This is something that I think everyone should try. I was there recently (well not so recent) and we went to Thailand first. After which we took a train to cross the border to Siem Reap. Here's how it goes.
1) In Bangkok, take a cab or tutuk to Hualamphong Train Station. should take more than 150 baht by cab.
2)You have to take the 5.55am train to Aranyaprathet, the train station at the Eastern border of Thailand. Please be early and reach about 5.30am. This is so that you can get a seat which faces the front of the train. There are actually two train times for this train travelling to the border but you have to take this one if want to make it to the border before the office closes. (yes it closes) It's a 6 hour train ride, so buy some food stuffs to eat on board. You wouldn't want to buy from the hawkers peddling up and down the train. Trust me.
3) On the train you will pass by many many towns... and it will get crowded along the way especially if it's close to a public holiday and people travel back to their villages. You'll even get to see train stations which are just ONE POLE in the middle of nowhere. The train master will come on much later in the trip. Pretty near Aranyaprathet...
4) Here's the tough part. When you get out you need to take a tutuk to the real border. Rem, this is just the train station near the border. You need to get to immigration at the border. It'll only take 30 baht. Don't settle for anything more. They will hustle for up to 100baht just for that 5-10 min ride. Also, here you will find people wear official uniforms tell you that you need a visa. Singaporeans DON'T NEED. So don't get scared and pay them the money. This would be the first of scams along the way, which makes it exciting isn't it?
5) The tutuk will bring you to the border where you might meet more persistant "officials". Remember to be polite with rejected these scammers. Even if you do not have a Singaporean Passport and require a visa, it's only 25 baht at the Cambodian Border and can be done immediately. These "officials" claim that it takes 3 days and they want 30-50baht.
6) Here you will get your passport stamped to prove that you are leaving Thailand. then you walk. And walk. and walk. you will pass hawkers, magazines stands, hotels and even casinos before you reach the Cambodian immigration to enter Cambodia for real. It's warped. But really fun. It'll be good to make a couple of friends here now. But of cos if you have money to spend then it's not a problem.
7) once out of the Cambodian immigration, some people will tell you that you need to take a FREE shuttle to the bus station, where you will find buses and cabs to Siem Reap. This is where we got scammed. The right way : Just out of the immigration, you just need to walk a little further on, don't board the shuttle. You'll find cabs waiting a little further up. One entire cab costs 60USD to Siem Reap, each cab can take 4 passengers. If you're all Asian you can probably tell them 5. But if there's a european or American amongst you, they'll tell you 4 only. It's the way things go there. This is a 3-4 hour ride all the way to Siem Reap. The wrong way: we boarded the shuttle, went to the bus station and were surrounded by all their people. They insisted on 90USD per cab at first. After some bargaining 80USD... and they started to surround us. We and two friends we made at the immigration agreed then. So if you don't mind that 20USD then... it doesn't matter.
(** they deal in USD there. their own currency is used as "coins")
8) The ride into Siem Reap The 3 hour ride is super bumpy, thanks to the roads which weren't maintained... you could actually fly off the road. haha And it was fun riding on a road with no lane markings and no traffic lights at junctions. Very exciting when you see a huge lorry charging right at you and your cabbie drives out onto the grass.
9) You'll reach Siem Reap at about 6pm. We stayed at a Guesthouse called Rosy Guest House and Western Bar. It's run by Aussies. Very clean, very friendly. I've heard of people having their stuff stolen at other places. Or overcharged even after they'd agreed on the price. So be careful where you go.
One of the places we ate was at Siem Reap Cafe. Prices are ok, the food was nice and the service was fantastic. The day we left, we had to wake up in the wee hours of the morning and wanted to buy sandwiches the night before as breakfast the next morning. The owner wouldn't allow it. He prepared our breakfast at 5 am in the morning in time for our flight and made sure we had it fresh. He usually opens at 10am....
One little thing before you head up to Ang Kor Watt, get a guidebook and read a little before you go. :) you'll enjoy it much more.
Endoh would be referring to me. yes. We visited Earle's together with Feizhu and Claudia on that fateful Sunday.
Ambience - pretty nice. A bright place overlooking the sea. Of course you'll see many of PSA's cranes at the side but it doesn't really spoil the view. They have jazz playing in the background. It's more of a family place. Looks better than the normal deary-looking Swensen's though.
Food - Cajun Salmon Fillet and Chocolate Fondue (For the other items, please read the other reviews)
The Cajun Salmon Fillet was a had a slice of FRIED salmon in a sweet chilli sauce. The salmon was dry and the frying made the salmon lose its taste. So the inside was virtually tasteless. The sweet sauce wasn't fantastic either. It was strangely sweet with no chilli taste. The mashed potato it came with was too watery and mashy.
The Chocolate Fondue which we ordered (no thanks to me) was pretty normal really. We didn't get to choose the flavours of the ice cream though, which was a downer. It came with the standard five flavours - chocolate, strawberry, Choc mint, Mocha and cookies and cream. There was enough for 3 people to share.
The service was a little too slow for my liking. There weren't many people. The servers would walk a huge round to get to our table instead of walking here directly. I have no idea why but I caught them doing it twice.
Was at Millenia Walk with two girlfriends and I wanted to try out Abof, but the price was alittle high for a casual dinner. So we went to Bab Noodle. Although the name suggested that they serves noodle, but I saw my rice on the menu. To change the rice to noodles is an additional $2. Shouldn't they call it Bab Rice then?
Anyway, the 3 of us ordered 2 starters to share and a main each with iced lychee tea for all of us. There were 3 lady staff at work. And as it was late already, the place was rather empty. We were given all the attention we needed. So this was great. Except for my missing straw in my drink, and the fallen spoon from my table. Other than that, the service was great.
Now the food... the starters - Pidan with cold tofu and Seafood tofu were great! Love the taste. As for the main, I was contemplating between the Sukiyaki Beef Set and the Stew Beef with Karrage Chicken Set. I asked the lady who took our order which she recommends, and Sukiyaki was her choice. So I gave that a try. The serving was rather big for me. I was too full only half way through the set. But then the main problem came when I reached home couple of hours later... yap... had a "blasting" time in the loo... perhaps its the beef. As there were some that I thought looked weird. Or again, might be due to the combo of food I had for dinner. Lucky for me, I feel better now after the blasting.
Total spent by the 3 of us was $58.40.
For the service and attention, I give 2 stars and for the value-for-money set meals I'm giving another. Not going to rate the food as my experience was probably uncalled for.
Page One at Vivo is a moderate-sized bookstore with split levels. The higher section is for the Chinese books and the lower one for English.
Variety - They sure cramped a whole lot of books in this place. All the shelves are well filled from top to bottom. Some of the shelves are unusually high and they have little ladders at strategic places. I, being quite short, didn't notice the ladders at first and was jumping for some of the books on the higher shelf. I enjoy many sections in a bookstore and certainly appreciated how they had such a large Chinese section. Their books range from the recently published to those that look really before my time.
Service - Although the staff looked really busy and it's hard to find one standing around, they have people manning information counters well-placed around the store. Just approach the counters and someone would lead you to the right place. That's good service. I also noticed one of them tending to a lady patiently, offering additional information and his opinion on some of the books, which is beyond what I would expect.
Layout - Horrid really. The shelves are not neatly placed and have a certain "design" to them. The signs to the various sections are painted on the pillars and are not pointing in any obvious direction. Some steps are not easily seen and could cause a fall or two. Thank goodness for the staff or I wouldn't have found what I needed.
All in all? I like bookstores and this is one I like but I wish I needn't spend time trying to find my way about the place.
Had dinner with my parents at Borshch Steakhouse, a Russian restaurant run by a Hainanese (How weird) and just a mere 10 minute walk from our house. Not much is known about Borshch (I tried googling!) except for the fact that its been around since god knows when. I probably wasn't even in existence then!
Going to Borshch for a meal is akin to stepping into an air conditioned grilling area as you walk out of it reeking strongly of cooking fumes. It certainly doesn't help that the place is rather small and crampish which only serves to contain the fumes.
Whats a meal without soup? The cream of mushroom soup was thick and starchy and tasted exactly like the can of Campbell soup I have sitting in my kitchen cabinet. In the same vein, the garlic bread was unremarkable and was merely slices of unevenly toasted but crispy baguettes spread with a thin layer of butter atop.
Shrimp Cocktail - I honestly don't know what to make of this appetiser as the shrimps were really tiny! Not that they tasted fresh either, masked by the overwhelming and over generous salad dressing.
Grilled Pork Chop - For a Hainanese run eatery, I would have expected a reasonably good dish of pork chop and Borshch didn't disappoint. The grilled pork chop was evenly grilled with a nice slightly chewy texture to boot. I did find the slab of meat to be a little too fatty though
Sirloin Steak - I was rather skeptical about ordering a steak in such a place, especially when Astons was just next door. However, skepticism soon turned to mild appreciation as I subjected the steak to the taste test. First of all, the steak was done as per my request, medium rare. Second, the meat was fibrous and a tad tasty even without the accompanying gravy. Portions were also quite respectable for the price. I also personally like this dish for the fact that a small mold of butter was allowed to sizzle in the hotplate to give the meat an added boost in terms of taste and smell.
Fancy Pancake and Peach Melba - The desserts were lousy. I couldn't see or taste what was so fancy about the pancake save for a tiny slice of banana wrapped up in the middle. The ice cream in the Peach Melba had ice chips in it and tasted familiarly like Wall's tub ice cream. Four words. I can do better.
A decently satisfying dinner for 3 cost almost $60, which isn't too expensive to pay considering that the mains were decent and so was the Baked Alaska. Service is practically nonexistent though so please do not expect any. Now, they really should do something about the ventilation.
Xi Yan first opened in Singapore in 2005, bringing along a whole new concept of dining to Singapore with the introduction of private dining whereby tables are extremely limited (think 3-5 tables), reservations are definitely necessary and the chef decides what you eat for that day. It does sound draconian, but the upside is that the menu changes daily, save for a few specialties and dining is exclusive!
Nestled amongst the old shop houses along Craig Road, Xi Yan, as mentioned earlier, is by reservations only and you need a minimum of 6 pax to dine there (exceptions can be made if you do not meet the required number of people, but you need to order the pricier menu. Rule of thumb is - You need to spend about $500-$600/table). The entrance to Xi Yan is discreet, without even a hint of its presence (That explains the difficulty we had in trying to locate it). Here's a clue though. It shares the premises with Sui Japanese Restaurant.
The interior is cosy and modernly furnished with hues of red and brown. Abstract paintings don the sides and ambient lighting is practised. Simplicity at its finesse .
Greenhouse Tomatoes in Sesame Sauce - As the name suggests, the tomatoes are grown in a greenhouse aka organic tomatoes and are much bigger than your average tomato. Not to mention that they cost ridiculously more as well. According to the waiter, these organic tomatoes are juicier and taste better. I am inclined to agree. The tomatoes were juicy and full of bite. With the wasabi infused sesame sauce, the tomato was refreshing and truly an appetizer.
Cold Tofu Pork Floss - Interesting dish with the tofu topped with pork floss, salted egg yolk, dried shrimps and deep fried shallot.A nice combination with the saltiness of the dried shrimp complementing the sweetness of the pork floss with the shallot to give it fragrance. However, the tofu which was supposedly imported from Japan, lacked the silky smoothness which good tofu should have.
Shrimp and Crab Paste on Baguette Toast - A fanciful presentation and preparation method, but tasted nothing out of this world. It is Hong Kong's version of our Heh Bi Hiam. I did find it weird eating bread during a Chinese dinner, but maybe thats just me.
Sichuan Pickles in Spicy Sauce - This dish came with pickles (or jerkins if thats what you know them by) and radish soaked in a spicy concoction of Sichuan peppercorn and a wee bit of sugar. I took a bite of the radish and sweared off it as it was way too sour for my liking. If you like sour and spicy stuff, then this might suit your tastebuds.
Deep Fried Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk - A few grievances about this dish. First of all, the prawns were only averaged sized. For the price we were paying, I had expected huge prawns. Second, the prawns weren't cleaned properly. The innards(or shit if you prefer) could still be seen. The good thing was, the salted egg yolk coating on the prawn shells tasted better with every mouth. It did come across as a little too mild at first though, but the more you suck at the shell, the better the taste.
Stewed Beef Shin with Tangerine Peel - The beef shin was quite good, soft and tender from simmering in the pot for 2 hrs. I could detect a tinge of sweetness as well, probably from the tangerine peel. However, the raw beef taste can be quite overwhelming at times and thats coming from someone who likes steak medium rare.
Sichuan Salivating Chicken - Please do not be mislead by the odd sounding name of this dish. The chicken does not salivate. The sauce is supposed to be so good that it makes the consumer salivate. Quite an audacious claim I must say. Ingredients in this dish are quite interesting actually, with chicken slices, yam noodles, roasted peanuts, chilli, coriander and century egg. I personally found everything normal except for the yam noodles which were surprisingly chewy and full of bite. I've never tried anything like it. Just for the record, this dish did make me salivate, but not from the goodness of the sauce, but from the chilli in it. An underhand method? You decide.
Fried Lemongrass Shrimp Paste Grouper - According to our waiter, many other restaurants would actually steam a good fish in order to exhibit its freshness. But not Xi Yan. What they have done is to deep fry the fish first till its 70% cooked and then coat it with the lemongrass shrimp paste and then deep fry again. The result? A crispy exterior with a soft and moist interior. I laud the skill in the preparation of this dish, but denigrate the quality of the fish. The flesh came across as rather bland, not sweet as I would have expected it to be.
Furong Chicken Soup - This soup was supposedly boiled for 4 hrs before serving. Though relatively long, it still doesn't qualify as double boiled soup and it certainly can't match the other superior soups that I've tried. But still very decent without a doubt.
Young and Old Happy News - Interesting name, uninteresting dish. The young referred to the Dou Miao while the old referred to the preserved vegetables. Lightly fried and beautifully presented, but nothing outstanding.
Tofu Ice Cream on Pandan Glutinous Rice - This was probably the best dish of the day. The ice cream was quite well done but in no way reminded me of tofu. The base of pandan glutinous rice was not too sticky and just right on the texture, tasting pleasantly of pandan. Does this remind you of the Thai style mango atop glutinous rice?
The 6 of us chalked up a hefty bill of $630, which we felt was grossly expensive given the quality of food and ingredients used. Sure its an exclusive novelty, but novelties can only last so long. Service was excellent though and the cooking process of every dish was explained to us by our waiter in great detail. However, that alone is not enough to entice us to return. Not unless the price drops to about $50-$60 per pax down from the $88 .
Hidden in an obscure corner on the third floor of the hotel, Wan Hao doesn't look like much from the outside. However, step in and be wowed by the luxurious and solemn interior which exudes pure unadulterated sophistication and charm. If dining in a party of 4 or less, do try for one of the 4 cosy corner tables that come complete with curtains.
The Wok Fried Fresh Scallop Cubes with Tropical Mango in Fresh Milk and Egg Topped with Crab Roe served on a bed of Vermicelli tasted uncannily like the excellent Shredded Scallop with Fish & Egg White from Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant, except that it was smoother and richer in taste due to the fresh milk. However, the scallop cubes were rather bland and didn't add any life to the dish. Not that this dish wasn't good though. In fact I like it enough to want to order it again when I return.
The Poached Live Prawns came deshelled, with the exception of the head. The prawns were bigger than your usual ones and were extremely fresh, crunchy and juicy. Add that to the fact that they were perfectly cooked and drenched in a garlic concoction which served to complement the natural sweetness of the prawns. Definitely a winner! But at $90/kg, you might want to think long and hard before placing your order.
The Homemade Seaweed Beancurd Topped with Shredded Abalone, Dried Seafood and Vegetables didn't quite meet expectations. The tofu, though soft, was flat in taste and lacked the natural wholesome goodness of the one I had at Li Bai. The vegetables were cooked in a way that I personally dislike - soft with thick gravy.
The Crispy Boneless Chicken Stir Fried with Fresh Strawberry in Honey and Lemon Sauce was a bummer. I thought this dish would be interesting with the use of fruits to enhance the taste of the chicken, but oh boy, was I wrong. The chicken tasted exactly like Sweet and Sour Pork, albeit of a softer texture. The sweetness from the honey didn't exactly go well with the chicken. It tasted a little too strong and the strawberries didn't really make much of an impact on the dish. But having said that, its still an above average dish.
With a name like Chilled Coconut with Sea Coconut, I had expected fresh chilled Coconut meat served with Sea Coconut, but that was not to be. It is actually a layer of Coconut jelly and a few slices of Sea Coconut served in a small Coconut husk on a bed of ice. This is one dish that would score high marks for presentation. I guess you can tell why just from looking at the picture. And it was rather pleasing to boot. The coconut jelly had a strong coconut taste and coupled with the thick and sweet syrup, it was a pleasure to consume. The Sea Coconut tasted rather normal though.
I remember visiting the now defunct Haw Par Villa when I was still a kid in primary school. At that time, Haw Par Villa had opened with much fanfare and I remember paying an exorbitant amount (in the $20 range I believe) just to gain entry. Those days are long gone and all that is left of the sprawling theme park are the forgotten statues and a recently opened Chinese restaurant called Made In China which is managed by the Singapore Explorer group, the very group that manages Pier Eleven. Now who in the right mind would open a restaurant in the middle of a deserted theme park that is not really accessible without a vehicle? Parking is a breeze because you can literally park anywhere you want along the slope that leads up to the restaurant. It all depends on how much you are willing to walk. As I stepped into the restaurant compound, everything seemed so surreal. The building and its surroundings seemed to have come out straight from some ancient martial arts flick that I used to watch. The interior of the restaurant brought me back to reality though. Sparsely furnished, this is one place that believes in spacing out its tables for the comfort of its guests and I appreciate it.
The Peking duck was both good and bad. The skin was crackling crispy and had minimal fats under it. This is probably the crispiest Peking duck skin that I've ever eaten. Such a delightful skin was only let down by the rather lacklustre skin which was thin but tasteless. The meat on the other hand, was a total letdown. A tad dry and not as tender as I had expected. There was also a discernible, albeit faint, fowl taste.
For the price ($25) , the shark's fin and fish maw soup was good. First looks, it actually reminded me of curry because of the yellowish soup base. The soup was rather intense in flavour and came across as thick and starchy while the fins and fish maw were aplenty and pretty decent. According to the waitress, the soup base is boiled for 42 hours using old chicken, old duck (literal translation) and some other stuff that are supposed to be beneficial to the body.
The Fried Golden Butter Prawns came looking rather messy and not the least bit like prawns, more like chunks of fried stuff. The batter was lightly salted and crispy with a lingering buttery aftertaste while the prawns were fresh but none too succulent. I did find this dish a little disappointing because the butter batter came across as bland, unlike the egg yolk variations I've eaten before which were decidedly more savoury. But then again, its quite decent.
Pan Grilled Miso Marinated Beef Tenderloin - Honestly, I didn't think too much of this dish. It looked like it had been drenched in oil and the black pepper taste was overwhelming, so much so that I couldn't really make out if it was beef or pork. The doneness of the beef didn't help either.
Desserts weren't fantastic but decent nevertheless. The crust of the Red Bean Paste Pancake was a little too thick for my liking and the red bean filling seemed a little runny and low on the sugar content. The Yam Paste in Coconut fared better. It's actually Orh Nee served in a coconut. The yam was very smooth, not too coagulated and mildy sweet. Only bone I had was that too much coconut milk was added and it didn't gel very well with the yam paste. The Black Glutinous Rice with Ice Cream derived its sweetness from the scoop of vanilla ice cream in its midst but was average tasting.
I'll be lying if I said that I could walk up straight after such a hearty meal because I simply couldn't, try as hard as I might. And it didn't exactly cost me a bomb either. Standing just shy of $120 for 2 pax, it's certainly not cheap but definitely a notch or two down the price scale relative to restaurants that serve up a similar quality of food.
Flutes at the Fort - a modern Australian restaurant housed within an old refurbished colonial bungalow and set against the historical backdrop of Fort Canning Park. Amidst the lush greenery and idyllic setting, one would hardly expect to find anything but birds and trees here, much less a restaurant, a swanky one at that.
Getting there can be quite a hassle as the route to the restaurant is quite complicated unless you drive and park at the complimentary valet carpark. But even then, you will have to make your way up a flight of stairs just to get there. But its all worth it. The old bungalow is beautifully restored with modern finishes yet retaining its rustic charm. Ambient lighting is practised and the windows overlook Fort Canning's lovely foliage. There is an option of sitting indoors in the cosy air conditioned area or outdoors at the veranda, with the latter being ideal for cool evenings.
The complimentary sourdough bread was quite good - served warm with the crust lightly crackling and the interior soft and fluffy. Definitely a welcome dish to temporarily stem our hunger pangs. Just don't get carried away and stuff yourself with it or else you are not going to be able to enjoy your other food (aka the ones that cost money).
Carpaccio of Hokkaido Scallops - The only thing that I found interesting about this dish was the breadstick which was served alongside. It was extremely brittle and came coated with a layer of seaweed, giving it a nice salty taste. The thinly sliced scallops, which were supposed to be the main draw, were a little too soft and tasteless for me. Not that my other friends disagreed also.
My main course, the Braised Kurobuta Pork Belly. Just to reiterate that Kurobuta Pork is akin to Kobe beef in the pork hierarchy, therefore making it highly prized and expensive. The Kurobuta pork belly was nothing short of excellent, with the fats literally melt in your mouth tender and the meat fibrous yet retaining a certain firmness. Did I mention anything about the skin being crackling crispy as well? The accompanying Sauteed Portobello mushrooms were juicy and soaked up the wonderful Star Aniseed Jus, making for a wonderful and flavourful side. Please be warned that this dish is definitely not for the health conscious.
The warm Pur - Caraibe Chocolate Fondant was slightly different from the usual renditions offered by other places. There was no molten chocolate in the centre to ooze out when I broke open the shell. Instead, molten chocolate was generously poured over the entire cake and allowed to cool, resulting in a gleaming black chocolate coated cake. Taste wise, I couldn't have asked for more. The cake was moist and spongy and I could detect teeny weeny pockets of chocolate within the cake that would burst forth as I bit into it.
The Fresh Peach and Vanilla Creme Brulee kinda lowered the standards a little. Granted that the pudding was smooth and not too sweet, but the layer of charred sugar atop was way too thick. Thick enough to get stuck in your teeth and irritate the hell out of you with every bite. The accompanying Chempedak and Mint ice cream was good though, mildly sweet with a tinge of the familiar chempedak flavour. Best of all, the ice cream is placed atop a base of slightly burnt Gula Melaka and coconut shavings which only serve to enhance the taste.
Excellent food, excellent ambience, excellent company. I'm a happy man (Not so happy after I got the bill amounting to almost $520 for 7 pax). I personally feel that the price isn't too steep for the quality of food you get here and especially the fantastic ambience. Service is great to boot. On a side note, thanks to all who turned up for the dinner!
Raffles Creamery is yet another ice cream outlet that offers the create your own ice cream plus toppings option. The other two places that I know of are Ice Cream Chefs and Cold Rock Ice Creamery at East Coast Road and Holland Village respectively.
Located at the courtyard of Raffles Hotel just behind Seah Street Deli, Raffles Creamery is the latest "culinary" offering from the grand old dame. A brightly lighted counter adorned with glass jars filled with various condiments greet you in the middle of the courtyard in accompaniment to 2 smiling waitresses who seem to get really flustered with the sudden influx of customers.
I had the Rocky Road ice cream with toppings of Banana Jelly and Oreos. To my surprise, they didn't offer to mix it up for me nor did they ask me if I wanted it mixed up. It was simply take a scoop of ice cream, put some banana jelly and oreos by the side and there you go. Honestly, I was shocked. So much for offering a mix in option. That aside, the ice cream was really creamy and smooth but thats not exactly a compliment as the taste of milk was quite overbearing. And the so called "imported from Germany" banana jelly tasted like chewy candy with a banana taste. Now how special is that?
I paid almost $6 for a scoop of ice cream with 2 seperate condiments. It isn't expensive but without the novelty factor, I could have gotten better ice cream from Ben & Jerry's for the same price. Last I checked, no revisits are in my schedule.
1=SGD 0.0587
Oo Siem Reap with its famous Ang Kor Wat
This is something that I think everyone should try. I was there recently (well not so recent) and we went to Thailand first. After which we took a train to cross the border to Siem Reap. Here's how it goes.
1) In Bangkok, take a cab or tutuk to Hualamphong Train Station. should take more than 150 baht by cab.
2)You have to take the 5.55am train to Aranyaprathet, the train station at the Eastern border of Thailand. Please be early and reach about 5.30am. This is so that you can get a seat which faces the front of the train. There are actually two train times for this train travelling to the border but you have to take this one if want to make it to the border before the office closes. (yes it closes) It's a 6 hour train ride, so buy some food stuffs to eat on board. You wouldn't want to buy from the hawkers peddling up and down the train. Trust me.
3) On the train you will pass by many many towns... and it will get crowded along the way especially if it's close to a public holiday and people travel back to their villages. You'll even get to see train stations which are just ONE POLE in the middle of nowhere. The train master will come on much later in the trip. Pretty near Aranyaprathet...
4) Here's the tough part. When you get out you need to take a tutuk to the real border. Rem, this is just the train station near the border. You need to get to immigration at the border. It'll only take 30 baht. Don't settle for anything more. They will hustle for up to 100baht just for that 5-10 min ride. Also, here you will find people wear official uniforms tell you that you need a visa. Singaporeans DON'T NEED. So don't get scared and pay them the money. This would be the first of scams along the way, which makes it exciting isn't it?
5) The tutuk will bring you to the border where you might meet more persistant "officials". Remember to be polite with rejected these scammers. Even if you do not have a Singaporean Passport and require a visa, it's only 25 baht at the Cambodian Border and can be done immediately. These "officials" claim that it takes 3 days and they want 30-50baht.
6) Here you will get your passport stamped to prove that you are leaving Thailand. then you walk. And walk. and walk. you will pass hawkers, magazines stands, hotels and even casinos before you reach the Cambodian immigration to enter Cambodia for real. It's warped. But really fun. It'll be good to make a couple of friends here now. But of cos if you have money to spend then it's not a problem.
7) once out of the Cambodian immigration, some people will tell you that you need to take a FREE shuttle to the bus station, where you will find buses and cabs to Siem Reap. This is where we got scammed.
The right way : Just out of the immigration, you just need to walk a little further on, don't board the shuttle. You'll find cabs waiting a little further up. One entire cab costs 60USD to Siem Reap, each cab can take 4 passengers. If you're all Asian you can probably tell them 5. But if there's a european or American amongst you, they'll tell you 4 only. It's the way things go there. This is a 3-4 hour ride all the way to Siem Reap.
The wrong way: we boarded the shuttle, went to the bus station and were surrounded by all their people. They insisted on 90USD per cab at first. After some bargaining 80USD... and they started to surround us. We and two friends we made at the immigration agreed then. So if you don't mind that 20USD then... it doesn't matter.
(** they deal in USD there. their own currency is used as "coins")
8) The ride into Siem Reap
The 3 hour ride is super bumpy, thanks to the roads which weren't maintained... you could actually fly off the road. haha And it was fun riding on a road with no lane markings and no traffic lights at junctions. Very exciting when you see a huge lorry charging right at you and your cabbie drives out onto the grass.
9) You'll reach Siem Reap at about 6pm. We stayed at a Guesthouse called Rosy Guest House and Western Bar. It's run by Aussies. Very clean, very friendly. I've heard of people having their stuff stolen at other places. Or overcharged even after they'd agreed on the price. So be careful where you go.
One of the places we ate was at Siem Reap Cafe. Prices are ok, the food was nice and the service was fantastic. The day we left, we had to wake up in the wee hours of the morning and wanted to buy sandwiches the night before as breakfast the next morning. The owner wouldn't allow it. He prepared our breakfast at 5 am in the morning in time for our flight and made sure we had it fresh. He usually opens at 10am....
One little thing before you head up to Ang Kor Watt, get a guidebook and read a little before you go. :) you'll enjoy it much more.
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Rating given:
Endoh would be referring to me. yes. We visited Earle's together with Feizhu and Claudia on that fateful Sunday.
Ambience - pretty nice. A bright place overlooking the sea. Of course you'll see many of PSA's cranes at the side but it doesn't really spoil the view. They have jazz playing in the background. It's more of a family place. Looks better than the normal deary-looking Swensen's though.
Food - Cajun Salmon Fillet and Chocolate Fondue
(For the other items, please read the other reviews)
The Cajun Salmon Fillet was a had a slice of FRIED salmon in a sweet chilli sauce. The salmon was dry and the frying made the salmon lose its taste. So the inside was virtually tasteless. The sweet sauce wasn't fantastic either. It was strangely sweet with no chilli taste. The mashed potato it came with was too watery and mashy.
The Chocolate Fondue which we ordered (no thanks to me) was pretty normal really. We didn't get to choose the flavours of the ice cream though, which was a downer. It came with the standard five flavours - chocolate, strawberry, Choc mint, Mocha and cookies and cream. There was enough for 3 people to share.
The service was a little too slow for my liking. There weren't many people. The servers would walk a huge round to get to our table instead of walking here directly. I have no idea why but I caught them doing it twice.
Not worth the buck, in my opinion.
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Was at Millenia Walk with two girlfriends and I wanted to try out Abof, but the price was alittle high for a casual dinner. So we went to Bab Noodle. Although the name suggested that they serves noodle, but I saw my rice on the menu. To change the rice to noodles is an additional $2. Shouldn't they call it Bab Rice then?
Anyway, the 3 of us ordered 2 starters to share and a main each with iced lychee tea for all of us. There were 3 lady staff at work. And as it was late already, the place was rather empty. We were given all the attention we needed. So this was great. Except for my missing straw in my drink, and the fallen spoon from my table. Other than that, the service was great.
Now the food... the starters - Pidan with cold tofu and Seafood tofu were great! Love the taste. As for the main, I was contemplating between the Sukiyaki Beef Set and the Stew Beef with Karrage Chicken Set. I asked the lady who took our order which she recommends, and Sukiyaki was her choice. So I gave that a try. The serving was rather big for me. I was too full only half way through the set. But then the main problem came when I reached home couple of hours later... yap... had a "blasting" time in the loo... perhaps its the beef. As there were some that I thought looked weird. Or again, might be due to the combo of food I had for dinner. Lucky for me, I feel better now after the blasting.
Total spent by the 3 of us was $58.40.
For the service and attention, I give 2 stars and for the value-for-money set meals I'm giving another. Not going to rate the food as my experience was probably uncalled for.
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Page One at Vivo is a moderate-sized bookstore with split levels. The higher section is for the Chinese books and the lower one for English.
Variety - They sure cramped a whole lot of books in this place. All the shelves are well filled from top to bottom. Some of the shelves are unusually high and they have little ladders at strategic places. I, being quite short, didn't notice the ladders at first and was jumping for some of the books on the higher shelf. I enjoy many sections in a bookstore and certainly appreciated how they had such a large Chinese section. Their books range from the recently published to those that look really before my time.
Service - Although the staff looked really busy and it's hard to find one standing around, they have people manning information counters well-placed around the store. Just approach the counters and someone would lead you to the right place. That's good service. I also noticed one of them tending to a lady patiently, offering additional information and his opinion on some of the books, which is beyond what I would expect.
Layout - Horrid really. The shelves are not neatly placed and have a certain "design" to them. The signs to the various sections are painted on the pillars and are not pointing in any obvious direction. Some steps are not easily seen and could cause a fall or two. Thank goodness for the staff or I wouldn't have found what I needed.
All in all? I like bookstores and this is one I like but I wish I needn't spend time trying to find my way about the place.
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Had dinner with my parents at Borshch Steakhouse, a Russian restaurant run by a Hainanese (How weird) and just a mere 10 minute walk from our house. Not much is known about Borshch (I tried googling!) except for the fact that its been around since god knows when. I probably wasn't even in existence then!
Going to Borshch for a meal is akin to stepping into an air conditioned grilling area as you walk out of it reeking strongly of cooking fumes. It certainly doesn't help that the place is rather small and crampish which only serves to contain the fumes.
Whats a meal without soup? The cream of mushroom soup was thick and starchy and tasted exactly like the can of Campbell soup I have sitting in my kitchen cabinet. In the same vein, the garlic bread was unremarkable and was merely slices of unevenly toasted but crispy baguettes spread with a thin layer of butter atop.
Shrimp Cocktail - I honestly don't know what to make of this appetiser as the shrimps were really tiny! Not that they tasted fresh either, masked by the overwhelming and over generous salad dressing.
Grilled Pork Chop - For a Hainanese run eatery, I would have expected a reasonably good dish of pork chop and Borshch didn't disappoint. The grilled pork chop was evenly grilled with a nice slightly chewy texture to boot. I did find the slab of meat to be a little too fatty though
Sirloin Steak - I was rather skeptical about ordering a steak in such a place, especially when Astons was just next door. However, skepticism soon turned to mild appreciation as I subjected the steak to the taste test. First of all, the steak was done as per my request, medium rare. Second, the meat was fibrous and a tad tasty even without the accompanying gravy. Portions were also quite respectable for the price. I also personally like this dish for the fact that a small mold of butter was allowed to sizzle in the hotplate to give the meat an added boost in terms of taste and smell.
Fancy Pancake and Peach Melba - The desserts were lousy. I couldn't see or taste what was so fancy about the pancake save for a tiny slice of banana wrapped up in the middle. The ice cream in the Peach Melba had ice chips in it and tasted familiarly like Wall's tub ice cream. Four words. I can do better.
Baked Alaska - No visit to a Russian eatery is complete without an order of the famous Baked Alaska, which is essentially ice cream and sponge cake encased within a thick layer of meringue which is then briefly placed in an extremely hot oven to firm the meringue. Borshch's rendition was a slight variation of the original concept, opting to pour a small quantity of rum onto the meringue and flambéing it till it turned a shade of burnt. I personally found it quite good, with the meringue frothy and blending well with the sponge cake and ice cream. Then again, not many places in Singapore do up this dish so its hard to form any basis for comparison. Please note that this dessert is meant to be shared.
A decently satisfying dinner for 3 cost almost $60, which isn't too expensive to pay considering that the mains were decent and so was the Baked Alaska. Service is practically nonexistent though so please do not expect any. Now, they really should do something about the ventilation.
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Xi Yan first opened in Singapore in 2005, bringing along a whole new concept of dining to Singapore with the introduction of private dining whereby tables are extremely limited (think 3-5 tables), reservations are definitely necessary and the chef decides what you eat for that day. It does sound draconian, but the upside is that the menu changes daily, save for a few specialties and dining is exclusive!
Nestled amongst the old shop houses along Craig Road, Xi Yan, as mentioned earlier, is by reservations only and you need a minimum of 6 pax to dine there (exceptions can be made if you do not meet the required number of people, but you need to order the pricier menu. Rule of thumb is - You need to spend about $500-$600/table). The entrance to Xi Yan is discreet, without even a hint of its presence (That explains the difficulty we had in trying to locate it). Here's a clue though. It shares the premises with Sui Japanese Restaurant.
The interior is cosy and modernly furnished with hues of red and brown. Abstract paintings don the sides and ambient lighting is practised. Simplicity at its finesse .
Greenhouse Tomatoes in Sesame Sauce - As the name suggests, the tomatoes are grown in a greenhouse aka organic tomatoes and are much bigger than your average tomato. Not to mention that they cost ridiculously more as well. According to the waiter, these organic tomatoes are juicier and taste better. I am inclined to agree. The tomatoes were juicy and full of bite. With the wasabi infused sesame sauce, the tomato was refreshing and truly an appetizer.
Cold Tofu Pork Floss - Interesting dish with the tofu topped with pork floss, salted egg yolk, dried shrimps and deep fried shallot.A nice combination with the saltiness of the dried shrimp complementing the sweetness of the pork floss with the shallot to give it fragrance. However, the tofu which was supposedly imported from Japan, lacked the silky smoothness which good tofu should have.
Shrimp and Crab Paste on Baguette Toast - A fanciful presentation and preparation method, but tasted nothing out of this world. It is Hong Kong's version of our Heh Bi Hiam. I did find it weird eating bread during a Chinese dinner, but maybe thats just me.
Sichuan Pickles in Spicy Sauce - This dish came with pickles (or jerkins if thats what you know them by) and radish soaked in a spicy concoction of Sichuan peppercorn and a wee bit of sugar. I took a bite of the radish and sweared off it as it was way too sour for my liking. If you like sour and spicy stuff, then this might suit your tastebuds.
Deep Fried Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk - A few grievances about this dish. First of all, the prawns were only averaged sized. For the price we were paying, I had expected huge prawns. Second, the prawns weren't cleaned properly. The innards(or shit if you prefer) could still be seen. The good thing was, the salted egg yolk coating on the prawn shells tasted better with every mouth. It did come across as a little too mild at first though, but the more you suck at the shell, the better the taste.
Stewed Beef Shin with Tangerine Peel - The beef shin was quite good, soft and tender from simmering in the pot for 2 hrs. I could detect a tinge of sweetness as well, probably from the tangerine peel. However, the raw beef taste can be quite overwhelming at times and thats coming from someone who likes steak medium rare.
Sichuan Salivating Chicken - Please do not be mislead by the odd sounding name of this dish. The chicken does not salivate. The sauce is supposed to be so good that it makes the consumer salivate. Quite an audacious claim I must say. Ingredients in this dish are quite interesting actually, with chicken slices, yam noodles, roasted peanuts, chilli, coriander and century egg. I personally found everything normal except for the yam noodles which were surprisingly chewy and full of bite. I've never tried anything like it. Just for the record, this dish did make me salivate, but not from the goodness of the sauce, but from the chilli in it. An underhand method? You decide.
Fried Lemongrass Shrimp Paste Grouper - According to our waiter, many other restaurants would actually steam a good fish in order to exhibit its freshness. But not Xi Yan. What they have done is to deep fry the fish first till its 70% cooked and then coat it with the lemongrass shrimp paste and then deep fry again. The result? A crispy exterior with a soft and moist interior. I laud the skill in the preparation of this dish, but denigrate the quality of the fish. The flesh came across as rather bland, not sweet as I would have expected it to be.
Furong Chicken Soup - This soup was supposedly boiled for 4 hrs before serving. Though relatively long, it still doesn't qualify as double boiled soup and it certainly can't match the other superior soups that I've tried. But still very decent without a doubt.
Young and Old Happy News - Interesting name, uninteresting dish. The young referred to the Dou Miao while the old referred to the preserved vegetables. Lightly fried and beautifully presented, but nothing outstanding.
Tofu Ice Cream on Pandan Glutinous Rice - This was probably the best dish of the day. The ice cream was quite well done but in no way reminded me of tofu. The base of pandan glutinous rice was not too sticky and just right on the texture, tasting pleasantly of pandan. Does this remind you of the Thai style mango atop glutinous rice?
The 6 of us chalked up a hefty bill of $630, which we felt was grossly expensive given the quality of food and ingredients used. Sure its an exclusive novelty, but novelties can only last so long. Service was excellent though and the cooking process of every dish was explained to us by our waiter in great detail. However, that alone is not enough to entice us to return. Not unless the price drops to about $50-$60 per pax down from the $88 .
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Hidden in an obscure corner on the third floor of the hotel, Wan Hao doesn't look like much from the outside. However, step in and be wowed by the luxurious and solemn interior which exudes pure unadulterated sophistication and charm. If dining in a party of 4 or less, do try for one of the 4 cosy corner tables that come complete with curtains.
The Wok Fried Fresh Scallop Cubes with Tropical Mango in Fresh Milk and Egg Topped with Crab Roe served on a bed of Vermicelli tasted uncannily like the excellent Shredded Scallop with Fish & Egg White from Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant, except that it was smoother and richer in taste due to the fresh milk. However, the scallop cubes were rather bland and didn't add any life to the dish. Not that this dish wasn't good though. In fact I like it enough to want to order it again when I return.
The Poached Live Prawns came deshelled, with the exception of the head. The prawns were bigger than your usual ones and were extremely fresh, crunchy and juicy. Add that to the fact that they were perfectly cooked and drenched in a garlic concoction which served to complement the natural sweetness of the prawns. Definitely a winner! But at $90/kg, you might want to think long and hard before placing your order.
The Homemade Seaweed Beancurd Topped with Shredded Abalone, Dried Seafood and Vegetables didn't quite meet expectations. The tofu, though soft, was flat in taste and lacked the natural wholesome goodness of the one I had at Li Bai. The vegetables were cooked in a way that I personally dislike - soft with thick gravy.
The Crispy Boneless Chicken Stir Fried with Fresh Strawberry in Honey and Lemon Sauce was a bummer. I thought this dish would be interesting with the use of fruits to enhance the taste of the chicken, but oh boy, was I wrong. The chicken tasted exactly like Sweet and Sour Pork, albeit of a softer texture. The sweetness from the honey didn't exactly go well with the chicken. It tasted a little too strong and the strawberries didn't really make much of an impact on the dish. But having said that, its still an above average dish.
With a name like Chilled Coconut with Sea Coconut, I had expected fresh chilled Coconut meat served with Sea Coconut, but that was not to be. It is actually a layer of Coconut jelly and a few slices of Sea Coconut served in a small Coconut husk on a bed of ice. This is one dish that would score high marks for presentation. I guess you can tell why just from looking at the picture. And it was rather pleasing to boot. The coconut jelly had a strong coconut taste and coupled with the thick and sweet syrup, it was a pleasure to consume. The Sea Coconut tasted rather normal though.
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I remember visiting the now defunct Haw Par Villa when I was still a kid in primary school. At that time, Haw Par Villa had opened with much fanfare and I remember paying an exorbitant amount (in the $20 range I believe) just to gain entry. Those days are long gone and all that is left of the sprawling theme park are the forgotten statues and a recently opened Chinese restaurant called Made In China which is managed by the Singapore Explorer group, the very group that manages Pier Eleven. Now who in the right mind would open a restaurant in the middle of a deserted theme park that is not really accessible without a vehicle?
Parking is a breeze because you can literally park anywhere you want along the slope that leads up to the restaurant. It all depends on how much you are willing to walk. As I stepped into the restaurant compound, everything seemed so surreal. The building and its surroundings seemed to have come out straight from some ancient martial arts flick that I used to watch. The interior of the restaurant brought me back to reality though. Sparsely furnished, this is one place that believes in spacing out its tables for the comfort of its guests and I appreciate it.
The Peking duck was both good and bad. The skin was crackling crispy and had minimal fats under it. This is probably the crispiest Peking duck skin that I've ever eaten. Such a delightful skin was only let down by the rather lacklustre skin which was thin but tasteless. The meat on the other hand, was a total letdown. A tad dry and not as tender as I had expected. There was also a discernible, albeit faint, fowl taste.
For the price ($25) , the shark's fin and fish maw soup was good. First looks, it actually reminded me of curry because of the yellowish soup base. The soup was rather intense in flavour and came across as thick and starchy while the fins and fish maw were aplenty and pretty decent. According to the waitress, the soup base is boiled for 42 hours using old chicken, old duck (literal translation) and some other stuff that are supposed to be beneficial to the body.
The Fried Golden Butter Prawns came looking rather messy and not the least bit like prawns, more like chunks of fried stuff. The batter was lightly salted and crispy with a lingering buttery aftertaste while the prawns were fresh but none too succulent. I did find this dish a little disappointing because the butter batter came across as bland, unlike the egg yolk variations I've eaten before which were decidedly more savoury. But then again, its quite decent.
Pan Grilled Miso Marinated Beef Tenderloin - Honestly, I didn't think too much of this dish. It looked like it had been drenched in oil and the black pepper taste was overwhelming, so much so that I couldn't really make out if it was beef or pork. The doneness of the beef didn't help either.
Desserts weren't fantastic but decent nevertheless. The crust of the Red Bean Paste Pancake was a little too thick for my liking and the red bean filling seemed a little runny and low on the sugar content. The Yam Paste in Coconut fared better. It's actually Orh Nee served in a coconut. The yam was very smooth, not too coagulated and mildy sweet. Only bone I had was that too much coconut milk was added and it didn't gel very well with the yam paste. The Black Glutinous Rice with Ice Cream derived its sweetness from the scoop of vanilla ice cream in its midst but was average tasting.
I'll be lying if I said that I could walk up straight after such a hearty meal because I simply couldn't, try as hard as I might. And it didn't exactly cost me a bomb either. Standing just shy of $120 for 2 pax, it's certainly not cheap but definitely a notch or two down the price scale relative to restaurants that serve up a similar quality of food.
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Flutes at the Fort - a modern Australian restaurant housed within an old refurbished colonial bungalow and set against the historical backdrop of Fort Canning Park. Amidst the lush greenery and idyllic setting, one would hardly expect to find anything but birds and trees here, much less a restaurant, a swanky one at that.
Getting there can be quite a hassle as the route to the restaurant is quite complicated unless you drive and park at the complimentary valet carpark. But even then, you will have to make your way up a flight of stairs just to get there. But its all worth it. The old bungalow is beautifully restored with modern finishes yet retaining its rustic charm. Ambient lighting is practised and the windows overlook Fort Canning's lovely foliage. There is an option of sitting indoors in the cosy air conditioned area or outdoors at the veranda, with the latter being ideal for cool evenings.
The complimentary sourdough bread was quite good - served warm with the crust lightly crackling and the interior soft and fluffy. Definitely a welcome dish to temporarily stem our hunger pangs. Just don't get carried away and stuff yourself with it or else you are not going to be able to enjoy your other food (aka the ones that cost money).
Carpaccio of Hokkaido Scallops - The only thing that I found interesting about this dish was the breadstick which was served alongside. It was extremely brittle and came coated with a layer of seaweed, giving it a nice salty taste. The thinly sliced scallops, which were supposed to be the main draw, were a little too soft and tasteless for me. Not that my other friends disagreed also.
Double Baked Alaskan King Crab Soufflé - "Where's the king crab?" was my initial reaction to this dish. Clearly that was top of my list when I ordered this dish. After a few prods and scoops, the elusive king crab was still nowhere to be found. Not that this dish tasted bad anyway (It was cheesy with a slight hint of crab). In fact, it was so good that I had the urge to order another serving, but at $25 a pop, it was a no brainer really.
My main course, the Braised Kurobuta Pork Belly. Just to reiterate that Kurobuta Pork is akin to Kobe beef in the pork hierarchy, therefore making it highly prized and expensive. The Kurobuta pork belly was nothing short of excellent, with the fats literally melt in your mouth tender and the meat fibrous yet retaining a certain firmness. Did I mention anything about the skin being crackling crispy as well? The accompanying Sauteed Portobello mushrooms were juicy and soaked up the wonderful Star Aniseed Jus, making for a wonderful and flavourful side. Please be warned that this dish is definitely not for the health conscious.
The warm Pur - Caraibe Chocolate Fondant was slightly different from the usual renditions offered by other places. There was no molten chocolate in the centre to ooze out when I broke open the shell. Instead, molten chocolate was generously poured over the entire cake and allowed to cool, resulting in a gleaming black chocolate coated cake. Taste wise, I couldn't have asked for more. The cake was moist and spongy and I could detect teeny weeny pockets of chocolate within the cake that would burst forth as I bit into it.
The Fresh Peach and Vanilla Creme Brulee kinda lowered the standards a little. Granted that the pudding was smooth and not too sweet, but the layer of charred sugar atop was way too thick. Thick enough to get stuck in your teeth and irritate the hell out of you with every bite. The accompanying Chempedak and Mint ice cream was good though, mildly sweet with a tinge of the familiar chempedak flavour. Best of all, the ice cream is placed atop a base of slightly burnt Gula Melaka and coconut shavings which only serve to enhance the taste.
Excellent food, excellent ambience, excellent company. I'm a happy man (Not so happy after I got the bill amounting to almost $520 for 7 pax). I personally feel that the price isn't too steep for the quality of food you get here and especially the fantastic ambience. Service is great to boot. On a side note, thanks to all who turned up for the dinner!
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Raffles Creamery is yet another ice cream outlet that offers the create your own ice cream plus toppings option. The other two places that I know of are Ice Cream Chefs and Cold Rock Ice Creamery at East Coast Road and Holland Village respectively.
Located at the courtyard of Raffles Hotel just behind Seah Street Deli, Raffles Creamery is the latest "culinary" offering from the grand old dame. A brightly lighted counter adorned with glass jars filled with various condiments greet you in the middle of the courtyard in accompaniment to 2 smiling waitresses who seem to get really flustered with the sudden influx of customers.
I had the Rocky Road ice cream with toppings of Banana Jelly and Oreos. To my surprise, they didn't offer to mix it up for me nor did they ask me if I wanted it mixed up. It was simply take a scoop of ice cream, put some banana jelly and oreos by the side and there you go. Honestly, I was shocked. So much for offering a mix in option. That aside, the ice cream was really creamy and smooth but thats not exactly a compliment as the taste of milk was quite overbearing. And the so called "imported from Germany" banana jelly tasted like chewy candy with a banana taste. Now how special is that?
I paid almost $6 for a scoop of ice cream with 2 seperate condiments. It isn't expensive but without the novelty factor, I could have gotten better ice cream from Ben & Jerry's for the same price. Last I checked, no revisits are in my schedule.
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