feizhu's Reviews
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The restaurant is dim by default and I like the use of dark furniture and various vintage items to bring out a contemporary yet authentically Thai feel to the whole place. The faded Thai newspaper lookalike menu completes the picture. One gripe I have though, is that the place is a holding area for noise due to its boxed up interior and concrete ceilings, to a certain extent.
Ruby Starlet ($12) - This mocktail was great - lychee sweetness coupled with a refreshing breath of mint in a lemony twist. So good that I couldn't resist the offer of a second glass.
Rare Grilled Red Curry Rubbed Wagyu Beef ($29) - The wagyu beef was very good. Well grilled, as evident by the dark lines running down the meat, yet succulent with a nice brush of salt and smoky tenderness. Great way to start off the meal!
Tom Yum Goong ($18) - Nicely spicy but overly salty with the prawns a little too soft for comfort. Personally I also thought that the soup could do with a little more tartness.
Toad Man Poo ($17) - Meaty without being overly nausea inducing due to the use of minimal flour and the addition of sweet chilli sauce. Probably one of the better crab cakes I've eaten so far.
Papa Adun's Phad Tow Hu ($14) - The tofu cubes were crisp but boringly pedestrian. I couldn't make much much flavour from the tofu itself and the center seemed hollow. The supposed three flavour sauce was almost non existent. A richer sauce would have probably saved this dish from the deep abyss of disappointment.
Phad Pak ($8) - Greens are healthy but this wok fried vegetable dish was laden with so much oil that it was gross. And there was no wok hei even though the vegetables had a nice fragrant whiff to it. Tasted more like a dish of convenience than one of quality.
Kheaw Wan Poo ($30) - The soft shell crab green curry wasn't anything to shout about in my humble opinion. The crabs had a nice crispy layer but somehow the overall bite was missing. I didn't quite take to the curry as well as it seemed a little lacking in flavour.
Crispy Whole Chilli Filled with Pork and Herbs ($14) - I'll be upfront and state that I'm not a fan of stuffed peppers or chillis. So that means no stuffed jalapenos and the likes. But this was something interesting. For starters, the chilli was coated with a layer of batter and deep fried, giving it a nice crisp on the outside and as you bite into it, you get hit by a bitter taste which slowly melts into a hint of pork and herbs. Nice to try in small quantities but probably not something I would order again.
Khao Neaw Ma Muang ($14) - I'm a sucker for mango/durian sticky rice so this dessert suited me just fine. I liked the coconut pandan sauce which infused the not overly sticky rice with a nice pandan fragrance. I can't say the same for the mango slices though, which lacked any discernible fragrance but still came across as sweet.
Thap Thim Krwap ($13) - I didn't find the red ruby dessert to be anything really special. It was essentially chilled coconut jasmine syrup with shaved ice and chewy red rubies. There were also these flower petals that had a bitter taste to them.
We ended our meal with a big mug of espresso. Great way to end off a filling but hardly satisfying dinner. There were honestly more misses than hits. Maybe I'm just not their target audience. Nonetheless, I must still thank Kha and its PR consultancy for presenting me the opportunity to dine there. Thank you!
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Personally I think the cafe's decor is clean and cozy but I don't quite see signs or indications of a retro theme. Well, except maybe for the psychedelic strips of wallpaper that adorn the L boxes. There is a different lunch menu each day and you get to choose 1 of 2 main courses that are available each day. Everything else (appetisers and dessert) is pre decided, which can be good or bad, depending on your personal preferences.
Complimentary Bread - Decent but tasted not unlike a packaged loaf of bread off the supermarket shelf, nicely toasted and served up with a small container of SCS salted butter. Simple but satisfying.
Seasoned Baby Octopus, Egg Foo Yong, Sweet Potato & Taro Fritter - I liked how everything was presented in one long platter in bite sized portions. The baby octopus was a tad sweet and chewy whilst the Egg Foo Yong tasted savoury and all but had so much oil in it that it made my heart beat faster. Just imagine the oil from the egg sitting in a shooter glass. Gross. Luckily the fritter didn't turn out to be an oil sponge as well but I did find the flour a little too thick. Still crisp and enjoyable in small quantities though.
Braised Shark's Fin Soup with Crabmeat - Although I could make out respectable slivers of shark's fin and crab meat, the soup was too starchy and rather bland. But for the price of the set lunch, I really shouldn't be complaining.
Salted Egg Prawn, Parisienne of Fruits & Almond Flake, Garlic Fried Rice, Sauteed Asparagus - I'm usually a fan of salted egg prawns but this one seemed a little too moist and soggy for my liking. Flavour was also lacking and honestly, the salted egg coating was aesthetically unpleasing. But at least it was edible.
Wok Fried Duck Breast with Olive Vegetable, Garlic Fried Rice, Sauteed Asparagus - At first glance, I thought the duck slices looked uncannily like beef. Even the texture was similar to the beef slices you would find at a typical beef hor fun stall - chewy from the addition of lots of flour. Compounding matters was the fact that the duck just tasted salty with a dash of pepper. No inherent fowl taste whatsoever.
Hotel Re! Temptation Delight - It sounded grand but came as a flop. I liked the presentation but the taste left much to be desired. In short, everything tasted out of sorts and even something as basic as the lychee agar agar tasted artificial. Ditto the apple crumble.
I have read rave reviews online about the food at Re!Fill but unfortunately, mine turned out to be a disaster. Honestly, $49 nett for 2 pax for set lunch isn't over the top and service was decent. However, food quality really needs to buck up in my humble opinion. And the number of customers the cafe had that day was testament to that. We were pretty much the only table that afternoon. Only when we were about to leave did a couple drop by.
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OHKT's open kitchen greeted us as we took the escalator up to the 2nd floor of the mall, allowing us a peek at the culinary maestros ( I hope!) who would be whipping up our orders soon.
There is a variety of tea, ranging from Rose Tea to Longan Tea, all served up in a glass kettle atop a glass stove with a candle to keep the tea warm.
The appetiser was simple yet satisfying. Anchovies dotted the beancurd cubes alongside sweet chopped chilli - would have loved seconds or a bigger serving.
Dim Sum in The Cage - I was intrigued by the name, however gimmicky it may have sounded. This dim sum platter had a combination of various items such as -
Bird Nest Egg Tart - The custard was quivery and not too sweet with strands of birds nest. Couldn't make out any taste or texture from the birds nest so it's really just a gimmick. Crust was a tad too soft for my liking.
Deep Fried Prawn Wanton - A little too oily but prawns were plentiful. Best eaten with the bowl of accompanying soup.
Deep Fried Prawn Roll with Cheese - Lots of prawns but lacking in cheese, which made it rather similar in taste to the prawn wanton. Best eaten with Mayonnaise.
Siew Mai - Full of bite without too much fatty meat. Prawns fresh and crunchy.
Har Gao - The skin was a little too thick for my liking but the generous serving of crunch prawns made up for it.
Steamed Mushroom Wrap - As with the Har Gao, the wrap was a wee bit too thick for comfort but I did appreciate the mushrooms which didn't come across as too overwhelming.
Marinated Duck - A signature dish of OHKT, the duck came across as rather gamy but tender with a bit of roughage for a nice chewing sensation. The accompanying beancurd slices were very smooth and overall, quite a good dish.
Braised Homemade Beancurd with Scallops & Mushrooms - I loved this dish. Not because it's beancurd but because it was very well executed. Topped with generous servings of sliced scallops and mushrooms, the beancurd was silky and had a nice savoury charred taste to it.
Bo Lo Bun with Barbecued Pork - Served up piping hot, the Bo Lo Bun was decent with the BBQ pork pieces soaking in the mildly sweet and viscous gravy. Only gripe? The flour was a tad too thick and dry.
Steamed Egg Yolk Custard Bun - Now this was rather disappointing. Sure, it had molten custard oozing out with a breach in the shell but the custard was a tad overwhelming and I couldn't make out any traces of egg yolk sediment. I've had better.
Lunch cost the both of us about $83 after taxes which honestly isn't cheap for the amount/type of dishes we ordered and the location. However I must admit that overall, food quality was above average and this meal was worth it (well, except for the Bo Lo buns and the Custard buns). I will definitely be back but this time I'll be more inclined towards ordering from the ala carte menu rather than the dim sum menu.
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We had a go at the Bedok Point outlet of Paradise Inn, which sported large windows framed by wooden partitions and interesting looking wood cage lamps. Bright sunlight flittered in, giving rise to a cheery atmosphere sans the heat.
Thai Baby Kailan with Salted Fish - This dish came across as rather slip shod as the Kailan failed to absorb the gravy and came across as lightly sourish and raw. And the little bits of salted fish weren't salty enough to make much of a difference.
Prawns with Salted Egg - I'm a big fan of this dish but somehow Paradise Inn's rendition left much to be desired. For starters, it didn't look freshly prepared and the amount of oil was a turn off. Adding to the woes was the rather watery salted egg coating and thicker than ideal batter. However, taste wise it was still decent.
Sweet and Sour Pork - Restaurants tend to use quite a bit of fat meat in their sweet and sour pork dish and Paradise Inn was no exemption. The miniscule amount of meat tended towards the fatty side and the flour was too thick in my humble opinion. Average at best.
Mini Wok Tofu - Seafood Paradise has the exact same dish, just under a different name (and with significantly more ingredients) that's all. The tofu was soft but not exactly smooth and lacked the hint of smokiness that the one at Seafood Paradise offered. The portion of meat floss atop was found wanting as well. Still very palatable though.
Honestly, $65 for a 3 pax lunch isn't really expensive but quite a few of the dishes are similar to that of Seafood Paradise, albeit with a decrease in portion size and utilisation of inferior ingredients. Food overall is still decent though and so is the service. However I am not comfortable with the dilution of the Paradise brand name, one that I've always associated with above average quality food (save for the less than stellar experience at Taste Paradise Ion). Is the Paradise group really biting off more than it can chew? Only time will tell.
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Located on the first level of Bedok Point, Kungfu Paradise enjoys relatively higher human traffic by virtue of it being situated right next to the main doors of the mall. The interior is typical of any cafe with its wooden tables and plastic chairs. Funny how they aim to target the youth but are playing songs by Bon Jovi (which happens to fall smack into my era).
Kungfu Disciple Frappe ($6.80) - I have no idea how kungfu relates to peanut butter but this drink had a nice hint of it - smooth and creamy. Great for a soothing afternoon drink. But at $6.80 a pop, it's honestly quite expensive to be drinking on a regular basis.
Flying Kungfu Wings ($5.80 for 3pcs) - The wings were said to have been marinated in a special secret sauce but after chomping through one whole wing, it tasted to me like a deep fried chicken wing with a nice crispy layer of skin and no marination whatsoever. Special sauce you say?
Balls On Mash ($9.80) - As the name of this dish suggests, its basically meat balls on mashed potato. Decent with not too much flour and a tart tomato sauce which helped to balance out the mashed potatoes.
French Toast with Chicken Floss & Condensed Milk ($5.80) - I personally am not a fan of condensed milk on my bread so I didn't quite take to the french toast, which was a little too moist and sticky for my liking.
Chicken Chop "Babe" Rice with Tomato Sauce ($9.80) - Too salty was what came to mind when I had a spoonful of the cheese and rice. The tomato sauce was also a bit too overwhelming which grossed me out to a certain extent. It would have been better if they diluted it a little.
Soup Noodles with Braised Beef Brisket ($8.80) - How bad can instant noodles get? Doesn't take a chef to pry open a packet of instant noodles, add the seasoning and throw in pieces of beef and an egg. To give it credit though, the beef cubes were quite tasty and fibrous.
Flaming Crab Pasta ($10.80) - Spicy. And not being really adept at taking on spicy stuff, I am in no position to comment on this dish, save for the fact that the pasta wasn't al dente. Actually my taste buds were numb from the chilli and I was busy trying to douse the flames with water to even register anything besides hot, hot hot!
Be Hooked! ($9.80) - Simple fish and chips. Smooth and tender flesh coupled with an almost artificial sweetness encrusted by a not too thick layer of batter. Decent.
Mango Thai Chilli Chicken with Rice & Egg ($8.80) - The chicken was way too deep fried (look at the colour of the batter), resulting in a nausea inducing end product. Other than that, everything was, well, normal.
Nippon Power & Crushing Sesame ($6.80 each) -
A nice cold dessert of shaved ice to end off the meal. Nothing too different from what you are able to get from other places.
I am not sure the quirky names appealed to me but the food certainly didn't. It was average food at best and I hope Kungfu Paradise will work towards improving their quality of food especially with the higher than average prices (as compared to other Hong Kong style cafes) they are charging for their food.
Thanks for the invite!
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