Finally, we get down to business and do a write up on none other then the coveted Donut Factory. Currently available in only 2 locations in town, this orange box means you've either lined up for 2 hours or more for your favorite little fried pastry. I'd like to reiterate once again, i am not a donut lover and asking me to line up for 2 hours for a donut is a suggestion bordering on insane. However, i did find a smaller queue on this very fortunate day and so, we queued, waited and scored!
After an astonishingly long wait of...... 15 minutes (!!!!), i got my hands on a huge assortment of donuts from this famous and much talk about pastry chain. That's right, 15 minutes was all it took and thats a far cry from what i've been told. Even better, most of the flavors were present, i bought 2 boxes of 12 and the other box had the Double Chocolate flavor, which is deemed one of the most popular items. Anyway, as of present, i have tasted 2 flavors with the third gone before i could try. They are the peanut butter glazed donut, the Raspberry dark chocolate and the spicy cheese flavored donut.
Peanut butter glazed donut has a generous filling of peanut butter within and has a nice glazed surface of sugar which really enhances the taste but may come across as a tad too sweet for some. The raspberry dark chocolate tasted normal in the beginning as i couldn't make out the dark chocolate nor raspberry taste. Its saving grace came about halfway through the donut when its thick, sweet and sour raspberry filling oozed out for a satisfying spin on the taste. Finally, the spicy cheese flavored was devoured by my mom very quickly while she kept exclaiming how fragrant and tasty it was as compared to the other donut company i've been reviewing. Across the board, i believe the main difference in their offerings is the quality of the dough. It was uniformly softer and less porous when compared to other donuts i've had at this point. The fillings it offers also packs a stronger punch as compared to other would be imitators. Delightful!
Does it live up to the hype? In terms of donuts, the answer is a resounding YES. Can waiting 2 hours for its donuts be justified? Unfortunately, i would say no. At least not for the flavors i've had thus far. Donuts are known for being quick munchies and for stemming pangs of hunger, they are not known as a luxury item that demands a long waiting time. =P I suppose the next donut comparison will probably be the original Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme in USA. Till then, the Donut Factory can tide you over till you get the real thing.
Didn't fancy jostling with the crowds for a seat during dinner so popped by Oscar's for a relatively peaceful meal far from the maddening crowds.
Located on the ground floor of Conrad Centennial, this versatile cafe is known for its international buffet spreads, but we decided to go against the norm and opted for ala carte instead. Decor is rather "cafeish" with a good mix of wood and opulent lighting, complete with Birds of Paradise donning the place.
Personally, I thought the chicken & mango wrap was nicely done as the wrap was lightly toasted and not too thick. The filling of chicken and mango went well with what tasted like the peanut sauce found in Rojak - sweet yet not overwhelming. Fresh crunchy vegetables added zest and juiciness to the dish. Lest expectations shoot too high for this dish, let me just say that its decent, but not outstanding.
Conrad Burger - I've developed a penchant for burgers recently so got myself their signature burger to try. The finely grounded beef patty was a little too overdone but still relatively juicy and tasty without coming too strong on the raw beef taste. Bacon strips beneath a buttery toasted bun provided a nice salty taste.
Oscar's Profiteroles - The profiteroles were quite a bit of a let down. Firstly, they didn't come drenched in chocolate (unlike the ones in France), which would have made it so much nicer. You would have probably guessed that the chocolate syrup was woefully inadequate. On the upside, the ice cream was nice and smooth but strangely enough, the pistachio ice cream tasted more like almond to me.
Chocolate Royal Hazelnut Crunch - A most delightful (and not to mention sinful) dessert, the hazelnut crunch was light and not too rich, complete with a nice wafer biscuit base. Very much like eating a smooth rendition of Rocher, which I personally fancy quite a bit. I didn't quite take to the macaroon, cold Sauternes Sabayon or tropical fruit though.
$85 for 1 appetiser, 1 main and 2 desserts certainly doesn't qualify as value for money. However, food quality is arguably above average so that might just lessen the pain of forking out so much money a wee bit. Service, though professional, could have been friendlier.
Fans of the now defunct PaPi at Mohd Sultan road will be happy to know that Chef Salvatore, who headed the kitchens there, has ventured out to start a new Italian restaurant - La Noce.
Hidden in a secluded area just along Chu Lin Road, off the Hillview estate, La Noce, which means "Walnut", is a tiny eatery which can probably hold about 35 pax. The interior is simply furnished and instantly puts one at ease with its cosiness and warmth. Please be warned that its not an easy place to find but if you do find it, there's free valet parking available. And public transport is a big no no, unless you are willing to walk.
The complimentary bread was a joke. Charred on the outside and dry on the inside. It wasn't served warm as well. What else can I say?
Vitello Tonnato - For $18, I had honestly expected more. Sure, the veal was thinly sliced but the taste was overwhelmed by the tuna sauce so much so that you could have substituted the veal with ham and I wouldn't really be able to tell the difference. Still a decent dish though.
Ravioli White Truffle - You could have imagined my delight when I heard from our waiter that La Noce was actually doing a special of White Truffle Ravioli. Honestly, for $24 a pop, I certainly didn't expect much. However, what I got was way below expectations. The white truffle flakes, if any, were drowned by the cream sauce which was a pity really, considering that white truffles have to be eaten with something light to bring out its aroma and taste. The stuffing inside the Ravioli, which our waiter claimed was made from white truffles (a most unbelievable statement considering the prohibitive prices of white truffles), tasted like mashed up cheese and together with the cream sauce, made for a nausea inducing dish.
Quattro Stagioni - The Stagioni, or 4 seasons pizza as it's also known, was decent but not outstanding. The crust, though thin, was way too hard and I had problems cutting through it. Quantity of ingredients was sufficient though.
La Noce Souffle - This has got to be one of the lousier Chocolate Souffles that I've ever eaten. Minimal chocolate oozed out of the cake when I broke through the crust, which was a bummer really. The texture of the cake didn't taste like cake, but more of kueh, soft and a tad elastic. And $14 for this is a joke.
Dessert Platter - Tiramisu, pine nuts pie, Panna Cotta and Profiteroles made up the dessert platter and honestly, none were outstanding, all average at best. The tiramisu has no alcohol in it, which would still have been acceptable if it was fluffy and moist - both of which were lacking. The profiteroles were reminiscent of the ones in France, freshly drenched in chocolate and served. The only glaring difference was that the ones from La Noce were drenched in chocolate and then left to sit before serving, which made the pastry rather soft.
Sadly, even the quintessential panna cotta wasn't up to the mark. It wasn't very quivery or sweet enough. The pine nut pie was the best of the lot, with the pine but filling light yet tasty. But still not outstanding.
$490 for 7 pax is honestly a case of too little, too much. Too little in terms of quality/value and too much in terms of cost. Service is excellent and so is the hospitality of Chef Salvatore, but he needs to bring back the standards of PaPi before I'll even considering stepping in again.
Dropped by Epicurious, one of the lesser known outfits dotting Roberton Quay, for a late dinner. Interestingly, the word epicurious stems from the words epicure, which is used to describe someone with refined taste, especially in food and wine and curious.
Occupying just a small unit along the bustling Roberston Walk, Epicurious does mostly al fresco seating with the exception of 3 small tables in its tiny interior which seem to suffer from cooling problems (read. Where's the airconditioning?) The al fresco area has big blower fans to cool the area though, which is probably why people usually choose to sit outside instead of inside (from my observations).
Epicurious Burger - Read many good things about the burger so thought I would give it a shot with the works ($4 for an addition of egg, cheese and bacon) First looks, it didn't come across as impressive as the one from Wild Rocket, especially in the size department. Taste wise was pretty decent though. The beef patty could have been a little less cooked but still managed to retain its juiciness and taste. Add the egg, cheese and bacon in and you get one hearty burger. I didn't like the bread though, which was a little too toasted, rendering it hard. The accompanying fries were just overfried and too salty.
Herb Roasted Half Chicken - The chicken was nice without being too strong on the herbs, a bane that most such dishes suffer from. However, the portions could have been bigger and I personally would have liked it to be a little more sour so as to bring out the contrast.
Hazelnut Cheesecake - Interestingly, the hazelnut cheesecake came topped with strawberries. That aside, it was actually quite good, with the cheese relatively light and airy without being too overwhelming. The base was a concoction of dark chocolate and orange peel, which was certainly something different.
$55 for 2 mains and 1 dessert might seem to be pushing the boundaries for reasonable pricing. But food is pretty decent and the place is rather cosy with good service. Worth a visit if you are in the vicinity and dont want to bust your budget dining at the fancier outfits.
Popped by the Siglap area for lunch one afternoon with my colleague and chanced upon Sushi Jiro while scouring the area for Japanese food.
Unpretentiously located along East Coast Road just before Siglap Centre, Sushi Jiro plays neighbour to the more illustrious Perle Noir, which incidentally, is never open for lunch. The decor is simple and you get to dine in private tatami rooms which can probably seat about 2-8 pax.
I've honestly not eaten enough Chawamushi to gauge whether Sushi Jiro's rendition was good, but I did like it for coming across as light on the palate. The addition of orange peel to the rather watery base was a nice touch as it introduced a slightly bitter dimension to the dish.
Wakadori Karaage - The chicken was nice and crispy but tasted like it had too much oil. Every bite brought forth a secretion of juices (oil water), which got me worrying for my health really.
Eihire - This dish piqued my curiosity quite a bit as I've never eaten stingray fins before. Lightly grilled, the fins were interesting but not something I would order again. It seemed rather salty for starters and when eaten with the mayonnaise, the flavours didn't seem to complement, to the extent of being weird.
Tempura Moriawase - Almost a staple regardless of which Japanese restaurant I patronise, the tempura batter was thin and light but a little too bland for my liking. I did like the prawns that came with it though, huge, fresh and sweet. The other stuff were rather average.
California Maki - I can't think of a better word than average to describe the California Maki. Rice was of the right texture but seemed a little too scattered. The only plus point was that it was covered with roe.
I would say that overall the meal was very average but the tatami rooms did make for a more private and enjoyable lunch. However, $58 for 2 pax might seem a little steep especially for the quality and quantity of food. That said, service is good and they have a rather novel system (at least in Singapore) of catching the wait staff's attention, which is to clap your hands.
With the popularity of donut boutiques like The Donut Factory, it is inevitable that people will want to jump on the donut bandwagon for a piece of this ever growing cash pie. Donut Donut is one such outlet and it seems to have been reasonably successful thus far with about 3 outlets spread across the country (the ones i know thus far that is).
Yummy looking Donuts!! ($6 for 6) - First up, i'm not a fan of donuts but this box looked simply delightful! It contained 6 donuts, 2 durian flavored, 1 coffee flavored, 1 dark chocolate flavored and 2 more which i don't know because i never tried them. For what i did try, the durian and coffee flavored one, it was quite nicely done. The dough was soft and decidedly porous with an aromatic taste of buns. The durian was not as strong flavored as i thought but still managed to command recognition. The coffee donut had dark chocolate sprinkled atop and was shaped like a heart. The dough was alike with its durian offering and the coffee mentioned was basically mocha flavored cream passing off as coffee. Decent nonetheless. Good marks for presentation though, i'm looking forward to my next visit to see if there are better offerings.
A quick follow up on this little pastry outlet as promised. For a view of my previous comments, please click here.
If you remember from my previous post, i was quite optimistic about what this little outlet offered and promised to visit it again soon. Well, here it is! I had a go at the more expensive cheese donut and was quite disappointed by it as i found the dough a little hard this time around and i couldn't justify why sprinkling cheese bits on top and having cheese vanilla flavored cream on the inside increases the price of it by another 20 cents from its other offerings. From there, everything went downhill as i tried once again, the mocha flavored donut, dark chocolate coated donut and the white chocolate donut. Somehow, i can sum the whole experience up as dull after a few bites as everything starts to blend into one familiar flavor. I also began to feel the dough isn't aromatic enough and finally, i've decided i probably would not patronize the place further as their offerings remain largely the same throughout with little to no surprises at this point.
I would like to apologize to anyone who did try this place out because in the end, it really isn't very good. In fact, their donuts are only slightly above average and a good way to put it is that it is simply a flashier version of normal coffee shop pastries that is riding on the success of The Donut Factory. Next write up, The Donut Factory.
On my sisters 19th birthday, the choice of cake was decided as the all time favorite oreo cheesecake. Having a plethora of choices, we settled upon a quick and easy fix of getting one from Jack's place which was a bus ride away.
Oreo Cheesecake 0.5kg ($18 before gst) - The cake looks decent but not exactly aesthetically pleasing. The top layer consists of a thin layer of dark chocolate which melts too readily and the middle cream cheese portion came across as being too soft for my liking. I also found the cheese filling sour and lacking the sweetness present in other renditions of Oreo cheesecakes. As mentioned earlier, it seems to melt or turn soft a little too quickly which really takes away from the experience. The oreo crust base is about the only thing that is reasonably passable for this cake. Overall, a disappointment and a prime example of a good cake gone bad. I hope the rest of their offerings aren't that meager because i actually have fond memories of their cake offerings.Maybe its because it used to be made in house but now, they added a Halal cert and a new pastry arm which doesn't quite do the brand justice. The same goes for their food offerings as well. Such a pity.
Aston's specialties, yet another "coffeeshop gourmet" outlet which seems to be all the rage these days. Aston's specializes in steak and has appeared on television programs such as "Pai Pai Zhan, Ca Ca Kan" (Queue and check it out!) recently. The outlet i reviewed is its less glorious outlet at Seragoon Gardens but let it be known that location does not dictate the quality of food. Good food always speaks for itself.
Found in an obscure location along the crossing towards Coffee bean, Friends and Cafe Cartel from the bus stop, this is one of the last places i would imagine a gourmet eating place can be found, and worse, i worked here for 2 years and never tried it till now. The shame oh the shame!
Mushroom Soup ($2.20) - After waiting for about half an hour to get my orders taken and another 15 minutes for the soup to be brought to me, grumpy would be a kind way to describe my feelings at that point. However, the soup managed to ease my nerves a little. Creamy and slightly starchy, the soup tasted full bodied, thick and was surprisingly packed with mushroom bits albeit a little salty. The bread was pleasantly toasted, warm and soft unlike offerings elsewhere.
Grilled Dory Fish with Herbal Sauce ($5.50) - The fish came a few minutes after the soup and was steaming hot. Sides were simple affairs of boiled seasonal vegetables and a potato salad. The seasonal vegetables were broccoli and carrots which were simply boiled. Potato salad was of the crunchy variety however and was nicely mixed with sauce for a strong, pleasant and raw appetizer. The dory fish was slightly charred on the ends but otherwise moist and sweet on the inside. They must have marinated it pretty well because the pepper and herb taste was thoroughly in the meat. I also liked the herb scented sauce on used as a dressing which really brings out the flavor. Point to note was that the fish somehow managed to stay warm throughout our meal which is a big plus.
Aston's Prime Ribeye Steak ($11.90) - A baked potato and caeser's salad accompanied my ribeye steak which is of a pretty generous portion, probably 200-150 grams of meat. The baked potato looked uninviting but tasted good due to it being burning hot and served with a huge dollop of melting salted butter on top. The caeser salad, consisting of lettuce, carrots, radish, blueberries and tomatoes was fresh, crunchy and sweet along with a small dressing of thousand island sauce. The beef was served as i ordered, medium rare and smoking. I could easily taste the beef juices in each succulent, juicy bite. Mushroom dressing was used to further enhance the taste which i honestly can't complain. Apart from the fatty meat along the sides which is usual for this cut of meat, i believe everything else checks out pretty well for this place. Nicely done.
$20 for a simple, fumes induced yet satisfying dinner is what i call value for money.
Finally! A commercial review that deserves merit is few and far between. Though the queues are long and bound to get longer after its recent television outing, you'll be hard pressed to find better value for money for steaks of this caliber. Heartily recommended for a try to judge yourselves. Watch the queues and fumes though.
As requested, an extremely overdue post on Botak Jones. Personally, i have been there at least 5 times over the past 1.5 years and each time with a different group or by myself. So this is more or less a collective experience post. (PS: pardon the horrible pictures. The food looks much better when you are there.)
Located in a humble coffee shop setting in the middle of nowhere in Ang Mo Kio, i was apprehensive at first during my first visit. This however, gave way to appreciation as the prices were definitely lower then its restaurant counterparts. Along the same vein as Aston's and Blackboard, Botak Jones was probably one of the pioneers in this field (correct me if i'm wrong please). Now, after four years, Botak Jones boasts a total of 6 outlets and a strong following of loyal customers with new ones born everyday. Be warned that if you arrive late for the meal, be prepared to wait at least 30 minutes for your food.
The Double Botak ($9.50) - Botak burger, 2 150 gram beef patties set atop a lightly toasted bun with tomatoes onions and lettuce. The burger comes without cheese or any such toppings unless ordered, toppings are priced between $1 to $3.50 on top of charge for the burger. I recommend the cheddar cheese topping for a more wholesome taste. As you can see, the burger i ordered did not come with cheese because i conveniently forgot. The patties are as i remember it, moist and medium well done on the inside which oozes a pleasantly strong beefy taste. The patties were smaller then i remembered however, and it was a little drier then my previous visits for some reason, the lack of cheese also took away a significant portion of enjoyment. The fries were thick and came with chilli powder sprinkled over it.
Cajun Chicken ($7.50) - Having never ordered anything apart from Botak Burger, i was pleasantly surprised with the Cajun Chicken my dad ordered. Chicken breast thats tender, a novel concept and well executed. The chicken was tender, juicy, easily cut and full of flavor from the mozeralla cheese and the spicy cajun sauce. Thats my impression from the one piece i had, my dad enjoyed it and said it was good. Enough said.
Fish And Chips ($6.50) - The humble fish and chips or breaded fried fish, available everywhere and at low prices, how does their rendition fair? Supposedly made from pacific dory fish and breaded on the day itself, they tout it as being freshly made daily. The reality of it is that it still tastes generic albeit a much better one then those available in other hawker centers or coffee shops. This one beats Blackboard's rendition hands down. The fish was thick and sweet with a thin layer of batter, still, would be better if they gave even bigger servings.
"Damn good food at a damn good price!" is their tag line. From my visits, i got to realize that prices have been increasing and the food quality, though decent, have been sliding. The beef is where its at for me, but as prices increase ($1 for cheddar cheese?), the previous good value it offered is slowly offset as it now rivals restaurant prices when toppings are considered. Add the unpleasantness of its long wait times and somehow, the feeling of satisfaction it previously offered somehow ebbs away. Still, for its theme of American burgers, its currently still the better of the lot. Still, its more edging towards "Decent American burgers at semi decent prices" as opposed to what its tag line suggests.
Featured on HDB Tai Tai sometime last month, September, piggy ole me was once again influenced into trying out a commercially reviewed joint for its food. Quite simply, the tv artists raved about its food and value for money. I was there to discover if what they touted was indeed true. (On a side note, the real reason i wanted to go was due to its cheap shark's fin noodles which really intrigued me to no end.)
We arrived on a rather awkward timing since it was a weekday afternoon but there was already quite a crowd within. Seats were aplenty though as this happens to be the biggest in its chain of restaurants in Singapore thus far. The interior was spacious and cozy with a very friendly male waiter who took the liberty of introducing us to his favorite and generally more expensive items. Established in 2004, simply enter their website to see them tout in bold letters "The Most Highly Recommended Hong Kong Cafe" How much of it is true? I'm not able to say yet.
Random ramblings. Why do they need a piece of paper to tick our orders and later follow up with 3 pieces of paper to note down the exact same orders? And all it does is lay on the table to be thrown away later. I've not seen a worst use of paper since....ever. Bad practice, really bad practice.
Mango King ($5.50) - The menu states: "Special blended mango juice with fresh mangoes and mango ice-cream" and thats exactly what it is. And truth be told, its probably the best item we had that day. Mango pieces were clearly visible but were sour and in actuality, the amount given was quite stingy. The mango ice cream was great however, lightly sweet with a soft mango and vanilla fragrance. The ice blended portion needed more work and the mango syrup simply wasn't good. At $5.50, i'd say they are pirates.
HK Fried Carrot Cake with XO sauce ($5.50) - The first that hits you is how small the portion is. You can practically count the number of carrot cake cubes. Portion aside, the dish came smelling heavenly. Taste wise though, the oil took up a huge part of it and where's the XO sauce? The carrot cake was firm and soft at the same time which made eating it a breeze but still, despite its generally sweet and soft texture, the residue of oil it leaves behind won't leave a good taste in your mouth.
Gold Medal Macau Baked ($14.80) - My gf had this. Let me explain the process involved in preparing this. Firstly, get ready made pasta, dip it in hot water and later cold water, lay a chicken chop, porkchop and some prawns and squid. Then separately put three different sauces, tomato, cream and curry sauce on the respective items and finally, add a layer of mozeralla cheese. Bake for about 5 minutes and serve the customer. Sounds decent right? However, they did not thaw the chicken and pork chop well enough, the also skimped on the baking process to speed things up and the pasta was not cooked properly. In its defense, the tomato base tasted good and the serving of meat is decent.
HK Street Shark's Fin Soup La Mian ($10.80) - This was what i came here for and this is the reason why i will not be back. The serving on television showed entire pieces of shark's fin which is obviously absent here. What was served was minuscule and insufficient. Worse, the La Mian was horrendously overcooked till it tastes soggy and the soup base was bland and tasteless. I don't know how they dared to feature this on television, this is plain bad.
An unsatisfying meal came up to $39.20 dollars without GST.
Disappointment stabbed at me as i left the place. I had high hopes for it since watching it on television but as usual, commercial reviews seem to overate these places at times. Maybe its because they get the food for free, or maybe they are paid to eat which thus skews their perception, but a paying customer like myself will tell you to stay away from this place. The pricing is ridiculous and the food laughable.
1=SGD 0.0587
Finally, we get down to business and do a write up on none other then the coveted Donut Factory. Currently available in only 2 locations in town, this orange box means you've either lined up for 2 hours or more for your favorite little fried pastry. I'd like to reiterate once again, i am not a donut lover and asking me to line up for 2 hours for a donut is a suggestion bordering on insane. However, i did find a smaller queue on this very fortunate day and so, we queued, waited and scored!
After an astonishingly long wait of...... 15 minutes (!!!!), i got my hands on a huge assortment of donuts from this famous and much talk about pastry chain. That's right, 15 minutes was all it took and thats a far cry from what i've been told. Even better, most of the flavors were present, i bought 2 boxes of 12 and the other box had the Double Chocolate flavor, which is deemed one of the most popular items.
Anyway, as of present, i have tasted 2 flavors with the third gone before i could try. They are the peanut butter glazed donut, the Raspberry dark chocolate and the spicy cheese flavored donut.
Peanut butter glazed donut has a generous filling of peanut butter within and has a nice glazed surface of sugar which really enhances the taste but may come across as a tad too sweet for some.
The raspberry dark chocolate tasted normal in the beginning as i couldn't make out the dark chocolate nor raspberry taste. Its saving grace came about halfway through the donut when its thick, sweet and sour raspberry filling oozed out for a satisfying spin on the taste.
Finally, the spicy cheese flavored was devoured by my mom very quickly while she kept exclaiming how fragrant and tasty it was as compared to the other donut company i've been reviewing.
Across the board, i believe the main difference in their offerings is the quality of the dough. It was uniformly softer and less porous when compared to other donuts i've had at this point. The fillings it offers also packs a stronger punch as compared to other would be imitators. Delightful!
Does it live up to the hype? In terms of donuts, the answer is a resounding YES.
Can waiting 2 hours for its donuts be justified? Unfortunately, i would say no. At least not for the flavors i've had thus far. Donuts are known for being quick munchies and for stemming pangs of hunger, they are not known as a luxury item that demands a long waiting time. =P I suppose the next donut comparison will probably be the original Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme in USA. Till then, the Donut Factory can tide you over till you get the real thing.
Rating given:
Didn't fancy jostling with the crowds for a seat during dinner so popped by Oscar's for a relatively peaceful meal far from the maddening crowds.
Located on the ground floor of Conrad Centennial, this versatile cafe is known for its international buffet spreads, but we decided to go against the norm and opted for ala carte instead. Decor is rather "cafeish" with a good mix of wood and opulent lighting, complete with Birds of Paradise donning the place.
Personally, I thought the chicken & mango wrap was nicely done as the wrap was lightly toasted and not too thick. The filling of chicken and mango went well with what tasted like the peanut sauce found in Rojak - sweet yet not overwhelming. Fresh crunchy vegetables added zest and juiciness to the dish. Lest expectations shoot too high for this dish, let me just say that its decent, but not outstanding.
Conrad Burger - I've developed a penchant for burgers recently so got myself their signature burger to try. The finely grounded beef patty was a little too overdone but still relatively juicy and tasty without coming too strong on the raw beef taste. Bacon strips beneath a buttery toasted bun provided a nice salty taste.
Oscar's Profiteroles - The profiteroles were quite a bit of a let down. Firstly, they didn't come drenched in chocolate (unlike the ones in France), which would have made it so much nicer. You would have probably guessed that the chocolate syrup was woefully inadequate. On the upside, the ice cream was nice and smooth but strangely enough, the pistachio ice cream tasted more like almond to me.
Chocolate Royal Hazelnut Crunch - A most delightful (and not to mention sinful) dessert, the hazelnut crunch was light and not too rich, complete with a nice wafer biscuit base. Very much like eating a smooth rendition of Rocher, which I personally fancy quite a bit. I didn't quite take to the macaroon, cold Sauternes Sabayon or tropical fruit though.
$85 for 1 appetiser, 1 main and 2 desserts certainly doesn't qualify as value for money. However, food quality is arguably above average so that might just lessen the pain of forking out so much money a wee bit. Service, though professional, could have been friendlier.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Fans of the now defunct PaPi at Mohd Sultan road will be happy to know that Chef Salvatore, who headed the kitchens there, has ventured out to start a new Italian restaurant - La Noce.
Hidden in a secluded area just along Chu Lin Road, off the Hillview estate, La Noce, which means "Walnut", is a tiny eatery which can probably hold about 35 pax. The interior is simply furnished and instantly puts one at ease with its cosiness and warmth. Please be warned that its not an easy place to find but if you do find it, there's free valet parking available. And public transport is a big no no, unless you are willing to walk.
The complimentary bread was a joke. Charred on the outside and dry on the inside. It wasn't served warm as well. What else can I say?
Vitello Tonnato - For $18, I had honestly expected more. Sure, the veal was thinly sliced but the taste was overwhelmed by the tuna sauce so much so that you could have substituted the veal with ham and I wouldn't really be able to tell the difference. Still a decent dish though.
Ravioli White Truffle - You could have imagined my delight when I heard from our waiter that La Noce was actually doing a special of White Truffle Ravioli. Honestly, for $24 a pop, I certainly didn't expect much. However, what I got was way below expectations. The white truffle flakes, if any, were drowned by the cream sauce which was a pity really, considering that white truffles have to be eaten with something light to bring out its aroma and taste. The stuffing inside the Ravioli, which our waiter claimed was made from white truffles (a most unbelievable statement considering the prohibitive prices of white truffles), tasted like mashed up cheese and together with the cream sauce, made for a nausea inducing dish.
Quattro Stagioni - The Stagioni, or 4 seasons pizza as it's also known, was decent but not outstanding. The crust, though thin, was way too hard and I had problems cutting through it. Quantity of ingredients was sufficient though.
La Noce Souffle - This has got to be one of the lousier Chocolate Souffles that I've ever eaten. Minimal chocolate oozed out of the cake when I broke through the crust, which was a bummer really. The texture of the cake didn't taste like cake, but more of kueh, soft and a tad elastic. And $14 for this is a joke.
Dessert Platter - Tiramisu, pine nuts pie, Panna Cotta and Profiteroles made up the dessert platter and honestly, none were outstanding, all average at best. The tiramisu has no alcohol in it, which would still have been acceptable if it was fluffy and moist - both of which were lacking. The profiteroles were reminiscent of the ones in France, freshly drenched in chocolate and served. The only glaring difference was that the ones from La Noce were drenched in chocolate and then left to sit before serving, which made the pastry rather soft.
Sadly, even the quintessential panna cotta wasn't up to the mark. It wasn't very quivery or sweet enough. The pine nut pie was the best of the lot, with the pine but filling light yet tasty. But still not outstanding.
$490 for 7 pax is honestly a case of too little, too much. Too little in terms of quality/value and too much in terms of cost. Service is excellent and so is the hospitality of Chef Salvatore, but he needs to bring back the standards of PaPi before I'll even considering stepping in again.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Dropped by Epicurious, one of the lesser known outfits dotting Roberton Quay, for a late dinner. Interestingly, the word epicurious stems from the words epicure, which is used to describe someone with refined taste, especially in food and wine and curious.
Occupying just a small unit along the bustling Roberston Walk, Epicurious does mostly al fresco seating with the exception of 3 small tables in its tiny interior which seem to suffer from cooling problems (read. Where's the airconditioning?) The al fresco area has big blower fans to cool the area though, which is probably why people usually choose to sit outside instead of inside (from my observations).
Epicurious Burger - Read many good things about the burger so thought I would give it a shot with the works ($4 for an addition of egg, cheese and bacon) First looks, it didn't come across as impressive as the one from Wild Rocket, especially in the size department. Taste wise was pretty decent though. The beef patty could have been a little less cooked but still managed to retain its juiciness and taste. Add the egg, cheese and bacon in and you get one hearty burger. I didn't like the bread though, which was a little too toasted, rendering it hard. The accompanying fries were just overfried and too salty.
Herb Roasted Half Chicken - The chicken was nice without being too strong on the herbs, a bane that most such dishes suffer from. However, the portions could have been bigger and I personally would have liked it to be a little more sour so as to bring out the contrast.
Hazelnut Cheesecake - Interestingly, the hazelnut cheesecake came topped with strawberries. That aside, it was actually quite good, with the cheese relatively light and airy without being too overwhelming. The base was a concoction of dark chocolate and orange peel, which was certainly something different.
$55 for 2 mains and 1 dessert might seem to be pushing the boundaries for reasonable pricing. But food is pretty decent and the place is rather cosy with good service. Worth a visit if you are in the vicinity and dont want to bust your budget dining at the fancier outfits.
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Popped by the Siglap area for lunch one afternoon with my colleague and chanced upon Sushi Jiro while scouring the area for Japanese food.
Unpretentiously located along East Coast Road just before Siglap Centre, Sushi Jiro plays neighbour to the more illustrious Perle Noir, which incidentally, is never open for lunch. The decor is simple and you get to dine in private tatami rooms which can probably seat about 2-8 pax.
I've honestly not eaten enough Chawamushi to gauge whether Sushi Jiro's rendition was good, but I did like it for coming across as light on the palate. The addition of orange peel to the rather watery base was a nice touch as it introduced a slightly bitter dimension to the dish.
Wakadori Karaage - The chicken was nice and crispy but tasted like it had too much oil. Every bite brought forth a secretion of juices (oil water), which got me worrying for my health really.
Eihire - This dish piqued my curiosity quite a bit as I've never eaten stingray fins before. Lightly grilled, the fins were interesting but not something I would order again. It seemed rather salty for starters and when eaten with the mayonnaise, the flavours didn't seem to complement, to the extent of being weird.
Tempura Moriawase - Almost a staple regardless of which Japanese restaurant I patronise, the tempura batter was thin and light but a little too bland for my liking. I did like the prawns that came with it though, huge, fresh and sweet. The other stuff were rather average.
California Maki - I can't think of a better word than average to describe the California Maki. Rice was of the right texture but seemed a little too scattered. The only plus point was that it was covered with roe.
I would say that overall the meal was very average but the tatami rooms did make for a more private and enjoyable lunch. However, $58 for 2 pax might seem a little steep especially for the quality and quantity of food. That said, service is good and they have a rather novel system (at least in Singapore) of catching the wait staff's attention, which is to clap your hands.
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With the popularity of donut boutiques like The Donut Factory, it is inevitable that people will want to jump on the donut bandwagon for a piece of this ever growing cash pie. Donut Donut is one such outlet and it seems to have been reasonably successful thus far with about 3 outlets spread across the country (the ones i know thus far that is).
Yummy looking Donuts!! ($6 for 6) - First up, i'm not a fan of donuts but this box looked simply delightful! It contained 6 donuts, 2 durian flavored, 1 coffee flavored, 1 dark chocolate flavored and 2 more which i don't know because i never tried them. For what i did try, the durian and coffee flavored one, it was quite nicely done. The dough was soft and decidedly porous with an aromatic taste of buns. The durian was not as strong flavored as i thought but still managed to command recognition. The coffee donut had dark chocolate sprinkled atop and was shaped like a heart. The dough was alike with its durian offering and the coffee mentioned was basically mocha flavored cream passing off as coffee. Decent nonetheless.
Good marks for presentation though, i'm looking forward to my next visit to see if there are better offerings.
A quick follow up on this little pastry outlet as promised. For a view of my previous comments, please click here.
If you remember from my previous post, i was quite optimistic about what this little outlet offered and promised to visit it again soon. Well, here it is!
I had a go at the more expensive cheese donut and was quite disappointed by it as i found the dough a little hard this time around and i couldn't justify why sprinkling cheese bits on top and having cheese vanilla flavored cream on the inside increases the price of it by another 20 cents from its other offerings. From there, everything went downhill as i tried once again, the mocha flavored donut, dark chocolate coated donut and the white chocolate donut. Somehow, i can sum the whole experience up as dull after a few bites as everything starts to blend into one familiar flavor. I also began to feel the dough isn't aromatic enough and finally, i've decided i probably would not patronize the place further as their offerings remain largely the same throughout with little to no surprises at this point.
I would like to apologize to anyone who did try this place out because in the end, it really isn't very good. In fact, their donuts are only slightly above average and a good way to put it is that it is simply a flashier version of normal coffee shop pastries that is riding on the success of The Donut Factory. Next write up, The Donut Factory.
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On my sisters 19th birthday, the choice of cake was decided as the all time favorite oreo cheesecake. Having a plethora of choices, we settled upon a quick and easy fix of getting one from Jack's place which was a bus ride away.
Oreo Cheesecake 0.5kg ($18 before gst) - The cake looks decent but not exactly aesthetically pleasing. The top layer consists of a thin layer of dark chocolate which melts too readily and the middle cream cheese portion came across as being too soft for my liking. I also found the cheese filling sour and lacking the sweetness present in other renditions of Oreo cheesecakes. As mentioned earlier, it seems to melt or turn soft a little too quickly which really takes away from the experience. The oreo crust base is about the only thing that is reasonably passable for this cake. Overall, a disappointment and a prime example of a good cake gone bad.
I hope the rest of their offerings aren't that meager because i actually have fond memories of their cake offerings.Maybe its because it used to be made in house but now, they added a Halal cert and a new pastry arm which doesn't quite do the brand justice. The same goes for their food offerings as well. Such a pity.
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Aston's specialties, yet another "coffeeshop gourmet" outlet which seems to be all the rage these days. Aston's specializes in steak and has appeared on television programs such as "Pai Pai Zhan, Ca Ca Kan" (Queue and check it out!) recently. The outlet i reviewed is its less glorious outlet at Seragoon Gardens but let it be known that location does not dictate the quality of food. Good food always speaks for itself.
Found in an obscure location along the crossing towards Coffee bean, Friends and Cafe Cartel from the bus stop, this is one of the last places i would imagine a gourmet eating place can be found, and worse, i worked here for 2 years and never tried it till now. The shame oh the shame!
Mushroom Soup ($2.20) - After waiting for about half an hour to get my orders taken and another 15 minutes for the soup to be brought to me, grumpy would be a kind way to describe my feelings at that point. However, the soup managed to ease my nerves a little. Creamy and slightly starchy, the soup tasted full bodied, thick and was surprisingly packed with mushroom bits albeit a little salty. The bread was pleasantly toasted, warm and soft unlike offerings elsewhere.
Grilled Dory Fish with Herbal Sauce ($5.50) - The fish came a few minutes after the soup and was steaming hot. Sides were simple affairs of boiled seasonal vegetables and a potato salad. The seasonal vegetables were broccoli and carrots which were simply boiled. Potato salad was of the crunchy variety however and was nicely mixed with sauce for a strong, pleasant and raw appetizer. The dory fish was slightly charred on the ends but otherwise moist and sweet on the inside. They must have marinated it pretty well because the pepper and herb taste was thoroughly in the meat. I also liked the herb scented sauce on used as a dressing which really brings out the flavor. Point to note was that the fish somehow managed to stay warm throughout our meal which is a big plus.
Aston's Prime Ribeye Steak ($11.90) - A baked potato and caeser's salad accompanied my ribeye steak which is of a pretty generous portion, probably 200-150 grams of meat. The baked potato looked uninviting but tasted good due to it being burning hot and served with a huge dollop of melting salted butter on top. The caeser salad, consisting of lettuce, carrots, radish, blueberries and tomatoes was fresh, crunchy and sweet along with a small dressing of thousand island sauce. The beef was served as i ordered, medium rare and smoking. I could easily taste the beef juices in each succulent, juicy bite. Mushroom dressing was used to further enhance the taste which i honestly can't complain. Apart from the fatty meat along the sides which is usual for this cut of meat, i believe everything else checks out pretty well for this place. Nicely done.
$20 for a simple, fumes induced yet satisfying dinner is what i call value for money.
Finally! A commercial review that deserves merit is few and far between. Though the queues are long and bound to get longer after its recent television outing, you'll be hard pressed to find better value for money for steaks of this caliber. Heartily recommended for a try to judge yourselves. Watch the queues and fumes though.
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As requested, an extremely overdue post on Botak Jones. Personally, i have been there at least 5 times over the past 1.5 years and each time with a different group or by myself. So this is more or less a collective experience post. (PS: pardon the horrible pictures. The food looks much better when you are there.)
Located in a humble coffee shop setting in the middle of nowhere in Ang Mo Kio, i was apprehensive at first during my first visit. This however, gave way to appreciation as the prices were definitely lower then its restaurant counterparts. Along the same vein as Aston's and Blackboard, Botak Jones was probably one of the pioneers in this field (correct me if i'm wrong please). Now, after four years, Botak Jones boasts a total of 6 outlets and a strong following of loyal customers with new ones born everyday. Be warned that if you arrive late for the meal, be prepared to wait at least 30 minutes for your food.
The Double Botak ($9.50) - Botak burger, 2 150 gram beef patties set atop a lightly toasted bun with tomatoes onions and lettuce. The burger comes without cheese or any such toppings unless ordered, toppings are priced between $1 to $3.50 on top of charge for the burger. I recommend the cheddar cheese topping for a more wholesome taste. As you can see, the burger i ordered did not come with cheese because i conveniently forgot. The patties are as i remember it, moist and medium well done on the inside which oozes a pleasantly strong beefy taste. The patties were smaller then i remembered however, and it was a little drier then my previous visits for some reason, the lack of cheese also took away a significant portion of enjoyment. The fries were thick and came with chilli powder sprinkled over it.
Cajun Chicken ($7.50) - Having never ordered anything apart from Botak Burger, i was pleasantly surprised with the Cajun Chicken my dad ordered. Chicken breast thats tender, a novel concept and well executed. The chicken was tender, juicy, easily cut and full of flavor from the mozeralla cheese and the spicy cajun sauce. Thats my impression from the one piece i had, my dad enjoyed it and said it was good. Enough said.
Fish And Chips ($6.50) - The humble fish and chips or breaded fried fish, available everywhere and at low prices, how does their rendition fair? Supposedly made from pacific dory fish and breaded on the day itself, they tout it as being freshly made daily. The reality of it is that it still tastes generic albeit a much better one then those available in other hawker centers or coffee shops. This one beats Blackboard's rendition hands down. The fish was thick and sweet with a thin layer of batter, still, would be better if they gave even bigger servings.
"Damn good food at a damn good price!" is their tag line. From my visits, i got to realize that prices have been increasing and the food quality, though decent, have been sliding. The beef is where its at for me, but as prices increase ($1 for cheddar cheese?), the previous good value it offered is slowly offset as it now rivals restaurant prices when toppings are considered. Add the unpleasantness of its long wait times and somehow, the feeling of satisfaction it previously offered somehow ebbs away. Still, for its theme of American burgers, its currently still the better of the lot. Still, its more edging towards "Decent American burgers at semi decent prices" as opposed to what its tag line suggests.
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Featured on HDB Tai Tai sometime last month, September, piggy ole me was once again influenced into trying out a commercially reviewed joint for its food. Quite simply, the tv artists raved about its food and value for money. I was there to discover if what they touted was indeed true. (On a side note, the real reason i wanted to go was due to its cheap shark's fin noodles which really intrigued me to no end.)
We arrived on a rather awkward timing since it was a weekday afternoon but there was already quite a crowd within. Seats were aplenty though as this happens to be the biggest in its chain of restaurants in Singapore thus far. The interior was spacious and cozy with a very friendly male waiter who took the liberty of introducing us to his favorite and generally more expensive items. Established in 2004, simply enter their website to see them tout in bold letters "The Most Highly Recommended Hong Kong Cafe" How much of it is true? I'm not able to say yet.
Random ramblings. Why do they need a piece of paper to tick our orders and later follow up with 3 pieces of paper to note down the exact same orders? And all it does is lay on the table to be thrown away later. I've not seen a worst use of paper since....ever. Bad practice, really bad practice.
Mango King ($5.50) - The menu states: "Special blended mango juice with fresh mangoes and mango ice-cream" and thats exactly what it is. And truth be told, its probably the best item we had that day. Mango pieces were clearly visible but were sour and in actuality, the amount given was quite stingy. The mango ice cream was great however, lightly sweet with a soft mango and vanilla fragrance. The ice blended portion needed more work and the mango syrup simply wasn't good. At $5.50, i'd say they are pirates.
HK Fried Carrot Cake with XO sauce ($5.50) - The first that hits you is how small the portion is. You can practically count the number of carrot cake cubes. Portion aside, the dish came smelling heavenly. Taste wise though, the oil took up a huge part of it and where's the XO sauce? The carrot cake was firm and soft at the same time which made eating it a breeze but still, despite its generally sweet and soft texture, the residue of oil it leaves behind won't leave a good taste in your mouth.
Gold Medal Macau Baked ($14.80) - My gf had this. Let me explain the process involved in preparing this. Firstly, get ready made pasta, dip it in hot water and later cold water, lay a chicken chop, porkchop and some prawns and squid. Then separately put three different sauces, tomato, cream and curry sauce on the respective items and finally, add a layer of mozeralla cheese. Bake for about 5 minutes and serve the customer. Sounds decent right? However, they did not thaw the chicken and pork chop well enough, the also skimped on the baking process to speed things up and the pasta was not cooked properly. In its defense, the tomato base tasted good and the serving of meat is decent.
HK Street Shark's Fin Soup La Mian ($10.80) - This was what i came here for and this is the reason why i will not be back. The serving on television showed entire pieces of shark's fin which is obviously absent here. What was served was minuscule and insufficient. Worse, the La Mian was horrendously overcooked till it tastes soggy and the soup base was bland and tasteless. I don't know how they dared to feature this on television, this is plain bad.
An unsatisfying meal came up to $39.20 dollars without GST.
Disappointment stabbed at me as i left the place. I had high hopes for it since watching it on television but as usual, commercial reviews seem to overate these places at times. Maybe its because they get the food for free, or maybe they are paid to eat which thus skews their perception, but a paying customer like myself will tell you to stay away from this place. The pricing is ridiculous and the food laughable.
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