Had lunch at Sweet Salty Spicy Food Market & Thai Canteen (SSS for short), a newly opened modern Thai restaurant in the western regions of Singapore. Set up by Chef Christopher Miller of Poppi and helmed by Chef Richards, who trained under Chef Peter Bowyer from Sailors Thai in Sydney Rocks district fame, SSS aims to fill the gap between Thai fine dining restaurants and Thai chain outlets.
Located along serene Upper Bukit Timah Road, SSS, which is one of the new kids on the block, resides towards the end of a row of shops also known as The Rail Mall. The interior is simply done up with shelves of Thai sauces and condiments on display together with fresh local produce of herbs and vegetables. Hanging fruits at the entrance add to the down to earth market feel of the place.
Hot and Sour Soup with Prawns, Straw Mushrooms and Aromatics - Notice that the name mentioned prawns. However, there was only 1 prawn, albeit of a rather large size. Bone picking aside, the soup was light yet sourish and hits you before you even know it. Its not so much the chilli kind of spicy but the wasabi kind of 呛, which has been known to reduce grown men to tears. Although I'm not one for spicy stuff, I liked this soup quite a bit.
Wagyu Beef Skewer - At $5.50 a skewer and 2 mouthfuls, this is one expensive piece of beef. However I must admit that the beef was excellent. Tender and succulent with a tinge of sourish herbs taste complementing the natural beefy flavours of the meat - all these without being done medium rare.
Sweet Barbeque Pork in Thai Spices with Fresh Vegetables - This dish is very much akin to our local char siew except that it was much drier with an unidentifiable lightly sweet yet salty spice taste. With the meat being dry, it naturally got tougher and more chewy, which isn't necessarily a good thing, especially for people with weak teeth like myself. Still a relatively decent dish overall.
Roast Duck with Flat Rice Noodles in a Fragrant Thai Herb Broth with Bean Sprouts and Fried Garlic - First impression, this dish looked like a typical bowl of duck meat kway teow. Interestingly, the broth reminded me of the gravy used in lor mee, albeit of a much sweeter version. The duck slices were nice and chewy but the rice noodles, though silky and smooth, tended to clump together.
'Pat Thai' Stir Fried Thai Rice Noodles - This has got to be one of the best Pat Thai I've eaten in a long long while. A tad chewy and moist, the Pat Thai was fried with dried shrimps, beansprouts and huge prawns, exuding a nice fragrant aroma when served. Another plus point was that the noodles didn't clump together even when the dish turned cold. Probably the only gripe I had was the sweetness of the dish, which was a little excessive for me personally.
Black Sticky Rice with Caramelised Coconut and Coconut Cream - For those who have eaten enough of such dishes, you would probably know that this is essentially Pulot/Burbur Hitam. And although I dont really fancy it, I must say that this one was quite appetising, not too starchy but could do with a lot less sugar.
Coconut Custard Tart - Served up with a dollop of fresh cream, the tart looked limp and tired, much to my disappointment. However it wasn't half as bad as it looked, tasting pretty much like egg tart with a layer of sweetened coconut. To be fair, it was actually quite nice but it might have been better if served chilled.
Honestly, $50 for the spread and quality isn't expensive. However portions aren't big so hearty eaters might need to order something extra from the ala carte menu. I'm not sure about the portions come dinner time but prices tend towards the higher end during that period. Think $12 for a plate of Pat Thai. SSS isn't the cheapest Thai food place nor the best, but for the prices, its worth it.
Was down at Clarke Quay to chill out, eventually settling down at Brewerkz for a round of beer at around 9pm I suppose.
The bar was kinda packed, I mean it was lively with the crowd of chatters all around. I kinda like the layout of the bar and the settings as it really gives you the warm and comfy atmosphere. Simply unbelievable.
I had Indian Pale Ale, a Silver Medal winner in the Australian Beer Competition as they said. As the name implies, it was pretty pale but rather smooth and strong to my liking.
My friend called for Moh Gwai which they claimed to be the strongest beer they have and rightfully, it lived up to its name. It was definitely strong, if you down several pints of it, I am pretty sure you won't be able to make your way home yourself.
Much to say, the beer served at Brewerkz was definitely of the highest standards. I would definitely come back next time and hang out around there with my buddies. A top recommendation from Chris.
Things didn’t get off to a good start when my name was not found on the reservation list. Thankfully it wasn’t a big issue as the crowd have not set in and they managed to find us a table. It so happen that it was Friends “First Ever Barbecue Party” @ Chomps that evening, and we were told that they were only serving Barbecue Platter for mains and only the appetisers and desserts are available from the regular menu.
As we were scrutinising the menu on what is available, one thing we did realise was that the tables were a little too close for comfort. Despite the classy décor and nice lighting to create a lovely ambience, the strident environment that evening marred it - in fact it stayed raucous throughout the whole occasion.
Upon ordering, we were served the bread and butter almost immediately – it didn’t came cold but it wasn’t exactly warm either (I was actually looking forward to it as I clearly remember her mentioning “Enjoy your warm bread!”). Other than being soft, there wasn’t anything else noteworthy to mention about it.
Soon after, the Assorted Salad Platter with Condiments and Dressing came – straight forward dish as well and nothing much to compliment or picked on.
Then came the ½ dozen of Seasonal Oysters ($29.40), and I have flattering remarks for them – they were big, the flesh were plump and it was very fresh, although personally I would prefer them to arrive more chilled – and if they were any cheaper, I could have easily gulp down another dozen.
We waited a little while more before our platter arrived. For a platter for 2 ($49.90), diners have a choice of 3 items from the Hot Items (Roast Potatoes, Corn on the Cob, Grilled Tomatoes, Grilled Pumpkins, Grilled Peppers) and 2 items from the Grilled Items (Rib eye Steak, Lamb Shoulder Chops, Assorted Sausage (veal or course pork), Grilled Chicken, Grilled Fish Fillet). A platter for 3 will set you back another $20 with an additional item from the grilled section. We opted for the potatoes, corn and peppers from the hot items list and rib eye steak and lamb shoulder chops from the grilled items.
The platter didn’t exactly impress me when it was served to be honest. Aesthetics wise, it didn’t look appetising, furthermore the whole plate was drenched with the meat’s natural juices that only signifies that the chef did not rest the meat before it was served. But at least the chef did managed to get his medium rare this time round for the steak.
Special mention also goes to the lamb chops, as it was char grilled nicely on the outside and succulent on the inside – and what’s best was the layer of marbling fats that was ever so flavoursome. We wrapped up the dinner with a similar dessert I had the last time – Warm Valrhona Chocolate Cake served with Vanilla Ice Cream ($12.90).
And my mate who was not present at the previous outing gave the same conclusion that the aftertaste of the molten chocolate lava could be better (compared to this one, which she had tried with me).
Overall, this wasn’t as bad an experience as the previous one, but there are definitely rooms for improvement. Also, considering that this was the first time they are running this sort of operations, perhaps I could be more forgiving. Nevertheless, I feel that serving barbecue fare is displacing the original business model, which prides itself as a semi-fine dining place – where you do not need to dig deep into your pockets for good food.
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
During my countless visits to Jurong Point, I have never stepped foot into the EC House shop at the far-end corner of the shopping mall even though there were really times when I got tempted to but found better alternatives elsewhere. After much persuasion from my friends few days ago, I reluctantly decided to give it a shot. One, I really need a haircut amidst my busy schedule in university and two, it's sometimes good to try out new stuff.
The moment we went inside, we were greeted "konnichiwa" by the friendly staff, which means good afternoon in Japanese. We proceeded to buy the electronic card coupons from the slot machine located in front of the shop. Then, we sat down on the seats provided as all the hairstylist were preoccupied with their customers currently. It was only a while (say like 5 minutes or so) before it was our turn, in fact my turn for I was the last of the bunch of three of us.
The lady attending to me asked me for the coupon and queried about how do I want her to cut. So I replied short and layered like to . The next thing you know, she was just doing her job, cutting away my strands of hair. Her skills ain't that bad, but sometimes the cut hair landed on my face, which can get really itchy and annoying. She continued snipping away without even clearing the hair now and then. The only good thing was that there's small LCD screen TV showing trailers of most recent movies plus the advertisements. Kinda nice experience to be enjoying the movie trailer clips while having your hair cut.
Moments later. she was done and tada to my new haircut. Quite value for money despite the fact that it wasn't that fantastic. It was a decent one for just 10 bucks. I would definitely come back if only I need a cheap budget haircut.
What is the most terrible thing that can happen to a food blogger?
Encountered bad service at a restaurant?
No, thats part of the dining experience.
Taste lousy and not up-to-the-mark food?
Nah, thats also part of the dining experience.
Entering the restaurant and the waitress told you the place is full?
Blame it on yourself who did not make any reservations.
The worst thing, that can ever, ever happen to a food blogger . . .
Is having no camera to take shots of the delicacy displayed upon you.
Thunder never strikes at the same spot, indeed. The last time to The French Stall, LIC forgotten to bring his camera along, and that was an awful feeling. LIC didn’t expect to encounter the same problem, this time LIC did bring the camera, only to arrive happily at the entrance of the restaurant and found out that there was no battery inside!?!
Tsk tsk! LIC shouldn’t taken out the battery to charge and forgot to put it back. A dreadful mistake which must be avoid at all cost next time.
Beware! Warning! The following photos may look awful, terrible, shocking, ghastly, and lousy to you. If you cannot take any of the experience, please DO NOT click on “Read the rest of this entry“
The fatal spot where LIC wanted to take a pot-shot of the entrance and to his horror, discovered that the absence of the battery!
Alas, this post on Kuishin-bo will be short due to obvious reasons, LIC was actually working on Absolute Haven but due to time constraint, this post shall appear before your eyes first. Too many post pending for LIC to write, even OT can’t really help : )
The only “slightly more decent” photo, sushi selections The sushi are all right i guess, nothing to shout about. Quite a wide selections to choose from though.
Prawn Tempura The tempura section is most probably one of the place where i consume more, with the exception of desserts (which LIC can’t live without!) The prawn tempura is your normal fried prawn with tempura-flour, it works for me although i pretty much suspect its only decent in the eyes of Japanese food experts (LIC self-proclaimed he isn’t a avid Jap food eater)
Kaminabe paper steamboat Like what i mention during my visit to Waraku, Kaminabe sounds like a foul-word, it still brings back memories from the last visit, hence the mention. Paper pot, the vegetables, are all there to absorb the otherwise oily chicken and soup. Thinking back now, Beef should have been a better option for Kaminabe.
Desserts - Fruit Tarts Fruit tarts are LIC favorite! I can pop ten easily into my mouth. The tarts here are pretty standard i guess, but still give them to me!
There are also some miniature cakes around, chocolate ones, mini oreo cheesecakes (really tiny), mini doughnuts in different flavors, quite a variety available.
The chocolate fondue craze might have die down already, but that does not means they are not good. Its just that people forgets easily, before long another new craze will appear and the common folks will start to go after the new hype. Think donut, bubble-tea, luo-han fish, chocolate fondue, well just to name a few.
Total Bill for 2 person during weekday lunch comes up to $46.61 after tax and service charge. Weekday lunch is $24.80 for adult, and if you Op for the 60 minutes express lunch, it is $19.80 , which we did. I guess the 60 minutes strategy is more to attract office working people, but we took it since we are really full after an hour anyway.
Actually the difference in price is only 5 bucks, if you go for the normal price, you got the luxury to enjoy the buffet from 1130am-3pm, which big-appetite eaters should go for. Otherwise if you are working near Suntec, or like us where you can finish the meal in an hour, the discount of $5 although not much, is still rather substantial.
To be honest, the one hour buffet is rather rushed, and if you are the type that refuse to rush while tasting your food, it is not advisable to take it. But if you know what you are looking for, well just attack those areas and your effort will be paid off for the $19.80.
Kuishi-bo proclaimed itself to be the Authenthic Japanese Buffet Restaurant, which i highly doubted it. Authentic hardly feeds into what they are offering. Nevertheless i believe one sentence should sums it all for Kuishi-bo. Quantity, not quality!
Taste is subjective, if you are not looking for very excellent food, i say the ones at Kuishi-bo are quite decent, and definitely value-for-money since its only $19.80. But if you are into Japanese food, i’m afraid the visit will disappoint you greatly. Nonetheless, comparing Kuishi-bo to Sakura International Buffet, and Sakae Sushi Buffet, i still say Kuishi-bo slightly edged out both the latter.
Many acquaintance mentioned that Kuishi-bo’s standard has vastly dropped from last time, a pale shadow of what it used to be. Well, sometimes you have to experience it for yourself to conclude. I did, which is the reason for my visit to Kuishi-bo. Thus, Yay or Nah, make a trip down.
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 : )
We were thinking what to eat before around Marina Square area when I thought of this place when I had read the good review on Yebber, so decided to head to this place and give it a try. Given its prime location where you are sure to see it, you will not miss this place at all. Well once you come up of the Citilink escalator; it is just right in front of you. It just looks like a small kopitiam. It got both indoor (air-con) and outdoor (non air-con) seats along the corridor.
From the review about, can see that this place only serves a few kinds of food from Nasi Lemak to Mee Siam to Popiah. They also got desserts and all different kind of drinks as well. They even produce their own kind of drinks (Like Grass Jelly and Tea etc) and pre-packed it by themselves. They go by self service, so when you want to order you have to go to their counter, tell them what you want to order, then pay at the cashier at the end of the line.
I got myself the following food:
Nasi Lemak @ $3.90: There are a lot of different sets to choose from. The prices ranging from $3.90 to $4.70. I ordered mine with otak and chicken wing. The rice is green in color and smells very fragrant. It is hot and soft with a heavy smell of pandan. However it is the only good thing. The otak is that normal kind, nothing to wow of. The chicken wing is warm, not hot but still managed to retain its crispiness. However I do find the wing a bit small sized. The rest of the side dishes are ikan belis and peanuts. I am not a person who can handle hot stuff well, but the chili did impress me a lot. It is a little hot yet sweet at the same time, making it a great combination with the nasi lemak. Overall, this dish is slightly above average.
Popiah @ $1.90. $2.30 if you want to add prawns or chicken: This popiah to me is a bit disappointing. The popiah looks a bit too wet on the plate; therefore I knew that it is going to be soggy. True enough, once I put it inside my mouth, it turns out to be soggy. Although it is packed with a lot of ingredients inside but it does not totally removed all the juices, making the popiah too soggy. It is also a bit tasteless for me. For the price I am paying, I expected it to be better. I have tasted better ones at a cheaper price some more. I will not order this again.
Drinks: Hot Coffee @ $1.10 and Iced Tea @ $1.50. I shall only comment on the tea. I do like their version of the iced tea, thick milky taste which I looked out for in an iced tea! It is good enough for me just to go back and buy their ice tea next time.
Since it is self service, the service at the counter is pretty prompt, as they only prepared (or use the word “packed”) the food when you order. They are also quite flexible as you can change some of the items in your set as well. One thing, they do not charge 10% service charge here. The prices they charge also quite cheap as well comparable to food court prices.
It is a good place if you need a place for quick food or you need to satisfy your urges for Nasi Lemak craving. Wahahahaha……
Read quite a bit about Melvados and its famous brownies so dropped by one sunny afternoon to try them out.
Opened just slightly over a year ago in end 2006, Melvados is located within the upmarket residential enclave of Bukit Timah, playing neighbours to only a clinic and a pub. The decor is simple, with cheap looking wooden tables and chairs sparsely populating the granite floor. There are cosy sofas too but those are of the limited variety. The entire place is small, probably fitting in about 20 pax at most. With huge floor to ceiling windows, the place exudes a nice cosy feeling, just perfect for a lazy afternoon tea session.
Seafood Platter - I'm not exactly a fan of seafood platters as they usually consist of alot of deep fried stuff that tend to make me nauseous after a while. This one was no exception. Served with onion rings, fries, calamari and fish/prawn cakes, the platter was, if I may say, off the charts. Not that I mean it in a good way though. Everything (save for the fries) was rather tasteless and too filled with thick batter that tasted exactly like deep fried flour.
Black & White Kisses - Billed as Melvados's signature brownie, the Black & White Kisses was actually quite good. Moist and not too rich with a nice wholesome baked taste and topped with black and white hershey's kisses. The only bone I had was the consistently smooth homogeneous texture of the brownie, which made it seem a little weird. However such gripes are forgotten when the brownie is paired with the vanilla ice cream, making for a sweet and delightful dessert without the chocolate overload.
Sizzling Brownies Sensation - Ever heard of hotplate brownie? No? Neither have I. It was that curiosity that prompted us to order this dessert. In retrospect, it wasn't such a good idea after all. A brownie served on a hot plate with a scoop of rapidly melting ice cream. How special is that? I did a quick calculation and the novelty of a hotplate cost us an additional $2.10 with the exact same ingredients as their signature Black & White Kisses. There's another problem with serving brownies on a hotplate. The underside of the brownie will harden and stick to the base and the ice cream melts so fast that its a little more than just flavoured cream after a while.
Chocolate Madness - I didn't quite take to this brownie as it was a tad hard and dry when served. Not exactly my cup of tea. And for the record, it didn't really taste that strongly of chocolate as inferred by its name.
I'm really not sure about the going prices for brownies because I don't eat enough of them to know but I'm guessing $18.50 for 3 brownies is a wee bit on the high side. Meldavos serves mains like pasta and sandwiches as well but sticking to just the brownies might just be a safer bet.
Firstly, the group of us were late and we left 1 friend waiting for us at the table. I must say the staff was exceptionally nice about this. They entertained her, chatted with her so she wouldn't feel alone and pretty much checked in on her till we arrived.
Foodwise, main courses weren't a big "wow". I've had better..
But the desserts.. oh my god .. the desserts.. ULTRA YUM!
Try the chocolate pudding and that one more.. can't rem what it was, the one with a chock load of berries on top and some caramel in it. Taste and texture similar to youghurt but its like a ga-smillion times better. ITS AMAZING...
Chocolate cake was warm and crisp on the outside.. hot and gooey with chocolate on the inside. Plus the ice cold icecream that you would add to each spoonful of chocolate amazing-ness.. I've died and gone to chick heaven!
The other one.. light, crisp and berri-licious. There was soooooooooo much berries on top that there was actually enuf to go with every spoonful of youghurt caramel thingy. All in all, smoooooooth as silk with a tinge of zing!
Gotta try it to believe it man!
Downside.. they refuse to serve you water after 10pm. So inflexible..
I always go there to buy cute little things for my colleagues during Christmas and special occasions where I have to buy presents for many people on a small budget.
Their stuff even though its a teeeny bitty expensive, is unique, cute and overall SPECIAL enuf for ppl to think I'm a thoughtful gift-giver
All in all... I LOVE WOODWOULD!
*psst* woodwould owner... do I get a discount card now?
Never really seen a site like this before.. Simple enough idea by allowing people to search for items by a unified budget.
What i like about it is that i don't have to go into the actual blogstore websites to see their products. I can actually see the products first then decide if I want to go into the blogstore to see more.
A small downside would be the site seems to be a little slow.. laggy..
Other than that, I like the layout the most. Very fun.. happy and happening..
1=SGD 0.0587
Had lunch at Sweet Salty Spicy Food Market & Thai Canteen (SSS for short), a newly opened modern Thai restaurant in the western regions of Singapore. Set up by Chef Christopher Miller of Poppi and helmed by Chef Richards, who trained under Chef Peter Bowyer from Sailors Thai in Sydney Rocks district fame, SSS aims to fill the gap between Thai fine dining restaurants and Thai chain outlets.
Located along serene Upper Bukit Timah Road, SSS, which is one of the new kids on the block, resides towards the end of a row of shops also known as The Rail Mall. The interior is simply done up with shelves of Thai sauces and condiments on display together with fresh local produce of herbs and vegetables. Hanging fruits at the entrance add to the down to earth market feel of the place.
Hot and Sour Soup with Prawns, Straw Mushrooms and Aromatics - Notice that the name mentioned prawns. However, there was only 1 prawn, albeit of a rather large size. Bone picking aside, the soup was light yet sourish and hits you before you even know it. Its not so much the chilli kind of spicy but the wasabi kind of 呛, which has been known to reduce grown men to tears. Although I'm not one for spicy stuff, I liked this soup quite a bit.
Wagyu Beef Skewer - At $5.50 a skewer and 2 mouthfuls, this is one expensive piece of beef. However I must admit that the beef was excellent. Tender and succulent with a tinge of sourish herbs taste complementing the natural beefy flavours of the meat - all these without being done medium rare.
Sweet Barbeque Pork in Thai Spices with Fresh Vegetables - This dish is very much akin to our local char siew except that it was much drier with an unidentifiable lightly sweet yet salty spice taste. With the meat being dry, it naturally got tougher and more chewy, which isn't necessarily a good thing, especially for people with weak teeth like myself. Still a relatively decent dish overall.
Roast Duck with Flat Rice Noodles in a Fragrant Thai Herb Broth with Bean Sprouts and Fried Garlic - First impression, this dish looked like a typical bowl of duck meat kway teow. Interestingly, the broth reminded me of the gravy used in lor mee, albeit of a much sweeter version. The duck slices were nice and chewy but the rice noodles, though silky and smooth, tended to clump together.
'Pat Thai' Stir Fried Thai Rice Noodles - This has got to be one of the best Pat Thai I've eaten in a long long while. A tad chewy and moist, the Pat Thai was fried with dried shrimps, beansprouts and huge prawns, exuding a nice fragrant aroma when served. Another plus point was that the noodles didn't clump together even when the dish turned cold. Probably the only gripe I had was the sweetness of the dish, which was a little excessive for me personally.
Black Sticky Rice with Caramelised Coconut and Coconut Cream - For those who have eaten enough of such dishes, you would probably know that this is essentially Pulot/Burbur Hitam. And although I dont really fancy it, I must say that this one was quite appetising, not too starchy but could do with a lot less sugar.
Coconut Custard Tart - Served up with a dollop of fresh cream, the tart looked limp and tired, much to my disappointment. However it wasn't half as bad as it looked, tasting pretty much like egg tart with a layer of sweetened coconut. To be fair, it was actually quite nice but it might have been better if served chilled.
Honestly, $50 for the spread and quality isn't expensive. However portions aren't big so hearty eaters might need to order something extra from the ala carte menu. I'm not sure about the portions come dinner time but prices tend towards the higher end during that period. Think $12 for a plate of Pat Thai. SSS isn't the cheapest Thai food place nor the best, but for the prices, its worth it.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Was down at Clarke Quay to chill out, eventually settling down at Brewerkz for a round of beer at around 9pm I suppose.
The bar was kinda packed, I mean it was lively with the crowd of chatters all around. I kinda like the layout of the bar and the settings as it really gives you the warm and comfy atmosphere. Simply unbelievable.
I had Indian Pale Ale, a Silver Medal winner in the Australian Beer Competition as they said. As the name implies, it was pretty pale but rather smooth and strong to my liking.
My friend called for Moh Gwai which they claimed to be the strongest beer they have and rightfully, it lived up to its name. It was definitely strong, if you down several pints of it, I am pretty sure you won't be able to make your way home yourself.
Much to say, the beer served at Brewerkz was definitely of the highest standards. I would definitely come back next time and hang out around there with my buddies. A top recommendation from Chris.
Rating given:
I was invited to Friends @ Serangoon Gardens after my not so pleasant dining experience at their Jelita outlet.
Things didn’t get off to a good start when my name was not found on the reservation list. Thankfully it wasn’t a big issue as the crowd have not set in and they managed to find us a table. It so happen that it was Friends “First Ever Barbecue Party” @ Chomps that evening, and we were told that they were only serving Barbecue Platter for mains and only the appetisers and desserts are available from the regular menu.
As we were scrutinising the menu on what is available, one thing we did realise was that the tables were a little too close for comfort. Despite the classy décor and nice lighting to create a lovely ambience, the strident environment that evening marred it - in fact it stayed raucous throughout the whole occasion.
Upon ordering, we were served the bread and butter almost immediately – it didn’t came cold but it wasn’t exactly warm either (I was actually looking forward to it as I clearly remember her mentioning “Enjoy your warm bread!”). Other than being soft, there wasn’t anything else noteworthy to mention about it.
Soon after, the Assorted Salad Platter with Condiments and Dressing came – straight forward dish as well and nothing much to compliment or picked on.
Then came the ½ dozen of Seasonal Oysters ($29.40), and I have flattering remarks for them – they were big, the flesh were plump and it was very fresh, although personally I would prefer them to arrive more chilled – and if they were any cheaper, I could have easily gulp down another dozen.
We waited a little while more before our platter arrived. For a platter for 2 ($49.90), diners have a choice of 3 items from the Hot Items (Roast Potatoes, Corn on the Cob, Grilled Tomatoes, Grilled Pumpkins, Grilled Peppers) and 2 items from the Grilled Items (Rib eye Steak, Lamb Shoulder Chops, Assorted Sausage (veal or course pork), Grilled Chicken, Grilled Fish Fillet). A platter for 3 will set you back another $20 with an additional item from the grilled section. We opted for the potatoes, corn and peppers from the hot items list and rib eye steak and lamb shoulder chops from the grilled items.
The platter didn’t exactly impress me when it was served to be honest. Aesthetics wise, it didn’t look appetising, furthermore the whole plate was drenched with the meat’s natural juices that only signifies that the chef did not rest the meat before it was served. But at least the chef did managed to get his medium rare this time round for the steak.
Special mention also goes to the lamb chops, as it was char grilled nicely on the outside and succulent on the inside – and what’s best was the layer of marbling fats that was ever so flavoursome. We wrapped up the dinner with a similar dessert I had the last time – Warm Valrhona Chocolate Cake served with Vanilla Ice Cream ($12.90).
And my mate who was not present at the previous outing gave the same conclusion that the aftertaste of the molten chocolate lava could be better (compared to this one, which she had tried with me).
Overall, this wasn’t as bad an experience as the previous one, but there are definitely rooms for improvement. Also, considering that this was the first time they are running this sort of operations, perhaps I could be more forgiving. Nevertheless, I feel that serving barbecue fare is displacing the original business model, which prides itself as a semi-fine dining place – where you do not need to dig deep into your pockets for good food.
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
During my countless visits to Jurong Point, I have never stepped foot into the EC House shop at the far-end corner of the shopping mall even though there were really times when I got tempted to but found better alternatives elsewhere. After much persuasion from my friends few days ago, I reluctantly decided to give it a shot. One, I really need a haircut amidst my busy schedule in university and two, it's sometimes good to try out new stuff.
The moment we went inside, we were greeted "konnichiwa" by the friendly staff, which means good afternoon in Japanese. We proceeded to buy the electronic card coupons from the slot machine located in front of the shop. Then, we sat down on the seats provided as all the hairstylist were preoccupied with their customers currently. It was only a while (say like 5 minutes or so) before it was our turn, in fact my turn for I was the last of the bunch of three of us.
The lady attending to me asked me for the coupon and queried about how do I want her to cut. So I replied short and layered like to . The next thing you know, she was just doing her job, cutting away my strands of hair. Her skills ain't that bad, but sometimes the cut hair landed on my face, which can get really itchy and annoying. She continued snipping away without even clearing the hair now and then. The only good thing was that there's small LCD screen TV showing trailers of most recent movies plus the advertisements. Kinda nice experience to be enjoying the movie trailer clips while having your hair cut.
Moments later. she was done and tada to my new haircut. Quite value for money despite the fact that it wasn't that fantastic. It was a decent one for just 10 bucks. I would definitely come back if only I need a cheap budget haircut.
Rating given:
What is the most terrible thing that can happen to a food blogger?
Encountered bad service at a restaurant?
No, thats part of the dining experience.
Taste lousy and not up-to-the-mark food?
Nah, thats also part of the dining experience.
Entering the restaurant and the waitress told you the place is full?
Blame it on yourself who did not make any reservations.
The worst thing, that can ever, ever happen to a food blogger . . .
Is having no camera to take shots of the delicacy displayed upon you.
Thunder never strikes at the same spot, indeed. The last time to The French Stall, LIC forgotten to bring his camera along, and that was an awful feeling. LIC didn’t expect to encounter the same problem, this time LIC did bring the camera, only to arrive happily at the entrance of the restaurant and found out that there was no battery inside!?!
Tsk tsk! LIC shouldn’t taken out the battery to charge and forgot to put it back. A dreadful mistake which must be avoid at all cost next time.
Beware! Warning! The following photos may look awful, terrible, shocking, ghastly, and lousy to you. If you cannot take any of the experience, please DO NOT click on “Read the rest of this entry“
The fatal spot where LIC wanted to take a pot-shot of the entrance and to his horror, discovered that the absence of the battery!
Alas, this post on Kuishin-bo will be short due to obvious reasons, LIC was actually working on Absolute Haven but due to time constraint, this post shall appear before your eyes first. Too many post pending for LIC to write, even OT can’t really help : )
The only “slightly more decent” photo, sushi selections
The sushi are all right i guess, nothing to shout about. Quite a wide selections to choose from though.
Prawn Tempura
The tempura section is most probably one of the place where i consume more, with the exception of desserts (which LIC can’t live without!) The prawn tempura is your normal fried prawn with tempura-flour, it works for me although i pretty much suspect its only decent in the eyes of Japanese food experts (LIC self-proclaimed he isn’t a avid Jap food eater)
Kaminabe paper steamboat
Like what i mention during my visit to Waraku, Kaminabe sounds like a foul-word, it still brings back memories from the last visit, hence the mention. Paper pot, the vegetables, are all there to absorb the otherwise oily chicken and soup. Thinking back now, Beef should have been a better option for Kaminabe.
Desserts - Fruit Tarts
Fruit tarts are LIC favorite! I can pop ten easily into my mouth. The tarts here are pretty standard i guess, but still give them to me!
There are also some miniature cakes around, chocolate ones, mini oreo cheesecakes (really tiny), mini doughnuts in different flavors, quite a variety available.
The chocolate fondue craze might have die down already, but that does not means they are not good. Its just that people forgets easily, before long another new craze will appear and the common folks will start to go after the new hype. Think donut, bubble-tea, luo-han fish, chocolate fondue, well just to name a few.
Total Bill for 2 person during weekday lunch comes up to $46.61 after tax and service charge. Weekday lunch is $24.80 for adult, and if you Op for the 60 minutes express lunch, it is $19.80 , which we did. I guess the 60 minutes strategy is more to attract office working people, but we took it since we are really full after an hour anyway.
Actually the difference in price is only 5 bucks, if you go for the normal price, you got the luxury to enjoy the buffet from 1130am-3pm, which big-appetite eaters should go for. Otherwise if you are working near Suntec, or like us where you can finish the meal in an hour, the discount of $5 although not much, is still rather substantial.
To be honest, the one hour buffet is rather rushed, and if you are the type that refuse to rush while tasting your food, it is not advisable to take it. But if you know what you are looking for, well just attack those areas and your effort will be paid off for the $19.80.
Kuishi-bo proclaimed itself to be the Authenthic Japanese Buffet Restaurant, which i highly doubted it. Authentic hardly feeds into what they are offering. Nevertheless i believe one sentence should sums it all for Kuishi-bo. Quantity, not quality!
Taste is subjective, if you are not looking for very excellent food, i say the ones at Kuishi-bo are quite decent, and definitely value-for-money since its only $19.80. But if you are into Japanese food, i’m afraid the visit will disappoint you greatly. Nonetheless, comparing Kuishi-bo to Sakura International Buffet, and Sakae Sushi Buffet, i still say Kuishi-bo slightly edged out both the latter.
Many acquaintance mentioned that Kuishi-bo’s standard has vastly dropped from last time, a pale shadow of what it used to be. Well, sometimes you have to experience it for yourself to conclude. I did, which is the reason for my visit to Kuishi-bo. Thus, Yay or Nah, make a trip down.
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 : )
" Quantity, not quality! "
Rating given:
We were thinking what to eat before around Marina Square area when I thought of this place when I had read the good review on Yebber, so decided to head to this place and give it a try. Given its prime location where you are sure to see it, you will not miss this place at all. Well once you come up of the Citilink escalator; it is just right in front of you. It just looks like a small kopitiam. It got both indoor (air-con) and outdoor (non air-con) seats along the corridor.
From the review about, can see that this place only serves a few kinds of food from Nasi Lemak to Mee Siam to Popiah. They also got desserts and all different kind of drinks as well. They even produce their own kind of drinks (Like Grass Jelly and Tea etc) and pre-packed it by themselves. They go by self service, so when you want to order you have to go to their counter, tell them what you want to order, then pay at the cashier at the end of the line.
I got myself the following food:
Nasi Lemak @ $3.90: There are a lot of different sets to choose from. The prices ranging from $3.90 to $4.70. I ordered mine with otak and chicken wing. The rice is green in color and smells very fragrant. It is hot and soft with a heavy smell of pandan. However it is the only good thing. The otak is that normal kind, nothing to wow of. The chicken wing is warm, not hot but still managed to retain its crispiness. However I do find the wing a bit small sized. The rest of the side dishes are ikan belis and peanuts. I am not a person who can handle hot stuff well, but the chili did impress me a lot. It is a little hot yet sweet at the same time, making it a great combination with the nasi lemak. Overall, this dish is slightly above average.
Popiah @ $1.90. $2.30 if you want to add prawns or chicken: This popiah to me is a bit disappointing. The popiah looks a bit too wet on the plate; therefore I knew that it is going to be soggy. True enough, once I put it inside my mouth, it turns out to be soggy. Although it is packed with a lot of ingredients inside but it does not totally removed all the juices, making the popiah too soggy. It is also a bit tasteless for me. For the price I am paying, I expected it to be better. I have tasted better ones at a cheaper price some more. I will not order this again.
Drinks: Hot Coffee @ $1.10 and Iced Tea @ $1.50. I shall only comment on the tea. I do like their version of the iced tea, thick milky taste which I looked out for in an iced tea! It is good enough for me just to go back and buy their ice tea next time.
Since it is self service, the service at the counter is pretty prompt, as they only prepared (or use the word “packed”) the food when you order. They are also quite flexible as you can change some of the items in your set as well. One thing, they do not charge 10% service charge here. The prices they charge also quite cheap as well comparable to food court prices.
It is a good place if you need a place for quick food or you need to satisfy your urges for Nasi Lemak craving. Wahahahaha……
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Read quite a bit about Melvados and its famous brownies so dropped by one sunny afternoon to try them out.
Opened just slightly over a year ago in end 2006, Melvados is located within the upmarket residential enclave of Bukit Timah, playing neighbours to only a clinic and a pub. The decor is simple, with cheap looking wooden tables and chairs sparsely populating the granite floor. There are cosy sofas too but those are of the limited variety. The entire place is small, probably fitting in about 20 pax at most. With huge floor to ceiling windows, the place exudes a nice cosy feeling, just perfect for a lazy afternoon tea session.
Seafood Platter - I'm not exactly a fan of seafood platters as they usually consist of alot of deep fried stuff that tend to make me nauseous after a while. This one was no exception. Served with onion rings, fries, calamari and fish/prawn cakes, the platter was, if I may say, off the charts. Not that I mean it in a good way though. Everything (save for the fries) was rather tasteless and too filled with thick batter that tasted exactly like deep fried flour.
Black & White Kisses - Billed as Melvados's signature brownie, the Black & White Kisses was actually quite good. Moist and not too rich with a nice wholesome baked taste and topped with black and white hershey's kisses. The only bone I had was the consistently smooth homogeneous texture of the brownie, which made it seem a little weird. However such gripes are forgotten when the brownie is paired with the vanilla ice cream, making for a sweet and delightful dessert without the chocolate overload.
Sizzling Brownies Sensation - Ever heard of hotplate brownie? No? Neither have I. It was that curiosity that prompted us to order this dessert. In retrospect, it wasn't such a good idea after all. A brownie served on a hot plate with a scoop of rapidly melting ice cream. How special is that? I did a quick calculation and the novelty of a hotplate cost us an additional $2.10 with the exact same ingredients as their signature Black & White Kisses. There's another problem with serving brownies on a hotplate. The underside of the brownie will harden and stick to the base and the ice cream melts so fast that its a little more than just flavoured cream after a while.
Chocolate Madness - I didn't quite take to this brownie as it was a tad hard and dry when served. Not exactly my cup of tea. And for the record, it didn't really taste that strongly of chocolate as inferred by its name.
I'm really not sure about the going prices for brownies because I don't eat enough of them to know but I'm guessing $18.50 for 3 brownies is a wee bit on the high side. Meldavos serves mains like pasta and sandwiches as well but sticking to just the brownies might just be a safer bet.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
My friend had her hen night at pump room once.
Firstly, the group of us were late and we left 1 friend waiting for us at the table. I must say the staff was exceptionally nice about this. They entertained her, chatted with her so she wouldn't feel alone and pretty much checked in on her till we arrived.
Foodwise, main courses weren't a big "wow". I've had better..
But the desserts.. oh my god .. the desserts.. ULTRA YUM!
Try the chocolate pudding and that one more.. can't rem what it was, the one with a chock load of berries on top and some caramel in it. Taste and texture similar to youghurt but its like a ga-smillion times better. ITS AMAZING...
Chocolate cake was warm and crisp on the outside.. hot and gooey with chocolate on the inside. Plus the ice cold icecream that you would add to each spoonful of chocolate amazing-ness.. I've died and gone to chick heaven!
The other one.. light, crisp and berri-licious. There was soooooooooo much berries on top that there was actually enuf to go with every spoonful of youghurt caramel thingy. All in all, smoooooooth as silk with a tinge of zing!
Gotta try it to believe it man!
Downside.. they refuse to serve you water after 10pm. So inflexible..
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I love woodwould!!!
I always go there to buy cute little things for my colleagues during Christmas and special occasions where I have to buy presents for many people on a small budget.
Their stuff even though its a teeeny bitty expensive, is unique, cute and overall SPECIAL enuf for ppl to think I'm a thoughtful gift-giver
All in all... I LOVE WOODWOULD!
*psst* woodwould owner... do I get a discount card now?
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Never really seen a site like this before.. Simple enough idea by allowing people to search for items by a unified budget.
What i like about it is that i don't have to go into the actual blogstore websites to see their products. I can actually see the products first then decide if I want to go into the blogstore to see more.
A small downside would be the site seems to be a little slow.. laggy..
Other than that, I like the layout the most. Very fun.. happy and happening..
YAY.. SHOPPING!
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