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.
Different people had differing opinions regarding the opening of the Singapore Flyer. Some were excited, while some were skeptical.
Me? I belong the excited batch of citizens. :P
I've been longing to go up the Singapore Flyer since I heard of it, and I finally managed to go aboard the Flyer last Saturday!
It was quite crowded that day, since it was a weekend night, and the Flyer was just beautiful as its lighting changed from blue to pink to green etc.
Starting our journey on the Flyer, it was literally like boarding a plane in the airport. Just like Claudia mentioned, it was quite a long walk and u have to go through a security check. And then, it was photo-taking at a booth against a green background (hence, I think it's probably best not to wear green there!), where u would be superimposed in the picture like it was taken while u were in the capsule of the Singapore Flyer.
Then, it was time to make our way to board the Flyer!
We had to board it as the Flyer was moving, and found the capsule really cooling and spacious with 2 rows of benches inside. But..I spent the entire time walking around and admiring the beautiful night scene below. It was really beautiful. :)
However, the scenery was only nicer on the Esplanade side while the other side was a little bare and dark. Couldn't see much on that side actually..
When the ride ended after 30 mins, we hopped off the Flyer, only to go through a sloping path that felt just like we had just left the plane, to the counter to take a look at our superimposed pictures.
To be honest, the photos were not very well done. The cropping looked a little weird in some parts, but..since it was a memorable ride I purchased the picture for $15.
After thoughts about the ride...
The admission fee was $29.50, which..I felt was a little expensive, but I thought the timing of the ride was quite ok. Probably because it was a whole new experience and it felt interesting then, so I didn't feel bored. x)
The staff and service was quite good though, as they all greeted u with smiles and nods, welcoming you into this whole new experience. :)
I would also most probably go on the Flyer again when the IR is completed, where the scenery would probably be whole and even more fabulous that it is now. :)
Chef Chan's restaurant, decked in expensive antiques which make up his very own private collection and located within out very own Art Museum, the place screams of taste and posh before you even step into it. And we were there during his anniversary to try out his signature dishes done out in a set menu for 8. Expectations ran high for this chef who touts himself as a top chef in his Chinese namecard, Shen Chu San Jue but is it really that good?
Well, first of all the place is interesting. Not quite what i was expecting with all the bells and whistles and highly provocative name. In fact, the place was quite the opposite, sublime, quiet and very much bare. This is true for the door that greets you to the interior which had a very minimalist approach apart from the gilded plates, jade set ornaments and glaring antiques. Each item within is painstakingly collected by the Chef, Mr Chan Chen Hei over the years and it shows. Simply refer to the pictures to understand.
Flashy stuff in terms of the decorations i would say. The place is also weird in that each table of guests had their own partitioned room and there were no open tables on the outside. In fact, it felt like an intimate gathering of friends in a mutual friend's place as opposed to a restaurant. Next up, on to the food.
Cashew Nuts Coated With Honey - The cashew nuts were good though. Exceptionally so, i could go for seconds and thirds of those cashew nuts easily. Crunchy with a finely roasted fragrance and honey sweet. Yep, its something i would want right now actually.
Melon Strips Enlivened With Orange Juice - The first dish to adorn our tables is a rather normal looking item. Cut melon pieces, the difference lay in the color and taste which strangely resembled a crunchy orange. Our guess is that it was soaked in orange juice or extract but wasn't sure how to explain the crunchiness it retained. Still, it was normal when the dust settled.
Prawn Balls Stuffed With Pate and Wine - I was actually looking forward to this particular dish. Pate and prawn and wine. How could it not be a winner? Well, in truth, it wasn't a winner nor was it totally bad. The prawn paste stuffing was springy and fragrant, the wine was minimal but could be tasted while the pate was a really small piece which didn't quite get its taste across due to the multitude of other flavors. The thing about this is that each of us got....1 miserable serving...which is rather miserly if you ask me
Stir Fried Shark's Fin with Eggs, Bean Sprouts And Spring Onion - This was good. Period. Fragrant, tasty and crunchy. It embodies all the elements within to good effect. The shark's fin actually tasted like vermicelli but it was more fine and lighter. The complaint here is going to follow through for the entire post. There just wasn't enough to go around. One plate is all we got and shared among each other. I would have loved more of this but that didn't happen.
Sauteed Lobster With Garlic - The lobster in garlic is another of those dishes which came a little too little. For the price, i would have expected to be served an entire lobster but i only got half of it. A good half nonetheless. Sweet springy meat in glorious garlic. The taste reminds me of the garlic prawns in Hai Tien Lo but with a little more meat. Good stuff, if there was more.
Steamed Red Garouper in Superior Soy Sauce - To be honest, i don't know much about fish. So i can't differentiate between a red garoupa and from the same species of another color. And i can't tell you the price of this fish as well as the difference between superior soy sauce and normal ones. Having said all that, this fish tasted just like the ones my mother does at home. Slightly salty and juicy with a smooth texture.
Chef Chan's Famous Crispy Roast Chicken - Ah yes, the legendary Chef Chan's crispy roast chicken. I'm happy to report that this at least, lives up to its name. Crispy, well roasted skin with hints of salt and other marinates tantalizes your taste buds while juicy and tender meat sit beneath it just waiting to be tasted. Its definitely something worth trying at least once.
Sauteed Vegetable With Shredded Mushroom - Normal sums it up pretty well. I don't even know how this could have made the list but it disappoints pretty badly. Its not bad per se mind you, just not something i would expect to see on my table during an expensive meal.
Glutinous Rice With Mango and Gui Ling Gao - We gave feed back in the restaurant and we'll give the same feed back here. This combination simply does not work. Not one bit. The glutinous rice is sweet, the mango is sour and the gui ling gao is bitter. Throw them all together and the result is still a bad idea.
White Fungus - This dessert however, was good. Sweet, clear, light and warm. It served to calm the senses a fair bit after the meal.
The final bill worked out to be $860.15 after a 10% discount. A hefty sum to pay for the meal on display though.
I expected more from this place. More atmosphere, more variety and most importantly, more food. Sadly, it didn't live up to expectations with the misses in the menu. Service was good overall and the items that were well done, were definitely worth trying. Still, i won't return for a second try anytime soon.
Believing that happy food is created using natural ingredients and a pair of happy and dedicated hands – Kenneth, owner aka a happy chef (and a very cute and hunky one as well) saw a market for healthy, natural food for people who want a shift from the American junk food and the greasy Chinese takeaways.
Using homemade sauce (look out for the White Yoghurt Dip – slightly sourish but so zesty & tangy) and natural ingredients (no MSG, artificial enhancers, colourings) prepared with minimal fuss – what one gets are dishes that allows you to enjoy the food in its original state. From brown rice to grilled meats, sandwiches to wraps, each item listed on the menu guarantees one to enjoy their meal guilt-free! As we were rushing for time, we decided to go with the Toasted Tortilla Wraps and Sandwich that are filled with GENEROUS serving of Juicy Roast Chicken, Lettuce and Tomato Salsa.
I observed later, the big-hearted portion applied to all his customers – so much so that I began to wonder how does he meet his profit margin?
My verdict – I love the natural ingredients, the chicken is juicy and tender and one REALLY does achieve a sense of “happiness” after eating his food! However, between the wrap and the sandwich, I definitely preferred the former. The bread was slightly dry and flat which I believed was due to it being exposed to the air for quite some time.
Given a chance, do also give the Roast Chicken in Olive Oil and Rosemary a try – it looks really good and value-for-money. Interestingly, if you thought All Natural Kitchen is situated in a posh health bar, you might be surprised to find out that it is actually located at the 2nd level of Amoy Street Food Centre, just so that you get to enjoy these healthy foods at reasonable prices.
Grippingly, there were also copies of the latest issues of various lifestyle magazines for those in the queue to read – utterly considerate if you ask me.
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
1=SGD 0.0587
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!
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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Different people had differing opinions regarding the opening of the Singapore Flyer. Some were excited, while some were skeptical.
Me? I belong the excited batch of citizens. :P
I've been longing to go up the Singapore Flyer since I heard of it, and I finally managed to go aboard the Flyer last Saturday!
It was quite crowded that day, since it was a weekend night, and the Flyer was just beautiful as its lighting changed from blue to pink to green etc.
Starting our journey on the Flyer, it was literally like boarding a plane in the airport. Just like Claudia mentioned, it was quite a long walk and u have to go through a security check. And then, it was photo-taking at a booth against a green background (hence, I think it's probably best not to wear green there!), where u would be superimposed in the picture like it was taken while u were in the capsule of the Singapore Flyer.
Then, it was time to make our way to board the Flyer!
We had to board it as the Flyer was moving, and found the capsule really cooling and spacious with 2 rows of benches inside. But..I spent the entire time walking around and admiring the beautiful night scene below. It was really beautiful. :)
However, the scenery was only nicer on the Esplanade side while the other side was a little bare and dark. Couldn't see much on that side actually..
When the ride ended after 30 mins, we hopped off the Flyer, only to go through a sloping path that felt just like we had just left the plane, to the counter to take a look at our superimposed pictures.
To be honest, the photos were not very well done. The cropping looked a little weird in some parts, but..since it was a memorable ride I purchased the picture for $15.
After thoughts about the ride...
The admission fee was $29.50, which..I felt was a little expensive, but I thought the timing of the ride was quite ok. Probably because it was a whole new experience and it felt interesting then, so I didn't feel bored. x)
The staff and service was quite good though, as they all greeted u with smiles and nods, welcoming you into this whole new experience. :)
I would also most probably go on the Flyer again when the IR is completed, where the scenery would probably be whole and even more fabulous that it is now. :)
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Chef Chan's restaurant, decked in expensive antiques which make up his very own private collection and located within out very own Art Museum, the place screams of taste and posh before you even step into it. And we were there during his anniversary to try out his signature dishes done out in a set menu for 8. Expectations ran high for this chef who touts himself as a top chef in his Chinese namecard, Shen Chu San Jue but is it really that good?
Well, first of all the place is interesting. Not quite what i was expecting with all the bells and whistles and highly provocative name. In fact, the place was quite the opposite, sublime, quiet and very much bare. This is true for the door that greets you to the interior which had a very minimalist approach apart from the gilded plates, jade set ornaments and glaring antiques. Each item within is painstakingly collected by the Chef, Mr Chan Chen Hei over the years and it shows. Simply refer to the pictures to understand.
Flashy stuff in terms of the decorations i would say. The place is also weird in that each table of guests had their own partitioned room and there were no open tables on the outside. In fact, it felt like an intimate gathering of friends in a mutual friend's place as opposed to a restaurant. Next up, on to the food.
Cashew Nuts Coated With Honey - The cashew nuts were good though. Exceptionally so, i could go for seconds and thirds of those cashew nuts easily. Crunchy with a finely roasted fragrance and honey sweet. Yep, its something i would want right now actually.
Melon Strips Enlivened With Orange Juice - The first dish to adorn our tables is a rather normal looking item. Cut melon pieces, the difference lay in the color and taste which strangely resembled a crunchy orange. Our guess is that it was soaked in orange juice or extract but wasn't sure how to explain the crunchiness it retained. Still, it was normal when the dust settled.
Prawn Balls Stuffed With Pate and Wine - I was actually looking forward to this particular dish. Pate and prawn and wine. How could it not be a winner? Well, in truth, it wasn't a winner nor was it totally bad. The prawn paste stuffing was springy and fragrant, the wine was minimal but could be tasted while the pate was a really small piece which didn't quite get its taste across due to the multitude of other flavors. The thing about this is that each of us got....1 miserable serving...which is rather miserly if you ask me
Stir Fried Shark's Fin with Eggs, Bean Sprouts And Spring Onion - This was good. Period. Fragrant, tasty and crunchy. It embodies all the elements within to good effect. The shark's fin actually tasted like vermicelli but it was more fine and lighter. The complaint here is going to follow through for the entire post. There just wasn't enough to go around. One plate is all we got and shared among each other. I would have loved more of this but that didn't happen.
Sauteed Lobster With Garlic - The lobster in garlic is another of those dishes which came a little too little. For the price, i would have expected to be served an entire lobster but i only got half of it. A good half nonetheless. Sweet springy meat in glorious garlic. The taste reminds me of the garlic prawns in Hai Tien Lo but with a little more meat. Good stuff, if there was more.
Steamed Red Garouper in Superior Soy Sauce - To be honest, i don't know much about fish. So i can't differentiate between a red garoupa and from the same species of another color. And i can't tell you the price of this fish as well as the difference between superior soy sauce and normal ones. Having said all that, this fish tasted just like the ones my mother does at home. Slightly salty and juicy with a smooth texture.
Chef Chan's Famous Crispy Roast Chicken - Ah yes, the legendary Chef Chan's crispy roast chicken. I'm happy to report that this at least, lives up to its name. Crispy, well roasted skin with hints of salt and other marinates tantalizes your taste buds while juicy and tender meat sit beneath it just waiting to be tasted. Its definitely something worth trying at least once.
Sauteed Vegetable With Shredded Mushroom - Normal sums it up pretty well. I don't even know how this could have made the list but it disappoints pretty badly. Its not bad per se mind you, just not something i would expect to see on my table during an expensive meal.
Glutinous Rice With Mango and Gui Ling Gao - We gave feed back in the restaurant and we'll give the same feed back here. This combination simply does not work. Not one bit. The glutinous rice is sweet, the mango is sour and the gui ling gao is bitter. Throw them all together and the result is still a bad idea.
White Fungus - This dessert however, was good. Sweet, clear, light and warm. It served to calm the senses a fair bit after the meal.
The final bill worked out to be $860.15 after a 10% discount. A hefty sum to pay for the meal on display though.
I expected more from this place. More atmosphere, more variety and most importantly, more food. Sadly, it didn't live up to expectations with the misses in the menu. Service was good overall and the items that were well done, were definitely worth trying. Still, i won't return for a second try anytime soon.
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Believing that happy food is created using natural ingredients and a pair of happy and dedicated hands – Kenneth, owner aka a happy chef (and a very cute and hunky one as well) saw a market for healthy, natural food for people who want a shift from the American junk food and the greasy Chinese takeaways.
Using homemade sauce (look out for the White Yoghurt Dip – slightly sourish but so zesty & tangy) and natural ingredients (no MSG, artificial enhancers, colourings) prepared with minimal fuss – what one gets are dishes that allows you to enjoy the food in its original state. From brown rice to grilled meats, sandwiches to wraps, each item listed on the menu guarantees one to enjoy their meal guilt-free! As we were rushing for time, we decided to go with the Toasted Tortilla Wraps and Sandwich that are filled with GENEROUS serving of Juicy Roast Chicken, Lettuce and Tomato Salsa.
I observed later, the big-hearted portion applied to all his customers – so much so that I began to wonder how does he meet his profit margin?
My verdict – I love the natural ingredients, the chicken is juicy and tender and one REALLY does achieve a sense of “happiness” after eating his food! However, between the wrap and the sandwich, I definitely preferred the former. The bread was slightly dry and flat which I believed was due to it being exposed to the air for quite some time.
Given a chance, do also give the Roast Chicken in Olive Oil and Rosemary a try – it looks really good and value-for-money. Interestingly, if you thought All Natural Kitchen is situated in a posh health bar, you might be surprised to find out that it is actually located at the 2nd level of Amoy Street Food Centre, just so that you get to enjoy these healthy foods at reasonable prices.
Grippingly, there were also copies of the latest issues of various lifestyle magazines for those in the queue to read – utterly considerate if you ask me.
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
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