Had a rather small farewell session for one of my colleagues from China a little while back. The meal was organized by another colleague of mine who happens to know the ins and outs of the Geylang area in Singapore and he proposed that we visit one of his well recommended joints for the meal. Alas, coordination is never an easy task and somehow, we managed to get lost and wound up in another shop where leaving wasn't permitted as we have already eaten some of their stuff. As it was, the meal carried on at that restaurant and this is the review.
Well, the pictures should give you an idea of what is available. There's cooked food and the usual food that needs to be cooked yourself, there's crabs, prawns, fish balls, sausages, beancurds, frozen beancurd, crab meat balls, squid, sotong, clams, beef, chicken, mushrooms, fish and much much more. Along with that are cooked food such as vermicelli, sweet and sour prawns and beef, chicken and fish as well. In short, there is a huge selection of food to choose from. And all this is available at a price of $16 with the first drink free. All this may seem like excellent value if not for one very important and neglected flaw. Quality of food. The uncooked food are simply not fresh. No matter how you cut it, its obvious from a start that its no where near the word fresh. The cooked food were mainly left untouched by us because quite simply, it did not appeal to anyone of us and the cleanliness of the place is absolutely worth questioning. In terms of the broth, which happens to be the main selling point, the reddish and fiery hot side is definitely a draw for spicy food lovers. In comparison, the lighter side is actually too bland for comfort. Thats not to say that either side was good to begin with. Also, the moment you step into the restaurant, be ready to be transported to China because quite simply, apart from our group, everyone else in the restaurant happens to be from our big friendly neighbor. What that means is plenty of shouting, drinking and loads of drunks. Take your chances on that front. In the end, i can't say it wasn't moderately enjoyable due to th company but judging on the food, i'm hardpressed and struggling to find a reason to ever return
There are better places out there. Please visit those instead.
Had the opportunity to partake in a tasting session at Persimmon one Wednesday evening, courtesy of its co owner, Helena, who also co owns the casual eatery Epicurious at Roberston Quay. Persimmon bills itself as a fusion restaurant, incorporating both chinese and western food to blend up its own variety of fusion. Think somewhere along the lines of another Singapore fusion restaurant, Wild Rocket.
Stepping into Persimmon is reminiscent of stepping into a high class coffeeshop, with its checkered tile floors, white top tables and wooden chairs. What it lacks is the spinning ceiling fans which have been replaced by air conditioning units but I'm definitely not complaining. Not with Singapore's heat and humidity. Coupled with a low ceiling and retro music, it made for a soothing and laid back atmosphere.
Mushroom & Sesame Shooter - I liked this inconspicuous little shot glass of warm mushroom soup. Savoury with a hint of sesame and bits of mushroom. There was suppose to be 绍兴酒 in it but that was apparently not evident.
Fisherman's Pie - Persimmon's rendition of the fisherman's pie took a different twist from the norm. Instead of the usual seafood ingredients enveloped within a mould of pastry, this one was more of a soup bowl covered with a puff pastry lid. Another interesting thing was the choice of soup, which was a less oily version of the ubiquitous Laksa gravy. Honestly, I didn't find the soup or the ingredients very outstanding, coming across as decent at best. The pastry also needed some reworking in my humble opinion, probably through the addition of more butter to make it more fragrant and creamier to the tastebuds.
Fried Kway Teow with Wagyu Beef - I'm sorry to say this, but as fragrant and tasty as the kway teow may be, it is still CKT (Char Kway Teow), albeit of a less oily version than the ones you find in hawker centres outside. It came with a poached quail egg and mushrooms but lacked the discernible wok hei taste due to it being pan fried I believe. Did I mention that it was a tad too salty as well?
The accompanying wagyu beef came served atop a bed of beansprouts and was tender, juicy and almost mouthwatering. But being too thinly sliced, it was a little overcooked and I honestly couldn't tell that it was wagyu beef. So much for such an expensive breed of beef.
On a side note, it would definitely be funny if someone called it 牛肉河粉.
Wagyu Beef - As with the wagyu beef from the CKT, this dish of wagyu was thinly sliced and a tad overcooked, but at least portions were more significant and each slice held more bite. I just wonder how much would such a dish cost.
White Pepper Crab Cake with Tunghoon Salad & Scallop - I've never really been a fan of crab cakes and Persimmon's offering wasn't just about to change that. But thats not to say it wasn't good. As a matter of fact, it was quite decent, with lots of shredded crab, but just not outstanding.
The tunghoon salad held quite a few surprises with its overly zesty taste harbouring a spicy aftermath that hits you slowly but surely. And the lone fleshy scallop that came alongside was a little too undercooked, soft and bland.
Pineapple Tart - Now this was one huge unconventional pineapple tart. A scoop of ice cream atop a sweet pineapple ring, covering a layer of caramelised pineapple, all on a huge tart base. I'm a sucker for pineapple tarts so I liked it quite a fair bit with the nice and smooth ice cream but I did think that it could have been better. The tart base lacked the oven baked taste which I personally like and it wasn't crumbly enough. That aside, its really quite worth the eat.
Overall I think the food is pretty decent and probably a few minor tweaks here and there would suffice. As mentioned earlier, it was a complimentary tasting session hence I am unsure of the prices but a quick glance at the regular menu shows most main courses to be in the $20 range. I might do a revisit, just as soon as I am able to ascertain the food prices.
To end, please allow me to extend my thanks to Helena for the invite and for being an excellent host.
I've been here on many occasions since, and even done a case study for my project on this mall; so it makes me pretty familiar with this place. This mall is easily accessible via train from Clarke Quay MRT Station. One thing I always commend on this mall is the exterior design. It is made of glass with special lightings illuminating the mall during the night, giving it the exotic facade. They also make clever usage of the glass rooftop and walls to allow natural light to penetrate into the building, hence energy efficient.
The building is separated into 2 sections. Distinctively one side caters towards the diners, whilst the other provides the shopping experience. The anchor tenants are basically Barang Barang and Harvey Norman. What I realised from my project was that one of the target group of this place is tourist, evident from their shuttle bus plying along the major hotel. It doesn't make sense for tourist or even Singaporeans to come all the way here just to buy that furniture or bulky machine home. It will be more strategic if it's a mall in the heartlands.
What I would say is that the food segment is much successful that the shopping available and the management should do something to perk up the shopping experience. Strong Japanese flavours are seen around this mall. Spotted here are Japanese outlets such as Marutama Ramen, Kyomomoyama, Sho-U, Waraku Japanese Casual and Pasta Restaurant, Hokkaido Ice Cream and many more. The food court is also located on the 4th floor of this segment. Other affairs are also available such as Pepper Lunch, O'Brien's, Manhattan Fish Market, Billy Bombers and Tung Lok Signatures.
Shopping here can be a disaster, not kindly assisted by the complex arrangements of the escalators. The shops located on level 1 & 2 are the more appealing ones, other than that the rest of the shops are mediocre. Irony strikes me when I saw "Level One" is located on level 3 of the mall. Sounds dumb to me but anyway, it is accessible via a direct escalator from level 1. While the concept works pretty well over at Far East Plaza, it seems to be more dead here as the variety of shop is very limited. Plus, there are some units that have been vacant for quite some time.
I would not come here for shopping, but rather you’ll be spoilt for choice by the number of F&B outlets and Japanese flavours that this mall offers.
The name of this mall could give the slightest of the wrong sign to those who have not come across this name before. Sounds more like an Indonesian mall to a tourist, but Singaporeans alike will be all too familiar with this mall.
The mall has gone through a revamp in recent years since its inception in 1986. This is an iconic mall donned in blue, which sits on the golden plot of land right next to Orchard MRT Station. An underpass links the mall to Ngee Ann City and to be completed Ion @ Orchard. It is convenient to access the surrounding malls such as Paragon, Tangs, Wheelocks and Shaw House.
It is one of the major malls of this shopping belt. Most people will identify this place as a fashion centre. The anchor tenants are Isetan, GAP, Food Republic and Topshop/Topman. Looking at the tenant list which includes, Mango, Esprit, Bebe and Forever 21, it is apparent that this place appeals towards the female shoppers; a shopping hub to satisfy the fashionistic desires of the ladies.
Leaving on a note, there is still something else to look out for other than shopping. That will be the dining experience. The F&B experience is very much alike the shopping, upscale eateries such as Din Tai Feng, Crystal Jade, IndoChine and Starbucks. Dining at Wisma Atria can be a expensive one, demonstrated even by the pricing of the food in Food Republic.
Just bought my Zen mp3 from Creative Store at the Turns2 promotion. I must say for a celebration of turning 2, the promotions weren't that great. However this is a side track as the review should not be about the promotion.
Well, the website, well organized and easy to surf. Payment with the purchase can be done at the website using credit card and everything was smooth and fast. Immediately after the purchase and payment, I received an email confirming the order and that the delivery date is 2 days.
Right next day, I received a call from Creative confirming with me the time for delivery. Since they used Singpost, I requested for after working hours. After a check, seems like its not possible. The customer service then check with me whether Sat is possible. After the confirmation, I received yet another email with the date and time for delivery. Easy to negotiate to and accommodating, I must say the experience is good.
At first I thought the items must be for stock clearance but when I received the items, they were nicely packed and looks thoroughly new. Pleasant surprise that a further check reviewed that the ear piece was produced this yr and the Zen was less than 6 mths ago.
The FAQ portion of the website is also well done. I had trouble starting up the Zen and was able to find the descriptive solution fast and with ease though loading the page was a bit slow.
Ok, the one for one credit card promotion, is indeed appealing. And, that is why it can make me go all the way to toa payoh and try out their cod fish and abalone set meal. Haha.
Bascially the entire set meal consist of six different small dishes. Although each dish serving is rather small and does not include any rice or noodles kind of carbo food, it still manage to be quite fulfiling towards the end of the course.
The first dish of this set meal includes the shark bone soup. This milky colour soup has a rather strong fishie smell, thus it might be good to add in some pepper or vinegar to neutralize the taste. Taste wise, its pretty good and with the added scallop and fish maw (i think), makes the entire soup taste sweet.
Next that came up is the banana, cod fish and duck combo set. Ok, theres basically three different types of food in the dish, typically the sweet and sour cod fish, the duck slices (cold in taste) as well as the banana and prawn roll.
The banana and prawn roll tasted simply marvellous, imagine the just two very simple ingredient -- banana and prawn, they managed to make it tasted heavenly. And with the added thousand island sauce and the sesame taste on the crepe skin, it will made one to crave for more. But too bad, theres only one roll per person share.
Next coming up is the abalone with seafood stick. Just one single stick per person and it consist of some abalone, mushroom, sea cumcumber and prawn. Their abalone was pretty well cooked with a texture of chewiness and softness.
The ABC sauce chicken was the next dish. The nicely cooked chicken will definitely make one to crave for more. Imagine the skin that can be made comparable with those of bejing duck, a very cripiness skin can be found. Not forgetting the meat tastes juicy and tender.
Next came the carrot cake dish. Ok, i know carrot cake is a pretty normal kind of food. But, somehow they managed to make it tasted like 'chao guay tiao'. Amazing issnt it?
Lastly, not forgetting the double boiled coconut dessert. For this, i was rather disappointed to think that i can only see one small slice of coconut in the dessert. With the additional scoop of ice cream, i find this dessert abit too sweet for my liking.
As for their service wise, their staffs in the outlet were rather friendly and sometimes were 'over' helpful. Imagine, they keep refilling your cup of tea after you seep one mouthful? Haha, this is actually what happen literally at my table.
And not forgetting that during the half time of my eating phase (completion of my third dish), i have to wait for more than 20 minutes before my next dish come up. The first few dishes came quite promptly, but the interval between the third and fourth dish seems abit too long. Well, guess this issnt very good for a customer to wait for that long. However, they manage to mend this with the rest of their dishes coming quite promptly again.
Just went to this place for viewing of a musical "Broadway Beng". Located at the 3rd storey of the building.
The place is quite small with 2 level of circle seats as well as the stall seats. Seats are comfy with polished wood backing and gives the theater the "feel" that audiences are in for a great show. However leg space is limited so those whom are late will find it difficult to walk through. Those with longer legs will not be too comfortable.
Sound system is great with minimal "emptiness" or "noises". Sounded perfect to me where I was sitting. There are 2 screen panels (great quality image) at the side of the stage and can be used in conjunction with the show on-going. Designed more for theater rather than vocal.
Due to my dad's birthday, I decided to buy emicakes as it was intro by my colleague and I want to try different cake from different cake shop. So my BF accompany me went to downtown east purchase the cake.
As I know Emicakes is famous in their D24 Durian cake, Durian stuff but sorry to say that I don't like durian and I didn't choose the durian cake for my dad. I brought 1 Chocolate cake & 1 Chocolate Puffs.
Pure Addiction Chocolate Cake - $33.90, 0.6kg
The cake filled with thick chocolate mousse, it sweet and not bad. Inside the cake has chocolate-coated almonds and chocolate ganache. But the chocolate mousse was not really that soft, but overall it not bad.
Chocolate Puffs - $3.80, 6 Pieces
The puff were soft, the chocolate was thick and sweet and nice.
Their service was alright.
Total Bill: $33.93 (Before discount $37.70)
As there is 10% discount for UOB card.
Do check out the website or branches for their cakes and mini items.
Banking on the concept of nostalgia and old world charm, Jacob's Cafe is all about rediscovery, fresh food and simple, laid back relaxation. Established since September 2000, Jacob's has been serving and belting out tasty country meals for families and couples alike.
Jacob's features an al fresco dining area which makes up the bulk of the seating arrangements and the inner sanctum which has only limited seats of up to 10 people. The seats in the restaurant definitely brings with it a rustic charm and a comfortable atmosphere but the trade off is that after the meal, you'll come out smelling like one yourself. The al fresco seats have no such problem but lighting and visibility will be a little lower.
Pumpkin Soup(Part of the game hen meal), Bread Roll(Part of the game hen meal) - Our first visit there was more of a trial, we wanted to see exactly how good the place was since FZ mentioned the bread roll here has to be the best in Singapore. Thus, we ordered one of the specials on the board. This being the oven baked game hen set meal which came with soup, bread roll, coffee and the game hen of course. For starters, the pumpkin soup was very creamy, a little sweet and definitely opens the pallet. Not the best i had but its decent enough. The bread roll needs a little more description. It will not be immediately apparent why this bread roll is good, but a few bites into it will convince you otherwise. Reason being, its the only bread roll i've had that is completely balanced in having a reasonably hard crust while still maintaining warm and soft inside. You can't even compare it to any other bread roll thus far for that matter. There are no problems with biting into it and separating it as compared to some french loaves you find outside, where eating it is a challenge in itself. Make no mistake, this bread roll is better. Try it to find out.
Oven Baked Game Hen ($25.90) - The game hen came as quite a large portion. Definitely bigger then the spring chickens you can find at the food court. It came with 2 sides, assorted greens and fries. The fries were normal enough while the boiled greens were sauteed with a little butter to enhance the taste while remaining moderately crunchy and soft. The game hen was plump, juicy, tender and very fragrant. The sauce made it slightly salty but it suits the dish well. There's meat enough to go around for 2 people so basically, if you order this, it can be shared for 2 small eaters. I like the way the juices are locked in so that the hen remained tender without being dry. Worth a try.
Jacob's Pizza ($16.90) - Ah yes...Jacob's pizza. I always love ordering food that bears the restaurants namesake because its very important what they put their name on to represent themselves. This pizza, does not disappoint. It came chock full of toppings and cheese with a thin and crispy crust to boot. And the important thing is, you get to see them prepare it fresh before they pop it into the oven and serve to the customers. No issues on freshness here. This is definitely worth a try if you are here. Do note the waiting time for it extends by up to 20 minutes so its wise to order something else while waiting.
Apple Crumble and Vanilla Ice Cream ($7.50) - Having fallen in love with the apple crumble at coffee club, i make it a point to order it when i try out a new place. This is no exception here. However, lo and behold, it turns out to be the first disappointment of the day. Every item up till now has been above average but this sank the experience down quite a bit. To describe how it tastes is easy, its bascially Mcdonald's apple pie with a nicer crust and ice cream thrown into the fray. Definitely leave this out of the meal.
Coffee (Part of the game hen meal) - Our meal came with coffee as well and while its not exactly a gourmet cuppa, i do appreciate them including it and it does complete a meal pretty well.
The total bill for this visit came up to $50.30 with no gst nor service charge. Oh! The service here is really good as well. And the price is definitely justified as the quality of food is of a certain standard.
Barely a week later, me and my gf returned once again to re experience Jacob's and find out if it is still as good as before.
Mushroom Soup (Part of the Ribeye Set) - This time around, i ordered the ribeye set which also came with soup, bread roll and coffee. We had mushroom soup this time and its more watery with chunks of mushroom in it. Its quite bland but still pretty decent. The bread roll is as good as ever though.
Ham and Sausage Combo ($19.90) - My gf ordered the Ham and sausage combo which is actually called the meatloaf on the menu. It arrived as a huge plate with sides of mashed potato and sauerkraut with some mustard for dipping. The mashed potato was pretty good with some peppery taste and a some chunks of potato in it as well. The meatloaf or ham looks like a huge piece of luncheon meat actually and tastes a little like luncheon meat as well but is firmer and juicier. The sausages were definitely fragrant and very tasty.
Ribeye Steak ($28.90) - Another huge serving, the steak came with 3 sides, a tomato with pepper and celery, boiled greens and mashed potatoes. The steak i ordered was done medium rare as i ordered and is very very juicy. Its also a tad salty and had some parts not evenly done as there were portions that were a little too rare. Still, its a decent main dish. However, i probably won't recommend ordering it since Jacob's has other items that are much better.
Pecan Pie ($4.60) - During the first visit, the worst item was the dessert which thankfully isn't the case this time. By recommendation, we ordered the pecan pie which is supposedly a rather rare item in Singapore. This dessert is moderately sweet, crunchy and different in a good way. Its served hot, as in very hot and is something easily recommended. Try it.
Total bill for this visit is $53.40.
And for my third and last visit (so far anyway), we had yet again, a different choice and different items.
Fresh Farm Salad (Part of the Jacob's Chicken Pie Set) - Part of the Jacob's Chicken pie set, this is basically farm fresh salad drenched in balsamic vinegar for good effect. Sour, sweet and fresh, the salad definitely opens your appetite for the meal that follows.
Frankfurters Set ($8.90) - I ordered this thinking that i would be getting the thick and big versions of these little sausages but i was wrong. What was served was extremely small and measly. Taste wise, it doesn't taste any different from the run-of-the-mill sausages you could get outside. This is the second disappointment i've had at Jacob's.
Hungarian Beef Goulash With Bread Roll ($13.50) - I've been wanted to have a go at the Hungarian Goulash ever since i saw it in the menu. Now, i've finally had the chance to try it. For the price, the serving is huge. You get a huge plate of beef, carrots, potatoes and tomatoes in a delectable stew and the choice to have it with either rice or bread roll. I obviously chose the bread roll since its still without a doubt, one of the best bread rolls i've had. The goulash tastes like a cross between beef stew and sardines actually. It doesn't sound very good but in actual fact, it works. Its difficult to describe it further but you'll get a strong beef taste along with a sweet and sour broth which goes really well with the roll. Worth a try.
Jacob's Pie ($16.90) - My gf's Jacob's pie was actually a really small serving given the price but of course, you need to factor in the salad that came before as well. The pastry it came in had a nice buttery taste which i immediately took to and its very crusty and crispy as well. The pie ingredients itself were potatos, green beans, carrots and lots and lots of chicken pieces. The thing i like about the dish was the crust and the fact that the pie is a little bland. Do note that its also superbly hot when served so its important to be careful while eating. Not too bad but not exactly mind blowing either.
Tiramisu with Vanilla Ice Cream ($8.50) - The tiramisu this time was rather good as well. There is a clear distinction on where the cake starts and where the cream ends. The only gripe is that its note evenly done with some portions thicker then the rest. The rum is easily discernible but not overwhelming. I'd say the pecan pie was better though.
The bill this time clocked off at $47.80 for 2 people for a filling and satisfying meal.
Out of 3 meals, i can't say there were no misses. But for what its worth, the experience was still above average and if you asked me, i'd gladly go for another meal. The fact that there's no service charge or gst only serves to sweeten the draw for going back.
Tried this when our company's vendor bought us some for the new year. Heard many great comments about this. Shape of the puff is totally different from those normal ones.
Skin is crispy and flaky and the taste is above average. But in terms of easy eating, its below average. So ladies perhaps should eat this when image is not priority lolx.
Had the curry potato filling. Texture is just right for the crispiness of the puff. The taste of the filing is definitely way above those normal ones selling.
However, the puffs should be eaten fresh. We put one or two of them in the box for like half the day and the skin becomes very oily. However, this is not a very serious problem for curry puffs.
1=SGD 0.0587
Had a rather small farewell session for one of my colleagues from China a little while back. The meal was organized by another colleague of mine who happens to know the ins and outs of the Geylang area in Singapore and he proposed that we visit one of his well recommended joints for the meal. Alas, coordination is never an easy task and somehow, we managed to get lost and wound up in another shop where leaving wasn't permitted as we have already eaten some of their stuff. As it was, the meal carried on at that restaurant and this is the review.
Well, the pictures should give you an idea of what is available. There's cooked food and the usual food that needs to be cooked yourself, there's crabs, prawns, fish balls, sausages, beancurds, frozen beancurd, crab meat balls, squid, sotong, clams, beef, chicken, mushrooms, fish and much much more. Along with that are cooked food such as vermicelli, sweet and sour prawns and beef, chicken and fish as well. In short, there is a huge selection of food to choose from. And all this is available at a price of $16 with the first drink free.
All this may seem like excellent value if not for one very important and neglected flaw. Quality of food. The uncooked food are simply not fresh. No matter how you cut it, its obvious from a start that its no where near the word fresh. The cooked food were mainly left untouched by us because quite simply, it did not appeal to anyone of us and the cleanliness of the place is absolutely worth questioning.
In terms of the broth, which happens to be the main selling point, the reddish and fiery hot side is definitely a draw for spicy food lovers. In comparison, the lighter side is actually too bland for comfort. Thats not to say that either side was good to begin with.
Also, the moment you step into the restaurant, be ready to be transported to China because quite simply, apart from our group, everyone else in the restaurant happens to be from our big friendly neighbor. What that means is plenty of shouting, drinking and loads of drunks. Take your chances on that front.
In the end, i can't say it wasn't moderately enjoyable due to th company but judging on the food, i'm hardpressed and struggling to find a reason to ever return
There are better places out there. Please visit those instead.
Rating given:
Had the opportunity to partake in a tasting session at Persimmon one Wednesday evening, courtesy of its co owner, Helena, who also co owns the casual eatery Epicurious at Roberston Quay. Persimmon bills itself as a fusion restaurant, incorporating both chinese and western food to blend up its own variety of fusion. Think somewhere along the lines of another Singapore fusion restaurant, Wild Rocket.
Stepping into Persimmon is reminiscent of stepping into a high class coffeeshop, with its checkered tile floors, white top tables and wooden chairs. What it lacks is the spinning ceiling fans which have been replaced by air conditioning units but I'm definitely not complaining. Not with Singapore's heat and humidity. Coupled with a low ceiling and retro music, it made for a soothing and laid back atmosphere.
Mushroom & Sesame Shooter - I liked this inconspicuous little shot glass of warm mushroom soup. Savoury with a hint of sesame and bits of mushroom. There was suppose to be 绍兴酒 in it but that was apparently not evident.
Fisherman's Pie - Persimmon's rendition of the fisherman's pie took a different twist from the norm. Instead of the usual seafood ingredients enveloped within a mould of pastry, this one was more of a soup bowl covered with a puff pastry lid. Another interesting thing was the choice of soup, which was a less oily version of the ubiquitous Laksa gravy. Honestly, I didn't find the soup or the ingredients very outstanding, coming across as decent at best. The pastry also needed some reworking in my humble opinion, probably through the addition of more butter to make it more fragrant and creamier to the tastebuds.
Fried Kway Teow with Wagyu Beef - I'm sorry to say this, but as fragrant and tasty as the kway teow may be, it is still CKT (Char Kway Teow), albeit of a less oily version than the ones you find in hawker centres outside. It came with a poached quail egg and mushrooms but lacked the discernible wok hei taste due to it being pan fried I believe. Did I mention that it was a tad too salty as well?
The accompanying wagyu beef came served atop a bed of beansprouts and was tender, juicy and almost mouthwatering. But being too thinly sliced, it was a little overcooked and I honestly couldn't tell that it was wagyu beef. So much for such an expensive breed of beef.
On a side note, it would definitely be funny if someone called it 牛肉河粉.
Wagyu Beef - As with the wagyu beef from the CKT, this dish of wagyu was thinly sliced and a tad overcooked, but at least portions were more significant and each slice held more bite. I just wonder how much would such a dish cost.
White Pepper Crab Cake with Tunghoon Salad & Scallop - I've never really been a fan of crab cakes and Persimmon's offering wasn't just about to change that. But thats not to say it wasn't good. As a matter of fact, it was quite decent, with lots of shredded crab, but just not outstanding.
The tunghoon salad held quite a few surprises with its overly zesty taste harbouring a spicy aftermath that hits you slowly but surely. And the lone fleshy scallop that came alongside was a little too undercooked, soft and bland.
Pineapple Tart - Now this was one huge unconventional pineapple tart. A scoop of ice cream atop a sweet pineapple ring, covering a layer of caramelised pineapple, all on a huge tart base. I'm a sucker for pineapple tarts so I liked it quite a fair bit with the nice and smooth ice cream but I did think that it could have been better. The tart base lacked the oven baked taste which I personally like and it wasn't crumbly enough. That aside, its really quite worth the eat.
Overall I think the food is pretty decent and probably a few minor tweaks here and there would suffice. As mentioned earlier, it was a complimentary tasting session hence I am unsure of the prices but a quick glance at the regular menu shows most main courses to be in the $20 range. I might do a revisit, just as soon as I am able to ascertain the food prices.
To end, please allow me to extend my thanks to Helena for the invite and for being an excellent host.
See all pictures here.
Rating given:
I've been here on many occasions since, and even done a case study for my project on this mall; so it makes me pretty familiar with this place. This mall is easily accessible via train from Clarke Quay MRT Station. One thing I always commend on this mall is the exterior design. It is made of glass with special lightings illuminating the mall during the night, giving it the exotic facade. They also make clever usage of the glass rooftop and walls to allow natural light to penetrate into the building, hence energy efficient.
The building is separated into 2 sections. Distinctively one side caters towards the diners, whilst the other provides the shopping experience. The anchor tenants are basically Barang Barang and Harvey Norman. What I realised from my project was that one of the target group of this place is tourist, evident from their shuttle bus plying along the major hotel. It doesn't make sense for tourist or even Singaporeans to come all the way here just to buy that furniture or bulky machine home. It will be more strategic if it's a mall in the heartlands.
What I would say is that the food segment is much successful that the shopping available and the management should do something to perk up the shopping experience. Strong Japanese flavours are seen around this mall. Spotted here are Japanese outlets such as Marutama Ramen, Kyomomoyama, Sho-U, Waraku Japanese Casual and Pasta Restaurant, Hokkaido Ice Cream and many more. The food court is also located on the 4th floor of this segment. Other affairs are also available such as Pepper Lunch, O'Brien's, Manhattan Fish Market, Billy Bombers and Tung Lok Signatures.
Shopping here can be a disaster, not kindly assisted by the complex arrangements of the escalators. The shops located on level 1 & 2 are the more appealing ones, other than that the rest of the shops are mediocre. Irony strikes me when I saw "Level One" is located on level 3 of the mall. Sounds dumb to me but anyway, it is accessible via a direct escalator from level 1. While the concept works pretty well over at Far East Plaza, it seems to be more dead here as the variety of shop is very limited. Plus, there are some units that have been vacant for quite some time.
I would not come here for shopping, but rather you’ll be spoilt for choice by the number of F&B outlets and Japanese flavours that this mall offers.
Rating given:
The name of this mall could give the slightest of the wrong sign to those who have not come across this name before. Sounds more like an Indonesian mall to a tourist, but Singaporeans alike will be all too familiar with this mall.
The mall has gone through a revamp in recent years since its inception in 1986. This is an iconic mall donned in blue, which sits on the golden plot of land right next to Orchard MRT Station. An underpass links the mall to Ngee Ann City and to be completed Ion @ Orchard. It is convenient to access the surrounding malls such as Paragon, Tangs, Wheelocks and Shaw House.
It is one of the major malls of this shopping belt. Most people will identify this place as a fashion centre. The anchor tenants are Isetan, GAP, Food Republic and Topshop/Topman. Looking at the tenant list which includes, Mango, Esprit, Bebe and Forever 21, it is apparent that this place appeals towards the female shoppers; a shopping hub to satisfy the fashionistic desires of the ladies.
Leaving on a note, there is still something else to look out for other than shopping. That will be the dining experience. The F&B experience is very much alike the shopping, upscale eateries such as Din Tai Feng, Crystal Jade, IndoChine and Starbucks. Dining at Wisma Atria can be a expensive one, demonstrated even by the pricing of the food in Food Republic.
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Just bought my Zen mp3 from Creative Store at the Turns2 promotion. I must say for a celebration of turning 2, the promotions weren't that great. However this is a side track as the review should not be about the promotion.
Well, the website, well organized and easy to surf. Payment with the purchase can be done at the website using credit card and everything was smooth and fast. Immediately after the purchase and payment, I received an email confirming the order and that the delivery date is 2 days.
Right next day, I received a call from Creative confirming with me the time for delivery. Since they used Singpost, I requested for after working hours. After a check, seems like its not possible. The customer service then check with me whether Sat is possible. After the confirmation, I received yet another email with the date and time for delivery. Easy to negotiate to and accommodating, I must say the experience is good.
At first I thought the items must be for stock clearance but when I received the items, they were nicely packed and looks thoroughly new. Pleasant surprise that a further check reviewed that the ear piece was produced this yr and the Zen was less than 6 mths ago.
The FAQ portion of the website is also well done. I had trouble starting up the Zen and was able to find the descriptive solution fast and with ease though loading the page was a bit slow.
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Ok, the one for one credit card promotion, is indeed appealing. And, that is why it can make me go all the way to toa payoh and try out their cod fish and abalone set meal. Haha.
Bascially the entire set meal consist of six different small dishes. Although each dish serving is rather small and does not include any rice or noodles kind of carbo food, it still manage to be quite fulfiling towards the end of the course.
The first dish of this set meal includes the shark bone soup. This milky colour soup has a rather strong fishie smell, thus it might be good to add in some pepper or vinegar to neutralize the taste. Taste wise, its pretty good and with the added scallop and fish maw (i think), makes the entire soup taste sweet.
Next that came up is the banana, cod fish and duck combo set. Ok, theres basically three different types of food in the dish, typically the sweet and sour cod fish, the duck slices (cold in taste) as well as the banana and prawn roll.
The banana and prawn roll tasted simply marvellous, imagine the just two very simple ingredient -- banana and prawn, they managed to make it tasted heavenly. And with the added thousand island sauce and the sesame taste on the crepe skin, it will made one to crave for more. But too bad, theres only one roll per person share.
Next coming up is the abalone with seafood stick. Just one single stick per person and it consist of some abalone, mushroom, sea cumcumber and prawn. Their abalone was pretty well cooked with a texture of chewiness and softness.
The ABC sauce chicken was the next dish. The nicely cooked chicken will definitely make one to crave for more. Imagine the skin that can be made comparable with those of bejing duck, a very cripiness skin can be found. Not forgetting the meat tastes juicy and tender.
Next came the carrot cake dish. Ok, i know carrot cake is a pretty normal kind of food. But, somehow they managed to make it tasted like 'chao guay tiao'. Amazing issnt it?
Lastly, not forgetting the double boiled coconut dessert. For this, i was rather disappointed to think that i can only see one small slice of coconut in the dessert. With the additional scoop of ice cream, i find this dessert abit too sweet for my liking.
As for their service wise, their staffs in the outlet were rather friendly and sometimes were 'over' helpful. Imagine, they keep refilling your cup of tea after you seep one mouthful? Haha, this is actually what happen literally at my table.
And not forgetting that during the half time of my eating phase (completion of my third dish), i have to wait for more than 20 minutes before my next dish come up. The first few dishes came quite promptly, but the interval between the third and fourth dish seems abit too long. Well, guess this issnt very good for a customer to wait for that long. However, they manage to mend this with the rest of their dishes coming quite promptly again.
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Just went to this place for viewing of a musical "Broadway Beng". Located at the 3rd storey of the building.
The place is quite small with 2 level of circle seats as well as the stall seats. Seats are comfy with polished wood backing and gives the theater the "feel" that audiences are in for a great show. However leg space is limited so those whom are late will find it difficult to walk through. Those with longer legs will not be too comfortable.
Sound system is great with minimal "emptiness" or "noises". Sounded perfect to me where I was sitting. There are 2 screen panels (great quality image) at the side of the stage and can be used in conjunction with the show on-going. Designed more for theater rather than vocal.
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Due to my dad's birthday, I decided to buy emicakes as it was intro by my colleague and I want to try different cake from different cake shop. So my BF accompany me went to downtown east purchase the cake.
As I know Emicakes is famous in their D24 Durian cake, Durian stuff but sorry to say that I don't like durian and I didn't choose the durian cake for my dad. I brought 1 Chocolate cake & 1 Chocolate Puffs.
Pure Addiction Chocolate Cake - $33.90, 0.6kg
The cake filled with thick chocolate mousse, it sweet and not bad. Inside the cake has chocolate-coated almonds and chocolate ganache. But the chocolate mousse was not really that soft, but overall it not bad.
Chocolate Puffs - $3.80, 6 Pieces
The puff were soft, the chocolate was thick and sweet and nice.
Their service was alright.
Total Bill: $33.93 (Before discount $37.70)
As there is 10% discount for UOB card.
Do check out the website or branches for their cakes and mini items.
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Banking on the concept of nostalgia and old world charm, Jacob's Cafe is all about rediscovery, fresh food and simple, laid back relaxation. Established since September 2000, Jacob's has been serving and belting out tasty country meals for families and couples alike.
Jacob's features an al fresco dining area which makes up the bulk of the seating arrangements and the inner sanctum which has only limited seats of up to 10 people. The seats in the restaurant definitely brings with it a rustic charm and a comfortable atmosphere but the trade off is that after the meal, you'll come out smelling like one yourself. The al fresco seats have no such problem but lighting and visibility will be a little lower.
Pumpkin Soup(Part of the game hen meal), Bread Roll(Part of the game hen meal) - Our first visit there was more of a trial, we wanted to see exactly how good the place was since FZ mentioned the bread roll here has to be the best in Singapore. Thus, we ordered one of the specials on the board. This being the oven baked game hen set meal which came with soup, bread roll, coffee and the game hen of course. For starters, the pumpkin soup was very creamy, a little sweet and definitely opens the pallet. Not the best i had but its decent enough. The bread roll needs a little more description. It will not be immediately apparent why this bread roll is good, but a few bites into it will convince you otherwise. Reason being, its the only bread roll i've had that is completely balanced in having a reasonably hard crust while still maintaining warm and soft inside. You can't even compare it to any other bread roll thus far for that matter. There are no problems with biting into it and separating it as compared to some french loaves you find outside, where eating it is a challenge in itself. Make no mistake, this bread roll is better. Try it to find out.
Oven Baked Game Hen ($25.90) - The game hen came as quite a large portion. Definitely bigger then the spring chickens you can find at the food court. It came with 2 sides, assorted greens and fries. The fries were normal enough while the boiled greens were sauteed with a little butter to enhance the taste while remaining moderately crunchy and soft. The game hen was plump, juicy, tender and very fragrant. The sauce made it slightly salty but it suits the dish well. There's meat enough to go around for 2 people so basically, if you order this, it can be shared for 2 small eaters. I like the way the juices are locked in so that the hen remained tender without being dry. Worth a try.
Jacob's Pizza ($16.90) - Ah yes...Jacob's pizza. I always love ordering food that bears the restaurants namesake because its very important what they put their name on to represent themselves. This pizza, does not disappoint. It came chock full of toppings and cheese with a thin and crispy crust to boot. And the important thing is, you get to see them prepare it fresh before they pop it into the oven and serve to the customers. No issues on freshness here. This is definitely worth a try if you are here. Do note the waiting time for it extends by up to 20 minutes so its wise to order something else while waiting.
Apple Crumble and Vanilla Ice Cream ($7.50) - Having fallen in love with the apple crumble at coffee club, i make it a point to order it when i try out a new place. This is no exception here. However, lo and behold, it turns out to be the first disappointment of the day. Every item up till now has been above average but this sank the experience down quite a bit. To describe how it tastes is easy, its bascially Mcdonald's apple pie with a nicer crust and ice cream thrown into the fray. Definitely leave this out of the meal.
Coffee (Part of the game hen meal) - Our meal came with coffee as well and while its not exactly a gourmet cuppa, i do appreciate them including it and it does complete a meal pretty well.
The total bill for this visit came up to $50.30 with no gst nor service charge. Oh! The service here is really good as well. And the price is definitely justified as the quality of food is of a certain standard.
Barely a week later, me and my gf returned once again to re experience Jacob's and find out if it is still as good as before.
Mushroom Soup (Part of the Ribeye Set) - This time around, i ordered the ribeye set which also came with soup, bread roll and coffee. We had mushroom soup this time and its more watery with chunks of mushroom in it. Its quite bland but still pretty decent. The bread roll is as good as ever though.
Ham and Sausage Combo ($19.90) - My gf ordered the Ham and sausage combo which is actually called the meatloaf on the menu. It arrived as a huge plate with sides of mashed potato and sauerkraut with some mustard for dipping. The mashed potato was pretty good with some peppery taste and a some chunks of potato in it as well. The meatloaf or ham looks like a huge piece of luncheon meat actually and tastes a little like luncheon meat as well but is firmer and juicier. The sausages were definitely fragrant and very tasty.
Ribeye Steak ($28.90) - Another huge serving, the steak came with 3 sides, a tomato with pepper and celery, boiled greens and mashed potatoes. The steak i ordered was done medium rare as i ordered and is very very juicy. Its also a tad salty and had some parts not evenly done as there were portions that were a little too rare. Still, its a decent main dish. However, i probably won't recommend ordering it since Jacob's has other items that are much better.
Pecan Pie ($4.60) - During the first visit, the worst item was the dessert which thankfully isn't the case this time. By recommendation, we ordered the pecan pie which is supposedly a rather rare item in Singapore. This dessert is moderately sweet, crunchy and different in a good way. Its served hot, as in very hot and is something easily recommended. Try it.
Total bill for this visit is $53.40.
And for my third and last visit (so far anyway), we had yet again, a different choice and different items.
Fresh Farm Salad (Part of the Jacob's Chicken Pie Set) - Part of the Jacob's Chicken pie set, this is basically farm fresh salad drenched in balsamic vinegar for good effect. Sour, sweet and fresh, the salad definitely opens your appetite for the meal that follows.
Frankfurters Set ($8.90) - I ordered this thinking that i would be getting the thick and big versions of these little sausages but i was wrong. What was served was extremely small and measly. Taste wise, it doesn't taste any different from the run-of-the-mill sausages you could get outside. This is the second disappointment i've had at Jacob's.
Hungarian Beef Goulash With Bread Roll ($13.50) - I've been wanted to have a go at the Hungarian Goulash ever since i saw it in the menu. Now, i've finally had the chance to try it. For the price, the serving is huge. You get a huge plate of beef, carrots, potatoes and tomatoes in a delectable stew and the choice to have it with either rice or bread roll. I obviously chose the bread roll since its still without a doubt, one of the best bread rolls i've had. The goulash tastes like a cross between beef stew and sardines actually. It doesn't sound very good but in actual fact, it works. Its difficult to describe it further but you'll get a strong beef taste along with a sweet and sour broth which goes really well with the roll. Worth a try.
Jacob's Pie ($16.90) - My gf's Jacob's pie was actually a really small serving given the price but of course, you need to factor in the salad that came before as well. The pastry it came in had a nice buttery taste which i immediately took to and its very crusty and crispy as well. The pie ingredients itself were potatos, green beans, carrots and lots and lots of chicken pieces. The thing i like about the dish was the crust and the fact that the pie is a little bland. Do note that its also superbly hot when served so its important to be careful while eating. Not too bad but not exactly mind blowing either.
Tiramisu with Vanilla Ice Cream ($8.50) - The tiramisu this time was rather good as well. There is a clear distinction on where the cake starts and where the cream ends. The only gripe is that its note evenly done with some portions thicker then the rest. The rum is easily discernible but not overwhelming. I'd say the pecan pie was better though.
The bill this time clocked off at $47.80 for 2 people for a filling and satisfying meal.
Out of 3 meals, i can't say there were no misses. But for what its worth, the experience was still above average and if you asked me, i'd gladly go for another meal. The fact that there's no service charge or gst only serves to sweeten the draw for going back.
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Tried this when our company's vendor bought us some for the new year. Heard many great comments about this. Shape of the puff is totally different from those normal ones.
Skin is crispy and flaky and the taste is above average. But in terms of easy eating, its below average. So ladies perhaps should eat this when image is not priority lolx.
Had the curry potato filling. Texture is just right for the crispiness of the puff. The taste of the filing is definitely way above those normal ones selling.
However, the puffs should be eaten fresh. We put one or two of them in the box for like half the day and the skin becomes very oily. However, this is not a very serious problem for curry puffs.
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