feizhu's Reviews
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Occupying a slightly spruced up shop lot on the ground level of Victoria Hotel which used to house a Chinese eatery that sold mixed rice for lunch, the eatery focuses mainly on steak, with the obligatory pork, chicken and fish dishes to cater to non beef eaters. One thing to note is that prices are seemingly steeper then Ministry of Steak, but if my memory serves me well, there seems to be slightly more variety.
Cream of Mushroom - This came complimentary while I waited for my steak to be recooked. I didn't think too much of it as the soup seemed a little too starchy/coagulated for my liking but at least the mushroom bits were plentiful.
Chicken & Sausage Combo - The chicken was nicely grilled with charred bits providing a nice burnt taste and texture while the grilled sausages were pretty decent - a little juicy but a overly oily. I took issue with the mushroom sauce though, which came across as rather limp and failed to provide the extra oomph I was looking for.
Cowboy Sirloin - The sirloin had 2 variations - one for the guys and one for the ladies, with 2 different weights and price points. I had requested for steak to be done medium rare but it came out rare instead. The official explanation was that the meat had been sitting in the freezer truck and should have been thawed first before putting it on the grill. Nonetheless, it was sent back to get the doneness right. Unfortunately, meat when recooked, becomes a little dry and rubbery and loses flavour, which was the case with my steak. Fortunately, the boss practiced excellent service recovery and apologized, presenting me a complimentary soup (above) as well as a "voucher" for a complimentary steak on my next visit, with the promise that he would personally grill my steak.
Overall I thought that the lunch was a little lacklustre, probably due to the disappointment from my steak. However, I am heartened by the good service rendered by the boss and with a complimentary steak in hand, I would be hard pressed to find a reason not to give them one more chance. Let's just hope things get better.
See all my pictures here.
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Tonkichi is one of the many restaurants that surround the fountain of wealth at the basement of Suntec City. Occupying a reasonably large space, the restaurant's decor is simple and definitely catered to the masses.
Kuro Cheese Katsu - My initial plan was to order the Kurobuta Hire Katsu but they were out of it so I had to settle for the Kuro Cheese Katsu, which turned out to be a mistake. Sure, the katsu was nicely breaded and deep fried without coming across as overly oily, but being minced up meant that the texture was left wanting. To me, mincing beef kurobuta up is akin to mincing wagyu beef up to make patties - a total waste. Not even the very elastic cheese could save this dish.
Prawn & Hire - On the contrary, I thought that this "normal" pork (and prawn) dish fared a great deal better than its more illustrious cousin. The pork was tender, juicy and nicely breaded without the oily residue. Personally I preferred the prawns though, which were relatively large and bursting with natural sweetness that there was no need for any tartar sauce to give it taste.
I see promise in Tonkichi's food. And at about $50 for 2 pax , it would be a great place to have a nice tonkatsu dinner without bursting your wallet. Service was good and I'll be sure not to order any minced pork tonkatsu or the likes.
See all my pictures here.
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Tucked away along the row of shophouses at Serangoon Gardens where the new NTUC is and just a stones throw away from Astons, MOS suffers from low visibility as the entire row of shops face away from the central bus stop. This particular unit has changed hands quite a few times due to low human traffic so it remains to be seen if MOS can thrive in such an obscure location.
Mushroom Soup - You have the option of adding $3 and getting a calamansi drink a soup, which happened to be mushroom soup. The soup was rather watered down but at least it was decently creamy and had bits of mushroom in it. Not too bad for the price.
Pork Chops - With a name like Ministry of Steak, pork chops probably aren't their forte but this dish didn't turn out half as bad as I expected it to be. Sure, the meat was a little too chewy in certain areas and the garlic sauce a little too runny, but portions were generous and it beats eating tough pork chops served at some places.
Prime Sirloin - Cheapo me chose the cheapest steak on the menu - the prime sirloin. I must say that I was quite impressed by the handling and preparation of the meat. Beautifully grilled to medium rare as per my request and harbouring a moderate hint of salt, the steak was succulent and boasted natural beefy sweetness. You get 2 sides with every main course and my coleslaw and fries tasted decently fresh. Nothing to holler about though.
Black Pepper Steak - This was essentially the same cut as the prime sirloin, except that it came with black pepper instead of garlic sauce. And if it looks darker, yes it is, due to the fact that it was done medium well. A little drier and tougher, but still good for those who can't stand really stand the sight of blood.
The emergence of MOS in the area is sure to give Astons a terrific run for its money, given its quality and competitive pricing (3 of us spent $35). Throw in air conditioning and decent service and I know where I'll be satisfying my steak cravings again. This time I might just be tempted to try out the grade 5 wagyu for $30.
See all my pictures here.
EDIT as of 7th Feb 2010: I have received notification that the owner of MOS has left to open up a new steakhouse else.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!Looks more inviting than the hot and stuffy coffee shop next door. haha.
21 Oct 2009 at 10:46 pm
good I love steak but probably won't be able to visit the place too often ... its so far away
21 Oct 2009 at 11:52 pm
Yes its definitely more inviting lol..
22 Oct 2009 at 12:06 am
Located at B3 of the swanky shopping mall, ITNCH utilises an electronic queue system, which seems to be more rampant nowadays. The interior is seemingly cramp and reminiscent of your typical casual dining Chinese restaurant.
BBQ Combination - We opted for a roast pork/BBQ pork combination which was quite decent. The roasted pork had a thin layer of crisp skin coupled with a nice proportion of fat whereas the BBQ pork was mildly fibrous without coming across as overly sweet.
Fried Hor Fun with Egg and Prawn - Carrying a fleeting hint of wok hei, the hor fun was smooth without clumping together. The gravy was a little lacklustre even though it was flush with egg strands. I did like the prawns though, which were relatively big in size with a nice crunch to them.
Beancurd with Oyster Sauce - An average dish, the beancurd wasn't silky smooth nor savoury but the oyster sauce did help though. Came served with mushrooms and vegetables.
Yang Chow Fried Rice - I personally thought that this was quite well done. The rice had a comforting wok hei taste with a nice homogenous egg coating and little bits of BBQ pork and prawns that made for a rather enjoyable plate of fried rice. Then again, maybe we were hungry.
The bill totaled about $61 for the 3 of us, which wasn't too unreasonable given the decent service and food. This place beats any of the lower end Crystal Jade outlets that I've tried and I'll certainly be looking out for the Imperial Treasure brand name the next time I'm searching for a casual, convenient and inexpensive Chinese restaurant option.
See all my pictures here.
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Boulangerie turned out to be a disaster as well. I will not say much except that the macarons were Bakerzin quality and retailed for $2.30 instead of a dollar. The shells weren't crisp and tasted very stale. The other desserts purportedly had an Asian "twist" to them but some of them just turned out plain weird. Case in point, the Satin, a coconut cream dessert topped with pineapple. It tasted like Thai salad to me, which was just unnerving considering that its dessert. The raspberry tarte had a base that reminded me of compressed Danish cookies which would have been fine until you consider how hard it was. It was literally steel against rock as I tried to spear a piece of the tart with my fork.
Only consolation of this place? They serve complimentary sky juice.
See all my pictures here.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!Ahhhh so disappointed just reading it!!
02 Feb 2010 at 5:06 pm
aww~~~~ and I was thinking of getting Dar to get some for me ;(
06 Feb 2010 at 2:18 am