Black Canyon has been on East Coast Road for the last 5 years and I finally step foot into this place one quiet evening, not knowing what to expect. It was late on a weekday so there were only 2 other tables occupied. In fact when we walked in, they were going to take last orders in 15 minutes. But the staff were still smiling and welcomed us warmly which is rare when one arrives so near closing time.
The place is modern looking, great for friends to hang out, families to gather and casual business meetings. It's quite spacious too with plenty of seats in 3 sections; outside, dining area with proper tables and chilling area with more cushion like seats.
Taking our time ordering (the staff didn't rush us and didn't hover around us) we came up with the following.
Food Ordered: Spicy Glass Noodles Salad $7.95 Our little starter which was delicious. Two of us shared this dish but we were a little full by the time we were done with it. It was certainly spicy but not overly done. The crunchy nuts were a nice addition to the dish. What I liked most was that it wasn't oily despite having all that spice.
Spicy Stir Fried Seafood and Basil with Rice $8.95 This was my friend's order. It was really spicy though he didn't have any other complaints about it. I liked how the rice came in cubes. Fish Fillet Steak $9.95 My dory was served with chips and some toast. The toast was a little dry but it was the wholemeal (wheat) sort which I pretty much liked so that was fine. The outside of the dory was a little dry but still quite tasty.
We spent about $30 for the two of us which included a drink. I think it's pretty reasonable since we were famished when we got in and really full when we staggered out. Worth a try!
*Please excuse the horrid pictures - the perils of using the camera phone when one forgets her cammie*
Heard about 2am:dessert bar and did read that it was pretty good, so when I was asked to go along, I was happy to.
Upon reaching Holland V, we did have a bit of trouble locating it. Thank goodness for friends who live in the West and frequent Holland V, we found this little place near the multi-storey carpark. It's at the end of the row where you can find the popular bakery Provence. BTW you have to look up because it's on the second floor.
At the entrance to the stairs leading upstairs, we were "greeted" by a small group of people who were on their way out. Apparently there were seats for them but the woman was complaining that it was way too noisy for her to eat anything. Surprised, we stepped in to experience it for ourselves.
She was right! The music was way too loud and distasteful for a dessert bar meant for chilling. They were playing house music as if it were a club and everyone was talking at the top of their voices so that they could be heard. It certainly didn't help that there was one huge group of 10 people there that day.
That said the colours and design of the interior looks good but it was a little too cramp for me. Also the chairs and sofas chosen were not very comfortable. Maybe they are trying to make their patrons uncomfortable so that they wouldn't stay too long. Despite maximizing seating capacity by making it cramp, there still weren't enough seats that night.
The selection was a little limited for me. As a dessert bar I don't expect it to have many food items so the number (about 5-6) of food items was fine. But there weren't many dessert items too. I believe there were about 8-9 items which some of which are not very different from each other.
Food Ordered: Chocolate Tart $14 The most popular one that night and it certainly made sense why. The chocolate was reasonably tasty. The crust had some orange in it which gave a zesty taste when you have it with the chocolate. Presented beautifully, this was the only item which received some nods that night.
Twix $13 Tasteless. Truly tasteless. I was wondering what it was suppose to be and I picked up the menu to read again. It certainly didn't taste like caramel mousse to me. Only the peanut crumble (little peanut bits) served with it had some taste. Even the ice cream wasn't even satisfactory. Tiramisu $15 This is the worst Tiramisu I've ever tasted. I've had some weird ones before but this one was in a class of its own. The texture was very soggy and it irked me to have to swallow it anyway.
2am Meatballs $14 6 little meatballs served on a few pieces of veg. Presentation wise, this was the least attractive. No doubt the meatballs weren't just taken out from a frozen pack but it certainly didn't justify the price tag. I don't relish eating some of the fatty bits in it too.
The above plus a glass of wine, ginger beer and some peppermint tea cost 3 of us $78 (after 10% discount).
How did we get the 10% discount? Well after taking our orders, we were OFFERED by the staff to change to the sofa seats by the side. Attracted by the novelty of sitting on the sofa seats we were excited and moved over immediately. After which the server who took our orders, saw that we were no longer at our places, threw our order away. He walked past us a few times when we were at our new seats but still didn't realise his mistake. Only after we noticed people who came later were getting their food before us, then we raised the issue. After some clarification, the lady (whom we suppose to be the manager) apologised and explained to us that the order was thrown away. Sigh.
By then the music was making me nauseous. Bad ambience, bad food, high prices and service requires improvement. What rating did you expect?
Wah Lok is a Cantonese restaurant which has been on the 2nd floor of Carlton for a long time. The interior is quite lavish and traditional looking with a nice dome shaped main dining hall at the end which overlooks Chjimes.
We ordered SO MUCH I just can't list them all. Also the receipt is with my companion and I forgot to take a picture of it. haha Some of the food we ordered:
Century Egg Porridge This was one nice small bowl for me. I enjoyed it really. But it wasn't anything special. The serving was just right for one and the texture of the porridge was just right. It wasn't the watery sort one sometimes gets. Egg Tarts They were cute mini dim sum egg tarts. The filling was not tasty enough for me. The crust was a little too crumbly which forced me to put the entire thing in my mouth and I couldn't take my time with it. Average I guess.
Steamed Prawn Dumplings - Har Gao Har gao is one dish I always look forward to when I eat dim sum. This one was not really what I like though. Although I attacked right after all the photo taking, it was already pretty dry and the edges were a tad hard. The prawn was pretty fresh but the skin wasn't what I would prefer. Sigh.
Roasted Pork Bun - Char Siew Bao I like that the filling wasn't too sweet and there weren't fatty bits. But the dough portion was a little too thick. I like those that are thinner and open up more. Not bad really. Beancurd Skin with Prawn It was oily (as usual) but very crisp. I'm not a fan of beancurd skin but this was one I pretty much liked.
It cost us about $28-$29 each. There were three of us that day. Service was pretty good though I didn't get my water filled at all throughout. My friend's warm water did get filled though. I find Wah Lok's dim sum too "heavy" for me... get full very easily. I guess, in a way, that's more traditional.
I was sick for a week and was really wrecking my brains for something to eat. A friend suggested Vietnamese food and we went to Le Viet. I'd walked past this place many times and never stepped in to try the food.
Simple and modern decor. It had this nice water tank running along the side of the restaurant. There were guppies and goldfish swimming about it. When we got there, they had just put fresh food in so all the fish were coming to the surface. It was certainly nice to look at.
There were few people there that weekday evening. So it wasn't too noisy. Just right with a few tables occupied.
There was quite a variety and being a noob to vietnamese food, I spent a lot of time poring over the descriptions....
Food Ordered:
Goi Cuon - Fresh Rice Paper Roll ($6) There were 3 rolls and you had a choice of chicken or pork. We picked chicken. The shredded chicken was wrapped in a paper thin translucent skin with vermicelli, beansprouts and basil. I liked this very much. It was light yet savoury. Bun Ga Nuong - Dry Vietnamese Vermicelli w Chicken ($8.50) This arrived looking like your regular Kueh Tiao with Grilled Chicken. But flip it and you'll find a host of crunchy vegetables right underneath! Toss it well and you have yourself a savoury noodle salad! Yummy!!
Pho Bo Thap Cam - 3-in-1 Mixed Noodles ($8.50) My friend had this with slices and beef balls. You can choose 2 out of 3 options and those were his choices. I didn't eat this because I'm not a fan of beef. But the soup was very very tasty!
Including drinks our bill came u to about $30 (and a little more) which I find pretty reasonable. Every thing was served fast cos it's not too hard to prepare... and the service was satisfactory.
Al Dento at Great World is an open concept cafe you can't miss if you're there. Its central location (Great World City) makes it not-too-inconvenient yet nice and quiet.
Popped by for dinner with 3 other Yebbers that fateful Tuesday. Armed with the well-mentioned coupon, we were tempted to order almost everything on the menu.
Of course we didn't... so here goes!
Tomato Basil Brushetta @ $5 Our little starter was served pretty quickly. 8 pieces of thin toast... Well-buttered but the diced tomatoes were a tad too little. But it was relatively well-presented. A good number for the 4 of us which made me wonder briefly if it were done on purpose.
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms @ $12 2 pieces... what did I expect right? Well it was a little small for Portobello but we made do. The sauce that came with it was just right, not too overpowering. The mushrooms were still juicy with good bite. But I still think it's too expensive at its original price.
Pan-seared Butterfish @ $20 This dish was served with lumps of potato which really looked like Cheezels to me as they were very orange in colour. The fish didn't have too much of a fishy smell to me but the texture could be improved. The potatoes tasted like they were frozen... much like Tater Tots for those who remember what they are.
Char-grilled Sirloin Steak @ $20 This dish was to be served medium rare but it was more well done than expected. I didn't taste this dish really so let my companions do the talking for ya.
Arragosta Pasta @ $20 This is the pasta served with lobster meat. We could choose between two sauces, tomato and garlic. We had garlic sauce and the sauce sure came with a garlicky smell. I think this dish is pretty average. I had the joy of having more lobster meat though (thanks to Claudie).
Smoked Chicken Pizza @ $17 I liked this one. The pizza was about 10". It didn't seem so impressive when it arrived but all the chicken was hidden beneath the cheese. It's been a long time since I've had pizza with that much meat. I like the crust which was thin and crisp at the edges but not thin enough to be charred. :)
Macadamia scented Creme Brulee @ $8 I was the one who ordered this and I did regret a little after the first spoonful. The taste of the custard wasn't very strong. The texture of the custard wasn't smooth enough too. The caramelised top was too thin to add any taste to the dessert.
Tiramisu @ $9 This is better than the Creme Brulee but still not good enough I guess. The top portion was too "tough" and the bottom was too soggy. That made it a little gross to swallow but the overall taste was fine.
This meal would have cost the 4 of us $120 if not for the coupon. The service provided was satisfactory I guess. But unless I'm in the area and I don't fancy anything else, I don't think I would specially head there for this again.
Sick and tired of cakes and ice cream all the time? It's nice to have more traditional desserts. Ah Chew's is one of the places where I love to have desserts. After 7, it constantly full. The place isn't very big, it seats about 25 people at max.
Parking here is really a headache too. Even if you choose to park slightly further at Parco you might have to wait.
That said the ambience in this place is simple and it looks like a traditional Chinese stall 店铺. The people here are relatively friendly but everyone's usually too busy to chat more.
My two favourites here are the Mi Gua Xi Mi Lu (Honeydew Sago) and the Gui Ling Gao (Herbal Jelly). Both are the cooling sort of desserts. I'm never a fan of hot desserts.
My friends are always having the hot pastes. :)
Despite me liking this place so much, I have to give it 4 stars only. It's not really a place to chill with your friends as there will be people breathing down your neck cos they need a seat. :P But come try!!
Don't be mistaken. This Teo Heng is the one where you can sing at. Not the one selling the karaoke equipment, although they are under the same company. This KTV has been around for ages, way before K-Box ever stepped in. Even my mom has been to this KTV.
Directions to Teo Heng, Turn right when you get out of the lift and keep right. It's quite secluded (ulu) but once you get there you'll find it perpetually filled with people.
The equipment here can act up at times. They have both normal and cordless microphones. Sometimes the microphones may sound funny and sometimes it takes some time for the receiver to get your song requests. But it's not because their things are old, but more like they are well-used. Most of the other places have technical problems from time to time too isn't it?
But the advantages of singing at Teo Heng greatly outweigh the disadvantages.
1) The Prices. It starts for $8/hr for a small room (3-4 people) to $12 for a large room (10 people) during off peak periods. If you sing all the way from 2-6 there are special packages. If you're singing during peak periods it's $14 for a small room. It's cheap!
2) Teo Heng has the newest songs too. Don't be mistaken by the way it looks. They have all the newest songs too. AND all the oldies. AND songs which you have never heard of in your life.
3) Drinks are at $1 per can. And price for drinks have not increased since 6 years ago.
4) You can bring outside food in. You can bring whatever food and drink you want in. They don't care as long as you don't make a big mess.
5) Parking at Katong Shopping Centre is relatively easy and after KTV you can always head up for cheap bowling... (but it's not so good to bowl there...)
K-Box or Teo Heng? Give me Teo Heng any time. :) ** I wanted to give it 4 stars but I do think that the furnishings need to be update. My companion commented that it is a little sleazy but it's really a family KTV :)
Eden Cafe is a little gem tucked away amongst all the eateries there! It's tastefully done in a modern yet simplistic manner. The ambience was a winner with me. There were a couple of seats outside but I would much rather sit inside.
What I loved most about the place was the small garden Clement had at the back. It was filled with plants and Clement let us try some which were delicious.. Yes the leaves of the plants were delicious.
Clement provided great service, patiently explaining every bit to us. Esp when the items don't look conventional. The servers were also very polite, clearing our dishes at timely intervals.
I liked most of the dishes they went down pretty well with me... I shall talk about the ones I loved!
I liked the Black Sesame Pasta. It was my first time having it.. It was very different in taste but I still liked it. There was a certain flavour to it. But it didn't go down so well with many people...
I loved the Tomato based soup served with mussel. The soup was very flavourful and thick. The fact that it was so healthy and tasty at the same time had me licking the bowl clean :)
I also liked the Seedless Grape Chicken. This is the one dish that I would love to go back specially for. It was delicious! And we had ours in this funny fortune cookie cover thing which was really cute.
There were so many delicious things on the menu and the molten chocolate cake really had me.. That I think another visit is a necessity. The mains for the lunches also vary from week to week. You can join the mailing list to have Clement email it to you!!
Who doesn't know Thai Express? This chain expanded really fast and it's now all over the place. I even have one just a stone's throw from my place.
Popped by the one at PS just recently with a friend. We were nicely greeted and shown to a seat quickly. It was a Sunday afternoon and PS was brimming with people but Thai Express was only a quarter filled. Well it helped that there were many eateries around the area I guess.
We quickly decided on our food and the server asked if we'd like warm or iced water. I like that she didn't just assume that everyone wants iced water.
Food ordered: Kaeng Khiew Mangsawirat ($8.90) Green Vegetable Curry served with Rice I'm used to green curry that is much milder and has more flavour but this one was much spicier. There was a lot of vegetables though and it was pretty filling despite what people might think.
Poo Phat Pung Kari ($9.90) Curried Soft Shell Crab with Eggs and Onions, served with Rice This one's curry was less spicy, more mild. Complete opposite. But the curry masked any oilyness soft shell crabs usually have so it was a pretty good dish really.
Fresh Prawn Wraps ($5.90) Fried to a crisp, the wrap was very tasty. The prawns were not as fresh as one would expect but still acceptable I guess.
Acceptable food with pretty good service at an acceptable price I guess I will be there again.
Epicurious is another small eatery along Robertson Quay that I've tried. It's really hard to find! You have to walk all the way to the end, near the bridge. It's facing the river with some seats outside and just 3 tables inside.
I love the ambience. It's very cosy with warm lights around. There are shelves all filled with little knick knacks from the past. There are also photographs of Singapore in the early days.. It was certainly fun looking through everything. So fun that it distracted me from ordering. Luckily I had a companion who was more focused. The items are for sale but they are expensive.. like $6 for a soup spoon..
The only thing which was odd about the place was Jay Chou singing loudly from the kitchen. Luckily we did kinda like Jay so it wasn't bad. But it certainly didn't fit in with the place.
The menu was a little small with few items but apparently they change the items on the menu from time to time so new items will be up for tasting eventually.
I had the Herb Roasted Half Chicken that day. It was served with baked potatoes and mushrooms. The chicken was well marinated and the meat just tastes of the herbs. It was yummy and I'm still thinking of it. Although I hate having to separate meat from bones but I certainly tried hard that night to get my yummy meat. The serving was definitely more than enough for me.
I'd have to agree that $55 for 2 mains and a dessert does seem a little ex but I think it's really worth it! I would definitely be back... to try the Muthu's Flourless Chocolate Cake which was sold out that day :)
1=SGD 0.0587
Black Canyon has been on East Coast Road for the last 5 years and I finally step foot into this place one quiet evening, not knowing what to expect. It was late on a weekday so there were only 2 other tables occupied. In fact when we walked in, they were going to take last orders in 15 minutes. But the staff were still smiling and welcomed us warmly which is rare when one arrives so near closing time.
The place is modern looking, great for friends to hang out, families to gather and casual business meetings. It's quite spacious too with plenty of seats in 3 sections; outside, dining area with proper tables and chilling area with more cushion like seats.
Taking our time ordering (the staff didn't rush us and didn't hover around us) we came up with the following.
Food Ordered:
Spicy Glass Noodles Salad $7.95
Our little starter which was delicious. Two of us shared this dish but we were a little full by the time we were done with it. It was certainly spicy but not overly done. The crunchy nuts were a nice addition to the dish. What I liked most was that it wasn't oily despite having all that spice.
Spicy Stir Fried Seafood and Basil with Rice $8.95
This was my friend's order. It was really spicy though he didn't have any other complaints about it. I liked how the rice came in cubes.
Fish Fillet Steak $9.95
My dory was served with chips and some toast. The toast was a little dry but it was the wholemeal (wheat) sort which I pretty much liked so that was fine. The outside of the dory was a little dry but still quite tasty.
We spent about $30 for the two of us which included a drink. I think it's pretty reasonable since we were famished when we got in and really full when we staggered out. Worth a try!
*Please excuse the horrid pictures - the perils of using the camera phone when one forgets her cammie*
Rating given:
Heard about 2am:dessert bar and did read that it was pretty good, so when I was asked to go along, I was happy to.
Upon reaching Holland V, we did have a bit of trouble locating it. Thank goodness for friends who live in the West and frequent Holland V, we found this little place near the multi-storey carpark. It's at the end of the row where you can find the popular bakery Provence. BTW you have to look up because it's on the second floor.
At the entrance to the stairs leading upstairs, we were "greeted" by a small group of people who were on their way out. Apparently there were seats for them but the woman was complaining that it was way too noisy for her to eat anything. Surprised, we stepped in to experience it for ourselves.
She was right! The music was way too loud and distasteful for a dessert bar meant for chilling. They were playing house music as if it were a club and everyone was talking at the top of their voices so that they could be heard. It certainly didn't help that there was one huge group of 10 people there that day.
That said the colours and design of the interior looks good but it was a little too cramp for me. Also the chairs and sofas chosen were not very comfortable. Maybe they are trying to make their patrons uncomfortable so that they wouldn't stay too long. Despite maximizing seating capacity by making it cramp, there still weren't enough seats that night.
The selection was a little limited for me. As a dessert bar I don't expect it to have many food items so the number (about 5-6) of food items was fine. But there weren't many dessert items too. I believe there were about 8-9 items which some of which are not very different from each other.
Food Ordered:
Chocolate Tart $14
The most popular one that night and it certainly made sense why. The chocolate was reasonably tasty. The crust had some orange in it which gave a zesty taste when you have it with the chocolate. Presented beautifully, this was the only item which received some nods that night.
Twix $13
Tasteless. Truly tasteless. I was wondering what it was suppose to be and I picked up the menu to read again. It certainly didn't taste like caramel mousse to me. Only the peanut crumble (little peanut bits) served with it had some taste. Even the ice cream wasn't even satisfactory.
Tiramisu $15
This is the worst Tiramisu I've ever tasted. I've had some weird ones before but this one was in a class of its own. The texture was very soggy and it irked me to have to swallow it anyway.
2am Meatballs $14
6 little meatballs served on a few pieces of veg. Presentation wise, this was the least attractive. No doubt the meatballs weren't just taken out from a frozen pack but it certainly didn't justify the price tag. I don't relish eating some of the fatty bits in it too.
The above plus a glass of wine, ginger beer and some peppermint tea cost 3 of us $78 (after 10% discount).
How did we get the 10% discount? Well after taking our orders, we were OFFERED by the staff to change to the sofa seats by the side. Attracted by the novelty of sitting on the sofa seats we were excited and moved over immediately. After which the server who took our orders, saw that we were no longer at our places, threw our order away. He walked past us a few times when we were at our new seats but still didn't realise his mistake. Only after we noticed people who came later were getting their food before us, then we raised the issue. After some clarification, the lady (whom we suppose to be the manager) apologised and explained to us that the order was thrown away. Sigh.
By then the music was making me nauseous. Bad ambience, bad food, high prices and service requires improvement. What rating did you expect?
Rating given:
Wah Lok is a Cantonese restaurant which has been on the 2nd floor of Carlton for a long time. The interior is quite lavish and traditional looking with a nice dome shaped main dining hall at the end which overlooks Chjimes.
We ordered SO MUCH I just can't list them all. Also the receipt is with my companion and I forgot to take a picture of it. haha
Some of the food we ordered:
Century Egg Porridge
This was one nice small bowl for me. I enjoyed it really. But it wasn't anything special. The serving was just right for one and the texture of the porridge was just right. It wasn't the watery sort one sometimes gets.
Egg Tarts
They were cute mini dim sum egg tarts. The filling was not tasty enough for me. The crust was a little too crumbly which forced me to put the entire thing in my mouth and I couldn't take my time with it. Average I guess.
Steamed Prawn Dumplings - Har Gao
Har gao is one dish I always look forward to when I eat dim sum. This one was not really what I like though. Although I attacked right after all the photo taking, it was already pretty dry and the edges were a tad hard. The prawn was pretty fresh but the skin wasn't what I would prefer. Sigh.
Roasted Pork Bun - Char Siew Bao
I like that the filling wasn't too sweet and there weren't fatty bits. But the dough portion was a little too thick. I like those that are thinner and open up more. Not bad really.
Beancurd Skin with Prawn
It was oily (as usual) but very crisp. I'm not a fan of beancurd skin but this was one I pretty much liked.
It cost us about $28-$29 each. There were three of us that day. Service was pretty good though I didn't get my water filled at all throughout. My friend's warm water did get filled though. I find Wah Lok's dim sum too "heavy" for me... get full very easily. I guess, in a way, that's more traditional.
Rating given:
I was sick for a week and was really wrecking my brains for something to eat. A friend suggested Vietnamese food and we went to Le Viet. I'd walked past this place many times and never stepped in to try the food.
Simple and modern decor. It had this nice water tank running along the side of the restaurant. There were guppies and goldfish swimming about it. When we got there, they had just put fresh food in so all the fish were coming to the surface. It was certainly nice to look at.
There were few people there that weekday evening. So it wasn't too noisy. Just right with a few tables occupied.
There was quite a variety and being a noob to vietnamese food, I spent a lot of time poring over the descriptions....
Food Ordered:
Goi Cuon - Fresh Rice Paper Roll ($6)
There were 3 rolls and you had a choice of chicken or pork. We picked chicken. The shredded chicken was wrapped in a paper thin translucent skin with vermicelli, beansprouts and basil. I liked this very much. It was light yet savoury.
Bun Ga Nuong - Dry Vietnamese Vermicelli w Chicken ($8.50)
This arrived looking like your regular Kueh Tiao with Grilled Chicken. But flip it and you'll find a host of crunchy vegetables right underneath! Toss it well and you have yourself a savoury noodle salad! Yummy!!
Pho Bo Thap Cam - 3-in-1 Mixed Noodles ($8.50)
My friend had this with slices and beef balls. You can choose 2 out of 3 options and those were his choices. I didn't eat this because I'm not a fan of beef. But the soup was very very tasty!
Including drinks our bill came u to about $30 (and a little more) which I find pretty reasonable. Every thing was served fast cos it's not too hard to prepare... and the service was satisfactory.
Rating given:
Al Dento at Great World is an open concept cafe you can't miss if you're there. Its central location (Great World City) makes it not-too-inconvenient yet nice and quiet.
Popped by for dinner with 3 other Yebbers that fateful Tuesday. Armed with the well-mentioned coupon, we were tempted to order almost everything on the menu.
Of course we didn't... so here goes!
Tomato Basil Brushetta @ $5
Our little starter was served pretty quickly. 8 pieces of thin toast... Well-buttered but the diced tomatoes were a tad too little. But it was relatively well-presented. A good number for the 4 of us which made me wonder briefly if it were done on purpose.
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms @ $12
2 pieces... what did I expect right? Well it was a little small for Portobello but we made do. The sauce that came with it was just right, not too overpowering. The mushrooms were still juicy with good bite. But I still think it's too expensive at its original price.
Pan-seared Butterfish @ $20
This dish was served with lumps of potato which really looked like Cheezels to me as they were very orange in colour. The fish didn't have too much of a fishy smell to me but the texture could be improved. The potatoes tasted like they were frozen... much like Tater Tots for those who remember what they are.
Char-grilled Sirloin Steak @ $20
This dish was to be served medium rare but it was more well done than expected. I didn't taste this dish really so let my companions do the talking for ya.
Arragosta Pasta @ $20
This is the pasta served with lobster meat. We could choose between two sauces, tomato and garlic. We had garlic sauce and the sauce sure came with a garlicky smell. I think this dish is pretty average. I had the joy of having more lobster meat though (thanks to Claudie).
Smoked Chicken Pizza @ $17
I liked this one. The pizza was about 10". It didn't seem so impressive when it arrived but all the chicken was hidden beneath the cheese. It's been a long time since I've had pizza with that much meat. I like the crust which was thin and crisp at the edges but not thin enough to be charred. :)
Macadamia scented Creme Brulee @ $8
I was the one who ordered this and I did regret a little after the first spoonful. The taste of the custard wasn't very strong. The texture of the custard wasn't smooth enough too. The caramelised top was too thin to add any taste to the dessert.
Tiramisu @ $9
This is better than the Creme Brulee but still not good enough I guess. The top portion was too "tough" and the bottom was too soggy. That made it a little gross to swallow but the overall taste was fine.
This meal would have cost the 4 of us $120 if not for the coupon. The service provided was satisfactory I guess. But unless I'm in the area and I don't fancy anything else, I don't think I would specially head there for this again.
Rating given:
Sick and tired of cakes and ice cream all the time? It's nice to have more traditional desserts. Ah Chew's is one of the places where I love to have desserts. After 7, it constantly full. The place isn't very big, it seats about 25 people at max.
Parking here is really a headache too. Even if you choose to park slightly further at Parco you might have to wait.
That said the ambience in this place is simple and it looks like a traditional Chinese stall 店铺. The people here are relatively friendly but everyone's usually too busy to chat more.
My two favourites here are the Mi Gua Xi Mi Lu (Honeydew Sago) and the Gui Ling Gao (Herbal Jelly). Both are the cooling sort of desserts. I'm never a fan of hot desserts.
My friends are always having the hot pastes. :)
Despite me liking this place so much, I have to give it 4 stars only. It's not really a place to chill with your friends as there will be people breathing down your neck cos they need a seat. :P But come try!!
Rating given:
Don't be mistaken. This Teo Heng is the one where you can sing at. Not the one selling the karaoke equipment, although they are under the same company. This KTV has been around for ages, way before K-Box ever stepped in. Even my mom has been to this KTV.
Directions to Teo Heng, Turn right when you get out of the lift and keep right. It's quite secluded (ulu) but once you get there you'll find it perpetually filled with people.
The equipment here can act up at times. They have both normal and cordless microphones. Sometimes the microphones may sound funny and sometimes it takes some time for the receiver to get your song requests. But it's not because their things are old, but more like they are well-used. Most of the other places have technical problems from time to time too isn't it?
But the advantages of singing at Teo Heng greatly outweigh the disadvantages.
1) The Prices. It starts for $8/hr for a small room (3-4 people) to $12 for a large room (10 people) during off peak periods. If you sing all the way from 2-6 there are special packages. If you're singing during peak periods it's $14 for a small room. It's cheap!
2) Teo Heng has the newest songs too. Don't be mistaken by the way it looks. They have all the newest songs too. AND all the oldies. AND songs which you have never heard of in your life.
3) Drinks are at $1 per can. And price for drinks have not increased since 6 years ago.
4) You can bring outside food in. You can bring whatever food and drink you want in. They don't care as long as you don't make a big mess.
5) Parking at Katong Shopping Centre is relatively easy and after KTV you can always head up for cheap bowling... (but it's not so good to bowl there...)
K-Box or Teo Heng? Give me Teo Heng any time. :)
** I wanted to give it 4 stars but I do think that the furnishings need to be update. My companion commented that it is a little sleazy but it's really a family KTV :)
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Eden Cafe is a little gem tucked away amongst all the eateries there! It's tastefully done in a modern yet simplistic manner. The ambience was a winner with me. There were a couple of seats outside but I would much rather sit inside.
What I loved most about the place was the small garden Clement had at the back. It was filled with plants and Clement let us try some which were delicious.. Yes the leaves of the plants were delicious.
Clement provided great service, patiently explaining every bit to us. Esp when the items don't look conventional. The servers were also very polite, clearing our dishes at timely intervals.
I liked most of the dishes they went down pretty well with me... I shall talk about the ones I loved!
I liked the Black Sesame Pasta. It was my first time having it.. It was very different in taste but I still liked it. There was a certain flavour to it. But it didn't go down so well with many people...
I loved the Tomato based soup served with mussel. The soup was very flavourful and thick. The fact that it was so healthy and tasty at the same time had me licking the bowl clean :)
I also liked the Seedless Grape Chicken. This is the one dish that I would love to go back specially for. It was delicious! And we had ours in this funny fortune cookie cover thing which was really cute.
There were so many delicious things on the menu and the molten chocolate cake really had me.. That I think another visit is a necessity. The mains for the lunches also vary from week to week. You can join the mailing list to have Clement email it to you!!
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*I know it's long due. Shoot me.*
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Who doesn't know Thai Express? This chain expanded really fast and it's now all over the place. I even have one just a stone's throw from my place.
Popped by the one at PS just recently with a friend. We were nicely greeted and shown to a seat quickly. It was a Sunday afternoon and PS was brimming with people but Thai Express was only a quarter filled. Well it helped that there were many eateries around the area I guess.
We quickly decided on our food and the server asked if we'd like warm or iced water. I like that she didn't just assume that everyone wants iced water.
Food ordered:
Kaeng Khiew Mangsawirat ($8.90)
Green Vegetable Curry served with Rice
I'm used to green curry that is much milder and has more flavour but this one was much spicier. There was a lot of vegetables though and it was pretty filling despite what people might think.
Poo Phat Pung Kari ($9.90)
Curried Soft Shell Crab with Eggs and Onions, served with Rice
This one's curry was less spicy, more mild. Complete opposite. But the curry masked any oilyness soft shell crabs usually have so it was a pretty good dish really.
Fresh Prawn Wraps ($5.90)
Fried to a crisp, the wrap was very tasty. The prawns were not as fresh as one would expect but still acceptable I guess.
Acceptable food with pretty good service at an acceptable price I guess I will be there again.
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Epicurious is another small eatery along Robertson Quay that I've tried. It's really hard to find! You have to walk all the way to the end, near the bridge. It's facing the river with some seats outside and just 3 tables inside.
I love the ambience. It's very cosy with warm lights around. There are shelves all filled with little knick knacks from the past. There are also photographs of Singapore in the early days.. It was certainly fun looking through everything. So fun that it distracted me from ordering. Luckily I had a companion who was more focused. The items are for sale but they are expensive.. like $6 for a soup spoon..
The only thing which was odd about the place was Jay Chou singing loudly from the kitchen. Luckily we did kinda like Jay so it wasn't bad. But it certainly didn't fit in with the place.
The menu was a little small with few items but apparently they change the items on the menu from time to time so new items will be up for tasting eventually.
I had the Herb Roasted Half Chicken that day. It was served with baked potatoes and mushrooms. The chicken was well marinated and the meat just tastes of the herbs. It was yummy and I'm still thinking of it. Although I hate having to separate meat from bones but I certainly tried hard that night to get my yummy meat. The serving was definitely more than enough for me.
I'd have to agree that $55 for 2 mains and a dessert does seem a little ex but I think it's really worth it! I would definitely be back... to try the Muthu's Flourless Chocolate Cake which was sold out that day :)
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