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Food & Beverage
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1=SGD 0.0587
Had the opportunity to drop by The Tastings Room one Saturday afternoon by virtue of an invitation. This newly minted restaurant's selling point is that it has suggested wine pairings (by the glass or bottle, if you so wish) on the menu to go along with each individual food item as well as an extensive wine collection that wouldn't cost you an arm or a leg to sample. And it's helmed by Executive Chef Elvin Chew, the current president of the Singapore Junior Chefs Club (SJCC).
The Tastings Room is hidden along the perimeter of Marina Square, sandwiched between Qiji and a Vietnamese coffee house. Its location isn't what I would call prominent and it probably attracts more lunch time office crowds than weekend crowds in my personal opinion. The place is simply done up with a "cafeish" vibe and a seemingly well stocked wine cellar at one corner. Take the booth seats if you can.
Truffle Mushroom Puree Soup ($8.90) & Smoked Vine Tomato Soup with Seafood ($9.90) -
We started off with the mushroom soup, which had loads of mushrooms and a rather heady taste due to the inclusion of truffle oil. However it did seem a little watered down and lacked any real oomph I would have liked in a mushroom soup.
The tomato soup fared much better though. Light and not too tangy with a hint of smokiness coupled with morsels of fresh seafood. Rather appetising.
Heirloom Tomato Salad ($13.90) - Visually arresting with its vibrant colours but unfortunately didn't quite live up to expectations taste wise. The balsamic dressing was a little overwhelming while the buffalo cheese didn't come across as sufficiently soft yet firm.
White Truffle Salted House Fries ($9.90) - Nice and thick with a nice strong smell and taste of truffle oil. Pity about the frying inconsistency. Some were done just right while others tended towards the charred side.
Egg Royale ($15.90) - I'm honestly not a big fan of smoked salmon, or any variant of salmon for that matter. However, the egg royale was surprisingly good. Well smoked salmon (still a little too salty for my liking though) soaked in rich and buttery hollandaise sauce, sitting on a well toasted piece of bread. Very good!
Poached Eggs in Red Wine Hollandaise ($16.90) - I loved the fact that the egg yolk was liquid but bemoan its tastelessness! However, the sauce more than made up for the flaw - buttery goodness that was so familiar and comforting. Add a well toasted bread to the list as well as crispy bacon and you get something which I wouldn't hesitate to order again (But please work on the poached egg).
Sous Vide Pork Belly with Crackling Skin ($26.90) - Food preparation involving Sous vide, where food is vacuum packed in bags and cooked for a long period of time in a water bath, is seemingly the up and coming approach favoured by many professional restaurants in Singapore. The Tastings Room has hopped onto the bandwagon as well and to give it credit, the pork belly was good. Insanely crackling crispy skin coupled with tender but rather fatty meat for that heart stopping guilty indulgence. The rose wine apple sauce lent a gentle sweetness to the dish, which was rather refreshing in my humble opinion.
Confit of French Duck Leg (Price not available) - The duck confit came across as a little too dry and tough although the meat spotted a nice reddish hue. The sauce was a saver though - mildly sweet with tangy overtones. Overall still a decent dish.
Miso Glazed Sea Bass ($25.90) - The sea bass tasted a little overcooked and had a strong miso taste (probably too strong!) on top of a mild peppery intonation. Not exactly my cup of tea but decent nonetheless.
Vanilla Creme Brulee ($8.90) - We started our desserts with the vanilla creme brulee, which was less than ideal. The first thing that hit me when I took a mouthful of the pudding, was the strong egg taste. And it definitely didn't help that the layer of sugar was a tad too thin and came across as flimsy. The only consolation was that the creme brulee used real vanilla beans and not vanilla essence.
Chocolate D24 Durian Cake ($9.90) - I love durian but this dessert honestly didn't work for me. The durian, though rich and relatively fresh, was way too dominant in flavour and I couldn't make out any chocolate taste at all. The sponge was also a little too dry and I could make out ice chips in the durian puree, which definitely wasn't ideal.
Molten White Chocolate Fondant with Ice Cream (Price not available) - The white chocolate fondant wasn't quite what I was expecting as the texture seemed more like madeleines than your typical fondant. The oozing white chocolate was extremely sweet and the strong orange zest from the fondant itself wasn't enough to balance the sweetness out. The strawberries and blueberries did help a little though. Personally I didn't think that chocolate ice cream was a good pairing with the fondant. Rich chocolate more chocolate just makes me queasy. Maybe vanilla would have been a better bet.
Overall, I appreciate the effort by The Tastings Room to allow consumers easy and affordable access to wine pairings with their food which would be good for novices like myself. However, the quality of food was a case of hits and misses and generally, the brunch dishes fared better. I personally wouldn't go back for lunch or dinner but would consider doing brunch. Prices fall flatly in the mid range and a 3 course dinner for 2 would probably cost in the vicinity of $120 - $150 (inclusive of tax) with a glass or two of wine each.
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And we finally got a table at the highlyy sought after and much talked about Pizzeria Mozza after calling in almost a month in advance for reservations. Yet we were relegated to a most uncomfortable table in the pizzeria where seating was tight and with the POS (point of sale) system right behind us (or me to be more specific).
Conversation was almost non existent with shouting the preferred method of communication. Simply put, you had to shout about the din to have someone sitting a mere 2 metres away to actually hear you. I attribute that to the ridiculously loud pipe music. For crying out loud, I'm in a pizzeria, not a bar and I definitely don't appreciate literally yelling at people and being yelled at to get a conversation going. And with the whole place trying to do their part for the environment by saving on electricity bills, the whole place had the pub vibe going for them. But wait.. isn't it suppose to be a pizzeria?
Potato Pizza - Egg, Bacon, Yukon Gold Potato & Bermuda Onions. Potatoes on a pizza? Double serving of carbohydrates? Seriously? But to give it credit, it was actually very decent as a whole. A hand full of toppings that synced well together on a thin and crisp yet chewy crust that gave my jaws a good workout (what do they put in there?!) .
Guanciale Pizza - Egg, Guanciale, Bitter Greens & Bagna Cauda. I've actually never tried guanciale (dried meat from pork cheeks) or bagna cauda (an Italian dip made from garlic, anchovies, olive oil and butter) and after tasting what this pizza had to offer, I am still clueless as to how both are suppose to taste like. Reason being, the bitter greens dominated my palate. And the whole pizza tended towards the "grassy" side. Most of us gave up after a slice each.
Meat Lover Pizza - Bacon, salami, fennel sausage, pancetta, tomato & mozzarella. With all the meat, I was hoping that this pizza would be a blast. But unfortunately, the converse turned out to be true. Very salty would probably be a good way to start off the description and the taste from the salami muscled its way in, overpowering virtually everything else. So essentially what you get is very salty salami on a bed of crisp but tough dough.
5 pax, $158. With 2 out of 3 of our pizzas almost hitting the $40 mark and not matching up in terms of quality and quantity, I'll definitely be hard pressed to find a reason to return. We were so disappointed that we didn't even bother ordering desserts. And the ambience definitely didn't help. This place is seriously over hyped in my humble opinion. Better pizzas at a more wallet friendly price can be found elsewhere.
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Tai Hing Roast, one of the largest chain of Hong Kong style eateries in Hong Kong and China, has officially opened an outlet at Changi Airport's Terminal 2. There is a catch however. Tai Hing Roast is located within the transit section of the terminal, which means you will have to be flying in/out of Singapore before you get to dine there. Weird positioning if you ask me, but I guess the management would know better.
It isn't a restaurant per se, but more of a seemingly borderless area where you can dine at and watch planes (and people) go by.The menu is pretty much similar to what you get in a standard HK cafe in Singapore but prices do seem a little higher (think $10-$12 for roast duck noodles), taking into consideration the location as well as the middle to high positioning that is adopted by the eatery.
Based on the sampling of food I had, I honestly wouldn't say that the food was anything to shout about. But it does provide a good and "exclusive" alternative to the likes of Burger King, Subway and all the other run off the mill outlets in the T2 transit area. Best of all, it's round the clock.
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Old School Delights, as it name might suggest, bases its idea on the school tuck shops of yesteryear. And it was this concept that had me hooked when the kind folks at the eatery invited me down for a simple lunch. In line with the theme, "fancy" dishes like foie gras and steak are missing from the menu and instead, simple local fare like macaroni, mee siam, laksa, nasi lemak etc are featured prominently.
The place is reminiscent of a classroom with its huge chalkboard, cement screed floors and quirky drawings which seemingly hark back to the days of "Mr Kiasu". There is even a paper table mat with an almost realistic imprint of an old school jotter book which I used when I was a kid. Lets not forget the pack of "Snap" cards and the erasers with country flags on them. Ahh the nostalgia.
Kueh Pie Tee - I've always had a penchant for Kueh Pie Tee, with its crisp shell and delectable filling of chopped egg and stewed vegetables (they are first fried with garlic then simmered in water). OSD's rendition was a little bland due to the lack of sweet sauce (I opted for no chilli). The shell (which isn't made in house) had a crunchy overtone to it but did seem a little too oily for my liking. I would have also appreciated the filling to be served piping hot instead of at room temperature.
Macaroni - What you get it pretty standard. A couple of slices of fishcake and some strands of shredded chicken as well as a couple of quail eggs, vegetables and of course macaroni in a tasty yet light broth. Although this dish wasn't spectacular, it did cover me in comfort and warm fuzziness. This was a dish that I loved to eat when I was kid and this one was simple and unpretentious - giving rise to a homely feeling (有家的感觉).
Chocolate Banana Cake - I ended off my lunch with a Chocolate Banana Cake, which wasn't quite the same as what I've had before. Think Choc a bloc. OSD's offering was the old fashioned banana cake with a layer of mashed bananas wedged in between and covered with a layer of molten (and shiny) chocolate. The cake came across as a little too dry for my liking but overall still a nice and sinful dessert (if you like bananas and chocolate)!
Overall, the food wasn't great but still very comforting in it's own way. Maybe it's just nostalgia and the chance to relive those happy and carefree moments, albeit for only a brief moment? Thanks to the folks at OSD for the invite!
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The initial plan was for Pizzeria Mozza but apparently the place is so popular that I couldn't get reservations even though I called in slightly over a week earlier. Still sticking to our initial theme of Italian food, we decided to head for Gattopardo instead, which happens to be under the Garibaldi group.
Gattopardo is located at Fort Canning Hotel, a rather swanky looking hotel that sits at the top of, where else but Fort Canning Park? Probably not the most central place to get to if you don't drive and even if you do, road signs are misleading. There are a couple of carparks around Fort Canning but please do park at the hotel's basement carpark to save on the hassle.
The restaurant itself looks rather inviting with its simplistic layout and dim lighting. There is even a seafood counter where you get to take a look at the day's seafood, all laid out on mountains of ice behind acrylic covers (sashimi anyone?), very much like a Japanese restaurant. As there were quite a number of us, we managed to snag the private room, which can comfortably seat 10.
Complimentary Bread - We had multiple servings of the bread as it was honestly quite addictive, especially the thin and long wafer like biscuit. Crackling crispy and heavily salted with a tinge of spiciness, I was guilty of eating at least 6 slices of it. We were demanding refills of the bread so often that our waiter must have felt intimidated.
Grilled Calamari - The grilled calamari was a recommendation from the chef who manned the seafood counter (who incidentally was also a friend of someone at my table that evening). I have got to give it to him. This was an excellent recommendation and everyone around the table agreed in unison that the calamari was nicely grilled with a smokey, savoury aftertaste and a nice chewy texture.
Mozzarella di Bufala e Cuore di Bue - Nice and light but nothing too outstanding in my humble opinion. And $25 did seem a little too expensive for 4 slices of quivery cheese.
Gattopardo - This was the namesake pizza of the restaurant and was essentially white garlic focaccia with smoked mozzarella, Italian sausage, onion and potatoes - all in all it sounded like a smashing combination. Alas, reality is often harsh and the pizza tasted nothing more than your typical cheese prata with onions. Oh and yes, with a lingering hint of fishiness from god knows where.
Arrotolata - Divided up into small segments, the Arrotolata (Smoked mozzarella, suckling pig, porcini mushrooms, grape sauce & rucola salad) was another one of those pizzas that looked good on paper but came out as average in reality (like the Gattopardo). The crust was a little chewy and crisp with little bits of pork stuffed in between so no complaints about the crust. However taste wise, the pizza lacked the oomph and the harmonious blend of distinct flavours I was looking for. Sadly, the whole thing just tasted like bread with cheese. Also, the grape sauce wasn't evident and I had to resort to asking for a side serving of the grape jam.
Tiramisu - I was impressed by the huge portion of tiramisu which doesn't seem to be the norm at Italian restaurants nowadays. The mascarpone cheese was light but the sponge fingers did seem a little too "waterlogged". And I couldn't make out any alcohol taste. A teetotaler version or is it just my numbed tastebuds? Would have appreciated if the tiramisu was served a little more chilled as well as that would have enhanced the eating experience.
The 8 of us had a rather unsatisfying dinner to the tune of $422 (with a 10% discount). That works out to be an average of about $53 a head. Not too expensive but I don't think the quality of food corresponds to the price tag (save for the grilled calamari). Service was decent but that's hardly enough reason to make me go back.
See all my pictures here.
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When a kind anonymous reader left me a comment on my blog about discovering a place that served poutine a couple of weeks back, I was naturally delighted as it's been almost a decade since I had poutine (bar Yella Fellas, which has gone the way of the dodo). And so there I was at Hummerstons, on a lovely Saturday morning, just 2 weeks into brunch service.
Hummerston's interior features visible white bricks and warm lighting coupled with a bar counter and wooden furniture. Rather inviting I must admit but we chose to sit outside on the sidewalk instead, in acknowledgement of the beautiful weather.
Classic Poutine - Evenly cut fries with skin? Check. Brown gravy? Check. Cheese curds? Where's my cheese curds?! Apparently emmental cheese is used in Hummerston's rendition of this classic Canadian dish but honestly, the cheese was almost nonexistent - pathetic to say the least. Give me copious amounts of fresh cheese curds any day. The gravy tasted like the real deal although it did come across as a little too sweet for my liking. Having said that, I'll still recommend giving this dish a try, even if it costs $11 for a rather small portion (think Macdonalds regular fries portion).
Carbonara - This was a very different carbonara from what I'm used to. Al dente spaghetti with generous bacon bits and mushrooms but surprise surprise, no cream sauce. Lots of oil though, which reminded me more of aglio olio than carbonara. But the absence of the cream sauce meant that I could chug down more pasta without feeling nauseous. I sincerely hope, for everyone's health, that the oil Hummerston uses in this dish is olive oil.
Brunch Burger - I loved the burger bun to bits. I kid you not. It was probably the best I've had in eons. Warm, crusty, topped with sesame seeds and layered with a thin spread of mayonnaise. So good that I could just eat it on its own! The patty was done medium well as per request and had crisp bits on the surface with a nice grilled beefy taste. Topped with cheese, egg, bacon, caramelised onions and mushrooms. How's that for a mouth watering combination? A couple of gripes though. The meat had a nicely uneven texture but came across as a little too soft for my liking. Also, get a load on the amount of oil! The accompanying fries were a little too limp and oily for my liking as well. But I did like the tomato chili aioli dip, which had a sweet mild chilli taste sans the heat.
Flourless Chilli Chocolate Torte - Although we were stuffed through and through, we were adamant about trying out Hummerston's desserts. First up was the flourless chocolate torte - dense, rich and not too sweet. I couldn't make out any chili though even though I am quite sensitive to it. Still a decent eat though.
Blackforest Gateau - The blackforest cake was decent but not impressive. Light and airy but lacking in the taste of kirsch. Honestly it would have tasted like pure chocolate cake if not for the pockets of cherries.
A fantastic but heart seizing (oily!) brunch cost the both of us to the tune of $84 after taxes. Not ridiculously expensive if you ask me, especially for the quality of food (desserts are optional though). And service was warm and heart felt. I would definitely be back in a heartbeat for the burger or if I'm craving for poutine. Only condition? Less oil please.
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Kha, a modern Thai restaurant under the Epicure group (which also counts modern Australian outfit, Graze, in it's stable of restaurants) has not so recently relocated from it's original site in Hort Park to No.38 Martin Road, a rather upscale residential condominium. To that note, I had the opportunity to dine there one evening, courtesy of the restaurant.
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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If you are into retro themed hotels, Hotel Re!, a rather new addition to the boutique hotel scene in Singapore, might just be what you are looking for. However, I'm not so much a hotel person and I'm actually more interested in what the restaurant (in this case, Re!Fill) has to offer.
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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The opening of myVillage @ Serangoon Gardens has added a variety of new restaurants to the area, with mostly established brands like Da Paolo, Shin Kushiya and Old Hong Kong vying for pole position in this vibrant dining scene. Enthralled by the prospect of having dim sum in the neighbourhood, we dropped by Old Hong Kong Taste (OHKT for short) - one of the 4 restaurants under the Old Hong Kong Group.
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.
See all my pictures here.
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The Paradise group is expanding rapidly nowadays, extending on its brand name to create various eateries in an attempt to cater to practically everybody and anybody who eats Chinese food. Paradise Inn is one such entity, being marketed as an affordable restaurant, tea house and dessert house all rolled into one.
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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