Located in the district of Orchard Road, this award winning steakhouse is the first of its franchise outlets outside of United States.
Since it’s opening in 1997, Black Angus has been in the business of satisfying the local market’s craving for a good beefy US steak – with the meat and other ingredients imported directly from the US. Styled like a US steak diner, there are even some tables fashioned after cubicle boxes, giving added solitude and comfort to diners. Dining al fresco is another dining alternative.
What one will love about Black Angus is that with every order of their steak, it is served with Crispy Haystack Onion String, Fresh Vegetable and your choice of Potato – accompanied by starter of choice like the Stuart’s Steak Soup, Baked Potato Soup, Garden Salad, or Coleslaw. Intense is the word best used for the steak soup – as chunks of beef cubes seeks to add to the already flavourful soup. Not forgetting the generous amount of meat within marks the start of a hearty dinner.
My dining partner, being a potato lover naturally indulged in the potato soup – completed with a dollop of cream, and some sprinkle of bacon bits, cheddar cheese and spring onions. HFB had a spoonful of it but didn’t exactly took to it – he found it too starchy to stomach.
10 oz Rib-eye Steak @ $39.90 was pretty affordable and value-for-money if you ask me. Serving of the steak was liberal and this is definitely the place to be if one is looking for a good cut of US prime steak.
It was thick, juicy and has a good beefy taste to it. Steak was well rested and came medium-rare but HFB would preferred a slightly more charred-grilled finishing to his steak.
Special mentioned goes to the onion string that is really well deep-fried and really delectable. HFB really enjoyed this side!
Why is it that Starbucks is able to open a few outlets at a single location, and yet every cafe is still packed fully with customers? They must have some secrets that we don’t know? Anyway, Marutama ra-men seems to get the idea, with their one week old new restaurant at Liang court, it’s only a stone throw away from their original branch at The Central.
Ramen lovers have been raving about Marutama, and with some even proclaiming it as the best in Singapore, the new location, like their first outlet, also has a small interior which at best can seat 30 thereabouts. You can choose to seat at their counter area where you can have the bird’s eye view of the chef at work.
When we chanced upon it during a weekday afternoon, they are closed in between 3.30pm to 4.30pm, we came back just on time for their dinner operation hours, and within ten minutes of opening, the petite restaurant was almost full filled with customers craving for their ramen.
I asked the person-in-charge why didn’t they expand their new outlet since their original one is already a hit with its customers, and she explained that their stove could only cook that many bowl of ramen at one time, so it isn’t feasible to have more seats. And besides, some queue outside does make the restaurant look more popular isn’t it?
The spicy chicken soup ra-men with toppings, or Nama karashi ra-men ($12) is one of the three choices available at Marutama. A lone slice of char siu, seaweed, spring onions with the noodles, that’s it. The char siu was really excellent, thinly sliced, with the fats being just adequate. The meat was tasty and with the fatty portions, it did seem perfect, except for the fact there’s only a single slice of it. You can add the sliced roast pork for an additional $4 though.
The noodles were springy, but the chicken soup base was really salty. A tad heavy on the MSG, we needed to drink lots of water to drench our thirst.
Total bill was $14.04 for a bowl of ramen, a rather hefty price to pay when you consider the fact that the ramen only had a slice of char siu and noodles.The char siu was definitely good, but i’m not really a big fan of Japanese food, so it should take some time before i’m back for another bowl of ramen.
There are obviously fans and critics of Marutama ra-men. Fans whom rave about the authetic noodles, and critics who cite the salty soup and expensive bowl of ra-men. Nonetheless, Marutama must be doing something right with its long queue at the restaurants everyday. So who’s a fan and who’s not? Let me know with your comments!
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!
I’ve always love my cakes and desserts, so it also came as a surprise to me that i only visited Royal Copenhagen Tea Lounge now. Furthermore, it helped that the place is located in town area, right in the middle of level 2, Takashimaya. I went to the second level all right, but couldn’t find the place until my companion told me it’s beside Burberry. And it’s until then i realised i been passing by the place last time but didn’t notice it.
The restaurant interior surprised me as i thought it was bigger on the outside. With an elongated L shape area, customers enjoying their meal can look out to the busy street of Orchard road. While others are rushing around, you’re enjoying your cup of tea with some light desserts. Life’s bliss.
Having the other tables so closed to each other, and with no walls in the whole area, the place was very noisy with all the chatterings and crying sound of the kids. This on the whole, dampened the relaxing mood slightly.
High Tea is served from 2.30pm to 6.30pm. There’s their high tea set for one person at $20.90, and two person at $ 26.90. Obviously the set for one person isn’t worth the price, so if you’re going alone, you’ll be better off ordering a la carte instead. We had the high tea set for two person since it’s our first time there.
The tea that came along with the set was really just, your normal lipton tea. The porcelain tableware with its blue foral prints had a very English feel.
A blueberry cheesecake ($4.90 a la carte) that didn’t taste like blueberry. I usually didn’t quite fancy blueberry but this one was very good. The blueberry was very sweet and flavourful, layering on top of the slice of cake. The taste was very similar to the one that i’ve at Caffe Beviamo.
Cheesy yet not to the extent overwhelming. The biscuit crumb layer underneath the cake added the crunch to the soft and fluffy cheese cake. The “oomph” taste immediately announced its presence. It’s light and airy, and unlike some cheesecakes which are really heavy, you won’t feel sick of eating this one.
Another dessert which we selected for one of the two home-made pastries was the bakewell tart. I didn’t have much similar tarts before, but i must say the tart was excellent by its own standards. The crispy texture of the top, together with the soft body provided a nice compliment to each other. And there was a layer of jam in between which also added flavour to the tart. A good try if you are going to Royal Copenhagen.
The shrimp sandwich was one of the two mini opened face sandwich ($10.90 a la carte) of the chef’s choice. Basically a sandwich without any top, it consisted of shrimps, caviar and lettuces. Coupled with the mayo sauce, the opened face sandwich reminded me of the one I’ve at Caffe Cova. The shrimps serving was generous all right, the caviar added intense flavour to it, but the lettuce wasn’t very crunchy, and somehow I don’t think I really enjoyed the dainty petite sandwich. After finishing it, i was wondering, was that it?
The big slice of smoked salmon was a surprise, but again opened face sandwich and me just don’t click. My friend enjoyed the popular shrimp sandwich more than this. The thing about opened face sandwich is you feel that you are just eating the fillings without any bread, which doesn’t have the sandwich-feel.
It was the famous Copenhagen scones ($6.90 a la carte) that we eyed for. The one which got everybody talking about. Royal Copenhagen chef’s speciality, fresh daily baked scones served with butter, whipped cream and jam.
There were five types of Danish fruit spread selection, namely blackcurrent, raspberry, strawberry, orange marmalade, and rosehip with apples. We were contemplating between the safe choice of raspberry or the adventurous rosehip with apples. In the end the spirit won, and we chose the latter.
This was the very first time both of us tried scones, while i spread my cream, jam, and butter in the middle of the scones, my companion preferred to tear bits of the scones and dipped them into the jam and butter to eat. The scones were very fragrant, slightly hard on the exterior, soft & fluffy inside. The only gripe - it wasn’t warm! It would be prefect if the scones were warm and freshly baked from the oven.
Total bill was $31.65 after the extra charges for the 2 person high tea set. The experience was a pleasant one, although it was blotch by the rather noisy atmosphere. Service wise was still acceptable, there were a couple of staff which we thought wasn’t very happy serving people, but there was one staff whom was the saving graces with her friendly smile and services.
I’ve called up beforehand to make a reservation, but the staff told me there was no need to for a weekday high tea. And when we reached the place at around 4pm, it’s packed to the house, but luckily there was still seats for us. Which made me wonder whether was it coincidence that they saw a rush in crowd that day, or it was always busy everytime but the staff didn’t want to take the reservations.
Frankly speaking, i didn’t fancy the opened face sandwich, so chances are if i come back again, i probably won’t order the high tea set. The cakes and pastries are really good, and at $4.90 they are a lot cheaper than patisserie like Canele, even though they are not as attractive looking, but it’s the inside that counts isn’t it?
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!
Ah Mei, nurtured by Banquet, to vie a share of the market. There’s Ya Kun, with the tradition on their side. And Toastbox, with the Breadtalk group backing them. Not to forget Oldtown, the new kid on the block which hailed from faraway Kuala Lumpur. With competition that tough, they went Halal.
Waking up on a sleepy Sunday morning, slowly enjoying your breakfast away from the hectic lifestyle, sipping a cup of coffee, nibbling on a piece of kaya toast, and slurping down the runny half-boiled eggs. The set A ($3.20) to be exact.
Cracked the shells, we were greeted with a portrait of the rising sun. It was not just about the main character only, together with its sidekicks, the pepper and black sauce, the rising sun was slurped down in two seconds.
And finally, the one that all of us were waiting for. Slightly toasted, the bread was golden brown. The kaya was the one which would have make all the difference in the world. Sadly, there was something missing. The lack of a signature taste in the kaya, the whole thing was not bad but failed to cast its mark on my memory.
There were pratas, done on the spot by their very own in-house prata man. The taste however, failed to justify the higher price tag. You could have walk in to any other prata shops and got better yet cheaper ones. Nonetheless, the curry sauce which accompanied the prata, was the saving grace. You could get it a la carte, or as a set with tea or coffee.
With both Ah Mei and Oldtown positioned within the high district at Bukit timah, i half suspect Ya Kun might just want to open a branch there to join in the party. Which can only be good news for the residents. Ah Mei, didn’t really impress dme. The widely diversified menu which also included muslim food like nasi lemek & mee rebus, didn’t appeal to the kaya-seeking fan in me.
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!
Heard many rave reviews about Thai Pan, a Thai style cze char restaurant located at the eastern tip of Singapore so made the long trek down to give it a shot. Apparently its claim to fame is its quality food at coffeeshop cze char prices.
Located in a charming colonial style clubhouse within the Civil Service Club's premises at Changi Village, Thai Pan's interior boasts a sloping ceiling with wooden arches, parquet flooring and views of lush greenery through the checkered windows. The place does seem susceptible to echos though, because of the lack of sound dampening/absorbing materials like carpets.
