For a start, I looked forward to this lunch meetup with Claudia and Bobo very much. Feizhu's arrival was a pleasant surprise, but one more friend is never too much.
I was pretty surprised that Earle Swensen’s was pretty empty when Bobo and I stepped in. Hey, it's a Sunday... we see plenty of people... it's lunchtime! Why shouldn't it be packed? As we made our way to the table, it's pretty evident of the spacious floor area, and the scenery overlooking the Sentosa was great. Like I was telling the rest, it would be absolutely stunning to have outdoor seats after the sun sets. I wouldn't mind bringing my own candles.
Let me leave the other food reviews to the individual rapists. (The criminals know what they did...)
Let me touch on my first order, the cappuccino... lousy! It tasted just like any coffee I can rip off in food courts, to the point I feel stupid trying to have my coffee fix there. Why on earth did I even spend more than what I paid for in CoffeeBean, and yet get a cup half the size of CoffeeBean's serving? Secondly, the cappuccino was almost cold. There is air-con but I doubt the air-con is that powerful? You can never bluff your way through with a coffee addict!
My main dish was Sirloin Steak with mashed potato. I have other options to go along with like french fries, but I always thought mashed potato is more appropriate to go along with steaks. For steaks, I often swear by Swensen@Orchard. Therefore, my obvious choice was to try their Sirloin Steak. One word - HORRIBLE!
To put it simply, it was small. I had wanted my steak done medium-rare, and any steak enthusiast should know how bloodied it should be. The very second my knife sunk into the steak, I know I'm in for a big disappointment. The feel of slicing into medium-rare steak just wasn't there. In fact, it took me quite some strength to slice it open for everyone to see. No kidding! Everyone could see that the steak was cooked right down to the center. Not a trace of blood and I'm sorry, that is not medium-rare! For a while, I thought I ordered Lamb Chop.
If you know it's a thin slice of steak, control the cooking time. This is really dependent on the chef and his experience.
However, the sauce was tasting good but too bad the steak spoilt the entire dish totally. Salvaging the dish was the mash potato, or so I thought. Tasted good, but it wasn't mashed properly. I could still bite little chunks of potato. My last hope for some form of compensation just got cruxified.
I'm convinced of my preference of Swensen steak outlet. Earle Swensen @ Vivocity definitely does not make the mark for my tastebuds.
My verdict? I'm sorry, but this place is not worth the money they charged. And I think it's slightly higher than other Swensen's branches? Avoid at all cost if you can, there are plenty more eateries along the whole stretch to satisfy your hunger. 2 stars for the generally friendly staffs, comfortable seats, clean environment and great scenery, that's about it.
Like the rest of them, if not for the great company I would have walked out of that place frowning. You just can't bluff your way through with sub-standard (if not horrendous) food, can you?
Hidden in an obscure corner on the third floor of the hotel, Wan Hao doesn't look like much from the outside. However, step in and be wowed by the luxurious and solemn interior which exudes pure unadulterated sophistication and charm. If dining in a party of 4 or less, do try for one of the 4 cosy corner tables that come complete with curtains.
The Wok Fried Fresh Scallop Cubes with Tropical Mango in Fresh Milk and Egg Topped with Crab Roe served on a bed of Vermicelli tasted uncannily like the excellent Shredded Scallop with Fish & Egg White from Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant, except that it was smoother and richer in taste due to the fresh milk. However, the scallop cubes were rather bland and didn't add any life to the dish. Not that this dish wasn't good though. In fact I like it enough to want to order it again when I return.
The Poached Live Prawns came deshelled, with the exception of the head. The prawns were bigger than your usual ones and were extremely fresh, crunchy and juicy. Add that to the fact that they were perfectly cooked and drenched in a garlic concoction which served to complement the natural sweetness of the prawns. Definitely a winner! But at $90/kg, you might want to think long and hard before placing your order.
The Homemade Seaweed Beancurd Topped with Shredded Abalone, Dried Seafood and Vegetables didn't quite meet expectations. The tofu, though soft, was flat in taste and lacked the natural wholesome goodness of the one I had at Li Bai. The vegetables were cooked in a way that I personally dislike - soft with thick gravy.
The Crispy Boneless Chicken Stir Fried with Fresh Strawberry in Honey and Lemon Sauce was a bummer. I thought this dish would be interesting with the use of fruits to enhance the taste of the chicken, but oh boy, was I wrong. The chicken tasted exactly like Sweet and Sour Pork, albeit of a softer texture. The sweetness from the honey didn't exactly go well with the chicken. It tasted a little too strong and the strawberries didn't really make much of an impact on the dish. But having said that, its still an above average dish.
With a name like Chilled Coconut with Sea Coconut, I had expected fresh chilled Coconut meat served with Sea Coconut, but that was not to be. It is actually a layer of Coconut jelly and a few slices of Sea Coconut served in a small Coconut husk on a bed of ice. This is one dish that would score high marks for presentation. I guess you can tell why just from looking at the picture. And it was rather pleasing to boot. The coconut jelly had a strong coconut taste and coupled with the thick and sweet syrup, it was a pleasure to consume. The Sea Coconut tasted rather normal though.
Well of course that can't be my review, so let me elaborate more.
Firstly, I would say they have excellent service! They have 2 really friendly salesperson, especially one very outspoken lady, Margaret. She may not be the person with the best fashion sense, but she's good enough to suggest what are more suitable clothes for yourself. She is a salesperson after all, and so of course she has to push her products. But I like the way she does it, in a manner that's not too much that scares people away.
Secondly, this place has really uniquely designed clothes (and for women of all age groups!). I did hear that all these were self-designed. Local products I guess. But it's nothing inferior at all. Wonderfully designed, with tops, bottoms and skirts. For people who look for exquisite sequences, they have it. Wear sequences in a fashionable way! They've got skirts too, with or without sequences. Unique designs, not something I'd say is very common. They've got pants too. What I really like about these pants are that they are (ok, really easy to wear. No zips nothing. Just wear it!) made of really soft material that suits people with different body shape. Big hips small butt whatever it is, you will suit this pants for sure. The cottony feel is soft on your skin and falls down nicely. It's pretty heavy material, but that is why it covers little "flaws" in your body (women will understand this.. ;) )!
Thirdly, the price! I'd say it's not too expensive, with almost everything ranging from 20 to 60, but most of their items are in the 30 range. A good buy I'd say.
For people looking for a different trend, a diversion away from that princess-like dresses or long-tops with leggings etc, this place would be good. It could be said to be like wearing traditional clothes in a fashionable way. I love it!
In the past one year, I have been to this restaurant for about 6-7 times. I must say that the food there was tasty and the variety aplenty. On all my visits there, I went for the ala carte dinner buffet. In total, there are more than 40 different dishes to choose from. These include fresh sashimi ( Hamachi, Salmon, Octopus and Tuna), Tempura, Ramen, Nigiri Sushi, Teppanyaki and many more. You can visit the website to take a look at the various dishes available.
There is also a sashimi counter and if you do not mind, you can sit at the counter seats as this will ensure that you will get to eat your sashimi promptly. This is because there business there is always brisk and therefore sometimes, your food may be slightly delayed. This is sometime that I have learnt in my last visit there. But rest assured that your food will still arrive tasty and hot
What I like best is the value for money here. The pricing of the buffet is approximately $52 for two, as there is always a 1-for-1 offer for the buffet for credit cards (such as DBS and OUB). In addition, there may also be like 20% discount on the total bill for using an AMEX card if you do not have the above-mentioned credit cards. Of course, all these deals may differ from time to time and thus it would be good to check with the restaurant before making a trip down.
As such, it would be most worthwhile to go with your friends and family for a hearty meal at this restaurant and enjoy the food. You will definitely love it and will go back for more in future.
I remember visiting the now defunct Haw Par Villa when I was still a kid in primary school. At that time, Haw Par Villa had opened with much fanfare and I remember paying an exorbitant amount (in the $20 range I believe) just to gain entry. Those days are long gone and all that is left of the sprawling theme park are the forgotten statues and a recently opened Chinese restaurant called Made In China which is managed by the Singapore Explorer group, the very group that manages Pier Eleven. Now who in the right mind would open a restaurant in the middle of a deserted theme park that is not really accessible without a vehicle? Parking is a breeze because you can literally park anywhere you want along the slope that leads up to the restaurant. It all depends on how much you are willing to walk. As I stepped into the restaurant compound, everything seemed so surreal. The building and its surroundings seemed to have come out straight from some ancient martial arts flick that I used to watch. The interior of the restaurant brought me back to reality though. Sparsely furnished, this is one place that believes in spacing out its tables for the comfort of its guests and I appreciate it.
The Peking duck was both good and bad. The skin was crackling crispy and had minimal fats under it. This is probably the crispiest Peking duck skin that I've ever eaten. Such a delightful skin was only let down by the rather lacklustre skin which was thin but tasteless. The meat on the other hand, was a total letdown. A tad dry and not as tender as I had expected. There was also a discernible, albeit faint, fowl taste.
For the price ($25) , the shark's fin and fish maw soup was good. First looks, it actually reminded me of curry because of the yellowish soup base. The soup was rather intense in flavour and came across as thick and starchy while the fins and fish maw were aplenty and pretty decent. According to the waitress, the soup base is boiled for 42 hours using old chicken, old duck (literal translation) and some other stuff that are supposed to be beneficial to the body.
The Fried Golden Butter Prawns came looking rather messy and not the least bit like prawns, more like chunks of fried stuff. The batter was lightly salted and crispy with a lingering buttery aftertaste while the prawns were fresh but none too succulent. I did find this dish a little disappointing because the butter batter came across as bland, unlike the egg yolk variations I've eaten before which were decidedly more savoury. But then again, its quite decent.
Pan Grilled Miso Marinated Beef Tenderloin - Honestly, I didn't think too much of this dish. It looked like it had been drenched in oil and the black pepper taste was overwhelming, so much so that I couldn't really make out if it was beef or pork. The doneness of the beef didn't help either.
Desserts weren't fantastic but decent nevertheless. The crust of the Red Bean Paste Pancake was a little too thick for my liking and the red bean filling seemed a little runny and low on the sugar content. The Yam Paste in Coconut fared better. It's actually Orh Nee served in a coconut. The yam was very smooth, not too coagulated and mildy sweet. Only bone I had was that too much coconut milk was added and it didn't gel very well with the yam paste. The Black Glutinous Rice with Ice Cream derived its sweetness from the scoop of vanilla ice cream in its midst but was average tasting.
I'll be lying if I said that I could walk up straight after such a hearty meal because I simply couldn't, try as hard as I might. And it didn't exactly cost me a bomb either. Standing just shy of $120 for 2 pax, it's certainly not cheap but definitely a notch or two down the price scale relative to restaurants that serve up a similar quality of food.
Flutes at the Fort - a modern Australian restaurant housed within an old refurbished colonial bungalow and set against the historical backdrop of Fort Canning Park. Amidst the lush greenery and idyllic setting, one would hardly expect to find anything but birds and trees here, much less a restaurant, a swanky one at that.
Getting there can be quite a hassle as the route to the restaurant is quite complicated unless you drive and park at the complimentary valet carpark. But even then, you will have to make your way up a flight of stairs just to get there. But its all worth it. The old bungalow is beautifully restored with modern finishes yet retaining its rustic charm. Ambient lighting is practised and the windows overlook Fort Canning's lovely foliage. There is an option of sitting indoors in the cosy air conditioned area or outdoors at the veranda, with the latter being ideal for cool evenings.
The complimentary sourdough bread was quite good - served warm with the crust lightly crackling and the interior soft and fluffy. Definitely a welcome dish to temporarily stem our hunger pangs. Just don't get carried away and stuff yourself with it or else you are not going to be able to enjoy your other food (aka the ones that cost money).
Carpaccio of Hokkaido Scallops - The only thing that I found interesting about this dish was the breadstick which was served alongside. It was extremely brittle and came coated with a layer of seaweed, giving it a nice salty taste. The thinly sliced scallops, which were supposed to be the main draw, were a little too soft and tasteless for me. Not that my other friends disagreed also.
My main course, the Braised Kurobuta Pork Belly. Just to reiterate that Kurobuta Pork is akin to Kobe beef in the pork hierarchy, therefore making it highly prized and expensive. The Kurobuta pork belly was nothing short of excellent, with the fats literally melt in your mouth tender and the meat fibrous yet retaining a certain firmness. Did I mention anything about the skin being crackling crispy as well? The accompanying Sauteed Portobello mushrooms were juicy and soaked up the wonderful Star Aniseed Jus, making for a wonderful and flavourful side. Please be warned that this dish is definitely not for the health conscious.
The warm Pur - Caraibe Chocolate Fondant was slightly different from the usual renditions offered by other places. There was no molten chocolate in the centre to ooze out when I broke open the shell. Instead, molten chocolate was generously poured over the entire cake and allowed to cool, resulting in a gleaming black chocolate coated cake. Taste wise, I couldn't have asked for more. The cake was moist and spongy and I could detect teeny weeny pockets of chocolate within the cake that would burst forth as I bit into it.
The Fresh Peach and Vanilla Creme Brulee kinda lowered the standards a little. Granted that the pudding was smooth and not too sweet, but the layer of charred sugar atop was way too thick. Thick enough to get stuck in your teeth and irritate the hell out of you with every bite. The accompanying Chempedak and Mint ice cream was good though, mildly sweet with a tinge of the familiar chempedak flavour. Best of all, the ice cream is placed atop a base of slightly burnt Gula Melaka and coconut shavings which only serve to enhance the taste.
Excellent food, excellent ambience, excellent company. I'm a happy man (Not so happy after I got the bill amounting to almost $520 for 7 pax). I personally feel that the price isn't too steep for the quality of food you get here and especially the fantastic ambience. Service is great to boot. On a side note, thanks to all who turned up for the dinner!
White SignBoard with a RED FLOWER.. Thats Missha.... I like Missha! They have cheap and nice funky nail colours in flowered bottles that retails for only $2.90. I can say i'm flower CRAZE. I have almost every colour they retail. I love to mix them and paint mine toes multi coloured...
They also carry a good range of other skin care and beauty products. Mostly korean and there are pretty value for money. They have products that are targetted for certain skin types such as combination, dry or oily. I like korean products because they are usually nicely packed and suitable for asian skin.
Their cosmetics are interesting also. They have the usual blusher which i love because the colour suits my skin tone so well and its smell NICE, Eye shadow with a good variety of colours and mix and match customisation to your individual taste. The other thing i like is the pencil liquid eyeshadow. They call them eyetips. Its so cute and easy to use.
I love the concept and the products they carry. Most importantly, the retail assistants are always cool CHICKs with almost perfect makeovers....
Plucking, Threading, Shaving, Colouring, Tattoo, etc... These are just some of the various things you can do to your brow... or some call it EYE BROWN.....
But its important that your brows are fixed neatly as it frames your beautiful eyes and enhances your entire look.
I have my brow reshaped as and when. As you know when we pluck and maintain our brow, accidents do happen. Either you pluck to much or it went out of shape or it looked like some kind of SAVANNA when there patches of sparse grass growing all over. I had mine brow reshaped yesterday at COSLAB.
It was quick... I entered the salon without making an appointment and this lady served me. After making clear of what i wanted she brought me into this small room look alike cubicle and i was made to lie down on this comfy bed. She then proceeded to do my brows. It was quick and the bed was comfy. I like the fact that she don't talk much so that i could relax and enjoy the ambience.
After plucking, she took a shaver and shaved some parts of the baby hair off... Personally i dislike that as I stated I wanted to pluck. Shaving makes the baby hairs grows out quicker then usual and its so tiny, you couldn't pluck them no more. But when I left, they did not persuade me to buy any packages with them or complained about how bad my trouble areas are and make me sign one of their slimming packages.. Oops...
When I went to the loo after I left, I realised my brows were a little crooked... its like one side is higher then the other. I was so pissed.... But then again I wonder if the brows are crooked or my face is crooked.... Hmph...
Raffles Creamery is yet another ice cream outlet that offers the create your own ice cream plus toppings option. The other two places that I know of are Ice Cream Chefs and Cold Rock Ice Creamery at East Coast Road and Holland Village respectively.
Located at the courtyard of Raffles Hotel just behind Seah Street Deli, Raffles Creamery is the latest "culinary" offering from the grand old dame. A brightly lighted counter adorned with glass jars filled with various condiments greet you in the middle of the courtyard in accompaniment to 2 smiling waitresses who seem to get really flustered with the sudden influx of customers.
I had the Rocky Road ice cream with toppings of Banana Jelly and Oreos. To my surprise, they didn't offer to mix it up for me nor did they ask me if I wanted it mixed up. It was simply take a scoop of ice cream, put some banana jelly and oreos by the side and there you go. Honestly, I was shocked. So much for offering a mix in option. That aside, the ice cream was really creamy and smooth but thats not exactly a compliment as the taste of milk was quite overbearing. And the so called "imported from Germany" banana jelly tasted like chewy candy with a banana taste. Now how special is that?
I paid almost $6 for a scoop of ice cream with 2 seperate condiments. It isn't expensive but without the novelty factor, I could have gotten better ice cream from Ben & Jerry's for the same price. Last I checked, no revisits are in my schedule.
This is one of my favorite holiday resort in Singapore! Started as a resort for civil servant only, now its also open for public booking.
Aloha Loyang is a much better location for gatherings and BBQ as compared to the other resorts at Pasir Ris and East Coast. The location although not that accessible, but its well worth it. The resort is bigger and has plentiful of space for big groups gatherings. And the kitchen in all the resorts is well equipped with all the necessary utensils and cutlery you'll need in a kitchen. You can even cook or fry your food! Just bring the ingredients and food!
If you like to swim, try their pool side resorts. You can almost jump into the pool from your resort. Great for families with kids. You can stay at the chalet to BBQ and cook the food while watching your kids have fun in the pool.
For more privacy and a bigger outdoor BBQ area, the garden terrace is my recommendation. Located at the corner or back of the resort compound, its quieter and more peaceful as you won't be able to hear all the screamings and shoutings at the pool. These terraces also has a big sheltered pavilions around the BBQ area. Ample seats for visitors and great place to host a buffet spread too.
If you've not tried Aloha Loyang, you should go check it out! Especially if you're a civil servant.
1=SGD 0.0587
For a start, I looked forward to this lunch meetup with Claudia and Bobo very much. Feizhu's arrival was a pleasant surprise, but one more friend is never too much.
I was pretty surprised that Earle Swensen’s was pretty empty when Bobo and I stepped in. Hey, it's a Sunday... we see plenty of people... it's lunchtime! Why shouldn't it be packed? As we made our way to the table, it's pretty evident of the spacious floor area, and the scenery overlooking the Sentosa was great. Like I was telling the rest, it would be absolutely stunning to have outdoor seats after the sun sets. I wouldn't mind bringing my own candles.
Let me leave the other food reviews to the individual rapists. (The criminals know what they did...)
Let me touch on my first order, the cappuccino... lousy! It tasted just like any coffee I can rip off in food courts, to the point I feel stupid trying to have my coffee fix there. Why on earth did I even spend more than what I paid for in CoffeeBean, and yet get a cup half the size of CoffeeBean's serving? Secondly, the cappuccino was almost cold. There is air-con but I doubt the air-con is that powerful? You can never bluff your way through with a coffee addict!
My main dish was Sirloin Steak with mashed potato. I have other options to go along with like french fries, but I always thought mashed potato is more appropriate to go along with steaks. For steaks, I often swear by Swensen@Orchard. Therefore, my obvious choice was to try their Sirloin Steak. One word - HORRIBLE!
To put it simply, it was small. I had wanted my steak done medium-rare, and any steak enthusiast should know how bloodied it should be. The very second my knife sunk into the steak, I know I'm in for a big disappointment. The feel of slicing into medium-rare steak just wasn't there. In fact, it took me quite some strength to slice it open for everyone to see. No kidding! Everyone could see that the steak was cooked right down to the center. Not a trace of blood and I'm sorry, that is not medium-rare! For a while, I thought I ordered Lamb Chop.
If you know it's a thin slice of steak, control the cooking time. This is really dependent on the chef and his experience.
However, the sauce was tasting good but too bad the steak spoilt the entire dish totally. Salvaging the dish was the mash potato, or so I thought. Tasted good, but it wasn't mashed properly. I could still bite little chunks of potato. My last hope for some form of compensation just got cruxified.
I'm convinced of my preference of Swensen steak outlet. Earle Swensen @ Vivocity definitely does not make the mark for my tastebuds.
My verdict? I'm sorry, but this place is not worth the money they charged. And I think it's slightly higher than other Swensen's branches? Avoid at all cost if you can, there are plenty more eateries along the whole stretch to satisfy your hunger. 2 stars for the generally friendly staffs, comfortable seats, clean environment and great scenery, that's about it.
Like the rest of them, if not for the great company I would have walked out of that place frowning. You just can't bluff your way through with sub-standard (if not horrendous) food, can you?
Rating given:
Hidden in an obscure corner on the third floor of the hotel, Wan Hao doesn't look like much from the outside. However, step in and be wowed by the luxurious and solemn interior which exudes pure unadulterated sophistication and charm. If dining in a party of 4 or less, do try for one of the 4 cosy corner tables that come complete with curtains.
The Wok Fried Fresh Scallop Cubes with Tropical Mango in Fresh Milk and Egg Topped with Crab Roe served on a bed of Vermicelli tasted uncannily like the excellent Shredded Scallop with Fish & Egg White from Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant, except that it was smoother and richer in taste due to the fresh milk. However, the scallop cubes were rather bland and didn't add any life to the dish. Not that this dish wasn't good though. In fact I like it enough to want to order it again when I return.
The Poached Live Prawns came deshelled, with the exception of the head. The prawns were bigger than your usual ones and were extremely fresh, crunchy and juicy. Add that to the fact that they were perfectly cooked and drenched in a garlic concoction which served to complement the natural sweetness of the prawns. Definitely a winner! But at $90/kg, you might want to think long and hard before placing your order.
The Homemade Seaweed Beancurd Topped with Shredded Abalone, Dried Seafood and Vegetables didn't quite meet expectations. The tofu, though soft, was flat in taste and lacked the natural wholesome goodness of the one I had at Li Bai. The vegetables were cooked in a way that I personally dislike - soft with thick gravy.
The Crispy Boneless Chicken Stir Fried with Fresh Strawberry in Honey and Lemon Sauce was a bummer. I thought this dish would be interesting with the use of fruits to enhance the taste of the chicken, but oh boy, was I wrong. The chicken tasted exactly like Sweet and Sour Pork, albeit of a softer texture. The sweetness from the honey didn't exactly go well with the chicken. It tasted a little too strong and the strawberries didn't really make much of an impact on the dish. But having said that, its still an above average dish.
With a name like Chilled Coconut with Sea Coconut, I had expected fresh chilled Coconut meat served with Sea Coconut, but that was not to be. It is actually a layer of Coconut jelly and a few slices of Sea Coconut served in a small Coconut husk on a bed of ice. This is one dish that would score high marks for presentation. I guess you can tell why just from looking at the picture. And it was rather pleasing to boot. The coconut jelly had a strong coconut taste and coupled with the thick and sweet syrup, it was a pleasure to consume. The Sea Coconut tasted rather normal though.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
I just have one word: EXCELLENT!
Well of course that can't be my review, so let me elaborate more.
Firstly, I would say they have excellent service! They have 2 really friendly salesperson, especially one very outspoken lady, Margaret. She may not be the person with the best fashion sense, but she's good enough to suggest what are more suitable clothes for yourself. She is a salesperson after all, and so of course she has to push her products. But I like the way she does it, in a manner that's not too much that scares people away.
Secondly, this place has really uniquely designed clothes (and for women of all age groups!). I did hear that all these were self-designed. Local products I guess. But it's nothing inferior at all. Wonderfully designed, with tops, bottoms and skirts. For people who look for exquisite sequences, they have it. Wear sequences in a fashionable way! They've got skirts too, with or without sequences. Unique designs, not something I'd say is very common. They've got pants too. What I really like about these pants are that they are (ok, really easy to wear. No zips nothing. Just wear it!) made of really soft material that suits people with different body shape. Big hips small butt whatever it is, you will suit this pants for sure. The cottony feel is soft on your skin and falls down nicely. It's pretty heavy material, but that is why it covers little "flaws" in your body (women will understand this.. ;) )!
Thirdly, the price! I'd say it's not too expensive, with almost everything ranging from 20 to 60, but most of their items are in the 30 range. A good buy I'd say.
For people looking for a different trend, a diversion away from that princess-like dresses or long-tops with leggings etc, this place would be good. It could be said to be like wearing traditional clothes in a fashionable way. I love it!
Rating given:
In the past one year, I have been to this restaurant for about 6-7 times. I must say that the food there was tasty and the variety aplenty. On all my visits there, I went for the ala carte dinner buffet. In total, there are more than 40 different dishes to choose from. These include fresh sashimi ( Hamachi, Salmon, Octopus and Tuna), Tempura, Ramen, Nigiri Sushi, Teppanyaki and many more. You can visit the website to take a look at the various dishes available.
There is also a sashimi counter and if you do not mind, you can sit at the counter seats as this will ensure that you will get to eat your sashimi promptly. This is because there business there is always brisk and therefore sometimes, your food may be slightly delayed. This is sometime that I have learnt in my last visit there. But rest assured that your food will still arrive tasty and hot
What I like best is the value for money here. The pricing of the buffet is approximately $52 for two, as there is always a 1-for-1 offer for the buffet for credit cards (such as DBS and OUB). In addition, there may also be like 20% discount on the total bill for using an AMEX card if you do not have the above-mentioned credit cards. Of course, all these deals may differ from time to time and thus it would be good to check with the restaurant before making a trip down.
As such, it would be most worthwhile to go with your friends and family for a hearty meal at this restaurant and enjoy the food. You will definitely love it and will go back for more in future.
Rating given:
I remember visiting the now defunct Haw Par Villa when I was still a kid in primary school. At that time, Haw Par Villa had opened with much fanfare and I remember paying an exorbitant amount (in the $20 range I believe) just to gain entry. Those days are long gone and all that is left of the sprawling theme park are the forgotten statues and a recently opened Chinese restaurant called Made In China which is managed by the Singapore Explorer group, the very group that manages Pier Eleven. Now who in the right mind would open a restaurant in the middle of a deserted theme park that is not really accessible without a vehicle?
Parking is a breeze because you can literally park anywhere you want along the slope that leads up to the restaurant. It all depends on how much you are willing to walk. As I stepped into the restaurant compound, everything seemed so surreal. The building and its surroundings seemed to have come out straight from some ancient martial arts flick that I used to watch. The interior of the restaurant brought me back to reality though. Sparsely furnished, this is one place that believes in spacing out its tables for the comfort of its guests and I appreciate it.
The Peking duck was both good and bad. The skin was crackling crispy and had minimal fats under it. This is probably the crispiest Peking duck skin that I've ever eaten. Such a delightful skin was only let down by the rather lacklustre skin which was thin but tasteless. The meat on the other hand, was a total letdown. A tad dry and not as tender as I had expected. There was also a discernible, albeit faint, fowl taste.
For the price ($25) , the shark's fin and fish maw soup was good. First looks, it actually reminded me of curry because of the yellowish soup base. The soup was rather intense in flavour and came across as thick and starchy while the fins and fish maw were aplenty and pretty decent. According to the waitress, the soup base is boiled for 42 hours using old chicken, old duck (literal translation) and some other stuff that are supposed to be beneficial to the body.
The Fried Golden Butter Prawns came looking rather messy and not the least bit like prawns, more like chunks of fried stuff. The batter was lightly salted and crispy with a lingering buttery aftertaste while the prawns were fresh but none too succulent. I did find this dish a little disappointing because the butter batter came across as bland, unlike the egg yolk variations I've eaten before which were decidedly more savoury. But then again, its quite decent.
Pan Grilled Miso Marinated Beef Tenderloin - Honestly, I didn't think too much of this dish. It looked like it had been drenched in oil and the black pepper taste was overwhelming, so much so that I couldn't really make out if it was beef or pork. The doneness of the beef didn't help either.
Desserts weren't fantastic but decent nevertheless. The crust of the Red Bean Paste Pancake was a little too thick for my liking and the red bean filling seemed a little runny and low on the sugar content. The Yam Paste in Coconut fared better. It's actually Orh Nee served in a coconut. The yam was very smooth, not too coagulated and mildy sweet. Only bone I had was that too much coconut milk was added and it didn't gel very well with the yam paste. The Black Glutinous Rice with Ice Cream derived its sweetness from the scoop of vanilla ice cream in its midst but was average tasting.
I'll be lying if I said that I could walk up straight after such a hearty meal because I simply couldn't, try as hard as I might. And it didn't exactly cost me a bomb either. Standing just shy of $120 for 2 pax, it's certainly not cheap but definitely a notch or two down the price scale relative to restaurants that serve up a similar quality of food.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Flutes at the Fort - a modern Australian restaurant housed within an old refurbished colonial bungalow and set against the historical backdrop of Fort Canning Park. Amidst the lush greenery and idyllic setting, one would hardly expect to find anything but birds and trees here, much less a restaurant, a swanky one at that.
Getting there can be quite a hassle as the route to the restaurant is quite complicated unless you drive and park at the complimentary valet carpark. But even then, you will have to make your way up a flight of stairs just to get there. But its all worth it. The old bungalow is beautifully restored with modern finishes yet retaining its rustic charm. Ambient lighting is practised and the windows overlook Fort Canning's lovely foliage. There is an option of sitting indoors in the cosy air conditioned area or outdoors at the veranda, with the latter being ideal for cool evenings.
The complimentary sourdough bread was quite good - served warm with the crust lightly crackling and the interior soft and fluffy. Definitely a welcome dish to temporarily stem our hunger pangs. Just don't get carried away and stuff yourself with it or else you are not going to be able to enjoy your other food (aka the ones that cost money).
Carpaccio of Hokkaido Scallops - The only thing that I found interesting about this dish was the breadstick which was served alongside. It was extremely brittle and came coated with a layer of seaweed, giving it a nice salty taste. The thinly sliced scallops, which were supposed to be the main draw, were a little too soft and tasteless for me. Not that my other friends disagreed also.
Double Baked Alaskan King Crab Soufflé - "Where's the king crab?" was my initial reaction to this dish. Clearly that was top of my list when I ordered this dish. After a few prods and scoops, the elusive king crab was still nowhere to be found. Not that this dish tasted bad anyway (It was cheesy with a slight hint of crab). In fact, it was so good that I had the urge to order another serving, but at $25 a pop, it was a no brainer really.
My main course, the Braised Kurobuta Pork Belly. Just to reiterate that Kurobuta Pork is akin to Kobe beef in the pork hierarchy, therefore making it highly prized and expensive. The Kurobuta pork belly was nothing short of excellent, with the fats literally melt in your mouth tender and the meat fibrous yet retaining a certain firmness. Did I mention anything about the skin being crackling crispy as well? The accompanying Sauteed Portobello mushrooms were juicy and soaked up the wonderful Star Aniseed Jus, making for a wonderful and flavourful side. Please be warned that this dish is definitely not for the health conscious.
The warm Pur - Caraibe Chocolate Fondant was slightly different from the usual renditions offered by other places. There was no molten chocolate in the centre to ooze out when I broke open the shell. Instead, molten chocolate was generously poured over the entire cake and allowed to cool, resulting in a gleaming black chocolate coated cake. Taste wise, I couldn't have asked for more. The cake was moist and spongy and I could detect teeny weeny pockets of chocolate within the cake that would burst forth as I bit into it.
The Fresh Peach and Vanilla Creme Brulee kinda lowered the standards a little. Granted that the pudding was smooth and not too sweet, but the layer of charred sugar atop was way too thick. Thick enough to get stuck in your teeth and irritate the hell out of you with every bite. The accompanying Chempedak and Mint ice cream was good though, mildly sweet with a tinge of the familiar chempedak flavour. Best of all, the ice cream is placed atop a base of slightly burnt Gula Melaka and coconut shavings which only serve to enhance the taste.
Excellent food, excellent ambience, excellent company. I'm a happy man (Not so happy after I got the bill amounting to almost $520 for 7 pax). I personally feel that the price isn't too steep for the quality of food you get here and especially the fantastic ambience. Service is great to boot. On a side note, thanks to all who turned up for the dinner!
See all my photos here
Rating given:
White SignBoard with a RED FLOWER.. Thats Missha.... I like Missha! They have cheap and nice funky nail colours in flowered bottles that retails for only $2.90. I can say i'm flower CRAZE. I have almost every colour they retail. I love to mix them and paint mine toes multi coloured...
They also carry a good range of other skin care and beauty products. Mostly korean and there are pretty value for money. They have products that are targetted for certain skin types such as combination, dry or oily. I like korean products because they are usually nicely packed and suitable for asian skin.
Their cosmetics are interesting also. They have the usual blusher which i love because the colour suits my skin tone so well and its smell NICE, Eye shadow with a good variety of colours and mix and match customisation to your individual taste. The other thing i like is the pencil liquid eyeshadow. They call them eyetips. Its so cute and easy to use.
I love the concept and the products they carry. Most importantly, the retail assistants are always cool CHICKs with almost perfect makeovers....
Rating given:
Plucking, Threading, Shaving, Colouring, Tattoo, etc... These are just some of the various things you can do to your brow... or some call it EYE BROWN.....
But its important that your brows are fixed neatly as it frames your beautiful eyes and enhances your entire look.
I have my brow reshaped as and when. As you know when we pluck and maintain our brow, accidents do happen. Either you pluck to much or it went out of shape or it looked like some kind of SAVANNA when there patches of sparse grass growing all over. I had mine brow reshaped yesterday at COSLAB.
It was quick... I entered the salon without making an appointment and this lady served me. After making clear of what i wanted she brought me into this small room look alike cubicle and i was made to lie down on this comfy bed. She then proceeded to do my brows. It was quick and the bed was comfy. I like the fact that she don't talk much so that i could relax and enjoy the ambience.
After plucking, she took a shaver and shaved some parts of the baby hair off... Personally i dislike that as I stated I wanted to pluck. Shaving makes the baby hairs grows out quicker then usual and its so tiny, you couldn't pluck them no more. But when I left, they did not persuade me to buy any packages with them or complained about how bad my trouble areas are and make me sign one of their slimming packages.. Oops...
When I went to the loo after I left, I realised my brows were a little crooked... its like one side is higher then the other. I was so pissed.... But then again I wonder if the brows are crooked or my face is crooked.... Hmph...
I will upload pictures of my brow Next time.....
Rating given:
Raffles Creamery is yet another ice cream outlet that offers the create your own ice cream plus toppings option. The other two places that I know of are Ice Cream Chefs and Cold Rock Ice Creamery at East Coast Road and Holland Village respectively.
Located at the courtyard of Raffles Hotel just behind Seah Street Deli, Raffles Creamery is the latest "culinary" offering from the grand old dame. A brightly lighted counter adorned with glass jars filled with various condiments greet you in the middle of the courtyard in accompaniment to 2 smiling waitresses who seem to get really flustered with the sudden influx of customers.
I had the Rocky Road ice cream with toppings of Banana Jelly and Oreos. To my surprise, they didn't offer to mix it up for me nor did they ask me if I wanted it mixed up. It was simply take a scoop of ice cream, put some banana jelly and oreos by the side and there you go. Honestly, I was shocked. So much for offering a mix in option. That aside, the ice cream was really creamy and smooth but thats not exactly a compliment as the taste of milk was quite overbearing. And the so called "imported from Germany" banana jelly tasted like chewy candy with a banana taste. Now how special is that?
I paid almost $6 for a scoop of ice cream with 2 seperate condiments. It isn't expensive but without the novelty factor, I could have gotten better ice cream from Ben & Jerry's for the same price. Last I checked, no revisits are in my schedule.
See my pictures here
Rating given:
This is one of my favorite holiday resort in Singapore! Started as a resort for civil servant only, now its also open for public booking.
Aloha Loyang is a much better location for gatherings and BBQ as compared to the other resorts at Pasir Ris and East Coast. The location although not that accessible, but its well worth it. The resort is bigger and has plentiful of space for big groups gatherings. And the kitchen in all the resorts is well equipped with all the necessary utensils and cutlery you'll need in a kitchen. You can even cook or fry your food! Just bring the ingredients and food!
If you like to swim, try their pool side resorts. You can almost jump into the pool from your resort. Great for families with kids. You can stay at the chalet to BBQ and cook the food while watching your kids have fun in the pool.
For more privacy and a bigger outdoor BBQ area, the garden terrace is my recommendation. Located at the corner or back of the resort compound, its quieter and more peaceful as you won't be able to hear all the screamings and shoutings at the pool. These terraces also has a big sheltered pavilions around the BBQ area. Ample seats for visitors and great place to host a buffet spread too.
If you've not tried Aloha Loyang, you should go check it out! Especially if you're a civil servant.
Rating given: