Ran some errands at Vivo City with my gf and settled for dinner at Modestos, which happened to be one of the few outlets not packing in the crowd at dinner time.
Rather obscurely located at a corner of Vivo City (which might, to a certain degree, explain its lack of patrons), Modesto's boasts a nice waterfront view through its floor to ceiling windows (at its Vivo City outlet only) and a cosy brick laid interior that gives it a much welcomed casual intonation.
Complimentary Bread - I didn't hope for much when I set my eyes on the bread and sure enough, it wasn't much. The bread was a little too dry, probably from being left in the open for too long. Quantity wise was also rather pathetic.
Fritto Misto Di Modesto - A relatively large platter of deep fried soft shell crab, squid, prawns and silver breams which looked very appetizing the minute I set my eyes on it. However it didn't quite meet expectations. The deep fried soft shell crab, though crispy and fragrant, was a tad too salty for my liking while the squids were rather soft and limp, not chewy, giving the impression of being overcooked. The silver breams and prawns were close to tasteless as well - no sweetness from either seafood nor any taste from the light but bland batter. Alright I'm just being picky and it is still a decent dish. Bang for the buck wise, its still an open verdict.
Pizza Quattro Stagioni - Honestly, this is the first time I'm having such a pizza - one which is divided into 4 different sections, each with a different topping. One part olive, one part seafood, one part ham and one part mushrooms. Presents a rather challenging task if you ask me, as different ingredients require different amounts of cooking time. The chef must have known his stuff as the pizza turned out fairly good. Using tomato sauce as the base, it didn't come across as too overwhelming and the crust was reasonably thin and full of bite, but just a little burnt around the edges. Ingredients were generous and cooked just right, complementing the pizza very well. I must say that this is one of the better pizzas that I've tried. Give me this over Pizza Hut or Canadian Pizza anyday.
Rigatoni All' Amatriciana - I've never been a fan of tomato based pastas simply because I prefer its cream base relative and that most of the pastas I've eaten which utilizes such a base tend to have this overwhelming tomato taste. Modesto's rendition of the Rigatoni, which is a tomato based pasta, didn't have this problem though. The tomato sauce was mild, in fact a little too mild to fall short of tasty and came with bits of pork bacon and onions, which did serve to enhance the overall flavour (luckily). The large tube pasta was a little undercooked though and I seriously think that this dish could do with more ingredients for its price.
Tiramisu Modesto's - I've been on a Tiramisu roll these few days and so this came as a natural extension to my meal, especially when it came highly recommended. Comparing this to the one I had at Romano Ristorante, this one was actually much finer and definitely more presentable. Though it came across as light and fluffy, the sponge to cream ratio was rather skewed, with the latter being the predominant party. Thus I couldn't quite taste the texture of the cake, which is quite sad really.
After a 30% discount, the bill worked out to be about $60 for 2 pax ($87 before discount), which still falls within my range of reasonable pricing, but do away with the discount and I might have to think really hard before coming back. Service is good though, but I don't really fancy paying so much for a casual dinner.
On my last visit to Romano Ristorante, I spotted this restaurant going by the name of Madam Q Steakhouse just next to it and with a large placard outside advertising its set dinner for only $18.90 . That was good enough reason for me to return just to try it out.
Ironically, I didn't order the set menu and neither did my dining companions as it didn't really look very appetising. That aside, the place was simply done up but rather tiny and not to mention noisy with all the incessant chatter. What I liked about it though, was its dim lighting and nice cosy corner bench like seats which came with cushions.
Haloumi Cheese - Deep Fried Cheese with Tomato Pizzaiola Sauce - What started out as a potential drool inducing dish was nothing more than a farce. The cheese was way too chewy and bland to be even considered cheese. On top of that, the batter coating, though crispy, was a little too thick for my liking. Overall the whole dish was a joke. Nowhere in comparison to the excellent rendition that Senso dishes up.
Cheese and Tomato Bruschetta - Toasted French Bread Topped with Tomatoes and Cheese - Another joke if you ask me. The bruschetta was nothing more than a slice of toasted baguette topped with tomatoes and then covered with a layer of melting cheese. Tasted like it as well. I'm pretty sure I can do this easily at home myself and not even have to fork out a third of the price that it goes for at Madam Q's.
Beef Stew "English Style" - Beef Chunks Stewed to Perfection, with Mashed Potatoes and Carrots - First of all, I can't claim to know what exactly constitutes "English style" beef stew, but I have eaten enough beef stew to know that this one wasn't exactly stewed to perfection. For one, the beef chunks were a wee bit too soft and didn't come across as very fibrous. This dish kinda reminded me of beef redang, minus the spiciness. Decent dish though.
Barracka Chicken - Chicken Breast with Garlic sauce, Sauteed Potatoes and Vegetables - The chicken breast was a little too over grilled as evident from the charred bits along the edges. Even with the garlic sauce, the meat was still tasteless, which goes to show how strong the sauce was. To give it credit, the meat was still decently tender and succulent but portions could have been bigger.
Fish & Chips - The dish with the largest serving of the day, the humble fish & chips. Incidentally, it was probably one of the most value for money dishes that evening. Two large slabs of not exactly very fresh fish coated in decent batter, deep fried and then served with fries and vegetables. Ironically, this dish was meant to be for the kids, as told to us by the friendly owner.
Grilled Chicken in Mushroom Sauce - Grilled Chicken Thigh served with Pasta in Mushroom Sauce - Oily oily oily. That was the first impression I had when I saw the dish. The pasta was literally laden with excess olive oil and it reminded me of eating Hokkien Mee sans the Wok Hei taste. The grilled chicken was bland, just like the Barracka Chicken. A most disappointing and unhealthy dish if you ask me.
Tiramisu - I have come to realise that many eateries claim the Tiramisu as their signature dish, which really makes you wonder about the standard of Tiramisu nowadays. For a steakhouse, Madam Q's Tiramisu was actually quite decent, or more appropriately, the star of the evening (Not that it was excellent or anything close. It just happened to be the best amongst the myriad of mediocre dishes). For once I could actually taste the sponge yet at the same time enjoy the light as air cream. A note on the excessive sprinkling of chocolate powder atop though. I almost chocked on it.
Although prices were rather inexpensive, standing at about $86 for 4 pax, we were barely full after the dinner and not the least bit satisfied with the quality. Service was good though, especially with the affable boss walking around to make small talk with customers. But service only forms a smaller portion of the equation. Quality of food takes up the rest. At the end of the day, is Madam Q really a steakhouse as its name suggests, or is it an Italian restaurant, as characterised by the type of food it serves? I really wonder.
Old style steak houses are slowly disappearing with time and taking with them memories of the culinary scene of yesteryear. Many such restaurants have revamped themselves to catch up with modern times, leaving but a pitiful few to keep the line. Mariners' Corner Restaurant & Steakhouse is one such restaurant which still hangs on to a part of history.
Inconspicuously located at the ground floor of Maritime House along Cantonment Road, Mariners' Corner has been around since 1984 and mainly catered to seafarers who dropped by the Singapore Mariner's Club. Decked out to look like a ship cabin, the interior exuded a sense of coziness and warm nostalgia with its carpeted floors, wooden panelings and checkered table cloths.
Mushroom Soup with Garlic Bread - The mushroom soup tasted like your straight out of the can Campbell soup, which was still quite decent while the garlic bread, though generous size wise, tasted nothing out of the ordinary.
Escargot Gastrome - Its been ages since I last ate Escargots. Used to have them on a regular basis when I was in Canada but stopped altogether when I returned to Singapore because of their prohibitively expensive prices here. Well I finally broke the duck and ordered half a dozen at $8, which is rather cheap if you ask me. The Escargots were baked with garlic and butter and came across as very fragrant and tasty with a rather strong garlic taste. Not that I'm complaining though as the garlic helps to mask the rawness of the flesh. However, having said that, I still prefer my Escargots baked with a layer of cheese on top. Just a subtle reminder, please do not expect top quality Escargots for the price though.
Ribeye Steak Combo with Skewered Prawn - Ribeye steak with prawns on a kebab. Whats not to like? Plenty actually. The steak, though done up medium rare and of relatively generous portions, was a little soft and limp texture wise. The accompanying mushroom sauce was flavourful though and complemented the lightly charred taste of the steak. While the steak was still decent, the skewered prawns were a let down. Served with mushrooms and other vegetables, the prawns were unfresh and probably a little undercooked. The only positive thing was that the restaurant actually took the effort to remove the innards of the prawns before grilling it.
Grilled Lobster with Boneless Chicken Fillet - I was shocked by the size of the lobster when this dish came into view. It was huge, at least for the price. Having said that, the amount of meat that came with the lobster was pathetic, weighing in no more than 2 mouthfuls. On top of that, the meat was a little too dry and tough. The chicken fared a little better, with the meat nicely marinated with garlic and pepper, giving it a nice pepperish taste. With the accompanying mushroom sauce, it actually tasted quite decent.
Dinner for 2 in a relaxing environment with excellent service cost about $55, which isn't too much to pay considering we had steak, lobsters, escargots and other stuff like free flow salad, dessert, soft drinks and soup which came with the set meal. Sure, this isn't the best place to enjoy a good quality dinner, not even close. But it makes you feel right at home and prices are considerably cheap for what you get. So if you do go, lower your expectations, kick back and relax.
The venue for the September edition of our monthly dinner was the much anticipated Hai Tien Lo. After all the rather substandard monthly dinners we had been having over the last 2 months, it was decided that a road more familiar would be taken for once and the patronising of new places would be left to subsequent dinners. For my previous write ups on Hai Tien Lo, please see here, here and here
If you have read all my writeups on Hai Tien Lo, you would have noticed that Peking duck has always been on the order list and there was no exception this time round as well. The skin was as I remembered it to be, crisp with minimal fats and wrapped in nice and thin pancakes. However, the meat was a little disappointing on this occasion. Some parts of the meat were a little dry and tough while some were fine. Not evenly roasted if you ask me. But its still good.
Hai Tien Lo Homemade Beancurd with Minced Pork & Pine Mushroom Sauce - A signature dish of Hai Tien Lo, the tofu was a little lacklustre today. Sure, it was still silky and smooth, but I personally found the taste a little too weak as compared to a similar dish I had on a previous occasion. Nevertheless, the gravy did make up for it some sort as it came across as a little starchy and full of flavours from the minced pork and mushroom.
Sautéed Snow Peas with Deep Fried Crispy Dried Scallops & Fermented Mustard Vegetables - Not a particularly exciting dish, the snow peas were crunchy and fresh though and went well with the slightly salty mustard vegetables or Cai Por as most people know it. Sadly, the dried scallops didn't really taste like scallops. In fact it didn't have much taste at all. Maybe its purpose was just to provide a nice crisp to the whole dish.
Sautéed Silvers of Ostrich with Honey Pepper Sauce - A rather exotic dish which you don't commonly find elsewhere, the ostrich meat tasted to me like a softer rendition of pork and was mildy sweet and pepperish from the sauce. Served atop a bed of fresh crunchy snow peas, the colour contrast was boldly striking and enticing.
Sautéed Scallops & Lobster with Garlic - I didn't expect this dish to come with asparagus as an added bonus. The lobster pieces were relatively fresh and crunchy and so were the scallops, which were both generous in size and quantity. Whats not to like?
Steamed Prawns with Mashed Garlic Served in Bamboo Basket - Humongous fresh and crunchy prawns steamed and served with a nice flavourful garlic sauce, the steamed prawns were rightly one of the stars for the evening. A pity we were only allocated 2 pieces of prawns each.
Stewed Fish Noodles with Ginger & Spring Onions Served with King Prawn - The honour of being the Pièce de résistance for the evening went to a very well executed stewed fish noodles. Common as it may be in most Chinese restaurants of similar standing, Hai Tien Lo's offering is a cut above the rest and yes, that includes the excellent one I had from Li Bai. Hai Tien Lo's rendition carried more flavour in the stock and the noodles were slightly thinner yet equally robust and chewy, making for a gastronomical indulgence. May I add that the king prawn was huge as well? However, as with Li Bai, portions were small and this dish could well do with more of the tasty noodles.
Cod Fish Baked & Glazed with Moet & Chandon Champagne Sauce - The cod fish glazed with Moet & Chandon champagne was nicely baked, a little charred along the edges and tender, albeit a tad too soft and sweet from the sauce. Couldn't quite make out the Moet or champagne though. What I liked about this dish was that it came with tiny cubes of jackfruit and strawberries, which complemented the dish very well.
How much would you expect to pay for such a filling and wonderful dinner? Nothing less than $564 for 6 pax. Do the math and it comes to about $94 per head, which is rather expensive. But hey, with a 25% discount, the bill drops to a more manageable $70, a price everyone was more than happy to pay. Add the fact that you are perched 37 storeys up with a bird's eye view and you have a clear winner.
Popped by Thai Village with my gf and parents to have dinner. Honestly I have never been a fan of Thai Village, not after my unhappy encounter at the restaurant's Oasis outlet, details of which I shall not divulge for some personal reasons.
Sitting pretty in a stand alone structure with huge windows in the midst of secluded Taman Jurong, Thai Village literally outshines the competition (think MacDonalds and KFC) with its huge neon signboards and brightly lighted interior. Surprisingly, for a restaurant situated in such an isolated heartland, it was rather packed by the time we got down to eating our food.
Thai Village is purportedly known for its quality shark's fin at a prices that won't break your arm. At $90 for a portion of shark's fin large enough for 6 bowls, I'm inclined to agree. However, the quality of the shark's fin was rather debatable as the fins, though served as a whole piece, was a little too coarse, unlike top grade shark's fin where the fins are smooth and have a slight bony texture. The soup could also have been better, coming across as a tad too starchy and heavy. But honestly, I'll be hard pressed to find a dish of similar quality and quantity for that price in Singapore(maybe I just haven't eaten enough to know).
Salt Baked Chicken Drumsticks - As tantalizing as the name may sound, it tasted nowhere near. I was expecting something salty yet the chicken, which was served in a huge claypot, turned out sweet. Sure, the meat was tender but $16 for 6 tiny pieces is a big no no. It was overall a very forgettable dish.
Baked Crabs with Vermicelli & the garlic base - The star for the evening - Baked Crabs with Vermicelli. To be honest, I haven't had such a great rendition of this dish for eons. The crab's flesh was fresh, sweet and firm, all markings of an excellent crab. The vermicelli was excellent as well, having soaked up the juices from the crab as well as from the tons of garlic at the bottom, rendering it soft and silky with a rather strong garlic taste. And before I forget, there was a little surprise hidden beneath the mountain of garlic - pieces of 3 tiered pork (literal translation from San Chen Rou) which were a little too hard from all the baking but tasted excellently garlicky nevertheless.
Seafood Fried Rice - A 50-50 dish if you ask me. Why so? The rice was fragrant and tasty but lacked the quintessential Wok Hei taste. Seafood pickings were also rather miserly. Take your chances!
Asparagus Fried with Mushroom - Asparagus are supposed to be a little hard and crunchy, but this one was a little too soft and portions were measly. Coupled with the fact that I could only make out 6 pieces of scallops and it becomes a must never order again dish.
Baked Thai Style Cod Fish - The fish was a little crispy on the outside but terribly tasteless, unless you consider oil a taste. Not to mention that it wasn't actually very fresh. I guess I need not say more.
Yam Paste - One of the very decent Orh Nee that I've tried, but just a little too runny for my liking and the onset of a generous quantity of coconut milk was quite overwhelming.
The 4 of us chalked up a rather hefty bill of about $230, which I feel is a little on the expensive side given the number of merely average dishes. Sure the Baked Crabs and Shark's Fin Soup soup were good, but I really don't foresee myself returning just for those.
Cathay - a name synonymous with movies of the past era. What most people don't know is that Cathay actually operates a rather niche eatery in its premises which goes by the name of The Cathay Restaurant. Started in 1940, the restaurant served up European fare but switched to Chinese food in 1951 and was purportedly Singapore's finest Chinese restaurant at that time.
Situated on the 2nd floor of the spanking new Cathay building, The Cathay Restaurant embraces the modern with its unpretentiously upclass decor yet retains his heritage by showcasing portraits of movie stars from the golden era. Retro-ish (if there's such a word) I must say.
Doubled Boiled Shark's Bone Cartilage with Bamboo Fungus - I've always been a fan of shark bone soup and The Cathay Restaurant's rendition didn't disappoint. But then again, it wasn't outstanding either. The soup was tasty but did come across as a little too milky for my liking and left a slight starchy residue on my tongue after every mouthful, which I personally found a little unsettling.
Deep Fried Spring Rolls - This is not your usual spring rolls because it comes with fatty pork, mushrooms and turnip as ingredients. Found it rather normal in spite of all the ingredients, probably due to the overall blandness but the skin was nice and crisp though.
Siew Mai - Interestingly, the Siew Mai had this predominant mushroom taste owing to the fact that one of the ingredients in it was a sizable chunk of mushroom. This is something rather unique but I personally found it a little too "mushroomy", totally eclipsing the traditional pork taste that I associate with Siew Mai. Just an individual preference I guess.
Pan Fried Pork Chop with Special Sauce - The pork chop was very well marinated as evident by the lightly sweet flavours each bite held. However, the pork was a tad on the chewy side which made eating difficult and there was a slight overuse on the amount of Chinese celery as I found the taste pretty evident, to the extent of being a little overwhelming.
Poached Seasonal Vegetables - Funny how poached seasonal vegetables would turn out to have beancurd in it. Not that I'm complaining though. The beancurd was tasty but wasn't firm or silky enough to make the premium grade cut. The vegetables tasted like they had been blanched in boiling water and served up with gravy.
Special Homemade Noodles with Mixed Seafood - I honestly don't see or taste anything special about the homemade noodles. Sure, it was chewy but that was it. Beansprouts and fresh average sized prawns graced the dish which tasted to me a little like Hor Fun due to the slightly smoky and starchy gravy. Having said that, the gravy was really too weak to make much of a difference, especially when the noodles were practically tasteless. I had to resort to adding soya sauce.
Double Boiled Dried Apricot with Sea Coconut and Red Dates - If you get a kick out of having a sugar rush, then this dessert is probably for you. It was insanely sweet and I must say even for a sugar fanatic like me, I had a hard time trying to finish it. I attribute this to the extra sugar they added into the syrup on top of the sweetness from the already very sweet apricot.
With a 1 for 1 offer from Standard Chartered, I only had to fork out about $55 for 2 pax, which I feel is rather reasonable given the acceptable quantity and decent quality of food. If the standard of the dim sum is anything to go by, food quality at The Cathay isn't exactly top notch, but its refined enough to warrant another visit. Not without a high percentage discount though.
Does staring at donuts for long make you feel sick and all? Because this seems to be the feeling I get when I went to Munchy's today. Or at least from the person I was served.
It's the donut-craze in town, maybe that craze has piped down a little but nonetheless, it's still there. Donut Factory is out of the way and it's definitely ridiculous having to stand there for hours to queue for donuts that aren't super cheap or anything. A better alternative would be Munchy's Donuts I thought. They got place to sit down too, and the shop looks a little more professional than those little shops smacked in the middle of even more little shops.
One thing I really like about Munchy's is that they provide tables and chairs for you to sit there and enjoy your donuts. Plus, they've got drinks too. (And of course the fact that you don't have to queue at all during the off-peak hour...) But the fact that they put their donuts out on display like what you see at places like Breadtalk makes your donut a little less enjoyable as it doesn't have that fresh-out-of-the-oven taste.
So, I finally got myself my donuts! Munchy's really has some quite unique taste. A lot of chocolate flavoured stuff. But I was kinda disappointed. I think it could be because, generally, donuts are overrated in Singapore. The donuts were not warm nor were they extremely tasty that makes one crave for another. In fact, I got quite sick of it after awhile. I managed to try 4 different halves of donuts. They had one peanut with chocolate that had too much nuts, covering the chocolate taste. Of course if we wanna go into details, some of the flavours are not bad. visually appealing too.
But on the whole, I really must say I'm not very impressed with Singapore donuts..
If you like something different from the regular restaurant EAT OUTS, you should visit BORSHCH steak house. Its further down the shop houses after SuSHi Tei at the Serangoon Garden area. I was around there and I was captured by the outlook of the restaurant.
It look rather retro, kind of reminded me of english coffee houses during the eighties at low level flatted areas. They serve a good variety of normal and executive set lunches and dinners at very value for money prices. Written on a standing white board is the menu and the items for TODAY SPECIALS. While I entered the Restaurant, it emits a RUSSIAN Ambience. Not the Chic Russian kind of look rather the HOMELY Russian Feel. With the neatly layed table, I sat down with my friend at the corner.
The walls were adorned with some pictures which were pretty old, not exactly pretty but very vintage.... I order a Lamb Shank executive lunch and it comes with a beef soup, garlic toast, dessert and coffee, all for $12.80.
The soup arrived quickly and I happily tucked in. It was tomato based beef broth, very savoury and healthy with lots of Vegetables. I personally felt it was a little like the Campbell's ABC Vegetable soup but as i had it more and more, it got more and more delicious. Its not too blend but of the right taste and i don't feel thirsty as when i always do after canned soup.
My Lamb Shank looked HUGE... The meat was tender and the gravy is scrimptiously delicious.... It is not bloachy like when you over do the corn starch, rather, its watery but you could taste the richness of the many ingredients added. Not exactly chuncky as the ingredients have been boiled to melt inside the sauce. The potatoes and vegetables by the side is nicely poached to perfection and goes well with the sauce.
Later, the dessert was a scoop of ice cream and coffee and i put the ice cream on top of the coffee to reduce calories and to make my favourite Leenie's AFFAGATO.....
After the scrumptious meal I need not worry about exercising off the fats, as i felt preservatives free and healthy.. *heehee*
Perfect for a ROMANTIC, DOWN TO EARTH Dinner...... FAB....
A nice eating place, overlooking Sentosa and PSA. While waiting for our food to be served, we got a good view to enjoy and the waiting time didnt seem that long afterall. Its service is definitely better than usual Swensens outlets, and the seatings are well spaced out, so diners would not feel cramped or 'invaded'. The salad bar was placed in the middle of the restaurant, hence it is convenient for all diners (unless you are seated near to the entrance).
Soup of the day: Ours was the garlic soup. The squarish white bowl was on this long white plate with 3 slices of bread neatly laid against one another. The visual effect was pretty good. Soup was served warm and you could see little sprinkles of garlic on top. The aroma of the garlic made you wanna finish the soup at one go, but we managed to refrain ourselves and slowly savour its flavour.
Fried chicken (main course): The serving was kinda small for its price ($18.90). But the chicken was fried to perfection, not oily and the meat is tender and juicy. It served with fries, and suprisingly, (though cold) the fries were still crispy after abt 1/2hr later. Thumbs up!
Salad bar: Attractive palette of greens and orange and yellow and many others. It may look simple but you can be filled up by juz going for its salad bar buffet. They have staple food like the egg noodles and thai glass noodles (on the day we went). Of coz, with healthy greens which you can dress them up with over 5 different salad dressings. The salad bar is $10.80 per person, but comes free if you order main course. (1-for-1).
We would not hesitate to visit Earle Swensen again.
Waking up hungry on a Saturday morning and travelling a long way on MRT is no easy feat. I arrived at Tiong Bahru Plaza wondering what I can have for breakfast but after looking at McDonald's long queue, I gave up and decided to browse around for other options.
I turned the corner and saw Ya Kun Kaya Toast outlet. There were little people and so I thought that would be a good fix. I pop over the counter, and was greeted cheerfully. Not just the cashier, but also the assistant in the background who bellowed out a loud "GOOD MORNING!" in Chinese. Okay, a little embarrassing but that's a good start to the day.
I ordered a Set A because I didn't want to eat too much. The coffee was quickly prepared, and the way it was served to me - surprising. It was also the first time someone offered this option to me... "Enjoy your breakfast mister, if your coffee is not sweet enough, come back to me for a little more sugar/milk". NICE! I always love my coffee slightly sweeter.
One thing that turns me off about Ya Kun is how hard the toasts are. I have already taken note of the varying differences of toasts among several branches, and I guess it boils down very much to the person preparing it.
Ya Kun @ Tong Bahru gives me my perfect toast just as I like it. A balanced toast ending with a crispy surface, BUT the interior of the bread is soft. I have tried Ya Kun toasts from elsewhere, biting into them feel more like cookies than toast bread. The fillings of butter slices and kaya were generous too.
The half-boiled eggs were a joy. Nicely done, not too much raw parts but yet, not too cooked too. Coffee was nice. It was thick and not diluted, the sweetness was just nice to my standard and preference of coffee so I didn't need to turn back to the kind offer I was told.
Nice things are said, now comes the critics. They weren't hot enough. Everything was warm, but not hot. Coffee drinkers like me enjoy having our coffee piping hot and that was a disappointment. Somehow, coffee don't taste as enjoyable as when it's just warm.
The half-boiled eggs were close to being cold. Literally I mean! As I held up the plate, I don't even feel a single bit of warmth until I slurped the eggs the good old style, it was only that little warm. What another disappointment! Thanks God the bread were freshly toasted and that saved the day.
My verdict? It's barely an acceptable for breakfast, if you do not mind the high price at Ya Kun. That's about it. Perhaps, not all traditional remains the same after franchising or branching.
If only everything were served really hot, I think the experience of having breakfast there will be even better. Tables were very small, too small for my liking so you had better grab another chair to place your bags or suitcases on. You don't actually expect much atmosphere in such a branch, do you?
1=SGD 0.0587
Ran some errands at Vivo City with my gf and settled for dinner at Modestos, which happened to be one of the few outlets not packing in the crowd at dinner time.
Rather obscurely located at a corner of Vivo City (which might, to a certain degree, explain its lack of patrons), Modesto's boasts a nice waterfront view through its floor to ceiling windows (at its Vivo City outlet only) and a cosy brick laid interior that gives it a much welcomed casual intonation.
Complimentary Bread - I didn't hope for much when I set my eyes on the bread and sure enough, it wasn't much. The bread was a little too dry, probably from being left in the open for too long. Quantity wise was also rather pathetic.
Fritto Misto Di Modesto - A relatively large platter of deep fried soft shell crab, squid, prawns and silver breams which looked very appetizing the minute I set my eyes on it. However it didn't quite meet expectations. The deep fried soft shell crab, though crispy and fragrant, was a tad too salty for my liking while the squids were rather soft and limp, not chewy, giving the impression of being overcooked. The silver breams and prawns were close to tasteless as well - no sweetness from either seafood nor any taste from the light but bland batter. Alright I'm just being picky and it is still a decent dish. Bang for the buck wise, its still an open verdict.
Pizza Quattro Stagioni - Honestly, this is the first time I'm having such a pizza - one which is divided into 4 different sections, each with a different topping. One part olive, one part seafood, one part ham and one part mushrooms. Presents a rather challenging task if you ask me, as different ingredients require different amounts of cooking time. The chef must have known his stuff as the pizza turned out fairly good. Using tomato sauce as the base, it didn't come across as too overwhelming and the crust was reasonably thin and full of bite, but just a little burnt around the edges. Ingredients were generous and cooked just right, complementing the pizza very well. I must say that this is one of the better pizzas that I've tried. Give me this over Pizza Hut or Canadian Pizza anyday.
Rigatoni All' Amatriciana - I've never been a fan of tomato based pastas simply because I prefer its cream base relative and that most of the pastas I've eaten which utilizes such a base tend to have this overwhelming tomato taste. Modesto's rendition of the Rigatoni, which is a tomato based pasta, didn't have this problem though. The tomato sauce was mild, in fact a little too mild to fall short of tasty and came with bits of pork bacon and onions, which did serve to enhance the overall flavour (luckily). The large tube pasta was a little undercooked though and I seriously think that this dish could do with more ingredients for its price.
Tiramisu Modesto's - I've been on a Tiramisu roll these few days and so this came as a natural extension to my meal, especially when it came highly recommended. Comparing this to the one I had at Romano Ristorante, this one was actually much finer and definitely more presentable. Though it came across as light and fluffy, the sponge to cream ratio was rather skewed, with the latter being the predominant party. Thus I couldn't quite taste the texture of the cake, which is quite sad really.
After a 30% discount, the bill worked out to be about $60 for 2 pax ($87 before discount), which still falls within my range of reasonable pricing, but do away with the discount and I might have to think really hard before coming back. Service is good though, but I don't really fancy paying so much for a casual dinner.
See my pictures here
Rating given:
On my last visit to Romano Ristorante, I spotted this restaurant going by the name of Madam Q Steakhouse just next to it and with a large placard outside advertising its set dinner for only $18.90 . That was good enough reason for me to return just to try it out.
Ironically, I didn't order the set menu and neither did my dining companions as it didn't really look very appetising. That aside, the place was simply done up but rather tiny and not to mention noisy with all the incessant chatter. What I liked about it though, was its dim lighting and nice cosy corner bench like seats which came with cushions.
Haloumi Cheese - Deep Fried Cheese with Tomato Pizzaiola Sauce - What started out as a potential drool inducing dish was nothing more than a farce. The cheese was way too chewy and bland to be even considered cheese. On top of that, the batter coating, though crispy, was a little too thick for my liking. Overall the whole dish was a joke. Nowhere in comparison to the excellent rendition that Senso dishes up.
Cheese and Tomato Bruschetta - Toasted French Bread Topped with Tomatoes and Cheese - Another joke if you ask me. The bruschetta was nothing more than a slice of toasted baguette topped with tomatoes and then covered with a layer of melting cheese. Tasted like it as well. I'm pretty sure I can do this easily at home myself and not even have to fork out a third of the price that it goes for at Madam Q's.
Beef Stew "English Style" - Beef Chunks Stewed to Perfection, with Mashed Potatoes and Carrots - First of all, I can't claim to know what exactly constitutes "English style" beef stew, but I have eaten enough beef stew to know that this one wasn't exactly stewed to perfection. For one, the beef chunks were a wee bit too soft and didn't come across as very fibrous. This dish kinda reminded me of beef redang, minus the spiciness. Decent dish though.
Barracka Chicken - Chicken Breast with Garlic sauce, Sauteed Potatoes and Vegetables - The chicken breast was a little too over grilled as evident from the charred bits along the edges. Even with the garlic sauce, the meat was still tasteless, which goes to show how strong the sauce was. To give it credit, the meat was still decently tender and succulent but portions could have been bigger.
Fish & Chips - The dish with the largest serving of the day, the humble fish & chips. Incidentally, it was probably one of the most value for money dishes that evening. Two large slabs of not exactly very fresh fish coated in decent batter, deep fried and then served with fries and vegetables. Ironically, this dish was meant to be for the kids, as told to us by the friendly owner.
Grilled Chicken in Mushroom Sauce - Grilled Chicken Thigh served with Pasta in Mushroom Sauce - Oily oily oily. That was the first impression I had when I saw the dish. The pasta was literally laden with excess olive oil and it reminded me of eating Hokkien Mee sans the Wok Hei taste. The grilled chicken was bland, just like the Barracka Chicken. A most disappointing and unhealthy dish if you ask me.
Tiramisu - I have come to realise that many eateries claim the Tiramisu as their signature dish, which really makes you wonder about the standard of Tiramisu nowadays. For a steakhouse, Madam Q's Tiramisu was actually quite decent, or more appropriately, the star of the evening (Not that it was excellent or anything close. It just happened to be the best amongst the myriad of mediocre dishes). For once I could actually taste the sponge yet at the same time enjoy the light as air cream. A note on the excessive sprinkling of chocolate powder atop though. I almost chocked on it.
Although prices were rather inexpensive, standing at about $86 for 4 pax, we were barely full after the dinner and not the least bit satisfied with the quality. Service was good though, especially with the affable boss walking around to make small talk with customers. But service only forms a smaller portion of the equation. Quality of food takes up the rest. At the end of the day, is Madam Q really a steakhouse as its name suggests, or is it an Italian restaurant, as characterised by the type of food it serves? I really wonder.
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Old style steak houses are slowly disappearing with time and taking with them memories of the culinary scene of yesteryear. Many such restaurants have revamped themselves to catch up with modern times, leaving but a pitiful few to keep the line. Mariners' Corner Restaurant & Steakhouse is one such restaurant which still hangs on to a part of history.
Inconspicuously located at the ground floor of Maritime House along Cantonment Road, Mariners' Corner has been around since 1984 and mainly catered to seafarers who dropped by the Singapore Mariner's Club. Decked out to look like a ship cabin, the interior exuded a sense of coziness and warm nostalgia with its carpeted floors, wooden panelings and checkered table cloths.
Mushroom Soup with Garlic Bread - The mushroom soup tasted like your straight out of the can Campbell soup, which was still quite decent while the garlic bread, though generous size wise, tasted nothing out of the ordinary.
Escargot Gastrome - Its been ages since I last ate Escargots. Used to have them on a regular basis when I was in Canada but stopped altogether when I returned to Singapore because of their prohibitively expensive prices here. Well I finally broke the duck and ordered half a dozen at $8, which is rather cheap if you ask me. The Escargots were baked with garlic and butter and came across as very fragrant and tasty with a rather strong garlic taste. Not that I'm complaining though as the garlic helps to mask the rawness of the flesh. However, having said that, I still prefer my Escargots baked with a layer of cheese on top. Just a subtle reminder, please do not expect top quality Escargots for the price though.
Ribeye Steak Combo with Skewered Prawn - Ribeye steak with prawns on a kebab. Whats not to like? Plenty actually. The steak, though done up medium rare and of relatively generous portions, was a little soft and limp texture wise. The accompanying mushroom sauce was flavourful though and complemented the lightly charred taste of the steak.
While the steak was still decent, the skewered prawns were a let down. Served with mushrooms and other vegetables, the prawns were unfresh and probably a little undercooked. The only positive thing was that the restaurant actually took the effort to remove the innards of the prawns before grilling it.
Grilled Lobster with Boneless Chicken Fillet - I was shocked by the size of the lobster when this dish came into view. It was huge, at least for the price. Having said that, the amount of meat that came with the lobster was pathetic, weighing in no more than 2 mouthfuls. On top of that, the meat was a little too dry and tough. The chicken fared a little better, with the meat nicely marinated with garlic and pepper, giving it a nice pepperish taste. With the accompanying mushroom sauce, it actually tasted quite decent.
Dinner for 2 in a relaxing environment with excellent service cost about $55, which isn't too much to pay considering we had steak, lobsters, escargots and other stuff like free flow salad, dessert, soft drinks and soup which came with the set meal. Sure, this isn't the best place to enjoy a good quality dinner, not even close. But it makes you feel right at home and prices are considerably cheap for what you get. So if you do go, lower your expectations, kick back and relax.
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The venue for the September edition of our monthly dinner was the much anticipated Hai Tien Lo. After all the rather substandard monthly dinners we had been having over the last 2 months, it was decided that a road more familiar would be taken for once and the patronising of new places would be left to subsequent dinners. For my previous write ups on Hai Tien Lo, please see here, here and here
If you have read all my writeups on Hai Tien Lo, you would have noticed that Peking duck has always been on the order list and there was no exception this time round as well. The skin was as I remembered it to be, crisp with minimal fats and wrapped in nice and thin pancakes. However, the meat was a little disappointing on this occasion. Some parts of the meat were a little dry and tough while some were fine. Not evenly roasted if you ask me. But its still good.
Hai Tien Lo Homemade Beancurd with Minced Pork & Pine Mushroom Sauce - A signature dish of Hai Tien Lo, the tofu was a little lacklustre today. Sure, it was still silky and smooth, but I personally found the taste a little too weak as compared to a similar dish I had on a previous occasion. Nevertheless, the gravy did make up for it some sort as it came across as a little starchy and full of flavours from the minced pork and mushroom.
Sautéed Snow Peas with Deep Fried Crispy Dried Scallops & Fermented Mustard Vegetables - Not a particularly exciting dish, the snow peas were crunchy and fresh though and went well with the slightly salty mustard vegetables or Cai Por as most people know it. Sadly, the dried scallops didn't really taste like scallops. In fact it didn't have much taste at all. Maybe its purpose was just to provide a nice crisp to the whole dish.
Sautéed Silvers of Ostrich with Honey Pepper Sauce - A rather exotic dish which you don't commonly find elsewhere, the ostrich meat tasted to me like a softer rendition of pork and was mildy sweet and pepperish from the sauce. Served atop a bed of fresh crunchy snow peas, the colour contrast was boldly striking and enticing.
Sautéed Scallops & Lobster with Garlic - I didn't expect this dish to come with asparagus as an added bonus. The lobster pieces were relatively fresh and crunchy and so were the scallops, which were both generous in size and quantity. Whats not to like?
Steamed Prawns with Mashed Garlic Served in Bamboo Basket - Humongous fresh and crunchy prawns steamed and served with a nice flavourful garlic sauce, the steamed prawns were rightly one of the stars for the evening. A pity we were only allocated 2 pieces of prawns each.
Stewed Fish Noodles with Ginger & Spring Onions Served with King Prawn - The honour of being the Pièce de résistance for the evening went to a very well executed stewed fish noodles. Common as it may be in most Chinese restaurants of similar standing, Hai Tien Lo's offering is a cut above the rest and yes, that includes the excellent one I had from Li Bai. Hai Tien Lo's rendition carried more flavour in the stock and the noodles were slightly thinner yet equally robust and chewy, making for a gastronomical indulgence. May I add that the king prawn was huge as well? However, as with Li Bai, portions were small and this dish could well do with more of the tasty noodles.
Cod Fish Baked & Glazed with Moet & Chandon Champagne Sauce - The cod fish glazed with Moet & Chandon champagne was nicely baked, a little charred along the edges and tender, albeit a tad too soft and sweet from the sauce. Couldn't quite make out the Moet or champagne though. What I liked about this dish was that it came with tiny cubes of jackfruit and strawberries, which complemented the dish very well.
How much would you expect to pay for such a filling and wonderful dinner? Nothing less than $564 for 6 pax. Do the math and it comes to about $94 per head, which is rather expensive. But hey, with a 25% discount, the bill drops to a more manageable $70, a price everyone was more than happy to pay. Add the fact that you are perched 37 storeys up with a bird's eye view and you have a clear winner.
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Popped by Thai Village with my gf and parents to have dinner. Honestly I have never been a fan of Thai Village, not after my unhappy encounter at the restaurant's Oasis outlet, details of which I shall not divulge for some personal reasons.
Sitting pretty in a stand alone structure with huge windows in the midst of secluded Taman Jurong, Thai Village literally outshines the competition (think MacDonalds and KFC) with its huge neon signboards and brightly lighted interior. Surprisingly, for a restaurant situated in such an isolated heartland, it was rather packed by the time we got down to eating our food.
Thai Village is purportedly known for its quality shark's fin at a prices that won't break your arm. At $90 for a portion of shark's fin large enough for 6 bowls, I'm inclined to agree. However, the quality of the shark's fin was rather debatable as the fins, though served as a whole piece, was a little too coarse, unlike top grade shark's fin where the fins are smooth and have a slight bony texture. The soup could also have been better, coming across as a tad too starchy and heavy. But honestly, I'll be hard pressed to find a dish of similar quality and quantity for that price in Singapore(maybe I just haven't eaten enough to know).
Salt Baked Chicken Drumsticks - As tantalizing as the name may sound, it tasted nowhere near. I was expecting something salty yet the chicken, which was served in a huge claypot, turned out sweet. Sure, the meat was tender but $16 for 6 tiny pieces is a big no no. It was overall a very forgettable dish.
Baked Crabs with Vermicelli & the garlic base - The star for the evening - Baked Crabs with Vermicelli. To be honest, I haven't had such a great rendition of this dish for eons. The crab's flesh was fresh, sweet and firm, all markings of an excellent crab. The vermicelli was excellent as well, having soaked up the juices from the crab as well as from the tons of garlic at the bottom, rendering it soft and silky with a rather strong garlic taste. And before I forget, there was a little surprise hidden beneath the mountain of garlic - pieces of 3 tiered pork (literal translation from San Chen Rou) which were a little too hard from all the baking but tasted excellently garlicky nevertheless.
Seafood Fried Rice - A 50-50 dish if you ask me. Why so? The rice was fragrant and tasty but lacked the quintessential Wok Hei taste. Seafood pickings were also rather miserly. Take your chances!
Asparagus Fried with Mushroom - Asparagus are supposed to be a little hard and crunchy, but this one was a little too soft and portions were measly. Coupled with the fact that I could only make out 6 pieces of scallops and it becomes a must never order again dish.
Baked Thai Style Cod Fish - The fish was a little crispy on the outside but terribly tasteless, unless you consider oil a taste. Not to mention that it wasn't actually very fresh. I guess I need not say more.
Yam Paste - One of the very decent Orh Nee that I've tried, but just a little too runny for my liking and the onset of a generous quantity of coconut milk was quite overwhelming.
The 4 of us chalked up a rather hefty bill of about $230, which I feel is a little on the expensive side given the number of merely average dishes. Sure the Baked Crabs and Shark's Fin Soup soup were good, but I really don't foresee myself returning just for those.
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Cathay - a name synonymous with movies of the past era. What most people don't know is that Cathay actually operates a rather niche eatery in its premises which goes by the name of The Cathay Restaurant. Started in 1940, the restaurant served up European fare but switched to Chinese food in 1951 and was purportedly Singapore's finest Chinese restaurant at that time.
Situated on the 2nd floor of the spanking new Cathay building, The Cathay Restaurant embraces the modern with its unpretentiously upclass decor yet retains his heritage by showcasing portraits of movie stars from the golden era. Retro-ish (if there's such a word) I must say.
Doubled Boiled Shark's Bone Cartilage with Bamboo Fungus - I've always been a fan of shark bone soup and The Cathay Restaurant's rendition didn't disappoint. But then again, it wasn't outstanding either. The soup was tasty but did come across as a little too milky for my liking and left a slight starchy residue on my tongue after every mouthful, which I personally found a little unsettling.
Deep Fried Spring Rolls - This is not your usual spring rolls because it comes with fatty pork, mushrooms and turnip as ingredients. Found it rather normal in spite of all the ingredients, probably due to the overall blandness but the skin was nice and crisp though.
Siew Mai - Interestingly, the Siew Mai had this predominant mushroom taste owing to the fact that one of the ingredients in it was a sizable chunk of mushroom. This is something rather unique but I personally found it a little too "mushroomy", totally eclipsing the traditional pork taste that I associate with Siew Mai. Just an individual preference I guess.
Pan Fried Pork Chop with Special Sauce - The pork chop was very well marinated as evident by the lightly sweet flavours each bite held. However, the pork was a tad on the chewy side which made eating difficult and there was a slight overuse on the amount of Chinese celery as I found the taste pretty evident, to the extent of being a little overwhelming.
Poached Seasonal Vegetables - Funny how poached seasonal vegetables would turn out to have beancurd in it. Not that I'm complaining though. The beancurd was tasty but wasn't firm or silky enough to make the premium grade cut. The vegetables tasted like they had been blanched in boiling water and served up with gravy.
Special Homemade Noodles with Mixed Seafood - I honestly don't see or taste anything special about the homemade noodles. Sure, it was chewy but that was it. Beansprouts and fresh average sized prawns graced the dish which tasted to me a little like Hor Fun due to the slightly smoky and starchy gravy. Having said that, the gravy was really too weak to make much of a difference, especially when the noodles were practically tasteless. I had to resort to adding soya sauce.
Double Boiled Dried Apricot with Sea Coconut and Red Dates -
If you get a kick out of having a sugar rush, then this dessert is probably for you. It was insanely sweet and I must say even for a sugar fanatic like me, I had a hard time trying to finish it. I attribute this to the extra sugar they added into the syrup on top of the sweetness from the already very sweet apricot.
With a 1 for 1 offer from Standard Chartered, I only had to fork out about $55 for 2 pax, which I feel is rather reasonable given the acceptable quantity and decent quality of food. If the standard of the dim sum is anything to go by, food quality at The Cathay isn't exactly top notch, but its refined enough to warrant another visit. Not without a high percentage discount though.
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Does staring at donuts for long make you feel sick and all? Because this seems to be the feeling I get when I went to Munchy's today. Or at least from the person I was served.
It's the donut-craze in town, maybe that craze has piped down a little but nonetheless, it's still there. Donut Factory is out of the way and it's definitely ridiculous having to stand there for hours to queue for donuts that aren't super cheap or anything. A better alternative would be Munchy's Donuts I thought. They got place to sit down too, and the shop looks a little more professional than those little shops smacked in the middle of even more little shops.
One thing I really like about Munchy's is that they provide tables and chairs for you to sit there and enjoy your donuts. Plus, they've got drinks too. (And of course the fact that you don't have to queue at all during the off-peak hour...) But the fact that they put their donuts out on display like what you see at places like Breadtalk makes your donut a little less enjoyable as it doesn't have that fresh-out-of-the-oven taste.
So, I finally got myself my donuts! Munchy's really has some quite unique taste. A lot of chocolate flavoured stuff. But I was kinda disappointed. I think it could be because, generally, donuts are overrated in Singapore. The donuts were not warm nor were they extremely tasty that makes one crave for another. In fact, I got quite sick of it after awhile. I managed to try 4 different halves of donuts. They had one peanut with chocolate that had too much nuts, covering the chocolate taste. Of course if we wanna go into details, some of the flavours are not bad. visually appealing too.
But on the whole, I really must say I'm not very impressed with Singapore donuts..
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If you like something different from the regular restaurant EAT OUTS, you should visit BORSHCH steak house. Its further down the shop houses after SuSHi Tei at the Serangoon Garden area. I was around there and I was captured by the outlook of the restaurant.
It look rather retro, kind of reminded me of english coffee houses during the eighties at low level flatted areas. They serve a good variety of normal and executive set lunches and dinners at very value for money prices. Written on a standing white board is the menu and the items for TODAY SPECIALS. While I entered the Restaurant, it emits a RUSSIAN Ambience. Not the Chic Russian kind of look rather the HOMELY Russian Feel. With the neatly layed table, I sat down with my friend at the corner.
The walls were adorned with some pictures which were pretty old, not exactly pretty but very vintage.... I order a Lamb Shank executive lunch and it comes with a beef soup, garlic toast, dessert and coffee, all for $12.80.
The soup arrived quickly and I happily tucked in. It was tomato based beef broth, very savoury and healthy with lots of Vegetables. I personally felt it was a little like the Campbell's ABC Vegetable soup but as i had it more and more, it got more and more delicious. Its not too blend but of the right taste and i don't feel thirsty as when i always do after canned soup.
My Lamb Shank looked HUGE... The meat was tender and the gravy is scrimptiously delicious.... It is not bloachy like when you over do the corn starch, rather, its watery but you could taste the richness of the many ingredients added. Not exactly chuncky as the ingredients have been boiled to melt inside the sauce. The potatoes and vegetables by the side is nicely poached to perfection and goes well with the sauce.
Later, the dessert was a scoop of ice cream and coffee and i put the ice cream on top of the coffee to reduce calories and to make my favourite Leenie's AFFAGATO.....
After the scrumptious meal I need not worry about exercising off the fats, as i felt preservatives free and healthy.. *heehee*
Perfect for a ROMANTIC, DOWN TO EARTH Dinner...... FAB....
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A nice eating place, overlooking Sentosa and PSA. While waiting for our food to be served, we got a good view to enjoy and the waiting time didnt seem that long afterall. Its service is definitely better than usual Swensens outlets, and the seatings are well spaced out, so diners would not feel cramped or 'invaded'. The salad bar was placed in the middle of the restaurant, hence it is convenient for all diners (unless you are seated near to the entrance).
Soup of the day: Ours was the garlic soup. The squarish white bowl was on this long white plate with 3 slices of bread neatly laid against one another. The visual effect was pretty good. Soup was served warm and you could see little sprinkles of garlic on top. The aroma of the garlic made you wanna finish the soup at one go, but we managed to refrain ourselves and slowly savour its flavour.
Fried chicken (main course): The serving was kinda small for its price ($18.90). But the chicken was fried to perfection, not oily and the meat is tender and juicy. It served with fries, and suprisingly, (though cold) the fries were still crispy after abt 1/2hr later. Thumbs up!
Salad bar: Attractive palette of greens and orange and yellow and many others. It may look simple but you can be filled up by juz going for its salad bar buffet. They have staple food like the egg noodles and thai glass noodles (on the day we went). Of coz, with healthy greens which you can dress them up with over 5 different salad dressings. The salad bar is $10.80 per person, but comes free if you order main course. (1-for-1).
We would not hesitate to visit Earle Swensen again.
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Waking up hungry on a Saturday morning and travelling a long way on MRT is no easy feat. I arrived at Tiong Bahru Plaza wondering what I can have for breakfast but after looking at McDonald's long queue, I gave up and decided to browse around for other options.
I turned the corner and saw Ya Kun Kaya Toast outlet. There were little people and so I thought that would be a good fix. I pop over the counter, and was greeted cheerfully. Not just the cashier, but also the assistant in the background who bellowed out a loud "GOOD MORNING!" in Chinese. Okay, a little embarrassing but that's a good start to the day.
I ordered a Set A because I didn't want to eat too much. The coffee was quickly prepared, and the way it was served to me - surprising. It was also the first time someone offered this option to me... "Enjoy your breakfast mister, if your coffee is not sweet enough, come back to me for a little more sugar/milk". NICE! I always love my coffee slightly sweeter.
One thing that turns me off about Ya Kun is how hard the toasts are. I have already taken note of the varying differences of toasts among several branches, and I guess it boils down very much to the person preparing it.
Ya Kun @ Tong Bahru gives me my perfect toast just as I like it. A balanced toast ending with a crispy surface, BUT the interior of the bread is soft. I have tried Ya Kun toasts from elsewhere, biting into them feel more like cookies than toast bread. The fillings of butter slices and kaya were generous too.
The half-boiled eggs were a joy. Nicely done, not too much raw parts but yet, not too cooked too. Coffee was nice. It was thick and not diluted, the sweetness was just nice to my standard and preference of coffee so I didn't need to turn back to the kind offer I was told.
Nice things are said, now comes the critics. They weren't hot enough. Everything was warm, but not hot. Coffee drinkers like me enjoy having our coffee piping hot and that was a disappointment. Somehow, coffee don't taste as enjoyable as when it's just warm.
The half-boiled eggs were close to being cold. Literally I mean! As I held up the plate, I don't even feel a single bit of warmth until I slurped the eggs the good old style, it was only that little warm. What another disappointment! Thanks God the bread were freshly toasted and that saved the day.
My verdict? It's barely an acceptable for breakfast, if you do not mind the high price at Ya Kun. That's about it. Perhaps, not all traditional remains the same after franchising or branching.
If only everything were served really hot, I think the experience of having breakfast there will be even better. Tables were very small, too small for my liking so you had better grab another chair to place your bags or suitcases on. You don't actually expect much atmosphere in such a branch, do you?
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