WELCOME TO YEBBER
You can use your Facebook Account to register in Yebber and start reviewing your favourite or least favourite businesses
Please click the login button below and proceed to create a new Yebber ID at the next step.
Arts & Entertainment
Click here for future month
1=SGD 0.0587
The Paradise group of restaurants recently added a Hong Kong style cafe, Kungfu Paradise, to its ever expanding stable of restaurants which include well known outlets like Taste Paradise and Seafood Paradise. To mark the opening of Kungfu Paradise's first outlet at Bedok Point, invites were sent out for a tasting lunch, which I had the opportunity to attend.
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!
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Finally got down to posting about the 2nd edition of Restaurant Week Singapore, which happened from the 21st to 27th March 2011 (Yes I know it's long overdue). With all the prominent restaurants (think Les Amis, St Julien, The Cliff etc) fully booked even before reservations were open to public, I had to settle (with some luck and fast fingers) for Capricci - the best of the remaining lot in my personal opinion.
And so we made our way down on a cool Tuesday evening and were ushered to a table smacked in the middle of the dining room and sandwiched between 2 others. So much for a romantic evening, especially since we were within earshot of the other tables and vice versa. But I've got to give it to Capricci. The place was tastefully done up with ambient lighting and oozed a serene sort of comfort - great for winding down after work, if only the table placements were better.
Complimentary Bread & Cream of Tomato - I honestly have no idea if the cream of tomato was meant to be consumed as a standalone but I had it with the complimentary bread, which had a positive effect of elevating the boring, bland piece of dough to one that had a nice creaminess with a lightly tart bearing.
Seafood Burger of Crabmeat and Salmon and Mix Salad - Personally I wasn't a fan of the seafood burger as it was way too fishy for my liking due to the combination of crab and salmon. So no comments.
John Dee Beef Tenderloin Tartar with Truffle Oil, Shaved Parmesan and Arugula -
The beef tartar was soft and overly salty in my humble opinion. But when paired together with the parmesan and arugula, it was great as the saltiness wasn't so apparent. Nice way to kick start the dinner.
Oven Baked Suckling Pig Sardinia Style with Portobello Mushroom - I certainly didn't expect the suckling pig to come looking like something out of a Sci Fi movie. Sitting on a huge piece of mushroom was a bed of pork and sheltered by what looked like a warped piece of cracker, which was actually a piece of crackling crispy pig skin! The meat was a little too gamy for my liking but the drizzled sweet sauce helped mask it a little. Not something I would go for seconds though.
Gnocchi with Slow Cooked Kurobuta Pork Ragout - Yearning for flour, I had the gnocchi with slow cooked kurobuta pork ragout, which came across as above average. The not overly thick dumplings were stuffed with cheese but didn't threaten to overwhelm. And honestly, I wasn't able to tell if the pork ragout was really kurobuta as the shreds were too fine. But hey they provided a nice mildly chewy texture.
White Chocolate Mousse with Maraschino Cherries - This dessert turned totally different from what I was expecting. I envisioned a mould of white mousse but what I got was a mini popsicle lookalike. And it was all cherry and no chocolate taste. Way too strong.
Cocoa Cream Caramel Pudding with Amaretti - The cream caramel pudding was quivery and tasted quite a fair bit like almond jelly with toppings of crispy caramel bits. Interesting but nothing really outstanding.
Owing to the restaurant week deal, both of us only had to fork out $70 or $82.40 after tax in total, which is a reasonable amount in quantitative terms. However, food quality wasn't up to my personal expectations and that might have had something to do with the discounted prices but I am unable to say for sure as I've never dined at Capricci prior to this. But I guess I'll never know as the menu somehow lacks that pull for a revisit.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Singapore's hectic pace of life has led many in search of a respite in the few remaining green lungs of our concrete city state. And I was no exception, jumping at the opportunity to take refuge one weekend morning in the lush greenery surrounding Mimo (formerly known as Mimolette) just off Bukit Timah Saddle Club.
If it's your first time to Mimo, it can get a little tricky as Fairways Drive is a small slip road off Eng Neo Ave and to get to Mimo, you need to go through the saddle club so watch out for the horses! The interior and furnishing is reminiscent of a quirky black and white pop up book (where the pictures pop up when you flip the pages). Most interesting.
Poached Egg & Crispy Bacon Salad - Stiff bacon, fresh greens and an overly cooked poached egg - nothing impressive, coming across as average at best and something I could easily whip up at home myself.
Streaky Bacon - As with the bacon found in the salad, this was grilled to a stiff crisp. From the looks and taste of it, it probably came straight from a packet off the supermarket shelf.
Sauteed Mushrooms - Served up with onions, the mushrooms were tasty but overly oily. Kinda icky to be chowing down slicker than normal mushrooms honestly.
Croque Madame - Yet another lacklustre dish, the brioche wasn't flaky or buttery enough and the whole thing tasted like McDonald's egg Mcmuffin. Not that I dislike egg Mcmuffins or anything but 15 bucks is a little too much to pay for fast food wouldn't you think so?
Mimo Beef Burger - I had high hopes for the burger but as pretty as it looked, it failed to impress. Topped with sun dried tomatoes and a layer of parmesan crisp, that's where the compliments end. The patty seemed to be machine chopped from its texture and was a little dry and bland. The buns were run off the mill but I personally took to the side of sweet potato and purple potato chips, which were lightly seasoned with salt for an undeniable indulgence.
French Toasts - I secretly hoped that desserts would salvage the situation and they did, to a certain extent. The french toasts were rather spongy on the inside yet a little crisp along the edges with a hint of cinnamon. Add a dollop of butter and some honey and you are all set! Far from being the best I've had, but relatively a gem at Mimo.
Coconut Pancakes - The pancakes were nicely crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside with coconut shreds in attendance. The honey was decent but a little too watered down in my humble opinion.
The respite, albeit brief, was much appreciated. I can't say the same for the food and price though, having spent just over $160 for brunch for 3. Food in general was average at best but desserts performed a little better, weighing in at just slightly above average. Service was okay but a little clueless at times. With such a value proposition, I can hardly find any reason to return. Can you?
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Arranged to meet up with a friend over dinner at Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine (or ITFCC for short), purportedly the crème de la crème of the Imperial Treasure group of restaurants, which of course explains the choice of location - Marina Bay Sands.
Situated alongside the celebrity restaurants on the second floor of the Marina Bay Sands shopping arcade, ITFCC's decor is reminiscent of its sister restaurant, Imperial Treasure Cantonese - modern classical with lots of glass and sombre colours.
Roasted Pork - We started off with a well known dish from the Imperial Treasure group - roasted pork, which had a good fat to meat ratio with a crisp top. Unfortunately, it wasn't served warm and that marred the experience quite a bit.
Roasted Duck - Roast goose wasn't in the menu so we had to make do with duck instead. Lean crisp skin coupled with succulent and not too gamy flesh made for a good eat. I still prefer goose though.
Sauteed Prawns with Italian White Truffle Oil - My usual order of scallops was out so the wait staff recommended substituting with prawn balls, which on paper, sounded equally enticing. But in reality, the truffle oil just didn't gel that well with the prawns however huge and crunchy they were.
Four Types of Vegetables with Oyster Sauce - Basically the kitchen chooses what four varieties of vegetables you will be getting based on what's available on that particular day. Served up with slightly starchy oyster sauce. Decent.
Yong Chow Fried Rice - Apart from the plentiful prawns and char siew (BBQ pork), I couldn't find any other reasons to like this dish. Lacking in wok hei and tasting flat throughout, the fried rice looked the part but failed to deliver.
Durian Pudding - A sweet and smooth ending to the meal and probably the highlight of the dinner. At least the quality was consistent with what I had at Imperial Treasure Cantonese.
We could barely walk after the meal. Heck, we could barely even finish the meal, all at a cost of about $130 for 2. Going by what we ordered, that's not exactly cheap and I certainly wouldn't consider it value for money for the quality of food. Don't get me wrong, the meal wasn't bad. In fact it was above average but personally I just felt it didn't warrant such a price tag. Especially since Imperial Treasure Cantonese @ Crowne Plaza can produce better food at that price point.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Michelin starred Daniel Boulud recently opened a branch of his award winning DB Bistro Moderne (originally from New York), at the Marina Bay Sands Singapore. This top rated French- American bistro, in the words of Daniel Boulud, aims to provide Singaporeans with a "convivial, delicious and affordable" experience.
The place is reminiscent of a typical Parisian bistro with its "sidewalk" seating and striking red booth seats at the corner. Coupled with dark tones and cream backed chairs, the whole setting presented itself as soothing with a tinge of formalness. And tables are spaced far apart enough to ensure privacy during conversation, but get the booth seats if you can or the "sidewalk" seats if you are somewhat of a voyeur or enjoy being gawked at.
The Original DB Burger -
Is it just me or is the size of the patty a little on the large side? Alright, large is a ridiculous understatement. The entire burger looked absolutely lopsided in favour of the beef (no complaints though!) and the buns, nothing more than puny pieces of window dressing. I asked for my patty to be done medium and it honestly looked rare but I attribute that to the sirloin short ribs being braised in red wine. Taste wise, the patty had the makings of a good burger - inherent beefy taste, juicy with bits of fat and a nice mildly uneven texture. It's only pitfall(s)? The absence of any foie gras taste (I see it, but I don't taste it) and the copious amount of salt that went into it. I like salt but trust me, this was salty. Not salty enough to keep me and my continuously refilled glass of iced water from polishing up every last morsel of it though. Ironically, the fries could have done with some salt but I guess the serving of mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup sufficed.
Profiteroles au Cafe - I am quite a fan of this classic French dessert and when I learnt that it was going to be drenched in chocolate syrup, I was sold instantly! And boy oh boy, was it drenched in chocolate. The profiteroles were stuffed with coffee rocky road ice cream, marshmallows, nuts and covered with a thin layer of chocolate. Hot chocolate sauce was then poured slowly over to melt the chocolate and coat the profiteroles were a thick layer of decadent, happiness inducing chocolate syrup. The richness of chocolate coupled with a smooth strong coffee taste - very good. Just don't consume too much as it might prove overwhelming hence the magic number of 3 per serving (I ate 4 and it really got to me).
On my part, I paid about $62 for a belly bursting brunch in a nice environment, great company and great service. My burger was decent, just too salty but the profiteroles were sinfully good. I'm not sure the burger warrants the hefty price tag of $38 though, seeing that I can probably get similar quality at Mortons and Spruce at a lower price or a significantly higher value ratio at Smokinn Frogz. However, if you are of the opinion that $38 is small change, you are more than welcome to indulge in it and for something more luxurious, there is the black truffle variant, which costs a cool $88 and is available only during dinner.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Amici, which means friends in Italian, has been around for quite a while but we've never really gotten down to trying it even though there have been quite a number of favourable reviews circulating around on the internet. That changed when we popped by the Holland Village area to buy some baking supplies and decided to give Amici a shot.
Finding the place takes some navigation skills as the place around it seems to be under construction which makes it hard to see the place until you actually walk near it. There is a small al fresco area but I wouldn't recommend that especially if you go in the afternoon and with all the construction going on. The seemingly narrow air conditioned interior lets loose a cosy vibe but watch out for the too close for comfort table spacing and the unforgiving air circulation system which will have you smelling of food within minutes.
Complimentary Bread - We got off to a nice start with the warm and crusty complimentary bread that had pockets of what seemed like cranberries. Mildly sweet and comforting.
Carbonara - The carbonara wasn't al dente but on the upside, it didn't come across as too rich which toned down the nausea inducing factor. The plentiful bacon pieces were a plus as well.
Squid Ink Pasta - Apparently a specialty at Amici, the squid ink pasta was the drenched in squid ink variant, not the made from squid ink kind, of which the latter I personally prefer. I could make out a noticeable tartness in the pasta ( I assume they probably tossed the pasta in tomato sauce first before dunking it in squid ink) which did make it more appetising. What caught my attention was the delectable pieces of cod fish that were crisp on the outside and exuded a natural sweetness from within. There was also a generous serving of squid rings which served to up the chewy factor.
Tiramisu - The desserts were certainly the stars of the evening and it started with tiramisu, which had a great sponge to mascarpone ratio. The sponge wasn't overly soaked in coffee but where's the alcohol?! Still very good though and if there's any reason I'll return to Amici, this would be it!
Cappuccino Cake - I'm no big fan of coffee but this dessert surprised me. 5 layers of sponge compacted with a thin layer of wafer in between - firm in texture with a sweet hint of coffee. The ice cream that came alongside didn't gel with me though, seeing that it was literally milk solidified and came across as overpowering.
Through the use of a voucher, we had the cheaper main course free, which brought our bill to a more manageable $56 for a 2 pax lunch. Reasonable I may say, but I'll probably only be back for the desserts. Service was decent but then again, the place wasn't packed so it's probably not a good gauge.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Had dinner at Ootoya, a casual Japanese restaurant chain with outlets in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, HK, Indonesia and more recently, Singapore. I've seen the outlets in Tokyo, but it never really occurred to me to try them out, especially with no dearth of excellent food options there.
With its discreet and minimalistic frontage, Ootoya could well be mistaken for an upclass Japanese restaurant. But walk in and be greeted by a casual, almost cafe like amostphere complete with shouts of Japanese greeting and a long U shape table (a little like a teppanyaki table except that this one doesn't have a chef standing in front of you preparing food) and small "semi private" rooms for those who have a bigger group (which we were lucky to get).
Charcoal Grilled Pork with Special Sauce ($16) - To be honest, how exciting can grilled pork get? But I was quite taken aback by how well Ootoya grilled its generous pieces of hog - Relatively tender with grilled lines to show for it and a flittering taste of charcoal smokiness. Coupled with plump, mildly sticky rice grains, it made for a wonderful combination.
Banana Parfait ($8) - I am rather skeptical about Japanese desserts as they always seem to prefer form (aesthetics) over substance (might be a misconception). Ootoya's Banana Parfait sought to realign that misconception with a surprisingly good and sweet ending to my meal. The parfait didn't come across as too gelatin and sat on a bed of azuki beans which hinted of coffee. 2 small slices of banana and sponge completed the picture.
Overall I spent about $28 for a wonderful dinner inclusive of free flow green tea. Well worth the money in my humble opinion and definitely worth a revisit.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
It was one of those quiet weekday evenings that we headed to town to grab a bite while running some errands. Chinese food was on the list and Tang Dian Wang (汤点王)seemed decent enough for us to pop by for dinner. This Shanghainese restaurant is owned by the folks who brought you New York New York, Xin Wang HK Cafe, Thai Express etc - restaurants that leave much to be desired in my humble opinion. But hey, life is full of second (or maybe third or fourth) chances.
Prominently situated amongst the ring of eateries that circle the Fountain of Wealth in the basement, Tang Dian Wang practises a open dining concept where passers by and customers alike are free to let their gaze roam. The decor is decidedly modern Chinese with a nod to tradition in the form of round laterns hanging from the ceiling. During our visit, the place was barely a quarter full, though I can't say the same for weekends.
Roasted Meat & Salted Egg Fragrant Rice in Lotus Wrappers (烧肉咸蛋荷叶饭) - I don't usually order rice in lotus leaf wraps (荷叶饭) when dining out because of the high oil content but apparently Tang Dian Wang is known for it so I made an exception. Oily as usual but moist with a nice lingering aroma. However I did find the roasted meat way too fatty for my liking and overall a little too bland for my liking. Decent but nothing fantastic.
Prawns with Golden Pumpkin Sauce (金瓜奶虾球) - Initial impressions of this dish were good as the prawns were crunchy with a crisp along the edges due to the light batter coating. But it soon became nausea inducing due to the starchy and bland pumpkin sauce that masked any sweetness the prawns might have to offer. Overall a rather insipid dish.
Deep-fried Bean Curd with Bak Kwa (炸肉干豆腐) - The bean curd with bak kwa (dried meat jerky) was a let down honestly. Deep fried till crisp on the outside but lacking the smoothness that I was expecting. Granted, I could make out tiny shards of bak kwa embedded within but they were too little, too small to have any impact on the dish. Although bean curd is one of my favourite dishes, I gave up after the second piece.
Sauteed Horfun with Seafood - The humble horfun(河粉) was the most unlikely star of the evening with its silky smoothness and hint of wok hei. Another plus point was the relatively fresh seafood that it came served with. On the flip side, I did think that the egg gravy was a little too starchy for my liking, which added to the nausea from the earlier dishes.
The 2 of us chalked up a bill of about $65 for dinner which I felt was a little pricey given the quality of food. Every seemed to be heavy on the starch/flour which made me squeamish after a while. Service was okay but that's not enough reason for me to ever step in again.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Specialty burger stalls are a dime a dozen these days so I procrastinated in trying out the one of the latest burger offering at Most Original Burgers (MOB for short) even though I am quite a sucker for new burger outlets. I was finally swayed when MOB ran a joint promotion with a website to offer a set meal at a discounted rate (cheapo me!)
The location isn't ideal, tucked away in a nondescript corner of Vivo City, along a small section of eateries that include the more illustrious Tung Lok Signatures. The decor reminds me of a typical fast food type casual eatery usually associated with the likes of the big M and slightly more "upclass" offerings like New York New York (yucks!).
Wild Mushroom Soup - A little runny but the generous chunks of mushroom more than made up for it. The reduced usage of cream as an ingredient was a welcome change and overall a decent rendition of this classic soup.
The Goodfellas - The Goodfellas actually refer to a trio of mini burgers, selected by the customer from a preset list of flavours/combinations. Yours truly chose the safest option - Classic Beef, Philly Cheese Steak and Grilled Chicken, all on MOB's signature brioche. Aesthetics wise, this dish as a whole was rather pleasing to the eye and the brioche came linked together, which I personally found a tad amusing. It didn't taste like the brioche I knew and instead, carried a hint of beer in every bite. And it was rather dry. I thought that the classic beef, which came in the form of a ball, was quite decent but a tad dry. The philly was just way tough and I couldn't quite make out the taste of cheese even though it was visually very evident. Nothing like the real deal from Philadelphia. Best of the lot was the grilled chicken, which had a nice smokiness to it that I personally like. It also helped that the meat was tender.
Grilled Oregano Chicken - This dish seemed like a super sized up version of the grilled chicken burger and no, I'm definitely not complaining. Nicely grilled and tender with a sizeable portion to boot, the chicken was well complimented by the oregano and pommery mustard sauce, which imbued a rich saltiness to it.
Waffle with Ice Cream - Crisp but a little too hard. And the ice cream tasted like hardened milk, lacking the usual richness I would expect even from lower end brands like Kings, which is easily available at most supermarkets. I ate a quarter and gave up.
Apparently my set (mushroom soup good fellas waffle & ice cream drink) would have cost in excess of $40 without the voucher but I only paid $17, which I personally thought was still within the reasonable range. But have me pay the original price for the set and its definitely a big no no. Also, I'm not sure the grilled chicken was worth the $18.90 . Overall it is my personal judgment that this place falls into the same category as Swensens and the likes - not worth a revisit.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
We were enticed by the $1 soya sauce chicken offer dangled by Canton-i in conjunction with DBS credit cards. Us and a ton of other people as well, judging by the long queue that had formed by 6pm on a Saturday evening. If you are not interested in queuing, reservations would probably be recommended.
Hailing from neighbouring Malaysia, Canton-i's Singapore outlet is located on the 3rd level of swanky ION Orchard. The interior is awash in white with hues of red radiating from bird cage lamps hanging from the ceiling - traditional in a fun sort of way. Wooden tables and chairs complete the whole outlook.
Roasted Meat Combination - The roasted meats (烧腊) are apparently a signature of Canton-i. And it's honestly not difficult to understand why. The BBQ pork (叉烧) was literally melt in your mouth with a high fat to meat ratio (50%-50%). Absolutely heart stopping (literally!) but simply delightful, especially with the little charred bits along the edges and the robust sweet sauce that didn't overwhelm.
I wasn't too taken by the Roasted pork (烧肉) though, seeing that I've had better ones at Imperial Treasure Cantonese. That's not to say it wasn't any good though. The skin had a noticeable (and audible!) crisp but as the fat to meat ratio was very high, it left a greasy aftertaste in my mouth which was a little overbearing in my humble opinion.
Soya Sauce Chicken - Call us cheapo but this was the main reason why we were at Canton-i; for the $1 soya sauce chicken. And what a disappointment it turned out to be. The meat was tender but I honestly didn't find it anything out of the ordinary. It tasted like chicken with a hint of sugar sweetness, which sort of defied my preconceived notion that soya sauce chicken should be salty. I probably haven't eaten much soya sauce chicken to know but it wasn't exactly my cup of tea.
Long Beans Fried with Minced Pork - Not many places do this dish well and Canton-i falls into the minority. The long bean was fried till crunchy while retaining a wee bit of moisture, boasting a wonderful hint of wok hei and topped with savoury minced pork. An excellent dish, but only if you aren't adverse to oil.
Beancurd with Luffa (Loofah) in Abalone Sauce - This is the first time I've ever eaten luffa/loofah (胜瓜) and I must say that it was rather interesting. Soft with a mildly raw vegetable taste that hits you towards the end. I can't say that I'm a fan of it but I wouldn't mind having another go at it, especially when paired with the flavourful and not too starchy abalone sauce. The beancurd was egg based and came across as smooth and silky. Pity about the lack of savouriness though.
The 3 of us chalked up a bill of about $82, which was honestly a little on the high side considering that the soya sauce chicken was a mere $1. Sky juice is chargeable at $1 /pax and so are the wet towels and tidbits, all pretty much standard stuff at a Chinese restaurant (save for the water though but they do tell you upfront that it's not free). However, the quality of food is undeniable and service is decent, making it a viable, albeit pricier alternative to Imperial Treasure Noodle & Congee House a couple of floors down.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given: