Eden Cafe is a little gem tucked away amongst all the eateries there! It's tastefully done in a modern yet simplistic manner. The ambience was a winner with me. There were a couple of seats outside but I would much rather sit inside.
What I loved most about the place was the small garden Clement had at the back. It was filled with plants and Clement let us try some which were delicious.. Yes the leaves of the plants were delicious.
Clement provided great service, patiently explaining every bit to us. Esp when the items don't look conventional. The servers were also very polite, clearing our dishes at timely intervals.
I liked most of the dishes they went down pretty well with me... I shall talk about the ones I loved!
I liked the Black Sesame Pasta. It was my first time having it.. It was very different in taste but I still liked it. There was a certain flavour to it. But it didn't go down so well with many people...
I loved the Tomato based soup served with mussel. The soup was very flavourful and thick. The fact that it was so healthy and tasty at the same time had me licking the bowl clean :)
I also liked the Seedless Grape Chicken. This is the one dish that I would love to go back specially for. It was delicious! And we had ours in this funny fortune cookie cover thing which was really cute.
There were so many delicious things on the menu and the molten chocolate cake really had me.. That I think another visit is a necessity. The mains for the lunches also vary from week to week. You can join the mailing list to have Clement email it to you!!
Dinner was a simple affair at Nexus Gourmet along Telok Ayer Street. Located just opposite the mosque, Nexus Gourmet blends in well with its surroundings and looks just like any other shophouse along the row. No signages, no newspaper clippings, nothing. One could hardly be blamed for mistaking it for anything but a food outlet. Only through word of mouth will you know that such a place even exists. Well I was one of those who have heard about it and so I was all geared up to try. I had a companion of course, namely, my gf. Only a table was occupied when we got there at about 1845hrs. They had gone out of pizzas, so we had the Rib Eye Steak and BBQ Chicken with a Duck and Mango Salad to share.
I personally found the Duck and Mango Salad a little lacklustre. The slightly spicy sauce did add some zest to the duck, but some pieces of the duck itself tasted rather flat. Other pieces of duck had a very strong fowl aftertaste, which I am immune to, but it was quite pronounced. The shredded vegetables were a nice touch as they were crunchy and provided a little moisture to the salad.
My Rib Eye Steak exceeded my expectations a little. I had ordered it medium rare, but it turned out medium well, which was still fine with me. The meat was still relatively tender and sweet, so no grouses there. The accompanying mushroom sauce was tasty without being too flavourful. Mashed potatoes came as a side and it was moist and smooth. I'm not sure if it came from a ready made package, but if it did, it sure didn't taste like it. My gf's BBQ Chicken tasted a little too sweet for me, but she found it ok. The chicken was cooked just right, not overdone nor undercooked.
Dinner for 2 pax cost $32.80/-, which is quite reasonable. What Nexus Gourmet lacks in its culinary section, it more than makes up for in its service and ambience. Overall, a very decent experience. It could well do with more signages to promote itself and to attract walk in customers. Oh and a wider variety would be greatly appreciated. Happy Nexusing!
Who doesn't know Thai Express? This chain expanded really fast and it's now all over the place. I even have one just a stone's throw from my place.
Popped by the one at PS just recently with a friend. We were nicely greeted and shown to a seat quickly. It was a Sunday afternoon and PS was brimming with people but Thai Express was only a quarter filled. Well it helped that there were many eateries around the area I guess.
We quickly decided on our food and the server asked if we'd like warm or iced water. I like that she didn't just assume that everyone wants iced water.
Food ordered: Kaeng Khiew Mangsawirat ($8.90) Green Vegetable Curry served with Rice I'm used to green curry that is much milder and has more flavour but this one was much spicier. There was a lot of vegetables though and it was pretty filling despite what people might think.
Poo Phat Pung Kari ($9.90) Curried Soft Shell Crab with Eggs and Onions, served with Rice This one's curry was less spicy, more mild. Complete opposite. But the curry masked any oilyness soft shell crabs usually have so it was a pretty good dish really.
Fresh Prawn Wraps ($5.90) Fried to a crisp, the wrap was very tasty. The prawns were not as fresh as one would expect but still acceptable I guess.
Acceptable food with pretty good service at an acceptable price I guess I will be there again.
Mention Mandai and the first thing that comes to my mind is the zoo and the word "ulu". Never would I have expected to find any restaurants in the area (those in the zoo excluded). So imagine my surprise when I found out about a restaurant, Forrest, nestled in one of the Orchid plantations just off Mandai Road.
Located at the Orchidville Orchid plantation, Forrest caters mainly to private functions like weddings but walk ins are always welcome(provided they are not booked). Step into the restaurant and a totally different world comes into the picture. Flora and Fauna become an integral part of this rainforest themed restaurant, which is complemented by a greenhouse like roof to partially let in sunlight. There's no question about the heat though even in the afternoon as the whole place feels cool with the extensive air conditioning system. Tables are spaced far apart to give that relaxing and spacious feeling. Honestly, words don't do the place justice. You'll have to see it for yourself.
Tofu Treasure - Homemade Tofu with carrots and mushrooms, deep fried and served with sweet Thai chilli dipping - The tofu wasn't exactly as silky as I would have liked it to be, but it was a commendable effort nonetheless. The skin was a little crispy while the inside was relatively smooth. There was a nice slight pan fried taste to it which I personally liked. Couldn't really make out the carrots and mushrooms though.
Knuckleduster - Forrest's signature dish, the Knuckleduster, came highly recommended and the truth was, I was quite impressed by it. Not exactly the bowled over by it kind of impress, but more of the I certainly didn't expect it kind of impress, if you catch my drift. The skin was crispy to a crackle and the meat was tender, fibrous yet not overcooked, as evident by its reddish tinge. Only bone I had with it was that it was quite fatty under the skin, which basically throws any healthy ratings out of the window. On a positive note, the knuckleduster was meant for 2, but my gf and I had a hard time trying to finish it. Oh and the accompanying noodles were a little springy and tasted rather sourish from all the vinegar. Nice taste contrast though.
Chinese Pancake a La Mode with Raspberry Coulis - I ordered this dessert only because it sounded fancy and it was the only dessert which was available. The pancake tasted rather normal and the Raspberry Coulis was nothing more than red bean paste (tasted like it).
$33 for 2 pax in a serene and therapeutic environment such as Forrest is really quite value for money in my humble opinion. Add in the fact that the food is quite decent and service is good and its a clear winner (to me that is). No GST and service charge is definitely a plus here as well.
Went to Golden Mile with my parents last night for steamboat at Thien Kee Steamboat, which was supposedly one of THE places to go for good steamboat. Thien Kee has been around at the basement of Golden Mile Complex for ages and the fading façade is testament to that. When we got there at about 1930hrs, the whole place was packed to the brim with people, with tables being set up in the isles and literally anywhere where there was an empty space, even right up to the lift and stair doors! With a little luck, we managed to get a good seat in the main restaurant itself near the aircon vent. We had the small steamboat order for 3 pax @ $23, 10 sticks of pork Satay, Hainanese Chicken @$8, drinks and chicken rice.
The ingredients for the steamboat were pretty miserable quantity wise. 2 small platters of meat mixed with liver, cockles, fish and fishballs with another 2 platters of vegetables and 2 eggs. Upon cooking, the food tasted normal, nothing fantastic. The Hainanese chicken was a little too cold and bloody for my liking and the chicken rice was a little cold as well. However, it wasn’t very oily which is a plus point to me. The Satay was the highlight, with hardly any visible charred parts, fat and juicy. The gravy was also good, with lots of crushed nuts in it and no visible layer of oil. Comparable to the wonderful Satay gravy that I had in Karjang, (Not sure about the spelling, but its in Malaysia and famous for its Satay) just that the one at Karjang is very much thicker.
Very filling dinner, but at about $42 for 3 pax, not exactly very cheap considering the quantity and quality of food. But then again, it’s not terribly expensive as well. The air conditioning is a good thing, as things tend to get sweaty during steamboats and service is fast and snappy. Although I feel that its way over hyped, I do recommend trying it before it goes the way of the Dodo. And oh yes, listen out for the cries of “Ma Pi Po”, something which I haven’t heard in a while. ;)
Idyllic brunches are what I often look forward to and they can essentially dictate the pace of the day's subsequent activities. On this beautiful Saturday morning, my gf and I set out to conquer the Italian buffet brunch at Pontini. I have never tried Italian buffets and it got me thinking as to how badly the quality of food would be compromised in the face of mass reproduction. We reached there slightly before 12pm and were told it was fully booked. Thank god we had made reservations(The buffet hadn't started so I did manage to take some decent interior shots without much people).
A short walk through the passageway with water trickling down both sides of the walls will see you at a cellar which also doubles up as a private function room. Walk on and you will notice that the interior is simple yet elegant, with wood as the main element. Homely and comfortable are words I would use to associate with such surroundings.
The buffet variety wasn't extensive. I estimated it to be about 30 odd, probably 40 inclusive of desserts. There was everything from Parma Ham with Rock Melon to Cus Cus to Pizzas and Pasta which were cooked on the spot for you, Cheeses, Roasted Lamb, Oysters etc. Drinks like Champagne, Red and White Wine and Fruit Juices were also free flow. I tried almost everything on offer except for a few of the Cheeses.
I personally liked the pizzas and the pasta. Wafer thin and crispy crusts led the way for the Pizzas and it really was a pleasure eating them. Subtle flavouring, the freshest ingredients and excellent culinary skill resulted in an absolutely tantalising pasta creation. I attribute the excellent culinary skills to Pontini's Executive Chef, Laurent Perez, who whipped up pasta after pasta for me. And so, let me just cut the review short because there are just too many things to write about. Almost everything was good or at least above average, with the exception of a couple, like the mushroom soup, which I found a tad too bitter and some of the cheeses which reeked strongly of gee. Oh and yes, I did like some of the desserts as well, namely the Hazelnut Pannacotta and the shot of Tiramisu, which had a potent coffee taste.
It cost us $116.55/- for 2 pax ($66.55 after $50 discount)which I find to be pretty worth it even without the discount because champagne and wines can already cover quite a huge part of your bill. Service is great and everyone's friendly. Plates are cleared and drinks are refilled promptly. There's even a 3 piece ensemble going to each individual table to belt out songs or individual requests. Food wise, I wouldn't go as far as to rate it Excellent, but most of it are a Good. With such good food, good atmosphere and a individual band to boot, whats not to like? I'm recommending this as a must try.
Cafe Le Pastry has been in existence for over 50 years and my mum occasionally buys a box or two of its Pineapple tarts home because I'm quite crazy over it.
Located at a nondescript shophouse just next to a Chicken Rice stall, it lies near the junction of Middle Road and Selegie Road, along the outskirts of town. Newspaper cuttings and photographs of celebrities and its specialties adorn the stall front, making for a rather cluttered and comical looking shop. Step through the narrow space and be greeted by a friendly lady who promptly informs you that all of their specialties are sold out and they have to be booked a day in advance. Lucky for me, they were in the midst of making a fresh batch and I only had to wait an hour to get my hands on their famous pineapple tarts and beancurd tarts.
Golf Balls aka Pineapple Tarts ($7 for 10) - My all time favourite Chinese New Year goodie, pineapple tarts! (Ok I like Bak Kwa as well) The balls were quite a size and came stuffed with copious amounts of not too sweet pineapple filling. The pastry itself was fluffy and a little buttery, making for an excellent dessert. To be honest, my auntie makes better pineapple tarts but Le Cafe probably sells one of the best commercially made pineapple tarts in the market.
Bean Curd Tarts ($5.50 for 6) - First looks at the tarts and I was suitably impressed by the homogeneous texture of the filling and the crust as well the aroma emitted. I wasn't too impressed in the taste department though. True, it was smooth and lightly sweet but the pastry wasn't firm enough for one. Also, it didn't taste out of the ordinary. Pretty much like eating Tao Huey, albeit of a slightly denser form. Having said that (I'm rather contradictory am I not?), it is still something new to me and I do like it enough to want to buy it again.
There is this new stall selling Vietnamese food near my house and it being a lull and rainy Saturday afternoon, my gf and I checked it out, not so much so for the food, but because we were plain lazy and didn't feel like going anywhere far.
The above mentioned restaurant lies along a row of shophouses in a rather secluded part of Serangoon Gardens, where most people don't actually walk to unless you are looking for the OCBC bank. A rather weird choice for location if you ask me. The shop announces its presence via a huge red signboard on the outside and the interior is decidedly simple Asian.
Cha Gio - Crispy Pork Spring Roll - This dish came highly recommended in the menu and by the waiter, so we had an order of the pork variation (there's chicken as well). Honestly, I didn't think too highly of this dish as it wasn't the least bit interesting. I found it rather average, not that I've tried it before though. The exterior was deep fried until crispy and the filling of pork, shrimps and yam was bland. You probably have to dip it into the sweetish spicy sauce to get any flavour (actually, most of the dishes came with that sauce. Maybe its a staple?)
Chao Tom - Sugar Cane Prawn - This was also recommended and I fairly liked it. A most interesting concept of mincing prawn and fish into a paste and wrapping it over sugar cane. The paste alone was normal but when eaten together with the sugar cane (you have to chew on the sugar cane to get the juice. I don't really think you can swallow the pulp though), you get something which is a mixture of tastes - a perfect blend of salty and sweet. But chewing on the sugar cane can be quite a chore, especially for lazy people like me.
Pho Bo Tai - Beef Slice Noodles - I'm no stranger to Pho, having eaten it through my college years in North America at the dozens of Vietnamese stalls there. However, ever since coming back to Singapore, I've not been able to find one which matches up to what I used to have. Le Viet's rendition comes fairly close, but still lacks the stronger soup base with a more natural and stronger beef taste. The beef slices were medium rare but not as chewy as I would have liked it to be. Quite a generous serving of beef slices though.
Com Tam Suon Nuong - Broken Rice with Grilled Pork Chop - I had expected broken rice (ie. normal rice broken into smaller bits), but all I got was normal rice. So much for the name. The grilled pork chop tasted familiarly like Char Siew except for the fact that this one seemed a lot fattier. However, the garnishing of spring onion and fried garlic proved to be a winner for this dish. Pleasantly fragrant, it added another angle of taste to the grilled pork chop.
A very filling lunch for 2 came up to about $30 because of a 10% discount (promotion period I believe), which is a little on the high side considering what we had ordered. Bring it down to below $25 and I'll have reason to go back often. Other than that, it will probably be just a once in a blue moon thing. And service is quite good by the way.
I just can't get enough of muffins, good ones that is. Nestled in the market in the tiny Shunfu precinct, the original branch of Chocolat N' Spice is well known for its freshly baked muffins and the long snaking queues at both its Shunfu and Tanjong Pagar outlets are testament to that. I had one of their famed Chocolate Chip muffin and Blueberry muffin to try.
The muffins were freshly made and very fragrant. The outer layer is a little crispy around the edges yet soft and moist within. The muffin itself was a little sweet when eaten alone. Overall, I found the muffins rather pleasing, but my parents found them a little too sweet.
Arriving at Binja park, my family walk from the bus stop to Ivin’s, which took around 5min or thereabouts. Ivins is a Peranakan/Nonya restaurant, and although it is located in Binja park off the main Bukit timah road, it was packed to the house when i arrived on a Sat evening.
The dishes Ivins offers are small in servings, but similarly they are cheaper in price. You can normal dishes for vegies, meats, and some other sides at around $4.50 to $6. For fishs, they come in $6.90 to $8, and there are also curry fish heads at $12. Because the servings are all very small, we committed the sin of ordering too many dishes, between the three of us, we ordered 7 dishes, some are good, while some are not. Mayb we are not too familiar with Peranakan food, so we ended up having some dishes which really aren’t to our liking.
Chilly Pomfret ($7.80)
The fish was rather good, it was deep fried, then spread with Ivins special-made chilli. The fish was kind of small though.
Ayam Buah Keluak ($5.90)
Signature dish of Peranakan cuisine. Chicken braised in thick spicy gravy with Buah kuluah nuts. We felt this dish was so-so only, chicken curry with the curry gravy different from our normal curry.
Sambal Kankong ($4.50)
Ahh.. All Kankong are well done when they are fried with Sambal, and when the kankong are not too over-cooked.
Duan Keledek ($4.80)
Sweet potato leaves and sweet potato slices in coconut gravy. This was our fatal mistake, we wanted to have Sweet potato leaves, but when we order this dish, we missed on out the “.. in coconut gravy” We thought the vegies was stir-fried, but in the end it came in the form of a soup? Anyway, the dish wasn’t to our taste.
Honey Pork ($4.60)
This should be the toast of the crown. By far the best dish we ordered, lean pork strips stir-fried in special honey sauce. The meat no doubt look over-burned, but it taste nice with the honey sauce absorbed into the meat.
Udang Sambal ($5)
This was a disappointment really, after we had the Chilly Pomfret, we thought Ivins chilli are good stuff, so we made this additional order for sambal prawn. The prawn is like cooked in water, then with the chilli over it only.
Babi Tauyu ($4.60)
Pork in sweet pepperish sauce. Again, this was a last-min-order. We never expected this to be our commonly known “ru-rou”.
Then mayb you will say, if you don’t know about Perankan cuisine its not the restaurant fault if you never ask right? Oh yea, we did ask the waitress, but many a times, they can’t really speak good english, and also cannot explain to us what are the dishes.
In addition, you will commit the same mistake of ordering too much dishes since the servings are small, and the dishes seem relatively cheap. Nevertheless, i believe Ivins are still a good place for Peranakan cuisine if you know your stuff well, judging from the crowd on a weekend evening. But i am not going back for now. Total bill was $43.70 for 3 person
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 : )
” My opinion, my views. If you don’t agree, thats not really a issue “
1=SGD 0.0587
Eden Cafe is a little gem tucked away amongst all the eateries there! It's tastefully done in a modern yet simplistic manner. The ambience was a winner with me. There were a couple of seats outside but I would much rather sit inside.
What I loved most about the place was the small garden Clement had at the back. It was filled with plants and Clement let us try some which were delicious.. Yes the leaves of the plants were delicious.
Clement provided great service, patiently explaining every bit to us. Esp when the items don't look conventional. The servers were also very polite, clearing our dishes at timely intervals.
I liked most of the dishes they went down pretty well with me... I shall talk about the ones I loved!
I liked the Black Sesame Pasta. It was my first time having it.. It was very different in taste but I still liked it. There was a certain flavour to it. But it didn't go down so well with many people...
I loved the Tomato based soup served with mussel. The soup was very flavourful and thick. The fact that it was so healthy and tasty at the same time had me licking the bowl clean :)
I also liked the Seedless Grape Chicken. This is the one dish that I would love to go back specially for. It was delicious! And we had ours in this funny fortune cookie cover thing which was really cute.
There were so many delicious things on the menu and the molten chocolate cake really had me.. That I think another visit is a necessity. The mains for the lunches also vary from week to week. You can join the mailing list to have Clement email it to you!!
Click here to see more pictures
*I know it's long due. Shoot me.*
Rating given:
Dinner was a simple affair at Nexus Gourmet along Telok Ayer Street. Located just opposite the mosque, Nexus Gourmet blends in well with its surroundings and looks just like any other shophouse along the row. No signages, no newspaper clippings, nothing. One could hardly be blamed for mistaking it for anything but a food outlet. Only through word of mouth will you know that such a place even exists. Well I was one of those who have heard about it and so I was all geared up to try. I had a companion of course, namely, my gf. Only a table was occupied when we got there at about 1845hrs. They had gone out of pizzas, so we had the Rib Eye Steak and BBQ Chicken with a Duck and Mango Salad to share.
I personally found the Duck and Mango Salad a little lacklustre. The slightly spicy sauce did add some zest to the duck, but some pieces of the duck itself tasted rather flat. Other pieces of duck had a very strong fowl aftertaste, which I am immune to, but it was quite pronounced. The shredded vegetables were a nice touch as they were crunchy and provided a little moisture to the salad.
My Rib Eye Steak exceeded my expectations a little. I had ordered it medium rare, but it turned out medium well, which was still fine with me. The meat was still relatively tender and sweet, so no grouses there. The accompanying mushroom sauce was tasty without being too flavourful. Mashed potatoes came as a side and it was moist and smooth. I'm not sure if it came from a ready made package, but if it did, it sure didn't taste like it. My gf's BBQ Chicken tasted a little too sweet for me, but she found it ok. The chicken was cooked just right, not overdone nor undercooked.
Dinner for 2 pax cost $32.80/-, which is quite reasonable. What Nexus Gourmet lacks in its culinary section, it more than makes up for in its service and ambience. Overall, a very decent experience. It could well do with more signages to promote itself and to attract walk in customers. Oh and a wider variety would be greatly appreciated. Happy Nexusing!
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Who doesn't know Thai Express? This chain expanded really fast and it's now all over the place. I even have one just a stone's throw from my place.
Popped by the one at PS just recently with a friend. We were nicely greeted and shown to a seat quickly. It was a Sunday afternoon and PS was brimming with people but Thai Express was only a quarter filled. Well it helped that there were many eateries around the area I guess.
We quickly decided on our food and the server asked if we'd like warm or iced water. I like that she didn't just assume that everyone wants iced water.
Food ordered:
Kaeng Khiew Mangsawirat ($8.90)
Green Vegetable Curry served with Rice
I'm used to green curry that is much milder and has more flavour but this one was much spicier. There was a lot of vegetables though and it was pretty filling despite what people might think.
Poo Phat Pung Kari ($9.90)
Curried Soft Shell Crab with Eggs and Onions, served with Rice
This one's curry was less spicy, more mild. Complete opposite. But the curry masked any oilyness soft shell crabs usually have so it was a pretty good dish really.
Fresh Prawn Wraps ($5.90)
Fried to a crisp, the wrap was very tasty. The prawns were not as fresh as one would expect but still acceptable I guess.
Acceptable food with pretty good service at an acceptable price I guess I will be there again.
Rating given:
Mention Mandai and the first thing that comes to my mind is the zoo and the word "ulu". Never would I have expected to find any restaurants in the area (those in the zoo excluded). So imagine my surprise when I found out about a restaurant, Forrest, nestled in one of the Orchid plantations just off Mandai Road.
Located at the Orchidville Orchid plantation, Forrest caters mainly to private functions like weddings but walk ins are always welcome(provided they are not booked). Step into the restaurant and a totally different world comes into the picture. Flora and Fauna become an integral part of this rainforest themed restaurant, which is complemented by a greenhouse like roof to partially let in sunlight. There's no question about the heat though even in the afternoon as the whole place feels cool with the extensive air conditioning system. Tables are spaced far apart to give that relaxing and spacious feeling. Honestly, words don't do the place justice. You'll have to see it for yourself.
Tofu Treasure - Homemade Tofu with carrots and mushrooms, deep fried and served with sweet Thai chilli dipping - The tofu wasn't exactly as silky as I would have liked it to be, but it was a commendable effort nonetheless. The skin was a little crispy while the inside was relatively smooth. There was a nice slight pan fried taste to it which I personally liked. Couldn't really make out the carrots and mushrooms though.
Knuckleduster - Forrest's signature dish, the Knuckleduster, came highly recommended and the truth was, I was quite impressed by it. Not exactly the bowled over by it kind of impress, but more of the I certainly didn't expect it kind of impress, if you catch my drift. The skin was crispy to a crackle and the meat was tender, fibrous yet not overcooked, as evident by its reddish tinge. Only bone I had with it was that it was quite fatty under the skin, which basically throws any healthy ratings out of the window. On a positive note, the knuckleduster was meant for 2, but my gf and I had a hard time trying to finish it. Oh and the accompanying noodles were a little springy and tasted rather sourish from all the vinegar. Nice taste contrast though.
Chinese Pancake a La Mode with Raspberry Coulis - I ordered this dessert only because it sounded fancy and it was the only dessert which was available. The pancake tasted rather normal and the Raspberry Coulis was nothing more than red bean paste (tasted like it).
$33 for 2 pax in a serene and therapeutic environment such as Forrest is really quite value for money in my humble opinion. Add in the fact that the food is quite decent and service is good and its a clear winner (to me that is). No GST and service charge is definitely a plus here as well.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Went to Golden Mile with my parents last night for steamboat at Thien Kee Steamboat, which was supposedly one of THE places to go for good steamboat. Thien Kee has been around at the basement of Golden Mile Complex for ages and the fading façade is testament to that. When we got there at about 1930hrs, the whole place was packed to the brim with people, with tables being set up in the isles and literally anywhere where there was an empty space, even right up to the lift and stair doors! With a little luck, we managed to get a good seat in the main restaurant itself near the aircon vent. We had the small steamboat order for 3 pax @ $23, 10 sticks of pork Satay, Hainanese Chicken @$8, drinks and chicken rice.
The ingredients for the steamboat were pretty miserable quantity wise. 2 small platters of meat mixed with liver, cockles, fish and fishballs with another 2 platters of vegetables and 2 eggs. Upon cooking, the food tasted normal, nothing fantastic. The Hainanese chicken was a little too cold and bloody for my liking and the chicken rice was a little cold as well. However, it wasn’t very oily which is a plus point to me. The Satay was the highlight, with hardly any visible charred parts, fat and juicy. The gravy was also good, with lots of crushed nuts in it and no visible layer of oil. Comparable to the wonderful Satay gravy that I had in Karjang, (Not sure about the spelling, but its in Malaysia and famous for its Satay) just that the one at Karjang is very much thicker.
Very filling dinner, but at about $42 for 3 pax, not exactly very cheap considering the quantity and quality of food. But then again, it’s not terribly expensive as well. The air conditioning is a good thing, as things tend to get sweaty during steamboats and service is fast and snappy. Although I feel that its way over hyped, I do recommend trying it before it goes the way of the Dodo. And oh yes, listen out for the cries of “Ma Pi Po”, something which I haven’t heard in a while. ;)
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Idyllic brunches are what I often look forward to and they can essentially dictate the pace of the day's subsequent activities. On this beautiful Saturday morning, my gf and I set out to conquer the Italian buffet brunch at Pontini. I have never tried Italian buffets and it got me thinking as to how badly the quality of food would be compromised in the face of mass reproduction. We reached there slightly before 12pm and were told it was fully booked. Thank god we had made reservations(The buffet hadn't started so I did manage to take some decent interior shots without much people).
A short walk through the passageway with water trickling down both sides of the walls will see you at a cellar which also doubles up as a private function room. Walk on and you will notice that the interior is simple yet elegant, with wood as the main element. Homely and comfortable are words I would use to associate with such surroundings.
The buffet variety wasn't extensive. I estimated it to be about 30 odd, probably 40 inclusive of desserts. There was everything from Parma Ham with Rock Melon to Cus Cus to Pizzas and Pasta which were cooked on the spot for you, Cheeses, Roasted Lamb, Oysters etc. Drinks like Champagne, Red and White Wine and Fruit Juices were also free flow. I tried almost everything on offer except for a few of the Cheeses.
I personally liked the pizzas and the pasta. Wafer thin and crispy crusts led the way for the Pizzas and it really was a pleasure eating them. Subtle flavouring, the freshest ingredients and excellent culinary skill resulted in an absolutely tantalising pasta creation. I attribute the excellent culinary skills to Pontini's Executive Chef, Laurent Perez, who whipped up pasta after pasta for me. And so, let me just cut the review short because there are just too many things to write about. Almost everything was good or at least above average, with the exception of a couple, like the mushroom soup, which I found a tad too bitter and some of the cheeses which reeked strongly of gee. Oh and yes, I did like some of the desserts as well, namely the Hazelnut Pannacotta and the shot of Tiramisu, which had a potent coffee taste.
It cost us $116.55/- for 2 pax ($66.55 after $50 discount)which I find to be pretty worth it even without the discount because champagne and wines can already cover quite a huge part of your bill. Service is great and everyone's friendly. Plates are cleared and drinks are refilled promptly. There's even a 3 piece ensemble going to each individual table to belt out songs or individual requests. Food wise, I wouldn't go as far as to rate it Excellent, but most of it are a Good. With such good food, good atmosphere and a individual band to boot, whats not to like? I'm recommending this as a must try.
See all my pictures here.
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Cafe Le Pastry has been in existence for over 50 years and my mum occasionally buys a box or two of its Pineapple tarts home because I'm quite crazy over it.
Located at a nondescript shophouse just next to a Chicken Rice stall, it lies near the junction of Middle Road and Selegie Road, along the outskirts of town. Newspaper cuttings and photographs of celebrities and its specialties adorn the stall front, making for a rather cluttered and comical looking shop. Step through the narrow space and be greeted by a friendly lady who promptly informs you that all of their specialties are sold out and they have to be booked a day in advance. Lucky for me, they were in the midst of making a fresh batch and I only had to wait an hour to get my hands on their famous pineapple tarts and beancurd tarts.
Golf Balls aka Pineapple Tarts ($7 for 10) - My all time favourite Chinese New Year goodie, pineapple tarts! (Ok I like Bak Kwa as well) The balls were quite a size and came stuffed with copious amounts of not too sweet pineapple filling. The pastry itself was fluffy and a little buttery, making for an excellent dessert. To be honest, my auntie makes better pineapple tarts but Le Cafe probably sells one of the best commercially made pineapple tarts in the market.
Bean Curd Tarts ($5.50 for 6) - First looks at the tarts and I was suitably impressed by the homogeneous texture of the filling and the crust as well the aroma emitted. I wasn't too impressed in the taste department though. True, it was smooth and lightly sweet but the pastry wasn't firm enough for one. Also, it didn't taste out of the ordinary. Pretty much like eating Tao Huey, albeit of a slightly denser form. Having said that (I'm rather contradictory am I not?), it is still something new to me and I do like it enough to want to buy it again.
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There is this new stall selling Vietnamese food near my house and it being a lull and rainy Saturday afternoon, my gf and I checked it out, not so much so for the food, but because we were plain lazy and didn't feel like going anywhere far.
The above mentioned restaurant lies along a row of shophouses in a rather secluded part of Serangoon Gardens, where most people don't actually walk to unless you are looking for the OCBC bank. A rather weird choice for location if you ask me. The shop announces its presence via a huge red signboard on the outside and the interior is decidedly simple Asian.
Cha Gio - Crispy Pork Spring Roll - This dish came highly recommended in the menu and by the waiter, so we had an order of the pork variation (there's chicken as well). Honestly, I didn't think too highly of this dish as it wasn't the least bit interesting. I found it rather average, not that I've tried it before though. The exterior was deep fried until crispy and the filling of pork, shrimps and yam was bland. You probably have to dip it into the sweetish spicy sauce to get any flavour (actually, most of the dishes came with that sauce. Maybe its a staple?)
Chao Tom - Sugar Cane Prawn - This was also recommended and I fairly liked it. A most interesting concept of mincing prawn and fish into a paste and wrapping it over sugar cane. The paste alone was normal but when eaten together with the sugar cane (you have to chew on the sugar cane to get the juice. I don't really think you can swallow the pulp though), you get something which is a mixture of tastes - a perfect blend of salty and sweet. But chewing on the sugar cane can be quite a chore, especially for lazy people like me.
Pho Bo Tai - Beef Slice Noodles - I'm no stranger to Pho, having eaten it through my college years in North America at the dozens of Vietnamese stalls there. However, ever since coming back to Singapore, I've not been able to find one which matches up to what I used to have. Le Viet's rendition comes fairly close, but still lacks the stronger soup base with a more natural and stronger beef taste. The beef slices were medium rare but not as chewy as I would have liked it to be. Quite a generous serving of beef slices though.
Com Tam Suon Nuong - Broken Rice with Grilled Pork Chop - I had expected broken rice (ie. normal rice broken into smaller bits), but all I got was normal rice. So much for the name. The grilled pork chop tasted familiarly like Char Siew except for the fact that this one seemed a lot fattier. However, the garnishing of spring onion and fried garlic proved to be a winner for this dish. Pleasantly fragrant, it added another angle of taste to the grilled pork chop.
A very filling lunch for 2 came up to about $30 because of a 10% discount (promotion period I believe), which is a little on the high side considering what we had ordered. Bring it down to below $25 and I'll have reason to go back often. Other than that, it will probably be just a once in a blue moon thing. And service is quite good by the way.
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I just can't get enough of muffins, good ones that is. Nestled in the market in the tiny Shunfu precinct, the original branch of Chocolat N' Spice is well known for its freshly baked muffins and the long snaking queues at both its Shunfu and Tanjong Pagar outlets are testament to that. I had one of their famed Chocolate Chip muffin and Blueberry muffin to try.
The muffins were freshly made and very fragrant. The outer layer is a little crispy around the edges yet soft and moist within. The muffin itself was a little sweet when eaten alone. Overall, I found the muffins rather pleasing, but my parents found them a little too sweet.
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Arriving at Binja park, my family walk from the bus stop to Ivin’s, which took around 5min or thereabouts. Ivins is a Peranakan/Nonya restaurant, and although it is located in Binja park off the main Bukit timah road, it was packed to the house when i arrived on a Sat evening.
The dishes Ivins offers are small in servings, but similarly they are cheaper in price. You can normal dishes for vegies, meats, and some other sides at around $4.50 to $6. For fishs, they come in $6.90 to $8, and there are also curry fish heads at $12. Because the servings are all very small, we committed the sin of ordering too many dishes, between the three of us, we ordered 7 dishes, some are good, while some are not. Mayb we are not too familiar with Peranakan food, so we ended up having some dishes which really aren’t to our liking.
Chilly Pomfret ($7.80)
The fish was rather good, it was deep fried, then spread with Ivins special-made chilli. The fish was kind of small though.
Ayam Buah Keluak ($5.90)
Signature dish of Peranakan cuisine. Chicken braised in thick spicy gravy with Buah kuluah nuts. We felt this dish was so-so only, chicken curry with the curry gravy different from our normal curry.
Sambal Kankong ($4.50)
Ahh.. All Kankong are well done when they are fried with Sambal, and when the kankong are not too over-cooked.
Duan Keledek ($4.80)
Sweet potato leaves and sweet potato slices in coconut gravy. This was our fatal mistake, we wanted to have Sweet potato leaves, but when we order this dish, we missed on out the “.. in coconut gravy” We thought the vegies was stir-fried, but in the end it came in the form of a soup? Anyway, the dish wasn’t to our taste.
Honey Pork ($4.60)
This should be the toast of the crown. By far the best dish we ordered, lean pork strips stir-fried in special honey sauce. The meat no doubt look over-burned, but it taste nice with the honey sauce absorbed into the meat.
Udang Sambal ($5)
This was a disappointment really, after we had the Chilly Pomfret, we thought Ivins chilli are good stuff, so we made this additional order for sambal prawn. The prawn is like cooked in water, then with the chilli over it only.
Babi Tauyu ($4.60)
Pork in sweet pepperish sauce. Again, this was a last-min-order. We never expected this to be our commonly known “ru-rou”.
Then mayb you will say, if you don’t know about Perankan cuisine its not the restaurant fault if you never ask right? Oh yea, we did ask the waitress, but many a times, they can’t really speak good english, and also cannot explain to us what are the dishes.
In addition, you will commit the same mistake of ordering too much dishes since the servings are small, and the dishes seem relatively cheap. Nevertheless, i believe Ivins are still a good place for Peranakan cuisine if you know your stuff well, judging from the crowd on a weekend evening. But i am not going back for now. Total bill was $43.70 for 3 person
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 : )
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