Lucardia's Reviews
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Despite the rather lacklustre appearance of the shop front, this restaurant exudes a laid back and quiet charm which is easy to like. Cozy sofas adorn the 2nd level and simple tables in a soft lit dining level. All this gives it a rustic and homely feeling which is both comfortable and relaxing.
Bruschetta - This was served hot and straight out of the oven. Its a little different then the usual bruschetta in that the tomato is not chopped and served as a whole slice on top of the focacia bread. This results in a squishy texture and might not be for everybody since you really need to like tomatoes to enjoy this. For me, i prefer the diced tomatoes version.
Complementary bread with Olive Oil and Vinaigrette - Simple, serviceable and nothing extraordinary. The only thing worth mentioning is the dip which is still an appetising treat with its sourish and saltish taste.
Tomato and Crab Meat Pasta - Despite the small portion size, this was nicely done. I liked the strong crab taste and tomato combination and the pasta was done al dente. The problem with this is that the tomatoes were watery and thus resulted in a visually less appetising presentation.
Calamari - The calamari is probably the best thing i had at the restaurant that day. It was lightly battered and retained most of its springy texture without the overwhelming taste of batter. The batter itself is rather salty but went well with the calamari which is lightly sweet.
Tiramisu - This was.....average at best. There was too much cream and not enough cake. Also, instead of a chocolatey taste, it had a strange strawberry-like taste instead and there was no rum.
Service: 7.5/10
Ambiance: 6.5/10
Food: 6/10
Value for money: 6/10
Overall Score: 6/10 (not an average)
Last word:
I can't quite confirm if the restaurant is certified halal but my Malay colleagues were able to enjoy the food without worry. I can thus say safely that our Malay compatroits should be able to enjoy the food here without incident. Service is good and the ambiance is decent but the food and value for money-wise could do better for me. Overall, still an enjoyable meal but i'd not bet on it being a hit with everybody.
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Simple carpet floors and wide open spaces are the order of the day. Tables are spaced well and give plenty of leg room without the claustrophobic trappings of other Chinese restaurants. Orders are taken ala carte style and it is recommended to order as many as possible because they do take some time before the food is served.
Buffets buffets, always a little difficult to comment on since everything is en mass. So i'll just split this into the usual categories:
Service: In terms of service, the staff are proficient and fast but has a slight attitude edge to them. Maybe its due to the good turnout of people and their reputation, the impression i got was that they are always in a rush and will not wait around for our orders proper. And my group of people are big eaters, so we had many mutliple orders which were met with looks of frustration and impatience. Not a very good experience on this part.
Food: The food is as you see above. We ordered quite a decent selection from the $19.80 menu and in terms of overall quality, the best i can give is average. For the usual items like shrimp dumplings and char siew bao, i've had better from the likes of Yan Ting , Royal China and even Imperial Nan Bei Restaurant. From the entire selection that day, the items that caught our tastebuds were the Ji Bao Gai, which was surprisingly fragrant and tasty, fried chicken wings in shrimp paste, we liked the size and how it was served piping hot, the sweet and sour diced sea perch, which was crispy, sweet and warranted 2 orders and the egg tarts, which were small, bite sized and had an extremely crispy and flaky crust. The other items were forgettable and average IMHO.
Value: When the bill came, it actually totalled up to be about $26-30 per person. Although we ate alot, the quality of most of the food wasn't really up to par. The feeling we got at the end was unsatisfactory.
Ambience: 5.5/10
Service: 5/10
Food: 6/10
Value for money: 6/10
Overall score: 5.5/10 (not an average)
Last word:
I'd expected a little more from this restaurant since it belongs to quite a prestigious group. So far in my journey, i've only eaten at Tung Lok Seafood, Zhou's Kitchen and My Humble House and honestly, i have to say that i'm not impressed yet with any of their offerings. Maybe its just me but everytime i try their stuff, the only words that surface in the end is "overpriced" "bad service" and "could be so much better". I really want to like them but i'm sorry, it hasn't happened yet.
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The waiting area and the first view that greets you at Tower Club is a rather intimidating one. Perched on the 62nd floor, you'll get an unimpeded view of the work-in-progress Marina Bay Sands project and the sea. The club spared no expense for the decor as well, you'll notice art pieces, comfortable sofas and splendid carpets that will awaken the monarch in you.
One of my favorite shots that night, outlining the setting sun in the background with the lamps and tables in view.
To start off, this special dinner was prepared and designed by the collective efforts of Chef Paco and Chef Voon. Both of which has won a special place in my heart after this meal. The service is impeccable and attentive for the waiting staff and in particular, the floor manager who helped in the final proposal. So here's a big thank you for everyone that night.
Frozen Daiquiri - The first item to be served is well liked by the ladies but received a lukewarm reception by the guys. The frozen daiquiri has a layer of warm egg white outlining the top with the cool daiquiri itself settling below it. The daiquiri itself is very sour, albeit refreshingly so when taken together with the egg white which itself has a very smooth texture not unlike smooth beancurd. The end result is it gets you very hungry for the main meal, which is its sole duty.
Complimentary Bread - Before our next dish, the much talked and praised complimentary bread is served. I took an instead liking to one particular version which on first bite, tasted like pizza bread with a little spicy tinge to it but slowly gives off an aromatic mint aftertaste which is unlike any bread i've had before. Needless to say, the four of us managed to clear 3 baskets worth of bread.
Olive oil butter, Foie Gras with Red Wine, Sesame Sponge with Miso, Liquid Chicken "croquette", Raspberry Fondant with Wasabi, Tomato Biscuit with Basil - The dish had a particular sequence for finishing beginning with the Liquid Chicken "Croquette" with bread crumbs which was fantastic. The moment you pop the entire ball into your mouth, it literally melts and leaves a taste of chicken in your mouth which is further enhanced by the fried bread crumbs. Superb! The tomato biscuit had a very very strong tomato taste but i couldn't taste the basil. Next up, the raspberry fondant with wasabi is strange to me because the raspberry fondant has a caramelized layer over it which crackles and pops when you bite into it while the wasabi gives it an added kick of surprise. The sesame sponge with miso is a fluffy concoction that gives the impression of eating solidified miso soup with sesame. Foie gras with red wine is surprising in that the red wine is the thin layer surrounding the foie gras and this layer will melt in your mouth to produce a strong fragrance of red wine. I didn't quite like the taste of foie gras in it though because it tasted pretty raw and i prefer my goose liver cooked and hot. The final item is a simple biscuit with olive oil butter served in a tub. The butter is smooth and rich but nothing else i could say about it. Overall, this starter was very interesting indeed with loads of stuff i've never tried before.
21st Century Spanish Omelette - I was surprised when another liquid item was served up and was stumped when i was told it was a spanish omelette from the 21st century no less. True enough, it was very interesting with its foamy layer of egg white and even more so when you mix it with the yellowish tinge which was salty and the layer of onions which really did give it the impression of being an omelette. Its pretty good but i still prefer my omelettes in solid form.
Lobster, Grapefruit and Virgin Olive Oil Soup - The grapefruits in this were surprisingly sweet and very satisfying while the lobster was sweet and springy. The olive oil soup was subtle and a little bland but otherwise served to bring out the sweetness of the lobster even more. I enjoyed this.
Brittany Sea Bass in "Salmorejo" - I don't know what Brittany sea bass means but this is one of the best fish dishes i've had. Pan seared to perfection with its superbly crispy outer layer which is still not over cooked and a wonderfully hot (read: hot!) and soft meat on the inside. I'm amazed at how they managed to cook the fish so thoroughly and keep the dish so warm on the inside when served. Not to mention as well, the seemingly simple dressing you see on the sea bass is awesome. Sweet and slightly sourish with pepper overtones, it just works. Perfectly executed in my book.
Wagyu Beef with Lemon Puree - Another perfectly executed main dish. The wagyu is soft, chewy and done medium rare throughout. The lemon puree is sourish with some red wine (i think) and works really well with the already perfectly executed beef. I was fortunate enough to have 2 servings because my gf was already rather full and for the record, i finished all of it. It's just something you need to try.
Orange Sorbet with Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Once again, olive oil is used in ways i cannot fathom. The sorbet, however, is moderately sweet and once again, a little sour but is suitably refreshing after the heavy meal we just went through. The nuts and jelly-like items (which is suspect are infused with red and white wine) only serve to refresh the palatte even more.
Fizzy Sweets and Virgin Olive Oil Gummies - This really reminds me of childhood with the popping and crackling of the fizzy sweet chocolates in my mouth. The gummies were also very interesting as they taste more and more like lychee as you chew on them. A suitable and light ending to a wonderful meal.
Of course, after all the wonderful food, its time to face the music and it doesn't come cheap. A superb meal for 4 made us $602.62 poorer altogether.
Ambience: 8.5/10
Service: 8.5/10
Food: 8.5/10
Value for money: 7/10
Overall score: 8.5/10 (not an average)
Last word:
The food is excellent. The service is great and the ambience is wonderful. At the end of this meal, a new couple is born. Apart from that, a new respect and admiration for the chefs that concocted this meal was also born. Do give this a try if you can. Cheers and this will always be a happy memory for me.
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The Tampines Mall outlet occupies a sizable amount of space in separate units. One is along the corner and features big round tables with modernized feel while the other unit resembles an open food court concept with a counter as the service area. Both areas are reasonably spacious which is a plus for me.
Bamboo Herbal Prawn ($3.80 for 2 prawns) - The prawns were of a decent size and literally seemed to pop out of the bamboo after you. The soup consisted of a strong herbal taste and was a little salty but otherwise light and enjoyable. The prawns, though looks good, is hit or miss in freshness as out of 4 prawns, 2 were scrumptious, crunchy and fresh while the other 2 were beginning to get powdery. Overall, if they could keep the consistency of freshness, this is a pretty good order.
Pu Tien Lor Mee ($6) - I'd describe this as interesting and pretty good. I like the generous portion size and the pork and vegetables that came in it. The broth is starchy like its black counterpart but at the same time, less overwhelming in the taste department. The noodles were also springy and soft which makes this well worth the investment.
Xing Hua Stir Fried Bee Hoon ($6) - The bee hoon came with lots of ingredients as well, clam, mushrooms, nuts, slices of pork and some vegetables all mixed into one package. The fact is, it was light and enjoyable. The only gripe is on the bee hoon being smashed. Its as though the bee hoon is made shorter on purpose.
Shredded Meat with Bun ($5.60) - The meat actually looks lke wroms to me but rest assured it isn't. Its just stir fried pork that has been diced till its fine and string-like. It came with some lettuce and fried buns with sesame to good effect. The buns were hot and soft but oily. Couple that with the lettuce and pork which is a little salty and you get sinful combination thats hard to resist.
Service: 5.5/10
Food: 6.5/10
Ambience: 5/10
Value for money: 7/10
Overall Score: 6.75/10 (not an average)
Last Word:
All in all, the food was decent with generous portions. Some came with fresh ingredients and some a little less in that respect. I can't say i did not enjoy the meal but service could be improved upon with a little more attentiveness from the waitresses. The thing that got me quite unhappy about was the supervisor whom we got her attention from, refused to take our orders and asked another waitress to do it despite there being only 3 customers including ourselves. She was more interested in walking around aimlessly and talking to her other colleagues which is rather unprofessional. Other then that, the food and value for money is on par and definitely worth a try at least.
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For starters, i'm actually not a spice eater. I like mild chili but nothing quite like the sort our Indian compatroits are used to. The next thing to know is that i was there for a small wedding reception so the food i got was mostly from the buffet counter as you can see above.
Despite all these i've said, the food here is pretty darn good. Maybe i'm too loaded with spice and burning lips to realise but the fact is, i found the buffet spread and the curry here top notch. Especially the mutton, chicken and beef curry, generous pieces of lean and fatty meat in thick, spicy curry. Each with its own merit, this is not the usual coconut heavy or packaged curry you find everywhere else and it goes really well with everything else you can throw on your plate. Be it crackers, rice, salads and what not.
I had seconds for this even though i was perspiring passionately due to the spice and i really don't do that too often.
Overall Score: 7/10
Last word:
What can i say? Authentic, good new and old fashioned curry in an equally authentic Indian setting within Little India in Singapore. It doesn't get any more realistic then this. Mind the spice though, you might not be able to take it but you sure will enjoy burning your lips off. I did.
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