Timeless Facade - Everything is a facade, only good food is a reality

Taiwan - Other Eats

2012-02-29T22:14:00.000+08:00

Kao Chi (高記) Taipei

2012-02-26T22:04:00.001+08:00

It is said that no trip to Taipei is complete without a visit to 2 of its iconic restaurants - Ding Tai Fung (鼎泰丰) and Kao Chi (高記). I skipped the former in favour of the latter as I didn't fancy queuing up just to eat pork dumplings (小笼包). And so a chilly Friday evening saw us at Kao Chi's 复兴南路 branch.

Interior

The interior is decidedly more posh than that of Shin Yeh, with plush fabric seats and a sombre inclination through the use of dark coloured flooring and fittings. And decidedly a little more "upclass" than Shin Yeh.

Pan Fried Bun (生煎包)

I had initially wanted to order pork dumplings (小笼包) but the waitress promptly informed me that Kao Chi was known for their Pan Fried Buns (生煎包) and so Pan Fried Buns it was. I'm not sure how it would have compared to the dumplings but the buns were seriously good. Soft fluffy dough with a crisp, deep fried base that enveloped a tender and juicy pork filling. Topped with sesame seeds. The 2 of us finished 10 buns with relative ease. Just watch out for the excessive oil.

Asparagus with Lily Roots

This was one very oily and average dish. The asparagus were drenched in oil and rather bland.

Braised Chicken with Chestnut

A restaurant specialty, as earmarked in the menu, but falling drastically short in my humble opinion. The chicken chunks were tender but tasteless and the bland but very oily gravy didn't help matters. The only saving grace was the chestnut (lots of it!) , which had a nice natural sweetness to it.

Bill

At 858 NTD (~37 SGD), dinner for 2 definitely wasn't expensive, quantitatively speaking. However food quality (with the exception of the 生煎包) was disappointing, to put it mildly. Maybe it's just a personal preference but I highly doubt I'll be back.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:7/10
Service:7/10
Food:5/10 (7/10 for the 生煎包)
Value for money:5/10
Overall:6/10

Address: No. 150號復興南路一段

Contact: 02-2751-9393

Opening Hours: 11:00-22:30 daily

Website: http://www.kao-chi.com/

Shin Yeh (欣葉) Taipei

2012-02-19T21:56:00.001+08:00

Was in Taipei for a holiday so dropped by Shin Yeh (欣葉) for lunch since I had heard so much about it and there is even an outlet in Singapore (which I have never tried). Reservations are definitely necessary for the 南西店 or any of the other outlets for that matter especially on weekends. Trust me on this as a queue had formed outside of the restaurant even before it opened for business on a Sunday afternoon.

Interior & View

The interior was nothing to shout about, coming across as a typical middle class Chinese restaurant. Ditto the view, which at 10 floors up, showcased nothing but scruffy looking buildings. But I still like a window seat. Beats having no view at all right?

Stir Fried Pea Shoots

This dish of pea shoots (豆苗) was a simple stir fried dish that came across as rather bland and a little oily. But I like it for its crunchiness.

Prawns with Cashew Nut

The star of this dish was ironically the cashew nuts, which were nicely crunchy and sweet from the sugar dusting. The prawns on the other hand, were limp and not exactly very fresh. At least the asparagus was decent!

Braised Chitterlings

I'm a big fan of chitterlings and these were suitably plump with a nice mildly chewy texture. Well braised with minimal offal smell and taste and best eaten with the accompanying preserved dried vegetable. However it did get a little too sweet after a while. Watch out for the high cholesterol as well.

Three Cup Chicken (三杯鸡)

Although originating from Southern China, 三杯鸡 is an extremely popular dish in Taiwan and derives its name from the 3 cups of sauces that is used to cook this dish - soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine. And I'm glad to say that Shin Yeh's rendition was quite good! Although the chicken was too tough for my liking, the flavours were wonderful. A tinge of spice, sweetness and saltiness all in one. Just be careful of the bone fragments, which did mar the experience quite a bit.

Mochi

Some say that the best things in life are free. And yes, the complimentary mochi was nice and chewy with a generous coating of fine peanut and sugar. Great (but grossly inadequate) end to the meal.

Bill

I wouldn't say 1898 NTD (~82 SGD) is cheap or reasonable for a 2 pax lunch. Especially when food quality wasn't quite up to expectations and portions weren't exactly huge (we polished off all 4 dishes without much difficultly). Service was efficient but the whole place was packed and very noisy. Definitely not some place I would ever want to step into again - well regarded or not.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:6.5/10 (way too noisy)
Service:7/10
Food:6/10
Value for money:6/10
Overall:6.375/10

Address: 8F, No. 12, Nanjing W. Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City

Contact: 886-2523-6757

Opening Hours: 11:30-22:00 daily

Website: http://www.shinyeh.com.tw/English_web/about.php

Tawandang - A Pictorial

2012-02-12T20:35:00.000+08:00

Restaurant Ember III

2012-02-05T21:32:00.000+08:00

Took time out on a weekday to have lunch at one of my favourite "value for money" lunch places - Ember. Much has been mentioned about Ember's food quality and reasonable lunch pricing to boot and I staunchly stand by that.

Interior

The interior hasn't changed since my last visit and is still as cramp as ever. If you are looking for a romantic and quiet night out with a date, you probably shouldn't go to Ember. At Ember, it's all about the food and the friendly service.

Complimentary Bread

As usual, I had seconds of Ember's wonderful complimentary bread - Aromatically crusty with a subtle cheesy aftertaste and served piping hot. Delicious! I would have gladly gone for a third serving if offered ;)

Pan Roasted Scallop with Parma Ham, Citrus and Tarragon Vinaigrette

The trio of smallish pan roasted scallops had a nice crust to it and so did the Parma ham that was wrapped around it. Lightly salted and peppered, it was juicy and flavourful but just a wee bit too soft in the center for my liking. Taste was spot on though.

Pan Seared Foie Gras with Caramelized Apples and Clove, Port and Raspberry Glaze

I simply love the overall taste and texture of this dish. The foie gras was quivery and smooth with a nice crisp top that spotted a light dash of salt. Semi crunchy apples at the base helped cut through the nausea while the glaze provided a tinge of sweetness. A perfect balance of flavours! I had to top up $6++ for the foie gras and it was well worth it.

Pan Roasted USDA Prime Beef Tenderloin with French Fries, Merlot Reduction

Done a perfect medium as per my request, the tenderloin did seem a little soft even though I must commend it's excellent flavours. Topped with golden mushrooms (which is rather unconventional), it boasted a strong bovine taste coupled with a nice juiciness and sweet undertones from the merlot reduction. The side of flour coated fries were average but I thought that the dipping sauce was worth a mention. What's interesting about it is that you get a spicy kick at the back of your throat only towards the end.

Pan Seared Chilean Seabass with Mushroom & Smoked Bacon Ragout, Truffle Yuzu Butter Sauce

What could be better than a smooth and silky piece of fish with a crisp golden top, sitting on a bed of mushrooms and bacon immersed in deliciously creamy sauce? Nothing I say, not even the beef tenderloin! And that's coming from a beef lover.

Crispy Cinnamon Apple Pie with Homemade Ice Cream

This definitely didn't look like any apple pie that I've seen, looking more like a humongous and elongated piece of samosa. Appearances aside, the apple pie was stellar, to say the least. Crackling crispy filo pastry filled with lightly tart yet sweet apple cubes, topped with crumble and served alongside rum & raisin ice cream and a spoonful of honey. Delicious!

Crispy Caramelized Pear Tart with Homemade Baileys Ice Cream

Yet another delightful dessert. The tart was flaky with a nice crunch (very much like croissant!) and filled with sweet, thinly slices of pear. Topped with crumble and served with baileys ice cream. Simple yet excellent.

Bill

A wonderful lunch cost the 2 of us to the tune of $100 and while I wouldn't call it cheap, it was worth every single cent. Service was good but the kitchen did seem a little slow at times, probably due to the packed restaurant. But I'm not complaining. The food is consistent and that's what's important. I'll definitely be back for more. In fact, at the point of writing, I already have.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:7/10
Service:7.5/10
Food:7.5/10
Value for money:7/10
Overall:7.25/10

Address: Hotel 1929, 50 Keong Saik Road

Contact: 63471928

Opening Hours:

Mon-Fri:

Lunch: 11.30am - 2.00pm
Dinner: 6.30pm - 10.00pm

Sat:

Dinner: 6.30pm - 10.00pm(Closed on Sundays)

Website: http://www.hotel1929.com/

Golden Peony II - A Chinese New Year Eve Reunion Dinner

2012-01-29T22:11:00.000+08:00

Breaking "tradition" to have our reunion dinner at Golden Peony this year instead of the de facto choice of Imperial Treasure Cantonese @ Crown Plaza, we were intrigued by the rather interesting fusion menu on offer and that proved a key determinant in skewing our votes towards Golden Peony.

The Place & Menu

The place isn't big and tables stretched out all the way along the lift corridor - something unheard of in any of the restaurants I've been. They probably want to capitalise on the CNY crunch and squeeze in as many tables as possible or to cater to guests who are staying at the hotel. Either way, I'm glad we didn't have to sit outside.

Our Evening's Entertainment

To be honest, this is the first reunion dinner I'm having that comes with live entertainment - a zither and erhu player as well as a cameo appearance by the God of Fortune who handed out gold chocolate coins and ingots (they tasted horrid though).

The Tidbits Box

Fortune Lobster, Salmon & Snow Pear Yu Sheng

There is a small spoonful of lobster shreds that is mixed into the yu sheng but unfortunately I couldn't make out any of it after the frantic tossing. I personally thought that the slices of pear gave this dish a nice refreshing and crunchy twist to it. Also I loved the crackers (黄金) which had a fresh and deliciously crisp texture; no rancid oil taste that's for sure! All in all, one of the best yu sheng I've had in the last few years.

Mini Buddha Jumps Over The Wall

A classic Chinese favourite, the Buddha Jumps Over The Wall had the broth and the ingredients served separately, which allows you to decide how much broth you want with your abalone, shark's fin and all the other premium goodies. Although the abalone was sizeable and quite nicely prepared and the fins were of decent quality, I had an issue with the broth, which was tasty but overly salty.

Baked Bacon Wrapped with Kurobuta Rib

Although I could make out the bacon, it didn't quite feature in the dish as much as I would have liked it to. That's not to say that I didn't like this dish as a whole though. The piece of Kurobuta pork was tender and moist with a mildly sweet and salty flavour from the garlic sauce. In short, a very well executed piece of char siew.

Baked Fillet of Sea Perch with Teriyaki Sauce served with Stewed Japanese Organic Ramen

I didn't quite take to either the baked sea perch or the organic ramen. The sea perch was bland and very nausea inducing due to its slightly sticky texture while the ramen was soft and limp. And where's the teriyaki sauce?!

Braised 'Live' Prawn filled with Homemade Beancurd served with Baby Spinach

This dish was an absolute disaster. First of all, the prawn was tiny, unfresh, overcooked and had that sediment texture. Talk about 'live' prawn. Gosh. And to make things worse, the beancurd wasn't smooth and the accompany baby spinach tasted like it could do with a lot less salt.

Double Boiled Snow Pear with Longan and Papaya
& Golden Fried 'Nian Gao' with Sweet Potato and Taro

Any hopes of a nice sweet, chilled dessert went down the drain when I tried the double boiled fruit mixture. Honestly, it didn't work for me as I couldn't quite accept the sourish undertones. Reminded me of something turning bad or chao sng. At least the nian gao (年糕) was better. Crisp on the outside with a chewy and gelatine inside - nice and not coyingly sweet even when drizzled with the chocolate sauce. On a foot note, it is considered auspicious for Chinese to eat nian gao as it symbolises promotion year on year (年年高升).

Bill

At $172/pax for a disappointing 6 course dinner, it is nothing short of a rip off. Service was good and I enjoyed the live music performances but that's where the compliments end. Quality of food, for the most part of it, was hovering around average and definitely not something I was expecting from a 5 star hotel restaurant. Definitely not a good way to kick start the lunar new year! Lesson learnt? Stick to the rigorously tried and tested - Imperial Treasure Cantonese @ Crown Plaza.

For my previous writeup on Golden Peony, see here.

Have a prosperous 2012!

Ambience:7/10
Service:7/10
Food:6/10
Value for money:5/10 (I would have given a 2/10 if it wasn't CNY)

Overall:6.25/10

Address: 3rd Floor, Conrad Singapore

Contact: 6432 7482

Opening Hours:

Mon–Sat: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10.30pm

Sun: 10.30am – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10.30pm

Website: http://conradhotels3.hilton.com/en/hotels/singapore/conrad-centennial-singapore-SINCICI/amenities/restaurants-golden-peony.html

Pierside Kitchen

2012-01-23T00:51:00.000+08:00

Taking advantage of a free Saturday evening, we decided to have dinner at Pierside - a rather well established eatery under the Marmalade group of restaurants.

The Place & Menu

Just across the shore from the towering Marina Bay Sands, Pierside Kitchen occupies a corner of One Fullerton, playing neighbour to Chinese restaurant, Jing. There is an option of alfresco dining or a rather dim air conditioned interior. We opted for the former as the weather held out fine but it was the view that proved to be the deal clincher.

Complimentary Bread

Served piping hot, the complimentary bread was small but simple. And the butter melted effortlessly, which made for a nice stop gap measure against hunger pangs.

Hokkaido Corn Chowder

Smooth and creamy with a light hint of corn and a dash of pepper to accentuate the flavour, the chowder had bits of sweet corn in it to give it that nice crunchy texture. Pretty decent if you ask me.

Pan Roasted Foie Gras

It's been a while since I've had decent foie gras and Pierside didn't disappoint. While I wouldn't go as far as saying that it was great, the foie gras was respectable by many measures. A little crisp on the outside with a relatively smooth and quivery inside sans the overpowering gamy taste. Best eaten with the accompanying prune.

Crispy Duck Confit with Celeriac Puree

Crisp skin coupled with pinkish, chewy meat - no complaints really. But somehow the duck confit came up short in taste, coming across as a little pedestrian. Still a decent eat nonetheless.

300 Day Grain Fed Braised Beef Cheeks

I personally didn't quite take to the risotto that came alongside the beef cheeks, finding it a little too soft for my liking. The beef cheeks however, were reasonably tender and flavourful, with the only issue lying in the small portion size. The obligatory greens came in the form of a single stalk of asparagus chopped into half and topped with pepper and salt. Overall a decent eat.

Salted Caramel and Peanut Butter Mousse

What I liked about this dessert was the fact that it tasted like one of my favourite snacks, Reese's peanut butter cups! The mousse had a very strong taste of peanut butter (not so much salted caramel) and sat on a crunchy hazelnut base. Accompanying it was a nice dollop of vanilla bean ice cream and a few slices of caramalised bananas. Only recommended for those who really like peanut butter.

Banana Creme Brulee

The banana creme brulee looked different from your regular creme brulee in a bowl/cup. It was rectangular and flat, with the less than quivery custard sandwiched between 2 layers of perfectly torched caramel. Adding weight to the dish were banana slices that were a little charred along the edges and a scoop of mascarpone ice cream. All in all a rather nice dessert!

Bill

With dinner for 2 hitting about $190, I wouldn't say it's anywhere near cheap or reasonable. And I am not sure the quality and quantity of food justifies the pricing. For me, it's probably going to be a one time off meal at Pierside.

Happy Chinese New Year 2012!

Ambience:7.5/10 (If you sit outside when the weather is nice and cooling)
Service:7/10
Food:7/10
Value for money:6.5/10

Overall:7/10

Address: #01-01 One Fullerton

Contact: 4380400

Opening Hours:

Lunch: Monday – Friday 11:30pm to 2:30pm

Dinner: Monday – Thursday 6pm to 10:30pm, Friday and Saturday 6pm to 11pm

Website: http://www.pierside.com.sg/

Yan Ting Part X - A Pictorial

2012-01-15T21:34:00.000+08:00

Imperial Treasure Cantonese Cuisine VI

2012-01-08T21:32:00.000+08:00

And yes, back once again for dinner at Imperial Treasure Cantonese Cuisine @ Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Appetiser

Double Boiled Shark Bone Soup

Big enough to share between 2 people, the shark bone soup was richly flavourful without coming across as too strong and nausea inducing. The layer of sediment on my tongue was also kept to a minimal, which was definitely good.

Sauteed Scallops with Italian White Truffle Oil

I might sound like a broken record but I just love this dish. Decent sized, perfectly sauteed scallops surrounded by luscious egg white and immersed in white truffle oil - a great combination of taste and smell. Polishing an entire plate by myself is definitely a walk in the park!

BBQ Platter

Not being content with just roast goose alone, I opted for the platter, which which with a selection of roast pork, BBQ pork and roast goose. The BBQ pork or char siew, came across as insipid at first but somehow or rather, the taste slowly grows on you and it actually tastes better without the sauce that was drizzled over the entire platter.
What can I say about the roast goose except that the meat was deliciously tender and moist under a layer of crisp skin without coming across as too gamy.
However the roast pork was a little disappointing. The skin wasn't as crisp as I expected and the memory of an oily aftertaste that came about after every bite is still etched in my mind. What has happened?!

Sauteed Beancurd with Mushrooms

A staple in my diet, the smooth, silky beancurd had a nice savoury taste to it with a layer of dried spinach sandwiched in between. Topped with mushrooms for that additional woody flavour. Nice!

Durian Pudding

For desserts, we had the durian pudding - Chilled and rich with chunks of durian flesh in it. Nothing short of an excellent ending to our meal and a very fattening one at that.

Bill

I don't harbour any illusions that $130 for 2 pax is anywhere near cheap. But the food is worth it. And that's all that matters, isn't it?

Ambience:7.5/10
Service:7.5/10
Food:8/10
Value for money:7/10

Overall:7.5/10

Address: #01-02 Crowne Plaza Hotel, 75 Airport Boulevard

Contact: 6822 8228

Opening Hours:

Mon–Fri
11.30am–3pm, 6pm–11pm

Sat–Sun & PH
10.30am–3pm, 6pm–11pm

Website: http://www.imperialtreasure.com/

Tung Lok Signatures

2012-01-01T22:11:00.000+08:00

Enticed by the AMEX 1 for 1 set menu at Tung Lok and the prospect of catching up, a couple of us met up for dinner at The Central's Signatures (TLS for short) outlet for dinner one evening. I've actually never been a fan of Tung Lok as I've yet to experience really good food at any of their outlets, including their much touted Humble House.

The Place

Located on the 2nd floor of The Central and immaculately done up to exude an air of oriental poshness, Tung Lok Signatures stands out from the crowd of eateries that crowd the area. Tables are spaced at a relatively comfortable distance and full length windows allow a great view of Clarke Quay and the Singapore river.

Flame Traditional-style Boiled Shark’s Fin Soup with Chicken

Gimmicky flames aside (due to the lighting of wax at the side of the bowl), I thought that the broth was excellent - flavourful yet light on the palate. Fin portions were reasonably substantial with bits of chicken to balance out the texture.

Pan-fried French Foie Gras with Crispy Beancurd Skin served on Pancake

Playing on the concept of Peking Duck, TLS's take on the pan fried foie gras involved serving the foie gras (with a layer of peking duck sauce on top) together with a crackling piece of beancurd skin and wrapped over using a rectangular piece of thick crepe. I honestly thought that it was an interesting concept but I did find the foie gras way too gamy for my liking. And that honestly killed this dish for me.

Steamed Soon Hock Belly with Minced Ginger

The soon hock was fresh but a little lacking in natural sweetness. One other gripe too. Being the belly, it had tons of bones which made it a pain to consume.

Crispy Kurobuta Pork Cartilage in Chili Sauce served with Deep-fried Bun

This dish seemed promisingly at the onset but didn't quite dazzle. The pork cartilage was coated with flour, deep fried and drenched in chilli sauce that was similar to chilli crab gravy, just a lot less spicy. The meat was tender but somehow I couldn't get past my psychological barrier to stomach the gelatinous cartilage. I liked the deep fried bun though.

Braised Japanese Handmade Noodles with Lobster Meat and Vegetable

Alongside the shark's fin soup, this was probably the best dish of the evening. Springy and robust noodles with minimal portions of lobster meat and a nice, savoury gravy. And of course, the obligatory 2 stalks of vegetables.

Chilled Grapefruit Shaven Ice topped with Ice-cream served in Pomelo

I was hoping for a sweet ending to my meal. But what I got was a cold, bitter dessert, which pretty much sums up how we felt at the end of the meal. But to be fair to the grapefruit, I'm just not a fan.

Bill

With the AMEX 1 for 1 promotion, 6 of us clocked in at almost $352 for dinner. Service was good but food left much to be desired. Even with the promotion, I'm not sure I would want to fork out almost $60 a head for food of such quality and portions. And with this meal, I have officially closed the chapter on Tung Lok, never to return.

Ambience:7.5/10
Service:7/10
Food:6.5/10
Value for money:6/10

Overall:6.5/10

Address: The Central #02-88

Contact: 6336 6022

Opening Hours:

Lunch: 11.30AM – 3.00PM (Mon to Sat)
11.00AM – 3.30PM (Sun & PH)

Dinner: 6.00PM – 10.30PM (Daily)

Website: http://www.tungloksignatures.com/index.php

Imperial Treasure Cantonese Cuisine V - A Pictorial

2011-12-23T22:06:00.001+08:00

For my other writeups on Imperial Treasure Cantonese, please refer here, here, here and here.

Address: #01-02 Crowne Plaza Hotel, 75 Airport Boulevard

Contact: 6822 8228

Opening Hours:

Mon–Fri
11.30am–3pm, 6pm–11pm

Sat–Sun & PH
10.30am–3pm, 6pm–11pm

Cova Pasticceria

2011-12-17T20:12:00.000+08:00

Popped by Cova Pasticceria for dinner one evening since we were in the vicinity and everywhere else was packed. Started in 1819 in Milan and originally patronised by the crème de la crème of society, Cova has expanded to a few countries in Asia to cater to those who seek "the high life" (albeit if only temporary).
And the decor is telling. Dark wood coupled with European style overhanging lamps that throw off warm light and well designed cornices greet you as you step into the cozy space that Cova occupies. Simple yet elegant.

Complimentary Bread

Mushroom Risotto

For $30++, I had expected something more substantial than a miserly thin layer of risotto which I finished in 2 mouthfuls. And to compound matters, the risotto was a little overcooked for my liking.

Seafood Spaghetti

The seafood spaghetti fared a little better though I did think that the spaghetti wasn't al dente. I liked the light tomato based sauce and the fresh seafood but as with the risotto, portions were pathetic.

Lamb Rack

I didn't get to try this but from observation, portions were still small.

Peanut Feuilletine

And for dessert, a tiny piece of peanut feuilletine about a third the size of a regular slice of cake you would get at the likes of Starbucks, Coffeebean etc. To give it credit, the feuillentine was nicely thin and crisp while the chopped peanuts provided a nice crunch to the whole dessert. There wasn't much to go around though.

Bill

A miserable meal for 3 cost to the tune of $130, which is ridiculously expensive in my humble opinion. Portions were pathetic and two people with average appetites would have been able to polish off all the dishes with ease (we resorted to MacDonalds after the meal). Food quality hovered around average to slightly above average but the prices (and portion size) definitely do not warrant a revisit. Also, service lacked warmth and I didn't feel invited at times. Maybe we are just the wrong target audience.

Ambience:7.5/10
Service:7/10
Food:6/10
Value for money:3.5/10

Overall:6/10

Address: #01-20A Paragon Shopping Centre

Contact: 6733 0777

Opening Hours: Daily: 9am – 10pm

Website: http://www.pasticceriacova.it/

Mong Hing Teochew Restaurant II

2011-12-11T22:26:00.001+08:00

Another long overdue post. Caught up with a couple of friends over dinner at Mong Hing, a Teochew restaurant at Keypoint and where I once had a pretty good dinner before.

Prawn Rolls

The heh zhor was decent - Lean meat with pockets of fats and bits of prawn. Crisp but not too oily. Good for many bites, especially with the sweet plum sauce.

Homemade Beancurd

This certainly didn't look like beancurd, not with the circular shaped, golden brown exterior. And honestly it didn't quite taste like tofu. The texture was more like Thai prawn cakes, just a lot less dense and "fluffier" so to speak. Definitely not smooth and silky, the way I like it. The only giveaway was the taste, which had a distinctive beancurd taste. Although I like tofu, this is something I will definitely not order again.

Prawns with Deep Fried Pumpkin

At $24++ for 6 prawns and 6 pieces of pumpkin coated with flour and deep fried, this was a joke. The prawns were drenched in sweet and sour sauce, which masked the natural flavour of the prawns. Total waste of prawns. The pumpkin however, were sweet and not too bad as a filler.

Stir Fried HK Kailan

Decent with a tinge of wok hei but lacking in dried sole fish. Wouldn't hurt to give a little more, would it?

Braised Goose

The goose was good - not too dry and well braised with the sauce not coming across as too salty.

Bill

We ended the meal with yam paste (orh nee) but I failed to get a shot of it. It was good but could have done with a little more fragrance. The infrequent bits of unevenness made for a nice smooth, yet inconsistent texture.

The 5 of us chalked up a bill of about $133. Not too expensive but quality of food seems to have dropped since my last visit. Maybe I should just stick to the likes of Huat Kee or Liang Kee or maybe I should give Mong Hing another chance.

Ambience:6.5/10
Service:6.5/10
Food:6.5/10
Value for money:6.5/10

Overall:6.5/10

Address: #01-18/19 Key Point, 371 Beach Road

Contact: 6223 4588 / 6538 2282

Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm, 6 – 11pm

Website: http://www.monghing.com.sg/

Lee Kui (Ah Hoi) Restaurant

2011-12-04T21:24:00.000+08:00

Lee Kui has been around for a long time and to date is still a popular dining destination for families seeking out Teochew food.

The Place & Menu

The interior is nothing to hark about, coming across as simple with fold-able steel frame chairs that hark back to the 70s and 80s. Reservations are necessary unless you want to show up really early at maybe 530pm?

Stir Fried Kailan with Deep Fried Sole Fish

We started off with this simple but delicious dish. The vegetables had a nice tinge of wok hei without being overcooked while the sole fish were crisp and came in rather big pieces. Nice!

Braised Duck

The braised duck was served in large slices which I personally liked but it did come across as a tad too dry and lacking in fragrance. Kudos to the addition of braised peanuts though, which I thought was nicely tender and well simmered.

Prawn Balls

The heh zhors were decent - lean meat with prawns that wasn't excessively oily. Good for many bites! However I wouldn't rate it fantastic as I've had much better ones.

Yam Paste

One of the hallmarks of Teochew cuisine, the yam paste or orh nee, was smooth but inconsistencies could be made out in the texture, which probably meant it was hand made and not machine produced. Fragrant, topped with a huge chunk of pumpkin and didn't come across as overly sweet. Nice!

Bill

Dinner for the 3 of us including 3 coconut drinks cost almost $81, which is on the high side if you ask me. Food quality is above average but at this price point, I can easily have more portions of equally good food, if not better food, at other Teochew restaurants. And do note that this place is cash only. I probably won't be back, not when there are better and cheaper Teochew restaurants around.

Ambience:6/10
Service:6.5/10
Food:6.5/10 (7.5/10 for the orh nee)
Value for money:6/10

Overall:6.25/10

Address: 8/9/10 Mosque Street

Contact: 6222 3654

Opening Hours: Daily: 11am–2.30pm, 5pm–10pm

12 Inch Pizzas & Records

2011-11-27T21:39:00.000+08:00

I've always been a fan of Timbre's pizzas so when they came a knocking with an invitation to try out their latest offering, 12 Inch Pizzas & Records, I gladly jumped at the opportunity.

The Place & Menu

The restaurant is located on the 4th floor or V Hotel, a newly opened hotel directly above Lavender MRT and opposite the ICA. Getting up to the 4th floor can pose quite a problem as the hotel requires you to scan your card in the lift before you can select your desired floor. However, there is apparently a fireman's lift which doesn't have such requirements so you might want to consider utilising it.
The alfresco dining area occupies a huge section; one that's at least twice as large as the indoor dining area (which is very noisy and not conducive for conversations in my humble opinion). Sitting alfresco allows you a view of the neighbouring and distant buildings (ICA is one of them) and the blue skies that pervade the emptiness in between.
Interestingly, the menu comes in the form of a record, back from the days when gramophones were still in vogue. Catchy, really.

Seafood Chowder

Nothing like a bowl of good soup to get things going. But unfortunately, the soup was lacklustre. A little too diluted without the creaminess of chowder and richness of seafood. Forgettable.

Cheese Fries

I actually love cheese fries but this was disappointing as well. The cheese was a little too watery for my liking and lacked the "gooeyness" I was expecting. Credits to the fries though, which were of a nice thickness and decently done.

The Cranbellies

With absolutely no affiliation to the Irish pop group, "The Cranberries", this pizza was one of the many with names playing on various song titles and group names. What I particularly liked about this pizza was the nice comforting taste it brought to the table. Mild cranberry sauce coupled with pork belly, cheese and a nice thin and chewy pita like base and topped with slivers of crunchy green apple. Not your conventional pizza but I love it!

Goodfellas

Shrimps, sweet garlic butter, curry leave sauce, cheese and topped with crispy egg and cereals - sounds like a mish mash of ingredients but in reality, a combination that worked well! Sandwiched between the cheese and pita like base was a generous layer of sweet garlic butter while the crunchy shrimps (probably soaked in alkaline water) were topped with crunchy cereal and fluffy egg swirls (just like the kind you would find in fried fish soups). Delicious! However, too much of it made me nauseous because it did come across as very oily. So eat in moderation or share!

Tutti Frutti

Our first dessert came in the form of a 12 inch pizza as well but well, I'm not complaining. A layer of chocolate sauce beneath the cheese, sprinkled with fruits and topped with copious amounts of whipped cream. Not exactly the healthiest dessert, but it tasted interesting - Slightly savoury from the cheese but predominantly chocolatey. If you can't accept chocolate together with cheese, I would suggest you not to try this.

Deep Fried Ice Cream

Our other dessert and the only one in the current dessert menu that wasn't a pizza, the kid friendly deep fried ice cream. I didn't think too much of it though as the flour was too thick and hard for my liking. Also, the coconut ice cream encased within tasted really artificial. I would skip this in a heartbeat.

Overall, I had a wonderful and belly bursting lunch. Though the sides were merely pedestrian, the focus should be on the wonderful pizzas, which Timbre has grown to be associated with. On this note, I would like to thank Timbre for the invitation once again!

Ambience:6.5/10
Service:NA
Food:7.5/10 (Only for the pizzas. 6/10 for the sides and 5/10 for the fried ice cream)
Value for money:NA

Overall:7/10

Address: Level 4, V Hotel

Contact: 6296 1622

Opening Hours: 6:30 am - 10:00 pm (Mon - Sun)

Website: https://www.facebook.com/12inchPizzas

The Tastings Room

2011-11-20T20:13:00.000+08:00

Had the opportunity to drop by The Tastings Room one Saturday afternoon by virtue of an invitation. This newly minted restaurant's selling point is that it has suggested wine pairings (by the glass or bottle, if you so wish) on the menu to go along with each individual food item as well as an extensive wine collection that wouldn't cost you an arm or a leg to sample. And it's helmed by Executive Chef Elvin Chew, the current president of the Singapore Junior Chefs Club (SJCC).

The Place & Menu

The Tastings Room is hidden along the perimeter of Marina Square, sandwiched between Qiji and a Vietnamese coffee house. Its location isn't what I would call prominent and it probably attracts more lunch time office crowds than weekend crowds in my personal opinion. The place is simply done up with a "cafeish" vibe and a seemingly well stocked wine cellar at one corner. Take the booth seats if you can.

Truffle Mushroom Puree Soup ($8.90) & Smoked Vine Tomato Soup with Seafood ($9.90)

We started off with the mushroom soup, which had loads of mushrooms and a rather heady taste due to the inclusion of truffle oil. However it did seem a little watered down and lacked any real oomph I would have liked in a mushroom soup.
The tomato soup fared much better though. Light and not too tangy with a hint of smokiness coupled with morsels of fresh seafood. Rather appetising.

Heirloom Tomato Salad ($13.90)

Visually arresting with its vibrant colours but unfortunately didn't quite live up to expectations taste wise. The balsamic dressing was a little overwhelming while the buffalo cheese didn't come across as sufficiently soft yet firm.

White Truffle Salted House Fries ($9.90)

Nice and thick with a nice strong smell and taste of truffle oil. Pity about the frying inconsistency. Some were done just right while others tended towards the charred side.

Egg Royale ($15.90)

I'm honestly not a big fan of smoked salmon, or any variant of salmon for that matter. However, the egg royale was surprisingly good. Well smoked salmon (still a little too salty for my liking though) soaked in rich and buttery hollandaise sauce, sitting on a well toasted piece of bread. Very good!

Poached Eggs in Red Wine Hollandaise ($16.90)

I loved the fact that the egg yolk was liquid but bemoan its tastelessness! However, the sauce more than made up for the flaw - buttery goodness that was so familiar and comforting. Add a well toasted bread to the list as well as crispy bacon and you get something which I wouldn't hesitate to order again (But please work on the poached egg).

Sous Vide Pork Belly with Crackling Skin ($26.90)

Food preparation involving Sous vide, where food is vacuum packed in bags and cooked for a long period of time in a water bath, is seemingly the up and coming approach favoured by many professional restaurants in Singapore. The Tastings Room has hopped onto the bandwagon as well and to give it credit, the pork belly was good. Insanely crackling crispy skin coupled with tender but rather fatty meat for that heart stopping guilty indulgence. The rose wine apple sauce lent a gentle sweetness to the dish, which was rather refreshing in my humble opinion.

Confit of French Duck Leg (Price not available)

The duck confit came across as a little too dry and tough although the meat spotted a nice reddish hue. The sauce was a saver though - mildly sweet with tangy overtones. Overall still a decent dish.

Miso Glazed Sea Bass ($25.90)

The sea bass tasted a little overcooked and had a strong miso taste (probably too strong!) on top of a mild peppery intonation. Not exactly my cup of tea but decent nonetheless.

Vanilla Creme Brulee ($8.90)

We started our desserts with the vanilla creme brulee, which was less than ideal. The first thing that hit me when I took a mouthful of the pudding, was the strong egg taste. And it definitely didn't help that the layer of sugar was a tad too thin and came across as flimsy. The only consolation was that the creme brulee used real vanilla beans and not vanilla essence.

Chocolate D24 Durian Cake ($9.90)

I love durian but this dessert honestly didn't work for me. The durian, though rich and relatively fresh, was way too dominant in flavour and I couldn't make out any chocolate taste at all. The sponge was also a little too dry and I could make out ice chips in the durian puree, which definitely wasn't ideal.

Molten White Chocolate Fondant with Ice Cream (Price not available)

The white chocolate fondant wasn't quite what I was expecting as the texture seemed more like madeleines than your typical fondant. The oozing white chocolate was extremely sweet and the strong orange zest from the fondant itself wasn't enough to balance the sweetness out. The strawberries and blueberries did help a little though. Personally I didn't think that chocolate ice cream was a good pairing with the fondant. Rich chocolate + more chocolate just makes me queasy. Maybe vanilla would have been a better bet.

Wine Pairings

Overall, I appreciate the effort by The Tastings Room to allow consumers easy and affordable access to wine pairings with their food which would be good for novices like myself. However, the quality of food was a case of hits and misses and generally, the brunch dishes fared better. I personally wouldn't go back for lunch or dinner but would consider doing brunch. Prices fall flatly in the mid range and a 3 course dinner for 2 would probably cost in the vicinity of $120 - $150 (inclusive of tax) with a glass or two of wine each.

Thanks for the invite!

Ambience:6.5/10
Service:NA
Food:6.5/10 (7/10 for the brunch items)
Value for money:NA

Overall:6.5/10

Address: #01-08, Marina Square

Contact: 6338 1829

Opening Hours:

Sun–Thu: 10am – 10pm

Fri–Sat: 10am – 12am

Website: http://www.thetastingsroom.com/

Yung Kee Restaurant - Hong Kong

2011-11-15T22:48:00.000+08:00

Yung Kee. A legend in Hong Kong and one that I definitely couldn't afford to miss even though I was only in Hong Kong for a whirlwind weekend. And it definitely helped that I love geese.

The Place & Menu

Walk along Wellington Street and you definitely won't miss the huge the huge golden facade with the words 鏞記 inscribed on it. Or ask anyone on the street. How Yung Kee operates is rather interesting. The lowest level serves walk in customers who want their fix of roasted meat rice or noodles where the second level takes reservations. There is also a club/VIP floor as well, which apparently serves better quality food at a steeper pricing of course. To get to the club/VIP floor, you would have to take a special lift at the corner of the building. Talk about making a different entrance.

Char Siew Sou

Being a geese specialty store, I didn't expect much from Yung Kee's char siew sou. And I'm glad I didn't. It wasn't bad, just that it came across as pedestrian. For one, aesthetics were quite lacking and each piece looked rather shabbily done. I do applaud the generous amount of char siew within but it was a little bit too sweet for my liking. And the pastry was a little limp and lacking in butter.

Century Egg Congee

Century egg. Lots of it. All nestled within a bowl of nice, smooth congee that had a serving of lean pork as well. Only problem is, the pork was seriously too salty, even when eaten with the porridge.

Prawn Congee

As with the century egg congee, the prawn congee was smooth but had the addition of thinly sliced ginger, which I personally dislike. Along with 6 fresh prawn balls, the congee provided a stop gap measure against hunger before our goose arrived.

Roast Goose

We ordered half a roast goose and it sure was huge. The skin carried a little crisp but honestly, I found the meat a little too tough for my liking. And my aching jaws bore testament to that. I loved the flavours though - salty with a tinge of sweetness. Very good!

Bill

At 440 HKD or about 72 SGD, our lunch certainly wasn't cheap but I wouldn't call it expensive either. Food was generally decent, with the goose standing out (but I would much prefer more tender meat though) in terms of flavours. Service wasn't great but I guess that's Hong Kong for you, especially at old establishments.

Ambience:6.5/10
Service:6/10
Food:7/10 (7.5/10 for the goose)
Value for money:6.5/10

Overall:6.5/10

Address: 32-40 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong

Contact: (852) 25221624

Opening Hours:

11:00a.m - 11:30p.m (Daily)

Dim-Sum Dining:

2:00p.m - 5:30p.m (Mon to Sat)

11:00a.m -5:30p.m (Sunday & Public Holiday)

Closed The 1st 3 days of Chinese New Year

Website: http://www.yungkee.com.hk/index.html

Australia Dairy Co. (澳洲牛奶公司) - Hong Kong

2011-11-10T23:39:00.000+08:00

If there's anything you should drop by Australia Dairy Co. for, it's the Steamed Egg White Pudding with Milk (蛋白燉鮮牛奶). We had the chilled version and boy oh boy, was it good. Smooth with a nice complementary sweetness and a rather moderate aftertaste of egg white. Even if you can't really stand the taste of egg white, you should still give it a shot! The other stuff like the macaroni, toast, eggs and milk tea were fairly decent but not something I would travel back for.

Service was hasty and probably not the friendliest I've encountered in Hong Kong but I could live with that.

Ambience:Are you serious?
Service:Don't bother
Food:6.5/10 (7.5/10 for the egg white pudding)
Value for money:7/10

Overall:6.75/10

Address: 47-49 Parkes Street

Contact: 2730 1356

Opening Hours: Daily: 7:30 am – 11 pm

New York Fries - Hong Kong

2011-11-07T22:20:00.001+08:00

And the arduous trek to have a taste of my much loved "authentic" poutine after almost 10 years is finally over. I found 3 outlets of New York Fries (NYF) scattered all over Hong Kong during my recent visit. And even though I was really really stuffed from my lunch at Lung King Heen, I insisted on getting the largest serving of original poutine NYF had on offer.

The Original Poutine

The very basic poutine and my absolute favourite over all the other fancy variants with foie gras and the likes. Medium cut russet potatoes with skin intact that seemed a tad too soft, topped with copious amounts of cheese curds and delish brown gravy. As I tug at the fries and the warm gravy melts through the cheese curds, a gooey line of cheese stretches out before making its way into the deep recesses of my mouth. Very nice but I must say standards are a little lower than what I used to have in Canada. But this will have to do. For now. And don't expect cheap fries. A poutine set consisting of a large poutine, drink and a small salad will set you back 54 HKD, which is roughly SGD 13.

Ambience:NA
Service:NA
Food:7.5/10
Value for money:7/10 (All in the name of good poutine!)

Overall:7.25/10

Address:

Outlet 1 - Shop no. 1B, Ground Floor, The Peak Galleria

Outlet 2 - Shop no. F1, Level 4, Langham Place, Mongkok, Kowloon.

Outlet 3 - Shop 2602, Level 2, Gateway Arcade, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui

Contact:

Outlet 1 - 2849 7968

Outlet 2 - 3427 9689

Outlet 3 - 3106 4686

Website: http://www.newyorkfries.com.hk/catalog/index.php

Tsui Wah Restaurant - Hong Kong

2011-11-04T23:27:00.000+08:00

Tsui Wah has quite a few outlets in Hong Kong and they are your regular Char Chan Teng with food quality and service of a certain standard. I love their 奶油豬仔包 though. Such simplicity yet so sinfully delicious. Believe it or not, I had it twice during my very short stay in Hong Kong. Says how good it is, doesn't it? ;)

Address: Various outlets across Hong Kong (see website)

Website: http://www.tsuiwahrestaurant.com/eng/info_e.html

Lung King Heen 龍景軒 - Hong Kong

2011-10-30T22:22:00.003+08:00

I managed to squeeze in a reservation on short notice at Lung King Heen (龍景軒), a 3 michelin star restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel during my recent short stay in Hong Kong. The place was ideal because it overlooked the harbour and was just a short ferry ride away from my hotel.

The Place

I have to admit. The Four Seasons Hong Kong exuded unparallelled class but I wasn't quite taken with Lung King Heen's decor. Floor to ceiling windows provided a view of the Hong Kong Harbour and heavy leather bound chairs made for comfortable seating. However, the shiny curvatures on the ceiling were a little too ostentatious for my liking. I also noticed that they actually made the effort to iron each and every table cloth before setting the cutlery. That's honestly a first for me.

Steamed Lobster & Scallop Dumpling

If you were expecting a basket of 3 or 4 pieces of dumpling, you would be disappointed. It's 1 piece per order. But its huge. A thick slice of scallop sitting atop a crunchy, succulent piece of lobster and topped with a prawn, all wrapped up in a light green, mildly chewy skin - Good! But try not to eat it in one mouthful or the fishiness could prove to be a little overwhelming.

Baked Whole Abalone Puff

You get 1 piece per order for the abalone puff as well. In case you were wondering if the whole tart is filled with abalone, the answer is no. There is diced chicken mixed in with it but overall, the tart was excellent. The abalone provided a mild chewy texture with a nice savoury aftertaste while the chicken broke the monotony of just chewing on the abalone. And of course the tart completed the picture with its crusty shell imbued with an oven baked, buttery goodness.

Steamed Rice Rolls with BBQ Pork & Preserved Vegetables

One of the yardsticks of good dim sum, the chee cheong fun or 猪肠粉 had silky semi translucent skin that layered the sizable BBQ pork pieces with the preserved vegetables and drenched in mildly salty soy sauce. I liked the crunchy texture from the vegetables coupled with the chewy texture of the pork. Only gripe I had was that there were just too many layers, which made the whole rice roll a lot chunkier than I would have liked it to be.

Baked BBQ Pork Buns with Pine Nuts

This wasn't the usual BBQ pork buns that I was used to in Singapore. It was actually 菠蘿包 with a nice, sweet crusty top and lots of delectable BBQ pork filling that wouldn't drastically increase your sugar level. And in case you get bored with only eating pork, the buns have onion shreds in it as well for a mild deviation in taste and texture. I personally thought the pine nuts were great as well .

Lung King Heen Lobster Fried Rice

Bursting with wok hei with a muted peppery notes, this namesake fried rice came with a generous serving of lobster and moist rice grains. Bring a huge appetite for carbohydrates.

Lung King Heen Roast Chicken

Another namesake dish and an excellent one at that. Unbelievably crisp skin coupled with tender meat that oozed juices with every bite. The mildly sourish dipping sauce helped cut through the slightly excessive oil and greatly alleviated any nausea one might have from taking in too much oil.

Baked Portuguese Milk Custard Tartlets

Each tartlet came in bite sized portions with flaky pastry and a quivery smooth custard center that didn't come across as too sweet. Very good way to end off the meal if I may say. But the waiting time for this is 20 minutes so place your orders early if you are in a rush.

Complimentary Dessert

Even though we were already bursting at the seams with the plethora of wonderful food, our wait staff urged us to try this complimentary "signature" dessert. And I'm glad we did. The wolfberries had a grape like texture and when eaten with the chilled, quivery jelly, made for an interesting nibble. The cracker/peanut candy like pastry (for lack of a better word) in the middle of the plate gave the impression that it was really sticky but was unexpectedly fluffy and melt in your mouth!

Bill

We enjoyed our lunch immensely and at about 921 HKD or about $150 SGD, well worth the price. Service was decent but hardly befitting a 3 michelin star restaurant in my humble opinion. Our lunch stretched past the 2 hr mark and I'll definitely be happy to return, this time with an early reservation for window side seats of course.

Ambience:7.5/10
Service:7/10
Food:8.5/10
Value for money:7/10

Overall:7.5/10

Address: 4th Floor, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong

Contact: (852) 3196-8880

Opening Hours:

Lunch
Sundays and public holidays
11:30 am – 3:00 pm

Monday to Saturday
12:00 noon – 2:30 pm

Dinner
Daily 6:00 pm – 10:30 pm

Website: http://www.fourseasons.com/hongkong/dining/lung_king_heen

Esmirada - A Pictorial

2011-10-24T23:19:00.002+08:00

Restaurant week was in town and a couple of us decided to give Esmirada a shot (it was one of the few remaining restaurants that weren't fully booked) as they had a quirky plate smashing routine every evening.

Overall dinner quality was average and priced at almost $50/pax ($35++ for the set menu and another $7++ for the Sangria during happy hour). However, wait time for the food was simply atrocious. 2 of my table guests had to wait a cool 45mins before any entrees were even served and they had to pester the wait staff at least 3 times. As for the plate smashing ritual, it was more dangerous than anything. The huge table beside us went bonkers and continued smashing plates like there was no tomorrow. And yours truly almost got nicked in the foot by an airborne plate fragment. Definitely not cool.

Address: #01-29 Orchard Hotel

Contact: 6735 3476

Opening Hours:

Sun–Thu: 12noon –10.30pm

Fri–Sat: 12noon – 11pm

Website: http://www.esmirada.com/esmirada/esmirada-orchard.html

Mortons VIII

2011-10-19T22:38:00.000+08:00

I decided to do something different during the recent F1 weekend. Instead of keeping miles away from the epicenter, I braved restrictive roads and major inconveniences to dine at Mortons, which had a special lunch seating only during this annual weekend.

Interior & Special Menu

As mentioned in my previous entry on Mortons, windows had been installed to allow for natural light to flood in, radiating the traditionally sombre main dining area. And what better time to see the place in a different light than in the afternoon, over a leisurely and decadent lunch?

Onion Loaf

We carved out a small section of the delicious onion loaf for consumption and doggy bagged the remainder. Goes very well with chilled, smooth butter.

Caesar Salad

Fresh crunchy greens homogeneously tossed in classic caesar dressing and topped with fresh tasting croutons that didn't reek of rancid oil. Huge bowl so try to share.

Lobster Bisque

The lobster bisque had a nice smoothness to it without coming across as too rich or creamy. The brandy taste is quite distinguishable so if you don't really like alcohol, you probably shouldn't order this. I applaud the freshness of the lobster but moan the measly portions (it's just 1 small piece of lobster). After all, it is $34.50++ a bowl.

Spinach with Mushroom

Our mandatory greens for the meal. Plentiful mushrooms and spinach. So plentiful that we got sick of eating mushrooms after that. Good for 2-3 pax.

Chicken Christopher

Coated with a layer of egg and pan fried till a golden brown, the chicken christopher was actually quite tasty, especially when dipped in the creamy yellowish sauce that came across as light with a mild garlicky flavour. However too much of the chicken can be quite a nauseating affair. Read. Share it.

Fillet Mignon

It's been a while since I've had steak at Mortons, opting instead to go for their burger (standards have dropped!) during my last couple of visits. And I'm glad I decided to order my favourite cut this time round - the fillet mignon. Done up to a perfect medium rare yet a little charred on the outside, the meat was excellent - juicy and full of natural sweetness. What more can I ask for? Well, maybe seconds?

Morton's Hot Chocolate Cake

Luscious warm chocolate oozing out from a break in the crust and paired with a nice chilly scoop of vanilla ice cream made for a wonderful end to the meal.

Bill

As with any meal at Mortons, you can expect prices to be in excess of $100/pax, even for lunch. However, $246 for 2 pax was reasonable in my humble opinion and I'll definitely be happy to drop by again, be it for lunch or dinner. One thing to note though. The quality of food did seem better during lunch probably due to the lack of crowds so do lunch if possible.

Ambience:7.5/10
Service:8/10
Food:8/10
Value for money:7/10
Overall:7.5/10

Address: 4th Storey, Mandarin Oriental Singapore

Contact: 6339-3740

Opening Hours:

Bar
Monday - Saturday 5pm - 11pm
Sunday 5pm - 10pm

Dining Room
Monday - Saturday 5:30pm - 11pm
Sunday 5pm - 10pm

Website: http://www.mortons.com/singapore/

Botan II - A Pictorial

2011-10-15T23:42:00.000+08:00

Address: #01-01, 36 Pekin Street

Contact: 6536-4404

Opening Hours: Daily 11:30-22:00

Pizzeria Mozza

2011-10-09T21:56:00.000+08:00

And we finally got a table at the highlyy sought after and much talked about Pizzeria Mozza after calling in almost a month in advance for reservations. Yet we were relegated to a most uncomfortable table in the pizzeria where seating was tight and with the POS (point of sale) system right behind us (or me to be more specific).

Interior & Cutlery Set

Conversation was almost non existent with shouting the preferred method of communication. Simply put, you had to shout about the din to have someone sitting a mere 2 metres away to actually hear you. I attribute that to the ridiculously loud pipe music. For crying out loud, I'm in a pizzeria, not a bar and I definitely don't appreciate literally yelling at people and being yelled at to get a conversation going. And with the whole place trying to do their part for the environment by saving on electricity bills, the whole place had the pub vibe going for them. But wait.. isn't it suppose to be a pizzeria?

Wings Diavola & Chicken Liver Bruschetta

I skipped the appetisers as I wasn't in the mood for chicken liver or wings.

Potato Pizza

Egg, Bacon, Yukon Gold Potato & Bermuda Onions. Potatoes on a pizza? Double serving of carbohydrates? Seriously? But to give it credit, it was actually very decent as a whole. A hand full of toppings that synced well together on a thin and crisp yet chewy crust that gave my jaws a good workout (what do they put in there?!) .

Guanciale Pizza

Egg, Guanciale, Bitter Greens & Bagna Cauda. I've actually never tried guanciale (dried meat from pork cheeks) or bagna cauda (an Italian dip made from garlic, anchovies, olive oil and butter) and after tasting what this pizza had to offer, I am still clueless as to how both are suppose to taste like. Reason being, the bitter greens dominated my palate. And the whole pizza tended towards the "grassy" side. Most of us gave up after a slice each.

Meat Lover Pizza

Bacon, salami, fennel sausage, pancetta, tomato & mozzarella. With all the meat, I was hoping that this pizza would be a blast. But unfortunately, the converse turned out to be true. Very salty would probably be a good way to start off the description and the taste from the salami muscled its way in, overpowering virtually everything else. So essentially what you get is very salty salami on a bed of crisp but tough dough.

Bill

5 pax, $158. With 2 out of 3 of our pizzas almost hitting the $40 mark and not matching up in terms of quality and quantity, I'll definitely be hard pressed to find a reason to return. We were so disappointed that we didn't even bother ordering desserts. And the ambience definitely didn't help. This place is seriously over hyped in my humble opinion. Better pizzas at a more wallet friendly price can be found elsewhere.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:5.5/10 (I'm not a fan of noisy and cramp environments)
Service:7/10
Food:6/10
Value for money:5.5/10

Overall:6/10

Address: #B1-42/46, Marina Bay Sands

Contact: 6688 8522

Opening Hours: Daily: Noon - Midnight

Website: http://www.pizzeriamozza.com/Singapore/home.cfm

Prego Part IV

2011-10-02T21:58:00.000+08:00

I haven't been back to Prego ever since their revamp and I thought that it would be good to pop by for lunch one day since the lacklustre Italian food at Bintan had me fixated on the notion of devouring a good pizza. And I was definitely hoping Prego would help with that.

Interior

Honestly, the interior didn't spot as massive a makeover as I had expected. Everything looked pretty much the same save for a deli counter which I took a fancy to as it did seem quite quaint with tons of food stuff hanging all over. A pity I wasn't quite interested in what it had to offer.

Complimentary Bread

Things got off to a great start with the complimentary bread, which came with a jar of what seemed like cream cheese with olive oil pesto. Delicious but the bread was a little too hard for my liking and could have been served warm for a better dining experience.

Mushroom Soup

The mushroom soup was part of the set lunch which was priced at $43++ for 3 courses (soup, main & dessert). To be honest, it was really fragrant from the woody aroma of the mushroom as well as the truffle oil. However, I did find it a little runny and the physical mushroom bits sorely lacking.

Pan Seared Seabass

This fish smelt and tasted a little too fishy for my liking. And there was too much olive oil as well. Definitely not my cup of tea. The substantial leftovers spoke volumes.

Mushroom Pizza

I don't quite remember the exact name of this pizza but it had bacon, wild mushrooms, egg, cheese on a light yet chewy hand pulled crust that was neither thick (think American style) nor thin (Italian style). A most welcoming compromise if you are dining with folks from both camps. I personally found the pizza quite good, with the ingredients relatively generous and melding well together. As an icing on the cake, the cheese was gooey and not the least bit overwhelming.

Tiramisu

The set lunch had this dessert as an option but ordering ala carte will nett you a slightly bigger portion (as per what you see in the picture above). But either way, presentation was sorely lacking - both servings of tiramisu looked like a mess . Taste wise was quite decent though. Light mascarpone cheese complementing the moist sponge which had an almost non existent alcohol taste and topped with what seemed like almond crumbles.

Bill

With a 50% discount, lunch for the both of us hovered around the 50 dollar mark, which was very reasonable for the amount of food we had - 2 mains, 1 soup and 2 desserts. However, I wouldn't say that food quality was top notch. It's decent at best and service honestly wasn't up to the mark. Our waiter seemed a little aloof and unapproachable. In short, we felt ostracized. Let's hope service picks up if I ever do return.

Ambience:7/10
Service:6/10
Food:6.5/10
Value for money:6/10 (without 50% discount)

Overall:6.375/10

Address: Level 1, Fairmont Singapore

Contact: 6431 6156

Opening Hours:

Breakfast: Daily - 6:00am - 11:00am
Deli: Daily - 6:00am to 10:30pm
Lunch: Monday to Saturday - 11:30am to 2:30pm
Pizzeria: Monday to Saturday - 11:30am to 12:30am
Dinner: Daily - 6:30pm to 10:30pm

Brunch Buffet*: every Sunday & selected Public Holidays - 12:00noon to 2:30pm

*Standard à la carte menu is also available after 2:00 pm.

Website: http://www.fairmont.com/singapore/GuestServices/Restaurants/Prego.htm

Tai Hing Roast

2011-09-28T21:28:00.000+08:00

Tai Hing Roast, one of the largest chain of Hong Kong style eateries in Hong Kong and China, has officially opened an outlet at Changi Airport's Terminal 2. There is a catch however. Tai Hing Roast is located within the transit section of the terminal, which means you will have to be flying in/out of Singapore before you get to dine there. Weird positioning if you ask me, but I guess the management would know better.

The Place & Menu

It isn't a restaurant per se, but more of a seemingly borderless area where you can dine at and watch planes (and people) go by.The menu is pretty much similar to what you get in a standard HK cafe in Singapore but prices do seem a little higher (think $10-$12 for roast duck noodles), taking into consideration the location as well as the middle to high positioning that is adopted by the eatery.

Speech by the MD of Tai Hing Roast, Mr Chan Wing On & Ribbon cutting

Champagne to toast

Washed down with Tai Hing's famous milk tea

Char Siew

Roast Chicken

Platter of Roast Pork and Skin

Beef

Roast Duck

Based on the sampling of food I had, I honestly wouldn't say that the food was anything to shout about. But it does provide a good and "exclusive" alternative to the likes of Burger King, Subway and all the other run off the mill outlets in the T2 transit area. Best of all, it's round the clock.

Address: Transit lounge, Changi Airport Terminal 2

Contact: 6214 3606

Opening Hours: 24 hrs daily

Brasserie Les Saveurs IV - A Pictorial

2011-09-24T21:12:00.000+08:00

It was a complimentary high tea session at Les Saveurs, courtesy of my Astor card. You get a 3 tier stand with sandwiches and scones, a choice of a savoury dish, two desserts each and of course a choice of TWG tea.

I don't remember how much each pax is suppose to cost but I don't think the quality and quantity of food warrants a return (not for the high tea at least!).

Address: Lobby Level, St Regis Singapore

Contact: 6506 6866

Opening Hours: Daily 6:30 AM - 11:00 PM

Website: http://www.stregissingapore.com/bls

Mortons Part VII

2011-09-19T21:00:00.000+08:00

Following a dim sum lunch at Yan Ting, it was dinner at Mortons - a testament to my ever expanding waistline and ever slimming wallet.

Interior & Complimentary Onion Bread

We got our favourite table again and something about the interior struck me as different. Instead of the stoic and sombre dining room that I was used to, a couple of windows had been installed, allowing natural light in for a more cheery atmosphere (considering that Mortons only opens for dinner, there's not much natural light to speak off actually unless you get there before 7pm, which was exactly what I did).

As usual we didn't even bother to try finishing the onion loaf and instead opted to doggy bag it.

Broiled Sea Scallops Wrapped in Bacon

What would have usually been an excellent dish was marred by the under searing of the scallops which led to a little over tenderness in the center. Not that it was a very big issue though and I definitely still enjoyed the scallops. The bacon was still good as well - a little crisp with no rancid oil taste. You can choose to eat the scallops on their own or together with the minty, lightly sweet apricot chutney.

Side of Asparagus

The token vegetable dish of the day amongst all the meat and seafood dishes. Funny how we didn't manage to finish the asparagus even though we were both fans of it.

Colossal Shrimp Alexander

This dish never fails to amaze with the size of its colossal shrimp as well as the size of the dish in general. But (un)fortunately, the portion size seems to have shrunk a little this time round. Not that we were in a better position to finish everything though! The prawns were sweet and crunchy and trust me, share your prawns or you will be hit with a prawn overload by the end of the meal. Would have appreciated the paella staying on the stove a wee bit longer though.

USDA Prime Burger

I was once again not impressed by Mortons's USDA Prime Burger, which featured a tender medium well beef patty with bits of fat that didn't impress with its lack of inherent beefy sweetness. The cheddar cheese, mushrooms and bacon did give it an additional oomph though. Overall still very decent and better than quite a fair bit of burgers out there.

Dessert Tray & Upside Down Apple Pie

I had the option of picking the dessert off the dessert trolley, which looked fantastic by any measure but we decided to stick to the tried and tested upside down apple pie which would help balance out out palates with its acidity. Solid crust beneath apple slices and raisins dusted with Cinnamon powder. A scoop of vanilla ice cream helped to sweeten things a little. Nice!

Bill

The dessert was complimentary but we still chalked up a bill of about $218. Not too expensive honestly and I'm looking forward to my return lunch during the F1 weekend!

Ambience:7/10
Service:8/10
Food:8/10 (7/10 for the burger)
Value for money:7/10
Overall:7.5/10

Address: 4th Storey, Mandarin Oriental Singapore

Contact: 6339-3740

Opening Hours:

Bar
Monday - Saturday 5pm - 11pm
Sunday 5pm - 10pm

Dining Room
Monday - Saturday 5:30pm - 11pm
Sunday 5pm - 10pm

Website: http://www.mortons.com/singapore/

Yan Ting Part IX - A Pictorial

2011-09-14T23:20:00.000+08:00

Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh II

2011-09-09T20:59:00.001+08:00

About a year ago, one of Singapore's most renowned Bak Kut Teh stall, Ng Ah Sio (NAS for short), announced that Jumbo would take over the day to day operations of its only outlet at Rangoon Road. This was to ensure consistency in the food as well as excellent service, with the latter sorely lacking in NAS.

The place & Menu

It has been a long while since I last visited and the place has undergone quite a drastic renovation. Gone is the old nostalgic eating house charm. In its place is a modern restaurant like interior with with white washed walls, granite top tables and overhanging light fixtures. Seriously, compare this with this. And the place was packed with tourists, mainly from Hong Kong, all toting cameras and looking to have a taste of this "legendary" food stall that turned down Donald Tseng back in 2006.

Intestines

Also known as chitterlings, the intestines were a little too salty for my liking. But no offal smell. Best eaten with a large mouthful of rice.

Pork Ribs Soup & Spare Ribs Soup

$5.50 gets you a small bowl of pork ribs soup with 3 tiny pieces of well cooked meat that sports a reddish hue inside. However, the soup is so tasty that its almost surreal (probably from the addition of MSG) and not to mention overly salty, even by my standards. I liked the copious amount of pepper that went into it though. $7.50 on the other hand, gets you 2 slightly bigger pieces of spare rib, which totally differs in size from what you see on the menu. Oh and soup is refillable, but I didn't ask for any. No prizes for guessing why though.

Bill

To be honest, standards for this place have nosedived and NAS seems more like a commercial entity than anything else. I'm not sure Jumbo, as a stakeholder, has done NAS any good, save for perhaps the service. And I'm sure this is not just an off day for NAS as I did patronise twice in a space of a month and both times, quality was lacking. To compound that was the fact that prices weren't exactly cheap or even reasonable, veering well into the expensive category. I definitely won't be back.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:NA
Service:6.5/10
Food:6/10
Value for money:5.5/10
Overall:6/10

Address: 208 Rangoon Road

Contact: 62914537

Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 7am to 10pm.

Website: http://www.ngahsiobkt.com

Old School Delights

2011-09-03T22:51:00.000+08:00

Old School Delights, as it name might suggest, bases its idea on the school tuck shops of yesteryear. And it was this concept that had me hooked when the kind folks at the eatery invited me down for a simple lunch. In line with the theme, "fancy" dishes like foie gras and steak are missing from the menu and instead, simple local fare like macaroni, mee siam, laksa, nasi lemak etc are featured prominently.

Interior

The place is reminiscent of a classroom with its huge chalkboard, cement screed floors and quirky drawings which seemingly hark back to the days of "Mr Kiasu". There is even a paper table mat with an almost realistic imprint of an old school jotter book which I used when I was a kid. Lets not forget the pack of "Snap" cards and the erasers with country flags on them. Ahh the nostalgia.

Kueh Pie Tee

I've always had a penchant for Kueh Pie Tee, with its crisp shell and delectable filling of chopped egg and stewed vegetables (they are first fried with garlic then simmered in water). OSD's rendition was a little bland due to the lack of sweet sauce (I opted for no chilli). The shell (which isn't made in house) had a crunchy overtone to it but did seem a little too oily for my liking. I would have also appreciated the filling to be served piping hot instead of at room temperature.

Macaroni

What you get it pretty standard. A couple of slices of fishcake and some strands of shredded chicken as well as a couple of quail eggs, vegetables and of course macaroni in a tasty yet light broth. Although this dish wasn't spectacular, it did cover me in comfort and warm fuzziness. This was a dish that I loved to eat when I was kid and this one was simple and unpretentious - giving rise to a homely feeling (有家的感觉).

Chocolate Banana Cake

I ended off my lunch with a Chocolate Banana Cake, which wasn't quite the same as what I've had before. Think Choc a bloc. OSD's offering was the old fashioned banana cake with a layer of mashed bananas wedged in between and covered with a layer of molten (and shiny) chocolate. The cake came across as a little too dry for my liking but overall still a nice and sinful dessert (if you like bananas and chocolate)!

Overall, the food wasn't great but still very comforting in it's own way. Maybe it's just nostalgia and the chance to relive those happy and carefree moments, albeit for only a brief moment? Thanks to the folks at OSD for the invite!

Final Verdict:
Ambience:7/10 (Nostalgic!)
Service:NA
Food:6.5/10
Value for money:NA
Overall:6.75/10

Address: 215M Upper Thomson Road

Contact: 6458 4518

Opening Hours: 12 noon to 11pm (Closed Mondays & Tuesdays)

Website: http://www.oldschooldelights.com

Cassia Part II - A Pictorial

2011-08-28T22:35:00.000+08:00

I must say standards of dim sum at Cassia have gone up since my last visit 2 years back. And I'll definitely be back to do another review on it.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:8/10
Service:7.5/10
Food:7/10
Value for money:6.5/10
Overall:7.25/10

Address: 1 The Knolls, Sentosa

Contact: 6591 5050

Opening Hours:

Lunch: 12pm - 2.30pm

Dinner: 6.30pm - 10.30pm

Website: http://www.capellasingapore.com/cassia-restaurant.php

Gattopardo

2011-08-21T21:45:00.000+08:00

The initial plan was for Pizzeria Mozza but apparently the place is so popular that I couldn't get reservations even though I called in slightly over a week earlier. Still sticking to our initial theme of Italian food, we decided to head for Gattopardo instead, which happens to be under the Garibaldi group.

Interior & Menu

Gattopardo is located at Fort Canning Hotel, a rather swanky looking hotel that sits at the top of, where else but Fort Canning Park? Probably not the most central place to get to if you don't drive and even if you do, road signs are misleading. There are a couple of carparks around Fort Canning but please do park at the hotel's basement carpark to save on the hassle.

The restaurant itself looks rather inviting with its simplistic layout and dim lighting. There is even a seafood counter where you get to take a look at the day's seafood, all laid out on mountains of ice behind acrylic covers (sashimi anyone?), very much like a Japanese restaurant. As there were quite a number of us, we managed to snag the private room, which can comfortably seat 10.

Complimentary Bread

We had multiple servings of the bread as it was honestly quite addictive, especially the thin and long wafer like biscuit. Crackling crispy and heavily salted with a tinge of spiciness, I was guilty of eating at least 6 slices of it. We were demanding refills of the bread so often that our waiter must have felt intimidated.

Grilled Calamari

The grilled calamari was a recommendation from the chef who manned the seafood counter (who incidentally was also a friend of someone at my table that evening). I have got to give it to him. This was an excellent recommendation and everyone around the table agreed in unison that the calamari was nicely grilled with a smokey, savoury aftertaste and a nice chewy texture.

Mozzarella di Bufala e Cuore di Bue

Nice and light but nothing too outstanding in my humble opinion. And $25 did seem a little too expensive for 4 slices of quivery cheese.

Gattopardo

This was the namesake pizza of the restaurant and was essentially white garlic focaccia with smoked mozzarella, Italian sausage, onion and potatoes - all in all it sounded like a smashing combination. Alas, reality is often harsh and the pizza tasted nothing more than your typical cheese prata with onions. Oh and yes, with a lingering hint of fishiness from god knows where.

Arrotolata

Divided up into small segments, the Arrotolata (Smoked mozzarella, suckling pig, porcini mushrooms, grape sauce & rucola salad) was another one of those pizzas that looked good on paper but came out as average in reality (like the Gattopardo). The crust was a little chewy and crisp with little bits of pork stuffed in between so no complaints about the crust. However taste wise, the pizza lacked the oomph and the harmonious blend of distinct flavours I was looking for. Sadly, the whole thing just tasted like bread with cheese. Also, the grape sauce wasn't evident and I had to resort to asking for a side serving of the grape jam.

Stretto

I only had a small slice of the Stretto (mozzarella, tomato sauce, spicy pork and prawns) so I shall reserve my comments save for the fact that the tomato sauce made for a nice break from the cheese based Arrotolata and Gattopardo. But still not anything near great.

Tiramisu

I was impressed by the huge portion of tiramisu which doesn't seem to be the norm at Italian restaurants nowadays. The mascarpone cheese was light but the sponge fingers did seem a little too "waterlogged". And I couldn't make out any alcohol taste. A teetotaler version or is it just my numbed tastebuds? Would have appreciated if the tiramisu was served a little more chilled as well as that would have enhanced the eating experience.

Bill

The 8 of us had a rather unsatisfying dinner to the tune of $422 (with a 10% discount). That works out to be an average of about $53 a head. Not too expensive but I don't think the quality of food corresponds to the price tag (save for the grilled calamari). Service was decent but that's hardly enough reason to make me go back.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:7.5/10
Service:7/10
Food:6.5/10
Value for money:6/10

Overall:6.75/10

Address: Hotel Fort Canning, 11 Canning Walk

Contact: 6338 5498

Opening Hours: Daily: 12pm–3pm, 6.30pm–10.30pm

Website: http://www.gattopardo.com.sg/

Peony Jade Part III

2011-08-14T21:50:00.000+08:00

Had dinner with a couple of friends at Peony Jade @ Clarke Quay one weekday evening to celebrate the mundaneness of working life (how ironic!).

Honey Char Siew

We started off with the honey char siew, which was definitely nothing near the best I've had but still passable with little charred bits along the edges. The meat could have been more fibrous and the sauce, a little richer though.

HK Kailan

Stir fried with garlic, this was one weird kailan. The initial taste was one of sheer bitterness but subsequent bites yielded slightly different tastes. The funny thing was, the more you eat, the more it normalises. And I wasn't the only one who thought so. Strange indeed.

Golden Mushroom Beancurd

One of my two personal favourites of the dinner, the smooth beancurd was savoury with tons of golden mushroom atop and soaked in a not too starchy gravy. Simple yet satisfying.

Smoking Duck

Apparently one of Peony Jade's signature dish and also one of the flops that evening, the smoking duck was just too dry and gamy for my liking. The smoking was also quite uneven and I could taste strong hints of tea in some parts while other parts were just gamy. I did like the semi sweet clam shaped mantous that came alongside though but I did think that they could have done with a little more moisture.

Salty Yolk Prawns

The salty yolk prawns were as good as I remembered them to be - de-shelled, fresh, crunchy and ladled with a creamy and rich sauce that carried a little curry tinge towards the end. However the gravy honestly did seem a little more watery than before. Signs of cost cutting?

Bill

With a 15% discount, dinner for the 6 of us cost about $212, which isn't very expensive but quality seemed to have dipped somewhat. I wonder if Peony Jade's other outlet @ Keppel Club is any better?

Final Verdict:
Ambience:7/10 (A little noisy)
Service:7/10
Food:6.5/10 (7/10 for the beancurd & prawns)
Value for money:6.5/10

Overall:6.75/10

Address: Clarke Quay, 3A River Valley Road #02-02

Contact: 63380138/63380305

Opening Hours: 11am to 3.00pm (Lunch) and 6pm to 11pm (Dinner)

Website: http://www.peonyjade.com/

Zanotti Part II

2011-08-07T21:25:00.000+08:00

More than 2 years have passed and I have returned once again to Zanotti for it's wonderful tiramisu and not to mention cheap set lunches (by Singapore Italian restaurant standards). Believe it or not, I have yet to find a tiramisu in Singapore that can rival that of Zanotti's (personal opinion).

Exterior & Interior

Nothing much about the restaurant (both inside and outside) has changed and the place is still very strict about their smart casual dress code. This time round however, there were no "special" set menus in place and the place looked a lot brighter and cheerier due to sunlight flittering through the huge windows. And being lunch time on a weekday, there was a sizable well heeled office crowd.

Complimentary Bread Basket & Bruschetta

I don't remember much about the bread basket because I was probably more focused on the bruschetta, which came in 2 tiny portions. The tomatoes were fresh and crunchy but the base did seem a little too soggy for my liking. A great start nonetheless.

Appetiser Platter

The appetiser platter was a delightful mix of various bite sized portions, featuring the likes of foie gras, buffalo mozzarella, veal etc. The foie gras was pleasantly smooth and drizzled with a soothingly sweet raspberry compote whereas the buffalo mozzarella had a nice semi firm texture without coming across as too heady. Interestingly, the portion of octopus had a mild tomato taste, very much like canned sardines. I thought the veal with tuna sauce was great too - thinly sliced without the tuna sauce being too fishy or overwhelming.

French Onion Soup

Light but seriously lacking the killer punch I was looking for. Very decent nonetheless , with a small piece of cheese bread soaked in it.

Caesar Salad

Fresh crunchy lettuce coupled with milk croutons, Parmesan cheese and bacon bits. What's not to like? Especially if you are the sort of person who must have vegetables in every meal.

Homemade Pasta with Crustacean

For one of our mains, we went with the homemade pasta with crustacean, which wasn't really al dente and reminiscent of very fine mee pok (flat egg noodles). I liked the mild tomato based sauce as well as the fresh seafood though. All in all, a very heartwarming dish that brings back memories of home. Weird isn't it? Considering that it's an Italian restaurant.

Chicken Stuffed with Spinach and Cheese

Our other main was the chicken stuffed with spinach and cheese - one of my perennial favourites. The chicken meat was tender with a layer of gooey cheese spread over a crunchy chopped spinach stuffing. Add a lightly roasted crisp skin to the equation and viola! an excellent dish is served.

Creme Caramel

The creme caramel honestly wasn't a big deal. Smooth with a mild taste of honey, it tasted like pudding. On hindsight, maybe the profiteroles would have fared better.

Tiramisu

You don't get to choose the tiramisu as part of your set lunch and ordering it ala carte will cost you more than what a 3 course set lunch would (insane don't you think?). But it's worth every single cent. Served up in 3 lumps instead of the usual cake like structure, the tiramisu had a wonderful sponge to mascarpone ratio with a richness so sublime that it didn't come across as overwhelming. And the taste just lingers on.... I would have ordered another one if not for the fact that it was nearing the end of lunch service and we were probably the only ones left in the restaurant.

Bill

Zanotti's set lunch is a steal at a mere 300 baht (≈SGD13) for 2 courses (no dessert) and 330 (≈SGD14.50) baht for 3 courses. By contrast, the tiramisu is 350 baht (≈SGD15.50), which isn't cheap even by Singapore standards. If the price of the tiramisu is anything to go by, dinner definitely won't be cheap (I spent about SGD145/pax for a Valentines Day dinner during my previous visit). Remember to make your reservations!

Final Verdict:
Ambience:7/10
Service:7/10
Food:7/10 (8.5/10 for the tiramisu)
Value for money:8/10 (For the set lunch)
Overall:7.25/10

Address: 21/2 1st Floor, Saladaeng Colonnade Condominium, Silom Rd., Silom Bangrak, Bangkok 10500

Contact: +66 2 636-0002

Opening Hours: Lunch 11:30 – 14:30 Dinner 18:00 – 22:30

Website: http://www.zanotti-ristorante.com/

Bangkok Eats

2011-07-31T22:42:00.000+08:00

Thip Samai

Thip Samai is probably the most famous Pad Thai place in Bangkok and many articles have been written about it in various publications all over the world. This place is literally a legend and home to the original Pad Thai, which is different from what you would get in most parts of Bangkok or Singapore. You get Pad Thai wrapped in a thin layer of egg and served, very much like Omu rice or 蛋包飯. The rice noodles were al dente and dry with a pleasant mild ketchup taste. Fried with tiny ebi and with the option of adding all the crushed peanuts that you fancy, the whole combination was just lovely. And the price? A mere 70 baht a plate.

Address: Samran Rat, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200

Contact: 6622216280

Chua Kim Heng

Bittergourd Soup (40 baht)

I am usually not a fan or bittergourd, much less to mention bittergourd soup. However, Chua Kim Heng's rendition was simply too good to resist. Very tasty with a hint of bittergourd sans the bitterness. They should definitely consider bringing this recipe to Singapore.

Braised Goose (240 baht)

Goose is a rare commodity in Singapore so I was eager to get my fix in Bangkok. And braised goose is what this small roadside eatery is known for. The goose meat was well braised (very tasty!) with a certain roughage to it, giving it a nice chewy texture. Portions were generous for the price too.

Total bill for 2 pax - 320 baht (soup 40 baht, goose 240 baht, rice & drinks 40 baht). Remember to go early before the braised goose finishes!

Address: 81, 83 Thanon Phatthanakan, Suan Luang, Bangkok 10250, Thailand

Contact: 02-319-2510/ 02-729-8822/ 02-314-4486/ 02-314-7829

T&K Seafood

I don't see the fuss behind T&K seafood, which is in Chinatown. Apparently many food shows from various countries have been to this road side eatery (there is no shop front, just some tables and chairs on the pavement and a cooking station). Prices are cheap but I don't find the food very good. Average to slightly above average would be my humble opinion. But I won't eat there again. I don't fancy squeezing with people at tables that harbour tiny little cockroaches that sashay away while I'm eating.

Address: 49-51 Phadung Dao Rd, Bangkok

Contact: 02 223 4519

Lenotre

This dessert place isn't cheap but it sure serves up a mean Chocolate Banana Tart. And I like the watermelon smoothies (About $5.50 SGD each) as well. Have a couple and you will be gasping in shock at the final bill.

Address: 991 Siam Paragon

Hummerstons

2011-07-24T21:46:00.000+08:00

When a kind anonymous reader left me a comment on my blog about discovering a place that served poutine a couple of weeks back, I was naturally delighted as it's been almost a decade since I had poutine (bar Yella Fellas, which has gone the way of the dodo). And so there I was at Hummerstons, on a lovely Saturday morning, just 2 weeks into brunch service.

Interior & Alfresco Dining Area

Hummerston's interior features visible white bricks and warm lighting coupled with a bar counter and wooden furniture. Rather inviting I must admit but we chose to sit outside on the sidewalk instead, in acknowledgement of the beautiful weather.

Cutlery

I just posted this picture for the fun of it. I personally find it quirky to use a gardening pail to put your cutlery, but hey, its practical. The handle prevented the serviettes from sliding down or flying away.

Classic Poutine

Evenly cut fries with skin? Check. Brown gravy? Check. Cheese curds? Where's my cheese curds?! Apparently emmental cheese is used in Hummerston's rendition of this classic Canadian dish but honestly, the cheese was almost nonexistent - pathetic to say the least. Give me copious amounts of fresh cheese curds any day. The gravy tasted like the real deal although it did come across as a little too sweet for my liking. Having said that, I'll still recommend giving this dish a try, even if it costs $11 for a rather small portion (think Macdonalds regular fries portion).

Carbonara

This was a very different carbonara from what I'm used to. Al dente spaghetti with generous bacon bits and mushrooms but surprise surprise, no cream sauce. Lots of oil though, which reminded me more of aglio olio than carbonara. But the absence of the cream sauce meant that I could chug down more pasta without feeling nauseous. I sincerely hope, for everyone's health, that the oil Hummerston uses in this dish is olive oil.

Brunch Burger

I loved the burger bun to bits. I kid you not. It was probably the best I've had in eons. Warm, crusty, topped with sesame seeds and layered with a thin spread of mayonnaise. So good that I could just eat it on its own! The patty was done medium well as per request and had crisp bits on the surface with a nice grilled beefy taste. Topped with cheese, egg, bacon, caramelised onions and mushrooms. How's that for a mouth watering combination? A couple of gripes though. The meat had a nicely uneven texture but came across as a little too soft for my liking. Also, get a load on the amount of oil! The accompanying fries were a little too limp and oily for my liking as well. But I did like the tomato chili aioli dip, which had a sweet mild chilli taste sans the heat.

Flourless Chilli Chocolate Torte

Although we were stuffed through and through, we were adamant about trying out Hummerston's desserts. First up was the flourless chocolate torte - dense, rich and not too sweet. I couldn't make out any chili though even though I am quite sensitive to it. Still a decent eat though.

Blackforest Gateau

The blackforest cake was decent but not impressive. Light and airy but lacking in the taste of kirsch. Honestly it would have tasted like pure chocolate cake if not for the pockets of cherries.

Bill

A fantastic but heart seizing (oily!) brunch cost the both of us to the tune of $84 after taxes. Not ridiculously expensive if you ask me, especially for the quality of food (desserts are optional though). And service was warm and heart felt. I would definitely be back in a heartbeat for the burger or if I'm craving for poutine. Only condition? Less oil please.

