Japanese food. I love Japanese food but not just any run of the mill japanese food. I only like good Japanese food. It was this thought that i joined our dear friend, HFB's invitation to try out a place which he has raved about since his visit. 3 times in 2 months? Definitely a must try for foodies when a tongue as tough to please as his, wags praises about a restaurant.
First up, it took us a long time to locate the restaurant because it was supposed to be found in UE square. The truth of the matter is, it can be found along the sides of UE square. In fact, its directly opposite Mohammad Sultan road and next to another restaurant called Bonta. En jap also boasts 2 different settings for seating. There's the semi alfresco seats on the outside and the oily and stuffy seats on the inside. Good thing for us, HFB managed to secure the alfresco seats which was still a double edged sword at best. Why is that so? Because the weather is so darn warm, its impossible not to sweat regardless of where you sit in this restaurant. However, a good point is that the waiters noticed that and actually turned the fans in our direction. Thats a good start in terms of service.
2 x Salmon Belly Sashimi ($13 x 2) - Recommended by HFB as the must eat and must have dish of the day, we had 2 servings of this elusive salmon sashimi. Well, i'm no expert but i have to say its rather interesting. Unlike normal salmon sashimi, it has a layer of fats which gives it a certain new degree of texture. The salmon is fresh and sweet but not cold enough even with all that ice beneath it. Its nice but sinful due to the fats.
maiyu Salad ($15) - Yummy. Appetising and definitely a must try. The Imaiyu salad comes with generous salmon sashimi pieces scattered throughout the immaculately chosen greens. Its also topped with delicious sour dressing which serves its purpose well in whetting our appetites. Definitely worth the time and effort to enjoy.
Beef Carpaccio ($16) - The star of the day in my book. This beef carpaccio beats every other beef carpaccio i've eaten thus far. Tender and thinly sliced beef smothered in something akin to cheese and a sweet and sour soya sauce dressing that has to be tasted to be believed. You can taste the fragrant cheesy taste in every bite and the beef is literally juicy and melts in your mouth. Must try this!
Kushi Mori ($17) - HFB introduced that En Jap is actually famous for their skewered meat but unfortunately on this case, i have to say i disagree. I had minimal tastings of the above but from what i did have, basically the bacon and asparagus and the chicken, it tasted fairly normal to me. Nothing particularly interesting about the item at all.
Unagi Fried Rice ($13) - Now this is a close second when it was served. Unagi fried rice. The fragrance of the rice is unbearable to the point that smelling it invariably makes you want to savor the dish immediately, but it was the generous serving of unagi mingled with the rice that makes it so much more special. When had together, its simply sweet, fragrant and undeniably good, not to mention the portion was generous as well. A must have on any visit!
Satsuma Age ($7) - We were nearing the end when we ordered this and honestly, it looked so much more promising on the menu. When it was served, we were slightly taken aback that we had ordered fish cake. And worst of all, its 2 miserly pieces at a whooping $7. Now this takes the cake as a royal waste of money. How it tastes like? Just like any 50 cent fish cake you can find outside, and i'm not even trying to be nasty.
Salmon Belly ($13) Mekajiki ($12) Tako ($11.50) = $36.50 - Another sashimi platter which we ordered. Needless to say, the salmon belly is as fresh as ever and the same goes for the squid and the swordfish pieces. I didn't get to try much of the rest but i'd say that for the price, they really could have given more sashimi. The portions as above were miserly at best and a rip off at worst.
Wafu Steak ($17) - Recommended by HFB as one of the better items on the menu as well, this was our last order of the day. Juicy thick cubes of beef prepared simply can still turn out to be an art form. Fresh juices accompany each bite of this little gem and is a joy to have. The only gripe here is that its too oily and there's too little beef to go around. Other then that, i'd love to have it again.
A semi satisfying and interesting meal turned out to be $173.16 for 5 people. Effectively, i'm a happy man because of the company and some of the hits we've found.
