Polarbear's Reviews
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The restaurant is hidden in the first level of the hotel, if not for the Japanese style of door way, it is a blink and miss place. Once walked inside, I was surprise by how small the whole place is. It looks like those Japanese old cottages. There is a few traditional tables where you have to take off your shoes and sit. A number of small tables with small sets and the rest of the seats are bar counter seats. For a big group of people like us, we have to squeeze as well. If you are big sized like me, you will definitely knock to the person sitting next to you. Advice is to go in a group less than 10 people.
Next, is the food. The menu is cramped with words, no pictures. So if you expect to order by pictures, you will be sorely disappointed. At times, I just go by my guts to order as well. There is a lot of food to offer from sushi to sashimi to bento to soba etc. Lots of them in wide and different variety as well. They also served a few items as starters first, like smoked salmon. A mini seafood paper steamboat where the soup base is too salty. A miso soup that came in a tea pot and have to squeeze in lime juice as well, quite refreshing for that.
In a big group, there is confusion over ordering of food as the waitress just came with the food and we also not sure if we had ordered the food. Since it is a buffet, we just eat whatever is placed on our table. In other words, it can be a mess!
Sashimi’s lover would loved this place! Their variety is a lot and they came in big portions, not to mention that the slices came in very thick slices. Hmm… but not very fresh. Too bad I m not really a big fan of it. They got limited sushi chooses but I am not too impressed with their sushi as well. I have tasted better ones elsewhere. The rest of the food can be quite forgettable. Their tempera, again a lot of variety, from prawns to mushrooms, was quite ok nothing to wow off.
One funny thing did happen when I was ordering chicken cutlet, they asked me how many cuts I want. I thought in terms of how many full cutlets they mean. In the end, it turn out their cuts means how many slices I want. A bit … …
Their service can be quite slow and there was periods of time that we got no food and when we tried to order, their waitress always seem busy with other things or other people. As their tables are quite small, they also slow to clear the plates as well. Think they could have done with more help.
Seems that the place is quite popular as it was packed by 8pm and even the counter seats are packed like sardines. Like they say it is always better to make reservation for the place.
At a cost of $33 plus plus plus, in the end it was $38.80 per person. Personally, I think it is not worth the money and I would rather spend the money on other sushi places. Not to say because of my high expectations of the place, I was sorely disappointed and dun think I will be back to this place unless someone is giving me a treat. Hmm… so Sushi Teh any one?
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!Business getting too good i think. They used to be very good lah. All my friends love going there. haha...
01 Feb 2008 at 2:42 pm
The key word is "used to be". Or maybe my own expectation too high.
01 Feb 2008 at 2:55 pm
The long queue to wait for a table and the number tag is still the same
Nothing much changes in the menu.
The changes:
Xiao Long Bao – There used to be four xiao long baos per order but now they shrinked the xiao long bao into a smaller size and increase the number to five per order. Hmm…. It still taste pretty much the same but the size difference is really too much. Not very happy with it. Smaller xiao long bao means there is lesser fillings and lesser soup in each bao and this makes a lot of difference.
Shanghai Pan Fried Bao - There used to be three per order but now there are four. Same case as xiao long bao, the size shrinked a bit too much.
Their la mian is still pretty much the same in the variety but what changes is the type of la mian they are offering. From dragon whiskers to dao siao main to even ban mian, there are 7 types of la mian to choose from. Hmm… From what we have ordered, we still conlude that the old type of la mian still works wonder. Hee…. Nothing much changes from the rest. The portion of the food also shrank a bit.
The changes do not really impressed me and I think they are better going back to the old ones.
The service is still as good and attentive as ever, that is one thing I like when dining there. The place is still as packed as ever. Overheard one customer complaining how come there are only 3 pcs of beef in the la mian when there is supposed to be 4 slices. Hmm…. The supervisior also cannot answer that question but then she just brushed off the comment like that. Sigh……
I need the old Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao back!
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They are selling…. YOU TIAO! Haa….. Not the normal kind though, they actually treat you tiao as the base then they add different kind of toppings on top of it! They got apple, chocolate and a lot of different types.
I bought 2 to try it out, one apple and one white almond (sorry I forgot their actual names). For the apply one, it is apple fillings on top of the you tiao, and topped with some rasins and sugar toppings. It is too sweet for my liking and the you tiao is kinda of cold. I think it is supposed to be eaten cold. Yet when the you tiao is cold, it is still crispy. The size of the you tiao is pathetic. Personally, I dun really like it.
For white almond, this is different, instead of the normal you tiao shape, they actually use the same dough but rolled it into a bun shaped, with custard inside the bun and the top covered with white chocolate and almonds flakes. I like this as it does not really taste like you tiao at all, more like eating a bun.
At the moment they got limited variety but I think they will introduce new ones as time goes by. Personally, I still prefer you tiao in the originally way they are, and they have to be hot and crispy. With each priced at $1.30, I do consider they are over priced. If I want to eat such things for sugar rush, I would rather turn to donuts.
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On outside, the decoration of the place reminds of those old Japanese restaurants in Japan. It does have a old tradition touch to it. Once we walked through the door, we were immediately greeted with the normal kind of Japanese greetings and echoes of it were heard throughout of the place. We were ushered to our seats. Inside the decoration were the same as outside, traditional kind of decoration. There are small little sections that can seat up 4 to 6 people and also large sections that can hold up big groups as well. They got private rooms as well.
Once we were seated, menus were served and we were sort of overwhelmed by the variety of food, from different kind of meat from beef to chicken and to seafood and vegetables as well. There are also set meals with wine included but these were kind of out of our budget. It seems that all the food are to be BBQed and there are no cooked food on the menu.
In the end, we ordered a seafood assorted set, a plate of chicken, a plate of sirloin beef and a plate of assorted vegetables.
Once the order is done, also immediately, they will serve up a pot of hot burning charcoal in front of you. The special thing about this charcoal is it is smokeless so it will not really be smoky for the whole place while cooking and it does not leave a burning smell on you when you leave the place as well. They are hot but they do not have any lit fire. Sitting near them can actually feel the heat already.
Next came the food, please note that the food came raw as we have to cooked them ourselves.
Assorted vegetables - A big plate of vegetables are served up. They include, corn on cob, leeks, asparagus, mushroom, green pepper, carrots. The portions are quite big and fresh as well. It is interesting to cook them on the stove and have to keep in mind that the stove is very hot, therefore the vegetables actually get cooked very fast, leave them any longer on the stove, they will be burnt. Well that happened to the first few anyway. Haa…. With a little burnt on the outer, they actually tasted quite good, especially with the green pepper and corn. The mushroom actually managed to retain its juice inside, making it crispy outside but full of juice inside.
Chicken – The chicken came marinated and cut into smaller but thick pieces. It will take some time to cook due to the thick slices. However once they are cooked, they are very good. The meat is tender and will not lost its flavour when BBQ. It is cooked to a bit burnt on the outer side.
Beef – This came in cube slices and it is also marinated as well. Beef is easier to cook as they no need to be fully cooked. However the stove being very hot, it will take a very short time to cook the meat. The beef here although not being the top grade, it is tender as well and juicy as well, with the fats slightly melted.
Assorted seafood set – This came as a surprised as the portions are really huge! It got big tiger prawns, scallops, a big full sotong, and two big slices of salmon. It was great! The seafood is really fresh as if they just got out of water. Cooking them is a breeze. The hard one is the sotong, as it is in full size and need them to cut up into smaller pieces as the outside is cooked but the inner is still not cooked. They provided butter for the salmon, and they are placed in the aluminum foils as well, it is like frying them instead. This is really worth the money especially on the big portions on seafood, even they only come in 2 pieces each.
The service of the crew is good and very detailed. They are always on the look out of the stove every time they walked past. They will either change the grill (if it turns black) or they will add in charcoal. They are also pro active, like the case of the sotong, they offered to cut it into smaller pieces for me so that it will be easier to cook as well. They do serve ice water and never fails to top up the water as well. When they served the food, they will also advise on how long to cook the food. Good for first timers like us. Hee…
Oh yes, don't worry, tongs will be provided to make yr bbqing easier and more fun. It is like bbqing inside a room.
Overall the meal; cost around $90 for 2 pax if my memory did not failed me. A bit on the expensive side but then it is a good experience. I am quite happy with the experience except that I dun think I will return soon because fo the price.
The place does get packed rather soon during meal times so if possible make a reservation before going down. it does save you from not getting a table and being disappointed.
Between this and Korean BBQ, well of course there are difference and each got its own pros and cons. However, if they are like the Koreans, able to cook it right in front of us, it will be better. Especially for lazy people like me. Haha….. Korean BBQ also have a lot of small side dishes whereas this does not have. For me, both are as good, just depends what I feel like having then. Hee….. What about you?
- 2 more comments »
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!The prawn and scallop look big! Or was the pot small? $120 for 2pax?
31 Jan 2008 at 9:22 am
They are really HUGE. The stove like normal seoul garden size lo.Yes ard $120 for 2 pax.
31 Jan 2008 at 9:29 am
No lah. It's $90 . Haha...
31 Jan 2008 at 12:14 pm
Well we make a reservation since it can get quite packed at dinner time. I reached there around 10 mins before our reservation time and found to place to be pretty empty. The I stood like an idiot for a good 10 mins before someone saw me and came stomping to me in a black face (or her face is by default black which means no smile). Trust me, that is the last thing I wanna to see after a day of work, is to see a black face. So what happen to the motto of “where happy people meet”? Hmm.....
The first impression of the place is very dark. Seems like they switch off all the light and trying to use the tea candles lights instead. Romantic? Eerie? To me, both. Haa….. Another reason being the table that I was seated was directly below the air con, freaking cold! I was having goose bump throughout the whole dinner. Pls dun seat at Table 7. Have to say that the place is nicely decorated though.
Took some time to decide what to eat but then they got this set meal thing which is actually quite a good deal. Add $3 for a salad/soup drink ice cream. You can even upgrade starters, drinks and desserts as well. Great!
In the end we decided on the following:
Potato Munch Skins: It is potato skins topped with bacon bits baked with mozarella cheese, served with mayonnaise. Have to say this came as a disappointment as my partner had recommended this, expectation too high I think, but I have tasted better ones at other places. At $7 for 6 pcs, can consider cheap alr. If it has more bacon bits and the potato skin more crispy, it would be much better.
Soup: This soup of the day which I think is cream of mushroom. This is good. It came hot, cream and full of mushroom chunks. Good enough. It will be better if it could come with a bun or some bread. Hee….
Garlic Crusted Dory: It is dory covered with chef's special garlic herb butter & bread crumbs, baked till golden brown. Well the presentation was good and the portion was big. The side dish of mixed vegetables was good. The fish is covered with garlic bread cumbs. Brings a unqie taste to the fish. Refreshing. The fish is fresh as well, even after deep fried, it still remains soft and not dry. Cost @ $8.80.
Roasted Chicken Leg: It is whole roasted chicken leg with mouth-watering mushroom & potato fricassee. This dish came to me as a normal dish. Nothing to be wow of, less of the potato fricassee, which is smooth and creamy. Have to say the portion of the leg is big as well. Cost @ $9.80. I think the dish is not worth this price. I can get better tasting chicken leg at half the price.
Warm Bread & Butter Pudding: I loved bread and butter pudding. This one came to us hot and with vanilla cream, it was great. I loved the taste of it, milky and creamy. The bread is still firm as well, soaking in all the flavour.
All in all, the meal cost $32.60 for 2 person and there is no service charge as well.
Overall the dining experience was not too good due to freezing temperature. Have to eat our food fast if not risk it turning cold. Even though, we ordered drinks, it will be good that they could have served us ice water as well. Their service is disappointing as being a small café, I expect their service to be warm and friendly. All I got was very business like service only. I dun think I will go back on my own. Food is one thing but service is another and they go hand in hand. They are always other places with warmer services and better food.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!hmm. mayb u got there on a wrong day? lol. on both occasions i went, the staff was fast in getting seats. And they DID serve us ice water, they gave us a jug of ice water even though we order drinks
23 Jan 2008 at 1:58 pm
Haa... I am a once bitten twice shy type of person
23 Jan 2008 at 2:18 pm