We were thinking what to eat before around Marina Square area when I thought of this place when I had read the good review on Yebber, so decided to head to this place and give it a try. Given its prime location where you are sure to see it, you will not miss this place at all. Well once you come up of the Citilink escalator; it is just right in front of you. It just looks like a small kopitiam. It got both indoor (air-con) and outdoor (non air-con) seats along the corridor.
From the review about, can see that this place only serves a few kinds of food from Nasi Lemak to Mee Siam to Popiah. They also got desserts and all different kind of drinks as well. They even produce their own kind of drinks (Like Grass Jelly and Tea etc) and pre-packed it by themselves. They go by self service, so when you want to order you have to go to their counter, tell them what you want to order, then pay at the cashier at the end of the line.
I got myself the following food:
Nasi Lemak @ $3.90: There are a lot of different sets to choose from. The prices ranging from $3.90 to $4.70. I ordered mine with otak and chicken wing. The rice is green in color and smells very fragrant. It is hot and soft with a heavy smell of pandan. However it is the only good thing. The otak is that normal kind, nothing to wow of. The chicken wing is warm, not hot but still managed to retain its crispiness. However I do find the wing a bit small sized. The rest of the side dishes are ikan belis and peanuts. I am not a person who can handle hot stuff well, but the chili did impress me a lot. It is a little hot yet sweet at the same time, making it a great combination with the nasi lemak. Overall, this dish is slightly above average.
Popiah @ $1.90. $2.30 if you want to add prawns or chicken: This popiah to me is a bit disappointing. The popiah looks a bit too wet on the plate; therefore I knew that it is going to be soggy. True enough, once I put it inside my mouth, it turns out to be soggy. Although it is packed with a lot of ingredients inside but it does not totally removed all the juices, making the popiah too soggy. It is also a bit tasteless for me. For the price I am paying, I expected it to be better. I have tasted better ones at a cheaper price some more. I will not order this again.
Drinks: Hot Coffee @ $1.10 and Iced Tea @ $1.50. I shall only comment on the tea. I do like their version of the iced tea, thick milky taste which I looked out for in an iced tea! It is good enough for me just to go back and buy their ice tea next time.
Since it is self service, the service at the counter is pretty prompt, as they only prepared (or use the word “packed”) the food when you order. They are also quite flexible as you can change some of the items in your set as well. One thing, they do not charge 10% service charge here. The prices they charge also quite cheap as well comparable to food court prices.
It is a good place if you need a place for quick food or you need to satisfy your urges for Nasi Lemak craving. Wahahahaha……
Read quite a bit about Melvados and its famous brownies so dropped by one sunny afternoon to try them out.
Opened just slightly over a year ago in end 2006, Melvados is located within the upmarket residential enclave of Bukit Timah, playing neighbours to only a clinic and a pub. The decor is simple, with cheap looking wooden tables and chairs sparsely populating the granite floor. There are cosy sofas too but those are of the limited variety. The entire place is small, probably fitting in about 20 pax at most. With huge floor to ceiling windows, the place exudes a nice cosy feeling, just perfect for a lazy afternoon tea session.
Seafood Platter - I'm not exactly a fan of seafood platters as they usually consist of alot of deep fried stuff that tend to make me nauseous after a while. This one was no exception. Served with onion rings, fries, calamari and fish/prawn cakes, the platter was, if I may say, off the charts. Not that I mean it in a good way though. Everything (save for the fries) was rather tasteless and too filled with thick batter that tasted exactly like deep fried flour.
Black & White Kisses - Billed as Melvados's signature brownie, the Black & White Kisses was actually quite good. Moist and not too rich with a nice wholesome baked taste and topped with black and white hershey's kisses. The only bone I had was the consistently smooth homogeneous texture of the brownie, which made it seem a little weird. However such gripes are forgotten when the brownie is paired with the vanilla ice cream, making for a sweet and delightful dessert without the chocolate overload.
Sizzling Brownies Sensation - Ever heard of hotplate brownie? No? Neither have I. It was that curiosity that prompted us to order this dessert. In retrospect, it wasn't such a good idea after all. A brownie served on a hot plate with a scoop of rapidly melting ice cream. How special is that? I did a quick calculation and the novelty of a hotplate cost us an additional $2.10 with the exact same ingredients as their signature Black & White Kisses. There's another problem with serving brownies on a hotplate. The underside of the brownie will harden and stick to the base and the ice cream melts so fast that its a little more than just flavoured cream after a while.
Chocolate Madness - I didn't quite take to this brownie as it was a tad hard and dry when served. Not exactly my cup of tea. And for the record, it didn't really taste that strongly of chocolate as inferred by its name.
I'm really not sure about the going prices for brownies because I don't eat enough of them to know but I'm guessing $18.50 for 3 brownies is a wee bit on the high side. Meldavos serves mains like pasta and sandwiches as well but sticking to just the brownies might just be a safer bet.
Shokudo is a name that you can get familiar with in a hurry. Why? Firstly, it has 2 branches already counting this one, being a Marche-like concept and the other located nearby in CityLink which specialized in Pizza and Pasta. We'll be reviewing the Marche lookalike this time around on the food quality.
Upon queuing and entering the premises, you'll be greeted by friendly serving staff who'll provide you with 2 items. Firstly, you'll receive a card thats basically your best friend, losing the card results in a penalty fee of $100 which is rather absurd if you ask me. The second item you'll receive is a round wooden placeholder thats supposed to reserve a seat for you whereever you put it. However, this simply did not work because our first reservation chip was stolen from our table and some other lady managed to get in our reserved seat... So i'm saying the system may work elsewhere, but apparently not in Singapore. The interior of the Bazaar is split into several different themes with a food court like design in the middle, more colorful lighting and cushy seats in other areas. Rather pleasing and different from an aesthetic perspective. The food preparation areas resemble Marche with the exception of everything being Japanese food or fusion in some instances. The only problem i had with the arrangement is the waiting time for each order. Its pretty ridiculous to wait 20 mins for a beef burger but i'll get to that later. The service staff were alright and courteous but can be improved for sure.
Wasabi Toro Cheese Burger ($7.80) - The name is nice, wasabi toro burger. Whatever that means i'm not too sure but to me, its a beef burger with a supremely small patty of beef wrapped in an extremely bad tasting and oversized bun. I had to wait close to 20 minutes for the above. Can you see where the time went into preparing it? I certainly couldn't unless they mashed and prepared the patty on the spot but i highly doubt that. The bun is fused to an egg which thankfully made it bearable but the miserly portion of beef was terrible visually. Not to mention that when tasted, it simply wasn't up to par, being dry and too hard. Simply terrible.
Bacon and cheese Omelette ($5.80) - My gf ordered this and the next item. Thankfully they were more palatable then my horrible choice but even then, not by much. The bacon and cheese omelet was a really small portion which could be finished in 4 spoonfuls. The omelet itself was served warm and with bacon and cheese melting within it. A little too salty however.
Rosti with Sausages ($9.80) - Since when did rosti become a Japanese item? Nonetheless, in a world of below average food, this managed to be a cut above the rest. Fragrant, hot and crispy with a soft interior. This took the crown that day but thats certainly not saying much. The sausage that came with it was your run-of-the-mill sausage with cheese in it. It wasn't bad per se but nothing exciting about it as well. The one thing about this dish is, its oily to a fault. You'll notice it the moment you have your first bite until your nausea inducing ending.
A mediocre and sub par meal came up to $27.50 for 2 people. If i'm ever in the vicinity again, i'll stay far far away.
I don't know what the matter is. The food portions were pathetic. The service was slow. The true japanese items were price sky high and the seats were only moderately comfortable. Why would i pay to eat here when there are so many better places out there? Good for people who want to see what the buzz is about but if the quality and portion size doesn't improve, i fear a quick exit will be the order of the day.
One of the more belated posts, this was taken during the Yebber gathering for the New Year...Yes its very late in fact. Nonetheless, HotPot culture was the choice of the day with its everyday prices and rather extensive selection of food, both cooked and raw. Knowing next to nothing of the place, me and my gf braved the cold hard night and thronged towards the defunct location where maniacal cameras and loud speech is a norm.
The location was rather odd because it was situated in the middle of a large number of competitors ranging from Secret Recipe, Kenny Rogers to Genki Sushi and some chinese restaurant. Talk about a "hostile location" and "friendly competition". Still, i have to say the place was simplistically clean in a good way and though filled with normal furniture, managed to hover between boring and acceptable.
The service is simple. Once you have settled in, the immediate step is to be acquainted to your own personal mini pot. This pot will stay with you till the end of your meal until dessert is served so it is prudent to ensure you pick the best pot for your needs. For my case, i picked the herbal ginseng hot pot and it was a good choice in my opinion as the stock definitely adds taste to the food and simply tastes good. A little on the salty side though. The other complaint would have to be the fumes emitted from the pot, it stings your eyes and noses for the first....10 minutes or so until you get used it but these are small grouses in the scale of things.
In terms of food selection for the uncooked portion where you get to pick and choose whatever you like, it was sufficient. There are upwards of 30 different items you can cook in your hotpot and each item was, to my impression, treated with equal cleanliness and hygiene. To me, its extremely important that the food looks and is clean and this they have managed to convey. On the items, there are lots of greens, vermicelli, bean related items, eggs, chicken meat, dory fish, fish cakes, crab meat and fish balls to choose from. Each are chilled with ice and tasted pretty good in each respect. Springy fishballs, reasonably fresh meat and fish round out the experience. In short, the items on selection may be rather small portioned but does not disappoint. This brings us to the next point which is the 'distinct' difference between HotPot Culture and other would be restaurants, they also serve a selection of close to 40 cooked food items.
Prawns and Bacon Wrap - This was our first order for the day in the cooked food section and to be honest, it was rather disappointing but its not the fault of the chef in this case, it was the ingredients. Prawns and bacon wraps are as easy as one, two, three in making it good. Simple have a nicely sauteed king prawn, wrap it in quality salty bacon, slap on a layer or 2 of additional garnishes while grilling and its basically a winner. What went wrong here, was the rather small prawn used which failed to bring out its true flavor. In retrospect, even Eden Cafe didn't get this right...maybe it isn't as easy as i though after all.
Tahu Goreng - A favorite dish of mine which hearkens back to my army days. This rendition was pleasing to the eye but did not live up to expectations in the taste department. The nuts and garnishing is definitely spot on but the tahu (beancurd) itself was just a little too hard. The skin took quite and effort to break and the beancurd within needed to be softer to be palatable.
Chicken Wings - Chicken wings, what could go wrong with it? Over frying apparently. There was some marinate used on the wings which rendered it too salty but the nail in the coffin was how dry the wings were. The only saving grace was that it was not oily, which was perplexing in a good way. The newest update i had was that the owner got my comment through the video yebber made with me commenting on the items out loud, and have since improved on the wings and other items.
Pan fried battered fish - Didn't get to try this but i was told it was pretty good by KK and his gf. So i'll take it as it was good.
Chicken and mushroom wrap - I had only a piece of this and its was a little dry but the mushroom sauce managed to compensate that little problem. This was salty as well though.
Ngor Hiang - One of my favorite dishes when done right. This was below average by me but maybe my views are biased on this dish. This was rather thin and actually over fried with the paste inside lacking much taste nor ingredients. Needs improvement.
Stir Fried Bean Sprouts - You just can't go wrong with this dish. Its easy enough with the only thing to look out for being to stir fry it long enough to rid it of the "greenish" taste and short enough to retain the crunchiness. Once again, it was a tad too salty for me.
Golden Mushroom - Sukiyaki Beef - Fish Paste - The above are 3 items which needed to be ordered before it can be cooked. The beef was fresh and succulent enough to be ordered a minimal of 3 times, the golden mushrooms need to be cooked thoroughly before being eaten but gets the job done while the fish paste is a weird combination of tastes in its own right but simply didn't sit well with me.
Sweet and sour fish - Sweet and Sour Chicken - Both these dishes taste the same to me. With the exception of the fish being more tender while the chicken being more chewy, the overall taste is the same. Not to say that its bad but the sauce certainly overwhelms after awhile.
Deep Fried Meat Balls - Remember the mushroom chicken? Well, the sauce is the same while the meat balls were unfortunately too dry yet again.
The final course of the day was the chocolate fondue which comes in its own little hotpot for each person. Choices to go with the fondue range from marshmallows to fruits like papayas, apples, pears, watermelons and honeydews. The fondue is of the bitter sweet variety which means its more bitter and has a higher cocoa content then some other such fondues offered in similar places. A good ending i'd say.
A decent place for a buffet hotpot meal with a rather extensive variety of of items to choose from. The owner's willingness to listen to feedback and improve is a plus. I'd recommend visiting it as the overall experience has not been a bad one.
Social Media Breakfast Singapore
March 29, 2008 (Saturday)
9 am — 12:30pm
Frujch @ SMU (Basement 1, School of Information Systems)
50 Stamford Road
The whole event was super fun, we mingled around talking with each other, a total of 40 people turned up for SMB! All righty, first we have to use the big sticker to write our name and blog address, or whatever website of stuff you want to let others know.
Anyway being a foodie, or rather I’ll coined myself as Gourmet Analyst, it is my moral obligation to present to you the food for the breakfast!
The “main course” for the breakfast. Sandwiches! There are not type of sandwich, one of which is ham, and the other being tuna. There are also the mini Choclate cakes
There were also orange juice to go along with the ’snacks’, and if you wanted any hot drink, you could always get it from the counter at Frujch (have to pay separately of course!)
See you all at the next SMB!
Btw, the 5 star rating is thumbs up for the Social Media Breakfast Event, not the food : )
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
Social Media Breakfast
” Where everything comes from online to offline “
I think everyone knows this lone building standing in the field next to the huge balloon in Bugis area. It has a pretty famous alfresco steamboat joint too.
I had the chance to go to this budget hotel when my friend from the US stayed there. Despite the exterior looking a little run-down, the inside was fine.
The walls of the small lobby were adorned with old photographs and old newspaper clippings about the hotel. The room my friend is staying in costs SGD60 a night. It is a little small but still comfortable with its double bed. However for that price he had to use the common bath which he found to be rather clean. (He's an expert when it comes to budget accomodation.)
In fact, he had so much confidence in the place, he told us that he wanted to switch to the SGD18 per night room where he would have to share with 3 other people. They had two bunk beds there and it's still very clean.
What he was most impressed with was the good condition of the lockers and the hot and cold showers in all the bathrooms. The service was also friendly and we had a good chat with the staff whilst we were visiting.
With the good location and reasonable prices, I really find this hostel worthwhile. Moreover, it wasn't sleazy and felt very safe to live there.
Had dim sum at Yan Ting, the flagship Chinese restaurant of the latest and swankiest hotel in town, the 6 stars St Regis Singapore. Helmed by Chef Chan Siu Kong, a Hong Konger who spent more than 10 years with the Tung Lok Group, Yan Ting promises a gastronomical treat of authentic Cantonese dishes served in a modern presentation.
The grandeur of the hotel is apparent and it extends to Yan Ting. The decor is predominantly eastern with western influences and decked out in hues of black and gold. A low ceiling coupled with a tasteful chandelier, classy stained glass panels and artworks depicting various greenery adorn the cosy dining area. Heavy wooden chairs with floral designs and waitresses in complementary black and gold uniforms complete the setup. Even the cutlery screams expensive. The chopsticks, chopstick rests and spoons are gold plated and inlaid with jade pieces. Talk about fine dining. One thing that sets Yan Ting apart from other Chinese restaurant is its dim sum pricing. Other restaurants charge dim sum by per steamer/plate whereas Yan Ting does it per piece.
Amuse Bouche - Most Chinese restaurants don't dish out appetisers but hey its free so I'm not complaining. This particular amuse bouche was cucumber stuffed with chicken. Quite a treat actually. The cucumber was crunchy and a tad juicy, complementing the light smoky taste of the chicken.
Ha Kao ($2 each) - Thin yet firm skin coupled with fresh and crunchy prawns. How much better can Ha Kao get? Not much really. Yan Ting's rendition is really one of the best that I've tried so far. But at $2, its ridiculously more expensive than the competition. Think Royal China or Wah Lok.
Chives Dumpling ($2 each) - This is the first time I'm eating this and honestly I'm not impressed. Sure the skin was nicely pan fried but the chives seemed rather bland and the whole dumpling was a little soggy on the whole.
Glutinous Chicken Wrapped in Lotus Leaf ($1.80 each) - Usually I steer away from this dish because its really oily but Yan Ting's rendition didn't leave me feeling like my arteries had been clogged up. However, having said that, it didn't quite meet expectations. For starters, it wasn't fragrant enough or tasty enough. It definitely didn't help that portion size was minute. Personally I felt that the only saving grace was the light hint of lotus leaf taste which the rice carried.
Siew Mai ($2 each) - I would say the siew mai was quite good, with predominantly lean meat sans the overwhelming pork taste and a nice smooth skin to boot. Texture wise was also quite pleasing, smooth with the occasional roughage.
Char Siew Pastry ($1.60 each) - Undoubtedly the star of the meal, as agreed on by everyone around the table. The char siew pastry aka char siew sou, in my humble opinion, is really second to none in Singapore. Fragrant with lightly sweet and lean char siew enveloped in a fluffy light pastry with a buttery overtone. One is really not enough. We were so close to ordering another round of this wonderful dish.
Xiao Long Bao ($4 each) - Honestly, $4 for a single Xiao Long Bao is pure madness. However, I'll be the first to admit that the XLB was nothing short of excellent. Bigger than your usual XLB, Yan Ting's offering had copious amounts of soup contained within the soft yet firm skin. Its really amazing how well the skin holds up even though its evident that the juices within are straining to gush out at the slightest break. The filling of meat is tender and smooth as well, capping what I consider to be one of the best XLBs I've eaten in a very long while.
XO Cheong Fun ($4 each) - Another first for me. I've never seen cheong fun done this way before. Stir fried with XO sauce, and tasting very much like our very own Char Kway Teow. Probably I'm just not used to this form of cheong fun as I found it average and very oily. What a bummer for $4.
Radish Cake ($1.60 each) - Pan fried till lightly charred on the surface, the radish cake didn't offer too many surprises. Soft, smooth and tasty but I've definitely tried better ones.
Egg Tart ($1.60 each) - One of only 2 pastry items on the menu (the other being the char siew pastry), the egg tart was excellent as well, due largely in part to the wonderfully light and buttery pastry. Credit must also go to the egg custard filling which was good in its own right, smooth and not too sweet with a slight "eggish" taste. There's the problem of tiny portions though.
BBQ Pork Bun ($1.60 each) - I didn't find the char siew bao very outstanding although it was definitely in the above average region. Soft fluffy bao skin encompassing delectable, not too sweet char siew pieces. Terribly expensive though.
Custard Steamed Bun ($1.60 each) - I have the tendency to always order custard buns whenever and wherever they are available. Yan Ting's rendition didn't leave me impressed. Sure it was piping hot when served but the custard wasn't fragrant or tasty enough. Overall still decent though.
Beancurd Roulette ($1.80 each) - This was unexpectedly different from what I'm used to. The skin in this case was slightly thicker and deep fried till it became crispy and a little hard, just like deep fried spring roll skin. Thicker skins usually absorb more oil, hence it wasn't exactly a very pleasant experience eating the beancurd roulette. But I must say that the filling was actually quite good.
Bird's Nest Jelly - Finally! A bird's nest dessert that doesn't cost an arm or leg. Well almost. The orb shaped jelly had a few strands of birds nest lodged within and I'm pretty sure those would have gone unnoticed it if it wasn't for the fact that I was scrutinizing the jelly for them. Overall a nice and sweet but expensive ending to lunch.
Yan Ting's dim sum was a case of hits and misses but even then, the misses were still above average and very palatable. But there's a price to pay and that amounted to almost $205 for the 5 of us. As mentioned earlier, Yan Ting charges dim sum by the piece so bear that in mind and order wisely or you might just walk away alot poorer. To end off on a high note, the service was very professional and attentive, capping off, in my own humble opinion, an excellent dim sum session.
Yebber’s gathering at Hotpot was during the last day of Chinese New Year, which was like two months ago? I’m very sorry for this very late post, didn’t have the time to blog, and i’m eating way faster than the rate i’m blogging. Thus the delay, anyway i finally make time for this post because i wanna get it up before i make my next post on Yebber’s 1st Anniversary Party @ Mint Museum. Do watch out for that next post!
I didn’t have much photos to show, mainly because i was hoping to get some photos from the rest using their powerful DSLR, but in the end i decided to take some quick shots, and didn’t really get much nice shots.
Fried Garlic Chicken I like this one! It taste quite like “rojak”, except it got chicken instead of “you tiao”!
Sweet Sour Fish The Sweet Sour Fish here is not bad too. Being a huge fan of sweet sour food, think sweet sour pork, fish, chicken, i’m always on a lookout for good sweet sour food.
Chili Squid The Chili Squid is really spicy! Hot hot hot!
Yu Sheng At the end, we had Yu Sheng, it was fun having yu sheng with the yebbers!
One person at Hotpot Culture cost $19.80 (i think), with one person having mini-pot which entitles unlimited serving on the steamboat and cook food selection. And oh ya, they also have free-flow ice cream, and guess what? Chocolate Fondue!! Yeah, thats quite generous right? We had fruits to go along with the fondue, sweet! But one thing i didn’t like was one person can only have one free-drink, and after that you need to pay $2 for free-flow of drinks.
I’m not sure whether i’ll be back at Hotpot Culture again, partly because i’m not really a steamboat person, and also i’ll like to try more of other place. So your call, if you think they are worth a try, you can always find them at; Marina Square #02-138D Centre Stage
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
Had dinner at taste Paradise, an upmarket offering by the Paradise Group of Restaurants, which also owns and operates the popular Seafood Paradise at Defu Lane and the Singapore Flyer. Opened less than 2 years ago, it has made it to the Straits Times top 100 restaurants as well as garnered rave reviews from magazines and forums.
Hidden along a row of shophouses along Mosque Street in the traditional Chinatown area, Taste paradise sets itself apart with its classy glass facade. Through the doors onto the lighted walkway that leads up to the dining area, the interior oozes chic in a very subtle way. The dining area is divided into a few sections by means of partitions in which there are a couple of tables and a captain to oversee each section. Heavily carpeted floors coupled with a low ceiling and a rather limited floor area meant that conversation tones had to be kept to a low for fear of disturbing the other customers (not that we did though).
XO Carrot Cake - One of Taste Paradise's signature dishes, the humble XO carrot cake. It honestly wasn't impressive when served, looking more like your usual stir fried rendition from the hawker centre than a $7 plate of carrot cake. But pop a piece into your mouth and you will understand why it is truly one of the signature dishes. Chunky yet smooth and soft carrot cake with a discernible wok hei taste fried with beansprouts, egg, Chinese sausages and other condiments. Lightly spicy and sweet and not to mention fragrant. Nothing short of excellent.
Combination of Pan Seared Foie Gras, Wasabi Mayonnaise Prawn and Slice of Beijing Duck with Condiments - I was actually wondering how did foie gras get onto the menu and initially skeptical if a Chinese restaurant could pull it off. Just for the record, Taste Paradise is a Chinese fusion restaurant, which explains why foie gras is listed on the menu. As for my initial skepticisms, they were unfounded. The foie gras was very good, crisp on the outside yet soft, quivery and smooth on the inside. No overwhelming taste or sediments.
The wasabi mayonnaise prawn was quite good as well, with the wasabi not overpowering and the prawns fresh and crunchy. I personally liked it together with the watermelon as the sweetness from the watermelon permeated through.
The only bummer was the peking duck which didn't seem memorable. Sure the skin was crispy but the crepe tasted bland and limp.
Double Boiled Superior Shark's Fin with Dried Conpoy in Traditional Beijing Broth accompanied with Bacon Onion Roll - Another recommended dish, the shark's fin soup, was served up in a pre heated Japanese stone pot which can remain hot for 20 minutes, thus ensuring that the soup remains hot till the last drop. The fins were decent and plentiful while the soup was flavourful and thick. A little too starchy and heavy on the vinegar though, which made it a little sharp. The bacon and onion roll was crispy but other than the novelty, didn't seem to complement the dish very well. On a side note, there are 3 variations in prices for the shark's fin. $38, $58 and $68 (which isn't on the menu). You get what you pay for. The quality of the fins improve as the prices tend upwards.
Braised Homemade Beancurd with Shredded Scallop and Japanese Mushroom - Tofu has always been a staple at most of my Chinese dinners and this one was no exception. The tofu was very smooth and silky but the skin was a tad too hard and it lacked the smokey savoury taste that I personally like. Even the sauce was rather bland. And for $6 a person, it was 1 piece of tofu each.
Spinach Fried with Garlic - The low point of our meal, the quintessential vegetable dish. Very average tasting but at least the diced garlic was fried till golden brown, which gave the vegetables a nice slightly crunchy texture.
Szechuan Style Roasted Chicken with Homemade Crispy Crumbs - We ordered this on the recommendation of the captain and also because it sounded interesting. Honestly the only interesting part was the crispy crumbs, which I believe were rice crisps. They were coated with a Szechuan sauce which gave them a myriad of flavours - sweet, sour and spicy, all in one tasting. The roasted chicken didn't taste out of the ordinary but the execution was commendable. Crispy skin with moist and tender meat.
Mashed Taro with Almond Cream Served in Fresh Coconut - My dessert and no, it wasn't complimentary (only chilled desserts were accorded that privilege). Its the first time I've seen mashed taro or Orh Nee served up in a coconut and predictably, the coconut smell was very strong. Not that it mattered anyway as there wasn't a hint of coconut taste in both the almond cream and mashed taro. I usually don't like almond cream but this one wasn't too strong on the almond taste which suited me just fine. The mashed taro was smooth and not too sweet but more interestingly, it contained bits of chestnut, which added a nice crunchy texture and is used predominantly used in Teochew cooking. The only gripe was that the taro was a little too sticky and I had problems licking if off my spoon. Oh and there's the almost exorbitant price as well ($6.50).
An excellent dinner for 5 set us back by about $454, which is really quite steep. However I'll be the first to admit that food quality is top notch and so is the personalised service extended by the captain and his team. I can see why Taste Paradise is rated as one of the top restaurants in Singapore. And I agree.
Its been an extremely long time since i've had any wine or beer introduced into my system and honestly, i'm missing the feeling of being slightly woozy and laughing like an idiot. So it was with this intention that i brought my gf to visit Scruffy Murphy's one quiet Friday evening after work. Part of a group of pubs under the Gaelic Inns company which includes mainstays like "The Penny Black" and "Dirty Nellys". This company is definitely no stranger to the pub scene but i was a hungry for dinner as well, so lets see if they have decent grub as well.
KilKenny ($11.80 per pint) - Beer on tap and beer in a bottle. What would you choose? I'm not an expert on beer and basically, i've not had enough beer to be a judge but conversation has lead to the belief that beer on tap has a magically transformed effect of making it smoother and better. $11.80 for one pint of beer is rather expensive by any standards but i have to say, Kilkenny on tap is rather smoother and lighter then the bottled iterations.
Simplicity is the best policy in the case of this pub. Single seatings near the bar and small uncomfortable rattan chairs abound. There's a small private room at the back with air con but the rest of the pub is non air conditioned. Its still a nice, cosy setting with no one bothering you regardless of where you sit. Service is attentive as well.
Scruffy's Irish Roast Beef ($16.80) - Bearing the namesake of the pub, i expected this to be of reasonably good quality. And i was not disappointed. Judging by its namesake, i was expecting small cubic portions akin to pot roast but what came looked very promising indeed. Huge slices of beef cooked medium rare with a pinkish tint on the sides. Drenched in mushroom sauce, the meat was undeniably tender and appetizing. You could taste the marinate in eat slice and it never overwhelms. Of special mention, the yorkshire pudding on the side was excellent as well. Soft and served warm, its fragrance elevated the dish even more. Well done.
French Fries ($4.80) - Alright, this was a stupid order because we didn't know the beef came with fries. For what its worth, the fries were rather dry and bland due to the lack of salt.
Crispy Pork with Mustard and Mayonnaise ($10) - We ordered this after ordering our second pint and thought it would go well with the beer. Anyhow, the description on the menu belies its actual appearance. These few pieces of roasted crispy pork is hardly worth $10. Not that it tastes bad though. It actually tastes pretty good if not for the 2 of us being health conscious lately. Chewy thick meat and fats dominate the crispy pork belly while the mustard definitely complemented it well. Still, it was too far a departure from our expectations to make it worth our while.
Total bill came up to $55.20 for a meal and drink for 2 people. Given the excellent main we had, i'm inclined to say it was worth it.
In all fairness, the place is still worth a visit and the ambiance is pretty relaxing in the later parts of the day. Food served is decent (for the main) while service is relaxed and slow. The music is soft and conversation can be easily carried out if you require it. Otherwise, its nice to chill out and watch some matches, listen to the waves or simply drink a few beers. Now if they could lower their prices per pint, i would frequent it that much more.
1=SGD 0.0587
We were thinking what to eat before around Marina Square area when I thought of this place when I had read the good review on Yebber, so decided to head to this place and give it a try. Given its prime location where you are sure to see it, you will not miss this place at all. Well once you come up of the Citilink escalator; it is just right in front of you. It just looks like a small kopitiam. It got both indoor (air-con) and outdoor (non air-con) seats along the corridor.
From the review about, can see that this place only serves a few kinds of food from Nasi Lemak to Mee Siam to Popiah. They also got desserts and all different kind of drinks as well. They even produce their own kind of drinks (Like Grass Jelly and Tea etc) and pre-packed it by themselves. They go by self service, so when you want to order you have to go to their counter, tell them what you want to order, then pay at the cashier at the end of the line.
I got myself the following food:
Nasi Lemak @ $3.90: There are a lot of different sets to choose from. The prices ranging from $3.90 to $4.70. I ordered mine with otak and chicken wing. The rice is green in color and smells very fragrant. It is hot and soft with a heavy smell of pandan. However it is the only good thing. The otak is that normal kind, nothing to wow of. The chicken wing is warm, not hot but still managed to retain its crispiness. However I do find the wing a bit small sized. The rest of the side dishes are ikan belis and peanuts. I am not a person who can handle hot stuff well, but the chili did impress me a lot. It is a little hot yet sweet at the same time, making it a great combination with the nasi lemak. Overall, this dish is slightly above average.
Popiah @ $1.90. $2.30 if you want to add prawns or chicken: This popiah to me is a bit disappointing. The popiah looks a bit too wet on the plate; therefore I knew that it is going to be soggy. True enough, once I put it inside my mouth, it turns out to be soggy. Although it is packed with a lot of ingredients inside but it does not totally removed all the juices, making the popiah too soggy. It is also a bit tasteless for me. For the price I am paying, I expected it to be better. I have tasted better ones at a cheaper price some more. I will not order this again.
Drinks: Hot Coffee @ $1.10 and Iced Tea @ $1.50. I shall only comment on the tea. I do like their version of the iced tea, thick milky taste which I looked out for in an iced tea! It is good enough for me just to go back and buy their ice tea next time.
Since it is self service, the service at the counter is pretty prompt, as they only prepared (or use the word “packed”) the food when you order. They are also quite flexible as you can change some of the items in your set as well. One thing, they do not charge 10% service charge here. The prices they charge also quite cheap as well comparable to food court prices.
It is a good place if you need a place for quick food or you need to satisfy your urges for Nasi Lemak craving. Wahahahaha……
Rating given:
Read quite a bit about Melvados and its famous brownies so dropped by one sunny afternoon to try them out.
Opened just slightly over a year ago in end 2006, Melvados is located within the upmarket residential enclave of Bukit Timah, playing neighbours to only a clinic and a pub. The decor is simple, with cheap looking wooden tables and chairs sparsely populating the granite floor. There are cosy sofas too but those are of the limited variety. The entire place is small, probably fitting in about 20 pax at most. With huge floor to ceiling windows, the place exudes a nice cosy feeling, just perfect for a lazy afternoon tea session.
Seafood Platter - I'm not exactly a fan of seafood platters as they usually consist of alot of deep fried stuff that tend to make me nauseous after a while. This one was no exception. Served with onion rings, fries, calamari and fish/prawn cakes, the platter was, if I may say, off the charts. Not that I mean it in a good way though. Everything (save for the fries) was rather tasteless and too filled with thick batter that tasted exactly like deep fried flour.
Black & White Kisses - Billed as Melvados's signature brownie, the Black & White Kisses was actually quite good. Moist and not too rich with a nice wholesome baked taste and topped with black and white hershey's kisses. The only bone I had was the consistently smooth homogeneous texture of the brownie, which made it seem a little weird. However such gripes are forgotten when the brownie is paired with the vanilla ice cream, making for a sweet and delightful dessert without the chocolate overload.
Sizzling Brownies Sensation - Ever heard of hotplate brownie? No? Neither have I. It was that curiosity that prompted us to order this dessert. In retrospect, it wasn't such a good idea after all. A brownie served on a hot plate with a scoop of rapidly melting ice cream. How special is that? I did a quick calculation and the novelty of a hotplate cost us an additional $2.10 with the exact same ingredients as their signature Black & White Kisses. There's another problem with serving brownies on a hotplate. The underside of the brownie will harden and stick to the base and the ice cream melts so fast that its a little more than just flavoured cream after a while.
Chocolate Madness - I didn't quite take to this brownie as it was a tad hard and dry when served. Not exactly my cup of tea. And for the record, it didn't really taste that strongly of chocolate as inferred by its name.
I'm really not sure about the going prices for brownies because I don't eat enough of them to know but I'm guessing $18.50 for 3 brownies is a wee bit on the high side. Meldavos serves mains like pasta and sandwiches as well but sticking to just the brownies might just be a safer bet.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Shokudo is a name that you can get familiar with in a hurry. Why? Firstly, it has 2 branches already counting this one, being a Marche-like concept and the other located nearby in CityLink which specialized in Pizza and Pasta. We'll be reviewing the Marche lookalike this time around on the food quality.
Upon queuing and entering the premises, you'll be greeted by friendly serving staff who'll provide you with 2 items. Firstly, you'll receive a card thats basically your best friend, losing the card results in a penalty fee of $100 which is rather absurd if you ask me. The second item you'll receive is a round wooden placeholder thats supposed to reserve a seat for you whereever you put it. However, this simply did not work because our first reservation chip was stolen from our table and some other lady managed to get in our reserved seat... So i'm saying the system may work elsewhere, but apparently not in Singapore.
The interior of the Bazaar is split into several different themes with a food court like design in the middle, more colorful lighting and cushy seats in other areas. Rather pleasing and different from an aesthetic perspective. The food preparation areas resemble Marche with the exception of everything being Japanese food or fusion in some instances. The only problem i had with the arrangement is the waiting time for each order. Its pretty ridiculous to wait 20 mins for a beef burger but i'll get to that later. The service staff were alright and courteous but can be improved for sure.
Wasabi Toro Cheese Burger ($7.80) - The name is nice, wasabi toro burger. Whatever that means i'm not too sure but to me, its a beef burger with a supremely small patty of beef wrapped in an extremely bad tasting and oversized bun. I had to wait close to 20 minutes for the above. Can you see where the time went into preparing it? I certainly couldn't unless they mashed and prepared the patty on the spot but i highly doubt that. The bun is fused to an egg which thankfully made it bearable but the miserly portion of beef was terrible visually. Not to mention that when tasted, it simply wasn't up to par, being dry and too hard. Simply terrible.
Bacon and cheese Omelette ($5.80) - My gf ordered this and the next item. Thankfully they were more palatable then my horrible choice but even then, not by much. The bacon and cheese omelet was a really small portion which could be finished in 4 spoonfuls. The omelet itself was served warm and with bacon and cheese melting within it. A little too salty however.
Rosti with Sausages ($9.80) - Since when did rosti become a Japanese item? Nonetheless, in a world of below average food, this managed to be a cut above the rest. Fragrant, hot and crispy with a soft interior. This took the crown that day but thats certainly not saying much. The sausage that came with it was your run-of-the-mill sausage with cheese in it. It wasn't bad per se but nothing exciting about it as well. The one thing about this dish is, its oily to a fault. You'll notice it the moment you have your first bite until your nausea inducing ending.
A mediocre and sub par meal came up to $27.50 for 2 people. If i'm ever in the vicinity again, i'll stay far far away.
I don't know what the matter is. The food portions were pathetic. The service was slow. The true japanese items were price sky high and the seats were only moderately comfortable. Why would i pay to eat here when there are so many better places out there? Good for people who want to see what the buzz is about but if the quality and portion size doesn't improve, i fear a quick exit will be the order of the day.
Rating given:
One of the more belated posts, this was taken during the Yebber gathering for the New Year...Yes its very late in fact. Nonetheless, HotPot culture was the choice of the day with its everyday prices and rather extensive selection of food, both cooked and raw. Knowing next to nothing of the place, me and my gf braved the cold hard night and thronged towards the defunct location where maniacal cameras and loud speech is a norm.
The location was rather odd because it was situated in the middle of a large number of competitors ranging from Secret Recipe, Kenny Rogers to Genki Sushi and some chinese restaurant. Talk about a "hostile location" and "friendly competition". Still, i have to say the place was simplistically clean in a good way and though filled with normal furniture, managed to hover between boring and acceptable.
The service is simple. Once you have settled in, the immediate step is to be acquainted to your own personal mini pot. This pot will stay with you till the end of your meal until dessert is served so it is prudent to ensure you pick the best pot for your needs. For my case, i picked the herbal ginseng hot pot and it was a good choice in my opinion as the stock definitely adds taste to the food and simply tastes good. A little on the salty side though. The other complaint would have to be the fumes emitted from the pot, it stings your eyes and noses for the first....10 minutes or so until you get used it but these are small grouses in the scale of things.
In terms of food selection for the uncooked portion where you get to pick and choose whatever you like, it was sufficient. There are upwards of 30 different items you can cook in your hotpot and each item was, to my impression, treated with equal cleanliness and hygiene. To me, its extremely important that the food looks and is clean and this they have managed to convey. On the items, there are lots of greens, vermicelli, bean related items, eggs, chicken meat, dory fish, fish cakes, crab meat and fish balls to choose from. Each are chilled with ice and tasted pretty good in each respect. Springy fishballs, reasonably fresh meat and fish round out the experience. In short, the items on selection may be rather small portioned but does not disappoint. This brings us to the next point which is the 'distinct' difference between HotPot Culture and other would be restaurants, they also serve a selection of close to 40 cooked food items.
Prawns and Bacon Wrap - This was our first order for the day in the cooked food section and to be honest, it was rather disappointing but its not the fault of the chef in this case, it was the ingredients. Prawns and bacon wraps are as easy as one, two, three in making it good. Simple have a nicely sauteed king prawn, wrap it in quality salty bacon, slap on a layer or 2 of additional garnishes while grilling and its basically a winner. What went wrong here, was the rather small prawn used which failed to bring out its true flavor. In retrospect, even Eden Cafe didn't get this right...maybe it isn't as easy as i though after all.
Tahu Goreng - A favorite dish of mine which hearkens back to my army days. This rendition was pleasing to the eye but did not live up to expectations in the taste department. The nuts and garnishing is definitely spot on but the tahu (beancurd) itself was just a little too hard. The skin took quite and effort to break and the beancurd within needed to be softer to be palatable.
Chicken Wings - Chicken wings, what could go wrong with it? Over frying apparently. There was some marinate used on the wings which rendered it too salty but the nail in the coffin was how dry the wings were. The only saving grace was that it was not oily, which was perplexing in a good way. The newest update i had was that the owner got my comment through the video yebber made with me commenting on the items out loud, and have since improved on the wings and other items.
Pan fried battered fish - Didn't get to try this but i was told it was pretty good by KK and his gf. So i'll take it as it was good.
Chicken and mushroom wrap - I had only a piece of this and its was a little dry but the mushroom sauce managed to compensate that little problem. This was salty as well though.
Ngor Hiang - One of my favorite dishes when done right. This was below average by me but maybe my views are biased on this dish. This was rather thin and actually over fried with the paste inside lacking much taste nor ingredients. Needs improvement.
Stir Fried Bean Sprouts - You just can't go wrong with this dish. Its easy enough with the only thing to look out for being to stir fry it long enough to rid it of the "greenish" taste and short enough to retain the crunchiness. Once again, it was a tad too salty for me.
Golden Mushroom - Sukiyaki Beef - Fish Paste - The above are 3 items which needed to be ordered before it can be cooked. The beef was fresh and succulent enough to be ordered a minimal of 3 times, the golden mushrooms need to be cooked thoroughly before being eaten but gets the job done while the fish paste is a weird combination of tastes in its own right but simply didn't sit well with me.
Sweet and sour fish - Sweet and Sour Chicken - Both these dishes taste the same to me. With the exception of the fish being more tender while the chicken being more chewy, the overall taste is the same. Not to say that its bad but the sauce certainly overwhelms after awhile.
Deep Fried Meat Balls - Remember the mushroom chicken? Well, the sauce is the same while the meat balls were unfortunately too dry yet again.
The final course of the day was the chocolate fondue which comes in its own little hotpot for each person. Choices to go with the fondue range from marshmallows to fruits like papayas, apples, pears, watermelons and honeydews. The fondue is of the bitter sweet variety which means its more bitter and has a higher cocoa content then some other such fondues offered in similar places. A good ending i'd say.
A decent place for a buffet hotpot meal with a rather extensive variety of of items to choose from. The owner's willingness to listen to feedback and improve is a plus. I'd recommend visiting it as the overall experience has not been a bad one.
Rating given:
Social Media Breakfast Singapore
March 29, 2008 (Saturday)
9 am — 12:30pm
Frujch @ SMU (Basement 1, School of Information Systems)
50 Stamford Road
The whole event was super fun, we mingled around talking with each other, a total of 40 people turned up for SMB! All righty, first we have to use the big sticker to write our name and blog address, or whatever website of stuff you want to let others know.
Anyway being a foodie, or rather I’ll coined myself as Gourmet Analyst, it is my moral obligation to present to you the food for the breakfast!
The “main course” for the breakfast. Sandwiches! There are not type of sandwich, one of which is ham, and the other being tuna. There are also the mini Choclate cakes
There were also orange juice to go along with the ’snacks’, and if you wanted any hot drink, you could always get it from the counter at Frujch (have to pay separately of course!)
See you all at the next SMB!
Btw, the 5 star rating is thumbs up for the Social Media Breakfast Event, not the food : )
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
Social Media Breakfast
” Where everything comes from online to offline “
Rating given:
I think everyone knows this lone building standing in the field next to the huge balloon in Bugis area. It has a pretty famous alfresco steamboat joint too.
I had the chance to go to this budget hotel when my friend from the US stayed there. Despite the exterior looking a little run-down, the inside was fine.
The walls of the small lobby were adorned with old photographs and old newspaper clippings about the hotel. The room my friend is staying in costs SGD60 a night. It is a little small but still comfortable with its double bed. However for that price he had to use the common bath which he found to be rather clean. (He's an expert when it comes to budget accomodation.)
In fact, he had so much confidence in the place, he told us that he wanted to switch to the SGD18 per night room where he would have to share with 3 other people. They had two bunk beds there and it's still very clean.
What he was most impressed with was the good condition of the lockers and the hot and cold showers in all the bathrooms. The service was also friendly and we had a good chat with the staff whilst we were visiting.
With the good location and reasonable prices, I really find this hostel worthwhile. Moreover, it wasn't sleazy and felt very safe to live there.
Rating given:
Had dim sum at Yan Ting, the flagship Chinese restaurant of the latest and swankiest hotel in town, the 6 stars St Regis Singapore. Helmed by Chef Chan Siu Kong, a Hong Konger who spent more than 10 years with the Tung Lok Group, Yan Ting promises a gastronomical treat of authentic Cantonese dishes served in a modern presentation.
The grandeur of the hotel is apparent and it extends to Yan Ting. The decor is predominantly eastern with western influences and decked out in hues of black and gold. A low ceiling coupled with a tasteful chandelier, classy stained glass panels and artworks depicting various greenery adorn the cosy dining area. Heavy wooden chairs with floral designs and waitresses in complementary black and gold uniforms complete the setup. Even the cutlery screams expensive. The chopsticks, chopstick rests and spoons are gold plated and inlaid with jade pieces. Talk about fine dining. One thing that sets Yan Ting apart from other Chinese restaurant is its dim sum pricing. Other restaurants charge dim sum by per steamer/plate whereas Yan Ting does it per piece.
Amuse Bouche - Most Chinese restaurants don't dish out appetisers but hey its free so I'm not complaining. This particular amuse bouche was cucumber stuffed with chicken. Quite a treat actually. The cucumber was crunchy and a tad juicy, complementing the light smoky taste of the chicken.
Ha Kao ($2 each) - Thin yet firm skin coupled with fresh and crunchy prawns. How much better can Ha Kao get? Not much really. Yan Ting's rendition is really one of the best that I've tried so far. But at $2, its ridiculously more expensive than the competition. Think Royal China or Wah Lok.
Chives Dumpling ($2 each) - This is the first time I'm eating this and honestly I'm not impressed. Sure the skin was nicely pan fried but the chives seemed rather bland and the whole dumpling was a little soggy on the whole.
Glutinous Chicken Wrapped in Lotus Leaf ($1.80 each) - Usually I steer away from this dish because its really oily but Yan Ting's rendition didn't leave me feeling like my arteries had been clogged up. However, having said that, it didn't quite meet expectations. For starters, it wasn't fragrant enough or tasty enough. It definitely didn't help that portion size was minute. Personally I felt that the only saving grace was the light hint of lotus leaf taste which the rice carried.
Siew Mai ($2 each) - I would say the siew mai was quite good, with predominantly lean meat sans the overwhelming pork taste and a nice smooth skin to boot. Texture wise was also quite pleasing, smooth with the occasional roughage.
Char Siew Pastry ($1.60 each) - Undoubtedly the star of the meal, as agreed on by everyone around the table. The char siew pastry aka char siew sou, in my humble opinion, is really second to none in Singapore. Fragrant with lightly sweet and lean char siew enveloped in a fluffy light pastry with a buttery overtone. One is really not enough. We were so close to ordering another round of this wonderful dish.
Xiao Long Bao ($4 each) - Honestly, $4 for a single Xiao Long Bao is pure madness. However, I'll be the first to admit that the XLB was nothing short of excellent. Bigger than your usual XLB, Yan Ting's offering had copious amounts of soup contained within the soft yet firm skin. Its really amazing how well the skin holds up even though its evident that the juices within are straining to gush out at the slightest break. The filling of meat is tender and smooth as well, capping what I consider to be one of the best XLBs I've eaten in a very long while.
XO Cheong Fun ($4 each) - Another first for me. I've never seen cheong fun done this way before. Stir fried with XO sauce, and tasting very much like our very own Char Kway Teow. Probably I'm just not used to this form of cheong fun as I found it average and very oily. What a bummer for $4.
Radish Cake ($1.60 each) - Pan fried till lightly charred on the surface, the radish cake didn't offer too many surprises. Soft, smooth and tasty but I've definitely tried better ones.
Egg Tart ($1.60 each) - One of only 2 pastry items on the menu (the other being the char siew pastry), the egg tart was excellent as well, due largely in part to the wonderfully light and buttery pastry. Credit must also go to the egg custard filling which was good in its own right, smooth and not too sweet with a slight "eggish" taste. There's the problem of tiny portions though.
BBQ Pork Bun ($1.60 each) - I didn't find the char siew bao very outstanding although it was definitely in the above average region. Soft fluffy bao skin encompassing delectable, not too sweet char siew pieces. Terribly expensive though.
Custard Steamed Bun ($1.60 each) - I have the tendency to always order custard buns whenever and wherever they are available. Yan Ting's rendition didn't leave me impressed. Sure it was piping hot when served but the custard wasn't fragrant or tasty enough. Overall still decent though.
Beancurd Roulette ($1.80 each) - This was unexpectedly different from what I'm used to. The skin in this case was slightly thicker and deep fried till it became crispy and a little hard, just like deep fried spring roll skin. Thicker skins usually absorb more oil, hence it wasn't exactly a very pleasant experience eating the beancurd roulette. But I must say that the filling was actually quite good.
Bird's Nest Jelly - Finally! A bird's nest dessert that doesn't cost an arm or leg. Well almost. The orb shaped jelly had a few strands of birds nest lodged within and I'm pretty sure those would have gone unnoticed it if it wasn't for the fact that I was scrutinizing the jelly for them. Overall a nice and sweet but expensive ending to lunch.
Yan Ting's dim sum was a case of hits and misses but even then, the misses were still above average and very palatable. But there's a price to pay and that amounted to almost $205 for the 5 of us. As mentioned earlier, Yan Ting charges dim sum by the piece so bear that in mind and order wisely or you might just walk away alot poorer. To end off on a high note, the service was very professional and attentive, capping off, in my own humble opinion, an excellent dim sum session.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Yebber’s gathering at Hotpot was during the last day of Chinese New Year, which was like two months ago? I’m very sorry for this very late post, didn’t have the time to blog, and i’m eating way faster than the rate i’m blogging. Thus the delay, anyway i finally make time for this post because i wanna get it up before i make my next post on Yebber’s 1st Anniversary Party @ Mint Museum. Do watch out for that next post!
I didn’t have much photos to show, mainly because i was hoping to get some photos from the rest using their powerful DSLR, but in the end i decided to take some quick shots, and didn’t really get much nice shots.
Fried Garlic Chicken
I like this one! It taste quite like “rojak”, except it got chicken instead of “you tiao”!
Sweet Sour Fish
The Sweet Sour Fish here is not bad too. Being a huge fan of sweet sour food, think sweet sour pork, fish, chicken, i’m always on a lookout for good sweet sour food.
Chili Squid
The Chili Squid is really spicy! Hot hot hot!
Yu Sheng
At the end, we had Yu Sheng, it was fun having yu sheng with the yebbers!
One person at Hotpot Culture cost $19.80 (i think), with one person having mini-pot which entitles unlimited serving on the steamboat and cook food selection. And oh ya, they also have free-flow ice cream, and guess what? Chocolate Fondue!! Yeah, thats quite generous right? We had fruits to go along with the fondue, sweet! But one thing i didn’t like was one person can only have one free-drink, and after that you need to pay $2 for free-flow of drinks.
I’m not sure whether i’ll be back at Hotpot Culture again, partly because i’m not really a steamboat person, and also i’ll like to try more of other place. So your call, if you think they are worth a try, you can always find them at; Marina Square #02-138D Centre Stage
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written above are my geniune feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or bias. Please do not feel emotional or distress should you have any violent objections. Kindly click the little X at the upper, extreme right of your screen if negative adjectives would be derived. Otherwise, feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
” Hotpot, one pot many cultures “
Rating given:
Had dinner at taste Paradise, an upmarket offering by the Paradise Group of Restaurants, which also owns and operates the popular Seafood Paradise at Defu Lane and the Singapore Flyer. Opened less than 2 years ago, it has made it to the Straits Times top 100 restaurants as well as garnered rave reviews from magazines and forums.
Hidden along a row of shophouses along Mosque Street in the traditional Chinatown area, Taste paradise sets itself apart with its classy glass facade. Through the doors onto the lighted walkway that leads up to the dining area, the interior oozes chic in a very subtle way. The dining area is divided into a few sections by means of partitions in which there are a couple of tables and a captain to oversee each section. Heavily carpeted floors coupled with a low ceiling and a rather limited floor area meant that conversation tones had to be kept to a low for fear of disturbing the other customers (not that we did though).
XO Carrot Cake - One of Taste Paradise's signature dishes, the humble XO carrot cake. It honestly wasn't impressive when served, looking more like your usual stir fried rendition from the hawker centre than a $7 plate of carrot cake. But pop a piece into your mouth and you will understand why it is truly one of the signature dishes. Chunky yet smooth and soft carrot cake with a discernible wok hei taste fried with beansprouts, egg, Chinese sausages and other condiments. Lightly spicy and sweet and not to mention fragrant. Nothing short of excellent.
Combination of Pan Seared Foie Gras, Wasabi Mayonnaise Prawn and Slice of Beijing Duck with Condiments - I was actually wondering how did foie gras get onto the menu and initially skeptical if a Chinese restaurant could pull it off. Just for the record, Taste Paradise is a Chinese fusion restaurant, which explains why foie gras is listed on the menu. As for my initial skepticisms, they were unfounded. The foie gras was very good, crisp on the outside yet soft, quivery and smooth on the inside. No overwhelming taste or sediments.
The wasabi mayonnaise prawn was quite good as well, with the wasabi not overpowering and the prawns fresh and crunchy. I personally liked it together with the watermelon as the sweetness from the watermelon permeated through.
The only bummer was the peking duck which didn't seem memorable. Sure the skin was crispy but the crepe tasted bland and limp.
Double Boiled Superior Shark's Fin with Dried Conpoy in Traditional Beijing Broth accompanied with Bacon Onion Roll - Another recommended dish, the shark's fin soup, was served up in a pre heated Japanese stone pot which can remain hot for 20 minutes, thus ensuring that the soup remains hot till the last drop. The fins were decent and plentiful while the soup was flavourful and thick. A little too starchy and heavy on the vinegar though, which made it a little sharp. The bacon and onion roll was crispy but other than the novelty, didn't seem to complement the dish very well. On a side note, there are 3 variations in prices for the shark's fin. $38, $58 and $68 (which isn't on the menu). You get what you pay for. The quality of the fins improve as the prices tend upwards.
Braised Homemade Beancurd with Shredded Scallop and Japanese Mushroom - Tofu has always been a staple at most of my Chinese dinners and this one was no exception. The tofu was very smooth and silky but the skin was a tad too hard and it lacked the smokey savoury taste that I personally like. Even the sauce was rather bland. And for $6 a person, it was 1 piece of tofu each.
Spinach Fried with Garlic - The low point of our meal, the quintessential vegetable dish. Very average tasting but at least the diced garlic was fried till golden brown, which gave the vegetables a nice slightly crunchy texture.
Szechuan Style Roasted Chicken with Homemade Crispy Crumbs - We ordered this on the recommendation of the captain and also because it sounded interesting. Honestly the only interesting part was the crispy crumbs, which I believe were rice crisps. They were coated with a Szechuan sauce which gave them a myriad of flavours - sweet, sour and spicy, all in one tasting. The roasted chicken didn't taste out of the ordinary but the execution was commendable. Crispy skin with moist and tender meat.
Mashed Taro with Almond Cream Served in Fresh Coconut - My dessert and no, it wasn't complimentary (only chilled desserts were accorded that privilege). Its the first time I've seen mashed taro or Orh Nee served up in a coconut and predictably, the coconut smell was very strong. Not that it mattered anyway as there wasn't a hint of coconut taste in both the almond cream and mashed taro. I usually don't like almond cream but this one wasn't too strong on the almond taste which suited me just fine. The mashed taro was smooth and not too sweet but more interestingly, it contained bits of chestnut, which added a nice crunchy texture and is used predominantly used in Teochew cooking. The only gripe was that the taro was a little too sticky and I had problems licking if off my spoon. Oh and there's the almost exorbitant price as well ($6.50).
An excellent dinner for 5 set us back by about $454, which is really quite steep. However I'll be the first to admit that food quality is top notch and so is the personalised service extended by the captain and his team. I can see why Taste Paradise is rated as one of the top restaurants in Singapore. And I agree.
See all my pictures here.
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Its been an extremely long time since i've had any wine or beer introduced into my system and honestly, i'm missing the feeling of being slightly woozy and laughing like an idiot. So it was with this intention that i brought my gf to visit Scruffy Murphy's one quiet Friday evening after work. Part of a group of pubs under the Gaelic Inns company which includes mainstays like "The Penny Black" and "Dirty Nellys". This company is definitely no stranger to the pub scene but i was a hungry for dinner as well, so lets see if they have decent grub as well.
KilKenny ($11.80 per pint) - Beer on tap and beer in a bottle. What would you choose? I'm not an expert on beer and basically, i've not had enough beer to be a judge but conversation has lead to the belief that beer on tap has a magically transformed effect of making it smoother and better. $11.80 for one pint of beer is rather expensive by any standards but i have to say, Kilkenny on tap is rather smoother and lighter then the bottled iterations.
Simplicity is the best policy in the case of this pub. Single seatings near the bar and small uncomfortable rattan chairs abound. There's a small private room at the back with air con but the rest of the pub is non air conditioned. Its still a nice, cosy setting with no one bothering you regardless of where you sit. Service is attentive as well.
Scruffy's Irish Roast Beef ($16.80) - Bearing the namesake of the pub, i expected this to be of reasonably good quality. And i was not disappointed. Judging by its namesake, i was expecting small cubic portions akin to pot roast but what came looked very promising indeed. Huge slices of beef cooked medium rare with a pinkish tint on the sides. Drenched in mushroom sauce, the meat was undeniably tender and appetizing. You could taste the marinate in eat slice and it never overwhelms. Of special mention, the yorkshire pudding on the side was excellent as well. Soft and served warm, its fragrance elevated the dish even more. Well done.
French Fries ($4.80) - Alright, this was a stupid order because we didn't know the beef came with fries. For what its worth, the fries were rather dry and bland due to the lack of salt.
Crispy Pork with Mustard and Mayonnaise ($10) - We ordered this after ordering our second pint and thought it would go well with the beer. Anyhow, the description on the menu belies its actual appearance. These few pieces of roasted crispy pork is hardly worth $10. Not that it tastes bad though. It actually tastes pretty good if not for the 2 of us being health conscious lately. Chewy thick meat and fats dominate the crispy pork belly while the mustard definitely complemented it well. Still, it was too far a departure from our expectations to make it worth our while.
Total bill came up to $55.20 for a meal and drink for 2 people. Given the excellent main we had, i'm inclined to say it was worth it.
In all fairness, the place is still worth a visit and the ambiance is pretty relaxing in the later parts of the day. Food served is decent (for the main) while service is relaxed and slow. The music is soft and conversation can be easily carried out if you require it. Otherwise, its nice to chill out and watch some matches, listen to the waves or simply drink a few beers. Now if they could lower their prices per pint, i would frequent it that much more.
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