Situated in an old neighbourhood coffee shop, LavaRock is another food stall determined to bring fine food to the masses.
It's hard to miss them; their signboard is huge and bright red, while the service staff would tempt passers-by with copies of their menu.
Their style of service is somewhat similar to Kenny Rogers - you order a main and get to choose two side dishes from the array at their counter.
I decided to start with their Homemade Mushroom Soup. It was a little bland and there were some lumps of starch floating around. At $2, I guess I couldn't really ask for much. It's leaps and bounds better than canned soup after all.
Apparently they are famous for their steak, so how could I not try it? I ordered a Grilled Ribeye Steak King Sized for $15.90. Yes they have queen sized steaks too but I was really hungry... They tried to up sell me the Sizzling Grilled Ribeye Steak for $2 extra, which is essentially the same thing I ordered except it comes on a hotplate. Didn't see the point or value in that.
Anyhow, their steaks are chilled, not frozen, and air-flown from New Zealand. It really does show when you bite into it; the meat was slightly pink in the center, tender and juicy, while the fat completely melted in my mouth. Awesomeness in a bite!
With my steak, I had Mashed Potato with Gravy and a Pasta Salad. Nothing special there, just comfort food.
My boyfriend had Chicken Cutlet ($6.50) with Creamy Pasta Salad, Butter Potato and Butter Rice. Carb overload much. Anyway, the chicken was very crispy, a little oily but generally very tender and not chewy like what you get at other kopitiams. However, if you go there, don't order the Butter Rice. It's completely tasteless.
Overall, the price is a little steep for a kopitiam but great for the quality of food they provide. For the main courses, anyway. Try if you're in the area!
I'm a sucker for Japanese food, so having it for lunch was quite a treat. If you are working near Paya Lebar, listen up. Suki Sushi has awesome lunch deals for the working crowd!
For more details, refer to my photos, I took a photo of the promo. But imagine having a full sized main course, with a full sized side dish and a cup of green tea for only $6.99! I thought that at such a low price, the portions served would be miserable, but boy was I wrong.
I ordered a Chicken Katsudon with a side dish of Mussel Mentai ($6.99) and they were good. The chicken was served promptly and the portions were huge. Crispy and tender, my only complain was that it was slightly plain tasting. But hey, at such a price, it's a steal! The four mussels were great, juicy and not too chewy, while the sauce was potent enough.
We also ordered a Cha Soba (it was gigantic!), Shishamo side dish and a Grilled Squid side dish which name I cannot remember for the life of me. Sorry la, too busy eating.
Oh and the Chawanmushi is only $0.99! The ingredients in it were not too stingy, there was still plenty of mushrooms, crabsticks and whatnot in it.
The bill for five of us came up to $54, after including all our extra sushi off the conveyor belt. Cheap or what!
The lunch special is extended to Saturdays and Sundays as well, so if you live near the area, trust me, it's worth a visit.
Arab St is considered to be one of my favourite food haunts because they have so much good food there! My friends and I settled with Zac Cafe instead of Nabins because first, it's cheaper, and second, I was lazy to walk.
Since my friend knew the manager, he was very nice and friendly to us and accommodated most of our requests. Even though the rest of the service staff had deadpan faces, at least our food, drinks and cutlery arrived promptly.
I tried the Mixed Grilled Platter ($19.50), which consists of chicken and beef kebabs, grilled mutton, a couple of sausages of unknown meat origins and potato wedges. The waiter said it's enough for two to share, but it definitely wasn't enough for my friend and I! At least, she was full but I had space for more :(
Anyhow. The spices were great, meat was pretty okay, grilled nicely so it was still quite tender and juicy. Not exactly value for money, but it's considered to be one of the cheapest if you compare it to places like Cafe Le Caire, where the mixed kebabs could easily cost you over $20.
We also tried the Grilled Kofta Kebab ($7.50) served with rice and the Lamb Bamya (8.80) served with rice and salad. Pretty much the same as the grilled platter (:
Didn't manage to try the sheesha here though. I still prefer having my sheesha where I can sit and lounge around like a bum. Maybe next time (:
I've been here twice. During my first visit, the food was slightly above average, the service staff were polite, friendly and helpful but the service was crazy slow. I waited more than 20 minutes for my pasta. I waited just as long during my second visit too. The restaurant wasn't even full, mind you.
The quality of food served on both occasions was so vastly different it makes you wonder whether you were in the right place.
The Chicky Cheese appetiser ($9.90) was juicy and crispy but the cheese poured over the chicken tasted somewhat like the cheese salsa dip they serve at Long John Silvers, albeit a strangely diluted version. Even the LJS version tastes better.
I ordered the Chilli Soft Shell Crab Pasta ($15.90) on both occasions. The sauce attempts to emulate the very same sauce of our local chilli crab dish and was pretty tasty the first time round. The soft shell crab was crispy, the sauce was decent.
However, during my second visit, the portions were significantly smaller and the dish lacked the oomph of the one I had on my last visit. The soft shell crab was soggy and the sauce was bland. It seemed shocking that within a month, their standard could take a drastic nosedive.
I can't remember what pasta my boyfriend ordered, but the portion was at least twice the size of mine, with lots of beef. Obviously, the beef was not left to defrost judging from the way they clumped together.
This restaurant is definitely one with a bi-polar disorder. I don't think I'll be visiting this place again, even with their attractive 100% rebate for Citibank cardmembers.
No pictures because obviously, they weren't exactly worth taking.
I discovered this quaint little coffee joint along Bali lane only because my friend introduced it to me. I never knew it existed, since it's often overshadowed by Blue Jazz and Masquerade in that row...
But I'm glad I discovered it because it's an awesome place to chill out! There are seats upstairs as well, and there are sofas as well as this platform area with lots of cushions on the floor where you can just lounge around or play games they provide there (spotted boggle and scrabble among the pile...)
We went there after dinner so there was no space for food, but plenty for drinks and dessert. Bring on the chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream! Granted, it wasn't the best I've ever tasted, but it's pretty decent and well-presented at $7.50. Could be warmer and a little more oozy though.
The drinks there are comparable with TCC and Coffee Club. My friends order the Hazelnut Latte and some other latte I can't remember and they loved it. But they thought the smoothies were a little too sour for their liking. I had a sinfully rich hot chocolate for $5, which I thought was pretty decent.
The service is decent, ambiance and music is great and drinks are nice. Would definitely patronise this place again!
Passed by this shop today and couldn't resist the shoes just screaming for attention...
Anyway, to the cut the long story short, I have been dying for a pair of Dr. Martens for the longest time, and today a very nice sales person was actually very helpful and very friendly in helping me find the perfect cut and the perfect fit.
He advised me on which cut suited Asian legs best (I am quite short mah...) and brought out different designs, cuts and colours for me to choose from. How could I possibly resist?
So there I was, trying out the high cut, pure white Dr. Martens, almost prancing in front of the mirror, listening to him telling me how to take care of the leather, how to clean it, how to best season it and maintain the colour etc... I must say he was very helpful and very nice about it all.
Excited as I was, I decided to wear it on the spot. Not only did he help me pack my shoes, he also helped me lace up my brand new Dr. Martens. Don't underestimate these leather boots, they are damn hard to lace up for the first time, since the leather is stiff!
Very impressed with the service there, though I forgot to ask him his name. Pity!
Chanced upon this place two weeks ago with the bf. This little restaurant is tucked away in a tiny corner of the 7th floor, of the big vertical maze that is Orchard Central. I confess I knew nothing about this restaurant although it has several branches around Singapore.
Also, I knew nothing about its signature dish, the Okos. Until now, I have no idea what it stands for. However, the Moonlight Okos that I ordered was served in a big platter with a flattened metal spatula not unlike those of a teppanyaki chef.
It comprised of pork, squid, prawns and cabbage packed in a flour / egg mixture and garnished with lots of fish flakes and a sunny-side-up egg, all drenched in teppanyaki sauce and mayonnaise. To me, it tasted like one big takoyaki, but with more flavour. Quite tasty and very, very filling. 3/5 stars I would say.
The boyfriend ordered a Pork Soba Omu, which I thought was much tastier than my Moonlight Okos. The bacon strip is dipped in teppanyaki sauce, rolled up, then fried with the noodles, making it much more flavorful. All of this was wrapped in one big omelette, with lots of sauce on top. Sinful as hell but I love it! 4/5 stars.
Didn't manage to try their desserts but they sure do look interesting on the menu.
The service was only average as the place is new. The waitresses would hover around tables attempting to look for a table number before doubling back to check the kitchen orders again, all the while carrying the food around. Could do with a bit of improvement there.
I decided on Visage over places like Striped and Honeypot for my virgin brazilian waxing session because they have been around much longer than the others.
It seems like a strange reason, but I'm the type who believes in well-established brands (:
They leave you alone to get washed up first and even though the towels are in serious need of fabric softeners, I can't complain about the level of hygiene. Most important factor when it comes to waxing!
I have to say I'm pretty satisfied by the service there. Firstly, the staff are friendly. My waxer, (is that how you address them?) Evonne, is really professional and puts me at ease before getting down to business, so it's less awkward.
She explains exactly what she's going to do and warns you about the pain factor. Also, she applies just enough pressure on the skin right after the ripping to lessen the pain. This is done in quite a short time too.
But trust me when I say waxing is painful. I thought my navel piercing was bad, but this is at least 1000 times worse! Well worth it, though. The smoothness is great!
It's a bit pricey but I like it that it's in a less popular part of Orchard so there's a BIT more privacy... I think.
I usually go there for facial threading - this place is really good. They are very quick and professional when it comes to threading.
The end result? My eyebrows are nicely shaped and complement my eye shape. Best of all, they give you a disposable wet towel straight from the fridge after threading to reduce the redness and relieve the pain.
Recently, I decided to try their eyelash perming service. I've got to admit I was sorely disappointed by it - the girl doesn't seem to know what to do to hold my eyelashes in place before applying the perm lotion!
I have very Asian eyes - small, slitty, mono-lidded with poker-straight lashes and she had to try to re-clamp it with an oversized eyelash-curler-looking device. She even tried forcing and I almost got a bruised eye!
After the entire ordeal, my eyelashes were only permed slightly at the very tip. Quite a waste of my time (45 mins!) and money I must say.
I only recommend you try their threading - its good, fast and cheap. The rest? Well you're definitely better off heading to a good beauty salon for that.
When I walked in to this restaurant,I was expecting some Indian customers and the unique Indian ambience. supprisingly, I see no Indian except for one waitress and one supervisor. The interior design is simple but nice and cosy. The best is they do not serve Indian food. The waiter who attended to us is a Chinese. After seated, we were given a menu. Unlike other restaurant, the price for the dishes are not clearly stated with the dollar sign. It is just a small number printed below each dish and you have to guess what it actually means. To be certain, I checked with the waiter and confirmed that it is the price for the food.
This restaurant was featured on TV for its Crab Claws. We wanted chilli crab, but they serve only claws. According to the supervisor, you may book in advance if you want the entire crab. $15 for 4 claws. A little on the high side because the claws were relatively small. However, they are quite delicious.
The Jade chicken soup ( $8 for one person ) is tasty too. It is actually similar to normal chicken soup but green in colour like Jade. It is nicer than the Seafood clear soup which my friend had ordered. The steam fish with lemon is quite special. It is fresh, a little sweet and sour and it is definitely worth trying except that the fish is too small ( $28 ). The most famous drink Mango Lassi ( $7 ) is very well accepted here. It is Mango mixed with Yogart. I can see most table ordered this juice.
On the whole, I find this Chinese restaurant by Indian is unique and worth recommending. I will come back again to try out other dishes.
1=SGD 0.0587
Situated in an old neighbourhood coffee shop, LavaRock is another food stall determined to bring fine food to the masses.
It's hard to miss them; their signboard is huge and bright red, while the service staff would tempt passers-by with copies of their menu.
Their style of service is somewhat similar to Kenny Rogers - you order a main and get to choose two side dishes from the array at their counter.
I decided to start with their Homemade Mushroom Soup. It was a little bland and there were some lumps of starch floating around. At $2, I guess I couldn't really ask for much. It's leaps and bounds better than canned soup after all.
Apparently they are famous for their steak, so how could I not try it? I ordered a Grilled Ribeye Steak King Sized for $15.90. Yes they have queen sized steaks too but I was really hungry... They tried to up sell me the Sizzling Grilled Ribeye Steak for $2 extra, which is essentially the same thing I ordered except it comes on a hotplate. Didn't see the point or value in that.
Anyhow, their steaks are chilled, not frozen, and air-flown from New Zealand. It really does show when you bite into it; the meat was slightly pink in the center, tender and juicy, while the fat completely melted in my mouth. Awesomeness in a bite!
With my steak, I had Mashed Potato with Gravy and a Pasta Salad. Nothing special there, just comfort food.
My boyfriend had Chicken Cutlet ($6.50) with Creamy Pasta Salad, Butter Potato and Butter Rice. Carb overload much. Anyway, the chicken was very crispy, a little oily but generally very tender and not chewy like what you get at other kopitiams. However, if you go there, don't order the Butter Rice. It's completely tasteless.
Overall, the price is a little steep for a kopitiam but great for the quality of food they provide. For the main courses, anyway. Try if you're in the area!
Rating given:
I'm a sucker for Japanese food, so having it for lunch was quite a treat. If you are working near Paya Lebar, listen up. Suki Sushi has awesome lunch deals for the working crowd!
For more details, refer to my photos, I took a photo of the promo. But imagine having a full sized main course, with a full sized side dish and a cup of green tea for only $6.99! I thought that at such a low price, the portions served would be miserable, but boy was I wrong.
I ordered a Chicken Katsudon with a side dish of Mussel Mentai ($6.99) and they were good. The chicken was served promptly and the portions were huge. Crispy and tender, my only complain was that it was slightly plain tasting. But hey, at such a price, it's a steal! The four mussels were great, juicy and not too chewy, while the sauce was potent enough.
We also ordered a Cha Soba (it was gigantic!), Shishamo side dish and a Grilled Squid side dish which name I cannot remember for the life of me. Sorry la, too busy eating.
Oh and the Chawanmushi is only $0.99! The ingredients in it were not too stingy, there was still plenty of mushrooms, crabsticks and whatnot in it.
The bill for five of us came up to $54, after including all our extra sushi off the conveyor belt. Cheap or what!
The lunch special is extended to Saturdays and Sundays as well, so if you live near the area, trust me, it's worth a visit.
Rating given:
Arab St is considered to be one of my favourite food haunts because they have so much good food there! My friends and I settled with Zac Cafe instead of Nabins because first, it's cheaper, and second, I was lazy to walk.
Since my friend knew the manager, he was very nice and friendly to us and accommodated most of our requests. Even though the rest of the service staff had deadpan faces, at least our food, drinks and cutlery arrived promptly.
I tried the Mixed Grilled Platter ($19.50), which consists of chicken and beef kebabs, grilled mutton, a couple of sausages of unknown meat origins and potato wedges. The waiter said it's enough for two to share, but it definitely wasn't enough for my friend and I! At least, she was full but I had space for more :(
Anyhow. The spices were great, meat was pretty okay, grilled nicely so it was still quite tender and juicy. Not exactly value for money, but it's considered to be one of the cheapest if you compare it to places like Cafe Le Caire, where the mixed kebabs could easily cost you over $20.
We also tried the Grilled Kofta Kebab ($7.50) served with rice and the Lamb Bamya (8.80) served with rice and salad. Pretty much the same as the grilled platter (:
Didn't manage to try the sheesha here though. I still prefer having my sheesha where I can sit and lounge around like a bum. Maybe next time (:
Rating given:
I've been here twice. During my first visit, the food was slightly above average, the service staff were polite, friendly and helpful but the service was crazy slow. I waited more than 20 minutes for my pasta. I waited just as long during my second visit too. The restaurant wasn't even full, mind you.
The quality of food served on both occasions was so vastly different it makes you wonder whether you were in the right place.
The Chicky Cheese appetiser ($9.90) was juicy and crispy but the cheese poured over the chicken tasted somewhat like the cheese salsa dip they serve at Long John Silvers, albeit a strangely diluted version. Even the LJS version tastes better.
I ordered the Chilli Soft Shell Crab Pasta ($15.90) on both occasions. The sauce attempts to emulate the very same sauce of our local chilli crab dish and was pretty tasty the first time round. The soft shell crab was crispy, the sauce was decent.
However, during my second visit, the portions were significantly smaller and the dish lacked the oomph of the one I had on my last visit. The soft shell crab was soggy and the sauce was bland. It seemed shocking that within a month, their standard could take a drastic nosedive.
I can't remember what pasta my boyfriend ordered, but the portion was at least twice the size of mine, with lots of beef. Obviously, the beef was not left to defrost judging from the way they clumped together.
This restaurant is definitely one with a bi-polar disorder. I don't think I'll be visiting this place again, even with their attractive 100% rebate for Citibank cardmembers.
No pictures because obviously, they weren't exactly worth taking.
Rating given:
I discovered this quaint little coffee joint along Bali lane only because my friend introduced it to me. I never knew it existed, since it's often overshadowed by Blue Jazz and Masquerade in that row...
But I'm glad I discovered it because it's an awesome place to chill out! There are seats upstairs as well, and there are sofas as well as this platform area with lots of cushions on the floor where you can just lounge around or play games they provide there (spotted boggle and scrabble among the pile...)
We went there after dinner so there was no space for food, but plenty for drinks and dessert. Bring on the chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream! Granted, it wasn't the best I've ever tasted, but it's pretty decent and well-presented at $7.50. Could be warmer and a little more oozy though.
The drinks there are comparable with TCC and Coffee Club. My friends order the Hazelnut Latte and some other latte I can't remember and they loved it. But they thought the smoothies were a little too sour for their liking. I had a sinfully rich hot chocolate for $5, which I thought was pretty decent.
The service is decent, ambiance and music is great and drinks are nice. Would definitely patronise this place again!
Rating given:
Passed by this shop today and couldn't resist the shoes just screaming for attention...
Anyway, to the cut the long story short, I have been dying for a pair of Dr. Martens for the longest time, and today a very nice sales person was actually very helpful and very friendly in helping me find the perfect cut and the perfect fit.
He advised me on which cut suited Asian legs best (I am quite short mah...) and brought out different designs, cuts and colours for me to choose from. How could I possibly resist?
So there I was, trying out the high cut, pure white Dr. Martens, almost prancing in front of the mirror, listening to him telling me how to take care of the leather, how to clean it, how to best season it and maintain the colour etc... I must say he was very helpful and very nice about it all.
Excited as I was, I decided to wear it on the spot. Not only did he help me pack my shoes, he also helped me lace up my brand new Dr. Martens. Don't underestimate these leather boots, they are damn hard to lace up for the first time, since the leather is stiff!
Very impressed with the service there, though I forgot to ask him his name. Pity!
Rating given:
Chanced upon this place two weeks ago with the bf. This little restaurant is tucked away in a tiny corner of the 7th floor, of the big vertical maze that is Orchard Central. I confess I knew nothing about this restaurant although it has several branches around Singapore.
Also, I knew nothing about its signature dish, the Okos. Until now, I have no idea what it stands for. However, the Moonlight Okos that I ordered was served in a big platter with a flattened metal spatula not unlike those of a teppanyaki chef.
It comprised of pork, squid, prawns and cabbage packed in a flour / egg mixture and garnished with lots of fish flakes and a sunny-side-up egg, all drenched in teppanyaki sauce and mayonnaise. To me, it tasted like one big takoyaki, but with more flavour. Quite tasty and very, very filling. 3/5 stars I would say.
The boyfriend ordered a Pork Soba Omu, which I thought was much tastier than my Moonlight Okos. The bacon strip is dipped in teppanyaki sauce, rolled up, then fried with the noodles, making it much more flavorful. All of this was wrapped in one big omelette, with lots of sauce on top. Sinful as hell but I love it! 4/5 stars.
Didn't manage to try their desserts but they sure do look interesting on the menu.
The service was only average as the place is new. The waitresses would hover around tables attempting to look for a table number before doubling back to check the kitchen orders again, all the while carrying the food around. Could do with a bit of improvement there.
Rating given:
I decided on Visage over places like Striped and Honeypot for my virgin brazilian waxing session because they have been around much longer than the others.
It seems like a strange reason, but I'm the type who believes in well-established brands (:
They leave you alone to get washed up first and even though the towels are in serious need of fabric softeners, I can't complain about the level of hygiene. Most important factor when it comes to waxing!
I have to say I'm pretty satisfied by the service there. Firstly, the staff are friendly. My waxer, (is that how you address them?) Evonne, is really professional and puts me at ease before getting down to business, so it's less awkward.
She explains exactly what she's going to do and warns you about the pain factor. Also, she applies just enough pressure on the skin right after the ripping to lessen the pain. This is done in quite a short time too.
But trust me when I say waxing is painful. I thought my navel piercing was bad, but this is at least 1000 times worse! Well worth it, though. The smoothness is great!
It's a bit pricey but I like it that it's in a less popular part of Orchard so there's a BIT more privacy... I think.
Would definitely go back again!
Rating given:
I usually go there for facial threading - this place is really good. They are very quick and professional when it comes to threading.
The end result? My eyebrows are nicely shaped and complement my eye shape. Best of all, they give you a disposable wet towel straight from the fridge after threading to reduce the redness and relieve the pain.
Recently, I decided to try their eyelash perming service. I've got to admit I was sorely disappointed by it - the girl doesn't seem to know what to do to hold my eyelashes in place before applying the perm lotion!
I have very Asian eyes - small, slitty, mono-lidded with poker-straight lashes and she had to try to re-clamp it with an oversized eyelash-curler-looking device. She even tried forcing and I almost got a bruised eye!
After the entire ordeal, my eyelashes were only permed slightly at the very tip. Quite a waste of my time (45 mins!) and money I must say.
I only recommend you try their threading - its good, fast and cheap. The rest? Well you're definitely better off heading to a good beauty salon for that.
Rating given:
When I walked in to this restaurant,I was expecting some Indian customers and the unique Indian ambience. supprisingly, I see no Indian except for one waitress and one supervisor. The interior design is simple but nice and cosy. The best is they do not serve Indian food. The waiter who attended to us is a Chinese. After seated, we were given a menu. Unlike other restaurant, the price for the dishes are not clearly stated with the dollar sign. It is just a small number printed below each dish and you have to guess what it actually means. To be certain, I checked with the waiter and confirmed that it is the price for the food.
This restaurant was featured on TV for its Crab Claws. We wanted chilli crab, but they serve only claws. According to the supervisor, you may book in advance if you want the entire crab. $15 for 4 claws. A little on the high side because the claws were relatively small. However, they are quite delicious.
The Jade chicken soup ( $8 for one person ) is tasty too. It is actually similar to normal chicken soup but green in colour like Jade. It is nicer than the Seafood clear soup which my friend had ordered. The steam fish with lemon is quite special. It is fresh, a little sweet and sour and it is definitely worth trying except that the fish is too small ( $28 ). The most famous drink Mango Lassi ( $7 ) is very well accepted here. It is Mango mixed with Yogart. I can see most table ordered this juice.
On the whole, I find this Chinese restaurant by Indian is unique and worth recommending. I will come back again to try out other dishes.
Rating given: