Had dinner with LSD and a few other makan khakis at Magma German Wine Bistro. As the name suggests, it serves German food. Heard about this place quite some time back through some TV Chinese variety show so after much postponement, we finally got down to it on a wet Friday evening.
Magma occupies 2 units right at the start of Bukit Pasoh Road. Locating it proved to be a problem as it was discreetly hidden from view with no outstanding features or signs. But find it and you will be welcomed into a cosy and homely dining area with an open kitchen concept and racks of wine bottles. Though sparsely finished, the restaurant exudes warmth (literally as well. It was a little warm that day) and makes you feel right at home. They could do with bigger tables though. It was honestly a little cramp, which hampered eating and relaxed conversation quite a bit.
Wurstplatte mit 5 oder Wursten - Sausage Platter with 5 Sausages - We started off with the sausage platter consisting of 5 different types of sausages. Frankly, I probably have only eaten 2 or 3 of the varieties that were served, so I pretty much can't identify any of them except for one which was Cheese Sausage. Overall a rather pleasing dish with the sausages being crunchy and not too pressing.
Kasseler, Knoblauch und Sauerkraut - Smoked Pork Loin, Garlic and Sauerkraut Pizza - Interestingly, the German's do their pizza differently. Sour cream is added in place of cheese or tomato sauce. Our Kasseler, Knoblauch und Sauerkraut came with generous toppings of Sauerkraut and had this garlicky taste although I couldn't detect any visible signs of garlic. The crust was amazingly thin (I certainly didn't expect such a thin crust from a German restaurant) and the pork loin was relatively well smoked, trapping in the smoky flavours. A unique dish, but I personally found the Sauerkraut topping a little too overwhelming.
Gemischte Schlachtplatte fur 3 Personen - Mixed Butcher's Platter of all our Pork Specialities for 3 Persons - Words escape me when I try to describe the platter that was set before us. Humongous would probably come close. Just staring at the all pork dish sent shivers down my spine. I really couldn't imagine eating that. Well, we did anyway. I would very much like to go into details about the various cuts and items in the platter, but that would take too much time (there are about 8 different items?) and I honestly can't remember whats what. Only thing I can remember is the Pork Knuckle, which did seem a little too soft with the skin not being as crispy as I would have liked it (read my entry on ABOF for good pork with crackling skin). Overall, the whole dish tended towards the salty side. Actually, all the dishes were a little too heavy on the salt, not just this one.
Gebackene Apfelscheiben mit Zimthonig - Baked Apple Slices in Puff Pastry with Honey and Cinnamon. - Ever wondered how Goreng Pisang with apple instead of banana would taste like? Well, this is your answer. A very interesting rendition of the conventional Apple Pie. The honey added a sweet twist to the dish but I couldn't quite make out the taste from the cinnamon powder. Also, the apple slices had their citrus flavour removed which was probably for the better.
Baked Cheese stuffed with Gooseberries - I'm just guessing the name of this dish because its a daily special and not anywhere in the menu, so please forgive me if I get it wrong. Another very interesting dish. The whole thing actually tastes like pudding with a slight cheesy aftertaste, very much like the cheesecake kind of cheesy and not the right in your face kind. But I didn't think too much of it as it got quite sick after too much, probably due to the soft and wet cake like pastry.
Chocolate Mousse - Interestingly, the Chocolate Mousse had but a faint resemblance to the normal ones you can get outside. There were 2 scoops(or is it moulds?) of Chocolate Mousse, one White Chocolate and one Dark Chocolate, sitting on a bed of Marzipan sauce. In all honesty, the White Chocolate Mousse didn't quite taste like White Chocolate. Instead it tasted creamy and had this mild spicy aftertaste. But as with the Chocolate Mousse, the texture was smooth and thick. From our conversation with the waiter later, the spiciness behind the White Chocolate Mousse was attributed to the type of Chocolate used
We chalked up a bill of $173.66 for a filling dinner for 6 pax. The general consensus is that its genuinely value for money. The food is of above average quality and service is great and the waiters actually know what they are talking about with regard to the food. The place could do with bigger tables(mentioned earlier) and a slightly better ventilation system because the open concept kitchen isn't seperated by a glass panel. Also, it would be nice if the food adopted a lower salt policy. That aside, a revisit is on the cards.
Colbar, or Colonial Bar for short, was built in 1953 along Jalan Hang Jebat (off Portsdown Road) and mainly served as a canteen for soldiers who lived in the neighbouring estate which is now known as Wessex Estate. It has since relocated to a new site which is a stone's throw away from the old one and is still very popular with the expatriate community.
Since my gf and I were in the area, we took the opportunity to try out their food and soak in the tranquil atmosphere, away from the maddening world outside.
The pictures say it all don't they? A serene and laid back environment close to nature and far from the hustle and bustle of the city. Its really a place where time seems to have stopped, a scene from a different era.
Well enough of the place. Down to the food. I ordered the Chocolate Milkshake ($4) which in my opinion, was ridiculously overpriced. It looked and tasted exactly like normal Chocolate milk ($1.50), except that it had frothy layer at the top. Talk about repackaging.
This dish was as normal as it gets. Its like one of those chicken chops you eat at the hawker centre and totally forget how it tastes like the next day. The only thing I liked about this dish was that it came with button mushrooms, which I personally prefer. Other than that, the wedges were a little too soggy and very uninspiring.
The old man at the counter recommended this to me and taste wise, it was not too bad. It was a little over fried though, rendering the batter a little hard and burnt. A honestly very average dish which can easily be found elsewhere. Not really worth the $9 for it.
A total rip off kind of describes the bacon sandwich ($5). It was just two bacon strips from the oven sandwiched between 2 slices of bread with a little margarine spread across. I can make this at home for less than 50 cents!
Dinner cost us $25, which is not a big sum, but totally not worth it for the quality and quantity of food. However, factor in the surroundings and maybe the vote might tilt. Nice place to hang out, but watch out for the mosquitoes. Also, please note that there is no air conditioning no matter where you seat.
Astons Prime is a recently opened upmarket version of Aston Specialties, catering to the more well heeled with a wider selection of premium meat available and reservations of course.
Located just a stones throw away from the original Astons Specialties, Astons Prime sits along the row of shophouses near the junction of Joo Chiat Road and East Coast Road. The interior is simply furnished and can probably seat up to about 30 people. There are corner booth seats for 2 pax which are a must if you wish to have more privacy. Pity there are only 2 of those seats though and I wasn't fortunate to get one of those even during lunch.
When a place claims to serve up its own homemade garlic spread, my expectations go up a notch because I like my garlic spread a lot, probably more than most people. Sadly, Aston's spread didn't even come close to meeting my expectations. For one, it was rather bland and didn't exactly jell in well with the bread, which incidentally, wasn't tasty nor was it served warm.
Chicken Quesadilla - Interestingly, biting into the Chicken Quesadilla was akin to eating roti prata with bits of chicken and BBQ sauce. The paper thin crust was a little crispy and flaky with a rather miserable filling of chicken. Not that I'm saying that its not good, but for almost 8 dollars, I'd rather order something else.
Fillet Mignon - Notice that the fillet mignon comes in 2 variations, the New Zealand fed and the Australian fed. I'm guessing the Australian one is better because of its superior pricing. But then again, I didn't get to try the New Zealand variant, so I'm really in no position to comment.
My Australian fed fillet mignon was small (they are all 8oz by the way, which is about 250g) but good. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it was excellent as I've definitely tried better but this one was really in a league of its own. Medium rare, succulent and sweet. Only gripe I had was that the meat slab was too thick which resulted in the exterior being a little too charred. I did like the accompanying sauce though, which tasted like it had a little bit of cheese in it.
$70 for 2 pax for lunch is rather expensive honestly, but good steak comes at a price unfortunately. Service is excellent and there is no service charge or GST which kinda sweetens the deal a little. I see potential in this place, but it would be nice to have a larger slab of meat for the same price, please?
Today marks the beginning of my makan sessions with a group of like minded food enthusiasts from various forums. Our choice of dinner venue was Astons Specialties at East Coast Rd. This joint has been highly recommended by many seasoned foodies and expectations were high as we made our way there at about 2000hrs. There was quite a queue of people waiting to get in and although I had made a reservation on Wednesday, there was no record of my name to be found, which naturally left me furious. Astons admitted that it was error on their part and although we had to wait for about 25mins for a table, credit has to be given to them for trying to get us a table ASAP. One thing I noticed about the place was that it was actually quite small and squeezy. There were barely 10 tables around and air conditioning was poor. They could well do with more powerful air conditioners or an air curtain at the entrance to prevent the cool air from rushing out.
Food wise, I shared the Wagyu beef promotion @ $38.90 for a 200g cut and the Ieat Super Burger with a friend. Both were done medium rare. According to them, the wagyu was supposed to have a marbling score of 5/6, which was pretty decent for the price. The wagyu came with 2 sides (I chose fries and pasta salad) which was pretty uninspiring. The pasta salad was almost tasteless and the fries were thin and had the same seasoning as that of Botak Jones fries. The wagyu was quite good though. Soft, juicy and tender. Every mouthful is greeted with a burst of flavour that slowly seeps down your throat. Not as good as the Kobe Beef I had at Keyaki, but certainly in a league of its own. Pity about the small 200g portion though. The accompanying mushroom (with garlic?) sauce was nice too, but I found it a tad too salty. The Ieat burger scored high salivation marks for its appearance. Toasted bun atop bacon strips, deep fried onions, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, a slab of chopped sirloin and drenched with BBQ sauce. However, the taste was short of expectations. The chopped sirloin was quite tasteless and dry and not to mention a little too soft. The bacon strips were nicely grilled though and that was just about the only consolation I had from the burger. At $12.50 for the burger, I guess it was pretty reasonable.
It cost us about $210 for 8 pax. On my part I paid about $27/- which I feel was reasonable for the quality of food. However Astons didn't quite measure up to my expectations probably because I had hyped myself up to be expecting something out of this world, only to be brought back down to earth. Nevertheless, a good eat, with reasonable pricing. Please note that the wait for food can be quite long especially when its full, which is most of the time in the evenings. A worthy contender to Botak Jones. Having no GST or service charge is definitely a plus!
I've always had a penchant for brunch - whiling the lazy mornings away in a serene setting coupled with hearty fare and great company. What better way to unwind and enjoy the intricate subtleties of life? And I've found just the place to do so - Wild Rocket. The man at its helm is none other than lawyer turned chef, Willin Low, who has built up a reputation for cooking dishes which are Singaporean at heart but with a twist.
Nestled at the top of a hill (Mount Emily), Wild Rocket is a quaint little eatery/restaurant docked on the first level of Hangout Hotel. The decor is simple, focusing on the simplicities and the giant glass windows complete with semi transparent curtains allow sunlight to peer through, creating a cheery and lively atmosphere sans the heat. An air of serenity and elusiveness lingers in this dreamy and charming little outfit.
Though not billed as a fine dining restaurant, Wild Rocket still serves up complementary bread, which didn't quite impress me honestly. For one, the bread was too porous and came across as a tad too dry and bland. Thankfully, it was served warm.
Ricotta Jackfruit Pancakes with Maple Syrup - No this isn't a picture of left over pancakes. Its what we got for $8.50 - 2 small pancakes and 1 piece of deep fried jackfruit. It was excellent though, soft and fluffy with a tinge of jackfruit taste. Bits of jackfruit were also embedded within for added texture/flavour and the sweetness of the maple syrup was just about right. Now someone please explain to me why do good things always come in small packages?
Laksa Pesto with Spaghetti with Tiger Prawns & Quail Egg - A most interesting dish. As the name suggests, its spaghetti covered with coriander and bits of chilli flakes which is supposed to have a mild laksa taste. And by golly, it certainly does! The pasta was al dente but a tad too dry for my liking. I counted 3 average sized prawns and 3 quail egg halves, which certainly doesn't place this dish in the generous ingredients category. Honestly, this is not something I'll order again cause I don't find it outstanding.
Scrambled Eggs, Fresh Beef Sausages with Toast - A greedy mistake on my part. I had spied the adjourning table ordering this dish and the serving certainly looked generous. Oh boy, how wrong I was. 2 sausages, a small serving of scrambled eggs and a side of toast. The dish was clean in less than 5 mins, but not that it tasted great in case you are assuming. The sausages were rather salty and the meat didn't seem firm. As for the scrambled eggs, it was too salty as well and tasted like too much milk had gone into it.
The Wild Rocket Burger with Sun Dried Tomato Salsa - Notice the usage of the word "The" in the name of this dish. Its obviously Wild Rocket's signature offering and is THE must try burger. Pleasing aesthetics aside, the burger weighed in slightly bigger than Iggy's offering but smaller than those of Carl's Junior. The patty was huge by the way and rather well mashed, chewy and moist yet not overwhelming. Interestingly, the sun dried tomato salsa atop the patty was a tad sweet but complemented the beef almost flawlessly. The accompanying potato cubes were a little too soft and salty (I could make out the salt granules on the potatoes).
