Since I dun own a car, public transport to me is very important. Ever since they keep increasing their fare every year, my expectation for them is also getting higher and higher.
Since around my work place, I have to take SBS bus to work every weekeday. I ahve to say that I am quite happy with the bus conditions. However they can work on the bus frequencies, like the bus supposed to come in every 5 mins during peak hours but then one bus decided to come earlier, and the bus will be pretty empty. Then the next bus that came on time, will be damned packed as the waiting time for the bus is longer.
I do find sometimes the bus a bit dirty as well but then if everyone of us take good care of it, I think the bus will be cleaner and no need to wait for the cleaners to clean the buses.
I am quite happy with the IRIS service as now I will always use it to find out how long does it take the next bus to arrive to the bus stop. I does cut down my waiting time as well. However the sms service only limited to Singtel users oly so I cannot use it.
Only 1 request, stop asking to increase fare every year and buck up on the frequency and condition of the buses.
I have been a Hubber for sometime now and I am happy to say that I made the right choice to sign up with them.
MaxOnline for me is really good and cheap. They had been giving us more bandwidth from time to time as well. I seldom had any problem with connection.
I hooked it up to a wireless router so that I can use my laptop anywhere in my flat and it proved to be good. I mainly use it for work and school wise and dun really play online games with it. So to me the speed is really more then enough.
Being a Hubber I got 10% discount some more. So I really find it a good deal!
Mention Italian restaurants and Senso, Garibaldi, IL Lido etc come to mind almost immediately. These are a few the big players in the Italian dining scene and most people would have probably heard of some, if not all of them. However, these restaurants only form one half of the spectrum - the fine dining portion. The other half, which is the casual dining portion, is made up of restaurants relatively unknown to most people (I happen to fall into this category). Here's where Romano Ristorante comes into the picture. Branded as a casual Italian restaurant (the first I've seen), Romano is wedged between a row of shops in the sleepy estate of Thomson Hills.
The casual branding is obvious the moment you step into the restaurant. The place looks more like a pizza house with its wide walkways, rough granite floors and homely atmosphere. To complete the picture, the solitary waitress is dressed up in a polo t shirt and a pair of jeans. Pets are allowed as well!
The Bruschetta was a little different from the usual ones that I've come across. Interestingly, the base was garlic bread and the diced tomatoes were loaded on top after the garlic bread had been toasted. Surprisingly, the bread was really well made, soft and fluffy on the inside yet retaining a little crisp on the outside. Very unlike normal garlic bread which tends to be hard along the edges. In case you are wondering if the combination of garlic and tomatoes go well, let me assure you that it does. The garlic taste was rather faint and not the least bit overwhelming, complementing the sweetness of the tomatoes. Only gripe I have about the Bruschetta was that the tomatoes didn't really look very fresh and wasn't as juicy as I had expected.
The calamari was coated with too much batter, rendering it a little too greasy from all the deep frying. The squid was chewy but the batter made me sick after a few mouthfuls. Luckily, the watered down tomato puree was nice and tangy without coming across as too strong, providing the sole consolation for this dish.
I was a little disappointed by the Chicken Milanese to say the very least. Coming as a recommendation on the menu sort of raised my expectations a little higher. With all its seemingly wonderful preparation methods and ingredients, it tasted nothing more than a slab of chicken breast meat wrapped up in egg. Aesthetics wise, it portrayed a very messy image when I first set my eyes on it, with its myriad of not too well pleasing colours. Very palatable, but not something I'll order again.
An above average dish, but could have been better. The Fettuince was a wee bit too cooked (about four fifths instead of the three quarters rule of thumb) but the cream sauce was thick and tasty without being too rich. The chicken slices were nicely seasoned and grilled but was a tad too salty.
I don't really fancy Tiramisu and Romano's rendition wasn't about to change my preference though I must comment that it was one of the better ones that I've tried. I personally liked it for its fluffiness and lightness on the palate. The cream to sponge ratio was quite balanced out which made eating it rather enjoyable.
I'm sure the humble Oreo Cheesecake was never a staple Italian dessert but more of an addition to suit local tastebuds. After all, not many people can say no to an Oreo Cheesecake. Romano's offering was a little sticky yet not coming across as too cheesy. Pity about the soft Oreo wafer base though, which resulted in a loss of overall texture and form.
Plenty of decent and comforting grub for 2 pax, all for just $61, which is very worth it in my opinion. Throw in the fact that the environment is laid back, service is warm and there is no dress code and I'm a regular. Having said that, they need to work on some of their dishes though, maybe tweak their recipes a little?
You must think that I'm sick or something to enjoy and love a painful experience. But that's how I felt when I went for my first free treatment with compliment from my friend. She has been with them for many years, and I must say her face is very well maintained and never needed a speck of make-up. Simple and clean. And now I know why.
My first step at the entrance of the place and I was totally amazed but how big the place is. It looks posh and stylish. Using black as their main color, it brings out the modernest of the place. Angel Sky is a one-stop place for all woman who loves to be pampered. There's a movie room, a gym, a spa, a relax corner with many music CDs for our entertainment, an oxygen bar, reading corner, full shower facilities and so much more. (There's 2 levels but I haven't explored what's the the basement yet.) You can spend an entire day recharging and relaxing.
There were many rooms in the big place and each room can fit in 4 ladies. Great for a girls day out with girlfriends. I also saw smaller rooms for those who prefer to be in private.
My first trial session was by Kathy. She was very nice and friendly. She tells me where I need to pay attention to and taught me what I can do on my own to improve my super bad skin condition now. She wasn't at any one time trying to hard sell their services to me during the whole facial experience. I tried their Diamond-Lite treatment today. It helped lift my face, cleans off my dirt and oil from the face and removes the finer zits. This is done using this suction machine with a tip casted with small diamonds. She did my right side first to show me the difference before and after the treatment, and I did see a great difference. After the treatment, she started picking on my pimples, which was the painful part. I had tears in my eyes and when she did it to the huge one just next to my left eye, I almost cried out. But hey! No pain no gain ya. Have to take the pain if one wants to be pretty. (Pain or not also depends on the level of tolerance for individual. For me, I have the lowest tolerance of pain. So this part might not be that painful as I've described lah!) After the picking, Kathy trimmed my eyebrow and then put on a cold mask and a second layer of oxygen mask. It refreshed my entire face and it was nice.
I must say this is the better free trial facial I had. So good that I was already considering signing up with them when I was resting with the masks on my face. And guess what, with all the additional free sessions and services thrown in, I signed up as a VIP on the spot! Kinda crazy but I just couldn't resists the 30% discount for first timers and the extras thrown in.
I highly recommend Angel Sky to all of you out there. (Not just for the ladies, but for the guys too!)
If you want to give Angel Sky a try yourself, let me know and I'll get a free trial for you too. (Limited invitations only. While invites last.) So drop me a message soon yio.
I used to watch Popeye the Sailor Man when I was a kid. Who could ever forget the spinach munching strong man and the ridiculous feats he could achieve? Well, fast forward to the present where the Popeye fad is long gone and all that's left is a restaurant with the same name selling fast food and showing Popeye cartoons on a small television set. In case you have the impression that this fast food outlet is hidden in an obscure corner rotting away, let me assure you that it's not. Queues can grow to as long as 10 people and waiting times can be about 20-25mins (largely in part due to the slow staff).
Located on the third level of Changi Airport Terminal 1, Popeyes looks every bit your typical fast food restaurant. Loud colours with pictures of food plastered on the billboards behind. Nothing too fanciful. The seating area is shared amongst the other F&B tenants in the same section.
I had the 2 piece chicken, which was really well done. The skin was dry, crispy and tasty on the outside while a little oily on the inside. The meat was tender but could have been slightly juicer though. This definitely beats KFC's offering hands down anytime. The accompanying biscuit was nicely done, fragrant and crumbly with a slight hint of oven baked goodness.
The sides of mashed potato, fries and coleslaw weren't fantastic. Pretty normal if you ask me, just that the fries came with skin, which is the way fries should be (think New York Fries).
Lets face it, 15 bucks is expensive for a 4 piece chicken set with 2 drinks and 3 sides. KFC would probably cost 12 bucks for the same set. Do note that Popeye charges you 50 cents for every 2 pieces of chicken parts that you specifically request for. So then is it worth it? In my opinion, definitely.
This used to my family's favorite place for dinner or supper. For me, I can eat it everyday and will never get tired of it!
Alishan serves delicious Taiwan porridge and the wide variety of dishes just make eating porridge so much more delicious and satisfying. There are 2 types of porridge for selection, the normal plain one and the sweet potato porridge. Both at the same price - just 50cents. And the dishes price ranges from $1.50 to $12 each.
My usual order includes the steamed sotong and the chai poh egg. The steamed sotong is chewy and fresh. Dipped it into the accompanying sweet sauce and eat it together with a spoonful of porridge. Simply divine! (Just the thought of it makes my mouth water! And I'm craving for it now!)
And then there's the Chai Poh Egg. Just look at the size of the egg! It comes like a huge and thick pancake filled with chai poh and spring onion. The outside is slightly crispy and the inside is soft. Every bite of the egg gives you the crunch from the chai poh. Loveeee it!
With so many dishes for you to choose from, one bowl of porridge is never enough! My record was 4 bowls of piping hot sweet potato porridge. Can you beat that? Heee.
Been to Night Safari last month as a surprise for someone special and at the same time Starhub is having a promotion as well. It has been a long time since I had been there as well.
So took 138 from AMK interchange to reach there, fast and easy. Direct to the gate of Night Safari.
Once we reach there, we head for the ticketing counter and it was a breeze to buy tickets from the efficient and friendly staff.
Even before we step into Night Safrai, there is already a tribal show going on in front of the main entrance gate. They were there literaly playing with fire. Attracted a lot of crowd to stand and see them. They perform 3 times a night and definitely do their best to warm up the crowd before entering Night Safrai.
There is a few options to go when we are in Night Safrai. Me being a planner, decided that we took the tram ride 1st. The tram ride is basically an hour ride around the park, some of the places in Night Safrai is only accessible by the tram only. The presenters on the tram are really good as they correctly managed to remember almost everything in the park and even the names of the animals as well. The ride was fun except for some people that keep letting go of their flashes despite numerous reminders.
We dropped off at the half way point @ Lepord Trail. Took abt 25 mins to complete and managed to see most of the cats in action (ie moving.) Then took the tram for the 2nd half of the ride. This time round, was brought through a tropical rainforest.
After reaching the starting point, we headed towards to join the queue for the animal show, Creatures of the Night. Be warned that you better be there 30 mins beore the show starts as the queue is pretty long. A lot of kaisu peopl there already started queueing an hour before the show starts.
The show was good as all the presenters are very professional and all their animals are well trained as well. OUr show dragged a bit of time as an owl did not cooperate and decided to not to fly down so it took a bit of time to coax him to fly down. It is a must watch show in Night Safari.
After which, we contiune to walk on the remaining two trails, the Forest Giant trail and walk through a suspension bridge and the Fishing cat trail. Each also can be completed within 25 mins as well.
We ended the whole trip ard midnight and still managed to take 138 back to AMK interchange.
It is definitely one of the best attraction in Singapore. Worth to go and check it out.
Been there to watch Mr Woodcock over the weekend. Although the cinema is very near my house but then I seldom go there to watch movie unless I am with my sis or I am too lazy to go to town to watch movie.
One thing good about watching movie there, the tickets are cheaper by 50 cents compared to other cinemas.
There is also 8 cinema halls there so it offers a great variety of movies as well.
It used to have a very reception area, however after renovation, the ticketing office becomes very small and got to walk a long walkway before you can reach the ticketing office as the rest of the space is taken up by a food court.
The ticketing office is the saem as other cathay where you can get your tivkets and tibits at the same time. So might have to wait a little longer in the queue.
The seating in the cinema hall is quite spaced out but on the rather flat slope. However this does not mean that the person in front of you would be able to block you as the screen in placed higher than usual, compared to other cinemas. So when watching the movie, you might find yourself tilting your head slightly higher.
The air con is rather cold same as other cathay cinemas, so prepare yourself with a jacket if you are scare of cold.
Overall it is considered, to me, one of the better cinemas in the north region.
What can you eat for dinner at Raffles place with only $10 in your wallet? The choices seem limited, not only because of the limited eateries that are open in the evenings, but also because the eateries that stay open don't come cheap. In comes Pret A Manger, which is actually a French word for ready to eat. Newly opened and located at the ground floor of Ogilvy Centre along Robinson Road, this new kid in the sandwich scene serves up pre packed sandwiches that are freshly made every morning and thrown into the chiller to help preserve the freshness. Leftovers are donated to charity. This place works essentially like a fast food restaurant. You pick the sandwiches you want and proceed to the counter to make payment. There's quite a cozy dining area, so you can choose to eat in or take away.
There was hardly anyone around when I got there at about 1815hrs, so I made myself comfortable and grabbed two sandwiches - the Christmas Lunch and the Crayfish and Roquette. I had initially wanted to try out their specialty, the Coronation Chicken, but decided against it as I didn't want both sandwiches to have chicken in them. Actually I didn't really have much choice either as quite a few sandwiches were sold out.
First impressions of the sandwiches. Both looked rather small for the price - $3.80 for the Christmas Lunch and $3.90 for the Crayfish and Roquette. Having said that, I was impressed by the generous fillings. This is so unlike the normal sandwiches you buy from your neighbourhood bakeries. I particularly liked the Christmas Lunch, which had Turkey, Stuffing, Spinach, Crispy Onion, Cranberry Sauce and thick Mayonnaise. The Crispy Onion added a nice wholesome flavour to the sandwich, but overall I found it a little too sweet, probably because of the Mayo. The Crayfish and Roquette, as the name suggests, had Crayfish, Roquette, Lemon Juice, Mayonnaise and Yoghurt. In all honesty, the taste of the Roquette overpowered just about everything else. I was hoping for a nice and juicy crayfish, but what I got was a chilled tasteless one. But it was nice to chew on it though. Both sandwiches used wholemeal bread (I think) instead of the usual white bread, which is a plus I guess.
Overall I had a good experience there, primarily because of the very friendly and sociable staff there. The sandwiches were above average, but falls flat in the value for money segment as you would need at least 2 sandwiches to feel decently satisfied (I think I need 4). Throw in a drink and probably a soup and you would have breached the $10 mark. They do sell bigger sandwiches at $7.50 each, but its just a 10"-12"(very rough estimate, so please correct me if I am wrong) baguette with fillings, no drink, nothing. Compare that to Subway, which only charges about $7 for a sandwich with a drink and cookie. Now if Subway would just work on their variety....
Had our monthly group dinner at Bonta last evening. Opened in April this year and helmed by chef Luca Pezzera, who was formerly the executive chef at Hotel Intercontinental, Jakarta, Bonta has been garnering rather rave reviews with regard to its food and service, hence making it our choice of restaurant for the month.
Located along the outskirts of UE Square just opposite Double O, Bonta boasts a modern chic outlook coupled with warm colours, ambient lighting and soothing pipe music to give it that cosy and relaxed feel. There's also a semi private room for a few couples on the second floor complete with a showcase wine cellar for a more romantic rendezvous. However, do note that the room is all glass, so people can see you from the ground level. And in case you are wondering, Bonta is relatively small, with a sitting capacity probably maxing out at about 30 people or so.
The complimentary bread deserves a writeup devoted entirely to itself. Why so? Because its simply the best complimentary bread I've ever eaten so far (not that I've eaten alot though). The bread came served piping hot in a longish cup and when sliced open, emitted a fragrant and alluring aroma. Crispy on the outside yet soft and fluffy on the inside, the the pockets of cheese and walnuts within served to enhance its taste and bite. Really a most delightful bread. I understand that takeaway for the bread is available at $8/loaf for those who are interested (and can afford it). For cheapskates and financially struggling people like me, there's always the complimentary option.
I didn't get a chance to try out the trout rolls but I did have a go at the goose liver or Foie Gras as some people might know it. The liver was pan fried till a little crisp on the exterior yet retaining its softness within. Taste wise was pretty good, with the raw taste of liver subtle and a slight hint of smokiness. However, I did find the aftertaste a little too strong for my liking. Also, the liver wasn't as quivery as I would have expected it to be, falling short of the standards set by Ember and Il-Lido.
At $22, this dish was really expensive given that only 4 pieces of scallops were served. However, money aside, it was just a just a little short of excellent. The scallops were quite a size and came served with their shell. Pop one into your mouth and enjoy the sweetness of the scallops with the accompanying Hollandaise sauce. To best enjoy this dish (in my personal opinion), you have to consume the whole thing - lock, stock and barrel (minus the shell of course) at one go.
Ravioli with Goose Liver - Had a piece of the ravioli to try and didn't find it fantastic. I could barely make out the taste of the liver as it was almost entirely masked by the creamy sauce base.
Black Angus Beef Sirloin Tagliata - It came as requested, medium rare and nicely grilled for that subtle sweetness and char grilled flavour. However it did come across as a little weak on the natural beef taste, which was a pity really. On a side note, the accompanying Porcini mushrooms had this weird taste which I couldn't stomach.
Disappointment. The icy cold word that pierces through your heart. That was the exact emotion all of us were feeling after the dinner. It was so bad that none of us had the heart to order any desserts, preferring to head down elsewhere. Service was good and attentive except for one major blip. They got one of our orders wrong twice. In the end, my friend had to settle for something he didn't order, which really marred the entire experience for him.
The 7 of us forked out $451 for a totally unsatisfying dinner, be it quantity or quality wise. Will I be back? I'll toss a coin and let you know, but chances are, no.
Since I dun own a car, public transport to me is very important. Ever since they keep increasing their fare every year, my expectation for them is also getting higher and higher.
Since around my work place, I have to take SBS bus to work every weekeday. I ahve to say that I am quite happy with the bus conditions. However they can work on the bus frequencies, like the bus supposed to come in every 5 mins during peak hours but then one bus decided to come earlier, and the bus will be pretty empty. Then the next bus that came on time, will be damned packed as the waiting time for the bus is longer.
I do find sometimes the bus a bit dirty as well but then if everyone of us take good care of it, I think the bus will be cleaner and no need to wait for the cleaners to clean the buses.
I am quite happy with the IRIS service as now I will always use it to find out how long does it take the next bus to arrive to the bus stop. I does cut down my waiting time as well. However the sms service only limited to Singtel users oly so I cannot use it.
Only 1 request, stop asking to increase fare every year and buck up on the frequency and condition of the buses.
Rating given:
I have been a Hubber for sometime now and I am happy to say that I made the right choice to sign up with them.
MaxOnline for me is really good and cheap. They had been giving us more bandwidth from time to time as well. I seldom had any problem with connection.
I hooked it up to a wireless router so that I can use my laptop anywhere in my flat and it proved to be good. I mainly use it for work and school wise and dun really play online games with it. So to me the speed is really more then enough.
Being a Hubber I got 10% discount some more. So I really find it a good deal!
Rating given:
Mention Italian restaurants and Senso, Garibaldi, IL Lido etc come to mind almost immediately. These are a few the big players in the Italian dining scene and most people would have probably heard of some, if not all of them. However, these restaurants only form one half of the spectrum - the fine dining portion. The other half, which is the casual dining portion, is made up of restaurants relatively unknown to most people (I happen to fall into this category). Here's where Romano Ristorante comes into the picture. Branded as a casual Italian restaurant (the first I've seen), Romano is wedged between a row of shops in the sleepy estate of Thomson Hills.
The casual branding is obvious the moment you step into the restaurant. The place looks more like a pizza house with its wide walkways, rough granite floors and homely atmosphere. To complete the picture, the solitary waitress is dressed up in a polo t shirt and a pair of jeans. Pets are allowed as well!
The Bruschetta was a little different from the usual ones that I've come across. Interestingly, the base was garlic bread and the diced tomatoes were loaded on top after the garlic bread had been toasted. Surprisingly, the bread was really well made, soft and fluffy on the inside yet retaining a little crisp on the outside. Very unlike normal garlic bread which tends to be hard along the edges. In case you are wondering if the combination of garlic and tomatoes go well, let me assure you that it does. The garlic taste was rather faint and not the least bit overwhelming, complementing the sweetness of the tomatoes. Only gripe I have about the Bruschetta was that the tomatoes didn't really look very fresh and wasn't as juicy as I had expected.
The calamari was coated with too much batter, rendering it a little too greasy from all the deep frying. The squid was chewy but the batter made me sick after a few mouthfuls. Luckily, the watered down tomato puree was nice and tangy without coming across as too strong, providing the sole consolation for this dish.
I was a little disappointed by the Chicken Milanese to say the very least. Coming as a recommendation on the menu sort of raised my expectations a little higher. With all its seemingly wonderful preparation methods and ingredients, it tasted nothing more than a slab of chicken breast meat wrapped up in egg. Aesthetics wise, it portrayed a very messy image when I first set my eyes on it, with its myriad of not too well pleasing colours. Very palatable, but not something I'll order again.
An above average dish, but could have been better. The Fettuince was a wee bit too cooked (about four fifths instead of the three quarters rule of thumb) but the cream sauce was thick and tasty without being too rich. The chicken slices were nicely seasoned and grilled but was a tad too salty.
I don't really fancy Tiramisu and Romano's rendition wasn't about to change my preference though I must comment that it was one of the better ones that I've tried. I personally liked it for its fluffiness and lightness on the palate. The cream to sponge ratio was quite balanced out which made eating it rather enjoyable.
I'm sure the humble Oreo Cheesecake was never a staple Italian dessert but more of an addition to suit local tastebuds. After all, not many people can say no to an Oreo Cheesecake. Romano's offering was a little sticky yet not coming across as too cheesy. Pity about the soft Oreo wafer base though, which resulted in a loss of overall texture and form.
Plenty of decent and comforting grub for 2 pax, all for just $61, which is very worth it in my opinion. Throw in the fact that the environment is laid back, service is warm and there is no dress code and I'm a regular. Having said that, they need to work on some of their dishes though, maybe tweak their recipes a little?
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Nice painful experience, and I'm lovin' it!
You must think that I'm sick or something to enjoy and love a painful experience. But that's how I felt when I went for my first free treatment with compliment from my friend. She has been with them for many years, and I must say her face is very well maintained and never needed a speck of make-up. Simple and clean. And now I know why.
My first step at the entrance of the place and I was totally amazed but how big the place is. It looks posh and stylish. Using black as their main color, it brings out the modernest of the place. Angel Sky is a one-stop place for all woman who loves to be pampered. There's a movie room, a gym, a spa, a relax corner with many music CDs for our entertainment, an oxygen bar, reading corner, full shower facilities and so much more. (There's 2 levels but I haven't explored what's the the basement yet.) You can spend an entire day recharging and relaxing.
There were many rooms in the big place and each room can fit in 4 ladies. Great for a girls day out with girlfriends. I also saw smaller rooms for those who prefer to be in private.
My first trial session was by Kathy. She was very nice and friendly. She tells me where I need to pay attention to and taught me what I can do on my own to improve my super bad skin condition now. She wasn't at any one time trying to hard sell their services to me during the whole facial experience. I tried their Diamond-Lite treatment today. It helped lift my face, cleans off my dirt and oil from the face and removes the finer zits. This is done using this suction machine with a tip casted with small diamonds. She did my right side first to show me the difference before and after the treatment, and I did see a great difference. After the treatment, she started picking on my pimples, which was the painful part. I had tears in my eyes and when she did it to the huge one just next to my left eye, I almost cried out. But hey! No pain no gain ya. Have to take the pain if one wants to be pretty.
(Pain or not also depends on the level of tolerance for individual. For me, I have the lowest tolerance of pain. So this part might not be that painful as I've described lah!)
After the picking, Kathy trimmed my eyebrow and then put on a cold mask and a second layer of oxygen mask. It refreshed my entire face and it was nice.
I must say this is the better free trial facial I had. So good that I was already considering signing up with them when I was resting with the masks on my face. And guess what, with all the additional free sessions and services thrown in, I signed up as a VIP on the spot! Kinda crazy but I just couldn't resists the 30% discount for first timers and the extras thrown in.
I highly recommend Angel Sky to all of you out there. (Not just for the ladies, but for the guys too!)
If you want to give Angel Sky a try yourself, let me know and I'll get a free trial for you too. (Limited invitations only. While invites last.) So drop me a message soon yio.
Rating given:
I used to watch Popeye the Sailor Man when I was a kid. Who could ever forget the spinach munching strong man and the ridiculous feats he could achieve? Well, fast forward to the present where the Popeye fad is long gone and all that's left is a restaurant with the same name selling fast food and showing Popeye cartoons on a small television set. In case you have the impression that this fast food outlet is hidden in an obscure corner rotting away, let me assure you that it's not. Queues can grow to as long as 10 people and waiting times can be about 20-25mins (largely in part due to the slow staff).
Located on the third level of Changi Airport Terminal 1, Popeyes looks every bit your typical fast food restaurant. Loud colours with pictures of food plastered on the billboards behind. Nothing too fanciful. The seating area is shared amongst the other F&B tenants in the same section.
I had the 2 piece chicken, which was really well done. The skin was dry, crispy and tasty on the outside while a little oily on the inside. The meat was tender but could have been slightly juicer though. This definitely beats KFC's offering hands down anytime. The accompanying biscuit was nicely done, fragrant and crumbly with a slight hint of oven baked goodness.
The sides of mashed potato, fries and coleslaw weren't fantastic. Pretty normal if you ask me, just that the fries came with skin, which is the way fries should be (think New York Fries).
Lets face it, 15 bucks is expensive for a 4 piece chicken set with 2 drinks and 3 sides. KFC would probably cost 12 bucks for the same set. Do note that Popeye charges you 50 cents for every 2 pieces of chicken parts that you specifically request for. So then is it worth it? In my opinion, definitely.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
This used to my family's favorite place for dinner or supper. For me, I can eat it everyday and will never get tired of it!
Alishan serves delicious Taiwan porridge and the wide variety of dishes just make eating porridge so much more delicious and satisfying. There are 2 types of porridge for selection, the normal plain one and the sweet potato porridge. Both at the same price - just 50cents. And the dishes price ranges from $1.50 to $12 each.
My usual order includes the steamed sotong and the chai poh egg. The steamed sotong is chewy and fresh. Dipped it into the accompanying sweet sauce and eat it together with a spoonful of porridge. Simply divine! (Just the thought of it makes my mouth water! And I'm craving for it now!)
And then there's the Chai Poh Egg. Just look at the size of the egg! It comes like a huge and thick pancake filled with chai poh and spring onion. The outside is slightly crispy and the inside is soft. Every bite of the egg gives you the crunch from the chai poh. Loveeee it!
With so many dishes for you to choose from, one bowl of porridge is never enough! My record was 4 bowls of piping hot sweet potato porridge. Can you beat that? Heee.
Rating given:
Been to Night Safari last month as a surprise for someone special and at the same time Starhub is having a promotion as well. It has been a long time since I had been there as well.
So took 138 from AMK interchange to reach there, fast and easy. Direct to the gate of Night Safari.
Once we reach there, we head for the ticketing counter and it was a breeze to buy tickets from the efficient and friendly staff.
Even before we step into Night Safrai, there is already a tribal show going on in front of the main entrance gate. They were there literaly playing with fire. Attracted a lot of crowd to stand and see them. They perform 3 times a night and definitely do their best to warm up the crowd before entering Night Safrai.
There is a few options to go when we are in Night Safrai. Me being a planner, decided that we took the tram ride 1st. The tram ride is basically an hour ride around the park, some of the places in Night Safrai is only accessible by the tram only. The presenters on the tram are really good as they correctly managed to remember almost everything in the park and even the names of the animals as well. The ride was fun except for some people that keep letting go of their flashes despite numerous reminders.
We dropped off at the half way point @ Lepord Trail. Took abt 25 mins to complete and managed to see most of the cats in action (ie moving.) Then took the tram for the 2nd half of the ride. This time round, was brought through a tropical rainforest.
After reaching the starting point, we headed towards to join the queue for the animal show, Creatures of the Night. Be warned that you better be there 30 mins beore the show starts as the queue is pretty long. A lot of kaisu peopl there already started queueing an hour before the show starts.
The show was good as all the presenters are very professional and all their animals are well trained as well. OUr show dragged a bit of time as an owl did not cooperate and decided to not to fly down so it took a bit of time to coax him to fly down. It is a must watch show in Night Safari.
After which, we contiune to walk on the remaining two trails, the Forest Giant trail and walk through a suspension bridge and the Fishing cat trail. Each also can be completed within 25 mins as well.
We ended the whole trip ard midnight and still managed to take 138 back to AMK interchange.
It is definitely one of the best attraction in Singapore. Worth to go and check it out.
Rating given:
Been there to watch Mr Woodcock over the weekend. Although the cinema is very near my house but then I seldom go there to watch movie unless I am with my sis or I am too lazy to go to town to watch movie.
One thing good about watching movie there, the tickets are cheaper by 50 cents compared to other cinemas.
There is also 8 cinema halls there so it offers a great variety of movies as well.
It used to have a very reception area, however after renovation, the ticketing office becomes very small and got to walk a long walkway before you can reach the ticketing office as the rest of the space is taken up by a food court.
The ticketing office is the saem as other cathay where you can get your tivkets and tibits at the same time. So might have to wait a little longer in the queue.
The seating in the cinema hall is quite spaced out but on the rather flat slope. However this does not mean that the person in front of you would be able to block you as the screen in placed higher than usual, compared to other cinemas. So when watching the movie, you might find yourself tilting your head slightly higher.
The air con is rather cold same as other cathay cinemas, so prepare yourself with a jacket if you are scare of cold.
Overall it is considered, to me, one of the better cinemas in the north region.
Rating given:
What can you eat for dinner at Raffles place with only $10 in your wallet? The choices seem limited, not only because of the limited eateries that are open in the evenings, but also because the eateries that stay open don't come cheap. In comes Pret A Manger, which is actually a French word for ready to eat. Newly opened and located at the ground floor of Ogilvy Centre along Robinson Road, this new kid in the sandwich scene serves up pre packed sandwiches that are freshly made every morning and thrown into the chiller to help preserve the freshness. Leftovers are donated to charity. This place works essentially like a fast food restaurant. You pick the sandwiches you want and proceed to the counter to make payment. There's quite a cozy dining area, so you can choose to eat in or take away.
There was hardly anyone around when I got there at about 1815hrs, so I made myself comfortable and grabbed two sandwiches - the Christmas Lunch and the Crayfish and Roquette. I had initially wanted to try out their specialty, the Coronation Chicken, but decided against it as I didn't want both sandwiches to have chicken in them. Actually I didn't really have much choice either as quite a few sandwiches were sold out.
First impressions of the sandwiches. Both looked rather small for the price - $3.80 for the Christmas Lunch and $3.90 for the Crayfish and Roquette. Having said that, I was impressed by the generous fillings. This is so unlike the normal sandwiches you buy from your neighbourhood bakeries. I particularly liked the Christmas Lunch, which had Turkey, Stuffing, Spinach, Crispy Onion, Cranberry Sauce and thick Mayonnaise. The Crispy Onion added a nice wholesome flavour to the sandwich, but overall I found it a little too sweet, probably because of the Mayo. The Crayfish and Roquette, as the name suggests, had Crayfish, Roquette, Lemon Juice, Mayonnaise and Yoghurt. In all honesty, the taste of the Roquette overpowered just about everything else. I was hoping for a nice and juicy crayfish, but what I got was a chilled tasteless one. But it was nice to chew on it though. Both sandwiches used wholemeal bread (I think) instead of the usual white bread, which is a plus I guess.
Overall I had a good experience there, primarily because of the very friendly and sociable staff there. The sandwiches were above average, but falls flat in the value for money segment as you would need at least 2 sandwiches to feel decently satisfied (I think I need 4). Throw in a drink and probably a soup and you would have breached the $10 mark. They do sell bigger sandwiches at $7.50 each, but its just a 10"-12"(very rough estimate, so please correct me if I am wrong) baguette with fillings, no drink, nothing. Compare that to Subway, which only charges about $7 for a sandwich with a drink and cookie. Now if Subway would just work on their variety....
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Had our monthly group dinner at Bonta last evening. Opened in April this year and helmed by chef Luca Pezzera, who was formerly the executive chef at Hotel Intercontinental, Jakarta, Bonta has been garnering rather rave reviews with regard to its food and service, hence making it our choice of restaurant for the month.
Located along the outskirts of UE Square just opposite Double O, Bonta boasts a modern chic outlook coupled with warm colours, ambient lighting and soothing pipe music to give it that cosy and relaxed feel. There's also a semi private room for a few couples on the second floor complete with a showcase wine cellar for a more romantic rendezvous. However, do note that the room is all glass, so people can see you from the ground level. And in case you are wondering, Bonta is relatively small, with a sitting capacity probably maxing out at about 30 people or so.
The complimentary bread deserves a writeup devoted entirely to itself. Why so? Because its simply the best complimentary bread I've ever eaten so far (not that I've eaten alot though). The bread came served piping hot in a longish cup and when sliced open, emitted a fragrant and alluring aroma. Crispy on the outside yet soft and fluffy on the inside, the the pockets of cheese and walnuts within served to enhance its taste and bite. Really a most delightful bread. I understand that takeaway for the bread is available at $8/loaf for those who are interested (and can afford it). For cheapskates and financially struggling people like me, there's always the complimentary option.
I didn't get a chance to try out the trout rolls but I did have a go at the goose liver or Foie Gras as some people might know it. The liver was pan fried till a little crisp on the exterior yet retaining its softness within. Taste wise was pretty good, with the raw taste of liver subtle and a slight hint of smokiness. However, I did find the aftertaste a little too strong for my liking. Also, the liver wasn't as quivery as I would have expected it to be, falling short of the standards set by Ember and Il-Lido.
At $22, this dish was really expensive given that only 4 pieces of scallops were served. However, money aside, it was just a just a little short of excellent. The scallops were quite a size and came served with their shell. Pop one into your mouth and enjoy the sweetness of the scallops with the accompanying Hollandaise sauce. To best enjoy this dish (in my personal opinion), you have to consume the whole thing - lock, stock and barrel (minus the shell of course) at one go.
Ravioli with Goose Liver - Had a piece of the ravioli to try and didn't find it fantastic. I could barely make out the taste of the liver as it was almost entirely masked by the creamy sauce base.
Black Angus Beef Sirloin Tagliata - It came as requested, medium rare and nicely grilled for that subtle sweetness and char grilled flavour. However it did come across as a little weak on the natural beef taste, which was a pity really. On a side note, the accompanying Porcini mushrooms had this weird taste which I couldn't stomach.
Disappointment. The icy cold word that pierces through your heart. That was the exact emotion all of us were feeling after the dinner. It was so bad that none of us had the heart to order any desserts, preferring to head down elsewhere. Service was good and attentive except for one major blip. They got one of our orders wrong twice. In the end, my friend had to settle for something he didn't order, which really marred the entire experience for him.
The 7 of us forked out $451 for a totally unsatisfying dinner, be it quantity or quality wise. Will I be back? I'll toss a coin and let you know, but chances are, no.
See all my pictures here
Rating given: