Made our way one rainy evening to Sunset Grill & Pub, an eatery/drinking hole equally known for its buffalo wings and very inaccessible location. Notoriously hidden in the inner realms of Seletar airbase, Sunset is a pain in the ass to find (pardon my language), even with the help of a map provided by the place. Just so that you know, Sunset doesn't appear on any streetdirectory the last I checked. Even if you manage to find the carpark, you still need to walk a short distance before you can actually see the joint itself. Talk about private dining.
Caesar Salad - The caesar salad was actually very normal tasting with slices of boiled egg, bacon bits and croutons. The vegetables were fresh but I found it terribly overpriced at $12.50.
Deep Fried Mushrooms - First the good. The breaded mushrooms were crispy on the outside with exploding juices in every bite. Now the bad. The batter was too thick and absorbed too much of the oil used in deep frying the mushrooms, so much so that it had an oily residue taste.
Buffalo Wings - Feeling intimidated by the level of spiciness the wings came in, we decided to stick to the safest bet - the mildest level 1. Even then, it was quite spicy for me (I don't really take chilli by the way), not to mention huge and juicy as well. However, because of its sourish nature, its really an acquired taste.
Hamburger Steak - The meat was too dry but at least the raw beef taste wasn't overpowering. The other gripe I had was that the meat was almost well done, which explains the dryness. Definitely not something I would order again.
Although no service charge or GST was imposed, $60 for the above dishes is really on the expensive side. Sure, the novelty is there and the prospect of watching planes take off is exciting, but for the quality of food and price, I'll be hard pressed to return. Oh and if you do decide to sit in the al fresco area, please watch out for the mosquitoes.
Read about this place on Yebber by a fellow blogger. He was all praises for the place and recommended it with a 5 star rating which is the best a restaurant can get on the website. Seeing that it was so close to my workplace, i decided to drop by one night to try it out myself to see if it indeed deserves such praise.
Believe it or not, the place is actually located under a block of flats alongside grocery stores and right next to the car park. It certainly didn't feel that way from the moment i stepped in though. Its obvious to see much thought has been put into the decorations and the environment.
Complimentary Crackers - These are truly complimentary but had a weird milky taste to it that makes it seem like a mixture of malay and indian crackers.
Milk Shake ($5) - After scrounging around for a drink, i finally choose to try their vanilla milkshake which turned out to be a big mistake. Waiting time aside, the ice was not blended well and the milkshake had a powdery residue which makes it taste like baby milk at the top and sugar syrup near the bottom. Not recommended.
Soup ($3) - Simply add $3 to your main course to get a soup of the day and a soft drink. I did not get to try the soup but was told by my companions that it was average.
J's Prawn Salad ($7.50) - Always start with an appetiser to get things going. And after cafe cartel, i had a thing going on for prawn salads. Judging from the shot, its needless to say that presentation gained it marks for visual flair alone. It is, however, not very functional when it came to actual eating as the salad tend to drop and spill. That wasn't missing much however, since the overall salad didn't quite hit the mark as it was overly sweet and the prawns were not fresh and crunchy enough.
Seafood Oglio Olio ($8.90) - Squid, mussels and prawn with spaghetti stir fried in cheese and chili (??). This was different. Presentation wise, it was another looker but taste wise, it sadly fell short yet again. The spaghetti was too oily and the seafood simply had no taste and wasn't fresh.
Chicken Cordon Bleu ($9.90) - I had no idea what chicken cordon bleu is. When it was served, i was quite disappointed as it was simply chicken wrap. There was no hint of alcohol in the meat at all, not to mention the meat was too tough and not marinated enough. That said, the mushroom sauce it came with was so salty, it didn't take long before my gf camped out and simply stopped using it.
J's Classic Combo ($17.90) - I had heard about this dish on yebber and ordered it to try since it was supposed to be a signature dish of sorts. Yet again, the presentation astounds and pleases the senses but behind it all is a trio of overcooked chicken, beef and fish with a simply salty mushroom sauce and an undercooked corn. The meat were both tough to chew and lacked taste while the fish fillet must have been bought from the supermarket because it had 'frozen' written all over its taste. Another disappointment.
This aesthetically pleasing yet non satisfying meal cost me $59.10 for 3 people.
Disappointment is the word of the day at this restaurant. I had such high hopes for it that i felt sad when it simply didn't measure up. All its dishes look splendid when they are served but thats still missing the point because food is not all about looks, its about taste, and that department is where this place simply did not deliver.
A restaurant in the heartlands that goes by the same name as a Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles. The 2 are not affiliated however and any similarities stop at the name. I was there one evening for yet another treat by my dear friends. Thanks once again!!
The wonders of nature - Pardon the non food related picture. Just thought i'd share something nice with everyone. Was driving along the road one morning when i saw the view you see above. Its little things like this that reminds me how beautiful the world can be if we could just take the time to appreciate it.
Brightly lit and sporting traditional wooden chairs, the scene reminds me of the times i was in Hong Kong a long time ago. I found it cosy and thank goodness the place wasn't packed as well. Which made discussions much easier and more conducive.
Chicken and Char Siew ($13) - The chicken and char siew were average at best. I found the chicken a little too dry and the char siew under roasted which left much to be desired in its taste. Nothing special about the dish apart from the fact that a small serving cost us $13 (!!!) and thats pushing it a little too far.
Three Egg Spinach ($9) - The exact same item as the one i had at Hai Tien Lo before a long time ago, and if you've read my review, you'll know i didn't like the one at Hai Tien Lo. And over here, its no different, i still didn't like it although i must say that in comparison, the Hai Tien Lo rendition was better. This was too salty and the eggs lacked taste.
Claypot Bean Curd ($8) - What can i say? This was still salty and the beancurd wasn't much to shout about. Its skin was too thick and made chewing it a chore while the egg based beancurd inside simply wasn't tasty. Enough said.
Cod Fish Cantonese Style ($16) - This was good albeit it was still a little on the salty said of things. I detect some vinegar which accounts for the sourish taste and also a moderate amount of oyster sauce. There was also a kick of sweetness in the sauce which made it intriguing. The star of the dish was still the cod however, smooth, sweet and fresh. It managed to right the few wrongs that happened before it. There was one hitch however, the fish was not de-boned which almost had me choking at one point. Otherwise, a pretty good dish.
Sweet, Sour and Spicy Seafood Soup ($8) - I'm not sure what is used to make the soup but i'll say it simply. I liked it. It fulfills everything its namesake suggests in the taste department which included a big crunchy and tasty prawn. The only downside here was the miserly portions.
Complimentary Dessert - Its cooling, sweet and strangely appetising even after our entire meal. The best part? Its totally free and given on the waitresses own initiative! Why can't all restaurants practice this little act of kindness?
This mixed meal of hits and misses came up to $74.74 which is a little too much in my opinion.
I liked a few of its dishes but many fell short. Service was generally good but atmosphere wise, the place isn't anywhere to serenade your significant other. Pricing wise, the place could do a little better by not charging for certain 'complimentary' (make that compulsory) items. That said, my chances of returning are still very slim.
Delifrance is an all round familiar name which can probably be found in every major department store in Singapore. It begun in 1985 as a cafe officially and prior to that, have been distributing dough-made items to hotels since 1983. It brand owner actually heralds from France under the company name of Grand Moulins de Paris (GMP), which have been in the business since early 1900. With such a diverse and sound pedigree, its only right that Delifrance serves good food right?
For a cafe that was and still is priced at a premium, the restaurant really isn't much to look at. If you ask me, the only thing i've ever enjoyed from Delifrance was its mayo chicken or crab with croissants. And that was a pretty long time ago when the items were going for less then $6. Prices have skyrocketed since then however, and Delifrance is now known as Bistro Delifrance which supposedly offers better service and gourmet food.
Caesars Salad ($7.95) - In 2 words? Rip off. A small amount of lettuce with some crumbs and fake bacon pieces with thousand island sauce. It wasn't even fresh to begin with and the service was terrible to say the least. Is this just a bad start or was the visit doomed before it began?
Beef And Fish Combo ($19.90) - This is a rather self explanatory dish. Beef, egg, potato wedges and fish in bread crumbs. And somehow, they managed to make a perfectly simple dish perfectly bad. The wedges were (drum roll) cold in the middle, which means they did not thaw it enough and it wasn't fried well. The beef came well done which meant it was rubbery and required a chainsaw to get through. What really dissed me was that the service staff didn't even ask if i wanted the beef done in any way. The fish was also equally badly done, with a strong fishy taste and also inadequately thawed. The only thing they did not screw up was the egg but then again, i'm sure i can do a better job even with that one.
Choc Fondant ($5.50) - This was not my dessert. I specifically ordered a molten chocolate cake but was given the chocolate fondant instead. However, i did not bother to argue because, i've already waited 20 minutes after my meal for them to serve the dessert after repeated reminders and they still got it wrong. Honestly, Wall's ice cream with warm chocolate cake. Why would anyone bother paying $5 for it when its so easy to just make it ourselves?
An unsatisfying, terribly serviced and bad meal cost me $33.20 after discount. Thats $33.20 too much to pay for such a terrible experience.
What went wrong? I remembered a Delifrance where we had to self serve that gave much better food and service overall. Maybe the waitress was having a bad day but i didn't pay to see her unhappy face from problems i never want to know. Service aside, i never knew the food could be that bad. I'm utterly shocked at the quality of food i got and honestly, coming back is not something that will cross my mind for many years to come.
Coffee club had its humble beginning in Holland Village as a 2 storey gourmet coffee house in 1991 and after 17 years in the business, have now grown to having 21 branches throughout Singapore. Its list of accomplishments include excellent food awards for 2001 to 2006 and achieving ISO and super brand awards in 2005/2006. As for myself, i've never tried coffee club because i was stuck in the idea of it being a coffee place, i was wrong however, do read on.
Cosy and homely environments with cushion seats and ergonomically designed chairs. I've been to the place 3 times and after all that, i still found the place inviting. Definitely a plus in terms of atmosphere even though its located in a simple shopping mall. This is the kind of place i will hang out if i need to study and grab a reasonably good bite because the staff never chases you out and the place is just comfortable for discussions or just about anything.
Garlic Prawn Pasta ($12.90) - One of the dishes awarded the excellent food awards, this dish is a must try. It came with tomatos, onions, chili and garlic with a generous dose of crunchy, crispy and sweet prawns. This is a winner hands down. Even the spaghetti was less oily then others i've had before. I couldn't recommend this enough. Do try it!
Pastrami and Cheddar Cheese Sandwich ($9.90) - A sandwich for dinner? Well, yes if you are on a diet and are on tight purse strings. Beef pastrami and caramelized onions in dijon musturd gives this sandwich a rather refreshing bite. Similar to Fre(n)sh chicken, the mustard is pretty strong so be warned. I did find the beef a tad tasteless but i'm just being picky.
Mudpie (Price unknown) - I forgot how much this is but honestly, after all the good food dishes, this turned out a little too simple for my liking. Sure, the mudpie is smooth, sweet and very chocolaty, but i expected a little better for dessert when its main dishes were so good. Tasty nonetheless.
Bill: I did not get the bill for this round as it was a treat from some friends who were in the neighborhood. Thanks people!!
Wasabi Prawn Salad ($10.90) - Another award winning dish. The wasabi prawn salad was our appetiser on the second visit. Tossed salad with prawns and potatoes drenched in wasabi flavored mayonnaise. This was really quite good. I loved the wasabi which gave the dish more bite. The prawns however, were sliced in the middle which resulted in less crunch then i would like. Still, its worthy of its award and healthy to boot.
Smoked Salmon Garlic Cream Linguini ($12.90) - My gf had this and from the few bites i had, i can tell you i liked it. The salmon was fresh though a little salty. I like the fact that it has the smoky taste its name implied unlike others i've had elsewhere. The creamy garlic linguini is very aromatic and fragrant (to me at least, because i love garlic and creamy pastas) but did get overwhelming when taken in large quantities.
Bangers and Mash ($ - Why settle for one sausage when you can have 3? Chicken, bratwurst and cheddar cheese sausages atop a bed of mashed potatoes with a tomato thrown in for further measure. The sausages, unfortunately, fell short apart from the cheddar cheese sausage which tasted a little special. Everything else was just average.
This visit cost me $36.86 for 2 mains and a starter. I wouldn't say it was expensive since most of the food was of a decent quality.
Beef, Bacon and Pistachio terrine Salad ($10.20) - This is a mixed bag. I like the salad because it came with dijon mustard as usual but wasn't quite taken with the beef meatloaf used to wrap the pistachio. The beef was too dry basically and the only thing good about it was the bacon. Thus, my conclusion is, order once, never order again.
Seafood Lasagna ($13.00) - Before i start, let me say this, i don't like lasagna. The only reason i ordered was due to the promise of generous amounts of seafood. And fortunately, they delivered on the promise. Lots of mussels, prawns and squid adorn the dish. I didn't like the tomato sauce or the lasagna in general however, and it really starts getting overwhelming after a few bites. Thank goodness i had the Alfredo to balance things out below.
Alfredo ($10.80) - Ham, cheese, mushrooms and shell shaped pasta. It doesn't get any simpler but its still a perfectly delectable dish (what can i say? I like cream pastas). It served to balance the tomatos taste from the lasagna and definitely was the better of the 2 main dishes.
White Chocolate Parfait With Berry Sorbet ($6.80) - The first service blunder they made was with this dessert, they actually served it while we were having our appetiser. Whereby i promptly told them to serve it later since i'm not about ready to have dessert that early in the meal. The obliged but when it came time to have my dessert, i found that it had pockets of air and was already melting, meaning they served me the same parfait they took out in the beginning. Needless to say, the dessert didn't quite measure up. The berry sorbet was good, sour and sweet at the same time. The chocolate however, was too filled with air and melted to give a good impression. Pity.
The bill this time came up to $43.22. There has been a change of menu and an increase in price of about 50 cents for each dish.
Service has been consistently good at this branch and my questions were usually met with good answers. The food is definitely of a certain standard but as usual, there are hits and misses in the menu. Some of the hits have been removed from the menu unfortunately and the new menu is definitely pricier. Still a good place to chill out and have a reasonable meal though.
The name literally means 'home town' which should be referring to Kuching in general. Pardon my ignorance but i've never been to Kuching and personally, have not heard anything from that particular part of the world, so i don't know if these noodles are indeed a local delicacy.
I can't quite decide if the place is a food court or a restaurant since the ordering was done at counters and service is given when you are served the food. Either way, service was pleasant and you are not charged for it so no complaints here.
Fish Soup ($8) - Now why did i order a fish soup here? Hmm...most probably because there were only 2 people eating and i'm trying to put more stuff in my blog. Oh! The sacrifices ones makes for blogging. Tsk tsk. The soup is salty but good. Fish slices aplenty and we managed to gulp down half a bowl even after the noodles so its a good thing. For $8 though, i would rather get another bowl of noodles.
Abalone and Wanton - Kolo Mee Gold Set ($8.90) - The prized kolo mee and the aforementioned hometown noodles. My take is that its normal at best. the noodles were reminiscent of instant noodles and as such, tasted springy and soft. $8.90 gives you fake abalone and wanton with some char siew, minced meat and fried wanton thrown into the mix for added variety. The first time i had it, it was a refreshing experience, subsequent visits didn't yield as much satisfaction though.
The bill sealed the deal at $27.60 for 2 bowl of noodles, 1 fish soup and 1 hot milo. Too expensive given the rather lackluster quality.
I like the idea of getting abalone at $8 but the quality of abalone is definitely suspect (try one and you'll know what i mean). The cost of producing a bowl of noodles is also definitely not what we paid for so i'm probably not returning. Good for a first try, bad for the wallet and repeats.
Hidden in a little corner in big ole Vivocity is this little gem of a restaurant. "Fresh and French" is the tagline and i'm most inclined to agree with it because in retrospect, that is exactly what you get.
The interior is small and probably sits about 16 people max. Color palette is more or less sombre white with plastic and wooden chairs. The important thing i believe is that it is clean and that is more important than all the decorations a restaurant can pile up.
They look nice of course but i wouldn't bet on how comfortable it will be to be sitting on top one of these chairs trying to enjoy my meal, needless to say, i was sitting somewhere else for my lunch.
Drinks! Apple Juice and Lime Juice - For the tartine set, you get a drink, a tartine and a dessert. No gst and no service charge is a definite plus point and honestly, the service was pretty good.
Salmon and Avocado Tartine ($16) - My gf ordered the salmon and avocado tartine which is basically, toasted bread with avocado and smoked salmon and some salad. Do not let the picture fool you, this is not a small piece of bread at all. The serving size is huge and as you can see, ingredients are generous as well. Salad wasn't anything special but the tartine itself is plain good. Warm toasted bread with cool and slightly salty smoked salmon atop a bed of creamy avocado. I feel like going back for more right about now actually.
Fre(n)sh Chicken Tartine ($16) - Judging by its namesake, this is probably a signature item. And apart from the same qualities of freshness and warm toasted bread, it came with roasted chicken and sliced potatoes atop a bed of mustard and rosemary. What can i say? Its spicy and very different from what i've had before. You can liken it to having chicken and potatoes with Japanese wasabi as a base. My only complaint is that the chicken is a little too dry, otherwise, i like this quite a bit.
Opera - Presentation is a definite plus for this with its eiffel tower chocolate and snowy sugar sprinklyed for added effect. The opera is supposed to be 2 repeated layers of chocolate, coffee and cake but i couldn't taste the coffee at all. It was also dry which doesn't win it many points unfortunately. Could have been loads better.
Original Cheese Cake - I wondered what 'original' meant in this rendition but it basically means generic. Its not bad tasting mind you. Its just that it tastes pretty much like every other cheesecake out there.
The bill came to only $32 for 2 people! Imagine my surprise at the fact that there were no additional charges. This place is a must try for the fact that its value for money.
If they can survive with charging service and gst charges and they are located at Vivocity, i really don't see why other restaurants can't. And otherwise, in all regards, this place serves good, healthy food which will have me returning for more whenever i'm in the vicinity. Must try.
Kelson Betta is a small shop located in Roxy Square (opposite Parkway Parade) that houses many high quality Betta, aka Siamese Fighting Fish. These aren't the kind you put in little jars and bring around to challenge people. These are show quality fish, bred for viewing pleasure.
He has a large variety of Halfmoons, Crowntails, etc.
My bf had been frequenting his shop and I thought about buying him two Betta for companionship. We called Kelson on his mobile at 9pm, when most shops were closing. It was the day before CNY eve and we were praying hard that he would be around. He was in the vicinity of his shop when we called and he actually opened for us!
Once there, he took the time to show us his new stock and explain the differences between the breeds and colours. The fish were all healthy and very beautiful. Some of them in colours which are rarely seen elsewhere.
Kelson gave very good and economical advice about how to take care of the fish. Even when we asked the same questions repeatedly, he explained very patiently as he is very passionate about these fish. He also taught us how to transport the fish around if we wished to travel with them. He doesn't sell the accessories for the fish so he is not the kind who would hard-sell other stuff when one purchases fish from him.
Happily equipped with new-found knowledge and feeling secure with his assurance that we can call him anytime, we're now the proud parents of two male betta and one female one. The prices start from $40 onwards. There are very expensive ones which have won awards so those cost hundreds. Do drop by for a visit. But give Kelson a ring before you go ya?
Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice is situated between the famous Sin Hoi Zhi Cha Restaurant and Boon Tong Kee along East Coast Road. With these two on its sides, Five Star still manages a full house every night. This, of course, renders a try doesn't it?
Chicken rice is the same everywhere right? Wrong! I've had those with hard tasteless bits they dare to call rice and rubbery white pieces of meat they call chicken. It's been a long time since I've had a plate of good chicken rice so I was all ready to attack.
The staff were fast to seat people, quick to take orders and even faster at clearing tables. The food came really fast which was good for 5 hungry souls.
Food Ordered: Kampung Chicken This is suppose to be leaner than the usual "white" chicken but it is smaller. I'm a fan of roasted meat so I was quite apprehensive when I only had these two choices. But my worries were unfounded as the chicken was delicious and not with fatty bits as I had imagined. I, of course, attacked my favourite part, the breast meat, which was smooth with lots of bite. Rice (Chicken rice style) The rice was not oily and still tasty. HOwever the serving was not very big. It was enough for me and I'm not much of an eater.
Youtiao with Salad Sauce This came a little over-fried so it was quite dry and hard. But it wasn't too oily so it was still ok.
Sambal Kangkong It was a little spicy for my brother but the rest of us found it fine. A little oily for my taste though. Cereal Prawn The cereal was nice but the prawns were not fresh and I had a hard time with it. The prawns were also quite small.
Stir Fried Vegetables Your average Kailan with oyster sauce dish. Nothing special.
We spent about $70 for the 5 of us which is pretty reasonable considering how full we were. Worth coming for your chicken rice fix, but not the rest of the dishes though.
Good place for family gatherings and large groups though.
One major gripe though, parking is horrendous along East Coast Road. Luckily we took the bus :)
Bi Feng Tang is this little place serving chinese food at CS's basement. It's been there for a while and this is my second trip to the place with my colleague. I had vague memories of a pretty good experience the first time so I was game for the second trip.
We were greeted politely and led to our seats. It was a Sunday afternoon but there weren't many people. About 4-5 tables were occupied and they had a total seating area of about 50 people.
After ordering, I wanted to take pictures of the menu so that I can remember what I ordered, but was stopped by the lady who said that I cannot take pictures of the menu. Both my colleague and I heard that so I did stop. But when the food came and I wanted to take pictures, I was stopped again. I think they should have been clear the first time and just say that no photography was allowed. I didn't appreciate feeling like I was being a nuisance. had 3 dishes altogether but I can only remember two.
One was the Yee Mian which we got a medium sized serving, thanks to my ambitious friend. It had plenty of mushroom and vegetables with it so it was pretty delicious. The serving can easily fill 2 without any side dishes.
The second one is the Pan Fried Beancurd Sheet with Mushroom and Carrot ($4). This one was quite crunchy and the vegetables wrapped in the sheet gave it a nice fresh flavour. HOwever it was quite oily so it didn't feel so healthy after all.
We did order a 4th dish, which they forgot to cook and we cancelled in the end.
We spent about $20 for the two of us and were suitably filled. The food is fine and the ambience was good too. However I didn't quite enjoy myself, no thanks to the service.
*Apologies for not giving the usual detailed review as the staff spoilt my mood for collecting "data"*
1=SGD 0.0587
Made our way one rainy evening to Sunset Grill & Pub, an eatery/drinking hole equally known for its buffalo wings and very inaccessible location. Notoriously hidden in the inner realms of Seletar airbase, Sunset is a pain in the ass to find (pardon my language), even with the help of a map provided by the place. Just so that you know, Sunset doesn't appear on any streetdirectory the last I checked. Even if you manage to find the carpark, you still need to walk a short distance before you can actually see the joint itself. Talk about private dining.
Caesar Salad - The caesar salad was actually very normal tasting with slices of boiled egg, bacon bits and croutons. The vegetables were fresh but I found it terribly overpriced at $12.50.
Deep Fried Mushrooms - First the good. The breaded mushrooms were crispy on the outside with exploding juices in every bite. Now the bad. The batter was too thick and absorbed too much of the oil used in deep frying the mushrooms, so much so that it had an oily residue taste.
Buffalo Wings - Feeling intimidated by the level of spiciness the wings came in, we decided to stick to the safest bet - the mildest level 1. Even then, it was quite spicy for me (I don't really take chilli by the way), not to mention huge and juicy as well. However, because of its sourish nature, its really an acquired taste.
Hamburger Steak - The meat was too dry but at least the raw beef taste wasn't overpowering. The other gripe I had was that the meat was almost well done, which explains the dryness. Definitely not something I would order again.
Although no service charge or GST was imposed, $60 for the above dishes is really on the expensive side. Sure, the novelty is there and the prospect of watching planes take off is exciting, but for the quality of food and price, I'll be hard pressed to return. Oh and if you do decide to sit in the al fresco area, please watch out for the mosquitoes.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Read about this place on Yebber by a fellow blogger. He was all praises for the place and recommended it with a 5 star rating which is the best a restaurant can get on the website. Seeing that it was so close to my workplace, i decided to drop by one night to try it out myself to see if it indeed deserves such praise.
Believe it or not, the place is actually located under a block of flats alongside grocery stores and right next to the car park. It certainly didn't feel that way from the moment i stepped in though. Its obvious to see much thought has been put into the decorations and the environment.
Complimentary Crackers - These are truly complimentary but had a weird milky taste to it that makes it seem like a mixture of malay and indian crackers.
Milk Shake ($5) - After scrounging around for a drink, i finally choose to try their vanilla milkshake which turned out to be a big mistake. Waiting time aside, the ice was not blended well and the milkshake had a powdery residue which makes it taste like baby milk at the top and sugar syrup near the bottom. Not recommended.
Soup ($3) - Simply add $3 to your main course to get a soup of the day and a soft drink. I did not get to try the soup but was told by my companions that it was average.
J's Prawn Salad ($7.50) - Always start with an appetiser to get things going. And after cafe cartel, i had a thing going on for prawn salads. Judging from the shot, its needless to say that presentation gained it marks for visual flair alone. It is, however, not very functional when it came to actual eating as the salad tend to drop and spill. That wasn't missing much however, since the overall salad didn't quite hit the mark as it was overly sweet and the prawns were not fresh and crunchy enough.
Seafood Oglio Olio ($8.90) - Squid, mussels and prawn with spaghetti stir fried in cheese and chili (??). This was different. Presentation wise, it was another looker but taste wise, it sadly fell short yet again. The spaghetti was too oily and the seafood simply had no taste and wasn't fresh.
Chicken Cordon Bleu ($9.90) - I had no idea what chicken cordon bleu is. When it was served, i was quite disappointed as it was simply chicken wrap. There was no hint of alcohol in the meat at all, not to mention the meat was too tough and not marinated enough. That said, the mushroom sauce it came with was so salty, it didn't take long before my gf camped out and simply stopped using it.
J's Classic Combo ($17.90) - I had heard about this dish on yebber and ordered it to try since it was supposed to be a signature dish of sorts. Yet again, the presentation astounds and pleases the senses but behind it all is a trio of overcooked chicken, beef and fish with a simply salty mushroom sauce and an undercooked corn. The meat were both tough to chew and lacked taste while the fish fillet must have been bought from the supermarket because it had 'frozen' written all over its taste. Another disappointment.
This aesthetically pleasing yet non satisfying meal cost me $59.10 for 3 people.
Disappointment is the word of the day at this restaurant. I had such high hopes for it that i felt sad when it simply didn't measure up. All its dishes look splendid when they are served but thats still missing the point because food is not all about looks, its about taste, and that department is where this place simply did not deliver.
Rating given:
A restaurant in the heartlands that goes by the same name as a Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles. The 2 are not affiliated however and any similarities stop at the name. I was there one evening for yet another treat by my dear friends. Thanks once again!!
The wonders of nature - Pardon the non food related picture. Just thought i'd share something nice with everyone. Was driving along the road one morning when i saw the view you see above. Its little things like this that reminds me how beautiful the world can be if we could just take the time to appreciate it.
Brightly lit and sporting traditional wooden chairs, the scene reminds me of the times i was in Hong Kong a long time ago. I found it cosy and thank goodness the place wasn't packed as well. Which made discussions much easier and more conducive.
Chicken and Char Siew ($13) - The chicken and char siew were average at best. I found the chicken a little too dry and the char siew under roasted which left much to be desired in its taste. Nothing special about the dish apart from the fact that a small serving cost us $13 (!!!) and thats pushing it a little too far.
Three Egg Spinach ($9) - The exact same item as the one i had at Hai Tien Lo before a long time ago, and if you've read my review, you'll know i didn't like the one at Hai Tien Lo. And over here, its no different, i still didn't like it although i must say that in comparison, the Hai Tien Lo rendition was better. This was too salty and the eggs lacked taste.
Claypot Bean Curd ($8) - What can i say? This was still salty and the beancurd wasn't much to shout about. Its skin was too thick and made chewing it a chore while the egg based beancurd inside simply wasn't tasty. Enough said.
Cod Fish Cantonese Style ($16) - This was good albeit it was still a little on the salty said of things. I detect some vinegar which accounts for the sourish taste and also a moderate amount of oyster sauce. There was also a kick of sweetness in the sauce which made it intriguing. The star of the dish was still the cod however, smooth, sweet and fresh. It managed to right the few wrongs that happened before it. There was one hitch however, the fish was not de-boned which almost had me choking at one point. Otherwise, a pretty good dish.
Sweet, Sour and Spicy Seafood Soup ($8) - I'm not sure what is used to make the soup but i'll say it simply. I liked it. It fulfills everything its namesake suggests in the taste department which included a big crunchy and tasty prawn. The only downside here was the miserly portions.
Complimentary Dessert - Its cooling, sweet and strangely appetising even after our entire meal. The best part? Its totally free and given on the waitresses own initiative! Why can't all restaurants practice this little act of kindness?
This mixed meal of hits and misses came up to $74.74 which is a little too much in my opinion.
I liked a few of its dishes but many fell short. Service was generally good but atmosphere wise, the place isn't anywhere to serenade your significant other. Pricing wise, the place could do a little better by not charging for certain 'complimentary' (make that compulsory) items. That said, my chances of returning are still very slim.
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Delifrance is an all round familiar name which can probably be found in every major department store in Singapore. It begun in 1985 as a cafe officially and prior to that, have been distributing dough-made items to hotels since 1983. It brand owner actually heralds from France under the company name of Grand Moulins de Paris (GMP), which have been in the business since early 1900. With such a diverse and sound pedigree, its only right that Delifrance serves good food right?
For a cafe that was and still is priced at a premium, the restaurant really isn't much to look at. If you ask me, the only thing i've ever enjoyed from Delifrance was its mayo chicken or crab with croissants. And that was a pretty long time ago when the items were going for less then $6. Prices have skyrocketed since then however, and Delifrance is now known as Bistro Delifrance which supposedly offers better service and gourmet food.
Caesars Salad ($7.95) - In 2 words? Rip off. A small amount of lettuce with some crumbs and fake bacon pieces with thousand island sauce. It wasn't even fresh to begin with and the service was terrible to say the least. Is this just a bad start or was the visit doomed before it began?
Beef And Fish Combo ($19.90) - This is a rather self explanatory dish. Beef, egg, potato wedges and fish in bread crumbs. And somehow, they managed to make a perfectly simple dish perfectly bad. The wedges were (drum roll) cold in the middle, which means they did not thaw it enough and it wasn't fried well. The beef came well done which meant it was rubbery and required a chainsaw to get through. What really dissed me was that the service staff didn't even ask if i wanted the beef done in any way. The fish was also equally badly done, with a strong fishy taste and also inadequately thawed. The only thing they did not screw up was the egg but then again, i'm sure i can do a better job even with that one.
Choc Fondant ($5.50) - This was not my dessert. I specifically ordered a molten chocolate cake but was given the chocolate fondant instead. However, i did not bother to argue because, i've already waited 20 minutes after my meal for them to serve the dessert after repeated reminders and they still got it wrong. Honestly, Wall's ice cream with warm chocolate cake. Why would anyone bother paying $5 for it when its so easy to just make it ourselves?
An unsatisfying, terribly serviced and bad meal cost me $33.20 after discount. Thats $33.20 too much to pay for such a terrible experience.
What went wrong? I remembered a Delifrance where we had to self serve that gave much better food and service overall. Maybe the waitress was having a bad day but i didn't pay to see her unhappy face from problems i never want to know. Service aside, i never knew the food could be that bad. I'm utterly shocked at the quality of food i got and honestly, coming back is not something that will cross my mind for many years to come.
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Coffee club had its humble beginning in Holland Village as a 2 storey gourmet coffee house in 1991 and after 17 years in the business, have now grown to having 21 branches throughout Singapore. Its list of accomplishments include excellent food awards for 2001 to 2006 and achieving ISO and super brand awards in 2005/2006. As for myself, i've never tried coffee club because i was stuck in the idea of it being a coffee place, i was wrong however, do read on.
Cosy and homely environments with cushion seats and ergonomically designed chairs. I've been to the place 3 times and after all that, i still found the place inviting. Definitely a plus in terms of atmosphere even though its located in a simple shopping mall. This is the kind of place i will hang out if i need to study and grab a reasonably good bite because the staff never chases you out and the place is just comfortable for discussions or just about anything.
Garlic Prawn Pasta ($12.90) - One of the dishes awarded the excellent food awards, this dish is a must try. It came with tomatos, onions, chili and garlic with a generous dose of crunchy, crispy and sweet prawns. This is a winner hands down. Even the spaghetti was less oily then others i've had before. I couldn't recommend this enough. Do try it!
Pastrami and Cheddar Cheese Sandwich ($9.90) - A sandwich for dinner? Well, yes if you are on a diet and are on tight purse strings. Beef pastrami and caramelized onions in dijon musturd gives this sandwich a rather refreshing bite. Similar to Fre(n)sh chicken, the mustard is pretty strong so be warned. I did find the beef a tad tasteless but i'm just being picky.
Mudpie (Price unknown) - I forgot how much this is but honestly, after all the good food dishes, this turned out a little too simple for my liking. Sure, the mudpie is smooth, sweet and very chocolaty, but i expected a little better for dessert when its main dishes were so good. Tasty nonetheless.
Bill: I did not get the bill for this round as it was a treat from some friends who were in the neighborhood. Thanks people!!
Wasabi Prawn Salad ($10.90) - Another award winning dish. The wasabi prawn salad was our appetiser on the second visit. Tossed salad with prawns and potatoes drenched in wasabi flavored mayonnaise. This was really quite good. I loved the wasabi which gave the dish more bite. The prawns however, were sliced in the middle which resulted in less crunch then i would like. Still, its worthy of its award and healthy to boot.
Smoked Salmon Garlic Cream Linguini ($12.90) - My gf had this and from the few bites i had, i can tell you i liked it. The salmon was fresh though a little salty. I like the fact that it has the smoky taste its name implied unlike others i've had elsewhere. The creamy garlic linguini is very aromatic and fragrant (to me at least, because i love garlic and creamy pastas) but did get overwhelming when taken in large quantities.
Bangers and Mash ($ - Why settle for one sausage when you can have 3? Chicken, bratwurst and cheddar cheese sausages atop a bed of mashed potatoes with a tomato thrown in for further measure. The sausages, unfortunately, fell short apart from the cheddar cheese sausage which tasted a little special. Everything else was just average.
This visit cost me $36.86 for 2 mains and a starter. I wouldn't say it was expensive since most of the food was of a decent quality.
Beef, Bacon and Pistachio terrine Salad ($10.20) - This is a mixed bag. I like the salad because it came with dijon mustard as usual but wasn't quite taken with the beef meatloaf used to wrap the pistachio. The beef was too dry basically and the only thing good about it was the bacon. Thus, my conclusion is, order once, never order again.
Seafood Lasagna ($13.00) - Before i start, let me say this, i don't like lasagna. The only reason i ordered was due to the promise of generous amounts of seafood. And fortunately, they delivered on the promise. Lots of mussels, prawns and squid adorn the dish. I didn't like the tomato sauce or the lasagna in general however, and it really starts getting overwhelming after a few bites. Thank goodness i had the Alfredo to balance things out below.
Alfredo ($10.80) - Ham, cheese, mushrooms and shell shaped pasta. It doesn't get any simpler but its still a perfectly delectable dish (what can i say? I like cream pastas). It served to balance the tomatos taste from the lasagna and definitely was the better of the 2 main dishes.
White Chocolate Parfait With Berry Sorbet ($6.80) - The first service blunder they made was with this dessert, they actually served it while we were having our appetiser. Whereby i promptly told them to serve it later since i'm not about ready to have dessert that early in the meal. The obliged but when it came time to have my dessert, i found that it had pockets of air and was already melting, meaning they served me the same parfait they took out in the beginning. Needless to say, the dessert didn't quite measure up. The berry sorbet was good, sour and sweet at the same time. The chocolate however, was too filled with air and melted to give a good impression. Pity.
The bill this time came up to $43.22. There has been a change of menu and an increase in price of about 50 cents for each dish.
Service has been consistently good at this branch and my questions were usually met with good answers. The food is definitely of a certain standard but as usual, there are hits and misses in the menu. Some of the hits have been removed from the menu unfortunately and the new menu is definitely pricier. Still a good place to chill out and have a reasonable meal though.
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The name literally means 'home town' which should be referring to Kuching in general. Pardon my ignorance but i've never been to Kuching and personally, have not heard anything from that particular part of the world, so i don't know if these noodles are indeed a local delicacy.
I can't quite decide if the place is a food court or a restaurant since the ordering was done at counters and service is given when you are served the food. Either way, service was pleasant and you are not charged for it so no complaints here.
Fish Soup ($8) - Now why did i order a fish soup here? Hmm...most probably because there were only 2 people eating and i'm trying to put more stuff in my blog. Oh! The sacrifices ones makes for blogging. Tsk tsk. The soup is salty but good. Fish slices aplenty and we managed to gulp down half a bowl even after the noodles so its a good thing. For $8 though, i would rather get another bowl of noodles.
Abalone and Wanton - Kolo Mee Gold Set ($8.90) - The prized kolo mee and the aforementioned hometown noodles. My take is that its normal at best. the noodles were reminiscent of instant noodles and as such, tasted springy and soft. $8.90 gives you fake abalone and wanton with some char siew, minced meat and fried wanton thrown into the mix for added variety. The first time i had it, it was a refreshing experience, subsequent visits didn't yield as much satisfaction though.
The bill sealed the deal at $27.60 for 2 bowl of noodles, 1 fish soup and 1 hot milo. Too expensive given the rather lackluster quality.
I like the idea of getting abalone at $8 but the quality of abalone is definitely suspect (try one and you'll know what i mean). The cost of producing a bowl of noodles is also definitely not what we paid for so i'm probably not returning. Good for a first try, bad for the wallet and repeats.
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Hidden in a little corner in big ole Vivocity is this little gem of a restaurant. "Fresh and French" is the tagline and i'm most inclined to agree with it because in retrospect, that is exactly what you get.
The interior is small and probably sits about 16 people max. Color palette is more or less sombre white with plastic and wooden chairs. The important thing i believe is that it is clean and that is more important than all the decorations a restaurant can pile up.
They look nice of course but i wouldn't bet on how comfortable it will be to be sitting on top one of these chairs trying to enjoy my meal, needless to say, i was sitting somewhere else for my lunch.
Drinks! Apple Juice and Lime Juice - For the tartine set, you get a drink, a tartine and a dessert. No gst and no service charge is a definite plus point and honestly, the service was pretty good.
Salmon and Avocado Tartine ($16) - My gf ordered the salmon and avocado tartine which is basically, toasted bread with avocado and smoked salmon and some salad. Do not let the picture fool you, this is not a small piece of bread at all. The serving size is huge and as you can see, ingredients are generous as well. Salad wasn't anything special but the tartine itself is plain good. Warm toasted bread with cool and slightly salty smoked salmon atop a bed of creamy avocado. I feel like going back for more right about now actually.
Fre(n)sh Chicken Tartine ($16) - Judging by its namesake, this is probably a signature item. And apart from the same qualities of freshness and warm toasted bread, it came with roasted chicken and sliced potatoes atop a bed of mustard and rosemary. What can i say? Its spicy and very different from what i've had before. You can liken it to having chicken and potatoes with Japanese wasabi as a base. My only complaint is that the chicken is a little too dry, otherwise, i like this quite a bit.
Opera - Presentation is a definite plus for this with its eiffel tower chocolate and snowy sugar sprinklyed for added effect. The opera is supposed to be 2 repeated layers of chocolate, coffee and cake but i couldn't taste the coffee at all. It was also dry which doesn't win it many points unfortunately. Could have been loads better.
Original Cheese Cake - I wondered what 'original' meant in this rendition but it basically means generic. Its not bad tasting mind you. Its just that it tastes pretty much like every other cheesecake out there.
The bill came to only $32 for 2 people! Imagine my surprise at the fact that there were no additional charges. This place is a must try for the fact that its value for money.
If they can survive with charging service and gst charges and they are located at Vivocity, i really don't see why other restaurants can't. And otherwise, in all regards, this place serves good, healthy food which will have me returning for more whenever i'm in the vicinity. Must try.
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Kelson Betta is a small shop located in Roxy Square (opposite Parkway Parade) that houses many high quality Betta, aka Siamese Fighting Fish. These aren't the kind you put in little jars and bring around to challenge people. These are show quality fish, bred for viewing pleasure.
He has a large variety of Halfmoons, Crowntails, etc.
My bf had been frequenting his shop and I thought about buying him two Betta for companionship. We called Kelson on his mobile at 9pm, when most shops were closing. It was the day before CNY eve and we were praying hard that he would be around. He was in the vicinity of his shop when we called and he actually opened for us!
Once there, he took the time to show us his new stock and explain the differences between the breeds and colours. The fish were all healthy and very beautiful. Some of them in colours which are rarely seen elsewhere.
Kelson gave very good and economical advice about how to take care of the fish. Even when we asked the same questions repeatedly, he explained very patiently as he is very passionate about these fish. He also taught us how to transport the fish around if we wished to travel with them. He doesn't sell the accessories for the fish so he is not the kind who would hard-sell other stuff when one purchases fish from him.
Happily equipped with new-found knowledge and feeling secure with his assurance that we can call him anytime, we're now the proud parents of two male betta and one female one. The prices start from $40 onwards. There are very expensive ones which have won awards so those cost hundreds. Do drop by for a visit. But give Kelson a ring before you go ya?
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Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice is situated between the famous Sin Hoi Zhi Cha Restaurant and Boon Tong Kee along East Coast Road. With these two on its sides, Five Star still manages a full house every night. This, of course, renders a try doesn't it?
Chicken rice is the same everywhere right? Wrong! I've had those with hard tasteless bits they dare to call rice and rubbery white pieces of meat they call chicken. It's been a long time since I've had a plate of good chicken rice so I was all ready to attack.
The staff were fast to seat people, quick to take orders and even faster at clearing tables. The food came really fast which was good for 5 hungry souls.
Food Ordered:
Kampung Chicken
This is suppose to be leaner than the usual "white" chicken but it is smaller. I'm a fan of roasted meat so I was quite apprehensive when I only had these two choices. But my worries were unfounded as the chicken was delicious and not with fatty bits as I had imagined. I, of course, attacked my favourite part, the breast meat, which was smooth with lots of bite.
Rice (Chicken rice style)
The rice was not oily and still tasty. HOwever the serving was not very big. It was enough for me and I'm not much of an eater.
Youtiao with Salad Sauce
This came a little over-fried so it was quite dry and hard. But it wasn't too oily so it was still ok.
Sambal Kangkong
It was a little spicy for my brother but the rest of us found it fine. A little oily for my taste though.
Cereal Prawn
The cereal was nice but the prawns were not fresh and I had a hard time with it. The prawns were also quite small.
Stir Fried Vegetables
Your average Kailan with oyster sauce dish. Nothing special.
We spent about $70 for the 5 of us which is pretty reasonable considering how full we were. Worth coming for your chicken rice fix, but not the rest of the dishes though.
Good place for family gatherings and large groups though.
One major gripe though, parking is horrendous along East Coast Road. Luckily we took the bus :)
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Bi Feng Tang is this little place serving chinese food at CS's basement. It's been there for a while and this is my second trip to the place with my colleague. I had vague memories of a pretty good experience the first time so I was game for the second trip.
We were greeted politely and led to our seats. It was a Sunday afternoon but there weren't many people. About 4-5 tables were occupied and they had a total seating area of about 50 people.
After ordering, I wanted to take pictures of the menu so that I can remember what I ordered, but was stopped by the lady who said that I cannot take pictures of the menu. Both my colleague and I heard that so I did stop. But when the food came and I wanted to take pictures, I was stopped again. I think they should have been clear the first time and just say that no photography was allowed. I didn't appreciate feeling like I was being a nuisance.
had 3 dishes altogether but I can only remember two.
One was the Yee Mian which we got a medium sized serving, thanks to my ambitious friend. It had plenty of mushroom and vegetables with it so it was pretty delicious. The serving can easily fill 2 without any side dishes.
The second one is the Pan Fried Beancurd Sheet with Mushroom and Carrot ($4). This one was quite crunchy and the vegetables wrapped in the sheet gave it a nice fresh flavour. HOwever it was quite oily so it didn't feel so healthy after all.
We did order a 4th dish, which they forgot to cook and we cancelled in the end.
We spent about $20 for the two of us and were suitably filled. The food is fine and the ambience was good too. However I didn't quite enjoy myself, no thanks to the service.
*Apologies for not giving the usual detailed review as the staff spoilt my mood for collecting "data"*
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