feizhu's Reviews
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The place proves quite a hassle to get to, hidden deep within the wilderness of Kranji. Housed within the premises of Garden Asia, Petals & Leaves is the epitome of idyllic-ness. A large sheltered al fresco dining area flanked by a pond amidst lush flora and fauna, with only the light patter of raindrops breaking the tranquility - the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life.
The Works Platter - We started off with The Works Platter, which consisted of sausages, chicken wings and cheese sticks - typical pub grub which I personally fancy quite a bit. Nothing came across as particularly outstanding though. The sausages were alright but a little on the bland side. The cheese sticks didn't have the gooey cheese oozing out of the sticks and the taste of deep fried flour threatened to overwhelm the already faint taste of the cheese. As for the wings, I personally felt that they lacked marination and chomping on one was akin to chewing on flour.
Chicken - The piece of chicken thigh looked really well grilled and most appetising. However its appearance belied the fact that marination was lacking and the texture tended more towards the rubbery side. The sauce did seem a little weak as well.
The Bull's Eye - A slab of beautifully grilled medium rare ribeye, topped with red wine pepper sauce and apparently a signature dish of the eatery. A pity it was rather lacklustre, coming across as a little too tough sans the inherent sweetness of the beef. What I thought was mildy interesting was the side of sliced potatos which were coated with potato flour then deep fried, giving rise to something that tasted a little similar to potato tempura.
Oreo Tiramisu - Oreo Tiramisu
I 've always been a fan of oreos and tiramisu. Put this two elements together and I would expect something explosive, if not decent at least. The truth be told, it wasn't fantastic but at least it was palatable. The sponge fingers had little icicles in it probably due to water being present during the freezing stage of the tiramisu and that affected the overall texture. Apparently there was Baileys in it but I couldn't make any out probably due to my alcohol desensitized taste buds. Last but not least, the mascarpone cheese leaned towards the heavy side - a little too much egg yolk maybe? The oreos didn't make much of a difference to the dessert in my humble opinion.
Well, I wouldn't say that the food was totally bad but it certainly has lots of room for improvement. I like the ambience of the place though, charmingly serene and tranquil - perfect for whiling the morning/afternoon away with a nice cup of tea/coffee in hand. Please allow me to end off by thanking Petals & Leaves for kindly extending their invitation to me. Thank you.
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Radish Soup - We started off with the radish soup, which wasn't on the menu. Light and mildly sweet, noticeably from the use of monosodium glutamate (MSG). Nice but excessive drinking is certainly not encouraged.
Butter Ribs - The butter ribs were a misnomer really. Ribs should come with bones, shouldn't they? But I'm definitely not complaining. The meat was tender without being fibrous or soft. What was interesting was the fact that the meat was coated with a concoction of cheese flakes, a dash of sugar and a sprinkling of curry leaves - Nice and sweet with a mild hint of spiciness, belying a smooth cheesy sensation with that tinge of curry aftertaste.
Stir Fried Broccoli with Garlic - This was your regular stir fried broccoli fried with tons of chopped garlic. Decent but a wee bit too soft and overcooked for my liking.
Beancurd with Golden Mushroom - I didn't think too highly of this dish though the tofu was smooth but rather bland and lacked silkiness. The sauce had lots of golden mushroom and minced meat but was weirdly sweet instead of savoury.
Hor Fun - The lowlight (as opposed to highlight. Ha Ha Ha. Corny I know) of the entire meal, the hor fun appeared rather slip shod. They were all clumped together and lacked any discernible wok hei taste. The pork and shrimp didn't taste fresh either. On a healthier note, there were lots of vegetables though.
At 50 cents shy of $34 for 3 pax, I wouldn't say it was expensive. However, only the butter ribs were good while the other dishes hovered around the average mark or faded into obscurity. Throw in the queues and I doubt I'll return, especially since the place is halfway across the island for me. But if I do, it will only be for the butter ribs.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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