What started out in 1953 at Jalan Hang Jebat (a mere 5 minutes from its present location) as a canteen and unofficial mess for the old British army troops in Portsdown Road – it was literally dismantled part-by-part, and reused for the reconstruction of the new COLBAR – Colonial Bar for short, further down along 9A Wessex Estate – to make way for the construction of Ayer Rajah Expressway.
To salvage this part of Singapore’s history, roof tiles, timber screens and solid timber swing doors were reused as treasures for this rejuvenated iconic eating place.
However, to redevelop means to inject new life, and consequently a new outdoor terrace evolve to provide diners with an alternative experience of alfresco dining.
Still a cult hit with the expatriates’ community, this place also seems to attract locals with a pendant for nostalgia.
Essentially a dining place that offers basic staple food in an enchanted setting of large field and colonial houses nearby – it even comes with an old-school tyre swing near a tree that we as kids used to see in our neighbourhood playground.
For $9, we ordered one of their most popular dishes, Chicken Curry (we swap the steam rice for 2 slices of White Bread instead) and honestly I wasn’t impressed. Although ‘lemak’ with coconut milk, it tasted slightly sweet for my liking and portion wise it was pathetic – and my favourite potato was nowhere in sight.
The other popular dish, Pork Chop with Chips and Mushroom ($9) was another disappointment. Although the fries were homemade, its mushrooms were normal canned mushrooms. The pork chops were also slightly tough and tasteless without the gravy except if you chew on the part near its bone – which my dad dutifully took care of it.
Undeterred, we figured the Pork Cutlet ($11) could be better and we would just about right – chips and mushrooms were still the same but taste wise the cutlet version was just slightly tastier. However, the outer layer of bread crumps was all puff up from the meat, which should not be the case as one end up eating the two separately.
We also ordered a few Asian dishes such as the Bee Hoon in Cantonese style ($6). It was bad to be honest as the vermicelli was tasteless and definitely no hint of ‘Wok Hei’ – I would rather eat my own brand of charred version anytime than this tasteless fare.
The Fried Rice Special ($5) was a total joke to be honest. A dollar more from the “normal” version that comes with additional ham and a sunny-side-up, the rice was served lukewarm and probably pre-fried. The only saving grace was probably the runny egg yolk.
The only thing I like about the Fried Bee Hoon ($5) was the generous servings of vegetables, however that is probably to compensate for this very oily dish.
In my opinion, if you can overlook the overpriced yet mediocre food, COLBAR actually provides a very nice environment for families with kids, as well as dog owners to chill in during a lazy Sunday afternoon.
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
The Brownie Factory, petite in size but big with brownies. Despite the rather small store at basement two of Takashimaya, do not underrate its brownie, with selections of up to 24 brownies at one go, its hell lots of brownies to choose from.
From what i understand from the person-in-charge, their total brownies assortments stands over 40, and they varies from different festivals. I think its really creative of the Brownie Factory to concoct different types of brownie to suit our fussy taste bud
The prices for the brownies ranges from 2 bucks to 4 bucks, with so many different types of brownies to pick from, its really a headache. Fortunately for my companion and me, we did not have this problem because there's a current promotion which offers us the brownie factory’s best four selling brownie all for the price of 11 bucks.
There’s some other unique brownies like peanut butter, very bitter fudgy chewy gooey brownie, tutti-frutti marshmallow brownie, peppermint brownie and many more.
Fudgy Chewy Gooey Brownie ($3.10) The Brownie Factory #1 bestseller! Fudgy chewy gooey chocolaty and full of walnuts. The name fudge chewy gooey brownie says it all already. The chewy part is true to its name, its the chewiest among the four brownie.
Initially my companion and i like this very much because its very chewy and we find the overall taste to be just right. But as it gets on, the brownie becomes too sweet and threatens to overwhelm the taste bud.
Triple Chocolate Brownie ($2.40) Dense moist chocolate brownie topped with little and semi sweet chocolate chips and walnuts. The name alone suggest the sweetness, being triple chocolate. And thats what we thought so at the outset.
But the triple chocolate brownie (#2 bestseller) is completely opposite to the fudge chewy gooey brownie. The first bite is very sweet, but after tasting all the brownie, we find this not really that sweet after all. And there’s a hint of dark chocolate within, the smooth texture together with the choclate chips and walnuts makes us conclude overall the best brownie among the four.
Original Chocolate Brownie ($2.70) Dense moist chocolate brownie topped with walnut and semi sweet chocolate chips. If you do not have a sweet tooth, then the Original Chocolate brownie (#3 bestseller) is surely the one for you.
The least sweet among the four brownie we had, texture wise and appearance its the most similar to the triple chocolate brownie, less the chocolaty taste.
Fudgy Wudgy Chewy Brownie I rather like the Fudgy wudgy chewy brownie (#4 bestseller) too. The freeze chocolate layer goes well together with the chewy brownie, albeit being rather hard to bite into. The sweetness level is on the high side too, but its a nice alternative to the rest because this one is a cold brownie.
Total bill is $11 for 4 of the bestselling brownies at The Brownie Factory. Brownies are actually meant to be sweet, i guess the main problem is because 2 of us eat 4 brownie at one go, therefore the sweetness rather overwhelm us a bit. But i think eaten each separately, they should be all right.Price wise is rather reasonable given the cheapest is about 2 bucks, with the most expensive ones going at around 4 bucks.
The Brownie Factory has been around for about 6 years already, yet everytime i passed by the area i totally missed out the store, which is really a pity until now. If you are in the area, do try out their brownie! I like the triple chocolate brownie the most, and will definitely look to try some other unique flavours the next time round.
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!
From 4th July to 1st August 2008, visitors are given a rare opportunity to explore the old Supreme Court. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Singapore Academy of Law, it is holding an exhibition at the new Supreme House and a guided tour through old Supreme House.
See facilities which have never been opened to the public. The lock-up for prisoners during their trials, the private chambers of the Chief Justice, the courtrooms.....
4 guided tours a day : 10am, 12noon, 2 pm and 4pm Saturday slots are fully booked.
At the atrium of the new Supreme Court, learn about Singapore's Legal History. And re-live some of the most dramatic trials that took place in the high court....
I enjoyed myself very much at the tour, you can take a look at my blog posts because the photos are not to be circulated.
Well actually I see these ads as not to target those smokers, but rather those that have not started smoking, and the contemplating ones, especially the young.
Personally I do realise that in Singapore we like to induce fear in hearts to teach a lesson, just like how your mama used to cane you and such. Ironically it works to a large extent.
Assuming that this campaign is an original, I would give them 5 stars.
However, I have seen many (correct me if I am wrong) German Anti-smoking ads, exactly the same, just localised. It is alright to make references, but is it necessary to copy? What message are you sending to the young aspiring designers/advertisers? Trying to spoil Singapore's market ain't it?
I would just like to say that I am VERY ashamed of our current anti-smoking campaign.
Actually I don't know the address, but I know how to get there. So pardon me.
I am teaching Science and Eng for levels P2-S3 over there, it's located humbly in a cosy little shophouse. The tuition groups are limited to lesser than 10 students per class, so as to ensure that no student is being left out during the group tuition, while ensuring the productivity of a group tuition, which is learning from our own mistakes, and also your classmates' mistakes (also what your friends know too!), as well as the affordability of group tuition.
Prior to this, I have no experience in group tuition, and I rejected most group tutoring assignments because I am not confident in teaching in groups.
I chanced on the lady of this tuition centre and she assured that she'll guide me. I just gave it a shot and I am glad that it's more fun and refreshing to see little students helping one another, and not being selfish with what they already know.
The materials are provided there, so I just have to choose what I want to cover for the day.
I too, learnt a whole load of deal from them, and also understood more of a child's psychology and why they are lousy/negative/lazy on a topic/subject.
Teaching there has been a fruitful experience for me, and I am sure that our students feels the same too.
Had a craving for American style thick crust pizzas so ventured to California Pizza Kitchen's (CPK) sole Singapore outlet at Orchard. CPK is actually an international chain with 235 outlets worldwide and is well known for its extensive menu which features everything from creative pizzas to pastas, sandwiches and salads.
Occupying two levels at Forum the Shopping Mall, CPK offers air conditioned dining on both levels and al fresco dining on the lower level as well. Tables are spaced comfortably apart and if you sit downstairs, you can get a partial view of the kitchen and the counter where the pizzas are placed to be served. All in all a family style cosy interior with the option of booth seats if you so wish.
BBQ Chicken Pizza - Branded as a hot favourite amongst customers in the US, the BBQ Chicken pizza has withstood the test of time by being on the menu since the first CPK restaurant opened up in Beverly Hills in 1985. Sizing in at 10 inches and 6 slices, the BBQ chicken was relatively heavy on the tastebuds with BBQ chicken breast cubes (duh!) and onions. Cheese was also plentiful and complemented the mild tomato base which covered the chewy and hearty pizza dough. But it could probably do with alot more ingredients for the price. Heck, pizza hut gives more for roughly the same price!
Hawaiian Pizza - The Hawaiian was much much lighter on the palate then the BBQ chicken, which isn't a bad thing really. Fresh pineapples and bacon coupled with a generous layer of gooey cheese and a moderately thick and chewy crust with lots of bite made for an excellent pizza. But as with the BBQ chicken pizza, the amount of ingredients could have increased.
Chocolate Banana Cheesecake - This is seriously one decadent dessert. Extremely chocolaty and rich from the drizzled triple thick hot fudge, the cake was a tad soft but went very well with the smooth vanilla ice cream. Definitely not recommended for people who can't tolerate high levels of sugar in every mouthful. And at $12 a pop, its not recommended for budget/value for money seekers as well.
I like the food and the place, I can accept the relatively higher price ($60 for 2 pax) but I hate the location (and parking charges as well). Unless CPK can move to the heartlands or I'm around the area, I'll probably have to stick to Canadian Pizza or Pizza Hut for my frequent pizza urges.
Had some coffee here with a friend for a chat to catch up on things.
The environment of the cafe was nice and peaceful, both outdoor and indoor. The interior design of the cafe looked cozy and the airconditioner was not too cold for me. The seats were also quite comfortable. So it was a good place for a chat over coffee.
We went to the cafe after our dinner and it wasn't crowded.
The service was not bad and the staff were quite attentive.
We ordered an Iced Mocha with Gelato ($5.60), and an Original Espreski (Blended) ($6.00). Too bad there was also a 10% service charge..haha...
We were both satisfied with our coffee and the gelato tasted very nice too.
Bought from them online and received an email confirmation as well as the assurance that someone will call me for the delivery. However there was some mistake as their system recognized the wrong thing and in actual fact there wasn't any discount for me. There was an email to explain this and they were very polite about it.
The next day there were 2 calls which I missed so they smsed me instead. However, I wasn't able to meet the time schedule so the person said he will contact me the next day if he could meet his delivery schedule. Since I needed the things urgently as I am going overseas, I asked the person whether he could deliver the things and even though most of his deliveries were in the East (I'm in the West) he took the time to deliver to me as late as 11pm so that I could have my goods.
Excellent service and I also find the items reasonably priced. Will most probably get my things from them in the future.
Went there for the first time in my life last 2 weeks and this place added to my interest watching the movie I watched. This place is definitely clean, brightly lit and comfortable to be in. Even my long legged husband sat comfortably in his seat. He normally felt squashed in theaters.
There are 2 booths for tit bits, drinks and food. The normal pop corn and coke and another one selling small food stuffs like cakes and sandwiches. I won't be having dinner at Secret Recipe if I've known it before hand.
However 1 glitch was my friend booked the tickets online but when he went to collect the ticket, he was told it was actually at another venue. My friend said its impossible since he double confirmed he got it at the correct cinema during the booking. Nevertheless, the crew managed to transfer the tickets over so that we won't waste our trip there.
1=SGD 0.0587
What started out in 1953 at Jalan Hang Jebat (a mere 5 minutes from its present location) as a canteen and unofficial mess for the old British army troops in Portsdown Road – it was literally dismantled part-by-part, and reused for the reconstruction of the new COLBAR – Colonial Bar for short, further down along 9A Wessex Estate – to make way for the construction of Ayer Rajah Expressway.
To salvage this part of Singapore’s history, roof tiles, timber screens and solid timber swing doors were reused as treasures for this rejuvenated iconic eating place.
However, to redevelop means to inject new life, and consequently a new outdoor terrace evolve to provide diners with an alternative experience of alfresco dining.
Still a cult hit with the expatriates’ community, this place also seems to attract locals with a pendant for nostalgia.
Essentially a dining place that offers basic staple food in an enchanted setting of large field and colonial houses nearby – it even comes with an old-school tyre swing near a tree that we as kids used to see in our neighbourhood playground.
For $9, we ordered one of their most popular dishes, Chicken Curry (we swap the steam rice for 2 slices of White Bread instead) and honestly I wasn’t impressed. Although ‘lemak’ with coconut milk, it tasted slightly sweet for my liking and portion wise it was pathetic – and my favourite potato was nowhere in sight.
The other popular dish, Pork Chop with Chips and Mushroom ($9) was another disappointment. Although the fries were homemade, its mushrooms were normal canned mushrooms. The pork chops were also slightly tough and tasteless without the gravy except if you chew on the part near its bone – which my dad dutifully took care of it.
Undeterred, we figured the Pork Cutlet ($11) could be better and we would just about right – chips and mushrooms were still the same but taste wise the cutlet version was just slightly tastier. However, the outer layer of bread crumps was all puff up from the meat, which should not be the case as one end up eating the two separately.
We also ordered a few Asian dishes such as the Bee Hoon in Cantonese style ($6). It was bad to be honest as the vermicelli was tasteless and definitely no hint of ‘Wok Hei’ – I would rather eat my own brand of charred version anytime than this tasteless fare.
The Fried Rice Special ($5) was a total joke to be honest. A dollar more from the “normal” version that comes with additional ham and a sunny-side-up, the rice was served lukewarm and probably pre-fried. The only saving grace was probably the runny egg yolk.
The only thing I like about the Fried Bee Hoon ($5) was the generous servings of vegetables, however that is probably to compensate for this very oily dish.
In my opinion, if you can overlook the overpriced yet mediocre food, COLBAR actually provides a very nice environment for families with kids, as well as dog owners to chill in during a lazy Sunday afternoon.
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
The Brownie Factory, petite in size but big with brownies. Despite the rather small store at basement two of Takashimaya, do not underrate its brownie, with selections of up to 24 brownies at one go, its hell lots of brownies to choose from.
From what i understand from the person-in-charge, their total brownies assortments stands over 40, and they varies from different festivals. I think its really creative of the Brownie Factory to concoct different types of brownie to suit our fussy taste bud
The prices for the brownies ranges from 2 bucks to 4 bucks, with so many different types of brownies to pick from, its really a headache. Fortunately for my companion and me, we did not have this problem because there's a current promotion which offers us the brownie factory’s best four selling brownie all for the price of 11 bucks.
There’s some other unique brownies like peanut butter, very bitter fudgy chewy gooey brownie, tutti-frutti marshmallow brownie, peppermint brownie and many more.
Fudgy Chewy Gooey Brownie ($3.10)
The Brownie Factory #1 bestseller! Fudgy chewy gooey chocolaty and full of walnuts. The name fudge chewy gooey brownie says it all already. The chewy part is true to its name, its the chewiest among the four brownie.
Initially my companion and i like this very much because its very chewy and we find the overall taste to be just right. But as it gets on, the brownie becomes too sweet and threatens to overwhelm the taste bud.
Triple Chocolate Brownie ($2.40)
Dense moist chocolate brownie topped with little and semi sweet chocolate chips and walnuts. The name alone suggest the sweetness, being triple chocolate. And thats what we thought so at the outset.
But the triple chocolate brownie (#2 bestseller) is completely opposite to the fudge chewy gooey brownie. The first bite is very sweet, but after tasting all the brownie, we find this not really that sweet after all. And there’s a hint of dark chocolate within, the smooth texture together with the choclate chips and walnuts makes us conclude overall the best brownie among the four.
Original Chocolate Brownie ($2.70)
Dense moist chocolate brownie topped with walnut and semi sweet chocolate chips. If you do not have a sweet tooth, then the Original Chocolate brownie (#3 bestseller) is surely the one for you.
The least sweet among the four brownie we had, texture wise and appearance its the most similar to the triple chocolate brownie, less the chocolaty taste.
Fudgy Wudgy Chewy Brownie
I rather like the Fudgy wudgy chewy brownie (#4 bestseller) too. The freeze chocolate layer goes well together with the chewy brownie, albeit being rather hard to bite into. The sweetness level is on the high side too, but its a nice alternative to the rest because this one is a cold brownie.
Total bill is $11 for 4 of the bestselling brownies at The Brownie Factory. Brownies are actually meant to be sweet, i guess the main problem is because 2 of us eat 4 brownie at one go, therefore the sweetness rather overwhelm us a bit. But i think eaten each separately, they should be all right.Price wise is rather reasonable given the cheapest is about 2 bucks, with the most expensive ones going at around 4 bucks.
The Brownie Factory has been around for about 6 years already, yet everytime i passed by the area i totally missed out the store, which is really a pity until now. If you are in the area, do try out their brownie! I like the triple chocolate brownie the most, and will definitely look to try some other unique flavours the next time round.
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!
Rating given:
From 4th July to 1st August 2008, visitors are given a rare opportunity to explore the old Supreme Court. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Singapore Academy of Law, it is holding an exhibition at the new Supreme House and a guided tour through old Supreme House.
See facilities which have never been opened to the public. The lock-up for prisoners during their trials, the private chambers of the Chief Justice, the courtrooms.....
4 guided tours a day : 10am, 12noon, 2 pm and 4pm
Saturday slots are fully booked.
At the atrium of the new Supreme Court, learn about Singapore's Legal History. And re-live some of the most dramatic trials that took place in the high court....
I enjoyed myself very much at the tour, you can take a look at my blog posts because the photos are not to be circulated.
Whole bunch of lawyers, don't play play!
Rating given:
Well actually I see these ads as not to target those smokers,
but rather those that have not started smoking, and the contemplating ones, especially the young.
Personally I do realise that in Singapore we like to induce fear in hearts to teach a lesson, just like how your mama used to cane you and such. Ironically it works to a large extent.
Assuming that this campaign is an original, I would give them 5 stars.
However, I have seen many (correct me if I am wrong) German Anti-smoking ads, exactly the same, just localised.
It is alright to make references, but is it necessary to copy?
What message are you sending to the young aspiring designers/advertisers? Trying to spoil Singapore's market ain't it?
I would just like to say that I am VERY ashamed of our current anti-smoking campaign.
(But I like the NAVY ones though.)
Rating given:
Actually I don't know the address, but I know how to get there.
So pardon me.
I am teaching Science and Eng for levels P2-S3 over there,
it's located humbly in a cosy little shophouse.
The tuition groups are limited to lesser than 10 students per class, so as to ensure that no student is being left out during the group tuition, while ensuring the productivity of a group tuition, which is learning from our own mistakes, and also your classmates' mistakes (also what your friends know too!), as well as the affordability of group tuition.
Prior to this, I have no experience in group tuition, and I rejected most group tutoring assignments because I am not confident in teaching in groups.
I chanced on the lady of this tuition centre and she assured that she'll guide me. I just gave it a shot and I am glad that it's more fun and refreshing to see little students helping one another, and not being selfish with what they already know.
The materials are provided there, so I just have to choose what I want to cover for the day.
I too, learnt a whole load of deal from them, and also understood more of a child's psychology and why they are lousy/negative/lazy on a topic/subject.
Teaching there has been a fruitful experience for me, and I am sure that our students feels the same too.
Rating given:
Had a craving for American style thick crust pizzas so ventured to California Pizza Kitchen's (CPK) sole Singapore outlet at Orchard. CPK is actually an international chain with 235 outlets worldwide and is well known for its extensive menu which features everything from creative pizzas to pastas, sandwiches and salads.
Occupying two levels at Forum the Shopping Mall, CPK offers air conditioned dining on both levels and al fresco dining on the lower level as well. Tables are spaced comfortably apart and if you sit downstairs, you can get a partial view of the kitchen and the counter where the pizzas are placed to be served. All in all a family style cosy interior with the option of booth seats if you so wish.
BBQ Chicken Pizza - Branded as a hot favourite amongst customers in the US, the BBQ Chicken pizza has withstood the test of time by being on the menu since the first CPK restaurant opened up in Beverly Hills in 1985. Sizing in at 10 inches and 6 slices, the BBQ chicken was relatively heavy on the tastebuds with BBQ chicken breast cubes (duh!) and onions. Cheese was also plentiful and complemented the mild tomato base which covered the chewy and hearty pizza dough. But it could probably do with alot more ingredients for the price. Heck, pizza hut gives more for roughly the same price!
Hawaiian Pizza - The Hawaiian was much much lighter on the palate then the BBQ chicken, which isn't a bad thing really. Fresh pineapples and bacon coupled with a generous layer of gooey cheese and a moderately thick and chewy crust with lots of bite made for an excellent pizza. But as with the BBQ chicken pizza, the amount of ingredients could have increased.
Chocolate Banana Cheesecake - This is seriously one decadent dessert. Extremely chocolaty and rich from the drizzled triple thick hot fudge, the cake was a tad soft but went very well with the smooth vanilla ice cream. Definitely not recommended for people who can't tolerate high levels of sugar in every mouthful. And at $12 a pop, its not recommended for budget/value for money seekers as well.
I like the food and the place, I can accept the relatively higher price ($60 for 2 pax) but I hate the location (and parking charges as well). Unless CPK can move to the heartlands or I'm around the area, I'll probably have to stick to Canadian Pizza or Pizza Hut for my frequent pizza urges.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Had my dinner there yesterday with my friend.
The place itself was ok. Normal noodle place. Seats were not very comfortable.
Anyway I ordered their recommended QQ Char Siew Noodle with soup. It cost $4.50 for small.
The service staff there were quite polite. It was supposed to be self-service but if the waiting time would be long, they would serve it to you.
The noodles was not bad. The noodles was indeed "QQ"...but not very much to my liking. The soup tasted average too.
I will upload the photograph soon.
So overall I'd rate it as average.
Rating given:
Had some coffee here with a friend for a chat to catch up on things.
The environment of the cafe was nice and peaceful, both outdoor and indoor. The interior design of the cafe looked cozy and the airconditioner was not too cold for me. The seats were also quite comfortable. So it was a good place for a chat over coffee.
We went to the cafe after our dinner and it wasn't crowded.
The service was not bad and the staff were quite attentive.
We ordered an Iced Mocha with Gelato ($5.60), and an Original Espreski (Blended) ($6.00). Too bad there was also a 10% service charge..haha...
We were both satisfied with our coffee and the gelato tasted very nice too.
Rating given:
Bought from them online and received an email confirmation as well as the assurance that someone will call me for the delivery. However there was some mistake as their system recognized the wrong thing and in actual fact there wasn't any discount for me. There was an email to explain this and they were very polite about it.
The next day there were 2 calls which I missed so they smsed me instead. However, I wasn't able to meet the time schedule so the person said he will contact me the next day if he could meet his delivery schedule. Since I needed the things urgently as I am going overseas, I asked the person whether he could deliver the things and even though most of his deliveries were in the East (I'm in the West) he took the time to deliver to me as late as 11pm so that I could have my goods.
Excellent service and I also find the items reasonably priced. Will most probably get my things from them in the future.
Rating given:
Went there for the first time in my life last 2 weeks and this place added to my interest watching the movie I watched. This place is definitely clean, brightly lit and comfortable to be in. Even my long legged husband sat comfortably in his seat. He normally felt squashed in theaters.
There are 2 booths for tit bits, drinks and food. The normal pop corn and coke and another one selling small food stuffs like cakes and sandwiches. I won't be having dinner at Secret Recipe if I've known it before hand.
However 1 glitch was my friend booked the tickets online but when he went to collect the ticket, he was told it was actually at another venue. My friend said its impossible since he double confirmed he got it at the correct cinema during the booking. Nevertheless, the crew managed to transfer the tickets over so that we won't waste our trip there.
Rating given: