've had this year as well. Good effort.
Our experience at Shutter was a pleasant one, with pleasant surprises and with privacy.
It was a Sunday evening and Shutters was the only restaurant with the ambience we wanted so off we went there having heard of the "unique" open kitchen and the excellent service some others have received. We walked into the restaurant about 4pm...albeit too early for dinner and even though the place was not quite yet ready for dinner, the waitress approached us and handed us the menu explaining to us some of the specialties they have there. We were specifically looking for beef and they had one there on the menu.
We returned about 8pm that evening and had the luxury of choosing a place to sit. It was a 50-60 pax restaurant but it was empty (except for the 5-6 staffs). Perhaps it was a Sunday and being in Sentosa, that might account for the "lack" of diners. But we were not complaining as we had the whole restaurant and 6 staff all to ourselves....that accounts for the privacy. We could literally hear our cultery and only ours. :)
We ordered the Beef Tenderloin with Foie Gras and the the only Grilled Chicken dish on the menu. The waiter explained that there was a set menu available for the weekend at S$45 . The 2 options available were the Grilled Chicken and the Cod fish. We opted for one set as I really wanted the Beef Tenderloin with Foie Gras.
The set comes with Soup, Mains, Dessert and Tea/Coffee.
First to be served was an assortment of bread served and tastefully presented. The bread was still warm and crispy and together with the olive butter, was a great start to the meal. Too bad there was only 3 pieces of it. But it was sufficient for starters.
While we were enjoying the bread, the soup was served. We were surprised when they served us 2 bowls of soup. We mentioned that we only ordered one set, so how comes they were serving us two? The waiter replied that he requested the chef to split the one bowl of soup into 2 bowls for us so that it would be easier for us to share it. How thoughtful of him, knowing that we could not order 2 sets as there was no Beef in the set and we really wanted the beef....! This was the pleasant surprise and set the right tone for the mains to arrive.
The mushroom soup was just awesome. It was thick, creamy and chunks of mushroom minutely sliced could be seen and tasted without much effort to see if they exist. Really rich in texture, flavour and yet not monotonous.
The Beef tenderloin with Foie Gras was delectable tender and seasoned proportionately well. Slicing the beef was effortless and savoring the taste of it was priceless. The Foie Gras literally melts in the mouth and was perfectly done.
Savoring the Grilled Chicken,we could tell that the marinating was not done haphazardly. There was an overall consistency in the taste, flavour and the ozzing out of the juices while cutting the chicken just added to this culinary experience.
The only setback was that the portion was too small. Wish there was more....but maybe that is asking for too much.
Next came the dessert, which was a Chempedak Pudding. This was also nicely executed, not too sweet, yet smelling and tasting of fresh chempedak. It was supposed to be a sweet dessert, yet, we never got tired of it.
Over the course of the 1.5 hours we spent in the restaurant, we had the luxury of 6 staffs serving us...taking about privacy and exclusiveness. The mood was right, the food was excellent and the service impeccable...what more could we ask for...a free meal? haha. No this meal set us back by $96 for 2 persons. Reasonable by any standards and recommended for any who appreciates a quiet and reflective dinner with all the above.
Another belated post but no fear, this is still very much relevant. No Signboard Seafood is one of those hawker fairy tales with a humble beginning that slowly built their empire from nothing. Beginning as an honest-to-goodness Zhi Ca stall serving good tasting Chili Crab and using white pepper as the unique selling point of their crabs to a big name restaurant that still attracts hundreds of patrons daily. This is a coffee shop fairy indigenous to Singapore and a much sought after dream of many.
No Signboard Appetiser Platter - Overall, the platter was rather decent but nothing too flashy. Honestly, i've pretty much forgotten a majority of the items i've tried here. So the conclusion is that it was average.
Shark's fin Soup With Crabmeat - The shark's fin came across as rather starchy and sticky but had generous chunks of crab meat within. It also came across as being too salty for some, nothing vinegar and pepper could not salvage though.
Chicken with Pork Floss - I actually took to this quite well. It was served hot and crispy with sprinklings of pork floss on top. The floss added sweetness and fragrance to the juicy chicken meat. Not too bad IMHO.
Steamed Garoupa HK style - The fish was overcooked. Short and simple. The meat was obviously too tough due to over steaming. Otherwise, you can't go wrong with this form of cooking.
Broccoli with mushrooms - The mushrooms and broccoli were both really nice and soft.......I think thats about all i can say about this dish. Next!
Yam Ring With Spicy Fillings - This one is rather tough to judge, simply because some liked the spicy fillings which consisted of squid, prawns, fish and lots of balachan chili. While others felt it was too weird for their liking. I belong to the latter, i like my yam ring traditional and with the usual items. Especially cashew nuts, which there was none here.
White Pepper Crab - Now this is more like it. The reason why No Signboard made its mark, good old fashioned white pepper crab with big juicy Sri Lankan Crabs. True to form, i thoroughly enjoyed this dish because its equal parts spicy, equal parts sweet and 100% fragrant. If there's a reason to go to No Signboard, its this dish. (Note: I've heard that the original Geylang branch is even better at this dish. So maybe you can try there.)
Cereal Prawn - This was decent. The cereal was sweet and fragrant but the prawns were hit or miss. Some were fresh and some simply weren't. Take your own chances.
Fried rice - Quite fragrant but nothing else worth mentioning on this one.
Longan and Almond - I'm guessing canned dessert but please correct me if i'm wrong on this. Nothing too special about this dish either.
Overall Score: 4/10 for everything else (7/10 for crab only)
Last word: Service in the restaurant was alright but there was this impression that they didn't quite like our group there. Food was below average for most and honestly, i can name quite a few Zhi Ca areas with better food then here. I didn't see the bill for this meal but i'm betting on it hitting at least $1000 because it was a set meal plus some ala carte orders for a group of above 10 people. For the unflattering score, its because we expected more from such a famous establishment and it simply wasn't met apart from the crab. Special thanks to Steward who gave us such a big feast and was so generous and kind to us throughout years. Sure, the review isn't good for the restaurant but we still had a good time. Cheers and i'm sure there's a better year for all this 2009!
1=SGD 0.0587
Just Acia or rather "Just Asia" is a new set up featuring Asia's staples of noodles and rice as its main menu items. With a tag line that says "free flow of drinks and ice cream" at a starting price as low as $2.80, this is a place that is light on the wallet at first glance. There are currently 3 outlets for this franchise, Downtown East, Dhouby Ghaut MRT station and Suntec City fountain terrace. It was on a day of celebration that we visited Just Acia and i can't deny that the price was what drew me in at first. The following is what we had and my thoughts on the food.
The interior of the restaurant is simple and sat about 20-30 patrons. There was a payment counter right smack in the centre and your bill is presented to you upon completing your orders. The free flow of drinks and ice cream are also located right behind the payment counter so thats where the majority of the action will happen. Overall, the interior is serviceable and nothing impressive.
Herbal Chicken Soup Set ($11.90) - After some contemplation on the menu, we decided to have something more mid range as compared to the usual $5.90 meals. My order was the herbal chicken soup and it looked pretty substantial actually. There was half a chicken in the soup and it came with rice and some beans. The thing about herbal chicken is that the soup it comes in must be good, otherwise the whole dish amounts to naught. And unfortunately, the soup is salty and lacking much herbal taste in their version. My verdict, don't order this.
Stir Fried Greens ($4.80) - This wasn't too bad actually. At the least, it tasted crunchy and tasty enough to praise but nothing more to recommend.
Tom Yum Seafood Set ($10.90) - My gf ordered this and it was definitely much better then my herbal chicken set. The soup is still salty as though made of seawater but there's enough spice inside to give it a tinge of hope. Add to that generous ingredients and you have something tolerable but still too salty.
Spinach Tofu ($2.80) - On the menu, this was touted as the must order dish and chef's specialty. I'm sad to report its nothing special. In fact, it was rather bad because there's a very obvious layer of thick oil over it. The interesting thing is the texture which is similar to steamed eggs except that in this, the "eggs" are rubbery. Not recommended as well.
Free Ice Cream - The ice cream ain't half bad. I'm betting on Wall's or some simple NTUC brand but it works for me. The chocolate is thick and rich and so was the vanilla. I could have this for a long time. The free flow drinks were also a surprise for me since they weren't diluted by too much. Impressive.
The total bill for this rather disappointing dinner amounted to $32.53. Is it too expensive? Not really. Is it worth the money? Difficult to say yes to that too...
Overall Score: 5.5/10 (6.5 for drinks and ice cream)
Last word:
It wasn't all bad. There's decent stuff here i'm sure. In fact, i saw it packed in the Dhouby Ghaut outlet but i can't say the same from my visit to this outlet. As it stands, i do not think i will return for another try here but might consider trying the other outlet.
Rating given:
If you're looking to catch a good drink and play a few games of free pool.... This is the joint to be at...
Always crowded on weekends with recession or without... They serve OKAY food... However a good selection of beers as well as a good price for their own Harry's Beer.. Not self brewed.. But OEM...
They have a good selection of international brands of beers and have air-coned indoor sitting areas as well as outdoor afresco style.. Plenty of bartops, high chairs as well as comfy lower sofas to suit each person's needs...
But i should say more then enough barsides for the singles out to find a date... Its a wonderful place to go solo and the drinks won't burn a hole.. I cup of house red wine cost $13 and 1 Pint of Kilkenny cost only $16 :)
What more.. They have seasonal soccer nights... For guys who are crazily addicted to 20 men running after a small ball..... This is the place to get drunk and curse the stupid referee on league nights.... Huge LCD Screens hung at every angle as well as a projector screen for Man-U Fans.... Man U! Man U! Man U! Man U!....
If you happen to be supporting the opposing team... just remember to curse in dialect.... You won't get into trouble as the main patrons there are foreigners...
Most Singaporeans are too courteous to create any trouble... Courtesy is for free.. Its for you and me......
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I was snake-ing at Jurong Point this afternoon, catching a quick break in between appointments and I came across this interesting shop....
Its colourful and a happy shop.... At the entrance to the shop, you can find brightly coloured huge plush toys... Characters include Mickey Mouse, Mennie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daffy Duck and Goofy the Jolly Doggie that could talk... They are brightly coloured and very appealing to children.. What more the prices are very good.... A plush toy, the size of my one year of nephew is only going for $19.90... Good Steal Yar....
Inside the store.. you get to find other toys... Plush and Plastics included... What caught my eye is the Mickey's Palm.. Its Huge, White and Every Child's dream.... and it only cost $13.90. Child Dreams gets easier to hit as we grow older... There are giant Chipmunks as well... And You Could Buy 3 and make them wear a blue, a red and a green T-Shirt.. There you have.. Your very own Alvin and the Chipmunks...
There are candies for sale, Disney Accessories as well as Stationary from the oldest mouse in town...
I fell in love with Goofy and after my appointment, I got myself a goofy to bring home with.. I'm gonna cuddle my new boyfriend while i watch desperate housewives later...
TATA......
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Buy whatever you want at the comfort of your home is what online shopping boast about... I say.. get rid of all your preloved junks on EBAY...
We hear about Ebay everywhere and matter of fact, i believe more then a million people is surfing on the ebay websites at this particular moment... Yes... At Ebay... we can find things out of what our complicated minds could imagine... Its interesting, fun and most importantly better then the coloured recycling bins we see outside our house.... You could actually get MONEY by selling your junks...
I was surfing on ebay lately.... Found a nice limited edition bag I wanted to buy 2 years ago... I quickly got my account set-up.. and boy.. its a breeze.. its quick and efficient... however, its important to have a landline and a active email account for quick account creation.
I then bidded for the item I wanted.. after making sure.. I've got the cheapest from all the other competitors... There is this function i particularly love.. Its called the BUY IT NOW function. In which i need not auction and compete with others and need not wait for the posting time to lapse.. Once i BUY IT NOW... I bought it already....
I later received an email from the owner that she will post it out via registered mail to me and I was to transfer the amount agreed to her...
I tried to contact her, asking her for her mobile number but she did not reply.. I then got worrried and wondered if I should bank in the money... However, though i was only given 2 days to bank in the money.. I however did so after checking her ratings.. There are ratings for each users.. and you could also see the items they previously sold and also comments on the transaction.. She was pretty good and had quite a number of authentic good trades and therefore i trusted the deal...
After the transfer i immediately emailed her.. however there was no reply.. I felt cheated and decided to give it a week... however 3 days later she replied and mailed out the item the next day together with the tracking number.. I then received my merchandise and you could not imagine how happy i was.. It was nicer then i could recall....
Today.. I can't stop browsing in ebay at least once a day... It was interesting and very fun.... So many pre-loved item yearned to be loved by you.. of course there are also the JUNKs.... And the next round... I would prefer cash and carry.... if the seller insist on mailing the goods, then make sure she has a great review and have got many good remarks :)
Happy BIDDING.......
Rating given:
After another long workday and seeking refuge from the daily storms through my stomach, we decided to throng Upper East Coast road for some food. Introduced by my gf, this is my first trip to Thai Express and this is what i have to say.
"Sa-nook!" Which means to enjoy and have fun is the philosophy for Thai Express which terms itself as "a destination for friends to convene and have fun" instead of being just another restaurant. Interesting concept and one that brought them to set up shops in various parts of Asia, including New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and even Saudi Arabia.
The interior of the outlet is rather spacious with 2 levels of seating. An estimated 40-50 patrons can fit into the restaurant with some al fresco seats located outside. Everything is in a rather fiery color palate with reddish orange dominating most surfaces.
Tom Yum Seafood Pot - The clear tom yum seafood soup is spicy and had a reasonable amount of seafood tossed in for good effect. Can't say much apart from it being decent though.
Soft Shell Crab ($7.90) - I found this just plain bad. Overly oily with minimal meat because it was overfried and lacking any discerning taste whatsoever to commend. 1 crab at $7.90 is also pushing it since you can get the same item done better elsewhere for a smaller price tag.
Phat Thai Seafood ($9.90) - This was pretty much the best item i had that day. Its just very soft and tasty char kway teow to me actually but it was done well with the lime, seafood and the grounded nuts did loads to enhance the taste. It was also more towards the spicy side of things but i did enjoy this quite a bit.
Green Chicken Curry ($8.90) - I'd term this as mediocre at this point. To be honest, i've tasted quite a few renditions of green curry chicken and never did understand what was so special about them in the first place. This did not serve to change my opinion. It just tastes like chicken soaked in coconut soup throughout all my tries and the same goes for this rendition.
Complimentary Beancurd - This came complimentary due to a promotion at the time. The chilli and nuts went surprisingly well with the beancurd but the beancurd itself was fried for too long. It was thus rather dry and hard. Still possible to remedy this with additional chilli though.
A simple meal cost me $39.55 after a lengthy discussion with the supervisor on the wrong order of our tom yum soup. He graciously decided to amend our bill which managed to salvage the experience somewhat.
Final Score: 5.5/10 (7/10 for the Phat Thai Seafood)
Last word:
Wrong orders and quarrels aside. The food is average from what i've had or maybe i'm not very familiar with Thai cuisine since i can't take much spice. The phat thai is probably worth a try but i find it hard to recommend anything else i've tried. The supervisor is rather kind and funny which is what the restaurant is about and i do thank him for his help. However, in the end, a return is definitely not on the cards for this outlet.
Rating given:
Attended a food gathering organised by a fellow food blogger at Dallas Restaurant and Bar, a relatively new restaurant cum bar along Boat Quay.
The first floor of the place is taken up by the bar while the second floor is the restaurant dining area, which can seat up to about 50 pax or so. Decor is minimalistic with little frills, but the rather smallish interior made for a cozier atmosphere. There is a third floor as well but I believe its reserved for private functions.
Salt & Pepper Calamari - The calamari was very decent when consumed piping hot but when left to cool, the oil in the thick batter solidified and saying it was gross would be an understatement.
Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas - I thought this dish resonated quite well with me, falling pretty much into the comfort food category. Gooey cheese with chicken bits and a nice chewy texture from the dough - what's not to like?
Shredded Pork Tacos - As appetising as they looked, I found the pork tacos wanting in flavour and texture. The pork's texture reminded me more of sardine then pork and it honestly didn't taste like pork. Still edible though.
Tempura Barramundi - The tempura batter was too thick and to make things worse, the fish wasn't fresh. Imagine chomping down on a piece of flour with a fishy aftertaste. A heavy dosage of lemon would definitely help.
Dallas Wings - The wings took the honours for being the worst dish of the day in my humble opinion. There was zero marination and the flour coating was tasteless as well. A dash of salt would have done wonders. There was also the problem of inconsistency in cooking. Some pieces of chicken were overcooked while others were okay.
Baby Back Pork Ribs Done in 3 Ways - Fiery, Alabama and Smoked Hickory BBQ - The fiery ribs were very sweet and garlicky with a mild spice twist at the end. Tender meat was definitely a plus.
I thought that the smoked ribs were overwhelmed by the BBQ sauce and the meat wasn't as tender as I would have liked it to be.
Strangely enough, the Alabama ribs were more spicy then the fiery ribs and came across as sweet and garlicky as well.
Beef Fajitas - The beef was purportedly 100-120 day grain fed beef and though the meat was noticeably tender, any hopes of a nice beefy taste was ruined by the excessive curry powder, which was a pity really. The guacamole and sour cream dips provided scant comfort.
Breaded Mushrooms - Dish after dish of deep fried stuff. When it got to the breaded mushrooms, I was all ready to regurgitate everything out. Fortunately, the mushrooms were still decent. A little juicy with hints of cheese within. Watch out for the thick batter though.
And in case you were wondering about my missing corn & crab fritters, it never came. Our table had to remind the waitress twice and the host once before the Alabama ribs arrived. So it was a unanimous decision not to bring up the case of the corn fritters to them, lest we had to wait for another 30mins.
Each of us coughed up about $27 for below average cholesterol laden pub grub, which is probably not the wisest thing to do. Service could have been much better and they seemed rather short handed. The place is nice and great for gatherings but something drastic has to be done about the quality of the food. Reasons like food quality dipping due to a huge turnout just doesn't cut any ice. Well at least the owner was nice enough to drop by to address our concerns about the food.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Fifteen days. As we ushered into the Chinese new year, this time, our cow friends. The date at Straits café, cong-er and feng-er indulged for the finest feast. It has been the longest time since cong-er remember the last time she had lo-hei, and the first time for feng-er to try Poon Choi. The rabbits, the goat, and the pig. Triple harmony.
The finest. All in one pot. The best to start a brand new year. A traditional Chinese new year delicacy, Poon Choi ($198 for 5 person), composed of many layers of premium seafood, meat and vegetables. Abalone, shark fin, scallop, sea cucumber, prawns, Chinese sausages, duck feet, roasted meat, mushroom, fa-cai. A total of 14 ingredients, & 6 hours of effort. A symbol of wealth and prosperity, the abalone and shark fins in the middle. The whole taste was simple divine! Sea cucumber, or Hoi sam, a secret for our ladies to stay eighteen every year. Although the roasted pork wasn’t crispy anymore, but the meat was brought to another level after immersing in the pot with the other ingredients. And not to mention the Chinese sausages, which had the normal red colour ones, and the darker coloured, liver sausages. The duck feet was there in place of goose feet; my first time trying it. Without being overly salty, the gravy absorbed the essence of all the top ingredients. Worth its weight in gold.
The Prosperity Yu Sheng, with the vibrant colours, that so reminded us of the joy and happiness during the festive season. Every year without fail, the auspicious Chinese salad will present itself. Tossing the vegetables, the aim is to attain a higher high, just like our life. Wishing Gong xi fa cai, Nian nian you yu, all the lucky greetings for our family and friends. With a choice of salmon or ikan parang, Straits cafe rendition comes in $38, $48 and $58 for its small (2-4 person), medium (5-7 person) and large (8-10 person) portions respectively. All buffet at Straits cafe with the exception for high tea, includes free flow of Fa Cai Yusheng.
After the new renovation of the restaurant during Oct 2008, Straits cafe reopened amidst much fanfare, with the contemporary design and transparent windows which allowed natural lighting to fill the restaurant, and for those interested, people-watching as well.
By order, one will usually start with the salad counter, with some appetising greens to clear the palates before moving on to the savouries. Not that I care anyway, the temptation to resist the desserts were too much for me. Those pretty, petite sweets, we started taking photos of them first, of course. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the pork belly for my stomach to begin on a light note.
Another great appetiser, the chicken salad was just as refreshing as any green salad. The slightly sweet and sour Thai sauce, enhanced the chicken, making it a welcoming starter.
The cold seafood station which has the likes of fresh oyster, cold crabs, squids, and prawns. You know Singaporeans being Singaporeans, the likelihood that they attacked the most expensive food in the buffet is palpable to all. And with fresh oysters, it definitely helps.
Special praises must be reserved for the chefs whom consistently cooks up each bowl of the infamous Straits café Nonya laksa. For that day, there’s also the bak ku teh available. There will changes everyday, with wanton mee, satay been hoon, lor mee rotating, alongside the mainstay laksa.
The infamous Straits cafe Nonya laksa. A bowl of this local favourite, was enough to justify the popularity and status of this dish to the restaurant. Nonya laksa comes slightly sour sweet, with rich and strongly spiced coconut gravy. However, the oiliness of the laksa meant that not everybody could accept it. One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
Jumping from the local dimension, we found ourselves in the Japanese era. The sushi platter was easily another favourite of diners there. Within minutes of a new plate brought out, the platter looks sad, not that the sushi wasn’t good, but because everything was finish.
The freshness of the Sashimis were maintained by keeping them inside a transparent closet, to minimise the contact with the air. Also to let people take as little as possible! Well, just her mischievous thought, I’m sure the chefs would be more than happy to let you have your fill of sashimis.
Lo-and-behold! The key player for Straits cafe’s dessert counter. Without a doubt, the Durian Pengat definitely was the one we were eagerly anticipating. Well maybe not we, since i’m not a durian lover. The D24 durian smell was so evident that we would have wager our fortune betting on it. I’ve two spoonful, since almost everybody says it’s so, so good, and the sight of people taking a few of the shooter glass at one go, it’s certainly in the bag.
Moving on from the durian pengat, we have the equally famous durian cake. But after tasting the strong D24 durian in the pengat, I found the taste for the durian cake relatively subtle and light. And it’s a good thing since i’ve no qualms finishing the cake. This might not be the case if i’ve start with the cake first before the pengat.
The macha mousse had one of the strongest macha taste, and it’s good for the macha lovers. Most places scrimped on the tea leaves to cut cost obviously, but the generous fulsome mousse definitely surprised us.
We heard good things about their cheesecakes, however the signature New York cheesecake was nowhere in sight.The blueberry cheesecake was there to save the day. Between the boundaries of the heavy cheesy purist favourites, and the light airy rendition, I’ll say it’s somewhere in the middle. And the best part, you can have as many slices as you want!
There are some who boomed and come of age later than others. The Mandarin orange cheesecake was our reward for being adventurous, not giving up without another walk to the desserts counter for the New York cheesecake. Instead of that, we found ourselves with this new cake, in celebration of our Chinese new year. But, the dessert disappointed us as the cheesecake was rather crumbly, not as firm as we thought it will be, and the mandarin oranges were too sweet, which we suspected that it had some help from the sugary syrup.
On first sight, the ice cream bar looks just to be an ordinary one, featuring the likes of your Walls, and Kings ice cream. But boy we were wrong. The black sesame and raspberry gelato were great, definitely not your cheap ice creams. And my favourite, the vanilla bean flavour!
I must say I’m impressed with the variety and spread of the buffet, given the pricing and the location of the restaurant, it’s good that Hotel Rendezvous recognised that they can’t position themselves against the high-end buffets with the likes of The Line, Melt the world cafe. But by bridging the distance between the expensive and the cheap buffets, Straits cafe provided a good alternative to those who wanted good food, without spending too much.
My thanks to Christina, the marketing communication manager of Rendezvous Hotel Singapore, who invited me for the food tasting session. And also my dining companions, who provided me with great knowledge of the food, good company and fun. A happy Chinese New Year to all of you!
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:
Another overdue post which happened more or less during the New Year time frame. Was invited along to this food tasting by FZ once again. Special thanks to both FZ and Christina, the marketing manager for graciously accepting my presence at this tasting.
Straits cafe has a very down to earth feeling to me. Glass panels separate the business crowds and roads from the interiors and even more glass panels are used to separate the kitchen from the patrons. The interior is simple with LCD televisions adorning some parts to provide more entertainment while dining in.
The selection is diverse and well thought out. Basically, i think it covers pretty much everything a buffet should cover. This is rather surprising because at first glance, it looked limited but when i went back to actually look and pick the food, there was a whole lot of variety and to say the least, having one item from each managed to stuff me to no end.
What Chinese New Year would be complete without some Yu Sheng? So it was with Straits Cafe, they actually do it more DIY style which is found from the DIY counter. But as we were invited, we were fortunate to have the staff rehearse the entire routine for us. In terms of taste, the yu sheng is balanced but didn't really manage to wow anybody. Overall decent with thick fresh salmon and fragrant crackers.
Needless to say, their rendition is glorious with overflowing ingredients. Lots of sharks fin, lots of pork belly, fish maw, abalone, prawns, lup cheong, mushrooms and dried scallops. Each individual pot is supposed to have been stewed for at least 6 hours before serving. In terms of taste, the abalone is certainly stewed till soft with a nice fragrance from the rest of the ingredients. I liked the pork belly, mushrooms, abalone and fa chai that was in this dish. Because i had a few other renditions of this after the meal, i have to say that this was one of the better ones i've had this year. Worth a try.
The above shows the amount of items you can take from the counters and its not even the full picture yet. I felt that the food served here is pretty decent, items that are supposed to be fresh are fresh, with some exception in a few prawns i had. Worth mentioning will be the laksa which is suitably spicy and tasty also being surprisingly light. The sashimi counter is worth returning over and over again. So is the chilled seafood section with its oysters and shrimp. I also liked the meat section which had different versions of beef and the yam ring which i felt was pretty decent as well. The dessert section's cakes didn't quite catch my fancy apart from the durian pengat and durian puff. They were lighter and less concentrated then i would have liked though.
Overall Score: 6.5/10
Last word:
I actually found the food here decent. Maybe its because Christina advised on how the executive chef is one with superb potential in his cooking or that their standard that day was above average. One honestly cannot expect too much from a buffet, after all, how good can food prepared en masse be? So taking it for what it is, this restaurant and this buffet works pretty well for me. It helps that the poon choi is the best i've had this year as well. Good effort.
Rating given:
Our experience at Shutter was a pleasant one, with pleasant surprises and with privacy.
It was a Sunday evening and Shutters was the only restaurant with the ambience we wanted so off we went there having heard of the "unique" open kitchen and the excellent service some others have received. We walked into the restaurant about 4pm...albeit too early for dinner and even though the place was not quite yet ready for dinner, the waitress approached us and handed us the menu explaining to us some of the specialties they have there. We were specifically looking for beef and they had one there on the menu.
We returned about 8pm that evening and had the luxury of choosing a place to sit. It was a 50-60 pax restaurant but it was empty (except for the 5-6 staffs). Perhaps it was a Sunday and being in Sentosa, that might account for the "lack" of diners. But we were not complaining as we had the whole restaurant and 6 staff all to ourselves....that accounts for the privacy. We could literally hear our cultery and only ours. :)
We ordered the Beef Tenderloin with Foie Gras and the the only Grilled Chicken dish on the menu. The waiter explained that there was a set menu available for the weekend at S$45 . The 2 options available were the Grilled Chicken and the Cod fish. We opted for one set as I really wanted the Beef Tenderloin with Foie Gras.
The set comes with Soup, Mains, Dessert and Tea/Coffee.
First to be served was an assortment of bread served and tastefully presented. The bread was still warm and crispy and together with the olive butter, was a great start to the meal. Too bad there was only 3 pieces of it. But it was sufficient for starters.
While we were enjoying the bread, the soup was served. We were surprised when they served us 2 bowls of soup. We mentioned that we only ordered one set, so how comes they were serving us two? The waiter replied that he requested the chef to split the one bowl of soup into 2 bowls for us so that it would be easier for us to share it. How thoughtful of him, knowing that we could not order 2 sets as there was no Beef in the set and we really wanted the beef....! This was the pleasant surprise and set the right tone for the mains to arrive.
The mushroom soup was just awesome. It was thick, creamy and chunks of mushroom minutely sliced could be seen and tasted without much effort to see if they exist. Really rich in texture, flavour and yet not monotonous.
The Beef tenderloin with Foie Gras was delectable tender and seasoned proportionately well. Slicing the beef was effortless and savoring the taste of it was priceless. The Foie Gras literally melts in the mouth and was perfectly done.
Savoring the Grilled Chicken,we could tell that the marinating was not done haphazardly. There was an overall consistency in the taste, flavour and the ozzing out of the juices while cutting the chicken just added to this culinary experience.
The only setback was that the portion was too small. Wish there was more....but maybe that is asking for too much.
Next came the dessert, which was a Chempedak Pudding. This was also nicely executed, not too sweet, yet smelling and tasting of fresh chempedak. It was supposed to be a sweet dessert, yet, we never got tired of it.
Over the course of the 1.5 hours we spent in the restaurant, we had the luxury of 6 staffs serving us...taking about privacy and exclusiveness. The mood was right, the food was excellent and the service impeccable...what more could we ask for...a free meal? haha. No this meal set us back by $96 for 2 persons. Reasonable by any standards and recommended for any who appreciates a quiet and reflective dinner with all the above.
Rating given:
Another belated post but no fear, this is still very much relevant. No Signboard Seafood is one of those hawker fairy tales with a humble beginning that slowly built their empire from nothing. Beginning as an honest-to-goodness Zhi Ca stall serving good tasting Chili Crab and using white pepper as the unique selling point of their crabs to a big name restaurant that still attracts hundreds of patrons daily. This is a coffee shop fairy indigenous to Singapore and a much sought after dream of many.
No Signboard Appetiser Platter - Overall, the platter was rather decent but nothing too flashy. Honestly, i've pretty much forgotten a majority of the items i've tried here. So the conclusion is that it was average.
Shark's fin Soup With Crabmeat - The shark's fin came across as rather starchy and sticky but had generous chunks of crab meat within. It also came across as being too salty for some, nothing vinegar and pepper could not salvage though.
Chicken with Pork Floss - I actually took to this quite well. It was served hot and crispy with sprinklings of pork floss on top. The floss added sweetness and fragrance to the juicy chicken meat. Not too bad IMHO.
Steamed Garoupa HK style - The fish was overcooked. Short and simple. The meat was obviously too tough due to over steaming. Otherwise, you can't go wrong with this form of cooking.
Broccoli with mushrooms - The mushrooms and broccoli were both really nice and soft.......I think thats about all i can say about this dish. Next!
Yam Ring With Spicy Fillings - This one is rather tough to judge, simply because some liked the spicy fillings which consisted of squid, prawns, fish and lots of balachan chili. While others felt it was too weird for their liking. I belong to the latter, i like my yam ring traditional and with the usual items. Especially cashew nuts, which there was none here.
White Pepper Crab - Now this is more like it. The reason why No Signboard made its mark, good old fashioned white pepper crab with big juicy Sri Lankan Crabs. True to form, i thoroughly enjoyed this dish because its equal parts spicy, equal parts sweet and 100% fragrant. If there's a reason to go to No Signboard, its this dish. (Note: I've heard that the original Geylang branch is even better at this dish. So maybe you can try there.)
Cereal Prawn - This was decent. The cereal was sweet and fragrant but the prawns were hit or miss. Some were fresh and some simply weren't. Take your own chances.
Fried rice - Quite fragrant but nothing else worth mentioning on this one.
Longan and Almond - I'm guessing canned dessert but please correct me if i'm wrong on this. Nothing too special about this dish either.
Overall Score: 4/10 for everything else (7/10 for crab only)
Last word:
Service in the restaurant was alright but there was this impression that they didn't quite like our group there. Food was below average for most and honestly, i can name quite a few Zhi Ca areas with better food then here. I didn't see the bill for this meal but i'm betting on it hitting at least $1000 because it was a set meal plus some ala carte orders for a group of above 10 people. For the unflattering score, its because we expected more from such a famous establishment and it simply wasn't met apart from the crab.
Special thanks to Steward who gave us such a big feast and was so generous and kind to us throughout years. Sure, the review isn't good for the restaurant but we still had a good time. Cheers and i'm sure there's a better year for all this 2009!
Rating given: