This small little cake shop was very well hidden in the lane of Jalan Kayu. I did not knew about the existence of the cake shop until one day when we are having lunch at the famous prata stall and one of my colleagues happened to mention about it. So me being curious, we decided to go. This shop is in between a prata shop and a mini mart if I am not wrong. From the exterior, the shop does not look like a cake shop anyway. It does reminds me of the 60s type of shop houses, and not much of a decoration as well.
Once inside, you only can see a display fridge, and boxes inside. There are two surprises down here. Firstly, this cake station ONLY sells cakes in full from 8” @ $30 onwards. So if you want to eat their cake, you have to buy the whole cake. Secondly, this cake station only sells chocolate fudge cake and durian cake. That all folks, if you want other cakes, please visit other cake shops ok! Therefore I was thinking, this cake station cake must be very good since it can survive by selling only full sized cakes and two types of cakes as well.
Since I don’t eat durian, I shall only review the chocolate fudge cake. The cake is a simple decorated chocolate fudge cake. I am not a big fan of chocolate but can tell you that looks can be deceiving. When a slice of cake is placed in front of me, I can see that there is very generous portion of chocolate fudge on the cake.
The cake itself is soft and fluffy, with small little holes in the cake. When I put the cake into my mouth, I can feel the chocolate fudge melting in my mouth, and mixed with the cake. Simply divine! I hate to eat chocolate because at times it seems that they will flow into my body, surrounds my heart and try to make it stop beating. However I don’t have this feeling when I am eating this cake. There is yet lots of chocolate taste in it. The chocolate also does not stick your teeth when eating it.
This has to be one of the best chocolate cakes that I have ever eaten. All my friends and family who had tasted this cake also said the same thing. Well if not for the ulu location I would have buy one cake once a week. Wahahahaha…..
So who wants to taste this chocolate fudge cake?
For those who had tried the durian cake, how was the cake? Care to share? Hee….
I been using this brand of products for quite sometime... I can't say it's the best product I ever use... But it's definately worth the price. It's not too pricey...
A facial wash about $30 can last for 2 months... A eye cream can last for about 1 year...
There's quite a wide range of products suitable for different skin including comestics.
IT show was on over the past 4 days. Initially, I did not has any intention to step near the exhibition hall as I knew that tons and tons of people,from 8 months old to 80 years old, will be there! This time round there was nothing that I need to buy so in order for me not to have any temptation, I decided to stay clear of the area.
Maybe I spoke too soon! Hee....
Saturday, decided to pop in to see see look look. The crowd was really huge and there are a lot of choke points even before we stepped into the exhibition hall. This time round, the IT show occupied 4 floors, which means the whole area already!
Level 1: Canon Redemption Area.
Level 3: Starhub, Sony
Level 4: Major brands
Level 6: All other brands
This time round although the organisers said that they expanded the walkway to 4 m but I still think they could do better. The management of the place could be done better as well. There is a few bottlenecks especially the one at Food Republic, that one is a killer and with people moving carrying hot food etc. If any one want to do anything funny, they could do it there as there are large boxes lying around at any one time. It seems that they security guard are just minding their own business at the entrance.
I also notice a lot of people just go in and collect brochures. So what is the use of doing that when you dun intend to buy anything? Like to squeeze with the crowd? After collecting the brochure, I am 99% sure that they will land up in the dustbin, worse still on the floors of the exhibition area.
One last complaint, can we bar all the parents from bringing in their baby prams into the exhibition hall. It is already so packed and yet still push a pram along. Babies, young kids and pram should be left outside the hall and have someone to look after them. IT show is not the place for leisure shopping anyway. I gena a lot of time of prams pushed to my poor leg and feet. Not to mention if the kid or baby went missing. OMG!
To survive IT show, you need to decide what you going to buy even before you step into the hall. it is possible now as all the prices would be in the newspapers anyway. Then just stay focus, go in and buy what you want and get out of the place.
Looking at everyone leaving with LVD TVs, printer, laptops... Hmm.... who say Sporeans have no money?
Wanan to make a guess what I had bought on impulse? Wahahaha.....
Spotlight used to have 3-4 stores around Singapore but now they are left with one outlet at Plaza Sing. They sell a large variety of craft items and fabric so you can practically find anything there.... IF you have the patience.
I hate how the things are always in a mess. The shelves are hardly ever tidy even when you go when they open shop. The items are not packaged properly so it makes it easy for people to tear them out. They don't put out samples for people to see, forcing people to buy blindly or to rip their packaging...
They have very few staff around this huge store so don't expect help in locating things. not to mention, everytime you go back they would have shifted the things around. Few things remain in the same corner for long.
Also the prices of some of the items are more expensive... so choose wisely.
I wouldn't go there if I had a choice... Sometimes only Spotlight stocks up stuff from American brands...
I had the chance to go to Hilton on my own yesterday. It was rainy and I got out on the doorsteps on the hotel. It was bustling with activity for the doormen and valets were all trying to get cabs for the guests who were patiently waiting at the glass door. I have been running to quite a few hotels recently and this wasn't done at those hotels anymore. It was nice to see some things like this still done.
The doorman who opened the door for me greeted me with a very nice "good evening". I was ah hour early for my appointment so I decided to loiter about in the hotel. Every staff greeted me. When I was in the lift alone and 3 of them entered, all three smiled and one said hello even. When I got out of the lift the staff outside, held the door for me and greeted me as well. While I was being a busybody around the swimming pool and entertained myself taking pictures, the staff greeted me and waited till I was done before coming up to offer extra information about the venue.
When I met up with the catering manager later, she immediately offered me a drink from their cafe when we sat down. That was a first which I certainly didn't experience in other hotels. She also patiently answered all the questions, even those which I vaguely remember asking before. She was also very flexible with some details agreed to change some things for me.
The place looks nice and pretty posh. I like the interior decor pretty much. The arrangement for the wedding solemnisation to be held by the pool then the lunch to be served in the function rooms next to the pool is a very good idea. I viewed the rooms which I was quite satisfied with. But they are going at $300 per night. ($1080 for F1 nights)
To be honest, I haven't tried the food yet. But the overall atmosphere of the place was very warm and made one feel at home. I guess the only reason why I haven't given it a 5-star is the hefty price tag. I'll update when I've tasted the food. ;)
My partner & I decided to try out this place after seeing several reviews with good feedback on the place. Somemore, with the 15% discount offered by Yebber, what are we waiting for??
We did not make any table reservation & but luckily the place was not packed with diners. Probably it’s because it’s a weekday and also that we were there pretty early, at about 6 pm. We were given a choice between the outdoor seats and the indoor ones. We chose the latter. The interior looks cosy & spacious. Each table came with a small tea light candle to brighten up the dim interior a little. Of course it did make the place more romantic too. Haha…
We were greeted by their friendly manager who even let us choose the seats since the place wasn’t packed with diners. Interestingly, the ice water they served had slices of strawberries in it. That’s really special, as most places at most serve lemon ice water. Strawberries in water? That’s really my 1st time trying it! Well, the strawberries did give the ice water a tint of sweetness & sourness. Pretty refreshing!
Here comes the food part! When we asked about certain dishes in the menu, the manager was very patient in her explanation & made some recommendations to us. These are what we have ordered.
Asparagus Roll with Bacon Dressing ($8.50) – This starter was great. I like it! The combination of asparagus & bacon was a perfect match! The asparagus was crunchy and a little sweet while the bacon was salty. So when the two came together, the taste & crunchiness made u crave for more. It will definitely improve your appetite & get you ready to indulge on the main course. Thumbs up!
Chef’s Special: “Rocket” Soup ($3.90) – “Rocket? What’s that??” That’s the first thought which came to our mind when the manager recommended the soup to us. Nevertheless, we decided to give it a try. Well, it looked like some blended spinach soup. But upon tasting it, it has this very unique taste which I quite like it. After checking with the manager, we realized that rocket is a kind of bitter vegetable. Yet the chef managed to cook it in such a way that the bitterness of the soup was gone. Wow!!
Prawn Bites ($9.50) – Quite a normal dish to me. Tasted just like the Japanese prawn tempura. But the light wasabi sauce which came with it was nice.
Stella Artois Battered Fish & Chips ($16) – This was my main course. It came with two big pieces of fish, deep fried and coated with the beer batter and a large serving of fries. The fish is fresh and tender, with a little beer taste. Find it quite a normal dish & I ended up attacking my partner’s main course which I am going to talk about next.
Tenderloin Steak ($28) – It’s my partner’s main course but I find it more yummy than mine. It came as a generous serving of steak. Looked good & smelt good. It was also served as requested – medium rare. Perfect! The sauce went well with the steak too.
Victorian Crème Brulee ($8) –I’m not a big fan of crème brulee and thus definitely not an expert in judging it. Yet I find it quite nice, with the milk taste not too overwhelming.
Crepes Haven ($12) – It was recommended by the manager. It did look good, with a flame over it when served. However, it did not taste up to our expectation. The sauce which went with the crepe was too sour for my liking.
On the overall, most of the dishes we have ordered were good. To add on, the service was excellent, with our glasses constantly topped up with ice water. The manager was warm and friendly too and was open to feedback on the food from us.
Touted as the Biggest Annual F&B event in town, it looks like a rojak fair to me. I see booths taken by beauty salons, kitchenware supplier, cleaning detergents manufacturer...., even got footwear wor! These products can eat and drink meh!? *scratch my head*
The irritating sales promoters from these 'others' category kept shoving their flyers and products at me.
I walked round the hall 3 times, bought some food and 3-in-1 coffee......, balik kampung. Less than one hour spent there.
One would expect new products to be launched at such fairs, I didn't see any. Some food items are sold at a discount. The food I bought from a Teochew restaurant tasted awful.
I bought a Blended Mango with Pomelo from a dessert stall and it wasn't up to standard. So expensive at S$3.50 some more! Most of the companies are not big-names.
Expect lots of people scrambling for free samples. It's going to be crowded during weekends. Personally, I find it not worth a visit.
At least they have lots of tables and chairs for the visitors to sit down and eat comfortably.
12th - 16th March 2008 Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre ( Suntec City ) Level 4 Halls 403 & 404 Opening Hours : 11am to 10pm Free Admission
Vien Thai, it doesn't get clearer then this i suppose. Vietnam and Thailand cuisine together in the same restaurant. For the love of me, i have no idea what differentiates normal cuisine from Vietnamese cuisine, all i know is the Thai cuisine are generally a combination of sweet, sour and spicy all in one. The location of this place isn't much to shout about either.
Crispy Beancurd - Forgive me if i seem to be simply belching out names on this post. It just so happened that all information i had of this place has been lost. Still not going to stop me from writing a post however. The beancurd skin was very thick and hard while the beancurd itself lack much taste. The only saving grace turned out to be the sweet and sour Thai garnishing and sauce that made it at least palatable. Overall, save yourself the trouble on this dish.
Clear Tom Yam Seafood Soup - The Tom Yam soup was barely passable. Not in the least spicy but not the least bit lacking in the sour department. The ingredients were generous as you can see but i wouldn't recommend trying it as well.
Vietnamese Beef Vermicelli - The only item that brought a refreshing taste. A little sour, a little spicy and very fresh. The beef turned out a little too tough for my liking. The vermicelli when mixed with everything ended up tasting significantly pleasant and refreshing. Thats not saying alot however, because the material for comparison are sub par items.
Simple and overly pricey sums up the experience and offerings here. For some reason, i couldn't taste much difference between what is offered here and similar offerings elsewhere. It could have been better of course. Much better.
I believe the place needs no introduction. Its already the third time i've visited this place so basically its just a different location with a different crew. Does it uphold the tradition though?
Well, what can i say? The balcony seats overlook the river with all its hustle and bustles going on below it. Low buildings and little tourist boats cramp the location, giving it an otherworldly feeling that is very relaxing. Service wise, i did get the impression that the people there didn't really want to be there however.
Burning Action - Some people call it showy, others say unnecessary, but i still find the whole process very interesting however. And most importantly, it gives the rice and prawn a wonderfully fragrant and interesting taste.
Soup of the day ($3.90) - Since its already the third time i'm having everything (fourth actually), i'll leave you to check out the older posts for comments on the soup. Nothing much has changed on that front.
Garlic Lemon Mussel ($8.90) - The bread and mussels are supposed to go well with each other and to the better of the experience, they do. The white sauce that the mussels were swimming in is the same as the sauce that comes with the mushrooms below and the oysters after. According to my dear friend, Andrew, the sauce is the best thing about the restaurant. I'm inclined to agree on that since it does add to the taste quite a bit. However, i must say the mussels are not one of the better items here and i would advice against having it.
Fried Country Mushrooms ($9.90) - I've had these mushrooms as many times as i've come to this restaurant. It is definitely one of the better things to have and still one i can heartily recommend.
Deep Fried Oysters ($11.90) - Essentially, this is the same cooking method as the mushrooms above. And sad to say, it tastes the same as well. The oysters themselves were reasonably fresh and sweet but i prefer the mushrooms as they are healthier.
Fisherman's Platter ($36.90) - We asked to switch one of the side items for the flaming prawns so the final deal we had consists of calamari, chips, mushrooms, prawns and fish. The best thing about this? It fed 4 people to the brim. The downside, health issues abound if you take this for protracted periods of time. The rice when added with sauce is still the best thing for me, personally of course. Everything else is as it should be, meaning its good but not necessarily impression making since i've had it this many times. Overall, this platter is good for big eaters and up to 3 people.
Tiramisu ($5) - The waiter heartily told us that we qualified for a $5 dessert special which we took without much thought. Tiramisu is a dessert that has been done to death and their rendition is interesting. Cocoa powder adorns the top while a small layer of cake fills the bottom. Cream and rum filled the rest. Its overwhelming actually and somehow, i didn't like it too much in the end. Not recommended.
The bill turned out to be $98 for 4 people. Lots of food and a full tummy later, reflection on the process doesn't bring much to mind since i paid for it in full. My treat to my friends and i'm happy for giving.
They say "too much of a good thing makes it bad". Well, in this case, its starting to sound pretty true. I've heard much about the branch in Central and somehow, there are parts that are true and some parts which are not. I found the normal service staff helpful and generally good but the supervisor level however, disappointed me when i asked what the sauce was. Maybe its a trade secret but repeating the same rubbish when i asked twice isn't my idea of good service. Food is simple and non elegant but gets the job done. All said, the mushrooms are still something i would pine for. If you have not had it before, it warrants a try at the least.
I went there once and I guess it will be the last time...
I feel that the food is over- price. Not worth it...
My mum ordered a tea and guess what the tea cup has no handle... My mum thinks it's stupid... Although it's a very nice and futuristic cup, it defeats it's purpose....
Special mention to the durain dessert... I don't taste the durain at all.. =(
1=SGD 0.0587
This small little cake shop was very well hidden in the lane of Jalan Kayu. I did not knew about the existence of the cake shop until one day when we are having lunch at the famous prata stall and one of my colleagues happened to mention about it. So me being curious, we decided to go. This shop is in between a prata shop and a mini mart if I am not wrong. From the exterior, the shop does not look like a cake shop anyway. It does reminds me of the 60s type of shop houses, and not much of a decoration as well.
Once inside, you only can see a display fridge, and boxes inside. There are two surprises down here. Firstly, this cake station ONLY sells cakes in full from 8” @ $30 onwards. So if you want to eat their cake, you have to buy the whole cake. Secondly, this cake station only sells chocolate fudge cake and durian cake. That all folks, if you want other cakes, please visit other cake shops ok! Therefore I was thinking, this cake station cake must be very good since it can survive by selling only full sized cakes and two types of cakes as well.
Since I don’t eat durian, I shall only review the chocolate fudge cake. The cake is a simple decorated chocolate fudge cake. I am not a big fan of chocolate but can tell you that looks can be deceiving. When a slice of cake is placed in front of me, I can see that there is very generous portion of chocolate fudge on the cake.
The cake itself is soft and fluffy, with small little holes in the cake. When I put the cake into my mouth, I can feel the chocolate fudge melting in my mouth, and mixed with the cake. Simply divine! I hate to eat chocolate because at times it seems that they will flow into my body, surrounds my heart and try to make it stop beating. However I don’t have this feeling when I am eating this cake. There is yet lots of chocolate taste in it. The chocolate also does not stick your teeth when eating it.
This has to be one of the best chocolate cakes that I have ever eaten. All my friends and family who had tasted this cake also said the same thing. Well if not for the ulu location I would have buy one cake once a week. Wahahahaha…..
So who wants to taste this chocolate fudge cake?
For those who had tried the durian cake, how was the cake? Care to share? Hee….
Rating given:
Sorry to say, this is a MLM product =X
I been using this brand of products for quite sometime... I can't say it's the best product I ever use... But it's definately worth the price. It's not too pricey...
A facial wash about $30 can last for 2 months... A eye cream can last for about 1 year...
There's quite a wide range of products suitable for different skin including comestics.
Rating given:
IT show was on over the past 4 days. Initially, I did not has any intention to step near the exhibition hall as I knew that tons and tons of people,from 8 months old to 80 years old, will be there! This time round there was nothing that I need to buy so in order for me not to have any temptation, I decided to stay clear of the area.
Maybe I spoke too soon! Hee....
Saturday, decided to pop in to see see look look. The crowd was really huge and there are a lot of choke points even before we stepped into the exhibition hall. This time round, the IT show occupied 4 floors, which means the whole area already!
Level 1: Canon Redemption Area.
Level 3: Starhub, Sony
Level 4: Major brands
Level 6: All other brands
This time round although the organisers said that they expanded the walkway to 4 m but I still think they could do better. The management of the place could be done better as well. There is a few bottlenecks especially the one at Food Republic, that one is a killer and with people moving carrying hot food etc. If any one want to do anything funny, they could do it there as there are large boxes lying around at any one time. It seems that they security guard are just minding their own business at the entrance.
I also notice a lot of people just go in and collect brochures. So what is the use of doing that when you dun intend to buy anything? Like to squeeze with the crowd? After collecting the brochure, I am 99% sure that they will land up in the dustbin, worse still on the floors of the exhibition area.
One last complaint, can we bar all the parents from bringing in their baby prams into the exhibition hall. It is already so packed and yet still push a pram along. Babies, young kids and pram should be left outside the hall and have someone to look after them. IT show is not the place for leisure shopping anyway. I gena a lot of time of prams pushed to my poor leg and feet. Not to mention if the kid or baby went missing. OMG!
To survive IT show, you need to decide what you going to buy even before you step into the hall. it is possible now as all the prices would be in the newspapers anyway. Then just stay focus, go in and buy what you want and get out of the place.
Looking at everyone leaving with LVD TVs, printer, laptops... Hmm.... who say Sporeans have no money?
Wanan to make a guess what I had bought on impulse? Wahahaha.....
Rating given:
Spotlight used to have 3-4 stores around Singapore but now they are left with one outlet at Plaza Sing. They sell a large variety of craft items and fabric so you can practically find anything there.... IF you have the patience.
I hate how the things are always in a mess. The shelves are hardly ever tidy even when you go when they open shop. The items are not packaged properly so it makes it easy for people to tear them out. They don't put out samples for people to see, forcing people to buy blindly or to rip their packaging...
They have very few staff around this huge store so don't expect help in locating things. not to mention, everytime you go back they would have shifted the things around. Few things remain in the same corner for long.
Also the prices of some of the items are more expensive... so choose wisely.
I wouldn't go there if I had a choice... Sometimes only Spotlight stocks up stuff from American brands...
Rating given:
I had the chance to go to Hilton on my own yesterday. It was rainy and I got out on the doorsteps on the hotel. It was bustling with activity for the doormen and valets were all trying to get cabs for the guests who were patiently waiting at the glass door. I have been running to quite a few hotels recently and this wasn't done at those hotels anymore. It was nice to see some things like this still done.
The doorman who opened the door for me greeted me with a very nice "good evening". I was ah hour early for my appointment so I decided to loiter about in the hotel. Every staff greeted me. When I was in the lift alone and 3 of them entered, all three smiled and one said hello even. When I got out of the lift the staff outside, held the door for me and greeted me as well. While I was being a busybody around the swimming pool and entertained myself taking pictures, the staff greeted me and waited till I was done before coming up to offer extra information about the venue.
When I met up with the catering manager later, she immediately offered me a drink from their cafe when we sat down. That was a first which I certainly didn't experience in other hotels. She also patiently answered all the questions, even those which I vaguely remember asking before. She was also very flexible with some details agreed to change some things for me.
The place looks nice and pretty posh. I like the interior decor pretty much. The arrangement for the wedding solemnisation to be held by the pool then the lunch to be served in the function rooms next to the pool is a very good idea. I viewed the rooms which I was quite satisfied with. But they are going at $300 per night. ($1080 for F1 nights)
To be honest, I haven't tried the food yet. But the overall atmosphere of the place was very warm and made one feel at home. I guess the only reason why I haven't given it a 5-star is the hefty price tag. I'll update when I've tasted the food. ;)
Rating given:
After so long, my post is finally ready! Haha…
My partner & I decided to try out this place after seeing several reviews with good feedback on the place. Somemore, with the 15% discount offered by Yebber, what are we waiting for??
We did not make any table reservation & but luckily the place was not packed with diners. Probably it’s because it’s a weekday and also that we were there pretty early, at about 6 pm. We were given a choice between the outdoor seats and the indoor ones. We chose the latter. The interior looks cosy & spacious. Each table came with a small tea light candle to brighten up the dim interior a little. Of course it did make the place more romantic too. Haha…
We were greeted by their friendly manager who even let us choose the seats since the place wasn’t packed with diners. Interestingly, the ice water they served had slices of strawberries in it. That’s really special, as most places at most serve lemon ice water. Strawberries in water? That’s really my 1st time trying it! Well, the strawberries did give the ice water a tint of sweetness & sourness. Pretty refreshing!
Here comes the food part! When we asked about certain dishes in the menu, the manager was very patient in her explanation & made some recommendations to us. These are what we have ordered.
Asparagus Roll with Bacon Dressing ($8.50) – This starter was great. I like it! The combination of asparagus & bacon was a perfect match! The asparagus was crunchy and a little sweet while the bacon was salty. So when the two came together, the taste & crunchiness made u crave for more. It will definitely improve your appetite & get you ready to indulge on the main course. Thumbs up!
Chef’s Special: “Rocket” Soup ($3.90) – “Rocket? What’s that??” That’s the first thought which came to our mind when the manager recommended the soup to us. Nevertheless, we decided to give it a try. Well, it looked like some blended spinach soup. But upon tasting it, it has this very unique taste which I quite like it. After checking with the manager, we realized that rocket is a kind of bitter vegetable. Yet the chef managed to cook it in such a way that the bitterness of the soup was gone. Wow!!
Prawn Bites ($9.50) – Quite a normal dish to me. Tasted just like the Japanese prawn tempura. But the light wasabi sauce which came with it was nice.
Stella Artois Battered Fish & Chips ($16) – This was my main course. It came with two big pieces of fish, deep fried and coated with the beer batter and a large serving of fries. The fish is fresh and tender, with a little beer taste. Find it quite a normal dish & I ended up attacking my partner’s main course which I am going to talk about next.
Tenderloin Steak ($28) – It’s my partner’s main course but I find it more yummy than mine. It came as a generous serving of steak. Looked good & smelt good. It was also served as requested – medium rare. Perfect! The sauce went well with the steak too.
Victorian Crème Brulee ($8) –I’m not a big fan of crème brulee and thus definitely not an expert in judging it. Yet I find it quite nice, with the milk taste not too overwhelming.
Crepes Haven ($12) – It was recommended by the manager. It did look good, with a flame over it when served. However, it did not taste up to our expectation. The sauce which went with the crepe was too sour for my liking.
On the overall, most of the dishes we have ordered were good. To add on, the service was excellent, with our glasses constantly topped up with ice water. The manager was warm and friendly too and was open to feedback on the food from us.
I shall be back to try out other dishes!
Rating given:
Touted as the Biggest Annual F&B event in town, it looks like a rojak fair to me. I see booths taken by beauty salons, kitchenware supplier, cleaning detergents manufacturer...., even got footwear wor! These products can eat and drink meh!? *scratch my head*
The irritating sales promoters from these 'others' category kept shoving their flyers and products at me.
I walked round the hall 3 times, bought some food and 3-in-1 coffee......, balik kampung. Less than one hour spent there.
One would expect new products to be launched at such fairs, I didn't see any. Some food items are sold at a discount. The food I bought from a Teochew restaurant tasted awful.
I bought a Blended Mango with Pomelo from a dessert stall and it wasn't up to standard. So expensive at S$3.50 some more! Most of the companies are not big-names.
Expect lots of people scrambling for free samples. It's going to be crowded during weekends. Personally, I find it not worth a visit.
At least they have lots of tables and chairs for the visitors to sit down and eat comfortably.
12th - 16th March 2008
Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre
( Suntec City )
Level 4 Halls 403 & 404
Opening Hours : 11am to 10pm
Free Admission
Rating given:
Vien Thai, it doesn't get clearer then this i suppose. Vietnam and Thailand cuisine together in the same restaurant. For the love of me, i have no idea what differentiates normal cuisine from Vietnamese cuisine, all i know is the Thai cuisine are generally a combination of sweet, sour and spicy all in one. The location of this place isn't much to shout about either.
Crispy Beancurd - Forgive me if i seem to be simply belching out names on this post. It just so happened that all information i had of this place has been lost. Still not going to stop me from writing a post however. The beancurd skin was very thick and hard while the beancurd itself lack much taste. The only saving grace turned out to be the sweet and sour Thai garnishing and sauce that made it at least palatable. Overall, save yourself the trouble on this dish.
Clear Tom Yam Seafood Soup - The Tom Yam soup was barely passable. Not in the least spicy but not the least bit lacking in the sour department. The ingredients were generous as you can see but i wouldn't recommend trying it as well.
Vietnamese Beef Vermicelli - The only item that brought a refreshing taste. A little sour, a little spicy and very fresh. The beef turned out a little too tough for my liking. The vermicelli when mixed with everything ended up tasting significantly pleasant and refreshing. Thats not saying alot however, because the material for comparison are sub par items.
Simple and overly pricey sums up the experience and offerings here. For some reason, i couldn't taste much difference between what is offered here and similar offerings elsewhere. It could have been better of course. Much better.
Rating given:
I believe the place needs no introduction. Its already the third time i've visited this place so basically its just a different location with a different crew. Does it uphold the tradition though?
Well, what can i say? The balcony seats overlook the river with all its hustle and bustles going on below it. Low buildings and little tourist boats cramp the location, giving it an otherworldly feeling that is very relaxing. Service wise, i did get the impression that the people there didn't really want to be there however.
Burning Action - Some people call it showy, others say unnecessary, but i still find the whole process very interesting however. And most importantly, it gives the rice and prawn a wonderfully fragrant and interesting taste.
Soup of the day ($3.90) - Since its already the third time i'm having everything (fourth actually), i'll leave you to check out the older posts for comments on the soup. Nothing much has changed on that front.
Garlic Lemon Mussel ($8.90) - The bread and mussels are supposed to go well with each other and to the better of the experience, they do. The white sauce that the mussels were swimming in is the same as the sauce that comes with the mushrooms below and the oysters after. According to my dear friend, Andrew, the sauce is the best thing about the restaurant. I'm inclined to agree on that since it does add to the taste quite a bit. However, i must say the mussels are not one of the better items here and i would advice against having it.
Fried Country Mushrooms ($9.90) - I've had these mushrooms as many times as i've come to this restaurant. It is definitely one of the better things to have and still one i can heartily recommend.
Deep Fried Oysters ($11.90) - Essentially, this is the same cooking method as the mushrooms above. And sad to say, it tastes the same as well. The oysters themselves were reasonably fresh and sweet but i prefer the mushrooms as they are healthier.
Fisherman's Platter ($36.90) - We asked to switch one of the side items for the flaming prawns so the final deal we had consists of calamari, chips, mushrooms, prawns and fish. The best thing about this? It fed 4 people to the brim. The downside, health issues abound if you take this for protracted periods of time. The rice when added with sauce is still the best thing for me, personally of course. Everything else is as it should be, meaning its good but not necessarily impression making since i've had it this many times. Overall, this platter is good for big eaters and up to 3 people.
Tiramisu ($5) - The waiter heartily told us that we qualified for a $5 dessert special which we took without much thought. Tiramisu is a dessert that has been done to death and their rendition is interesting. Cocoa powder adorns the top while a small layer of cake fills the bottom. Cream and rum filled the rest. Its overwhelming actually and somehow, i didn't like it too much in the end. Not recommended.
The bill turned out to be $98 for 4 people. Lots of food and a full tummy later, reflection on the process doesn't bring much to mind since i paid for it in full. My treat to my friends and i'm happy for giving.
They say "too much of a good thing makes it bad". Well, in this case, its starting to sound pretty true. I've heard much about the branch in Central and somehow, there are parts that are true and some parts which are not. I found the normal service staff helpful and generally good but the supervisor level however, disappointed me when i asked what the sauce was. Maybe its a trade secret but repeating the same rubbish when i asked twice isn't my idea of good service. Food is simple and non elegant but gets the job done. All said, the mushrooms are still something i would pine for. If you have not had it before, it warrants a try at the least.
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I went there once and I guess it will be the last time...
I feel that the food is over- price. Not worth it...
My mum ordered a tea and guess what the tea cup has no handle... My mum thinks it's stupid... Although it's a very nice and futuristic cup, it defeats it's purpose....
Special mention to the durain dessert... I don't taste the durain at all.. =(
I must admit that the decor is nice... But...
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