What sets Ipoh Hor Fun apart from the bastardised version lies in the Sar Hor Fun (or 沙河粉). Local-produce Hor Fun somehow just doesn’t seem to meet the mark in terms of smoothness and silkiness factor. This is where Teck Kee steps in to bridge the gap.
Located just 2 stalls away from Ah Kow’s Mushroom Minced Pork Mee, it is interesting to see which among the two has a longer snaking queue during lunch time, even though a small serving of Teck Kee’s Crayfish Hor Fun comes knocking at $5 per plate, $6.50 for medium and $9.50 for large – surely there must be good reasons! I dare say Teck Kee's rice noodles is probably the closest you can get in terms of texture – It’s so smooth that it slips down the throat easily! I had the medium serving (not very filling though) and what came with it was a pretty good size Crayfish.
The flesh was firm and meaty but then again that’s all that is to it. Instead I thought the Big Prawns were much sweeter and less “rubbery” compared to the crayfish.
The gravy sauce was kinda disappointing though – I feel that it is not robust enough to go with the already plain Hor Fun.
Perhaps one is meant to dip the noodles and ingredients in the chilli sauce for a stronger flavour but I would probably be back for them only when I have a craving for smooth Ipoh Hor Fun.
This is probably the Best Sar Hor Fun around in Singapore, but gravy was disappointing. I also find it to be expensive for hawker standard, and serving wasn't big.
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Fresh with the memory of Bangkok's excellent Thai food and armed with a craving for Phad Thai, I headed down to First Thai at Purvis Street, which purportedly serves up authentic Thai food at reasonable prices.
The place sits right at the front of Purvis Street, making it easy to find and plays neighbours to Yet Con, which is next door and Chin Chin just across the road. Decor is very coffeeshop like save for the nice green olden style windows that look out to the main road. There is no airconditioning at this eatery so be prepared to sweat it out on a hot day. If the place is full, you'll probably have to share a table with someone or queue up outside the shop. Do note that you will not be seated until everyone in your group is present.
Tom Yam Soup Individual Serving - This is one of the better tom yam soups that I've tried in Singapore and at $7 a pop, it really isn't too expensive given the amount of ingredients in it. Light and sourish with a tinge of spiciness. But I would have preferred it a little spicier. And thats coming from someone whose spice tolerance level is rather low.
Pandan Chicken - Ok I got to admit that this isn't exactly cheap, at $8 for 4 bite sized pieces of pandan chicken. The chicken, though nice and juicy, didn't exactly wow me probably because of its rather mild taste. There was no burst in the mouth melody of flavours that I experienced while eating it in Bangkok. But still a nice eat nevertheless.
Phad Thai ($8)- One of the highly recommended dishes and purportedly one of the best in Singapore, the Phad Thai was actually quite good. Lightly sweet with a firm and chewy texture. However, it was a little too wet as compared to what I had in Bangkok. The ubiquitous dried shrimps were also missing. I know that dried shrimps are optional but they give an added texture and introduce a much appreciated salty dimension to the dish. Personally I still prefer the Phad Thai from Sweet Salty Spicy Food Market & Thai Canteen.
The cost of food sufficient for 1 pax stood at $23 (no GST, no service charge), which is still acceptable given the quality of food. However, drinks cost me an additional $8 which is terribly expensive. $3 for a glass of coconut juce, $4 if you want less ice. 50 cents for warm water and 50 cents for ice only. So technically if you wanted ice water, it will be $1/cup. Theres the more expensive option of bottled water though, starting at $2 (without ice). Sorry but I think its a rip off, especially when its only a coffeeshop. If I ever visit again, I'll be sure to bring my own water.
Can I don't put any star for this?
People, PLS AVOID this restaurant!
I am so infuriated that I have to write this within 24 hours!
Firstly, my parents and I were tempted when we saw their advertisement in VivoCity. Thus we went a long way searching for it. It was located in one corner.
The charge was $18.90 per adult.
The opening hours of the restaurant stated 11am to 1030pm. When we reached there, it was around 9pm.
One waiter ushered us to a table hurriedly, with some sort of abit of frustrated look on his face. There were only 3 soups to choose from (mala, chicken, and seafood), and we could have 2 soups.
We went to get our food from the buffet spread, and were kind of disappointed with the spread as they seemed to be finishing soon. It was only 9pm!! And they already stopped refilling the food! And yet the opening hours stated till 1030pm...
There were only 2 pathetic pieces of unfresh looking prawns left in the tray; the crabs looked pathetically small and skinny; there were only a few pieces of watermelon left as well; the meats were still abit frozen; the dessert (looked like coconut milk with corns) was not covered in the shallow tray; the rest of the foods were so-so; the icecream container was clean and empty!!
The bowls for filling the chilli sauces with had runned out. The light soy sauce also had runned out. I had to ask a staff to refill.
Our steamboat soups - mala, and chicken, tasted so so only, quite near to tasteless. My mother tried the clams and said that there were sand in the clams.
We wanted to order drinks. However the staff didn't seem responsive when we asked for them to come over to our table. We ordered sour plum juice and lime juice, which cost $3.50 each. The sour plum juice was tooo sweet, and the lime juice tasted very artificial. Thus my father ordered a glass of plain water to mix it into his sour plum juice in order to unsweeten the sour plum juice. The plain water was charged for $1!
Around 930pm, I was shocked while eating halfway- They switched off some of the lights in the restaurant. The lights above me suddenly dimmed off. I felt kind of insulted, as if they were trying to chase us out. It was only 930pm! I already had no mood for eating anyway. Just hoping to eat as quickly as possible and get out of that place.
Slightly later, the staff there were beginning to clean up the place and prepare for the next day. Suddenly techno songs were played....what the....
947pm, the waiter came with the bill...my father was stunned. Because it wasn't even close to 1030pm, how could they bring us the bill themselves??
The total charges were $76.20. There was a 10% service charge, and also 7% GST. Was there much service to talk about here??
I was trying to check the bill but the waiter was waiting impatiently beside me, and with a rude expression, he asked for the bill back "with his eyes" and finger pointing at the bill i was holding.
After we left the restaurant, I realised something ridiculous on the receipt!! Pls refer to the photograph I attached- "Round 0.05".
What the hell was that?
I calculated that the total charge should be $76.15.
But they charged us $76.20. SO!! They charged us extra $0.05 just to ROUND UP.
This is totally ridiculous! Why should they round up??? Don't they even have 5 cents to return for change? Even Cheers and 7Eleven round down, not round up! What right does this restaurant have to round up the amount without the customer's consent?? This is really not reasonable at all. And of course, I'm sure nobody is stingy about 5 cents. But do you think what this restaurant does is right?? This is the first time I have ever encountered such a nonsense.
The former Marina South's chain of steamboat restaurants were much better than this ridiculous restaurant.
I will not return to this restaurant even if it's free of charge. They should do some self-reflection and improve, otherwise, better close down.
Chef Chan's restaurant, decked in expensive antiques which make up his very own private collection and located within out very own Art Museum, the place screams of taste and posh before you even step into it. And we were there during his anniversary to try out his signature dishes done out in a set menu for 8. Expectations ran high for this chef who touts himself as a top chef in his Chinese namecard, Shen Chu San Jue but is it really that good?
Well, first of all the place is interesting. Not quite what i was expecting with all the bells and whistles and highly provocative name. In fact, the place was quite the opposite, sublime, quiet and very much bare. This is true for the door that greets you to the interior which had a very minimalist approach apart from the gilded plates, jade set ornaments and glaring antiques. Each item within is painstakingly collected by the Chef, Mr Chan Chen Hei over the years and it shows. Simply refer to the pictures to understand.
Flashy stuff in terms of the decorations i would say. The place is also weird in that each table of guests had their own partitioned room and there were no open tables on the outside. In fact, it felt like an intimate gathering of friends in a mutual friend's place as opposed to a restaurant. Next up, on to the food.
Cashew Nuts Coated With Honey - The cashew nuts were good though. Exceptionally so, i could go for seconds and thirds of those cashew nuts easily. Crunchy with a finely roasted fragrance and honey sweet. Yep, its something i would want right now actually.
Melon Strips Enlivened With Orange Juice - The first dish to adorn our tables is a rather normal looking item. Cut melon pieces, the difference lay in the color and taste which strangely resembled a crunchy orange. Our guess is that it was soaked in orange juice or extract but wasn't sure how to explain the crunchiness it retained. Still, it was normal when the dust settled.
Prawn Balls Stuffed With Pate and Wine - I was actually looking forward to this particular dish. Pate and prawn and wine. How could it not be a winner? Well, in truth, it wasn't a winner nor was it totally bad. The prawn paste stuffing was springy and fragrant, the wine was minimal but could be tasted while the pate was a really small piece which didn't quite get its taste across due to the multitude of other flavors. The thing about this is that each of us got....1 miserable serving...which is rather miserly if you ask me
Stir Fried Shark's Fin with Eggs, Bean Sprouts And Spring Onion - This was good. Period. Fragrant, tasty and crunchy. It embodies all the elements within to good effect. The shark's fin actually tasted like vermicelli but it was more fine and lighter. The complaint here is going to follow through for the entire post. There just wasn't enough to go around. One plate is all we got and shared among each other. I would have loved more of this but that didn't happen.
Sauteed Lobster With Garlic - The lobster in garlic is another of those dishes which came a little too little. For the price, i would have expected to be served an entire lobster but i only got half of it. A good half nonetheless. Sweet springy meat in glorious garlic. The taste reminds me of the garlic prawns in Hai Tien Lo but with a little more meat. Good stuff, if there was more.
Steamed Red Garouper in Superior Soy Sauce - To be honest, i don't know much about fish. So i can't differentiate between a red garoupa and from the same species of another color. And i can't tell you the price of this fish as well as the difference between superior soy sauce and normal ones. Having said all that, this fish tasted just like the ones my mother does at home. Slightly salty and juicy with a smooth texture.
Chef Chan's Famous Crispy Roast Chicken - Ah yes, the legendary Chef Chan's crispy roast chicken. I'm happy to report that this at least, lives up to its name. Crispy, well roasted skin with hints of salt and other marinates tantalizes your taste buds while juicy and tender meat sit beneath it just waiting to be tasted. Its definitely something worth trying at least once.
Sauteed Vegetable With Shredded Mushroom - Normal sums it up pretty well. I don't even know how this could have made the list but it disappoints pretty badly. Its not bad per se mind you, just not something i would expect to see on my table during an expensive meal.
Glutinous Rice With Mango and Gui Ling Gao - We gave feed back in the restaurant and we'll give the same feed back here. This combination simply does not work. Not one bit. The glutinous rice is sweet, the mango is sour and the gui ling gao is bitter. Throw them all together and the result is still a bad idea.
White Fungus - This dessert however, was good. Sweet, clear, light and warm. It served to calm the senses a fair bit after the meal.
The final bill worked out to be $860.15 after a 10% discount. A hefty sum to pay for the meal on display though.
I expected more from this place. More atmosphere, more variety and most importantly, more food. Sadly, it didn't live up to expectations with the misses in the menu. Service was good overall and the items that were well done, were definitely worth trying. Still, i won't return for a second try anytime soon.
Believing that happy food is created using natural ingredients and a pair of happy and dedicated hands – Kenneth, owner aka a happy chef (and a very cute and hunky one as well) saw a market for healthy, natural food for people who want a shift from the American junk food and the greasy Chinese takeaways.
Using homemade sauce (look out for the White Yoghurt Dip – slightly sourish but so zesty & tangy) and natural ingredients (no MSG, artificial enhancers, colourings) prepared with minimal fuss – what one gets are dishes that allows you to enjoy the food in its original state. From brown rice to grilled meats, sandwiches to wraps, each item listed on the menu guarantees one to enjoy their meal guilt-free! As we were rushing for time, we decided to go with the Toasted Tortilla Wraps and Sandwich that are filled with GENEROUS serving of Juicy Roast Chicken, Lettuce and Tomato Salsa.
I observed later, the big-hearted portion applied to all his customers – so much so that I began to wonder how does he meet his profit margin?
My verdict – I love the natural ingredients, the chicken is juicy and tender and one REALLY does achieve a sense of “happiness” after eating his food! However, between the wrap and the sandwich, I definitely preferred the former. The bread was slightly dry and flat which I believed was due to it being exposed to the air for quite some time.
Given a chance, do also give the Roast Chicken in Olive Oil and Rosemary a try – it looks really good and value-for-money. Interestingly, if you thought All Natural Kitchen is situated in a posh health bar, you might be surprised to find out that it is actually located at the 2nd level of Amoy Street Food Centre, just so that you get to enjoy these healthy foods at reasonable prices.
Grippingly, there were also copies of the latest issues of various lifestyle magazines for those in the queue to read – utterly considerate if you ask me.
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Had the opportunity to partake in a food tasting session at Fresh Bulggogi, courtesy of Benny, the marketing manager for Zingrill Holdings, which also owns and operates the Breeks, Seoul Garden and Zingdo chains of restaurants.
Located on level 3 of the viewing gallery at Changi Airport Terminal 2, Fresh Bulggogi spots a fresh lime green and black facade and plays immediate neighbour to Fish & Co. The interior (at least where I sat) consists of booth seats that can seat 4 pax very comfortably or 6 pax if you happen to be smaller in size. The concept of Fresh Bulggogi is built upon that of Seoul Garden save for 2 major differences. First, it only has an ala carte menu with no buffet option. Second, the food items sold are slightly more upmarket, with stuff like half shell scallops, sashimi grade salmon, just to name a few. It also serves up quick meals like Bibim Baps for time strapped customers who are in a hurry to catch their flights. For customers who dread perspiring while having steamboat, this place eliminates the problem by placing the pot in a dug in enclosure and installing cool air blowers right above the pot level. This prevents the heat from dissipating upwards and keeps the surroundings cool.
Pine Mushroom Salad with Prawns - Honestly the salad wasn't to my liking and was rather lacklustre in my humble opinion. The pine mushrooms tasted rather bland while the prawns were rather small in size and barely sweet. However there is one positive remark I must make and that is the effort put in to remove the prawn intestines. Not many places, even high class restaurants, bother doing so.
Deep Fried Assorted Mushrooms - This was actually comfort food for all of us. Assorted mushrooms coated with batter and deep fried till crisp on the outside yet soft on the inside. Very nice and chewy but I did find the batter a wee bit too thick. A little more moisture in the mushrooms would also be much appreciated.
Kimchi Jjigae with Sliced Salmon (김치찌개) - Unfortunately, none of us at the table could fully appreciate this humble Korean stew. It was essentially vegetables, mushrooms and rice cakes in a kimchi broth. According to wikipedia, Kimchi Jjigae is best cooked with older more fermented kimchi, which creates a much stronger taste and also contains more beneficial bacteria also found in yoghurt. The salmon slices were passably fresh but tasted rather weird with the kimchi broth.
Garlic Chicken Bap - A classic Korean dish and one that I've eaten a couple of times, the garlic chicken bap was surprisingly quite decent. For starters, the kimchi was lightly sour and spicy while the chicken was well marinated and you could actually taste the marination. Add the fact that the rice was moist and a little sticky and it made for a rather nice dish.
Premium Set C (Chicken Breast Meat, Beef Bulggogi, Chicken Bulggogi and Sliced Beef) - For our steamboat, we had a choice of 2 soup bases, kimchi and chicken, of which we chose the latter. I wouldn't go as far as to say the broth was great, but it was decently sweet yet light.
We had the premium set C for the sliced beef. Seriously, how bad can steamboat get? Everything tasted relatively fresh but the thinly sliced beef did look a darker shade of red as compared to what other tables were getting (this is based purely on our observations). The set is meant for 2 but in case the ingredients are insufficient, there is always the ala carte top up option.
Chicken Bulggogi & Korean Rice Cakes - 2 of our top up options, the chicken bulggogi, which the Koreans eat with lettuce and the rice cakes, which look like sliced fishcakes but tasted to me like chewy kueh when cooked.
Honestly, I know nuts to nothing about Korean food but personally I found the food overall to be rather decent, maybe not wholly authentic but certainly very edible. Prices are on the high side ( the damage for 4 pax was about $165 inclusive of 6 juices/soft drinks and 4 ice cream desserts) but thats to be expected since its at the airport. Oh and take note that they do not serve sky juice. Service was friendly but the place did seem a little short handed at times.
Anyway, Tango's at Holland V. We went there after eating at Coffee Club (Yes, there's still space in there). Oh man~ this place is a HOT house. Not hot as in popular but hot as in not cool, warm, hot and sweating. I think this is due to its open concept (Look ma~ No doors~!) but yet used a lot of yellow lighting. By the end of the night, I'm uncomfortable not because of tiredness but because its too warm.
This place has got impressive menu though and it took us some time to decide what we wanted.
Dar ordered the half Chix and according to him, its value for money and definitely great tasting. I had a piece of the Chix too and indeed, the skin is crispy while meat is tender not to mention the size of the portion given. Grilled squid took a long time to cook and came out Cao4 Ta1 and oily.
We ordered Margarita, Tropical Paradise (Martini) which took damn long to come and Erdinger. Can't really say anything good about them which I think its mostly because the heat there made the iced drinks warm fast. Cold drinks soon became room temperature and doesn't taste as nice as should be.
We should have stay at the outside seats which seems to be cooler. No wonder there wasn't much people sitting inside when we went there.
I am quite sad to say that even as a Singaporean, the first plane that I seat on was not a Singapore Airlines plane. Recently, I finally had the chance to sit on one. Hee….. Once step into the plane, it is pretty much like stepping into any other airlines plane, clean and tidy. Along the way, there will be friendly and smiling air steward or stewardess to guide and help you to get to your seat. After which, they would start serving hot towels to everyone as well. If I did not manage to get a copy of Straits Time before I board the plane, I would ask for a copy. Sad to say once in a while, the air stewardess would forget about it.
While on the plane, they did their best to keep us comfortable, and try to keep up with all our requests. Their service was really good when it comes to serving drinks and meals. This is definitely their plus point here. When it comes to their food, well it seems that they only changed their menu every two months, so in the end, I got to every dish in the menu over and over again. *Mental note: To request for special meals when booking tickets next time*
Next come to their entertainment system. Sad to say I am not very impressed with the system as it tends to fail me a few times or required a few times of reset. It is also a bit slow in reaction as well. At least they do change the movies every month so at least I got new movies to watch. It would be much better if they give better quality earphones. Once the system at the seat I was seating was defective, so they gave me a US$50 voucher to use for the KrisShop. Hee…. Too bad it can be only used on the plane.
All in all, I quite liked the service onboard the plane as they would make customers as comfortable as possible.
I tried the Choco Mint and Irish Cream flavours. Bad move as the mint flavour was too strong and overpowered the Irish Cream. Another bad move, I choose Oreo chips instead of something else.
The end result wasn't that bad but the mixing of the two flavours felt weird if they didn't compliment each other. The seats in the shop were few and isn't that suited for large groups wanting to enjoy their chat.
I'm a safe ice cream eater and it was a pity because I could have chosen the more exotic flavours (for the same amount of money spent) that aren't sold in tubs elsewhere.
The main products are the Curious Curios charm jewellery, consisting of necklaces, rings and earrings.
There are also clutches that are specially and lovingly handsewn by Mel, the owner of the Curiosity Shoppe. She prides herself of extremely stringent quality control for her clutches, so much so that she's start from scratch if she's dissatisfied with any aspect of a clutch! Imagine the cost and efforts involved in that... it totally makes her clutches worth paying for!
There are also charms for DIY accessories available for sale on the site.
Not only does Mel make trinklets, she also makes the trees for you to hang you trinklets and keep them tidy! So basically, you'll have to look no further than this store because she kinda "thinks ahead" for you and makes what you need.
The highlight, however, i think should be her Curious Curios charm jewellery!
I've purchased rather many pieces of accessories from her (i think adding everything up, should have hit at least 10 pieces!) and i can assure you that the quality of her accessories is nothing short of awesome. I'm not kidding!
I especially love her necklaces! There are many different series and each have their uniqueness. Not much wire work in place, but the way the chains and charms all come together nicely to form something so awesome is just worthy of commending! Some pieces are nice and simple, others are more complex in design, but all are visually enticing!
Every necklace also comes with a different poetry or a short paragraph or some sort of short story that's uniquely written by Mel herself. It adds a very artistic feel to everything. She also takes it to another level by using charms that are quite out of the ordinary. Why do i say so? Because many other accessory-makers aren't willing to take the risk to experiment with those "weird looking" charms, but Mel essentially captures the whole spirit of the charm and really glorifies it to its fullest potential.
If I'm not mistaken, she uses gold-plated/non-tarnish chains and its really true. They really don't tarnish! Many other accessories have caused me to have itchy allergy reactions after wearing them for sometimes, especially if i perspire since i have horribly sensitive skin, but nothing ever seems to happen when i her accessories. I am really amazed and i can't help but keep going back for more!
Then there are the nice, simple and catchy word-necklaces that every youth is crazy over because one word says it all! Teenagers, especially, would digg those necklaces.
There are also pieces which make use of semi-precious stones and those would probably appeal more to slightly more matured ladies! Very elegant and classy pieces.
Recently, one of the well-loved necklaces (meaning i like it so much that i wear it very frequently) snapped and i immediately contacted Mel about it. She responded very promptly and offered to fix it at no charge! She is very friendly, easy-going and very helpful. Great after-sales service.
I'm a really satisfied customer of Mel's Curiosity Shoppe and you should totally check it out if you can!
1=SGD 0.0587
What sets Ipoh Hor Fun apart from the bastardised version lies in the Sar Hor Fun (or 沙河粉). Local-produce Hor Fun somehow just doesn’t seem to meet the mark in terms of smoothness and silkiness factor. This is where Teck Kee steps in to bridge the gap.
Located just 2 stalls away from Ah Kow’s Mushroom Minced Pork Mee, it is interesting to see which among the two has a longer snaking queue during lunch time, even though a small serving of Teck Kee’s Crayfish Hor Fun comes knocking at $5 per plate, $6.50 for medium and $9.50 for large – surely there must be good reasons! I dare say Teck Kee's rice noodles is probably the closest you can get in terms of texture – It’s so smooth that it slips down the throat easily! I had the medium serving (not very filling though) and what came with it was a pretty good size Crayfish.
The flesh was firm and meaty but then again that’s all that is to it. Instead I thought the Big Prawns were much sweeter and less “rubbery” compared to the crayfish.
The gravy sauce was kinda disappointing though – I feel that it is not robust enough to go with the already plain Hor Fun.
Perhaps one is meant to dip the noodles and ingredients in the chilli sauce for a stronger flavour but I would probably be back for them only when I have a craving for smooth Ipoh Hor Fun.
This is probably the Best Sar Hor Fun around in Singapore, but gravy was disappointing. I also find it to be expensive for hawker standard, and serving wasn't big.
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
Fresh with the memory of Bangkok's excellent Thai food and armed with a craving for Phad Thai, I headed down to First Thai at Purvis Street, which purportedly serves up authentic Thai food at reasonable prices.
The place sits right at the front of Purvis Street, making it easy to find and plays neighbours to Yet Con, which is next door and Chin Chin just across the road. Decor is very coffeeshop like save for the nice green olden style windows that look out to the main road. There is no airconditioning at this eatery so be prepared to sweat it out on a hot day. If the place is full, you'll probably have to share a table with someone or queue up outside the shop. Do note that you will not be seated until everyone in your group is present.
Tom Yam Soup Individual Serving - This is one of the better tom yam soups that I've tried in Singapore and at $7 a pop, it really isn't too expensive given the amount of ingredients in it. Light and sourish with a tinge of spiciness. But I would have preferred it a little spicier. And thats coming from someone whose spice tolerance level is rather low.
Pandan Chicken - Ok I got to admit that this isn't exactly cheap, at $8 for 4 bite sized pieces of pandan chicken. The chicken, though nice and juicy, didn't exactly wow me probably because of its rather mild taste. There was no burst in the mouth melody of flavours that I experienced while eating it in Bangkok. But still a nice eat nevertheless.
Phad Thai ($8)- One of the highly recommended dishes and purportedly one of the best in Singapore, the Phad Thai was actually quite good. Lightly sweet with a firm and chewy texture. However, it was a little too wet as compared to what I had in Bangkok. The ubiquitous dried shrimps were also missing. I know that dried shrimps are optional but they give an added texture and introduce a much appreciated salty dimension to the dish. Personally I still prefer the Phad Thai from Sweet Salty Spicy Food Market & Thai Canteen.
The cost of food sufficient for 1 pax stood at $23 (no GST, no service charge), which is still acceptable given the quality of food. However, drinks cost me an additional $8 which is terribly expensive. $3 for a glass of coconut juce, $4 if you want less ice. 50 cents for warm water and 50 cents for ice only. So technically if you wanted ice water, it will be $1/cup. Theres the more expensive option of bottled water though, starting at $2 (without ice). Sorry but I think its a rip off, especially when its only a coffeeshop. If I ever visit again, I'll be sure to bring my own water.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Can I don't put any star for this?
People, PLS AVOID this restaurant!
I am so infuriated that I have to write this within 24 hours!
Firstly, my parents and I were tempted when we saw their advertisement in VivoCity. Thus we went a long way searching for it. It was located in one corner.
The charge was $18.90 per adult.
The opening hours of the restaurant stated 11am to 1030pm. When we reached there, it was around 9pm.
One waiter ushered us to a table hurriedly, with some sort of abit of frustrated look on his face. There were only 3 soups to choose from (mala, chicken, and seafood), and we could have 2 soups.
We went to get our food from the buffet spread, and were kind of disappointed with the spread as they seemed to be finishing soon. It was only 9pm!! And they already stopped refilling the food! And yet the opening hours stated till 1030pm...
There were only 2 pathetic pieces of unfresh looking prawns left in the tray; the crabs looked pathetically small and skinny; there were only a few pieces of watermelon left as well; the meats were still abit frozen; the dessert (looked like coconut milk with corns) was not covered in the shallow tray; the rest of the foods were so-so; the icecream container was clean and empty!!
The bowls for filling the chilli sauces with had runned out. The light soy sauce also had runned out. I had to ask a staff to refill.
Our steamboat soups - mala, and chicken, tasted so so only, quite near to tasteless. My mother tried the clams and said that there were sand in the clams.
We wanted to order drinks. However the staff didn't seem responsive when we asked for them to come over to our table. We ordered sour plum juice and lime juice, which cost $3.50 each. The sour plum juice was tooo sweet, and the lime juice tasted very artificial. Thus my father ordered a glass of plain water to mix it into his sour plum juice in order to unsweeten the sour plum juice. The plain water was charged for $1!
Around 930pm, I was shocked while eating halfway- They switched off some of the lights in the restaurant. The lights above me suddenly dimmed off. I felt kind of insulted, as if they were trying to chase us out. It was only 930pm! I already had no mood for eating anyway. Just hoping to eat as quickly as possible and get out of that place.
Slightly later, the staff there were beginning to clean up the place and prepare for the next day. Suddenly techno songs were played....what the....
947pm, the waiter came with the bill...my father was stunned. Because it wasn't even close to 1030pm, how could they bring us the bill themselves??
The total charges were $76.20. There was a 10% service charge, and also 7% GST. Was there much service to talk about here??
I was trying to check the bill but the waiter was waiting impatiently beside me, and with a rude expression, he asked for the bill back "with his eyes" and finger pointing at the bill i was holding.
After we left the restaurant, I realised something ridiculous on the receipt!! Pls refer to the photograph I attached- "Round 0.05".
What the hell was that?
I calculated that the total charge should be $76.15.
But they charged us $76.20. SO!! They charged us extra $0.05 just to ROUND UP.
This is totally ridiculous! Why should they round up??? Don't they even have 5 cents to return for change? Even Cheers and 7Eleven round down, not round up! What right does this restaurant have to round up the amount without the customer's consent?? This is really not reasonable at all. And of course, I'm sure nobody is stingy about 5 cents. But do you think what this restaurant does is right?? This is the first time I have ever encountered such a nonsense.
The former Marina South's chain of steamboat restaurants were much better than this ridiculous restaurant.
I will not return to this restaurant even if it's free of charge. They should do some self-reflection and improve, otherwise, better close down.
Rating given:
Chef Chan's restaurant, decked in expensive antiques which make up his very own private collection and located within out very own Art Museum, the place screams of taste and posh before you even step into it. And we were there during his anniversary to try out his signature dishes done out in a set menu for 8. Expectations ran high for this chef who touts himself as a top chef in his Chinese namecard, Shen Chu San Jue but is it really that good?
Well, first of all the place is interesting. Not quite what i was expecting with all the bells and whistles and highly provocative name. In fact, the place was quite the opposite, sublime, quiet and very much bare. This is true for the door that greets you to the interior which had a very minimalist approach apart from the gilded plates, jade set ornaments and glaring antiques. Each item within is painstakingly collected by the Chef, Mr Chan Chen Hei over the years and it shows. Simply refer to the pictures to understand.
Flashy stuff in terms of the decorations i would say. The place is also weird in that each table of guests had their own partitioned room and there were no open tables on the outside. In fact, it felt like an intimate gathering of friends in a mutual friend's place as opposed to a restaurant. Next up, on to the food.
Cashew Nuts Coated With Honey - The cashew nuts were good though. Exceptionally so, i could go for seconds and thirds of those cashew nuts easily. Crunchy with a finely roasted fragrance and honey sweet. Yep, its something i would want right now actually.
Melon Strips Enlivened With Orange Juice - The first dish to adorn our tables is a rather normal looking item. Cut melon pieces, the difference lay in the color and taste which strangely resembled a crunchy orange. Our guess is that it was soaked in orange juice or extract but wasn't sure how to explain the crunchiness it retained. Still, it was normal when the dust settled.
Prawn Balls Stuffed With Pate and Wine - I was actually looking forward to this particular dish. Pate and prawn and wine. How could it not be a winner? Well, in truth, it wasn't a winner nor was it totally bad. The prawn paste stuffing was springy and fragrant, the wine was minimal but could be tasted while the pate was a really small piece which didn't quite get its taste across due to the multitude of other flavors. The thing about this is that each of us got....1 miserable serving...which is rather miserly if you ask me
Stir Fried Shark's Fin with Eggs, Bean Sprouts And Spring Onion - This was good. Period. Fragrant, tasty and crunchy. It embodies all the elements within to good effect. The shark's fin actually tasted like vermicelli but it was more fine and lighter. The complaint here is going to follow through for the entire post. There just wasn't enough to go around. One plate is all we got and shared among each other. I would have loved more of this but that didn't happen.
Sauteed Lobster With Garlic - The lobster in garlic is another of those dishes which came a little too little. For the price, i would have expected to be served an entire lobster but i only got half of it. A good half nonetheless. Sweet springy meat in glorious garlic. The taste reminds me of the garlic prawns in Hai Tien Lo but with a little more meat. Good stuff, if there was more.
Steamed Red Garouper in Superior Soy Sauce - To be honest, i don't know much about fish. So i can't differentiate between a red garoupa and from the same species of another color. And i can't tell you the price of this fish as well as the difference between superior soy sauce and normal ones. Having said all that, this fish tasted just like the ones my mother does at home. Slightly salty and juicy with a smooth texture.
Chef Chan's Famous Crispy Roast Chicken - Ah yes, the legendary Chef Chan's crispy roast chicken. I'm happy to report that this at least, lives up to its name. Crispy, well roasted skin with hints of salt and other marinates tantalizes your taste buds while juicy and tender meat sit beneath it just waiting to be tasted. Its definitely something worth trying at least once.
Sauteed Vegetable With Shredded Mushroom - Normal sums it up pretty well. I don't even know how this could have made the list but it disappoints pretty badly. Its not bad per se mind you, just not something i would expect to see on my table during an expensive meal.
Glutinous Rice With Mango and Gui Ling Gao - We gave feed back in the restaurant and we'll give the same feed back here. This combination simply does not work. Not one bit. The glutinous rice is sweet, the mango is sour and the gui ling gao is bitter. Throw them all together and the result is still a bad idea.
White Fungus - This dessert however, was good. Sweet, clear, light and warm. It served to calm the senses a fair bit after the meal.
The final bill worked out to be $860.15 after a 10% discount. A hefty sum to pay for the meal on display though.
I expected more from this place. More atmosphere, more variety and most importantly, more food. Sadly, it didn't live up to expectations with the misses in the menu. Service was good overall and the items that were well done, were definitely worth trying. Still, i won't return for a second try anytime soon.
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Believing that happy food is created using natural ingredients and a pair of happy and dedicated hands – Kenneth, owner aka a happy chef (and a very cute and hunky one as well) saw a market for healthy, natural food for people who want a shift from the American junk food and the greasy Chinese takeaways.
Using homemade sauce (look out for the White Yoghurt Dip – slightly sourish but so zesty & tangy) and natural ingredients (no MSG, artificial enhancers, colourings) prepared with minimal fuss – what one gets are dishes that allows you to enjoy the food in its original state. From brown rice to grilled meats, sandwiches to wraps, each item listed on the menu guarantees one to enjoy their meal guilt-free! As we were rushing for time, we decided to go with the Toasted Tortilla Wraps and Sandwich that are filled with GENEROUS serving of Juicy Roast Chicken, Lettuce and Tomato Salsa.
I observed later, the big-hearted portion applied to all his customers – so much so that I began to wonder how does he meet his profit margin?
My verdict – I love the natural ingredients, the chicken is juicy and tender and one REALLY does achieve a sense of “happiness” after eating his food! However, between the wrap and the sandwich, I definitely preferred the former. The bread was slightly dry and flat which I believed was due to it being exposed to the air for quite some time.
Given a chance, do also give the Roast Chicken in Olive Oil and Rosemary a try – it looks really good and value-for-money. Interestingly, if you thought All Natural Kitchen is situated in a posh health bar, you might be surprised to find out that it is actually located at the 2nd level of Amoy Street Food Centre, just so that you get to enjoy these healthy foods at reasonable prices.
Grippingly, there were also copies of the latest issues of various lifestyle magazines for those in the queue to read – utterly considerate if you ask me.
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
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Had the opportunity to partake in a food tasting session at Fresh Bulggogi, courtesy of Benny, the marketing manager for Zingrill Holdings, which also owns and operates the Breeks, Seoul Garden and Zingdo chains of restaurants.
Located on level 3 of the viewing gallery at Changi Airport Terminal 2, Fresh Bulggogi spots a fresh lime green and black facade and plays immediate neighbour to Fish & Co. The interior (at least where I sat) consists of booth seats that can seat 4 pax very comfortably or 6 pax if you happen to be smaller in size. The concept of Fresh Bulggogi is built upon that of Seoul Garden save for 2 major differences. First, it only has an ala carte menu with no buffet option. Second, the food items sold are slightly more upmarket, with stuff like half shell scallops, sashimi grade salmon, just to name a few. It also serves up quick meals like Bibim Baps for time strapped customers who are in a hurry to catch their flights. For customers who dread perspiring while having steamboat, this place eliminates the problem by placing the pot in a dug in enclosure and installing cool air blowers right above the pot level. This prevents the heat from dissipating upwards and keeps the surroundings cool.
Pine Mushroom Salad with Prawns - Honestly the salad wasn't to my liking and was rather lacklustre in my humble opinion. The pine mushrooms tasted rather bland while the prawns were rather small in size and barely sweet. However there is one positive remark I must make and that is the effort put in to remove the prawn intestines. Not many places, even high class restaurants, bother doing so.
Deep Fried Assorted Mushrooms - This was actually comfort food for all of us. Assorted mushrooms coated with batter and deep fried till crisp on the outside yet soft on the inside. Very nice and chewy but I did find the batter a wee bit too thick. A little more moisture in the mushrooms would also be much appreciated.
Kimchi Jjigae with Sliced Salmon (김치찌개) - Unfortunately, none of us at the table could fully appreciate this humble Korean stew. It was essentially vegetables, mushrooms and rice cakes in a kimchi broth. According to wikipedia, Kimchi Jjigae is best cooked with older more fermented kimchi, which creates a much stronger taste and also contains more beneficial bacteria also found in yoghurt. The salmon slices were passably fresh but tasted rather weird with the kimchi broth.
Garlic Chicken Bap - A classic Korean dish and one that I've eaten a couple of times, the garlic chicken bap was surprisingly quite decent. For starters, the kimchi was lightly sour and spicy while the chicken was well marinated and you could actually taste the marination. Add the fact that the rice was moist and a little sticky and it made for a rather nice dish.
Premium Set C (Chicken Breast Meat, Beef Bulggogi, Chicken Bulggogi and Sliced Beef) - For our steamboat, we had a choice of 2 soup bases, kimchi and chicken, of which we chose the latter. I wouldn't go as far as to say the broth was great, but it was decently sweet yet light.
We had the premium set C for the sliced beef. Seriously, how bad can steamboat get? Everything tasted relatively fresh but the thinly sliced beef did look a darker shade of red as compared to what other tables were getting (this is based purely on our observations). The set is meant for 2 but in case the ingredients are insufficient, there is always the ala carte top up option.
Chicken Bulggogi & Korean Rice Cakes - 2 of our top up options, the chicken bulggogi, which the Koreans eat with lettuce and the rice cakes, which look like sliced fishcakes but tasted to me like chewy kueh when cooked.
Honestly, I know nuts to nothing about Korean food but personally I found the food overall to be rather decent, maybe not wholly authentic but certainly very edible. Prices are on the high side ( the damage for 4 pax was about $165 inclusive of 6 juices/soft drinks and 4 ice cream desserts) but thats to be expected since its at the airport. Oh and take note that they do not serve sky juice. Service was friendly but the place did seem a little short handed at times.
See all my pictures here.
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Anyway, Tango's at Holland V. We went there after eating at Coffee Club (Yes, there's still space in there). Oh man~ this place is a HOT house. Not hot as in popular but hot as in not cool, warm, hot and sweating. I think this is due to its open concept (Look ma~ No doors~!) but yet used a lot of yellow lighting. By the end of the night, I'm uncomfortable not because of tiredness but because its too warm.
This place has got impressive menu though and it took us some time to decide what we wanted.
Dar ordered the half Chix and according to him, its value for money and definitely great tasting. I had a piece of the Chix too and indeed, the skin is crispy while meat is tender not to mention the size of the portion given. Grilled squid took a long time to cook and came out Cao4 Ta1 and oily.
We ordered Margarita, Tropical Paradise (Martini) which took damn long to come and Erdinger. Can't really say anything good about them which I think its mostly because the heat there made the iced drinks warm fast. Cold drinks soon became room temperature and doesn't taste as nice as should be.
We should have stay at the outside seats which seems to be cooler. No wonder there wasn't much people sitting inside when we went there.
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I am quite sad to say that even as a Singaporean, the first plane that I seat on was not a Singapore Airlines plane. Recently, I finally had the chance to sit on one. Hee….. Once step into the plane, it is pretty much like stepping into any other airlines plane, clean and tidy. Along the way, there will be friendly and smiling air steward or stewardess to guide and help you to get to your seat. After which, they would start serving hot towels to everyone as well. If I did not manage to get a copy of Straits Time before I board the plane, I would ask for a copy. Sad to say once in a while, the air stewardess would forget about it.
While on the plane, they did their best to keep us comfortable, and try to keep up with all our requests. Their service was really good when it comes to serving drinks and meals. This is definitely their plus point here. When it comes to their food, well it seems that they only changed their menu every two months, so in the end, I got to every dish in the menu over and over again. *Mental note: To request for special meals when booking tickets next time*
Next come to their entertainment system. Sad to say I am not very impressed with the system as it tends to fail me a few times or required a few times of reset. It is also a bit slow in reaction as well. At least they do change the movies every month so at least I got new movies to watch. It would be much better if they give better quality earphones. Once the system at the seat I was seating was defective, so they gave me a US$50 voucher to use for the KrisShop. Hee…. Too bad it can be only used on the plane.
All in all, I quite liked the service onboard the plane as they would make customers as comfortable as possible.
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I tried the Choco Mint and Irish Cream flavours. Bad move as the mint flavour was too strong and overpowered the Irish Cream. Another bad move, I choose Oreo chips instead of something else.
The end result wasn't that bad but the mixing of the two flavours felt weird if they didn't compliment each other. The seats in the shop were few and isn't that suited for large groups wanting to enjoy their chat.
I'm a safe ice cream eater and it was a pity because I could have chosen the more exotic flavours (for the same amount of money spent) that aren't sold in tubs elsewhere.
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Very interesting online store!
The main products are the Curious Curios charm jewellery, consisting of necklaces, rings and earrings.
There are also clutches that are specially and lovingly handsewn by Mel, the owner of the Curiosity Shoppe. She prides herself of extremely stringent quality control for her clutches, so much so that she's start from scratch if she's dissatisfied with any aspect of a clutch! Imagine the cost and efforts involved in that... it totally makes her clutches worth paying for!
There are also charms for DIY accessories available for sale on the site.
Not only does Mel make trinklets, she also makes the trees for you to hang you trinklets and keep them tidy! So basically, you'll have to look no further than this store because she kinda "thinks ahead" for you and makes what you need.
The highlight, however, i think should be her Curious Curios charm jewellery!
I've purchased rather many pieces of accessories from her (i think adding everything up, should have hit at least 10 pieces!) and i can assure you that the quality of her accessories is nothing short of awesome. I'm not kidding!
I especially love her necklaces! There are many different series and each have their uniqueness. Not much wire work in place, but the way the chains and charms all come together nicely to form something so awesome is just worthy of commending! Some pieces are nice and simple, others are more complex in design, but all are visually enticing!
Every necklace also comes with a different poetry or a short paragraph or some sort of short story that's uniquely written by Mel herself. It adds a very artistic feel to everything. She also takes it to another level by using charms that are quite out of the ordinary. Why do i say so? Because many other accessory-makers aren't willing to take the risk to experiment with those "weird looking" charms, but Mel essentially captures the whole spirit of the charm and really glorifies it to its fullest potential.
If I'm not mistaken, she uses gold-plated/non-tarnish chains and its really true. They really don't tarnish! Many other accessories have caused me to have itchy allergy reactions after wearing them for sometimes, especially if i perspire since i have horribly sensitive skin, but nothing ever seems to happen when i her accessories. I am really amazed and i can't help but keep going back for more!
Then there are the nice, simple and catchy word-necklaces that every youth is crazy over because one word says it all! Teenagers, especially, would digg those necklaces.
There are also pieces which make use of semi-precious stones and those would probably appeal more to slightly more matured ladies! Very elegant and classy pieces.
Recently, one of the well-loved necklaces (meaning i like it so much that i wear it very frequently) snapped and i immediately contacted Mel about it. She responded very promptly and offered to fix it at no charge! She is very friendly, easy-going and very helpful. Great after-sales service.
I'm a really satisfied customer of Mel's Curiosity Shoppe and you should totally check it out if you can!
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