Coffee club had its humble beginning in Holland Village as a 2 storey gourmet coffee house in 1991 and after 17 years in the business, have now grown to having 21 branches throughout Singapore. Its list of accomplishments include excellent food awards for 2001 to 2006 and achieving ISO and super brand awards in 2005/2006. As for myself, i've never tried coffee club because i was stuck in the idea of it being a coffee place, i was wrong however, do read on.
Cosy and homely environments with cushion seats and ergonomically designed chairs. I've been to the place 3 times and after all that, i still found the place inviting. Definitely a plus in terms of atmosphere even though its located in a simple shopping mall. This is the kind of place i will hang out if i need to study and grab a reasonably good bite because the staff never chases you out and the place is just comfortable for discussions or just about anything.
Garlic Prawn Pasta ($12.90) - One of the dishes awarded the excellent food awards, this dish is a must try. It came with tomatos, onions, chili and garlic with a generous dose of crunchy, crispy and sweet prawns. This is a winner hands down. Even the spaghetti was less oily then others i've had before. I couldn't recommend this enough. Do try it!
Pastrami and Cheddar Cheese Sandwich ($9.90) - A sandwich for dinner? Well, yes if you are on a diet and are on tight purse strings. Beef pastrami and caramelized onions in dijon musturd gives this sandwich a rather refreshing bite. Similar to Fre(n)sh chicken, the mustard is pretty strong so be warned. I did find the beef a tad tasteless but i'm just being picky.
Mudpie (Price unknown) - I forgot how much this is but honestly, after all the good food dishes, this turned out a little too simple for my liking. Sure, the mudpie is smooth, sweet and very chocolaty, but i expected a little better for dessert when its main dishes were so good. Tasty nonetheless.
Bill: I did not get the bill for this round as it was a treat from some friends who were in the neighborhood. Thanks people!!
Wasabi Prawn Salad ($10.90) - Another award winning dish. The wasabi prawn salad was our appetiser on the second visit. Tossed salad with prawns and potatoes drenched in wasabi flavored mayonnaise. This was really quite good. I loved the wasabi which gave the dish more bite. The prawns however, were sliced in the middle which resulted in less crunch then i would like. Still, its worthy of its award and healthy to boot.
Smoked Salmon Garlic Cream Linguini ($12.90) - My gf had this and from the few bites i had, i can tell you i liked it. The salmon was fresh though a little salty. I like the fact that it has the smoky taste its name implied unlike others i've had elsewhere. The creamy garlic linguini is very aromatic and fragrant (to me at least, because i love garlic and creamy pastas) but did get overwhelming when taken in large quantities.
Bangers and Mash ($ - Why settle for one sausage when you can have 3? Chicken, bratwurst and cheddar cheese sausages atop a bed of mashed potatoes with a tomato thrown in for further measure. The sausages, unfortunately, fell short apart from the cheddar cheese sausage which tasted a little special. Everything else was just average.
This visit cost me $36.86 for 2 mains and a starter. I wouldn't say it was expensive since most of the food was of a decent quality.
Beef, Bacon and Pistachio terrine Salad ($10.20) - This is a mixed bag. I like the salad because it came with dijon mustard as usual but wasn't quite taken with the beef meatloaf used to wrap the pistachio. The beef was too dry basically and the only thing good about it was the bacon. Thus, my conclusion is, order once, never order again.
Seafood Lasagna ($13.00) - Before i start, let me say this, i don't like lasagna. The only reason i ordered was due to the promise of generous amounts of seafood. And fortunately, they delivered on the promise. Lots of mussels, prawns and squid adorn the dish. I didn't like the tomato sauce or the lasagna in general however, and it really starts getting overwhelming after a few bites. Thank goodness i had the Alfredo to balance things out below.
Alfredo ($10.80) - Ham, cheese, mushrooms and shell shaped pasta. It doesn't get any simpler but its still a perfectly delectable dish (what can i say? I like cream pastas). It served to balance the tomatos taste from the lasagna and definitely was the better of the 2 main dishes.
White Chocolate Parfait With Berry Sorbet ($6.80) - The first service blunder they made was with this dessert, they actually served it while we were having our appetiser. Whereby i promptly told them to serve it later since i'm not about ready to have dessert that early in the meal. The obliged but when it came time to have my dessert, i found that it had pockets of air and was already melting, meaning they served me the same parfait they took out in the beginning. Needless to say, the dessert didn't quite measure up. The berry sorbet was good, sour and sweet at the same time. The chocolate however, was too filled with air and melted to give a good impression. Pity.
The bill this time came up to $43.22. There has been a change of menu and an increase in price of about 50 cents for each dish.
Service has been consistently good at this branch and my questions were usually met with good answers. The food is definitely of a certain standard but as usual, there are hits and misses in the menu. Some of the hits have been removed from the menu unfortunately and the new menu is definitely pricier. Still a good place to chill out and have a reasonable meal though.
The name literally means 'home town' which should be referring to Kuching in general. Pardon my ignorance but i've never been to Kuching and personally, have not heard anything from that particular part of the world, so i don't know if these noodles are indeed a local delicacy.
I can't quite decide if the place is a food court or a restaurant since the ordering was done at counters and service is given when you are served the food. Either way, service was pleasant and you are not charged for it so no complaints here.
Fish Soup ($8) - Now why did i order a fish soup here? Hmm...most probably because there were only 2 people eating and i'm trying to put more stuff in my blog. Oh! The sacrifices ones makes for blogging. Tsk tsk. The soup is salty but good. Fish slices aplenty and we managed to gulp down half a bowl even after the noodles so its a good thing. For $8 though, i would rather get another bowl of noodles.
Abalone and Wanton - Kolo Mee Gold Set ($8.90) - The prized kolo mee and the aforementioned hometown noodles. My take is that its normal at best. the noodles were reminiscent of instant noodles and as such, tasted springy and soft. $8.90 gives you fake abalone and wanton with some char siew, minced meat and fried wanton thrown into the mix for added variety. The first time i had it, it was a refreshing experience, subsequent visits didn't yield as much satisfaction though.
The bill sealed the deal at $27.60 for 2 bowl of noodles, 1 fish soup and 1 hot milo. Too expensive given the rather lackluster quality.
I like the idea of getting abalone at $8 but the quality of abalone is definitely suspect (try one and you'll know what i mean). The cost of producing a bowl of noodles is also definitely not what we paid for so i'm probably not returning. Good for a first try, bad for the wallet and repeats.
Hidden in a little corner in big ole Vivocity is this little gem of a restaurant. "Fresh and French" is the tagline and i'm most inclined to agree with it because in retrospect, that is exactly what you get.
The interior is small and probably sits about 16 people max. Color palette is more or less sombre white with plastic and wooden chairs. The important thing i believe is that it is clean and that is more important than all the decorations a restaurant can pile up.
They look nice of course but i wouldn't bet on how comfortable it will be to be sitting on top one of these chairs trying to enjoy my meal, needless to say, i was sitting somewhere else for my lunch.
Drinks! Apple Juice and Lime Juice - For the tartine set, you get a drink, a tartine and a dessert. No gst and no service charge is a definite plus point and honestly, the service was pretty good.
Salmon and Avocado Tartine ($16) - My gf ordered the salmon and avocado tartine which is basically, toasted bread with avocado and smoked salmon and some salad. Do not let the picture fool you, this is not a small piece of bread at all. The serving size is huge and as you can see, ingredients are generous as well. Salad wasn't anything special but the tartine itself is plain good. Warm toasted bread with cool and slightly salty smoked salmon atop a bed of creamy avocado. I feel like going back for more right about now actually.
Fre(n)sh Chicken Tartine ($16) - Judging by its namesake, this is probably a signature item. And apart from the same qualities of freshness and warm toasted bread, it came with roasted chicken and sliced potatoes atop a bed of mustard and rosemary. What can i say? Its spicy and very different from what i've had before. You can liken it to having chicken and potatoes with Japanese wasabi as a base. My only complaint is that the chicken is a little too dry, otherwise, i like this quite a bit.
Opera - Presentation is a definite plus for this with its eiffel tower chocolate and snowy sugar sprinklyed for added effect. The opera is supposed to be 2 repeated layers of chocolate, coffee and cake but i couldn't taste the coffee at all. It was also dry which doesn't win it many points unfortunately. Could have been loads better.
Original Cheese Cake - I wondered what 'original' meant in this rendition but it basically means generic. Its not bad tasting mind you. Its just that it tastes pretty much like every other cheesecake out there.
The bill came to only $32 for 2 people! Imagine my surprise at the fact that there were no additional charges. This place is a must try for the fact that its value for money.
If they can survive with charging service and gst charges and they are located at Vivocity, i really don't see why other restaurants can't. And otherwise, in all regards, this place serves good, healthy food which will have me returning for more whenever i'm in the vicinity. Must try.
Kelson Betta is a small shop located in Roxy Square (opposite Parkway Parade) that houses many high quality Betta, aka Siamese Fighting Fish. These aren't the kind you put in little jars and bring around to challenge people. These are show quality fish, bred for viewing pleasure.
He has a large variety of Halfmoons, Crowntails, etc.
My bf had been frequenting his shop and I thought about buying him two Betta for companionship. We called Kelson on his mobile at 9pm, when most shops were closing. It was the day before CNY eve and we were praying hard that he would be around. He was in the vicinity of his shop when we called and he actually opened for us!
Once there, he took the time to show us his new stock and explain the differences between the breeds and colours. The fish were all healthy and very beautiful. Some of them in colours which are rarely seen elsewhere.
Kelson gave very good and economical advice about how to take care of the fish. Even when we asked the same questions repeatedly, he explained very patiently as he is very passionate about these fish. He also taught us how to transport the fish around if we wished to travel with them. He doesn't sell the accessories for the fish so he is not the kind who would hard-sell other stuff when one purchases fish from him.
Happily equipped with new-found knowledge and feeling secure with his assurance that we can call him anytime, we're now the proud parents of two male betta and one female one. The prices start from $40 onwards. There are very expensive ones which have won awards so those cost hundreds. Do drop by for a visit. But give Kelson a ring before you go ya?
Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice is situated between the famous Sin Hoi Zhi Cha Restaurant and Boon Tong Kee along East Coast Road. With these two on its sides, Five Star still manages a full house every night. This, of course, renders a try doesn't it?
Chicken rice is the same everywhere right? Wrong! I've had those with hard tasteless bits they dare to call rice and rubbery white pieces of meat they call chicken. It's been a long time since I've had a plate of good chicken rice so I was all ready to attack.
The staff were fast to seat people, quick to take orders and even faster at clearing tables. The food came really fast which was good for 5 hungry souls.
Food Ordered: Kampung Chicken This is suppose to be leaner than the usual "white" chicken but it is smaller. I'm a fan of roasted meat so I was quite apprehensive when I only had these two choices. But my worries were unfounded as the chicken was delicious and not with fatty bits as I had imagined. I, of course, attacked my favourite part, the breast meat, which was smooth with lots of bite. Rice (Chicken rice style) The rice was not oily and still tasty. HOwever the serving was not very big. It was enough for me and I'm not much of an eater.
Youtiao with Salad Sauce This came a little over-fried so it was quite dry and hard. But it wasn't too oily so it was still ok.
Sambal Kangkong It was a little spicy for my brother but the rest of us found it fine. A little oily for my taste though. Cereal Prawn The cereal was nice but the prawns were not fresh and I had a hard time with it. The prawns were also quite small.
Stir Fried Vegetables Your average Kailan with oyster sauce dish. Nothing special.
We spent about $70 for the 5 of us which is pretty reasonable considering how full we were. Worth coming for your chicken rice fix, but not the rest of the dishes though.
Good place for family gatherings and large groups though.
One major gripe though, parking is horrendous along East Coast Road. Luckily we took the bus :)
Bi Feng Tang is this little place serving chinese food at CS's basement. It's been there for a while and this is my second trip to the place with my colleague. I had vague memories of a pretty good experience the first time so I was game for the second trip.
We were greeted politely and led to our seats. It was a Sunday afternoon but there weren't many people. About 4-5 tables were occupied and they had a total seating area of about 50 people.
After ordering, I wanted to take pictures of the menu so that I can remember what I ordered, but was stopped by the lady who said that I cannot take pictures of the menu. Both my colleague and I heard that so I did stop. But when the food came and I wanted to take pictures, I was stopped again. I think they should have been clear the first time and just say that no photography was allowed. I didn't appreciate feeling like I was being a nuisance. had 3 dishes altogether but I can only remember two.
One was the Yee Mian which we got a medium sized serving, thanks to my ambitious friend. It had plenty of mushroom and vegetables with it so it was pretty delicious. The serving can easily fill 2 without any side dishes.
The second one is the Pan Fried Beancurd Sheet with Mushroom and Carrot ($4). This one was quite crunchy and the vegetables wrapped in the sheet gave it a nice fresh flavour. HOwever it was quite oily so it didn't feel so healthy after all.
We did order a 4th dish, which they forgot to cook and we cancelled in the end.
We spent about $20 for the two of us and were suitably filled. The food is fine and the ambience was good too. However I didn't quite enjoy myself, no thanks to the service.
*Apologies for not giving the usual detailed review as the staff spoilt my mood for collecting "data"*
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?
It has been a long time since last went for dim sum and since my partner has always wanted to go and have dim sum and we got some time on hand, decided to head towards this restaurant to try out their dim sum.
It was around 5 pm when we stepped into the place and only see to 2 tables occupied only. The place is decorated the traditional way, nothing fanciful or to wow of. Once we were shown to our table, we were shown the menu. Their dim sum items are not in the menu but on a slip of paper where you can just place your orders on it.
So we ordered a few to try their dim sum dishes.
Pan-fried carrot cake – It came simple looking carrot cake, however the taste is great! There are 3 pieces and each piece having a thin crispy layer on the outer side and inside is soft and fluffy. There are small pieces of Chinese sausage inside the cake which makes its very fragrant. Not to mention it came hot, straight from the kitchen.
Chicken feet – I am not a big fan of chicken feet but those who managed to cooked their chicken feet where all their flavor are sealed in it and the meat is soft enough to be detected from the bones, would have been a good dish for me. Well the dish managed to do it and passed the little test of mine. Taste is good, and not too spicy for me.
Prawn dumpling (Har Gao) – This is a default dish when it comes to dim sum. It came steaming hot. The skin was thin and translucent. Through the skin can see the bright orange colour of the prawns inside. There is a generous serving of prawns. On its own, can taste the prawns are fresh and sweet.
Xiao long bao – Personally, I like xaio long bao a lot, however I am a bit disappointed by their version. It came looking small and dry. Usually, I would take a bit off the top to drink the soup first and surprised to find it lacking of the soup. The skin is a bit dry and then to get a bit sticky as well. Disappointing.
Prawn with mango roll – This dish came looking all messy. Hee.. Cos it is wrapped in a spring roll skin and then got bee hoon (I think) tied around it. Inside the rool, is wrapped with prawns and a big slice of thick juicy mango. Once you take a bite, you can take the sweetness of the mango and the prawn. The combination is great! There is a special dip for it as well. This is definitely one of my favorites of the lot.
Egg tarts – This dish came with a warning: “Beware! The filling is hot!”, from the waitress as she places a dish of 4 mini egg tarts on the table. The 4 little tarts look harmless however they performed their magic when placed inside my mouth. The crust is warm and fluffy. I loved this kind of crust best even though sometimes eating it can make a mess out of it. The filling is HOT, but creamy and has a slight eggy taste to it. Another good one!
Glutinous rice – This is another one of must order dim sum as well. Two relatively medium servings of glutinous rice wrapped up in lotus leaves. Inside the leave there is of course rice, salted egg yolk, Chinese sausage, chicken and more. While eating the rice and can taste the lotus leaves flavour, and the combination of the rest makes this a good one. The portion is just right for one and it does not makes you feel full by eating one alone.
Chicken in paper bag – This one is a last minute additional. Inside the oily looking paper, hides the chicken. It took some effort to remove the paper as it got stuck with the chicken. However the effort is well spent as the chicken really tastes good. It is not dry, but juicy and well marinated as well. Not oily at all.
One thing have to say about this place is they only prepare your dim sum when you placed your order, this will ensure you dim sum came fresh and pippin hot! Extra points scores for this!
The service is quite good as well. Maybe due to the low peak period when we were there, the service was on the spot with our tea constantly full and teapot on auto refilling mode. Even though their dinner time about to start, they are not in a rush to get rid of us and let us eat in peace. The whole place I think is managed by Cantonese people, and this gives a very traditional feeling.
The bill came up to about $40 after a 10% DBS discount, consider quite cheap already. I think next time I will be back to try out their other dishes and for dinner as well. Seems like this places is quite popular for lunch and dinner as well. So keep a look out for the review on that.
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.
1=SGD 0.0587
Coffee club had its humble beginning in Holland Village as a 2 storey gourmet coffee house in 1991 and after 17 years in the business, have now grown to having 21 branches throughout Singapore. Its list of accomplishments include excellent food awards for 2001 to 2006 and achieving ISO and super brand awards in 2005/2006. As for myself, i've never tried coffee club because i was stuck in the idea of it being a coffee place, i was wrong however, do read on.
Cosy and homely environments with cushion seats and ergonomically designed chairs. I've been to the place 3 times and after all that, i still found the place inviting. Definitely a plus in terms of atmosphere even though its located in a simple shopping mall. This is the kind of place i will hang out if i need to study and grab a reasonably good bite because the staff never chases you out and the place is just comfortable for discussions or just about anything.
Garlic Prawn Pasta ($12.90) - One of the dishes awarded the excellent food awards, this dish is a must try. It came with tomatos, onions, chili and garlic with a generous dose of crunchy, crispy and sweet prawns. This is a winner hands down. Even the spaghetti was less oily then others i've had before. I couldn't recommend this enough. Do try it!
Pastrami and Cheddar Cheese Sandwich ($9.90) - A sandwich for dinner? Well, yes if you are on a diet and are on tight purse strings. Beef pastrami and caramelized onions in dijon musturd gives this sandwich a rather refreshing bite. Similar to Fre(n)sh chicken, the mustard is pretty strong so be warned. I did find the beef a tad tasteless but i'm just being picky.
Mudpie (Price unknown) - I forgot how much this is but honestly, after all the good food dishes, this turned out a little too simple for my liking. Sure, the mudpie is smooth, sweet and very chocolaty, but i expected a little better for dessert when its main dishes were so good. Tasty nonetheless.
Bill: I did not get the bill for this round as it was a treat from some friends who were in the neighborhood. Thanks people!!
Wasabi Prawn Salad ($10.90) - Another award winning dish. The wasabi prawn salad was our appetiser on the second visit. Tossed salad with prawns and potatoes drenched in wasabi flavored mayonnaise. This was really quite good. I loved the wasabi which gave the dish more bite. The prawns however, were sliced in the middle which resulted in less crunch then i would like. Still, its worthy of its award and healthy to boot.
Smoked Salmon Garlic Cream Linguini ($12.90) - My gf had this and from the few bites i had, i can tell you i liked it. The salmon was fresh though a little salty. I like the fact that it has the smoky taste its name implied unlike others i've had elsewhere. The creamy garlic linguini is very aromatic and fragrant (to me at least, because i love garlic and creamy pastas) but did get overwhelming when taken in large quantities.
Bangers and Mash ($ - Why settle for one sausage when you can have 3? Chicken, bratwurst and cheddar cheese sausages atop a bed of mashed potatoes with a tomato thrown in for further measure. The sausages, unfortunately, fell short apart from the cheddar cheese sausage which tasted a little special. Everything else was just average.
This visit cost me $36.86 for 2 mains and a starter. I wouldn't say it was expensive since most of the food was of a decent quality.
Beef, Bacon and Pistachio terrine Salad ($10.20) - This is a mixed bag. I like the salad because it came with dijon mustard as usual but wasn't quite taken with the beef meatloaf used to wrap the pistachio. The beef was too dry basically and the only thing good about it was the bacon. Thus, my conclusion is, order once, never order again.
Seafood Lasagna ($13.00) - Before i start, let me say this, i don't like lasagna. The only reason i ordered was due to the promise of generous amounts of seafood. And fortunately, they delivered on the promise. Lots of mussels, prawns and squid adorn the dish. I didn't like the tomato sauce or the lasagna in general however, and it really starts getting overwhelming after a few bites. Thank goodness i had the Alfredo to balance things out below.
Alfredo ($10.80) - Ham, cheese, mushrooms and shell shaped pasta. It doesn't get any simpler but its still a perfectly delectable dish (what can i say? I like cream pastas). It served to balance the tomatos taste from the lasagna and definitely was the better of the 2 main dishes.
White Chocolate Parfait With Berry Sorbet ($6.80) - The first service blunder they made was with this dessert, they actually served it while we were having our appetiser. Whereby i promptly told them to serve it later since i'm not about ready to have dessert that early in the meal. The obliged but when it came time to have my dessert, i found that it had pockets of air and was already melting, meaning they served me the same parfait they took out in the beginning. Needless to say, the dessert didn't quite measure up. The berry sorbet was good, sour and sweet at the same time. The chocolate however, was too filled with air and melted to give a good impression. Pity.
The bill this time came up to $43.22. There has been a change of menu and an increase in price of about 50 cents for each dish.
Service has been consistently good at this branch and my questions were usually met with good answers. The food is definitely of a certain standard but as usual, there are hits and misses in the menu. Some of the hits have been removed from the menu unfortunately and the new menu is definitely pricier. Still a good place to chill out and have a reasonable meal though.
Rating given:
The name literally means 'home town' which should be referring to Kuching in general. Pardon my ignorance but i've never been to Kuching and personally, have not heard anything from that particular part of the world, so i don't know if these noodles are indeed a local delicacy.
I can't quite decide if the place is a food court or a restaurant since the ordering was done at counters and service is given when you are served the food. Either way, service was pleasant and you are not charged for it so no complaints here.
Fish Soup ($8) - Now why did i order a fish soup here? Hmm...most probably because there were only 2 people eating and i'm trying to put more stuff in my blog. Oh! The sacrifices ones makes for blogging. Tsk tsk. The soup is salty but good. Fish slices aplenty and we managed to gulp down half a bowl even after the noodles so its a good thing. For $8 though, i would rather get another bowl of noodles.
Abalone and Wanton - Kolo Mee Gold Set ($8.90) - The prized kolo mee and the aforementioned hometown noodles. My take is that its normal at best. the noodles were reminiscent of instant noodles and as such, tasted springy and soft. $8.90 gives you fake abalone and wanton with some char siew, minced meat and fried wanton thrown into the mix for added variety. The first time i had it, it was a refreshing experience, subsequent visits didn't yield as much satisfaction though.
The bill sealed the deal at $27.60 for 2 bowl of noodles, 1 fish soup and 1 hot milo. Too expensive given the rather lackluster quality.
I like the idea of getting abalone at $8 but the quality of abalone is definitely suspect (try one and you'll know what i mean). The cost of producing a bowl of noodles is also definitely not what we paid for so i'm probably not returning. Good for a first try, bad for the wallet and repeats.
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Hidden in a little corner in big ole Vivocity is this little gem of a restaurant. "Fresh and French" is the tagline and i'm most inclined to agree with it because in retrospect, that is exactly what you get.
The interior is small and probably sits about 16 people max. Color palette is more or less sombre white with plastic and wooden chairs. The important thing i believe is that it is clean and that is more important than all the decorations a restaurant can pile up.
They look nice of course but i wouldn't bet on how comfortable it will be to be sitting on top one of these chairs trying to enjoy my meal, needless to say, i was sitting somewhere else for my lunch.
Drinks! Apple Juice and Lime Juice - For the tartine set, you get a drink, a tartine and a dessert. No gst and no service charge is a definite plus point and honestly, the service was pretty good.
Salmon and Avocado Tartine ($16) - My gf ordered the salmon and avocado tartine which is basically, toasted bread with avocado and smoked salmon and some salad. Do not let the picture fool you, this is not a small piece of bread at all. The serving size is huge and as you can see, ingredients are generous as well. Salad wasn't anything special but the tartine itself is plain good. Warm toasted bread with cool and slightly salty smoked salmon atop a bed of creamy avocado. I feel like going back for more right about now actually.
Fre(n)sh Chicken Tartine ($16) - Judging by its namesake, this is probably a signature item. And apart from the same qualities of freshness and warm toasted bread, it came with roasted chicken and sliced potatoes atop a bed of mustard and rosemary. What can i say? Its spicy and very different from what i've had before. You can liken it to having chicken and potatoes with Japanese wasabi as a base. My only complaint is that the chicken is a little too dry, otherwise, i like this quite a bit.
Opera - Presentation is a definite plus for this with its eiffel tower chocolate and snowy sugar sprinklyed for added effect. The opera is supposed to be 2 repeated layers of chocolate, coffee and cake but i couldn't taste the coffee at all. It was also dry which doesn't win it many points unfortunately. Could have been loads better.
Original Cheese Cake - I wondered what 'original' meant in this rendition but it basically means generic. Its not bad tasting mind you. Its just that it tastes pretty much like every other cheesecake out there.
The bill came to only $32 for 2 people! Imagine my surprise at the fact that there were no additional charges. This place is a must try for the fact that its value for money.
If they can survive with charging service and gst charges and they are located at Vivocity, i really don't see why other restaurants can't. And otherwise, in all regards, this place serves good, healthy food which will have me returning for more whenever i'm in the vicinity. Must try.
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Kelson Betta is a small shop located in Roxy Square (opposite Parkway Parade) that houses many high quality Betta, aka Siamese Fighting Fish. These aren't the kind you put in little jars and bring around to challenge people. These are show quality fish, bred for viewing pleasure.
He has a large variety of Halfmoons, Crowntails, etc.
My bf had been frequenting his shop and I thought about buying him two Betta for companionship. We called Kelson on his mobile at 9pm, when most shops were closing. It was the day before CNY eve and we were praying hard that he would be around. He was in the vicinity of his shop when we called and he actually opened for us!
Once there, he took the time to show us his new stock and explain the differences between the breeds and colours. The fish were all healthy and very beautiful. Some of them in colours which are rarely seen elsewhere.
Kelson gave very good and economical advice about how to take care of the fish. Even when we asked the same questions repeatedly, he explained very patiently as he is very passionate about these fish. He also taught us how to transport the fish around if we wished to travel with them. He doesn't sell the accessories for the fish so he is not the kind who would hard-sell other stuff when one purchases fish from him.
Happily equipped with new-found knowledge and feeling secure with his assurance that we can call him anytime, we're now the proud parents of two male betta and one female one. The prices start from $40 onwards. There are very expensive ones which have won awards so those cost hundreds. Do drop by for a visit. But give Kelson a ring before you go ya?
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Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice is situated between the famous Sin Hoi Zhi Cha Restaurant and Boon Tong Kee along East Coast Road. With these two on its sides, Five Star still manages a full house every night. This, of course, renders a try doesn't it?
Chicken rice is the same everywhere right? Wrong! I've had those with hard tasteless bits they dare to call rice and rubbery white pieces of meat they call chicken. It's been a long time since I've had a plate of good chicken rice so I was all ready to attack.
The staff were fast to seat people, quick to take orders and even faster at clearing tables. The food came really fast which was good for 5 hungry souls.
Food Ordered:
Kampung Chicken
This is suppose to be leaner than the usual "white" chicken but it is smaller. I'm a fan of roasted meat so I was quite apprehensive when I only had these two choices. But my worries were unfounded as the chicken was delicious and not with fatty bits as I had imagined. I, of course, attacked my favourite part, the breast meat, which was smooth with lots of bite.
Rice (Chicken rice style)
The rice was not oily and still tasty. HOwever the serving was not very big. It was enough for me and I'm not much of an eater.
Youtiao with Salad Sauce
This came a little over-fried so it was quite dry and hard. But it wasn't too oily so it was still ok.
Sambal Kangkong
It was a little spicy for my brother but the rest of us found it fine. A little oily for my taste though.
Cereal Prawn
The cereal was nice but the prawns were not fresh and I had a hard time with it. The prawns were also quite small.
Stir Fried Vegetables
Your average Kailan with oyster sauce dish. Nothing special.
We spent about $70 for the 5 of us which is pretty reasonable considering how full we were. Worth coming for your chicken rice fix, but not the rest of the dishes though.
Good place for family gatherings and large groups though.
One major gripe though, parking is horrendous along East Coast Road. Luckily we took the bus :)
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Bi Feng Tang is this little place serving chinese food at CS's basement. It's been there for a while and this is my second trip to the place with my colleague. I had vague memories of a pretty good experience the first time so I was game for the second trip.
We were greeted politely and led to our seats. It was a Sunday afternoon but there weren't many people. About 4-5 tables were occupied and they had a total seating area of about 50 people.
After ordering, I wanted to take pictures of the menu so that I can remember what I ordered, but was stopped by the lady who said that I cannot take pictures of the menu. Both my colleague and I heard that so I did stop. But when the food came and I wanted to take pictures, I was stopped again. I think they should have been clear the first time and just say that no photography was allowed. I didn't appreciate feeling like I was being a nuisance.
had 3 dishes altogether but I can only remember two.
One was the Yee Mian which we got a medium sized serving, thanks to my ambitious friend. It had plenty of mushroom and vegetables with it so it was pretty delicious. The serving can easily fill 2 without any side dishes.
The second one is the Pan Fried Beancurd Sheet with Mushroom and Carrot ($4). This one was quite crunchy and the vegetables wrapped in the sheet gave it a nice fresh flavour. HOwever it was quite oily so it didn't feel so healthy after all.
We did order a 4th dish, which they forgot to cook and we cancelled in the end.
We spent about $20 for the two of us and were suitably filled. The food is fine and the ambience was good too. However I didn't quite enjoy myself, no thanks to the service.
*Apologies for not giving the usual detailed review as the staff spoilt my mood for collecting "data"*
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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*
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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?
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It has been a long time since last went for dim sum and since my partner has always wanted to go and have dim sum and we got some time on hand, decided to head towards this restaurant to try out their dim sum.
It was around 5 pm when we stepped into the place and only see to 2 tables occupied only. The place is decorated the traditional way, nothing fanciful or to wow of. Once we were shown to our table, we were shown the menu. Their dim sum items are not in the menu but on a slip of paper where you can just place your orders on it.
So we ordered a few to try their dim sum dishes.
Pan-fried carrot cake – It came simple looking carrot cake, however the taste is great! There are 3 pieces and each piece having a thin crispy layer on the outer side and inside is soft and fluffy. There are small pieces of Chinese sausage inside the cake which makes its very fragrant. Not to mention it came hot, straight from the kitchen.
Chicken feet – I am not a big fan of chicken feet but those who managed to cooked their chicken feet where all their flavor are sealed in it and the meat is soft enough to be detected from the bones, would have been a good dish for me. Well the dish managed to do it and passed the little test of mine. Taste is good, and not too spicy for me.
Prawn dumpling (Har Gao) – This is a default dish when it comes to dim sum. It came steaming hot. The skin was thin and translucent. Through the skin can see the bright orange colour of the prawns inside. There is a generous serving of prawns. On its own, can taste the prawns are fresh and sweet.
Xiao long bao – Personally, I like xaio long bao a lot, however I am a bit disappointed by their version. It came looking small and dry. Usually, I would take a bit off the top to drink the soup first and surprised to find it lacking of the soup. The skin is a bit dry and then to get a bit sticky as well. Disappointing.
Prawn with mango roll – This dish came looking all messy. Hee.. Cos it is wrapped in a spring roll skin and then got bee hoon (I think) tied around it. Inside the rool, is wrapped with prawns and a big slice of thick juicy mango. Once you take a bite, you can take the sweetness of the mango and the prawn. The combination is great! There is a special dip for it as well. This is definitely one of my favorites of the lot.
Egg tarts – This dish came with a warning: “Beware! The filling is hot!”, from the waitress as she places a dish of 4 mini egg tarts on the table. The 4 little tarts look harmless however they performed their magic when placed inside my mouth. The crust is warm and fluffy. I loved this kind of crust best even though sometimes eating it can make a mess out of it. The filling is HOT, but creamy and has a slight eggy taste to it. Another good one!
Glutinous rice – This is another one of must order dim sum as well. Two relatively medium servings of glutinous rice wrapped up in lotus leaves. Inside the leave there is of course rice, salted egg yolk, Chinese sausage, chicken and more. While eating the rice and can taste the lotus leaves flavour, and the combination of the rest makes this a good one. The portion is just right for one and it does not makes you feel full by eating one alone.
Chicken in paper bag – This one is a last minute additional. Inside the oily looking paper, hides the chicken. It took some effort to remove the paper as it got stuck with the chicken. However the effort is well spent as the chicken really tastes good. It is not dry, but juicy and well marinated as well. Not oily at all.
One thing have to say about this place is they only prepare your dim sum when you placed your order, this will ensure you dim sum came fresh and pippin hot! Extra points scores for this!
The service is quite good as well. Maybe due to the low peak period when we were there, the service was on the spot with our tea constantly full and teapot on auto refilling mode. Even though their dinner time about to start, they are not in a rush to get rid of us and let us eat in peace. The whole place I think is managed by Cantonese people, and this gives a very traditional feeling.
The bill came up to about $40 after a 10% DBS discount, consider quite cheap already. I think next time I will be back to try out their other dishes and for dinner as well. Seems like this places is quite popular for lunch and dinner as well. So keep a look out for the review on that.
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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.
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