Basilico at The Regent Singapore is named after basil, a humble perennial herb that is featured prominently in Italian cuisine. This two month old Italian restaurant, which took over the now defunct Capers, is helmed by 3 Italians - Executive Chef Claudio Rossi, Restaurant Chef Angelo Ciccone and Pizza Chef Carmine Esposito, who hail from northern and southern Italy.
Located on the second level of this prestigious Four Seasons hotel, Basilico's interior is designed by renowned Japanese architect Yasuhiro Koichi and dazzles with its centrepiece crystal chandelier and circular open space dining concept which houses three open kitchens - antipasto, the hot kitchen and pasticceria (desserts). For those who wish to dine al fresco, there is the option of dining by the pool.
Complimentary Bread - I thought that the focaccia was quite decent, just a tad cold when served, which made it a little dry and hard on the outside. But I did like the slightly chewy texture it carried and of course the interesting repertoire of dips that came alongside, with the most notable one being mascarpone cheese, which can usually be found in tiramisu. The sheets of cheese crackers came across as rather average though.
Cacciucco di Pesce (Fresh Seafood in Lobster and Tomato Stew) - The lobster and tomato stew was rich in flavours yet did not overwhelm, making for a nice savoury soup with a tinge of spice. The servings of scallops, prawns and squid cubes were relatively generous as a whole, which was definitely a step in the right direction.
Focaccia Pita - I couldn't quite catch the name of this dish but it is, beyond a doubt, the shining star of the evening. Made with focaccia and stuffed with black truffle and mascarpone cheese, it looked anything but asthetically pleasing. However, the charmer came in the form of its considerably thin crust that had a nice chewy texture to it. Throw in a nice and light creamily cheesy undertone sans the nausea and you get an excellent pita dish.
Pizza Prosciutto - To be very honest, I thought the pizza was quite good but certainly not to the extent of outstanding. Granted, the crust was thin and baked to a crisp golden brown with the parma ham lightly smokey. But the pizza did seem a little bland overall. There was a harmonious cohesion amongst the ingredients but that failed to ignite any sparks (aka boring).
Risotto alla Pugliese - The risotto didn't quite do it for me as the arborio rice came across as a tad too hard for my liking. If its any consolation, the servings of diced lobster, prawn, scallop and asparagus were generous to say the least. I do wonder about the green foam atop though.
Wagyu Beef - Grilled to medium rare as per my request, the wagyu failed to impress. That's not to say it wasn't any good, just that I'm rather picky when it comes to steak. The beef carried an oily aftertaste that was quite prominent and invoked nausea. The steak sauce that came alongside wasn't really effective in masking the oily taste even though it carried a noticable amount of alcohol. On the upside, this was a quality piece of meat, which was naturally sweet and succulent with a proportionate amount of fats.
Semifreddo al Torroncino - I thought that the almond parfait was quite good with a consistently smooth and creamy texture which had bits of almond in it. The stewed sour cherries below provided a much needed jolt to tingle my jaded senses.
Apple Tart with Marsala Cream - Personally I felt that the apple tart was rather normal as the crust was a bit too dry but lightly buttery. The apple slices were bland and the marsala cream provided the alcoholic content.
Fig Tart - I dislike figs but surprisingly the crust was different from that of the apple tart, coming across as moist and leaning a little towards crumble. Personally I prefered this crust over that of the apple tart.
Raspberry Panna Cotta - One of the more unusual panna cottas I've come across so far, Basilico's rendition tasted more like mousse with an almond jelly aftertaste. Certainly not what I would expect from a good panna cotta.
The meal ended with a glass of groppino, which is essentially a lemon sorbet, champagne, mint and vodka concoction that is supposed to help you digest. I'm not sure it did the trick for me though.
All in all the meal was rather satisfying except for the desserts, which fell rather flat in my humble opinion. I'm not exactly sure how prices are like because the meal was complimentary, courtesy of HGW. I'm sure that in time, with some tweaks here and there, Basilico will be able to hold its own against the likes of other well know Italian restaurants like Senso, Garibaldi, Il Lido etc.
My experiences with Airasia have been rather pleasant. Their air tix costs are one of my best alternative for a cheaper holiday destination, they sometimes also offer a few packages, just like the one i got for my Phuket trip last year end. It was a mere 600sgd for 4d3n with a 4star hotel, and air tickets for two!
Their staff, food, service etc are satisfactory, nothing i would fuss or rave about, as it is a low cost carrier. If i were to choose, for further destinations, i would probably pay slightly more for a commercial airline for more comfort.
Otherwise, it is a great alternative to the commercial airlines, and nice to my pocket.
Heard quite a fair bit about Ah Chiang's porridge, which is situated amongst the conservation area of Tiong Bahru and boasts a rich history dating back to 1971. The various media appearances are seemingly testament to its honest to goodness bowls of porridge which are painstakingly cooked over a charcoal stove.
Occupying a corner unit, Ah Chiang's can take about 30 people or so and tables are on a first come first serve basis, very much like any mom and pop coffee shops around. On both occasions that I went, at 1230pm on a Saturday and 1030am on a Sunday, seats were readily available but I understand that long waits are to be expected especially in the morning.
Intestine Porridge with Meatballs & Century Egg Porridge with Chicken - At $5.50, this was a rather expensive bowl of porridge. The focus was undoubtedly on the porridge, which came across as smooth with bits of grains and didn't seem too starchy. The quantity of ingredients were acceptable at best and if it wasn't for the extra meatballs, the intestines alone would have been a sorry sight. Not that the meatballs or intestines tasted fantastic anyways. I could also detect MSG in the porridge, but I guess that's rather common in porridge nowadays. The bowl of century egg porridge cost slightly lesser, at $4.50 for a sprinkling of century egg and chicken slices. As with the previous dish, the porridge itself was the star while the century egg and chicken slices were merely average.
Honestly, I found the porridge quite decent overall, just that prices are a tad too steep.
MYnt is blogshop worthy of visiting simple because of the owner's honesty and humility.
Some other blogshop owners think that they are "high and mighty" just because they can make accessories that people want to buy, and many times, even a small request for changes would be turned down and rejected using the "I would like to preserve my artistic dignity" approach. But this is not the case for MYnt.
I'm not saying that she doesn't protect the rights to alter her work, but she's very nice about it. I took a liking to a pair of earrings but they were 9cm in length which was too long for me, so i asked if she would shorten it to 6cm and even add another shorter 4cm chain. She very kindly did it and sent me a photo of how it looked after alterations.
Best of all, she didn't try to increase the price of the item! Many other blogshop owners will increase the price as long as something even as small as a 4cm length of chains is being added. I think that isn't a very nice thing to do. Which is why i'm commending MYnt for her kindness and for being un-calculative over such matters.
I also ordered another necklace from her. Typically, based on comparisons with several other blogshops that i visit regularly, the necklace i purchased (refer to the 4th photo) could cost from $35 to $48 because of the uniqueness of the design and the various materials used. However, MYnt only charges $15 for the necklace! It looked like something from Betsy Johnson's past-season collection which i was in love with but didn't manage to get! So i knew i HAD to have it!
I like her blogshop because the only thing that's editted are the wordings. Other than that, the photos aren't drastically brightened just to make the accessories look better than they are, which i really appreciate, cuz it can suck when accessories look better on the computer screen and you get so disappointed when you receive it and see it as what it really is. I was very pleased with my purchase when i received them! They actually looked a tiny bit better than in photos.
After i paid the owner, she even thanked me vociferously for supporting the blogshop and that's something that very very few blogshop owners do. And for that, i WILL carry on patronizing MYnt, cuz i think she deserves it.
Do visit MYnt soon! Nice and chic accessories at very affordable prices... you don't even have to think twice about it!
I strongly agreed with all of you, this place is very cramped and the service is very lousy. The staff just dont bother.
I went there for a few times, very disappointed and never return since. I have even encountered, after taking the order forms from us, the food comes is not what we ordered and when we tell them was replied as ' this is what you order what'... Sometimes, it's not like we are difficult customers, it's their attitude that makes us nasty. When I tell them to go check the order, that girl never returned, a Manager came instead. He apologies for the mixed up and agreed to change the dishes for us. And the whole atmosphere was very bad after that, cause, all the waiters and waitress whom served us, give us 'complaint customers lo' look.
The drinks have to be reminded and even utensils. How can a restaurant like this do business, and really wonder why still got long q ??
I love Daiso, since it arrived into Singapore, I have been shopping there for household items, washer fliter (which is bigger and holes on the net is tighter then the $1 shop), sponges for washing dishes, etc... It's just $2 very hard not to grab and grab :)
They have many containers for storage and cosmetics applicators, it's just like a everything have store..
They have smaller stores at Plaza Singapura and a newly opened Viviocity. IMM is still the biggest, can shop for more then 1hour in there
I have been a member for years and became their loyalty member since the 2nd renewal year till todate.
I loved their products which are for sensitive skins and their use of ingredients are not animal tested and the most important of all, their business runs on passion, and their five Values; Protect the Planet, Support Community Trade, Against Animal Testing, Defend Human Rights, Activate Self Esteem.
I loved their lavender wash and their new launched product for peaceful sleep body/pillow spray.. It's lightly fraganced to enhance sleep.
I must applaud the manager and staff of CityLink outlet for this is the 1st time as a member to receive a thank you card and a voucher for shopping at the outlet. I have been buying at other outlets, at times, with my gf and sister, we bought a few hundreds at a go.
Normally, all members will get the same promotions or discounts and cards or vouchers from head office. THis is the 1st time ever to receive from an outlet. I think the sweet gesture makes me wanting to go back to your outlet to buy.
Keep up the good work and hope the other outlets will learn the thoughtful gesture to ensure a flow of regular customers.
I have bite on something hard and my tooth broken. I quickly went to The Dental Inn at Punngol plaza and asked to see the dentist.
I was told by the counter girl, I got no appointment can't see dentist and when I asked to fix a date, it was 2months later. I was telling her, I need just a check on my tooth it should be a fast one, and asked her to check with the dentist.
The dentist, a guy came out and tell me his day is fully booked with appointments and the next appointment is 20mins later, he dont mind check on my tooth during this empty slot but if it's complex case, then he can't continue. I simply nod my head.
As I sat on his chair, he kept telling me to open my mouth, which I already did. He told me I got a chip on my teeth, he will polish and mend the chip, which will be very fast. I nodded my head. During the whole 20mintues, he have more then 5times, tell me to open my mouth bigger. I told him I already open big and no bigger then that already. He keep quiet and just do his job.
Finally when he's done with it, he tell me that this is the 1st time he sees a patient who has such a small mouth, so difficult to do and resulting a stiff neck. I didn't reply him and walk to the counter to pay.
As I was paying my bills, he the dentist walk up to me and asked me ' Why your mouth so small'... I stare up at him and in my heart i reply ' go ask my mama' ,,, until today, I hope I have reply him that that day... Never see a doctor so rude before. Maybe I dont have the humour for this kind of joke.
Never step into that clinic again.. hope I wont need to see a dentist again, if I have to, will go find somewhere else.
Just happened to pass by this stall at Bugis Junction which was featured in the Straits Times sometime back about its fries so decided to give it a shot, especially since this is probably the only place in Singapore that sells poutine (to my limited knowledge).
Poutine - $4.90 gets you a medium size serving of thick cut fries with the skin still intact, covered in a sporadic layer of cheese curds and drizzled with beef gravy. I personally felt that the fries were too thickly cut, which resulted in some parts being overly hard while some parts were soft. The gravy wasn't hot enough( it was at room temperature!) to melt the cheese curds, unlike that of New York Fries, which pours hot/warm gravy over the curds to melt them onto the fries for a absolutely delicious experience. I also thought that the salt content was a little too excessive as good fries, in my humble opinion, only require minimal salt.
Its origins dated back to the nineteenth century of Qing Dynasty – affectionately known as Bamboo Noodles, or 竹升面, it is highly regarded for its smooth and tangy texture. The secret to its delectable taste and texture lies in the rigorous production process.
Traditionally hand-made, it is rubbed, kneaded and mixed into dough before being pressed with a long and thick bamboo pole. Using his whole body weight, the master chef will skillfully maneuver the pole back and forth to achieve the springy bite of the noodles.
However, at 大吃の喜, thanks to the ingenious engineering brain of Mr John See and the support from his wife, Amy, one no longer needs to travel all the way to Guangzhou, China (where John first discovered the dish) to sample this appetising noodles – he spent 18 months to invent his very own bamboo noodles production machine! What used to painstakingly take 2 hours to produce this wonderful chow is now reduced to a mere 45 minutes!!! Located in one of the refurbished shophouses along Joo Chiat, at the corner of Koon Send Road, 大吃の喜, or Tai Shek Hei, is a noodle specialist that produces their own palatable noodles with the freshest ingredients.
The verdict: This was probably one of most “Q” or springy noodles HFB has ever tried in his life (The trick is to slurp the noodles, as quickly as Japanese eating ramen, when served, and not wait too long, especially the soup version, as the texture will start to turn soggy).
And unlike the typical noodles one finds in Singapore, there’s none of the lye water taste or “Kee”, in dialect, presented in the noodles. Like how the old Gardenia Bread Ad that goes “It is so good that you can eat it’s on its own”.
Price ranges from $6.50 to $6.80 and comes with choices of Dumplings, Roast Duck, Soy Chicken, Char Siew and even Mushroom and Curry Pork! And that is not to say there’s nothing else good to eat at this restaurant – the appetiser dish of Deep-fried Enoki Mushrooms with Mayonaise (off-menu item) was simple but delightful. It was well fried without the greasy aftertaste and every bite produces an enjoyable crunch.
Another off-menu item of Marinated Chilled Chicken Wings was said to be Amy’s favourite dish in China. Marinated and slightly coloured yellow, it was served chilled for consumption. Slightly salty on it’s own, this would probably go along better with the noodles – however, HFB’s intolerance for cold food means he didn’t appreciate it fully.
The Fried Tobiko Dumpling ($4.00 for 4 pcs) was excellent in its own right. The skin, also home-produced by John’s machine, came with an excellent taste and texture that gave one a perfect crunch. Bountiful with ingredients, the dumplings were full with meat and prawn, and the extra dash of Tobiko, or Flying Fish Roe, freshly imported from Japan gave one an extra dimension to the dish.
However, the same astonishingly couldn’t be said about their soup version ($8.00 for 8pcs). Perhaps soaked in the soup for quite awhile, the skin just wasn’t as enjoyable as the deep-fried ones, and HFB found them a tad salty. Initially HFB thought it was the tobiko, but John confirmed that it was the meat instead that was intentionally marinated saltier to compensate for the clear soup.
The Roast Combination dish of Roast Duck and Char Siew ($10.00 for small serving) was another hit and misses. Everyone knows it is the skin that rates the duck, and 大吃の喜’s version is pretty good. Health conscious eaters would be happy to discover that the duck didn't come with much fat at the bottom of the skin, but yet the thinly strips of skin was so scrumptious and crispy. However, the char siew didn’t exactly wow HFB. He felt the char siew was under-flavoured and could be roasted slightly longer and make do with stronger marinates. Also, the lacked of fats also means it was slightly on the tougher side.
The Chives & Egg Pancake ($3.50 for small serving), shaped like mini curry-puffs, was another healthy option. However, HFB believed that the strong flavour of chives would probably turn many people off from it, although he himself thought the dish was not too bad.
Lunch was rounded off with a dessert of Fungus with Red Dates ($3.00) served chilled. Double-boiled with plenty of ingredients, the pleasant surprise was the inclusion of thinly strips of orange peel that gave a lovely zesty vigor to this otherwise straight forward dessert. On the other hand, HFB thought that the chef was pretty generous with the rock sugar.
You can view the all photos and the production process of the noodles @ His Food Blog.
1=SGD 0.0587
Basilico at The Regent Singapore is named after basil, a humble perennial herb that is featured prominently in Italian cuisine. This two month old Italian restaurant, which took over the now defunct Capers, is helmed by 3 Italians - Executive Chef Claudio Rossi, Restaurant Chef Angelo Ciccone and Pizza Chef Carmine Esposito, who hail from northern and southern Italy.
Located on the second level of this prestigious Four Seasons hotel, Basilico's interior is designed by renowned Japanese architect Yasuhiro Koichi and dazzles with its centrepiece crystal chandelier and circular open space dining concept which houses three open kitchens - antipasto, the hot kitchen and pasticceria (desserts). For those who wish to dine al fresco, there is the option of dining by the pool.
Complimentary Bread - I thought that the focaccia was quite decent, just a tad cold when served, which made it a little dry and hard on the outside. But I did like the slightly chewy texture it carried and of course the interesting repertoire of dips that came alongside, with the most notable one being mascarpone cheese, which can usually be found in tiramisu. The sheets of cheese crackers came across as rather average though.
Cacciucco di Pesce (Fresh Seafood in Lobster and Tomato Stew) - The lobster and tomato stew was rich in flavours yet did not overwhelm, making for a nice savoury soup with a tinge of spice. The servings of scallops, prawns and squid cubes were relatively generous as a whole, which was definitely a step in the right direction.
Focaccia Pita - I couldn't quite catch the name of this dish but it is, beyond a doubt, the shining star of the evening. Made with focaccia and stuffed with black truffle and mascarpone cheese, it looked anything but asthetically pleasing. However, the charmer came in the form of its considerably thin crust that had a nice chewy texture to it. Throw in a nice and light creamily cheesy undertone sans the nausea and you get an excellent pita dish.
Pizza Prosciutto - To be very honest, I thought the pizza was quite good but certainly not to the extent of outstanding. Granted, the crust was thin and baked to a crisp golden brown with the parma ham lightly smokey. But the pizza did seem a little bland overall. There was a harmonious cohesion amongst the ingredients but that failed to ignite any sparks (aka boring).
Risotto alla Pugliese - The risotto didn't quite do it for me as the arborio rice came across as a tad too hard for my liking. If its any consolation, the servings of diced lobster, prawn, scallop and asparagus were generous to say the least. I do wonder about the green foam atop though.
Wagyu Beef - Grilled to medium rare as per my request, the wagyu failed to impress. That's not to say it wasn't any good, just that I'm rather picky when it comes to steak. The beef carried an oily aftertaste that was quite prominent and invoked nausea. The steak sauce that came alongside wasn't really effective in masking the oily taste even though it carried a noticable amount of alcohol. On the upside, this was a quality piece of meat, which was naturally sweet and succulent with a proportionate amount of fats.
Semifreddo al Torroncino - I thought that the almond parfait was quite good with a consistently smooth and creamy texture which had bits of almond in it. The stewed sour cherries below provided a much needed jolt to tingle my jaded senses.
Apple Tart with Marsala Cream - Personally I felt that the apple tart was rather normal as the crust was a bit too dry but lightly buttery. The apple slices were bland and the marsala cream provided the alcoholic content.
Fig Tart - I dislike figs but surprisingly the crust was different from that of the apple tart, coming across as moist and leaning a little towards crumble. Personally I prefered this crust over that of the apple tart.
Raspberry Panna Cotta - One of the more unusual panna cottas I've come across so far, Basilico's rendition tasted more like mousse with an almond jelly aftertaste. Certainly not what I would expect from a good panna cotta.
The meal ended with a glass of groppino, which is essentially a lemon sorbet, champagne, mint and vodka concoction that is supposed to help you digest. I'm not sure it did the trick for me though.
All in all the meal was rather satisfying except for the desserts, which fell rather flat in my humble opinion. I'm not exactly sure how prices are like because the meal was complimentary, courtesy of HGW. I'm sure that in time, with some tweaks here and there, Basilico will be able to hold its own against the likes of other well know Italian restaurants like Senso, Garibaldi, Il Lido etc.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
My experiences with Airasia have been rather pleasant. Their air tix costs are one of my best alternative for a cheaper holiday destination, they sometimes also offer a few packages, just like the one i got for my Phuket trip last year end. It was a mere 600sgd for 4d3n with a 4star hotel, and air tickets for two!
Their staff, food, service etc are satisfactory, nothing i would fuss or rave about, as it is a low cost carrier. If i were to choose, for further destinations, i would probably pay slightly more for a commercial airline for more comfort.
Otherwise, it is a great alternative to the commercial airlines, and nice to my pocket.
Rating given:
Heard quite a fair bit about Ah Chiang's porridge, which is situated amongst the conservation area of Tiong Bahru and boasts a rich history dating back to 1971. The various media appearances are seemingly testament to its honest to goodness bowls of porridge which are painstakingly cooked over a charcoal stove.
Occupying a corner unit, Ah Chiang's can take about 30 people or so and tables are on a first come first serve basis, very much like any mom and pop coffee shops around. On both occasions that I went, at 1230pm on a Saturday and 1030am on a Sunday, seats were readily available but I understand that long waits are to be expected especially in the morning.
Intestine Porridge with Meatballs & Century Egg Porridge with Chicken - At $5.50, this was a rather expensive bowl of porridge. The focus was undoubtedly on the porridge, which came across as smooth with bits of grains and didn't seem too starchy. The quantity of ingredients were acceptable at best and if it wasn't for the extra meatballs, the intestines alone would have been a sorry sight. Not that the meatballs or intestines tasted fantastic anyways. I could also detect MSG in the porridge, but I guess that's rather common in porridge nowadays.
The bowl of century egg porridge cost slightly lesser, at $4.50 for a sprinkling of century egg and chicken slices. As with the previous dish, the porridge itself was the star while the century egg and chicken slices were merely average.
Honestly, I found the porridge quite decent overall, just that prices are a tad too steep.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
MYnt is blogshop worthy of visiting simple because of the owner's honesty and humility.
Some other blogshop owners think that they are "high and mighty" just because they can make accessories that people want to buy, and many times, even a small request for changes would be turned down and rejected using the "I would like to preserve my artistic dignity" approach. But this is not the case for MYnt.
I'm not saying that she doesn't protect the rights to alter her work, but she's very nice about it. I took a liking to a pair of earrings but they were 9cm in length which was too long for me, so i asked if she would shorten it to 6cm and even add another shorter 4cm chain. She very kindly did it and sent me a photo of how it looked after alterations.
Best of all, she didn't try to increase the price of the item! Many other blogshop owners will increase the price as long as something even as small as a 4cm length of chains is being added. I think that isn't a very nice thing to do. Which is why i'm commending MYnt for her kindness and for being un-calculative over such matters.
I also ordered another necklace from her. Typically, based on comparisons with several other blogshops that i visit regularly, the necklace i purchased (refer to the 4th photo) could cost from $35 to $48 because of the uniqueness of the design and the various materials used. However, MYnt only charges $15 for the necklace! It looked like something from Betsy Johnson's past-season collection which i was in love with but didn't manage to get! So i knew i HAD to have it!
I like her blogshop because the only thing that's editted are the wordings. Other than that, the photos aren't drastically brightened just to make the accessories look better than they are, which i really appreciate, cuz it can suck when accessories look better on the computer screen and you get so disappointed when you receive it and see it as what it really is. I was very pleased with my purchase when i received them! They actually looked a tiny bit better than in photos.
After i paid the owner, she even thanked me vociferously for supporting the blogshop and that's something that very very few blogshop owners do. And for that, i WILL carry on patronizing MYnt, cuz i think she deserves it.
Do visit MYnt soon! Nice and chic accessories at very affordable prices... you don't even have to think twice about it!
Rating given:
I strongly agreed with all of you, this place is very cramped and the service is very lousy. The staff just dont bother.
I went there for a few times, very disappointed and never return since. I have even encountered, after taking the order forms from us, the food comes is not what we ordered and when we tell them was replied as ' this is what you order what'... Sometimes, it's not like we are difficult customers, it's their attitude that makes us nasty. When I tell them to go check the order, that girl never returned, a Manager came instead. He apologies for the mixed up and agreed to change the dishes for us. And the whole atmosphere was very bad after that, cause, all the waiters and waitress whom served us, give us 'complaint customers lo' look.
The drinks have to be reminded and even utensils. How can a restaurant like this do business, and really wonder why still got long q ??
Rating given:
I love Daiso, since it arrived into Singapore, I have been shopping there for household items, washer fliter (which is bigger and holes on the net is tighter then the $1 shop), sponges for washing dishes, etc... It's just $2 very hard not to grab and grab :)
They have many containers for storage and cosmetics applicators, it's just like a everything have store..
They have smaller stores at Plaza Singapura and a newly opened Viviocity. IMM is still the biggest, can shop for more then 1hour in there
Rating given:
I have been a member for years and became their loyalty member since the 2nd renewal year till todate.
I loved their products which are for sensitive skins and their use of ingredients are not animal tested and the most important of all, their business runs on passion, and their five Values; Protect the Planet, Support Community Trade, Against Animal Testing, Defend Human Rights, Activate Self Esteem.
I loved their lavender wash and their new launched product for peaceful sleep body/pillow spray.. It's lightly fraganced to enhance sleep.
I must applaud the manager and staff of CityLink outlet for this is the 1st time as a member to receive a thank you card and a voucher for shopping at the outlet. I have been buying at other outlets, at times, with my gf and sister, we bought a few hundreds at a go.
Normally, all members will get the same promotions or discounts and cards or vouchers from head office. THis is the 1st time ever to receive from an outlet. I think the sweet gesture makes me wanting to go back to your outlet to buy.
Keep up the good work and hope the other outlets will learn the thoughtful gesture to ensure a flow of regular customers.
Rating given:
I have bite on something hard and my tooth broken. I quickly went to The Dental Inn at Punngol plaza and asked to see the dentist.
I was told by the counter girl, I got no appointment can't see dentist and when I asked to fix a date, it was 2months later. I was telling her, I need just a check on my tooth it should be a fast one, and asked her to check with the dentist.
The dentist, a guy came out and tell me his day is fully booked with appointments and the next appointment is 20mins later, he dont mind check on my tooth during this empty slot but if it's complex case, then he can't continue. I simply nod my head.
As I sat on his chair, he kept telling me to open my mouth, which I already did. He told me I got a chip on my teeth, he will polish and mend the chip, which will be very fast. I nodded my head. During the whole 20mintues, he have more then 5times, tell me to open my mouth bigger. I told him I already open big and no bigger then that already. He keep quiet and just do his job.
Finally when he's done with it, he tell me that this is the 1st time he sees a patient who has such a small mouth, so difficult to do and resulting a stiff neck. I didn't reply him and walk to the counter to pay.
As I was paying my bills, he the dentist walk up to me and asked me ' Why your mouth so small'... I stare up at him and in my heart i reply ' go ask my mama' ,,, until today, I hope I have reply him that that day... Never see a doctor so rude before. Maybe I dont have the humour for this kind of joke.
Never step into that clinic again.. hope I wont need to see a dentist again, if I have to, will go find somewhere else.
Rating given:
Just happened to pass by this stall at Bugis Junction which was featured in the Straits Times sometime back about its fries so decided to give it a shot, especially since this is probably the only place in Singapore that sells poutine (to my limited knowledge).
Poutine - $4.90 gets you a medium size serving of thick cut fries with the skin still intact, covered in a sporadic layer of cheese curds and drizzled with beef gravy. I personally felt that the fries were too thickly cut, which resulted in some parts being overly hard while some parts were soft. The gravy wasn't hot enough( it was at room temperature!) to melt the cheese curds, unlike that of New York Fries, which pours hot/warm gravy over the curds to melt them onto the fries for a absolutely delicious experience. I also thought that the salt content was a little too excessive as good fries, in my humble opinion, only require minimal salt.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Its origins dated back to the nineteenth century of Qing Dynasty – affectionately known as Bamboo Noodles, or 竹升面, it is highly regarded for its smooth and tangy texture. The secret to its delectable taste and texture lies in the rigorous production process.
Traditionally hand-made, it is rubbed, kneaded and mixed into dough before being pressed with a long and thick bamboo pole. Using his whole body weight, the master chef will skillfully maneuver the pole back and forth to achieve the springy bite of the noodles.
However, at 大吃の喜, thanks to the ingenious engineering brain of Mr John See and the support from his wife, Amy, one no longer needs to travel all the way to Guangzhou, China (where John first discovered the dish) to sample this appetising noodles – he spent 18 months to invent his very own bamboo noodles production machine! What used to painstakingly take 2 hours to produce this wonderful chow is now reduced to a mere 45 minutes!!! Located in one of the refurbished shophouses along Joo Chiat, at the corner of Koon Send Road, 大吃の喜, or Tai Shek Hei, is a noodle specialist that produces their own palatable noodles with the freshest ingredients.
The verdict: This was probably one of most “Q” or springy noodles HFB has ever tried in his life (The trick is to slurp the noodles, as quickly as Japanese eating ramen, when served, and not wait too long, especially the soup version, as the texture will start to turn soggy).
And unlike the typical noodles one finds in Singapore, there’s none of the lye water taste or “Kee”, in dialect, presented in the noodles. Like how the old Gardenia Bread Ad that goes “It is so good that you can eat it’s on its own”.
Price ranges from $6.50 to $6.80 and comes with choices of Dumplings, Roast Duck, Soy Chicken, Char Siew and even Mushroom and Curry Pork! And that is not to say there’s nothing else good to eat at this restaurant – the appetiser dish of Deep-fried Enoki Mushrooms with Mayonaise (off-menu item) was simple but delightful. It was well fried without the greasy aftertaste and every bite produces an enjoyable crunch.
Another off-menu item of Marinated Chilled Chicken Wings was said to be Amy’s favourite dish in China. Marinated and slightly coloured yellow, it was served chilled for consumption. Slightly salty on it’s own, this would probably go along better with the noodles – however, HFB’s intolerance for cold food means he didn’t appreciate it fully.
The Fried Tobiko Dumpling ($4.00 for 4 pcs) was excellent in its own right. The skin, also home-produced by John’s machine, came with an excellent taste and texture that gave one a perfect crunch. Bountiful with ingredients, the dumplings were full with meat and prawn, and the extra dash of Tobiko, or Flying Fish Roe, freshly imported from Japan gave one an extra dimension to the dish.
However, the same astonishingly couldn’t be said about their soup version ($8.00 for 8pcs). Perhaps soaked in the soup for quite awhile, the skin just wasn’t as enjoyable as the deep-fried ones, and HFB found them a tad salty. Initially HFB thought it was the tobiko, but John confirmed that it was the meat instead that was intentionally marinated saltier to compensate for the clear soup.
The Roast Combination dish of Roast Duck and Char Siew ($10.00 for small serving) was another hit and misses. Everyone knows it is the skin that rates the duck, and 大吃の喜’s version is pretty good. Health conscious eaters would be happy to discover that the duck didn't come with much fat at the bottom of the skin, but yet the thinly strips of skin was so scrumptious and crispy. However, the char siew didn’t exactly wow HFB. He felt the char siew was under-flavoured and could be roasted slightly longer and make do with stronger marinates. Also, the lacked of fats also means it was slightly on the tougher side.
The Chives & Egg Pancake ($3.50 for small serving), shaped like mini curry-puffs, was another healthy option. However, HFB believed that the strong flavour of chives would probably turn many people off from it, although he himself thought the dish was not too bad.
Lunch was rounded off with a dessert of Fungus with Red Dates ($3.00) served chilled. Double-boiled with plenty of ingredients, the pleasant surprise was the inclusion of thinly strips of orange peel that gave a lovely zesty vigor to this otherwise straight forward dessert. On the other hand, HFB thought that the chef was pretty generous with the rock sugar.
You can view the all photos and the production process of the noodles @ His Food Blog.
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