First tried out Ms Clarity way back in 2005/2006 when it first opened and was relatively unknown back then. Used to have their chicken cordon bleu which is essentially chicken stuffed with cheese and ham. There was no crowd then and prices were kept before $10 for a main course. With the publicity generated over the years and the opening of 2 new branches, the standard of food has dipped, prices have increased and the queues are quite insane. Oh did I mention that service is slow as well?
After a short wait, our dishes arrived and we tucked in. First impressions, the beef I had was very well done and the meat was tender and a little juicy. (I had ordered it medium well)The sides were nothing to shout about though. The hog tail fries tasted like the curly fries from MacDonalds and the salad looked like it could use some sprucing up. I managed to try some of my gf's chicken and it tasted kinda weird with peachy-mangoey sauce on top of the chicken. The sauce tasted like those you would find in puddings.
My take on this one? The beef is good, but only the beef. Didn't get to try the dessert as we had plans to head on to Haagan Dazs after that. The waitresses were friendly, but a little lacking in service. I ordered a refillable glass of Coke and I had to wait for quite some time to even see a waitress to get it filled up. Nice laid back atmostphere though.
Nasi Lemak, with roots in Malay culture, when translated literally means 'rice in fat'. The name is derived from the cooking process whereby the grains are soaked in rich coconut cream and then the mixture steamed. While traditionally a breakfast dish, this dish is now found everywhere at every time possible. Mentioned Nasi Lemak and Changi Village Road Food Centre immediately sprang to mind.
While there are several competitor stalls competing with flashy stall signage, there is only one International Food Stall with its rather plain and simple signage. The queue that morning said it all – this stall is legendary for its long queue, which appears to be perpetually attached to it, come rain or shine. It definitely serves one of the best renditions, with Adam Road’s Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak coming a close second. The Rice is fragrant, moist and subtly sweet – a sign that the coconut milk was thoroughly infused with the rice.
Because of the stall’s fast turnover, the Chicken Wings are always guaranteed freshly fried – crispy and juicy, and served piping hot. But what definitely caught my tastebud that morning was definitely the Sambal Chilli. A sure winner with its aromatic sweet, yet not so spicy chilli fried with onions that one cannot help but keep helping himself to it.
This is truly the best rendition I have tried so far! Anyone care to dispute it?
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Visited this place last Sunday with my parents and they have since been relocated to ground level of Liang Court Shopping Centre. Their old outlet has also been taken over by Ichibantei.
My parents had the usual Black Pig Shabu Shabu Ramen, which I believed most people know they are famous for.
But what I was looking forward to was their Black Pig Pork Chop which is heavenly! You have to try it to know it. The texture is so tender and soft that it melts the moment you bite it. The $20 for the pork chop cut into 8 pieces might seems ex but definitely worth it. If you have not try it, I urge you to do so! That alone is worth 4 stars!
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
After sampling the SHIOK Yakader Chicken Briyani a few months back, people all over has been asking me to try the most famous briyani stall at the other side of Tekka Food Centre instead. The queue at this stall meant nothing as I stood there waiting for 20 minutes. For those who still do not know, this stall is none other than Allauddin’s Briyani (no prize for those who guessed it correctly though).
For $4.00, what you get is also another plate of orangey red looking plate of Chicken Briyani that gets zero marks for presentation. At least Yakader’s serving came lined with banana leaf, what you get from Allauddin is just a Styrofoam plate with no achar (spicy pickled salad) in sight (not that I eat them anyway but at least visually it looks better).
In terms of the chicken, I would say they are both pretty similar in terms of taste and texture. So soft and tender was the meat that a simple tear at the lightest pressure of the fork will cause the meat to be easily separated from its bone. However, I will be inclined to find their rice overly moist and mushy from overcooking, as I expect the basmati rice to be slightly more firm and comes with a better bite. Having waited so long, I also decided to add an extra order of what they call “Lamb Cutlet” for additional $1.00 (although I do not see where the cutlet comes from). A nice savoury outer crust that was fried nicely to taste, it was disappointing though to find it soft on the inside with what seems like flour and onions and little of the lamb.
Overall, I felt that Yakader was the better of the two in terms of chicken briyani, however I would not hesitate to try their mutton next, which was ordered by the customers before me, as it looks pliable and succulent just by the sight of it. As Tekka Food Centre will be re-located to the Temporary Market along Race Course Road from May 1 onwards, Allauddin’s Briyani will be relocated to stall unit #01-189 and #01-190.
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Whilst studying in Canada, my friends and I used to “Yum Cha” every weekend morning without fail and it was often very fun with all the food and interaction. When I came back to Singapore, no one I knew practised that and thus the habit slowly died down. Up early and feeling nostalgic on a Sunday morning, I decided to visit the long standing Yan Palace Restaurant for some dim sum and roped in my gf to help with the eating.
Finding the place wasn’t too difficult as it was just next to Hong Lim food centre and parking was a breeze with the multi story carpark just next to it. (Its $1/hr even on Sundays though) When we got there at about 1100, the restaurant was almost packed with people. (The restaurant could seat about 100 people easily) The interior looked like that of a typical Chinese restaurant of yester year. As we were only having dim sum, a list was provided for us to tick off the types of dim sum we desired. We ordered the Mini egg tarts, Xiao Long Bao (Steamed Shanghai pork buns), century egg with pork porridge, Char Siew Sou (BBQ pork puff), Har Kaw, Siew Mai, Chee Cheong Fun with BBQ pork and Chee Cheong Fun with prawns.
The mini egg tarts at first glance, looked totally unappealing with its slightly dark crust. But as they say, goodness comes from within. In the case of this egg tart, it was literal. The custard wasn’t too sweet and very smooth. The crust was a little hard and had a little milky and oven-baked taste, just like a cookie. Very good I should say! I like this crust better then Tong Heng’s one, but Tong Heng’s custard still prevails. The Xiao Long Bao was disappointing, being too dry with no hint of juiciness at all.
I’ve never liked century egg and all the variations that come with it. But I tried the century egg with pork porridge after some cajoling by my gf and I liked it. The porridge was very sticky and didn’t have the century egg taste at all. (I avoided the century egg) In fact, it tasted like very good pork porridge with deep fried crispys. Next up was the Char Siew Sou, whose crust I like very much due to the oven baked taste that separates it from its other competitors. However, the char siew filling was not up to the mark. It tasted a little watery and didn’t have the real BBQ pork taste. The Siew Mai was good, not too salty and with lots of prawns and lean meat packed into it. Har Kaw tasted normal, but a little expensive in my opinion, given its size and taste.
Last up was the Chee Chong Fun, one with BBQ pork and other with prawns. I liked the one with prawns a lot better as the BBQ pork was practically tasteless. The Chee Chong Fun itself wasn’t too soft, unlike good Chee Chong Funs.
At about $32 for 2 pax for dim sum, it’s a little on the high side, but take comfort in the fact that quite a few dishes at Yan Palace Restaurant are well worth the money. However, do note that the dim sum range is not extensive and they do not serve the dim sum in pushcarts, unlike Red Star. (I’ll do a formal review soon) Nevertheless, Yan Palace Restaurant has found a fan in me with their egg tarts. I’ll be back to try out their long forgotten Zhu Jiao Chu.
Decor was simple and they had nice looking circular booths, which could seat up to 4 people. Got a seat pretty fast and we proceeded to order a Macau style cheese baked rice with pork chop, chicken porridge and red bean snow ice(or something like that).Our food came within 10 mins and we were quite pleased with the presentation. The food actually looked good. However, imagine our disappointment when the porridge tasted bland and the portion was pathetic. I'm sure the $2.50 porridge at the hawker centre outside my house tasted better then that and with a bigger portion to boot. The baked rice was cold on the inside and hot on the outside (the cheese). The rice was drenched in oil(I could actually see the layer of oil!). The saving grace was the red bean snow ice which was actually an oversized ice kachang, but with just red bean, grass jelly and lots of condensed milk in it. I found it quite ok, probably due to the fact that I kinda like ice kachang.
Damage was $25.55/- which I feel is hardly worth it. One of the worst places I've eaten so far. Service is hardly existent as well. Will not be going back EVER! One other thing to note. They charge 40 cents for their iced water (refillable) and they have this practice of rounding up the bill to the nearest 5 cents.
I used to patronise this place when I was a kid and when they were still located at an old shophouse along Tampines Road. Even then, the prices were steep, coming in at $3 - $4 instead of the usual $1.50 for nasi lemak then. But back then, the food was good and queues of more than 20 people could be seen.
Tried them out again after they moved to their current location. The queue is still there, the prices are still higher then average but the food quality has dipped. Prices are like $6 now which is ridiculous. I rather walk 3 bus stops down Hougang Ave 1 for better and cheaper nasi lemak.
This is my friend's business and no, I'm not being biased here. All those people who tried the Rocky Road cake at Bobo's birthday can bear testament to that. The cake was very pretty with little heart shapes and marshmellows wedged in between. The chocolate didn't come across as too rich or sweet for that matter. The only thing which I felt could have been better was that it could have been more moist, but the dryness could be due to putting in the fridge for too long. Lilfoot has other cakes too which are quite decent, like his fever! and signature chocolate cheesecake.
I tried this courtesy of Team Singapore quite a few years back. The ride lasted probably about 5 mins with most of the anticipation/fear coming during the waiting to be launched off period. I can't remember the exact costs for 1 ride but it definitely isn't cheap. You can also buy a dvd of yourself in the air from the counter after the ride for a few bucks.
1=SGD 0.0587
First tried out Ms Clarity way back in 2005/2006 when it first opened and was relatively unknown back then. Used to have their chicken cordon bleu which is essentially chicken stuffed with cheese and ham. There was no crowd then and prices were kept before $10 for a main course. With the publicity generated over the years and the opening of 2 new branches, the standard of food has dipped, prices have increased and the queues are quite insane. Oh did I mention that service is slow as well?
Rating given:
After a short wait, our dishes arrived and we tucked in. First impressions, the beef I had was very well done and the meat was tender and a little juicy. (I had ordered it medium well)The sides were nothing to shout about though. The hog tail fries tasted like the curly fries from MacDonalds and the salad looked like it could use some sprucing up. I managed to try some of my gf's chicken and it tasted kinda weird with peachy-mangoey sauce on top of the chicken. The sauce tasted like those you would find in puddings.
My take on this one? The beef is good, but only the beef. Didn't get to try the dessert as we had plans to head on to Haagan Dazs after that. The waitresses were friendly, but a little lacking in service. I ordered a refillable glass of Coke and I had to wait for quite some time to even see a waitress to get it filled up. Nice laid back atmostphere though.
Rating given:
Nasi Lemak, with roots in Malay culture, when translated literally means 'rice in fat'. The name is derived from the cooking process whereby the grains are soaked in rich coconut cream and then the mixture steamed. While traditionally a breakfast dish, this dish is now found everywhere at every time possible. Mentioned Nasi Lemak and Changi Village Road Food Centre immediately sprang to mind.
While there are several competitor stalls competing with flashy stall signage, there is only one International Food Stall with its rather plain and simple signage. The queue that morning said it all – this stall is legendary for its long queue, which appears to be perpetually attached to it, come rain or shine. It definitely serves one of the best renditions, with Adam Road’s Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak coming a close second. The Rice is fragrant, moist and subtly sweet – a sign that the coconut milk was thoroughly infused with the rice.
Because of the stall’s fast turnover, the Chicken Wings are always guaranteed freshly fried – crispy and juicy, and served piping hot. But what definitely caught my tastebud that morning was definitely the Sambal Chilli. A sure winner with its aromatic sweet, yet not so spicy chilli fried with onions that one cannot help but keep helping himself to it.
This is truly the best rendition I have tried so far! Anyone care to dispute it?
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
Visited this place last Sunday with my parents and they have since been relocated to ground level of Liang Court Shopping Centre. Their old outlet has also been taken over by Ichibantei.
My parents had the usual Black Pig Shabu Shabu Ramen, which I believed most people know they are famous for.
But what I was looking forward to was their Black Pig Pork Chop which is heavenly! You have to try it to know it. The texture is so tender and soft that it melts the moment you bite it. The $20 for the pork chop cut into 8 pieces might seems ex but definitely worth it. If you have not try it, I urge you to do so! That alone is worth 4 stars!
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
After sampling the SHIOK Yakader Chicken Briyani a few months back, people all over has been asking me to try the most famous briyani stall at the other side of Tekka Food Centre instead. The queue at this stall meant nothing as I stood there waiting for 20 minutes. For those who still do not know, this stall is none other than Allauddin’s Briyani (no prize for those who guessed it correctly though).
For $4.00, what you get is also another plate of orangey red looking plate of Chicken Briyani that gets zero marks for presentation. At least Yakader’s serving came lined with banana leaf, what you get from Allauddin is just a Styrofoam plate with no achar (spicy pickled salad) in sight (not that I eat them anyway but at least visually it looks better).
In terms of the chicken, I would say they are both pretty similar in terms of taste and texture. So soft and tender was the meat that a simple tear at the lightest pressure of the fork will cause the meat to be easily separated from its bone. However, I will be inclined to find their rice overly moist and mushy from overcooking, as I expect the basmati rice to be slightly more firm and comes with a better bite. Having waited so long, I also decided to add an extra order of what they call “Lamb Cutlet” for additional $1.00 (although I do not see where the cutlet comes from). A nice savoury outer crust that was fried nicely to taste, it was disappointing though to find it soft on the inside with what seems like flour and onions and little of the lamb.
Overall, I felt that Yakader was the better of the two in terms of chicken briyani, however I would not hesitate to try their mutton next, which was ordered by the customers before me, as it looks pliable and succulent just by the sight of it. As Tekka Food Centre will be re-located to the Temporary Market along Race Course Road from May 1 onwards, Allauddin’s Briyani will be relocated to stall unit #01-189 and #01-190.
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
Whilst studying in Canada, my friends and I used to “Yum Cha” every weekend morning without fail and it was often very fun with all the food and interaction. When I came back to Singapore, no one I knew practised that and thus the habit slowly died down. Up early and feeling nostalgic on a Sunday morning, I decided to visit the long standing Yan Palace Restaurant for some dim sum and roped in my gf to help with the eating.
Finding the place wasn’t too difficult as it was just next to Hong Lim food centre and parking was a breeze with the multi story carpark just next to it. (Its $1/hr even on Sundays though) When we got there at about 1100, the restaurant was almost packed with people. (The restaurant could seat about 100 people easily) The interior looked like that of a typical Chinese restaurant of yester year. As we were only having dim sum, a list was provided for us to tick off the types of dim sum we desired. We ordered the Mini egg tarts, Xiao Long Bao (Steamed Shanghai pork buns), century egg with pork porridge, Char Siew Sou (BBQ pork puff), Har Kaw, Siew Mai, Chee Cheong Fun with BBQ pork and Chee Cheong Fun with prawns.
The mini egg tarts at first glance, looked totally unappealing with its slightly dark crust. But as they say, goodness comes from within. In the case of this egg tart, it was literal. The custard wasn’t too sweet and very smooth. The crust was a little hard and had a little milky and oven-baked taste, just like a cookie. Very good I should say! I like this crust better then Tong Heng’s one, but Tong Heng’s custard still prevails. The Xiao Long Bao was disappointing, being too dry with no hint of juiciness at all.
I’ve never liked century egg and all the variations that come with it. But I tried the century egg with pork porridge after some cajoling by my gf and I liked it. The porridge was very sticky and didn’t have the century egg taste at all. (I avoided the century egg) In fact, it tasted like very good pork porridge with deep fried crispys. Next up was the Char Siew Sou, whose crust I like very much due to the oven baked taste that separates it from its other competitors. However, the char siew filling was not up to the mark. It tasted a little watery and didn’t have the real BBQ pork taste. The Siew Mai was good, not too salty and with lots of prawns and lean meat packed into it. Har Kaw tasted normal, but a little expensive in my opinion, given its size and taste.
Last up was the Chee Chong Fun, one with BBQ pork and other with prawns. I liked the one with prawns a lot better as the BBQ pork was practically tasteless. The Chee Chong Fun itself wasn’t too soft, unlike good Chee Chong Funs.
At about $32 for 2 pax for dim sum, it’s a little on the high side, but take comfort in the fact that quite a few dishes at Yan Palace Restaurant are well worth the money. However, do note that the dim sum range is not extensive and they do not serve the dim sum in pushcarts, unlike Red Star. (I’ll do a formal review soon) Nevertheless, Yan Palace Restaurant has found a fan in me with their egg tarts. I’ll be back to try out their long forgotten Zhu Jiao Chu.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Decor was simple and they had nice looking circular booths, which could seat up to 4 people. Got a seat pretty fast and we proceeded to order a Macau style cheese baked rice with pork chop, chicken porridge and red bean snow ice(or something like that).Our food came within 10 mins and we were quite pleased with the presentation. The food actually looked good. However, imagine our disappointment when the porridge tasted bland and the portion was pathetic. I'm sure the $2.50 porridge at the hawker centre outside my house tasted better then that and with a bigger portion to boot. The baked rice was cold on the inside and hot on the outside (the cheese). The rice was drenched in oil(I could actually see the layer of oil!). The saving grace was the red bean snow ice which was actually an oversized ice kachang, but with just red bean, grass jelly and lots of condensed milk in it. I found it quite ok, probably due to the fact that I kinda like ice kachang.
Damage was $25.55/- which I feel is hardly worth it. One of the worst places I've eaten so far. Service is hardly existent as well. Will not be going back EVER! One other thing to note. They charge 40 cents for their iced water (refillable) and they have this practice of rounding up the bill to the nearest 5 cents.
Rating given:
I used to patronise this place when I was a kid and when they were still located at an old shophouse along Tampines Road. Even then, the prices were steep, coming in at $3 - $4 instead of the usual $1.50 for nasi lemak then. But back then, the food was good and queues of more than 20 people could be seen.
Tried them out again after they moved to their current location. The queue is still there, the prices are still higher then average but the food quality has dipped. Prices are like $6 now which is ridiculous. I rather walk 3 bus stops down Hougang Ave 1 for better and cheaper nasi lemak.
Rating given:
This is my friend's business and no, I'm not being biased here. All those people who tried the Rocky Road cake at Bobo's birthday can bear testament to that. The cake was very pretty with little heart shapes and marshmellows wedged in between. The chocolate didn't come across as too rich or sweet for that matter. The only thing which I felt could have been better was that it could have been more moist, but the dryness could be due to putting in the fridge for too long.
Lilfoot has other cakes too which are quite decent, like his fever! and signature chocolate cheesecake.
Rating given:
I tried this courtesy of Team Singapore quite a few years back. The ride lasted probably about 5 mins with most of the anticipation/fear coming during the waiting to be launched off period. I can't remember the exact costs for 1 ride but it definitely isn't cheap. You can also buy a dvd of yourself in the air from the counter after the ride for a few bucks.
Rating given: