I think everyone knows this lone building standing in the field next to the huge balloon in Bugis area. It has a pretty famous alfresco steamboat joint too.
I had the chance to go to this budget hotel when my friend from the US stayed there. Despite the exterior looking a little run-down, the inside was fine.
The walls of the small lobby were adorned with old photographs and old newspaper clippings about the hotel. The room my friend is staying in costs SGD60 a night. It is a little small but still comfortable with its double bed. However for that price he had to use the common bath which he found to be rather clean. (He's an expert when it comes to budget accomodation.)
In fact, he had so much confidence in the place, he told us that he wanted to switch to the SGD18 per night room where he would have to share with 3 other people. They had two bunk beds there and it's still very clean.
What he was most impressed with was the good condition of the lockers and the hot and cold showers in all the bathrooms. The service was also friendly and we had a good chat with the staff whilst we were visiting.
With the good location and reasonable prices, I really find this hostel worthwhile. Moreover, it wasn't sleazy and felt very safe to live there.
Chinese Cuisine with a Difference is Taste Paradise's tagline. Curious about how different this might be, 5 of us dropped by for a cosy dinner last Friday.
It was pretty easy to locate the place, however, parking wasn't that easy. In front of the restaurant there're some parallel parking spots but as you would guess too few for every one. Trying to look for parking in the area isn't too easy as they are all one-way streets. So do plan where you want to park before you go. Hong Lim or Chinatown Point would be two good places.
The restaurant is tastefully decorated with a long passage right up front. It's mainly in reds and blacks and the lighting is a little dim but still bright enough for me to see what I'm eating. Good enough for me.
We were greeted politely at the door and led to our seats in one of the rooms. After some observation, we noticed that one of the walls was actually made of panels which could be removed to make the room bigger for functions.
I couldn't bear to analyse the menu like my companions did for it didn't have any pictures were just filled with words. There were curly Chinese characters and English descriptions but it was still pretty difficult to read. So the rest of us just let two of them decide.
One little interesting thing was that there were 3 prices for the same bowl of Shark's Fin - $38, $58 and $68. $38 was the regular serving, $58 had more shark's fin in it and $68 was fin of high quality.... the staff patiently explained to us when we asked.
Food ordered:
Carrot Cake which I forgot to take the description of. But this was delicious. I LOVED IT! The serving was enough for 2 and slightly more. It wasn't too oily. the texture was very smooth and very tasty! YUMS!
Pan-seared Foie gras, wasabi mayonnaise prawn and sliced Beijing duck with condiments - $18 per personOur starter for the day was this great combination! The foie gras was crisp on the outside and pretty smooth on the inside. It was quite sizeable, any bigger and I would be worried about my heart. The wasabi prawn was alright. The wasabi taste wasn't too strong which is good and it was quite a big one. It was served on top of a watermelon which was suppose to compliment the taste of the prawn. But I couldn't be bothered to eat it. I liked the Beijing Duck slice. It was pre-prepared with the skin and sauce and wasn't too sweet. Just right.
Double boiled superior shark's fin with dried conpoy in traditional Beijing broth accompanied with bacon onion roll - $38 per personThe presentation of this dish was impressive! It was served in a grey bowl, the sort people used to mash belachan in, with the bacon wrap on top. It was bubbling when it came and bubbled for a long time whilst we drank it. There was plenty of fin and the broth was not too starchy like at some places. But it did smell of vinegar though I didn't find it too sourish. The bacon onion roll was a nice touch though I did find it a little troublesome to eat.
Braised homemade Beancurd with shredded scallop and Japanese Mushroom - $16 This was the one dish which I found a little disappointing. The skin of the beancurd was a little too tough and hard to tear. The taste was ok and the texture of the inside was smooth. The sauce it came with wasn't too salty as I have tasted in other places and the scallop was a nice accompaniment. Just the skin bothered me.
Szechuan Style roasted Chicken with homemade crispy crumbs - Half $16By the time we got to this dish I was pretty full but I still picked up a few pieces to munch. My companions were commenting about it being spicy but I found it barely so. It was quite tasty and the meat didn't taste as dry as it looked. I liked the texture of the meat but I'm the sort who likes chicken breast meat so if you aren't like me... well.
Stirfried Spinach with garlic - price unknownToo full to have any of this. But it looked just like your regular vege to me.
Mashed Taro with almond cream served in fresh coconut - $6.50I wanted to order this but I was in a mood for something cooler but I was happy to get a taste of it. It was served in a tiny REAL coconut! SO COOL! I was more fascinated with the coconut bowl than anything else. I think the Orh Nee tasted very nice. It wasn't too sweet, not overly flavoured. It had a hint of almond (or maybe I didn't scoop so much almond) which gave it a nice twist.
Chilled Mango Puree with Sago and Pomelo served with coconut ice cream - $4.50This was my dessert of the day!! I was worried about the coconut ice cream as I'm not a fan of coconut actually. But everything's worth trying right? So try I did and I enjoyed this dessert very much. Served cold and sweet (just right).
Chilled Pumpkin Puree served with coconut ice cream (Chef's Special) - $4.50Sadly I didn't get a taste of this.... but no complaints. She seemed to enjoy it...
Chilled Aloe Vera in refreshing calamansi juice - $4.50 Neither did I try this...
We got the 3 chilled desserts free, they were on the house which was a nice surprise.
The service was very good throughout the meal. Our tea was constantly topped up and Desmond, the assistant manager was jovial and sincere when serving us. When the 2 servings of the shark's fin were late, he took the initiative to inform us, which I think is a show of good service.
Each of us paid $93.50 for our share of food. It does seem quite a lot doesn't it? But I guess with foie gras and shark's fin on the list, I find it pretty acceptable. Minus those two, it would be more reasonable.
Lucardiasaid: Excellent, cant wait to try it myself. And my review will be coming soon too! 09 Apr 2008 at 9:53 pm
genesissaid: Wow...5 Stars...Must be super good. The Taro sounds tempting... 09 Apr 2008 at 9:54 pm
Bobosaid: :) it is good... mm the Orh Nee was quite nice :) a bit thick but good. :) 09 Apr 2008 at 10:28 pm
Polarbearsaid: I wanna to go and eat but I cannot make it on the 20th! 10 Apr 2008 at 10:11 am
daphnemaiasaid: where is the link to ur blog entry? u link to ur blog, but there's no search box on ur blog. ermmm. and the google bar one doesnt work. 07 Sep 2008 at 12:20 pm
Bobosaid: ahh pai seh that's a no-brainer. should have linked it to the entry instead. will do it when I can. but your tone not very friendly IMO. 13 Sep 2008 at 8:02 pm
I chanced upon this place a while ago but visited it on a Monday when it was closed *just my dumb luck* Anyway then I caught it on Sunday Plus and decided that I should definitely try it. So I dragged my friend along that lazy rainy Sunday.
I loved the interior. No doubt it can only seat 15 and it's a little cramped but I love the peranakan style stuff and they actually sell peranakan clothing behind too! There were little knick knacks all over but I didn't take a look at the prices...
Food ordered:
Pan Fried Radish Cake & Yam Cake - $4.80 (4 slices) Let me explain this one. On its menu, Radish cake and Yam cake are listed separately at $3.80 for 3 slices. But as there are only two of us, the lady offered to let us try both, giving us 2 slices of each at $4.80 which I agreed. I liked the radish cake more than the yam cake but both are smooth enough for me. I enjoyed them but I did find the portion too small for the price.
Grandma Rayna’s Roast Chicken - $10.80 YUMMY! I normally will not order roast chicken but this time I didn't have to cut it up myself so I was happily gobbling away at the chicken bits. The meat was well marinated and juicy. The potato that came with it reminded me of my pri sch canteen food though. I loved this dish (the chicken) but it was really expensive as there was little meat.
Gingko Silky Bean - $3 One word - Regret. I was turned off after two scoops but I still finished it... cos it isn't cheap. :P
Waffle with Ice Cream - $6.60 The waffle looked a little burnt at the sides and there was a slight sourish taste but it didn't bother me much. The ice cream is probably the sort you could get at supermarkets at half price.
We spent $25.20 for the two of us. but the food was basically a one-person's share. There wasn't much choice in desserts. The place is a nice place for people to chit chat (like we saw three other groups doing) but not quite a dessert place. But I would go back for the radish cake and chicken, just when my pocket feels heavier. :P
1=SGD 0.0587
I had the chance to go to this budget hotel when my friend from the US stayed there. Despite the exterior looking a little run-down, the inside was fine.
The walls of the small lobby were adorned with old photographs and old newspaper clippings about the hotel. The room my friend is staying in costs SGD60 a night. It is a little small but still comfortable with its double bed. However for that price he had to use the common bath which he found to be rather clean. (He's an expert when it comes to budget accomodation.)
In fact, he had so much confidence in the place, he told us that he wanted to switch to the SGD18 per night room where he would have to share with 3 other people. They had two bunk beds there and it's still very clean.
What he was most impressed with was the good condition of the lockers and the hot and cold showers in all the bathrooms. The service was also friendly and we had a good chat with the staff whilst we were visiting.
With the good location and reasonable prices, I really find this hostel worthwhile. Moreover, it wasn't sleazy and felt very safe to live there.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!i don't know about the lone building. lol
13 Apr 2008 at 7:34 pm
There's a small cafe there..
13 Apr 2008 at 9:10 pm
bobo, you forgot to mention the lift. It is Singapore one and only manual lift.
14 Apr 2008 at 9:05 am
It was pretty easy to locate the place, however, parking wasn't that easy. In front of the restaurant there're some parallel parking spots but as you would guess too few for every one. Trying to look for parking in the area isn't too easy as they are all one-way streets. So do plan where you want to park before you go. Hong Lim or Chinatown Point would be two good places.
The restaurant is tastefully decorated with a long passage right up front. It's mainly in reds and blacks and the lighting is a little dim but still bright enough for me to see what I'm eating. Good enough for me.
We were greeted politely at the door and led to our seats in one of the rooms. After some observation, we noticed that one of the walls was actually made of panels which could be removed to make the room bigger for functions.
I couldn't bear to analyse the menu like my companions did for it didn't have any pictures were just filled with words. There were curly Chinese characters and English descriptions but it was still pretty difficult to read. So the rest of us just let two of them decide.
One little interesting thing was that there were 3 prices for the same bowl of Shark's Fin - $38, $58 and $68. $38 was the regular serving, $58 had more shark's fin in it and $68 was fin of high quality.... the staff patiently explained to us when we asked.
Food ordered:
Carrot Cake
which I forgot to take the description of. But this was delicious. I LOVED IT! The serving was enough for 2 and slightly more. It wasn't too oily. the texture was very smooth and very tasty! YUMS!
Pan-seared Foie gras, wasabi mayonnaise prawn and sliced Beijing duck with condiments - $18 per personOur starter for the day was this great combination! The foie gras was crisp on the outside and pretty smooth on the inside. It was quite sizeable, any bigger and I would be worried about my heart. The wasabi prawn was alright. The wasabi taste wasn't too strong which is good and it was quite a big one. It was served on top of a watermelon which was suppose to compliment the taste of the prawn. But I couldn't be bothered to eat it. I liked the Beijing Duck slice. It was pre-prepared with the skin and sauce and wasn't too sweet. Just right.
Double boiled superior shark's fin with dried conpoy in traditional Beijing broth accompanied with bacon onion roll - $38 per personThe presentation of this dish was impressive! It was served in a grey bowl, the sort people used to mash belachan in, with the bacon wrap on top. It was bubbling when it came and bubbled for a long time whilst we drank it. There was plenty of fin and the broth was not too starchy like at some places. But it did smell of vinegar though I didn't find it too sourish. The bacon onion roll was a nice touch though I did find it a little troublesome to eat.
Braised homemade Beancurd with shredded scallop and Japanese Mushroom - $16
This was the one dish which I found a little disappointing. The skin of the beancurd was a little too tough and hard to tear. The taste was ok and the texture of the inside was smooth. The sauce it came with wasn't too salty as I have tasted in other places and the scallop was a nice accompaniment. Just the skin bothered me.
Szechuan Style roasted Chicken with homemade crispy crumbs - Half $16By the time we got to this dish I was pretty full but I still picked up a few pieces to munch. My companions were commenting about it being spicy but I found it barely so. It was quite tasty and the meat didn't taste as dry as it looked. I liked the texture of the meat but I'm the sort who likes chicken breast meat so if you aren't like me... well.
Stirfried Spinach with garlic - price unknownToo full to have any of this. But it looked just like your regular vege to me.
Mashed Taro with almond cream served in fresh coconut - $6.50I wanted to order this but I was in a mood for something cooler but I was happy to get a taste of it. It was served in a tiny REAL coconut! SO COOL! I was more fascinated with the coconut bowl than anything else. I think the Orh Nee tasted very nice. It wasn't too sweet, not overly flavoured. It had a hint of almond (or maybe I didn't scoop so much almond) which gave it a nice twist.
Chilled Mango Puree with Sago and Pomelo served with coconut ice cream - $4.50This was my dessert of the day!! I was worried about the coconut ice cream as I'm not a fan of coconut actually. But everything's worth trying right? So try I did and I enjoyed this dessert very much. Served cold and sweet (just right).
Chilled Pumpkin Puree served with coconut ice cream (Chef's Special) - $4.50Sadly I didn't get a taste of this.... but no complaints. She seemed to enjoy it...
Chilled Aloe Vera in refreshing calamansi juice - $4.50
Neither did I try this...
We got the 3 chilled desserts free, they were on the house which was a nice surprise.
The service was very good throughout the meal. Our tea was constantly topped up and Desmond, the assistant manager was jovial and sincere when serving us. When the 2 servings of the shark's fin were late, he took the initiative to inform us, which I think is a show of good service.
Each of us paid $93.50 for our share of food. It does seem quite a lot doesn't it? But I guess with foie gras and shark's fin on the list, I find it pretty acceptable. Minus those two, it would be more reasonable.
For more pictures go to my blog .
- 3 more comments »
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!Excellent, cant wait to try it myself. And my review will be coming soon too!
09 Apr 2008 at 9:53 pm
Wow...5 Stars...Must be super good. The Taro sounds tempting...
09 Apr 2008 at 9:54 pm
:) it is good... mm the Orh Nee was quite nice :) a bit thick but good. :)
09 Apr 2008 at 10:28 pm
I loved the interior. No doubt it can only seat 15 and it's a little cramped but I love the peranakan style stuff and they actually sell peranakan clothing behind too! There were little knick knacks all over but I didn't take a look at the prices...
Food ordered:
Pan Fried Radish Cake & Yam Cake - $4.80 (4 slices)
Let me explain this one. On its menu, Radish cake and Yam cake are listed separately at $3.80 for 3 slices. But as there are only two of us, the lady offered to let us try both, giving us 2 slices of each at $4.80 which I agreed. I liked the radish cake more than the yam cake but both are smooth enough for me. I enjoyed them but I did find the portion too small for the price.
Grandma Rayna’s Roast Chicken - $10.80
YUMMY! I normally will not order roast chicken but this time I didn't have to cut it up myself so I was happily gobbling away at the chicken bits. The meat was well marinated and juicy. The potato that came with it reminded me of my pri sch canteen food though. I loved this dish (the chicken) but it was really expensive as there was little meat.
Gingko Silky Bean - $3
One word - Regret. I was turned off after two scoops but I still finished it... cos it isn't cheap. :P
Waffle with Ice Cream - $6.60
The waffle looked a little burnt at the sides and there was a slight sourish taste but it didn't bother me much. The ice cream is probably the sort you could get at supermarkets at half price.
We spent $25.20 for the two of us. but the food was basically a one-person's share. There wasn't much choice in desserts. The place is a nice place for people to chit chat (like we saw three other groups doing) but not quite a dessert place. But I would go back for the radish cake and chicken, just when my pocket feels heavier. :P
- 1 more comment »
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!lucky you. I had to do all the cutting :S
03 Apr 2008 at 11:34 pm
Erhhh.... FZ, bobo is a lady leh.
04 Apr 2008 at 8:53 am
haha PB Wan Sui! FZ..heard that heard that? :P
04 Apr 2008 at 9:47 am