Known for its slightly bigger than average servings and marketed as an authentic American dining place after its founder. I've personally had it quite a few times with different people but didn't really take pictures. So here's my first try at it when i went for a movie with my gf @ the Cathay because we skipped the Cathay Restaurant and opted for something less expensive. Sorry about the picture quality. Will bring my camera for real next time.
Mixed Grill - Billy bomber's mixed grill, though not as photogenic as the Jack's place (JP) rendition above won in terms of serving size and sheer ease of eating. The meats were all done pretty well and the best part was the lack of observable fats or bones much unlike the (JP) rendition. I liked the sausage which was pretty big for its price and the chicken was actually quite tender and nicely marinated. The lamb tasted a tad less fresh but i've never been a fan of lambchops. And the mashed potato beneath completed the meal well. I was satisfied (servings wise) for this rendition.
Fish And Chips - The fish and chips came in an even bigger serving then my mixed grill. 3 huge pieces of fish accompanied by sides of potato wedges and salad. I had a go at one piece of fish and loads of fries because my girl is a little on the "conservative and weight conscious" type. I felt the fish was average and a tad dry but the portion more than made up for it.
Bill: We paid $45 for all we had here. Quite reasonable if you ask me.
Simple western food at affordable prices. Still, its not really too special and falls under the generic category along with Jack's Place, Swensen's and the myriad of western food offerings out there.
It touts itself as being a place for steak and so i'd suppose the best it offers are its steak. For this review however, none of us ordered steak and so its a review on how good its other food tastes. Anyway, me a 2 other friends met up to swap some information and wanted to have Sakae Sushi, however, the queue really turned me off and so, the newly renovated Jack's Place was our stop.
Steak and Chicken(or Fish) Combo - This was had by my friend, Al, and from his reaction and comment. I'd say he liked it. Note that the steak was actually lamb steak and not beef. I didn't get to try it but Al said the steak was "tender and melts in my mouth". He was also pretty happy about the chicken(or fish) that came with it as he liked the black pepper sauce it came in.
Mixed Grill - This was what i had and i can't help but say how disappointed i was with this mixed grill. The portion was very small. Much smaller then whatever my friends ordered. Do not let the picture full you, its much smaller then it looks. The egg should be a good measurement since it managed to cover all the meat beneath which consisted on chicken and lamb. I couldn't find the beef no matter how i looked. The meat were fatty and boney which meant the portions were really small and totally not worth the money. The sauce was also too salty maybe because it was meant for a BIGGER portion? The only saving grace for this was the potato it came with. A comment by my fellow diner: "Wow! That's so much smaller a portion than i remember." And that just about sums it all up.
Grilled Salmon - only got one bite of this salmon but it was done pretty well. It was pan simmered and crispy on the outside yet juicy and succulent inside. The garlic managed to lessen the fishy taste and my friend liked it as well.
Bill: The meal came up to $70 for 3 pax.
Still, i would not recommend this place to anyone since its simply awful to serve the most expensive item, mixed grill, with so little. Its just a sin. Avoid!!
Polarbearsaid: Have to agree with you. I used to loved Jack place food but not any more. :( 06 Nov 2007 at 10:09 am
Lucardiasaid: Agree man. I used to love Jack's place too. Used to celebrate birthdays there. But things have changed. Such a shame. 06 Nov 2007 at 11:31 am
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Hua Ting. An authentic cantonese cuisine restuarant located on the second floor of Orchard Hotel. Getting to the location doesn't prove to be a problem but finding and entering its extremly small carpark does bring a sneer onto my face. This was my 3rd monthly meal with a bunch of people i eventually got to know with each successive meal outing. And to say the least, i had fun for this one.
The simple and somewhat grand chinese theme of the restuarant says it all. Its all about cooking and they have the prizes to show it off. Headed by Master Chef Chan Kwok, the moment we stepped in, we did not expect to leave unsatisfied, but did it live up to its name and numerous prizes? Read on to find out.
Rose Tea - Given the choice of what to drink, everyone opted for something different on this and my choice is the less adventurous and more simple rose tea. It was fragrant but tasted bland and the lack of a filter really started to irk me after about 2 sips because you can't get any tea in without leaves accompanying it. Great presentation, bad execution.
Hua Ting Deluxe Platter - This serving for 5 came with char siew (roasted honey pork), fried silverfish, jellyfish, soy chicken and prawn wrapped in beancurd. I found it decent though not outstanding. The prawn was fresh and crunchy and i enjoyed the small but surprisingly tasty fried silverfish. However, it does get to taste too salty after a while. The roasted pork was normal, as is the soy chicken and jellyfish.
Crispy Homemade Beancurd with Seasonal Greens Topped with Assorted Eggs - This wierd looking tofu is made simply of egg tofu and egg. It looks out of this world but taste wise, i can't really find anything special about it. The spinach was simple and tasted a little like Hai Tien Lou's three egg spinach combincation. Otherwise, it doesn't warrant much attention apart from looks.
Crispy Roasted Duck - Crispy roasted duck. It more or less a staple for us to have this dish in any chinese restuarant we step into to compare the quality of the restaurant offerings. This one was more or less a must order dish for anyone who visited Hua Ting. The skin was crispy and lightly sweet from the gravy while the meat was tender and had a slightly salty aftertaste. Compared to Hai Tien Lou's rendition, i felt the former tasted better but it seems even Hua Ting has a good enough rendition to recommend. So do try it.
Deep Fried Scallop Bacon Roll topped with Conpoy - This dish again had mixed reactions as some found it too salty for their liking. Maybe they weren't eating it right because i found that mixing a bite of the bacon with the Conpoy served to lessen the salty taste and allowed me to enjoy the sweetness of the scallop as well. I'd even go so far as to say i enjoyed the dish for as long as the veg lasted. After it however, its a different story. The bacon and sauce was simply too salty a combination to enjoy.
Fish Paste Noodle Soup with Seafood - Fish paste noodles was awesome. If we had more space this would have been the perfect ending dish which sadly, we did not have. The scallops and prawn were simply huge and very fresh. The soup base was actually really good, tasting nether salty nor oily and the noodles served to fill you up real quick. We did manage to get one bowl of noodle and all the prawn and scallop down but never managed to finish this sadly. I believe this could have been a meal all on its own. I recommend having it before anything else.
In the end, the above cost the 5 of us $370 which is pretty absurd as it didn't feel justified given the quality of the food.
It was honestly quite a decent meal but i suppose its understandable that paying an amount as steep as this. Decent is not what we should be getting. It was excellent or bust and from my point of view. This will not bring me back for a second try. Service was attentive and good but the food needed some work to justify its price. Try it for the duck and fish paste noodle alone.
Zambuca is an authentic Italian experience which also served as a beginning to my little foray in food blogging and fine dining. As such, i hope it explains why most or almost all my photos here are taken from FatPig. During this initial meal, which is before even Xi Yan, i was introduced into a world which i never did step into much before. And honestly, it was a rather memorable and good start.
Personal thoughts: The moment i stepped into the restaurant, i felt out of place and in a totally different country of sorts. Everything inside was totally authentic and very fitting to its Italian theme. There was a wine cellar encased in glass right smack in the middle of the restaurant and the view from the windows, though only on the third floor, allowed me to feel like i was in an Italian country. The place was quite dark though and we were given a round table seat which though served our purpose well, i felt totally tested the capabilities for the waiter because it was incredibly difficult for the poor man to set.
Bruschetta - We began the meal with this as a starter. The bread was finely toasted and came still warm despite the rather cold air conditioning. The tomatoes were nicely diced and tasted great with the warm bread. A good appetiser that managed to whet my appetite for the main course to come.
