This is where the old Sushi Tei used to be, and the charcoal barbeque part was what attracted us to pick that place. We arrived on a Friday evening to see the place packed almost to its brim, which we hoped was a good sign.
The seatings are split into 2 level: ground floor and 2nd floor. The first floor is where they have a bar seating too, and upstairs are where all the barbeque happens, plus private rooms available.
We were seated on the 2nd level - the tables are thankfully not placed elbow to elbow. BUT oh my, the smoke is crazy. You can see and smell the barbeque anywhere you sit as the place is not equipped with even 1 of those thingy that sucks up the smoke instead of letting them drift all over (are they called smoke inhalers?).
Bimbimbob ($18) - (dont know why its spelled this way) we decided to each order a main instead of the bbq after all. This is what I always order at a Korean place and was keen to see if there was any difference in how an authentic korean restaurant does it. Not too much difference I must admit although the stonepot was piping hot and created the burnt bits of rice I've always had a fetish for. It was served with the sauce on the side and soup which was cabbage I think.
Side dishes (complimentary) - The sides dishes were nice but not wow. We had ikan bilis, boiled veg tossed with sesame oil, lotus root chips, radishes, kimchi etc. Any of them is refillable and there'll be new ones if any of the above runs out.
Raspberry wine ($28) - We tried something similar at Bibigo (Raffles City) once but this is not as nice, a bit too acidic for me.
While the good was average, the service is seriously amusing. It was almost non existent if you end up sitting at one of the corner tables like us - and it almost felt like they were trained to not see waving hands. Requests for more of the side dishes had to be repeated several times to different staff, and our order of dumplings were forgotten. We waited very long for the wine and decided to ask what is happening to it - then it came soon after that.
But when the bill came, they had charged us for the dumplings which never came, and 2 bottles of the wine. We brought this up to one staff who seemed to be hesitant, then the bill was brought to another staff, we saw them discussing it, and the staff who took over the bill looked at us suspiciously before turning to the cashier to take off the items we never had.
I'll not come back. While food is nothing to complain about, having to deal with the experience is not okay for me.
(sorry for the blurred pics - must be all that smoke)
TCC is having a 1-4-1 main course of pasta right through to 31 July as their Great Singapore Sale (GSS) promotion and was thus a good choice for a family dinner of 6pax.
We picked the indoor seats and had good cushy seats for all of us. We had varying choices but I can only comment on what I had:
Crumbed Mushroom Patty with Wild Mushroom Glaze ($20) - this was a tough choice against the pastas but ultimately I picked this as it looked interesting. And it was...sort of.. The 2 big patties had enough diced mushrooms in them but I felt the mushroom glaze could have been served on the side as it makes the patty soggy. The accompanying roasted potatoes were alright, but the greens were sadly lacking a dressing - any dressing would have been good. The marinated tomato was good though.
Service was okay, nothing to complain about. Good while its still for 1-4-1 :)
I went for a day surgery at this Healthcare place new to me and was pleasantly surprised by the experience :)
The place is located at the 3rd floor of Broadway Centre which houses K-box - now the 1st floor of the building is all in construction and very messy and so can be hard to convince anyone that a quality healthcare centre is located there.
The premise looks spanking new. I was greeted by a smiling receptionist and was ushered into a waiting area very quickly. A staff then brought me into the proper treatment area where there's the daybeds section and resting chairs, procedure rooms etc. From the point of me being brought in to the post-procedure resting time, most staff I encountered were very polite and more importantly, informative and assuring. I did feel very well taken care of throughout.
Had the chance to try out this supposedly good spa thanks to a $100 gift voucher give to me. I looked at the menu online and decided to try the Shiatsu massage (60mis for $117 after GST) as I've never tried it before.
I emailed the spa to check for availability but the slot I wanted was not available so I replied to ask about another slot - and was met with silence. There was no reply. I waited for a few more days before sending a chaser email, to which a lady called to confirm my booking.
I reached just about on time for my treatment on a Sunday late afternoon and was impressed by the entrance and the waiting area - all very posh and grandeur looking.
I was asked what drink would I like by the receptionist and asked to take a seat to wait for my therapist to be ready. I was also given a customer form to fill in but no one came to collect it after that, so I just left it on the table.
My therapist led to me to the room after changing my shoes just after the waiting area. The room had very poor lighting, or the lack of it. My eyes didnt have the chance to adjust properly before my therapist mumbled something and left the room.
I looked around and saw 2 towels and 1 bathrobe on the bed - and was left to my own devices to figure out whether I should wear the robe or what. There was also no disposable undergarment which massages places usually provide but luckily I spied one supposed left stranded on another table.
Shall not comment too much on the massage itself but let me instead look at overall experience.
Pros - a really quiet spa away from the crowds - heated massage bed - the therapist executed firm strokes and asked at the beginning if the strength was okay. - no hard selling after the treatment - no 'stealing' of treatment time as some other places tend to do
Cons - no personal touch - no sense of being pampered at all which I would expect if one were to pay for the original price - no washroom inside the spa itself which I find very annoying.
To conclude, the original price is too pricey and definitely not value for money. To charge more than $100 for 1 hour, they have to be alot more than this.
Walked past this a few times and always thought the food smelt nice. Finally had a chance to drop by for a quick weekday dinner with some friends.
The place is not big, probably sits 25-30pax. A typical thai restaurant setting complete with thai statues greeting you from the entrance. Non airconditioned but it was breezy enough for us to eat and not break out a sweat. Nice!
We werent hungry so opted to go easy on the selection.:
Tom Yam soup - came in a nice clay pot which doubles up as a warmer to keep the soup warm. You can choose having it clear or not, and can have either chicken or seafood in it. The soup was tangy and spicy enough at first try and should be good with a bowl of rice. This dish was not mine so I really just had 1 spoonful but suspect it may get a tad too spicy along the way.
Prawn cakes - This was a specialty which was only available during weekdays so we ordered it with high expectations. But it was disappointing as the deep fried discs were too oily and I couldnt taste any prawns in it, unless it was all mashed up inside.
Thai fried koey tiao - This was nice, albeit a little too oily after a while. I smelt a little wok hei too, but it could have come with more vegetables.
We also ordered a stir fried veg but that was common so I shall not review it here.
Service was okay and water was available if you dont prefer flavoured drinks.
I dont remember the prices (sorry!) but I do remember we paid about $12-$13 per person which was reasonable. In conclusion, the food is not worth travelling out of the way for but if you're in the neighborhood then its not a bad choice away from the hussle of the nearby coffeeshops and food centres.
Popped by Chinois by Susur Lee one Saturday afternoon for a quick dim sum fix since we had errands to run in the vicinity. Honestly, I've heard so much about Chinois while it was at Orchard Parade Hotel but never really got down to trying it. And now with the move to Resorts World Sentosa, Chinois has tied up with famed Canadian chef, Susur Lee, to up its offering a notch. What I find ironic (and hilarious) is that I've lived in Toronto for quite a few years but have never tried Susur lee's famed restaurant, Lee. And yet, I'm doing so in Singapore. Duh!
Chinois is hidden in a scheduled corner of Hotel Michel, past the concierge and just after the washrooms. There, a life sized decal of Chef Susur Lee greets you from the huge glass panel that fronts the restaurant. Decked out mainly in black with a few window tables that allow you a view of the activities outside, Chinois exudes an understated elegance that is common place in quite a fair bit of modern Chinese restaurants nowadays.
Cheese Burger Spring Roll - I had heard so much about the Cheese Burger Spring Rolls and it was imperative that i tried it. Interestingly, the spring rolls tasted exactly like a normal cheeseburger that you would get in a fast food joint, albeit with a crisp exterior instead of fluffy buns. For a more "authentic" taste, don't forget the mustard! Be sure to share though as the oil does get to you after the second roll.
Duo BBQ Pork Bun - As the name suggests, you get 2 variants of BBQ pork bun - 1 steamed and 1 deep fried. I personally preferred the greasier version as the bun had a soft and almost smooth texture coupled with a nice crisp exterior. The BBQ pork didn't come across as cloyingly sweet as well. Ditto for the steamed version, which boasted a nice fluffy but marginally thicker bun.
Steamed Beancurd Skin Rolls with Crab Roe - Although I am not exactly a fan of steamed beancurd skin (I prefer the deep fried ones), this was honestly quite decent with a tinge of spiciness, presumably from the crab roe sauce. And the skin had bits of crispiness along the edges with fresh pieces of shrimp stuffed within.
Kurobuta Pork Rib with Vinaigrette - This is definitely not the best roasted pork I've had but it's still pretty good. Crackling crisp skin belying a nice fat to pork ratio. Only minor gripes I had were that the skin was a little too thick for my liking and the meat wasn't salty enough. Best eaten with the accompanying plum sauce.
Baby Abalone Siew Mai - The baby abalones didn't quite feature in the overall taste of the siew mai, which was a little too salty for my liking. Well at least the usage of fatty meat was kept to a minimal which helped keep the nausea at bay.
Homemade Beancurd with Monkey Head Mushrooms - As much as I love beancurd, I would be hard pressed to rate this dish anything more than slightly above average. Don't get me wrong. This dish isn't bad. In fact, it is technically very sound and checks most of the boxes. However the beancurd, though silky smooth, lacked the savoury taste that I personally use to differentiate between good and excellent. Also, it is the first time I've trying out monkey head mushrooms and honestly, I didn't quite take to the somewhat limp texture. So it all boils down to personal preference I guess.
Pan Fried Carrot Cakes with Preserved Meat - Now this was interesting. At first glance, each individual piece of carrot cake looked like a piece of roast pork sitting on it's head. However pop one into your mouth and be pleasantly surprised by its smooth texture and that of the crisp preserved meat which acted as a nice contrasting counterbalance.
The total bill (without discount) for 2 came up to about $89, which is by no means cheap but hey, it's at Resorts World Sentosa and food quality is decidedly above average overall. Throw in good service and a 50% discount and I'll definitely be dining at Chinois again.
Picked this for a family dinner on a Friday night, although Friday nights are never good for any place mildly popular. But we decided to brave it :)
I reached at 6:45pm and the snaking queue was easy to spot. Terrible humid weather but everyone seemed to be patient - good! I was finally seated at 7:30pm for a table for 4pax so I was hoping the 45mins wait will be worth it.
A few things that struck me:
- this tiny place only sits 18pax.
- they serve only their signature ramen, nothing else (except a few soft drinks).
- they provide water and magazine for people in the queue. How nice.
- (I've heard) they frown upon customers who stay too long after finishing their food, which makes perfect biz sense of course. A table of 4 is already almost a quarter of their total seating.
Seating
The 18 pax are really cramped - what true Jap style. I was fortunate enough to get a table right at the end of the hole, and that means no bodies passing behind you every now and then.
Menu
The menu is kept really simple.
Choose your soup:
- normal - prawn based
- red - chilli oil
- black - black pepper
Choose your 'type':
- just the ramen
- with flavoured egg
- with seaweed
- the special ie. to have them all.
Since I'm not fan of spicy stuff, I picked the normal soup base, with all toppings.
In addition you can also choose from light, normal or strong / soft the taste of the soup, the amount of chicken oil, texture of noodles. Slips of paper to indicate these choices are passed to you to write on so you get your food quick after you are seated.
There's also a very strange ritual of pounding your own mixture of black and white sesame seeds to mix into your ramen. I think its a gimmick that makes the short waiting time for food even shorter. Food
Tonkotsu Ramen Special ($14.80) with everything 'normal' - food came within 15mins of us being seated. It was a moderate bowl: the soup was murky milky, and the seaweed was a huge huge piece. There were 2 big pieces of chasu, plus a flavoured egg. The soup was really good, but it got a little salty after a while. The chasu was nice but a little too fatty for me.
But the star of the evening had to be the flavoured egg. I usually dont quite like how most places do it soft but flavourless but this was just spot on! Its like a pre-mixed half boiled egg - taste and texture all came up tops.
I didnt try the other 2 soups but I got feedback from the rest of the guys that the chilli nor pepper was very evident.
Complimentary sides
Interestingly, they have complimentary hard boiled eggs in baskets on each table - you can eat as many as your cholesterol allows you to. But the flavoured egg beats them hands down. A container of cold marinated tao gay is also placed on each table, and these are seriously addictive and very good on their own. Suspect its marinated in some sesame dressing, and they maintained the crunch very well. Service
Service was hurried but nothing to complain about. Everything you need is basically on the table and you just help yourself to it. And its useful to note that there is practically no air con inside so it is also quite hot and stuffy, after being hot and stuffy while in the queue.
Admittedly, I was expected to be wow-ed but didnt quite get that although the food was good. And I'm not sure if I'd want to queue for 45mins again for it. But tastes are subjective after all, so I'd encourage you to try for your own~
Hot Tomato is one of those casual western food places you'll walk past without giving it a second glance and think it serves crappy pirated western food. I'm happy to say that its actually not :)
The place was packed when I went on a Sat afternoon for lunch, with a mostly young crowd. A quick glance through the menu told us why.
The prices are extremely reasonable and definitely affordable for even those on a tight dating budget. For any main course, you just need to add $4.50 for a garlic bread, soup of the day and a choice of soft drink or coffee/tea. Given that the cheapest main on the menu is $4.90 (plain alio olio), this is truly value for money. Garlic bread - Each person only gets 1 piece but it is fairly sized and tasty with the garlic spread and herbs. Mushroom soup - I was expecting Campbell-ish soup like many other (sometimes more expensive places) serve but this is quite good! Home-made and had the quality similar to what a proper restaurant would serve. Thumbs up!
Teriyaki chicken chop ($8.90) - This came with a big slab of chicken complete with skin on a bed of alio olio and served with a side of greens (iceberg lettuce?) drizzled with some vinegrette-like dressing. The teriyaki sauce was good and the alio olio al dente. The only grouse I had was having to remove the skin which contained most of the teriyaki sauce but the chicken itself was fresh, thankfully.
Service was alright and we didnt have to wait long for the food. The visit exceeded my expectations I must say, and the prices makes the value really hard to beat.
A cheaper than most courier service but their service and attitude can be really bad at times! Maybe its because they know customers will still go back to them because they are cheap but that is not reason enough to be stuck up. My company has very ad-hoc courier requests and they have started asking us to pay cash upfront even though we have a corporate account with them, which creates a lot of inconvenience for us as really, what is the purpose of opening a corporate account if you still need to fork out cash instead of being billed end of the month? And there is really no difference in billing for 1 job on 1 piece of paper vs billing for 10 jobs on that same 1 piece of paper isnt it? I know they are cheap but I just really have issues with this crappy attitude of theirs. If you have any other alternatives, please go elsewhere.
An opportunity to try out Cocotte's (which is actually a small casserole used in French cooking) newly launched brunch menu came by way of an invitation to dine there one Sunday afternoon. At the helm of this one and a half year old French restaurant is Chef Anthony Yeoh, who used to one half of the "Funky Chefs" cooking duo that offered private chef services.
Holed up on the ground level of Wanderlust Hotel along Dickson Road, Cocotte takes quite an effort to get to if you are driving. There are major constructions going around in that area and some streets are no through road or one way. Parking is a nightmare as street lots are limited and the unofficial extension of the Sungei Road flea market spills over.
The restaurant itself isn't big (probably 40 - 50 diners tops) and has a strange welcoming feel to it. I wouldn't describe it as homely but it had this certain appeal to make you want to just sit back and enjoy your meal in a very measured sort of way. Guess they don't want you to get too comfortable and hog the tables haha.
Croissants ($9) & Pain Au Chocolat ($10) - I can't begin expressing how good the croissants and pain au chocolat were. Served up warm, both pastries boasted a crusty exterior with puffy layers of soft, chewy goodness. Although I love chocolate, I personally preferred the croissant as it had a nice buttery finish to it. If you prefer it a little sweet, help yourself to the bottles of Alain Milliat jam that comes alongside. And I kid you not. It's probably one of the best I've had in Singapore so far. The secret behind it? The pastries are imported directly from France and baked to perfection in Cocotte's ovens.
Nicoise Salad ($18) - Fresh crunchy greens with a generous topping of tuna chunks and a smattering of anchovies, olives and hard boiled eggs - the answer to the problem of kids refusing to eat their greens. The anchovies were a little too salty though so make sure you eat them together with the greens.
Roast Herb Potatoes ($6) & Slow Roasted Vine Tomatoes and Garlic ($8) - Both of these were sides and although I didn't quite take to the tomatoes, I have to admit that they were pretty good - sweet yet mildly tart. My gf loves them though; that and the herb potatoes, which were infused with a slight herb taste and didn't come across as too soft.
Toulouse Sausages ($10) - Coming across as relatively thick, the sausages were a mixture of chicken and pork. Very flavourful and rather juicy. Only downside is that it's really quite oily and consuming too much will not only make you nauseous but send your cholesterol levels soaring.
Scrambled Eggs ($5) - Simplicity at its best. The eggs were nice with a hint of milkiness sans the wateriness. Now if only I had kept some of the croissant to go with it.
Creamed Leeks and Scallops Crepe ($22) - Honestly I'm not a big fan of the savoury crepes, being more partial towards it's sweet cousin. So this didn't quite work for me though I liked the huge piece of seared scallop atop.
Croque Madame ($18) - The croque madame ranked a close second to the croissants in my list of favourite dishes that afternoon. Crisp brioche heavy on the buttery goodness and topped with ham and a runny egg. Simply decadent! And not to mention unhealthy. But hey, for something so good, health concerns can always take a back seat for the moment ;)
1=SGD 0.0587
This is where the old Sushi Tei used to be, and the charcoal barbeque part was what attracted us to pick that place. We arrived on a Friday evening to see the place packed almost to its brim, which we hoped was a good sign.
The seatings are split into 2 level: ground floor and 2nd floor. The first floor is where they have a bar seating too, and upstairs are where all the barbeque happens, plus private rooms available.
We were seated on the 2nd level - the tables are thankfully not placed elbow to elbow. BUT oh my, the smoke is crazy. You can see and smell the barbeque anywhere you sit as the place is not equipped with even 1 of those thingy that sucks up the smoke instead of letting them drift all over (are they called smoke inhalers?).
Bimbimbob ($18) - (dont know why its spelled this way) we decided to each order a main instead of the bbq after all. This is what I always order at a Korean place and was keen to see if there was any difference in how an authentic korean restaurant does it. Not too much difference I must admit although the stonepot was piping hot and created the burnt bits of rice I've always had a fetish for. It was served with the sauce on the side and soup which was cabbage I think.
Side dishes (complimentary) - The sides dishes were nice but not wow. We had ikan bilis, boiled veg tossed with sesame oil, lotus root chips, radishes, kimchi etc. Any of them is refillable and there'll be new ones if any of the above runs out.
Raspberry wine ($28) - We tried something similar at Bibigo (Raffles City) once but this is not as nice, a bit too acidic for me.
While the good was average, the service is seriously amusing. It was almost non existent if you end up sitting at one of the corner tables like us - and it almost felt like they were trained to not see waving hands. Requests for more of the side dishes had to be repeated several times to different staff, and our order of dumplings were forgotten. We waited very long for the wine and decided to ask what is happening to it - then it came soon after that.
But when the bill came, they had charged us for the dumplings which never came, and 2 bottles of the wine. We brought this up to one staff who seemed to be hesitant, then the bill was brought to another staff, we saw them discussing it, and the staff who took over the bill looked at us suspiciously before turning to the cashier to take off the items we never had.
I'll not come back. While food is nothing to complain about, having to deal with the experience is not okay for me.
(sorry for the blurred pics - must be all that smoke)
Rating given:
TCC is having a 1-4-1 main course of pasta right through to 31 July as their Great Singapore Sale (GSS) promotion and was thus a good choice for a family dinner of 6pax.
We picked the indoor seats and had good cushy seats for all of us. We had varying choices but I can only comment on what I had:
Crumbed Mushroom Patty with Wild Mushroom Glaze ($20) - this was a tough choice against the pastas but ultimately I picked this as it looked interesting. And it was...sort of.. The 2 big patties had enough diced mushrooms in them but I felt the mushroom glaze could have been served on the side as it makes the patty soggy. The accompanying roasted potatoes were alright, but the greens were sadly lacking a dressing - any dressing would have been good. The marinated tomato was good though.
Service was okay, nothing to complain about. Good while its still for 1-4-1 :)
Rating given:
I went for a day surgery at this Healthcare place new to me and was pleasantly surprised by the experience :)
The place is located at the 3rd floor of Broadway Centre which houses K-box - now the 1st floor of the building is all in construction and very messy and so can be hard to convince anyone that a quality healthcare centre is located there.
The premise looks spanking new. I was greeted by a smiling receptionist and was ushered into a waiting area very quickly. A staff then brought me into the proper treatment area where there's the daybeds section and resting chairs, procedure rooms etc. From the point of me being brought in to the post-procedure resting time, most staff I encountered were very polite and more importantly, informative and assuring. I did feel very well taken care of throughout.
Kudos to the facilities and staff at 1-Health
Rating given:
Had the chance to try out this supposedly good spa thanks to a $100 gift voucher give to me. I looked at the menu online and decided to try the Shiatsu massage (60mis for $117 after GST) as I've never tried it before.
I emailed the spa to check for availability but the slot I wanted was not available so I replied to ask about another slot - and was met with silence. There was no reply. I waited for a few more days before sending a chaser email, to which a lady called to confirm my booking.
I reached just about on time for my treatment on a Sunday late afternoon and was impressed by the entrance and the waiting area - all very posh and grandeur looking.
I was asked what drink would I like by the receptionist and asked to take a seat to wait for my therapist to be ready. I was also given a customer form to fill in but no one came to collect it after that, so I just left it on the table.
My therapist led to me to the room after changing my shoes just after the waiting area. The room had very poor lighting, or the lack of it. My eyes didnt have the chance to adjust properly before my therapist mumbled something and left the room.
I looked around and saw 2 towels and 1 bathrobe on the bed - and was left to my own devices to figure out whether I should wear the robe or what. There was also no disposable undergarment which massages places usually provide but luckily I spied one supposed left stranded on another table.
Shall not comment too much on the massage itself but let me instead look at overall experience.
Pros
- a really quiet spa away from the crowds
- heated massage bed
- the therapist executed firm strokes and asked at the beginning if the strength was okay.
- no hard selling after the treatment
- no 'stealing' of treatment time as some other places tend to do
Cons
- no personal touch
- no sense of being pampered at all which I would expect if one were to pay for the original price
- no washroom inside the spa itself which I find very annoying.
To conclude, the original price is too pricey and definitely not value for money. To charge more than $100 for 1 hour, they have to be alot more than this.
Rating given:
Walked past this a few times and always thought the food smelt nice. Finally had a chance to drop by for a quick weekday dinner with some friends.
The place is not big, probably sits 25-30pax. A typical thai restaurant setting complete with thai statues greeting you from the entrance. Non airconditioned but it was breezy enough for us to eat and not break out a sweat. Nice!
We werent hungry so opted to go easy on the selection.:
Tom Yam soup - came in a nice clay pot which doubles up as a warmer to keep the soup warm. You can choose having it clear or not, and can have either chicken or seafood in it. The soup was tangy and spicy enough at first try and should be good with a bowl of rice. This dish was not mine so I really just had 1 spoonful but suspect it may get a tad too spicy along the way.
Prawn cakes - This was a specialty which was only available during weekdays so we ordered it with high expectations. But it was disappointing as the deep fried discs were too oily and I couldnt taste any prawns in it, unless it was all mashed up inside.
Thai fried koey tiao - This was nice, albeit a little too oily after a while. I smelt a little wok hei too, but it could have come with more vegetables.
We also ordered a stir fried veg but that was common so I shall not review it here.
Service was okay and water was available if you dont prefer flavoured drinks.
I dont remember the prices (sorry!) but I do remember we paid about $12-$13 per person which was reasonable. In conclusion, the food is not worth travelling out of the way for but if you're in the neighborhood then its not a bad choice away from the hussle of the nearby coffeeshops and food centres.
Rating given:
Popped by Chinois by Susur Lee one Saturday afternoon for a quick dim sum fix since we had errands to run in the vicinity. Honestly, I've heard so much about Chinois while it was at Orchard Parade Hotel but never really got down to trying it. And now with the move to Resorts World Sentosa, Chinois has tied up with famed Canadian chef, Susur Lee, to up its offering a notch. What I find ironic (and hilarious) is that I've lived in Toronto for quite a few years but have never tried Susur lee's famed restaurant, Lee. And yet, I'm doing so in Singapore. Duh!
Chinois is hidden in a scheduled corner of Hotel Michel, past the concierge and just after the washrooms. There, a life sized decal of Chef Susur Lee greets you from the huge glass panel that fronts the restaurant. Decked out mainly in black with a few window tables that allow you a view of the activities outside, Chinois exudes an understated elegance that is common place in quite a fair bit of modern Chinese restaurants nowadays.
Cheese Burger Spring Roll - I had heard so much about the Cheese Burger Spring Rolls and it was imperative that i tried it. Interestingly, the spring rolls tasted exactly like a normal cheeseburger that you would get in a fast food joint, albeit with a crisp exterior instead of fluffy buns. For a more "authentic" taste, don't forget the mustard! Be sure to share though as the oil does get to you after the second roll.
Duo BBQ Pork Bun - As the name suggests, you get 2 variants of BBQ pork bun - 1 steamed and 1 deep fried. I personally preferred the greasier version as the bun had a soft and almost smooth texture coupled with a nice crisp exterior. The BBQ pork didn't come across as cloyingly sweet as well. Ditto for the steamed version, which boasted a nice fluffy but marginally thicker bun.
Steamed Beancurd Skin Rolls with Crab Roe - Although I am not exactly a fan of steamed beancurd skin (I prefer the deep fried ones), this was honestly quite decent with a tinge of spiciness, presumably from the crab roe sauce. And the skin had bits of crispiness along the edges with fresh pieces of shrimp stuffed within.
Kurobuta Pork Rib with Vinaigrette - This is definitely not the best roasted pork I've had but it's still pretty good. Crackling crisp skin belying a nice fat to pork ratio. Only minor gripes I had were that the skin was a little too thick for my liking and the meat wasn't salty enough. Best eaten with the accompanying plum sauce.
Baby Abalone Siew Mai - The baby abalones didn't quite feature in the overall taste of the siew mai, which was a little too salty for my liking. Well at least the usage of fatty meat was kept to a minimal which helped keep the nausea at bay.
Homemade Beancurd with Monkey Head Mushrooms - As much as I love beancurd, I would be hard pressed to rate this dish anything more than slightly above average. Don't get me wrong. This dish isn't bad. In fact, it is technically very sound and checks most of the boxes. However the beancurd, though silky smooth, lacked the savoury taste that I personally use to differentiate between good and excellent. Also, it is the first time I've trying out monkey head mushrooms and honestly, I didn't quite take to the somewhat limp texture. So it all boils down to personal preference I guess.
Pan Fried Carrot Cakes with Preserved Meat - Now this was interesting. At first glance, each individual piece of carrot cake looked like a piece of roast pork sitting on it's head. However pop one into your mouth and be pleasantly surprised by its smooth texture and that of the crisp preserved meat which acted as a nice contrasting counterbalance.
The total bill (without discount) for 2 came up to about $89, which is by no means cheap but hey, it's at Resorts World Sentosa and food quality is decidedly above average overall. Throw in good service and a 50% discount and I'll definitely be dining at Chinois again.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Picked this for a family dinner on a Friday night, although Friday nights are never good for any place mildly popular. But we decided to brave it :)
I reached at 6:45pm and the snaking queue was easy to spot. Terrible humid weather but everyone seemed to be patient - good! I was finally seated at 7:30pm for a table for 4pax so I was hoping the 45mins wait will be worth it.
A few things that struck me:
- this tiny place only sits 18pax.
- they serve only their signature ramen, nothing else (except a few soft drinks).
- they provide water and magazine for people in the queue. How nice.
- (I've heard) they frown upon customers who stay too long after finishing their food, which makes perfect biz sense of course. A table of 4 is already almost a quarter of their total seating.
Seating
The 18 pax are really cramped - what true Jap style. I was fortunate enough to get a table right at the end of the hole, and that means no bodies passing behind you every now and then.
Menu
The menu is kept really simple.
Choose your soup:
- normal - prawn based
- red - chilli oil
- black - black pepper
Choose your 'type':
- just the ramen
- with flavoured egg
- with seaweed
- the special ie. to have them all.
Since I'm not fan of spicy stuff, I picked the normal soup base, with all toppings.
In addition you can also choose from light, normal or strong / soft the taste of the soup, the amount of chicken oil, texture of noodles. Slips of paper to indicate these choices are passed to you to write on so you get your food quick after you are seated.
There's also a very strange ritual of pounding your own mixture of black and white sesame seeds to mix into your ramen. I think its a gimmick that makes the short waiting time for food even shorter.
Food
Tonkotsu Ramen Special ($14.80) with everything 'normal' - food came within 15mins of us being seated. It was a moderate bowl: the soup was murky milky, and the seaweed was a huge huge piece. There were 2 big pieces of chasu, plus a flavoured egg. The soup was really good, but it got a little salty after a while. The chasu was nice but a little too fatty for me.
But the star of the evening had to be the flavoured egg. I usually dont quite like how most places do it soft but flavourless but this was just spot on! Its like a pre-mixed half boiled egg - taste and texture all came up tops.
I didnt try the other 2 soups but I got feedback from the rest of the guys that the chilli nor pepper was very evident.
Complimentary sides
Interestingly, they have complimentary hard boiled eggs in baskets on each table - you can eat as many as your cholesterol allows you to. But the flavoured egg beats them hands down. A container of cold marinated tao gay is also placed on each table, and these are seriously addictive and very good on their own. Suspect its marinated in some sesame dressing, and they maintained the crunch very well.
Service
Service was hurried but nothing to complain about. Everything you need is basically on the table and you just help yourself to it. And its useful to note that there is practically no air con inside so it is also quite hot and stuffy, after being hot and stuffy while in the queue.
Admittedly, I was expected to be wow-ed but didnt quite get that although the food was good. And I'm not sure if I'd want to queue for 45mins again for it. But tastes are subjective after all, so I'd encourage you to try for your own~
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Hot Tomato is one of those casual western food places you'll walk past without giving it a second glance and think it serves crappy pirated western food. I'm happy to say that its actually not :)
The place was packed when I went on a Sat afternoon for lunch, with a mostly young crowd. A quick glance through the menu told us why.
The prices are extremely reasonable and definitely affordable for even those on a tight dating budget. For any main course, you just need to add $4.50 for a garlic bread, soup of the day and a choice of soft drink or coffee/tea. Given that the cheapest main on the menu is $4.90 (plain alio olio), this is truly value for money.
Garlic bread - Each person only gets 1 piece but it is fairly sized and tasty with the garlic spread and herbs.
Mushroom soup - I was expecting Campbell-ish soup like many other (sometimes more expensive places) serve but this is quite good! Home-made and had the quality similar to what a proper restaurant would serve. Thumbs up!
Teriyaki chicken chop ($8.90) - This came with a big slab of chicken complete with skin on a bed of alio olio and served with a side of greens (iceberg lettuce?) drizzled with some vinegrette-like dressing. The teriyaki sauce was good and the alio olio al dente. The only grouse I had was having to remove the skin which contained most of the teriyaki sauce but the chicken itself was fresh, thankfully.
Service was alright and we didnt have to wait long for the food. The visit exceeded my expectations I must say, and the prices makes the value really hard to beat.
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A cheaper than most courier service but their service and attitude can be really bad at times! Maybe its because they know customers will still go back to them because they are cheap but that is not reason enough to be stuck up. My company has very ad-hoc courier requests and they have started asking us to pay cash upfront even though we have a corporate account with them, which creates a lot of inconvenience for us as really, what is the purpose of opening a corporate account if you still need to fork out cash instead of being billed end of the month? And there is really no difference in billing for 1 job on 1 piece of paper vs billing for 10 jobs on that same 1 piece of paper isnt it? I know they are cheap but I just really have issues with this crappy attitude of theirs. If you have any other alternatives, please go elsewhere.
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An opportunity to try out Cocotte's (which is actually a small casserole used in French cooking) newly launched brunch menu came by way of an invitation to dine there one Sunday afternoon. At the helm of this one and a half year old French restaurant is Chef Anthony Yeoh, who used to one half of the "Funky Chefs" cooking duo that offered private chef services.
Holed up on the ground level of Wanderlust Hotel along Dickson Road, Cocotte takes quite an effort to get to if you are driving. There are major constructions going around in that area and some streets are no through road or one way. Parking is a nightmare as street lots are limited and the unofficial extension of the Sungei Road flea market spills over.
The restaurant itself isn't big (probably 40 - 50 diners tops) and has a strange welcoming feel to it. I wouldn't describe it as homely but it had this certain appeal to make you want to just sit back and enjoy your meal in a very measured sort of way. Guess they don't want you to get too comfortable and hog the tables haha.
Croissants ($9) & Pain Au Chocolat ($10) - I can't begin expressing how good the croissants and pain au chocolat were. Served up warm, both pastries boasted a crusty exterior with puffy layers of soft, chewy goodness. Although I love chocolate, I personally preferred the croissant as it had a nice buttery finish to it. If you prefer it a little sweet, help yourself to the bottles of Alain Milliat jam that comes alongside. And I kid you not. It's probably one of the best I've had in Singapore so far. The secret behind it? The pastries are imported directly from France and baked to perfection in Cocotte's ovens.
Nicoise Salad ($18) - Fresh crunchy greens with a generous topping of tuna chunks and a smattering of anchovies, olives and hard boiled eggs - the answer to the problem of kids refusing to eat their greens. The anchovies were a little too salty though so make sure you eat them together with the greens.
Roast Herb Potatoes ($6) & Slow Roasted Vine Tomatoes and Garlic ($8) - Both of these were sides and although I didn't quite take to the tomatoes, I have to admit that they were pretty good - sweet yet mildly tart. My gf loves them though; that and the herb potatoes, which were infused with a slight herb taste and didn't come across as too soft.
Toulouse Sausages ($10) - Coming across as relatively thick, the sausages were a mixture of chicken and pork. Very flavourful and rather juicy. Only downside is that it's really quite oily and consuming too much will not only make you nauseous but send your cholesterol levels soaring.
Scrambled Eggs ($5) - Simplicity at its best. The eggs were nice with a hint of milkiness sans the wateriness. Now if only I had kept some of the croissant to go with it.
Creamed Leeks and Scallops Crepe ($22) - Honestly I'm not a big fan of the savoury crepes, being more partial towards it's sweet cousin. So this didn't quite work for me though I liked the huge piece of seared scallop atop.
Croque Madame ($18) - The croque madame ranked a close second to the croissants in my list of favourite dishes that afternoon. Crisp brioche heavy on the buttery goodness and topped with ham and a runny egg. Simply decadent! And not to mention unhealthy. But hey, for something so good, health concerns can always take a back seat for the moment ;)
See all my pictures here.
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