After our last visit to Peaberry & Pretzel some time back, my gf and I decided to head back to Sunset Way to try out Megumi Japanese Restaurant on the recommendations of some folks.
Located just a few doors down from Peaberry & Pretzel, Megumi's air conditioned interior is smallish, with the bulk of the seating capacity in the al fresco area outside. Notice that this means lunch here in the afternoon might mean a sweaty affair unless you get to sit inside.
Billed as the Megumi special roll, there was nothing really special about it in my humble opinion. It came across as your ordinary California Roll with crab sticks and Tamago in it. Not that the extra ingredients gave it much taste either. Lets just say it tasted like a slightly sweeter version of the California Roll. So much for the secrecy. One other bone I had was that the rice was a little too dry and could have been firmer.
Char Siew Ramen - Labeled a house specialty, the ramen was a let down honestly. The noodles were your normal egg noodles though of a more springy version whereas the Char Siew was a little too dry and tough. It certainly didn't help that the soup was a tad too salty as well.
Saikoro Steak Set - Another one of the house specialties except that this one actually tasted quite decent. The beef was a little overcooked but still retained enough of its juices, taste and texture to warrant a decent rating. However, I must mention that portions are small and not homogeneously cooked, as evident by the residual butter I detected on some pieces of beef.
Black Sesame Ice Cream - I'm not exactly a fan of black sesame ice cream so I am not in a position to comment if its good or not. But my gf seemed to like it quite a bit so I'm guessing it must be of a certain standard.
Fried Vanilla Ice Cream - This was probably what I liked the best of all the dishes that evening. Interestingly, the batter was a thicker version of the crispy yet light tempura batter and actually went quite good with the vanilla ice cream. Now something needs to be done about the quality of the ice cream though, which was really mediocre.
While $61 for 2 pax isn't unreasonably expensive for the food, it isn't exactly cheap either, considering that the food was merely average. One funny thing I discovered. The restaurant was actually playing Korean songs. How cool is that?
This incident happen to me over the weekend and have to say that I am very impressed with the staff over there.
I ordered a regular Black Forest and when I got it and drank it, I find the drink very diluted, seem like they forgot to add something in, I only have the coffee bitter after taste only, no taste of chocolate or whatever. Confirmed this with my galfren, who also find the drink under par.
So I mentioned this to the manager (I think), without any questions asked, he immediately offered to replace a new drink for me. The new drink was replaced to me within a min and it was prefect. Think they forgot to add in something in the 1st drink. Hee....
So based on this their customer service is really number one! I am really impressed!
Another entry in the budget food section, due in part to my ultimate lack of funds and the belief that there may be reasonably good food at a reasonable price. So, i met up with a good friend at Serangoon Garden for our much belated catch up session.
Located to the immediate carpark next to the bus interchange at Serangoon Gardens is this little restuarant. Its a pretty well known restaurant but there are many chicken rice stalls in Serangoon Gardens so it might be good to note that they all have their different niches which they cater for. Anyway, i worked in this area for 2 years so its natural for me to actually get a good feel for which chicken rice i actually like, and this is one of them.
Ah Char - This comes the moment you sit down but its not free mind you. I can't complain about the price since its only $1 and honestly, its a good appetizer for me since its sour and sweet at the same time.
Chicken Portion for Two - The chicken portion which they gave for the two of us. The meat is fragrant and tender which i felt was important for a good plate of chicken rice. I didn't quite like the fat beneath the skin so its a good thing there wasn't too much of that. I also liked the fact that i didn't have to pick through bones for the meat and a good point to note is that the serving managed to fund my friend through 2 bowls of rice and me through mine.
Crispy Nonya Tou Fu - I was telling everyone this was the must-have dish at this place. The Tou Fu is absolutely soft and melts in your mouth on the inside and crispy on the outside. Its always hot and warm even to the last piece and the sauce it came with definately helps to make the dish even more delectable. I can't quite make out the sauce but i suppose it tastes like a cross between oyster sauce and tian jiang (sweet sauce).
Chicken Rice - One thing i always look for in chicken rice is that it must not be too oily. And Pow Sing does it just right. Its possible to enjoy the rice without feeling too guilty about it afterwords because unlike other run-of-the-mill chicken rice elsewhere, its chicken rice is fragrant yet not oily, tasty yet not overwhelming.
Well, the meal only cost us about $10 a person. So its really rather cheap. If you came for a packet of chicken rice, it only costs between $3-$4 for a rather huge packet so i'd say its good value for money.
Since this isn't exactly a posh eating place, there's no need to judge certain criteria like service and ambience. Its still a decent eating place for simple a non-oily chicken rice at a decent price. Do give it a try if you are there.
I was actually introduced to this place by my gf because she is a fish lover. So we made our way down to try it on a nice couple date, 7th July 2007 (07072007). Contrary to its name, the Manhattan Fish Market (MFM) franchise actually originated from Malaysia in 2002 and its first outlet in Singapore is the one situated at Plaza Singapura. The first thing this restuarant brings to mind is its direct competitor, Fish & Co (F&C), which has been in Singapore for a far longer time than MFM. So how does its food really fare, you know the drill by now. Read On!
For serving only fish, the menu does contain a pretty good selection of items ranging from fish to mushrooms to squid and all manner of friendlies from the ocean. I have to say i was impressed with the service attitude of its staff from the moment i stepped in. They seemed a jovial and happy lot unlike some other establishments where their staff seemed to have been placed there with a gun to their backs. When we entered, it was rather early, around 6.30 pm, and were quickly shown to a couple seat found hidden to the right corner of the restuarant. It came with a tv and simple cushioned seats, but was sufficient nonetheless. The service staff were also very attentive and i never had to raise my hand for a glass refill. Very impressive indeed, especially when the crowds started to appear, my glass was still filled! Talk about service. Bravo!
Manhattan Seafood Soup - The Manhattan seafood soup was surprisingly tasty and full bodied. A single scoop can easily net you a spoonful of fish meat, crab, scallops and even a little squid! For $4.90, this really surprised me as i was expecting something much less worthwhile. A good way to start the meal.
Fried Country Mushrooms - My gf told me this was a must try dish at the place and i must say, its really very good. I couldn't quite make out if the mushrooms were shiitake or small portebello mushrooms but they were really juicy when you bit into it. The fried layer of batter was thin and crispy, coupled with the juicy and soft mushroom, it was just a match-made in heaven. ($9.90)
Hot Fiery Action!!! - Ordering a seafood platter also gives you a small demonstration of what the staff would do to your face if you tried to flee without paying. Nah, just kidding. He's just torching the layer of mayonnaise and cooking the prawn.
Seafood Platter for Two - The main event. This monster really did us both in. Well, me anyway, since i did most of the eating. Worth mention is the rice which tasted a little like Hainan Chicken Rice and as with all things in this restuarant thus far, simply fitted in well with everything. There were 3 fried oysters, 4 scorched prawns, dozens of squid , 1 huge piece of fish fillet and loads of fries and rice. Couples on a diet? Stay away!! But honestly, this was really good and the portion much bigger then what you can get from F&C. The squid was fresh and had a sour taste that whet your appetite and really mixes well with the rice. The oysters tasted like the mushrooms mentioned above and was simply great. The fish was normal and lacked anything i could complain about except that it tasted like any other fish fillet. The prawn and scorched mayo deserve mention. Definitely eat the mayo with the rice, its really good, i wonder if we could ask for more mayo next time. And the prawn with mayo is great, i could complain a little about freshness but for the price, its pretty decent. ($29.90)
Total bill came up to $52.60. Reasonable given the quality of food and service. I'll be back for more on this place.
I like the place. Reasonable price. Big servings. Good food. Laid back atmosphere. Great service. Which is more than i can say for some insanely priced hotel outlets. This is one place thats filling on the tummy and easy on your wallet. Do swing by for a meal if you are in the vicinity and like fish.
Known for its slightly bigger than average servings and marketed as an authentic American dining place after its founder. I've personally had it quite a few times with different people but didn't really take pictures. So here's my first try at it when i went for a movie with my gf @ the Cathay because we skipped the Cathay Restaurant and opted for something less expensive. Sorry about the picture quality. Will bring my camera for real next time.
Mixed Grill - Billy bomber's mixed grill, though not as photogenic as the Jack's place (JP) rendition above won in terms of serving size and sheer ease of eating. The meats were all done pretty well and the best part was the lack of observable fats or bones much unlike the (JP) rendition. I liked the sausage which was pretty big for its price and the chicken was actually quite tender and nicely marinated. The lamb tasted a tad less fresh but i've never been a fan of lambchops. And the mashed potato beneath completed the meal well. I was satisfied (servings wise) for this rendition.
Fish And Chips - The fish and chips came in an even bigger serving then my mixed grill. 3 huge pieces of fish accompanied by sides of potato wedges and salad. I had a go at one piece of fish and loads of fries because my girl is a little on the "conservative and weight conscious" type. I felt the fish was average and a tad dry but the portion more than made up for it.
Bill: We paid $45 for all we had here. Quite reasonable if you ask me.
Simple western food at affordable prices. Still, its not really too special and falls under the generic category along with Jack's Place, Swensen's and the myriad of western food offerings out there.
It touts itself as being a place for steak and so i'd suppose the best it offers are its steak. For this review however, none of us ordered steak and so its a review on how good its other food tastes. Anyway, me a 2 other friends met up to swap some information and wanted to have Sakae Sushi, however, the queue really turned me off and so, the newly renovated Jack's Place was our stop.
Steak and Chicken(or Fish) Combo - This was had by my friend, Al, and from his reaction and comment. I'd say he liked it. Note that the steak was actually lamb steak and not beef. I didn't get to try it but Al said the steak was "tender and melts in my mouth". He was also pretty happy about the chicken(or fish) that came with it as he liked the black pepper sauce it came in.
Mixed Grill - This was what i had and i can't help but say how disappointed i was with this mixed grill. The portion was very small. Much smaller then whatever my friends ordered. Do not let the picture full you, its much smaller then it looks. The egg should be a good measurement since it managed to cover all the meat beneath which consisted on chicken and lamb. I couldn't find the beef no matter how i looked. The meat were fatty and boney which meant the portions were really small and totally not worth the money. The sauce was also too salty maybe because it was meant for a BIGGER portion? The only saving grace for this was the potato it came with. A comment by my fellow diner: "Wow! That's so much smaller a portion than i remember." And that just about sums it all up.
Grilled Salmon - only got one bite of this salmon but it was done pretty well. It was pan simmered and crispy on the outside yet juicy and succulent inside. The garlic managed to lessen the fishy taste and my friend liked it as well.
Bill: The meal came up to $70 for 3 pax.
Still, i would not recommend this place to anyone since its simply awful to serve the most expensive item, mixed grill, with so little. Its just a sin. Avoid!!
Had dinner over there on Sat with a fren of mine. Was expecting a crowd as we went during dinner time but was surprised to see that it was almost empty with only a few tables occupied only. Maybe after Octoberfest, everyone need a rest.
We were led to a table and immediately I find the service very on the ball alr. Hee.... Within 5 mins after I was seated, I was asked 2 times by 2 different waiters for my order. Maybe too free, as there is no one else alr. Haa....
In the end we ordered a sauage platter, a pork knuckle and 2 x 0.5l light beer.
After ordering, the waiteress brought out some bread, in fact it is slices of different kind of bread with butter.
Food also came pretty fast, like after a 5 min wait.
1. Pork Knuckle, have to say that after tasting the pork knuckle @ Marche last weekend, I am a bit disappointed with this version. It is not as crispy as I expected to be, and it appeared to be smaller as well. However, it is still consider one of the better onces I have tasted. It also came with the usual side dishes as well.
2. The sausage platter came with 5 different types of sauage. All tasted good, the flavour is there and juicy as well. Haa... I like it a lot.
3. I also like their beer, like Brewerks, their beer does not have a bitter after taste.
Whenever I think of German food, I would go there to settle my craving and have to say that it is one of my fav drinking hole as well.
As The BIG MATCH is going on when we are having dinner, thje bar downstairs is packed with people and can hear their cheers going on as well. Haa...
Hua Ting. An authentic cantonese cuisine restuarant located on the second floor of Orchard Hotel. Getting to the location doesn't prove to be a problem but finding and entering its extremly small carpark does bring a sneer onto my face. This was my 3rd monthly meal with a bunch of people i eventually got to know with each successive meal outing. And to say the least, i had fun for this one.
The simple and somewhat grand chinese theme of the restuarant says it all. Its all about cooking and they have the prizes to show it off. Headed by Master Chef Chan Kwok, the moment we stepped in, we did not expect to leave unsatisfied, but did it live up to its name and numerous prizes? Read on to find out.
Rose Tea - Given the choice of what to drink, everyone opted for something different on this and my choice is the less adventurous and more simple rose tea. It was fragrant but tasted bland and the lack of a filter really started to irk me after about 2 sips because you can't get any tea in without leaves accompanying it. Great presentation, bad execution.
Hua Ting Deluxe Platter - This serving for 5 came with char siew (roasted honey pork), fried silverfish, jellyfish, soy chicken and prawn wrapped in beancurd. I found it decent though not outstanding. The prawn was fresh and crunchy and i enjoyed the small but surprisingly tasty fried silverfish. However, it does get to taste too salty after a while. The roasted pork was normal, as is the soy chicken and jellyfish.
Crispy Homemade Beancurd with Seasonal Greens Topped with Assorted Eggs - This wierd looking tofu is made simply of egg tofu and egg. It looks out of this world but taste wise, i can't really find anything special about it. The spinach was simple and tasted a little like Hai Tien Lou's three egg spinach combincation. Otherwise, it doesn't warrant much attention apart from looks.
Crispy Roasted Duck - Crispy roasted duck. It more or less a staple for us to have this dish in any chinese restuarant we step into to compare the quality of the restaurant offerings. This one was more or less a must order dish for anyone who visited Hua Ting. The skin was crispy and lightly sweet from the gravy while the meat was tender and had a slightly salty aftertaste. Compared to Hai Tien Lou's rendition, i felt the former tasted better but it seems even Hua Ting has a good enough rendition to recommend. So do try it.
Deep Fried Scallop Bacon Roll topped with Conpoy - This dish again had mixed reactions as some found it too salty for their liking. Maybe they weren't eating it right because i found that mixing a bite of the bacon with the Conpoy served to lessen the salty taste and allowed me to enjoy the sweetness of the scallop as well. I'd even go so far as to say i enjoyed the dish for as long as the veg lasted. After it however, its a different story. The bacon and sauce was simply too salty a combination to enjoy.
Fish Paste Noodle Soup with Seafood - Fish paste noodles was awesome. If we had more space this would have been the perfect ending dish which sadly, we did not have. The scallops and prawn were simply huge and very fresh. The soup base was actually really good, tasting nether salty nor oily and the noodles served to fill you up real quick. We did manage to get one bowl of noodle and all the prawn and scallop down but never managed to finish this sadly. I believe this could have been a meal all on its own. I recommend having it before anything else.
In the end, the above cost the 5 of us $370 which is pretty absurd as it didn't feel justified given the quality of the food.
It was honestly quite a decent meal but i suppose its understandable that paying an amount as steep as this. Decent is not what we should be getting. It was excellent or bust and from my point of view. This will not bring me back for a second try. Service was attentive and good but the food needed some work to justify its price. Try it for the duck and fish paste noodle alone.
Zambuca is an authentic Italian experience which also served as a beginning to my little foray in food blogging and fine dining. As such, i hope it explains why most or almost all my photos here are taken from FatPig. During this initial meal, which is before even Xi Yan, i was introduced into a world which i never did step into much before. And honestly, it was a rather memorable and good start.
Personal thoughts: The moment i stepped into the restaurant, i felt out of place and in a totally different country of sorts. Everything inside was totally authentic and very fitting to its Italian theme. There was a wine cellar encased in glass right smack in the middle of the restaurant and the view from the windows, though only on the third floor, allowed me to feel like i was in an Italian country. The place was quite dark though and we were given a round table seat which though served our purpose well, i felt totally tested the capabilities for the waiter because it was incredibly difficult for the poor man to set.
Bruschetta - We began the meal with this as a starter. The bread was finely toasted and came still warm despite the rather cold air conditioning. The tomatoes were nicely diced and tasted great with the warm bread. A good appetiser that managed to whet my appetite for the main course to come.
Linguine Tandoor - This was ordered by my friend. I personally didn't get to taste it but judging by the fact that he still raves about the dish to anyone he meets who likes fine dining, i'd say it was a satisfying dish. I found the portion acceptable though it could have been better if there had been more. The tandoori combition served to work surprisingly well according to him, and if i remember correctly, the chicken it came with was also delicious.
Snapper Lombata - This right here is mine. Pan fried baby snapper loin with deep fried soft shell crab and grilled caviar crusted langoustine served in a pool of mirin and wasabi broth. I found this dish very nicely done. Everything in here is out of the aquarium fresh and very appetising indeed. The snapper was great with the sauce and since its the first time i had this, i'll say its like a cross between prawns and lobsters, but the meat holds more similiarities to the latter family. I do however have a problem with the serving size for this dish, given the money i'm paying, this is still way too little despite the quality of the serving. I came away wanting and still hungry after this dish unlike my buddies. So try this at your own discretion.
The bill for this romantically ambienced and nice meal amounted to $160.85. Not too demanding and pretty worth its price.
This is a great place to bring your friends or your romantic partner for a good meal. Your choice and understanding of Italian food is necessary however in making good food decisions. In terms of wine selection, this place has it in spades for both new and old world wines. Also, wine by the glass is available and i recommend trying the cellar for private wine tasting functions if you have a significantly wine loving group. Service is impeccable even given the trying table setting and always comes with a smile. I recommend trying this place if you are in the vicinity.
Iggy's is voted 60th in the world by the prestigious British Magazine, Restuarant, and is only 1 of the 3 to make it into that list from Singapore. So expectations were naturally high when we sourced it out for the meal. To know how it fared in our minds? Read on.
The interior of Iggy's is rather small but cosy. Attendants were practically standing next to you as you feast but never intrusive which is a plus. Other than that, we had a reasonably good time and felt at ease in this setting.
The complimentary bread deserves some mention simply because i had in excess of 5 of this before i felt that it was enough. It is definately not available outside and it simple tastes wonderful. The butter provided also doesn't feel overwhelming as i gulped down one after the other. IMHO, this is already a great start. (or so i felt at the time anyway) Have as much of this as possible before the actual meal. You'll thank me for this advice if you are having lunch here.
Pumpkin Puree with Soy - Another complimentary item. This tasted nothing out of the ordinary to me though so i wasn't very impressed.
Prawn croquette with watercress and soy tarragon butter - The middle leaves were rocket leaves that Jeremy hated with a passion. Its actually quite fragrant though of course, its an acquired taste. The thing about this is the taragon butter served to make the leaves very palatable indeed. Personally, i found the prawn croquette's a tad too small. Taste wise, the butter still covered up a huge portion of it. I couldn't much taste the prawn in its pasty form but its good nonetheless. A decent start.
Breaded Kurobuta pork Schnitzel with tarragon salad - Well, my main course, as is Jeremy's. Kurobuta pork is the pork equivalent of Kobe beef in the pork hierarchy. Maybe that explains the ridiculously small serving we had for the meat. It came with an equally small terragon salad (ie. rocket leaf) which only served to vex us abit. However, taste wise, the pork is indeed succulent. Even the ultra thin version we had managed to absorb its seasonings and exhibited a smooth, tender and chewy texture that is otherworldly. I wouldn't have expected it from such a small piece. It is that good, but pity about the small portion.
Champagne jelly and sorbet with elderflower foam - This is my dessert and to quote taste tests from my buddies: "it tastes like eating toothpaste!" Well, almost but not quite. I found the champagne jelly hidden beneath the elderberry foam served to give the dessert a very nice complementary taste that refreshes as well as intoxicates. You could taste the champagne but it wasn't overwhelming. Quite nicely done.
The bill came up to about $52 per pax for a nice tasting but not fulfilling meal.
To be fair, the food on this highly acclaimed restuarant is indeed above average and decent. However, i tend to like having meals that actually fill me up instead of leaving me wanting and Iggy's did just that, leaving me wanting more food. This was solved by having yet more food at cheaper establishments and in my opinion, that is not the way a $50 lunch should have left me. Try the place for the experience knowing you had a meal in one of Singapore's finest restuarant, but unless i am insanely rich in future, i will probably not be back for another non-filling meal. (If i'm insanely rich however, i will be back for more.)
1=SGD 0.0587
After our last visit to Peaberry & Pretzel some time back, my gf and I decided to head back to Sunset Way to try out Megumi Japanese Restaurant on the recommendations of some folks.
Located just a few doors down from Peaberry & Pretzel, Megumi's air conditioned interior is smallish, with the bulk of the seating capacity in the al fresco area outside. Notice that this means lunch here in the afternoon might mean a sweaty affair unless you get to sit inside.
Billed as the Megumi special roll, there was nothing really special about it in my humble opinion. It came across as your ordinary California Roll with crab sticks and Tamago in it. Not that the extra ingredients gave it much taste either. Lets just say it tasted like a slightly sweeter version of the California Roll. So much for the secrecy. One other bone I had was that the rice was a little too dry and could have been firmer.
Char Siew Ramen - Labeled a house specialty, the ramen was a let down honestly. The noodles were your normal egg noodles though of a more springy version whereas the Char Siew was a little too dry and tough. It certainly didn't help that the soup was a tad too salty as well.
Saikoro Steak Set - Another one of the house specialties except that this one actually tasted quite decent. The beef was a little overcooked but still retained enough of its juices, taste and texture to warrant a decent rating. However, I must mention that portions are small and not homogeneously cooked, as evident by the residual butter I detected on some pieces of beef.
Black Sesame Ice Cream - I'm not exactly a fan of black sesame ice cream so I am not in a position to comment if its good or not. But my gf seemed to like it quite a bit so I'm guessing it must be of a certain standard.
Fried Vanilla Ice Cream - This was probably what I liked the best of all the dishes that evening. Interestingly, the batter was a thicker version of the crispy yet light tempura batter and actually went quite good with the vanilla ice cream. Now something needs to be done about the quality of the ice cream though, which was really mediocre.
While $61 for 2 pax isn't unreasonably expensive for the food, it isn't exactly cheap either, considering that the food was merely average. One funny thing I discovered. The restaurant was actually playing Korean songs. How cool is that?
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
This incident happen to me over the weekend and have to say that I am very impressed with the staff over there.
I ordered a regular Black Forest and when I got it and drank it, I find the drink very diluted, seem like they forgot to add something in, I only have the coffee bitter after taste only, no taste of chocolate or whatever. Confirmed this with my galfren, who also find the drink under par.
So I mentioned this to the manager (I think), without any questions asked, he immediately offered to replace a new drink for me. The new drink was replaced to me within a min and it was prefect. Think they forgot to add in something in the 1st drink. Hee....
So based on this their customer service is really number one! I am really impressed!
Rating given:
Another entry in the budget food section, due in part to my ultimate lack of funds and the belief that there may be reasonably good food at a reasonable price. So, i met up with a good friend at Serangoon Garden for our much belated catch up session.
Located to the immediate carpark next to the bus interchange at Serangoon Gardens is this little restuarant. Its a pretty well known restaurant but there are many chicken rice stalls in Serangoon Gardens so it might be good to note that they all have their different niches which they cater for. Anyway, i worked in this area for 2 years so its natural for me to actually get a good feel for which chicken rice i actually like, and this is one of them.
Ah Char - This comes the moment you sit down but its not free mind you. I can't complain about the price since its only $1 and honestly, its a good appetizer for me since its sour and sweet at the same time.
Chicken Portion for Two - The chicken portion which they gave for the two of us. The meat is fragrant and tender which i felt was important for a good plate of chicken rice. I didn't quite like the fat beneath the skin so its a good thing there wasn't too much of that. I also liked the fact that i didn't have to pick through bones for the meat and a good point to note is that the serving managed to fund my friend through 2 bowls of rice and me through mine.
Crispy Nonya Tou Fu - I was telling everyone this was the must-have dish at this place. The Tou Fu is absolutely soft and melts in your mouth on the inside and crispy on the outside. Its always hot and warm even to the last piece and the sauce it came with definately helps to make the dish even more delectable. I can't quite make out the sauce but i suppose it tastes like a cross between oyster sauce and tian jiang (sweet sauce).
Chicken Rice - One thing i always look for in chicken rice is that it must not be too oily. And Pow Sing does it just right. Its possible to enjoy the rice without feeling too guilty about it afterwords because unlike other run-of-the-mill chicken rice elsewhere, its chicken rice is fragrant yet not oily, tasty yet not overwhelming.
Well, the meal only cost us about $10 a person. So its really rather cheap. If you came for a packet of chicken rice, it only costs between $3-$4 for a rather huge packet so i'd say its good value for money.
Since this isn't exactly a posh eating place, there's no need to judge certain criteria like service and ambience. Its still a decent eating place for simple a non-oily chicken rice at a decent price. Do give it a try if you are there.
Rating given:
I was actually introduced to this place by my gf because she is a fish lover. So we made our way down to try it on a nice couple date, 7th July 2007 (07072007). Contrary to its name, the Manhattan Fish Market (MFM) franchise actually originated from Malaysia in 2002 and its first outlet in Singapore is the one situated at Plaza Singapura. The first thing this restuarant brings to mind is its direct competitor, Fish & Co (F&C), which has been in Singapore for a far longer time than MFM. So how does its food really fare, you know the drill by now. Read On!
For serving only fish, the menu does contain a pretty good selection of items ranging from fish to mushrooms to squid and all manner of friendlies from the ocean. I have to say i was impressed with the service attitude of its staff from the moment i stepped in. They seemed a jovial and happy lot unlike some other establishments where their staff seemed to have been placed there with a gun to their backs. When we entered, it was rather early, around 6.30 pm, and were quickly shown to a couple seat found hidden to the right corner of the restuarant. It came with a tv and simple cushioned seats, but was sufficient nonetheless. The service staff were also very attentive and i never had to raise my hand for a glass refill. Very impressive indeed, especially when the crowds started to appear, my glass was still filled! Talk about service. Bravo!
Manhattan Seafood Soup - The Manhattan seafood soup was surprisingly tasty and full bodied. A single scoop can easily net you a spoonful of fish meat, crab, scallops and even a little squid! For $4.90, this really surprised me as i was expecting something much less worthwhile. A good way to start the meal.
Fried Country Mushrooms - My gf told me this was a must try dish at the place and i must say, its really very good. I couldn't quite make out if the mushrooms were shiitake or small portebello mushrooms but they were really juicy when you bit into it. The fried layer of batter was thin and crispy, coupled with the juicy and soft mushroom, it was just a match-made in heaven. ($9.90)
Hot Fiery Action!!! - Ordering a seafood platter also gives you a small demonstration of what the staff would do to your face if you tried to flee without paying. Nah, just kidding. He's just torching the layer of mayonnaise and cooking the prawn.
Seafood Platter for Two - The main event. This monster really did us both in. Well, me anyway, since i did most of the eating. Worth mention is the rice which tasted a little like Hainan Chicken Rice and as with all things in this restuarant thus far, simply fitted in well with everything. There were 3 fried oysters, 4 scorched prawns, dozens of squid , 1 huge piece of fish fillet and loads of fries and rice. Couples on a diet? Stay away!! But honestly, this was really good and the portion much bigger then what you can get from F&C. The squid was fresh and had a sour taste that whet your appetite and really mixes well with the rice. The oysters tasted like the mushrooms mentioned above and was simply great. The fish was normal and lacked anything i could complain about except that it tasted like any other fish fillet. The prawn and scorched mayo deserve mention. Definitely eat the mayo with the rice, its really good, i wonder if we could ask for more mayo next time. And the prawn with mayo is great, i could complain a little about freshness but for the price, its pretty decent. ($29.90)
Total bill came up to $52.60. Reasonable given the quality of food and service. I'll be back for more on this place.
I like the place. Reasonable price. Big servings. Good food. Laid back atmosphere. Great service. Which is more than i can say for some insanely priced hotel outlets. This is one place thats filling on the tummy and easy on your wallet. Do swing by for a meal if you are in the vicinity and like fish.
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Known for its slightly bigger than average servings and marketed as an authentic American dining place after its founder. I've personally had it quite a few times with different people but didn't really take pictures. So here's my first try at it when i went for a movie with my gf @ the Cathay because we skipped the Cathay Restaurant and opted for something less expensive. Sorry about the picture quality. Will bring my camera for real next time.
Mixed Grill - Billy bomber's mixed grill, though not as photogenic as the Jack's place (JP) rendition above won in terms of serving size and sheer ease of eating. The meats were all done pretty well and the best part was the lack of observable fats or bones much unlike the (JP) rendition. I liked the sausage which was pretty big for its price and the chicken was actually quite tender and nicely marinated. The lamb tasted a tad less fresh but i've never been a fan of lambchops. And the mashed potato beneath completed the meal well. I was satisfied (servings wise) for this rendition.
Fish And Chips - The fish and chips came in an even bigger serving then my mixed grill. 3 huge pieces of fish accompanied by sides of potato wedges and salad. I had a go at one piece of fish and loads of fries because my girl is a little on the "conservative and weight conscious" type. I felt the fish was average and a tad dry but the portion more than made up for it.
Bill: We paid $45 for all we had here. Quite reasonable if you ask me.
Simple western food at affordable prices. Still, its not really too special and falls under the generic category along with Jack's Place, Swensen's and the myriad of western food offerings out there.
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It touts itself as being a place for steak and so i'd suppose the best it offers are its steak. For this review however, none of us ordered steak and so its a review on how good its other food tastes. Anyway, me a 2 other friends met up to swap some information and wanted to have Sakae Sushi, however, the queue really turned me off and so, the newly renovated Jack's Place was our stop.
Steak and Chicken(or Fish) Combo - This was had by my friend, Al, and from his reaction and comment. I'd say he liked it. Note that the steak was actually lamb steak and not beef. I didn't get to try it but Al said the steak was "tender and melts in my mouth". He was also pretty happy about the chicken(or fish) that came with it as he liked the black pepper sauce it came in.
Mixed Grill - This was what i had and i can't help but say how disappointed i was with this mixed grill. The portion was very small. Much smaller then whatever my friends ordered. Do not let the picture full you, its much smaller then it looks. The egg should be a good measurement since it managed to cover all the meat beneath which consisted on chicken and lamb. I couldn't find the beef no matter how i looked. The meat were fatty and boney which meant the portions were really small and totally not worth the money. The sauce was also too salty maybe because it was meant for a BIGGER portion? The only saving grace for this was the potato it came with. A comment by my fellow diner: "Wow! That's so much smaller a portion than i remember." And that just about sums it all up.
Grilled Salmon - only got one bite of this salmon but it was done pretty well. It was pan simmered and crispy on the outside yet juicy and succulent inside. The garlic managed to lessen the fishy taste and my friend liked it as well.
Bill: The meal came up to $70 for 3 pax.
Still, i would not recommend this place to anyone since its simply awful to serve the most expensive item, mixed grill, with so little. Its just a sin. Avoid!!
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Had dinner over there on Sat with a fren of mine. Was expecting a crowd as we went during dinner time but was surprised to see that it was almost empty with only a few tables occupied only. Maybe after Octoberfest, everyone need a rest.
We were led to a table and immediately I find the service very on the ball alr. Hee.... Within 5 mins after I was seated, I was asked 2 times by 2 different waiters for my order. Maybe too free, as there is no one else alr. Haa....
In the end we ordered a sauage platter, a pork knuckle and 2 x 0.5l light beer.
After ordering, the waiteress brought out some bread, in fact it is slices of different kind of bread with butter.
Food also came pretty fast, like after a 5 min wait.
1. Pork Knuckle, have to say that after tasting the pork knuckle @ Marche last weekend, I am a bit disappointed with this version. It is not as crispy as I expected to be, and it appeared to be smaller as well. However, it is still consider one of the better onces I have tasted. It also came with the usual side dishes as well.
2. The sausage platter came with 5 different types of sauage. All tasted good, the flavour is there and juicy as well. Haa... I like it a lot.
3. I also like their beer, like Brewerks, their beer does not have a bitter after taste.
Whenever I think of German food, I would go there to settle my craving and have to say that it is one of my fav drinking hole as well.
As The BIG MATCH is going on when we are having dinner, thje bar downstairs is packed with people and can hear their cheers going on as well. Haa...
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Hua Ting. An authentic cantonese cuisine restuarant located on the second floor of Orchard Hotel. Getting to the location doesn't prove to be a problem but finding and entering its extremly small carpark does bring a sneer onto my face. This was my 3rd monthly meal with a bunch of people i eventually got to know with each successive meal outing. And to say the least, i had fun for this one.
The simple and somewhat grand chinese theme of the restuarant says it all. Its all about cooking and they have the prizes to show it off. Headed by Master Chef Chan Kwok, the moment we stepped in, we did not expect to leave unsatisfied, but did it live up to its name and numerous prizes? Read on to find out.
Rose Tea - Given the choice of what to drink, everyone opted for something different on this and my choice is the less adventurous and more simple rose tea. It was fragrant but tasted bland and the lack of a filter really started to irk me after about 2 sips because you can't get any tea in without leaves accompanying it. Great presentation, bad execution.
Hua Ting Deluxe Platter - This serving for 5 came with char siew (roasted honey pork), fried silverfish, jellyfish, soy chicken and prawn wrapped in beancurd. I found it decent though not outstanding. The prawn was fresh and crunchy and i enjoyed the small but surprisingly tasty fried silverfish. However, it does get to taste too salty after a while. The roasted pork was normal, as is the soy chicken and jellyfish.
Crispy Homemade Beancurd with Seasonal Greens Topped with Assorted Eggs - This wierd looking tofu is made simply of egg tofu and egg. It looks out of this world but taste wise, i can't really find anything special about it. The spinach was simple and tasted a little like Hai Tien Lou's three egg spinach combincation. Otherwise, it doesn't warrant much attention apart from looks.
Crispy Roasted Duck - Crispy roasted duck. It more or less a staple for us to have this dish in any chinese restuarant we step into to compare the quality of the restaurant offerings. This one was more or less a must order dish for anyone who visited Hua Ting. The skin was crispy and lightly sweet from the gravy while the meat was tender and had a slightly salty aftertaste. Compared to Hai Tien Lou's rendition, i felt the former tasted better but it seems even Hua Ting has a good enough rendition to recommend. So do try it.
Sautéed Dried Cod Fish with Egg White - This dish looked interesting from the outset and certainly is a different way of cooking the precious fish its based upon. I personally found this dish decent while the rest of my friends shunned it due to the tasteless blending of egg white and cod fish. The end result is a rather tasteless dish that tastes too much like eggs and covers the freshness and sweetness of the cod. I do have to comment that the cod melts in your mouth and since no one else would have more of it, I had the privilege of finishing most of this dish.
Deep Fried Scallop Bacon Roll topped with Conpoy - This dish again had mixed reactions as some found it too salty for their liking. Maybe they weren't eating it right because i found that mixing a bite of the bacon with the Conpoy served to lessen the salty taste and allowed me to enjoy the sweetness of the scallop as well. I'd even go so far as to say i enjoyed the dish for as long as the veg lasted. After it however, its a different story. The bacon and sauce was simply too salty a combination to enjoy.
Fish Paste Noodle Soup with Seafood - Fish paste noodles was awesome. If we had more space this would have been the perfect ending dish which sadly, we did not have. The scallops and prawn were simply huge and very fresh. The soup base was actually really good, tasting nether salty nor oily and the noodles served to fill you up real quick. We did manage to get one bowl of noodle and all the prawn and scallop down but never managed to finish this sadly. I believe this could have been a meal all on its own. I recommend having it before anything else.
In the end, the above cost the 5 of us $370 which is pretty absurd as it didn't feel justified given the quality of the food.
It was honestly quite a decent meal but i suppose its understandable that paying an amount as steep as this. Decent is not what we should be getting. It was excellent or bust and from my point of view. This will not bring me back for a second try. Service was attentive and good but the food needed some work to justify its price. Try it for the duck and fish paste noodle alone.
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Zambuca is an authentic Italian experience which also served as a beginning to my little foray in food blogging and fine dining. As such, i hope it explains why most or almost all my photos here are taken from FatPig. During this initial meal, which is before even Xi Yan, i was introduced into a world which i never did step into much before. And honestly, it was a rather memorable and good start.
Personal thoughts: The moment i stepped into the restaurant, i felt out of place and in a totally different country of sorts. Everything inside was totally authentic and very fitting to its Italian theme. There was a wine cellar encased in glass right smack in the middle of the restaurant and the view from the windows, though only on the third floor, allowed me to feel like i was in an Italian country. The place was quite dark though and we were given a round table seat which though served our purpose well, i felt totally tested the capabilities for the waiter because it was incredibly difficult for the poor man to set.
Bruschetta - We began the meal with this as a starter. The bread was finely toasted and came still warm despite the rather cold air conditioning. The tomatoes were nicely diced and tasted great with the warm bread. A good appetiser that managed to whet my appetite for the main course to come.
Linguine Tandoor - This was ordered by my friend. I personally didn't get to taste it but judging by the fact that he still raves about the dish to anyone he meets who likes fine dining, i'd say it was a satisfying dish. I found the portion acceptable though it could have been better if there had been more. The tandoori combition served to work surprisingly well according to him, and if i remember correctly, the chicken it came with was also delicious.
Snapper Lombata - This right here is mine. Pan fried baby snapper loin with deep fried soft shell crab and grilled caviar crusted langoustine served in a pool of mirin and wasabi broth. I found this dish very nicely done. Everything in here is out of the aquarium fresh and very appetising indeed. The snapper was great with the sauce and since its the first time i had this, i'll say its like a cross between prawns and lobsters, but the meat holds more similiarities to the latter family. I do however have a problem with the serving size for this dish, given the money i'm paying, this is still way too little despite the quality of the serving. I came away wanting and still hungry after this dish unlike my buddies. So try this at your own discretion.
The bill for this romantically ambienced and nice meal amounted to $160.85. Not too demanding and pretty worth its price.
This is a great place to bring your friends or your romantic partner for a good meal. Your choice and understanding of Italian food is necessary however in making good food decisions. In terms of wine selection, this place has it in spades for both new and old world wines. Also, wine by the glass is available and i recommend trying the cellar for private wine tasting functions if you have a significantly wine loving group. Service is impeccable even given the trying table setting and always comes with a smile. I recommend trying this place if you are in the vicinity.
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Iggy's is voted 60th in the world by the prestigious British Magazine, Restuarant, and is only 1 of the 3 to make it into that list from Singapore. So expectations were naturally high when we sourced it out for the meal. To know how it fared in our minds? Read on.
The interior of Iggy's is rather small but cosy. Attendants were practically standing next to you as you feast but never intrusive which is a plus. Other than that, we had a reasonably good time and felt at ease in this setting.
The complimentary bread deserves some mention simply because i had in excess of 5 of this before i felt that it was enough. It is definately not available outside and it simple tastes wonderful. The butter provided also doesn't feel overwhelming as i gulped down one after the other. IMHO, this is already a great start. (or so i felt at the time anyway) Have as much of this as possible before the actual meal. You'll thank me for this advice if you are having lunch here.
Pumpkin Puree with Soy - Another complimentary item. This tasted nothing out of the ordinary to me though so i wasn't very impressed.
Prawn croquette with watercress and soy tarragon butter - The middle leaves were rocket leaves that Jeremy hated with a passion. Its actually quite fragrant though of course, its an acquired taste. The thing about this is the taragon butter served to make the leaves very palatable indeed. Personally, i found the prawn croquette's a tad too small. Taste wise, the butter still covered up a huge portion of it. I couldn't much taste the prawn in its pasty form but its good nonetheless. A decent start.
Breaded Kurobuta pork Schnitzel with tarragon salad - Well, my main course, as is Jeremy's. Kurobuta pork is the pork equivalent of Kobe beef in the pork hierarchy. Maybe that explains the ridiculously small serving we had for the meat. It came with an equally small terragon salad (ie. rocket leaf) which only served to vex us abit. However, taste wise, the pork is indeed succulent. Even the ultra thin version we had managed to absorb its seasonings and exhibited a smooth, tender and chewy texture that is otherworldly. I wouldn't have expected it from such a small piece. It is that good, but pity about the small portion.
Champagne jelly and sorbet with elderflower foam - This is my dessert and to quote taste tests from my buddies: "it tastes like eating toothpaste!"
Well, almost but not quite. I found the champagne jelly hidden beneath the elderberry foam served to give the dessert a very nice complementary taste that refreshes as well as intoxicates. You could taste the champagne but it wasn't overwhelming. Quite nicely done.
The bill came up to about $52 per pax for a nice tasting but not fulfilling meal.
To be fair, the food on this highly acclaimed restuarant is indeed above average and decent. However, i tend to like having meals that actually fill me up instead of leaving me wanting and Iggy's did just that, leaving me wanting more food. This was solved by having yet more food at cheaper establishments and in my opinion, that is not the way a $50 lunch should have left me. Try the place for the experience knowing you had a meal in one of Singapore's finest restuarant, but unless i am insanely rich in future, i will probably not be back for another non-filling meal. (If i'm insanely rich however, i will be back for more.)
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