Linguine Tandoor - This was ordered by my friend. I personally didn't get to taste it but judging by the fact that he still raves about the dish to anyone he meets who likes fine dining, i'd say it was a satisfying dish. I found the portion acceptable though it could have been better if there had been more. The tandoori combition served to work surprisingly well according to him, and if i remember correctly, the chicken it came with was also delicious.
Snapper Lombata - This right here is mine. Pan fried baby snapper loin with deep fried soft shell crab and grilled caviar crusted langoustine served in a pool of mirin and wasabi broth. I found this dish very nicely done. Everything in here is out of the aquarium fresh and very appetising indeed. The snapper was great with the sauce and since its the first time i had this, i'll say its like a cross between prawns and lobsters, but the meat holds more similiarities to the latter family. I do however have a problem with the serving size for this dish, given the money i'm paying, this is still way too little despite the quality of the serving. I came away wanting and still hungry after this dish unlike my buddies. So try this at your own discretion.
The bill for this romantically ambienced and nice meal amounted to $160.85. Not too demanding and pretty worth its price.
This is a great place to bring your friends or your romantic partner for a good meal. Your choice and understanding of Italian food is necessary however in making good food decisions. In terms of wine selection, this place has it in spades for both new and old world wines. Also, wine by the glass is available and i recommend trying the cellar for private wine tasting functions if you have a significantly wine loving group. Service is impeccable even given the trying table setting and always comes with a smile. I recommend trying this place if you are in the vicinity.
Iggy's is voted 60th in the world by the prestigious British Magazine, Restuarant, and is only 1 of the 3 to make it into that list from Singapore. So expectations were naturally high when we sourced it out for the meal. To know how it fared in our minds? Read on.
The interior of Iggy's is rather small but cosy. Attendants were practically standing next to you as you feast but never intrusive which is a plus. Other than that, we had a reasonably good time and felt at ease in this setting.
The complimentary bread deserves some mention simply because i had in excess of 5 of this before i felt that it was enough. It is definately not available outside and it simple tastes wonderful. The butter provided also doesn't feel overwhelming as i gulped down one after the other. IMHO, this is already a great start. (or so i felt at the time anyway) Have as much of this as possible before the actual meal. You'll thank me for this advice if you are having lunch here.
Pumpkin Puree with Soy - Another complimentary item. This tasted nothing out of the ordinary to me though so i wasn't very impressed.
Prawn croquette with watercress and soy tarragon butter - The middle leaves were rocket leaves that Jeremy hated with a passion. Its actually quite fragrant though of course, its an acquired taste. The thing about this is the taragon butter served to make the leaves very palatable indeed. Personally, i found the prawn croquette's a tad too small. Taste wise, the butter still covered up a huge portion of it. I couldn't much taste the prawn in its pasty form but its good nonetheless. A decent start.
Breaded Kurobuta pork Schnitzel with tarragon salad - Well, my main course, as is Jeremy's. Kurobuta pork is the pork equivalent of Kobe beef in the pork hierarchy. Maybe that explains the ridiculously small serving we had for the meat. It came with an equally small terragon salad (ie. rocket leaf) which only served to vex us abit. However, taste wise, the pork is indeed succulent. Even the ultra thin version we had managed to absorb its seasonings and exhibited a smooth, tender and chewy texture that is otherworldly. I wouldn't have expected it from such a small piece. It is that good, but pity about the small portion.
Champagne jelly and sorbet with elderflower foam - This is my dessert and to quote taste tests from my buddies: "it tastes like eating toothpaste!" Well, almost but not quite. I found the champagne jelly hidden beneath the elderberry foam served to give the dessert a very nice complementary taste that refreshes as well as intoxicates. You could taste the champagne but it wasn't overwhelming. Quite nicely done.
The bill came up to about $52 per pax for a nice tasting but not fulfilling meal.
To be fair, the food on this highly acclaimed restuarant is indeed above average and decent. However, i tend to like having meals that actually fill me up instead of leaving me wanting and Iggy's did just that, leaving me wanting more food. This was solved by having yet more food at cheaper establishments and in my opinion, that is not the way a $50 lunch should have left me. Try the place for the experience knowing you had a meal in one of Singapore's finest restuarant, but unless i am insanely rich in future, i will probably not be back for another non-filling meal. (If i'm insanely rich however, i will be back for more.)
1=SGD 0.0587
Mixed Grill - Billy bomber's mixed grill, though not as photogenic as the Jack's place (JP) rendition above won in terms of serving size and sheer ease of eating. The meats were all done pretty well and the best part was the lack of observable fats or bones much unlike the (JP) rendition. I liked the sausage which was pretty big for its price and the chicken was actually quite tender and nicely marinated. The lamb tasted a tad less fresh but i've never been a fan of lambchops. And the mashed potato beneath completed the meal well. I was satisfied (servings wise) for this rendition.
Fish And Chips - The fish and chips came in an even bigger serving then my mixed grill. 3 huge pieces of fish accompanied by sides of potato wedges and salad. I had a go at one piece of fish and loads of fries because my girl is a little on the "conservative and weight conscious" type. I felt the fish was average and a tad dry but the portion more than made up for it.
Bill: We paid $45 for all we had here. Quite reasonable if you ask me.
Simple western food at affordable prices. Still, its not really too special and falls under the generic category along with Jack's Place, Swensen's and the myriad of western food offerings out there.
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Steak and Chicken(or Fish) Combo - This was had by my friend, Al, and from his reaction and comment. I'd say he liked it. Note that the steak was actually lamb steak and not beef. I didn't get to try it but Al said the steak was "tender and melts in my mouth". He was also pretty happy about the chicken(or fish) that came with it as he liked the black pepper sauce it came in.
Mixed Grill - This was what i had and i can't help but say how disappointed i was with this mixed grill. The portion was very small. Much smaller then whatever my friends ordered. Do not let the picture full you, its much smaller then it looks. The egg should be a good measurement since it managed to cover all the meat beneath which consisted on chicken and lamb. I couldn't find the beef no matter how i looked. The meat were fatty and boney which meant the portions were really small and totally not worth the money. The sauce was also too salty maybe because it was meant for a BIGGER portion? The only saving grace for this was the potato it came with. A comment by my fellow diner: "Wow! That's so much smaller a portion than i remember." And that just about sums it all up.
Grilled Salmon - only got one bite of this salmon but it was done pretty well. It was pan simmered and crispy on the outside yet juicy and succulent inside. The garlic managed to lessen the fishy taste and my friend liked it as well.
Bill: The meal came up to $70 for 3 pax.
Still, i would not recommend this place to anyone since its simply awful to serve the most expensive item, mixed grill, with so little. Its just a sin. Avoid!!
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!Have to agree with you. I used to loved Jack place food but not any more. :(
06 Nov 2007 at 10:09 am
Agree man. I used to love Jack's place too. Used to celebrate birthdays there. But things have changed. Such a shame.
06 Nov 2007 at 11:31 am
The simple and somewhat grand chinese theme of the restuarant says it all. Its all about cooking and they have the prizes to show it off. Headed by Master Chef Chan Kwok, the moment we stepped in, we did not expect to leave unsatisfied, but did it live up to its name and numerous prizes? Read on to find out.
Rose Tea - Given the choice of what to drink, everyone opted for something different on this and my choice is the less adventurous and more simple rose tea. It was fragrant but tasted bland and the lack of a filter really started to irk me after about 2 sips because you can't get any tea in without leaves accompanying it. Great presentation, bad execution.
Hua Ting Deluxe Platter - This serving for 5 came with char siew (roasted honey pork), fried silverfish, jellyfish, soy chicken and prawn wrapped in beancurd. I found it decent though not outstanding. The prawn was fresh and crunchy and i enjoyed the small but surprisingly tasty fried silverfish. However, it does get to taste too salty after a while. The roasted pork was normal, as is the soy chicken and jellyfish.
Crispy Homemade Beancurd with Seasonal Greens Topped with Assorted Eggs - This wierd looking tofu is made simply of egg tofu and egg. It looks out of this world but taste wise, i can't really find anything special about it. The spinach was simple and tasted a little like Hai Tien Lou's three egg spinach combincation. Otherwise, it doesn't warrant much attention apart from looks.
Crispy Roasted Duck - Crispy roasted duck. It more or less a staple for us to have this dish in any chinese restuarant we step into to compare the quality of the restaurant offerings. This one was more or less a must order dish for anyone who visited Hua Ting. The skin was crispy and lightly sweet from the gravy while the meat was tender and had a slightly salty aftertaste. Compared to Hai Tien Lou's rendition, i felt the former tasted better but it seems even Hua Ting has a good enough rendition to recommend. So do try it.
Sautéed Dried Cod Fish with Egg White - This dish looked interesting from the outset and certainly is a different way of cooking the precious fish its based upon. I personally found this dish decent while the rest of my friends shunned it due to the tasteless blending of egg white and cod fish. The end result is a rather tasteless dish that tastes too much like eggs and covers the freshness and sweetness of the cod. I do have to comment that the cod melts in your mouth and since no one else would have more of it, I had the privilege of finishing most of this dish.
Deep Fried Scallop Bacon Roll topped with Conpoy - This dish again had mixed reactions as some found it too salty for their liking. Maybe they weren't eating it right because i found that mixing a bite of the bacon with the Conpoy served to lessen the salty taste and allowed me to enjoy the sweetness of the scallop as well. I'd even go so far as to say i enjoyed the dish for as long as the veg lasted. After it however, its a different story. The bacon and sauce was simply too salty a combination to enjoy.
Fish Paste Noodle Soup with Seafood - Fish paste noodles was awesome. If we had more space this would have been the perfect ending dish which sadly, we did not have. The scallops and prawn were simply huge and very fresh. The soup base was actually really good, tasting nether salty nor oily and the noodles served to fill you up real quick. We did manage to get one bowl of noodle and all the prawn and scallop down but never managed to finish this sadly. I believe this could have been a meal all on its own. I recommend having it before anything else.
In the end, the above cost the 5 of us $370 which is pretty absurd as it didn't feel justified given the quality of the food.
It was honestly quite a decent meal but i suppose its understandable that paying an amount as steep as this. Decent is not what we should be getting. It was excellent or bust and from my point of view. This will not bring me back for a second try. Service was attentive and good but the food needed some work to justify its price. Try it for the duck and fish paste noodle alone.
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Personal thoughts: The moment i stepped into the restaurant, i felt out of place and in a totally different country of sorts. Everything inside was totally authentic and very fitting to its Italian theme. There was a wine cellar encased in glass right smack in the middle of the restaurant and the view from the windows, though only on the third floor, allowed me to feel like i was in an Italian country. The place was quite dark though and we were given a round table seat which though served our purpose well, i felt totally tested the capabilities for the waiter because it was incredibly difficult for the poor man to set.
Bruschetta - We began the meal with this as a starter. The bread was finely toasted and came still warm despite the rather cold air conditioning. The tomatoes were nicely diced and tasted great with the warm bread. A good appetiser that managed to whet my appetite for the main course to come.
Linguine Tandoor - This was ordered by my friend. I personally didn't get to taste it but judging by the fact that he still raves about the dish to anyone he meets who likes fine dining, i'd say it was a satisfying dish. I found the portion acceptable though it could have been better if there had been more. The tandoori combition served to work surprisingly well according to him, and if i remember correctly, the chicken it came with was also delicious.
Snapper Lombata - This right here is mine. Pan fried baby snapper loin with deep fried soft shell crab and grilled caviar crusted langoustine served in a pool of mirin and wasabi broth. I found this dish very nicely done. Everything in here is out of the aquarium fresh and very appetising indeed. The snapper was great with the sauce and since its the first time i had this, i'll say its like a cross between prawns and lobsters, but the meat holds more similiarities to the latter family. I do however have a problem with the serving size for this dish, given the money i'm paying, this is still way too little despite the quality of the serving. I came away wanting and still hungry after this dish unlike my buddies. So try this at your own discretion.
The bill for this romantically ambienced and nice meal amounted to $160.85. Not too demanding and pretty worth its price.
This is a great place to bring your friends or your romantic partner for a good meal. Your choice and understanding of Italian food is necessary however in making good food decisions. In terms of wine selection, this place has it in spades for both new and old world wines. Also, wine by the glass is available and i recommend trying the cellar for private wine tasting functions if you have a significantly wine loving group. Service is impeccable even given the trying table setting and always comes with a smile. I recommend trying this place if you are in the vicinity.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!This sounds like the first visit. What happened to the second one?
05 Nov 2007 at 11:30 am
It is the first visit man. The second visit will be on a few days from now. lol
05 Nov 2007 at 2:12 pm
OIc. SO it was FZ that brought you to the "dark" side. Poor Lu.
03 Apr 2008 at 9:11 am
The interior of Iggy's is rather small but cosy. Attendants were practically standing next to you as you feast but never intrusive which is a plus. Other than that, we had a reasonably good time and felt at ease in this setting.
The complimentary bread deserves some mention simply because i had in excess of 5 of this before i felt that it was enough. It is definately not available outside and it simple tastes wonderful. The butter provided also doesn't feel overwhelming as i gulped down one after the other. IMHO, this is already a great start. (or so i felt at the time anyway) Have as much of this as possible before the actual meal. You'll thank me for this advice if you are having lunch here.
Pumpkin Puree with Soy - Another complimentary item. This tasted nothing out of the ordinary to me though so i wasn't very impressed.
Prawn croquette with watercress and soy tarragon butter - The middle leaves were rocket leaves that Jeremy hated with a passion. Its actually quite fragrant though of course, its an acquired taste. The thing about this is the taragon butter served to make the leaves very palatable indeed. Personally, i found the prawn croquette's a tad too small. Taste wise, the butter still covered up a huge portion of it. I couldn't much taste the prawn in its pasty form but its good nonetheless. A decent start.
Breaded Kurobuta pork Schnitzel with tarragon salad - Well, my main course, as is Jeremy's. Kurobuta pork is the pork equivalent of Kobe beef in the pork hierarchy. Maybe that explains the ridiculously small serving we had for the meat. It came with an equally small terragon salad (ie. rocket leaf) which only served to vex us abit. However, taste wise, the pork is indeed succulent. Even the ultra thin version we had managed to absorb its seasonings and exhibited a smooth, tender and chewy texture that is otherworldly. I wouldn't have expected it from such a small piece. It is that good, but pity about the small portion.
Champagne jelly and sorbet with elderflower foam - This is my dessert and to quote taste tests from my buddies: "it tastes like eating toothpaste!"
Well, almost but not quite. I found the champagne jelly hidden beneath the elderberry foam served to give the dessert a very nice complementary taste that refreshes as well as intoxicates. You could taste the champagne but it wasn't overwhelming. Quite nicely done.
The bill came up to about $52 per pax for a nice tasting but not fulfilling meal.
To be fair, the food on this highly acclaimed restuarant is indeed above average and decent. However, i tend to like having meals that actually fill me up instead of leaving me wanting and Iggy's did just that, leaving me wanting more food. This was solved by having yet more food at cheaper establishments and in my opinion, that is not the way a $50 lunch should have left me. Try the place for the experience knowing you had a meal in one of Singapore's finest restuarant, but unless i am insanely rich in future, i will probably not be back for another non-filling meal. (If i'm insanely rich however, i will be back for more.)
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