Thank you HFB for introducing the place. Its pretty good. Not excellent, but pretty good still. The good items like the carpaccio, unagi fried rice and the Imaiyu Salad are items not to be missed while the rest are either too miserly portioned to recommend or simply don't measure up. I've heard comments that the standard is inconsistent as well but overall, i'm still happy with my visit here. Definitely return for the value items and the carpaccio.
InQbox is an interesting concept whereby the object of your affection is split into many different boxes or storage cabinets for purchase.
It is basically a clever ploy to allow companies who wish to spend less on acquiring shop space to have a space on the shelf by being affordable yet profitable.
Shopping in Inqbox is like a treasure hunt because you never know what you will find in the little display counters. Sometimes, you can find rare items like handmade music boxes while sometimes, even apples and pears make it into the boxes(i swear this is true).
However, even at such low rental prices, the items are priced at a premium due to the location. Music boxes can cost upwards of $500 and bags upwards for $70. It goes to show that rental is a killer though and that profit margins are either sky high or drop dead low.
Theres an employed shopkeeper who'll introduce items to you and help you out in making purchase decisions but otherwise, its all do it yourself.
An interesting concept but impratical in practice for the displayers. I haven't bought a thing yet so that says something about the items there. Still interesting though, you never know what you will find there.
Nasi Lemak, with roots in Malay culture, when translated literally means 'rice in fat'. The name is derived from the cooking process whereby the grains are soaked in rich coconut cream and then the mixture steamed. While traditionally a breakfast dish, this dish is now found everywhere at every time possible. Mentioned Nasi Lemak and Changi Village Road Food Centre immediately sprang to mind.
While there are several competitor stalls competing with flashy stall signage, there is only one International Food Stall with its rather plain and simple signage. The queue that morning said it all – this stall is legendary for its long queue, which appears to be perpetually attached to it, come rain or shine. It definitely serves one of the best renditions, with Adam Road’s Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak coming a close second. The Rice is fragrant, moist and subtly sweet – a sign that the coconut milk was thoroughly infused with the rice.
Because of the stall’s fast turnover, the Chicken Wings are always guaranteed freshly fried – crispy and juicy, and served piping hot. But what definitely caught my tastebud that morning was definitely the Sambal Chilli. A sure winner with its aromatic sweet, yet not so spicy chilli fried with onions that one cannot help but keep helping himself to it.
This is truly the best rendition I have tried so far! Anyone care to dispute it?
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Visited this place last Sunday with my parents and they have since been relocated to ground level of Liang Court Shopping Centre. Their old outlet has also been taken over by Ichibantei.
My parents had the usual Black Pig Shabu Shabu Ramen, which I believed most people know they are famous for.
But what I was looking forward to was their Black Pig Pork Chop which is heavenly! You have to try it to know it. The texture is so tender and soft that it melts the moment you bite it. The $20 for the pork chop cut into 8 pieces might seems ex but definitely worth it. If you have not try it, I urge you to do so! That alone is worth 4 stars!
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
After sampling the SHIOK Yakader Chicken Briyani a few months back, people all over has been asking me to try the most famous briyani stall at the other side of Tekka Food Centre instead. The queue at this stall meant nothing as I stood there waiting for 20 minutes. For those who still do not know, this stall is none other than Allauddin’s Briyani (no prize for those who guessed it correctly though).
For $4.00, what you get is also another plate of orangey red looking plate of Chicken Briyani that gets zero marks for presentation. At least Yakader’s serving came lined with banana leaf, what you get from Allauddin is just a Styrofoam plate with no achar (spicy pickled salad) in sight (not that I eat them anyway but at least visually it looks better).
In terms of the chicken, I would say they are both pretty similar in terms of taste and texture. So soft and tender was the meat that a simple tear at the lightest pressure of the fork will cause the meat to be easily separated from its bone. However, I will be inclined to find their rice overly moist and mushy from overcooking, as I expect the basmati rice to be slightly more firm and comes with a better bite. Having waited so long, I also decided to add an extra order of what they call “Lamb Cutlet” for additional $1.00 (although I do not see where the cutlet comes from). A nice savoury outer crust that was fried nicely to taste, it was disappointing though to find it soft on the inside with what seems like flour and onions and little of the lamb.
Overall, I felt that Yakader was the better of the two in terms of chicken briyani, however I would not hesitate to try their mutton next, which was ordered by the customers before me, as it looks pliable and succulent just by the sight of it. As Tekka Food Centre will be re-located to the Temporary Market along Race Course Road from May 1 onwards, Allauddin’s Briyani will be relocated to stall unit #01-189 and #01-190.
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Went to Tampines round market last night for dinner because the traffic to the cinema was horrible. Thus, what to do? Try out a 30 star winner stall to save money and have a nice dinner of course! Was it really good though?
Recently featured on the television show for stalls that needed "rescueing" due to extremely bad business, the stall has since been revamped and the chef retrained to serve much better food....or rather, thats the idea anyway.
A note is that basically, the stallholders do not like anyone to take photos so please try to refrain from that. The lady boss is scary when mad.
We basically ordered only 2 items last night.
A plate of stingray ($10) and a plate of vegetables (nai bai $4) and 2 bowls of rice (30 cents). Haven't had a cheap meal in like forever so this is a refreshing start.
They made their name by getting 30 out of 30 votes for their food on zhi ca.
The stingray is actually quite big and theres a lot of chili and meat available to pick through. I'm not too sure about the freshness of the fish since the chili manages to mask the taste overall. No denying that the meat is plenty though. However i did find the chili to need more work as its too dry and not very tasty. Thank goodness for the accompanying sour sauce or something. Which gave it much needed dimension. Overall, not too bad.
I liked the greens for sure. Its pretty much my favorite way of cooking and the greens were fresh. A winner in my books.
Total meal only cost me $14.60 which is like OMG! Dirt cheap.
Brewerkz is the place to go for drinks in the afternoon. Why the afternoon? Because the last i know. A jug of beer in the afternoon cost less then a glass of beer at night.
Its with this information that i visited Brewerkz 3 times and each time. Its was a different experience.
First time i was there was with the guys. Being little boys, we wanted a liltte of everything and ordered the sampler platter which costs somewhere between $21-28 dollars. you get to try every single beer they have on offer and needless to say, some were winners and some tasted horrible. Honorable mentions include their golden ale and fruitbrews which changes everyday.
We also ordered the chilli cheese fries which were really really big.And honestly, it tasted good. Very much better then i thought. Thick creamy melting cheese accompanied with red hot chilli sauce and thick french fries. It was good enough to recommend.
Second time and third time around, we were there just to drink and have a meal. My gf had the beer braised salmon which was terribly bitter and just plain bad with a fishy aftertaste and i had a beer braised beef which was also....quite badly done. But the golden ale and fruit beer saved the day and heck, they were cheaper then the darn main course.
I don't see that offer on the website anymore though. So i'm not sure if they still have the happy hour charges for noon. Give them a call though. I remembered that a JUG of beer, cost my $9.90 when i went. Now thats value for money.
Ever since it started selling Nasi Lemak, you hear it everywhere with people saying how tasty the chicken wings are. How wonderful the ikan billis is and even how special and fragrant the rice is. Is it even justified to do so i wonder.
Living pretty close to the store, i've patronized is a few times with my parents in tow to get a few packets of the coveted Nasi Lemak. The problem is the horrendous queue that never seems to diminish regardless of the time. So its wait wait wait and finally eat. Something i detest doing by the way.
When we finally did get to eat the Nasi lemak. My only question is: How did they ever get a reputation that good? the rice is fragrant but not too special. The chicken wing is normal enough to find somewhere else and basically, the only thing to justify the long wait is the sheer number of packets bought by people in front and the slow movement of the staff...
The prices aren't cheap either. Calling @ $6 for a simple packet of coconut rice. I'm amazed people still throng the place.
As for me, i'd rather settle for the Kovan market across the street if i need food. You readers can try and make your own conclusion.
Been to Gmax to try the ride out when i was getting super bored with what i could do in Singapore. Basically, its just a little too boring.
So it was this fine day when a few friends and myself stepped out to visit the place after having some food at Sushi Tei and some drinks and cheese fries at Brewerkz when the crazy idea hit us to try the Gmax experience which was simply nearby.
Me, being a timid freak in terms of rides, was forced to go on it so that i could commit to my oath of changing my life. Haha. Well, it wasn't that serious but it was a start.
Anyway, it wasn't cheap. The ride costs somewhere between $35-50 depending on what kind of package you wanted to take up. And thats on a per person basis. You get the choice to either do a ride with the video of yourself and a T shirt and other memorabilia depending on your preference. either way, i think its just fun.
The ride is short. Lasting only 5 mins but slightly more due to the safety precautions and such. Its quite a rush and its different for everybody. But for my and my friend, we screamed like girls, not to mention expletives galore. My take is that it was fun as hell.
Especially when you are plummeting to earth and feels like dying. Damn its fun!!
Try it now. There are new rides which look like a swing and stuff. Try it with friends and maybe after beer. Either way, try it to escape from the oh so mundane lives.
Dome or Olio Dome held many memories for me because when i was a kid, the most expensive meal i could afford was either Swenson's or Olio Dome with a friend. Being kindred souls, we also only liked a few things in those places. Basically, all we liked were the fries and potato wedges and that was all we frequented the place for. Now, he's a manager so he can obviously afford better but its because of a coupon i got from purchasing books that i decided to have my lunch at this nostalgic place.
Chocolate Cake ($5.90) - The first item i ordered was the chocolate cake because thats what the voucher said, order any cake and get a complimentary coffee. And honestly, the reason why i used the voucher was because i was pretty darn sure i'll never make a trip simply to Dome just to use it again and also factor in the fact that it was lunch time. On to the cake, this was a recommendation from the waitress who was quite friendly. The cake was average at best though. The top layer was really hard while the sponge and cream layer was quite lackluster. There's a certain bitterness to the cake that hints at either coffee or good cocoa beans but i'm going with the former. Not too bad since it was served before the main meal but i wouldn't recommend it as a must order when visiting the place.
Long Black (Complimentary) - The complimentary coffee is a long black (espresso plus water) which was decidedly bitter but not as fragrant as i would like. Almost definitely not premium beans used but a grade above general coffee in coffee shops.
Beef burger with Bacon, Cheese and Egg With Fries ($13.90) - And since it was lunch time, my order was completed with a beef burger yet again. This version is a no nonsense and totally huge beef patty that turned out to be surprisingly tough. Its like the beef is squashed to the point there was little or no moisture within. More or less, it means the patty wasn't freshly made but ordered. However, i honestly found it a whee bit above acceptable. It came with melted cheese and a sunny side up and some stringy fried bacon for good effect. The overall appearance was nice but the bread was just bad. It was also hard, maybe because it was toasted, but its hardly suitable for a burger of this size. Overall, i found this edible but probably will not repeat my order again.
Surprise surprise. A lazy afternoon alone at the bookstore left me poorer by $90 worth of Science Fiction novels and an additional $23.30 more for a supposedly 'cheap' lunch. I happened to be one of the few scoundrels who sipped a coffee for 1 hour just to read my books as well.
Its not a bad place per se. The feeling is decent for a book cum cafe combination and nobody chases you out of the place when you simply sit and read and drink coffee. They could do with better coffee and cakes however and the mains need to have freshly made patties. Once they get that down, we may get a little bit of France's reading atmosphere and culture in Singapore after all.
1=SGD 0.0587
Japanese food. I love Japanese food but not just any run of the mill japanese food. I only like good Japanese food. It was this thought that i joined our dear friend, HFB's invitation to try out a place which he has raved about since his visit. 3 times in 2 months? Definitely a must try for foodies when a tongue as tough to please as his, wags praises about a restaurant.
First up, it took us a long time to locate the restaurant because it was supposed to be found in UE square. The truth of the matter is, it can be found along the sides of UE square. In fact, its directly opposite Mohammad Sultan road and next to another restaurant called Bonta. En jap also boasts 2 different settings for seating. There's the semi alfresco seats on the outside and the oily and stuffy seats on the inside. Good thing for us, HFB managed to secure the alfresco seats which was still a double edged sword at best. Why is that so? Because the weather is so darn warm, its impossible not to sweat regardless of where you sit in this restaurant. However, a good point is that the waiters noticed that and actually turned the fans in our direction. Thats a good start in terms of service.
2 x Salmon Belly Sashimi ($13 x 2) - Recommended by HFB as the must eat and must have dish of the day, we had 2 servings of this elusive salmon sashimi. Well, i'm no expert but i have to say its rather interesting. Unlike normal salmon sashimi, it has a layer of fats which gives it a certain new degree of texture. The salmon is fresh and sweet but not cold enough even with all that ice beneath it. Its nice but sinful due to the fats.
maiyu Salad ($15) - Yummy. Appetising and definitely a must try. The Imaiyu salad comes with generous salmon sashimi pieces scattered throughout the immaculately chosen greens. Its also topped with delicious sour dressing which serves its purpose well in whetting our appetites. Definitely worth the time and effort to enjoy.
Beef Carpaccio ($16) - The star of the day in my book. This beef carpaccio beats every other beef carpaccio i've eaten thus far. Tender and thinly sliced beef smothered in something akin to cheese and a sweet and sour soya sauce dressing that has to be tasted to be believed. You can taste the fragrant cheesy taste in every bite and the beef is literally juicy and melts in your mouth. Must try this!
Kushi Mori ($17) - HFB introduced that En Jap is actually famous for their skewered meat but unfortunately on this case, i have to say i disagree. I had minimal tastings of the above but from what i did have, basically the bacon and asparagus and the chicken, it tasted fairly normal to me. Nothing particularly interesting about the item at all.
Unagi Fried Rice ($13) - Now this is a close second when it was served. Unagi fried rice. The fragrance of the rice is unbearable to the point that smelling it invariably makes you want to savor the dish immediately, but it was the generous serving of unagi mingled with the rice that makes it so much more special. When had together, its simply sweet, fragrant and undeniably good, not to mention the portion was generous as well. A must have on any visit!
Satsuma Age ($7) - We were nearing the end when we ordered this and honestly, it looked so much more promising on the menu. When it was served, we were slightly taken aback that we had ordered fish cake. And worst of all, its 2 miserly pieces at a whooping $7. Now this takes the cake as a royal waste of money. How it tastes like? Just like any 50 cent fish cake you can find outside, and i'm not even trying to be nasty.
Salmon Belly ($13) Mekajiki ($12) Tako ($11.50) = $36.50 - Another sashimi platter which we ordered. Needless to say, the salmon belly is as fresh as ever and the same goes for the squid and the swordfish pieces. I didn't get to try much of the rest but i'd say that for the price, they really could have given more sashimi. The portions as above were miserly at best and a rip off at worst.
Wafu Steak ($17) - Recommended by HFB as one of the better items on the menu as well, this was our last order of the day. Juicy thick cubes of beef prepared simply can still turn out to be an art form. Fresh juices accompany each bite of this little gem and is a joy to have. The only gripe here is that its too oily and there's too little beef to go around. Other then that, i'd love to have it again.
A semi satisfying and interesting meal turned out to be $173.16 for 5 people. Effectively, i'm a happy man because of the company and some of the hits we've found.
Thank you HFB for introducing the place. Its pretty good. Not excellent, but pretty good still. The good items like the carpaccio, unagi fried rice and the Imaiyu Salad are items not to be missed while the rest are either too miserly portioned to recommend or simply don't measure up. I've heard comments that the standard is inconsistent as well but overall, i'm still happy with my visit here. Definitely return for the value items and the carpaccio.
Rating given:
InQbox is an interesting concept whereby the object of your affection is split into many different boxes or storage cabinets for purchase.
It is basically a clever ploy to allow companies who wish to spend less on acquiring shop space to have a space on the shelf by being affordable yet profitable.
Shopping in Inqbox is like a treasure hunt because you never know what you will find in the little display counters. Sometimes, you can find rare items like handmade music boxes while sometimes, even apples and pears make it into the boxes(i swear this is true).
However, even at such low rental prices, the items are priced at a premium due to the location. Music boxes can cost upwards of $500 and bags upwards for $70. It goes to show that rental is a killer though and that profit margins are either sky high or drop dead low.
Theres an employed shopkeeper who'll introduce items to you and help you out in making purchase decisions but otherwise, its all do it yourself.
An interesting concept but impratical in practice for the displayers. I haven't bought a thing yet so that says something about the items there. Still interesting though, you never know what you will find there.
Rating given:
Nasi Lemak, with roots in Malay culture, when translated literally means 'rice in fat'. The name is derived from the cooking process whereby the grains are soaked in rich coconut cream and then the mixture steamed. While traditionally a breakfast dish, this dish is now found everywhere at every time possible. Mentioned Nasi Lemak and Changi Village Road Food Centre immediately sprang to mind.
While there are several competitor stalls competing with flashy stall signage, there is only one International Food Stall with its rather plain and simple signage. The queue that morning said it all – this stall is legendary for its long queue, which appears to be perpetually attached to it, come rain or shine. It definitely serves one of the best renditions, with Adam Road’s Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak coming a close second. The Rice is fragrant, moist and subtly sweet – a sign that the coconut milk was thoroughly infused with the rice.
Because of the stall’s fast turnover, the Chicken Wings are always guaranteed freshly fried – crispy and juicy, and served piping hot. But what definitely caught my tastebud that morning was definitely the Sambal Chilli. A sure winner with its aromatic sweet, yet not so spicy chilli fried with onions that one cannot help but keep helping himself to it.
This is truly the best rendition I have tried so far! Anyone care to dispute it?
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
Visited this place last Sunday with my parents and they have since been relocated to ground level of Liang Court Shopping Centre. Their old outlet has also been taken over by Ichibantei.
My parents had the usual Black Pig Shabu Shabu Ramen, which I believed most people know they are famous for.
But what I was looking forward to was their Black Pig Pork Chop which is heavenly! You have to try it to know it. The texture is so tender and soft that it melts the moment you bite it. The $20 for the pork chop cut into 8 pieces might seems ex but definitely worth it. If you have not try it, I urge you to do so! That alone is worth 4 stars!
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
After sampling the SHIOK Yakader Chicken Briyani a few months back, people all over has been asking me to try the most famous briyani stall at the other side of Tekka Food Centre instead. The queue at this stall meant nothing as I stood there waiting for 20 minutes. For those who still do not know, this stall is none other than Allauddin’s Briyani (no prize for those who guessed it correctly though).
For $4.00, what you get is also another plate of orangey red looking plate of Chicken Briyani that gets zero marks for presentation. At least Yakader’s serving came lined with banana leaf, what you get from Allauddin is just a Styrofoam plate with no achar (spicy pickled salad) in sight (not that I eat them anyway but at least visually it looks better).
In terms of the chicken, I would say they are both pretty similar in terms of taste and texture. So soft and tender was the meat that a simple tear at the lightest pressure of the fork will cause the meat to be easily separated from its bone. However, I will be inclined to find their rice overly moist and mushy from overcooking, as I expect the basmati rice to be slightly more firm and comes with a better bite. Having waited so long, I also decided to add an extra order of what they call “Lamb Cutlet” for additional $1.00 (although I do not see where the cutlet comes from). A nice savoury outer crust that was fried nicely to taste, it was disappointing though to find it soft on the inside with what seems like flour and onions and little of the lamb.
Overall, I felt that Yakader was the better of the two in terms of chicken briyani, however I would not hesitate to try their mutton next, which was ordered by the customers before me, as it looks pliable and succulent just by the sight of it. As Tekka Food Centre will be re-located to the Temporary Market along Race Course Road from May 1 onwards, Allauddin’s Briyani will be relocated to stall unit #01-189 and #01-190.
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
Went to Tampines round market last night for dinner because the traffic to the cinema was horrible. Thus, what to do? Try out a 30 star winner stall to save money and have a nice dinner of course! Was it really good though?
Recently featured on the television show for stalls that needed "rescueing" due to extremely bad business, the stall has since been revamped and the chef retrained to serve much better food....or rather, thats the idea anyway.
A note is that basically, the stallholders do not like anyone to take photos so please try to refrain from that. The lady boss is scary when mad.
We basically ordered only 2 items last night.
A plate of stingray ($10) and a plate of vegetables (nai bai $4) and 2 bowls of rice (30 cents). Haven't had a cheap meal in like forever so this is a refreshing start.
They made their name by getting 30 out of 30 votes for their food on zhi ca.
The stingray is actually quite big and theres a lot of chili and meat available to pick through. I'm not too sure about the freshness of the fish since the chili manages to mask the taste overall. No denying that the meat is plenty though. However i did find the chili to need more work as its too dry and not very tasty. Thank goodness for the accompanying sour sauce or something. Which gave it much needed dimension. Overall, not too bad.
I liked the greens for sure. Its pretty much my favorite way of cooking and the greens were fresh. A winner in my books.
Total meal only cost me $14.60 which is like OMG! Dirt cheap.
Wouldn't mind returning for the good value.
Rating given:
Brewerkz is the place to go for drinks in the afternoon. Why the afternoon? Because the last i know. A jug of beer in the afternoon cost less then a glass of beer at night.
Its with this information that i visited Brewerkz 3 times and each time. Its was a different experience.
First time i was there was with the guys. Being little boys, we wanted a liltte of everything and ordered the sampler platter which costs somewhere between $21-28 dollars. you get to try every single beer they have on offer and needless to say, some were winners and some tasted horrible. Honorable mentions include their golden ale and fruitbrews which changes everyday.
We also ordered the chilli cheese fries which were really really big.And honestly, it tasted good. Very much better then i thought. Thick creamy melting cheese accompanied with red hot chilli sauce and thick french fries. It was good enough to recommend.
Second time and third time around, we were there just to drink and have a meal. My gf had the beer braised salmon which was terribly bitter and just plain bad with a fishy aftertaste and i had a beer braised beef which was also....quite badly done. But the golden ale and fruit beer saved the day and heck, they were cheaper then the darn main course.
I don't see that offer on the website anymore though. So i'm not sure if they still have the happy hour charges for noon. Give them a call though. I remembered that a JUG of beer, cost my $9.90 when i went. Now thats value for money.
Rating given:
This food stall is legendary.
Ever since it started selling Nasi Lemak, you hear it everywhere with people saying how tasty the chicken wings are. How wonderful the ikan billis is and even how special and fragrant the rice is. Is it even justified to do so i wonder.
Living pretty close to the store, i've patronized is a few times with my parents in tow to get a few packets of the coveted Nasi Lemak. The problem is the horrendous queue that never seems to diminish regardless of the time. So its wait wait wait and finally eat. Something i detest doing by the way.
When we finally did get to eat the Nasi lemak. My only question is: How did they ever get a reputation that good? the rice is fragrant but not too special. The chicken wing is normal enough to find somewhere else and basically, the only thing to justify the long wait is the sheer number of packets bought by people in front and the slow movement of the staff...
The prices aren't cheap either. Calling @ $6 for a simple packet of coconut rice. I'm amazed people still throng the place.
As for me, i'd rather settle for the Kovan market across the street if i need food. You readers can try and make your own conclusion.
Rating given:
Been to Gmax to try the ride out when i was getting super bored with what i could do in Singapore. Basically, its just a little too boring.
So it was this fine day when a few friends and myself stepped out to visit the place after having some food at Sushi Tei and some drinks and cheese fries at Brewerkz when the crazy idea hit us to try the Gmax experience which was simply nearby.
Me, being a timid freak in terms of rides, was forced to go on it so that i could commit to my oath of changing my life. Haha. Well, it wasn't that serious but it was a start.
Anyway, it wasn't cheap. The ride costs somewhere between $35-50 depending on what kind of package you wanted to take up. And thats on a per person basis. You get the choice to either do a ride with the video of yourself and a T shirt and other memorabilia depending on your preference. either way, i think its just fun.
The ride is short. Lasting only 5 mins but slightly more due to the safety precautions and such. Its quite a rush and its different for everybody. But for my and my friend, we screamed like girls, not to mention expletives galore. My take is that it was fun as hell.
Especially when you are plummeting to earth and feels like dying. Damn its fun!!
Try it now. There are new rides which look like a swing and stuff. Try it with friends and maybe after beer. Either way, try it to escape from the oh so mundane lives.
Rating given:
Dome or Olio Dome held many memories for me because when i was a kid, the most expensive meal i could afford was either Swenson's or Olio Dome with a friend. Being kindred souls, we also only liked a few things in those places. Basically, all we liked were the fries and potato wedges and that was all we frequented the place for. Now, he's a manager so he can obviously afford better but its because of a coupon i got from purchasing books that i decided to have my lunch at this nostalgic place.
Chocolate Cake ($5.90) - The first item i ordered was the chocolate cake because thats what the voucher said, order any cake and get a complimentary coffee. And honestly, the reason why i used the voucher was because i was pretty darn sure i'll never make a trip simply to Dome just to use it again and also factor in the fact that it was lunch time. On to the cake, this was a recommendation from the waitress who was quite friendly. The cake was average at best though. The top layer was really hard while the sponge and cream layer was quite lackluster. There's a certain bitterness to the cake that hints at either coffee or good cocoa beans but i'm going with the former. Not too bad since it was served before the main meal but i wouldn't recommend it as a must order when visiting the place.
Long Black (Complimentary) - The complimentary coffee is a long black (espresso plus water) which was decidedly bitter but not as fragrant as i would like. Almost definitely not premium beans used but a grade above general coffee in coffee shops.
Beef burger with Bacon, Cheese and Egg With Fries ($13.90) - And since it was lunch time, my order was completed with a beef burger yet again. This version is a no nonsense and totally huge beef patty that turned out to be surprisingly tough. Its like the beef is squashed to the point there was little or no moisture within. More or less, it means the patty wasn't freshly made but ordered. However, i honestly found it a whee bit above acceptable. It came with melted cheese and a sunny side up and some stringy fried bacon for good effect. The overall appearance was nice but the bread was just bad. It was also hard, maybe because it was toasted, but its hardly suitable for a burger of this size. Overall, i found this edible but probably will not repeat my order again.
Surprise surprise. A lazy afternoon alone at the bookstore left me poorer by $90 worth of Science Fiction novels and an additional $23.30 more for a supposedly 'cheap' lunch. I happened to be one of the few scoundrels who sipped a coffee for 1 hour just to read my books as well.
Its not a bad place per se. The feeling is decent for a book cum cafe combination and nobody chases you out of the place when you simply sit and read and drink coffee. They could do with better coffee and cakes however and the mains need to have freshly made patties. Once they get that down, we may get a little bit of France's reading atmosphere and culture in Singapore after all.
Rating given: