Most of the times, the only reason why I fly Tiger is because they are the only airline left that flies direct to Macau, my favorite chillout / space out destination. *Please dont take that away!!*
My new tip to fellow Tiger travellers is: please DO NOT EVER check in online. Because when they say the system will assign your seats for you, it means it will assign you the least popular seats ie the place ie the last row right next to the toilets.
I thought I was doing them a favour by checking in online. And there is absolutely no chance / way / methods of changing your seats after that. The officer just says 'sorry mdm, you cant change as you've done a web check in'.
Well obviously they failed to see the only reason why I am asking for a change is because their system penalizes web check in passengers instead of the other way round - so the cause of my appeal is the reason for rejecting my appeal. Really?
Their website says there is a special line for web check in passengers, maybe to incentivize passengers to proceed. Apparently not. You get mashed up with all the others in the same queue at the airport.
Oh, and their online feedback forms are there for their own entertainment purposes too. Either it says error when you click submit after you've typed in all you wanted to say, or its successful but you get no response in return. So the person reading it must receive it and trash them on a daily basis.
The management of Tiger Airways is a joke. Being a budget airline doesnt give you the right to ignore public feedback, especially when we're the ones giving you business.
The idea was to do a comparison between our long time favourite steak house, Morton's, and the relatively new entrant to Singapore's F&B scene, Ruth's Chris. And so one Saturday evening saw the both of us dropping by Ruth's Chris for dinner.
Located where Restaurant Bologna used to be at Marina Mandarin Singapore, the interior hasn't changed much since the days of Bologna - crisp table clothes coupled with leather backed seats and wooden panels adorned with art. The window seats offer you a view of a huge water feature wall and of course the warmth of natural sunlight (if you arrive early enough). This place is decidedly more "upclass" and stifling than Mortons, which I personally like for its casual, convivial atmosphere.To be fair, the place was pretty much empty save for another 2 tables besides ours. So that could be a contributing factor to the "over attention" from the wait staff.
Complimentary Bread - Just your regular soft baguette served warm, nothing like the onion loaf from Mortons. But still something decent to keep your hunger pangs at bay whilst you await your orders. Morton's 1, RC 0.
Sizzlin Blue Crab Cakes - A little dry on the outside but moist within, the crab cake was chock full of crab meat and topped with capsicum, which gave it a nice contrasting flavour and texture. Personally I thought it was nice just that the crab taste was a little lacking. I'll rate this as a tie with Morton's as I really liked the use of capsicum here. Morton's 1, RC 0.
Petit Filet Oscar Style - The petit filet was 210g, which was a decent size considering I ordered it "Oscar Style", which simply meant an addition of asparagus and a lump of crab cake smothered in Bearnaise sauce (all for a mere $15 extra). Now if only Morton's had such an option. That aside, the steak boasted tender, juicy meat that was a little crisp along the edges and well seasoned with salt. Very good! I'm gonna have to go with RC on this one as the filet marginally edges out the filet mignon from Morton's. And it definitely helps that RC has the option of an add on at a reasonable price. Morton's 1, RC 1.
Barbecued Shrimp - The BBQ shrimp were crunchy and decent sized but still a little smaller than what Morton's serves up (even after the downgrade in size). But what it lacks in size, it makes up in quantity (10 shrimps vs 6 from Morton's). The sauce reminds me of a creamy, garlicky concoction that has a mild burning sensation towards the end probably due to the copious amounts of garlic. In short, either you love it or you hate. And we loved it. But as Morton's Shrimp Alexander is vastly different, I am hard pressed to determine which dish has the edge. Morton's 1, RC 1.
Crème Brûlée - This is apparently a signature of Ruth's Chris. Though good, it wasn't anything I would go out of my way to order again. The vanilla bean custard base came across as creamily smooth whilst the caramel top was nicely and evenly torched. Portions are good for 2.
Warm Apple Crumb Tart - Huge, nicely sweet yet tart Granny Smith apple slices encrusted by a moist, fragrant tart shell and topped with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream. Only minor gripes I had was that the tart was a little too soft for my liking and that the apple slices were a little too big for comfort. Having said that, this was still an excellent dessert and we preferred this over Morton's Upside Down Apple Pie. Morton's 1, RC 2.
Portions are a bit smaller at Ruth's Chris but prices are slightly cheaper, as compared to Morton's. Even so, dinner for the both of us (without any drinks) cost to the tune of $285. Food wise, based on the dishes we tried, Ruth's Chris has a slight edge. However, factor in the more casual, laid back ambience and service of Morton's and its a tie. But maybe you think otherwise?
Someone had a craving for Peking duck for a family dinner so we randomly picked this place instead of the ever popular Imperial Treasure. 6 of us decided to be adventurous and over-ordered the no of dishes - but later realized that some of their portions are rather small so we ended up nicely full ~
Triple Delight Roasted Peking Duck (half) ($35) - to be honest I expected more from the reviews I heard. The skin was less crispy than ideal, although they did carve it tableside and all that. The sauces were very good though. Didnt manage to take a pic of the duck itself too.
2nd course Ee Fu Duck noodles ($8) - I was vetoed for my choice of how to have the meat done so we had this - which turned out to be actually quite nice as braised ee fu noodles are quite boring to me. It has a nice wokk hei accompanying it.
OHK Soup of the Day ($25) - This was excellent! The soup was double boiled watercress with pork ribs and they portioned it out for us but if you look at the colour of the soup, you'd know that it is really quality soup. A tad expensive for the dish but hey, ou pay for the ambience and quality.
Braised prawns with vermicelli ($13.80) - This was so good we ordered a 2nd portion. The vermicelli was full flavoured and must have soacked up whatever stock it was in. Generous portion of fresh crunchy prawns made this the best dish of the night for me. The crazy promotional prize is only valid for Fridays though - and other days have different dishes on offer.
Baked fillet of cod fish with white truffle sauce ($28) - 2 pieces of the fish nicely grilled and drizzled with white truffle sauce - simply yet very good. A smallish portion though.
Sauteed scallops with lily pulp ($28) - What I would expect and nothing out of the ordinary. You can skip this boring choice if you like.
Braised beancurd with mushrooms and vegetables ($13) - Same boring dish too - good but nothing wow.
Sauteed seasonal beans with conpoy ($18) - The long beans were not deep fried which is such a rare bonus. The plate was topped off with ikan bilis and shredded conpoy bits which made the dish feel more luxurious than average.
The bill came to $236 for 6pax (inclusive of the tea, towels etc) which seemed quite okay for the number of people we had and looking at the no of dishes we ordered. But its still not a everyday place.
Service was rather good and attentive so the experience was a plus.
I had the opportunity to attend a biz lunch there and had the set lunch at $38 per pax. The photos, by the way, are terrible as I had to sneakily snap them with my phone.
Steamed pork dumpling and deep fried prawn in pumpkin sauce - the pork dumpling is siew mai really which was okay but the prawn was fresh and crunchy and literally drowned in the rather tasty gooey pumpkin sauce.
Braised minced fish in thick soup - nice but I couldnt taste the minced fish - a dash of vinegar made it better though.
Deep fried spare ribs in vinegar sauce - the vinegar sauce was quite unique but the ribs were too fatty for me.
Chef Chan's famous roasted chicken - I had this before years ago and I remembered not being wow-ed by it. This time, it felt the same.
Sauteed seasonal vegetables with minced garlic - disappointingly normal.
Chilled hawthorn jelly - good and a big portion too.
Service was very good but maybe because we had the semi partitioned hall and had 11pax. You also do feel the atas-ness within the traditional Chinese settings which makes the experience a bit better.
That being said, I wouldnt return as the food is really average for a supposedly reputable restaurant. Maybe because Chef himself no longer runs the kitchen?
Came here for a business Christmas lunch and opted for the buffet which had a 20% via most credit cards. I trusted the Sheraton brand and picked this place not really based on reviews, which I maybe should have done.
The place was surprisingly quite full for a weekday afternoon - especially for a price of $58++ before the discount. The best part about this place is the view of the man-made waterfall which somehow relaxes you as you space out watching it.
The buffet has all the essentials of a buffet: cold seafood, sushi / sashimi, appetizers, cheese, bread, soup, roasts, desserts but most were forgettable unfortunately. And that's why this is a short review.
Memorable - chicken soup and rum & rasin cheese. That's all.
This was a birthday treat for a close buddy but I've heard much about this place and the pictures on the website does make this place look very attractive!
The place was quiet on a Mon evening with only a handful of tables filled. Curious tourists were having fun snapping pics of the interesting decor. There's a almost romantic feel about this place and you may for a moment feel like you're not in Singapore.
Handmade mini crab cake sliders ($18) - specially seasoned crab cakes made in-house with guacamole, tomatoes, and caramalized banana ketchuo sauce sandwiched between mini saseme coated burger buns - Quality crab cakes with no stinging on the meat sandwiched between okay saseme buns. The banana ketchup sauce was not obvious enough though. But still a good appetizer!
Truffle fries ($15) - a huger portion of thick cut fries with a sprinkling of seaweed bits over it, served in a 'magazine' cone. Nice but they could have been a little more generous with the truffle though.
Duck confit ($27) - a popular classic with an Au Chocolat twist, pan roasted duck thigh served with potato mash, a white wine poached pear, and topped off with a tangy oragne chocolate sauce - For someone who doesnt usually take duck, I really liked this! The meat was fall-off-the-bone tender and it was still juicy despite the deep frying. The poached pear was nice too without the sickly sweet taste of most poached fruits. The sauce was intiguing but still tasty. The mash was average though.
Au Chocolat Macaron Burger ($18) - a chocolate macaron filled with layers of milk chocolate mousse, pasion fruit gelee, fresh strawberries, pistachio sponge, and our special sauce served with fried apple wedges and berry compote - I had expected the dish to be a sugar overdoes but surprisingly the combination was just right. The macaron itself was one of the better ones I've tried, and passion fruit gelee added a nice pop of tartness to the otherwise je lart dish. The apple wedges were a nice crunchy addition to the plate too.
Service was very good - this is the first place where they offered to make me a brand new latte at no charge after I asked them to help warm up my cold half finished one. Really nice touch.
A place good enough to take a shot at it / bring your date etc etc.
Unfortunately I never had the chance to step into their premise, and judging from the tele-marketing calls I've received so far, it's a good thing.
The tele-marketing team is superbly hardworking, so much so that they remember to call me once a day to remind me of this sms they sent and to chase up for an appointment. Even on a weekend - I'm impressed.
After the first few calls and me telling them I am only going to look at the sms when I have time (and for them NOT to call me again), they decided to change their tact. Their calls became to want to reconfirm a phantom appointment the next day 2pm. Smart of them huh. Even after I told them that I didnt make any, they'd still call me the next day asking to reconfirm my 2pm appointment the next day. They just keep trying don't they.
The last straw was just yesterday when I received the same call, and I think from the same lady too (or maybe they all just sound the same) asking to reconfirm my appointment at 2pm 'tomorrow'. I raised my voice, asked her to please take me off the calling list, and all she said was "oh, does this mean you are not interested?".
It took a whole week of them to get that. Well done.
I discovered this place when a friend brought me here with much enthusiasm about a dessert, and I thought I should be adventurous. And I am glad I did!
Chicken Pide with Cheese ($16.90) - Turkish pizza I call it. And it was excellent with thin crust and the edges just nicely crispy, and minced chicken flavourful on its own and the cheese adding the final touches to the dish. It should be okay for 1pax but not 1 very hungry pax.
Kunefe ($12.90) - a couple layers of shredded pastry joined by a thin layer of unsalted cheese, baked in a hot oven, topped off with light syrup, served with pistachios and a drizzle of cream - the signage proudly shouts "a piece of heaven" and "the best dessert you'll ever have". And you know what, they were almost right! This is unlike any dessert I've ever tried and not too sweet to boot. The cripsy baked pastry melded too well with the unsalted cheese~ And apparently they must have ran out of pistachios coz mine came with almonds, not that I'm complaining. The cream came in a quantity obviously more than a drizzle - more like a moat - but it was not too bad and ended up adding an omph to the presentation.
Service was nothing to complain about as the place is small and the seemingly experienced (Turkish?) staff were rather efficient.
A nice find I must say, with nice food to boot, plus no crowd to jostle with. Will be back just for the Kunefe!
I am surprise that Kim Robinson is not yet listed on Yebber, so here I am :)
Due to a stroke of good luck, I had the opportunity to experience a moisture treatment plus a cleanse & finish (wash and blow) which is supposed to take 2 hours and it cant be redeemed on Fri, Sat, and PH, so I booked for a Sunday slot.
I have the say the premise is impressive, and you do feel the difference when you step into the atas salon. Upon being seated, you'd be asked if you'd like any drink, and they did have peppermint tea ~
I was led into a similarly atas winding corridor into the common area where a few other tai tai were being seated. My therapist Bernice introduced herself and explained the steps of the treatment to me - 2 steams plus 2 rinses. Perhaps the difference was felt during the rinse as they were very gentle, although I felt that the techniques could have been better and included some sort of massage. The moisture treatment was over and done with in half hour.
I was then ushered to another area for the finish and the artist Keith similarly came over to introduce himself and recommended a simply style of finish. He was very thorough I must add, carefully making sure that the finish is indeed well, finished. He also passed me his namecard at the end and ushered me out to the reception area thereafter.
Little touches like making sure you're alright during rinses and replacing the tea with hot ones were appreciated.
Before leaving, I also received a first timer's welcome pack which contains 5 vouchers for mani /pedi, cut highlight, cut, scalp treatment which I will definitely use as the prices are reasonable (the ala carte prices are not).
Honestly, I didnt feel my prizes was worth the $200 it was advertised for. Yes it was a nice experience and all that but for the fact it was Kim Robinson and for $200 , I was expecting a wow somewhere. But it didnt happen. Maybe it was the fact that they knew I was not a paying customer but that shouldn't affect the service provided, no?
This review is a bit late but better late than never I guess. I booked a promotional massage at $33 on a Saturday together with a facial too. When we called to make the appointment, we informed that we were booking for 2 treatments accordingly.
When we arrived, surprise surprise, we were told that as both promos were for first timers, we were allowed only for 1 as technically after the first treatment, we would no longer be first timers and thus not eligible for the 2nd treatment.
Left with no choice, we opted for the massage instead of the facial, but was told that the massage was arranged for the 2nd hour only, and for us to go walk around and return. So we concluded that they'd rather have the slots empty and not make a sale instead of letting us proceed with both treatments.
We walked around and returned after 1 hour and were ushered in. Annoyingly, I was asked 3 time what my full name was and was addressed by the wrong name even when I was already lying on the treatment bed. On 1 of the occasions, I replied with my first name and was told that it was not sufficient and the masseur insisted on me saying my full name. How rude of them.
When I finally got to my massage, I thought nothing else could go wrong. WRONG. My masseur was falling sleep. I could feel her finger sliding and making sudden and jerking movements while massaging my head. And when I tried to quietly make some noise in the hope of making her more alert, but it didnt work at all.
When leaving, the manager asked for my feedback but she really couldnt care less, so I didnt bother.
1=SGD 0.0587
Most of the times, the only reason why I fly Tiger is because they are the only airline left that flies direct to Macau, my favorite chillout / space out destination. *Please dont take that away!!*
My new tip to fellow Tiger travellers is: please DO NOT EVER check in online. Because when they say the system will assign your seats for you, it means it will assign you the least popular seats ie the place ie the last row right next to the toilets.
I thought I was doing them a favour by checking in online. And there is absolutely no chance / way / methods of changing your seats after that. The officer just says 'sorry mdm, you cant change as you've done a web check in'.
Well obviously they failed to see the only reason why I am asking for a change is because their system penalizes web check in passengers instead of the other way round - so the cause of my appeal is the reason for rejecting my appeal. Really?
Their website says there is a special line for web check in passengers, maybe to incentivize passengers to proceed. Apparently not. You get mashed up with all the others in the same queue at the airport.
Oh, and their online feedback forms are there for their own entertainment purposes too. Either it says error when you click submit after you've typed in all you wanted to say, or its successful but you get no response in return. So the person reading it must receive it and trash them on a daily basis.
The management of Tiger Airways is a joke. Being a budget airline doesnt give you the right to ignore public feedback, especially when we're the ones giving you business.
Rating given:
The idea was to do a comparison between our long time favourite steak house, Morton's, and the relatively new entrant to Singapore's F&B scene, Ruth's Chris. And so one Saturday evening saw the both of us dropping by Ruth's Chris for dinner.
Located where Restaurant Bologna used to be at Marina Mandarin Singapore, the interior hasn't changed much since the days of Bologna - crisp table clothes coupled with leather backed seats and wooden panels adorned with art. The window seats offer you a view of a huge water feature wall and of course the warmth of natural sunlight (if you arrive early enough). This place is decidedly more "upclass" and stifling than Mortons, which I personally like for its casual, convivial atmosphere.To be fair, the place was pretty much empty save for another 2 tables besides ours. So that could be a contributing factor to the "over attention" from the wait staff.
Complimentary Bread - Just your regular soft baguette served warm, nothing like the onion loaf from Mortons. But still something decent to keep your hunger pangs at bay whilst you await your orders. Morton's 1, RC 0.
Sizzlin Blue Crab Cakes - A little dry on the outside but moist within, the crab cake was chock full of crab meat and topped with capsicum, which gave it a nice contrasting flavour and texture. Personally I thought it was nice just that the crab taste was a little lacking. I'll rate this as a tie with Morton's as I really liked the use of capsicum here. Morton's 1, RC 0.
Petit Filet Oscar Style - The petit filet was 210g, which was a decent size considering I ordered it "Oscar Style", which simply meant an addition of asparagus and a lump of crab cake smothered in Bearnaise sauce (all for a mere $15 extra). Now if only Morton's had such an option. That aside, the steak boasted tender, juicy meat that was a little crisp along the edges and well seasoned with salt. Very good! I'm gonna have to go with RC on this one as the filet marginally edges out the filet mignon from Morton's. And it definitely helps that RC has the option of an add on at a reasonable price. Morton's 1, RC 1.
Barbecued Shrimp - The BBQ shrimp were crunchy and decent sized but still a little smaller than what Morton's serves up (even after the downgrade in size). But what it lacks in size, it makes up in quantity (10 shrimps vs 6 from Morton's). The sauce reminds me of a creamy, garlicky concoction that has a mild burning sensation towards the end probably due to the copious amounts of garlic. In short, either you love it or you hate. And we loved it. But as Morton's Shrimp Alexander is vastly different, I am hard pressed to determine which dish has the edge. Morton's 1, RC 1.
Crème Brûlée - This is apparently a signature of Ruth's Chris. Though good, it wasn't anything I would go out of my way to order again. The vanilla bean custard base came across as creamily smooth whilst the caramel top was nicely and evenly torched. Portions are good for 2.
Warm Apple Crumb Tart - Huge, nicely sweet yet tart Granny Smith apple slices encrusted by a moist, fragrant tart shell and topped with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream. Only minor gripes I had was that the tart was a little too soft for my liking and that the apple slices were a little too big for comfort. Having said that, this was still an excellent dessert and we preferred this over Morton's Upside Down Apple Pie. Morton's 1, RC 2.
Portions are a bit smaller at Ruth's Chris but prices are slightly cheaper, as compared to Morton's. Even so, dinner for the both of us (without any drinks) cost to the tune of $285. Food wise, based on the dishes we tried, Ruth's Chris has a slight edge. However, factor in the more casual, laid back ambience and service of Morton's and its a tie. But maybe you think otherwise?
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Someone had a craving for Peking duck for a family dinner so we randomly picked this place instead of the ever popular Imperial Treasure. 6 of us decided to be adventurous and over-ordered the no of dishes - but later realized that some of their portions are rather small so we ended up nicely full ~
Triple Delight Roasted Peking Duck (half) ($35) - to be honest I expected more from the reviews I heard. The skin was less crispy than ideal, although they did carve it tableside and all that. The sauces were very good though. Didnt manage to take a pic of the duck itself too.
2nd course Ee Fu Duck noodles ($8) - I was vetoed for my choice of how to have the meat done so we had this - which turned out to be actually quite nice as braised ee fu noodles are quite boring to me. It has a nice wokk hei accompanying it.
OHK Soup of the Day ($25) - This was excellent! The soup was double boiled watercress with pork ribs and they portioned it out for us but if you look at the colour of the soup, you'd know that it is really quality soup. A tad expensive for the dish but hey, ou pay for the ambience and quality.
Braised prawns with vermicelli ($13.80) - This was so good we ordered a 2nd portion. The vermicelli was full flavoured and must have soacked up whatever stock it was in. Generous portion of fresh crunchy prawns made this the best dish of the night for me. The crazy promotional prize is only valid for Fridays though - and other days have different dishes on offer.
Baked fillet of cod fish with white truffle sauce ($28) - 2 pieces of the fish nicely grilled and drizzled with white truffle sauce - simply yet very good. A smallish portion though.
Sauteed scallops with lily pulp ($28) - What I would expect and nothing out of the ordinary. You can skip this boring choice if you like.
Braised beancurd with mushrooms and vegetables ($13) - Same boring dish too - good but nothing wow.
Sauteed seasonal beans with conpoy ($18) - The long beans were not deep fried which is such a rare bonus. The plate was topped off with ikan bilis and shredded conpoy bits which made the dish feel more luxurious than average.
The bill came to $236 for 6pax (inclusive of the tea, towels etc) which seemed quite okay for the number of people we had and looking at the no of dishes we ordered. But its still not a everyday place.
Service was rather good and attentive so the experience was a plus.
Rating given:
I had the opportunity to attend a biz lunch there and had the set lunch at $38 per pax. The photos, by the way, are terrible as I had to sneakily snap them with my phone.
Steamed pork dumpling and deep fried prawn in pumpkin sauce - the pork dumpling is siew mai really which was okay but the prawn was fresh and crunchy and literally drowned in the rather tasty gooey pumpkin sauce.
Braised minced fish in thick soup - nice but I couldnt taste the minced fish - a dash of vinegar made it better though.
Deep fried spare ribs in vinegar sauce - the vinegar sauce was quite unique but the ribs were too fatty for me.
Chef Chan's famous roasted chicken - I had this before years ago and I remembered not being wow-ed by it. This time, it felt the same.
Sauteed seasonal vegetables with minced garlic - disappointingly normal.
Chilled hawthorn jelly - good and a big portion too.
Service was very good but maybe because we had the semi partitioned hall and had 11pax. You also do feel the atas-ness within the traditional Chinese settings which makes the experience a bit better.
That being said, I wouldnt return as the food is really average for a supposedly reputable restaurant. Maybe because Chef himself no longer runs the kitchen?
Rating given:
Came here for a business Christmas lunch and opted for the buffet which had a 20% via most credit cards. I trusted the Sheraton brand and picked this place not really based on reviews, which I maybe should have done.
The place was surprisingly quite full for a weekday afternoon - especially for a price of $58++ before the discount. The best part about this place is the view of the man-made waterfall which somehow relaxes you as you space out watching it.
The buffet has all the essentials of a buffet: cold seafood, sushi / sashimi, appetizers, cheese, bread, soup, roasts, desserts but most were forgettable unfortunately. And that's why this is a short review.
Memorable - chicken soup and rum & rasin cheese. That's all.
In short, I wouldnt come here again.
Rating given:
This was a birthday treat for a close buddy but I've heard much about this place and the pictures on the website does make this place look very attractive!
The place was quiet on a Mon evening with only a handful of tables filled. Curious tourists were having fun snapping pics of the interesting decor. There's a almost romantic feel about this place and you may for a moment feel like you're not in Singapore.
Handmade mini crab cake sliders ($18) - specially seasoned crab cakes made in-house with guacamole, tomatoes, and caramalized banana ketchuo sauce sandwiched between mini saseme coated burger buns - Quality crab cakes with no stinging on the meat sandwiched between okay saseme buns. The banana ketchup sauce was not obvious enough though. But still a good appetizer!
Truffle fries ($15) - a huger portion of thick cut fries with a sprinkling of seaweed bits over it, served in a 'magazine' cone. Nice but they could have been a little more generous with the truffle though.
Duck confit ($27) - a popular classic with an Au Chocolat twist, pan roasted duck thigh served with potato mash, a white wine poached pear, and topped off with a tangy oragne chocolate sauce - For someone who doesnt usually take duck, I really liked this! The meat was fall-off-the-bone tender and it was still juicy despite the deep frying. The poached pear was nice too without the sickly sweet taste of most poached fruits. The sauce was intiguing but still tasty. The mash was average though.
Au Chocolat Macaron Burger ($18) - a chocolate macaron filled with layers of milk chocolate mousse, pasion fruit gelee, fresh strawberries, pistachio sponge, and our special sauce served with fried apple wedges and berry compote - I had expected the dish to be a sugar overdoes but surprisingly the combination was just right. The macaron itself was one of the better ones I've tried, and passion fruit gelee added a nice pop of tartness to the otherwise je lart dish. The apple wedges were a nice crunchy addition to the plate too.
Service was very good - this is the first place where they offered to make me a brand new latte at no charge after I asked them to help warm up my cold half finished one. Really nice touch.
A place good enough to take a shot at it / bring your date etc etc.
Rating given:
Unfortunately I never had the chance to step into their premise, and judging from the tele-marketing calls I've received so far, it's a good thing.
The tele-marketing team is superbly hardworking, so much so that they remember to call me once a day to remind me of this sms they sent and to chase up for an appointment. Even on a weekend - I'm impressed.
After the first few calls and me telling them I am only going to look at the sms when I have time (and for them NOT to call me again), they decided to change their tact. Their calls became to want to reconfirm a phantom appointment the next day 2pm. Smart of them huh. Even after I told them that I didnt make any, they'd still call me the next day asking to reconfirm my 2pm appointment the next day. They just keep trying don't they.
The last straw was just yesterday when I received the same call, and I think from the same lady too (or maybe they all just sound the same) asking to reconfirm my appointment at 2pm 'tomorrow'. I raised my voice, asked her to please take me off the calling list, and all she said was "oh, does this mean you are not interested?".
It took a whole week of them to get that. Well done.
Rating given:
I discovered this place when a friend brought me here with much enthusiasm about a dessert, and I thought I should be adventurous. And I am glad I did!
Chicken Pide with Cheese ($16.90) - Turkish pizza I call it. And it was excellent with thin crust and the edges just nicely crispy, and minced chicken flavourful on its own and the cheese adding the final touches to the dish. It should be okay for 1pax but not 1 very hungry pax.
Kunefe ($12.90) - a couple layers of shredded pastry joined by a thin layer of unsalted cheese, baked in a hot oven, topped off with light syrup, served with pistachios and a drizzle of cream - the signage proudly shouts "a piece of heaven" and "the best dessert you'll ever have". And you know what, they were almost right! This is unlike any dessert I've ever tried and not too sweet to boot. The cripsy baked pastry melded too well with the unsalted cheese~ And apparently they must have ran out of pistachios coz mine came with almonds, not that I'm complaining. The cream came in a quantity obviously more than a drizzle - more like a moat - but it was not too bad and ended up adding an omph to the presentation.
Service was nothing to complain about as the place is small and the seemingly experienced (Turkish?) staff were rather efficient.
A nice find I must say, with nice food to boot, plus no crowd to jostle with. Will be back just for the Kunefe!
Rating given:
I am surprise that Kim Robinson is not yet listed on Yebber, so here I am :)
Due to a stroke of good luck, I had the opportunity to experience a moisture treatment plus a cleanse & finish (wash and blow) which is supposed to take 2 hours and it cant be redeemed on Fri, Sat, and PH, so I booked for a Sunday slot.
I have the say the premise is impressive, and you do feel the difference when you step into the atas salon. Upon being seated, you'd be asked if you'd like any drink, and they did have peppermint tea ~
I was led into a similarly atas winding corridor into the common area where a few other tai tai were being seated. My therapist Bernice introduced herself and explained the steps of the treatment to me - 2 steams plus 2 rinses. Perhaps the difference was felt during the rinse as they were very gentle, although I felt that the techniques could have been better and included some sort of massage. The moisture treatment was over and done with in half hour.
I was then ushered to another area for the finish and the artist Keith similarly came over to introduce himself and recommended a simply style of finish. He was very thorough I must add, carefully making sure that the finish is indeed well, finished. He also passed me his namecard at the end and ushered me out to the reception area thereafter.
Little touches like making sure you're alright during rinses and replacing the tea with hot ones were appreciated.
Before leaving, I also received a first timer's welcome pack which contains 5 vouchers for mani /pedi, cut highlight, cut, scalp treatment which I will definitely use as the prices are reasonable (the ala carte prices are not).
Honestly, I didnt feel my prizes was worth the $200 it was advertised for. Yes it was a nice experience and all that but for the fact it was Kim Robinson and for $200 , I was expecting a wow somewhere. But it didnt happen. Maybe it was the fact that they knew I was not a paying customer but that shouldn't affect the service provided, no?
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This review is a bit late but better late than never I guess. I booked a promotional massage at $33 on a Saturday together with a facial too. When we called to make the appointment, we informed that we were booking for 2 treatments accordingly.
When we arrived, surprise surprise, we were told that as both promos were for first timers, we were allowed only for 1 as technically after the first treatment, we would no longer be first timers and thus not eligible for the 2nd treatment.
Left with no choice, we opted for the massage instead of the facial, but was told that the massage was arranged for the 2nd hour only, and for us to go walk around and return. So we concluded that they'd rather have the slots empty and not make a sale instead of letting us proceed with both treatments.
We walked around and returned after 1 hour and were ushered in. Annoyingly, I was asked 3 time what my full name was and was addressed by the wrong name even when I was already lying on the treatment bed. On 1 of the occasions, I replied with my first name and was told that it was not sufficient and the masseur insisted on me saying my full name. How rude of them.
When I finally got to my massage, I thought nothing else could go wrong. WRONG. My masseur was falling sleep. I could feel her finger sliding and making sudden and jerking movements while massaging my head. And when I tried to quietly make some noise in the hope of making her more alert, but it didnt work at all.
When leaving, the manager asked for my feedback but she really couldnt care less, so I didnt bother.
Touche Elite? What a joke.
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