Cosmopolitan club street has a new entrant - Eden Cafe, which opened its doors to a soft launch only last Wednesday. New as the cafe may be, the man at the helm, Clement Ronald, is certainly no stranger to the culinary scene, having appeared in many television and magazines write ups in the past year due to his unique blend of cooking which involves plants, dubbed "floral cooking". He used to preside over the kitchen at Helios Cafe at Marina Square, but unfortunately that space is available only for private functions now.
Occupying a small unit just opposite liberty insurance, Eden Cafe threatens to be overshadowed by its more illustrious neighbours like Senso, Indochine, Spizza, Jerry's, just to name a few. The interior is tiny (I'm guessing about 20pax) and simplistic, opting for a more laid back setting with soft music in the background.
Jumbo prawns wrapped in Bacon - Prawns wrapped in bacons are always nice. Ideally the saltiness from the not too fatty bacon should complement the raw sweetness of the prawns. However it didn't happen in this case. The prawns were smaller than I had expected and the bacon wasn't grilled throughly enough, resulting in a softer than I would have liked texture. But overall still a rather decent dish, especially with the freshness of the tomato salsa salad by the side.
Saffron Cream Sauce Salmon - I don't usually like salmon because they have this raw fishy taste which I detest. Not this one however. The salmon's meat was firm minus the fishy overtones and together with the buttery and flavourful home concocted gravy, made for a light yet pleasing dish. However I could detect some inconsistencies in the dish, with some parts of the salmon being a lot saltier than others. The whole portabello mushroom that came with it was good for lapping up the tasty gravy, just that it was a little too soft for my liking.
Red Wine Beef - I would have liked this dish quite a bit if it wasn't that raw. The meat slab was thick which probably explains the rawness in some areas. The red wine sauce had a nice sweet red wine taste (naturally!) without being too overpowering. There was garlic in it, but I couldn't quite make it out. The mashed potatos were great with the sauce by the way.
We had one other main, the Rosemary Chicken, which I unfortunately do not have a shot of because I stupidly deleted it by accident and data recovery doesn't seem to work. Well I have asked around and hopefully someone has it so that I can post it up if they are willing to send it to me. That aside, as the name suggests, the chicken was cooked with rosemary and lavender, which gave it a rather fruity/leafy slant. The chicken was rather tender and moist but certain parts could get quite strong on the rosemary taste, especially the outer layer, which I personally couldn't quite take
Crème Brûlée - According to Clement, the Crème Brûlées are made from real vanilla beans, not vanilla essence or extract like most other places. The little black dots within are proof of that. Clement personally handled the melting of the sugar atop and I must complement his technique as the layer of sugar was thin and evenly coagulated. The pudding was soft and wobbly and didn't come across as too sweet. Definitely one of the better Crème Brûlées that I've tasted.
Brandy Chocolate - Now this is one sinful dessert with rich and unadulterated chocolate. Nothing fancy, just pure milk chocolate with brandy. However I couldn't quite make out the brandy which was a bummer really. Definitely not for the health conscious!
Tiramisu - The Tiramisu was covered by a layer of rich chocolate, very different from others I've eaten. But that doesn't not necessarily mean that its better. I could barely taste the cake in it and overall it was very dense with quite a strong rum taste in certain areas. My guess is that the mixing wasn't done thoroughly enough.
Hibiscus Cheese Phyllo - Undoubtedly the star of the desserts (at least for me), the Hibiscus Cheese Phyllo (or filo if you so wish) came looking very much like an egg omelette. The filling looked like yam ice cream instead of cheese, which was really quite interesting. Texture and taste wise, it reminded me of a partially melted cheese flavoured ice cream with a slight fruity connotation. A delectable dish but one not one I would recommend to consume too much of as the cheese taste can be a little overwhelming after a while.
Total bill for 8 pax with drinks cost about $337, which is definitely not expensive given the quality and amount of food. Dinner is unhurried and pleasant with great service from Clement himself as well as the other wait staff. There is this little herb garden in which Clement grows his own flora for use in his dishes. Do ask to see it if you happen to dine at Eden's. How about an encore folks? Seedless grape chicken? ;)
Since I dun own a car, public transport to me is very important. Ever since they keep increasing their fare every year, my expectation for them is also getting higher and higher.
Since around my work place, I have to take SBS bus to work every weekeday. I ahve to say that I am quite happy with the bus conditions. However they can work on the bus frequencies, like the bus supposed to come in every 5 mins during peak hours but then one bus decided to come earlier, and the bus will be pretty empty. Then the next bus that came on time, will be damned packed as the waiting time for the bus is longer.
I do find sometimes the bus a bit dirty as well but then if everyone of us take good care of it, I think the bus will be cleaner and no need to wait for the cleaners to clean the buses.
I am quite happy with the IRIS service as now I will always use it to find out how long does it take the next bus to arrive to the bus stop. I does cut down my waiting time as well. However the sms service only limited to Singtel users oly so I cannot use it.
Only 1 request, stop asking to increase fare every year and buck up on the frequency and condition of the buses.
I have been a Hubber for sometime now and I am happy to say that I made the right choice to sign up with them.
MaxOnline for me is really good and cheap. They had been giving us more bandwidth from time to time as well. I seldom had any problem with connection.
I hooked it up to a wireless router so that I can use my laptop anywhere in my flat and it proved to be good. I mainly use it for work and school wise and dun really play online games with it. So to me the speed is really more then enough.
Being a Hubber I got 10% discount some more. So I really find it a good deal!
Mention Italian restaurants and Senso, Garibaldi, IL Lido etc come to mind almost immediately. These are a few the big players in the Italian dining scene and most people would have probably heard of some, if not all of them. However, these restaurants only form one half of the spectrum - the fine dining portion. The other half, which is the casual dining portion, is made up of restaurants relatively unknown to most people (I happen to fall into this category). Here's where Romano Ristorante comes into the picture. Branded as a casual Italian restaurant (the first I've seen), Romano is wedged between a row of shops in the sleepy estate of Thomson Hills.
The casual branding is obvious the moment you step into the restaurant. The place looks more like a pizza house with its wide walkways, rough granite floors and homely atmosphere. To complete the picture, the solitary waitress is dressed up in a polo t shirt and a pair of jeans. Pets are allowed as well!
The Bruschetta was a little different from the usual ones that I've come across. Interestingly, the base was garlic bread and the diced tomatoes were loaded on top after the garlic bread had been toasted. Surprisingly, the bread was really well made, soft and fluffy on the inside yet retaining a little crisp on the outside. Very unlike normal garlic bread which tends to be hard along the edges. In case you are wondering if the combination of garlic and tomatoes go well, let me assure you that it does. The garlic taste was rather faint and not the least bit overwhelming, complementing the sweetness of the tomatoes. Only gripe I have about the Bruschetta was that the tomatoes didn't really look very fresh and wasn't as juicy as I had expected.
The calamari was coated with too much batter, rendering it a little too greasy from all the deep frying. The squid was chewy but the batter made me sick after a few mouthfuls. Luckily, the watered down tomato puree was nice and tangy without coming across as too strong, providing the sole consolation for this dish.
I was a little disappointed by the Chicken Milanese to say the very least. Coming as a recommendation on the menu sort of raised my expectations a little higher. With all its seemingly wonderful preparation methods and ingredients, it tasted nothing more than a slab of chicken breast meat wrapped up in egg. Aesthetics wise, it portrayed a very messy image when I first set my eyes on it, with its myriad of not too well pleasing colours. Very palatable, but not something I'll order again.
An above average dish, but could have been better. The Fettuince was a wee bit too cooked (about four fifths instead of the three quarters rule of thumb) but the cream sauce was thick and tasty without being too rich. The chicken slices were nicely seasoned and grilled but was a tad too salty.
I don't really fancy Tiramisu and Romano's rendition wasn't about to change my preference though I must comment that it was one of the better ones that I've tried. I personally liked it for its fluffiness and lightness on the palate. The cream to sponge ratio was quite balanced out which made eating it rather enjoyable.
I'm sure the humble Oreo Cheesecake was never a staple Italian dessert but more of an addition to suit local tastebuds. After all, not many people can say no to an Oreo Cheesecake. Romano's offering was a little sticky yet not coming across as too cheesy. Pity about the soft Oreo wafer base though, which resulted in a loss of overall texture and form.
Plenty of decent and comforting grub for 2 pax, all for just $61, which is very worth it in my opinion. Throw in the fact that the environment is laid back, service is warm and there is no dress code and I'm a regular. Having said that, they need to work on some of their dishes though, maybe tweak their recipes a little?
I used to watch Popeye the Sailor Man when I was a kid. Who could ever forget the spinach munching strong man and the ridiculous feats he could achieve? Well, fast forward to the present where the Popeye fad is long gone and all that's left is a restaurant with the same name selling fast food and showing Popeye cartoons on a small television set. In case you have the impression that this fast food outlet is hidden in an obscure corner rotting away, let me assure you that it's not. Queues can grow to as long as 10 people and waiting times can be about 20-25mins (largely in part due to the slow staff).
Located on the third level of Changi Airport Terminal 1, Popeyes looks every bit your typical fast food restaurant. Loud colours with pictures of food plastered on the billboards behind. Nothing too fanciful. The seating area is shared amongst the other F&B tenants in the same section.
I had the 2 piece chicken, which was really well done. The skin was dry, crispy and tasty on the outside while a little oily on the inside. The meat was tender but could have been slightly juicer though. This definitely beats KFC's offering hands down anytime. The accompanying biscuit was nicely done, fragrant and crumbly with a slight hint of oven baked goodness.
The sides of mashed potato, fries and coleslaw weren't fantastic. Pretty normal if you ask me, just that the fries came with skin, which is the way fries should be (think New York Fries).
Lets face it, 15 bucks is expensive for a 4 piece chicken set with 2 drinks and 3 sides. KFC would probably cost 12 bucks for the same set. Do note that Popeye charges you 50 cents for every 2 pieces of chicken parts that you specifically request for. So then is it worth it? In my opinion, definitely.
Been to Night Safari last month as a surprise for someone special and at the same time Starhub is having a promotion as well. It has been a long time since I had been there as well.
So took 138 from AMK interchange to reach there, fast and easy. Direct to the gate of Night Safari.
Once we reach there, we head for the ticketing counter and it was a breeze to buy tickets from the efficient and friendly staff.
Even before we step into Night Safrai, there is already a tribal show going on in front of the main entrance gate. They were there literaly playing with fire. Attracted a lot of crowd to stand and see them. They perform 3 times a night and definitely do their best to warm up the crowd before entering Night Safrai.
There is a few options to go when we are in Night Safrai. Me being a planner, decided that we took the tram ride 1st. The tram ride is basically an hour ride around the park, some of the places in Night Safrai is only accessible by the tram only. The presenters on the tram are really good as they correctly managed to remember almost everything in the park and even the names of the animals as well. The ride was fun except for some people that keep letting go of their flashes despite numerous reminders.
We dropped off at the half way point @ Lepord Trail. Took abt 25 mins to complete and managed to see most of the cats in action (ie moving.) Then took the tram for the 2nd half of the ride. This time round, was brought through a tropical rainforest.
After reaching the starting point, we headed towards to join the queue for the animal show, Creatures of the Night. Be warned that you better be there 30 mins beore the show starts as the queue is pretty long. A lot of kaisu peopl there already started queueing an hour before the show starts.
The show was good as all the presenters are very professional and all their animals are well trained as well. OUr show dragged a bit of time as an owl did not cooperate and decided to not to fly down so it took a bit of time to coax him to fly down. It is a must watch show in Night Safari.
After which, we contiune to walk on the remaining two trails, the Forest Giant trail and walk through a suspension bridge and the Fishing cat trail. Each also can be completed within 25 mins as well.
We ended the whole trip ard midnight and still managed to take 138 back to AMK interchange.
It is definitely one of the best attraction in Singapore. Worth to go and check it out.
Been there to watch Mr Woodcock over the weekend. Although the cinema is very near my house but then I seldom go there to watch movie unless I am with my sis or I am too lazy to go to town to watch movie.
One thing good about watching movie there, the tickets are cheaper by 50 cents compared to other cinemas.
There is also 8 cinema halls there so it offers a great variety of movies as well.
It used to have a very reception area, however after renovation, the ticketing office becomes very small and got to walk a long walkway before you can reach the ticketing office as the rest of the space is taken up by a food court.
The ticketing office is the saem as other cathay where you can get your tivkets and tibits at the same time. So might have to wait a little longer in the queue.
The seating in the cinema hall is quite spaced out but on the rather flat slope. However this does not mean that the person in front of you would be able to block you as the screen in placed higher than usual, compared to other cinemas. So when watching the movie, you might find yourself tilting your head slightly higher.
The air con is rather cold same as other cathay cinemas, so prepare yourself with a jacket if you are scare of cold.
Overall it is considered, to me, one of the better cinemas in the north region.
What can you eat for dinner at Raffles place with only $10 in your wallet? The choices seem limited, not only because of the limited eateries that are open in the evenings, but also because the eateries that stay open don't come cheap. In comes Pret A Manger, which is actually a French word for ready to eat. Newly opened and located at the ground floor of Ogilvy Centre along Robinson Road, this new kid in the sandwich scene serves up pre packed sandwiches that are freshly made every morning and thrown into the chiller to help preserve the freshness. Leftovers are donated to charity. This place works essentially like a fast food restaurant. You pick the sandwiches you want and proceed to the counter to make payment. There's quite a cozy dining area, so you can choose to eat in or take away.
There was hardly anyone around when I got there at about 1815hrs, so I made myself comfortable and grabbed two sandwiches - the Christmas Lunch and the Crayfish and Roquette. I had initially wanted to try out their specialty, the Coronation Chicken, but decided against it as I didn't want both sandwiches to have chicken in them. Actually I didn't really have much choice either as quite a few sandwiches were sold out.
First impressions of the sandwiches. Both looked rather small for the price - $3.80 for the Christmas Lunch and $3.90 for the Crayfish and Roquette. Having said that, I was impressed by the generous fillings. This is so unlike the normal sandwiches you buy from your neighbourhood bakeries. I particularly liked the Christmas Lunch, which had Turkey, Stuffing, Spinach, Crispy Onion, Cranberry Sauce and thick Mayonnaise. The Crispy Onion added a nice wholesome flavour to the sandwich, but overall I found it a little too sweet, probably because of the Mayo. The Crayfish and Roquette, as the name suggests, had Crayfish, Roquette, Lemon Juice, Mayonnaise and Yoghurt. In all honesty, the taste of the Roquette overpowered just about everything else. I was hoping for a nice and juicy crayfish, but what I got was a chilled tasteless one. But it was nice to chew on it though. Both sandwiches used wholemeal bread (I think) instead of the usual white bread, which is a plus I guess.
Overall I had a good experience there, primarily because of the very friendly and sociable staff there. The sandwiches were above average, but falls flat in the value for money segment as you would need at least 2 sandwiches to feel decently satisfied (I think I need 4). Throw in a drink and probably a soup and you would have breached the $10 mark. They do sell bigger sandwiches at $7.50 each, but its just a 10"-12"(very rough estimate, so please correct me if I am wrong) baguette with fillings, no drink, nothing. Compare that to Subway, which only charges about $7 for a sandwich with a drink and cookie. Now if Subway would just work on their variety....
Had our monthly group dinner at Bonta last evening. Opened in April this year and helmed by chef Luca Pezzera, who was formerly the executive chef at Hotel Intercontinental, Jakarta, Bonta has been garnering rather rave reviews with regard to its food and service, hence making it our choice of restaurant for the month.
Located along the outskirts of UE Square just opposite Double O, Bonta boasts a modern chic outlook coupled with warm colours, ambient lighting and soothing pipe music to give it that cosy and relaxed feel. There's also a semi private room for a few couples on the second floor complete with a showcase wine cellar for a more romantic rendezvous. However, do note that the room is all glass, so people can see you from the ground level. And in case you are wondering, Bonta is relatively small, with a sitting capacity probably maxing out at about 30 people or so.
The complimentary bread deserves a writeup devoted entirely to itself. Why so? Because its simply the best complimentary bread I've ever eaten so far (not that I've eaten alot though). The bread came served piping hot in a longish cup and when sliced open, emitted a fragrant and alluring aroma. Crispy on the outside yet soft and fluffy on the inside, the the pockets of cheese and walnuts within served to enhance its taste and bite. Really a most delightful bread. I understand that takeaway for the bread is available at $8/loaf for those who are interested (and can afford it). For cheapskates and financially struggling people like me, there's always the complimentary option.
I didn't get a chance to try out the trout rolls but I did have a go at the goose liver or Foie Gras as some people might know it. The liver was pan fried till a little crisp on the exterior yet retaining its softness within. Taste wise was pretty good, with the raw taste of liver subtle and a slight hint of smokiness. However, I did find the aftertaste a little too strong for my liking. Also, the liver wasn't as quivery as I would have expected it to be, falling short of the standards set by Ember and Il-Lido.
At $22, this dish was really expensive given that only 4 pieces of scallops were served. However, money aside, it was just a just a little short of excellent. The scallops were quite a size and came served with their shell. Pop one into your mouth and enjoy the sweetness of the scallops with the accompanying Hollandaise sauce. To best enjoy this dish (in my personal opinion), you have to consume the whole thing - lock, stock and barrel (minus the shell of course) at one go.
Ravioli with Goose Liver - Had a piece of the ravioli to try and didn't find it fantastic. I could barely make out the taste of the liver as it was almost entirely masked by the creamy sauce base.
Black Angus Beef Sirloin Tagliata - It came as requested, medium rare and nicely grilled for that subtle sweetness and char grilled flavour. However it did come across as a little weak on the natural beef taste, which was a pity really. On a side note, the accompanying Porcini mushrooms had this weird taste which I couldn't stomach.
Disappointment. The icy cold word that pierces through your heart. That was the exact emotion all of us were feeling after the dinner. It was so bad that none of us had the heart to order any desserts, preferring to head down elsewhere. Service was good and attentive except for one major blip. They got one of our orders wrong twice. In the end, my friend had to settle for something he didn't order, which really marred the entire experience for him.
The 7 of us forked out $451 for a totally unsatisfying dinner, be it quantity or quality wise. Will I be back? I'll toss a coin and let you know, but chances are, no.
Went to Cathay AMK to watch Balls of Fury last weekend.
Well have to say that the standard of the cinema is as good as the rest of the cathay cinemas.
I like the large reception area where to buy tickets and popcorns. One thing bad though, there are no seats to sit on while waiting for the show to start unlike other Cathays.
There are 8 cinema halls there so quite a number of shows showing there. Good.
Service wise, GREAT! The people there are very friendly. From the one selling the tickets to the usher. Even when I was walking into the cinema hall, the guy manning the tibits section manged to say "Welcome! Enjoy your show" to everyone walking past him.
The cinema seating is good and comfortable. The solpe is quite high so the guy in front of you can hardly block your view. They do not maximise the seast to the fron so even if you get 1st row seast, you will not get a neckache after the show.
The sound system is up to par as it is new and uses the best sound system.
So overall it is a good place to watch show in the north now other than Junction 8 and Causeway Point.
1=SGD 0.0587
Cosmopolitan club street has a new entrant - Eden Cafe, which opened its doors to a soft launch only last Wednesday. New as the cafe may be, the man at the helm, Clement Ronald, is certainly no stranger to the culinary scene, having appeared in many television and magazines write ups in the past year due to his unique blend of cooking which involves plants, dubbed "floral cooking". He used to preside over the kitchen at Helios Cafe at Marina Square, but unfortunately that space is available only for private functions now.
Occupying a small unit just opposite liberty insurance, Eden Cafe threatens to be overshadowed by its more illustrious neighbours like Senso, Indochine, Spizza, Jerry's, just to name a few. The interior is tiny (I'm guessing about 20pax) and simplistic, opting for a more laid back setting with soft music in the background.
Jumbo prawns wrapped in Bacon - Prawns wrapped in bacons are always nice. Ideally the saltiness from the not too fatty bacon should complement the raw sweetness of the prawns. However it didn't happen in this case. The prawns were smaller than I had expected and the bacon wasn't grilled throughly enough, resulting in a softer than I would have liked texture. But overall still a rather decent dish, especially with the freshness of the tomato salsa salad by the side.
Saffron Cream Sauce Salmon - I don't usually like salmon because they have this raw fishy taste which I detest. Not this one however. The salmon's meat was firm minus the fishy overtones and together with the buttery and flavourful home concocted gravy, made for a light yet pleasing dish. However I could detect some inconsistencies in the dish, with some parts of the salmon being a lot saltier than others. The whole portabello mushroom that came with it was good for lapping up the tasty gravy, just that it was a little too soft for my liking.
Red Wine Beef - I would have liked this dish quite a bit if it wasn't that raw. The meat slab was thick which probably explains the rawness in some areas. The red wine sauce had a nice sweet red wine taste (naturally!) without being too overpowering. There was garlic in it, but I couldn't quite make it out. The mashed potatos were great with the sauce by the way.
We had one other main, the Rosemary Chicken, which I unfortunately do not have a shot of because I stupidly deleted it by accident and data recovery doesn't seem to work. Well I have asked around and hopefully someone has it so that I can post it up if they are willing to send it to me. That aside, as the name suggests, the chicken was cooked with rosemary and lavender, which gave it a rather fruity/leafy slant. The chicken was rather tender and moist but certain parts could get quite strong on the rosemary taste, especially the outer layer, which I personally couldn't quite take
Crème Brûlée - According to Clement, the Crème Brûlées are made from real vanilla beans, not vanilla essence or extract like most other places. The little black dots within are proof of that. Clement personally handled the melting of the sugar atop and I must complement his technique as the layer of sugar was thin and evenly coagulated. The pudding was soft and wobbly and didn't come across as too sweet. Definitely one of the better Crème Brûlées that I've tasted.
Brandy Chocolate -
Now this is one sinful dessert with rich and unadulterated chocolate. Nothing fancy, just pure milk chocolate with brandy. However I couldn't quite make out the brandy which was a bummer really. Definitely not for the health conscious!
Tiramisu - The Tiramisu was covered by a layer of rich chocolate, very different from others I've eaten. But that doesn't not necessarily mean that its better. I could barely taste the cake in it and overall it was very dense with quite a strong rum taste in certain areas. My guess is that the mixing wasn't done thoroughly enough.
Hibiscus Cheese Phyllo - Undoubtedly the star of the desserts (at least for me), the Hibiscus Cheese Phyllo (or filo if you so wish) came looking very much like an egg omelette. The filling looked like yam ice cream instead of cheese, which was really quite interesting. Texture and taste wise, it reminded me of a partially melted cheese flavoured ice cream with a slight fruity connotation. A delectable dish but one not one I would recommend to consume too much of as the cheese taste can be a little overwhelming after a while.
Total bill for 8 pax with drinks cost about $337, which is definitely not expensive given the quality and amount of food. Dinner is unhurried and pleasant with great service from Clement himself as well as the other wait staff. There is this little herb garden in which Clement grows his own flora for use in his dishes. Do ask to see it if you happen to dine at Eden's. How about an encore folks? Seedless grape chicken? ;)
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Since I dun own a car, public transport to me is very important. Ever since they keep increasing their fare every year, my expectation for them is also getting higher and higher.
Since around my work place, I have to take SBS bus to work every weekeday. I ahve to say that I am quite happy with the bus conditions. However they can work on the bus frequencies, like the bus supposed to come in every 5 mins during peak hours but then one bus decided to come earlier, and the bus will be pretty empty. Then the next bus that came on time, will be damned packed as the waiting time for the bus is longer.
I do find sometimes the bus a bit dirty as well but then if everyone of us take good care of it, I think the bus will be cleaner and no need to wait for the cleaners to clean the buses.
I am quite happy with the IRIS service as now I will always use it to find out how long does it take the next bus to arrive to the bus stop. I does cut down my waiting time as well. However the sms service only limited to Singtel users oly so I cannot use it.
Only 1 request, stop asking to increase fare every year and buck up on the frequency and condition of the buses.
Rating given:
I have been a Hubber for sometime now and I am happy to say that I made the right choice to sign up with them.
MaxOnline for me is really good and cheap. They had been giving us more bandwidth from time to time as well. I seldom had any problem with connection.
I hooked it up to a wireless router so that I can use my laptop anywhere in my flat and it proved to be good. I mainly use it for work and school wise and dun really play online games with it. So to me the speed is really more then enough.
Being a Hubber I got 10% discount some more. So I really find it a good deal!
Rating given:
Mention Italian restaurants and Senso, Garibaldi, IL Lido etc come to mind almost immediately. These are a few the big players in the Italian dining scene and most people would have probably heard of some, if not all of them. However, these restaurants only form one half of the spectrum - the fine dining portion. The other half, which is the casual dining portion, is made up of restaurants relatively unknown to most people (I happen to fall into this category). Here's where Romano Ristorante comes into the picture. Branded as a casual Italian restaurant (the first I've seen), Romano is wedged between a row of shops in the sleepy estate of Thomson Hills.
The casual branding is obvious the moment you step into the restaurant. The place looks more like a pizza house with its wide walkways, rough granite floors and homely atmosphere. To complete the picture, the solitary waitress is dressed up in a polo t shirt and a pair of jeans. Pets are allowed as well!
The Bruschetta was a little different from the usual ones that I've come across. Interestingly, the base was garlic bread and the diced tomatoes were loaded on top after the garlic bread had been toasted. Surprisingly, the bread was really well made, soft and fluffy on the inside yet retaining a little crisp on the outside. Very unlike normal garlic bread which tends to be hard along the edges. In case you are wondering if the combination of garlic and tomatoes go well, let me assure you that it does. The garlic taste was rather faint and not the least bit overwhelming, complementing the sweetness of the tomatoes. Only gripe I have about the Bruschetta was that the tomatoes didn't really look very fresh and wasn't as juicy as I had expected.
The calamari was coated with too much batter, rendering it a little too greasy from all the deep frying. The squid was chewy but the batter made me sick after a few mouthfuls. Luckily, the watered down tomato puree was nice and tangy without coming across as too strong, providing the sole consolation for this dish.
I was a little disappointed by the Chicken Milanese to say the very least. Coming as a recommendation on the menu sort of raised my expectations a little higher. With all its seemingly wonderful preparation methods and ingredients, it tasted nothing more than a slab of chicken breast meat wrapped up in egg. Aesthetics wise, it portrayed a very messy image when I first set my eyes on it, with its myriad of not too well pleasing colours. Very palatable, but not something I'll order again.
An above average dish, but could have been better. The Fettuince was a wee bit too cooked (about four fifths instead of the three quarters rule of thumb) but the cream sauce was thick and tasty without being too rich. The chicken slices were nicely seasoned and grilled but was a tad too salty.
I don't really fancy Tiramisu and Romano's rendition wasn't about to change my preference though I must comment that it was one of the better ones that I've tried. I personally liked it for its fluffiness and lightness on the palate. The cream to sponge ratio was quite balanced out which made eating it rather enjoyable.
I'm sure the humble Oreo Cheesecake was never a staple Italian dessert but more of an addition to suit local tastebuds. After all, not many people can say no to an Oreo Cheesecake. Romano's offering was a little sticky yet not coming across as too cheesy. Pity about the soft Oreo wafer base though, which resulted in a loss of overall texture and form.
Plenty of decent and comforting grub for 2 pax, all for just $61, which is very worth it in my opinion. Throw in the fact that the environment is laid back, service is warm and there is no dress code and I'm a regular. Having said that, they need to work on some of their dishes though, maybe tweak their recipes a little?
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
I used to watch Popeye the Sailor Man when I was a kid. Who could ever forget the spinach munching strong man and the ridiculous feats he could achieve? Well, fast forward to the present where the Popeye fad is long gone and all that's left is a restaurant with the same name selling fast food and showing Popeye cartoons on a small television set. In case you have the impression that this fast food outlet is hidden in an obscure corner rotting away, let me assure you that it's not. Queues can grow to as long as 10 people and waiting times can be about 20-25mins (largely in part due to the slow staff).
Located on the third level of Changi Airport Terminal 1, Popeyes looks every bit your typical fast food restaurant. Loud colours with pictures of food plastered on the billboards behind. Nothing too fanciful. The seating area is shared amongst the other F&B tenants in the same section.
I had the 2 piece chicken, which was really well done. The skin was dry, crispy and tasty on the outside while a little oily on the inside. The meat was tender but could have been slightly juicer though. This definitely beats KFC's offering hands down anytime. The accompanying biscuit was nicely done, fragrant and crumbly with a slight hint of oven baked goodness.
The sides of mashed potato, fries and coleslaw weren't fantastic. Pretty normal if you ask me, just that the fries came with skin, which is the way fries should be (think New York Fries).
Lets face it, 15 bucks is expensive for a 4 piece chicken set with 2 drinks and 3 sides. KFC would probably cost 12 bucks for the same set. Do note that Popeye charges you 50 cents for every 2 pieces of chicken parts that you specifically request for. So then is it worth it? In my opinion, definitely.
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Been to Night Safari last month as a surprise for someone special and at the same time Starhub is having a promotion as well. It has been a long time since I had been there as well.
So took 138 from AMK interchange to reach there, fast and easy. Direct to the gate of Night Safari.
Once we reach there, we head for the ticketing counter and it was a breeze to buy tickets from the efficient and friendly staff.
Even before we step into Night Safrai, there is already a tribal show going on in front of the main entrance gate. They were there literaly playing with fire. Attracted a lot of crowd to stand and see them. They perform 3 times a night and definitely do their best to warm up the crowd before entering Night Safrai.
There is a few options to go when we are in Night Safrai. Me being a planner, decided that we took the tram ride 1st. The tram ride is basically an hour ride around the park, some of the places in Night Safrai is only accessible by the tram only. The presenters on the tram are really good as they correctly managed to remember almost everything in the park and even the names of the animals as well. The ride was fun except for some people that keep letting go of their flashes despite numerous reminders.
We dropped off at the half way point @ Lepord Trail. Took abt 25 mins to complete and managed to see most of the cats in action (ie moving.) Then took the tram for the 2nd half of the ride. This time round, was brought through a tropical rainforest.
After reaching the starting point, we headed towards to join the queue for the animal show, Creatures of the Night. Be warned that you better be there 30 mins beore the show starts as the queue is pretty long. A lot of kaisu peopl there already started queueing an hour before the show starts.
The show was good as all the presenters are very professional and all their animals are well trained as well. OUr show dragged a bit of time as an owl did not cooperate and decided to not to fly down so it took a bit of time to coax him to fly down. It is a must watch show in Night Safari.
After which, we contiune to walk on the remaining two trails, the Forest Giant trail and walk through a suspension bridge and the Fishing cat trail. Each also can be completed within 25 mins as well.
We ended the whole trip ard midnight and still managed to take 138 back to AMK interchange.
It is definitely one of the best attraction in Singapore. Worth to go and check it out.
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Been there to watch Mr Woodcock over the weekend. Although the cinema is very near my house but then I seldom go there to watch movie unless I am with my sis or I am too lazy to go to town to watch movie.
One thing good about watching movie there, the tickets are cheaper by 50 cents compared to other cinemas.
There is also 8 cinema halls there so it offers a great variety of movies as well.
It used to have a very reception area, however after renovation, the ticketing office becomes very small and got to walk a long walkway before you can reach the ticketing office as the rest of the space is taken up by a food court.
The ticketing office is the saem as other cathay where you can get your tivkets and tibits at the same time. So might have to wait a little longer in the queue.
The seating in the cinema hall is quite spaced out but on the rather flat slope. However this does not mean that the person in front of you would be able to block you as the screen in placed higher than usual, compared to other cinemas. So when watching the movie, you might find yourself tilting your head slightly higher.
The air con is rather cold same as other cathay cinemas, so prepare yourself with a jacket if you are scare of cold.
Overall it is considered, to me, one of the better cinemas in the north region.
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What can you eat for dinner at Raffles place with only $10 in your wallet? The choices seem limited, not only because of the limited eateries that are open in the evenings, but also because the eateries that stay open don't come cheap. In comes Pret A Manger, which is actually a French word for ready to eat. Newly opened and located at the ground floor of Ogilvy Centre along Robinson Road, this new kid in the sandwich scene serves up pre packed sandwiches that are freshly made every morning and thrown into the chiller to help preserve the freshness. Leftovers are donated to charity. This place works essentially like a fast food restaurant. You pick the sandwiches you want and proceed to the counter to make payment. There's quite a cozy dining area, so you can choose to eat in or take away.
There was hardly anyone around when I got there at about 1815hrs, so I made myself comfortable and grabbed two sandwiches - the Christmas Lunch and the Crayfish and Roquette. I had initially wanted to try out their specialty, the Coronation Chicken, but decided against it as I didn't want both sandwiches to have chicken in them. Actually I didn't really have much choice either as quite a few sandwiches were sold out.
First impressions of the sandwiches. Both looked rather small for the price - $3.80 for the Christmas Lunch and $3.90 for the Crayfish and Roquette. Having said that, I was impressed by the generous fillings. This is so unlike the normal sandwiches you buy from your neighbourhood bakeries. I particularly liked the Christmas Lunch, which had Turkey, Stuffing, Spinach, Crispy Onion, Cranberry Sauce and thick Mayonnaise. The Crispy Onion added a nice wholesome flavour to the sandwich, but overall I found it a little too sweet, probably because of the Mayo. The Crayfish and Roquette, as the name suggests, had Crayfish, Roquette, Lemon Juice, Mayonnaise and Yoghurt. In all honesty, the taste of the Roquette overpowered just about everything else. I was hoping for a nice and juicy crayfish, but what I got was a chilled tasteless one. But it was nice to chew on it though. Both sandwiches used wholemeal bread (I think) instead of the usual white bread, which is a plus I guess.
Overall I had a good experience there, primarily because of the very friendly and sociable staff there. The sandwiches were above average, but falls flat in the value for money segment as you would need at least 2 sandwiches to feel decently satisfied (I think I need 4). Throw in a drink and probably a soup and you would have breached the $10 mark. They do sell bigger sandwiches at $7.50 each, but its just a 10"-12"(very rough estimate, so please correct me if I am wrong) baguette with fillings, no drink, nothing. Compare that to Subway, which only charges about $7 for a sandwich with a drink and cookie. Now if Subway would just work on their variety....
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Had our monthly group dinner at Bonta last evening. Opened in April this year and helmed by chef Luca Pezzera, who was formerly the executive chef at Hotel Intercontinental, Jakarta, Bonta has been garnering rather rave reviews with regard to its food and service, hence making it our choice of restaurant for the month.
Located along the outskirts of UE Square just opposite Double O, Bonta boasts a modern chic outlook coupled with warm colours, ambient lighting and soothing pipe music to give it that cosy and relaxed feel. There's also a semi private room for a few couples on the second floor complete with a showcase wine cellar for a more romantic rendezvous. However, do note that the room is all glass, so people can see you from the ground level. And in case you are wondering, Bonta is relatively small, with a sitting capacity probably maxing out at about 30 people or so.
The complimentary bread deserves a writeup devoted entirely to itself. Why so? Because its simply the best complimentary bread I've ever eaten so far (not that I've eaten alot though). The bread came served piping hot in a longish cup and when sliced open, emitted a fragrant and alluring aroma. Crispy on the outside yet soft and fluffy on the inside, the the pockets of cheese and walnuts within served to enhance its taste and bite. Really a most delightful bread. I understand that takeaway for the bread is available at $8/loaf for those who are interested (and can afford it). For cheapskates and financially struggling people like me, there's always the complimentary option.
I didn't get a chance to try out the trout rolls but I did have a go at the goose liver or Foie Gras as some people might know it. The liver was pan fried till a little crisp on the exterior yet retaining its softness within. Taste wise was pretty good, with the raw taste of liver subtle and a slight hint of smokiness. However, I did find the aftertaste a little too strong for my liking. Also, the liver wasn't as quivery as I would have expected it to be, falling short of the standards set by Ember and Il-Lido.
At $22, this dish was really expensive given that only 4 pieces of scallops were served. However, money aside, it was just a just a little short of excellent. The scallops were quite a size and came served with their shell. Pop one into your mouth and enjoy the sweetness of the scallops with the accompanying Hollandaise sauce. To best enjoy this dish (in my personal opinion), you have to consume the whole thing - lock, stock and barrel (minus the shell of course) at one go.
Ravioli with Goose Liver - Had a piece of the ravioli to try and didn't find it fantastic. I could barely make out the taste of the liver as it was almost entirely masked by the creamy sauce base.
Black Angus Beef Sirloin Tagliata - It came as requested, medium rare and nicely grilled for that subtle sweetness and char grilled flavour. However it did come across as a little weak on the natural beef taste, which was a pity really. On a side note, the accompanying Porcini mushrooms had this weird taste which I couldn't stomach.
Disappointment. The icy cold word that pierces through your heart. That was the exact emotion all of us were feeling after the dinner. It was so bad that none of us had the heart to order any desserts, preferring to head down elsewhere. Service was good and attentive except for one major blip. They got one of our orders wrong twice. In the end, my friend had to settle for something he didn't order, which really marred the entire experience for him.
The 7 of us forked out $451 for a totally unsatisfying dinner, be it quantity or quality wise. Will I be back? I'll toss a coin and let you know, but chances are, no.
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Went to Cathay AMK to watch Balls of Fury last weekend.
Well have to say that the standard of the cinema is as good as the rest of the cathay cinemas.
I like the large reception area where to buy tickets and popcorns. One thing bad though, there are no seats to sit on while waiting for the show to start unlike other Cathays.
There are 8 cinema halls there so quite a number of shows showing there. Good.
Service wise, GREAT! The people there are very friendly. From the one selling the tickets to the usher. Even when I was walking into the cinema hall, the guy manning the tibits section manged to say "Welcome! Enjoy your show" to everyone walking past him.
The cinema seating is good and comfortable. The solpe is quite high so the guy in front of you can hardly block your view. They do not maximise the seast to the fron so even if you get 1st row seast, you will not get a neckache after the show.
The sound system is up to par as it is new and uses the best sound system.
So overall it is a good place to watch show in the north now other than Junction 8 and Causeway Point.
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