Thanks to Korean TV drama series such as Winter Sonata, 大长今, 朱蒙神话 & the like, Korean grocery marts have been popping up all over the place.
& one of the newest ones in town is Seoul Mart, located in Parkway Parade's Basement 1, right next to Cold Storage.
Much like any other Korean mini market, they stock a variety of instant noodles, various condiments, prepackaged Kimchi in varying sizes, etc. at pretty affordable prices. As their shop space is quite small, other marts may offer more products in comparison.
The first box of Kimchi I purchased happened to suffer from an uneven spread of spices, resulting in certain portions being zestier than the rest. This problem could be rectified oneself simply by mixing the Kimchi up before serving, I suppose.
Their selection of frozen meats for BBQ purposes come at around SGD 6 per pack (depending on the type/cut of meat), which is really cheap compared to how much you'd pay for a much smaller portion at a Korean restaurant. Do note that you have to purchase the marinade (SGD 10 , good for roughly 4 packs of meat) separately & DIY at home (just dump them together in a container & leave them in the fridge overnight). They may also run out of stock at times, so it's probably a good idea to call ahead & check to prevent a wasted trip.
The staffs are Koreans, which makes understanding them a tad difficult at times, but nevertheless they are friendly & helpful. One of them even taught me that the simple addition of a bit of kiwi fruit to the marinating meat would result in a much tastier dish.
Lastly, do remember to visit the ATM first if your purchase is gonna add up to less than SGD 30 - that's the minimum amount required to be able to use NETS at this joint.
If you're hankering for a bit of Kimchi to go with your beer, why not give them a visit?
Astons serves steaks that are pretty good & inexpensive.
9 times out of 10, you'd probably be paying a lot more for steaks that aren't half as tender & tasty as theirs at other steakhouses or the like.
Besides, Astons’ selection of side orders is very extensive, & the fries alone are worth 5 stars. Alas, for some strange reason, their House Salad turned out to be broccoli & broccoli alone, which was somewhat disappointing.
Raymen, who ordered the Black Pepper Chicken, commented that the black pepper sauce totally overwhelmed the chicken's natural flavour; to such an extent that the meat could've come from any animal & the dish would've tasted the same.
Well, I guess that's what you get from ordering a chicken dish in a steakhouse (I made the same mistake once, ordering a mutton dish in Lawry's).
Good food at great prices, this joint would've deserved 5 stars... sadly; Astons' Achilles' heel is their service.
For sure, they are inundated with customers... yet, is that sufficient reason for substandard service?
When the missus & I first patronised this establishment, my Porterhouse Steak was served in plenty quick time (thanks to their practice of taking orders whilst their clients are still queuing). Halfway through my cut of meat, her steak hadn't arrived, & we asked a waiter to help check our order.
The same request was repeated 3 times to the same waiter over a span of half an hour or so, during which the dude never got back to us. Only finally when the missus lost her temper (I devoured my steak long afore) & told him to cancel her order, did he reply that her steak was ready & about to be served.
What can I say; a hungry woman is an angry woman... & she was heavily pregnant at that time.
The missus demanded that her order be cancelled all the same, & left in a huff. What started out as a happy night out turned sour, as such things are wont to do.
Thankfully, the nightmarish scene wasn't repeated today... though they did miss out on one of our IBC Root Beers even after the manager confirmed our order, & some other poor chap's steak ended up at our table just before we left (the waiter seemed skeptical when we told him that the steak wasn't ours, until I exclaimed that since it was for free, I'd be glad to accept it all the same).
claudsaid: Agree with you. Service standards should never be compromised. It applies to all establishments, big or small. Customers are always right. :) 28 Oct 2007 at 1:30 pm
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If you're the sort who'd enjoy sipping tea from tiny cups in a relaxing environment away from the unceasing demands of a hectic work life, mayhap even engaging in a friendly game of Chinese chess with old friends... then 茶渊 aka Tea Chapter's the place for you.
I was first introduced to this joint back in my university days; our Buddhist Society would occasionally gather there at the end of various projects for a quiet afternoon of tea & reflections.
After depositing your footwear at the cupboards provided, you are given a choice of seatings; the 2nd story offers tables with an indentation below, such that you could comfortably sit in a normal position, whilst on the 3rd story it's just cushions on the floor.
The friendly staff will offer recommendations for their various Camellia Sinensis if asked (铁观音, anyone?), & gently guide you step-by-step through the proper method of brewing, whiffing, & sipping your tea once it arrives.
There's a wide variety of snacks available, my favourite of which would be the Ice Cream Puffs (brain freeze!). Their Japanese Crispy Chicken really hits the spot as well, but do note that these tasty tidbits could from time to time run out.
& as if that wasn't enough, they also stock all sorts of old school games that you can pick & choose from for a trip down memory lane; pick up sticks, five stones, animal chess, etc.
Games that only those born in the 1980s or earlier would recall, I suppose.
My only complaint? The prices are a bit stiff... but nothing good comes cheap, after all.
thewateringhole's a cozy little joint run by an old mate of mine, situated where the Why Pub formerly operated @ Far East Plaza (RIP, Roy).
In an effort to throw off the shackles of his past (he used to be the bartender of the now defunct Vintage Rock Pub), Loon decided not to play rock music in the pub.
Which is a bleeding waste of a good pub, if you ask me.
Be warned that you may be subjected to pretty weird (read: B-grade horror) movies on their LCD screen, if you ever deign to drop by.
The first time I was there, another mate & I ended up spending half the night being groped by the resident bar shirtlifter, as usual (it must be tradition, or an old charter, or something).
Strange thing about the business is that Loon only serves Heineken in pints or half-pints, whereas your standard FEP pub nominally serves their brew in macho jugs. Thank goodness for Erdinger, I have mine dark.
They do serve a variety of other drinks as well; none of which I can recall off the tip of my tongue, seeing as to how I rarely touch the stuff (no girly mixes for me, thank you very much).
But the best bit of their menu is the mouth-watering snack selection: Top Shell, Mussel's Cheese/Salsa, Japanese Crispy Chicken, Nachos Cheese/Salsa... dang, my tummy's a-growling already.
Do pop by if you're the sort who enjoys a nice relaxing drink at the end of the workday in a comfortable setting, but watch that waistline on the snacks!
Nomads' Studio is a photography studio specialising in companion animal photography run by Dan.
Seeing as to how he’s busy building up his portfolio (some of which can be viewed @ http://flickr.com/photos/64106462@N00/), I generously offered the services of Poison to provide more diversity (thus far, he’s only been doing shots for those of the canine persuasion).
First impression when stepping in is that the pad's spotlessly clean & has an open concept (well, as open as one can get within 390 sqf). A platform pretty much takes up most of the space, & that's where all the action takes place.
Companion animal toys, cushions, other bits & bobs, as well as a ball of yarn were tastefully positioned for maximum effect (articles of clothing are provided for canines... but cats find that somewhat undignified).
Needless to say, Poison was pretty jumpy when we first got there, & continually tried seeking shelter under the platform. It took a fair bit of coaxing before he got comfortable enough for the shoot to start proper.
Now, companion animal photography takes a lot of patience, & if there's one thing Dan has, it's spades of the stuff. He really took his time to connect with Poison, & the results were readily visible; at one point, Poison was so relaxed that he lay down on his side, as if preparing to take a quick nap.
Having taken countless shots of my cats on my own - with Poison appearing as a big fat unidentifiable blob on most of them, I was delighted with the way Dan's shots turned out.
& when Siobhan joined in, the sense of play was very well captured besides.
My only regret is that Dan didn't start doing this back when Zizy was alive; I would've loved to have such beautiful shots of him done to remember him by.
1=SGD 0.0587
& one of the newest ones in town is Seoul Mart, located in Parkway Parade's Basement 1, right next to Cold Storage.
Much like any other Korean mini market, they stock a variety of instant noodles, various condiments, prepackaged Kimchi in varying sizes, etc. at pretty affordable prices. As their shop space is quite small, other marts may offer more products in comparison.
The first box of Kimchi I purchased happened to suffer from an uneven spread of spices, resulting in certain portions being zestier than the rest. This problem could be rectified oneself simply by mixing the Kimchi up before serving, I suppose.
Their selection of frozen meats for BBQ purposes come at around SGD 6 per pack (depending on the type/cut of meat), which is really cheap compared to how much you'd pay for a much smaller portion at a Korean restaurant. Do note that you have to purchase the marinade (SGD 10 , good for roughly 4 packs of meat) separately & DIY at home (just dump them together in a container & leave them in the fridge overnight). They may also run out of stock at times, so it's probably a good idea to call ahead & check to prevent a wasted trip.
The staffs are Koreans, which makes understanding them a tad difficult at times, but nevertheless they are friendly & helpful. One of them even taught me that the simple addition of a bit of kiwi fruit to the marinating meat would result in a much tastier dish.
Lastly, do remember to visit the ATM first if your purchase is gonna add up to less than SGD 30 - that's the minimum amount required to be able to use NETS at this joint.
If you're hankering for a bit of Kimchi to go with your beer, why not give them a visit?
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9 times out of 10, you'd probably be paying a lot more for steaks that aren't half as tender & tasty as theirs at other steakhouses or the like.
Besides, Astons’ selection of side orders is very extensive, & the fries alone are worth 5 stars. Alas, for some strange reason, their House Salad turned out to be broccoli & broccoli alone, which was somewhat disappointing.
Raymen, who ordered the Black Pepper Chicken, commented that the black pepper sauce totally overwhelmed the chicken's natural flavour; to such an extent that the meat could've come from any animal & the dish would've tasted the same.
Well, I guess that's what you get from ordering a chicken dish in a steakhouse (I made the same mistake once, ordering a mutton dish in Lawry's).
Good food at great prices, this joint would've deserved 5 stars... sadly; Astons' Achilles' heel is their service.
For sure, they are inundated with customers... yet, is that sufficient reason for substandard service?
When the missus & I first patronised this establishment, my Porterhouse Steak was served in plenty quick time (thanks to their practice of taking orders whilst their clients are still queuing). Halfway through my cut of meat, her steak hadn't arrived, & we asked a waiter to help check our order.
The same request was repeated 3 times to the same waiter over a span of half an hour or so, during which the dude never got back to us. Only finally when the missus lost her temper (I devoured my steak long afore) & told him to cancel her order, did he reply that her steak was ready & about to be served.
What can I say; a hungry woman is an angry woman... & she was heavily pregnant at that time.
The missus demanded that her order be cancelled all the same, & left in a huff. What started out as a happy night out turned sour, as such things are wont to do.
Thankfully, the nightmarish scene wasn't repeated today... though they did miss out on one of our IBC Root Beers even after the manager confirmed our order, & some other poor chap's steak ended up at our table just before we left (the waiter seemed skeptical when we told him that the steak wasn't ours, until I exclaimed that since it was for free, I'd be glad to accept it all the same).
Busyness is no excuse for tardiness.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!Agree with you. Service standards should never be compromised. It applies to all establishments, big or small. Customers are always right. :)
28 Oct 2007 at 1:30 pm
I was first introduced to this joint back in my university days; our Buddhist Society would occasionally gather there at the end of various projects for a quiet afternoon of tea & reflections.
After depositing your footwear at the cupboards provided, you are given a choice of seatings; the 2nd story offers tables with an indentation below, such that you could comfortably sit in a normal position, whilst on the 3rd story it's just cushions on the floor.
The friendly staff will offer recommendations for their various Camellia Sinensis if asked (铁观音, anyone?), & gently guide you step-by-step through the proper method of brewing, whiffing, & sipping your tea once it arrives.
There's a wide variety of snacks available, my favourite of which would be the Ice Cream Puffs (brain freeze!). Their Japanese Crispy Chicken really hits the spot as well, but do note that these tasty tidbits could from time to time run out.
& as if that wasn't enough, they also stock all sorts of old school games that you can pick & choose from for a trip down memory lane; pick up sticks, five stones, animal chess, etc.
Games that only those born in the 1980s or earlier would recall, I suppose.
My only complaint? The prices are a bit stiff... but nothing good comes cheap, after all.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
In an effort to throw off the shackles of his past (he used to be the bartender of the now defunct Vintage Rock Pub), Loon decided not to play rock music in the pub.
Which is a bleeding waste of a good pub, if you ask me.
Be warned that you may be subjected to pretty weird (read: B-grade horror) movies on their LCD screen, if you ever deign to drop by.
The first time I was there, another mate & I ended up spending half the night being groped by the resident bar shirtlifter, as usual (it must be tradition, or an old charter, or something).
Strange thing about the business is that Loon only serves Heineken in pints or half-pints, whereas your standard FEP pub nominally serves their brew in macho jugs. Thank goodness for Erdinger, I have mine dark.
They do serve a variety of other drinks as well; none of which I can recall off the tip of my tongue, seeing as to how I rarely touch the stuff (no girly mixes for me, thank you very much).
But the best bit of their menu is the mouth-watering snack selection: Top Shell, Mussel's Cheese/Salsa, Japanese Crispy Chicken, Nachos Cheese/Salsa... dang, my tummy's a-growling already.
Do pop by if you're the sort who enjoys a nice relaxing drink at the end of the workday in a comfortable setting, but watch that waistline on the snacks!
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
Seeing as to how he’s busy building up his portfolio (some of which can be viewed @ http://flickr.com/photos/64106462@N00/), I generously offered the services of Poison to provide more diversity (thus far, he’s only been doing shots for those of the canine persuasion).
First impression when stepping in is that the pad's spotlessly clean & has an open concept (well, as open as one can get within 390 sqf). A platform pretty much takes up most of the space, & that's where all the action takes place.
Companion animal toys, cushions, other bits & bobs, as well as a ball of yarn were tastefully positioned for maximum effect (articles of clothing are provided for canines... but cats find that somewhat undignified).
Needless to say, Poison was pretty jumpy when we first got there, & continually tried seeking shelter under the platform. It took a fair bit of coaxing before he got comfortable enough for the shoot to start proper.
Now, companion animal photography takes a lot of patience, & if there's one thing Dan has, it's spades of the stuff. He really took his time to connect with Poison, & the results were readily visible; at one point, Poison was so relaxed that he lay down on his side, as if preparing to take a quick nap.
Having taken countless shots of my cats on my own - with Poison appearing as a big fat unidentifiable blob on most of them, I was delighted with the way Dan's shots turned out.
& when Siobhan joined in, the sense of play was very well captured besides.
My only regret is that Dan didn't start doing this back when Zizy was alive; I would've loved to have such beautiful shots of him done to remember him by.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!Looks pretty good! :D
23 Oct 2007 at 10:23 am
Nice shots! Too bad I don't own a pet.
23 Oct 2007 at 5:10 pm