heard alot of this place but never maanged to drop by till yesterday. As I had my meal elsewhere with my friend prior to adjourning here, I did not get to have a sample of the main courses that they serve. Instead I went for a simple dessert and a cup of long black coffee. The dessert I ordered was named "Banatica". Bascially its caramelised banana slices with a few scoops of ice-cream served in a tall glass.
The taste of the dessert was not bad thou a bit tad too sweet for my liking. As for the coffee, it was just average but was good for that moment as it helped to complement the over-sweetness of my dessert. Overall I find that the dessert is quite alright. Next time, I will try to get a taste of the other foods there.
Was out for a birthday celebration for Andrew when he suggested having some dim sum which he had much positive feedback about. The idea was to find something affordable and tasty and he brought me and our mutual friend Mandy to Imperial in Takashimaya for the meal. According to him, its always packed, has great food and are at loggerheads with rival restaurant chain Crystal Jade. All the above is speculation by the way, nothing to back it up whatsoever.
In terms of the decor, the place is decked in slick, dark and contrasting colors to provide a high end feel to the place. The seats are available in 2 varieties, a pseudo al fresco open dining concept and a compartmentalized seating to maximize space. Both were thankfully spacious and accessible. Service wise, the place was decent. Attendants are attentive when there's less people, but as the crowd grows, so does their attention span. So be warned. Also, as the crowd increases, you get the feeling that they're trying to shoo you out once you've finished. Minor gripes but worth noting still.
Yam Puff ($3.30) - The yam puff is aesthetically pleasing but ultimately lacks bite. In fact, the consensus is that it sadly lacks taste. To be blunt and to the point, not recommended to try.
Deep Fried Beancurd Skin ($4.20) - Their rendition was pretty decent, full of shrimp, fish paste and chopped carrots deep fried to a nice crispy golden brown before being served. Whats not to like about it?
Siew Mai ($4) - Their siew mai came in generous portions and are bigger then usual. However, it also comes with a pretty strong meat and pork taste which may not be appealing to everyone. For example, i for one didn't like it too much.
Carrot Cake ($3.30) - The carrot cake is nicely done in my opinion, hot and fresh with little bits of lap cheong embedded in with bits of mushrooms. The result is a surpringly fragrant and sweet carrot cake reminiscent of Crystal Jade's rendition. Still, it is on the oily side as usual.
Pork Rib ($3.50) - Didn't have any of this at all. The impression from my friend was that it was ok though.
Stir Fried Mixed Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce ($14 for 2 plates) - Andrew's utmost recommendation is also one of the more expensive items. The stir fried mushrooms are a rather simple dish really. Majority of the taste came from the oyster sauce instead of the mushrooms but there's just enough sweetness to make it good. Filled with hoshimeiji, golden mushroom and enoki mushrooms, its an ideal treat for mushroom lovers. Look out for the price tag though.
Xiao Long Bao ($3.60) - Their rendition of Xiao Long Bao was passable but only just. The pork taste was too much and the soup wasn't really tasty as well. Not to mention the rather fragile skin which broke easily. More work needed here for sure.
Steamed Shrimp Rice Roll ($5.20) - Their steamed rice roll was a little too thick for my liking. Otherwise, the shrimp were crunchy, sweet and fresh while the soy sauce was adequate without being overwhelming.
Prawn Dumpling With Salad Dip ($8.40 for 2) - I'd say this was the star of the day actually. Sweet, juicy and bursting with flavor. The hot dish had the 3 of us going for seconds and still feeling there can be more. To be picky, it is still an oily dish but hey, i'd gladly have another. Do note, its only average but its good enough to recommend to eat when you're here.
Roasted Pork ($8) - Another recommended dish by Andrew, the pork here pales in comparison to Royal China, but of course, the price is different as well. The sad part is that the skin isn't as crispy as it should be and the meat lacked bite. The rest was salvaged by the mustard sauce which covered everything else up so that it was actually pretty good in the end.
BBQ Pork Pastry ($3.30) - Like the buns, the pastry was average at best. The bbq pork was sweet and filling but the pastry and bun were too thick. The pastry was also not fragrant enough, probably due to the lack of butter.
Custurd Bun ($3.60) - I love custard buns actually so i'm rather biased on this. This bun however, needs improvement as well. The bun itself is alright, fluffy and light but the custard inside is of the watery variety and was overly sweet. It was sweet to the point it felt like eating sugar syrup. Even my friends couldn't find it in them to like it and this was actually my order.
Egg Tarts ($3) - Well, these egg tarts weren't anything to shout about. Dry and practically tasteless. I'd say they need to really work on the recipe for the pastry and the filling.
The final bill for 3 people at a semi decent dim sum session accrued to $92.39. About $31 each. Reasonable bill but the quality can definately improve.
Its not that the food is bad here. In fact, it was decent. Service was prompt. Selection was plentiful. Ambiance was acceptable. The problem is the quality of the food and the fact that with the same amount, we could have eaten in Royal China or even Yan Ting. (Yan Ting no longer has ala carte as of this post. They have a buffet selection at $68 per head now) Still, i think the company made the meal most enjoyable and there's nothing like a good get together of friends to catch up on their lives. And that is what's really important.
Being the little blue collar worker that i am, its only natural that i have less lavish lunches and meals as the economy falls like a cut pendulum. Its a sign of times and a sign of my diminishing pay check that brought me to consider cheaper meals but of course, i'm exaggerating a little here. The truth is, it was a boring work day and i was once again at Simei for lunch alone which thus prompted me to have something more economical. And this will be discussed below.
Lets talk about the bill first today, first of all, its not expensive. Costs only a mere $4.50 for a tempura set lunch with drink. The store itself is an open concept with generic plastic tables and chairs and the ordering system is reminiscent of fast food chains. You place your order at the counter, pay and take a seat. The selection of food is a decent variety of korean hot pots and japanese bento sets. Everything's fine so far.
Still, the actual set had me taken aback actually. No fries, a very small rice ball and a few fried potatos, fish and chicken. Thats it. The rice is especially saddening since its supposed to be the only thing to fill you up but its too little for anyone i suppose. The fried items were obviously oily as well. Taste wise, without the white sauce which tastes like a mix between tartar sauce and mayonaise, it would have been difficult to finish.
Perhaps i'm too harsh or i've ordered the wrong stuff, after all, many people patronize this place during lunch. In fact, it actually seems to be quite popular but they all had the Korean hot pot meals which i simply cannot take. My verdict? The place doesn't cost much and the hot pot seems popular, maybe its worth another try for hot pot lovers. I emphasize "maybe" here. So take your own risks.
After passing by this place a few times, I had to try it. The wait wasn't long as we entered just before the crowd started. We were shown to a table near the window.
I was rather disappointed by the cleaniness of the floors. I could see the thrown napkins just under our table. The only reason I checked the floors were because I needed a place to put my bag down.
I ordered the cream of mushroom and the spaghetti with corn. Both tasted quite good. The dessert was Mango with ice cream. I find the scoop of ice cream costly at $3 to add on.
Most of the dessert was mostly ice shavings and it cost around $4. I would feel that the place can be quite costly since the portions are just right for one person.
I would not dine there if there is any mini rock concert going on at the basement as it totally spoilt the dining experience.
I went there a few times and wasn't happy with the service and place (abit warm when seated v inside of the restaurant)
Went to have dinner with my family yesterday, the restaurant just renovated to look brighter and bigger.
The Xmas set was good, with 4 soups, 1xmas pizza, 1 (other)pizza, 4 strawberry jingle, 1 salad, 1 appetiser (includes 4wings, 6stars, 6nuggles, n sticks of cucumber/carrots) cost $63. We ordered the set for 4pax but it's sure enough for all 6 of us.
Probably now is school holidays, they have more staff then usual and our food and drinks are served almost within 10minutes.
If the service maintain this level of fast and efficient, I will sure be visiting often.
Ever since Top of the M closed down with much fanfare in early 2008, Meritus Mandarin's iconic coffeehouse, Chatterbox, has moved up the levels (literally) to occupy what used to be the crowning glory of this centrally located hotel in Orchard Road.
Perched on the 39th floor of the hotel, the interior now sports bright red tables and pillars to give a very traditional coffeeshop feeling, yet still offering a panoramic view of the surroundings. Note that the restaurant doesn't revolve anymore, leaving that honour solely to Prima Tower.
Chicken Rice Set - Chatterbox has been known for its excellent chicken rice and of course its exorbitant prices. Consisting of only a bowl of rice, soup and a relatively generous serving of chicken meat, this dish is definitely not for the value conscious.The soup was very tasty probably due to the high MSG content while the chicken was sufficiently tender with an appropriate amount of bite. Personally I felt that the rice wasn't fluffy or tasty enough, coming across as a tad dry and limp.
Flowering Chinese leaf cabbage - The Cai Xin was as normal as it gets but portions were really small for the price ($9 ).
Apple & Raisin Tart - In all honesty, I was quite surprised to find a "western" dessert on a menu that featured mainly Chinese/local fare and since my initial choice of homemade coconut ice cream was out of stock, I settled for the tart. Which wasn't exactly a bad choice considering that the tart was quite crusty with a nice oven baked taste to it. Add a couple of sweet apple slices, raisins and a scoop of ice cream for a rather nice ending. But hey, its $12 .
I shudder to imagine the ridiculous price I would have to pay in the absence of my 1 for 1 chicken rice voucher. Even so, the bill for 2 pax came up to about $53 ($81 without voucher), which is really quite off the chart if you ask me. Service was decent but I seriously doubt I will return, not for the food and definitely not for the high prices.
I am utterly disappointed in the standard of Fisherman's Wharf.
I have heard so many friends raving about that place, on how great their fish n chips was and how value for money it was, so i decided to check it out yesterday just to satiate my craving for fish n chips.
It did not satiate anything, and it was so bad that i couldn't bring myself to finish all of it. In fact, it made me crave more food and i had to cross over to Central to buy myself something else.
I ordered Halibut and my boyfriend ordered the traditional Cod fillet fish n chips. My Halibut was $12 and his Cod was all of $18.50... it was the biggest waste of money in terms of dining this year.
I opted for chips instead of fries, but when my food arrived, it looks just like fries! All they did was cut the potato up to look like fries. What kind of chips do you call that? Furthermore, they were pretty badly burnt to a dull shade of brown. It was not aesthetically pleasing at all.
I tried one piece of the Cod fish and found that it was badly cooked. It was so dry and chewy! My halibut was cooked to a decent standard, but overall, both fishes were completely tasteless and i had to keep drenching vinegar on them! The chilli sauce and the tartare sauce they provided was not enough to salvage the tastelessness of it all.
I am generally very disappointed in Fisherman's Wharf and i will not return in future.
Utrecht city is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the North-Eastern end of the Randstad, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands, with a population of 288,535. The smaller Utrecht agglomeration is home to some 420,000 registered inhabitants, while the larger region contains up to 820,000 inhabitants.
Utrecht’s ancient city-centre features many buildings and structures from its earliest origins onwards. It has been the religious centre of the Netherlands since the eighth century CE. Currently it is the see of the Archbishop of Utrecht, the most important Dutch Roman Catholic leader. Utrecht is also the see of an archbishop of the Old Catholic church, and the location of the offices of the main protestant church.
Utrecht is host to Utrecht University, the largest university of the Netherlands, as well as several other institutes for higher education. Due to its central position within the country it is an important transportation hub (rail and road) in the Netherlands. It has the second highest number of cultural events in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam. [source Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utrecht_(city)]
I went to Utrecht, Netherlands, for a Symposium trip. Din expect it to be so cold coz it’s SUMMER (June). The weather went as low as 10degree and the wind is STRONG! I wasn’t prepared. I wore crop pants and slippers. Yesh, I looked super silly. Everyone was in Winter clothing. Me, the silly clown, was shivering in cold. I stayed in Park Plaza Hotel, Utrecht. It’s a 4 stars hotel. It’s more for business stay than for leisure stay. It’s near the Jaarbeurs Convention Centre and the main Train Station. The Dutch are Fit! They mostly travel by foot or by bicycle. Public transport is expensive there. They have a special track for bicycle.
This trip to Netherlands is a real eye-opener for me. For more details of my trip, please visit my blog at http://natsuumi.liquidblade.com. Click under Travel.
Zenden is one of the offerings in Gallery Hotel's F&B stable, sitting on the fourth level of this art inspired boutique hotel and serving up modern contemporary and Asian cuisine.
Interior, Complimentary Bread & Menu - The restaurant employs a more open concept interior, where the lift landing blends effortlessly into the restaurant and through the use of expansive floor to ceilings windows that overlook the traffic on a rather quiet stretch of road. The use of pink, blue and purple chair wraps give the whole place an almost playful intonation. Add to that the suspended glass tabletops that are supported by only by steel wires running from the ceiling to the floor.
Oven Baked Scallops & Prawns - This dish came served with rice and honestly I was quite taken by it. The scallops were rather big and fresh sans the overwhelming raw taste. Ditto for the prawns as well. Interestingly, the rice tasted more like paella to me and was firm yet mildly chewy. Capping off this simple yet satisfying dish was the thick gravy that came across as a tad milky and peppery.
Flambe Beef Medallion Steak - I call this the highlight of the evening, not so much for the taste of the beef, but the spectacular (well almost) performance that preceded. The supervisor wheeled out a trolley and proceeded to flambe my steak in front of my table (talk about cutting cost! Where's the chef?). However, to be fair, the tenderloin came medium rare as per request but I did find it a wee bit too chewy. There was no brandy/wine taste to speak off as well. The accompanying cubes of foie gras had a texture like that of tau kwa aka beancurd - not quivery or smooth but still edible.
Banana Split - What can I say? Supermarket grade ice cream topped with fruits instead of just banana and covered in whipped cream. As normal as it gets.
I had the cheaper main taken off my bill due to a promotion, which resulted in a total damage of about $48 ($72 without discount) for 2 pax. I am of the opinion that the food isn't expensive per se, especially when quality is decent and service is excellent. But on a side note, the place did seem a little short handed that evening. Special mention goes to the supervisor, Caron, who provided exceptional service throughout the evening, making our dining experience a truely enjoyable one.
1=SGD 0.0587
heard alot of this place but never maanged to drop by till yesterday. As I had my meal elsewhere with my friend prior to adjourning here, I did not get to have a sample of the main courses that they serve. Instead I went for a simple dessert and a cup of long black coffee. The dessert I ordered was named "Banatica". Bascially its caramelised banana slices with a few scoops of ice-cream served in a tall glass.
The taste of the dessert was not bad thou a bit tad too sweet for my liking. As for the coffee, it was just average but was good for that moment as it helped to complement the over-sweetness of my dessert. Overall I find that the dessert is quite alright. Next time, I will try to get a taste of the other foods there.
Rating given:
Was out for a birthday celebration for Andrew when he suggested having some dim sum which he had much positive feedback about. The idea was to find something affordable and tasty and he brought me and our mutual friend Mandy to Imperial in Takashimaya for the meal. According to him, its always packed, has great food and are at loggerheads with rival restaurant chain Crystal Jade. All the above is speculation by the way, nothing to back it up whatsoever.
In terms of the decor, the place is decked in slick, dark and contrasting colors to provide a high end feel to the place. The seats are available in 2 varieties, a pseudo al fresco open dining concept and a compartmentalized seating to maximize space. Both were thankfully spacious and accessible.
Service wise, the place was decent. Attendants are attentive when there's less people, but as the crowd grows, so does their attention span. So be warned. Also, as the crowd increases, you get the feeling that they're trying to shoo you out once you've finished. Minor gripes but worth noting still.
Yam Puff ($3.30) - The yam puff is aesthetically pleasing but ultimately lacks bite. In fact, the consensus is that it sadly lacks taste. To be blunt and to the point, not recommended to try.
Deep Fried Beancurd Skin ($4.20) - Their rendition was pretty decent, full of shrimp, fish paste and chopped carrots deep fried to a nice crispy golden brown before being served. Whats not to like about it?
Siew Mai ($4) - Their siew mai came in generous portions and are bigger then usual. However, it also comes with a pretty strong meat and pork taste which may not be appealing to everyone. For example, i for one didn't like it too much.
Carrot Cake ($3.30) - The carrot cake is nicely done in my opinion, hot and fresh with little bits of lap cheong embedded in with bits of mushrooms. The result is a surpringly fragrant and sweet carrot cake reminiscent of Crystal Jade's rendition. Still, it is on the oily side as usual.
Pork Rib ($3.50) - Didn't have any of this at all. The impression from my friend was that it was ok though.
Stir Fried Mixed Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce ($14 for 2 plates) - Andrew's utmost recommendation is also one of the more expensive items. The stir fried mushrooms are a rather simple dish really. Majority of the taste came from the oyster sauce instead of the mushrooms but there's just enough sweetness to make it good. Filled with hoshimeiji, golden mushroom and enoki mushrooms, its an ideal treat for mushroom lovers. Look out for the price tag though.
Xiao Long Bao ($3.60) - Their rendition of Xiao Long Bao was passable but only just. The pork taste was too much and the soup wasn't really tasty as well. Not to mention the rather fragile skin which broke easily. More work needed here for sure.
Steamed Shrimp Rice Roll ($5.20) - Their steamed rice roll was a little too thick for my liking. Otherwise, the shrimp were crunchy, sweet and fresh while the soy sauce was adequate without being overwhelming.
Prawn Dumpling With Salad Dip ($8.40 for 2) - I'd say this was the star of the day actually. Sweet, juicy and bursting with flavor. The hot dish had the 3 of us going for seconds and still feeling there can be more. To be picky, it is still an oily dish but hey, i'd gladly have another. Do note, its only average but its good enough to recommend to eat when you're here.
Roasted Pork ($8) - Another recommended dish by Andrew, the pork here pales in comparison to Royal China, but of course, the price is different as well. The sad part is that the skin isn't as crispy as it should be and the meat lacked bite. The rest was salvaged by the mustard sauce which covered everything else up so that it was actually pretty good in the end.
BBQ Pork Pastry ($3.30) - Like the buns, the pastry was average at best. The bbq pork was sweet and filling but the pastry and bun were too thick. The pastry was also not fragrant enough, probably due to the lack of butter.
Custurd Bun ($3.60) - I love custard buns actually so i'm rather biased on this. This bun however, needs improvement as well. The bun itself is alright, fluffy and light but the custard inside is of the watery variety and was overly sweet. It was sweet to the point it felt like eating sugar syrup. Even my friends couldn't find it in them to like it and this was actually my order.
Egg Tarts ($3) - Well, these egg tarts weren't anything to shout about. Dry and practically tasteless. I'd say they need to really work on the recipe for the pastry and the filling.
The final bill for 3 people at a semi decent dim sum session accrued to $92.39. About $31 each. Reasonable bill but the quality can definately improve.
Its not that the food is bad here. In fact, it was decent. Service was prompt. Selection was plentiful. Ambiance was acceptable. The problem is the quality of the food and the fact that with the same amount, we could have eaten in Royal China or even Yan Ting. (Yan Ting no longer has ala carte as of this post. They have a buffet selection at $68 per head now) Still, i think the company made the meal most enjoyable and there's nothing like a good get together of friends to catch up on their lives. And that is what's really important.
Rating given:
Being the little blue collar worker that i am, its only natural that i have less lavish lunches and meals as the economy falls like a cut pendulum. Its a sign of times and a sign of my diminishing pay check that brought me to consider cheaper meals but of course, i'm exaggerating a little here. The truth is, it was a boring work day and i was once again at Simei for lunch alone which thus prompted me to have something more economical. And this will be discussed below.
Lets talk about the bill first today, first of all, its not expensive. Costs only a mere $4.50 for a tempura set lunch with drink. The store itself is an open concept with generic plastic tables and chairs and the ordering system is reminiscent of fast food chains. You place your order at the counter, pay and take a seat. The selection of food is a decent variety of korean hot pots and japanese bento sets. Everything's fine so far.
Still, the actual set had me taken aback actually. No fries, a very small rice ball and a few fried potatos, fish and chicken. Thats it. The rice is especially saddening since its supposed to be the only thing to fill you up but its too little for anyone i suppose. The fried items were obviously oily as well. Taste wise, without the white sauce which tastes like a mix between tartar sauce and mayonaise, it would have been difficult to finish.
Perhaps i'm too harsh or i've ordered the wrong stuff, after all, many people patronize this place during lunch. In fact, it actually seems to be quite popular but they all had the Korean hot pot meals which i simply cannot take. My verdict? The place doesn't cost much and the hot pot seems popular, maybe its worth another try for hot pot lovers. I emphasize "maybe" here. So take your own risks.
Rating given:
After passing by this place a few times, I had to try it. The wait wasn't long as we entered just before the crowd started. We were shown to a table near the window.
I was rather disappointed by the cleaniness of the floors. I could see the thrown napkins just under our table. The only reason I checked the floors were because I needed a place to put my bag down.
I ordered the cream of mushroom and the spaghetti with corn. Both tasted quite good. The dessert was Mango with ice cream. I find the scoop of ice cream costly at $3 to add on.
Most of the dessert was mostly ice shavings and it cost around $4. I would feel that the place can be quite costly since the portions are just right for one person.
I would not dine there if there is any mini rock concert going on at the basement as it totally spoilt the dining experience.
Rating given:
This is my 2nd visit. The friendly waitress are in korean traditional costume, greeted us
We have the signature, Ginseng Chicken Soup, bbq beef and prawns as usual. Never go wrong if you are 1st time visiting.
They will serve appetiser, 6 small dishes before your meals are served. Except for the kimchi, all the rest are good..
It's not cheap actually but once in a while it's still affordable.
Will go visit again when bonus in pocket.
Rating given:
I went there a few times and wasn't happy with the service and place (abit warm when seated v inside of the restaurant)
Went to have dinner with my family yesterday, the restaurant just renovated to look brighter and bigger.
The Xmas set was good, with 4 soups, 1xmas pizza, 1 (other)pizza, 4 strawberry jingle, 1 salad, 1 appetiser (includes 4wings, 6stars, 6nuggles, n sticks of cucumber/carrots) cost $63. We ordered the set for 4pax but it's sure enough for all 6 of us.
Probably now is school holidays, they have more staff then usual and our food and drinks are served almost within 10minutes.
If the service maintain this level of fast and efficient, I will sure be visiting often.
Rating given:
Ever since Top of the M closed down with much fanfare in early 2008, Meritus Mandarin's iconic coffeehouse, Chatterbox, has moved up the levels (literally) to occupy what used to be the crowning glory of this centrally located hotel in Orchard Road.
Perched on the 39th floor of the hotel, the interior now sports bright red tables and pillars to give a very traditional coffeeshop feeling, yet still offering a panoramic view of the surroundings. Note that the restaurant doesn't revolve anymore, leaving that honour solely to Prima Tower.
Chicken Rice Set - Chatterbox has been known for its excellent chicken rice and of course its exorbitant prices. Consisting of only a bowl of rice, soup and a relatively generous serving of chicken meat, this dish is definitely not for the value conscious.The soup was very tasty probably due to the high MSG content while the chicken was sufficiently tender with an appropriate amount of bite. Personally I felt that the rice wasn't fluffy or tasty enough, coming across as a tad dry and limp.
Flowering Chinese leaf cabbage - The Cai Xin was as normal as it gets but portions were really small for the price ($9 ).
Apple & Raisin Tart - In all honesty, I was quite surprised to find a "western" dessert on a menu that featured mainly Chinese/local fare and since my initial choice of homemade coconut ice cream was out of stock, I settled for the tart. Which wasn't exactly a bad choice considering that the tart was quite crusty with a nice oven baked taste to it. Add a couple of sweet apple slices, raisins and a scoop of ice cream for a rather nice ending. But hey, its $12 .
I shudder to imagine the ridiculous price I would have to pay in the absence of my 1 for 1 chicken rice voucher. Even so, the bill for 2 pax came up to about $53 ($81 without voucher), which is really quite off the chart if you ask me. Service was decent but I seriously doubt I will return, not for the food and definitely not for the high prices.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
I am utterly disappointed in the standard of Fisherman's Wharf.
I have heard so many friends raving about that place, on how great their fish n chips was and how value for money it was, so i decided to check it out yesterday just to satiate my craving for fish n chips.
It did not satiate anything, and it was so bad that i couldn't bring myself to finish all of it. In fact, it made me crave more food and i had to cross over to Central to buy myself something else.
I ordered Halibut and my boyfriend ordered the traditional Cod fillet fish n chips. My Halibut was $12 and his Cod was all of $18.50... it was the biggest waste of money in terms of dining this year.
I opted for chips instead of fries, but when my food arrived, it looks just like fries! All they did was cut the potato up to look like fries. What kind of chips do you call that? Furthermore, they were pretty badly burnt to a dull shade of brown. It was not aesthetically pleasing at all.
I tried one piece of the Cod fish and found that it was badly cooked. It was so dry and chewy! My halibut was cooked to a decent standard, but overall, both fishes were completely tasteless and i had to keep drenching vinegar on them! The chilli sauce and the tartare sauce they provided was not enough to salvage the tastelessness of it all.
I am generally very disappointed in Fisherman's Wharf and i will not return in future.
Rating given:
Utrecht city is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the North-Eastern end of the Randstad, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands, with a population of 288,535. The smaller Utrecht agglomeration is home to some 420,000 registered inhabitants, while the larger region contains up to 820,000 inhabitants.
Utrecht’s ancient city-centre features many buildings and structures from its earliest origins onwards. It has been the religious centre of the Netherlands since the eighth century CE. Currently it is the see of the Archbishop of Utrecht, the most important Dutch Roman Catholic leader. Utrecht is also the see of an archbishop of the Old Catholic church, and the location of the offices of the main protestant church.
Utrecht is host to Utrecht University, the largest university of the Netherlands, as well as several other institutes for higher education. Due to its central position within the country it is an important transportation hub (rail and road) in the Netherlands. It has the second highest number of cultural events in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam. [source Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utrecht_(city)]
I went to Utrecht, Netherlands, for a Symposium trip. Din expect it to be so cold coz it’s SUMMER (June). The weather went as low as 10degree and the wind is STRONG! I wasn’t prepared. I wore crop pants and slippers. Yesh, I looked super silly. Everyone was in Winter clothing. Me, the silly clown, was shivering in cold. I stayed in Park Plaza Hotel, Utrecht. It’s a 4 stars hotel. It’s more for business stay than for leisure stay. It’s near the Jaarbeurs Convention Centre and the main Train Station. The Dutch are Fit! They mostly travel by foot or by bicycle. Public transport is expensive there. They have a special track for bicycle.
This trip to Netherlands is a real eye-opener for me. For more details of my trip, please visit my blog at http://natsuumi.liquidblade.com. Click under Travel.
Rating given:
Zenden is one of the offerings in Gallery Hotel's F&B stable, sitting on the fourth level of this art inspired boutique hotel and serving up modern contemporary and Asian cuisine.
Interior, Complimentary Bread & Menu - The restaurant employs a more open concept interior, where the lift landing blends effortlessly into the restaurant and through the use of expansive floor to ceilings windows that overlook the traffic on a rather quiet stretch of road. The use of pink, blue and purple chair wraps give the whole place an almost playful intonation. Add to that the suspended glass tabletops that are supported by only by steel wires running from the ceiling to the floor.
Oven Baked Scallops & Prawns - This dish came served with rice and honestly I was quite taken by it. The scallops were rather big and fresh sans the overwhelming raw taste. Ditto for the prawns as well. Interestingly, the rice tasted more like paella to me and was firm yet mildly chewy. Capping off this simple yet satisfying dish was the thick gravy that came across as a tad milky and peppery.
Flambe Beef Medallion Steak - I call this the highlight of the evening, not so much for the taste of the beef, but the spectacular (well almost) performance that preceded. The supervisor wheeled out a trolley and proceeded to flambe my steak in front of my table (talk about cutting cost! Where's the chef?). However, to be fair, the tenderloin came medium rare as per request but I did find it a wee bit too chewy. There was no brandy/wine taste to speak off as well. The accompanying cubes of foie gras had a texture like that of tau kwa aka beancurd - not quivery or smooth but still edible.
Banana Split - What can I say? Supermarket grade ice cream topped with fruits instead of just banana and covered in whipped cream. As normal as it gets.
I had the cheaper main taken off my bill due to a promotion, which resulted in a total damage of about $48 ($72 without discount) for 2 pax. I am of the opinion that the food isn't expensive per se, especially when quality is decent and service is excellent. But on a side note, the place did seem a little short handed that evening. Special mention goes to the supervisor, Caron, who provided exceptional service throughout the evening, making our dining experience a truely enjoyable one.
See all my pictures here.
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