It wasn’t merely a coincidence when the seven of us stepped into Nectarie Patisserie, fate has brought us together. The group of us; all dessert enthusiast, were looking for more after our previous encounter. Our eyes literally light up at the mention of desserts, our saliva flows at the thought of desserts, and our imagination run wild at the sight of desserts.
Just like the number 7, while some sees it as their lucky charm, others dismissed it as pure speculation. Things could gone either way, and our adventure was just the same. Some people could have feel that the place was great with its nice ambience and pretty cakes, while others might have given their verdict that it was crap and terribly expensive for the petite slice of cake. But for us, the company’s was all that matter, even though the cake didn’t exactly deliver, to our lofty expectations.
We were supposed to be in Seventh Heaven, but that failed to materialise, & we found ourselves in Nectarie instead. While the core of us were the original members behind this, we found new friends who shared our common interest.
Choices. Often people had to make their decision in an instant flash. Inside and outside. We were torn between both sides, until reality stuck. The sun had decided for us.
The inside was a long narrow streak, quite unlike what you’ll normally see. The use of mirror and glass to elongate the place, plus the tall table and chairs were clever, and necessary.
We started with the Pistachio white chocolate ($7.50) eagerly, egged on by one of us who was a fan of pistachio. For the pistachio purist, this was unacceptable. The taste of the nut wasn’t strong enough, and the whole cake was sweet. However for the neutralist, the cake was not bad. The green layer did taste more like kaya than pistachio, but the cake was very smooth, i like the thin layer of raspberry jam which contributed to the sweetness of the cake. Althought some might have felt the cake was too sweet, but personally i like the overall subtle taste.
We favoured the Parfait of dark & white chocolate ($7) over its chocolate cousin, the double chocolate mudcake. There was dark chocolate, white chocolate, and the rather chewy layer. Everything seemed perfect, chocolate with chocolate is after all a fail-proof option. But somehow, the whole dessert couldn’t click, something was amiss.
Whether the Granny smith apple crumble ($6) was created by the granny or not, we do not know. But what we know was the crumble skin was crispy and flaky. Served warm, this dish wouldn’t disappoint you. The only gripe, the apple fillings were too little compared to the thick crumble skin.
I have been told that the Caramelized bananas with chocolate ($7.50) here is good. In fact, it ranked among the top 50 cakes by Sunday Times. Undoubtedly the best cake Nectarie has to offer, the banana and white chocolate mousse was velvety and rich. But that wasn’t the best part, eaten together with the crunchy base, the taste was divine. And all of us unanimously agreed it was the star.
If the caramelized banana with chocolate was the best, then the Dark chocolate Opera ($6) would definitely be on the other end of the score sheet, the worst. Even before we got started on this, our dessert enthusiasts already noticed the cake was too dry. Indeed, the texture and taste was almost dehydrated. Disappointing.
We can’t possibly neglect the unique combination of chocolate and coconut in the form of the Chocolate terrine with coconut mousse ($6). I’ve no idea what’s a terrine, my best bet would be chocolate layers. The whole cake was on the sweet side, just like how desserts are supposed to be. The chocolate actually covered the taste of the coconut, so the others were actually eating them layer by layer to discover the coconut mousse.
I have a love-hate relationship with the Tiramisu ($7). I adored them, and they are definitely listed as one of my favourite desserts. Thus I’m always easily satisfied by the simplest and often i ain’t a good judge between an excellent tiramisu and the normal one.
Nectarie’s rendition was unusual for the fact they didn’t have the the typical layers found in others. The sugar & coffee icing were very beautiful indeed. The finger biscuits soaked in kahlua and espresso were right in the middle of the mascarpone cheese. I thought they were too soggy, a fairly average one, just as we suspected.
Total bill was $73 for 7 people, 7 slices of cakes, & 7 beverages. The promotion of 50% off per slice of cake with each drink meant that we need to get 7 beverages to enjoy the discount for our 7 cakes. This is only applicable during weekdays 1-3pm. With most the drinks fairly expensive, it made it seems like we were still paying for the cake, only that it came with a “free” drink.
I’ve noticed one thing, most of the cakes are decorated with raspberry dips on the white plate which made the whole dessert looked pretty. But while it’s nice as a decoration, to have it on every plate of dessert is a tad too much. Simple is beautiful. Yes?
Nectarie Patisserie actually wasn’t that bad, their desserts were generally okay, but for the prices you are just expecting something more, and they failed to come up with that x factor. The ambience is nice. Check. The cakes are pretty. Check. But somehow the taste failed to surprise us. I ain’t sure whether i’ll go back again, but for you people who hasn’t been there, this might just be one cool place to check it out, once.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Everyday, with the newspaper headline screams the unspeakable “R” word, or some country’s government scrambling to put together a package to rescue their too-big-to-fall banks, times are indeed bad, and no doubt we’ll need to cut down on our spendings to prepare for the storm ahead. But that is not to say that we can’t enjoy good food without spending big money.
My predilection for dim sum has brought me to the attention of Peony Jade restaurant. And since we are on the topic of economics, Peony Jade certainly attracted me with the prices for their dim sum, which i saw from their online menu. There’s two different branch, one at Clark Quay, and the other, Keppel club. Since my friend was driving, i opted for the latter, as it wasn’t a daily affair that you could go to the ulu Keppel club.
Peony Jade is smacked right at the entrance of the Keppel club main building. The main problem will be getting to Keppel club from the outside, just a few minutes drive from Vivocity, but if you are going by public transport, it’s at least 15 minutes walk in from the main road.
Red lanterns adorned the ceiling, with the black traditional walls giving a contemporary look. The whole restaurant was spacious and when we got there around 2pm on a weekday, i was surprised by the small crowd there for lunch.
There was both the steamed prawn & scallop rice roll ($4.50), and coming with an empty stomach, we ordered both. I liked the prawn which was crunchy and fresh, while my friend preferred the scallops which was light. But the rice roll was a tad thick.
And how can i missed out ordering the Char siew pastry ($3.6 for 3). The very first dim sum i always looked out for. With the main ingredient char siew sticking halfway out, the visual impact was already there. But like they say, after you had the best before, everything else tasted average. How very true.
It was already 2pm when we arrived, and i was starving. The mini oven baked egg tart ($3 for 3) was helpless as i wolfed down 2 easily. The dainty portion was sufficient for my friend, but the petite size was never enough for me.
The squarish basket box caught my attention instead of the steamed pork and crystal shrimp dumpling ($3 for 3). That’s not to say that the siew mai wasn’t attractive. Bright red fish roe, mushroom bits, pork and shrimp, how can anybody resisted the temptation? A pretty decent take, but light’s the word to describe the flavour. Beware of it’s relative, cousin, the steamed butterfly prawns, which was really, just a more expensive rendition of siew mai, with slightly bigger shrimps.
If anyone were to ask me how should a good Har kau be like? In my humble opinion, the shrimp would be the key of course, fresh and crunchy, but you couldn’t miss out the skin too. Most places either do their skin too thin or too thick, which is the fine line between a good and average har kau. The steamed peony jade crystal shrimps dumpling ($4.5 for 3) here unfortunately, fell into the latter category, with the skin coming as a tad thick.
Eating on my own, i’ll never order the Steamed spare ribs black bean sauce ($3.50). I’ve no luck with this dish in all my escapade thus far. So i’ll avoided them far far away with a arm and feet. Give me another basket of siew mai or har gau instead of this.
I’m gonna get into trouble with save-the-sharks organisation after I’m done with this post. My friend wanted the double boiled shark’s fin broth with dumplings ($6), and how can i say no? There was just a few tiny strand of shark’s fin anyway. What? Are you really expecting a whole shark’s fin at this price? Nonetheless, there was plenty of other friends accompanying the lonely fins. Mushroom, prawn, pork, all wrapped within the ginormous dumpling. And oh, the soup base was rather salty for my average MSG indictator.
Just like how I always must have my desserts and dim sum regularly, the chef’s signature deep-fried filo crusted seafood roll ($5 for 6) is surely the must-try gourmet dim sum at Peony jade. There wasn’t any warning to inform us there was going to be 6 seafood roll coming our way. It came as one of the last few dim sum, and by that time we were full. But it didn’t stop me from finishing all of them. As always. And not to mentioned the seafood roll’s about 80 cents each, surely one of the cheapest in town. I’m lovin’ it!
Similarly, the Deep-fried goose liver and prawn ball with almond flakes ($7.50) also gave us a pleasant surprise when it came in 6 instead of their standard 3 piece. Speaking of exotic, how does some goose liver in your dim sum sounds? I didn’t discover any goose liver, or maybe my taste buds wasn’t sensitive enough. It did however, reminded me of the prawn balls that i had before, i wasn’t impress then, and definitely not now too.
When a Japanese asked you to play roulette with her, i wouldn’t bet on the Deep-fried beancurd roulette with shrimps and Japanese seaweed ($4). While the shrimp was fresh, and wrapped inside the deep-fried beancurd, everything’s prefectly fine, it wasn’t my type. You know, some things couldn’t be force. But then maybe i was too full, to find out her true beauty.
I lamented the fact that the pan-fried radish cake ($3) came too late. The very same carrot cake you can find in your market, this one was pan-fried slightly char on the outside, and the radish taste was just right. A pity our stomach finally gave in, and refused to budge.
Total Bill was $70.85 for 2 person, which was much more than what i usually ordered as i always thought that eating 70% full is enough. Its better to eat a bit of here and there, to appreciate the beauty of the dim sum, than to gorge yourself silly. But we couldn’t help ourselves ordering more, the rather cheap prices played a huge role in it of course.
Peony Jade restaurant prided itself in Szechuan and Cantonese cuisine, but surprisely the Szechuan factor seems to be lacking out. I’ll say that the dim sums here are one of the lighest in flavour i ever had before, not that they are not good, just that sometimes you’ll think it should be something more. However, for people who like light flavours, this’s the place for you then.
Prices are absolutely cheap given the restaurant standards and ambience. I’ll be hard-pressed to find another such restaurant which served dim sum at such prices, even Kam boat is more expensive without the 30% discount. And although the quality of the dim sum isn’t comparable to Royal China, and Yan Ting, but the pricing factor certainly win hands-down. I’ll go to their branch at Clark quay when my cravings come again.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Cuisines like European, French, Italian food are always popular choices when we dine out. But have you heard of Aussie cuisine? And how exactly do you classified that? There’s a great influence by traditional British cooking brought to Australia by the first settlers. Consisting of pies, roasted cut of meats, grilled steaks and chops, and other form of meat generally accompanied by vegetables.
Mad Jack restaurant started back in 2005, with their original branch at Jalan Kayu a familiar sight with patrons to the area. Within a short span of 2-3 years, they have expanded with another 3 branches, with the newest located right in town, Paradiz centre.
The restaurant owner, Jack who have stayed in Australia for some years, decided to bring the Aussie cuisine back to Singapore. But if you make it into a fine-dining setting, not many people will have be able to try the food, therefore he came up with a causal dining cafe, serving his definition of good Aussie food at affordable prices. The steaks and chops are all air-flown from Australia/NZ, and it is their style of cooking that made the term, Aussie cuisine.
I was invited for a food tasting session at their new outlet, Paradiz centre. A 5 minutes walk from Dhoby Ghaut mrt station, the restaurant is right within distance in town, so who says there isn’t cheap and good food in Orchard?
Mad Jack’s interior consisted mainly of white furnitures, which gave a sleek and clean look to the whole restaurant. Coupled with the transparent glass which invited the sunlight in, the whole area was brightly lit up.
We started with their doctor juices. Therapeutic juices made of 100% fruits and vegetables with “healing powers”. Mad Jack actually did their research, and experimented with different combinations of fruits and vegetables to produce different effects. There’s cholesterol buster (in green), complexion enhancer, blood pressure reducer, sports energy booster (in yellow), just to name a few.
I had the cholesterol buster ($4), which like the name implied, was meant to bust cholesterol. Green apple, celery, capsicum and cucumber. The taste was very “healthy”, and although I didn’t really like celery, but well for the sake of busting some cholesterol.
The other drink we had was the sports energy booster ($4). The ingredients were much less exotic, and pretty much the fruits you eat everytime, lemon, organge. pineapple and apple.
There was crispy butter, fresh juicy & chunky fish fillet which made the taste so good. Crispy on the outside, fluffy and soft on the inside. And the apple peach salad also gave the fish & chips ($8.90) a healthier tune. I had this before at PK xpress which is also under the Mad Jack group.
Mad Jack’s menu is very comprehensive, with so many variety that we actually didn’t know what to order. In the end, we decided to settle for the common and simple chicken chop, like they say, food taste good when they are simple.
But to be frank, other than the generous portion of the chicken and the sides, i thought there was nothing special about the grilled chicken in black pepper sauce ($7.90). Nonetheless at $8, there’s nothing like a safer option if you want some familiar food in town.
And how can you say that you have eaten Aussie food when you haven’t try their steaks? Air-flown from Australia, the Rib eye steak ($13.90) was big in size, tender in meat and juicy on the inside. One meat, three vegetables, like the usual way.
If you are going in a large group, the cheesy mix fries ($6.90) is definitely a good option to order for sharing. Mixture of spicy and plain fries topped with cheese sauce and mayo, it reminded me of the cheese fries at KFC, with a bigger serving.
Now, get ready for the highlight of the show. The desserts column was the one that i was looking forward to, since they had quite a variety of choices available. Triple shots of espresso sponge sandwiched between freshly whipped cream, sponge, and chocolate flakes, i give you the tiraMADsu($4.50).
All the desserts creation came from Jack’s wife, you could get them at slices, or as a whole cake (reservation one day in advance). While some preferred their tiramisu to have a strong liquor and espresso taste, i like Mad Jack’s rendition for their light, and not-so-overwhelming flavour. The big slice was also an bonus.
Another dessert which would give you the sugar-rush, the OZ brown ($4.90). Like most brownies, when eaten alone they might come across as overly-sweet, but when you had an scoop of ice cream to go along, it’s a completely different story. The chocolate walnut brownie had bits of walnuts to give the crunchy bite. Warm sweet brownie & cold ice cream, a prefect blend.
Overall, Mad Jack served their take on Aussie cuisines at real affordable prices. Being in town, it further provided an additional incentive. Otherwise, if you dare to jump around like a Kangaroo at the counter (just for laughs), they will be more than willing to give you a free dessert on the house.
To be honest, their food didn’t exactly “wow” me, but given their reasonable pricing and accessible location, i’ll probably revisit them again. And not to mention there’s quite a few other desserts worth noting too!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
It was a normal weekday afternoon that we managed to patronize this place for lunch. Having heard good things from FZ and from a colleague i've recommended to try, it a lunch that was filled with anticipation and expectations.
The setting itself is reminiscent of Seafood Paradise in terms of decor albeit a little darker. Upon closer inspection, you will find a white tree glossing the interior wall to ceiling throughs stylized white carvings. Seating arrangements were well spaced and provided an open feeling for a good relaxing feel.
(No pictures here as they did not allow for picture taking)
Our orders were the 4 course set lunch menu at $28 per person.
For starters, we had the Caesar Salad with smoked chicken. In short, it was an excellent starter. The bacon bits, eggs and homemade salad dressing were light and not overwhelming. It helps that the lettuce was crunchily fresh and pleasing to munch upon as well. Good stuff.
The soup of the day was pumpkin soup which, sadly, brought the exprience down quite a bit. Both myself and my gf couldn't finish the soup. To describe it, it tasted a little like curry but which a sweet taste like tapioca and greens. Simply didn't appeal to any of us and we generally didn't finish it.
The mains we had were the tenderloin done medium rare and the salmon roulade. The tenderloin was done as requested and was juicy and succulent and chewy. Pity the portion size was small but i'd say it was done well. The star, however, was the tomato side which was suitably juicy, sweet and had a nice wood charred taste at the skin portion which made it really different.
The salmon roulade was pan fried and slightly rare with wild rice. I think the wild rice and salmon together went pretty good together while the salmon itself had minimal "fishy" taste to it for the less inclined.
Dessert wise, we had vanilla ice cream with mint chips and fruit. I love mint so it helped that the ice cream had an overwhelming mint taste to it. To me, i loved the dessert but non mint lovers would probably not take to the taste.
The coffee i had was surprisingly fragrant and thick as well. Something i'd say is even better then gourmet coffee houses like Gloria Jean's, Starbucks and Coffee bean. I wouldn't say i know alot about coffee but their offering is pretty darn good.
Overall, the experience was a rollercoaster. We peaked at the salad and hit the bottom with the soup but everything else in between was above average.
The total damage was $66 for a decent but not quite excellent meal.
Why is it that Starbucks is able to open a few outlets at a single location, and yet every cafe is still packed fully with customers? They must have some secrets that we don’t know? Anyway, Marutama ra-men seems to get the idea, with their one week old new restaurant at Liang court, it’s only a stone throw away from their original branch at The Central.
Ramen lovers have been raving about Marutama, and with some even proclaiming it as the best in Singapore, the new location, like their first outlet, also has a small interior which at best can seat 30 thereabouts. You can choose to seat at their counter area where you can have the bird’s eye view of the chef at work.
When we chanced upon it during a weekday afternoon, they are closed in between 3.30pm to 4.30pm, we came back just on time for their dinner operation hours, and within ten minutes of opening, the petite restaurant was almost full filled with customers craving for their ramen.
I asked the person-in-charge why didn’t they expand their new outlet since their original one is already a hit with its customers, and she explained that their stove could only cook that many bowl of ramen at one time, so it isn’t feasible to have more seats. And besides, some queue outside does make the restaurant look more popular isn’t it?
The spicy chicken soup ra-men with toppings, or Nama karashi ra-men ($12) is one of the three choices available at Marutama. A lone slice of char siu, seaweed, spring onions with the noodles, that’s it. The char siu was really excellent, thinly sliced, with the fats being just adequate. The meat was tasty and with the fatty portions, it did seem perfect, except for the fact there’s only a single slice of it. You can add the sliced roast pork for an additional $4 though.
The noodles were springy, but the chicken soup base was really salty. A tad heavy on the MSG, we needed to drink lots of water to drench our thirst.
Total bill was $14.04 for a bowl of ramen, a rather hefty price to pay when you consider the fact that the ramen only had a slice of char siu and noodles.The char siu was definitely good, but i’m not really a big fan of Japanese food, so it should take some time before i’m back for another bowl of ramen.
There are obviously fans and critics of Marutama ra-men. Fans whom rave about the authetic noodles, and critics who cite the salty soup and expensive bowl of ra-men. Nonetheless, Marutama must be doing something right with its long queue at the restaurants everyday. So who’s a fan and who’s not? Let me know with your comments!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
I’ve always love my cakes and desserts, so it also came as a surprise to me that i only visited Royal Copenhagen Tea Lounge now. Furthermore, it helped that the place is located in town area, right in the middle of level 2, Takashimaya. I went to the second level all right, but couldn’t find the place until my companion told me it’s beside Burberry. And it’s until then i realised i been passing by the place last time but didn’t notice it.
The restaurant interior surprised me as i thought it was bigger on the outside. With an elongated L shape area, customers enjoying their meal can look out to the busy street of Orchard road. While others are rushing around, you’re enjoying your cup of tea with some light desserts. Life’s bliss.
Having the other tables so closed to each other, and with no walls in the whole area, the place was very noisy with all the chatterings and crying sound of the kids. This on the whole, dampened the relaxing mood slightly.
High Tea is served from 2.30pm to 6.30pm. There’s their high tea set for one person at $20.90, and two person at $ 26.90. Obviously the set for one person isn’t worth the price, so if you’re going alone, you’ll be better off ordering a la carte instead. We had the high tea set for two person since it’s our first time there.
The tea that came along with the set was really just, your normal lipton tea. The porcelain tableware with its blue foral prints had a very English feel.
A blueberry cheesecake ($4.90 a la carte) that didn’t taste like blueberry. I usually didn’t quite fancy blueberry but this one was very good. The blueberry was very sweet and flavourful, layering on top of the slice of cake. The taste was very similar to the one that i’ve at Caffe Beviamo.
Cheesy yet not to the extent overwhelming. The biscuit crumb layer underneath the cake added the crunch to the soft and fluffy cheese cake. The “oomph” taste immediately announced its presence. It’s light and airy, and unlike some cheesecakes which are really heavy, you won’t feel sick of eating this one.
Another dessert which we selected for one of the two home-made pastries was the bakewell tart. I didn’t have much similar tarts before, but i must say the tart was excellent by its own standards. The crispy texture of the top, together with the soft body provided a nice compliment to each other. And there was a layer of jam in between which also added flavour to the tart. A good try if you are going to Royal Copenhagen.
The shrimp sandwich was one of the two mini opened face sandwich ($10.90 a la carte) of the chef’s choice. Basically a sandwich without any top, it consisted of shrimps, caviar and lettuces. Coupled with the mayo sauce, the opened face sandwich reminded me of the one I’ve at Caffe Cova. The shrimps serving was generous all right, the caviar added intense flavour to it, but the lettuce wasn’t very crunchy, and somehow I don’t think I really enjoyed the dainty petite sandwich. After finishing it, i was wondering, was that it?
The big slice of smoked salmon was a surprise, but again opened face sandwich and me just don’t click. My friend enjoyed the popular shrimp sandwich more than this. The thing about opened face sandwich is you feel that you are just eating the fillings without any bread, which doesn’t have the sandwich-feel.
It was the famous Copenhagen scones ($6.90 a la carte) that we eyed for. The one which got everybody talking about. Royal Copenhagen chef’s speciality, fresh daily baked scones served with butter, whipped cream and jam.
There were five types of Danish fruit spread selection, namely blackcurrent, raspberry, strawberry, orange marmalade, and rosehip with apples. We were contemplating between the safe choice of raspberry or the adventurous rosehip with apples. In the end the spirit won, and we chose the latter.
This was the very first time both of us tried scones, while i spread my cream, jam, and butter in the middle of the scones, my companion preferred to tear bits of the scones and dipped them into the jam and butter to eat. The scones were very fragrant, slightly hard on the exterior, soft & fluffy inside. The only gripe - it wasn’t warm! It would be prefect if the scones were warm and freshly baked from the oven.
Total bill was $31.65 after the extra charges for the 2 person high tea set. The experience was a pleasant one, although it was blotch by the rather noisy atmosphere. Service wise was still acceptable, there were a couple of staff which we thought wasn’t very happy serving people, but there was one staff whom was the saving graces with her friendly smile and services.
I’ve called up beforehand to make a reservation, but the staff told me there was no need to for a weekday high tea. And when we reached the place at around 4pm, it’s packed to the house, but luckily there was still seats for us. Which made me wonder whether was it coincidence that they saw a rush in crowd that day, or it was always busy everytime but the staff didn’t want to take the reservations.
Frankly speaking, i didn’t fancy the opened face sandwich, so chances are if i come back again, i probably won’t order the high tea set. The cakes and pastries are really good, and at $4.90 they are a lot cheaper than patisserie like Canele, even though they are not as attractive looking, but it’s the inside that counts isn’t it?
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Ah Mei, nurtured by Banquet, to vie a share of the market. There’s Ya Kun, with the tradition on their side. And Toastbox, with the Breadtalk group backing them. Not to forget Oldtown, the new kid on the block which hailed from faraway Kuala Lumpur. With competition that tough, they went Halal.
Waking up on a sleepy Sunday morning, slowly enjoying your breakfast away from the hectic lifestyle, sipping a cup of coffee, nibbling on a piece of kaya toast, and slurping down the runny half-boiled eggs. The set A ($3.20) to be exact.
Cracked the shells, we were greeted with a portrait of the rising sun. It was not just about the main character only, together with its sidekicks, the pepper and black sauce, the rising sun was slurped down in two seconds.
And finally, the one that all of us were waiting for. Slightly toasted, the bread was golden brown. The kaya was the one which would have make all the difference in the world. Sadly, there was something missing. The lack of a signature taste in the kaya, the whole thing was not bad but failed to cast its mark on my memory.
There were pratas, done on the spot by their very own in-house prata man. The taste however, failed to justify the higher price tag. You could have walk in to any other prata shops and got better yet cheaper ones. Nonetheless, the curry sauce which accompanied the prata, was the saving grace. You could get it a la carte, or as a set with tea or coffee.
With both Ah Mei and Oldtown positioned within the high district at Bukit timah, i half suspect Ya Kun might just want to open a branch there to join in the party. Which can only be good news for the residents. Ah Mei, didn’t really impress dme. The widely diversified menu which also included muslim food like nasi lemek & mee rebus, didn’t appeal to the kaya-seeking fan in me.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
It was a normal weekday lunch and my colleagues and boss decided to go out for a simple lunch. I suggested Botak Jones just because it was nearby and i've yet to try the branch in Bedok.
However, that proved to be a big boo boo in many ways.
First of all, my Botak Burger was hilariously small, came with no cheese and minimal fries and basically was a joke to look at. Then the burger itself, meaning the beef patty was mashed badly and cooked badly as well. Resulting in a overly dried, grass like tasting beef patty that simply isn't what i expected. The fries were alright but definitely alot lesser then when i had the same thing in the AMK branch.
My boss and colleagues seperately had cajun chicken and fish and chips which were all the same in one way. They all shrank. I don't know if its a sign of times that they've cut down on fries and ingredients in their food but for me, since i've eaten at the original branch before, this is just not acceptable.
If the boss is reading, this is where you should visit for a re education on what the franchise is about. No offense.
Sourcing for more good food at affordable prices. This quest led me to a place i have passed by on a lunch meal with my colleagues. The irony of it all is, this is located in the exact same cafeteria as Botak Jones in Bedok. And the second interesting part of it is, its appeared on television before and their not shy to air it too, as evidenced by the constant looping of the episode on the television housed in front. I've always been skeptical about television reviews and so far, little to none has been accurate. I wonder if this is any different.
Chocolate Mousse ($3) Panna Cotta($2.50) Tiramisu($3) - This was actually the last part of our first meal there but i'll write about it first. Basically, having the dessert meant we were pretty satisfied with the mains. The Panna cotta is overly overly overly sweet and had an overwhelming milky taste to it that simply didn't agree with me. The tiramisu has too little cake and too much mascaponi cheese which also gave an overwhelming taste. The only dessert that was vaguely good was the chocolate mousse which was thick and slightly bitter and sweet for a good finish. In terms of dessert, there's definitely room for improvement.
Seafood Baked Rice ($8.50) - The seafood baked rice came rather quickly and the memorable thing about it is its sourish tomato based sauce which made the rice very very appetising. Not to mention the clams, mussels and squid were pretty generous, as can be seen from above, and that the seafood used is very very fresh and sweet. In fact, its one of the few places with extremely fresh seafood ingredients i've came across. And at a budget price no less.
Il Piccolo Pizza ($15 for the bigger version) - I'll just go out on a limb and say this pizza is worth it. For $15, i'd say this is a steal. Simply check out the generous smattering of cheese and ingredients to know what i mean. Pepperoni, beef, ham, olives, pineapples and some onions round up the roster. However, its the stretch of the cheese and the crust that really made it a winner. Normally, the worst part of the pizza is its crust, but over here, the crust is soft and crunchy in all the right places. Not to mention the fragrant dough its made from simply compliments the ingredients so well, its perfect. The cheese is worth mentioning as well. We have all seen commercials of pizza with cheese that stretches for a long a savoury journey into our mouths, however, few places have managed that feat. This here, manages that well even when its cold. Its awesome.
Bruschetta ($3) - The bruschetta is rather normal but for $3, i was surprised at the quantity and size of the serving. $3 nets you enough bruschetta for 4 people to share a piece each. The bread is lightly toasted and soft on the inside unlike other bruschettas i've had before. The chopped tomatos were lightly drizzled with olive oil and assort condiments for a light and fresh taste. Pretty good.
Vongole ($7) - The vongole was surprisingly good. Al dente spagghetti, ultra fresh and sweet clams and a nice, light white wine sauce that hooks you in and never lets go. A light and enjoyable main course.
Amattricia ($6) - Mf gf's order, the amattricia is basically tomato based spagghetti with ham. I had a little and it was an authentic sourish taste with again, very springy and chewy pasta. Likeable but not perfect.
I have to say, i'm surprised and impressed with this place. In fact, i'm definitely returning for more. My only gripe is that almost everyone came to the coffeeshop for Botak Jones which i've had and found the quality of food wanting. Its sad to see a less worthy franchise getting all the attention when a gem like this is left in the dust and underappreciated. I highly recommend a try to judge this place yourself. I'm sure it'll be a surprise for you as well.
Was out for a birthday celebration for Andrew when he suggested having some dim sum which he had much positive feedback about. The idea was to find something affordable and tasty and he brought me and our mutual friend Mandy to Imperial in Takashimaya for the meal. According to him, its always packed, has great food and are at loggerheads with rival restaurant chain Crystal Jade. All the above is speculation by the way, nothing to back it up whatsoever.
In terms of the decor, the place is decked in slick, dark and contrasting colors to provide a high end feel to the place. The seats are available in 2 varieties, a pseudo al fresco open dining concept and a compartmentalized seating to maximize space. Both were thankfully spacious and accessible. Service wise, the place was decent. Attendants are attentive when there's less people, but as the crowd grows, so does their attention span. So be warned. Also, as the crowd increases, you get the feeling that they're trying to shoo you out once you've finished. Minor gripes but worth noting still.
Yam Puff ($3.30) - The yam puff is aesthetically pleasing but ultimately lacks bite. In fact, the consensus is that it sadly lacks taste. To be blunt and to the point, not recommended to try.
Deep Fried Beancurd Skin ($4.20) - Their rendition was pretty decent, full of shrimp, fish paste and chopped carrots deep fried to a nice crispy golden brown before being served. Whats not to like about it?
Siew Mai ($4) - Their siew mai came in generous portions and are bigger then usual. However, it also comes with a pretty strong meat and pork taste which may not be appealing to everyone. For example, i for one didn't like it too much.
Carrot Cake ($3.30) - The carrot cake is nicely done in my opinion, hot and fresh with little bits of lap cheong embedded in with bits of mushrooms. The result is a surpringly fragrant and sweet carrot cake reminiscent of Crystal Jade's rendition. Still, it is on the oily side as usual.
Pork Rib ($3.50) - Didn't have any of this at all. The impression from my friend was that it was ok though.
Stir Fried Mixed Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce ($14 for 2 plates) - Andrew's utmost recommendation is also one of the more expensive items. The stir fried mushrooms are a rather simple dish really. Majority of the taste came from the oyster sauce instead of the mushrooms but there's just enough sweetness to make it good. Filled with hoshimeiji, golden mushroom and enoki mushrooms, its an ideal treat for mushroom lovers. Look out for the price tag though.
Xiao Long Bao ($3.60) - Their rendition of Xiao Long Bao was passable but only just. The pork taste was too much and the soup wasn't really tasty as well. Not to mention the rather fragile skin which broke easily. More work needed here for sure.
Steamed Shrimp Rice Roll ($5.20) - Their steamed rice roll was a little too thick for my liking. Otherwise, the shrimp were crunchy, sweet and fresh while the soy sauce was adequate without being overwhelming.
Prawn Dumpling With Salad Dip ($8.40 for 2) - I'd say this was the star of the day actually. Sweet, juicy and bursting with flavor. The hot dish had the 3 of us going for seconds and still feeling there can be more. To be picky, it is still an oily dish but hey, i'd gladly have another. Do note, its only average but its good enough to recommend to eat when you're here.
Roasted Pork ($8) - Another recommended dish by Andrew, the pork here pales in comparison to Royal China, but of course, the price is different as well. The sad part is that the skin isn't as crispy as it should be and the meat lacked bite. The rest was salvaged by the mustard sauce which covered everything else up so that it was actually pretty good in the end.
BBQ Pork Pastry ($3.30) - Like the buns, the pastry was average at best. The bbq pork was sweet and filling but the pastry and bun were too thick. The pastry was also not fragrant enough, probably due to the lack of butter.
Custurd Bun ($3.60) - I love custard buns actually so i'm rather biased on this. This bun however, needs improvement as well. The bun itself is alright, fluffy and light but the custard inside is of the watery variety and was overly sweet. It was sweet to the point it felt like eating sugar syrup. Even my friends couldn't find it in them to like it and this was actually my order.
Egg Tarts ($3) - Well, these egg tarts weren't anything to shout about. Dry and practically tasteless. I'd say they need to really work on the recipe for the pastry and the filling.
The final bill for 3 people at a semi decent dim sum session accrued to $92.39. About $31 each. Reasonable bill but the quality can definately improve.
Its not that the food is bad here. In fact, it was decent. Service was prompt. Selection was plentiful. Ambiance was acceptable. The problem is the quality of the food and the fact that with the same amount, we could have eaten in Royal China or even Yan Ting. (Yan Ting no longer has ala carte as of this post. They have a buffet selection at $68 per head now) Still, i think the company made the meal most enjoyable and there's nothing like a good get together of friends to catch up on their lives. And that is what's really important.
1=SGD 0.0587
It wasn’t merely a coincidence when the seven of us stepped into Nectarie Patisserie, fate has brought us together. The group of us; all dessert enthusiast, were looking for more after our previous encounter. Our eyes literally light up at the mention of desserts, our saliva flows at the thought of desserts, and our imagination run wild at the sight of desserts.
Just like the number 7, while some sees it as their lucky charm, others dismissed it as pure speculation. Things could gone either way, and our adventure was just the same. Some people could have feel that the place was great with its nice ambience and pretty cakes, while others might have given their verdict that it was crap and terribly expensive for the petite slice of cake. But for us, the company’s was all that matter, even though the cake didn’t exactly deliver, to our lofty expectations.
We were supposed to be in Seventh Heaven, but that failed to materialise, & we found ourselves in Nectarie instead. While the core of us were the original members behind this, we found new friends who shared our common interest.
Choices. Often people had to make their decision in an instant flash. Inside and outside. We were torn between both sides, until reality stuck. The sun had decided for us.
The inside was a long narrow streak, quite unlike what you’ll normally see. The use of mirror and glass to elongate the place, plus the tall table and chairs were clever, and necessary.
We started with the Pistachio white chocolate ($7.50) eagerly, egged on by one of us who was a fan of pistachio. For the pistachio purist, this was unacceptable. The taste of the nut wasn’t strong enough, and the whole cake was sweet. However for the neutralist, the cake was not bad. The green layer did taste more like kaya than pistachio, but the cake was very smooth, i like the thin layer of raspberry jam which contributed to the sweetness of the cake. Althought some might have felt the cake was too sweet, but personally i like the overall subtle taste.
We favoured the Parfait of dark & white chocolate ($7) over its chocolate cousin, the double chocolate mudcake. There was dark chocolate, white chocolate, and the rather chewy layer. Everything seemed perfect, chocolate with chocolate is after all a fail-proof option. But somehow, the whole dessert couldn’t click, something was amiss.
Whether the Granny smith apple crumble ($6) was created by the granny or not, we do not know. But what we know was the crumble skin was crispy and flaky. Served warm, this dish wouldn’t disappoint you. The only gripe, the apple fillings were too little compared to the thick crumble skin.
I have been told that the Caramelized bananas with chocolate ($7.50) here is good. In fact, it ranked among the top 50 cakes by Sunday Times. Undoubtedly the best cake Nectarie has to offer, the banana and white chocolate mousse was velvety and rich. But that wasn’t the best part, eaten together with the crunchy base, the taste was divine. And all of us unanimously agreed it was the star.
If the caramelized banana with chocolate was the best, then the Dark chocolate Opera ($6) would definitely be on the other end of the score sheet, the worst. Even before we got started on this, our dessert enthusiasts already noticed the cake was too dry. Indeed, the texture and taste was almost dehydrated. Disappointing.
We can’t possibly neglect the unique combination of chocolate and coconut in the form of the Chocolate terrine with coconut mousse ($6). I’ve no idea what’s a terrine, my best bet would be chocolate layers. The whole cake was on the sweet side, just like how desserts are supposed to be. The chocolate actually covered the taste of the coconut, so the others were actually eating them layer by layer to discover the coconut mousse.
I have a love-hate relationship with the Tiramisu ($7). I adored them, and they are definitely listed as one of my favourite desserts. Thus I’m always easily satisfied by the simplest and often i ain’t a good judge between an excellent tiramisu and the normal one.
Nectarie’s rendition was unusual for the fact they didn’t have the the typical layers found in others. The sugar & coffee icing were very beautiful indeed. The finger biscuits soaked in kahlua and espresso were right in the middle of the mascarpone cheese. I thought they were too soggy, a fairly average one, just as we suspected.
Total bill was $73 for 7 people, 7 slices of cakes, & 7 beverages. The promotion of 50% off per slice of cake with each drink meant that we need to get 7 beverages to enjoy the discount for our 7 cakes. This is only applicable during weekdays 1-3pm. With most the drinks fairly expensive, it made it seems like we were still paying for the cake, only that it came with a “free” drink.
I’ve noticed one thing, most of the cakes are decorated with raspberry dips on the white plate which made the whole dessert looked pretty. But while it’s nice as a decoration, to have it on every plate of dessert is a tad too much. Simple is beautiful. Yes?
Nectarie Patisserie actually wasn’t that bad, their desserts were generally okay, but for the prices you are just expecting something more, and they failed to come up with that x factor. The ambience is nice. Check. The cakes are pretty. Check. But somehow the taste failed to surprise us. I ain’t sure whether i’ll go back again, but for you people who hasn’t been there, this might just be one cool place to check it out, once.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
Everyday, with the newspaper headline screams the unspeakable “R” word, or some country’s government scrambling to put together a package to rescue their too-big-to-fall banks, times are indeed bad, and no doubt we’ll need to cut down on our spendings to prepare for the storm ahead. But that is not to say that we can’t enjoy good food without spending big money.
My predilection for dim sum has brought me to the attention of Peony Jade restaurant. And since we are on the topic of economics, Peony Jade certainly attracted me with the prices for their dim sum, which i saw from their online menu. There’s two different branch, one at Clark Quay, and the other, Keppel club. Since my friend was driving, i opted for the latter, as it wasn’t a daily affair that you could go to the ulu Keppel club.
Peony Jade is smacked right at the entrance of the Keppel club main building. The main problem will be getting to Keppel club from the outside, just a few minutes drive from Vivocity, but if you are going by public transport, it’s at least 15 minutes walk in from the main road.
Red lanterns adorned the ceiling, with the black traditional walls giving a contemporary look. The whole restaurant was spacious and when we got there around 2pm on a weekday, i was surprised by the small crowd there for lunch.
There was both the steamed prawn & scallop rice roll ($4.50), and coming with an empty stomach, we ordered both. I liked the prawn which was crunchy and fresh, while my friend preferred the scallops which was light. But the rice roll was a tad thick.
And how can i missed out ordering the Char siew pastry ($3.6 for 3). The very first dim sum i always looked out for. With the main ingredient char siew sticking halfway out, the visual impact was already there. But like they say, after you had the best before, everything else tasted average. How very true.
It was already 2pm when we arrived, and i was starving. The mini oven baked egg tart ($3 for 3) was helpless as i wolfed down 2 easily. The dainty portion was sufficient for my friend, but the petite size was never enough for me.
The squarish basket box caught my attention instead of the steamed pork and crystal shrimp dumpling ($3 for 3). That’s not to say that the siew mai wasn’t attractive. Bright red fish roe, mushroom bits, pork and shrimp, how can anybody resisted the temptation? A pretty decent take, but light’s the word to describe the flavour. Beware of it’s relative, cousin, the steamed butterfly prawns, which was really, just a more expensive rendition of siew mai, with slightly bigger shrimps.
If anyone were to ask me how should a good Har kau be like? In my humble opinion, the shrimp would be the key of course, fresh and crunchy, but you couldn’t miss out the skin too. Most places either do their skin too thin or too thick, which is the fine line between a good and average har kau. The steamed peony jade crystal shrimps dumpling ($4.5 for 3) here unfortunately, fell into the latter category, with the skin coming as a tad thick.
Eating on my own, i’ll never order the Steamed spare ribs black bean sauce ($3.50). I’ve no luck with this dish in all my escapade thus far. So i’ll avoided them far far away with a arm and feet. Give me another basket of siew mai or har gau instead of this.
I’m gonna get into trouble with save-the-sharks organisation after I’m done with this post. My friend wanted the double boiled shark’s fin broth with dumplings ($6), and how can i say no? There was just a few tiny strand of shark’s fin anyway. What? Are you really expecting a whole shark’s fin at this price? Nonetheless, there was plenty of other friends accompanying the lonely fins. Mushroom, prawn, pork, all wrapped within the ginormous dumpling. And oh, the soup base was rather salty for my average MSG indictator.
Just like how I always must have my desserts and dim sum regularly, the chef’s signature deep-fried filo crusted seafood roll ($5 for 6) is surely the must-try gourmet dim sum at Peony jade. There wasn’t any warning to inform us there was going to be 6 seafood roll coming our way. It came as one of the last few dim sum, and by that time we were full. But it didn’t stop me from finishing all of them. As always. And not to mentioned the seafood roll’s about 80 cents each, surely one of the cheapest in town. I’m lovin’ it!
Similarly, the Deep-fried goose liver and prawn ball with almond flakes ($7.50) also gave us a pleasant surprise when it came in 6 instead of their standard 3 piece. Speaking of exotic, how does some goose liver in your dim sum sounds? I didn’t discover any goose liver, or maybe my taste buds wasn’t sensitive enough. It did however, reminded me of the prawn balls that i had before, i wasn’t impress then, and definitely not now too.
When a Japanese asked you to play roulette with her, i wouldn’t bet on the Deep-fried beancurd roulette with shrimps and Japanese seaweed ($4). While the shrimp was fresh, and wrapped inside the deep-fried beancurd, everything’s prefectly fine, it wasn’t my type. You know, some things couldn’t be force. But then maybe i was too full, to find out her true beauty.
I lamented the fact that the pan-fried radish cake ($3) came too late. The very same carrot cake you can find in your market, this one was pan-fried slightly char on the outside, and the radish taste was just right. A pity our stomach finally gave in, and refused to budge.
Total Bill was $70.85 for 2 person, which was much more than what i usually ordered as i always thought that eating 70% full is enough. Its better to eat a bit of here and there, to appreciate the beauty of the dim sum, than to gorge yourself silly. But we couldn’t help ourselves ordering more, the rather cheap prices played a huge role in it of course.
Peony Jade restaurant prided itself in Szechuan and Cantonese cuisine, but surprisely the Szechuan factor seems to be lacking out. I’ll say that the dim sums here are one of the lighest in flavour i ever had before, not that they are not good, just that sometimes you’ll think it should be something more. However, for people who like light flavours, this’s the place for you then.
Prices are absolutely cheap given the restaurant standards and ambience. I’ll be hard-pressed to find another such restaurant which served dim sum at such prices, even Kam boat is more expensive without the 30% discount. And although the quality of the dim sum isn’t comparable to Royal China, and Yan Ting, but the pricing factor certainly win hands-down. I’ll go to their branch at Clark quay when my cravings come again.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
Cuisines like European, French, Italian food are always popular choices when we dine out. But have you heard of Aussie cuisine? And how exactly do you classified that? There’s a great influence by traditional British cooking brought to Australia by the first settlers. Consisting of pies, roasted cut of meats, grilled steaks and chops, and other form of meat generally accompanied by vegetables.
Mad Jack restaurant started back in 2005, with their original branch at Jalan Kayu a familiar sight with patrons to the area. Within a short span of 2-3 years, they have expanded with another 3 branches, with the newest located right in town, Paradiz centre.
The restaurant owner, Jack who have stayed in Australia for some years, decided to bring the Aussie cuisine back to Singapore. But if you make it into a fine-dining setting, not many people will have be able to try the food, therefore he came up with a causal dining cafe, serving his definition of good Aussie food at affordable prices. The steaks and chops are all air-flown from Australia/NZ, and it is their style of cooking that made the term, Aussie cuisine.
I was invited for a food tasting session at their new outlet, Paradiz centre. A 5 minutes walk from Dhoby Ghaut mrt station, the restaurant is right within distance in town, so who says there isn’t cheap and good food in Orchard?
Mad Jack’s interior consisted mainly of white furnitures, which gave a sleek and clean look to the whole restaurant. Coupled with the transparent glass which invited the sunlight in, the whole area was brightly lit up.
We started with their doctor juices. Therapeutic juices made of 100% fruits and vegetables with “healing powers”. Mad Jack actually did their research, and experimented with different combinations of fruits and vegetables to produce different effects. There’s cholesterol buster (in green), complexion enhancer, blood pressure reducer, sports energy booster (in yellow), just to name a few.
I had the cholesterol buster ($4), which like the name implied, was meant to bust cholesterol. Green apple, celery, capsicum and cucumber. The taste was very “healthy”, and although I didn’t really like celery, but well for the sake of busting some cholesterol.
The other drink we had was the sports energy booster ($4). The ingredients were much less exotic, and pretty much the fruits you eat everytime, lemon, organge. pineapple and apple.
There was crispy butter, fresh juicy & chunky fish fillet which made the taste so good. Crispy on the outside, fluffy and soft on the inside. And the apple peach salad also gave the fish & chips ($8.90) a healthier tune. I had this before at PK xpress which is also under the Mad Jack group.
Mad Jack’s menu is very comprehensive, with so many variety that we actually didn’t know what to order. In the end, we decided to settle for the common and simple chicken chop, like they say, food taste good when they are simple.
But to be frank, other than the generous portion of the chicken and the sides, i thought there was nothing special about the grilled chicken in black pepper sauce ($7.90). Nonetheless at $8, there’s nothing like a safer option if you want some familiar food in town.
And how can you say that you have eaten Aussie food when you haven’t try their steaks? Air-flown from Australia, the Rib eye steak ($13.90) was big in size, tender in meat and juicy on the inside. One meat, three vegetables, like the usual way.
If you are going in a large group, the cheesy mix fries ($6.90) is definitely a good option to order for sharing. Mixture of spicy and plain fries topped with cheese sauce and mayo, it reminded me of the cheese fries at KFC, with a bigger serving.
Now, get ready for the highlight of the show. The desserts column was the one that i was looking forward to, since they had quite a variety of choices available. Triple shots of espresso sponge sandwiched between freshly whipped cream, sponge, and chocolate flakes, i give you the tiraMADsu($4.50).
All the desserts creation came from Jack’s wife, you could get them at slices, or as a whole cake (reservation one day in advance). While some preferred their tiramisu to have a strong liquor and espresso taste, i like Mad Jack’s rendition for their light, and not-so-overwhelming flavour. The big slice was also an bonus.
Another dessert which would give you the sugar-rush, the OZ brown ($4.90). Like most brownies, when eaten alone they might come across as overly-sweet, but when you had an scoop of ice cream to go along, it’s a completely different story. The chocolate walnut brownie had bits of walnuts to give the crunchy bite. Warm sweet brownie & cold ice cream, a prefect blend.
Overall, Mad Jack served their take on Aussie cuisines at real affordable prices. Being in town, it further provided an additional incentive. Otherwise, if you dare to jump around like a Kangaroo at the counter (just for laughs), they will be more than willing to give you a free dessert on the house.
To be honest, their food didn’t exactly “wow” me, but given their reasonable pricing and accessible location, i’ll probably revisit them again. And not to mention there’s quite a few other desserts worth noting too!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
It was a normal weekday afternoon that we managed to patronize this place for lunch. Having heard good things from FZ and from a colleague i've recommended to try, it a lunch that was filled with anticipation and expectations.
The setting itself is reminiscent of Seafood Paradise in terms of decor albeit a little darker. Upon closer inspection, you will find a white tree glossing the interior wall to ceiling throughs stylized white carvings. Seating arrangements were well spaced and provided an open feeling for a good relaxing feel.
(No pictures here as they did not allow for picture taking)
Our orders were the 4 course set lunch menu at $28 per person.
For starters, we had the Caesar Salad with smoked chicken. In short, it was an excellent starter. The bacon bits, eggs and homemade salad dressing were light and not overwhelming. It helps that the lettuce was crunchily fresh and pleasing to munch upon as well. Good stuff.
The soup of the day was pumpkin soup which, sadly, brought the exprience down quite a bit. Both myself and my gf couldn't finish the soup. To describe it, it tasted a little like curry but which a sweet taste like tapioca and greens. Simply didn't appeal to any of us and we generally didn't finish it.
The mains we had were the tenderloin done medium rare and the salmon roulade. The tenderloin was done as requested and was juicy and succulent and chewy. Pity the portion size was small but i'd say it was done well. The star, however, was the tomato side which was suitably juicy, sweet and had a nice wood charred taste at the skin portion which made it really different.
The salmon roulade was pan fried and slightly rare with wild rice. I think the wild rice and salmon together went pretty good together while the salmon itself had minimal "fishy" taste to it for the less inclined.
Dessert wise, we had vanilla ice cream with mint chips and fruit. I love mint so it helped that the ice cream had an overwhelming mint taste to it. To me, i loved the dessert but non mint lovers would probably not take to the taste.
The coffee i had was surprisingly fragrant and thick as well. Something i'd say is even better then gourmet coffee houses like Gloria Jean's, Starbucks and Coffee bean. I wouldn't say i know alot about coffee but their offering is pretty darn good.
Overall, the experience was a rollercoaster. We peaked at the salad and hit the bottom with the soup but everything else in between was above average.
The total damage was $66 for a decent but not quite excellent meal.
Rating given:
Why is it that Starbucks is able to open a few outlets at a single location, and yet every cafe is still packed fully with customers? They must have some secrets that we don’t know? Anyway, Marutama ra-men seems to get the idea, with their one week old new restaurant at Liang court, it’s only a stone throw away from their original branch at The Central.
Ramen lovers have been raving about Marutama, and with some even proclaiming it as the best in Singapore, the new location, like their first outlet, also has a small interior which at best can seat 30 thereabouts. You can choose to seat at their counter area where you can have the bird’s eye view of the chef at work.
When we chanced upon it during a weekday afternoon, they are closed in between 3.30pm to 4.30pm, we came back just on time for their dinner operation hours, and within ten minutes of opening, the petite restaurant was almost full filled with customers craving for their ramen.
I asked the person-in-charge why didn’t they expand their new outlet since their original one is already a hit with its customers, and she explained that their stove could only cook that many bowl of ramen at one time, so it isn’t feasible to have more seats. And besides, some queue outside does make the restaurant look more popular isn’t it?
The spicy chicken soup ra-men with toppings, or Nama karashi ra-men ($12) is one of the three choices available at Marutama. A lone slice of char siu, seaweed, spring onions with the noodles, that’s it. The char siu was really excellent, thinly sliced, with the fats being just adequate. The meat was tasty and with the fatty portions, it did seem perfect, except for the fact there’s only a single slice of it. You can add the sliced roast pork for an additional $4 though.
The noodles were springy, but the chicken soup base was really salty. A tad heavy on the MSG, we needed to drink lots of water to drench our thirst.
Total bill was $14.04 for a bowl of ramen, a rather hefty price to pay when you consider the fact that the ramen only had a slice of char siu and noodles.The char siu was definitely good, but i’m not really a big fan of Japanese food, so it should take some time before i’m back for another bowl of ramen.
There are obviously fans and critics of Marutama ra-men. Fans whom rave about the authetic noodles, and critics who cite the salty soup and expensive bowl of ra-men. Nonetheless, Marutama must be doing something right with its long queue at the restaurants everyday. So who’s a fan and who’s not? Let me know with your comments!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
I’ve always love my cakes and desserts, so it also came as a surprise to me that i only visited Royal Copenhagen Tea Lounge now. Furthermore, it helped that the place is located in town area, right in the middle of level 2, Takashimaya. I went to the second level all right, but couldn’t find the place until my companion told me it’s beside Burberry. And it’s until then i realised i been passing by the place last time but didn’t notice it.
The restaurant interior surprised me as i thought it was bigger on the outside. With an elongated L shape area, customers enjoying their meal can look out to the busy street of Orchard road. While others are rushing around, you’re enjoying your cup of tea with some light desserts. Life’s bliss.
Having the other tables so closed to each other, and with no walls in the whole area, the place was very noisy with all the chatterings and crying sound of the kids. This on the whole, dampened the relaxing mood slightly.
High Tea is served from 2.30pm to 6.30pm. There’s their high tea set for one person at $20.90, and two person at $ 26.90. Obviously the set for one person isn’t worth the price, so if you’re going alone, you’ll be better off ordering a la carte instead. We had the high tea set for two person since it’s our first time there.
The tea that came along with the set was really just, your normal lipton tea. The porcelain tableware with its blue foral prints had a very English feel.
A blueberry cheesecake ($4.90 a la carte) that didn’t taste like blueberry. I usually didn’t quite fancy blueberry but this one was very good. The blueberry was very sweet and flavourful, layering on top of the slice of cake. The taste was very similar to the one that i’ve at Caffe Beviamo.
Cheesy yet not to the extent overwhelming. The biscuit crumb layer underneath the cake added the crunch to the soft and fluffy cheese cake. The “oomph” taste immediately announced its presence. It’s light and airy, and unlike some cheesecakes which are really heavy, you won’t feel sick of eating this one.
Another dessert which we selected for one of the two home-made pastries was the bakewell tart. I didn’t have much similar tarts before, but i must say the tart was excellent by its own standards. The crispy texture of the top, together with the soft body provided a nice compliment to each other. And there was a layer of jam in between which also added flavour to the tart.
A good try if you are going to Royal Copenhagen.
The shrimp sandwich was one of the two mini opened face sandwich ($10.90 a la carte) of the chef’s choice. Basically a sandwich without any top, it consisted of shrimps, caviar and lettuces. Coupled with the mayo sauce, the opened face sandwich reminded me of the one I’ve at Caffe Cova. The shrimps serving was generous all right, the caviar added intense flavour to it, but the lettuce wasn’t very crunchy, and somehow I don’t think I really enjoyed the dainty petite sandwich. After finishing it, i was wondering, was that it?
The big slice of smoked salmon was a surprise, but again opened face sandwich and me just don’t click. My friend enjoyed the popular shrimp sandwich more than this. The thing about opened face sandwich is you feel that you are just eating the fillings without any bread, which doesn’t have the sandwich-feel.
It was the famous Copenhagen scones ($6.90 a la carte) that we eyed for. The one which got everybody talking about. Royal Copenhagen chef’s speciality, fresh daily baked scones served with butter, whipped cream and jam.
There were five types of Danish fruit spread selection, namely blackcurrent, raspberry, strawberry, orange marmalade, and rosehip with apples. We were contemplating between the safe choice of raspberry or the adventurous rosehip with apples. In the end the spirit won, and we chose the latter.
This was the very first time both of us tried scones, while i spread my cream, jam, and butter in the middle of the scones, my companion preferred to tear bits of the scones and dipped them into the jam and butter to eat. The scones were very fragrant, slightly hard on the exterior, soft & fluffy inside. The only gripe - it wasn’t warm! It would be prefect if the scones were warm and freshly baked from the oven.
Total bill was $31.65 after the extra charges for the 2 person high tea set. The experience was a pleasant one, although it was blotch by the rather noisy atmosphere. Service wise was still acceptable, there were a couple of staff which we thought wasn’t very happy serving people, but there was one staff whom was the saving graces with her friendly smile and services.
I’ve called up beforehand to make a reservation, but the staff told me there was no need to for a weekday high tea. And when we reached the place at around 4pm, it’s packed to the house, but luckily there was still seats for us. Which made me wonder whether was it coincidence that they saw a rush in crowd that day, or it was always busy everytime but the staff didn’t want to take the reservations.
Frankly speaking, i didn’t fancy the opened face sandwich, so chances are if i come back again, i probably won’t order the high tea set. The cakes and pastries are really good, and at $4.90 they are a lot cheaper than patisserie like Canele, even though they are not as attractive looking, but it’s the inside that counts isn’t it?
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
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Ah Mei, nurtured by Banquet, to vie a share of the market. There’s Ya Kun, with the tradition on their side. And Toastbox, with the Breadtalk group backing them. Not to forget Oldtown, the new kid on the block which hailed from faraway Kuala Lumpur. With competition that tough, they went Halal.
Waking up on a sleepy Sunday morning, slowly enjoying your breakfast away from the hectic lifestyle, sipping a cup of coffee, nibbling on a piece of kaya toast, and slurping down the runny half-boiled eggs. The set A ($3.20) to be exact.
Cracked the shells, we were greeted with a portrait of the rising sun. It was not just about the main character only, together with its sidekicks, the pepper and black sauce, the rising sun was slurped down in two seconds.
And finally, the one that all of us were waiting for. Slightly toasted, the bread was golden brown. The kaya was the one which would have make all the difference in the world. Sadly, there was something missing. The lack of a signature taste in the kaya, the whole thing was not bad but failed to cast its mark on my memory.
There were pratas, done on the spot by their very own in-house prata man. The taste however, failed to justify the higher price tag. You could have walk in to any other prata shops and got better yet cheaper ones. Nonetheless, the curry sauce which accompanied the prata, was the saving grace. You could get it a la carte, or as a set with tea or coffee.
With both Ah Mei and Oldtown positioned within the high district at Bukit timah, i half suspect Ya Kun might just want to open a branch there to join in the party. Which can only be good news for the residents. Ah Mei, didn’t really impress dme. The widely diversified menu which also included muslim food like nasi lemek & mee rebus, didn’t appeal to the kaya-seeking fan in me.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
It was a normal weekday lunch and my colleagues and boss decided to go out for a simple lunch. I suggested Botak Jones just because it was nearby and i've yet to try the branch in Bedok.
However, that proved to be a big boo boo in many ways.
First of all, my Botak Burger was hilariously small, came with no cheese and minimal fries and basically was a joke to look at. Then the burger itself, meaning the beef patty was mashed badly and cooked badly as well. Resulting in a overly dried, grass like tasting beef patty that simply isn't what i expected. The fries were alright but definitely alot lesser then when i had the same thing in the AMK branch.
My boss and colleagues seperately had cajun chicken and fish and chips which were all the same in one way. They all shrank. I don't know if its a sign of times that they've cut down on fries and ingredients in their food but for me, since i've eaten at the original branch before, this is just not acceptable.
If the boss is reading, this is where you should visit for a re education on what the franchise is about. No offense.
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Sourcing for more good food at affordable prices. This quest led me to a place i have passed by on a lunch meal with my colleagues. The irony of it all is, this is located in the exact same cafeteria as Botak Jones in Bedok. And the second interesting part of it is, its appeared on television before and their not shy to air it too, as evidenced by the constant looping of the episode on the television housed in front. I've always been skeptical about television reviews and so far, little to none has been accurate. I wonder if this is any different.
Chocolate Mousse ($3) Panna Cotta($2.50) Tiramisu($3) - This was actually the last part of our first meal there but i'll write about it first. Basically, having the dessert meant we were pretty satisfied with the mains. The Panna cotta is overly overly overly sweet and had an overwhelming milky taste to it that simply didn't agree with me. The tiramisu has too little cake and too much mascaponi cheese which also gave an overwhelming taste. The only dessert that was vaguely good was the chocolate mousse which was thick and slightly bitter and sweet for a good finish. In terms of dessert, there's definitely room for improvement.
Seafood Baked Rice ($8.50) - The seafood baked rice came rather quickly and the memorable thing about it is its sourish tomato based sauce which made the rice very very appetising. Not to mention the clams, mussels and squid were pretty generous, as can be seen from above, and that the seafood used is very very fresh and sweet. In fact, its one of the few places with extremely fresh seafood ingredients i've came across. And at a budget price no less.
Il Piccolo Pizza ($15 for the bigger version) - I'll just go out on a limb and say this pizza is worth it. For $15, i'd say this is a steal. Simply check out the generous smattering of cheese and ingredients to know what i mean. Pepperoni, beef, ham, olives, pineapples and some onions round up the roster. However, its the stretch of the cheese and the crust that really made it a winner. Normally, the worst part of the pizza is its crust, but over here, the crust is soft and crunchy in all the right places. Not to mention the fragrant dough its made from simply compliments the ingredients so well, its perfect. The cheese is worth mentioning as well. We have all seen commercials of pizza with cheese that stretches for a long a savoury journey into our mouths, however, few places have managed that feat. This here, manages that well even when its cold. Its awesome.
Bruschetta ($3) - The bruschetta is rather normal but for $3, i was surprised at the quantity and size of the serving. $3 nets you enough bruschetta for 4 people to share a piece each. The bread is lightly toasted and soft on the inside unlike other bruschettas i've had before. The chopped tomatos were lightly drizzled with olive oil and assort condiments for a light and fresh taste. Pretty good.
Vongole ($7) - The vongole was surprisingly good. Al dente spagghetti, ultra fresh and sweet clams and a nice, light white wine sauce that hooks you in and never lets go. A light and enjoyable main course.
Amattricia ($6) - Mf gf's order, the amattricia is basically tomato based spagghetti with ham. I had a little and it was an authentic sourish taste with again, very springy and chewy pasta. Likeable but not perfect.
I have to say, i'm surprised and impressed with this place. In fact, i'm definitely returning for more. My only gripe is that almost everyone came to the coffeeshop for Botak Jones which i've had and found the quality of food wanting. Its sad to see a less worthy franchise getting all the attention when a gem like this is left in the dust and underappreciated. I highly recommend a try to judge this place yourself. I'm sure it'll be a surprise for you as well.
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Was out for a birthday celebration for Andrew when he suggested having some dim sum which he had much positive feedback about. The idea was to find something affordable and tasty and he brought me and our mutual friend Mandy to Imperial in Takashimaya for the meal. According to him, its always packed, has great food and are at loggerheads with rival restaurant chain Crystal Jade. All the above is speculation by the way, nothing to back it up whatsoever.
In terms of the decor, the place is decked in slick, dark and contrasting colors to provide a high end feel to the place. The seats are available in 2 varieties, a pseudo al fresco open dining concept and a compartmentalized seating to maximize space. Both were thankfully spacious and accessible.
Service wise, the place was decent. Attendants are attentive when there's less people, but as the crowd grows, so does their attention span. So be warned. Also, as the crowd increases, you get the feeling that they're trying to shoo you out once you've finished. Minor gripes but worth noting still.
Yam Puff ($3.30) - The yam puff is aesthetically pleasing but ultimately lacks bite. In fact, the consensus is that it sadly lacks taste. To be blunt and to the point, not recommended to try.
Deep Fried Beancurd Skin ($4.20) - Their rendition was pretty decent, full of shrimp, fish paste and chopped carrots deep fried to a nice crispy golden brown before being served. Whats not to like about it?
Siew Mai ($4) - Their siew mai came in generous portions and are bigger then usual. However, it also comes with a pretty strong meat and pork taste which may not be appealing to everyone. For example, i for one didn't like it too much.
Carrot Cake ($3.30) - The carrot cake is nicely done in my opinion, hot and fresh with little bits of lap cheong embedded in with bits of mushrooms. The result is a surpringly fragrant and sweet carrot cake reminiscent of Crystal Jade's rendition. Still, it is on the oily side as usual.
Pork Rib ($3.50) - Didn't have any of this at all. The impression from my friend was that it was ok though.
Stir Fried Mixed Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce ($14 for 2 plates) - Andrew's utmost recommendation is also one of the more expensive items. The stir fried mushrooms are a rather simple dish really. Majority of the taste came from the oyster sauce instead of the mushrooms but there's just enough sweetness to make it good. Filled with hoshimeiji, golden mushroom and enoki mushrooms, its an ideal treat for mushroom lovers. Look out for the price tag though.
Xiao Long Bao ($3.60) - Their rendition of Xiao Long Bao was passable but only just. The pork taste was too much and the soup wasn't really tasty as well. Not to mention the rather fragile skin which broke easily. More work needed here for sure.
Steamed Shrimp Rice Roll ($5.20) - Their steamed rice roll was a little too thick for my liking. Otherwise, the shrimp were crunchy, sweet and fresh while the soy sauce was adequate without being overwhelming.
Prawn Dumpling With Salad Dip ($8.40 for 2) - I'd say this was the star of the day actually. Sweet, juicy and bursting with flavor. The hot dish had the 3 of us going for seconds and still feeling there can be more. To be picky, it is still an oily dish but hey, i'd gladly have another. Do note, its only average but its good enough to recommend to eat when you're here.
Roasted Pork ($8) - Another recommended dish by Andrew, the pork here pales in comparison to Royal China, but of course, the price is different as well. The sad part is that the skin isn't as crispy as it should be and the meat lacked bite. The rest was salvaged by the mustard sauce which covered everything else up so that it was actually pretty good in the end.
BBQ Pork Pastry ($3.30) - Like the buns, the pastry was average at best. The bbq pork was sweet and filling but the pastry and bun were too thick. The pastry was also not fragrant enough, probably due to the lack of butter.
Custurd Bun ($3.60) - I love custard buns actually so i'm rather biased on this. This bun however, needs improvement as well. The bun itself is alright, fluffy and light but the custard inside is of the watery variety and was overly sweet. It was sweet to the point it felt like eating sugar syrup. Even my friends couldn't find it in them to like it and this was actually my order.
Egg Tarts ($3) - Well, these egg tarts weren't anything to shout about. Dry and practically tasteless. I'd say they need to really work on the recipe for the pastry and the filling.
The final bill for 3 people at a semi decent dim sum session accrued to $92.39. About $31 each. Reasonable bill but the quality can definately improve.
Its not that the food is bad here. In fact, it was decent. Service was prompt. Selection was plentiful. Ambiance was acceptable. The problem is the quality of the food and the fact that with the same amount, we could have eaten in Royal China or even Yan Ting. (Yan Ting no longer has ala carte as of this post. They have a buffet selection at $68 per head now) Still, i think the company made the meal most enjoyable and there's nothing like a good get together of friends to catch up on their lives. And that is what's really important.
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