Jade Tofu with Chicken Floss - I thought that the name sounded promising. Jade tofu conjures images of silken tofu with a nice savoury taste. However that wasn't quite the case unfortunately. The skin was a little crisp and the inside was soft but not exactly silky. I struggled to make out the mild savoury taste that the tofu carried but to be fair, it was decent, just nowhere in the league of Pow Sing.
Broccoli with Crab Meat - Personally I thought that this was quite good. There was egg white and small chunks of crab meat in the not too starchy and mildly appetising gravy that layered the crunchy and not overcooked broccoli.
Phad Thai - I didn't quite take this Thai Pan's rendition of this Thai street dish as the ketchup taste was just too overwhelming. I would have prefered a kaleidoscope of flavours and of course the ubiquitous dried shrimps. This one only had egg and chicken cubes.
Olive Rice - At $1 a pop, this was a great deal. But please note that its a promotion so I can't say if it will be a good deal in future. The rice was sufficient for 1 pax and had a nice wok hei taste with egg and cashew nuts. Accompanying alongside was a small serving of slightly sweet minced meat sauce that went well with the rice. The only minor gripe i had was that the rice did seem a little too damp for my liking.
The food was quite decent and the pricing relatively reasonable, at about $24 for 2 pax - a value proposition that comes close to or on par with what the coffeeshop cze char stalls are offering, albeit in a much better environment with better service.
Ever since Top of the M closed down with much fanfare in early 2008, Meritus Mandarin's iconic coffeehouse, Chatterbox, has moved up the levels (literally) to occupy what used to be the crowning glory of this centrally located hotel in Orchard Road.
Perched on the 39th floor of the hotel, the interior now sports bright red tables and pillars to give a very traditional coffeeshop feeling, yet still offering a panoramic view of the surroundings. Note that the restaurant doesn't revolve anymore, leaving that honour solely to Prima Tower.
Chicken Rice Set - Chatterbox has been known for its excellent chicken rice and of course its exorbitant prices. Consisting of only a bowl of rice, soup and a relatively generous serving of chicken meat, this dish is definitely not for the value conscious.The soup was very tasty probably due to the high MSG content while the chicken was sufficiently tender with an appropriate amount of bite. Personally I felt that the rice wasn't fluffy or tasty enough, coming across as a tad dry and limp.
Flowering Chinese leaf cabbage - The Cai Xin was as normal as it gets but portions were really small for the price ($9 ).
Apple & Raisin Tart - In all honesty, I was quite surprised to find a "western" dessert on a menu that featured mainly Chinese/local fare and since my initial choice of homemade coconut ice cream was out of stock, I settled for the tart. Which wasn't exactly a bad choice considering that the tart was quite crusty with a nice oven baked taste to it. Add a couple of sweet apple slices, raisins and a scoop of ice cream for a rather nice ending. But hey, its $12 .
I shudder to imagine the ridiculous price I would have to pay in the absence of my 1 for 1 chicken rice voucher. Even so, the bill for 2 pax came up to about $53 ($81 without voucher), which is really quite off the chart if you ask me. Service was decent but I seriously doubt I will return, not for the food and definitely not for the high prices.
Zenden is one of the offerings in Gallery Hotel's F&B stable, sitting on the fourth level of this art inspired boutique hotel and serving up modern contemporary and Asian cuisine.
Interior, Complimentary Bread & Menu - The restaurant employs a more open concept interior, where the lift landing blends effortlessly into the restaurant and through the use of expansive floor to ceilings windows that overlook the traffic on a rather quiet stretch of road. The use of pink, blue and purple chair wraps give the whole place an almost playful intonation. Add to that the suspended glass tabletops that are supported by only by steel wires running from the ceiling to the floor.
Oven Baked Scallops & Prawns - This dish came served with rice and honestly I was quite taken by it. The scallops were rather big and fresh sans the overwhelming raw taste. Ditto for the prawns as well. Interestingly, the rice tasted more like paella to me and was firm yet mildly chewy. Capping off this simple yet satisfying dish was the thick gravy that came across as a tad milky and peppery.
Flambe Beef Medallion Steak - I call this the highlight of the evening, not so much for the taste of the beef, but the spectacular (well almost) performance that preceded. The supervisor wheeled out a trolley and proceeded to flambe my steak in front of my table (talk about cutting cost! Where's the chef?). However, to be fair, the tenderloin came medium rare as per request but I did find it a wee bit too chewy. There was no brandy/wine taste to speak off as well. The accompanying cubes of foie gras had a texture like that of tau kwa aka beancurd - not quivery or smooth but still edible.
Banana Split - What can I say? Supermarket grade ice cream topped with fruits instead of just banana and covered in whipped cream. As normal as it gets.
I had the cheaper main taken off my bill due to a promotion, which resulted in a total damage of about $48 ($72 without discount) for 2 pax. I am of the opinion that the food isn't expensive per se, especially when quality is decent and service is excellent. But on a side note, the place did seem a little short handed that evening. Special mention goes to the supervisor, Caron, who provided exceptional service throughout the evening, making our dining experience a truely enjoyable one.
If you a meat aficionado, you will be delighted to know that besides Astons, there is another value-for-money joint to satisfy your beef cravings. Situated at the basement of The Central, Fine Cuts looks like your usual meat counter that is readily available at any supermarket – showcasing alluring cuts of affordable-priced premium Beef, Pork and Lamb imported from USA and Australia. However, what sets it apart from the rest is their “Pick N Grill” option, where one is able to pick a piece of meat (min. 300gms) and have it served to you with Potato & Green Salad for additional $8.00 above the retail price.
