I have heard about this place from my colleague and such a coincident that one of my friends was nice enough to suggest Ikoi as the venue for my birthday treat (yes I know, I have been procrastinating about it). Apparently, this place is so well known that bookings have to be made 1-2 weeks in advance – talk about Kiasu Singaporeans! Located at the ground floor of Hotel Miramar, the outside of the entrance looks impressive, but a step into the restaurant revealed a cramped seating arrangement – definitely not a decent place to have your meals if you are the sort who wish to have conversation over dinner.
It did not help also that we were assigned to counter seats, as there were inadequate space for all the dishes we had ordered. Service was pretty inefficient that night as the place was packed with tons of hungry and noisy souls, and waiting time for certain dishes were slow as I suspect orders were consolidated before the food were prepared.
It was said Ikoi is the place for people who craves for Sashimi, as the serving they dished out was indeed generous.
However, I was not blown away by it. In fact I was left so unimpressed with the quality that I did not even ordered a second helping. Other dishes that left me indifferent were the Tempura and Shisamo.
Even though it was served hot, the batter for the Tempura was rough – not the best you would expect from a Japanese restaurant.
The Shisamo was dried up when it was served, and this I am pretty sure that they were prepared earlier and re-grilled when orders come in - the inside was also cold and the outside full of smoky flavour. The Yakitori was also slightly chewy for consumption.
To be fair, they have a decent number of dishes to order from but none really make an impression except for the Stewed Salmon Head that I ordered by accident.
Foodies would know that the flesh from the Salmon Head close to its belly is of course the most tender and delicious.
Occasionally, they would also dished out complimentary dishes like the Kaminabe and Salmon Sashimi – items that we did not request for.
However, only one out of many items that was of standard is just not good enough.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
After hearing much fanfare about Shangri-La’s The Line buffet – formerly the old Coffee Garden – a hip eatery designed by US-based Adam Tihany, my family and I finally set foot at this chic white restaurant set against orange lighting for Daddy’s birthday dinner.
Well-known as the mother of all buffets, The Line is famous for the variety of food it dishes out. However, it is often the display of yummy, succulent cold seafood counter that captures the heart of the patrons.
From Lobsters to Oysters, Prawns to Mussels, Crabs to Sushi, Yabbies (fresh water crustacian found in Australia) to Sashimi (remember to request for Salmon Belly), almost each and every serving was fresh and of high quality.
So much so that I have an extended appetiser, that went on...and on...and on...and on...and on...And if you are counting, I gobbled down 20 frisky oysters that night, and boy, were they excellent! Besides that, they also had the grilled and carving stations where you could see the chefs grilling behind a big glass enclosure.
This is the place where the Grilled Fish and Prawns were served, as well as the very tender cuts of the Roast Beef were sliced up.
Other stations include the Asian counters such as the Indian and Chinese cuisine, where you could find yummilicious Satays that were tender and slides off the satay sticks effortlessly with a gentle pull.
While many considered the dessert station the highlight of the restaurant – with its 1 metre tall Chocolate Fountain for its fondue and many other cakes and pastries – I was personally not overwhelmed with it. The filling for the Crêpe was way too sweet/sour for consumption and the 3 desserts that I picked up were not fantastic either.
Overall, paying $65 per pax to stuff yourself silly (simply because you have the tendency to try all the varieties available) is not worth it.
But if I were to come back again, I would be sure to find a table next to the cold seafood counter, and do the extended appetiser all over again.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Being tucked in the secluded top of Dempsey Road, I finally found my way to PS Café for a dinner. A café it might be, it is housed in a standalone pretty colonial bungalow away from the main thoroughfare.
PS, which stands for Project Shop - a local mid-market casual clothing chain, attracts a surprisingly upmarket crowd. It is perhaps the glass façade and high ceiling that adds a touch of grandeur to the already nice ambience you get whilst sitting inside the restaurant. The staffs were also friendly and approachable.
However, the food did not seek to impress me that very night. The starter of salad was merely greens and some roasted eggplants that were zealously drizzled in olive oil – straightforward, nothing fanciful, nothing captivating.
The Thick Fries were surprisingly the best dish for the night. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, it went well with the 2 dips that came with it – a BBQ flavour and the other, I perceived to be Sour Cream based.
The Tubular Pasta though was the letdown of the night. It seriously lacked flavour and was under-cooked – a couple more minutes would have achieved the Al-dente texture. However I would admit that I am beginning to like the idea of having snow peas in my pasta dish.
The dessert was also tortuously too rich for me. Profiteroles, or Small Cream Puffs filled with Ice Cream; served with Thick, Dark, Chocolate Syrup, is just not my kind of dessert after a heavy dinner.
Overall, a nice place to go for a first date, but skipped the pasta if you have to and go for the seafood and their famous brownie for dessert instead.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
That’s right. Friends and colleagues working near my area have been telling me about this particular supposedly famous chicken rice stall – Wee Nam Kee – lined up along Thomson Road @ Novena Ville.
Read a few food reviews and indeed some were raving about it. Make a trip there and there was a crowd during lunchtime – surely this is a good sign! Alas, everything else went downhill from there onwards. The rice was fragrant enough, but a tad under-cooked, making it difficult to shallow.
The Roasted Chicken was pretty dry and tough as well and nowhere near the standard of Tian Tian Chicken Rice @ Maxwell Food Centre, which is known for it’s smooth and tender meat (although I have to highlight that they only serves Hainanese-styled Steamed Chicken).
We also order the side dishes like the Stir-fried Dou Miao with Garlic and Deep-fried Toufu and I was not impressed at all. The Dou Miao were seriously under-cooked, and chewing the stem of the veggies proved to be a struggle.
The Toufu was just as bad, as it came thickly coated with flour – more like toufu fritters to me, unlike those find in Boon Tong Kee – that comes in small cubes that is easy to eat. Along with drinks, the meal added up to $25.40, miscellaneous included – definitely not good value for money for 2 people.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Themed as the café “where happy people meets” – Miss Clarity Café certainly lives up to it, with its loud and colourful interior décor, along with the tinge of ambience with candles on every table.
There is a wide range of food selection to choose from – Shelled Appetisers, Sides, Pasta, Risotto, Mains, Burger, Pizza, and more recently, Black Angus Prime Sirloin & Ribeye, as well as the prized Wagyu Beef. My group of friends order a few dishes to share and we had the NZ Mussels immersed in Tomato Gravy as appetiser.
The mussels were big and juicy but regrettably the gravy was thin and lacked in flavour. The Glutton’s Platter was just an assortment of Spicy Wings, Chicken Nuggets, Onion Rings, Crispy Wedges and Chipolatas – straightforward deep-fried finger food.
For my main, I had the chef-recommended Whole Roasted Chicken Leg, served with mouth-watering Mushroom & Potato Fricassee. I had to say for $9.80, this is the best Roasted Chicken Leg that I have even tried. The flavour was captured nicely in its meat and despite not being a big fan of potato – I was won over by the aromatic starch.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Ma Maison, which means “My Home” in French serves Japanese-style Western food, is done up to look like an English cottage – the quaint ambience is coupled with weathered wooden beams and panels, with racks of plates and crockery.
The windows are curtained with floral curtains giving it a charming vintage look. On a personal note, I love the look and feel of the menu - which what feels like leather.
We specifically came for its famed Hamburger Steak, which sits on a sauce that is simmered for 28 days – fully flavoured and very enriching. Topped with a Fried Egg and Moreish Potato, the beef patty is grounded nicely and finely grilled.
Sink your teeth into a thick cut and you will marvel how tender the meat is. The Potatoes also came with a bite – a nice contrast to the soft beef. The other celebrated dish is the Cuttlefish Ink Pasta, a dish that is shunned by many girls as the squid ink stained lips, teeth and tongue.
The pasta was done al dente, but I find the Cuttlefish pronounced flavour a tad too “fishy” for me. I also find the ink roughly coated – a touch of butter might enhance the dish better – and the serving of thinly sliced Cuttlefish and Mushrooms were pretty pathetic in my opinion.
When it was time to ask for the bill, you get a heavy brass key and key ring – a fitting end to make you feel at home.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
After some good navigation skills, we finally located Seafood Paradise, right smack among the factory buildings.
And be prepared to make a reservation when you wish to visit this place as Singaporeans really travel for their food - the place was fully packed on a weekend, and some even had to wait for a table even though they make a booking.
To satisfy our hunger, we started with the Salted Fish with Fried Rice and what a great start it was! Each grain was coated evenly with eggs and fried thoroughly, such that no grain sticks to another. The flavour of the salted fish also brings out the best in this dish. My only fuss is that the rice was pretty oily and a bigger serving would probably kill the appetite for what is to come.
The only dish that we wished we did not order that night was the Frog Legs with Chicken Essence. It was a pretty straightforward steamed frog legs with the chicken essence poured over it – plain and pretty tasteless. This is the only dish we did not finish that night.
One of the original dishes we tried that night was the Broccoli with Scallops topped with Sunny-side-up. At first I have doubts about this combination but the twist of the egg white really did bring out a totally different savoury experience to this normal dish.
A must have dish for every visit has to be the Homemade Tofu with Assorted Seafood. The tofu is so smooth and silky and the pork floss combination heightens the dish. You will also be wooed by the prawns and diced sea cucumber found in the pool of sticky gravy with every dip of your tablespoon!
The Fried Beef was pretty flavoursome but I am not a big fan of tenderised beef. My take is that all good food should come in natural texture and “fake” tender beef is just taking the easy way out to achieve a standard.
The Cereal Prawns definitely beat those served from Mellben – it did not come as dry and each delightful spoon of cereal was scrumptious. The prawns are also not over-fried as the shell peel off cleanly – a sign that the prawns are fresh!
Saving the best for last is the signature Creamy Butter Crabs, served with delectable deep-fried man tous to mop up the gravy. The man tous in itself is another winner - so good that you can eat it on its own.
The gravy was richer and not as sweet compared to Mellben, and topped with fried coconut bits, another original rendition from them (although some disputed that it is topped with fried crab roe, or crunchy oat bits instead), this dish was definitely the highlight for the night.
The crab is also fresh and its flesh does not stick to the shell – another sign of a well workout crustacean.
Other signature dishes that you might indulged in are the Crab in Superior Stock with Vermicelli, as well as the Baby-back Ribs in Honey-pepper Sauce. This place is highly recommended!
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Wasabi, known as Japanese Horseradish, must be very finely grated before use and has an extremely strong flavour. Its hotness is more akin to that of Hot English Mustard.
However, on the 5th floor of Far East Plaza, lies a small cosy Japanese restaurant run by a couple of Food Nazis – the chef with the lady boss are notorious for their temperament – said to be fierier than the wasabi they dished out, we soon experienced it when she told us in a not so friendly tone, “Don’t bend the laminated menu or else it would spoil”. However, like the short-lived spiciness of the wasabi, the bad attitude and service is soon forgotten the moment the food arrived.
Seated in a small U-shaped counter for 16 pax, the Salmon Belly Sashimi is to die for – it is the most generous serving I had ever seen! The fish was very thick and the fatty meat was very smooth and fresh.
The Uni Sushi, or the Sea Urchin, is not the Roe, but rather the Gonads, or organs that produce the roe. The serving was once again very liberal and I must say it was very satisfying. The Seaweed was crisply fresh and the gonads were equally faultless.
The California Roll was also very well presented with Ebi Roe nicely coated all over the Mat Sushi, and the Avocado and Crabsticks were plentiful with each mouthful.
The Unagi-Don was also expectedly filled with chunks of Grilled Eel and the wait was worthwhile. Nicely grilled to produce the charred tang, this dish comes seemingly close to the one I had when I was in Japan.
In fact, the food was so good that we wanted to go for a 2nd round of sashimi, but we were promptly refuted by the lady boss who commented, “The chef is too busy and you probably need to wait very long.” Oh, and do go early because of the limited space, and be expected to queue after 6.30pm.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
What used to be called Yee Cheong Yuen Noodle Restaurant in a coffeeshop, is now air-conditioned and renamed as Yi Bao. The used-to-be queue and order system has also been upgraded to a serviced system restaurant.
I remembered hordes of people used to queue up at the counter before the revamp on a Sunday afternoon, as families would gather there for lunches. However, when I visited them on a late Sunday morning, the crowd was not to be seen. Being a noodle stall, people would not usually associate it with the authentic chicken it served.
However, as it dishes out its famous Ipoh Hor Fun, you will come to realise it produces a mean piece of chicken (Remember to order the Chopped Chicken version instead of the Chicken Slices version usually served in hawker centre). The chicken is always served cool so that the skin is firm and there is that layer of gelatin just under the skin. I assumed it was dipped into a bucket of cold water before served, just like how Tian Tian Chicken Rice @ Maxwell Food Centre does it. What I also like about the Hor Fun is that it comes in thin version – similar to those I had when I was in Ipoh earlier this year.
However, I did find the oyster gravy too starchy for my liking. So if you happen to be around the corner do give the chicken a try! I’ll bet you anything that it tastes better than Wee Nam Kee’s.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Aww… just like my second home, Holland Village has always been my favourite hangout place. From the posh restaurants, to nice chill-out coffee joints, hawker food to pubs for a drink or two, this little bohemian enclave is the perfect setting to catch up with your friends and spend a day away. Tucked away at Lorong Liput, the quiet corner of HV is Aburiya – a Japanese Charcoal BBQ restaurant.
If you happen to grace past their other branch at Robertson Quay, you would notice how pack that outlet is and the tantalising smell of grilled meat.
But over at HV, you would observe the immediate difference – and that’s what I love this place for – we went there on a Friday, and it was not packed at 7pm. We opted for the tables outside the restaurant (open-air under a canvas shelter) for obvious reasons – as we do not wish to end up smelling like the meat by sitting inside. We ordered the set that consisting of Beef, Chicken and Prawns.
In addition, the set also comes with a Shitake Mushrooms, Kimchi, Salad in Japanese Sesame Dressing, as well as Stewed Beef with Carrots and Potatoes.
Special mention to the Stewed Beef, as the meat is so tender and so flavoursome, a perfect complement to the Sticky Japanese Steam Rice.
Oh, I also loved the Wasamayo dipping sauce for the chicken so much that I was dipping the rest of my items into it.
Sensing that the set is not enough for 5 people, we also ordered everyone’s favourite – Salmon. A pity that the serving was pretty small because it was snatch up the moment the fish was done cooking.
We also ordered the Assorted Vegetables that consist of Capsicum, Leeks, Mushrooms, Onions, Corn and Garlic.
But the highlight of the night definitely belongs to the Beef Tongue.
We tried both the normal and premium versions and definitely the Jo Tan Shio, or the Premium Beef Tongue justifies its price tag. It was served in much bigger slice and the texture is much chewier. The marbling bite is just so juicy and heavenly and that alone would justify the reason why I would come back to this place.
I really have to say that all the ingredients were fresh and delightful that night, perfect BBQ food to wash down with Asahi Draft Beer.
The night was wrapped up with servings of Black Sesame and Green Tea Ice Cream – not the best I have tasted but nevertheless a fitting ending.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
I have heard about this place from my colleague and such a coincident that one of my friends was nice enough to suggest Ikoi as the venue for my birthday treat (yes I know, I have been procrastinating about it). Apparently, this place is so well known that bookings have to be made 1-2 weeks in advance – talk about Kiasu Singaporeans! Located at the ground floor of Hotel Miramar, the outside of the entrance looks impressive, but a step into the restaurant revealed a cramped seating arrangement – definitely not a decent place to have your meals if you are the sort who wish to have conversation over dinner.
It did not help also that we were assigned to counter seats, as there were inadequate space for all the dishes we had ordered. Service was pretty inefficient that night as the place was packed with tons of hungry and noisy souls, and waiting time for certain dishes were slow as I suspect orders were consolidated before the food were prepared.
It was said Ikoi is the place for people who craves for Sashimi, as the serving they dished out was indeed generous.
However, I was not blown away by it. In fact I was left so unimpressed with the quality that I did not even ordered a second helping. Other dishes that left me indifferent were the Tempura and Shisamo.
Even though it was served hot, the batter for the Tempura was rough – not the best you would expect from a Japanese restaurant.
The Shisamo was dried up when it was served, and this I am pretty sure that they were prepared earlier and re-grilled when orders come in - the inside was also cold and the outside full of smoky flavour. The Yakitori was also slightly chewy for consumption.
To be fair, they have a decent number of dishes to order from but none really make an impression except for the Stewed Salmon Head that I ordered by accident.
Foodies would know that the flesh from the Salmon Head close to its belly is of course the most tender and delicious.
Occasionally, they would also dished out complimentary dishes like the Kaminabe and Salmon Sashimi – items that we did not request for.
However, only one out of many items that was of standard is just not good enough.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
After hearing much fanfare about Shangri-La’s The Line buffet – formerly the old Coffee Garden – a hip eatery designed by US-based Adam Tihany, my family and I finally set foot at this chic white restaurant set against orange lighting for Daddy’s birthday dinner.
Well-known as the mother of all buffets, The Line is famous for the variety of food it dishes out. However, it is often the display of yummy, succulent cold seafood counter that captures the heart of the patrons.
From Lobsters to Oysters, Prawns to Mussels, Crabs to Sushi, Yabbies (fresh water crustacian found in Australia) to Sashimi (remember to request for Salmon Belly), almost each and every serving was fresh and of high quality.
So much so that I have an extended appetiser, that went on...and on...and on...and on...and on...And if you are counting, I gobbled down 20 frisky oysters that night, and boy, were they excellent! Besides that, they also had the grilled and carving stations where you could see the chefs grilling behind a big glass enclosure.
This is the place where the Grilled Fish and Prawns were served, as well as the very tender cuts of the Roast Beef were sliced up.
Other stations include the Asian counters such as the Indian and Chinese cuisine, where you could find yummilicious Satays that were tender and slides off the satay sticks effortlessly with a gentle pull.
While many considered the dessert station the highlight of the restaurant – with its 1 metre tall Chocolate Fountain for its fondue and many other cakes and pastries – I was personally not overwhelmed with it. The filling for the Crêpe was way too sweet/sour for consumption and the 3 desserts that I picked up were not fantastic either.
Overall, paying $65 per pax to stuff yourself silly (simply because you have the tendency to try all the varieties available) is not worth it.
But if I were to come back again, I would be sure to find a table next to the cold seafood counter, and do the extended appetiser all over again.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
Being tucked in the secluded top of Dempsey Road, I finally found my way to PS Café for a dinner. A café it might be, it is housed in a standalone pretty colonial bungalow away from the main thoroughfare.
PS, which stands for Project Shop - a local mid-market casual clothing chain, attracts a surprisingly upmarket crowd. It is perhaps the glass façade and high ceiling that adds a touch of grandeur to the already nice ambience you get whilst sitting inside the restaurant. The staffs were also friendly and approachable.
However, the food did not seek to impress me that very night. The starter of salad was merely greens and some roasted eggplants that were zealously drizzled in olive oil – straightforward, nothing fanciful, nothing captivating.
The Thick Fries were surprisingly the best dish for the night. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, it went well with the 2 dips that came with it – a BBQ flavour and the other, I perceived to be Sour Cream based.
The Tubular Pasta though was the letdown of the night. It seriously lacked flavour and was under-cooked – a couple more minutes would have achieved the Al-dente texture. However I would admit that I am beginning to like the idea of having snow peas in my pasta dish.
The dessert was also tortuously too rich for me. Profiteroles, or Small Cream Puffs filled with Ice Cream; served with Thick, Dark, Chocolate Syrup, is just not my kind of dessert after a heavy dinner.
Overall, a nice place to go for a first date, but skipped the pasta if you have to and go for the seafood and their famous brownie for dessert instead.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
That’s right. Friends and colleagues working near my area have been telling me about this particular supposedly famous chicken rice stall – Wee Nam Kee – lined up along Thomson Road @ Novena Ville.
Read a few food reviews and indeed some were raving about it. Make a trip there and there was a crowd during lunchtime – surely this is a good sign! Alas, everything else went downhill from there onwards. The rice was fragrant enough, but a tad under-cooked, making it difficult to shallow.
The Roasted Chicken was pretty dry and tough as well and nowhere near the standard of Tian Tian Chicken Rice @ Maxwell Food Centre, which is known for it’s smooth and tender meat (although I have to highlight that they only serves Hainanese-styled Steamed Chicken).
We also order the side dishes like the Stir-fried Dou Miao with Garlic and Deep-fried Toufu and I was not impressed at all. The Dou Miao were seriously under-cooked, and chewing the stem of the veggies proved to be a struggle.
The Toufu was just as bad, as it came thickly coated with flour – more like toufu fritters to me, unlike those find in Boon Tong Kee – that comes in small cubes that is easy to eat. Along with drinks, the meal added up to $25.40, miscellaneous included – definitely not good value for money for 2 people.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
Themed as the café “where happy people meets” – Miss Clarity Café certainly lives up to it, with its loud and colourful interior décor, along with the tinge of ambience with candles on every table.
There is a wide range of food selection to choose from – Shelled Appetisers, Sides, Pasta, Risotto, Mains, Burger, Pizza, and more recently, Black Angus Prime Sirloin & Ribeye, as well as the prized Wagyu Beef. My group of friends order a few dishes to share and we had the NZ Mussels immersed in Tomato Gravy as appetiser.
The mussels were big and juicy but regrettably the gravy was thin and lacked in flavour. The Glutton’s Platter was just an assortment of Spicy Wings, Chicken Nuggets, Onion Rings, Crispy Wedges and Chipolatas – straightforward deep-fried finger food.
For my main, I had the chef-recommended Whole Roasted Chicken Leg, served with mouth-watering Mushroom & Potato Fricassee. I had to say for $9.80, this is the best Roasted Chicken Leg that I have even tried. The flavour was captured nicely in its meat and despite not being a big fan of potato – I was won over by the aromatic starch.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
Ma Maison, which means “My Home” in French serves Japanese-style Western food, is done up to look like an English cottage – the quaint ambience is coupled with weathered wooden beams and panels, with racks of plates and crockery.
The windows are curtained with floral curtains giving it a charming vintage look. On a personal note, I love the look and feel of the menu - which what feels like leather.
We specifically came for its famed Hamburger Steak, which sits on a sauce that is simmered for 28 days – fully flavoured and very enriching. Topped with a Fried Egg and Moreish Potato, the beef patty is grounded nicely and finely grilled.
Sink your teeth into a thick cut and you will marvel how tender the meat is. The Potatoes also came with a bite – a nice contrast to the soft beef. The other celebrated dish is the Cuttlefish Ink Pasta, a dish that is shunned by many girls as the squid ink stained lips, teeth and tongue.
The pasta was done al dente, but I find the Cuttlefish pronounced flavour a tad too “fishy” for me. I also find the ink roughly coated – a touch of butter might enhance the dish better – and the serving of thinly sliced Cuttlefish and Mushrooms were pretty pathetic in my opinion.
When it was time to ask for the bill, you get a heavy brass key and key ring – a fitting end to make you feel at home.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
After some good navigation skills, we finally located Seafood Paradise, right smack among the factory buildings.
And be prepared to make a reservation when you wish to visit this place as Singaporeans really travel for their food - the place was fully packed on a weekend, and some even had to wait for a table even though they make a booking.
To satisfy our hunger, we started with the Salted Fish with Fried Rice and what a great start it was! Each grain was coated evenly with eggs and fried thoroughly, such that no grain sticks to another. The flavour of the salted fish also brings out the best in this dish. My only fuss is that the rice was pretty oily and a bigger serving would probably kill the appetite for what is to come.
The only dish that we wished we did not order that night was the Frog Legs with Chicken Essence. It was a pretty straightforward steamed frog legs with the chicken essence poured over it – plain and pretty tasteless. This is the only dish we did not finish that night.
One of the original dishes we tried that night was the Broccoli with Scallops topped with Sunny-side-up. At first I have doubts about this combination but the twist of the egg white really did bring out a totally different savoury experience to this normal dish.
A must have dish for every visit has to be the Homemade Tofu with Assorted Seafood. The tofu is so smooth and silky and the pork floss combination heightens the dish. You will also be wooed by the prawns and diced sea cucumber found in the pool of sticky gravy with every dip of your tablespoon!
The Fried Beef was pretty flavoursome but I am not a big fan of tenderised beef. My take is that all good food should come in natural texture and “fake” tender beef is just taking the easy way out to achieve a standard.
The Cereal Prawns definitely beat those served from Mellben – it did not come as dry and each delightful spoon of cereal was scrumptious. The prawns are also not over-fried as the shell peel off cleanly – a sign that the prawns are fresh!
Saving the best for last is the signature Creamy Butter Crabs, served with delectable deep-fried man tous to mop up the gravy. The man tous in itself is another winner - so good that you can eat it on its own.
The gravy was richer and not as sweet compared to Mellben, and topped with fried coconut bits, another original rendition from them (although some disputed that it is topped with fried crab roe, or crunchy oat bits instead), this dish was definitely the highlight for the night.
The crab is also fresh and its flesh does not stick to the shell – another sign of a well workout crustacean.
Other signature dishes that you might indulged in are the Crab in Superior Stock with Vermicelli, as well as the Baby-back Ribs in Honey-pepper Sauce. This place is highly recommended!
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
Wasabi, known as Japanese Horseradish, must be very finely grated before use and has an extremely strong flavour. Its hotness is more akin to that of Hot English Mustard.
However, on the 5th floor of Far East Plaza, lies a small cosy Japanese restaurant run by a couple of Food Nazis – the chef with the lady boss are notorious for their temperament – said to be fierier than the wasabi they dished out, we soon experienced it when she told us in a not so friendly tone, “Don’t bend the laminated menu or else it would spoil”. However, like the short-lived spiciness of the wasabi, the bad attitude and service is soon forgotten the moment the food arrived.
Seated in a small U-shaped counter for 16 pax, the Salmon Belly Sashimi is to die for – it is the most generous serving I had ever seen! The fish was very thick and the fatty meat was very smooth and fresh.
The Uni Sushi, or the Sea Urchin, is not the Roe, but rather the Gonads, or organs that produce the roe. The serving was once again very liberal and I must say it was very satisfying. The Seaweed was crisply fresh and the gonads were equally faultless.
The California Roll was also very well presented with Ebi Roe nicely coated all over the Mat Sushi, and the Avocado and Crabsticks were plentiful with each mouthful.
The Unagi-Don was also expectedly filled with chunks of Grilled Eel and the wait was worthwhile. Nicely grilled to produce the charred tang, this dish comes seemingly close to the one I had when I was in Japan.
In fact, the food was so good that we wanted to go for a 2nd round of sashimi, but we were promptly refuted by the lady boss who commented, “The chef is too busy and you probably need to wait very long.” Oh, and do go early because of the limited space, and be expected to queue after 6.30pm.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
What used to be called Yee Cheong Yuen Noodle Restaurant in a coffeeshop, is now air-conditioned and renamed as Yi Bao. The used-to-be queue and order system has also been upgraded to a serviced system restaurant.
I remembered hordes of people used to queue up at the counter before the revamp on a Sunday afternoon, as families would gather there for lunches. However, when I visited them on a late Sunday morning, the crowd was not to be seen. Being a noodle stall, people would not usually associate it with the authentic chicken it served.
However, as it dishes out its famous Ipoh Hor Fun, you will come to realise it produces a mean piece of chicken (Remember to order the Chopped Chicken version instead of the Chicken Slices version usually served in hawker centre). The chicken is always served cool so that the skin is firm and there is that layer of gelatin just under the skin. I assumed it was dipped into a bucket of cold water before served, just like how Tian Tian Chicken Rice @ Maxwell Food Centre does it. What I also like about the Hor Fun is that it comes in thin version – similar to those I had when I was in Ipoh earlier this year.
However, I did find the oyster gravy too starchy for my liking. So if you happen to be around the corner do give the chicken a try! I’ll bet you anything that it tastes better than Wee Nam Kee’s.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
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Aww… just like my second home, Holland Village has always been my favourite hangout place. From the posh restaurants, to nice chill-out coffee joints, hawker food to pubs for a drink or two, this little bohemian enclave is the perfect setting to catch up with your friends and spend a day away. Tucked away at Lorong Liput, the quiet corner of HV is Aburiya – a Japanese Charcoal BBQ restaurant.
If you happen to grace past their other branch at Robertson Quay, you would notice how pack that outlet is and the tantalising smell of grilled meat.
But over at HV, you would observe the immediate difference – and that’s what I love this place for – we went there on a Friday, and it was not packed at 7pm. We opted for the tables outside the restaurant (open-air under a canvas shelter) for obvious reasons – as we do not wish to end up smelling like the meat by sitting inside. We ordered the set that consisting of Beef, Chicken and Prawns.
In addition, the set also comes with a Shitake Mushrooms, Kimchi, Salad in Japanese Sesame Dressing, as well as Stewed Beef with Carrots and Potatoes.
Special mention to the Stewed Beef, as the meat is so tender and so flavoursome, a perfect complement to the Sticky Japanese Steam Rice.
Oh, I also loved the Wasamayo dipping sauce for the chicken so much that I was dipping the rest of my items into it.
Sensing that the set is not enough for 5 people, we also ordered everyone’s favourite – Salmon. A pity that the serving was pretty small because it was snatch up the moment the fish was done cooking.
We also ordered the Assorted Vegetables that consist of Capsicum, Leeks, Mushrooms, Onions, Corn and Garlic.
But the highlight of the night definitely belongs to the Beef Tongue.
We tried both the normal and premium versions and definitely the Jo Tan Shio, or the Premium Beef Tongue justifies its price tag. It was served in much bigger slice and the texture is much chewier. The marbling bite is just so juicy and heavenly and that alone would justify the reason why I would come back to this place.
I really have to say that all the ingredients were fresh and delightful that night, perfect BBQ food to wash down with Asahi Draft Beer.
The night was wrapped up with servings of Black Sesame and Green Tea Ice Cream – not the best I have tasted but nevertheless a fitting ending.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
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