Half Pound Burger (or HPB for short) sounded promising so we dropped by one Saturday afternoon to partake in their reasonably priced set lunch.
Located close to the start of Purvis Street, HPB occupies a simply furnished but comfortable unit just metres away from Saveur.
Soup Of The Day - It was either the Roasted Tomato Soup or the Potato Leek Soup for the set lunch so we went with the former. The tomato soup came across as rich but a little too zesty for my liking whilst the croutons were overly soggy, probably from sitting in the soup for an extended period of time.
Grilled Chicken Burger - The grilled chicken patty tasted rather similar to a huge piece of chicken satay but came across as a tad dry. Decent flavour though but maybe having a bit of sauce would make it better? Side of fries was okay though the dipping sauce was rather interesting; a mildly sweet and creamy butter base that actually went well with the fries.
Petite Half Pound Burger - As far as burgers go, this isn't anywhere near the best I've had but definitely not near the worst either. The patty was juicy though it was rather compact and strangely tough with a mild brovine flavour. Layered with Monterey Jack cheese, a strip of decent candied bacon (not as good as the one from Peter Luger or Clinton Street Baking or Bird Bird) and capped with a crisp, buttery bun (a wee bit more time on the grill would have been better in my humble opinion).
Sure the food at HPB isn't fantastic. But at $17 /pax for lunch (includes a drink), it's actually pretty decent value for money especially in the City Hall area.
A revisit 8 years in the making. And here we were, finally. Somehow we had never really made it to Chef's Gunther Hubreschen's eponymous restaurant because of all the new and "exciting" restaurants that had been popping up ceaselessly in the last decade or so.
The restaurant is divided into 2 dining areas and we were seated in the one with windows. Tables are spaced comfortably apart but due to the enclosed nature of the room, private conversations can be challenging unless one speaks in hushed tones (that's assuming the adjourning tables extend the same courtesy as well).
Complimentary Bread & Amuse Bouche - Things got off to a decent start with the complimentary bread; warm and crusty baguette served with a side of salty butter. Would personally prefer a fatter baguette though as that would highlight the contrast between the soft interior and crusty outside.
Amouse bouche was a singular prawn tempura with a dollop of mayonnaise. The batter came across as light but a little excessive so no great shakes.
Cold Angel Hair Pasta, Oscietra Caviar - One of Gunther's signature dishes and rightfully so, the decadent Cold Angel Hair Pasta with Oscietra Caviar. Served chilled, the pasta, doused with truffle oil and finely diced porcini mushrooms, came across as aromatic and al dente with a smorgasbord of flavours; savoury with a hint of saltiness and fishiness from the prized caviar. A most excellent dish.
Daily Special #1 - White asparagus was in season so we had it with morel mushrooms. Moist and tender with a rich nutty and earthy flavour from the morel mushrooms; simple yet delicious.
Daily Special #2 - Hokkaido scallops, shaved truffle and angel hair pasta; it sounded absolutely "droolicious". Well it sure would have made for a magical combination if the scallops (huge by the way) had a more robust sweetness to them. The angel hair pasta came across as warm and firm (though a little less al dente than the previous dish of chilled pasta with caviar) while the light butter sauce provided a nice creaminess with a fleeting hint of the earth from the truffle shavings.
Roasted Rack Of Black Pig, Gratin Potato, Forestiere - Another of Gunther's signature dish, the Roasted Rack of Black Pig was very well done with a good fat to meat ratio; juicily tender and flavourful with just a dash of salt and pepper. Served with a token of mushrooms and tempura long bean on a bed of roasted gooey cheese. Nothing too complicated and absolutely delicious.
Fine Apple Tart “à la dragée”, Havana Rum Raisin Ice Cream - Yet another of Gunther's signature and with good reason. Suitably sweet apple puree enveloped within a ridiculously crisp and thin shell sprinkled with a generous serving of crushed nuts and served with a scoop of rather strong rum and raisin ice cream. Definitely one of the best rendition of apple tart I've had in recent years.
Petit Fours - To end off, petit fours to further cram our already bursting tummies. Decent.
Food overall came across as grounded; nothing fanciful and generally excellent. Prices are a little dear though, at close to $395 for the both of us. But well worth the money in my humble opinion (if only for a special occasion!). Service was personable and unpretentious so that's another plus. Definitely coming back!
We had been itching to try Spago and the opportunity presented itself one Saturday afternoon when we had to drop by Marina Bay Sands (MBS) to settle some business. Spago is Wolfgang Puck's second restaurant @ MBS, with the first being CUT, an upmarket steakhouse. The Los Angeles flagship outlet of Spago had garnered 2 Michelin stars in 2008 and 2009 (Michelin pulled out of LA after that) so our expectations were reasonably high.
Taking the lift up to the 57th level brings you to the famed MBS infinity pool, where one of Spago's service staff will walk you to your table within the confines of a beautiful timber decked room with plenty of natural light (that's if you choose not to dine al fresco).
Served with salted nori butter and unsalted buter, the complimentary baguette and black olive focaccia came across as palatable but nothing to shout about. Somehow the European restaurants (ie. Joel Robuchon) tend to do better bread in my personal experience.
Chicken ‘Laksa’ Spring Roll - This local inspired appetiser was rather interesting. Spring roll skin deep fried till crackling crisp and filled with thick rice noodles and chicken - reminiscent of laksa especially when eaten with the dipping sauce.
Pan Seared Pork Dumplings - The 锅贴 or Gyoza was decent; not overly oily or porky with the skin retaining a light crisp. Simple yet refined.
Grilled Iberico Pork Secreto - Secreto or the "secret" cut apparently refers to different cuts of the Iberian pig, varying from individual to individual and there exists no common or universal standard to date; a clever marketing ploy to make people pay more. But I digress. The famed acorn fed Iberico pork strips were excellent; tender with a light charring along the exterior. Flavours were wonderful - savoury with a touch of earhiness from the mushrooms and sweetness from the pumpkin and chestnuts. Topped with light and crispy pork skin and deliciously smooth parsnip puree.
Grilled Angus Beef Burger - Nothing else really caught my attention on the menu so I went with the usually safe burger option. Unfortunately this didn't turn out as well as I would have liked it to. For starters, the patty was a tad too soft for my liking. I appreciate the hand chopped patty with its uneven texture and bits of fat but it had minimal beefiness to it. The buns were crisp along the edges but slathered with ketchup which isn't my default option for buns (butter is!). An average burger overall. Interestingly, the restaurant 56 floors down in the same tower serves a much better burger in my humble opinion.
Coconut-Passion Fruit Trifle - There wasn't a choice of dessert with the set lunch so the the Coconut-Passion Fruit Trifle it was. Tangy, sweet, smooth and crunchy (due to the rice krispies) all at once. Flavours were light and clean - pretty good. Only small gripe I had was the passionfruit seeds; I know they can be eaten but I'm personally not a fan.
Chocolate – Coffee Semifreddo - We got greedy and decided to share an additional dessert. Served with caramalised banana balls and banana cake cubes, the asthetically pleasing Chocolate Coffee Semifreddo came across as rather strong on the flavours (a juxtaposition to the previous Coconut Passion Fruit Trifle dessert) with a dominant coffee presence. Decent.
Lunch was a pleasant and leisurely affair. Food was decent overall (though not quite up to expectations) and didn't cost us an arm or a leg @ ~$134. Service was very good and so was the ambience. Personally would prefer to dine @ Sky 57 over Spago.
We were quite a fan of Ninja Bowl @ Duxton so when we found out that there was a sister outlet (Ninja Cut) closer to us at Seah Street, we decided to drop by to give it a shot (as at time of writing, we have been there at least 4 times).
Hidden amongst the plethora of shophouses along Seah Street and just a few shops down from the MINT Museum of Toys, Ninja Cut sports a nondescript facade and is easy to miss unless you pay close attention. The interior is rather spartan but comfortable enough. Noise is a pertinent problem here so conversations can be challenging especially when the place is full.
Oh My Cod - This rather sizeable and sweet slice of cod was nicely pan fried but lacking in silkiness; served with a edamame asparagus combination (a little too salty for my liking and didn't quite seem to jell with the dish), mildly sweet carrots, a wobbly onsen egg and pickled purple slaw. Decent for the price but I'll probably swap out the edamame and asparagus the next time round.
Whats Your Beef? - I've had this thrice but I personally feel that the beef in one of their brunch items, Ninja's Steak & Eggs, tastes better. The beef here is a wee bit overcooked and a tad too chewy for my liking. However this dish comes with mushrooms, sweet corn, onsen egg and carrots for for that relatively delicious all rounded meal. You can opt to add rice, soba or salad for an additional $2.
Oceans Of Mentaiko - Rich, creamy soup base coupled with scallops, prawns, mussels and served with 2 slices of crisp garlic toast; absolutely delicious. Only gripe I have is the miserly and inconsistent amount of soup; it ranges from little (~ 6-8 spoonfuls) to very little (~ 4-6 spoonfuls).
Everything is priced below $20 so it's quite a good deal for the quality and quantity of food in my humble opinion. There is no GST or service charge which is a plus and you get free, self service iced water. Do note that this place only accepts cash or nets.
We chanced upon this cosy cafe while window shopping at Toa Payoh Central. Situated on the quiet side of the heartland, this cafe serves quite a range of items.
Oven Roasted BBQ Chicken ( $16.00 ) - The marinated chicken leg was tender and moist. Unlike some places where the meat turned out tough and dry, theirs was easy to cut and can be shared among friends. The chilled salad and generous fries was a bonus as both were served freshly.
Sirloin Steak ( $19.00 ) - The meat was juicy and topped with red wine sauce, thus making this dish very flavourful.
Pulled Pork Sandwich ( $16.00 ) - It was originally stated as burger but we find it difficult to share among ourselves, so we requested this item to be made into sandwich. The shredded BBQ meat was mixed with mayo and some other sauces. It has a slight taste of BBQ sauce and was indeed unique.
Dowager's Fingers ( $10.00 ) - Upon first bite, we could taste the succulent prawns that were wrapped by wanton skin. When dipped into the honey sesame mayo sauce, it seem to be a good formula.
Charcoal Waffle With Double Scoop Ice Cream ( $15.00 ) - Not sure whether it is eatable charcoal but the waffle was freshly served with 2 different types of ice cream and a small bowl of chocolate sauce.
We were satisfied with the food as well as the service crew. Although food may be a bit pricey (considered their location in a heartland), it comes without GST and service charge.
We will definitely patronize again as we are confident that the rest of their menu will not disappoint us.
A couple of us dropped by Fat Cow for lunch one weekday afternoon after hearing so much about their signature wagyu donburi.
Located at a corner of Camden Medical Centre, Fatcow took quite a bit of finding as there didn't seem to be any clear signs as to where exactly the place was from the carpark. But we finally found the place and were led into a "private" room for the 8 of us; "private" because it was really just part of the main bar area with a paper thin partition that afforded some visual privacy (no respite from the noise though).
Salad, Miso Soup & Chawanmushi - A side of fresh salad, miso soup and chawanmushi came as a side to our set lunch. I personally liked the chawanmushi; smooth and light without coming across as too eggy and served with a slice of scallop, mushroom and prawn.
The Fat Cow Donburi - And the sole reason why we were here; the namesake Fat Cow Donburi. I ordered my wagyu medium rare but it seemed a touch undercooked even though the flavours were good; salty with a robust beefiness but a little lacking in the juiciness. The wobbly onsen egg imbued the dish with a creamy texture. A good dish but lacked the wow factor in my humble opinion.
Ice Cream - A tiny scoop of smooth and creamy caramel ice cream (probably the size of 2 quail eggs) capped off our meal. Inadequate but appreciated nonetheless.
The 8 of us racked up a bill of ~$480 and though good, doesn't quite justify the quality and quantity of food honestly. We left the restaurant feeling a little unsatisfied to be honest. Service overall was decent but tea refills need to be more forthcoming, especially at $5 /pax. Will I be back? I highly doubt so, unless someone is picking up the check.
Upon landing on Bandung, we took a cab to The Valley Resort Hotel which was located on a hill top. As the taxi travelled up the slope, we could feel the chilled fresh air as we unwind the windows to appreciate what nature has created.
Our rooms offered spectacular view of Bandung and each unit is 2-storey high where the upper floor has this big and spacious bed. The accessories on lower floor bathroom were installed with frog theme design.
This resort also cater to families with children as there are adventure park, playground with pony riding and karaoke singing for the adults. The hotel also provide complimentary vouchers for those keen to play golf at nearby golf course.
Their Bistro Cafe also serve authentic Indonesian food and prices are reasonable with excellent service provided by the staff.
Although it was a short stay, we have truly enjoyed ourselves especially the shopping and the delicious food that were recommended by the taxi driver which we have booked for his services since day one.
We have tried numerous food outlets on this dish and by far, this is one of the places that served food way below our expectations.
Pig Stomach Soup ( $6.00 ) - The soup was not even hot and there was no peppery taste. It also do not have any sweetness or flavour. In actual fact, it was a diluted version of the pork ribs soup. The pig stomach was hard to chew and tasted like rubber band.
Dried Bak Kut Teh ( $12.00 ) - there was a burnt smell when the staff served this dish. As seen from the photo, there were hardly any meat on each pork rib. The texture was so hard that one of the ribs actually flew off from the plate as we were trying to figure out the meaty portion.
Baby Cabbage ( $6.00 ) - At least this dish is decent enough for us to eat with the white rice.
We have left the place with the pig stomach soup and dried bak kut teh half eaten. In our honest opinion, it is not worth coming back to try the rest of their food items if they cannot even cook simple and basic dishes.
The 3 of us were having lunch at Long Chim (which translates to come and taste), a relatively upscale Thai restaurant at Marina Bay Sands owned by renowned Australian Celebrity Chef David Thompson, who is also behind the award winning Thai restaurant, Nahm, in Bangkok.
Located on the 2nd floor of MBS, Long Chim boasts a modern and trendy interior with Asian twists, scenes of Bangkok and a view of Marina Bay from certain tables. But the view is a double edged sword because you get plenty of natural light (great!) and some of the heat as well (not so great).
As this was our first visit, we decided to go with the set lunch.
Cured Pork Fritters - Deep fried breaded cubes filled with sourish cured pork and an uneven distribution of chilli; best eaten with the peanuts to help neutralise the sourness. No great shakes and not my cup of tea.
Miang Prawn - One of my dining companions had the Miang prawn, which was an assortment of ingredients (dried prawns, shallots, peanuts etc) wrapped in a betel leaf. Sweet, spicy and sour all at once - akin to a zesty rojak paste. Can't say this was well received.
Fried Rice with Roast Duck - This was my main course and though this dish came across as lightly salty and savoury, it lacked any discernable wok hei. I couldn't quite make out the taste of the duck slices as well, which was a pity. Overall a rather forgettable dish of fried rice.
Sweet Mango Sticky Rice - One of the quintessential Thai desserts, the humble mango sticky rice. Mildly sweet mango slices atop rather watery rice (too much creamy coconut milk!) and sprinkled with fried mung bean to inject some crunch. Decent dessert but portion sizes are minute; I finished the whole thing in 2 spoonfuls.
Lunch for the 3 of us cost ~ $94, which isn't expensive (ala carte and dinner prices are quite a bit higher though) given the prices at Marina Bay Sands in general but quality is average at best. Overhyped and rather underwhelming in my humble opinion. Service is decent though.
As it is known to be one of the oldest Chinese restaurants, we have patronised this place since our younger days holding birthday and wedding celebrations. When this restaurant moved to Chinatown, we hardly dine here as the place is squeezed and it was very hard to hold any conversations in this compact and noisy environment.
Spring Court Popiah ( $7.50 per roll ) – At this price, we expected the ingredients to be more unique or different but unfortunately, it tasted the same as those found in hawker centres or food stalls. Although the fresh prawns are bigger in size, we felt it could not justify the price being charged.
Roasted Chicken Stuffed With Minced Prawns ( $22.00 ) – We noticed that the name sound interesting but when this dish was presented, we were quite disappointed as we could not see, taste or find any minced prawns. Instead, it looked more like prawn paste mixture. The chicken meat also tasted bland with no seasonings at all. Since Spring Court was well known for their roasted spring chicken, we were expecting this dish to be at par or even better than their roasted plain chicken.
Fried Mee Sua ( $19.00 ) – One of the items that we were quite satisfied as the mee sua ( vermicelli ) was fried with the right “ wok hei “ and it tasted delicious with the numerous ingredients like pepper corns, squids, juicy prawns and crunchy beansprouts.
As the above dishes were recommended by the manager, we felt that it was highly priced including one pot of Chinese tea, towels and a small plate of pickled vegetable cost $13.20 for 4 of us. Total bill ( including 10% service charge and GST ) was $81.45.
1=SGD 0.0587
Half Pound Burger (or HPB for short) sounded promising so we dropped by one Saturday afternoon to partake in their reasonably priced set lunch.
Located close to the start of Purvis Street, HPB occupies a simply furnished but comfortable unit just metres away from Saveur.
Soup Of The Day - It was either the Roasted Tomato Soup or the Potato Leek Soup for the set lunch so we went with the former. The tomato soup came across as rich but a little too zesty for my liking whilst the croutons were overly soggy, probably from sitting in the soup for an extended period of time.
Grilled Chicken Burger - The grilled chicken patty tasted rather similar to a huge piece of chicken satay but came across as a tad dry. Decent flavour though but maybe having a bit of sauce would make it better? Side of fries was okay though the dipping sauce was rather interesting; a mildly sweet and creamy butter base that actually went well with the fries.
Petite Half Pound Burger - As far as burgers go, this isn't anywhere near the best I've had but definitely not near the worst either. The patty was juicy though it was rather compact and strangely tough with a mild brovine flavour. Layered with Monterey Jack cheese, a strip of decent candied bacon (not as good as the one from Peter Luger or Clinton Street Baking or Bird Bird) and capped with a crisp, buttery bun (a wee bit more time on the grill would have been better in my humble opinion).
Sure the food at HPB isn't fantastic. But at $17 /pax for lunch (includes a drink), it's actually pretty decent value for money especially in the City Hall area.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
A revisit 8 years in the making. And here we were, finally. Somehow we had never really made it to Chef's Gunther Hubreschen's eponymous restaurant because of all the new and "exciting" restaurants that had been popping up ceaselessly in the last decade or so.
The restaurant is divided into 2 dining areas and we were seated in the one with windows. Tables are spaced comfortably apart but due to the enclosed nature of the room, private conversations can be challenging unless one speaks in hushed tones (that's assuming the adjourning tables extend the same courtesy as well).
Complimentary Bread & Amuse Bouche - Things got off to a decent start with the complimentary bread; warm and crusty baguette served with a side of salty butter. Would personally prefer a fatter baguette though as that would highlight the contrast between the soft interior and crusty outside.
Amouse bouche was a singular prawn tempura with a dollop of mayonnaise. The batter came across as light but a little excessive so no great shakes.
Cold Angel Hair Pasta, Oscietra Caviar - One of Gunther's signature dishes and rightfully so, the decadent Cold Angel Hair Pasta with Oscietra Caviar. Served chilled, the pasta, doused with truffle oil and finely diced porcini mushrooms, came across as aromatic and al dente with a smorgasbord of flavours; savoury with a hint of saltiness and fishiness from the prized caviar. A most excellent dish.
Daily Special #1 - White asparagus was in season so we had it with morel mushrooms. Moist and tender with a rich nutty and earthy flavour from the morel mushrooms; simple yet delicious.
Daily Special #2 - Hokkaido scallops, shaved truffle and angel hair pasta; it sounded absolutely "droolicious". Well it sure would have made for a magical combination if the scallops (huge by the way) had a more robust sweetness to them. The angel hair pasta came across as warm and firm (though a little less al dente than the previous dish of chilled pasta with caviar) while the light butter sauce provided a nice creaminess with a fleeting hint of the earth from the truffle shavings.
Roasted Rack Of Black Pig, Gratin Potato, Forestiere - Another of Gunther's signature dish, the Roasted Rack of Black Pig was very well done with a good fat to meat ratio; juicily tender and flavourful with just a dash of salt and pepper. Served with a token of mushrooms and tempura long bean on a bed of roasted gooey cheese. Nothing too complicated and absolutely delicious.
Fine Apple Tart “à la dragée”, Havana Rum Raisin Ice Cream - Yet another of Gunther's signature and with good reason. Suitably sweet apple puree enveloped within a ridiculously crisp and thin shell sprinkled with a generous serving of crushed nuts and served with a scoop of rather strong rum and raisin ice cream. Definitely one of the best rendition of apple tart I've had in recent years.
Petit Fours - To end off, petit fours to further cram our already bursting tummies. Decent.
Food overall came across as grounded; nothing fanciful and generally excellent. Prices are a little dear though, at close to $395 for the both of us. But well worth the money in my humble opinion (if only for a special occasion!). Service was personable and unpretentious so that's another plus. Definitely coming back!
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
We had been itching to try Spago and the opportunity presented itself one Saturday afternoon when we had to drop by Marina Bay Sands (MBS) to settle some business. Spago is Wolfgang Puck's second restaurant @ MBS, with the first being CUT, an upmarket steakhouse. The Los Angeles flagship outlet of Spago had garnered 2 Michelin stars in 2008 and 2009 (Michelin pulled out of LA after that) so our expectations were reasonably high.
Taking the lift up to the 57th level brings you to the famed MBS infinity pool, where one of Spago's service staff will walk you to your table within the confines of a beautiful timber decked room with plenty of natural light (that's if you choose not to dine al fresco).
Served with salted nori butter and unsalted buter, the complimentary baguette and black olive focaccia came across as palatable but nothing to shout about. Somehow the European restaurants (ie. Joel Robuchon) tend to do better bread in my personal experience.
Chicken ‘Laksa’ Spring Roll - This local inspired appetiser was rather interesting. Spring roll skin deep fried till crackling crisp and filled with thick rice noodles and chicken - reminiscent of laksa especially when eaten with the dipping sauce.
Pan Seared Pork Dumplings - The 锅贴 or Gyoza was decent; not overly oily or porky with the skin retaining a light crisp. Simple yet refined.
Grilled Iberico Pork Secreto - Secreto or the "secret" cut apparently refers to different cuts of the Iberian pig, varying from individual to individual and there exists no common or universal standard to date; a clever marketing ploy to make people pay more. But I digress. The famed acorn fed Iberico pork strips were excellent; tender with a light charring along the exterior. Flavours were wonderful - savoury with a touch of earhiness from the mushrooms and sweetness from the pumpkin and chestnuts. Topped with light and crispy pork skin and deliciously smooth parsnip puree.
Grilled Angus Beef Burger - Nothing else really caught my attention on the menu so I went with the usually safe burger option. Unfortunately this didn't turn out as well as I would have liked it to. For starters, the patty was a tad too soft for my liking. I appreciate the hand chopped patty with its uneven texture and bits of fat but it had minimal beefiness to it. The buns were crisp along the edges but slathered with ketchup which isn't my default option for buns (butter is!). An average burger overall. Interestingly, the restaurant 56 floors down in the same tower serves a much better burger in my humble opinion.
Coconut-Passion Fruit Trifle - There wasn't a choice of dessert with the set lunch so the the Coconut-Passion Fruit Trifle it was. Tangy, sweet, smooth and crunchy (due to the rice krispies) all at once. Flavours were light and clean - pretty good. Only small gripe I had was the passionfruit seeds; I know they can be eaten but I'm personally not a fan.
Chocolate – Coffee Semifreddo - We got greedy and decided to share an additional dessert. Served with caramalised banana balls and banana cake cubes, the asthetically pleasing Chocolate Coffee Semifreddo came across as rather strong on the flavours (a juxtaposition to the previous Coconut Passion Fruit Trifle dessert) with a dominant coffee presence. Decent.
Lunch was a pleasant and leisurely affair. Food was decent overall (though not quite up to expectations) and didn't cost us an arm or a leg @ ~$134. Service was very good and so was the ambience. Personally would prefer to dine @ Sky 57 over Spago.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
We were quite a fan of Ninja Bowl @ Duxton so when we found out that there was a sister outlet (Ninja Cut) closer to us at Seah Street, we decided to drop by to give it a shot (as at time of writing, we have been there at least 4 times).
Hidden amongst the plethora of shophouses along Seah Street and just a few shops down from the MINT Museum of Toys, Ninja Cut sports a nondescript facade and is easy to miss unless you pay close attention. The interior is rather spartan but comfortable enough. Noise is a pertinent problem here so conversations can be challenging especially when the place is full.
Oh My Cod - This rather sizeable and sweet slice of cod was nicely pan fried but lacking in silkiness; served with a edamame asparagus combination (a little too salty for my liking and didn't quite seem to jell with the dish), mildly sweet carrots, a wobbly onsen egg and pickled purple slaw. Decent for the price but I'll probably swap out the edamame and asparagus the next time round.
Whats Your Beef? - I've had this thrice but I personally feel that the beef in one of their brunch items, Ninja's Steak & Eggs, tastes better. The beef here is a wee bit overcooked and a tad too chewy for my liking. However this dish comes with mushrooms, sweet corn, onsen egg and carrots for for that relatively delicious all rounded meal. You can opt to add rice, soba or salad for an additional $2.
Oceans Of Mentaiko - Rich, creamy soup base coupled with scallops, prawns, mussels and served with 2 slices of crisp garlic toast; absolutely delicious. Only gripe I have is the miserly and inconsistent amount of soup; it ranges from little (~ 6-8 spoonfuls) to very little (~ 4-6 spoonfuls).
Everything is priced below $20 so it's quite a good deal for the quality and quantity of food in my humble opinion. There is no GST or service charge which is a plus and you get free, self service iced water. Do note that this place only accepts cash or nets.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
We chanced upon this cosy cafe while window shopping at Toa Payoh Central. Situated on the quiet side of the heartland, this cafe serves quite a range of items.
Oven Roasted BBQ Chicken ( $16.00 ) - The marinated chicken leg was tender and moist. Unlike some places where the meat turned out tough and dry, theirs was easy to cut and can be shared among friends. The chilled salad and generous fries was a bonus as both were served freshly.
Sirloin Steak ( $19.00 ) - The meat was juicy and topped with red wine sauce, thus making this dish very flavourful.
Pulled Pork Sandwich ( $16.00 ) - It was originally stated as burger but we find it difficult to share among ourselves, so we requested this item to be made into sandwich. The shredded BBQ meat was mixed with mayo and some other sauces. It has a slight taste of BBQ sauce and was indeed unique.
Dowager's Fingers ( $10.00 ) - Upon first bite, we could taste the succulent prawns that were wrapped by wanton skin. When dipped into the honey sesame mayo sauce, it seem to be a good formula.
Charcoal Waffle With Double Scoop Ice Cream ( $15.00 ) - Not sure whether it is eatable charcoal but the waffle was freshly served with 2 different types of ice cream and a small bowl of chocolate sauce.
We were satisfied with the food as well as the service crew. Although food may be a bit pricey (considered their location in a heartland), it comes without GST and service charge.
We will definitely patronize again as we are confident that the rest of their menu will not disappoint us.
Rating given:
A couple of us dropped by Fat Cow for lunch one weekday afternoon after hearing so much about their signature wagyu donburi.
Located at a corner of Camden Medical Centre, Fatcow took quite a bit of finding as there didn't seem to be any clear signs as to where exactly the place was from the carpark. But we finally found the place and were led into a "private" room for the 8 of us; "private" because it was really just part of the main bar area with a paper thin partition that afforded some visual privacy (no respite from the noise though).
Salad, Miso Soup & Chawanmushi - A side of fresh salad, miso soup and chawanmushi came as a side to our set lunch. I personally liked the chawanmushi; smooth and light without coming across as too eggy and served with a slice of scallop, mushroom and prawn.
The Fat Cow Donburi - And the sole reason why we were here; the namesake Fat Cow Donburi. I ordered my wagyu medium rare but it seemed a touch undercooked even though the flavours were good; salty with a robust beefiness but a little lacking in the juiciness. The wobbly onsen egg imbued the dish with a creamy texture. A good dish but lacked the wow factor in my humble opinion.
Ice Cream - A tiny scoop of smooth and creamy caramel ice cream (probably the size of 2 quail eggs) capped off our meal. Inadequate but appreciated nonetheless.
The 8 of us racked up a bill of ~$480 and though good, doesn't quite justify the quality and quantity of food honestly. We left the restaurant feeling a little unsatisfied to be honest. Service overall was decent but tea refills need to be more forthcoming, especially at $5 /pax. Will I be back? I highly doubt so, unless someone is picking up the check.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Upon landing on Bandung, we took a cab to The Valley Resort Hotel which was located on a hill top. As the taxi travelled up the slope, we could feel the chilled fresh air as we unwind the windows to appreciate what nature has created.
Our rooms offered spectacular view of Bandung and each unit is 2-storey high where the upper floor has this big and spacious bed. The accessories on lower floor bathroom were installed with frog theme design.
This resort also cater to families with children as there are adventure park, playground with pony riding and karaoke singing for the adults. The hotel also provide complimentary vouchers for those keen to play golf at nearby golf course.
Their Bistro Cafe also serve authentic Indonesian food and prices are reasonable with excellent service provided by the staff.
Although it was a short stay, we have truly enjoyed ourselves especially the shopping and the delicious food that were recommended by the taxi driver which we have booked for his services since day one.
Rating given:
We have tried numerous food outlets on this dish and by far, this is one of the places that served food way below our expectations.
Pig Stomach Soup ( $6.00 ) - The soup was not even hot and there was no peppery taste. It also do not have any sweetness or flavour. In actual fact, it was a diluted version of the pork ribs soup. The pig stomach was hard to chew and tasted like rubber band.
Dried Bak Kut Teh ( $12.00 ) - there was a burnt smell when the staff served this dish. As seen from the photo, there were hardly any meat on each pork rib. The texture was so hard that one of the ribs actually flew off from the plate as we were trying to figure out the meaty portion.
Baby Cabbage ( $6.00 ) - At least this dish is decent enough for us to eat with the white rice.
We have left the place with the pig stomach soup and dried bak kut teh half eaten. In our honest opinion, it is not worth coming back to try the rest of their food items if they cannot even cook simple and basic dishes.
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The 3 of us were having lunch at Long Chim (which translates to come and taste), a relatively upscale Thai restaurant at Marina Bay Sands owned by renowned Australian Celebrity Chef David Thompson, who is also behind the award winning Thai restaurant, Nahm, in Bangkok.
Located on the 2nd floor of MBS, Long Chim boasts a modern and trendy interior with Asian twists, scenes of Bangkok and a view of Marina Bay from certain tables. But the view is a double edged sword because you get plenty of natural light (great!) and some of the heat as well (not so great).
As this was our first visit, we decided to go with the set lunch.
Cured Pork Fritters - Deep fried breaded cubes filled with sourish cured pork and an uneven distribution of chilli; best eaten with the peanuts to help neutralise the sourness. No great shakes and not my cup of tea.
Miang Prawn - One of my dining companions had the Miang prawn, which was an assortment of ingredients (dried prawns, shallots, peanuts etc) wrapped in a betel leaf. Sweet, spicy and sour all at once - akin to a zesty rojak paste. Can't say this was well received.
Fried Rice with Roast Duck - This was my main course and though this dish came across as lightly salty and savoury, it lacked any discernable wok hei. I couldn't quite make out the taste of the duck slices as well, which was a pity. Overall a rather forgettable dish of fried rice.
Sweet Mango Sticky Rice - One of the quintessential Thai desserts, the humble mango sticky rice. Mildly sweet mango slices atop rather watery rice (too much creamy coconut milk!) and sprinkled with fried mung bean to inject some crunch. Decent dessert but portion sizes are minute; I finished the whole thing in 2 spoonfuls.
Lunch for the 3 of us cost ~ $94, which isn't expensive (ala carte and dinner prices are quite a bit higher though) given the prices at Marina Bay Sands in general but quality is average at best. Overhyped and rather underwhelming in my humble opinion. Service is decent though.
See all my pictures here.
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As it is known to be one of the oldest Chinese restaurants, we have patronised this place since our younger days holding birthday and wedding celebrations. When this restaurant moved to Chinatown, we hardly dine here as the place is squeezed and it was very hard to hold any conversations in this compact and noisy environment.
Spring Court Popiah ( $7.50 per roll ) – At this price, we expected the ingredients to be more unique or different but unfortunately, it tasted the same as those found in hawker centres or food stalls. Although the fresh prawns are bigger in size, we felt it could not justify the price being charged.
Roasted Chicken Stuffed With Minced Prawns ( $22.00 ) – We noticed that the name sound interesting but when this dish was presented, we were quite disappointed as we could not see, taste or find any minced prawns. Instead, it looked more like prawn paste mixture. The chicken meat also tasted bland with no seasonings at all. Since Spring Court was well known for their roasted spring chicken, we were expecting this dish to be at par or even better than their roasted plain chicken.
Fried Mee Sua ( $19.00 ) – One of the items that we were quite satisfied as the mee sua ( vermicelli ) was fried with the right “ wok hei “ and it tasted delicious with the numerous ingredients like pepper corns, squids, juicy prawns and crunchy beansprouts.
As the above dishes were recommended by the manager, we felt that it was highly priced including one pot of Chinese tea, towels and a small plate of pickled vegetable cost $13.20 for 4 of us. Total bill ( including 10% service charge and GST ) was $81.45.
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