Took part in the recent Prego - Spaghetti & Meatball Eating Challenge. Nestled in Fairmont Hotel Singapore, Prego is a contemporary, chic restaurant that serves hearty authentic Italian fare. The restaurant is huge with high ceilings and easily seats more than a 100 pax - a place ideal for both business dining and large group gatherings.
Although my plate of meatball spaghetti was gobbled down in a space of 4mins and 05secs, HFB was able to taste the very smooth pasta sauce and al dente pasta. The tomato based sauce didn't come across as too heavy - which HFB likes it a lot!
Due to the eating challenge reasons, the meatballs were made slightly harder than usual, so HFB is not going to comment of the texture of the meatballs. But what I like is the "beefy" taste of the meatballs, yet not overwhelming. They charged $12nett for the competition and the actual retail price of the pasta is $25 .
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Its been a while since I last stepped into Shangri-La hotel (the last time being the IISS about a year back) and what better way to revisit than a leisurely dim sum meal at its flagship Chinese restaurant, Shang Palace. It definitely helped that Shang Palace was offering a 30% discount on all its dim sum items from now till 31st Dec 2008 for its first dim sum seating (10.30am - 12pm).
Located at lobby level of this highly regarded premium hotel, Shang Palace's recent facelift sees a more contemporary and posh interior with elements of tradition through the usage of red crystal chandeliers amidst flowery wall panels and black wooden door arches. Is it just me or are alot of the Chinese restaurants starting to look alike?
What I found rather ingenious was the tea menu. Instead of the usual book like menu, the names of the various teas were inscribed onto colour coded sticks and placed in a container. Merely a novelty, but at least it beats flipping through pages.
Custard Bun - Fast becoming one of the quintessential items on my dim sum list, the custard bun got the meal off to a great start with its piping hot and sinfully rich custard mixed with sediments of egg yolk, all contained within a soft and slightly chewy bun. I would have liked it better if the custard to bun ratio was lower, ie. decrease the amount of flour or increase the amount of custard. There's the issue of its minute size though.
Shanghai Pork Dumpling - I was utterly disappointed with Shang Palace's rendition of this classic Shanghainese dish. The skin was a tad too thick while the gravy came across as thick and oily. After popping one XLB into my mouth, I couldn't bear to eat another one.
Fried Spring Roll - This spring roll was rather different from the commonplace ones that you get elsewhere. Instead of vegetables, you get egg white and crab meat as a filling. Not that it made much of a difference honestly. The oil taste from the crisp skin overwhelmed everything. Not that egg white or crab meat had much taste to begin with though.
Shark's Fin Dumpling Soup - At $8 a bowl, the fins were ample but of very low quality. I like the fact that there were bits of scallops in the dumpling and that the soup was very light on the palate.
Deep Fried Beancurd Skin Roll with Prawns - The fried beancurd skin roll or 腐皮卷 came stuffed with prawns, spotting a nice crisp exterior that wasn't overly fried. However, it did come across as a tad too oily.
BBQ Pork Custard Bun - This dish was essentially pineapple bun stuffed with char siew (叉燒菠蘿包). I personally liked this quite a bit as the bun was soft and not too sweet while the char siew was plump and juicy. The sweetness from the char siew permeated through, which made for a nice but extremely high in calorie snack.
Siew Mai - Very much like the siew mai I had at Peach Garden, Shang Palace's offering had small chunks of prawns in it as well. There was a noticeable absence of the overwhelming pork taste that plagues alot of siew mais but I did find the salt level a little high.
Scallop & Lobster Roll - I don't quite remember the name of this dish but it tasted to me like Har Gao, which wasn't really what I was expecting. The lobster shreds were minimal, not to mention tasteless and the whole thing was mainly prawn paste (I believe) and a small piece of scallop.
Har Gao - The Har Gao skin was excessively thick and became gross when cold. Not even the crunchy prawn filling could save it after we left a piece to cool for about 10 minutes. However, when eaten hot, its still rather decent overall.
Four Treasure Flour Roll - Fancy names aside, the flour roll aka chee cheong fan, was smooth, silky and not too thick. I could only make out char siew and prawns in the filling so I'm not sure where did the 4 treasures come from. One of the better chee cheong fans I've had in a long long time.
Century Egg Porridge - $10 got me a bowl of congee that's probably three quarters the size of those you get for $3 at food centres. Topped with thin slices of crispy dough fritters, the porridge had a generous amount of chicken shreds and century egg. But I did think that the chef was a little too liberal with the salt.
A disappointment really. The mini egg tarts were, as the name suggests, mini and the pastry was a little too flaky. No buttery undertone that I personally like as well. The custard filling could also have done with more sugar. $4.90 for 3 is really a rip off.
It was really an expensive dim sum experience, at $113 before discount and $87 after a 30% early bird discount for 2 pax. Overall I thought that the dim sum lacked finesse, and pales in comparison to places like Royal China or Yan Ting. Service was good but pacing of the dishes would be much appreciated - all my dishes came in the space of 10 minutes. I highly doubt that I'll be back, not even with the discount.
Had the extreme good fortune to partake in a food tasting session at Seafood Paradise one day with couple of like minded bloggers. Part of the paradise group which also operates Taste Paradise, this is a well received and critically acclaimed restaurant that has garnered more supporters, business and foodies alike with each passing day. The kind owner and our host also kindly positioned the restaurant as a mid range restaurant that will appeal to a greater clientèle as opposed to being a totally high end eating place.
Located at the swanky new premises right below the Singapore Flyer, Seafood paradise here ushers in a new era of style and taste with a noted increase in clientèle which includes but notwithstanding the rich and the famous. The restaurant itself is ambient, carpeted and boasts a huge wine cellar next to the door. Lighting is bright to mid in the early hours and ambient and dim at night. The private room is open to spenders and groups in access of 10 to 15 people and comes with a floor manager and personalized waiter for on the spot service.
The day kicked off with the usual roasted peanuts which set the mood well. Regardless of the exterior, this place is at its heart, still a chinese restaurant with a twist.
Combination Trio Consisting of Tea-Smoked Sliced Duck ($10) Chilled Jellyfish With Chef's Special sauce ($12) and Yammy Scallop Pie ($14) - Our host has already prepared a nice menu for our sampling pleasure and the first to come is a trio platter that is available separately on the menu. The tea smoked duck was tender with a smokey taste which didn't appeal too much to me while i found the chilled jellyfish to embody just the right springiness and sweetness that is pleasing. The yammy scallop pie tastes just like it would it you wrapped a small layer of yam around scallop and deep fried it. The scallop was fresh and the yam, light.
Australian Lobster Baked In Salted Egg Yolk (Seasonal Price) - Our visit of luxury then led to our next dish, salted egg lobster. Now, this is described as having a silky and velvety taste and true enough, thats exactly how it tasted like. In fact, its difficult to explain what velvety means so i recommend trying it to find out. The salted yoke has a light powdery texture that extends and enhances the natural sweetness of a fresh lobster. An excellent dish for any occasion.
Crispy Chicken With Special Szechuan Sauce ($26) - The special Szechuan sauce in question tastes strongely of vinegar and is only a little bit spicy so its perfect for kids. The deep fried stuff above tastes like kellogs crispy puffs and goes along surprisingly well with the sauce. The chicken is also worth mentioning for being well marinated and roasted. Thus it means that the juices are intact while the skin is as crispy as it should be. The meat is tender and moist and you'll be lapping up its juices with ease.
Homemade Beancurd with Seafood in Claypot ($12 per portion) - Silky smooth and soft tofu that literally melts in your mouth. Add in an equally tempting and ingredient filled seafood claypot and its easy to see why customers order so much of this item.
Sea Bass with Salted Raddish ($4 per 100 gram) - The sea bass is fresh, sweet and simply delectable however i must say that the salted raddish concoction doesn't quite appeal to me. I'm not sure if lard is used but sprinkled amongst the raddish are little chewy bits that got in the way of enjoyment of the sweet meat of the fish.
Honshimeiji Mushrooms with Broccoli ($14) - Fresh Hoshimeiji mushrooms are a delight to eat. Springy and chewy, it's reminiscent of abalone in some ways and this rendition is pretty good. Doing it much justice.
Seafood Supreme Fried Rice ($24) - Their rendition of this done to death fried rice is of the dry variety. This means that the rice are not moist and have a decidedly wok hei like taste to it. Seafood like shrimp, squid and crab meat are plentiful and deliberately placed in the rice to good effect. I loved this with the sauce from their creamy butter crab.
Man Tou Bun ($0.60 each) - The man tou is simply excellent. No 2 ways around it. The pan fried base is hard and contrasts with the rest of the bun which feels as though its deep fried in oil but was not oily. I was pretty amazed. It also emits an excellent aroma that makes the chili and creamy butter sauce alot better then it should be.
Signature Creamy Butter Crab ($3.80 per 100 gram) - Their signature creamy butter immediately reminded me of Mellben's version which is the golden sand crab. This version is more milky, contains less cheese and egg and has a more peppery taste to it then the other rendition. Definitely still a winner since their crab is sizable, fresh and has all the goodness of a good crab.
Popular Chili Crab ($3.80 per 100 gram) - The chili crab is starchy, mildly spicy and has a stronger tangy tomato taste then most outside. As the host also kindly points out, the sauce gets better with each bite. And i can attest that its addictive, perhaps more so than the creamy butter above. No faulting their crab on this though, its still fresh and sweet and still lovable.
For the crabs, if you do get a private room, the host will gladly deshell it for you. Although the scene reminds me of gangster flicks in which the bosses have such service, i'd say its a step in the right direction in terms of service.
Finally, after the stomach expanding meal above, i'm glad to say. Seafood paradise is a great place for a meal. In fact, all lovers of Zhi Ca can gather to try their food. Its pretty darn good. Do watch the price though, even though its a mid range offering, over ordering does cause quite a burn on the pocket. If you have a deep pocket, no worries then. Come along and enjoy the food.
It was another day when the search for food led us to town, this time, to Centrepoint in Orchard road. It was during the GSS season and we happened to chance upon this newly opened restaurant nestled in an inconspicuous corner of the enhanced Food Wing at Centrepoint. Touted as serving Yakitori (skewed delicacies) cooked in white charcoal, this Japanese restaurant also served cheap Ramen below $10. Me and my gf were the only people who went for the set meal that night.
Special Set Menu for 2 ($45) - Seeing that everyone is having the Ramen here brought shudders to me which i can't quite explain, thus, we opted for the GSS set dinner which seemed like a good deal. @ $45 for 2 people, it falls in the mid range. However, compare it to the actual ala carte menu and its easily double the price if ordered item by item.
Mixed Sashimi - The meal started with the mixed sashimi platter which came with squid, swordfish, salmon and tuna sashimi all in one plate. Everything on the platter was fresh and tasted sweet albeit being in a smaller portion. It still felt like a good value item though.
Tofu - The first grilled item to appear was the grilled tofu and to be honest, it was very average. Tasted slightly dry like dao pok and most of the taste was covered under thick teriyaki sauce.
8 Yakitori White Charcoal Grilled Sticks - The sticks included 2 grill corns, 1 grilled enoki mushrooms wrapped in bacon, 1 grilled shittake mushroom, 2 grilled prawns and 1 grilled chicken meat ball. The grilled corn was sweet with a thin layer of butter for a salty finish while the bacon and enoki combination tasted fresh but was a little too difficult to chew through. The mushroom itself was juicy and tasty while the prawns were nicely grilled to a crispy finish with tasty and sweet meat. The chicken meatballs were the least memorable, being salty and overly peppery.
Japanese Organic Momotaro Tomato - This is a wonderful starter actually but was strangely served midway through the meal. The sauce is made up of a concoction that seems to be filled with mustard, peanut sauce, mayonnaise and maybe vegetable oil. The tomato went really well with it too and it should be noted that the tomato itself was firm, juicy, sweet and simply delectable. Something anyone can enjoy.
Chef's Appetiser - The chef's appetiser tastes like vermicelli tossed in thai sweet and sour sauce and is yet another tasty treat that shouldn't be missed.
Pan Seared Foie Gras With Ume Sauce - This sinful item came pretty late as well and to be honest, it tasted pretty well done. The inside were left springy and melts in your mouth while the outer covering of ume (cranberry) sauce enriched its taste on the outside. However, it was oily, very very oily.
Creme Brulee - This creme brulee had the thin layer of sugar burnt just right and tasted good without being too eggy on the inside. I found the vanilla taste just right for this and find it easy to recommend.
Black Sesame Gelato - One taste and you'll find this strong. The sesame taste is present throughout without overwhelming. It was the right sweetness and creamy to the end.
Bill - The total bill for 2 only came up to $57.67 which was great value for a meal with such variety and above average quality.
In the end, i'm glad i tried this place. It serves tasty charcoal grilled Japanese food at bargain prices. I do have gripes about the service and order of food served though. The appetisers did not come first and i had to call at least 3 times before my rice and foie gras was served. It was as though they didn't want to make a loss or something. Still, considering food quality, it definitely is value for menu in this offer. Ala carte and normal prices though...and i probably won't recommend when prices are back to normal.
There are different types of restaurants, those that started out small and humble, and then go on to become popular among the connoisseur, and eventually moving on to up-market, and also there are restaurants who started on a bang, but decided to go the other way round, New York New York, of course belongs to the latter.
New York New York (NYNY), started well, with the maiden restaurant at the ever-busy Citylink, which by far a good location, witnessing the everyday crowd moving from City hall to Marina Square, Suntec area.
My initial impression of New York New York was good, even though people told me that their food was average, but i still proceed on to my first visit there. But slowly and surely, NYNY started to venture into the heartlands, with new restaurants at Lot 1, Amk Hub, Heartland mall and downtown east.
Not that NYNY is a very classy restaurant in the first place, but i still find the overall feel to be above average. But it seems that the move into the heartlands is reaping dividends for NYNY, with most of the restaurants being filled up easily every day, especially so during the weekends where the whole family comes out to dine.
New York New York (NYNY), with its big white & green signage, and the trademark light green comfy furnitures, stands out from far. NYNY used the copy-and-paste method for their interior decor to good effects. The particular branch is at Lot 1, taking over the place of the former tenant, Pizza Hut.
By and large the location is a good place as its on the ground floor, and just beside the entrance near the taxi stand. This makes me wonder why Pizza Hut chose to vacant it in the first place.
Caribbean Breeze ($5.90) Frozen pink guava and pineapple juice, which came across as rather sour to us.
Lime lemonade soda ($5.90) Real traditional American lemonade, good and reliable.
Spaghetti Bolognese ($12.90) The spaghetti bolognese with giant meatballs. The pasta is done “al dente” firm yet not too hard. The meatball was really gigantic, well i’m not really a meatball person but my brother seemed to enjoy this simple pasta.
Tagliatelle mushroom alfredo with crispy fish ($12.90) Fish and creamy pasta instead of chips. The pasta was average, i preferred tomato to cream base, and the fish was average nothing spectacular.
Smoked salmon velvet ($9.90) Smoked salmon, tuna mayo, marinated tomatoes, grilled vegetables and sauteed onions made up the Smoked salmon velvet. I felt vegetables in sandwich would be better off being fresh than grilled.
Tagliatelle aglio with fresh seafood ($12.90) Simple and delicious. Extra virgin olive oil with lots of garlic and chili combined perfectly with mixed seafood. I never liked aglio because i found it too dry, and too spicy. But then again, its personal preference.
Juicy beef tenders ($13.90) Under the cloud of the creamy mashed potatos, the beef chunks with gravy was too salty for our liking. We struggled to finish the dish.
Hawaiian pizza ($13.90) The hawaiian pizza came in the thin form with the typical hawaiian toppings like pineapple and ham. 8 slices to share around the table. However, i lamented the fact that the pizza wasn’t cheesy enough.
Total bill was $103.81 for a table of 6, which worked out to an average of around $17 per person. Prices are still within the reasonable range for a mid-tier restaurant. The menu is comprehensive with lots of choices like salad, pasta, pizza, main course, and desserts. Food at NYNY is average at best, judging from the lines of people queuing up for a table at NYNY, I believe we will see more of NYNY opening in other heartland shopping centre.
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’s a shame that Dim sum isn’t getting the recognition as its Sushi counterparts. The Japanese sushi is also like what Dim sum is to the Chinese cuisine, just that it comes in the form of vinegared rice topped with ingredients like fish, various meats and vegetables.
With the entrée of more Spanish restaurants in the local dining scene, more people knows about tapas, and degustion has always been a firm word on the menu of the French restaurants here. How about dim sum? I think that most youngsters nowadays are not really into dim sum, since it’s often seen as a more traditional meal. Youngsters want to break out of the tradition, they want something hip and cool, and dim sum is not that. Which is cooler, saying you had dim sum, or tapas at the latest Spanish restaurant and a 6 course degustion dinner?
Dim sum is akin a piece of artwork crafted by the chef, so exquisite and refine. No offence to the Sushi-fanatic, but give me dim sum over sliced raw fish anytime.
Every hotel will have their own flagship restaurants in the different cuisines, and at Carlton hotel, Wah Lok is the Cantonese representative. Our latest dim sum adventure brings us here, together with hautestuff and ladies, we had a great time over our dim sum lunch.
Wah Lok is located on the second level within the Carlton hotel, the high ceiling of the restaurant makes the interior looks very spacious. The decor is typical of most Chinese restaurants, with a very comfy and homely feel. There are two different dining halls and can easily fill up on a normal day, which shows the popularity of the restaurant.
Char siew sou ($3.80 for 3) The Baked BBQ pork pastry or more affectionately known as char siew sou, has always been one of the dim sum that i will order first. Wah lok’s version of the char siew sou did not disappoint, within the buttery surface of the pastry were juicy and sweet char siew fillings.
The rendition at Wah lok may not be as refine as the one i had at Yan Ting, nevertheless it’s still better than most char siew sou that i had before, and all of us were tempted to order second helpings.
Baked BBQ pork buns ($3 for 2) We asked the captain for recommendations, and he promptly suggested that we have Wah Lok’s signature, char siew bao. We were rather surprised when the char siew bao came, as it’s not the normal steamed buns which has white pillowry exterior. Instead, the baked counterpart is browned and glazed, more like bo luo bao.
The juicy and sweet char siew was enveloped within the baked pastry. Although we just had the char siew sou which is a different variety made with puff pastry, the pork buns were gone in an instant.
Baked egg tarts ($3.20 for 3) The petite baked egg tarts had smooth and eggy fillings within the puff pastry. The miniature size of the egg tart was the only problem as we only had one each.
Steamed prawn dumplings ($5.40) The steamed prawn dumplings, or “Har Gao” at Wah Lok had fresh, succulent prawns contained by the thinly light skin. Solid and reliable prawn dumplings.
Steamed pork dumplings ($4.60) The steamed pork dumplings or “siew mai” is another dim sum which i would not fail to order. The siew mai was well-balanced, not too porky.
Fried XO carrot cake ($10) The fried xo carrot cake was off-the-menu, which we requested for instead of the steamed carrot cake. However this was a mistake as the carrot cake was bland and too soft for my liking. We couldn’t taste much of the supposedly “oomph” xo sauce. At $10, we would be better off ordering two other basket of dim sum.
Steamed chicken claw with chili ($3) I am never a fan of chicken claw, but the three ladies certainly enjoyed it, munching the chicken feet and spiting out the small bones.
Deep fried beancurd ($5.6) We wanted one more dim sum after our first round, and the waiter recommended this. The deep fried beancurd skin with prawns was excellent. Normally, the beancurd skin would be more than the prawn, but in this instance, the succulent prawn fillings threatened to overshadow the beancurd skin.
Fried mango ice cream ($6) We ended off our dim sum lunch with a very non-chinese dessert. Fried ice cream was a craze a few years back, and i remember there’s even a store at the Tiong Bahru market which used to sell fried ice cream. But not anymore, where can you still find fried ice cream nowadays?
The crispy exterior had a strong hint of coconut taste, while the interior was icy cold ice cream, simply magic, how did they do that?
Total bill was $63.75 for 4 person, which worked out to be around $16 per person. We didn’t really ordered a lot, so the price might seem deceptive, nevertheless, the dim sum at Wah Lok is still priced reasonably given their quality. The portions are quite petite, but it will do for our ladies. I foresee i’ll be coming back to Wah Lok quite often in the near future to try out the rest of the dim sum.
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 thought of Ikea as the place for furniture and home accesories but was pleasantly surprised one fine weekday when i was dragged along with the team for a meal there.
The IKEA foodcourt or restaurant is a novel concept where most of the process involves the customer choosing and creating their own menu as they go.
For example, collecting salads, cakes, coffee and sandwiches etc. But the place is known for its extremely big and juicy chicken wings and their meatballs with spagghetti which i managed to try a little of.
The meatballs were really something different with its strong taste of spices and considerably bigger then normal size. The spagheti costs about $8 and comes with 5 meatballs but trust me, its never enough. Something to look out for.
The coffee dispenser is free flow so take all you want with the cup you are "issued". But don't expect to be able to take away the drinks however.
Overall, an interesting experience at an interesting concept store.
Swenson's is a property pretty much everyone would have heard about. Began since 1948 over in San Francisco, Swenson's has since grown to encompass the Middle East, Asia and USA. Their outlets can be found easily in shopping malls and other outlets alike. For a place that began as a humble ice cream shop, it now boasts a menu all its own. Has time been kind on this franchise though?
What i had that day: Strawberry Sundae Chicken Soup Prawn And Fruit Salad Chicken in a Jacket Omelette With Salad and Fries French Fries Pesto Salmon Saute Rodeo Wings Clam Chowder Ribeye Steak Cookies and Cream Ice Cream with Chipsmore Cookie
Of all the items above, the ones i did try are the soup, which was pasty and starchy and also quite salty. The prawn and fruit salad was pretty good albeit bland as it was only the taste of lettuce with prawns with little or no olive oil and vinegaritte. The good thing about it was that the prawns were crunchy. The fries turned out to be the best item for this visit IMHO. Hot, slightly thick and not oily. It went well with the tartar sauce and chilli/tomato mixture as usual. The rodeo wings came across as overfried and had too much flour thrown into the mix. The rodeo aka spicy chili sauce felt tagged on and not the authentic smoked rodeo wings it should be. My main course was the ribeye steak which i ordered medium rare but came well done. There was also an abundance of the fatty layer which meant a huge part of the meat could not be consumed. The meat tasted tough and lacked any form of beefy taste which i would have expected. The cookies and cream ice cream was another disappointment in it being close to tasteless. At least it was sweet though.
I'm quite disappointed frankly but at the very least, it did not deteriorate to the point of Jack's Place which i've completely sworn off. Also, i have to thank my 2 colleagues for giving me a treat for this as otherwise, i may not have had the chance to try it again. The way it stands now, its a safe bet to say that improvements are definitely needed but its still not beyond redemption.
Its more or less a quest for reasonably priced good japanese food in Singapore that drives my urge to consistently try weird Japanese restaurants. This is no exception. Located in the ulu and often unknown Elias mall, this restaurant is part of a community center which made me believe it had to be a simple, no frills eating place. Lets see if thats true.
Simple wooden chairs, spaciously placed amidst tables in a single line. The interior is nothing to shout about. In fact, its extremely simple. There wasn't any background music either. In a very real sense, i'm saying that the place is boring with nothing to occupy you as you wait for your meal.
Bento set with Salmon Sashimi, Chawanmushi, Grilled Saba Fish and Chicken Katsu ($15.90) - My gf ordered this set because it came with the usual salmon sashimi which is one of her favorite items. For $15, this wasn't too bad to be honest. 4 pieces of salmon, 1 piece of grilled Saba fish, fried chicken and chawanmushi along with rice. Seems like a good deal to me. The salmon was moderately fresh and sweet but rather small. The katsu was pretty good since it was served hot and juicy. The saba fish had too many bones to be easily enjoyed while the chawanmushi (steamed egg) was rather chunky and lacked taste.
Bento Set with Assorted Tempura, vegetable soup, chawanmushi and teriyaki beef ($15.90) - My order was pretty decent as well, i liked the assorted tempura which came across as fragrant but oily. The beef was tender and sweet but portion size was small, the vegetable soup was a little too bland but the overall package wasn't too bad.
Total Bill came up to $34.98 including service charge. Its nice to note that the tea is free and refillable.
For a place hidden in the middle of nowhere and selling Japanese food, this was rather decent. Although its more towards foodcourt decent as opposed to boutique Japanese food decent, its still somewhere i could probably visit again. There's a sushi buffet offered here as well which is probably worth a try.
Fisherios Fish N Chips is one of the many new-comers in the busy basement of Bugis Junction, which has seen the arrival of many food & beverage entrées after the demolition of the food court. Personally, i welcome this move and the management of Parco Bugis Junction is indeed moving in the right direction by providing a good mix of food.
I reckon it will take quite a while before conquering all the stores at the basement level, any takers want to volunteer to explore the area? Anyway, my friend and i decided on Fisherios because i saw it previously at Ngee Ann city basement, and also heard some rather positive comments online about it’s fish & chips.
The seating arrangement did remind me about the one at Bratwurst, simple furniture in a small enclosed area. The similarity between the food basement of Bugis Junction, Plaza Singapura, and Ngee Ann city is very apparent to all.
Fish fillet beer battered ($7.90) For all the different type of fish, you can have it done in three different ways, breaded, grilled, and in our case, the beer battered method. Price varies of course, with beer battered being the more expensive option. Choose from fish, salmon or snapper fillet.
Service was prompted and quick, but my first reaction when the dish came, what’s with the wrapping paper? Was the wrapping paper there to absorb the oil, or was it there so as to make it some sort of “fast food” type (pun intended). In any case, if they wanted to absorb the oil from the fish & chips, I’ll preferred it to be done before serving, so that customers won’t actually see all the oil stains on the paper.
The difference between wrapping it in the paper, and laying it out nicely on the plate. The presentation of the fish was poles apart. I found the beer battered fish to be quite strong, au contraire my friend thought that the beer flavor was acceptable.
In conclusion, the fish wasn’t really worth the price tag of $7.90, and with the small servings of the fries, we could easily got better fish and chips elsewhere. But i guess if you want a quick meal and don’t really mind the quality of fish, it is decent enough, which reminds me of Fisherman’s Wharf
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!
1=SGD 0.0587
Took part in the recent Prego - Spaghetti & Meatball Eating Challenge. Nestled in Fairmont Hotel Singapore, Prego is a contemporary, chic restaurant that serves hearty authentic Italian fare. The restaurant is huge with high ceilings and easily seats more than a 100 pax - a place ideal for both business dining and large group gatherings.
Although my plate of meatball spaghetti was gobbled down in a space of 4mins and 05secs, HFB was able to taste the very smooth pasta sauce and al dente pasta. The tomato based sauce didn't come across as too heavy - which HFB likes it a lot!
Due to the eating challenge reasons, the meatballs were made slightly harder than usual, so HFB is not going to comment of the texture of the meatballs. But what I like is the "beefy" taste of the meatballs, yet not overwhelming. They charged $12nett for the competition and the actual retail price of the pasta is $25 .
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
Its been a while since I last stepped into Shangri-La hotel (the last time being the IISS about a year back) and what better way to revisit than a leisurely dim sum meal at its flagship Chinese restaurant, Shang Palace. It definitely helped that Shang Palace was offering a 30% discount on all its dim sum items from now till 31st Dec 2008 for its first dim sum seating (10.30am - 12pm).
Located at lobby level of this highly regarded premium hotel, Shang Palace's recent facelift sees a more contemporary and posh interior with elements of tradition through the usage of red crystal chandeliers amidst flowery wall panels and black wooden door arches. Is it just me or are alot of the Chinese restaurants starting to look alike?
What I found rather ingenious was the tea menu. Instead of the usual book like menu, the names of the various teas were inscribed onto colour coded sticks and placed in a container. Merely a novelty, but at least it beats flipping through pages.
Custard Bun - Fast becoming one of the quintessential items on my dim sum list, the custard bun got the meal off to a great start with its piping hot and sinfully rich custard mixed with sediments of egg yolk, all contained within a soft and slightly chewy bun. I would have liked it better if the custard to bun ratio was lower, ie. decrease the amount of flour or increase the amount of custard. There's the issue of its minute size though.
Shanghai Pork Dumpling - I was utterly disappointed with Shang Palace's rendition of this classic Shanghainese dish. The skin was a tad too thick while the gravy came across as thick and oily. After popping one XLB into my mouth, I couldn't bear to eat another one.
Fried Spring Roll - This spring roll was rather different from the commonplace ones that you get elsewhere. Instead of vegetables, you get egg white and crab meat as a filling. Not that it made much of a difference honestly. The oil taste from the crisp skin overwhelmed everything. Not that egg white or crab meat had much taste to begin with though.
Shark's Fin Dumpling Soup - At $8 a bowl, the fins were ample but of very low quality. I like the fact that there were bits of scallops in the dumpling and that the soup was very light on the palate.
Deep Fried Beancurd Skin Roll with Prawns - The fried beancurd skin roll or 腐皮卷 came stuffed with prawns, spotting a nice crisp exterior that wasn't overly fried. However, it did come across as a tad too oily.
BBQ Pork Custard Bun - This dish was essentially pineapple bun stuffed with char siew (叉燒菠蘿包). I personally liked this quite a bit as the bun was soft and not too sweet while the char siew was plump and juicy. The sweetness from the char siew permeated through, which made for a nice but extremely high in calorie snack.
Siew Mai - Very much like the siew mai I had at Peach Garden, Shang Palace's offering had small chunks of prawns in it as well. There was a noticeable absence of the overwhelming pork taste that plagues alot of siew mais but I did find the salt level a little high.
Scallop & Lobster Roll - I don't quite remember the name of this dish but it tasted to me like Har Gao, which wasn't really what I was expecting. The lobster shreds were minimal, not to mention tasteless and the whole thing was mainly prawn paste (I believe) and a small piece of scallop.
Har Gao - The Har Gao skin was excessively thick and became gross when cold. Not even the crunchy prawn filling could save it after we left a piece to cool for about 10 minutes. However, when eaten hot, its still rather decent overall.
Four Treasure Flour Roll - Fancy names aside, the flour roll aka chee cheong fan, was smooth, silky and not too thick. I could only make out char siew and prawns in the filling so I'm not sure where did the 4 treasures come from. One of the better chee cheong fans I've had in a long long time.
Century Egg Porridge - $10 got me a bowl of congee that's probably three quarters the size of those you get for $3 at food centres. Topped with thin slices of crispy dough fritters, the porridge had a generous amount of chicken shreds and century egg. But I did think that the chef was a little too liberal with the salt.
A disappointment really. The mini egg tarts were, as the name suggests, mini and the pastry was a little too flaky. No buttery undertone that I personally like as well. The custard filling could also have done with more sugar. $4.90 for 3 is really a rip off.
It was really an expensive dim sum experience, at $113 before discount and $87 after a 30% early bird discount for 2 pax. Overall I thought that the dim sum lacked finesse, and pales in comparison to places like Royal China or Yan Ting. Service was good but pacing of the dishes would be much appreciated - all my dishes came in the space of 10 minutes. I highly doubt that I'll be back, not even with the discount.
See all my pictures here.
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Had the extreme good fortune to partake in a food tasting session at Seafood Paradise one day with couple of like minded bloggers. Part of the paradise group which also operates Taste Paradise, this is a well received and critically acclaimed restaurant that has garnered more supporters, business and foodies alike with each passing day. The kind owner and our host also kindly positioned the restaurant as a mid range restaurant that will appeal to a greater clientèle as opposed to being a totally high end eating place.
Located at the swanky new premises right below the Singapore Flyer, Seafood paradise here ushers in a new era of style and taste with a noted increase in clientèle which includes but notwithstanding the rich and the famous. The restaurant itself is ambient, carpeted and boasts a huge wine cellar next to the door. Lighting is bright to mid in the early hours and ambient and dim at night. The private room is open to spenders and groups in access of 10 to 15 people and comes with a floor manager and personalized waiter for on the spot service.
The day kicked off with the usual roasted peanuts which set the mood well. Regardless of the exterior, this place is at its heart, still a chinese restaurant with a twist.
Combination Trio Consisting of Tea-Smoked Sliced Duck ($10) Chilled Jellyfish With Chef's Special sauce ($12) and Yammy Scallop Pie ($14) - Our host has already prepared a nice menu for our sampling pleasure and the first to come is a trio platter that is available separately on the menu. The tea smoked duck was tender with a smokey taste which didn't appeal too much to me while i found the chilled jellyfish to embody just the right springiness and sweetness that is pleasing. The yammy scallop pie tastes just like it would it you wrapped a small layer of yam around scallop and deep fried it. The scallop was fresh and the yam, light.
Australian Lobster Baked In Salted Egg Yolk (Seasonal Price) - Our visit of luxury then led to our next dish, salted egg lobster. Now, this is described as having a silky and velvety taste and true enough, thats exactly how it tasted like. In fact, its difficult to explain what velvety means so i recommend trying it to find out. The salted yoke has a light powdery texture that extends and enhances the natural sweetness of a fresh lobster. An excellent dish for any occasion.
Crispy Chicken With Special Szechuan Sauce ($26) - The special Szechuan sauce in question tastes strongely of vinegar and is only a little bit spicy so its perfect for kids. The deep fried stuff above tastes like kellogs crispy puffs and goes along surprisingly well with the sauce. The chicken is also worth mentioning for being well marinated and roasted. Thus it means that the juices are intact while the skin is as crispy as it should be. The meat is tender and moist and you'll be lapping up its juices with ease.
Homemade Beancurd with Seafood in Claypot ($12 per portion) - Silky smooth and soft tofu that literally melts in your mouth. Add in an equally tempting and ingredient filled seafood claypot and its easy to see why customers order so much of this item.
Sea Bass with Salted Raddish ($4 per 100 gram) - The sea bass is fresh, sweet and simply delectable however i must say that the salted raddish concoction doesn't quite appeal to me. I'm not sure if lard is used but sprinkled amongst the raddish are little chewy bits that got in the way of enjoyment of the sweet meat of the fish.
Honshimeiji Mushrooms with Broccoli ($14) - Fresh Hoshimeiji mushrooms are a delight to eat. Springy and chewy, it's reminiscent of abalone in some ways and this rendition is pretty good. Doing it much justice.
Seafood Supreme Fried Rice ($24) - Their rendition of this done to death fried rice is of the dry variety. This means that the rice are not moist and have a decidedly wok hei like taste to it. Seafood like shrimp, squid and crab meat are plentiful and deliberately placed in the rice to good effect. I loved this with the sauce from their creamy butter crab.
Man Tou Bun ($0.60 each) - The man tou is simply excellent. No 2 ways around it. The pan fried base is hard and contrasts with the rest of the bun which feels as though its deep fried in oil but was not oily. I was pretty amazed. It also emits an excellent aroma that makes the chili and creamy butter sauce alot better then it should be.
Signature Creamy Butter Crab ($3.80 per 100 gram) - Their signature creamy butter immediately reminded me of Mellben's version which is the golden sand crab. This version is more milky, contains less cheese and egg and has a more peppery taste to it then the other rendition. Definitely still a winner since their crab is sizable, fresh and has all the goodness of a good crab.
Popular Chili Crab ($3.80 per 100 gram) - The chili crab is starchy, mildly spicy and has a stronger tangy tomato taste then most outside. As the host also kindly points out, the sauce gets better with each bite. And i can attest that its addictive, perhaps more so than the creamy butter above. No faulting their crab on this though, its still fresh and sweet and still lovable.
For the crabs, if you do get a private room, the host will gladly deshell it for you. Although the scene reminds me of gangster flicks in which the bosses have such service, i'd say its a step in the right direction in terms of service.
Finally, after the stomach expanding meal above, i'm glad to say. Seafood paradise is a great place for a meal. In fact, all lovers of Zhi Ca can gather to try their food. Its pretty darn good. Do watch the price though, even though its a mid range offering, over ordering does cause quite a burn on the pocket. If you have a deep pocket, no worries then. Come along and enjoy the food.
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It was another day when the search for food led us to town, this time, to Centrepoint in Orchard road. It was during the GSS season and we happened to chance upon this newly opened restaurant nestled in an inconspicuous corner of the enhanced Food Wing at Centrepoint. Touted as serving Yakitori (skewed delicacies) cooked in white charcoal, this Japanese restaurant also served cheap Ramen below $10. Me and my gf were the only people who went for the set meal that night.
Special Set Menu for 2 ($45) - Seeing that everyone is having the Ramen here brought shudders to me which i can't quite explain, thus, we opted for the GSS set dinner which seemed like a good deal. @ $45 for 2 people, it falls in the mid range. However, compare it to the actual ala carte menu and its easily double the price if ordered item by item.
Mixed Sashimi - The meal started with the mixed sashimi platter which came with squid, swordfish, salmon and tuna sashimi all in one plate. Everything on the platter was fresh and tasted sweet albeit being in a smaller portion. It still felt like a good value item though.
Tofu - The first grilled item to appear was the grilled tofu and to be honest, it was very average. Tasted slightly dry like dao pok and most of the taste was covered under thick teriyaki sauce.
8 Yakitori White Charcoal Grilled Sticks - The sticks included 2 grill corns, 1 grilled enoki mushrooms wrapped in bacon, 1 grilled shittake mushroom, 2 grilled prawns and 1 grilled chicken meat ball. The grilled corn was sweet with a thin layer of butter for a salty finish while the bacon and enoki combination tasted fresh but was a little too difficult to chew through. The mushroom itself was juicy and tasty while the prawns were nicely grilled to a crispy finish with tasty and sweet meat. The chicken meatballs were the least memorable, being salty and overly peppery.
Japanese Organic Momotaro Tomato - This is a wonderful starter actually but was strangely served midway through the meal. The sauce is made up of a concoction that seems to be filled with mustard, peanut sauce, mayonnaise and maybe vegetable oil. The tomato went really well with it too and it should be noted that the tomato itself was firm, juicy, sweet and simply delectable. Something anyone can enjoy.
Chef's Appetiser - The chef's appetiser tastes like vermicelli tossed in thai sweet and sour sauce and is yet another tasty treat that shouldn't be missed.
Pan Seared Foie Gras With Ume Sauce - This sinful item came pretty late as well and to be honest, it tasted pretty well done. The inside were left springy and melts in your mouth while the outer covering of ume (cranberry) sauce enriched its taste on the outside. However, it was oily, very very oily.
Creme Brulee - This creme brulee had the thin layer of sugar burnt just right and tasted good without being too eggy on the inside. I found the vanilla taste just right for this and find it easy to recommend.
Black Sesame Gelato - One taste and you'll find this strong. The sesame taste is present throughout without overwhelming. It was the right sweetness and creamy to the end.
Bill - The total bill for 2 only came up to $57.67 which was great value for a meal with such variety and above average quality.
In the end, i'm glad i tried this place. It serves tasty charcoal grilled Japanese food at bargain prices. I do have gripes about the service and order of food served though. The appetisers did not come first and i had to call at least 3 times before my rice and foie gras was served. It was as though they didn't want to make a loss or something. Still, considering food quality, it definitely is value for menu in this offer. Ala carte and normal prices though...and i probably won't recommend when prices are back to normal.
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There are different types of restaurants, those that started out small and humble, and then go on to become popular among the connoisseur, and eventually moving on to up-market, and also there are restaurants who started on a bang, but decided to go the other way round, New York New York, of course belongs to the latter.
