If you have been following through LIC, you will know that i never fancy buffet, because the greedy me will want to eat as much as possible to satisfy the price, and you need to fork out big money for quality buffet, think The line at Shangri-la, Wasabi bistro, Melt the world cafe.
Having said that, as my family wanted a weekend dinner buffet without being too heavy on the pocket, i did some research online, and decided on Feast @ East the buffet restaurant. Nothing mind-blowing, just the rather reasonable bill for a weekend dinner buffet, which can otherwise be very expensive.
Feast @ East is located at Grand Mercure roxy hotel at East coast road, just directly opposite Parkway parade. I do have doubts about restaurants in hotel situated in suburban area initially. But i guess there’s always a first time for everything.
The interior of Feast @ East is rather big, i think housing 80-100 shouldn’t be a problem. As the name implies, firstly the heritage feast in the east. And second, they are a buffet restaurant. Duh!
A gastronomic journey of food from a bygone area which many may have forgotten and also the familiar favourites. Truly authentic tastes from the various cultures and lifestyle of Singapore.
This is how Feast @ East describe themselves, and i do agree to certain extent. What really impress me about Feast @ East is the small little details they go into, to create the bygone area feel with some of the stuff that we used to see when we are just small kids. You will see them in the pictures later.
However, the food really is average, nothing much to shout about, and before the buffet here, i had Kampong chicken, went to Bark cafe, so i wasn’t very hungry.
“Authentic” local delights Somehow i feel that they are more like Hawker food, and honestly, hawker food are best eaten in hawker, not a restaurant.
Roasted meat selectionsSurprisingly the roast duck is actually quite good. I am more of a duck than chicken fan, and i must say the duck gets the thumbs up!
Gammon Ham The gammon ham is too salty, not to our liking. Generous in serving, but wait, this is a all-you-can-eat buffet after all.
Mee Siam I had a taste of the mee siam, i’m not sure how you exactly describe a good mee siam, but i think this one is normal.
Laksa The laksa is quite all right to be fair, nothing fantastic, but nothing bad either.
The desserts section are really the part that set me licking, literally. I am a sucker for desserts, and for feast @ east, i didn’t really try most of their local food, instead my efforts are all channel into, yes desserts.
How can one resist the warm and chocolaty, chocolate fondue. Definitely not me, put a marshmallow under the flowing chocolate, and its simply goodness, do it the same with different kind of fruits!
The desserts and cakes selections are rather comprehensive, there are hits and misses of course.
Total Bill is $134.15 for 4 person which works out to be about $33 per head. The normal price for their buffet dinner will be $38, but we use the Citicard promotion, 1 dines free with 3 paying adults. At $33, i guess the price isn’t that expensive given its a weekend buffet dinner. But at $38, i might think twice before coming.
You can’t really speak of quality in the food, we felt that they are normal, at best a few dish stands out. Otherwise you are actually paying for the experience of eating hawker food in a restaurant environment. Dessert-wise i think its not too bad, with quite a repertoire to choose from.
Like what i mentioned earlier, credits to Feast @ East for putting in the effort in the small details which creates a truly heritage feel, the gastronomic journey of food from a bygone area which many may have forgotten. The concept is good, but the food just needs to be better.
If you are not too fussy about food, Feast @ East do makes a nice place to bring your family along for a buffet spread. But if you are particular about the quality of food, stir clear of this place.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Dim sum was on the cards again and this time it was at Peach Garden at OCBC building. Peach Garden appealed with its location, promise of a great view as well as its stellar reviews for dim sum.
Perched on the 33rd floor of OCBC building at Chulia Street, Peach Garden offers a birds eye view of the surrounding area if you manage to get a window seat of course. The interior oozes class with its traditional Chinese wooden decor complete with thick carpets for that touch of exclusivity.
Appetiser - This was really weird tasting to me because it had cordyceps in it, which reminded me of maggots. I shall not attempt to elaborate more.
Steamed Siew Mai with Phoneix Prawn - A staple in any dim sum offering, the siew mai was quite different in the sense that there was alot of prawn in it and though fresh, it overwhelmed the taste of the pork. I'm not really complaining though. What I didn't appreciate was the prawns not being fully de shelled, with the tip still showing. I guess the purpose was to show that it was a whole prawn in the siew mai.
Steamed Fresh Prawn Dumpling - You can't really go wrong with Har Gao and Peach Garden wasn't just about to challenge that notion. The skin, though a little too thick for my liking, was rather chewy and enveloped a dollop of nice crunchy prawns.
XO Carrot Cake - Okay this wasn't exactly very good, with the carrot cake a tad too soft and salty. Portions were very small as well for the price ($8). On the upside, it wasn't too oily and came across as rather fragrant.
Baked Spare Rib with BBQ Sauce - I've actually eaten this quite a few times from Peach Garden so it was no surprise that it was good as I remembered it to be. Crisp along the edges with a nice sweet aftertaste from the BBQ sauce while succulent and naturally sweet on the inside. But at $7 a pop, I don't exactly find it value for money.
Steamed Rice Roll with Prawn & Steamed Rice Roll with Char Siew - I hate to say this but both the steamed rice rolls aka chee cheong fan, were substandard. For one, the cheong fan's texture tasted rather coarse, not silky and smooth as I would have expected. To put it in perspective, there are a lot of hawker stalls out there that sell the same quality of chee cheong fan.
Boiled Porridge with Century Egg and Pork - The porridge was salty and between the 8 of us, we almost couldn't finish 4 bowls of it. That probably says alot. And strangely enough, the pork tasted more like chicken.
Steamed Xiao Long Bao with Conpoy - Average average average. The final verdict that most of us handed down. The skin was a tad too dry and thick while the juice within wasn't flavourful enough. Probably the only saving grace was that the pork taste wasn't too overwhelming.
Baked Mini Egg Tart - Flaky with a nice and not too sweet custard filling, the mini egg tarts were rather decent but not outstanding. For one, the crust was tasteless and at $1.30 each, its a total rip off.
Steamed BBQ Pork Bun - I personally thought that the flour was a little too thick for the bun, which made it quite a chore to eat. The char siew filling was decent though but it wasn't enough to make me write this dish off.
Steamed Yolk Cream Bun - A signature dish of Peach Garden and rightly so. The delicious smooth molten custard gushed out as soon as an opening was made in the moist bun skin, making for a messy but delightful dish. However, as with the BBQ pork bun, I did find the flour a little too thick as well. One thing I also found lacking was the presence of egg yolk sediment in the molten custard, which would have given it a slightly salty taste and a rougher texture. But all in all, an excellent eat nevertheless.
Baked BBQ Pork Pastry - After the excellent BBQ pork pastry aka char siew sou I had at Yan Ting, nothing else comes close. And Peach Garden's rendition was in no position to contest that claim. Though decent, the char siew did seem a tad too sweet for my liking while the pastry came across as flat.
An uninspiring dim sum session for 8 cost to the tune of $178 after a 15% discount. Service overwall was rather terrible save for a few rather nice gestures by 2 ladies who I presume to be the owners. Prices are still rather reasonable and if you can look past the hits and misses and generally slightly above average dim sum, you will probably like Peach Garden. As for me, I'll be happy to stick to my regular haunts.
Nothing much spectacular about this blogshop. Its not good but its not bad either. Therefore the 3 stars.
Adelin's accessories are pleasant to look at and very practical too. All of them are basic and simple pieces that can be worn with everyday clothes, even jeans and t-shirt. Actually, maybe even t-shirt and shorts and slippers. Hehe.
Certain materials Adelin uses are without a doubt rather unique (that bead thingy in the E089 earrings) but the overall design of the accessories isn't that spectacular. But that just means room for improvement!
The prices of her accessories are very affordable! If i was to buy something from the site, i would NOT think twice because the price is justifiable.
Cova, which opened in 1817 beside the famous “La Scala” theatre, was founded by Antonio Cova, a soldier of Napoleon who first ‘campaigned’ as a pastry chef in the Galleria De Cristoforis.
Over the past 190 off years, Cova has built up a name for its authentic Italian culture , offering an espresso coffee or a tea savoured in the comfort of a neo-classical lounge in the mainstay of high-society life.
Outside of Italy, Cova can only be found in Japan and Hong Kong, so land ahoy! For Cova has finally opened on our shores. Choosing the ritzy Paragon Shopping centre where the likes of Prada, Gucci can be found, for the opening in Singapore certainly won’t go wrong for a premium brand like Cova.
Caffe Cova is spilt into a tea room and restaurant, with the open concept cafe having the space once taken by Dome, and the restaurant taking over the premise of Swarovski crystal shop.
The restaurant interior is done up splendidly, the lighting and the tone is set in majestic gold to reflect the ambience of the place. The serving waiters are dressed smartly, stepping inside the restaurant, think fashion and lifestyle.
They had quite a wide range of cakes available, but its not available on the menu because the cakes changes everyday. So you’ll need to go to the counter to order for it.
But, the big but, there’s only several cakes of the day, which you order in slices. The rest are all sold in whole, which makes it difficult if you want to try many different cakes, or unless you got a large group with you.
Prices in a posh restaurant like Cova is definitely not what you will describe as affordable. For their dinner menu, the mains are all in the 30 range.
For a swanky restaurant, you may ask 30 should seem rather reasonable, given there’s other places not in their league but charge around the same price. But Cova being famous for its coffee, cakes and pastries, i remain skeptical about paying 30 for their main course.
My secret food partner and I went for dinner, but we were after their cakes and pastries after all. So we didn’t ordered any main course, desserts are enough!
Unfortunately for us, Caffe Cova seems to be very popular during tea time, when we went during dinner time, quite a lot of their pastries are sold out, that includes their signature Sacher cake. And we went just one week into their opening.
Bigne Pistachio Cova has sets for their mini pastries, with assortment of 4 petite ones going for 9 bucks. For such a miniature pastry at 2 bucks, it will make Bread Papa’s cream puff seems a very good deal. The bigne Pistachio does not really have much of a pistachio taste. Period.
Mini Chocolate Raspberry Tart The chocolate shavings on the mini chocolate raspberry tart is what caught my attention, its done very exquisitely and pretty to look at.
The raspberry in the middle is rather sourish, but i guess it gives a compliment in taste to the sweet chocolate. But i’ll rather the raspberry to be slightly sweeter to perfect the overall taste.
Mini Chocolate Gooseberry Tart Chocolate toppings coupled with gooseberry in the middle to make up the tart. Personally i do felt that the mini chooclate gooseberry tart is my least-like among the 4 pastries.
The gooseberry is too sourish, and its not like the case of the raspberry. Not so sure whether thats how gooseberry should be, but i don’t like the mini chocolate gooseberry tart.
Mini Chocolate Hazelnut Tart The hazelnut tart is the best of the lot, with the other three being quite a letdown. I love hazelnut, eating nutella out of the container is a favourite pastime for me. The mini chocolate hazelnut tart is gone in a mouthful, you wish there is more.
Assortment of cookies ($5.50 per 100 gram) There’s quite a wide variety of cookies to choose from, but please don’t be mistaken by the picture, there’s more cookies from the 100gram than the seven shown in it.
Back to the point, the cookies are actually quite ordinary, like your normal butter cookies. I like the Krumiri (long banana shape-like), butter cookie with chocolate coating at the tip.
My partner preferred the star shape cookie with-a-hole-in-the-middle, which is covered with sugar.
The assortment of cookies at $5.50 per 100 gram isn’t very expensive, for a place like Cova where everything else is so expensive. But considering the fact that Famous Amos cookies are priced in the repotire of 4 plus, i do think buying famous amos is a better economic choice
Nevertheless, Cova cookies selections are placed in a nice bag, which makes a rather affordable and presentable gift for friends and family.
Gamberi ($14) A refreshing combination of prawn and mayonnaise. The bread was a soft brioche so credits for that. But the Gamberi sandwich wasn’t even hot and toasted.
Furthermore, the sandwich portions were meagres given the price, the shrimps were crunchy but there’s only 3 tiny ones in the sandwich.
Total Bill is $32.50 for the pastries, cookies and sandwich. All in all, Cova is a good place for novelty, if u havent been to better italian sidewalk cafes, or even tried da paolo’s sweet little treats, its a nice place to experience the tai-tai lifestyle. Otherwise, i do find it quite a rip-off, which Cova rides on its brand name and not really worth it.
There are certainly other places for better cakes and pastries, but i guess going to Cova is more than just that, its the overall glamorous experience seating in Cova that really attracts people there. Maybe i will go back again for their Sacher cake.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
First impression of the site was pretty good. Nice header banner and tabs for easy navigation. But when i scrolled further down, i was sorely disappointed.
Ever experience the feeling of being "cheated"? Like when you see something so awesome from the outside that you feel like checking it out inside, but when you go in, you wanna go back out again.
Thats what i felt like after i scrolled down the page.
I just don't get what's going on! I feel like there's simply no concept or theme for any of the pieces of accessories, and i simply can't find any tinge of character in the accessories.
Most of them are bordering visually-tormenting. Perhaps its my individual taste, or maybe it could be my high expectations, but really, i can't find anything i'm remotely interested in owning from this blogstore!
The pictures i have submitted are what i consider to be the best pieces of accessories i can find from that blogstore, and frankly speaking, i don't really like any of it.
I can't comment on their service and after-sales service because i don't even want to buy anything from there.
Visit them only if you think i'm being overly critical.
An aesthetically pleasing blogstore to browse through, The Red Jewel has a very nice and well-designed layout which very much suits the name the of the blogstore!
The Red Jewel is run by Sam, a Singaporean girl currently based in Australia.
Her accessories are mostly simple and clean cut, with an occasional few slightly more complexed ones.
Judging from the website, i personally feel that Sam, the owner of The Red Jewel, specializes more in necklaces. Her more complexed pieces are mostly found in the necklace section.
Not that all the other accessories aren't nice. They are, in fact, rather pleasing! Plus they are easy to match and not too showy, which is a good thing because it means that its very much suited to daily use!
However, i feel that some of the prices are quite high and its the only factor that's keeping me from sweeping the whole blogstore clean! Good and bad in certain ways i guess. Or perhaps its just me being strict on my budget.
After-sales service is awesome! I always feel that after-sales service is extremely important in order to make customers even more satisfied with their purchases!
The first time i bought a bracelet from Sam, it arrived in the mail all broken! I immediately contacted her about it and she told me to mail it back to her and that she'd repair it and send it back at no cost at all, and she even gave me a free pair of earrings to make up for it!
Now that is not a must for all blogshop owners, but what she did was really sweet and i feel that she really took it to another level by doing such a thing, and i was really pleased with how she handled everything, unlike some other blogshop owners who shirk responsibilities of accessories being spoiled in the mail.
Do visit The Red Jewel if you're looking for some nice accessories and you're not too tight on budget! Its worth paying for!
What sets Ipoh Hor Fun apart from the bastardised version lies in the Sar Hor Fun (or 沙河粉). Local-produce Hor Fun somehow just doesn’t seem to meet the mark in terms of smoothness and silkiness factor. This is where Teck Kee steps in to bridge the gap.
Located just 2 stalls away from Ah Kow’s Mushroom Minced Pork Mee, it is interesting to see which among the two has a longer snaking queue during lunch time, even though a small serving of Teck Kee’s Crayfish Hor Fun comes knocking at $5 per plate, $6.50 for medium and $9.50 for large – surely there must be good reasons! I dare say Teck Kee's rice noodles is probably the closest you can get in terms of texture – It’s so smooth that it slips down the throat easily! I had the medium serving (not very filling though) and what came with it was a pretty good size Crayfish.
The flesh was firm and meaty but then again that’s all that is to it. Instead I thought the Big Prawns were much sweeter and less “rubbery” compared to the crayfish.
The gravy sauce was kinda disappointing though – I feel that it is not robust enough to go with the already plain Hor Fun.
Perhaps one is meant to dip the noodles and ingredients in the chilli sauce for a stronger flavour but I would probably be back for them only when I have a craving for smooth Ipoh Hor Fun.
This is probably the Best Sar Hor Fun around in Singapore, but gravy was disappointing. I also find it to be expensive for hawker standard, and serving wasn't big.
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Fresh with the memory of Bangkok's excellent Thai food and armed with a craving for Phad Thai, I headed down to First Thai at Purvis Street, which purportedly serves up authentic Thai food at reasonable prices.
The place sits right at the front of Purvis Street, making it easy to find and plays neighbours to Yet Con, which is next door and Chin Chin just across the road. Decor is very coffeeshop like save for the nice green olden style windows that look out to the main road. There is no airconditioning at this eatery so be prepared to sweat it out on a hot day. If the place is full, you'll probably have to share a table with someone or queue up outside the shop. Do note that you will not be seated until everyone in your group is present.
Tom Yam Soup Individual Serving - This is one of the better tom yam soups that I've tried in Singapore and at $7 a pop, it really isn't too expensive given the amount of ingredients in it. Light and sourish with a tinge of spiciness. But I would have preferred it a little spicier. And thats coming from someone whose spice tolerance level is rather low.
Pandan Chicken - Ok I got to admit that this isn't exactly cheap, at $8 for 4 bite sized pieces of pandan chicken. The chicken, though nice and juicy, didn't exactly wow me probably because of its rather mild taste. There was no burst in the mouth melody of flavours that I experienced while eating it in Bangkok. But still a nice eat nevertheless.
Phad Thai ($8)- One of the highly recommended dishes and purportedly one of the best in Singapore, the Phad Thai was actually quite good. Lightly sweet with a firm and chewy texture. However, it was a little too wet as compared to what I had in Bangkok. The ubiquitous dried shrimps were also missing. I know that dried shrimps are optional but they give an added texture and introduce a much appreciated salty dimension to the dish. Personally I still prefer the Phad Thai from Sweet Salty Spicy Food Market & Thai Canteen.
The cost of food sufficient for 1 pax stood at $23 (no GST, no service charge), which is still acceptable given the quality of food. However, drinks cost me an additional $8 which is terribly expensive. $3 for a glass of coconut juce, $4 if you want less ice. 50 cents for warm water and 50 cents for ice only. So technically if you wanted ice water, it will be $1/cup. Theres the more expensive option of bottled water though, starting at $2 (without ice). Sorry but I think its a rip off, especially when its only a coffeeshop. If I ever visit again, I'll be sure to bring my own water.
Can I don't put any star for this?
People, PLS AVOID this restaurant!
I am so infuriated that I have to write this within 24 hours!
Firstly, my parents and I were tempted when we saw their advertisement in VivoCity. Thus we went a long way searching for it. It was located in one corner.
The charge was $18.90 per adult.
The opening hours of the restaurant stated 11am to 1030pm. When we reached there, it was around 9pm.
One waiter ushered us to a table hurriedly, with some sort of abit of frustrated look on his face. There were only 3 soups to choose from (mala, chicken, and seafood), and we could have 2 soups.
We went to get our food from the buffet spread, and were kind of disappointed with the spread as they seemed to be finishing soon. It was only 9pm!! And they already stopped refilling the food! And yet the opening hours stated till 1030pm...
There were only 2 pathetic pieces of unfresh looking prawns left in the tray; the crabs looked pathetically small and skinny; there were only a few pieces of watermelon left as well; the meats were still abit frozen; the dessert (looked like coconut milk with corns) was not covered in the shallow tray; the rest of the foods were so-so; the icecream container was clean and empty!!
The bowls for filling the chilli sauces with had runned out. The light soy sauce also had runned out. I had to ask a staff to refill.
Our steamboat soups - mala, and chicken, tasted so so only, quite near to tasteless. My mother tried the clams and said that there were sand in the clams.
We wanted to order drinks. However the staff didn't seem responsive when we asked for them to come over to our table. We ordered sour plum juice and lime juice, which cost $3.50 each. The sour plum juice was tooo sweet, and the lime juice tasted very artificial. Thus my father ordered a glass of plain water to mix it into his sour plum juice in order to unsweeten the sour plum juice. The plain water was charged for $1!
Around 930pm, I was shocked while eating halfway- They switched off some of the lights in the restaurant. The lights above me suddenly dimmed off. I felt kind of insulted, as if they were trying to chase us out. It was only 930pm! I already had no mood for eating anyway. Just hoping to eat as quickly as possible and get out of that place.
Slightly later, the staff there were beginning to clean up the place and prepare for the next day. Suddenly techno songs were played....what the....
947pm, the waiter came with the bill...my father was stunned. Because it wasn't even close to 1030pm, how could they bring us the bill themselves??
The total charges were $76.20. There was a 10% service charge, and also 7% GST. Was there much service to talk about here??
I was trying to check the bill but the waiter was waiting impatiently beside me, and with a rude expression, he asked for the bill back "with his eyes" and finger pointing at the bill i was holding.
After we left the restaurant, I realised something ridiculous on the receipt!! Pls refer to the photograph I attached- "Round 0.05".
What the hell was that?
I calculated that the total charge should be $76.15.
But they charged us $76.20. SO!! They charged us extra $0.05 just to ROUND UP.
This is totally ridiculous! Why should they round up??? Don't they even have 5 cents to return for change? Even Cheers and 7Eleven round down, not round up! What right does this restaurant have to round up the amount without the customer's consent?? This is really not reasonable at all. And of course, I'm sure nobody is stingy about 5 cents. But do you think what this restaurant does is right?? This is the first time I have ever encountered such a nonsense.
The former Marina South's chain of steamboat restaurants were much better than this ridiculous restaurant.
I will not return to this restaurant even if it's free of charge. They should do some self-reflection and improve, otherwise, better close down.
At Last APLINK has found an interesting and delicious place to eat in Singapore. This cozy restaurant (max 20 to 25 seating) gets top marks for service, decor and tasty italian cuisine.
Tucked away near Arab Street - the charming atmosphere and soothing music reminds me of being back in New Zealand away from the bustle of the commercialized daily life of a big city.
For a romantic, or small dinner party this restaurant will look after you and all your requests without any fuss just to make sure you have an "experience".
We had 3 courses - Prawns in Garlic Sauce (you need to order the garlic bread to soak up all the yummy sauce) & Prawn Salad, next Pan Fried Salmon wrapped in popiah skin & Veal Scallopini - and finished with Desserts of Poached Pear & Bon Bon Cakes - Cost $92.00 for two.
I will definately go back to try the Rolled Roasted Chicken !
1=SGD 0.0587
If you have been following through LIC, you will know that i never fancy buffet, because the greedy me will want to eat as much as possible to satisfy the price, and you need to fork out big money for quality buffet, think The line at Shangri-la, Wasabi bistro, Melt the world cafe.
Having said that, as my family wanted a weekend dinner buffet without being too heavy on the pocket, i did some research online, and decided on Feast @ East the buffet restaurant. Nothing mind-blowing, just the rather reasonable bill for a weekend dinner buffet, which can otherwise be very expensive.
Feast @ East is located at Grand Mercure roxy hotel at East coast road, just directly opposite Parkway parade. I do have doubts about restaurants in hotel situated in suburban area initially. But i guess there’s always a first time for everything.
The interior of Feast @ East is rather big, i think housing 80-100 shouldn’t be a problem. As the name implies, firstly the heritage feast in the east. And second, they are a buffet restaurant. Duh!
A gastronomic journey of food from a bygone area which many may have forgotten and also the familiar favourites. Truly authentic tastes from the various cultures and lifestyle of Singapore.
This is how Feast @ East describe themselves, and i do agree to certain extent. What really impress me about Feast @ East is the small little details they go into, to create the bygone area feel with some of the stuff that we used to see when we are just small kids. You will see them in the pictures later.
However, the food really is average, nothing much to shout about, and before the buffet here, i had Kampong chicken, went to Bark cafe, so i wasn’t very hungry.
“Authentic” local delights
Somehow i feel that they are more like Hawker food, and honestly, hawker food are best eaten in hawker, not a restaurant.
Roasted meat selectionsSurprisingly the roast duck is actually quite good. I am more of a duck than chicken fan, and i must say the duck gets the thumbs up!
Gammon Ham
The gammon ham is too salty, not to our liking. Generous in serving, but wait, this is a all-you-can-eat buffet after all.
Mee Siam
I had a taste of the mee siam, i’m not sure how you exactly describe a good mee siam, but i think this one is normal.
Laksa
The laksa is quite all right to be fair, nothing fantastic, but nothing bad either.
The desserts section are really the part that set me licking, literally. I am a sucker for desserts, and for feast @ east, i didn’t really try most of their local food, instead my efforts are all channel into, yes desserts.
How can one resist the warm and chocolaty, chocolate fondue. Definitely not me, put a marshmallow under the flowing chocolate, and its simply goodness, do it the same with different kind of fruits!
The desserts and cakes selections are rather comprehensive, there are hits and misses of course.
Total Bill is $134.15 for 4 person which works out to be about $33 per head. The normal price for their buffet dinner will be $38, but we use the Citicard promotion, 1 dines free with 3 paying adults. At $33, i guess the price isn’t that expensive given its a weekend buffet dinner. But at $38, i might think twice before coming.
You can’t really speak of quality in the food, we felt that they are normal, at best a few dish stands out. Otherwise you are actually paying for the experience of eating hawker food in a restaurant environment. Dessert-wise i think its not too bad, with quite a repertoire to choose from.
Like what i mentioned earlier, credits to Feast @ East for putting in the effort in the small details which creates a truly heritage feel, the gastronomic journey of food from a bygone area which many may have forgotten. The concept is good, but the food just needs to be better.
If you are not too fussy about food, Feast @ East do makes a nice place to bring your family along for a buffet spread. But if you are particular about the quality of food, stir clear of this place.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
Dim sum was on the cards again and this time it was at Peach Garden at OCBC building. Peach Garden appealed with its location, promise of a great view as well as its stellar reviews for dim sum.
Perched on the 33rd floor of OCBC building at Chulia Street, Peach Garden offers a birds eye view of the surrounding area if you manage to get a window seat of course. The interior oozes class with its traditional Chinese wooden decor complete with thick carpets for that touch of exclusivity.
Appetiser - This was really weird tasting to me because it had cordyceps in it, which reminded me of maggots. I shall not attempt to elaborate more.
Steamed Siew Mai with Phoneix Prawn - A staple in any dim sum offering, the siew mai was quite different in the sense that there was alot of prawn in it and though fresh, it overwhelmed the taste of the pork. I'm not really complaining though. What I didn't appreciate was the prawns not being fully de shelled, with the tip still showing. I guess the purpose was to show that it was a whole prawn in the siew mai.
Steamed Fresh Prawn Dumpling - You can't really go wrong with Har Gao and Peach Garden wasn't just about to challenge that notion. The skin, though a little too thick for my liking, was rather chewy and enveloped a dollop of nice crunchy prawns.
XO Carrot Cake - Okay this wasn't exactly very good, with the carrot cake a tad too soft and salty. Portions were very small as well for the price ($8). On the upside, it wasn't too oily and came across as rather fragrant.
Baked Spare Rib with BBQ Sauce - I've actually eaten this quite a few times from Peach Garden so it was no surprise that it was good as I remembered it to be. Crisp along the edges with a nice sweet aftertaste from the BBQ sauce while succulent and naturally sweet on the inside. But at $7 a pop, I don't exactly find it value for money.
Steamed Rice Roll with Prawn & Steamed Rice Roll with Char Siew - I hate to say this but both the steamed rice rolls aka chee cheong fan, were substandard. For one, the cheong fan's texture tasted rather coarse, not silky and smooth as I would have expected. To put it in perspective, there are a lot of hawker stalls out there that sell the same quality of chee cheong fan.
Boiled Porridge with Century Egg and Pork - The porridge was salty and between the 8 of us, we almost couldn't finish 4 bowls of it. That probably says alot. And strangely enough, the pork tasted more like chicken.
Steamed Xiao Long Bao with Conpoy - Average average average. The final verdict that most of us handed down. The skin was a tad too dry and thick while the juice within wasn't flavourful enough. Probably the only saving grace was that the pork taste wasn't too overwhelming.
Baked Mini Egg Tart - Flaky with a nice and not too sweet custard filling, the mini egg tarts were rather decent but not outstanding. For one, the crust was tasteless and at $1.30 each, its a total rip off.
Steamed BBQ Pork Bun - I personally thought that the flour was a little too thick for the bun, which made it quite a chore to eat. The char siew filling was decent though but it wasn't enough to make me write this dish off.
Steamed Yolk Cream Bun - A signature dish of Peach Garden and rightly so. The delicious smooth molten custard gushed out as soon as an opening was made in the moist bun skin, making for a messy but delightful dish. However, as with the BBQ pork bun, I did find the flour a little too thick as well. One thing I also found lacking was the presence of egg yolk sediment in the molten custard, which would have given it a slightly salty taste and a rougher texture. But all in all, an excellent eat nevertheless.
Baked BBQ Pork Pastry - After the excellent BBQ pork pastry aka char siew sou I had at Yan Ting, nothing else comes close. And Peach Garden's rendition was in no position to contest that claim. Though decent, the char siew did seem a tad too sweet for my liking while the pastry came across as flat.
An uninspiring dim sum session for 8 cost to the tune of $178 after a 15% discount. Service overwall was rather terrible save for a few rather nice gestures by 2 ladies who I presume to be the owners. Prices are still rather reasonable and if you can look past the hits and misses and generally slightly above average dim sum, you will probably like Peach Garden. As for me, I'll be happy to stick to my regular haunts.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Nothing much spectacular about this blogshop. Its not good but its not bad either. Therefore the 3 stars.
Adelin's accessories are pleasant to look at and very practical too. All of them are basic and simple pieces that can be worn with everyday clothes, even jeans and t-shirt. Actually, maybe even t-shirt and shorts and slippers. Hehe.
Certain materials Adelin uses are without a doubt rather unique (that bead thingy in the E089 earrings) but the overall design of the accessories isn't that spectacular. But that just means room for improvement!
The prices of her accessories are very affordable! If i was to buy something from the site, i would NOT think twice because the price is justifiable.
A pleasant blogstore to browse.
Rating given:
Cova, which opened in 1817 beside the famous “La Scala” theatre, was founded by Antonio Cova, a soldier of Napoleon who first ‘campaigned’ as a pastry chef in the Galleria De Cristoforis.
Over the past 190 off years, Cova has built up a name for its authentic Italian culture , offering an espresso coffee or a tea savoured in the comfort of a neo-classical lounge in the mainstay of high-society life.
Outside of Italy, Cova can only be found in Japan and Hong Kong, so land ahoy! For Cova has finally opened on our shores. Choosing the ritzy Paragon Shopping centre where the likes of Prada, Gucci can be found, for the opening in Singapore certainly won’t go wrong for a premium brand like Cova.
Caffe Cova is spilt into a tea room and restaurant, with the open concept cafe having the space once taken by Dome, and the restaurant taking over the premise of Swarovski crystal shop.
The restaurant interior is done up splendidly, the lighting and the tone is set in majestic gold to reflect the ambience of the place. The serving waiters are dressed smartly, stepping inside the restaurant, think fashion and lifestyle.
They had quite a wide range of cakes available, but its not available on the menu because the cakes changes everyday. So you’ll need to go to the counter to order for it.
But, the big but, there’s only several cakes of the day, which you order in slices. The rest are all sold in whole, which makes it difficult if you want to try many different cakes, or unless you got a large group with you.
Prices in a posh restaurant like Cova is definitely not what you will describe as affordable. For their dinner menu, the mains are all in the 30 range.
For a swanky restaurant, you may ask 30 should seem rather reasonable, given there’s other places not in their league but charge around the same price. But Cova being famous for its coffee, cakes and pastries, i remain skeptical about paying 30 for their main course.
My secret food partner and I went for dinner, but we were after their cakes and pastries after all. So we didn’t ordered any main course, desserts are enough!
Unfortunately for us, Caffe Cova seems to be very popular during tea time, when we went during dinner time, quite a lot of their pastries are sold out, that includes their signature Sacher cake. And we went just one week into their opening.
Bigne Pistachio
Cova has sets for their mini pastries, with assortment of 4 petite ones going for 9 bucks. For such a miniature pastry at 2 bucks, it will make Bread Papa’s cream puff seems a very good deal. The bigne Pistachio does not really have much of a pistachio taste. Period.
Mini Chocolate Raspberry Tart
The chocolate shavings on the mini chocolate raspberry tart is what caught my attention, its done very exquisitely and pretty to look at.
The raspberry in the middle is rather sourish, but i guess it gives a compliment in taste to the sweet chocolate. But i’ll rather the raspberry to be slightly sweeter to perfect the overall taste.
Mini Chocolate Gooseberry Tart
Chocolate toppings coupled with gooseberry in the middle to make up the tart. Personally i do felt that the mini chooclate gooseberry tart is my least-like among the 4 pastries.
The gooseberry is too sourish, and its not like the case of the raspberry. Not so sure whether thats how gooseberry should be, but i don’t like the mini chocolate gooseberry tart.
Mini Chocolate Hazelnut Tart
The hazelnut tart is the best of the lot, with the other three being quite a letdown. I love hazelnut, eating nutella out of the container is a favourite pastime for me. The mini chocolate hazelnut tart is gone in a mouthful, you wish there is more.
Assortment of cookies ($5.50 per 100 gram)
There’s quite a wide variety of cookies to choose from, but please don’t be mistaken by the picture, there’s more cookies from the 100gram than the seven shown in it.
Back to the point, the cookies are actually quite ordinary, like your normal butter cookies. I like the Krumiri (long banana shape-like), butter cookie with chocolate coating at the tip.
My partner preferred the star shape cookie with-a-hole-in-the-middle, which is covered with sugar.
The assortment of cookies at $5.50 per 100 gram isn’t very expensive, for a place like Cova where everything else is so expensive. But considering the fact that Famous Amos cookies are priced in the repotire of 4 plus, i do think buying famous amos is a better economic choice
Nevertheless, Cova cookies selections are placed in a nice bag, which makes a rather affordable and presentable gift for friends and family.
Gamberi ($14)
A refreshing combination of prawn and mayonnaise. The bread was a soft brioche so credits for that. But the Gamberi sandwich wasn’t even hot and toasted.
Furthermore, the sandwich portions were meagres given the price, the shrimps were crunchy but there’s only 3 tiny ones in the sandwich.
Total Bill is $32.50 for the pastries, cookies and sandwich. All in all, Cova is a good place for novelty, if u havent been to better italian sidewalk cafes, or even tried da paolo’s sweet little treats, its a nice place to experience the tai-tai lifestyle. Otherwise, i do find it quite a rip-off, which Cova rides on its brand name and not really worth it.
There are certainly other places for better cakes and pastries, but i guess going to Cova is more than just that, its the overall glamorous experience seating in Cova that really attracts people there. Maybe i will go back again for their Sacher cake.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
First impression of the site was pretty good. Nice header banner and tabs for easy navigation. But when i scrolled further down, i was sorely disappointed.
Ever experience the feeling of being "cheated"? Like when you see something so awesome from the outside that you feel like checking it out inside, but when you go in, you wanna go back out again.
Thats what i felt like after i scrolled down the page.
I just don't get what's going on! I feel like there's simply no concept or theme for any of the pieces of accessories, and i simply can't find any tinge of character in the accessories.
Most of them are bordering visually-tormenting. Perhaps its my individual taste, or maybe it could be my high expectations, but really, i can't find anything i'm remotely interested in owning from this blogstore!
The pictures i have submitted are what i consider to be the best pieces of accessories i can find from that blogstore, and frankly speaking, i don't really like any of it.
I can't comment on their service and after-sales service because i don't even want to buy anything from there.
Visit them only if you think i'm being overly critical.
Rating given:
An aesthetically pleasing blogstore to browse through, The Red Jewel has a very nice and well-designed layout which very much suits the name the of the blogstore!
The Red Jewel is run by Sam, a Singaporean girl currently based in Australia.
Her accessories are mostly simple and clean cut, with an occasional few slightly more complexed ones.
Judging from the website, i personally feel that Sam, the owner of The Red Jewel, specializes more in necklaces. Her more complexed pieces are mostly found in the necklace section.
Not that all the other accessories aren't nice. They are, in fact, rather pleasing! Plus they are easy to match and not too showy, which is a good thing because it means that its very much suited to daily use!
However, i feel that some of the prices are quite high and its the only factor that's keeping me from sweeping the whole blogstore clean! Good and bad in certain ways i guess. Or perhaps its just me being strict on my budget.
After-sales service is awesome! I always feel that after-sales service is extremely important in order to make customers even more satisfied with their purchases!
The first time i bought a bracelet from Sam, it arrived in the mail all broken! I immediately contacted her about it and she told me to mail it back to her and that she'd repair it and send it back at no cost at all, and she even gave me a free pair of earrings to make up for it!
Now that is not a must for all blogshop owners, but what she did was really sweet and i feel that she really took it to another level by doing such a thing, and i was really pleased with how she handled everything, unlike some other blogshop owners who shirk responsibilities of accessories being spoiled in the mail.
Do visit The Red Jewel if you're looking for some nice accessories and you're not too tight on budget! Its worth paying for!
Rating given:
What sets Ipoh Hor Fun apart from the bastardised version lies in the Sar Hor Fun (or 沙河粉). Local-produce Hor Fun somehow just doesn’t seem to meet the mark in terms of smoothness and silkiness factor. This is where Teck Kee steps in to bridge the gap.
Located just 2 stalls away from Ah Kow’s Mushroom Minced Pork Mee, it is interesting to see which among the two has a longer snaking queue during lunch time, even though a small serving of Teck Kee’s Crayfish Hor Fun comes knocking at $5 per plate, $6.50 for medium and $9.50 for large – surely there must be good reasons! I dare say Teck Kee's rice noodles is probably the closest you can get in terms of texture – It’s so smooth that it slips down the throat easily! I had the medium serving (not very filling though) and what came with it was a pretty good size Crayfish.
The flesh was firm and meaty but then again that’s all that is to it. Instead I thought the Big Prawns were much sweeter and less “rubbery” compared to the crayfish.
The gravy sauce was kinda disappointing though – I feel that it is not robust enough to go with the already plain Hor Fun.
Perhaps one is meant to dip the noodles and ingredients in the chilli sauce for a stronger flavour but I would probably be back for them only when I have a craving for smooth Ipoh Hor Fun.
This is probably the Best Sar Hor Fun around in Singapore, but gravy was disappointing. I also find it to be expensive for hawker standard, and serving wasn't big.
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
Fresh with the memory of Bangkok's excellent Thai food and armed with a craving for Phad Thai, I headed down to First Thai at Purvis Street, which purportedly serves up authentic Thai food at reasonable prices.
The place sits right at the front of Purvis Street, making it easy to find and plays neighbours to Yet Con, which is next door and Chin Chin just across the road. Decor is very coffeeshop like save for the nice green olden style windows that look out to the main road. There is no airconditioning at this eatery so be prepared to sweat it out on a hot day. If the place is full, you'll probably have to share a table with someone or queue up outside the shop. Do note that you will not be seated until everyone in your group is present.
Tom Yam Soup Individual Serving - This is one of the better tom yam soups that I've tried in Singapore and at $7 a pop, it really isn't too expensive given the amount of ingredients in it. Light and sourish with a tinge of spiciness. But I would have preferred it a little spicier. And thats coming from someone whose spice tolerance level is rather low.
Pandan Chicken - Ok I got to admit that this isn't exactly cheap, at $8 for 4 bite sized pieces of pandan chicken. The chicken, though nice and juicy, didn't exactly wow me probably because of its rather mild taste. There was no burst in the mouth melody of flavours that I experienced while eating it in Bangkok. But still a nice eat nevertheless.
Phad Thai ($8)- One of the highly recommended dishes and purportedly one of the best in Singapore, the Phad Thai was actually quite good. Lightly sweet with a firm and chewy texture. However, it was a little too wet as compared to what I had in Bangkok. The ubiquitous dried shrimps were also missing. I know that dried shrimps are optional but they give an added texture and introduce a much appreciated salty dimension to the dish. Personally I still prefer the Phad Thai from Sweet Salty Spicy Food Market & Thai Canteen.
The cost of food sufficient for 1 pax stood at $23 (no GST, no service charge), which is still acceptable given the quality of food. However, drinks cost me an additional $8 which is terribly expensive. $3 for a glass of coconut juce, $4 if you want less ice. 50 cents for warm water and 50 cents for ice only. So technically if you wanted ice water, it will be $1/cup. Theres the more expensive option of bottled water though, starting at $2 (without ice). Sorry but I think its a rip off, especially when its only a coffeeshop. If I ever visit again, I'll be sure to bring my own water.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Can I don't put any star for this?
People, PLS AVOID this restaurant!
I am so infuriated that I have to write this within 24 hours!
Firstly, my parents and I were tempted when we saw their advertisement in VivoCity. Thus we went a long way searching for it. It was located in one corner.
The charge was $18.90 per adult.
The opening hours of the restaurant stated 11am to 1030pm. When we reached there, it was around 9pm.
One waiter ushered us to a table hurriedly, with some sort of abit of frustrated look on his face. There were only 3 soups to choose from (mala, chicken, and seafood), and we could have 2 soups.
We went to get our food from the buffet spread, and were kind of disappointed with the spread as they seemed to be finishing soon. It was only 9pm!! And they already stopped refilling the food! And yet the opening hours stated till 1030pm...
There were only 2 pathetic pieces of unfresh looking prawns left in the tray; the crabs looked pathetically small and skinny; there were only a few pieces of watermelon left as well; the meats were still abit frozen; the dessert (looked like coconut milk with corns) was not covered in the shallow tray; the rest of the foods were so-so; the icecream container was clean and empty!!
The bowls for filling the chilli sauces with had runned out. The light soy sauce also had runned out. I had to ask a staff to refill.
Our steamboat soups - mala, and chicken, tasted so so only, quite near to tasteless. My mother tried the clams and said that there were sand in the clams.
We wanted to order drinks. However the staff didn't seem responsive when we asked for them to come over to our table. We ordered sour plum juice and lime juice, which cost $3.50 each. The sour plum juice was tooo sweet, and the lime juice tasted very artificial. Thus my father ordered a glass of plain water to mix it into his sour plum juice in order to unsweeten the sour plum juice. The plain water was charged for $1!
Around 930pm, I was shocked while eating halfway- They switched off some of the lights in the restaurant. The lights above me suddenly dimmed off. I felt kind of insulted, as if they were trying to chase us out. It was only 930pm! I already had no mood for eating anyway. Just hoping to eat as quickly as possible and get out of that place.
Slightly later, the staff there were beginning to clean up the place and prepare for the next day. Suddenly techno songs were played....what the....
947pm, the waiter came with the bill...my father was stunned. Because it wasn't even close to 1030pm, how could they bring us the bill themselves??
The total charges were $76.20. There was a 10% service charge, and also 7% GST. Was there much service to talk about here??
I was trying to check the bill but the waiter was waiting impatiently beside me, and with a rude expression, he asked for the bill back "with his eyes" and finger pointing at the bill i was holding.
After we left the restaurant, I realised something ridiculous on the receipt!! Pls refer to the photograph I attached- "Round 0.05".
What the hell was that?
I calculated that the total charge should be $76.15.
But they charged us $76.20. SO!! They charged us extra $0.05 just to ROUND UP.
This is totally ridiculous! Why should they round up??? Don't they even have 5 cents to return for change? Even Cheers and 7Eleven round down, not round up! What right does this restaurant have to round up the amount without the customer's consent?? This is really not reasonable at all. And of course, I'm sure nobody is stingy about 5 cents. But do you think what this restaurant does is right?? This is the first time I have ever encountered such a nonsense.
The former Marina South's chain of steamboat restaurants were much better than this ridiculous restaurant.
I will not return to this restaurant even if it's free of charge. They should do some self-reflection and improve, otherwise, better close down.
Rating given:
At Last APLINK has found an interesting and delicious place to eat in Singapore. This cozy restaurant (max 20 to 25 seating) gets top marks for service, decor and tasty italian cuisine.
Tucked away near Arab Street - the charming atmosphere and soothing music reminds me of being back in New Zealand away from the bustle of the commercialized daily life of a big city.
For a romantic, or small dinner party this restaurant will look after you and all your requests without any fuss just to make sure you have an "experience".
We had 3 courses - Prawns in Garlic Sauce (you need to order the garlic bread to soak up all the yummy sauce) & Prawn Salad, next Pan Fried Salmon wrapped in popiah skin & Veal Scallopini - and finished with Desserts of Poached Pear & Bon Bon Cakes - Cost $92.00 for two.
I will definately go back to try the Rolled Roasted Chicken !
Rating given: