The once popular water theme park at East Coast known as Big Splash has recently been redeveloped as Big Splash @ Playground and is home to a handful of dining outlets, one of which is Mingles La' Brassarie.
Occupying a premise which can roughly seat about 60 people (estimate), Mingles's interior is simple and clean, tending towards a more casual setting. I personally found the cute half egg shell seats (or whatever you call them) rather appealing, especially for after dinner drinks or dessert.
Cheese Fries - A side order at $5.90, the portions were somewhat pathetic if you ask me. What was interesting about the fries was that the cheese had BBQ sauce in it, which made the whole concoction cheesy and BBQish at the same time - a nausea inducing combination for me. It didn't help that the fries weren't exactly very fantastic, coming in as average.
Bangers & Mash - You get to choose your sausages with this order so we had the Swiss Cheese Pork Sausage and Black Pepper Chicken Sausage. I thought that the black pepper sausage was quite good, bursting with flavour with sufficient amount of bite in every mouth. The cheese pork sausage, though not lousy, was a tad disappointing as the taste of the cheese threatened to overwhelm the sausage taste.
Mingles Ribeye Steak - Weighing in at just over 250g, the ribeye was done up medium rare according to specifications and boasted a saliva inducing lightly charred exterior. However the meat was a little disappointing, a tad lacking in firmness and chewiness. The red wine sauce it was topped with had no inkling of red wine and instead tasted like berry sauce - sweet and fruity. The same sauce overwhelmed the raw taste of the beef at times, which shouldn't be the case really.
Baked Alaska - The Baked Alaska is essentially ice cream and sponge cake encased within a thick layer of meringue which is then briefly placed in an extremely hot oven to firm the meringue. Mingles's rendition opted to omit the sponge cake which was a mistake in my humble opinion. It tasted exactly like ice cream with whipped cream on top! Give me Borshch's version anytime!
Dinner for 2 cost about $62 after a 10% credit card discount. I wouldn't call it expensive but it certainly isn't cheap for the average quality of food. Service is excellent though and thats a definite plus.
If you're searching for a meal that can really really make you full but not burning a hole in your pocket, you can try Just Acia. Located at Dhoby Xchange (Dhoby Ghaut MRT), it's so easy to spot it. They occupy 3 different areas if I'm not wrong.
Anyway. Meal is priced for about $10 something. And along with that meal they give you free flow of drink AND free flow of ice cream. Sounds too good to be true? I swear I'm not lying.
They serve mainly Asian dishes. I ordered spicy chicken meal while my boyfriend ordered chicken teriyaki meal. They serve many other dishes such as tom yum, typical fried noodles/rice, and delicious side dishes too such as dumplings and tofus.
The serving is kinda big, too. Last time I ate here I remember I couldn't finish my spicy chicken. But I took loads loads of ice cream though =P
The reason why I gave 4 instead of 5 is the uncomfortable seats. Please, soft cushion is NOT for eating, ok. It's for chilling or relaxing. I became so low from the table and must put effort to get my meal on the table. LoL.
All in all, recommended. Especially for stingy gluttons. =P
If you mention the word mint, I'll probably think of peppermint or Singapore Mint. No no... it's neither the two. This "mint" place which I went today is the meseum of toys!
So what does mint mean in this case?
It actually stands for 'memories of imaginative & nolstalgic toys' (if I didn't remember wrongly!) The place consists of 5 floors plus a cafe at the basement. The exhibits (toys) were spread over the 4 levels, with each level having a different theme. Some of the toys which we managed to catch a glimpse of include tin tin, felix the cat, popeye, mickey mouse, betty boop, a collection of snow white & the seven dwarfs. Haha... it's such an interesting place! Many of these toys I've not even seen them before when I was young.
The toys in the meseum will be rotated every few months, so you don't have to worry about having to see the same collection of toy everytime you go. Yes, you'll be amazed by the wide collection of toys the owner has.
Another interesting point about this toy meseum is that the lightings on the display shelves were done in such a way that they will not cast any shadow of the toy. So it definitely helps when it comes to phototaking. No matter which angle you take from, the picture will look good. But one important thing to note when photographing here is that no flash is allowed. This is to prevent the flashlight from degrading the colour of the precious toys.
We were brought around by a tour guide, who had patiently explained the history of some of the toys to us. Yes, I think without him, we would not have learnt so much about toys if we just walk around on our own. So do get a tour guide if you intend to visit the meseum.
The admission ticket costs $10 for adult and $5 for children (aged 2 - 12 years old). But note that this excludes the tour guide fee.
Hmm... we have not really tried out the cafe. Shall try it next time & review it!
At OChaCha, they specialise in matcha, the premium green tea served in traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony. O-Cha means green tea in Japanese and Cha is tea in Chinese, as tea orginates from the chinese. Hence OChaCha is the coming together of different cultures & they hope that there will be many coming together of friends over cups of matcha latte.
OChaCha quest for good tea brought them all over the world, they found that while tea is very much part of our eastern culture, it is not considered cool or hip. Yet tea is part of our heritage - tea was first discovered by the Chinese emperor Shen Nong in the year 2700 B.C! What’s more, the health benefits of C-Cha are simply amazing. OChaCha is determined to make it fun and cool to drink O-Cha!
So OChaCha is all about marrying tradition and modern technology; of great tastes & healthy drinks; of simply being different. So be cool, be hip, be discerning, be kind to your body. Be one of the Matcha Latte People!
The new basement of Raffles City saw many additional of tenants to the place, one of which is OChaCha. My buddy & I were wandering around when we saw OChaCha, it was rather empty, but being kaypoh people, we ventured into the cafe and did not regret ever since.
A chat with the friendly female boss Miss Lee Yin Siau (or rather she call herself everybody’s boss) we find out that OChaCha just opened for business at Raffles City for two weeks only, thus the emptiness of the place.
After we got seated a while, customers start to come in, i guess its only human nature, people are afraid to go into a place that has no one, but starts to rush into the place when there is crowd.
My buddy made his orders while i did not have anything partly because i was full from my lunch at Tuckshop, and partly I must admit green tea does not appeals to me. Miss Lee chatted with us and explained her concept for OChaCha, which impressed me, and i decided to support her by ordering food to try out.
There are many types of different matcha, from the Matcha Latte Hot, to Matcha On the rock which is chilled latted as well as the ice-blended Matcha Freezzie. There is also two chocolate drinks for anti-matcha people. To go with these great drinks, there are also savoury sandwiches, quiches & pies, matcha slices, matcha cakes and many more.
OChaCha Mond ($5.35) This is the main character of the show. OChaCha matcha latte almond, there isn’t a very strong green tea taste, but the fragrance of the matcha is evident in the smell of it. I don’t really fancy drinking green tea, but after drinking it, i feel that its rather good, not like the usual green tea. Well, OChaCha is great news for non-green tea lovers like me.
Furitake Salmon Sandwich ($5.90) Furitake gives an added crunch to the taste. The Furitake Salmon Sandwich comes with fresh garden salad topped with Japanese citrus dressing & nori-flavoured chips. I like the bread, it was suprisingly soft when we make the bite into it. Even without any ingredient, i think the bread can be eaten on its own. Nevertheless, this makes a good meal for the Salmon lovers out there.
Sakura Egg Sandwich ($4.80) I like this one! Sakura denbu perks up the dish. Similarly as of the other sandwich, there is salad greens and chips as sides. The Sakura Egg Sandwich may look ordinary, but eaten together, it is very yummy. Who says ordinary dish can’t be extraordinary in taste?
For sandwiches, there are only three different types of sandwiches, with the other being wasabi tuna sandwich. When asked why isn’t there more variety, Miss Lee simply replied, “we do what we are best at, Matcha! ” That certainly make a impression on me, the direction of OChaCha is not just to make money, they want to bring good tea to the public.
Spong Cotton ($2.90) This is on the house, courtesy of Miss Lee. However, being a free item should not affect the judgement of the food, the green tea spongcake was extremely soft, there is a layer of cream within the centre of the cake. I can’t have enough of the cake! A trip back to try the other cakes look to be high on the priority list.
Total Bill comes up to $15.05 (excluding the $2.90 for the spong cake). There is no GST or service charge, and the warm welcome by Miss Lee and her staff do shows that there is hope for the falling-standards of the service industry in Singapore.
Initially, i was skeptical about the place because I’m not a fan of green tea. Despite that, OChaCha won me over, and I must say my perception of green tea has been changed greatly. The next time in a cafe, rather than a cup of coffee or soft drink, drink OChaCha Matcha instead!
Both of us sat inside the cafe for roughly two hours, sipping matcha latte and savouring the sandwiches, OChaCha is a great place to hang out and chill with your friends. The next time you go to Raffles City, rather than the coffee cafes, give OChaCha a try!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
” The Green Tea of Starbucks “
Second Visit 8th May
A friend and I went down to O Cha Cha last week after i got my DSLR, we went to discuss the menu with Ochacha’s boss Miss Lee Yin Siau.
From left anticlockwise, is Mr.Ochacha Mondo, on its right is our friend Miss Matcha Panna Cotta, and followed by Ochacha Rocks, and the top is Gyokuro.
Gyokuro uses the same tea leave made into Matcha, just that the whole tea leave is being use for Gyokuro which is evident inside the tea.
Say hello to Ochacha Rocks! He rocks all righty! There’s also Matcha Azuki at the left background of the picture!
And Miss Matcha Panna Cotta!
Please click here to see the pictures for my second visit
Third Visit 13th May ladyironchef’s Food Event Outing at Ochacha!
A total of 20 people graced the event, with bloggers, readers of LIC’s blog, and their friends joining us for the green tea appreciation at Ochacha.
There was supposed to be more, about 15 more, but they all last minute had something on, anyway 20’s a big number, considering it’s LIC first time organising an event.
Dinner was supposed to start at 730pm, but you know Singaporeans tend to come late, so we actually started the ball rolling at 8pm.
Ochacha’s boss Miss lee arranged her cafe and gave us half the space, so thankful for that.
The menu is as follow :
Drinks: Matcha Rocks, Azuki Freezie, Ochacha Rocks, Ochacha latte or ochacha silk (3 cold and choice of 1 warm)
Desserts: Matcha Cotton, Matcha Azuki, Financier, Matcha Panna Cotta
Its $17.50 per person to try the wide range of items in this menu. For all the food i’ll be putting the normal price beside it.
And apparently our ladies like green tea more than guys, hence the bigger differential in the numbers.
Complimentary chips
The chips were on the house, for our hungry guests before everyone turned up
Salad The salad was also not included in our original menu. Miss lee thought that it will be better if there are some greens to go along with.
From left to right: Matcha Rocks, Ochacha Rocks, Azuki Freezie
Matcha Rocks ($4.95)
Chilled Matcha with sugar (no milk). I think most people preferred the Matcha Rocks one to Ochacha rocks which has milk
Ochacha Rocks ($4.95)
Chilled Matcha Latte. The Ochacha rocks is the middle one, coming with milk, its a lighter shade of green than the Matcha Rocks
Azuki Freezie ($6.50)
Ice blended matcha with azuki (Jap red beans). I believe the Azuki Freezie won quite a number of fan tonight, it stood out with the matcha taste on ice blend.
Please be reminded that what you are seeing are shooters, not the actual size of the drinks. The prices indicated are for the normal size.
Shiitake Mushroom soup I think quite a number of people found the shiitake mushroom soup to be a tad too salty for their tastebuds.
Tomato soup The tomato soup is more on the sweet and soup side. It really depends whether you are a fan of tomato and soup or not. I’m not a soup person though.
Sakura Egg Sandwich ($4.80) The sakura egg sandwich is still my favourite among the three sandwiches at Ochacha. See here for the picture of the normal size sandwich on my last visit.
Wasabi Tuna Sandwich ($5,90) Wasabi (spicy!!) tuna mayo fills up the delicious bread. This is my first time trying this, on the previous visit i had only the egg and the salmon ones.
For the wasabi tuna sandwich, i like tuna, but i don’t like wasabi.
Furikake Salmon Sandwich ($5.90) Smoked salmon with Japanese seaweed. I had the Furikake Salmon sandwich on my previous visit too.
The Japanese seaweed added the salty aspect to flavor the salmon, but i found it to be a tad on the salty side.
Matcha Financier ($2.90) French cake named after its shape like gold bar. The Matcha Financier did not disappoint, but then again i could be bias as i’m totally a dessert person.
Matcha Azuki ($4.90) Layered matcha cake with azuki beans & cream. The Matcha Azuki totally rock my world, the usage of azuki red beans gave the matcha cake a sweet twist.
I had this on my second visit too!
Matcha Cotton ($2.90) Fluffy Japanese souffle cake with fresh cream in the center. The extremly soft sponge matcha cake simply melts in the mouth!
Matcha Panna Cotta ($4.90) Italian creamy dessert with matcha flavor. This dessert had mixed reviews, some didn’t like it and found it to be too soft for a panna cotta, while others adored it and find the soft texture, coupled with the matcha flavor a delight to have.
Again this shows that taste is subjective, what some might like, others might not like.
Ochacha Latte ($4.80) or Ochacha Silk ($4.80) Hot matcha latte & soy milk with matcha. We had the choice of either one for our warm green tea.
Total Bill was $350 for 20 people ($17.50 fixed price for each person). For $17.50, i think its definitely a very good price as we got to try out a whole wide range of green tea, sandwiches and desserts.
Please click here to see ALL the pictures taken during LIC food outing on the third visit
See you all at the next LIC food outing, it’ll be soon : )
Me luvs Daiso! Everything for $2.. No frills, no complicated T&Cs... Simply, everything for $2.
You can find many many many things here. I like buying some houseware stuff like laundry bag, hangers, and also some storage like plastic box and things. They also have tasty japanese snacks and cooking spices. And I also like their collection of kitchenwares. I buy virtually all my kitchenware from Daiso. Quality is so-so, since it's only $2.. But also because it's only $2 you can just buy and buy it again lolz.
I think what I don't like from this branch is its cramped space. Sometimes I'm very scared to knock down some stuff especially when I'm walking with my huge bag.
Well overall I still love this shop since I can find virtually anything for only $2~
Chapter 2 is very conveniently located in Bugis Area. Furthermore, it gives discount for SMU students. Just 2 reasons are enough to make me go there (well, besides that my fringe needs emergency cutting).
I left with a prettily cut fringe and nicely layered hair.
But actually I wasn't really impressed with the service. The hairstylist was nice (and I told you I left with good haircut/fringecut), but I don't think the others were.
First off, I phoned to book a slot. They said they have a slot available 1.5 hour from the time I phoned and other slots are unavailable, so I settled some stuff and went there immediately with my boyfriend.
When we arrived, surprise! It was actually pretty empty. If I remember correctly, there was only 2 or 3 people being served. Generally, it was empty.So I said I was going to cut my hair and fringe and that I already phoned. So they "uh-huh"ed and they gave me a seat and I was LEFT. I was just left for like 15 minutes or so before they finally called me up to wash my hair.
The person who washed my hair tried to strike a conversation ; or rather to make a sale. She said my hair is very oily (of course lah, I haven't washed my hair) and should get some treatment blah blah blah. I refused politely.
I finished washing my hair and they tied my hair up in a towel....
And I was left again.
I really can't understand why I was being left. I mean, it's not like the salon is very busy. It was empty, not like how it claimed. Lucky my boyfriend was there to accompany me.. He was initially interested to do some treatment while I cut my hair, but cancelled after seeing me being abandoned with wet hair. FYI, even after the hair cut, the back part of my blouse was wet, the result of my wet hair not being dried until I waited for more 15 or 20 minutes.
They finally came to me and dried my hair. And they finally moved me from a seat that was placed directly under the air-con (so imagine, having a wet wet hair under an air-con).
The person dried my hair (I was screaming "Finally" in my heart) and made some remarks about my hair again. She said my hair was dry and in need of treatment. Like duh. Another person just said my hair was oily. WTH. What a bad hair I have.
I was left again (this time, at least, on shorter interval), and finally a hairstylist came. She asked what kind of hairstyle I want, I just said "Cut my fringe to be presentable and layer a bit my lower part".
Cut cut cut, and done.
I left with a prettily cut fringe and nicely layered hair AND a wet blouse.
I am quite picky for food. Cheap crappy food disgusts me. I'm always willing to pay more for better food. We need good food to survive, don't we?
But this restaurant just blew me out.
Their prices are super low. As in low, low. Usually I expect to pay about $10 for good food (which is not abundant in the vicinity of my school. sigh), but this restaurant...
For a main course, you will only expect to pay on average of $4. FOUR DOLLARS. 0_0 you saw that right. FOUR DOLLARS. Their serving is quite big too! Just perfect for a "big meal". Pssst.. If you're nice to the people who serve you, I'm pretty certain that they will give you some extra. ;) my boyfriend, who was a regular in this restaurant, claimed that he often got 10%-20% discount and sometimes free tidbits and drinks.
The food is tasty. It's as tasty as higher priced food. Which is quite surprising and extraordinary. They mainly sell usual Asian dishes such as Hokkien Mee, Mee Goreng, Fried Rice (my boyfriend claimed they have the best fried rice in Singapore - it's very close to Indonesia's fried rice - which is super tasty I tell you), Prawn Noodle, and (well...) spaghetti bolognaise, and many others.
To top it off, they also have desserts. I and my boyfriend ordered the sundaes, which were going for only $2 each. 0_0 well it wasn't as tasty as Ben n Jerry's (for example), of course. But to have a nice dessert after a sumptuous meal for only $2... It's a delight.
It's kinda hidden in Fortune Centre (Bugis Area). I highly recommend you to drop by sometime. Just go around the first floor and you'll be able to find it.
I should go here more often. Bored of school's food.. Sigh..
Sweet Indulgence, the petite cafe at Stanley Street is as charming as its name. From the decorations, to the food, to the service, everything just made you feels at home. Your cosy corner, in the hearts of the city. My female companion and i arrive at the place at 530pm, but the restaurant was not opened yet as their kitchen starts at 6. However the staff warmly welcome us in to the place. Being early-birds, we were the only diners there, and we enjoyed every moment there. The feeling was though we had booked the restaurant, and had the whole place to ourselves.
Stepping into the restaurant, I felt as if I had transported into another world all together. The bar counter, the simple yet comfortable furnitures under the dim spot-light made us feel totally at ease. The staff was very friendly, and he told us to make ourselves at home. So we heed his words, and literally make it our home.
Pretty is the word to describe the place, cozy is the word to describe the feeling, and indulgencing in the sweetness basically sums up everything else. We took photos, every shot and angles of the whole restaurant. While being overly engrossed in taking pictures, we even forgot to take our orders until we saw the chef sitting behind us.
The menu ranges from appetizer, salad, tapas, to the main course like pasta, fish & seafood, meats, to desserts and wine. Although under each category there might not have a wide range of selections, but for what it lack in variety, it made up for it in the pure quality and the presentation of the food.
And just for your information, the restaurant starts its lunch menu from 1145 to 230pm, dinner is served from 6 to 10pm. Indulge in a sumptuous three course set lunch at an additional $6.80 on top of the main course’s price.
As we were in quite a rush for time, we didn’t have any appetizer or tapas to start the delightful meal, so we proceed on and begin with our main course. A peek into the menu, we immediately know what we wanted. As my female companion is a fan of spaghetti & also a lover of fish, the spaghetti salmon & mushroom seems to be tailor-made for her. To complete the fish-lover experience, i had the pan-sauteèd salmon steak.
The spaghetti selections come in the price range of $13.90 to $17.90, while the main course starts from $14.90 to $23.90 for its beef tenderloin.
Spaghetti Salmon & Mushroom ($15.90) Spaghetti tossed with fresh salmon, mushrooms & seasonal vegetables in cream sauce. Being the fan of cream base rather than tomato base, the Spaghetti Salmon & Mushroom suits the tastebud of my companion perfectly. The sauce isn’t very strong, therefore it doesn’t overwhelm the overall taste of the dish. Coupled with the generous helping of fresh salmon & mushroom, every slurp of the pasta seems to exist for your savour of it.
Pan-sauteèd Salmon Steak ($19.90)Pan-grilled salmon accompany with daily vegetables, serve with vanilla infused cream sauce, finished with balsamic reduction & caramelised cherry tomatoes. First taste into the Pan-sauteèd Salmon steak tell me this is something special, the second bite confirms the truth. The salmon is pan-grilled perfectly, where pan-grilled salmon in the hands of less-skillful chef will becomes hard and dry, this is definitely not the case at Sweet Indulgence.
The grilled skin did not prevent me for tasting the soft and freshness of the juicy salmon. Some pepper and salt are sprinkled to add additional flavouring to the salmon, not that it is necessary, the salmon is so good that it can be eaten on its own.
The daily vegetables of broccoli and carrot helps to balance the meal, and the mashed potato together with the vanilla infused cream sauce certainly taste specially good. The only thing that i have to add will be the serving could be better, but i guess good food comes in appropriate serving, too much of a good thing spoils the taste.
Warm Choco Lava Indulgence ($8.90) To end off our delightful meal, there is no doubt desserts are a must at such a sweet place like Sweet Indulgence. Warm chocolate cake filled with melted dark chocolate, served with tropical fruits and a scoop of ice cream.
Warm Choco Lava Indulgence’s filling very much satisfied the chocoholic in me. As our spoon cuts into the chocolate cake, the melted dark chocolate ooshed out and filled our spoon. Eaten separately, the warm dark chocolate taste like dark chocolate, and the ice cream like any other ordinary ice cream, but combine both together, the result is totally different. The warm dark chocolate seems to fuse perfectly with the cold vanilla ice cream, and the effect is a yummy sensation.
Tiramisu ($7.90) Dessert couldn’t have been more satisfying than in the form of the popular Tiramisu. Original Italian tiramisu made with mascarpone cheese and Italian sponge fingers soaked in espresso and lots of kahlua, rum & brandy.
In my personal opinion, this ought to be one of my favourite Tiramisu. The first moment the tiramisu goes inside my mouth, I fell in love with it. Touching the tip of my tongue, the super soft texture of the cake immediately melt and touch my heart. Beautiful is the word, heavenly is the feeling, and falling in love with it concludes the tiramisu. I’ll be back for this one, watch out for it yeah!
Total bill for 2 main 2 desserts for 2 person comes up to $52.60 which is definitely not expensive, given the quality and presentation of the food, the excellent service, the comfy environment, which makes our dinner perfect. Also please be reminded that the restaurant is currently opened during weekdays only, there are plans to open on Sat in the near future.
After we finish our dinner, the boss of the restaurant, Christopher came and we had a friendly conservation, and the restaurant even gave us two complimentary orange juice on the house. The orange juice are some of the ones that they are looking to bring in from new suppliers and are not on the menu as yet.
If you visit the place and may not agree with me that the place is that good even its a small restaurant, hidden in the heart of the city. But the fact is I enjoyed the place very much indeed, and that is enough. We received dining vouchers in the form of $15 discount for every $60 spend in the dinner menu for our next visit. I will definitely be back for more. memorable dining experience - Sweet 2 Indulge
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
Looking for a place to get sports apparels, with better bargains than you can get from sole distributors? Here's the place! (But don't have too high hopes though.)
Personally, I would go all the way to the West (i'm at the east) to buy my sports shoes because there's a variety of designs to select from. Even the older designs can be found there too. Also, it is normally slightly cheaper than at the Nike/ Adidas retail stores for the new designs, and about 15% (or more) cheaper for the older designs! Apart from shoes, of course you can get your sportswear, socks, bottles and bags too. Yes, slightly cheaper for some! I was just there today and I got 15% off a bag that was released only recently!
Other than that, they've got food stalls strategically situated at random places in the mall, convenient for "busy-shoppers". There are also several shops that sells casual wear, instead of just sports wear.
Nonetheless, I find it pretty hard to find your way about. The shops are not very organized and it's normally hard to remember where you've been unless you remember the shop name. Also, some of the shops seem to be under the same owner, so prices are pretty standard there. However with the high traffic flow, service is pretty poor there I must say.
Parking's a problem and it's extremely expensive. On a regular Saturday, 2.5 hours in the afternoon could cost you $5.10. You'd understand why I'd say it's expensive when you see the condition of the carpark.
Minus the carpark problem, it's a place worth going to look for your sports apparels, and at a good deal! (;
Was deciding on a place to eat along Orchard road one weekday evening and the only place that didn't seem to be spilling with people was Crystal Jade Golden Palace (CJGP). From what I know, CJGP hovers around the top tier of the Crystal Jade chain, which includes Crystal Jade Xiao Long Bao, Crystal Jade Kitchen etc.
Located on the 5th floor of the high end The Paragon shopping mall, CJGP appeals with its sombre yet elegant entrance walkway and posh/classy interior complete with ambient lighting. Padded walls and carpets, thick cushioned chairs all give the impression of comfort at its finesse.
Shark's Fin in Coconut - This dish is out of the menu so please pardon my literal translation from Chinese to English. Served up in a coconut husk, the fins were of decent quality and in abundance together with stuff like prawns and fish maw in a nice and light broth which hinted of coconut towards the bottom.
Crystal Jade Suckling Pig - A rather impressive dish I must say, with the skin crackling crispy and the meat harbouring a light smoky taste. I liked the strings of jellyfish that came with it as well, springy with lots of bite. Not the least bit worth the price($23) though, with only a few slices of skin and meat.
Sauteed Scallop with Broccoli - Yet another dish of small proportions. Cooked just right, the broccoli was crunchy and tasty with the scallops slightly firm and not overwhelming.
Golden Palace Signature Fried Rice - I naturally had a certain level of expectation as this came billed as one of the restaurant's signature dish. Regrettably, it wasn't quite what I was looking for, coming across as decent but not outstanding. Probably the only highlight to it was the presence of salted egg yolk which gave the rice a slightly rough texture.
Mashed Taro with Gingko Nuts - The mashed taro aka Orh Nee, was smooth and light without being too moist or dry. However portions are really miserable and I can easily eat 2 bowls of equally satisfying Orh Nee for the same price.
Dinner for 2 didn't come cheap at about $128, especially with the small portions. However I can't deny that the quality of food is there and service is more than adequate. I guess that does provide some justification for the high prices. What do you think?
1=SGD 0.0587
The once popular water theme park at East Coast known as Big Splash has recently been redeveloped as Big Splash @ Playground and is home to a handful of dining outlets, one of which is Mingles La' Brassarie.
Occupying a premise which can roughly seat about 60 people (estimate), Mingles's interior is simple and clean, tending towards a more casual setting. I personally found the cute half egg shell seats (or whatever you call them) rather appealing, especially for after dinner drinks or dessert.
Cheese Fries - A side order at $5.90, the portions were somewhat pathetic if you ask me. What was interesting about the fries was that the cheese had BBQ sauce in it, which made the whole concoction cheesy and BBQish at the same time - a nausea inducing combination for me. It didn't help that the fries weren't exactly very fantastic, coming in as average.
Bangers & Mash - You get to choose your sausages with this order so we had the Swiss Cheese Pork Sausage and Black Pepper Chicken Sausage. I thought that the black pepper sausage was quite good, bursting with flavour with sufficient amount of bite in every mouth. The cheese pork sausage, though not lousy, was a tad disappointing as the taste of the cheese threatened to overwhelm the sausage taste.
Mingles Ribeye Steak - Weighing in at just over 250g, the ribeye was done up medium rare according to specifications and boasted a saliva inducing lightly charred exterior. However the meat was a little disappointing, a tad lacking in firmness and chewiness. The red wine sauce it was topped with had no inkling of red wine and instead tasted like berry sauce - sweet and fruity. The same sauce overwhelmed the raw taste of the beef at times, which shouldn't be the case really.
Baked Alaska - The Baked Alaska is essentially ice cream and sponge cake encased within a thick layer of meringue which is then briefly placed in an extremely hot oven to firm the meringue. Mingles's rendition opted to omit the sponge cake which was a mistake in my humble opinion. It tasted exactly like ice cream with whipped cream on top! Give me Borshch's version anytime!
Dinner for 2 cost about $62 after a 10% credit card discount. I wouldn't call it expensive but it certainly isn't cheap for the average quality of food. Service is excellent though and thats a definite plus.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
If you're searching for a meal that can really really make you full but not burning a hole in your pocket, you can try Just Acia. Located at Dhoby Xchange (Dhoby Ghaut MRT), it's so easy to spot it. They occupy 3 different areas if I'm not wrong.
Anyway. Meal is priced for about $10 something. And along with that meal they give you free flow of drink AND free flow of ice cream. Sounds too good to be true? I swear I'm not lying.
They serve mainly Asian dishes. I ordered spicy chicken meal while my boyfriend ordered chicken teriyaki meal. They serve many other dishes such as tom yum, typical fried noodles/rice, and delicious side dishes too such as dumplings and tofus.
The serving is kinda big, too. Last time I ate here I remember I couldn't finish my spicy chicken. But I took loads loads of ice cream though =P
The reason why I gave 4 instead of 5 is the uncomfortable seats. Please, soft cushion is NOT for eating, ok. It's for chilling or relaxing. I became so low from the table and must put effort to get my meal on the table. LoL.
All in all, recommended. Especially for stingy gluttons. =P
Rating given:
If you mention the word mint, I'll probably think of peppermint or Singapore Mint. No no... it's neither the two. This "mint" place which I went today is the meseum of toys!
So what does mint mean in this case?
It actually stands for 'memories of imaginative & nolstalgic toys' (if I didn't remember wrongly!) The place consists of 5 floors plus a cafe at the basement. The exhibits (toys) were spread over the 4 levels, with each level having a different theme. Some of the toys which we managed to catch a glimpse of include tin tin, felix the cat, popeye, mickey mouse, betty boop, a collection of snow white & the seven dwarfs. Haha... it's such an interesting place! Many of these toys I've not even seen them before when I was young.
The toys in the meseum will be rotated every few months, so you don't have to worry about having to see the same collection of toy everytime you go. Yes, you'll be amazed by the wide collection of toys the owner has.
Another interesting point about this toy meseum is that the lightings on the display shelves were done in such a way that they will not cast any shadow of the toy. So it definitely helps when it comes to phototaking. No matter which angle you take from, the picture will look good. But one important thing to note when photographing here is that no flash is allowed. This is to prevent the flashlight from degrading the colour of the precious toys.
We were brought around by a tour guide, who had patiently explained the history of some of the toys to us. Yes, I think without him, we would not have learnt so much about toys if we just walk around on our own. So do get a tour guide if you intend to visit the meseum.
The admission ticket costs $10 for adult and $5 for children (aged 2 - 12 years old). But note that this excludes the tour guide fee.
Hmm... we have not really tried out the cafe. Shall try it next time & review it!
Rating given:
First Visit 25th Feb
OChaCha, the matcha latte people
At OChaCha, they specialise in matcha, the premium green tea served in traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony. O-Cha means green tea in Japanese and Cha is tea in Chinese, as tea orginates from the chinese. Hence OChaCha is the coming together of different cultures & they hope that there will be many coming together of friends over cups of matcha latte.
OChaCha quest for good tea brought them all over the world, they found that while tea is very much part of our eastern culture, it is not considered cool or hip. Yet tea is part of our heritage - tea was first discovered by the Chinese emperor Shen Nong in the year 2700 B.C! What’s more, the health benefits of C-Cha are simply amazing. OChaCha is determined to make it fun and cool to drink O-Cha!
So OChaCha is all about marrying tradition and modern technology; of great tastes & healthy drinks; of simply being different. So be cool, be hip, be discerning, be kind to your body. Be one of the Matcha Latte People!
The new basement of Raffles City saw many additional of tenants to the place, one of which is OChaCha. My buddy & I were wandering around when we saw OChaCha, it was rather empty, but being kaypoh people, we ventured into the cafe and did not regret ever since.
A chat with the friendly female boss Miss Lee Yin Siau (or rather she call herself everybody’s boss) we find out that OChaCha just opened for business at Raffles City for two weeks only, thus the emptiness of the place.
After we got seated a while, customers start to come in, i guess its only human nature, people are afraid to go into a place that has no one, but starts to rush into the place when there is crowd.
My buddy made his orders while i did not have anything partly because i was full from my lunch at Tuckshop, and partly I must admit green tea does not appeals to me. Miss Lee chatted with us and explained her concept for OChaCha, which impressed me, and i decided to support her by ordering food to try out.
There are many types of different matcha, from the Matcha Latte Hot, to Matcha On the rock which is chilled latted as well as the ice-blended Matcha Freezzie. There is also two chocolate drinks for anti-matcha people. To go with these great drinks, there are also savoury sandwiches, quiches & pies, matcha slices, matcha cakes and many more.
OChaCha Mond ($5.35)
This is the main character of the show. OChaCha matcha latte almond, there isn’t a very strong green tea taste, but the fragrance of the matcha is evident in the smell of it. I don’t really fancy drinking green tea, but after drinking it, i feel that its rather good, not like the usual green tea. Well, OChaCha is great news for non-green tea lovers like me.
Furitake Salmon Sandwich ($5.90)
Furitake gives an added crunch to the taste. The Furitake Salmon Sandwich comes with fresh garden salad topped with Japanese citrus dressing & nori-flavoured chips. I like the bread, it was suprisingly soft when we make the bite into it. Even without any ingredient, i think the bread can be eaten on its own. Nevertheless, this makes a good meal for the Salmon lovers out there.
Sakura Egg Sandwich ($4.80)
I like this one! Sakura denbu perks up the dish. Similarly as of the other sandwich, there is salad greens and chips as sides. The Sakura Egg Sandwich may look ordinary, but eaten together, it is very yummy. Who says ordinary dish can’t be extraordinary in taste?
For sandwiches, there are only three different types of sandwiches, with the other being wasabi tuna sandwich. When asked why isn’t there more variety, Miss Lee simply replied, “we do what we are best at, Matcha! ” That certainly make a impression on me, the direction of OChaCha is not just to make money, they want to bring good tea to the public.
Spong Cotton ($2.90)
This is on the house, courtesy of Miss Lee. However, being a free item should not affect the judgement of the food, the green tea spongcake was extremely soft, there is a layer of cream within the centre of the cake. I can’t have enough of the cake! A trip back to try the other cakes look to be high on the priority list.
Total Bill comes up to $15.05 (excluding the $2.90 for the spong cake). There is no GST or service charge, and the warm welcome by Miss Lee and her staff do shows that there is hope for the falling-standards of the service industry in Singapore.
Initially, i was skeptical about the place because I’m not a fan of green tea. Despite that, OChaCha won me over, and I must say my perception of green tea has been changed greatly. The next time in a cafe, rather than a cup of coffee or soft drink, drink OChaCha Matcha instead!
Both of us sat inside the cafe for roughly two hours, sipping matcha latte and savouring the sandwiches, OChaCha is a great place to hang out and chill with your friends. The next time you go to Raffles City, rather than the coffee cafes, give OChaCha a try!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
” The Green Tea of Starbucks “
Second Visit 8th May
A friend and I went down to O Cha Cha last week after i got my DSLR, we went to discuss the menu with Ochacha’s boss Miss Lee Yin Siau.
From left anticlockwise, is Mr.Ochacha Mondo, on its right is our friend Miss Matcha Panna Cotta, and followed by Ochacha Rocks, and the top is Gyokuro.
Gyokuro uses the same tea leave made into Matcha, just that the whole tea leave is being use for Gyokuro which is evident inside the tea.
Say hello to Ochacha Rocks! He rocks all righty! There’s also Matcha Azuki at the left background of the picture!
And Miss Matcha Panna Cotta!
Please click here to see the pictures for my second visit
Third Visit 13th May
ladyironchef’s Food Event Outing at Ochacha!
A total of 20 people graced the event, with bloggers, readers of LIC’s blog, and their friends joining us for the green tea appreciation at Ochacha.
There was supposed to be more, about 15 more, but they all last minute had something on, anyway 20’s a big number, considering it’s LIC first time organising an event.
Dinner was supposed to start at 730pm, but you know Singaporeans tend to come late, so we actually started the ball rolling at 8pm.
Ochacha’s boss Miss lee arranged her cafe and gave us half the space, so thankful for that.
The menu is as follow :
Drinks: Matcha Rocks, Azuki Freezie, Ochacha Rocks, Ochacha latte or ochacha silk (3 cold and choice of 1 warm)
Soup: Shiitake Mushroom or tomato soup
Sandwiches: Sakura Egg, Wasabi Tuna, Furikake Salmon
Desserts: Matcha Cotton, Matcha Azuki, Financier, Matcha Panna Cotta
Its $17.50 per person to try the wide range of items in this menu. For all the food i’ll be putting the normal price beside it.
And apparently our ladies like green tea more than guys, hence the bigger differential in the numbers.
Complimentary chips
The chips were on the house, for our hungry guests before everyone turned up
Salad
The salad was also not included in our original menu. Miss lee thought that it will be better if there are some greens to go along with.
From left to right: Matcha Rocks, Ochacha Rocks, Azuki Freezie
Matcha Rocks ($4.95)
Chilled Matcha with sugar (no milk). I think most people preferred the Matcha Rocks one to Ochacha rocks which has milk
Ochacha Rocks ($4.95)
Chilled Matcha Latte. The Ochacha rocks is the middle one, coming with milk, its a lighter shade of green than the Matcha Rocks
Azuki Freezie ($6.50)
Ice blended matcha with azuki (Jap red beans). I believe the Azuki Freezie won quite a number of fan tonight, it stood out with the matcha taste on ice blend.
Please be reminded that what you are seeing are shooters, not the actual size of the drinks. The prices indicated are for the normal size.
Shiitake Mushroom soup
I think quite a number of people found the shiitake mushroom soup to be a tad too salty for their tastebuds.
Tomato soup
The tomato soup is more on the sweet and soup side. It really depends whether you are a fan of tomato and soup or not. I’m not a soup person though.
Sakura Egg Sandwich ($4.80)
The sakura egg sandwich is still my favourite among the three sandwiches at Ochacha. See here for the picture of the normal size sandwich on my last visit.
Wasabi Tuna Sandwich ($5,90)
Wasabi (spicy!!) tuna mayo fills up the delicious bread. This is my first time trying this, on the previous visit i had only the egg and the salmon ones.
For the wasabi tuna sandwich, i like tuna, but i don’t like wasabi.
Furikake Salmon Sandwich ($5.90)
Smoked salmon with Japanese seaweed. I had the Furikake Salmon sandwich on my previous visit too.
The Japanese seaweed added the salty aspect to flavor the salmon, but i found it to be a tad on the salty side.
Matcha Financier ($2.90)
French cake named after its shape like gold bar. The Matcha Financier did not disappoint, but then again i could be bias as i’m totally a dessert person.
Matcha Azuki ($4.90)
Layered matcha cake with azuki beans & cream. The Matcha Azuki totally rock my world, the usage of azuki red beans gave the matcha cake a sweet twist.
I had this on my second visit too!
Matcha Cotton ($2.90)
Fluffy Japanese souffle cake with fresh cream in the center. The extremly soft sponge matcha cake simply melts in the mouth!
Matcha Panna Cotta ($4.90)
Italian creamy dessert with matcha flavor. This dessert had mixed reviews, some didn’t like it and found it to be too soft for a panna cotta, while others adored it and find the soft texture, coupled with the matcha flavor a delight to have.
Again this shows that taste is subjective, what some might like, others might not like.
Ochacha Latte ($4.80) or Ochacha Silk ($4.80)
Hot matcha latte & soy milk with matcha. We had the choice of either one for our warm green tea.
Total Bill was $350 for 20 people ($17.50 fixed price for each person). For $17.50, i think its definitely a very good price as we got to try out a whole wide range of green tea, sandwiches and desserts.
Please click here to see ALL the pictures taken during LIC food outing on the third visit
See you all at the next LIC food outing, it’ll be soon : )
Rating given:
Me luvs Daiso! Everything for $2.. No frills, no complicated T&Cs... Simply, everything for $2.
You can find many many many things here. I like buying some houseware stuff like laundry bag, hangers, and also some storage like plastic box and things. They also have tasty japanese snacks and cooking spices. And I also like their collection of kitchenwares. I buy virtually all my kitchenware from Daiso. Quality is so-so, since it's only $2.. But also because it's only $2 you can just buy and buy it again lolz.
I think what I don't like from this branch is its cramped space. Sometimes I'm very scared to knock down some stuff especially when I'm walking with my huge bag.
Well overall I still love this shop since I can find virtually anything for only $2~
Rating given:
Chapter 2 is very conveniently located in Bugis Area. Furthermore, it gives discount for SMU students. Just 2 reasons are enough to make me go there (well, besides that my fringe needs emergency cutting).
I left with a prettily cut fringe and nicely layered hair.
But actually I wasn't really impressed with the service. The hairstylist was nice (and I told you I left with good haircut/fringecut), but I don't think the others were.
First off, I phoned to book a slot. They said they have a slot available 1.5 hour from the time I phoned and other slots are unavailable, so I settled some stuff and went there immediately with my boyfriend.
When we arrived, surprise! It was actually pretty empty. If I remember correctly, there was only 2 or 3 people being served. Generally, it was empty.So I said I was going to cut my hair and fringe and that I already phoned. So they "uh-huh"ed and they gave me a seat and I was LEFT. I was just left for like 15 minutes or so before they finally called me up to wash my hair.
The person who washed my hair tried to strike a conversation ; or rather to make a sale. She said my hair is very oily (of course lah, I haven't washed my hair) and should get some treatment blah blah blah. I refused politely.
I finished washing my hair and they tied my hair up in a towel....
And I was left again.
I really can't understand why I was being left. I mean, it's not like the salon is very busy. It was empty, not like how it claimed. Lucky my boyfriend was there to accompany me.. He was initially interested to do some treatment while I cut my hair, but cancelled after seeing me being abandoned with wet hair. FYI, even after the hair cut, the back part of my blouse was wet, the result of my wet hair not being dried until I waited for more 15 or 20 minutes.
They finally came to me and dried my hair. And they finally moved me from a seat that was placed directly under the air-con (so imagine, having a wet wet hair under an air-con).
The person dried my hair (I was screaming "Finally" in my heart) and made some remarks about my hair again. She said my hair was dry and in need of treatment. Like duh. Another person just said my hair was oily. WTH. What a bad hair I have.
I was left again (this time, at least, on shorter interval), and finally a hairstylist came. She asked what kind of hairstyle I want, I just said "Cut my fringe to be presentable and layer a bit my lower part".
Cut cut cut, and done.
I left with a prettily cut fringe and nicely layered hair AND a wet blouse.
Paid 28 something and left.
Not sure whether I will go back. Sigh.
Rating given:
I am quite picky for food. Cheap crappy food disgusts me. I'm always willing to pay more for better food. We need good food to survive, don't we?
But this restaurant just blew me out.
Their prices are super low. As in low, low. Usually I expect to pay about $10 for good food (which is not abundant in the vicinity of my school. sigh), but this restaurant...
For a main course, you will only expect to pay on average of $4. FOUR DOLLARS. 0_0 you saw that right. FOUR DOLLARS. Their serving is quite big too! Just perfect for a "big meal". Pssst.. If you're nice to the people who serve you, I'm pretty certain that they will give you some extra. ;) my boyfriend, who was a regular in this restaurant, claimed that he often got 10%-20% discount and sometimes free tidbits and drinks.
The food is tasty. It's as tasty as higher priced food. Which is quite surprising and extraordinary. They mainly sell usual Asian dishes such as Hokkien Mee, Mee Goreng, Fried Rice (my boyfriend claimed they have the best fried rice in Singapore - it's very close to Indonesia's fried rice - which is super tasty I tell you), Prawn Noodle, and (well...) spaghetti bolognaise, and many others.
To top it off, they also have desserts. I and my boyfriend ordered the sundaes, which were going for only $2 each. 0_0 well it wasn't as tasty as Ben n Jerry's (for example), of course. But to have a nice dessert after a sumptuous meal for only $2... It's a delight.
It's kinda hidden in Fortune Centre (Bugis Area). I highly recommend you to drop by sometime. Just go around the first floor and you'll be able to find it.
I should go here more often. Bored of school's food.. Sigh..
Rating given:
Sweet Indulgence, the petite cafe at Stanley Street is as charming as its name. From the decorations, to the food, to the service, everything just made you feels at home. Your cosy corner, in the hearts of the city. My female companion and i arrive at the place at 530pm, but the restaurant was not opened yet as their kitchen starts at 6. However the staff warmly welcome us in to the place. Being early-birds, we were the only diners there, and we enjoyed every moment there. The feeling was though we had booked the restaurant, and had the whole place to ourselves.
Stepping into the restaurant, I felt as if I had transported into another world all together. The bar counter, the simple yet comfortable furnitures under the dim spot-light made us feel totally at ease. The staff was very friendly, and he told us to make ourselves at home. So we heed his words, and literally make it our home.
Pretty is the word to describe the place, cozy is the word to describe the feeling, and indulgencing in the sweetness basically sums up everything else. We took photos, every shot and angles of the whole restaurant. While being overly engrossed in taking pictures, we even forgot to take our orders until we saw the chef sitting behind us.
The menu ranges from appetizer, salad, tapas, to the main course like pasta, fish & seafood, meats, to desserts and wine. Although under each category there might not have a wide range of selections, but for what it lack in variety, it made up for it in the pure quality and the presentation of the food.
And just for your information, the restaurant starts its lunch menu from 1145 to 230pm, dinner is served from 6 to 10pm. Indulge in a sumptuous three course set lunch at an additional $6.80 on top of the main course’s price.
As we were in quite a rush for time, we didn’t have any appetizer or tapas to start the delightful meal, so we proceed on and begin with our main course. A peek into the menu, we immediately know what we wanted. As my female companion is a fan of spaghetti & also a lover of fish, the spaghetti salmon & mushroom seems to be tailor-made for her. To complete the fish-lover experience, i had the pan-sauteèd salmon steak.
The spaghetti selections come in the price range of $13.90 to $17.90, while the main course starts from $14.90 to $23.90 for its beef tenderloin.
Spaghetti Salmon & Mushroom ($15.90)
Spaghetti tossed with fresh salmon, mushrooms & seasonal vegetables in cream sauce. Being the fan of cream base rather than tomato base, the Spaghetti Salmon & Mushroom suits the tastebud of my companion perfectly. The sauce isn’t very strong, therefore it doesn’t overwhelm the overall taste of the dish. Coupled with the generous helping of fresh salmon & mushroom, every slurp of the pasta seems to exist for your savour of it.
Pan-sauteèd Salmon Steak ($19.90)Pan-grilled salmon accompany with daily vegetables, serve with vanilla infused cream sauce, finished with balsamic reduction & caramelised cherry tomatoes. First taste into the Pan-sauteèd Salmon steak tell me this is something special, the second bite confirms the truth. The salmon is pan-grilled perfectly, where pan-grilled salmon in the hands of less-skillful chef will becomes hard and dry, this is definitely not the case at Sweet Indulgence.
The grilled skin did not prevent me for tasting the soft and freshness of the juicy salmon. Some pepper and salt are sprinkled to add additional flavouring to the salmon, not that it is necessary, the salmon is so good that it can be eaten on its own.
The daily vegetables of broccoli and carrot helps to balance the meal, and the mashed potato together with the vanilla infused cream sauce certainly taste specially good. The only thing that i have to add will be the serving could be better, but i guess good food comes in appropriate serving, too much of a good thing spoils the taste.
Warm Choco Lava Indulgence ($8.90)
To end off our delightful meal, there is no doubt desserts are a must at such a sweet place like Sweet Indulgence. Warm chocolate cake filled with melted dark chocolate, served with tropical fruits and a scoop of ice cream.
Warm Choco Lava Indulgence’s filling very much satisfied the chocoholic in me. As our spoon cuts into the chocolate cake, the melted dark chocolate ooshed out and filled our spoon. Eaten separately, the warm dark chocolate taste like dark chocolate, and the ice cream like any other ordinary ice cream, but combine both together, the result is totally different. The warm dark chocolate seems to fuse perfectly with the cold vanilla ice cream, and the effect is a yummy sensation.
Tiramisu ($7.90)
Dessert couldn’t have been more satisfying than in the form of the popular Tiramisu. Original Italian tiramisu made with mascarpone cheese and Italian sponge fingers soaked in espresso and lots of kahlua, rum & brandy.
In my personal opinion, this ought to be one of my favourite Tiramisu. The first moment the tiramisu goes inside my mouth, I fell in love with it. Touching the tip of my tongue, the super soft texture of the cake immediately melt and touch my heart. Beautiful is the word, heavenly is the feeling, and falling in love with it concludes the tiramisu. I’ll be back for this one, watch out for it yeah!
Total bill for 2 main 2 desserts for 2 person comes up to $52.60 which is definitely not expensive, given the quality and presentation of the food, the excellent service, the comfy environment, which makes our dinner perfect. Also please be reminded that the restaurant is currently opened during weekdays only, there are plans to open on Sat in the near future.
After we finish our dinner, the boss of the restaurant, Christopher came and we had a friendly conservation, and the restaurant even gave us two complimentary orange juice on the house. The orange juice are some of the ones that they are looking to bring in from new suppliers and are not on the menu as yet.
If you visit the place and may not agree with me that the place is that good even its a small restaurant, hidden in the heart of the city. But the fact is I enjoyed the place very much indeed, and that is enough. We received dining vouchers in the form of $15 discount for every $60 spend in the dinner menu for our next visit. I will definitely be back for more. memorable dining experience - Sweet 2 Indulge
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
” I fell in love with you “
Rating given:
Looking for a place to get sports apparels, with better bargains than you can get from sole distributors? Here's the place! (But don't have too high hopes though.)
Personally, I would go all the way to the West (i'm at the east) to buy my sports shoes because there's a variety of designs to select from. Even the older designs can be found there too. Also, it is normally slightly cheaper than at the Nike/ Adidas retail stores for the new designs, and about 15% (or more) cheaper for the older designs! Apart from shoes, of course you can get your sportswear, socks, bottles and bags too. Yes, slightly cheaper for some! I was just there today and I got 15% off a bag that was released only recently!
Other than that, they've got food stalls strategically situated at random places in the mall, convenient for "busy-shoppers". There are also several shops that sells casual wear, instead of just sports wear.
Nonetheless, I find it pretty hard to find your way about. The shops are not very organized and it's normally hard to remember where you've been unless you remember the shop name. Also, some of the shops seem to be under the same owner, so prices are pretty standard there. However with the high traffic flow, service is pretty poor there I must say.
Parking's a problem and it's extremely expensive. On a regular Saturday, 2.5 hours in the afternoon could cost you $5.10. You'd understand why I'd say it's expensive when you see the condition of the carpark.
Minus the carpark problem, it's a place worth going to look for your sports apparels, and at a good deal! (;
Rating given:
Was deciding on a place to eat along Orchard road one weekday evening and the only place that didn't seem to be spilling with people was Crystal Jade Golden Palace (CJGP). From what I know, CJGP hovers around the top tier of the Crystal Jade chain, which includes Crystal Jade Xiao Long Bao, Crystal Jade Kitchen etc.
Located on the 5th floor of the high end The Paragon shopping mall, CJGP appeals with its sombre yet elegant entrance walkway and posh/classy interior complete with ambient lighting. Padded walls and carpets, thick cushioned chairs all give the impression of comfort at its finesse.
Shark's Fin in Coconut - This dish is out of the menu so please pardon my literal translation from Chinese to English. Served up in a coconut husk, the fins were of decent quality and in abundance together with stuff like prawns and fish maw in a nice and light broth which hinted of coconut towards the bottom.
Crystal Jade Suckling Pig - A rather impressive dish I must say, with the skin crackling crispy and the meat harbouring a light smoky taste. I liked the strings of jellyfish that came with it as well, springy with lots of bite. Not the least bit worth the price($23) though, with only a few slices of skin and meat.
Sauteed Scallop with Broccoli - Yet another dish of small proportions. Cooked just right, the broccoli was crunchy and tasty with the scallops slightly firm and not overwhelming.
Golden Palace Signature Fried Rice - I naturally had a certain level of expectation as this came billed as one of the restaurant's signature dish. Regrettably, it wasn't quite what I was looking for, coming across as decent but not outstanding. Probably the only highlight to it was the presence of salted egg yolk which gave the rice a slightly rough texture.
Mashed Taro with Gingko Nuts - The mashed taro aka Orh Nee, was smooth and light without being too moist or dry. However portions are really miserable and I can easily eat 2 bowls of equally satisfying Orh Nee for the same price.
Dinner for 2 didn't come cheap at about $128, especially with the small portions. However I can't deny that the quality of food is there and service is more than adequate. I guess that does provide some justification for the high prices. What do you think?
See all my pictures here
Rating given: