In conjunction with their 30th anniversary, Business Times offered a set dinner for 2 pax at Jiang Nan Chun for only $30 NETT! Naturally I was excited and after much difficulty, managed to get a table for 2 pax last evening. I had initially wanted to try our One Ninety, but it was fully booked even though I had called at 0830hrs the day the advertisement was published in the newspapers. Imagine that!
Jiang Nan Chun is the flagship Cantonese restaurant of the posh Four Seasons Hotel just along Orchard Boulevard. Its entrance was done up in sombre black with an air of exclusivity. Inside, the main theme revolved around the use of wood, with the walls and partitions spotting wooden finishes. A rather nice place, but pales in comparison to other restaurants of similar standing, like Li Bai, Min Jiang @ One North or even Peach Blossoms. Since we were there for the promotion, there was no choice of food, although we did add on a few items. The menu of the day included Consommé of Chicken with Chinese Mushrooms, Chinese Cabbage and Bamboo Pith, Steamed Fillet of Cod with Black Fungus Mushroom, Red Dates and Shredded Ginger, Braised Vermicelli with Salted Fish and Minced Pork and Chilled Mango Pudding. We added on a single serving of Yang Chow Fried Rice and Rice Flour Crisp coated with Maple Syrup and Sesame Seeds.
The Consommé of Chicken with Chinese Mushrooms, Chinese Cabbage and Bamboo Pith was very flavourful, probably due to it being double boiled, but too much flavour isn't always a good thing. I personally found the soup a little too overwhelming maybe because I like soups that are light and easy on the palates.
I like Cod Fish for its smooth flesh and minimal raw fishy taste and Jiang Nan Chun's offering didn't disappoint. The Steamed Fillet of Cod with Black Fungus Mushroom, Red Dates and Shredded Ginger was soft and tender, with the red dates giving it a slightly sweet taste, much like the mangoes in Hai Tien Lo's rendition. However I did find the gravy a little heavy on the sweetness.
Joke of the day best describes the Braised Vermicelli with Salted Fish and Minced Pork. It was too soft, a result of soaking the Vermicelli in water for too long and it was practically tasteless. I have eaten better fried Vermicelli in hawker centres. To think that it is listed as one of the Chef's specialties. Geez.
My extra order of Yang Chow Fried Rice was pretty normal. Sure the ingredients were generous and the rice evenly coated and fried, but it wasn't fragrant enough. Add the dryness of the rice and you get a lacklustre offering. Serving size is about a third of your neighbourhood kopitiam's $3 fried rice, but it goes for $8 instead.
In all honesty, I liked the desserts most of all. The Chilled Mango Pudding was very smooth and refreshing without being too sweet. Strands of Pomelo added bite to the dish. Accompanying the Chilled Mango Pudding was a small serving of Avocado Pudding and Almond Biscuit. While I found the Avocado Pudding a little bland, I did like the Almond Biscuit. It was freshly baked and not too dry or soggy, with a slight almond taste. Last up was my other additional order of Rice Flour Crisp coated with Maple Syrup and Sesame Seeds. It looked like Keropok (fish/prawn crackers) with a sprinkling of Sesame Seeds and god knows what. But I liked it! It tasted like Kellog's Honeystars, albeit a crispier, lighter and not so sweet version (For those who have never tried Honeystars, please go to your nearest supermarket and grab a box now).
A slightly above average dinner for 2 pax stood at $48.65/-. Cheap because of the promotion. If not, prices are rather steep and alot of the dishes are priced per head. Service is generally good, but could well do with a little genuine friendliness.
Founder Bak Kut Teh has been in the Balestier area for many years and has built up its reputation as one of the best Teochew style Bak Kut Teh stalls in Singapore. The multitude of celebrity photographs taken at the store are testament to that and so are the crowds that throng this outfit during its opening hours.
Just a small nugget of information for those who didn't know, Teochew style Bak Kut Teh is characterised by a clear soup with a peppery base whereas the Hokkien style Bak Kut Teh is darker in colour and heavy on the herbs. As to which tastes better, it boils down to individual preferences. I, for one, prefer the Teochew style. Founder's soup base is very peppery and light, with the pork ribs cooked just right (the meat is slightly reddish). The result is tender pork ribs which exude the tasty goodness of the soup. At $5.50 a bowl, it is slightly on the high side though. But there's air conditioning if you sit inside and the quality is really consistent and good, so I guess its worth the extra money.
Had the opportunity to attend a food sampling session at Absolute Haven, one of the up and coming culinary stars of the quaint Prinsep Street. Much has been said and written about this eatery which dishes out modern European cuisine amidst a chic backdrop.
There's an option of al fresco seating in the relatively small outdoor area or indoor seating in a much larger(and cooler) area which boasts clean lines, wooden pillars and oozes minimalistic elegance. Music was rather tasteful as well if I may say, a most fitting complement to the ambience.
Seafood Sampler ($18) - Almost every tom, dick and harry western eatery I know of has some variation of the seafood platter, be it in name, variety of seafood or otherwise. Which explains the lack of expectations for this dish. Even then, it was a disappointment. The prawns weren't fresh, the batter was too thick and the fries were too soggy. Probably the only positive aspect was the accompanying sauces - beetroot with mayonnaise and lime(?) with mint, both of which were unique in their own right. On a side note, the platter was huge, enough for about 4 pax to share (in the misery, (un)fortunately).
Spinach and Wild Mushrooms Salad ($7.50) - I had expected mushrooms covered by/mixed with a tower of spinach so this dish kinda screwed my expectations a little. The thinly sliced mushrooms were buttery and tasty whereas the button and shitake mushrooms came across as rather normal. The spinach was fresh but a little too soft from the balsamic vinaigrette. I liked the dash of cheese atop though.
Oriental Cod Fish ($24) - The name caught my eye. This is probably an example of modern European cuisine, European food with a fusion twist. Taste wise, the fish was fresh and well complemented by the sweet wolfberries and salty bacon bits. However, the meat could have been a little firmer for better texture.
Tenderloin Steak ($28) - The steak wasn't up to expectations. Period. Sure, it was done medium rare just the way we ordered it, but the meat was too soft, probably from the overuse of tenderizer? The lack of marination was apparent - the beef relied on the overly salty sauce to give it taste. Nothing like the pièce de résistance I had at Prive. I didn't quite like the accompanying potato gratin as well as I found it too dry and heavy on the palate.
Chicken Roulade ($20) - This was probably the best dish of the evening, simple yet close to the heart. Fragrant, tender and juicy, the chicken had bacon and spinach stuffed in between which added a slight salty dimension to it. The avocado salad really wasn't my cup of tea though. Very soft and mashed up, it reminded me of baby food. But I guess this really boils down to personal preference.
Victorian Creme Brulee ($8) - Aesthetics wise, the creme brulee was rather pleasing, especially when served with the rose petals. However, its texture reminded me more of egg custard than creme brulee, which is something rather weird. There was also a small rose bud embedded within, which came across as rather overwhelming.
Tira Mi Su ($9) - Another visually pleasing dessert, the tiramisu didn't impress with its pudding like mascarpone cheese mousse. It tasted really weird to me, but I guess thats personal preference as well. I couldn't detect any hint of liqueur at all and the cake was rather soggy from the espresso coffee at the bottom. It wasn't entirely disastrous though. At least it came across as light on the palate.
Overall, the food certainly isn't great but the soothing ambience and attentive service more than makes up for it. You won't have to worry about still or sparkling here as well as they serve natural strawberry flavoured ice water, a deviation from the norm.
*disclaimer: This tasting session was for the purpose of ascertaining the suitability of Absolute Haven for one of our upcoming events.
ladyironchefsaid: hmm.. so the food tasting session is for the coming one on 25 jan dinner? u, claudia, bobo all went liao, den 25 going again? absolute heaven really so good ar? 12 Jan 2008 at 11:21 am
claudsaid: yeah! going going! got other dishes to try leh. 12 Jan 2008 at 11:09 pm
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
Having spent in excess of $1200 (I am still reeling from the shock from seeing my credit card bill) on food alone in the month of Sep (mind you, this sum only includes what I've charged to my credit card. If you include cash expenditure on food, I should be up by another $400 tops), I decided to go budget a little and give Cafe Vic @ Carlton Hotel a shot given its relatively inexpensive pricing for a weekend high tea ($22 ). With a dining timeslot from 12-5pm, it starts a little early for high tea and ends a little late for lunch, which leaves it somewhere in the middle, or perhaps a combination of both lunch and high tea.
The heavy rains throughout the island on Saturday didn't deter us one bit, although it did make us terribly late for our reservation (45 mins in fact. We got there at 1345hrs instead). Upon arrival, we were seated at a pretty cosy table at one of the corners of the restaurant, which was fine with me except for the fact that the tables surrounding us were occupied by groups of people who were making quite a bit of noise with their loud guffaws and raised voices. That really didn't sit well with me, as I didn't trudge through the heavy rain to listen to people's gossips about the latest games or that secret romance. Maybe I'm being a little cranky here, but try getting your pants all wet with a less then dry gf and having to put up with all that loud chatter. I could barely have a decent conversation with my gf throughout the whole meal. Ok enough of my rambling. The cafe was quite nicely done, with huge paintings adorning the walls and floor to ceilings windows offering a view of the outside world. Capacity would easily be in excess of 100 pax, not that it was needed though, with only about 10 pax throughout the whole course of my meal there.
I did a rough estimate on the number of buffet offerings and it totalled about 40, most of which were common fare like dim sum, sandwiches, salads, Rojak, Ice Kachang, noodles and a splattering of sushi and sashimi, which was still ok, given the price and well, its supposed to be high tea. I made it a point to try everything that Cafe Vic had to offer and two words sum my experience up. PLAIN DISAPPOINTMENT. Everything from the sushi to the desserts, were at best, average. The sushi's rice was cold and dry and the same could be said for the sandwiches. The roast duck was way too salty and the deep fried fishballs tasted rubbery and starchy. Even something as simple as fried noodles was a disaster, with parts of the noodle dry and hard. The selection of salads like the smoked chicken salad and the chicken sausage salad was still ok though. The desserts were average, but I particularly liked the pear pie, which I felt was the only one that shone amongst all the desserts, particularly with its nicely baked crust. Even my gf agrees. However, I must compliment on their service, though not fantastic, was good enough for me.
It cost us about $46 after taxes and a 10% discount with my UOB card, which effectively works out to be $23/pax. Definitely not expensive, but quality of food leaves much to be desired, which I feel is a pity given its simple yet nicely done interior. Also, given my good experiences with Wah Lok, I would have expected more from Cafe Vic. Hence, my stand on Cafe Vic is this. Go for it if you just want to gorge yourself with food for a long period (12-5pm no time limit) and food quality bears little significance to you or if you want to just find a nice place to while the weekend afternoons away with your friends over food at a not too hefty price tag. (Sit in a secluded area though)
Had another impromptu dinner last night albeit with a much smaller price tag as compared to the last one when we dined at Morton’s. The venue was Wah Noogee House at Carlton Hotel just across the road from CHIJMES. The younger cousin of the famous Wah Lok is known for whipping up simple yet delicious fare, as evidenced by the multiple newspaper cuttings plastered to the glass. On this particular occasion, it was offering an Ala Carte buffet of 38 dishes at $22 NETT. Being the “kiasu” Singaporeans, we decided to give it a try. Spaces were aplenty when we got there about 2015hrs. Décor was simplistic yet modern, with aesthetically pleasing lights hanging from the high ceiling.
We tried almost everything on the menu. That might seem a little greedy, but trust me when I say this; portions are single servings (read small) and I estimate that we ate about 20 dishes in all. I found everything pretty average, with the deep fried beancurd being slightly above average. It was nicely diced and fried, with a sprinkling of salt and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). The roast duck had a nice crisp skin, but minimal meat, which was a bummer really. I did like the wantons for their huge and fresh prawns which were tasty and crunchy. But overall, nothing really stood out.
Damage was $22.40/pax, with the 40 cents going to the cost of the wet towels. Not exactly value for money, but it was a pretty satisfying and enjoyable dinner (for me at least). Service was also quite good and the place was nice and quiet. Still it’s not worth the $22 in my opinion. Approximately $15-$17 would have been just right. Having said that, I might just be convinced to try it again because it offers a relaxed environment with decent food at a not too expensive price. (Actually no hotel that I know has a buffet dinner at $22 NETT)
Polarbearsaid: Got lah. Those not well known one. Have to say that @ $22 nett is consider cheap alr. 11 Jan 2008 at 10:47 am
sylvdoanxsaid: i thot they serve noodles.. coz it's noogee.. like.. noo.. hahaha.. maybe will try sometime. so near to my school! 19 Apr 2008 at 4:38 am
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
1=SGD 0.0587
Jiang Nan Chun is the flagship Cantonese restaurant of the posh Four Seasons Hotel just along Orchard Boulevard. Its entrance was done up in sombre black with an air of exclusivity. Inside, the main theme revolved around the use of wood, with the walls and partitions spotting wooden finishes. A rather nice place, but pales in comparison to other restaurants of similar standing, like Li Bai, Min Jiang @ One North or even Peach Blossoms.
Since we were there for the promotion, there was no choice of food, although we did add on a few items. The menu of the day included Consommé of Chicken with Chinese Mushrooms, Chinese Cabbage and Bamboo Pith, Steamed Fillet of Cod with Black Fungus Mushroom, Red Dates and Shredded Ginger, Braised Vermicelli with Salted Fish and Minced Pork and Chilled Mango Pudding. We added on a single serving of Yang Chow Fried Rice and Rice Flour Crisp coated with Maple Syrup and Sesame Seeds.
The Consommé of Chicken with Chinese Mushrooms, Chinese Cabbage and Bamboo Pith was very flavourful, probably due to it being double boiled, but too much flavour isn't always a good thing. I personally found the soup a little too overwhelming maybe because I like soups that are light and easy on the palates.
I like Cod Fish for its smooth flesh and minimal raw fishy taste and Jiang Nan Chun's offering didn't disappoint. The Steamed Fillet of Cod with Black Fungus Mushroom, Red Dates and Shredded Ginger was soft and tender, with the red dates giving it a slightly sweet taste, much like the mangoes in Hai Tien Lo's rendition. However I did find the gravy a little heavy on the sweetness.
Joke of the day best describes the Braised Vermicelli with Salted Fish and Minced Pork. It was too soft, a result of soaking the Vermicelli in water for too long and it was practically tasteless. I have eaten better fried Vermicelli in hawker centres. To think that it is listed as one of the Chef's specialties. Geez.
My extra order of Yang Chow Fried Rice was pretty normal. Sure the ingredients were generous and the rice evenly coated and fried, but it wasn't fragrant enough. Add the dryness of the rice and you get a lacklustre offering. Serving size is about a third of your neighbourhood kopitiam's $3 fried rice, but it goes for $8 instead.
In all honesty, I liked the desserts most of all. The Chilled Mango Pudding was very smooth and refreshing without being too sweet. Strands of Pomelo added bite to the dish. Accompanying the Chilled Mango Pudding was a small serving of Avocado Pudding and Almond Biscuit. While I found the Avocado Pudding a little bland, I did like the Almond Biscuit. It was freshly baked and not too dry or soggy, with a slight almond taste. Last up was my other additional order of Rice Flour Crisp coated with Maple Syrup and Sesame Seeds. It looked like Keropok (fish/prawn crackers) with a sprinkling of Sesame Seeds and god knows what. But I liked it! It tasted like Kellog's Honeystars, albeit a crispier, lighter and not so sweet version (For those who have never tried Honeystars, please go to your nearest supermarket and grab a box now).
A slightly above average dinner for 2 pax stood at $48.65/-. Cheap because of the promotion. If not, prices are rather steep and alot of the dishes are priced per head. Service is generally good, but could well do with a little genuine friendliness.
See all my pictures here
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
Just a small nugget of information for those who didn't know, Teochew style Bak Kut Teh is characterised by a clear soup with a peppery base whereas the Hokkien style Bak Kut Teh is darker in colour and heavy on the herbs. As to which tastes better, it boils down to individual preferences. I, for one, prefer the Teochew style. Founder's soup base is very peppery and light, with the pork ribs cooked just right (the meat is slightly reddish). The result is tender pork ribs which exude the tasty goodness of the soup. At $5.50 a bowl, it is slightly on the high side though. But there's air conditioning if you sit inside and the quality is really consistent and good, so I guess its worth the extra money.
See all my pictures here
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
There's an option of al fresco seating in the relatively small outdoor area or indoor seating in a much larger(and cooler) area which boasts clean lines, wooden pillars and oozes minimalistic elegance. Music was rather tasteful as well if I may say, a most fitting complement to the ambience.
Seafood Sampler ($18) - Almost every tom, dick and harry western eatery I know of has some variation of the seafood platter, be it in name, variety of seafood or otherwise. Which explains the lack of expectations for this dish. Even then, it was a disappointment. The prawns weren't fresh, the batter was too thick and the fries were too soggy. Probably the only positive aspect was the accompanying sauces - beetroot with mayonnaise and lime(?) with mint, both of which were unique in their own right. On a side note, the platter was huge, enough for about 4 pax to share (in the misery, (un)fortunately).
Spinach and Wild Mushrooms Salad ($7.50) - I had expected mushrooms covered by/mixed with a tower of spinach so this dish kinda screwed my expectations a little. The thinly sliced mushrooms were buttery and tasty whereas the button and shitake mushrooms came across as rather normal. The spinach was fresh but a little too soft from the balsamic vinaigrette. I liked the dash of cheese atop though.
Oriental Cod Fish ($24) - The name caught my eye. This is probably an example of modern European cuisine, European food with a fusion twist. Taste wise, the fish was fresh and well complemented by the sweet wolfberries and salty bacon bits. However, the meat could have been a little firmer for better texture.
Tenderloin Steak ($28) - The steak wasn't up to expectations. Period. Sure, it was done medium rare just the way we ordered it, but the meat was too soft, probably from the overuse of tenderizer? The lack of marination was apparent - the beef relied on the overly salty sauce to give it taste. Nothing like the pièce de résistance I had at Prive. I didn't quite like the accompanying potato gratin as well as I found it too dry and heavy on the palate.
Chicken Roulade ($20) - This was probably the best dish of the evening, simple yet close to the heart. Fragrant, tender and juicy, the chicken had bacon and spinach stuffed in between which added a slight salty dimension to it. The avocado salad really wasn't my cup of tea though. Very soft and mashed up, it reminded me of baby food. But I guess this really boils down to personal preference.
Victorian Creme Brulee ($8) - Aesthetics wise, the creme brulee was rather pleasing, especially when served with the rose petals. However, its texture reminded me more of egg custard than creme brulee, which is something rather weird. There was also a small rose bud embedded within, which came across as rather overwhelming.
Tira Mi Su ($9) - Another visually pleasing dessert, the tiramisu didn't impress with its pudding like mascarpone cheese mousse. It tasted really weird to me, but I guess thats personal preference as well. I couldn't detect any hint of liqueur at all and the cake was rather soggy from the espresso coffee at the bottom. It wasn't entirely disastrous though. At least it came across as light on the palate.
Overall, the food certainly isn't great but the soothing ambience and attentive service more than makes up for it. You won't have to worry about still or sparkling here as well as they serve natural strawberry flavoured ice water, a deviation from the norm.
*disclaimer: This tasting session was for the purpose of ascertaining the suitability of Absolute Haven for one of our upcoming events.
See all my pictures here
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!hmm.. so the food tasting session is for the coming one on 25 jan dinner? u, claudia, bobo all went liao, den 25 going again? absolute heaven really so good ar?
12 Jan 2008 at 11:21 am
yeah! going going! got other dishes to try leh.
12 Jan 2008 at 11:09 pm
The heavy rains throughout the island on Saturday didn't deter us one bit, although it did make us terribly late for our reservation (45 mins in fact. We got there at 1345hrs instead). Upon arrival, we were seated at a pretty cosy table at one of the corners of the restaurant, which was fine with me except for the fact that the tables surrounding us were occupied by groups of people who were making quite a bit of noise with their loud guffaws and raised voices. That really didn't sit well with me, as I didn't trudge through the heavy rain to listen to people's gossips about the latest games or that secret romance. Maybe I'm being a little cranky here, but try getting your pants all wet with a less then dry gf and having to put up with all that loud chatter. I could barely have a decent conversation with my gf throughout the whole meal. Ok enough of my rambling. The cafe was quite nicely done, with huge paintings adorning the walls and floor to ceilings windows offering a view of the outside world. Capacity would easily be in excess of 100 pax, not that it was needed though, with only about 10 pax throughout the whole course of my meal there.
I did a rough estimate on the number of buffet offerings and it totalled about 40, most of which were common fare like dim sum, sandwiches, salads, Rojak, Ice Kachang, noodles and a splattering of sushi and sashimi, which was still ok, given the price and well, its supposed to be high tea. I made it a point to try everything that Cafe Vic had to offer and two words sum my experience up. PLAIN DISAPPOINTMENT. Everything from the sushi to the desserts, were at best, average. The sushi's rice was cold and dry and the same could be said for the sandwiches. The roast duck was way too salty and the deep fried fishballs tasted rubbery and starchy. Even something as simple as fried noodles was a disaster, with parts of the noodle dry and hard. The selection of salads like the smoked chicken salad and the chicken sausage salad was still ok though. The desserts were average, but I particularly liked the pear pie, which I felt was the only one that shone amongst all the desserts, particularly with its nicely baked crust. Even my gf agrees. However, I must compliment on their service, though not fantastic, was good enough for me.
It cost us about $46 after taxes and a 10% discount with my UOB card, which effectively works out to be $23/pax. Definitely not expensive, but quality of food leaves much to be desired, which I feel is a pity given its simple yet nicely done interior. Also, given my good experiences with Wah Lok, I would have expected more from Cafe Vic. Hence, my stand on Cafe Vic is this. Go for it if you just want to gorge yourself with food for a long period (12-5pm no time limit) and food quality bears little significance to you or if you want to just find a nice place to while the weekend afternoons away with your friends over food at a not too hefty price tag. (Sit in a secluded area though)
See all my pictures here
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
We tried almost everything on the menu. That might seem a little greedy, but trust me when I say this; portions are single servings (read small) and I estimate that we ate about 20 dishes in all. I found everything pretty average, with the deep fried beancurd being slightly above average. It was nicely diced and fried, with a sprinkling of salt and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). The roast duck had a nice crisp skin, but minimal meat, which was a bummer really. I did like the wantons for their huge and fresh prawns which were tasty and crunchy. But overall, nothing really stood out.
Damage was $22.40/pax, with the 40 cents going to the cost of the wet towels. Not exactly value for money, but it was a pretty satisfying and enjoyable dinner (for me at least). Service was also quite good and the place was nice and quiet. Still it’s not worth the $22 in my opinion. Approximately $15-$17 would have been just right. Having said that, I might just be convinced to try it again because it offers a relaxed environment with decent food at a not too expensive price. (Actually no hotel that I know has a buffet dinner at $22 NETT)
See all my pictures here
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!Got lah. Those not well known one. Have to say that @ $22 nett is consider cheap alr.
11 Jan 2008 at 10:47 am
i thot they serve noodles.. coz it's noogee.. like.. noo.. hahaha.. maybe will try sometime. so near to my school!
19 Apr 2008 at 4:38 am