Final Verdict:

Ambience: 7.5/10
Service: 7.5/10
Food: 7/10 ( I would have given 7.5 if not for the oil)
Value for money: 6.5/10
Overall: 7.125/10

Address: #02-14 Robertson Walk

Contact: 6737-8863

Opening Hours:

Tues - Fri: 12:00 pm - 12:00 am
Sat - Sun: 10:00 am - 12:00 am

Website: http://www.hummerstons.com

Wo Peng Part III

2011-07-17T21:56:00.000+08:00

It was a homecoming of sorts as Chef Julian Tam of Wo Peng expanded on the Wo Peng brand name to include a new outlet at the site where he used to ply his trade years ago. Well almost.

Interior & Menu

Located on the 3rd floor of Furama Hotel, just one level below Furama Palace where Chef Tam used to preside over, Wo Peng carries a rather traditional Chinese decor with its gold table cloths and red carpet. They are probably targeting the older crowd.

Kampong Chicken

First thing that struck me about this dish was how yellow the chicken was. I have nothing against yellow chicken but this was really at one end of the scale. Initial shock aside, the chicken meat was tender but tasted merely like lightly salted chicken. Some people would probably appreciate the simplicity of it all, but not me. I personally prefer my chicken to be more flavourful.

Smoked Duck

The main reason why I love dining at Wo Peng - The ever so flavourful smoked duck. Although I must admit that standards at the Furama outlet seem to be a little lower than that of the Macpherson outlet, the duck still oozed goodness. Tender, reddish meat with smokey overtones. Tasted a little like ham. The 5 of us had the biggest serving but no, it still wasn't enough.

Stuffed Homemade Beancurd

This dish was something different. Meat paste surrounded by beancurd and wrapped up in beancurd skin. Personally I didn't find it fantastic as there was a mishmash of textures and no outstanding flavours.

Steamed Cod with Garlic

I love cod but this was a little overcooked which resulted in the flesh being firmer than desired. However, the copious amount of garlic atop managed to salvage the situation a little. I'm just biased because I love garlic too.

Asparagus with Scallop in XO Sauce

Plentiful scallops with the asparagus crunchy and not overcooked, what's not to like? Well, nothing except for maybe the price, which at $42++, was a little steep honestly.

Bill

With a $30 voucher I got from dining at Wo Peng's Macpherson outlet just a couple of weeks back, dinner for the 5 of us cost something to the tune of $137. Reasonable but save for the smoked duck, nothing else was good and portions weren't exactly big. I should probably just stick to the Macpherson outlet in future.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:6.5/10
Service:7/10
Food:6.5/10 (7.5/10 for the duck)
Value for money:6.5/10
Overall:6.625/10

Address: #03-1/02 Furama Hotel

Contact: 65332282

Opening Hours: 11am–2.30pm, 6pm–10.30pm

KHA

2011-07-11T22:15:00.000+08:00

Kha, a modern Thai restaurant under the Epicure group (which also counts modern Australian outfit, Graze, in it's stable of restaurants) has not so recently relocated from it's original site in Hort Park to No.38 Martin Road, a rather upscale residential condominium. To that note, I had the opportunity to dine there one evening, courtesy of the restaurant.

Interior & Menu

The restaurant is dim by default and I like the use of dark furniture and various vintage items to bring out a contemporary yet authentically Thai feel to the whole place. The faded Thai newspaper lookalike menu completes the picture. One gripe I have though, is that the place is a holding area for noise due to its boxed up interior and concrete ceilings, to a certain extent.

Appetisers

We started off with crisp rice cakes which seemed a little too dry but the spicy dipping sauce did help things a little.

Ruby Starlet ($12)

This mocktail was great - lychee sweetness coupled with a refreshing breath of mint in a lemony twist. So good that I couldn't resist the offer of a second glass.

Rare Grilled Red Curry Rubbed Wagyu Beef ($29)

The wagyu beef was very good. Well grilled, as evident by the dark lines running down the meat, yet succulent with a nice brush of salt and smoky tenderness. Great way to start off the meal!

Tom Yum Goong ($18)

Nicely spicy but overly salty with the prawns a little too soft for comfort. Personally I also thought that the soup could do with a little more tartness.

Toad Man Poo ($17)

Meaty without being overly nausea inducing due to the use of minimal flour and the addition of sweet chilli sauce. Probably one of the better crab cakes I've eaten so far.

Papa Adun's Phad Tow Hu ($14)

The tofu cubes were crisp but boringly pedestrian. I couldn't make much much flavour from the tofu itself and the center seemed hollow. The supposed three flavour sauce was almost non existent. A richer sauce would have probably saved this dish from the deep abyss of disappointment.

Phad Pak ($8)

Greens are healthy but this wok fried vegetable dish was laden with so much oil that it was gross. And there was no wok hei even though the vegetables had a nice fragrant whiff to it. Tasted more like a dish of convenience than one of quality.

Kheaw Wan Poo ($30)

The soft shell crab green curry wasn't anything to shout about in my humble opinion. The crabs had a nice crispy layer but somehow the overall bite was missing. I didn't quite take to the curry as well as it seemed a little lacking in flavour.

Crispy Whole Chilli Filled with Pork and Herbs ($14)

I'll be upfront and state that I'm not a fan of stuffed peppers or chillis. So that means no stuffed jalapenos and the likes. But this was something interesting. For starters, the chilli was coated with a layer of batter and deep fried, giving it a nice crisp on the outside and as you bite into it, you get hit by a bitter taste which slowly melts into a hint of pork and herbs. Nice to try in small quantities but probably not something I would order again.

Khao Neaw Ma Muang ($14)

I'm a sucker for mango/durian sticky rice so this dessert suited me just fine. I liked the coconut pandan sauce which infused the not overly sticky rice with a nice pandan fragrance. I can't say the same for the mango slices though, which lacked any discernible fragrance but still came across as sweet.

Thap Thim Krwap ($13)

I didn't find the red ruby dessert to be anything really special. It was essentially chilled coconut jasmine syrup with shaved ice and chewy red rubies. There were also these flower petals that had a bitter taste to them.

Espresso

We ended our meal with a big mug of espresso. Great way to end off a filling but hardly satisfying dinner. There were honestly more misses than hits. Maybe I'm just not their target audience. Nonetheless, I must still thank Kha and its PR consultancy for presenting me the opportunity to dine there. Thank you!

Final Verdict:
Ambience:7/10
Service:NA
Food:6.5/10
Value for money:NA
Overall:6.75/10

Address: 38 Martin Road

Contact: 6476 9000

Opening Hours:

Lunch
Monday – Saturday
12pm – 3pm(last order at 2.30pm)

Dinner
Daily
6pm – 11pm(last order at 10.30pm)

Website: http://kha.sg/

Re!Fill

2011-07-04T22:29:00.001+08:00

If you are into retro themed hotels, Hotel Re!, a rather new addition to the boutique hotel scene in Singapore, might just be what you are looking for. However, I'm not so much a hotel person and I'm actually more interested in what the restaurant (in this case, Re!Fill) has to offer.

Interior & Menu

Personally I think the cafe's decor is clean and cozy but I don't quite see signs or indications of a retro theme. Well, except maybe for the psychedelic strips of wallpaper that adorn the L boxes. There is a different lunch menu each day and you get to choose 1 of 2 main courses that are available each day. Everything else (appetisers and dessert) is pre decided, which can be good or bad, depending on your personal preferences.

Complimentary Bread

Decent but tasted not unlike a packaged loaf of bread off the supermarket shelf, nicely toasted and served up with a small container of SCS salted butter. Simple but satisfying.

Seasoned Baby Octopus, Egg Foo Yong, Sweet Potato & Taro Fritter

I liked how everything was presented in one long platter in bite sized portions. The baby octopus was a tad sweet and chewy whilst the Egg Foo Yong tasted savoury and all but had so much oil in it that it made my heart beat faster. Just imagine the oil from the egg sitting in a shooter glass. Gross. Luckily the fritter didn't turn out to be an oil sponge as well but I did find the flour a little too thick. Still crisp and enjoyable in small quantities though.

Braised Shark's Fin Soup with Crabmeat

Although I could make out respectable slivers of shark's fin and crab meat, the soup was too starchy and rather bland. But for the price of the set lunch, I really shouldn't be complaining.

Salted Egg Prawn, Parisienne of Fruits & Almond Flake, Garlic Fried Rice, Sauteed Asparagus

I'm usually a fan of salted egg prawns but this one seemed a little too moist and soggy for my liking. Flavour was also lacking and honestly, the salted egg coating was aesthetically unpleasing. But at least it was edible.

Wok Fried Duck Breast with Olive Vegetable, Garlic Fried Rice, Sauteed Asparagus

At first glance, I thought the duck slices looked uncannily like beef. Even the texture was similar to the beef slices you would find at a typical beef hor fun stall - chewy from the addition of lots of flour. Compounding matters was the fact that the duck just tasted salty with a dash of pepper. No inherent fowl taste whatsoever.

Hotel Re! Temptation Delight

It sounded grand but came as a flop. I liked the presentation but the taste left much to be desired. In short, everything tasted out of sorts and even something as basic as the lychee agar agar tasted artificial. Ditto the apple crumble.

Bill

I have read rave reviews online about the food at Re!Fill but unfortunately, mine turned out to be a disaster. Honestly, $49 nett for 2 pax for set lunch isn't over the top and service was decent. However, food quality really needs to buck up in my humble opinion. And the number of customers the cafe had that day was testament to that. We were pretty much the only table that afternoon. Only when we were about to leave did a couple drop by.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:7/10
Service:7/10
Food:5.5/10
Value for money:5.5/10
Overall:6.25/10

Address: Lobby Level, Hotel Re! @ Pearls Hill

Contact: 6827 8228

Opening Hours: Daily: 7am – 11pm

Website: http://www.hotelre.com.sg/restaurant.htm

Mortons Part VI - A Pictorial

2011-06-26T22:46:00.000+08:00

Onion Loaf

Mashed Potatoes

Asparagus

Jumbo Lump Crab Cake

Broiled Sea Scallops Wrapped in Bacon

Shrimp Alexander

USDA Prime Burger

Grand Marnier Souffle

Morton's Hot Chocolate Cake

Bill

Final Verdict:

Ambience:7/10
Service:8/10
Food:8/10 (The burger wasn't very good this time round, so 6.5/10 for the burger)
Value for money:7/10
Overall:7.5/10

Address: 4th Storey, Mandarin Oriental Singapore

Contact: 6339-3740

Opening Hours:

Bar
Monday - Saturday 5pm - 11pm
Sunday 5pm - 10pm

Dining Room
Monday - Saturday 5:30pm - 11pm
Sunday 5pm - 10pm

Website: http://www.mortons.com/singapore/

Old Hong Kong Taste

2011-06-19T21:27:00.000+08:00

The opening of myVillage @ Serangoon Gardens has added a variety of new restaurants to the area, with mostly established brands like Da Paolo, Shin Kushiya and Old Hong Kong vying for pole position in this vibrant dining scene. Enthralled by the prospect of having dim sum in the neighbourhood, we dropped by Old Hong Kong Taste (OHKT for short) - one of the 4 restaurants under the Old Hong Kong Group.

The Place & Menu

OHKT's open kitchen greeted us as we took the escalator up to the 2nd floor of the mall, allowing us a peek at the culinary maestros ( I hope!) who would be whipping up our orders soon.

Tea & Appetiser

There is a variety of tea, ranging from Rose Tea to Longan Tea, all served up in a glass kettle atop a glass stove with a candle to keep the tea warm.
The appetiser was simple yet satisfying. Anchovies dotted the beancurd cubes alongside sweet chopped chilli - would have loved seconds or a bigger serving.

Dim Sum in The Cage

I was intrigued by the name, however gimmicky it may have sounded. This dim sum platter had a combination of various items such as -

Bird Nest Egg Tart - The custard was quivery and not too sweet with strands of birds nest. Couldn't make out any taste or texture from the birds nest so it's really just a gimmick. Crust was a tad too soft for my liking.

Deep Fried Prawn Wanton - A little too oily but prawns were plentiful. Best eaten with the bowl of accompanying soup.

Deep Fried Prawn Roll with Cheese - Lots of prawns but lacking in cheese, which made it rather similar in taste to the prawn wanton. Best eaten with Mayonnaise.

Siew Mai - Full of bite without too much fatty meat. Prawns fresh and crunchy.

Har Gao - The skin was a little too thick for my liking but the generous serving of crunch prawns made up for it.

Steamed Mushroom Wrap - As with the Har Gao, the wrap was a wee bit too thick for comfort but I did appreciate the mushrooms which didn't come across as too overwhelming.

Marinated Duck

A signature dish of OHKT, the duck came across as rather gamy but tender with a bit of roughage for a nice chewing sensation. The accompanying beancurd slices were very smooth and overall, quite a good dish.

Braised Homemade Beancurd with Scallops & Mushrooms

I loved this dish. Not because it's beancurd but because it was very well executed. Topped with generous servings of sliced scallops and mushrooms, the beancurd was silky and had a nice savoury charred taste to it.

Bo Lo Bun with Barbecued Pork

Served up piping hot, the Bo Lo Bun was decent with the BBQ pork pieces soaking in the mildly sweet and viscous gravy. Only gripe? The flour was a tad too thick and dry.

Steamed Egg Yolk Custard Bun

Now this was rather disappointing. Sure, it had molten custard oozing out with a breach in the shell but the custard was a tad overwhelming and I couldn't make out any traces of egg yolk sediment. I've had better.

Bill

Lunch cost the both of us about $83 after taxes which honestly isn't cheap for the amount/type of dishes we ordered and the location. However I must admit that overall, food quality was above average and this meal was worth it (well, except for the Bo Lo buns and the Custard buns). I will definitely be back but this time I'll be more inclined towards ordering from the ala carte menu rather than the dim sum menu.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:7/10
Service:7/10
Food:7/10 (8/10 for the beancurd)
Value for money:6.5/10
Overall:6.875/10

Address: #02-01 myVillage, 1 Maju Ave

Contact: 68343013

Opening Hours: Daily 1030am to 11pm.

Website: http://oldhongkong.com.sg/base.html

Brasserie Les Saveurs III

2011-06-12T22:23:00.001+08:00

Ambience

Framed by soaring windows and opulent Victorian style chandeliers, the dining area exuded indisputable class and finesse. Natural sunlight radiated throughout and filled the place with warmth and cosiness. The 3 man band, which used to be outside the restaurant, has now moved in to take center stage and provide entertainment while you dine.

Variety

Tapas sized dishes used to be "hawked" from table to table and the practice continues but now you have a menu detailing what's on offer, pretty much taking out the guesswork and anticipation of what's coming next. The resident stations include a dessert table, an appetiser table and one whipping up your choice of eggs. Variety on the dessert table seems to have decreased a little though. Last but not least, the main course menu doesn't look like it has changed much ever since my last visit. You get only one serving so choose wisely.

Quality

For the most part, food quality remained consistently good and the use of superior ingredients was evident. However, nothing in the appetisers and mains actually went beyond good except for the seared scallops, which I had multiple servings of. Dessert standards were still up to the mark though, both in terms of aesthetics and taste.

Service

Generally attentive and professional but there was one wait staff who seemed to display sporadic mood swings. Other than that, everything was great. Our drinks came promptly and plates were cleared regularly.

Value for money

With rising inflation, prices for the non alcoholic brunch have gone up to an eye popping $138++/pax, which in my humble opinion, is very much on the high side even though the food is of a certain standard. However if you have the time (we sat there for a solid 3 hrs) and money to spare/burn, you might just be interested.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:8/10
Service:7/10
Food:7/10
Value for money:6/10
Overall:7/10

Address: Lobby Level, St Regis Singapore

Contact: 6506 6866

Opening Hours: Daily 6:30 AM - 11:00 PM

Website: http://www.stregissingapore.com/bls

Li Bai II

2011-06-05T20:17:00.000+08:00

Another year has passed and yet another Mother's day celebration. And sticking to the tradition of Chinese restaurants, we settled on Li Bai, the flagship Chinese restaurant of Sheraton Towers Hotel and where I once had a pleasant dining experience at.

Menu & Yam Slices

I loved the yam slices to bits. Crackling crispy and light on the palate but watch out as the chewed up pulp has a tendency to stick to your teeth. Great way to start off the meal though.

Shark Bone Soup

A specialty of Li Bai, the shark bone soup was very light and tasty without the usual nausea inducing factor. The bamboo pith in the soup had a nice crunch to it whilst the fish maw's fishiness was minimal with a mild chewy texture. Sweetness of the soup was enhanced through the use of wolfberries.

Asparagus with Coral Clam and Scallops

Well stir fried, the asparagus retained its crunchiness but the scallops, though big, weren't really firm. I'm not exactly a big fan of coral clams but these were chewy and flavourful from the XO sauce. Definitely a great dish to go with steamed rice.

Homemade Spinach Beancurd

Another signature dish of Li Bai and rightfully so. Silkily smooth and savoury, topped with plentiful mushrooms and dried scallops shreds for that extra taste and texture. Great!

BBQ Pork Combination

We opted for the combination of suckling pig and soya sauce chicken. The chicken had me craving for more with its firm yet tender meat but I couldn't say the same for the pig, which had crackling crisp skin but less than adequate salt level. But maybe I am just used to a heavier salt intake.

Tea Smoked Duck

Fragrant, tender and succulent meat coupled with a tinge of smokiness from the tea, what's not to like? Throw in the crackling skin and a dip of sweet sauce to round up an excellent dish.

Cod Fish

A most interesting dish with the firm cod both sweet and sour from the lemon juice and brushed honey. I personally liked the taste but thought it was a pity that the natural sweetness and richness of the cod was masked over. Topped with pine nuts and chipped ginseng from the extra health boost.

Jellyfish with Topshell

Not my cup of tea so I shall reserve my comments on this save for the fact that the jellyfish was springy and the topshell, chewy.

Fish Paste Noodles with Prawns

I absolutely love fish paste noodles and not many places in Singapore sell it so it's quite a bonus for me if a restaurant happens to have it on the menu. The noodles here were first stir fried, as evident by the little burnt marks on them, then simmered in broth. Deliciously full of bite. However the only gripe I had was that the accompanying prawns didn't have their intestines cleaned out, which really isn't something I would expect from a reputable restaurant like Li Bai.

Mango Sago

Nothing too fancy, coming across more like your average bowl of mango sago with sourish mangoes.

Red Bean Paste Pancake

I was utterly disappointed in the red bean pasta pancake, which sported many layers of flour, excessive oil and a darker than acceptable surface colour from over deep frying. On the upside, at least it was very crisp and not overly sweet, but never again.

Bill

An above average dinner for the 5 of us amounted to $419, which wasn't expensive but not exactly cheap either. Quality of food was definitely above average ( save for the desserts) and service was good with our tea constantly refilled and the wait staff ever eager to accede to our every request. I wouldn't say that this ranks amongst the top few Chinese restaurants in Singapore but I would be more than happy to return for its consistency of food.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:8/10
Service:7.5/10
Food:7.5/10
Value for money:7/10

Overall:7.5/10

Address: B1 Sheraton Towers Hotel

Contact: 6839 5623

Opening Hours:

Monday to Saturday: Lunch, 11.30am to 2.30pm

Monday to Sunday: Dinner, 6.30pm to 10.30pm

Sunday: Yum Cha, 10.30am to 2.30pm

Website: http://www.sheratonsingapore.com/libai.html

Paradise Inn

2011-05-29T21:39:00.000+08:00

The Paradise group is expanding rapidly nowadays, extending on its brand name to create various eateries in an attempt to cater to practically everybody and anybody who eats Chinese food. Paradise Inn is one such entity, being marketed as an affordable restaurant, tea house and dessert house all rolled into one.

Interior & Menu

We had a go at the Bedok Point outlet of Paradise Inn, which sported large windows framed by wooden partitions and interesting looking wood cage lamps. Bright sunlight flittered in, giving rise to a cheery atmosphere sans the heat.

Thai Baby Kailan with Salted Fish

This dish came across as rather slip shod as the Kailan failed to absorb the gravy and came across as lightly sourish and raw. And the little bits of salted fish weren't salty enough to make much of a difference.

Prawns with Salted Egg

I'm a big fan of this dish but somehow Paradise Inn's rendition left much to be desired. For starters, it didn't look freshly prepared and the amount of oil was a turn off. Adding to the woes was the rather watery salted egg coating and thicker than ideal batter. However, taste wise it was still decent.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Restaurants tend to use quite a bit of fat meat in their sweet and sour pork dish and Paradise Inn was no exemption. The miniscule amount of meat tended towards the fatty side and the flour was too thick in my humble opinion. Average at best.

Mini Wok Tofu

Seafood Paradise has the exact same dish, just under a different name (and with significantly more ingredients) that's all. The tofu was soft but not exactly smooth and lacked the hint of smokiness that the one at Seafood Paradise offered. The portion of meat floss atop was found wanting as well. Still very palatable though.

Bill

Honestly, $65 for a 3 pax lunch isn't really expensive but quite a few of the dishes are similar to that of Seafood Paradise, albeit with a decrease in portion size and utilisation of inferior ingredients. Food overall is still decent though and so is the service. However I am not comfortable with the dilution of the Paradise brand name, one that I've always associated with above average quality food (save for the less than stellar experience at Taste Paradise Ion). Is the Paradise group really biting off more than it can chew? Only time will tell.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:7/10
Service:7/10
Food:6/10
Value for money:6/10

Overall:6.5/10

Address: #02-01/04 Bedok Point

Contact: 6447 8083

Opening Hours: Daily 11.30am – 10.00pm (last order 9.30pm)

Website: http://www.paradiseinn.com.sg/index.html

Capricci

2011-05-22T22:10:00.000+08:00

Finally got down to posting about the 2nd edition of Restaurant Week Singapore, which happened from the 21st to 27th March 2011 (Yes I know it's long overdue). With all the prominent restaurants (think Les Amis, St Julien, The Cliff etc) fully booked even before reservations were open to public, I had to settle (with some luck and fast fingers) for Capricci - the best of the remaining lot in my personal opinion.

Interior

And so we made our way down on a cool Tuesday evening and were ushered to a table smacked in the middle of the dining room and sandwiched between 2 others. So much for a romantic evening, especially since we were within earshot of the other tables and vice versa. But I've got to give it to Capricci. The place was tastefully done up with ambient lighting and oozed a serene sort of comfort - great for winding down after work, if only the table placements were better.

Complimentary Bread & Cream of Tomato

I honestly have no idea if the cream of tomato was meant to be consumed as a standalone but I had it with the complimentary bread, which had a positive effect of elevating the boring, bland piece of dough to one that had a nice creaminess with a lightly tart bearing.

Seafood Burger of Crabmeat and Salmon and Mix Salad

Personally I wasn't a fan of the seafood burger as it was way too fishy for my liking due to the combination of crab and salmon. So no comments.

John Dee Beef Tenderloin Tartar with Truffle Oil, Shaved Parmesan and Arugula

The beef tartar was soft and overly salty in my humble opinion. But when paired together with the parmesan and arugula, it was great as the saltiness wasn't so apparent. Nice way to kick start the dinner.

Oven Baked Suckling Pig Sardinia Style with Portobello Mushroom

I certainly didn't expect the suckling pig to come looking like something out of a Sci Fi movie. Sitting on a huge piece of mushroom was a bed of pork and sheltered by what looked like a warped piece of cracker, which was actually a piece of crackling crispy pig skin! The meat was a little too gamy for my liking but the drizzled sweet sauce helped mask it a little. Not something I would go for seconds though.

Gnocchi with Slow Cooked Kurobuta Pork Ragout

Yearning for flour, I had the gnocchi with slow cooked kurobuta pork ragout, which came across as above average. The not overly thick dumplings were stuffed with cheese but didn't threaten to overwhelm. And honestly, I wasn't able to tell if the pork ragout was really kurobuta as the shreds were too fine. But hey they provided a nice mildly chewy texture.

White Chocolate Mousse with Maraschino Cherries

This dessert turned totally different from what I was expecting. I envisioned a mould of white mousse but what I got was a mini popsicle lookalike. And it was all cherry and no chocolate taste. Way too strong.

Cocoa Cream Caramel Pudding with Amaretti

The cream caramel pudding was quivery and tasted quite a fair bit like almond jelly with toppings of crispy caramel bits. Interesting but nothing really outstanding.

Bill

Owing to the restaurant week deal, both of us only had to fork out $70++ or $82.40 after tax in total, which is a reasonable amount in quantitative terms. However, food quality wasn't up to my personal expectations and that might have had something to do with the discounted prices but I am unable to say for sure as I've never dined at Capricci prior to this. But I guess I'll never know as the menu somehow lacks that pull for a revisit.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:7/10
Service:7/10
Food:6.5/10
Value for money:6.5/10 (with the restaurant week discount)

Overall:6.75/10

Address: 27 Tanjong Pagar Road

Contact: 6221 6761

Opening Hours:

Monday - Friday
Lunch: 11:30am - 2:30pm
Dinner: 6:30pm - 10:30pm

Saturday
Dinner: 6:30pm - 10:30pm

Website: http://www.capricci.com.sg/

Kungfu Paradise

2011-05-15T21:16:00.000+08:00

The Paradise group of restaurants recently added a Hong Kong style cafe, Kungfu Paradise, to its ever expanding stable of restaurants which include well known outlets like Taste Paradise and Seafood Paradise. To mark the opening of Kungfu Paradise's first outlet at Bedok Point, invites were sent out for a tasting lunch, which I had the opportunity to attend.

The Place & Tasting Menu

Located on the first level of Bedok Point, Kungfu Paradise enjoys relatively higher human traffic by virtue of it being situated right next to the main doors of the mall. The interior is typical of any cafe with its wooden tables and plastic chairs. Funny how they aim to target the youth but are playing songs by Bon Jovi (which happens to fall smack into my era).

Kungfu Disciple Frappe ($6.80)

I have no idea how kungfu relates to peanut butter but this drink had a nice hint of it - smooth and creamy. Great for a soothing afternoon drink. But at $6.80 a pop, it's honestly quite expensive to be drinking on a regular basis.

Flying Kungfu Wings ($5.80 for 3pcs)

The wings were said to have been marinated in a special secret sauce but after chomping through one whole wing, it tasted to me like a deep fried chicken wing with a nice crispy layer of skin and no marination whatsoever. Special sauce you say?

Balls On Mash ($9.80)

As the name of this dish suggests, its basically meat balls on mashed potato. Decent with not too much flour and a tart tomato sauce which helped to balance out the mashed potatoes.

French Toast with Chicken Floss & Condensed Milk ($5.80)

I personally am not a fan of condensed milk on my bread so I didn't quite take to the french toast, which was a little too moist and sticky for my liking.

Chicken Chop "Babe" Rice with Tomato Sauce ($9.80)

Too salty was what came to mind when I had a spoonful of the cheese and rice. The tomato sauce was also a bit too overwhelming which grossed me out to a certain extent. It would have been better if they diluted it a little.

Soup Noodles with Braised Beef Brisket ($8.80)

How bad can instant noodles get? Doesn't take a chef to pry open a packet of instant noodles, add the seasoning and throw in pieces of beef and an egg. To give it credit though, the beef cubes were quite tasty and fibrous.

Flaming Crab Pasta ($10.80)

Spicy. And not being really adept at taking on spicy stuff, I am in no position to comment on this dish, save for the fact that the pasta wasn't al dente. Actually my taste buds were numb from the chilli and I was busy trying to douse the flames with water to even register anything besides hot, hot hot!

Be Hooked! ($9.80)

Simple fish and chips. Smooth and tender flesh coupled with an almost artificial sweetness encrusted by a not too thick layer of batter. Decent.

Mango Thai Chilli Chicken with Rice & Egg ($8.80)

The chicken was way too deep fried (look at the colour of the batter), resulting in a nausea inducing end product. Other than that, everything was, well, normal.

Nippon Power & Crushing Sesame ($6.80 each)

A nice cold dessert of shaved ice to end off the meal. Nothing too different from what you are able to get from other places.

I am not sure the quirky names appealed to me but the food certainly didn't. It was average food at best and I hope Kungfu Paradise will work towards improving their quality of food especially with the higher than average prices (as compared to other Hong Kong style cafes) they are charging for their food.

Thanks for the invite!

Final Verdict:
Ambience:6.5/10
Service:NA
Food:6/10
Value for money:NA

Overall:6.25/10

Address: #01-01 Bedok Point

Contact: 6242 0788

Opening Hours:

11am – 2am (Mon – Thu)

11am – 4am (Fri-Sun, eve of PH & PH)

Website: http://www.paradisegroup.com.sg/kungfu/index.html

Mimo

2011-05-08T22:00:00.003+08:00

Singapore's hectic pace of life has led many in search of a respite in the few remaining green lungs of our concrete city state. And I was no exception, jumping at the opportunity to take refuge one weekend morning in the lush greenery surrounding Mimo (formerly known as Mimolette) just off Bukit Timah Saddle Club.

The Place

If it's your first time to Mimo, it can get a little tricky as Fairways Drive is a small slip road off Eng Neo Ave and to get to Mimo, you need to go through the saddle club so watch out for the horses! The interior and furnishing is reminiscent of a quirky black and white pop up book (where the pictures pop up when you flip the pages). Most interesting.

Poached Egg & Crispy Bacon Salad

Stiff bacon, fresh greens and an overly cooked poached egg - nothing impressive, coming across as average at best and something I could easily whip up at home myself.

Streaky Bacon

As with the bacon found in the salad, this was grilled to a stiff crisp. From the looks and taste of it, it probably came straight from a packet off the supermarket shelf.

Sauteed Mushrooms

Served up with onions, the mushrooms were tasty but overly oily. Kinda icky to be chowing down slicker than normal mushrooms honestly.

Cottage Pie & Macaroni and Cheese

I opted not to try the above 2 dishes for fear of a cheese overload.

Croque Madame

Yet another lacklustre dish, the brioche wasn't flaky or buttery enough and the whole thing tasted like McDonald's egg Mcmuffin. Not that I dislike egg Mcmuffins or anything but 15 bucks is a little too much to pay for fast food wouldn't you think so?

Mimo Beef Burger

I had high hopes for the burger but as pretty as it looked, it failed to impress. Topped with sun dried tomatoes and a layer of parmesan crisp, that's where the compliments end. The patty seemed to be machine chopped from its texture and was a little dry and bland. The buns were run off the mill but I personally took to the side of sweet potato and purple potato chips, which were lightly seasoned with salt for an undeniable indulgence.

French Toasts

I secretly hoped that desserts would salvage the situation and they did, to a certain extent. The french toasts were rather spongy on the inside yet a little crisp along the edges with a hint of cinnamon. Add a dollop of butter and some honey and you are all set! Far from being the best I've had, but relatively a gem at Mimo.

Coconut Pancakes

The pancakes were nicely crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside with coconut shreds in attendance. The honey was decent but a little too watered down in my humble opinion.

Bill

The respite, albeit brief, was much appreciated. I can't say the same for the food and price though, having spent just over $160 for brunch for 3. Food in general was average at best but desserts performed a little better, weighing in at just slightly above average. Service was okay but a little clueless at times. With such a value proposition, I can hardly find any reason to return. Can you?

Final Verdict:
Ambience:7.5/10
Service:6.5/10
Food:6/10
Value for money:6/10

Overall:6.5/10

Address: 55 fairways drive

Contact: 6467 7748

Opening Hours:

Dinner
Friday- Saturday: 6pm - 11pm

Brunch
Saturday & Public Holidays: 10am - 3pm
Sunday, All Day Brunch: 10am - 6pm

Website: http://www.mimokitchen.com.sg/

Outback Steakhouse II - A Pictorial

2011-05-01T22:31:00.000+08:00

Address: #01-99 Time2 @ Millenia Walk

Contact: 6837 3242

Opening Hours: 1130am - 1030pm daily

Website: http://www.outback-sea.com/sg/index.html

Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine

2011-04-24T04:19:00.000+08:00

Arranged to meet up with a friend over dinner at Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine (or ITFCC for short), purportedly the crème de la crème of the Imperial Treasure group of restaurants, which of course explains the choice of location - Marina Bay Sands.

Interior & Menu

Situated alongside the celebrity restaurants on the second floor of the Marina Bay Sands shopping arcade, ITFCC's decor is reminiscent of its sister restaurant, Imperial Treasure Cantonese - modern classical with lots of glass and sombre colours.

Roasted Pork

We started off with a well known dish from the Imperial Treasure group - roasted pork, which had a good fat to meat ratio with a crisp top. Unfortunately, it wasn't served warm and that marred the experience quite a bit.

Roasted Duck

Roast goose wasn't in the menu so we had to make do with duck instead. Lean crisp skin coupled with succulent and not too gamy flesh made for a good eat. I still prefer goose though.

Sauteed Prawns with Italian White Truffle Oil

My usual order of scallops was out so the wait staff recommended substituting with prawn balls, which on paper, sounded equally enticing. But in reality, the truffle oil just didn't gel that well with the prawns however huge and crunchy they were.

Four Types of Vegetables with Oyster Sauce

Basically the kitchen chooses what four varieties of vegetables you will be getting based on what's available on that particular day. Served up with slightly starchy oyster sauce. Decent.

Yong Chow Fried Rice

Apart from the plentiful prawns and char siew (BBQ pork), I couldn't find any other reasons to like this dish. Lacking in wok hei and tasting flat throughout, the fried rice looked the part but failed to deliver.

Durian Pudding

A sweet and smooth ending to the meal and probably the highlight of the dinner. At least the quality was consistent with what I had at Imperial Treasure Cantonese.

Bill

We could barely walk after the meal. Heck, we could barely even finish the meal, all at a cost of about $130 for 2. Going by what we ordered, that's not exactly cheap and I certainly wouldn't consider it value for money for the quality of food. Don't get me wrong, the meal wasn't bad. In fact it was above average but personally I just felt it didn't warrant such a price tag. Especially since Imperial Treasure Cantonese @ Crowne Plaza can produce better food at that price point.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:7.5/10
Service:7.5/10
Food:7/10
Value for money:6/10

Overall:7/10

Address: L2-04 Marina Bay Sands Casino. Access via Bay Level (L1) lifts at UOB and Grand Colonnade North, as well as from Casino.

Contact: 6688 7788

Opening Hours:

Monday to Saturday 11.30am to 10.30pm
Dim Sum Available from 11.30am to 4.00pm

Sunday 11.00am to 11.30pm
Dim Sum Available from 11.00am to 4.00pm

Website: http://www.marinabaysands.com/Shoppin/Shop/Imperial_Treasure_Fine_Chinese_Cuisine.aspx

TGIFridays

2011-04-15T22:35:00.000+08:00

Eons ago when I was still in primary school, I remember the existence of TGIFridays and TGIF in Singapore. Both were American styled diners that offered a break from the mundane likes of Swensens. Both eateries eventually folded but fast forward to 2010 and TGIFridays is back in Singapore, apparently under a new management and with its one and only store at The Heeren.

The Place & Menu

Interestingly enough, TGIFridays occupies 2 sections within the Heeren compound - one al fresco dining/pub area on the first floor, just outside the mall and one air conditioned sitting area on the 2nd floor inside the mall. Both spaces are apparently linked by a staircase that features prominently at the entrance of the al fresco area on the ground floor. The decor is typical of any western diner with it's booth seats, wooden chairs and bottles of ketchup/chilli on the tables. Think Swensens or Pizza Hut.

Mushroom Soup

This was one seriously thick mushroom soup, probably due to the addition of potato. Tasty with a hint of peppery aftertaste but I wouldn't really call it mushroom soup due to the lack of a significant mushroom taste. Good for hungry people as it fills you up real fast.

Fried Mac & Cheese

I ordered this with much excitement as I'm just a sucker for anything with macaroni and cheese in the same line. I was secretly hoping that it would turn out like the mind blowing mac and cheese from The White Rabbit, even though that wasn't fried. Alas, it wasn't (duh!). But I still loved it anyways. Very cheesy with a crisp, deep fried flour shell encapsulating a gooey center of mac and cheese. Absolutely lip smacking! Definitely not for the health conscious or the anti junk food crusaders (now you know why I've been growing horizontally).

French Onion Soup

Alright this was another extremely cheesy dish. The layer of cheese atop the soup was simply wonderful - chewy and strong. A pity the same couldn't be said of the soup, which was muted at best.

Jack Daniel's 6oz Striploin

I'm honestly not a big fan of Jack Daniels whiskey but since it's TGIFriday's signature line of food items, we decided to give it a shot by starting off with a medium well striploin. I must say that although the meat did come across as a little too chewy, it had succulent written all over it with a nice crisp along the fatty trimmings. I guess the highlight here was the sauce, which was lightly sweet with a tinge of spice. Something new yet so familiar.

Jack Daniels Chicken

Following the steak, we had the chicken, which was tender and juicy. A pity the sauce didn't quite shine here as somehow the taste of chicken didn't gel quite well with it. But that's just my personal opinion.

Peanut Butter Pie

I loved this dessert. Okay I admit I'm biased towards anything with peanut butter (ie. Reese peanut butter cups). Creamy, smooth with a hint of peanuts on a soft base of peanut crumble - The ultimate peanut butter fan's dream! If you love Reese peanut butter cups, you will love this not so sweet and much larger version.

Bill

The bill stood at $73.70 for a belly bursting lunch for 2 (we had the lunch set. Imagine if it was dinner), which was honestly quite expensive considering the quality of ingredients that went into the meal. I personally thought the food was decent but I'm not so sure that alone justifies the price tag. Service was decent but spotty and at times it was difficult to catch the attention of anyone even though the place was almost empty.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:6.5/10
Service:6.5/10
Food:7/10
Value for money:6/10

Overall:6.5/10

Address: #01-K5, 260 Orchard Road, The Heeren

Contact: 67374223

Opening Hours:

Sunday - Thursday : 11am to 12mn

Friday - Saturday : 11am - 2am

Website: http://www.fridays.com.sg/

DB Bistro Moderne

2011-04-10T21:59:00.001+08:00

Michelin starred Daniel Boulud recently opened a branch of his award winning DB Bistro Moderne (originally from New York), at the Marina Bay Sands Singapore. This top rated French- American bistro, in the words of Daniel Boulud, aims to provide Singaporeans with a "convivial, delicious and affordable" experience.

The Place & Menu

The place is reminiscent of a typical Parisian bistro with its "sidewalk" seating and striking red booth seats at the corner. Coupled with dark tones and cream backed chairs, the whole setting presented itself as soothing with a tinge of formalness. And tables are spaced far apart enough to ensure privacy during conversation, but get the booth seats if you can or the "sidewalk" seats if you are somewhat of a voyeur or enjoy being gawked at.

Croque Monsieur, Barramundi Grenobloise, Poached Eggs Benedict, Pot De Creme & Crepes

I didn't try any of the above stuff so no comments.

The Original DB Burger

Is it just me or is the size of the patty a little on the large side? Alright, large is a ridiculous understatement. The entire burger looked absolutely lopsided in favour of the beef (no complaints though!) and the buns, nothing more than puny pieces of window dressing. I asked for my patty to be done medium and it honestly looked rare but I attribute that to the sirloin short ribs being braised in red wine. Taste wise, the patty had the makings of a good burger - inherent beefy taste, juicy with bits of fat and a nice mildly uneven texture. It's only pitfall(s)? The absence of any foie gras taste (I see it, but I don't taste it) and the copious amount of salt that went into it. I like salt but trust me, this was salty. Not salty enough to keep me and my continuously refilled glass of iced water from polishing up every last morsel of it though. Ironically, the fries could have done with some salt but I guess the serving of mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup sufficed.

Profiteroles au Cafe

I am quite a fan of this classic French dessert and when I learnt that it was going to be drenched in chocolate syrup, I was sold instantly! And boy oh boy, was it drenched in chocolate. The profiteroles were stuffed with coffee rocky road ice cream, marshmallows, nuts and covered with a thin layer of chocolate. Hot chocolate sauce was then poured slowly over to melt the chocolate and coat the profiteroles were a thick layer of decadent, happiness inducing chocolate syrup. The richness of chocolate coupled with a smooth strong coffee taste - very good. Just don't consume too much as it might prove overwhelming hence the magic number of 3 per serving (I ate 4 and it really got to me).

Bill

On my part, I paid about $62 for a belly bursting brunch in a nice environment, great company and great service. My burger was decent, just too salty but the profiteroles were sinfully good. I'm not sure the burger warrants the hefty price tag of $38++ though, seeing that I can probably get similar quality at Mortons and Spruce at a lower price or a significantly higher value ratio at Smokinn Frogz. However, if you are of the opinion that $38++ is small change, you are more than welcome to indulge in it and for something more luxurious, there is the black truffle variant, which costs a cool $88++ and is available only during dinner.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:7.5/10
Service:7.5/10
Food:7/10 (I would have given 7.5 if the burger wasn't that salty)
Value for money:6/10

Overall:7/10

Address: #B1-48 Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Contact: 6688 8525

Opening Hours:

Monday - Friday

Lunch: 12pm - 2.30pm

Dinner : 5:30pm - 10.30pm

Saturday and Sunday

Brunch : 11am - 3pm

Dinner : 5:30pm - 10.30pm

Website: http://danielnyc.com/dbbistroSingapore.html

Amici

2011-04-03T21:48:00.000+08:00

Amici, which means friends in Italian, has been around for quite a while but we've never really gotten down to trying it even though there have been quite a number of favourable reviews circulating around on the internet. That changed when we popped by the Holland Village area to buy some baking supplies and decided to give Amici a shot.

Interior

Finding the place takes some navigation skills as the place around it seems to be under construction which makes it hard to see the place until you actually walk near it. There is a small al fresco area but I wouldn't recommend that especially if you go in the afternoon and with all the construction going on. The seemingly narrow air conditioned interior lets loose a cosy vibe but watch out for the too close for comfort table spacing and the unforgiving air circulation system which will have you smelling of food within minutes.

Complimentary Bread

We got off to a nice start with the warm and crusty complimentary bread that had pockets of what seemed like cranberries. Mildly sweet and comforting.

Carbonara

The carbonara wasn't al dente but on the upside, it didn't come across as too rich which toned down the nausea inducing factor. The plentiful bacon pieces were a plus as well.

Squid Ink Pasta

Apparently a specialty at Amici, the squid ink pasta was the drenched in squid ink variant, not the made from squid ink kind, of which the latter I personally prefer. I could make out a noticeable tartness in the pasta ( I assume they probably tossed the pasta in tomato sauce first before dunking it in squid ink) which did make it more appetising. What caught my attention was the delectable pieces of cod fish that were crisp on the outside and exuded a natural sweetness from within. There was also a generous serving of squid rings which served to up the chewy factor.

Tiramisu

The desserts were certainly the stars of the evening and it started with tiramisu, which had a great sponge to mascarpone ratio. The sponge wasn't overly soaked in coffee but where's the alcohol?! Still very good though and if there's any reason I'll return to Amici, this would be it!

Cappuccino Cake

I'm no big fan of coffee but this dessert surprised me. 5 layers of sponge compacted with a thin layer of wafer in between - firm in texture with a sweet hint of coffee. The ice cream that came alongside didn't gel with me though, seeing that it was literally milk solidified and came across as overpowering.

Bill

Through the use of a voucher, we had the cheaper main course free, which brought our bill to a more manageable $56 for a 2 pax lunch. Reasonable I may say, but I'll probably only be back for the desserts. Service was decent but then again, the place wasn't packed so it's probably not a good gauge.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:7/10 (Doesn't take into account the poor ventilation system)
Service:7/10
Food:6.5/10 (7.5/10 for both cakes)
Value for money:6.5/10

Overall:6.75/10

Address: 275 Holland Avenue

Contact: 6469 9989

Opening Hours:

Mon–Thu: 11.30am – 3pm,6pm – 11pm

Fri–Sat: 11.30am – 11.30pm

Sun: 11.30am – 11pm

Website: http://www.amici.com.sg/

Fatboy's The Burger Bar II

2011-03-27T15:55:00.000+08:00

Had another go at Fatboy's, this time at their newly opened outlet at Joo Chiat, in the hope that food quality had improved over my previous visit.

Interior & Menu

The place is reminiscent of its pioneer outlet at Upper Thomson but boasts a bigger seating capacity for a less cluttered feel. I personally like the relaxed, homely vibe that the place emanates, especially with only 3-4 tables occupied on a weekday afternoon.

Rootbeer Float

Nothing like a cold mug of rootbeer float to keep the afternoon heat at bay.

Wimpy

Fat Bastard

To my disappointment, no, the burger hadn't improved. Machine chopped frozen beef patty sandwiched between listless buns that didn't make things anymore appetising. A little salt would have probably gone a long way in making things more palatable. But to be fair, the burger isn't bad. It's just average by many yardsticks in my humble opinion.

Bill

Lunch for 3 cost to the tune of $60. People often say, three strikes and you are out. Does that mean I have to give Fatboy's another chance somewhere down the line? Considering it ain't exactly cheap for a burger, maybe not.

Final Verdict:
Ambience:7/10
Service:7/10
Food:6/10
Value for money:6/10

Overall:6.5/10

Address: 465 Joo Chiat Road

Contact: 63466081

Opening Hours: Daily: Noon to late

Website: http://www.fatboys.sg/

Mortons Part V

2011-03-18T22:53:00.000+08:00

I think I'm getting addicted to Mortons (which isn't exactly a good thing!), with my last visit less than 3 months back. Whatever happened to dining during special occasions only? Well, to cut the long story short, we got our favourite booth seats and a charming waiter for the evening.

Onion Loaf

We resisted the temptation to stuff ourselves silly with the devilishly delicious onion loaf and only took a nibble or two in anticipation of the courses to follow.

Caesar Salad

Well tossed in dressing but pretty much your average salad with fresh iceburg lettuce and non rancid croutons.

Jumbo Lump Crab Cake

Contrary to the wonderful crab cakes we had the previous round, this was disappointing. The surface was way too charred and the crab meat came across as a tad too dry. Not that it was bad but I just didn't have the stomach to finish it all.

Broiled Sea Scallops Wrapped in Bacon

It was the sort of dish that made me go wow and grin with glee, not by how complicated it was, but more of how something so simple could taste so good. The scallops were huge, succulent and bursting with natural sweetness to boot. The bacon tasted fresh and added a salty dimension to this dish. Served alongside was a dollop of apricot chutney, which came across as mind numbingly sweet when eaten alone. But paired with the scallops and bacon, it helped to mask the oiliness. Sinfully wonderful!

Mashed Potatoes

A staple in all our visits to Mortons, we pampered ourselves with numerous servings of fresh, crisp bacon bits and sour cream to accompany the smooth mashed potato. Would still like more butter in it though.

Colossal Shrimp Alexander

What you get for $84++ is six unbelievably huge shrimps lightly dusted with crumbs, deep fried and served with a generous portion of paella. The shrimps were absolutely crunchy and tasty and like the scallops, made me exclaim in appreciation. The paella was firm and tasty almost to a fault. Read. It's salty so drink more water.

Single Cut Fillet Mignon

Done to a perfect medium rare with little charred bits along the edges, the fillet mignon was still good - no unhappy surprises here.

Upside Down Apple Pie

Still good with tart apple slices coupled with raisins and a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. I never seem to get sick of this dessert.

Morton's Hot Chocolate Cake

The legend never fails me and I'm more than happy to indulge (at the expense of my health) in the viscous molten chocolate and crisp shell with a side of vanilla ice cream.

Bill

Total bill for 2 with a $100 discount voucher stood just shy of $200, which isn't cheap (no one walks into Mortons expecting a cheap meal anyway) but definitely satisfying. Service towards the end (especially the billing part) did seem a little slow but commendable nonetheless.

Final Verdict:

Ambience:7/10
Service:8/10
Food:8/10
Value for money:7/10
Overall:7.5/10

Address: 4th Storey, Mandarin Oriental Singapore

Contact: 6339-3740

Opening Hours:

Bar
Monday - Saturday 5pm - 11pm
Sunday 5pm - 10pm

Dining Room
Monday - Saturday 5:30pm - 11pm
Sunday 5pm - 10pm

Website: http://www.mortons.com/singapore/

Yan Ting Part VIII - A Pictorial

2011-03-13T14:26:00.000+08:00