Was out for a birthday celebration for Andrew when he suggested having some dim sum which he had much positive feedback about. The idea was to find something affordable and tasty and he brought me and our mutual friend Mandy to Imperial in Takashimaya for the meal. According to him, its always packed, has great food and are at loggerheads with rival restaurant chain Crystal Jade. All the above is speculation by the way, nothing to back it up whatsoever.
In terms of the decor, the place is decked in slick, dark and contrasting colors to provide a high end feel to the place. The seats are available in 2 varieties, a pseudo al fresco open dining concept and a compartmentalized seating to maximize space. Both were thankfully spacious and accessible. Service wise, the place was decent. Attendants are attentive when there's less people, but as the crowd grows, so does their attention span. So be warned. Also, as the crowd increases, you get the feeling that they're trying to shoo you out once you've finished. Minor gripes but worth noting still.
Yam Puff ($3.30) - The yam puff is aesthetically pleasing but ultimately lacks bite. In fact, the consensus is that it sadly lacks taste. To be blunt and to the point, not recommended to try.
Deep Fried Beancurd Skin ($4.20) - Their rendition was pretty decent, full of shrimp, fish paste and chopped carrots deep fried to a nice crispy golden brown before being served. Whats not to like about it?
Siew Mai ($4) - Their siew mai came in generous portions and are bigger then usual. However, it also comes with a pretty strong meat and pork taste which may not be appealing to everyone. For example, i for one didn't like it too much.
Carrot Cake ($3.30) - The carrot cake is nicely done in my opinion, hot and fresh with little bits of lap cheong embedded in with bits of mushrooms. The result is a surpringly fragrant and sweet carrot cake reminiscent of Crystal Jade's rendition. Still, it is on the oily side as usual.
Pork Rib ($3.50) - Didn't have any of this at all. The impression from my friend was that it was ok though.
Stir Fried Mixed Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce ($14 for 2 plates) - Andrew's utmost recommendation is also one of the more expensive items. The stir fried mushrooms are a rather simple dish really. Majority of the taste came from the oyster sauce instead of the mushrooms but there's just enough sweetness to make it good. Filled with hoshimeiji, golden mushroom and enoki mushrooms, its an ideal treat for mushroom lovers. Look out for the price tag though.
Xiao Long Bao ($3.60) - Their rendition of Xiao Long Bao was passable but only just. The pork taste was too much and the soup wasn't really tasty as well. Not to mention the rather fragile skin which broke easily. More work needed here for sure.
Steamed Shrimp Rice Roll ($5.20) - Their steamed rice roll was a little too thick for my liking. Otherwise, the shrimp were crunchy, sweet and fresh while the soy sauce was adequate without being overwhelming.
Prawn Dumpling With Salad Dip ($8.40 for 2) - I'd say this was the star of the day actually. Sweet, juicy and bursting with flavor. The hot dish had the 3 of us going for seconds and still feeling there can be more. To be picky, it is still an oily dish but hey, i'd gladly have another. Do note, its only average but its good enough to recommend to eat when you're here.
Roasted Pork ($8) - Another recommended dish by Andrew, the pork here pales in comparison to Royal China, but of course, the price is different as well. The sad part is that the skin isn't as crispy as it should be and the meat lacked bite. The rest was salvaged by the mustard sauce which covered everything else up so that it was actually pretty good in the end.
BBQ Pork Pastry ($3.30) - Like the buns, the pastry was average at best. The bbq pork was sweet and filling but the pastry and bun were too thick. The pastry was also not fragrant enough, probably due to the lack of butter.
Custurd Bun ($3.60) - I love custard buns actually so i'm rather biased on this. This bun however, needs improvement as well. The bun itself is alright, fluffy and light but the custard inside is of the watery variety and was overly sweet. It was sweet to the point it felt like eating sugar syrup. Even my friends couldn't find it in them to like it and this was actually my order.
Egg Tarts ($3) - Well, these egg tarts weren't anything to shout about. Dry and practically tasteless. I'd say they need to really work on the recipe for the pastry and the filling.
The final bill for 3 people at a semi decent dim sum session accrued to $92.39. About $31 each. Reasonable bill but the quality can definately improve.
Its not that the food is bad here. In fact, it was decent. Service was prompt. Selection was plentiful. Ambiance was acceptable. The problem is the quality of the food and the fact that with the same amount, we could have eaten in Royal China or even Yan Ting. (Yan Ting no longer has ala carte as of this post. They have a buffet selection at $68 per head now) Still, i think the company made the meal most enjoyable and there's nothing like a good get together of friends to catch up on their lives. And that is what's really important.
Being the little blue collar worker that i am, its only natural that i have less lavish lunches and meals as the economy falls like a cut pendulum. Its a sign of times and a sign of my diminishing pay check that brought me to consider cheaper meals but of course, i'm exaggerating a little here. The truth is, it was a boring work day and i was once again at Simei for lunch alone which thus prompted me to have something more economical. And this will be discussed below.
Lets talk about the bill first today, first of all, its not expensive. Costs only a mere $4.50 for a tempura set lunch with drink. The store itself is an open concept with generic plastic tables and chairs and the ordering system is reminiscent of fast food chains. You place your order at the counter, pay and take a seat. The selection of food is a decent variety of korean hot pots and japanese bento sets. Everything's fine so far.
Still, the actual set had me taken aback actually. No fries, a very small rice ball and a few fried potatos, fish and chicken. Thats it. The rice is especially saddening since its supposed to be the only thing to fill you up but its too little for anyone i suppose. The fried items were obviously oily as well. Taste wise, without the white sauce which tastes like a mix between tartar sauce and mayonaise, it would have been difficult to finish.
Perhaps i'm too harsh or i've ordered the wrong stuff, after all, many people patronize this place during lunch. In fact, it actually seems to be quite popular but they all had the Korean hot pot meals which i simply cannot take. My verdict? The place doesn't cost much and the hot pot seems popular, maybe its worth another try for hot pot lovers. I emphasize "maybe" here. So take your own risks.
It was during one of the celebrating months for my gf that we finally decided to give Big Fish a try after numerous recommendations. My gf loved fish and so, this has been in our minds for quite some time. Honestly, we're just trying to see if there's another place as worthwhile as the Manhatten Fish market in terms of food offerings since this is pretty much of the same theme. So it was that we stepped in and had our first encounter.
Complimentary Bread - The complimentary bread was served warm and soft which is a plus but otherwise, nothing significant. Not too sure if it is made in house either since its rather bland and simple.
The interior is rather spacious with around 4-6 wall sofa seats and a seating capacity of about 40-50 when full. The thing is, when we arrived, there was nary a soul and when we left, there was still only one other customer apart from us. This was around 645 - 8 pm. If i were the owner, i'd find that rather worrying actually. Service was decent with recommendations, explainations and was generally pleasantenough to commend. They could improve on waiting time though, since we were the only people there, the waiting time of 15 minutes before our soup was served seemed rather obsessive.
Mushroom Soup ($8.95) - The mushroom soup reminded me of the rendition i had in Eden cafe under Clement. The taste and texture is packed with mushroom bits and had some cream in it as well. The overal feeling is that its creamy and starchy to good effect. The serving size was not exactly big however and at the price, this left me a little disappointed.
Seafood Chowder ($8.95) - The seafood chowder was packed with ingredients as well and had lots of squid, a few pieces of shrimp, scallop and carrots within. The end result is a pleasing soup that opens up the appetite for the meal to come. Again, the serving size is too small when comparing the price.
Seafood Platter ($51.95) - Not knowing what to order, we opted for a safe choice to try a huge amount of stuff at a "perceived" reasonable price. The platter for 2 isn't exactly full of stuff but it does have more then enough for the 2 of us to finish. Fries, fish skewers, mussels, crayfish, scallops and rice round up the platter offering. The mussels and scallops were of a decent size and there was 2 each which meant no fighting for the food. They were also reasonably fresh, as is the crayfish and the grilled fish skewers. The skewers were nicely done, not too dry despite the grilling, while the rice and fries ensured you will be full from the set. I did think $50 for this is still too steep a price to pay though.
Creme Brulee ($8.95) - Well, after a meal of overly expensive items, the dessert finally looked up to the task of living up to the price. The creme brulee came looking like a winner and in fact, it was the best item i had that night. The fruit and decor is a wonderful touch and it helps that the fruits were all sweet and complimented the dessert well. The sugar layer was a little too thick and sweet but nothing too big. The bottom layer, i suspect, is made from vanilla extract since i didn't see any vanilla residue in the texture but i'm not complaining.
Chocolate Souffle ($9.95) - I ordered this thinking it was a molten chocolate cake but i was wrong. A souffle is more akin to cakes with a springy and fluffy texture. In fact, Souffle means to "blow up" and is made of a combination of egg whites and various ingredients. Their rendition should be considered decent as the top was lightly hard while the lower portion is fluffy and a little wet with chocolate. If i'm not wrong, its supposed to come with some sauce but there wasn't any. Decent but not my kind of dessert.
Finally, this experimental meal came up to a whooping $97.65 for 2 people on a simple weekday night.
Well, to say the food is bad would be unfair but i couldn't help feeling a heavy pinch in my heart for the amount i spent on this meal. For what i had, i think a price tag of about $60 or 70 plus taxes might have made me felt better. For improvement, serving the food faster and more economical pricing would bring me back but not before then.
A long belated post which has lain dormant in my list for some time. However, the memory remains fresh nonetheless, fresh enough to provide a review and an accurate impression of the experience i've had here.
To be honest, i've been past this place so many times, its amazing how i've never felt the urge to actually step in for a meal. The exterior looks rather dull and dark but the interior is bright and cheery with clean wooden tables and nice black chairs for a zen-like feel.Service was brisk, attentive and rather pleasant as well, which makes me wonder why the place was so quiet. It was peak lunch period when we patronized it and somehow, space was aplenty with a rather abysmal clientele.
The usual compulsory crackers ($3 each) - This was rather pushing the envelope for the rip-off department at $3 per basket of crackers but i must say, i actually liked it. The crackers were good, fragrant, strong vegetable taste but add in the chili and its a whole new game. Spicy, sweet and just good. $3 is still too much for it though.
Tahu Telur ($8.50) - A rather hearty portion if i say so myself. The tahu telur was overly hard at places but managed to remain acceptable mostly due to yet another excellently fragrant sauce. Its just the normal peanut sweet sauce with a little chili but it really makes this average dish taste better then it really is.However, paying $8.50 for it is something i won't soon repeat however.
Garlic Stir Fried Kailan ($14) - Kailan stands as one of my favorite greens and its a relief that they managed to at least preserve its good tastes with this dish.Nothing outstanding, its the casual garlic stir fried version but its fragrant and very appetising.
BBQ Platter ($48) - Fried whole fish, 2 grilled prawns, generous bbq calamari and squid, chicken and satay rounds up this huge platter of food. This is good. I mean its really pretty good in terms of overal quality. The prawns are grilled till there's a little char on the bottom but manages to make the shell so brittle, you can simply eat the entire thing without much fuss. The fish is huge and deep fried on the outside with the inside still thankfully moist and soft with sweet spices. This went really well with the balachan-like chili. The chicken was overdone which resulted in tough and dry meat but the overal was still nicely fragrant and sweet. The calamari was also done just right and like the rest of the package, is sweet and fragrant. The satay is acceptable and rather bigger portioned then regular satays. Overal, this is a rather good buy to me.
Asam Fish Head ($22) - This was something i touched very little of because i didn't want to sweat like a pig before returning to work. However, i couldn't resist eating the tender and sweet fish meat that was left over by my colleagues. The asam was actually slightly spicy but not overwhelming. The curry taste was rather strong but the fish head was definitely worthwhile at the meaty portions. Fishy taste is apparent but minimal as well.
Tom Yum Seafood ($24) - Their version of the oh-so-famous tom yum seafood soup. This is the clear version and it came packed with seafood. I mean it was literally bursting with ingredients like squid, fish, mussels, prawns and scallop. Its definitely strong in terms of taste and moderately spicy but if i'm not mistaken, still milder then the actual tom yum soup in Thailand. A pretty good rendition and value for money however.
Finally, a pleasing meal for 7 came up to a total of $141.95. I'd say this is rather worthwhile given the food we had.
Last Word: A pretty decent setting and decent serving of food. The pluses are the fact it came with good service and that the price of entry is rather low. For improvement, i'd suggest having more set meal options and tie ups with companies for catering and such to boost visibility.
After all the miscellaneous posts and wonderful experiences overseas, its back to Singapore food for me and time to start talking about it again. Makes you wonder if its just food overseas thats good or simply that food in Singapore that's not up to standard. Anyway, it was one of those days my gf and i heard about a recommendation from friends and decided to try it out. This time, the main temptation is an $88 one for one set offer lobster meal. Sounds too good to be true and thus, we jumped at it to have a look.
I have passed by this place so many times but the sheer "atas" feeling it gave simply never appealed to me to eat within. So this time, with a tip off like this, i wouldn't miss it for the world. Problem is, does it live up to the anticipation i felt?
The color palate and theme of the restaurant belongs to a somber black and white with a minimalistic touch that is contrasted with its decorations such as bamboo and statues. The overal feeling is pleasing but comes with a flaw, the seats were not very comfortable and to me, the air conditioning simply didn't feel strong enough. Otherwise, it was rather pleasing. The place probably seats only 20 people inside and another 10 outside at max capacity making for a rather intimate experience with the staff.Thank goodness the service was decent.
Oyster ($1 for one) - I was curious how they managed to sell oysters at $1 each so i ordered a couple for kicks. The oysters were of a smaller variety but otherwise tasted pretty good to me. Sweet and smooth, it didn't bode too badly on the place but if you're looking for a huge Shangri-la style oyster standard, i'm afraid this is not where to look.
Sashimi "Revolution" - Seeing that it was a 4 course set menu, obviously the best choice would be to mix and match our choices to try the most items. My gf picked her favorite sashimi and i think it was done pretty well. You get all the usual cuts, salmon, swordfish and tuna in one aesthically pleasing plate. Its all good. It helps that the fish were fresh, sweet and went well with the wasabi soaked soy sauce. A good start to the meal for me.
Zen Foie Gras - My order was the always sinful Foie Gras (goose liver). Done equally well, this foie gras was a tad too oily but had a nicely charred top with tasty potato mash below which helped neutralize the oiliness. Portion size for this was rather small but given the amount of grease it adds into your system, this is already too much.
Drunken lobster soup - I was expecting a thick broth based soup but this was more akin to soup you get from normal prawn noodle soup in terms of texture. It was fragrant nonetheless and you can taste the alcohol with each spoonful. It also came with half a baby lobster which more or less is the reason why its called drunken lobster soup. The meat on the lobster wasn't too springy and came across as "old" to me. The soup, however, i could do with a bigger bowl.
Lobster mee sua and Thai Red Curry Lobster Laksa - Both iteration came be commented together since the differences only come in the broth base. The mee sua was the better of the 2 since it was more starchy and alike to shark's fin broth which is one of my favorites. It also helps that the mee sua is soft and nicely springy. The thai red curry laksa is just a long name for saying laksa with half lobster inside. The curry wasn't too good though, since it felt as though there was an overdose of coconut milk in it. And like the lobster soup above, the lobster just didn't feel fresh. In the end, all we got for our money was actually 2 baby lobsters, hardly worthy of being called a lobster set imho but thats to be expected with the price.
Double boiled birds nest soup - Aesthically please but a nightmare for the staff to serve, the double boiled birds nest came with a nice wire meshlike topping of sugar on top. This proves to be necessary as the bird's nest was extremely bitter. To top it off, i counted 2 wavy substances that might be bird's nest in it but i struggle to confirm. A case of overpromising and underdelivering i suppose.
This mixed meal cost me $102.08 in the end, which is still a tad too much for the quality and uncomfortable environment.
Was it bad? Well, not entirely. There were a few good items, but the overall feel didn't live up to the promise. And the mee sua and laksa certainly wasn't anything special because i felt like i could have had it in a food court with more prawns and cheaper prices. Rethink the menu and provide more lobsters and this meal would have felt alot better. Will i return? Not in the near future i'm afraid.
1=SGD 0.0587
In terms of the decor, the place is decked in slick, dark and contrasting colors to provide a high end feel to the place. The seats are available in 2 varieties, a pseudo al fresco open dining concept and a compartmentalized seating to maximize space. Both were thankfully spacious and accessible.
Service wise, the place was decent. Attendants are attentive when there's less people, but as the crowd grows, so does their attention span. So be warned. Also, as the crowd increases, you get the feeling that they're trying to shoo you out once you've finished. Minor gripes but worth noting still.
Yam Puff ($3.30) - The yam puff is aesthetically pleasing but ultimately lacks bite. In fact, the consensus is that it sadly lacks taste. To be blunt and to the point, not recommended to try.
Deep Fried Beancurd Skin ($4.20) - Their rendition was pretty decent, full of shrimp, fish paste and chopped carrots deep fried to a nice crispy golden brown before being served. Whats not to like about it?
Siew Mai ($4) - Their siew mai came in generous portions and are bigger then usual. However, it also comes with a pretty strong meat and pork taste which may not be appealing to everyone. For example, i for one didn't like it too much.
Carrot Cake ($3.30) - The carrot cake is nicely done in my opinion, hot and fresh with little bits of lap cheong embedded in with bits of mushrooms. The result is a surpringly fragrant and sweet carrot cake reminiscent of Crystal Jade's rendition. Still, it is on the oily side as usual.
Pork Rib ($3.50) - Didn't have any of this at all. The impression from my friend was that it was ok though.
Stir Fried Mixed Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce ($14 for 2 plates) - Andrew's utmost recommendation is also one of the more expensive items. The stir fried mushrooms are a rather simple dish really. Majority of the taste came from the oyster sauce instead of the mushrooms but there's just enough sweetness to make it good. Filled with hoshimeiji, golden mushroom and enoki mushrooms, its an ideal treat for mushroom lovers. Look out for the price tag though.
Xiao Long Bao ($3.60) - Their rendition of Xiao Long Bao was passable but only just. The pork taste was too much and the soup wasn't really tasty as well. Not to mention the rather fragile skin which broke easily. More work needed here for sure.
Steamed Shrimp Rice Roll ($5.20) - Their steamed rice roll was a little too thick for my liking. Otherwise, the shrimp were crunchy, sweet and fresh while the soy sauce was adequate without being overwhelming.
Prawn Dumpling With Salad Dip ($8.40 for 2) - I'd say this was the star of the day actually. Sweet, juicy and bursting with flavor. The hot dish had the 3 of us going for seconds and still feeling there can be more. To be picky, it is still an oily dish but hey, i'd gladly have another. Do note, its only average but its good enough to recommend to eat when you're here.
Roasted Pork ($8) - Another recommended dish by Andrew, the pork here pales in comparison to Royal China, but of course, the price is different as well. The sad part is that the skin isn't as crispy as it should be and the meat lacked bite. The rest was salvaged by the mustard sauce which covered everything else up so that it was actually pretty good in the end.
BBQ Pork Pastry ($3.30) - Like the buns, the pastry was average at best. The bbq pork was sweet and filling but the pastry and bun were too thick. The pastry was also not fragrant enough, probably due to the lack of butter.
Custurd Bun ($3.60) - I love custard buns actually so i'm rather biased on this. This bun however, needs improvement as well. The bun itself is alright, fluffy and light but the custard inside is of the watery variety and was overly sweet. It was sweet to the point it felt like eating sugar syrup. Even my friends couldn't find it in them to like it and this was actually my order.
Egg Tarts ($3) - Well, these egg tarts weren't anything to shout about. Dry and practically tasteless. I'd say they need to really work on the recipe for the pastry and the filling.
The final bill for 3 people at a semi decent dim sum session accrued to $92.39. About $31 each. Reasonable bill but the quality can definately improve.
Its not that the food is bad here. In fact, it was decent. Service was prompt. Selection was plentiful. Ambiance was acceptable. The problem is the quality of the food and the fact that with the same amount, we could have eaten in Royal China or even Yan Ting. (Yan Ting no longer has ala carte as of this post. They have a buffet selection at $68 per head now) Still, i think the company made the meal most enjoyable and there's nothing like a good get together of friends to catch up on their lives. And that is what's really important.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!My fault. Yan Ting still has ala carte but they priced it slightly lower according to Danny.
04 Dec 2008 at 10:52 am
thanks for the correction.
04 Dec 2008 at 8:19 pm
Lets talk about the bill first today, first of all, its not expensive. Costs only a mere $4.50 for a tempura set lunch with drink. The store itself is an open concept with generic plastic tables and chairs and the ordering system is reminiscent of fast food chains. You place your order at the counter, pay and take a seat. The selection of food is a decent variety of korean hot pots and japanese bento sets. Everything's fine so far.
Still, the actual set had me taken aback actually. No fries, a very small rice ball and a few fried potatos, fish and chicken. Thats it. The rice is especially saddening since its supposed to be the only thing to fill you up but its too little for anyone i suppose. The fried items were obviously oily as well. Taste wise, without the white sauce which tastes like a mix between tartar sauce and mayonaise, it would have been difficult to finish.
Perhaps i'm too harsh or i've ordered the wrong stuff, after all, many people patronize this place during lunch. In fact, it actually seems to be quite popular but they all had the Korean hot pot meals which i simply cannot take. My verdict? The place doesn't cost much and the hot pot seems popular, maybe its worth another try for hot pot lovers. I emphasize "maybe" here. So take your own risks.
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Complimentary Bread - The complimentary bread was served warm and soft which is a plus but otherwise, nothing significant. Not too sure if it is made in house either since its rather bland and simple.
The interior is rather spacious with around 4-6 wall sofa seats and a seating capacity of about 40-50 when full. The thing is, when we arrived, there was nary a soul and when we left, there was still only one other customer apart from us. This was around 645 - 8 pm. If i were the owner, i'd find that rather worrying actually. Service was decent with recommendations, explainations and was generally pleasantenough to commend. They could improve on waiting time though, since we were the only people there, the waiting time of 15 minutes before our soup was served seemed rather obsessive.
Mushroom Soup ($8.95) - The mushroom soup reminded me of the rendition i had in Eden cafe under Clement. The taste and texture is packed with mushroom bits and had some cream in it as well. The overal feeling is that its creamy and starchy to good effect. The serving size was not exactly big however and at the price, this left me a little disappointed.
Seafood Chowder ($8.95) - The seafood chowder was packed with ingredients as well and had lots of squid, a few pieces of shrimp, scallop and carrots within. The end result is a pleasing soup that opens up the appetite for the meal to come. Again, the serving size is too small when comparing the price.
Seafood Platter ($51.95) - Not knowing what to order, we opted for a safe choice to try a huge amount of stuff at a "perceived" reasonable price. The platter for 2 isn't exactly full of stuff but it does have more then enough for the 2 of us to finish. Fries, fish skewers, mussels, crayfish, scallops and rice round up the platter offering. The mussels and scallops were of a decent size and there was 2 each which meant no fighting for the food. They were also reasonably fresh, as is the crayfish and the grilled fish skewers. The skewers were nicely done, not too dry despite the grilling, while the rice and fries ensured you will be full from the set. I did think $50 for this is still too steep a price to pay though.
Creme Brulee ($8.95) - Well, after a meal of overly expensive items, the dessert finally looked up to the task of living up to the price. The creme brulee came looking like a winner and in fact, it was the best item i had that night. The fruit and decor is a wonderful touch and it helps that the fruits were all sweet and complimented the dessert well. The sugar layer was a little too thick and sweet but nothing too big. The bottom layer, i suspect, is made from vanilla extract since i didn't see any vanilla residue in the texture but i'm not complaining.
Chocolate Souffle ($9.95) - I ordered this thinking it was a molten chocolate cake but i was wrong. A souffle is more akin to cakes with a springy and fluffy texture. In fact, Souffle means to "blow up" and is made of a combination of egg whites and various ingredients. Their rendition should be considered decent as the top was lightly hard while the lower portion is fluffy and a little wet with chocolate. If i'm not wrong, its supposed to come with some sauce but there wasn't any. Decent but not my kind of dessert.
Finally, this experimental meal came up to a whooping $97.65 for 2 people on a simple weekday night.
Well, to say the food is bad would be unfair but i couldn't help feeling a heavy pinch in my heart for the amount i spent on this meal. For what i had, i think a price tag of about $60 or 70 plus taxes might have made me felt better. For improvement, serving the food faster and more economical pricing would bring me back but not before then.
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To be honest, i've been past this place so many times, its amazing how i've never felt the urge to actually step in for a meal. The exterior looks rather dull and dark but the interior is bright and cheery with clean wooden tables and nice black chairs for a zen-like feel.Service was brisk, attentive and rather pleasant as well, which makes me wonder why the place was so quiet. It was peak lunch period when we patronized it and somehow, space was aplenty with a rather abysmal clientele.
The usual compulsory crackers ($3 each) - This was rather pushing the envelope for the rip-off department at $3 per basket of crackers but i must say, i actually liked it. The crackers were good, fragrant, strong vegetable taste but add in the chili and its a whole new game. Spicy, sweet and just good. $3 is still too much for it though.
Tahu Telur ($8.50) - A rather hearty portion if i say so myself. The tahu telur was overly hard at places but managed to remain acceptable mostly due to yet another excellently fragrant sauce. Its just the normal peanut sweet sauce with a little chili but it really makes this average dish taste better then it really is.However, paying $8.50 for it is something i won't soon repeat however.
Garlic Stir Fried Kailan ($14) - Kailan stands as one of my favorite greens and its a relief that they managed to at least preserve its good tastes with this dish.Nothing outstanding, its the casual garlic stir fried version but its fragrant and very appetising.
BBQ Platter ($48) - Fried whole fish, 2 grilled prawns, generous bbq calamari and squid, chicken and satay rounds up this huge platter of food. This is good. I mean its really pretty good in terms of overal quality. The prawns are grilled till there's a little char on the bottom but manages to make the shell so brittle, you can simply eat the entire thing without much fuss. The fish is huge and deep fried on the outside with the inside still thankfully moist and soft with sweet spices. This went really well with the balachan-like chili. The chicken was overdone which resulted in tough and dry meat but the overal was still nicely fragrant and sweet. The calamari was also done just right and like the rest of the package, is sweet and fragrant. The satay is acceptable and rather bigger portioned then regular satays. Overal, this is a rather good buy to me.
Asam Fish Head ($22) - This was something i touched very little of because i didn't want to sweat like a pig before returning to work. However, i couldn't resist eating the tender and sweet fish meat that was left over by my colleagues. The asam was actually slightly spicy but not overwhelming. The curry taste was rather strong but the fish head was definitely worthwhile at the meaty portions. Fishy taste is apparent but minimal as well.
Tom Yum Seafood ($24) - Their version of the oh-so-famous tom yum seafood soup. This is the clear version and it came packed with seafood. I mean it was literally bursting with ingredients like squid, fish, mussels, prawns and scallop. Its definitely strong in terms of taste and moderately spicy but if i'm not mistaken, still milder then the actual tom yum soup in Thailand. A pretty good rendition and value for money however.
Finally, a pleasing meal for 7 came up to a total of $141.95. I'd say this is rather worthwhile given the food we had.
Last Word: A pretty decent setting and decent serving of food. The pluses are the fact it came with good service and that the price of entry is rather low. For improvement, i'd suggest having more set meal options and tie ups with companies for catering and such to boost visibility.
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I have passed by this place so many times but the sheer "atas" feeling it gave simply never appealed to me to eat within. So this time, with a tip off like this, i wouldn't miss it for the world. Problem is, does it live up to the anticipation i felt?
The color palate and theme of the restaurant belongs to a somber black and white with a minimalistic touch that is contrasted with its decorations such as bamboo and statues. The overal feeling is pleasing but comes with a flaw, the seats were not very comfortable and to me, the air conditioning simply didn't feel strong enough. Otherwise, it was rather pleasing. The place probably seats only 20 people inside and another 10 outside at max capacity making for a rather intimate experience with the staff.Thank goodness the service was decent.
Oyster ($1 for one) - I was curious how they managed to sell oysters at $1 each so i ordered a couple for kicks. The oysters were of a smaller variety but otherwise tasted pretty good to me. Sweet and smooth, it didn't bode too badly on the place but if you're looking for a huge Shangri-la style oyster standard, i'm afraid this is not where to look.
Sashimi "Revolution" - Seeing that it was a 4 course set menu, obviously the best choice would be to mix and match our choices to try the most items. My gf picked her favorite sashimi and i think it was done pretty well. You get all the usual cuts, salmon, swordfish and tuna in one aesthically pleasing plate. Its all good. It helps that the fish were fresh, sweet and went well with the wasabi soaked soy sauce. A good start to the meal for me.
Zen Foie Gras - My order was the always sinful Foie Gras (goose liver). Done equally well, this foie gras was a tad too oily but had a nicely charred top with tasty potato mash below which helped neutralize the oiliness. Portion size for this was rather small but given the amount of grease it adds into your system, this is already too much.
Drunken lobster soup - I was expecting a thick broth based soup but this was more akin to soup you get from normal prawn noodle soup in terms of texture. It was fragrant nonetheless and you can taste the alcohol with each spoonful. It also came with half a baby lobster which more or less is the reason why its called drunken lobster soup. The meat on the lobster wasn't too springy and came across as "old" to me. The soup, however, i could do with a bigger bowl.
Lobster mee sua and Thai Red Curry Lobster Laksa - Both iteration came be commented together since the differences only come in the broth base. The mee sua was the better of the 2 since it was more starchy and alike to shark's fin broth which is one of my favorites. It also helps that the mee sua is soft and nicely springy. The thai red curry laksa is just a long name for saying laksa with half lobster inside. The curry wasn't too good though, since it felt as though there was an overdose of coconut milk in it. And like the lobster soup above, the lobster just didn't feel fresh. In the end, all we got for our money was actually 2 baby lobsters, hardly worthy of being called a lobster set imho but thats to be expected with the price.
Double boiled birds nest soup - Aesthically please but a nightmare for the staff to serve, the double boiled birds nest came with a nice wire meshlike topping of sugar on top. This proves to be necessary as the bird's nest was extremely bitter. To top it off, i counted 2 wavy substances that might be bird's nest in it but i struggle to confirm. A case of overpromising and underdelivering i suppose.
This mixed meal cost me $102.08 in the end, which is still a tad too much for the quality and uncomfortable environment.
Was it bad? Well, not entirely. There were a few good items, but the overall feel didn't live up to the promise. And the mee sua and laksa certainly wasn't anything special because i felt like i could have had it in a food court with more prawns and cheaper prices. Rethink the menu and provide more lobsters and this meal would have felt alot better. Will i return? Not in the near future i'm afraid.
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21 Nov 2008 at 1:09 pm
well, everyone needs a break sometimes.
21 Nov 2008 at 2:42 pm