Talk about pizza in Singapore and the first name to jump at you will be Pizza Hut. However, there are quite a variety of other offerings out there yet to be noticed or even recommended. Most are targeted at niche markets instead of the usual crowd and honestly, i think Pizza Hut is charging a little too much these days. In comes New York Pizza, more casual and easy going then Pizza Hut, and also decidedly Halal so it can be enjoyed by even more people. Lets have a bite and find out if its a contender shall we?
Simple and gets the job done. The location is alfresco and thats about all there is to it. I wasn't very happy that i'd have to stay in the sun and get all comfy with it and the fact that there's a noticeable waiting time of about 10 minutes after you order makes it look less palatable
The container - Do not let the picture fool you. This is not a small piece of pizza at all. To put it in perspective, think about the length of pizza huts biggest pizza and you get the idea of how long this is.
Queens Meal = Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Wing Pepsi ($6.90) - Queens meal, nice name though it belies the actual fact that its quite simply a big piece of pepperoni pizza with green pepper, pepperoni and bits of beef. The pizza itself is pretty big and can be split into 4 further pieces for consumption. Its crust is reasonable but very crunchy and crispy which is a refreshing change from pizza huts rather flour filled pizzas. The toppings weren't much to shout about however and i soon got sick of the same taste it offered. The chicken wing was strangely fragrant and sweet, not to mention piping hot
Hawaiian Pizza Meal ($6.90) - Its crust is alike with the pepperoni version which i suppose is the determining factor and difference it is bringing to the scene. Crunchy but a little overdone such that you could see the charred portions from over baking. The Hawaiian pizza is a little too sweet and easily overwhelmed after more then 3 bites into it. The ingredients used were also a little miserly when compared to other pizza places i got to try.
The lunch came up to $13.80 which can't be considered expensive. We did get very sick of the pizza after our 2 helpings so i don't think i will be returning.
I actually tried the place a long time ago when it first started. During that time i had the fish and chips and also tried its pizza burger. Both were pretty good and the fish and chips in particular had a wonderful fresh taste to it. During this visit, the machine was spoiled and thats why we settled for its less then optimal pizzas. Well, i wouldn't know if the fish and chips are any good now since i probably won't try it again. If anyone else tries, let me know if it tastes good alright? Cheers!
In my bid to bade a warm farewell to this 2 decades old iconic landmark of the Oasis (which happens to be closing soon), I visited on a warm weekday evening ladened with much nostalgia from my good old childhood days.
Nothing much has changed since I can last remember, save for some minor refurbishments and facelifts here and there. The interior is still as warm as ever, even with air conditioning.
Beancurd with Shrimp - The shrimps didn't taste particularly fresh while the tofu was small and tasteless. Add overly salty gravy to the equation and you get a below average dish for the price ($7).
Preserved Vegetable Omelette - The egg was overly fried as evident from the charred bits along the edges but the preserved vegetables weren't too salty, which was something I personally liked.
Bean Sprouts - Nicely fried with bits of salted fish in it to give it taste. However it did seem a little too oily and salty.
Stewed Pork - The stewed pork aka Mei Cai Kou Rou, was an off menu item and tasted decent at best. It didn't help that the meat was a tad too dry as well. Did I mention that it was expensive ($10) as well for the tiny serving?
I honestly don't know what to make of this place. The food is average and prices are astronomical. 1 meal here can buy me at least 2 equally if not more satisfying meals at the teochew porridge stall near my house. The only reason I can think of why people still patronise this place is nostalgia. After all, this place has been around for decades.
Al Dento at Great World is an open concept cafe you can't miss if you're there. Its central location (Great World City) makes it not-too-inconvenient yet nice and quiet.
Popped by for dinner with 3 other Yebbers that fateful Tuesday. Armed with the well-mentioned coupon, we were tempted to order almost everything on the menu.
Of course we didn't... so here goes!
Tomato Basil Brushetta @ $5 Our little starter was served pretty quickly. 8 pieces of thin toast... Well-buttered but the diced tomatoes were a tad too little. But it was relatively well-presented. A good number for the 4 of us which made me wonder briefly if it were done on purpose.
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms @ $12 2 pieces... what did I expect right? Well it was a little small for Portobello but we made do. The sauce that came with it was just right, not too overpowering. The mushrooms were still juicy with good bite. But I still think it's too expensive at its original price.
Pan-seared Butterfish @ $20 This dish was served with lumps of potato which really looked like Cheezels to me as they were very orange in colour. The fish didn't have too much of a fishy smell to me but the texture could be improved. The potatoes tasted like they were frozen... much like Tater Tots for those who remember what they are.
Char-grilled Sirloin Steak @ $20 This dish was to be served medium rare but it was more well done than expected. I didn't taste this dish really so let my companions do the talking for ya.
Arragosta Pasta @ $20 This is the pasta served with lobster meat. We could choose between two sauces, tomato and garlic. We had garlic sauce and the sauce sure came with a garlicky smell. I think this dish is pretty average. I had the joy of having more lobster meat though (thanks to Claudie).
Smoked Chicken Pizza @ $17 I liked this one. The pizza was about 10". It didn't seem so impressive when it arrived but all the chicken was hidden beneath the cheese. It's been a long time since I've had pizza with that much meat. I like the crust which was thin and crisp at the edges but not thin enough to be charred. :)
Macadamia scented Creme Brulee @ $8 I was the one who ordered this and I did regret a little after the first spoonful. The taste of the custard wasn't very strong. The texture of the custard wasn't smooth enough too. The caramelised top was too thin to add any taste to the dessert.
Tiramisu @ $9 This is better than the Creme Brulee but still not good enough I guess. The top portion was too "tough" and the bottom was too soggy. That made it a little gross to swallow but the overall taste was fine.
This meal would have cost the 4 of us $120 if not for the coupon. The service provided was satisfactory I guess. But unless I'm in the area and I don't fancy anything else, I don't think I would specially head there for this again.
Have you ever go into a Italiano restaurant, and all of a sudden feel ordering ALL the food available on the menu?
All you look is at the food, without even giving the price tag a glance?
Feeling excited, we might as well tell the waiter to serve EVERY dish they have on the menu!
That’s precisely what happen to us when we went to Al Dente Pronto.
Ahh.. You are confuse now right? Is the food so good that we wanted to order all the dishes? Alas, that’s not quite the raison d’être.
The explication for our extravagant & exaggerated behavior is because … …
We had a 50% discount coupon from OCBC. Yes, you didn’t see wrongly, half price for a la carte items during lunch & dinner, up to a table of 4 persons. Dinner was with the Yebbers. So everything we look at, we can only see half the price, and of course this makes it affordable and worry-free to order whatever we like. So we ordered mostly the more expensive dishes : )
Tomato Basil Bruschetta ($5.0)
We kick start our dinner with the Tomato Basil Bruschettra. Diced Tomato, Garlic, Basil, Oregano and olive oil formulate the starter. We were uncertain whether they gave 8 pieces because there are four of us, or it always come in 8 pieces irregardless of the number of people dining. All the same, we felt the starter could do with more tomato, mayb its because of the rising price in agriculture products in China. Think think. First bite into the Bruschettra was crispy and the garlic taste was done just nice. At $2.50 after discount, it was a real good deal.
Grilled Portobello mushrooms ($12.0)
Our second starter was the Grilled Portobello Mushrooms. Served with rocket salad and diced tomatos. The presentation of the dish was done beautifully, but sadly to sad i felt that at $12 it was definitely not worth the price. Even at half price i won’t order it again.
Char-Grilled Sirloin Steak ($20.0)
Finishing our starter, the waiter note our cue to start our Main course for the night. Our first main was the Char-Grilled Sirloin Steak. We requested for medium-rare, but then when the steak was served it was a tad tougher than what we expected from a medium-rare steak. I guess they sort of make it into medium-well instead. Well, its Italiano and not a steakhouse after all. Nevertheless, i felt that the steak was pretty decent, and at half the price of $10, it was value. Oh yes, we liked the potato that came with it, pretty much reminds us of our childhood.
Pan-Seared Butterfish ($20.0)
Served with potatos, sautèed vegetables and topped with a lemon dill butter glace. Al Dente Pronto actually only have three main course available, the other one being roasted corn fed chicken which we didn’t order. I suppose the raison d’être was because the mains are not really their area of specialty. Al Dente Pronto’s extensive variety of Italian Pizzas and Pastas are where they fare better.
Smoked Chicken Pizza ($17.0)
This is the star of tonight’s show. The Smoked Chicken Pizza might not look very special, but then they are undeniably scrumptious, with large chunks of chicken meat beneath the cheesy cheese. Pizza comes flat, thin and crispy
Arragosta Pasta ($20.0)
Spaghetti with Lobster meat, zucchini and mushrooms, with tomato stew or garlic sauce. We opted for garlic sauce with the belief that garlic can compliment Lobster meat better. And i thought the Arragosta Pasta comes out quite well, mayb except for the fact that it was slightly too dry. I like the lobster meat, which was quite generously furnish on top of the pasta. And i think zucchini (cucumbers) are rather a rare sight in pasta cuisine. Nonetheless, at half price of $10 i think its quite good for money, we are talking about Lobster meat after all.
Tiramisu ($9.0)
To end off the meal, we had Tiramisu as our first dessert. Layers of mascarpone with sponge fingers soaked in coffee and brandy, served with bittersweet chocolate powder The presentation was all right, but the cake was too tough, we had to literally dig inside it to get the tiramisu out.
Macadamia Scented Crème Brulèe ($8.0)
Caramelized custard, infused with Macadamia nut oil served with strawberries on the Macadamia Scented Crème Brulèe.
Total Bill was $122.50 before discount, the amount that we paid for 4 person was $71.20 after discount. The calulations are kind of complicated because the 50% discount does not includes GST and service charge, so they had to count the total price without including them, half the price, and add on the 17% additional charges. Poof! Its comes down to around $18 for per person which i think is reasonably cheap.
All in all, Al Dente Pronto is not really expensive (even without the promotion), the price ranges are mostly in the 10s to 20s. I wont say the food is excellent, in fact some are not. But then i suppose they are still acceptable to me. No you wont go all the way to the forgotton-Great-World-City just for Al Dente Pronto, but i guess if you are in the region you might just want to give it a try. And it certainly helps if you have the OCBC promotion, p.s: it last until end feb.
We had a great night chatting around, there was laughter all over the place, and at times i thought the waiter will just kick us out of the place. It was fun fun & fun! Looking forward to the next Yebber gathering! Cheers!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
Ema’s Diner located at Greenwood Avenue, is formally known as 8 on Greenwood. Opened by the Halia group at the stretch of restaurants along Greenwood. Greenwood is being spoken at the same breath as Dempsey, Holland Village, Rochester Park as the hidden and hot spot to go.
All these used-to be forgotten little outposts of Singapore have been transformed into mini lifestyle destinations of their own. The location of the restaurant is no longer a issue, so long there is the “hot” and “in” place to go, well-travelled food enthusiants living in all corners of Singapore will be willing to travel to other corners as well.
Maybe not known to all, Greenwood Avenue was created by Les Amis group, one of Singapore dining giant. Out of close to 13 restaurants there, 5 belongs to Les Amis Group;
The Grill at Hillcrest
Sebastien’s Bistrot
Peperoni Pizzeria
Raku Japanese Restaurant
L’estaminet Bar
Anyway, thats for the background information on Greenwood, but Les Amis is really good, first they find a hidden street, this is follow up with opening several separate restaurants with different themes, to complement not to compete with each other. And poof! Greenwood Avenue is born.
Initially we wanted to try out Sebastien’s Bistrot, but it was kind of late when we reached the area, so we went for quick lunch at Ema’s Diner. The first impression of the restaurant was its sort of kiddy? There was those stuff-toys cushion on the seats at one of the tables outside.
The menu was an one-pager, it certaintly did not impress me as it seems unprofessional, like a child-drawn menu. Even though Ema did not offer much variety, but i thought the least they could do was separate out the one-page menu into several page and make it look more appropriate like a menu.
We proceed on to browse through the menu since we had already entered the place, a rough count shows that it was about 25-30 seater restaurant. Not much diners around, mayb it was the timing that we went.
Ema’s Burger ($14.90)
Home-made beef patty, melted cheese, picked vege, bacon & hickory smoked bbq sauce, accompanied by fries. The Ema's Burger was pretty decent i guess. You won’t really go wrong ordering this from the short list of food available.
Braised Lamb Shank ($15.90)
With carrot, turnip, celery & mashed potato. The inquisitive side finally got me into trouble. There are safe options to order, but no, my mind tell me not to, and instead Braised lamb shank is served onto my table. Not really good, i didn’t finish the dish if thats what you want to know.
French fries ($3.50)
We made a mistake of ordering french fries for starters because while ordering Ema’s burger, we missed out that it came with fries, otherwise, the fries were okay, and the servings were quite generous too
Total damage came to $43.78 for two person. Also had one mango ice blend ($5.50). The food there wasn’t that bad i guess, mayb its just a case of ordering the wrong stuff, for the price range i though it is still consider reasonable given the fact that it is located beside much high-end restaurants, and the rent at Greenwood isn’t really what you will mention as cheap.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
“ It can’t be smooth-sailing all the way, sometimes you will encounter bad dining experience ”
Botak Jones by now if you haven heard of it before, then are u REALLY living in Singapore? Even if you never go to the place before, but at the very least must have know the existance of this Ang Moh selling western ‘restaurant’ food in our very own local-coffeeshop.
Quality-yet-cheap western meals at coffee shops used to be a thing never heard of, but it all changed after Botak Jones came in and set the record right. After that, we saw a rush in stream of such ‘concepts’, think Crazy Ang Moh, UNO Beef house and a few others which are all owned by Caucasian (our term is Ang Moh), set up on our heartland shores.
Like i mention during my last visit to Botak Jones, critics of Botak Jones will say they are charging too much going for the coffee-shop standards, yet you cannot deny the fact that Botak Jones has been going from strength to strength with the opening of new branches, the current strength stands at 7 outlets in Singapore.
You cant fault the owner Bernie Utchenik for his ingenious of spotting the trend to open his shops in all neighbour area, and there is even two new concepts that he introduces to our local foodie, Brewski Jones & Spaghetti Jones. As the names implies, Brewski Jones is actually a brewery where you drink beer of course, except its not in town, not in Clarke Quay, but in Toa Payoh North and Bedok North. Ahh.. yes, in our very own backyard. I suppose Spaghetti Jones need no further introduction then, Jones selling spaghetti as simple as that. Pastas there are not expensive, for the basic one going for $4.50, to ranges from $7.50 to $8.50.
