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Sport & Recreation
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1=SGD 0.0587
Monthly dinner was decided to be Sage's this time around and the group has swelled considerably since its inception. This time standing at 10 strong with bloggers and yebbers making the majority of the audience, we braved the horrible Friday night traffic to the second level of Double O for (hopefully) a good meal.
Sage is run by a husband and wife team who also helped prepare the menu you see here. As this menu was custom made for our group of 10, there are a few items you will not find in the ala carte menu at all times. So do be informed of this little detail.
Despite how bright some of these shots look, we struggled really hard to find a good light source for our photos. Its was very very dim inside and photo taking became a nightmare but we all managed to pull it off after many failed shots and lots of trial and error.
Complimentary Bread - The complimentary bread was served warm and soft but cooled quickly in the rather strong air con which rendered it pretty tasteless and simply bad. Servings were generous though and refills were readily given.
Amuse Bouche - Another complimentary item courtesy of the restaurants loving couple. This was basically minced pork with something akin to tomato puree atop which tasted pretty good but i dislike the taste it leaves in your mouth which is actually quite raw.
Huia Pinot Noir 2005 ($69) - Pinot noir belongs to a family of grapes which are generally of less body and contains more character. Huia from New Zealand was introduced by the serving staff for our meal which is strangely inadequate. Though i liked the bite the drink provided and the aftertaste which was sharp and slightly sourish, it did not fit the mood of the evening as the majority of our dishes were white meat or seafood. Even then, as a drink alone, this could be enjoyed easily and demands little appreciation for entry.
Seared King Scallops on a Salad of Homemade Squid Ink Capellini, Marinated Ocean Trout and Avruga Caviar, Braised Scallop Lips and Leek & Potato Vichyssoise - Heavenly. That about summarizes this dish. The scallops were pan seared to perfection with a slightly crisp exterior while retaining its fresh soft sweetness inside. The leek & potato Vichyssoise (the bed of sauce below) deserves specific mention since many of us soaked it up with the leftover complimentary bread just to get more of it. It was that good. A definite must try but its not available on normal menus though.
Pan Seared Duck Foie Gras with Pistachio Crust and Fig Compote, Granny Smith Apple Puree - Without a doubt, the best Foie Gras i have ever had. The pistachio nuts were included in the batter that pan seared the foie gras, resulting in a crispy crust with an aroma of ground nuts and a soft, melt-in-your-mouth layer inside. The sweet and sour apple puree only served to enhance the already wonderful taste it provides.
Effeuille of Cod and Grey Prawns in a Seafood Bouillabaisse with Ratte Potatoes and Garden Vegetables accompanied with Rouille on Toast - The star of the evening in an evening filled with stars. The prawns were fresh and totally sweet and crunchy with the additional basil adding dimension to the already splendid concoction. The cod was fine and so soft it literally melts away in your mouth. The seafood bouillabaisse tasted sharp amidst the fine ingredients and this added to an already perfect combination. An interesting item was the rouille on toast which was extremely hard and crispy but as with all items it already encompasses, only served to increase the amount of pleasure the dish generated.
Lavender Crème Brûlée with Blood Orange Sorbet on Redcurrant Jelly - I felt the only disappointment was its dessert. Thats not to say it was bad though. The creme brulee was fragrant, light and sweet enough to recommend but the coagulated sugar layer turned out thicker then it should. The white stick you see is meringue, which is a combination of sugar and egg white, which was great the first few bites and slowly degenerated to a fight for toothpicks as it began to stick to the teeth. The sorbet was nothing special as was the redcurrant jelly but they got the job done either way.
The bill for 10 people came up to a whooping $1022.80 dollars which shocked my teeth out the moment i saw it but i can't deny the wonderful experience their food and service managed to provide.
Despite my disdain for high priced and small servings, this restaurant proved my previous judgments unfounded and showed me a side of fine dining i have never experienced thus far into my little hobby. The food was packed with taste and didn't feel cheap or badly done in the least. Even the small servings did not manage to whip me out of my drunken stupor of praises for their food. This is one place to take note and come to if you have the dough to support your stomach. And with food this good, everybody should make an effort to be able to afford it.
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Ice cream. A necessary sin, especially in Singapore where it is perpetually warm. And a wonderful indulgence after a good meal. That said, Ice Cream Chefs is an oasis in the desert, with a twist and i urge you to read on to see what this place offers.
Keep your eyes peeled as you drive to catch this purple signboard. Its easy to miss and the location is totally ulu and unexpected. There is free parking but you gotta press the bell to get in.
The location is difficult to find but price wise, 1 scoop goes for $3, 2 scoops for $4 and 3 scoops for $5 . I can't remember the exact prices but thats about a general price guide you can follow. Very competitive pricing i might say, and the idea is still novel enough to warrant some attention.
The ice cream used is of a pretty good quality. It is extremely easy to separate each taste from the next and durian taste is very very strong if you add it. It is also nicely smooth and taste as good as those served at other establishments like Anderson's or New Zealand ice cream. In other words, do try it!! Add in the fact that you can choose a large variety of toppings (oreos, fudge, marshmallows, M & Ms etc) and this is just a winner.
Good ice cream at a reasonable price with wonderful toppings and the option to try the entire process first hand. Apart from the secluded location, there is alot going for this place. Its definitely worth a visit just to mix the ice cream for yourself. Bring a date or friend along for added ambience *winks*.
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Astons Prime is the upmarket version of the now-famous Astons Specialties. You can view my previous visit to Astons Specialties here. So how does this new venture fare in comparison to its lower priced cousin? Lets read on to find out.
The atmosphere it provides is definitely alot better then the coffee shop location of Specialties. The prices are also significantly higher in comparison as well. The good thing is that we did not need to line up for our meal as the place was quite deserted during lunch time. Astons Specialties, the Joo Chiat branch, was lined full of people when we passed by though, so the contrast is quite disconcerting.
Complimentary Bread - The complimentary bread is served warm with garlic butter spread. The spread is fragrant but strangely lacked taste. Overall not too bad. Service to this point was good with a jovial young lady taking our orders.
Steakhouse Fries ($3.50 - The steakhouse fries were nicely done and not too oily. It was served piping hot and with minimal salt. Our choice of sauce was tartar and tomato ketchup which complimented the fries perfectly. At $3.50, the serving was also quite generous in comparison to other restaurants and bars for the same item.
Australian Grain Fed Sirloin ($24.90) - The main course of the day is an Australian grain fed sirloin steak which was recommended by the waitress. Weighing in at 250oz, the serving was pretty big and was an eye opener when it was served. My portion was slightly thicker then Fatpig's which his was longer and leaner. The meat was grilled well, such that you can easily discern the cross cut grilling by sight. The meat itself was pretty good but not exceptional. I asked for mine to be medium rare but it turned out undercooked due to the thick mid section and was very pink near the middle. The problem with sirloin is the thick layer of fat usually attached to the top portion of the meat and thankfully, mine was minimal. The meat did cool a little too quickly for my liking and the undercooked portion made me minus huge points from it.
King Salmon Steak ($22.90) - I got to try one small piece after loads of complaints from my friend. The salmon steak was strangely also cooked medium rare which is a first for me. And it didn't taste good because of that as the texture was overly soft and was just wrong for the dish.
The meal for 3 came up to $76.20 which is pretty expensive. No GST nor service charge is a plus.
For an upmarket version, you can be sure it looks a lot nicer and better then its lower priced cousin. But food and value wise, Specialties still wins hands down simply because the quality of the offerings, though similar, is greatly diminished by the upscaling of prices. This explains the long queues for Specialties and lack of customers for Prime. That said, Prime is still a decent place for a meal with good service and decent beef. I may visit again to judge it further.
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Its been a while since I last stepped into Tao's, with my last visit being about one and a half years ago. Since I was in the vicinity, I couldn't resist dropping by to renew my acquaintance with this small humble eatery.
Occupying a space big enough for about 50 pax at the basement of Paradiz Centre, Tao's retains its clean lines and bright lighting to give the wholesome family dining feel. Tao's dining concept is rather different as the menu is fixed and you get to choose a dish for each course. There are 7 courses in total for dinner (I believe its 6 for lunch) but choices are rather limited.
Mushroom & Cheese Gratin and Toasted Bread - I personally like the gratin quite a bit, tasty yet not nausea inducing. It did come across as a little more watery this time round but portion size seemed to have grown slightly. When eaten with the lightly toasted bread, the combination really got me craving for more.
Curry Yogurt Prawn Salad - The prawn salad was a joke really. 3 thin slivers of prawns covering asparagus, cherry tomatoes and golden mushrooms. I could have easily stuffed all 3 into my mouth at one go. It didn't help that the accompanying curry sauce was rather strong and sweet.
Farm Boy Splendor - Having ordered the farm boy splendor on previous occasions, it certainly didn't impress me very much, coming across as very average. On a positive note, the pieces of chicken in it were sizable and the vegetables were relatively fresh.
Cream of Mushroom Soup - A most decent rendition of the humble cream of mushroom, with bits of mushroom in it and obviously not tasting like a straight out of the can variation. It would have been better if it was slightly more coagulated (less watery) though.
Wild Mushrooms - This has to be the only time that I found the wild mushrooms more enjoyable because they didn't taste too wild for me nor were there the irritating little hard bits present, unlike previous occasions. Not that I really fancy it that much still.
Slow Cooked Pork Back Ribs - The pork ribs is Tao's signature dish which has apparently won an award in some competition. The meat was fall of the bone tender but did come across as a tad too sweet, which made me rather sick after a while.
Tao's Oven Roasted Steak - The steak came almost well done although I had asked for medium rare. The presence of excessive tenderizer was also evident as the meat did seem a little too tender by normal standards. Probably the only positive thing about this dish was the gravy, which was a little peppery and relatively tasty.
Creme Brulee - Good Creme Brulees are made from real vanilla beans, not vanilla extract. Tao's rendition was made from the latter. Not that it tasted bad though, just that the layer of sugar atop was too thin and not even hard. Talk about poor execution.
Home Made Chocolate Mousse - Homemade stuff usually entail a certain standard, but the chocolate mousse was just plain weird by any standards. It tasted like a 2 layer cake with the mousse on top and kueh at the bottom. Definitely not for me.
Ice Grass Jelly Mint Tea - An excellent way to end off dinner, with a choice of teas. I personally like the grass jelly mint tea because its sweet and cool with a dash of freshness from the mint.
Prices at Tao's have not gone up since more than a year back, which is really commendable given the rising costs. $61 for 2 set dinners is rather reasonable for the quality and quantity of food if you ask me. Service is excellent and friendly as well. I can't find a reason not to return.
See all my pictures here
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Its been quite a while since I had dinner at Melben, with the last being about a year ago. So I was itching to find out if the crabs were still as good as I remembered them to be. With the opening of a new branch in Toa Payoh, I had hoped that the crowd at Ang Mo Kio would be thinner, but how wrong I proved to be. When we (my family and I) got there at about 7pm, a mad queue had already formed in front of the make shift counter to take their orders and get their tables. Luckily, the wait took all but 20 minutes and we got a nice seat at the fringe of the coffeeshop. Now on to the food.
Crispy Skin Tofu - From the name, I had imagined this dish to be mouthwatering, but it didn't quite make the mark. First of all, the texture of the tofu was too rough and the skin had too much flour coating, resulting in a rather thick and coagulated layer when cold. Taste wise was still quite acceptable.
Vegetable with 3 types of Mushroom - This dish came recommended by our server and on hindsight, we probably shouldn't have agreed. Overall, it tasted very ordinary. Nothing stood out, not the 3 types of mushrooms, not the vegetables, not the gravy. Nothing. Which makes me wonder the basis for the recommendation.
Hotplate Venison Meat - Sometimes you wonder how real is the piece of venison meat that lies in front of you. After all, venison meat is rather rare in Singapore and certainly doesn't come cheap. That thought raced through my mind when I first chewed on the meat. Very crunchy and chewy (lots of tenderiser added), soaked in a pepper tinted thick and salty gravy. Not too shabby, but doubts of authenticity surfaces because it really tastes like pork.
The famous Claypot Beehoon with Crab - Now this was what everyone was there for - Melben's famous claypot beehoon with crab. The crab weighed about 1.3kg ($30/kg) and was a huge monster (we only ordered medium). Without a doubt, it was very fresh and the flesh was sweet and firm. The soup, with lots of coconut milk, tasted very similar to Laksa's soup, minus the curry. Thick beehoon was used in place of the normal thin ones, which absorbed the essence of the soup and complemented the whole dish very well. This dish was so big that the 4 of us almost couldn't finish it.
Dinner for 4 pax cost about $70, which isn't too expensive, but not exactly cheap either. If you ever decide to patronise Melben, do make a reservation first because there's a seperate queue which is a lot shorter. Also, just go for the wonderful crabs as the other dishes are merely average.
See all my pictures here
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Big O is a sister restaurant of N.Y.D.C and named after one of N.Y.D.C's popular items, namely the Big O cheesecake. The restaurant bares slight resemblances from N.Y.D.C in terms of food offerings and strangely, the decorations seems to opt for a canine dominant layout.
The restaurant is located directly opposite N.Y.D.C, how convenient. On the day i was there, N.Y.D.C was packed and Big O has significantly less customers. Color combinations were darker then necessary with brown and red being the mainstays, blue is used sparsely on backgrounds filled with dogs. Chairs were of the wood variation which is generally uncomfortable and spaces between tables were generous but still felt cramped.
Mozzarella Cheese Sticks - The mozzarella cheese sticks were simple and quite simply, badly made. The cheese was not melted properly and came across as being too sticky and too tough which made chewing it a chore. The batter was thin but had minimal to no taste which can be complimented upon. Not something i'll order again.
Platter For 2 ($34.95) - Having had great tasting platters at Manhatten fish Market, we expected to find similar greatness in Big O but that was not to be. At its price, the platter was surprisingly small. It came with the usual assortment of calamari rings, one crab cake, two salmon, two dory fish fillets and rice that tasted like Hainanese chicken rice. The calamari rings had too much batter and strangely lacked taste, the same goes for the fish fillets and even the salmon, which goes to show how fresh the items are. The sauces provided were also oddly contrasting with the food provided, which means they do not taste good when taken together. The only redemption is the rice, which was fragrant but still not outstanding. Big disappointment.
Oops I ate it again! ($9.95) - Having had a mediocre starter and a bad main, you would expect a restaurant named after a mudpie to serve excellent desserts at least. And yet, even that was not present. Mango ice cream on top of strawberry ice cream with an oreo base. The red sauce is cranberry jam and the way its put seems disgusting instead of pleasing. And honestly, it tastes like they just mashed the 2 ice creams together and called it a mudpie. Very bad tasting ice creams as well.
The bill came to $52.85 with them offering the cheese sticks as complimentary items after i wrote loads of comments for them to take note.
I'm not returning to this place, ever. The utensils used, as my gf pointed out, made us feel like we were eating out of dog bowls, and if that wasn't enough, the food was bad. Paying $50 for this kind of food makes me feel like an idiot and that is a mistake i will never repeat again. Stay away.
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Marina Square's one of my preferred hangouts, and many times I end up eating at Carl's Jr. over there.
Seating may be abit of an issue even in this rather large outlet due to the larger crowd over there, so try to avoid the peak hour traffic. Get there a little earlier, find a nice spot, and sit down to savour your burger(s).
My personal favourite's the Portobello Mushroom Burger. I am one helluva mushroom fan, and I used to enjoy Burger King's Mushroom Swiss - but no longer so, ever since I sunk my teeth into Carl's version of it.
Their Chilli Cheese Fries's not too bad as well, but be warned that it might be slightly too salty for some of you. The meat sauce and cheese's good with the fries, but the portion's a little too big - especially if you plan to have that with a burger.
Drinks are supposedly free-flow, which is good (and bad for those who wish to go on diets). I'd usually go for the iced-tea where you add your own lemon slices and syrup to customize your iced-(lemon)-tea to suit your own tastebuds.
Carl's Jr. is priced a little steeper that what you would get at MacDonalds or Burger King, but rest assured, the serving portion and quality of food definitely makes up for the extra you pay.
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Had dinner at Manhill Restaurant, sibling to the renowned Hillman Restaurant at Kitchener Road. One interesting point to note is that both places are owned by the same family and have exactly the same menu.
Located along Pasir Panjang Road, Manhill is hard to miss with its huge neon lighted signboard screaming its presence to passing motorists. Its really hard to imagine a restaurant located at such a nondescript place where housing developments are minimal and factory buildings aplenty. Its even harder to imagine such a huge turnout at the restaurant during the weekends, which essentially means that reservations are almost necessary and mind you, the place can sit close to 100 people! (my estimate).
Chye Sim in Oyster Sauce - A very normal dish. Decent but not fantastic. The vegetables did come across as a tad too soggy though and the oyster sauce seemed a little runny.
Chicken in Paper Bag (Boneless) - As with the Zi Bao Ji at Hillman, this was excellent. Well marinated and cooked to perfection - tender meat with simmering juices encapsuled within the paper bags. Just watch out of the price because it certainly doesn't come cheap.
Crab Meat with Beancurd - An average dish and nothing more. The crab meat was plentiful but of inferior quality and the beancurd was your run off the mill kind.
Pot Roasted Pork with Sea Cucumber - As mentioned in my entry on Hillman, claypot dishes are a specialty at both Hillman and Manhill and rightly so. The Pot Roasted Pork with Sea Cucumber was hot favourite with the sea cucumber being soft yet retaining its firmness and the gravy tasty with all the goodness from the sea cucumber and roasted pork. The roasted pork was a little too fatty for my liking though.
Fried Pork Ribs in Chinese Style - The young chap (who I presume to be the owner's son) was promoting this dish as one of the signature dishes of Manhill, apart from the Chicken in Paper Bag and I should have slapped myself for listening to him. The texture of the pork ribs was a little too soft and moist for my liking and came across as too sweet. And I wasn't the only one who thought so.
We were stuffed up, all 9 of us. Best thing was, it only cost $180. A reasonable price to pay for the quantity and quality of food, if not for the finger licking good chicken and claypot dishes. However I reckon Hillman edges Manhill slightly out in terms of food quality. And its much emptier as well.
See all my pictures here
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During our recent forays into Joo Chiat, my parents and I noticed an old eatery named Joo Heng, which spanned 2 shophouses and always had a steady stream of customers. We then vowed that it would be next on the list upon our return to Joo Chiat. And so there we were, at Joo Heng on a Sunday evening, at 1830hrs to be exact. The previous week we had wanted to try Joo Heng out, but was informed that the wait for the food would be about an hour, which was just insane. So this week we made it a point to reach early to beat the crowd. A rather friendly waitress (one of the family members I presume) took our orders of Fish Head, Sweet Potato Leaves fried with Garlic, Braised Tofu with Prawns and Fried Shark's Fin with Cabbage(Its lettuce by the way), all of which were recommended items on the menu.
The Braised Tofu with Prawns looked rather simple, but was quite well done. The Tofu was soft and quivery, yet not too soft that it became mushy. The accompanying gravy was very tasty, albeit a little too salty. Worth a special mention were the prawns, which looked more like baby lobsters given their enormous sizes. They were also fresh, sweet and crunchy - how a good prawn should be!
I personally am not a big fan of Sweet Potato leaves as I find them too sticky and mushy for my liking. However, the Sweet Potato Leaves fried with Garlic was all that bad. It was rather fragrant and wasn't too sticky. But I still don't really fancy it much, so enough said. This was the only dish that was left standing as all of us found it too starchy towards the end and we were all quite stuffed up.
The Fish Head was quite fresh, but I found the accompanying sauce a little too salty. Pork lard was added to enhance the flavours, but I steered clear of it, prefering my health over clogged arteries. As with the Sweet Potato leaves, I didn't really take to this dish as somehow or rather, I just don't like fish head, probably due to the "fresh water" taste. My parents found it above average and nothing more.
Fried Shark's Fin with Cabbage sounded like an interesting dish and it came highly recommended. Alas, the hype generated didn't live up to expectations. There were but a few strands of shark's fin (I could barely make them out), with the majority being scrambled eggs, bean sprouts and crab meat. Well, the dish was nicely fried though and the cabbage mellowed the strong egg taste, making it light on the palate.
Dinner for 3 pax stood at $69.50, which is not worth it. However, take away the Fried Shark's Fin with Cabbage and it becomes reasonable, with the bill standing at $39.50. Overall, I wouldn't say that the quality of food at Joo Heng is top notch, but it is definitely above average. Prices in general are reasonable too, which makes it a very attractive option to dine in. Now here comes the bombshell. All of us suspected that most, if not all, of the food had been fried in pork lard, giving rise to dishes that are very fragrant and tasty. Its merely hypothetical, so don't quote me on that.
See all my pictures here
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German food is something new for me and where better to start then one thats been commercially reviewed and touted about on television for their food and bread. This was done during a short lunch on a normal workday so naturally, we were a little pressed for time but nonetheless we did what we could.
Occupying an entire building by itself, it is not difficult to locate and parking space is provided for customers. I counted about 8 lots in its small enclosed compound. The layout is split into 2 partitions for the restaurant and 1 for the bread shop. Furniture choice is generally wooden with assorted German decorations and promotions laid out for the homesick expatriates. The feeling it exudes is casual, simple and otherwise, nothing out of the ordinary. There was no crowd when we arrived on this afternoon and less then 5 tables were occupied. We were also the last customers to leave.
Calamari Rings ($12.50) - Our first appetiser was served in a rattan basket and in surprisingly small portions. The calamari rings however, turned out much better then expected. The batter used was of a different kind from the usual found in most rings. The batter made the rings very fragrant and pleasing while offering a superb crunchiness to the otherwise simple item. There was a tinge of sweetness in the batter which i can't quite identify as well. A pretty good item if not for the ridiculous price.
Fried Camembert with Blueberry Jam ($8.80) - Fried camembert, which can also be call fried cheese. The cheese turned out tougher then it was supposed to be maybe due to it being fried without suitable defrosting. Of particular mention is the blueberry jam which should be made in house. It tasted sweet, fresh and strangely, went well with the salty cheese.
Schmorbraten/ Beef pot roast ($21.50) - Whatever the name is in german i do not know but this is basically beef pot roast. Serving was generous with lots of beef but i felt the beef was overcooked because its very tough and requires more chewing then is necessary. The purple stuff you see is actually marinated vegetables which reminded me of Korean Kimchi without the spice. Its sour and tastes pretty appetising but not in big portions. The potatoes were quite hard as well. Not a very good item for me.
German Meat Loaf ($17.50) - The name sounded interesting which is why my friend ordered this. It turned out to be a German version of our now familiar luncheon meat except that it costs nearly 3 times as much as well. The meat was quite salty but otherwise nothing interesting.
Rote Grutze/ Cream with Blueberry Jam ($6) - This tastes like pudding with the blueberry jam i mentioned in the second appetiser. Overall, interesting but not something i'll try again since i feel quite ripped off with the use of the same jam in 2 different items.
Baked Cheese Cake With ice Cream ($6.70) - The cheesecake does not feel like it was baked in house and is average at best. The ice-cream tasted like King's ice-cream which is ridiculous since they charged $2.50 a scoop. It seems every step of the way, rip-off is beginning to be the in word in this restaurant.
The bill for 3 came up to $78.10 which is ridiculous given the quality of the items and the lack of any innovation whatsoever in the dishes. This could have been western food for all it mattered.
The place was nice and obviously, there must be something good about it for people to recommend it. However, i found no such qualities during my visit and found their food offerings less then optimal. I'm no expert in German fare but i'm sure there are great items hidden in other German menus waiting to be discovered, such as restaurants like Magma which i've heard alot about. That said, i'm not returning for another visit here again and i hope you don't too.
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