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Sport & Recreation
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1=SGD 0.0587
White SignBoard with a RED FLOWER.. Thats Missha.... I like Missha! They have cheap and nice funky nail colours in flowered bottles that retails for only $2.90. I can say i'm flower CRAZE. I have almost every colour they retail. I love to mix them and paint mine toes multi coloured...
They also carry a good range of other skin care and beauty products. Mostly korean and there are pretty value for money. They have products that are targetted for certain skin types such as combination, dry or oily. I like korean products because they are usually nicely packed and suitable for asian skin.
Their cosmetics are interesting also. They have the usual blusher which i love because the colour suits my skin tone so well and its smell NICE, Eye shadow with a good variety of colours and mix and match customisation to your individual taste. The other thing i like is the pencil liquid eyeshadow. They call them eyetips. Its so cute and easy to use.
I love the concept and the products they carry. Most importantly, the retail assistants are always cool CHICKs with almost perfect makeovers....
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Plucking, Threading, Shaving, Colouring, Tattoo, etc... These are just some of the various things you can do to your brow... or some call it EYE BROWN.....
But its important that your brows are fixed neatly as it frames your beautiful eyes and enhances your entire look.
I have my brow reshaped as and when. As you know when we pluck and maintain our brow, accidents do happen. Either you pluck to much or it went out of shape or it looked like some kind of SAVANNA when there patches of sparse grass growing all over. I had mine brow reshaped yesterday at COSLAB.
It was quick... I entered the salon without making an appointment and this lady served me. After making clear of what i wanted she brought me into this small room look alike cubicle and i was made to lie down on this comfy bed. She then proceeded to do my brows. It was quick and the bed was comfy. I like the fact that she don't talk much so that i could relax and enjoy the ambience.
After plucking, she took a shaver and shaved some parts of the baby hair off... Personally i dislike that as I stated I wanted to pluck. Shaving makes the baby hairs grows out quicker then usual and its so tiny, you couldn't pluck them no more. But when I left, they did not persuade me to buy any packages with them or complained about how bad my trouble areas are and make me sign one of their slimming packages.. Oops...
When I went to the loo after I left, I realised my brows were a little crooked... its like one side is higher then the other. I was so pissed.... But then again I wonder if the brows are crooked or my face is crooked.... Hmph...
I will upload pictures of my brow Next time.....
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Raffles Creamery is yet another ice cream outlet that offers the create your own ice cream plus toppings option. The other two places that I know of are Ice Cream Chefs and Cold Rock Ice Creamery at East Coast Road and Holland Village respectively.
Located at the courtyard of Raffles Hotel just behind Seah Street Deli, Raffles Creamery is the latest "culinary" offering from the grand old dame. A brightly lighted counter adorned with glass jars filled with various condiments greet you in the middle of the courtyard in accompaniment to 2 smiling waitresses who seem to get really flustered with the sudden influx of customers.
I had the Rocky Road ice cream with toppings of Banana Jelly and Oreos. To my surprise, they didn't offer to mix it up for me nor did they ask me if I wanted it mixed up. It was simply take a scoop of ice cream, put some banana jelly and oreos by the side and there you go. Honestly, I was shocked. So much for offering a mix in option. That aside, the ice cream was really creamy and smooth but thats not exactly a compliment as the taste of milk was quite overbearing. And the so called "imported from Germany" banana jelly tasted like chewy candy with a banana taste. Now how special is that?
I paid almost $6 for a scoop of ice cream with 2 seperate condiments. It isn't expensive but without the novelty factor, I could have gotten better ice cream from Ben & Jerry's for the same price. Last I checked, no revisits are in my schedule.
See my pictures here
Rating given:
Cherry Garden at The Oriental Singapore, voted one of the best restaurants in 2006 & 2007 by Singapore Tatler and one of Singapore's top restaurant in 2006 by Wine and Dine magazine, played host to my gf and I as we popped by for lunch before embarking on our new year shopping spree.
Stepping into the restaurant takes you into a different world - a world where our ancestors lounged and dined in courtyards found only in TV programs and complete with a replica of an age old bird cage. I guess WOW would be most apt in describing my first reaction to the almost picturesque scene which unfolded before me. Even my gf, who's not one to be impressed easily, was taken aback by the charcoaled teak panels, slate floors and ambient lighting. Without a doubt, this is one of the, if not THE best decor I've seen in a Chinese restaurant in Singapore. Don't believe me? Look at the pictures. ;)
Appetiser of Deep Fried Silver Fish - This didn't appear anywhere in our set lunch menu, so it must be complimentary. Nicely deep fried with the coating of flour crispy and not too oily. But could have been better if a little more salt and pepper were added, without which, it would be rather tasteless.
Double Boiled Soup of the Day - Lao Huang Gua Tang translated into Old Yellow Melon Soup - I found this soup quite refreshing as it was light on the palate yet appetising enough to kick start our lunch. However, it was a tad too sweet for me.
Three Varieties of Dim Sum - A very nicely presented dish with 3 types of non conventional Dim Sum. The first was vegetables wrapped in a crystal dumpling skin ala Har Gao style which I didn't find the least bit impressive. Average at best as the dumpling skin wasn't elastic enough. The second was a Shui Jiao with chicken meat and vegetables, which was slightly better than the first one because the chicken provided some fibre to chew on. The third was the best with fresh and crunchy prawns enveloped within a crispy deep fried exterior. Without this, I would have dismissed this dish entirely.
When a dish comes branded as a Chef's recommendation in a fine dining restaurant, it is usually good. However, the Combination of Fresh Scallops in Three Flavours was a case of hits and misses. The Pan Fried Scallop with Salt and Pepper tasted nothing out of the ordinary and nothing that I couldn't get elsewhere. The Deep Fried Scallop Roll with Phyllo Dough was a tad better, with the Phyllo Dough (whatever that is) brittle and crunchy. But it pretty much masked the slightly raw taste of the scallop. I personally found the Chilled Water Melon with Scallop in Garlic - Chilli Citrus Jus the most delectable. Though simply done, the sweetness from the chilled water melon blended well with the slightly salty and raw taste of the scallop and the garlic - chilli citrus jus added a tinge of spice and zest. Each individual flavour was so distinct yet melded together perfectly.
Braised Homemade Tofu topped with Minced Pork and Preserved Vegetables - Perhaps salty best describes this dish, probably due to the preserved vegetables in the gravy. The tofu was soft and silky and very much to my liking while the meat was finely minced but didn't taste out of the ordinary.
Wok Fried Beef Tenderloin with Trio Pepper in Chef's Concoction & Fragrant Fried Rice with Crabmeat, Asparagus and Fish Roe - In case you are wondering, these are 2 seperate dishes altogether but served together on the same plate at the same time in view of the customers hectic lunch schedule. Lets start off with the rice, which had fish roe evenly distributed within. Says alot about the effort put it. Unfortunately, apart from giving the rice a tinge of hardness and adding colour, the fish roe did nothing much. The shreds of crabmeat were almost non existent and the cubes of asparagus didn't taste like much. On the other hand, the Wok Fried Beef Tenderloin with Trio Pepper in Chef's Concoction was quite a star with the beef cubes cooked to perfection. Juicy and tender although it was well done. I didn't think too much about the sauce though. It tasted pretty much like normal pepper sauce to me, albeit a little stronger and thicker.
Chilled Lemongrass Jelly with Aloe Vera Flavoured in Lime Citrus Jus - Now this was the epic finale to the very eye pleasing lunch. Streams of carbon dioxide were shooting through a gap in the cylindrical honey pot look alike serving glass - a result of putting dry ice in water at the bottom of the glass. Visuals aside, I didn't enjoy this dish one bit. The jelly was way too sour and made me cringe everytime I took a bite. Just for the record, I drank 5 cups of tea just for this dish alone to wash down the taste. But if you like sour stuff, then maybe it might taste good to you.
The bill for lunch came up to $111.90 for 2 pax. Certainly on the high side, especially considering that its lunch. Food is slightly above average but not outstanding, with the focus more on aesthetics rather than taste. Each dish is visually appealing and much attention is paid to the tiniest details. It could work on the quality of food though. Service is prompt and unhurried, which is excellent for a leisurely lunch. My conclusion? Go back only if ambience means a lot and quality of food takes a back seat. Oh and of course, if you are feeling rich (dinner is priced per pax by the way).
See my pictures here
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Had our monthly dinner at Hua Ting. LSD couldn't make it last minute due to work commitments so there was only 5 of us, which was excellent company nevertheless. Helmed by Master Chef Chan Kwok, Hua Ting is reputed to dish out exquisite and fine Cantonese cuisine and its numerous accolades and awards bear a testament to that.
Situated on the second floor of Orchard Hotel and overlooking Orchard Road, Hua Ting boasts floor to ceiling windows which offer a view of the hustle and bustle along one of Singapore's premiere shopping belt. Opulently decked out in finished wood and Chinese antiques, it oozes charm and serenity, making it the perfect place to sit back, relax and enjoy the food.
I had a go at the Lichee Tea, which was something new to me. It smelt like rose tea and tasted rather bland actually. Not the strong full bodied tea that I like. Also, as there was no filter in the teacup, I had a hard time trying to take a sip of my tea without getting some tea leaves thrown in as well. The lotus root appetiser was quite good, crunchy and a little sourish/salty. The others didn't quite take to it though.
Hua Ting Deluxe Platter - The prawn wrapped in beancurd skin was quite nicely done, with the skin being crisp and the prawns fresh. However, it was a little too salty. The soy chicken was decent, tender with a slight hint of sesame. The fried eel ( I think its eel. Either that or its silverfish) was crispy and went pretty well with the chopped garlic and chilli. The char siew was decent as well, but not outstanding. Last but not least, the jellyfish tended quite a bit to the soft side, not exactly crunchy or chewy. Quite a bummer really.
It is said that no trip to Hua Ting is complete without ordering their renowned roast duck. I am inclined to agree. The duck didn't look like much when it arrived. In fact, I personally felt that it looked rather limp and unappetising. Oh boy, was that about to change. Chewing on a piece of the duck livened my tastebuds, especially after the rather uninspiring deluxe platter. The skin was crispy and the gravy a tad sweet. The meat soaked up quite a bit of the gravy but still came across as a wee bit too dry. Probably a little too overcooked. The duck did seem a little too fatty under the skin as well. Nevertheless, still good enough for me to recommend it.
Crispy Homemade Beancurd with Seasonal Greens Topped with Assorted Eggs - Aesthetics wise, no questions about it, this dish is a clear winner. But taste wise, its probably scraping the bottom of the barrel. Okay I exaggerate. Its not half as bad. The twirly thing you see is actually made from egg and to be honest, its tasteless. The chef, for whatever reason, decided on using egg tofu and overall speaking, it was plain average. It kinda reminded me of the $1 tube of egg tofu you buy at the supermarket.
Sautéed Dried Cod Fish with Egg White - This dish was really a disaster in the making. Technically, a combination of cod fish and egg white would be enough to make me drool. Unfortunately, the only thing that I got out of this dish was nausea. The dish was cooked in a creamy sauce which covered the taste of the egg as well as the cod fish. A sheer waste of a good fish if you ask me. The creamy taste (I'm sure they added milk) was so pronounced that all of us felt nauseous after a few mouthfuls. Just for the record, we didn't finish this dish.
Deep Fried Scallop Bacon Roll topped with Conpoy - Another dish that would have had me drooling if executed well. Unfortunately, it got me cringing instead. It was painfully salty and the bacon was really quite fatty. I couldn't quite taste the scallops as it was overwhelmed by the salt. Ironically, the broccoli was the star of the dish. Moist yet crunchy, we cleared it all but left quite a few of the scallops.
Fish Paste Noodle Soup with Seafood - I am beginning to think that all noodles should be made from fish paste. It offers more bite and has a more wholesome texture than normal egg noodles. The other plus point is that it fills you up real fast. That was the case with our fish paste noodle soup. By the time this dish was served, we were already close to the brim and stuffing ourselves with such filling noodles sure didn't help. In the end, after all our efforts in trying to finish it, we regrettably still had half a bowl left. Did I mention that the prawns were very fresh and huge as well? Not to mention crunchy and tasty.
I cannot fathom that the 5 of us could chalk up a bill of close to $370, but we did. Pure madness is pretty much what I think about it. For that price and quality of food, I'll be hard pressed to find a reason to return.
See my pictures here
Rating given:
Heard about this Scandinavian restaurant at Millenia Walk so popped by with my gf on a weekday evening to try it out although we had totally no idea what in the world constituted Scandinavian food.
Tucked in a small corner of the shopping mall, it is prominent yet inconspicuous. Sounds like a contradiction doesn't it? Well, it has floor to ceiling windows and is located along the mall's perimeters but with its main entrance blocked from view (largely by a pillar and some potted plants). It doesn't help that there's a small Coffee Bean just next to it, which might lead you to erroneously believe that the entire area belonged to Coffee Bean. That aside, the interior was minimalistic yet oozed sublime charm with its repertoire of wine glass lookalike hanging lights.
Complimentary bread is always welcomed and this one had no fancy presentation whatsoever. No napkin to keep them warm and no butter served on a platter - just bread on a platter with butter you buy from the supermarket. However, the bread was piping hot and the butter melted easily onto the bread. Simplicity at its best! Now who needs napkins?
Since we were trying Scandinavian food, we had to try their soup as well. Unfortunately, it wasn't as exotic as we had made it out to be and it tasted suspiciously like the Capon Consommé I had at IL-Lido. It was good nevertheless with the soup being tasty yet light. The dumplings were actually made from Semolina Flour and had this sweet and pleasing taste.
Fried Mushrooms and Zucchinis with Spicy Dip - This finger food came recommended by the waiter and I must complement his recommendation. The mushrooms and zucchinis were done tempura style. What makes this dish stand out is the surprisingly light batter covering the zucchinis and mushrooms, yet tasty from the salt granules and the dash of seasoning. The zucchinis would have tasted better if they had been sliced into smaller slices though.
If the pictures don't tell you how good this dish is, I don't know how else I'm going to convey the message (Okay I might be biased because I fancy all things fried and crispy). The skin is seriously very crispy, so much so that you feel like you are biting through Keropok. Dip it in the accompanying gravy and you get a taste thats slightly burnt, salty and with a tinge of mushroom. I wouldn't call it out of this world, but it certainly is good. Another interesting thing about this dish is the side of cabbage(it certainly doesn't look like it) which is braised in red wine. The result is a very distorted cabbage with a sweet and strong red wine taste, too strong in fact, but certainly worth a try.
Curry Chicken - My gf had this and I tried some of it. This is one rather different curry chicken. No coconut or milk is used in the cooking of this dish, which inevitably leads to the question, "Wouldn't it taste weird without coconut or milk?" And my answer is no. In fact, it tastes exactly like the ones you eat outside minus the strong fragrance and starchy curry. Think of it as a watered down version without the fragrance. Certainly a healthier version as well. But hardcore curry folks might not fancy this. On a sidenote, the chicken was very tender and well cooked.
Warm Melting Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream - Notice how many times I have ordered this dessert? Practically countless. I'm just a sucker for chocolate cakes with warm chocolate in the middle. And I am pleased to announce that this gives Morton's Hot Chocolate Cake a run for its money. Priced at only a third of Morton's rendition, it is almost as good. The outer crust is slightly hard while the inside is soft, moist and spongy. The only drawback is the molten chocolate which I personally found a wee bit too watery (they don't use Godiva Chocolate in case you are wondering). The accompanying vanilla ice cream was not up to my expectations as I could detect ice chips within the ice cream and it tasted just above average.
With a very reasonable price tag of $66 for 2 pax for such great food, great ambience and great service, I wonder where all the crowds have gone. The place was practically empty on a Monday night, save for 4 tables including mine. Don't miss this gem in the heart of town! As for me, I'm already planning the next trip down with my friends.
See my pictures here
Rating given:
Caught up with some good friends over dinner at the newly opened Global Kitchen at Pan Pacific Hotel. Located on the third floor, it boasts global cuisine to go along with its stellar decor.
Global Kitchen's decor is spartan yet exudes futuristic undertones. Lighting with a hue of blue is predominant and adheres to the overall theme. If you are lucky, you might just get a semi private booth like seat which seats 2 pax for a romantic dinner.
It is my belief that all self respecting fine dining restaurants will offer complimentary bread and Global Kitchen is no exception. However, the bread falls flat in both taste and smell. Sure, there were pockets of cheese in it, but when spread over with the smooth butter, it was hardly evident. So much for the free bread.
I'm not a particular fan of Foie Gras, unless you are talking about the one which I had at IL-Lido, so this appetiser didn't really appeal to me. I just thought it would be nice to try it out after it garnered rave reviews in the Straits Times a few weeks back. On hindsight, I should have known better. The Foie Gras Creme Brulee with Sauteed Vanilla was too overpowering, rendering me almost unconscious from the overwhelming liver taste. It was a nice concept though, with the top layer sweet and burnt like your conventional Creme Brulee. The Kumquat Duck Foie Gras sounded interesting, but tasted like normal soft and quivery Foie Gras, with no Kumquat taste whatsoever. Having said that, its one of the better Foie Gras that I have eaten, not that I've eaten alot though.
Confit of Ocean Trout with Spicy Eggplant Compote and Calamansi Lime and Butter Sauce - Nicely done with raw Ocean Trout which was very fresh and smooth. I didn't get to try the eggplants, but I understand that they were quite good. Do look out for the tiny portions though.
River Prawns and Coconut Cappuccino with Prawns, Pineapple and Mango Salad - This was a rather interesting soup which tasted very strongly of prawn (no coffee taste) and had a layer of foam atop which tasted of coconut. In all honesty, with the foam out of the way, the remaining soup tasted almost like prawn noodle soup, with the colour of cappuccino though. Only one prawn was given, contrary to the name of the dish, which mentioned prawns.
Ginger and Sake Roasted Tenderloin of Beef on a bed of Wok Seared Baby Greens - As exciting as the name sounds, this was probably the biggest flop of the day. The tenderloin was undercooked for my request of medium rare. The meat was extremely chewy and rubbery(signs of undercooking) and the only sauce I could make out was a strong pepper sauce. Now where's by ginger and sake? On the whole, the taste was still not too bad, but something needs to be done about the doneness.
Strawberry Sunburst Aniseed Panna Cotta - The first of our desserts. You can't really go wrong with Panna Cotta as most people like sweet endings. The Panna Cotta came with sweet strawberries and a piece of sugar coated Danish cookie which added sweet on sweet. Texture wise, it was smooth and soft, as what I would have expected from a good Panna Cotta.
Bittersweet Chocolate Flourless Cake with Fig and Earl Gray Compote - I only had a go at the chocolate cake and didn't try the other stuff. Try as I might, but I couldn't locate the Earl Gray Compote. The chocolate cake was to have been a nice change from the usual flour ones but I honestly couldn't quite taste the difference except that it didn't have a spongy layer and overall it felt more like eating smooth layers of chocolate rather than cake. Nice, but not something I'll eat often cause it gets really sick after a while.
Red Wine Poached Pear with Rhubarb Crumble and Vanilla Ice Cream - Very nicely done with the taste of red wine entrenched in the pear. The red wine didn't come across as too strong and went well with the vanilla ice cream. Interesting dish and probably one of the better dishes that night. However, as with ALL the other dishes, portions are 2 sizes smaller than normal - very small.
A had to eat MacDonalds after that dinner set us back by about $234. Thats pretty expensive stuff if you ask me. Sad to say, Global Kitchen emphasies more on form rather than factor, which in this case, is the quality of food. The ambience is there, service is there, but the only thing lacking is the finesse of the food. Will I return? With that kind of prices and portion size, you've got to be kidding.
See my pictures here
Rating given:
Had a leisurely dim sum lunch with my friend at the much acclaimed Royal China, with branches spanning London, Singapore and Shanghai. The Singapore branch is aptly located at one of Singapore's top and most historic hotel - Raffles Hotel.
Reservations are a must at this restaurant as it is relatively small (probably about 15-20 tables) and is thronged by many executives especially during the lunch period. My friend and I learnt it the hard way and had to wait 30 minutes for a table. But then again, we got lucky as we were ushered into a private room due to the lack of available tables.
Decor at this restaurant revolves around wood, attempting to recreate a layout that shouts ancient imperial Chinese. Wooden beams and arched high ceilings complete with stained glass give the whole place a nice soothing feel.
Steamed Crystal Dumpling with Dried Scallop and Egg White - This is the first time I've actually tried this dish and I must say that I'm pretty impressed with it. The skin is thin, soft and tangy, yet strong enough to encapsule the delicious egg white and dried scallop. The entire dish came across as very smooth and light. A must try!
A must have for every dim sum session, the prawn dumpling or Har Gao was excellent with fresh and succulent prawns wrapped in a slightly chewy yet thin skin.
Steamed Seafood Roll with Minced Garlic - How misleading names can get. I certainly didn't expect the steamed seafood roll to come looking like noodles. But I'm certainly not complaining. The noodles were springy and shrouded a piece of scallop, asparagus and prawn. When eaten together with the light sauce, the lingering taste of the ocean meets with the earthly taste of the asparagus to exude a myriad of wonderful flavours.
Royal China Cheung Fan - This was no more than a serving of Char Siew Cheung Fan, Prawn Cheung Fan and Scallop Cheung Fan. However, the Cheung Fan in itself is commendable, with its soft and silky texture that guarantees to slither down your throat with great ease. Fillings are fresh as well of course.
Roasted Pork Bun - One of the very few normal tasting dishes that we ordered. It was definitely better than your average pau, but certainly not in the leagues of D'Bun or Teochew Handmade Pau.
Scallops Dumpling - This dish didn't bowl me over, but was of a certain standard. The scallops were fresh and the dumpling skin was nicely done. It just lacked the wow factor.
Shark's Fin Dumpling in Chicken and Ginseng Soup - Undoubtedly one of the star attractions of the dim sum at Royal China. The dumpling skin was soft and smooth, with the shark's fin relatively decent. Please note that its only $8.80, so do not expect top grade shark's fin or even something close. The soup was tasty yet not too heavy on the flavours, making it light on the palate.
Deep Fried Beancurd Roll - Another of my all time favourite dish. I couldn't help but compare Royal China's version to that of Wah Lok and I'm glad to say that both are equally good. The beancurd roll is deep fried to a crackling crisp and then dipped into quality soya sauce for maximum enjoyment.
Roasted Pork Puff - Ah. One of my favourite dim sum dishes. Royal China's rendition was quite good, but certainly not the best that I've tried. The crust was nicely baked with the sesame seeds putting on a strong showing. However, it lacked the baked taste that I like. The Char Siew filling, though rather tasty, was a teeny weeny bit too sticky.
Deep Fried Prawns Coated with Almond Flakes - Big, fresh and succulent prawns covered with lots of almond flakes. That's just about as exciting as it gets. Nothing special, but still a very decent and quality dish to try if you like almond with your prawns.
Donut with Red Bean Paste - East meets west in this dish and it turned out less than expected. I personally found the red bean paste too dry and hard and the donut a little too oily. A hot flowing red bean paste might have saved the dish. Marginally perhaps.
Carrot Cake - The old adage speaks true. Appearances can be deceiving. This was the case with the carrot cake. When it was served, we were dismayed as it looked rather unrefined and gave us the impression that it was hard like those you get in the hawker centres. To our amazement, it was smooth and soft without weighing in too heavy on our tastebuds. Having said that, I still reckon that Wah Lok serves a meaner rendition of this dish.
An inspiring (at least for my friend) lunch for 2 pax cost about $75, which in my opinion is money well spent. The quality of dim sum is top notch and the ambience is great. Service is good but a small minority of the staff could show more patience. If given a choice between this or Wah Lok, I'll choose this over the latter simply because it has a much wider selection of dim sum items. I'll definitely be back, with reservations of course.
See my pictures here
Rating given:
Ran some errands at Vivo City with my gf and settled for dinner at Modestos, which happened to be one of the few outlets not packing in the crowd at dinner time.
Rather obscurely located at a corner of Vivo City (which might, to a certain degree, explain its lack of patrons), Modesto's boasts a nice waterfront view through its floor to ceiling windows (at its Vivo City outlet only) and a cosy brick laid interior that gives it a much welcomed casual intonation.
Complimentary Bread - I didn't hope for much when I set my eyes on the bread and sure enough, it wasn't much. The bread was a little too dry, probably from being left in the open for too long. Quantity wise was also rather pathetic.
Fritto Misto Di Modesto - A relatively large platter of deep fried soft shell crab, squid, prawns and silver breams which looked very appetizing the minute I set my eyes on it. However it didn't quite meet expectations. The deep fried soft shell crab, though crispy and fragrant, was a tad too salty for my liking while the squids were rather soft and limp, not chewy, giving the impression of being overcooked. The silver breams and prawns were close to tasteless as well - no sweetness from either seafood nor any taste from the light but bland batter. Alright I'm just being picky and it is still a decent dish. Bang for the buck wise, its still an open verdict.
Pizza Quattro Stagioni - Honestly, this is the first time I'm having such a pizza - one which is divided into 4 different sections, each with a different topping. One part olive, one part seafood, one part ham and one part mushrooms. Presents a rather challenging task if you ask me, as different ingredients require different amounts of cooking time. The chef must have known his stuff as the pizza turned out fairly good. Using tomato sauce as the base, it didn't come across as too overwhelming and the crust was reasonably thin and full of bite, but just a little burnt around the edges. Ingredients were generous and cooked just right, complementing the pizza very well. I must say that this is one of the better pizzas that I've tried. Give me this over Pizza Hut or Canadian Pizza anyday.
Rigatoni All' Amatriciana - I've never been a fan of tomato based pastas simply because I prefer its cream base relative and that most of the pastas I've eaten which utilizes such a base tend to have this overwhelming tomato taste. Modesto's rendition of the Rigatoni, which is a tomato based pasta, didn't have this problem though. The tomato sauce was mild, in fact a little too mild to fall short of tasty and came with bits of pork bacon and onions, which did serve to enhance the overall flavour (luckily). The large tube pasta was a little undercooked though and I seriously think that this dish could do with more ingredients for its price.
Tiramisu Modesto's - I've been on a Tiramisu roll these few days and so this came as a natural extension to my meal, especially when it came highly recommended. Comparing this to the one I had at Romano Ristorante, this one was actually much finer and definitely more presentable. Though it came across as light and fluffy, the sponge to cream ratio was rather skewed, with the latter being the predominant party. Thus I couldn't quite taste the texture of the cake, which is quite sad really.
After a 30% discount, the bill worked out to be about $60 for 2 pax ($87 before discount), which still falls within my range of reasonable pricing, but do away with the discount and I might have to think really hard before coming back. Service is good though, but I don't really fancy paying so much for a casual dinner.
See my pictures here
Rating given:
On my last visit to Romano Ristorante, I spotted this restaurant going by the name of Madam Q Steakhouse just next to it and with a large placard outside advertising its set dinner for only $18.90 . That was good enough reason for me to return just to try it out.
Ironically, I didn't order the set menu and neither did my dining companions as it didn't really look very appetising. That aside, the place was simply done up but rather tiny and not to mention noisy with all the incessant chatter. What I liked about it though, was its dim lighting and nice cosy corner bench like seats which came with cushions.
Haloumi Cheese - Deep Fried Cheese with Tomato Pizzaiola Sauce - What started out as a potential drool inducing dish was nothing more than a farce. The cheese was way too chewy and bland to be even considered cheese. On top of that, the batter coating, though crispy, was a little too thick for my liking. Overall the whole dish was a joke. Nowhere in comparison to the excellent rendition that Senso dishes up.
Cheese and Tomato Bruschetta - Toasted French Bread Topped with Tomatoes and Cheese - Another joke if you ask me. The bruschetta was nothing more than a slice of toasted baguette topped with tomatoes and then covered with a layer of melting cheese. Tasted like it as well. I'm pretty sure I can do this easily at home myself and not even have to fork out a third of the price that it goes for at Madam Q's.
Beef Stew "English Style" - Beef Chunks Stewed to Perfection, with Mashed Potatoes and Carrots - First of all, I can't claim to know what exactly constitutes "English style" beef stew, but I have eaten enough beef stew to know that this one wasn't exactly stewed to perfection. For one, the beef chunks were a wee bit too soft and didn't come across as very fibrous. This dish kinda reminded me of beef redang, minus the spiciness. Decent dish though.
Barracka Chicken - Chicken Breast with Garlic sauce, Sauteed Potatoes and Vegetables - The chicken breast was a little too over grilled as evident from the charred bits along the edges. Even with the garlic sauce, the meat was still tasteless, which goes to show how strong the sauce was. To give it credit, the meat was still decently tender and succulent but portions could have been bigger.
Fish & Chips - The dish with the largest serving of the day, the humble fish & chips. Incidentally, it was probably one of the most value for money dishes that evening. Two large slabs of not exactly very fresh fish coated in decent batter, deep fried and then served with fries and vegetables. Ironically, this dish was meant to be for the kids, as told to us by the friendly owner.
Grilled Chicken in Mushroom Sauce - Grilled Chicken Thigh served with Pasta in Mushroom Sauce - Oily oily oily. That was the first impression I had when I saw the dish. The pasta was literally laden with excess olive oil and it reminded me of eating Hokkien Mee sans the Wok Hei taste. The grilled chicken was bland, just like the Barracka Chicken. A most disappointing and unhealthy dish if you ask me.
Tiramisu - I have come to realise that many eateries claim the Tiramisu as their signature dish, which really makes you wonder about the standard of Tiramisu nowadays. For a steakhouse, Madam Q's Tiramisu was actually quite decent, or more appropriately, the star of the evening (Not that it was excellent or anything close. It just happened to be the best amongst the myriad of mediocre dishes). For once I could actually taste the sponge yet at the same time enjoy the light as air cream. A note on the excessive sprinkling of chocolate powder atop though. I almost chocked on it.
Although prices were rather inexpensive, standing at about $86 for 4 pax, we were barely full after the dinner and not the least bit satisfied with the quality. Service was good though, especially with the affable boss walking around to make small talk with customers. But service only forms a smaller portion of the equation. Quality of food takes up the rest. At the end of the day, is Madam Q really a steakhouse as its name suggests, or is it an Italian restaurant, as characterised by the type of food it serves? I really wonder.
See my pictures here
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