Today marks the beginning of my makan sessions with a group of like minded food enthusiasts from various forums. Our choice of dinner venue was Astons Specialties at East Coast Rd. This joint has been highly recommended by many seasoned foodies and expectations were high as we made our way there at about 2000hrs. There was quite a queue of people waiting to get in and although I had made a reservation on Wednesday, there was no record of my name to be found, which naturally left me furious. Astons admitted that it was error on their part and although we had to wait for about 25mins for a table, credit has to be given to them for trying to get us a table ASAP. One thing I noticed about the place was that it was actually quite small and squeezy. There were barely 10 tables around and air conditioning was poor. They could well do with more powerful air conditioners or an air curtain at the entrance to prevent the cool air from rushing out.
Food wise, I shared the Wagyu beef promotion @ $38.90 for a 200g cut and the Ieat Super Burger with a friend. Both were done medium rare. According to them, the wagyu was supposed to have a marbling score of 5/6, which was pretty decent for the price. The wagyu came with 2 sides (I chose fries and pasta salad) which was pretty uninspiring. The pasta salad was almost tasteless and the fries were thin and had the same seasoning as that of Botak Jones fries. The wagyu was quite good though. Soft, juicy and tender. Every mouthful is greeted with a burst of flavour that slowly seeps down your throat. Not as good as the Kobe Beef I had at Keyaki, but certainly in a league of its own. Pity about the small 200g portion though. The accompanying mushroom (with garlic?) sauce was nice too, but I found it a tad too salty. The Ieat burger scored high salivation marks for its appearance. Toasted bun atop bacon strips, deep fried onions, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, a slab of chopped sirloin and drenched with BBQ sauce. However, the taste was short of expectations. The chopped sirloin was quite tasteless and dry and not to mention a little too soft. The bacon strips were nicely grilled though and that was just about the only consolation I had from the burger. At $12.50 for the burger, I guess it was pretty reasonable.
It cost us about $210 for 8 pax. On my part I paid about $27/- which I feel was reasonable for the quality of food. However Astons didn't quite measure up to my expectations probably because I had hyped myself up to be expecting something out of this world, only to be brought back down to earth. Nevertheless, a good eat, with reasonable pricing. Please note that the wait for food can be quite long especially when its full, which is most of the time in the evenings. A worthy contender to Botak Jones. Having no GST or service charge is definitely a plus!
I've always had a penchant for brunch - whiling the lazy mornings away in a serene setting coupled with hearty fare and great company. What better way to unwind and enjoy the intricate subtleties of life? And I've found just the place to do so - Wild Rocket. The man at its helm is none other than lawyer turned chef, Willin Low, who has built up a reputation for cooking dishes which are Singaporean at heart but with a twist.
Nestled at the top of a hill (Mount Emily), Wild Rocket is a quaint little eatery/restaurant docked on the first level of Hangout Hotel. The decor is simple, focusing on the simplicities and the giant glass windows complete with semi transparent curtains allow sunlight to peer through, creating a cheery and lively atmosphere sans the heat. An air of serenity and elusiveness lingers in this dreamy and charming little outfit.
Though not billed as a fine dining restaurant, Wild Rocket still serves up complementary bread, which didn't quite impress me honestly. For one, the bread was too porous and came across as a tad too dry and bland. Thankfully, it was served warm.
Ricotta Jackfruit Pancakes with Maple Syrup - No this isn't a picture of left over pancakes. Its what we got for $8.50 - 2 small pancakes and 1 piece of deep fried jackfruit. It was excellent though, soft and fluffy with a tinge of jackfruit taste. Bits of jackfruit were also embedded within for added texture/flavour and the sweetness of the maple syrup was just about right. Now someone please explain to me why do good things always come in small packages?
Laksa Pesto with Spaghetti with Tiger Prawns & Quail Egg - A most interesting dish. As the name suggests, its spaghetti covered with coriander and bits of chilli flakes which is supposed to have a mild laksa taste. And by golly, it certainly does! The pasta was al dente but a tad too dry for my liking. I counted 3 average sized prawns and 3 quail egg halves, which certainly doesn't place this dish in the generous ingredients category. Honestly, this is not something I'll order again cause I don't find it outstanding.
Scrambled Eggs, Fresh Beef Sausages with Toast - A greedy mistake on my part. I had spied the adjourning table ordering this dish and the serving certainly looked generous. Oh boy, how wrong I was. 2 sausages, a small serving of scrambled eggs and a side of toast. The dish was clean in less than 5 mins, but not that it tasted great in case you are assuming. The sausages were rather salty and the meat didn't seem firm. As for the scrambled eggs, it was too salty as well and tasted like too much milk had gone into it.
The Wild Rocket Burger with Sun Dried Tomato Salsa - Notice the usage of the word "The" in the name of this dish. Its obviously Wild Rocket's signature offering and is THE must try burger. Pleasing aesthetics aside, the burger weighed in slightly bigger than Iggy's offering but smaller than those of Carl's Junior. The patty was huge by the way and rather well mashed, chewy and moist yet not overwhelming. Interestingly, the sun dried tomato salsa atop the patty was a tad sweet but complemented the beef almost flawlessly. The accompanying potato cubes were a little too soft and salty (I could make out the salt granules on the potatoes).
Kueh Buloh Tiramisu - Here's another classic example of how much of a mountain tortoise I am. I have no inkling whatsoever as to what in the world is Kueh Buloh. Shame on me. But the Kueh Buloh Tiramisu was quite good if you ask me. Soft with a nice layer of ice cream beneath it. But it kinda loses the Tiramisu flavour and composition though, which is rather ironical.
Dark Lava Chocolate Gateau with Ice Cream - Few molten chocolate cakes can match the truly splendid rendition by Mortons or the value for money offering at Abof. Wild Rocket's version comes close. Well almost. Its decidedly as good as Abof's but significantly more expensive as well (not as expensive as Morton's though). The shell was slightly hard while the spongy interior was soft and moist. Thick oozing, not too sweet chocolate completed the picture. But it was small, even smaller than Abof's.
I had a good and leisurely brunch, no doubt about that. But $95 for 3 pax does seem a little steep especially with the smallish portions. Its a nice place to hang out though and service is good. They will definitely be seeing more of me. On a side note, please let me reiterate that the place is tiny and you are looking at about probably 30 people max so please please please make your reservations.
Health and wholesome goodness comes naturally at Eden...
Was welcomed by the homely and comfortable cafe with smile and greetings from Clement and his staff. Situated up a little slope of Club Street, Eden Cafe is a place where one would love to enter for a smoothing and chilled glass of wine tea to beat those heat from the blazing sun. The cafe feels so homely, I can stay there for an entire day. Great for those who love a quiet place to chill and relax, away from the bustling madness happening just nearby, with some good tea or wine.
As a seafood lover, especially for calamari, I just had to try their Mussel Calamari Dunker ($12.90) served with crispy wholegrain bread. Although the base seems thick, and together with the wholegrain bread seem like a filling meal. But it was just the right amount of everything that filled my tummy but still left room for more. The calamaris and mussels were so fresh, I could taste their original taste even with the specially created base which was made up of seven different vegetables. Including celery, which I hate! But it was so well blended that I licked the bowl clean. (Ok I didn't literally licked the bowl.)
With room for more, I tried their homemade Rosepetal Brownie ($5.90). Yap! There's real rosepetals in the brownie and also on it! My very first attempt at consuming flowers and it was quite an interesting taste. The rosepetals blended well with the sweetness from the chocolate brownie and vanilla ice-cream. The rose petal reduces the sweetness with its light bitterness. And as the brownies has no additional sugar added, you won't get "sick" of eating it, although the piece was quite huge. Surely going to order this again when I'm back (i.e. after I tried the other sinful goodness at Eden).
The next must try is Eden's fusion tea ($9.00). There's so many choices to choose from. When you can't decide, just tell Clement how you feel that day and let him decide for you! Served in specially designed tea sets, you can see the beautiful colors of the floral tea and the nice golden color of the tea. The teacups are cleverly crafted, with the double layer design, you can hold the teacup without feeling the heat from the tea.
With yummy and healthy food, great atmosphere and friendly service, its no doubt that I'm going to recommend all my friends and family to Eden Cafe.
If you can't decide what to eat, just let Clement decide for you.
The popular Uno Beef House at Toa Payoh has a new outlet in the western regions of Singapore. Located in a prominent and brightly lit coffee shop along Dover road which runs parallel to the MRT line, it has its fair share of customers as well, but the waiting time here is definitely much shorter than its Toa Payoh counterpart.
I started off with the Cream of Mushroom soup ($2) which definitely came straight out of the can. There were undissolved chunks of coagulated soup at the bottom of the bowl, indicating a less than thorough stirring process. Having said that, I certainly didn't expect them to make their own mushroom soup, not for $2.
My gf had the pork chops ($5) which was quite good. Chewy yet not too dry or tough, with lots of savoury made from scratch gravy to go along. Portions were decent, but definitely not sufficient for a glutton like me.
The purported star of the evening (they are called Uno Beef House for a reason), the tenderloin steak ($10), was served up medium rare as per my request. The meat was very well done, succulent and a little chewy but lacked the sweetness of really good tenderloins. The mushroom sauce was quite decent too, with slices of mushroom and onion in it. I would have liked a more robust sauce though. Here comes the real star of the evening, the side of a single Potato Ball which was served alongside a small tomato. It had a buttery taste to it and reminded me very much of eating pineapple tarts minus the sweetened pineapple of course. Texture wise was also good, not too mashed up or soft. I wonder if the Potato Balls are available on their own.
In summary, I like this place and will definitely be back to patronise. Its definitely in the league of Astons for steak and considering the amount of hype that Astons has been getting, I rather stick to Uno.
Have to compliment this guy's friendly and welcoming service. Although I guess he did scare/ gave fright to some of the ladies shopping at Watsons.
Not sure if he's one of the managers but he was wearing a jacket and was well groomed. He went around with basket for shoppers and very politely offered the basket for the shoppers. But I did notice he kinda frightened couple of the ladies who were paying too much attention to the labels on the packaging.
Still a pleasant shock I guess.
My partner commented that they're probably training up for the upcoming F1 race or IR since Singapore is all about providing excellence services for everyone. Hope the service standards will keep improving in Singapore.
Popped by sleepy Serene Centre with my gf for some cheap French food only to find it packed to the brim with a long queue to boot. So we sort of gave up the idea and settled for the only other alternative (besides MacDonalds), Yoshoku Kitchen.
For cavemen like me, Yoshoku simply means western food with a Japanese flair aka fusion, for lack of a better word. This 1 year old eatery sits quietly next to its more illustrious neighbours, Island Creamery and La Petit Cuisine. A cosy darkened interior complete with a floor to ceiling window beckons.
The Hotate Mentai Chizu Yaki, or scallops baked with cod roe sauce, was rather interesting as I've never eaten scallops covered with a thick layer of cheese before. The scallops were quite a size and came buried under mounds of thick gooey cheese buffered by the Thousand Island taste alike cod roe sauce. Honestly, I liked it quite a fair bit (I'm a cheese freak) except for the fact that the cod roe sauce was a little too overwhelming.
How good/bad can Japanese curry rice get? Yoshoku's rendition was averagely decent and unexciting. Curry was neither too watery nor coagulated but normal rice was used instead of Japanese rice, which was expected for the price ($8).
Primed as one of the must tries in this restaurant, the Wafu Bifu Suteki, or beef steak with Japanese sauce, was a tad disappointing given that I had much higher expectations of it. The beef was unevenly cooked, with some parts being almost well done while others tended more towards medium well. That aside, the beef was relatively succulent and chewy but lacked the natural beef taste although I did find it quite well seasoned. The Japanese sauce was nothing more than a milder and sweeter version of the black pepper sauce.
$54 for 2 pax for a decent and filling meal in a serene environment is a little on the high side but still within the reasonable range IMHO. Service is good as well which is definitely a plus. Just don't get your expectations too high.
Was in the vicinity of Tanglin Shopping centre with my gf so decided to try out Jerry's for dinner. Located just above Bombay Woodlands, Jerry's currently has 3 outlets in Singapore, with the flagship store being the one at Jalan Kayu and branches at Club Street and Tanglin Shopping Centre. Decor wise, the Tanglin outlet was pretty simple with no inherent theme to it. We had 2 servings of the set dinner, with the Southern Chicken and Spaghetti Seafood Alo Alo as mains as well as a small serving of 4 Fried Crispy Wings to share (I had initially wanted to try the Buffalo Wings, but thought the better of it as I had already tried the ones at Buckaroo BBQ & Grill, which is/was owned by Jerry and boasts similar wings). Our set dinner came with a choice of soup - Minestrone or Cream of Mushroom and unlimited servings at the salad bar.
In all honesty, the salad bar was quite pathetic. There was tuna, hard boiled eggs, vegetables and some sauces definitely not what I was expecting. But it came with the set, so no complains. I chose Cream of Mushroom for my soup and I was really disappointed. It wasn't really warm to begin with and the top layer of the soup had hardened and formed a layer, which meant that it had been out in the cold for too long. It didn't taste like canned soup, but it was a little too salty and the taste wasn't rich enough.
Remember the small puny wings you get at KFC or Nasi Lemak stalls? Banish those thoughts and feast your eyes on Jerry's Fried Crispy Wings. They use the exact same Buffalo Wings that made Jerry's famous, except that it is prepared in a different way. The wings are gigantic and tasty to boot! The skin is deep fried until its so crispy that every bite generates a "crunch" sound. Just one grouse though. It could have done with more seasoning or spices. The juices were plentiful, but had no flavours, thus rendering it rather bland. A good eat nevertheless, but a pricey one at that ($8.95 for 4).
My Southern Chicken was quite a size, half a chicken to be exact and topped with mounds of BBQ sauce, served with salad and mashed potatoes. I found the chicken to be well done with the flesh being very tender and easily torn off from the bones. Perfect for lazy people like me. However, the taste of the BBQ sauce was overpowering and I sort of gave up eating halfway. The accompanying mashed potato was just a disaster. I don't know how to begin describing it, but let me just say that KFC has better mashed potatoes.
Either my tastebuds had problems or my gf's Spaghetti Seafood Alo Alo tasted really bland. Even the prawns and scallops had virtually no discernible taste! My gf agrees with me, so I guess its the dish. But the pasta was actually not bad, a little chewy and overall the dish was rather light on the palate. Maybe its meant to be that way, but I would prefer a little more flavour.
Dinner for 2 came to a whooping $70/-. That might not seem like a lot of money, but for the quality of food, it sure is. The food was at best slightly above average and the service didn't go beyond serving our food and clearing the dishes. The drinks are a killer too. A can of coke sets you back by $3.95 . Imagine that! Oh and either the tables are too low or the chairs are too high, as I found it rather uncomfortable having to hunch my back and slouch on the table just to eat my food. I definitely won't be back, unless its for the wings, which still holds a certain allure. Other than that, I'm better off spending my $70 elsewhere.
Had lunch at Sage, The Restaurant. Perched on the second storey of the picturesque Robertson Walk, Sage is dressed up in modern chic, with a small dining area that can only hold about 30-40 people. Run by the husband and wife team of Jusman and Kimberly, reservations are almost always necessary especially during dinner as the place can get quite packed. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be turned away do you? Set lunches go for $25 for a 3-course set (no dessert) or $28 for a 4-course set and the menu is changed once every fortnight. As always, the more the merrier, so both of us opted for the 4-course set. I had the Braised beef shortribs topped with marinated shallots, puree of butternut pumpkin and brunoise root vegetables for my main course while LS had the Pastilla of braised lamb shank with mascarpone cheese, provencal ratatouille and cassoulet of summer beans.
Appetiser was Seared yellow fin tuna topped with avocado mousseline, lumpfish roe and an aged balsamic glaze. The tuna was nicely done with a cooked exterior and raw interior. It was light on the taste buds with the overpoweringly raw fishy taste noticeably absent. Coupled with the avocado mousseline and the house special concoction of the balsamic glaze, it made for a truly appetising appetiser.
When I first set eyes on the Cappuccino of cauliflower veloute, it looked exactly like a cup of Cappuccino with its frothy top layer and creamy base. A rather interesting concept, but I didn't quite take to it. For one, I found the cream taste a little too overwhelming in the froth and in the soup itself. It tasted like a slightly better version of the Campbell soup, albeit a lot more creamy. If you love boiled milk, you might fancy this more than I do.
The mains followed and my Braised beef shortribs was very well done. The meat was first braised until fall off the bone tender (there's no bone by the way) then pan-fried till the outer layer was slightly charred and crispy. Atop the meat lay slices of marinated shallots which had a slightly sweet taste and melted cheese. Extremely fine chopped spring onions were drizzled over to give colour, smell and taste. Butternut pumpkin puree with cuscus came as a side for this dish and it was commendable as well. The sweet pumpkin taste blended in well with the cuscus. I had a bite of LS's lamb, but didn't quite fancy it because of its strong lamb taste.
Dessert was Vanilla panna cotta with Granny Smith apples and its own sorbet. The sorbet came with thinly sliced green apples (Granny Smith apples) that complemented it very well. However, I did find the texture a little lacking although I must complement it for its smoothness. I did like the panna cotta though. Wobbly, chilled and a little sweet, you can seldom go wrong with this dessert. Having said that, I still prefer the Panna Cotta at Pontini because the flavours are more robust with a nice slightly creamy aftertaste.
Our 1.5 hours lunch cost us $62.20/-, which is a tad expensive for such dainty portions. As LS puts it, fine dining is supposed to be fine in the quality sense, not portions wise. I can't help but agree. The dinner menu looks inviting, but can easily set you back by $60 /pax (after taxes) just for the basic 4-course set. Although the food is good, service faultless and ambience romantic, I rather take my money elsewhere for that kind of pricing - somewhere where I can at least fill my stomach. But if you are a small eater and crave for a romantic place for dinner, this might just be the place for you. If not, just go for the set lunches.
Happened to chance upon the museum while I was driving around after taking a meal at Changi Village some time back. Was curious to see what was inside, so decided to park my car and took a walk inside. Though it was a Sunday, there weren't many people there.
As mentioned by spindoctor, if you want to have a guided tour, it will set you back by 8 bucks. So me decided to just take a look on my own instead. It was my first time stepping into the museum. And I was quite fascinated by the nature of the exhibits. This was attributed to the fact that most of them were the original documents, letters, newspaper articles, pictures,etc and all were preserved in their most complete form. Indeed, it was an eye-opener for me and you could actually read the words on those exhibits and take yourself back in time, and experiencing the emotions felt by the people during WWII.
The whole walk took me abt 45 minutes or so, but that was because I did not read each and every article in detail. If i did so, it would probably have taken more han one hour.
All in all, I would say that it was indeed an enriching experience and for those who have yet to visit this place, do go there on one of the weekends and revisit the memories of WWII.
Took the Transtar coach a couple of months ago with my friends to Genting Highlands and Kuala Lumpur . It was the first time taking the agency's coach. In the past used to travel by the Gunang Raya,which was slightly cheaper. So this time round, decided to try out Transtar after being impressed by their fleet of coaches,whuch ranged from SuperVIP(26 seaters, 3 seats in a single row air-con coach), Premium (37 seaters, 3 seats in a single row Double Deck air-con coach) and First Class(Luxurious 16 seaters, 2 seats in a single row air-con coach). More info can be found from the website itself.
We chose to take the Premium class so that we wouldnt be so cramped and the prices were still quite affordable. We did contemplate about taking the First Class but decided that would be reserved for another time. And I must say that throughout the journey, I was kept occupied by the movie that was made available to you on an individual 7.2" LCD TV, so that you need not have to squint your eyes to catch the show unlike other coaches,which has only one small TV in front for all. In addition, there are a range of movies to choose from, similar to that when you are on an plane.
And for those who have been to Genting would know that the journey can take up to say 4 to 6 hours. And being cramped in your seat can be quite uncomfortable. But fret not, cos for the Premium and First Class seats, they are all equipped with massaging controls to soothe your soreness,be it on the back,legs or even neck. I found out this only when I got on to the bus and it was a pleasant surprise. So you will not be having that stiff neck ever again!!!
Then from our transfer from GH to KL, it was via a private bus. But at that time there were only the few of us, so I presume if the number was bigger,perhaps a coach would be catered instead. And from the KL hotel to the bus interchange at KL, they would also despatch a van to bring you there. Again, I guess that the mode of transport is dependent on the number of passengers.
And on our way back from KL, meals were served as well. But pls take note that the serving of meals onboard is only for the KL route. Thus, if you are travelling straight from GH back to Singapore, there will be no meal served.
Overall, I would say that the service was good and the coaches were well maintained and comfortable to sit in for extended hours, as there was in-house entertainment as well as massaging available. And maybe the next time, I may go for the First Class coach a try too.
1=SGD 0.0587
Today marks the beginning of my makan sessions with a group of like minded food enthusiasts from various forums. Our choice of dinner venue was Astons Specialties at East Coast Rd. This joint has been highly recommended by many seasoned foodies and expectations were high as we made our way there at about 2000hrs. There was quite a queue of people waiting to get in and although I had made a reservation on Wednesday, there was no record of my name to be found, which naturally left me furious. Astons admitted that it was error on their part and although we had to wait for about 25mins for a table, credit has to be given to them for trying to get us a table ASAP. One thing I noticed about the place was that it was actually quite small and squeezy. There were barely 10 tables around and air conditioning was poor. They could well do with more powerful air conditioners or an air curtain at the entrance to prevent the cool air from rushing out.
Food wise, I shared the Wagyu beef promotion @ $38.90 for a 200g cut and the Ieat Super Burger with a friend. Both were done medium rare. According to them, the wagyu was supposed to have a marbling score of 5/6, which was pretty decent for the price. The wagyu came with 2 sides (I chose fries and pasta salad) which was pretty uninspiring. The pasta salad was almost tasteless and the fries were thin and had the same seasoning as that of Botak Jones fries. The wagyu was quite good though. Soft, juicy and tender. Every mouthful is greeted with a burst of flavour that slowly seeps down your throat. Not as good as the Kobe Beef I had at Keyaki, but certainly in a league of its own. Pity about the small 200g portion though. The accompanying mushroom (with garlic?) sauce was nice too, but I found it a tad too salty. The Ieat burger scored high salivation marks for its appearance. Toasted bun atop bacon strips, deep fried onions, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, a slab of chopped sirloin and drenched with BBQ sauce. However, the taste was short of expectations. The chopped sirloin was quite tasteless and dry and not to mention a little too soft. The bacon strips were nicely grilled though and that was just about the only consolation I had from the burger. At $12.50 for the burger, I guess it was pretty reasonable.
It cost us about $210 for 8 pax. On my part I paid about $27/- which I feel was reasonable for the quality of food. However Astons didn't quite measure up to my expectations probably because I had hyped myself up to be expecting something out of this world, only to be brought back down to earth. Nevertheless, a good eat, with reasonable pricing. Please note that the wait for food can be quite long especially when its full, which is most of the time in the evenings. A worthy contender to Botak Jones. Having no GST or service charge is definitely a plus!
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
I've always had a penchant for brunch - whiling the lazy mornings away in a serene setting coupled with hearty fare and great company. What better way to unwind and enjoy the intricate subtleties of life? And I've found just the place to do so - Wild Rocket. The man at its helm is none other than lawyer turned chef, Willin Low, who has built up a reputation for cooking dishes which are Singaporean at heart but with a twist.
Nestled at the top of a hill (Mount Emily), Wild Rocket is a quaint little eatery/restaurant docked on the first level of Hangout Hotel. The decor is simple, focusing on the simplicities and the giant glass windows complete with semi transparent curtains allow sunlight to peer through, creating a cheery and lively atmosphere sans the heat. An air of serenity and elusiveness lingers in this dreamy and charming little outfit.
Though not billed as a fine dining restaurant, Wild Rocket still serves up complementary bread, which didn't quite impress me honestly. For one, the bread was too porous and came across as a tad too dry and bland. Thankfully, it was served warm.
Ricotta Jackfruit Pancakes with Maple Syrup - No this isn't a picture of left over pancakes. Its what we got for $8.50 - 2 small pancakes and 1 piece of deep fried jackfruit. It was excellent though, soft and fluffy with a tinge of jackfruit taste. Bits of jackfruit were also embedded within for added texture/flavour and the sweetness of the maple syrup was just about right. Now someone please explain to me why do good things always come in small packages?
Laksa Pesto with Spaghetti with Tiger Prawns & Quail Egg - A most interesting dish. As the name suggests, its spaghetti covered with coriander and bits of chilli flakes which is supposed to have a mild laksa taste. And by golly, it certainly does! The pasta was al dente but a tad too dry for my liking. I counted 3 average sized prawns and 3 quail egg halves, which certainly doesn't place this dish in the generous ingredients category. Honestly, this is not something I'll order again cause I don't find it outstanding.
Scrambled Eggs, Fresh Beef Sausages with Toast - A greedy mistake on my part. I had spied the adjourning table ordering this dish and the serving certainly looked generous. Oh boy, how wrong I was. 2 sausages, a small serving of scrambled eggs and a side of toast. The dish was clean in less than 5 mins, but not that it tasted great in case you are assuming. The sausages were rather salty and the meat didn't seem firm. As for the scrambled eggs, it was too salty as well and tasted like too much milk had gone into it.
The Wild Rocket Burger with Sun Dried Tomato Salsa - Notice the usage of the word "The" in the name of this dish. Its obviously Wild Rocket's signature offering and is THE must try burger. Pleasing aesthetics aside, the burger weighed in slightly bigger than Iggy's offering but smaller than those of Carl's Junior. The patty was huge by the way and rather well mashed, chewy and moist yet not overwhelming. Interestingly, the sun dried tomato salsa atop the patty was a tad sweet but complemented the beef almost flawlessly. The accompanying potato cubes were a little too soft and salty (I could make out the salt granules on the potatoes).
Kueh Buloh Tiramisu - Here's another classic example of how much of a mountain tortoise I am. I have no inkling whatsoever as to what in the world is Kueh Buloh. Shame on me. But the Kueh Buloh Tiramisu was quite good if you ask me. Soft with a nice layer of ice cream beneath it. But it kinda loses the Tiramisu flavour and composition though, which is rather ironical.
Dark Lava Chocolate Gateau with Ice Cream - Few molten chocolate cakes can match the truly splendid rendition by Mortons or the value for money offering at Abof. Wild Rocket's version comes close. Well almost. Its decidedly as good as Abof's but significantly more expensive as well (not as expensive as Morton's though). The shell was slightly hard while the spongy interior was soft and moist. Thick oozing, not too sweet chocolate completed the picture. But it was small, even smaller than Abof's.
I had a good and leisurely brunch, no doubt about that. But $95 for 3 pax does seem a little steep especially with the smallish portions. Its a nice place to hang out though and service is good. They will definitely be seeing more of me. On a side note, please let me reiterate that the place is tiny and you are looking at about probably 30 people max so please please please make your reservations.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Health and wholesome goodness comes naturally at Eden...
Was welcomed by the homely and comfortable cafe with smile and greetings from Clement and his staff. Situated up a little slope of Club Street, Eden Cafe is a place where one would love to enter for a smoothing and chilled glass of wine tea to beat those heat from the blazing sun. The cafe feels so homely, I can stay there for an entire day. Great for those who love a quiet place to chill and relax, away from the bustling madness happening just nearby, with some good tea or wine.
As a seafood lover, especially for calamari, I just had to try their Mussel Calamari Dunker ($12.90) served with crispy wholegrain bread. Although the base seems thick, and together with the wholegrain bread seem like a filling meal. But it was just the right amount of everything that filled my tummy but still left room for more. The calamaris and mussels were so fresh, I could taste their original taste even with the specially created base which was made up of seven different vegetables. Including celery, which I hate! But it was so well blended that I licked the bowl clean. (Ok I didn't literally licked the bowl.)
With room for more, I tried their homemade Rosepetal Brownie ($5.90). Yap! There's real rosepetals in the brownie and also on it! My very first attempt at consuming flowers and it was quite an interesting taste. The rosepetals blended well with the sweetness from the chocolate brownie and vanilla ice-cream. The rose petal reduces the sweetness with its light bitterness. And as the brownies has no additional sugar added, you won't get "sick" of eating it, although the piece was quite huge. Surely going to order this again when I'm back (i.e. after I tried the other sinful goodness at Eden).
The next must try is Eden's fusion tea ($9.00). There's so many choices to choose from. When you can't decide, just tell Clement how you feel that day and let him decide for you! Served in specially designed tea sets, you can see the beautiful colors of the floral tea and the nice golden color of the tea. The teacups are cleverly crafted, with the double layer design, you can hold the teacup without feeling the heat from the tea.
With yummy and healthy food, great atmosphere and friendly service, its no doubt that I'm going to recommend all my friends and family to Eden Cafe.
If you can't decide what to eat, just let Clement decide for you.
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The popular Uno Beef House at Toa Payoh has a new outlet in the western regions of Singapore. Located in a prominent and brightly lit coffee shop along Dover road which runs parallel to the MRT line, it has its fair share of customers as well, but the waiting time here is definitely much shorter than its Toa Payoh counterpart.
I started off with the Cream of Mushroom soup ($2) which definitely came straight out of the can. There were undissolved chunks of coagulated soup at the bottom of the bowl, indicating a less than thorough stirring process. Having said that, I certainly didn't expect them to make their own mushroom soup, not for $2.
My gf had the pork chops ($5) which was quite good. Chewy yet not too dry or tough, with lots of savoury made from scratch gravy to go along. Portions were decent, but definitely not sufficient for a glutton like me.
The purported star of the evening (they are called Uno Beef House for a reason), the tenderloin steak ($10), was served up medium rare as per my request. The meat was very well done, succulent and a little chewy but lacked the sweetness of really good tenderloins. The mushroom sauce was quite decent too, with slices of mushroom and onion in it. I would have liked a more robust sauce though.
Here comes the real star of the evening, the side of a single Potato Ball which was served alongside a small tomato. It had a buttery taste to it and reminded me very much of eating pineapple tarts minus the sweetened pineapple of course. Texture wise was also good, not too mashed up or soft. I wonder if the Potato Balls are available on their own.
In summary, I like this place and will definitely be back to patronise. Its definitely in the league of Astons for steak and considering the amount of hype that Astons has been getting, I rather stick to Uno.
See all my pictures here.
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Have to compliment this guy's friendly and welcoming service. Although I guess he did scare/ gave fright to some of the ladies shopping at Watsons.
Not sure if he's one of the managers but he was wearing a jacket and was well groomed. He went around with basket for shoppers and very politely offered the basket for the shoppers. But I did notice he kinda frightened couple of the ladies who were paying too much attention to the labels on the packaging.
Still a pleasant shock I guess.
My partner commented that they're probably training up for the upcoming F1 race or IR since Singapore is all about providing excellence services for everyone. Hope the service standards will keep improving in Singapore.
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Popped by sleepy Serene Centre with my gf for some cheap French food only to find it packed to the brim with a long queue to boot. So we sort of gave up the idea and settled for the only other alternative (besides MacDonalds), Yoshoku Kitchen.
For cavemen like me, Yoshoku simply means western food with a Japanese flair aka fusion, for lack of a better word. This 1 year old eatery sits quietly next to its more illustrious neighbours, Island Creamery and La Petit Cuisine. A cosy darkened interior complete with a floor to ceiling window beckons.
The Hotate Mentai Chizu Yaki, or scallops baked with cod roe sauce, was rather interesting as I've never eaten scallops covered with a thick layer of cheese before. The scallops were quite a size and came buried under mounds of thick gooey cheese buffered by the Thousand Island taste alike cod roe sauce. Honestly, I liked it quite a fair bit (I'm a cheese freak) except for the fact that the cod roe sauce was a little too overwhelming.
How good/bad can Japanese curry rice get? Yoshoku's rendition was averagely decent and unexciting. Curry was neither too watery nor coagulated but normal rice was used instead of Japanese rice, which was expected for the price ($8).
Primed as one of the must tries in this restaurant, the Wafu Bifu Suteki, or beef steak with Japanese sauce, was a tad disappointing given that I had much higher expectations of it. The beef was unevenly cooked, with some parts being almost well done while others tended more towards medium well. That aside, the beef was relatively succulent and chewy but lacked the natural beef taste although I did find it quite well seasoned. The Japanese sauce was nothing more than a milder and sweeter version of the black pepper sauce.
$54 for 2 pax for a decent and filling meal in a serene environment is a little on the high side but still within the reasonable range IMHO. Service is good as well which is definitely a plus. Just don't get your expectations too high.
See my pictures here
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Was in the vicinity of Tanglin Shopping centre with my gf so decided to try out Jerry's for dinner. Located just above Bombay Woodlands, Jerry's currently has 3 outlets in Singapore, with the flagship store being the one at Jalan Kayu and branches at Club Street and Tanglin Shopping Centre. Decor wise, the Tanglin outlet was pretty simple with no inherent theme to it. We had 2 servings of the set dinner, with the Southern Chicken and Spaghetti Seafood Alo Alo as mains as well as a small serving of 4 Fried Crispy Wings to share (I had initially wanted to try the Buffalo Wings, but thought the better of it as I had already tried the ones at Buckaroo BBQ & Grill, which is/was owned by Jerry and boasts similar wings). Our set dinner came with a choice of soup - Minestrone or Cream of Mushroom and unlimited servings at the salad bar.
In all honesty, the salad bar was quite pathetic. There was tuna, hard boiled eggs, vegetables and some sauces definitely not what I was expecting. But it came with the set, so no complains. I chose Cream of Mushroom for my soup and I was really disappointed. It wasn't really warm to begin with and the top layer of the soup had hardened and formed a layer, which meant that it had been out in the cold for too long. It didn't taste like canned soup, but it was a little too salty and the taste wasn't rich enough.
Remember the small puny wings you get at KFC or Nasi Lemak stalls? Banish those thoughts and feast your eyes on Jerry's Fried Crispy Wings. They use the exact same Buffalo Wings that made Jerry's famous, except that it is prepared in a different way. The wings are gigantic and tasty to boot! The skin is deep fried until its so crispy that every bite generates a "crunch" sound. Just one grouse though. It could have done with more seasoning or spices. The juices were plentiful, but had no flavours, thus rendering it rather bland. A good eat nevertheless, but a pricey one at that ($8.95 for 4).
My Southern Chicken was quite a size, half a chicken to be exact and topped with mounds of BBQ sauce, served with salad and mashed potatoes. I found the chicken to be well done with the flesh being very tender and easily torn off from the bones. Perfect for lazy people like me. However, the taste of the BBQ sauce was overpowering and I sort of gave up eating halfway. The accompanying mashed potato was just a disaster. I don't know how to begin describing it, but let me just say that KFC has better mashed potatoes.
Either my tastebuds had problems or my gf's Spaghetti Seafood Alo Alo tasted really bland. Even the prawns and scallops had virtually no discernible taste! My gf agrees with me, so I guess its the dish. But the pasta was actually not bad, a little chewy and overall the dish was rather light on the palate. Maybe its meant to be that way, but I would prefer a little more flavour.
Dinner for 2 came to a whooping $70/-. That might not seem like a lot of money, but for the quality of food, it sure is. The food was at best slightly above average and the service didn't go beyond serving our food and clearing the dishes. The drinks are a killer too. A can of coke sets you back by $3.95 . Imagine that! Oh and either the tables are too low or the chairs are too high, as I found it rather uncomfortable having to hunch my back and slouch on the table just to eat my food.
I definitely won't be back, unless its for the wings, which still holds a certain allure. Other than that, I'm better off spending my $70 elsewhere.
See all my pictures here
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Had lunch at Sage, The Restaurant. Perched on the second storey of the picturesque Robertson Walk, Sage is dressed up in modern chic, with a small dining area that can only hold about 30-40 people. Run by the husband and wife team of Jusman and Kimberly, reservations are almost always necessary especially during dinner as the place can get quite packed. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be turned away do you? Set lunches go for $25 for a 3-course set (no dessert) or $28 for a 4-course set and the menu is changed once every fortnight. As always, the more the merrier, so both of us opted for the 4-course set. I had the Braised beef shortribs topped with marinated shallots, puree of butternut pumpkin and brunoise root vegetables for my main course while LS had the Pastilla of braised lamb shank with mascarpone cheese, provencal ratatouille and cassoulet of summer beans.
Appetiser was Seared yellow fin tuna topped with avocado mousseline, lumpfish roe and an aged balsamic glaze. The tuna was nicely done with a cooked exterior and raw interior. It was light on the taste buds with the overpoweringly raw fishy taste noticeably absent. Coupled with the avocado mousseline and the house special concoction of the balsamic glaze, it made for a truly appetising appetiser.
When I first set eyes on the Cappuccino of cauliflower veloute, it looked exactly like a cup of Cappuccino with its frothy top layer and creamy base. A rather interesting concept, but I didn't quite take to it. For one, I found the cream taste a little too overwhelming in the froth and in the soup itself. It tasted like a slightly better version of the Campbell soup, albeit a lot more creamy. If you love boiled milk, you might fancy this more than I do.
The mains followed and my Braised beef shortribs was very well done. The meat was first braised until fall off the bone tender (there's no bone by the way) then pan-fried till the outer layer was slightly charred and crispy. Atop the meat lay slices of marinated shallots which had a slightly sweet taste and melted cheese. Extremely fine chopped spring onions were drizzled over to give colour, smell and taste. Butternut pumpkin puree with cuscus came as a side for this dish and it was commendable as well. The sweet pumpkin taste blended in well with the cuscus. I had a bite of LS's lamb, but didn't quite fancy it because of its strong lamb taste.
Dessert was Vanilla panna cotta with Granny Smith apples and its own sorbet. The sorbet came with thinly sliced green apples (Granny Smith apples) that complemented it very well. However, I did find the texture a little lacking although I must complement it for its smoothness. I did like the panna cotta though. Wobbly, chilled and a little sweet, you can seldom go wrong with this dessert. Having said that, I still prefer the Panna Cotta at Pontini because the flavours are more robust with a nice slightly creamy aftertaste.
Our 1.5 hours lunch cost us $62.20/-, which is a tad expensive for such dainty portions. As LS puts it, fine dining is supposed to be fine in the quality sense, not portions wise. I can't help but agree. The dinner menu looks inviting, but can easily set you back by $60 /pax (after taxes) just for the basic 4-course set. Although the food is good, service faultless and ambience romantic, I rather take my money elsewhere for that kind of pricing - somewhere where I can at least fill my stomach. But if you are a small eater and crave for a romantic place for dinner, this might just be the place for you. If not, just go for the set lunches.
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Happened to chance upon the museum while I was driving around after taking a meal at Changi Village some time back. Was curious to see what was inside, so decided to park my car and took a walk inside. Though it was a Sunday, there weren't many people there.
As mentioned by spindoctor, if you want to have a guided tour, it will set you back by 8 bucks. So me decided to just take a look on my own instead. It was my first time stepping into the museum. And I was quite fascinated by the nature of the exhibits. This was attributed to the fact that most of them were the original documents, letters, newspaper articles, pictures,etc and all were preserved in their most complete form. Indeed, it was an eye-opener for me and you could actually read the words on those exhibits and take yourself back in time, and experiencing the emotions felt by the people during WWII.
The whole walk took me abt 45 minutes or so, but that was because I did not read each and every article in detail. If i did so, it would probably have taken more han one hour.
All in all, I would say that it was indeed an enriching experience and for those who have yet to visit this place, do go there on one of the weekends and revisit the memories of WWII.
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Took the Transtar coach a couple of months ago with my friends to Genting Highlands and Kuala Lumpur . It was the first time taking the agency's coach. In the past used to travel by the Gunang Raya,which was slightly cheaper. So this time round, decided to try out Transtar after being impressed by their fleet of coaches,whuch ranged from SuperVIP(26 seaters, 3 seats in a single row air-con coach), Premium (37 seaters, 3 seats in a single row Double Deck air-con coach) and First Class(Luxurious 16 seaters, 2 seats in a single row air-con coach). More info can be found from the website itself.
We chose to take the Premium class so that we wouldnt be so cramped and the prices were still quite affordable. We did contemplate about taking the First Class but decided that would be reserved for another time. And I must say that throughout the journey, I was kept occupied by the movie that was made available to you on an individual 7.2" LCD TV, so that you need not have to squint your eyes to catch the show unlike other coaches,which has only one small TV in front for all. In addition, there are a range of movies to choose from, similar to that when you are on an plane.
And for those who have been to Genting would know that the journey can take up to say 4 to 6 hours. And being cramped in your seat can be quite uncomfortable. But fret not, cos for the Premium and First Class seats, they are all equipped with massaging controls to soothe your soreness,be it on the back,legs or even neck. I found out this only when I got on to the bus and it was a pleasant surprise. So you will not be having that stiff neck ever again!!!
Then from our transfer from GH to KL, it was via a private bus. But at that time there were only the few of us, so I presume if the number was bigger,perhaps a coach would be catered instead. And from the KL hotel to the bus interchange at KL, they would also despatch a van to bring you there. Again, I guess that the mode of transport is dependent on the number of passengers.
And on our way back from KL, meals were served as well. But pls take note that the serving of meals onboard is only for the KL route. Thus, if you are travelling straight from GH back to Singapore, there will be no meal served.
Overall, I would say that the service was good and the coaches were well maintained and comfortable to sit in for extended hours, as there was in-house entertainment as well as massaging available. And maybe the next time, I may go for the First Class coach a try too.
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