Decoders cafe is a name that hints at its intentions, more to the point, its about games, fun and most importantly about friends. I happened to have the pleasure of being invited to one such gathering with our beloved Yebber and boss, Claudia for her XX birthday. It was a nice gathering and meeting of new people. Thanks Claudia!
Cheese Sausage Spaghetti - I didn't get to try this but the birthday girl did. Not too sure how it tasted but somehow it looks normal to me.
Crackers - This was actually the best item that night in terms of food. Not that it was special or anything but it was at least decent.
Potato Wedges - It wasn't defrosted well. Thats the reason behind why the wedges, though thick and golden brown, were hot and yet soggy. Probably some items they got from the nearby minimart or NTUC by the taste of it as well.
Chicken Soup - Most definately and without a doubt, this has to be campbell's soup. Watery, salty and thinly flavored with very little chicken meat will sum this up pretty well.
Spicy Drumlets - Probably the next most decent item but thats not saying much. Also most possibly an NTUC purchase since i could have sworn i've eaten it before. Sadly, it was not defrosted well as usual and comes with all the usual sogginess.
Chicken Cubes - Absolutely no idea what they meant by cubes but its the usual items you'd find in NTUC fairprice again. Except that is badly defrosted and fried with so much oil you can practically see it in the picture. Pretty much losing all confidence in the cafe's cooking by now.
Chicken Burger with Cheese, Fries and Baked Beans - The same horrible wedges accompanied the burger which looked huge when served until you realize its the burger (bread) that is huge while the chicken patty was a miserably small piece. For what its worth, it wasn't too bad.
Seafood Pasta - Soggy seems to be the in thing in this cafe. So is this pasta. The squid, shrimp and other items were sprinkled sparingly with the watery sauce having minimal taste.
Cheesy Potato Wedges - A small upgrade from the wedges before it. This time with cheese. Its acceptable but still far from good.
Bite Sized Ham and Cheese Sandwiches - They couldn't go wrong with this one now could they? Apparently yes and no. Each bite contained no taste whatsoever so usually, you're just left wondering why you are eating it in the first place.
Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream - The brownie was hard but thankfully had the taste of chocolate. The vanilla ice cream was normal but at least this combination went well.
Games and services - Now if i reviewed this place only on the food, it would fail quite miserably. What would you expect from a place designed to let guys play board games? On the selection of games and service of the staff, this place definitely lives up to mark. The staff will gladly spend time to teach the games recommended and they make nice recommendations to suit the players. Sometimes demonstrating and teaching till the gang gets the hang of the games. There are hundreds of board games to choose from and each is unique in its own way. Pretty well done.
Much has been said about Loy Sum Juan Restaurant, which took root from humble beginnings as a small stall before expanding into the restaurant it is today. Ask the older generation and more likely than not, they would have heard of this iconic Cantonese restaurant.
If you never knew of its existence, the probability of chancing upon this place is slim as it is hidden on the 6th floor of Tiong Bahru Plaza, which is only accessible by lift (or stairs maybe?). Decor comes across as very typical old school Chinese save for a more contemporary arched ceiling.
Har Cheong Gai - Served up piping hot, the Har Cheong Gai aka Prawn Paste Chicken was nice and crispy on the outside without the batter being too thick. Would have prefered the taste of the shrimp paste to be a wee bit stronger though.
Broccoli with Scallops - A rather average dish with the vegetables not overly soft but the scallops a tad too bland. $20 does seem a wee bit expensive for such a dish though.
Homemade Beancurd with Katsobushi & Shinjii Mushrooms - Another simple dish, the homemade beancurd was relatively smooth and soft but lacked the smokey aftertaste that I hanker after. It came topped with katsobushi or bonito flakes which did seem a little too bland. All in all an average but palatable dish.
I can't say I enjoyed my meal but at least it was filling and decently palatable and I didn't have to contend with the crowds at the other food outlets in Tiong Bahru Plaza. Service was alright and being a traditional Chinese restaurant, you do not have to pay for your paper towels and peanuts if you return them.
My fondest memory of Powerhouse would have to be the day when I first met my girlfriend there. I can safely say that a good 60 to 70 percent of the time that I club since then, the venue would be Powerhouse at St James Powerstation.
I can't deny that a good part of the reason for us to go there so often is that my gf has a membership card there and I tag along to reap the benefits like the miser I am. But apart from my miserly ways, Powerhouse is definitely one of the best clubs that you can find in Singapore. I do understand that the preference for clubs varies from person to person but looking at the various clubs that fail one after another, you'll see that Powerhouse still has the power to draw in the crowds night after night and if that isn't a testament to the quality of the club, I don't know what is.
I am not the type who can differentiate genres of music from one another well but powerhouse generally plays Pop, RnB, Hip Hop and on some nights, trance. The music is definitely danceable and won't have you on the stool tapping your feet to some obscure music that is out of the planet.
One important factor that is important for me for clubs apart from the music is the type of crowd that patronizes the place. The vibe from the crowd that I get every time I am there tells me that I am shaking my booty with like-minded people.
Do pay a visit to Powerhouse if you haven't! If the music doesn't suit to your tastes, you can always hop to the other rooms like Bellini, Movida, Dragonfly and many others.
Made a reservation for two at Vibe Restaurant, situated within Pan Pacific Orchard (formerly known as Hotel Negara along Claymore Road, behind Thai Embassy) when they were running the Premium Meat Extravaganza Promotion in July.
Priced at $78 before taxes, we were fortunate enough to be among the first 20 pax to make an advance reservation for that day, and thus enjoyed a 20% discount ($15.60), making it $62.40 per person.
And for that price, we were told that we could indulged in unlimited servings of premium cuts such as US Kobe beef, Wagyu beef, and Kurobuta Pork, Churrascaria style.
We were instructed by the manager to start off with some soup and bread for appetisers, but let me tell you that neither of them was fantastic and the polite gesture was probably a nice decoy to fill up our stomach before the meat takes centre stage.
That aside, they had a couple of other cold cuts and seafood items to distract us – and diverted my attention was, as the Oysters were really unsullied and burly and I had two helpings of it, along with other inconsequential items.
Once we were done with the obligatory appetisers, the manager finally signalled for the Passadors, who came arrived on our table with hot skewers of meat. First up – the Rump Steak, which is a lean cut and was moderately tough. The lacked of fats and marbling makes them dry out when cooked with dry-heat cooking methods like roasting or grilling. It tasted quite “beefy” and none of the delicate flavour one gets next.
What is so special about “Wagyu” is because this breed of cattle is genetically predisposed to intense marbling, and produces a higher percentage of monounsaturated fats than any other breed of cattle known in the world. However, I was utterly disappointed when I tasted it – although more delicate flavoured than the rump steak, it tasted more chewy than tender and the “melt in your mouth” effect was lost on me. In additional, I felt it was overcooked, as the meat wasn’t very juicy.
The difference between “Kobe” beef and Wagyu is that Kobe beef comes from Wagyu breed of cattle. But only after rigid production standards imposed in the prefecture of Kobe, Japan, will then the designation/appellation of “Kobe” Beef be bestowed upon the meat. However as land and grain in Japan are expensive, the cattle is now shipped overseas and raised to the exactingly specified Kobe standards – and that’s how US Kobe beef came about. Another meat, which I felt, was over-done; the Kobe beef surprisingly tasted finer and more tender than the Wagyu. This was probably the best meat I have eaten that evening, or was there more to come?
The Beef Rib was intense with smoky flavour, but was deplorably dry and slightly charred for my palate. Didn’t really enjoy this piece of meat very much.
The wrapping of Bacon around the Tenderloin was quite another catastrophe that night – the flavour of the bacon totally engulfed the beef, rendering it a piece of tasteless red meat – a pity I must say since its rather tender even though the “doneness” was well-done to medium well.
The Kurobuta Pork wasn’t as fantastic as I thought it would be. Fat was lacking, rendering the meat not as moist as it should be – not the best Kurobuta Pork I have tasted.
Undeterred by the experience, I gestured for the Passadors and appealed for a special request – Kobe Beef to be done in medium-rare – and boy was I charmed. Allow the picture below to speak a thousand words.
The Grilled Pineapple Coated with Cinnamon Powder and Brown Sugar was a pleasant surprise as a palate cleanser as well as a dessert. Even myself who is not a big fan of the fruit was enthralled by it.
For others, there are of course other choices to end the evening – by their delightful Chocolate Fountain for a treat of Chocolate Fondue, or the cheese plate, which serves a wonderful range of cheese as well as the many choices of cake, mousse or pudding.
Overall, I wasn’t exactly impressed with the quality of meat they served, and a pity that I enjoyed the Oysters more – which kinda defeats the purpose of a Premium Meat Extravaganza.
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
I like this online store and would always go browse the lovely and unique items on sale inside.
I get updates of new items via emails. Most of the items are under pre-order so sometimes have to wait for as long as around one mth. But it's worth it because the items are nice~~
Price-wise is ok but not very cheap.
I've bought before 2 lip balms/glosses and they were really cute! One was a cherry-chocolate lipbalm in a round box that had the Disney's cartoon character Bambi on it. The other one was a "Snapple" lip gloss. The taste of the lip gloss was really sweet.
My friend and I also bought tshirts from there recently. Both of us were pleased with the tshirts.
The prices ranged around $20-$40.
Buying 2 pieces would be cheaper.
This online store also sells many cute and nice accessories like candy/icecream necklaces/earrings/rings, sunglasses, bags, stockings, leggings. Definitely things in the fashion trend.
The seller is also friendly and efficient in responding.
This store is only below my office. Was searching all around for a suitable handbag for myself.
Went out like several days searching but ended up I bought a handbag from the store below my office in the end. Haha...
There is quite a variety of bags displayed in the store. All suitable for work/casual. And most designs have different colours. However some designs look quite "Aunty"...
So not all designs are nice. Only some are nice.
I bought my handbag at $44.90. I tried to bargain but failed...
I like my handbag but I find the price quite expensive...Only members get discounts. And I think to be a lifetime member, you'd have to pay $38.
The salespersons were quite polite.
There's a 7 days exchange period for bags in original condition with the tag intact and with receipt.
There's also a 1-month warranty period and you can bring it back for free repair for damages on the bag except for scratches.
Not bad, but still not my first choice for bags-shopping.
Most of the times I'd buy my perfume from here. The variety of perfumes here is quite good. I'd be able to find some perfumes that I wouldn't be able to find elsewhere.
I bought Gucci's Envy me here and there was a promotion. Bought the perfume and it came with the body lotion.
The staff there who explained about the promotion to me was nice enough to give me some free gifts when I asked for it. (I often ask for free gifts when buying perfume :P)
He gave me a choice of some perfume samples, and an Escada free gift pack. He then told me that the Escada free gift pack would be better as it came with a shower gel, body lotion, and a perfume vial. And I totally agreed.
When I paid at the cashier, the cashier was very friendly and polite. As always, the cashiers there are always nice and would greet us customers politely.
I went for a free Swedish Spa Massage (by UOB NOW debit card) and opt to top up $38 for a full body massage. The free massage includes steam bath, body massage and i think a body scrub.
I was lucky enough to get a last minute appointment as their outlets were mostly fully booked, with my voucher expiring that very week.
They were very thoughtful, asking if i wanted the steam bath as not every customer liked it. I went ahead for i think abt 10-15min, with a wet towel provided, to cover the face. I then proceeded to have a shower before my massage. My massuer is a very humourous lady, and i had a relaxing de-stress massage.
Like every offer, there is bound to have this sales-talk session. Being in sales before, i knew what to expect. The sales consultant is not as pushy, i think i was the one pushing for more instead. They offered me a $688(w/o gst) for a 10 session package- either massage or facial. I was reluctant as i am a first-timer in buying packages for facial n massage, and it was not the price i am willing to pay per session.
I ended up buying the package for $604 with a few freebies :) Oh and that is with gst.. as i paid one lump sum. Even my friends thought it was reasonable. I can actually choose any massage from their spa touch menu, with facial customised to fit my current condition.
Would be more pleased if they allow facial massage together w/o additional costs.
Have booked my first facial appointment next week and hope i will be able to enjoy it as well.
Had been meaning to try out Nanbantei and the chance presented itself one evening when I happened to be at Orchard with my gf. Located on the 5th floor of the hip Far East Plaza, Nanbantei, which specialises in Yakitori, has garnered many accolades and rave reviews including that of Tatler's Singapore's Best Restaurant.
The interior of Nanbantei is rather tiny and cramp and the bulk of the seating comes in the form of counter seats (there are a few tables that can accomodate 4 though), which offer a live view of the chef grilling your orders. When I say cramp, it means almost shoulder to shoulder with the person beside you at the counter, which is really disconcerting to say the least.
The scallop was quite a size and came very well seasoned and grilled. A nice smokey taste lingered, complementing the fibrous texture of the scallop. I did find the salt a little too heavy though.
Asparagus Maki & Nikuzume Shiitake - If I may say, the asparagus maki was nothing short of excellent. It really surpassed all expectations. Soft asparagus covered with a layer of pork grilled till crisp and a sprinkling of salt for that extra flavour. If not for the price($5.70), I would have ordered more.
The Shiitake mushroom stuffed with chicken was average really. The chicken taste overwhelmed the mushroom and it was a tad too salty.
Ebi - At $7 per relatively large prawn, its honestly quite expensive especially when there was no marination or anything, save for the dash of salt sprinkled whilst grilling. To give it credit, the prawns were sweet with a nice grilled taste. But believe me, take away the shells and the meat is minimal.
Tokusei Tsukune - Nanbantei's Tokusei Tsukune or house special meatballs, was essentially 2 skewers of meat merged into one huge and rather unsightly chunk and came served with a single raw quail's egg sliced off at the top. The meat was nicely minced with bits of uneveness but I did find the dish to be very salty probably due to the sauce. A decent dish, but not fantastic.
Shiitake - Yet another overly salty dish, the shiitake didn't come across as too dry though due to the sauce. Not something I would order again for just over $5.
Yaki Onigiri - A Japanese speciality according to the waitress, the Yaki Onigiri was rather interesting and looked very much like a corn cob. Grilled to charred and hard on the outside yet a little soft and sticky on the inside. The flavours were a mix and match of salty and spicy, which honestly was a terrible end to the meal. It definitely didn't help that bits of the charred rice were very prone to getting lodged in between my teeth.
$68 for a meal with such meagre portions is ridiculously expensive in my opinion, even though the food is fairly decent. To be fair, Nanbantei does offer set meals at $32 for 8 sticks of yakitori which does seem a better deal, but going ala carte is definitely a big no no. Drinks are expensive as well and no complimentary iced water is served.
There are so many stalls in one hawker centre alone, so how do you make your choice which one to order from? This is especially a problem when you want to order a particular food, say for example char kuay teow but found yourself staring at a few similar stalls. Which one do you order from? Being Singaporeans the first thought will be to see which stall has the longest Q, well if so many others like their food, it can’t be that bad right?
So usually i’ll go and look around the tables, to see which plates dominate the area, and its a good gauge how popular a stall is. Of course, you can’t judge a stall by its queue, or you ain’t the type that will bother to queue a good fifteen to twenty minutes just for food. So what’s next? Through word-of-mouth recommendations, “stall B at that hawker centre is very good, must-try!” Alternatively, continue your blog-reading at ladyironchef to find out more!
Anyway, one of the common methods will be to look at the stall for any media recognition, there are so many TV food programs which recommend on food, and very often they will issue their own “certificate” to acknowledge that hawker stall is good. Again, this method can also be flaw as the stalls that they recommended might not be that good sometimes, but usually the sales at that particular stall will go up after featured on TV, Singaporeans are Singaporeans after all.
Nevertheless, this is one method that i use quite often when i don’t have no idea which stall to order from. And i decided to order from Teng Yu chee cheong fun porridge stall after i saw their “media recognition”, coming in the form of a video recording showing on the TV no less.
Char siew cheong fun ($2.30) Teng Yu stall offers four different types of cheong fun, prawn, turnip, char siew and one more. All of them come with the option of having your cheong fun with porridge. And they have quite a few selections if you just want porridge alone, century egg, sliced fish, fish head, and seafood porridge.
The skin of the char siew cheong fun was smooth and easy on the palate, topped with plenty of sesame seeds, it came with light sauce. However, the char siew meat were all in very small bits and pieces, and i would prefer them to come in bigger pieces even if there were less of them in that way.
The char siew bites were rather soft, in fact too soft for my liking, and it did not have the sweet and juicy taste that’s in good char siew. Furthermore, they added in some vegetables in it which i did not like. Don’t get me wrong, I love to eat greens, but cheong fun with greens simply did not work out.
The overall taste is quite weak, as in not much flavour in the chee cheong fun, maybe its lighter in flavour because it’s suppose to go together with the porridge, or maybe it’s just me. So you have to try out for yourself to try out. I missed out on the previous post for Mr Avocado, the Alexandra Village hawker centre is opposite the Queensway shopping centre, don’t mistake it with ABC food centre which is nearby.
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!
1=SGD 0.0587
Decoders cafe is a name that hints at its intentions, more to the point, its about games, fun and most importantly about friends. I happened to have the pleasure of being invited to one such gathering with our beloved Yebber and boss, Claudia for her XX birthday. It was a nice gathering and meeting of new people. Thanks Claudia!
Cheese Sausage Spaghetti - I didn't get to try this but the birthday girl did. Not too sure how it tasted but somehow it looks normal to me.
Crackers - This was actually the best item that night in terms of food. Not that it was special or anything but it was at least decent.
Potato Wedges - It wasn't defrosted well. Thats the reason behind why the wedges, though thick and golden brown, were hot and yet soggy. Probably some items they got from the nearby minimart or NTUC by the taste of it as well.
Chicken Soup - Most definately and without a doubt, this has to be campbell's soup. Watery, salty and thinly flavored with very little chicken meat will sum this up pretty well.
Spicy Drumlets - Probably the next most decent item but thats not saying much. Also most possibly an NTUC purchase since i could have sworn i've eaten it before. Sadly, it was not defrosted well as usual and comes with all the usual sogginess.
Chicken Cubes - Absolutely no idea what they meant by cubes but its the usual items you'd find in NTUC fairprice again. Except that is badly defrosted and fried with so much oil you can practically see it in the picture. Pretty much losing all confidence in the cafe's cooking by now.
Chicken Burger with Cheese, Fries and Baked Beans - The same horrible wedges accompanied the burger which looked huge when served until you realize its the burger (bread) that is huge while the chicken patty was a miserably small piece. For what its worth, it wasn't too bad.
Seafood Pasta - Soggy seems to be the in thing in this cafe. So is this pasta. The squid, shrimp and other items were sprinkled sparingly with the watery sauce having minimal taste.
Cheesy Potato Wedges - A small upgrade from the wedges before it. This time with cheese. Its acceptable but still far from good.
Bite Sized Ham and Cheese Sandwiches - They couldn't go wrong with this one now could they? Apparently yes and no. Each bite contained no taste whatsoever so usually, you're just left wondering why you are eating it in the first place.
Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream - The brownie was hard but thankfully had the taste of chocolate. The vanilla ice cream was normal but at least this combination went well.
Games and services - Now if i reviewed this place only on the food, it would fail quite miserably. What would you expect from a place designed to let guys play board games? On the selection of games and service of the staff, this place definitely lives up to mark. The staff will gladly spend time to teach the games recommended and they make nice recommendations to suit the players. Sometimes demonstrating and teaching till the gang gets the hang of the games. There are hundreds of board games to choose from and each is unique in its own way. Pretty well done.
Rating given:
Much has been said about Loy Sum Juan Restaurant, which took root from humble beginnings as a small stall before expanding into the restaurant it is today. Ask the older generation and more likely than not, they would have heard of this iconic Cantonese restaurant.
If you never knew of its existence, the probability of chancing upon this place is slim as it is hidden on the 6th floor of Tiong Bahru Plaza, which is only accessible by lift (or stairs maybe?). Decor comes across as very typical old school Chinese save for a more contemporary arched ceiling.
Har Cheong Gai - Served up piping hot, the Har Cheong Gai aka Prawn Paste Chicken was nice and crispy on the outside without the batter being too thick. Would have prefered the taste of the shrimp paste to be a wee bit stronger though.
Broccoli with Scallops - A rather average dish with the vegetables not overly soft but the scallops a tad too bland. $20 does seem a wee bit expensive for such a dish though.
Homemade Beancurd with Katsobushi & Shinjii Mushrooms - Another simple dish, the homemade beancurd was relatively smooth and soft but lacked the smokey aftertaste that I hanker after. It came topped with katsobushi or bonito flakes which did seem a little too bland. All in all an average but palatable dish.
I can't say I enjoyed my meal but at least it was filling and decently palatable and I didn't have to contend with the crowds at the other food outlets in Tiong Bahru Plaza. Service was alright and being a traditional Chinese restaurant, you do not have to pay for your paper towels and peanuts if you return them.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
My fondest memory of Powerhouse would have to be the day when I first met my girlfriend there. I can safely say that a good 60 to 70 percent of the time that I club since then, the venue would be Powerhouse at St James Powerstation.
I can't deny that a good part of the reason for us to go there so often is that my gf has a membership card there and I tag along to reap the benefits like the miser I am. But apart from my miserly ways, Powerhouse is definitely one of the best clubs that you can find in Singapore. I do understand that the preference for clubs varies from person to person but looking at the various clubs that fail one after another, you'll see that Powerhouse still has the power to draw in the crowds night after night and if that isn't a testament to the quality of the club, I don't know what is.
I am not the type who can differentiate genres of music from one another well but powerhouse generally plays Pop, RnB, Hip Hop and on some nights, trance. The music is definitely danceable and won't have you on the stool tapping your feet to some obscure music that is out of the planet.
One important factor that is important for me for clubs apart from the music is the type of crowd that patronizes the place. The vibe from the crowd that I get every time I am there tells me that I am shaking my booty with like-minded people.
Do pay a visit to Powerhouse if you haven't! If the music doesn't suit to your tastes, you can always hop to the other rooms like Bellini, Movida, Dragonfly and many others.
Rating given:
Made a reservation for two at Vibe Restaurant, situated within Pan Pacific Orchard (formerly known as Hotel Negara along Claymore Road, behind Thai Embassy) when they were running the Premium Meat Extravaganza Promotion in July.
Priced at $78 before taxes, we were fortunate enough to be among the first 20 pax to make an advance reservation for that day, and thus enjoyed a 20% discount ($15.60), making it $62.40 per person.
And for that price, we were told that we could indulged in unlimited servings of premium cuts such as US Kobe beef, Wagyu beef, and Kurobuta Pork, Churrascaria style.
We were instructed by the manager to start off with some soup and bread for appetisers, but let me tell you that neither of them was fantastic and the polite gesture was probably a nice decoy to fill up our stomach before the meat takes centre stage.
That aside, they had a couple of other cold cuts and seafood items to distract us – and diverted my attention was, as the Oysters were really unsullied and burly and I had two helpings of it, along with other inconsequential items.
Once we were done with the obligatory appetisers, the manager finally signalled for the Passadors, who came arrived on our table with hot skewers of meat. First up – the Rump Steak, which is a lean cut and was moderately tough. The lacked of fats and marbling makes them dry out when cooked with dry-heat cooking methods like roasting or grilling. It tasted quite “beefy” and none of the delicate flavour one gets next.
What is so special about “Wagyu” is because this breed of cattle is genetically predisposed to intense marbling, and produces a higher percentage of monounsaturated fats than any other breed of cattle known in the world. However, I was utterly disappointed when I tasted it – although more delicate flavoured than the rump steak, it tasted more chewy than tender and the “melt in your mouth” effect was lost on me. In additional, I felt it was overcooked, as the meat wasn’t very juicy.
The difference between “Kobe” beef and Wagyu is that Kobe beef comes from Wagyu breed of cattle. But only after rigid production standards imposed in the prefecture of Kobe, Japan, will then the designation/appellation of “Kobe” Beef be bestowed upon the meat. However as land and grain in Japan are expensive, the cattle is now shipped overseas and raised to the exactingly specified Kobe standards – and that’s how US Kobe beef came about. Another meat, which I felt, was over-done; the Kobe beef surprisingly tasted finer and more tender than the Wagyu. This was probably the best meat I have eaten that evening, or was there more to come?
The Beef Rib was intense with smoky flavour, but was deplorably dry and slightly charred for my palate. Didn’t really enjoy this piece of meat very much.
The wrapping of Bacon around the Tenderloin was quite another catastrophe that night – the flavour of the bacon totally engulfed the beef, rendering it a piece of tasteless red meat – a pity I must say since its rather tender even though the “doneness” was well-done to medium well.
The Kurobuta Pork wasn’t as fantastic as I thought it would be. Fat was lacking, rendering the meat not as moist as it should be – not the best Kurobuta Pork I have tasted.
Undeterred by the experience, I gestured for the Passadors and appealed for a special request – Kobe Beef to be done in medium-rare – and boy was I charmed. Allow the picture below to speak a thousand words.
The Grilled Pineapple Coated with Cinnamon Powder and Brown Sugar was a pleasant surprise as a palate cleanser as well as a dessert. Even myself who is not a big fan of the fruit was enthralled by it.
For others, there are of course other choices to end the evening – by their delightful Chocolate Fountain for a treat of Chocolate Fondue, or the cheese plate, which serves a wonderful range of cheese as well as the many choices of cake, mousse or pudding.
Overall, I wasn’t exactly impressed with the quality of meat they served, and a pity that I enjoyed the Oysters more – which kinda defeats the purpose of a Premium Meat Extravaganza.
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
I like this online store and would always go browse the lovely and unique items on sale inside.
I get updates of new items via emails. Most of the items are under pre-order so sometimes have to wait for as long as around one mth. But it's worth it because the items are nice~~
Price-wise is ok but not very cheap.
I've bought before 2 lip balms/glosses and they were really cute! One was a cherry-chocolate lipbalm in a round box that had the Disney's cartoon character Bambi on it. The other one was a "Snapple" lip gloss. The taste of the lip gloss was really sweet.
My friend and I also bought tshirts from there recently. Both of us were pleased with the tshirts.
The prices ranged around $20-$40.
Buying 2 pieces would be cheaper.
This online store also sells many cute and nice accessories like candy/icecream necklaces/earrings/rings, sunglasses, bags, stockings, leggings. Definitely things in the fashion trend.
The seller is also friendly and efficient in responding.
Rating given:
This store is only below my office. Was searching all around for a suitable handbag for myself.
Went out like several days searching but ended up I bought a handbag from the store below my office in the end. Haha...
There is quite a variety of bags displayed in the store. All suitable for work/casual. And most designs have different colours. However some designs look quite "Aunty"...
So not all designs are nice. Only some are nice.
I bought my handbag at $44.90. I tried to bargain but failed...
I like my handbag but I find the price quite expensive...Only members get discounts. And I think to be a lifetime member, you'd have to pay $38.
The salespersons were quite polite.
There's a 7 days exchange period for bags in original condition with the tag intact and with receipt.
There's also a 1-month warranty period and you can bring it back for free repair for damages on the bag except for scratches.
Not bad, but still not my first choice for bags-shopping.
Rating given:
Most of the times I'd buy my perfume from here. The variety of perfumes here is quite good. I'd be able to find some perfumes that I wouldn't be able to find elsewhere.
I bought Gucci's Envy me here and there was a promotion. Bought the perfume and it came with the body lotion.
The staff there who explained about the promotion to me was nice enough to give me some free gifts when I asked for it. (I often ask for free gifts when buying perfume :P)
He gave me a choice of some perfume samples, and an Escada free gift pack. He then told me that the Escada free gift pack would be better as it came with a shower gel, body lotion, and a perfume vial. And I totally agreed.
When I paid at the cashier, the cashier was very friendly and polite. As always, the cashiers there are always nice and would greet us customers politely.
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I went for a free Swedish Spa Massage (by UOB NOW debit card) and opt to top up $38 for a full body massage. The free massage includes steam bath, body massage and i think a body scrub.
I was lucky enough to get a last minute appointment as their outlets were mostly fully booked, with my voucher expiring that very week.
They were very thoughtful, asking if i wanted the steam bath as not every customer liked it. I went ahead for i think abt 10-15min, with a wet towel provided, to cover the face. I then proceeded to have a shower before my massage. My massuer is a very humourous lady, and i had a relaxing de-stress massage.
Like every offer, there is bound to have this sales-talk session. Being in sales before, i knew what to expect. The sales consultant is not as pushy, i think i was the one pushing for more instead. They offered me a $688(w/o gst) for a 10 session package- either massage or facial. I was reluctant as i am a first-timer in buying packages for facial n massage, and it was not the price i am willing to pay per session.
I ended up buying the package for $604 with a few freebies :) Oh and that is with gst.. as i paid one lump sum. Even my friends thought it was reasonable. I can actually choose any massage from their spa touch menu, with facial customised to fit my current condition.
Would be more pleased if they allow facial massage together w/o additional costs.
Have booked my first facial appointment next week and hope i will be able to enjoy it as well.
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Had been meaning to try out Nanbantei and the chance presented itself one evening when I happened to be at Orchard with my gf. Located on the 5th floor of the hip Far East Plaza, Nanbantei, which specialises in Yakitori, has garnered many accolades and rave reviews including that of Tatler's Singapore's Best Restaurant.
The interior of Nanbantei is rather tiny and cramp and the bulk of the seating comes in the form of counter seats (there are a few tables that can accomodate 4 though), which offer a live view of the chef grilling your orders. When I say cramp, it means almost shoulder to shoulder with the person beside you at the counter, which is really disconcerting to say the least.
The scallop was quite a size and came very well seasoned and grilled. A nice smokey taste lingered, complementing the fibrous texture of the scallop. I did find the salt a little too heavy though.
Asparagus Maki & Nikuzume Shiitake - If I may say, the asparagus maki was nothing short of excellent. It really surpassed all expectations. Soft asparagus covered with a layer of pork grilled till crisp and a sprinkling of salt for that extra flavour. If not for the price($5.70), I would have ordered more.
The Shiitake mushroom stuffed with chicken was average really. The chicken taste overwhelmed the mushroom and it was a tad too salty.
Ebi - At $7 per relatively large prawn, its honestly quite expensive especially when there was no marination or anything, save for the dash of salt sprinkled whilst grilling. To give it credit, the prawns were sweet with a nice grilled taste. But believe me, take away the shells and the meat is minimal.
Tokusei Tsukune - Nanbantei's Tokusei Tsukune or house special meatballs, was essentially 2 skewers of meat merged into one huge and rather unsightly chunk and came served with a single raw quail's egg sliced off at the top. The meat was nicely minced with bits of uneveness but I did find the dish to be very salty probably due to the sauce. A decent dish, but not fantastic.
Shiitake - Yet another overly salty dish, the shiitake didn't come across as too dry though due to the sauce. Not something I would order again for just over $5.
Yaki Onigiri - A Japanese speciality according to the waitress, the Yaki Onigiri was rather interesting and looked very much like a corn cob. Grilled to charred and hard on the outside yet a little soft and sticky on the inside. The flavours were a mix and match of salty and spicy, which honestly was a terrible end to the meal. It definitely didn't help that bits of the charred rice were very prone to getting lodged in between my teeth.
$68 for a meal with such meagre portions is ridiculously expensive in my opinion, even though the food is fairly decent. To be fair, Nanbantei does offer set meals at $32 for 8 sticks of yakitori which does seem a better deal, but going ala carte is definitely a big no no. Drinks are expensive as well and no complimentary iced water is served.
See all my pictures here.
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There are so many stalls in one hawker centre alone, so how do you make your choice which one to order from? This is especially a problem when you want to order a particular food, say for example char kuay teow but found yourself staring at a few similar stalls. Which one do you order from? Being Singaporeans the first thought will be to see which stall has the longest Q, well if so many others like their food, it can’t be that bad right?
So usually i’ll go and look around the tables, to see which plates dominate the area, and its a good gauge how popular a stall is. Of course, you can’t judge a stall by its queue, or you ain’t the type that will bother to queue a good fifteen to twenty minutes just for food. So what’s next? Through word-of-mouth recommendations, “stall B at that hawker centre is very good, must-try!” Alternatively, continue your blog-reading at ladyironchef to find out more!
Anyway, one of the common methods will be to look at the stall for any media recognition, there are so many TV food programs which recommend on food, and very often they will issue their own “certificate” to acknowledge that hawker stall is good. Again, this method can also be flaw as the stalls that they recommended might not be that good sometimes, but usually the sales at that particular stall will go up after featured on TV, Singaporeans are Singaporeans after all.
Nevertheless, this is one method that i use quite often when i don’t have no idea which stall to order from. And i decided to order from Teng Yu chee cheong fun porridge stall after i saw their “media recognition”, coming in the form of a video recording showing on the TV no less.
Char siew cheong fun ($2.30)
Teng Yu stall offers four different types of cheong fun, prawn, turnip, char siew and one more. All of them come with the option of having your cheong fun with porridge. And they have quite a few selections if you just want porridge alone, century egg, sliced fish, fish head, and seafood porridge.
The skin of the char siew cheong fun was smooth and easy on the palate, topped with plenty of sesame seeds, it came with light sauce. However, the char siew meat were all in very small bits and pieces, and i would prefer them to come in bigger pieces even if there were less of them in that way.
The char siew bites were rather soft, in fact too soft for my liking, and it did not have the sweet and juicy taste that’s in good char siew. Furthermore, they added in some vegetables in it which i did not like. Don’t get me wrong, I love to eat greens, but cheong fun with greens simply did not work out.
The overall taste is quite weak, as in not much flavour in the chee cheong fun, maybe its lighter in flavour because it’s suppose to go together with the porridge, or maybe it’s just me. So you have to try out for yourself to try out. I missed out on the previous post for Mr Avocado, the Alexandra Village hawker centre is opposite the Queensway shopping centre, don’t mistake it with ABC food centre which is nearby.
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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