Xi Yan was one of the first few places i went to ever since my foodie journey began. It's safe to say it was the first step i took into seriously considering doing blogs on food and such. So it would always be an interesting memory in my book. Thats not to say its a good experience though.
This first thing to note about Xi Yan is rather simple. Reservations only. Also, minimum of 6 people to a table to have dinner. And the dinner (supposedly) starts at 730pm sharp. I suppose the age old adage of people "Always wanting what they can't have" is the gimmick behind this exclusive restuarant. As is the reason for its exclusivity and high price, which i will rate after i've presented the dishes in full below.
Dish 1: Greenhouse Tomatoes in Sesame Sauce - The first dish of the day came as a little bit of a surprise. The greenhouse tomatoes were pretty big and it actually allowed each of us to have about 2 pieces each, which is good. I enjoyed this dish quite a bit because it was fresh and the sesame sauce had traces of wasabi in it as well. This all complimented well for this dish to allow it to be a pretty good start to the meal.
Dish 2: Cold Tofu Pork Floss - The second in the appetizer series. The tofu honestly wasn't too great as it wasn't silky smooth nor held much taste to warrant this dish holding its own weight. In fact, i felt the addition of the pork floss dumbed down the dish somewhat, making it feel like a Breadtalk creation despite its rather complicated ingredients of pork floss, salted egg yolk and dried shrimp.
Dish 3:Shrimp and Crab Paste on Baguette Toast - Despite the rather nice name and presentation, this was something i felt should never have been a part of the evening. The shrimp and crab paste tasted simply like something you could find in any chinese market and the baguette combination simply didn't work for me.
Dish 4: Sichuan Pickles in Spicy Sauce - This to me was another lacklustre appetiser. The pickles and raddish were soaked in some sichuan sauce that gave them both an extremly, read: EXTREMLY sour taste. Maybe it is suitable for some who love sour stuff but it certainly didn't work for me. It did however, make me feel more hungry for a good actual meal though.
Dish 5: Deep Fried Prawns in Salted Egg Yoke - Being the first main course to arrive after our 4 appetisers, i'd expected great things from this dish. The prawns were suitably fresh but not excellent though. The salted egg yoke it came with did however, give it a pretty special taste. Still, i believe its possible to get this in a coffeeshop setting at less than half the price.
Dish 6:Stewed Beef Shin with Tangerine Peel - Now this dish finally allowed me to heave a small sigh of relief. I quite liked the beef shin as it was tender and tasted sweet with the tangerine peel. This goes well recommended in my books but as with the rest, is not excellent so far.
Dish 7: Sichuan Salivating Chicken - This is the main deal for the day. Supposedly THE dish that everyone comes to Xi Yan for. I would describe this as a cross between Hainan Chicken rice and Korean cold noodles. Ingredients found in this dish included chicken, yam noodles, peanuts, chilli, coriander and century egg. The preparation is such that everything would be given a good mix and then served to its patrons. I found this to be an interesting dish but not exactly award winning stuff. The chicken was tender but nothing special. I did find the initial smell that arose prior to mixing very pleasing though. And also, its a good choice to seperate the chilli oil if you can't take hot stuff. It is very punishing.
Dish 8: Fried Lemongrass Shrimp Paste Grouper - As adviced by the waiter, Grouper is usually steamed at most outlets to preserve its freshness and to bring out its taste. However, Xi Yan has to be different so they deep fried the grouper which is coated with lemongrass shrimp paste. The result? A fish that is moist, succulent and full of freshness on the inside and crispy, fragrant and pretty on the outside. The accompaniment you see are pomelo bits which actually helped to complement its taste. I liked this dish pretty much even though i felt that it would have been much better had the fish been steamed instead.
Dish 9:Basil Sorbet Intermezzo - The sorbet was refreshing and sweet. There's still a tinge of sour to its taste but i found the combination to be rather wierd when mixed together.
Dish 10: Furong Chicken Soup - The chicken soup was supposedly boiled for 4 hours but i couldn't really taste a difference in it from other chicken soups i've had before. I found the meat inside easy to break apart and quite palatable without being overly salty. Overall, its a passable dish.
Dish 11: Young and Old Happy News (Jiu Xing Huan Xi) - The entire group was guessing what this dish would turn out to be given the interesting name. What came however, was what you see here. Its basically a combination of dou miao and preserved vegetables fried together. Nothing really special about it and it didn't really come across as a surprise per se, but more of a shock. It did taste decent though.
Dish 12: Tofu Ice Cream on Pandan Glutinous Rice - I would probably have to say that this is without a doubt, the best dish of the day. When it came at the end of the barrage you saw above, we were actually quite adament about how it would taste since nothing before it managed to wow us. The toufu ice cream was nicely done and suitably smooth although i wasn't sure where the toufu taste was supposed to be found. The pandan glutinous rice was sweet and none too filling either. The result of having both together resulted in a wonderful combination that somewhat gave us a good ending to the mediocre offerings before it.
Honestly speaking, i really can't recommend this place due to its absurd price and under performing dishes which simply did not provide enough to justify its cost. Simply looking at the dishes is enough to tell you that there's only one feeling to be had after the meal. The feeling of being ripped off. The ingredients were normal and hardly expensive and the cooking was sub par. Its only saving grace was the company i had that day and even that is pushing the envelope for acceptance. Given this price, i'd be better off dining at a Buffet like "The Line" at Shangri La. Not recommended to try unless they dropped the price to 50 per pax.
Hai~Tien~Lo is a chic restuarant located at the top floor of Pan Pacific hotel. Its classy, authentically chinese and offers a pretty good view of the sunset or Singapore skyline regardless of the time of the day
Dish 1: Hai Tien Lou Trio of Treasures - The trio of treasures simple consisted of Fried Prawn in Japanese Sesame Sauce, Sliced Skin of Beijing Duck and Pan Fried Scallop with minced Ginger. Given the price, i really would have expected a whole lot more than the serving we were given. Minor gripe aside, the prawn was quite big, albeit its only one prawn. It tasted fresh and juicy, however, i really couldn't remember the taste of the japanese sesame sauce at all. The sliced skin of Peking duck didn't leave much impression on me either. The scallop with minced ginger also tasted fresh but i felt the ginger taste a tad bit overpowered. So i suppose only the prawn was good in this dish, quite a disappointment really.
Dish 2: Peking Duck - Now this dish was good. The skin was thin and didn't contain much fat at all so its good for the weight conscious (maybe in denial) i suppose. But the importance of it all is that the skin tasted absolutely fragrant and the white eggless crepes simply compounded the already superb dish. We had the whole duck to ourselves for this one and happily so too. Like the skin, the meat itself was cooked just right, resulting in it tasting sweet, succulent, tender and juicy at the same time. A definate must try dish here.
Dish 3: Braised Homemade Spinach Beancurd with accompaniments of Pork and Pine Mushroom Sauce - Another great dish. The beancurb was silky smooth and literally melts in your mouth. The accompanying spinach layer left a slight aftertaste but a welcomed one at that and pork/ pine mushroom sauce only served to add to its already great taste. I remember each of us having only one piece of beancurd each though, which was good, but i won't complain if more was served though.
Dish 4: 3 Egg Spinach - Now this dish is a mixed bag, literally. It contains 3 different types of eggs and spinach in a strangely soggy concoction which i could not take to no matter how i tried. The spinach was overly soaked in sauce and i really couldn't taste anything positive about it. Its passable but hardly recommendable. Give this a miss if you are there.
Dish 5: Steamed Prawns with Mashed Garlic - Garlic prawns served in a bamboo brisket anyone? Well, this dish was good. The prawns were big, read BIG, so even though there were about 6 prawns in total, it still felt like the dish was worth it. Add the fact that the prawns were very crunchy, juicy and fresh and you got yourself a winner. Some of my friends felt the garlic was a tad too much but i felt it was great, just don't snog after this dish.
Dish 6: Coconut Seafood Fried Rice - Well, i felt the rice was nice but tasted too much like nasi lemak fried rice. The coconut taste was pretty strong but the rice was nicely done. Soft and spongy such that you could almost taste each one. Its a decent dish but i wouldn't recommend having it while there are obviously better choices.
Dessert: Crushed Peanut Tang Yuan - I honestly couldn't remember too much about these little round balls. So it says something about the dish. Go figure.
The bill totaled to be $313 for a group of 5. A pretty good dinner considering there were a few hits and a few misses. However, the service and ambiance does make up for the minor misses and in the presence of great company, many things can be forgiven.
Given the location and quality of food, i'd say this is a good place to visit given the money and time to sit down and comfortably enjoy a good meal with either that special someone or a group of like minded friends. Choice of food however, has to be considerably careful on that aspect so that one can eliminate the less than spectacular renditions that is offered. Overall though, this is still a place that can be heartily recommended to everyone with a penchant for good chinese food.
Orchid Country Club is located near the outskirts separating Yishun and Yio Chu Kang. More known for its golf courses and expensive membership fee, this place also houses a small albeit relatively well-known Zi Ca restuarant by the name of the picture you see below.
Dish 1: Deep Fried Chicken Wings with Sweet Sauce - This dish looks very simple but is special in the sense that it consists of only the portion of wings which contain the most tender meats. If you look closely, you'll find that you can eat the meat very easily without fussing too much about the bones due to the special care taken in preparing this dish. This is a great starting dish. The meat was tender and juicy and sweet at the same time with a tinge of sour. Its a hit with the kids and adults in the family alike. Definately try it.
Dish 2: Abalone with Spinach - This is abalone with some spinach hidden beneath. The taste here is awesome. Being the second dish, it really serves to whet your appetite. Minor gripe about the dish is on the abalone. It tasted fake for some reason or maybe i've had too many whole pieces to like sliced pieces now. The veggie and sauce was well done though, not too salty and quite crunchy even under all that thick tasty sauce.
Dish 3: Fried Tofu with Top Shell Clam - This is fried tofu with some top shell clam thrown together. Very delectable dish. The tofu was crispy and the accompanying clam and veggies totally decked out the dish. There's a little sour and sweet taste making it taste a little thai. The tofu was nice and hot throughout and was finished very quickly. A good 3rd dish.
Dish 4: Lobster Porridge - The star of the day. Lobster Porridge. This is a must try dish @ this place regardless of your budget. The serving we had was HUGE. We couldn't finish it. I counted and found there were 6 full sized lobsters thrown into this pot. The soup tasted superb and the lobster was fresh and simply delicious. I personally gulped down 4 bowls of the porridge and 2.5 lobsters. My dear girl also had a great time with this dish and had in excess of 3 bowls of the soup. Everyone else in the family also ate at least 2 bowls each. Its that good and even better, if you can't finish, bring it home. Heat it the next day, and it'll taste as good as it is now. Must try this dish.
Dish 5: Stir Fried Venison - This dish came after the porridge. So what this means is that everyone is pretty much stuffed by then. This dish is very normal tasting not unlike most run-of-the-mill stalls that serve the dish. The meat is tender and very chewy, a little too chewy perhaps. I felt it was acceptable but nothing special.
Dish 6: Sambal Sauce Mussels - Mussels in sambal sauce. The mussels were very fresh and very tasty but given the fact that we were too stuffed, we couldn't give it much attention. I only managed to get 4 down before i stopped on this dish. Still, the sambal was nicely done. I figured it wasn't too spicy nor too salty. Thus its a good dish IMHO.
Dish 7: Steamed Grouper - This fish came last. Its an awesomely big fish. You can practically see the freshness and the meat is just oozing out of the fish. Note: this is only half the fish. The other half was on another plate. My uncles had gripes about the fish being overcooked and thus making the meat very springy and less tender. Basically, they wanted fishes that melt (literally) in their mouth. So this failed according to them. To me, its a FISH! I love fish! And the meat tasted good enough for me. The salty base soy sauce enhanced the taste considerably as well. So i liked it.
I forgot to mention service and ambience in the above. Actually, its located next to a golf driving range. So unless your like me, who loves golf. Its not much of a view. The service isn't up to par either. You gotta scream and shout and remind for them to remember but it gets to you either way. Food is what this is all about and good seafood is what you get. If you prefer posh stuff, check my previous blogs. I'm still looking for a better posh eating establishment and the search will go on. For beer garden, please try it for the porridge. I'm sure you will not be disappointed.
Eden cafe is located along the chic little alley of 54th club street. Nestled in a small inconspicuous corner is a little culinary treasure that is helmed by an equally inconspicuous and unassuming man by the name of Clement Ronald Ng. Incidentally, he is also the head chef and owner of Helio cafe located at Marina Square.
Appetiser: Mushroom Soup with Otak - simple as this dish may sound and look. It actually contains a blend of 5 different mushrooms and contains no cream at all. The result is a surprisingly fresh concoction that fills your tastebuds with all things mushroom. Before my tasting i'd already heard good things about this dish from friends but i have to say, it does underwhelm a little maybe because i'm too used to cream mushroom soups. This is definitely the healthier choice though. The accompanying otak is very nicely done. The bread was toasted beforehand and was nicely crisp. The otak was not too spicy and had just enough 'oomph' to its taste to set it apart from normal run-of-the-mill otaks. The only complaint was that there was too little of it.
Main Dish 1: Lavender Rosemary Pastry Wrapped Seedless Grape Chicken - the first dish after appetisers to grace our table. This is actually one of chef Clement's Signature dishes and i've been pining to have a taste since the previous visit because my initial impression with Clements other chicken creation was very positive. The chicken was very tender and you can definitely taste the lavender and rosemary albeit a lot less significant then before. The lemon which was inside the chicken along with the grapes kinda gave the chicken a very uneven sour taste but i understand from my friends that the parts like the wings and breasts had the taste spread more evenly and was very good. Personally, i got the sour parts so i cannot speak for the rest. The pastry was surprisingly hard but had soaked up the taste of chicken and lemon and lavender pretty well. The verdict on that was that some liked it and some didn't. I liked it though.
Main Dish 2: Dory Fish Potato Gratin - The second main dish to appear on our table. I've tasted various potato gratins before but never a dory fish melded version. This dish disappeared within seconds of its appearance as everyone quickly took a piece. The greens were superb with their salad dressing, as is with all the greens in Eden Cafe, i'll make a statement: "All greens in Eden Cafe are fresh and taste totally great!" Paired with the gratin, i'd say most of the taste was solely on the potato more then the fish. I couldn't really tell where the dory fish taste came in but the gratin was good nonetheless. It was cooked just right which gave it a nice texture of being soft on the inside and firm on the outside.
Main Dish 3: Pork Wraps In Wild Pepper Leaves - This is one dish i can easily recommend. Clement was introducing it to me before we dug into the dish and apparently, the way to enjoy this dish is akin to having Peking Duck. And yes, its wrapped with the pepper leaves. This is a totally enjoyable dish because everything complements so well. The pork is nicely cooked and there are faint traces of spices in it. The leaf is surprisingly tasty. The four other ingredients you see here are actually, sugar syrup, sliced lime, i think its ground nuts and little dried salty shrimp. To enjoy this dish, put all the ingredients and wrap it with the pork and leaf. You can control how you want this dish to taste by moderating the portion of each ingredient. Comments from my friends include it having a slightly thai taste to being simply delectable and light. A side note is that the shrimp was used as turtle food sometimes but thats beside the point. Its great enjoyment to have this dish since everybody has a great time eating and having fun with this dish. Of course, its also simply delicious and light.
Main Dish 4: Saffron Cream Sauce Salmon and Portebello - undoubtedly the star of the day in the main course department. This dish was simply great. The saffron sauce does not overwhelm and complements well with the salmon and portebello mushroom accompaniment. For people who do not like salmon for its fishy taste, please rest assured that you will have no such problem with this dish. As Clement would reiterate during the meal, he uses only sashimi grade salmon for his dishes and it shows. If you were to just enjoy the salmon, you would be missing out on one of the best things about this dish, the portebello mushroom. I say this with much conviction because EVERYONE including the previous group i came with loved the mushroom to bits. It is succulent, juicy and oh so tasty its a must try even from reviewers in the Today paper on June 18th Monday 2007. Definitely a must-try dish at Eden or Helios if they offer it.
Main Dish 5: Tomato Based Spaghetti With Fresh Mussel - as Clement puts it, this dish was meant as a backup dish if our group was not full after the delightful dish before. The tomato base is specially made and blended by Clement himself and if my memory does not fail me. He quoted using mushrooms in his concoction as well for the base. The result is a well balanced base that does not overwhelm the taste buds and is just right. The accompanying spaghetti is well cooked and easily palatable, complementing the tomato base well. The mussel is fresh and sufficiently marinated by the base while still retaining its very own wild freshness. For lack of a better term to describe the feeling, you can actually taste the freshness of the sea from that one single mussel. A good ending to the main course department though not exactly spectacular but worthy nonetheless.
Dessert: Hibiscus Cheese Cake - A star dessert and best seller at Eden. This Hibiscus cheese cake is specially made so its much lighter on the tummy then regular cheese cakes sold outside. The cake had a smooth texture that allows it to easily melt in your mouth. Its not too sweet and the hibiscus gives it a slight sour taste from the layer above while the other cheese layers contain a distinct sweetness that offsets and balances everything. I've heard nothing but praises for this dish from my friends and even the newspaper reviewer of Today took to this dessert with nothing but delight. Add to the fact that it is Eden Cafe's bestseller dessert and you know you gotta try it at least once. Be warned not to expect flavors that burst in your mouth as i've already said, this is a light dish and the taste is balanced, not overwhelming.
Visit 2: The following is a reminiscence of my first visit with pictures taken from my friend's blog and thus the watermarks. Do pay his site a visit as well since it currently contains much more then mine. horts of the signboard and interior. As you can see, its not necessarily big but its not the size of the restuarant that matters, its the food, service and also, for this particular restuarant, its spirit.
Starters: Jumbo Prawns Wrapped In Bacon - As a starter, this was rather disappointing if attention was focused on the prawn and bacon alone. The prawns were rather small and the bacon was quite salty when both were paired together. I also detect a slight powdery texture in the prawn which does not bode well for this dish. The tomato salsa salad on the other hand is a wonderful starter. Everything inside is totally fresh and very appetizing. This would have sufficed as a starter if paired with something other than the prawns we had.
Saffron Cream Sauce Salmon - As I've already said in my "Eden Cafe Revisited" post, this is a must try dish no matter what the situation. The freshness of the salmon and the combination of the mushroom with saffron sauce and salad. Its a great dish that everyone can enjoy.
Beef & Mashed Potato in Red Wine - As the second main course of the day, this was excellent. I myself am an avid lover of beef and meat. Thus this hit the spot for me just right. General complaints for this dish from my friends were that the beef was too raw. This is actually a very valid complaint since the dish was cooked medium rare but maybe due to the thickness of the beef, the middle portion was essentially still rare and might turn off people who prefer their beef more cooked. However, I liked the dish the way it is and as Clement would educate before the meal, he only uses the freshest beef and cuts where i remember would be top side and tenderloin. He also said that this beef could have been eaten raw without any worries. My impression of the meat is that it is thick, succulent and although i could not taste any form of marinating, tasted good. The mashed potato and red wine combination is a first and is excellent. The mash potato compliments well with the red wine concoction and simply spurs you on to in indulge in more of it. Definitely a good thing and a dish worth trying out. Be wary of how raw it is though and advice Clement before the dish to ensure maximum satisfaction.
Rosemary Chicken - Unfortunately, we do not have photographs of this dish. However, this is also another dish i have to recommend heartily to all you readers. Essentially a floral dish, this chicken is excellent. You can detact strong traces of rose with each bite and the texture of the chicken is excellent. Its not too hard and tears easily without being overly soft. Overall, everything was balanced just right and is unique enough to warrant a try from everyone sick of the usual taste of chicken offered elsewhere.
Crème Brûlée - The first dessert of the day came with a performance all its own. Clement personally did the melting of the sugar on top as he informed us that his Crème Brûlée is made of pure vanilla beans instead of essence or extract which is available elsewhere. The melting was done evenly and resulted in a nice layer of sugar on top which was just right, neither too thick nor too thin. This is a very nice dessert to start with and makes the visit worthwhile in my opinion. Do try but note that if Clement does not do the melting himself, results may vary.
Tiramisu - The Tiramisu is available easily outside but i find that Clement's rendition packs more 'Oomph" for the buck. The top layer is made of chocolate which is very unusual and gives it a very dense taste. The cake below is soaked in rum and that could be either really good or really bad depending on how you like your tiramisu. I liked it strong even though my friend's think otherwise. Try and discern for yourself but do note the mxing is different with each rendition thus you might get a thicker or less dense version depending on your luck.
Brandy Chocolate - Our third dessert was essentially brandy chocolate. This is another very flavorful rendition by Clement and the chocolate is really thick and dense. However, i really couldn't taste the brandy so i'm not sure why this was called brandy chocolate. I wasn't really impressed with this particular dessert but its still better than average.
Hisbiscus Cheese Phyllo - The fourth and last dessert for the day is something unique to Eden Cafe at present. The Hibiscus cheese phyllo is looks a little like folded prata with cheese inside but it tastes totally different. As it is made during the visit, it tastes fresh, crispy and warm. The filling of hibiscus gives the cheese a unique sour taste. Take this in moderation as the taste of cheese begins to overwhelm after a time.
Food and value is consistently good at Eden Cafe. Thus, it is highly recommended. As per my previous introduction, do call up early for MTO meals instead of walk-ins as the place is now usually packed.
Visit 3: den Cafe, by now, you should have heard about it from either the television, the newspaper, the radio or from a variety of blogs online. Pioneered by Clement Ng for his passion for floral cuisine, Eden has gotten many rave reviews and some not-so-good ones as well. No matter, Yebber had its little gathering there and many were present to enjoy it. You can view my previous visits here and here.
Clement and Yebber obviously went through some effort to do up the place for a nice Christmas like feeling to suit the season. And i do applaud their effort for providing a nice atmosphere for the event. Complete with mistletoes and door gifts, the feeling was homely and just right.
Rose Petal Brownie with Cookies and Cream Ice Cream ($5.90) - Why is dessert the first dish? Simple, due to miscommunication and some really late comers, we had to settle for something to start the meal. I've an insatiable sweet tooth and that is why this comes in first. It came looking like a winner and it is a winner. The brownie is warm and moist with it being mildly sweet and a tad bitter. Add in rose petals and thick cream filled ice cream and it was enough to satisfy my day. I could have just had this and felt good actually.
Black Sesame Mushroom Pasta - As Clement puts it: "For this dish, you either love it or hate it." I have to say i lean towards the latter. Although i applaud the effort taken to prepare it (you actually see the service staff squeezing it out of some contraption) but taste-wise, it doesn't quite cut it for me. The texture was a mixed bag as well and i found the lemon based sauce and cheese didn't quite complement each other.
Tomato Based Seafood Soup - I was quite surprised this dish didn't receive further attention to its presentation but then again, how well can you make a tomato based soup look? The soup was thick with mashed vegetables and tomatoes and came with 1 mussel and 1 prawn each. Overall, i found it a little bland in taste this time around albeit i'm sure it is a reasonably healthy dish.
Endives With Mushroom and Bacon Canapes - Fresh, tasty and healthy. This is one refreshing appetiser that is easy to enjoy. Tasty fungi is difficult to find i think. Only gripe? Please upsize the serving for this please. One is never enough!
Seedless Grape Chicken - Another signature dish, this time in sampler portions. The dough casing is even harder then before and totally inedible. However, this chicken inside is definitely an improvement with its juices locked in well. As usual, more would have been better.
Rosemary Garlic Beef - I found the beef a little tough this time around, but the rosemary garlic sauce is delectable. Makes the dish still desirable in my books.
Lemon Garlic Snow Fish - Snow fish or Cod with pan fried with lemon and garlic. To me, cod by itself is already a delicacy so additional garnishing either enhance it to super stardom or spoils the dish. This, however, was neither. The cod was a tad dry but sweet nonetheless and the lemon garlic almost overwhelmed the taste of the prized fish. Good but not quite for me.
Balsamic Strawberry Beef - This i loved. Simple. Balsamic beef tastes a little like beef soaked in vinegar before it was cooked. What can i say? I love both beef and vinegar. And the best part? The beef was tender and of a respectable size. Definitely worth a try. The strawberry seems like an after thought though.
Hibiscus CheeseCake And Balsamic Black Pepper Mousse Cake - 've had both of these before so it wasn't too special to me. The balsamic mousse cake was Clement's 'mystery cake' which i had during the mooncake festival. It generally tastes like cheese cake with a little spice added to the taste. The hibiscus cheesecake retains its sourish and sweet taste that still makes it a hit in the restaurant.
Chocolate Brownie And Wine Tea Floral Fruit Jello With Strawberry- Chocolate brownie is the same one i had at the start of the meal but it wasn't heated and it didn't look as pretty. Taste wise, it just doesn't have as much impact as the full item in the beginning. The wine tea jello is pretty interesting, essentially combining the wine tea into a jello form for consumption. I personally didn't find it very appealing however.
The bill for 25 people came to $1100 dollars which is quite a fair bit but does feel justified somewhat since everyone generally had good time. The meal did take 5 hours to pan out though.
Is Eden any good? Yes it is. There are still some winners in the menu and Clement is constantly coming out with new items to add. His service is personalized and friendly as well as long as you are his customers. When all is said and done, Eden is still one of the better restaurants out there. Homely, cheerful, nonplussed and serves good food. Now if only Clement would lower the price and give bigger portions, i'll bring armies there for lunch and dinner.
I liked the fact that the chicken could be shared by up to 3 people and that we received 3 servings of half a chicken which meant the portions were adequate and very satisfying.
Had dinner with LSD and a few other makan khakis at Magma German Wine Bistro. As the name suggests, it serves German food. Heard about this place quite some time back through some TV Chinese variety show so after much postponement, we finally got down to it on a wet Friday evening.
Magma occupies 2 units right at the start of Bukit Pasoh Road. Locating it proved to be a problem as it was discreetly hidden from view with no outstanding features or signs. But find it and you will be welcomed into a cosy and homely dining area with an open kitchen concept and racks of wine bottles. Though sparsely finished, the restaurant exudes warmth (literally as well. It was a little warm that day) and makes you feel right at home. They could do with bigger tables though. It was honestly a little cramp, which hampered eating and relaxed conversation quite a bit.
Wurstplatte mit 5 oder Wursten - Sausage Platter with 5 Sausages - We started off with the sausage platter consisting of 5 different types of sausages. Frankly, I probably have only eaten 2 or 3 of the varieties that were served, so I pretty much can't identify any of them except for one which was Cheese Sausage. Overall a rather pleasing dish with the sausages being crunchy and not too pressing.
Kasseler, Knoblauch und Sauerkraut - Smoked Pork Loin, Garlic and Sauerkraut Pizza - Interestingly, the German's do their pizza differently. Sour cream is added in place of cheese or tomato sauce. Our Kasseler, Knoblauch und Sauerkraut came with generous toppings of Sauerkraut and had this garlicky taste although I couldn't detect any visible signs of garlic. The crust was amazingly thin (I certainly didn't expect such a thin crust from a German restaurant) and the pork loin was relatively well smoked, trapping in the smoky flavours. A unique dish, but I personally found the Sauerkraut topping a little too overwhelming.
Gemischte Schlachtplatte fur 3 Personen - Mixed Butcher's Platter of all our Pork Specialities for 3 Persons - Words escape me when I try to describe the platter that was set before us. Humongous would probably come close. Just staring at the all pork dish sent shivers down my spine. I really couldn't imagine eating that. Well, we did anyway. I would very much like to go into details about the various cuts and items in the platter, but that would take too much time (there are about 8 different items?) and I honestly can't remember whats what. Only thing I can remember is the Pork Knuckle, which did seem a little too soft with the skin not being as crispy as I would have liked it (read my entry on ABOF for good pork with crackling skin). Overall, the whole dish tended towards the salty side. Actually, all the dishes were a little too heavy on the salt, not just this one.
Gebackene Apfelscheiben mit Zimthonig - Baked Apple Slices in Puff Pastry with Honey and Cinnamon. - Ever wondered how Goreng Pisang with apple instead of banana would taste like? Well, this is your answer. A very interesting rendition of the conventional Apple Pie. The honey added a sweet twist to the dish but I couldn't quite make out the taste from the cinnamon powder. Also, the apple slices had their citrus flavour removed which was probably for the better.
Baked Cheese stuffed with Gooseberries - I'm just guessing the name of this dish because its a daily special and not anywhere in the menu, so please forgive me if I get it wrong. Another very interesting dish. The whole thing actually tastes like pudding with a slight cheesy aftertaste, very much like the cheesecake kind of cheesy and not the right in your face kind. But I didn't think too much of it as it got quite sick after too much, probably due to the soft and wet cake like pastry.
Chocolate Mousse - Interestingly, the Chocolate Mousse had but a faint resemblance to the normal ones you can get outside. There were 2 scoops(or is it moulds?) of Chocolate Mousse, one White Chocolate and one Dark Chocolate, sitting on a bed of Marzipan sauce. In all honesty, the White Chocolate Mousse didn't quite taste like White Chocolate. Instead it tasted creamy and had this mild spicy aftertaste. But as with the Chocolate Mousse, the texture was smooth and thick. From our conversation with the waiter later, the spiciness behind the White Chocolate Mousse was attributed to the type of Chocolate used
We chalked up a bill of $173.66 for a filling dinner for 6 pax. The general consensus is that its genuinely value for money. The food is of above average quality and service is great and the waiters actually know what they are talking about with regard to the food. The place could do with bigger tables(mentioned earlier) and a slightly better ventilation system because the open concept kitchen isn't seperated by a glass panel. Also, it would be nice if the food adopted a lower salt policy. That aside, a revisit is on the cards.
Colbar, or Colonial Bar for short, was built in 1953 along Jalan Hang Jebat (off Portsdown Road) and mainly served as a canteen for soldiers who lived in the neighbouring estate which is now known as Wessex Estate. It has since relocated to a new site which is a stone's throw away from the old one and is still very popular with the expatriate community.
Since my gf and I were in the area, we took the opportunity to try out their food and soak in the tranquil atmosphere, away from the maddening world outside.
The pictures say it all don't they? A serene and laid back environment close to nature and far from the hustle and bustle of the city. Its really a place where time seems to have stopped, a scene from a different era.
Well enough of the place. Down to the food. I ordered the Chocolate Milkshake ($4) which in my opinion, was ridiculously overpriced. It looked and tasted exactly like normal Chocolate milk ($1.50), except that it had frothy layer at the top. Talk about repackaging.
This dish was as normal as it gets. Its like one of those chicken chops you eat at the hawker centre and totally forget how it tastes like the next day. The only thing I liked about this dish was that it came with button mushrooms, which I personally prefer. Other than that, the wedges were a little too soggy and very uninspiring.
The old man at the counter recommended this to me and taste wise, it was not too bad. It was a little over fried though, rendering the batter a little hard and burnt. A honestly very average dish which can easily be found elsewhere. Not really worth the $9 for it.
A total rip off kind of describes the bacon sandwich ($5). It was just two bacon strips from the oven sandwiched between 2 slices of bread with a little margarine spread across. I can make this at home for less than 50 cents!
Dinner cost us $25, which is not a big sum, but totally not worth it for the quality and quantity of food. However, factor in the surroundings and maybe the vote might tilt. Nice place to hang out, but watch out for the mosquitoes. Also, please note that there is no air conditioning no matter where you seat.
Astons Prime is a recently opened upmarket version of Aston Specialties, catering to the more well heeled with a wider selection of premium meat available and reservations of course.
Located just a stones throw away from the original Astons Specialties, Astons Prime sits along the row of shophouses near the junction of Joo Chiat Road and East Coast Road. The interior is simply furnished and can probably seat up to about 30 people. There are corner booth seats for 2 pax which are a must if you wish to have more privacy. Pity there are only 2 of those seats though and I wasn't fortunate to get one of those even during lunch.
When a place claims to serve up its own homemade garlic spread, my expectations go up a notch because I like my garlic spread a lot, probably more than most people. Sadly, Aston's spread didn't even come close to meeting my expectations. For one, it was rather bland and didn't exactly jell in well with the bread, which incidentally, wasn't tasty nor was it served warm.
Chicken Quesadilla - Interestingly, biting into the Chicken Quesadilla was akin to eating roti prata with bits of chicken and BBQ sauce. The paper thin crust was a little crispy and flaky with a rather miserable filling of chicken. Not that I'm saying that its not good, but for almost 8 dollars, I'd rather order something else.
Fillet Mignon - Notice that the fillet mignon comes in 2 variations, the New Zealand fed and the Australian fed. I'm guessing the Australian one is better because of its superior pricing. But then again, I didn't get to try the New Zealand variant, so I'm really in no position to comment.
My Australian fed fillet mignon was small (they are all 8oz by the way, which is about 250g) but good. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it was excellent as I've definitely tried better but this one was really in a league of its own. Medium rare, succulent and sweet. Only gripe I had was that the meat slab was too thick which resulted in the exterior being a little too charred. I did like the accompanying sauce though, which tasted like it had a little bit of cheese in it.
$70 for 2 pax for lunch is rather expensive honestly, but good steak comes at a price unfortunately. Service is excellent and there is no service charge or GST which kinda sweetens the deal a little. I see potential in this place, but it would be nice to have a larger slab of meat for the same price, please?
Today marks the beginning of my makan sessions with a group of like minded food enthusiasts from various forums. Our choice of dinner venue was Astons Specialties at East Coast Rd. This joint has been highly recommended by many seasoned foodies and expectations were high as we made our way there at about 2000hrs. There was quite a queue of people waiting to get in and although I had made a reservation on Wednesday, there was no record of my name to be found, which naturally left me furious. Astons admitted that it was error on their part and although we had to wait for about 25mins for a table, credit has to be given to them for trying to get us a table ASAP. One thing I noticed about the place was that it was actually quite small and squeezy. There were barely 10 tables around and air conditioning was poor. They could well do with more powerful air conditioners or an air curtain at the entrance to prevent the cool air from rushing out.
Food wise, I shared the Wagyu beef promotion @ $38.90 for a 200g cut and the Ieat Super Burger with a friend. Both were done medium rare. According to them, the wagyu was supposed to have a marbling score of 5/6, which was pretty decent for the price. The wagyu came with 2 sides (I chose fries and pasta salad) which was pretty uninspiring. The pasta salad was almost tasteless and the fries were thin and had the same seasoning as that of Botak Jones fries. The wagyu was quite good though. Soft, juicy and tender. Every mouthful is greeted with a burst of flavour that slowly seeps down your throat. Not as good as the Kobe Beef I had at Keyaki, but certainly in a league of its own. Pity about the small 200g portion though. The accompanying mushroom (with garlic?) sauce was nice too, but I found it a tad too salty. The Ieat burger scored high salivation marks for its appearance. Toasted bun atop bacon strips, deep fried onions, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, a slab of chopped sirloin and drenched with BBQ sauce. However, the taste was short of expectations. The chopped sirloin was quite tasteless and dry and not to mention a little too soft. The bacon strips were nicely grilled though and that was just about the only consolation I had from the burger. At $12.50 for the burger, I guess it was pretty reasonable.
It cost us about $210 for 8 pax. On my part I paid about $27/- which I feel was reasonable for the quality of food. However Astons didn't quite measure up to my expectations probably because I had hyped myself up to be expecting something out of this world, only to be brought back down to earth. Nevertheless, a good eat, with reasonable pricing. Please note that the wait for food can be quite long especially when its full, which is most of the time in the evenings. A worthy contender to Botak Jones. Having no GST or service charge is definitely a plus!
I've always had a penchant for brunch - whiling the lazy mornings away in a serene setting coupled with hearty fare and great company. What better way to unwind and enjoy the intricate subtleties of life? And I've found just the place to do so - Wild Rocket. The man at its helm is none other than lawyer turned chef, Willin Low, who has built up a reputation for cooking dishes which are Singaporean at heart but with a twist.
Nestled at the top of a hill (Mount Emily), Wild Rocket is a quaint little eatery/restaurant docked on the first level of Hangout Hotel. The decor is simple, focusing on the simplicities and the giant glass windows complete with semi transparent curtains allow sunlight to peer through, creating a cheery and lively atmosphere sans the heat. An air of serenity and elusiveness lingers in this dreamy and charming little outfit.
Though not billed as a fine dining restaurant, Wild Rocket still serves up complementary bread, which didn't quite impress me honestly. For one, the bread was too porous and came across as a tad too dry and bland. Thankfully, it was served warm.
Ricotta Jackfruit Pancakes with Maple Syrup - No this isn't a picture of left over pancakes. Its what we got for $8.50 - 2 small pancakes and 1 piece of deep fried jackfruit. It was excellent though, soft and fluffy with a tinge of jackfruit taste. Bits of jackfruit were also embedded within for added texture/flavour and the sweetness of the maple syrup was just about right. Now someone please explain to me why do good things always come in small packages?
Laksa Pesto with Spaghetti with Tiger Prawns & Quail Egg - A most interesting dish. As the name suggests, its spaghetti covered with coriander and bits of chilli flakes which is supposed to have a mild laksa taste. And by golly, it certainly does! The pasta was al dente but a tad too dry for my liking. I counted 3 average sized prawns and 3 quail egg halves, which certainly doesn't place this dish in the generous ingredients category. Honestly, this is not something I'll order again cause I don't find it outstanding.
Scrambled Eggs, Fresh Beef Sausages with Toast - A greedy mistake on my part. I had spied the adjourning table ordering this dish and the serving certainly looked generous. Oh boy, how wrong I was. 2 sausages, a small serving of scrambled eggs and a side of toast. The dish was clean in less than 5 mins, but not that it tasted great in case you are assuming. The sausages were rather salty and the meat didn't seem firm. As for the scrambled eggs, it was too salty as well and tasted like too much milk had gone into it.
The Wild Rocket Burger with Sun Dried Tomato Salsa - Notice the usage of the word "The" in the name of this dish. Its obviously Wild Rocket's signature offering and is THE must try burger. Pleasing aesthetics aside, the burger weighed in slightly bigger than Iggy's offering but smaller than those of Carl's Junior. The patty was huge by the way and rather well mashed, chewy and moist yet not overwhelming. Interestingly, the sun dried tomato salsa atop the patty was a tad sweet but complemented the beef almost flawlessly. The accompanying potato cubes were a little too soft and salty (I could make out the salt granules on the potatoes).
Kueh Buloh Tiramisu - Here's another classic example of how much of a mountain tortoise I am. I have no inkling whatsoever as to what in the world is Kueh Buloh. Shame on me. But the Kueh Buloh Tiramisu was quite good if you ask me. Soft with a nice layer of ice cream beneath it. But it kinda loses the Tiramisu flavour and composition though, which is rather ironical.
Dark Lava Chocolate Gateau with Ice Cream - Few molten chocolate cakes can match the truly splendid rendition by Mortons or the value for money offering at Abof. Wild Rocket's version comes close. Well almost. Its decidedly as good as Abof's but significantly more expensive as well (not as expensive as Morton's though). The shell was slightly hard while the spongy interior was soft and moist. Thick oozing, not too sweet chocolate completed the picture. But it was small, even smaller than Abof's.
I had a good and leisurely brunch, no doubt about that. But $95 for 3 pax does seem a little steep especially with the smallish portions. Its a nice place to hang out though and service is good. They will definitely be seeing more of me. On a side note, please let me reiterate that the place is tiny and you are looking at about probably 30 people max so please please please make your reservations.
The popular Uno Beef House at Toa Payoh has a new outlet in the western regions of Singapore. Located in a prominent and brightly lit coffee shop along Dover road which runs parallel to the MRT line, it has its fair share of customers as well, but the waiting time here is definitely much shorter than its Toa Payoh counterpart.
I started off with the Cream of Mushroom soup ($2) which definitely came straight out of the can. There were undissolved chunks of coagulated soup at the bottom of the bowl, indicating a less than thorough stirring process. Having said that, I certainly didn't expect them to make their own mushroom soup, not for $2.
My gf had the pork chops ($5) which was quite good. Chewy yet not too dry or tough, with lots of savoury made from scratch gravy to go along. Portions were decent, but definitely not sufficient for a glutton like me.
The purported star of the evening (they are called Uno Beef House for a reason), the tenderloin steak ($10), was served up medium rare as per my request. The meat was very well done, succulent and a little chewy but lacked the sweetness of really good tenderloins. The mushroom sauce was quite decent too, with slices of mushroom and onion in it. I would have liked a more robust sauce though. Here comes the real star of the evening, the side of a single Potato Ball which was served alongside a small tomato. It had a buttery taste to it and reminded me very much of eating pineapple tarts minus the sweetened pineapple of course. Texture wise was also good, not too mashed up or soft. I wonder if the Potato Balls are available on their own.
In summary, I like this place and will definitely be back to patronise. Its definitely in the league of Astons for steak and considering the amount of hype that Astons has been getting, I rather stick to Uno.
1=SGD 0.0587
Xi Yan was one of the first few places i went to ever since my foodie journey began. It's safe to say it was the first step i took into seriously considering doing blogs on food and such. So it would always be an interesting memory in my book.
Thats not to say its a good experience though.
This first thing to note about Xi Yan is rather simple. Reservations only.
Also, minimum of 6 people to a table to have dinner. And the dinner (supposedly) starts at 730pm sharp. I suppose the age old adage of people "Always wanting what they can't have" is the gimmick behind this exclusive restuarant. As is the reason for its exclusivity and high price, which i will rate after i've presented the dishes in full below.
Dish 1: Greenhouse Tomatoes in Sesame Sauce - The first dish of the day came as a little bit of a surprise. The greenhouse tomatoes were pretty big and it actually allowed each of us to have about 2 pieces each, which is good. I enjoyed this dish quite a bit because it was fresh and the sesame sauce had traces of wasabi in it as well. This all complimented well for this dish to allow it to be a pretty good start to the meal.
Dish 2: Cold Tofu Pork Floss - The second in the appetizer series. The tofu honestly wasn't too great as it wasn't silky smooth nor held much taste to warrant this dish holding its own weight. In fact, i felt the addition of the pork floss dumbed down the dish somewhat, making it feel like a Breadtalk creation despite its rather complicated ingredients of pork floss, salted egg yolk and dried shrimp.
Dish 3:Shrimp and Crab Paste on Baguette Toast - Despite the rather nice name and presentation, this was something i felt should never have been a part of the evening. The shrimp and crab paste tasted simply like something you could find in any chinese market and the baguette combination simply didn't work for me.
Dish 4: Sichuan Pickles in Spicy Sauce - This to me was another lacklustre appetiser. The pickles and raddish were soaked in some sichuan sauce that gave them both an extremly, read: EXTREMLY sour taste. Maybe it is suitable for some who love sour stuff but it certainly didn't work for me. It did however, make me feel more hungry for a good actual meal though.
Dish 5: Deep Fried Prawns in Salted Egg Yoke - Being the first main course to arrive after our 4 appetisers, i'd expected great things from this dish. The prawns were suitably fresh but not excellent though. The salted egg yoke it came with did however, give it a pretty special taste. Still, i believe its possible to get this in a coffeeshop setting at less than half the price.
Dish 6:Stewed Beef Shin with Tangerine Peel - Now this dish finally allowed me to heave a small sigh of relief. I quite liked the beef shin as it was tender and tasted sweet with the tangerine peel. This goes well recommended in my books but as with the rest, is not excellent so far.
Dish 7: Sichuan Salivating Chicken - This is the main deal for the day. Supposedly THE dish that everyone comes to Xi Yan for. I would describe this as a cross between Hainan Chicken rice and Korean cold noodles. Ingredients found in this dish included chicken, yam noodles, peanuts, chilli, coriander and century egg. The preparation is such that everything would be given a good mix and then served to its patrons. I found this to be an interesting dish but not exactly award winning stuff. The chicken was tender but nothing special. I did find the initial smell that arose prior to mixing very pleasing though. And also, its a good choice to seperate the chilli oil if you can't take hot stuff. It is very punishing.
Dish 8: Fried Lemongrass Shrimp Paste Grouper - As adviced by the waiter, Grouper is usually steamed at most outlets to preserve its freshness and to bring out its taste. However, Xi Yan has to be different so they deep fried the grouper which is coated with lemongrass shrimp paste. The result? A fish that is moist, succulent and full of freshness on the inside and crispy, fragrant and pretty on the outside. The accompaniment you see are pomelo bits which actually helped to complement its taste. I liked this dish pretty much even though i felt that it would have been much better had the fish been steamed instead.
Dish 9:Basil Sorbet Intermezzo - The sorbet was refreshing and sweet. There's still a tinge of sour to its taste but i found the combination to be rather wierd when mixed together.
Dish 10: Furong Chicken Soup - The chicken soup was supposedly boiled for 4 hours but i couldn't really taste a difference in it from other chicken soups i've had before. I found the meat inside easy to break apart and quite palatable without being overly salty. Overall, its a passable dish.
Dish 11: Young and Old Happy News (Jiu Xing Huan Xi) - The entire group was guessing what this dish would turn out to be given the interesting name. What came however, was what you see here. Its basically a combination of dou miao and preserved vegetables fried together. Nothing really special about it and it didn't really come across as a surprise per se, but more of a shock. It did taste decent though.
Dish 12: Tofu Ice Cream on Pandan Glutinous Rice - I would probably have to say that this is without a doubt, the best dish of the day. When it came at the end of the barrage you saw above, we were actually quite adament about how it would taste since nothing before it managed to wow us. The toufu ice cream was nicely done and suitably smooth although i wasn't sure where the toufu taste was supposed to be found. The pandan glutinous rice was sweet and none too filling either. The result of having both together resulted in a wonderful combination that somewhat gave us a good ending to the mediocre offerings before it.
Honestly speaking, i really can't recommend this place due to its absurd price and under performing dishes which simply did not provide enough to justify its cost. Simply looking at the dishes is enough to tell you that there's only one feeling to be had after the meal. The feeling of being ripped off. The ingredients were normal and hardly expensive and the cooking was sub par. Its only saving grace was the company i had that day and even that is pushing the envelope for acceptance. Given this price, i'd be better off dining at a Buffet like "The Line" at Shangri La. Not recommended to try unless they dropped the price to 50 per pax.
Rating given:
Hai~Tien~Lo is a chic restuarant located at the top floor of Pan Pacific hotel. Its classy, authentically chinese and offers a pretty good view of the sunset or Singapore skyline regardless of the time of the day
Dish 1: Hai Tien Lou Trio of Treasures - The trio of treasures simple consisted of Fried Prawn in Japanese Sesame Sauce, Sliced Skin of Beijing Duck and Pan Fried Scallop with minced Ginger. Given the price, i really would have expected a whole lot more than the serving we were given. Minor gripe aside, the prawn was quite big, albeit its only one prawn. It tasted fresh and juicy, however, i really couldn't remember the taste of the japanese sesame sauce at all. The sliced skin of Peking duck didn't leave much impression on me either. The scallop with minced ginger also tasted fresh but i felt the ginger taste a tad bit overpowered. So i suppose only the prawn was good in this dish, quite a disappointment really.
Dish 2: Peking Duck - Now this dish was good. The skin was thin and didn't contain much fat at all so its good for the weight conscious (maybe in denial) i suppose. But the importance of it all is that the skin tasted absolutely fragrant and the white eggless crepes simply compounded the already superb dish. We had the whole duck to ourselves for this one and happily so too. Like the skin, the meat itself was cooked just right, resulting in it tasting sweet, succulent, tender and juicy at the same time. A definate must try dish here.
Dish 3: Braised Homemade Spinach Beancurd with accompaniments of Pork and Pine Mushroom Sauce - Another great dish. The beancurb was silky smooth and literally melts in your mouth. The accompanying spinach layer left a slight aftertaste but a welcomed one at that and pork/ pine mushroom sauce only served to add to its already great taste. I remember each of us having only one piece of beancurd each though, which was good, but i won't complain if more was served though.
Dish 4: 3 Egg Spinach - Now this dish is a mixed bag, literally. It contains 3 different types of eggs and spinach in a strangely soggy concoction which i could not take to no matter how i tried. The spinach was overly soaked in sauce and i really couldn't taste anything positive about it. Its passable but hardly recommendable. Give this a miss if you are there.
Dish 5: Steamed Prawns with Mashed Garlic - Garlic prawns served in a bamboo brisket anyone? Well, this dish was good. The prawns were big, read BIG, so even though there were about 6 prawns in total, it still felt like the dish was worth it. Add the fact that the prawns were very crunchy, juicy and fresh and you got yourself a winner. Some of my friends felt the garlic was a tad too much but i felt it was great, just don't snog after this dish.
Dish 6: Coconut Seafood Fried Rice - Well, i felt the rice was nice but tasted too much like nasi lemak fried rice. The coconut taste was pretty strong but the rice was nicely done. Soft and spongy such that you could almost taste each one. Its a decent dish but i wouldn't recommend having it while there are obviously better choices.
Dessert: Crushed Peanut Tang Yuan - I honestly couldn't remember too much about these little round balls. So it says something about the dish. Go figure.
The bill totaled to be $313 for a group of 5. A pretty good dinner considering there were a few hits and a few misses. However, the service and ambiance does make up for the minor misses and in the presence of great company, many things can be forgiven.
Given the location and quality of food, i'd say this is a good place to visit given the money and time to sit down and comfortably enjoy a good meal with either that special someone or a group of like minded friends. Choice of food however, has to be considerably careful on that aspect so that one can eliminate the less than spectacular renditions that is offered. Overall though, this is still a place that can be heartily recommended to everyone with a penchant for good chinese food.
Rating given:
Orchid Country Club is located near the outskirts separating Yishun and Yio Chu Kang. More known for its golf courses and expensive membership fee, this place also houses a small albeit relatively well-known Zi Ca restuarant by the name of the picture you see below.
Dish 1: Deep Fried Chicken Wings with Sweet Sauce - This dish looks very simple but is special in the sense that it consists of only the portion of wings which contain the most tender meats. If you look closely, you'll find that you can eat the meat very easily without fussing too much about the bones due to the special care taken in preparing this dish. This is a great starting dish. The meat was tender and juicy and sweet at the same time with a tinge of sour. Its a hit with the kids and adults in the family alike. Definately try it.
Dish 2: Abalone with Spinach - This is abalone with some spinach hidden beneath. The taste here is awesome. Being the second dish, it really serves to whet your appetite. Minor gripe about the dish is on the abalone. It tasted fake for some reason or maybe i've had too many whole pieces to like sliced pieces now. The veggie and sauce was well done though, not too salty and quite crunchy even under all that thick tasty sauce.
Dish 3: Fried Tofu with Top Shell Clam - This is fried tofu with some top shell clam thrown together. Very delectable dish. The tofu was crispy and the accompanying clam and veggies totally decked out the dish. There's a little sour and sweet taste making it taste a little thai. The tofu was nice and hot throughout and was finished very quickly. A good 3rd dish.
Dish 4: Lobster Porridge - The star of the day. Lobster Porridge. This is a must try dish @ this place regardless of your budget. The serving we had was HUGE. We couldn't finish it. I counted and found there were 6 full sized lobsters thrown into this pot. The soup tasted superb and the lobster was fresh and simply delicious. I personally gulped down 4 bowls of the porridge and 2.5 lobsters. My dear girl also had a great time with this dish and had in excess of 3 bowls of the soup. Everyone else in the family also ate at least 2 bowls each. Its that good and even better, if you can't finish, bring it home. Heat it the next day, and it'll taste as good as it is now. Must try this dish.
Dish 5: Stir Fried Venison - This dish came after the porridge. So what this means is that everyone is pretty much stuffed by then. This dish is very normal tasting not unlike most run-of-the-mill stalls that serve the dish. The meat is tender and very chewy, a little too chewy perhaps. I felt it was acceptable but nothing special.
Dish 6: Sambal Sauce Mussels - Mussels in sambal sauce. The mussels were very fresh and very tasty but given the fact that we were too stuffed, we couldn't give it much attention. I only managed to get 4 down before i stopped on this dish. Still, the sambal was nicely done. I figured it wasn't too spicy nor too salty. Thus its a good dish IMHO.
Dish 7: Steamed Grouper - This fish came last. Its an awesomely big fish. You can practically see the freshness and the meat is just oozing out of the fish. Note: this is only half the fish. The other half was on another plate. My uncles had gripes about the fish being overcooked and thus making the meat very springy and less tender. Basically, they wanted fishes that melt (literally) in their mouth. So this failed according to them. To me, its a FISH! I love fish! And the meat tasted good enough for me. The salty base soy sauce enhanced the taste considerably as well. So i liked it.
I forgot to mention service and ambience in the above. Actually, its located next to a golf driving range. So unless your like me, who loves golf. Its not much of a view. The service isn't up to par either. You gotta scream and shout and remind for them to remember but it gets to you either way. Food is what this is all about and good seafood is what you get. If you prefer posh stuff, check my previous blogs. I'm still looking for a better posh eating establishment and the search will go on. For beer garden, please try it for the porridge. I'm sure you will not be disappointed.
Rating given:
Eden cafe is located along the chic little alley of 54th club street. Nestled in a small inconspicuous corner is a little culinary treasure that is helmed by an equally inconspicuous and unassuming man by the name of Clement Ronald Ng. Incidentally, he is also the head chef and owner of Helio cafe located at Marina Square.
Appetiser: Mushroom Soup with Otak - simple as this dish may sound and look. It actually contains a blend of 5 different mushrooms and contains no cream at all. The result is a surprisingly fresh concoction that fills your tastebuds with all things mushroom. Before my tasting i'd already heard good things about this dish from friends but i have to say, it does underwhelm a little maybe because i'm too used to cream mushroom soups. This is definitely the healthier choice though.
The accompanying otak is very nicely done. The
bread was toasted beforehand and was nicely crisp. The otak was not too spicy and had just enough 'oomph' to its taste to set it apart from normal run-of-the-mill otaks. The only complaint was that there was too little of it.
Main Dish 1: Lavender Rosemary Pastry Wrapped Seedless Grape Chicken - the first dish after appetisers to grace our table. This is actually one of chef Clement's Signature dishes and i've been pining to have a taste since the previous visit because my initial impression with Clements other chicken creation was very positive.
The chicken was very tender and you can definitely taste the lavender and rosemary albeit a lot less significant then before.
The lemon which was inside the chicken along with the grapes kinda gave the chicken a very uneven sour taste but i understand from my friends that the parts like the wings and breasts had the taste spread more evenly and was very good. Personally, i got the sour parts so i cannot speak for the rest.
The pastry was surprisingly hard but had soaked up the taste of chicken and lemon and lavender pretty well. The verdict on that was that some liked it and some didn't. I liked it though.
Main Dish 2: Dory Fish Potato Gratin - The second main dish to appear on our table. I've tasted various potato gratins before but never a dory fish melded version. This dish disappeared within seconds of its appearance as everyone quickly took a piece. The greens were superb with their salad dressing, as is with all the greens in Eden Cafe, i'll make a statement: "All greens in Eden Cafe are fresh and taste totally great!"
Paired with the gratin, i'd say most of the taste was solely on the potato more then the fish. I couldn't really tell where the dory fish taste came in but the gratin was good nonetheless. It was cooked just right which gave it a nice texture of being soft on the inside and firm on the outside.
Main Dish 3: Pork Wraps In Wild Pepper Leaves - This is one dish i can easily recommend. Clement was introducing it to me before we dug into the dish and apparently, the way to enjoy this dish is akin to having Peking Duck. And yes, its wrapped with the pepper leaves. This is a totally enjoyable dish because everything complements so well.
The pork is nicely cooked and there are faint traces of spices in it. The leaf is surprisingly tasty. The four other ingredients you see here are actually, sugar syrup, sliced lime, i think its ground nuts and little dried salty shrimp.
To enjoy this dish, put all the ingredients and wrap it with the pork and leaf. You can control how you want this dish to taste by moderating the portion of each ingredient.
Comments from my friends include it having a slightly thai taste to being simply delectable and light. A side note is that the shrimp was used as turtle food sometimes but thats beside the point. Its great enjoyment to have this dish since everybody has a great time eating and having fun with this dish. Of course, its also simply delicious and light.
Main Dish 4: Saffron Cream Sauce Salmon and Portebello - undoubtedly the star of the day in the main course department. This dish was simply great.
The saffron sauce does not overwhelm and complements well with the salmon and portebello mushroom accompaniment. For people who do not like salmon for its fishy taste, please rest assured that you will have no such problem with this dish. As Clement would reiterate during the meal, he uses only sashimi grade salmon for his dishes and it shows.
If you were to just enjoy the salmon, you would be missing out on one of the best things about this dish, the portebello mushroom. I say this with much conviction because EVERYONE including the previous group i came with loved the mushroom to bits. It is succulent, juicy and oh so tasty its a must try even from reviewers in the Today paper on June 18th Monday 2007. Definitely a must-try dish at Eden or Helios if they offer it.
Main Dish 5: Tomato Based Spaghetti With Fresh Mussel - as Clement puts it, this dish was meant as a backup dish if our group was not full after the delightful dish before.
The tomato base is specially made and blended by Clement himself and if my memory does not fail me. He quoted using mushrooms in his concoction as well for the base.
The result is a well balanced base that does not overwhelm the taste buds and is just right. The accompanying spaghetti is well cooked and easily palatable, complementing the tomato base well. The mussel is fresh and sufficiently marinated by the base while still retaining its very own wild freshness. For lack of a better term to describe the feeling, you can actually taste the freshness of the sea from that one single mussel. A good ending to the main course department though not exactly spectacular but worthy nonetheless.
Dessert: Hibiscus Cheese Cake - A star dessert and best seller at Eden. This Hibiscus cheese cake is specially made so its much lighter on the tummy then regular cheese cakes sold outside.
The cake had a smooth texture that allows it to easily melt in your mouth. Its not too sweet and the hibiscus gives it a slight sour taste from the layer above while the other cheese layers contain a distinct sweetness that offsets and balances everything.
I've heard nothing but praises for this dish from my friends and even the newspaper reviewer of Today took to this dessert with nothing but delight. Add to the fact that it is Eden Cafe's bestseller dessert and you know you gotta try it at least once. Be warned not to expect flavors that burst in your mouth as i've already said, this is a light dish and the taste is balanced, not overwhelming.
Visit 2:
The following is a reminiscence of my first visit with pictures taken from my friend's blog and thus the watermarks. Do pay his site a visit as well since it currently contains much more then mine.
horts of the signboard and interior. As you can see, its not necessarily big but its not the size of the restuarant that matters, its the food, service and also, for this particular restuarant, its spirit.
Starters: Jumbo Prawns Wrapped In Bacon - As a starter, this was rather disappointing if attention was focused on the prawn and bacon alone. The prawns were rather small and the bacon was quite salty when both were paired together. I also detect a slight powdery texture in the prawn which does not bode well for this dish.
The tomato salsa salad on the other hand is a wonderful starter. Everything inside is totally fresh and very appetizing. This would have sufficed as a starter if paired with something other than the prawns we had.
Saffron Cream Sauce Salmon - As I've already said in my "Eden Cafe Revisited" post, this is a must try dish no matter what the situation. The freshness of the salmon and the combination of the mushroom with saffron sauce and salad. Its a great dish that everyone can enjoy.
Beef & Mashed Potato in Red Wine - As the second main course of the day, this was excellent. I myself am an avid lover of beef and meat. Thus this hit the spot for me just right. General complaints for this dish from my friends were that the beef was too raw. This is actually a very valid complaint since the dish was cooked medium rare but maybe due to the thickness of the beef, the middle portion was essentially still rare and might turn off people who prefer their beef more cooked.
However, I liked the dish the way it is and as Clement would educate before the meal, he only uses the freshest beef and cuts where i remember would be top side and tenderloin. He also said that this beef could have been eaten raw without any worries.
My impression of the meat is that it is thick, succulent and although i could not taste any form of marinating, tasted good.
The mashed potato and red wine combination is a first and is excellent. The mash potato compliments well with the red wine concoction and simply spurs you on to in indulge in more of it. Definitely a good thing and a dish worth trying out. Be wary of how raw it is though and advice Clement before the dish to ensure maximum satisfaction.
Rosemary Chicken - Unfortunately, we do not have photographs of this dish. However, this is also another dish i have to recommend heartily to all you readers. Essentially a floral dish, this chicken is excellent. You can detact strong traces of rose with each bite and the texture of the chicken is excellent. Its not too hard and tears easily without being overly soft. Overall, everything was balanced just right and is unique enough to warrant a try from everyone sick of the usual taste of chicken offered elsewhere.
Crème Brûlée - The first dessert of the day came with a performance all its own. Clement personally did the melting of the sugar on top as he informed us that his Crème Brûlée is made of pure vanilla beans instead of essence or extract which is available elsewhere. The melting was done evenly and resulted in a nice layer of sugar on top which was just right, neither too thick nor too thin. This is a very nice dessert to start with and makes the visit worthwhile in my opinion. Do try but note that if Clement does not do the melting himself, results may vary.
Tiramisu - The Tiramisu is available easily outside but i find that Clement's rendition packs more 'Oomph" for the buck. The top layer is made of chocolate which is very unusual and gives it a very dense taste. The cake below is soaked in rum and that could be either really good or really bad depending on how you like your tiramisu. I liked it strong even though my friend's think otherwise. Try and discern for yourself but do note the mxing is different with each rendition thus you might get a thicker or less dense version depending on your luck.
Brandy Chocolate - Our third dessert was essentially brandy chocolate. This is another very flavorful rendition by Clement and the chocolate is really thick and dense. However, i really couldn't taste the brandy so i'm not sure why this was called brandy chocolate. I wasn't really impressed with this particular dessert but its still better than average.
Hisbiscus Cheese Phyllo - The fourth and last dessert for the day is something unique to Eden Cafe at present. The Hibiscus cheese phyllo is looks a little like folded prata with cheese inside but it tastes totally different. As it is made during the visit, it tastes fresh, crispy and warm. The filling of hibiscus gives the cheese a unique sour taste. Take this in moderation as the taste of cheese begins to overwhelm after a time.
Food and value is consistently good at Eden Cafe. Thus, it is highly recommended. As per my previous introduction, do call up early for MTO meals instead of walk-ins as the place is now usually packed.
Visit 3:
den Cafe, by now, you should have heard about it from either the television, the newspaper, the radio or from a variety of blogs online. Pioneered by Clement Ng for his passion for floral cuisine, Eden has gotten many rave reviews and some not-so-good ones as well. No matter, Yebber had its little gathering there and many were present to enjoy it. You can view my previous visits here and here.
Clement and Yebber obviously went through some effort to do up the place for a nice Christmas like feeling to suit the season. And i do applaud their effort for providing a nice atmosphere for the event. Complete with mistletoes and door gifts, the feeling was homely and just right.
Rose Petal Brownie with Cookies and Cream Ice Cream ($5.90) - Why is dessert the first dish? Simple, due to miscommunication and some really late comers, we had to settle for something to start the meal. I've an insatiable sweet tooth and that is why this comes in first. It came looking like a winner and it is a winner. The brownie is warm and moist with it being mildly sweet and a tad bitter. Add in rose petals and thick cream filled ice cream and it was enough to satisfy my day. I could have just had this and felt good actually.
Black Sesame Mushroom Pasta - As Clement puts it: "For this dish, you either love it or hate it." I have to say i lean towards the latter. Although i applaud the effort taken to prepare it (you actually see the service staff squeezing it out of some contraption) but taste-wise, it doesn't quite cut it for me. The texture was a mixed bag as well and i found the lemon based sauce and cheese didn't quite complement each other.
Tomato Based Seafood Soup - I was quite surprised this dish didn't receive further attention to its presentation but then again, how well can you make a tomato based soup look? The soup was thick with mashed vegetables and tomatoes and came with 1 mussel and 1 prawn each. Overall, i found it a little bland in taste this time around albeit i'm sure it is a reasonably healthy dish.
Endives With Mushroom and Bacon Canapes - Fresh, tasty and healthy. This is one refreshing appetiser that is easy to enjoy. Tasty fungi is difficult to find i think. Only gripe? Please upsize the serving for this please. One is never enough!
Seedless Grape Chicken - Another signature dish, this time in sampler portions. The dough casing is even harder then before and totally inedible. However, this chicken inside is definitely an improvement with its juices locked in well. As usual, more would have been better.
Rosemary Garlic Beef - I found the beef a little tough this time around, but the rosemary garlic sauce is delectable. Makes the dish still desirable in my books.
Lemon Garlic Snow Fish - Snow fish or Cod with pan fried with lemon and garlic. To me, cod by itself is already a delicacy so additional garnishing either enhance it to super stardom or spoils the dish. This, however, was neither. The cod was a tad dry but sweet nonetheless and the lemon garlic almost overwhelmed the taste of the prized fish. Good but not quite for me.
Balsamic Strawberry Beef - This i loved. Simple. Balsamic beef tastes a little like beef soaked in vinegar before it was cooked. What can i say? I love both beef and vinegar. And the best part? The beef was tender and of a respectable size. Definitely worth a try. The strawberry seems like an after thought though.
Hibiscus CheeseCake And Balsamic Black Pepper Mousse Cake - 've had both of these before so it wasn't too special to me. The balsamic mousse cake was Clement's 'mystery cake' which i had during the mooncake festival. It generally tastes like cheese cake with a little spice added to the taste. The hibiscus cheesecake retains its sourish and sweet taste that still makes it a hit in the restaurant.
Chocolate Brownie And Wine Tea Floral Fruit Jello With Strawberry- Chocolate brownie is the same one i had at the start of the meal but it wasn't heated and it didn't look as pretty. Taste wise, it just doesn't have as much impact as the full item in the beginning. The wine tea jello is pretty interesting, essentially combining the wine tea into a jello form for consumption. I personally didn't find it very appealing however.
The bill for 25 people came to $1100 dollars which is quite a fair bit but does feel justified somewhat since everyone generally had good time. The meal did take 5 hours to pan out though.
Is Eden any good? Yes it is. There are still some winners in the menu and Clement is constantly coming out with new items to add. His service is personalized and friendly as well as long as you are his customers. When all is said and done, Eden is still one of the better restaurants out there. Homely, cheerful, nonplussed and serves good food. Now if only Clement would lower the price and give bigger portions, i'll bring armies there for lunch and dinner.
I liked the fact that the chicken could be shared by up to 3 people and that we received 3 servings of half a chicken which meant the portions were adequate and very satisfying.
Rating given:
Had dinner with LSD and a few other makan khakis at Magma German Wine Bistro. As the name suggests, it serves German food. Heard about this place quite some time back through some TV Chinese variety show so after much postponement, we finally got down to it on a wet Friday evening.
Magma occupies 2 units right at the start of Bukit Pasoh Road. Locating it proved to be a problem as it was discreetly hidden from view with no outstanding features or signs. But find it and you will be welcomed into a cosy and homely dining area with an open kitchen concept and racks of wine bottles. Though sparsely finished, the restaurant exudes warmth (literally as well. It was a little warm that day) and makes you feel right at home. They could do with bigger tables though. It was honestly a little cramp, which hampered eating and relaxed conversation quite a bit.
Wurstplatte mit 5 oder Wursten - Sausage Platter with 5 Sausages - We started off with the sausage platter consisting of 5 different types of sausages. Frankly, I probably have only eaten 2 or 3 of the varieties that were served, so I pretty much can't identify any of them except for one which was Cheese Sausage. Overall a rather pleasing dish with the sausages being crunchy and not too pressing.
Kasseler, Knoblauch und Sauerkraut - Smoked Pork Loin, Garlic and Sauerkraut Pizza - Interestingly, the German's do their pizza differently. Sour cream is added in place of cheese or tomato sauce. Our Kasseler, Knoblauch und Sauerkraut came with generous toppings of Sauerkraut and had this garlicky taste although I couldn't detect any visible signs of garlic. The crust was amazingly thin (I certainly didn't expect such a thin crust from a German restaurant) and the pork loin was relatively well smoked, trapping in the smoky flavours. A unique dish, but I personally found the Sauerkraut topping a little too overwhelming.
Gemischte Schlachtplatte fur 3 Personen - Mixed Butcher's Platter of all our Pork Specialities for 3 Persons - Words escape me when I try to describe the platter that was set before us. Humongous would probably come close. Just staring at the all pork dish sent shivers down my spine. I really couldn't imagine eating that. Well, we did anyway. I would very much like to go into details about the various cuts and items in the platter, but that would take too much time (there are about 8 different items?) and I honestly can't remember whats what. Only thing I can remember is the Pork Knuckle, which did seem a little too soft with the skin not being as crispy as I would have liked it (read my entry on ABOF for good pork with crackling skin). Overall, the whole dish tended towards the salty side. Actually, all the dishes were a little too heavy on the salt, not just this one.
Gebackene Apfelscheiben mit Zimthonig - Baked Apple Slices in Puff Pastry with Honey and Cinnamon. -
Ever wondered how Goreng Pisang with apple instead of banana would taste like? Well, this is your answer. A very interesting rendition of the conventional Apple Pie. The honey added a sweet twist to the dish but I couldn't quite make out the taste from the cinnamon powder. Also, the apple slices had their citrus flavour removed which was probably for the better.
Baked Cheese stuffed with Gooseberries - I'm just guessing the name of this dish because its a daily special and not anywhere in the menu, so please forgive me if I get it wrong. Another very interesting dish. The whole thing actually tastes like pudding with a slight cheesy aftertaste, very much like the cheesecake kind of cheesy and not the right in your face kind. But I didn't think too much of it as it got quite sick after too much, probably due to the soft and wet cake like pastry.
Chocolate Mousse - Interestingly, the Chocolate Mousse had but a faint resemblance to the normal ones you can get outside. There were 2 scoops(or is it moulds?) of Chocolate Mousse, one White Chocolate and one Dark Chocolate, sitting on a bed of Marzipan sauce. In all honesty, the White Chocolate Mousse didn't quite taste like White Chocolate. Instead it tasted creamy and had this mild spicy aftertaste. But as with the Chocolate Mousse, the texture was smooth and thick. From our conversation with the waiter later, the spiciness behind the White Chocolate Mousse was attributed to the type of Chocolate used
We chalked up a bill of $173.66 for a filling dinner for 6 pax. The general consensus is that its genuinely value for money. The food is of above average quality and service is great and the waiters actually know what they are talking about with regard to the food. The place could do with bigger tables(mentioned earlier) and a slightly better ventilation system because the open concept kitchen isn't seperated by a glass panel. Also, it would be nice if the food adopted a lower salt policy. That aside, a revisit is on the cards.
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Rating given:
Colbar, or Colonial Bar for short, was built in 1953 along Jalan Hang Jebat (off Portsdown Road) and mainly served as a canteen for soldiers who lived in the neighbouring estate which is now known as Wessex Estate. It has since relocated to a new site which is a stone's throw away from the old one and is still very popular with the expatriate community.
Since my gf and I were in the area, we took the opportunity to try out their food and soak in the tranquil atmosphere, away from the maddening world outside.
The pictures say it all don't they? A serene and laid back environment close to nature and far from the hustle and bustle of the city. Its really a place where time seems to have stopped, a scene from a different era.
Well enough of the place. Down to the food. I ordered the Chocolate Milkshake ($4) which in my opinion, was ridiculously overpriced. It looked and tasted exactly like normal Chocolate milk ($1.50), except that it had frothy layer at the top. Talk about repackaging.
This dish was as normal as it gets. Its like one of those chicken chops you eat at the hawker centre and totally forget how it tastes like the next day. The only thing I liked about this dish was that it came with button mushrooms, which I personally prefer. Other than that, the wedges were a little too soggy and very uninspiring.
The old man at the counter recommended this to me and taste wise, it was not too bad. It was a little over fried though, rendering the batter a little hard and burnt. A honestly very average dish which can easily be found elsewhere. Not really worth the $9 for it.
A total rip off kind of describes the bacon sandwich ($5). It was just two bacon strips from the oven sandwiched between 2 slices of bread with a little margarine spread across. I can make this at home for less than 50 cents!
Dinner cost us $25, which is not a big sum, but totally not worth it for the quality and quantity of food. However, factor in the surroundings and maybe the vote might tilt. Nice place to hang out, but watch out for the mosquitoes. Also, please note that there is no air conditioning no matter where you seat.
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Rating given:
Astons Prime is a recently opened upmarket version of Aston Specialties, catering to the more well heeled with a wider selection of premium meat available and reservations of course.
Located just a stones throw away from the original Astons Specialties, Astons Prime sits along the row of shophouses near the junction of Joo Chiat Road and East Coast Road. The interior is simply furnished and can probably seat up to about 30 people. There are corner booth seats for 2 pax which are a must if you wish to have more privacy. Pity there are only 2 of those seats though and I wasn't fortunate to get one of those even during lunch.
When a place claims to serve up its own homemade garlic spread, my expectations go up a notch because I like my garlic spread a lot, probably more than most people. Sadly, Aston's spread didn't even come close to meeting my expectations. For one, it was rather bland and didn't exactly jell in well with the bread, which incidentally, wasn't tasty nor was it served warm.
Chicken Quesadilla - Interestingly, biting into the Chicken Quesadilla was akin to eating roti prata with bits of chicken and BBQ sauce. The paper thin crust was a little crispy and flaky with a rather miserable filling of chicken. Not that I'm saying that its not good, but for almost 8 dollars, I'd rather order something else.
Fillet Mignon - Notice that the fillet mignon comes in 2 variations, the New Zealand fed and the Australian fed. I'm guessing the Australian one is better because of its superior pricing. But then again, I didn't get to try the New Zealand variant, so I'm really in no position to comment.
My Australian fed fillet mignon was small (they are all 8oz by the way, which is about 250g) but good. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it was excellent as I've definitely tried better but this one was really in a league of its own. Medium rare, succulent and sweet. Only gripe I had was that the meat slab was too thick which resulted in the exterior being a little too charred. I did like the accompanying sauce though, which tasted like it had a little bit of cheese in it.
$70 for 2 pax for lunch is rather expensive honestly, but good steak comes at a price unfortunately. Service is excellent and there is no service charge or GST which kinda sweetens the deal a little. I see potential in this place, but it would be nice to have a larger slab of meat for the same price, please?
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Rating given:
Today marks the beginning of my makan sessions with a group of like minded food enthusiasts from various forums. Our choice of dinner venue was Astons Specialties at East Coast Rd. This joint has been highly recommended by many seasoned foodies and expectations were high as we made our way there at about 2000hrs. There was quite a queue of people waiting to get in and although I had made a reservation on Wednesday, there was no record of my name to be found, which naturally left me furious. Astons admitted that it was error on their part and although we had to wait for about 25mins for a table, credit has to be given to them for trying to get us a table ASAP. One thing I noticed about the place was that it was actually quite small and squeezy. There were barely 10 tables around and air conditioning was poor. They could well do with more powerful air conditioners or an air curtain at the entrance to prevent the cool air from rushing out.
Food wise, I shared the Wagyu beef promotion @ $38.90 for a 200g cut and the Ieat Super Burger with a friend. Both were done medium rare. According to them, the wagyu was supposed to have a marbling score of 5/6, which was pretty decent for the price. The wagyu came with 2 sides (I chose fries and pasta salad) which was pretty uninspiring. The pasta salad was almost tasteless and the fries were thin and had the same seasoning as that of Botak Jones fries. The wagyu was quite good though. Soft, juicy and tender. Every mouthful is greeted with a burst of flavour that slowly seeps down your throat. Not as good as the Kobe Beef I had at Keyaki, but certainly in a league of its own. Pity about the small 200g portion though. The accompanying mushroom (with garlic?) sauce was nice too, but I found it a tad too salty. The Ieat burger scored high salivation marks for its appearance. Toasted bun atop bacon strips, deep fried onions, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, a slab of chopped sirloin and drenched with BBQ sauce. However, the taste was short of expectations. The chopped sirloin was quite tasteless and dry and not to mention a little too soft. The bacon strips were nicely grilled though and that was just about the only consolation I had from the burger. At $12.50 for the burger, I guess it was pretty reasonable.
It cost us about $210 for 8 pax. On my part I paid about $27/- which I feel was reasonable for the quality of food. However Astons didn't quite measure up to my expectations probably because I had hyped myself up to be expecting something out of this world, only to be brought back down to earth. Nevertheless, a good eat, with reasonable pricing. Please note that the wait for food can be quite long especially when its full, which is most of the time in the evenings. A worthy contender to Botak Jones. Having no GST or service charge is definitely a plus!
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Rating given:
I've always had a penchant for brunch - whiling the lazy mornings away in a serene setting coupled with hearty fare and great company. What better way to unwind and enjoy the intricate subtleties of life? And I've found just the place to do so - Wild Rocket. The man at its helm is none other than lawyer turned chef, Willin Low, who has built up a reputation for cooking dishes which are Singaporean at heart but with a twist.
Nestled at the top of a hill (Mount Emily), Wild Rocket is a quaint little eatery/restaurant docked on the first level of Hangout Hotel. The decor is simple, focusing on the simplicities and the giant glass windows complete with semi transparent curtains allow sunlight to peer through, creating a cheery and lively atmosphere sans the heat. An air of serenity and elusiveness lingers in this dreamy and charming little outfit.
Though not billed as a fine dining restaurant, Wild Rocket still serves up complementary bread, which didn't quite impress me honestly. For one, the bread was too porous and came across as a tad too dry and bland. Thankfully, it was served warm.
Ricotta Jackfruit Pancakes with Maple Syrup - No this isn't a picture of left over pancakes. Its what we got for $8.50 - 2 small pancakes and 1 piece of deep fried jackfruit. It was excellent though, soft and fluffy with a tinge of jackfruit taste. Bits of jackfruit were also embedded within for added texture/flavour and the sweetness of the maple syrup was just about right. Now someone please explain to me why do good things always come in small packages?
Laksa Pesto with Spaghetti with Tiger Prawns & Quail Egg - A most interesting dish. As the name suggests, its spaghetti covered with coriander and bits of chilli flakes which is supposed to have a mild laksa taste. And by golly, it certainly does! The pasta was al dente but a tad too dry for my liking. I counted 3 average sized prawns and 3 quail egg halves, which certainly doesn't place this dish in the generous ingredients category. Honestly, this is not something I'll order again cause I don't find it outstanding.
Scrambled Eggs, Fresh Beef Sausages with Toast - A greedy mistake on my part. I had spied the adjourning table ordering this dish and the serving certainly looked generous. Oh boy, how wrong I was. 2 sausages, a small serving of scrambled eggs and a side of toast. The dish was clean in less than 5 mins, but not that it tasted great in case you are assuming. The sausages were rather salty and the meat didn't seem firm. As for the scrambled eggs, it was too salty as well and tasted like too much milk had gone into it.
The Wild Rocket Burger with Sun Dried Tomato Salsa - Notice the usage of the word "The" in the name of this dish. Its obviously Wild Rocket's signature offering and is THE must try burger. Pleasing aesthetics aside, the burger weighed in slightly bigger than Iggy's offering but smaller than those of Carl's Junior. The patty was huge by the way and rather well mashed, chewy and moist yet not overwhelming. Interestingly, the sun dried tomato salsa atop the patty was a tad sweet but complemented the beef almost flawlessly. The accompanying potato cubes were a little too soft and salty (I could make out the salt granules on the potatoes).
Kueh Buloh Tiramisu - Here's another classic example of how much of a mountain tortoise I am. I have no inkling whatsoever as to what in the world is Kueh Buloh. Shame on me. But the Kueh Buloh Tiramisu was quite good if you ask me. Soft with a nice layer of ice cream beneath it. But it kinda loses the Tiramisu flavour and composition though, which is rather ironical.
Dark Lava Chocolate Gateau with Ice Cream - Few molten chocolate cakes can match the truly splendid rendition by Mortons or the value for money offering at Abof. Wild Rocket's version comes close. Well almost. Its decidedly as good as Abof's but significantly more expensive as well (not as expensive as Morton's though). The shell was slightly hard while the spongy interior was soft and moist. Thick oozing, not too sweet chocolate completed the picture. But it was small, even smaller than Abof's.
I had a good and leisurely brunch, no doubt about that. But $95 for 3 pax does seem a little steep especially with the smallish portions. Its a nice place to hang out though and service is good. They will definitely be seeing more of me. On a side note, please let me reiterate that the place is tiny and you are looking at about probably 30 people max so please please please make your reservations.
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Rating given:
The popular Uno Beef House at Toa Payoh has a new outlet in the western regions of Singapore. Located in a prominent and brightly lit coffee shop along Dover road which runs parallel to the MRT line, it has its fair share of customers as well, but the waiting time here is definitely much shorter than its Toa Payoh counterpart.
I started off with the Cream of Mushroom soup ($2) which definitely came straight out of the can. There were undissolved chunks of coagulated soup at the bottom of the bowl, indicating a less than thorough stirring process. Having said that, I certainly didn't expect them to make their own mushroom soup, not for $2.
My gf had the pork chops ($5) which was quite good. Chewy yet not too dry or tough, with lots of savoury made from scratch gravy to go along. Portions were decent, but definitely not sufficient for a glutton like me.
The purported star of the evening (they are called Uno Beef House for a reason), the tenderloin steak ($10), was served up medium rare as per my request. The meat was very well done, succulent and a little chewy but lacked the sweetness of really good tenderloins. The mushroom sauce was quite decent too, with slices of mushroom and onion in it. I would have liked a more robust sauce though.
Here comes the real star of the evening, the side of a single Potato Ball which was served alongside a small tomato. It had a buttery taste to it and reminded me very much of eating pineapple tarts minus the sweetened pineapple of course. Texture wise was also good, not too mashed up or soft. I wonder if the Potato Balls are available on their own.
In summary, I like this place and will definitely be back to patronise. Its definitely in the league of Astons for steak and considering the amount of hype that Astons has been getting, I rather stick to Uno.
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Rating given: