Previously, my family had always bought from the porridge stall right opposite Kee Lin Beef Kway Teow stall. But when the porridge stall started increasing their prices, we ate from Kee Lin Beef Kway Teow and wasn't disappointed in our choice. The prices are affordable and the chilli sauce goes very well with the beef. And we definitely have to go to this stall for breakfast whenever we are eating at Chinatown Complex. The shop owners are also friendly and I'm positively sure that most readers will know that Kee Lin Beef Kway Teow was recommended in newspapers before too.
Au petit salut is helmed by chef Patrick Steuberger from Switzerland. Having garnered various experiences overseas in multiple countries and various michellin star chefs as tutors, Patrick returned to Au petit salut as executive chef in 2005. With such an impressive resume, its no wonder the restaurant was introduced to me by my boss.However, i maintain that reputation remains as reputation until put to the actual taste test. How will it fare i wonder?
Upon entering, you will find that the restaurant exudes a form of rustic charm for its location and the design of it exterior. Seemingly a colonial building that has yet to be teared down and located in the deep recesses of a mildly wooded enclave, its like stepping back in time to a less busy era where life was a little less complicated. In short, i felt relaxed the moment i parked my car.
The restaurant is a rather intimate affair with the interior seating about 30-40 people and the al fresco section seating around the same number of people. When i made my reservation, the restaurant was fully booked due to a corporate function but they made concessions since i only needed 2 seats.Decor wise, minimal is best for this place but i'm quite pleased with the simple and clean approach used.
The restaurant is a rather intimate affair with the interior seating about 30-40 people and the al fresco section seating around the same number of people. When i made my reservation, the restaurant was fully booked due to a corporate function but they made concessions since i only needed 2 seats.Decor wise, minimal is best for this place but i'm quite pleased with the simple and clean approach used.
My choice of starter was the foie gras as usual. For the price, i'm surprised at how big a portion the foie gras was. In short, this would easily have cost more then $30 on ala carte given the size. Quality wise, it was also a surprise since the Xeres vinegar and red onions actually managed to enhance the taste of the foie gras by adding a sourish and sweet taste. The spinach also managed to neutralize the oily taste somewhat. However, make no mistake, this is still a sinful and oily dish but one thats done well in both quality and quantity.
My gf had this soup and i had a taste, i can't remember what vegetable it was but i can tell you it tasted fresh, sweet and appetising.
Half dozen baked Burgundy snails with tomato and garlic butter - Feeling a little adventurous, we ordered an addtional serving for appetiser which was these little critters you see here. Snails. First off, i've never tasted these things before and was warned that they come with a weird and sometimes pungent smell when done wrong. However, this rendition i tried was optimistic. The tomato and garlic butter was baked well into the dish and managed to cover the pungent taste. There was still a hint of the slimey texture of the snail but otherwise, the majority of the taste went to the garlic butter. It was quite alright actually.
Filet de boeuf sauce moutarde et herbes fraîches - Pan seared beef tenderloin of about 150gm served with mashed potato mustard and herb sauce. The beef itself was a little overcooked on the sides but got better towards the middle since my order was for medium rare. The meat near the middle was tender and succulent with a generous smattering of juiciness. The herb sauce fared pretty well but bordered on being too salty. Mashed potato was excellent, supremely smooth and easy on the palate but some may find it too milky.
Guinea fowl and pork sausage served with melted cabbage and bacon, brown jus - My gf's dish, i only had a small taste of this but i found it salty and sourish. Not exactly something i would like. For the record, my gf didn't like this much either.
Fondant chaud au chocolat - Ah....fondants. Something i would soon stop ordering since i now know how to make it myself. Their rendition was pretty good, nice and crispy on the outside while warm suitably flowing on the inside. The chocolate is just right, not too sweet nor too bitter. This went well with the chocolate sorbet but horribly with the reddish fruit (i suspect raspberry).
“Mont-Blanc” vanilla ice cream, chestnut purée and meringue - Well, this didn't go too well. Being my first mont blanc and all, the vanilla ice cream was the only thing passable while the chestnut puree tasted like sweetened yam. Utterly disappointed given the rather flashy name.
Hazelnut tart with orange marmalade and vanilla “Crème Anglaise” - Another disappointment in the dessert department, this hazelnut tart was once again, rather lacklustre in weird in the taste department. Its also warm and the thing that looks like ice cream isn't. It tastes like orange cream and didn't go well with the tart at all.
Total bill came up to $131 for this meal.
In the end, the meal was still satisfactory even though one main dish and 2 of its desserts were rather lacklustre. Service was excellent while the relaxed atmosphere would have been complete if the corporate event was not ongoing while we were there. I did realise that all of the dishes that didn't live up to standard came from the $30 lunch menu while the $58 lunch menu was generally better in standard and taste. Maybe a difference in price means a difference in quality?
My family have been patronising this chicken rice stall for many years, ever since I was young, up till now. True that the prices of chicken rice at Chinatown Complex are somewhat similar, due to the competitiveness. But what sets this stall apart from the rest is that, they offer traditional Cantonese soups for their customers too. Unlike most other stalls that you can find art hawker centres, coffee shops and food courts that offer soups that tastes almost the same, Tai Weng Chicken Rice stall is truly unique as they really make the effort to come up with different soups all the time. That’s what keep us coming back to this stall for more!!
Well, every time I visit Chinatown for my family's makan session, it won't be complete without a visit to 115 Dessert Stall. This stall may look simple and the choices might not be as varied as those from your typical foodcourt. But by looking at the crowd of middle-age and elderly customers, it's a sure sign that this dessert stall is a "lao zhi hao". Don't play play, as other desserts stall around Chinatown Complex pales in comparison when it comes to 115 Dessert Stall. Don't believe me, go and try their desserts. You'll be on cloud nine after eating a bowl of their desserts!!
I was here once for a farewell dinner. Recommended dishes are Oatmeal prawns and the sweet and sour fish. It's also famous for its buffet.
Went there for a second time as a friend was holding a wedding dinner there. The food arrived in a timely order. The food for the wedding seem to taste better.
The overall ambience for this place can be rather old since it has been there for quite some time. It isn't that big for more than 30 tables. I had to squeeze myself each time I tried to leave my table. It is suitable for a small wedding though.
On normal days, the tables are not so close together.
My 1st visit there on a Tuesday evening at 7pm with a gf who's a regular, there was a queue forming outside the entrance.
While waiting she was telling me to try the Hamburger Steak, we waited for 10mins and was offered barcounter seat.
We ordered the Hamburger steak and escargots. The escargots was served w fire, wow... my 1st time to see such a way of serving.. V entertaining and delicious too.
The Hamburger stead was good too, with a sunny up on top.
(4gotten to take pics, was busy eating rite away after being served :))
When the dinner crowd starts to leave around 9, we asked for a window seat and order the brownie with ice cream. (Finally remb to take a pic of it).
I wasn't a brownie fans, but it's not as rich and harden which I have eaten somewhere else.
I think the best part of this place is the check out bill, a tag with a key, just like a hotel room. hahahaha... If you have been there, you know what i mean. (see pic)
The service staff is nice and environment is comfortable.
The Singapore Flyer is touted as the world’s largest observation wheel, even higher than London Eye. Our nation’s pride. Minor breakdowns before were already ominous signals that a catastrophe will happen one day. Alas, the dreadful thing finally struck. How the mighty has fallen. The management should have already looked into and made backup plans, but it failed anyway. Now, time for us to do some self-reflections and damage-recovery.
While the flyer remains closed for investigations, the ones to suffer the backslash are the restaurants and other tenents. Senso Bistro, is coming up with a 50% promotion off all their a la carte menu from now until the flyer starts operating (date unknown yet).
The natural vibe of the restaurant, with its simple layout and decorations, provided a good place for either a causal lunch, or nice dinner without burning a hole in the pocket.
Not to mention there’s also al fresco dining, which would be ideal for dinner, with the sea breeze and eating under the stars making it a romantic affair.
The waiter kindly asked us whether we’ll like some garlic bread ($4) while waiting, but he failed to mention it’s not free. Naturally when he offered us bread i thought it was complimentary. There’s no free lunch in this world. All right, it’s not so much about the money, we are talking about principle, like shouldn’t they at least inform us the bread wasn’t complimentary? Next time, don’t be shy, ask!
With ten selections to choose from the Pizze menu, we were spoilt for choices. To be on the safe side, we went for the popular Hawaiian ($18 before 50% discount). The paper-thin pizza was huge, with eight slices easily filling up the four of us. The ingredients of pineapple, cooked ham were very generous. The only gripe? I lamented the fact that the pizza did not have enough mozzarella cheese. Still, with the promotion, it’s definitely a steal at just under ten bucks. It made the one I’ve at Galbiati looked pathetic.
Grilled tuna loin coated in fresh herbs. The Tonno ($24 before 50% discount) was a disappointment really. The fish was over-cooked, making the meat too dry and hard. I liked the side vegetables that came with it, lightly stir-fried, the greens were crunchy and fresh.
When asked to choose between the T-bone steak and veal loin, the manager recommended the latter for the delicate taste and tender texture. Veal loin is the meat of calves, and at Bistro Senso, the pan-fried veal loin scaloppine ($24 before discount) can be done in three different methods. Ours were ‘alla Pizzaiola’ with tomato and mozzarella cheese. The whole taste was like having a steak-pizza. A refreshing combination, but the meat was not tender enough, and came across as too tough. And since we had pizza already, now i’m wishing i chose the other method of breaded and golden crispy instead.
And how can we not have any pasta from an Italian bistro? The Ravioli ($18 before 50% discount) was essentially lobster and crab pasta served with assorted seafood ragout in tomato and basil sauce. This was actually my first time having a ravioli pasta. The tomato and basil sauce was flavourful and strong in taste. The prawns and squids were fresh, but to be frank, I didn’t quite enjoy ravioli. I still preferred my pasta to be spaghetti or linguine. Personal taste.
I was eagerly anticipating the desserts, well most people would find tiramisu ($8 before 50% discount) boring and chose some other interesting options. But there was no way I’m going to miss out trying the popular Italian dessert from an Italiano joint. The mascarpone cream was too light, and the espresso taste was not strong.
Another famous Italian dessert, Pannacotta ($8 before 50% discount). The bouncy texture was evident, but i couldn’t figure out what’s in the double cream flan. The raspberry coulis did provided a contrast with the pannacotta.
The last one, Creme brulee ($8 before 50% discount). The oven-baked egg custard of the Italian dessert did taste rather like our Chinese egg tarts. The caramelised sugar on top of the dessert wasn’t burned enough, and lacked the torched burnt taste.
Total bill was $65.91 for 4 person after a 50% discount. Although i wasn’t very impressed with the food, but with the promotional prices, the food is really cheap! The pizzas and pastas are like 9 bucks each, and the main course 12 bucks. The soothing ambience with the inexpensive price means that you should visit Senso Bistro before the Singapore Flyer reopens. Talk about patriotism, and national pride.
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!
Had another bout of craving for Thai food but didn't fancy spending too much due to the economic downturn so dropped by Jai Thai for a simple no frills dinner with my folks. Jai, which means heart in English, is touted as the most value for money Thai restaurant in Singapore.
Located in the rather secluded private estate of Jalan Pemimpin in the Thomson/Sin Ming area, Jai Thai operates out of a rather spacious shophouse but provides very limited parking spaces. The interior is kept simple and unassuming with cheap wooden tables and chairs and Chinese tunes playing in the background. There is of course the obligatory photos of the Thai royal family.
Tom Yum Soup - To be honest, I didn't quite take to the tom yum soup because it wasn't the clear and hard hitting sourish spicy type that I personally prefer. Instead, it had lots of chilli flakes and came across as only mildly sourish and watery. Good for people who don't like their soup too extreme I guess. On the upside, it came with fried fish pieces, squid and prawns which were relatively fresh.
Thai Fish Cake - At $1.50 a piece, the fish cake was decent. Not the best I've tried but very palatable. Just that I found it a wee bit too soft for my liking.
Pineapple Fried Rice - Evenly fried and decent tasting but on the dry side. Miserable bits of chicken and chicken floss donned the top. However at $6 for a 2 pax portion, I guess its still acceptable.
Kai Lan with Oyster Sauce - How bad can kai lan with oyster sauce get? Average tasting but at least the leaves didn't have worm holes in it - something that usually plagues alot of budget eateries. I did find the oyster sauce a little excessive though.
Pandan Chicken - This was probably the best dish of the day. Big chunks of boneless chicken meat well marinated and fragrant to boot. Very worth the price ($5) but watch out for the excessive oil.
Mango Pudding - At $1.50, I honestly didn't expect much. The pudding's texture was more like jelly then pudding and came topped with coconut milk. Edible but not something I would order again.
Mango Sticky Rice - The rice was smooth, sticky and sweet at the same time with the generous mango slices mildy sweet and sour. A drizzle of coconut milk atop completed the picture with the whole dish coming across as sweet, creamy with a light sourish tinge. Quite good I must say.
I would say $30 for a filling dinner for 3 pax is really a steal. Food quality is decent but service needs to buck up a little as the wait staff do seem a little inefficient. For the price, I would definitely be better off eating here then at Thai Express and the likes.
Situated at United Square, one can locate Fiesta Brasilia hidden at the corner on the basement level beside Brauhaus Restaurant & Pub and McDonalds.
Started by one of co-founders of Brazil Churrascaria along Sixth Avenue and his partner, what sets this restaurant apart from the rest of the Brazilian meat buffet outlets is their casual setting and festive atmosphere, although a nice private dining area is also available.
Dinner was kick-started by the Cheese Bread, which was something different and interesting – it had a nice cheesy flavour accompanied by a lovely chewy texture. Only drawback was that it was served cold – perhaps so that one can enjoy the cheesy taste better.
HFB found the Pumpkin Soup to be mild-flavoured, and also thought it was strange it inclined towards saltiness rather than sweet-flavoured, but he truly enjoyed the accompanied Garlic Bread which he thought was crustily delicious.
HFB then proceed for some salads, and cooked items that also included pasta that one can be ordered off the pasta bar. Voiced your pasta and sauce selection to the chef behind the counter and it will be served right to your table once it is prepared.
While the Cream Sauce Pasta was nothing memorable, the Tomato-based version came al dente and the sauce was surprisingly not too bad amidst the lacked of ingredients.
The first item off from the Passadors, or meat-wielding waiters in Portuguese, was the Snow Fish. The snow fish has a nice firm texture and HFB readily indulged in the nicely charred exterior. However, one had to be careful while eating it as it contains bones within.
The Roast Chicken was a joy to behold – the meat was succulent and the crispy layer of skin was something to die for – this is a MUST TRY!
The Tenderloin wrapped with Bacon though could be better executed – the meat was slightly tough – similar to my experience with Vibe.
The Roast Lamb though was something out of the ordinary with a hint of peppermint flavour, although one may find it slightly gamy.
HFB was pretty impressed by the Rump Steak; known to shrivelled when roasted or grilled, it was surprisingly juicy despite it’s lacked of fats.
A few tiny shaves of Honey Roasted Ham revealed a nicely roasted exterior and a sweet tasty bite – something comfy from everyone’s favourite ham.
The Baby Beef, which HFB assumed it to be from a baby calf, was just as brilliant – it was scrumptiously moist and tender and HFB would definitely have more of it if it weren’t for the fact that there was still the Topside Beef Steak to go.
Medium rare was the way the topside beef was prepared and the requested thinly sliced beef was deftly carve from the skewer. It was truly a nice piece of meat to savour and HFB definitely didn’t regret one bit to save some space in his tummy for it.
There were a couple of meats to go but one surely could not leave this place without having the Mövenpick Ice Cream and Cheese Platter served at the dessert corner.
And if you are above 18, do also give the Caipirinha, Brazil’s national aperitif a try! Made with Cachaça, Sugar and Lime – have a few sip and enjoy a festive mood with the passadors who will not hesitate to swap their skewers for some percussion instruments and a douse of samba music.
Fiesta Brasilia is definitely the place for a fun, loud and crazy night out with your peers!
My dad brought me to this place. Its situated in the junction between the new (JP2) and old (JP1), at the basement.
Its looks just like any other jap restaurant, however, I was surprised after I stepped in.
Busy and noisy as usual with the loud welcomes and grateful Goodbyes..... However, I find this restaurant pretty interesting. They do have some seats in the front and as you walk further in, there are a couple of tables of actual tappenyaki setting. The japanese looking china man did an excellently good job in contributing to the jap feel of the place with their stern and clean looking faces as well as steady nimble hands.
We set down and I ordered a teriyaki chicken set meal. Dad ordered a seafood meal, which interestingly comprises of 3 medium sized prawns, some nice fleshy scallops as well as salmon fish and some squid.... All set meals come with miso soup, some veg, garlic rice and oranges which are ooohh so sweet.
In order to keep ourselves clean, the waiters put on these neat looking paper aprons on you the moment you are seated. I am pretty delighted with this gesture. The cooking was entertaining and interestingly they serve all their food on top of garlic bread..... which i felt was fun and yummy.
The garlic bread tastes great and there was no sense of hush in the shop.... The omelates or pizzas they call were great too.... They come in a few flavours, such as seafood, chicken, etc and have a good serving of cabbage which is healthy by me. Really hearty and looks yummy. The other stuffs on the menu are great too and price is average.
I reappeared smelling ok and no stains on my white polo... So i give this shop 4 thumbs up. I'm definitely going back to try again. :) See you there......
1=SGD 0.0587
Previously, my family had always bought from the porridge stall right opposite Kee Lin Beef Kway Teow stall. But when the porridge stall started increasing their prices, we ate from Kee Lin Beef Kway Teow and wasn't disappointed in our choice. The prices are affordable and the chilli sauce goes very well with the beef. And we definitely have to go to this stall for breakfast whenever we are eating at Chinatown Complex. The shop owners are also friendly and I'm positively sure that most readers will know that Kee Lin Beef Kway Teow was recommended in newspapers before too.
Rating given:
Au petit salut is helmed by chef Patrick Steuberger from Switzerland. Having garnered various experiences overseas in multiple countries and various michellin star chefs as tutors, Patrick returned to Au petit salut as executive chef in 2005. With such an impressive resume, its no wonder the restaurant was introduced to me by my boss.However, i maintain that reputation remains as reputation until put to the actual taste test. How will it fare i wonder?
Upon entering, you will find that the restaurant exudes a form of rustic charm for its location and the design of it exterior. Seemingly a colonial building that has yet to be teared down and located in the deep recesses of a mildly wooded enclave, its like stepping back in time to a less busy era where life was a little less complicated. In short, i felt relaxed the moment i parked my car.
The restaurant is a rather intimate affair with the interior seating about 30-40 people and the al fresco section seating around the same number of people. When i made my reservation, the restaurant was fully booked due to a corporate function but they made concessions since i only needed 2 seats.Decor wise, minimal is best for this place but i'm quite pleased with the simple and clean approach used.
The restaurant is a rather intimate affair with the interior seating about 30-40 people and the al fresco section seating around the same number of people. When i made my reservation, the restaurant was fully booked due to a corporate function but they made concessions since i only needed 2 seats.Decor wise, minimal is best for this place but i'm quite pleased with the simple and clean approach used.
My choice of starter was the foie gras as usual. For the price, i'm surprised at how big a portion the foie gras was. In short, this would easily have cost more then $30 on ala carte given the size. Quality wise, it was also a surprise since the Xeres vinegar and red onions actually managed to enhance the taste of the foie gras by adding a sourish and sweet taste. The spinach also managed to neutralize the oily taste somewhat. However, make no mistake, this is still a sinful and oily dish but one thats done well in both quality and quantity.
My gf had this soup and i had a taste, i can't remember what vegetable it was but i can tell you it tasted fresh, sweet and appetising.
Half dozen baked Burgundy snails with tomato and garlic butter - Feeling a little adventurous, we ordered an addtional serving for appetiser which was these little critters you see here. Snails. First off, i've never tasted these things before and was warned that they come with a weird and sometimes pungent smell when done wrong. However, this rendition i tried was optimistic. The tomato and garlic butter was baked well into the dish and managed to cover the pungent taste. There was still a hint of the slimey texture of the snail but otherwise, the majority of the taste went to the garlic butter. It was quite alright actually.
Filet de boeuf sauce moutarde et herbes fraîches - Pan seared beef tenderloin of about 150gm served with mashed potato mustard and herb sauce. The beef itself was a little overcooked on the sides but got better towards the middle since my order was for medium rare. The meat near the middle was tender and succulent with a generous smattering of juiciness. The herb sauce fared pretty well but bordered on being too salty. Mashed potato was excellent, supremely smooth and easy on the palate but some may find it too milky.
Guinea fowl and pork sausage served with melted cabbage and bacon, brown jus - My gf's dish, i only had a small taste of this but i found it salty and sourish. Not exactly something i would like. For the record, my gf didn't like this much either.
Fondant chaud au chocolat - Ah....fondants. Something i would soon stop ordering since i now know how to make it myself. Their rendition was pretty good, nice and crispy on the outside while warm suitably flowing on the inside. The chocolate is just right, not too sweet nor too bitter. This went well with the chocolate sorbet but horribly with the reddish fruit (i suspect raspberry).
“Mont-Blanc” vanilla ice cream, chestnut purée and meringue - Well, this didn't go too well. Being my first mont blanc and all, the vanilla ice cream was the only thing passable while the chestnut puree tasted like sweetened yam. Utterly disappointed given the rather flashy name.
Hazelnut tart with orange marmalade and vanilla “Crème Anglaise” - Another disappointment in the dessert department, this hazelnut tart was once again, rather lacklustre in weird in the taste department. Its also warm and the thing that looks like ice cream isn't. It tastes like orange cream and didn't go well with the tart at all.
Total bill came up to $131 for this meal.
In the end, the meal was still satisfactory even though one main dish and 2 of its desserts were rather lacklustre. Service was excellent while the relaxed atmosphere would have been complete if the corporate event was not ongoing while we were there. I did realise that all of the dishes that didn't live up to standard came from the $30 lunch menu while the $58 lunch menu was generally better in standard and taste. Maybe a difference in price means a difference in quality?
Rating given:
My family have been patronising this chicken rice stall for many years, ever since I was young, up till now. True that the prices of chicken rice at Chinatown Complex are somewhat similar, due to the competitiveness. But what sets this stall apart from the rest is that, they offer traditional Cantonese soups for their customers too. Unlike most other stalls that you can find art hawker centres, coffee shops and food courts that offer soups that tastes almost the same, Tai Weng Chicken Rice stall is truly unique as they really make the effort to come up with different soups all the time. That’s what keep us coming back to this stall for more!!
Rating given:
Well, every time I visit Chinatown for my family's makan session, it won't be complete without a visit to 115 Dessert Stall. This stall may look simple and the choices might not be as varied as those from your typical foodcourt. But by looking at the crowd of middle-age and elderly customers, it's a sure sign that this dessert stall is a "lao zhi hao". Don't play play, as other desserts stall around Chinatown Complex pales in comparison when it comes to 115 Dessert Stall. Don't believe me, go and try their desserts. You'll be on cloud nine after eating a bowl of their desserts!!
Rating given:
I was here once for a farewell dinner. Recommended dishes are Oatmeal prawns and the sweet and sour fish. It's also famous for its buffet.
Went there for a second time as a friend was holding a wedding dinner there. The food arrived in a timely order. The food for the wedding seem to taste better.
The overall ambience for this place can be rather old since it has been there for quite some time. It isn't that big for more than 30 tables. I had to squeeze myself each time I tried to leave my table. It is suitable for a small wedding though.
On normal days, the tables are not so close together.
Rating given:
My 1st visit there on a Tuesday evening at 7pm with a gf who's a regular, there was a queue forming outside the entrance.
While waiting she was telling me to try the Hamburger Steak, we waited for 10mins and was offered barcounter seat.
We ordered the Hamburger steak and escargots. The escargots was served w fire, wow... my 1st time to see such a way of serving.. V entertaining and delicious too.
The Hamburger stead was good too, with a sunny up on top.
(4gotten to take pics, was busy eating rite away after being served :))
When the dinner crowd starts to leave around 9, we asked for a window seat and order the brownie with ice cream. (Finally remb to take a pic of it).
I wasn't a brownie fans, but it's not as rich and harden which I have eaten somewhere else.
I think the best part of this place is the check out bill, a tag with a key, just like a hotel room. hahahaha... If you have been there, you know what i mean. (see pic)
The service staff is nice and environment is comfortable.
Worth to go again. :)
Rating given:
The Singapore Flyer is touted as the world’s largest observation wheel, even higher than London Eye. Our nation’s pride. Minor breakdowns before were already ominous signals that a catastrophe will happen one day. Alas, the dreadful thing finally struck. How the mighty has fallen. The management should have already looked into and made backup plans, but it failed anyway. Now, time for us to do some self-reflections and damage-recovery.
While the flyer remains closed for investigations, the ones to suffer the backslash are the restaurants and other tenents. Senso Bistro, is coming up with a 50% promotion off all their a la carte menu from now until the flyer starts operating (date unknown yet).
The natural vibe of the restaurant, with its simple layout and decorations, provided a good place for either a causal lunch, or nice dinner without burning a hole in the pocket.
Not to mention there’s also al fresco dining, which would be ideal for dinner, with the sea breeze and eating under the stars making it a romantic affair.
The waiter kindly asked us whether we’ll like some garlic bread ($4) while waiting, but he failed to mention it’s not free. Naturally when he offered us bread i thought it was complimentary. There’s no free lunch in this world. All right, it’s not so much about the money, we are talking about principle, like shouldn’t they at least inform us the bread wasn’t complimentary? Next time, don’t be shy, ask!
With ten selections to choose from the Pizze menu, we were spoilt for choices. To be on the safe side, we went for the popular Hawaiian ($18 before 50% discount). The paper-thin pizza was huge, with eight slices easily filling up the four of us. The ingredients of pineapple, cooked ham were very generous. The only gripe? I lamented the fact that the pizza did not have enough mozzarella cheese. Still, with the promotion, it’s definitely a steal at just under ten bucks. It made the one I’ve at Galbiati looked pathetic.
Grilled tuna loin coated in fresh herbs. The Tonno ($24 before 50% discount) was a disappointment really. The fish was over-cooked, making the meat too dry and hard. I liked the side vegetables that came with it, lightly stir-fried, the greens were crunchy and fresh.
When asked to choose between the T-bone steak and veal loin, the manager recommended the latter for the delicate taste and tender texture. Veal loin is the meat of calves, and at Bistro Senso, the pan-fried veal loin scaloppine ($24 before discount) can be done in three different methods. Ours were ‘alla Pizzaiola’ with tomato and mozzarella cheese. The whole taste was like having a steak-pizza. A refreshing combination, but the meat was not tender enough, and came across as too tough. And since we had pizza already, now i’m wishing i chose the other method of breaded and golden crispy instead.
And how can we not have any pasta from an Italian bistro? The Ravioli ($18 before 50% discount) was essentially lobster and crab pasta served with assorted seafood ragout in tomato and basil sauce. This was actually my first time having a ravioli pasta. The tomato and basil sauce was flavourful and strong in taste. The prawns and squids were fresh, but to be frank, I didn’t quite enjoy ravioli. I still preferred my pasta to be spaghetti or linguine. Personal taste.
I was eagerly anticipating the desserts, well most people would find tiramisu ($8 before 50% discount) boring and chose some other interesting options. But there was no way I’m going to miss out trying the popular Italian dessert from an Italiano joint. The mascarpone cream was too light, and the espresso taste was not strong.
Another famous Italian dessert, Pannacotta ($8 before 50% discount). The bouncy texture was evident, but i couldn’t figure out what’s in the double cream flan. The raspberry coulis did provided a contrast with the pannacotta.
The last one, Creme brulee ($8 before 50% discount). The oven-baked egg custard of the Italian dessert did taste rather like our Chinese egg tarts. The caramelised sugar on top of the dessert wasn’t burned enough, and lacked the torched burnt taste.
Total bill was $65.91 for 4 person after a 50% discount. Although i wasn’t very impressed with the food, but with the promotional prices, the food is really cheap! The pizzas and pastas are like 9 bucks each, and the main course 12 bucks. The soothing ambience with the inexpensive price means that you should visit Senso Bistro before the Singapore Flyer reopens. Talk about patriotism, and national pride.
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!
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Had another bout of craving for Thai food but didn't fancy spending too much due to the economic downturn so dropped by Jai Thai for a simple no frills dinner with my folks. Jai, which means heart in English, is touted as the most value for money Thai restaurant in Singapore.
Located in the rather secluded private estate of Jalan Pemimpin in the Thomson/Sin Ming area, Jai Thai operates out of a rather spacious shophouse but provides very limited parking spaces. The interior is kept simple and unassuming with cheap wooden tables and chairs and Chinese tunes playing in the background. There is of course the obligatory photos of the Thai royal family.
Tom Yum Soup - To be honest, I didn't quite take to the tom yum soup because it wasn't the clear and hard hitting sourish spicy type that I personally prefer. Instead, it had lots of chilli flakes and came across as only mildly sourish and watery. Good for people who don't like their soup too extreme I guess. On the upside, it came with fried fish pieces, squid and prawns which were relatively fresh.
Thai Fish Cake - At $1.50 a piece, the fish cake was decent. Not the best I've tried but very palatable. Just that I found it a wee bit too soft for my liking.
Pineapple Fried Rice - Evenly fried and decent tasting but on the dry side. Miserable bits of chicken and chicken floss donned the top. However at $6 for a 2 pax portion, I guess its still acceptable.
Kai Lan with Oyster Sauce - How bad can kai lan with oyster sauce get? Average tasting but at least the leaves didn't have worm holes in it - something that usually plagues alot of budget eateries. I did find the oyster sauce a little excessive though.
Pandan Chicken - This was probably the best dish of the day. Big chunks of boneless chicken meat well marinated and fragrant to boot. Very worth the price ($5) but watch out for the excessive oil.
Mango Pudding - At $1.50, I honestly didn't expect much. The pudding's texture was more like jelly then pudding and came topped with coconut milk. Edible but not something I would order again.
Mango Sticky Rice - The rice was smooth, sticky and sweet at the same time with the generous mango slices mildy sweet and sour. A drizzle of coconut milk atop completed the picture with the whole dish coming across as sweet, creamy with a light sourish tinge. Quite good I must say.
I would say $30 for a filling dinner for 3 pax is really a steal. Food quality is decent but service needs to buck up a little as the wait staff do seem a little inefficient. For the price, I would definitely be better off eating here then at Thai Express and the likes.
See all my pictures here.
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Situated at United Square, one can locate Fiesta Brasilia hidden at the corner on the basement level beside Brauhaus Restaurant & Pub and McDonalds.
Started by one of co-founders of Brazil Churrascaria along Sixth Avenue and his partner, what sets this restaurant apart from the rest of the Brazilian meat buffet outlets is their casual setting and festive atmosphere, although a nice private dining area is also available.
Dinner was kick-started by the Cheese Bread, which was something different and interesting – it had a nice cheesy flavour accompanied by a lovely chewy texture. Only drawback was that it was served cold – perhaps so that one can enjoy the cheesy taste better.
HFB found the Pumpkin Soup to be mild-flavoured, and also thought it was strange it inclined towards saltiness rather than sweet-flavoured, but he truly enjoyed the accompanied Garlic Bread which he thought was crustily delicious.
HFB then proceed for some salads, and cooked items that also included pasta that one can be ordered off the pasta bar. Voiced your pasta and sauce selection to the chef behind the counter and it will be served right to your table once it is prepared.
While the Cream Sauce Pasta was nothing memorable, the Tomato-based version came al dente and the sauce was surprisingly not too bad amidst the lacked of ingredients.
The first item off from the Passadors, or meat-wielding waiters in Portuguese, was the Snow Fish. The snow fish has a nice firm texture and HFB readily indulged in the nicely charred exterior. However, one had to be careful while eating it as it contains bones within.
The Roast Chicken was a joy to behold – the meat was succulent and the crispy layer of skin was something to die for – this is a MUST TRY!
The Tenderloin wrapped with Bacon though could be better executed – the meat was slightly tough – similar to my experience with Vibe.
The Roast Lamb though was something out of the ordinary with a hint of peppermint flavour, although one may find it slightly gamy.
HFB was pretty impressed by the Rump Steak; known to shrivelled when roasted or grilled, it was surprisingly juicy despite it’s lacked of fats.
A few tiny shaves of Honey Roasted Ham revealed a nicely roasted exterior and a sweet tasty bite – something comfy from everyone’s favourite ham.
The Baby Beef, which HFB assumed it to be from a baby calf, was just as brilliant – it was scrumptiously moist and tender and HFB would definitely have more of it if it weren’t for the fact that there was still the Topside Beef Steak to go.
Medium rare was the way the topside beef was prepared and the requested thinly sliced beef was deftly carve from the skewer. It was truly a nice piece of meat to savour and HFB definitely didn’t regret one bit to save some space in his tummy for it.
There were a couple of meats to go but one surely could not leave this place without having the Mövenpick Ice Cream and Cheese Platter served at the dessert corner.
And if you are above 18, do also give the Caipirinha, Brazil’s national aperitif a try! Made with Cachaça, Sugar and Lime – have a few sip and enjoy a festive mood with the passadors who will not hesitate to swap their skewers for some percussion instruments and a douse of samba music.
Fiesta Brasilia is definitely the place for a fun, loud and crazy night out with your peers!
You can view all the photos here.
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My dad brought me to this place. Its situated in the junction between the new (JP2) and old (JP1), at the basement.
Its looks just like any other jap restaurant, however, I was surprised after I stepped in.
Busy and noisy as usual with the loud welcomes and grateful Goodbyes..... However, I find this restaurant pretty interesting. They do have some seats in the front and as you walk further in, there are a couple of tables of actual tappenyaki setting. The japanese looking china man did an excellently good job in contributing to the jap feel of the place with their stern and clean looking faces as well as steady nimble hands.
We set down and I ordered a teriyaki chicken set meal. Dad ordered a seafood meal, which interestingly comprises of 3 medium sized prawns, some nice fleshy scallops as well as salmon fish and some squid.... All set meals come with miso soup, some veg, garlic rice and oranges which are ooohh so sweet.
In order to keep ourselves clean, the waiters put on these neat looking paper aprons on you the moment you are seated. I am pretty delighted with this gesture. The cooking was entertaining and interestingly they serve all their food on top of garlic bread..... which i felt was fun and yummy.
The garlic bread tastes great and there was no sense of hush in the shop.... The omelates or pizzas they call were great too.... They come in a few flavours, such as seafood, chicken, etc and have a good serving of cabbage which is healthy by me. Really hearty and looks yummy. The other stuffs on the menu are great too and price is average.
I reappeared smelling ok and no stains on my white polo... So i give this shop 4 thumbs up. I'm definitely going back to try again. :) See you there......
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