Hungering for buffets? Want to show your friends from overseas what local cuisine tastes like? Well, look no further then Straits Kitchen. At one small(read: big) price, your friends will get to try everything they've ever wanted to try in Singaporean cuisine while enjoying a relaxed and comfortable ambiance within the confines of the Grant Hyatt.
Located on the first floor of the Grand Hyatt, Straits Kitchen is the restaurant encased in glass and partitioned with bottles, tea pots and soft lighting. Tables are of the wood variety as are the chairs in certain portions of the restaurant. The table we sat at comprised of wooden tables and chairs which look great until you realise how cramped and difficult it is to stand up and move around. Air conditioning in the restaurant is quite powerful while the music played ranges from classic malay, chinese and indian songs to suit the theme of the restaurant. An overall aesthetically pleasing presentation.
Being a buffet, counters are separated according to cuisine. There'll be separate counters for Malay food, Indian food, Chinese, Dessert and drinks. The range of items can be quite daunting and bascially, there are so many choices, your stomach will never be the same again. I'll just name the few i've come into contact with that day. These range from Laksa, Mee Soto, Fish Soup, Chicken and duck rice, Chili Crab, Mini Buddha Jump over the wall, Fried buns, Keropok, Fried carrot Cake, Prata, Prawns and Asparagus, Fried Kway Teow, Dory fish with Beancurd, Satay, Fried rice, Ayam Pengat, Rojak, Yam Paste, Durian Ice Cream and all manners of cakes and cookies to name a few. Even with an extensive list like this, i still may have missed out on quite a few items they had to offer. Needless to say, they have alot to offer.
Reviewing a buffet is never akin to reviewing actual fine dining establishments because first of all, its impossible to put much heart into food preparation when mass producing items and secondly, even if there were good items, the trouble with too much selection is that the customer might not get to try the better items. My colleagues mentioned that the food here was heavy as compared to carousal in Royal Scotts. They were right. With selections like fish soup noodles, fried rice, chicken rice, roti prata and laksa (that doesn't even finish covering the heavy items btw), its a killer to eat everything. In fact, eat 2 bowls of the above and you'll be stuffed enough to go home. The food is of a certain standard of course. The better items i had were the Mini Buddha jump over the wall which came with a scallop (boiled to death and very crumbly, no sweetness whatsoever) and a piece of abalone (which may or may not be actual abalone, i'm quite sure its either low quality or fake altogether). The broth itself should be double boiled which explains why its quite salty but overall, i'd say it was still passable. The carrot cake was pretty decent albeit being extremely oily. Pair it with some chili sauce and it'll do just fine. The prawns and asparagus were quite tasteless but the prawns themselves were big and crunchy, i'm disputing a little on the freshness because after 4 prawns, it started to feel generic and all of them strangely lacked any taste of sweetness in them. The satay was pretty good as the chicken (the only one i tried because all the other meats were quickly snapped up) was tender and the satay dip was authentic enough to be good. I had the yam paste for dessert which honestly wasn't too good. It was too sweet while the coconut milk portion too watery and lacking in taste to be even slightly decent. The best item i figured for that night? Probably the prawn crackers or the satay but thats just me.
I'd like to thank my boss again for the treat. She's really too kind and too generous. Wonderful boss i should say and i'm not even trying to flatter her. The experience was a good one although i can't say the same for the food offering but hey, its a buffet. A word of fairness is that it did not taste too bad actually, just that its not exactly grade A stuff. A good place to show overseas friends local food without braving the heat and oil of the real hawkers though. Straits kitchen is an interesting concept with decent grub. If only they could include the fresh juices as part of the buffet again to make it more attractive.
This is a long overdue post. It's been so long that I even got rid of the pictures I took at this place unknowingly.
I dropped by one weekday afternoon with two other friends for an early lunch and was pretty excited to try out the more upmarket version of Aston's Specialties.
I ordered the King Salmon Steak ($22.90) whilst my two friends had steak. You can get their opinion of the steaks above. I tried a couple of bites from their steak and wasn't impressed. They asked for their steaks to be done medium rare... but didn't get medium rare....
My Salmon turned out to be medium rare instead. One end was even uncooked. I've never tasted salmon so horribly done really. Somewhere in between the salmon was mushy and I couldn't tell whether it's because of the way it was done or that it wasn't fresh. I struggled to finish and in the end I couldn't bear to finish it anymore.
The only thing I really liked was the fries. They were the fat sort I liked and were lightly seasoned, making them tasty on their own without sauces. *yums*
The service was reasonable with the people talking to us before the cameras were whipped out. But when they did notice the cameras, I reckoned we got more attention than other patrons.
I seriously think I would really consder before going back again.
I'd never really been a fan of U.R.S but I was on a hunt for shoes that day and have exhausted all other options. So into this shop I went looking for the right shoes.
I was surprised to see the very similiar designs... almost identical to the ones I've seen in the other shops. They also have the designs I wanted in more acceptable colours like white brown and black. They also seem to have a larger range of working class shoes.
At first when I walked in, I was ignored by the staff nearest to the door. We looked at each other eye to eye and she turned away quickly. I had expected at least a smile or a "welcome" but was given none. I was tempted to walk out but knowing that I didn't have any other shops to go, I stayed a bit more.
Then I spotted them. The shoes I wanted in simple brown colour and they were on sale! I picked up the shoes and immediately a sweet young sales assistant appeared by my side. She offered to get the shoes in two different sizes as I wasn't sure what size I would wear. She also recommended some others which were similiar and I happily agreed to try.
After trying on about 7-9 pairs of shoes I finally bought three. The same lady served me throughout while serving some other customers. I found her to be very approachable, unlike her colleague. But later on when I was paying I found out that all of them were trainees. Apparently they are all studying and this is like attachment for them. So the other girl was very nervous which was why she turned away. I guess it's relatively forgivable then. The prices of the shoes are reasonable. An alternative to Charles and Keith I guess... despite U.R.S being around much longer than them.
The news is out - Chef Chan will be closing its doors for the last time on the 27th of May and the chef cum owner, chef Chan Chen Hei, will be moving on to do private dining. Hence it was imperative that my gf and I tried it out for the last time.
Located at Odeon Towers along North Bridge Road, Chef Chan the restaurant boasts exquisite food at nearer to earth prices, helmed by chef Chan who used to be the master chef of restaurants in quite a few 5 star hotels. The interior is rather unique, with one area dedicated solely to Chef Chan's personal collection of Chinese antiques and the other for dining purposes. The decor, rather haphazard in my opinion, boasts floor to ceiling windows, which offer a view of the sidewalks. But what that means is that people can peer in as well as the seats are just slightly elevated about ground level.
Chef Chan's Famous Crispy Roast Chicken - A perennial favourite and one of Chef Chan's signature dish, the chicken's skin was crackling crispy and the flesh was tender and juicy. It was quite good, but I found it lacking in flavours. A little herbs or spice and salt would do just well.
Pan Fried Bean Curd Rolls - Nicely done, but the filling of meat and prawns could have been cut down in order to go well and give the right amount of bite to complement the slightly crispy skin. In all honesty, the excess meat filling made me nauseous after a while. Oh and yes, the skin could have been crispier, just like the one I had at Royal China or Wah Lok.
Choy Sum Lightly Boiled - Nothing fantastic about this dish, plain normal and a little too salty if you ask me. The only nice touch to it was the addition of Ti Pou. Portions are generous for 2 pax, but hey its $18.
Gold Medal Fried Rice - With a name like Gold Medal Fried Rice, one would assume that it was top notch or something to that effect. Well it wasn't top notch, but pretty close. The rice had a strong Wok Hei taste and ingredients were aplenty. Interestingly, tomatoes were added in as well, giving the dish added colour and taste.
A button bursting lunch for 2 pax cost about $67 (after 25% discount), which is rather reasonable for the amount of dishes we had. But having said that, I don't see myself patronising again because the quality of food, though reasonably good, is really a far cry from the early days when it was situated at Toa Payoh Safra and pretty much a one man show.
After our dinner at Jian Dao Jian, we took a leisurely stroll to Tong Shui Café at Liang Seah Street. I had heard of its existence but this was the first time I had actually seen it. It was eye catching to say the least, with the walls painted in bright shades of red and green and traditional red Chinese lanterns hanging along the pathway. It gave a very traditional Chinese feeling, although the chandeliers inside did seem a little out of place. The eating area was small and cozy (though it might seem a little claustraphobic to some), with lots of decorations hanging from the walls. The ordering system at this eatery is similar to that of Hong Kong Café’s, in which you write your orders down on a slip of paper and pass it to the wait staff who will serve your order to you. As we were quite stuffed, we went for the Toast with Peanut Butter and Condensed Milk, Tofu with Meat Floss, Ice Cappuccino and Ice Milk Tea.
The Tofu with Meat Floss was a let down. I had expected a silkier tofu and more flavourful Meat Floss. The gravy was also too salty and oily for my liking. Toast with Peanut Butter and Condensed Milk might seem like a weird combination, but it tasted good. The Peanut Butter was smooth and creamy and the Condensed Milk added a certain sweetness to it. The toasted bread could have been crispier though.
The Ice Milk Tea and Ice Cappuccino were served in glasses that were reminiscent of honey containers and usually reserved for apple juice. I found them a little heavy on the sugar content.
All in all, a rather average experience at $15.53/-. Not too expensive and I might consider going back for supper or chit chat sessions. They close at 6am and are close to town, which makes it an even more attractive option.
Woke up bright and early on a Sunday morning for some Dim Sum with my gf. Had been wanting to do so ever since we had Dim Sum at Yan Palace some time back. This time we decided to visit one of the old names in Dim Sum - Red Star Restaurant at Chin Swee Road. Located on the top floor of a HDB flat, Red Star is one of the very few Dim Sum places that still serves Dim Sum in pushcarts, just like the old days. The interior in itself is reminiscent of the 80s. We got there at about 0830hrs and the place was more than half filled (It can easily seat about 200 pax).
It would be sheer madness if I were to review everything I ate, so I'll just list out what I find is good and what isn't. You might probably want to avoid the Xiao Long Bao because the skin was a little too starchy and the filling was too dry. The Chee Cheong Fun was a little too rough for my liking and could do with more filling. The Banana with Shrimp Roll was rather unique, with the sweetness of the banana complementing with the taste of shrimp. Other than that, the rest of the items were pretty normal.
The 2 of us paid almost $40/- for the meal, which is expensive by Red Star's standards, considering the last time we ate there, it only cost us about $30. They probably increased the price or something. However, having said that, they are still quite reasonable for the average quality of food that they provide. So if you are looking to relive the old days of the push cart or wish to have Dim Sum as early as 0730hrs, then this is the place for you. As for me I won't be rushing back to patronise anytime soon as I'm still reeling from the shock at my bill. Yan Palace does seem like a more viable option now.
The exterior of the restaurant was constructed to mimic a bamboo hut from olden China. The fake bamboo shoots placed at the entrance added to the realism. Inside, it was very oriental and cosy, with Chinese calligraphy works displayed on the walls. The restaurant was small, with only a grand total of 10 tables. A friendly waitress took our orders of Mei Cai Kou Rou and Special Tofu, both apparently one of the few signature dishes of the restaurant.
I've never tried Mei Cai Kou Rou before, so it came as a surprise that the Mei Cai was a little sweet instead of the usual saltiness that I associate with Mei Cai. It was something different, to me at least. The Kou Rou was thick with a few layers of meat and fat and tasted decent. The tofu was of the rougher genre, typically called "Dao Gua" or "Dou Gan". It was stuffed with meat in the middle and was nothing special really, but I like the gravy that came with it. It was a little peppery and very salty when consumed alone, but when eaten with the tofu, the saltiness was toned down and it made for a nice combination.
Overall, the bill was just shy of $20, inclusive of taxes and other stuff like towels, peanuts and others. Expensive? No way. Cheap? Relatively. Food wise is ok, based on the limited number of dishes that I've tried. (I've tried their salted chicken before and it was really salty, but hey, it is supposed to be salty.) Honestly speaking, if I am in search of cheap and simple home cooked fare in a quiet environment (uncomfortably quiet in fact, due to the small enclosed area and if there are no other patrons around), I'll be back. Other than that, I think not.
Had the usual family dinner at Cheng Li Yuan tonight. Cheng Li Yuan is a relatively new kid on the block and showcases food from northern China, instead of the usual south food that we are accustomed to. Located along Tanjong Pagar Road, it is quite prominent if you happen to drive or walk along that road. However, when we got there at about 1930hrs, it was almost empty with the exception of 1 table. We were greeted by the friendly lady boss and shown to our seats. We had the Pork with Special Sauce & Popiah Skin, Fried Mao's Spicy Pork, Fish and Dried Scallop with Egg White, Xiao Long Bao and Red Bean Snow Bun for dessert.
The Pork with Special Sauce & Popiah Skin looked gross when it arrived. The pork strips looked like maggots fried in oyster sauce. However, the dish was pleasently good. The Popiah skin was of a thicker kind and warm when served. Together with the pork strips, it was delectable. The Fried Mao's Spicy Pork was a favourite with my dad. The pork was thinly sliced and pan fried, making it a litle crisp on the edges and chewy.
Fish and Dried Scallop with Egg White might sound a little weird to some, but I like it! It wasn't as good as Prima's(Review coming soon)version, but good enough. The egg whites were smooth and nicely beaten. But beware. Too much of it can make you woozy. Next comes the highly recommended Xiao Long Bao. At $5 for 8 pieces, I consider it a steal, considering the quality. The skin was thin yet strong enough to hold the fillings inside. Pop one into your mouth and the juices just explode. Still, I find Crystal Jade's Xiao Long Bao a wee bit better. But I'll choose this over Crystal Jade's one anyday due to the huge disparity in price.
The highlight of the night(to me at least) was the exquisitely done Red Bean Snow Bun. This is a pretty unique dish because the "bun" is made from egg white which is deep fried. It looks exactly like a bun, golden on the outside and white on the inside. The "bun" was warm, soft and fluffy, albeit a little too oily. It had red bean paste as filling and a sprinkling of sugar on the outside. Pure genius I must say. The bun itself was pretty tasteless, but the red bean paste and sugar provided the sweetness. The paste was smooth and not too sweet. Goodbye Red Bean Paste Pan Cakes. Hello Red Bean Snow Bun!
Total cost for the meal was $52 for 3 pax. Not the cheapest I've tried, but reasonable enough. Food quality is also pretty good. One thing they need to brush up on a little is their attentiveness. We had problems trying to catch the attention of the lady boss and her husband. But you can't blame them really. They are the only 2 wait staff manning the whole place. Try it out if you want something different from your usual fare.
Sweet Indulgence is a quaint little place found in the CBD maze. It was a challenge for a few of us that night but everyone managed to turn up in the end.
Due to the way the restaurant is built (lengthwise) our table had to be long and the area inside was pretty crammed. People sitting inside daren't move about too much for the fear of being too troublesome.
But the decor of the place was quite nice. I was initially worried it would be a little warm for some but it wasn't. The lighting was a little dim for photo-taking but we still managed. I like the bar counter and the little piano at the side. The boss even invited people to play on the piano in exchange for a glass of wine.
Food Served:Complimentary bread I was hungry when I had this so I'm probably not a very good judge. It had a slight taste of herbs to it but that was all. It wasn't warm nor soft enough. But it's reasonable I guess.
Salad A very simple salad. period.
Cream of Broccoli Most of the others said it was salty but my brother and I felt it was fine. Odd isn't it. We actually finished everything and were quite pleased with it. Maybe it's because we're broccoli lovers. The odd thing about this soup was that it was served AFTER the main course.
Garlic Prawns Thank goodness for the prawns. 4 bowls of prawns were plonked on the table to be shared by the people surrounding iit. Ours were shared by 5. The prawns came the same time as the salad and saved the day. They were fresh and had just enough bite. They were also in a flavourful dressing/sauce which I found to be quite special.
Poached Salmon with White Sauce & Herbs, served with Pasta and Seasonal Vegetables Firstly, I have to say that every plate of salmon was different. Ours was without the fishy taste/smell though my neighbour's had. We thought it could be due to the fact that ours was slightly smaller. The pasta was slightly overcooked and tasteless.
Oven Baked Chicken Thigh Steak with Crisp Skin served with Chef Sauce & Potato Mash infused with Vanilla and Cream I only liked the potato mash really. The chicken wasn't fantastic. I refused to eat the skin as it was quite soggy not crisp and the meat inside though marinated, wasn't very tasty.
Strawberry Cheesecake I didn't even know what it was when I was eating it. We were arguing about what it was. Some said it was Strawberry shortcake whilst others said it was just a cake. I didn't like it at all and didn't finish mine. It had a very odd smell to it, which I wasn't accustomed to.
Warm Choco Lava Indulgence We had to share this among the 5 of us as a complimentary dessert. Although I liked the taste of the chocolate oozing out and the taste of the crust but I can't help but dislike the texture of the crust. I don't like the whole thing to crumble into bits the moment one takes a stab at it.
Each of us paid $33 that night. We were full but weren't overly so. I guess it's reasonable as it includes a drink but I had certainly expected more. Not worth a planned visit but if you're nearby I guess it's alright.
I was thinking that they were very unprepared for a mini-crowd like us and maybe they would do better if there were less people? I was just thinking. Ah well.
An afternoon tea date with the girlfriends brought me to Zhou's Kitchen at Far East Square. I don't quite know what possessed us to be so brave to as to travel all the way to the CBD area with a newborn baby, but we did. Not to mention we weren't sure where it was and was initially mistakened that it was the one situated above the food court.
After some walking, we caught sight of the lime green bamboos and found ourselves on the doorstep of the restaurant that weekday afternoon. Even at 2pm, the place was still bustling with activity and we were glad we made reservations.
The decor of the place was quite modern with an oriental touch to it. Quite pleasing to the eye really and the lighting was comfortable without being too dim for photo-taking.
Once settled, we took a look at the menu and were a little disappointed that the list was quite short. There wasn't much variety though they seemed to have most of the items we want... except one - the conventional chee cheong fun.
Food ordered: BBQ Pork Buns - Char Siew Bao ($3.20 for 3) The highlight of our meal. We had two servings of this. I liked the fluffiness of the outside and the filling wasn't too sweet. It was just right and it didn't have much fatty meat. My companions enjoyed this one too. But sadly that was all....
Steamed Pork Dumplings ($3.50 for 3) I'm not really a fan of pork dumplings so I guess I shouldn't comment on this. But I really found the skin a little too thick and dry for me. The filling was average and it wasn't juicy enough inside.
Steamed Shrimp Dumplings - Har Gao ($4.20 for 3) Same problem here. The skin was a tad too thick and dry. I wonder if it was because we were there close to the end of lunch time. But it really shouldn't be that way. The prawn inside was ok. It wasn't very fresh but it wasn't "stale" either.
Fried Rice Roll in XO Sauce - Fried Chee Cheong Fun ($4.20) They didn't have steamed chee cheong fun. Not even a single kind. This is the only one they have and apparently it's their signature dish. Well, we thought it tasted like Char Kway Tiao. It was quite oily and didn't have much liquor taste in case you're wondering. We were quite sad we can't have our regular rice rolls really.
Banana Roll with Shrimp ($3.80) We didn't order this but it appeared and we ate absent-mindedly. The taste of the banana was quite strong and it went pretty well with the shrimp I guess though I found it a little weird at first.
Fried Carrot Cake ($3.20) It was pretty oily and wasn't very smooth. I've had much smoother ones and 3 pieces for this price is a tad expensive.
Beancurd Roll with Shrimp- Fu Pi Juan ($3.50) I found that the skin wasn't crisp enough for my liking.
Mango Pomelo Cream ($4) A small serving at this price, I'd expected much more. But the taste of the mango was lacking and finding pomelo is like a mini treasure hunt in this bowl. It was served cold but but quite chilled enough. I would have preferred it if it were sweeter.
Hashima Jelly ($6) My companions had this and I didn't try it. They said it was average though...
Inclusive of tea, towels, pickles, service charge and GST, it cost 3 of us $53.80. The service is alright with them topping up the tea often and they took extra care with the baby around (except one absent minded lady) However I don't think this is worth another visit.... unless I'm in the area and there isn't much of anything else.
1=SGD 0.0587
Hungering for buffets? Want to show your friends from overseas what local cuisine tastes like? Well, look no further then Straits Kitchen. At one small(read: big) price, your friends will get to try everything they've ever wanted to try in Singaporean cuisine while enjoying a relaxed and comfortable ambiance within the confines of the Grant Hyatt.
Located on the first floor of the Grand Hyatt, Straits Kitchen is the restaurant encased in glass and partitioned with bottles, tea pots and soft lighting. Tables are of the wood variety as are the chairs in certain portions of the restaurant. The table we sat at comprised of wooden tables and chairs which look great until you realise how cramped and difficult it is to stand up and move around. Air conditioning in the restaurant is quite powerful while the music played ranges from classic malay, chinese and indian songs to suit the theme of the restaurant. An overall aesthetically pleasing presentation.
Being a buffet, counters are separated according to cuisine. There'll be separate counters for Malay food, Indian food, Chinese, Dessert and drinks. The range of items can be quite daunting and bascially, there are so many choices, your stomach will never be the same again.
I'll just name the few i've come into contact with that day. These range from Laksa, Mee Soto, Fish Soup, Chicken and duck rice, Chili Crab, Mini Buddha Jump over the wall, Fried buns, Keropok, Fried carrot Cake, Prata, Prawns and Asparagus, Fried Kway Teow, Dory fish with Beancurd, Satay, Fried rice, Ayam Pengat, Rojak, Yam Paste, Durian Ice Cream and all manners of cakes and cookies to name a few. Even with an extensive list like this, i still may have missed out on quite a few items they had to offer. Needless to say, they have alot to offer.
Reviewing a buffet is never akin to reviewing actual fine dining establishments because first of all, its impossible to put much heart into food preparation when mass producing items and secondly, even if there were good items, the trouble with too much selection is that the customer might not get to try the better items.
My colleagues mentioned that the food here was heavy as compared to carousal in Royal Scotts. They were right. With selections like fish soup noodles, fried rice, chicken rice, roti prata and laksa (that doesn't even finish covering the heavy items btw), its a killer to eat everything. In fact, eat 2 bowls of the above and you'll be stuffed enough to go home.
The food is of a certain standard of course. The better items i had were the Mini Buddha jump over the wall which came with a scallop (boiled to death and very crumbly, no sweetness whatsoever) and a piece of abalone (which may or may not be actual abalone, i'm quite sure its either low quality or fake altogether). The broth itself should be double boiled which explains why its quite salty but overall, i'd say it was still passable. The carrot cake was pretty decent albeit being extremely oily. Pair it with some chili sauce and it'll do just fine. The prawns and asparagus were quite tasteless but the prawns themselves were big and crunchy, i'm disputing a little on the freshness because after 4 prawns, it started to feel generic and all of them strangely lacked any taste of sweetness in them. The satay was pretty good as the chicken (the only one i tried because all the other meats were quickly snapped up) was tender and the satay dip was authentic enough to be good. I had the yam paste for dessert which honestly wasn't too good. It was too sweet while the coconut milk portion too watery and lacking in taste to be even slightly decent.
The best item i figured for that night? Probably the prawn crackers or the satay but thats just me.
I'd like to thank my boss again for the treat. She's really too kind and too generous. Wonderful boss i should say and i'm not even trying to flatter her. The experience was a good one although i can't say the same for the food offering but hey, its a buffet. A word of fairness is that it did not taste too bad actually, just that its not exactly grade A stuff. A good place to show overseas friends local food without braving the heat and oil of the real hawkers though. Straits kitchen is an interesting concept with decent grub. If only they could include the fresh juices as part of the buffet again to make it more attractive.
Rating given:
This is a long overdue post. It's been so long that I even got rid of the pictures I took at this place unknowingly.
I dropped by one weekday afternoon with two other friends for an early lunch and was pretty excited to try out the more upmarket version of Aston's Specialties.
I ordered the King Salmon Steak ($22.90) whilst my two friends had steak. You can get their opinion of the steaks above. I tried a couple of bites from their steak and wasn't impressed. They asked for their steaks to be done medium rare... but didn't get medium rare....
My Salmon turned out to be medium rare instead. One end was even uncooked. I've never tasted salmon so horribly done really. Somewhere in between the salmon was mushy and I couldn't tell whether it's because of the way it was done or that it wasn't fresh. I struggled to finish and in the end I couldn't bear to finish it anymore.
The only thing I really liked was the fries. They were the fat sort I liked and were lightly seasoned, making them tasty on their own without sauces. *yums*
The service was reasonable with the people talking to us before the cameras were whipped out. But when they did notice the cameras, I reckoned we got more attention than other patrons.
I seriously think I would really consder before going back again.
Rating given:
I'd never really been a fan of U.R.S but I was on a hunt for shoes that day and have exhausted all other options. So into this shop I went looking for the right shoes.
I was surprised to see the very similiar designs... almost identical to the ones I've seen in the other shops. They also have the designs I wanted in more acceptable colours like white brown and black. They also seem to have a larger range of working class shoes.
At first when I walked in, I was ignored by the staff nearest to the door. We looked at each other eye to eye and she turned away quickly. I had expected at least a smile or a "welcome" but was given none. I was tempted to walk out but knowing that I didn't have any other shops to go, I stayed a bit more.
Then I spotted them. The shoes I wanted in simple brown colour and they were on sale! I picked up the shoes and immediately a sweet young sales assistant appeared by my side. She offered to get the shoes in two different sizes as I wasn't sure what size I would wear. She also recommended some others which were similiar and I happily agreed to try.
After trying on about 7-9 pairs of shoes I finally bought three. The same lady served me throughout while serving some other customers. I found her to be very approachable, unlike her colleague. But later on when I was paying I found out that all of them were trainees. Apparently they are all studying and this is like attachment for them. So the other girl was very nervous which was why she turned away. I guess it's relatively forgivable then. The prices of the shoes are reasonable. An alternative to Charles and Keith I guess... despite U.R.S being around much longer than them.
Rating given:
The news is out - Chef Chan will be closing its doors for the last time on the 27th of May and the chef cum owner, chef Chan Chen Hei, will be moving on to do private dining. Hence it was imperative that my gf and I tried it out for the last time.
Located at Odeon Towers along North Bridge Road, Chef Chan the restaurant boasts exquisite food at nearer to earth prices, helmed by chef Chan who used to be the master chef of restaurants in quite a few 5 star hotels. The interior is rather unique, with one area dedicated solely to Chef Chan's personal collection of Chinese antiques and the other for dining purposes. The decor, rather haphazard in my opinion, boasts floor to ceiling windows, which offer a view of the sidewalks. But what that means is that people can peer in as well as the seats are just slightly elevated about ground level.
Chef Chan's Famous Crispy Roast Chicken - A perennial favourite and one of Chef Chan's signature dish, the chicken's skin was crackling crispy and the flesh was tender and juicy. It was quite good, but I found it lacking in flavours. A little herbs or spice and salt would do just well.
Pan Fried Bean Curd Rolls - Nicely done, but the filling of meat and prawns could have been cut down in order to go well and give the right amount of bite to complement the slightly crispy skin. In all honesty, the excess meat filling made me nauseous after a while. Oh and yes, the skin could have been crispier, just like the one I had at Royal China or Wah Lok.
Choy Sum Lightly Boiled - Nothing fantastic about this dish, plain normal and a little too salty if you ask me. The only nice touch to it was the addition of Ti Pou. Portions are generous for 2 pax, but hey its $18.
Gold Medal Fried Rice - With a name like Gold Medal Fried Rice, one would assume that it was top notch or something to that effect. Well it wasn't top notch, but pretty close. The rice had a strong Wok Hei taste and ingredients were aplenty. Interestingly, tomatoes were added in as well, giving the dish added colour and taste.
A button bursting lunch for 2 pax cost about $67 (after 25% discount), which is rather reasonable for the amount of dishes we had. But having said that, I don't see myself patronising again because the quality of food, though reasonably good, is really a far cry from the early days when it was situated at Toa Payoh Safra and pretty much a one man show.
Adiós Chef Chan!
See all my pictures here.
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After our dinner at Jian Dao Jian, we took a leisurely stroll to Tong Shui Café at Liang Seah Street. I had heard of its existence but this was the first time I had actually seen it. It was eye catching to say the least, with the walls painted in bright shades of red and green and traditional red Chinese lanterns hanging along the pathway. It gave a very traditional Chinese feeling, although the chandeliers inside did seem a little out of place. The eating area was small and cozy (though it might seem a little claustraphobic to some), with lots of decorations hanging from the walls. The ordering system at this eatery is similar to that of Hong Kong Café’s, in which you write your orders down on a slip of paper and pass it to the wait staff who will serve your order to you. As we were quite stuffed, we went for the Toast with Peanut Butter and Condensed Milk, Tofu with Meat Floss, Ice Cappuccino and Ice Milk Tea.
The Tofu with Meat Floss was a let down. I had expected a silkier tofu and more flavourful Meat Floss. The gravy was also too salty and oily for my liking. Toast with Peanut Butter and Condensed Milk might seem like a weird combination, but it tasted good. The Peanut Butter was smooth and creamy and the Condensed Milk added a certain sweetness to it. The toasted bread could have been crispier though.
The Ice Milk Tea and Ice Cappuccino were served in glasses that were reminiscent of honey containers and usually reserved for apple juice. I found them a little heavy on the sugar content.
All in all, a rather average experience at $15.53/-. Not too expensive and I might consider going back for supper or chit chat sessions. They close at 6am and are close to town, which makes it an even more attractive option.
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Woke up bright and early on a Sunday morning for some Dim Sum with my gf. Had been wanting to do so ever since we had Dim Sum at Yan Palace some time back. This time we decided to visit one of the old names in Dim Sum - Red Star Restaurant at Chin Swee Road. Located on the top floor of a HDB flat, Red Star is one of the very few Dim Sum places that still serves Dim Sum in pushcarts, just like the old days. The interior in itself is reminiscent of the 80s. We got there at about 0830hrs and the place was more than half filled (It can easily seat about 200 pax).
It would be sheer madness if I were to review everything I ate, so I'll just list out what I find is good and what isn't. You might probably want to avoid the Xiao Long Bao because the skin was a little too starchy and the filling was too dry. The Chee Cheong Fun was a little too rough for my liking and could do with more filling. The Banana with Shrimp Roll was rather unique, with the sweetness of the banana complementing with the taste of shrimp. Other than that, the rest of the items were pretty normal.
The 2 of us paid almost $40/- for the meal, which is expensive by Red Star's standards, considering the last time we ate there, it only cost us about $30. They probably increased the price or something. However, having said that, they are still quite reasonable for the average quality of food that they provide. So if you are looking to relive the old days of the push cart or wish to have Dim Sum as early as 0730hrs, then this is the place for you. As for me I won't be rushing back to patronise anytime soon as I'm still reeling from the shock at my bill. Yan Palace does seem like a more viable option now.
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The exterior of the restaurant was constructed to mimic a bamboo hut from olden China. The fake bamboo shoots placed at the entrance added to the realism. Inside, it was very oriental and cosy, with Chinese calligraphy works displayed on the walls. The restaurant was small, with only a grand total of 10 tables. A friendly waitress took our orders of Mei Cai Kou Rou and Special Tofu, both apparently one of the few signature dishes of the restaurant.
I've never tried Mei Cai Kou Rou before, so it came as a surprise that the Mei Cai was a little sweet instead of the usual saltiness that I associate with Mei Cai. It was something different, to me at least. The Kou Rou was thick with a few layers of meat and fat and tasted decent. The tofu was of the rougher genre, typically called "Dao Gua" or "Dou Gan". It was stuffed with meat in the middle and was nothing special really, but I like the gravy that came with it. It was a little peppery and very salty when consumed alone, but when eaten with the tofu, the saltiness was toned down and it made for a nice combination.
Overall, the bill was just shy of $20, inclusive of taxes and other stuff like towels, peanuts and others. Expensive? No way. Cheap? Relatively. Food wise is ok, based on the limited number of dishes that I've tried. (I've tried their salted chicken before and it was really salty, but hey, it is supposed to be salty.) Honestly speaking, if I am in search of cheap and simple home cooked fare in a quiet environment (uncomfortably quiet in fact, due to the small enclosed area and if there are no other patrons around), I'll be back. Other than that, I think not.
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Had the usual family dinner at Cheng Li Yuan tonight. Cheng Li Yuan is a relatively new kid on the block and showcases food from northern China, instead of the usual south food that we are accustomed to. Located along Tanjong Pagar Road, it is quite prominent if you happen to drive or walk along that road. However, when we got there at about 1930hrs, it was almost empty with the exception of 1 table. We were greeted by the friendly lady boss and shown to our seats. We had the Pork with Special Sauce & Popiah Skin, Fried Mao's Spicy Pork, Fish and Dried Scallop with Egg White, Xiao Long Bao and Red Bean Snow Bun for dessert.
The Pork with Special Sauce & Popiah Skin looked gross when it arrived. The pork strips looked like maggots fried in oyster sauce. However, the dish was pleasently good. The Popiah skin was of a thicker kind and warm when served. Together with the pork strips, it was delectable. The Fried Mao's Spicy Pork was a favourite with my dad. The pork was thinly sliced and pan fried, making it a litle crisp on the edges and chewy.
Fish and Dried Scallop with Egg White might sound a little weird to some, but I like it! It wasn't as good as Prima's(Review coming soon)version, but good enough. The egg whites were smooth and nicely beaten. But beware. Too much of it can make you woozy. Next comes the highly recommended Xiao Long Bao. At $5 for 8 pieces, I consider it a steal, considering the quality. The skin was thin yet strong enough to hold the fillings inside. Pop one into your mouth and the juices just explode. Still, I find Crystal Jade's Xiao Long Bao a wee bit better. But I'll choose this over Crystal Jade's one anyday due to the huge disparity in price.
The highlight of the night(to me at least) was the exquisitely done Red Bean Snow Bun. This is a pretty unique dish because the "bun" is made from egg white which is deep fried. It looks exactly like a bun, golden on the outside and white on the inside. The "bun" was warm, soft and fluffy, albeit a little too oily. It had red bean paste as filling and a sprinkling of sugar on the outside. Pure genius I must say. The bun itself was pretty tasteless, but the red bean paste and sugar provided the sweetness. The paste was smooth and not too sweet. Goodbye Red Bean Paste Pan Cakes. Hello Red Bean Snow Bun!
Total cost for the meal was $52 for 3 pax. Not the cheapest I've tried, but reasonable enough. Food quality is also pretty good. One thing they need to brush up on a little is their attentiveness. We had problems trying to catch the attention of the lady boss and her husband. But you can't blame them really. They are the only 2 wait staff manning the whole place. Try it out if you want something different from your usual fare.
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Sweet Indulgence is a quaint little place found in the CBD maze. It was a challenge for a few of us that night but everyone managed to turn up in the end.
Due to the way the restaurant is built (lengthwise) our table had to be long and the area inside was pretty crammed. People sitting inside daren't move about too much for the fear of being too troublesome.
But the decor of the place was quite nice. I was initially worried it would be a little warm for some but it wasn't. The lighting was a little dim for photo-taking but we still managed. I like the bar counter and the little piano at the side. The boss even invited people to play on the piano in exchange for a glass of wine.
Food Served:Complimentary bread
I was hungry when I had this so I'm probably not a very good judge. It had a slight taste of herbs to it but that was all. It wasn't warm nor soft enough. But it's reasonable I guess.
Salad
A very simple salad. period.
Cream of Broccoli
Most of the others said it was salty but my brother and I felt it was fine. Odd isn't it. We actually finished everything and were quite pleased with it. Maybe it's because we're broccoli lovers. The odd thing about this soup was that it was served AFTER the main course.
Garlic Prawns
Thank goodness for the prawns. 4 bowls of prawns were plonked on the table to be shared by the people surrounding iit. Ours were shared by 5. The prawns came the same time as the salad and saved the day. They were fresh and had just enough bite. They were also in a flavourful dressing/sauce which I found to be quite special.
Poached Salmon with White Sauce & Herbs, served with Pasta and Seasonal Vegetables
Firstly, I have to say that every plate of salmon was different. Ours was without the fishy taste/smell though my neighbour's had. We thought it could be due to the fact that ours was slightly smaller. The pasta was slightly overcooked and tasteless.
Oven Baked Chicken Thigh Steak with Crisp Skin served with Chef Sauce & Potato Mash infused with Vanilla and Cream
I only liked the potato mash really. The chicken wasn't fantastic. I refused to eat the skin as it was quite soggy not crisp and the meat inside though marinated, wasn't very tasty.
Strawberry Cheesecake
I didn't even know what it was when I was eating it. We were arguing about what it was. Some said it was Strawberry shortcake whilst others said it was just a cake. I didn't like it at all and didn't finish mine. It had a very odd smell to it, which I wasn't accustomed to.
Warm Choco Lava Indulgence
We had to share this among the 5 of us as a complimentary dessert. Although I liked the taste of the chocolate oozing out and the taste of the crust but I can't help but dislike the texture of the crust. I don't like the whole thing to crumble into bits the moment one takes a stab at it.
Each of us paid $33 that night. We were full but weren't overly so. I guess it's reasonable as it includes a drink but I had certainly expected more. Not worth a planned visit but if you're nearby I guess it's alright.
I was thinking that they were very unprepared for a mini-crowd like us and maybe they would do better if there were less people? I was just thinking. Ah well.
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An afternoon tea date with the girlfriends brought me to Zhou's Kitchen at Far East Square. I don't quite know what possessed us to be so brave to as to travel all the way to the CBD area with a newborn baby, but we did. Not to mention we weren't sure where it was and was initially mistakened that it was the one situated above the food court.
After some walking, we caught sight of the lime green bamboos and found ourselves on the doorstep of the restaurant that weekday afternoon. Even at 2pm, the place was still bustling with activity and we were glad we made reservations.
The decor of the place was quite modern with an oriental touch to it. Quite pleasing to the eye really and the lighting was comfortable without being too dim for photo-taking.
Once settled, we took a look at the menu and were a little disappointed that the list was quite short. There wasn't much variety though they seemed to have most of the items we want... except one - the conventional chee cheong fun.
Food ordered:
BBQ Pork Buns - Char Siew Bao ($3.20 for 3)
The highlight of our meal. We had two servings of this. I liked the fluffiness of the outside and the filling wasn't too sweet. It was just right and it didn't have much fatty meat. My companions enjoyed this one too. But sadly that was all....
Steamed Pork Dumplings ($3.50 for 3)
I'm not really a fan of pork dumplings so I guess I shouldn't comment on this. But I really found the skin a little too thick and dry for me. The filling was average and it wasn't juicy enough inside.
Steamed Shrimp Dumplings - Har Gao ($4.20 for 3)
Same problem here. The skin was a tad too thick and dry. I wonder if it was because we were there close to the end of lunch time. But it really shouldn't be that way. The prawn inside was ok. It wasn't very fresh but it wasn't "stale" either.
Fried Rice Roll in XO Sauce - Fried Chee Cheong Fun ($4.20)
They didn't have steamed chee cheong fun. Not even a single kind. This is the only one they have and apparently it's their signature dish. Well, we thought it tasted like Char Kway Tiao. It was quite oily and didn't have much liquor taste in case you're wondering. We were quite sad we can't have our regular rice rolls really.
Banana Roll with Shrimp ($3.80)
We didn't order this but it appeared and we ate absent-mindedly. The taste of the banana was quite strong and it went pretty well with the shrimp I guess though I found it a little weird at first.
Fried Carrot Cake ($3.20)
It was pretty oily and wasn't very smooth. I've had much smoother ones and 3 pieces for this price is a tad expensive.
Beancurd Roll with Shrimp- Fu Pi Juan ($3.50)
I found that the skin wasn't crisp enough for my liking.
Mango Pomelo Cream ($4)
A small serving at this price, I'd expected much more. But the taste of the mango was lacking and finding pomelo is like a mini treasure hunt in this bowl. It was served cold but but quite chilled enough. I would have preferred it if it were sweeter.
Hashima Jelly ($6)
My companions had this and I didn't try it. They said it was average though...
Inclusive of tea, towels, pickles, service charge and GST, it cost 3 of us $53.80. The service is alright with them topping up the tea often and they took extra care with the baby around (except one absent minded lady) However I don't think this is worth another visit.... unless I'm in the area and there isn't much of anything else.
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