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Polarbear's Reviews

    1691. FRE(N)SH   
       12 Feb 2008 at 1:16 pm
    Category: French
    Lucardia Lucardia says:

    Hidden in a little corner in big ole Vivocity is this little gem of a restaurant. "Fresh and French" is the tagline and i'm most inclined to agree with it because in retrospect, that is exactly what you get.

    The interior is small and probably sits about 16 people max. Color palette is more or less sombre white with plastic and wooden chairs. The important thing i believe is that it is clean and that is more important than all the decorations a restaurant can pile up.

    They look nice of course but i wouldn't bet on how comfortable it will be to be sitting on top one of these chairs trying to enjoy my meal, needless to say, i was sitting somewhere else for my lunch.

    Drinks! Apple Juice and Lime Juice - For the tartine set, you get a drink, a tartine and a dessert. No gst and no service charge is a definite plus point and honestly, the service was pretty good.

    Salmon and Avocado Tartine ($16) - My gf ordered the salmon and avocado tartine which is basically, toasted bread with avocado and smoked salmon and some salad. Do not let the picture fool you, this is not a small piece of bread at all. The serving size is huge and as you can see, ingredients are generous as well. Salad wasn't anything special but the tartine itself is plain good. Warm toasted bread with cool and slightly salty smoked salmon atop a bed of creamy avocado. I feel like going back for more right about now actually.

    Fre(n)sh Chicken Tartine ($16) - Judging by its namesake, this is probably a signature item. And apart from the same qualities of freshness and warm toasted bread, it came with roasted chicken and sliced potatoes atop a bed of mustard and rosemary. What can i say? Its spicy and very different from what i've had before. You can liken it to having chicken and potatoes with Japanese wasabi as a base. My only complaint is that the chicken is a little too dry, otherwise, i like this quite a bit.

    Opera - Presentation is a definite plus for this with its eiffel tower chocolate and snowy sugar sprinklyed for added effect. The opera is supposed to be 2 repeated layers of chocolate, coffee and cake but i couldn't taste the coffee at all. It was also dry which doesn't win it many points unfortunately. Could have been loads better.

    Original Cheese Cake - I wondered what 'original' meant in this rendition but it basically means generic. Its not bad tasting mind you. Its just that it tastes pretty much like every other cheesecake out there.

    The bill came to only $32 for 2 people! Imagine my surprise at the fact that there were no additional charges. This place is a must try for the fact that its value for money.

    If they can survive with charging service and gst charges and they are located at Vivocity, i really don't see why other restaurants can't. And otherwise, in all regards, this place serves good, healthy food which will have me returning for more whenever i'm in the vicinity. Must try.


    Rating given:Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

    1692. Kelson Betta   
       11 Feb 2008 at 9:39 pm
    Category: Pet Shops
    Bobo Bobo says:

    Kelson Betta is a small shop located in Roxy Square (opposite Parkway Parade) that houses many high quality Betta, aka Siamese Fighting Fish. These aren't the kind you put in little jars and bring around to challenge people. These are show quality fish, bred for viewing pleasure.

    He has a large variety of Halfmoons, Crowntails, etc.

    My bf had been frequenting his shop and I thought about buying him two Betta for companionship. We called Kelson on his mobile at 9pm, when most shops were closing. It was the day before CNY eve and we were praying hard that he would be around. He was in the vicinity of his shop when we called and he actually opened for us!

    Once there, he took the time to show us his new stock and explain the differences between the breeds and colours. The fish were all healthy and very beautiful. Some of them in colours which are rarely seen elsewhere.

    Kelson gave very good and economical advice about how to take care of the fish. Even when we asked the same questions repeatedly, he explained very patiently as he is very passionate about these fish. He also taught us how to transport the fish around if we wished to travel with them. He doesn't sell the accessories for the fish so he is not the kind who would hard-sell other stuff when one purchases fish from him.

    Happily equipped with new-found knowledge and feeling secure with his assurance that we can call him anytime, we're now the proud parents of two male betta and one female one. The prices start from $40 onwards. There are very expensive ones which have won awards so those cost hundreds. Do drop by for a visit. But give Kelson a ring before you go ya?


    Rating given:Rating: 5 out of 5Rating: 5 out of 5Rating: 5 out of 5Rating: 5 out of 5Rating: 5 out of 5

       11 Feb 2008 at 9:14 pm
    Bobo Bobo says:

    Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice is situated between the famous Sin Hoi Zhi Cha Restaurant and Boon Tong Kee along East Coast Road. With these two on its sides, Five Star still manages a full house every night. This, of course, renders a try doesn't it?

    Chicken rice is the same everywhere right? Wrong! I've had those with hard tasteless bits they dare to call rice and rubbery white pieces of meat they call chicken. It's been a long time since I've had a plate of good chicken rice so I was all ready to attack.

    The staff were fast to seat people, quick to take orders and even faster at clearing tables. The food came really fast which was good for 5 hungry souls.

    Food Ordered:
    Kampung Chicken
    This is suppose to be leaner than the usual "white" chicken but it is smaller. I'm a fan of roasted meat so I was quite apprehensive when I only had these two choices. But my worries were unfounded as the chicken was delicious and not with fatty bits as I had imagined. I, of course, attacked my favourite part, the breast meat, which was smooth with lots of bite.

    Rice (Chicken rice style)

    The rice was not oily and still tasty. HOwever the serving was not very big. It was enough for me and I'm not much of an eater.

    Youtiao with Salad Sauce
    This came a little over-fried so it was quite dry and hard. But it wasn't too oily so it was still ok.

    Sambal Kangkong
    It was a little spicy for my brother but the rest of us found it fine. A little oily for my taste though.

    Cereal Prawn

    The cereal was nice but the prawns were not fresh and I had a hard time with it. The prawns were also quite small.

    Stir Fried Vegetables
    Your average Kailan with oyster sauce dish. Nothing special.

    We spent about $70 for the 5 of us which is pretty reasonable considering how full we were. Worth coming for your chicken rice fix, but not the rest of the dishes though.

    Good place for family gatherings and large groups though.

    One major gripe though, parking is horrendous along East Coast Road. Luckily we took the bus :)


    Rating given:Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

       11 Feb 2008 at 8:36 pm
    Bobo Bobo says:

    Bi Feng Tang is this little place serving chinese food at CS's basement. It's been there for a while and this is my second trip to the place with my colleague. I had vague memories of a pretty good experience the first time so I was game for the second trip.

    We were greeted politely and led to our seats. It was a Sunday afternoon but there weren't many people. About 4-5 tables were occupied and they had a total seating area of about 50 people.

    After ordering, I wanted to take pictures of the menu so that I can remember what I ordered, but was stopped by the lady who said that I cannot take pictures of the menu. Both my colleague and I heard that so I did stop. But when the food came and I wanted to take pictures, I was stopped again. I think they should have been clear the first time and just say that no photography was allowed. I didn't appreciate feeling like I was being a nuisance.
    had 3 dishes altogether but I can only remember two.

    One was the Yee Mian which we got a medium sized serving, thanks to my ambitious friend. It had plenty of mushroom and vegetables with it so it was pretty delicious. The serving can easily fill 2 without any side dishes.

    The second one is the Pan Fried Beancurd Sheet with Mushroom and Carrot ($4). This one was quite crunchy and the vegetables wrapped in the sheet gave it a nice fresh flavour. HOwever it was quite oily so it didn't feel so healthy after all.

    We did order a 4th dish, which they forgot to cook and we cancelled in the end.

    We spent about $20 for the two of us and were suitably filled. The food is fine and the ambience was good too. However I didn't quite enjoy myself, no thanks to the service.

    *Apologies for not giving the usual detailed review as the staff spoilt my mood for collecting "data"*


    Rating given:Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

       11 Feb 2008 at 8:15 pm
    Bobo Bobo says:

    Black Canyon has been on East Coast Road for the last 5 years and I finally step foot into this place one quiet evening, not knowing what to expect. It was late on a weekday so there were only 2 other tables occupied. In fact when we walked in, they were going to take last orders in 15 minutes. But the staff were still smiling and welcomed us warmly which is rare when one arrives so near closing time.

    The place is modern looking, great for friends to hang out, families to gather and casual business meetings. It's quite spacious too with plenty of seats in 3 sections; outside, dining area with proper tables and chilling area with more cushion like seats.

    Taking our time ordering (the staff didn't rush us and didn't hover around us) we came up with the following.

    Food Ordered:
    Spicy Glass Noodles Salad $7.95
    Our little starter which was delicious. Two of us shared this dish but we were a little full by the time we were done with it. It was certainly spicy but not overly done. The crunchy nuts were a nice addition to the dish. What I liked most was that it wasn't oily despite having all that spice.

    Spicy Stir Fried Seafood and Basil with Rice $8.95
    This was my friend's order. It was really spicy though he didn't have any other complaints about it. I liked how the rice came in cubes.

    Fish Fillet Steak $9.95

    My dory was served with chips and some toast. The toast was a little dry but it was the wholemeal (wheat) sort which I pretty much liked so that was fine. The outside of the dory was a little dry but still quite tasty.

    We spent about $30 for the two of us which included a drink. I think it's pretty reasonable since we were famished when we got in and really full when we staggered out. Worth a try!

    *Please excuse the horrid pictures - the perils of using the camera phone when one forgets her cammie*


    Rating given:Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

       11 Feb 2008 at 5:34 pm
    Category: Japanese
    subbie87 subbie87 says:

    My family decided to give this place a try after seeing it featured in the newspaper. I rather good experience I must say. They also adopt the food market concept, much like Marche and Vil’age. The place is relatively big, and sits quite a lot of people.

    The food’s pretty decent, and you can find Marche-favourites like rosti amongst the other japanese food. The yakitori corner serves up a wide variety of stuff too.

    The sashimi platter was quite disappointing actually, costing $15 for 12 slices of sashimi. I quite liked their grilled saba, and some other yakitori stuff like the scallops and mushroom. The mushroom soup ran out by the time I placed my order, but it looked quite good.

    The burgers come in really huge portions, costing $9 at most. Think Carls Jr., but bigger. Yes, it’s really worth the size, only that the taste isn’t too fantastic - frozen salmon patties.

    Dessert was good. I quite liked their homemade cheesecake, with a soft feel and nice crust below. The raspberry (I think) sauce on top really goes well together. The cake costs about $4, and can satisfy your sweet cravings. Not too rich, not too sweet, and not too large a portion. The other dessert I tasted, the mango slush ice, wasn’t at all worth it. Basically a bowl of crushed ice sprayed with mango juice and topped with very little mango, costing $7 - bad choice.

    Overall, the ambience was decent. Service however was a little bad, with long waiting times to collect food - almost 20 min for my yakitori to be ready. Dinner for 4 cost about $150, slightly more costly than what we’d pay if we had dinner at Sushi Tei. But of course, it’s a different experience, even if it came at a higher price. Still, I found it rather expensive, partly because we over-ordered.

    There are quite a few more items I have yet to try, and would probably give it a shot again. If you choose the right stuff to eat, you’d probably get a good deal out of it.


    Rating given:Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

       10 Feb 2008 at 11:47 pm
    Category: Deli and Cafe
    ladyironchef ladyironchef says:

    Four Leaves, one of the Main Bakeries in Singapore, alongside BreadTalk, Bengawan Solo (not really a bakery though). But my favourite will clearly be Four Leaves. I have supported their bread for a long long time already, and i like their cheese and ham bread. Despite being a supporter, but i think the different type of bread that i tried from Four leaves can be count using one hand five fingers? And all that is going to change, with the Mini World promotion, where great taste comes in small bites

    With everything coming in Mini-size, cars, cards, cakes, tarts, ice creams and the list goes on and on. It will be sooner and later before Mini bread come into place (why didn’t i spot the trend?). Hahahah! And Four Leaves launch their mini world promotion, coming out mini breads with a total of 14 flavours. One mini bread cost $0.65, three for $1.80, and 5 for $2.80. If you do your maths, obviously buying more will be cheaper, but not much really.

    I thought it was rather creative of Four Leaves to have this map in their shop telling the story of Bread. I’ll have done that too. Not that i am creative, but its a good idea : )

    I had three mini bread! Starting from the left one. I can’t remember what the name is, but the appearance certainly looks like a chocolate eclair. The inside is no cream, make of soft soft bread, this is my fav! The top one on the right is good also, almond nuts on the top, with thin layer of chocolate in the middle of the bread, and again, the bread taste suprisingly soft

    Have you realise what this new promotions mean? Lets see the before and after effect. Before, one bun cost a dollar plus, buying 5 different type of buns will cut you back by at least $7-8. After, 5 mini buns for $2.80. Ta-ddaa!! Before, $2.80 at most can get you two bun, mayb three, now u can get five. Not too bad huh?

    Obviously the main draw is for customers to try more different type of Bread. Without this promotions, we usually wont buy the new flavour of Bread unless we are feeling adventureous, or we really like the flavour right. But with the promotion, Four Leave can test-out new flavours, which can only be good news for you and me.

    And its not just that, i believe there will be a BIG market demand for the mini buns simply because they are cute. And its a novelty to customers. Won’t you be tempted to buy them? With the price its quite reasonable. But don’t expect it to be filling, because mini means really small. One bite can finish the bread off. So buy it for fun, or light snack!

    Hopefully Four Leave will come out with more variety of Mini Buns, so that we can try many many other flavours!

    You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )

    ” Mini in size, Great in taste “


    Rating given:Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

    1698. The Cheesecake Cafe   
       10 Feb 2008 at 1:21 pm
    Category: Deli and Cafe
    subbie87 subbie87 says:

    Yes, its the cheesecake cafe that would drive you back for more. You heard of it, your friends are telling you all about it -and gues what, they're right.

    The Cheesecake Cafe is a small shop along East Coast Road. It opens only in the late afternoons (3.30m for Wed - Fri, 4.30 for Sat & Sun.) till late night. They are unfortunately closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

    Upon entering the cafe, you find yourself in a very cosy place, done up nicely with ary pieces and a small water fountain feature inside. The waiters are always warm and attentive, and you should love the whole experience there.

    I have not tried any of their food - they serve chips and other snacks - but their cheesecake's a definite must-try. Depending on the day you go, you would be offered to try their different daily specials. So far, they have not been at all disappointing.

    The blueberry cheesecake I tried was really good, with a nice crispy crust for it's bottom layer. The berries were not too sweet, and the cheese simply melts in your mouth.

    Pray that you get their mango cheesecake for the daily special. It is my biggest favourite of all the cheesecakes I have eaten there. The mango is fresh, sweet, and has a really great texture to it - not the soft kind you get in some cake shops. The mango flavour in the cake is also something to look forward to, espeially if you love mangos.

    For non-cheese-lovers, don't fret, because they serve other non-cheese cakes as well. You can try their Belgium Truffle, which has a really thick and rich chocolate taste to it.

    Their tiramisu is average, nothing much to shout about, but that's only because the other cakes are just too good. I wouldn't say that their tiramisu's anyway bad, but if you are going there, do try the other cakes first. You won't regret.

    The price of cakes at the cafe are around $6 or $7, depending on whether you order a cheese or non-cheese cake (cheesecakes are more expensive, of course). It might be slightly expensive for just a slice of cake, but for the whole experience - the ambience, the service, the nice cold air-con aftr a warm day, it's relly worth it.

    And yes, I'm going back there again this coming weekend. I'm hoping for my mango cheesecake.


    Rating given:Rating: 5 out of 5Rating: 5 out of 5Rating: 5 out of 5Rating: 5 out of 5Rating: 5 out of 5

       10 Feb 2008 at 11:48 am
    Category: Korean
    feizhu feizhu says:

    This trip to Nul Bom Korean Restaurant marks my foray into Korean cuisine, with my prior experiences with Korean food limited to those at food courts and probably the stuff they sell at Seoul's Incheon airport.

    Situated amongst a row of shophouses along Telok Ayer street, this nondescript eatery houses a small and simply done up interior. Tables are limited and although there are private rooms available, capacity probably wouldn't exceed 30 pax all in all.

    The bean sprouts, Kimchi and anchovies are pretty much staple in any Korean restaurants where the other dishes vary from eatery to eatery. I didn't find any of the sides outstanding but I appreciated the variety as well as the seemingly complimentary gesture (the cost is all factored into the price of the dishes of course).

    Kim Chi Chi Gae - Kim Chi with Rice - This dish was quite spicy and looked the part as well. However, it wasn't anything to shout about either. But thats coming from someone who has almost zero knowledge about kim chi or Korean food in general.

    So Bul Go Gi - Beef BBQ - I'm at a loss as to how and where to begin describing the averageness of this dish. It tasted exactly like the ones I've have had from pseudo Korean stalls at food courts. This was much sweeter though through the addition of sugar(?) and had golden mushrooms to top it off.

    I guess $39 for 2 pax isn't really expensive but I seriously doubt I'll be back in a hurry, especially when the food failed to impress. Did I mention that service wasn't very good as well?

    See all my pictures here


    Rating given:Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

       09 Feb 2008 at 1:37 pm
    feizhu feizhu says:

    Made a reservation at for 1930hrs at Imperial Treasure Teochew Cuisine for our yearly reunion dinner. Surprisingly, Imperial Treasure only had 2 seatings, one at 6pm and the other at 730pm, which of course gave us plenty of time to finish up our food.

    Stepping into the restaurant, the interior struck me as rather haphazard and cramp. Fortunately for us, we managed to snag a semi private booth seat which was rather cosy with pretty overhanging lights and wooden paneling.

    Salmon Yu Sheng - For one, I must admit that I'm not exactly a fan of Yu Sheng but this one was quite well done. Slightly heavy on the sesame taste with fresh thinly sliced salmon and lots of other condiments, it didn't make me cringe like so many other Yu Shengs that I've tried.

    Double Boiled Superior Shark's Fin - The quality in this dish was evident. The fins were quite a size (Bao Qi) and held quite a bit of bite while the broth was light and tantalizing. Simple yet tastefully done.

    Roasted Crispy Goose - Although I honestly prefer my goose braised Teochew style, the roasted goose was nothing short of excellent. Succulent and tender meat beneath a layer of crispy skin that crackled with every bite. It was sheer goodness.

    Poached Live "Soon Hock" Fish with Chinese Rice Wine - The flesh was firm and sweet without the fishy undertones - an indication of freshness. There was a strong, almost overwhelming presence of rice wine in the milky gravy but when drizzled over the fish, it mellowed subtly and complemented the fish very well.

    Sauteed Australian Lobster with Ginger & Shallot - I doubt the lobster weighed in more than a kilogram. In fact, I suspect its weight hovered in the range of a mere 600-800 grams. Size aside, execution was commendable with the meat fresh and sweet with a nice and light ginger overtone.

    Sweet & Sour Pork - This dish was in addition to our set menu and rather average if I may say. The flour coating was a tad too thick while the sauce was too sweet for our liking. Predictably, there was quite a bit of left over when we were done.

    Stewed South African Sliced Abalone with Dried Oyster & Fish Maw - Presentation wise, this dish was awful, with everything looking mashed together under a blanket of really starchy gravy. But as the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover. It was a treasure pot of sorts with a respectable amount of abalone slices, fresh (not the usual dried ones) fish maw and a few dried oysters. The only gripe I had was that the oysters were a tad undercooked.

    Stir Fried Vegetables with Mushrooms - Another addition to the menu and a most average dish. True, the mushrooms were nice but the vegetables were lacking in the quintessential wok hei taste.

    Fried Glutinous Rice with Dried Meat & Mushroom - This was probably the only low in the otherwise excellent set menu. The rice was tasteless and a tad too dry. Ingredients were minimal as well.

    Chinese New Year Pastries & Yam Paste with Pumpkin and Gingko nuts - The cookies were decent whereas the yam paste aka Orh Nee was a tad too watery for my liking. But I guess it all boils down to personal preference as my parents found it quite decent.

    With a dinner for 5 hitting $930 without any drinks save for tea, its almost breaching the insanity mark. But well, its Chinese New Year and the food is really quite good. If such standard of food can be attained even during the CNY period where the food quality in most places would dip, then its a reasonable assumption that it would be better on normal days. I'll be eagerly awaiting.

    See all my pictures here


    Rating given:Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

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