HFB was spoilt for choice, and had problems selecting the meat as every piece was so tempting – it was as though all of them were calling out to him “Pick me, pick me” – especially the USA Kobe Beef Striploin – but sadly the wallet has other ideas.
A little background about their Kobe Beef – it is grown in USA by cross-breeding the Wagyu bulls from Kobe with premium American Black Angus to form a proprietary herd that has developed into one of the finest groups of Wagyu/Angus cross cattle in USA.
Eventually, HFB picked up what he thought was the next best choice – the USA Premium Black Angus Ribeye. At $7.00/100gm, HFB thought it was pretty value-for-money. Over at Fine Cuts, do not expect thick sauces to be drizzled over the meat, but only simple seasoning of Salt and Ground Pepper – however even then HFB thought the pepper was slightly generous.
However, if you are one that really hates a naked piece of steak – they do accompanied your piece of meat with Black Pepper Sauce, which was surprisingly not too bad at all.
The meat was pretty fabulous, it was nicely charred grilled, and succulent with juices. It had what HFB thought was a right balance of tenderness and “beefiness” at the same time. At $30.00 and $33.00, for my friend’s steak, i.e. both pieces of meat weighted slightly more than 300gms, HFB thought it was a pretty good deal.
What’s more to come was when we were told that they were having a promotion, and that for a purchase above $35.00, we were entitled to a free serving of USA Beef/Pork Sausages. We opted for the Pork Sausages, and although it was nicely grilled on the outside, we thought the sausages could be rested a little longer as the natural juices gushed out the moment we took a cut on it. It also wasn’t as meaty as HFB would have liked, but given that it was complimentary HFB couldn’t really complain much.
With no service charge implemented, HFB pretty liked this no frills, unpretentious approach of this joint. And if one liked what you have eaten, you could always pick the uncooked off the counter and bring them home for a feast yourself.
Located along Hougang Street 21 near Kovan MRT station, Cheng Kee Beef Kway Teow serves both dry and soup version of beef noodles. For $4.50 for a medium bowl, patrons can have a bowl of beef noodles consisting of mixed ingredients like Beef Balls, Beef Brisket, and Sliced Beef.
HFB finally understood why the stall was rated so highly by the Makan Matas (it has a rating of “Die, die must try!” by Makansutra) – with a dash of salted vegetables, the soup was VERY intense and fully flavoured. No wonder HFB observed customers kept coming back for refills. What topped the cake was the fact that the beef brisket was devastatingly tender, that it disintegrated the moment one gave it a soft chew.
Although the Kway Teow itself was nothing to shout about, but in HFB’s opinion, Cheng Kee’s soup version was definitely superior to the much over-hyped Hock Lam.
So what about the dry version you might ask – surprisingly it wasn’t half as good as the soup adaptation. The gravy had a bitter tinge, which HFB suppose comes from herbs used – the aftertaste wasn’t pleasing and HFB would not recommend it especially if one do not take well to herbs.
HFB also tried going back for refills of the soup and was disappointed that it didn’t taste as good as the one that came with the Kway Teow – he noticed that it was scooped from a different pot. Overall, one will never go wrong with the soup version and the beef brisket.
Was roaming the Raffles place area one late Saturday morning and popped by Village Wok for an early lunch. Actually that was the only place that opened at 11 ish so I didn't have much of a choice honestly. It also helped that they were hawking a set lunch set reasonably priced at only $8.90.
Located amongst a row of restored shophouses just opposite China Square, Village Wok is easy to miss especially if you are driving past because of the lack of prominent signage. The interior is simply furnished with parquet flooring and white washed walls.
Preserved Vegetable Soup - The preserved vegetable soup or 梅菜汤 came with the set and was rather normal but hey, its better then nothing.
Beancurd with Minced Meat - This was an extra order at $6 and honestly I was quite taken aback by the small portion. It was probably just enough for 2 pax - adequate but not exactly bang for the buck. To give it credit though, the beancurd was smooth and almost silky with a nice savoury taste to it while the topping of minced meat was generous.
Village Smoked Chicken and Char Siew Rice - The smoked chicken was purportedly an award winning dish hence I had to order it. While high expectations may have ruined the experience a little for me, I must admit that the chicken was actually quite decent. Faintly crispy skin with the meat harbouring a hint of smokiness without being too dry. I did find it a little too salty for my liking though and I do have a high tolerance for salt. As for the BBQ pork, lets just say that I've had better.
Hor Fun with Egg Sauce - Okay this dish was a tad disappointing honestly. It tasted average at best and the only upside to it was that the sauce wasn't too starchy or overwhelming. Still edible though.
$30 for a 2 pax lunch in a empty restaurant smack in the middle of Raffles place is not too expensive if you ask me. Food quality is decent but service was almost non existent save for the taking of our orders and serving of food. In conclusion, a relatively reasonable place for a nice relaxing lunch during the weekend. I can't say the same for weekdays though.
1=SGD 0.0587
Located in the district of Orchard Road, this award winning steakhouse is the first of its franchise outlets outside of United States.
Since it’s opening in 1997, Black Angus has been in the business of satisfying the local market’s craving for a good beefy US steak – with the meat and other ingredients imported directly from the US. Styled like a US steak diner, there are even some tables fashioned after cubicle boxes, giving added solitude and comfort to diners. Dining al fresco is another dining alternative.
What one will love about Black Angus is that with every order of their steak, it is served with Crispy Haystack Onion String, Fresh Vegetable and your choice of Potato – accompanied by starter of choice like the Stuart’s Steak Soup, Baked Potato Soup, Garden Salad, or Coleslaw. Intense is the word best used for the steak soup – as chunks of beef cubes seeks to add to the already flavourful soup. Not forgetting the generous amount of meat within marks the start of a hearty dinner.
My dining partner, being a potato lover naturally indulged in the potato soup – completed with a dollop of cream, and some sprinkle of bacon bits, cheddar cheese and spring onions. HFB had a spoonful of it but didn’t exactly took to it – he found it too starchy to stomach.
10 oz Rib-eye Steak @ $39.90 was pretty affordable and value-for-money if you ask me. Serving of the steak was liberal and this is definitely the place to be if one is looking for a good cut of US prime steak.
It was thick, juicy and has a good beefy taste to it. Steak was well rested and came medium-rare but HFB would preferred a slightly more charred-grilled finishing to his steak.
Special mentioned goes to the onion string that is really well deep-fried and really delectable. HFB really enjoyed this side!
You can view all the photos here.
Rating given:
Why is it that Starbucks is able to open a few outlets at a single location, and yet every cafe is still packed fully with customers? They must have some secrets that we don’t know? Anyway, Marutama ra-men seems to get the idea, with their one week old new restaurant at Liang court, it’s only a stone throw away from their original branch at The Central.
Ramen lovers have been raving about Marutama, and with some even proclaiming it as the best in Singapore, the new location, like their first outlet, also has a small interior which at best can seat 30 thereabouts. You can choose to seat at their counter area where you can have the bird’s eye view of the chef at work.
When we chanced upon it during a weekday afternoon, they are closed in between 3.30pm to 4.30pm, we came back just on time for their dinner operation hours, and within ten minutes of opening, the petite restaurant was almost full filled with customers craving for their ramen.
I asked the person-in-charge why didn’t they expand their new outlet since their original one is already a hit with its customers, and she explained that their stove could only cook that many bowl of ramen at one time, so it isn’t feasible to have more seats. And besides, some queue outside does make the restaurant look more popular isn’t it?
The spicy chicken soup ra-men with toppings, or Nama karashi ra-men ($12) is one of the three choices available at Marutama. A lone slice of char siu, seaweed, spring onions with the noodles, that’s it. The char siu was really excellent, thinly sliced, with the fats being just adequate. The meat was tasty and with the fatty portions, it did seem perfect, except for the fact there’s only a single slice of it. You can add the sliced roast pork for an additional $4 though.
The noodles were springy, but the chicken soup base was really salty. A tad heavy on the MSG, we needed to drink lots of water to drench our thirst.
Total bill was $14.04 for a bowl of ramen, a rather hefty price to pay when you consider the fact that the ramen only had a slice of char siu and noodles.The char siu was definitely good, but i’m not really a big fan of Japanese food, so it should take some time before i’m back for another bowl of ramen.
There are obviously fans and critics of Marutama ra-men. Fans whom rave about the authetic noodles, and critics who cite the salty soup and expensive bowl of ra-men. Nonetheless, Marutama must be doing something right with its long queue at the restaurants everyday. So who’s a fan and who’s not? Let me know with your comments!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
I’ve always love my cakes and desserts, so it also came as a surprise to me that i only visited Royal Copenhagen Tea Lounge now. Furthermore, it helped that the place is located in town area, right in the middle of level 2, Takashimaya. I went to the second level all right, but couldn’t find the place until my companion told me it’s beside Burberry. And it’s until then i realised i been passing by the place last time but didn’t notice it.
The restaurant interior surprised me as i thought it was bigger on the outside. With an elongated L shape area, customers enjoying their meal can look out to the busy street of Orchard road. While others are rushing around, you’re enjoying your cup of tea with some light desserts. Life’s bliss.
Having the other tables so closed to each other, and with no walls in the whole area, the place was very noisy with all the chatterings and crying sound of the kids. This on the whole, dampened the relaxing mood slightly.
High Tea is served from 2.30pm to 6.30pm. There’s their high tea set for one person at $20.90, and two person at $ 26.90. Obviously the set for one person isn’t worth the price, so if you’re going alone, you’ll be better off ordering a la carte instead. We had the high tea set for two person since it’s our first time there.
The tea that came along with the set was really just, your normal lipton tea. The porcelain tableware with its blue foral prints had a very English feel.
A blueberry cheesecake ($4.90 a la carte) that didn’t taste like blueberry. I usually didn’t quite fancy blueberry but this one was very good. The blueberry was very sweet and flavourful, layering on top of the slice of cake. The taste was very similar to the one that i’ve at Caffe Beviamo.
Cheesy yet not to the extent overwhelming. The biscuit crumb layer underneath the cake added the crunch to the soft and fluffy cheese cake. The “oomph” taste immediately announced its presence. It’s light and airy, and unlike some cheesecakes which are really heavy, you won’t feel sick of eating this one.
Another dessert which we selected for one of the two home-made pastries was the bakewell tart. I didn’t have much similar tarts before, but i must say the tart was excellent by its own standards. The crispy texture of the top, together with the soft body provided a nice compliment to each other. And there was a layer of jam in between which also added flavour to the tart.
A good try if you are going to Royal Copenhagen.
The shrimp sandwich was one of the two mini opened face sandwich ($10.90 a la carte) of the chef’s choice. Basically a sandwich without any top, it consisted of shrimps, caviar and lettuces. Coupled with the mayo sauce, the opened face sandwich reminded me of the one I’ve at Caffe Cova. The shrimps serving was generous all right, the caviar added intense flavour to it, but the lettuce wasn’t very crunchy, and somehow I don’t think I really enjoyed the dainty petite sandwich. After finishing it, i was wondering, was that it?
The big slice of smoked salmon was a surprise, but again opened face sandwich and me just don’t click. My friend enjoyed the popular shrimp sandwich more than this. The thing about opened face sandwich is you feel that you are just eating the fillings without any bread, which doesn’t have the sandwich-feel.
It was the famous Copenhagen scones ($6.90 a la carte) that we eyed for. The one which got everybody talking about. Royal Copenhagen chef’s speciality, fresh daily baked scones served with butter, whipped cream and jam.
There were five types of Danish fruit spread selection, namely blackcurrent, raspberry, strawberry, orange marmalade, and rosehip with apples. We were contemplating between the safe choice of raspberry or the adventurous rosehip with apples. In the end the spirit won, and we chose the latter.
This was the very first time both of us tried scones, while i spread my cream, jam, and butter in the middle of the scones, my companion preferred to tear bits of the scones and dipped them into the jam and butter to eat. The scones were very fragrant, slightly hard on the exterior, soft & fluffy inside. The only gripe - it wasn’t warm! It would be prefect if the scones were warm and freshly baked from the oven.
Total bill was $31.65 after the extra charges for the 2 person high tea set. The experience was a pleasant one, although it was blotch by the rather noisy atmosphere. Service wise was still acceptable, there were a couple of staff which we thought wasn’t very happy serving people, but there was one staff whom was the saving graces with her friendly smile and services.
I’ve called up beforehand to make a reservation, but the staff told me there was no need to for a weekday high tea. And when we reached the place at around 4pm, it’s packed to the house, but luckily there was still seats for us. Which made me wonder whether was it coincidence that they saw a rush in crowd that day, or it was always busy everytime but the staff didn’t want to take the reservations.
Frankly speaking, i didn’t fancy the opened face sandwich, so chances are if i come back again, i probably won’t order the high tea set. The cakes and pastries are really good, and at $4.90 they are a lot cheaper than patisserie like Canele, even though they are not as attractive looking, but it’s the inside that counts isn’t it?
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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Ah Mei, nurtured by Banquet, to vie a share of the market. There’s Ya Kun, with the tradition on their side. And Toastbox, with the Breadtalk group backing them. Not to forget Oldtown, the new kid on the block which hailed from faraway Kuala Lumpur. With competition that tough, they went Halal.
Waking up on a sleepy Sunday morning, slowly enjoying your breakfast away from the hectic lifestyle, sipping a cup of coffee, nibbling on a piece of kaya toast, and slurping down the runny half-boiled eggs. The set A ($3.20) to be exact.
Cracked the shells, we were greeted with a portrait of the rising sun. It was not just about the main character only, together with its sidekicks, the pepper and black sauce, the rising sun was slurped down in two seconds.
And finally, the one that all of us were waiting for. Slightly toasted, the bread was golden brown. The kaya was the one which would have make all the difference in the world. Sadly, there was something missing. The lack of a signature taste in the kaya, the whole thing was not bad but failed to cast its mark on my memory.
There were pratas, done on the spot by their very own in-house prata man. The taste however, failed to justify the higher price tag. You could have walk in to any other prata shops and got better yet cheaper ones. Nonetheless, the curry sauce which accompanied the prata, was the saving grace. You could get it a la carte, or as a set with tea or coffee.
With both Ah Mei and Oldtown positioned within the high district at Bukit timah, i half suspect Ya Kun might just want to open a branch there to join in the party. Which can only be good news for the residents. Ah Mei, didn’t really impress dme. The widely diversified menu which also included muslim food like nasi lemek & mee rebus, didn’t appeal to the kaya-seeking fan in me.
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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Heard many rave reviews about Thai Pan, a Thai style cze char restaurant located at the eastern tip of Singapore so made the long trek down to give it a shot. Apparently its claim to fame is its quality food at coffeeshop cze char prices.
Located in a charming colonial style clubhouse within the Civil Service Club's premises at Changi Village, Thai Pan's interior boasts a sloping ceiling with wooden arches, parquet flooring and views of lush greenery through the checkered windows. The place does seem susceptible to echos though, because of the lack of sound dampening/absorbing materials like carpets.
Jade Tofu with Chicken Floss - I thought that the name sounded promising. Jade tofu conjures images of silken tofu with a nice savoury taste. However that wasn't quite the case unfortunately. The skin was a little crisp and the inside was soft but not exactly silky. I struggled to make out the mild savoury taste that the tofu carried but to be fair, it was decent, just nowhere in the league of Pow Sing.
Broccoli with Crab Meat - Personally I thought that this was quite good. There was egg white and small chunks of crab meat in the not too starchy and mildly appetising gravy that layered the crunchy and not overcooked broccoli.
Phad Thai - I didn't quite take this Thai Pan's rendition of this Thai street dish as the ketchup taste was just too overwhelming. I would have prefered a kaleidoscope of flavours and of course the ubiquitous dried shrimps. This one only had egg and chicken cubes.
Olive Rice - At $1 a pop, this was a great deal. But please note that its a promotion so I can't say if it will be a good deal in future. The rice was sufficient for 1 pax and had a nice wok hei taste with egg and cashew nuts. Accompanying alongside was a small serving of slightly sweet minced meat sauce that went well with the rice. The only minor gripe i had was that the rice did seem a little too damp for my liking.
The food was quite decent and the pricing relatively reasonable, at about $24 for 2 pax - a value proposition that comes close to or on par with what the coffeeshop cze char stalls are offering, albeit in a much better environment with better service.
See all my pictures here.
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Ever since Top of the M closed down with much fanfare in early 2008, Meritus Mandarin's iconic coffeehouse, Chatterbox, has moved up the levels (literally) to occupy what used to be the crowning glory of this centrally located hotel in Orchard Road.
Perched on the 39th floor of the hotel, the interior now sports bright red tables and pillars to give a very traditional coffeeshop feeling, yet still offering a panoramic view of the surroundings. Note that the restaurant doesn't revolve anymore, leaving that honour solely to Prima Tower.
Chicken Rice Set - Chatterbox has been known for its excellent chicken rice and of course its exorbitant prices. Consisting of only a bowl of rice, soup and a relatively generous serving of chicken meat, this dish is definitely not for the value conscious.The soup was very tasty probably due to the high MSG content while the chicken was sufficiently tender with an appropriate amount of bite. Personally I felt that the rice wasn't fluffy or tasty enough, coming across as a tad dry and limp.
Flowering Chinese leaf cabbage - The Cai Xin was as normal as it gets but portions were really small for the price ($9 ).
Apple & Raisin Tart - In all honesty, I was quite surprised to find a "western" dessert on a menu that featured mainly Chinese/local fare and since my initial choice of homemade coconut ice cream was out of stock, I settled for the tart. Which wasn't exactly a bad choice considering that the tart was quite crusty with a nice oven baked taste to it. Add a couple of sweet apple slices, raisins and a scoop of ice cream for a rather nice ending. But hey, its $12 .
I shudder to imagine the ridiculous price I would have to pay in the absence of my 1 for 1 chicken rice voucher. Even so, the bill for 2 pax came up to about $53 ($81 without voucher), which is really quite off the chart if you ask me. Service was decent but I seriously doubt I will return, not for the food and definitely not for the high prices.
See all my pictures here.
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Zenden is one of the offerings in Gallery Hotel's F&B stable, sitting on the fourth level of this art inspired boutique hotel and serving up modern contemporary and Asian cuisine.
Interior, Complimentary Bread & Menu - The restaurant employs a more open concept interior, where the lift landing blends effortlessly into the restaurant and through the use of expansive floor to ceilings windows that overlook the traffic on a rather quiet stretch of road. The use of pink, blue and purple chair wraps give the whole place an almost playful intonation. Add to that the suspended glass tabletops that are supported by only by steel wires running from the ceiling to the floor.
Oven Baked Scallops & Prawns - This dish came served with rice and honestly I was quite taken by it. The scallops were rather big and fresh sans the overwhelming raw taste. Ditto for the prawns as well. Interestingly, the rice tasted more like paella to me and was firm yet mildly chewy. Capping off this simple yet satisfying dish was the thick gravy that came across as a tad milky and peppery.
Flambe Beef Medallion Steak - I call this the highlight of the evening, not so much for the taste of the beef, but the spectacular (well almost) performance that preceded. The supervisor wheeled out a trolley and proceeded to flambe my steak in front of my table (talk about cutting cost! Where's the chef?). However, to be fair, the tenderloin came medium rare as per request but I did find it a wee bit too chewy. There was no brandy/wine taste to speak off as well. The accompanying cubes of foie gras had a texture like that of tau kwa aka beancurd - not quivery or smooth but still edible.
Banana Split - What can I say? Supermarket grade ice cream topped with fruits instead of just banana and covered in whipped cream. As normal as it gets.
I had the cheaper main taken off my bill due to a promotion, which resulted in a total damage of about $48 ($72 without discount) for 2 pax. I am of the opinion that the food isn't expensive per se, especially when quality is decent and service is excellent. But on a side note, the place did seem a little short handed that evening. Special mention goes to the supervisor, Caron, who provided exceptional service throughout the evening, making our dining experience a truely enjoyable one.
See all my pictures here.
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If you a meat aficionado, you will be delighted to know that besides Astons, there is another value-for-money joint to satisfy your beef cravings. Situated at the basement of The Central, Fine Cuts looks like your usual meat counter that is readily available at any supermarket – showcasing alluring cuts of affordable-priced premium Beef, Pork and Lamb imported from USA and Australia. However, what sets it apart from the rest is their “Pick N Grill” option, where one is able to pick a piece of meat (min. 300gms) and have it served to you with Potato & Green Salad for additional $8.00 above the retail price.
HFB was spoilt for choice, and had problems selecting the meat as every piece was so tempting – it was as though all of them were calling out to him “Pick me, pick me” – especially the USA Kobe Beef Striploin – but sadly the wallet has other ideas.
A little background about their Kobe Beef – it is grown in USA by cross-breeding the Wagyu bulls from Kobe with premium American Black Angus to form a proprietary herd that has developed into one of the finest groups of Wagyu/Angus cross cattle in USA.
Eventually, HFB picked up what he thought was the next best choice – the USA Premium Black Angus Ribeye. At $7.00/100gm, HFB thought it was pretty value-for-money. Over at Fine Cuts, do not expect thick sauces to be drizzled over the meat, but only simple seasoning of Salt and Ground Pepper – however even then HFB thought the pepper was slightly generous.
However, if you are one that really hates a naked piece of steak – they do accompanied your piece of meat with Black Pepper Sauce, which was surprisingly not too bad at all.
The meat was pretty fabulous, it was nicely charred grilled, and succulent with juices. It had what HFB thought was a right balance of tenderness and “beefiness” at the same time. At $30.00 and $33.00, for my friend’s steak, i.e. both pieces of meat weighted slightly more than 300gms, HFB thought it was a pretty good deal.
What’s more to come was when we were told that they were having a promotion, and that for a purchase above $35.00, we were entitled to a free serving of USA Beef/Pork Sausages. We opted for the Pork Sausages, and although it was nicely grilled on the outside, we thought the sausages could be rested a little longer as the natural juices gushed out the moment we took a cut on it. It also wasn’t as meaty as HFB would have liked, but given that it was complimentary HFB couldn’t really complain much.
With no service charge implemented, HFB pretty liked this no frills, unpretentious approach of this joint. And if one liked what you have eaten, you could always pick the uncooked off the counter and bring them home for a feast yourself.
You can view all the photos here.
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Located along Hougang Street 21 near Kovan MRT station, Cheng Kee Beef Kway Teow serves both dry and soup version of beef noodles. For $4.50 for a medium bowl, patrons can have a bowl of beef noodles consisting of mixed ingredients like Beef Balls, Beef Brisket, and Sliced Beef.
HFB finally understood why the stall was rated so highly by the Makan Matas (it has a rating of “Die, die must try!” by Makansutra) – with a dash of salted vegetables, the soup was VERY intense and fully flavoured. No wonder HFB observed customers kept coming back for refills. What topped the cake was the fact that the beef brisket was devastatingly tender, that it disintegrated the moment one gave it a soft chew.
Although the Kway Teow itself was nothing to shout about, but in HFB’s opinion, Cheng Kee’s soup version was definitely superior to the much over-hyped Hock Lam.
So what about the dry version you might ask – surprisingly it wasn’t half as good as the soup adaptation. The gravy had a bitter tinge, which HFB suppose comes from herbs used – the aftertaste wasn’t pleasing and HFB would not recommend it especially if one do not take well to herbs.
HFB also tried going back for refills of the soup and was disappointed that it didn’t taste as good as the one that came with the Kway Teow – he noticed that it was scooped from a different pot. Overall, one will never go wrong with the soup version and the beef brisket.
You can view all the photos here.
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Was roaming the Raffles place area one late Saturday morning and popped by Village Wok for an early lunch. Actually that was the only place that opened at 11 ish so I didn't have much of a choice honestly. It also helped that they were hawking a set lunch set reasonably priced at only $8.90.
Located amongst a row of restored shophouses just opposite China Square, Village Wok is easy to miss especially if you are driving past because of the lack of prominent signage. The interior is simply furnished with parquet flooring and white washed walls.
Preserved Vegetable Soup - The preserved vegetable soup or 梅菜汤 came with the set and was rather normal but hey, its better then nothing.
Beancurd with Minced Meat - This was an extra order at $6 and honestly I was quite taken aback by the small portion. It was probably just enough for 2 pax - adequate but not exactly bang for the buck. To give it credit though, the beancurd was smooth and almost silky with a nice savoury taste to it while the topping of minced meat was generous.
Village Smoked Chicken and Char Siew Rice - The smoked chicken was purportedly an award winning dish hence I had to order it. While high expectations may have ruined the experience a little for me, I must admit that the chicken was actually quite decent. Faintly crispy skin with the meat harbouring a hint of smokiness without being too dry. I did find it a little too salty for my liking though and I do have a high tolerance for salt. As for the BBQ pork, lets just say that I've had better.
Hor Fun with Egg Sauce - Okay this dish was a tad disappointing honestly. It tasted average at best and the only upside to it was that the sauce wasn't too starchy or overwhelming. Still edible though.
$30 for a 2 pax lunch in a empty restaurant smack in the middle of Raffles place is not too expensive if you ask me. Food quality is decent but service was almost non existent save for the taking of our orders and serving of food. In conclusion, a relatively reasonable place for a nice relaxing lunch during the weekend. I can't say the same for weekdays though.
See all my pictures here.
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