Kueh Buloh Tiramisu - Here's another classic example of how much of a mountain tortoise I am. I have no inkling whatsoever as to what in the world is Kueh Buloh. Shame on me. But the Kueh Buloh Tiramisu was quite good if you ask me. Soft with a nice layer of ice cream beneath it. But it kinda loses the Tiramisu flavour and composition though, which is rather ironical.
Dark Lava Chocolate Gateau with Ice Cream - Few molten chocolate cakes can match the truly splendid rendition by Mortons or the value for money offering at Abof. Wild Rocket's version comes close. Well almost. Its decidedly as good as Abof's but significantly more expensive as well (not as expensive as Morton's though). The shell was slightly hard while the spongy interior was soft and moist. Thick oozing, not too sweet chocolate completed the picture. But it was small, even smaller than Abof's.
I had a good and leisurely brunch, no doubt about that. But $95 for 3 pax does seem a little steep especially with the smallish portions. Its a nice place to hang out though and service is good. They will definitely be seeing more of me. On a side note, please let me reiterate that the place is tiny and you are looking at about probably 30 people max so please please please make your reservations.
The popular Uno Beef House at Toa Payoh has a new outlet in the western regions of Singapore. Located in a prominent and brightly lit coffee shop along Dover road which runs parallel to the MRT line, it has its fair share of customers as well, but the waiting time here is definitely much shorter than its Toa Payoh counterpart.
I started off with the Cream of Mushroom soup ($2) which definitely came straight out of the can. There were undissolved chunks of coagulated soup at the bottom of the bowl, indicating a less than thorough stirring process. Having said that, I certainly didn't expect them to make their own mushroom soup, not for $2.
My gf had the pork chops ($5) which was quite good. Chewy yet not too dry or tough, with lots of savoury made from scratch gravy to go along. Portions were decent, but definitely not sufficient for a glutton like me.
The purported star of the evening (they are called Uno Beef House for a reason), the tenderloin steak ($10), was served up medium rare as per my request. The meat was very well done, succulent and a little chewy but lacked the sweetness of really good tenderloins. The mushroom sauce was quite decent too, with slices of mushroom and onion in it. I would have liked a more robust sauce though. Here comes the real star of the evening, the side of a single Potato Ball which was served alongside a small tomato. It had a buttery taste to it and reminded me very much of eating pineapple tarts minus the sweetened pineapple of course. Texture wise was also good, not too mashed up or soft. I wonder if the Potato Balls are available on their own.
In summary, I like this place and will definitely be back to patronise. Its definitely in the league of Astons for steak and considering the amount of hype that Astons has been getting, I rather stick to Uno.
Popped by sleepy Serene Centre with my gf for some cheap French food only to find it packed to the brim with a long queue to boot. So we sort of gave up the idea and settled for the only other alternative (besides MacDonalds), Yoshoku Kitchen.
For cavemen like me, Yoshoku simply means western food with a Japanese flair aka fusion, for lack of a better word. This 1 year old eatery sits quietly next to its more illustrious neighbours, Island Creamery and La Petit Cuisine. A cosy darkened interior complete with a floor to ceiling window beckons.
The Hotate Mentai Chizu Yaki, or scallops baked with cod roe sauce, was rather interesting as I've never eaten scallops covered with a thick layer of cheese before. The scallops were quite a size and came buried under mounds of thick gooey cheese buffered by the Thousand Island taste alike cod roe sauce. Honestly, I liked it quite a fair bit (I'm a cheese freak) except for the fact that the cod roe sauce was a little too overwhelming.
How good/bad can Japanese curry rice get? Yoshoku's rendition was averagely decent and unexciting. Curry was neither too watery nor coagulated but normal rice was used instead of Japanese rice, which was expected for the price ($8).
Primed as one of the must tries in this restaurant, the Wafu Bifu Suteki, or beef steak with Japanese sauce, was a tad disappointing given that I had much higher expectations of it. The beef was unevenly cooked, with some parts being almost well done while others tended more towards medium well. That aside, the beef was relatively succulent and chewy but lacked the natural beef taste although I did find it quite well seasoned. The Japanese sauce was nothing more than a milder and sweeter version of the black pepper sauce.
$54 for 2 pax for a decent and filling meal in a serene environment is a little on the high side but still within the reasonable range IMHO. Service is good as well which is definitely a plus. Just don't get your expectations too high.
Was in the vicinity of Tanglin Shopping centre with my gf so decided to try out Jerry's for dinner. Located just above Bombay Woodlands, Jerry's currently has 3 outlets in Singapore, with the flagship store being the one at Jalan Kayu and branches at Club Street and Tanglin Shopping Centre. Decor wise, the Tanglin outlet was pretty simple with no inherent theme to it. We had 2 servings of the set dinner, with the Southern Chicken and Spaghetti Seafood Alo Alo as mains as well as a small serving of 4 Fried Crispy Wings to share (I had initially wanted to try the Buffalo Wings, but thought the better of it as I had already tried the ones at Buckaroo BBQ & Grill, which is/was owned by Jerry and boasts similar wings). Our set dinner came with a choice of soup - Minestrone or Cream of Mushroom and unlimited servings at the salad bar.
In all honesty, the salad bar was quite pathetic. There was tuna, hard boiled eggs, vegetables and some sauces definitely not what I was expecting. But it came with the set, so no complains. I chose Cream of Mushroom for my soup and I was really disappointed. It wasn't really warm to begin with and the top layer of the soup had hardened and formed a layer, which meant that it had been out in the cold for too long. It didn't taste like canned soup, but it was a little too salty and the taste wasn't rich enough.
Remember the small puny wings you get at KFC or Nasi Lemak stalls? Banish those thoughts and feast your eyes on Jerry's Fried Crispy Wings. They use the exact same Buffalo Wings that made Jerry's famous, except that it is prepared in a different way. The wings are gigantic and tasty to boot! The skin is deep fried until its so crispy that every bite generates a "crunch" sound. Just one grouse though. It could have done with more seasoning or spices. The juices were plentiful, but had no flavours, thus rendering it rather bland. A good eat nevertheless, but a pricey one at that ($8.95 for 4).
My Southern Chicken was quite a size, half a chicken to be exact and topped with mounds of BBQ sauce, served with salad and mashed potatoes. I found the chicken to be well done with the flesh being very tender and easily torn off from the bones. Perfect for lazy people like me. However, the taste of the BBQ sauce was overpowering and I sort of gave up eating halfway. The accompanying mashed potato was just a disaster. I don't know how to begin describing it, but let me just say that KFC has better mashed potatoes.
Either my tastebuds had problems or my gf's Spaghetti Seafood Alo Alo tasted really bland. Even the prawns and scallops had virtually no discernible taste! My gf agrees with me, so I guess its the dish. But the pasta was actually not bad, a little chewy and overall the dish was rather light on the palate. Maybe its meant to be that way, but I would prefer a little more flavour.
Dinner for 2 came to a whooping $70/-. That might not seem like a lot of money, but for the quality of food, it sure is. The food was at best slightly above average and the service didn't go beyond serving our food and clearing the dishes. The drinks are a killer too. A can of coke sets you back by $3.95 . Imagine that! Oh and either the tables are too low or the chairs are too high, as I found it rather uncomfortable having to hunch my back and slouch on the table just to eat my food. I definitely won't be back, unless its for the wings, which still holds a certain allure. Other than that, I'm better off spending my $70 elsewhere.
Had lunch at Sage, The Restaurant. Perched on the second storey of the picturesque Robertson Walk, Sage is dressed up in modern chic, with a small dining area that can only hold about 30-40 people. Run by the husband and wife team of Jusman and Kimberly, reservations are almost always necessary especially during dinner as the place can get quite packed. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be turned away do you? Set lunches go for $25 for a 3-course set (no dessert) or $28 for a 4-course set and the menu is changed once every fortnight. As always, the more the merrier, so both of us opted for the 4-course set. I had the Braised beef shortribs topped with marinated shallots, puree of butternut pumpkin and brunoise root vegetables for my main course while LS had the Pastilla of braised lamb shank with mascarpone cheese, provencal ratatouille and cassoulet of summer beans.
Appetiser was Seared yellow fin tuna topped with avocado mousseline, lumpfish roe and an aged balsamic glaze. The tuna was nicely done with a cooked exterior and raw interior. It was light on the taste buds with the overpoweringly raw fishy taste noticeably absent. Coupled with the avocado mousseline and the house special concoction of the balsamic glaze, it made for a truly appetising appetiser.
When I first set eyes on the Cappuccino of cauliflower veloute, it looked exactly like a cup of Cappuccino with its frothy top layer and creamy base. A rather interesting concept, but I didn't quite take to it. For one, I found the cream taste a little too overwhelming in the froth and in the soup itself. It tasted like a slightly better version of the Campbell soup, albeit a lot more creamy. If you love boiled milk, you might fancy this more than I do.
The mains followed and my Braised beef shortribs was very well done. The meat was first braised until fall off the bone tender (there's no bone by the way) then pan-fried till the outer layer was slightly charred and crispy. Atop the meat lay slices of marinated shallots which had a slightly sweet taste and melted cheese. Extremely fine chopped spring onions were drizzled over to give colour, smell and taste. Butternut pumpkin puree with cuscus came as a side for this dish and it was commendable as well. The sweet pumpkin taste blended in well with the cuscus. I had a bite of LS's lamb, but didn't quite fancy it because of its strong lamb taste.
Dessert was Vanilla panna cotta with Granny Smith apples and its own sorbet. The sorbet came with thinly sliced green apples (Granny Smith apples) that complemented it very well. However, I did find the texture a little lacking although I must complement it for its smoothness. I did like the panna cotta though. Wobbly, chilled and a little sweet, you can seldom go wrong with this dessert. Having said that, I still prefer the Panna Cotta at Pontini because the flavours are more robust with a nice slightly creamy aftertaste.
Our 1.5 hours lunch cost us $62.20/-, which is a tad expensive for such dainty portions. As LS puts it, fine dining is supposed to be fine in the quality sense, not portions wise. I can't help but agree. The dinner menu looks inviting, but can easily set you back by $60 /pax (after taxes) just for the basic 4-course set. Although the food is good, service faultless and ambience romantic, I rather take my money elsewhere for that kind of pricing - somewhere where I can at least fill my stomach. But if you are a small eater and crave for a romantic place for dinner, this might just be the place for you. If not, just go for the set lunches.
Caught one of the Chinese variety shows, HDB Tai Tai, recommending Bermuda Triangle, a bistro selling western food in the heartlands. First time I went there, it was full and I didn't really fancy waiting an hour just to have my dinner. I got lucky the second time though and there were a few tables left when I arrived with my gf at about 630pm.
Tucked away in a sleepy neighbourhood of Ang Mo Kio just below a block of HDBs, Bermuda Triangle is barely visible even from the main road, which is rather ironical as the flats are just next to the road. I guess that says alot about its visibility. Inside its rather small and crampish interior, mini flags of different countries adorn the place and theres a pool table to boot. Overall a very nice and cosy environment, the kind where you would go for a nice after dinner drink and just relax. Now whats missing is a fireplace if you ask me.
Cream of Mushroom Soup - I like the cream of mushroom soup solely for the fact that it was served in a bread bowl and nothing else. The soup was tasteless and a little on the runny side. It was quite bad actually and we had to resort to adding salt in to make it more palatable. To give it credit, it tasted like it was homemade and not straight of out of the can kind. The bread, though warm and slightly crisp, was just your regular round baguette which you can buy off the shelves at any bakery.
Jimi Hendrix Chicken Steak - I honestly do not see the association between Jimi Hendrix the singer and a piece of teriyaki chicken. Nevertheless, aesthetics wise, it was a mess with the chicken overly dark and not the least bit appetising. Soft and moist, the chicken was rather rather charred and devoid of the teriyaki taste, which is surprisingly really, given that its supposed to be teriyaki chicken. To top it off, the accompanying fries were limp and soggy. Jimi Hendrix was a success. The chicken was a failure.
Toad in the Hole - Traditional Oven Baked Yorkshire Sausage Pudding Served with Onion Gravy - A most interesting name and one of the dishes recommended by the variety show. I had seen beautiful images on television and I had expected something similar or at least something not too far from the original image. Imagine my shock when I saw this dish. The sausages were badly charred at the ends and the whole dish looked like a kid's cooking class gone wrong. The pudding itself tasted rather bland save for an eggy taste. I haven't eaten too many Yorkshire puddings in my life to comment on what a good pudding should be like but if its going to turn out like this, I'm swearing off Yorkshire pudding for good. Okay I exaggerate. Its not as bad as it seems. Still palatable but not something I'll wanna eat again if given a choice. I did like the onion gravy though, which tasted very similar to mashed potato gravy.
What did I say about never trusting commercial reviews? Now I got myself burnt once again. Sure, $28 for 2 pax isn't expensive, but its $28 too much. The place is cosy and service is excellent, but I'll think twice before eating there again.
1=SGD 0.0587
Had dinner with LSD and a few other makan khakis at Magma German Wine Bistro. As the name suggests, it serves German food. Heard about this place quite some time back through some TV Chinese variety show so after much postponement, we finally got down to it on a wet Friday evening.
Magma occupies 2 units right at the start of Bukit Pasoh Road. Locating it proved to be a problem as it was discreetly hidden from view with no outstanding features or signs. But find it and you will be welcomed into a cosy and homely dining area with an open kitchen concept and racks of wine bottles. Though sparsely finished, the restaurant exudes warmth (literally as well. It was a little warm that day) and makes you feel right at home. They could do with bigger tables though. It was honestly a little cramp, which hampered eating and relaxed conversation quite a bit.
Wurstplatte mit 5 oder Wursten - Sausage Platter with 5 Sausages - We started off with the sausage platter consisting of 5 different types of sausages. Frankly, I probably have only eaten 2 or 3 of the varieties that were served, so I pretty much can't identify any of them except for one which was Cheese Sausage. Overall a rather pleasing dish with the sausages being crunchy and not too pressing.
Kasseler, Knoblauch und Sauerkraut - Smoked Pork Loin, Garlic and Sauerkraut Pizza - Interestingly, the German's do their pizza differently. Sour cream is added in place of cheese or tomato sauce. Our Kasseler, Knoblauch und Sauerkraut came with generous toppings of Sauerkraut and had this garlicky taste although I couldn't detect any visible signs of garlic. The crust was amazingly thin (I certainly didn't expect such a thin crust from a German restaurant) and the pork loin was relatively well smoked, trapping in the smoky flavours. A unique dish, but I personally found the Sauerkraut topping a little too overwhelming.
Gemischte Schlachtplatte fur 3 Personen - Mixed Butcher's Platter of all our Pork Specialities for 3 Persons - Words escape me when I try to describe the platter that was set before us. Humongous would probably come close. Just staring at the all pork dish sent shivers down my spine. I really couldn't imagine eating that. Well, we did anyway. I would very much like to go into details about the various cuts and items in the platter, but that would take too much time (there are about 8 different items?) and I honestly can't remember whats what. Only thing I can remember is the Pork Knuckle, which did seem a little too soft with the skin not being as crispy as I would have liked it (read my entry on ABOF for good pork with crackling skin). Overall, the whole dish tended towards the salty side. Actually, all the dishes were a little too heavy on the salt, not just this one.
Gebackene Apfelscheiben mit Zimthonig - Baked Apple Slices in Puff Pastry with Honey and Cinnamon. -
Ever wondered how Goreng Pisang with apple instead of banana would taste like? Well, this is your answer. A very interesting rendition of the conventional Apple Pie. The honey added a sweet twist to the dish but I couldn't quite make out the taste from the cinnamon powder. Also, the apple slices had their citrus flavour removed which was probably for the better.
Baked Cheese stuffed with Gooseberries - I'm just guessing the name of this dish because its a daily special and not anywhere in the menu, so please forgive me if I get it wrong. Another very interesting dish. The whole thing actually tastes like pudding with a slight cheesy aftertaste, very much like the cheesecake kind of cheesy and not the right in your face kind. But I didn't think too much of it as it got quite sick after too much, probably due to the soft and wet cake like pastry.
Chocolate Mousse - Interestingly, the Chocolate Mousse had but a faint resemblance to the normal ones you can get outside. There were 2 scoops(or is it moulds?) of Chocolate Mousse, one White Chocolate and one Dark Chocolate, sitting on a bed of Marzipan sauce. In all honesty, the White Chocolate Mousse didn't quite taste like White Chocolate. Instead it tasted creamy and had this mild spicy aftertaste. But as with the Chocolate Mousse, the texture was smooth and thick. From our conversation with the waiter later, the spiciness behind the White Chocolate Mousse was attributed to the type of Chocolate used
We chalked up a bill of $173.66 for a filling dinner for 6 pax. The general consensus is that its genuinely value for money. The food is of above average quality and service is great and the waiters actually know what they are talking about with regard to the food. The place could do with bigger tables(mentioned earlier) and a slightly better ventilation system because the open concept kitchen isn't seperated by a glass panel. Also, it would be nice if the food adopted a lower salt policy. That aside, a revisit is on the cards.
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Colbar, or Colonial Bar for short, was built in 1953 along Jalan Hang Jebat (off Portsdown Road) and mainly served as a canteen for soldiers who lived in the neighbouring estate which is now known as Wessex Estate. It has since relocated to a new site which is a stone's throw away from the old one and is still very popular with the expatriate community.
Since my gf and I were in the area, we took the opportunity to try out their food and soak in the tranquil atmosphere, away from the maddening world outside.
The pictures say it all don't they? A serene and laid back environment close to nature and far from the hustle and bustle of the city. Its really a place where time seems to have stopped, a scene from a different era.
Well enough of the place. Down to the food. I ordered the Chocolate Milkshake ($4) which in my opinion, was ridiculously overpriced. It looked and tasted exactly like normal Chocolate milk ($1.50), except that it had frothy layer at the top. Talk about repackaging.
This dish was as normal as it gets. Its like one of those chicken chops you eat at the hawker centre and totally forget how it tastes like the next day. The only thing I liked about this dish was that it came with button mushrooms, which I personally prefer. Other than that, the wedges were a little too soggy and very uninspiring.
The old man at the counter recommended this to me and taste wise, it was not too bad. It was a little over fried though, rendering the batter a little hard and burnt. A honestly very average dish which can easily be found elsewhere. Not really worth the $9 for it.
A total rip off kind of describes the bacon sandwich ($5). It was just two bacon strips from the oven sandwiched between 2 slices of bread with a little margarine spread across. I can make this at home for less than 50 cents!
Dinner cost us $25, which is not a big sum, but totally not worth it for the quality and quantity of food. However, factor in the surroundings and maybe the vote might tilt. Nice place to hang out, but watch out for the mosquitoes. Also, please note that there is no air conditioning no matter where you seat.
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Astons Prime is a recently opened upmarket version of Aston Specialties, catering to the more well heeled with a wider selection of premium meat available and reservations of course.
Located just a stones throw away from the original Astons Specialties, Astons Prime sits along the row of shophouses near the junction of Joo Chiat Road and East Coast Road. The interior is simply furnished and can probably seat up to about 30 people. There are corner booth seats for 2 pax which are a must if you wish to have more privacy. Pity there are only 2 of those seats though and I wasn't fortunate to get one of those even during lunch.
When a place claims to serve up its own homemade garlic spread, my expectations go up a notch because I like my garlic spread a lot, probably more than most people. Sadly, Aston's spread didn't even come close to meeting my expectations. For one, it was rather bland and didn't exactly jell in well with the bread, which incidentally, wasn't tasty nor was it served warm.
Chicken Quesadilla - Interestingly, biting into the Chicken Quesadilla was akin to eating roti prata with bits of chicken and BBQ sauce. The paper thin crust was a little crispy and flaky with a rather miserable filling of chicken. Not that I'm saying that its not good, but for almost 8 dollars, I'd rather order something else.
Fillet Mignon - Notice that the fillet mignon comes in 2 variations, the New Zealand fed and the Australian fed. I'm guessing the Australian one is better because of its superior pricing. But then again, I didn't get to try the New Zealand variant, so I'm really in no position to comment.
My Australian fed fillet mignon was small (they are all 8oz by the way, which is about 250g) but good. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it was excellent as I've definitely tried better but this one was really in a league of its own. Medium rare, succulent and sweet. Only gripe I had was that the meat slab was too thick which resulted in the exterior being a little too charred. I did like the accompanying sauce though, which tasted like it had a little bit of cheese in it.
$70 for 2 pax for lunch is rather expensive honestly, but good steak comes at a price unfortunately. Service is excellent and there is no service charge or GST which kinda sweetens the deal a little. I see potential in this place, but it would be nice to have a larger slab of meat for the same price, please?
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Today marks the beginning of my makan sessions with a group of like minded food enthusiasts from various forums. Our choice of dinner venue was Astons Specialties at East Coast Rd. This joint has been highly recommended by many seasoned foodies and expectations were high as we made our way there at about 2000hrs. There was quite a queue of people waiting to get in and although I had made a reservation on Wednesday, there was no record of my name to be found, which naturally left me furious. Astons admitted that it was error on their part and although we had to wait for about 25mins for a table, credit has to be given to them for trying to get us a table ASAP. One thing I noticed about the place was that it was actually quite small and squeezy. There were barely 10 tables around and air conditioning was poor. They could well do with more powerful air conditioners or an air curtain at the entrance to prevent the cool air from rushing out.
Food wise, I shared the Wagyu beef promotion @ $38.90 for a 200g cut and the Ieat Super Burger with a friend. Both were done medium rare. According to them, the wagyu was supposed to have a marbling score of 5/6, which was pretty decent for the price. The wagyu came with 2 sides (I chose fries and pasta salad) which was pretty uninspiring. The pasta salad was almost tasteless and the fries were thin and had the same seasoning as that of Botak Jones fries. The wagyu was quite good though. Soft, juicy and tender. Every mouthful is greeted with a burst of flavour that slowly seeps down your throat. Not as good as the Kobe Beef I had at Keyaki, but certainly in a league of its own. Pity about the small 200g portion though. The accompanying mushroom (with garlic?) sauce was nice too, but I found it a tad too salty. The Ieat burger scored high salivation marks for its appearance. Toasted bun atop bacon strips, deep fried onions, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, a slab of chopped sirloin and drenched with BBQ sauce. However, the taste was short of expectations. The chopped sirloin was quite tasteless and dry and not to mention a little too soft. The bacon strips were nicely grilled though and that was just about the only consolation I had from the burger. At $12.50 for the burger, I guess it was pretty reasonable.
It cost us about $210 for 8 pax. On my part I paid about $27/- which I feel was reasonable for the quality of food. However Astons didn't quite measure up to my expectations probably because I had hyped myself up to be expecting something out of this world, only to be brought back down to earth. Nevertheless, a good eat, with reasonable pricing. Please note that the wait for food can be quite long especially when its full, which is most of the time in the evenings. A worthy contender to Botak Jones. Having no GST or service charge is definitely a plus!
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I've always had a penchant for brunch - whiling the lazy mornings away in a serene setting coupled with hearty fare and great company. What better way to unwind and enjoy the intricate subtleties of life? And I've found just the place to do so - Wild Rocket. The man at its helm is none other than lawyer turned chef, Willin Low, who has built up a reputation for cooking dishes which are Singaporean at heart but with a twist.
Nestled at the top of a hill (Mount Emily), Wild Rocket is a quaint little eatery/restaurant docked on the first level of Hangout Hotel. The decor is simple, focusing on the simplicities and the giant glass windows complete with semi transparent curtains allow sunlight to peer through, creating a cheery and lively atmosphere sans the heat. An air of serenity and elusiveness lingers in this dreamy and charming little outfit.
Though not billed as a fine dining restaurant, Wild Rocket still serves up complementary bread, which didn't quite impress me honestly. For one, the bread was too porous and came across as a tad too dry and bland. Thankfully, it was served warm.
Ricotta Jackfruit Pancakes with Maple Syrup - No this isn't a picture of left over pancakes. Its what we got for $8.50 - 2 small pancakes and 1 piece of deep fried jackfruit. It was excellent though, soft and fluffy with a tinge of jackfruit taste. Bits of jackfruit were also embedded within for added texture/flavour and the sweetness of the maple syrup was just about right. Now someone please explain to me why do good things always come in small packages?
Laksa Pesto with Spaghetti with Tiger Prawns & Quail Egg - A most interesting dish. As the name suggests, its spaghetti covered with coriander and bits of chilli flakes which is supposed to have a mild laksa taste. And by golly, it certainly does! The pasta was al dente but a tad too dry for my liking. I counted 3 average sized prawns and 3 quail egg halves, which certainly doesn't place this dish in the generous ingredients category. Honestly, this is not something I'll order again cause I don't find it outstanding.
Scrambled Eggs, Fresh Beef Sausages with Toast - A greedy mistake on my part. I had spied the adjourning table ordering this dish and the serving certainly looked generous. Oh boy, how wrong I was. 2 sausages, a small serving of scrambled eggs and a side of toast. The dish was clean in less than 5 mins, but not that it tasted great in case you are assuming. The sausages were rather salty and the meat didn't seem firm. As for the scrambled eggs, it was too salty as well and tasted like too much milk had gone into it.
The Wild Rocket Burger with Sun Dried Tomato Salsa - Notice the usage of the word "The" in the name of this dish. Its obviously Wild Rocket's signature offering and is THE must try burger. Pleasing aesthetics aside, the burger weighed in slightly bigger than Iggy's offering but smaller than those of Carl's Junior. The patty was huge by the way and rather well mashed, chewy and moist yet not overwhelming. Interestingly, the sun dried tomato salsa atop the patty was a tad sweet but complemented the beef almost flawlessly. The accompanying potato cubes were a little too soft and salty (I could make out the salt granules on the potatoes).
Kueh Buloh Tiramisu - Here's another classic example of how much of a mountain tortoise I am. I have no inkling whatsoever as to what in the world is Kueh Buloh. Shame on me. But the Kueh Buloh Tiramisu was quite good if you ask me. Soft with a nice layer of ice cream beneath it. But it kinda loses the Tiramisu flavour and composition though, which is rather ironical.
Dark Lava Chocolate Gateau with Ice Cream - Few molten chocolate cakes can match the truly splendid rendition by Mortons or the value for money offering at Abof. Wild Rocket's version comes close. Well almost. Its decidedly as good as Abof's but significantly more expensive as well (not as expensive as Morton's though). The shell was slightly hard while the spongy interior was soft and moist. Thick oozing, not too sweet chocolate completed the picture. But it was small, even smaller than Abof's.
I had a good and leisurely brunch, no doubt about that. But $95 for 3 pax does seem a little steep especially with the smallish portions. Its a nice place to hang out though and service is good. They will definitely be seeing more of me. On a side note, please let me reiterate that the place is tiny and you are looking at about probably 30 people max so please please please make your reservations.
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The popular Uno Beef House at Toa Payoh has a new outlet in the western regions of Singapore. Located in a prominent and brightly lit coffee shop along Dover road which runs parallel to the MRT line, it has its fair share of customers as well, but the waiting time here is definitely much shorter than its Toa Payoh counterpart.
I started off with the Cream of Mushroom soup ($2) which definitely came straight out of the can. There were undissolved chunks of coagulated soup at the bottom of the bowl, indicating a less than thorough stirring process. Having said that, I certainly didn't expect them to make their own mushroom soup, not for $2.
My gf had the pork chops ($5) which was quite good. Chewy yet not too dry or tough, with lots of savoury made from scratch gravy to go along. Portions were decent, but definitely not sufficient for a glutton like me.
The purported star of the evening (they are called Uno Beef House for a reason), the tenderloin steak ($10), was served up medium rare as per my request. The meat was very well done, succulent and a little chewy but lacked the sweetness of really good tenderloins. The mushroom sauce was quite decent too, with slices of mushroom and onion in it. I would have liked a more robust sauce though.
Here comes the real star of the evening, the side of a single Potato Ball which was served alongside a small tomato. It had a buttery taste to it and reminded me very much of eating pineapple tarts minus the sweetened pineapple of course. Texture wise was also good, not too mashed up or soft. I wonder if the Potato Balls are available on their own.
In summary, I like this place and will definitely be back to patronise. Its definitely in the league of Astons for steak and considering the amount of hype that Astons has been getting, I rather stick to Uno.
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Popped by sleepy Serene Centre with my gf for some cheap French food only to find it packed to the brim with a long queue to boot. So we sort of gave up the idea and settled for the only other alternative (besides MacDonalds), Yoshoku Kitchen.
For cavemen like me, Yoshoku simply means western food with a Japanese flair aka fusion, for lack of a better word. This 1 year old eatery sits quietly next to its more illustrious neighbours, Island Creamery and La Petit Cuisine. A cosy darkened interior complete with a floor to ceiling window beckons.
The Hotate Mentai Chizu Yaki, or scallops baked with cod roe sauce, was rather interesting as I've never eaten scallops covered with a thick layer of cheese before. The scallops were quite a size and came buried under mounds of thick gooey cheese buffered by the Thousand Island taste alike cod roe sauce. Honestly, I liked it quite a fair bit (I'm a cheese freak) except for the fact that the cod roe sauce was a little too overwhelming.
How good/bad can Japanese curry rice get? Yoshoku's rendition was averagely decent and unexciting. Curry was neither too watery nor coagulated but normal rice was used instead of Japanese rice, which was expected for the price ($8).
Primed as one of the must tries in this restaurant, the Wafu Bifu Suteki, or beef steak with Japanese sauce, was a tad disappointing given that I had much higher expectations of it. The beef was unevenly cooked, with some parts being almost well done while others tended more towards medium well. That aside, the beef was relatively succulent and chewy but lacked the natural beef taste although I did find it quite well seasoned. The Japanese sauce was nothing more than a milder and sweeter version of the black pepper sauce.
$54 for 2 pax for a decent and filling meal in a serene environment is a little on the high side but still within the reasonable range IMHO. Service is good as well which is definitely a plus. Just don't get your expectations too high.
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Was in the vicinity of Tanglin Shopping centre with my gf so decided to try out Jerry's for dinner. Located just above Bombay Woodlands, Jerry's currently has 3 outlets in Singapore, with the flagship store being the one at Jalan Kayu and branches at Club Street and Tanglin Shopping Centre. Decor wise, the Tanglin outlet was pretty simple with no inherent theme to it. We had 2 servings of the set dinner, with the Southern Chicken and Spaghetti Seafood Alo Alo as mains as well as a small serving of 4 Fried Crispy Wings to share (I had initially wanted to try the Buffalo Wings, but thought the better of it as I had already tried the ones at Buckaroo BBQ & Grill, which is/was owned by Jerry and boasts similar wings). Our set dinner came with a choice of soup - Minestrone or Cream of Mushroom and unlimited servings at the salad bar.
In all honesty, the salad bar was quite pathetic. There was tuna, hard boiled eggs, vegetables and some sauces definitely not what I was expecting. But it came with the set, so no complains. I chose Cream of Mushroom for my soup and I was really disappointed. It wasn't really warm to begin with and the top layer of the soup had hardened and formed a layer, which meant that it had been out in the cold for too long. It didn't taste like canned soup, but it was a little too salty and the taste wasn't rich enough.
Remember the small puny wings you get at KFC or Nasi Lemak stalls? Banish those thoughts and feast your eyes on Jerry's Fried Crispy Wings. They use the exact same Buffalo Wings that made Jerry's famous, except that it is prepared in a different way. The wings are gigantic and tasty to boot! The skin is deep fried until its so crispy that every bite generates a "crunch" sound. Just one grouse though. It could have done with more seasoning or spices. The juices were plentiful, but had no flavours, thus rendering it rather bland. A good eat nevertheless, but a pricey one at that ($8.95 for 4).
My Southern Chicken was quite a size, half a chicken to be exact and topped with mounds of BBQ sauce, served with salad and mashed potatoes. I found the chicken to be well done with the flesh being very tender and easily torn off from the bones. Perfect for lazy people like me. However, the taste of the BBQ sauce was overpowering and I sort of gave up eating halfway. The accompanying mashed potato was just a disaster. I don't know how to begin describing it, but let me just say that KFC has better mashed potatoes.
Either my tastebuds had problems or my gf's Spaghetti Seafood Alo Alo tasted really bland. Even the prawns and scallops had virtually no discernible taste! My gf agrees with me, so I guess its the dish. But the pasta was actually not bad, a little chewy and overall the dish was rather light on the palate. Maybe its meant to be that way, but I would prefer a little more flavour.
Dinner for 2 came to a whooping $70/-. That might not seem like a lot of money, but for the quality of food, it sure is. The food was at best slightly above average and the service didn't go beyond serving our food and clearing the dishes. The drinks are a killer too. A can of coke sets you back by $3.95 . Imagine that! Oh and either the tables are too low or the chairs are too high, as I found it rather uncomfortable having to hunch my back and slouch on the table just to eat my food.
I definitely won't be back, unless its for the wings, which still holds a certain allure. Other than that, I'm better off spending my $70 elsewhere.
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Had lunch at Sage, The Restaurant. Perched on the second storey of the picturesque Robertson Walk, Sage is dressed up in modern chic, with a small dining area that can only hold about 30-40 people. Run by the husband and wife team of Jusman and Kimberly, reservations are almost always necessary especially during dinner as the place can get quite packed. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be turned away do you? Set lunches go for $25 for a 3-course set (no dessert) or $28 for a 4-course set and the menu is changed once every fortnight. As always, the more the merrier, so both of us opted for the 4-course set. I had the Braised beef shortribs topped with marinated shallots, puree of butternut pumpkin and brunoise root vegetables for my main course while LS had the Pastilla of braised lamb shank with mascarpone cheese, provencal ratatouille and cassoulet of summer beans.
Appetiser was Seared yellow fin tuna topped with avocado mousseline, lumpfish roe and an aged balsamic glaze. The tuna was nicely done with a cooked exterior and raw interior. It was light on the taste buds with the overpoweringly raw fishy taste noticeably absent. Coupled with the avocado mousseline and the house special concoction of the balsamic glaze, it made for a truly appetising appetiser.
When I first set eyes on the Cappuccino of cauliflower veloute, it looked exactly like a cup of Cappuccino with its frothy top layer and creamy base. A rather interesting concept, but I didn't quite take to it. For one, I found the cream taste a little too overwhelming in the froth and in the soup itself. It tasted like a slightly better version of the Campbell soup, albeit a lot more creamy. If you love boiled milk, you might fancy this more than I do.
The mains followed and my Braised beef shortribs was very well done. The meat was first braised until fall off the bone tender (there's no bone by the way) then pan-fried till the outer layer was slightly charred and crispy. Atop the meat lay slices of marinated shallots which had a slightly sweet taste and melted cheese. Extremely fine chopped spring onions were drizzled over to give colour, smell and taste. Butternut pumpkin puree with cuscus came as a side for this dish and it was commendable as well. The sweet pumpkin taste blended in well with the cuscus. I had a bite of LS's lamb, but didn't quite fancy it because of its strong lamb taste.
Dessert was Vanilla panna cotta with Granny Smith apples and its own sorbet. The sorbet came with thinly sliced green apples (Granny Smith apples) that complemented it very well. However, I did find the texture a little lacking although I must complement it for its smoothness. I did like the panna cotta though. Wobbly, chilled and a little sweet, you can seldom go wrong with this dessert. Having said that, I still prefer the Panna Cotta at Pontini because the flavours are more robust with a nice slightly creamy aftertaste.
Our 1.5 hours lunch cost us $62.20/-, which is a tad expensive for such dainty portions. As LS puts it, fine dining is supposed to be fine in the quality sense, not portions wise. I can't help but agree. The dinner menu looks inviting, but can easily set you back by $60 /pax (after taxes) just for the basic 4-course set. Although the food is good, service faultless and ambience romantic, I rather take my money elsewhere for that kind of pricing - somewhere where I can at least fill my stomach. But if you are a small eater and crave for a romantic place for dinner, this might just be the place for you. If not, just go for the set lunches.
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Caught one of the Chinese variety shows, HDB Tai Tai, recommending Bermuda Triangle, a bistro selling western food in the heartlands. First time I went there, it was full and I didn't really fancy waiting an hour just to have my dinner. I got lucky the second time though and there were a few tables left when I arrived with my gf at about 630pm.
Tucked away in a sleepy neighbourhood of Ang Mo Kio just below a block of HDBs, Bermuda Triangle is barely visible even from the main road, which is rather ironical as the flats are just next to the road. I guess that says alot about its visibility. Inside its rather small and crampish interior, mini flags of different countries adorn the place and theres a pool table to boot. Overall a very nice and cosy environment, the kind where you would go for a nice after dinner drink and just relax. Now whats missing is a fireplace if you ask me.
Cream of Mushroom Soup - I like the cream of mushroom soup solely for the fact that it was served in a bread bowl and nothing else. The soup was tasteless and a little on the runny side. It was quite bad actually and we had to resort to adding salt in to make it more palatable. To give it credit, it tasted like it was homemade and not straight of out of the can kind. The bread, though warm and slightly crisp, was just your regular round baguette which you can buy off the shelves at any bakery.
Jimi Hendrix Chicken Steak - I honestly do not see the association between Jimi Hendrix the singer and a piece of teriyaki chicken. Nevertheless, aesthetics wise, it was a mess with the chicken overly dark and not the least bit appetising. Soft and moist, the chicken was rather rather charred and devoid of the teriyaki taste, which is surprisingly really, given that its supposed to be teriyaki chicken. To top it off, the accompanying fries were limp and soggy. Jimi Hendrix was a success. The chicken was a failure.
Toad in the Hole - Traditional Oven Baked Yorkshire Sausage Pudding Served with Onion Gravy - A most interesting name and one of the dishes recommended by the variety show. I had seen beautiful images on television and I had expected something similar or at least something not too far from the original image. Imagine my shock when I saw this dish. The sausages were badly charred at the ends and the whole dish looked like a kid's cooking class gone wrong. The pudding itself tasted rather bland save for an eggy taste. I haven't eaten too many Yorkshire puddings in my life to comment on what a good pudding should be like but if its going to turn out like this, I'm swearing off Yorkshire pudding for good. Okay I exaggerate. Its not as bad as it seems. Still palatable but not something I'll wanna eat again if given a choice. I did like the onion gravy though, which tasted very similar to mashed potato gravy.
What did I say about never trusting commercial reviews? Now I got myself burnt once again. Sure, $28 for 2 pax isn't expensive, but its $28 too much. The place is cosy and service is excellent, but I'll think twice before eating there again.
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