In any case, Brewski Jones and Spaghetti Jones are not the topic of discussion for today, thats just a sneak preview of what is to come after i gave em’ a visit. Cheers! Today we are back at Botak Jones for my second visit. Having tried Cajun Chicken, Fish & chips, and Rosemary Lamb Chop on the last account, they are therefore not what we are going to sample today, well you don’t go back to a place for a revisit eating the same food unless they are really really good right?
Australia Ribeye Steak 200gm ($14.50)
Enough of the crap already, lets get back to business. Let me present to you the food that we are having, first up is the Australia Ribeye Steak. In an attempt to raise the stakes (a little pun), Botak Jones upgraded to a better quality australian beef, trim off the whole ribeyes, hand marinate and tendrize them, coming in their own brown black pepper gravy.
The steak was medium-well, done chewy with a strong strain of blood still visible. Some people like it medium-rare, but i like mine done not too bloody. As usual, the fries was rather good and spicy. Although the 200gm might look small and on first notion we doubt that it will be filling, but on boy were we proved wrong. The serving was definitely enough for a person. However i still felt that the price was a tad too high, and i probably wont take this one again.
The Botak Burger ($8)
150grams of hand formed beef. All the burgers are suppose to come out medium well, which if done correctly will leave them very juicy. The Botak Burger alone is $5.50, but i got it at a set at $7, den add $1 for cheese on top. There are quite a lot of extra ingredients which you can upgrade your burger with, egg, ham, bacons, cheese etc. Actually if you are going for beef, i feel this is a better option than the Australian Ribeye, well cow for cow, obviously this one lose out, but then at Botak Jones, this is good n’uff.
Total Bill was $22.50 for two mains, kind of expensive going for coffee fare standards, but then again its not really coffee shop food. I suppose it won’t hurts if you go there once in a while, so until i visit the other Ang Moh stores then.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
” When restaurant and hawker food comes together… “
When you hang out with a group of friends and wanted seafood for dinner, Fish & Co, Manhattan Fish Market, Greenwood Fish Market and even newly-opened Seafood Harvest by Jack’s Place will spring into mind. There is another option actually, introducing Hooked! A quaint little fish restaurant specialising in fusion cuisine, Hooked! creations try to push the boundaries of marine gastronomic expectations to a different level.
While MFM and Fish & Co both specialises in American-style seafood, with its fish & chips, Seafood platter among its signature dishes, Hooked! took the ”healthy” approach by offering more steamed variety of fishes in addition to the fried ones. Actually if you think that MFM and Fish & Co have different variety of seafood, then you are wrong.
Hooked! is the place to be if you want many variety of seafood, from the normal fish & chips, to snappers, groupers, salmons and even to Seabass, and Cod fish. With so many fishes to choose from, the next problem is how do you want the fish to be done? Deep-fried, Barbecued, Pan-grilled, Roasted, Steamed, Pan-seared, Baked, Grilled, you name it they have it. You’ll know when you see the comprehensive and colourful menu, lots of choices to go around, it all depends on how far you want to try.
Fish & Chips ($13.50)
Hmm.. The fish & Chips was good i guess, but then again coming to a special seafood restaurant like Hooked!, i think it will be a better choice to try other special fish and methods of cooking. Nevertheless its a decent option if you are not feeling too adventureous.
Grilled Jumbo Snapper with spicy tomato sauce ($15.50)
Choice of with or without market-fresh squids. Served with sauteed potato and asparagus. The spicy tomato sauce did not cover the freshness of the snapper, instead, it helps to bring up the flavour of the fish, giving it a sweet and hot taste. Take the Grilled Jumbo Snapper with spicy tomato sauce if you are feeling faint after reading the long list of menu and not knowing what to order.
Steamed Cod Thai Cantonese Style ($22.80)
Snowy-white fresh cod steamed in fish broth. Drizzled with heated seasame oil & soy sauce upon serving. Also served with a side dish of panfried linguine or rice. This is one of the more expensive fish around, but it is understood as Cod fish are naturally at the higher end as compared to the other fishes available. But then the steamed Cod Thai Cantonese style falls flat when served, partly is because the fish was rather bland in taste, perhaps due to the fact it is steamed, and after having the colourful taste of spicy tomato sauce, and Balsamic Ragenov sauce, this one is not as tasteful. Nonetheless, it is a good option if you want to have steamed fish for a change.
Pan-grill jumbo Seabass in Balsamic Ragenov sauce ($14.80)
Capping off the delightful meal was the Pan-grill jumbo Seabass in Balsamic Ragenov sauce. The flavours contained within were maturely paired and showed a different side to the chef’s ability. What exactly is Balsamic Ragenov sauce, that remains a mystery even after finishing the whole dish. But without a doubt, the sauce was good and offers a unique taste. Furthermore, the linguine was very smooth to the mouth, and the side order of the linguine cost just 2 bucks.
Tofu Otah ($7.90)
The tofu otah was quite good, cheese was topped onto the tofu and otah, but then the price was rather expensive. Best served eaten hot.
Hooked! boasts a pantry of the freshest fish, paired with adventurous preparations. It provides a different dimension from the usual deep-fried and grilled seafood, offering many different methods of serving the fish and seafood fresh. Western cuisine is fused with Asian flair, with the originality of these flavours will definitely hooked up any diners, fish lovers or not. For people who do not fancy fish, there is a column called the anti-fish, which offers three options of meat, but then again why are you ordering meat in a seafood fish restaurant?
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
Hidden in the sleepy enclave of rustic Changi Village is a small and unpretentious diner by the name of Jacob's Cafe, which is seemingly popular judging from the healthy crowd size on a Friday evening.
Jacob's offers both indoor and al fresco dining although the bulk of the seats are in the al fresco area, with only about 4 tables indoor. The interior revolves mainly around wood, which gives the place a nice homely touch. They could do something about the indoor ventilation though, as the food fumes from the kitchen were rather evident.
Bread Roll - Although the bread roll wasn't complimentary, it deserves a writeup simply because it was excellent. This is probably one of the best I've eaten in a long long time (the best is still in France though). Crackling crisp on the outside yet warm and fluffy on the inside. Definitely good enough to be eaten on its own! Pity about the packaged butter and hefty $1 price tag per roll though.
Cream of Chicken and Corn & Minestrone - Both soups were a tad too starchy. The cream of chicken and corn had bits of chicken and corn in it but did come across as a wee bit too salty for my liking. The minestrone was well, average.
Stuffed US Roast Chicken - A special at Jacob's, I was enticed by the promise of roast chicken stuffed with rice, chestnuts and cashews - a blend of east and west. First looks, the chicken was slightly larger than average and spotted a healthy sheen on the skin. Sadly, it didn't quite taste up to my expectations as the filling was a tad soggy and didn't taste anything out of the ordinary. The meat was tender and juicy though. Overall a decent dish without all the bells and whistles. Please note that the chicken is meant for 2 average eaters, so if you have 2 big eaters, it would be best to order something else.
Apple Crumble & Pecan Pie - Imagine my surprise when I spotted pecan pie on the menu. Its probably about as rare as flash floods in Singapore. Surprise turned to disappointment as the crust was too hard and tasteless. The pecan nuts were a whisker too dry as well. A totally huge contrast from the ones I had in North America. The apple crumble didn't quite meet the mark as well. Dry and tasteless would be most apt in describing it.
A very filling dinner cost about $48, which isn't too expensive if you ask me. Food is generally decent and very homely. Service is excellent and I've honestly never felt more at home anywhere else. At this point of writing, I've already been there thrice so I guess that says something?
Eighteen Chefs takes after Brit Celebrity Jamie Oliver's Restaurant Fifteen in the sense that the concept is very much alike. Both offer jobs for juvenile delinquents and both are supposed serve up great tasting Western/Italian cuisine. This is more than a coincidence however, since executive chef Benny Se Teo did go through a month-long internship with the said British lad for pointers. Did it pay off though?
This huge, colorful and eye-catching mural is painted by ex offenders and serves as the basis to the spirit of the cafe. Good food from people you wouldn't have thought much about. Its a heart warming testament to the fact that all people can be good as long as you give them a chance. I'm not complaining, in fact i like what they are doing by giving people a second chance.
Over here, you choose your meal and pay your bills first. The meal comes later. Cold water is free but you'll have to get it yourself. The overall atmosphere of the place is relaxed and very easy to get into. The bill was $35.10.
Daily Specials Soup and Garlic Bread - The humble cream of mushroom soup and garlic bread comes with the daily specials meal. Cream of mushroom is pretty standard fare, which is to say there isn't anything about it that distinguishes itself as being extraordinary or overly exciting about it. The garlic bread, on the other hand, was done nicely with it being crispy, lightly buttered and soft at the same time. The serving size was also respectable but still had us craving for more bread after we were done with it.
Half Baby Lobster with Seafood Linguine ($18.90) - This was my first visit and i was attracted to his daily special. As you can see, it comes with a fresh half baby lobster, a handful of prawns, mushrooms, garlic and quite a bit of olive oil sprinkled over a bed of linguine. What you don't see is that this is a spicy dish, possibly due to a generous dose of tobasco sauce. Its difficult to go wrong when ingredients used are fresh and this is what is provided here. Crunchy prawns, juicy mushrooms, sweet lobster meat. Its difficult not to like this dish. The serving wasn't the least bit scrimped on as well, being enough for a big sized guy like myself. Even the olive oil used was minimal enough to keep the linguine suitably moist without seeming to overflow like other restaurants i've tried. (Recommended)
Cheese baked mussels and black pepper fries, onion and calamari rings ($13.90)- Black pepper fries, onion and calamari rings? Thats a first for me. Either way, interesting as it is, i found it a tad soggy and would have liked it better if it was crispier. Still, no denying that the black pepper did introduce an interesting dimension to the tired formula. It was strangely sweet too. There was a grand total of 6 cheese baked mussels of the male and female variety. It was different, the cheese made the dish fragrant and the mussels were sweet and fresh but the serving is a little too small for my tastes. This could have been a side dish, not a main meal. Could be improved upon by adding a little more items into the mix.
Yam Ice Cream - Looks can be deceiving. Despite the small size and lack of garnishing whatsoever, this ice cream is creamy, bursting with yam taste and very refreshing after a meal. A good end to a generally good meal.
On my second visit, we ordered the crab and his normal baked rice offering. Benny also offered the soup of the day this time and we got an additional bowl for free. Personalized service is always good. The meal this time cost us $33.50.
Cheese and Chili Baked Crab Claw ($15.90 only on Wednesdays) - The soup is as per normal, simple but gets the taste buds moving. Benny offered his Wednesday special this time around because reservations are needed to enjoy this dish. Seeing that he's such a sport and good host, we took his offer to try out the chili crab. The meal comes with 5 fried buns and 1 crab claw, albeit a huge one. Maybe my love for crabs are waning or i'm just getting lazy, i simply don't like to get my hands dirty breaking crab shells anymore. The buns went very well with the cheese and chili, which was moderately spicy. The crab was sweet and firm but it wasn't enough to get me full and i was expecting the entire crab, not a claw. Interesting dish though i won't order it in future.
Black Pepper Seafood Pasta ($12.90) - My gf had this dish and i found it much better then the crab actually. Generous servings of mussels, prawn and calamari on a bed of black pepper baked rice. As with anything cooked in black pepper, the rice was fragrant and a little spicy with a tinge of sweetness. The ingredients are still fresh and crunchy and overall taste is very good. I did find the rice insufficient this time round though. For the price, i'd like to have a bigger serving of rice and food. Presentation for baked rice is secondary, serving size and taste should come first.
Benny was trained in Zhi Ca before opening this quaint little establishment and it shows in the way he melds classic crab cooking techniques in his renditions of baked rice. The results are refreshing dishes which somehow taste familiar. My take is that the daily specials meal are more bang for the buck as opposed to the normal offerings of baked rice. A quick research shows that he has a few other tricks up his sleeve i've yet to try like the black pepper crab baked rice. If he shells it for me, i'll probably try it, but if not, i'm sticking with the daily specials. The spirit of the restaurant is good, the food is decent, the price can be improved upon though.
Crystal Jade has been given a second chance by me after its off shoot failed to impress. And it marks my first treat to an old friend. After all, he was the one who treated me to Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, so i felt it right to return the favor.
Signature Beancurd with Mincemeat and Chili Sauce ($9.80) - I can't help ordering this item. Bean curd is simply one of my favorite items of choice and as with all food outlets, i want to try out their signature bean curds to see if there is indeed something special about them. This rendition is simple, bean curd in batter deep fried till golden brown and served with minced meat and chili dip. I found it too spicy for my liking but the batter was pretty light and extremely crispy. The bean curd itself contains some herbs which added to its fragrance but didn't quite appeal to my friends since it made the bean curd bumpy and less smooth.
Fried Hor Fan With SeaFood ($13.80) - Oily yet fragrant and tasty. The seafood is minimal which is a shame but there really isn't much distinguishing factors between this version and those found in hawkers outside.
E-fu noodles with shrimp roe ($9.80) - My gf ordered this thinking it was filled with shrimp but that was not to be. Instead it was E-fu noodles with shrimp roe. Very important to note the difference since there were only a few pieces of mushrooms in this dish to act as additional ingredients. Not to say that it tasted bad. The noodles were springy and tasted slightly salty from the roe which gave it a good texture. Not that i recommend ordering again however.
Yang Zhou Fried Rice ($9.50) - Eggs, roast pork, shrimp and bean sprouts. Simple ingredients for a wonderfully fragrant plate of fried rice. Now this was my order and the reason behind it is to ascertain my friend's claim that the friend rice in Crystal Jade is much better then its offshoot. I'm inclined to agree that it indeed tasted better and more fragrant but not inclined to say its the best i've ever had. In fact, i found that the rice was not done homogeneously with certain parts being overly dry while others undercooked. The generous serving of shrimp is a plus however.
Deep Fried Dumpling With Salad Sauce ($9.30) - Expensive is the first word. For its price, there were surprisingly little dumplings to go around, i counted 5. So each dumpling is effectively $2 (!!!) which is a little over the top for shrimp dumplings that were deep fried. Sure, it was very nicely done, fresh and the salad sauce complemented it well, but for the same price, i could have gotten much much more elsewhere.
The final bill came up to $64.38 for 3 people which is a little too much for the quality of food we had.
Sad to say, i have to maintain my stand that Crystal Jade is grossly overrated and not exactly a place i would recommend to everyone. The food is average but the price belongs to a whole different category which they unfortunately still do not provide. Much improvement needed in my book.
1=SGD 0.0587
Talk about pizza in Singapore and the first name to jump at you will be Pizza Hut. However, there are quite a variety of other offerings out there yet to be noticed or even recommended. Most are targeted at niche markets instead of the usual crowd and honestly, i think Pizza Hut is charging a little too much these days. In comes New York Pizza, more casual and easy going then Pizza Hut, and also decidedly Halal so it can be enjoyed by even more people. Lets have a bite and find out if its a contender shall we?
Simple and gets the job done. The location is alfresco and thats about all there is to it. I wasn't very happy that i'd have to stay in the sun and get all comfy with it and the fact that there's a noticeable waiting time of about 10 minutes after you order makes it look less palatable
The container - Do not let the picture fool you. This is not a small piece of pizza at all. To put it in perspective, think about the length of pizza huts biggest pizza and you get the idea of how long this is.
Queens Meal = Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Wing Pepsi ($6.90) - Queens meal, nice name though it belies the actual fact that its quite simply a big piece of pepperoni pizza with green pepper, pepperoni and bits of beef. The pizza itself is pretty big and can be split into 4 further pieces for consumption. Its crust is reasonable but very crunchy and crispy which is a refreshing change from pizza huts rather flour filled pizzas. The toppings weren't much to shout about however and i soon got sick of the same taste it offered. The chicken wing was strangely fragrant and sweet, not to mention piping hot
Hawaiian Pizza Meal ($6.90) - Its crust is alike with the pepperoni version which i suppose is the determining factor and difference it is bringing to the scene. Crunchy but a little overdone such that you could see the charred portions from over baking. The Hawaiian pizza is a little too sweet and easily overwhelmed after more then 3 bites into it. The ingredients used were also a little miserly when compared to other pizza places i got to try.
The lunch came up to $13.80 which can't be considered expensive. We did get very sick of the pizza after our 2 helpings so i don't think i will be returning.
I actually tried the place a long time ago when it first started. During that time i had the fish and chips and also tried its pizza burger. Both were pretty good and the fish and chips in particular had a wonderful fresh taste to it. During this visit, the machine was spoiled and thats why we settled for its less then optimal pizzas. Well, i wouldn't know if the fish and chips are any good now since i probably won't try it again. If anyone else tries, let me know if it tastes good alright? Cheers!
Rating given:
In my bid to bade a warm farewell to this 2 decades old iconic landmark of the Oasis (which happens to be closing soon), I visited on a warm weekday evening ladened with much nostalgia from my good old childhood days.
Nothing much has changed since I can last remember, save for some minor refurbishments and facelifts here and there. The interior is still as warm as ever, even with air conditioning.
Beancurd with Shrimp - The shrimps didn't taste particularly fresh while the tofu was small and tasteless. Add overly salty gravy to the equation and you get a below average dish for the price ($7).
Preserved Vegetable Omelette - The egg was overly fried as evident from the charred bits along the edges but the preserved vegetables weren't too salty, which was something I personally liked.
Bean Sprouts - Nicely fried with bits of salted fish in it to give it taste. However it did seem a little too oily and salty.
Stewed Pork - The stewed pork aka Mei Cai Kou Rou, was an off menu item and tasted decent at best. It didn't help that the meat was a tad too dry as well. Did I mention that it was expensive ($10) as well for the tiny serving?
I honestly don't know what to make of this place. The food is average and prices are astronomical. 1 meal here can buy me at least 2 equally if not more satisfying meals at the teochew porridge stall near my house. The only reason I can think of why people still patronise this place is nostalgia. After all, this place has been around for decades.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Al Dento at Great World is an open concept cafe you can't miss if you're there. Its central location (Great World City) makes it not-too-inconvenient yet nice and quiet.
Popped by for dinner with 3 other Yebbers that fateful Tuesday. Armed with the well-mentioned coupon, we were tempted to order almost everything on the menu.
Of course we didn't... so here goes!
Tomato Basil Brushetta @ $5
Our little starter was served pretty quickly. 8 pieces of thin toast... Well-buttered but the diced tomatoes were a tad too little. But it was relatively well-presented. A good number for the 4 of us which made me wonder briefly if it were done on purpose.
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms @ $12
2 pieces... what did I expect right? Well it was a little small for Portobello but we made do. The sauce that came with it was just right, not too overpowering. The mushrooms were still juicy with good bite. But I still think it's too expensive at its original price.
Pan-seared Butterfish @ $20
This dish was served with lumps of potato which really looked like Cheezels to me as they were very orange in colour. The fish didn't have too much of a fishy smell to me but the texture could be improved. The potatoes tasted like they were frozen... much like Tater Tots for those who remember what they are.
Char-grilled Sirloin Steak @ $20
This dish was to be served medium rare but it was more well done than expected. I didn't taste this dish really so let my companions do the talking for ya.
Arragosta Pasta @ $20
This is the pasta served with lobster meat. We could choose between two sauces, tomato and garlic. We had garlic sauce and the sauce sure came with a garlicky smell. I think this dish is pretty average. I had the joy of having more lobster meat though (thanks to Claudie).
Smoked Chicken Pizza @ $17
I liked this one. The pizza was about 10". It didn't seem so impressive when it arrived but all the chicken was hidden beneath the cheese. It's been a long time since I've had pizza with that much meat. I like the crust which was thin and crisp at the edges but not thin enough to be charred. :)
Macadamia scented Creme Brulee @ $8
I was the one who ordered this and I did regret a little after the first spoonful. The taste of the custard wasn't very strong. The texture of the custard wasn't smooth enough too. The caramelised top was too thin to add any taste to the dessert.
Tiramisu @ $9
This is better than the Creme Brulee but still not good enough I guess. The top portion was too "tough" and the bottom was too soggy. That made it a little gross to swallow but the overall taste was fine.
This meal would have cost the 4 of us $120 if not for the coupon. The service provided was satisfactory I guess. But unless I'm in the area and I don't fancy anything else, I don't think I would specially head there for this again.
Rating given:
Have you ever go into a Italiano restaurant, and all of a sudden feel ordering ALL the food available on the menu?
All you look is at the food, without even giving the price tag a glance?
Feeling excited, we might as well tell the waiter to serve EVERY dish they have on the menu!
That’s precisely what happen to us when we went to Al Dente Pronto.
Ahh.. You are confuse now right? Is the food so good that we wanted to order all the dishes? Alas, that’s not quite the raison d’être.
The explication for our extravagant & exaggerated behavior is because … …
We had a 50% discount coupon from OCBC. Yes, you didn’t see wrongly, half price for a la carte items during lunch & dinner, up to a table of 4 persons. Dinner was with the Yebbers. So everything we look at, we can only see half the price, and of course this makes it affordable and worry-free to order whatever we like. So we ordered mostly the more expensive dishes : )
Tomato Basil Bruschetta ($5.0)
We kick start our dinner with the Tomato Basil Bruschettra. Diced Tomato, Garlic, Basil, Oregano and olive oil formulate the starter. We were uncertain whether they gave 8 pieces because there are four of us, or it always come in 8 pieces irregardless of the number of people dining. All the same, we felt the starter could do with more tomato, mayb its because of the rising price in agriculture products in China. Think think. First bite into the Bruschettra was crispy and the garlic taste was done just nice. At $2.50 after discount, it was a real good deal.
Grilled Portobello mushrooms ($12.0)
Our second starter was the Grilled Portobello Mushrooms. Served with rocket salad and diced tomatos. The presentation of the dish was done beautifully, but sadly to sad i felt that at $12 it was definitely not worth the price. Even at half price i won’t order it again.
Char-Grilled Sirloin Steak ($20.0)
Finishing our starter, the waiter note our cue to start our Main course for the night. Our first main was the Char-Grilled Sirloin Steak. We requested for medium-rare, but then when the steak was served it was a tad tougher than what we expected from a medium-rare steak. I guess they sort of make it into medium-well instead. Well, its Italiano and not a steakhouse after all. Nevertheless, i felt that the steak was pretty decent, and at half the price of $10, it was value. Oh yes, we liked the potato that came with it, pretty much reminds us of our childhood.
Pan-Seared Butterfish ($20.0)
Served with potatos, sautèed vegetables and topped with a lemon dill butter glace. Al Dente Pronto actually only have three main course available, the other one being roasted corn fed chicken which we didn’t order. I suppose the raison d’être was because the mains are not really their area of specialty. Al Dente Pronto’s extensive variety of Italian Pizzas and Pastas are where they fare better.
Smoked Chicken Pizza ($17.0)
This is the star of tonight’s show. The Smoked Chicken Pizza might not look very special, but then they are undeniably scrumptious, with large chunks of chicken meat beneath the cheesy cheese. Pizza comes flat, thin and crispy
Arragosta Pasta ($20.0)
Spaghetti with Lobster meat, zucchini and mushrooms, with tomato stew or garlic sauce. We opted for garlic sauce with the belief that garlic can compliment Lobster meat better. And i thought the Arragosta Pasta comes out quite well, mayb except for the fact that it was slightly too dry. I like the lobster meat, which was quite generously furnish on top of the pasta. And i think zucchini (cucumbers) are rather a rare sight in pasta cuisine. Nonetheless, at half price of $10 i think its quite good for money, we are talking about Lobster meat after all.
Tiramisu ($9.0)
To end off the meal, we had Tiramisu as our first dessert. Layers of mascarpone with sponge fingers soaked in coffee and brandy, served with bittersweet chocolate powder The presentation was all right, but the cake was too tough, we had to literally dig inside it to get the tiramisu out.
Macadamia Scented Crème Brulèe ($8.0)
Caramelized custard, infused with Macadamia nut oil served with strawberries on the Macadamia Scented Crème Brulèe.
Total Bill was $122.50 before discount, the amount that we paid for 4 person was $71.20 after discount. The calulations are kind of complicated because the 50% discount does not includes GST and service charge, so they had to count the total price without including them, half the price, and add on the 17% additional charges. Poof! Its comes down to around $18 for per person which i think is reasonably cheap.
All in all, Al Dente Pronto is not really expensive (even without the promotion), the price ranges are mostly in the 10s to 20s. I wont say the food is excellent, in fact some are not. But then i suppose they are still acceptable to me. No you wont go all the way to the forgotton-Great-World-City just for Al Dente Pronto, but i guess if you are in the region you might just want to give it a try. And it certainly helps if you have the OCBC promotion, p.s: it last until end feb.
We had a great night chatting around, there was laughter all over the place, and at times i thought the waiter will just kick us out of the place. It was fun fun & fun! Looking forward to the next Yebber gathering! Cheers!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
” Italiano delights, Companion enjoyment ”
Rating given:
Ema’s Diner located at Greenwood Avenue, is formally known as 8 on Greenwood. Opened by the Halia group at the stretch of restaurants along Greenwood. Greenwood is being spoken at the same breath as Dempsey, Holland Village, Rochester Park as the hidden and hot spot to go.
All these used-to be forgotten little outposts of Singapore have been transformed into mini lifestyle destinations of their own. The location of the restaurant is no longer a issue, so long there is the “hot” and “in” place to go, well-travelled food enthusiants living in all corners of Singapore will be willing to travel to other corners as well.
Maybe not known to all, Greenwood Avenue was created by Les Amis group, one of Singapore dining giant. Out of close to 13 restaurants there, 5 belongs to Les Amis Group;
The Grill at Hillcrest
Sebastien’s Bistrot
Peperoni Pizzeria
Raku Japanese Restaurant
L’estaminet Bar
Anyway, thats for the background information on Greenwood, but Les Amis is really good, first they find a hidden street, this is follow up with opening several separate restaurants with different themes, to complement not to compete with each other. And poof! Greenwood Avenue is born.
Initially we wanted to try out Sebastien’s Bistrot, but it was kind of late when we reached the area, so we went for quick lunch at Ema’s Diner. The first impression of the restaurant was its sort of kiddy? There was those stuff-toys cushion on the seats at one of the tables outside.
The menu was an one-pager, it certaintly did not impress me as it seems unprofessional, like a child-drawn menu. Even though Ema did not offer much variety, but i thought the least they could do was separate out the one-page menu into several page and make it look more appropriate like a menu.
We proceed on to browse through the menu since we had already entered the place, a rough count shows that it was about 25-30 seater restaurant. Not much diners around, mayb it was the timing that we went.
Ema’s Burger ($14.90)
Home-made beef patty, melted cheese, picked vege, bacon & hickory smoked bbq sauce, accompanied by fries. The Ema's Burger was pretty decent i guess. You won’t really go wrong ordering this from the short list of food available.
Braised Lamb Shank ($15.90)
With carrot, turnip, celery & mashed potato. The inquisitive side finally got me into trouble. There are safe options to order, but no, my mind tell me not to, and instead Braised lamb shank is served onto my table. Not really good, i didn’t finish the dish if thats what you want to know.
French fries ($3.50)
We made a mistake of ordering french fries for starters because while ordering Ema’s burger, we missed out that it came with fries, otherwise, the fries were okay, and the servings were quite generous too
Total damage came to $43.78 for two person. Also had one mango ice blend ($5.50). The food there wasn’t that bad i guess, mayb its just a case of ordering the wrong stuff, for the price range i though it is still consider reasonable given the fact that it is located beside much high-end restaurants, and the rent at Greenwood isn’t really what you will mention as cheap.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
“ It can’t be smooth-sailing all the way, sometimes you will encounter bad dining experience ”
Rating given:
Botak Jones by now if you haven heard of it before, then are u REALLY living in Singapore? Even if you never go to the place before, but at the very least must have know the existance of this Ang Moh selling western ‘restaurant’ food in our very own local-coffeeshop.
Quality-yet-cheap western meals at coffee shops used to be a thing never heard of, but it all changed after Botak Jones came in and set the record right. After that, we saw a rush in stream of such ‘concepts’, think Crazy Ang Moh, UNO Beef house and a few others which are all owned by Caucasian (our term is Ang Moh), set up on our heartland shores.
Like i mention during my last visit to Botak Jones, critics of Botak Jones will say they are charging too much going for the coffee-shop standards, yet you cannot deny the fact that Botak Jones has been going from strength to strength with the opening of new branches, the current strength stands at 7 outlets in Singapore.
You cant fault the owner Bernie Utchenik for his ingenious of spotting the trend to open his shops in all neighbour area, and there is even two new concepts that he introduces to our local foodie, Brewski Jones & Spaghetti Jones. As the names implies, Brewski Jones is actually a brewery where you drink beer of course, except its not in town, not in Clarke Quay, but in Toa Payoh North and Bedok North. Ahh.. yes, in our very own backyard. I suppose Spaghetti Jones need no further introduction then, Jones selling spaghetti as simple as that. Pastas there are not expensive, for the basic one going for $4.50, to ranges from $7.50 to $8.50.
In any case, Brewski Jones and Spaghetti Jones are not the topic of discussion for today, thats just a sneak preview of what is to come after i gave em’ a visit. Cheers! Today we are back at Botak Jones for my second visit. Having tried Cajun Chicken, Fish & chips, and Rosemary Lamb Chop on the last account, they are therefore not what we are going to sample today, well you don’t go back to a place for a revisit eating the same food unless they are really really good right?
Australia Ribeye Steak 200gm ($14.50)
Enough of the crap already, lets get back to business. Let me present to you the food that we are having, first up is the Australia Ribeye Steak. In an attempt to raise the stakes (a little pun), Botak Jones upgraded to a better quality australian beef, trim off the whole ribeyes, hand marinate and tendrize them, coming in their own brown black pepper gravy.
The steak was medium-well, done chewy with a strong strain of blood still visible. Some people like it medium-rare, but i like mine done not too bloody. As usual, the fries was rather good and spicy. Although the 200gm might look small and on first notion we doubt that it will be filling, but on boy were we proved wrong. The serving was definitely enough for a person. However i still felt that the price was a tad too high, and i probably wont take this one again.
The Botak Burger ($8)
150grams of hand formed beef. All the burgers are suppose to come out medium well, which if done correctly will leave them very juicy. The Botak Burger alone is $5.50, but i got it at a set at $7, den add $1 for cheese on top. There are quite a lot of extra ingredients which you can upgrade your burger with, egg, ham, bacons, cheese etc. Actually if you are going for beef, i feel this is a better option than the Australian Ribeye, well cow for cow, obviously this one lose out, but then at Botak Jones, this is good n’uff.
Total Bill was $22.50 for two mains, kind of expensive going for coffee fare standards, but then again its not really coffee shop food. I suppose it won’t hurts if you go there once in a while, so until i visit the other Ang Moh stores then.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
” When restaurant and hawker food comes together… “
Rating given:
When you hang out with a group of friends and wanted seafood for dinner, Fish & Co, Manhattan Fish Market, Greenwood Fish Market and even newly-opened Seafood Harvest by Jack’s Place will spring into mind. There is another option actually, introducing Hooked! A quaint little fish restaurant specialising in fusion cuisine, Hooked! creations try to push the boundaries of marine gastronomic expectations to a different level.
While MFM and Fish & Co both specialises in American-style seafood, with its fish & chips, Seafood platter among its signature dishes, Hooked! took the ”healthy” approach by offering more steamed variety of fishes in addition to the fried ones. Actually if you think that MFM and Fish & Co have different variety of seafood, then you are wrong.
Hooked! is the place to be if you want many variety of seafood, from the normal fish & chips, to snappers, groupers, salmons and even to Seabass, and Cod fish. With so many fishes to choose from, the next problem is how do you want the fish to be done? Deep-fried, Barbecued, Pan-grilled, Roasted, Steamed, Pan-seared, Baked, Grilled, you name it they have it. You’ll know when you see the comprehensive and colourful menu, lots of choices to go around, it all depends on how far you want to try.
Fish & Chips ($13.50)
Hmm.. The fish & Chips was good i guess, but then again coming to a special seafood restaurant like Hooked!, i think it will be a better choice to try other special fish and methods of cooking. Nevertheless its a decent option if you are not feeling too adventureous.
Grilled Jumbo Snapper with spicy tomato sauce ($15.50)
Choice of with or without market-fresh squids. Served with sauteed potato and asparagus. The spicy tomato sauce did not cover the freshness of the snapper, instead, it helps to bring up the flavour of the fish, giving it a sweet and hot taste. Take the Grilled Jumbo Snapper with spicy tomato sauce if you are feeling faint after reading the long list of menu and not knowing what to order.
Steamed Cod Thai Cantonese Style ($22.80)
Snowy-white fresh cod steamed in fish broth. Drizzled with heated seasame oil & soy sauce upon serving. Also served with a side dish of panfried linguine or rice. This is one of the more expensive fish around, but it is understood as Cod fish are naturally at the higher end as compared to the other fishes available. But then the steamed Cod Thai Cantonese style falls flat when served, partly is because the fish was rather bland in taste, perhaps due to the fact it is steamed, and after having the colourful taste of spicy tomato sauce, and Balsamic Ragenov sauce, this one is not as tasteful. Nonetheless, it is a good option if you want to have steamed fish for a change.
Pan-grill jumbo Seabass in Balsamic Ragenov sauce ($14.80)
Capping off the delightful meal was the Pan-grill jumbo Seabass in Balsamic Ragenov sauce. The flavours contained within were maturely paired and showed a different side to the chef’s ability. What exactly is Balsamic Ragenov sauce, that remains a mystery even after finishing the whole dish. But without a doubt, the sauce was good and offers a unique taste. Furthermore, the linguine was very smooth to the mouth, and the side order of the linguine cost just 2 bucks.
Tofu Otah ($7.90)
The tofu otah was quite good, cheese was topped onto the tofu and otah, but then the price was rather expensive. Best served eaten hot.
Hooked! boasts a pantry of the freshest fish, paired with adventurous preparations. It provides a different dimension from the usual deep-fried and grilled seafood, offering many different methods of serving the fish and seafood fresh. Western cuisine is fused with Asian flair, with the originality of these flavours will definitely hooked up any diners, fish lovers or not. For people who do not fancy fish, there is a column called the anti-fish, which offers three options of meat, but then again why are you ordering meat in a seafood fish restaurant?
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
” Marine gastronomic to a whole new level “
Rating given:
Hidden in the sleepy enclave of rustic Changi Village is a small and unpretentious diner by the name of Jacob's Cafe, which is seemingly popular judging from the healthy crowd size on a Friday evening.
Jacob's offers both indoor and al fresco dining although the bulk of the seats are in the al fresco area, with only about 4 tables indoor. The interior revolves mainly around wood, which gives the place a nice homely touch. They could do something about the indoor ventilation though, as the food fumes from the kitchen were rather evident.
Bread Roll - Although the bread roll wasn't complimentary, it deserves a writeup simply because it was excellent. This is probably one of the best I've eaten in a long long time (the best is still in France though). Crackling crisp on the outside yet warm and fluffy on the inside. Definitely good enough to be eaten on its own! Pity about the packaged butter and hefty $1 price tag per roll though.
Cream of Chicken and Corn & Minestrone - Both soups were a tad too starchy. The cream of chicken and corn had bits of chicken and corn in it but did come across as a wee bit too salty for my liking. The minestrone was well, average.
Stuffed US Roast Chicken - A special at Jacob's, I was enticed by the promise of roast chicken stuffed with rice, chestnuts and cashews - a blend of east and west. First looks, the chicken was slightly larger than average and spotted a healthy sheen on the skin. Sadly, it didn't quite taste up to my expectations as the filling was a tad soggy and didn't taste anything out of the ordinary. The meat was tender and juicy though. Overall a decent dish without all the bells and whistles. Please note that the chicken is meant for 2 average eaters, so if you have 2 big eaters, it would be best to order something else.
Apple Crumble & Pecan Pie - Imagine my surprise when I spotted pecan pie on the menu. Its probably about as rare as flash floods in Singapore. Surprise turned to disappointment as the crust was too hard and tasteless. The pecan nuts were a whisker too dry as well. A totally huge contrast from the ones I had in North America.
The apple crumble didn't quite meet the mark as well. Dry and tasteless would be most apt in describing it.
A very filling dinner cost about $48, which isn't too expensive if you ask me. Food is generally decent and very homely. Service is excellent and I've honestly never felt more at home anywhere else. At this point of writing, I've already been there thrice so I guess that says something?
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Eighteen Chefs takes after Brit Celebrity Jamie Oliver's Restaurant Fifteen in the sense that the concept is very much alike. Both offer jobs for juvenile delinquents and both are supposed serve up great tasting Western/Italian cuisine. This is more than a coincidence however, since executive chef Benny Se Teo did go through a month-long internship with the said British lad for pointers. Did it pay off though?
This huge, colorful and eye-catching mural is painted by ex offenders and serves as the basis to the spirit of the cafe. Good food from people you wouldn't have thought much about. Its a heart warming testament to the fact that all people can be good as long as you give them a chance. I'm not complaining, in fact i like what they are doing by giving people a second chance.
Over here, you choose your meal and pay your bills first. The meal comes later. Cold water is free but you'll have to get it yourself. The overall atmosphere of the place is relaxed and very easy to get into. The bill was $35.10.
Daily Specials Soup and Garlic Bread - The humble cream of mushroom soup and garlic bread comes with the daily specials meal. Cream of mushroom is pretty standard fare, which is to say there isn't anything about it that distinguishes itself as being extraordinary or overly exciting about it. The garlic bread, on the other hand, was done nicely with it being crispy, lightly buttered and soft at the same time. The serving size was also respectable but still had us craving for more bread after we were done with it.
Half Baby Lobster with Seafood Linguine ($18.90) - This was my first visit and i was attracted to his daily special. As you can see, it comes with a fresh half baby lobster, a handful of prawns, mushrooms, garlic and quite a bit of olive oil sprinkled over a bed of linguine. What you don't see is that this is a spicy dish, possibly due to a generous dose of tobasco sauce. Its difficult to go wrong when ingredients used are fresh and this is what is provided here. Crunchy prawns, juicy mushrooms, sweet lobster meat. Its difficult not to like this dish. The serving wasn't the least bit scrimped on as well, being enough for a big sized guy like myself. Even the olive oil used was minimal enough to keep the linguine suitably moist without seeming to overflow like other restaurants i've tried. (Recommended)
Cheese baked mussels and black pepper fries, onion and calamari rings ($13.90)- Black pepper fries, onion and calamari rings? Thats a first for me. Either way, interesting as it is, i found it a tad soggy and would have liked it better if it was crispier. Still, no denying that the black pepper did introduce an interesting dimension to the tired formula. It was strangely sweet too. There was a grand total of 6 cheese baked mussels of the male and female variety. It was different, the cheese made the dish fragrant and the mussels were sweet and fresh but the serving is a little too small for my tastes. This could have been a side dish, not a main meal. Could be improved upon by adding a little more items into the mix.
Yam Ice Cream - Looks can be deceiving. Despite the small size and lack of garnishing whatsoever, this ice cream is creamy, bursting with yam taste and very refreshing after a meal. A good end to a generally good meal.
On my second visit, we ordered the crab and his normal baked rice offering. Benny also offered the soup of the day this time and we got an additional bowl for free. Personalized service is always good. The meal this time cost us $33.50.
Cheese and Chili Baked Crab Claw ($15.90 only on Wednesdays) - The soup is as per normal, simple but gets the taste buds moving. Benny offered his Wednesday special this time around because reservations are needed to enjoy this dish. Seeing that he's such a sport and good host, we took his offer to try out the chili crab. The meal comes with 5 fried buns and 1 crab claw, albeit a huge one. Maybe my love for crabs are waning or i'm just getting lazy, i simply don't like to get my hands dirty breaking crab shells anymore. The buns went very well with the cheese and chili, which was moderately spicy. The crab was sweet and firm but it wasn't enough to get me full and i was expecting the entire crab, not a claw. Interesting dish though i won't order it in future.
Black Pepper Seafood Pasta ($12.90) - My gf had this dish and i found it much better then the crab actually. Generous servings of mussels, prawn and calamari on a bed of black pepper baked rice. As with anything cooked in black pepper, the rice was fragrant and a little spicy with a tinge of sweetness. The ingredients are still fresh and crunchy and overall taste is very good. I did find the rice insufficient this time round though. For the price, i'd like to have a bigger serving of rice and food. Presentation for baked rice is secondary, serving size and taste should come first.
Benny was trained in Zhi Ca before opening this quaint little establishment and it shows in the way he melds classic crab cooking techniques in his renditions of baked rice. The results are refreshing dishes which somehow taste familiar. My take is that the daily specials meal are more bang for the buck as opposed to the normal offerings of baked rice. A quick research shows that he has a few other tricks up his sleeve i've yet to try like the black pepper crab baked rice. If he shells it for me, i'll probably try it, but if not, i'm sticking with the daily specials. The spirit of the restaurant is good, the food is decent, the price can be improved upon though.
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Crystal Jade has been given a second chance by me after its off shoot failed to impress. And it marks my first treat to an old friend. After all, he was the one who treated me to Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, so i felt it right to return the favor.
Signature Beancurd with Mincemeat and Chili Sauce ($9.80) - I can't help ordering this item. Bean curd is simply one of my favorite items of choice and as with all food outlets, i want to try out their signature bean curds to see if there is indeed something special about them. This rendition is simple, bean curd in batter deep fried till golden brown and served with minced meat and chili dip. I found it too spicy for my liking but the batter was pretty light and extremely crispy. The bean curd itself contains some herbs which added to its fragrance but didn't quite appeal to my friends since it made the bean curd bumpy and less smooth.
Fried Hor Fan With SeaFood ($13.80) - Oily yet fragrant and tasty. The seafood is minimal which is a shame but there really isn't much distinguishing factors between this version and those found in hawkers outside.
E-fu noodles with shrimp roe ($9.80) - My gf ordered this thinking it was filled with shrimp but that was not to be. Instead it was E-fu noodles with shrimp roe. Very important to note the difference since there were only a few pieces of mushrooms in this dish to act as additional ingredients. Not to say that it tasted bad. The noodles were springy and tasted slightly salty from the roe which gave it a good texture. Not that i recommend ordering again however.
Yang Zhou Fried Rice ($9.50) - Eggs, roast pork, shrimp and bean sprouts. Simple ingredients for a wonderfully fragrant plate of fried rice. Now this was my order and the reason behind it is to ascertain my friend's claim that the friend rice in Crystal Jade is much better then its offshoot. I'm inclined to agree that it indeed tasted better and more fragrant but not inclined to say its the best i've ever had. In fact, i found that the rice was not done homogeneously with certain parts being overly dry while others undercooked. The generous serving of shrimp is a plus however.
Deep Fried Dumpling With Salad Sauce ($9.30) - Expensive is the first word. For its price, there were surprisingly little dumplings to go around, i counted 5. So each dumpling is effectively $2 (!!!) which is a little over the top for shrimp dumplings that were deep fried. Sure, it was very nicely done, fresh and the salad sauce complemented it well, but for the same price, i could have gotten much much more elsewhere.
The final bill came up to $64.38 for 3 people which is a little too much for the quality of food we had.
Sad to say, i have to maintain my stand that Crystal Jade is grossly overrated and not exactly a place i would recommend to everyone. The food is average but the price belongs to a whole different category which they unfortunately still do not provide. Much improvement needed in my book.
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