Seoul Yummy is a Korean restaurant located in a corner of Square 2 (Novena Square). I've been to Seoul Yummy twice before - and ate the Kimchi Tofu Soup as well as the Chicken Hotplate previously, but this review will be on the Set Dinner for 2 persons ($30.99 for 2 ppl) Its $36 after the taxes.
The dinner consists of a generous amount of food, and in my opinion, completely worth the 18 bucks. It also comes with a free flow of Korean Barley Tea (hot/cold).
Ban Chan (Appetiser) was some coleslaw, kimchi, ikan billis with chilli, pickled cucumbers and a piece of cold tofu. I really like the Korean side dishes and that's why I particularly like Crystal Jade Korean, cos the side dishes are free flow.
For the starter, there's a choice of either Kimchi Mandoo (Steamed Kimchi with Pork Dumplings) or Cheul Pan Gamja Jeos (Hotplate potato pancake). We took the pork dumplings, which were like gyoza but with the sourish spicy taste of kimchi. There was also alot of juices inside the dumpling and the skin is tender and moist.
Next up was a noodle dish (out of 2 choices) and Bibimbab. The Dolsot Bibimbap is a hotpot of mixed rice and it comes with beef. The restaurant is very flexible with the menu and allowed us to change the beef to chicken. Eating Bibimbab stresses me alot because if you don't stir and mix the rice fast enough, it tends to burn and stick to the pot. Good for those people who enjoy eating the crispy layer out of the bottom of the claypot. The chicken is exactly like the hotplate chicken that you will get in this restaurant ($9 something for a huge plate). I liked the overall taste of the Bibimbap, with the egg coating each rice grain well and all the crunchy vegetables and sesame seeds.
There are 2 choices of Myon (noodles) - either Chap Chae Bokkeum or Woo Dong Bokkeum (Woo Dong, as you can guess, is actually udon, and it's fried with seafood and beef). We got the Chap Chae Bokkeum (Fried Korean Glass Noodles with Seafood and Beef). The noodles were nicely done- slightly springy, not soggy, but I found it slightly too sweet for my liking.
To end our overly satisfying meal, we had a Mini Tropical Delight Bingsu each (included in the set menu), which consists of a refreshing light yoghurt ice cream with fresh bananas, pineapple and watermelon. Though the whole bottom part of the bowl is just plain ice, the dessert was of a good size, especially since we were so full from the meal already.
Overall, I think that the restaurant is really value for money and for $18 per person, I had a very filling and tastey meal.
I will definitely go back for more Korean food :)
I consider Clarke Quay (Clarke Quay itself, not like those places around it like Liang Court or Central or Mohamed Sultan) a crappy place to get a good meal. The motto of the restaurants there seem to be exorbitant prices for average food.
We went there at about 8 plus on a Sat night, hoping that we could get a table inside (not just because of the aircon...) but then they were packed. We did get a hugeeeee table outside (which could seat 10).
I was feeling rather stingy and settled for a $16 Chicken Sandwich. This is one of the cheaper dishes on the menu, but it doesn't make it anymore value for money than the rest - it's a normal chicken sandwich (chicken breast, quite a small portion but it's tasty and not too hard) with avocado (yum!) and brie cheese (double yum!) with beetroot on a toasted foccacia bread. Taste wise, it's ok but totally not worth the $18.72. The bread is really thick compared to the filling. The salad on the side was pretty good - it's a sour balsamic vinegar dressing with lots of different kind of leaves (not those with just iceberg lettuce).
My friends who all ate the $28 a main Ribs, Duck Confit and Lamb Shank all came to the conclusion that the mains were not worth it for the portion as well as the hefty price tag. Perhaps it was cos we had a really value for money dinner at Gourmet Plus not too long agon, and our tastebuds had been primed...
The $10 Lemon Tart was only mediocre, but I do have to say the other desesrts are much better (the Sticky Date Pudding and Honey Yoghurt Pannacotta).
The food standard leaves much to be desired, but the whole draw of the place (for me at least) is their live band - Jive Talking, on Saturday nights. Do note that the age limit for Saturdays is 21 for girls and 23 for guys, but 18 on all other days.
Apparently the sunday brunch here's really good... I should come back some time to try it (But I'm usually not even awake for lunch =\)
Jeslyn Teesaid: So its not that value for money huh~ but the desserts seems rather special 19 May 2008 at 4:47 pm
milellehcimsaid: Hi Jeslyn - most restaurants in Clarke Quay arent - must be the high rent... I do like the desserts quite a bit I'll do a review on desserts soon ;D 20 May 2008 at 12:22 am
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Galbiati is a hidden gem in the recesses of Upper Bukit Timah Road - actually, it's not that hidden considering it's quite near the main road. I suppose that the prices are kept lower than the average Italian restaurant because of the location, and the chef is as good if not better than other restaurants in town.
For a small restaurant located in a fairly ulu place, its food is of a really high standard, and much better in terms of taste as well as value for money than some other more popular Italian restaurants I've tried.
Since we were feeling rather decadant, we decided to sample a whole assortment of what Galbiati had to offer.
Starting off with the Lobster Bisque ($8 ) which is a robust tasting soup - there's also alcohol inside and thus there's a slight bitter taste characteristic of lobster bisque.
We also had a Mushroom Pizza to start, since the Smoked Salmon Pizza which I like was out. The pizza costs about $6 (it's cheaper if you take away) and it's full of mushrooms embedded in semi-melted cheese. The crust is thin and crispy, and the tomato base isn't too salty that it overpowers the mushroom taste.
My favourite dish of the night was the Goat's Cheese Salad ($15 ). I thought at first that $15 was pretty steep especially for a salad, but then it did not dissapoint. You get 3 fair sized pieces of thick goats cheese baked and melted to perfection over crusty bread. The salad itself is full of fresh greens, peacans and laced with a generous portion of sun-dried tomatoes (which are pretty expensive in the supermarkets here). The semi-sweet meaty texture of the sun-dried tomatoes give the salad body and character, and are completely unlike the tart fresh tomatoes. To top it off, the salad is drizzled with honey, making it a delectable balance between the salty cheese and sun-dried tomatoes.
Galbiati has a daily special dish, which happened to be NZ Mussels ($21 ) the day I visited. The mussels were succulent, juicy and tender and simmered in a thick slightly salty tomato based sauce. The mussels were so tender that they slipped easily out of the shell - no struggling to get bits of mussel out of the shells at all.
My main course - Salmon Ravioli with Dill Cream Sauce ($18 ) which was also the daily special. I was agonizing over either Black Squid Ink Pasta ($18 ) but then decided that since the Squid Ink Pasta was on their regular menu, the salmon ravioli might not be available the next time. I was pleasantly suprised to find that there was also salmon pieces on top of the salmon ravioli. The dill sauce was clean tasting and went well with the salmon.
Best of all, they do serve water and they're friendly, attentive and very helpful.
Jeslyn Teesaid: So seafood seems to be the better of the menu? 19 May 2008 at 4:50 pm
milellehcimsaid: I haven't really tried much of their menu - besides desserts but the food I tried that day was good. They have other meats like lamb shank but I haven't gotten the chance to try them yet. 20 May 2008 at 12:21 am
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My friends (who live in the East, v far away from me) have been asking me to try Gourmet Plus. So I did.
The were having a UOB promotion - 1for1 Foie Gras with any 2 main courses ordered. Of course, since one place usually costs $24 , we couldn't let go of the chance to try something that we won't usually order (due to budget constraints). The Foie Gras is the cold kind, and comes with gelatine bits on top. I enjoyed my foie gras, but I actually prefer it when it's warm - but this was a good sized slab considering how little we're paying.
My most favourite dish (out of 3 that I tried) was the duck confeit ($22 - or was it $24). The outer layer was a brittle crispy shell which was lightly salted, and there was a artery-clogging huge layer of fats which melted in my mouth.The meat was delightfully soft, and fell off easily from the bone. The meat was chunky and the sauce wasn't too salty and didn't overpower the duck taste.
My $24 has been well spent!
This is the first time I'm trying squid Ink Pasta (super sua ku) ($18 ), and I must say that though it doesn't disagree with me, I won't be dying to have it anytime soon. It's very black, has a slightly gritty texture and the squid ink tastes slightly briney and well, doesn't really taste like anything actually... The clams were tender and plump, and quite juicy too.
The Lamb shank ($24 ) full of meat, robust sauce with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Honestly, I can't remember much about the lamb cos the duck was so lip-smackingly good. But it's really meaty and filling.
Overall, the service is prompt and efficient, and the waiters know the menu. The iced water was also regularly topped up, and the whole dining experience was very good and not too harsh on the wallet.
I'll recommend that you sit outside, al fresco, as the view is much better - the decor is simple and minimal but it's worth going there for since the food's great.
The 1st time I went to Keppel Island, I ate at the very uninspiring tcc. The place is flooded on weekends (by people of course), and it feels very resort-ish and unSingapore-like.
They also have a bread corner, with lots of interesting stuff like the Banana walnut bread ($7.90 for a loaf, which I shall buy back next time when I'm not rushing), whole loaves of foccacia, sourdough, whole wheat bread etc. They only sell it in full loaves though. If you order a bread, they will toast it in the oven at 180 C for you to make your loaf happily crispy and warm. And they serve it with unsalted butter. The sourdough bread ($7.90 ) we tried was deliciously crispy, soft and fresh and tasted delicious slathered in butter.
Soups - Mushroom Soup, which was deliciously creamy and packed with mushrooms, Smoked Bacon and Asparagus which yummy salty bits of bacon, sprinkled with chives. However, they're nothing to shout/rave about. Passable and forgettable.
Smoked Duck Salad (with figs and some other stuff) came with a measly few pieces of ducks breast, dressed in a vinegrette dressing. But it's not outrageously expensive for the quantity of duck.
I had the Blue Crab and Prawn Wrap ($11 ) which was absolutely delicious! The sweetness of the crab, freshness of the prawn mixed in a yummy cream sauce, crunchy onions punctuating every few bites. It's also sprinkled sparingly with chilli flakes, which gives the wrap a punch. However, i thought that the ends of the wrap could be a tad thinner as it tasted too floury at the ends.
Smoked Salmon Wrap, with some kind of fruit (apple?) chutney. Didnt really like this cos I felt that the spiced chutney didn't really go with the smoked salmon. Plus, the wrap was drippingly wet and soggy, probably from the chutney.
Chicken and Mushroom Bechemel Pie ($9 ), with buttery puff pastry baked over chicken morsels and mushrooms. There were also little bits of carrot. I conldnt really taste or see the bechemel - but the chicken bits were soft and tasty. Was pretty stuffed from the bread by then and could hardly eat anymore.
Bailey's Milkshake ($11 ), with the sweetness of the baileys and lots and lots of cream. Its pretty ok for alcoholic milkshake I suppose, but I'm not a fan. Maybe I should try the peanut butter one next time :D
feizhusaid: You review is about the prive bakery right? Not Prive the fine dining restaurant? 19 May 2008 at 11:18 am
milellehcimsaid: yup - the bakery hence the bread and cheaper food - but it's the same restaurant. Sorry I didn't clarify earlier - will edit my post. Thanks! 20 May 2008 at 12:14 am
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1=SGD 0.0587
The dinner consists of a generous amount of food, and in my opinion, completely worth the 18 bucks. It also comes with a free flow of Korean Barley Tea (hot/cold).
Ban Chan (Appetiser) was some coleslaw, kimchi, ikan billis with chilli, pickled cucumbers and a piece of cold tofu. I really like the Korean side dishes and that's why I particularly like Crystal Jade Korean, cos the side dishes are free flow.
For the starter, there's a choice of either Kimchi Mandoo (Steamed Kimchi with Pork Dumplings) or Cheul Pan Gamja Jeos (Hotplate potato pancake). We took the pork dumplings, which were like gyoza but with the sourish spicy taste of kimchi. There was also alot of juices inside the dumpling and the skin is tender and moist.
Next up was a noodle dish (out of 2 choices) and Bibimbab. The Dolsot Bibimbap is a hotpot of mixed rice and it comes with beef. The restaurant is very flexible with the menu and allowed us to change the beef to chicken. Eating Bibimbab stresses me alot because if you don't stir and mix the rice fast enough, it tends to burn and stick to the pot. Good for those people who enjoy eating the crispy layer out of the bottom of the claypot. The chicken is exactly like the hotplate chicken that you will get in this restaurant ($9 something for a huge plate). I liked the overall taste of the Bibimbap, with the egg coating each rice grain well and all the crunchy vegetables and sesame seeds.
There are 2 choices of Myon (noodles) - either Chap Chae Bokkeum or Woo Dong Bokkeum (Woo Dong, as you can guess, is actually udon, and it's fried with seafood and beef). We got the Chap Chae Bokkeum (Fried Korean Glass Noodles with Seafood and Beef). The noodles were nicely done- slightly springy, not soggy, but I found it slightly too sweet for my liking.
To end our overly satisfying meal, we had a Mini Tropical Delight Bingsu each (included in the set menu), which consists of a refreshing light yoghurt ice cream with fresh bananas, pineapple and watermelon. Though the whole bottom part of the bowl is just plain ice, the dessert was of a good size, especially since we were so full from the meal already.
Overall, I think that the restaurant is really value for money and for $18 per person, I had a very filling and tastey meal.
I will definitely go back for more Korean food :)
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We went there at about 8 plus on a Sat night, hoping that we could get a table inside (not just because of the aircon...) but then they were packed. We did get a hugeeeee table outside (which could seat 10).
I was feeling rather stingy and settled for a $16 Chicken Sandwich. This is one of the cheaper dishes on the menu, but it doesn't make it anymore value for money than the rest - it's a normal chicken sandwich (chicken breast, quite a small portion but it's tasty and not too hard) with avocado (yum!) and brie cheese (double yum!) with beetroot on a toasted foccacia bread. Taste wise, it's ok but totally not worth the $18.72. The bread is really thick compared to the filling. The salad on the side was pretty good - it's a sour balsamic vinegar dressing with lots of different kind of leaves (not those with just iceberg lettuce).
My friends who all ate the $28 a main Ribs, Duck Confit and Lamb Shank all came to the conclusion that the mains were not worth it for the portion as well as the hefty price tag. Perhaps it was cos we had a really value for money dinner at Gourmet Plus not too long agon, and our tastebuds had been primed...
The $10 Lemon Tart was only mediocre, but I do have to say the other desesrts are much better (the Sticky Date Pudding and Honey Yoghurt Pannacotta).
The food standard leaves much to be desired, but the whole draw of the place (for me at least) is their live band - Jive Talking, on Saturday nights. Do note that the age limit for Saturdays is 21 for girls and 23 for guys, but 18 on all other days.
Apparently the sunday brunch here's really good... I should come back some time to try it (But I'm usually not even awake for lunch =\)
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!So its not that value for money huh~ but the desserts seems rather special
19 May 2008 at 4:47 pm
Hi Jeslyn - most restaurants in Clarke Quay arent - must be the high rent... I do like the desserts quite a bit I'll do a review on desserts soon ;D
20 May 2008 at 12:22 am
For a small restaurant located in a fairly ulu place, its food is of a really high standard, and much better in terms of taste as well as value for money than some other more popular Italian restaurants I've tried.
Since we were feeling rather decadant, we decided to sample a whole assortment of what Galbiati had to offer.
Starting off with the Lobster Bisque ($8 ) which is a robust tasting soup - there's also alcohol inside and thus there's a slight bitter taste characteristic of lobster bisque.
We also had a Mushroom Pizza to start, since the Smoked Salmon Pizza which I like was out. The pizza costs about $6 (it's cheaper if you take away) and it's full of mushrooms embedded in semi-melted cheese. The crust is thin and crispy, and the tomato base isn't too salty that it overpowers the mushroom taste.
My favourite dish of the night was the Goat's Cheese Salad ($15 ). I thought at first that $15 was pretty steep especially for a salad, but then it did not dissapoint. You get 3 fair sized pieces of thick goats cheese baked and melted to perfection over crusty bread. The salad itself is full of fresh greens, peacans and laced with a generous portion of sun-dried tomatoes (which are pretty expensive in the supermarkets here). The semi-sweet meaty texture of the sun-dried tomatoes give the salad body and character, and are completely unlike the tart fresh tomatoes. To top it off, the salad is drizzled with honey, making it a delectable balance between the salty cheese and sun-dried tomatoes.
Galbiati has a daily special dish, which happened to be NZ Mussels ($21 ) the day I visited. The mussels were succulent, juicy and tender and simmered in a thick slightly salty tomato based sauce. The mussels were so tender that they slipped easily out of the shell - no struggling to get bits of mussel out of the shells at all.
My main course - Salmon Ravioli with Dill Cream Sauce ($18 ) which was also the daily special. I was agonizing over either Black Squid Ink Pasta ($18 ) but then decided that since the Squid Ink Pasta was on their regular menu, the salmon ravioli might not be available the next time. I was pleasantly suprised to find that there was also salmon pieces on top of the salmon ravioli. The dill sauce was clean tasting and went well with the salmon.
Best of all, they do serve water and they're friendly, attentive and very helpful.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!So seafood seems to be the better of the menu?
19 May 2008 at 4:50 pm
I haven't really tried much of their menu - besides desserts but the food I tried that day was good. They have other meats like lamb shank but I haven't gotten the chance to try them yet.
20 May 2008 at 12:21 am
The were having a UOB promotion - 1for1 Foie Gras with any 2 main courses ordered. Of course, since one place usually costs $24 , we couldn't let go of the chance to try something that we won't usually order (due to budget constraints). The Foie Gras is the cold kind, and comes with gelatine bits on top. I enjoyed my foie gras, but I actually prefer it when it's warm - but this was a good sized slab considering how little we're paying.
My most favourite dish (out of 3 that I tried) was the duck confeit ($22 - or was it $24). The outer layer was a brittle crispy shell which was lightly salted, and there was a artery-clogging huge layer of fats which melted in my mouth.The meat was delightfully soft, and fell off easily from the bone. The meat was chunky and the sauce wasn't too salty and didn't overpower the duck taste.
My $24 has been well spent!
This is the first time I'm trying squid Ink Pasta (super sua ku) ($18 ), and I must say that though it doesn't disagree with me, I won't be dying to have it anytime soon. It's very black, has a slightly gritty texture and the squid ink tastes slightly briney and well, doesn't really taste like anything actually... The clams were tender and plump, and quite juicy too.
The Lamb shank ($24 ) full of meat, robust sauce with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Honestly, I can't remember much about the lamb cos the duck was so lip-smackingly good. But it's really meaty and filling.
Overall, the service is prompt and efficient, and the waiters know the menu. The iced water was also regularly topped up, and the whole dining experience was very good and not too harsh on the wallet.
I'll recommend that you sit outside, al fresco, as the view is much better - the decor is simple and minimal but it's worth going there for since the food's great.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
They also have a bread corner, with lots of interesting stuff like the Banana walnut bread ($7.90 for a loaf, which I shall buy back next time when I'm not rushing), whole loaves of foccacia, sourdough, whole wheat bread etc. They only sell it in full loaves though. If you order a bread, they will toast it in the oven at 180 C for you to make your loaf happily crispy and warm. And they serve it with unsalted butter. The sourdough bread ($7.90 ) we tried was deliciously crispy, soft and fresh and tasted delicious slathered in butter.
Soups - Mushroom Soup, which was deliciously creamy and packed with mushrooms, Smoked Bacon and Asparagus which yummy salty bits of bacon, sprinkled with chives. However, they're nothing to shout/rave about. Passable and forgettable.
Smoked Duck Salad (with figs and some other stuff) came with a measly few pieces of ducks breast, dressed in a vinegrette dressing. But it's not outrageously expensive for the quantity of duck.
I had the Blue Crab and Prawn Wrap ($11 ) which was absolutely delicious! The sweetness of the crab, freshness of the prawn mixed in a yummy cream sauce, crunchy onions punctuating every few bites. It's also sprinkled sparingly with chilli flakes, which gives the wrap a punch. However, i thought that the ends of the wrap could be a tad thinner as it tasted too floury at the ends.
Smoked Salmon Wrap, with some kind of fruit (apple?) chutney. Didnt really like this cos I felt that the spiced chutney didn't really go with the smoked salmon. Plus, the wrap was drippingly wet and soggy, probably from the chutney.
Chicken and Mushroom Bechemel Pie ($9 ), with buttery puff pastry baked over chicken morsels and mushrooms. There were also little bits of carrot. I conldnt really taste or see the bechemel - but the chicken bits were soft and tasty. Was pretty stuffed from the bread by then and could hardly eat anymore.
Bailey's Milkshake ($11 ), with the sweetness of the baileys and lots and lots of cream. Its pretty ok for alcoholic milkshake I suppose, but I'm not a fan. Maybe I should try the peanut butter one next time :D
We were rushing for time and couldn't try any yummies from the Dessert Conter in Privé. I'm going to try the Caribbean Panna Cotta, Chocolate cakes and Tiramisu next time! They really look yummy.
The service was quite slow, and our food seemed to take forever to come out (but we were rushing and I didnt time it, so it might just be psychogenic). However, we did note that the bread freshly warmed from the oven, was sitting on the counter for quite a while before it was taken to our table. Privé wasn't particularly crowded - it being a weekday and rainy, and they didn't seem short of staff either.
*edit This review is for Prive the bakery - there's a fine dining section as reviewed by feizhu.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!You review is about the prive bakery right? Not Prive the fine dining restaurant?
19 May 2008 at 11:18 am
yup - the bakery hence the bread and cheaper food - but it's the same restaurant. Sorry I didn't clarify earlier - will edit my post. Thanks!
20 May 2008 at 12:14 am