Went to this place a couple of times and hadn't got much of an impression there. The first time I went was in the afternoon, where guests were few and we shared the restaurant with only 2 or 3 other guests. To me, the staffs there were quite slow in serving and seems to act overly friendly but the manager seems to be experienced and good.
So far, we loved baked rice, mixed grill, Brandied cherry dessert (my favorite) and baked fish. And disliked the cheese platter which consisted of only some pieces of biscuits, some English Old Cheese which we don't know how to appreciate. But I must mention the celery were fresh though. Seems like main dishes are well done but side dishes needs more improvement.
Nicely decorated with romantic English country style as the main theme. There will be a live singer there to entertain after 7pm and I must say i think he sings very well. A very nice place to have a cosy outing or a light date. But I do dislike seeing the cooks keep coming outside of the kitchen to "look" around.
Recently, i had the honor of being invited to a friend's Wedding that was held at Qian Xi. Having never heard of the place, i was quite surprised at its location. Civil service club in far off Bukit Batok.
On the wedding invitation card, you can see the address written as Hilltop and i was quite surprised when it really meant hilltop since you had to traverse a rather steep slope just to get to the location.
The surroundings were rather picturesque with plenty of greenery and a pool along with lots of Woody buildings. Check out the pictures to see what i mean.
The ballroom itself is the biggest ballroom in the club. The crystal ballroom with a seating capacity of 57 tables. And the amazing thing is, it was filled to the brim that day with her friends, family and church friends. Quite a sight actually.
For the wedding, we had 9 dishes and free flow of wine and beer.
Lobster Cold Dish - The usual chinese cold dish with squid, fried beancurd wrapped fish cake, lobster with fruits and mayo dressing and meat balls. The lobster was pretty stale but was saved by the dressing. Not really appetising actually.
Braised Shark's Fin With Crab meat - Average, the shark's fin was practically non existent and the soup was simply too starchy to be liked. Nothing vinegar and pepper can't fix but if i needed to resort to that, its already too late.
Roasted Crispy Chicken - Another average dish with the chicken being overly dry and lacking taste. In fact, it tasted like beancurd at some points which was astonishing... The crispy skin was quite fragrant though.
Fried Prawn with Cereal - The cereal was very well done i should say. Sweet, fragrant and very tasty, i could eat the cereal and be happy with it. The prawn was quite big but felt grossly overcooked. Dry and without much taste.
Steamed Red Grouper - The grouper was huge, nicely steamed in the cooking sauce i've always liked. It wasn't overly salty but the freshness of the fish is open to question. The meat had a powdery taste near the middle but otherwise was firm and sweet.
Fresh Scallop with Broccoli - The scallops were mini scale and miserly portioned. In fact, i barely had 2 pieces before everything was swept up by the family next to us. For what its worth, the scallops were fresh and springy to the taste.
Yam Ring with Meat - The yam lacked taste and so did the assorted stuffings present in it. Very obviously pork. It was still too bland for my liking despite the multitude of ingredients served.
Fried rice in lotus leaf - As it turned out, the rice was the best. Fragrant and filling. It had alot of ingredients and even had a little wok hei in it. I have no idea how thats possible though.
Yam Paste with Gingko nut - The yam paste was extremely sweet and while the coconut milk was too little. Thus rendering the dish difficult to swallow. After all the above, i wasn't expecting much in the end anyway.
Wine - the wine served was a cornerstone 2006 cabernet sauvignon. I've been seeing this brand alot and finally got to taste it. Its extremely dry and reeked of spices yet not strong enough to be memorable. Aftertaste is spicy.
Overall, the meal went without hitches but was definitely not in the high end in terms of food quality. Honestly, i think paying $563 for this meal might not be worth it at all.
Yes! I've just participated in the fun-filled Yebber's 1st anniversary party at Mint Museum last night. And yes, this is infact my second visit to the Mint Museum. This was my second visit to the place. It's definitely a great place to visit not just for the kids but adults as well.
I managed to arrive earlier at 5 pm to help Claudia & the rest of the Yebber team to get prepared for the evening's event We could just see the ultra-stressed up Claudia running around the museum setting things up and making sure that each & every of us knew our duties for the evening. Bobo, Zihui & I were tasked to be the receptionists for the evening. Hee hee.....
Finally, at around 7pm, guests began to arrive and the 3 of us were busy taking their attendance, giving out programme sheet, bingo tickets, noise-makers, filling out lucky draw "coupons" and of course, directing the guests.
At 8pm, with most of the guests arrived, we were ready to kick off the event for the evening. Polarbear was the emcee for the night and the series of activities was started off with a speech given by one of the founders of Yebber, Darren, followed by the still-very-nervous Claudia. Finally!! We know how the word 'Yebber' came about, why Yebber was born & who are the three funny men who started Yebber. Hee hee.... Following the speeches was a short video clip with interviews of the Yebber Ambassadors (Me!! ME!!! *shy*)
Not just that, there were even Bingo game & lucky draw to get the guests involved for the evening. But me, no luck in either of them. *Sob sob* Nevertheless, being able to participate in the party had already brought alot of joy to me. Not to forget that each of us bagged home a goodie bag with magazines & vouchers! Hee hee....
Yes yes!! How can I forget one of the most important thing. Food!!! Food was served in buffet style, with a good variety. The food was good. We had fresh greens, spaghetti, parmesan crusted chicken, seafood platter and wild mushrooms, tomato checca & salmon bruschetta. After which, we had some mini cakes for dessert. Yummy!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the organising team at Yebber for the event and of course a big congratulation to them for the success of the event.
Banking on his wildly popular Wild Rocket restaurant, lawyer turned chef, Willin Low, has opened up a new burger joint serving up his signature Wild Rocket burger and other rather innovative burgers.
Situated on the second floor (right above Da Paolo) of a charming colonial bungalow along Bukit Timah Road, Relish boasts an uncluttered no frills interior with wooden furniture and wacky murals on the wall. Everything about the place screams casual.
Bacon Cheese Burger - Now who can resist a thick beef patty topped with slices of cheese and bacon sandwiched between a roasted sesame bun? The beef patty was finely chopped and I liked the semi rough texture. A pity it was a wee bit too overcooked but at least it retained its juiciness. The sun dried tomato salsa tasted a little weak this time round. Still a great burger nonetheless, just that it reminded me Wild Rocket's signature burger with an addition of cheese and bacon.
Char Siew Burger - This is the first time I've actually seen such a burger and its actually quite interesting. Lean meat covered with a special home made sauce on a toasted bun. Personally I found the sauce way too sweet for my liking and because it was quite coagulated, consuming too much of it made me nauseous. The meat was very lean and fibrous though, making it a joy to chew on. All in all, it tasted like a fat free version of Kong Ba Pao. Did I mention that the bread was a little too charred?
Wild Rocket Signature Cheesecake - A Wild Rocket signature dessert, the deconstructed cheesecake had a layer of cracker crumbs topped with sweetened strawberries and then topped again with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and cream cheese. The cream cheese was lightly sour and complemented the sweet ice cream and cracker/biscuit base perfectly. Personally I felt that the cracker/biscuit base could have been more buttery for a smoother aftertaste.
A high carbohydrate dinner for 2 cost about $55 which is rather average pricing. The burgers are good without a doubt and filling (they come with lots of fries). Service is good as well so the next time I'm craving for expensive burgers, I'll know where to look.
It is one of the best shopping malls in Singapore at this moment as it provides everything you need in one convenient place. This place offers an alternative from the norm of Orchard Road and the Marina area. This place has eclipsed Suntec City Mall as the biggest shopping mall in Singapore. It is very accessible with a number of buses heading there, and the Harbourfront Station by MRT.
Shop till you drop at this humungous mall. Products and services ranging from fashion, sports, departmental store, boutiques, gifts, banks, electronical, hypermarket and many more.
There’s a wide array of food and beverages for your delight. You can choose from restaurants, cakes, dessert, candies, drinks, fast food, coffee house, cafes, small eateries and much, much more. Basically, this mall simply provides everything under the sun.
If you’re bringing your children or family along, there are activities for children to engage in. A playground can be found on the level 2, together with water features (which can also be found in level 1. You may also pay for your children to hop on board one of the animal rides as well.
It is also a great place to chill and relax at the rooftop of the mall. It holds an excellent view of the harbour and sentosa. Picnics can also be held there, chit-chat, play games or you can take a stroll along the wading pool as well.
First timer here are warned, you may get lost here. But once you come here very frequently, the paths and shops are easy to navigate at the back of your head.
I bet most of you would have already known of this restaurant with many outlets here. I didn't really try much of the food while I was here but just the wanton noodle. The noodle is not very tasty but the ingredients are very fresh. The soup is very tasty, which was a thick semi-thick based soup. Just pondered, why won't the taste linger onto the tasteless noodle? I ordered a hot drink, which tasted especially great when it was a very cold day. This place can also provide an alternative choice for a dining experience in this area. Anyway the visit was memorable due to the great service I experienced.
There was once when I needed to use my laptop to do my school project in the restaurant, which was rather urgent. I asked the manager if he could make arrangement for me to be seated where there is power supply to hook to my laptop. I was waiting for my friend who was stuck in a terrible thunderstorm and I was alone, but he was kind enough to let me take the sofa seat, which was the closest to one of the rare sockets around. Usually at this outlet they would allow big groups to take the sofa seats. Really thankful for his effort, if not I would not have finished it on time and be real screwed up.
This indian muslim restaurant is located along River Valley Road, among a bustling line of food stalls. You will realise that this stall has the most customer, the tables stretching for a distance to the cross junction. Customers vary from clubbers (Zouk and MOS down the road), businessman, casual diners, residents and taxi drivers.
The food here is really nice. The price is adequate and the serving is bigger than usual serving at other similar stalls. The price is worth the serving. There was once I ordered what I would usually order at a hawker centre but turned out I didn't finish the food as it was a bigger serving than I expected. Price averages from $4-6 per dish.
Do try out their drinks such as milo/horlick dinosaur/godzilla, iced limau and the blueberry longan drink, my recommendation. Food wise, their prata are not bad. Their murtabak (crispy, thin, light) and roti john are really worth trying. They have many various malay/indian food and few I've tried are the nasi goreng and nasi ayam, which comes in many different flavours (pattaya, beef, chicken, bandung, etc). Prata (flavours such as cheese mushroom, planta, bomb, chcolate, honey and banana, etc) are a must try too!
Service standard has not failed my expectation. There was only once which I had to wait for quite a while, other than that it is usually not the case.
It's quite interesting to see that they do serve up cuisines of other nature such as western and chinese affairs to accommodate the taste buds of different taste. I do see some tourist coming here to try out their western food (burgers, steaks, crayfish) and their chinese food is not bad too, such as their hotplate crispy noodle and black pepper beef hor fun. A place to suit all flavours for those who dare to try.
Photos, what would life and blogging be without them? Snapz offers everything from weddings packages to outing shots to make overs and photo editing and splicing services to clients to ensure they look as good looking and pretty as they can ever be on print. Well, life's not perfect, so why not let your memories in print be isn't it?
How i learned of the place was a rather mundane one. I received a call while at work claiming i've be chosen for a free makeover and photo shot session courtesy of "paying sponsors" and i would be entitled to "choose my 2 favorite shots" upon completing the shot without any commitment nor package. In fact, Frederick and Alex both assured me that there would be no commitment whatsoever and it was simply a privilege i have the "honor" of being chosen. Well, i've been kinda bored so i thought:"There's no way things are gonna be that good. But hey, lets go take a look and see how it goes." I even roped in my gf to join me in the shoot since i'm not much of a looker. And so we went.
Upon traversing the extremely ulu lane to find the shop in the blazing hot sun, i was glad that the place was thankfully air conditioned. I told them my name and filled a form so that i could get my shoot ready. Anyway, i was surprised there were quite a few people in the vicinity including myself. Seems like i wasn't the only person who was "privileged". Still, why not? This was definitely a marketing tactic from the get go so i wasn't too surprised.
Counter staff was pleasant until we were introduced to this lady by the name of Valerie. She wasn't unpleasant as she led us up the steps to the makeover room but the way she spoke definitely did not sit well with me even then. More on the lady later.
The makeover room was rather small with approximately 12 seats for guests to have attended to. We were greeted by a couple of people who were to be our make up artists and was told to select and change into our desired costumes for the shoot. Everything there was fine and the service of the costume designer and the make up artists were quite pleasant. At the end of a 40 minute makeover, my gf looked Japanese and i looked....like dragonball characters. I felt they made up my gf too much because i liked her better without it but well, the lighting and camera and such needed it so what the hey. The artists were a real sport, telling us how nice the hair was and how good my gf looked which was a rather professional move i thought. Always make the customer feel good and comfortable.
Next up, we met the photographer who invited us to the area for the shot which was sadly...just a black backdrop. Nonetheless, we had fun posing for the shots and upon viewing, there were a few pretty good shots in the 50 that were taken. The camera man was pleasant and encouraging which was also a good and necessary move.
Now things turn for the worse. We then returned the borrowed costumes and tried to get rid of the now dry and stiff hair but was told there was no room to wash up. Upon asking to remove the make up on our faces, the lady simply dabbed a little off mine and told me she was done. That was rubbish because the concealer was still all over my face... and leaving that on would be a bad idea. My gf didn't get much attention too in removing make up, asking to remove it only met with comments of, it looks good on you and blah blah blah. Is the company running out of make up remover? I don't know but this is not good service when we've made our requests known.
When we were led downstairs again, we waited for another 30 minutes before we were told we could see the shots. Apparently, they were uploading the shots to the computer....well, last i checked, computers were plug and play in terms of photos but maybe i just haven't had a DSLR before so i may be wrong.
Valerie came out to meet us again and blatantly asked us if we felt if there was anything to complain about. Well, politely we said no because though there were hitches, the experience was still pleasant so far. As we were led into the viewing area, which were basically Apple Macs and shown our photos. Valerie spoke non stop about how we needed their services and touch up because "our eye bags were too obvious" and said to my gf as she removed my blemishes "there, so much better now, don't you wish your boyfriend looked like this?" Talk about saying the wrong things.
Heck, we were just getting started. Well, i knew there was a catch and here it is. Snapz actually has a VIP membership system that basically requires you to sign up for a lifetime membership to be their VIP. It sounds pretty good too and may save you alot of money on photos in the long run if you and your entire family loves taking photographs. Thats not a bad thing i feel but with a sales pitch like that, the membership is definitely in the $4-6k category since they were giving loads of freebies every year. All service and photograph related of course. Free makeovers, free photoshoots, free outdoor service, one on one photography and make up classes and better yet, guaranteed employment by the company. Talk about a full package.
Well, that was an interesting package but Valerie unfortunately, delivered the message over 40 minutes and amidst the whole time, reiterating that we needed the service because they could make us look a whole lot better then we really are. (i'm quite happy with my flawed look though, thank you very much.) Now, here's the kicker of the day: read on for the actual reason i said no.
When asked if i could have a private discussion with my gf, she said: "what is there to discuss when you don't know the price?" (point taken) so i followed up by asking her: "Ok, so how about we cut the chase and you tell me how much a membership costs?" Which was met by: "Are you really interested? Because if you aren't then we shouldn't waste each others time. I can't tell you the price as i'll need someone else to illustrate to you."
So i said: "I see, but i'm in a bit of a rush as i have an appointment. Can we just get the photos and i could consider before letting you know?"
Her response: "I'm afraid not, if you miss this chance then you will not be allowed to enjoy our package again."
My response: " I'm sure i can find a way to come back."
Her respone: "What do you mean by that? What do you think this place is? Anyway, i can assure you that you cannot join us again because we can track and prevent double entry."
My response: " Are you saying that if my friend refers me back and i come with the intention to join a membership after i've had more time to think, your company will not let me join?"
Her response: " Yes."
My response: "So you will refuse me time to think and i must sign today to get the deal. If i refuse to do so, if i do return, your company will turn away my business, is this what you are saying?"
Her response: "Yes"
My response: "In that case, i am not interested in the deal anymore, please allow us to choose the photos and leave."
Her response: "Sure"
After which, we signed a form stating that we received the photos and a feedback form where i thanked the company. But suddenly, we were given a disc with photos we have not chosen.
I queried: "Excuse me, i thought we could choose our own 2 best shots?"
Her response: " I'm afraid not. Over here, we choose the shots for you when you don't sign."
My response: " I see....May i have your name again?"
Her response: " Valerie."
And thats that. I wouldn't say the entire experience was bad but the sales person definitely needed a lot more training. And the policy of having to sign immediately? Bah, i work in sales, i know the tactics. And this is the hardest force selling i've come across thus far. I would have considered but unfortunately, the lady simply was not pleasant and quite obviously, cared less of clients than she did her own wallet.
In sales, what people buy is not the company, not the product when a saleperson is selling. People buy what the sales person represents of the company. If she is anything to go by, i'm never giving them a chance again. That, my friends is what brings companies and overall experiences down.
Vanilla Pod is a small restaurant set in fairy tale-like glass building in the Mandai Orchids Garden. From the front view, this place was just next to an aquatic landscape. Upon entering, we could see the full glass windows that wrapped around the restaurant and that gave us a very unique greenhouse feeling.
We were there for lunch and would like to enjoy nature but unfortunately because of the afternoon heat, we chose to dine in the air-conditioned section and at the same time admiring the great views of the various blooming orchids that were planted in the nearby garden.
We ordered Pollo Porcini, Aglio Olio Fish, Seafood Platter and Norwegian Salmon and Mushroom Soup.
When the soup was served, we stared at it and couldn’t believe that it is quite a big serving. This was not the normal cheap creamy mushroom-flavoured soup. Each spoonful was guaranteed to contain chunky bits of button and shitake mushroom.
When the main course were served, we were equally surprised on the generous portion of the food. The Pollo Porcini ( chicken breast with mushroom ) was very well marinated and it was balanced with vegetables to give a wholesome meal. The Norwegian Salmon was a thickly sliced piece which was pan-fried and accompanied by pasta. The Aglio Olio Fish ( grilled fish topped with spaghetti ) was quite presentable but the Seafood Platter was awesome. It consist of half a lobster, green mussels, fish fillet, fresh scallops ( with shells intact ) and calamari rings all grilled to perfection.
Total spending – about $140/- The cost maybe a bit on the high side for lunch but the freshness and generous portion of each dish was worth the price especially the chunky mushroom soup.
After a satisfying meal, we would like to take a small walk round the orchid garden but were told that admission fee of $3 per person was required. We were disappointed but realized that even Botanic Gardens charges $5/- to visit their National Orchid Garden.
This place is worth going back again as it is not easy to find another eatery that is far away from the busy, noisy and hectic environment. Morever, it is almost pollution-free and plenty of fresh air to breathe too.
The Vivocity branch has poor customer service! My hubby made bookings. We were to share tables with lots of other people in a very small space. They thought we're with this uncle who came slightly after us. When he asked for menu, they only gave him and never give us. So we asked for menu, then they took very long to get us menu . Some more give us attitude. -.-''
After ordering our food, lots of other customers arrived.. We know it's quite normal for the place to be fully filled every moment, so that's okay.. We had some tea.. those who came after us were ordering food. We finish almost 2 pots of tea, no food yet. Those who ordered 30mins after us, got their food le! (we only ordered 1 noddle and 1 plate of prawns). Hubby was really angry, he left to help me some stuffs outside. Then the food arrived. lols. I thought they wait for him to go off then serve us. :p
They didn't give us servlets/napkin (- the thing put on lap one leh.. whatever you call that) when they gave everybody else 1. After have our 2rd prawn using the chopsticks and spoon to "peel" the prawn's shell, they give us the lemon thingy to wash finger. -.- I'm like got this one didn't bring out earlier.. make me struggle with the prawn for so long. :p and NO, the prawns didn't fly lah! Just that I dun feel comfortable using chopsticks and spoon to "strip" the prawn..
When we called for the bill, it didn't come. We waited and waited. They clear the whole table le, still no sign of bill. I had to get the attention of another person to get our bill to us. -.- Then the bill finally came, darling pay le, then we wait and wait again for the change. Meanwhile, we just sit there staring at each other and the empty part of the table. lols. so angry yet so funny. Anyway, I went out feeling super happy cause finally can get out of that place! Phew..
1=SGD 0.0587
Went to this place a couple of times and hadn't got much of an impression there. The first time I went was in the afternoon, where guests were few and we shared the restaurant with only 2 or 3 other guests. To me, the staffs there were quite slow in serving and seems to act overly friendly but the manager seems to be experienced and good.
So far, we loved baked rice, mixed grill, Brandied cherry dessert (my favorite) and baked fish. And disliked the cheese platter which consisted of only some pieces of biscuits, some English Old Cheese which we don't know how to appreciate. But I must mention the celery were fresh though. Seems like main dishes are well done but side dishes needs more improvement.
Nicely decorated with romantic English country style as the main theme. There will be a live singer there to entertain after 7pm and I must say i think he sings very well. A very nice place to have a cosy outing or a light date. But I do dislike seeing the cooks keep coming outside of the kitchen to "look" around.
Rating given:
Recently, i had the honor of being invited to a friend's Wedding that was held at Qian Xi. Having never heard of the place, i was quite surprised at its location. Civil service club in far off Bukit Batok.
On the wedding invitation card, you can see the address written as Hilltop and i was quite surprised when it really meant hilltop since you had to traverse a rather steep slope just to get to the location.
The surroundings were rather picturesque with plenty of greenery and a pool along with lots of Woody buildings. Check out the pictures to see what i mean.
The ballroom itself is the biggest ballroom in the club. The crystal ballroom with a seating capacity of 57 tables. And the amazing thing is, it was filled to the brim that day with her friends, family and church friends. Quite a sight actually.
For the wedding, we had 9 dishes and free flow of wine and beer.
Lobster Cold Dish - The usual chinese cold dish with squid, fried beancurd wrapped fish cake, lobster with fruits and mayo dressing and meat balls. The lobster was pretty stale but was saved by the dressing. Not really appetising actually.
Braised Shark's Fin With Crab meat - Average, the shark's fin was practically non existent and the soup was simply too starchy to be liked. Nothing vinegar and pepper can't fix but if i needed to resort to that, its already too late.
Roasted Crispy Chicken - Another average dish with the chicken being overly dry and lacking taste. In fact, it tasted like beancurd at some points which was astonishing... The crispy skin was quite fragrant though.
Fried Prawn with Cereal - The cereal was very well done i should say. Sweet, fragrant and very tasty, i could eat the cereal and be happy with it. The prawn was quite big but felt grossly overcooked. Dry and without much taste.
Steamed Red Grouper - The grouper was huge, nicely steamed in the cooking sauce i've always liked. It wasn't overly salty but the freshness of the fish is open to question. The meat had a powdery taste near the middle but otherwise was firm and sweet.
Fresh Scallop with Broccoli - The scallops were mini scale and miserly portioned. In fact, i barely had 2 pieces before everything was swept up by the family next to us. For what its worth, the scallops were fresh and springy to the taste.
Yam Ring with Meat - The yam lacked taste and so did the assorted stuffings present in it. Very obviously pork. It was still too bland for my liking despite the multitude of ingredients served.
Fried rice in lotus leaf - As it turned out, the rice was the best. Fragrant and filling. It had alot of ingredients and even had a little wok hei in it. I have no idea how thats possible though.
Yam Paste with Gingko nut - The yam paste was extremely sweet and while the coconut milk was too little. Thus rendering the dish difficult to swallow. After all the above, i wasn't expecting much in the end anyway.
Wine - the wine served was a cornerstone 2006 cabernet sauvignon. I've been seeing this brand alot and finally got to taste it. Its extremely dry and reeked of spices yet not strong enough to be memorable. Aftertaste is spicy.
Overall, the meal went without hitches but was definitely not in the high end in terms of food quality. Honestly, i think paying $563 for this meal might not be worth it at all.
Rating given:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YEBBER!
Yes! I've just participated in the fun-filled Yebber's 1st anniversary party at Mint Museum last night. And yes, this is infact my second visit to the Mint Museum. This was my second visit to the place. It's definitely a great place to visit not just for the kids but adults as well.
I managed to arrive earlier at 5 pm to help Claudia & the rest of the Yebber team to get prepared for the evening's event We could just see the ultra-stressed up Claudia running around the museum setting things up and making sure that each & every of us knew our duties for the evening. Bobo, Zihui & I were tasked to be the receptionists for the evening. Hee hee.....
Finally, at around 7pm, guests began to arrive and the 3 of us were busy taking their attendance, giving out programme sheet, bingo tickets, noise-makers, filling out lucky draw "coupons" and of course, directing the guests.
At 8pm, with most of the guests arrived, we were ready to kick off the event for the evening. Polarbear was the emcee for the night and the series of activities was started off with a speech given by one of the founders of Yebber, Darren, followed by the still-very-nervous Claudia. Finally!! We know how the word 'Yebber' came about, why Yebber was born & who are the three funny men who started Yebber. Hee hee.... Following the speeches was a short video clip with interviews of the Yebber Ambassadors (Me!! ME!!! *shy*)
Not just that, there were even Bingo game & lucky draw to get the guests involved for the evening. But me, no luck in either of them. *Sob sob* Nevertheless, being able to participate in the party had already brought alot of joy to me. Not to forget that each of us bagged home a goodie bag with magazines & vouchers! Hee hee....
Yes yes!! How can I forget one of the most important thing. Food!!! Food was served in buffet style, with a good variety. The food was good. We had fresh greens, spaghetti, parmesan crusted chicken, seafood platter and wild mushrooms, tomato checca & salmon bruschetta. After which, we had some mini cakes for dessert. Yummy!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the organising team at Yebber for the event and of course a big congratulation to them for the success of the event.
Hope to celebrate future Yebber birthdays!!!
Rating given:
Banking on his wildly popular Wild Rocket restaurant, lawyer turned chef, Willin Low, has opened up a new burger joint serving up his signature Wild Rocket burger and other rather innovative burgers.
Situated on the second floor (right above Da Paolo) of a charming colonial bungalow along Bukit Timah Road, Relish boasts an uncluttered no frills interior with wooden furniture and wacky murals on the wall. Everything about the place screams casual.
Bacon Cheese Burger - Now who can resist a thick beef patty topped with slices of cheese and bacon sandwiched between a roasted sesame bun? The beef patty was finely chopped and I liked the semi rough texture. A pity it was a wee bit too overcooked but at least it retained its juiciness. The sun dried tomato salsa tasted a little weak this time round. Still a great burger nonetheless, just that it reminded me Wild Rocket's signature burger with an addition of cheese and bacon.
Char Siew Burger - This is the first time I've actually seen such a burger and its actually quite interesting. Lean meat covered with a special home made sauce on a toasted bun. Personally I found the sauce way too sweet for my liking and because it was quite coagulated, consuming too much of it made me nauseous. The meat was very lean and fibrous though, making it a joy to chew on. All in all, it tasted like a fat free version of Kong Ba Pao. Did I mention that the bread was a little too charred?
Wild Rocket Signature Cheesecake - A Wild Rocket signature dessert, the deconstructed cheesecake had a layer of cracker crumbs topped with sweetened strawberries and then topped again with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and cream cheese. The cream cheese was lightly sour and complemented the sweet ice cream and cracker/biscuit base perfectly. Personally I felt that the cracker/biscuit base could have been more buttery for a smoother aftertaste.
A high carbohydrate dinner for 2 cost about $55 which is rather average pricing. The burgers are good without a doubt and filling (they come with lots of fries). Service is good as well so the next time I'm craving for expensive burgers, I'll know where to look.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
It is one of the best shopping malls in Singapore at this moment as it provides everything you need in one convenient place. This place offers an alternative from the norm of Orchard Road and the Marina area. This place has eclipsed Suntec City Mall as the biggest shopping mall in Singapore. It is very accessible with a number of buses heading there, and the Harbourfront Station by MRT.
Shop till you drop at this humungous mall. Products and services ranging from fashion, sports, departmental store, boutiques, gifts, banks, electronical, hypermarket and many more.
There’s a wide array of food and beverages for your delight. You can choose from restaurants, cakes, dessert, candies, drinks, fast food, coffee house, cafes, small eateries and much, much more. Basically, this mall simply provides everything under the sun.
If you’re bringing your children or family along, there are activities for children to engage in. A playground can be found on the level 2, together with water features (which can also be found in level 1. You may also pay for your children to hop on board one of the animal rides as well.
It is also a great place to chill and relax at the rooftop of the mall. It holds an excellent view of the harbour and sentosa. Picnics can also be held there, chit-chat, play games or you can take a stroll along the wading pool as well.
First timer here are warned, you may get lost here. But once you come here very frequently, the paths and shops are easy to navigate at the back of your head.
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I bet most of you would have already known of this restaurant with many outlets here. I didn't really try much of the food while I was here but just the wanton noodle. The noodle is not very tasty but the ingredients are very fresh. The soup is very tasty, which was a thick semi-thick based soup. Just pondered, why won't the taste linger onto the tasteless noodle? I ordered a hot drink, which tasted especially great when it was a very cold day. This place can also provide an alternative choice for a dining experience in this area. Anyway the visit was memorable due to the great service I experienced.
There was once when I needed to use my laptop to do my school project in the restaurant, which was rather urgent. I asked the manager if he could make arrangement for me to be seated where there is power supply to hook to my laptop. I was waiting for my friend who was stuck in a terrible thunderstorm and I was alone, but he was kind enough to let me take the sofa seat, which was the closest to one of the rare sockets around. Usually at this outlet they would allow big groups to take the sofa seats. Really thankful for his effort, if not I would not have finished it on time and be real screwed up.
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This indian muslim restaurant is located along River Valley Road, among a bustling line of food stalls. You will realise that this stall has the most customer, the tables stretching for a distance to the cross junction. Customers vary from clubbers (Zouk and MOS down the road), businessman, casual diners, residents and taxi drivers.
The food here is really nice. The price is adequate and the serving is bigger than usual serving at other similar stalls. The price is worth the serving. There was once I ordered what I would usually order at a hawker centre but turned out I didn't finish the food as it was a bigger serving than I expected. Price averages from $4-6 per dish.
Do try out their drinks such as milo/horlick dinosaur/godzilla, iced limau and the blueberry longan drink, my recommendation. Food wise, their prata are not bad. Their murtabak (crispy, thin, light) and roti john are really worth trying. They have many various malay/indian food and few I've tried are the nasi goreng and nasi ayam, which comes in many different flavours (pattaya, beef, chicken, bandung, etc). Prata (flavours such as cheese mushroom, planta, bomb, chcolate, honey and banana, etc) are a must try too!
Service standard has not failed my expectation. There was only once which I had to wait for quite a while, other than that it is usually not the case.
It's quite interesting to see that they do serve up cuisines of other nature such as western and chinese affairs to accommodate the taste buds of different taste. I do see some tourist coming here to try out their western food (burgers, steaks, crayfish) and their chinese food is not bad too, such as their hotplate crispy noodle and black pepper beef hor fun. A place to suit all flavours for those who dare to try.
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Photos, what would life and blogging be without them? Snapz offers everything from weddings packages to outing shots to make overs and photo editing and splicing services to clients to ensure they look as good looking and pretty as they can ever be on print. Well, life's not perfect, so why not let your memories in print be isn't it?
How i learned of the place was a rather mundane one. I received a call while at work claiming i've be chosen for a free makeover and photo shot session courtesy of "paying sponsors" and i would be entitled to "choose my 2 favorite shots" upon completing the shot without any commitment nor package. In fact, Frederick and Alex both assured me that there would be no commitment whatsoever and it was simply a privilege i have the "honor" of being chosen. Well, i've been kinda bored so i thought:"There's no way things are gonna be that good. But hey, lets go take a look and see how it goes." I even roped in my gf to join me in the shoot since i'm not much of a looker. And so we went.
Upon traversing the extremely ulu lane to find the shop in the blazing hot sun, i was glad that the place was thankfully air conditioned. I told them my name and filled a form so that i could get my shoot ready. Anyway, i was surprised there were quite a few people in the vicinity including myself. Seems like i wasn't the only person who was "privileged". Still, why not? This was definitely a marketing tactic from the get go so i wasn't too surprised.
Counter staff was pleasant until we were introduced to this lady by the name of Valerie. She wasn't unpleasant as she led us up the steps to the makeover room but the way she spoke definitely did not sit well with me even then. More on the lady later.
The makeover room was rather small with approximately 12 seats for guests to have attended to. We were greeted by a couple of people who were to be our make up artists and was told to select and change into our desired costumes for the shoot. Everything there was fine and the service of the costume designer and the make up artists were quite pleasant. At the end of a 40 minute makeover, my gf looked Japanese and i looked....like dragonball characters. I felt they made up my gf too much because i liked her better without it but well, the lighting and camera and such needed it so what the hey. The artists were a real sport, telling us how nice the hair was and how good my gf looked which was a rather professional move i thought. Always make the customer feel good and comfortable.
Next up, we met the photographer who invited us to the area for the shot which was sadly...just a black backdrop. Nonetheless, we had fun posing for the shots and upon viewing, there were a few pretty good shots in the 50 that were taken. The camera man was pleasant and encouraging which was also a good and necessary move.
Now things turn for the worse. We then returned the borrowed costumes and tried to get rid of the now dry and stiff hair but was told there was no room to wash up. Upon asking to remove the make up on our faces, the lady simply dabbed a little off mine and told me she was done. That was rubbish because the concealer was still all over my face... and leaving that on would be a bad idea. My gf didn't get much attention too in removing make up, asking to remove it only met with comments of, it looks good on you and blah blah blah. Is the company running out of make up remover? I don't know but this is not good service when we've made our requests known.
When we were led downstairs again, we waited for another 30 minutes before we were told we could see the shots. Apparently, they were uploading the shots to the computer....well, last i checked, computers were plug and play in terms of photos but maybe i just haven't had a DSLR before so i may be wrong.
Valerie came out to meet us again and blatantly asked us if we felt if there was anything to complain about. Well, politely we said no because though there were hitches, the experience was still pleasant so far. As we were led into the viewing area, which were basically Apple Macs and shown our photos. Valerie spoke non stop about how we needed their services and touch up because "our eye bags were too obvious" and said to my gf as she removed my blemishes "there, so much better now, don't you wish your boyfriend looked like this?" Talk about saying the wrong things.
Heck, we were just getting started. Well, i knew there was a catch and here it is. Snapz actually has a VIP membership system that basically requires you to sign up for a lifetime membership to be their VIP. It sounds pretty good too and may save you alot of money on photos in the long run if you and your entire family loves taking photographs. Thats not a bad thing i feel but with a sales pitch like that, the membership is definitely in the $4-6k category since they were giving loads of freebies every year. All service and photograph related of course. Free makeovers, free photoshoots, free outdoor service, one on one photography and make up classes and better yet, guaranteed employment by the company. Talk about a full package.
Well, that was an interesting package but Valerie unfortunately, delivered the message over 40 minutes and amidst the whole time, reiterating that we needed the service because they could make us look a whole lot better then we really are. (i'm quite happy with my flawed look though, thank you very much.) Now, here's the kicker of the day: read on for the actual reason i said no.
When asked if i could have a private discussion with my gf, she said: "what is there to discuss when you don't know the price?"
(point taken) so i followed up by asking her: "Ok, so how about we cut the chase and you tell me how much a membership costs?" Which was met by: "Are you really interested? Because if you aren't then we shouldn't waste each others time. I can't tell you the price as i'll need someone else to illustrate to you."
So i said: "I see, but i'm in a bit of a rush as i have an appointment. Can we just get the photos and i could consider before letting you know?"
Her response: "I'm afraid not, if you miss this chance then you will not be allowed to enjoy our package again."
My response: " I'm sure i can find a way to come back."
Her respone: "What do you mean by that? What do you think this place is? Anyway, i can assure you that you cannot join us again because we can track and prevent double entry."
My response: " Are you saying that if my friend refers me back and i come with the intention to join a membership after i've had more time to think, your company will not let me join?"
Her response: " Yes."
My response: "So you will refuse me time to think and i must sign today to get the deal. If i refuse to do so, if i do return, your company will turn away my business, is this what you are saying?"
Her response: "Yes"
My response: "In that case, i am not interested in the deal anymore, please allow us to choose the photos and leave."
Her response: "Sure"
After which, we signed a form stating that we received the photos and a feedback form where i thanked the company. But suddenly, we were given a disc with photos we have not chosen.
I queried: "Excuse me, i thought we could choose our own 2 best shots?"
Her response: " I'm afraid not. Over here, we choose the shots for you when you don't sign."
My response: " I see....May i have your name again?"
Her response: " Valerie."
And thats that. I wouldn't say the entire experience was bad but the sales person definitely needed a lot more training. And the policy of having to sign immediately? Bah, i work in sales, i know the tactics. And this is the hardest force selling i've come across thus far. I would have considered but unfortunately, the lady simply was not pleasant and quite obviously, cared less of clients than she did her own wallet.
In sales, what people buy is not the company, not the product when a saleperson is selling. People buy what the sales person represents of the company. If she is anything to go by, i'm never giving them a chance again. That, my friends is what brings companies and overall experiences down.
Stay as far away as possible. You were warned.
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Vanilla Pod is a small restaurant set in fairy tale-like glass building in the Mandai Orchids Garden. From the front view, this place was just next to an aquatic landscape. Upon entering, we could see the full glass windows that wrapped around the restaurant and that gave us a very unique greenhouse feeling.
We were there for lunch and would like to enjoy nature but unfortunately because of the afternoon heat, we chose to dine in the air-conditioned section and at the same time admiring the great views of the various blooming orchids that were planted in the nearby garden.
We ordered Pollo Porcini, Aglio Olio Fish, Seafood Platter and Norwegian Salmon and Mushroom Soup.
When the soup was served, we stared at it and couldn’t believe that it is quite a big serving. This was not the normal cheap creamy mushroom-flavoured soup. Each spoonful was guaranteed to contain chunky bits of button and shitake mushroom.
When the main course were served, we were equally surprised on the generous portion of the food. The Pollo Porcini ( chicken breast with mushroom ) was very well marinated and it was balanced with vegetables to give a wholesome meal. The Norwegian Salmon was a thickly sliced piece which was pan-fried and accompanied by pasta. The Aglio Olio Fish ( grilled fish topped with spaghetti ) was quite presentable but the Seafood Platter was awesome. It consist of half a lobster, green mussels, fish fillet, fresh scallops ( with shells intact ) and calamari rings all grilled to perfection.
Total spending – about $140/- The cost maybe a bit on the high side for lunch but the freshness and generous portion of each dish was worth the price especially the chunky mushroom soup.
After a satisfying meal, we would like to take a small walk round the orchid garden but were told that admission fee of $3 per person was required. We were disappointed but realized that even Botanic Gardens charges $5/- to visit their National Orchid Garden.
This place is worth going back again as it is not easy to find another eatery that is far away from the busy, noisy and hectic environment. Morever, it is almost pollution-free and plenty of fresh air to breathe too.
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This review is written on 24 October 2006.
The Vivocity branch has poor customer service! My hubby made bookings. We were to share tables with lots of other people in a very small space. They thought we're with this uncle who came slightly after us. When he asked for menu, they only gave him and never give us. So we asked for menu, then they took very long to get us menu . Some more give us attitude. -.-''
After ordering our food, lots of other customers arrived.. We know it's quite normal for the place to be fully filled every moment, so that's okay.. We had some tea.. those who came after us were ordering food. We finish almost 2 pots of tea, no food yet. Those who ordered 30mins after us, got their food le! (we only ordered 1 noddle and 1 plate of prawns). Hubby was really angry, he left to help me some stuffs outside. Then the food arrived. lols. I thought they wait for him to go off then serve us. :p
They didn't give us servlets/napkin (- the thing put on lap one leh.. whatever you call that) when they gave everybody else 1. After have our 2rd prawn using the chopsticks and spoon to "peel" the prawn's shell, they give us the lemon thingy to wash finger. -.- I'm like got this one didn't bring out earlier.. make me struggle with the prawn for so long. :p and NO, the prawns didn't fly lah! Just that I dun feel comfortable using chopsticks and spoon to "strip" the prawn..
When we called for the bill, it didn't come. We waited and waited. They clear the whole table le, still no sign of bill. I had to get the attention of another person to get our bill to us. -.- Then the bill finally came, darling pay le, then we wait and wait again for the change. Meanwhile, we just sit there staring at each other and the empty part of the table. lols. so angry yet so funny. Anyway, I went out feeling super happy cause finally can get out of that place! Phew..
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