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Sport & Recreation
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1=SGD 0.0587
It all began with a simple phone call. The phone call that got us a reservation at The Dining Room at Resorts World Sentosa, which opened to much fanfare less than 2 weeks ago.
Billed a fine dining Chinese restaurant, The Dining Room is located on the second floor of the invite only Crockford Towers. Reservations are highly recommended as entry into the hotel is restricted and only if your name appears on the security list will you be allowed in. Apparently the restaurant doesn't take walk in customers. The dim sum menu is very limited (think less then 10 items) and while the ala carte menu offers slightly more choices, it is still limited by any standards.
Charcoal Roasted Pork - The would be highlight of the meal (or so I thought), was the charcoal roasted pork. In reality, it was nothing but a joke. It didn't carry any smokiness stemming from cooking with charcoal nor was the skin crisp or salty enough. I would expect such standards from the roast pork stall in the wet markets, but at an upclass Chinese restaurant? I really don't think so. It definitely didn't help that portions weren't exactly generous.
Steamed Siew Mai - A tad too soft and salty was what I thought of the siew mai, dashing any hopes of redemption for the roast pork. Disappointing!
Steamed Har Kow - The prawns were overly salty while the skin was so thick that it tasted gross after the har kow had cooled down. Which leads me to wonder why the copious amounts of salt in both the siew mai and har kow. An accident or a masking technique?
Steamed Scallop Dumpling - As with the har kow, the prawns in this dish were overly salty as well. I could see the scallop but couldn't make out any taste as everything was just overwhelmed by salt. At least the skin was reasonably thin though.
Steamed Xiao Long Bao - If you like the XLBs from Ding Tai Fung, you might like the ones here as both taste similar. The quality control on the XLBs were suspect though, as some had fluids gushing out while others were barren. Depending on your luck, the XLBs may prove to be quite decent.
Wagyu Beef Cheek - Served with carrots and vegetables, the wagyu beef cheek was nothing fantastic - overly soft without any bite. The gravy tasted like any run off the mill beef dish gravy. Palatable but not something I'll order again even though I love my beef.
Baked Char Siew Puff - With such a dismal repertoire of dishes prior to the char siew puff, I had lost all hope of unearthing any gems in this restaurant. And I'm glad I didn't place any hope on this. Sure, the pastry was flaky with a ever so slight hint of buttery goodness, but there was an inordinate amount of fat meat in the puff, which made it nausea inducing and definitely didn't do my health any good.
It was a unanimous decision. $155 for 5 pax for such hawker centre quality food was totally absurd. And to top it off, we weren't exactly full after the lacklustre dim sum session. Service was good but waiting time for our food could have been shorter. In conclusion, all the hype was for naught and I will not be back in a hurry unless the restaurant bucks up on its food quality.
See all my pictures here.
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I have no idea how we ended up at Ivins, especially for someone like me whose tolerance level for spiciness is severely inadequate. Which of course made my exposure to Peranakan food pretty limited. Anyway I digress.
Situated in sleepy Jalan Leban, just off Sembawang Hills Road, Ivins' main outlet is at Binjai Park in the Bukit Timah area. I didn't know what to make of the decor except that it had hints of peranakan influences, as per what I had observed from my lunch trips to the Joo Chiat area. And for a restaurant located in such a secluded area, it was impressively packed with people even at 8pm on a weekday night.
Ayam Buah Keluak - As spicy as it looked, it was actually a stroll in the woods, even for me. The chicken pieces were chunky but I did think that the meat seemed a little dry while the gravy had a tad too much water. Still, nice when eaten with rice.
Bakwan Kepeting - This crab and meatball soup was reminiscent of a light yet flavourful Teochew styled soup with tong cai that I personally like. The meatballs were huge but had a little too much bounce in them whereas the soup suffered from an overdose of oil. Barring which, made for a very decent soup.
Nyonya Chap Chye - I've never had a good impression of chap chye (mixed vegetables) simply because most of the time, they turn out soft and all mashed up. This one was no exception. Well except it wasn't as mashed up as I expected it to be. And yes, the prawns added colour (not much taste though).
Honey Pork - Thinly sliced, the honey pork was as the name suggests, pork coated with a thick layer of not too sweet honey. Palatable but nothing too fancy in my humble opinion.
I wasn't too stuffed after dinner and I certainly didn't expect to be, considering we paid about $36 for 3 pax. Food quality hovers around a decent cze char stall's standard and prices are similar. Service was a little lacking but no complaints though as there is no service charge or GST levied.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
One of America's most loved fast food outlets, Wendy's, has opened in Singapore and credit goes to the Kopitiam group, which aims to open up 35 Wendy's outlets in our tiny nation in the next 10 years. The first outlet is located in the central business district - Lau Pa Sat and seats in the air conditioned area are limited so you will probably have to sit al fresco or within the premises of Lau Pa Sat. Honestly, that isn't a bad idea given that the interior of the eatery was smokey from the cooking and I could make out flies buzzing around. Talk about hygiene.
Triple Cheese - Wendy's beef burger patties come in square cuts, which is nothing more then a gimmick in my humble opinion. I had the largest burger on the menu - the 3/4lb triple cheese and honestly it wasn't as huge as I expected it to be. Think a cheeseburger from MacDonalds with 3 slices of beef. In case you balk at the comparison, please let me assure you that even the taste is similar, stemming from machine processed beef patties. Only the buns differ. Give me Carl's Junior anytime.
Spicy Chicken - This honestly tasted like a poor rendition of KFC's Zinger burger. For starters, the piece of chicken was smaller then that of the Zinger. And there wasn't much spiciness to speak of. The chicken essentially tasted limp and cold. Most disappointing!
We queued for 10 mins just to get our meals from the very cramp eatery, only to be disappointed with the food quality, which is miles apart from the Wendy's I tried in America. And prices are definitely more expensive then your usual MacDonalds or Burger King here in Singapore. Will I be back? Without a doubt, no.
See all my pictures here.
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Yet another new shopping centre, yet another burger joint. With it's wildly successful outlet at Raffles City Shopping Centre, The Hand Burger has decided to open up a branch at the new 313 @ Somerset, which is the latest addition to Orchard Road's lineup of shopping malls.
The eatery is located at B2 of the shopping mall with its decor revolving around the extensive use of wood and of course mirrors to make the interior seem much bigger then it really is. Tables and seats are reminiscent of school canteens' long communal dining tables and benches. The menu isn't extensive, offering just over 10 different burgers. That's specialisation for you.
The Works Burger - As the name implies, this has all the bells and whistles thrown into it. Think "The Handburger Original" with onion rings, bacon strips and mushrooms. Absolutely terrific sounding if I may say. But hype/expectation usually precedes reality. First and foremost, the bacon strips were a little too hard and dry for my liking while the buns were blackened on the flat surface and probably had a little sweet onion jam on it but I would have preferred it lightly crisp along the edges. As for the beef patty, I appreciated the bits of fats present, which lended a nice chewy texture. However, the patty was overcooked, a little too dry and lacked the inherent beefy sweetness (It's supposed to be a sirloin cut!).
Side of Fries - Thumbs up for the skin that came along, which I personally like. But the fries were too soggy and didn't seem particularly fresh.
Service was decent but that could also be due in part to the lack of crowd on a Saturday afternoon. The burgers are not worth the premium in my humble opinion as they are neither big or particularly great. In short, I am not impressed and I won't be going back in a hurry. One thing I don't quite understand is the fact that they charge 10% service yet I am suppose to go to the counter to make payment after my meal? Is it merely a gimmick to increase the bottomline of the restaurant?
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Nara, with its original location at Goldhill Centre, has opened up a new outlet at Serangoon Gardens, to tap onto the revitalisation of the dining scene in the area. Helmed by Chef Ben Teo, who has almost 20 years of experience serving Japanese cuisine, Nara apparently has its fair share of loyal supporters.
The outlet at Serangoon Gardens is hidden in the back row of shophouses just a door or two away from Ministry of Steak. The place isn't big and can probably accomodate 30 odd people or so. Seats are spaced a little too close for comfort but at least you won't get to elbow your neighbour or eavesdrop on their conversation.
Nara Special Maki - This came at the recommendation of the manager (I believe) of the restaurant and with toppings of flying fish roe (tobiko) draped over soft, sticky sushi rice flanked by pieces of anago (which is alot finer then unagi), I found it delightful, especially with the light mayonnaise sauce that harboured a hint of wasabi.
California Maki - Usually the simplest stuff pose the most difficulty in making and California Maki is one such dish and I have had my fair share of really bad ones in Japanese restaurants in various countries. Nara's rendition was surprisingly decent (to me at least), with the rice very light and hinting of vinegar, coupled with the crunchiness of the cucumber and of course the flying fish roe (tobiko).
Shake Teppan - I'm not a big fan of salmon but at least this one was well grilled without the strong fishiness that I personally dislike. Of course the not cloyingly sweet sauce helped as well.
Nara Special Beef - Granted, the tenderloin was tender and definitely a pleasure to chew on, especially with the bits of fried garlic sprinkled all about. However I did find the sauce a little too sweet for my liking so perhaps they could cut down a little on the sugar. And $18 for a rather small plate of beef isn't exactly cheap.
Sukiyaki Nabe - Though chock full of ingredients, I wasn't too taken with this Japanese version of steamboat as it didn't seem out of the ordinary. The stock was flavourful but a little too sweet for my liking. I guess it all boils down to personal preference.
Tempura Soba - I didn't try the soba, but from what I gathered, it was, well, soba. I did try the tempura though and found the flour a wee bit too thick though it didn't retain much oil and seemed relatively light on the palate.
Gyo Somen - This is the first time I'm having fish noodles in a Japanese restaurant. I usually have them in Chinese restaurants that they come in a much thicker variant. Nara's rendition looked like mee kia, albeit way more springy with tons of bite. I appreciated the pieces of smoked duck breast that provided the necessary salt intake as well as the lingering smokey taste. Very good! A pity $15 doesn't get you much so you might want to order 2 bowls if you are hungry.
It has been quite some time since I last had Japanese food and Nara was a decently good choice to begin the plunge back in. Dinner for 3 cost almost $119, which isn't too expensive, considering the quality of food and the decent service (which did seem a little inexperienced at times). Nearby Sushi Tei now has a serious rival to contend with.
See all my pictures here.
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Fully decorated to look like a Japanese Food Amusement street, it did attract me. The first waitress gave us a table with chairs that had low backing. She didn't hear us calling out, fortunately, another who was nearby heard us and gave us another table as requested.
The menu is designed in a different way, we were given some instructions on how to order using a handheld scanner that would detect the item that we had picked and selected the quantity. All the waiters and waitresses had to do were to serve the food and clear the empty plates. Only one menu required ordering via the waitresses and waiters.
The food arrived within 15 minutes, an acceptable time. The udon tasted good while the mushroom and soup were too salty. It would have been better with less salty or seasoning.
As time was a constraint, we didn't order any desserts that looked tempting. The experience was rather good. The tables would be a tight squeeze for a group of four people.
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Was wandering around Thomson road after some grocery shopping at NTUC finest and chanced upon Hooked!, which has another outlet located at Rail Mall in the western part of Singapore. With Hooked! evidently being a seafood restaurant, I, as a meat lover and occasional fish consumer, had my reservations.
The interior is a cheerful yellow and blue with sketches and ornaments of sea creatures plastered onto the walls - very in tune with the seafood aspect of the restaurant. Some background music would have been appreciated though, as the place did seem a little too quiet and every whisper could potentially be echoed around.
Baked Rice - From my personal experience, not many places whip up a mean baked rice and Hooked! wasn't about to prove me wrong. Having said that, I would say Hooked! still managed to do some decent work on the rice, with the cheese gooey, a little chewy and of course, the relatively generous serving of seafood entrenched within.
Snapper Wrapped with Bacon - Although I am no big fan of snapper, I surprisingly took to this dish quite a fair bit. The delicate fish was nicely wrapped around in bacon, which had a nice crisp to it and contrasted very well with the texture of the fish. It would have been great if the fish had more natural sweetness though. A serving of rice and asparagus completed the dish.
Personally, I feel prices are quite reasonable at $33 for a 2 pax dinner, which came with 2 drinks. Having no service charge was definitely a plus and service was good, though it could have been due to the lack of crowds. Still, I would give them the benefit of the doubt.
See all my pictures here.
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As of 01 Jan 2010, tvmobile is no longer broadcasting.. And matter of fact i kind of missed it.. Missed its rumbling in the surrounding. It make bus riding not so boring and quiet. Though sometimes i hope it is not there and stop buzzing creating extra noise in the already noisy world, however, when i was bored or was trying to catch the 7 o'clock TV Mobile was always the other alternative or sometimes they are broadcasting my episode i missed...
Perhaps its really a good idea as bus rides are long and sometimes you just enjoy being occupied by something else rather then watching angry drivers trying to cut into another angry driver's lane. It is also a good distraction when somebody with a stinky and sweaty armpit stood so near to your seat with his arm balancing himself on the pole just above you.
Perhaps TV Mobile is not such a bad thing afterall it brought many some entertainment or leisure browsing... To think about it... Theres this one advertisement that was drilled into me by TV Mobile. Its by this steamboat restaurant in bugis and the slogan goes: 這個湯鎮的很好喝!!!
To the TV Mobile Team.. Good EFFORT and A WONDERFUL IDEA.. I miss you guys!!!
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Do you know that there is a RED DOT Museum in Singapore?
Do you know it is walking distance from tanjong pagar MRT?
Do you know that the prestigious buildin they are housed in is a former Singapore Traffic Police Headquaters?
Do you know that it is all AWARD WINNING STUFFS inside?
DO you know that you could rest your legs at an exquisite coffee place in the museum itself?
Do you know that after the sun set you can hang around there for a drink too?
If you want to know.. all it takes is a couple of hours an $5 for an entry to the museum... Breath in all the creative air inside the museum and chill out outside or reflect on a cup of wine while gazing at the busy buzzing road......
Put it into your 2010 wish list today....
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Its one of the theatres i have a love hate relationship about. Its very far lor.. if you walk from MRT.... You must first walk from City Hall Mrt Station to Marina square then you got to walk straight straight straight until you see John Little... Then up and then straight straight straight again pass the bowling alleys then you see you theatre.... The only thing i love about the place is that it is not usually crowded like the rest of the other cinemas... However do get your tickets early too as during weekends.... It will be still crowded.. because everybody will start thinking that everybody will not be going there to watch a movie and ended up... everybody is there.
The seats unlike the newer VIVO GV or GREAT WORLD GV that the centre divider can be shifted up... most of the seats in marina GV cannot remove the centre divider hand rest however they have a row of the LOVERS SEATS at the last row.. Don't ask me why removing the dividers are important ok... Its just...... MORE COMFY..........
As it is not a very new cinema, the cinemas are larger in size.. and I totally enjoy the bigger screen and bigger space..... Especially when there are very few people watching the movie or you are the only one watching the movie.. You would feel totally value for money lor.... Human are the bigger the better right? The sound systems and levels are quite balanced unlike some cinemas when i realise the volume is too high and I get the ringing sound after that..
However one thing i really dislike about cinemas.... The entrance is always a nice escalator with beautiful soft carpets and spacious toilets with attentive attendants and movie preview screenings while the EXIT is always the FIRE EXIT.. with dreadful smelling bare staircases that nobody dwells in and even a rubbish bin is hard to find.. on top of that no toilets...... until you walk back into the mall which is a long journey.. Its a bad icon to the service and entertainment industry.. Like after you have earned my hard earned money and screened your movie.... you can disregard me already. Oh comeon... what makes you think I won't buy a drink on my way out or but another ticket to watch another movie later... comeon....this is an area which much improvement must be done....
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