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Sport & Recreation
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1=SGD 0.0587
The plan was simple. We would go to Ah Yat Tian Xia at Orchard Central on its opening weekend to take advantage of its seemingly value for money premium sets (abalone and the likes). Alas, it was not meant to be as the place was fully booked. Not wanting to abandon our abalone plans, we settled for Rama Thai instead, which was also offering premium items at a discount.
The restaurant is located amongst a row of shophouses along the winding Tanjong Pagar Road. Decor is simple and reminds me more of a pub then a restaurant, but that may be due to the fact that there was a sizeable bar counter at the side. Capacity peaks at about 50 pax or so.
Australia Whole Abalone - The abalone was probably 8 head and quite well prepared if I may say. There wasn't the noticable raw taste that I personally dislike and carried lots of bite without coming across as too chewy or hard. The gravy didn't threaten to overwhelm either by being overly starchy.
Sharks Fin with Crabmeat - Apparently a signature of the restaurant (it's in the name), the soup was light without being too laden on the starch but could have done with a pinch less salt. The fins were decent size pieces (probably not dorsal fins) that came across as a wee bit too soft for my liking. The upside to it was the very generous portion size and the amount of crab meat that went into the soup. Decently nice and filling.
Asparagus with Prawns - The asparagus were of the larger variant, retaining its crunchiness by virtue of not being overcooked. Coupled with big, crunchy prawns and succulent mushrooms, I don't see anything to dislike about this dish.
Pork with Gingko Nuts - I liked this dish quite a fair bit. Simple yet tasty. The pork came in rather large slices and carried a mild chewy texture, dipped in light saltiness. The gingko nuts gave it a healthier connotation, not that they tasted bad or anything. Just a small lesser known fact that I thought I would share. Pork is actually white meat, not red meat as most people would think.
Rama Thai Fried Rice - A little too oily and bland was the first thought that came to mind after I popped a spoonful of rice into my mouth. However, credit has to be given for the mild wok hei (could have done with more though) that the rice emanated as well as the ingredients that went into the dish - cashew nuts, prawns and crab meat.
Birds Nest - There was a 1 for 1 promotion on the birds nest and we couldn't resist the temptation to treat ourselves with this sweet Chinese delicacy. Honestly, at $30/bowl ($15 after 1 for 1), I hardly think it was worth it. It was quite a small bowl and the nest came in bits and pieces, unlike the good quality ones which come in one huge piece. But as the old Chinese adage goes, 一汾钱一汾货, so no grouses.
See all my pictures here.
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Patronised this store for like twice, I quite like the setting though the deco is something similar to Ben & Jerry. The cheerful fonts and pictures makes eatting ice cream even more enjoyable.
The first thing that striked me was the number of pretty shop assistants there. I wonder whether there was a criteria for looks when they interview shop assistants.
The shop front was quite small and cramp. Luckily the tables and chairs were not in the shop itself but outside.
There are consonier and premium (alcoholic) like Bitter Orange Choc, Whiskey Java Choc, Rum Rum Raisin etc. And normal flavours like Green tea-rrific, D24 durian etc.
Though there are many flavours stated on the website but the number of flavours seems to be lesser at this branch. In any case, we tried the Marsh Choc and Bitter Orange Choc. Marsh Choc was obviously Marshmellow in Chocolate. Heavenly but sinful combination that cannot be eaten every day. It got us drooling for it though. Bitter Orange Choc was an interesting liquer flavour which did not have the irritating alcoholic smell. The taste of orange was nicely blended with the dark chocolate (hmm~~~~) ice cream the first time I tried it. But somehow, the taste of orange lessened on the 2nd try the next day. Taste of dark chocolate became too strong and the smell of liquer increased. I wonder what happened though this does not diminished my liking for it. Both flavours are silkenly smooth~~~
I would like to try the Durian series the next time. But I wouldn't normally sit there to eat as I prefer buying the pint home. A pint cost $10.90 for the premium series and lesser for the normal (I forgot how much) series. A bit ex for frequent indulgence and it won't do much good for the waist too.
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Finally! A place that sells all day breakfast and nothing else - a casual eatery by the name of Hatched, which apparently is the brainchild of a former SAF scholar who probably decided that eggs and breakfast were his calling.
The eatery is housed in Evans Lodge, a rather dilapidated building along Evans Road that is home to a prata shop as well. The interior of the place is charmingly cozy, with bright sunlight frittering through the side windows. Capacity probably peaks at about 30 people or less, making reservations a must, especially on weekends. Special mention goes to the menu, which is extremely colourful and cute but probably caters more to the ladies then guys.
Dippy Eggs and Soldiers - Cutesy names and aesthetically pleasing food presentation aside, this dish didn't wow one bit. The dipping bread sticks looked tantalising but had a funny mildly rancid taste while the soft boil eggs didn't taste anything out of the ordinary (Read. Your local coffeeshop standard). A pity there wasn't enough Parmesan cheese or limp bacon bits to go around.
Burly Benedict - This was a double portion and it sure wasn't big. The eggs were nicely poached but the muffin wasn't spongy enough for my liking and was overly greasy. However, the major disappointment came in the form of the corned wagyu beef, which was a little rubbery and tasted very processed. It didn't help that the salt content was excessively high as well.
Croque Madam - The Ciabatta bread was rock hard and I mean it literally. I had to muster up quite a bit of strength in order to cut through it with my knife. Seriously, hurling it at someone could have caused a minor concussion. The grilled kurobuta ham tasted no different from ordinary ham which makes it a waste of good pork. The side of mashed potato could have done with a little butter but at least the mushroom drizzle was decent.
Papillote - I thought that the smoked salmon was a tad too salty for my liking, masking the taste of the scrambled eggs. A very normal dish to say the least. I don't even know why we paid $12 for it. Well, at least the tomato was nice.
Ever had the feeling of being full but not the least bit satisfied? Well that was what we felt after our $58 brunch for 3. I like the vibe and decor of the place (save for the less then ideal car park lots) and I like the culinary concept. However, food quality treads in the average zone and the long waiting time for the food doesn't exactly help things. Lets hope, for Hatched's sake, that they buck up because I hate to see such a concept go to waste.
See all my pictures here.
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Been there to watch movies a few times in the past. There doesn't seem to be much changes since the revamp and the seats are quite comfortable. However, being stepped on despite keeping my feet to myself wasn't what I would expect.
There are times when someone sits in front that I still see some head bump during the movie screening. That is when the person is taller than the average height. I'm too embarrassed to get a child boost seat. It would have been a great idea when such tall people buy the last rows.
It would be good to provide more nacho chips as they don't seem to be enough to finish the cheese. I just find that the tickets are getting too expensive to be able to enjoy on a weekly basis. I feel as if I'm back in school struggling to save up for a "luxury" treat even when I'm working.
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We decide to go into this shop as we were quite tired of going to the same places to eat since we needed to go Plaza Sing at least once per week. Only with time for a quick lunch, we chose this place mainly because it has got dim sum which we can gobble at a fast pace.
Not much of comment on the setting except that its rather dark. We very much regretted chosing this place due to the quality of the food. I will choose Crystal Jade anytime. We ordered Ha Gao, Glutinous Chicken, Yu Jiao and Prawn Zhu Chang Fen. We were extremely disappointed at the oily and lame texture of the Yu jiao where the yam paste will fall out and the skin seems like it was placed outside for too long. The prawns in the Zhu Chang Fen and Ha Gao had a distinctive prawny smell that told us the prawns were not fresh.
Not sure whether it was due to the lunch time rush but we certainly didn't feel like going back for 2nd opinion after our lunch there.
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I wasn't that hungry when I decided to have a meal there, rather, dessert. The place was empty as it was near closing time. It was a pleasure to be served by the staff since we were the last customers.
I was curious about the fried cheese cube and ordered one to try it out. The cubes had cheese filling and something else that I'm not sure what those are. It wasn't too thick and had a slight cheese flavour.
It was only when they started to pack for the night that I noticed they had salt and pepper at a counter. I felt the staff could have taken the initiative to at least tell us about them. The seats were rather comfortable but not for long conversations. A quick meal there would serve the purpose.
Variety wise, it was simple with affordable prices.
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My family chanced upon Singapura Restaurant one evening and was so taken by its nostalgic appeal that we stepped in for dinner. An old school Foochow eatery, Singapura Restaurant has been around since the early 90s and apparently, attracted quite a sizable following in more then a decade of operations.
Located just below a block of HDB flats along Selegie Road, Singapura Restaurant is highly visible if you happen to travel down that stretch of road towards Little India. Otherwise, you probably wouldn't know of its existence. The layout of the place is kept simple and cozy, with no emphasis on providing any visual simulation to the consumer. The steel chairs with red paddings/cushions are (at least to me) a classic characteristic of restaurants from yesteryear.
Braised Tofu - I can't say that the braised tofu was fantastic, coming across as your average decent cze char stall standard but with a relatively generous serving. The gravy wasn't too starchy and I liked the mushrooms and sweet peas that came alongside.
Honey Pork Ribs - Touted as one of their "must try" dishes, the ribs were wedged between good and decent. Crisp along the edges with relatively tender meat that didn't scream tenderizer. But the honey was a overly sweet and the ribs had quite little meat honestly, which at $15 for 5 pieces, wasn't exactly my idea of value for money.
Special Prawn Rolls - Now this dish was interesting. Apart from being another one of the recommended dishes, the prawn rolls differ quite significantly from the usual ones that most places sell. Instead of minced pork or prawn paste, it's whole prawns compressed into a cylindrical shape and wrapped around with a thin deep fried skin, which apparently is pig's caul. The prawns were very crunchy, almost to the extent of being hard, probably due to soaking in a sodium bicarbonate solution for too long. Personally I found the whole dish a little too fishy for my liking but the sweet sauce did help to mask the taste.
$50 for 3 pax isn't exactly expensive but the food isn't fantastic in my humble opinion. It might be the dishes we ordered. Service was quite good but then again, we were the only customers there that evening. Still I would give them the benefit of the doubt.
See all my pictures here.
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I settled my dinner there. There can be more space to walk between tables. Quite a number of people had luggages including us, hence the tight space. The food is rather standard and I like the variety as there's a bit more there.
The food arrived in a reasonable time despite the late night crowd. The staff were busy with the customers but they still managed to attend to us.
I like to use the computerised system as it was much easier to order the food than wait for the waitress/waiter to come for our orders. The experience overall was good.
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Had dinner with my family at Jumbo Serangoon Gardens to "commemorate" its 20 odd years of business in the area, just before its swan song at the end of October. Apparently the rent has at the club has shot up by quite a bit so Jumbo has decided to take its business elsewhere.
The interior looks a little dated but boasts a quirky blue ceiling with concealed lights to give an impression of dining under the sky - not that it really worked though but studies have shown that blue is a calming colour, which could have been useful, judging from the crowd that evening.
Kailan with Garlic - You can't really go wrong with fried kailan and garlic so no surprises or disappointments here. Portions are a little small for $12 though.
Chilli Crab - The crab seemed rather small for its purported weight (1kg) and it didn't help that this signature Jumbo dish failed to live up to expectations. The gravy was rather watery and didn't go very well with the oily, insipid mantous that used to be an object of greedy desire (for me at least) some 10 years ago. How quality has deteriorated over the years!
Homemade Beancurd - I liked the generous amount of golden mushroom that buried the homemade beancurd. What I didn't like was the lack of silkiness and savouriness in the beancurd. Sure, it was soft but didn't slither down my throat and came across as bland.
Deep Fried Red Tilapia - Tilapias don't go for much in the markets but we were charged $32 for it - hardly fitting. Inflated prices aside, the fish was nicely deep fried and crisp on the outside, coupled with firm flesh on the inside. I didn't appreciate the tons of bones within though. Overall an averagely decent dish.
Cereal Prawns - The prawns weren't fresh and the flesh tasted a little soft and "powdery". I certainly didn't expect that from an established seafood restaurant like Jumbo. On the upside, the prawns were deshelled, leaving only the head, something which most places don't bother to do. I did like the cereal dressing though - mildy spicy, crunchy and sweet. But then again, it wasn't enough to salvage this dish.
Mee Goreng - One of the staples of Jumbo ever since we started patronising them some 10 odd years ago, the mee goreng was a shadow of its former self. Overly sweet would be most apt in describing it, with the noodles carrying no taste except being sweet. Apparently the sweetness is used to cover the alkaline taste present in the egg noodles, but this is really an overkill.
I don't know about you, but $188 ($138 with a $50 discount) for a sub standard dinner for 6 pax just doesn't cut it for me. Service was decent in a haphazard sort of way. Final words? Good riddance to overpriced and commercialized sub quality food!
See all my pictures here.
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Reclusiveness seems to be the name of the game these days as small "boutique" restaurants start up in not too accessible locations, just like Jules, a tiny cafe whipping up Australian cuisine in the north eastern heartlands of Singapore.
Nestled in the midst of a private estate just opposite Nanyang JC, Jules plays neighbour to a seafood restaurant (Punggol Seng Choon I believe) and is visible from afar with its brightly litted crimson red signboard. The place is tiny and sparsely furnished, complete with granite flooring and wooden furniture. Air conditioning is a luxury unless you are seated just below one of the two units present. Fans attempt to cool things down a little but don't make much of a difference especially if you are taking the table just next to the counter.
Wagyu Burger - Although I still maintain my stand that wagyu beef should never been minced into patty, Jules did quite a good job on the beef I must admit. The patty's texture was uneven and I could make out bits and pieces of fat, which contributed to the chewy texture. The inherent beefy taste reminded me more of steak then patty, which was definitely good and I certainly appreciated the dollop of sundried tomato puree atop. The bread was average though and so were the fries.
Fig Pudding - I don't know what prompted me to order the fig pudding. Maybe it was the wait staff's recommendation. But I'm glad I did. I'm not exactly a fan of figs but the pudding was nice and moist without coming across as too sweet. Small pieces of figs were lodged within and the sauce had vanilla beans in it. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it proved to be a nice sweet ending to conclude the meal.
Prices are nett (no GST, no service charge), which is a huge plus. On my part, I forked out $26 for the burger and the pudding, which is very reasonable given the quality. Service was decent as well but the wait can be quite long especially if you have a big group. That aside, they probably need to look into installing more airconditioners to cool the place down.
See all my pictures here.
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