New York New York (NYNY), started well, with the maiden restaurant at the ever-busy Citylink, which by far a good location, witnessing the everyday crowd moving from City hall to Marina Square, Suntec area.
My initial impression of New York New York was good, even though people told me that their food was average, but i still proceed on to my first visit there. But slowly and surely, NYNY started to venture into the heartlands, with new restaurants at Lot 1, Amk Hub, Heartland mall and downtown east.
Not that NYNY is a very classy restaurant in the first place, but i still find the overall feel to be above average. But it seems that the move into the heartlands is reaping dividends for NYNY, with most of the restaurants being filled up easily every day, especially so during the weekends where the whole family comes out to dine.
New York New York (NYNY), with its big white & green signage, and the trademark light green comfy furnitures, stands out from far. NYNY used the copy-and-paste method for their interior decor to good effects. The particular branch is at Lot 1, taking over the place of the former tenant, Pizza Hut.
By and large the location is a good place as its on the ground floor, and just beside the entrance near the taxi stand. This makes me wonder why Pizza Hut chose to vacant it in the first place.
Caribbean Breeze ($5.90)
Frozen pink guava and pineapple juice, which came across as rather sour to us.
Lime lemonade soda ($5.90)
Real traditional American lemonade, good and reliable.
Spaghetti Bolognese ($12.90)
The spaghetti bolognese with giant meatballs. The pasta is done “al dente” firm yet not too hard. The meatball was really gigantic, well i’m not really a meatball person but my brother seemed to enjoy this simple pasta.
Tagliatelle mushroom alfredo with crispy fish ($12.90)
Fish and creamy pasta instead of chips. The pasta was average, i preferred tomato to cream base, and the fish was average nothing spectacular.
Smoked salmon velvet ($9.90)
Smoked salmon, tuna mayo, marinated tomatoes, grilled vegetables and sauteed onions made up the Smoked salmon velvet. I felt vegetables in sandwich would be better off being fresh than grilled.
Tagliatelle aglio with fresh seafood ($12.90)
Simple and delicious. Extra virgin olive oil with lots of garlic and chili combined perfectly with mixed seafood. I never liked aglio because i found it too dry, and too spicy. But then again, its personal preference.
Juicy beef tenders ($13.90)
Under the cloud of the creamy mashed potatos, the beef chunks with gravy was too salty for our liking. We struggled to finish the dish.
Hawaiian pizza ($13.90)
The hawaiian pizza came in the thin form with the typical hawaiian toppings like pineapple and ham. 8 slices to share around the table. However, i lamented the fact that the pizza wasn’t cheesy enough.
Total bill was $103.81 for a table of 6, which worked out to an average of around $17 per person. Prices are still within the reasonable range for a mid-tier restaurant. The menu is comprehensive with lots of choices like salad, pasta, pizza, main course, and desserts. Food at NYNY is average at best, judging from the lines of people queuing up for a table at NYNY, I believe we will see more of NYNY opening in other heartland shopping centre.
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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It’s a shame that Dim sum isn’t getting the recognition as its Sushi counterparts. The Japanese sushi is also like what Dim sum is to the Chinese cuisine, just that it comes in the form of vinegared rice topped with ingredients like fish, various meats and vegetables.
With the entrée of more Spanish restaurants in the local dining scene, more people knows about tapas, and degustion has always been a firm word on the menu of the French restaurants here. How about dim sum? I think that most youngsters nowadays are not really into dim sum, since it’s often seen as a more traditional meal. Youngsters want to break out of the tradition, they want something hip and cool, and dim sum is not that. Which is cooler, saying you had dim sum, or tapas at the latest Spanish restaurant and a 6 course degustion dinner?
Dim sum is akin a piece of artwork crafted by the chef, so exquisite and refine. No offence to the Sushi-fanatic, but give me dim sum over sliced raw fish anytime.
Every hotel will have their own flagship restaurants in the different cuisines, and at Carlton hotel, Wah Lok is the Cantonese representative. Our latest dim sum adventure brings us here, together with hautestuff and ladies, we had a great time over our dim sum lunch.
Wah Lok is located on the second level within the Carlton hotel, the high ceiling of the restaurant makes the interior looks very spacious. The decor is typical of most Chinese restaurants, with a very comfy and homely feel. There are two different dining halls and can easily fill up on a normal day, which shows the popularity of the restaurant.
Char siew sou ($3.80 for 3)
The Baked BBQ pork pastry or more affectionately known as char siew sou, has always been one of the dim sum that i will order first. Wah lok’s version of the char siew sou did not disappoint, within the buttery surface of the pastry were juicy and sweet char siew fillings.
The rendition at Wah lok may not be as refine as the one i had at Yan Ting, nevertheless it’s still better than most char siew sou that i had before, and all of us were tempted to order second helpings.
Baked BBQ pork buns ($3 for 2)
We asked the captain for recommendations, and he promptly suggested that we have Wah Lok’s signature, char siew bao. We were rather surprised when the char siew bao came, as it’s not the normal steamed buns which has white pillowry exterior. Instead, the baked counterpart is browned and glazed, more like bo luo bao.
The juicy and sweet char siew was enveloped within the baked pastry. Although we just had the char siew sou which is a different variety made with puff pastry, the pork buns were gone in an instant.
Baked egg tarts ($3.20 for 3)
The petite baked egg tarts had smooth and eggy fillings within the puff pastry. The miniature size of the egg tart was the only problem as we only had one each.
Steamed prawn dumplings ($5.40)
The steamed prawn dumplings, or “Har Gao” at Wah Lok had fresh, succulent prawns contained by the thinly light skin. Solid and reliable prawn dumplings.
Steamed pork dumplings ($4.60)
The steamed pork dumplings or “siew mai” is another dim sum which i would not fail to order. The siew mai was well-balanced, not too porky.
Fried XO carrot cake ($10)
The fried xo carrot cake was off-the-menu, which we requested for instead of the steamed carrot cake. However this was a mistake as the carrot cake was bland and too soft for my liking. We couldn’t taste much of the supposedly “oomph” xo sauce. At $10, we would be better off ordering two other basket of dim sum.
Steamed chicken claw with chili ($3)
I am never a fan of chicken claw, but the three ladies certainly enjoyed it, munching the chicken feet and spiting out the small bones.
Deep fried beancurd ($5.6)
We wanted one more dim sum after our first round, and the waiter recommended this. The deep fried beancurd skin with prawns was excellent. Normally, the beancurd skin would be more than the prawn, but in this instance, the succulent prawn fillings threatened to overshadow the beancurd skin.
Fried mango ice cream ($6)
We ended off our dim sum lunch with a very non-chinese dessert. Fried ice cream was a craze a few years back, and i remember there’s even a store at the Tiong Bahru market which used to sell fried ice cream. But not anymore, where can you still find fried ice cream nowadays?
The crispy exterior had a strong hint of coconut taste, while the interior was icy cold ice cream, simply magic, how did they do that?
Total bill was $63.75 for 4 person, which worked out to be around $16 per person. We didn’t really ordered a lot, so the price might seem deceptive, nevertheless, the dim sum at Wah Lok is still priced reasonably given their quality. The portions are quite petite, but it will do for our ladies. I foresee i’ll be coming back to Wah Lok quite often in the near future to try out the rest of the dim sum.
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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I've always thought of Ikea as the place for furniture and home accesories but was pleasantly surprised one fine weekday when i was dragged along with the team for a meal there.
The IKEA foodcourt or restaurant is a novel concept where most of the process involves the customer choosing and creating their own menu as they go.
For example, collecting salads, cakes, coffee and sandwiches etc. But the place is known for its extremely big and juicy chicken wings and their meatballs with spagghetti which i managed to try a little of.
The meatballs were really something different with its strong taste of spices and considerably bigger then normal size. The spagheti costs about $8 and comes with 5 meatballs but trust me, its never enough. Something to look out for.
The coffee dispenser is free flow so take all you want with the cup you are "issued". But don't expect to be able to take away the drinks however.
Overall, an interesting experience at an interesting concept store.
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Swenson's is a property pretty much everyone would have heard about. Began since 1948 over in San Francisco, Swenson's has since grown to encompass the Middle East, Asia and USA. Their outlets can be found easily in shopping malls and other outlets alike. For a place that began as a humble ice cream shop, it now boasts a menu all its own. Has time been kind on this franchise though?
What i had that day:
Strawberry Sundae
Chicken Soup
Prawn And Fruit Salad
Chicken in a Jacket
Omelette With Salad and Fries
French Fries
Pesto Salmon Saute
Rodeo Wings
Clam Chowder
Ribeye Steak
Cookies and Cream Ice Cream with Chipsmore Cookie
Of all the items above, the ones i did try are the soup, which was pasty and starchy and also quite salty.
The prawn and fruit salad was pretty good albeit bland as it was only the taste of lettuce with prawns with little or no olive oil and vinegaritte. The good thing about it was that the prawns were crunchy.
The fries turned out to be the best item for this visit IMHO. Hot, slightly thick and not oily. It went well with the tartar sauce and chilli/tomato mixture as usual.
The rodeo wings came across as overfried and had too much flour thrown into the mix. The rodeo aka spicy chili sauce felt tagged on and not the authentic smoked rodeo wings it should be.
My main course was the ribeye steak which i ordered medium rare but came well done. There was also an abundance of the fatty layer which meant a huge part of the meat could not be consumed. The meat tasted tough and lacked any form of beefy taste which i would have expected.
The cookies and cream ice cream was another disappointment in it being close to tasteless. At least it was sweet though.
I'm quite disappointed frankly but at the very least, it did not deteriorate to the point of Jack's Place which i've completely sworn off. Also, i have to thank my 2 colleagues for giving me a treat for this as otherwise, i may not have had the chance to try it again. The way it stands now, its a safe bet to say that improvements are definitely needed but its still not beyond redemption.
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Its more or less a quest for reasonably priced good japanese food in Singapore that drives my urge to consistently try weird Japanese restaurants. This is no exception. Located in the ulu and often unknown Elias mall, this restaurant is part of a community center which made me believe it had to be a simple, no frills eating place. Lets see if thats true.
Simple wooden chairs, spaciously placed amidst tables in a single line. The interior is nothing to shout about. In fact, its extremely simple. There wasn't any background music either. In a very real sense, i'm saying that the place is boring with nothing to occupy you as you wait for your meal.
Bento set with Salmon Sashimi, Chawanmushi, Grilled Saba Fish and Chicken Katsu ($15.90) - My gf ordered this set because it came with the usual salmon sashimi which is one of her favorite items. For $15, this wasn't too bad to be honest. 4 pieces of salmon, 1 piece of grilled Saba fish, fried chicken and chawanmushi along with rice. Seems like a good deal to me. The salmon was moderately fresh and sweet but rather small. The katsu was pretty good since it was served hot and juicy. The saba fish had too many bones to be easily enjoyed while the chawanmushi (steamed egg) was rather chunky and lacked taste.
Bento Set with Assorted Tempura, vegetable soup, chawanmushi and teriyaki beef ($15.90) - My order was pretty decent as well, i liked the assorted tempura which came across as fragrant but oily. The beef was tender and sweet but portion size was small, the vegetable soup was a little too bland but the overall package wasn't too bad.
Total Bill came up to $34.98 including service charge. Its nice to note that the tea is free and refillable.
For a place hidden in the middle of nowhere and selling Japanese food, this was rather decent. Although its more towards foodcourt decent as opposed to boutique Japanese food decent, its still somewhere i could probably visit again. There's a sushi buffet offered here as well which is probably worth a try.
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Fisherios Fish N Chips is one of the many new-comers in the busy basement of Bugis Junction, which has seen the arrival of many food & beverage entrées after the demolition of the food court. Personally, i welcome this move and the management of Parco Bugis Junction is indeed moving in the right direction by providing a good mix of food.
I reckon it will take quite a while before conquering all the stores at the basement level, any takers want to volunteer to explore the area? Anyway, my friend and i decided on Fisherios because i saw it previously at Ngee Ann city basement, and also heard some rather positive comments online about it’s fish & chips.
The seating arrangement did remind me about the one at Bratwurst, simple furniture in a small enclosed area. The similarity between the food basement of Bugis Junction, Plaza Singapura, and Ngee Ann city is very apparent to all.
Fish fillet beer battered ($7.90)
For all the different type of fish, you can have it done in three different ways, breaded, grilled, and in our case, the beer battered method. Price varies of course, with beer battered being the more expensive option. Choose from fish, salmon or snapper fillet.
Service was prompted and quick, but my first reaction when the dish came, what’s with the wrapping paper? Was the wrapping paper there to absorb the oil, or was it there so as to make it some sort of “fast food” type (pun intended). In any case, if they wanted to absorb the oil from the fish & chips, I’ll preferred it to be done before serving, so that customers won’t actually see all the oil stains on the paper.
The difference between wrapping it in the paper, and laying it out nicely on the plate. The presentation of the fish was poles apart. I found the beer battered fish to be quite strong, au contraire my friend thought that the beer flavor was acceptable.
In conclusion, the fish wasn’t really worth the price tag of $7.90, and with the small servings of the fries, we could easily got better fish and chips elsewhere. But i guess if you want a quick meal and don’t really mind the quality of fish, it is decent enough, which reminds me of Fisherman’s Wharf
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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