Page One at Vivo is a moderate-sized bookstore with split levels. The higher section is for the Chinese books and the lower one for English.
Variety - They sure cramped a whole lot of books in this place. All the shelves are well filled from top to bottom. Some of the shelves are unusually high and they have little ladders at strategic places. I, being quite short, didn't notice the ladders at first and was jumping for some of the books on the higher shelf. I enjoy many sections in a bookstore and certainly appreciated how they had such a large Chinese section. Their books range from the recently published to those that look really before my time.
Service - Although the staff looked really busy and it's hard to find one standing around, they have people manning information counters well-placed around the store. Just approach the counters and someone would lead you to the right place. That's good service. I also noticed one of them tending to a lady patiently, offering additional information and his opinion on some of the books, which is beyond what I would expect.
Layout - Horrid really. The shelves are not neatly placed and have a certain "design" to them. The signs to the various sections are painted on the pillars and are not pointing in any obvious direction. Some steps are not easily seen and could cause a fall or two. Thank goodness for the staff or I wouldn't have found what I needed.
All in all? I like bookstores and this is one I like but I wish I needn't spend time trying to find my way about the place.
Which is the reason why I had never stepped into SuperDog until recently. I mean, how could a hotdog "loti" satisfy my appetite?
I was wrong. I decided to give it a try, and ordered a chilli dog. It was OOMPH. The chilli fries is a must-have! The hotdog itself was BIG and juicy. Excellent! Other than being absolutely delicious, it's downright filling. I couldn't even finish my drink!
Very worth the price, and I will definitely visit again. :)
I would like to give 3 and a half stars, but the rating system doesn't allow that... so I rounded it up. :D
Firstly, the muchly raved service. The service was fantastic, and the boss was downright humorous. He's very sincere, and could even identify that me and my boyfriend were a couple (we came in a mixed group)! Service-wise, 5 star for sure. :)
Secondly, the ambience. The place is fairly remote and a little troublesome to find for a first-timer, but I guess that adds some points for a romantic atmosphere and privacy. I loved the candlelit indoors, though it was a little troublesome when taking photos (but that's my lousy camera's fault). The outdoors was romantic too, with all the lights, but it was a little humid at that point of time. 4-stars I suppose.
Thirdly, the food. Frankly, the quality is quite disappointing. The taste was okay, because I'm not a fussy eater, but it doesn't justify the price. The quantity wasn't much too, especially since all of us are fairly big eaters. The dessert was good, but the serving portion was quite small as well. I give this 2-stars.
This is the BEST... I really mean BEST tiramisu I ever had...
The sponge soaked in Kahlua... It's heavenly...
Personally preference, I prefer the tiramisu desserts than the cake... But if it's for bday... I think the cake looks more presentable...
Order 2 days in advance and the cake will be deliver to your doorstep at no charge! But if suddenly you got craving, you can try to call them and ask them for the earliest date of delivery... There was once I suddenly have craving for Tiramisu and I called them... They are able to do a next day delivery!
Had dinner with my parents at Borshch Steakhouse, a Russian restaurant run by a Hainanese (How weird) and just a mere 10 minute walk from our house. Not much is known about Borshch (I tried googling!) except for the fact that its been around since god knows when. I probably wasn't even in existence then!
Going to Borshch for a meal is akin to stepping into an air conditioned grilling area as you walk out of it reeking strongly of cooking fumes. It certainly doesn't help that the place is rather small and crampish which only serves to contain the fumes.
Whats a meal without soup? The cream of mushroom soup was thick and starchy and tasted exactly like the can of Campbell soup I have sitting in my kitchen cabinet. In the same vein, the garlic bread was unremarkable and was merely slices of unevenly toasted but crispy baguettes spread with a thin layer of butter atop.
Shrimp Cocktail - I honestly don't know what to make of this appetiser as the shrimps were really tiny! Not that they tasted fresh either, masked by the overwhelming and over generous salad dressing.
Grilled Pork Chop - For a Hainanese run eatery, I would have expected a reasonably good dish of pork chop and Borshch didn't disappoint. The grilled pork chop was evenly grilled with a nice slightly chewy texture to boot. I did find the slab of meat to be a little too fatty though
Sirloin Steak - I was rather skeptical about ordering a steak in such a place, especially when Astons was just next door. However, skepticism soon turned to mild appreciation as I subjected the steak to the taste test. First of all, the steak was done as per my request, medium rare. Second, the meat was fibrous and a tad tasty even without the accompanying gravy. Portions were also quite respectable for the price. I also personally like this dish for the fact that a small mold of butter was allowed to sizzle in the hotplate to give the meat an added boost in terms of taste and smell.
Fancy Pancake and Peach Melba - The desserts were lousy. I couldn't see or taste what was so fancy about the pancake save for a tiny slice of banana wrapped up in the middle. The ice cream in the Peach Melba had ice chips in it and tasted familiarly like Wall's tub ice cream. Four words. I can do better.
Baked Alaska - No visit to a Russian eatery is complete without an order of the famous Baked Alaska, which is essentially ice cream and sponge cake encased within a thick layer of meringue which is then briefly placed in an extremely hot oven to firm the meringue. Borshch's rendition was a slight variation of the original concept, opting to pour a small quantity of rum onto the meringue and flambéing it till it turned a shade of burnt. I personally found it quite good, with the meringue frothy and blending well with the sponge cake and ice cream. Then again, not many places in Singapore do up this dish so its hard to form any basis for comparison. Please note that this dessert is meant to be shared.
A decently satisfying dinner for 3 cost almost $60, which isn't too expensive to pay considering that the mains were decent and so was the Baked Alaska. Service is practically nonexistent though so please do not expect any. Now, they really should do something about the ventilation.
*Method: Brow Construction - Threading
*Price: $15/session
*Package: $107 for 11 session of Brow Construction (Threading) 1 session of Forehead Threading
Normally, I go to Hollywood Secret at Scotts to trim my eyebrow... But currently, Scotts is under renovation. Ever since Scotts is under renovation, my brows are left unkept... I don't pluck my brows myself...
"Eyebrow Threading is a very quick and effective, traditionally Indian and Middle Eastern, way of getting rid of rows of unwanted hair, but it is catching on in the West too. Threading method is also known as the “fatlah” or “khite”. It is done by twisting a thread to pull or cut hair. The therapist uses a piece of taut twisted thread to pull out the hair. It is no more painful than tweezing and is faster. Eyebrows threading is done in usually every 2-3 weeks. Eyebrow Threading is more thorough as compared to waxing, in taking off individual hair strands."
Threading your eyebrows is better than plucking because by eyebrow threading the hair grows slowly, plucking hurts more. and plucking takes time whereas threading can be done in less than 2 minutes.
So I was shopping at Raffles City that day... I just walk into Browhaus...
As compared to Hollywood Secret, there's no crowd here... Browhaus specialize in brows hence there are much more therapists here...
I'm someone who fear pain.. As compare to the normal tweezing, threading is less painful and it's faster... Within 10 minutes... WooHoo... My brows are done!
The place is very clean and the therapists are all very friendly... No hard selling!
With such good skills and service, I signed their package immediately! I look forward to my next visit!
Last wednesday, I attended a wedding at Pan Pacific...
The menu as follow:
1. Combination of Deluxe Appetizer (Suckling Pig, Roast Duck, Prawn Salad, Chicken Money Bag & Jellyfish) My mummy commented that the Jellyfish is very nice... Bouncy and juicy... I find the whole dish a bit cold... If it's pipping hot... It will be great... Mummy 'suaned' me saying that this is a cold dish... Therefore it should be cold... =X
2. Braised Shark's Fin Soup with Shredded Fish Maw and Crabmeat Everyone of us had a big bowl of shark fin... There were more fish maw and crabmeat than shark fin... It was juz so-so...
3. Poached Live Prawns with Chinese Wine This dish is superb! The prawns are fresh and sweet... It taste like drunken prawn to me... I don't see any diff between the 2 dish...
4. Roasted Farm Chicken in Honey and Soya Sauce in Jasmine Tea Leaf Definately I couldn't taste the Jasmine Tea leaf... and I don't taste any diff of a farm chicken and non-farm chicken... Anyway it juz an average dish...
5. Steamed Fillet of Sea Perch With Crispy Fermented Bean Crumbs in Superior Soya Sauce.. This dish is quite different from the normal wedding fish... It doesn't comes in a whole... It's serve in fillet... So very easy to eat... No need to scare of bones... The fish is fresh... NICE...
6. Braised Sea Cumcumber and Bai Ling Mushrooms with Oyster Sauce on Seasonal Greens I love the sea cumcumber... very very well cooked! Soft and the sea cumcumber has 'soaked' the sauce in... Yummy
7. Braised Ee-Fu noodles with straw mushroom, preserved vegetable and yellow chives Nothing special abt this dish.. Nothing worth mentioning...
8. Sweetened Yam Paste with Ginkgo Nuts A very traditional Teochew dessert... From young, I hate this dish... Normally I will juz take a tiny spoon of it... As usual, I took a tiny spoon.. and I love it... I love the extra taste of corn in the coconut milk! It's so corn- sweet... My favourite dish of the night!
Somehow, I went to the dinner with some expectations... After it's Pan Pacific right? But I find the dinner average... And I believe a table there cost a bomb... It won't be cheap... And I dun think the price jusitfy the food...
Page One @ Vivo doesn't have any special theme. I'm not quite sure whether if it's an upscale book store like Kinokuniya or Borders, it wasn't really close to any.
The first thing I observed from the entrance was the small walkways leading into the store. Perhaps more space should be allocated there, since the entrance is the place with the highest human traffic. Imagine that you haven't even start your search for the books, you have to squeeze through the shelves and people clogged at the entrance.
The other thing I observed, they allocated a small area with seats for talk-shows. In fact, when we were there there was indeed a talk-show going on. It is propped right at the side of the entrance and I guess that is a sign that there will be regular talk-shows on book reviews etc. Isn't it great?
The decor of the place wasn't anything fantastic I guess. The usual huge bookshelves where every book is lined up side by side. One thing though, I didn't really see any displays of special featured publication. Maybe there are, but they are not eye-catching at all.
Usually at a bookstore, I would only gun for two topics. Religious and Marketing/PR books. I was surprised that alot of popular titles and publications are not available here. I did a very quick scan around these two topics, I didn't really see much publications from famous marketing writers like Philip Kotler or once popular Naked Marketing. Religiously, I scouted for one of the top selling book titled The Decline & Fall of Church of Rome... again to no avail.
The staffs were helpful and polite though. When I couldn't find the religious section, I was answered in a way I have never experienced in famous bookstores. "Sir, can you follow me please? I will lead you there," he answered with a smile. Some bookstores employees I encountered probably gonna point in a general direction and tell me it's there.
My verdict? An average bookstore, if you look hard enough you might find some gems in there. However, I wished their topics can be arranged in a better way. What I didn't like for sure is the layout of the shelves, which makes crossing over to another shelf "complicated". I was almost trying to play "maze" in some part of the store.
Me and my girlfriend had always liked to go to this restaurant for its dinner buffet simply because of its wide variety of food. Kuishin Bo is the first to introduce a new dining concept in Japanese buffet meal, with a wide spread of food from sashimi, and sushi (over more than 20 kinds), seafood, tempura, teppanyaki, yakitori, mini paper steamboat to soba and ramen. And now, they have the big and tasty Alaskan Crabs' claws as well, which is really value for money. The claws are huge, and teh meat is so juicy and sweet. And every now and then druing your meal, they will have some special food such as Cheesy Slipper Lobsters which is given out to the first 20 diners or so who queue up at the designated counter. Just the mention of all these makes my stomach growl and my saliva drooling all over the place. Yummy yummy!!!
In addition to all the main courses, there is also a large selection of drinks ranging from chilled drinks such as peach tea, lemon tea, coke, mountain dew and hot drinks like cappucino, mocha, chocolate which are dispensed from coffee machine. On top of that, there are also many different flavour of tea bags available for those who prefer tea.
Of course, how can a buffet meal nt have dessert for those who have a sweet tooth like me? The range of desserts there is quite appealing too, ranging from the normal puffs and cakes to the japanese mochi, chocolate fondue for the kids and many many more. So for all those who really have a weakness for desserts, this is definitely the place for you to savour all the different desserts.
As for the prices, it ranges from $24.80 to $27.80 (lunch) and $33.80 to $39.80 (dinner). For kids below 1.4m, the pricing is fixed at 16 and for senior citizens (aged 55 and above), there will be a discount of 10%.
Nowadays, there are also special offers such as Lady's Nite on Wednesday, Early Bird Feast and Last Hour Feast from Friday to Sunday. And for beer lovers, there is also the Let's Cheers!! night on every Tuesday @ 10 /person for free flow of beer, excluding the buffet charge. For all the specials' prices, you can check it out on the website.
But one thing to take note is that the it can really be crowded and therefore it is strongly advised to make a resevation before you make your way there. Else you could be in for a long wait while looking at others enjoying their food.
Xi Yan first opened in Singapore in 2005, bringing along a whole new concept of dining to Singapore with the introduction of private dining whereby tables are extremely limited (think 3-5 tables), reservations are definitely necessary and the chef decides what you eat for that day. It does sound draconian, but the upside is that the menu changes daily, save for a few specialties and dining is exclusive!
Nestled amongst the old shop houses along Craig Road, Xi Yan, as mentioned earlier, is by reservations only and you need a minimum of 6 pax to dine there (exceptions can be made if you do not meet the required number of people, but you need to order the pricier menu. Rule of thumb is - You need to spend about $500-$600/table). The entrance to Xi Yan is discreet, without even a hint of its presence (That explains the difficulty we had in trying to locate it). Here's a clue though. It shares the premises with Sui Japanese Restaurant.
The interior is cosy and modernly furnished with hues of red and brown. Abstract paintings don the sides and ambient lighting is practised. Simplicity at its finesse .
Greenhouse Tomatoes in Sesame Sauce - As the name suggests, the tomatoes are grown in a greenhouse aka organic tomatoes and are much bigger than your average tomato. Not to mention that they cost ridiculously more as well. According to the waiter, these organic tomatoes are juicier and taste better. I am inclined to agree. The tomatoes were juicy and full of bite. With the wasabi infused sesame sauce, the tomato was refreshing and truly an appetizer.
Cold Tofu Pork Floss - Interesting dish with the tofu topped with pork floss, salted egg yolk, dried shrimps and deep fried shallot.A nice combination with the saltiness of the dried shrimp complementing the sweetness of the pork floss with the shallot to give it fragrance. However, the tofu which was supposedly imported from Japan, lacked the silky smoothness which good tofu should have.
Shrimp and Crab Paste on Baguette Toast - A fanciful presentation and preparation method, but tasted nothing out of this world. It is Hong Kong's version of our Heh Bi Hiam. I did find it weird eating bread during a Chinese dinner, but maybe thats just me.
Sichuan Pickles in Spicy Sauce - This dish came with pickles (or jerkins if thats what you know them by) and radish soaked in a spicy concoction of Sichuan peppercorn and a wee bit of sugar. I took a bite of the radish and sweared off it as it was way too sour for my liking. If you like sour and spicy stuff, then this might suit your tastebuds.
Deep Fried Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk - A few grievances about this dish. First of all, the prawns were only averaged sized. For the price we were paying, I had expected huge prawns. Second, the prawns weren't cleaned properly. The innards(or shit if you prefer) could still be seen. The good thing was, the salted egg yolk coating on the prawn shells tasted better with every mouth. It did come across as a little too mild at first though, but the more you suck at the shell, the better the taste.
Stewed Beef Shin with Tangerine Peel - The beef shin was quite good, soft and tender from simmering in the pot for 2 hrs. I could detect a tinge of sweetness as well, probably from the tangerine peel. However, the raw beef taste can be quite overwhelming at times and thats coming from someone who likes steak medium rare.
Sichuan Salivating Chicken - Please do not be mislead by the odd sounding name of this dish. The chicken does not salivate. The sauce is supposed to be so good that it makes the consumer salivate. Quite an audacious claim I must say. Ingredients in this dish are quite interesting actually, with chicken slices, yam noodles, roasted peanuts, chilli, coriander and century egg. I personally found everything normal except for the yam noodles which were surprisingly chewy and full of bite. I've never tried anything like it. Just for the record, this dish did make me salivate, but not from the goodness of the sauce, but from the chilli in it. An underhand method? You decide.
Fried Lemongrass Shrimp Paste Grouper - According to our waiter, many other restaurants would actually steam a good fish in order to exhibit its freshness. But not Xi Yan. What they have done is to deep fry the fish first till its 70% cooked and then coat it with the lemongrass shrimp paste and then deep fry again. The result? A crispy exterior with a soft and moist interior. I laud the skill in the preparation of this dish, but denigrate the quality of the fish. The flesh came across as rather bland, not sweet as I would have expected it to be.
Furong Chicken Soup - This soup was supposedly boiled for 4 hrs before serving. Though relatively long, it still doesn't qualify as double boiled soup and it certainly can't match the other superior soups that I've tried. But still very decent without a doubt.
Young and Old Happy News - Interesting name, uninteresting dish. The young referred to the Dou Miao while the old referred to the preserved vegetables. Lightly fried and beautifully presented, but nothing outstanding.
Tofu Ice Cream on Pandan Glutinous Rice - This was probably the best dish of the day. The ice cream was quite well done but in no way reminded me of tofu. The base of pandan glutinous rice was not too sticky and just right on the texture, tasting pleasantly of pandan. Does this remind you of the Thai style mango atop glutinous rice?
The 6 of us chalked up a hefty bill of $630, which we felt was grossly expensive given the quality of food and ingredients used. Sure its an exclusive novelty, but novelties can only last so long. Service was excellent though and the cooking process of every dish was explained to us by our waiter in great detail. However, that alone is not enough to entice us to return. Not unless the price drops to about $50-$60 per pax down from the $88 .
1=SGD 0.0587
Page One at Vivo is a moderate-sized bookstore with split levels. The higher section is for the Chinese books and the lower one for English.
Variety - They sure cramped a whole lot of books in this place. All the shelves are well filled from top to bottom. Some of the shelves are unusually high and they have little ladders at strategic places. I, being quite short, didn't notice the ladders at first and was jumping for some of the books on the higher shelf. I enjoy many sections in a bookstore and certainly appreciated how they had such a large Chinese section. Their books range from the recently published to those that look really before my time.
Service - Although the staff looked really busy and it's hard to find one standing around, they have people manning information counters well-placed around the store. Just approach the counters and someone would lead you to the right place. That's good service. I also noticed one of them tending to a lady patiently, offering additional information and his opinion on some of the books, which is beyond what I would expect.
Layout - Horrid really. The shelves are not neatly placed and have a certain "design" to them. The signs to the various sections are painted on the pillars and are not pointing in any obvious direction. Some steps are not easily seen and could cause a fall or two. Thank goodness for the staff or I wouldn't have found what I needed.
All in all? I like bookstores and this is one I like but I wish I needn't spend time trying to find my way about the place.
Rating given:
I eat like a horse.
Which is the reason why I had never stepped into SuperDog until recently. I mean, how could a hotdog "loti" satisfy my appetite?
I was wrong. I decided to give it a try, and ordered a chilli dog. It was OOMPH. The chilli fries is a must-have! The hotdog itself was BIG and juicy. Excellent! Other than being absolutely delicious, it's downright filling. I couldn't even finish my drink!
Very worth the price, and I will definitely visit again. :)
Rating given:
I would like to give 3 and a half stars, but the rating system doesn't allow that... so I rounded it up. :D
Firstly, the muchly raved service. The service was fantastic, and the boss was downright humorous. He's very sincere, and could even identify that me and my boyfriend were a couple (we came in a mixed group)! Service-wise, 5 star for sure. :)
Secondly, the ambience. The place is fairly remote and a little troublesome to find for a first-timer, but I guess that adds some points for a romantic atmosphere and privacy. I loved the candlelit indoors, though it was a little troublesome when taking photos (but that's my lousy camera's fault). The outdoors was romantic too, with all the lights, but it was a little humid at that point of time. 4-stars I suppose.
Thirdly, the food. Frankly, the quality is quite disappointing. The taste was okay, because I'm not a fussy eater, but it doesn't justify the price. The quantity wasn't much too, especially since all of us are fairly big eaters. The dessert was good, but the serving portion was quite small as well. I give this 2-stars.
I might not go back again, but it's worth a try.
Rating given:
This is the BEST... I really mean BEST tiramisu I ever had...
The sponge soaked in Kahlua... It's heavenly...
Personally preference, I prefer the tiramisu desserts than the cake... But if it's for bday... I think the cake looks more presentable...
Order 2 days in advance and the cake will be deliver to your doorstep at no charge! But if suddenly you got craving, you can try to call them and ask them for the earliest date of delivery... There was once I suddenly have craving for Tiramisu and I called them... They are able to do a next day delivery!
It's definately MUST TRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. Can I give more than 5 stars?
Rating given:
Had dinner with my parents at Borshch Steakhouse, a Russian restaurant run by a Hainanese (How weird) and just a mere 10 minute walk from our house. Not much is known about Borshch (I tried googling!) except for the fact that its been around since god knows when. I probably wasn't even in existence then!
Going to Borshch for a meal is akin to stepping into an air conditioned grilling area as you walk out of it reeking strongly of cooking fumes. It certainly doesn't help that the place is rather small and crampish which only serves to contain the fumes.
Whats a meal without soup? The cream of mushroom soup was thick and starchy and tasted exactly like the can of Campbell soup I have sitting in my kitchen cabinet. In the same vein, the garlic bread was unremarkable and was merely slices of unevenly toasted but crispy baguettes spread with a thin layer of butter atop.
Shrimp Cocktail - I honestly don't know what to make of this appetiser as the shrimps were really tiny! Not that they tasted fresh either, masked by the overwhelming and over generous salad dressing.
Grilled Pork Chop - For a Hainanese run eatery, I would have expected a reasonably good dish of pork chop and Borshch didn't disappoint. The grilled pork chop was evenly grilled with a nice slightly chewy texture to boot. I did find the slab of meat to be a little too fatty though
Sirloin Steak - I was rather skeptical about ordering a steak in such a place, especially when Astons was just next door. However, skepticism soon turned to mild appreciation as I subjected the steak to the taste test. First of all, the steak was done as per my request, medium rare. Second, the meat was fibrous and a tad tasty even without the accompanying gravy. Portions were also quite respectable for the price. I also personally like this dish for the fact that a small mold of butter was allowed to sizzle in the hotplate to give the meat an added boost in terms of taste and smell.
Fancy Pancake and Peach Melba - The desserts were lousy. I couldn't see or taste what was so fancy about the pancake save for a tiny slice of banana wrapped up in the middle. The ice cream in the Peach Melba had ice chips in it and tasted familiarly like Wall's tub ice cream. Four words. I can do better.
Baked Alaska - No visit to a Russian eatery is complete without an order of the famous Baked Alaska, which is essentially ice cream and sponge cake encased within a thick layer of meringue which is then briefly placed in an extremely hot oven to firm the meringue. Borshch's rendition was a slight variation of the original concept, opting to pour a small quantity of rum onto the meringue and flambéing it till it turned a shade of burnt. I personally found it quite good, with the meringue frothy and blending well with the sponge cake and ice cream. Then again, not many places in Singapore do up this dish so its hard to form any basis for comparison. Please note that this dessert is meant to be shared.
A decently satisfying dinner for 3 cost almost $60, which isn't too expensive to pay considering that the mains were decent and so was the Baked Alaska. Service is practically nonexistent though so please do not expect any. Now, they really should do something about the ventilation.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
*Method: Brow Construction - Threading
*Price: $15/session
*Package: $107 for 11 session of Brow Construction (Threading) 1 session of Forehead Threading
Normally, I go to Hollywood Secret at Scotts to trim my eyebrow... But currently, Scotts is under renovation. Ever since Scotts is under renovation, my brows are left unkept... I don't pluck my brows myself...
"Eyebrow Threading is a very quick and effective, traditionally Indian and Middle Eastern, way of getting rid of rows of unwanted hair, but it is catching on in the West too. Threading method is also known as the “fatlah” or “khite”. It is done by twisting a thread to pull or cut hair. The therapist uses a piece of taut twisted thread to pull out the hair. It is no more painful than tweezing and is faster. Eyebrows threading is done in usually every 2-3 weeks. Eyebrow Threading is more thorough as compared to waxing, in taking off individual hair strands."
Threading your eyebrows is better than plucking because by eyebrow threading the hair grows slowly, plucking hurts more. and plucking takes time whereas threading can be done in less than 2 minutes.
So I was shopping at Raffles City that day... I just walk into Browhaus...
As compared to Hollywood Secret, there's no crowd here... Browhaus specialize in brows hence there are much more therapists here...
I'm someone who fear pain.. As compare to the normal tweezing, threading is less painful and it's faster... Within 10 minutes... WooHoo... My brows are done!
The place is very clean and the therapists are all very friendly... No hard selling!
With such good skills and service, I signed their package immediately! I look forward to my next visit!
Rating given:
Last wednesday, I attended a wedding at Pan Pacific...
The menu as follow:
1. Combination of Deluxe Appetizer (Suckling Pig, Roast Duck, Prawn Salad, Chicken Money Bag & Jellyfish)
My mummy commented that the Jellyfish is very nice... Bouncy and juicy... I find the whole dish a bit cold... If it's pipping hot... It will be great... Mummy 'suaned' me saying that this is a cold dish... Therefore it should be cold... =X
2. Braised Shark's Fin Soup with Shredded Fish Maw and Crabmeat
Everyone of us had a big bowl of shark fin... There were more fish maw and crabmeat than shark fin... It was juz so-so...
3. Poached Live Prawns with Chinese Wine
This dish is superb! The prawns are fresh and sweet... It taste like drunken prawn to me... I don't see any diff between the 2 dish...
4. Roasted Farm Chicken in Honey and Soya Sauce in Jasmine Tea Leaf
Definately I couldn't taste the Jasmine Tea leaf... and I don't taste any diff of a farm chicken and non-farm chicken... Anyway it juz an average dish...
5. Steamed Fillet of Sea Perch With Crispy Fermented Bean Crumbs in Superior Soya Sauce..
This dish is quite different from the normal wedding fish... It doesn't comes in a whole... It's serve in fillet... So very easy to eat... No need to scare of bones... The fish is fresh... NICE...
6. Braised Sea Cumcumber and Bai Ling Mushrooms with Oyster Sauce on Seasonal Greens
I love the sea cumcumber... very very well cooked! Soft and the sea cumcumber has 'soaked' the sauce in... Yummy
7. Braised Ee-Fu noodles with straw mushroom, preserved vegetable and yellow chives
Nothing special abt this dish.. Nothing worth mentioning...
8. Sweetened Yam Paste with Ginkgo Nuts
A very traditional Teochew dessert... From young, I hate this dish... Normally I will juz take a tiny spoon of it... As usual, I took a tiny spoon.. and I love it... I love the extra taste of corn in the coconut milk! It's so corn- sweet... My favourite dish of the night!
Somehow, I went to the dinner with some expectations... After it's Pan Pacific right? But I find the dinner average... And I believe a table there cost a bomb... It won't be cheap... And I dun think the price jusitfy the food...
Rating given:
Page One @ Vivo doesn't have any special theme. I'm not quite sure whether if it's an upscale book store like Kinokuniya or Borders, it wasn't really close to any.
The first thing I observed from the entrance was the small walkways leading into the store. Perhaps more space should be allocated there, since the entrance is the place with the highest human traffic. Imagine that you haven't even start your search for the books, you have to squeeze through the shelves and people clogged at the entrance.
The other thing I observed, they allocated a small area with seats for talk-shows. In fact, when we were there there was indeed a talk-show going on. It is propped right at the side of the entrance and I guess that is a sign that there will be regular talk-shows on book reviews etc. Isn't it great?
The decor of the place wasn't anything fantastic I guess. The usual huge bookshelves where every book is lined up side by side. One thing though, I didn't really see any displays of special featured publication. Maybe there are, but they are not eye-catching at all.
Usually at a bookstore, I would only gun for two topics. Religious and Marketing/PR books. I was surprised that alot of popular titles and publications are not available here. I did a very quick scan around these two topics, I didn't really see much publications from famous marketing writers like Philip Kotler or once popular Naked Marketing. Religiously, I scouted for one of the top selling book titled The Decline & Fall of Church of Rome... again to no avail.
The staffs were helpful and polite though. When I couldn't find the religious section, I was answered in a way I have never experienced in famous bookstores. "Sir, can you follow me please? I will lead you there," he answered with a smile. Some bookstores employees I encountered probably gonna point in a general direction and tell me it's there.
My verdict? An average bookstore, if you look hard enough you might find some gems in there. However, I wished their topics can be arranged in a better way. What I didn't like for sure is the layout of the shelves, which makes crossing over to another shelf "complicated". I was almost trying to play "maze" in some part of the store.
Rating given:
Me and my girlfriend had always liked to go to this restaurant for its dinner buffet simply because of its wide variety of food. Kuishin Bo is the first to introduce a new dining concept in Japanese buffet meal, with a wide spread of food from sashimi, and sushi (over more than 20 kinds), seafood, tempura, teppanyaki, yakitori, mini paper steamboat to soba and ramen. And now, they have the big and tasty Alaskan Crabs' claws as well, which is really value for money. The claws are huge, and teh meat is so juicy and sweet. And every now and then druing your meal, they will have some special food such as Cheesy Slipper Lobsters which is given out to the first 20 diners or so who queue up at the designated counter. Just the mention of all these makes my stomach growl and my saliva drooling all over the place. Yummy yummy!!!
In addition to all the main courses, there is also a large selection of drinks ranging from chilled drinks such as peach tea, lemon tea, coke, mountain dew and hot drinks like cappucino, mocha, chocolate which are dispensed from coffee machine. On top of that, there are also many different flavour of tea bags available for those who prefer tea.
Of course, how can a buffet meal nt have dessert for those who have a sweet tooth like me? The range of desserts there is quite appealing too, ranging from the normal puffs and cakes to the japanese mochi, chocolate fondue for the kids and many many more. So for all those who really have a weakness for desserts, this is definitely the place for you to savour all the different desserts.
As for the prices, it ranges from $24.80 to $27.80 (lunch) and $33.80 to $39.80 (dinner). For kids below 1.4m, the pricing is fixed at 16 and for senior citizens (aged 55 and above), there will be a discount of 10%.
Nowadays, there are also special offers such as Lady's Nite on Wednesday, Early Bird Feast and Last Hour Feast from Friday to Sunday. And for beer lovers, there is also the Let's Cheers!! night on every Tuesday @ 10 /person for free flow of beer, excluding the buffet charge. For all the specials' prices, you can check it out on the website.
But one thing to take note is that the it can really be crowded and therefore it is strongly advised to make a resevation before you make your way there. Else you could be in for a long wait while looking at others enjoying their food.
Rating given:
Xi Yan first opened in Singapore in 2005, bringing along a whole new concept of dining to Singapore with the introduction of private dining whereby tables are extremely limited (think 3-5 tables), reservations are definitely necessary and the chef decides what you eat for that day. It does sound draconian, but the upside is that the menu changes daily, save for a few specialties and dining is exclusive!
Nestled amongst the old shop houses along Craig Road, Xi Yan, as mentioned earlier, is by reservations only and you need a minimum of 6 pax to dine there (exceptions can be made if you do not meet the required number of people, but you need to order the pricier menu. Rule of thumb is - You need to spend about $500-$600/table). The entrance to Xi Yan is discreet, without even a hint of its presence (That explains the difficulty we had in trying to locate it). Here's a clue though. It shares the premises with Sui Japanese Restaurant.
The interior is cosy and modernly furnished with hues of red and brown. Abstract paintings don the sides and ambient lighting is practised. Simplicity at its finesse .
Greenhouse Tomatoes in Sesame Sauce - As the name suggests, the tomatoes are grown in a greenhouse aka organic tomatoes and are much bigger than your average tomato. Not to mention that they cost ridiculously more as well. According to the waiter, these organic tomatoes are juicier and taste better. I am inclined to agree. The tomatoes were juicy and full of bite. With the wasabi infused sesame sauce, the tomato was refreshing and truly an appetizer.
Cold Tofu Pork Floss - Interesting dish with the tofu topped with pork floss, salted egg yolk, dried shrimps and deep fried shallot.A nice combination with the saltiness of the dried shrimp complementing the sweetness of the pork floss with the shallot to give it fragrance. However, the tofu which was supposedly imported from Japan, lacked the silky smoothness which good tofu should have.
Shrimp and Crab Paste on Baguette Toast - A fanciful presentation and preparation method, but tasted nothing out of this world. It is Hong Kong's version of our Heh Bi Hiam. I did find it weird eating bread during a Chinese dinner, but maybe thats just me.
Sichuan Pickles in Spicy Sauce - This dish came with pickles (or jerkins if thats what you know them by) and radish soaked in a spicy concoction of Sichuan peppercorn and a wee bit of sugar. I took a bite of the radish and sweared off it as it was way too sour for my liking. If you like sour and spicy stuff, then this might suit your tastebuds.
Deep Fried Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk - A few grievances about this dish. First of all, the prawns were only averaged sized. For the price we were paying, I had expected huge prawns. Second, the prawns weren't cleaned properly. The innards(or shit if you prefer) could still be seen. The good thing was, the salted egg yolk coating on the prawn shells tasted better with every mouth. It did come across as a little too mild at first though, but the more you suck at the shell, the better the taste.
Stewed Beef Shin with Tangerine Peel - The beef shin was quite good, soft and tender from simmering in the pot for 2 hrs. I could detect a tinge of sweetness as well, probably from the tangerine peel. However, the raw beef taste can be quite overwhelming at times and thats coming from someone who likes steak medium rare.
Sichuan Salivating Chicken - Please do not be mislead by the odd sounding name of this dish. The chicken does not salivate. The sauce is supposed to be so good that it makes the consumer salivate. Quite an audacious claim I must say. Ingredients in this dish are quite interesting actually, with chicken slices, yam noodles, roasted peanuts, chilli, coriander and century egg. I personally found everything normal except for the yam noodles which were surprisingly chewy and full of bite. I've never tried anything like it. Just for the record, this dish did make me salivate, but not from the goodness of the sauce, but from the chilli in it. An underhand method? You decide.
Fried Lemongrass Shrimp Paste Grouper - According to our waiter, many other restaurants would actually steam a good fish in order to exhibit its freshness. But not Xi Yan. What they have done is to deep fry the fish first till its 70% cooked and then coat it with the lemongrass shrimp paste and then deep fry again. The result? A crispy exterior with a soft and moist interior. I laud the skill in the preparation of this dish, but denigrate the quality of the fish. The flesh came across as rather bland, not sweet as I would have expected it to be.
Furong Chicken Soup - This soup was supposedly boiled for 4 hrs before serving. Though relatively long, it still doesn't qualify as double boiled soup and it certainly can't match the other superior soups that I've tried. But still very decent without a doubt.
Young and Old Happy News - Interesting name, uninteresting dish. The young referred to the Dou Miao while the old referred to the preserved vegetables. Lightly fried and beautifully presented, but nothing outstanding.
Tofu Ice Cream on Pandan Glutinous Rice - This was probably the best dish of the day. The ice cream was quite well done but in no way reminded me of tofu. The base of pandan glutinous rice was not too sticky and just right on the texture, tasting pleasantly of pandan. Does this remind you of the Thai style mango atop glutinous rice?
The 6 of us chalked up a hefty bill of $630, which we felt was grossly expensive given the quality of food and ingredients used. Sure its an exclusive novelty, but novelties can only last so long. Service was excellent though and the cooking process of every dish was explained to us by our waiter in great detail. However, that alone is not enough to entice us to return. Not unless the price drops to about $50-$60 per pax down from the $88 .
See all my pictures here
Rating given: