I am a chicken-tarian, which means I eat mostly chicken! So, how can I not try Poulét?
My friend and I shared a couple of dishes:
1) Half Roast Chicken - it's so tender that the meat just melts away. The Mushroom Chardonnay Sauce goes well perfectly with the meat.
2) French Onion Soup - though I am not a beef person, and I know the soup base normally has beef in it, I have to try it. It's flavourful, or I should say, overpower. I find it too salty. I had to add a lot of pepper to blend out the saltiness.
3) Chicken Salad - It's almost a mouthful of chunky chicken breast with fresh lettuce and cherry tomatoes. It's dressing is just right. Not too creamy. The crunchy vegetable goes well with the chunk. :)
Old Airport Road Hawker Centre has a lot of good food. Normally people will go for the wanton mee and the Lao Ban Dou Hua. For me, I go for HOLY GRILL.
It's something like Astons, but cheaper than Astons, and tastier too. The grilled chicken is juicy and the sides are fantastic too. I had the pasta salad which the pasta tastes just right, not too soft or too hard; and the baked potato is with real crispy bacon!
I am a non-beef person, so did not get to taste their steaks. So, who ever did taste it, please post your reviews here! :)
I am a big fan of Jamie Olivier. So when I know that his Jamie's Italian Restaurant is opening in Singapore, I must definitely go and try.
It was said to be affordable Italian cuisine, but I still feel that it's on a higher side. That dinner I had at Jamie's Italian was a treat from a friend. I think we burnt a big hole in her pocket.
The service staff at the front entrance is not very professional. My friend told her that we had a 4 adults and a baby chair for the baby, she argued with my friend that she did not mentioned about the baby and the baby chair. She insisted that she was right and my friend was wrong! Although she did in the end arrange a baby chair for us, we felt super unhappy with her service as she should not had argued with us on a small matter. My friend was super angry, but luckily their other service staff whom served our table were polite and friendlier.
Our Order:
1. CRISPY SQUID - $11.50
Fried squid, garlicky mayo & lemon
2. BAKED MUSHROOMS - $12.50
Swiss browns with crispy “music bread” & smoked buffalo mozzarella
3. WILD MUSHROOM RAVIOLI - $24.50
Filled with garlic, wild mushrooms & soft ricotta, served with a rich mushroom & tomato sauce
4. SEAFOOD BUCATINI - $29.50
Tubular spaghetti steamed in a bag with crab, mussels, clams, squid, scallops, capers, chilli, garlic, white wine & juicy sweet tomatoes
5. GRILLED CHICKEN - $28.00
Grilled garlic & rosemary chicken with a tomato, olive, chilli & caper sauce
6. FRITTO MISTO - $27.00
Fresh fish & shellfish fried till crispy, served with yuzu mayo
7. AMALFI LEMON & BASIL ICED TEA - $15.00
A blend of succulent lemon & basil
The crispy squid portion was quite small. The dip was good, the squid itself was normal tasting.
Baked mushroom was delicious! I like the thin bread.
My main dish is the wid mushroom ravioli. I ordered the bigger portion - 8 pieces. Not too bad. But I find it a bit salty.
The amalfi lemon & basil iced tea was not my cup of tea. I do not like english tea without sugar. I asked for sugar syrup, but their sugar syrup tasted like diluted sugar water.
We held our last 38 auntie gathering at this outlet of the Peach Garden dedicated to a night full of 'yaking' about the everyday topics of family, children, why we must buy la senza lingerie, which store is having a good sale and of course the cute guys we meet through the mundane routine working lifestyle. Nonetheless, we enjoyed a good array of yummy food and the loud culture of a local chinese restaurant, we are kept safe from angry stares and loud SHHHHs.... as you know when there are more then 2 glee ladies on a round table, it tends to get a little out of control.
So I am late again and have decided to avoid the enthusiastic newly checked in guest at the lift and I've decided to take the stairs. The Stairs looked grand alright, windy and carpeted, however on the third level I came to a closed door... While i tried to open the door, it was locked yet somebody heard me tugging onto the door and with a swish of the floor lock the door opened up to a new world. The friendly staff told me that nobody comes up by this way thats why the door is locked.. good thing he heard me :)
While I settle into this really large and 'OLD SCHOOL' lavishly designed traditionally chinese styled restaurant, I cannot but notice the old looking wooden doors that leads to every entrance/exit of the restaurant, it kinda mismatched with the overall lavish deco.
Anyway, the lady manager was nice to offer us whats nice on the menu and we decided on their famous Paking Duck and a few other dishes.
Appetizer is some canned wetish nuts and we were served a tea which is fragrant yet the staff ain't sure what it was. The Peking duck was first striped off the skin and wrapped in crepe, served together with spring onion and cucumbers. Though the dark is huge, the veg that comes along with the many slices of skin and crepe is insufficient.
The duck was then de-boned and served on a plate, pretty convenient for us ladies when we yak away, we kinda forgot how large the duck originally was that ended in a small plate of meat. We had "Luo Han Chai" which is a mixture of veg and bean curd skins stuffs in a claypot of braised sauce. The sauce is a double boiled brownish red in colour and it tasted yummy. Veg is cooked just right and savoury yet retains the bright green colour. We also had some longevity noodles which is braised in a similarly brownish red sauce. Noodles are yummy and is of a good portion.
Dinner for 4 ended at about slightly below $80 with the other stuffs ordered, no rice, just all the dishes... and we chat and sat till about 9 where we realised we are the only ones left, The other 3 tables have left and they are packing up. Not crowded and can talk loudly... not that we want too, we just can't help it.... :)
Great place for group lunch or dinner, Price is reasonable and food quality good. Portion is pretty good, staff service a mixture... manager is helpful when ordering yet its hard to get attention from them but when they are free they will drop by to refill your tea... So.. Its pretty above average on the services.
Spotted a very rare sight of a moomoo spotted black and white food van that is really selling food out from it. Curiosity made me decide whatever that is available on the menu, though there is not many varieties to choose from just the standard 4 to 5 today's choices, just for that thrill of buying from a food van, I will pay any amount and have no qualms about tasting anything.
The way the menu is being placed is super fun... Its like a black board by the side of the truck where 2 window like spots open up to a small kitchen in the truck and there you order, you are served and you make payment. Inside the van is a kitchen spacious enough for 2 person and pretty airy I must say.
The menu today is Chilli Crab Alio Olio, beef burger, hot dog bun and chocolate brownie, while I am not quite in the mood for something savory I decided on the chocolate brownie. Its served in this really cute lunch paper box with the travelling cow logo on it and you could take as many forks and serviettes you want from them. There is no sitting area so just hang around standing around the truck. The brownie is warm and there a white creamy sauce on it, the sauce tasted pretty bland yet creamy and enhances the taste of the brownie. Brownie is chocolaty yet not too sweet and chunks of bitter sweet chocolate as well as some nuts made is extremely yummy.
I think they are slightly higher priced then normal cafes and portion is not really quite enough for one but the quality of food is pretty outstanding and the concept is priceless!
Love the concept of the travelling cow and upon understanding, they do travel to different spots to sell their cuisines and even ulu places that is hard to get away to buy lunch, they can be there to provide to you occasional treats. If I am organizing a party, I'm for sure to engage them.... their presence will Jazz up any party and make it the hippest one ever could have thrown.
Had been meaning to try out Hippopotamus for the longest time, after reading about and seeing an outlet in Paris a couple of years back. And so we dropped by for an early dinner on a Saturday evening. Apparently the eatery's selling point is its wide range of beef cuts at affordable prices. Honestly, I am not too hung up on the variety of cuts because I am not picky but I do like the sound of affordable.
Because the restaurant is located along a rather quiet stretch on the ground floor of Marina Square Shopping Mall, it offers an "al fresco" dining area alongside the pedestrian walkway as well as seating in the inner chambers which offer more privacy. Exposed brick walls with red, square lights complete the cafe like setup.
Complimentary Chips - This was served alongside a basket of dry, hard and mildly sourish bread (skip it!). No surprise the chips were the first to go - crisp and a great way to start off.
US Pork Chops - A very flavourful and well grilled piece of pork that threatened to put alot of "western" restaurants to shame.A pity the meat was a little too dry and tough for my liking. Also, some of the accompanying fries came a little too charred as well.
Tenderloin "Chateaubriand" - The crème de la crème of the cuts and the tenderest of them all, the Chateaubriand tenderloin (Chateaubriand is actually a recipe involving a particular thick cut of beef) was a little overcooked to medium well, contrary to my request for medium rare. Nonetheless, it was still tender with nuances of bovine flavour seeping through with every bite. I would have liked the flavours to be more pronounced though. Served alongside 2 sides of your choice.
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake - Coming across as a little dense and dry and tasting overwhelmingly of chocolate with a nuance of hazelnut, the cake had tiny crumbs of hazelnut etched atop and sat in a shallow pool of vanilla cream. Brownies, anyone?
With a 50% discount courtesy of my palate card, dinner was relatively inexpensive at about $34 for 2 pax. I know it's not a fair comparison but at this price point (50% off) and quality, it beats the likes of Astons or any other budget steak house hands down in my humble opinion. However, take the discount away and the value ratio decreases quite a bit. Service was decent but could be a little more attentive (my glass of water was never refilled). All in all, a place I would only return with the 50% off.
Attended the MEGA FLEA 8 organized by T.Cartel over the last weekend @ Suntec City hall 404. I must say this event is one of the best flea events I have ever encountered.
The direction boards leading to the location was well placed as there are many other functions happening at the same location, there was not much pondering and I immediately could find the entrance of the location.
At the entrance there is a photo booth where shoppers can take funky pictures with props and backdrops. Watching participants getting excited and all hyped up made me happy and added a good fun factor to the event.
I was surprised by the scale of the event and how neatly arranged the stalls are. Though crowded, there are ample space for 2 to 3 shoppers to stop and browse while others can walk by. Though you still get some bag slapping action and butt bumming around, its still considered spacious for a flea market when every inch of space is must be accounted for.
While I browse the stores, I realize some of the businesses are those that we hardly see on a normal flea, stuffs such as sale of red wine, fleece blankets, house cleaning services, innovative house hold products, imported foldable bicycles... There were also a good mix of young designers and patisseries, those that launch their special shirt designs, ladies fashionable bags, home made cookies which are rather yummy and even community project handmade retailed items... I was impressed by the good mix of participants and some of these stalls does have the WOW factor.
The crowd is pretty good, yet there is ample space for browsing and hanging around. The ambient temperature and noise level is kept at a pretty healthy level and shopping at this flea market is extremely comfortable and enjoyable. Love to be able to go for more of such well-planned and comprehensive flea markets.
Used to really enjoy going to this outlet mainly because of their free flow freshly baked crusty bread... They used to have this bread counter where they will bring out loafs of freshly baked bread from their oven and you could self serve with loads of butter, olive oil, vinaigrette and other consignments available at the counter.
Yar.. maybe you think that i'm a cheapo that will order a bowl of soup and eat loads of bread and well.... i cannot say this thought never crossed my mind, however when you are there you cannot but be tempted to order the other stuffs on the menu. The BBQ ribs are extremely nice, soft and chewy, full flavored and portion is big. Seafood platter also serves up the ocean, breaded and fried, crispy and portion is definitely good to share. However because the bread is so good, I always indulge myself with too much bread and walk out feeling like a balloon.... Now we are already floating up mid air and I have yet to touch on the dessert and drinks.
Coffee comes in all sorts of styles here and you could get them to be served with ice-cream and so are their sodas and fruit juices.... Its really too many to list. The dessert choices are a headache because everything is just so yummy....
All in all, the menu takes like 15 minutes to digest and another 5 to decide because there are just so many stuffs to choose from.. and always go with a group of friends because you tend to indulge in ordering too much. Just sad that the free flow bread is no more, they do still give you a basket of bread but all the fun of going there to cut it yourself, though the bread all comes back ugly and oddly squeezed, its the fun of doing it yourself that makes the difference..
CAFE CARTEL..... I HOPE YOU HEAR ME.....
" PLEASE BRING BACK THE FREE FLOW BREAD COUNTER!!!"
" I'M LOVING AND MISSING THAT ALOT!!!"
I always walk pass, but rarely walk in, reason being that there's too many choices of food, restaurants and cafe available. But when I always walk pass the outlet, the savoury glistening pies always seemed to be smiling at me...
Though the menu serves up a good variety of heavy meals, light snacks, eastern and western delights, my choices are pretty regular...
For a light meal, I always opt for a beef burger because they make up a very originally tasting burger... which is a slice of patty on toasted buttered bread and onion tomato sauce.. thats it... simple and nostalgia and yummy... like the way i ate it when i was really tiny.
For a slightly heavier meal, I always go for their carbonara pie. Its sought of a chicken pie but BIGGER... The flaky skin is baked till crispy and the filling is a good mix of chicken chunks, potato, carrots and everything else in a light creamy sauce. The entire combination is really yummy and I should say its good to share.
For a good regular meal, I always go for the Hainanese Pork Chop Set meal that comes complete with a soup (usually just so so), a slice of garlic bread, dessert (which could be jello or cake or fruit), sunkist orange juice (my fav.), rice and the hainanese pork chop itself. The hainanese pork chop is really yummy and the chilli is potent... Its a mix of freshly fried pork cutlet in a tomato based sauce with chunks of carrots, potato, i think pear, pineapple, onions and everything else. Its tangy and savory, taste is slightly acidic and goes well with the rice. Its appetizing and the portion is great for one.
For desserts, I always go for the cakes, because I think they are cheap and good and of a good size. They have an array of different flavors, even like pandan fudge, blackforest, etc. The apple crumble or choice of fruit pies are amazing, simple, extremely value for money and of a very very good portion.
In summary, the food is really yummy, affordable and value for money, service is so so but the place is pretty clean. Sits are not really comfy but rather casual and old school, yet its almost always 70% full. The variety on the menu is great, you get to choose even local delights like hor fun. Its very much a self served place so don't expect much service.
Always love to browse M.A.C cosmetic products, I personally find their colour and product range comprehensive and made with really good quality ingredients. I popped by this new outlet at Robinsons, JEM on a weekday evening after work when the crowd has not yet sit in and got a really good experience.
Love the way they display their products, I can only say professional, clean and neat. There are definitely more than hundreds of different kinds of cosmetic products, with different color hues, textures, functions and even make up instruments. Its as though I can turn professional when I get hold of a set of these professional brushes and pots and jars of powders, gel, liquid and anything in between. On top of that, all their products are available for trial. I asked Janette, the friendly staff who served me, if they disinfect these trial cosmetics and she said... "Of Course we do, sometimes many times a day if the store is busy" in a sweet friendly smile :)"
With that I feel much more secured... unlike many places that sells cosmetics, their trial areas are usually messy, littered and you can see broken pieces of pressed powders everywhere, coupled with the damaged casing and the cosmetics itself, reminded me of a used toilet cubicle BOMBED...... and not FLUSHED.... with toilet rolls everywhere.
Here... its so different, she let me try the colors on my hand and even recommended me what is trending while helping me make comparison and advised me my colour tones and beauty must dos... Love the helpful and somewhat entertaining tone coupled with a tinge of humor here and there... 'this trip is indeed very fruitful'. Besides her professional dressing, all the staffs here are kinda dressed in complete black, her makeup looked so natural and eye make up fantastically eye popping 'in a good way of course' . While I asked questions on how I could do similar color blending, Janette offered me some really good information and also if I would like to know more, they can arrange a workshop for me to attend.
While we were discussing on the products, her colleague Junry popped by and I was most mesmerized by her dolly eyes.... Friendly and extremely alluring, she briefly described to me which products she used, how she used them and the other add on products. While I tried to remember the information, she happily offered to add me in her Instagram where she shares her bold look. I am hysterically happy... Finally there is hope for the MAKEUP DISASTER ME!
So I would recommend you gals or guys who would like to buy cosmetics or make up stuffs to go to M.A.C or if you want my kinda experience, you may go to the outlet at JEM Robinsons.. if you are wondering what I bought, of course most of the recommended especially some eye colour for that trending bold look..
A little something extra for you patient readers... I know my post is kinda long.. some prices that are not tagged..
1) Eyebrow shaping - $15
2) Makeover - $50
3) Free Makeover with purchase of $120 worth of products - $120
4) One to One workshop with purchase of $150 worth of products - $150...
I could just roughly remember these as there were so many to remember.. enjoy your colourful journey and thankyou staff of M.A.C... I had a wonderful experience and I don't get that alot these days...
1=SGD 0.0587
I am a chicken-tarian, which means I eat mostly chicken! So, how can I not try Poulét?
My friend and I shared a couple of dishes:
1) Half Roast Chicken - it's so tender that the meat just melts away. The Mushroom Chardonnay Sauce goes well perfectly with the meat.
2) French Onion Soup - though I am not a beef person, and I know the soup base normally has beef in it, I have to try it. It's flavourful, or I should say, overpower. I find it too salty. I had to add a lot of pepper to blend out the saltiness.
3) Chicken Salad - It's almost a mouthful of chunky chicken breast with fresh lettuce and cherry tomatoes. It's dressing is just right. Not too creamy. The crunchy vegetable goes well with the chunk. :)
The pricing is reasonable and affordable.
Rating given:
Old Airport Road Hawker Centre has a lot of good food. Normally people will go for the wanton mee and the Lao Ban Dou Hua. For me, I go for HOLY GRILL.
It's something like Astons, but cheaper than Astons, and tastier too. The grilled chicken is juicy and the sides are fantastic too. I had the pasta salad which the pasta tastes just right, not too soft or too hard; and the baked potato is with real crispy bacon!
I am a non-beef person, so did not get to taste their steaks. So, who ever did taste it, please post your reviews here! :)
Rating given:
I am a big fan of Jamie Olivier. So when I know that his Jamie's Italian Restaurant is opening in Singapore, I must definitely go and try.
It was said to be affordable Italian cuisine, but I still feel that it's on a higher side. That dinner I had at Jamie's Italian was a treat from a friend. I think we burnt a big hole in her pocket.
The service staff at the front entrance is not very professional. My friend told her that we had a 4 adults and a baby chair for the baby, she argued with my friend that she did not mentioned about the baby and the baby chair. She insisted that she was right and my friend was wrong! Although she did in the end arrange a baby chair for us, we felt super unhappy with her service as she should not had argued with us on a small matter. My friend was super angry, but luckily their other service staff whom served our table were polite and friendlier.
Our Order:
1. CRISPY SQUID - $11.50
Fried squid, garlicky mayo & lemon
2. BAKED MUSHROOMS - $12.50
Swiss browns with crispy “music bread” & smoked buffalo mozzarella
3. WILD MUSHROOM RAVIOLI - $24.50
Filled with garlic, wild mushrooms & soft ricotta, served with a rich mushroom & tomato sauce
4. SEAFOOD BUCATINI - $29.50
Tubular spaghetti steamed in a bag with crab, mussels, clams, squid, scallops, capers, chilli, garlic, white wine & juicy sweet tomatoes
5. GRILLED CHICKEN - $28.00
Grilled garlic & rosemary chicken with a tomato, olive, chilli & caper sauce
6. FRITTO MISTO - $27.00
Fresh fish & shellfish fried till crispy, served with yuzu mayo
7. AMALFI LEMON & BASIL ICED TEA - $15.00
A blend of succulent lemon & basil
The crispy squid portion was quite small. The dip was good, the squid itself was normal tasting.
Baked mushroom was delicious! I like the thin bread.
My main dish is the wid mushroom ravioli. I ordered the bigger portion - 8 pieces. Not too bad. But I find it a bit salty.
The amalfi lemon & basil iced tea was not my cup of tea. I do not like english tea without sugar. I asked for sugar syrup, but their sugar syrup tasted like diluted sugar water.
Rating given:
We held our last 38 auntie gathering at this outlet of the Peach Garden dedicated to a night full of 'yaking' about the everyday topics of family, children, why we must buy la senza lingerie, which store is having a good sale and of course the cute guys we meet through the mundane routine working lifestyle. Nonetheless, we enjoyed a good array of yummy food and the loud culture of a local chinese restaurant, we are kept safe from angry stares and loud SHHHHs.... as you know when there are more then 2 glee ladies on a round table, it tends to get a little out of control.
So I am late again and have decided to avoid the enthusiastic newly checked in guest at the lift and I've decided to take the stairs. The Stairs looked grand alright, windy and carpeted, however on the third level I came to a closed door... While i tried to open the door, it was locked yet somebody heard me tugging onto the door and with a swish of the floor lock the door opened up to a new world. The friendly staff told me that nobody comes up by this way thats why the door is locked.. good thing he heard me :)
While I settle into this really large and 'OLD SCHOOL' lavishly designed traditionally chinese styled restaurant, I cannot but notice the old looking wooden doors that leads to every entrance/exit of the restaurant, it kinda mismatched with the overall lavish deco.
Anyway, the lady manager was nice to offer us whats nice on the menu and we decided on their famous Paking Duck and a few other dishes.
Appetizer is some canned wetish nuts and we were served a tea which is fragrant yet the staff ain't sure what it was. The Peking duck was first striped off the skin and wrapped in crepe, served together with spring onion and cucumbers. Though the dark is huge, the veg that comes along with the many slices of skin and crepe is insufficient.
The duck was then de-boned and served on a plate, pretty convenient for us ladies when we yak away, we kinda forgot how large the duck originally was that ended in a small plate of meat. We had "Luo Han Chai" which is a mixture of veg and bean curd skins stuffs in a claypot of braised sauce. The sauce is a double boiled brownish red in colour and it tasted yummy. Veg is cooked just right and savoury yet retains the bright green colour. We also had some longevity noodles which is braised in a similarly brownish red sauce. Noodles are yummy and is of a good portion.
Dinner for 4 ended at about slightly below $80 with the other stuffs ordered, no rice, just all the dishes... and we chat and sat till about 9 where we realised we are the only ones left, The other 3 tables have left and they are packing up. Not crowded and can talk loudly... not that we want too, we just can't help it.... :)
Great place for group lunch or dinner, Price is reasonable and food quality good. Portion is pretty good, staff service a mixture... manager is helpful when ordering yet its hard to get attention from them but when they are free they will drop by to refill your tea... So.. Its pretty above average on the services.
Rating given:
Spotted a very rare sight of a moomoo spotted black and white food van that is really selling food out from it. Curiosity made me decide whatever that is available on the menu, though there is not many varieties to choose from just the standard 4 to 5 today's choices, just for that thrill of buying from a food van, I will pay any amount and have no qualms about tasting anything.
The way the menu is being placed is super fun... Its like a black board by the side of the truck where 2 window like spots open up to a small kitchen in the truck and there you order, you are served and you make payment. Inside the van is a kitchen spacious enough for 2 person and pretty airy I must say.
The menu today is Chilli Crab Alio Olio, beef burger, hot dog bun and chocolate brownie, while I am not quite in the mood for something savory I decided on the chocolate brownie. Its served in this really cute lunch paper box with the travelling cow logo on it and you could take as many forks and serviettes you want from them. There is no sitting area so just hang around standing around the truck. The brownie is warm and there a white creamy sauce on it, the sauce tasted pretty bland yet creamy and enhances the taste of the brownie. Brownie is chocolaty yet not too sweet and chunks of bitter sweet chocolate as well as some nuts made is extremely yummy.
I think they are slightly higher priced then normal cafes and portion is not really quite enough for one but the quality of food is pretty outstanding and the concept is priceless!
Love the concept of the travelling cow and upon understanding, they do travel to different spots to sell their cuisines and even ulu places that is hard to get away to buy lunch, they can be there to provide to you occasional treats. If I am organizing a party, I'm for sure to engage them.... their presence will Jazz up any party and make it the hippest one ever could have thrown.
Rating given:
Had been meaning to try out Hippopotamus for the longest time, after reading about and seeing an outlet in Paris a couple of years back. And so we dropped by for an early dinner on a Saturday evening. Apparently the eatery's selling point is its wide range of beef cuts at affordable prices. Honestly, I am not too hung up on the variety of cuts because I am not picky but I do like the sound of affordable.
Because the restaurant is located along a rather quiet stretch on the ground floor of Marina Square Shopping Mall, it offers an "al fresco" dining area alongside the pedestrian walkway as well as seating in the inner chambers which offer more privacy. Exposed brick walls with red, square lights complete the cafe like setup.
Complimentary Chips - This was served alongside a basket of dry, hard and mildly sourish bread (skip it!). No surprise the chips were the first to go - crisp and a great way to start off.
US Pork Chops - A very flavourful and well grilled piece of pork that threatened to put alot of "western" restaurants to shame.A pity the meat was a little too dry and tough for my liking. Also, some of the accompanying fries came a little too charred as well.
Tenderloin "Chateaubriand" - The crème de la crème of the cuts and the tenderest of them all, the Chateaubriand tenderloin (Chateaubriand is actually a recipe involving a particular thick cut of beef) was a little overcooked to medium well, contrary to my request for medium rare. Nonetheless, it was still tender with nuances of bovine flavour seeping through with every bite. I would have liked the flavours to be more pronounced though. Served alongside 2 sides of your choice.
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake - Coming across as a little dense and dry and tasting overwhelmingly of chocolate with a nuance of hazelnut, the cake had tiny crumbs of hazelnut etched atop and sat in a shallow pool of vanilla cream. Brownies, anyone?
With a 50% discount courtesy of my palate card, dinner was relatively inexpensive at about $34 for 2 pax. I know it's not a fair comparison but at this price point (50% off) and quality, it beats the likes of Astons or any other budget steak house hands down in my humble opinion. However, take the discount away and the value ratio decreases quite a bit. Service was decent but could be a little more attentive (my glass of water was never refilled). All in all, a place I would only return with the 50% off.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Attended the MEGA FLEA 8 organized by T.Cartel over the last weekend @ Suntec City hall 404. I must say this event is one of the best flea events I have ever encountered.
The direction boards leading to the location was well placed as there are many other functions happening at the same location, there was not much pondering and I immediately could find the entrance of the location.
At the entrance there is a photo booth where shoppers can take funky pictures with props and backdrops. Watching participants getting excited and all hyped up made me happy and added a good fun factor to the event.
I was surprised by the scale of the event and how neatly arranged the stalls are. Though crowded, there are ample space for 2 to 3 shoppers to stop and browse while others can walk by. Though you still get some bag slapping action and butt bumming around, its still considered spacious for a flea market when every inch of space is must be accounted for.
While I browse the stores, I realize some of the businesses are those that we hardly see on a normal flea, stuffs such as sale of red wine, fleece blankets, house cleaning services, innovative house hold products, imported foldable bicycles... There were also a good mix of young designers and patisseries, those that launch their special shirt designs, ladies fashionable bags, home made cookies which are rather yummy and even community project handmade retailed items... I was impressed by the good mix of participants and some of these stalls does have the WOW factor.
The crowd is pretty good, yet there is ample space for browsing and hanging around. The ambient temperature and noise level is kept at a pretty healthy level and shopping at this flea market is extremely comfortable and enjoyable. Love to be able to go for more of such well-planned and comprehensive flea markets.
Rating given:
Used to really enjoy going to this outlet mainly because of their free flow freshly baked crusty bread... They used to have this bread counter where they will bring out loafs of freshly baked bread from their oven and you could self serve with loads of butter, olive oil, vinaigrette and other consignments available at the counter.
Yar.. maybe you think that i'm a cheapo that will order a bowl of soup and eat loads of bread and well.... i cannot say this thought never crossed my mind, however when you are there you cannot but be tempted to order the other stuffs on the menu. The BBQ ribs are extremely nice, soft and chewy, full flavored and portion is big. Seafood platter also serves up the ocean, breaded and fried, crispy and portion is definitely good to share. However because the bread is so good, I always indulge myself with too much bread and walk out feeling like a balloon.... Now we are already floating up mid air and I have yet to touch on the dessert and drinks.
Coffee comes in all sorts of styles here and you could get them to be served with ice-cream and so are their sodas and fruit juices.... Its really too many to list. The dessert choices are a headache because everything is just so yummy....
All in all, the menu takes like 15 minutes to digest and another 5 to decide because there are just so many stuffs to choose from.. and always go with a group of friends because you tend to indulge in ordering too much. Just sad that the free flow bread is no more, they do still give you a basket of bread but all the fun of going there to cut it yourself, though the bread all comes back ugly and oddly squeezed, its the fun of doing it yourself that makes the difference..
CAFE CARTEL..... I HOPE YOU HEAR ME.....
" PLEASE BRING BACK THE FREE FLOW BREAD COUNTER!!!"
" I'M LOVING AND MISSING THAT ALOT!!!"
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I always walk pass, but rarely walk in, reason being that there's too many choices of food, restaurants and cafe available. But when I always walk pass the outlet, the savoury glistening pies always seemed to be smiling at me...
Though the menu serves up a good variety of heavy meals, light snacks, eastern and western delights, my choices are pretty regular...
For a light meal, I always opt for a beef burger because they make up a very originally tasting burger... which is a slice of patty on toasted buttered bread and onion tomato sauce.. thats it... simple and nostalgia and yummy... like the way i ate it when i was really tiny.
For a slightly heavier meal, I always go for their carbonara pie. Its sought of a chicken pie but BIGGER... The flaky skin is baked till crispy and the filling is a good mix of chicken chunks, potato, carrots and everything else in a light creamy sauce. The entire combination is really yummy and I should say its good to share.
For a good regular meal, I always go for the Hainanese Pork Chop Set meal that comes complete with a soup (usually just so so), a slice of garlic bread, dessert (which could be jello or cake or fruit), sunkist orange juice (my fav.), rice and the hainanese pork chop itself. The hainanese pork chop is really yummy and the chilli is potent... Its a mix of freshly fried pork cutlet in a tomato based sauce with chunks of carrots, potato, i think pear, pineapple, onions and everything else. Its tangy and savory, taste is slightly acidic and goes well with the rice. Its appetizing and the portion is great for one.
For desserts, I always go for the cakes, because I think they are cheap and good and of a good size. They have an array of different flavors, even like pandan fudge, blackforest, etc. The apple crumble or choice of fruit pies are amazing, simple, extremely value for money and of a very very good portion.
In summary, the food is really yummy, affordable and value for money, service is so so but the place is pretty clean. Sits are not really comfy but rather casual and old school, yet its almost always 70% full. The variety on the menu is great, you get to choose even local delights like hor fun. Its very much a self served place so don't expect much service.
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Always love to browse M.A.C cosmetic products, I personally find their colour and product range comprehensive and made with really good quality ingredients. I popped by this new outlet at Robinsons, JEM on a weekday evening after work when the crowd has not yet sit in and got a really good experience.
Love the way they display their products, I can only say professional, clean and neat. There are definitely more than hundreds of different kinds of cosmetic products, with different color hues, textures, functions and even make up instruments. Its as though I can turn professional when I get hold of a set of these professional brushes and pots and jars of powders, gel, liquid and anything in between. On top of that, all their products are available for trial. I asked Janette, the friendly staff who served me, if they disinfect these trial cosmetics and she said... "Of Course we do, sometimes many times a day if the store is busy" in a sweet friendly smile :)"
With that I feel much more secured... unlike many places that sells cosmetics, their trial areas are usually messy, littered and you can see broken pieces of pressed powders everywhere, coupled with the damaged casing and the cosmetics itself, reminded me of a used toilet cubicle BOMBED...... and not FLUSHED.... with toilet rolls everywhere.
Here... its so different, she let me try the colors on my hand and even recommended me what is trending while helping me make comparison and advised me my colour tones and beauty must dos... Love the helpful and somewhat entertaining tone coupled with a tinge of humor here and there... 'this trip is indeed very fruitful'. Besides her professional dressing, all the staffs here are kinda dressed in complete black, her makeup looked so natural and eye make up fantastically eye popping 'in a good way of course' . While I asked questions on how I could do similar color blending, Janette offered me some really good information and also if I would like to know more, they can arrange a workshop for me to attend.
While we were discussing on the products, her colleague Junry popped by and I was most mesmerized by her dolly eyes.... Friendly and extremely alluring, she briefly described to me which products she used, how she used them and the other add on products. While I tried to remember the information, she happily offered to add me in her Instagram where she shares her bold look. I am hysterically happy... Finally there is hope for the MAKEUP DISASTER ME!
So I would recommend you gals or guys who would like to buy cosmetics or make up stuffs to go to M.A.C or if you want my kinda experience, you may go to the outlet at JEM Robinsons.. if you are wondering what I bought, of course most of the recommended especially some eye colour for that trending bold look..
A little something extra for you patient readers... I know my post is kinda long.. some prices that are not tagged..
1) Eyebrow shaping - $15
2) Makeover - $50
3) Free Makeover with purchase of $120 worth of products - $120
4) One to One workshop with purchase of $150 worth of products - $150...
I could just roughly remember these as there were so many to remember.. enjoy your colourful journey and thankyou staff of M.A.C... I had a wonderful experience and I don't get that alot these days...
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